Best of www.toniwest.com 2010

It is all in the PLANNING!

So ... I have been sick for the last couple of weeks and thought maybe this is a good time to touch on how i deal with training through various 'obstacles'...one being sickness. Sorry the BLOG has suffered in this time frame too!

1) Sickness
2) Un-Forseen events such as weather/school closings/kids home sick!
3) Vacations/out of town meetings


 1)  SICKNESS: My Philosophy in general, is that: neck up...no fever...and manageable with over the counter meds...gym training as usual. 
*( please note..no one wants to spread sickness at the gym, however I find it is between the gym and Wal Mart that I catch colds...so I can't live in a bubble).
Yes you may feel week, you may feel blah, but it is important to maintain scheduled lifting and cardio days even if it is a light 'going through the motions' workout, and a long walk o n the treadmill.  I find that my energy level comes and goes thru sick days, and while prepping for shows it is inevitable that i will have some sort of cold/adversity to keep me from my 100% workouts.

2)  WEATHER! ( weather/school closings/kids home sick)  So your local meteorologist and you are not seeing eye to eye when it comes to training..what do you do?!  How do you manage?!  Key as always is to BE PREPARED!  Yes, it is winter.  Yes, it will snow...question is WHEN..EASY! pull up the Weather Channel online on the tv...watch the news. Iphone that info.  Then make plan and preparations for terrible weather.  You and everyone else will be heading to the grocery store of staples like toilet paper, milk and bread....make sure you are stocked on proteins, greens and clean carbs too!  Prepare your meals to take with you in case you get stuck out of the house, and have a weekly plan for cardio alternatives and lifting alternatives.  I some times see weather delays as a perfect opportunity for well needed REST!  However, the diet needs to be in check, and there needs to be a definite plan of attack for a week calling for SNOW, ICE, RAIN ...what have you.  Adjust your workouts around the weather, rest on the days you are isolated, and don't let it destroy weeks and weeks of hard preparation!

3) VACATIONS/ OUT OF TOWN MEETINGS
This is also something where i feel you most likely KNOW well ahead of time what is coming ...so all you need to do is PLAN FOR IT!  Plan for meals out, days lacking full throttle gym and or cardio.  Know that you have complete control of what you are eating and how to order straight from a restaurant menu!  Keeping control of your intake is key on vactions and out of town business trips, there are moments where it may be OK to indulge and treat yourself.  But be honest to what you are eating, why you are eating it and how that will effect your contest training and prep.  I always stay at hotels with a gym, so that no matter how LAME the workout equipment may be, there is no excuse!Use it and get creative with what you are dealt!  Cardio can be as easy as walking on a treadmill, or the BEACH, or laps at an outlet mall, or lunges down the hotel hallway.  You may be 'off' of regular training routine, but again PLAN for it and you will not be unravelling weeks and weeks worth of hard work!

What does it all come down to?  PLANNING and PREPAREDNESS...be prepared for it all.  There will be times that nothing goes as planned, but the small amounts of detail you have created for your Plan B or EMERGENCY back up will make life easier.  No one's contest prep is without adversity.

Top Question from last week: What does my diet look like?

PRE CONTEST:

What Nutrition Plan Has Worked Best For You?

(A Sample Day of Each Meal Eaten Throughout Your Training)

The following is a BASIC plan that i have done while prepping for a show.  So this would mirror a bit of my PRECONTEST prep for 15-12 weeks.  It does change through out the timeframe, so this is a sample/example.  I will adjust things Depending on my energy levels, weight, and daily exercise, and # of weeks out. 

MEAL #1
6-10 egg whites with salt
1 cup spinach

4oz Sweet potato

MEAL #2
50g About Time Protein Chocolate

1 slice Ezekial Bread

MEAL #3
6oz chicken with 1-cup asparagus or steamed broccoli
1/4 cup quinoa

1/4 cup organic tomato sauce

MEAL #4
6oz protein (tilapia/chicken breast/turkey breast/ extra lean ground beef) with a raw spinach salad
olive oil and balsamic vinegar

MEAL #5
6oz chicken with 1-cup asparagus or steamed broccoli (or 10 egg whites w/ salt for protein source)

Meal #6

50g About Time Protein Chocolate

Every other day I take in extra fats in the forms of Natural Peanut butter (2-4 tbsps a day with protein shakes) and ¼ cup of raw unsalted almonds or cashew.  On those days I do not add extra salt to foods.  I vary this diet every 2-3 days: high fat/ high protein days with days of high fibrous carb vegetables/ high protein.  I eat one cheat meal for whatever I am craving once a week up until 4 weeks out from a competition. I vary my carb sources, and move to more fish for proteins closer to shows and take down my carb meals to strictly around BIG workout days.

to start off the BLOG: Number One Question I am asked: Lifting Routine???

To Start off the BLOG, I have decided to answer the question I am most often asked about, MY HEAVY LIFTING.  CONSISTENCY in my lifting and diet have lead to great muscualrity and definition.  I have been lifting for about 12 years now...so there is no over night success or 12 week miracle !!  However I will give up my BIG secret (LOL) about my lifting routine, even giving a sample of weekly split and exercises.

I lift heavy to moderately heavy weights consistently.  My rep range is normally 10-12, and sets vary from 3-4 each exercise and number of exercises depends on the bodypart.  I switch my training cycle up every 3 weeks or so, for example I may do a few weeks with legs twice a week and then move to once a week with BIG power movements for a week.

Cardio:

When prepping for competitions I work my cardio up and do low intensity activities.  I will do a week of 30-40 minutes 6 days a week and then move the next week to 45-60 minutes, and then up to 90 minutes to 2 hours.  On the 2 hour days I do 2 separate sessions, one AM one PM. I walk on a high incline on the treadmill, elliptical and stair mills for 30 40 min at a time. 

My lifting schedule:

Monday: Bis, tris, abs, calves 

Biceps: dumbbell hammer curl off of preacher bench 4 sets of 12-15

Triceps: dumbbell kickbacks 4 sets of 12-15

Bis: Isolation curl machine 3 sets of 10-12

Tris: dips 3 sets of 10-12

Bis:  Pulley machine one arm cable curls 4 sets of 10-12

Tris: Pulley machine one arm pull downs 4 sets of 10-12

Bi’s:  Pulley double arm 3 sets of 10

Tri’s: rope pulldowns 3 sets of 10

Calves:  calf raise on smith machine: 10 reps toes reg neutral stance, 10 reps toes pointed out, 10 reps toes pointed in this is one giant set (3 sets of 30)

One legged calf raise off of low box, 3 sets of 10 each leg no weight

Abs:  Hanging leg raise, decline abs, weighted ab machine, 3 sets of 30 each exercise

Tuesday: Chest, core exercise abs

Chest: incline chest press machine 4 sets of 12

            Incline dumbbell press 4 sets of 12

            Pushups: feet on bench 4 sets of 20

            Cable crossovers 4 sets of 10-12

            Pec deck flyes 4 sets of 10-12

Core abs:  wood chopper 2 sets 20 reps each side

Plank, side plank, hip raise plank 3 sets holding for 60 sec or more                          

P90X Ab Ripper Routine        

Wed: legs, quads, big movements

Squats: free standing 5 sets of 10 pyramiding weight

Smith machine deep squats 4 sets of 10

Leg extension: 3 sets of 15

Leg press: 5 sets of 10 pyramiding weight

Thurs: Back, Abs

Wide grip Pull-ups: 3 sets of 20, one set weighted with a 25-45lb    dumbbell or plate

Lat pulldown v-bar/neutral grip: 5 sets of 10 pyramiding weight

Standing swimmer pulldown: super set with lat pulldown 5 sets of 20 moderate weight

Seated row: 3 sets of 10 heavy weight

t-bar row: 3 sets of 10

standing high pulley lat squeeze: 4 sets of 10 increasing weight

standing high rope pull: 4 sets of 30

one arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10-12 heavy weight

Abs:  Hanging leg raise, decline abs, weighted ab machine, 3 sets of 30 each exercise

Fri: Shoulders, calves, abs

Front raises: 3 sets of 20

Side raise pinkies up: 3 sets of 20

Outward rotation: 3 sets of 20

Straight bar upright row wide grip: 3 sets of 20

Arnold press: 3 sets of 20

Reverse pec deck: 3 sets of 20

Shrugs: heavy weighted machine 3 sets of 10

Calves:  calf raise on smith machine: 10 reps toes reg neutral stance, 10 reps toes pointed out, 10 reps toes pointed in this is one giant set (3 sets of 30)

One legged calf raise off of low box, 3 sets of 10 each leg no weight

Abs:  Roman chair straight leg, hyperextensions, decline bench sit ups, v-ups off of bench 3 sets of 30 each exercise

Saturday: Hamstring/glute/butt

    

     Smith machine lunges: 5 sets of 10 each leg

     Weighted (dumbbells) step ups to a bench: 5 sets of 10 each leg

     Weighted (dumbbells) Walking lunges: 5 sets of 10 each leg

     Butt Blaster machine: 5 sets of 20 each leg

     Single leg hamstring curl machine: 5 sets of 20 each leg

     Reverse Hack Squat: 5 sets of 10

     Wide plie squats while holding plate: 4 sets of 10

     Pulley kickbacks, attached to ankle: 3 sets of 15           

     Weighted Butt/glute bridge raise: 3 sets to failure

Day 1 of the NEW BLOG

I am starting the blog and hope to update weekly with information on my bodybuilding and life journey.  Eventually this will all be linked up to my webpage; www.toniwest.com.  I am attempting to get a ONE STOP MEDIA outlet where all of my social media is connected and updates everywhere: so Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, toniwest.com and now the Blogspot will have the same information reaching all of the interested fans/people it can!  Please note the side poll, asking what readers would like me to blog about.  Hopefully insight into my life as a natural bodybuilder will motivate and empower athletes.

Feel free to comment, and leave me feedback on future blogging!
Toni