Competition training log

[Colossus]

Jitterbug I had no idea you compete in the IPF. Good for you man. What do you think about their new rule changes?

As you may know I also cycle like Fug. I will corroborate pretty much everything he said. I do believe they can be used (relatively) safely, but like any drug there is a risk:benefit ratio. And it's true---you NEVER get used to sticking a 1.5" steel needle in your butt or shoulder. I though I would, but it sucks every single time.

As far as bf%, I cn see "ghost" abs at around 12-13%. For me to see full delineated abs I would have to be around 10%. Men tend to store fat in their abdomen and lower back, so congratulations, you're a male, lol.

 

[AAAgent]

I didn't know it was that hard to get abs. Mine are coming in slowly. No wonder i've never been able to have killer sick pack even after doing almost 1000 regular crunches a session for over a year. I had a six pack it just wasn't a model 6pack.

 

[Fuglydude]

Nice thread Fug...I've read the entire thing....keep up the good fight. I know it's tough coming off the cycle and training naturally, but if I can do it, you can for sure.

BTW: what's the purpose of your doing squats with heels touching and toes out? Maybe I can learn something there...

Thanks man. Coming off is always a challenge but this time I have experts in my corner, so I think I'll be ok. With respect to your question. I was told that smith machine squats with your heels touching/toes out helps to emphasize quads more than hips/glutes, etc. Definitely feel it more in the quads, especially after high volume work!

AAAgent... Espi nailed it on the head. Being lean and jacked is hard, unless you're a freak or always on anabolics. Even then, you still gotta train and gotta watch what you eat. Diet is everything when it comes to getting lean and having abs. Don't ever forget that.

Colossus... You crazy mofo!!! You use 1.5's ??! Ouch! I'm sure you could achieve adequate IM administration if you did quad/delt shots w/ a 1".

Just got back from a posing seminar. All I can say is posing is deceptively hard! It takes a lot of fine muscle control and flexing everything appropriately, and holding poses is deceptively difficult. One of the well known trainers in my city was saying how posing practice is actually quite a bit more difficult than training! Its a new skill I'll have to learn. There were some big time bodybuilders there to help teach the seminar. A few national level guys any my trainer, who's an IFBB pro. He's 3-4 weeks out from his first pro-show, and man he looks awesome! Definitely feel inspired to train/diet harder after going to an event like that!

 

[Jitterbug]

Jitterbug I had no idea you compete in the IPF. Good for you man. What do you think about their new rule changes?

I've read about the changes, and I think some of those are pretty anal, but the IPF is like that for everything. The alternatives for me are one or two other feds down here who are very lazy with rules. I've seen obviously shallow squats and touch n go bench, or bench with bum off the bench get passed.

At this stage of my lifting, I just want to get stronger instead of being too concerned about powerlifting politics anyway. When (and if) I get to around Raw Elite in my weight class, I'll start *****ing about their politics.

As you may know I also cycle like Fug. I will corroborate pretty much everything he said. I do believe they can be used (relatively) safely, but like any drug there is a risk:benefit ratio. And it's true---you NEVER get used to sticking a 1.5" steel needle in your butt or shoulder. I though I would, but it sucks every single time.

As far as bf%, I cn see "ghost" abs at around 12-13%. For me to see full delineated abs I would have to be around 10%. Men tend to store fat in their abdomen and lower back, so congratulations, you're a male, lol.

Damn, this 6-pack biz is hard, even for you guys on gear!

I think at best I can hope for is somewhat shapely abs.

 

[AAAgent]

Fugly, you have any recent pictures at your new weight? Just want to see what it would look like to bulk up while still maintaining a low BF.

 

[Pimp-sicle]

I didn't know it was that hard to get abs. Mine are coming in slowly. No wonder i've never been able to have killer sick pack even after doing almost 1000 regular crunches a session for over a year. I had a six pack it just wasn't a model 6pack.

While I agree that abs are somewhat hard to attain, MOST people train them incorrectly, evidence by your statement above.

the abdominal muscles are just like any other muscle in you body, they respond BEST to ANAEROBIC training aka WEIGHT. Sitting there doing 1000's of crunches is not only a waste of your time, its a good way to get neck and back pain since 99% of people don't do a crunch correctly.

Try training abs on a medicine ball so you can get a full range of motion and use weight (plates) across your upper chest to get the thicker, fuller ab look that you want AAA.





PIMP

 

[AAAgent]

yeah i actually started that recently. I wouldn't do them before because i had such a weak lower back that i couldn't handle the medicine ball weight. Due to being snowed in this past weekend (my car) i stayed home with little food. I lost a few pounds which happens fast for me, and i could already see better abs.

I'm currently at 5'11 and 170lbs.

I'm going to continue weighted abs and slowly up the weight and reps. Work in some cardio and eventually HIIT with a better diet and the abs should ease right in.

 

[Fuglydude]

yeah i actually started that recently. I wouldn't do them before because i had such a weak lower back that i couldn't handle the medicine ball weight. Due to being snowed in this past weekend (my car) i stayed home with little food. I lost a few pounds which happens fast for me, and i could already see better abs.

I'm currently at 5'11 and 170lbs.

I'm going to continue weighted abs and slowly up the weight and reps. Work in some cardio and eventually HIIT with a better diet and the abs should ease right in.

Pimp gave you some good advice on the ab training. All I can really add to it is to incorporate a variety of movements that hit your core from different sides. My core routine right nows is something like this:

3 x 20 V sits (I can only do partials after about 5!)
3 x 12 hanging leg raises
4 x 10 back ext.
3 x 15 full sit up (I do these on a ball)
3 - max time, abdominal plank

I'll also add in some reverse crunches. In addition heavy front squats, deads, pistols, etc, also work core.

Remember you gotta also eat lean to cut the bodyfat. The impression that I get from your training journal is that you simply haven't committed yourself adequately at this point to following a good diet. This will severely limit your gains. I'll also advise you to not try and bulk and cut at the same time as you are not chemically enhanced. It is simply counterproductive to try and do this.

As far as pics go, I'll see what I can do for you... and um, 12% is FAT in my books haha!

 

[Pimp-sicle]

While I agree that abs are somewhat hard to attain, MOST people train them incorrectly, evidence by your statement above.

the abdominal muscles are just like any other muscle in you body, they respond BEST to ANAEROBIC training aka WEIGHT. Sitting there doing 1000's of crunches is not only a waste of your time, its a good way to get neck and back pain since 99% of people don't do a crunch correctly.

Try training abs on a medicine ball so you can get a full range of motion and use weight (plates) across your upper chest to get the thicker, fuller ab look that you want AAA.





PIMP

Should be noted a meant SWISS BALL in my post above, not medicine ball.










PIMP

 

[synergy1]

Yeah man the lower back is a b!tch. I really think it is the most anatomically-prone area to injury for most lifters. There is just a lot going on back there structurally and it basically acts as the fulcrum for the entire body during squatting and deadlifting. Plus like you said there is definitely a neuromuscular adjustment period when you gain a bunch of new weight. Actually, I dont know if there is any real evidence for this; but empirically it makes sense.

Pretty soon you'll be visiting the 200 lb club....

A few weeks ago I tweaked my lower back on a 21-15-9 reps set of deadlifts. I actually couldn't bang out the last 9. This past week, I seemed to reaggrivated it doing cleans ( 190 lbs X 2). While playing hockey, the lower back has been a nagging and affecting my level of play as I was scoring goals in September but can not now. (A good shot requires linked legs/core system)

Remember you gotta also eat lean to cut the bodyfat. The impression that I get from your training journal is that you simply haven't committed yourself adequately at this point to following a good diet. This will severely limit your gains. I'll also advise you to not try and bulk and cut at the same time as you are not chemically enhanced. It is simply counterproductive to try and do this.

I have been lurking on this thread for a while and am intrigued enough to start something similar to this, sans chemicals. Ideally I'd like to gain about 10 lbs, which might require cutting depending on diet. As you said, without chemicals, it would be counterproductive. The goal is 190 lbs lean at 5'10", as anything heavier would be counterproductive to my skating. Most guys who play my position professionally aren't any bigger than this thus its not a random metric to shoot for.

 

[Fuglydude]

Synergy, you're a D-man judging by your signature? I dunno man, guys like Chris Pronger, and Dion Phaneuf are pretty big, all around 220 I think.

Not sure what your current stats are, but you're probably gonna need a lot of calories to gain that weight. Hockey is a very interval-oriented sport and is fantastic at really revving your metabolism up. This is good because its easy to stay lean, but conversely makes it tough to eat enough to gain the weight.

Biggest pointers I can give you is to eat TONS of wholesome natural foods and supplement w/ whey and mass gainer as you see appropriate. It can be tough to take in >4000 cals and 250-300 g of protein daily without supplementation. Plan you diet first, then execute and stay consistent.

 

[synergy1]

nah, the sig is just a saying, I usually play wing or center. Think more like Kane, Eberle, Avery or Marchand...all about my build and size who have some success. I pride myself on being pretty fast, as I was a pretty good sprinter growing up as a kid and through high school. It translates well into playing F.

Biggest pointers I can give you is to eat TONS of wholesome natural foods and supplement w/ whey and mass gainer as you see appropriate. It can be tough to take in >4000 cals and 250-300 g of protein daily without supplementation. Plan you diet first, then execute and stay consistent.

Would you recommend preparing meals ahead of time and consuming them throughout the week? One text I was reading recommends 5-6 meals daily, and once I get a job, I don't see how I could prepare those meals. However, it seems very reasonable to keep all the meals ready to go. Since you have a very rigorous schedule, it seems you might have some good insight as to keeping ones diet consistent .

Regarding specifics and diet and some sups , i'll consult previous threads. There is tons of good info already posted. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[AAAgent]

true. The reason i don't mention my diet is because its horrible. It would probably be worse if i wasn't a vegetarian.

I have little choice of foods for protein besides egg's, tofu, and a few other dairy products. I have never tracked my eating habits in my life well and as a child who swam for over 12 hours a week on average and had to do weight/cardio training, i ate whatever food i could get my hands one. I would sit down and eat practically a whole pizza pie and drink a 2 liter bottle of soda.

I eat tofu/egg's or both everyday.

I probably won't chemically enhance myself either.

You'll probably laugh at this but i refused to switch to whole wheat bread until two weeks ago. I'm getting used to it now.

 

[Fuglydude]

nah, the sig is just a saying, I usually play wing or center. Think more like Kane, Eberle, Avery or Marchand...all about my build and size who have some success. I pride myself on being pretty fast, as I was a pretty good sprinter growing up as a kid and through high school. It translates well into playing F.

Biggest pointers I can give you is to eat TONS of wholesome natural foods and supplement w/ whey and mass gainer as you see appropriate. It can be tough to take in >4000 cals and 250-300 g of protein daily without supplementation. Plan you diet first, then execute and stay consistent.

Would you recommend preparing meals ahead of time and consuming them throughout the week? One text I was reading recommends 5-6 meals daily, and once I get a job, I don't see how I could prepare those meals. However, it seems very reasonable to keep all the meals ready to go. Since you have a very rigorous schedule, it seems you might have some good insight as to keeping ones diet consistent .

Regarding specifics and diet and some sups , i'll consult previous threads. There is tons of good info already posted. Thanks for the feedback!

Everything boils down to planning and execution. I'm fortunate that right now my schedule is pretty chill, relatively speaking, but I know that'll change fast in the coming months. Its not practical to try and prep 5+ meals a day from scratch... unless you don't work or work from home that is. I work 12 hour shifts, so here's how I break it down:

Meal 1: Before going to work - 1 mass gainer shake (1 serving mass gainer + 500 cc milk) OR 6-8 whole eggs and 1 cup oatmeal

Meal 2: 6-8 oz chicken, salad, and 6-8 oz of yams. Add in 1-2 oz of almonds/cashews if I can. (I eat this on my first break)

Meal 3: 1 mass gainer shake (same as above) (I have this at my second break or after my work out. I can just drink this at my work station).

Meal 4: Similar to meal 2, except salmon or a red meat. (Break 3)

Meal 5: Similar to Meal 2 except for cashews. (After I get home)

I'll also take pre WO protein w/ waxy maize if I'm training. Altogether I'm getting around ~250 g protein and probably ~3500 cals.

I'd suggest prepping enough for for 3 maybe 4 days. That way you're cooking 2x per week. Unless you're freezing stuff, meat gets kinda gross after about 5-6 days in the fridge.

Another important consideration is to make up several "meal equivalents"... basically meals you can substitute in. Eating the same shiit everyday means that you'll get totally sick of what you eat sooner or later, and you'll have to change things up.

As far as supplements go. I use a lot of stuff when I'm off cycle... its a bit embarrassing actually! Here's a list:

- Multivitamin pack
- Omega 3 (fish oil)
- creatine (Purple K)
- BCAA (AminoCore)
- Glutamine
- Whey
- MassGainer
- Waxy Maize
- Evening primose oil
- Glucosamine (as I see fit)
- Tribulus
- Pre-WO stuff:
* Pre WO product like NO Explode
* Beta-alanine (I need this for higher volume work)

I'm sure I'm forgetting something as well. It makes it easier when your girl competes too, but in the end, bodybuilding really isn't a cheap hobby.

 

[Fuglydude]

true. The reason i don't mention my diet is because its horrible. It would probably be worse if i wasn't a vegetarian.

I have little choice of foods for protein besides egg's, tofu, and a few other dairy products. I have never tracked my eating habits in my life well and as a child who swam for over 12 hours a week on average and had to do weight/cardio training, i ate whatever food i could get my hands one. I would sit down and eat practically a whole pizza pie and drink a 2 liter bottle of soda.

I eat tofu/egg's or both everyday.

I probably won't chemically enhance myself either.

You'll probably laugh at this but i refused to switch to whole wheat bread until two weeks ago. I'm getting used to it now.

You are at a bit of a disadvantage given that you're vegetarian, but there's definitely solutions out there. Eggs are a great source of protein as you said. Skim milk isn't bad either. Cottage cheese is one of the cleanest, and most bioavailable sources of protein out there, in addition its easily digestible, slow release and cheap. Cashews, almonds are good too. You can also use whey and mass gainers to supplement everything.

To be brutally honest, you won't make significant progress physically until you get your diet in order. Our metabolisms are good, but we can't synthesize all the amino acids from crap and incorporate it into our muscles.

Regarding the whole wheat bread thing, were you eating white bread before? Man I find that stuff gross! I don't eat a huge amount of bread, but its always whole wheat or whole grain stuff simply because I think it tastes so much better!

Here's a simple diet that couple help you to pack on the meat. Fruits and veges are all free, so knock yourself out. I should restricting your fruit intake due to the sugar content, but I dont' think you need to at this point.

Meal 1: 6 whole eggs and 8-10 oz of yams and fruits/veges.

Meal 2: 1 Mass gain shake + 2 cups skim milk.

Meal 3: 1 cup oatmeal w/ 1 cup cottage cheese and 1 oz almonds.

Meal 4: 1 Mass gain shake + 2 cups skim milk.

Meal 5: 6-8 egg whites + 2 oz of almonds/cashews.

Meal 6: 1/2 cup cottage cheese (pre-bed time)

Do a shake + waxy maize pre and post WO on training days.

The above diet will get you 220+ g protein/day w/ close to 3500 cals/day.

You might wanna look into things like vegetarian chili. I remember having some really good stuff at a buddy's place a few months back. I couldn't even tell it was vegetarian.

I just gave you a simple solution to your biggest problem... If you follow it consistently, I will see results. Remember also to supplement w/ a good multivitamin, omega 3's and a good anti-oxidant formula.

 

[Fuglydude]

Beginning to taper down on the cycle, and I can already feel my recovery ability being affected. I'm a bit worried that my body won't be able to handle this kinda volume coming off. I'll have to talk to my trainers about that.

Did back/bi's today as well as some strength work. Did the strength work at the start of the routine and kinda used it like a warm... some warm up it was!

I'll highlight the strength stuff cuz the other stuff is routine busy work thats' nothing special.

Hang Clean:

135 x 3
195 x 1 (felt quite easy)

Deads:

315 x 3 (set was crappy but pulled it easy)
405 x 3 (not bad)
455 x 1 (this was a bit of a struggle but I locked it out... not impressed)

One arm dumbell snatch: 90 x 1/side

Pistols: 30/side x 5

Weighted Dips: (BW + 115) for 3 sets of 5

I've had a very relaxed week this week. Only working once and being very lazy sitting at home lots... I paradoxically have an easier time sticking to my diet when I work as everything is much more regimented. I've been slacking off on the diet lately, and really need to tighten things up.

 

[synergy1]

first of all, thanks again for the sups/ diet recommendations. I could have just as easily searched , but you still took the time to post what you do. Much appreciated.

Secondly, I decided to break out the chest/tri workout you posted on page 1. Let me say that having not done high reps and a lot of volume for a long time is a huge shock to the system. wow. I couldn't even do the dips at the end ( BW 3X8) and had to sup that with easier versions of dips. Truth be told, it feels good to have changed it up. My diet has been steadily improving in the past weeks in regards to quality of consumption, quantity, and how I feel. That said, still a LONG ways to go ( I am lactose intolerant so some workarounds will be needed). When the job situation is figured out, its all out - going to be doing your routines and sticking to the diet outlined here.

Again, the goal is a lean 190 lbs - maybe visible abdominal or lower (12%) BF composition. Right now I am 180 lbs, 5'10" and ( 17-14% ????? - guesstimate).

ANYWAY, sorry for the thread hijack. keep up with the log...i shall be watching very intently and emulating a lot of this.

Cheers!

 

[AAAgent]

* Deadlift 1 RM in the low 500s... I did 470 at 178, so this is doable.
* Squat 405 ... This will be tough, but I think I can do it.
* Dips: 5 reps w/ 145 - 155 lbs around my waist.
* Pull ups: 10 reps w/ 100 lbs around my waist.
* One arm pull up: 3-5/side.
* Pistols: 5 reps/side w/45 lb dumbells in each hand.
* 30 inch box jump w/ 100 lbs of dumbells. (50 lbs in each hand)...I'm too cheap to buy a heavy duty weighted vest.

wtf dude. I didn't notice you were that strong.

those stats seem inhuman or impossible. I used think that being able to 30 pullups max was amazing but if your doing 10 reps with an additional 100lbs you could definitely do more with BW.

One arm pull up....I've tried this numerous amounts of time and i could never budge (do you literally use one arm or do you hold onto the wrist with your other arm and pull up with 1 arm?). I've seen jet li do it in one of his movies which im sure it was real.

 

[Fuglydude]

* Deadlift 1 RM in the low 500s... I did 470 at 178, so this is doable.
* Squat 405 ... This will be tough, but I think I can do it.
* Dips: 5 reps w/ 145 - 155 lbs around my waist.
* Pull ups: 10 reps w/ 100 lbs around my waist.
* One arm pull up: 3-5/side.
* Pistols: 5 reps/side w/45 lb dumbells in each hand.
* 30 inch box jump w/ 100 lbs of dumbells. (50 lbs in each hand)...I'm too cheap to buy a heavy duty weighted vest.

wtf dude. I didn't notice you were that strong.

those stats seem inhuman or impossible. I used think that being able to 30 pullups max was amazing but if your doing 10 reps with an additional 100lbs you could definitely do more with BW.

One arm pull up....I've tried this numerous amounts of time and i could never budge (do you literally use one arm or do you hold onto the wrist with your other arm and pull up with 1 arm?). I've seen jet li do it in one of his movies which im sure it was real.

Pound-for-pound I'm usually one of the strongest guys in most commercial gyms. There's bigger guys than me that pull/squat more than me, but you'll be hard-pressed to find guys under 200 lbs come close to lifting what I can do on the deads, squat, weighted pull ups and dips. That being said, however, my bench sucks and I'd be one of the weakest guys in a power or olympic lifting gym. If anything my strength has regressed a bit as I've been focusing on really learning how to do bodybuilding style movements. Lifting big weights is a SKILL... and its a skill you lose when you don't practice. I only lift heavy maybe 1-2 times a month now, and even then its just a few sets to see where I stand strength wise. I'm still pulling 455 on deads and know I can do more. My squat is probably sitting around 350-360 (high bar), and doing dips w/ 115 lbs around my waist for 6 reps is pretty easy. I haven't done weighted pull ups in a while, but last time I tried I got 5 reps w/ 90 lbs ... these were tough.

My numbers are nothing amazing man... if anything given my athletic history, the length of time I've been training and all the drugs/supplements I have access to I should be way bigger and stronger.

One of my friends is a 150 lb ripped asian dude, and competed "casually" as a powerlifter. Basically he'd train when he felt like it and just show up to meets... this guy broke 500 lbs on a deadlift at 145-150 lbs bodyweight... that's strong! I've seen this guy do dips w/ 180 lbs of plates around his waist... Kinda freaky if ya ask me.

My personal best on pull ups is BW x 27 or 28... I can't remember, and I have done 8 reps w/ 90 lbs around my waist. Remember there's difference between the fatigue times of the different muscle fibers. I'm pretty type 2b dominant (these are the fast twitch fibers), and neurologically I'm wired for power and speed... Although I am strong and explosive over the short term I don't naturally have great muscular endurance. This is why I haven't able to do more pull ups even though I am pretty strong in the weighted stuff.

As far as the one arm stuff goes. I have to hold onto my wrist with the other hand... I think I did 3 with my right and 2 with my left hand when I tried a few months ago. I haven't done them since. Remember strength is a skill and very neurological in nature. Obviously having lotsa muscle will help but there's nothing that says the biggest guys in the gym will be the strongest.

 

[Colossus]

Lifting big weights is a SKILL... and its a skill you lose when you don't practice.

It really is. What most casual lifters dont realize is that lifting really heavy is about training the MOVEMENT, not the muscle. You can only coast on brute power so long. And if you stop training the movement, even for a few weeks, you almost have to re-learn it again for a couple sessions to get back to where you were.

On the subject of relative strength, most people have a really narrow perspective on what "strong" actually is. There is a lot of talk about the pound-for-pound stuff, but strong is strong. Below is a pretty good classifying chart based on a three-lift total.

http://www.rawpowerlifting.com/pdf/RAWClassificationStandards.pdf

If you take the 242 lb class for example, an Elite total is considered 1607 or over. That's about 60 lbs above my best total. That might sound really good--and it probably is by gym standards--but keep in mind that is just the minimum criteria; there are a few lifters in the 242 class hitting 1800-1900 lb totals. These are raw, mind you, just a belt. THAT is strong.

Anyways, not really sure what point I was trying to make there, but it's good to have perspective on strength. Just like physique! Lol. One man's fat may be another man's lean.