Mighty's Contest Updates & Q&A Thread

Training
201

Thanks for the comments guys, I’ll try to keep up with video updates as best I can from here on. I tried to get one set of each exercise I performed and edit them together in some sort of snapshot of my training session. As usual, I’ll answer whatever I can and put my own thoughts and opinions out there.

-I don’t know if I’m getting stronger, but my strength certainly hasn’t waned at all. I am working around a few injuries, so holding back a bit is certainly in the back of my mind. So far, my elbow’s holding together, my knees are on/off, so my exercise and weight selection varies depending on how I feel, and my back, although it felt a little ‘off’ last week, is okay although I know that it usually acts up when my bodyfat gets really low so I’m being very careful as far as squats and stiff leg deadlifts.

-I am a big fan of Haney Shrugs, but I find that by getting a slight upright row in there as well, especially following direct rear delt work, really adds to posterior delt development.

-Bench dips were always one of my favorite finishing movements, and as the squats racks are usually empty in my gym (unless 150 lb members feel like doing curls), I discovered that the support bars are the perfect distance apart for someone of my height :slight_smile:

S

202

Impressive!!

your training is always fun and informative to read…(and motivating!!!)

203

question about knee-stability

i almost always start my leg days with leg curls/leg exts and as of late i have been feeling a little “loose” in the left knee…

i was thinking about just doing compounds for a while… what do you think?

204

[quote]MAF14 wrote:
question about knee-stability

i almost always start my leg days with leg curls/leg exts and as of late i have been feeling a little “loose” in the left knee…

i was thinking about just doing compounds for a while… what do you think?[/quote]

That’s exactly how I was feeling the last couple of weeks. Usually I’m all about pre-exhausting my quads, but the recent 2-3 weeks of just compound work (hacks, leg press, front squats) was a great change of pace, and actually when I went back to my old workout last night (extensions, leg press, front squats), everything felt stable and 100%.

I’ve also been spending a good 15 mins doing foam rolling lately on leg days, as well as days I do intervals (real focus on outer quads, upper quads, gluteal area, and lower back). Also, a few knee sleeves and braces have made me just feel better by keeping the area warm throughout my sessions.

S

205

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]MAF14 wrote:
question about knee-stability

i almost always start my leg days with leg curls/leg exts and as of late i have been feeling a little “loose” in the left knee…

i was thinking about just doing compounds for a while… what do you think?[/quote]

That’s exactly how I was feeling the last couple of weeks. Usually I’m all about pre-exhausting my quads, but the recent 2-3 weeks of just compound work (hacks, leg press, front squats) was a great change of pace, and actually when I went back to my old workout last night (extensions, leg press, front squats), everything felt stable and 100%.

I’ve also been spending a good 15 mins doing foam rolling lately on leg days, as well as days I do intervals (real focus on outer quads, upper quads, gluteal area, and lower back). Also, a few knee sleeves and braces have made me just feel better by keeping the area warm throughout my sessions.

S[/quote]

damn, foam rolling KILLS me… way too boring but i guess i have to man-up. hopefully no pre fatiguing will do the trick

206

Here you guys go!

S

207

Looking great Stu. Very impressive progress, especially in the last couple of weeks. It seems that 5-7 weeks out time period brings a lot more significant changes, even as subtle as they sometimes seem…drives you nuts :slight_smile:

I was wondering, when you had a second, if you wouldn’t mind commenting on how you “handle cheat meals” around that 4-6 week out mark.

I’m referring to ONE isolated meal per week (or a couple if “needed”), in which you eat whatever you want for one meal.

What’s your general approach to this? Do you allow yourself to have one, within a few weeks of your show or is it a matter of a state of mind at that point, in which you “don’t want to mess” with where you’re currently at, at that particular time?

Think one all out, no holds barred meal can set you back, that close to the show?

Thanks for your time big guy. Keep kicking ass!

208

Stu,
how often do you go to failure?

209

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Looking great Stu. Very impressive progress, especially in the last couple of weeks. It seems that 5-7 weeks out time period brings a lot more significant changes, even as subtle as they sometimes seem…drives you nuts :slight_smile:

I was wondering, when you had a second, if you wouldn’t mind commenting on how you “handle cheat meals” around that 4-6 week out mark.

I’m referring to ONE isolated meal per week (or a couple if “needed”), in which you eat whatever you want for one meal.

What’s your general approach to this? Do you allow yourself to have one, within a few weeks of your show or is it a matter of a state of mind at that point, in which you “don’t want to mess” with where you’re currently at, at that particular time?

Think one all out, no holds barred meal can set you back, that close to the show?

Thanks for your time big guy. Keep kicking ass![/quote]

Thanks brother. It is always cool as you get closer to a contest and the physical changes become apparent on a day to day basis. The sobering part is when the average gym-goers tell me how shredded I already am and question I can possibly still lose another 10 lbs. Usually I try to avoid ‘getting into it’, but in a sport such as this, the standards are well beyond what the average trainer would ever even want to accomplish.

I used to go for the whole ‘cheat meal’ approach when I wasn’t competing, but I’ve found that since getting to know so many natural pro competitors, that they all seem to prefer opting for cleaner sourced refeeds, or as I like to use, simply higher intake days. Even a lot of the athletes who follow the approach often laid out in Beverly Intl newletters, which entails a very high carb feeding one or two evenings a week (like Shelby mentions, utilizing the night feeding to limit the damage you can potentially do) the sources are all very high carb, with little fat, and relatively low protein. Essentially the same thinking I do for my High intake days; High carbs, relatively low fat, and moderate (somewhat lower than normal) protein.

This isn’t to say that other approaches do not work, but when you notice that almost all, if not all, of the pros you speak with and look up to for constantly nailing their contest conditioning utilize relatively similar approaches, you tend to trust your own approach along the same lines.

I will say though, that the leaner you are, the more you can get away with, especially as a contest gets closer and your metabolism is just speeding along. People also tend to overestimate how much damage they can do in a given amount of time. Imagining how the body stores adipose tissue as nutrients are moving through the body, I always figured that only so much can be put aside considering the constant movement through the digestive tract.

S

210

[quote]tolismann wrote:
Stu,
how often do you go to failure?
[/quote]

These days I don’t usually go to what I’d call failure. Years ago I used to be all about drop sets, rest pause, you name it. As I’ve gotten into my late 30’s (damn I hate admitting that!) I’ve focused more on coming CLOSE to failure, getting quality, growth producing reps within each set, and allowing multiple sets to stimulate the growth response without completely crushing my recovery ability. I think Christian really made a lot of people step back from what they thought they knew when he drew the distinction between stimulating growth and just wearing down your CNS excessively.

S

211

Stu, do you have any secret strategies to lose that last bit? I hit a plateau in my fat loss, so I upped the intensity (higher incline) on my FMC, and I’ve also lowered kcals. I also added HOT-ROX, which is great. I take 1-2 pills before my FMC. Should I also take a dose before hitting the old weights?

I know that there are no secrets, but once you hit a certain point, it’s a tough game lol! Looking strong BTW!

212

Stu, your thread is GOLD! Love the videos. It’s always a real boost in motivation to see you train, really.
Enjoy that time of the prep. 4-5 weeks out is usually the best time. That’s when you can see improvements on an almost daily basis and you are still sane. In the beginning of a prep, it often feels as nothing would happen and towards the end it just gets very tough and the “fun-factor” gets smaller and smaller.
Looking forward to your next update.
Cheers, PA

213

I’m loving the videos, Stu! Are you planning on getting any more? I’d like to see how you train legs and back.

214

Thanks for the thoughtful response Stu, very much appreciated.

Yes, I agree with you 100% and it’s basically been the way I’ve approached it as well.

Now that I think about it, I think I was just looking for an excuse to pig out for a meal :slight_smile:

Keep hitting hard and have faith you’ll come in as planned…a futuristic cybergenic organism, sent back in time to…dominate the competition!

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Looking great Stu. Very impressive progress, especially in the last couple of weeks. It seems that 5-7 weeks out time period brings a lot more significant changes, even as subtle as they sometimes seem…drives you nuts :slight_smile:

I was wondering, when you had a second, if you wouldn’t mind commenting on how you “handle cheat meals” around that 4-6 week out mark.

I’m referring to ONE isolated meal per week (or a couple if “needed”), in which you eat whatever you want for one meal.

What’s your general approach to this? Do you allow yourself to have one, within a few weeks of your show or is it a matter of a state of mind at that point, in which you “don’t want to mess” with where you’re currently at, at that particular time?

Think one all out, no holds barred meal can set you back, that close to the show?

Thanks for your time big guy. Keep kicking ass![/quote]

Thanks brother. It is always cool as you get closer to a contest and the physical changes become apparent on a day to day basis. The sobering part is when the average gym-goers tell me how shredded I already am and question I can possibly still lose another 10 lbs. Usually I try to avoid ‘getting into it’, but in a sport such as this, the standards are well beyond what the average trainer would ever even want to accomplish.

I used to go for the whole ‘cheat meal’ approach when I wasn’t competing, but I’ve found that since getting to know so many natural pro competitors, that they all seem to prefer opting for cleaner sourced refeeds, or as I like to use, simply higher intake days. Even a lot of the athletes who follow the approach often laid out in Beverly Intl newletters, which entails a very high carb feeding one or two evenings a week (like Shelby mentions, utilizing the night feeding to limit the damage you can potentially do) the sources are all very high carb, with little fat, and relatively low protein. Essentially the same thinking I do for my High intake days; High carbs, relatively low fat, and moderate (somewhat lower than normal) protein.

This isn’t to say that other approaches do not work, but when you notice that almost all, if not all, of the pros you speak with and look up to for constantly nailing their contest conditioning utilize relatively similar approaches, you tend to trust your own approach along the same lines.

I will say though, that the leaner you are, the more you can get away with, especially as a contest gets closer and your metabolism is just speeding along. People also tend to overestimate how much damage they can do in a given amount of time. Imagining how the body stores adipose tissue as nutrients are moving through the body, I always figured that only so much can be put aside considering the constant movement through the digestive tract.

S[/quote]

215

[quote]hlss09 wrote:
Stu, do you have any secret strategies to lose that last bit? I hit a plateau in my fat loss, so I upped the intensity (higher incline) on my FMC, and I’ve also lowered kcals. I also added HOT-ROX, which is great. I take 1-2 pills before my FMC. Should I also take a dose before hitting the old weights?

I know that there are no secrets, but once you hit a certain point, it’s a tough game lol! Looking strong BTW![/quote]

Lol, well, there aren’t really any secrets, it’s merely a matter of staying one step ahead of your body’s natural tendency to adapt. Getting ripped is a game of juggling, making alterations to diet, cardio, training, and to a much lesser degree supplements. I’ve worked with competitors who we were able to really screw with their macros and avoid most cardio work, and I’ve worked with competitors who we had to really dig in with the cardio for fear of cutting numbers excessively. I wish I could give you a “this will definitely work” type answer, but it doesn’t work that way. Even in my own prep, what I’m doing this year isn’t the same as last year, and last year wasn’t the same as the year before. The human body is in a constant state of flux, and that’s why a good contest prep coach or even personal trainer can be invaluable.

S

216

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
…a futuristic cybergenic organism, sent back in time to…dominate the competition!
[/quote]

Lmao - Wow, You know I get more Terminator references, guess that’s what I get for starting my posing routines looking like I was just sent back by the Resistance :slight_smile:

S

217

Loving the vids man, motivating as hell!

218

great videoz,Stu!
thanx (as usual) also for shortned ROM V handle pulldownz tip ,
did last week; used same load (all machine stack) but - stangely:-) doms have been deeper,this week I reduced the amount of back sets as I shortned the rom also on neutral pulldownz,
thanx again.

Mike

219

Well, I started this week (4 weeks out) at 179.6 lbs. Hopefully I won’t completely kill myself for the first show, and will look even better at the second (5 weeks later). Like ParagonA mentioned, at this point you can really see changes every few days, which really is a huge motivational boost when you’re starting to drag ass. I’ll do my best to keep the videos coming. I can’t always grab someone to film, so we’ll see what we can get.

My brother is doing his first show this Saturday, so I’ll be backstage making sure everything is on point, while still grabbing my own training between prejudging and the night show, and eating out of my cooler while he will be enjoying a post-show binge. Despite his setback with the injured wing, I’m sure his conditioning will make him (and friends, family et at) proud. I’ll update on that when I can as well.

S

220

The videos are great, it’s nice to see what you do in your workout. Your calves are looking bigger.

I’ve recently added incline BB back into my chest days and have been loving it.