[fmoncas]

Hey guys...this is the update for week 8 (Cutting Cycle)

The good news is that I regain the pound of muscle (almost 0.8 lbs) that I had lost during week 7. I can say that I have learned a lot about my body in the last 3 weeks. I have been monitoring all the variables in the process that allow me to recognize what it is working and what is not!. These are the changes that I made last week that help me to regain muscle and loose fat at the same time: Sounds great right!!!!

1.I increased my carb intake. Basically I went back to 1-high carb day and 2 lows. My body seems to be able maintain my muscle mass if enough carbs are provided.

2.I decrease the volume of my workouts but I keep the intensity and heavy weights. The reason I did this is because during high volume you broke down more muscle during the workout so I thought that because I am consuming less calories maybe my body was breaking down more muscle than what he can rebuild. Seems to work!!!

3.Finally, I increased my low intensity cardio from 3-30minute sessions per week to 4-30min sessions. Because I increased my carb intake I thought that more physical activity would be needed to keep burning fat.

Check the attachment for detail (week 8)

thanks for reading

[Freak]

Sorry in the above post I meant "you" are organized and not "I." You got the idea though :) Nice numbers for week 8!! That is a huge improvement. Thanks for explaining tempo.

Keep us updated.

[cmart315]

Wow !! Very impressive. These are the types of threads I enjoy reading and posting in. Keep the updates going, can't wait to see the final cut product.

[fmoncas]

Originally Posted by cmart315

Wow !! Very impressive. These are the types of threads I enjoy reading and posting in. Keep the updates going, can't wait to see the final cut product.

Thank you "Cmart315" .......your words keeps me motivated to keep my diet and training.

thank you for reading

[fmoncas]

I want to make a comment about something that is been annoying me about people that don’t know **** about bodybuilding and diet. I don’t know if this happened to you guys before but it is getting on my nerves. In the last 2 weeks a lot of people have been commenting about my size. One guy told me yesterday that I was going to disappear if I keep loosing weight. Another asked me if I had quit working out because I was getting small. This really pisses me off because it is obvious that I am not as big as I was when I was 220............... Not only the Diet it self it is really hard but also the training (after working during the day) and on top of that I have listen to those ignorant comments everywhere.....Well I think that I need to get used to them and ignore them...

Just some thoughts` that I needed to let go.............

[Freak]

I can relate to your experience.

You look great, keep up the good work! Most people who aren't serious are more concerned on how their arms/chest look with shirts on then how they look naked. Naturally you are going to look bigger off-season vs. cutting but most people don't seem to realize this. Try to not let it impact you. You are doing great.

[fmoncas]

These are some pictures from my gym (NICARAGUA). Pictures are from last Friday when I was working out my legs (specialization workout posted before) I got my legs so tired and pumped from the supersets that I was not able to handle heavy weights. My friends almost carry me out of the gym because I could barely walk!!!!!!! Just kidding but the pump was crazy.

[fmoncas]

More pictures..................the guys in the picture were the only people working out that Friday night. The gym was practically empty..............

[fmoncas]

This guy is Iven....he is the Central American Champion (70 kg) and have won many competitions and trophies as you can see from the second picture.......i will try to post a pic from him in contest condition...he really gets sliced!!!!

[fmoncas]

Originally Posted by thefreak350

I can relate to your experience.

You look great, keep up the good work! Most people who aren't serious are more concerned on how their arms/chest look with shirts on then how they look naked. Naturally you are going to look bigger off-season vs. cutting but most people don't seem to realize this. Try to not let it impact you. You are doing great.

You are absolutely right ...........thank you man!!!!!!

[fmoncas]

Hi guys.............i was wondering how you guys keep the salt intake when Dieting? I know that you have to increase and then decrease the sodium (Salt) before competition (during the last 2 week) but what about the intake during the whole cutting process? I am using some salt to condiment my chicken and also when I eat my salad. It is too much? I will appreciate your comments

[cmart315]

Originally Posted by fmoncas

Thank you "Cmart315" .......your words keeps me motivated to keep my diet and training.

thank you for reading

Thats good to hear man. Keep it up. Oh and just curious, but how tall are you? You look like you are towering over all those guys in the gym haha.

[Freak]

He's 5' 10"

[cmart315]

Guess I could have read the original post for that one. whoops.

[fmoncas]

I was doing some research about sodium intake and I found this paragraph in an article featured in Flex Magazine, April 1995 issue. It was written by Bob Lefavi, and Timothy C. Fritz........... Specifically I wanted to find the amount of sodium that I need to take during my cutting process, (not talking about the last 2 weeks / contest prep) because I want to estimate if what I am taking right now it Is affecting me in a bad or good way. I believe that in the minerals world the little details can make the difference.

Ok here it is:

SODIUM:

“As most bodybuilders know, Sodium is an electrolyte that plays a vital role in the regulation of body fluids. The level of sodium in the body determines the amount of water the body will 'hold', and high intakes can cause body tissues to swell. (It is not uncommon to look like 'Quasibloato' and be up to two pounds heavier the morning after scarfing down a Big Mac and large fries.) Although a normal diet usually contains a reasonable amount of sodium, be careful not to limit sodium intake too much at contest time to get an ultra shredded look. An excessively low sodium intake turns on protective mechanisms within the body that cause sodium and water retention. Finally, keep in mind that sodium plays a major role in resistance training; its function in nerve impulse transmission and muscular contraction is critical to bodybuilders. Dietary sodium isn't all that bad, it's having the right amount that's important”.

Well from the paragraph above I can say that if you:

1.Take too much... it will make your body to retain water

2.If you take to little it will cause sodium and water retention as well

3.important role in resistance training

The question here is........ What are the right amounts that need to be taken to prevent water retention and promote nerve impulse transmission and muscular contraction??? I will keep researching...........I’ll try to post the answer as soon as I can find it.

Regards

Francisco

[fmoncas]

I did some research and I found the following facts:

This is the salt intake recommended by the health agencies of various countries

•United Kingdom: In 2003, the UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommended that, for a typical adult, the Reference Nutrient Intake is 4g salt per day (1.6g of sodium).

•Republic of Ireland: The Food Safety Authority of Ireland endorses the UK targets "emphasizing that the RDA of 1.6g sodium

•Canada: Health Canada recommends an Adequate Intake (AI) and an Upper Limit (UL) in terms of sodium. From 14 to 50 years old: 1.5g/day (AI) 2.3g/day (UL)

•New Zealand: Adequate Intake (AI) 0.46 – 0.92g sodium = 1.2 – 2.3g salt and the Upper Limit (UL)) 2.3g sodium = 5.8g salt

•Australia: The recommended dietary intake (RDI) is 0.92g–2.3g sodium per day (= 2.3g–5.8g salt)

•USA: The Food and Drug Administration itself does not make a recommendation but refers readers to Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. These suggest that US citizens should consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium (= 2.3g sodium = 5.8g salt) per day.

AHA Recommendation (American Hearth Association)
Healthy American adults should eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. This is about 1 teaspoon of sodium chloride (salt). To illustrate, the following are sources of sodium in the diet.

1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium
1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150 mg sodium
3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725 mg sodium
1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium
1 teaspoon baking soda = 1000 mg sodium

On The other hand, athletes must consider that due to their increased activity and excessive sweat production, they are actually at risk of having too little sodium in their blood stream during training and competition. Athletes do indeed, have special sodium requirements. So I tried to do some research on this and I found some facts in some articles:

1. From an article by Leah Perrier R.D. Published in October 2006 : “A range of 1,800 to 2,400 milligrams, or one teaspoon of salt, is considered to be a healthy daily dose.Like fluid requirements, daily sodium needs can also vary greatly among athletes. Some athletes have a greater sodium need because they lose more sodium in sweat. The sodium needs amount that is recommended during exercise is dependent on the amount of sweat produced.”

INTERESTING FACT: Sweat contains between 2.25 - 3.4 grams of salt per liter, and the rate of perspiration in a long, hot race can easily average 1 liter per hour. Clearly, during contest prep and dieting we will need more sodium on days when we do cardio training. This is just a guideline because I could not find anything related to lifting.

2. From an article by Herve Duchemin (personal trainer and writer) “The body only needs between 2000-2500mg of sodium a day to complete its metabolic functions”

So finally based on the above information I can say that I will try to take no more than 2500 mg a day during my contest preparation!!!!!. And Now what?? Well I will try to estimate the best I can how much sodium I am taking based on my actual diet and with the results I am going to increase or decrease accordingly (2500 mg) . Once I have my sodium intake adjusted ... I will record and post any visible changes in my body (vascularity, thickness of the skin etc) and adjust accordingly again until I found the right amount.

See you around

[NicFit]

Originally Posted by fmoncas

I want to make a comment about something that is been annoying me about people that don’t know **** about bodybuilding and diet. I don’t know if this happened to you guys before but it is getting on my nerves. In the last 2 weeks a lot of people have been commenting about my size. One guy told me yesterday that I was going to disappear if I keep loosing weight. Another asked me if I had quit working out because I was getting small. This really pisses me off because it is obvious that I am not as big as I was when I was 220............... Not only the Diet it self it is really hard but also the training (after working during the day) and on top of that I have listen to those ignorant comments everywhere.....Well I think that I need to get used to them and ignore them...

Just some thoughts` that I needed to let go.............

Well, whenever you need words of encouragement and motivation you always have The Dungeon! Tell everyone else to go to hell.

[Costanza]

I edited the title/name of this thread to "fmoncas Natural Bodybuilding Training Log" since he's not new here anymore. Enjoying the read in this log, keep up the great work!

[fmoncas]

Originally Posted by NicFit

Well, whenever you need words of encouragement and motivation you always have The Dungeon! Tell everyone else to go to hell.

Thank you my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fmoncas]

Originally Posted by Webmaster

I edited the title/name of this thread to "fmoncas Natural Bodybuilding Training Log" since he's not new here anymore. Enjoying the read in this log, keep up the great work!

Thank you for editing the name of the thread!!. I am glad that you are enjoying the reading.

Francisco

[Freak]

Thanks Francisco nice research.

[Thomas_Rivera]

Hey, i've been meaning to comment on this thread but haven't had the time to post something worth while and i'm stretched for time now. But isn't today a competition for you? Tell us how it goes bro.

[fmoncas]

Originally Posted by Thomas_Rivera

Hey, i've been meaning to comment on this thread but haven't had the time to post something worth while and i'm stretched for time now. But isn't today a competition for you? Tell us how it goes bro.

Unfortunately I am not competing today....3 weeks ago I found out that the comp. coordinators had changed the competition date from April 15th to march 3rd.......... So I decided no to compete because my diet program was based on the first date (April 15th). It was disappointing but now I have realized that I took the best choice.

If I had competed I would had lost a lot of muscle because of the rapid weight loss.....

also I am keeping my diet program and workouts because I want to get as lean as I can....also because I want to experiment with my diet....this will be very helpfull the next time I decide to step onstage.

Regards,

Francisco

[Costanza]

Originally Posted by fmoncas

3 weeks ago I found out that the comp. coordinators had changed the competition date from April 15th to march 3rd.......... So I decided no to compete because my diet program was based on the first date (April 15th). It was disappointing but now I have realized that I took the best choice.

Smart choice! No sense in entering unless you yourself truly believe that you're ready. You're sticking to your program, and that's what really counts.

[fmoncas]

Ok guys......... I have estimated (the best I could) my sodium intake based in my actual diet...and the results are alarming!!! At least for me!!!.......... As I had thought I am taking too much sodium and probably I am retaining a lot of water because of that. It is really amazing how most of us don’t realize how much of something we are eating (until you put it on paper) and blame our genetics for not getting the results we want)... Also I was surprised that everything we eat has a lot of sodium including supplements. SizeOn for example has 400mg of sodium.

In the attachment you will see the spread sheet with the numbers.......Now I will reduce my sodium intake to 2500mg per day and I am going to monitor any visible changes (weight, vascularity, thickness of the sky etc) for the upcoming weeks. This is a learning process for me and I hope you guys enjoy the reading.

Remember to zoom up the image to see the numbers clearly

Francisco

[absboy]

Originally Posted by fmoncas

I want to make a comment about something that is been annoying me about people that don’t know **** about bodybuilding and diet. I don’t know if this happened to you guys before but it is getting on my nerves. In the last 2 weeks a lot of people have been commenting about my size. One guy told me yesterday that I was going to disappear if I keep loosing weight. Another asked me if I had quit working out because I was getting small. This really pisses me off because it is obvious that I am not as big as I was when I was 220............... Not only the Diet it self it is really hard but also the training (after working during the day) and on top of that I have listen to those ignorant comments everywhere.....Well I think that I need to get used to them and ignore them...

Just some thoughts` that I needed to let go.............

whats up man great log and welcome to the forum, keep up the great work and train hardcore dude. ur looking massive bro u carry alot of muscle there man, when u cut ur going to look incrediable. about the looking small thing, that pisses me off haaaard. when i was on a cutting phrase i was really killing my self with the cardio, diet and intense workouts. my dad came to visit me and the last time he saw me is when i was bulked. and he goes to me ' you havent been training lately have u'. and keep in mind i just came back from a hardcore workout and a intense cardio session and he tells me this. bro u dont under stand how pissed i was. he just droped all my motivation and dedication. i was so angry and upset that i was about to quit bodybuilding all together. u do have ur ups and down in the sport but u have to be patient and learn not to listen to anyone. anyway dude keep up the great work and keep us updated on ur progress. cant wait to see u ripped. peace

[fmoncas]

Originally Posted by absboy

whats up man great log and welcome to the forum, keep up the great work and train hardcore dude. ur looking massive bro u carry alot of muscle there man, when u cut ur going to look incrediable. about the looking small thing, that pisses me off haaaard. when i was on a cutting phrase i was really killing my self with the cardio, diet and intense workouts. my dad came to visit me and the last time he saw me is when i was bulked. and he goes to me ' you havent been training lately have u'. and keep in mind i just came back from a hardcore workout and a intense cardio session and he tells me this. bro u dont under stand how pissed i was. he just droped all my motivation and dedication. i was so angry and upset that i was about to quit bodybuilding all together. u do have ur ups and down in the sport but u have to be patient and learn not to listen to anyone. anyway dude keep up the great work and keep us updated on ur progress. cant wait to see u ripped. peace

Thank you for those words That’s exactly how I feel when somebody makes a comment like that about my self......but how you said we don’t have to listen to everybody. Thank you again bro!

[Thomas_Rivera]

Originally Posted by fmoncas

Unfortunately I am not competing today....3 weeks ago I found out that the comp. coordinators had changed the competition date from April 15th to march 3rd.......... So I decided no to compete because my diet program was based on the first date (April 15th). It was disappointing but now I have realized that I took the best choice.

If I had competed I would had lost a lot of muscle because of the rapid weight loss.....

also I am keeping my diet program and workouts because I want to get as lean as I can....also because I want to experiment with my diet....this will be very helpfull the next time I decide to step onstage.

Regards,

Francisco

Oh that sucks man, I must have passed that, late night reading isn't good for me.

But you really shouldn't worry about what other people think about your size, they don't know the difference between big bulked and big and ripped. it might not be exactly what you want, but here everyone understands that. You look great all around, and at competing weight i'm sure you'll look big and solid.

[fmoncas]

Originally Posted by Thomas_Rivera

Oh that sucks man, I must have passed that, late night reading isn't good for me.

But you really shouldn't worry about what other people think about your size, they don't know the difference between big bulked and big and ripped. it might not be exactly what you want, but here everyone understands that. You look great all around, and at competing weight i'm sure you'll look big and solid.

Thank you bro!!! i appreciate your comments!!

[fmoncas]

This is the update for week # 9 (205 lbs)

In Summary I didn’t do as I was expecting because I lost some muscle mass (0.4 lbs) Also I lost 1.1 lbs of fat for a total of 1.5 lbs.... I did all a could last week to prevent muscle loss however I think that after 9 weeks of strict dieting my body prefers to lose some muscle than fat. I need to try to change that..so I decided that for the upcoming weeks I will have a cheat meal every 15 days. I am going to do this because I think that probably my body is sensing the lack of fat and calories coming in from my diet and slowed down the fat burning process. By having a high protein, high fat and high carb meal I will try to trick my body to keep burning the fat.

Well I did not waste my time and after I took my measurements on saturday I went to my favorite steak restaurant and ordered a 16oz steak , mashed potatoes, rice and beans (it was like a little bit from heaven after 9 weeks eating plain chicken) Next Saturday I will check again to see if this strategy will work or not.!!!

Check the attachment for the details (week 9)