Update

Last week was a really good week in terms of training. I feel like I am able to give every session 110%. Some of my training sessions have been really intense - so much so that I am completely oblivious to if anybody else is in the gym at times.

I feel like I'm getting a nice trade off of size vs conditioning. I am definitely getting leaner, but I am either getting bigger at the same time, or at the very least achieving the illusion of getting bigger as muscle definition/conditioning becomes more defined.

Staying on point with diet was alot easier last week - even the very low carb days on Tuesday and Friday seem to be getting easier!

I was chatting with Andy (Sunday training partner) about intensity today and the point we discussed is actually relevant to all types of athletes or average joes. When you are in the zone and have complete focus you have to give it everything you have and push beyond what you set out to achieve. I say this because there will be days when you just can't get in that zone for whatever reason (diet, tiredness, stress, aches, injury etc). We need to accept these days happen to us all and on these days we will more than likely just go through the motions and not push ourselves to our absolute limits. This is why you have to maximise those days that you are just are buzzing and in the zone. If you planned to run 4 miles do you have the capability to run 6? If you planned to do 12 reps can you push to 15 or 20? Its small moments like these that add up in the long run, and small moments like these that you can miss out on. Ultimately its small moments like these that seperate great from good.

I think I am really benefiting from a mental shift in my philosophy towards training. I am no longer training like a weight-lifter. I am training like a bodybuilder, and as a result I am hopefully starting to look like a bodybuilder. Its no longer about weights but feel for me. Everything is about squeezing and stretching. Its about getting in the right place mentally to achieve small goals on a day by day basis. Completing achievements on a day by day basis all lead me to my end goal but allow me to stay focused in the here and now. I believe that I can control my own destiny and that success is purely down to me and me alone and that by choosing to succeed I can and will succeed. By recognising this I also recognise that if I fail its because I have chosen to fail. Choosing to fail is not an option.

Today is food prep day. I have already cooked up all my chicken for the week (7 large breasts in a little Nando's lemon and herb peri peri sauce). This afternoon I'll be cooking up a load of beef in a healthy low carb cottage pie style. I also have some minced turkey breast to cook up and like the chicken that will get a helping of Nando's sauce. I'm having to do a bit of additional prep work in terms of food at the moment because Lynn is now 39 weeks pregnant with our second child and we could end up having to dash to hospital at any time. This means that I have to have food prepared and the ability to quickly throw into my cooler and take with us (yes I will still be eating every 3 hours!). I've got some protein cookies and flapjacks in the hospital bag as an extra bit of food should the stay be as long as last time (about 18 hours!). As long as I am awake I will be eating!!

Skipload yesterday. It was pretty intense. I should of had a reefeed of 8 hours but after 6 hours of slamming carbs back I just couldn't take any more carbs. Load is outlined below as best as I can remember:

• Meal 1: 4 large pancakes with maple syrup, lemon juice and sugar, large bowl of frosties, large bowl of coco pops, cinammon and raisen bagel with honey and jam, jam out of the jar, toffee pecan swirl pastry, 2 alpen light cereal bars, protein shake

• Meal 2: 5 extra large marshmallows, 1/2 Jamaican ginger cake, 5 weight watchers cake slices

• Meal 3: Chips in baguette, 1/2 pizza, mozerella sticks in bbq sauce, hashbrowns, 1/2 tub of ben and jerries frozen yoghurt. Protein shake with BCAA's

• Meal 4: 8 weetabix covered in sugar. 3 weight watchers cake bar slices

Last 2 meals of the day were protein in form of mince turkey breast, egg whites and peanut butter.

Load was good for 8lb weight increase. Will ber very interesting to see how long it takes for that to drop off!! I only lost 0.5lb last week, although another half an inch off my waist so everything keeps moving in the right direction.