Under Pressure

Back on the grind! I feel very grateful to have recovered from a bad cold and to be able to hit the gym again after a decent sized delay. I've been on and off for the past few weeks in terms of my contest dieting. At this point I've really reached the end of my "tolerance" period for making mistakes. I plan on returning to the stage in about 26 weeks or so. Here's my schedule:

March 24, 2012 - I start my official contest prep with my trainer Jason Clark (of http://www.committedtraining.com.au/ )

August 11th, 2012 - I make my return to the stage at the 2012 ABA Natural North American Championships (http://www.naturalolympia.com)

I can't express the amount of excitement and at the same time the amount of anxiety I feel. I've really been doing a lot of thinking and mental preparation for this event. In order for me to really shine my brightest I have to push myself the hardest I have up to this point. There can't be excuses for cheating on my diet or excuses for skipping the gym.

To be clear: You must truly do something amazing if you want something amazing.

I mean there are so many quotes that you can use to really attempt to grasp the depth of what is in front of you.

Here's another: You must do what the other won't to have what the others don't.

If you really want something you have to go for it - no one else can get it for you...

Be well friends,

Mark "MarkitoMuscle" Thompson

Pushing past the limits

My training has been off the charts over the last few weeks. Here are some of the changes I've been making:

1. Diet - I've been adding more meals per day and ensuring that I get at least three food meals and I aim for 50g of protein per meal.

Tomorrow I'm going to institute a new change. I'll be taking two real food meals to work with me.

My day will look like this:

1. 2 whole eggs, 6 egg whites

2. 7oz Chicken Breast, 2 scoops of PB, 40z of asparagus

3. 7oz Chicken Breast, 2 scoops of PB, 40z of asparagus

4. 2 scoops of Evopro Protein powder, 2 scoops of PB

5. Tuna + Veggies (undecided which yet)

6. (PWO) 2 scoops of Evopro, 2 scoops of PB.

Today I trained shoulders like a beast and I've figured out something. You have to be intentional about your workout - forget all of the weakness that enters your mind telling you that you don't want to finish the training. Forget all of the excuses that plague you. Get in there and truly focus on each exercise. Look in the mirror and imagine yourself reaching your goals - envision that body you've been fighting for. Then and only then will you break through your plateau. Make it count every time and the goals will slowly come into reach.

I'm going to post some progress pics on this blog moving forward. I want there to be proof that the 10x3 system is the real deal.

Long life the best life - short live the waste.

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Pain is Temporary - Glory is Forever

Just finished yet another workout. Hit Chest and Back 10 X 3 style.

Here's what I did:

Chest:

Incline DB Press 70lbs for 3 sets

Flat DB Press 70lbs for 3 sets

Incline Flye 35lbs for 3 sets

I pushed myself to failure on the DB Presses because I really want to trigger some new growth in my upper pecks. I don't want the normal slant that most guys have, I want the hardcore full chest.

Back:

Wide grip pull-ups to failure 3 sets

Seated Cable Row 3 sets @ 140lbs

Deadlift 3 sets @ 185 lbs

I brought my deadlift up again this week - I did 135 last week but even with that I want my lower back to be nice and developed for a full back, not just nice lats.

Diet was a little skewed due to my sucky work schedule, but I once read that if you miss a meal don't sweat it, just get back on the train for the next meal and that was what I did. Since I'm doing 50g of protein per meal, I still end up with a bit of 200g of protein every day.

Time to clean my room and shower before bed so this is Markito Muscle signing off!

Got questions, hit me up!

@markitomagic on twitter.

When I say "F" I mean...

...quite a few things.

1. FOCUS - too many guys come into the gym with other motives other than working out. Focus people. You are only there to improve yourself, the others around you don't matter. Get the most out of each rep and each set. Dorian Yates once said "If you aren't training at 100% you are wasting your time".

2. FORGET - forget what happened before you got here and forget about what you think will happen when you leave. Just pay attention to what's at hand. Oh yeah, and that guy screaming at the weights or that girl in the revealing gym attire...forget them too.

3. FINISH - complete the workout. Sometimes I train through fatigue, set backs, dizziness and other stuff that would be seemingly crippling. If you are injured stop for your own benefit, otherwise get in there and push yourselves to the finish line.

Leg Day

Did my first leg day in about 3 months. I had some ankle, knee and hamstring injuries that had been preventing me from training my wheels but today I really focused on getting some super deep squats (even though I had to use much lighter weight) and I got some great single leg deadlifts in!

I felt like I was going to through up then I thought about Arnold's voice reminding me that throwing up is just a part of the magic.

Now I'm off for the rest of the weekend, gotta keep my protein counts high!

Keep the party going or stay home and sleep - either way I'll be training.

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Train insane or remain the same

As my tray of chicken breasts cook, I'm going to write a quick post!

I've been training exceptionally hard...in the kitchen! I've been forcing myself to have proper nutrition during the day and replaced a few of my whey protein meals with more real food. I am actually happy about that.

I work in an office and can't have multiple lunches (not really feasible) so I have taken to the following pattern:

1. Breakfast - Egg whites (and carbs on off days)

2. Lunch - Chicken or tilapia, asparagus and PB

3. Shake

4. Shake

5. Chicken or tilapia and PB

6. Shake

I am working on getting making it a 4/2 ratio of meals to shakes. The shakes are very convenient and enable me to keep my protein levels as high as I want. Currently they are hovering between 250 and 300g a day, which is right where I want them.

I trained arms pretty hardcore today. I also learned something about triceps - try to get a full extension on rope press downs, even if it means going lighter. Who cares how much is on the stack if your arms look amazing.

Train hard or go to sleep (or train hard THEN go to sleep).

Be well!

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Nobody's gonna mess with me because I'm a monster

Today I trained shoulders and traps 10 X 3 style and I loved it. I've been pushing out some standing shoulder presses that I saw Lou Ferrigno do in "Pumping Iron".

Sometimes in the gym I have to say "F" them all...or really "F"orget them all so that I can stay focused. When you work out at a public gym you get a lot of guys in there trying to prove they are the "stuff"...I don't have to prove it to them - only to the judges. I'm trying to bring a new direction to my physique. I really like the way Frank Zane looked when he competed. I want that type of build - so I am really focusing on bringing up my upper body while not trying to grow my legs too much.

Meals have been great today:

1. 6 Egg Whites + 2 Whole Eggs

2. 2 scoops of Muscle Milk

3. 6oz of chicken + 2 scoops of PB + 4oz of Asparagus

4. 60z of chicken + 2 scoops of PB

5. 60z of chicken + 2 scoops of PB + 3 slices of whole wheat bread (PWO)

6. ??? (if I am still awake at 11:30 I'll have a shake).

Keep lifting hard and remember that you'll only achieve what you believe you can.

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Something to grow on

After washing a ton of dishes I'm preparing some Tilapia for tomorrow's day of training.

My diet has been pretty bad today but I'm going to attempt to eat clean until dinner Saturday night but the rest of the time keep my diet super tight.

Tomorrow's training includes back and chest with a side of jump rope cardio. That stuff is the secret sauce of cutting, I'm telling you!

More details to come!

Good girl gone bad? Wait...I mean I have been training hard!

Weekend update!

Been hitting the 10 X3 plan pretty seriously (pronounced "ten ex three"). This is probably the best system I've made up to this point! The only thing missing is for me to get rich from it lol.

But seriously - smashed arms today and did 30 mins of cardio (on the STAIR MASTER!!). Every time I think about cheating on my diet I start to think about what it feels like to have my six pack and then I grab my shaker cup and go to town on some Syntha 6.

Here's what I ate today:

1. 2 cans of tuna w/4oz of Asparagus

2. 2 scoops of whey protein + 2 spoons of natural pb

3. 2 scoops of whey protein + 2 spoons of natural pb (Pre-Workout)

4. 7oz of Tilapia + 2 spoons of natural pb + 3 slices of whole wheat bread (Post-Workout)

5. ???

6. ???

There may be a small popcorn light butter + small diet coke in my future if I go to the movies with the love of my life.

I will not give up on this goal.

Weight? Approx 216

Stay tuned! Show me some love!

I will find a way to turn you into a monster

So much has changed! I used to be on the track to getting a couple of top 5 finishes in 2011 and now it looks as if I won't even be competing in 2011. But on the bright side, I'll be getting married this year! So that's something to celebrate.

In the mean time, I'm working on my beach body. I'm not so concerned with have super ripped legs or back, just a nice body I can flaunt on the beach while on my honeymoon with my future wife! Then when we get back, we'll train for the 2012 season together - this I can't wait for!

I'll be updating this blog regularly with some pics since I ballooned from a nice and lean 188 to a pudgy 216 lol.

Bodly going where I've never been before...TOP 5!!

Hey guys,

The life of a bodybuilder is filled with weights, scales and food - then there is your non-gym life!

For me I have been trying to be more diligent about my dieting and training. Been really busy so that makes things more difficult. Most recently I've had to cut back one of my weight training days to accommodate my schedule. So I'll only be doing weights 4 days a week and cardio possibly 5. Since I won't be lifting on Saturdays for a while, I'm probably going to use that day to do some fasted-cardio to help cut some bodyfat.

Here are my goals for now:

Short term: cut 15 lbs by January 1st - I'm really focused on this goal. I want to hit a weight of 215lbs by then so that I can start my official contest prep in January with a nice solid weight of a lean 200lbs. That's almost where I competed last year for my first show. Then I'll have approximately 4 months to cut down to a SHREDDED 185. This should guarantee me my first top 5 finish. I can't wait.

Long term: Two top 5 finishes in 2011. I'm not sure if I'll be doing more than two shows in 2011, but if I keep up the pace that I've been going I'll probably end up doing one more show than I did the year before. Here's my tentative schedule:

April: ABA Nat. IL

May: NGA HOA

AUG: ABA North American

The last show is one of the biggest of the year and I would love to do that show and come in with the best shape of the year. Stay tuned for more info. I'll be posting updates to my diet, progress pictures as well as some training videos as I move toward an EPIC 2011 bodybuilding season!!

Change of plans

I have officially withdrawn my plans to compete in the OCB midwest States 2010. There may be hope for the 2011 show, but for now here's what I'll be doing:

Fall 2010 - Winter 2010:

Cutting down from the summer off-season. I think I've gained about 25lbs since my last show. I haven't checked the scale, but I think I'm in about what I was last January when I started my contest prep for the 2010 season.

Now I'm aiming to go in with something I've never had - shredded legs. I'm trying to cut down to 200 by the start of 2011 - then I'll be working on getting to my new contest weight of 183. I competed at 188 last year and looked great at the NGA Heart of America. But I could have had even more striations.

Diet:

I'm actually eating fully clean right now. I had a candy bar this week but I still am eating about 5 meals (hoping to move it to 6 starting next week) and I haven't started supplementing yet with my normal supps. Currently I'm taking Xtend, Quake 10.0, Syntha 6 and Solution 5. I've been enjoying eating clean because it's been saving me so much money! I love it :)

Training:

For the offseason I'm going to try and bulk my arms while cutting fat. Which translates into 2 arm days and 3 other days for regular training. That brings me up to a 5 day split. I'm also starting a new cardio routine, 2 times a week I'll be doing the step mill instead of the eliptical so that I can really start to etch in my legs (glutes and hams). 15 minutes nearly killed me and my training partner but I think it's going to yield results.

By the time I hit the stage at the April ABA Natural Illinois I'm hoping to be at my 183-185 rate...I competed there 10lbs too heavy last year and looked a bit soft - I won't be using dream tan any more as I've fully switched to pro-tan and for oil, I like musclesheen. It worked wonders last year, I wasn't too wet and I didn't look dry.

I'll be weighing in and taking progress pics over the next 3 months and posting my stats! This is going to be great! Stay tuned!

20 Weeks out and counting!

Quick Post:

Started eating clean again this week. Been doing an improptu split for the most part:

Chest / Triceps

Back / Biceps

Been doing 6 meals a day, ~35-40g of protein, 20g of fat and veggies.

My body is really not loving the macronutrients lol! I feel bloated all the time but progress will come with consistency!

Pics starting next week! This week I just want to get in 4 solid days of training, cardio and eating clean!

Ciao!

Pre-contest training preparation

In light of my latest training goal, I've been spending some time thinking about how I am going to challenge my body to move up to the next level so that I can be as competitive as possible come contest day in November.

Thinking about my physique and what the judges have been suggesting I work on, I'm leaning toward the following split:

Day 1: Arms (Bi's / Tri's / Forearms) + Calves + Cardio

Day 2: Chest + Quads

Day 3: Back + Hams + Calves

Day 4 Arms 2

Day 5: Shoulders (Delts + Traps) + Calves

Day 6: Cardio as needed / Rest

Day 7: Rest

From this split you can see that I really want to bring up my quads, hams, calves and arms. My chest and back dial in so readily, that I fear I'll over work them.

My goal weight for this show is going to be 182-184. That should put me in the light heavy weight arena.

After this show, I most likely won't compete again until mid-May next year for the NGA 2010 Heart of America.

What do you think?

Breaking News!

It's official! I will be competing once more this year!

I'll be competing in the 2010 OCB Midwest states!

http://www.ocbmidweststates.com/

Get your "Team Flex This" Tee-Shirts ready and stay tuned to this blog as I'll be be starting my pre-contest prep in 4 weeks! I'll be keeping track of all my stats here on this blog as well as updates to my bodyspace profile!

Team Scivation / Team Flex This FTW

10lb Challenge Week 2: Day 1

After a busy busy weekend, I've finally made it back to the gym. My current goal is to bring up my lagging areas before I step foot back on stage. So I'll be punishing my quads, calves and arms to help bring my body into a more complete package.

Already started working on my next posing routine. If I can nail this, I'm sure I'll win best poser at my next show.

Here's what I ate:

Meal One: 3 Scoops of Solution 5 / 3.5 Oz of Blueberries

Meal Two: 3 Scoops of Solution 5

Meal Three: 5oz of Chicken / 30 almonds / 2 cups of broccoli / 3.5 Oz of Blueberries

Meal Four: 3 Scoops of Solution 5

Meal Five: 3 Scoops of Solution 5

Meal Six: 5oz of Chicken / 30 almonds / 3 cups of mostacholi (served as my post-workout carbs)

Here's what I did at the gym:

ARMS!!

Preacher Curl 3/6 - 10

Skull Crusher 3/6 - 10

DB Curl superset Superman Curl 3/6 - 10

DB Kickback superset 1-Arm Cable Kickback 3/6 - 10

Cross Body Hammer Curl 3/6 - 10

Overhead DB Extension 3/6 - 10

Here's what I looked like after!

From Bodybuilding Spring - Summer 2010

10lb Challenge Week 1: Day 4

CHEST / Triceps (LATE FROM THURSDAY)
Weight: 203 - 205 (I think!)

What I ate today:

Meal 1 - 8:45am
3 Scoops of Solution 5 / 3.5 Oz Blueberries

Meal 2 - 11:00am
3 Scoops of Solution 5

Meal 3 - 2:00pm
50z of Chicken Breast / 2 cups of broccoli / 3.5 oz Blueberries / 40g of Cashews

Meal 4 - 5:30pm
3 Scoops of Solution 5

Meal 5 - 9:30pm [Post Workout]
50z of Chicken Breast / 2 cups of broccoli / 4 slices of Ezekial Bread (60g of carbs) / 40g of Cashews

Meal 6 - 11:30pm
3 Scoops of Solution 5

Pics:

From Drop Box

10lb Challenge Week 1: Day 3

Weight: 203
Goal: 195

End Date: June 19th, 2010

What I ate today:

Meal 1: 3 Scoops of Solution 5 // 3.5 Oz of Blueberries

Meal 2: 3 Scoops of Solution 5

Meal 3: 5oz of Chicken (baked, no spices) // 3.5 oz of Blueberries // 2 cups of broccoli //

Meal 4: 3 Scoops of Solution 5

Meal 5: 2 Scoops of Whey Protein // 40g of Cashews (lightly salted) // 4 slices of Ezekial Bread (dabs of I can't Believe it's Not Butter)

Meal 6: 5oz Top Sirloin // 4oz of Asparagus // 40g of Cashews

** 3 Scoops of Solution 5 = 35g of protein, 2 cups of veggies, 18-20g of healthy fat

Workout: Arms (Biceps and Triceps) // 11 Minutes of Jump Rope Cardio (30 seconds jump, 30 seconds crunches ... repeat)

Pics:

Side Bicep