Off-season goals

It's coming up to the end of my off season and at this stage I'm uncertain about competing in October. Nevertheless, I thought I would look back at the off season goals I set myself after my last show, and see if I've followed through:

Step 1: My stumbling blocks - food and motivation
I competed in November 2006 and decided my next show would be October 2007. At Christmas I stuffed my face, eating way past the point of fullness on several occasions. By mid-April 2007 I had lost motivation, stopped going to the gym and started making and eating a lot of muffins. From mid-May onwards I was cleaning up my diet and increasing my cardio to get rid of the extra weight instead of using that time to focus on putting on muscle.
Did better at Christmas this year but had some trouble getting back on track after eating sweet food - it left me craving more. Late April saw me starting to eat more 'trigger' carbs again but I kept up my workouts for the most part (was very busy with work). Injured my hand in June then went away on holiday, so training and eating not the best that month.

Step 2: Dealing with my stumbling blocks
1. Stop dieting for shows and start thinking about my body on a long-term basis. Yes, apart from the last couple of months where I've been having issues with avoiding and then reintroducing carbs. This has meant that I've put on more weight than intended.
2. Understand that motivation is temporary. If I only exercise when I 'feel' like it, I'll never be consistent and I'll never create life-long change. Overbooking myself with work meant that I sometimes felt like I didn't have time to fit in a workout. My time management and prioritisation needs to be better.
3. Break up the off season into one-month blocks, so I have new goals each month. Sometimes programmes changed every four weeks, sometimes every six. I prefer every four weeks.

Step 3: Specific goals
1. Limit myself to one cheal meal per week. Too much 'free' food will make it harder for me to track whether I need to increase the amount of clean food I'm eating to gain muscle. Yes, except for the last couple of months, where I've been having issues with trigger foods after reintroducing them to my diet.
2. Do my prescribed weekly exercise sessions even when I'm not feeling motivated. Once a session's done, I'll be glad I did it. Yes, although this is easier when I train in the mornings and am not swamped with work.
3. For each monthly weights program, aim to be stronger by week four. Yes
4. Drink 4L water per day. No, don't usually get that much on a nontraining day, but am OK with that, as long as I get 2L in.
5. Include one yoga session per week as part of my training. Yes until I got really busy with work, which is probably when I needed to be doing it most.

Step 4: Plan
1. Journal my eating - it will keep me on track longer and make me feel more successful. Writing down what I was eating (but not calculating numbers) did help keep me on track. When I stopped doing this I also started eating my trigger foods.
2. Exercise first thing in the morning. Just get up and go. Then there are no execuses. Mornings are definitely the best time for me to train consistently.
3. Record the details of each workout so I can constantly improve. The last two reps of every set must be extremely difficult to complete. If they're not, keep going - don't just stop at the prescribed number of reps! Yes for the most part - not always in the first week of a new program as I tried to work out what weights to use.
4. Buy water bottles to measure my water intake for the day. Finish it all by the end of the day. Refill and refrigerate for the next day. No, but have been using my SIGG bottle instead of plastic.
5. Buy a block of yoga classes so I'm 'booked in' to attend, or buy a yoga DVD so I have no excuses if I don't feel like going out. Bought yoga DVDs and was using them regularly until a couple of months ago.

Step 5: Take action
Each month I will:
1. Get bodyfat tested to see how much muscle/fat I've gained More like every couple of months.
2. Take girth measurements to see which areas have increased in size Did this for a couple of months then stopped.
3. Have photos taken so I can see any changes Not in the last couple of months
4. Do a strength test to see how effective I've been in the gym No, but I know I'm getting stronger as I'm able to lift heavier weights, especially in chest and shoulder exercises.
I would like to track my progress more regularly from now on, so I can see what's working and what's not.

Step 6: Improvise & adapt
From the results of my assessments I will see if anything needs to be changed for the following month. Have done this with my diet more than anything - got too hung up on it at times.

Step 7: Finish what you start
'Even when the motivation wears off (and it will) do it anyway.
Even when it ain't fun (and it won't be sometimes) do it anyway.
When most throw in the towel, stay committed.

If you want to be like everybody else, then do what they do.

If you want to be exceptional, then do exceptional things.'


I've been more consistent with eating and training this year, have tried a few new things, and am getting to know my body better.


Foods/supplements that work for me:
- fish oils (help decrease body fat and reduce inflamation)
- good fats (nuts or seeds, avocado, olive oil etc) help to keep me full and reduce cravings
- cruciferous/fibrous veges (broccoli, cauliflower etc) are more filling than other veges
- BCAAs (help retain muscle mass/decrease body fat)
- lots of water/tea (helps flush everything out, and keeps skin hydrated)
- vitamin B or a multi that's high in vitamin B (helps with water retention and mood)
- ZMA (helps prevent mouth ulcers and white spots on my nails, and helps me sleep)
- creatine (volumizes muscle cells and stimulates protein synthesis -> muscle growth)
- carbs (need them for brain function, BUT I need to minimize my sugar and grain intake; see below)


What to avoid:
- sugary foods (having these, even for a treat, makes my body crave more sugar)
- grains (cereal, bread, pasta). Once I start eating these I find it hard to stop.
- some types of dairy (make me feel bloated and give me wind). I'm OK with yoghurt and kefir.


Exercise strategies:
- I exercise more consistently if I do it in the morning.
- I like training legs twice a week.
- I like changing my programs frequently so I don't get bored.
- If I want to eat more carbs as it gets colder, I need to choose ones that don't send me over the edge. I also need to increase my exercise to correspond with the additional food intake. (Walking is not enough to keep the fat off my butt.)

Stress-reduction strategies:
- say no to extra work when I think it might encroach on my training, sleeping or recovery time.
- limit (schedule) my computer time so I can prioritise training, sleeping and recovery methods.
- schedule time for training, sleeping and recovery methods.
- journal my eating to keep myself accountable.

I am also getting a gene test done so hopefully I will be able to add more to this list soon.