The Future of PJ....?

Well nationals has come and gone and for those of you not very close to me or not on the bodybuilding chat boards or face book, I did not win. I placed 9th. I was in the best shape of my life and I looked AWESOME! For some reason I got overlooked. It happens sometimes. I do not feel I should have won. Fred Smalls was the true winner and I am happy for him, however I do feel I should have gotten compared with the top 5 and I had a bitter taste in my mouth after the show since I wasn't. I am over it now and have moved on.
I am very fortunate to have such a supportive family, not only do my parents love what I do, but my grandparents and Step grandparents support me like crazy too! Its really special to have my family in my corner!
I also have a really great group of friends. So many actually. I can say with all honesty if you treat people the way you want to be treated it comes back to you ten fold. I have awesome friends who take good care of me!
After the show I did a kick ass shoot with Juan Morel for MUSCLEMAG. I will be sure to post when it comes out!
I took the week after the show to totally relax and eat like a slob. I really poured everything I had into this and needed some time away from the gym. Taking a week off is strange for me and I have a new fire now that I am back into the gym!!
So what does the future hold? Considering I was next to death making the heavyweight cutoff there is no chance I can ever compete in that class again. I have decided to take a step back from the top of the game to focus on the Junior Nationals in June. I want to establish myself as a new and Improved BIGGER version of myself in the super heavyweights and I feel that I should go to Juniors first so the Judges can get a good look at my transformation. From there I will decide what to do next.

2 days out!

This will most likely be my last blog before Nationals. I leave in a few hours for the airport, just getting the last of my stuff together over here. I suffered with very low calories through yesterday to get whatever remaining bit of fat I could off and today my body weight was 225.6. I woke up about 90min earlier than normal so I would guess normal time it would be 225. I am very flat and depleted but in damn good shape! Best condition of my life! Today I start carbing up and reducing my protein. Usually when I do this the first day I drop some more weight so that should put me right where I need to be for weigh ins tomorrow. Most likely I wont be able to drink water tomorrow until the night weigh ins but I have gone through dehydration before. I am very thankful for all the support I have in my life from my family and awesome friends as well as all my awesome fans. Its easier to keep pushing when you know how many people have faith in you!
I am very confident in what I look like this year and after Friday I will be a champion. I have some really cool pics up on my facebook so go check them out! For now I am off! Thank you so much Everyone and thank you SPECIES for taking good care of me!

4 days out!

After my low calories yesterday I am down to 227.8 which really fired me up! 225 seems so much closer now. I am going to continue with the lower calories again today and maybe go just strait protein and veggie for 6 meals tomorrow, but I am feeling confident as ever. One key element for the next few days is that I am going to try to really increase my water intake. I usually do about a gallon a day...some days I may get up to a gallon and a half if its a very hard training day. Well for the next couple days I am shooting for 2 gallons just to keep my self peeing and flushing weight out. I still don't look that overly flat yet which is a positive. I mean I am not full like I want to be, but I am not totally emaciated like I expected.
I have a photo shoot today, I will talk more about it in tomorrows blog but I am looking forward to working with this gentleman!

5 days out!

For starters I want to congratulate my client Nick Lepore for winning the bantam weights at the Eastern USA yesterday! Nick looked awesome and was a pleasure to work with! More clients like that please!!!! Also a HUGE congrats to my friend and fellow SPECIES athlete Melissa Di Bernardo for winning the woman's overall bodybuilding title! She looked AMAZING!

Yesterday was a long tiring day. I was up 2 hours earlier than normals to make it down to NYC for the show. I had packed an extra meal of just fish and asparagus because I know how long and draining of a day those shows can be. After the Prejudging me and SPECIES athlete Juan Morel ( a favorite in the heavyweights) went to his gym on 14th street to train. We were both dead but it was just arms so we got through. Then I headed over to my buddies house to practice posing, and I had 45 min of cardio to do!
Today my weight was 230.4lbs so I am going to remove some calories...about 400 to be exact all from carbs. I am also doing double 45 min sessions of cardio today but in between I will be resting and watching football. Only 5 more days!

Easterns and 1 week out!!

VERY long day today and I apologize to those of you attending or thinking of attending Eastern USA's in NYC tomorrow for not posting this early. I will be at the prejudge repping SPECIES and I also have a client Nick Lepore competing in the bantam weights. He looks awesome and is going to do damage in his class! Also good luck to my friend and fellow SPECIES athlete Melissa Di Bernardo competing in woman's bodybuilding! She looks awesome!

I am one week out today and I have to thank my boy IFBB pro Guy Cisternino for destroying me in a back workout Thursday! I never would have went that hard or heavy without him. I felt like I was going to pass out by the end of the workout and he kept telling me I was a pussy and he was working out like that 2 weeks before his show! LOL, Of course I reminded him that I am 1 week out and that makes a HUGE difference in energy! The workout was Intense as hell and he was telling me no one is working harder than me...and I believe that. I also believe that no one is prepping more intelligently then me. I have really got in tune with my body and mind as one this year. Its amazing. I am never satisfied and know I can still Improve greatly each day until the show and that excites me greatly based on what i look like now!!
Today I got a painful deep tissue massage from my therapist Tatyana. I made her go as hard as she could on my legs and back especially because I believe it helps rid your muscle of waste and scar tissue and helps your separation. Nothing like a sharp elbow being driven into the back of your hamstring!
I have been having dreams, or nightmares I should say, about food now. This is common for me before a show.
body weight this morning was 230lbs.

1 week till I leave!

1 more week and I get on my flight to Atlanta. 1 more week of cardio. 5 more workouts in the gym. Its all coming together! I am in that last stage of suffering but its all gonna be worth it when I taste victory. My trouble spot for years, my glutes, have striations that I have never seen and I have so much separation in my legs! I cant wait to see the finished product. Today is a much needed cardio only day and I am going to rest as much as I can! body weight this morning 231.

Last leg workout!

Today is the last day I will crush my legs. With 10 more days until the show I am going to kill them today and then let them rest. Of course they will still get lots of stimulation from the cardio, but no more direct work. This should help my separation really pop by the time I get on stage!
Bodyweight this morning was 233.