Dirty Gerdy Ferrigno/Excalibur Prep Log 2014

Bigger Stronger Leaner
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I’m going to put this here instead of under training logs because I will be sharing my trip to the Olympia and all other bodybuilding related stuff here.

I plan to do the first ever Ferrigno Legacy this November followed by the NPC Excalibur 2 weeks later. I don’t want to look too far ahead but if these shows go according to plan then I will do my first national level show next year. Either the USA or North Americans.

I’m open to criticism and down to answer any questions as to why I’m doing things the way that I am. I’ve been competing now for 8 years and have done 8 shows. These show will be 9 and 10.

Attached is an image from my last show. I took the overall at the 2014 NPC Gold Coast Championships. I weighed roughly 220 on stage. I’m hoping to be a solid 10-15lbs heavier and in as good or better condition for the next show. I also adhere to the philosophy of bigger is not better but better is better. Those are Shelby Starnes words from a Facebook post a while back. I believe muscle added in the right place will do more to give the illusion of being more muscular than lbs on the scale. Who wants to be super huge and lacking body parts? I don’t. So I’m trying hard to bring up muscle groups to be a complete bodybuilder instead of just go for the size game.

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Training Split as of now.

2on/1off with the occasional 2off.

Day 1) Traps/Delts/Forearms
Day 2) Legs (all muscle groups)
off
Day 3) Traps/Back/Hams/Calves
Day 4) Chest/Arms/Abs

I will log the workouts in here to show you exercise selection, rep ranges, weights used, etc. I also plan to keep things updated with pics and vids as well.

-Brandon Gerdes

^oh and I’m gonna have a signature so people know who the f*ck I am lol While I love Dirty Gerdy my real name is Brandon Gerdes.

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Alright first log post.

Another day another dollar. Today I trained at 24hr fitness in Thousand Oaks Ca. Aside from most people not having a clue as to what they are doing and half the bars being bent to shit I had a great workout. lol

8 min Eliptical warm up

Lat Pull Down 120×10,160×10,200×15

Cable Row 120×10, 180×10, 210×15

EZ Bar Row (the racks and bars were taken so I did my underhand barbell row with an ez bar) 1ppsx10, 1.25ppsx10, 1ppsx15 *Not a fan of these and won’t do them again.

Underhand Dbell shrugs (flex the tricep to take the bicep out of the movement. I do these light with a slight lean forward so that I can focus on activating my traps. I feel a contraction in the mid trap along with the upper trap.) 20×25, 30×25, 40×25, 20x25x2.

Dbell Shrug 80×10, 90×10, 125x15x2

Standing Calf Raise 110×10, 150×10, 220×10, 300×10, 150×10 *slow and controlled with a 2count pause at the top and bottom. I also stretch them for 20-30 seconds in between sets.

Hyperextensions bwx10, 45x10x2

Seated Ham curl 120×25, 150×25 (left cause some dude that stank real bad was working out next to me…can’t stand that shit puts some goddamn deodorant on.)

Next back day I?m going to toss in one more row and some dbell pullovers. I?m excited to see how hitting traps twice a week will work out. I believe that bigger traps and hamstrings on my physique will give me the illusion of being bigger than I am.

-Brandon Gerdes

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Great quote from Shelby. Very glad to see you active on here again. I’ve always paid attention to your going-ons via FB.

I chuckled at your training at 24 Hour Fitness. Over the years I’ve found myself in some very non-BBing type gyms, but gotten some excellent workouts in as no one there ever needs the equipment I do. Besides, as much as I love training in dungeon-type gyms (damn those images of Yates in the 90’s still haunt me -lol), occasionally it’s nice to be in a nice clean, neat orderly environment.

Following along brother.

S

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YES

following like fuck!

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I have a question if I may:

You mentioned about adding muscle in “the right places”, so which areas do you feel you need to improve on?

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In. Especially for details like “flex the triceps to keep the biceps out of the movement”. Love that stuff, keep it coming!

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Glad I found this thread. Awesome physique. Count me in.

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Count me in. Awesome physique, it’s a pleasure to have you posting here and I look forward to absorbing as much info as you can throw at us :slight_smile:

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I’m in as well.

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Definitely in! Great physique man, you’ve got that “Classic” very aesthetic look. Great size and symmetry with a small waist, can’t beat it

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In for sure.Thanks for letting us tag along for the ride.

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Impressive last showing. Nice flowing lines.

10-15lbs more will be a huge WoW factor. Nice work!

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[quote]Yogi wrote:
I have a question if I may:

You mentioned about adding muscle in “the right places”, so which areas do you feel you need to improve on?[/quote]

I think I need to improve a lot lol but the two I’m choosing to emphasize are my traps and hamstrings. I think that by thickening up my traps I will give the illusion of having a bigger back. I feel my hamstrings are probably the most lagging muscle I have.

I also think that my rear delts, calves, and arms need to come up.

When I start thinking of lagging muscles I list them all lol! So now I’m choosing to just focus on 1 upper body and 1 lower body muscle until I bring them up. Then transition to the next.

-Brandon Gerdes

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Chest/Arms/Abs (beach muscle day!)

8 minutes bike.

Broomstick Stretch 50 reps

Flat Dbell 3×10 55 warmup, 75, 85, 100

HS Incline 3×8 2pps, 2.25pps, 3pps with rest pause at the end

Cable X-Over 100lbs 2×25 with squeeze at the peak of contraction

Reverse X-Over 75lbs 2×25

Grenade ohe, kickbacks, pressdown. 2×15 each. 20lbs, 30lbs,

EZ Bar ohe 3×10 10lbs 25lbs 35lbs

Rev. Wrist Curl 3×15 10,15,10 superset with wrist curl 40lbs 2×25 each arm

Ez Bar Curl 3×8 25,35,25

07/21/14

Traps/Shoulders/Forearms

8 min bike

rev xover 2×25 80lbs

lateral raise 3×12 10,15,25

front raise 3x12ea 25,35,45

Strict standing ohp barx15, 65×15, 135x12x2

Overhead Shrugs 25lbsx25repsx2sets

Dbell Shrugs supinated grip 35lbsx25repsx3 sets. 3-5 sec contraction at the top

Dbell Shrugs 125lbsx20x2

Close Grip Cable Row Shrugs (lie backwards one a cable row and shrug. Did not record numbers but will be tossing these in.

Wrist Curl 3×25 25,35,45

07/22/14

Legs

8 min bike

single leg extension 2x25ea 80,100

Lying leg curl 3×15 60,80,100

Squat 135×10, 225×10, 315×10

Leg Press 4ppsx10, 6ppsx10, 8ppsx10, 9ppsx12

Calf Leg Press facing away 5 sec on the positive contraction 1ppsx10, 2ppsx10, 3ppsx10, 4ppsx10, 5ppsx10

Isolated calf press machine single leg 1 set ea to failure 100lbs with rest pause at the end

Lying leg curl 110lbs 1 set to failure plus rest pause at the end

I took the weekend off to recover. Lately I?ve been reading some of Mike Mentzers stuff and realized that while I am trying to grow I need to be spending less time tearing down my muscle and give it more time to recover. With the increased time I also need increased calories.

So far so good. I just started my 3rd week of prep and I am up 8 pounds.

I will be taking tomorrow off from the gym to travel to vegas for the USA. I?ll be lifting there on thurs and fri as well. I should have some updates assuming my internet in the room works well.

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Hey Gerdy,

I have seen your pics on Facebook and IG. Great physique!

What is your offseason and dieting philosophy or breakdown like ( along the lines of macro composition or if you follow any specific ideology like mountain dog diet and intra workout nutrition, carb back loading, iifym, bro diet, etc)And what supps do you like to regularly use?

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in

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[quote]Dirty Gerdy wrote:
I think I need to improve a lot lol but the two I’m choosing to emphasize are my traps and hamstrings. I think that by thickening up my traps I will give the illusion of having a bigger back. I feel my hamstrings are probably the most lagging muscle I have.

I also think that my rear delts, calves, and arms need to come up.

When I start thinking of lagging muscles I list them all lol! So now I’m choosing to just focus on 1 upper body and 1 lower body muscle until I bring them up. Then transition to the next.

-Brandon Gerdes[/quote]

Dont know how I missed this for this long, crazy to see the progress you have made Gerdes (gonna split the difference in your user name and real name and just go with the last name, plus it sounds cool)

I think having big Traps and Hammies are the way to go… I never hear anyone say anything but “if the traps get too big they make the shoulders look narrow” but I have NEVER seen someone with traps so big that they make a person look smaller, only bigger.

Meadows has really opened my eyes to what huge, hanging hamstrings can do to a physique, and in my opinion its one of the body parts that when built properly is part of that “next level” of physique development.

As a follow up to your answer above, how exactly do you go about prioritizing those 2 body parts, just increased frequency? I’ve never really understood the “Get bigger overall, but especially HERE” kind of training.

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Dont post much but great physique man and gonna be following a long for sure, does Chris do your diet? And do you bump carbs on the body parts you want to bring up?

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[quote]Mr. AWEstomy wrote:
Hey Gerdy,

I have seen your pics on Facebook and IG. Great physique!

What is your offseason and dieting philosophy or breakdown like ( along the lines of macro composition or if you follow any specific ideology like mountain dog diet and intra workout nutrition, carb back loading, iifym, bro diet, etc)And what supps do you like to regularly use?[/quote]

As far as off season versus pre contest I’m a mix of all you mentioned lol

I track my meals in the off season to make sure I eat enough. Pre contest I have set targets. So there is your iifym. However, I learned a lot from reading John Meadows stuff so I don’t junk it up too much. I eat nutritious foods and get a decent variety. Since I have ulcerative colitis I have to be careful or else I can set off a flare and lose 20lbs lol.

When I start the actual “cutting” process for a show I like a carb cycle. Usually a high, med, low cycle. Nothing too complex. Pre/Intra/Post nutrition will depend on what drugs I use. I have tried intra workout stuff in the past but never really liked it. Pre/post I definitely pay attention too but I find my workouts are better when I just drink water during training.

As far as supps I’m big on the recovery stuff. I do protein, carbs, aminos, low stim pre workouts, trans alanyl glutamine, fish oil, etc. I also do a lot of stuff for health and anti-inflammation because of the colitis. I own two supplement stores in the LA area so I just get what I need from there and usually it’s from one of the exclusive lines to our company.