Countdown to 1st Contest

[system]

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
PUMPED- Breaking the soleus and gastroc really is as simple as it sounds, bent knee vs straight knee exercises. I really only make use of 2 different selections though, the bent knee calf raise machine, and a straight leg calf press machine (but you can do donkey raises, standing calf raises on a machine, or even place a wooden block under the smith machine and do them there <-I’ve done this before, great exercise!).

The biggest downside to calf training though, is the real lack of variety. You’re basically dealing with a single joint movement, so even when you consider the changes that occur when bending the knee, it’s still going to be a similar motion, which gets boring as hell pretty quickly. This is the reason that I go by a time limit as opposed to a number of sets. How many times have you rushed through your sets of calves because you’re bored, and basically being done as an afterthought to your leg session? If you make up your mind to just crank and crank 'em out for 15 minutes, you will unquestionably give 'em something uncomfortable to deal with -lol.

As far as weight, as long as I’m adequately warmed up (and I always err on the side of cation, because it’s damn easy to tweak an ankle when you’re doing calf raises with several hundred ponds), I pick a weight that not only allows me about 6-10 reps or 8-15 reps (depending on seated or standing), but one that allows me to work SLOWLY through the negative portion, after getting a solid 1-2 second squeeze, and then a nice and easy stretch before exploding into the next rep (I like to think of quality over quantity for calves). Assuming you’re being strict, and getting enough volume (which I think a lot of guys shortchange themselves on for calves), your weights will certainly go up over time, just don’t “chase numbers” at the expense of stimulating the muscles.

[/quote]

So you don’t go in worrying about any certain weight, rest times, or number of sets…but rather just hitting them as hard as you can for 15 minutes? I guess my only issue with applying that to my training is not knowing there’s definite progress each time. I guess I could always just throw limits on there though.

OK so in 2 weeks or so I really want to apply what you’ve been saying about calves. I kind of did a sketchy outline above but what do you think about that for a starting point? Trying to get it as close to yours as I can but with guidelines:

Day 1 (Gastroc): Straight leg exercise 1, 3x6-10, ~120 sec rest
Straight leg exercise 2, 3x6-10, ~120 sec rest
Day 2 (Soleus): Bent leg exercise 1, 3x8-20, ~90 sec rest
Bent leg exercise 2, 3x8-20, ~90 sec rest

-3211 tempo for all sets (3 negative, 2 sec. stretch, blast up, hold for 1 sec before going back down)
-Trying to add reps, weight, or some form of progression each week

What do you think? Enough volume? I figure each set will take roughly 0.5-1.5min (damn, 1.5 min of straight tension on calves!) with 90-120sec. rest which could take anywhere from 14-15+min.

[The_Mighty_Stu]

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
So you don’t go in worrying about any certain weight, rest times, or number of sets…but rather just hitting them as hard as you can for 15 minutes? I guess my only issue with applying that to my training is not knowing there’s definite progress each time. I guess I could always just throw limits on there though.

I figure each set will take roughly 0.5-1.5min (damn, 1.5 min of straight tension on calves!) with 90-120sec. rest which could take anywhere from 14-15+min.[/quote]

Don’t over complicate things. Yes there are essentially two different muscles in your calves, but the basic movement is the same. Just have faith that as long as you’re getting enough rest, and eating well, enough, and frequently, that all you need to do in the the gym is give them such a thrashing that they will have to recover from it when you walk (limp) out.

**If you were training biceps, and someone told you that you only had 15 minutes to work 'em, you would complain that it’s not enough time (and biceps are comparatively small muscles in the body!)

As far as progress,… do this steadily for a few months,… wait until you see ‘some’ progress, then, wait some more until you realize that you’ve stalled out (and this is after you raise the weights with the adaptation that will no doubt occur), then you can start throwing in sessions where you reverse the rep scheme, or do a couple of weeks of lower volume, but all drop sets (hurts like hell)… trust me, you can get very creative in the gym if you want the results badly enough.

S

[The_Mighty_Stu]

OKay, I figure this is worthy of a little update- I weighed in at about 198 the other day (again, with abs, so I’m certainly not getting off-season-sloppy), but after a particularly brutal delt session, I was unable to start my tricep work with the usual role pressdowns (which I like just to warm up my somewhat aging elbows). So thinking I was already ‘warm’, I went straight into DB skull crushers. I felt a slight twinge, but was careful and managed to do pretty much what I would consider a decent workout.

The next day, I found myself having some pretty shooting pain through my left elbow when attempting any sort of pressing movement. I ended up doing a bunch of peckdeck and cable work, and figured I’d be okay in a day or two. Well,… it’s a couple of days later, and my joint feels damn inflamed. I’m using the occasional ice pack, popping alieve, upping my fish oils, and just trying to not lift anything if I can help it. The last thing I want though is to lose valuable time when I could be making progress towards my next show. I figure that being in my late 30’s, I’ve only got so much time left to actually make gains before my natural hormone levels start dipping (I know, I know, pro BBers hit their peak in their mid 30’s). I guess it’s just the realization that I didn’t even start competing until I was already 35 that makes me want to seriously bust my ass. Anyway, I’m gonna take today off, and if I train tomorrow, I’ll try to skip pressing for a while, and hit my legs even harder than I have been -if that’s possible

S

[bwhitwell]

Joint pain is the reason I will use a very controlled mod - light weight for reps on an isolation exercise before I do a heavier compound movement. I don’t use this method every workout, only when my elbows or shoulders hurt.

[The_Mighty_Stu]

Well I’ve actually been pretty considerate of my joints the last few years, I guess this was just a quick moment of “I feel fine” to do something stupid -lol. I was able to train back and biceps, legs, but took an extra day off before trying to do upper chest work today. After a LOT of inc cables and flyes, I did a few light sets of incline BB and am presently icing the area as I type. I’m sure I’ll be good as new in a few days, but it does bother me that whenever you really pick up steam, something seems to throw you a curve ball.

S

[The_Mighty_Stu]

OKay, on the injury front, I’ve been avoiding all pressing. In fact, my delt workout the other day involved nothing by laterals, front raises with a place, and some rear laterals while laying prone on an incline bench. I also did a few VERY LIGHT and VERY SLOW sets of rope pressdowns, keeping the motion only the mid-ROM. I figured that the lockout portion would hurt, and the extreme stretch portion would aggravate the area, so I just reasoned that having some blood moving through the area would be beneficial. I actually feel a lot better today, although still a little stiff (not pain, but stiff).

So I will avoid pressing as best I can, except maybe at the very end of today’s sessions, and with a similar approach to when I did triceps (light, slow, mid-ROM). Having a purpose behind this next year’s training really does make you overly considerate of every little decision. At first I was freaking out that I’m losing valuable training time, but then I realized that if I don’t heal properly, I won;t make any progress at all. And besides, nothing like something out of your control to make you train differently than you normally would have. When was the last time you did an entire chest session of nothing but different angled flyes and cables?!

S

[The_Mighty_Stu]

Things are feeling a bit better after some really bothersome inflammation in my elbow, but now, luckily, I only have to worry about the inflamed rt forearm that I’ve already been dealing with for the last couple of years anyway -lol. My two training partners and I all realize that I’ve put on some quality size since the may show, and although I’m not taking full sets of posing pics yet, after hitting a few shots in the middle of my shoulder routine night, I was really shocked/pleased to see cuts still fairly visible in my delts, as well as my mid chest, and quads (at 200 lbs). Also readily visible is the fullness that was missing from my face when I was all dieted down to nothing. Definitely fires me up, in fact I can’t recall the last time I was training with such purpose and focus of mind. I almost can’t wait to start dieting and see the changes as I tighten up (and look bigger!).

S

[bwhitwell]

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Things are feeling a bit better after some really bothersome inflammation in my elbow, but now, luckily, I only have to worry about the inflamed rt forearm that I’ve already been dealing with for the last couple of years anyway -lol. My two training partners and I all realize that I’ve put on some quality size since the may show, and although I’m not taking full sets of posing pics yet, after hitting a few shots in the middle of my shoulder routine night, I was really shocked/pleased to see cuts still fairly visible in my delts, as well as my mid chest, and quads (at 200 lbs). Also readily visible is the fullness that was missing from my face when I was all dieted down to nothing. Definitely fires me up, in fact I can’t recall the last time I was training with such purpose and focus of mind. I almost can’t wait to start dieting and see the changes as I tighten up (and look bigger!).

S
[/quote]

I think your side chest looks much better with your ribgage expanded and chest out then in this contest pic. Looking good.

[The_Mighty_Stu]

[quote]bwhitwell wrote:
I think your side chest looks much better with your ribgage expanded and chest out then in this contest pic. Looking good.[/quote]

I know, I know I know -lol. That was one thing I seemed to be all over the place with. In fact, I have about 3-4 different variations of myself doing the side-chest shot from the show, and all were slightly different. I think that particular one was mid-posing routine, so I was probably staring down at the judge’s table a bit. Still, I do like that it showed a lot of fibers, so of course I had to throw it up

Certainly, my posing has gotten better though, if due to nothing else, being able to watch a video of yourself is probably the most helpful piece of reference that you can find. I wasn’t really worrying about my posing with the recent pic though, just kind of surprised at how ‘tight’ I still look, even with 30 lbs more on my frame.

Hopefully I can hold on to more size next time around, and really bring a better overall package. Thanks for the thoughts though, I know you’ve got a lot more experience than I do, and I certainly welcome any insight.

S

[The_Mighty_Stu]

Okay, my ‘crew’ and I have now officially begun offseason for Spring 2010 shows, and I figured I’d give a little update. I won’t be starting my ‘countdown #2’ thread until I actually start dieting (late Jan, maybe Feb), but as I’m now holding pretty steady at about 200 lbs, I think it shows in some of these shots that I’ve actually brought my quad sweep up quite a bit in the last few months. Hopefully the same improvements are noticeable in my chest (although that will ultimately really show through when I’m all dieted down). Another change I’m trying to implement is how I stand in front shots. Previously I would attempt to keep my heels together as is demonstrated in the USBF Manual of Competitors Guidelines, but being able to look back at the video from May and see the variations other competitors used makes me think that taking a wider stance will accentuate an X-shape and make my waist appear to be smaller.

S

[MEYMZ]

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Okay, my ‘crew’ and I have now officially begun offseason for Spring 2010 shows, and I figured I’d give a little update. I won’t be starting my ‘countdown #2’ thread until I actually start dieting (late Jan, maybe Feb), but as I’m now holding pretty steady at about 200 lbs, I think it shows in some of these shots that I’ve actually brought my quad sweep up quite a bit in the last few months. Hopefully the same improvements are noticeable in my chest (although that will ultimately really show through when I’m all dieted down). Another change I’m trying to implement is how I stand in front shots. Previously I would attempt to keep my heels together as is demonstrated in the USBF Manual of Competitors Guidelines, but being able to look back at the video from May and see the variations other competitors used makes me think that taking a wider stance will accentuate an X-shape and make my waist appear to be smaller.

S[/quote]

yep, your sweep is the major noticeable difference. Back and tris crazy as always. Stu reloaded baby!!!

[The_Mighty_Stu]

One thing I’ve noticed lately, and this may indeed be all in my head, so I hope someone chimes in with a similar experience… In my effort to bring up my chest, I’m essentially doing pressing movements 3 times every 6 days (two chest days and 1 shoulder day).

Now Obviously I’ve experienced some discomfort in my joints, and have begun taking days off here and there as well as cutting volume each session, and even wearing an elbow sleeve on my lt arm (just feels a bit mroe stable). What I was thinking though, is that even though I really believe my chest has made marked improvements in the last few months, that perhaps my arms have not resumed their previous size (especially the triceps).

Now, I’m NOT taking out the tape measure, because the name of the game is really how everything flow in the mirror, but I guess my head could be messing with me, thinking that in prioritizing certain body parts, others (my stronger bodyparts) may actually suffer some neglect, or as may be the case with my triceps, actually become overtrained. Thibs mentioned somewhere ending a prioritizing cycle at about 6 weeks (I’m paraphrasing here!), due to being worn down, possible joint aches, or a bunch of other reasons.

Obviously I’m a little wary to stop, as I have made strides, and no one else seems to notice any lack of meat on my arms. If this were someone else, I’d have some great training advice, but of course it’s always “do as I say not as I do” as you get older -lol.

So has anyone had an experience where a prioritization actually led to overtraining of a secondary muscle group? I’m sure it’s possible, just not too sure if it’s all in my head or not.

S

[waylanderxx]

Posing question stu…I notice in your relaxed poses you have your arms out very wide/far. I’ve always heard pro’s and other competitors mention that’s a big no no because it makes your arms appear much smaller and can also compromise your taper and you will be marked down for it. Have you heard different or is that just something you do out of habit?

How To Pose Part (2)

[The_Mighty_Stu]

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
Posing question stu…I notice in your relaxed poses you have your arms out very wide/far. I’ve always heard pro’s and other competitors mention that’s a big no no because it makes your arms appear much smaller and can also compromise your taper and you will be marked down for it. Have you heard different or is that just something you do out of habit?

How To Pose Part (2) - YouTube [/quote]

I actually just started doing that. I used to keep them angled down more, trying to stand with all my limbs in the same plane if it were. When one of the judges commented that my delts needed to be rounder, I was puzzled, as I always thought they were a strong point. After pouring over the vids and pics from the show, I realized that it was my posing, and that if I allowed my arms to come out more (like Cutler does), not only do my delt caps look rounder, but my lats spread out more.

I’m hoping that coupling the new torso position with my new take on leg spacing (about a foot or so apart instead of heels together) will create more of an ‘X’ frame with my build, and draw away from my thicker waist area. I certainly appreciate any thoughts though, I don’t pretend to be someone who’s been competing for years, I’m still the new kid at this

S

[system]

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
One thing I’ve noticed lately, and this may indeed be all in my head, so I hope someone chimes in with a similar experience… In my effort to bring up my chest, I’m essentially doing pressing movements 3 times every 6 days (two chest days and 1 shoulder day).

Now Obviously I’ve experienced some discomfort in my joints, and have begun taking days off here and there as well as cutting volume each session, and even wearing an elbow sleeve on my lt arm (just feels a bit mroe stable). What I was thinking though, is that even though I really believe my chest has made marked improvements in the last few months, that perhaps my arms have not resumed their previous size (especially the triceps).

Now, I’m NOT taking out the tape measure, because the name of the game is really how everything flow in the mirror, but I guess my head could be messing with me, thinking that in prioritizing certain body parts, others (my stronger bodyparts) may actually suffer some neglect, or as may be the case with my triceps, actually become overtrained. Thibs mentioned somewhere ending a prioritizing cycle at about 6 weeks (I’m paraphrasing here!), due to being worn down, possible joint aches, or a bunch of other reasons.

Obviously I’m a little wary to stop, as I have made strides, and no one else seems to notice any lack of meat on my arms. If this were someone else, I’d have some great training advice, but of course it’s always “do as I say not as I do” as you get older -lol.

So has anyone had an experience where a prioritization actually led to overtraining of a secondary muscle group? I’m sure it’s possible, just not too sure if it’s all in my head or not.

S
[/quote]

Wouldn’t it be good to at least check arm measurements? Not to get obsessed, but just to see if it’s a legit concern?

[PonceDeLeon]

Stu,

I know you mentioned splitting calf work into a gastroc session and a soleus session.

Can you elaborate what each session looks like?

[The_Mighty_Stu]

The reason I honestly don’t want to get caught up in measuring, is simply a switch in my thinking since deciding to try the competitive BBer route. For years (like most on here) I obsessed with watching the numbers of measruements go up, and for the majority of trainers, that is the simplest way to gauge progress (or weight lifted, or reps etc).

Once I wrapped my brain around the fact that I would not be ‘taking up as much space’ if I decided to cut down (and afterwards control my rebound so as not to have to lose 40 lbs for another show), I realized that measurements almost weren’t important. Even when I first started chatting with Jim Cordova, and he was certainly forthcoming with a lot of info, he would never give me any measurements… and I now know why.

It’s been said a million times, that bodybuilding is an illusion, and I never believed it moreso than seeing my own contest pics, and realizing that I had some of the biggest guns up there (but in person, they looked pretty small compared to the way I had grown accustomed to seeing myself over the years). Sure I’ve put weight back on, and can honestly say that hovering at around 200 lbs now, I’m still sporting some good separation and cuts that I’m not so sure I had at this weight a year ago.

Coupled with the (I hope) noticeable difference in my quad sweep and chest, I can only assume that I have indeed put on muscle, and that if my arms look somewhat smaller, it’s simply because they are leaner, and that everything else is coming into better proportion (I was always pretty arm dominant). I guess I’m just obsessing a bit, a little fear that by focusing so much on a couple of bodyparts, that my previous strengths might suffer neglect.

Ahhhh, the calf question again -lol.
My current split is a 6 day schedule. On Day 2 I do upper chest with gastroc, and on Day 5 I do lower/mid chest with soleus. Currently, this is what my selction looks like:

Day 2:
-Incline BB Presses (bout 45 degrees)
-Incline Cables (really strict, only do these every couple of workouts)
-Low Incline DB Presses (bout 15-30 degrees)
-Flat DB Presses (a few sets just to toast everything)
-Straight Leg Calf Press Machine (the one where your back is totally supported. I usually put on about 350 or so and make sure I get a nice explosive rep, hard contraction, and slow negative)

Day 5:
-Cable Cross Overs (pre-exhaust approach)
-Low Decline DB Presses (I pile 3 plates under one end of a flat bench, and keep the 'bells low on my chest, actually under the nipple line)
-Flat DB Presses (I angle the bells so my hands are at a 45 degree angle to my torso, I feel it much better in my mid-pecs this way, and less shoulder strain)
-Seated Calf Raises (I focus on higher reps with these, and try to keep the weight in constant motion aside from a pause at the top contraction point.)

Although I recently read that high reps for the soleus may not be the amazing trick we previously thought, and that it’s a matter of the explosiveness from the bottom portion that truly will create growth (If I had to guess, I’d say Thibs mentioned it, simply because I’m always reading his stuff -lol).

S

[system]

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

Ahhhh, the calf question again -lol.
My current split is a 6 day schedule. On Day 2 I do upper chest with gastroc, and on Day 5 I do lower/mid chest with soleus. Currently, this is what my selction looks like:

Day 2:
-Incline BB Presses (bout 45 degrees)
-Incline Cables (really strict, only do these every couple of workouts)
-Low Incline DB Presses (bout 15-30 degrees)
-Flat DB Presses (a few sets just to toast everything)
-Straight Leg Calf Press Machine (the one where your back is totally supported. I usually put on about 350 or so and make sure I get a nice explosive rep, hard contraction, and slow negative)

Day 5:
-Cable Cross Overs (pre-exhaust approach)
-Low Decline DB Presses (I pile 3 plates under one end of a flat bench, and keep the 'bells low on my chest, actually under the nipple line)
-Flat DB Presses (I angle the bells so my hands are at a 45 degree angle to my torso, I feel it much better in my mid-pecs this way, and less shoulder strain)
-Seated Calf Raises (I focus on higher reps with these, and try to keep the weight in constant motion aside from a pause at the top contraction point.)

Although I recently read that high reps for the soleus may not be the amazing trick we previously thought, and that it’s a matter of the explosiveness from the bottom portion that truly will create growth (If I had to guess, I’d say Thibs mentioned it, simply because I’m always reading his stuff -lol).

S[/quote]
Damn you’re definitely a high volume guy Stu, have you been doing 6 days/week since the contest? I wasn’t aware you were doing so damn much lol

I thought it was important to pause at the bottom (even with soleus-oriented exercises) so your not using the stretch reflex?

[MEYMZ]

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
One thing I’ve noticed lately, and this may indeed be all in my head, so I hope someone chimes in with a similar experience… In my effort to bring up my chest, I’m essentially doing pressing movements 3 times every 6 days (two chest days and 1 shoulder day).

Now Obviously I’ve experienced some discomfort in my joints, and have begun taking days off here and there as well as cutting volume each session, and even wearing an elbow sleeve on my lt arm (just feels a bit mroe stable). What I was thinking though, is that even though I really believe my chest has made marked improvements in the last few months, that perhaps my arms have not resumed their previous size (especially the triceps).

Now, I’m NOT taking out the tape measure, because the name of the game is really how everything flow in the mirror, but I guess my head could be messing with me, thinking that in prioritizing certain body parts, others (my stronger bodyparts) may actually suffer some neglect, or as may be the case with my triceps, actually become overtrained. Thibs mentioned somewhere ending a prioritizing cycle at about 6 weeks (I’m paraphrasing here!), due to being worn down, possible joint aches, or a bunch of other reasons.

Obviously I’m a little wary to stop, as I have made strides, and no one else seems to notice any lack of meat on my arms. If this were someone else, I’d have some great training advice, but of course it’s always “do as I say not as I do” as you get older -lol.

So has anyone had an experience where a prioritization actually led to overtraining of a secondary muscle group? I’m sure it’s possible, just not too sure if it’s all in my head or not.

S
[/quote]

For how long have you been increasing frenquency for your chest?

[The_Mighty_Stu]

PUMPED340- well, when I do a larger number of different exercises, I obvioulsly do less sets of each. Some days I may just pick 2 exercises for a bodypart and just pound and pound. Other days I may feel I’m lagging a bit, and go more for variety, but only 2 sets of each exercise. Admitedly I do more volume these days than I used to, but I think a lot of that has to do with injuries incurred over the years, and a certain degree of approaching my training with a more careful approach.

I still will have periods of low volume tossed in every now and then, but overall, I guess I have been starting to lean in that direction. Bill Peal always said that the longer you train, the more volume your body can handle. I’m not saying it’s the best way, but we each have to find ways to deal with our strengths and weakness. if one of my own issues is the occassional nagging joint pain when I push a little too much, then I have to find what works, and in recent years, this seems to be it.

I understand the theory behind the pause at the bottom of the seated calf raise, but the alternate theory is to make use of the myostatic reflex whereby a stretched muscle will contract more forcefully, with more motor units recruited (Thibs wrote about this in the high threshold book). Couple that with the idea that continuous tension allows for more time of muscle stress, well, I guess I just feel good about the way I’ve come to approach the movement.

MEYMZ- I’ve been doing this split probably since late May, although since then I have played around with different approaches to rest days, and also cut back on my shoulder pressing work. All in all, I think the extra rest days and just a few sets of seated shoulder presses has allowed my elbows to feel a bit better, while still allowing me to push hard bringing up my chest.

Last night one of my training partners, Mike, watched me hit some shots, and he concurred that I have without a doubt brought up the overall thickness of my pecs (and still sporting quite a bunch of fibers at my current weight!). So yes, I know I know I know that I will have to rotate my approach at some point, it’s hard to consider it when you can easily see that the changes you made are working -lol

S