Mighty's Contest Updates & Q&A Thread

Training
701

Ugh,… well, for the last few weeks, what I thought was a little muscle tear/strain in my neck/left trap just doesn’t seem to be healing too well. Actually, twice now I’ve re-irritated it while washing my hair in the damn shower! (I know, I know -lol) It’s certainly putting a crimp on my delts, traps and back training, and I even had a bit of a struggle with some bicep work this past weekend as it hurt just stabilizing my left arm during various exercises.

Hopefully, while it may limit actual progress in those areas, it won’t really cause me to loss much. I’m still able to hit legs and chest hard, which is good as I’ve always viewed them, particularly my legs, as weak areas.

On a side note, I finally got the MP4 Copies of last June’s show where I nabbed my WNBF Card, so I’ll edit it down a bit and get it up here. A little late, but it’s still a good view :slight_smile:

S

702

Finally got the video from my WNBF Card win (June 25,2011) edited, converted to mp4 and uploaded, so pretty late, (and far from HD quality, not too happy about the camera guy they hired) but nonetheless :slight_smile:

S

703

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Finally got the video from my WNBF Card win (June 25,2011) edited, converted to mp4 and uploaded, so pretty late, (and far from HD quality, not too happy about the camera guy they hired) but nonetheless :slight_smile:

S[/quote]

Vid quality isn’t the best but from what I was able to see/makeout, it looks like you had the best conditioning of the bunch and your most muscular killed it! Good job and thanks for sharing the vid!

704

Interesting bit of information I wanted to share. When I won my WNBF card last Spring, I beat a very, very good bodybuilder who I truly believed, right up until the final announcement, would win our class. Since then, he’s won his Open WNBF Pro Card (already had a masters pro card), won his class in his first Master’s Pro show, and just this past weekend, took 2nd place in the Open Pro Lightweight class at the WNBF Worlds Contest (the federation’s biggest Pro show of the year).

I’m not sharing this to toot my own horn and say “yeah, but I beat him”, I want to give props for the insane improvements he has made. Seeing pics of how great he looked when he won his open pro card a few months back, I doubt I could have beaten that level of overall size and conditioning if he had brought it back in June at the Hercules.

After prejudging this past weekend, I got to chat with him and was able to compliments the adjustments he had made to not only his physique, but his posing. Totally humble, he informed me how he had read an article I wrote on shoulder training which helped him alter his own training. He had also adopted a few of my own posing habits in order to best present his own physique in a more balanced manner on stage. I have so much respect for this guy, and I’d like to think the feelings are mutual. It just gives me a good feeling that you can go head to head with someone onstage, and then pal around and learn from them afterward.

…and yes, it does make me sweat a bit that I feel the pressure to step up my game again. The Middleweight Pros at the Worlds were some of the scariest comeptitors I’ve ever seen! I was very happy to be in the audience -lol

S

705

Thats awesome Stu. I read quite a bit that BBing contests are full of negativity and BS instead of the camaraderie that should be present. I mean hell, competitive body builders are part of SUCH a small club, and are really the only other people on the planet that understand what you have to go through to get to that stage… It seems like the last thing you would want to do is have a shitty day because you let someones quad sweep upset you.

706

That’s the cool thing, as there’s no real money to be made in Natural bodybuilding (similar to ye ol’ days of the IFBB -lol), there’s a bit more camaraderie amongst the competitors. Besides, you see the same folks at the shows you do, sometimes you may beat them, sometimes they may be you, it’s part of the game. Especially I might add, at the Pro level. It’s such an accomplishment just to reach that degree of competition, that you’re reminded of the Academy Award line of “It’s just an honor to be nominated.”

When I first competed in the INBF after achieving Pro status in the USBF I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or bad idea, but upon winning my WNBF (The Pro division of the INBF) Pro card so quickly, I found that a few of the ‘name’ WNBF Pros either sought me out and friend-added me on Facebook, or sent congratulatory emails on my recent win. A very nice “welcome to the club” sort of feeling indeed.

S

707

no offense to the competitors, and IMHO (which isnt much)… toot the shit out of your own horn… none of them, except maybe#5, could hold a candle to you. you killed it

708

The last week or so, my left elbow, which was giving me tons of problems last fall (2010), has been acting up a bit. I’m not sure if it’s just the stress from all the things I’m juggling in my regular life, the fact that I’m training with a pretty decent frequency, my aging joints, or just a combination of all three factors, but it’s been uncomfortable to say the least. While I have been able to keep my pressing work fairly heavy (I avoid lockouts), I was a bit hesitant to do my usual DB french presses (or skull crushers) because of the extreme stress on the tricep attachment. What I ended up doing, in one of the rare moments at my gym where I was able to get the piece of equipment that I actually wanted, was a series of 3 variations of pressdowns that torched the hell out of my arms. I honestly can’t recall the last time my arms were this sore the day after (not that soreness indicates growth, but it’s like an old friend I haven’t seen in a while -lol).

-Rope pressdowns - very strict, very slow negatives, hard squeeze
-Overhead rope extensions - same approach
-V-Grip pressdowns - I angled my body to simulate more of a close grip bench press with these

This allowed me to start with an isolation movement in order to warm everything up, followed by a deep stretch, something I think is very important for hypertrophy, and lastly, more of a compound motion to take advantage of a pre-exhaust effect. Definitely something I’m going to repeat in future sessions.

S

709

random note. Many people seem to be having tight and strained muscle issues, being that it all seemed to have come in the winter I think it might be best to turn the heat up a little higher while your sleep. Our bodies seem to tense up when we haven’t adjusted to the winter. That and more of a warm up when working out. That’s just my take.

710

^Certainly a smart take. Us ‘iron warriors’ always seem to think we’re invulnerable until an injury suddenly pops up, seemingly from nowhere. I realize that my own warmups have become a bit more complicated, and require a bit more time than years past when I’d walk into the gym and start throwing heavy weights from the get go.

I’m actually hoping that with my 20 min walk to the gym, that I’ve got my blood already pumping a bit before I even start with the stretching and foam rolling. Still, it’s always a conscious effort of my part, getting to train later than I’d like to each night, and really not wanting to spend any more time than is actually required to get the ‘job’ done. That’s the real mental challenge some days.

S

711

Stu- just watched the vid. that guy had you guys doing turn to your right turn to your right turn to you right forrrrrr aaa lllooonnngg timme before the mandatories.

also he’d have you on a side pose or rear and say…o.k. relax, then nearly instantly call out another pose, seemed not quite right.

very good transitions despite the random nature of the call outs, side chest and MM were killer as was the front lat spread.

learning how to quarter turn and hit each shot from each side is tough, need practice here, getting the spacing to look as it does from your better side seems like it takes hrs of practice.

be well.

712

[quote]cyruseven75 wrote:
Stu- just watched the vid. that guy had you guys doing turn to your right turn to your right turn to you right forrrrrr aaa lllooonnngg timme before the mandatories.

also he’d have you on a side pose or rear and say…o.k. relax, then nearly instantly call out another pose, seemed not quite right.

very good transitions despite the random nature of the call outs, side chest and MM were killer as was the front lat spread.

learning how to quarter turn and hit each shot from each side is tough, need practice here, getting the spacing to look as it does from your better side seems like it takes hrs of practice.

be well.[/quote]

Yeah, sometimes the ‘prejudging’ can seriously drag on. Of course any competitor would prefer that the judges actually take their time and give everyone a good looking over. With the quarter-turns, you have to realize that those are the real first impressions given of each bodybuilder’s overall size and balance, and usually determines who is going to get more closely looked at once the ‘mandatory’ poses are called (lat spread, front biceps, side chest etc).

When I had the opportunity to chat with and get posing advice from Rich Gaspari back in '09, he said that just based on the quarter turns, the judges already know who the top 5 (top 3?) finishers are going to be.

As far as instructing everyone to ‘relax’ after each pose, only to quickly call the next one,… well, you never really get any time to actually relax up there -lol. It’s just their way to saying that you don’t have to hold that specific (uncomfortable) pose any longer.

Most people greatly underestimate how much of a physical effort going through contest judging really is. For my first show, I entered in three different categories, and I truly thought I was going to pass out before everything was over. For as much as I do practice my posing leading up to a contest, I still never feel like I’m as fully prepared as I think I could be (and I usually get compliments on my posing, so go figure!)

With most gym rats, it’s common to hit the occassional ‘pose’ to check yourself out in the mirror, but people always do it with their dominant (better) side. Having to suddenly display what you already know to be your weaker points as well as your strong ones is certainly a challenge, especially for the newer competitor.

S

713

Stu,

Re-Watched some of your training videos you had put up. THose were great you should do some more of those. Always great to see what a PRO is doing. Hope the offseason keeps going well and that injury doesnt stick around

714

“Winner winner, chicken dinner!”

Haha great stuff, Stu!

715

[quote]ryanbCXG wrote:
Stu,

Re-Watched some of your training videos you had put up. THose were great you should do some more of those. Always great to see what a PRO is doing. Hope the offseason keeps going well and that injury doesnt stick around[/quote]

Thanks Ryan. Once I start getting into actual contest prep mode (eyeing a WNBF Pro show the first week in June), I’ll probably see what I can grab video wise. During the week it’s difficult with my current training situation (no training partner, crappy overcrowded gym, always feeling rushed), but I’m sure I can get my brother to catch the ocassional training session when I train with him on weekends.

A few injuries certainly seem to be reluctant to fully subside these days, but as always, you do your best to keep them in check, and work around them as best as you can. I keep reminding myself that I was seriously considering not competing in 2011 because of a few injuries in Late 2010. Luckily I pushed through, and had a pretty good season. As long as I can keep making progress (without age and injuries becoming issues), and as long as this is still fun (and doesn’t interfere with my ‘real’ life -lol), I plan to keep stepping onstage :slight_smile:

S

716

Stu, just wanted to drop in a tell you that I’ve decided to compete in April at the IFBB Amateur Grand Prix out here in Cali, due in LARGE part to the threads you have created and the inspiration that they have given me. I’ll do my best, try and do you proud, and represent T-Nation well. I’ve got some pretty big faults in my physique(Back and Arms mainly), but I am working on them and hopefully this first show sets the stage for years to come. Thanks for all you do here on the boards.

717

Great work ethic.
Great attitude.

The sport needs more like you.

718

Stu how heavy are you planning to get this offseason? Are there any specific bodyparts you are trying to improve and if so how do you plan on improving them?

719

[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
Stu, just wanted to drop in a tell you that I’ve decided to compete in April at the IFBB Amateur Grand Prix out here in Cali, due in LARGE part to the threads you have created and the inspiration that they have given me. I’ll do my best, try and do you proud, and represent T-Nation well. I’ve got some pretty big faults in my physique(Back and Arms mainly), but I am working on them and hopefully this first show sets the stage for years to come. Thanks for all you do here on the boards.[/quote]

Hey! Very cool Lonnie! I know that there were a few competitors that I looked up and drew inspiration from when I first started competing (and I still do even now). Over the last year or so, I’ve come to realize that there are newer (usually younger) guys out there who have followed my own contest history and view me in a similar role. “The circle is now complete” -lol.

Seriously though, you’ve made some tremendous progress and I would concur that it’s definitely a good time to see how you would do contest wise. Sure you may view certain areas as faults, but the entire process of bodybuilding, especially the competitive aspect of it, it to constantly be finding areas to work on.

Believe me, you could ask any of the top guys out there and they’ll rattle off their own problem areas without a second’s thought! Just know that you did everything you could have possibly done during your prep, and words cannot even describe how proud you’re going to feel!

Looking forward to progress updates!

S

720

[quote]Maiden3.16 wrote:
Stu how heavy are you planning to get this offseason? Are there any specific bodyparts you are trying to improve and if so how do you plan on improving them? [/quote]

My initial plan was to stay under 200 like I managed (barely!) last offseason. When I weighed myself about a month ago, I was about 195. On a scale at the gym last week (clothed), I was 202. I figure that if I can stay around 200 lbs, given that I’m going to have a much longer prep time this coming Spring than ever before, that I’m going to be in a very good position to come in slower than I’ve done in the past, hopefully coming in even bigger, and leaner as well.

My target show is the first weekend of June, so buckling down after New Years will give me 25 weeks. I know, seriously a lot of time. In the past, I would always give myself 16 weeks leading up to a contest. Then in 2010 and 2011 I did two shows a few weeks apart. Two weeks apart in 2010 and five weeks apart in 2011, which came to an 18 week total prep, and a 21 week total prep. Of course I think the little post-contest binge after the first show made for a better overall package each time when I competed in the second contest a few weeks later.

Objectively, I can look back at the shape I was in this last June, and see that while I was sporting some of the best muscular size in my class, my quads can still be improved upon. Additionally, while my conditioning was certainly some of the best I’ve ever displayed, my hams could have been a bit tighter.

Each contest prep is different from the ones before. Your body changes in terms of how it responds to the little dieting ‘tricks’ you must rely on, your real life schedule can limit and screw up your day to day tasks that a prep calls for, and even mentally, it’s hard to go back to the suffering that you undoubtedly feel on some days. That’s why I’m hoping that the extended process won’t turn out to be the dragging out of an uncomfortable situation. With luck, it will seem more tolerable as I won’t be under the gun and trying to beat the clock as I have occasionally felt in the past.

During my last two offseasons, I have resorted to hitting my legs twice each 6 day rotation in an effort to bring them up. (In case anyone forgot, my quads lag a bit due to a lower back injury that messed me up pretty good back in 2007, didn’t squat or leg press for about a year or so after.) I considered the same approach this time, but instead realized that while my legs have much more potential in them, my upper body may actually be closer to its limit in terms of how much mass my skeletal structure can carry.

That’s not to say that I’m not going to not put size on there, merely that the rate it can happen will be much slower than it may be with my legs. As such, I decided to keep my usual 4 day rotation, banking on adding size to my legs, while improving the dense (muscle maturity) look in my torso and arms (and hopefully adding a bit of more size as well!)

My split has been a very simple one:
1-Chest/Calves
2-Back/Bis
3-Delts/Traps/Tris
4-Legs

As my new gym doesn’t have a lot of the equipment I had grown found of using (hack squats, seated leg curl machine…), my quad training has been focused on 4 basic movements: Extensions, Front squats, Leg Press, and walking DB lunges. I always keep some type of pre-exhaust approach in there otherwise my glutes take a lot of the work, and my lower back starts to act up (I can move a lot of weight, but I always regret it the day after -lol).

With the squats and presses, I focus on explosive concentrics, always limiting myself to the bottom 2/3s of the ROM, and really milking the eccentrics. When I do the walking lunges, I’m not really trying to hit my hams like most people do. I focus more on replicating a sort of one-leg squat motion, which I really feel in my upper quads, a weak point of mine in the past. Doing these right after front squats are an absolute killer, and after a few deep steps with just a pair of 50’s, your legs are shaking.

Hope I touched on everything there!

S