Adelfo Cerame - Ten Days to Mission Possible: Battle Plan for the 2013 Wheelchair Bodybuilding Season. Fasting, Eating, Training, Coaching, Counting, Sleeping & Prevailing

Adelfo's new contest prep coach Alberto Nunez (left part), Adelfo in the "on season" 2012 (right part)

I am deeply ashamed, but have to admit that I did not mention that yesterday's post on the "anabolic" effects of betaine was a last minute replacement for Adelfo Cerame Jr.'s weekly SuppVersity guestpost (click here to read the past installments). Adelfo has been quite busy lately and therefore postponed his weekly progress update by 24h. I guess you won't mind though, 'cause he made good use of the hours he had left and compiled an extra-long, extra-detailed and extra-informative blogpost for today. 

A brief reminder before I hand over to Adelfo: The weekly SuppVersity Science Roundup with my friend Carl Lanore is now available as a podcast on the SHR website!

"T" as in "ten days left", until the fat has to start falling off my frame ;-)

Yes, SuppVersity readers, you will have to go through another (hopefully not dreadful…for you guys’, at least) long season of blogs of me documenting my contest prep for the 2013 season. I know a lot of you guys’, especially Adel aka "Dr. Andro" were very hopeful and confident that I was going to get my pro card this year, but things didn’t go the way I had planned, and I felt really bad that I wasn’t able to meet everyone’s expectations. I was determined to bring back the title, for you guys, as well as for myself... but that's a thing of the past and in a couple of weeks I will get another chance to try and bring home that W for us this year!

As most of you readers know, I like to give myself a lot of time to get ready when dieting, to allow myself for a slow and gradual process when melting the fat and peeling the skin back, that is why I am starting in October. This will give me about 20+ weeks to prepare and get ready. And it raises one very important question:

What will I do differently this time?

If you’re talking about making improvements?... Then yes there are going to be some changes but as for routine and protocol… No. I’m a creature of habit, and I like to stick with what works for me.

Video 1 (click to play): Adelfo Cerame Jr, at the Wheelchair Championships 2012; posedown for the overall

I’ve actually thought of trying out more of a “eat when I want” type approach just as long as I’m hitting my macronutrient numbers and incorporating meal timing with my training regimen; but in the end, the logical consequence of doing just like that will once more be an intermittent fasting protocol - not just out of habit, but because it comes totally naturally to me.

For over the past year I have enjoyed, and have basically adapted the IF type regimen into my social and life schedules, and to be honest, an IF protocol fits perfectly into my lifestyle. 

Also if isn’t broke then don’t fix it? Maybe build and improve on it, but not change the whole structure. I did really well prepping for my shows this past year using this approach, and it meets the criteria for me of a what a diet should be – stress free, fun, doable, practical, and economical. And all that without having negative effects on my strength and training intensity in the gym.  In fact,  this past year was one of my best experiences with prepping and dieting for a show. I barely felt the affects of what a diet usually does to you: low energy, always hungry, irritable, mood swings, decrease in strength… So let me ask you: Why would you skip something you love and do something you dread, instead?

Coaching: Yes… I’m giving in and asking for some help! .

As much success as I have found for the past 4 years preparing for shows by myself, I’ve come to a point where I feel that I want to learn more and take my physique to the next level… And what better way to do so, than to go to someone or people that have more experience and knowledge than you do. The guys’ from 3DMJ will be overseeing my prep.

This will be the guy that will be mentoring me and overlooking my contest prep for the 2013 season. Lifetime Natural Bodybuilder Alberto Nunez!

From what I know so far and from talking with him already via skype, Alberto Nunez will be the main guy overseeing my prep. I’ve been in contact and exchanging emails with these guys since May, and after falling short again in New Orleans, I definitely wanted them to jump on board to help me make the improvements I need, to win! From speaking to Alberto a couple weeks ago, he seems like the right fit for me. He gets it, and understands that I’m looking for far more than someone to just hand me a piece of paper, that tells me to eat tilapia, asparagus, and brown rice all throughout the day. He understands that I’ve found success using an IF protocol, and prefers to keep it that way, as long as I’m happy with it and it’s doable for me. So he won't be changing much when it comes to the structure of my routine but just be more observant, when it comes to my overall calories, macronutrients, and meal timing. Plus I know the guys over at 3DMJ are very knowledgeable, when it comes to the scientific approach to training and nutrition, which is also what keeps me coming back here to the SuppVersity day in and day out. To really understand what you are doing and why you are doing it is - at least in my humble opinion - what makes the difference between a pro and amateur, between someone who's just constantly following advice and someone who's really building his body and mind.

Training, Nutrition and the grande scheme of things

Apropos "knowing what you are doing", I have compiled a brief overview of what I am planning to do or still pondering... I guess, Adel would call it "Intermittent Thoughts on...", but this is his thing, so I will just stick to a couple of notes, on ideas related to nutrition- and exercise-related topics.

• Nutrition - When it comes to my nutrition, I will definitely be sticking to my whole foods, and Myotropics Physique 2.0 shakes for the majority of my meals. At the same time, I’m going to have fun and incorporate foods the majority of the nutritional institution would frown upon - in a way it's to demonstrate how flexible and delicious your diet can actually without compromising your physique, let alone your health.
  Does this mean that I am going to eat whatever I want? No, it does not! Don’t get it twisted... Lol. It’s about balance, moderation and consistency. This is my philosophy when it comes to maintaining, and enjoying a successful diet! A diet shouldn’t be extreme on either ends of the spectrum, but must have a natural balance, and allow for moderation, so you can stay consistent.
  Please remember! Though I’m going to start having to take even the small quantity of calories you get from veggies into account, you don't I have seen to many people who just want to look good naked fail not despite, but due to meticulous calorie-counting to suggest doing this to anyone, aside from a seasoned competitive bodybuilder or physique athlete.

  As far as my fast/feed protocol goes, I will still be sticking to the 16-hour fast/ 8 hour feeding window (which I will time around my training), but at the same time, I wont get bent out of shape if I may need to extend the feeding hours a tad longer due to whatever reasons. Like I mentioned earlier. In a way this goes along the lines of what I mentioned earlier, i.e. “eat when you want”, but at the same time it will still allow me to take advantage of the benefits from fasting.
  I will also be controlling more of my intake and not be so loose as I was last year, and when I say loose, I mean I didn’t really count my vegetables… and my re-feeds were pretty out of control. And as shredded or almost shredded as I got with being so loose, I think these are one of the minute differences that will bring my physique up as far as conditioning goes.  And yup! I’m going to start counting my vegetables, as much as I’ve been a fan of “not counting vegetables”, when it comes to circumstances like really trying to come in your best condition and stepping your game up.
• Training - I definitely enjoy the strength/ hypertrophy split that I do during the week (suggested read: my previous post on my shoulder routine during the RTWC). I think implementing that will allow me to maintain my strength while dieting throughout my prep. I have also been getting really good results doing Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 strength training protocol. I’m on my second cycle of the training phase and so far my 1-rep max for bench has gone up 30 pounds, from 295 lb. to 325 lb. So, along with EDT’s, 5x5’s, reverse pyramids, and hypertrophy training, I would like to find a way I can incorporate a 5/3/1 phase into my training phases, but in the end, it all depends what my new coach will say and recommend.
  There will be cardio… As much as I loved bragging to people about not having to do cardio and still be able to get into the condition I’m in… I think that cardio is going to be one of those minute differences that will really bring up my conditioning. I did notice that in towards the end of my last prep, and so yes, there will be cardio. I wont be running myself to the ground or "cardioing" myself to death, but there will be some kind of cardio action going on this year.

Well that’s all for today SuppVersity students! I am very excited to share yet again another year of contest prepping with you folks and hope that you won't get bored with my experiences on what is going to be a wonderful and hopefully successful journey... which would by the way imply that this is going to be the last year of me documenting my prep as an amateur ;-)