Rantorcha's AAEFX Training Journal - Road to...

So, while I was on the Stairmill yesterday, I forgot it was my off-day and only did 35 minutes of cardio. I decided to punish myself this morning by waking up a bit earlier than normal and did 45 minutes on my treadmill.

After that little bit of heaven, it was a waiting game until the afternoon to hit the gym.


HAMS – I really made a true effort to sqeeeeze each rep (holding each rep at the top for at least 1-2 seconds). I really think this will help me as I get closer to the show.
“Hoist” Seated Leg Curl
Pos.9/20, Pos.10/14
Lying Leg Curl – again, making sure to squeeze each rep hard
110/8+1, 95/12+1, 95/10+2
Stiff Leg Deads – for these I held the stretch at the bottom for at least 1-2 seconds
205/13, 205/13
Jeffersons
115/8each leg; 115/8 each leg

QUADS
Leg Press
7 plts each side/13
7 plts each side/13
7 plts/8..drop..6 plts/6..drop..5 plts/7..drop..4 plts/10!!!
Lunges – lunge forward one leg on a bench (didn’t like these very much)
100/10each side (only did 1 set)
Walking Lunges
100/22 total steps
Smith Squat
225/20 reps!
225/14 – Rest/Pause for 15 seconds – 8 more = 22 total!

Although my shoulder feels better this morning, at the end of my last set of squats I ended up tweaking my lower back just a smidge. I don’t think it’s too serious. It’s one of those things that happens at the very end of a set when you aren’t your strongest, but want to push out the last rep or two.

Is my body telling me something? Maybe I should back off a bit? Or am I just getting old and broken? LOL
 
Yesterday, I tweaked my back a bit going for the last couple of Smith Squat reps (reps #21 & 22). It isn’t completely debilitating, but it’s a pain in the ass enough to cause serious annoyance! I tried to work around it and for the most part, it held up pretty good.

But as my body started to get tired and fatigued, it was harder and harder to bypass the pain. It didn’t help that my second body part was a mini-Back session (for thickness). I ended up having to change a couple of things around and do less sets for Back.

Of course, I started this morning with my 35 minutes of cardio. No real weight change to speak of this week, so I am sure Eric is going to lay the smack down for sure when I get my plan for next week. Oh well, sometimes you’ve got to work that much harder to achieve your goals!

My back was feeling pretty good after cardio, but after training, I may actually have to reach for the ibu! lol

DELTS
Smith Rack Delt Press – LOVE these. They really DIG into my shoulders
165/11, 165/9, 165/8..drop..135/7 (straight reps on drop set)
BB Upright Row
80/21, 90/13+1
Rev Pec Dec
135/17, 165/14..drop..135/7
Side Laterals – several sets that just BURNED my side delts!

BACK (Thickness) – wanted to do T-bar Rows, but my back wouldn’t have liked that!
CG Seated Row
180/16, 180/14
WG Horizontal-bar Seated Row
180/8+2, 150/10+2
Horizontal Pullups (sort of) on smith Machine – put feet on a bench in front of the smith machine, lay under the bar and pull yourself up to mid-chest.
14 reps, 12 reps

CALVES
Seated Calf – 2plts/20, 3plts/13, 3plts/12
Free Motion Calf Press – 200/18, 200/17..drop..160/8

Time to hurry back to eat my meal and down some ibuprofen!!
 
What a weekend! I has a mini-Chest session coupled with a triceps and abs session. That was followed by a 35 minute bad ass HIIT cardio session on the Stairmill! Thank goodness for LG5 and my bcaa’s! The rest of Saturday was devoted to my baby girl’s dance recital.

Sunday, I woke up and hobbled to the gym for my off-day cardio session of now 50 minutes. I did my own version of HIIT. Suffice it to say that I was DRENCHED with sweat and needed to stretch for about 20 minutes before I went home for a meal. The rest of Sunday, the only thing I did outside my house was go to the grocery store. I did nothing else!!! (unless you count eating, napping and watching TV all day). LOL

This morning was back to the gym for my morning cardio session for 35 minutes. Instead of HIIT, I decided to start at 55 step per min and increase it by 5 each 5 minutes, so I got up to 85 steps per min! THAT was tough!!

By this afternoon’s training session, I was finally glad to actually hit the weights. It was a Back and Calves day.

BACK
Pullups – a couple of sets to warm-up
Rev Grip Bent BB Row SS/ WG Pulldown
235/12…195/8
255/10…195/8+1
255/10…195/7+1
Corner T-bar Row SS/ Rev Grip Pulldown – hold at top of T-bar rows/squeeze each rep
4plts/10+2…195/7
4plts/9+1…195/7
4plts/9…180/10
One-arm DB Row
120/10, 120/9
Life Fitness Row Machine – horizontal handles…major squeeze for mid-back
130/15, 130/12+3

TRAPS
Pulldown to top of head
120/15, 120/13

CALVES
Leg Press Raises
4plts each/20
5plts each/17
Triple Drop - 5plts each/15…4plts each/9…3plts each/10+5 XReps
 
FROM YESTERDAY...

I had a pretty great night’s sleep last night. I actually went to bed a little early and that turned into me waking up naturally a little earlier than my alarm clock. No worries…start the day early! I threw on my clothes and hit the gym for my morning cardio session on the Stairmill – 35 minutes. I did it in HIIT fashion again going for 60 steps per min for 2 min and 90 steps per min for 1 min; then on the last 15 minutes I upped it to 65/90. When I am at the lower setting, I try to skip a step periodically and really squeeze the back of my legs. I am hoping this will help in my glute/ham situation.

By the after, I was chomping at the bit, as usual, to train. Today’s training session was extremely focused! It was a Chest, Biceps and mini-Delt day.

CHEST – I decided to go back to basics and drop down in weight a little bit and really focus on bringing the weight down, pushing with my pecs and squeezing at the top. I seem to get away from doing that every once in a while.
DB Incl Press
85/9, 85/8..drop..65/6
DB Flat Press – I was VERY careful with my shoulder on this, so I went really slow on the way down and was careful on the way up.
80/7, 80/9..drop..60/8
Incl Hammer Press
90each side/11, 90each/10.5, 90each/10..drop..45each/10 + 5 XReps
Cable Crossover
27.5/15..drop..22.5/10..drop..17.5/15

BICEPS – since I did Back yesterday, I got some bicep work doing Rev Pulldowns (apparently, because I’m sore today). So I didn’t quite have to do very much today for biceps
Incl DB Curl
35/10, 35/10
90 degree Preacher Curl
65/8, 65/8

Mini-DELTS
DB Side Laterals SS/ DB Front Raises SS/BB Upright Row
25/12 – 25/12 – 80/10
25/10 (strict from sides) – 25/12 – 80/10+1
Major pump!!!

Time to go back to the office and chow down!
 
This morning, I woke up a smidge earlier than my alarm clock, which I guess is a good thing. That means I got a nice amount of sleep. I threw on my clothes, downed my morning supplements and I was off to the gym.

My off-day cardio is up to 50 minutes, but I am splitting that up in to two sessions – one of 30 minutes and one of 20 minutes before my last meal. So, this morning I did my 30-minute session in HIIT fashion, yet again. I ended up going 60/90 (steps per min) and really making sure that I squeeze my glute with each step and take each step, pushing up concentrating on my glute/ham tie-in.

Once I got that out of the way, I went and did some Abs…
Lying Leg Lifts using a medicine ball – 3 sets
Cable Crunches – 3 sets
Broomstick Twists – varying positions

More to come this evening!!
 
Phew! What a day. It started this morning with my at-home cardio session for 35 minutes. Then, I took the girls to camp and off I went to my office. However, about 15 minutes after getting there, my boss calls me and “reminds me” that I needed to be down in Miami at our Corporate office for a major meeting with the top execs. OOPS! I gathered all of my gear and high-tailed it down there.

This of course threw off my schedule a bit and it turned out that I trained a little later than normal. Turns out it was a good thing because I didn’t have any time restrictions.

To paraphrase the Oakland Raiders owner, Al Davis, I hit legs…and I hit them HARD!

HAMS
Lying Leg Curls (3 sets) with a major emphasis on getting my knees up somewhat and using ALL of my hams to pull up, then major squeeze at the top. That was dropset with Leg Curl “glute crunches” where I lift my torso, get on my elbows and curl up, lift the knees all the way to the glutes.
110/10+1…50/6
110/9…50/6
110/7+1…50/8
Seated Leg Curls
145/11+3, 145/9+2, 145/10+2..drop..100/10
Stiff-Leg Deads – 2 sets for higher reps and emphasis on bringing the weight up with glute/ham tie-in…squeeze at top.
225/13, 225/12

QUADS
Leg Press – OUCH!!!
7plts each/12 (to easy)
8plts each/9
8plts each/7..drop..7plts/5..drop..6plts/7..drop..5plts/7..drop..4plts/10
Reverse Hack Squat
3plts each/15
3plts each/13
Hack Squat – funny how different and weird it feels when you turn around! lol
3plts each/10
3plts each/11
BB Walking Lunges – slow, methodical reps
90/24 steps, 90/20 steps
Abduction Machine
130/25, 130/20

CALVES
Seated Calf
4plts/9, 4plts/8, 3plts/15, 2 plts/16+4
Life Fit Calf Press
200/18, 200/18+5 XReps
 
Last training day of the week and things are coming along. It depends on what time of day you ask me if they are good well or not. lol But, it is what it is with contest prep. I know those of you who have gone through it know what I’m talking about.

I hit the gym this morning for my early-morning cardio…35 minutes on the Stairmill (HIIT – again!).

This afternoon I was in a groove for Delts and Tris

DELTS
Smith Delt Press – I’ve really come to like these lately. I’ve positioned my body to make it harder as well, which has helped.
175/7, 175/6, 175/5..drop..135/8
WG Upright Row
90/16, 100/12, 100/10
Front Raises-with a plate
45/16, 45/14
Side Laterals
32.5/14, 32.5/14, 32.5/12..drop..25/6..drop..20/6

TRICEPS
Dip Machine
210/17, 230/13, 230/11..drop..190/11
Flat EZ bar Press – my weights are almost embarrassing on these, but they were effective
70/13, 70/11
EZ Bar Pressdown ss/ Rev Grip Pressdown
160/10-90/7
150/9-80/6

ABS
Lying Leg Lifts ss/ V-ups
15-12; 12-10
Decline Crunch
20, 15
Broomstick Twists
100+
 
This past weekend, although fun-filled, was extremely tiriing. The girls and I were all over the place, including a birthday/new place/July 4th party for my sister yesterday. Phew, those kids have a serious motor! That, plus double-cardio sessions (one in the morning and one before my last meal of the day) made it for a pretty intense, but fun, weekend.

Those double-cardio sessions can be a mother!

This morning, I woke up and hit the gym for cardio on the Stairmill. Another nice, but tiring, session. Later today, I get to train with Eric (if all goes well). I am going to have to switch up my days, but I know so is Eric, so it's all good.
 
What a whirlwind last few days. Between work and home life (oh, yeah…and getting ready for this show), I blinked and it was Thursday already! Everything is coming along – not necessarily as fast as I had hoped, but I am still chugging along, grinding it out day by day. Training has been great and cardio has been tough, but good as well. With only 43+ days to go, it is full throttle to the finish line. And, although these last 9 weeks have been tough, I know my hardest work is still ahead of me in these last 6 weeks.

Like I said, training has been great (you’ll just have to take my word for it, ‘cause I ain’t loggin’ this week…lol). I have become increasingly fatigued at the gym, but that’s normal. I am not letting up, though.

Funny stuff from recent days:
- every time I get up from sitting down, I get crazy light-headed!
- I am perpetually HOT! It doesn’t help that it’s about 152 degrees down here in Florida.
- I am almost sad that the World Cup is ending. It has been fun to watch during cardio

That’s it for now…gotta rest!
 
I am not going to lie, this week has been pretty tough. I am sure it is a combination of factors, but today officially made it 6 weeks to go for me. Due to circumstances, I had to train & do cardio in one session early this morning and it didn’t’ turn out so badly.

Training went fantastically…I did my Delts and a mini-Back session (focused on thickness). Now, cardio…that’s another story all together. I decided to do something a little different today on the Stairmill. Instead of going 2 min low and 1 min high intensity, I decided to go 3/1, but went higher on the levels. THAT was tough and I will tell you that

I continue to say that I have never worked harder on cardio than I am during this prep. I am hoping the switch ups will help me get rid of bodypart faster.
 
This was a bit of a rough weekend. I was pretty tired throughout and really light-headed for the majority of it. I tried to work through it, especially since I am with the girls, but it was pretty tough. I had to keep that really fake smile throughout the weekend. I'm also not too thrilled right now with how things are going. I think I've mentioned this before, but it seems like my physique doesn't like this "dropping bodyfat" thing this time around. I still have 6 weeks to go...but still, I ONLY have 6 weeks to go.

I am still making sure I am on my diet, doing my cardio and training, but it looks like I am at a crossroads and will have to figure things out with coach in the coming days.

All of that said, I hit the gym this afternoon and tore it up pretty hard. I had a great Back and Calves workout. I am not sure where that burst of energy came from, as it seemed like I was back to normal, but I am not questioning it at this point. I am taking it and moving along!

I'll keep everyone posted as to what I decide to do from here on in.
 
So far it’s been a nice week training. I have decided to take this week as a Modified Power Week. However, part of the “modified” is that I am not taking very long rests between sets. My weights are starting to decline a little, but that’s ok. I am still getting a rep range between 6-8.

Back (Width) on Monday was hardcore and I only did exercises that I could do heavy – Weighted Pullups, Reverse Pulldowns, One-arm Pulldown (Twists) and heavier-than-normal Rope Stiff-arm Pulldowns. I threw in Calves and a mini-Delt session for good measure.

Yesterday was Chest and Biceps (& Abs).

CHEST
DB Incline Press
90/6, 90/5, 90/4-1/2
Incl Hammer Press
115 each side/7-1/2; 115ea/6, I think I did a 3rd set, but I didn’t write it down and I forgot
Wghtd Dips
45/7, 45/7..drop..bw/7
Cable Crossover
35/13, 35/11..drop..25/8

BICEPS
DB Curl
50/10, 50/8
Incl Curl
40/7, 40/6
Life Fit Preacher Curl
95/8. 95/8 – holding the squeeze at the top

I am admittedly starting to lose my patience lately. I was looking for the 50s and some goofy ball with Fuscia/Orange/Purple New Balance sneakers was “supersetting” with them. So I waited…I was still being patient at this point. He started his set, then dropped them to pick up his “other weight” and he placed them so they were right next to his freaking bench so it would have been rude of me to pick them up while he was finishing his set. THAT pissed me off! I wanted to take that 50-pound dumbbell and crack it against his dumb ass. lol

Alright, so I am overstating this just a bit, but it did not make me happy at the moment.

Today is a cardio-olny day. One session is done. The 2nd session…later tonight.
 
Today was a fast, but effective Leg training session. For the rest of my body, I am using a modified Power Week (heavier sets, but limited rest between sets), but for legs, I decided to do a bit of a shock session. I certainly don't need my legs to get any bigger at this point, but I really do want to keep the muscle I do have.

Here's how it went...

HAMS
Lying Leg Curl ss/ "Hoist" Seated Leg Curl
110/10 - Position 10/10
100/10 - P9/9
100/9 - P9/9

Stiff-Leg Deads ss/ Jeffersons
185/12 (hold for 2 sec @ bottom) - 95/8 each leg
185/12 (hold for 2 sec @ bottom) - 95/8 each leg

QUADS
Smith Mach Duck Squat ss/ Leg Ext
235/10 - 130/13
235/10 - 130/12
235/10 - 130/10

Leg Press ss/ Sissy Squat
6plts ea/10 - 25/8
6plts ea/10 - 25/7

CALVES/GLUTES
Leg Press Calf - 5plts ea/15, 5plts ea/14, 5plts ea/13
Seated Calf - 90/15+5XReps; 90/13+9XReps

Diagonal One-Leg Leg Press Machine ss/ Abduction
90/12 - 130/20
90/10 - 130/20

I have to admit that I am tired as all get out. This prep has kicked my ass and by the looks of things, things are only going to get harder from here on in.
 
After today’s training and cardio session, I am officially 5 weeks out fro my show. I decided to go through a binder that I put together a little while ago with a bunch of magazine articles. Some that talk about pre-contest, a lot that talk about training, and some articles from the mind of Oscar Ardon (Kai Greene’s trainer/mentor). Oscar writes a lot about how the mind connection works and at this point, it is perfect timing that I am reading this.

From here on in, I will be concentrating on the positives of my contest prep and not so much about the negatives. I am forgetting about all of things that might not come together and I am focusing 100% of my mental effort on doing everything possible to get to my goal – to become a natural pro bodybuilder. I am sure this sounds a little hokey, but that’s ok.

Today’s training was intense and fun!

DELTS
Smith Behind-neck Press
165/6, 155/7..drop..135/6
Upright Row (a little lighter than I would have liked, but I had to make due)
100/14+1, 100/12+3
Rev Top Cable Cross (for rear delts)
50/15, 50/17, 60/10
Seated Side Laterals
27.5/14+1, 27.5/11+1, 27.5/10..rest/pause..20/12

Mini-BACK
Smith Rev Bent Row
235/12, 275/9, 285/7+1
CG Seated Row ss/ Standing Pulldown to Chest
180/10 - 120/10
180/9 - 120/9
Hyperextension – took it easy on the lower back today…been pretty stiff lately
bw/15, bw/15

Tomorrow, I am planning on training arms again with Eric, so that is something I am very much looking forward to. I’ve also already got my plan for next week, so I am ready to get this thing done!!
 
So, I've obviously been off the boards for a couple of weeks. But rest assured that I have NOT been off my diet or off the program as I get closer to my show.

I was on a little vacation with my girls and somehow fit in all of the training, cardio, etc., with some fun with them each day. We went everywhere - the pool a few times, and several local fun spots here in Miami including the Seaquarium. Made for a lot of fun.

Now, I am less than 4 weeks out! I spoke to Coach yesterday and we spoke about several things related to the show. I showed him how much better I looked in pictures on my last show (this past November), but that didn't seem to deter him from ensuring me that I would match, if not beat that look I had then. I trust him implicitely, so it is on!

A little update, I've been pretty up and down as far as how I've been feeling. This past weekend was ROUGH! Tons of cardio, not a ton of food, a TON of "tired"! If I wasn't eating or doing cardio, you could probably find me on my couch resting and watching my DVR!

Today was MUCH better! I woke up and did my morning cardio on my beloved Stairmill. Then I went back at noon for my training session. And, I'll be back later for an evening cardio session! Oh the joys of prepping for a show! lol That's cool. I've got my sights set on a win and I'll do everything in my power to give me the best shot possible.

Here was how today went...but before you look, understand that my weights are way down from "normal". That said, it isn't about ego...it's about getting it done!

CHEST
Incl DB Press
85/9, 85/5..drop..65/7
Incl Hammer ss/ Incl Flye
90each/10 - 45/9
90each/8 - 45/7.5
Incl Hammer (drop) - 90each/7...70each/5...45each/8
Dips ss/ Cable Crossover
bw/10 - 30/12
bw/10 - 30/10..drop..25/10

BICEPS
EZ bar Curl ss/ DB Hammer Curl
80/9 - 35/8
80/8 - 35/8
Seated (on floor) Low Cable Curl
120/8..drop..90/7

mini-DELTS
Run-the-rack Side Laterals
35/13..25/8..15/10
35/10..25/6..15/8..10/10

ABS
Lying Leg Lifts
20, 20, 17

DONE!!!
 
I started my morning again with cardio at the gym. I am really starting to hit my stride I think (now watch tomorrow I’ll feel like complete dog crap…lol). Whatever, it is par for the course at this point. I’ve got my blinders on for the show.

Another fantastic workout today. I tore it up something good and walking will be tough tomorrow.

HAMS
Seated Leg Curl ss/ Lying Leg Curl (holding each rep at top)
110/10…130/14
100/9+1…130/10+2
95/10…130/11+2
SL Deads ss/ Jeffersons
185/15…95/12 (left side)
235/12…95/12 (right side)
STRETCH

QUADS
Hack Squat ss/ Rev Hack Squat
3plts each/10…3plts/9
3plts each/9…3plts/8
Walking Lunges ss/ Leg Ext (holding each rep at top)
100/24 steps…115/12
100/24 steps…115/9+2
Sissy Squat (drop)
25/8..drop..3 more reps
25/8..drop..4 more reps
MAJOR STRETCHING
 
I must sound like a broken record, but man, am I tired. Somehow I find the energy for cardio and after about 10 minutes into my training session, my training is still really intense. I had a fantastic training day today. I did Back, Rear Delts, and Abs.

At this point, it is all about taking things nice & slowly and checking off the daily activities one at a time - cardio, training, posing, taking each supplement at the appropriate time, & eating each meal at the appropriate time.
 
First of all, MAN am I SORE!! Yesterday's Back Attack was fast-paced and extremely effective! When the alarm clock went off this morning, I rolled out of bed and was shocked at how sore I was. It was tough to get going this morning. After struggling at the start, I got into the flow of my cardio session this morning.

This afternoon's training session was as intense as it gets with a terrific DELTS & TRICEPS day. I was pumped, pretty vascular and really enjoyed training.

As I write this, I am gearing up to go do my 2nd cardio round of the day. Hey, only 3 weeks from tomorrow, so I have to do everything in my power to be ready to roll!
 
I am not going to lie…I…AM…TIRED! lol I spent the weekend with my girls and tried to make sure every moment was spent having some type of fun since I won’t be seeing them now for three weeks. Suffice it to say that divorce sucks! When I had them for my summer three weeks, it was fine, but now that it’s her turn, it sucks!

Instead of harping on it, I guess I have nothing better to do than to turn my sights 100% on this show. Things are progressing slowly but surely. I think I’ll be ready on time. I went by Eric’s place on Saturday for a quick review and he said my physique has changed a lot this week. That made me feel better, but there is still a long way to go before I am satisfied.

Between the fun with the girls, the diet and the cardio, I was completely spent by last night…and waking up this morning for cardio was no easy task. But, it had to be done, so I pushed through watching my SportsCenter.

This afternoon was FINALLY a training session – something that was actually fun. It started out a little rough since I felt a bit lethargic, but after a couple of warm up sets, I was ready to go.

I hit CHEST, BICEPS, mini-DELTS, and some ABS. Not a bad day at the office. I’ve still got some more work to do this evening, but that should be a breeze.

Only 2 weeks, 5 days to go!
 
Today was the first day in quite some time that I actually had no energy AND no desire whatsoever to train. I’ve had this feeling about cardio, posing, etc., but never about training! This is a new thing for me.

But in true warrior fashion, I had my workout planned ahead of time and I’ll be damned if I didn’t put all of whatever I had in the tank in to one of my last leg workouts before the show. Since legs are an area on my physique that is both good and needing improvement, there is no room for skimping – especially so close to the show.

When you have that total lack of desire to train, it’s really easy to go through the motions. But it takes a different mindset to really dig deep and complete the task at hand better than anyone would if they were put in that position.

It didn’t help that everything felt like it was 1,000 pounds, but I did just that with my HAMS and QUADS today…and in Shock Week fashion, too. My weights are down somewhat from what I am used to, but my output is on par or better than normal.

A little more than 18 days to go…
 
What a difference 24 hours makes…my goodness. Last time I wrote in my journal, I had ZERO energy and was dragging ass. After a long cardio session yesterday morning, something happened (I don’t ask why!) and all of a sudden I wasn’t quite as tired as I had been feeling. Sore…yes, but not tired!

I hit my second cardio session with a pretty decent amount of energy and was able to really attack it. It made me so happy! You know, it’s winning the little battles that makes it a good day. lol

So, fast forward to today and I woke up feeling pretty good. Again, sore, but good. I hit my morning cardio session and by the afternoon I was really ready to train. There is nothing like hitting the weights when you feel good. Every muscle fiber is hitting on all cylinders…every rep has a great contraction.

Today was BACK, REAR DELTS & ABS. I was at the gym a little longer than I expected, but it was cool. I got everything done that I wanted and needed to and I even had a few minutes to do some more posing.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I don’t know how I am going to look on contest day, but I can say one thing for sure. I have never worked so hard for any show than I have for this one. I’ll continue to check off the “things to do” on a daily basis and see how things fall. Hopefully, they will fall my way.

As a side note, it is official! I sent in my entry form and fee and renewed my NGA card. There’s no turning back now. :)
 
Wake up...cardio…home…work…train…home…cardio…bed. That’s pretty much the order of things each day with a little wiggle room here and there for errands and what not. Don’t take this as complaining by any means. It’s just how things are right now and I like it. When I’m home, I go through my saved DVR shows and have a nice relaxing time watching them.

So, this morning I went to the gym as normal for my morning bout with the Stairmill. Fun stuff for sure! By the afternoon, it was time to train. I didn’t quite have the gusto to go full throttle at the start, but that’s been my M.O. for the last couple of weeks. After the first set or two, I am rockin’.

Today was DELTS, TRICEPS and CALVES

DELTS
Hammer Strength Press ss/ BB Upright Row – 3 sets
Life Fitness Delt Press Machine (facing pad) ss/ DB Lateral Raises – 3 sets
Power Partials (drop) – 2 triple-drop sets

TRICEPS
Body-over-bar Pushdown ss/ Reverse Pushdown – 3 sets
Flat EZ bar Ext ss/ Flat DB Ext – 2 sets
Dip Machine – 1 set, then 1 triple drop set

CALVES – since I’ve been posing and they are already pretty sore, I didn’t do a while lot. Just something to get a good pump
Standing Calf Raises - 1 set, then 1 triple drop set

I decided to take a little longer than normal at the gym in the afternoon and do my cardio session post-workout! That way, I could take it nice and easy the rest of the evening and not worry about it.

Now, the focus will be on refeeding for the rest of the day…and cardio tomorrow and Sunday!!

2 weeks to go, kids. The wait is almost over.
 
I love Monday’s! Did I seriously write that? Yep, I sure did. I LOVE me some Monday’s. Why you ask? That’s simple…on the weekends during prep, I am eating WAY lower carbs than during the week and my cardio is way up. Therefore, there is little to no fun on the weekends. lol And, after my morning cardio session on Monday, I get to have a lovely, delicious bowl of oatmeal that tastes like chocolate cake!!!

This past weekend wasn’t a total loss, though. Eric had a chance to see how things were progressing and we think things are coming along to the point where we can do some damage on contest day. All I (we) care about is coming in as good or better than last time and we will be close.

So, today was CHEST, BI’s, & mini-DELTS…

CHEST
DB Incl Press ss/ Incl Flye – 3 sets
Incl Hammer Press ss/ Flat Hammer Press – 2 sets
Cable Crossover – 1 triple drop set

BICEPS
DB Hammer Curl ss/ Incl DB Curl – 2 sets
Lying Top Cable Curl (drop) – 1 drop set

Mini-DELTS
Run-the-rack side laterals – 2 triple dropsets

Post-workout Cardio – 30 minutes!
 
With each passing day, another milestone is hit…another task is crossed off the list…and one more step until game day. Today was another one of those steps, as this will be my last Quad training day. I am almost thankful that this was my last Quad workout because to be perfectly honest, I am not sure I can hold myself up for much longer! lol

Things are pretty bare bones right now. Aside from the happiness of the few carbs that I can have each day and the little jolt that the fat burners give me at various times throughout the day, there ain’t much left in the way of food. But that’s ok because there is a method to Eric’s madness and his madness is going to take me where I want to be.

Here is how it went today…
HAMS
Seated Leg Curl ss/ Lying Leg Curl – 3 sets (squeeze each rep!)
Stiff Leg Deads ss/ Reverse Hack Squat – 2 sets

QUADS
Leg Press – 4 sets
Walking Lunges – 2 sets
Leg Ext ss/ Sissy Squat – 2 sets
Leg Ext – 1 triple drop set to end things. But wait…not so fast!

Post-workout CARDIO – 30 minutes on that god forsaken Stairmill. Only approx 13 more cardio sessions to go (give or take), but who’s counting!
 
Last night I was feeling so drained and so tired that I HAD to go to bed early and hopefully some extra sleep would be of benefit to me today. Well, it turns out that I was in luck and it did help. At least it did for my morning cardio session - 45 minutes of bliss on my treadmill (more to come tonight!)

On a side note...DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). What is it about DOMS? Isn't it supposed to be "delayed"? My legs are KILLING ME this morning! Must have been the Stairmill right after a good leg workout. lol

But I digress! Today is my off day...and a long one at that. Since there is little food and lots of cardio, I am hoping today goes by rather quickly. I am trying to ungulf myself in work so I don't think about it too much. After today's work day, I am planning to go home and get one more meal in before hitting the gym for my mini-workout/posing and cardio session. After that, I think I will have deserved a good night's sleep.

Then...back at it tomorrow morning. Hey, can't complain now! Only 10 days to go!!!!
 
So, after work yesterday, I went straight home to relax a bit. I was lucky enough to watch a little TV and get in a quick catnap…and thank goodness, too, because I was beat down! When I woke up and ate, I got my stuff together and went over to Target to do a few things. Then it was right over to the gym for my round 2 cardio session!

Last night I had a pretty strange night of sleep. I kept waking up every couple of hours for some reason. I don’t know why…I just did. Plus it was tough to get to sleep. I guess these are the rigors of contest prep.

This morning I woke up early to hit abs before cardio…got that in! Then it was time for my beloved Stairmill. You know, during contest prep there are things that just eat at you and really either annoy the sh*t outta you or really piss you off. This would qualify under both categories…there are FEW THINGS WORSE than being on the Stairmill & the guy next to you is taking deep breaths out PLUS has bad breath! That was my fate this morning. UGH!!! GROSS!!!

Luckily I got though that. Training this afternoon.
 
At lunch, it was training time! Usually, it’s my favorite time of the day, but today was strange. I had about little-to-no energy leading up to training and that worried me. As a matter of fact, even during my warm up I was feeling extremely fatigued (almost light-headed or dizzy). Lucky for me, around that time, my Kre-Alkalyn Pro started to kick in!!! And not a moment too soon! It gave me just enough of a kick in the ass to get going…and get going, I DID!

Today was Back day. And even though I wanted to do Calves as well, I left it to do later. I’ll probably just head back to the gym for some calf work and some more ab work.

BACK
CG Corner T-bar Row ss/ WG Pulldown – 2 sets each
Rope Stiff-arm Pulldown ss/ Rope Pulls to Chest – 2 sets each
Rack Smith Deadlifts ss/ Rev Grip Smith Bent Row – 2 sets each
Rev Hammer Pulldown Machine ss/ Two-arm DB Bent Row – 2 sets each

Now THAT was a tough workout! But, as they say in commercials, “that’s not all!”

Post-workout CARDIO – on Stairmill (HIIT).

On a side note, not sure if I had a big sign over my head or what, but today several people made it a point to come up to me and tell me that I looked great. Another guy came up to me and said he admired how hard I worked while at the gym and he wished he had my drive and intensity. I think that was worth more to me than people telling me how good I looked. The way I figure it, as long as I do my damnedest to put forth every effort within me, the results next week will work itself out. It will either be my day or it won’t. Either way, I know I gave it my all.

One more day of all out training and then THE FINAL WEEK begins. Funny how I am actually looking forward to the daily changes.
 
I had another strange night’s sleep. I woke up at around 2:30am and felt like it was morning. UGH! I think I am going to hit up some Lean Dreams that I have left over to help me stay asleep. Hopefully, that will take me through the rest of the next week.

Regardless, I woke up and went to hit my morning cardio again on the Stairmill. Once I was done with that, I did a few sets of Calves. I didn’t quite make it last night as I wanted to. After tanning and running a few errands, I was BEAT! I ended up watching some TV and hit the sack. But after my cardio & calves, I ran through some mandatories just for the pump.

By the afternoon, somehow, some way, I was READY to hit the weights. This is probably my last true hardcore training day, so this week has been about wringing out every last drop of energy in to my workouts. Here’s how I finished things up…

DELTS
Rack Smith Delt Press
ss/ Side Lateral
ss/ Plate-Front Raises – 3 sets each!!

DB Upright Row
ss/ Rev Cable Cross – 2 sets each.

Man, what a pump after all of that!

TRICEPS
EZ bar Pushdowns
ss/ Dip Machine – 2 sets each

EZ bar Incline Tri Ext
ss/ Flat DB Ext
ss/ Bench Dips – 2 sets!!

Post-workout CARDIO – got my shiz done on the Stairmill.

I’ll be heading back tomorrow morning to hit my cardio, but I’ll probably throw in some more Hams and Glutes. It’ll be tough because I do cardio on an empty stomach, but I gotta do what I gotta do!
 
This past weekend was all about just getting through each day with maximum effort and crossing off each task one by one…and it was not easy at times. Long cardio sessions & posing practice (as usual on the weekends) and not a lot of carbs. But that’s ok. It’s a means to an end and the end is rapidly approaching.

I am not sure how my physique will look the day of the show. I saw a few pictures and I wasn’t too pleased with how things looked. I am trying to stay positive knowing that major changes will happen this week. Plus I trust my coach implicitly. So, the beat goes on.

After cardio this morning, it was off to train this afternoon. Being that this is the week of the show, training is a bit different. But hell, it’s still training! One step at a time…one day at a time.
 
Funny story about this morning’s cardio. More so irritating, infuriating, annoying than anything else.

I hop on the Stairmill this morning and of course all of the TVs were messed up. ESPN was on, but it was on the TV way in the back away from the Stairmill. No problem…at least I can listen to it and perhaps grab a pair of binoculars to watch a highlight here and there. The channels on the little listening device were all screwed up too. DAMN WEEKEND!

That was ok. Again, annoying…but ok. But this takes the cake!!! I am sitting there in a row of about 10-12 Stairmills. I am 1 of 2 people on all of those Stairmills. With about 12 minutes to go on my session, wouldn’t you know it, Mr. Heavy Breather JUST HAD to step up on the Stairmill RIGHT NEXT TO ME!!!!!!!!!! WTF?!?!?!?!?! Not only that, but the breath that he was emitting smelled like ****!

So, I did what any other low-carbed, 1-week out from show person would do. Every time he breathed heavy in my direction, I breathed right back at him!! I think he might have gotten the hint after the 4th or 5th heavy breath my way.

Morale of the story: Go With the Flow!!! If your diet, etc., are making you crazy as contest diets do, try as hard as you can to go with the flow. I was actually telling this to myself throughout the morning. Hell, it even started in the parking lot!


AFTERNOON TRAINING TODAY…I had a nice little training/cardio session today. I hit Chest, Biceps and a little bit of Hams and Glutes making sure I squeezed each and every rep.
Afterwards, I hit that godforsaken Stairmill for my post-workout cardio. Hopefully my cardio-days are numbered. The way I figure it, the contest is on Saturday, so there can’t be too many more of these sessions left! lol

I even had to be a little careful. My knee seems to not like the constant pounding of the stairs that I’ve been doing for the past numbers of weeks. I think it is finally catching up to me.
 
4 DAYS OUT…

That all that’s left. 16 weeks has all come down to these last few days.

I woke up this morning before my alarm clock to the sounds of a car being pulled out of its spot by a tow truck in my building (that guy is going to be pissed he didn’t park in a visitor spot!). That was fun. It was ok though because as I was trying to fall back asleep, I was pseudo-dreaming about my posing routine and ended up making some subtle changes to it. I do my best thinking as I am in that half sleep-half awake state. Pretty funny.

I quickly ran to a pen and paper to write it down. If not, I’d forget and it’d be gone forever! Alright, I was up, so I figured I’d start my day a little early. I got my stuff together and hit up my morning cardio…I checked that off my list. I did my normal daily routine and went to work. Pluggin’ away until it was time to train.

Training today was fun, as it was my last training session before the show. It is a bitter/sweet thing since I love training, but that also means that the show is almost here, which is even better.

Not too many changes today. I got my changes a little bit ago from the Mad Scientist – Coach Broser! He truly is the master at this stuff. I like the way things are progressing and after these next couple of days and with his changes, I am REALLY looking forward to seeing how things turn out.
 
3 DAYS OUT.....

I've got some carbs back today, which is always a good thing, but we are starting to shrink-wrap my physique. I did some posing practice of my routine this morning and will be doing some more posing after work today. I'll also be hitting the tanning bed for the last time this afternoon.

Last night I did some salt-free cooking in anticipation of the last couple of days. Cooking always brings me to start thinking about things that I am going to have after the show.

But before I list some of the items I've been thinking about eating, I want to say something here...in print (or on screen)...so I can make myself accountable - not that I'm not always accountable to myself. But I do want to say it here - I WILL NOT TAKE MY WEIGHT HIGHER THAN 195 IN THE OFF-SEASON, AS LONG AS I AM A COMPETITIVE BBer!!!

That said (insert laughter here), here are some things I've been looking forward to...
- I want chocolate cake! I'll probably have some delicious chocolate chip cookies for pump up, so that's out of the way, so choc cake is first on the list.
- I need a good burger & fries from Five Guys!
- Pizza - I haven't had any in so long. I can almost taste the sauce. lol
- Oooo, a Chicken Parm sub. I almost forgot my favorite sandwhich.
- Speaking of sandwiches...this sounds extemely strange, but hey, it's my list! I have dreamed about a strange new type of sandwhich that I'll b emaking next week. I want to make 2 grilled cheese sandwhiches (low carb bread, of course!) in the Foreman Grill-panini-sytle. Then load up one of the already made grilled cheese sandwhiches with ham and then put the 2nd sandwhich on top to make one big ass sandwhich. Then, I'd put that in to the grill and press. MMMMM.
- Cold Stone Creamery

Obviously, I won't have all of these at once!! But, it is a nice starter-list of things I want to taste once the show is over
 
2 DAYS OUT.....

Here are some little tidbits -
- Today I woke up and went through my normal routine, did some posing, and got my stuff together. Step by step...cross off each task each day.

- I have to say, from about the 6-weeks-out mark until about 2-weeks-out time seems to fly by. However, from the 2-weeks out mark until contest day, it seems like time crawls!!!

- I am officially off from work now, so there's one thing I don't need to worry about. I've got pretty much everything ready to go for Saturday.

- I went to the grocery store today to get a few things - a few things for the next couple of days leading up to the show and a few things for post-contest fun! I bought some chocolate chip cookies (which are my favorite dessert/snack). I also bought some trail mix. I don't know why, but I saw it in the store a couple of weeks ago and I can't get them out of my mind! So, I had to get some. I also got a couple of candy bars for pump up. We'll see what I bring, I guess.

- I'll be heading to the Blockbuster soon and renting a couple of funny movies. I figured I could use some comedy relief. I'm thinking about getting 1) Hot Tub Time Machine and 2) She's Just not that into Me. We'll see what I haven't seen yet when I get there.

WISH ME LUCK!
 
Thoughts from Saturday…

Let’s get the business side of things out of the way first. I got 1st place in my weight class, which was great, but wasn’t quite at the level of the guy who won the overall and the Pro Card! I can’t complain because I came in even a tad sharper this time than last (from what people tell me). That is all I can ask for each time I step on stage.

Before I continue I have to mention some things. First and foremost, thanks to my coach and very good friend, Eric for not only training me, but for also keeping my focus throughout prep. I’ve said it before, but I should say again, this was THE HARDEST prep I have ever taken part in…HANDS DOWN! I wasn’t sure I’d get to the level I needed to be, but Eric made sure all of it happened. And, most importantly, it was NATURAL!

I met some great people, including my new friend, Ray. My family was with me, as usual, to share that very memorable day with me.

Feel MUCH better today. No more feeling light headed when I get up from a chair or the couch. I had my fun eating between Saturday night and Sunday, but I am back at a relative diet plan today.

If there was one negative, though, it would be that my girls weren’t with me. This show was on their mother’s time and they were away. It was a bummer not to have them there, but I had on two “silly bands” that my girls gave me. One in the shape of “I Love You” and one in the shape of “XOXO”


Future plans…
Not sure right now. I am going to take the rest of this week (or maybe part of next) to come up with a plan with Eric and see if I can handle yet another contest prep. Last year I dieted from February until early June for one show; then 12 more weeks leading up to November; and this year I’ve already dieted for 16 weeks. Can I go through another 10+ weeks with my birthday, football season and other days mixed in there? We’ll see.

That said, I woke up and did some cardio this morning. Back to training today. Nothing special, just something to get the blood pumping a bit.
 
Yesterday afternoon, I picked up my girls from school and it was so great to see them again! It is also nice (in a strange way) to get back into the normal school schedule.

I was back at it today. Did my 20 minutes of morning cardio and hit the gym this afternoon. I am experimenting with a different kind of split, so today was DELTS & HAMS/GLUTES.

I am planning to hit Delts pretty hard now from all angles, but with a little more weight. Hams/Glutes will be hit with lighter weight, but major squeezing and stretching. We'll see how this plan pans out (and what Coach says about it).

Still not ready to make a decision on the November show.
 
Even though today is my off day, I still decided to wake up and do cardio. I can't say that my diet since this weekend has been perfect. So, given the fact that I want to keep my bf in check - even if I decide not to compete in November - I figured I might want to keep in some cardio while I get rid of some of these cravings.
 
I'm coming right out and admitting it, I haven't been very good food-wise after this show. I have been on my diet pretty much all day, but when I get home, I've been having a cheat meal of sorts. I've tried to mitigate the damage by keeping in some morning cardio, but after the last 4 days, I think I am tone it down a bit as far as the eating goes.

I decided to wake up this morning and increase my cardio to 30 minutes. Also, after my training session today, I decided to do another 20 minutes. I'll be lower my intake overall for the next few days and we'll see where we are then.

I am still contemplating the November show. All of the above is with thoughts of possibly going for it. There is one thing for sure...no matter what the outcome if I do end up doing the show in November, I will absolutely take at least one full year off.

This afternoon I had a nice training session for Triceps and Quads (& Calves) - this is part of a split I am trying this week. Things may change for next week, but it has been interesting so far.
 
I am sure it is diet-related and not taking dieting sleep stuff, but my sleep has been very strange lately. More specifically, I've been HOT! I've literally woken up sweating in the middle of the night and I HATE sweating in bed. And that's with an overhead fan on high! lol Oh well. Things will get back to normal soon. Funny thing, that body physiology!

Just finished my first week back to training. I didn't quite get all out...kept things around 8-10 reps all week. Didn't quite go to failure either. But next week, things change! I've devised my plan and will start on Monday. Even if I don't compete in November, I still want to use this rebound-period and be able to put on a few pounds of muscle right out of the chute.

This morning was another 30 minute cardio session. And this afternoon's training was good too - Chest and Biceps. My biceps were all "blowed" up. lol Then, I felt the need to hit another 15 min stairmill session. Will prob do another small session tonight in anticipation of going out tonight. :) We'll see.
 
crader said:
Hey! Things have been ok. With no computer its been hard to keeep a log here! But I went ahead and started one to keep me motivated.

How have you been?
Click to expand...

Glad to see you're back and having fun with us!

I've been great! I just won my weight class last week and was a close 2nd in the overall. And now I'm thinking about entering the Pro Universe (NGA) in November for my elusive pro card. We'll see I guess.

Everything else is fantastic too! My girls are great and that's pretty much all I care about these days. lol
 
So today was the beginning of my new-found focus on training. I am taking different steps, but in an old way. In other words, I’ll be taking the old PRRS template and modifying it to fit my needs. In an effort to improve some of my weaker areas, I’ll be specifically using one of the PRRS “weeks” for that body part each day.

I’ve come to realize through experience and through sustaining and working through different injuries that for me, not all body parts like each type of PRRS week. For example, I can’t do Power Week for Chest because I have an impingement issue in my shoulder/neck area that gets aggravated each time. So, what you’ll see for a while is me trying my body’s version of PRRS.

Today was the start of that…with Power Back. I’ll be hitting a mini-session of Lats specifically for width on Thursday, so for today it was all encompassing.

My weights weren’t even close to what I normally do, but I was pretty pleased with my workout regardless since I am not taking in any supplements at all the last couple of weeks. (HAVE I MENTIONED THAT I CAN'T WAIT TO START TAKING MY EFX SUPPS AGAIN?!?!)
BACK
Wghtd Pullup
45/5.5, 35/6, 35/5
T-bar Corner Row
5plts/8
5plts+10/6
5 plts+15/6
Rev Grip BB Bent Row
275/6+1, 275/6, 275/6
Rack Deads
365/6, 385/6, 385/6
CG Pulldowns
240/6, 255/4, 240/5

TRAPS – I have to be careful with traps because tightness in my traps causes me pretty nasty headaches in the couple of days following.
DB Shrug – 105/10, 115/10, 115/10

Mini-CHEST
Hammer Incl Press
2plts+35 each/5
2plts+35 each/5
2plts+35 each/4
Cable Crossover
(low) 25/14, (mid) 25/15, (high) 25/15

CARDIO – was done for 30 minutes early this morning on the home treadmill
 
crader said:
I'm betting you get that pro card!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks, C! If I do decide to do the show in November, it will most def be my last shot at a pro card for a while. It will be 4 shows in the last 2 years and I need a mental and physical break. Plus I need a good off-season to put on some size! Thanks again!!!
 
Holy CRAP am I sore!!! I’m not sure how it happened, but I think I forgot what a true Power Back day felt like…and more specifically, felt like afterwards!

No rest for the weary though, as I woke up this morning (sore as hell…yes, it was worth mentioning again. lol) and went to the gym for cardio – 30 minutes on the Stairmill.

This afternoon, I was back at the gym and ready to hit DELTS & HAMS/GLUTES…

DELTS (Hybrid)
DB Seated Press (4-6)
70/8, 75/4, 75/4
DB Side Laterals (6-10)
45/10, 45/9, 45/9
WG Upright Row (6-8)
115/8, 125/6+1
Hammer Press – 3 additional heavy sets

HAMS (Rep Range)
Seated Leg Curl (8-10)
160/12+1, 175/8+1
SL Deads (6-8) – low back was pretty tight from yesterday
225/12 (too light, but kept going), 275/7, 275/7
Modif. Hyperextensions
BW/15, 15/15
I wanted to do a drop set of Lying Leg Curl, but some chick was on there and I didn’t feel like asking to work in. Plus, it was time to go anyway.


Something pretty cool happened to me today and for some reason this has happened to me several times over the course of the last few weeks. (I guess being in relative contest shape will have the effect.) One of the guys I see periodically in the gym came up to me and introduced himself to me. During our brief introduction, he said he has seen me in there a lot and figured it was time to meet me. While he was at it, he gave me a tremendous compliment saying that I look like the muscle-model on those “How to Perform this Exercise” sheet on the machines. Not a bad way to make someone feel good about themselves and their hard work. I thanked him profusely.
 
I usually dread my off day (even though I still woke up and did cardio!), but after the last 2 training days of mostly Power training, my body soaked up any and all of the rest it could take in! I was so sore the last couple of days that it physically made me tired and sleepy. I’m not sure if I could’ve training yesterday if I had to. Not to mention, the last couple of nights of sitting on my couch with the girls, I’ve fallen right to sleep…at 7:30! And, last night was the first night in a while that my alarm clock actually had to do its job by waking me up.

I’m not complaining! I’m simply mentioning how great this week has been! lol

Anyway, after clearing the cobwebs, it was back on the treadmill this morning. And this afternoon, I hit up the gym for some more hell on my body.

Mini-BACK (Width) – (Power)
WG Pulldowns – I’m a long way away from my strongest, but I did try to power the weight up and squeeze at the same time…not easy
225/6, 225/6..drop..180/6
V-bar Pulldowns
240/8, 255/5
Rev Grip Pulldowns
240/6, 240/5+1
EZ bar Stiff-arm Pulldowns
150/9, 150/8

TRICEPS (Power)
EZ bar Overhead Ext
90/7+neg, 95/5+neg
EZ Bar Pushdown
170/7, 180/6, 180/4
Smith Rack CG Press
185/8, 185/7..drop..145/8

BICEPS (Rep Range) – biceps still pretty sore fro back day on Monday, so I did a couple less sets than normal.
DB Hammer Curl
55/6, 55/5
90 degree Preacher
75/9, 85/6
 
I have been looking forward to tomorrow for a few weeks now. For what you ask…after a few weeks of not using any supplements whatsoever, I get to start back up again with all of my EFX supplements!! I can’t even tell you how excited I am. As I have a small rebound from my show, I know that my drug-free, but potent, yummie-tasting goodies will give me a nice little push forward.

But that’s tomorrow! Today started out as usual with some cardio – just maintaining for now as I am still deciding whether to do that damn November show!

Here was today’s training. Not too impressive on the weights by any means, but give me a little time and they’ll be back up again!

CHEST (Power)
Incl Smith Press
215/6, 215/4-1/2, 215/4-1/2
Incl DB Press
90/5, 85/5, 85/5..drop..65/6
Incl DB Flyes
55/9, 65/6
Wghtd. Dips
+70/5, +70/5..drop..BW/9

Mini-DELTS (Rep Range)
Rack Smith Delt Press
175/4-1/2, 165/5+neg, 155/8-1/2..drop..135/7 + 2 half reps
Power Partial-Side Laterals
1st set - 55/8..50/8..40/8..30/8
2nd set - 55/8..50/8..40/8..30/8
Rev Pec Dec
165/10, 165/9..drop..120/9

Now I get to have a little fun. For the first time in about 4+ months, I am planning to go out and have a night out. Nothing too crazy, but it’ll be good for my mind to stretch my legs a bit in that respect.
 
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