Stu, I’m curious how much do you spend per month on supplements? I’d love to use all Biotest supps, but that would break my bank and my wife would kill me. I’m 38 too and i can relate to you sentiments here on the supps helping especially the fish oil supps
Wow, Stu I am reading through your 2010 contest run and I have to say its a fantastic thread chock full of info. If anyone is interested in competing (or just getting freaky lean) I cant recommend that thread highly enough. I hadn’t paid much attention to it as I didnt have a thirst for competing at the time, but now that I’m considering it more heavily I went back and wow, its a really good read.
Stu, could you comment on what you think of HRX. I’m nearing the end of my diet here, and honestly if it would spare a few pounds of muscle loss or/and add in a little bit of fat loss I’ll pay 50 bones for a bottle.
[quote]jmogill1 wrote:
This is some great stuff stu. Been following you on and off throughout your preps and even mentioned a while ago how much motivation your logs have been contributing to getting involved in the sport.
Looking hard!.. despite the lack of color lol. I can definitely relate to the fair skin-tone though and always look forward to the super dramatic change in overall conditioning (on top of the last few weeks of dieting) once the tan comes on! Looking forward to seeing your progress these last few weeks.
I noticed you use Meltdown now, instead of the Lipo 6 I may recall you’ve used in previous preps. Right? Have you noticed a difference between the two? I just received my bottle of Meltdown and making the same transition, the reason I ask.[/quote]
Thanks man, always cool to hear that others appreciate my taking the time to share as much of my experience as I can on the 'Nation.
Yes, I’ve have used Meltdown during my preps. While I tried Lipo6, it was a long while back, so I can’t really compare the two very well now. Still, Meltdown has been the only ‘burner’ besides HR that I actually could feel ‘something’ from taking it. Back when all you could rely on was straight ephedrine or Ripped Fuel (for the decent ephedra content), I grew pretty unaffected by it after a while (I’d pop a couple of tabs with an aspirin, a No-Doze and a diet coke before Hockey Games back in college -lol).
My training partner is always up on all the ‘latest’ stuff in terms of training theories, nutritional research, and supplements, so when he tried and liked the product, and I found a “buy 2 get 1 free” special online, I figured it was a good time to see for myself.
Just remember that any ‘fat burner’ is just icing on the cake. You still have to have your training and diet squared away, or nothing is going to magically happen. The best explanation of the benefit provided, IMO, was when someone asked Jim Cordova a couple of years ago if Hydroxycut really works. Jim’s answer (and Jim is a very intelligent, humble, and diplomatic guy) was that while a good fat burner will help you get your ass off the couch and to the gym, you’re still going to have to put in the work (I’m paraphrasing of course).
S
[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
Stu, could you comment on what you think of HRX. I’m nearing the end of my diet here, and honestly if it would spare a few pounds of muscle loss or/and add in a little bit of fat loss I’ll pay 50 bones for a bottle.
[/quote]
I just answered a question about another fat burner, but in case anyone doesn’t know, I had to stop using HR a couple of years ago is because of one particular natural BBing federation’s list of “banned” substances. The reason I loved HR, wasn’t because of any super-incredible fat mobilizing properties that made me wake up 2 lbs lighter each morning, it was because even when dieting, I never seemed to lose muscle mass. According to my gym buddies as well as my mirror, I even appeared to have made actual GAINS in LBM while on a caloric deficit.
I know it sounds nuts, and my diet was nowhere near as strict and well thought out as it is these days, but when you’re looking for that next amazing supplement, and you’re conscious of every dollar you spend, you really do scrutinize your results. If your diet’s locked down where it should be, your training is hard and heavy, and your cardio is where you need it to be to keep the extra cal burn as well as OPEC, then this would certainly be a worthwhile addition at this point.
S
[quote]mschnars wrote:
Stu, I’m curious how much do you spend per month on supplements? I’d love to use all Biotest supps, but that would break my bank and my wife would kill me. I’m 38 too and i can relate to you sentiments here on the supps helping especially the fish oil supps[/quote]
Lol, tell me about it, when I look at my supplement ‘lineup’, I question how I went from some idiot kid buying a 10 lb Bag of Weider’s MEGA-MASS 2000 each month to this point. My basic rationalization is that after my first contest, when I basically shocked everyone as a first time competitor (if you forgot, I won the Novice Heavyweight class, won the Novice OVERALL, won the Masters 35+, and took 3rd in the Open - to two guys who were Pros in a different Federation!), my girlfriend and I adopted a “let’s see how far I can take this” attitude.
Obviously with age and wear and tear as an issue, certain supplement choices can’t be ignored (curcumin, Flameout etc), but as far as the others, unless you’re seriously trying to compete, or really push yourself to the highest level you can, you can still make smart choices and get great results without blowing your children’s college funds.
Of course being the gym-junkie I am, I do plan on keeping up as much as I can, for as long as I can! 
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
[quote]E99_Curt wrote:
that exercise youre doing around the 3 minute mark of the latest vid is pretty badass. also super impressed with your tri’s. they seem to be noticeably bigger every time i stop in here.[/quote]
Thanks, I’ve been trying to avoid stiff leg deads for fear of re-tweeking my lower back, which gets a bit temperamental when my bodyfat gets really low. This leaves me rotating seated ham curls, laying or single leg ham curls, walking lunges, and what you see me doing in the video - essentially a glute-ham raises which hurts like hell, especially should you choose to do it at the end of your sessions like I do
Really? My tris? In this video? I always feel, and appear noticeably smaller in the torso when I train legs. Once the blood starts heading below the waist (wait, that sounded bad -lol) I can’t even get a good pump in my arms or torso. That’s actually why you’ll always see me covered up on leg days, otherwise it really screws with my head, making me think I’ve wasted away even more than I already have.
[quote]
could you comment on your daily macros and supplements? i saw a few pages ago that you’ve been taking Alpha Male and mineral support. specifically, what have you been taking the hour before through the hour after training, and what other “health” type supplements are you taking for recovery? rhodiola? curcumin? superfood?[/quote]
At this point, 3 weeks out from first show, I’m averaging (my baseline, or ‘medium’ days) 2500-2600 cals, about 200-225g carbs, somewhere around 250-300g prot, and I’d guesstimate about 75-90g of fats per day.
Here’s a rundown of my current supplement schedule:
-Wake up: A Thermongenic, 5g BCAAs
-After Walking Dog: Receptormaxx
-After morning Cardio/Before Breakfast: AlphaMale
-Throughout my work day: Curcumin and Flameout with meals, Receptormax 20 mins before lunch
-After Work: A Thermogenic (Meltdown), 2 cap fulls of Alpha GPC, and some Alpha Male.
-After walking my pup:Mix up my Anaconda/MAG-10 and let sit in the fridge for about an hour.
-30 mins Later:Receptormax
-10 mins Later:3 Finibars
-Peri-Workout: Anaconda/MAG-10
-Before Leaving Gym: Receptormax (about 20-30 mins before ‘dinner’)
-About 20 mins pre-bed: Mineral Support, 2 CLA Capsules
Without the combo of Curcumin and Flameout I doubt I would be able to continue to train with the intensity I do. My joints have taken one hell of a beating over the years (I’ll be 38 this Thursday, and I started training shortly before my 20th Birthday,… so that’s a hell of a run so far!) and I need to take some care as well as precautions if I want to continue pushing the envelop.
I’ve never tried Superfood, but might see how it affects me after the stresses of multiple contest preps, especially as I’ve certainly been seeing benefits of using supplements more as I both get older and try to push myself into higher competitive arenas.
S[/quote]
the tri’s comment was in reference to the 4/28 back/bi video since you have sleeves on in the leg workout… although i’m sure they don’t need to be hidden as you suggest.
thanks for taking the time to answer all our questions. it is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the answer on that V-grip pulldown Stu. As Lonnie pointed out your 2010 contest prep thread, I’m going to dive into that as well- thanks for all of this
your thoughts on de-loading while in a deficit/while cutting?
In my usual efforts of letting you guys know my thoughts as I do this…
The last two weeks my body seems to be stuck around 179 - 180. Although the scale hasn’t moved, I feel, and look damn tight, my strength levels are where they should be, and although I haven’t adjusted my calories I have extended my morning steady state as well as added small bouts as after my weight sessions. If I recall correctly, I experienced a similar sticking point last Spring at around the same weight.
The two options here are to bump my macros up a bit in attempt to ‘unstick’ my progress (always a scary thought to actually raise numbers), or dig in deeper, bottom out my macros and hit as much cardio as I can. Of course what I need to be reminded of (as my buddy Corey put it so nicely at the gym), is that with a second contest coming up in June, the first one, whether it be the Mr. America, or the Mr. Stu’s Apartment, has to be viewed with some attitude of being a ‘warmup’ show.
With this attitude in mind, my most likely plan of action will be to ride out the numbers I’m currently following, not obsess about the scale, and expect the Post contest binge (Saturday night and all day Sunday) to reset everything for the following 5 week lead up to the second show.
Hopefully I will have a good showing regardless of what I weigh on game day.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
[quote]jmogill1 wrote:
This is some great stuff stu. Been following you on and off throughout your preps and even mentioned a while ago how much motivation your logs have been contributing to getting involved in the sport.
Looking hard!.. despite the lack of color lol. I can definitely relate to the fair skin-tone though and always look forward to the super dramatic change in overall conditioning (on top of the last few weeks of dieting) once the tan comes on! Looking forward to seeing your progress these last few weeks.
I noticed you use Meltdown now, instead of the Lipo 6 I may recall you’ve used in previous preps. Right? Have you noticed a difference between the two? I just received my bottle of Meltdown and making the same transition, the reason I ask.[/quote]
Thanks man, always cool to hear that others appreciate my taking the time to share as much of my experience as I can on the 'Nation.
Yes, I’ve have used Meltdown during my preps. While I tried Lipo6, it was a long while back, so I can’t really compare the two very well now. Still, Meltdown has been the only ‘burner’ besides HR that I actually could feel ‘something’ from taking it. Back when all you could rely on was straight ephedrine or Ripped Fuel (for the decent ephedra content), I grew pretty unaffected by it after a while (I’d pop a couple of tabs with an aspirin, a No-Doze and a diet coke before Hockey Games back in college -lol).
My training partner is always up on all the ‘latest’ stuff in terms of training theories, nutritional research, and supplements, so when he tried and liked the product, and I found a “buy 2 get 1 free” special online, I figured it was a good time to see for myself.
Just remember that any ‘fat burner’ is just icing on the cake. You still have to have your training and diet squared away, or nothing is going to magically happen. The best explanation of the benefit provided, IMO, was when someone asked Jim Cordova a couple of years ago if Hydroxycut really works. Jim’s answer (and Jim is a very intelligent, humble, and diplomatic guy) was that while a good fat burner will help you get your ass off the couch and to the gym, you’re still going to have to put in the work (I’m paraphrasing of course).
S
[/quote]
Agreed. My expectations for a good thermogenic are mainly geared towards boosting energy and dipping hunger. Although, I’m fairly sensitive to stimulants and during a contest prep, I cycle (2 weeks on and 1 week off). The week off is usually pretty bad for me with withdrawals and low energy levels. Come closer to a show I’d like my energy levels to be stable so that I can consistently push hard in the gym (and enjoy it), rather than having to drag through sessions. During a prep, do you consistently dose with a thermogenic throughout each week? Do you take any days completely off to give the adrenals a break?
[quote]MAF14 wrote:
your thoughts on de-loading while in a deficit/while cutting?[/quote]
While I don’t consciously ‘de-load’, there will always be some days, especially as your body runs out of fat, when you just feel the need to back off a bit. While we don’t realize how many calories we actually burn just performing our weight sessions, we usually just focus on the effect they have on triggering growth responses. Of course you don’t need to power through marathon workouts when on a caloric deficit.
The goal when cutting is to remind your body to retain your LBM, and there is a point where, depending on the specifics of you diet, cardio and other variables, that you’re doing more than you really need to be. I’ve known a few competitors who actually reduce their training volume when cutting, instead fully relying on cals and cardio to strip away the fat. Others have grown so accustomed to the cals spent during their workouts, that they would have to reduce their intake even more should they cut back (or simply out of fear of muscle loss!)
S
Hey Stu!
Just wanted to say that I wish you the best of luck. The first thing I do when I get on a computer is go to this thread to see what priceless piece of information you have to say. You are an inspiration to all of the T-members here.
Hey Stu, just wanted to say that your threads have been HUGE for me the last few weeks (taken me a while to catch up on all your stuff). I’m currently dieted to get into contest shape as well, not actually competing but I’ve been lifting for 7 years and haven’t gotten really lean since the Precision Nutrition contest I did back in '07.
I’m thinking I may actually look into competing, or at least scheduling in periods of rigorous dieting for 12-14 weeks every year to keep focused and stay lean. I’m not interested in getting big/soft any more at this point in my lifting career, and I think the frequency of the diets can help you get better at it every time, and make the process more efficient.
In any event, I just wanted to say reading your diet and training stuff has given me some great ideas and I’ve actually started incorporating a few more carbs peri-workout to what appears to be no detriment to my cutting (I’ve only ever done super low carb with intermittent refeeds to get lean (Berardi’s Get Shredded Diet), so I was afraid of adding them in… Not any more)
Your Carb rotation and Cardio schedule really opened my eyes as to how many carbs you could eat per day and how little cardio you need to do and still get into freaky condition.
Can’t wait to see how your contest goes this year
Wow,… so I’ve been so careful about not irritating my old lower back injury (which usually goes out right before a show), that ironically last night I actually pulled/strained something in my abdominal area. I had already completed cross bench leg raises, and several sets of weighted Russian twists on a decline, when I felt a slight tug. I didn’t think it was a big deal, but figured I’d skip my usual decline crunches afterward just to be safe.
Upon completing just one set of hyperextensions, I found my midsection aching, although not in any sense that I could pinpoint a localized pain sensation. I wasn’t sure if I felt like I was nauseous, or had actually suffered a debilitating injury and was going into shock (your mind races in times like this -lol). After standing hunched over the hyper-machine for about 5 minutes, I slowly walked over the the recumbent bikes, thinking that as long as I got my cardio in for the day, an extra abs/lower back session isn’t going to determine my ultimate placing in the show, and I’ll feel that I hadn’t lost ground.
Well lucky me, I couldn’t even peddle the damn bike without hunching over. I waited until the pain subsided and very slowly walked home. As I hadn’t had much to eat by this point of the day (Low cal/carb day), I figured I’d just keep everything as low as I could, take it easy and go to bed early. This morning, I didn’t feel too bad, definitely not 100%, but certainly not ‘injured’. I carefully went through a few poses, as I already had horrible fears of seriously embarrassing myself on the 21st.
In the poorly lit morning hours, in my small apartment bedroom, I must say that I didn’t look too bad. Of course I’m not sure how much the light coming through the windows augmented my condition, but I’d like to think that taking one day off from training isn’t going to kill me, and hopefully may actually help out a bit.
JMOGILL1- I don’t start my preps using Thermos, only about halfway do I start them, and always initially just one in the morning, then after a couple of weeks, an additional one before lunch, and then eventually, a third one before my training session in the late afternoon. The last week before a contest though I will skip them altogether. I figure my body is getting so beaten up by the carb depletion and glycogen depletion workouts that I don’t need any extra stimulation for fear of not being able to ‘bounce back’ in time for a Saturday show.
STRAIGHTEDGE- Thanks man, I really do appreciate hearing things like this. I can’t always get on here as much as I’d like, but as my initial intentions were to make myself accountable when competing, now, I’d feel like I let you guys down if I don’t place well -lol
LONNIE123- Very cool, I actually checked your pics, and you’re looking very impressive. Glad you could learn from my experiences, as I have certainly learned from those who went before me! Hopefully I’ll do well as both shows I’m doing, but if I were a betting man, I’d definitely put my money on the second one, my body seems to be putting up one hell of a fight this year.
S
Stu, one more quick question:
I know you train on the 6 day rotation, do you cycle your diet on a 3 day rotation with the low days falling on the Cardio/Abs day? I think it was Medium ~> High ~> Low then repeat, is that right?
[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
Stu, one more quick question:
I know you train on the 6 day rotation, do you cycle your diet on a 3 day rotation with the low days falling on the Cardio/Abs day? I think it was Medium ~> High ~> Low then repeat, is that right?[/quote]
MEDIUM - Chest/Calves
MEDIUM - Back/Bis
LOW - Abs/Cardio
MEDIUM - Delts/Tris
HIGH - Legs
LOW - Abs/Cardio
S
Question, what do you do for your body hair? Do you use Nair, or shave it?
Alright Stu, back with 2 more (Thanks again for being so informative, hope I can pay it forward one day)
1 - Does your “off season” training/diet keep the 6 day rotation, or do you have a different split during that time of the year?
2 - What formulas did you use to calculate your cals/carbs for the days?
[quote]enrac wrote:
Question, what do you do for your body hair? Do you use Nair, or shave it?[/quote]
For a contest I have to actually go in with a razor. Nair never seemed to do much more than irritate my skin and get some hair off, but never worked well enough to repeat attempts. My usual plan is a full body shave on the Thursday night before a Friday show. This is usually close enough that I can apply pro-Tan on Friday without suffering ridiculous skin breakouts.
S