@giterdone: Over the years, I’ve tried lots of things!!! One, two, three body parts a day, pushing and pulling movements together, long series, shorter ones, many sets and lots of volume, less sets and high intensity… basically, I’ve come up to the conclusion that everything works, but nothing works forever!!!
What I didn’t do back then, and that I do now with coach Thibaudeau, is balance my physique a lot more, adjusting my training to my frame, my strong points and weaknesses… That way I don’t just get bigger, I get better, which is the whole point of bodybuilding, like an artist sculpting and molding his master piece!!!
[quote]Alex Raymond wrote: @giterdone: Over the years, I’ve tried lots of things!!! One, two, three body parts a day, pushing and pulling movements together, long series, shorter ones, many sets and lots of volume, less sets and high intensity… basically, I’ve come up to the conclusion that everything works, but nothing works forever!!!
What I didn’t do back then, and that I do now with coach Thibaudeau, is balance my physique a lot more, adjusting my training to my frame, my strong points and weaknesses… That way I don’t just get bigger, I get better, which is the whole point of bodybuilding, like an artist sculpting and molding his master piece!!! [/quote]
Alex, lol, you are way too generous with your responses! My question wasn’t for you. I was actually curious what the other poster had learned on their own before asking you for the “secret”.
You have a great physique and thanks for sticking around here!
Amazing work, please keep us updated. Also, consider starting a thread similar to Stu’s when you begin training (if you haven’t done so already) so we can follow the progress of your dominance.
[quote]WestCoast7 wrote:
Amazing work, please keep us updated. Also, consider starting a thread similar to Stu’s when you begin training (if you haven’t done so already) so we can follow the progress of your dominance.[/quote]
Alex is now up to 250 (well to 248)… ahh the power of the post-contest rebound!
He held a lot of water that first week. But since he has been back to Colorado on Monday he has been training 3x a day with Daryl and he is looking more impressive than I’ve ever seen him.
Until the Detroit pro show he is basically Daryl’s partner so he is doing what Daryl is doing, and it so happens that Daryl is on a shoulder spec phase… you can imagine the outcome of Alex (Mr. Air plane carrier) after a shoulder spec phase!!!
Heck, I’m up to 220 with deep abs separation and I refuse to stand near him in public for fear of looking like an anorexic stamp collector
[quote]WestCoast7 wrote:
Amazing work, please keep us updated. Also, consider starting a thread similar to Stu’s when you begin training (if you haven’t done so already) so we can follow the progress of your dominance.[/quote]
Alex is now up to 250 (well to 248)… ahh the power of the post-contest rebound!
He held a lot of water that first week. But since he has been back to Colorado on Monday he has been training 3x a day with Daryl and he is looking more impressive than I’ve ever seen him.
Until the Detroit pro show he is basically Daryl’s partner so he is doing what Daryl is doing, and it so happens that Daryl is on a shoulder spec phase… you can imagine the outcome of Alex (Mr. Air plane carrier) after a shoulder spec phase!!!
Heck, I’m up to 220 with deep abs separation and I refuse to stand near him in public for fear of looking like an anorexic stamp collector[/quote]
Awesome news, I appreciate the update. When is the Detroit show? Timeline? Alex on a shoulder spec phase? Sounds similar to taking a couple weeks to pack some extra punch into a .50 cal. I’m excited to see the results.
Again, if we could get a thread dedicated to Alex’s training, progress, preparation, and personal thoughts on his journey (in the form of Stu’s thread) it would be much appreciated. I think it would serve as a truly valuable learning tool, as well as allowing the community to show their support and interest in such endeavors.
@therajraj: Hahahahaha!!! Im kind of use to it by now…at my high school reunion, people were having heart attacks when they saw me, 80-90 lbs heavier!!! I must say though, this particular chick was on my case a lot when I was younger, since I was good at school, so it felt really sweet, considering she’s hasn’t progressed over the years and that she couldn’t spell one word right in her message!!! lol! Let’s just say I made her eat her words, even though none was spelled correctly!!!
[quote]Alex Raymond wrote: @WestCoast7: I just started one bud…I"ll post as often as I can!!![/quote]
Should be very interesting to follow. Obviously not just what you’re doing (exercises, rep schemes etc), but your thoughts on why and what the hopeful outcome will be. You’ve been at this a long time, so it should be very informative to see what sort of changes Christian implements and how they affect your already formidable physique.
I was just wondering if you have any pictures of yourself before you got into lifting seriously? Your shoulders are huge, and CT mentioned that you have the widest shoulders for someone your height that he’s ever seen. At this point, you also have a whole lot of muscle, and so this makes it difficult for someone like myself to see just what kind of frame all of that muscle is hanging off of! It would be interesting to see how your bone structure differs from the average. I’m sure those well versed in bodybuilding can pick it up, but that isn’t me.
Thanks and keep up the great work. Making Canada proud!
@JFG12: Sorry dude, those pics are long gone, some of them maybe still at my mom’s, but she’s miles away!!! Just imagine a big set of legs, on a wide frame and clavicle, but with no thickness whatsoever. I had good shoulders, but that’s it…
[quote]Alex Raymond wrote: @Professor X: Like I said before, In my early years, I did bulked-up, even did overfeeding for couple years at first. Crazy shakes of 3000 calories a pop, a bowl of oatmeal or pasta the size of Africa, drinking liquid eggs ‘‘Rocky’’ style, been there, done that!
But since Im a mesomorph by nature, putting size was never that tough, so I ended up putting on fat as well!!! I remember my first show, my trainer back then had me ‘‘ballouned-up’’ at 242 lbs, but to a huge 17% bf! 4 months of hell later, I won my first show, looking and feeling like crap, at 176 lbs!!! That experience alone almost had me quit the bodybuilding scene, and from that point on, I never bulked-up that fat during the offseason, and I’ll never will!!!
But your right though, at some point, I feel that you do need to stretch the muscle envelop or fascia, even if that means putting on a bit more fat…but past 14% bf, I also feel that the weight you put on is not quality weight anymore, but merely just fat.[/quote]
Holy shit that’s a lot of weight in 16 weeks! And here I thought I had it bad my first contest – I dropped from 212 lbs to 175 in about 12. Looking forward to seeing you progress in the sport. All the best from Chicago!
@Chi-Towns-Finest: Thanks man!!! Yes, a lot of weight indeed…too much!!! In the end, just looking at grocery flyers was tough, seeing ice cream and chips and goodies in special…ouffff, torture!!! lol! Then again, if it was easy, everybody would do it!!! But I"ll never drop that kind of weight again, ever!!!
[quote]Alex Raymond wrote: @Chi-Towns-Finest: Thanks man!!! Yes, a lot of weight indeed…too much!!! In the end, just looking at grocery flyers was tough, seeing ice cream and chips and goodies in special…ouffff, torture!!! lol! Then again, if it was easy, everybody would do it!!! But I"ll never drop that kind of weight again, ever!!![/quote]
I hear you, it’s awesome that you have responded to everyone’s questions and comments – that says a lot. I only have to cut twenty lbs. this time around for my show in November; it’s making life a lot more simple!
And the food, Christ can’t wait to be backstage after the night show with peanut butter cookies and going out for deep dish pizza smeared with guacamole!
@Chi-Towns-Finest: Cookies and pizza??? Are we related or what??? lol! Thanks bro for sharing, and good luck at your show, keep me posted with results!!!