2 Weeks Out — Starting to Feel It
I'm starting to feel it now.
The brain fog and fatigue have definitely started showing up, which honestly isn't surprising. It seems like this happens to me right around two weeks out every prep regardless of how things have gone leading up to it.
Luckily, once I actually get into the gym I still feel pretty good. My energy seems to come back once I start training, and my lifting sessions have still been strong.
At this point there's really no room for missed days anyway. I'm not missing workouts or meals, and with only two weeks left I'm pretty locked into the routine.
Current Status
Division
- Men's Physique
- Classic Physique
Weeks Out
2
Current Weight
204 lbs
Starting Weight
216.4 lbs
Weekly Change
-0.1 lbs
Phase
Prep
Weekly Check-In Photos
Front
Side
Back
What Changed This Week?
I did a better job getting more activity in outside of the gym this week, and I pushed the cardio a little harder too.
Three of my sessions were on the stair stepper instead of doing mostly incline treadmill walks. It's definitely harder, and there are times halfway through where I'm wondering why I decided to get on it instead of the treadmill, but I always feel good once it's over.
With only two weeks left, I don't mind pushing through it.
Unfortunately, I also managed to hurt myself this week.
I was playing a friendly game of softball and pulled something in my quad. I figured softball was about as low risk as it gets, but apparently not when I decide to push myself harder than I needed to.
Luckily it wasn't anything serious.
I was supposed to train legs soon after it happened, so instead of forcing the workout I moved things around and gave it another three days.
When I finally trained legs, I skipped squats completely. There are more than enough other exercises I can do without loading the quad the same way.
It still felt a little tight, but the workout went fine and I'm not really concerned about it at this point. I'm definitely not interested in turning something minor into a real injury two weeks before the show though.
The Scale Didn't Move
The strange part this week is that my weight basically didn't change.
I'm at 204 lbs, which normally would bother me this close to the show, but I actually feel leaner.
I've been eating more vegetables lately because the hunger is picking up, and I've also been drinking more water to try to stay full. There's a good chance some of that is showing up on the scale.
At this point I'm trying not to read too much into one number.
I know what I've been eating and the work I've been putting in. When I look in the mirror, I feel like I'm still tightening up, and that's what matters more to me right now.
Posing Is Becoming a Bigger Focus
I'm also spending more time on posing now.
At two weeks out, there's not much point in building a great physique if I can't present it properly when I get on stage.
I'm trying to get everything to the point where I don't really have to think about it anymore: foot placement, angles, transitions, and holding the poses when I'm tired.
The little things are becoming a much bigger part of what I'm paying attention to.
I'm still trying to lose the last few pounds, but posing is probably one of the biggest things I can actually improve between now and show day.
This Week's StageLab Recommendation
Recommendation
Increase cardio from 5 × 25 minutes to 5 × 35 minutes per week.
StageLab still has me around one to two weeks behind based on the visual assessment.
That's not exactly what I want to hear at two weeks out, but I also don't completely disagree with it. There's still some conditioning that needs to come in.
My calories are already fairly low, so instead of cutting food again, StageLab increased each of my five cardio sessions by 10 minutes.
That takes me from 125 minutes of cardio per week to 175 minutes.
I'm okay with that.
I'd rather add a little more cardio right now than keep pulling food when I'm already starting to feel the fatigue, especially since my training is still going well.
It's definitely going to make the sessions feel a little longer, but there are only two weeks left.
My Thoughts
I'm definitely ready for the show to get here.
I'm tired, I'm hungry, and my brain isn't working quite as quickly as it normally does, but I'm also still enjoying this part of prep.
There's something about being this close where everything gets really simple.
I know exactly what I need to do every day: eat what I'm supposed to eat, train, get the cardio done, practice posing, recover, and do it again tomorrow.
There's no reason to start second guessing everything now.
I've made it this far and I can see the changes. I just need to get the last little bit off and show up as close to ready as I can.
Current Plan
Calories
2310 kcal
Protein
227 g
Carbs
210 g
Fat
63 g
Cardio
5 × 35 min
Training
7 days per week, adjusted as needed while the quad finishes recovering
What Happens Next
The next two weeks are really just about being as consistent as possible without doing something stupid and getting hurt trying to squeeze out an extra half percent.
The quad was a good reminder of that.
Cardio is up by another 50 minutes per week now, so I'll see what that does without changing the diet at the same time.
Other than that, nothing really changes. Keep the meals exact, train hard, practice posing, stay active, and recover enough to keep doing all of it.
I'm ready for show day to get here, but I'm not wishing these last two weeks away either.
This is still part of the process.
Time to finish it.
Current Snapshot
Weight: 204 lbs
Starting Weight: 216.4 lbs
Weeks Out: 2
Phase: Prep
Classic Physique Weight Limit: 202 lbs
Current Recommendation: Increase cardio from five 25-minute sessions to five 35-minute sessions per week.
Current Focus: Bring in the last bit of conditioning, keep the quad healthy, and sharpen posing for the stage.
Next Update
Prep Files #18 — 1 Week Out