Getting to Know Team Cygen: Angela Doucette

So for those of you who don't know who Angela Doucette is...well....she is a women who wears many hats such as national level figure competitor, super mom and wife to fellow Team Cygen Athlete Steve Doucette....and she's damn good at all of it too! 

Hi Angela Lets start off by telling us a bit about yourself?

I am a National Level Figure competitor originally from Ontario but now residing in Nova Scotia. I am currently a stay at home Mommy of two young children. I have been training for almost 15 years and enjoy researching all aspects of health and fitness. I started competing as a fitness model and made the progression to the sport of figure as I added more muscle to my frame over the years.

Well thanks for taking the time my fellow Ontario-ite (I think...) so what made you get into the sport?

I was diagnosed with Ankolosying Spondilitis when I was 20. After some research it seemed strengthening muscles and staying healthy helped the symptoms and progression of the disease. I joined a gym and quickly became addicted to changing my physique. I was approached by a few competitors and trainers who introduced me to the sport and I competed for the first time in 2004.

That’s a very inspiring story!! Since then tell me some accomplishments you’ve had in the sport?

So many great things have come from competing. When I competed as a fitness model I had the opportunity to work with many great photographers, even landing a photo on the cover of a Harlequin Magazine cover once!

Winning my first figure overall title at the Nova Scotia provincials was very exciting but most of all improving on my physique and overall health are better than any trophy I could ever win.

I also thrive off helping others in the sport and being a role model for anyone living or interested in living a healthy lifestyle.

Tell me a typical day for you when you are training?

I am up at 6:30 with kids. Get them fed, packed and off to the gym with them around 9 or 10am. They play at the gym child care centre while I train. I am in the gym about 1 hour and 15 minutes then pack the kids up and go back home for lunch. The rest of day is spent running errands, attending play groups, prepping meals, and cleaning up. After both kids are in bed it's cardio time. I have a spin bike and my trusted Precor elliptical trainer that I use while catching up on TV shows or watching movies. After that it's a quick protein meal and off the bed.

Super mom by day and Elite athlete by night!! Ok now give us a quick breakdown of your workouts and schedule…

This changes quite frequently (I get bored easily). I just finished a month of cardio/circuit type training with light weights and high heart rates. The goal was to improve my overall fitness, give my body a bit of a rest and all the cardio allowed me to treat myself a little more often with all the summer get together’s and party's.

Now I have switched to heavy (max weights) training again. I have a one day on, one day off rotation for the next month. I have a six day rotation:

Day 1 - Bench (chest, shoulders)
Day 2 - 35 min's cardio
Day 3 - Squat (legs, calves)
Day 4 - 35 min's cardio
Day 5 - Deadlift (back)
Day 6 - Off

Onseason, the 10 weeks before a competition, I change this rotation to 3 days on, 1 day off and I don't lift to my max weights.

When you are not training, what do you enjoy doing?

I love spending time with my family, shopping, and reading.

When are you are training, what does your diet consist off?

Mostly protein and fat with some carbs to fuel work outs:

Same old chicken, turkey, beef, veggies, fruit, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, oatmeal, and rice as everyone else.

Sounds pretty standard. If you can have 1 cheat meal, what would it be?

Spaghetti and meatballs with cheesecake for dessert

Awesome...so switching speeds, What is currently in your supplement cabinet?

Cygen Multi Pack, Cygen Fish Oil, Vit C, E, and Calcium
Iso 90 and Nutriwhey, Creatine, Decimate, Anabolic Link, BCAA’s, Glutamine

When do you take them?

All day pretty much, usually with each meal.

Finally, what’s next for you?

Atlantic Championships in New Brunswick and the World Qualifier National event both in the spring of 2013.

I would like to thank Angela for taking the time out of her busy schedule to share with us the day and life of Angela Doucette. Make sure to check her out in the Atlantic Championships and support the Team Cygen Athletes.

Getting to know Team Cygen: Steve Doucette

Team Cygen's Steve Doucette is a very successful national level bodybuilder and powerlifter.  I had the opportunity to ask him a few qusetions and here is what he has to say... 

Hey Steve Let’s start by Telling us a bit about yourself (example: quick bio, where you’re from, work, and what sport you compete in, etc)?

I was born in a small town in Nova Scotia. After graduating high school, I spent 4 years at Acadia University, and moved to Ottawa in 2002 to get my Masters Degree at the University of Ottawa. It was there I met my wife, fellow Team Cygen athlete – Angela. We had our first child and just months before having our 2^nd, I moved back to my home province in 2011. My work involves analysis of clinical trial and any other health related research data.  Specifically I work as a senior biostatistician for a research unit in Nova Scotia. Outside of work, my focus is on my family, as well as my passion for the sport of bodybuilding. 

Wow your job sounds intense…So tell me what made you get into the competitive bodybuilding?

Growing up, I was never a very team oriented athlete. I much preferred relying on myself and no one else. Any individual sport is where I excelled. As a teenager, these included mostly endurance sports. Swimming, cycling and triathlon were the first that really put effort into. Cycling in particular, where high levels of strength was needed to win sprints and therefore win road races. I actually road for team Nova Scotia in the 1997 Canada Games! Genetically, I was never built to be a cyclist. I certainly don’t have the body type of Bradley Wiggens – the current Tour de Fance and Olympic Time trial champion… Perhaps if I were living closer to a Velodrome I would never have gotten into bodybuilding, but at the age of 18, I knew that I would never excel as a competitive cyclist. I turned to the gym. At the time, my older brother had been competing in bodybuilding and powerlifting, and I followed in his footsteps. I quickly gained back any amount of muscle lost from years of cycling. Eventually as cycling became less of a hobby for me, I had more time to focus on bodybuilding.

What are some accomplishments you’ve had in the sport?

I accomplish all my goals simply by bettering my previous performance with each and every contest I compete in. To date, I’ve competed in 18 contests by my last count. Even though winning has a lot to do with who shows up, I feel as though I have had a fairly good competitive history… As a junior, I won the Nova Scotia Provincials twice, as well as the Junior overall at the 2000 World Qualifier in Quebec city. When living in Ontario, my notable wins was a best poser award at the Ontario National qualifier and back to back wins in an Ontario regional and the Ontario provincial show in 2010. Most recently I won the 2012 Atlantic championships as a Middleweight.

Those are some impressive accomplishments!  So what is a typical day for you when you are training?

When dieting for a show, I typically use less rest days. When dieting, it’s harder to push yourself to 100% efforts in gym lifts compared to training for a powerlifting contest when I would not be restricting calories so much. So normally, a bodybuilding contest preparation day would revolve around my family and career schedule. Briefly, it would go something like this: Wake up, eat meal #1, prepare for work, drive to work, work,  meal #2, work, pre-workout supplements / pre-workout meal #3, workout at noon,   meal #4, work, drive home, meal #5, family time, kids to bed, cardio, meal #6, bedtime.

This hasn’t changed too much from non contest training / dieting. In the ‘off-season’, I typically have the exact same schedule, with more rest days as I am pushing myself way harder in the gym and need the extra recovery.

Give us a quick breakdown of your workouts and schedule…

Over the years, this has changed quite a bit from powerlifting training to bodybuilding training, dieting, and so on. This also varies week to week depending on my current schedule at work, home, etc. I take a very dynamic approach to bodybuilding and feel as though that is part of the game. Having too much structure can not only get boring, but also make it easier for your body to adapt. I have however more or less settled into a very common approach whether on or off season. Typically my workouts have been divided into 4 different workout days. Sometimes more, but if I do that for too long I feel as though I get too many days in between workouts. I have tried less but find I am not recovered enough to push myself with only 3 different splits. I normally will go either 3 days on, 1 off, or 4 days on 1 off. If I am dieting, as mentioned, this might be more along the lines of 6 days on, 1 off. Currently I have been more or less following this:

1.       Chest / triceps /shoulders

2.       Back

3.       Legs

4.       abs/calfs/biceps.

I will often throw biceps onto my back day, and sometimes eliminate tris/shoulders from my chest day and throw in those on another day depending on how I feel and how much time I have. Again, my workouts are during my lunch break so I often won’t have the time to get in longer than 45 minutes. I never follow a specific structure, but listen to my body more than anything. Sometimes I don’t even know what I am doing in the gym until I get there!

When you are not training, what do you enjoy doing?

Having 2 young kids takes up a lot of time. Spending as much time with them as I can when I am not working is usually a priority. It will be fun getting my kids involved in sport as they get older.

 Yes family always comes first.  When are you are training, what does your diet consist off? 

For protein, I rely mostly on eggs, tuna, beef, chicken and whey. Growing up I never liked fish too much, however each time I diet I seem to be experimenting with different things. I often throw in some fish at least a couple times per week in my meals.

Most bodybuilders will follow a low to no carb diet aside from the fibrous carbs. I am no different. When dieting I am not as strict as some might think though and as long as my carbs come near workout time, I honestly don’t limit the foods that they can come from. For example, many protein bars do contain quite a bit of carbs, and I will never restrict these from my diet – even a week before a show. I often eat apples or bananas on my diet. However, like most bodybuilders, the majority of carbs will come from veggies / salads. In fact when I am really low on carbs, most of the carbs will actually come from the small amounts found in condiments, spices, etc. But of course, that is only for a very short period of time. I try to keep the sport healthy for as long as possible – realizing that the final week or two is not what any nutritionist would ever call ‘healthy!’….

Fats usually come from beef, fish oil, olive oil, fatty fish, nut betters, and almonds. I do keep my fats fairly low as well, especially in the last few weeks. In the past my fats were almost zero, however my 2 most recent diets I have kept my muscles fuller for longer by keeping fats up. 

If you can have 1 cheat meal, what would it be?

When dieting, I quickly get a sweet tooth. Anything high in simple carbs would be high on my list. I usually like things crunchy, so a cheat meal for me might be a box of cereal (ex. mini-wheats). When in the off-season and my brain is not quite as ‘carb-starved’ I often have cravings for something a little more fatty, greasy – (ex. pizza, hamburgers with bacon/cheese, etc).

Pizza...burgers?  Sounds like a perfect cheat meal!  Ok on the other hand what is currently in your Supplement Cabinet?

Funny you should call it a supplement Cabinet. We actually have nearly an entire pantry dedicated to our supplements! Much of it is stacked with whey protein - Many would call it a supplement, but I call it food. My favorite is both Chocolate and Vanilla Iso-90. In addition, we have all the most important supplements stored here: Multi-pack, Anabolic Link, Decimate, Fish oils. As contest time approaches, I am sure to add Toragen in their as well. Cygen’s line-up is second to none.

When do you take them?

A better question is when do I not take them! Many people who aren’t involved in the sport might laugh at the fact that I spend most of my day consuming supplements of 1 form or another. It’s important that one gets their regular intake of ‘real food’ - however in a typical day half of my meals are in fact protein shakes or a combination of protein shakes with a small meal. I will often consume my shakes before and after working out and later in the day in between larger meals or as my final meal before bed. Multi-vitamins in the morning when I wake up, fish oil capsules 2-3 times  daily with meals, decimate pre-workout and anabolic link is how I normally consume ALL my water. And since I will always get at least 4 liters daily, quite simply put, I am always consuming a supplement in 1 form or another! 

Finally, what’s next for you? 

My plans for 2013 include the NSABBA provincials / Atlantics – depending on how I do there and the gains that I have made in the off-season, I may in fact do my first CBBF nationals that summer. My focus is to do Nationals when I have reached the top of the middleweight class. Once I am near that cut-off, I will do nationals – otherwise I become the lightest guy in a class that is separated by 22 pounds from bottom end to top end!

 I have had some difficulty in recent years with injury, but I may focus some time on powerlifting again in the future.

Awesome good luck and stay healthy.  We all cannot wait to see you back on stage.

Getting to know Team Cygen: Josh Hill

(picutre courtesy of www.mma-eh.ca)

Josh Hill is one of Canada's best MMA Bantamweight fighters and is on his way to the top with people anticipating him to be the next call up to the UFC.  Recently he has joined Team Cygen and I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Josh.  Here is your latest post on Getting to know Team Cygen...

Hi Josh. Thanks for taking the time to meet with me. For those who don’t know you, tell us a bit about yourself?


Well I was born Nov 24th 1986, born and raised in Hamilton Ont. Currently live in Binbrook, ON just outside Hamilton. I work as a hazardous materials responder for a company called Quantum Murray where I respond to major and minor cleanups of all sorts of hazardous materials that have to be properly dealt with. We also perform numerous rescue standby for jobs that entail confined spaces and high angles. I am also a volunteer firefighter for the city of Hamilton, station 18 in Binbrook. On top of all that I am an MMA fighter and have been fighting professionally for just under 3 years and have been training for about 5 years. I am currently 8-0.

Big shout out to the boys at Station 18 in Binbrook! So what made you get into the sport?


Growing up I played all sports, mainly hockey, but I loved to compete and it was my way to alleviate energy and aggression. I played hockey, rugby, baseball, football, basketball, and golf. I found mma when I was 20 yrs old and fell in love with it, I was instantly hooked in the training and once I first competed and won, I was hooked on the feeling of victory and wanted to do it again and again.

Tell us some accomplishments you’ve had in the sport?


In March of 2011 I won the Aggression Bantamweight championship. I am recognized as one of the best bantamweights in Canada, but I still have a lot of accomplishments ahead of me that I want to achieve.

That’s a great attitude …once you’ve hit one goal, there’s another to be reached. Ok tell me a typical day and life of Josh Hill when you are in training camp?


When I am in training camp, I usually train twice a day except on sparring days, usually one workout in the morning and one in the evening.

Give us a quick breakdown of your workouts and schedule…


Mon- lower body workout am, Thai pads pm
Tues- sparring 3pm
Weds- upper body workout am, wrestling pm
Thurs- boxing am- Jiu Jitsu pm
Fri-sparring
Sat- full body functional
Sun-off

When you are not training, what do you enjoy doing?

I love to do things that are active like play other sports such as hockey basketball and golf, love to go to the movies, and when I’m not in training camp I down to party it up a bit.

Why not right? You have to get out and let loose every so often. When are you are training, what does your diet consist off?


When I’m not training for a fight I don’t have a specific diet, I’ll be honest….I hate dieting and only do it for fight time so what I eat is all over the place and not all the time healthy haha yes I like to eat junk, and when I’m dieting it is pretty straight forward with a lot of protein and greens and the proper supplements.

Ok which leads me to my next question...If you can have 1 cheat meal, what would it be?


I can’t pick just one haha, but I love Cinnabons, they are delicious, ice cream cake from Dairy Queen is top notch and movie theatre popcorn is the best.

What is currently in your Supplement Cabinet?


I take nothing but Cygen products so I take their Iso90, fish oils, Power Greens 21, CLA, glutamine, and Anabolic Link

When do you take them?

I take all of them at different times throughout the day. Mainly, in the morning and afternoon and also before and after my workouts.

Ok so what advice do you give people who want to get into MMA?


I strongly suggest for those who want to start fighting, is that do not rush it. Make sure you are prepared and your coaches and training partners also feel that you are ready to fight. Get some grappling tournaments and amateur boxing or Thai fights under your belt just to give you a sense of competition . And also make sure your fighting for the right reasons, fight because you love the sport and want to compete and be the best, do not fight just because you want to be known as a mma fighter because you wont last long.


Finally, what’s next for the "gentleman" Hill?


I will be fighting for the score fighting series at Hamilton place theatre on Aug 25th 2012 in the main event against another top quality Canadian bantamweight John Fraser.

Thanks so much Josh for taking the time to meet with me in the middle of your camp and best of luck on the 25th. 

Anytime and I would like to thank Team Cygen for bringing me on board and helping me prepare for this fight. 


Make sure you catch Josh LIVE on the Score on August 25th... 




 

Getting to know team Cygen: Rich Machell

Team Cygen's own Rich Machell is a Canadian Strongman and Powerlifter.  Known for his size and strength, Rich is no stranger to heavy lifting...In fact, Rich has been seen walking around Trenton, ON with a car harnessed to his back so if your having car problems don't call a tow truck...just call Rich. 

I had the pleasure of speaking to Rich and here is what he had to say...

Hey Rich let’s start by telling us a bit about yourself?


I'd love to... I am 6 foot even, floating between 275 and 290 depending on which type of competition is coming up. Closer to 275 when I am focusing on a powerlifting meet, since I compete in the 125kg division I would rather not have to cut too much weight. When I am training for a strongman show I don't worry too much if I get a little extra weight... it usually helps in some events. As far as work I am just your average guy. I work as a civilian on the military base here in Trenton, ON (born and raised!). It's a simple warehouse job although I used to be a personal trainer and would like to get back into the industry at some point. Why not do what you love right? I am married to the best wife ever (she has to be... she's put up with all the strongman and powerlifting talk for 9 years now) and one amazing step-daughter. She just graduated grade 8 and won a big achievement award... I was weeping like a baby.... hahaha

That’s great…Congrats to her! So Rich what made you get into powerlifting and strongman?


Many people have heard this story before but I have to say it again. I always watched strongman on tv as Magnus ver Magnusson dominated the World's. Then came the All-Strength Challenge on the OLN network. That's where I was introduced to guys like Hugo Girard. I was working out (that's what I used to call it before I was "training") at a local Goodlife and one day in comes Hugo Girard! He was in town for some promotional appearance since there was a local strongman happening. I talked to him and mentioned I was interested in getting involved. In his thick French accent he said "You've got to test the waters". I took that and ran with it. Later that week there was an announcement on the radio that they were looking for local competitors. I called the number and after that phone call was over I was signed up for two competitions on back to back weekends. The first was in Cobourg and I got smashed. Ironically enough by one of my future mentors and the man who programs all my training... Jordan Foley of Total Fitness Solutions.
Even though I placed 10th out of 12 I had the best time. The following week I placed 8th out of 12 and the bug just kept biting harder.

That’s a great story! So what are some of your big accomplishments you’ve had in the sport?


Locally I have won the Tyendinaga Fair Strongman 3x, Harrowsmith Northern Giants Champion 2012, Cydesdale Power Strongest Team in 2008, Carp Fair Strongman 3rd Place 2009 and plan on adding on to those once my training is focused back on strongman. As for powerlifting I tried my hand in a Bench Press meet back in November 2011 and won my age/weight division while setting a drug free Canadian Record with 358lbs. I don't consider that a huge bench but with strict powerlifting rules and at a drug free meet it is.....haha Back in May of this year I competed in my first full powerlifting meet with the 100% RAW Federation and once again I set some Canadian records in my division in the squat (474lbs), Bench (358lbs) and Deadlift (556lbs) plus the overall total 1388lbs.  Once again I don't consider all of those spectacular lifts BUT I truly believe I am on my way to some impressive numbers. I don't train to peak on one day like full-time powerlifters which costs me numbers on the platform. My training is mainly for strongman which makes me functionally strong and not just strong in one straight line.

That’s impressive Rich…Great job! Now tell me a typical day for you when you are training?

If I don't have to work that day then I will wake up around 7-8am and aim for a 10am start. I will immediately slam down a protein shake and take my vitamins and minerals for the morning. I'll check my emails, sip some BCAA's and then start my warm up. I try to keep my workouts under 2 hours (that's a full 30mins of foam rolling, mobility work included) and slam another protein shake when I am finished. As a natural athlete I cannot afford to take my post workout nutrition lightly.
Then if I have to work that day then I will train at 6:30pm after dinner. Everything remains the same.

Give us a quick breakdown of your workouts and schedule…

I'll keep it as simple as possible without giving away Jordan's top secret knowledge (available at TotalFitnessSolutions.ca) hahaha

I stopped trying to train on a regular schedule like the standard Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri as most people follow. Since I am a drug free athlete recovery is my most important aspect of training. I can't drill that into you youngsters enough!! Being in the gym everyday DOES NOT mean you are hardcore... it means you know nothing and trust me.... I've been there myself.


I train every second day no matter what. That allows me a full day for recovery in between each workout. That is very important since I have two full-body workouts, one strongman events day and a full-body circuit day in the week.


Example...
Mon- Squat and Bench plus accessory work
Wed- Military Press and Speed Deadlifts or Power cleans plus accessory work
Fri- Events - Super Yoke, Farmer's Walk, Log Press, Tire Flip, Truck Pulls etc etc
Sun- recovery circuit

I agree Rich. Gains happen during recovery…Great input! So when you are not training, what do you enjoy doing?


I just enjoy chilling at home. No strongman or powerlifting talk (sometimes it slips out) and relax in our pool or be lazy and watch some reality shows on tv with my wife and daughter. I'll be pushing hard to get onto Big Brother Canada in 2013!

Hopefully we see you in the house in 2013. When are you are training, what does your diet consist off?


Ugghh, when I'm training which is most of the time I follow a Paleo style diet most of the time. I do allow some cheats BUT majority of my meals are tuna, whole eggs, beef or chicken, vegetables (lots of spinach salads), nuts and I cook my food in Organic Coconut Oil. I can easily gain fat so I follow the Carb Nite Solution diet when I need to cut some fat.

Ok so I assume a big guy like you loves to eat, what is your favourite cheat meal?

I always have a weakness for a greasy burger. Nachos are a weak point too but the big greasy burger is my Kryptonite. Locally it's the "Andrew Burger" at Linda's Grill in Trenton, Oshawa has the "Park Avenue Burger" I believe at Teddy's and recently I was introduced by Dave Finistauri to the "Zet's Burger" on Airport Rd in Mississauga..... obviously at Zet's!!

If I ever make it out to Trenton, Linda's Grill will be our first stop (this plug better get us a free burger!)...Let's say If I were to open your supplement cabinet right now, what would I find?

I have many items in my cabinet since I like to rotate what I take depending on goals. My main staples are NutriWhey Protein, Anabolic Link (BCAA's and Glutamine), D-Aspartic Acid. I NEVER go without those. TAKE YOUR RECOVERY SERIOUSLY ESPECIALLY IF YOU`RE A NATURAL ATHLETE!

Ok Finally, what’s next for you?

September 15th 2012 at Variety Village in Scarborough.... 100% RAW Federation Eastern Nationals for Powerlifting. After that I have one team strongman event in October then it`s time to hit the off-season.. Ya never know though, I enjoy competing. I have recently found out there is a Natural World`s Strongest Man so I have started making the contacts to bring some drug tested strongman shows to Ontario. Wish me luck because this is a dream of mine and will benefit so many people who love the sport but are hesitant to compete.


I`d like to take this time to thank the whole crew at CYGEN for giving me the opportunity to be a Cygen Athlete. Right away I felt at home and will continue to make Cygen happy that they chose me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

Good luck Rich and thank you for letting get to know you more...If this isn't impressive enough.  Check out this video!!!

Postponing Nationals...

Team Cygen's Steve Doucette is a successful National Level bodybuilder and has been competing for many years.  Here is his outlook on taking time off...Enjoy!

My career revolves around working with numbers, looking at trends, analysis of data on a daily basis. So it’s not surprising that I would look at my own progress in this way. If I look back to my first year of competing, just shy of my 18th birthday, I can remember the high I got after competing. Back then, Nova Scotia had two shows throughout the year, and I can remember another junior competitor asking me: “Are you going to compete this fall?” I quickly answered: “FOR SURE”… It wasn’t until I got advice from someone who had been competing for a few years that I decided it didn’t make sense for me to go through with it again so soon. So over the next few years, I decided instead to make competition more or less a yearly thing.


In 15 years of competing, I’ve identified the years where I gained the most muscle: From 2003-2004, from 2009 to 2010, and again from 2011-2012. What those periods all have in common is that they were 3 shows that I did where I did not do a show within the previous year. I am not going to look at this from any sort of scientific perspective… Just some honest observations in myself… Let’s look at the details:

In the year 2000 I learned a lot about my body and how competing can take its toll. I competed in back to back shows in the spring, again in late summer and then finally once more in the fall. What I noticed was with each successive show, I actually got worse! Sure, I got pretty ripped for the middle show (I dieted from an already lean state throughout the summer) – however this was at the expense of muscle fullness. Then trying to keep that level of condition for another show – it simply didn’t happen! I was too young, and too inexperienced to be able to pull off maintaining that level of conditioning for so long without hurting my body.

2004 was the first time I ever took a full 2 year break between shows. The result? A much MUCH leaner physique with approximately 10 pounds more stage weight than my 2002 showing. Awesome right?! Fast forward to 2010, another huge change in my physique. Yes, part of this was the fact that it had been 4 whole years since my last show, therefore one would obviously expect much more improvements… However, I must share that this was during the years I had my first child, took a long break from the gym, bought my first home, focused a lot on my career, etc. I basically only really focused on bodybuilding from mid 2009 until the 2010 show. However, that said…I truly feel the break actually helped my growth in the long run. Muscle memory is a good thing…

Finally, 2012. A huge change in my physique from 2010. I vowed to get in my best conditioning to date, which I did. I also was determined to do this while increasing my stage weight substantially, which I did. With all this said, it’s not really a surprise that I’ve decided to sit 2012 Nationals out and wait before doing Nationals for the first time. My goals for competing are to improve from show to show… And with only a few months between my last show and Nationals, I realistically would have looked the same.

Now, I know what some of you may think…The pros compete all the time, many shows, guest appearances, etc. However, I argue that those individuals don’t change all that much, they’ve attained more or less their genetic maximums, and therefore a solid off-season is not necessarily what they need. Changes to their physique at this stage are more ‘polishing’ than mass gaining. Learning to get ripped without sacrificing too much fullness, water manipulation, learning to perfect the final week of their prep… Those are the goals at that level. Of course there are those that can do that, all the while continuing to grow…This is a great feat, however I wonder if they would accomplish an even GREATER feat if they could take that precious time off? One thing to keep in mind, is that at that level, it is no longer a hobby – it is a career, and as such they have to decide what is best for their career. Often times, taking time off competing means time off their career (through guest appearance, self promotion, etc), which isn’t the smartest thing to do from a financial perspective!

For most, this sport is a hobby, as well as a lifestyle. For most, we share the same goals. To eventually become the best bodybuilder we can be in the long run. I truly believe that it is perfectly acceptable to look the same each and every year if you simply enjoy the process. Many people fall in this category, but many others, myself included, would benefit from time off competing to relax, train hard, grow, let injuries heal, and motivate for the next one!

Newest Member of Team Cygen: Josh Hill

Here is a but about Josh Hill, the newest member of Team Cygen.  Who is he and whats next for Josh??

I’ve been training in Mixed Martial Arts for the last 5 years and have been fighting professionally since Oct 2009.  I am currently 8-0 and am the current Aggression bantamweight champion.  I’ve been an athlete my whole life playing sports of all kinds and one thing i have always lacked was proper dieting, nutrition and supplementation.  This is why I am pleased to now be part of Team Cygen Laboratories, they have given me all the supplements needed to perform and recover throughout my intense and constant training schedule.  In just under 3 years i have worked my way up the Canadian mma circuit fast and i am now widely considered one of the best bantamweights in the country. 

My next fight is the biggest fight of my life to date.  It will be on Aug 25^th at Hamilton Place Theatre under the Score Fighting Series against another top Canadian bantamweight John Fraser (10-3) in the Main Event of the evening.  Training camp is underway and so far it is going great, I feel my conditioning is excellent for this early in camp and will only get better.  As of right now i have taken some time off work to focus on my training so I can perform at my best come Aug 25^th.  I am training twice a day, Monday to Friday, once on Saturday, and i always take Sunday off to relax and recover.  I am about 5 weeks away from my fight so i will keep you guys up to date and post again in a few weeks to fill you in on my progress leading up to my tilt.  Here is a brief overview of my training schedule:

Monday

Morning - Lower body weight training

Evening - Standing up striking

Tuesday

Morning - Stretch and recovery

Evening - Sparring

Wednesday

Morning - Upper Body weight training

Evening - Grappling training

Thursday

Morning - Speed and pad work

Evening - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training

Friday

Morning - Stretch and recovery

Evening - Sparring

Saturday

Morning - High Intensity circuit training

Evening - Recovery

Sunday

OFF

Thanks and stay tuned...

Cheers,

“Gentleman” Josh Hill

Set Point Theory - Why Stepping Off the Stage Doesn't Mean Falling Off the Wagon?

By Steve Doucette

After a grueling spring of competitions for Steve Doucette, it's back to the offseason, which for many competitors means back to stuffing their faces with anything they can get their hands on.  But being a Natural Bodybuilder, Steve has a very different approach to the offseason and what it means to him to stay closer to competition weight all year round.  Let's find out why?

Set point theory is something many people in the nutrition world will have come across. It’s not a very complicated theory, and one I have enough evidence to support from having witnessed it in others, as well as myself throughout the years. The point of this article is to define set point theory and what it means for anyone looking to lose weight – permanently, or temporarily.


Set point theory goes a little like this: Every person has their own internal thermostat that controls how much fat you keep on your body. Think of it like a thermostat in your house. Some people like to keep their thermostat high all winter, while others prefer to keep it a little lower. But the end result is always the same – their own house is heated to their own specifications. Not unlike the housing thermostat, an individual, for example, may have their internal thermostat to maintain a bodyfat % of say 12-13%. When that person goes on a crash diet, loses a few % body fat, what happens? The cravings start. All of a sudden that slice of pizza enters the mind more than just when that pizza commercial pops on the television set. All part of your mind telling you to get back to that set point!! Someone else may have a lower, or a higher set point, but at the end of the day this set point often dictates when trouble in a diet is going to begin.

So what happens when one decides it’s time to ‘bulk’? The bodybuilder decides, I must EAT TO GROW… So after a few weeks the person in our example above gets to 15-16%. Now what? Well, this is where I hear complaints such as: ‘not being able to get enough calories’ in their day, or ‘my muscle growth has stalled’, or ‘I have to force feed myself because nothing tastes good anymore’. Again, mind telling your body it’s too fat! STOP EATING SO MUCH!

I am sure almost everyone has in one way or another felt or experienced set point theory for themselves. Personally, this is why I don’t fluctuate too much in the off season. Ages ago, I decided in one of my off-seasons that I should try to hit 200 pounds (keep in mind, I was competing at about 150, and normally an off season diet would get me to about 175-180). So what did I do? I ate everything in sight. This started out great (and fun!), eating more food from healthy sources – as some would call it – a ‘clean bulk’… The weight climbed, but after a while, I really didn’t have any desire to eat a can of tuna here, or a chicken breast there… No, my protein sources started switching over to hamburgers, and then the food sources becoming more and more frequently, pizza, chicken fingers, fries, etc. Trying to stomach protein shakes involved adding peanut butter, and sometimes even ice cream, and so on. The weight climbed further… I almost made it to 190. But I seriously NEVER wanted to eat. It became force feeding to me, and really, all that eating 5000-6000 calories a day was doing was simply increasing my food bill, as well as my ‘toilet paper bill’. So set point theory was simply trying to bring me back down to where my body feels comfortable. Not only that, our body generally increases its metabolism in order to bring the body back to where it wants to be. During prep however, only after a few weeks of dieting, I will even crave things like tuna, chicken, eggs, - as long as it has calories I want it. And unfortunately, metabolism tends to decline in order to bring body fat levels back up. This is often why individuals will continuously decrease calories during a diet as their body requires less and less food to maintain current bodyfat levels.

In terms of physique related sports, a competitor is fighting set point theory for a period of time and then eventually most will see a return to their original bodyfat %. This can be devastating for men and women who believe they can stay in an on-season condition for the rest of their lives. It’s possible, sure… But you’re fighting what your body wants. Often, a first time competitor will not realize that what they’ve worked so hard for can vanish in a moment (moment on the lips, month on the hips ring a bell??). So if you can cope with those cravings, hormone changes, etc. then great – but without trying to be a pessimist, it really isn’t all that feasible or healthy to try to fight your body. What a successful competitor will realize is that these efforts are for a result that is apparent only for a day or two… For some, it may be something they will maintain for weeks, during shoots, etc. Others perhaps year round as part of a self promotion tool. But one thing is for certain – the further away from their set point they are, the harder it will be to maintain a year round competition physique. I consider myself lucky – my body feels comfortable at a level that permits me to get in contest shape in less than 10 weeks, but more importantly, that weight is what I also consider healthy. The problem arises when one feels as though their ‘ideal’ or desired weight is far below what most would consider healthy. This often leads to a vicious cycle for competitors of binging for long periods of time post-contest, followed by depression, and then jumping to do another show as an excuse to get themselves motivated to ‘deprive’ their bodies once more. This is what I call the ugly side of competition…Besides, there is a reason most men like curves on a woman, and why dry striated glutes with veins protruding through them is disgusting to most women!

I often wonder how far away from ‘ideal’ the set point of an individual can be. For example, if one’s set-point were 20% bodyfat, this would be not only be unfortunate from a ‘vanity’ stand point, but from a health standpoint. The good news is, to an extent, you don’t need to beat yourself up for being ‘lazy’ if you can’t maintain weight loss. The bad news is in order to remain healthy, that individual must figure out a way to reduce their set point…In my opinion, there isn’t a whole lot that can be done outside of choosing healthy foods, stopping when satisfied not full, exercising more, and making sure to take in lots of water. However, I think for 99% of the population, following these guidelines should get your set-point into a ‘healthy’ range. Our bodies have evolved over many thousands of years, and in general, eating right and exercising is enough to bring our bodies into a healthy range, and it only makes sense that most would have a set point in this range. Think of your body as a formula 1 race car – what type of fuel are you going to put into it? Obviously it will run more efficiently by giving it top quality fuel. Our bodies are the same. Eat pizza and fast foods every day, and your set point increase substantially. You’re body is not getting what it needs from the food, and therefore in order to get all the nutrients to sustain optimal health, your brain will tell you to eat more. Eat foods that contain all the micro and macro nutrients it needs to perform optimally, and your body won’t beg you for more.

So to summarize, eat right and exercise – it’s the only way to achieve optimal health. Whether or not that satisfies what you want to see in the mirror is up to you.

Prepping for a Figure Competition...It Doesn't Have to Be THAT Hard!

By Angela Doucette

Prepping for a figure contest will eat into your spare time and sometimes your mood (lol) but it doesn’t have to consume your whole life. I think there are just too many stories and articles out there about how competitors suffer so much that we start thinking we need to suffer to get the result we want. We all have lives outside competing, even pro’s do! If competing is ruining relationships, your career, or you are just depressed, you need to change the way you think, eat, and train!

I fell into this trap in the past; I would cut calories way back or do obscene amounts of cardio in the last few weeks before a show. I would be tired, weak, and miserable. This time around I had a 3 year old and 6 month old to think about. So, I changed my thinking. I decided to give myself a lot of time and take things slow. I also decided not to change things if they were already working. Like, why would I do 2 hours of cardio a day when 1 hour was giving good results? Also, why cut back calories if I could see I was obviously getting leaner. The other thing I changed was I shortened my time in the gym and stopped lifting really heavy. I used to dread squat day, thinking if I could not squat over 200lbs I would have no leg muscles. I would push myself so hard to make silly lifts just because I read somewhere that’s what someone else does. I learned to train in a way I really enjoy. Think of it, contest prep is about the prep, the whole journey, a new lifestyle, not about 5 minutes on stage.



The other half of the equation, and the hardest part, is food. I used to wait until certain times to eat and only eat what was planned out on a piece of paper. I use to fret over macronutrients and timing. My stomach would growl, I could not concentrate, and talk about mood swings! Having young kids I decide this wasn’t an option. Now I eat before I get hungry and am eating more a day than on any other diet in the past. I look at my food intake weekly instead of daily. If I am having a hard day (sick kids, bad mood, or whatever) I eat a little more that day. I don’t go pig out or anything but might eat an extra protein shake or have a steak instead of fish, or a little almond butter. We all have bad days. We also all have good days! If I know a special event is coming up I might just eat a little less on the days surrounding the occasion so I can still enjoy the meal everyone else is having. There is nothing worse than having to explain to others why you are eating stinky chicken out of a plastic container while they eat a tasty meal! I like food and parties, its part of our lives, so best to find a way to incorporate it all. Again this is supposed to be a healthy lifestyle not a show as a means to an end. It might take time to figure out what works for you but take the time and find it!

I would rather be 1 pound fatter on stage (it will not make a huge difference in the way you look or place anyway) than gain 30 pounds after the show, have no friends, and have to make up all the months I wasted obsessing over a show. So bottom line-train the way you love, diet in a way that works for you and works in your life or you are setting yourself up for failure in the long run.

What's the Secret to Dieting?

In preparation for the Nova Scotia Provincial Bodybuilding Championships, Cygen Athlete Steve Doucette is getting ripped. With so many years experience in contest prep, Steve has tried a lot of different diets. Check out this latest article to find out what "secret" he's discovered.

So is there a secret to dieting? Not really…How many different diets are there around these days? It would be absolutely impossible for me to list all of their names. But you have broad categories such as: low carb – high fat, low fat - high carb, moderate everything, Ketogenic, low calorie, high protein and so on. Then with any of those approaches, you have a gimmick. For example, meal frequency, meal timing, cheat meals, only consuming certain macronutrients at a time, and so on. Add to that other point system diets where you aren’t really restricted with what you can eat – but things are broken down into points which essentially is a way of counting calories, without needing to know what a calorie is. So which of these diets are the best? Which of these diets do I follow?



To be honest, I don’t follow any of those diets. Although, if you looked at what I ate in a day, you might think I am following principles from all of them. As I am writing this, I am currently in a contest preparation and definitely watching calories, carbs, proteins, fats…I am bordering on a Ketogenic diet at most times, I eat frequently and therefore ‘time’ my meals…although the timing changes every day, so it’s quite dynamic and not as structured as one might think. I even have cheat meals, which is something relatively new for me – I never used to have cheat meals, although incorporating them hasn’t hurt my conditioning, nor has it really improved it all that much… And honestly, I even throw in a little of the ‘point system’ theory, since once in a while I may eat something that one might assume is ‘forbidden’ for a bodybuilder… Ex. a half a chocolate bar before the gym, whatever it is that might satisfy a little craving and maybe as a side bonus give me a little more energy in my workout.

So what is the point I am trying to get at here? In my 15 years experience with contest preparation, I have learned 1 really important thing…EVERY DIET WORKS! Crazy as it may sound; there isn’t a rational diet out there that won’t help you lose body fat. Some may help you lose faster – particularly initially with water loss, some may be harder to tolerate, some may be really easy to handle but weight loss is very gradual. For the purpose of this article, I am only briefly going to mention that if you are reading this with the intentions of long term weight loss – ie, weight loss that is permanent once you’ve reached your target (whatever that target is), slow and steady wins the race…If you need to lose 50 pounds, do it over a couple years. If you need to lose 10, again, do it over a couple of years. If you do it fast, it will not be sustainable. There is a reason why the whole “95% of diets fail” idea is tossed around. Most people who diet think of the end result rather than focus on long term health.

But for those of you out there thinking about competing in a bodybuilding, physique contest, or photo shoot, and you are prepared to face the fact that the way you look on stage is just that: “the way you’ll look for ONE DAY”. It is nothing but a short term diet goal. In any case, the diet that works best is the diet that you can handle best. How many times do I hear people say “every individual is different” or “we are all unique so what works for you may not work for me”... Honestly, I don’t buy it! If one person could follow my diet to a tee, then they would likely lose as much or more bodyweight keeping all other variables the same (cardio, activity levels, body weight, supplements, etc). Sure, there is human variability in metabolism, ability to process certain macronutrients, allergies to specific foods, etc…but this variability is a lot smaller than people assume it to be. I believe the notion of “what works for you doesn’t work for me” comes from an entirely different form of variability. Our physiology is very similar…but our psychology is the most variable thing that can exist between humans. What works for ME may not be tolerable for someone else. I know so many people who diet for competitions, and it amazes me what each person uses as their own ‘tricks’ to keep their sanity. Whether that is consuming the largest air-filled, ice-filled protein shakes ever imaginable, or enough salad to keep your belly the size of a 9 month old pregnant lady with triplets (I have often been guilty of those two!). Or perhaps you need that little sweetness, a little extra twin sugar in your coffee. Perhaps its finding the lowest calorie equivalent to a pancake (and who are we kidding, none of them really taste like a pancake!). Maybe it’s creating pudding out of your protein powder, or attempting to make “muffins” out of protein powder and egg whites. Low calorie or ‘calorie free’ alternatives to syrup, spices, sweeteners… The list goes on and on. But this is what makes dieting tolerable. This is where the psychology is variable. Why does a keto diet work for some whereas not for others? It’s not because of our physiology. It would work for everyone. However some people can’t mentally handle it.

So the moral of the story is, stick to a diet you can handle mentally and physically. If Jared (you know…”Mr. Subway”) would have eaten a diet filled with lettuce, veggies, protein powder, plain chicken and tuna, he’d probably still be the obese guy he used to be…And if I ate 2 Subway sandwiches every day, I’d probably give up in a week. So stick to what works for you. The key thing is to keep it as healthy as possible – because not only are you trying to lose weight, you’re trying to live a long and healthy life.

Want to follow Steve's journey to the stage? Check out his training log on Canadabodybuilding.com and find out how Steve plans to dominate Nova Scotia.

Q n' A with Team Cygen Vol. 1

Over the past several months, emails have been flooding in from people all across the country wanting to ask the advice of our Cygen Athletes on various training and nutrition related topics. The following is the first question we've selected to answer for everyone to read. Enjoy!

QUESTION:
Team Cygen,

I work in a job that requires me to be outdoors year round, and I find that if I’m prepping for a bodybuilding show in the colder months, I always get sick. I’m already using Anabolic Link to help with my immune system, but are there any other steps I can take to keep myself from getting sick all the time?

Thank You,

Phil M. Milton, ON

ANSWER:
Here are five things I do to boost my immune system:

1. Have a mixed green salad everyday preferably with an olive oil based dressing.

2. Use ½ cup of plain goat yogurt and mix in 2 tablespoons of Iso90 and 2 tablespoon on mixed berries (frozen is fine) good as breakfast on its own, or for heartier appetites add it to your regular breakfast.

3. 10 grams of Glutamine to protein shake within ½ after training.

4. One Multipack after breakfast and one after dinner.

5. 10 grams of Glutamine with ½ cup pomegranate juice before bed

Let me know if this is what you are looking for. I can elaborate if you don’t like it in point form. Your thoughts.....

Haman Dowlatram

Got a question for the team? You can direct your question to a specific member of the team, or just to anyone on the team in general. Email your questions to info@cygenlabs.com, and in the subject line write "Q n' A with Team Cygen".

Power-Bodybuilding

Ask many bodybuilders what they think about powerlifters, and they'll probably tell you they're a bunch of overweight slobs that don't even look like they workout. Ask many powerlifters what they think about bodybuilders, and they'll probably tell you they're a bunch of oiled up pre-madonna pretty boys. Ask Cygen Athlete Steve Doucette what he thinks, and he'll ask you why you can't have the best of both worlds? Steve definitely has a physique that gets attention when he steps on stage, but make no mistake - the man is CRAZY STRONG. Here's Steve's take on the Muscle Strength vs Muscle Size debate:

By Steve Doucette

In a fast paced society, people want results and they want it fast. Have a headache? Pop a pill, feeling a little blue? Pop another…So what happens in the world of bodybuilding when there isn’t a magic pill (and no, steroids aren’t the answer) that will turn you into a pro champion in a matter of months? Well, eventually, most smart individuals learn that the key to making progress is through proper nutrition and training. This article focuses on one aspect of training that many people ignore.

Have you ever heard someone say “I am training like a bodybuilder” vs. “training like a powerlifter”? While the two have very different training styles, this concept seems to have exaggerated itself over the years. You will often hear someone say “the judges don’t care how much I can squat”…while very true, the fact is, if you can’t squat double your bodyweight for a single deep rep (or for a set of 10 for that matter), you probably don’t have the legs it takes to place at an elite level on stage. So how is one going to get the muscle size necessary if they are only lifting half of the weight that could realistically handle? Yes, it’s great to ‘feel the burn’ and work each contraction slowly, and so on…But wouldn’t you get those results even quicker by feeling the contraction/burn AND lifting the heavy weight at the same time??!

So how does a powerlifter train? A competitive powerlifter only requires to bench, squat, or deadlift the maximum amount of weight for 1 rep. So leading up to a meet, a powerlifter might reduce the number of reps they train with while increasing the weight (simple stuff right?!). Keeping it simple, if they did not do this, and focused solely on reps, their central nervous system would not be accustomed to the heavy weight, and not all muscle fibers would be able to work in a simultaneous fashion in order to maximize the amount of effort they can put into 1 burst of energy.

And a bodybuilder? Typically, a bodybuilder is only focused on gaining muscle size. They aren’t concerned about how much power they have for a single rep, as this is not relevant to their goals. Often, this is where the unsuccessful bodybuilder goes wrong. Because they know the amount of weight they push isn’t important, they fail to challenge their bodies into doing more weight. But without challenging your body, how will muscle growth occur? In the simplest explanation, muscles need to be overloaded, which stimulates a natural adaptive process in the body. Without a need for adaptation, what would cause muscles to grow? This is why the body needs to be challenged. And the easiest way to do so is progressively work toward an increase in weight at a given rep range.



So while a bodybuilder does not need to worry about how much weight he can lift, it is clear that in order to gain muscle one must put the effort in the gym. Squatting, deadlifting, and benching are the 3 most important exercises I believe any bodybuilder should focus as their primary lifts if they wish to succeed. This does not imply that the stronger one is, the better bodybuilder they must be….but the correlation is easily there. You will never find a 150 pound bodybuilder out benching a 300 pound pro bodybuilder! I am sure many of you reading this may think this sounds like common sense, and while it should be, it is surprisingly common for newcomers to the sport to get tangled in the confusion. The sport does have many scientific properties to it, no doubt…But when it comes down to it, those who look strong, typically are strong.