tick tock tick tock tick tock

We are almost there. As this final off season weekend approaches I want to tell you all to enjoy yourselves. That diet and workout regimen is going to hit like a ton of bricks. By phase 3 I expect everyone following the plan to have cursed my soul at least 5 times. Are you excited? I am.

There is a lot to be done. Do it. Remember your goals and let that keep you going. Arnold did a 2 hour gym session before going to his college classes. After that he went to his job as a brick layer and then back for another 2 hours at the gym. One foot in front of the other and always eyes on the prize. It won’t happen over night, but you guys know me well enough to know that if you trust the plan and put in the work it will happen.

While you are enjoying your final days of off season, keep in mind that you have a lot of work to do this weekend. Between your jobs and your families and the gym schedule and everything else in your lives, this is going to get a bit difficult. The number one way you can make it easier is to preplan. Your gym life needs to be an assembly line production. I am sure that by the 3rd or 4th phase you would be on it anyway, but why not get a start. So here are some of the things you should do. Some of them may seem like trifles, but trust me, if you have every single thing you need ready to go before hand, it will make it easier (and thus more effective) to do what needs to be done.

This weekend make sure your gym bag is packed. Make a list of the things you need and put it on your fridge or some other place. Go through everything item by item on the list. Don’t guess and DO NOT save it for morning. Once your bag is packed put it in the place where packed bags go. The same place every day. Remember, living with intention is important.

Make sure your headphones are fully charged. Make sure your clothes (both for work and to/from the gym if applicable) are all laid out where you need them. Your keys — have them ready. I kid you not, there is nothing that will kill your energy and readiness to go to the gym in the morning than a 15 minute key search.

You need to get your groceries. Sit down, write out every single meal you will be eating this week. Write out the ingredients. Write it all down. Not just “dur family pack of chicken i will figure it out.” THAT IS HOW PEOPLE FAIL. Take some paper or use excel or word and make boxes. Monday. Meal 1. Write the exact meal. Write the ingredients, quantities etc. When you have your entire weeks meal laid out on a schedule and on another paper have a total list of needed ingredients go to the store (or if you are me log on to the store) and buy what you need.

Now that you have your food you need to do your Monday meal prep. Did you already figure out your method of moving food here and there? Do you have your Tupperware ready? Did you get your cooler bag?

Treat yourselves this weekend fellas

Are the ice packs in the freezer? If not. Get that shit done.

Next up food prep. Do this smart. I have played with cooking the night before for freshness and I have played with making everything on Sundays. I am now making all my food except breakfasts and dinners on sunday. I will make breakfasts the night before and make dinner when I get home. To me this is the easiest method.

Ok, so now you have your food and everything you need to move it, what next? Are you using supplementation? This year, I am using a multi vitamin, a pre-workout, fish oil, ZMA, glucosamine and protein. Separate all your pills and powders for the week. Get one of those divider things. My lunch box from 6 pack fitness came with one but if you don’t have one it is a few dollars at any GNC or on amazon. Get to it. Get those shaker bottles for the next day prepped and ready to go.

Maybe water isn’t the primary underlying element of all things in the world like Thales said, but it is the foundation on which a bodybuilder’s body is created. 2 FUCKING GALLONS NO EXCUSES

You got it all down? Good. So we have our gear, our food and our supplements taken care of now. What next.

Write out your daily goal sheets. I use a little pocket notebook. I am sure there are apps for this, but I am old fashioned (read techtarded) so I use a pencil. You need to be drinking 2 GALLONS of water every day. 2 GALLONS. NOT 1.9 GALLONS!!!!! 2 GALLONS!!!!!! 256 OUNCES OF WATER PER DAY MINIMUM. I have a 25 ounce water bottle so i make a chart with numbers 1-10 and a little box. Every time I drain my water I check the box. When all 10 boxes are checked I know I need a 6 oz glass of water. I can’t stress how important your 2 gallons is. It is as important as your diet, as your workout or your sleep. I will say it one more time. 2 GALLONS. You guys are putting money, time and effort into this….don’t cheat yourself because you pussied out and couldn’t get that last bottle of water down. 85% of the time you piss, even with the vitamins, should be crystal clear. 2 GALLONS.

Now it is time to do some studying. Look, don’t take this the wrong way because I mean everyone from the guy whose first day it is in the gym, to first year WB guys to me to Phil Heath himself….we need to study the lifts. So I want you to look at Monday’s workout. For each lift you should look at

I cannot stress enough the importance of studying, not browsing, not looking over, but studying the lifts the night before.

multiple form charts, multiple instructional notes, multiple videos and make notes for yourself. Study your lifts. If you do not do them right they will not so as much for you as you would like and have a higher chance of leading to injury. STUDY them. There is a secondary benefit to studying your lifts. Remember my analogy of the motorcycle and staring where you want to go. Get your head in the game. I want you to study so hard that you are thinking about lifts and lifting form when you eat, when you sleep, when you shit and at every moment of the day. Being a gym casual is fine, but it is not what we are doing here. It is time to get the warrior mentality working.

Having done all of this it is time to clean. Clean your home. Make it fucking spotless and organized. When you get home after multiple gym sessions and a long day at work and have to cook up some food you do NOT want to be looking around at shit you need to do. Get it done. Do you have a project you have been meaning to handle. Do you have a chair that you throw clothes on. Do you need to bleach your toilet? Get it fucking done.

After all of this is done I want you to go through the drill. Wake up. What do you do. Is everything set. That trial run wont be necessary in 3 weeks, but we are rusty. Get it all down. Fine, all good, now it is time to sit down, open up spotify or whatever you use for music, and make your playlist. There should be 2 hours of music on it. Sit there and make a playlist of songs you will not need to skip when you are in the gym. I know it is a pain in the ass, but so is interrupting your lift and hitting next on the music.

While you are there make sure any and all apps you will need, calculators you have for calories or lifting or cardio are all set up and updated. Do you have your HBOGO or NETFLIX passwords in your phone for your

“Everybody pities the weak. Jealousy you have to earn.”
Guys, its almost time to earn that jealousy.

cardio if you use it?

When every single possible thing is done, when your studying is done, when you have form videos burned

into your head the next thing to do is relax. Sit. Watch tv. Chill out. You not only earned it, but it is the eve of battle. Be drinking as much water as possible so your are good and hydrated for the next day but do it while chilling out. Make yourself a cup of tea. I want you, to the best of your abilities, to think of yourselves as warriors about to embark on a long, arduous battle. If you want to make it real it will be real and if it is real the results will show.

Gentlemen, 4 more days.