Mailman Muscle: Story of The Bodybuilding Powerlifter

[K.Diesel]

Tuesday 4/23/24: 17,038 steps, 7.8 miles, 8 floors climbed

An observation, and it’s not something I’ve just noticed, but I think it’s my first time sharing it here: I look better at night. My muscles look more full, lines are more visible, separation is better, veins are more veiny - everything looks better. The only time that isn’t true is if I’ve eaten something that makes me bloated. My guess is that it has to do with all food, beverage, salt, etc. that I’ve consumed over the course of the day. Unfortunately, I will be on stage at about 8:30 am.

In order, my top 3 priorities from now to the show are:
1. Stay healthy and intact so I make it to the stage.
2. Posing, posing, posing (I have a one-on-one virtual session with my posing coach on Monday)
3. Figure out how to replicate the way I look at night in the morning.

Lower body day tomorrow.

[K.Diesel]

Since I have 2 workouts to log, I’m only going to list the work sets for each exercise to make it easier for all of us to get through. 😁

Wednesday 4/24/24: 16,101 steps, 7.3 miles, 8 floors climbed

Lower #2, Planet Fitness

Smith Machine Good Morning
140 lbs + bar/8 reps

I tried a suggestion from Dr. Mike, and set the safety pins at the low point of my reps as a way to standardize my range of motion, and ensure that I stay tight and control the eccentric. Good call from him - it helps.

Smith Machine Squat - high bar, sitting on my ankles, link to video of heaviest set posted below
*190+/7 - *This was supposed to be a work set. I added my belt, but forgot to increase the weight like I planned for this set. No wonder it felt easy.
230 lbs + bar/7 reps
180+/8

Calf Press - on plate loaded leg press
180 lbs + sled/20 reps
230+/20

Seated Leg Curl
130 lbs/13 reps - tried a rep at 145, aborted that mission and dropped it by a plate

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6NHlimMb4_/?igsh=cWRsMzV4MTh1ZWcw

Thursday 4/25/24: 14,322 steps, 6.3 miles, 10 floors climbed

Friday 4/26/24: 15,827 steps, 6.9 miles, 13 floors climbed

Upper #3, Gold’s Gym

Rogue Bar Bench Press - neutral grip
185 lbs/9 reps

I’m replacing these with dumbbell bench press - flat or very low incline - after the show.

Cable Pulldown - very wide, MAG (anchor) handle
180 lbs/13 reps

Seated Lateral Raise Machine - the kind where you bend your arms and put your forearms against the pads
60 lbs/20 reps

Standing Triceps Pressdown - back against pad to prevent cheating, and I guess for stability
60 lbs/13 reps

Standing Cable Curl
70 lbs/18 reps

I made some clips from last night into a reel that I posted to my Instagram and Facebook pages (link below). It was inspired by all the comments I’ve been getting lately from people telling me how slim or skinny I look. I don’t know if they realize it or not, but it’s not a compliment. I can’t wait to start eating and gaining again. Fortunately, with only 2 more weeks until I finish this story, I can see the stage lights at the end of this tunnel.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6RLZ-msxt4/?igsh=MTJ5azdxZGFtb245Mg==

[K.Diesel]

For the benefit of those who don’t follow me on Instagram (I imagine that is all of you), here is a link to my most recent progress pics on Instagram. They compare where I was when I started this contest prep to where I was on Sunday morning, 13 days before the show.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UwLscMhee/?igsh=cjgzMjQ0M2c1ZHJ5

This is a training log, so I suppose I should log my recent training, even though that seems almost like an afterthought at this stage. Sunday’s training is barely worth mentioning.

Saturday 4/27/24: 9,669 steps, 4.3 miles, 13 floors climbed

Sunday 4/28/24: 4,942 steps, 2.0 miles, 8 floors climbed

Lower #3, Gold’s Gym

Here’s the summary: I did some calf raises and hyperextensions, and just as I was getting into the meat and potatoes of this session (starting with leg curls), our oldest daughter called us and informed us of a power outage in the neighborhood. I went online and reported the outage to our utility company. They said it was an estimated 2-3 hours before power was restored. Our children aren’t little (18, 13, 11) but they don’t have any experience with power outages or comparable challenges. So my wife and I aborted the gym mission and went home.

Monday 4/29/24: 7,334 steps, 2.8 miles, 9 floors climbed

I had a one on one virtual session with the posing coach who has been teaching the group classes I have attended. I think this investment is going to pay off. One of the mandatory poses is “abdominals and thighs” (with hands over your head). I could not figure out how to do it in a way that would keep either of my thighs flexed, and she helped me figure out a way to do it and make it look good. Two other poses are “front lat spread” and “rear lat spread” (both with hands on waist or hips). This whole time, I’ve been doing it with my hands too low. She had me position my hands just under my ribs - higher than I’ve been placing them - and all of a sudden, my lats got an inch or two wider. A few other things got fine tuned as well.

But she said something else that has been at the forefront of my mind, and it has increased both my confidence and anxiety. Unsolicited, she said I have a very good chance to win the masters 40+ (as if she expects me to win), and depending on who shows up, I have a legit chance at the open. Now I’m nervous. I didn’t have any expectations before. After hearing that, now I might be disappointed if I don’t win something. I guess I better put my best foot forward over the next week and a half.

Tuesday 4/30/24: 12,689 steps, 5.6 miles, 12 floors climbed

Upper #1, Planet Fitness

This was supposed to start with dips and chin-ups. But every dip and chin-up station was in use, so rather than wait, I improvised.

Cable Pulldown - short bar, underhand grip
70 lbs/15 reps
add set: 100/5 + 140/5 + 160/5
180/11 - I used Versa Gripps for these

Seated Triceps Press Machine - I did these leaning forward, barely sitting on the seat pad to mimic a dip
80 lbs/10 reps
add set: 125/6, 6 (shifted seat position after the first 6)+ 160/10
test set: 205/3 + 190/5 - I wasn’t sure what my work weight should be, so I figured I should test it before committing to it. Settled on 190.
190/18 - I probably should have gone with 195 or 200 lbs.

Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise - weights listed are per hand
10 lbs/15 reps
drop set: 20’s/10 + 15’s/8 + 10’s/10

Smith Machine Shrug
90 lbs + bar/12 reps
180+/10 - added Versa Gripps here
270+/12

Hammer Strength Ab Machine - crunch from top and bottom simultaneously
30 lbs/5 reps + 50/5 + 70/5 + 50/5, 5, 5 + 30/10

I don’t know what to call this set. I took 5 breaths each time I changed the pin, and between the clusters of 5 with 50 lbs.

10 days to go…

[Bill Anders]

Great work, Kaisheem!

It will be over before you know it. What will be interesting to see after you have a bit of recovery time is if you decide to pursue competition again.

I'm looking forward to your posts after next weekend!

[K.Diesel]

Great work, Kaisheem!

It will be over before you know it. What will be interesting to see after you have a bit of recovery time is if you decide to pursue competition again.

I'm looking forward to your posts after next weekend!

Thank you! My wife is already insisting that I’ll be doing this again. I’m open to the idea, but I’d like to see how this goes before I mentally or otherwise commit to another one. 🙂


Today is Monday, May 6. I am in the midst of what has already been one of the busiest months in our family’s history, and it will get more hectic every week. Last week, my son had baseball practice and games, my youngest daughter had a spring orchestra concert playing cello, and my oldest daughter had her final dance performances of her high school career. Looking ahead, my wife has to go to Dallas for work the week of the 20th, meaning I get to man the fort alone. Then in the final week of the month, on consecutive days: my son’s 14th birthday, my youngest’s lower school promotion ceremony, my son’s middle school promotion ceremony, and my oldest’s high school graduation. Somehow, we also ended up with tickets to 2 Orioles games at Camden Yards for our first of hopefully several games this season.

But this week is the one I have been laser focused on for months. This week is what many in the bodybuilding sphere refer to as “peak week”, when competitors strive to manipulate their intake of water, carbs, sodium, and maybe potassium in such a way that they look as full, dry and shredded as possible at the precise moment that they get on stage. For enhanced athletes, those factors also include whatever drugs on top of the macro and micronutrients. Some coaches claim to have peaking down to a science, but to truly nail a peak for someone, a degree of trial and error is involved. From what I have read and researched, there seems to be a consensus that you can improve your look by an estimated 5-10% (not sure how that is quantified) if you nail your peak. I have also read that you can worsen your look by 30% or more by manipulating those factors and missing your peak.

Since I’m coaching myself, and have had very little room to conduct trials on myself, I have decided not to try to peak. I’m going to change almost nothing, and coast into this show trying to hold the look I have right now. I’m a few pounds lighter than I was in those photos a few posts ago. Over the past 2 days, I have weighed between 167-168 pounds when waking up. I haven’t been this light since the fall of 2006, after my first summer of delivering mail. But I don’t look anything like I did then. I think my look right now is competitive with most of the amateurs I’ve had a chance to see in this organization, especially in the masters 40+ category. I’ll take my chances with what I’ve done over the past 18+ weeks, rather than taking a chance that could ruin what I’ve done over the past 18+ weeks.

Before powerlifting competitions, I have typically been all kinds of anxious. And last week, my posing coach’s complimentary words caused me to be nervous. But now that I’ve reached this week, those nerves seem to have gone away - at least for the moment. I’m surprisingly calm. The only thing that is concerning me is whether or not I’ll have enough stamina posing on stage. I’m going to be in 3 categories of the bodybuilding division. Based on the “pose-alongs” I’ve done to competitions posted by this organization (OCB) on YouTube, I suspect that I’ll be on stage for a total of 25 minutes maximum. I would like to cap it at a 20 minute estimate, but the field of competitors for men’s bodybuilding at this show will be the largest of any amateur show I can find over the past 3 years.

My daily prescriptions for macros have been the same for the past several weeks. The only change I’m willing to make is switching 25-50 grams of my daily protein to carbs, or adding the same amount to my daily total. I’ve been able to experiment with that on weekends, and along with keeping salt up, it seems to make a positive difference in appearance. That will keep my daily calories the same, or put me 100-200 calories over my daily allotment. The diet app still has me set for a deficit, so an extra 100-200 calories per day is, at worse, putting me at maintenance. It’s not enough to gain fat in a week.

The other diet consideration this week is digestion. Without getting too into the weeds, I need to make sure I’m regular all week. A lot of “diet foods” - things that have artificial sweeteners, fillers, fake fibers, etc - can cause bloating, and maybe other problems. So I’m reducing or eliminating some of those items by a good amount to make sure I don’t run into any GI distress. It would be quite the irony to be in a natural bodybuilding show with a distended gut as has become common at the top of the enhanced side in recent years. 🤦🏾‍♂️

[K.Diesel]

It’s after midnight on the east coast of the United States, which means it’s May 9, which means not only am I about 48 hours from showtime, but it’s also my 48th birthday. I don’t typically make a big fuss about my birthday, or do anything particularly celebratory for it beyond making sure I cash in all my loyalty treats at Starbucks and other establishments that reward you for staying alive another year. But it does have a bit more meaning this year because it’s basically attached to this show. I’m finishing the story of my journey to the bodybuilding stage, at the same time as I turn the page from the end of chapter 48 to the start of chapter 49 in this script called my life. So this birthday and this show are forever linked. I’ve been saying since the early planning stages that my birthday cake would have to be a rice cake with some peanut butter on it. That’s literally what I intend to have later today, and it should hold me over until Saturday evening when I get some real cake. I won’t be surprised if my wife or one of my children sticks a candle in the middle of the rice cake for me.

It occurred to me after the fact that I rambled so much in this training log on my last entry, that I forgot to actually log any training. ����‍♂️ So let me catch that up.

Daily Activity Average, May 1-8: 11,575 steps, 5.2 miles, 10 floors climbed

The next two workouts weren’t laid out like the rotations I’ve been loosely following.

Saturday 5/4/24, Lower, Planet Fitness

Calf Press - done on seated/upright leg press
100 lbs/15 reps
150/15 x 2 sets

Leg Press - 45 degrees, plate loaded
90 lbs + sled/11 reps
180+/10
270+/8
360+/16

Seated Leg Curl
70 lbs/10 reps
115/1 - I thought this might be working weight, and immediately realized it was too light.
130/18

Leg Extension
100 lbs/6 reps
160/15

Hyperextension - hip hinge only, no knee flexion at the top
bodyweight/25 reps

Adduction Machine
100 lbs/30 reps

Abduction Machine
145 lbs/21 reps


Sunday 5/5/24, Upper, Gold’s Gym


”Hydraulic” Seated Overhead Press Machine - I’ve used it one time before, and it might make the rotation after the show
empty/15 reps
40+ lbs/10 reps
70+/9

“Hydraulic” Seated Row Machine - also used once before; maxed out the stack that first time
60 lbs/10 reps
150/12 - used Versa Gripps; did not max out the stack this time ��

Standing Lateral Raise Machine
add set: 30 lbs/6 reps + 50/6 + 60/5 + 70/5 - all of the reps done with 70 were partials

That was the end of me doing any sets to the point of momentary muscular failure until after the show.

”Super Abs” Machine - crunch from top and bottom simultaneously, pivots to different angles
145 lbs/15 reps x 3 sets - 1 set middle, 1 set left, 1 set right


Tuesday 5/7/24, Full Body, Planet Fitness - again, no sets to failure in this workout


Cable Pulldown
add set: 55 lbs/5 reps + 85/5 + 120/5 - wide handle, overhand
120/5 - medium cambered handle, overhand
160/12 same handle
160/12 short straight handle, underhand

Triceps Press Machine - anchored my feet under the seat and leaned forward to mimic a dip
add set: 55 lbs/5 reps + 85/5 + 115/5 + 145/5 + 175/5 + 190/3
190/12 x 2 sets

Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise - weights listed are per hand
10 lbs/10 reps
drop set: 20/6 + 17.5/6 + 15/5 + 12/5 + 8/10 + 8/8 (left arm only) - my right delt felt way more pumped, so I did extra on the left

Seated/Upright Ab Crunch Machine - feet stay planted on the floor
55 lbs/5 reps
100/15

Leg Extension
add set: 55 lbs/5 reps + 85/5 + 115/5
135/20

Lying Leg Curl
add set: 30 lbs/6 reps + 60/6 + 90/1 + 75/2 - trying to find working weight at the end
90/16

I don’t expect to touch legs again until after the show. My game plan for training later today is Arnold press, biceps, triceps, abs. Short and sweet. I also need to practice posing some more. I also need to eliminate every strand of hair on my body that isn’t on my face, and exfoliate all of my skin afterwards in anticipation of getting my spray tan on Friday morning after my polygraph test and athlete check in. Stuff is getting real.

I’m only working a half day today. My son’s final baseball game for his middle school team is this afternoon, but it might get rained out. That would be a bummer for him, but he still has rec league games through the summer. I’ll hit Starbucks for my free beverage between his game and the gym.

[DavidCC]

I've enjoyed following along with your journey. Happy birthday and good luck this weekend.

[K.Diesel]

I've enjoyed following along with your journey. Happy birthday and good luck this weekend.

Thank you so much! This has been one of the most memorable weekends I’ve been blessed to experience.

What a weekend. I’m still processing what happened over the last 3 days. Perhaps looking back over the timeline with you all will help me. But for those who want the TL/DR version: on Saturday, May 11, at The OCB Conquer, I competed in 3 divisions of the Men’s Bodybuilding category. That was Debut, Masters 40+, and Open. I won the Debut and Masters divisions, and placed second in Open class A. Winning the Masters division earned me a pro card in OCB!

However, this log is called “The Story of The Bodybuilding Powerlifter”. So for those who want the story of how it went down, please continue reading. 🙂

Friday, May 10, 2024

9:00 am - I took what I knew would be my final shower until after the show, because getting my spray tan wet would be bad news. The weather for the weekend was forecasted to have highs in the 60’s (Fahrenheit), so I was optimistic that I wouldn’t sweat too much.

10:20 am - I arrived at the host hotel for The OCB Conquer here in Baltimore for the athlete check in, which was also the site of the mandatory polygraph drug screening, as well as the promoter’s optional spray tanning services. They really set it up to make us feel special as competitors and athletes. The lighting, balloons, banners - it was impressive. It was up there with competing at The Arnold and USAPL Raw Nationals. I checked in, and was given a cool bag full of swag, along with the buttons showing my athlete number. I would be Athlete #7 at the show, and the young lady who handed me the buttons said “Cool! I was wearing #7 when I won my pro card!” I smiled and said “Well, let’s see if we can keep it going.”

Surprisingly, I was more nervous about the polygraph than I was the spray tan, even though I’d never done either before Friday. But the polygraph was quick and painless, done in a well lit conference room with just myself and the interrogator… I mean person administering the test. The spray tan was done in another room with several individual pop-up tents, fans, and plastic taped to the walls as if it was the locker room for a sports team who had just won a championship. A very pleasant woman named Jess, who happens to be married to the promoter of the next OCB show in Baltimore this fall, explained the process to me and asked if I had any questions. Then she had me strip until I was completely nude except for one sock, and no - I wasn’t wearing it on either of my feet (use your imagination).

Jess was right: having the tan applied was like a very cold shower, which sucked. When she was finished making me 3 or 4 shades darker than I normally am, she escorted me to another tent in the same room and angled a fan on the floor upwards towards me to help me dry. I was told to imagine myself as a rotisserie chicken, and turn myself at fairly regular intervals to try and dry evenly and quickly. At this point, I was so cold that I was worried about whether or not shrinkage would cause my sock to lose its grip. Another competitor in a tent next to me said what I was thinking: “This sock ain’t as full as it was when I first put it on.” 😬. Once I was confirmed as being dry, I carefully got dressed in my oversized sweatpants and hoodie, then drove the 16 miles back to my house.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Most of it was spent lounging with my wife who works from home, practicing posing, and eating little beyond rice cakes, white rice, cream of rice (notice a pattern?), 96% lean ground beef, egg whites, and applesauce. My goal was to avoid anything that might cause gas and/or bloating, while getting in enough carbs and fluid to keep muscles full. Bedtime was 11pm.

.
Complete athlete check-in, collect swag ☑️
Take and pass polygraph drug screening ☑️
Get full-body spray tan ☑️
.
If it ... | Instagram

Saturday, May 11, 2024: SHOW DAY!

6:00 am - I woke up weighing 167.8 lbs, the lightest I have been all prep. That brought my total weight lost as recorded by the diet app to 29.9 pounds since January 2. Cooked and ate cream of rice made in almond milk, egg whites, and coffee. All of my food, beverages, and other items that I planned to take to the show had already been prepared and packed. I gathered everything and hurried my wife, who was taking forever to get ready (when aren’t they? 🤦🏾‍♂️)

7:30 - We arrived at the venue, and got a parking space right by the main entrance. Some of the spray tan on my back and left side of my abdomen had become blotchy, so I quickly got to the tanning area where they were doing touch ups for the athletes who bought the official tanning services. Since bodybuilding was first on the docket, I was moved to the front of the line. Unfortunately, that line ended at setup with tents similar to yesterday, but also by an open bay door. The outside temperature was only in the 50’s, and I’m pretty sure that standing nude - aside from that lone sock - in all that outside, morning air that was being swirled by fans is the reason I’m sniffling and blowing my nose as I write this. But they got me looking the way I needed to look.

8:15 - A few minutes prior, I had mixed a combo of L-citrulline and salt into 10 ounces of Powerade and gulped it down. The stage expeditor for the day held the athlete meeting backstage, in which he went over how the events would proceed, and laid out certain ground rules pertaining to sportsmanship and etiquette. I was using the band I’d brought with me to pump up throughout his presentation, as were a few other guys. This show was separated into 3 sessions, with one each in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The men’s session was in the morning, and the order of the show had men’s bodybuilding going first. The debut category was leading off, which meant I would be in the first group to take the stage. I didn’t have time to waste.

8:35 - The Star Spangled Banner was playing. I suppose people were standing and being patriotic. I was standing behind the curtain with my eyes closed, visualizing myself going through poses. At the suggestion of my posing coach, I had ditched my glasses, so I wouldn’t have been able to see what the crowd was doing anyway. But I heard them. They cheered us as the expeditor led us onto the stage, and the emcee announced our division as people who had never been on stage before. He introduced us only by our athlete numbers (in my case, “Competitor #7”). Game on!

8:45(?) - At this point, I lost track of time because I wasn’t wearing my watch. I think the debut group had been on stage for 5 minutes. My wife and posing coach came backstage and found me. Coach told me that I needed to eat some carbs immediately. I started scarfing down some of the dark chocolate, “peanut butter” made from PB Fit (Great Value version), and a caramel rice cake. My wife, who had been yelling instructions about poses from her seat, told me I did well but reminded me to “keep my legs turned on” in my next round. Out of the 3 categories I entered, the one coming up next - masters 40+ - was the round I cared about the most. I kept moving to stay warm, and to keep my blood flowing and veins popping while the next 4 or 5 categories were on stage. When Masters 50+ was on stage, they called for 40+ to line up. Just before he led us onto the stage, the expeditor reminded us that because of the size of the field, that the Masters 40+ at this show was a pro qualifier, so we needed to bring it. Game on!

9:15 - Again, I’m guessing on the time. By this point, I had completed all 3 rounds that I had entered: Debut, Masters 40+, and Open. Since the Open category had so many people, we were split into 2 classes by height: A and B. I was in Class A. Both the Masters and Open were pro qualifiers, but because the Open had 2 classes, you had to win your class, then face the other class winner in a head to head comparison for the overall title and open pro card. My posing coach told me not to let myself get too cold, because she thought I had a shot at winning my open class and might need to face the class B winner. But in the meanwhile, I put my sweats on and relaxed next to my wife and a friend of mine who attended to support me and watched the classic physique and men’s physique categories until it was time for awards, and potentially, an overall battle.

Sometime before 11am - I was down to my posing trunks once again, behind the curtain as award presentations began. They presented in the same order that we competed. So once again, I was up first because they led off with debut bodybuilding. But while my category was first, I was last because I won debut! For awards, they announce your number and name. Fortunately, the emcee had been going around backstage and meeting people to confirm the pronunciation of uncommon names. So he got my name right. And a few minutes later, he got it right again when he announced the results for Masters 40+. The athletes who placed 2nd through 5th were on stage and had been presented their trophies. I hope I never forget how it sounded when he said “AND COMING IN FIRST PLACE, WINNING HIS OCB PRO CARD, ATHLETE NUMBER 7, KAISHEEM MUHAMMAD!”

My posing coach had changed into a dress with heels to be part of the stage crew presenting awards. It was so fitting that she was the one who presented the trophy to me. The emcee told me to stay on stage as the other competitors left. The promoter of the show came out to congratulate me and take a photo, while the emcee reminded them that this was my very first time on a bodybuilding stage. The crowd was going crazy. My wife was screaming and losing her mind. Then the promoter walked off and the emcee prompted me to hit another pose or two as smoke shot out of the lights and signage at the back of the stage.

After he won the WWE Championship in the 1992 Royal Rumble, Ric Flair was interviewed backstage by the legendary Mean Gene Okerlund. While clutching the title belt, Flair declared “I’m going to tell you all: with a tear in my eye, this is the greatest moment in my life!” For more than 30 years, I wondered what he must have felt like. On Saturday, I finally found out.

About 5 months ago, and after 15 years of competing in the sport of powerlifting, I decided to finally write a story that I’ve been put... | Instagram

I ended up placing second in Open Class A. I think it was close between me and the guy who won, but I wasn’t disappointed. At that point, I was playing with house money. Yes, it would have been nice to sweep the bodybuilding category by winning the overall, a bigger trophy, and an Open Pro Card. But I have no negative feelings about the outcome. I won two divisions and a pro card. As I learned in powerlifting, two out of three ain’t bad.

[Bill Anders]

OUTSTANDING Kaisheem!!!!!!!

What a fantastic result after these many months of extremely hard work.

You'll need to do a follow-up post of everything you eat this week.

I'm looking forward to where you take this.

Keep at it!

[DavidCC]

Very well done! Maybe NOW Planet Fitness will come through with that endorsement.