Category Archives: Musclemania
Week 5 – Condition Update
I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback about the blog. Just wanted to say thanks for giving me your support. I wanted to have a good time with it and take a different approach, and it seems that some people are enjoying following along.
It’s just not my personality to sit back each week and write about how awesome I am or how I’m going to take my weight class down in Vegas. Besides, I know I’m not going to be the biggest, freakiest, baddest guy there. I’ve been checking out some of the other blogs and damn there are some big, ripped dudes coming to Fitness America. My main goal is to just be the best I can be on that day. That’s what bodybuilding is really all about. Hopefully, that results in bringing an overall look that is appealing to both the fitness and media industries. If not, I will hide in shame forever.
With the high caliber of athletes coming to Fitness America, I realized I needed to turn it up a notch. Over the weekend I implemented an old school, hardcore diet trick. Carb loading? No carbs? Supercompensation? Nah, none of the above. I went down to Japantown, picked up a whole raw fish, opened the package, and ate the whole thing — head, eyes, tail, bones, and all. I guess this could be considered the Japanese version of the Rocky Balboa raw egg drink. I won’t make any predictions about the Fitness America competition, but me vs. a fish, that’s a whole other story. I’m half Japanese; if you put a fish in front of me, I’m going to take that sucker down every time.
Just kidding about the whole raw fish thing, so don’t try it at home…
I rarely weigh myself or take body fat measurements. I just don’t think it is that valuable for bodybuilders or fitness models. For the stage and for photo shoots, the only thing that matters is how you look, not what some number says. And besides, no one in the real world cares what body fat percentage you are buddy boy, so quit bragging about it. I had an old buddy who would always work his body fat percentage into the conversation as a pick-up line with girls. You know like the guy who says, “by the way I make 200K a year”. He would do the exact same thing, “You know when your 4% body fat, blah, blah…” What a cheeseball! The worst part about it is that sometimes it worked.
The only time I really take those measurements is when I’m trying to figure out what weight class I’m going to compete in. Now is one of those times. Back in the day I competed at 155lbs. At Fitness America there is no 155lbs class this time around. There is lightweight (165lbs) and bantamweight (145lbs). A twenty-pound difference is huge. I figured with just over a month left to show time, I better decide just what the hell I’m doing. I used the Tanita body fat analyzer scale for assessment. It’s supposed to be one of the most accurate models, but I don’t put too much stock into that. The read out says 154lbs, 5% body fat. I know can drop a little more fat and tighten up in a few spots, so we’ll see where the next month takes me. If I get close enough, I might try to cut some water weight and make 145lbs. If not, I’ll stay at lightweight. I won’t do anything drastic to jeopardize my conditioning, or worse, my health.
Stay tuned to see how it turns out. Have a great week everyone. Feel free to shoot me an email at info@natemiyaki.com.
Week 4 – Contest Diet
What’s my super cool revolutionary diet trick that is going to make me the next multi-millionaire fitness guru? Ostrich eggs!!! Yep, I got tired of cracking so many eggs all the time so I switched over to the giant Ostrich egg. Have you ever seen one of these things? There like the size of a mini-football and cost $30 for one egg. It reminds of the scene in Nacho Libre where Nacho climbs to the top of the mountain and drinks the Eagle Egg for super powers.I’m just joking by the way. But sometimes I do get sick of cracking so many damn eggs.
Whether you are getting ready for the stage, the beach, a wedding, or just trying to maintain a healthy bodyweight, there’s no doubt that diet/nutritional intake is by far the most important piece of the puzzle. I’m sure most bodybuilders and fitness athletes would agree. When you see someone ripped at 4% body fat, rest assured they sacrificed and were extremely disciplined with their food intake. You can’t make up for a poor, or even decent diet, with more time on the treadmill. If you want to look great, you can’t just have an average diet. For contest dieting, you have to have a warrior-like mentality.
As with training I’ve studied the protocols of many different nutritional coaches, doctors, and natural bodybuilders. I’ve read everything from published studies in peer-reviewed research journals to fitness nutrition experts to commercial diet books. And as with the training, the more I learn the simpler and simpler I get with my approach (both for myself and for the clients I advise). I think part of the problem is that its human nature to always be looking for the next best thing or the easier way. And as athletes, we are always looking for that extra edge to push us to the next level. Sometimes that causes us to focus too much on minor issues while at the same time neglecting the bigger picture.
For dieting, the best formula I know for a starting ground is 1-1.5g of protein per pound of LEAN BODY MASS, 1-1.5g of carbohydrate per pound of LBM, and about 20-25% calories from fat. Then adjustments need to be made based on body type and progress. There are more extreme diets (extreme low carb or low fat) that may produce results, but there are some pretty hefty costs — hormonal deficiencies, metabolic disturbances, etc. You need certain amounts of all macronutrients for normal physiological functioning.Here is a look at my current plan:
Breakfast: 8egg whites, 1 cup rice, veggies (nori, spinach, or cabbage) 1 tsp macadamia nut oil
Midmorn: 4oz fish or chicken, ½ cup mashed yams
Pre workout: 25g whey or 10g BCAA, 12-16oz coffee
Post workout: 25g whey or 10g BCAA
Lunch/post workout II: 8egg whites, 1 cup rice, 1 tsp mno
Dinner: 4oz fish or chicken, ½ cup mashed yams, veggies
Night: 4 oz fish or chicken, ½ cup mashed yams, veggies
Midmorn: 4oz fish or chicken, ½ cup mashed yams
Pre workout: 25g whey or 10g BCAA, 12-16oz coffee
Post workout: 25g whey or 10g BCAA
Lunch/post workout II: 8egg whites, 1 cup rice, 1 tsp mno
Dinner: 4oz fish or chicken, ½ cup mashed yams, veggies
Night: 4 oz fish or chicken, ½ cup mashed yams, veggies
One of the reasons I’m really excited to be writing this blog is because I am trying to transition into more writing in the fitness industry. I currently run a private training business, but I’d like to branch out and reach more people through articles and books. My website is up right now, but I’m also in the process of revising it so I can have more content like articles. Look for some changes in the near future.
Next time I’ll give you an update on my current conditioning and introduce you to my support group. Until then, take care.
Week 3 – Training II and Pro Wrestling
After evaluating where I’m at I decided to change my training up a little bit to a more traditional once per week split. This will allow me to include a little more volume per muscle group. My new split is as follows:
Mon — Back, Calves — Pull-ups or pulldowns, rack deadlifts, bent-over rows, one arm rows, calf raises
Tues — Rest
Wed — Chest, Biceps, Abs — Flat db press, incline db press, cable press, some version of a fly, preacher curls, concentration curls, machine preacher curls, hammer curls
Thur– Rest
Fri — Quads, Hams, Calves — leg press, squats, hamstring curls, stiff leg deadlifts, split squats or lunges, calf raises
Sat– Shoulder, Triceps, Abs — db presses, db laterals, machine rear delts, cable tri extensions, oh db extensions, close grip bench, external rotators.
Sun — Rest
I’m not the biggest guy in the world, so my game plan is to try and come in as lean and ripped as possible. With my ectomorph body type, however, this means my training style resembles more of an offseason bulking program. I use basic compound moves, heavy weights (relative to me), for 3 sets of 6-12 reps. Although I use basic moves, I vary things like rest between sets and rep tempos in order to change the training stimulus. For some exercises I’ll use a 3-1-x explosive lifting tempo for power, fast twitch fiber recruitment, and neural adaption. Sometimes I’ll use a 2-2 continuous tempo for more time under tension. I believe sticking to basic movements and varying other training parameters is the best way to get results. But who knows, I could be completely wrong….
And cardio? I just don’t do a ton of it. I may practice capoeira or walk outside a little more, but that’s about it. I believe cardio is overrated for body composition change. The most important component for dropping body fat is diet. People don’t want to eat right, so they think that hours on a treadmill can make up for it. It just doesn’t work that way.
What’s up with the Pro Wrestling? In college, I trained in the Brazilian martial art Capoeira. Originally disguised as a dance by slaves, capoeira combines martial arts with dance and acrobatic moves. I used to train at an acrobat/gymnastics studio from time to time, and one day I met a guy who said I should go check out this Pro Wrestling School nearby.
Before I knew it, I had gone through the Boot Camp and was touring with All Pro Wrestling as the Kamikaze Kid Miyaki Frantz. I was one of the smaller guys for the industry (I’ll be competing as a bantamweight at Musclemania), so I used to do a lot of crazy flips and acrobatics moves (like Rey Mysterio Jr.). My finishing move was a 450 splash, basically a 1 ½ flip off the top rope down onto my opponent. For all of you wrestling fans out there, I wrestled matches with The Great Khali and Samoa Joe and was on shows with guys like John Cena, A.J. Styles, Chris Daniels, and even the Honky Tonk Man.
That was a fun time, but I look back now and realize how crazy I was. If I can figure out a way to transfer VHS tapes to You Tube, maybe I’ll post some old videos. But no more of that stuff for me, I’ve switched the ring for the bodybuilding stage.
Next Week — It’s Diet Time!!!!!!
Week 2 – Training Split and Pro Wrestling
Contrary to a lot of competitive bodybuilders, I’m no genetic freak. As a matter of fact, I’d say I have relatively average genetics for bodybuilding. I can’t just rely on natural ability, and no one in Musclemania can rely on pharmaceutical enhancements. As a result, I’ve had to spend a lot of time learning the science behind fitness training and nutrition to optimize my results. A great deal of my formal education has been spent pursuing these studies (post-baccalaureate studies in Kinesiology, national certifications as a personal trainer and specialist in both fitness and performance nutrition). I’ve also spent a lot of time reading the theories of successful natural bodybuilders (Faildo, McQuay, LaCour, Goodin, Holman and Lawson) and top strength coaches (Poliquin, Abel, Thibadeau, Waterbury, etc.).Its kind of funny, but the more I learn about physiology, physics, and endocrinology, the more basic and basic I get with my training approach. The human body is a lever system and adapts when abnormal stresses are placed upon it. This means basic exercises moving in basic planes of motion with heavy weights (relative to each individual) yield the best results. While the science is quite complicated, practically applying the principles as a real life athlete is simple. Notice, the formula for getting into great shape is simple, not easy. Trust me and all of these other Musclemania competitors; it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get into great shape.
The problem is most people don’t really want to work that hard. As a result, the fitness industry has become rampant with guru’s creating insanely complex programs and diets that they promise are easy and will yield dramatic results. Nothing worth having in life comes easy; so don’t get caught up in the marketing hype. Sorry to ramble on, but I have a private training business and am right smack in the middle of the industry. Sometimes I have to convince my clients that they are not missing out on anything by avoiding doing some circus-like exercise on a stability ball or balance board. If you want results, keep it simple, not easy, work hard, and get your ass back under that bar and lift.
My training split for the show is this:
Day 1 — Shoulders and Arms
Day 2 — Legs
Day 3 — Rest
Day 4 — Chest and Back
Day 5 — Rest
Repeat. This training split is a favorite of strength coach Charles Poliquin. It’s also a favorite of the legendary Frank Zane. Personally, I’ve found with my body type that I respond better to training each body part with more frequency as opposed to a more traditional split where you break the body parts up over more days and hit each muscle group once a week. I balance this with rest days to avoid overtraining and burning out the hormonal and adrenal systems.
I think I’ve run out of time for this week. I don’t want these posts to get too long; I could ramble about fitness forever. I didn’t get to my career as a pro wrestler, but here are some photos of my days as the “Kamikaze Kid” Miyaki Frantz. I was doing a running, twisting back flip over the top rope. I told you I was a crazy kid.
The Road to Musclemania America 2009 – Week 1
I am excited to be training for the upcoming Musclemania America Championships in November. This is a huge event that features competitions in natural bodybuilding, fitness, and modeling. In addition, I have been asked to contribute to the Musclemania.com website by writing about my training regimen leading up to the show in Las Vegas. Wow, what an honor! It is a great opportunity to be one of the featured athletes on Musclemania.com. Hopefully, I won’t disappoint. I think it is really cool to see how all of these amazing athletes are preparing for the Fitness America Weekend. I know I’ll be tuning in every week to try and learn a thing or two from the best natural stars in the world.
It’s about 8 weeks away from the Big Show — crazy! This will be my first competition in 5 years. I am nervous and excited at the same time. Bodybuilding is my passion. Even though I have not competed over the last few years, I’ve been training hard and eating right. This is a lifestyle thing for me; I’ll do it to the day I die.
I figure there is plenty of time to talk about sets, reps, and egg whites over the next few weeks, so I’d use this first post to tell you a little bit about myself. The thing is I have a pretty diverse background and have had opportunities outside of fitness over the last couple of years. My philosophy is that you only get one shot at life, so you might as well try everything you want to try before its too late.
My last show was in 2004. Time flies. I had a shoulder injury leading up to that show which required surgery. I was bummed because I couldn’t take advantage of some of the opportunities that were presented to me after the show. There’s no doubt competing with Musclemania gives you a lot of exposure in the fitness industry. While I was on the shelf, however, my brother Mike was starting a rock band and asked me to join. He is an awesome drummer of over 25 years and has played in a couple of different bands. I played the drums growing up and also dabbled in Japanese Taiko drumming. He was the drummer, so I couldn’t do that. He asked me to play some back-up drums Taiko-style, but also to be the lead singer. Dude, I’d never sung in my life! But I said why not — remember the whole you only live once mentality! I took some voice lessons and we were off. Our band was called Shed 7. We played around the local San Francisco music scene for about two years. We even recorded an 8-song CD. We never got signed to a label, probably because I sounded like an American Idol reject. Oh well, you can’t be great at everything. But man, it was a lot of fun writing music, playing live, and making new friends. The band split up last year, but don’t count out a Shed 7 reunion tour. Towards the end of last year I trained and prepped for a photo shoot. It turned out pretty good and I started thinking I’d like to get back on stage.
There’s nothing like training for a bodybuilding show. The spring came and went, and the bug never left, and here we are today prepping for Musclemania America. Got to run for now. Next week I’ll lay out the details of my training routine for the show. I’ll also tell you about my days touring as a professional wrestler with All Pro Wrestling. Those were a crazy couple of years.
natemiyaki
Kalai Diamond
