Bodybuilding Junior Nationals

My Preparation for the 1997 Junior Nationals

Jeff Storch 1996 Ohio LHW Champion
Bodybuilding World Fall 1997

Four days prior to the Jr. Nationals, I found myself reflecting on the past year since the Mr. Ohio contest. It has been a year of trials, I'll tell you that much! Two months after the Mr. Ohio, I felt like I had a stomach virus. Well, I didn't, I had appendicitis! So out it came, as well as a lypoma (fatty tumor) from my side! Having the lypoma removed was no big deal, and no more lump. However, although the laproscopic procedure that I underwent is supposed to have a quick recovery period, I developed an infection in the incision at my navel. It took three weeks before I could begin training! I lost 12 lb., and I'm pretty sure it was not all fat! Undaunted, I began training and was back to full steam ahead in three weeks.

Twenty weeks out

I began dieting for the Jr. Nationals. Twenty weeks out (twelve weeks less than I had for the 1996 Ohio). When I went to see Roger and Sandy, I was 8.7% at 232 lb. Compared to where I started at the Ohio, 15% at 234, I was real happy. (Let that be a lesson to you. Don't get fat! Bulking does not work, you lose too much muscle in the process of getting lean.) My diet began at about 4800 calories a day. I'd say it was a 50% protein, 20% carbohydrates and 30% fat breakdown. This is quite a bit more food than my previous diet, and at more than 200 grams daily, half again as many carbs. I dropped well on this diet, all the way into the low 6% rank! The only supplements I was using at this time were Muscle Provider, Super Paks, and C-1000. I'd like to emphasize this, so you won't think Roger and Sandy are in this just for the profit. They need to make money, we all do, but they care about more than that. Roger and Sandy care about your success. So, if they tell me to take a product, I know it's because I need it.

Jeff just after prejudging
at the 1997 NPC Jr. Nationals in
Cincinnati. He's 10 lb. heavier
than in 1996 when the previous
articles were written.

My Nutrition & Workout Plan for
the 1996 NPC Ohio

At 6% it was time for some thermogenics and fat burners

At this point, Roger and Sandy cut out my whipping cream (bummer). I began taking EPH, caffeine, and aspirin 2-3 times a day. This helped quite a bit, as I dropped to the mid 5% rate. When I began to get a lower temperature response, Roger and Sandy suggested taking L-Tyrosine with the stack. I did, and it worked! Their next suggestion was that I begin taking Energy Reserve, which is straight L-Carnitine in its purest form. I took it for a week, and BOOM, another big drop. I was in the high 4% rate. I had already bested my condition from the previous year!

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Roger and Sandy took me off Energy Reserve at this time. They explained that it does not work week after week, but needs to be cycled on and off. Eight weeks out, my diet was five meals a day consisting of three 8 oz steaks, six whole eggs, six whites, six packs of oatmeal, four tablespoons of oil and two salads. I felt good. Strength was good, everything was great. One month to go

This diet is a cake walk, right?! I went to Beverly the next Saturday, BAM! No more oatmeal, drop five whole eggs, four egg whites, and all the oil (except 1 Tblsp. of flax). Whoa! I was asking for caloric cuts, but not all at once! Oh well, it was time to hurt a little! It had been too easy anyway. I had not really even done cardio to any large extent. So I got the cut, and Roger and Sandy gave me a carb meal two times a week. It actually made me feel worse the next day, but it did stabilize my weight. Roger and Sandy also put me on Ultra 40, Muscularity, and Density to help maintain lean mass. Well, three weeks of this dropped me to 203-204 lb. at 4.05%! This is 1% leaner and about 10 lb. more than the Ohio. My numbers on the caliper readings were six points lower than at the Ohio, and people thought I was lean there!

Well, I was down to less than a week to go.

I would be glad when it was over, but I loved the challenge! To be successful at this sport, you need to realize it's not like football. You can't stop another competitor physically. You can't change a judge's point of view or what they prefer. You can't change these things. All you can do is do your best. Give it all you have and look at the results when you are done!

The last week before competition, we kept my diet the same. I used one whole bottle of Density and Muscularity plus Beverly's pure Creatine Monohydrate with every meal. Starting on Tuesday, I upped my potassium and cut back on sodium on Wednesday. (I'd been using 7-9 grams a day to keep my aldosterone low.) We kept my water up drinking 21 gallons daily until Friday, when I cut back to a gallon or so.

I make the cut

At the contest, I made the top 15 cut. There were 28 guys in my class! The crazy thing was, everyone looked good! Unfortunately, I did not make the top five. That night, I was pretty depressed. But, moving to this level of competition is like starting over again. Now, I just have to buckle down. Take some time off. Make some improvements and come back even better than I was this year.

I'd like to close by saying a very big thank you to Roger and Sandy. I could never have done this without them. They are the best! I highly respect them both and consider them to be good friends. Thank you, Roger and Sandy, for all your help!

(Editor's note: Jeff Storch has made remarkable progress from local champion at the 1994 Mr. Cincinnati to state champion and now a nationally ranked competitor. Jeff works extremely hard and watches his nutrition year round. On his weekly visits to the center he always took time to help everyone there regardless of their stage of development. His dedication and love of bodybuilding is an inspiration to all of us at the Beverly International Nutrition Center.)

Related articles:

: My Nutrition Plan for the 1996 NPC Ohio
: Meet Tony Dufresne - Mr. Cincinnati

Fall 1997 Articles: