Mighty's Contest Updates & Q&A Thread

Training
61

TRAMP- When I realized that my tricep development was most likely the result of years and years of dips (something that I feel most trainers avoid because, let’s face it, it’s hard), I knew that all the extra pressdown and behind head extensions work in the world wouldn’t bring my lagging left arm back the same way as if I were able to actually duplicate the dipping motion. There was no way I would actually be able to balance myself and do a real one arm dip, but if I could duplicate the motion somehow…

So what I did was go over to the assisted pullup machine, but instead of standing on the ‘support’ bar that people do for pullups, I braced myself with my feet wrapped under a ‘step’, and facing away from the machine, used the support medal as a pressdown with just my left arm pulled back behind me. It was a bit uncomfortable at first, and I did have to use my right hand to keep my torso from moving around, but the bottom line was that I was able to duplicate the motion of a bench-dip unilaterally, and get a damn good pump in the injured arm. I don’t know how accurate the weight is on the machine (I think it goes up to 200, maybe 250 lbs?), but I usually use about 140-160 lbs for a few hard squeezed, slow stretched sets, always following some rope pressdown work to get some blood in there first.

If I can ever get someone to film a few clips of my training, I’ll make certain to get a clip of this for anyone who is curious what’s actually going on -lol.

S

62

So I had this week off from work, and I’ve been just pounding away without having to worry about how long I’m training each evening, a nice change of pace certainly. Anyway, tonight I decided to skip my usual leg extensions as a means of pre-exhausting my quads, and instead did 10 sets of hack squats, followed by 10 sets of front squats… ouch. I’m sure getting out of bed in the morning is going to be one hell of a chore.

S

63

Mother of God, that’s a lot of leg work. Awesome!!

Did you just “feel” it and know you could push yourself hard at this particular workout? I love those days…wish they came along more often!

It seems that “life stress” (work) has been low, so workout stress can be high. No wonder pro bodybuilders, whose only job, is to lift, eat and sleep are so big…just kidding.

Great work Stu. You’re coming down nicely.

BTW…have you felt that incorporating MAG-10 (as well as the fuel and Anaconda) has allowed you to get leaner, while remaining relatively consistent in your scale weight? I have. I really think it makes a difference, even with overall cals being lower.

One of the strategies I’m currently using to cut cals, is to just replace a regular meal with 2 scoops of MAG-10 during the day, which reduces overall calories about 400-500 calories at that particular meal. I have been getting leaner as a result, but my scale weight hasn’t changed a whole lot. I had the initial 7-8 lbs. of “water weight” loss when I started to reduce and control my carb intake in the first week, but have only lost a couple additional pounds since. It’s been just over 2 1/2 weeks since I started to diet. Pretty cool.

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
So I had this week off from work, and I’ve been just pounding away without having to worry about how long I’m training each evening, a nice change of pace certainly. Anyway, tonight I decided to skip my usual leg extensions as a means of pre-exhausting my quads, and instead did 10 sets of hack squats, followed by 10 sets of front squats… ouch. I’m sure getting out of bed in the morning is going to be one hell of a chore.

S[/quote]

64

Stu, you’re my heterosexual hero! Bro high-five!

I love reading anything you write! Keep it coming. What are you eating, and how’s the arm feeling?

65

christmas-tree lower backs are so cool!

66

good job Stu,it’s a pleasure to read you

67

SYNERGY- Thanks for the props bro, I think that no matter how many times a competitor diets down, you always fear that “it’s not gonna work this time” -lol. As I cycle my cals and carbs over a 6 day rotation, I do find my ‘low’ days getting lower as my mental fortitude builds through the prep. While A typical ‘low’ day may start at 2400 cals 16 weeks out, I soon find myself seeing just how much I can suffer through instead, some times coming in anywhere from 1600-1800 cals. It’s on those days that I really find myself subsisting on the Mag10 between what few actual ‘meals’ that I have (usually a chicken breast, or egg whites with lettuce), Similar to what you’ve been doing.

My rationale for the low intake/Mag10 is twofold: 1- suffering the low days allows me to keep the medium and high days more tolerable (I won’t say ‘enjoyable’, but you know how it is), and 2- No matter how much you psyche yourself out, you’re not going to lose any muscle with one day of undereating. You will however freak the hell out of your metabolism when you got back to eating regular levels (diet levels of course) of cals and carbs the next day :slight_smile:

HLSS09- Actually, my arm’s feeling fine. I switched back to incline barbell work two weeks ago, and while keeping the ROM at about 2/3 (never coming close to lockout), I’m pushing myself pretty damn hard and not getting any pain. I am keeping the weight a bit lower than usual (255 for very slow, controlled sets of 8-10 or so), but the muscular stress is there, and I feel pretty good about how I’m starting to look in the mirror.

S

68

[quote]hlss09 wrote:
What are you eating[/quote]

I had started to answer his in my above reply, but had to run out, so…

Dietwise, I know it’s boring as hell, but I really keep my contest prep focused around just a few food choices for convenience of prep/carrying with me, ease of calculating numbers on the fly, and just reducing the risk of messing up something not prepared by myself (you can’t even get veggies at a restaurant without them cooking them in butter, which of course can mess your numbers… not an issue normally, but when in contest mode, I prefer to be as strict as I can be).

My average day looks something like this:
5:30am Egg Whites, Turkey Pepperoni and Veggies (usually peppers n’ onions), and Oatmeal
8:30 Protein Bar
11:00 Chicken Breast, 2 slices of Ezekial Bread (wheat) with sugar free jelly
1:30pm Cup of Cottage Cheese
4:30 FINiBARs
5:00 Anaconda/MAG-10
7:30 Either Chicken, Tilapia, or Egg Whites and some veggies or salad (no carbs)
9:30/10 Metabolic Drive shake

Very boring yes, but my numbers are where I need them to be, with some fluctuations of course (and adjustments to amounts as needed)

S

69

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]hlss09 wrote:
What are you eating[/quote]

I had started to answer his in my above reply, but had to run out, so…

Dietwise, I know it’s boring as hell, but I really keep my contest prep focused around just a few food choices for convenience of prep/carrying with me, ease of calculating numbers on the fly, and just reducing the risk of messing up something not prepared by myself (you can’t even get veggies at a restaurant without them cooking them in butter, which of course can mess your numbers… not an issue normally, but when in contest mode, I prefer to be as strict as I can be).

My average day looks something like this:
5:30am Egg Whites, Turkey Pepperoni and Veggies (usually peppers n’ onions), and Oatmeal
8:30 Protein Bar
11:00 Chicken Breast, 2 slices of Ezekial Bread (wheat) with sugar free jelly
1:30pm Cup of Cottage Cheese
4:30 Finibars
5:00 Anaconda/MAG-10
7:30 Either Chicken, Tilapia, or Egg Whites and some veggies or salad (no carbs)
9:30/10 Metabolic Drive shake

Very boring yes, but my numbers are where I need them to be, with some fluctuations of course (and adjustments to amounts as needed)

S
[/quote]

so are all your days more or less structured like this and then you simply adjust the amount of carbs at each meal according to high, med, low, keeping fat constant?

70

Have you ever tried clasping your hand on your side tricep instead of your forearm/wrist? I think that would allow you to open your chest up a little bit and twist your upper torso while keeping your waist small.

On both your side chest and side tricep, it seems like you are leaning back too far. you’ve got a great upper body but I think with you leaning back so much, you’re hiding some of it. I think you should lean forward a bit more and puff out that chest.

Also, it doesn’t look like you’re smashing your hammies together on your side poses. Is this just because you’re not on stage?

71

Stu, just want to chime in on here and echo what others have alraedy mentioned repeatedly. You do a great service to the bodybuilding and fitness community with your detailed posts!

72

[quote]coolusername wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]hlss09 wrote:
What are you eating[/quote]

I had started to answer his in my above reply, but had to run out, so…

Dietwise, I know it’s boring as hell, but I really keep my contest prep focused around just a few food choices for convenience of prep/carrying with me, ease of calculating numbers on the fly, and just reducing the risk of messing up something not prepared by myself (you can’t even get veggies at a restaurant without them cooking them in butter, which of course can mess your numbers… not an issue normally, but when in contest mode, I prefer to be as strict as I can be).

My average day looks something like this:
5:30am Egg Whites, Turkey Pepperoni and Veggies (usually peppers n’ onions), and Oatmeal
8:30 Protein Bar
11:00 Chicken Breast, 2 slices of Ezekial Bread (wheat) with sugar free jelly
1:30pm Cup of Cottage Cheese
4:30 Finibars
5:00 Anaconda/MAG-10
7:30 Either Chicken, Tilapia, or Egg Whites and some veggies or salad (no carbs)
9:30/10 Metabolic Drive shake

Very boring yes, but my numbers are where I need them to be, with some fluctuations of course (and adjustments to amounts as needed)

S
[/quote]

so are all your days more or less structured like this and then you simply adjust the amount of carbs at each meal according to high, med, low, keeping fat constant?[/quote]

This is an example of my average, or ‘baseline’ day each week. It’s essentially a ‘medium’ day as far as total cals and carbs (the two factors I play with the most depending on what day of my split it is).

On a ‘low’ day, I’ll incorporate less carbs, with more fats (nuts and fish oils), and a good reliance on veggies and coffee (blunts my hunger a bit), in addition to a constant bottle of Mag10 for extra ‘muscle insurance’ at all times.

Obviously on ‘high’ days, I increase my carb intake considerably (same food selections as much as I can) while scaling back protein slightly (when carbs are at 300g or more, you really don’t need to worry about consuming 300g of protein, I usually get closer to 200g on those days).

S

73

[quote]MeltedFace wrote:
Have you ever tried clasping your hand on your side tricep instead of your forearm/wrist? I think that would allow you to open your chest up a little bit and twist your upper torso while keeping your waist small.[/quote]

When I do that with the wrists, even though it makes the forearm pop a bit more (an area I don’t think I especially lag in), it gives less of a horshoe display in the tricep. Sure, the arm may appear a bit larger, but this way enables me to display the full three heads of the muscle. This is why so many natural competitors adopt this approach (size is just one aspect of competing, especially ‘unassisted’). I usually twist more onstage, but admitedly am rusty and haven’t really practiced posing since last Spring. As my weight drops, it also becomes a lot more comfortable for me to angle my body in positions to better display my ‘wares’ -lol.

[quote]
On both your side chest and side tricep, it seems like you are leaning back too far. you’ve got a great upper body but I think with you leaning back so much, you’re hiding some of it. I think you should lean forward a bit more and puff out that chest.[/quote]

Hunching forward is a common newbie mistake, one I was very guilty of in my first contest. In what I assume is an attempt to crunch the pecs more, you make yourself look smaller. Better to put a slight arch in the back, which when combined with a correct torso twist, and properly angled front arm, will convey a much better physique (a method I employ to give the effect of a much better chest than I actually have!) For the tricep shot, you must remember that it’s not just the triceps you’re displaying, but if done properly, a small waist, side leg, and especially your abs (something you can see well in contest pics).

[quote]
Also, it doesn’t look like you’re smashing your hammies together on your side poses. Is this just because you’re not on stage?[/quote]

Probably just tired after training :slight_smile:

S

74

Okay, weighed in at 191.8 this morning, and will be taking pics later tonight when I train with my brother (we try to get together on weekends, but when it doesn’t happen - I had to be out of town for a seminar this past Saturday - we do Tuesday nights).

Something that occured to me that might be of interest to people is my reliance on supplements. I’ve spoken before about how I really only made use of the very basics in the past, but obviously have slowly incorporated more as I’ve competed more, as well as gotten a bit older (age and wear & tear do have their effects no matter how smart you train!)

In prepping for my Spring 2010 shows, I made use of the newer Biotest peri-workout supplements in addition to my ‘basics’. Since last summer though, a few others have found their way into the mix, and as I’ve been happy with the results, feel good about keeping them in my program. I know this may seem like a hell of a lot of stuff for the guy who is known for dieting on Poptarts and protein powder, but keep a few things in mind:

1- I’m almost 40 and have been pounding on my joints now for almost 20 years.
2- As I’m now a ‘competitor’, I can justify going above and beyond what an average gym rat might need.
3- Natural bodybuilders can make quality gains until about 45 or so if they’re smart, and I intend to leave nothing to chance.

So here’s what I currently use throughout the week (brace yourself! -lol):

-Flameout- I take 2-3 with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and then before bed. Helped my joints like nothing else.

-Curcumin- With the Flameouts, a great combo for use ‘aging’ bodybuilders. I take 6x/day

-Mineral Support- Before bed. Allows me to sleep much better, a real issue for me during past preps.

-Receptormax- After a hell of a back and forth question/answer email with Modbrian, this sounding like something that would help me stay leaner in my offseason, and allow for better ‘quality’ losses come prep time. I think my condition at the start of this prep supports my decision.

-Alpha Male- While Tribulous products didn’t really do much for me when I was in my early 20’s, now (sadly -lol) they help me feel better recovered after brutal training sessions. I take 2 caps twice each day, 5 on, 2 off.

-Finibars/Anaconda/Mag-10 - I basically still follow the original Anaconda Protocol. Yes I sometimes use a little less water, but everything else stays the same. The amount of muscle I retained for my '10 contests vs my '09 contests convinced me without a doubt of the efficacy of the approach, and I have no intention of changing that.

-Fat Burner- I can’t use HOT-ROX because of one federation’s ‘banned’ list, but a month or two into a prep, I usually throw in a basic thermogenic. Usually twice a day, once first thing in the AM, and again in the afternoon before lunch. If I take any later than that, I can’t sleep.

S

75

Stu,

I really appreciate you posting all the great info in here (and all over the forums for that matter). Keep up all of the great work!

Quick question: At what age would you recommend trying Alpha Male? I turned 21 a few months back. I honestly don’t plan on taking it anytime soon, I’d just like to hear from a guy who’s tried it at my age compared to a few years down.

Thanks again!

76

Thanks for the response Stu, much appreciated.

I definitely agree with you on all your comments.

Thanks again and good luck with your prep.

I’m starting the fourth week of mine (13 weeks to go). Down to 251 (about 6% ) from 265 (about 9-10%). No losses in strength, and feeling good…a little flat on some days, but to be expected due to stricter carb control and less overall nutrients than I was taking in.

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
SYNERGY- Thanks for the props bro, I think that no matter how many times a competitor diets down, you always fear that “it’s not gonna work this time” -lol. As I cycle my cals and carbs over a 6 day rotation, I do find my ‘low’ days getting lower as my mental fortitude builds through the prep. While A typical ‘low’ day may start at 2400 cals 16 weeks out, I soon find myself seeing just how much I can suffer through instead, some times coming in anywhere from 1600-1800 cals. It’s on those days that I really find myself subsisting on the Mag10 between what few actual ‘meals’ that I have (usually a chicken breast, or egg whites with lettuce), Similar to what you’ve been doing.

My rationale for the low intake/Mag10 is twofold: 1- suffering the low days allows me to keep the medium and high days more tolerable (I won’t say ‘enjoyable’, but you know how it is), and 2- No matter how much you psyche yourself out, you’re not going to lose any muscle with one day of undereating. You will however freak the hell out of your metabolism when you got back to eating regular levels (diet levels of course) of cals and carbs the next day :slight_smile:

HLSS09- Actually, my arm’s feeling fine. I switched back to incline barbell work two weeks ago, and while keeping the ROM at about 2/3 (never coming close to lockout), I’m pushing myself pretty damn hard and not getting any pain. I am keeping the weight a bit lower than usual (255 for very slow, controlled sets of 8-10 or so), but the muscular stress is there, and I feel pretty good about how I’m starting to look in the mirror.

S
[/quote]

77

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Thanks for the response Stu, much appreciated.

I definitely agree with you on all your comments.

Thanks again and good luck with your prep.

I’m starting the fourth week of mine (13 weeks to go). Down to 251 (about 6% ) from 265 (about 9-10%). No losses in strength, and feeling good…a little flat on some days, but to be expected due to stricter carb control and less overall nutrients than I was taking in.

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
SYNERGY- Thanks for the props bro, I think that no matter how many times a competitor diets down, you always fear that “it’s not gonna work this time” -lol. As I cycle my cals and carbs over a 6 day rotation, I do find my ‘low’ days getting lower as my mental fortitude builds through the prep. While A typical ‘low’ day may start at 2400 cals 16 weeks out, I soon find myself seeing just how much I can suffer through instead, some times coming in anywhere from 1600-1800 cals. It’s on those days that I really find myself subsisting on the Mag10 between what few actual ‘meals’ that I have (usually a chicken breast, or egg whites with lettuce), Similar to what you’ve been doing.

My rationale for the low intake/Mag10 is twofold: 1- suffering the low days allows me to keep the medium and high days more tolerable (I won’t say ‘enjoyable’, but you know how it is), and 2- No matter how much you psyche yourself out, you’re not going to lose any muscle with one day of undereating. You will however freak the hell out of your metabolism when you got back to eating regular levels (diet levels of course) of cals and carbs the next day :slight_smile:

HLSS09- Actually, my arm’s feeling fine. I switched back to incline barbell work two weeks ago, and while keeping the ROM at about 2/3 (never coming close to lockout), I’m pushing myself pretty damn hard and not getting any pain. I am keeping the weight a bit lower than usual (255 for very slow, controlled sets of 8-10 or so), but the muscular stress is there, and I feel pretty good about how I’m starting to look in the mirror.

S
[/quote]
[/quote]

you’re at 6 percent BF 13 weeks out!?

78

Stu, In reading your outline of the supplements you take, i’m curious about your monthly supplement budget. I love all Biotest Products and use my fair share, but i don’t think i could afford to do what you’ve outlined here and still have money left for food-not to mention, my wife would kill me.

79

900×587 140 KB

Hey guys, really running on fumes tonight, so I’ll just toss up last night’s progress pics, and try to answer whatever comments/questions I haven’t yet sometime tomorrow. I was 192.2 Monday morning, 191.8 Yesterday morning, and then 191.6 this morning. If I’m finally understanding my body correctly, that means that the next day or two, my weight should jump up a couple of lbs, and then drop lower than today. Today was over 300g of carbs, not really a ton of protein (about 250g) or fats (fish oil capsules), but just trying to get as many quality sources as I can without killing myself calorically (which usually makes it harder to keep eating at a regular cadence throughout the day). Tomorrow is a low day, and as I’ve been seriously trying to suffer as much as I can on Low days lately, it should be a hell of a kick in the ass to my system after today’s carb-fest.

S

80

Yes, but I usually hang around 6-8% all year at this point.

I only got up a bit higher in the last few months because I was trying to squeak out a few more pounds of LBM, which is almost impossible at this point.

I’ll hang around this percentage for another 3-4 weeks, then drop a percent or two over the next few weeks after that, and then finally go into “hell mode” and aim for sub 4%

I believe it’s better to be ahead of schedule, than behind, as there’s almost always some sort of unexpected fluctuations in the last 4-6 weeks. I’d rather have the wiggle room, versus being stuck in a corner with nowhere to go

[quote]coolusername wrote:

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Thanks for the response Stu, much appreciated.

I definitely agree with you on all your comments.

Thanks again and good luck with your prep.

I’m starting the fourth week of mine (13 weeks to go). Down to 251 (about 6% ) from 265 (about 9-10%). No losses in strength, and feeling good…a little flat on some days, but to be expected due to stricter carb control and less overall nutrients than I was taking in.

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
SYNERGY- Thanks for the props bro, I think that no matter how many times a competitor diets down, you always fear that “it’s not gonna work this time” -lol. As I cycle my cals and carbs over a 6 day rotation, I do find my ‘low’ days getting lower as my mental fortitude builds through the prep. While A typical ‘low’ day may start at 2400 cals 16 weeks out, I soon find myself seeing just how much I can suffer through instead, some times coming in anywhere from 1600-1800 cals. It’s on those days that I really find myself subsisting on the Mag10 between what few actual ‘meals’ that I have (usually a chicken breast, or egg whites with lettuce), Similar to what you’ve been doing.

My rationale for the low intake/Mag10 is twofold: 1- suffering the low days allows me to keep the medium and high days more tolerable (I won’t say ‘enjoyable’, but you know how it is), and 2- No matter how much you psyche yourself out, you’re not going to lose any muscle with one day of undereating. You will however freak the hell out of your metabolism when you got back to eating regular levels (diet levels of course) of cals and carbs the next day :slight_smile:

HLSS09- Actually, my arm’s feeling fine. I switched back to incline barbell work two weeks ago, and while keeping the ROM at about 2/3 (never coming close to lockout), I’m pushing myself pretty damn hard and not getting any pain. I am keeping the weight a bit lower than usual (255 for very slow, controlled sets of 8-10 or so), but the muscular stress is there, and I feel pretty good about how I’m starting to look in the mirror.

S
[/quote]
[/quote]

you’re at 6 percent BF 13 weeks out!?
[/quote]