13 Weeks Out

Apr 18

Written By Elizabeth Blaser

Beginning Stats and Show Info:

Show Date - July 19, 2025 - Show Info
Current weight (4/18/25) - 149
Goal weight - 136-138
Macros (13 weeks out) - 1950 Calories, 150P, 200C, 55F

We’ll dig into pictures, macros for the week, and workouts below.

Countdown to Show Day

Workouts, 14 to 13 Weeks Out

I’ve been struggling with fatigue and think that my volume is too high. I use RP Strength for my workout planning and try 6 days per week. Usually, I am pretty happy with this, but my sets went way up and it isn’t sustainable for me. This past week, I added in some hikes on top of my usual walking and lifting. I added an active rest day on 4/16 where I just walked the dogs.

      
    53.6%
Complete 😞

Workout 1
Barbell Hip Thrust: 6, 5, 4 reps @ 250 lbs
Walking Lunges (Glute-Focused, Dumbbell): 12, 6 reps @ 15 lbs
20 reps: - @ 1 lbs
Seated Leg Curl: 22, 12, 10, 13 reps @ 55 lbs
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 13, 10, 9 reps @ 15 lbs
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 9, 7, 8, 7 reps @ 10 lbs
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 7, 12 reps @ 5 lbs
Dumbbell Pullover: Skipped
Hammer Machine Row (High): Not performed
Pullup (Wide Grip): 7, 6 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Cable Curl: 10, 10, 8 reps @ 17.5 lbs
Cable Curl: 8 reps @ 12.5 lbs
Cable Curl: 10, 8, 8, 4 reps @ 10 lbs
Cable Rope Crunch: 10, 10, 8, 10 reps @ 80 lbs
Hanging Straight Leg Raise: 8, 8, 10, 10 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 8, 7, 6 reps @ 95 lbs
Workout 2
Front Squat (Cross Grip): 6, 6, 6 reps @ 45 lbs
Leg Press: 9, 9 reps @ 90 lbs
Leg Press: 6, 6, 7 reps @ 180 lbs
Stair Calves: Not performed
Leg Press Calves: 11, 8 reps @ 180 lbs
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Seated): 6, 5, 4 reps @ 30 lbs
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Seated): 8, 8, 8, 11, 13 reps @ 15 lbs
Bench Press (Narrow Grip): Not performed
Cable Flye (Underhand): Not performed
Dumbbell Press (Flat): 8, 9, 7 reps @ 40 lbs
Cable Flye (Underhand): 13, 12, 12 reps @ 7.5 lbs
Pullup (Weighted, Wide Grip): Not performed
Barbell Skullcrusher: 8, 8, 8 reps @ 30 lbs
Dip (Weighted): Not performed
Pullup (Wide Grip): Not performed
Dip (Weighted): 6 reps @ 156.8 lbs
Dip (Weighted): 3 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Hanging Straight Leg Raise: Not performed
Pulldown (Straight Arm): Not performed
Workout 3
Barbell Hip Thrust: 8, 8 reps @ 155 lbs
Barbell Hip Thrust: 4, 4 reps @ 285 lbs
Walking Lunges (Glute-Focused, Bodyweight): 22, 22, 22 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Seated Leg Curl: 12, 12, 22, 20 reps @ 55 lbs
Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Top Hold): 14, 11, 10 reps @ 15 lbs
Dumbbell Pullover: 7, 7, 5 reps @ 45 lbs
Seated Cable Row: 13, 12, 9 reps @ 40 lbs
Seated Cable Row: 10, 10 reps @ 25 lbs
Lying Down Curl: Skipped
Hanging Straight Leg Raise: 8, 15, 15, 15 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Rear Delt Row: 7, 5, 6 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Pullup (Wide Grip): 5, 4, 5 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Workout 4
Walking Lunges (Quad-Focused, Bodyweight): 26, 22, 22 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Leg Press: 8, 8 reps @ 90 lbs
Leg Press: 6 reps @ 180 lbs
Calf Machine: 15, 12, 12, 12, 12 reps @ 25 lbs
Dumbbell Press (High Incline): 12, 11, 10, 10, 8 reps @ 25 lbs
Bench Press (Narrow Grip): Not performed
Dumbbell Press (Flat): 8, 6, 5, 5, 5, 3 reps @ 45 lbs
Cable Flye (Underhand): 20, 16, 14, 13, 11 reps @ 7.5 lbs
Dip: 8, 6 reps @ 151.8 lbs
Barbell Hip Thrust: Not performed
Pullup (Wide Grip): Not performed
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Seated): 8, 5 reps @ 30 lbs
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Seated): 6 reps @ 25 lbs
Workout 5
Cable Kickback: 12, 12, 11 reps @ 20 lbs
Barbell Hip Thrust: 8 reps @ 155 lbs
Barbell Hip Thrust: 5, 6, 5 reps @ 265 lbs
Seated Leg Curl: 25, 20, 20, 15 reps @ 60 lbs
Stability Ball Curls: Not performed
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 12 reps @ 15 lbs
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 12, 16, 13 reps @ 10 lbs
Pulldown (Straight Arm): 15, 11, 12 reps @ 42.5 lbs
Lying Biceps Dumbbell Curl: Not performed
Pullup (Wide Grip): 3, 7 reps @ 149 lbs
Cable Rope Crunch: Not performed
Dumbbell Curl (Incline): 10, 9, 7, 8 reps @ 20 lbs
Pullup (Weighted, Normal Grip): Not performed
Cable Rope Crunch: 12, 12, 12 reps @ 82.5 lbs
Pullup (Weighted, Normal Grip): Not performed
Box Step Up: 12, 12, 12 reps @ 149 lbs
Hanging Straight Leg Raise: 12, 12, 10 reps @ 149 lbs
Dip: 8, 6 reps @ 149 lbs
Workout 6
Walking Lunges (Quad-Focused, Bodyweight): 48, 22, 26 reps @ 149 lbs
Front Squat (Cross Grip): 9, 8, 8 reps @ 45 lbs
Calf Machine: 10, 10, 10, 9, 9 reps @ 70 lbs
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Seated): 8, 8, 10, 9 reps @ 20 lbs
Cable Flye (Underhand): 11, 10, 8, 8 reps @ 12.5 lbs
Dumbbell Flye (Flat): Not performed
Dumbbell Press (Incline): 9, 7, 6, 7 reps @ 35 lbs
Dip (Weighted): 4 reps @ 174 lbs
Dip (Weighted): reps @ 154.3 lbs
Cable Rope Crunch: Not performed
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: Not performed
Stiff-Legged Deadlift: Not performed

Random thoughts and notes throughout the week:

4/15

I went way over calories yesterday (1000+) which made me think about where I’m starting and if it’s sustainable for even prep. I listened to the 3DMJ podcast during my dog walks today and think that I am going to start my prep calories at 1900, 150P, 200C, 55F and track for the next week and see how my scale weight fluctuates. I referenced Eric Helms published study on content prep to revise my starting point. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/1550-2783-11-20#d1e297
Notes on contest prep from ChatGPT (Pro, Research version) analyzing the study ref’d above: Recommendations provided in the plan are drawn exclusively from the PDF you uploaded titled "Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation" by Eric R. Helms, Alan A. Aragon, and Peter J. Fitschen.
Specifically, these aspects are directly from your attached PDF:
- Caloric deficit: Aiming for weekly weight losses of 0.5-1% to maximize muscle retention.
- Protein intake recommendation: 2.3–3.1 g/kg lean body mass/day.
- Fat intake: 15–30% of total calories.
- Carbohydrates: Adjust based on remaining caloric allotment after meeting protein and fat targets.
- Meal frequency and protein distribution: Consuming protein at 0.4–0.5 g/kg bodyweight per meal, distributed over 3–6 meals daily.
- Supplementation: Recommendations for supplements like creatine monohydrate, caffeine, and beta-alanine, as well as cautions against practices like aggressive dehydration or electrolyte manipulation.

    
    
    13-Week Contest Prep Calorie Taper
    



    13-Week Contest Prep: Calorie Taper Plan

    Week 13 Stats & Goals:
    Current Weight: 149 lbs
Goal Weight: 135 lbs (15 lbs loss)
Duration: 13 Weeks (ends July 19)
Weekly Weight Loss Target: ~1%


    Potential Calorie & Macronutrient Schedule (Probably won't drop my carbs or calories this much)
    
        
                Weeks Out
                Calories/Day
                Protein (g)
                Fat (g)
                Carbs (g)
                Goal Weight (lbs)
            

        
                13–10
                1950
                160
                55
                180
                144
            

                9–7
                1700
                160
                50
                145
                140
            

                6–4
                1500
                160
                45
                110
                136
            

                3–2
                1300
                160–170
                40
                75–85
                134
            

                1 (Peak Week)
                1400–1500
                160
                40
                100–125
                135 (Show Day)
            

    

    Key Recommendations:
    Maintain high protein intake (~160 g/day) throughout prep to preserve muscle.
Reduce calories primarily from carbs and fats; keep protein constant.
Regularly track your weight, strength, and visual appearance.
Avoid aggressive dehydration or electrolyte manipulation.
Test your final week strategy in advance.

4/16

I’m dealing with more uncertainty around my calories and wondering if I’m doing things right. I felt slim pre-gym this morning and was back in the 140’s. Today, I had almost exactly 1,950 calories and weighed my food pretty precisely. By the end of the day, I was feeling bloated and think I may have given myself some food poisoning from bad chicken. I took progress photos today after a big meal of scrambled egg/egg whites and a massive plantain. We’ll see how things look tomorrow morning for my official progress pictures and weigh in. I could see abs doing laundry, so that’s a plus.

4/18

Won’t be lifting or working out Sunday because we’re doing an Enduro dirtbike race! My body is a poorly tuned alarm clock now. I wake up a little earlier every day. Today, the day started at 5:17 AM. Thanks, Waffles. His dreaming barks are better than an alarm clock.

Photos 13 Weeks Out: