Contest Prep 2010: A Retrospective

I'd like to start out by thanking all of you that have read my blogs and supported me over the course of the last several months. You have helped make the last 12 weeks the most exciting period of my life, for that I am very grateful. Now, after two back to back competitions I can relax at last!

Both contests had some great competition, I took second place in the Novice Men's class at the NPC Natural Midstates on the 13th. Even though I had my eye on first in the novice, this second place finish actually raised my confidence for the following weekend. I decided to sign up for the cross-over, allowing me to step on stage in both the novice and the open - I wanted to see how I fared with the veterans of the sport! There were six competitors in the novice and nine in the open. I entered expecting to place among the top five in the open - some of these guys had many years of experience on me! Anyways, I couldn't have made a better choice. I ended up taking home first place in both the Men's Novice and Men's Open! To think I had ever doubted that I should compete at the Open level!!



I imagine the majority of people would not find my lifestyle appealing, one of the reasons there are so few competitors in this great sport. This experience has truly taught me to expect and demand 110% of myself, in all aspects of my life - which is why I love this sport. I am convinced this ability, to constantly demand everything of yourself, has a great physiological carryover that reaches far beyond the gym walls. A lot of people might view bodybuilding as vain; however it's a sport where one dedicates oneself to self-improvement, mental fortitude, edification, and perseverance. I don't see anything vain about that!

I'm grateful for all the great people in my life that have helped and supported me along the way, one of these individuals is Stacy Steinberg, a holistic educator and coach. Stacy, a Chicago native, was kind enough to supply me with Kangen restructured alkaline water for over thirty days approaching my contest. Alkaline water has a number of benefits, among them antioxidants, deep hydration for our cells and have a safe way to cleanse acidic waste and strengthen the immune system. Also, because of it's molecular structure Kangen water is more hydrating than tap water. This enables you to recover faster and more efficiently, which I can certainly attest to. One of the most remarkable things about the water was the that I was able to drink nearly three gallons a day and not feel bloated at all! When I drink that much tap it almost becomes a chore, and I'd feel it sloshing around in my stomach. I'm excited to announce that Stacy is extending a complementary 30 day trial of Kangen water to all my readers!


For more information and the science behind Kangen water contact Stacy at: stacysteinberg18@gmail.com

simpletruthwater.com or call her directly at 847.845.6068!

Also, a special thanks to Drew and EFWEAR and my good friend Edgar Reihl for his support and awesome photographs!

Thanks again for following, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving - I certianly did!! Stay tuned for updates on my off-season training and new developments!

Andrew Bora
Corrective Exercise Specialist
NASM CPT & CES
Borafitness.com
312.685.5565

2.5 Weeks Out!

The last few weeks have brought many exciting and new opportunities and friendships. I am truly blessed and honored to have so many supportive and generous people in my life. My heart is filled with gratitude and enthusiasm each and every day.

My contest is rapidly approaching on the 13^th, I've been so involved with the community and projects that it just occurred to me recently it's been nearly a month since my last blog entry – I'm here to fill you in!

Since six weeks out I have slowly and reluctantly lowered my carbs from 150g on most days to 100g most days. I was able to maintain weight loss at 125g for a couple weeks, but now were down to the nitty gritty! I even lowered my protein ever so slightly – instead of multiplying my bodyweight by 1.5, I multiplied my lean body mass by 1.5. Okay, so that's a difference of five pounds at this point, but hey 50 calories is 50 calories!

Most days look like this:

262g/protein

100g/carbs

50g/fat

Total: 1898 calories

This week is the first that I'll lower my weekly weight training sessions from five to four, knocking off one leg training day in favor of cardio. Now my training split is as follows:

S: 45 minutes cardio

M: Legs (Refeed) 45 minutes cardio + 30 minutes walking

T: Shoulders/traps -- 45 minutes cardio

W: 30 minutes High-intensity interval training + 45 minutes walking

Th: Chest/Back -- 45 minutes cardio

F: Biceps/Triceps -- 45 minutes cardio + 30 minutes walking

Needless to say a lot of work on very little calories! I've lowered my total training time on most days from about 75 minutes to 45. Although, my volume has stayed relatively high. I'm still able to accomplish 20-25 sets in that time frame by pushing myself with shorter rest periods, I will proceed to do 45 minutes of cardio after weight training. Usually, I'll aim to keep my heart rate between 140-150 bpm and alternate between using an elliptical, cycling (outdoors weather permitting), and high-incline walking.

2-3 days of the week I'll incorporate HIIT (high-intensity interval training), a lot of people asked me which is best for fat-loss. I've mentioned previously that they both have very distinct advantages, therefor why not just do both?! In addition, I'll add a thirty minute walk in the evening every other day and include twenty minutes of posing practice. Posing was something I overlooked entirely my first show, I still have a lot of work to do on it but I'm getting better each day and that's what counts!

Side notes:

-My refeeds have been reduced from 300-253g/carbs to 240g.

-This weekend I will switch legs from Mondays to Saturday; the logic is that if I give my legs a week off before stepping on stage they will become more defined and striated.

-Stay tuned for pics!

I'll end with a quote from Thomas Paine:

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.”

Questions or comments?

andrewbora@live.com

borafitness.com

Leg Training Overview

By request, the following is my leg routine. 
**Note all exercises are preceded by 2-4 warm up sets.

Monday:
A) Front Squats OR Back Squats - 3*3-5 -- near maximal weights
B) Deadlifts (Conventional or Romanian) - 3*3-5 -- near maximal weights
C) Hack Squats OR Leg Press - 4*6
D) Standing Calf Raise 4*8
E) Seated Calf Raise 4*15

Thursday, Super-sets day!
A) Back Squats - warm up, 3-4*10
B1) Hack Squats - warm up, 3*12
B2) Split stance smith machine squats - warm up, 3*15
C1) Quad Extension - warm up, 3*12
C2) Prone Leg Curl - warm up, 3*10
D1) Standing Calf Raise 4*8
D2) Seated Calf Raise 4*15


My legs have historically been one of my weaker points, my calves more specifically. I must train them accordingly and with intensity. Once my calories become low, I will condense my weight training to 4x a week (instead of 5x) and reduce my leg training to 1x a week.

6 Weeks Out!

The last week has shown improvements, I have continued to supplement with BCAAs and have been very satisfied with my progress. I created a video displaying my mandatory poses, that shows where my conditioning is thus far – while I'm satisfied with my definition I will have to work on my skills at posing and showcasing my attributes. Posing is an easy aspect to overlook, but just as important as my diet and weight training. Overall, I'm gaining confidence each day and believe I will be a serious contender for the overall novice title.

I have slightly reduced my fat intake, and my protein and carbs have remained the same for the interim. Originally, I have increased my carbs on Mondays, the day I train legs heavily. Now that my bodyfat has decreased, I will be adding slightly more carbs for my second leg day on Thursday. Currently they are as follows:

-275 grams protein

-150 grams carbs

-50 grams fat

I will be consuming 300/carbs on Monday and 225g/carbs Thursday – on these days my fat intake will be slightly lower to compensate for my increased caloric intake. Moreover, my training split has remained consistent – the only change I have made is that instead of focusing on quad dominant movements one day and hamstrings the next, I train them both with equal zest both leg days. Generally, I will lift heavy on Monday, and higher reps and volume on Thursday. 

Here's a quick look:

Sunday: Off (High Intensity Interval Training)

Monday: Legs (Refeed)

Tuesday: Shoulders/Arms (High Intensity Interval Training)

Wednesday: Off (High Intensity Interval Training)

Thursday: Legs

Friday: Chest/Triceps (light cardio)

Saturday: Back/Biceps (light cardio)

Click here to view my youtube video of the week!

Thanks for reading, look for more blog updates and videos to come in the near future!

Questions or comments? You can reach me at andrewbora@live.com

7 Weeks Out!

It's been a couple weeks since my last update, I have made a lot of changes in my diet and training since then. After much deliberation and careful consideration, I have reduced my meal frequency to 4 meals per day. Right now I can hear my clients saying “Andrew, you have always encouraged me to eat 6 meals a day to promote protein synthesis.” While it is correct that the body stops synthesizing protein every three hours; in a great caloric deficit, the constant supplementation of branched chain amino acids throughout the day can prove more useful than constantly eating small amounts of protein every couple hours. Here is some information from Dr. Layne Norton, about the importance of leucine; one of the three ingredients in branched chain amino acids:

“It has been shown that in order for protein balance to become positive post workout, dietary protein, specifically the amino acid leucine, must be consumed and protein balance will remain negative until it is consumed.^3,4

Leucine is one of the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) and is unique in its ability to stimulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis. In fact, leucine has about a 10 fold greater impact on protein synthesis than any other amino acid!”

For more information on Layne, I'd highly recommend his inspiring video Unleashed: http://www.biolayne.com/

Branched chain amino acids are even more critical when on a low-carb diet. At first I was on the fence to try this new approach, I've been in the habit of eating small meals every 2-3 hours for the last several years. Originally, it seemed daunting to eat nearly 70 grams of protein – 25% of my daily allotment – in one sitting. It has proved to be a much easier approach and it is actually quite satisfying. I don't have to prepare as many meals and my strength levels have remained high. In addition, I've begun preforming cardio on a daily basis – generally post workout, either steady state cardio or high intensity interval training.

My daily macronutrients intake over the last two weeks have been as follows:

275 grams protein

150 grams carbohydrates

60 grams fat

I've lost three pounds in the last two weeks which is ideal – any more would be over doing it. I simply take half of my carbohydrate allotment in the morning before my workout, and the other half afterwards – for evening workouts I make minor adjustments and have a small serving of carbs in the morning. My protein and fat is evenly distributed throughout my four meals.

Here is a quick look at my schedule:

8:00 – Meal 1
10:00 - 2 scoops BCAA
11:00 - Lift/cardio
12:30 - Meal 2
2:30 - 2 scoops BCAA
4:30 - Meal 3
6:30 - 2 scoops BCAA

7:00 - low intensity cardio
9:00 - Meal 4
10:00 – Bed

Here is a sample day from last week:

*Ratio is protein/carbs/fat

Meal 1: Whey protein, 62 grams oatbran, 40 grams oatmeal, 113g cottage cheese, 1 egg, 4 whites, fish oil – 70/75/16

Meal 2: Whey protein, can of tuna, 60 grams oatbran, banana, fish oil, 14 grams almonds – 75/71/14

Meal 3: 8oz Angus beef, 8oz Broccoli, 113g cottage cheese – 64/3/10

Meal 4: 6oz cottage cheese, 33g casein protein, 1 whole egg, 1 egg white, 24 grams peanut butter – 64/6/18

Total calories: 273/155/58 = 2,234 calories.

If I can continue to loose 1.5 pounds each week I will be able to reach 175 pounds the week before my competition on November 13^th. I'm right on schedule as far as fat loss is concerned, although I have very little wiggle room and will need to strive to hit my calories on a day to day basis.

Questions or comments, you can reach me at andrewbora@live.com

9 Weeks Out!

Over the last week, I've increased my carbohydrate intake, and although my weight has remained the same - at 189 lbs. - towards the end of the week I appeared harder and bit more vascular. I donated blood over the weekend and the camera doesn't seem to show it just yet – I will have pictures up on Tuesday.

I have not yet added a weight loss supplement to my regiment, and plan to do so in the nine weeks to come. Now that I have increased my cardio frequency I also plan on supplementing with branched chain amino acids, this will help me retain my muscle mass while on a restrictive diet. I will let my calories remain the same this week – I'll decide at eight weeks out whether or not to alter my daily macronutrients.

Here is my workout plan:

Sunday: Off (Cardio)
Monday: Legs (Quadriceps dominant movements)
Tuesday: Shoulders/Traps
Wednesday: Off (Cardio)
Thursday Legs (Hamstring dominant movements)
Friday: Chest/Triceps
Saturday: Back/Biceps

Here is a look at the foods I've eaten throughout the week, I include two high carb days for the days I train legs. I plan on continuing this diet this following week and focusing on hitting my daily macros slightly better, I aim to consume the following each day:

235 grams protein/217 grams carbohydrates/60.5 grams fat

*Note that the macronutrients listed on the far right of each meal is broken down into grams of protein/carbohydrates/fat respectively.


Monday
Meal 1: 1 whole egg, 4 egg whites, 60 grams oat bran. 26/44/7.5
Meal 2: ¾ cup non-fat cottage cheese, apple, 10g almonds, & fish oil 21/20/9
Meal 3: 1 whole egg, 4 egg whites, 266g sweet potatoes, 1 banana 18/95/5
Meal 4 (during workout): Gatorade powder, whey protein 33/90/1.5
Meal 5: Canned tuna, 200g sweet potatoes 32/50/2
Meal 6: 6 oz Angus beef, 8 oz broccoli, 60g oat bran 36/44/7
Meal 7: Casein protein, 24g peanut butter.
Total: 196 grams protein, 346 grams carbohydrates, & 42 grams fat

Tuesday
Meal 1: 210 grams sweet potato, 1 banana, 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites – 24/80/9
Meal 2 (during workout): 56g whey protein, gatorade powder – 40/73/2
Meal 3: Tuna, 205 grams sweet potato – 32/52/2
Meal 4: 6 oz Angus beef, 8 oz broccoli – 36/0/7
Meal 5: 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 8oz broccoli, ½ cup cottage cheese, fish oil – 38/0/13
Meal 6: 33 grams casein protein, ½ cup cottage cheese, 32 grams peanut butter – 38/3/16
Total: 208 grams protein/208 grams carbohydrates/49 grams fat – notes: undershot my fat calories.

Wednesday
Meal 1: 28 grams whey protein, ½ cup oatmeal – 27/27/4
Meal 2: 2 whole eggs, 4 whites, broccoli florets – 24/0/9
Meal 3: 28 grams whey protein, 1 cup oatmeal, serving low-fat yogurt – 41/70/9.5
Meal 4 (post cardio): Gatorade powder – 55 grams carbohydrates
Meal 5: 6oz Angus beef, 8oz broccoli, 205 grams sweet potato, ½ cup cottage cheese – 50/50/7
Meal 6: 33 grams casein protein, 32 grams peanut butter – 33/3/16
Meal 7: 3 whole eggs, 3 egg whites, 8 oz broccoli – 27/0/13.5
Meal 8: 33 grams casein protein, ¾ serving pecans, ½ cup cottage cheese – 40/3/15
Total: 243 grams protein/208 grams carbohydrates/75 grams fat
Notes: overshot my fat calories; compensated for the previous day.

Thursday – Refeed (semi-high carb day/low fat/moderate protein)
Meal 1: 60 grams oat bran, ¾ cup cottage cheese, 10 grams almonds – 28/44/7
Meal 2: 1 whole egg, 4 whites, 266 grams sweet potato, fish oil – 18/66/8.5
Meal 3 (during workout): 38 grams whey protein, gatorade powder – 30/52/2
Meal 4: 4oz chicken breast, 217 grams sweet potato – 25/55/2
Meal 5: 6oz Angus beef, 8 oz broccoli, 60 grams oat bran, 1 banana – 44/71/10
Meal 6: 4oz chicken breast, broccoli florets, 28 grams peanut butter, ½ cup cottage cheese – 39/0/15
Total: 193 grams protein/278 grams carbohydrates/42.5 grams fat

Friday
Meal 1: 28 grams whey protein, ½ cup oatmeal, 1 banana – 27/54/4
Meal 2: 2 whole eggs, 4 whites, ½ cup cottage cheese – 38/0/9
Meal 3: 2 whole eggs, 4 whites, 266 grams sweet potato – 24/66/9
Meal 4 (during workout): 56 grams whey protein, gatorade powder – 44/60/2
Meal 5: Tuna, 205 grams sweet potato – 22/50/2
Meal 6: 8oz lean beef, 8oz broccoli – 48/0/10
Meal 7: 33 grams casein protein, 32 grams peanut butter, fish oil – 32/0/20
Total: 235 grams protein/230 grams carbohydrates/56 grams fat

Saturday
Meal 1: 28 grams whey protein, 28 grams oatmeal – 25/19/2.5
Meal 2: 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 205g sweet potato, 1 banana, fish oil – 24/77/13
Meal 3 (during workout): 56 grams whey protein, gatorade powder – 44/60/2
Meal 4: Tuna, 203 grams sweet potato – 32/50/2
Meal 5: 8oz lean beef, 8 oz broccoli – 48/0/10
Meal 6: 33 grams casein protein, ½ cup cottage cheese, 32 grams peanut butter – 47/3/16
Meal 7: 4oz lean beef, 8oz broccoli, 10 grams almonds – 24/0/10
Meal 8: ¼ cup cottage cheese, 10 grams almonds – 10/0/5
Total: 261 grams protein/206 grams carbohydrates/60.5 grams fat

Questions or comments? You can reach me at: andrewbora@live.com

10 Weeks Out !

I have achieved great results over the course of the week and a half, in-fact my weight loss has almost been too rapid. The last time I made an entry on 8/14 I weighed in at 193, a couple days ago the scale dipped to 189 pounds. This was an alert to me to slow down! I have made the decision to increase my carbohydrate intake. Here is an informative tidbit from Layne Norton, PhD that describes the importance of carbohydrates:

“Carbohydrates act to maintain muscle mass while dieting by maintaining cellular osmotic pressure and cell volume. Cell size is an indicator of the "state" that the body is in. When cells are of large volume, it signals that the body is in a fed state. When cell volume is low it signals that the body is in a starved state. Without delving too far into the science behind this, trust me when I say that you would like your body to think it is in a fed state as this will increase the levels of fat burning hormones and anabolic hormones.”

For the last week my daily macronutrient intake has been:

■225g protein
■170g carbs
■60 fat

This is only 2,120 calories, which I decided is too low this many weeks away from the contest. Based on my BMR - a scientific method of calculating the amount of calories needed to maintain your weight - I need about 2,850. Subtracted by 500 equals a healthy calorie intake to loose weight. I'm going to add a substantial amount of carbs, a bit of protein, and let my fat remain the same. My new calorie intake is 2,350 and my macronutrient totals are as follows:

■235g protein
■217g carbs
■60.5g fat

Currently I do two medium intensity cardio sessions for thirty minutes each week, these are preformed on my days off of training. In the near future, I'll be adding three thirty minute walks each week -- these will be preformed in the morning after having a whey protein shake with a serving of oatmeal. In my next update I will post my food log for the week, so you will all have an idea of what I eat on a day to day basis.



If you have any questions or comments you can reach me at:

andrewbora@live.com

12 Weeks Out!

It is contest prep season and I can hardly wait to step on the stage for the second time. I am competing in the Natural Midstates in Rockford on 11/14. Over the past two weeks I've forgone the niceties and simple pleasures such as burgers, deep dish pizza, and what many refer to as 'real food' -- and will continue to do so. No longer do I have the pleasure of having a nice cold one at the end of the day.

I am certain it will all be worth the while when I am able to step on stage and see all the improvements I've made since my first show in 5/09. Over the next 12 weeks I will be on a very strict diet in combination with numerous hours of sweat and hard work in the gym and the treadmill. Follow me on my journey to glory, I will be posting updates and pictures of my progress along the way, stay tuned!

If you have any questions or comments you can reach me at:

andrewbora@live.com
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