8 to go! Never settle....

One thing that is really hitting me this prep is the mentality to never settle for anything less than your best.  It doesn't matter what others think or say, just as long as you personally know you didn't just settle for anything.  Bodybuilding is actually more mental than most would care to admit and what separates most competitors is the ability to break through barriers mentally before physically.  If you say "never"...then you never will.

Progress for me at this point is slow, but steady.  I am staying consistent and trying to keep as much strength as possible. Here is a highlight from my deficit deadlifts this past Wednesday as well as my comparison pictures from my 2010 prep.  I also finished this week with a low of 203.6lbs.  I still have a long way to go, but I am closer than I was yesterday.

2010

2012

Yesterday marked the 8 week out point and I was able to meet up with Cohn Wolfe, a fellow bodybuilder and good friend for some legs.  We didn't really keep track of sets or reps but here is some footage from our Safety Bar squats.

-Luke

Mental Toughness

This past week has been a little harder mentally than usual, but I finally broke through.  I weighed in at 204.6lbs 9 weeks out and progress is really picking up steam.  For those of you who have prepped before you all know about some of the mind tricks that take place during a sticking point of your prep.  You may question your calorie intake or amount of cardio your doing, but when it comes down to it all you have to do is stick to the plan that you have set in place and you will push through with no problem. All I know is I could not do this without the help of Tara and her watchful eye on monitoring my progress.  It makes all the difference in the world to know I have her backing me in my corner as well as all of your support.  No matter the outcome of each training session, as long as I give my absolute all at the time I will improve in more areas than one.

Despite the mental toughness this past week, I have actually had some amazing workouts.  Here are some highlights from this past week.

*Warm-ups excluded

Safety Bar Squats- 4x8@335
BB Lunges- 4x12@135 (Pauses on each step at bottom)
V-Squat- 4x8
Leg Extensions- 4x10 / 2x12

-Luke

"To give any less than your best is to sacrifice a gift" -Steve Prefontaine

 

"To give any less than your best is to sacrifice a gift" - Steve Prefontaine

For me this really hits home in all areas. Some days you feel amazing and others its a real struggle to push forward. As long as deep down you know you are giving 100% of what you are capable at that time, it will always be worth it.  These past few weeks have been a little harder for me.  I have actually had a few setbacks with allergies and a cold, but I still kept things on track and worked around it with one goal on my mind...Improve!  I also just passed the 11 week out mark to the IFPA Pro USA and I am weighing right at 206lbs.  I am defiantly leaner and stronger at this weight, so I am pretty excited to finally see some of the improvements I have made this last year.  This is also really helping with my motivation and I have never been so focused, but at the same time loving every second of the journey.  Here are a few training highlights from this past week.

Had a great one and here's how it went.....

*Warm-ups excluded

Front Squats- 1x10@225+Bands / 2x6@275+Bands  / 1x8@225+Bands
BB Lunges- 4x8
V-Squat- 4x8
Leg Extension- 4x12 / 1x15

-Luke

Have some fun with it!

One of the things that I have found to be key in keeping my intensity up during training is to have some fun with it.  Try to think out side of the box, especially when it comes to forms of cardio.  We all know how exciting the treadmill and stepmill can be, so sometimes its best to try and take it outside.  This photo is a sneak peek to whats going down this weekend.  Much more to come...... 

Today I went in and hit up some Back tonight and here's how it went down.....

*Warm-ups excluded

BB Rows- 315x10/ 405x6 / 365x8*315x8 / 315(RP)x12*8*6
WG Pulldowns- 4x8 / 1x15
MOTO Rows- 3x8
Hammerstrength Pullover machine- 2x12 / 2x10

-Luke

What a day!

4 years ago today I married my best friend.  I knew right away that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  I just want to say thank you for your undying support in all I do and making these past few years absolutely amazing in every single way!  It's only going to keep getting better!! 

We had an amazing day and ended up getting into the gym a little later than usual.  Which ended up turning into a great workout and here's how it went down.....

*Warm-ups excluded

WG Pulldowns- 2x10 / 2x8
T-Bar rows- 4x8@7x45's
Freemotion Seated row (With Flexsolate grips)- 4x10
NG Pulldowns (With Flexsolate grips) - 4x10
Stiffarm Pulldowns- 4x10

-Luke

428 days to go!

Right now I am about 428 days out from my first IFPA Pro show and I have never been this motivated to improve since I first picked up a weight.  Overall I am more than happy with how my off season is going so far and I hope to bring a much improved physique to the stage next year.  Yesterday I was able to get in a Chest and Calf session with Ty.  Since we both haven't been able to do Flat Barbell bench in quite some time, we thought it would be a perfect start to a great workout.  Here's how it went.....

*Warm-ups excluded

BB Bench- 1x8@315 / 1x7@315 / 1x8@295 / 1x18@225
Hammerstrength Incline press- 4X8
Cable Flyes- 2X8 / 1X10 / 1X25(Mimic MM)

Standing Calf press- 4x8
Seated Calf press- 4x10
-Luke