Rich's Mission: Natural Pro Card 2008

[rich55]

Well the Bucks lost to Illinois, so it looks like I'm going down to New Orleans just to party, haha. Oh well, we will have tons of fun anyway and we still have a shot at the Rose Bowl if we beat Michigan. Beating Michigan makes everything better for an Ohio State fan.

I took yesterday off and drown my sorrows in a little too much alcohol last night. It happens. I did make sure to hydrate real well, take my liver detox, eat well and have some Starbucks upon waking.

A little sleep deprived, I headed into the gym for my longest day ever. 10 hours in the gym! I slammed an oatmeal, banana shake with Strawberry Shortcake Gourmet and Pineapple High5 Protein. I popped some Orange Triad, fish oil, enzymes, ultra 40 washed down with some cissus and greens.

My meals packed included:

- Lean beef and apple
- Rootbeer Gourmet and chocolate MaxPro with handful of strawberries
- Plenty of waxy maize starch, Purple Wraath and MaxGlutamine to get me through the grueling workout
- Lean strip steak and sweet potato

My day in the gym included:

10AM to 2PM - Filmed legs for MAXimum Training DVD with special guest star James McGuire, my training partner
2PM to 3PM - Chilled and hung out with James and Jeff from Max Muscle
3PM to 5PM- Trained back, traps, rear delts and calves with James and some novice kids from the Ohio State Weightlifting and Nutrition Club - THIS WAS A BLAST!!
5PM TO 8PM - Trained 3 clients including an VERY motivated average joe, figure competitor and newbie teen looking to get back into shape and do a 5K

In the end I was quite tired and made sure to have some extra cottage cheese, almond butter and MaxPro an hour before bed. I had a very good time though. I am crashing by 11PM tonight to recover and have a great day tomorrow!

[Quelly]

High Reps Round 2: Off to VERY good start

Last week was the first week in a very long time since I lifted in the 10-15 rep range on everything, so I figured the second week at it would include some nice strength increases. YEAH BUDDY was I right and coupled with a massive pump!!

My motivation yesterday was this picture of me taking 4th at the INBF Naturalmania...



My goal is to win my class at this show next year, so when I saw this photo I became so psyched for my workout that evening. SIZE MATTERS and CONDITIONING WINS! I put a few motivational pix and quotes including this picture inside my locker at the gym to remind me what I need to do. GET BIG OR GO HOME!

Legs was yesterday and I will just say that I actually took the elevator down a floor out of fear of biting the dust down the stairs. Then a client was nice enough to cancel b/c I was so nauseous from the extreme energy exertion that I felt sick for 1.5 hours until I ate again. I would have just ate again immediately but my stomach was still full from my postworkout shake.

Chest and biceps was today and the pump was insane!! My strength increased on EVERY exercise! I could not help, but look in the mirror and hit a couple most muscular poses. Oh and I'm up to 174 lbs another 1 lb increase in a week.

I will take some progress pictures in the next few weeks after I get into this routine a little more.

wow that's a close class....nice job man, i'm sure you'll do even better next year

[rich55]

wow that's a close class....nice job man, i'm sure you'll do even better next year

Yeah, you should have seen how long comparison took! I will bring a much improved physique next year and should get a very good look.

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DELTS & TRIS 11/12:

I was pretty psyched up to train today as I'm trying to bring up these areas. We crushed it REAL hard today...as usual! Mega intensity, breathing reps, partials and forced reps. My day went like this:

Arnold DB Press 70 x 12 x 10 x 8
Upright Bar Rows 95 x 13 x 11 x 10
Standing DB Laterals (Drop Set) 40 x 14, 30 x 10, 25 x 9
Hammer Dip Machine 290 x 13, 300 x 9
Decline Skullcrushers 85 x 13, 90 x 10
V-Bar Pushdowns 110 x 15, 120 x 12 x 10
Weighted Decline Crunches & Twisting Crunches

Of note, I got much stronger on ALL 3 triceps exercises!! NICE! I'll be resting tomorrow and consuming a little more clean calories the next 24 hours to grow my weak points as much as possible.

[rich55]

I am making some changes to my diet tomorrow. It is similar to what I've been doing, which seems to be working well so I'm sticking with it. I'm adding about 300 calories up to roughly 3600 to keep the postcontest gains coming along. Following weak point training I put easily put down over 4000.

Last Friday marked 7 weeks since I competed and I had gained 7 lbs up to 174 lbs with my waist still measuring well below 30".

MORE CALORIES

Meal 1
3/4 c oats
1/2 banana
1.5 scoops Max Gourmet Protein
1 scoop MaxPro
2 super epa

Meal 2
8 oz lean beef (96/4)
1 whole egg
1 large apple

Meal 3
8 oz chicken
1 whole egg
1 T Newman's dressing
1 large sweet potato
1 c broccoli/green beans

Meal 4
1 scoop Max Gourmet and 1 scoop MaxPro
1 c strawberries

Pre and During Workout
60 g waxy maize starch, Purple Wraath and MaxGlutamine

Postworkout
60 g waxy maize starch
3 scoops Max IsoXtreme whey

Meal 7
8 oz lean steak
1 slice whole wheat/sprouted bread
1 c broccoli/grean beans
2 super epa

Meal 8
3/4 c cottage cheese
1 scoop MaxPro
1 T natty PB

Supplements (not listed above)
Orange Triad
Green Magnitude
White Flood
GlycerGrow
Blue Up
Ultra 40
Cissus
ALCAR
ZMA
Enzymes

Typical Weak Point Meal 7
8 oz lean beef
1 c whole wheat pasta
1/2 c spag sauce
1/2 c sliced squash and mushrooms
1 T parmesan/romano cheese

[rich55]

Legs yesterday: I was 4 for 4 pushing more weight on all big lifts. Getting more sore by the minute.

Chest and bis today: I was 5 for 7 on my lifts. Incredible pump and feeling larger.

Short and sweet update for a very busy day. Time to sleep, so I can grow.

[LiGymRatt]

Legs yesterday: I was 4 for 4 pushing more weight on all big lifts. Getting more sore by the minute.

Chest and bis today: I was 5 for 7 on my lifts. Incredible pump and feeling larger.

Short and sweet update for a very busy day. Time to sleep, so I can grow.

DID SOME ONE SAY GROW!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! DO IT UP RICH!

[rich55]

DID SOME ONE SAY GROW!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! DO IT UP RICH!

You know it!!! Growing season is in FULL effect!

[rich55]

Survived the Holiday Weekend....GO BUCKS!!

Weighed in at 175 lbs last Friday marking 8 lbs in 8 weeks. Slow and steady wins the race! I headed into the gym at 9 am on Saturday morning to hit back before the big game. We TORE it up!! Our back workout was killer and then smashed some mac and cheese with extra chicken during our beating on Michigan!! GO BUCKS!!!

It was all down hill after the game. Alcohol consumption was steady and long into the night on this holiday weekend in Columbus. The town was going crazy and I had to join in!!!

Sunday was brutal. I drank a shake with liver detox and Orange Triad in the morning, then went back to sleep till noon. Protein powder and oatmeal and then slept a little more. Slammed a Subway club double meat after coffee with a friend and then slept some more, haha. :P

At 7pm it was Delts and Tris time and I was feeling better after rehydrating and sleeping. I didn't hold back one bit and went after my weak points smashing them hard. More weight and/or more reps on each exercise!!! In the end, I was lying on the floor trying to keep my Purple Wraath, waxy maize and MaxGlutamine down. I barely succeeded and had to sip on my postworkout shake over an hour to keep it down.

[rich55]

CRAZY LEGS!

Today, James and I had another client I train work in with us since we were all doing legs today, so I made sure to make it a good one! And, I am just sick when it comes leg training anyway. This was brutal...

Squats 305 x 13, 315 x 10 x 9 - add an extra forced rep on the last 2 sets
A1- Leg Extensions 150 x 15, 160 x 11 - breathing reps
A2- Walking DB Lunges 35, 40 - twice the distance on the 2nd set as the 1st
1-Leg Machine Curls 55 x 15, 60 x 11 - plus 2 forced on last set
High Stance Leg Press 560 x 14 x 12 - breathing reps

Once I began leg presses, nausea started to begin. I had to go sit down on the curb outside to get some cool, fresh air and keep my food down. My Purple Wraath isn't gonna do me any good in the trash can, haha.

It took about 20 minutes after my waxy maize starch and Iso Xtreme whey, before I felt better. An hour later I slammed an emergency protein bar, as I started to feel a little dip in blood sugar. I will slam some cottage cheese, steak and green beans as my last meal here in a few.

[rich55]

My chest and biceps workout on Wednesday was fantastic! My chest was so pumped it felt like it was going to explode, haha. I KILLED my bis and they were certainly screaming. Curled 95 lbs on bar curls for a strict 13 reps. Afterwards we went out and had a few cheeseburgers at Brazenhead, one of my favorite cheat spots that I have not indulged in several months.

I took Thanksgiving and yesterday off. Eating was obviously off the hook and will wait till Sunday to weigh in. I plan to take some pictures as well tomorrow. Today, I'm hitting back.

[rich55]

My back workout today was solid. I was adjusting to heavier weight on most exercises after moving up last week, and really was just focused on working my muscles as hard as possible. Since it had been 3 days since I hit my bis (extra day off), I through in some light work at the end.

Deadlifts 405 x 11 x 7
Hypers 20 x 9, drop set to BW x 7
Close-Grip Pulldowns 190 x 11 x 10 x 8
Row Machine 130 x 11 x 10 x 9
1-Arm DB Rows 115 x 10 x 10
Standing DB Shrugs 120 x 15, 125 x 10
Bent-Over Laterals (Drop Set) 30 x 14, 20 x 11, 10 x 15
Across-Chest Hammer Curls 30 x 15, 31.25 x 12

Tomorrow, we will be shooting our last day of gym work for the Maximum Fitness DVD, leaving just the intro and portion on nutrition. Afterwards, I will be training delts and tris with the Ohio State lifting club, which should be a blast!! My goal is to not be able to move my triceps by the end. They are gonna get a BEATING!!

[rich55]

TRICEPS BEATING

I first smashed my delts furiously, but my triceps were gonna get a beating....

Dip Machine 300 x 13, 310 x 9
Decline EZ Skullcrushers 95 x 11 x 9
V-Bar Pushdowns 130 x 15, 140 x 11, Drop Set to 75 x 20

Good ole James was on the spot to provide an extra forced rep or two on each. The last few are the ones that count the most!

Weighed in at 179 lbs today!! That marks a 4 lb increase in 1.5 weeks. Good ole Thanksgiving feasting will do that, but I've certainly added good muscle as well. I'll post up my new progress pix in the next few days.

[rich55]

Progress Picture Time!

9 weeks after my show, I've gone from 167 lbs to 179 lbs. I'm happy with my progress so far and couldn't ask for better progress. My chest is certainly thicker and my arms have improved a bit as well. However, I still have a long way to go, so that next fall I bring a whole new and improved package to stage.

My plan is to continue my growing phase the next 6 weeks. I then vacation to New Olreans at the beginning of January and return Jan. 8. After that it will be 7 weeks from the Arnold where I plan to be big and ripped. I will most likely do a 2-3 week cut followed by 4-5 weeks of very lean gaining in conjuction with [PLINK=2260]X-Factor[/PLINK]. I will be working the expo for the first time, so I must look my best. That sounds like a plan to me!!!

[LiGymRatt]

HAHA!! YEAH BRO LOOKING GOOD! legs are out of controlle bro!

[rich55]

HAHA!! YEAH BRO LOOKING GOOD! legs are out of controlle bro!

Thanks man! I take leg training VERY seriously. We train INSANE! And speaking of legs...

Today was LEG DAY!!! Same as last week except heavier weights. The high rep leg extension and walking lunge superset following squats was again brutal.

I was feeling a little ambitious last week on my second superset of lunges and decided to do a down AND back to kill them. Michael mentioned the whole pro card thing for motivation and yes it worked.

SO, today Michael kicks it off for a down AND back bashing. What a good client...I trained him well. Go hard or go home! James was feeling queezy after the first set and after a slight extended break I told him he was allowed to puke after his last set. He did!!! Right in a trash can next to the squat rack, HAHA! We applauded. The last few lunges for all of us took multiple breaths just to finish the second leg back.

James being the fellow WNBF pro card seeker he is stuck around to finish off his hamstring stopping only to hurl a few more times in the bathroom. INTENSITY GETS THE JOB DONE!

Tomorrow is chest and bis and I can't wait!