I added eight pounds of LBM (drug-free) kept my body fat levels low all year long, probably in the 7-8 % range, before dropping to around 5% for the contest.
I've always been a hard/slow gainer, so for me this was very good progress.
Teaching an old dog a few new tricks - The Beverly family of staff and customers helped me put the right strategy together this past year after 25 years of lifting.
I finally got it right! What I mean by that is: I finally put together a bodybuilding strategy that really works for me, one with very good results in each of the key areas: Training, Nutrition and the right Mental Approach. This strategy culminated when I brought home a 4th place trophy in the Masters Division of the NPC VA/DC State show, a non-tested event. As a 44-year-old natural competitor I felt pretty good about this prestigious show.
I've have been lifting since college 25 years ago. I competed for a few years back in the 80's, and was also an NPC judge at the state level. I then took a long hiatus from competition focusing on family and career, not getting back into competitive bodybuilding until I was old enough to qualify for the Masters Class. After a couple of less than successful attempts, everything finally seemed to fall into place this year. I found the solution to my personal competition equation.
In this article I'd like to share
my "best year yet" approach to
bodybuilding in hopes that it
will help you "put it all
together for YOU".
My problem, if you want to call it that, was one that many others experience. "How do you sift through the huge amount of information and advice out there and make it all come together for YOU?" My interest in bodybuilding spans decades. During that time I've read a lot of articles, bought more than a few books, and listened as others have talked about what works and what doesn't. I trained hard and followed a sound nutritional plan. My past results, however, were only satisfactory. My goal was to upgrade from just satisfactory results to VERY GOOD.
This past year I was able to take that next step forward and I'm just tickled pink about it as I never thought that my 44th year in this world would be my best year for bodybuilding. I made significant improvement to my previous best ever condition and now I'd like to share with you the things that made it possible for me. I hope that some of you reading this article can also use this approach to "put it all together for YOU". It can be done, and I'm proof that age does not have to hold you back.
There are several components to my "next level" program, but the most important one, the one that you have to have right, is the nutrition piece. Even if you recognize the supreme importance of nutrition, it is still not that easy to get it right. We are deluged with advertising and information regarding nutrition. Which foods are the best? Which supplements will work for me? What is the best order and timing for what you consume?
Sorting through all of this information and finding a nutritional plan that will work best for you is like living an experiment. In fact, to me success in Bodybuilding is measured by your ability to continually try different combinations to see what works and what doesn't. What is the right formula for YOU? Mix the right amount of training, nutrition and mental approach and you will see success. [continued on next page]