Bc builder April 2024 prep (the redemption arc

[BCBuilder]

Hey everyone, back once again with a contest prep log, I did my first show April of last year, I was happy with the work I put in, but I know I could get a much better result with a bit more time and work, as well as working with someone that’s a bit more informed on how to prep someone for a show

As for last show, prep started at 16 weeks out, weighing in at around 240lbs, looking quite soft, my coach at the time just started by dropping calories by quite a bit, which did result in some good progress with cutting, but it quickly stalled out and the remaining body fat got much more stubborn (staying at 230 for about 2.5-3 weeks at this point) before my previous coach added more and more cardio while restricting more and more food

By the end of prep I was on 150 mins of cardio a day, and eating around 1700 calories a day (this lasted for about 3-4 weeks, I was chipping my teeth and generally felt awful, calories were entirely too low, but regardless here’s some pictures of the start of that prep and some more closer to the end


I was awful at taking check ins lol, but this was January 2023, weighing about 235

Theses are some hotel pics of the same prep weighing in at 215 on April 20th 2023



I was happy with my performance for my first show, led wise I actually came off my test does, again at coaches discretion lol

2024 prep is going much better, I starter at 22 weeks out, and have been growing into 250lbs for the past 6 weeks, going from



To now looking like this at a current weight of 247lbs at 16 weeks out



Strength is up, biggest I’ve ever been and on pretty low doses too (350mg test and 300mg masteron a week) eating 2870 calories with P 255g, F 74g and C 296g eating 5x a day

 

[BigTomJ]

Good luck with your competition season, ill be following along.

one piece of constructive criticism is that you desperately need to look into a posing coach.
You built a good physique, learn how to show it off.

 

[BCBuilder]

Good luck with your competition season, ill be following along.

one piece of constructive criticism is that you desperately need to look into a posing coach.
You built a good physique, learn how to show it off.

Big agreement there, there aren’t a ton of local people around me so I’m thinking I may have to get some online coaching type situation started with that, one of my critiques from last year was it’s like having a sports car you can’t get out of first gear lol, and thank you for the support/ constructive criticism

 

[BCBuilder]

Couple shots from the last couple workouts, first one is from todays hamstring/glute day, still working on my side chest but I’m really happy with how it’s coming along so far

 

[BCBuilder]

Shoulder/ chest day
Cable shoulder fly: 60lbsx8, 50x9

Seated shoulder press machine; 318 x 5, 298x 6, weight pr on both sets

Incilne smith machine 275 x5x2 (hit 295x5 and 275x6 last week but using a different incline bench, not sure if related or not but didn’t get the usual tension across pec I usually feel)

Neutral grip horizontal chest press 305x5 and 285x6, weight pr on both sets vs last week (285x7 and 265x7)

Pec fly machine 265x10, 265 x 8, rep or from last week

Some screenshots from a video of some posing practice as well, I try to do at least 10 mins post workout each day, and will be adding in rest day practice for at least 30 mins

 

[BCBuilder]

15 weeks out check ins, new low of 244

 

[BCBuilder]

(may need to change check in orientation to fix crazy lighting, my apartment has all ceiling to floor windows on the living room wall)

 

[4Drago]

How tall are you?

 

[tbda]

(may need to change check in orientation to fix crazy lighting, my apartment has all ceiling to floor windows on the living room wall)

I grabbed a lighting kit from amazing for about 50 dollars. Came with 2 lights and stands. Drastically improved the quality of my check in photos

 

[BCBuilder]

How tall are you?

I’m 6’2

 

[BCBuilder]

I grabbed a lighting kit from amazing for about 50 dollars. Came with 2 lights and stands. Drastically improved the quality of my check in photos

I will have to consider this if the sun keeps pouring through the window like that, or find a location in my living room that doesn’t get hit by it

 

[4Drago]

Lookimg pretty good. Start doing your injections in your glutes. You're like my son...no ass at all. Do you do squats?

 

[BCBuilder]

Lookimg pretty good. Start doing your injections in your glutes. You're like my son...no ass at all. Do you do squats?

I do a separate glute/hamstring day with straight leg deadlift and hip thrusts on a machine, I squatted when I was doing my own programming but I’m following my coaches programming since the start of November, I don’t pull my posing shorts up much and my glutes are one of the places that seem to hold fat, so I’m sure that contributes, it’s also a posing consideration of getting some hip hinge on a side chest and just getting general engagement I struggle with sometimes while posing

 

[BCBuilder]

14 weeks out, dropped 25g rice each meal and 25g oats, (150g rice first two meals, 125g for second two and 50g oats at the end of the day) total calories are 2636, tweaked lower back on left side during glute and hamstring day prior to the check ins, and it made posing quite difficult.

you can see a bit of a twist through my body in some shots and i couldn’t extend lower back meaningfully, regardless progress is being made, got to a new low of 233.5 lbs, I tend to climb weight for 3 days and then taper down to a new low (water weight?)

Injury didn’t effect other training except for having to skip single leg leg press on quad day, mood is still great despite a week of inconveniences with a back injury, no change to anabolics or training

 

[BCBuilder]

Not sure why but we are holding 244, conditioning keeps improving just not entirely sure where the weight is coming from, following the plan to a T, coach isn’t worried and is happy with progress so we forge onwards, there will be some new changes to the plan happening this week, currently 11 weeks 6 days out, I’m honestly really excited to see how much my stage presence will improve with this new size and posing practice

We notice some decent fluctuations with water weight and amounts I’m sweating that seem to track with the swells and dips of my physique, and I don’t look crazy watery, I suppose there’s always a chance I’m still growing in certain places as my log book continues to improve with training and there’s no considerable weight drop off so far

 

[jJjburton]

Deadlifting….glutes will grow…

 

[BCBuilder]

Deadlifting….glutes will grow…

I have sdl currently programmed, one thing I’ve noticed is I hold a decent amount of fat there and I’ve failed in the past the engage them while posing, as well as not pulling my posing trunks up like I should to show my full glute in poses, it’s something that I’ve always struggled on but I have seen progress ever since working with my new coach at the very least

 

[BCBuilder]

Post back session, 10 total sets, new low of 241.5

Posing improving, Christmas tree coming in, I’m happy to see all these things at this weight
All sets except rear delta are 5-8 and 6-10
chest supported t bar row 5p+35 x 5, then 5p+10 x 6

Chest supported low row 4p+25 x7, same x 6 w pause

Cable single arm row, 11/20 on the stack for 9 then 10 on the stack for 9

Underhand pulldown full stack x 8, 19/20 plates x 6

ISO rear delt fly on pec deck, 165x9 and same x 8 with a pause at concentric of 9

Cardio is at 43 mins of 130 hr stairs training days, 30 mins easy walking on treadmill on rest days, rest days all rice meals dropped to 100g, training days rice still following 150/150/125/125, end of day oatmeal still same

Training day cals: 2636 off days 2444

 

[BCBuilder]

11 weeks out, hamstring day, same diet as last update,

Seated Hamstring curl machine
Full stack+45x9
Full stack+35x9

Adductor machine

Full stack+45x9
Same x 10

Sdl
365x6
365x5

Glute drive machine
4p+25x6
4p x 7

Standing calf raise

Full stack x 10 x 2

 

[BCBuilder]

241 lbs this morning, saying hello to some new back definition (it was a quad day lol)

Cals same as last check in, added 10 minutes of cardio across the week

Really fucking happy with my shoulder development