After the gains week is completed, how does this program continue? Back to beginning with increased resistance or??? Thanks!!!
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Rick asked me to show the poses that Dr Darden recommends each day with his 30-10-30 programme, and Scott has asked for some “physique” photos of mine.
So here is a little “college” of some old contest photos showing the poses mentioned.
Mark
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Thanks @markh501 ! Wow!
What contest was that, and how did you place?
As Darth Vader would say, most impressive !!
Thanks for posting these!!
Scott
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Hi Mark,
Do you stick with HIT principles (i.e., full body workouts, one set per exercise, 8-12 reps, 8 exercises per workout)? Would you mind sharing with me your workout schedule, such as split or full body, how many exercises per work out, how many days per week, what rep scheme you use? Much appreciated.
Steve
Day 30 of 35… things continue to move in the right direction for me. For my son, his PM readings look better than his morning readings… technically he started with less muscle, is younger and had not been training regularly, so I would have expected him to do better than me. He does stay up into wee hours of morning and then gets up around noon… and I know he has not been “pigging out” as much as I have… interestingly, he is catching up to me in weights used on machines… perhaps we started him too light?
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Thank you all for the positive comments.
Rick, the ab shot was from 2009 , whilst the others were from 2012 (the top were when I won the overall British Masters title with the BNBF. The most muscular was a couple of months later at the DFAC World Finals where I placed 3rd in the Pro Masters Division).
Steve. it would probably take thousands of words to describe my 39 year journey with weights as many of my different routines have contributed to the physiques I had in the photos and currently possess.
In summary, 90%+ of my training since I started could be called HIT/Abbreviated.
I’ve used every thing from whole body to 4 way splits, from once every 10 days to 4 days a week , and all sorts of set and rep ranges, rep tempos and so called " advanced techniques"
In recent times with my home gym and less available time I have favoured whole body or Upper/lower splits averaging out at about temwice a week . One or two “work” sets per exercise usually suffice.
When I was competing I typically trained between 3 to 4 times a week on a 3 way split , again typically with only one or two sets per exercise.
I suggest reading as much stuff by Dr Darden as you can , alongside books by Mike Mentzer (his earlier stuff preferably) and Stuart McRobert.
For some “outside the box” and thought provoking i also highly recommend books by Brian D Johnson.
Just a few suggestions.
Mark
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So what I already knew but thought it was good to highlight, is that BNBF stands for British NATURAL Bodybuilding Federation and DFAC stands for DRUG FREE Athlete ? and I met Mark when we both competing in contests in Canda by IDFA, International DRUG FREE A … I listen closely to what Mark has to say, as much, probably more than because he has a great physique but rather because I respect him as a critical thinker. Many (most?) people with great physiques are not in my. not so humble opinion.
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Thanks, Mark. Very helpful.
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DFAC is the Drug Free Athletes Coalition.
The BNBF is as you said.
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Sorry for hi-jacking the thread. This is a sidenote of appreciation.
Please (Ricky and Mark),
Start a thread about your experiences in professional natural bodybuilding. I am sure there are lots of people like me that want to know more.
My thread would be short… only competed three times between 2007 and 2008 at AMATEUR level
first itme with FAME open men, came in #5 out of 5… but that’s okay, all the other guys were half my age, and Doug McGuff stated in an article at the time that he felt I “belonged up there”… at the same contest, I came in first out of 2, in Masters division. I was 50 and the other competitor was 65. Technically, that earned me a pro card. lol. Testing consisted of signing a statement that said I was drug free. Then with the IDFA, about. a month later, I came in third out of 8, in men’s novice lightweight… (little guys who have never competed before)… I was pretty proud of that… the following year, at IDFA, I competed in open men’s and didn’t place. It was a bucket list thing… was fun, learned a lot, and who knows one day, an over 60 division?
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Ricky , maybe I’m mixing you up with someone else but I thought I saw some pictures of you in a contest on here somewhere?
Scott
Just bumping this…thanks
After the gains week is completed, how does this program continue? Back to beginning with increased resistance or??? Thanks!!!
Ricky, sorry for what must be obvious, but I don’t understand all your charts. What do the numbers mean? Weight 4.5, etc.
amounts gained in each category, in lbs… and on right, same, but 5 day averages at beginning and end compared… hope this helps
Oh, and I take a reading in morning and in evening so AM and PM…
You look great!
Scott
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