Countdown to 1st Contest

Training Bodybuilding
61

look up Jan Tana. It’s the easiest to use and often the judges don’t have beef with the color.

You just apply 2-3 coats the evening and night before…sleep in your posers on a sheet you don’t minde screwing up…no covers so make sure it’s warm in your house. In the morning apply 1-2 more coats. When you think your dark enough add another coat.

That gives you the worst sleep of your life but you have a good tan.

Or look up dream tan and have a team with you to tan you the morning of the show. It gives a diff looking color tho.

My avatar is Jan tana…in my profile the latest side chest in black posers from my last show was dream tan.

Tanning sucks and it’s soo time consuming. I’m just getting tan tana airbrushed on my the morning of my next show to save the worries. lol

Remember don’t judge the tan outside. You will look like a buff oompa loompa outside in the sun but on stage you will be tan…too little tan and you’ll wash out on stage.

:wink:

DG

62

DG you ever use tanning beds? I"ve heard jay cutler suggest “going pretty much everyday” starting at 6 weeks out.

63

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
DG you ever use tanning beds? I"ve heard jay cutler suggest “going pretty much everyday” starting at 6 weeks out.[/quote]

Every day for six weeks?!

You’d think he teeth would start getting darker going that often.

64

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
DG you ever use tanning beds? I"ve heard jay cutler suggest “going pretty much everyday” starting at 6 weeks out.[/quote]

yes the fake tan looks a lot better with a base tan.

You will still use a fake tan unless your inj. Melanotan or something…but in that case your stuck that dark for quite some time. lol

ED for 6 weeks might be a bit much. I wouldn’t go ED for more than a few days at a time. It all depends on the bed too. I just listen to the hot blonde with a nice tan at the front desk lol

which brings me to…for all you guys who think tanning is ‘ghey’ know that a lot of beautiful women tan…and work in a tanning salon…just to let you know for those of you thinking about it lol

DG

65

Ok DG, so I don’t need to do this over several days? I’m planning on taking friday off from work, so I guess a coat in the afternoon, another coat in the evening, and a 3rd the next morning? And as to a base tan, I can go a few times a week for the 2 weeks leading up (I know I’m incredibly pale, so here’s hoping it does give me some decent base).

Do you think I should get a bottle of the stuff and just try a single coat now to get an idea of how it affects my skin tone? I’m wondering if one bottle will be enough for 3 coats, or if I’ll need to get two (in addition to the exfoliator to use before, and thr actual posing oil to use after).

On a training note… I tried a chest/back superset workout tonight. The workout consisted of 4 different superset pairings, with 45 seconds rest in between ‘sets’ of each superset (did about 4 sets of each). THe exercise selection (based more on convenience in the gym than anything else) was as follows:
Incline DB Presses / V-Grip Chins
Cable Crossovers / Scapular Retractions
Decline DB Presses / Bent Over 2 arm DB Rows
Flat BB Presses / Reverse Grip BB Rows
(and then I did some straight leg calves)

My reaction? Well, my weights certainly were not what I’d usually use, and despite feeling fatigued and out of breath a lot, I didn’t feel much of a pump. I did look pretty vascular in the mirror, which may just be the results of my diet… A couple of times people came over to ask questions (I’m ‘that guy’ in the gym who seems to attract questions), and I had to say (probably too loudly because I wouldnt take my headphones off) that I couldn’t talk now. I did get done a lot quicker than my usual workout which would normally only have included chest (and some calf work as well). Not sure if I’ll be sore at all tomorrow, or if this type of approach is more of a maintain/deplete type of deal. Still, if this can rev everything up enough so that I don’t need to do more than 1 day of intervals every 4 training days, I’ll be very happy.

Foodwise, I also realized that I could probably switch some of my choices in order to feel more full. As much as I love having a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter with a whey shake in the afternoon, a chicken breast has a similar amount of calories, and will probably be a lot more filling than either the PB, or the shake (chicken breast with PB does sound awfully tempting-lol).

My training partner was a no-show tonight, so no new pics, but I did pick up a bathroom scale over the weekend, which allowed me to realize the offset between the gym scale (when I’m clothed w/shoes and an ipod) and a scale in my bedroom (standing in my undies).
My Scale: 181 lbs
Gym Scale: 184 lbs

SO I guess things are moving along on schedule. Could it be too early to be jumping to the superset approach? Honestly, I’d rather be ready a week early (I know that was Yate’s philosophy). Besides, as much as I see a lot of progress, I don’t see the same degree of conditioning evident in actual contest pics of other natty competitors.

S

66


well you need to start tanning like 2days on and 1 off starting like 5-6 weeks out honestly. Your pretty dang white kracka! lol I get the same way when I’m not in the sun…which is never now that i’m in socal…anyways…

Some people use ‘Pro Tan’ and start like a few days out, but then not showering for a few days is gonna suck. lol

I’d rather get as dark as I can naturally and then apply enough coats to get super dark before going on stage.

If you had friday off I’d throw a coat on in the afternoon and then hopefully 2-3 more before bed…that stuff dries pretty quick.

The morning would just be touch up.

It really depends what tanning stuff you go with. Pro Tan needs more coats…Jan Tana in the middle and Dream tan is the darkest but also is slightly bronze where the other two look more tan.

This is me outside at my last show to show you how dark I am when not under the lights…this is Dream Tan. More brown/black than tan…Jan Tana and Pro tan are more brown/orange and not as brown/black…make sense? This was I believe 2 coats of the lotion dream tan followed by 2 light coats of the spray dream tan…all done a couple hours prior to going on stage.

Olive oil spray like ‘PAM’ for a gloss on stage…

Jan Tana comes with it’s own oil if you buy the pack…be light with that stuff cause it’s slick and shiny! lol

well thats a lot of info hit me up with any q’s. Talk to your local tanning place cause they know tanning and their specific beds better than I do.

67

Okay,… received an email from Brian Whitacre last night. He takes a similar approach in regards to veggies, treating them as ‘free foods’, and not really logging them in his calories (green ones only folks! -lol). He did state that I shouldn’t be “starving” myself yet, and that I may want to include more carbs to satiate hunger and slow any muscle loss that may be occuring.

So today, I’m adding a couple of extra bowls of oatmeal, bringing my carb intake closer to 175-200g, and my total cals from 2500, closer to 2700. With the added intensity of my new superset training, hopefully I’ll continue to tighten albeit slowly, and without so much hunger.

S

68

The upper body is almost there, Stu. How are the wheels coming?

I love Dream Tan. My fiance works with makeup, so she mastered the art of slapping it on me after a few hits and misses. I learned the technique from Brian and Kurt Weidner, two of the best natural bodybuilders in the world. Incidentally, NPC looks down on Dream Tan and the judges told me I was scored lower because of that.

Keep pushing, you are close!

69

Looking great bro. At this point the only thing I would say is don’t over-diet. Looks like you’ve got that taken care of with the increased carbs, so just make sure you get a good tan. ; )

I’ll have to see what my school schedule is like as far as finals (show’s in May, right?) but I’m definitely going to try and make it.

Keep on truckin’ man, you’re doing really well so far.

70

Stu:

Don’t have much to add. Just wanted to say that you’re looking good, bro. Very lean for 9 weeks out and it seems like your getting some solid advice. I’m sure you’ll do the “nation” proud as well as represent the outer boroughs!

I do wonder how you are feeling walking around smaller from a psychological standpoint. Do you miss being 210 when walking around or is being shredded making you feel okay about being lighter. Just wondering what’s going on in your head with regards to this.

71

Great thread Stu, these are the kinds of threads that should dominate here in the “bodybuilding” section!

72

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I figured it would be interesting to see what I do correctly, and what I mess up. That’s why I’m even listing what my thinking is for each decision. For exmaple, today entailed a little more in the way of carbs, and calories (about 180g carbs, and about 2700 cals), which is probably enough to keep losing, but hopefully at a slower, and less muscle wasting manner.

My training partner also expressed some concerns over my new superset approach. The leg session today truly kicked my ass, and the worry was that maybe it would be too muscle wasting so far out from the show (even though it doesn’t feel like I’m ‘far’ from the show date).

What we decided on, was that alternating musclegroups (ie. chest exercise, then back exercise) is fine, and the more frequent training is fine, but maybe the whole 45 seconds rest between supersets is a little much. So I’ll probably keep the basic structure of the approach, but allow myself 90 seconds - 2 minutes between each superset.

Tdrink- I’ll be honest with you, it’s been a pretty weird experience seeing myself shrink. Yes, when I take my shirt off and hit a few poses I think “whoah, I look like a bodybuilder” -lol, which is cool, but when I look down at myself, specifically at my arms, which I’ve grown quite accustomed to thinking are ‘damn big’, I can’t help but think “those aren’t MY arms!”. My shirts have gotten noticably baggier, and my jeans,… well, I typically wear a belt on the 2nd, or 3rd notch (depending on what I’ve eaten throughout the day). I’m now easily on the 4th, and even ‘accidentally’ used the 5th the other day before I realized.

The girls I’m close to think I look better now (well, most do, there are a few that liked me being a big pumped up dude), but my guy friends, while supportive, and definitely impressed at the will power I’m exhibiting, are probably waiting for me to reinflate afterwards. I don’t remember if I mentioned this in an earlier entry, but my birthday is 3 days after the show, and I intend to fully enjoy myself :smiley:

I have wondered if I will ever let myself get as heavy as I was before. I mean, sure, I had gotten as heavy as 220, but usually hung out between 205 and 210 without much effort (and with abs I might ad! -lol). Certainly it will be interesting to see if I’m itching to do another show afterwards, or if it turns into a “that was an experience, but never again!” sort of thing.

We’ll all have to see how things play out. It’s certainly very cool to see just how many views this thread has gotten!

S

73

Very interesting posts ~ keep it up stu!

74

Looking solid, Stu!
How’s your posing routine coming along? I’d like to check out a vid.

Where in NJ is the show?

75

Hey Stu:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think a lot of people underestimate the psychological side of the game. Really seems like you have your head on straight.

Keep it up, bro. Looking forward to reading about and seeing your progress as the show gets closer.

76

Yesterday’s workout was:

10 minutes easy warmup on bike
Leg extensions / Seated Leg Curls
Front squats / stiff leg DB deads
Leg press (close stance) / Walking DG lunges
Seated calf raises
hyperextensions

My home scale read 182 lbs, gym scale read 184 lbs.

Today, I definitely feel sore, although not the same as when I’d squat heavy weights with longer rest periods. Still, with the new rotation, I’ll be hitting legs (and every other part) with a much higher frequency, so it will be interesting to see what results come from this approach.

Iron dwarf, I think I had posted the actual flyer from the show on one of the earlier entries (maybe in that other thread?), but the details area:

NJ Natural Classic
5/2/09
Brick Memorial H.S.
Prejudging 11:30 am, Show 5:30
Info 732-213-6537 Krb46@comcast.net

I’m not too familiar with Jersey, but I need to find a hotel near the area if anyone knows of one.

Posingwise, I’ve eliminated a pose or two I had originally thought of using simply because I think I may have just been trying to do as many as I could. I still have a good number of shots (16!), so with the music running abou 63-65 seconds, I’m thinking of holding each shot for about 3 seconds, and then having the transitions fill in the rest 0f the time. Somthing else I considered, is the order of shots. Planning on starting in a side relaxed pose, I’ll basically hit a few poses from that angle, turn to face the front, hit a few shots from that angle etc… even hitting a few kneeling shots (they actually look pretty cool! -lol)

S

77


Didn’t get any shots earlier in the week, so my partner snapped a few tonight. I was really curious to see if I can pull of the ‘Arnold’ arms extended shot, as well as Yates’ single bi variation (I tried bending my wrist inward, as Arnold says it makes the forearm appear thicker -lol)

Overall I’m feeling good. Although in my front lat spread, my midsection looks quite thick and ‘mushy’… :frowning:

S

78

For some reason when I add the recent image in the above message, I keep seeing an older image… trying again here.

S

[photo]20706[/photo]

79

looking real good ^^^ im actually pumped to see how this turns out, esp with a tan and some oil. u go u sexy thing… oh wait fuck, did i just say, ahh fuck it haha :slight_smile:

80

Oh,… In case anyone if intersted in yesterday’s workout on my new split, I actually did shoulders, traps and arms, which is more bodyparts than I’ve ever done together before, but with much less time in the actual gym.

-Seated DB latersl / Seated DB Presses
-Bent Laterals / BB Front Raises (laying flat on an incline bench)
-Cable Shrugs (pulling back AND up) / DB shrugs
-V Handle Pressdowns / Preacher Cable Curls
-DB Incline Skullcrushers / Inc DB curls
-Bench Dips / BB Curls

Seriously pumped, and aching afterwards -lol.

Today, day 4 in the new split, would technically be an ‘off’ day, but instead, I did weighted ab work, some forearms curls (something I never do, but figured why risk having another weak point), and Intervals on the eliptical. I’m hoping the added intensity, and HIIT every 4 days will work well enough to allow me to avoid the everyday cardio so many folks seem to end up doing.

S