OPA Show in Cobourg, 3 Weeks Out!

3 weeks out, October 1st.

Body Composition:

Weight: 235.4 pounds

Body Fat: 3.6%

Diet: Pretty much the same as last week: refeed on Sunday, then tapering off the carbs as the week progresses.

Supplements: All the same from the previous weeks.

I am 20 days out and I am very glad with the progress that I made in the past 11 weeks. Although, I do look a bit puffy in the beggining of the week after the refeed, but by the end of the week the water comes out completely leaving me very lean, although also pretty flat. However, during the Sunday's carb up I can start seeing what the end product will look like: full, dry and vascular. It is pretty amazing to see your body change within a few hours.

Judging by the caliper readings, I did not make any fat loss progress, however I don't think that these readings are reliable anymore, as it is pretty hard to take measurements right now as the skinfolds are so hard to pinch. When I look in the mirror I see some great changes, and that is what important at this moment, on stage the judges don't take measurements, they go by how you look.

Fridays and Saturdays are usually the hardest days, as the carbs are pretty low, and this translates into the intensity of my workouts. But, this is the price that any competitor has to pay to look good at the show, especially the last few weeks out.

I am increasing my morning cardio to 50 minutes in a slow pace. The cardio after training sessions are going to stay at 20 minutes. I am not introducing any major changes into my workout routines at this point. However, I am a bit more careful with the free weights, as at this stage it is easy to get injured. Focusing more on full control over the weight and less on the amount of weight I am pushing, however still bringing every set to failure.

Started tanning yesterday, and will be doing it 3-4 times a week. Not my favorite thing in the world, but it can help me to get rid of some additional water and get the skin tighter.

That's all for this week, I already outlined my last 7 days's plan and will post it next later.

Until next week!

 

www.ivankfitness.com 

Supplements 101. Protein Powder (Part2): How to Choose Your Protein Powder, Without Throwing Your Money Down the Drain

How to make sense out of the endless shelves of protein powders in your health store? Which one to buy, whey or casein? Whey concentrate or whey isolate? What is better soy protein or egg protein? Last week we covered the two most popular protein powder kinds: casein and whey. Today Let's talk about soy, rice, hemp and egg protein powders:

Soy Protein:

Soy is the only plant protein with a complete amino acid profile, meaning that it has all of the amino acids that are required for our dietary needs. Soy is a great subsitute to whey if you are a vegeterian. It is abosrbed well by the body and is rich in glutamine, an amino acid that is very important for building muscle and recovery. Flavons contained in soy can actually reduce the risk of cancer. Just like whey, soy comes in a form of concentrate and an isolate, the latter has higher amount of protein per serving. Nevertheless, soy is not the best alternative for those who exercise hard and seek the most optimal protein to boost the gains in the gym. Just like people who are allergic or sensitive to milk (or lactose intolerant), some people are allergic/sensitive to soy. Soy also was proven to raise estrogen levels, which means that consumption of soy should be limited. However, if you still choose soy as your supplement of choice, a little serving of soy is not going to drastically affect your estrogen levels.

Rice Protein:

This protein is a great solution for those with allergies to soy or milk, and suits perfectly to vegans and vegeterians. Rice protein is derived from brown rice and has a high concentration of branch chained amino acids that are responsible for muscle recovery. This protein is incomplete and is not useful post workout on its own. In order to become of any dietary value, rice protein needs to be combined with either animal protein or with other plant protein. It goes well in smoothies, shakes and cooking, however a bodybuilder should seek a superior protein powder to rice protein.

Hemp Protein:

Hemp protein offers many healthy nutrients, such as fiber that is good for digestion, healthy fats and a well absorbed protein. Nevertheless, it is not a good protein powder to use post workout. It contains very small amounts of calories (around 120-140 calories per serving), which may not be enough to spike your post workout insulin levels for anabolic benefits. In addition, it contains fiber which is a slowly digesting carb and does not raise your insulin levels. The fat in hemp protein powder may slow down digestion, making this protein less effective as you want to ensure a rapid flow into the muscle post workout. Furthermore, hemp protein has only 15g of protein per serving, which is not enough for muscle building or recovery. However, if added in a morning shake or pancake batter, hemp protein powder can be a good addition to your diet.

Egg Protein:

Egg protein is a great source of a complete, easily digested protein. It has the best amino acid profile of all proteins and would be a great addition to any bodybuilding diet. Derived from egg whites it has 0 fat, which is perfect for managing your macronutrient intake while dieting. A slight drawback of this protein is that it is absorbed slower than whey (1.5-3 hours compared to 30 minutes) making it less effective post workout. Supplementing with egg protein during any other time of the day is more beneficial.

This is it for today, next week we are going to take a look at glutamine, the wonder supplement that will boost your gain in the gym! Make sure to sign up to our newsletter to get the latest fitness tips and healthy recipes!

 

www.ivankfitness.com

How to Choose Your Protein Powder, Without Throwing Your Money Down the Drain

How many times have you heard that protein is an essential part of a healthy diet? Personally, I stumble into this phrase almost every day and preach it myself, when I work with my clients. The importance of consuming at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass cannot be overlooked. Meats, fish, eggs, dairy are amazing sources of this essential nutrient. However, these sources are not always as accessable as we want them to be. This is when protein powders come into play. Protein shakes have gained a great popularity due to their convenience and fast rates of absorption. Downing a protein shake along with some simple carbs post workout kickstarts the anabolic process in the body, promoting rebuilding of the damaged muscle tissue making sure that you get a full benefit from the time spent at the gym. However, going to a supplement store can make your head spin from the available kinds, brands and flavors available today. Which one to choose? In Part 1 I will talk about the two most popular kinds of protein; casein and whey (isolate and hydrolized). Part 2 of this article will talk more about rice, hemp, soy and other kinds of protein powders.

Casein:

Protein contained in milk is divided into 80% casein and 20% whey. During the manufacturing of cheese whey is separated from casein. Casein is a very natural form of protein and is not denatured during the manufacturing in any way. It is rich in naturally occuring vitamins and minerals. The slow absorption of casein makes it an amazing protein source right before bed, as it will feed your muscles, during the most catabolic time of the day – when you are asleep.

Whey:

Whey protein has the fastest rate of absorption and is great to supplement with right after the workout, when the muscles are depleted and are in need for an immediate refuel. Unlike casein, the extraction of whey is far more complex and versatile. In fact, the method used in extracting whey can determine its quality. Originally, whey contains fat and lactose from the milk that are separated from it during the filtration process. There are two types of whey filtration: 1) micro filtration ion exchange and 2) ion exchange. Let's take a look at both of these methods:

Micro filtration:

Whey is pushed through a membrane that filters protein from the lactose and fat. This is achieved based on the size of the membrane's pores that is suited to the size of the protein molecules. This method is much more sparing that the ion exchange process and does not cause damage to the protein.

Ion exchange:

During this process, whey protein is mixed with battery acid (yes the one that's in the batteries of your remote control) and salt water. An electric charge is then let throught the mixture making the protein to separate and attach itself to the vessel of the electric charge. It is then collected and this is how whey protein is made. However, the acidity of the filtering mix can damage some of the proteins that are responsible for boosting immune system, healthy digestion, calcium absorption and antiviral processes. Furthermore, during this process a large amounts of essential amino acids are destroyed along with the proteins that are responsible for preventing cancer.

The ion exchange process damages many of the good qualities of whey protein, but the main advantage of this method is that the end product results in lower carb and fat concentration and may contain a bit more of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). I also results in higher sodium content than whey concentrate (whey protein with less than 85% protein concentration per gram). The easiest way to identify whether or not your whey protein had undergone such process is to look at the ratio between sodium and potassium. Higher sodium generally means that ion exchange had been used (Protein Methods by Bollag).

In other words, be careful when choosing a protein powder. Read the nutritional value label and make sure that the sodium content is low. Don't waste your money on whey that has been extracted via ion exchange, as you will just pay for a partially damaged product.

 

 

www.ivankfitness.com

OPA Show in Cobourg, 4 Weeks Out!

4 weeks out, Septemeber 24^th.

Body Composition:

Weight: 235.8 pounds

Body Fat: 3.6%

Diet: Look like the carb rotation works and I am down an amazing 1% in body fat! I will keep up with it, but will add some more carbs between the refeeds for energy.

Supplements: All the same from the previous weeks.

It is hard to believe that it has been 10 weeks since I started the contest prep, and there are only 4 weeks to go. In fact, it's 3 weeks because I last week of the prep is reserved mostly for the changes in the diet and the volume of training is substantially smaller.

With the carb rotation introduced last week I have lost and additional 1% body fat, which is impressive when the body fat percentage is already very low. However, along with that came a terrible state of exhaustion that pretty much slashed my intensity at the gym in half (I have literally had to drop my weights to as low as 50%). I am really concerned about this change, as my main goal right now is to preserve size (at 6'2 I really shouldnt drop my weight too low, as my shorter and bulkier rivals will simply wipe me out onstage). To counteract a significant weight loss, I am introducing extra carbs on all of the days between the refeeds. So, instead of 110g of carbs on low carb days I will be consuming 200g and on the days preceding the refeeds 250g of carbs will be ingested. I also introduce a table spoon of flaxseed oil in my last meal.

With regards to training the same protocol will be present up until 1 week out. 40 minutes fasted cardio in the morning and an additional 20 minutes of cardio after each training session will be added this week. I started to practice my poses last Thursday for 15-20 minutes a day, which can easily be counted as a workout as well, I was drenched with sweat each time I practiced!

In other words, I am starting to smell the pro tan in the air, as I get closer and closer to the day X. It will be awesome!

Until next week!

www.ivankfitness.com

OPA Show in Cobourg, 5 Weeks Out!

5 weeks out, Septemeber 17^th.

Body Composition:

Weight: 238 pounds

Body Fat: 4.6%

Diet: Started to use what is called a carb rotation diet. Basically, I still have the 2 refeed days on Thursday and Sunday, but I will alternate the amount of carbs a little bit from day to day:

Sunday – refeed, approx. 800-900g of carbs.

Monday – low carb, 110g of carbs

Tuesday – low carb, 110g of carbs

Wednesday – higher carb, 220g of carbs

Thursday – refeed, approx 700g of carbs

Friday – low carb, 110g of carbs

Saturday – low carb, 110g of carbs

The 2 days following the refeed should be a low carb as I feel that I can sustain my energy levels somewhat without feeling too depleted. Wednesdays I am doubling the carbs from low carb day, as this is the day where I feel the crappiest and need some additional fuel to get through the day. This is pretty much the logic behind it, I will stick to this set up until one week out.

Supplements: All the same from the previous weeks.

Another week passed by and I am already 5 weeks out from the show! It feels both too far and too close, if you take in consideration that I have been dieting for 9 weeks already (that have passed by so quickly). I am sure I will remember this prep the most, considering that I wasn't killing myself like I did during the past contest preps and got the best results yet.

My body fat hasn't changed this week and my weight went up. It could be attributed to the morning cardio that made me sleep less. I will fix this problem this week and will make sure that I sleep at least 8 hours a day, and if necessary will also take naps during the day. I am not too enthusiastic about the fat persentage being the same, but yet again the caliper measurements have a little room for an error. As of this point I am not going by the measurements anymore, as it is hard to measure the skinfold anyway as the skin sits pretty tight, especially on my quads. Instead I am going by the mirror and am seeing amazing results! I have new veins popping out every week, I have never seen these veins before, even being at my leanest.

I am going to restrict my refeeds a little bit and get rid of the pretzels and the fat and gluten free potato puffs as it is very hard to control the portions with these food items. From now on I will schedule every meal and make sure to hit the target amount of carbs, without overdoing it.

This week I am also starting my tanning schedule. I will start off with 2 days this week and increase it to every other day by the end of 3^rd week out. With tanning I am really not trying to achieve a beautiful bronze tan. Tanning makes the skin tighter and also pushes the water out, so the muscle looks drier.

Anyhow, I cannot wait for the day of the competition to see the final product of this hard work!

Until next week!

 

 

 

Protein Cupcakes

Killing two birds in one hit is the way to go! This amazing recipe will not only satisfy your cravings for sweets, but also will help you to pack on muscle. Busy professionals will also benefit from it, as they won't be frowned upon while munching on a few of these babies during a meeting (as opposed to choking on chicken breast with broccoli in front of your colleagues). Here is how to make it:

What you need:

1. 8 eggwhites
2. 1 scoop of protein powder. I used a banana flavor and it came out amazing, but you can put whichever flavor you like.
3. 1tbsp of cocoa powder
4. 1tsp cinnamon
5. 1 scoop of fiber. I used Poliquin' Primal Fiber 2.0, but any brand will be fine.
6. 3-4 packets of stevia

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven for 350
2. Mix the eggwhites, protein powder, cinnamon, stevia and the cocoa powder together in a blender.
3. Pour the mixture in a cupcake dish, filling 3/4 of each socket.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. The cupcakes should be very fluffy and puff out of their sockets.
5. Enjoy!

Nutrient breakdown:

Fat: 2g

Carbs: 16g (13g fiber)

Protein: 69g

Packed with vitamin A, C, calcium and iron.

OPA Show in Cobourg, 6 Weeks Out!

6 weeks out, Septemeber 10^th.

Body Composition:

Weight: 236.1 pounds

Body Fat: 4.6%

Diet: I have noticed that I deplete much faster than before and on the second morning after the refeed I start to look flat again. I have decided to increase my carb intake a little between the refeed days, so that I can get through the rest of the workouts with more energy. As well, considering my body fat percentage at this point, I can afford to increase the carb intake, in order to save the muscle. This week, I am adding 60g of carbs, which amounts to 170g a day. The increase comes in the form of additional 0.5cup of oatmeal in the morning and 100g of sweet potato post workout.

Supplements: An additional 10g of glutamine before going to bed to assist recovery and release of growth hormone.

Minus 0.8% body fat is a great news and an indicator that I am on the right track. Fasted cardio seems to help a lot in fat loss. In fact, I was contemplating on whether to increase it to 45 minutes every morning, but decided to leave it at 30 minutes for now as it seems to work for me at this point. No doubt that if I hit a plateau next week I will increase my daily portion of stationary biking. Right now I am seeing changes, such as striations in my triceps and some on my quads as well, which makes me very happy to see them again (haven't seen them since my last show). My energy has been a bit low, I assume that early morning cardio sessions have a lot to do with is, as I am not used to wake up at 6am. However, I realize that it's impossible to walk around full of energy all day, while being 6 weeks out of the show. It's a part of the porcess and I have to suck it up.

This week my training is going to change again, as I have noticed that double sets deplete me a little too fast. I will concentrate on pyramid loading with a dropset at the last set of most exercises. I will be doing single sets and will try to push a little more weight to preserve the muscle, as I don't want to come on stage too skinny (I'm 6'2 and shouldn't be dropping too much weight at this point). All in all, I am trying to maintain the mass as much as I can as my body fat seems to be at a good spot.

Until next week!