And the show has come and gone. The older you get and the more shows you do the more anti-climactic they become. Example: I am standing off stage waiting for the guy in front of me to finish his routine for the night show so that I can go on and I am talking with the expediter (friend of mine) about guns, his job, how we are going to work together for his off season, etc, and then I notice the MC is introducing me so I have to get out there.

I had a lot of people support me for this show and a lot of people asking about how it went so I figured this would be the easiest way to not only recap what I did this time, my focus and goals, but I am providing a video clip of prejudging instead of pics because the pics came out so bad.
First, I want to say that I was very pleased with the package that I presented. It was an incredibly easy prep – easier than any other prep I have ever done. As most of you know, I didn’t plan to do this show until after I got done filming the training footage for the DVD and figured that with my weight just under 210, I was in pretty good condition being only about 7 weeks from the show. I told myself that if it remained easy and fun I would continue getting leaner and leaner and do the state show here. Competing locally my kids get to come and be a part of the show and that is important to me. When traveling it is just too stressful and expensive to take all of the kids along.
This year I did very little cardio (5 days at 30 minute sessions) with the exception of 3 weeks where I added an extra 30 minute session on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I only did that for 3 weeks because I was getting lighter too quickly so I backed back off to only 5, 30 minute sessions. My diet was very simple and I actually kept carbs in this year for 2 of my meals, plus postworkout, even during the last week of prep. I did lower my fat intake by switching to only chicken and egg whites (half and half for each meal) for the last 4 weeks. However, I was still getting clean fats in the form of natural peanut butter and nuts with 3 meals a day. I think the only time I was ever hungry was the weekend before the show for about 3 days before the final load.
I loaded for 2 full days and I loaded until I was blue in the face. I have the progression pictures from the last week and will likely post them after getting them organized but for now I am only posting the video from prejudging. I went from an incredibly flat 197 to 210 over a two day load. I weighed in at 208 but that is a little misleading as I was still drinking water and that sort of thing on Friday night. Still, the point is that I was full and much bigger than I had ever been on stage and was a heavyweight for the first time, ever.
Now, I need to mention that being a heavyweight to ME is something I am very proud of and have been striving for, for a long time. In my mind, you just can’t be a small dude if you are a heavy. I don’t care if you are only a few pounds into the heavies – you have the heavyweight label and that means you are big, in my mind. So, it was something I was and am proud of after so many years to finally be able to move up a class to the heavies.
My condition? It wasn’t typical “Skip condition”. I wasn’t ripped to the bone at the expense of size and fullness. Last year, after I dipped into the lightheavies for the Jr USAs and then didn’t have enough time to fill out, I decided that I didn’t like that look – what with looking emaciated and being so lean that I was getting “old guy skin”. You know – when you get so fucking lean that your skin is so thin it looks like it loses elasticity? I didn’t like the look and I don’t think it looks healthy. Plus, it looks ….. well ….. old.
The plan this year was to come in full as shit and look BIG and, yes, I knew this might mean giving up some of my condition that I am known for. I figured if I give up 10% I am still going to be as ripped as anyone else up there and still likely leaner than almost everyone. After looking at some of the pics and video (it all isn’t in yet as of this blog only one day after the show) it appears that I likely gave up more like 20% with conditioning but I still don’t care because I think most anyone looking at the pics or video (or if you saw me on stage) will say that it was a fair trade – a bit of conditioning for fullness. I figured if I am going into the heavies I will be damned if I am going to get pummeled on size. Quite frankly, I think I held my own and the feedback that I have gotten (and from trusted sources) says the same thing.
Now, the placings could have been better but ….. as cliche as it sounds, I compete to win and I prepare to win but I don’t live and die by what a panel of judges says on a given day. At the end of the day I drug my 4th place open trophy and my 2nd place masters trophy home with my kids and my wife to my beautiful home driving in my big yellow tractor and I went out with friends that came out to support me instead of friends that want to hang out with me because I am some faux internet celebrity. The latter being another blog I will get to in the next week or two.
With the exception of the Jr USAs last year, this was my lowest placing ever at a state level show. At the same time, I couldn’t have been more proud to have brought a package that I have not ever brought to a weight class that I have never competed in until this weekend. I was so full that I watered over only 3 hours post show. lol I hadn’t even left the restaurant after the show before my ankles and calves started taking on water. How close is THAT??? And I also decided not to use a diuretic, at all.
I am sure I am going to get the guys that say “Skip showed up and wasn’t as tight as he usually is” but …. I can do that most any time as I have proven so many times before. What I HAVE NOT ever done until this last weekend is show up so fucking full that my skin was going to split (or at least it FELT like it). I enjoy pushing the envelope and seeing how far I can push my body to produce a look that I haven’t yet achieved. Will I go back to just showing up peeled? I don’t know. I have been to the point that I don’t know if I could get any leaner so …… where is the challenge in that?? Do I go in next time as a middle?? Whatever I do it will have to be a challenge or I won’t do it. I get bored easily and I learn nothing from doing the same thing over and over. I also did a LOT of different things with my Skiploading including increased fat intake and loading for 2 days like I mentioned previously. I don’t know where to go from here but ….. it has only been one day. In all honesty the only direction I DO know I will be going tomorrow is straight to CJs Chicago Dogs for some chili cheese dogs with my kids for lunch. If I show up with chili on my face for the seminar, don’t laugh. I’m a happy man.

The video was choppy the first time I viewed it – like it was loading the entire time. The 2nd time I viewed it, it was fine.

I am going to do a trial run with something that I have been considering for a while, now. It may work and it may not. I may like it and I may not but I want to try it out and see how it goes.
I am going to offer what is essentially an economical TEAM SKIP package for a much lower fee than my usual consulting fees. As most of you know, I am not terribly inexpensive but you do get what you pay for. I teach my clients and answer questions not only with what they are currently doing but even hypotheticals that they may run into or have to deal with down the road. Due to this, when you are done working with me you end up being able to control your own diet, make your own decisions regarding adjustments and continue to progress on your own.
With the lower fee I would simply being offering the same results from the program but it wouldn’t be as involved as to be on a daily basis of consulting. I would set up your diet, supplements and cardio plan and the client would check in once a week and fill out my template and answer questions so that I can make changes for the following week, if need be. It would be more of a “do this for this week” type of set up vs. teaching and answering questions during the consult.
I am offering this primarily for 2 reasons: 1. I never go over X amount of clients at one time so that I can continue to provide my clients with what I feel is the best one-on-one attention from anyone that does what I do and if you ask my clients, they will say the same thing. Adding this program would allow me to work with slightly more people and yet not tap my time so much that anyone would not get the attention they need. 2. It would allow some people that otherwise can’t afford me to be able to work with me. Obviously, it wouldn’t be in the same capacity as a top paying client but it would still provide the results they were looking for and the results that I am known for.
This program is NOT for contest prep, though. It would only be for off season work to get lean or to add muscle mass while staying relatively lean.
My fees for the economy TEAM SKIP program would be less than half of my normal fees.
If you are interested, please contact me at: TEAMSKIP@IntenseMuscle.com and I will send you my information that details the fees and how I work with my clients. I anticipate that these spots are going to fill very quickly and right now I plan to only take on 4-5 clients in this capacity to see how it works out. I will take inquiries starting asap and lock down these spots but I won’t start working with these new clients under this program until July 19th due to a high level of commitments next week. I will not take on more than these 4-5 clients in this capacity until I can evaluate and see whether this is something that I want to continue or not.
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Just an update about the Skiploading Seminar:

Date: Saturday, July 24th
Location: Armbrust Pro Gym, 4240 Kipling Street, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-2978, (303) 456-0076
Time: 2pm
Cost: FREE if you RSVP with your name to TEAMSKIP@IntenseMuscle.com before July 20th.
If you show up at the door with no RSVP the cost is only $20.

The seminar will take place in the posing/cardio room and is air-conditioned. I am not going to provide chairs due to the wood floor so bring something comfortable to lay on or sit on as it is going to be super-casual. Feel free to bring food and drink, as well, or something to snack on. Armbrust does have a big selection of protein drinks, protein bars, meal replacements, etc., to choose from.

I will be covering Skiploading from A to Z and you will leave with a solid understanding of why archaic dieting practices don’t work and why this method of dieting is not only so incredibly effective but so incredibly easy to diet with, too.

NO video cameras are allowed and no recording equipment is allowed. Absolutely no exceptions.

Any questions email me at TEAMSKIP@IntenseMuscle.com.

I look forward to seeing you on the 24th!

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