Project 2: Bodybuilding: The very beginners guide

Now that the elation of completing the Fan Dance is over, my hands and feet have restored to normal body temperature and the post traumatic stress of Snickers bar overload has dissipated, its time for my
next project; the Bodybuilding contest. This is  where I will compete in the category "Fitness Model" on June 1st at the 02 arena in Greenwich. I realised that this may well be akin to a "Jodie Marsh" situation but I hope not. At the end of the day, anyone who willingly gets up on a stage in next to nothing with a perma tan, open to the relentless criticising by perfect strangers has to have some balls. I have gotten into boxing rings for fights, where you are judged on your fitness, technical ability, courage and heart but I have never been on a stage like this. I wonder whether I will cream in......

A little bit on confidence

So the conclusion is, this will really test my confidence, an attribute which often waxes and wanes even without any added pressures.  I like to think I have evolved with time and failure to derive confidence from things other than appearance, because "looks" come and go and then one day they just go!! Confidence built solely on this is not good for one's morale. I am however by no means immune to the fat day but I have come to understand its relative place in ranking of importance. I was taught this lesson after losing my health for the first time aged 28. It took 2 years to recover and a complete loss of self at the same time. So rebuilding it, requires a different perspective.
So with this in hindsight, the whole concept of training for aesthetics is really foreign, because I value training for function. It's strange and bizarre and most definitely a challenge. The training is hard and the psychological game is relentless. The key I think to maintaining sanity is maintaining perspective, but I expect there is an inverse proportional relationship with calories consumed and sense of perspective! This is where the brutal honesty of loved ones to tell you when you are being a narcisitic asshole becomes crucial. A good friend is one that will tell you this!

I have done 3 months now of general training and no dieting, just to get into the routine of strength training properly, but now the pressure starts with a 16 week build-up which is fairly standard for a show preparation.
I have thrown myself into this project by training at Metroflex gym in Lower Sydenham which is fantastic, a no frills gym predominantly used by competitive bodybuilders and well... just really big blokes. I most definitely felt out of my comfort zone on the first visit for obvious reasons; a lot of very muscular men and very few women! but it now starts to feel like home. Like minded, genuine people, training hard with a distinct lack of BS! Being predominantly really solitary in nature (97%), I have to admit I like the graft. If there is hard way or an easy way, I usually take the hard way because the reward is in the feeling of having really earnt something. Perhaps this is why I like the gym, I like the work ethic. The last 3% of my character is actually really extrovert; the yin and yang of human character. So this part I will have to tap into whilst parading in diamante.

The advice and support given to me at the gym has been fantastic and the lesson learnt here is I am doing more things wrong than I am doing right.

Lesson 1: Lets get the definitions straight

My definition of cardio is not the same as a bodybuilders definition!! I have always been a enthusiast of high intensity (HIT) training and being of decent cardiovascular fitness (CV), a fast paced run will often constitute a cardio session. In the bodybuilding world, the priority is diet and training. Energy conservation is therefore retained for weight lifting. Recommended cardio for bodybuilding is 30-60min fast paced walking at 65% MaxHR AFTER a hard lifting session, which has depleted glycogen stores and every other kind of store! The idea is to tap into fat metabolism but retain maximum muscle tissue. The finer points of muscle retention in response to exercise intensity often presents my brain with problems as there doesn't seem to be conclusive evidence about which is best; ultimately because people are different and respond differently. HIT training, as effective as it is for "CV fitness" I find depletes me of energy and requires longer recovery, so with the added volume and load of weight sessions, low intensity CV may well be the way to go. This allows maximum focus to go into weight training. I've not ever done it this way but we'll see!

The psychological implication of this is I have to learn "reigning in". It's hard and I find myself quite chatty, often terrifying the poor bloke next to me on the treadmill, in attempt to distract myself from 1) the boredom and 2) the lack of perceived effort. I fall into that category of all or nothing, so learning new moderate behaviour is a challenge.

Lesson 2: The diet

Good lord the diet. It's so so important and yet again I have continued to get this wrong for about 3 months. The main problem is not getting enough protein. This isn't a post to bore about food menu's but perhaps more to share errors and explanations for lack of progress. 1.5g protein per 1lb body weight is a lot compared to what I used to eat so its a really conscious effort to think "chicken!!" I have found keeping a food diary helps keep everything real. Its amazing how well the human body and mind can deceive itself, especially in emotional states, so writing EVERYTHING down has proved to be my truth serum.
I am NOT enjoying those protein shakes but finally settling on a brand called PHD is a compromise, it is no way delicious but it doesn't illicit the gag reflex either. Egg Protein and Pea Protein was an experiment and really not one to ever be repeated.

Finally 

Lesson 3: The Trap Bar

I love this!! An alternate way of doing deadlifts which is kinder to the lumbodorsal musculature.

A hunk of metal has now become my new best friend!