Bodybuilding Journey Fall 2015 Part II

I used fitness, nutrition, and weightlifting knowledge I already had.....and merged it with Layne Norton's flexible dieting concepts and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Guide to Bodybuilding.

 May 12, 2015

June 1, 2015

 June 9, 2015

I remember waking up June 9th like "this sh*t just came out of nowhere." This was my reward for "trusting the process." For a while it did not feel like much was happening, then BOOM! I had confirmation I was on the right track.

In case you didn't know.....it feels damn good to have a hot body DURING the summer!

And to reverse the aging process. Looking like a few mature 20 somethings.

My daily protein (egg whites, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, and lean sirloin) really helped me keep solid muscle. The problem was I was at a point where I really needed to cut some weight. I should have been eating more greens, asparagus, and spinach during this time.

But it was time for me to get my first experience on stage at the Beachbody Classic in Nashville. Maybe I set my goals too low with this experience. I did not plan to win the event nor did I want to. It was a physique competition and I had been training, eating, and thinking like a bodybuilder. I simply wanted to experience.

I learned that dialing in during Peak Week will enhance what you've created. Also, the meal before pre-judging can make an amazing difference.

 The problem with the Beachbody Classic was that pre-judging was on a Friday morning and the on-stage finals was on a Saturday night.  I did not spray tan. I just rubbed half a bottle of olive oil on and made a commitment to enjoy the moment. I had too much body fat to win the competition, but when I sized up the competition I saw no reason why I could not be successful at this if I kept going. After Nashville, I went from getting the experience to wanting to win show.

Beachbody Classic 2015-Beachbody Summit 2015 Part II

Friday was a mental struggle and it actually helped me that I was out of town. Rolling down Broadway in Nashville looking at all the retail shops, restaurants, and that amazing Candy Kitchen; I plotted the nonsense that I was going to get into that evening. Most of it shamefully revolved around

Anyway, I attended some inspiring presentations. There are so many people that are growing their Beachbody business to the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even to the millionaire level. These people are NO different than you and I. They just made a decision to get sh*t done then executed. Beachbody is a great way to make supplemental or even breadwinning income, while helping copious amounts of people at the same time. It really made me THINK BIGGER!

After walking down Broadway I walked over a bridge that separated downtown from Nissan Stadium. I figured it would be a great time to take some game winning shots. Like I said, I made the decision to THINK BIGGER!

Now I attempted to have another meal that was higher in carbs, fat, and sodium and I don't think I should have. It did not affect my body the same way as the day before. Here is the best shot of me onstage, and it points out what was obviously my biggest weakness in the show......too much body fat

At least I look happy though :-)

Needless to say, I did not dominate the competition at this event but I did make my presence felt. I gained a wealth of knowledge and experience, and I acquired a few new friends.

I definitely left Nashville inspired by the thousands of "normal" everyday people that have put time in to build successful businesses with Beachbody. I was inspired by the performances of the other top Physique, as well as bikini competitors that were there. My own failures supplied me with inspiration. As well as a San Diego supermodel that shall remain nameless. 

Now that I'm back in my environment, let's see what I can create.

Beachbody Classic 2015- Beachbody Summit 2015

I started my bodybuilding training 12 weeks ago. I lost close to 20lbs and 7% body fat. I trained like an animal. Sometimes I would literally have to disassociate my body from mind so I wouldn't give in to the pain and fatigue when I was training.

The biggest struggle was in the nutrition. I actually enjoyed ingesting almost 280gm of protein a day. Chicken breasts, lean steaks, and egg whites were just part of the daily routine. Only being able to take in a little more than 50gm of fat a day was a challenge, especially since peanut butter taste so wonderful.

The real challenge resided in the 175gm of carb per day restriction. I tried my best to fight those sugar cravings with a Floyd Mayweather type of defensive tenacity. Most days I did what I was supposed to, on other days I caved in. That is probably the main reason why I wasn't a Top 3 finisher.

The day before I stood in front of the judges, I was on a serious carb restriction. I had 30gm from breakfast and didn't have another gram until 8pm that night when I was supposed to have 30 more. Guess what I chose to eat........

 The Gaylord Orpyland. What a ridiculously huge hotel! It's like a small indoor city. 

The morning of the show I was ready to go. I wanted to go and impress the judges, then go and eat something I had no business eating. I woke up real flat with little energy.

Two hours before I went to show I needed a meal of about 90gm or carbs and some sodium so my muscles would fill out. I also needed about 30gm of fat to add some vascularity to my depleted body. Good thing the hotel room service provided french toast, coffee, and bacon. I was all over it. This is how my body looked after the meal.

Posing in front of the judges was cool. It felt natural. I would much rather pose like a bodybuilder than physique competitor but I practiced both of them a lot so I felt comfortable. I kept a smile on my face.

Some of the other male competitors looked amazing. You can tell they put in some real hard work in the gym....and probably cheated a little less than I did. They were getting pumped up with band and tubing exercises before they went in to pose. Everybody I met seemed positive and was there to enjoy the experience.

The problem with the Beachbody Classic was that pre-judging was Thursday morning and the stage show was Friday night. Now I've heard of Thurs am/ Thurs pm or Fri am/Fri pm but not the morning of one day and then night the next. Being out of town added to the degree of difficulty because I did not have food with me. NOTE TO SELF: If you go out of town to do a show, seal up some food and bring it with you.
I posed at 9am and the judges notified us that the Top 20 would be announced "sometime before midnight." What!?!

The evening show at Nissan Stadium did get me pumped up. Beachbody knows how to have a party.

Bloody nose!

And I made some new friends!

Then came the email.....Congratulations Mr. McCohn you've made the Top 20 competitors. Be ready for stage tomorrow night for the possibility to bring home the trophy. And I immediately went back to the hotel and got a workout in.