7:4:07

What’s up guys? Been a while since I clocked in and MAN have I been busy. What with the web cast at
bodybuilding.com doing so well and working so hard in lab as well as in the gym, and with so many of my clients competing this summer I just don’t get as much time to sit down with my good ol’ friend the keyboard. I am doing very well however. Last night I weighed in at 229 lbs! A new all time high! I took caliper
readings three times & they came out to 9.7, 9.7, & 10.4%! I pinched extra hard the last time to make sure I wasn’t going crazy. This is by far the most muscular & strong I’ve ever been. I’ve been around this weight during my last off-season (227 lbs) but I was not near this lean.

I attribute the gains to a few different things.

1) I’ve been following my 4-8 week bulk, 2-3 week cut cycle religiously.
2) I’ve been hitting the high intensity intervals hard on my off days.
3) I’ve reduced my meal frequency to once every 3.5-5 hours with a 5g dose of Xtend in between each meal and this has worked wonders. I changed my meal frequency after results from research that I got back in lab that suggested this approach may be better than eating every 2 hours and so far it has been WORKING!
4) I have been going like a maniac in the gym, just absolutely insane. Some people get burnt out on lifting but I still love it. Yesterday I was going into the gym for leg day and as I was pulling into the gym I realized I had butterflies! I still get anxious & nervous before a big leg day! I look forward to every workout day in and day out. Hard workouts are a blessing, not a burden. I am blessed to be able to workout as hard as I do, many people don’t have the physical health to do this and I’m thankful everyday that I do.
5) Finally I’ve been using sesamin and Dialene-4 in the OFFSEASON and I’ve found that they are very good at keeping off body fat while in a caloric surplus. This actually makes quite a bit of sense to me since much of the research that is done on fat burners looks at PREVENTING fat gain while feeding subjects and excess of calories. I am quite certain it’s made a difference for me.

Since I had a hand in helping design Dialene-4 it makes me feel good to know that I am taking it because it works and it’s something I can be proud of. I was honestly very nervous the first time I took it because I was scared about whether it would actually work or not. I didn’t want to have helped put out something that looked good on paper but didn’t pan out in the real world. Fortunately I don’t think that is the case and after having used it for 3 months now, I’m very proud of it.

So things are going very well with me with a lot of things coming up. I’m looking forward to the Scivation workout video shoot coming up at the end of August as well as the OCB shows in Indianapolis, IN and Dekalb, IL on September 22nd and November 17th where I’ll be helping out backstage as an expeditor. I always enjoy expediting more than judging simply because I love being around the competitors, especially the first timers. It helps me remember how I felt at my first show; it’s an experience that stays with you in a way that you cannot accurately put into words.

Of course there is also the NPC Carolina Clash that I’ll be attending to root on Scivation owner Marc Lobliner as well as other Team Scivation athletes! Afterwards, we’ll be hitting up some BBQ at Marc’s house in celebration. Now you KNOW I’m looking forward to that. I invite all of you to make it out to any of those shows if you can to say hi and introduce yourself. I always love interacting with people who have a passion for bodybuilding, so if you see me at a show please do not be shy and do introduce yourself. Also, if you have not done so please stop & check out my message board and introduce yourself or ask any questions that may be on your mind. I’m always happy to help in anyway I can.

I hope you all have a great 4th of July and more importantly, a safe 4th of July.

-Layne