As many of you know , the life of a competitive bodybuilder can get extremely hectic and force you to put a lot of things into perspective. Upon my victory in New York last year I took no time off. I was back on the grind that Monday putting together my next plan of attack. I contemplated stepping on stage at the W orlds but decided that would be a premature pro debut. I then decided to put all my focus and energy into prepar ing for the Musclemania Atlantic Pro show on May 6th followed by Musclemania Superbody in June.

With that in mind I took the feedback that I received from the judges in NY along with my training partners and hibernated in the gym for five months. This time I had one goal in mind : b ring up all my body parts lifting heavy weight with strict form while s taying as lean as possible. Staying lean in the off season was something that I had a very hard time doing with all the temptations that I am faced with. I c ompeted in New York at the weight of 193. I kept my body weight at 200 leading up to T hanksgiving when I decided to give myself a break and enjoy some of mo m' s home cooked meals. After enjoying the month of D ecember a n d bringing in the New Year with a bang , I was focused and ready for the journey that lay ahead of me.

I started out the planning process by figuring ideal time to train and do my cardio sessions. Teaching full time and training 12 clients each week doesn't leave me with much time to train, let alone prep food for my diet. To make a long story short, steamed chicken and shrimp along with brown rice from a local Chinese restaurant have become staples in my diet.

I decided that I would put myself on a 3 day on, 1 day off split leading up into the show. Depending on how I feel after the third day I will listen to my body and either take one day off or take two. I found that proper rest and recovery are essential and a part of my regimen that I did not focus on at all in the past. My training split is as followed: day 1 back, day 2 shoulders, day 3 legs, day 4 off, day 5 chest, day 6 arms.

That's it for now but I will be sure to update you the Wednesday before the Atlantic with some shots of me before I step on stage. Keep the e-mails coming. Thank you all for your continued love and support. Peace and blessings and remember to always stay natural.

Jamel

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