Right, back then you were like big scary guys, now you are like... "Wow these guys are nice and knowledgeable!"
I think it was about 4 years ago now,
@love2liftkat could tell you exactly I am sure. I try not to remember the dates of peoples deaths intentionally. I feel it is better to celebrate their lives and memories, than memorialize the date of their death which is not something I see as healthy, at least for me.
Well, the adjustments brought my fasting blood glucose back down to 81 which is awesome. Still confused with the elevation in my BP currently with no gear other than a TRT dose which just started back up Sunday at 30mgs EOD for 115mg a week right now. Using slin pins to get an accurate dose. I picked up vaping nicotine again during the end of prep because I was dying of no energy. So I think it may have built up as I started vaping more. So I am planning on quitting after today. See if that drops everything back down a bit. I am absolutely sure I will get some drop but not sure how far. Right now I am hovering about 10 points higher top and bottom than I want to be. Especially with out being on any gear.
I am heavily considering changing goals to just Classic Physique. Less need for high doses of gear, and less need for extremely aggressive bulking. I feel like that might actually make life at home easier for the wife and kids. Less extremes means I am going to be less extreme. Also, I don't think I want to stretch my skin back out too much this year. I feel if I can keep my waist smaller all year I may be able to tighten up just a bit. Especially if I can afford little HGH to help with collagen.
My only concern is I don't really have much wiggle room here. I could probably gain 1-2lbs of muscle and drop 4-5 more lbs of body fat for my stage weight, and come in pretty damn stellar in classic physique. I am pretty sure I have it to lose based on my back and lower pecs at the time of my contest. I would have to check in dry and depleted AF but it could be done and I could blow up a bit overnight with a refeed. I would like for you all to offer some opinions and feedback here. I have mentioned it to coach, and I know he prefers I go into Master's BB for sure, it is a bit more prestigious than Classic to him, but I am just not sure if that is what will be best for me, my health, and my family.
I can tell with me starting back up with the intensity and go straight to work attitude that the wife is not quite recovered from the stress of prep. She is a little stressed already, and seems a little flustered still. I think she thought things would be a little more relaxed for a little while because I told her coach said he would allow me more free meals during the first couple of months during rebounding. So once we kicked back into gear, and I had the same intensity I had during prep to get things done, trying to be dead on with the program, and nutrition. Then getting frustrated with myself and the situation when I am failing to do so, she wasn't ready for. I was getting pretty frustrated with missing a couple of sessions, and having to wing it on my food a couple of days to match macros when I was not able to get to the store due to trying to fix Sage's car. Her response to that was a bit amplified, and I could see her stressing that this might be what it will be like all year. Which obviously it wouldn't I am just dealing with a lot of things right now and am a bit overwhelmed. Trying to make things work when I feel i am a little over my head with the car repairs since i can't seem to figure out why Sage's car keeps overheating and don't have the cash on hand to go to a mechanic. On top of all of that the carb comas I was being put into with the blood sugar issues were making me pretty much pass out and sometimes at my desk, or have to nap at lunch when I wanted to be doing my cardio, or passing out after my pre-workout meal then being hours behind schedule and not getting to sleep at night from being amped up from the workouts. It has just been a lot to deal with all at once.
We had a talk last night and she is still 100% supportive of whatever I want to do, but I can tell she wants things to be a little less extreme, at least right now. I am not being mean to anyone, the frustration with the situation really turns more inward toward myself for feeling like I am failing in this situation than anyone else, so I put a lot of pressure on myself and that is a lot to deal with. She is already an anxious person and the returned intensity and focus on one thing seems to be a lot for her right now. As much as I think I would do well in Masters BB, I am definitely willing to focus on Classic to keep things less extreme this year, plus staying pretty lean all year would definitely help me get a following, and attract clients. People love to see a well built lean guy, and want to work with people who seem to stay in good condition year round. I honestly feel i could maintain around this level of body fat, and just let the training, a little bit of food, and the gear bring the new muscle that is needed without getting too much farther out of shape. In the end I also realize I need to adjust my behavior at home. A lot of that will be resolved once we have 3 working cars again, and time is not being spent on the jeep, or the extra running around and errands required being down one car.
I know this is all super personal information but the reality is this log is about the life of a masters bodybuilder / competitor, not just about body building, and competition. These are the things you have to weigh out and make decisions on if you are also going to be a good human. It isn't as easy as just training hard, following the plan and executing to have a successful life while pursuing this endeavor.
and no doubt you will excel no matter the direction!