Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 14:07:00 GMT

Training For My Master Pro Card At 63 – Final Journal Post

My first Journal, "Training for My First Body Building Competition at Age 61," chronicled my 10 months of training to enter my first contest in March 2005 and five other contests I entered that year, the last one in July 2005.

My second Journal, "Training for My Second Year of Competition at Age 62," covered my training and contests from December 2005 through the 2006 FAME WNSO Body Building and Fitness World Championships in June.

I started this, my third Journal, “Training For My Master Pro Card at 63,” on June 26, 2006, as I began training to earn a Natural Pro Master Card by the end of the year.

Mission accomplished.

On September 30th I received my Natural Pro Master Card at the National Gym Association (NGA) National Bodybuilding and Figure World Championship in Duluth, Georgia, Carlos Jordan’s show.

I received a second Natural Pro Master Card at the International Drug Free Athletics (IDFA) Canadian Classic II in Toronto, Canada on November 4th, Shaun Campbell’s show.

Here are some stage photos from my final 2006 contest: http://www.bodybuildingsenior.com/photos2006.htm#2006 IDFA Canadian Classic II

The full story of 2006 overlaps in my last two Journals: Ten competitions in ten months. It has been one heck of a year.

From February 25th to November 4th, I competed in three NPC shows, two FAME SNBF shows, one FAME WNSO World Championship, one NGA show, two OCB shows and one IDFA contest. Along the way, I placed First in an NPC National Qualifier Open Bantam Weight Class, won a World Championship in Men’s Masters 60+, a Best Poser Award, several 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes in open height, weight and age classes and two Natural Pro Master Cards.

I also met some outstanding male and female athletes, many of whom have become my friends.

I need to offer a few Thanks now.

First, I thank God for giving me the ability to accomplish what I have done, in His Name and for His purpose.

Second, I thank my family, Vivian, my wife, and my two daughters, Christina and Danielle. Without their support and love, I would have been unable to do any of this.

Third, my thanks to Sean “Sully” Sullivan, my coach and friend, who showed me how to do the work and to bring out the best of what I had.

Thanks to Neal Grossman, Will Lantrip, Milt Harrell, Dana Fitzpatrick, Tommy Hawk, just a few of the great athletes and friends who have advised and encouraged me.

Thanks to my two sponsors, Steve Evans of Ultimate Dumbbell Fitness and Silas Gold of Golden-Images for their friendship and their support. And of course, thanks to the good people at Beverly International and Designer Supplements.

Thanks to my two training partners, David Gallahan, Jr. and Bruce Ovitt, who “allow” me to run our workouts. And to my new bodybuilding bud, John Rossman, who traveled to Toronto with me and won the Open Middleweight Class and received his second Pro Card at the Canadian Classic.

And, finally, Thanks to fellow Board members like Marc, Dan, Bobby, Val, Wil and Dunya, who have followed my progress this year and offered valuable input. And, of course, a special thanks to my web master and friend, Clayton Dye, who developed and manages my web site, www.BodyBuildingSenior.com.

I apologize to anyone I missed thanking. I’m hungry. Now, if you will all excuse me, I am going to get something to eat.

I will soon begin a new Journal, “Training For My First Pro Master Competition at 64.” I will enter my first Pro Master Contest sometime in 2007…Stay Tuned.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 07:46:06 GMT

Thursday, November 2, 2006, Two Days Until the IDFA Canadian Classic II Last evening, John Rossman came over for dinner (salmon, brown rice, salad) and a practice posing session. He will come over again tonight for a steak dinner and then stay the night as we are leaving for Toronto at 6:45 Friday morning. We are scheduled to take our polygraph test at 6 PM that evening. Last night John and I practiced our posing by calling out the poses and "judging" each other. He looks great. The young warrior is ripped and will come in at the top of the Lightweight Class or bottom of the Middleweight. He weighed 154 last night and the cut-off for Lightweight is 150. John doesn't care which Class he makes. He just wants to win his Class and his second Pro Card at this Super Pro Qualifier. I weighed 141 this morning and will definitely be in the Lightweight Class and, or course, Men's Master 50+ Class, where I hope to win my second Master Pro Card. We are both primed, pumped and ready. Our only concern is our luggage. Because of tighter security, we will have to check our bags, including all of our contest supplies. The only things we will "carry on" are our posing music and posing suits. Everything else will be checked. We have agreed that if our bags don't make it, we will just do what we need to do and not sweat it.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:55:20 GMT

Wednesday, November 1, 2006 - Three Days Until the IDFA Canadian Classic in Toronto Tight, vascular, symmetrical. I'm ready. I'm just hanging on by my finger nails, waiting for Friday so I can fly to Toronto. I want it to happen. I think I am coming in the best ever. I feel dialed in. Whoot! More of the same in the gym this morning. 50 pull ups, hanging leg raises, flexing, posing and a moderate session of tread mill. I went for my first of four spray tans last evening. It looks great. I will be dark for this show. The only thing I need to work on is my water. I'm not drinking enough. I keep reminding myself to drink. I feel like a fish.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:01:26 GMT

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - Four Days Until The IDFA Canadian Classic And I'm on cruise control. Last evening I did a full body shave and this morning, at the gym, I did another and added a salt scrub to get rid of any flaky skin in preparation for my first spray tan after work today. I did pull ups, abs work, lifted a few weights (pumping up), did some hard flexing and had a good practice posing session. Later this evening, John Rossman is coming over for a practice posing session. Cruising...141.8 pounds.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:21:36 GMT

Monday, October 30, 2006 - Five Days Until the IDFA Canadian Classic II And, I'm pumped! This morning, Bruce and I did what I needed to do to prepare for this weekend's contest, my final event for the year. We did five sets of 10 pull ups, 50 hanging leg raises and leg work, which consisted of 10 sets of leg flexes, held for 30 seconds each and three sets of isometric leg extensions, held for 40 seconds each. We then did a practice posing round, holding each pose hard for 10 seconds and 25 minutes of moderate tread mill. Tonight, I will do some core work with dumbbells and another practice posing session, holding each pose for 20 seconds. I got a haircut today and will do a full body shave this evening. I'll also practice my posing routine a few times. Every thing is on track. My weight is 142.0. I will probably come in at around 140.0, a couple of pounds heavier than my last contest.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 08:03:16 GMT

Friday, October 27, 2006 - One Week Until The Canadian Classic II Weigh-In

One week from today John Rossman and I will be flying to Toronto for the 2006 IDFA Canadian Classic II, a tested contest. We are looking forward to this show. John will try to win his second Open pro card (he has one from the NGA) and I will try to win my second Masters card. This will be my final contest for this year and maybe my final amateur contest ever. The next time I step onto a stage it hope it will be as a Master Pro...a new adventure and new challenge. I'll be up for it.

Today, my training partner, Bruce, and I did an Advance GH Full Body workout with HITT Cardio. We completed four eight 5 RM exercise circuits: squats, triceps extensions, pull ups, ham curls, calve raises, hammer curls, incline dumbbell presses and military presses. This is a great workout.

We are not sure which program we will do after next week, but we will change from the Advance GH to something else. I know I will not work too hard next week...I need a break after 10 months of competing.

Bruce is training to enter his first masters competition next April and I will train for my first Masters Pro show sometime in the second half of 2007. We both have the goal of adding size, so our training program will be right for both of us.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:29:41 GMT

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Bruce limped back to the gym today. He wanted to hit it hard. I made him hit it easy. We did five sets of 10 pull ups, 50 hanging legs raises, 50 slant board crunches and 20 minutes of moderate speed tread mill. Then we went into the studio for some good old fashioned stretching. It was a good session.

Last evening, John Rossman came over for posing practice. We worked on symmetry and mandatory poses and his posing routine. John will compete with me as a Lightweight at the 2006 IDFA Canadian Classic II in Toronto next week. He should do well and hopefully win his second pro card at this contest. I hope to place in the Top Three in Lightweights and also win my second masters pro card. One thing we did was a posing round where we held each pose hard for 10 seconds before going to the next one. This gets the muscles used to the work required on stage, to be able to hold each pose at a full flex, without shaking. Fun.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:53:57 GMT

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

My training partner, Bruce, is still down for the count. Hopefully, he will recover quickly from his bout of pneumonia and bring his body back to the gym for some work tomorrow. Meanwhile, my solo act of Advance GH legs, triceps and arms went well. I was a little tentative on the squats because I didn't have Bruce to spot me. I managed three sets of six reps of 230 pounds. The rest of the GH exercises were good. I also did 50 hanging leg raises and only 10 pull ups. I was a little tired today. Tomorrow is a HITT cardio day and I will do more pull ups and a practice posing session. Tonight, John Rossman, a NGA pro and middle weight, is coming over to my home for posing practice. John is going with me to Toronto next week to compete in the 2006 IDFA Canadian Classic II. We competed together at the 2006 OCB Gulf States in Louisiana and became friends. He lives in Birmingham, too.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 13:21:57 GMT

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Bruce went to the MD yesterday and found out he is getting over pnumonia. He took today off. My workout consisted of five sets of 10 pull ups (wide grip, medium grip, hammer grip), 30 minutes of moderate cardio, 50 hanging leg lifts and a hard practice posing session, where I held each of the symmetry and mandatory poses hard for 10 seconds. Tough stuff.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:11:50 GMT

Monday, October 23, 2006

The first item of business is to congratulate my good friend, Tommy Hawk of Augusta, Georgia. I met Tommy two years ago when he was competing in an INBF bodybuilding competition in Marietta. Tommy won his weight class at that show, but earlier in the day, he spent a lot of time with me talking about training for bodybuilding competitions. I used much of what Tommy told me as I began training for my first competition, which I entered seven months later. During the next two years, Tommy and I spoke often. He is a good friend and a great competitor. Tommy took the next year and a half off for family and career considerations and jumped back into the arena earlier this year. He placed 6th in his Open Medium Height class at the SNBF Southern Open in July. A week later, he placed 3rd in the Light Heavyweight Class at the INBF Augusta Grand Prix. In September, he placed 5th in the Middleweight class at the NGA Nationals. Then in October, he won his Open Tall class and placed 2nd Overall in the SNBF Nationals in Marietta. On Saturday, Tommy competed in the 2006 INBF Georgia State Championship held in his hometown of Augusta. He won his Middle Weight class and took the Overall, becoming the 2006 INBF Middle Weight and Overall State Champion and is now the proud holder of a WNBF Pro Card. Outstanding, Tommy.

I began my final two weeks of training today for what will be my final amateur contest. After the IDFA Canadian Classic II in Toronto on November 4, I will take some time to prepare for my first Master Pro contest sometime next year.

Bruce and I are still doing the Advance GH/HITT Cardio plan with Step Bombs (5 sets of 5 RM) added to the first set of each three-exercise group. Today we did Chest and Shoulders. For the Step Bombs, we did Lat Pull Downs, Seated Shoulder Presses and Bar Bell Bench Presses. After the weight training, we added 30 pull-ups and 50 hanging leg raises for abs. Once again, we ran out of time and were unable to do the HITT Cardio, but tomorrow is a cardio only day, do we will step it up then.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 10:15:51 GMT

Friday, October 20, 2006

I trained solo today, as my partner, Bruce, had some early-morning business with his company. Since he is the president, he had to be there. Today was a full-body Advance GH Power workout. I did 6 sets of eight 5 RM exercises, starting with 250 pound squats. By the time I was on the sixth circuit, the 250 pound squats felt like 400. My quads were screaming. The other six sets of 5 RM exercises included dumbbell triceps extensions, pull ups, leg curls, calve raises, incline dumbbell presses, military presses and hammer curls. I then did a moderate HITT cardio session, hanging leg raises and a short practice posing session. I'm two weeks out from my contest and I am dialing in.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:49:06 GMT

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Bruce and I "Stepped Bombed" it up today. Before we did our first set of "Advance GH" training, we did "Step Bomb" incline bench dumbbell flyes of 5 sets of 5 RM work. We did 60s for the first set, and then after 10 seconds rest between sets, we dropped the weights and did 4 more sets of 5 RM with 55s, 50s, 45s, and 40s. Then we resumed the Advance GH workout with 12 decline dumb bell flyes, and 25 flat bench dumb bell flyes. After repeating the Advance GH group two more times, we moved on to weighted chins, bent over rows, seated cable rows, seated military barbell press, lateral raises and lateral raises with cables, all Maximum Weight Rep work. Intense!

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:17:39 GMT

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

My training partner, Bruce, had a early business meeting this morning and had to miss our workout. I used the opportunity to do HITT cardio, 30 pull ups, 50 hanging leg raises and a practice posing session. In other words, I cruised. With a little more than two weeks to go until my final contest of this season, I am very close to being ready. I weighed 142.4 this morning. I am will within my weight class (Lightweight) of 150 pounds maximum for the competition. I will probably come in at around 138 and under 4% body fat. I'm looking forward to competing in Toronto on November 4th.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:14:52 GMT

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

I didn't think it was possible to kick our workouts up a notch, but today we did. Bruce and I pushed each other through a tough legs and arms Advance GH session. I started with smith machine squats (6 RM) at 250 pounds, plus the weight of the bar. Bruce added a 25 to each side for his 6 RM set. Then we immediately went to 12 lunges with 90 pounds of weight, plus the bar and then 25 machine leg extensions at 150 pounds. We then repeated the trio three times before moving on to the next set of three exercises (6 RM, 12 RM and 25 RM). In all, we did a total of 45 RM sets + 150 calve raises. We had to skip HITT as we ran out of time. Tomorrow is a cardio only day and we will do HITT, Abs and pull ups.

RE: Training for My Masters Pro Card at 63 (Old Navy)

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:03:59 GMT

Monday, October 16, 2006

I forced myself to take the weekend off from any type of training (I did practice a little posing). I needed to rest and recharge. With three weeks to go until the IDFA Canadian Classic in Toronto, Bruce and I hit it hard this morning and will escalate our workouts for the next two weeks. Bruce did do a little weekend work. He went to the Alabama football game on Saturday and ran three miles on Sunday. I enjoyed watching Auburn win over Florida Saturday evening on High Def TV. My daughter is a junior at Auburn.

Anyway, back to the gym. We did chest and shoulders day in the Advanced GH/HITT Cardio workout program. On the first set of each group, we substituted the 6 RM set for a Step Bomb (5 sets of 5 RM). So we did Step Bombs for bench press, dumbbell rows and shoulder presses. We then resumed the GH workout as designed. After completing the GH, we did 50 hanging leg raises and 20 minutes of HITT cardio. All Fun Stuff. I weighed 144.8 this morning. I will probably come in at around 138.0 for my final contest of this year.