So it's been just coming up on a week since I finished the contract role and have been looking for something. There was a flurry of postings that I feverishly sent out resumes to but that was going back a few weeks. Lately there hasn't been too much posted but those that have I've sent to all the same. I've got my fingers crossed that I land something soon, hopefully sooner than the last period of 5 months! Apparently the job situation is better up here in Canada than it is in the US. I'm experiencing it here and if it is worse in th US, it must really suck pretty bad.
I will post if something comes up or if I give up and just go for internet porn star instead. I hear the money ain't too shabby.
On the gym side, offseason is coming to a close soon. I've made some pretty good gains this year and still managed to stay leaner than any offseason before. Currently sitting at 207lbs and still have vascularity in areas, a little softer but there is definite shape to the legs and back still. Delts have always been a stubborn part for me and I have to hit them really hard to get anything out of them. There is shape there though and I'm sure they'll pop out once I get on the lean side again. Personal bests this year all around. 405 on the flat bench, 315 on the incline bench, 495 on squat and deadlift so things are going the right direction. I should have been pushing myself a bit more earlier on I suppose. I started doing a higher rep routine this year and although I did get some great pumps and all, I think I suffered a bit in getting the weight up. I should have stuck with the power approach and kept the working sets to 6-8 reps for a max effort and dropped down from there while increasing the rep count. That approach gives you the best of both worlds and has worked for me all the previous years. It's still early days on my training so I'll just chalk it up as experience and focus on getting lean for summer.
I was supposed to compete this year but since work has gone south, I've had to cancel the show this year. If I magically land something in the next 2-3 weeks it may be back on again but it would be very hard as I wouldn't have all that much time to diet down in time for the show. I'm a firm believer that you go to a show prepared and ready to win. You don't give the judges a reason to take points away. I've seen some people on stage that don't look like they prepared for it at all. It kinda makes you wonder what they were thinking.
For all those that read my post on the 27th and had chuckle, and for all those that already have piercings of some kind, you'll understand this one. Getting piercings (or tattoo's) can become a bit of an addictive thing. It's not like we're into pain or anything but the rush of getting it done and then knowing you have something that not every has it's what's attractive (at least to me). With that said, the thought of getting my nipples done is now floating around in my head. Nothing huge and no hoops (CBR's is what they're called). Little barbells with small ends. I've seen pics and read stories and it all sounds good to me. I've just been doing some research on how it is received up on stage at competitions. From what I've read I'll most likely have to remove them for a show. I can get retainers to keep the hole and they don't show at all so it may be workable. Just letting the idea percolate for a bit.
Anyone else have any body mods done?
I like the new look.
ReplyDeleteI think job hunting is tough no matter where you live right now. I’m not sure what the unemployment rate in the Toronto area is, but I think Michigan still wins the prize for the highest rate in the U.S... not something to be proud of. I’m lucky to have a good job and I tell myself that everyday I get down about the fact that I keep getting passed over for a promotion. Like you, I think my manager would rather have me maxed out in my current pay range and doing the work of someone with a higher job title than give me the recognition I deserve.
I’m glad to see some training information. If you’re not going to compete this year, do you really have an "offseason"? I guess I’m curious what you mean by that... your bulking and strength-building stage maybe? Even though you’re cancelling your competition plans, how much to you plan to diet down for summer? In other words, what is your target "fighting weight"? Those are some pretty impressive numbers... 405 bench, 496 squat! Great job!
As for piercings, I don’t have any unless you count the earlobe I had done back when it was cool (if there ever really was a time) and have long since allowed it to grow shut again. I have one tattoo that’s been worked on a few times and I know what you mean about addiction. I could get more... if I had the green-light to do so. My brother had nipple piercings like you’re describing… remind me sometime to relay a funny story about that. I do have question about your piercing… do you remove it for air travel? Is it possible to remove it? Or better yet, do you just opt for the pat-down and show off your junk?
Have a great weekend man!
Kirk
Hey Kirk,
ReplyDeleteOffseason, preseason, onseason. Those are the normal routines we go through. I try to look at each year as a competing year. I had planned to compete this year so I started offseason around November time. That's the time where building is the key. Adding lean mass and gaining strength. In all honesty is practically a free license to eat food you like lol. Pre-season is diet time. We change our diets to drop any fat that we've unavoidably put on over the off-season. On-season is kind of floating season. We start to introduce carbs back into the diet. I am super carb sensitive so during this time I have to be extremely careful or I'll blow up like a balloon! It takes me a good three to four months before I get accustomed to carbs again fully. By that time it's off-season again and time to bulk up all over again. As far as a target weight for stage is concerned. There is no target weight. The mirror is you best ally you have. You keep dieting and pushing until you are lean enough to see what you've put on. Each year will be different as you put on more lean mass. On average it's about a 40-50lb drop in 16 weeks. This year I'll probably be starting around the 210 mark, not off 45 and we are talking 165lbs on stage. It may not sound like much but that is shredded at around 2% bodyfat. It looks a heck of a lot bigger. That's the problem that a lot of gym rats have. They've never gotten down lean enough to see what's really there because the final weight freaks them out. There is no way that they could go from 250lbs down to 160lbs, it would kill there ego. I've seen it happen with my own eyes. My end goal I think would be to max out at 200 on stage. that would mean an off-season weight of 250ish.
I'm not sure about the piercing and flights. As it stands I go for the fondle anyway lol. I just came back from Vegas a couple of weeks ago. I didn't have the bar at that point but that would have been a good test. Honestly I doubt that it would register. It's so small, smaller than a zipper and near the same spot anyways. If it was detected, I don't think I'd care and I'd tell them what it was with pride. Part of the thrill of having this thing is the look on peoples faces when you blurt it out nonchalantly and without a care in the world!
Would love to hear a funny story about your brother. Feel free to share here or in a private message. I think you can send one from my profile on here.
So get working on your tatt's and jump on board and get pierced too. I read this once on a profile on tribalectic.com -it's a site for those that are pierced and tatt'd. Her profile had this in it and this one line spoke so true to my heart.
"Live Life and Have Fun, You Only Get one life and No One Makes it Out Alive"
Take care.
A.
I looked for a way to e-mail you but couldn’t locate an address. Here are the stories.
ReplyDeleteI guess you have to understand the dynamics of my family (parents and siblings) to fully appreciate the humor in this story but here goes. My younger brother is a bit of a tattoo and piecing addict. Or at least he was anyway. He hasn’t had anything done in many years but getting married and having kids will change your priorities. And he also suffers from an occasional epileptic seizure-- something that is not fun for him and those who experience it with him. I’ve never seen it happen myself and I consider myself lucky in that regard. Soon after he got married, Eric had one of these seizures and his wife called our mother to let her know they would be going to the local ER. My mom met them at the hospital in time to meet with both my brother and his wife in the triage room before he was to be wheeled off for further tests. I guess they were going to do an MRI or some sort of brain scan-- an MRI seems extreme but I can’t recall exactly what test they were going to perform to make sure his brain hadn’t turned to jelly or something like that. Eric was conscious but a little bit out of it and they were prepping him for the test. The nurse noticed his multiple earrings and told him they had to be removed and then asked if he had any other piercings. Of course my mom, who had taken charge of the situation the way all mothers do, immediately answered the nurse with a confident “No.” My brother’s wife just smiled as Eric lifted up his shirt to expose his nipple posts. “I have these”, he said. From what I hear, the look on my mom’s face was priceless. And then of course the story spread through the family like wildfire. We all had a good laugh about it and it made light of an otherwise serious situation.
Funny story number two: Eric and I like to try to destroy one another when pulling each other on a tube behind the speedboat on the lake at our parent’s cottage. We drive the other on through high speed whips and turns until the one getting the shit beat out of them (water is hard when hitting it at 50 mph) concedes and cries uncle. A few summers ago, I declared myself the winner when I gave my brother such a rough ride around the lake that I noticed his pierced nipple was bleeding as he crawled back into the speedboat. Of course, my turn was up next and as they say, the payback was a bitch! He has since removed the nipple posts, I believe primarily because he was afraid his young children would latch onto one and yank it out some day. Anyway, I hope I made you laugh.
Kirk