Don’t do anything stupid!
You might get crazy this last week and you might decide that more weight is more important than “feeling it” and using good form. You might decide to do three hours of cardio, your mind will be your biggest enemy. Stick to the plan.
I know you know this, just trying to encourage you, you are ready to rock bro…you’ll do great!
PUMPED- Before dieting, my upper arms measured 18", which was damn cool for someone my height -lol. Again, There’s no way I’m even going to think about taking a tape measure to 'em now, it’d be too disheartening.
And,… because I love you guys so much,… here’s a peek at my posing routine practice from this morning. Just ignore the doggy in the foreground 
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
PUMPED- Before dieting, my upper arms measured 18", which was damn cool for someone my height -lol. Again, There’s no way I’m even going to think about taking a tape measure to 'em now, it’d be too disheartening.
And,… because I love you guys so much,… here’s a peek at my posing routine practice from this morning. Just ignore the doggy in the foreground
S
[/quote]
NICE. Stu, you look even more impressive in the video. I REALLY liked the posing routine. You look ALOT bigger than your weight would suggest. The lighting wasn’t all that great and you still looked hard and muscular.
LOL at your dog just sitting there, chillin like you’re not doing anything weird in your underwear.
thanks stu…i’m having a lazy day today girl and her family went to Boston for the weekend, me and my old man dog have been laying around eating and such.
Now, because of your struggles i will go push it at the gym w/ an extra arms shoulders day, i’ve got a plan to crush my tri’s today!!!
Remember, it’s always the darkest before the something.
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
PUMPED- Before dieting, my upper arms measured 18", which was damn cool for someone my height -lol. Again, There’s no way I’m even going to think about taking a tape measure to 'em now, it’d be too disheartening.
And,… because I love you guys so much,… here’s a peek at my posing routine practice from this morning. Just ignore the doggy in the foreground
S
[/quote]
Stu
That back shot in your avatar is sick and your arms are jacked no matter what they measure! Your tri’s look bad ass in your avatar.
Not that I know anything but I really like how your arms look here. If you ever get the chance and have the interest taking a photo in the light just as you are here with that pose would be fantastic.
I agree bro, your arms look bigger and you look really wide on that video, the transitioning from the pose on the pic above to the back single bicep shot looks pro.
lat spread = awesome
Thanks for the compliments guys. Never actually did anything like a BBing posing routine before, so I tried to keep it simple, pick some of my favorite, or, hopefully better, poses, and try to string them together in some flowing manner. I know it doesn’t really determine the outcome of the show, but I figure as long as I’m not trembling and shaking too badly while holding my mandatories I’ll be okay.
I have no intention of any last minute ‘voodoo’, other than following Thib’s Ripped in 6 days plan. Yesterday (Sat) and today, I’ve upped my carbs a bit from where they were so when I start depleting this week, it will have the desire effect. This morning’s breakfast was a cup of egg whites with broccoli and cauliflower diced in (+ waldenfarms BBQ sauce and Molly MCbutter cheese sprinkles!), and a bowl of oatmeal, with a banana cut in (and waldenfarms Peanut Spread!). I haven’t felt so full and content in months -lol.
Sadly, eating 2500 cals and 150g of carbs today will be a huge jump from what I’ve grown accustomed to. Still, after sitting outside in the sun for half an hour this morning (it’s about 90 and sunny in NY today!), and after eating a huge salad with turkey cut in (which distended my stomach quite a bit), I still had veins running all over my midsection, which is damn cool! 
I’ll try to keep updating as much as possible this week, certainly the near zero carbs and depletion full body workouts will have me beaten down pretty badly, but I’m sure it’s interesting to hear about.
S
Monday morning, and I just finished my breakfast of 4 whole eggs, and 2 slices of Real (not fat free) cheese. Man, I forgot just how thick and heavy real cheese can feel after eating nothing but the processed chemical-stuff I’ve gotten used to. I actually diced up some raw broccoli and cauliflower to ‘pad’ out the eggs a bit.
I’ve been doing that a lot the last couple of weeks, just to satiate my hunger a bit, and rationalizing that as fibrous veggies they don’t count towards my numbers, but damn if I’m still hungry! -lol. Drank 3 16oz glasses of water with breakfast, and will try to finish 2 gallon containers (with some BCAAs and Leucine mixed in) while at work. I just have a feeling that I’m going to be very hungry today.
Even when I was on the very low carb days, I would shovel in tons of lettuce. I may still do that today and tomorrow, but by midweek, I don’t think I should have so much fiber-bulk clogging my innards, I’m sure that would add to create some bloat, as well as water retention.
S
Fantastic Stu - posing looks great and physique is sharp as hell - you look big and cut - even better than in still pics.
I think you just might win this thing… : )
holy shit stu, that was awesome. the transitions with the fingers spread out then into the next pose makes it look awesome, and that shot above^^^ is awesome. youll kill. i have no doubt. that just got me soooooooo pumped. im going to thrash the gym 2moro.
Stu
Man, I agree with Elusive and Skynett in that you look much bigger in the vid than the pics. I’m very impressed!
Your posing routine is very good. Aggressive, yet artistic.
May I make some suggestions?
When doing your side chest shot, you look a bit “tucked in”. Could you do that shot with a fuller chest and your head higher/neck flexed? You would look so much more impressive doing so. Also, when you transition into the side tricep shot, perhaps you could step back with the right leg (for visual variety from the previous pose), and twist your torso toward the audience (keeping your hips as they are.
Also, when doing your back lat spread, you go into a very rounded back while crouching forward. That’s fine, but you should finish up that pose with bringing your shoulders back toward the audience while keeping the scapula maximally spread as you straighten your spine (almost arching it). Your head will come back and your chin will be almost tucked into your neck. These actions will really emphasize your v-taper on a flat plane.
I hope this is easy to understand… and of course this is only my artistic opinion.
Stu - the routine looks great. Awesome song choice-- kudos. “God of PopTarts”.
The dog in the video just cracks me up. S/he turns to the camera every once in awhile:
[i]“Damn, you see that?”
“I LOVE that guy!”
“KICKIN’ ASS!”
“I gotta pee!”[/i]
IRON DWARF- Yeah, I noticed when I watched it that I was hunching a bit on a few shots. Really need to focus on keeping my “chest up”. As far as the rear Lat, I’ve only recently started the leaning foward vaiation, as a few NPC competitors from my gym feel it’s the better way for the spread’, and then use my rear double bi to show the details.
Right now, it’s almost noon, and I’ve already downed about a gallon and a half of water (can’t go more than 15 mins without running to the bathroom). Foodwise, I’ve eaten:
7am- 4 eggs + 2 cheese slices (brocoli)
9am- 6 slices hard salami + 2 cheese slices
11am- Can of Chunk Tuna (in bowl of lettuce) + 1/2 cup cashews + snack pack sugar free jello (5 cals, 1g prot, 0 carbs)
Again, I don’t count the raw brocoli and cauliflower (or lettuce) into my daily numbers, and I’m sure it’s the only reason why I’m not totally gnawing my own arm off from hunger at the moment.
My planned intake for the rest of the day will be:
1pm- 4Tbsp Natural PB + Sugar Free Jello
4pm- 6 Slices Salami, 2 slices cheese
7pm- 4 Whole eggs + 2 slices cheese (raw brocoli and cauliflower)
10pm- 17 pieces pepperoni + 2 slices cheese
The Total Numbers work out to:
Calories - 2570
Protein - 175g
Carbs - 42g
If I do get used to the large water intake as well as the higher fat content of my food selections, I’m sure the total cals will go down a bit, but Thibs said that I shouldn’t worry about the cals being higher than what my usual intake has been in recent weeks, as the body “sees nutrients, not calories”.
S
Did my depletion workout a little while ago:
-Front Squats / Stiff Leg Db Deads
-Low Incline DB Presses / Bent Over DB Rows
-Rope Pressdowns / Cable Curls
(and then I threw in a few sets of calf raises just because I hate the idea of them not doing anything all week -lol)
I stopped each set a few reps shy of failure, and did a very slow, controlled cadence, with no pauses. By the time I was finishing up the arm work, I couldn’t believe the veins popping everywhere (I also couldn’t believe that I had to piss 5x while at the gym for less than an hour!)
Just finishing up my 4 whole eggs, 2 slices of cheese, broccoli and cauliflower omlette, with another two 16 oz glasses of water (I’ve easily had over 2 gallons so far today, pushing for 3). This is probably the most difficult/annoying part, for a while, you feel full, and don’t want to eat, but then you get ravenous out of the blue, and it’s almost unbearable. Hopefully my appetite will decrease a bit in the next few days.
S
You look huge in your posing routine, good job bro!
I think a new T-Nation article is due soon:
“A Beginner’s Guide To Pop-Tart Cycling”
Wow. Color me impressed. A few thoughts-
*Your physique reminds me of a pasty Francis Benefato. That’s a very good thing. Solid, aesthetic and it really does not look like you’ve given up all that much in the way of size. Keep going, because whatever it is you’re doing, it’s working.
*Posing is solid, but as the Oak would say, “don’t hide away from the camera”. Head back and shoulder to the side in side chest and rotate from side to side to show 'em what you got.
*You’re going to get a lot of shit because natural competitors under 200+ aren’t supposed to look this good.
*Little on top of it, I know, but see if you can’t transition from a “V for Victory” to a vacuum pose to a leg & thigh. One of those things you just don’t see anymore and the judges never fail to award big points for it.
Whenever I think I’m having a hard time, I just think of poor Stu suffering through his third lettuce meal of the day in some corner of the Northeast, and continue on.
[quote]elusive wrote:
I think a new T-Nation article is due soon:
“A Beginner’s Guide To Pop-Tart Cycling”[/quote]
Bastard! I was going to write this!