You know what time it is, or at least will be soon.
The "New Year". An amalgam of "I'm doing this" not "that", going the spiritual route by "naming it and claiming it" (who made that up anyway) and getting the people out of your life that don't mean anything.
Well, I ask why didn't you do any of that last year? Oh, of course......the shit would've required you to look in the mirror and possibly say "You know, I don't think I'm measuring up to my own standards. Let me change something."
We shouldn't find ourselves in the exact same spot we were in at the beginning of the year. We all should have grown in some form or fashion and not necessarily in a financial sense. Maybe a physical sense, maybe a spiritual sense, possibly intellectual. The bottom line is that growth needs to occur in order to move forward.
If you have resolutions every year, I'm going to help you by streamlining it. Stop biting off big chunks of what you want to do in the new year. Make a commitment to something now. The new year means dick if you don't take the steps to clean up some shit now. If you have the goal to write a book, sit down TODAY and type the first page.
Want to eat better? Make a commitment to shopping the outsides of the grocery store today and not messing with the chips, crackers what have you.
Want to be a better lifter?
Then take eating better and combine that with consistency in all aspects of the iron game. Make sure your technique is on point. Make sure you get a good amount of rest. Don't bog your life with bullshit and people who don't help you become a better lifter.
I have my goals, and they extend beyond the new year. I won't share (maybe a few in the future) because I don't need people shitting on them, but know they will be accomplished.
Take stock of what you did during the year now and make corrections now. That way, when January 1st does come, you are a couple steps ahead.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Chest Day.
Chest day:
Incline DB:
40/8
60/8
80/8
100/8
120/8, >80/8 > 60/8
Incline flyes:
40/10
60/10, 10, 10
Bench Press (21's)
135/21
185/21
normal style
225/6
275/6
315/4
Laterals "touch up"
4 sets
Nothing crazy. The 315/4 shouldve been for 6, but I was just roasted
Incline DB:
40/8
60/8
80/8
100/8
120/8, >80/8 > 60/8
Incline flyes:
40/10
60/10, 10, 10
Bench Press (21's)
135/21
185/21
normal style
225/6
275/6
315/4
Laterals "touch up"
4 sets
Nothing crazy. The 315/4 shouldve been for 6, but I was just roasted
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Delt smashing.
Laterals:
25/20
35/15
40/12
50/10
60/5
(Drop set)
60/6 > 50/6 > 40/6 >30/6
Seated Barbell Press:
95/10
135/10
155/8
175/5,4
Seated Laterals:
25/10
30/12
35/10
"21's" Machine Press:
70/21
100/21,21
Some light back to get in blood flow after. Good session overall. Trying to round out my delts a bit and get a bit more of a cap. Hence all the laterals.
25/20
35/15
40/12
50/10
60/5
(Drop set)
60/6 > 50/6 > 40/6 >30/6
Seated Barbell Press:
95/10
135/10
155/8
175/5,4
Seated Laterals:
25/10
30/12
35/10
"21's" Machine Press:
70/21
100/21,21
Some light back to get in blood flow after. Good session overall. Trying to round out my delts a bit and get a bit more of a cap. Hence all the laterals.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Back Training.
Seated Rows:
90/15
120/12
160/10,10,10
(drop set)
120/10
(drop set)
90/10
Meadows Rows
45/10
90/10
115/10,10
Trap Bar Rows:
135/12
185/8,8
225/8,8
Pulldowns:
130/10
160/10
190/10
Getting some back work outside of deadlifting for a bit. Feels good to get some good volume in and a nice pump. I will slowly add in more volume and get back to deadlifting soon.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Chest Training
Incline DB Press:
40/20
60/8
80/8
100/8
110/8,8,7(hit failure)
Flyes:
40/10
50/12
60/10,10
Bench Press:
135/8
185/8
225/8,8
Pretty low volume but high on the intensity. I wanted to do partner assisted flyes but I don't have a partner and don't feel comfortable with people who have less of an idea on how do them than I do. The bench was harder than I thought. 225 was the right amount of weight for a workout like this. Felt like hurling after, so a good session.
This workout was based of Mountain Dog dictates as well.
40/20
60/8
80/8
100/8
110/8,8,7(hit failure)
Flyes:
40/10
50/12
60/10,10
Bench Press:
135/8
185/8
225/8,8
Pretty low volume but high on the intensity. I wanted to do partner assisted flyes but I don't have a partner and don't feel comfortable with people who have less of an idea on how do them than I do. The bench was harder than I thought. 225 was the right amount of weight for a workout like this. Felt like hurling after, so a good session.
This workout was based of Mountain Dog dictates as well.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Leg Day
Leg day:
Leg curl: 65/20
85/12
110/10
125/10
Squats:(high bar)
Bar/12
135/10
185/10
225/10
275/7
315/6
Leg press:
3pl/20
4pl/20
5pl/12
6pl/12
Seated Leg curl:
95/15
125/12
140/10
Leg extension:
110/20
140/15
155/15
Volume was up for this one. Really didn't count sets but wanted a good pump. I forgot how hard high bar was for reps.
Changes I've made to my training just consists of adding more arm work. Going to actually start training arms and filling out those suckers a bit more since they could be better in my opinion. So the new routine is
Day 1: Shoulders ,triceps
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Chest,biceps
Day 4: Off
Day 5: Back
Everything is still centered around heavy basic movements, but some more volume will be in there. Gettig it done......one day at a time
Leg curl: 65/20
85/12
110/10
125/10
Squats:(high bar)
Bar/12
135/10
185/10
225/10
275/7
315/6
Leg press:
3pl/20
4pl/20
5pl/12
6pl/12
Seated Leg curl:
95/15
125/12
140/10
Leg extension:
110/20
140/15
155/15
Volume was up for this one. Really didn't count sets but wanted a good pump. I forgot how hard high bar was for reps.
Changes I've made to my training just consists of adding more arm work. Going to actually start training arms and filling out those suckers a bit more since they could be better in my opinion. So the new routine is
Day 1: Shoulders ,triceps
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Chest,biceps
Day 4: Off
Day 5: Back
Everything is still centered around heavy basic movements, but some more volume will be in there. Gettig it done......one day at a time
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Squats
Leg curls-
65/20
80/12
95/9
125/8, 7, 8
Squats
Bar/13
135/8
185/5
225/5
275/3
315/2
365/1
405/2,2
High bar squats:
225/5, 5, 5
RDL's
135/12
225/10,10,
275/10
Leg ext:
2 sets
Workout went well. Tapered down the volume on the worksets a bit for the low bar squats, but I went ahead and added in a couple more sets of squats with some high bar. Focusing more on being under the bar and building up my lower half. All in all the workout was about a 6-7.
65/20
80/12
95/9
125/8, 7, 8
Squats
Bar/13
135/8
185/5
225/5
275/3
315/2
365/1
405/2,2
High bar squats:
225/5, 5, 5
RDL's
135/12
225/10,10,
275/10
Leg ext:
2 sets
Workout went well. Tapered down the volume on the worksets a bit for the low bar squats, but I went ahead and added in a couple more sets of squats with some high bar. Focusing more on being under the bar and building up my lower half. All in all the workout was about a 6-7.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Sunday
Body day: aka weak point training
Seated Overhead Press
Bar/30
65/15
95/10
135/12
155/5, 8
Laterals;
30/10, 10
40/10, 10
Pulldowns:
100/16
130/12 (back seized up)
Arms
Good session overall. Week off did me some good.
Seated Overhead Press
Bar/30
65/15
95/10
135/12
155/5, 8
Laterals;
30/10, 10
40/10, 10
Pulldowns:
100/16
130/12 (back seized up)
Arms
Good session overall. Week off did me some good.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Squats and Olympia Thoughts
Training:
Squats:
Bar/15
135/10
185/6
225/8
275/4 (Fucking bullshit)
RDL's and leg extension for 3 sets each
This was just bad all the way around. I felt good leading up to it. Made sure i was hydrated and fed while flying back. But I guess coming off a hectic weekend where I ate, drank sporadically and basically lived off coffee, yesterdays situation shouldn't come as a surprise to be honest. Can't catch up off one good day when you've had about three bad ones in regards to nutrition and rest.
Olympia Reflections:
When people go to the Olympia, most often think everyone is having a great time in the press pit. Most are as a matter of fact. I know I do, but it comes with a great deal of stress. Lots of stress. There are athletes to interview, shoots to cover, video to edit and networking to be done so more connections can be made to advance yourself as a writer, athlete, model or what have you. The main goal of bodybuilding press is to bring the action home to viewers around the world. Trips to Vegas are expensive (in general, travel is expensive) so in theory the entire Olympia experience needs to be captured....with sometimes less than ten people. Hard, but there is a lot of fun to it. The team I worked with over the weekend went out and did much with the least. I've worked with people in the past who just want to be seen and hobnob and I assure, that was not the case this time. We went and got it done.
Off my soapbox, lets move to the competition.
Outside of a couple of people (most notably Phil Heath and Dennis Wolf) there wasn't a lot of people that made me say "wow". That's not to say they were bad or anything like that. Far from it. However the show was hyped up a bit, but it under delivered a little. No one in the open was out of shape in the open and especially not in the 212.
When Phil Heath stepped from behind the curtain, he was the winner. I saw him in Pittsburgh and he was big. He was bigger at the Olympia. He didn't screw around in the offseason or precontest phase and it showed. Dennis Wolf made some big improvements to move up to third. I actually had him in runner up after prejudging but once the night show came around he faded a bit while Kai Greene got tighter and harder. I actually had Kai in fourth after prejudging, but what a difference a day makes. While it's hard to maintain condition over a two day show, it gives guys a chance to make corrections and get in better condition. And that can be a hard thing when you have booth appearances and sponsor obligations. While Wolf may have slipped to third, he made a statement moving forward and I look forward to seeing what he brings to his next show.
Kai was not as crisp as he was last year, but despite that he repeated his second place finish. This was the most confident I've ever seen Kai at an Olympia and he had no problem mouthing off with Phil onstage. The audience ate it up and Kai was a definite crowd favorite.
Shawn Rhoden may have slipped a placing but he still showcased his flawless lines and phenomenal frame. He has had a productive offseason as well despite all the traveling. He is moving into the "almost there" mark. His training with Charles Glass has paid off well for him. I can see him doing well competing at the Arnold Classic Europe alongside Kai Greene and Phil Heath. He is the defending champ so we'll see how that plays in his favor.
Dexter Jackson defies age. Despite being in his mid-40's he keeps bringing some phenomenal shape and condition. Him and Toney Freeman keep moving forward and keep coming in shape for shows. He'll, I think he can keep competing until he's close to 50. Toney Freeman too. They are this generation of bodybuilding fans Al Beckles and Vince Taylor.
Jay Cutler was in condition, but he needed to be bigger I thought. I heard he was in the 250's when he started his loading process (not sure if true) but the fact he stepped onstage hard at 40 is a testament to his dedication with bodybuilding. Do I agree with his placing? No, I thought Roelly Winklaar should've been up there. But it is what it is. Everyone has an opinion.
Roelly came in big. His arms rival Phil Heath in the pure "are you the fuck serious?" category. He was not in the best condition, but everything flowed pretty well. I think his posing needs work. He makes himself look "bunched up" when he poses.
Lionel Beyeke has one of, if not the best structure in all of bodybuilding. His time with Dennis James did him well. I would really like to see Roelly, Lionel and Essa Obaid all under the instruction of Charles Glass for a year and see them in the top spots. Lionel is another on the cusp of really breaking through and pushing people in that top six.
Other Olympia Thoughts:
-Steve Kuclo is going places if he keeps on the path he's on now. He's not there yet, but he will be soon. So watch for this young man.
-Essa Obaid deserved to be in the top 10. No doubt about it.
-Big Ramy needs time. Let this be a lesson....don't hype up people for a top slot until they are ready. He wasn't outsizing anyone on that stage. Remember when Jordan dunked on Shaq and told him "Welcome to the NBA"? Saturday was Ramy's "Welcome to the Olympia".
-To see Flex Lewis now compared to when he came into bodybuilding is an awesome thing to watch. Easily deserved his title.
-Troy Alves continues to get overlooked
-The expo was busy.
That's all for now. Until then...ciao!
Squats:
Bar/15
135/10
185/6
225/8
275/4 (Fucking bullshit)
RDL's and leg extension for 3 sets each
This was just bad all the way around. I felt good leading up to it. Made sure i was hydrated and fed while flying back. But I guess coming off a hectic weekend where I ate, drank sporadically and basically lived off coffee, yesterdays situation shouldn't come as a surprise to be honest. Can't catch up off one good day when you've had about three bad ones in regards to nutrition and rest.
Olympia Reflections:
When people go to the Olympia, most often think everyone is having a great time in the press pit. Most are as a matter of fact. I know I do, but it comes with a great deal of stress. Lots of stress. There are athletes to interview, shoots to cover, video to edit and networking to be done so more connections can be made to advance yourself as a writer, athlete, model or what have you. The main goal of bodybuilding press is to bring the action home to viewers around the world. Trips to Vegas are expensive (in general, travel is expensive) so in theory the entire Olympia experience needs to be captured....with sometimes less than ten people. Hard, but there is a lot of fun to it. The team I worked with over the weekend went out and did much with the least. I've worked with people in the past who just want to be seen and hobnob and I assure, that was not the case this time. We went and got it done.
Off my soapbox, lets move to the competition.
Outside of a couple of people (most notably Phil Heath and Dennis Wolf) there wasn't a lot of people that made me say "wow". That's not to say they were bad or anything like that. Far from it. However the show was hyped up a bit, but it under delivered a little. No one in the open was out of shape in the open and especially not in the 212.
When Phil Heath stepped from behind the curtain, he was the winner. I saw him in Pittsburgh and he was big. He was bigger at the Olympia. He didn't screw around in the offseason or precontest phase and it showed. Dennis Wolf made some big improvements to move up to third. I actually had him in runner up after prejudging but once the night show came around he faded a bit while Kai Greene got tighter and harder. I actually had Kai in fourth after prejudging, but what a difference a day makes. While it's hard to maintain condition over a two day show, it gives guys a chance to make corrections and get in better condition. And that can be a hard thing when you have booth appearances and sponsor obligations. While Wolf may have slipped to third, he made a statement moving forward and I look forward to seeing what he brings to his next show.
Kai was not as crisp as he was last year, but despite that he repeated his second place finish. This was the most confident I've ever seen Kai at an Olympia and he had no problem mouthing off with Phil onstage. The audience ate it up and Kai was a definite crowd favorite.
Shawn Rhoden may have slipped a placing but he still showcased his flawless lines and phenomenal frame. He has had a productive offseason as well despite all the traveling. He is moving into the "almost there" mark. His training with Charles Glass has paid off well for him. I can see him doing well competing at the Arnold Classic Europe alongside Kai Greene and Phil Heath. He is the defending champ so we'll see how that plays in his favor.
Dexter Jackson defies age. Despite being in his mid-40's he keeps bringing some phenomenal shape and condition. Him and Toney Freeman keep moving forward and keep coming in shape for shows. He'll, I think he can keep competing until he's close to 50. Toney Freeman too. They are this generation of bodybuilding fans Al Beckles and Vince Taylor.
Jay Cutler was in condition, but he needed to be bigger I thought. I heard he was in the 250's when he started his loading process (not sure if true) but the fact he stepped onstage hard at 40 is a testament to his dedication with bodybuilding. Do I agree with his placing? No, I thought Roelly Winklaar should've been up there. But it is what it is. Everyone has an opinion.
Roelly came in big. His arms rival Phil Heath in the pure "are you the fuck serious?" category. He was not in the best condition, but everything flowed pretty well. I think his posing needs work. He makes himself look "bunched up" when he poses.
Lionel Beyeke has one of, if not the best structure in all of bodybuilding. His time with Dennis James did him well. I would really like to see Roelly, Lionel and Essa Obaid all under the instruction of Charles Glass for a year and see them in the top spots. Lionel is another on the cusp of really breaking through and pushing people in that top six.
Other Olympia Thoughts:
-Steve Kuclo is going places if he keeps on the path he's on now. He's not there yet, but he will be soon. So watch for this young man.
-Essa Obaid deserved to be in the top 10. No doubt about it.
-Big Ramy needs time. Let this be a lesson....don't hype up people for a top slot until they are ready. He wasn't outsizing anyone on that stage. Remember when Jordan dunked on Shaq and told him "Welcome to the NBA"? Saturday was Ramy's "Welcome to the Olympia".
-To see Flex Lewis now compared to when he came into bodybuilding is an awesome thing to watch. Easily deserved his title.
-Troy Alves continues to get overlooked
-The expo was busy.
That's all for now. Until then...ciao!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Bench and Deads
Bench: Wednesday night:
Bar/20,15
135/10
185/5
225/5
275/1
315/2.2
Flyes and pressdown: 2 sets apiece
Deadlifts: 6:30 am
135/14
18510
225/5
275/5
315/3
368/8,4
Pulldowns:
140/12
180/10,10
Bent Rows:
135/12
225/10
315/8
Bench day kinda stunk. Elbow and forearm is angering me. Strained something in it and now it doesn't want to act right. Blah.
Bar/20,15
135/10
185/5
225/5
275/1
315/2.2
Flyes and pressdown: 2 sets apiece
Deadlifts: 6:30 am
135/14
18510
225/5
275/5
315/3
368/8,4
Pulldowns:
140/12
180/10,10
Bent Rows:
135/12
225/10
315/8
Bench day kinda stunk. Elbow and forearm is angering me. Strained something in it and now it doesn't want to act right. Blah.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Squat Training
Leg curls
65/15
85/15
110/10
125/8
140/6,5
Squats:
135/10
185/5
225/5
275/3
315/2
405/1
415/2,2,2
Leg press:
3pl/15
4pl/15
5pl/8
Leg ext:
3 sets
In and out. Getting stronger. Off season going well so far.
65/15
85/15
110/10
125/8
140/6,5
Squats:
135/10
185/5
225/5
275/3
315/2
405/1
415/2,2,2
Leg press:
3pl/15
4pl/15
5pl/8
Leg ext:
3 sets
In and out. Getting stronger. Off season going well so far.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Benching
Bench Press:
Bar/20
135/12
185/10
225/5
275/5 sets of 2
Incline DB Press:
65/30
75/25
85/15
105/10
Dips and Flyes: 2 sets apiece
Everything about bench was off today. I may have to switch my times around so I can bench out of the power rack instead of one of the normal benches available. I'm going to see whats available at East Campus, but possibly not much their either.
Bar/20
135/12
185/10
225/5
275/5 sets of 2
Incline DB Press:
65/30
75/25
85/15
105/10
Dips and Flyes: 2 sets apiece
Everything about bench was off today. I may have to switch my times around so I can bench out of the power rack instead of one of the normal benches available. I'm going to see whats available at East Campus, but possibly not much their either.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Squats
Squat:
Bar/15
135/10
135/5
185/5
225/3
275/2
315/1
405/2
Pause Squats:
225/5,5
245/5
Leg curls:
80/20
110/13
140/10
155/10
Leg Press for three sets to finish it out. Getting stronger and getting my reps up. Thats the goal.
Bar/15
135/10
135/5
185/5
225/3
275/2
315/1
405/2
Pause Squats:
225/5,5
245/5
Leg curls:
80/20
110/13
140/10
155/10
Leg Press for three sets to finish it out. Getting stronger and getting my reps up. Thats the goal.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Back Training: Back to Deadlifting, a Low Budget Students Diet, and Get Rid of Bullshit
Deads: (beltless)
135/15
185/10
225/5
285/5
315/3
405/1
480/2
Seated rows:
130/10
180/12
210/12
250/10
Bent Rows:
135/14
225/10
315/8
Pulldowns:
3 sets
Felt good to get some weight in my hands for some pulling and heavy lat work. Really working on getting stronger without a belt. Added in some type of ab work a couple times a week.
On the nutrition front, my main sources of food right now is ground beef (85-93% lean depending on what I can afford), turkey, chicken and sweet potato, white potato, protein powder and oatmeal. I eat around five times a day and strive to get in my protein at 8-10 oz and the five times I eat, I include protein powder as a meal (I combine it with Oatmeal and shake that bitch up.) Fats come from coconut oil, peanut butter, fat in the meats I eat and almonds. Staying more consistent with my nutrition has been paying off. My weakness is still Chipotle and Dicky's BBQ (specifically) the brisket
Supplements being used right now:
Mutant protein powder (Shout out to Gabe Moen on this one with the Husker Power hookup!)
Glycofuse
Aminos (various brands)
Simple stack. My pre-workout? Coffee.
I've learned something that is really helping now. When I was at a standstill during my prep, the biggest thing I did was to break down what I really needed and what I really didn't need to put the package together that I wanted. I still needed barbells and dumbbells, so that became the brunt of my workout. I didn't need a pre-workout drink that cost 30 plus dollars when I had a Starbucks card. There is more, but most of you get the point. I took what I needed and discarded the rest.
Me and Paul Carter (author over at Lift-Run-Bang) were talking on Facebook about how people don't really need as much as they think in terms of lifting. You can translate this to life as well. We don't need half the bull that bogs us down. Find out what you don't need and get rid of it.
Enough of me lecturing.........football is on.
135/15
185/10
225/5
285/5
315/3
405/1
480/2
Seated rows:
130/10
180/12
210/12
250/10
Bent Rows:
135/14
225/10
315/8
Pulldowns:
3 sets
Felt good to get some weight in my hands for some pulling and heavy lat work. Really working on getting stronger without a belt. Added in some type of ab work a couple times a week.
On the nutrition front, my main sources of food right now is ground beef (85-93% lean depending on what I can afford), turkey, chicken and sweet potato, white potato, protein powder and oatmeal. I eat around five times a day and strive to get in my protein at 8-10 oz and the five times I eat, I include protein powder as a meal (I combine it with Oatmeal and shake that bitch up.) Fats come from coconut oil, peanut butter, fat in the meats I eat and almonds. Staying more consistent with my nutrition has been paying off. My weakness is still Chipotle and Dicky's BBQ (specifically) the brisket
Supplements being used right now:
Mutant protein powder (Shout out to Gabe Moen on this one with the Husker Power hookup!)
Glycofuse
Aminos (various brands)
Simple stack. My pre-workout? Coffee.
I've learned something that is really helping now. When I was at a standstill during my prep, the biggest thing I did was to break down what I really needed and what I really didn't need to put the package together that I wanted. I still needed barbells and dumbbells, so that became the brunt of my workout. I didn't need a pre-workout drink that cost 30 plus dollars when I had a Starbucks card. There is more, but most of you get the point. I took what I needed and discarded the rest.
Me and Paul Carter (author over at Lift-Run-Bang) were talking on Facebook about how people don't really need as much as they think in terms of lifting. You can translate this to life as well. We don't need half the bull that bogs us down. Find out what you don't need and get rid of it.
Enough of me lecturing.........football is on.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Chest training and stuff
Bench:
135/10
185/6
225/5
275/2
315/3 sets of 2
Incline Press:
135/15
225/6
245/6 (+2rp, +1rp)*
Machine Press:
2 sets
Flyes:
2 sets
Lowering the volume a little and using more techniques like rest pause and negatives to jack the volume up. The volume has been up for awhile so bringing it down a bit may yield some good gains.
Now off to do a video assignment.
135/10
185/6
225/5
275/2
315/3 sets of 2
Incline Press:
135/15
225/6
245/6 (+2rp, +1rp)*
Machine Press:
2 sets
Flyes:
2 sets
Lowering the volume a little and using more techniques like rest pause and negatives to jack the volume up. The volume has been up for awhile so bringing it down a bit may yield some good gains.
Now off to do a video assignment.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Training and a Look Back at Pittsburgh
Monday:
Squats:
Bar/15
135/7
185/3
225/2
285/1
325/8x3
Hack Squat:
1pl/10
2pl/7,8
Leg curl:
95/8
125/10
155/9,6+2rp (rest pause)
RDL's:
135/10
225/8,8
Leg extension:
Enough to make my legs look like Kai Greene's
This workout was brutal. It was an "explosive" day and it was tough. But thats a good thing. I'm going to have to go back to low bar squatting for my heavy and explosive days and high bar for my rep days.
Pittsburgh Musings:
First off, "the 'burgh" is my second favorite city behind Chicago. But dear God.........just two lanes on your expressway?! C'mon man!!
The IFBB North American's was a great show and Gary Udit is a great promoter. Everything ran pretty smooth with so many competitors. The over 40 class always impresses me with their condition and dedication to the sport. Guy like Rob Kreider, Monty Mabry and Ryan Celli getting things done up there. Kevin Jordan, Dusty Hanshaw, Akim Williams, Brad Davis, Julius Page and Alejandro Cambronero were all impressive. They all looked better by the night show as well. I know Kevin is moving forward to Nationals, so I'm sure he'll correct his mistakes which were really just last minute things. He'll be one of the hardest guys in the heavy's I think.
Olympia Talk:
This Olympia will be one of the most hotly contested of all time. Reason for that is because there are more questions than answers. Whats Ramy going to do post NY Pro on the biggest stage in bodybuilding. Will Phil Heath pull off a commanding win or will Jay thwart his plans to repeat? Where will Dexter Jackson land. Will Shawn Rhoden and Kai Greene upset the apple cart? I'll keep my opinions to myself for right now, but it's going to be very exciting.
Exciting fall start for bodybuilding with the North Americans! Lets see what the Olympia, Nationals, Arnold Classic Spain and the new show in China hold!
Squats:
Bar/15
135/7
185/3
225/2
285/1
325/8x3
Hack Squat:
1pl/10
2pl/7,8
Leg curl:
95/8
125/10
155/9,6+2rp (rest pause)
RDL's:
135/10
225/8,8
Leg extension:
Enough to make my legs look like Kai Greene's
This workout was brutal. It was an "explosive" day and it was tough. But thats a good thing. I'm going to have to go back to low bar squatting for my heavy and explosive days and high bar for my rep days.
Pittsburgh Musings:
First off, "the 'burgh" is my second favorite city behind Chicago. But dear God.........just two lanes on your expressway?! C'mon man!!
The IFBB North American's was a great show and Gary Udit is a great promoter. Everything ran pretty smooth with so many competitors. The over 40 class always impresses me with their condition and dedication to the sport. Guy like Rob Kreider, Monty Mabry and Ryan Celli getting things done up there. Kevin Jordan, Dusty Hanshaw, Akim Williams, Brad Davis, Julius Page and Alejandro Cambronero were all impressive. They all looked better by the night show as well. I know Kevin is moving forward to Nationals, so I'm sure he'll correct his mistakes which were really just last minute things. He'll be one of the hardest guys in the heavy's I think.
Olympia Talk:
This Olympia will be one of the most hotly contested of all time. Reason for that is because there are more questions than answers. Whats Ramy going to do post NY Pro on the biggest stage in bodybuilding. Will Phil Heath pull off a commanding win or will Jay thwart his plans to repeat? Where will Dexter Jackson land. Will Shawn Rhoden and Kai Greene upset the apple cart? I'll keep my opinions to myself for right now, but it's going to be very exciting.
Exciting fall start for bodybuilding with the North Americans! Lets see what the Olympia, Nationals, Arnold Classic Spain and the new show in China hold!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Benching in the Rec, or also known as "Training with the bro dudes and functional training yahoos.
Bench:
Bar/20
135/12
185/5
225/5
255/8
Incline DB:
3 sets
Flyes:
2 sets
Still did a decent amount of reps on the two assistance exercises. Working hard on the main movements and getting blood in with the assistance work. Lots of new and old faces around (more new), so you can imagine the cluster thats going on right now.
Legs are still tender from squats on Monday. I had a back day yesterday, but it was more to move a little bit of weight and get some blood in. 60-70% intensity for sure. Not frustrated about it because I know my next block of training will be a doozy. I had to cram a weeks worth of training into a three days because of work for the North Americans, but once I get back, no more travel. It's on!
Speaking of North Americans, I think this will be a very contested show where no one will be out of shape (I hope). I kept up with quite a few people during their prep and everyone seems to be on point. But like I've said before, Instagram don't win shows. So we'll see.
And as I type this......my journey to Pitt is already messed up.........at least I ain't in Syria.
Bar/20
135/12
185/5
225/5
255/8
Incline DB:
3 sets
Flyes:
2 sets
Still did a decent amount of reps on the two assistance exercises. Working hard on the main movements and getting blood in with the assistance work. Lots of new and old faces around (more new), so you can imagine the cluster thats going on right now.
Legs are still tender from squats on Monday. I had a back day yesterday, but it was more to move a little bit of weight and get some blood in. 60-70% intensity for sure. Not frustrated about it because I know my next block of training will be a doozy. I had to cram a weeks worth of training into a three days because of work for the North Americans, but once I get back, no more travel. It's on!
Speaking of North Americans, I think this will be a very contested show where no one will be out of shape (I hope). I kept up with quite a few people during their prep and everyone seems to be on point. But like I've said before, Instagram don't win shows. So we'll see.
And as I type this......my journey to Pitt is already messed up.........at least I ain't in Syria.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Squatastic action
Squats:
Bar/10
135/10
185/5
225/3
285/3
315/1
365/1
405/5 sets of 2
Leg Curls:
80/12
125/12,8
140/6
Leg Press: 4pl/20,20,16
Trained in a crowded rec last night and had a pretty good one. First time I've had some halfway decent weight on my back. I could tell in my form too as I was a bit shaky, but repetition is the mother of skill. So it's going to come as long as I'm consistent.
North Americans this weekend. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the quality of competitors will be above what was seen at the USA's. I've been watching the progress of Dusty Hanshaw, Kevin Jordan and Kevin Tomasini, Akim Williams, Rob Krieder and newcomer named Lukas Duncan. Pretty big boys and will be ready to do battle. This will be a conditioning contest. I can almost guarantee it.
Thats it for now.
Bar/10
135/10
185/5
225/3
285/3
315/1
365/1
405/5 sets of 2
Leg Curls:
80/12
125/12,8
140/6
Leg Press: 4pl/20,20,16
Trained in a crowded rec last night and had a pretty good one. First time I've had some halfway decent weight on my back. I could tell in my form too as I was a bit shaky, but repetition is the mother of skill. So it's going to come as long as I'm consistent.
North Americans this weekend. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the quality of competitors will be above what was seen at the USA's. I've been watching the progress of Dusty Hanshaw, Kevin Jordan and Kevin Tomasini, Akim Williams, Rob Krieder and newcomer named Lukas Duncan. Pretty big boys and will be ready to do battle. This will be a conditioning contest. I can almost guarantee it.
Thats it for now.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Leg Training/school update
Leg Curl:
90/18
110/10
125/9
140/2x8
Squats:
Bar/13
135/2x8
185/5
225/5
275/3
Leg Ext:
95/25,14
Nothing crazy or earth shattering here. Just getting the blood moving and what not. Have some shoulder work tonight and it's going to be probably the same as this with just a couple movements, including one that will be slightly heavy. Letting the engine idle is good for me.
It seems the rec center has put signs in each of the squat rack that says "No curls allowed in the squat rack". Some may think that's a bit of an asshole move, but I've literally seen people wait for ten plus minutes for bro dudes to finish curling the bar with tens on each side while someone, or even myself, has waited to squat. I would have no problem with the luxury of using the rack as a curl station (don't shoot me), but if it's crowded, pick the shit up off the floor.
Lincoln and Chicago couldn't be anymore different. I enjoy my hustle and bustle of Chicago, but I enjoy the quiet here as well. I know once I graduate I want to be in Chicago, but I'm not above staying here BRIEFLY just to get my career moving. It's not a bad place, but not where I want to stay for the rest of my life.
I'm settling back into Lincoln well and a meeting with my advisor went well. It seems if everything goes according to plan, I'll be spending my summer in Nebraska and finishing my time here in the summer. Moving forward and it's good.
90/18
110/10
125/9
140/2x8
Squats:
Bar/13
135/2x8
185/5
225/5
275/3
Leg Ext:
95/25,14
Nothing crazy or earth shattering here. Just getting the blood moving and what not. Have some shoulder work tonight and it's going to be probably the same as this with just a couple movements, including one that will be slightly heavy. Letting the engine idle is good for me.
It seems the rec center has put signs in each of the squat rack that says "No curls allowed in the squat rack". Some may think that's a bit of an asshole move, but I've literally seen people wait for ten plus minutes for bro dudes to finish curling the bar with tens on each side while someone, or even myself, has waited to squat. I would have no problem with the luxury of using the rack as a curl station (don't shoot me), but if it's crowded, pick the shit up off the floor.
Lincoln and Chicago couldn't be anymore different. I enjoy my hustle and bustle of Chicago, but I enjoy the quiet here as well. I know once I graduate I want to be in Chicago, but I'm not above staying here BRIEFLY just to get my career moving. It's not a bad place, but not where I want to stay for the rest of my life.
I'm settling back into Lincoln well and a meeting with my advisor went well. It seems if everything goes according to plan, I'll be spending my summer in Nebraska and finishing my time here in the summer. Moving forward and it's good.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Travel, Bench Day,a very QUICK word on the Dallas Europa
Bench:
Bar/15
135/10
185/7
225/5
275/3
Machine Press:
110/3x15
When 275 is heavy and your joints sound like rice crispies with milk pouring over them, then it's time to shut it down. Had a long trip in that I had to make alone so I was just happy to do something after my road trip to Lincoln.
My drive in wasn't bad and it was pretty decent considering I was driving solo. Made it in great time and cut the music off and listened to a couple of podcasts. One of which was the Chaos and Bang Your Canadian Earballs podcast (found on www.chaosandpain.blogspot.com) and the Elitefts.com Iron Subculture Podcast. The EFS one was pretty dated, but it was an uncensored conversation with Dave Tate, so it was excellent. The drive back into Lincoln was much better than going to Chicago like I did in May.
I've been in a bit of a lull since the middle of July, but I've been fighting it off for the most part. Good training with a couple of people and staying pretty clean on my diet helped. But going pretty hard for USPF Nationals and then rolling right into prep for the Wings of Strength was good for me as I needed to push myself, but it's catching up to me a bit now. There are going to periods in your training where things, no matter how hard you try, will just not be optimal. I don't care if it's mental, physical or what have you. When you push the envelope for so long, something will break. Don't believe me? Try it out and get back to me.
I'll fight it off for as long as I can, but there should be periods where you just have to let the engine idle and the next two weeks are where I think I'll let it happen.
Dallas Europa:
Bottom line, Essa Obaid should've won. And there's that.
Bar/15
135/10
185/7
225/5
275/3
Machine Press:
110/3x15
When 275 is heavy and your joints sound like rice crispies with milk pouring over them, then it's time to shut it down. Had a long trip in that I had to make alone so I was just happy to do something after my road trip to Lincoln.
My drive in wasn't bad and it was pretty decent considering I was driving solo. Made it in great time and cut the music off and listened to a couple of podcasts. One of which was the Chaos and Bang Your Canadian Earballs podcast (found on www.chaosandpain.blogspot.com) and the Elitefts.com Iron Subculture Podcast. The EFS one was pretty dated, but it was an uncensored conversation with Dave Tate, so it was excellent. The drive back into Lincoln was much better than going to Chicago like I did in May.
I've been in a bit of a lull since the middle of July, but I've been fighting it off for the most part. Good training with a couple of people and staying pretty clean on my diet helped. But going pretty hard for USPF Nationals and then rolling right into prep for the Wings of Strength was good for me as I needed to push myself, but it's catching up to me a bit now. There are going to periods in your training where things, no matter how hard you try, will just not be optimal. I don't care if it's mental, physical or what have you. When you push the envelope for so long, something will break. Don't believe me? Try it out and get back to me.
I'll fight it off for as long as I can, but there should be periods where you just have to let the engine idle and the next two weeks are where I think I'll let it happen.
Dallas Europa:
Bottom line, Essa Obaid should've won. And there's that.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Pressing in the USA
Overhead press:
Bar/20
65/15
85/12
135/8,6,7
Laterals:
30/10
40/4x10
Rear delt machine:
90/15
110/12,12,10
CG press:
135/20
185/15
225/10
Barbell curls:
Bar/70
Back to overhead pressing. I feel they help my bench even though I hate them to a degree.
Bar/20
65/15
85/12
135/8,6,7
Laterals:
30/10
40/4x10
Rear delt machine:
90/15
110/12,12,10
CG press:
135/20
185/15
225/10
Barbell curls:
Bar/70
Back to overhead pressing. I feel they help my bench even though I hate them to a degree.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Thursday deadlifts/back day
Deads:
135/13
185/10
225/8
275/6
315/6,5,5
Chins:
BW/4x10
Barbell Rows:
135/10
225/10
275/9
315/6
Pulldowns:
120/10
160/10,10
Seated Rows:
120/10
180/10
225/8, drop to 150/6
Solid day today. Warmed up pretty good and was able to focus on technique and bar speed with the deads. Hamstrings have to get stronger though and technique will have to get a good deal better. My first time doing full conventional deads in quite awhile, so it was good to get back to them.
Also, back to training without a belt. Getting my abs and low back stronger. Fun times
135/13
185/10
225/8
275/6
315/6,5,5
Chins:
BW/4x10
Barbell Rows:
135/10
225/10
275/9
315/6
Pulldowns:
120/10
160/10,10
Seated Rows:
120/10
180/10
225/8, drop to 150/6
Solid day today. Warmed up pretty good and was able to focus on technique and bar speed with the deads. Hamstrings have to get stronger though and technique will have to get a good deal better. My first time doing full conventional deads in quite awhile, so it was good to get back to them.
Also, back to training without a belt. Getting my abs and low back stronger. Fun times
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Quads at Quads
Squat:
Bar/10
135/10
185/5
225/5
275/3
315/3
365/1
Leg Press:
3pps/25
4pps/25
6pps/15,12
Hack Squat:
185/12
225/12
315/10
Leg Extension:
80/30
110/30,30
Right hip got real tight on 365 and my form is less than perfect with a low bar placement. I'll stay with high bar for now. I'm getting stronger with that stance, so I'll ride it for awhile.
Also, I will not be doing the Illinois Ironman. Just have way too much other stuff going on that takes precedent. There will be other shows.
Bar/10
135/10
185/5
225/5
275/3
315/3
365/1
Leg Press:
3pps/25
4pps/25
6pps/15,12
Hack Squat:
185/12
225/12
315/10
Leg Extension:
80/30
110/30,30
Right hip got real tight on 365 and my form is less than perfect with a low bar placement. I'll stay with high bar for now. I'm getting stronger with that stance, so I'll ride it for awhile.
Also, I will not be doing the Illinois Ironman. Just have way too much other stuff going on that takes precedent. There will be other shows.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Tampa Pro Rundown.
The dust has settled in Tampa, Fl and super promoter Tim Gardner has wrapped up another phenomenal Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships. This is fast becoming one of the premier IFBB Pro League events of the year. Along with the Europa Dallas promoted by Ed and Betty Pariso, the Tampa and Dallas provide a one-two punch combo to end off the year of stateside IFBB mens pro shows. Pretty hotly contested show all around and number one, two and three could have been switched around in any way.
1: Evan Centopani: Steadily improves his physique with each showing. This was a great show for him to pick as he didn't have to break his body back down by doing the Arnold Classic after doing the Olympia. For as big as he is, he has a pretty tapered waist with no distended stomach. Quads are still filling out a big, but they aren't small by any means. Hamstrings could have a bit more drop to them in his side shots and the chest can come up a bit more as well. Back is a great body part on him, but could still stand to have more mass and knots back there. He's still pretty young in the sport so we are seeing some signs of whats to come in the future.
2: Juan Morel: He was coming off a great NY Pro showing and was training like a hoss getting ready for Tampa to get an Olympia qualification. He kind of underwhelmed here as we've seen better. He was a bit smooth and didn't carry the dryness he had in New York. Fuller quads putting to rest he needs to fill out his lower half more, but I think he may have tried to come in a bit bigger at the expense of conditioning. His frame can carry lots more muscle and look very good. But it has to be conditioned to the max. He's one to watch for and dangerous in lineups. I'd like to see him at the Arnold Classic next year to be honest. I think he can make a lot of noise there, even if people are coming off the Olympia.
3: Essa Obiad: Improved from Chicago. He has a great physique, but I think he loses a little bit in the way he presents it. There are a couple pictures of him relaxing his stomach a bit in his side poses(we must have went to the same posing school). He's also still building a "name" over here in the states. Very rugged physique that can still improve by leaps and bounds. I'd love to see him here in the states with a solid year of training. I really would like to see him in the lineup in Vegas.
4: Mo Bannout: Surprise of the show. Very thickly muscled and came to play. I thought he could have been a bit tighter. Shape not the greatest but made up for it with a good combo of condition and size.
5: Lionel Beyeke: I was expecting more. Thats about all I can say. Pretty smooth all over. I think thats more of a travel issue than anything. France is not exactly walking distance to Florida. With that being said, if he was in top shape, the show would be his. No question about it. He looks like a cartoon character but will be regulated to lower placements if he doesn't get it together. He's in Dennis James hands now, so I think we'll see a big improvement from Florida.
6: Lee Banks: Shouldv'e been top five. He wasn't as sharp as he's been in the past, but he was sharper than Lionel. Hands on hips most muscular is a winner Needs to be tighter from behind in the back and glutes. Front double bicep was top 5 worthy.
I know many think Evan took this away easily, but I really think Essa could have won. Third was a bit harsh in my opinion. Second for Morel was a bit giving, but I'm judging on pics as I wasn't there.
Others who impressed:
-No, his physique isn't pretty, but lets give credit where credit is due. Keith Williams has brought great condition with every show he's been in thus far and he's been killing it since May.
-You'd be hard pressed to find a better shape on that stage than Jeff Beckham. Needs more size and condition. He may be the next one to be a superstar on an IFBB stage.
-Top ten for Rafael Jaramillo after winning his class at USA's is a win. He can build upon this for the future.
-I know this is a mens review, but Shannon Courtney is just all types of awesome! Go forth to Dallas!
-It's good to see Johnathan Rowe, but he has to show more to move up. Lots more. Great shape, but thats only part of the equation.
All in all, great show and I'm eagerly looking towards Dallas. My dark horse........Steve Kuclo. Bet on it!
1: Evan Centopani: Steadily improves his physique with each showing. This was a great show for him to pick as he didn't have to break his body back down by doing the Arnold Classic after doing the Olympia. For as big as he is, he has a pretty tapered waist with no distended stomach. Quads are still filling out a big, but they aren't small by any means. Hamstrings could have a bit more drop to them in his side shots and the chest can come up a bit more as well. Back is a great body part on him, but could still stand to have more mass and knots back there. He's still pretty young in the sport so we are seeing some signs of whats to come in the future.
2: Juan Morel: He was coming off a great NY Pro showing and was training like a hoss getting ready for Tampa to get an Olympia qualification. He kind of underwhelmed here as we've seen better. He was a bit smooth and didn't carry the dryness he had in New York. Fuller quads putting to rest he needs to fill out his lower half more, but I think he may have tried to come in a bit bigger at the expense of conditioning. His frame can carry lots more muscle and look very good. But it has to be conditioned to the max. He's one to watch for and dangerous in lineups. I'd like to see him at the Arnold Classic next year to be honest. I think he can make a lot of noise there, even if people are coming off the Olympia.
3: Essa Obiad: Improved from Chicago. He has a great physique, but I think he loses a little bit in the way he presents it. There are a couple pictures of him relaxing his stomach a bit in his side poses(we must have went to the same posing school). He's also still building a "name" over here in the states. Very rugged physique that can still improve by leaps and bounds. I'd love to see him here in the states with a solid year of training. I really would like to see him in the lineup in Vegas.
4: Mo Bannout: Surprise of the show. Very thickly muscled and came to play. I thought he could have been a bit tighter. Shape not the greatest but made up for it with a good combo of condition and size.
5: Lionel Beyeke: I was expecting more. Thats about all I can say. Pretty smooth all over. I think thats more of a travel issue than anything. France is not exactly walking distance to Florida. With that being said, if he was in top shape, the show would be his. No question about it. He looks like a cartoon character but will be regulated to lower placements if he doesn't get it together. He's in Dennis James hands now, so I think we'll see a big improvement from Florida.
6: Lee Banks: Shouldv'e been top five. He wasn't as sharp as he's been in the past, but he was sharper than Lionel. Hands on hips most muscular is a winner Needs to be tighter from behind in the back and glutes. Front double bicep was top 5 worthy.
I know many think Evan took this away easily, but I really think Essa could have won. Third was a bit harsh in my opinion. Second for Morel was a bit giving, but I'm judging on pics as I wasn't there.
Others who impressed:
-No, his physique isn't pretty, but lets give credit where credit is due. Keith Williams has brought great condition with every show he's been in thus far and he's been killing it since May.
-You'd be hard pressed to find a better shape on that stage than Jeff Beckham. Needs more size and condition. He may be the next one to be a superstar on an IFBB stage.
-Top ten for Rafael Jaramillo after winning his class at USA's is a win. He can build upon this for the future.
-I know this is a mens review, but Shannon Courtney is just all types of awesome! Go forth to Dallas!
-It's good to see Johnathan Rowe, but he has to show more to move up. Lots more. Great shape, but thats only part of the equation.
All in all, great show and I'm eagerly looking towards Dallas. My dark horse........Steve Kuclo. Bet on it!
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Arms and shit...........
Speed CG Press:
Bar/ 30
135/10
185/5
225/ 8x3 (3 sec negative, 30 secs between sets)
Rack lockouts
135/10
185/5
225/5
245/5
CG Dumbbell press
45/15
60/10,10
70/8
Extensions:
75/10
125/6,8
Hit mount biceptius with some curls
Done.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Chest and Shoulders
Bench
185/5
210/5
225/2,2
255/2
270/3x2
Dumbbell Presses(3 grips, 10 sets)
Arnold press
40/20,16,10,12
Neutral grip
40/14,20,15
Prone
15,14
Dips
BW/10,10,10,10
Superset with
Nautilus Laterals
80/10,10,10,10
Lots of work in a small amount of time. I got into the gym and it was 8:45 pm already, so I was working against the clock. I got in the work I needed to and caught a great pump. So I'm happy with it. Tons of running around and no end in sight.
Onward.
Training and the NPC USA.
I've kicked off prep for the NPC Illinois Ironman. It takes place on November 2nd and I'm actually looking forward to showing up conditioned this time. First workout was legs/back and was designed by Jennifer Petrosino. I have liberty to play around with it, but I'm trying to follow things to a T right now. We give each other feedback based on what the mirror is saying as well.
I don't have far down to go, so I'm trying to get in my best shape possible.
Legs/back
Squats:
Bar/10
135/10
185/3
225/8 x 5
On all my sets with 225, there was a 5 second eccentric, one second in the bottom position and a explode on the way up.
Lat Pulldowns:
80/10
120/10
180/5
120/20
Leg press:
3 sets of 10 (4 second eccentric)
Leg extension
3 minute timed set
This was an abbriviated workout as me and a buddy helped out Ben Pakulski (2nd place finalist at the Arnold Classic) out with getting him hooked up with food while he's in town. I'm trying to be a bit better about my time with workouts and what not, but somedays I just get caught. Yesterday was that kind of a day.
It was a good session overall and having more time under tension is something I'm really striving for. I'm also playing around with angles in certain exercises to make sure I'm hitting the muscle the way it should be hit and not just lifting. Although somedays I may get a wild hair and do that, I'm trying to minimize those days. But hell........somedays deadlifts be calling me.
NPC USA
I was going to make one big, blow out post about it, but everyone else has it covered pretty well and I'd only be repeating things everyone has heard. I will say that Max Charles was a deserving winner. He still has work to do to become a big time pro, but I say he should test his mettle in Tampa. It's not far off, he has time to come in a bit tighter and see where he stands. Golden opportunity in my eyes.
Heavyweights were called correctly. Rafael Jamarillo (sp) has never really not come in shape. He was always shredded, but lacked a bit of that "umph" to push him in the pro card circle. Cant really say that now. Matt Burzacott did himself justice. Very flowing physique and did right by going back to work in the gym to make a name for himself. Another year and he may take the class.
Kevin Ofurum was a deserving winner in the light heavys. He could've been a tad drier, but no one was really dry (I blame the vegas heat). Caleb Blanchard moved up a few spots from 5th to 2nd and has a pretty good back double biceps. Joseph Hubbard was in the mix with some good conditioning although he appeared a bit flattish in the upper body. Thomas Linihan has the potential to leapfrog everyone and take this class. I think he had the best structure out of the lineup. He must be tighter though to make that a reality.
The middleweights were a bit smooth for my liking which is uncharacteristic of middles in pro qualifiers. Breon Ansley looked good, but needs more work to make himself noticibale in a 212 show. The second(Chuck Williams) and third place(Robert Whichman) looked fine, but could've came down more. All the aforementioned gentlemen need to take their conditioning to another level, especially Ansley since he's a pro now, to move up the ranks. Good thing is that it's not impossible
Pretty much the same thing for the welters. Delcampo, Hester (a blast for the past), Aman, Vengas and San Juan have work to do. I will say that San Juan could've been moved up a spot if he was fuller at prejudging. If he filled out, he may have been as high as 2nd or 3rd. But he showed a degree of hardness the other guys, DelCampo included, didn't show.
Derek Leverant has to have the best pair of legs I've seen on a lightweight. Back double bicep is impressive as well. Luis Moreno has a great structure, but just came in pretty smooth for a show of that caliber. He can do Nationals and possibly take that class however. Martae Ruelas could take Nationals as well. Everything is there, he just needs to come in grainy hard.
Richie Langit and Eric Yamashita in the bantams didn't even push the envelope in the bantams as far as conditioning. That is very unusual as they usually show some pretty sick conditioning.
If I sound like I'm repeating myself a bit with "conditioning, conditioning, conditioning"......I am. What was showed in all class winners and top five guys, won't cut it on a pro stage. Things become doubly hard when you have "IFBB" attached to your name.
Thats all I have for now. Chest and shoulders tonight.
Later
I don't have far down to go, so I'm trying to get in my best shape possible.
Legs/back
Squats:
Bar/10
135/10
185/3
225/8 x 5
On all my sets with 225, there was a 5 second eccentric, one second in the bottom position and a explode on the way up.
Lat Pulldowns:
80/10
120/10
180/5
120/20
Leg press:
3 sets of 10 (4 second eccentric)
Leg extension
3 minute timed set
This was an abbriviated workout as me and a buddy helped out Ben Pakulski (2nd place finalist at the Arnold Classic) out with getting him hooked up with food while he's in town. I'm trying to be a bit better about my time with workouts and what not, but somedays I just get caught. Yesterday was that kind of a day.
It was a good session overall and having more time under tension is something I'm really striving for. I'm also playing around with angles in certain exercises to make sure I'm hitting the muscle the way it should be hit and not just lifting. Although somedays I may get a wild hair and do that, I'm trying to minimize those days. But hell........somedays deadlifts be calling me.
NPC USA
I was going to make one big, blow out post about it, but everyone else has it covered pretty well and I'd only be repeating things everyone has heard. I will say that Max Charles was a deserving winner. He still has work to do to become a big time pro, but I say he should test his mettle in Tampa. It's not far off, he has time to come in a bit tighter and see where he stands. Golden opportunity in my eyes.
Heavyweights were called correctly. Rafael Jamarillo (sp) has never really not come in shape. He was always shredded, but lacked a bit of that "umph" to push him in the pro card circle. Cant really say that now. Matt Burzacott did himself justice. Very flowing physique and did right by going back to work in the gym to make a name for himself. Another year and he may take the class.
Kevin Ofurum was a deserving winner in the light heavys. He could've been a tad drier, but no one was really dry (I blame the vegas heat). Caleb Blanchard moved up a few spots from 5th to 2nd and has a pretty good back double biceps. Joseph Hubbard was in the mix with some good conditioning although he appeared a bit flattish in the upper body. Thomas Linihan has the potential to leapfrog everyone and take this class. I think he had the best structure out of the lineup. He must be tighter though to make that a reality.
The middleweights were a bit smooth for my liking which is uncharacteristic of middles in pro qualifiers. Breon Ansley looked good, but needs more work to make himself noticibale in a 212 show. The second(Chuck Williams) and third place(Robert Whichman) looked fine, but could've came down more. All the aforementioned gentlemen need to take their conditioning to another level, especially Ansley since he's a pro now, to move up the ranks. Good thing is that it's not impossible
Pretty much the same thing for the welters. Delcampo, Hester (a blast for the past), Aman, Vengas and San Juan have work to do. I will say that San Juan could've been moved up a spot if he was fuller at prejudging. If he filled out, he may have been as high as 2nd or 3rd. But he showed a degree of hardness the other guys, DelCampo included, didn't show.
Derek Leverant has to have the best pair of legs I've seen on a lightweight. Back double bicep is impressive as well. Luis Moreno has a great structure, but just came in pretty smooth for a show of that caliber. He can do Nationals and possibly take that class however. Martae Ruelas could take Nationals as well. Everything is there, he just needs to come in grainy hard.
Richie Langit and Eric Yamashita in the bantams didn't even push the envelope in the bantams as far as conditioning. That is very unusual as they usually show some pretty sick conditioning.
If I sound like I'm repeating myself a bit with "conditioning, conditioning, conditioning"......I am. What was showed in all class winners and top five guys, won't cut it on a pro stage. Things become doubly hard when you have "IFBB" attached to your name.
Thats all I have for now. Chest and shoulders tonight.
Later
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
The Road Back Part 2: Methods
When we set out on a quest we usually have some sort of map to guide us along the way. The map can be based on some template we've seen or done in the past, it could be based on another competitors plan, or it our map can be various aspects of dieting and training philosophies, strung together, to create something we think will work perfectly.
Going back to competitive bodybuilding, I was in a predicament. I didn't want to lose a lot of strength I worked real hard to attain. I'm not a freak that can move six plates on the squat for reps or bench over 400 like it's paper. I'm more of a "struggle to get brute strength" type guy. So while I know bodybuilding has never been about developing strength as a skill (yes, strength development is a skill) it's still an important one to have. You can't be weak and big. Everyone that stood up on that stage in the pro division for bodybuilding slung some fucking weight around in preparation for the show. You can best believe it that as gospel. Heavy lifts combined with rep work give you that dense thick muscle you can't, or at least shouldn't lose .
Programming:
Since this was my first time back onstage in awhile, and I wanted to experiment a bit because the "conventional" way of training didn't appeal to me, I talked to Team EFS athlete Jennifer Petrosino about what I wanted to do. I agreed to let her program me for this show, but I made no bones I would take liberty with the program. So the days were set up like this
Legs/Back
Chest/Shoulders
Glutes/Hams
Tricep/Bicep
Calves/ Rear delts
Without getting into much detail, I pretty much followed the program. Some changes were made here and there, but overall, the program was followed. Lots of tempo based movements, along with some eccentrics and timed sets. The goal was to grow into the show a bit as well, so even though I was dieting and doing an upwards of two hours of cardio a day, I think I added a couple pounds. Or I at least think I did.
I also wanted to stay strong for the majority of my prep. That way, I didn't lose much size.
Cardio and a quick word on gym performance:
Like I said before, I went on the "King Kamali" special which was an upward of two hours of cardio a day. This can prove to be a recipe for disater, but with what I had to work with, I thought to myself, why not? So me and the Stepmill became best friends forever. From the Monday after USPF Nationals, all the way to the end, it was only a couple of times I couldn't work up the gumption to do it. During the last three weeks of prep, I would be on the stepper twice a day for 45 minutes. I tried to peel the fat off as much as I could, and it worked to a point, but I didn't want to overstep (no pun intened) what the purpose of cardio was. I also wanted to use more energy for my gym sessions. To showcase a phenomenal physique, you have to be able to perform in the gym. If you don't have optimal gym performance, then you're setting yourself up for failure. Optimal performance is different for everyone. I like to use Paul Carter's philosophy of +10/-10 for gauging workouts. Look for it on his blog Lift-run-bang.com
Diet:
I pissed in the wind in regards to this one. I just kept the protein high, kept carbs low, had some refeeds and kept going. Nothing scientific. It did get to a point where I wasn't eating enough and I had to increase portions. Made the adjustments and got tighter. Wasn't a wise thing to do. At all. But that will be fixed moving forward
Just some of the things I did leading up to the show. Nothing fancy............and some stuff, just not even optimal.
Going back to competitive bodybuilding, I was in a predicament. I didn't want to lose a lot of strength I worked real hard to attain. I'm not a freak that can move six plates on the squat for reps or bench over 400 like it's paper. I'm more of a "struggle to get brute strength" type guy. So while I know bodybuilding has never been about developing strength as a skill (yes, strength development is a skill) it's still an important one to have. You can't be weak and big. Everyone that stood up on that stage in the pro division for bodybuilding slung some fucking weight around in preparation for the show. You can best believe it that as gospel. Heavy lifts combined with rep work give you that dense thick muscle you can't, or at least shouldn't lose .
Programming:
Since this was my first time back onstage in awhile, and I wanted to experiment a bit because the "conventional" way of training didn't appeal to me, I talked to Team EFS athlete Jennifer Petrosino about what I wanted to do. I agreed to let her program me for this show, but I made no bones I would take liberty with the program. So the days were set up like this
Legs/Back
Chest/Shoulders
Glutes/Hams
Tricep/Bicep
Calves/ Rear delts
Without getting into much detail, I pretty much followed the program. Some changes were made here and there, but overall, the program was followed. Lots of tempo based movements, along with some eccentrics and timed sets. The goal was to grow into the show a bit as well, so even though I was dieting and doing an upwards of two hours of cardio a day, I think I added a couple pounds. Or I at least think I did.
I also wanted to stay strong for the majority of my prep. That way, I didn't lose much size.
Cardio and a quick word on gym performance:
Like I said before, I went on the "King Kamali" special which was an upward of two hours of cardio a day. This can prove to be a recipe for disater, but with what I had to work with, I thought to myself, why not? So me and the Stepmill became best friends forever. From the Monday after USPF Nationals, all the way to the end, it was only a couple of times I couldn't work up the gumption to do it. During the last three weeks of prep, I would be on the stepper twice a day for 45 minutes. I tried to peel the fat off as much as I could, and it worked to a point, but I didn't want to overstep (no pun intened) what the purpose of cardio was. I also wanted to use more energy for my gym sessions. To showcase a phenomenal physique, you have to be able to perform in the gym. If you don't have optimal gym performance, then you're setting yourself up for failure. Optimal performance is different for everyone. I like to use Paul Carter's philosophy of +10/-10 for gauging workouts. Look for it on his blog Lift-run-bang.com
Diet:
I pissed in the wind in regards to this one. I just kept the protein high, kept carbs low, had some refeeds and kept going. Nothing scientific. It did get to a point where I wasn't eating enough and I had to increase portions. Made the adjustments and got tighter. Wasn't a wise thing to do. At all. But that will be fixed moving forward
Just some of the things I did leading up to the show. Nothing fancy............and some stuff, just not even optimal.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Back to my roots: Part 1
When I began to gear up for USPF Nationals earlier I went in with only that meet in mind (ok, so maybe I was going to do a USAPL meet too, but I quickly came to my senses). I wanted to have a great day on the platform and redeem myself from a shitty showing I had a couple years ago.
But something happened along the way. I began getting the bodybuilding bug again. But why? Well, lets rewind about a year ago..........
July 2012
I was sitting in the press pit at the inaugural Wings of Strength and NPC Tim Gardner Chicago Extravaganza in Rosemont, IL. Helping cover the show provided me the opportunity to not only talk to pro's but some amateurs as well. At this point I was working for Flex Magazine for a couple months and was just soaking in the atmosphere of watching various shows and filming workouts of other competitive bodybuilders, women/men's physique competitors and figure girls. As I was sitting down in the press pit, I was thinking to myself of how cool it would be to participate in a pro/am show. Standing on the same stage that the pro's would use. But that thought quickly went away when I thought of the work involved
"Man.....lots of cardio? No Chipotle? No PIZZA?!?!?! I'm good dawg........"
So the beat went on. Just heavy training and being pretty liberal with my eating.
Mr. Olympia 2012
I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Mr. Olympia as part of Flex Magazine (or swole up water-boy, whichever you prefer) and once again was provided a unique aspect to see the pinnacle of the sport. I saw how athletes approached the biggest show of the year. I once again thought to myself of how cool it would be to get a warmup suit, be briefed on how the show will go and pump up backstage before showing my wares off to a crazy audience. But once again, I was afraid of taking the first step of competing in an NPC local show........
"Bro, your'e broke, you have a lot of fat to lose and you have to give up what little social life you have. Sit the fuck down!"
Larry's best supporter is Larry, right? So I listened. And stayed sitting the fuck down.
March 2013
I started prep for Nationals around this time, give or take a few weeks, and was getting stronger. I was feeling good and decided to start doing some fasted cardio to bring my weight down a bit. Well, one morning per week turned to two, two mornings per week turned to three and three turned to five. I'm not sure why it happened but then the thought popped in my mind....
"Larry, your last show was 2005. How long are you going to wait for the prefect situation? Just do it. Your'e going to be broke either way this summer, you may as well accomplish something you've been wanting to do." And with a little nudging from my friends Marisa Inda and Troy Smith, I started cleaning up my diet for a run at the NPC Tim Gardner Extravaganza held that July. There was one issue though. USPF Nationals was the first weekend of May. The show was scheduled for July 6th (which currently is next week) and if we do math, that leaves me with about 8 eight weeks to basically pull a rabbit out of my ass. So now, here come negative Larry again.
"Thats a lot of work. You have to be super focused and can you do it?"
It happened to be a chance conversation with a classmate of mine at UNL named Paige that made me think a bit about doing the show. She also sent me a rather encouraging Facebook message telling me to go for it, because she saw what I posted and that my heart was still in the sport.
I also remembered a conversation I had last year with someone who was preparing for a show. What was said triggered something in me a bit and I'll never forget it. I normally don't let a whole lot of things rattle me, but this did. I'm paraphrasing as the convo took place more than a year ago........
"You can't do both. You have to be big and fat for powerlifting."
Oh really? Lets see about that hypothesis. Game the fuck on.
I cleaned up my diet and kept doing fasted cardio. I kept telling myself to not go overboard because my main focus was the meet. Once that was over, I could drop the hammer and go full bore into contest prep. I didn't care about how much it was going to suck. I didn't care about how much money it would cost. I didn't care I wouldn't be able to eat my favorite foods the first half of summer. All that mattered was standing up on that stage knowing I gave my all...........but lets rewind to the Nationals.
May 2013
With my programming done by the crazy Jennifer Petrosino of Elitefts.com, I felt at my all time best. I did a weight cut to 220 and went in to set some records.
That didn't work out too well, as evidenced by my performance in the video.
I bombed............I cried.........I had to show my face at the NPC IL State as a semi fat powerlifter who is trying to be a bodybuilder. Not only that, I had to explain to people what bombing out meant. You live, you learn, you move forward.
So with the meet over, I rested and ate up on Sunday and began my prep on Monday for the show. So basically everything was switched up and my program had more tempo based training, heavy eccentric and timed sets. All of which made a difference. Sometimes I took the liberty of changing things based on the day and how I felt, sometimes I didn't. But the best part about the program Jenn put together is I stayed pretty strong throughout. I was still able to squat 500 in knee sleeves (high-bar so I was pretty much all quads)
My cardio consisted of what I like to call the "King Kamali special" which was two hours a day, 6 days a week. Optimal? Absolutely not, but very "cleansing" to me. So I kept doing it. Add that with the training I was doing and you get the pics below of where I started doing prep at, as compared to now
The pic on the left was the Monday after Nats, the pic on the right was Monday morning before cardio. Perfect? No. 100 percent in shape? No.......but that wasn't the goal. What I wanted to accomplish and how I went about will be explained in the next installment. Until then, I have to fuck this stepmill up.
But something happened along the way. I began getting the bodybuilding bug again. But why? Well, lets rewind about a year ago..........
July 2012
I was sitting in the press pit at the inaugural Wings of Strength and NPC Tim Gardner Chicago Extravaganza in Rosemont, IL. Helping cover the show provided me the opportunity to not only talk to pro's but some amateurs as well. At this point I was working for Flex Magazine for a couple months and was just soaking in the atmosphere of watching various shows and filming workouts of other competitive bodybuilders, women/men's physique competitors and figure girls. As I was sitting down in the press pit, I was thinking to myself of how cool it would be to participate in a pro/am show. Standing on the same stage that the pro's would use. But that thought quickly went away when I thought of the work involved
"Man.....lots of cardio? No Chipotle? No PIZZA?!?!?! I'm good dawg........"
So the beat went on. Just heavy training and being pretty liberal with my eating.
Mr. Olympia 2012
I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Mr. Olympia as part of Flex Magazine (or swole up water-boy, whichever you prefer) and once again was provided a unique aspect to see the pinnacle of the sport. I saw how athletes approached the biggest show of the year. I once again thought to myself of how cool it would be to get a warmup suit, be briefed on how the show will go and pump up backstage before showing my wares off to a crazy audience. But once again, I was afraid of taking the first step of competing in an NPC local show........
"Bro, your'e broke, you have a lot of fat to lose and you have to give up what little social life you have. Sit the fuck down!"
Larry's best supporter is Larry, right? So I listened. And stayed sitting the fuck down.
March 2013
I started prep for Nationals around this time, give or take a few weeks, and was getting stronger. I was feeling good and decided to start doing some fasted cardio to bring my weight down a bit. Well, one morning per week turned to two, two mornings per week turned to three and three turned to five. I'm not sure why it happened but then the thought popped in my mind....
"Larry, your last show was 2005. How long are you going to wait for the prefect situation? Just do it. Your'e going to be broke either way this summer, you may as well accomplish something you've been wanting to do." And with a little nudging from my friends Marisa Inda and Troy Smith, I started cleaning up my diet for a run at the NPC Tim Gardner Extravaganza held that July. There was one issue though. USPF Nationals was the first weekend of May. The show was scheduled for July 6th (which currently is next week) and if we do math, that leaves me with about 8 eight weeks to basically pull a rabbit out of my ass. So now, here come negative Larry again.
"Thats a lot of work. You have to be super focused and can you do it?"
It happened to be a chance conversation with a classmate of mine at UNL named Paige that made me think a bit about doing the show. She also sent me a rather encouraging Facebook message telling me to go for it, because she saw what I posted and that my heart was still in the sport.
I also remembered a conversation I had last year with someone who was preparing for a show. What was said triggered something in me a bit and I'll never forget it. I normally don't let a whole lot of things rattle me, but this did. I'm paraphrasing as the convo took place more than a year ago........
"You can't do both. You have to be big and fat for powerlifting."
Oh really? Lets see about that hypothesis. Game the fuck on.
I cleaned up my diet and kept doing fasted cardio. I kept telling myself to not go overboard because my main focus was the meet. Once that was over, I could drop the hammer and go full bore into contest prep. I didn't care about how much it was going to suck. I didn't care about how much money it would cost. I didn't care I wouldn't be able to eat my favorite foods the first half of summer. All that mattered was standing up on that stage knowing I gave my all...........but lets rewind to the Nationals.
May 2013
With my programming done by the crazy Jennifer Petrosino of Elitefts.com, I felt at my all time best. I did a weight cut to 220 and went in to set some records.
That didn't work out too well, as evidenced by my performance in the video.
I bombed............I cried.........I had to show my face at the NPC IL State as a semi fat powerlifter who is trying to be a bodybuilder. Not only that, I had to explain to people what bombing out meant. You live, you learn, you move forward.
So with the meet over, I rested and ate up on Sunday and began my prep on Monday for the show. So basically everything was switched up and my program had more tempo based training, heavy eccentric and timed sets. All of which made a difference. Sometimes I took the liberty of changing things based on the day and how I felt, sometimes I didn't. But the best part about the program Jenn put together is I stayed pretty strong throughout. I was still able to squat 500 in knee sleeves (high-bar so I was pretty much all quads)
My cardio consisted of what I like to call the "King Kamali special" which was two hours a day, 6 days a week. Optimal? Absolutely not, but very "cleansing" to me. So I kept doing it. Add that with the training I was doing and you get the pics below of where I started doing prep at, as compared to now
The pic on the left was the Monday after Nats, the pic on the right was Monday morning before cardio. Perfect? No. 100 percent in shape? No.......but that wasn't the goal. What I wanted to accomplish and how I went about will be explained in the next installment. Until then, I have to fuck this stepmill up.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Training and stuffs
I'm sorry for the lack of updates on my prep. I havent turned on my computer since the last blog post and to be honest, I'm not sorry about it. I've just been focused on the task at hand and making sure I come in the best possible shape. On top of that, I just havent had a whole lot to say. I will strike on some things I'm doing right now.
- Volume has been pushed up. I'm keeping a running tab of how many reps I'm doing and I'm trying to beat that number each workout. I realize though as the rep count gets higher, the more exercises or sets I'l have to do. Thats fine by me. I'd rather lift more and do the same amount of cardio.
- Speaking of cardio, make no mistakes about it, I'm still doing it. Just not a shit ton like I did back in my 20's. Lets just say my knowledge base has increased a bit and tons of the shit is not needed.
- Switched my protein sources around and I'm eating chicken and tilapia quite a bit more. Salmon and grass fed beef is still in there. Usually in the morning due to the fat content kinda helping me get through the day. And well I also like beef in the morning. So there.
- Supps are Aminolast, Glycofuse, Vasotropin and Detonate by Gaspari, EVP by Evogen, Cell Dynamic and casein hydroslate by Truenutrition.com Each one serves a purpose. I'm still trying to "volumize" and use the "pump enhancers" to help do that along with the volume training. If they don't work, hell, pacebo effect is a motherfucker. Straight broscience, I know.
- Mindset is improving each day. I take each day as it comes and don't too much worry about tomorrow. For those that don't know, I take a slight detour to get to the gym now. But it honestly saves me about ten minutes off my commute. So no biggie.
- Lastly me and a good friend are collaborating on dialing my training in more. We have been speaking about incorporating time under tension (TUT), eccentrics(negatives) and other things. Yes I'm sweating, yes I'm moving a lot of iron, but I'm not afraid to experiment. I'm in this thing to learn as well. Expect more on that in bigger post in the future. Hell, maybe even an article.
Thats it for right now. Things are moving forward and I'm feeling good overall. Onward.
- Volume has been pushed up. I'm keeping a running tab of how many reps I'm doing and I'm trying to beat that number each workout. I realize though as the rep count gets higher, the more exercises or sets I'l have to do. Thats fine by me. I'd rather lift more and do the same amount of cardio.
- Speaking of cardio, make no mistakes about it, I'm still doing it. Just not a shit ton like I did back in my 20's. Lets just say my knowledge base has increased a bit and tons of the shit is not needed.
- Switched my protein sources around and I'm eating chicken and tilapia quite a bit more. Salmon and grass fed beef is still in there. Usually in the morning due to the fat content kinda helping me get through the day. And well I also like beef in the morning. So there.
- Supps are Aminolast, Glycofuse, Vasotropin and Detonate by Gaspari, EVP by Evogen, Cell Dynamic and casein hydroslate by Truenutrition.com Each one serves a purpose. I'm still trying to "volumize" and use the "pump enhancers" to help do that along with the volume training. If they don't work, hell, pacebo effect is a motherfucker. Straight broscience, I know.
- Mindset is improving each day. I take each day as it comes and don't too much worry about tomorrow. For those that don't know, I take a slight detour to get to the gym now. But it honestly saves me about ten minutes off my commute. So no biggie.
- Lastly me and a good friend are collaborating on dialing my training in more. We have been speaking about incorporating time under tension (TUT), eccentrics(negatives) and other things. Yes I'm sweating, yes I'm moving a lot of iron, but I'm not afraid to experiment. I'm in this thing to learn as well. Expect more on that in bigger post in the future. Hell, maybe even an article.
Thats it for right now. Things are moving forward and I'm feeling good overall. Onward.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Training and the New Challenge
Monday: Back
Lat Pulldowns:
80/20
120/15
150/15
180/10
Trap Bar Rows:
135/10
185/10
225/10,10
One Arm Rows:
105/10,10,10
T-Bar Rows:
140/10
175/10,10
Seated Rows:
135/10
165/12
195/10
FST-7 Lat Pulldown
Tuesday: Chest till I couldn't chest no more.
First couple of days of bodybuilding style training for my prep is officially in the books. Feeling pretty good overall even with increased cardio. As you can see, I've pushed up the volume pretty good and I'm really feeling that DEEP muscle soreness. I have to admit, I totally forgot how much of an all consuming effort contest prep really is (in addition to being pricey). I wake up and basically go from one side of town to the other and put my cardio time in. Roll back home and i'm only there for a couple hours. Enough time to cook and take a nap. Get up, go back and train. Go home and by that time it's almost 10:30 or 11 and it begins early in the morning again.
This schedule will soon have summer classes injected into it and I'll account for that later, but right now, this is how it's going down. I'm not super strong on reps right now. At least not in the 10-12 range, which is what I'm trying to do. My main thing is bringing my waist in and showing up in good condition to be competitive. I'm doing what I can and the judges will do the rest. I have a picture of how I want to look and I'm pushing for that look.
My diet hasn't been painful yet. I have switched to fish and chicken and reduced my red meat consumption a bit. Carbs are low but they fluctuate based on what I'm training. I hit legs tomorrow with a buddy, so I will take in some to get through the workout.
I'm going to write a New York Pro assessment but only AFTER the competitor list comes out and I will have it here. I may submit it, but I'm not sure.
Time To smash legs. Keep banging
Lat Pulldowns:
80/20
120/15
150/15
180/10
Trap Bar Rows:
135/10
185/10
225/10,10
One Arm Rows:
105/10,10,10
T-Bar Rows:
140/10
175/10,10
Seated Rows:
135/10
165/12
195/10
FST-7 Lat Pulldown
Tuesday: Chest till I couldn't chest no more.
First couple of days of bodybuilding style training for my prep is officially in the books. Feeling pretty good overall even with increased cardio. As you can see, I've pushed up the volume pretty good and I'm really feeling that DEEP muscle soreness. I have to admit, I totally forgot how much of an all consuming effort contest prep really is (in addition to being pricey). I wake up and basically go from one side of town to the other and put my cardio time in. Roll back home and i'm only there for a couple hours. Enough time to cook and take a nap. Get up, go back and train. Go home and by that time it's almost 10:30 or 11 and it begins early in the morning again.
This schedule will soon have summer classes injected into it and I'll account for that later, but right now, this is how it's going down. I'm not super strong on reps right now. At least not in the 10-12 range, which is what I'm trying to do. My main thing is bringing my waist in and showing up in good condition to be competitive. I'm doing what I can and the judges will do the rest. I have a picture of how I want to look and I'm pushing for that look.
My diet hasn't been painful yet. I have switched to fish and chicken and reduced my red meat consumption a bit. Carbs are low but they fluctuate based on what I'm training. I hit legs tomorrow with a buddy, so I will take in some to get through the workout.
I'm going to write a New York Pro assessment but only AFTER the competitor list comes out and I will have it here. I may submit it, but I'm not sure.
Time To smash legs. Keep banging
Monday, May 13, 2013
USPF Nationals and my next step
Well Nationals has come and gone. Been preparing for it for quite awhile and was elated to get it on in Rosemont with a lot of other great lifters.
Unfortunately that was not meant to be, at least not totally. For those of you that follow me on social media, you know I did a cut to be in the 220 lb class. It was more of an inadvertent cut. I was doing cardio and eating more controlled because during my prep I put on a few pounds and was close to 250. Not sloppy or anything, but definitely didn't want to be fighting to stay in the 242's which was supposed to be the original class I was staying in. Fast forward to last Monday, I decided to cut to 220 since I was on nine pounds off. Drank a couple gallons of distilled water on Tuesday and Wednesday along with not eating on Thursday for a Friday Morning weigh in. I hit 219.8 and began my Pedialyte and creatine ingestion. Ran into Paul Carter and had breakfast with him and his wonderful family and basically chilled and ate carbs and other yummy things the rest of the day.
I felt good Friday night and slept great. Woke up on Saturday and had some leftover pizza from last night and was ready to rumble. Warmed up for squat with some mobility and felt fine.Warmups in the warmup area went well. I knew my opener was light, so that wasn't an issue. Got to the platform for 501 and it went smooth. Needed to speed it up a little, but the strength was there. Went to 539 and nailed it 2-1. Took an american record attempt of 566 and got stapled at the bottom. I had NO reversal power out of the hole with it.
After missing the squat attempt, I was happy with a PR of 539 at 220 lbs. With that I went and got a BLT and some chips to bloat up a bit more for the bench. The sammich was good, chips were great and the warmups went great as well. Best I felt in weeks and was opening with 369 lbs. I hit 365 and above in training numerous times.
Opening attempt: No good
Second attempt: No good
Third Attempt: No good.
Triceps couldn't finish, wasn't tight enough, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line. I bombed the fuck out and I'm pissed. There are a myriad of things I'm fixing going forward but as of right now that will be on the back burner. There is no blame except my own.
No time for pity parties. No time for woe is me. That shit is over.
I do have some notes about the meet overall though:
-The USPF is a legit fed in my eyes and I won't argue this with anyone. It's rebuilding and a long term goal of mine is to bring it to Nebraska if I kick my career of there.
-Lance Karabel gives a lot to the sport in the Chicago area. Solid guy all around!
-Scott Smith and Chris Papillion are beasts. The size of Scott Smith's legs can rival any in shape pro bodybuilders.
-Having a legend like Ed Coan tell you what your faults are is very humbling. But for him to take time out and talk to you and give advice is golden. His words have been heeded.
-Brandon Lilly is a big dude. I didn't go to his seminar yesterday but I will be going to the Juggernaut Seminar at Chicago Crossfit in june.
-Paul Carter is a big ass dude. But someone who knows training and how to pick smart attempts. I know he will be at Worlds. Cant wait to lift with him again. His daughter, Hannah Carter is getting strong at 14 years old and setting American Records
-Ellen Stein is over 60 and squatting over 300 lbs with textbook form. Your age and excuse for why you cant perform at an age is invalid. Quit putting pressure on a number and do some epic fucking work.
-It was good to catch up with people I don't normally see more than once a year. Guys from Michigan and over the Chicagoland area.
Went to a bodybuilding show that night, the Illinois State Bodybuilding Championships and saw some good people! Kevin Jordan, Tommy Busch, Jerome Cheatham, Eric Posejpal and others. Which now leads me to something......
I'll be on the stepmill by the time most of you read this today, and my skinny ass will be getting ready for the NPC Tim Gardner Chicago Extravaganza. I'm going to tell you is I'm doing this for me. I havent been onstage in 7 years and I want to see if I am still halfway decent. No, I'm not having my prep done by anybody. Why? Because I feel (and it's my personal opinion) you should be able to do some stuff on your own. Yes, I will consult with some people, but I like having the drivers seat. Back to work, because no one will do it for me.
Here are some pics from last Monday before I started my weight cut for Nationals. I was 229 before cardio. Funny. I know
This last eight weeks may be a self imposed version of Hell and I'm sure these will circulate around the interwebz.
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Sexy back? Or sexy Fat?
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IT'S STILL MY MUTHAFUCKIN SET!!
Unfortunately that was not meant to be, at least not totally. For those of you that follow me on social media, you know I did a cut to be in the 220 lb class. It was more of an inadvertent cut. I was doing cardio and eating more controlled because during my prep I put on a few pounds and was close to 250. Not sloppy or anything, but definitely didn't want to be fighting to stay in the 242's which was supposed to be the original class I was staying in. Fast forward to last Monday, I decided to cut to 220 since I was on nine pounds off. Drank a couple gallons of distilled water on Tuesday and Wednesday along with not eating on Thursday for a Friday Morning weigh in. I hit 219.8 and began my Pedialyte and creatine ingestion. Ran into Paul Carter and had breakfast with him and his wonderful family and basically chilled and ate carbs and other yummy things the rest of the day.
I felt good Friday night and slept great. Woke up on Saturday and had some leftover pizza from last night and was ready to rumble. Warmed up for squat with some mobility and felt fine.Warmups in the warmup area went well. I knew my opener was light, so that wasn't an issue. Got to the platform for 501 and it went smooth. Needed to speed it up a little, but the strength was there. Went to 539 and nailed it 2-1. Took an american record attempt of 566 and got stapled at the bottom. I had NO reversal power out of the hole with it.
After missing the squat attempt, I was happy with a PR of 539 at 220 lbs. With that I went and got a BLT and some chips to bloat up a bit more for the bench. The sammich was good, chips were great and the warmups went great as well. Best I felt in weeks and was opening with 369 lbs. I hit 365 and above in training numerous times.
Opening attempt: No good
Second attempt: No good
Third Attempt: No good.
Triceps couldn't finish, wasn't tight enough, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line. I bombed the fuck out and I'm pissed. There are a myriad of things I'm fixing going forward but as of right now that will be on the back burner. There is no blame except my own.
No time for pity parties. No time for woe is me. That shit is over.
I do have some notes about the meet overall though:
-The USPF is a legit fed in my eyes and I won't argue this with anyone. It's rebuilding and a long term goal of mine is to bring it to Nebraska if I kick my career of there.
-Lance Karabel gives a lot to the sport in the Chicago area. Solid guy all around!
-Scott Smith and Chris Papillion are beasts. The size of Scott Smith's legs can rival any in shape pro bodybuilders.
-Having a legend like Ed Coan tell you what your faults are is very humbling. But for him to take time out and talk to you and give advice is golden. His words have been heeded.
-Brandon Lilly is a big dude. I didn't go to his seminar yesterday but I will be going to the Juggernaut Seminar at Chicago Crossfit in june.
-Paul Carter is a big ass dude. But someone who knows training and how to pick smart attempts. I know he will be at Worlds. Cant wait to lift with him again. His daughter, Hannah Carter is getting strong at 14 years old and setting American Records
-Ellen Stein is over 60 and squatting over 300 lbs with textbook form. Your age and excuse for why you cant perform at an age is invalid. Quit putting pressure on a number and do some epic fucking work.
-It was good to catch up with people I don't normally see more than once a year. Guys from Michigan and over the Chicagoland area.
Went to a bodybuilding show that night, the Illinois State Bodybuilding Championships and saw some good people! Kevin Jordan, Tommy Busch, Jerome Cheatham, Eric Posejpal and others. Which now leads me to something......
I'll be on the stepmill by the time most of you read this today, and my skinny ass will be getting ready for the NPC Tim Gardner Chicago Extravaganza. I'm going to tell you is I'm doing this for me. I havent been onstage in 7 years and I want to see if I am still halfway decent. No, I'm not having my prep done by anybody. Why? Because I feel (and it's my personal opinion) you should be able to do some stuff on your own. Yes, I will consult with some people, but I like having the drivers seat. Back to work, because no one will do it for me.
Here are some pics from last Monday before I started my weight cut for Nationals. I was 229 before cardio. Funny. I know
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IT'S STILL MY MUTHAFUCKIN SET!!
Friday, April 26, 2013
DE Bench
Bench:
185/ 5 sets of fast and furious
Assistance work:
Stuff to get pumped up with and move blood around. Seriously though, assistance work doesn't matter at this point. Get in and get out.
I'm glad my workouts are short because finals hurt......big time hurt.
Everything moved well for this session. I see me and blue heat will be friends because my arms still ache a bit while pressing. Be glad for meet week gets here. I'm getting antsy a bit.
185/ 5 sets of fast and furious
Assistance work:
Stuff to get pumped up with and move blood around. Seriously though, assistance work doesn't matter at this point. Get in and get out.
I'm glad my workouts are short because finals hurt......big time hurt.
Everything moved well for this session. I see me and blue heat will be friends because my arms still ache a bit while pressing. Be glad for meet week gets here. I'm getting antsy a bit.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Wednesday Training- Speed squats
Squats
260/5 sets of 2
Speed Deads
430/6 sets of 1
Banded good mornings/ 100 (spread out over 2 sets of 50)
I really, really, REALLY did not want to train last night. Gym closes at midnight, I packed my bag and left to train at about 10 pm. With finals, projects and makeup homework, I was not a happy camper. Add to that my carbs are pretty low right now and you have one lazy sumbitch.
The workout went smooth and stuff felt fast. I wasn't focusing on lots of bar speed (or bar rape as Paul Carter likes to say), but to reinforce technique. Mine always needs tweaking, so it's good to get these days in.
Weight is about 235 right now. I was asked if I was a powerlifter in the rec by a guy who is pretty strong and was told " Damn, you're lean for powerlifter". So I guess I'm doing something right on the diet and cardio side.
Moving forward.
260/5 sets of 2
Speed Deads
430/6 sets of 1
Banded good mornings/ 100 (spread out over 2 sets of 50)
I really, really, REALLY did not want to train last night. Gym closes at midnight, I packed my bag and left to train at about 10 pm. With finals, projects and makeup homework, I was not a happy camper. Add to that my carbs are pretty low right now and you have one lazy sumbitch.
The workout went smooth and stuff felt fast. I wasn't focusing on lots of bar speed (or bar rape as Paul Carter likes to say), but to reinforce technique. Mine always needs tweaking, so it's good to get these days in.
Weight is about 235 right now. I was asked if I was a powerlifter in the rec by a guy who is pretty strong and was told " Damn, you're lean for powerlifter". So I guess I'm doing something right on the diet and cardio side.
Moving forward.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Monday Bench and a couple things
Bench: Worked up to a single of 380 (will be 2nd attempt at the meet)
Pulldowns: 2 sets of 10
Pressdowns: 2 sets of 20
Seated Rows: 2 sets of 10
My nutrition has not been as optimal as it could be. I did some tracking for the past couple days and found out I'm simply not eating enough to facilitate proper recovery. Going to start pushing the protein more (increasing portion size) and continue to have my carb meals around my workouts. I can be doing more at the table for the meet than what I am.
Pulldowns: 2 sets of 10
Pressdowns: 2 sets of 20
Seated Rows: 2 sets of 10
My nutrition has not been as optimal as it could be. I did some tracking for the past couple days and found out I'm simply not eating enough to facilitate proper recovery. Going to start pushing the protein more (increasing portion size) and continue to have my carb meals around my workouts. I can be doing more at the table for the meet than what I am.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sunday Training: Max Effort Lower
Squat: Worked up to 500 for a single
Leg Curls: Enough of them to get the hammys swole
Entry form sent in, food intake is still good. Gonna change some things around though with protein sources and such, but everything is rolling right along. Looking forward to May!
Leg Curls: Enough of them to get the hammys swole
Entry form sent in, food intake is still good. Gonna change some things around though with protein sources and such, but everything is rolling right along. Looking forward to May!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Thursday and Friday training
Sunday:
DE Lower:
Speed squats:
230/2,2,2,2,2
Speed Pulls:
405/ 8 singles
Banded Good Mornings
Abs
Friday:
DE Upper:
Bench:175/3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
Pressdowns: Until my arms were of Phil Heath proportions.
Lat Pulldowns: Enough to do my cockstrong walk.
Back to the normal Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday sessions and there are only two real weeks of training left. Feeling pretty good despite all the stress associated with end of the semester stuff. Tons of work and not much time to do it. Moving forward however.
Check out my article about IFBB Mike Liberatore in the new Flex Magazine. I think I did an ok job. My writing will get better the more I read and write.
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DE Lower:
Speed squats:
230/2,2,2,2,2
Speed Pulls:
405/ 8 singles
Banded Good Mornings
Abs
Friday:
DE Upper:
Bench:175/3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
Pressdowns: Until my arms were of Phil Heath proportions.
Lat Pulldowns: Enough to do my cockstrong walk.
Back to the normal Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday sessions and there are only two real weeks of training left. Feeling pretty good despite all the stress associated with end of the semester stuff. Tons of work and not much time to do it. Moving forward however.
Check out my article about IFBB Mike Liberatore in the new Flex Magazine. I think I did an ok job. My writing will get better the more I read and write.
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Benchius Maximus
ME Bench-Week one, day two.
I found myself over at Goodlife Fitness here in Lincoln doing some low volume bench along with some low volume assistance work. Meet is right around the corner so no reason to push a ton of shit at this point.
Bench:
135/10
185/6
225/5
275/3
315/1
335/1
365/1
Hammer strength press: 2 sets
Lat Pulldowns: 2 sets
Abs
Short, sweet and to the point. Did my weight on Tuesday as well in the am on an empty stomach (with the exception of coffee) and I'm 237 right now. Feeling pretty good. Just a bit tight so it looks like some foam rolling is in my future. Lots of foam rolling.
I found myself over at Goodlife Fitness here in Lincoln doing some low volume bench along with some low volume assistance work. Meet is right around the corner so no reason to push a ton of shit at this point.
Bench:
135/10
185/6
225/5
275/3
315/1
335/1
365/1
Hammer strength press: 2 sets
Lat Pulldowns: 2 sets
Abs
Short, sweet and to the point. Did my weight on Tuesday as well in the am on an empty stomach (with the exception of coffee) and I'm 237 right now. Feeling pretty good. Just a bit tight so it looks like some foam rolling is in my future. Lots of foam rolling.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Final Meet Weeks: Week 1, Day 1: Deadlifts
Didn't train Sunday and instead I opted to shift things down a day so this week I'll be training Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. I woke up yesterday and did some cardio as I want to be sure I'm keeping my weight down. Last time I weighed in I was 242 on the nose with underwear on, so I should fine come meet day.
Deadlifts:
135/15
185/10
225/5
275/3
315/3
405/3
495/1
585/1
Leg press: Top set was a heavy wet of five.
RDL: 3 sets
Felt really good with the 585 dead, it moved pretty easy to be honest. So I'm on track to break my 633 pr if I keep this up.
Nutrition wise, I just shifted some things around and make sure my carbs are ingested around my training and post training. I've been using Gaspari Glycofuse or True Nutritions Karboload (depends on my taste for the day) and adding some creatine and aminos to it. It's been working very well in terms of recovery and endurance during training sessions. Food's I've been ingesting have been basic as well. Chicken, Grass Fed Beef, Wild Caught Salmon (canned kind from Trader Joe's)
Thats about it. Just a basic plan for some great results.
My heart goes out to Boston right now. Its a damn shame what happened.
Deadlifts:
135/15
185/10
225/5
275/3
315/3
405/3
495/1
585/1
Leg press: Top set was a heavy wet of five.
RDL: 3 sets
Felt really good with the 585 dead, it moved pretty easy to be honest. So I'm on track to break my 633 pr if I keep this up.
Nutrition wise, I just shifted some things around and make sure my carbs are ingested around my training and post training. I've been using Gaspari Glycofuse or True Nutritions Karboload (depends on my taste for the day) and adding some creatine and aminos to it. It's been working very well in terms of recovery and endurance during training sessions. Food's I've been ingesting have been basic as well. Chicken, Grass Fed Beef, Wild Caught Salmon (canned kind from Trader Joe's)
Thats about it. Just a basic plan for some great results.
My heart goes out to Boston right now. Its a damn shame what happened.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Bench training
Bench:
bar/20
135/10
185/4
225/1
275/ 8 sets of 3
315/5 singles with a shoulder saver pad
Floor db extensions:
30/10
40/10
50/8
Pulldowns: 6 sets
Seated Rows: 4 sets of 12
Solid workout last night. Started off shitty but the last two workouts ended on good notes, so I'm happy about that.
Next week will be a deload and then rock and roll right into the meet. Hotel room is reserved. All I need to do is send off the entry fee and pay for a membership card. I cant wait!
bar/20
135/10
185/4
225/1
275/ 8 sets of 3
315/5 singles with a shoulder saver pad
Floor db extensions:
30/10
40/10
50/8
Pulldowns: 6 sets
Seated Rows: 4 sets of 12
Solid workout last night. Started off shitty but the last two workouts ended on good notes, so I'm happy about that.
Next week will be a deload and then rock and roll right into the meet. Hotel room is reserved. All I need to do is send off the entry fee and pay for a membership card. I cant wait!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Some notes about training
I dont have my log in front of me so I don't have exact numbers on every exercise, but I do for the main ones.
Monday: Bench
Worked up to 350
Wednesday:
315/ 8 sets of 2
Worked up to 560 in the dead
This has been a LONG prep and the light is at the end of the tunnel now. A 16 week prep is a longer prep than anticipated and I'm pretty beat and slightly irritable. Meet training goes that way sometimes I guess. I will say I feel pretty strong going into Nationals. The Illinois State Bodybuilding Championships are that same day. So as soon as I kick some ass, I'm going to see some up and comers and watch the guest poser Mr. James "Flex" Lewis rock the house at the Gateway theatre.
After the meet is get lean time. I've already kind of started with doing cardio, switching carbs carbs around, etc and I'm coming down some. We'll see where this little experiment takes me in terms of body comp. I will include a before pic and current pic post nationals.
On that note, it's time for lunch!
Monday: Bench
Worked up to 350
Wednesday:
315/ 8 sets of 2
Worked up to 560 in the dead
This has been a LONG prep and the light is at the end of the tunnel now. A 16 week prep is a longer prep than anticipated and I'm pretty beat and slightly irritable. Meet training goes that way sometimes I guess. I will say I feel pretty strong going into Nationals. The Illinois State Bodybuilding Championships are that same day. So as soon as I kick some ass, I'm going to see some up and comers and watch the guest poser Mr. James "Flex" Lewis rock the house at the Gateway theatre.
After the meet is get lean time. I've already kind of started with doing cardio, switching carbs carbs around, etc and I'm coming down some. We'll see where this little experiment takes me in terms of body comp. I will include a before pic and current pic post nationals.
On that note, it's time for lunch!
Monday, April 8, 2013
April Squats
In week one of final preps for the USPF Nationals and went in yesterday to do squats and hit around 525 for 2 sets of 2. Mentally I was ready to go and felt good. Here's how it went down starting out.
Squats
135/10
185/5
225/2
275/2
315/2
405/1
455/1
500/1
Now at the 500 for one is where things got really iffy. I had two spotters on each side (as you can see in the video). When I unracked the weight and with the exception of coming a little forward on my right side (you'll see a bit of hesitation when I unrack it, I had no issues. As I came down I don't I spread my knees apart like they should have and ended up carrying more load on one side. I think the kid on the right touched the bar but whatever.
Wasn't a bad day, but wasn't a good day.
Rest of the workout:
135/10
225/5
315/1
405/1
405/1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
Leg press
Leg Abductor
Leg Curls
Planks.
I almost left because I was so mad, but I kept going. Finish what you start no matter how long it takes.
Bench is tonight, so that will go better. If it doesn't, I'll just eat some sweet rolls.
Squats
135/10
185/5
225/2
275/2
315/2
405/1
455/1
500/1
Now at the 500 for one is where things got really iffy. I had two spotters on each side (as you can see in the video). When I unracked the weight and with the exception of coming a little forward on my right side (you'll see a bit of hesitation when I unrack it, I had no issues. As I came down I don't I spread my knees apart like they should have and ended up carrying more load on one side. I think the kid on the right touched the bar but whatever.
Wasn't a bad day, but wasn't a good day.
Rest of the workout:
135/10
225/5
315/1
405/1
405/1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
Leg press
Leg Abductor
Leg Curls
Planks.
I almost left because I was so mad, but I kept going. Finish what you start no matter how long it takes.
Bench is tonight, so that will go better. If it doesn't, I'll just eat some sweet rolls.
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