Little experiment I’ve been trying….Try this…You won’t be disappointed:

I drink this  4-5 times a day (between meals)

• 10g -15g SSN BCAA (Orange flavor)
• 3-5g SSN Crea- pump
• 5g-10g SSN L-glutamine powder
• 1/8 tsp Cerebros salt lite

Shake up in 1 liters water & 500ml Fanta zero, Ice tea lite (Both have zero carbs and calories) or similar carb/calorie free beverage of choice.

Been trying this “Anabolic combo” for the last 6 weeks leading up to the world Champs and I’ve been getting some amazing results (crazy pumps in the gym! and vascular all day long despite being on low carbs and calories)

Dare I say almost drug like results! SSN style….Gotta love that! J

On this note I can’t wait to try the new SSN product CytoGuard…looks awesome! Gonna have to add that one onto the stack to blast into the new year, fo sho!

Anyway Freaks I’m off! Monday I fly to Madrid in Spain…Wow! Can’t believe it’s finally here. Really excited to get this on!!! Compete against the best Classic bodybuilders on the planet . Catch you all when I get back… hopefully with some hardware to brag about LOL

Regardless of what happens! I know when I get on that plane that I’ve given it everything I’ve got, and I’m gonna have a great time J

And then more importantly I can have a decent steak without weighing it first! J

Train hard!

Later

Justin

That means only FOUR hardcore, intense, heavy Dorian Yates style workouts left before I hit the World Champs! That’s only 4 opportunities left to improve!
Man! For over 25 weeks myself, Andrew Hudson and Greg have trained our a** off! Why stop now?
This is when the other guys with whom I’ll be competing against will be getting worn out and their intensity will start to wane. They’re hoping by magic that the last few weeks they will somehow get harder and in better condition. This is where I beat them! My willpower will be stronger!…they’re getting more negative by the day, complaining about how hungry and tired they are, they dream about what they are missing out on, the food etc….their intensity in their workouts is going down the toilet…
Not me … I’m just the complete opposite
Because in these final few weeks I’m loving it! I’m gonna make the most of every day take it up a notch to another level that they can’t imagine.
Somehow, someway I will stay positive and find a way to train even harder in these last weeks. I’m gonna show my body who’s boss around here!
It’s time to drop the hammer! Train my f***ing a** off for the next 28 days, because I will never forgive myself if I don’t!
This time will pass, this pain is temporary….but what I am left with after this is all over, will remain with me forever!

Well it’s been a few weeks since the Samson’s Classic and I must say I’m enjoying the few extra calories.  I say “few” because Chris Fitzpatrick & I have an upcoming trip to India where we will be hosting a few seminars & training sessions to promote our SSN brand, which is being marketed & distributed there.  It’s always good to be able to play the part and represent your brand…..so hopefully I’ll still have an ab or two to show in two weeks time!

As far as this year in review goes, I have to say that I’m pretty happy with how things went.  I think I really made some decent progress from last year and stepping into the heavyweight category was never going to be an easy task first time out.  However next year I will no longer have that excuse will I!!!

With that in mind I have taken the conscientious decision to really make 2010 the year for me….not that I have ever not taken my training seriously…..it’s just that the time has come now, after 10 years – 1999 to 2009, of consecutive top 3 finishers at the IFBB SA Champs, to take things to the next level.  2nd & 3rd places have been acceptable up to now because quite honestly I have never felt that I was at a level to be a real SA champion contender…..that was up until now.  I honestly feel that the groundwork has been done and at 37 years of age, the time to capitalise on it is now…..no more 2nd’s & 3rd’s!!!…..from now on my goals are simple – “Win KZN & SA’s in 2010 & place top 6 at Worlds”

Whilst I have always competed against myself rather than for a placing, my mindset is a little different right now in that I honestly believe that with another good year under my belt and if I’m at my very very best, I should be able to achieve those goals I have set.   I have never been more determined, more focused and more committed to a goal than I am right now!  I am so fortunate in having such a great support structure (from my wife, family, friends, staff & fellow SSN team mates to friends such as IFBB pro’s Gary Strydom & Francis Benfatto) that I really need to capitalise on these fortunes. In that regard I recently met with Francis Benfatto (for those who don’t know who Francis is….shame on you!  IMO one of the top 5 physiques ever to stand on a bodybuilding stage – see www.francisbenfatto.co.za ).  After some discussion we reached an agreement where Francis will work with me over these coming 12 months with the sole goal of bringing up my weak points and bringing a level of refinement and conditioning to my physique which I’m yet to achieve which will allow us to achieve the goals of winning next years provincials, nationals & placing top 6 at Worlds!

As a result I recently had Francis and his long standing girlfriend Adele, spend a few days here in Durban conducting a series of evaluation tests with me from which he has derived my first training program.  He will work with me (via e-mail, phone & in person where possible) on almost a daily basis and modify and adapt my plan when needed.  I am really excited about this as Francis has demonstrated a level of passion and commitment to this project beyond what I could have expected.  Not only that but he brings a seriously unique and interesting approach to bodybuilding that has really ignited my passion and enthusiasm for the coming year.  His approach in terms of diet, nutrition and supplementation is really pretty far from the norm and after only a few workouts “Francis style” I am more confident than ever that 2010 is gonna be my year!

More on Francis’ strategy (training, diet etc) to follow…..so check back regularly

Train with passion!

Mario

What is that you may ask?…
To me It’s to challenge the limits of my body every day. It is a natural human instinct to test the limits… climb Everest, running the comrades , Cycle the Tour De France…on and on … I choose to challenge myself with bodybuilding in which I’m determined that not one of my competitors will out working me! There are no short cuts. Time, knowledge, consistency and hard work is what gets you there! To be extraordinary I must do EXTRA ordinary things!
I have always had a fascination with the ability to manipulate my own body. The challenge is to see how far I can take it … maximizing muscle mass, shape, definition and symmetry looking ripped and hard and as close to perfect as I can for a single day … a day in which I am compared to others trying to do the exact same thing!
Everyday leading up to my contest my actions bring me closer to my goal. Every day I am focused on every detail … my rest, every meal and supplements, every cardio or weight workout, every posing practice session leaving no stone unturned… it’s all part of the big picture of what will have been 30 weeks of dieting leading up till the Classic world champs on the 11th of December. The package I present when I step onstage in 5 1/2 weeks is the culmination of all of that. Discipline, focus and sacrifice to be my absolute best for one day … that’s hardcore!

Hey Muscle Junkies! It’s the IFBB Mens World Champs this week. I was selected to go but chose not to because I know the standard is extremely high and I didn’t want to go there and stress about making a weight category(at both our provincials and our nationals I was over 10kg over the weight class limit on the Monday and managed to get below the limit by weigh in.) . So my plan is to try improve more and get better so that I can stand in the superheavyweight class and not worry about weight limits etc. The shows are all over for this year for me, the last 2 goals I have for this year are to support my training partner (Justin Thacker) in his final 6 weeks of preparation for the IFBB Classic world champs and to get a good run into next year as far as training and eating goes so that Lord willing I can make 2010 my best year ever!!!

Justin is training and dieting like a freak, honestly I wish I had a quarter of his discipline! He’s one of the most hardcore dieters I’ve ever met! I think he’s been dieting for 6months now and still has another 6 weeks to go so im trying my best to support and help him to be his best ever come December. Our workouts are off the chart now that one of us is back to normal. I have enjoyed the last few weeks getting all the extra carbs but now its time to keep it clean and tidy… I like to stay a little leaner in the off-season even if it means I feel a little smaller. So from Monday onwards I will resume normal dieting with the occasional cheat meal… I remember hearing someone ask Dorian Yates how long it took him to get ready for the contest he was about to enter. He said it took him 10 years! That’s true, its not just the dieting phase that matters when preparing for a contest, it’s the end result of what you have worked for in your entire training career all the off seasons all the diets, all the times you cheated and ate junk food! So ask yourself this today if you are going to be stepping onstage for judgment next year: is what im doing today productive or assisting me for the contest next year. If you are really serious about competing your answer will be Yes. I know all the SSN Muscle Junkies are already planning for the coming year- things like what bodyparts need to improve, when to start dieting, how we go into peak weak etc etc… anyway my point im trying to make here is that if you fail to plan you are planning to fail. It is so important in this sport and i’ve seen many people at show time saying if only I did this or that I would have won… this year I got on the plane to SA champs knowing I had done everything I could, so even though I got 2nd I was so happy because I knew I was in the best condition of my life, I could have come last and I would have been just as happy!!! If you focus on being the best you can be then you will never be disappointed with your placing at a show. However if you decide that your placing is going to dictate your joy then you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment!

I just want to say a big thanks to all the people who supported me at the shows especially those in team Hudson(you know who you are-haha! ), and to my Mom and Dad for always believing in me and supporting me and also a big thank you to Mario, Carole, Chris, Mel and everyone else at SSN for believing in me and my abilities- here’s to a bigger and better 2010!!!

Eat Big to Be Big!!!

Weight has dropped to between 72 and 71kg. (My cut off weight being 71kg to make my class at the classic Worlds) This past Sunday after my clean higher carb (re-feed) day I was up a bit at 72,2kg
I got to say It’s been brutal hard work mentally and physically to get back into my groove after the Samson show (I Dropped a total of 4kg of mostly water/glycogen and some fat over the two week Since the post Samson Classic Pig out) But I’m finally back at it!
The glute fairy has been visiting this past week, and the Glute hamstring striations I’m known for are finally coming through!

* As far as training goes I’m…

• posing nonstop for 20 minutes in the morning every day! – this is tough, at the end I’m drenched!
• I’m doing easy cardio (recumbent bike) with abs circuits most lunchtimes (10 min cardio, abs circuit, 10min cardio, abs circuit, 10min cardio) 3-4 days a week
• I do a Russian kettle ball class and another intense boxing/bag drill workout for my two upper body high intensity cardio work on Tuesday and Thursday.
• And one hill Sprint session (if my legs feel up to it) on one of my smaller upper body part gym days (normally at lunch time)
• As far as weight training I’m training with Andrew Hudson most days (One body part a day 6 days a week – legs get hit twice – One more quad dominant work out the other being more ham/glute emphasis)
• lots stretching & foam roller work in the evening after gym.

Trying everything I can for recovery right now… extra naps, massage, Epsom salts baths…
Sunday (Hi carb day) off – complete rest.

So as you can see I’m really giving it everything I’ve got right now… 49 days to go! 

Gotta get to it! Because no one’s going do it for you!

Well, it’s the 19^th of October… the Samson Classic now just 9 days passed… I weighed in at 89,2kgs and today am tipping the scales at 98kgs. Some of the other guys in my line up (Quentin, Mario) are over a 100kgs at the moment!! Damn… food is great treat!! Looking forward to pushing my weight up a little more to a new all time high… hoping to get up to 105kg this year, to diet down to 95kgs pre-contest… and dehydrate/deplete to 90,00kgs for the weigh in next year.

 We are already focusing on what needs to be done to improve and come in better next year – AND are really enjoying the training again. Leading up to the contests we are so depleted and over-trained that just generating enough motivation to get to the gym is difficult, let alone lifting the weights… So it’s back to hard training, and post workout carbs (Cytomaize is the bomb!)! Yeah, that’s the fun part of what we do…. Train – to eat – to grow.

 We will soon be launching the “Training Journal” function on the website to allow people to follow weekly diets and training plans, while we change our “phases” of training and preparation. It should be a useful tool to use as a reference to guide to those of you that are wanting to learn more about bodybuilding, or just about improving your physiques… remember that’s our primary goal – and it should be yours too! To make improvements to your physique each year so that you build a better, healthier, fitter, more toned body…. So WATCH THIS SPACE!!

 Follow our entire preparation strategy “step by step” while we prepare for the 2010 contest season, right here on the SSN website.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

This weekend at the Samson Classic went really well I thought! … I ended up in 3rd place out of 16 athletes in a very competitive light weight class (under 70kg)

Not a first…but…I was thrilled none the less, as I managed to beat the guy who had won the overall lightweights at our IFBB SA Champs 4 weeks earlier, and quite a few other well known athletes too!

I got a lot of callouts but I think the guys who beat me just had more muscle for their height than me, our condition & shape IMO was comparable (I may even have been harder in some areas).Mario thought I may have had it, and one thing I really appreciate about his feedback is his honesty with me (not bias) and he is a very competent Body Building judge, so that tells me how close I was.
Feedback from others was my back was the best/most dry in the class, and I got better and harder the longer I posed and was on stage (the more I sweated) Whilst others faded from dehydration and being posing unfit.

So all things considered I was really pleased with how things went this weekend. As much as I improved from the SA’s and as good as some said I looked at that show, I still have some fat to burn to get the glutes freaky hard..so there is no time to become complacent!

Friday making weight was rough! But I followed my “making weight plan” exactly, after a intense back and bicep workout I went to the weigh in venue and got on the scale and my weight was 71,1 kg! So I walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes when I got on the scale it read 70kg on the dot! I literally jumped off the scale! LOL
I then followed everything I had planned out for Saturday. I think I did look better /drier prior to limiting water/food on Friday, so if I don’t have to do that for the world champs in 9 weeks it will be ideal.

I ate a lot on Sunday…some clean… some not clean! but stayed very depleted (face sucked in) the whole day …my body seems to handle a lot of carbs very well…More than anything It was just an awesome break not weigh my food or think about carb/protein amounts for one day after 20 weeks of dieting…I can see I’ve spilled over a bit Monday but was very vascular (my weight is up to 75kg on Monday) for breakfast Monday I ate a bit off plan but for the rest of the day I was back on track. Packed all my meals and carbs at about 100g for the remainder of the day…I’m was sore from all the posing… so Monday, Tuesday I trained but nothing crazy but will start picking proper cardio and weight training up again from today (Wednesday) My weight is down to 73kg today.

Just need to refocus now, and get back into that laser focused groove I had going!
Little bit over 8 weeks (58 days) to go till the IFBB World Classic bodybuilding Championships, so it’s time to turn up the heat and really Smash it!

Stay tuned..it’s definitely going to be exciting! 
Justin

Quadzilla’s first blog entry!!!

This is my first post, on our new BLOG. Hopefully i can provide some meaningful information in the future, offering some updates to my training etc. and some tips where possible. Otherwise, just follow the SSN Junkies through the prep and daily life while we train, prepare and grow for the next competitive season!!

With little more than a day and a half to go till prejudging at the Samson Classic, the end of a FIVE month diet is in sight…. looking forward to some sort of normailty to life again.

The most difficult part of such a long contest season is the fact that the part we “love” is the training… but when overtrained, calorie deprived and cardio’d out…. it makes the best part the most difficult!! Damn its difficult to even muster up the energy to go into the gym to train… looking forward to going back into the gym FULL OF CARBS and ready for an intense workout or two!

A note to all you “Junkie followers”… feel free to join me in my upcoming workouts, but beware they are going to be brutal, heavy and intense as i have learnt some new techniques over the last few months to really turn up the intensity button!

Who wants to join legpress next saturday or sunday…. try sets of 20-30 reps with 400kgs. Its very easy to slap 600kgs-700kgs on the machine and rep out 8 or 10, but when you start going above 15 reps… you wish you had called in sick that day!!

Come see us on stage this weekend at the Samson Classic – 10/10/09 at the ICC in Durban. ALL THE SSN JUNKIES will be there to give KZN a big shout out, and really hope we give our home town crowd something to shout about… and silence all the “haters”….

See you in the gym

I’m feeling it now….this is really starting to feel like a long haul!  I don’t know how long it’s been since I started this years pre-contest preparations??…….around 10-12 weeks prior to the KZN provincials on the 22nd August if memory serves me correctly.  That would mean in all I’ve been on a calorie restricted diet for around 4 months now…..no wonder I feel like I’ve had enough now!

Anyhow it’s time to bite the bullet…….I absolutely must present my best package to date in 4 days time!!!  Not long to go now and I’m sure I’ll be hating the site of food ……not!  I’m really trying my hardest to present my best conditioning ever at the Samson’s Classic this coming weekend and as a result I’m really low on carbs and calories (have been for the last two weeks) and I’m even doing cardio, which I hardly did for the KZN & SA’s.  My morning weight is currently around 94kg’s and I’m around 96kg’s in the evening.  Traditionally I would have started my carb up tomorrow (Wednesday) but I have decided to really push things and see how low and depleted I can go.  I’m hoping that this will pay off in terms of conditioning…..it’s just that it may be a little risky as it presents me with the dilemma that there’s such a fine line between me coming in lean and really ripped versus coming in too flat and somewhat smooth looking as a result.  For now I’m going to play it day by day and keep my diet as is until I feel I need to change things up…..I don’t feel too flat for now.

To give you an idea my current schedule is as follows:

30 mins cardio on an empty stomach in the morning (I do take Ignite fat burner caps pre & BCAA’s & Glutamine pre & during this cardio session)

Then Breakfast – 6 egg whites & 100g Chicken breast

Meal two – 50-60g Whey Protein

Weight Training Session

Meal Three – 6 egg whites, 100g chicken breast or ostrich + 100g Sweet potato

Meal Four – 6 egg whites, 100g chicken breast or ostrich (or 200g Tuna with balsamic vinegar and omega seed mix sprinkled over it)

Meal Five – 200g Tuna Steak (or 200g Tuna with balsamic vinegar and omega seed mix sprinkled over it) + Large Garden Salad

Second 30 min cardio session + 15-20 mins posing practice

Meal Six – 45g Whey + Glutamine

Throughout the night – snacking on the odd Marie biscuit &/or Rice cake with organic peanut butter – I can’t lie can I …..damn I find nighttime difficult!!  I can get through the day but somehow at night all resistance crumbles!

I trained back & calves today with SSN team mate Andrew Hudson……tomorrow, which would normally be a depletion style complete body workout, I think I’ll tackle shoulders and abs then come Thursday I might do a general all over body part workout depending on how I’m feeling, how I’m looking & what diet strategy I’ve decided to employ at that stage.  So as you can see for now I’m just playing it very much day by day and being really instinctive about things…..which is in contradiction to my general approach of entering the last week with a specific strategy & plan…..right now the only plan I’m thinking about is the one that’s going to get me into my best condition ever…..which I ironically don’t know what it will be??…..Keep posted

Train & Live with Passion!

Mario