Training Montage for IBFA 2014

Here is a fun little training montage I have compiled over the last 12 weeks of prep, just something fun to share and look back on fro myself so I can see what I was doing and how I looked. Plus there is a lot of clips and exercises you haven't seen on this blog before so check it out and let me know what you think. Almost there now baby, just gota keep working, 2 days to go!

Check out my full youtube channel at youtube.com/user/kurtyweir1 if you want to see more training and workout videos, as well as my previous show prep diaries.

IBFA Prep 2014 Arms Day

So its just over 1 week to the show and I thought I'd share my arms routine with you. Now the reps are a bit higher than normal at this stage would normally be around 12 but I pushed for 15 in a lot of sets for the last few weeks.
So as always we begin with stretches, mainly as I have already done cardio for 45 mins prior to this arm workout. Then its into the routine, I start with seated curls before hitting the first superset. I use the straight barbell and take a narrower grip than normal in order to hit the outer bicep head more to try and improve the peak fort the back double biceps shot, and super set that with hammer curls.
Then its concentration curls to finish off the biceps.
You may notice that I have hanging crunches next, this lets me forget about biceps, hit some abs and get the blood out of the biceps before I go straight into triceps, it helps me focus on the mind muscle connection more in each muscle to give them a break for 5-10mins in between.
So after the hanging crunches, it is triceps time. I start with heavy push downs for 5 sets then into a superset of held rope pull downs and a sloped grip push down. for a finisher i use dumbbells to do skull crushers. I find this lets me get a better mind muscle connection on the tricep and relieves stress on the elbow that an EZ bar can bring.

My full Arms routine:
Stretches -10mins
Seated Dumbbell curls - 5 sets of 12 -15 reps
Super set - close grip bar curls - 4 sets of 12
                - dumbbell hammer curls - 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Concentration curls - 3 sets of 12 reps

Hanging ab crunches - 4 sets of 25-30 reps

Triceps pushdown - 5 sets of 12-15 reps
Super set - rope tricep pulldowns - 4 sets of 12-15
                - sloped grip pushdown - 4 sets of 12 reps
dumbbell skullcrushers - 4 sets of 12 reps
Stretching - 5mins

Reading to Relax

For me I need intensity and focus in the Gym, especially the last 3 - 4 weeks of the prep as it comes into crunch time, when calories are at a lowest, energy levels can be lacking but we need to be pushing harder and harder.

So when I'm not in the gym I need to be relaxing my body, but not my mind. I believe in keeping the mind working, but relaxing the stress it is working under. So I read books. Lots of Books.

Between January 20th and April 26th I read 21 books. For my Show Prep for WABBA Ireland (August 11th - November 1st) I read a further 19 books. Including a lot of Shakespeare plays, Macbeth, the Tempest, 12th night and Julius Caesar. Dante's Divine Comedy and Homer's Odyssey as well as a lot of other fiction and historical fiction. 

For me reading is a great way to relax and take my mind of the stress of a show prep when I'm not training or working. And it also helps take your mind away from any stupid craving you may develop as your sugar levels are lowered, because unlike when you are watching tv, your mind is less likely to wonder when reading a book, especially if it interests you. Other people play video games and stuff like that and I do as well, but not as much.

In the words of Socrates “The mind is everything, what you think is what you become.”

Keep dreaming, keep working and never give up.

IBFA Prep 2014 Chest Day

Wednesday, October 15th, Chest day. It's just under 3 weeks now until IBFA so its 100% focus on the end goal. Today's session is a short and serious weight session followed by a quick cardio stint and then it'l be back later on for back.

But anyway Chest Day, I love this day, one of my favourite body parts to train. So lets get into it.

I start as always with a 12 minute walk to the gym, then its time to warm up and stretch. Being three weeks out now injuries are a big concern so this is crucial. 

Abs next so this morning it was 4 sets of crunches to failure with 30 seconds in between sets, the crunches are just basic crunches but with my feet up over an exercise ball. 

Then into one of my favourite exercises for chest incline dumbbell press, I love the feel and the squeeze you can get with the dumbbells and this is great for getting that last bit of definition to come through leading up to the show. I will mix this up with incline barbell press for extra strength and power but for the next three weeks its all dumbbells for me.

Anyway here is the whole routine for chest day:

My full Chest routine:
Stretches -10mins
Incline dumbbell press - 4 sets of 10-12 reps
Flat dumbbell press - 4 sets of 12 reps
Incline dumbbell flyes - 4 sets of 15 reps
Plate loaded machine - 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Dips - 4 sets to failure
10 minutes on the stairmaster (steady pace)
Stretching - 5mins

IBFA Prep 2014 Deltoid Day

Tuesday, October 7th, Cardio and Delts day. It's just under 4 weeks now until IBFA so its all guns blazing for me until the show is over and todays sessions are short and sweet, a cardio morning followed by an intense shoulder session.
For a while now I have been starting my Deltiod workouts with a particular pressing exercise, a standing press usually with dumbbells because for me this really lights up that mind muscle connection compared to a seated press. I will interchange between barbell and dumbbell but for now its dumbbells.After this then its all about isolation and carving the individual muscles and adding seperation.

My full Deltoid routine:
Stretches -10mins
Standing Dumbbell press - 4 sets of 12 -15 reps
Lateral raise - 5 sets of 12-15 reps
Upright rows - 4 sets of 10-12 reps
Super set - Front forward dumbbell raises - 4 sets of 12
                - Rear delt flyes - 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Seated machine press drop set - 4 sets of 15-12 reps (for 4 drops using a plate loaded machine)
Decline bench leg raises - 4 sets of 30 reps
Stretching - 5mins

Food Prep

For me this is a HUGE help when living a body building lifestyle,. whether you are preparing for a show or, taking some time off stage to grow and improve, having your meals prepared and with you is essential for all fitness and body building enthusiasts.

So with that said, I am currently working on a 'cook it the night before' method, this way, as I am training in the mornings due to work and personal preference, it means I can have my meals ready before and after my sessions exactly when I need them.
Now you don't have to prepare every meal, for example I don;t prepare my first 2 meals of the day, but I'll explain why in a second, but the rest, they are all done and boxed up the night before.

So what are my meals and how do I prep them? Well here we go:
Meal 1- Scrambled eggs + water to drink (4 eggs with either 2/4 yolks or 0 yolks depending on what I am training that day)
Meal 2- 100g oats with water and 50g almonds in a bowl with 1 orange and a glass of water to drink
Meal 3- 200g chicken + 200g brown rice+ 1 portion of broccoli
Meal 4- 200g chicken+ 100g rice + 1 portion of broccoli
Meal 5- 200g cod + 100g rice + 100g cooked spinach (can switch rice for sweet potato here)
Meal 6- 150g cod+ 200g sweet potato + 1 portion of green beans
With 1 protein shake before bed (1 scoop of pHD pharma whey)

So how is it prepared? Well I start with oven baking the chicken and fish for about 30-40 minutes depending on the weight and quantity, then while that is in the oven, I get the rice weighed out and the veg sorted and then boil them on the hob until cooked through. While this boils I have the sweet potato weighed out, and washed before cooking it in the microwave (like a baked potato). Then as and when it is all done I get out my many Tupperware boxes and place the portions associated with each meal into the appropriate boxes.
Then leave to cool and stick them in the fridge ready for tomorrow.

For the first two meals, as they take all of 5 minutes to prepare I usually leave them until the morning to make and then enjoy them.

Hope this was helpful, after the show prep is over on November 2nd I will be sharing some interesting recipe ideas I will be experimenting with so keep an eye out for the nutrition or bulking tag at the side of the page.