This rehab thread is so great/inspirational. Consistency and dedication.
As an aside, it also makes a mockery of Ray Lewis’s whole coming back from a triceps tear in a month without any PEDs.
What is your supp regimen like daiy? Are you still using Indigo, Anaconda, MAG-10, etc?
[quote]DaBeard wrote:
Stu, I had the funniest dream 2 days ago. You were working out at Richie’s gym in Sunset park, Brooklyn (ever heard of it?) Anyway, in my dream you were a world famous bodybuilder [/quote]
I’m not?! [quote]and I came up to you to ask if you needed help rehabing your shoulder [/quote] pretty accurate. [quote] You agreed and I proceeded to show you some ways to activate lower traps, haha. When I woke up I was thinking to myself I may be spending too much time on the forums, lol. [/quote]
Yeah, your probably do. I’m guilty of that as well -lol.
S
[quote]tolismann wrote:
Hey Stu.
What is your strategy (nutrition-wise and exercise-wise) the day after a refeed, when one is at the beginning of a cut?
(A low-fat, medium-protein, high-carb refeed).
Thx in advance.[/quote]
I really don’t have much of a strategy as far as altering diet, or training the day after a refeed. What I do pay attention to though, is how my bodyweight, and appearance changes after an excessive high carb intake. Some people can experience their scale #s going up, as all the ingested carbs will store more water with them. Other people will experience a drop, as the body just seems to kick in with the “maybe we’re done dieting” type of though (actually a bit of hormonal reset).
Last year, I really started pushing my #s up, seeing how high I could go without going too far. At one point, I was forcing down 400-450g of carbs on my high days each week. For me, that was just a ridiculous amount while cutting for a show. Obviously I had to keep my protein and fat intake a little lower on those days, so my total calories wouldn’t soar out of control, but to be honest, it was a serious chore trying to get that much in. The payoff though, was how I would always get a 1-2 lb drop after such a day of eating.
S
[quote]GrindOverMatter wrote:
Hey Stu,
how do you like to dry out for competitions? in terms of water and sodium [/quote]
I’ve actually gotten much more conservative as I’ve competed. While I do believe that the approach of water loading, and cutting back can have an effect on a already very lean physique, I also realize that it is quite temporary, and the body’s natural pendulum-like tendency will inevitably swing back the other way, possibly ruining your appearance in the process.
So while I do drink a ton the week leading up to a show, how early I cut back has crept later and later the night before (which has probably contributed to my being fuller onstage in recent years).
With salt, I never really got into the salt loading thing. Yes, I do use a lot of condiments when dieting, so I’m certain my intake is fairly high. I’m not into measuring how much I’m eating each day though, I have a hard time believing that a little salt manipulation is really ever going to determine the winner at a contest.
In the past, I have always cut the condiments a day out, just in hopes of a little extra tightness either on its own, or even when the sodium comes back into the equation on game day. Recently though, I’ve read a study that has been cited by several people I really respect in the game. It basically shows that regardless of how much salt you ingest, the net levels in the body remained constant. Now I may be oversimplifying here, and I don’t have this in front of me (at work) at the moment, but it was really just in outright support for not worrying about salt at all.
Anyway, it really made me start questioning so many people’s approaches leading up to a show. I’m not saying that salt doesn’t have an effect on your physique, it most certainly does, but somehow your body finds a way to always equalize things.
So if I had to make any recommendations, I’d worry about the water much more than the salt. Most things we eat have a certain amount in them anyway, so if your body is used to dealing with that on a daily basis, and if indeed any extra will get flushed as the body will maintain it’s net levels, why worry 
S
[quote]The3Commandments wrote:
This rehab thread is so great/inspirational. Consistency and dedication.
As an aside, it also makes a mockery of Ray Lewis’s whole coming back from a triceps tear in a month without any PEDs.[/quote]
Yeah, too bad Biotest doesn’t make any Deer Antler products. I could be the poster boy.
S
How do you manage “experimenting” or tweaking at this point when it comes to preparing for a contest? Since you’re competing in professional-level meets now and can only do so many per year, it seems like the stakes for each show are just too high to allow for something that might throw you off your game. But at the same time, I’d imagine it’s those very shows where the things that can give a marginal improvement are of the highest importance.
[quote]sideshowdoc wrote:
What is your supp regimen like daiy? Are you still using Indigo, Anaconda, MAG-10, etc?[/quote]
I’m still relying on the basics that I have for the last few years. While I can’t really rationalize the top shelf stuff at the moment (tight finances, as well as the reduced level I can train at), the rest are all ones you’ve seen me list in past threads:
Metabolic Drive, BCAAs, Surge, Finibars, Flameour, Curcumin, Alpha Male, Elitepro Mineral Support.
All great for hitting “the staples”, and a couple to throw in with the basic recovery of a soon to be 40 year old injured bodybuilder with 20 years under the weights.
S
[quote]The3Commandments wrote:
How do you manage “experimenting” or tweaking at this point when it comes to preparing for a contest? Since you’re competing in professional-level meets now and can only do so many per year, it seems like the stakes for each show are just too high to allow for something that might throw you off your game. But at the same time, I’d imagine it’s those very shows where the things that can give a marginal improvement are of the highest importance.[/quote]
What you have to realize, is that the guys who reach that upper level, don’t do it accidentally. While there are always those guys you see in the gym who seem to be doing everything ‘wrong’, and yet still pack on some size, and we all know those guys who eat nothing but crap, yet are constantly ripped, maintaining a seriously appreciable level of muscle while also being in contest shape required a serious understanding, and balance of a good number of variables.
As such, these are the people who will take notice of the smallest effects from alterations in their training and diets. While I’m certainly no Dorian Yates, who was meticulous in his note taking, I have a very detailed journal from every contest I’ve ever entered. It’s this attention to detail that has enabled me to assess what worked, and what could likely benefit from a different tactic. I’ll admit that I’m far from the top guys like Cordova, Whitacre, Miller… I’m quite proud that I improved with each successive year donning the speedo.
The stakes are what you make of them I suppose. Sure, there’s money to be won at the top shows, but it’s not anything that people can live on, or really contribute to supporting their family with. It’s really about pride, and self improvement. Now while I can only speak on my own outlook, I’ll tell you that after weigh in last Spring at the WNBF Pro-American, I was in the bathroom at the urinal next to Francisco Montealegre. I had seen this guy in the Natty Mags over the years, and the combination of size, shape, and conditioning he brings to the stage is just staggering. Well, fan boy Stu kicks in, and as we’re pissing, I glance over, say hey, and tell him that although this is probably not the best moment to say so, that I’m a big fan. Well, we both had a good laugh about it. At the end of the day, there was such a sense of having a good time, that even though I always enjoyed that feeling as an amateur, it was just different at the pro level. Would I have loved to place top 5? Oh hell yeah, but to me, it’s sort of like the Oscars, just being nominated means that everyone agrees that you’re better than 99% of the rest.
Of course, if you’re Jim Cordova, or Doug Miller, you’re always going to be in the fight for the top spot. For a guy like that, I think it’s going to be more of an issue with trying something new, than someone in my position. And yeah, sometimes the slightest advantage can be what truly separates 1st and 2nd place.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
[quote]The3Commandments wrote
I’ll tell you that after weigh in last Spring at the WNBF Pro-American, I was in the bathroom at the urinal next to Francisco Montealegre. I had seen this guy in the Natty Mags over the years, and the combination of size, shape, and conditioning he brings to the stage is just staggering. Well, fan boy Stu kicks in, and as we’re pissing, I glance over, say hey, and tell him that although this is probably not the best moment to say so, that I’m a big fan. Well, we both had a good laugh about it.
S
[/quote]
ROFLOL
Stu, out of curiosity do you know anything about Musclemania? I’m going to be competing in the INBF because its been known by many to do be one of the top natural federations (INBF/WNBF), but I came across this Musclemania federation that is supposed to be natural.
I am looking at some of these guys like Morris Mendez Mendez, Morris
and with all due respect, just blow away any competitor in any other natural federation I have seen. Whats the deal, is this federation more leniant with drug testing or am I missing something entirely?
Another one is Ulisses Jr. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ieMvFzz29Vo/TrAxjDmsmuI/AAAAAAAAANk/O5hJ0A0MdXA/s1600/336834_282071781823262_137054429658332_934742_1182886935_o.jpg
These are only a couple guys, there are a ton more that are just unbelievable. They can give IFBB guys a run for their money…
Stu, any thoughts about the carbless PWO protocol? Pretty much everything I’ve found online about it seems to be utilized by guys who are on gear. This makes wonder if this is optimal for a natural trainee.
Thanks.
[quote]Drivennn wrote:
Stu, out of curiosity do you know anything about Musclemania? I’m going to be competing in the INBF because its been known by many to do be one of the top natural federations (INBF/WNBF), but I came across this Musclemania federation that is supposed to be natural.
I am looking at some of these guys like Morris Mendez Mendez, Morris
and with all due respect, just blow away any competitor in any other natural federation I have seen. Whats the deal, is this federation more leniant with drug testing or am I missing something entirely?
Another one is Ulisses Jr. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ieMvFzz29Vo/TrAxjDmsmuI/AAAAAAAAANk/O5hJ0A0MdXA/s1600/336834_282071781823262_137054429658332_934742_1182886935_o.jpg
These are only a couple guys, there are a ton more that are just unbelievable. They can give IFBB guys a run for their money… [/quote]
I was just commenting in another thread recently about the degree of ‘natural-ness’ in various federations. At one extreme, you have groups like the INBF and WNBF that adhere to a strict 7 year policy on all PEDs and probably the most extensive list of banned substances that I’ve seen (I can’t even use HOT-ROX!) At the other end, you’ve got federations and shows that have a single year abstinance policy. A fairly well known example of this is the NPC Team Universe. Technically, it is drug tested, but as it’s only a single year requirement, I’ve seen several competitors who I used to go against sit out a year or two from doing any shows, and then enter the Team U looking quite a bit different than I recall them looking -lol.
While I’ve never competed in a Musclemania show myself, I’ve heard it to be on the lesser side of how ‘clean’ you need to be. One of my good friends won his MM Pro card, but also won his WNBF Pro card. Now while he’s easily able to pass the more stringent WNBF drug guidelines, there are some MM competitors that I’m certain (at least as certain as you can be just based on experience, gut feelings, and no real scientific proof anyway) would not be happy to go through a WNBF drug screening to validate their ‘natural’ status.
Yeah, those pics you posted are definitely impressive. Jim Cordova’s damn impressive too, but he’s also 5’7, and only 154 lbs at his Universe Win. Taking his actual stats into account makes the issue of his drug status much easier to swallow.
You can only be certain of your own true status when you enter a show. In a show like the MM, you may personally be clean your entire life, but possibly some of your competitors have been partaking in a little bit of assistance for years before stepping on the same stage as you. As such, you can only guarantee so much when you compete. I have no doubt that there must be some WNBF pros who juiced early on, only to later change their opinions, and decide to compete.
Does it really give them an advantage so many years later? Do better genetics give more of an advantage in the long run? I’m sure that no one can say with absolute certainty. Just worry about you, understand the game that you’re choosing to play (obviously a greater length of time will even things out as much as you realistically can), and do your best to improve from one show to the next. It’s really all you can hope for in this sport, because there’s some definitely shady stuff always going on whether you ever see it or not.
S
Very interesting. I definitely want to make a home in a federation that has the most strict rules and INBF/WNBF looks like they are at the top. That’s all you can ask for at the end of the day, the best chance for a FAIR and level playing field. And thats all that I want. Thanks.
Hi Stu, having read your threads over the years and seen the great progress you have made I was wondering if you have basic macro guidlines that you recommend for starting cutting with? Also I would be interestged if you have any new thoughts around the trend for Intermitant Fasting and carb backloading strategies which have become popular. Thanks in advance hope your recovery continues to go well.
Hey stu just looking for an update on how your recovery is coming along,hope all is good.
Hey Stu, long time fan (years), first time poster.
First off I have to say you’re very inspiring and I have learned a lot from you.
I have a question regarding your daily calorie allotment while cutting. You said that your allotment during your first cut was 3000 kcals and you are normally sitting at 205 lbs. I am currently eating 1700 kcals at 165 lbs. Obviously there’s a large disparity between our numbers. I got my allotment by subtracting 500 from my BMR. This has worked for me in the past, last May I got myself down to 5%. By using strength retention and arm width as a measurement I don’t believed I lost much muscle mass. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way to do things. Do you think I’m eating too little?
I appreciate your time.
[quote]jppage wrote:
Hey stu just looking for an update on how your recovery is coming along,hope all is good.[/quote]
Hey JP, thanks for checking in. As seems to be the effects of my schedule lately, I’m more behind on my own thread than I care to be. I guess it’s just easier to chime in with a few thoughts on other threads than my own, where I like to really sit down and collect my thoughts before writing anything.
I’m basically back in the gym now, as often as my commitments will allow anyway. My car’s been in the shop for a bit, and with the wife in full prep mode, I’m doing my best to keep everything running smoothly by means of food shopping, errands, bills etc. Not always easy when you’re borrowing either cars, or rides.
While my exercise selection has certainly taken a hit, it’s one of those “do the best with whatever tools you’ve got” scenarios. Currently, my legs and back sessions are fairly unchanged, but my chest, shoulders, and arm work is nowhere near what I’d like to be doing.
Last week’s sessions looked like this:
CHEST
(lotta stretching of shoulder, cuff, and all the other ‘stuff’)
-Horizontal Chest Press Machine (with pins to limit stretch portion)
-Very Low Incline Smith Press (got up to 50 lbs per side)
-Hammer Chest Press (not the ‘wide’ one)
^My brother feels that pressing movements are less damaging to the area, so everything else (basically everything that I credit with bringing up my chest in the first place) is out.
+Single Cable Rotator Cuff work (holding upper arm parallel to floor)
SHOULDERS/TRIS
(lotta stretching of shoulder, cuff, and all the other ‘stuff’)
-DB Scaptions (for lower trap stability of the scapula)
-DB Laterals (lotta these, very slow, working with 25’s, arms fully extended, and doing my best to ‘milk’ every rep)
-DB Front Raises (these actually are ok at times, and slightly painful, clicking, grinding, and just unpleasant and scary at other times)
-Seated Machine Press (I struggled with pressing the 20 lb DBs, but machines allow me to just focus on building back some strength without starting to cry in embarrassment)
-Single arm rope pressdowns
-Cambered bar pressdowns
-DB skulls crushers (just started doing these, being very careful not to keep my upper arms as far back behind my head as I used to. Don’t wanna screw up anything in my posterior shoulder area)
BICEP work is also a careful process, as not only does the bicep tendon attach to the rear labrum (the real source of my shoulder destruction), but simply from a support and balance perspective. I’m being very conservative with Incline DB Curls (slight stretch, very slow cadence), as well as being insanely strict with the standing BB Curls. Concentration curls and even the old preacher machine I used to love just feel awkward and uncomfortable.
When I question my brother about any of this, he tells me to just live my life, do what I can, and not obsess about the limitations. Still, I think it’s the fact that “all of this” came on so suddenly, and without any real warning that it’s mentally just been very difficult to come to terms.
I just keep thinking about all the gym rats I know who complain about their shoulders every ‘chest day’, for years on end, only to continually push through it and puff their pecs out as macho as can be after. You can only run through the “But I was the intelligent/careful/no ego trainer” line of reasoning so many times though. Sadly it doesn’t change anything.
I will note that people at the gym have commented that I’ve put noticeable size back on. Certainly not enough to fool anyone into thinking that nothing happened, but enough to at least look better than the average weekend warrior -lol. Hopefully a few more months will allow me to continue to improve in terms of strength, mobility, and size, without causing too much further damage to the area. That’s always in the back of my mind; build muscle back to strength the joint, but in the process, don’t make things any worse than they already are.
One day at a time I suppose, and in the process, coach more clients, and judge more shows. I"m certainly not walking away from this sport anytime soon
S
Ya good to hear stu.I know you’ve herd it a ton but way to keep your head up during all of this.I can’t even imagine how hard this would be.Your gonna be full on in no time.
[quote]super saiyan wrote:
Stu, any thoughts about the carbless PWO protocol? Pretty much everything I’ve found online about it seems to be utilized by guys who are on gear. This makes wonder if this is optimal for a natural trainee.
Thanks.[/quote]
To be honest, While I was very much about that ‘magic window’ post training when I started really paying attention to the finer details of my diet, I found that I had better workouts consuming the majority of my carbs before training. Also, because I would always have to train in the evenings (usually 6/7pm), I wouldn’t really worry about carbs after. My thinking was that if the rational for post workout carbs was to replenish glycogen stores that had been depleted, well, if they’re not being depleted due to pre or peri supplementation, there’s really no overriding need to replenish them asap.
Dr. Joe, who influenced a lot of my initial approach to contest preps, maintained that if you’re gaining (I hate to use the term ‘bulking’), you can sandwich your carbs, with some before, and some after a session. However, if you can only afford to spend in one area, as I found out with my own experimenting, you will have much more productive workouts, and retain more muscle by focusing on the window before your sessions.
Also, while I’m certainly no biochemist, I can tell you that anything you ingest is going to create some insulin response, not solely carbohydrates. Additionally, your body is fully capable of synthesizing glucose in the absence of carbs. As such, I would assume that with the proper hormonal environment (PEDs - again, something I make no claims to be an expert in discussing), you could get by with relatively little to no ingested carbs. Many of the ‘old school’ BBers from the 50’s on up got ready for shows following early versions of a ketogenic diet. If they didn’t fully realize the need to refeed occasionally, or any of the later tweaks that were stumbled upon, it would certainly explain the excuse of using PEDs to retain muscle during a diet. Not too many natural competitors I know can go full keto for very long without some sort of cyclical approach, or frequent refeed. It just risks too much muscle loss.
S