Road to the Vancouver Fall Classic 2026 - 2 Weeks Out Update

With just two weeks remaining until the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic, the preparation is entering its toughest phase. Despite the crunch time setting in, the overall feeling and energy levels are excellent. Here is the latest update on nutrition, weight, and physique changes heading into the final stretch.

Nutrition and Lifestyle

• Enjoyed two Thanksgiving dinners over the weekend while keeping alcohol intake minimal, having just one glass of wine or beer.

• The focus remains on competing against oneself and maintaining a balanced life, rather than stressing over placing high for a plastic trophy.

• For the final two weeks, alcohol is completely cut out.

• Daily calories are kept well under 2,000, sometimes dropping down to 1,500 depending on daily progress.

• Protein intake is steady at about 150+ grams per day to preserve muscle mass during this cutting phase.

Weight and Physique Progress

• Morning fasted weight is down two pounds, currently sitting at 187 lbs, with an expectation of rising to 190 lbs by the end of the day.

• The final stage weight goal is to be fully carbed up at around 190+.

• Stubborn fat areas, particularly on the back, are noticeably leaning out.

• Arm and leg muscle mass has been successfully retained, and more striations are visible in the shoulders.

• There is a small amount of loose skin on the lower abs, which is natural and expected at 57 years old.

Training and Next Steps

• Daily cardiovascular activity includes walking six to seven miles.

• Posing practice is underway, testing out new physique shorts from Jed North.

• An official Evolt 360 Active Body Scan reading will be done soon, with the detailed results to be posted on the site. (UPDATE - scanned in at 5% which I think is a low reading so it will be interesting to see what the 1 week out ready shows?)

The Absolute Best Diet For Everyone: Myth or Reality?

If you’ve been searching for the "perfect" diet, you've probably realized by now that there is a lot of conflicting information out there. You might see a headline claiming to have found the absolute best diet for everyone, but let's be honest, that's usually total clickbait.

The reality is that there is no single perfect diet. We are all unique, and our bodies process food differently. This becomes especially true as we navigate fitness and health over 40, where factors like muscle retention, recovery, and metabolic changes play a huge role in our success. What gives a friend or a fitness influencer amazing results might leave you feeling sluggish, hungry, or frustrated. The real secret is finding what works specifically for your body, your goals, and your lifestyle.

Finding Your Balance: Carbs vs. Fats

Let’s talk about macronutrients. Some people thrive on a higher-carb diet. For them, carbs provide the necessary fuel to power through intense weight training sessions and maintain high energy levels throughout the day. However, for others, eating too many carbs can set off a rollercoaster of hunger, cravings, and energy crashes.

On the flip side, some find that higher-fat diets are incredible for keeping hunger and cravings at bay. Fats are highly satiating. But there is a catch: fats are very calorie-dense. While a gram of carbohydrates or protein contains 4 calories, a gram of fat packs 9 calories. If you aren't paying attention, it can be incredibly easy to accidentally blow past your daily calorie limit on a higher-fat diet.

The Power of Protein and the 33% Rule

Then there is protein, arguably the most important macronutrient when it comes to holding onto and building muscle as we age. A higher protein diet is generally fantastic for most people, though it’s worth noting that going too high can cause stomach sensitivities for some.

So, where should you start? The "sweet spot" for most people is a balanced diet. A super easy rule of thumb is to aim for equal amounts of your macronutrients: one-third protein, one-third carbohydrates, and one-third fats.

For example, if you were aiming for a 1,700-calorie daily intake, that breakdown looks roughly like 100 grams of protein, 100 grams of carbs, and 100 grams of fats. From this baseline, you can tweak the ratios. Want to prioritize muscle gain? Drop the fats a bit and increase your protein and carbs.

The Bottom Line: Total Calories and Whole Foods

You can adjust your macros to regulate insulin, manage your energy, and use fat for fuel, but at the end of the day, your total caloric intake is the ultimate deciding factor in whether you gain, maintain, or lose weight.

To make your calories work for you, focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible. Lean meats, vegetables, complex carbs, and healthy fats will keep you full and provide the nutrients your body actually needs. Keep your diet balanced, don't overcomplicate it, and most importantly, find the sustainable approach that works for you.

For more Health and Fitness guidance, check out my FREE Get Fit Now Training Course.

Road to the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic - 3 Weeks Out

We are officially exactly three weeks out from the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic, and doing the update right on schedule this Saturday! Things are progressing right on track, conditioning is tightening up, and the details are starting to show through.

Here is a look at where the numbers stand, how the conditioning is coming along, and what’s dialed in heading into the final three weeks.

Current Weight & Body Fat Stats

• Body Weight: Holding steady just under 190 lbs (often sitting just a bit under depending on the time of day).

• Body Fat: Down to 6.7%—a full 1% drop from last week’s test, while managing to hold solid body weight.

• Target: Continue stripping down toward that 5% range over these final three weeks to step on stage completely peeled.

Conditioning & Stubborn Fat Distribution

At three weeks out, cuts, striations, and muscle separation are becoming more visible in the mirror and during training sessions. When you get down to this level of leanness, it’s all about monitoring where the body holds onto those final last stubborn pounds:

• Trouble Spots vs. Leaning Out: My arms, legs, and shoulders tend to strip down first, and the upper chest gets very lean early on. The last places I release fat, especially as an older competitor, are typically the lower back, a little bit right under the chest, and the lower midsection.

• The Last 2 Pounds: Because fat is no longer evenly distributed across my entire body as an older guy, dropping even just 1 to 2 more pounds makes a dramatic visual difference right where it counts.

• The "Death Face": Leanness is starting to creep into the face, which is always one of the final indicators that conditioning is improving. I’ll likely be shaving the beard down for next week’s update so we can actually see the jawline and overall facial conditioning.

Posing Routine & Mandatories

Posing practice ramps up heavily at the three-week mark. Motivation is high, the shape is dialed, and muscle control is critical:

• Men’s Physique: Running through the front and back stances, dialing in the arm positioning, back flare, and footwork transitions.

• Classic Physique: Running through the classic mandatories, including front double bicep, side chest, back double bicep, and hitting the vacuum poses.

• Real-World Lighting: Just like last week, this check-in is shot under standard, honest overhead non-gym lighting, no single overhead spotlight or flattering "anabolic" stage lighting, just a true benchmark of where the conditioning sits.

We're hitting the home stretch now. Expect another check-in next week as we close in on two weeks out. Check out the video above to see the full physique update and posing routine!

When and When Not to Eat - Tapping Into Your Natural Hunger Schedule

We’ve all heard the traditional diet advice: “You have to eat a big breakfast, and you should never eat after dinner.”

Generally speaking, this advice was created to help people establish a longer fasting period while they sleep. If you finish dinner by 6:00 PM and don't eat again until 6:00 AM, you've naturally created a 12-hour fast that limits your overall calorie intake.

But what if you are a night owl who regularly goes to bed at 2:00 AM? Stopping all food intake at 6:00 PM is going to be incredibly difficult. Inevitably, you'll break down, raid the fridge, and probably won't be making the healthiest food choices at that point. Or, what if you simply aren't hungry in the morning? Why force yourself to eat a massive breakfast when your body isn't asking for it? Forcing calories when you aren't hungry is entirely counterproductive to weight loss.

The real challenge isn't eating when you are hungry, it’s learning to use the times when you aren't hungry to your advantage.

The 3-Step Strategy to Manage Hunger

Instead of fighting your natural instincts, you can tap into your body's natural hunger schedule to start losing fat right now. Here is how you can put this into practice:

Step 1: Track Your Hunger Times

Pay attention to your body for a few days. Figure out exactly what times of the day you are the most hungry, and when you are the least hungry.

Step 2: Plan Your Meals and Snacks

Based on those hunger times, plan for 1 to 2 larger, calorie-dense meals and 1 to 2 smaller snack-type meals. Eat your larger meals when your hunger peaks, and rely on smaller snacks or beverages to bridge the gaps.

Step 3: Build Your Fasting Window

Create a fasting period of at least 12 hours based on your natural schedule. You can eat at any time of the day or night, as long as you have that 12+ hour block of fasting built into your 24-hour cycle.

What This Looks Like in Practice

If you aren't a morning person, you don't need to force a morning meal. For example, you might start your workday around 10:00 AM with just a coffee (about 100-150 calories). Because you are preoccupied with work, you might not actually feel hungry until 2:00 or 3:00 PM. That is the perfect time for a high-protein snack, like a shake or some cheese and meat (300-400 calories).

By 6:00 or 7:00 PM, when true hunger hits, you can enjoy a large, satisfying dinner of meat, vegetables, and healthy carbs without guilt (around 1,000 calories). And if you are a night owl who stays up late, you still have room for a 400-500 calorie evening snack around 9:00 or 10:00 PM—like yogurt, fruit, or cottage cheese.

This setup keeps your total daily intake around a healthy 1,800 to 2,200 calories while maintaining a 12-hour fast, all without ever feeling deprived or fighting your natural instincts.

Ready to Get Fit Now?

This is just one of the strategies to help you get Healthy + Fit 4 Life. If you want to dive deeper into how to make food your best friend, check out my Get Fit Now Video Training.

I cover everything you need to know to get on track, and the entire training course is completely free.

Lordhair 0.06mm SuperSkin-V Hair System 4-Week Update - Reinstallation - Tape Experiment - Trimming Tips

Here are the key takeaways, maintenance tips, and what I learned from trying a new attachment method this time around.

Four Weeks In: Durability and Wear

• Holding Power: The system stayed secure for the entire month. Toward the end, the adhesive softened into a pliable state, allowing slight movement when pushed, but it never lifted or failed completely.

• Minimal Shedding: The 0.06mm thin-skin base has held onto the hair strands very well. Compared to ultra-thin 0.03mm bases, the slightly thicker skin gives the hair roots more material to anchor into, significantly cutting down on daily shedding.

• Front Touch-ups: While the back and perimeter stayed locked in place, the front hairline typically requires quick touch-ups every couple of days (with the lightweight glue I was using). Using a fine-tip cotton swab to apply a light liquid adhesive along the very edge keeps it clean and seamless without excess buildup.

Cleaning and Scalp Prep

Taking your time between removal and reattachment makes a massive difference for comfort and longevity:

1. Removal & Cleanup: Peeling off the old adhesive took a bit of effort after four weeks of buildup, but thoroughly cleaning both the base and scalp is essential for a fresh bond.

2. Giving the Skin Air Time: Rather than reinstalling immediately, taking the system off overnight allows your scalp to breathe and recover while the hair system dries completely after washing.

3. Moisture Maintenance: Because hair systems don't receive natural scalp oils, keeping the hair hydrated with a few drops of lightweight oil (like argan or Moroccan oil) prevents the system from drying out.

Trimming and Customizing Before Reinstallation

Before applying fresh adhesive, I made a few small adjustments to keep the hair system looking completely natural:

• Micro-Trimming the Front Edge: Cutting back the frontal hairline by just 1 to 2 mm removes any thinned edges or slight discoloration from previous adhesives. A slightly irregular, wavy cut looks far more realistic than a harsh, straight line.

• Thinning Shears for Blend: Hair systems often start with relatively uniform density. Using thinning shears through the back and crown softens bulky sections and helps blend the synthetic/system hair seamlessly with natural bio-hair.

Trying a Full-Tape Application

Instead of relying primarily on liquid glue for the whole perimeter, I decided to test a full double-sided tape install around the edges and center:

• The Alcohol Alignment Trick: Double-sided tape grabs instantly, which leaves zero room for error. Spritzing a light mist of rubbing alcohol on the taped base before positioning gives you a few moments of slip to center and align the system perfectly before the bond sets.

• Tape vs. Glue on the Hairline: The tape method made the install fast, sturdy, and significantly easier to clean up down the road. However, if your top priority is an ultra-invisible, exposed frontal hairline, a dedicated liquid adhesive or thin glue along the immediate front edge still delivers the most undetectable finish under harsh, direct lighting.

Overall, the 0.06mm system continues to offer an ideal balance of durability, ease of handling, and realistic appearance. With regular maintenance, small edge trims, and proper hydration, getting three or even more months of great wear out of a single piece is well within reach.

If you are planning to pick up a system, head over to Lordhair.com. Check out their virtual try-on feature (where you can upload a photo to preview different base styles and cuts), and make sure to use code MIKE20 at checkout to save on your order.

Catch the full video breakdown and installation footage over on Rumble!