In June I competed in the Hercules Classic in New York City. The Hercules is a large, highly competitive drug free bodybuilding show. All competitors must pass a lie detector test and urinalysis to ensure drug free standards. I did quite well in the show and placed third out of 9 competitors in the Bantam class and also third out of 10 competitors in the Master's class. I will be competing again in September to win my Pro Card. If I win-- and I plan on winning-- it will give me status as a drug free professional bodybuilder from the WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation).

With the help of nutrition guru Dr. Joe Klemczewski (www.joesrevolution.com), I competed at 3% body fat with the best muscle mass and density I have ever experienced. “Dr. Joe” as he is commonly referred to, is a drug free professional bodybuilder with advanced degrees in nutrition, physical therapy and health. In the natural bodybuilding ranks he is considered the absolute best! In fact, he is a also a master at working with endurance athletes as well as the general population who simply want to shed a bit of body fat and improve their health.

Every intelligently designed program requires a plan and sufficient time to implement so I began my preparation 20 weeks out from the show. In January, I was 12.6% body fat and in June I went into my show at 3%. This article will detail as simply as possible how I achieved that low level of fat and high degree of muscle retention. This could easily be a 20 page document, but I'll provide more of a general overview so you can get a good feel for what I had to do to get the job done.

For five solid months I exercised precision, discipline and consistency with my nutrition and workouts. Now you know why I get so frustrated when people ask me, “How can I lose weight as fast as possible?” Losing body fat and retaining muscle takes time and is truly an art that exemplifies the beauty and potential of the human body.

During my off season, I had been consuming approximately 2800-3200 calories per day (which is a lot of calories for me). However, I also employed some heavy lifting and several powerlifting cycles in my off season to build additional power and muscle mass. Dr. Joe immediately started me on 200gr of protein, 150 grams of carbs and 40 grams of fat.

The first week I shed 8lbs of mostly water weight which was expected. After this period, the goal was to lose no more than 1.5lbs per week. Generally, anything more than 1.5lbs per week will tend to shed valuable muscle mass. The key during any pre-contest preparation phase is to retain muscle mass and the off season is the time to build muscle mass. If you're trying to build muscle and lose fat at the same time during the pre-contest phase, your strategy will fail miserably.

Each week my ratios of protein, carbs and fats would change as necessary. I remained at the above ratios for about 2 months and then my protein, carb and fat amounts were raised and manipulated as necessary to slow down fat loss. Remember, it's all about timing and peaking! My ratios varied from 200-250 grams of protein, 150-250 grams of carbs and 40-50 grams of fat. If my week to week progress did not consistently follow the 1.5lb fat loss per week, my ratios were manipulated.

When you commit to a challenging endeavor, you have to provide great effort. One must go above and beyond any perceived limitations. Based on this personal philosophy, I did not go off my nutrition plan once---not once in 5 months!

In addition, I did not miss one workout. Speaking of workouts, I worked out with weights four days per week and performed cardio six days per week. Most muscle groups were hit with high intensity only one time per week, but there were several areas that required a bit more frequency such as calves and abs. However, I did not work any muscle group more than twice per week. Yes, that includes abs!

I started my training in January by performing 8 weeks of non-linear periodization to increase overall strength on compound movements such as the bench press, squats, deadlifts etc. and the remainder of my pre-contest preparation was high volume/high intensity training. Non-linear periodization will be covered in a future article and you will find it most interesting. Hey, I have to give you some reason to come back, right?

As far as cardio volume, you're probably expecting me to say I did quite a bit, but I actually did very little. I performed cardio six days per week but only for 30 low intensity minutes. Many times I simply read the newspaper while casually pedaling on the recumbent bike. How can that be? Well, my body fat wasn't all that bad at 12.6% (although the difference between 12% and 3% is remarkable) and we didn't want to sacrifice muscle mass and most importantly---we had time! If my body fat was higher, it would have necessitated additional cardio.

Gauging progress is also vital in this process, so every 3 weeks or so I would get a body fat test performed. This allowed Dr. Joe to analyze where I was losing and at what rate and it also allowed us to monitor muscle retention versus body fat loss. In addition, I would have photos taken every 3-4 weeks for analysis. It is absolutely true that “a picture says a thousand words” because a photo clearly shows areas that need work and areas of water retention, softness etc.

Bodybuilding is almost an unnatural endeavor for the human body because it's more than just losing fat and retaining muscle. Visually, it also has to do with going into the show with a hard, vascular (veins popping out!) and full look to the muscle. One must truly “peak” for the show because it's virtually impossible to keep that look for more than 24 hours. In fact, 3 percent body fat is a temporary condition as well.

As far as supplements, it's not as insane or extensive as you might think. The supplements that I took were Creatine Monohydrate (eight weeks from the show), Glutamine, Branch Chain Amino Acids (eight weeks from the show), Carnatine (six weeks before the show to mobilize fat) and HMB for protein sparing (effective only when in an extended caloric defcit during hard training periods). Do not run out and just start taking these supplements! They are designed for specific purposes and at specific times in the pre-contest cycle. An explanation of each would require another article---ok, another future article---I'll add it to the list!

Beyond the workouts, nutrition and supplementation I started my practice posing about 12 weeks out from the show. During a bodybuilding show there is the morning pre-judging where you are lined up on stage with your competitors and must go through a series of mandatory poses. These poses are called out by a head judge and scored by a panel of other judges. Posing is a grueling endeavor because you have to hold a pose for long periods of time.

Competitors who don't practice their posing with intensity are usually gasping for air on stage due to the extended holding of poses without any rest. The evening is reserved for free posing to music and it's a lot of fun, but the real show happens in the morning pre-judging period.

There you have it! A brief synopsis of how I achieved 3 percent body fat. Don't see any thermogenic products or fat burners, do you? Don't see 2 hours of cardio, do you? What you see is a plan, a time frame, intelligently designed nutrition, precise workouts with intensity and last but not least, consistency; massive amounts of consistency.

So, why do I do this? For what reason would I sacrifice all this effort and time? Simply because I love my vocation. I am intensely passionate about it and am fascinated how being in great shape can affect every area of your life. I love the feeling of getting ready to compete on stage; I love the feeling of being in remarkable condition; and, more than anything, I love being able to help others attain this marvelous elated emotion often referred to as the mind/body connection.

Some of you may be wondering why I hired someone like Dr. Joe to help me with my nutrition. Why didn't I construct it myself? After all, when I won my classes in the Mr. Connecticut, I didn't hire anyone. However, I have learned the beauty of what all my clients boast about. It's great letting a professional handle the details while all you have to do is implement.

So, what are you waiting for?

Raphael Calzadilla B.A., ACE, RTS1 2001 Mr. Connecticut (Short and Masters Class)