[Matt Jansen]

Zach

My biggest concern within those approaches is controlling volume within those plans to insure you are still recovering. Also for me personally I really struggle to hit 3 groups in one day and give my best to each I like to really focus in on one group get the most out of it and then go home. That is also how I feel I made the most progress, back in the day I used to be a higher frequency guy due to research but it does not always correlate.

[Matt Jansen]

Hey Denis –

Its hard to give an exact number but this is how I look at i, the leaner you are the earlier on in prep the better because they you have more leeway to play with your numbers without negative return. You want to be able to eat the most you can while progress is still happening. If you are progressing off of 400g but lets say you get even better return off of say 650g. And I would not be as concerned with the immediate jump but more so the weeks end number that is the true response of where you are at in terms of a weekly basis where you are baselining and surpassing.

[Matt Jansen]

Florian –

What exactly do you mean by my thoughts on ACV, my thoughts are is it tastes like SHHH haha

I think some direct core training like everything else can have benefit. That being said the core stability that is used in main compound lifts cannot be replaced!

[Matt Jansen]

Today is a day where Nathan really tries to mentally and physically rest and sleep a lot. We take Mondays our main leg day off of cardio so today we wake up go knock out cardio and then the rest of the day is devoted to resting as much as possible. I really believe as well as Nathan that this is crucial in order to maintain the level of training that we do.

Yesterday we had a really good shoulder session which we filmed for his upcoming DVD!

Here is how it went

Plate Loaded Lifefitness Press 
Worked up to two max sets at 5 pps (Nathan got 15 reps on his first set and 9 on his second set. This is a very typical response when you are taking a set to true failure and not submax work)

Seated Lateral DB Raise 
Starting at 20 lbs we worked up in 5 lb per side increments until we could not get a set of 10, this is a way to accumulate a little more sub max volume and blood flow until we reach top end sets, even though this approach might take away from the top end max load. (Just something to consider) We ended up working to 40’s for me for two max sets and 50’s for Nathan for two max sets.

Single Arm DB Front Raise
This was done just focusing on one arm at a time completing all reps then alternating arms. The pump by this point was crazy that constant tension on the front delt that comes from single arm reps without alternating is great!

We worked up to 1 max set of 8-10 reps, warm ups were at 30 / 35 / 40 / and then working at 45

Kneeling Cybex Lateral Raise
3/4 reps from the top (not coming all the way down to waist)
Similar approach here worked up 1 pin on the weight stack at a time until a max set of 10-12 and then maintained that weight for a second additional set

D handle Lying upright row (done on dual pulley seated Cable row) 

3 working sets here x 10 -12 each done shy of failure. I dont really like taking these to true failure and pushing the load so much as I feel like form will be compromised so we focused more on form and execution here.

Triceps
Rope Cross Body Extension

Cable Straight Arm Pressdown

Cable Single D handle pressdonw

3 hard sets on each movement

[Matt Jansen]

Michaela has hit a few 119’s this week, yesterday which I felt like was her flattest of the week as well as the day prior to legs (a body part that we are aiming to keep as strong as possible from a look standpoint) so we did her normal refeed as of late yesterday which was 210g of cooked rice per meal as her carbs for the day so 210g x 6, keeping her base protein and fats the same.

Today she woke up at 121.6 – I just felt in my gut based off of the pics we needed a bit more today so what we did was half of a high day so meals 1-3 high day plan which will allow her two pre training and 1 post training meal of the high day plan then for meals 4-6 returning back to baseline diet.

Reduced cardio yesterday to 30 min and today she had no cardio.

[Matt Jansen]

Iain’s weight based off of the latest changes above dropped 5 lbs this week which was a good needed change but also not wanting to lose the progress either so continuing to walk a fine line. Yesterday for legs I added in a Burger and fry meal for him which is not my go to for many but for him it works real well and we have been using it all year with good results. Woke up today dryer and harder and up 1.5 lbs from yesterday so good response overall.

[Matt Jansen]

Weight was 251.4 today, still sticking 100% to the plan and doing 30 min of cardio 6 days a week. Since starting I have had two “off” very clean sushi meals and otherwise been perfect. I am really enjoying my food selection right now, sauces, seasonings and variety and it leaves me not craving anything. Also the cooked proteins from trifecta are top notch so I look forward to eating that as well.

We are keeping Sundays for now as our off day, next week we will swap and take Saturday off due to an engagement we have and then the following week we will be back to Sunday as its our travel day for the Olympia. These rest days are much needed for me I honestly could probably benefit from two per week but we are in such a groove I am hesitant to change anything but by the time it comes I am for sure in need of it.

[Matt Jansen]

Hey Pedro – Honestly did not have any plans, I have a good number of guys making great progress so if I am to single out one I need to put them all up here which is why I choose the Olympia athletes as the first series to be doing this with. That being said I can keep in consideration and lay out his prep for his pro debut as it comes closer! (about a year out right now)

 

Hey Kevin – I prefer True Nutrition Unflavored EAA

[Matt Jansen]

Michaela now 2 weeks out of her third show of the year the week prior to the Olympia. She is ready now and now its a fine line of pulling enough cardio and adding enough food slowly to get the look right but from a bodyfat% she is in a great spot.

Her PM cardio has been pulled and we are assessing now on a daily basis

Here is her plan as of now with daily alterations as needed (I will do my best to note these as we go)

Fat burners

Yohimbine 12mg upon waking (CUT 7 Days OUT)
1 Shreddabull AM upon waking (CUT 7 days out – replace with caffeine tbs)

Fasted supplements

Greens powder

10g glutamine

Pills (AM fasted / 30 min prior to last meal)

NAC – 1200mg

Tudca – 750mg

Maximum milk thistle – 1 cap

Digestion / gda

Ravenous – 1 cap at each meal

Matador – 1 cap at each meal

Zinlori 75 – 1 cap prior to meal 1 and 3

https://www.metagenics.com/zinlori-75

Meal one

112g Chicken

70g Rice cooked

Diced onion/ salsa fine

3g omega, 1g Vit C, 200g coq10, 400mg life extension curcumin

Meal two/pre training meal

40 Cream of rice

10g pb powder

30g Whey

Pre

20g aminotaur

15g nitrox

2g pink salt

Intra

Water

Pink salt

Meal three/post training meal

4oz Chicken

70g Jasmine Rice

Pepper mix

Meal four

4oz Tilapia cooked
35g avocado

100g green beans cooked

Meal five

5oz Tilapia cooked
35g Avocado

75g Green beans

3g omega, 1g Vit C

Meal six

5oz tilapia from Whole Foods cooked
35g Avocado

75g asparagus cooked

Extras:

lettuce, kimchi, salsa, mustard, etc

Cardio
7×45 Min AM

PM Cardio
TBD but cut for now and will assess as needed

[Matt Jansen]

Shaun is the sharpest I believe he has ever been today, deeper lines in his glutes than we have had for any show thus far. That being said I know we can get more out of him without negative return…its the O after all!

Here are the changes we implemented today

Few changes throughout plan

I want you training 5 days a week right now.

One day focused on hamstrings and adductors
Back / Biceps
Chest / Triceps
Quads
Shoulders / Traps

Training Day Meal Layout

Morning Greens Shake prior to meal 1
9g – Amazing Grass (I prefer cocoa) OR Other Organic Greens Product
10g – Kidney Stuff – http://www.goldenstandards.com/buy-kidney-stuff.html
10g – Glutamine
***Take another 10g of Kidney Stuff PM

Off Day – Remove Peri Workout Nutrition (Just the powders used during / post training)

Consume meals in order with your pre and post meal when you train.

Add Pink Salt or Sea Salt to all meals

Vitamins taken upon Waking on empty stomach:

1200mg NAC, 750mg Tudca, 1000mg Milk Thistle, 1 citrus bergamot

Evening on empty stomach between 5th and 6 meal:

600mg NAC, 1000mg Milk Thistle, 1 citrus bergamot (30 min prior to meal), 750mg Tudca

Digestive Aids

If you are currently using anything for digestion keep it in for now. I do not want you using a fiber product.

1 Matador at each carb meal. No matador needed with Vitargo shake

Meal 1

50g – Cream of Rice
12g – PB2 (powder peanut butter)
224g – Tilapia cooked

3g – Omega 3 Oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral, 400 IU Vit E, 15mg Zinc, 100mg b Complex, 2000IU Vit D, CoQ10 – 200mg. Life Extension Curcumin 400mg, Vit K2 1 cap life extension brand, 1g – Astragalus, 1 Resveratrol cap (Jarrow formula), 2 beta sisterol (NOW brand), 2 Pantathine (Now Brand)

Meal 2

110g – Jasmine Rice cooked
224g – Tilapia Cooked
75g – Fresh Green beans cooked

Meal 3

110g – Jasmine Rice cooked
196g – 99% Lean ground turkey cooked

Meal 4

110g – Jasmine Rice cooked
224g – Tilapia Cooked
75g – Fresh Green beans cooked

Pre train Shake

5g – L Citrulline
5g – Creatine monohydrate
20g – EAA
25g – Vitargo
Few Shakes of pink Salt
***IN 1 liter of water

(Have most of this down prior to training)

Intra workout Layout –

10g – EAA
NO CARBS

Post Workout Meal
50g Whey Isolate

Meal 6

224g – Lean ground beef
100g – Asparagus cooked

3g – Omega 3 oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral

Cardio:

Steady State Cardio fasted AM upon waking following morning supplements

6 Days per week

Good consistent pace here breaking and maintaining a sweat.

40 min

Recumbent bike or stairs

Breaking and maintaining a sweat throughout on recumbent bike. Increase the resistance and keep RPM at 85-90

I want a good sweat here and assertive pace!

Steady State POST TRAINING

TRAINING DAYS

25 min on Stairs standing straight up

[Matt Jansen]

Charles is very close to being ready other than us needing to get his glutes sharper, he is still 18 lbs over the weight which he won his last show at. Pretty crazy honestly as of Thursday Morning 3 weeks and 1 day out all three guys are 17-18 lbs up from the weight that they won their qualifiers at.

Training:

Lets not change a thing about your training it is working very well!

Legs (quad focused with 4 true working sets of hamstrings / curl variations)
Chest and Triceps
Back and Biceps
Off
Hamstrings and adductors (RDL’s / glute Bridges / heavy long stride walking lunges)
Upper chest and shoulders
Off – Saturday night cheat meal

Diet

Morning Greens Shake prior to meal 1
1 scoop Greens Powder (my favorite is nutridyn fruits and greens chocolate order off amazon)
10g – Glutamine
10g – kidney stuff

Add Pink Salt or Sea Salt to all meals

Vitamins taken upon Waking on empty stomach:

1200mg NAC, 750mg Tudca (nutricost), 1000mg Maximum Milk Thistle (specific on amazon), 2 citrus bergamot (jarrow formula)

Evening on empty stomach between 5th and 6 meal:

1200mg NAC, 750mg Tudca (nutricost), 1000mg Maximum Milk Thistle (specific on amazon), 2 citrus bergamot (jarrow formula)

Fat Burners

1 Shreddabull Untamed Upon Waking

Meal 1

60g – Oats raw measure (once you get home I want you using plain oats)
250g – Chicken cooked

3g – Omega 3 Oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral, 400 IU Vit E, 15mg Zinc, 100mg b Complex, 2000IU Vit D, CoQ10 – 200mg. Life Extension Curcumin 400mg, Vit K2 1 cap life extension brand, 1g – Astragalus

Meal 2 – Pre Training Meal

140g – Jasmine Rice cooked
250g – Chicken cooked

Pre train Shake (30 min prior)

5g – L Citrulline
5g – Creatine monohydrate
15g – EAA
Few Shakes of pink Salt
***IN 1 liter of water

(Have most of this down prior to training)

Intra workout Layout –

15g – EAA

IMMEDIATELY POST TRAINING –
4g natural calm
15g EAA (preferably true nutrition raw powder

ADD – 25 min post workout cardio on hamstring and upper body days on stairs

***eat post meal 30 min later

Meal 3 – Post Training

60g – Oats (once you get home I want you using regular oats)
70g – whey isolate (true nutrition micro filtered isolate)

Meal 4

100g – Jasmine Rice cooked
250g – 99% turkey cooked
3g – Omega 3 oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral, 1g – Astragalus

Meal 5
100g – Jasmine Rice cooked
300g – Tilapia Cooked

Meal 6

100g – Fresh Green beans or Frozen cooked
280g – Steak cooked

3g – Omega 3 oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral, 1g – Astragalus, Life Extension Curcumin 400mg, Vit K2 1 cap life extension brand

Cardio:

Steady State Cardio fasted AM upon waking following morning supplements

7 Days per week

Good consistent pace here breaking and maintaining a sweat.

45 min / OFF DAY – 55 min

Recumbent bike or stairs

Breaking and maintaining a sweat throughout on recumbent bike. Increase the resistance and keep RPM at 85-90

I want a good sweat here and assertive pace!

Steady State Cardio POST WORKOUT OR PM

5 Days per week

Good consistent pace here breaking and maintaining a sweat.

25 min on Stairs

65 steps per min

I want a good sweat here and assertive pace!

[Matt Jansen]

Truly Believe that we have a huge opportunity to take advantage of if Nathan is 100% so I am continuing to push him towards that end. Here are the latest changes that we implemented below!

Morning Greens Shake prior to meal 1

1 scoop Greens Powder (my favorite is nutridyn fruits and greens chocolate order off amazon)

10g – Glutamine

Add Pink Salt or Sea Salt to all meals

Vitamins taken upon Waking on empty stomach:

1200mg NAC, 750mg Tudca (nutricost), 1000mg Maximum Milk Thistle (specific on amazon), 2 citrus bergamot (jarrow formula)

Evening on empty stomach between 5th and 6 meal:

1200mg NAC, 750mg Tudca (nutricost), 1000mg Maximum Milk Thistle (specific on amazon), 2 citrus bergamot (jarrow formula)

Fat Burners

Shreddabull – 1 cap upon waking

Meal 1

80g – Oats (raw measure cooked)
280g – Steak cooked

3g – Omega 3 Oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral, 400 IU Vit E, 15mg Zinc, 100mg b Complex, 2000IU Vit D, CoQ10 – 200mg. Life Extension Curcumin 400mg, Vit K2 1 cap life extension brand, 1g – Astragalus

Meal 2

140g – Jasmine Rice cooked

280g – Chicken cooked

100g – Onions and peppers

Meal 3

140g – Jasmine Rice cooked

310g – fresh white caught fish cooked (tilapia)

3g – Omega 3 oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral, 1g – Astragalus

Pre train Shake (30 min prior)

5g – L Citrulline

5g – Creatine monohydrate

15g – EAA

Few Shakes of pink Salt

***IN 1 liter of water

(Have most of this down prior to training)

Intra workout Layout –

15g – EAA

Post Workout Meal

70g Oats Raw Measure

75g Whey Isolate

Meal 5

310g – Chicken Cooked
Peppers and Onions

Meal 6

310g – Steak

Onion and peppers

3g – Omega 3 oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral, 1g – Astragalus, Life Extension Curcumin 400mg, Vit K2 1 cap life extension brand

Cardio:

Steady State Cardio fasted AM upon waking following morning supplements

Daily AM

Good consistent pace here breaking and maintaining a sweat.

45 min
-35 min on Bike
-10 min on stairs

Recumbent bike or stairs

Breaking and maintaining a sweat throughout on recumbent bike. Increase the resistance and keep RPM at 85-90

I want a good sweat here and assertive pace!

[Matt Jansen]

Closing in here! Iain still holding a very good look at 260, due to his body continuing to respond so well I am pushing him to insure he finishes at his best. Here are his latest changes below.

Morning Greens Shake (after cardio prior to meal 1)

1 serving of greens product (amazing grass, fruits and greens from nutridyn is great!)
UDU adult formulaa probiotic or Renew Life Ultimate Flora – pro biotic am only

Sea Salt all meals

Liver Products
750mg Tudca, 3 Liver+ AD caps upon waking, 5 Morphoprime caps, 250mg Citrus Bergamot

Other

1 AD matador with each carb meal

1 Solaray Betaine HCL prior to each meal (if heart burn issues are present)

Meal 1

280g – Chicken

210g – Jasmine Rice cooked

3g – Omega 3 oil, Vit C – 1g, 2 Solaray Milti mineral, 5000IU Vit D, 3 caps Heart+

Meal 2

280 – Fresh caught lean White fish cooked
300g – Yukon OR Other Potato Cooked
75g – Fresh Green beans cooked measure

Meal 3 – Pre Workout Meal 60 min Prior to pre shake

210g – Jasmine Rice cooked

280g – Chicken or 99% Ground Turkey or Turkey Tenderloin cooked Cooked

Pre train Drink –

Then Drink the following

5g Citrulline Malate

5g Glycerol Powder

– Amino product (I want you aiming to get 3g of Leucine from the product so the amount is dependent on the brand so just look on the label to figure out the appropriate amount

NO CARB POWDER

– 5g creatine monohydrate

– 2g pink sea salt

At least 24 ounces of water

Intra workout Layout –

– Amino product (I want you aiming to get 3g of Leucine from the product so the amount is dependent on the brand so just look on the label to figure out the appropriate amount

At least 24 ounces of water

Post Workout

70g – Whey 100% Isolate

Meal 4 – Post workout Meal

210g – Jasmine Rice cooked

280g – Chicken or 99% Ground Turkey or Turkey Tenderloin cooked Cooked

Meal 5
280g – Bison or Beef Flank Steak cooked

75g – Fresh Green beans cooked measure

Meal 6

140g – Fresh caught lean White fish cooked
140g – Fresh caught sockeye salmon cooked

75g – Asparagus cooked

3g – Omega 3 oil, Vit C – 1g

AM Cardio

6 sessions weekly x 35 min on bike. Level 8-10 / RPM 90

[Matt Jansen]

Giving you guys a rundown of my day at this point, still very much a prep like environment here which is what I feel will make Nathan the most successful no reason for him and I to be on different ends of the spectrum.

Wake up around 7AM
Take my thyroid meds from DR combination of t4 – 75mcg and t3 – 25mcg (been on them since 2012)
Take 1 shreddabull cap from project ad and 5 morphoprime caps from Morphogen Nutrition

30 min of cardio x 6 weekly

Come home take all of my other morning fasted supplements as well as pre meal digestive aids
3 liver+ from project AD, 1 Ravenous from project AD, 1 betaine HCL cap from solaray, 1 zinlori 75 tab from metagenics, 1 ox bile cap, 4 kidney stuff Pills, 1g astragulus, 600mg sustained release NAC (jarrow), Himalaya brand arjuana and livercare.

Next up greens shake
1 scoop fruits and greens from nutridyn + 7g endefen, 10g Glutamine

Meal 1
220g Jasmine Rice
250g Chicken
Homemade black bean, tomato and corn salsa
coffee

Meal 2
220g Jasmine Rice
50g peas
125g Ground turkey
125g Chicken
3 Heart+ from AD, 3g Nordic Natural Omega, 1g Vit C, 5000IU Vit D, 3g MorphoCalm, 2 Solaray Multi Minerals

Meal 3
90g Plain Rice Chex
1 banana (90-100g worth)
70g Whey Microfiltered isolate

Pre Train Shake
75g AD Raging Full
30g EAA
3g creatine
20g AD Nitrox
10g Glutamine
(I have about 3/4 of this consumed prior to training and finish the last bit during my first exercise)

Post
10g EAA
3g creatine
10g Glutamine

Post Meal
90g Rice Chex
90g Golden Grahams
70g True Nutrition Microfiltered Isolate

Meal 5
300g Shredded Potato
250g Steak OR Bison
Jalepeno / Home made salsa
Ketchup / chipotle hot sauce (love this combo)
3g Nordic Natural Omega, 1g Vit C, 5000IU Vit D, 3g MorphoCalm, 2 Solaray Multi Minerals, 1 Life Extension Vitamin K, 400mg Life Extension Curcumin, 200mg Ubiqinol CO-q 10

I take my other round of fasted supplements and take a second greens shake now about 30 min prior to this meal
3 liver+ from project AD, 4 kidney stuff Pills, 1g astragulus, 600mg sustained release NAC (jarrow), Himalaya brand arjuana and livercare.

Meal 6
240g FF plain greek yogurt
12g PB2
50g Whey Isolate
100g Strawberries
50g banana
40-50g Granola

Meal 7 (mid sleep)
150g Chicken
140g Rice
(back to bed)

[Matt Jansen]

Jim Bob – I do not do as much mobility as I should but I do stretch and do loading stretching under weight post training. Always a good idea to work on becoming more mobile.

[Author]

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