First Bodybuilding Show. April 2012

Training
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[quote]timmcbride00 wrote:
Now, it’s time for both of you guys to BRING IT![/quote]

Thanks Tim, but I’m probably putting more pressure on Jonny-boy than on myself this year. I figure that even if I place dead last, I’m still a WNBF Pro! Jon’s stepping up his game quite a bit here; Much tougher competition, much more visibility, and entire year of focused improvement, plus, his coach is the guy who won the Middleweights the year before (when my brother competed, he did the show that I had won the overall in the year before too,… not too much pressure -lol).

I tell him that he’s got all the tools necessary to come out on top. We just need to dial it all together, and make sure his posing is totally on point to show his strengths the best way we can.

Of course I also tell him that he’s gonna win if it kills both of us :smiley:

S

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[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]timmcbride00 wrote:
Now, it’s time for both of you guys to BRING IT![/quote]

Thanks Tim, but I’m probably putting more pressure on Jonny-boy than on myself this year. I figure that even if I place dead last, I’m still a WNBF Pro! Jon’s stepping up his game quite a bit here; Much tougher competition, much more visibility, and entire year of focused improvement, plus, his coach is the guy who won the Middleweights the year before (when my brother competed, he did the show that I had won the overall in the year before too,… not too much pressure -lol).

I tell him that he’s got all the tools necessary to come out on top. We just need to dial it all together, and make sure his posing is totally on point to show his strengths the best way we can.

Of course I also tell him that he’s gonna win if it kills both of us :smiley:

S
[/quote]

He’s definitely got the tools and has improved immensely in the last year. I am really looking forward to what he brings on show day.

His posing has been looking great based on his progress pics.

463

Thanks, guys.

Tim, you said you took 2 capsules. How much of a dose was that?

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[quote]thoughts1053 wrote:
Thanks, guys.

Tim, you said you took 2 capsules. How much of a dose was that?[/quote]

Good question.

Each capsule:

Polygonum cuspidatum Plant Extract (Standardized for minimum 50% Trans-Resveratrol by HPCL 200 mg) - 400 mg

Red Wine Extract - 10 mg

465

How’s the training coming along? Really missing the updates.

466

[quote]ground control wrote:
How’s the training coming along? Really missing the updates.[/quote]

Great, I am really enjoying the Legs, Pull, Push split. I just finished 3 weeks of it. My body has adjusted to the DOMS and I plan on running it until, well, I don’t feel like running it anymore, ha, ha.

Bodyweight is around 181. Still doing vertical jumps to wake up the CNS in the morning, doing posing once or twice for several minutes following my post workout meal. Still dragging a tire or doing some other type of mini-session when I can find the time in the afternoon (family comes first). Only real change since I first started the Legs, Pull, Push split is incorporating the speed work superset with pump work, I really enjoy it.

Last 3 sessions looked like this:

Friday - June 8th

Pull Day

Stiff Arm Pulldowns for Lat Pump - 2 sets of 30 seconds

Deadlift
296 (+10 each set) 346x5
326x5

superset with

OH Press
135x5, 5 sets

Front Lever - AR: Tricep Rope Pushdown - 4 sets (one after every 2 levers) and Box Jumps, 8 sets of 1
8 sets of 1 lever

  • Tricep Pushdown was performed strict and spreading the rope, then strict no spread and finally using momentum to fully exhaust the triceps

Chinups - AR: Tricep Band Pushdown - 20 to 30 seconds of reps constant tension
BW+52.5 x 3, 4 sets

T-Bar Row
108.5x10 midrange partials, x5 top half partials, x5 full reps - 3 sets

superset with

Pullover
44x8, 2 sets

Stiff Arm Band Lat Pulldown, 1 set

T-Bar Row
108.5x10

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Saturday - June 9th

Push Day

Snatch Grip Deadlift
281 (+10 each set), 331x5
311x5
291x5, 2 sets

  • Threw in some extra volume on snatch grip DL for fun (3 extra sets, normally I do 6)

superset with

OH Press
157.5x3, 6 sets

Bench Press - AR: DB Curl 22 lb each (middle, top, middle partial reps x 5 each) and Box Jumps x 1
170, 175, 185, 190, 200, 205, 215, 220, 230x3

3 Board Bench Press Partials - AR: DB Curls with Chinup Partials
135x10 bottom half x5 top half x5 full reps, 3 sets

Plate Squeeze Press, 3 sets

superset with

Bench Press
135x3, 3 sets

1 set of pushups to failure using pushup handles and pausing in the stretch position

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Monday - coming off midnight shift, June 11th

Leg Day - quad focus

Glute Ham
2 sets of partials to pump up hamstrings for structural stability during squatting

Squat
230 (+5 each set) 245x5, back down to 230 and repeat up to 245 - 8 total sets

superset with

OH Press
155x3, 7 sets

Squat Partials
190 x 10 bottom half, x 10 top half, x 3 full reps, 3 sets

superset with

OH Press
130x6, 4 sets

Leg Extension Partials
75x20, 3 sets

  • I know it’s pansy weight, but with constant tension, my legs were screaming and it served its purpose to pump up my quads

superset with

Squat - paused in the bottom position
190x3, 3 sets

Glute Ham
BWx15

Sissy Squat - paused in stretch position
BWx10

Glute Ham
BWx12

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I like the way you’ve structured your training. Interested to see how this works for you. Thanks for posting.

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[quote]ground control wrote:
I like the way you’ve structured your training. Interested to see how this works for you. Thanks for posting.[/quote]

Thanks, it is working well thus far. And no problem, if there is interest, I will keep updates coming every so often.

471

Results from the bodybuilding show are finally up at the host’s website:

http://www.deansfitness.com/Competitions.htm

They had this nice quote about me:

Quote:

  • “Both men” referring to me and the short class winner.
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Hows things going Tim?

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Things are going well.

I did the Legs/Pull/Push split hard for 4 weeks and found once I got used to the DOMS and extreme pump, it was tons of fun.

I am actually still using that split but experimenting with concentrated loading.

Last week was 3 Push Days in a row (Monday through Wednesday) and another Push Day on Saturday with Pull and Legs done on the other days and Sunday off.

This week is Pull - Monday through Wednesday, Push - Thursday, Legs - Friday, and Pull - Saturday. Then I will likely return to the regular Legs/Pull/Push split.

I asked CT his thoughts on a concentrated phase using the pump/HT layering approach. He didn’t respond, but I really enjoyed it. Going into the second day slightly tight and sore, as has been mentioned by people smarter than me, helps you engage the muscle the second day because you can feel it easily. By the end of the third day, it feels as if you’ve provided such a massive stimulus for growth that your muscles will have no choice but to respond. After pounding the same muscle for 3 days, there is no question if you’ve done enough or not, lol. I guess you could worry about doing too much, but I judge that I didn’t cross that barrier because there were no detrimental effects and the weights I was using on exercises remained steady.

I won’t be doing a concentrated phase for legs as I think I killed my knee during the first 4 weeks of this split; Deadlifting 4 times per week (but I don’t think that was the issue) and Squatting 2 times per week and using partial ROM as a pump technique (I think that is what led to me knee pain, partial squats, and the top half more so than the bottom half partials).

As you saw in the live spill, it got to the point where bodyweight squats and deadlifts hurt it. I experimented and determined that front box squats can be done pain free. So I think it has something to do with shear stress, as the front box squat allows me to keep me shin almost completely upright as I sit back onto the box which keeps the center of gravity almost directly over the knee (thus no shear stress).

Therefore, front box squats will be my leg building tool for now. I am enjoying it and I have lots of room for improvement since it is a lift I haven’t done before. I miss back squats and deads, but hopefully the front squats will keep me from getting overly weak on those lifts and maintain my leg mass.

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I’ve noticed that, especially with CT’s methods, you really can push the body beyond what is normally considered and talked about. I like the concentrated loading idea, its a cool way to get in 2-3 days worth of stimulus for a body part “a week”, but still have 5-6 days of rest in between. Another great idea by CT.

Front squats are awesome and they should definitely keep your strength/size going in the right direction. Try out any Rack Pulls?

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[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
I’ve noticed that, especially with CT’s methods, you really can push the body beyond what is normally considered and talked about. I like the concentrated loading idea, its a cool way to get in 2-3 days worth of stimulus for a body part “a week”, but still have 5-6 days of rest in between. Another great idea by CT.[/quote]

Yeah, I love it. Yesterday afternoon, a few hours after some front squats (HFS before my Push workout), I could really tell how deeply I hit my back on the 3 day blitz. Obviously, the back has to stabilize a lot in a squat, maybe even more so with a front squat the way the load is, all I can say is, my back felt like I had hit every fiber.

Not sure if I can explain this right, but it was not the extreme pain of trashing only a few muscle fibers, but a total ache of hitting everything just right. Make sense?

[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
Front squats are awesome and they should definitely keep your strength/size going in the right direction. Try out any Rack Pulls?[/quote]

I haven’t tried them, but based on what hurt thus far, I think they would be out.

I have done a few BW back squat and deadlift motions, my knee appears to be getting better. Thus, at this point, I think I may just play it safe and stick with front squats since they are pain free and not experiment anymore. Hopefully, in another two weeks or so I can be back at it with back squats and deadlifts.

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Hi Tim, How is the off season going? Any plans to compete again any time soon?

Just thought you’d be interested to know, the guy who won the overall at your show has joined T-Nation, his username is Later_Z

477

@ Lemony2j

Thanks for checking in!

No plans to compete anytime soon.

I am looking toward the April 2014 Natural Pittsburgh. Same show I did in 2012. My goal would be to win the overall.

Off season gains haven’t gone as well as planned, my wife and I became legal guardians of a 3.5 year old. My children are 8 and 12 and not quite as time intensive as a 3.5 year old anymore. It was hard getting used to having no free time again! I have had a harder time planning workouts (i.e. more early morning or late night, which also means no clanging plates because I workout in my basement and it would wake everyone).

I am sitting at 190 right now (was 170 at the contest) and fairly lean. I may be implementing a mini-cut soon because I felt my midsection getting a bit softer than I’d like. But prior to that I am just going to clean up the bulk a bit and see if I can eek some more gains without getting too soft.

I was fixated on hitting 200 pounds again in terms of bodyweight, but I have realized that has ZERO relevance in terms of achieving the physique I am after. All the science I am aware of points to the fact that your body functions better when you are leaner, and gains tend to be more muscle and less fat. Where as when you start to get soft, it affects your ability to make quality gains (less muscle and more fat).

I have come to the conclusion that it would be more efficient to add together multiple bulk/cut phases as opposed to doing one long extended bulk and cut where the bulk phase gradually loses effectiveness. Obviously, making the cycles too short would not be efficient either and you’d just be shifting water weight and glycogen. So the happy medium must be found. Not sure where that lies, but hopefully some experimentation on myself will yield some answers.

In terms of training, I have been enjoying CT’s layers while also trying to implement some Meadows ideas here and there (hopefully without Frankensteining either of them too bad, lol). I really like Meadows ideas for delts and hamstrings.

That’s great that Zach joined. He has a great physique already and amazing potential to get even better. Hopefully he stays away from all the negative threads full of trash and flaming (there are so many).

Well, you probably weren’t expecting a book, but I actually have been wanting to post an update, so your post gave me the chance.

478

Thanks for the reply!

Man, I sometimes find myself getting demotivated to train when real life gets in the way but your situation sounds like REAL real life!

I am also finding more and more that slow and steady wins the race when it comes to adding lean mass naturally, and I like the idea of a mini-cut to keep things in check, I too was planning an 18 month ‘bulk’ but I think I’ll split that up soon with a 4-6 week cut phase.

I’m already looking forward to your next contest prep thread (if you decide to make one)

I tried to PM you a while back but I’m guessing they’re still disabled

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your conditioning in your avatar is unbelievable Tim.

480

[quote]rds63799 wrote:
your conditioning in your avatar is unbelievable Tim.[/quote]

Totally agree.

The definition of dry