Training Journal

Updates 8/13

2005-08-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

Whew...the past 8 weeks have really flown by. It amazes me how quickly time will go by. It just goes to show you that if you don't take small incremental steps every day towards achieving your long term goals, you will be looking back thinking about what you should have done and where you wished you were.

The past 8 weeks have been extremely busy for me. Most of my free time has been spent finishing up my upcoming book "Ignite Muscle Growth; Commit, Focus, EXECUTE!". This is really going to be a great product for the fitness enthusiast. Anyone, from the competitive bodybuilder all the way to the novice weight lifter will be able to pick this book up and immediately know how to get to their fitness goals. It will provide you the most effective way to train, give you the exercises to perform, and even sample workouts that will stimulate some serious muscle growth. It will teach you about the basics of nutrition, tell you how to eat for muscle growth and for fat loss, give you a list of the right kinds of foods to eat & when, as well as some sample meal plans. This book will also teach you how to realize your fitness goals, to set concrete plans, and most importantly how to stick to them and follow through.

I am really excited about the release of this book. It is near completion, and I cannot wait to get it out there so people can start getting some serious results and stop thier frustrations. I hope your last 8 weeks have been as productive as mine.

"Some day, in the years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now...NOW it is being decided whether, in the day of your surpreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made execpt by a steady, long continued process." -Phillips Brooks

Commit, Focus, EXECUTE!
Chris Knickerbocker

Motivational Quote

2005-07-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

"Ordinary people believe only in the possible. Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible. And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible."

Cherie Carter-Scott

Final Week

2005-06-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

Phew! It's been an intense week to say the least. Here in the final days of dieting I'm putting in double sessions, one in the AM for weight training, then oen in the PM for cardiovascular training. On the weekends my diet stays the same, but since I don't weight train I am doing two cardio sessions, one in the AM, then another 8-12 hours later. This keeps my metabolsim cranking throughout the day & burning calories.

It's almost over now, and although I will be looking forward to some time to relax, I know I am already gonna miss being in the zone. To many, hard dieting and training twice a day, not going out to dinner or drinks and staying at home may sound down right boring and draining. But to me, I'm accomplishing goals and striving to reach my dreams. There's nothing boring about that! I love being in the zone, down in the trenches with my head down driving towards a goal. I don't mind the sacrifice one bit. In fact, the sacrifice is part of what makes it so enjoyable.

My final day of dieting will be on the Tuesday, as well as my last day of weight training. Then, starting on Wednesday I will begin carbohydrate & potassium loading. I will also begin sodium and water depleting. I will also remove creatine from my diet. On my final day on Tuesday, my total calorie count will get down to around 2,000. Then I will get back up to around 3,000 a day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday on my carb loading days leading all the way up until Saturday night, which is when I will be taking my photos. Most of my carbs will come from potaotes.

I am basically treating this preperation just like a competition. The only difference is that I won't quite be in contest shape. Instead of taking 16 weeks to prepare for a competition, I am only taking 7. For more information on contest prep and last week dieting, be on the look out for more products and articles coming soon at chrisknickerbocker.com.

It's been a great trip getting ready. I hope you've enjoyed coming along for the ride & I hope you check back to see the final product.

It's those who have the highest standards & demand the most of themselves that are the ones who achieve the most measurable results.

Chris Knickerbocker

Happy Memorial Day

2005-05-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

I hope eveyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend! Hopefully everyone has got a chance to head poolside, or have some friends & family get together and have a BBQ. Or, if you're like me, you hit the gym this morning as soon as it opened up, and also packed in a super intense cardio session 8 hours later. Although, I did manage to sneak in a few hours by the pool tanning...but no BBQ for me.

I've decided to chop off a few more calories than I had originally planned. I started off my normal diet at around 4,500 calories. My plan was to drop somewhere between 2,500-3,000 depending on how I felt and how I looked going into my last 3 weeks. Well, I wasn't satisfied to say to the least. I have decided to get all the way down to 2,000 calories for my last week and a half before I start carb loading and get back up to close to 3,000. You may not always be as big and muscualr as you want, but there's no excuse for not being in great condition!

It's enevitable that your mind will play tricks on you. You will certainly question yourself a number of times along the way when dieting. Usually the best approach is to set a clear plan & stick to that plan. That works great for what I would normall do in a 16 week contest prep, however, chopping that number in half and only using 7 weeks to prepare for photos can be challenging. Your body often times will wait until the last few days, the last 12 hours, or even the last few hours to finally come around. Then all of a sudden the masterpeice comes together right before your very eyes, seemingly out of nowhere. Well, my plan is now in place.

There is no more time change anything. Hopefully the results I see from the camera in 2 weeks will show off the work I've put in. I don't mind spending my Memorial Day weekend training & dieting. In fact, few people are willing to do what us bodybuilders do. Few people are willing to show the kind of sacrifice, dedication, committment, and consistency it takes to be a bodybuilder. And you know what...that what makes it so rewarding and confidence building!

Enjoy the Journey!
Chris Knickerbocker

5/22: Three Weeks to Go

2005-05-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

It's getting down to crunchtime now and I can feel it. But, the good news is I can see too. My metabolism is crankin' in high gear now. With each cardio session I perform, I smash my previous record of distance traveled. So, I can definately tell my indurance is going as well.

This week I'm taking out another 200 calories from diet. Now is that dreaded part where I have to start taking servings out of my pre & post-workout shakes. Boy, I'm gonna miss those! But, it's time to dial in, have tunnel focus, and just think about the end. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I simply have to block out any and all distractions and pain. Those experiences that are painful in the short term are often the most pleasurable in the long run! I hope to find a picture that comes out of this to use on the cover of my book. To me that's HUGE!

"To get to the place you really want to be, you'll need to become someone you have never been" -Marshall Sylver

Week of Training 5/18

2005-05-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

I've had a pretty solid week of training. I made sure that I really connected to my goals and what I want to look like for my photos. I read my personal vision to help get me motivated every day before I headed off to the gym. And, I made sure to take the extra time to visualize my success in the gym before my workout began. These are the little things that can make the difference from an average workout and a great workout.

Now I'm heading into the home stretch of this preperation. I started off at about 4,500 calories which is my typical off-season diet. Now, I'm down to about 3,500. I plan on dropping another 500 in the next two weeks. I am just starting to get into the phase of my dieting where I can start the see things coming together...but I'm also really hungry all day! The key for me is link my feelings of hunger to the positive results I see in my physique. This takes what some would consider a negative feeling into a positive one. You've gotta use any mental trick you can to stay mentall stong and dialed in.

I have to make sure to remain extra intense in the gym next week to hold onto as much muscle as possible as I continue to cut calories. I'll keep updating this section until my pictures are posted.

"Deep withen man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him, that he never dreamed of possesing; forces that would revolutionize his life if arounsed and put into action." -Orison Sweet Marden

TRAIN HARD!
Chris Knickerbocker

New Photos Coming Soon

2005-05-08T03:44:00.000-07:00

I will be posting some new pictures in about a month on the site. I have been dieting for a few weeks, and have another 4 weeks of dieting to go. At that point, I should be in decent condition to take some more photos, which I will be putting on the site. I am hoping I will like one the photos enough to use on the cover of my new training book Commit, Focus, EXECUTE!

I've been working on this project for quite some time now & am excited that it's getting close to finished. Dieting is always a little bit of a tedious process, but absolutely neccessary to display your physique. The next four weeks is a lot of cardio, a lot of water, and some boring foods without a break from my structured diet. But, the discomfort of dieting certainly is worth it when your body responds and you get in great condition. Look for updates soon.

Train Hard!
Chris Knickerbocker

Welcome

2005-04-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hey, welcome to my new website! More to come later...