So we're six and a half weeks out from the Flex Pro and I am feeling better than ever this close to a show. I am not yelling at people on the road, fighting with friends, and not nagging my girlfriend too badly. I think things are going pretty smoothly, the weight is coming down slowly, the waist gets tighter everyday and my strength has dropped a little but still not bad at all. What more could I ask for: An easy prep has been unheard of for me. In saying all this I know the next six weeks are going to be more hellish than the last ten but so be it, I am going to do my best to maintain my bubbly disposition…lol. I mentioned the waist getting tighter and I believe it’s from something that I did way back when I was getting ready for my first show and then after that I began to take my stomach for granted. When I did my first show I did abs every single day of my prep, nothing crazy. I would do about six sets total all to failure of varying exercises; nothing too intense but enough to give them a burn. I did this every day and the day of the show I had a tight waist, shredded up and down the sides and actually I believe it helped me win that first show.
After that I took for granted like most pros that my abs would just be there from all the heavy lifting. Like most pros they were there but they weren't as tight, the lines all around my waist weren't as deep and it definitely was not a strong point after my first two shows. So naturally I have gone back to my roots and it’s actually become an obsessive thing for me because it feels so good. Every morning after my cardio I hit the ab section where there are the fitness men are and I try to copy them. It doesn't look so pretty all the time and most likely I look like a gorilla trying to act like a cat , but when I'm done my waist is tighter and the lines are deeper. Whoever says 'oh don't do abs they'll be there anyway' has never done them for a show. Those people are right your abs will be there but think about how much better they could be if you took the time to etch in crazy details. If you don't believe me just ask any of the bodybuilders from the 80's how they feel about it, or better yet just watch some old Shawn Ray videos and you will get it. I guess the larger point to all this is never to just accept someone else's opinion as gospel. Sure pro bodybuilders have tons of experience under their belt and they have more knowledge about training than the average person, but in saying that you have to remember that all of us are different and what works for me won't always work for someone else. My opinion is to always try something, give it a real honest effort for one or two months and see what the result is. If it hasn't helped you than drop it; if it does than go with it and be thankful that someone helped you along the way in your journey. I see people in the gym all the time doing certain things because they saw it in a video or were told to do it or better yet NOT to do it. Just remember bodybuilding is about creating the best physique YOU can possibly create, so how is copying someone else suppose to help? Try different things and always be open to new ideas, but at the end of the day remember that your physique is your physique and the mirror will not lie to you if you should keep doing something or not. Sacrifice Without Regret, Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad
