There was always going to be the possibility that Covid 19 would put a dent in my 2020 contest plans. As of last Friday, the Australia president of IFBB regrettably announced that the Australian Bodybuilding titles in Brisbane have been cancelled this year due to the state lockdowns and travel quarantines!
No great surprise there, right from the start this was a possibility, so best just to move on. Plan B is to compete at next year’s Arnold Classic in March sometime in Melbourne. I’m not really disappointed because the goal was to enjoy each day and just do what needed to be done. The new plan has a few modifications but basically “Enjoy the day and just do what needs to be done” is still the central tenant.
With the competition preparation being extended by another 22 weeks (now 31 weeks out roughly) there will be a few adjustments to the original plan. As the original plan was working quite well theses changes will be minor but necessary to avoid “Burn-out”.
- Fat Burners: The Fat burners with stimulants in them have been cut out this week as it is not good for the nervous system to stay on high stimulant fat burners for what would be 8 months. The non-stimulant fat burner RESET NUTRITION THERMOGENIC ACTIVATOR stays in as it is great for over-all energy production and the health of each cell.
- Cardio stays the same for the next few weeks. I’m still keen to keep some fat coming off so for now 2 x 30-minute cardio sessions each day. If fat keeps coming off, I’ll consider reducing the cardio until we get closer to the show.
- Food stays the same for now also for the time being. I’ll increase carbs in a few weeks’ time again depending on whether I’m lean enough
- Cheat meal once a week. You don’t have to go super dirty on a cheat meal, home-made pizza or burgers with oven fries are good choices. Having a partner that is not competing makes it important to step out of the contest/bodybuilding routine and do some regular activities like eating at a restaurant or packing a nice picnic basket.
- Weights stay the same, a mixture of heavy sets coupled with drop sets and rest pause.
Having this extra time to prepare gives the opportunity to present an even better physique. No time to waste, I’m super keen to see what progress can be made. As usual thankyou for your continual support and enthusiasm through this contest journey.