once again...i'm 6 days out from competition

Well, i'm 6 days out from the 2010 CBBF Nationals in toronto (CNE grounds). I don't think i've ever trained or prepped so hard for a show.. mind u i haven't really stopped dieting or training since the provincial show last June 19th--but i'm much more depleted in fat stores this time & have made some minor changes to my prep to come in drier & tighter.

I'm looking forward to this show--i've determined that i am really going to enjoy the whole experience (i want to enjoy the whole weekend in toronto, including the after-party). I believe this is going to be a fantastic show over-all. I'm entering in the heavyweight-masters--should weigh in around atleast 145lbs. Should be an interesting week, but grocery shopping is done, all reservations are made & i've started packing. Hope to take alot of photos: if you get a chance to attend this show i'm sure it will be an experience to remember! :))

9 Days out from competition!!

I'm only 9 days out from my next show... how can time be flying by SO fast???

Well, I've left nothing to chance this year. This will be my third time doing the Ontario (National Qualfiers).. and I want first place. I dieted down really early so I wouldn't be stressed out physically or emotionally.. I am very pleased with the results.

My training sessions have been brutal, really pushed myself to correct my weaknesses. All that's left now is my final week of dietary prep & intense/long posing sessions to give me my polish. I don't believe I've ever looked this good, this big and this cut.

I weighed in at 150.5lbs two days ago at the gym, but haven't taken recent measurements, but as of mid May, my measurements (taken unflexed/unpumped) were as follows:

40.00" Chest
28.00" Waist
36.00" Hips
24.00" Thighs
14.25" Biceps
14.75" Calves

It's possible that I've increased in size since mid-may.. I did add an extra 4-5lbs of muscle mass since then so I will have to do measurements again soon.

I've had very little problem dieting. I did improve the quality of my diet this year (uggghhh sooo expensive to eat very well). & I also changed my training regimine. Due to my health issues & the inevitable stress caused from overtraining I found that training 3-4 days a week worked best for ne. Although those training sessions are hard and long.. my body type (muscular/endurance athlete) tends to cope well with this type of training. I would train whole body each session, but specialize in one or two bodyparts that day...giving them my best energy & hitting them hard. I stopped doing cardio about a month out from the show but will add that back in the last week as a "shock" to help me super shred.. the body seems to adapt to anything you do routinely, so it's always good to save some shock tactics just in case.

When Paul Luis first took me under his wing to help me prep for my first show he had always said "work smarter, not harder..." I hear ya Paul. The body can't achieve the optimum results while under stress.. I let my diet do a good portion of the work so I don't have to train 5-7 days a week. Mind you, on days off the gym, I still do some training at home, especially posing practice which I have to say is extremely important. It doesn't matter how awesum your body is at a show if you can't properly present it...

Here are a couple photos from posing practice (taken about 3 weeks out)


These photos are NOTHING compared to what I will look like on stage!! I'm very excited. Feel I have my peak plan perfected this year.

I will have tons of photos & videos from the show.. hope to be shooting the whole weekend of the show (Milky Whey Classic Ontario {Bodybuilding, Figure & Fitness} Championships, June 19th, 2010 --550 Wellington St. London, Ontario CANADA). This is a National Qualifier for the CBBF Nationals in Toronto on August 28th 2010. Both should be amazing shows if you can make it out.

I hope to post more updates as the show approaches & even the weekend of the show from my hotel room. Hope to have the website up and running shortly after the show also.. so far finally have a main page up (http://www.hardcorebody.ca/About.html). Check back often.. I will be posting the best of my photos & videos on the site...I'm finding that the videos I post to youtube are being ripped and uploaded to other websites without my permission (for someone else's profit or advantage)..It's simply not fair seeing they are my property & I labor hours to make them and upload them free of charge. So I apologize to fans/friends who can't access my newer media because of a handful of manipulative thieves.

Well gotta cut this short.. have posing practice to do this morning :) Have a great day!

Peace - Out

4 weeks out from Ontarios!!

Getting very excited... I'm only 4 weeks out from the Ontarios.. (National Qualifier, London Ontario, June 19th). It should be a very exciting weekend.. I'm heading to the weigh in Friday night & coming home sum time on Sunday so far as I know.. Will be a very busy weekend for me...

Hope to do a great deal of photo/video that weekend too, so it will be non-stop, but I'm ready for it.

Have managed to keep my health issues in check.. and even working around a couple of lingering injuries from months of heavy/intense training, but almost totally healed (R Rotator & L Ham). Training is going very well & i'm so lean at this point... I should look amazing in 4 weeks. Last time I stepped on stage I wasn't this lean..so I'm going to drop as much bodyfat as possible.

I've planned my peak week program.. and I'm glad in a way that I had last year off from competing.. It gave me time to familiarize myself with the whole peaking/prepping process (I did alot of photoshoots).. I also practiced posing continually, often for a few hours at a time ..nonstop! So I hope I have what it takes to bring home the hardware.. I want to win this year.

I think if I place first I might consider the Nationals this year since they are in Toronto... I know that will be a very competitive show, but I'd be thrilled to even be able to stand on stage in such a show beside Canada's best.

It looks like I will probably need bowel surgery.. My bowel is so badly twisted that it's strictured & the whole problem last October was that it obstructed.. So I'm working around the issue right now, I am going to compete anyway.. I've been dealing with it for so many years now, why should I put my life on hold?? All the hard work for the competitive season is already DONE, and it's an excellent distraction from the problem, symptoms & my nervousness about the up & coming surgery (OK, i'm truly terrified).

I still don't have a sponsor or endorsements.. but I could really use SOMETHING, but i just haven't had the energy to take the initiative so far (been very tired & have so much to handle at the moment).. i can't believe how much my diet is costing.. not to mention that the fees to even step on stage have all gone up. Competing is expensive.. and my income has been frustrated by my health issues. But my bodybuilding lifestyle has been the key to my improved health & functionality.. I think the expense of healthy nutrition is warranted.. far more effective at improving health and preventing future health issues. My body simply DEMANDS healthy food now and lots of it!! (I wouldn't want to tell you how much i eat in a day LOL)

Just starting to tan now... getting bronzed so more photos/video will be taken these last four weeks. I will do my best.. It's hard being both the subject & the photographer/videographer. But i will regret it if i don't take as many pictures as i can.

Well, thought it was time for an update.. I will keep you posted. I plan on bringing my video camera, still camera, cell phone & laptop all with me to the show.. so maybe i can keep a journal of sorts. (yes I know I need to make more frequent entries--I'm trying).

If you get a chance, come out to see the show, the Provincial show is always a big deal and a great time!

Peace Out for now :))

A long overdue update....

Yes, it's a long overdue update..

I've come to some conclusions.. one of which is that I'm terrible at organizing and managing my time. Part of that problem stems from my health issues which leave me never knowing when I'll be feeling up to doing certain things--my mornings generally aren't productive time and have always been alotted to getting the "machine" up and running. When I'm sick all the chores pile up and I get frustrated trying to catch up on things again. What is NORMAL? I don't know anymore.. I'm NOT normal, but I don't let it stop me from trying to fight for a normal functional life....

About 6 weeks ago I had my GI tract scoped from both ends & biopsies taken from my stomach & bowel to try to figure out why I ended up in ICU in October last fall, but I haven't yet had the follow up with my specialist to discuss the results. I AM comforted that I haven't heard from the doc yet though, which means it isn't cancer atleast. But they couldn't finish the scopes either....they said too much of my bowel was twisted... what the heck does that mean??? I had it done in a hospital.. aren't they prepared for such things...I mean, don't they have scads of footage of tubing beyond the normal length of the GI tract???? That's the only thing I remember the doc telling me after the procedure.. I had forgotten it until two weeks ago since I was drunk on fentanyl at the time (took three days to come to full coherency.. what great pain relief too!). Anyhow, that alone can explain the constant nausea I experience & GI problems when my body won't digest food or I start vomitting, but it doesn't explain the infection/bleeding & inflammation that put me in the ICU last October.. waiting to find out is like slow torture. Anything the doctor says at that follow up visit can change the direction of my life. Do I set my heart on training & setting up my personal training biz or what?? ....sigh

I'm only training three days a week right now & have been since last October when I got out of the hospital. I have managed to stabilize health wise, but really have to listen to my body. I have gained 23lbs of muscle since October.. I had trained very hard all winter thinking I would be competing this season.. And the season is here already... but not sure how I will scrape up the funds to compete. There are two shows coming up (May & June) locally that I'd like to do, but it really comes down to seeing if I can get the funds together by then.

Well, I'm just making my son lunch, so I'll sign out for now.. hopefully I will get some answers soon so that I can organize and make plans this season. I will try to post more often too, I'm terrible at keeping on top of this journal even though I know its a good therapy for me to be able to chronicle my dysfunctional functional life.. :p

Peace/Out