A New Year's Resolution

A New Year’s Resolution

Fitmark Ambassador, Andrew Bukowsky, gives advice on achieving your goals. 

A New Year’s resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the change of a habit. A key element to a New Year’s Resolution that sets it apart from other resolutions is that it is made in anticipation of the New Year and most of all, the anticipation of new beginnings. People committing themselves to a New Year’s resolution generally plan to do so for the whole following year.

This lifestyle change is generally interpreted as advantageous and most often, if not always, is a failure. Why would I say that you ask? Because majority of people just say they are going to do something without actually planning ahead and then acting on their words. As the end of the year approaches the resolutions come to surface and it’s when I hear; “On January 1st I am starting a diet, I will lose weight, I will eat better, or save money,” however most often than not, when asked people never have an action plan, just a goal and sometimes maybe a vision.

I started my journey of transforming my lifestyle about two years ago in this same manner…With a goal, somewhat of a vision, but no plan of how I will actually do it.
It’s easier said than done to say eat clean, exercise and results will follow. As I started my journey with my wife, we were far off from knowing what “Clean Eating” really was.
You think you know, you exercise every day and little is happening.
You can read all the books and on-line feeds but until you commit to consistency it really means nothing.

Finally 6 months into our so called clean eating and exercising with minimal results we got help from a husband/wife team of personal trainers who taught us how, when and what to eat to lose weight, get fit and stay fit. The guidelines were strict, direct and to the point. We were committed, determined and stuck to it. We told everyone of our VISION, not so much of our goal, but the vision itself. This is after all, a journey and not a quick fix. Here is a list I recommend for everyone that has a vision, or is in the process of creating one, or wants to set a goal and needs a plan. In addition, I don’t recommend planning further ahead than 90 days or 12 weeks.

This applies to everything not just diet, eating and losing weight. These principles can and should be applied in everything we do from relationships, our work, fitness level and friendships. I will apply the list toward the fitness category:

• Vision: Share this with as many people as you can, especially those who will be your support circle….if you don’t how will you be held accountable and how will other know what your needs are and trust me you will need the support.
• Outline your goals and be as specific as possible and are measureable.
• If you can afford it…GET A COACH! Someone who really knows their stuff for meal planning and a workout program. At least for the first 90 days of your journey.

This is not a sales pitch, since I have become a personal trainer and a nutrition coach. It really was the foundation to my success. I highly recommend it. It will keep you focused and stress free knowing you are in good hands and having the freedom of following a well-designed program and seeing changes was huge for me and my wife.

• Define what an effective meal plan is for you by either doing extensive research or talking with your coach.
• Rid your home of anything that will not support that.
• Start ridding your diet of junk food (candy, fast food, sugars) immediately
• Enlist the aid of a workout partner who’ll be in it for the long haul. For me it was my wife. This was and continues to be a joint effort day in, day out.
• Make a list and shop in advance to buy all of your food for meal planning.
• Purchase supplements and protein powder, based on advice specific to your personal goal(s).
• Outline your training regimen for the entire 12 weeks.
• Start building endurance by including cardio, especially if you have been inactive aerobically.
• Cook the night before, pack the next morning. THIS IS A MUST!!! Fail proof!!!
• Start writing down everything you eat.
• Write down your workouts and details about them. Include details of your progress.
• Get extra rest. This is so important!!!
• Share your success! You will be surprised, but chances are you will find you will inspire others around you, without even knowing it.

I’ll finish by saying, why wait until January 1st to start your journey to a healthy lifestyle. There is no better time than now, to get fit and feel great.  If you need help or advice, please feel free to contact me with any questions, or comments.  I will be happy to share my experience and offer any assistance I can, to help you begin your journey, or work towards achieving your goals.

Stay fit,
Andrew Bukowsky
Fitmark Ambassador 2013

https://www.facebook.com/andrew.bukowsky

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Wow! What a Summer this has been!

All I can say is that this really has been a crazy summer!  There have been so many struggles, changes and accomplishments that I find it hard to imagine I could have done so much in a year, let alone a few months.  I know it has been quite a while since my last update to my blog, but I truly have been so preoccupied with so many other things in my life lately, there has just literally been no time (I do apologize for this).

With so much to say, where do I begin?  I guess the best place is to start where I last left off.  My last blog post talked about my progression through my 12 weeks of prep before my first competition for Men’s Physique with the BCABBA at the Western Canadians in Kelowna.  The whole experience of prepping and stepping on stage for the first Men’s Physique show in BC really was remarkable!  I must admit that I did feel a bit like a deer caught in the headlights while I was waiting back stage for the first time I was to step on stage.  There was so much activity going on and it was almost too overwhelming to stay focused.  One thing I do regret about this first show, which I recommend other first time competitors pay heed to, is that I didn’t take the opportunity to make new connections and meet new people.  I did meet some new people, but not nearly as many as I would have liked, as I stayed in my comfort zone of my fellow team members.  The one thing that I was a bit surprised about is that once I did finally step on stage for the first time, I didn’t have a case of nervousness.  I felt comfortable and was able to really enjoy the moment.  Receiving a third place ranking was such a great feeling.  This top three placing not only would have qualified me for the BC Provincial Championships (I say would have, because since this is the first year for Men’s Physique, this BC Championships was open to all MP competitors), but it also qualified me for the 2013 IFBB World Qualifiers at the Natural Nationals (I’ll come back to this competition later).  This is a tested event, so I am very excited to be competing once again at a tested event.

So, with Kelowna’s competition complete, this meant I was only six weeks out from competing closer to home at the BC Provincial Championships, which was held at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster.  I took the opportunity to contact the judge after the show, to ask for feedback as to what I could improve on for my next competition.  The main feedback that I received, did not really come as a surprise to me, as I was told that I needed to increase the size in my chest and shoulders, but that my conditioning the best on stage.  I found it very difficult to prepare for this next competition, trying to add on size, while still staying lean since the time between shows was so tight.  Stepping on stage here at the BC’s I did see some very minor gains in muscle development, but not enough.  On the other hand, with this attempt to build and cut, I did find my conditioning was not as tight as it was in Kelowna.  The results of this show were still right where I was hoping to achieve.  I knew this competition was going to be more difficult, as the number of competitors was much larger, and this was not a tested event.  While I would have been ecstatic to have won my class and/or the overall title at this event, my goal was to place in the top five for my height class, to ensure I would be qualified to compete in the CBBF Nationals.  I did reach this goal by placing fifth in the short class and did move on to compete in the Nationals.

Once again, the next show was only six weeks away from the BC’s and I needed to work on the same areas to develop my upper body size in my prep for Nationals.  This time, I had some serious struggles, as there were a lot of personal changes and struggles I was facing at this same time.  I took it upon myself to work towards earning my A.C.E. Personal Trainers Certification this summer (right in the middle of my contest season).  So, in addition to working as a restaurant General Manager 50 hours a week, serious dieting, training twice a day at the gym, studying for my certification, I was also in the process of working to make a career change.  I found my hardest time was five weeks before the Nationals, I was under so much stress with dieting, training, work, school and friendships, that I really had a minor breakdown.  Stress took over and I fell back for a couple of days into my old comfort zone, by turning to food to help me feel better.  This really did hurt my prep, although I did manage to have some great support from my wife Grace.  She was always there by my side every day at the gym (twice a day) even though she didn’t need to prepare for a show at this time.  Grace gave me a good pep talk, which got me right back on track and I was able to come in to the Nationals in the healthiest state of mind of all the competitions to date.  At this point, once again I was working towards winning my class, but I was more focused on being honored to make it to the National level within my first year of competing and really wanted to enjoy the entire experience.  I ended up placing 7^th in my class at this event, which I was so pleased with.  This event I made a point to take the time to get to interact with fellow competitors, friends and family, as well as make an effort to connect with new people, or those that I had come to “know” through social media over the previous few months.

When I thought things would settle down after my final show at Nationals was finished, that is when things actually just started getting busier.  Right before the Nationals took place, I was invited by Ian Lauer to contribute to the Men’s Physique forum on the rxmuscle.com website, with results from the first Canadian Men’s Physique Nationals.  I was incredibly honored to have received this invitation and have now had two contributions posted to the website, sharing Canadian updates in Men’s Physique events.  In addition to this great opportunity, I wrote my exam and earned my Personal Trainer certification and have since left my restaurant General Manager role to pursue my new career as a trainer with Steve Nash Fitness World in Langley, BC.  This change has added a whole new level of stress for me, as it means I need to build my clientele from the ground up, but I am so excited to have a new career in a position that allows me to share my passion with those looking to make a change in their own lives. 

One of the most exciting things that has happened this summer, was hearing the news from Derek Crossman of DC Sports Nutrition, that both Grace and I were both chosen as Sponsored Athletes / Brand Ambassadors for Pure Force Nutrition.  This is such an amazing honor and the product line fits with our beliefs and life style just perfectly, as all of the Pure Force Nutrition products are Certified Banned Substance Free!  Check out our Fit Life 24/7 fan page on Facebook for more details about the product line.

If all of this is not enough to keep me busy, I have also been invited to be a guest blogger for Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean blog.  I am expecting to see my first contribution go live on Tosca Reno’s blog within the next couple of weeks.  I will keep you updated as to when this is live.

I guess I have gone on for quite some time now, trying to catch up on most of the events and activities I have been kept busy with through the summer.  I look forward to keeping you updated more often.  Next time I’ll get into details of my next competition and changes to my prep for this show.  Have a great day and as always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments about this blog post.

Thank you for reading.

Andrew Bukowsky
#PureMind
#PureBody
#PureLife
#PureForceNutrition
 

12 Week progression for Western Canadians Kelowna

Since my first show that I competed in Men's Physique at the Western Canadians in Kelowna is done, I think it is a good time to show my progression through the 12 weeks of preparation for this event.  I have included some of the weekly progress pictures through this time (although I have to say, the final week out I just got so caught up that taking pictures was missed).  Wow, as you will see through the weeks, it was obvious that I didn't really get my posing down until I was in the last week.  I was kind of surprised that most of my posing on stage, was presented quite well.

12 weeks out

11 weeks out

10 weeks out

 9 weeks out

8 weeks out

7 weeks out

6 weeks out

5 weeks out

4 weeks out

3 weeks out

2 weeks out

On stage - evening show!





Something I find interesting to see when I look back on these progress pictures, as well as thinking about my mind-set during this process, is how there is not really drastic changes in my physique until the last few weeks before competition.  The main reason for this, is that I have stayed strict with a healthy lifestyle and consistent training for the past 9 months leading up to this event.  This made the impact on my meal planning for preparation much less of a shock to my system, especially compared to last October, when I was initially starting to lose weight and began cutting to prepare for a photo shoot with Pink Elephant Photography.  While the impact on meal planning was minimal, the effect mentally was just as difficult, but in a much different way.  What I mean by this, is that since I was already maintaining a consistent body weight at 155Lbs and a body fat below 10%, I really didn't need the usual 12 weeks of prep to "cut" for the show.  The part that I feel was most difficult, was that I couldn't get it out of my head, that I needed to cut.  Last year I found myself to be very self-conscious about my weight and overall health and condition.  When I was approaching this competition so seriously (as I really wanted to do well), my mind kept telling me I needed to trim down and come in "lean".  While the results of this show were very favourable, seeing as I placed 3rd, I may never know if I could have placed better, if I didn't allow my head to mess with my progress.  My trainer Dean had set out a meal plan for me, that I was dedicated to sticking to 100%.  I was seeing excellent results and was in great shape, but I started adjusting my meal plan without reviewing the changes with Dean.  Even though I was recommended to step on stage a bit "fuller", I let the prep get into my head.  I convinced myself that I wanted to come in as lean as possible.  I did accomplish this leanness, as when I measured my body fat the morning of the competition, I measured in at just below 5% body fat.  Without trying to sound boastful, I feel I did come in leaner than the other competitors and presented the best abs on the stage, I feel my leanness hurt my upper body presentation and came in a bit flat in my chest.

Top 3 final results.

Top 5 finalists.

While the first few hours waiting for my time to step on stage seemed to drag on forever, before I knew it, I was being called to the "pump up room" and get ready to go on stage.  I was able to stay pretty calm and loose and even was able to have some fun in our waiting room.  What a great team of people we had competing with our Body by Brandt team!  I enjoyed every moment of this experience and can't wait to do it again (hopefully many more times).  Here are just a few pictures that show some of the light and fun times I was able to have while waiting.

  



The day before competition, Grace and I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with Gus Mctavish of Proshot Photo.  This was such a fun and relaxed experience, which resulted in some great photos.  Here are just a couple of the photos from this shoot.  Stayed tuned as I will share more photos from this shoot soon.

 

At this stage, I am now less than 5 weeks out from competing in the BCABBA - 2012 BC Championships, June 30th, 2012. My goal is to fill out my upper body a bit more (not much time to see major gains). I still want to present myself lean, but a bit fuller in the upper body. I have committed to pushing hard in my training, plus sticking to my meal plan as Dean and I have prepared. Lesson learned, I will not make changes to my plan, unless I discuss this in detail with my trainer.

As always, I want to say thank you for taking the time to read about my thoughts and experiences.  I really do appreciate all of the support I receive from my family and friends, both close and afar!  Your support and encouragement goes a long way to helping me push harder to achieve my goals and dreams. 

Take care and I look forward to sharing with you again soon.

Andrew

Western Canadians Kelowna

May 19th, 2012 will be a day I don't think I will ever forget!  I have to say that stepping on stage to compete in the Men's Physique category was such an amazing experience.  Being a part of the Body by Brandt team was such a great time!  We had so many members of our team place in the top 5 and several taking home trophies for top 3 placings!

To be honest, I am very surprised that I was not affected by nerves nearly as much as I expected to be.  Don't get me wrong, I did have my moments of nervous energy, but I was able to keep it together and remember to hit my posing for the most part as I practiced.  Thank you to Muscle Insider Magazine for their coverage and thank you to Gus Mctavish of ProShotPhoto for their coverage of this event and the photos of on stage.  They were able to capture some great images that showcase many competitors best.  I have included some of the photos from the stage.  To see more, you can check out my Facebook page to see many of these photos, or the galeries on Muscle-Insider.

I am very happy with what I brought to the stage, but it appears as though I may have come in too lean.  I'm already making some adjustments to my physique to be ready for the BC's June 30th.

This photo is of the top 3 winners in Men's Physique.  Winner is in the middle, with second place to the left and I am on the right.

It was a tough group of guys to compete against, as you can see from the line-up of the top 5 in the final call-out in the evening show.  I want to say congratulations to all of the other competitors I had the opportunity to share the stage with and thank you for the positive energy that all of the competitors displayed towards one another.

I would be doing an injustice, if I failed to mention the fact that my wife Grace competed in the same show as I did.  Some people said we were crazy to be prepping and competing in the same show, as we would drive each other crazy.  We found completely the opposite was the case.  We were able to push each other to achieve some amazing results, as well as support each other through our challenges.  I think Grace presented an incredible physique, although it was not quite what the judges were looking for.  I don't think Grace is too disappointed with what looks like 6th place, mainly due to being too lean for what the judges were looking for.

Grace on stage with 3 of the top 5. 1st place winner is the far right.

  

I feel very fortunate to have had so many people offering support and encouragement along this journey.  A special thanks goes to our daughter Veronica and our friends Marie and Matt for making the trip to Kelowna with us.  The three of them were such a big help with all of the extras that we needed during our final preparations.

Seeing as the BC's are closer to home (Massey Theater in New Westminster), I hope we will be able to have even more family and friends come to cheer us on, as we continue our journey of competing on stage.  Keep posted for further updates on progress and more cool information and even some recipes coming soon. 

Take care, and keep working on transforming your own wellness.  Thank you for reading and please make sure to share your thoughts and comments.

Andrew

#TeamRippedFreak

Day before Kelowna Western Canadians Competition! - Thank you!

Thank you all, for the support you have given me!

After so many months of training hard, dedication to a solid meal plan and preparing for stepping on stage for the first time, waking up today in Kelowna is pretty surreal!  It is really hard to believe that the big day is tomorrow.  I can honestly say, that I feel I am in the best condition of my life.  I am healthier and more fit than I ever could have thought possible.  This past week has been a bit more difficult with the final stages of preparation, especially with my final week's meal plan and keeping training hard and focused.  One thing I find funny, is how much I enjoyed waking up this morning to flavoured rice cakes (caramel never tasted so good)!

When I look back over these past several months of my wellness transformation, I feel it is so important to take a moment to say thank you to the many people that helped support, motivate and inspire me along the way.  There are so many of you, that it would be difficult to thank all of you, so if I miss your name, please forgive me.  The biggest thanks of all must first go to my best friend and the love of my life Grace!  Without your support, I don't think I could have come close to achieving the results I did.  Some thought we were crazy to be prepping for the same show, but I feel we're stronger together than before we started.  Our daughter Veronica has also been such a huge support through this process.  She has really been a positive force behind us, be it through helping with chores around the house, looking for ways she can do extra to help, or simply to offer words of encouragement and even making me feel proud by being serious about living a healthier and more active lifestyle and pushing to excel in her studies at school.

It would be a shame if I were to not offer my very sincere thank you to our trainers Dean and Leigh of Body by Brandt.  You both have been such a positive influence in my life!  I remember a conversation we were having after knowing each other for only a short time, when Dean said, "I think it's more than coincidence that the four of us have met."  At the time, I did feel the same way, but now I truly believe this more than ever.  I can say for myself, that your support and training has absolutely changed my life.  I have seen such changes in my health, wellness, fitness level and personal self confidence, that I truly feel blessed for the opportunity to have had our paths cross.  I look forward to many more good times and positive influences and opportunities that we call all share in the future!

Friends are also so important to me, with the support they have constantly offered.  I must say though, through this process, you really do realize who are your true friends and supporters.  Not all of those "friends" have been a positive influence and may not have remained on my list of people I would turn to for support.  A big thing I have found key to progress, is to surround yourself with not only positive thoughts, but to remove those negative influences from your life.  Our friends Marie and Matt have always been such a support for us along the way.  Understanding our strict meal plans and being supportive of that and even more important, the patience they have shown in understanding our hectic schedules that make it difficult to spend as much time together as we would like. 

One amazing thing about social media, is the amount of friends I have made literally around the world.  Some of these friends and supporters like Tim, I have got to know very well and we have never even met in person, yet (looking forward to getting the chance to meet in Vancouver next month).  There are so many others as well, through the ever growing families of #TeamRippedFreak and #TeamB3 that it amazes me how supportive people can be towards each other when you are working towards a common goal.

Work has been supportive and understanding also, as it has shown to be difficult at times to stay on track with a strict meal plan, while being surrounded with so much incredible food and options running a restaurant every day.  Whether it is the support and encouragement from the staff, or our culinary teams that have learned my strict meal plan to help with customizing my meals (when I don't pack my own food), or knowing that I have helped to be an inspiration to others to begin their own journey to improve their own health and wellness, it has been such an uplifting experience to have been able to share.

Opportunities that I have had the ability to experience in these past few months have been so amazing. Having my transformation to be featured in Inside Fitness Magazine this year was such a surprise and a real honour! The people from Pharma Freak impress me more than I can say. I have been a huge fan of their line of products, especially Ripped Freak hybrid fat burner and pre-workout drink. This line of products have really helped me to achieve results beyond my original imagination.

Please check out the video below, to see my quick thank you message during our drive from home to Kelowna. 

Once again, if I didn't thank you specifically, but I should have, please forgive me. There are just so many people to thank, that I could go on for days.  If you have read this post, please take a moment to share your thoughts and/or comments.  Let me say thank you one more time, just because I am so greatful for all of the love and support from everyone that has been an influence in my life.  Wish me luck, for when I step on stage tomorrow.  Looking forward to sharing thoughts and results of this very soon.

Take care and live well!

Andrew Bukowsky
#Ripped365

18 days and counting! Changes are key...

  It is crazy to think that it's less than 3 weeks until stepping on stage for my first ever Men's Physique competition at the Western Canadians in Kelowna!  When you are able to look at the time remaining in days rather than weeks, it really starts to get real.  This past week for me has been a lot about staying focused on training hard, eating clean and remembering to change things up a little where I can.  I'll explain what I mean by this as I continue.

  I have been very good at keeping my training focused and fresh, mostly due to training with Dean Brandt, as he definitely likes to change up his training sessions.  I have maintained this mind-set when I train with Grace on the other 4 days of the week we are not with Dean and Leigh.  One area of my training I found I was neglecting to make adjustments with, was in regard to my morning cardio sessions.  I realized that I was getting into a routine of hitting the gym at 6:00am and heading straight to the same treadmill and did basically the same cardio workout every morning.  While I was good at pushing myself with these cardio sessions, I found even though it was at a good intensity, it was becoming too routine.  Grace suggested I switch things up one morning and I made the move to the "Stepper".  Wow, was that ever a good idea!  I found I was targeting very different muscles and allowed myself to see a change of scenery.  Now, while I am still doing 6:00am cardio sessions every morning with Grace, I am very conscious to ensure I am keeping these from becoming routine and I am looking for different ways of hitting cardio, to maximize the benefits to my body.


  Another way I am keeping an eye on changing things up, is with my meal plan (I am not a fan of the reference to "diet", as this is my lifestyle choice for eating and not just a short-term plan to eat better).  Grace and I are staying true to our meal plan with the kinds of food we are eating, based on a strict competition meal plan.  We don't believe though, that following this type of meal plan needs to be boring, or lacking in flavour.  We are constantly looking for ways to make small adjustments to recipes, to keep our eating totally clean, but adding taste and enjoyment to our meals.  With some of the no/low sodium and no sugar seasonings we've found, we have been able to create some amazing food, that feels almost as if we are "cheating" on our meal plan, but we're not!  Thanks to Leigh for the recommendation for a great new way to enjoy egg whites (nobody believes that it tastes good, until they actually try it).  We have started making our egg whites into a shake once a day, blended with ice, spinach, cinnamon and no sugar caramel syrup (not sure this is exactly Leigh's recipe, but it works).  As we are getting closer to the competition, we are cutting sweeteners from our meal plan.  Since I am still having half a banana pre and post workout, I blended this into my egg whites shake yesterday and it was amazing, plus it gave me a good boost for a heavy leg workout.

  Yet again, this is where I made a change.  As you can see from the next picture below, I usually have a standard plan for my pre-workout nutrition (which I do plan to stick with for the most part).  It has a good balance of carbs and protein my body needs to prepare for a workout.  I like to have a protein shake of PVL Iso Gold, half a banana and 2-3 plain rice cakes.  Of course right before my workout, I have a Ripped Freak (or Super Freak) pre-workout drink.  One thing you don't see in the picture is that in my water bottle during my weight training, I add a scoop of Amino Freak to help get the Amino Acids back into my muscles.  

 

  Now, I am a person that has worked in restaurants all my life, so I truly understand the importance food plays in the lives of so many people.  I find the amount of comments and/or questions about what I eat are more and more all the time.  Some people don't understand how I could give up all of the "good" food that I am missing out on, while others admire that I am able to stay so strict to a clean eating lifestyle, but feel they could not have the will-power to stick with it.  I honestly don't feel that I am missing out on any food really.  Don't get me wrong, I still do have cravings now and then, but I find I am able to handle it and steer myself in the right direction.  One thing I do find is able to keep me on the right path, is allowing myself one meal each week that is not in my normal meal plan (of course this is cut out when I am this close to competition).  I call this a "reward meal" as apposed to the common referred to term of a "cheat meal".  This just has a much more positive tone to it and I really don't over do it when I have this meal.  Please note one key element to this pattern though, is I say "one meal" and I mean it.  Many times people will over do it and then turn it into a "cheat day" or even a "cheat weekend".  This is definitely a way to fall off track easily.

  One thing I do look forward to, once competitions (yes, I did mean that to be plural) are finished, is to work with Grace on reinventing some of the traditionally unhealthy treats into healthier versions.  We are excited to share some new recipes and ideas to help others to stay on track, or even to get started, with living a lifestyle that involves healthier eating.
  As for the rest of this week, things are looking busier than ever.  With a busy work week ahead, paired up with heavy training and tightening up my meal planning, I can foresee some hectic days ahead.  I am so fortunate that I have Grace to be my support through not only this competition prep, but every day of my life.  She really does keep me focused and allows me to keep my eyes on the prize!  Thank you Grace!  I also want to say thank you to all of my family, friends and co-workers, especially Dean and Leigh of Body by Brandt that support me through all of this as well.  I have to send a thanks out to fellow TeamRippedFreak member Tim Roberts, as even though he is in California, still helps me with questions and motivation during this first prep process.

  Until next time, have great week and keep looking for ways to improve your overall wellness in all you do!

Take care,

Andrew Bukowsky
#Ripped365
#TeamRippedFreak

Less than 4 weeks until the stage....

   Well, I have to say, it is hard to believe that I am already less than 4 weeks away from stepping on stage in Kelowna, for the Western Canadians.  This is the first show here that is presenting the new category for Men's Physique.  Training is progressing really well, as well as I have just tightened up my meal plan (so very slightly).  One benefit of keeping up with a lean and healthy style of eating consistantly, means I feel less of an impact from "contest prep diet" than I think many others feel, that follow an "off-season" style of eating.  It is kind of funny to say this, but one change to my meal plan that I have found tough to give up, is my morning oatmeal I am no longer adding in the mixed berries that I had been up until now.  I am adapting though.

  With regard to training, I am still working with Dean of BodyByBrandt 3 days a week, in addition to workout out with Grace the other 4 days a week.  I have been able to work out my schedule so that I am able to do double workouts 5 days a week, doing a cardio session for 30-45 minutes in the morning, paired with weight training in the evenings.  Due to a later shift at work on Fridays and Saturdays, I find I am not able to make it for a second training session, so I do my best to go hard in the mornings on these days.  For cardio, Grace and I are hitting the gym every morning at 6:00am so we have enough time to get back home and be out to work by 8:00am.  This does make for some days that I feel tired, but the morning cardio I feel, gives me a real kick start to my day and actually gives me energy to real push through my long days. 

  Intensity of both cardio and weights has picked up the last week or two, in order to really push myself to get the best results I can.  I have been maintaining my weight and body fat to the levels I am happy with at this point.  I will be trimming down a bit more still the final week or two before stepping on stage.  I have been refraining from posting progress pics since my last one at 6 weeks out, only because I think you need to keep some element of surprise for the big day.

  One other new addition to my plan this past week, has been my first Men's Physique posing practice with Dean.  Conditioning is spot on and with a few weeks left to add some size (hopefully) up top, I am feeling very confident.  The one thing that I do find difficult now, is being the first show for this category, there are so many questions and opinions as to what the judges will be looking for when judging the Men's Physique.  Recently, I heard a piece of advice that really hit home with me.  The advice was, of course you want to listen to the feedback from the judges and work to make improvements based on this, but you have to bring a physique to the stage that you are most impressed with.  I had started to question my original thoughts and plans of how I was going to cut & prep for the show, but I think at this point, the best thing I can do, is prep as I feel I am showing my best attributes.  This way, I will know I did what is right for me!

  If you are planning on attending the show in Kelowna on May 19th, please look for me to say hello.  If not, I hope there will be lots of pictures available that I will be happy to post and to share the results with all of my friends, family and followers.

  As always, thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts and support me along my journey.  If there are any questions you have, let me know through Facebook, Twitter, or email and I will be happy to answer.

  Until next time, stay healthy and keep pushing to achieve your goals, whatever they may be.

Andrew Bukowsky

6 Weeks out - Active Rest

Well what a start to the week.  Meal planning is on track, since I was slightly ahead of schedule with weight and Body Fat % measurements, no new adjustment to my meal plan at this stage.  Training is going great, with 6am cardio sessions every morning and weight training every night.  The one thing though, early this week Grace noticed that we almost forgot to send in our registration forms for the competition in Kelowna.  Now wouldn't that be the way things go, after all of this training and preparation, only to forget to register for the event?  I can't say it often enough, but I don't know what I would do without Grace there beside me every step of the way!


One question I am asked quite often, is "how often do you workout?"  My answer is usually 13 times per week.  Grace and I do take a rest day, but this rest day will still include at least a 30 minute "steady cardio" session, just to keep up moving.  It is kind of strange, but we found that when we did take an entire day off from the gym before, we would be thinking about it all day, wanting to go anyways.  Grace was reading through some studies found in the Guide to Sports Medicine and found that not taking a full day off from training, not only is not as bad for you as once thought, but it actually is found to be beneficial.

The term “active rest” or “active recovery” applies to training

schedules used by athletes.  In the recent past, athletes were
encouraged to rest completely after a competition or on a day off.
But newer research shows that engaging in low-intensity exercise
during “rest” is better for maintaining fitness levels.  Low-intensity
exercise flushes out lactic acid and delivers healing oxygen to the
muscles.  Any activity that keeps the target heart rate in the 60 –
65% range is low-intensity exercise.  Active rest activities are easy
recreational movements like going for a bike ride or a hike.

  I guess the one change I have made to my routine at this point, is in training, I have moved to less conditioning workouts and have focussed on more strenghth building workouts with heavier weights.  I still need to add some more size before competition, so I am doing all I can at this point, before I begin the next stage of preparation (the cutting phase).  Confidence is still high, with excitement and a bit of anxiousness setting in.


  Looking forward to training next weekend (which will be 5 weeks out), as the guys from our team will begin weekly posing practice, so we look like we actually know what we are doing once we get on stage.  This is definitely something I am looking forward to.  I have watched a few shows so far and no matter what category a person is compeiting in, nor whether they are male or female, I have found those that stand out the most (in a good way), are the ones that have the physique, but also great stage presence!  You can easily see who has worked with a coach in this area and who has not.  I would hate to work so hard in my training, only to step on stage and miss this key element.  I will let you know more next week how the first class goes.


  I guess until next week, I will share more with you then.  Have a great week and stay focussed!


Thank you,


Andrew Bukowsky
#TeamRippedFreak

Kelowna Western Canadians Competition - 7 Weeks out!

So, the preparation for my first Men's Physique Competition in Kelowna is getting interesting, to say the least.  When I think of how much time Grace and I are putting into training and our meal planning, it makes my head spin.  One thing I have to say though, is  feel truly fortunate to be able to go through these stages of preparation and training with my best friend (my wife)!  From making sure we are awake at 5:00am every morning, so we can get in our morning coffee before hitting the gym as soon as it opens at 6:00am, to preparing meals for each other when we get rushed (almost every morning).  I still can't believe it though, Grace and I both had the chance to sleep in this weekend two days in a row!  Now, when I say sleep in, many of you will think I'm crazy when I tell you that we woke up at 6:00am.  Now, when it comes to our meal plan, you can not imagine how amazing Grace is with keeping our food on track with clean eating and sticking to our meal plan, but also making the food taste so good!  You should check out her recipes, I highly recommend them (be warned though, many that are posted are not competition meal plan approved).

We also have incredible support from friends, collegues and I would argue, the most dedicated Personal Trainers you could ever imagine.  Dean Brandt is always so accommodating to my needs and is willing to change his schedule around to fit in my training when something comes up to mess with my usual routine.  I have had a concern with my muscle development in my trouble area and last week while training with Dean, we really had a breakthrough, because he focussed on finding a solution right away.  With a few small tweeks to my form and exercises, I am already starting to see noticable changes in just over one week.  The picture below, is the last progress picture that I will post before the Kelowna competition (you have to keep some element of surprise).  I know, it is the dreaded bathroom mirror pic...

I think one of the most challenging parts of the entire process of preparing for this competition (for me at least), is getting out of my own head.  This might be a statement that some people would say, "Huh?"  I mean there are those days where I look at my progress and I am amazed at how far I have come since beginning this journey in August 2011, to where I am today.  But, then there are other days, when I start to think about the reality of this competition and start to doubt myself, or my readiness to step out on stage.  This is what I mean about getting out of my head.  I do feel confident about my progress and I feel that I am ready, or at least will be by the time May 19th arrives.  Grace definitely helps to keep me grounded and I hope she feels I do the same for her.

When it comes to following a strict meal plan for this preparation, lots of times people will say things like, "I couldn't eat like that!" or "Don't you miss eating regular food?"  The only thing I can really say, is that I don't treat this as a "diet" but rather a lifestyle.  Trust me, I did find it difficult to curb my cravings especially during the first month (sweets is my biggest craving).  Being a restaurant General Manager with so much amazing food surrounding me every day, does add to the challenge, but I've found dedication and not giving in to temptation to be the key to success.  I have found the longer I have stayed focussed on this way of eating, it does become easier to manage.  Cravings are still there from time to time, but you just have to take a moment to think, are you really willing to sacrifice your progress for a moment of indulgence?  It also gives us a chance to play around with recipes to find ways of taking some classic dishes and making them in a new way that is much healthier.

I am so excited for these next several weeks ahead.  I am sure as time passes and the date of stepping on stage gets closer, nerves will kick in stronger and things might get stressful, but with the support I have from family and friends, I am sure it will be just fine.  Thank you to all of you that have taken the time to read my thoughts and share in this experience.  I will do my best to keep you informed of my progress along the way, offer and tips and advice I can and hopefully be some form of inspiration for some people that are just getting started on (or thinking of starting) their own journey towards "Transforming Wellness".

Until next time friends, take care and live well!

Andrew
#Ripped365