Mighty's Contest Updates & Q&A Thread

Training
861

[quote]timmcbride00 wrote:
I remember you stating in my thread that your contest weight was 175 last year.

Do you think you will come in a bit heavier (while staying tighter)?

I know you are way more experienced than me, but if it helps at all, the last three weeks before my contest I went on a fasted walk (with my dog) and basically went up every hill I could find. I supplemented with a caffeine pill as well. The combo really seemed to polish off my glutes/hams with that final level of tightness.

I am excited to watch your journey these final weeks.
[/quote]

I really hate to even try to guess at this point. Every year I would TRY to weigh less than the year before, but progressively, from '09 to 10, to '11, my stage went has increased. Of course in my attempts to weigh less on game day, I’ve ended up bringing better conditioning each time, so I certainly can’t complain.

It is likely to repeat the 2011 stage weight with a few additional lbs of quality muscle mass and look completely different, but we’re also talking about time, and for how long can someone who has been training for 19 years already keep improving before biology just starts to slow things down.

That’s certainly good advice, as I’ve been doing the incline treadmill with a Fat Burner and some BCAAs in me every morning since I was 12 weeks out :slight_smile: I have also recently switched up my choice of cardio equipment for both my interval days, as well as my steady state post weight session work.
-For PWO steady state, I now do serious incline (much more than my little home treadmill can allow) walking, with a very conscious focus on my hams and glutes.
-For Interval Days, I now do 25 mins of Interval sprints on the recumbent bike, immediately followed by 25 mins of incline treadmill walking (as steady state work). Swiped this idea from Doug Miller!

I’m definitely feeling it while doing the work, and of course my usual contest-time habit of flexing my hams and glutes whenever I’m waiting for an elevator in my building is hopefully adding a bit to my ability to hold the poses longer. Still, I’ve never been one to have glute lines, and even at my leanest, I’m certainly not small in the rear-region. If I’m one of those guys who just never attains that level of leanness without completely ending up stringy onstage, then I guess it’s out of my hands. Hopefully I’ll beat my 2011 conditioning, and be content with that.

I won’t lie and say I’m not intimidated at this level, because despite friends all telling me how I’ve reached the level that competitors strive to attain for years on end, most never being successful, I’m still a bit freaked out -lol.

S

862

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
-For PWO steady state, I now do serious incline (much more than my little home treadmill can allow) walking, with a very conscious focus on my hams and glutes.
-For Interval Days, I now do 25 mins of Interval sprints on the recumbent bike, immediately followed by 25 mins of incline treadmill walking (as steady state work). Swiped this idea from Doug Miller!
[/quote]

Focus is so important, it definitely helped me. And swiping ideas from Doug Miller = smart. That guy is a machine.

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I won’t lie and say I’m not intimidated at this level, because despite friends all telling me how I’ve reached the level that competitors strive to attain for years on end, most never being successful, I’m still a bit freaked out -lol.
[/quote]

Just let the intimidation drive you, not consume you. You are going to do well.

863

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

-For Interval Days, I now do 25 mins of Interval sprints on the recumbent bike, immediately followed by 25 mins of incline treadmill walking (as steady state work). Swiped this idea from Doug Miller!

S[/quote]

You know, I never thought about this but now that I see it in print it would seem to make so much sense. Rev up your metabolism like crazy with the Intervals… Then dip into the fat a tad bit more with the low intensity walk that doesnt eat into your recovery capacity.

I’m a big fan of my Prowler/sled now that I have access to it, but that sounds like a great way to burn fat there.

864

Keep killing it Stu, looking great!

865

[quote]Quasi-Tech wrote:
My question is related to your post in the Steroids: Why or Why Not thread… You mentioned that you are 205 to 210lbs, is this an off-season bodyweight? What is your competition weight… around 175-180lbs? [/quote]

Yes, insofar as I’m not contest lean. I will note that at 205 lbs, I have visible abs, as well as decently lean delts, arms and back definition. Most average gym goers start the “omigawd your’re ripped” comments once I hit 190 lbs, but anyone who has ever stepped foot onstage knows the level of leanness required to truly go toe to toe in contest bodybuilding.

Realize first that anything over 190 lbs in tested shows is considered heavyweight. Just as with the lower classes, the competitors all dropped about 20-30 lbs to make their stage weights. So anyone who truly steps onstage at over 200 lbs is already a fairly lean (by ‘normal’ standards) 225-235 lbs. Kurt Weidner is probably one of my favorite BBers in terms of how hard he trains and the level of conditioning he repeatedly displays. Kurt weighs in at 200 lbs cut to ribbons on game day.

He MIGHT be about 6’ if I recall correctly (if not, then about 5’11). Google some of his pics, and you’ll see some very impressive work. Another Pro I saw actually win his card was Peter Yeager. He’s about 6’3/6’4 (I asked him after seeing him at the ‘10 Worlds Contest). Definitely brought decent size for his frame, and of course, great conditioning. Certainly a good natty 200+ lbs / 6’+ competitor to track down a few photos of.

When I was first considering competing, I would go through every natty mag I could get, with a sharpie, highlighting each athlete’s height and weight next to their pics. While you can’t always compare your structure to someone else’s, this at least gave me a rough ballpark so I didn’t completely freak when I had to keep dropping my weight.

S

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Thanks much sir, so I would assume that for a natural bodybuilder over 6’ tall, an estimated weight would be the 220-230lb range where one would still look relatively lean (similar to how you describe yourself off-season - maybe 10% bodyfat?).

I would also assume that reaching these weights at that level of muscularity takes years, its not something you see in guys in their mid-20’s as development is slower and cascades downward for naturals (ie 20lbs the first year, 10 the second, 5 the third, etc. etc.).

I found Kurt but Peter seems to be camera shy, heh, no luck with him as of yet. It’s always good to have someone to compare to, especially when just starting out, and get a realistic view of expectations. It seems bodybuilding was not a sport meant for tall folks, at least not naturally as most range in the 5’7" - 5’11" arena.

I hope your contest prep is continuing to come along. The pics look great and as always you are keeping a positive attitude/outlook. I’m sure you’ll do great and will certainly be following along as you finish out your prep and for contest results. Keep the mental game and the physical will follow in suit.

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1536×2048 420 KB

Lil’ update from tonight. Wish the lighting in the gym was better, but I’m starting to look seriously vascular. Hopefully I’ll keep tightening the next 4 1/2 weeks, as just being a previous contest weight isn’t really the goal. I figure I’ll be the smallest Heavyweight Pro (no middleweight class in this show), so I’ll need to raise the bar condition wise. Still sporting some decent size though :slight_smile:

S

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Legs looking good!

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Damn, looking seriously THICK right there Stu, awesome.

870

You have absolutely(!) put on some size since I saw you last summer. Hams were the first thing I noticed.

871

Jesus Stu you look freakin unreal in your latest pic! I’m just coming back from a back injury that kept me out of the weightroom for almost a year so training for a natty bb comp sounds like a goal i could work towards. I’m going to read through your log but just wondering how many years of lifting did it take you to build that physique. Thanks and sorry for the newbie questions ha.

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[quote]law8 wrote:
Jesus Stu you look freakin unreal in your latest pic! I’m just coming back from a back injury that kept me out of the weightroom for almost a year so training for a natty bb comp sounds like a goal i could work towards. I’m going to read through your log but just wondering how many years of lifting did it take you to build that physique. Thanks and sorry for the newbie questions ha. [/quote]

Hey, thanks for the kind words. I’ve been “training” since I was 20. I just turned 39 yesterday, so it’s been a long trip -lol. In hindsight, I will admit to years of just spinning my wheels, and just doing dumb stuff due to not really knowing any better, or taking advice from people (and magazines) that I THOUGHT were experts. I didn’t’ really start understanding a lot of things in terms of how important nutrition was, and what was truly relevant in terms of training until around 2001/2002. If I had to do it all over again, I’m fairly certain that I could build a damn impressive, competitive level (natty of course) physique in 5 years’ time.

As the oldest of 3 sons in my family, I’ve managed to not only prevent my brothers from making boneheaded decisions in the gym, but also steer them towards the most efficient approaches for their goals (one entered and won his class in his first show last last - grabbing a pro card in the process, and the other, not as much of a meat-head, recently dropped 25 lbs in 12 weeks for some ‘transformation’ contest he decided to enter. I designed both of their programs and diets).

One advantage you do have, that I didn’t, is access to the internet. Of course there’s way too much info out there IMO, and you do have to sort and weed through it, but when I was in college, and there was that one guy who was huge, no one knew he was using PEDs. We couldn’t go into the school library and find the latest CSCS text, or read research journals on the efficacy of Beta Alanine, or how Leucine can signal protein synthesis… we had to rely on Weider Magazines, which were there to sell us crap supplements. Sure the articles by IFBB Pros (usually written by staff writers), and their photos kept us inspired, and driven, but we didn’t actually understand the process the way many younger lifters do today (at least if they can manage to not get so f-ing confused by all the conflicting info out there -lol).

The best advice I can give you, is to read everything by the top level coaches and authors, BUT don’t buy into anything 100%. Everyone has their own opinions, but you will notice a good amount of overlap amongst the smarter crowd. When Thibaudeau started writing about incorporating speed into his rep performance, I knew that he had studied the same science that Hatfield had when he wrote similar approaches 20 years earlier. Success leaves clues, so if you’re smart, and objective, you can find what will work for you.

Good Luck!

S

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Okay, so I’m just about 4 weeks out, and while my weight is slightly erratic, at least my lowest reading each week is going down slightly despite always bouncing back up -lol.

Once I start closing in on 180 lbs, the fight gets serious. Still, as long as I keep looking tighter (which Cat and others inform me is happening), weight won’t matter. Yesterday, I was involved in a video taping to discuss why I chose the ‘Natural’ route, eschewing PEDs, and what BBing means to me. While I met some great competitors, and even a couple of Pros from other federations, one individual commented that if I looked this shredded, despite being so naturally pale, that I’m gonna look sick under the lights with the fake tan. Here’s hoping he’s right! Also, as a very cool bonus to the day, afterward, I was asked to pose for pics, as a couple of the guys (even the pro from the other Fed) were “Fans” of mine! (How f-ing cool! -lmao)

Anyway, I figured I’d share what my weight fluctuations look like each week. I chart everything daily, and even check my weight before bed to see how much my body ‘processes’ during sleeping hours. Obviously my food choices and how late I eat before turning in have an effect on the scale #s, so I try to keep things in perspective in terms of the big picture.

Week of 4/9 - 4/14
181.6, 181.8, 183.4, 181.8, 181.8
Week of 4/15 -
182.2, 182.4, 183.0, 181.0, 181.6, 181.6, 181.4
Week or 4/22 -
180.4, 181.8, 181.6, 180.4, 181.8, 180.0, 179.6
Week of 4/29 -
179.6, 179.8, 180.0, 180.0, 179.2, 178.2, 179.2
Week of 5/6 -
179.0

S

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Stu - lookin GREAT!! You’re gonna kick booty.

875

Video sounds cool Stu, let us know when its up online!

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[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Lil’ update from tonight. Wish the lighting in the gym was better, but I’m starting to look seriously vascular. Hopefully I’ll keep tightening the next 4 1/2 weeks, as just being a previous contest weight isn’t really the goal. I figure I’ll be the smallest Heavyweight Pro (no middleweight class in this show), so I’ll need to raise the bar condition wise. Still sporting some decent size though :slight_smile:

S
[/quote]

thick!!

877

So here’s a quick little clip from tonight. My brother snapped it in the horribly lit gym locker room. While I have been a bit flustered as my weight seems to be seriously stalling, seeing my lower back coming in, as well as fibers and feathering even through the horrible conditions this film was taken in makes me focus much more on the fact that my physique continues to tighten. I was flat as hell from lower carbs today, so while this isn’t a great “hey lookit me!” video, it certainly puts my mind at ease concerning my conditioning come game day. As one of the lighter heavyweight pros, I’m definitely going to have to play the conditioning game, as I’ll lose the size one every time with these monsters -lol

S

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The conditioning is apparent, bad lighting or not, looking good Stu.

879

Your delts/tris are actually ridiculous. Levrone-like.

880

Awesome Back double bi Stu, looking wide.