The world’s longest contest prep is finally over, both the NSW IFBB and NPC Nationals contests are done and dusted, and it is time to review how it went. Like Socrates says, “the unexamined life is not worth living”. To continue down this road of growth and change let’s have a look at what went right, what needs to change and what is happening with this old bag of bones moving forward.
What went right
- Getting a Contest Preparation coach was something I should have done a long time ago. Having a sensible plan all mapped out for me and then simply just following it to the letter finally got my physique into the condition necessary to be competitive. It’s very hard to be completely objective about your own body, especially when you are tired from dieting. Having an accomplished coach make all the decisions is a much better option. Thank you Josh Lenartowicz.
- Being leaner show cased the physique better, bringing the waist in more and highlighting the v-taper. Also moved me up the placings.
- The Stair climber is a piece of cardio kit I haven’t used in the past, mainly because it was hard and sucked. However, it was a great way to shed fat quickly and will definitely be in next year's plan.
- A Coaching session with Joseph from com.au really got my head on straight right from the start. By looking at my key drivers/motivations and launching into this project whole heartedly, it was very easy to remain focused and enjoy the process of getting this body into it’s best shape to date.
What needs Changing
There were a few things that didn’t go according to plan, in no particular order
- I don’t want to contest diet for 12 months ever again, way too long.
- Way too much cardio, twice a day for 12 months and the novelty wears off
- We tried 2 different tanning methods and the first contest method of letting the top coat sink in for a few hours was the best one for show casing the physique
- 2 contests a week apart seemed to be a problem in relation to water retention so I would be reluctant to do that again or would have to change the water loading method.
- The huge amount of cardio took a toll on leg size. Next time we will start of leaner and thus will only require a more sensible amount of cardio activity to get shredded. Cardio twice a day for 12 months is not sensible and not something I want to repeat next contest period.
- Posing was ok however some poses could be displayed to better effect and posing fitness could have been better. Posing is tough and minor cramping started to effect how well I was hitting the poses on stage. Simply fixed by doing more posing practice next time.
In my mind the things that didn’t go to plan were minor compared to the successes and they are all easily fixed with a few revisions of the plan. This comp prep was always going to be a work in progress so the thought of more improvements to make is actually exciting.
What’s next for the old boy? Reverse Dieting, Put on some more muscle and compete again next year. The feedback for this contest blog has been very positive and the support for my contest preparation was truly uplifting. Thank you to all those who shared he journey with me and I hope there was something in there to help you reach your health and physique goals.