Chest & Back

I can't even express in words how great it feels to be back into a normal routine, hitting macros, and crushing the gym! Don't get me wrong, I loved spending time with my family over the holiday season, but the worst part about taking time off like that is getting back into the roiutines. It was well worth the time off, both physically and mentally, but that simply marks the countdown to the STAGE! I'm going to do be doing my normal 3 day on, 1 day off rotation alternating heavier days with lighter days without a progression for starters and go from there.

BB Rack Deadlifts

I started off with this exercise and took my working up to my working sets. One of my Christmas gifts this year was a nice, thick Cardillo Belt. Once I start getting up to the heavier weights where my core is the limiting factore instead of the muscle group I am primarily working, I will start using a belt to lift more weight. I am surprised I didn't lose a lot of strength over my hiatus. I was able to bust out top sets of:

675 for 8 reps, 725 for 5 reps, 765 for 3 reps

I was amazed I can even pull 8 plates each side off the rack...that's the first time I've ever been able to do that! I mean, it's no Layne Norton world record raw deadlift off the floor, but it's a start! ;)

BB Incline Press

My chest is one of those body parts that seems to suffer the most strength loss after time off from the gym. Although the strength loss in this case was very minor, it still doesn't surprise me that chest was one of them. Form felt good, and had a really good spotter that slightly helped about half way through on the last rep of the last two sets to keep the bar moving...which most of you know that a really good spotter can make a big difference in the set! I was able to perform top sets of:

320 for 5 reps, 5 reps (spotter help on rep 5), 4 reps (spotter help on rep 4)

I thought about staying at 315 and going for sets of 6ish, but decided to go a litle heavier instead. It wasn't a bed few sets and I will take them for now and build off of them.

Rack Chins

I must say...after the rack deadlifts, my back was pretty spent! For these, I brought the seat in a little closer and set up more upright to do more of a pulldown movement. I was able to still lift pretty heavy and get what I need done in spite of the previous rack deads sets. My top sets were:

BW+150 for 6 reps, BW+200 for 5 reps, 5 reps

I will be working this exercise in on a regular basis due to the fact I can perform a heavy back exercise without incororating my lower back. The more I can keep it fresh and recovered, the more I can continue to do all the heavy compound lifting that I do.

DB Incline Flys

As you've noticed, I dropped back down to 315 for my second set here. I have done 325 with really strong reps before, but today I just wasn't feeling it. I think the heavier rack chins today took a little more out of me than usual, so I had to bump it down to 315 for set 2. The first set was to "trappy" with the pulls off the floor. With 315 though, the reps were solid and it right where I wanted them to.

DB Incline Flys: 105s for 9 reps, 8 reps

The only potential problem that I see here is that the gym I am now lifting at for the remainer of tax season only has DBs that go up to 100lbs. That really sucks, but there is nothing that I can do since EVERY gym in this town is the exact same way. There have been several people along the way in my journals advising different ways to get around that, and i am now looking into those options as we speak. But for now, it's just the 100s and my sets were:

100s for 12 reps, 10 reps, 10 reps

I went a little slower and really focused on maximum contraction throughout the range of motion. My chest was tore up by the end of the sets and that was a great way to finish the workout. I walked out feeing both mentally and physically euphoric!

Diet has been in check since Monday of this week. By "in check" I mean that I have been counting out macros, hitting numbers, balancing out meals, timing carbohydrates, etc. I have been getting a lot of emails and questions about my daily diet and supplement regimen as of right now, so I will outline a typical day's worth.

Meal 1: 4 scoops of Scivation Solution 5 & 3 slices of Sun Maid Cinnamon Raisin Bread - 17.5g fat, 70g carbs, 51g of protein

Meal 2: 2 turkey (Boar's Head Blazing Buffalo) & cheese (Sargento reduced fat) sandwiches (Sara Lee wheat bread) - 16g fat, 70g carbs, 55.5g protein

Meal 3: 6oz of grilled chicken breast strips (Tyson), 3 oz. of spaghetti pasta (Generic), 2 servings of shredded cheese (Sargento reduced fat) - 19.5g, 69g carbs, 62.5g protein

(Pre-Workout) Meal 4: 2 packets of oatmeal (Quaker Instant - flavor varies), 2 scoops of Scivation Whey - 6g fat, 56g carbs, 50g protein

(Post-Workout) Meal 5: 2 packets of oatmeal (Quaker Instant - flavor varies), 2 scoops of Scivation Whey - 6g fat, 56g carbs, 50g protein

Daily Totals (on average): 65g fat, 320g carbs, 270g protein

I hope that gives a better idea of how I do things concerning my diet. I am a simple person and always opt for the simplest approach. I am completely fine with eating the same foods for simplicity sake. I mix them up of course, and I don't always eat waht is above, but I typically eat 5 meals a day and split up my macros in that fashion. Sometimes I will leave out the cheese and take some EFAs, Sesamin, or Max CLA. If it looks like I will be longer than 2-2.5 hours between a meal, I will down 2 scoops of xtend. I'm always adapting my diet every day to coincide with whatever life throws at me. I think that's really the important part. Once you have the understanding and awareness of the basics down, it becomes much easier to nail nutrition no matter how hectic life gets.

Sporto

New Year, New Blog!

What a year! I can honestly say that 2009 was a great year all around and I am very excited to see what the new year will bring! This last year was full of life changes, and I don't see this year being any different. After a successful tax season last year, I picked up golfing as a new hobby and have officially become addicted to the game. I think I honestly love the game as much as it frustrates me! I also had a very successful year prepping clients for both on and offseason work and have felt very fortunate to have made so many great new friends in this industry. I can't begin to tell you the amount of fulfillment it brings to help other people reach their goals the way someone helped me achieve mine. Also, for those who don't know, I am now married to the love of my life - Kera - who not only happens to be my companion in life, but is also my best friend. We were married in early October and followed it up by taking a week long honeymoon in Bora Bora, Tahiti. We stayed in a really nice overwater bungalow, and in fact, the movie The Couples Retreat was filmed directly across the lagoon from where we were staying. To bring the old year to a close, I was able to spend the holidays with family and friends that I don't normally get to see but maybe once a year and have good quality time with them.

So now as the old year closes, a new one opens! I am currently back in my hometown and prepping the office for the upcoming tax season. In addition, I am still finding time to get my workouts in, as well as handling contest preparation for several clients that will be competing in spring shows. I have started up this new blog to post my workouts, diets, supplementation, philosophies, etc. in addition to the sites that I already post on frequently. I will have a new website up soon, which Bob Kupniewski has generously helped me with in setting up in his spare time, and hope to have that up and running very shortly.

As for competing, I have plans to step on stage in my pro debut this fall. I haven't quite nailed down the exact shows I will be doing (much of that decision depends on what all is going on in my life at the time), but one thing is for sure - I will be setting my sights on Layne Norton in Florida come November! If everything works out, Layne and I will be competing against each other in the NGA Universe down in Florida late next year, so for those of you who follow either of us, be sure to check that out as the time comes!

With that being said, I look forward to a brand new year!

Sporto

Five for Five with Tommy Jeffers – Part Two

If you missed Part One of the interview:Click Here


RZ: Having followed your progress from day one, your development has been a true inspiration. What did you learn about yourself during your most recent journey to striated glutes?

TJ: Thanks! I appreciate that! I can tell you, I learned a great deal about myself in the weeks leading up to that last competition. You start to experience some really dramatic changes, not only physically, but even more so psychologically. As you diet down to ultra lean levels, most of your hormonal processes start to shut down. Hunger shoots through the roof, libido is non-existent, mood is all over the place, etc. It’s one of those things that you can’t really describe very well; you just have to experience it to fully understand what I mean. When I say hunger, I’m not talking about your normal, every day, “I’m hungry for lunch” type of hunger. I’m talking about you being hungry as you are eating, hungry immediately after you eat, and hungry to the point that food gives you no satiety whatsoever.

Now, apply that analogy to mood swings and try to get a picture of just how cranky you can be. I’ve learned how disciplined I can be if I want to be. I’ve learned the TRUE meaning of patience. I’ve learned which people in my life truly care about and support me. I mean, the list goes on and on. Bodybuilding can be a very humbling experience, but you have to be doing it for the right reasons for it to be.

RZ: A lot of bodybuilders are hyper-obsessive compulsives. Eating disorders and body image issues are ever-present. How do you keep an even keel on things and avoid some of the negative behaviors typically associated with physique sports (i.e. binge eating, starvation, etc.)?

TJ: To fully understand why the majority of people act in that way, you have to take a look at the root of the problem. See, as I mentioned earlier in the interview, I got into bodybuilding the way most do – I had insecurity issues within myself. But, in my case, I learned what health, fitness, bodybuilding, etc. was really all about. I not only worked on my physique, but I was also working on myself as a person. Then, inevitably, my reasons why I was doing everything changed. You have to be into bodybuilding, sports, or whatever for the right reasons. If you think having a great body will solve all of your insecurity issues, you are wrong. Having a nice physique is great, but it’s still nothing more than working on the surface. You have to work on yourself as well. What I see in the people who have those issues is a great deal of insecurity. The look they have on the outside is just a façade and covers up how they feel about themselves on the inside. I maintain an even keel because I continually work on myself as a person. I read self-help and personal development books, attend church, and surround myself with positive people. And you know what? My quality of life is much better and I am able to enjoy the physique I am building because I am doing it for the right reasons.

RZ: Name your top three most influential diet and nutrition specialists and a single lesson learned from each of them.

TJ: The first one would have to be the guy that really was the first one to open my eyes to diet and training – Lyle McDonald. The big thing Lyle really taught me about diet/nutrition, was that my body really does hate me. Seriously though, the body does not want to be big and lean, it wants to be small and fat in times of severe dieting and ultra leanness (like contest prep). He really helped explain to me about the things that go on when dieting for a contest and what things we have control over, what things we can do, etc. Still to this day, he continues to give advice to me whenever I ask anything from him, and I highly recommend reading the books he has out. That’s not a shameless plug either…his books are loaded with incredible information about nutrition and physiology.

The second would have to be Layne Norton. I followed him through his journey to becoming a professional, and have since started working with him and picking his brain every chance I get. The biggest thing that Layne has taught me has to do with contest prep and not cutting out water. I, like most other natural amateurs, had been brainwashed into thinking that you need to cut water to get dry. It simply is the exact opposite. Of the many things about contest prep that he has taught me, not cutting water was the biggest eye opener for me.

The third would have to be Marc Lobliner from Scivation/Primaforce. His continuing effort to optimize all dieting approaches has had him researching many different areas. The big thing I have learned from Marc has been the different ways to skin a cat. Seriously, there is no one way to skin a cat. So many approaches can be used for different people and it’s al about finding that right approach that someone can stick to and get results from.

RZ: Name your top three most influential training specialists and a single lesson learned from each of them.

TJ: The three I mentioned above have really been influential to me in both nutrition and training. Layne has taught me a great deal about optimal approaches of training, especially for specific muscle groups, and setting up splits that just flat out work. He’s taught me a lot about slow and steady progress with small adjustments over time being the key.

Lyle, with his “no bullshit” approach has gotten all of the typical brainwashing I had from the magazines and media out of my head and taught me a lot about the differences in styles of training between naturals and drug users. I, like many others, have fallen victim to believing what I see in the mainstream media as far as training, nutrition, and the worst, supplements. Lyle has grounded me to constantly rely on the tried and true (what’s been proven to work) and always build your training schemes off of the basics – bench, squats, and deadlifts.

The third I’d probably have to go with Dante (Doggcrap). His style of training has opened up my eyes on a lot of things. I believe in a lot of his principles, especially the rest pause set, and try to incorporate his principles into my workouts all year round. Just in adding rest pauses alone, I’ve seen dramatic improvements in my physique in just weeks. He really knows his stuff and his philosophies are solid.

RZ: Are cheerios the secret to mad gainz, sw0le trapz, and rippt abz?

TJ: You bet your ass they are! Whether it’s cheerios, oats, pastas, breads, you name it…just remember that carbohydrates are not the enemy! When used right, they can be very beneficial on any dieting approach.

RZ: Tommy – you are a true sport, no pun intended… okay maybe. Once again, congrats on everything – you deserve it all.

Link For Interview #2

Five for Five with Tommy Jeffers – Part One

It’s not surprising, given the online company we keep, that Tommy and I were trolling the same online forums and within a few years he’d catapulted himself into the limelight of the fitness interwebs. Beside winning the 2007 OCB Mr. Natural Indiana and gaining his IFPA pro card the same year, he’s plastered near naked on the cover of Lyle McDonald’s The Stubborn Fat Solution. Not bad for a bodybuilding nerd. I had the opportunity to interview him, so without further ado, here’s the first of a two-part interview with ‘Sporto’ Tommy Jeffers.

RZ: Tommy, you’ve been elevated into the professional ranks of natural bodybuilders. Why don’t you give us a little history lesson as to what got you here?

TJ: Growing up, I’d always been involved in sports and had a very athletic childhood. When I reached middle school, and then high school, I had become quite the skinny kid. My family didn’t have a lot of money, and I never wore any of the nice, preppy clothes, so I was picked on all the time by the “cool” kids. And then one day it just hit me. I remember the exact day too. It was during my sophomore year of high school, and on this particular day of being picked on, I had simply had enough. I remember being so mad at myself for not standing up to these kids that it was right then and there I decided to do something about it. It was then that I literally became OCD with training, nutrition, supplementation, all of it. I essentially got started into weightlifting because of insecurity issues I had with myself at the time. I mean, who isn’t insecure at that age right?

Obviously, the reasons why I do what I do now have changed, but that was my birth into the world of weightlifting. Now, as for bodybuilding, I never really had aspirations for it growing up. It didn’t even occur to me as something I would do until I the year 2004. I had just been through a very emotionally tumultuous time in my life – ended an engagement, ended my professional baseball career, didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, etc. We’ve all been there, and if you haven’t yet, you will! But, it was that year I decided to actually try bodybuilding out at the local contest that my college has annually called Mr. ISU. It was a great experience. It gave me something in my life I felt like I could control again with the dieting, the training, etc. And best of all, I ended up winning the competition that year and I have been hooked ever since!

RZ: Tommy, that’s awesome. I think a lot of the guys in the game today can relate to your story. I was surprised about your approach for this most recent competition. In the past I know you experimented with aggressive, cylical diets. Even Lyle’s now infamous Ultimate Diet 2.0. For your latest competition, it seems you took a moderate approach vis-à-vis diet and training. Intensity non-withstanding (as obviously it was through the roof), how could the average trainee adopt the broad strokes of your modality so as to apply some of your ideas to their own plans?

TJ: That’s just it! There isn’t anything fancy or complicated with what I do. And, what I do isn’t difficult at all. You know what is? Making what I do a habit, that’s the hard part. I mean, how difficult is it to sit food on a scale and weigh it? It’s not. How difficult is it to remember to do that all the time? That’s the trick. It’s those very little things that you don’t even notice that separate the average from the elite. Let’s face it, there really hasn’t been anything revolutionary come out in the fitness industry that has caused the big and ripped look to happen any faster than doing the mundane basics over a period of time.

You know why?

Because that’s the big secret. What you see in my physique is nothing more than hard work ethic and discipline over a long period time. Consistency is what separates the average from the elite. Most people will do it for awhile, then back off, then get back in it, then back off, etc. I have been training, eating right, and supplementing the necessities for years and years. If there’s one thing I would love to hammer into the brains of all the “average” trainees it would be to stay consistent with all of this and make it part of your lifestyle. Once you do that, the results will inevitably come and it’s all downhill from there.

RZ: I know you’re not a fitness guru by anymeans, but I also know you’ve worked as a trainer. You strike me as the eternal student, but presume you have 12 weeks to take a “skinny-fat” trainee at a roughly intermediate level. He needs to get into awesome shape for (okay, let’s aim high here) a movie role. What sort of protocols what you employ to develop your ideal “Spartan?”

TJ: This is where the fun begins on my part as a trainer, and is why I love doing what I do. Most trainers that you see at a local franchise gym, have a couple of cookie-cutter programs that they put everybody on. What separates the good trainers from the bad ones is the ability to adapt and tailor specifics to each individual for whatever their needs are. As much as I’d like to think so, not everyone wants to look like a pro bodybuilder!

In a situation like that, here’s what you’d have to do. First, you have to find out roughly how much he/she needs to lose to get the desired look that he/she is wanting. That will determine what their weekly fat/body fat loss needs to be to hit their desired goal. Now, we take the weekly goal and use that to determine the calorie level per day that we need to achieve that goal. Then, I would decide the best approach (macro-nutrient ratio wise) based upon what body type they have, to determine what daily numbers he/she needs to hit. Then the training approach will be tailored to them base on recovery ability, any injuries or limitations, what machines/equipment they have access to, etc. So, essentially what I end up with is a big puzzle and my job is to put the pieces together in the most optimal way possible based on everything that I have learned over the years.

RZ: There’s been much talk recently of the merits of compound routines versus plans that focus on lower frequency and greater isolation (i.e. body part splits). I noticed for your latest competition you took on a fairly traditional bodybuilding style approach. Could you talk about your philosophies when it comes to training?

Ah yes, the infinite debate on what’s considered the most optimal approach. My training philosophy, which everything I do, preach, and teach with, does not focus on any particular routine, rather thebalancethat lies within that routine. The 3 variables that we have at play with any training routine are volume, frequency, and intensity. In my opinion, what’s far more important that what training routine/split you choose, is the balance that you have with it. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t think that some programs are more optimal than others, because I certainly do – and that all depends on what the ultimate goal is for that individual. But, as long as you can find and attain the right balance of those 3 variables…I believe the program will work. So, again, my philosophy on training isn’t within any particular style of training, rather the balance within that style of those 3 variables.

RZ: Okay, seriously, how did you develop that kind of volume tolerance?

TJ: Hah! I will admit, for whatever reason, I have found that my body has downright freaky genetics when it comes to recovery ability and volume tolerance. And honestly, I think that’s really what it boils down to: genetics. I haven’t seen anything in my own research that has shown prolonged adaptation to high volumes of training, i.e. you can’t “train” your body to have better volume tolerance – which is why we have over-reaching/over-training. Now, I do believe that your body will adapt to anything that you can throw at it in the acute sense, but trying to prolong higher volumes of training than what your body is genetically able to recover from will just result in overtraining. So, unfortunately, it’s just that I’m a genetic freak.

Check back soon for Part Two of this installment of Five for, um, More than Five with IFPA Pro Tommy Jeffers.

OCB Mr. Natural Indiana Pictures

Placing: 1st Place Overall

OCB Mr. Natural Indiana Pictures

Placing: 1st Place Overall

OCB Mr. Natural Indiana 2007 Pictures

Placing: 1st Place Overall

Continued Pictures

Placing: 1st Place Overall

NPC Natural Northern USA 2007 Pictures

Placing: 7th Place Overall

Pictures

Placing: 1st Place Overall

OCB Midwest States

Placing: 1st Place Overall

Julian's Testimonial

Tommy Jeffers really helped and showed me a new vision af training as a natural. I wish to keep with im in my next off season and try to biuld a sharper physique. He really helped me, I, owe him a lot. I came 7th in the Mr. Universal show, but I was said it was close with the guy who was 6th as my abs are def a weak point. I need to work even more on them but I really do try soo hard already I'm improving but too slow.

Bob's Testimonial

Working with Tommy Jeffers I encountered changes in my physique I never dreamed of. I went through a contest prep diet with him during my time of 5 months. Through this I experience incredible fat loss, I found the nuts and bolts of dieiting to the extreme, and in the end I found the results I was looking for. For the price, service, and results this is one of the greatest experiences I could ask for. Tommy helped me prime my body, and is giving me a chance to succeed in bodybuilding as I continue to work hard towards the stage in 2010-2011.

Dawn's Testimonial

I learned so much about myself and my body and what I can accomplish when I put my mind to it. I had no idea the levels of difficulty I would face when I decided I was going to take it to the level of competing. I did encounter stumbling blocks and very difficult events personally during this contest prep and yet I found the strength and determination to overcome the obstacles and kept pushing. Tommy I have to thank you again for helping me fulfill a dream!!! I am still on cloud 9!!!

Steve's Testimonial

It was the most amazing experience of my life. I am officially hooked to the world of bodybuilding. I am so excited to be bulking with Tommy. It is going to be one wild ride I am sure. I am taking the next year off to train as hard as I can with specific attention being paid to my diet. I am going to be as strict as I can be to ensure that I can gain the largest amount of muscle possible during this bulking session.

I placed 4th in my show out of 5 contestants but the learning experience was something I cannot put a price on. I learned so much about bodybuilding but also about myself.

Sean's Testimonial

My next goal was to get into competition condition and I did that and made my stage debut in Oct of 08, placing 2nd in the middleweight novice division. I noted the improvements I needed to make and came back to the '09 season bigger and leaner, winning two first place class wins and one second place class placing. I have to thank Tommy Jeffers for setting up my diet and training to pertain towards my goal of stepping on stage with a victory. My goal is to continue to improve and win my pro-card in the 2010 fall season. I won my class in my last show and fell short in the overall, but I brough the best package to the stage possible with Tommy's guidance.