Maxx FIT Izziv | Maxx FIT Challenge

So.. I applied for a FIT challenge on Maxximum forum.
http://maxximum-portal.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=258&t=27232

I'll have to write my diary on the forum, including my workout, diet, etc. It should be fun I guess ;).

Official start is on 22nd January and it ends on 27th May 2012 but I already started ;).
My goals stated in the challege: To be bigger, stronger, more ripped and to compete.

My beautifull wife and me ;)

Taken at our gym's new years party.

Squats - form check yet again

This time I left my ego outside the gym and only put 120kg in my back.
Well the form is better and I feel my quads have been hit harder then with 150kg. Perhaps I should go to lower position a bit slower. First two squats were a bit too fast I think.

I wish I had a proper spotter though. I had the feeling I could do 2-3 more reps. So next time I'll try 5x130 with this form. We'll see.

Here's the video:

Quads progress assesment

Checking out my quads progress..

21.10.2011                  11.11.2011                     5.12.2011

I think I'm on the right track .

So.. my thoughts on Norton's PHAT

It's kinda cool ;).
I'm still getting used to heavy-light regime and 5 day a week workouts.

I'm not seeing any results yet. It's still a bit early I guess. Only two weeks of PHAT can't make miracles can they. Let's wait for another two weeks and we'll see.

I still have mixed feelings about this program. A I said I can't get used to heavy-light workout regime. I feel like I'm not doing it right or something. I don't get very tired after these workouts and feel like I'm not hitting the weights hard enough ;). I'm used to going all-out every time I hit the gym so yeah.. I'll just have to get used to it.

As many have told me and as I've read in many articles it ain't always about going all out. It's important to use your mind as well. So .. I've lowered the weights I'm lifting a bit and am trying to really focus on the muscle I'm working on. I'm also trying to make video records of some workouts just so I can check the form and correct. I believe Assess & Correct would be the right way of describing it.

Below you can see how my form check of Bent over barbell rows and Squats..

OK.. After seeing this I started rowing with lower weights. My back is not parallel to the ground enough, I'm unable to squeeze and hold my shoulder blades and the movement is too fast. New weight to row is 110kg. 130 is too much.

Well.. not going low enough, not controlling the weights enough, change the damn shoes (Did that already ;)). New weight - 120-130kg below parallel.

So.. The lesson learned is to be patient and smart about your workout. Time & knowledge.. that's the key. Yes, I know.. food, rest, etc.. But mainly.. time & knowledge.

I lucky enough to have a couple of guys on local forums that help me analyze my videos and I'd like to thank them for that.  THANKS GUYS..

P.H.A.T. - Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training by Layne Norton

So I decided it's time to change my routine a bit.
My aim is to shock the body and to try something new. I decided to give Layne Norton's PHAT program a try.

Read more about it here! 

I've done first two power days and I'm not quite sure what to think about the program.
The volume is just not quite what I'm used to. It's not.. how should I put it.. challenging enough.

It's hard to judge after only two days but I'm used to leaving the gym busted and feeling VERY sore the next few days. Well.. these two days didn't bring much soreness (with exception to my hams) and I wasn't feeling tired leaving the gym.

Oh well.. I'll stick to it for about 4 weeks and hopefully I'll gain some power and mass from it. If I'll notice gains I'll probably continue if not I'll just go back to my old routine ;).

I'm also afraid I won't be able to go to the gym so often in the next few weeks or maybe even months :/

I decided to finish a project I started 14 years ago. That is to finish college ;). I've got a LONG way to go and fitting my work (7AM-4PM), classes (5PM-8PM - in another town), family life and bodybuilding in my schedule will be a true challenge ;).

Miha Zupan 3rd at Arnold Classic 2011 - Madrid, Europe

OMG. I can't believe I didn't post this yet.
Have you ever heard of Miha Zupan aka "Zup"? No? Well, here he is.
Miha Zupan a Slovenian muscle machine who won 3rd place at Arnold Classic 2011 in Madrid.

Congratulations are in order.

All images taken from his facebook fan page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miha-Zupan/267196733315539

I want to look like that guy

Have you guys/gals seen that documentary "I want to look like that guy"?
No.. Well you should.
You can see it here. 
http://fullmoviesdb.com/i-want-to-look-like-that-guy-2009/

It's a really good documentary explaining that there is no magic pill or workout machine that can get you into good shape in no time. It shows how much effort end dedication it takes to look like one of those guys on the covers of Fitness/Bodybuilding magazines. 

Another Leg day - another record

.. make that 3 records ;).
Yeah. I set 3 personal bests tonight. Squat : 7x150kg, 6x160kg, 6x170kg (assisted). On the last set I did double my body weight.

Well.. 160 and 170 weren't exactly proper squats.. more like 1/3 or. 1/4 squats but still.. never done that before so it still counts as personal best ;).


I'm went to the gym kinda tired. Only had 5h sleep, didn't eat properly since I was at customer whole day long, so my fuel reserves were low and my energy wasn't very high but I managed to psych myself and killed my legs!

Here's some update on my physique.. that's me at 85kg.

And an update on my quads ;). Yesterdays picture. 

My transformation on bodybuilding.com

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/alex-swapped-his-fat-for-muscle.html

Please note that an error accured on the page. After weight was 172 lbs not 192lbs.

The change continues ...

Woot? 87,7 kg?

Wow.. ain't that something.

I hit 87,7kg this Sunday. Sadly it only lasted two days and so I'm down to 85,1. I was retaining quite a lot of fluids in my body due to alcohol (beer) intake. I expected the weight to drop back to 84-85 by Wednesday or Thursday but I guess my metabolism is a bit faster then before. Usually it took me 3-4 days to drop the "extra (beer) fluids". Usually = 1,5 years ago!

Yeah .. I know what you're thinking. I have a really bad feeling about having those beers :/. But I really, really, REALLY had to ;).

Off Topic - The Slovenia Experience

I just have to share this..

THE SLOVENIA EXPERIENCE from RiSCyD : TeamBlackSheep on Vimeo.

Leg training with Blade

This Saturday I'm going to do a leg training with a proud owner of set of these quads:

I guess I'm going to enter a whole new era of PAIN.
It's gonna be hard but if it were easy, everyone would be walking around with quads like that.

Can't wait!

Natural Muscle Zone

www.naturalmusclezone.com

1st Slovenian independent natural bodybuilding website.  Two guys and a girl have decided to create a natural BB website. They created it and are doing a great job with articles and their own blogs on the site.

I'm one of the lucky one's that managed to get his hands on their T-shirt.

So here it is:

www.naturalmusclezone.com

The importance of a spotter/workout partner

I think it's very important to have a spotter when you're in the gym and want to get great results FASTER and SAFER.

It helps if you have a spotter who knows what he's doing and is a good mental supporter also.

With a spotter you get:
- safer workout
- more intense workout
- negative reps
- boosted motivation and get more reps/weight into a set because you don't want to dissapoint your spotter ;)
- you can increase the weights knowing your spotter will be there for you

I really wish having a training partner who thinks like I think. I think I could get one but it's the timing for the workouts that is very hard to coordinate. Most of my workouts are without a workout partner and for the time being it's going well. BUT.. yesterday I had a leg day and my buddy "Blade" stepped it on my last leg press set. Well I'll just say that he brought a new dimension to that last set ;). It became a not planned/flaming drop set.

I recommend checking out my buddy's Youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/EggsRiceNuts.

Let's just say that after 12 sets of squats, 6 sets of leg extensions, 4 sets of leg presses this last drop set was a bitch!

Oh.. I broke my PB on Squats.. first from 8x140kg -> 10x140kg and then 5x160kg. The form wasn't 100% and I guess I could go lower but didn't want to risk a back injury. Only 12h before Leg workout I had a back workout with deadlifts so my lower back was already in pain and quite tired.

This is it.. 10x140kg Squat... 

 

BTW:. happy Halloween .. here's a clip that my buddy Blade made ;)...

Finally feeling better

Sunday... Leg workout. New PB - leg extension - 6x139kg. My quads are staring to shape up.

I'm almost at 100%.. Not quite there yet but am getting there pretty fast.
On Wednesday I had chest/biceps workout. I felt the toll that being sick left on me. I did my PB on bench press - 5x110kg. I thought I will do at least 120 but the strength just wasn't there.

My chest/biceps are still very sore. Know that burning sensation you have in your muscles every time you move your body ;). Well it's exactly like that ;). BURNING... nice!

Thursday was a shoulders/calves day. Did another PB with overhead barbell press. 6x90kg. I liked that a lot ;).
Today is back/triceps time and tomorrow Leg destruction.. Oh boy am I going to punish them ;). If i get a new lifting belt by tomorrow I'll try and set some new PB's on squats. Not sure if it's a good idea to do it yet since it's only been 3 days since I'm not sick any more. We'll see.. no pain, no gain..

IBFF world championship 2011 - Koper, Slovenia

WOW... what a motivation boost. I spent this Saturday in Koper at IBFF world championship 2011.
Oh man.. some bodies on that stage were SO awesome I can't believe they're real.

I took about 1000 photos of the contest. I checked out my competition for next year as I plan to compete at this event..





Yeah.. that's what I'll be trying to match... gulp.. Can you believe this guy.. He's awesome.. his symmetry is a bit off though.. His shoulders are a bit too big. But otherwise he's so cool.. 

I've still got A LOT of work ahead of me. First I need to gain a lot of new muscle. My priority should be my biceps and my back. Specially back width I guess. It's a bit hard to be specific since I'm bulking and I can't really assess my progress. I also don't have enough experience in this. I'll have to consult some experts to give me some tips.

I'll have to do magic in one year.. well.. a lot can be done in one year.. we'll see ;). 

Check my Photo Gallery of the IBFF 2011 Event here

https://picasaweb.google.com/114361556714995030472/IBFF2011WordChampionshipKoperSlovenia22102011

Loosing weight - change of plan

I'm still fighting the illness and I've started to drop weight.
 
On Monday morning my weigh in showed me at 84.8 kg. Which is great but I didn't like the way I looked in the mirror. So .. I decided to drop a few kg and then start bulking again. But I didn't expect it to go this fast.

I'm still sick and came down with diarrhea too. I missed a couple of training sessions so I also stopped using Creatine and went to maintenance level with my food. Wouldn't wanna gain any excessive fat while I'm trying to recover from illness.

Now the water is leaving the body and hence the major weight loss. Almost 2kg in 3 days and my guess is I'll drop even more today.

Everything is good for something so I guess it's OK. I can again see veins popping out again and I can already see the progress I've made during bulking phase. Oh man.. I've gained a lot! My motivation level is now boosted again and I can hardly wait to hit the gym again.

I'll see how I'll be feeling today. If I'll be feeling better I'll hit the gym and destroy my legs.. they're WAY overdue and miss the pain. 

I've caught a cold

And I don't like it..
Can't go to the gym.. and I feel like a peace of $$#%$&//"*=%  ...

My appetite is gone and I'm forcing myself to eat.  Oh well.. I'll just have to get over it. I just hope it doesn't last too long. It started last Tuesday. I was in a very cold air classroom. Air conditioning was turned to the max and I couldn't do anything about it.

Well next day was already showing signs that something is not OK. But I still went to the gym and broke some more records .. ;)
Decline bench press 3x120kg...
I increased vitamin C and multivitamins and all I got was 2 days before it hit me. After Fridays shoulders workout I was busted...
Small viruses have won the battle but are not going to win the war ;).

Time to go to bed.

400kg Leg press

So... on Sunday I broke my record on leg press machine - twice ;).

I still haven't tried 1MR but calculator say it should be at around 490kg. Wow.. I'm surprised ;).

Oh.. first I set new record at 10x370kg and now my record is set at 7 times 400kg.
My previous record set two weeks prior was 10 times 350kg.

My squat is at 10x140kg at the moment. I don't want to get higher yet since my form is still not quite what is should be at this weight. I mean.. I do a squat but until I'll be able to do ATG squats with this weight I'm not going to increase the weight too much. Maybe up to 150kg IF I'll get someone to spot me.

Show must go on and I must grow! 

Inspiration, motivation, what keeps me going

One day a guy who attends the same gym as I do asked me a question.
"Dude.. Every time I see you in the gym you're going to the extreme and every time you're bigger and stronger.. What keeps you going? Where do you draw your motivation from?"

My answer..
"Thanks for noticing and the question."

I hesitated with the answer because I really didn't know what to answer. I had to think about it for a few seconds to sum all the reasons in one sentence. I couldn't tell it in one sentence and because I go to the gym to train not to talk I gave him a short answer.
"Because I love this kind of lifestyle, I love the physical challenge and for my health. My health is my main motivation. Now I gotta lift some weights ;)".

So.. what would the longer version of my answer be like. What inspires be to go to the gym four times a week, eat right, do cardio, write this blog and the blog on bodybuilding.com..

Inspiration:
- Some of the guys I meet and sometimes workout with in the gym.
- Kris Gethin and his views on healthy life style and bodybulding.
- Layne Norton.
- Amazing transformations I see every day on bb.com.


Motivation:
- I set myself a long term goal. That's to attend the 2012 IBFF world championship in Koper (Slovenia). I don't only want to attend it. I want to be in the finals. I WILL be in the finals! ;)
- Youtube motivational videos.
- Want to get bigger and leaner.
- Want to show the world that natural bodybuilding is fun and can bring awesome results.
- Comments on my bodybuilding.com bodyspace profile.
- My before/after pictures.

What keeps me going:
- My overall health and my well being.
- The feeling I get after a great workout. I feel good about myself because I know I did something positive for myself and my health.
- I LOVE the pain during and after workouts ;).
- I love the way my wife looks at me :P.
- The look in the mirror.
- The calmness of mind after each workout. 

That's a bit longer version but I could just go on and on.
Anyway.. If you want to change, you can and WILL change. It's all in your head. Set yourself on the right course inside your mind first. Get straight with yourself first and be honest to yourself.  

6 weeks of bulking - up 6kg

So.. I'm now into 7th week of bulking.
So far it's going according to plan. Even better I might add. My plan was to reach 85kg by the end of the year and retaining  a proper shape. Well, I'm WAY ahead of schedule.

I've already gained ~6kg and I'm making PB's every visit to the gym. I guess I'm doing it right.
Started on 17th August @ 78kg. Yesterday (4th Ocober) I was @ 84kg and I'm still in quite a good shape I guess.

Check out the "before/after" picture. 

I started doing killer leg workouts and it shows already. Can't wait to see what my quads will look like after cutting again ;).

I welcome the pain ;)

I welcome the pain ... It was a VERY long resting week and I must say that I really missed the muscle ache ;). Something just wasn't right without it.

Although it was hard not to go to the gym I really did my body a favor.  My elbow pain is gone, my joints don't hurt any more and my muscles are (were ;)) rested.

Why were? Because I hit my chest+biceps two days ago and shoulders yesterday. Aaaaahhhh... the sweet pain.. IT'S BACK!

Can't wait to hit back on Friday and then legs on Sunday.

Oh.. I set new PB's on chest and shoulders so that's another indicator that resting was a good idea.

Legs on my mind.....:).

End of one week pause

Today is the last day of one week rest.
I wanted to do the pause next week but I started to feel pain in my joints and my recovery was not as good as I was used to.
So I decided to speed up the resting by one week.

You need to rest in order to grow. Yes.. it echoed in my head every single day as I was fighting the urge to go to the gym. It was really hard staying at home, doing nothing... I'm not used to resting any more.

So tomorrow I'll go to the gym rested and full of energy. CAN'T WAIT!

13 Million

13 Million ... Yep.. that's a great number. 

What is it?
It's a number of views of Kris Gethin's 12 week hardcore program.

If you want to transform your body this is the program for you. It won't just change your body it WILL change your life and your way of thinking. And you can take that to the bank!

Go on.. don't just hang around my blog. Click on that link and start changing.

20th September 2011

And another great chest/biceps workout.
No new weight records but new reps record at flat bench DB  press.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but every time I do incline bench press or. incline DB press my shoulders hurt like hell. It's a burning pain that I think really shouldn't be there and it doesn't matter if I do heavy or light weights.
No problems on flat bench or decline bench presses. Must do some research into that.
This is how it went:

Warmup - 7 bike
Flat bench DB press:
    15x12kg, 15x20kg, 10x24kg, 10x28kg, 10x30kg, 3x10x34kg
Incline bench DB press:
    10x20kg, 10x24kg, 10x28kg, 10x30kg, 10x30kg,
Flat bench flyes:
    15x12kg, 12x18kg, 10x22kg, 10x24kg, 10x26kg, 15x12kg
Hammer Strength Iso Wide Chest Press
    15x20kg, 10x30kg, 10x40kg, 7x45kg
Biceps concentration curls:
    15x12kg, 12x14kg, 10x16kg, 8x18kg, 6x20kg
Biceps barbell curls:
    15x20kg, 12x30kg, 10x40kg (6+4cheat curls), 6x40kg
Superset (Cable cross overs/Overhead cable curls):
    Cable cross overs
        15x20kg, 12x30kg, 10x35kg
    Overhead cable curls:
        15x20kg, 10x30kg, 7x35kg
Low Cable Crossovers:
    10x15kg, 10x20kg, 8x25kg

Brigita Brezovac 3rd at Ms. Olympia

Just a second show at Ms. Olympia for my fellow Slovenian Brigita Brezovac and she won 3rd place.
She really put Slovenia on a bodybuilding map! Perhaps next year the announcer will get the pronunciation of her name right :).

Now if that's not amazing I don't know what is! BIG congratulations to her for this AMAZING achievement.

http://videos.bodybuilding.com/watch/90022/2011-olympia-weekend-top-3-womens-brigita-brezovac
http://streaming.bodybuilding.com/2011-olympia-webcast/?q=ms-olympia-awards-replay&s=med

You can follow her on her blog http://brigitabrezovac.blogspot.com/ 

The new era begins

Only the 13th Mr. Olympia since the show began.
My money was on Phil "The Gift" Heath and it was spot on! I mean.. did you watch the Mr. O show? I saw replays and the only thing I can say is that a new era is born in bodybuilding world.

I don't really like these huge guys as they're not aesthetic in my eyes but "The Gift" is truly amazing.

Where am I now

Well.. currently I'm bulking.
As Kris says, I control my environment. Eat 7-8 meals a day, have enough rest and try not to get into stressful situations.
Avoiding stress is the most difficult part of it all.

I'm working out on my own program again. It's a mix of Kris's DTP's, Dorian's Blood&Guts, Neil Hill's Y3T and FST 7. Not quite the typical workout routine because I don't want to get bored with doing same exercises all the time.

DTP is great for REALLY shocking the muscles and the whole body and mind. It stands for Dramatic Transformation Principle.  Check out the DTP in action.

I've been bulking for about 6 weeks now and am already at 83kg. That's about 5kg in 6 weeks which is going according to my plan. I aim for 85kg by the end of September or 1st week in October. I'm trying to "clean bulk". It's not easy but I think I'm doing OK.

Can I hit 90kg by the end of the year? SURE.. Can I hit it "clean".. huh.. Don't know. Haven't done this before so I'm still learning.

These shots were taken a week ago in the gym. After leg workout :).

How and why ...

How and why I got started?
Well.. I've always been into sports and I love a physical challenge.
I've played rugby since I was 8 or 9 years old. Played until my 32nd year then quit playing due to injuries.
I went to the gym often with a goal to gain mass and strength required to play rugby and didn't pay any attention to what I look like. Didn't look too bad though ;).

So .. after I stopped playing rugby there was a great void in my life and a great amount of newly accumulated FAT on my body. I only noticed that when I took my dog on a dog show (May 2010)  and saw pictures of my gut. WOOOWW... no good. That just cannot be.

I decided then that something must be done and went to the gym and started weight lifting.

At first I worked out by myself with only a moderate amount of knowledge of what to eat and how to workout. So in June I decided to try working out with a personal trainer. We had 20 sessions together and the results started to show. I was dropping fat, gaining muscle. It all went well until my dad had a double brain stroke (CVA). This really set me back. My diet was a disaster, my rest was almost equal to none the stress was just killing me.

It took me until October to get myself together. Father was doing well and his recovery was/is amazing. I went back to the gym and bought a yearly card. Started working out on my own again with some newly acquired knowledge about nutrition and training from personal trainer.

Then something amazing happened just before the new year. I was browsing the web for something new and different to incorporate into my workout routines and found www.bodybuilding.com. OH MAN.. not only did I find an amazing portal with FREE knowledge/programs/nutrition plans/explained workouts, etc... I found Kris Gethin's 12 Week Hardcore Transformation program.

I decided to give it a go and so came 1st January 2011 and the first day of Kris's program. LEG DAY!

The 12 week voyage was a real challenge. For my body and my mind. I made good progress although I should've done better. I didn't stick to Kris's diet plan 100% and I didn't use all the supplements he recommends in the program (couldn't/can't afford them all).

So.. This is me when I started
12th June 2010
Weight: 87kg
Bf: ~17%

Me when 2weeks into  the Kris's program
13th January 2011
Weight: 83kg
BF:~13%

And A couple of days after completing Kris's program
7th April 2011
Weight: 78kg
Bf:~8,4%

As you can see, the program really works but as I said earlier.. I should've done better. I was still retaining a lot of water.

Mission SuperBody first entry

So. This is the first entry on my Mission SuperBody blog.
As the title says I am on a mission to transform myself into a SuperBody.

What is superbody anyway? Well it depends on each individual but for me it's something like mr. Frank Zane at Mr. Olypima.

Yes I know.. I've set some great standards for myself and I'm working really hard to get there.

On this blog I'll keep you guys posted on what I'm doing and eating to get there.