Never keep a checklist of rights and wrongs or a ledger of what is owed to you.Honor your word.Pay your debts.You will know many people during your life, some will be friends, others will be very close friends and a few may even become your significant other. Value all relationships but guard your heart according. Not everyone should know your deepest darkest secrets, your dreams and desires.Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books.There are many things in life that you can not control, let them be. Prioritize your time and effort on the things and people that matter.Friends will come and go. Some will transition to acquaintances, some will disappear forever, some will drop in and out of your life. The song always remains the same for your closest friends who see you through thick and thin. Don’t let mixed signals fool you. Indecision is a decision.Never skip leg day!

I did my last leg compounds this morning, now no more deadlifts or squats until after the contest. I’m not going to be as lean as I want but that’s okay. At 157 pounds and 59 years old, I weigh what I did when I was 24! As this part of my fitness journey comes to an end, I’m surprisingly not nervous. I did not invite anybody because it’s easier to step on stage in front of strangers, lol!“It’s impossible,”said Pride.“It’s risky,”said Experience.“It’s pointless,”said Reason.“Give it a try,”whispered the Heart.

Do I see the finish line or do I see a mile marker? How do you move on when you’ve reached a goal? I’m not one to be defined by my achievements, I believe that we are defined by our habits. I see the mile marker and the road ahead. I also see people frozen in their steps, watching everyone pass them by. Stay Strong!

 

“Words and Hearts should be handled with care for Words when spoken and Hearts when broken are the hardest things to repair.”

Fasted leg day dominated by my favorite movement, deadlifts! Diet wise, I’m having to be more aggressive then I’d like. My day is done and my macros were; 198 grams of protein, 98 grams of carbs and 32 grams of fat for a paltry 1,320 calories. I feel like low energy Jeb Bush, 😂!

“Who dreams of finding someone whose style of crazy matches your style of crazy? ~ Al Hidalgo

With as much research as I’ve done on contest prep, I would like to think I was prepared and for the most part I have been ready. What’s tough is the mental game and that’s hard to write about, fragmented thoughts in a linear world. The required mindset of a warrior that you need to succeed and that makes absolutely no sense to most family and friends. Stay Strong!

Watching “The Hiding Place” and admiring the women who would not give up, who found hope where there was none. Anyone who thinks that they are dealing with adversity needs to watch this movie.

Great leg day early this morning with squats for the main course. 30 minutes of cardio at lunch and will be doing 30 more minutes later today. I’m not exactly where I want to be but no backing out now!

I’ve lost 62 pounds, lowered my BP from 130/90 to 112/65 and took my BMI from 32 to 24 so regardless of how I place, I am much healthier than when I began. So far there are 82 people entered in the event though I don’t have the breakdown for my events, Classic Physique Novice or Classic Physique +40 though I expect that most entrants are Bikini and Men’s Physique.

“Are you the author of your story? If so it may be time to write another chapter!”

Hard Belly Fat vs Soft Belly Fat:

According to studies done out of Quebec City, if you’ve got a hard belly it’s caused by high accumulations of visceral fat and just so you know, that’s fat located in the spaces between the organs in your abdominal cavity. If it’s hard, the fat is packed tightly against your organs. There’s no jiggle room. A soft belly is caused by subcutaneous fat, which is fat located close to the skin’s surface, so it has room to roll. Having a soft belly isn’t great, but it’s a lot healthier than a hard one.

Jean Pierre Despres, the research scientist who led the study, says a fat, hard belly is like having a ticking time bomb in your body– it increases your chances of heart disease, diabetes and is worse than smoking or having high cholesterol. The good news is that just losing 5 to 10% of your body weight will strip off 25-40% of that visceral fat.

I am trying so hard not to be that guy, the guy on stage that does not belong. I would be more confident if there was an +50 class, lol. At 59, my conditioning will be key going against guys in their 40s. I’m in uncharted territory now, haven’t been this lean in 36 years yet I still must get leaner!

“Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.”

~ Bob Dylan