I can see what your saying about your quads mate, it seems to me that your rectus femoris dominates your vastus laterallus a bit. Its great in side poses, cause your quads seem really high, but from the front, the width suffers, if you know what I mean.
[quote]Wahuuga wrote:
I can see what your saying about your quads mate, it seems to me that your rectus femoris dominates your vastus laterallus a bit. Its great in side poses, cause your quads seem really high, but from the front, the width suffers, if you know what I mean. [/quote]
Yeah, I’ve heard for a while now that my legs look pretty good from the sides, which is certainly not a bad thing (I have made progress these last few years). From the front though, despite added size, and even when I’m in great condition (my quads were diced at last year’s Hercules), I just seem unable to get that nice sweep some a lot of competitors display.
I’m certainly not going to just give up explaining that my VL is genetically narrow, but I do realize that at the end of the day, the ultimate appearance of a muscle is bound up in your DNA no matter how hard you train.
The foam rolling has certainly allowed me to add a bit of size, and definitely bring up my detail since 2010. Hopefully continuing this practice, along with twice weekly leg work, and incorporating exercises I wouldn’t normally do will allow me to make even more progress.
Additionally, I’m contemplating something new in regard to my split and cardio approach for my next full blown ‘prep’. I’ll get more into that later, but for now, I’m hitting it damn hard while keeping my diet (and my weight) somewhat in check. I feel that I can put on a few lbs of solid muscle before November if I get all my ducks in a row. Nailing my nutrition and diet, hammering the weights, and then a 2 week break (honeymoon) before really buckling down. I’m already getting fired up just talking about it -lol.
I have no problem not placing well, but the feeling of just being overlooked, or even ignored after working so hard really isn’t the contest experience I want to savor. The Worlds is certainly a much harder show, but as long as I improve, and as long as I at least get some attention from the judges, when standing up there with the very best in the world, then I can be content.
S
So Stu i been dying to know something. Now that you have been backstage with a contest ready Jim Cordova. I need to know are his arms actually fucking massive or are they more of an illusion because of his godly shape. I know you mentioned your arms are a little over 17 in contest shape and they are one of your standout body parts. Seriously are his arms like way bigger then yours or do they just LOOK like they are.
Stu,
I read that you ate Ezekial bread in this thread. Did you eat this the duration of the prep? I’m 15 weeks out and eating oatmeal or avocados (low carb day) with eggs for breakfast? I’ve never touched breads in my prior contest preps
Second question, did you eat any beans in your prep? I eat them ocassionallly pre contest for variety but wanted to see what your thoughts are.
-Ghost
[quote]Matthaeus wrote:
So Stu i been dying to know something. Now that you have been backstage with a contest ready Jim Cordova. I need to know are his arms actually fucking massive or are they more of an illusion because of his godly shape. I know you mentioned your arms are a little over 17 in contest shape and they are one of your standout body parts. Seriously are his arms like way bigger then yours or do they just LOOK like they are.[/quote]
I will say that despite the constant mentioning of bodybuilding illusions and levels of conditioning, Jim is not a small guy by any means! While he didn’t compete in this year’s Pro American, I’ve stood next to the man on a good number of ocassions, and while he’s not the juiced up monster that some haters believe him to be from the magazine ads (perfect lighting, contest conditionign etc), he does make you question your own sense of ‘bigness’ when you see how much space he takes up at under 170 lbs.
I remember when I first met him, I had planned on training after the seminar we were at (at Bonham’s gym in NJ), so I was wearing my old black and yellow Testosterone T-Shirt (sleeves torn off,… of course!). Jim was wearing a black, long sleeve shirt, certainly nothing to make anyone appear larger than they were,… but damn if he didn’t still look big. Not just big, as the word gets thrown around by a lot of pudgy guys who like lifting heavy weights, but impressively muscular through his clothes.
We’re not talking just lumps and bumps taking up space, but actually seeing the gaps between individual muscles (ie. the dip between the rear delt and the upper tricep). This is a world apart from the way some guys talk about looking big in clothing. This is looking impressively muscularly big in clothing. A truly large amount of muscle mass, coupled with naturally low bodyfat levels, even at what may be perceived as a low bodyweight, can totally recalibrate your idea of what a solid physique really is.
So, are Jim’s arms massive? All of Jim’s muscles are massive -lol. Not just big though, but from a genetic standpoint, the guy has amazingly round muscle bellies, small joints, and very dramatic shoulder to waist ration,… plus he’s without a doubt one of the smartest trainers I’ve ever spoken to. People usually assume that if someone has all these genetic advantages that they can get away with half assing it.
Some people can I suppose, but the few gifted, who really do bust their ass every step of the way, not only rise to the top, but usually suffer the backlash of negativity you can find online (how many “No way Cordova’s Natural!” threads have there been?) I guess it’s like all the crap Flex Wheeler used to get. People almost hated him for his natural bone structure and muscular shape. When he was on his game, it was attributed to genetics. When he was off his best game, even by a little, people jumped all over him.
If I do compete at the WNBF Worlds this Fall, I would guess that Jim may compete, as he sat out last year’s rendition. Certainly, I’m no threat to the top guys at that show, but it would be a hell of a moment,sharing the stage with the guy who really inspired me to try my hand at competing in the first place.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
[quote]Matthaeus wrote:
So Stu i been dying to know something. Now that you have been backstage with a contest ready Jim Cordova. I need to know are his arms actually fucking massive or are they more of an illusion because of his godly shape. I know you mentioned your arms are a little over 17 in contest shape and they are one of your standout body parts. Seriously are his arms like way bigger then yours or do they just LOOK like they are.[/quote]
I will say that despite the constant mentioning of bodybuilding illusions and levels of conditioning, Jim is not a small guy by any means! While he didn’t compete in this year’s Pro American, I’ve stood next to the man on a good number of ocassions, and while he’s not the juiced up monster that some haters believe him to be from the magazine ads (perfect lighting, contest conditionign etc), he does make you question your own sense of ‘bigness’ when you see how much space he takes up at under 170 lbs.
I remember when I first met him, I had planned on training after the seminar we were at (at Bonham’s gym in NJ), so I was wearing my old black and yellow Testosterone T-Shirt (sleeves torn off,… of course!). Jim was wearing a black, long sleeve shirt, certainly nothing to make anyone appear larger than they were,… but damn if he didn’t still look big. Not just big, as the word gets thrown around by a lot of pudgy guys who like lifting heavy weights, but impressively muscular through his clothes.
We’re not talking just lumps and bumps taking up space, but actually seeing the gaps between individual muscles (ie. the dip between the rear delt and the upper tricep). This is a world apart from the way some guys talk about looking big in clothing. This is looking impressively muscularly big in clothing. A truly large amount of muscle mass, coupled with naturally low bodyfat levels, even at what may be perceived as a low bodyweight, can totally recalibrate your idea of what a solid physique really is.
So, are Jim’s arms massive? All of Jim’s muscles are massive -lol. Not just big though, but from a genetic standpoint, the guy has amazingly round muscle bellies, small joints, and very dramatic shoulder to waist ration,… plus he’s without a doubt one of the smartest trainers I’ve ever spoken to. People usually assume that if someone has all these genetic advantages that they can get away with half assing it.
Some people can I suppose, but the few gifted, who really do bust their ass every step of the way, not only rise to the top, but usually suffer the backlash of negativity you can find online (how many “No way Cordova’s Natural!” threads have there been?) I guess it’s like all the crap Flex Wheeler used to get. People almost hated him for his natural bone structure and muscular shape. When he was on his game, it was attributed to genetics. When he was off his best game, even by a little, people jumped all over him.
If I do compete at the WNBF Worlds this Fall, I would guess that Jim may compete, as he sat out last year’s rendition. Certainly, I’m no threat to the top guys at that show, but it would be a hell of a moment,sharing the stage with the guy who really inspired me to try my hand at competing in the first place.
S[/quote]
Great response Stu. I read a thread over on BB.com that said Cordova competed and won a show earlier this month so i figured it was the same one you did. Maybe i was wrong. Looking forward to seeing you on the biggest WNBF stage of them all man. Just being there is an accomplishment it’s pretty much the natural bodybuilding equivalent of the Mr Olympia.
[quote]ghost87 wrote:
Stu,
I read that you ate Ezekial bread in this thread. Did you eat this the duration of the prep? I’m 15 weeks out and eating oatmeal or avocados (low carb day) with eggs for breakfast? I’ve never touched breads in my prior contest preps
Second question, did you eat any beans in your prep? I eat them ocassionallly pre contest for variety but wanted to see what your thoughts are.
-Ghost [/quote]
Hey, sorry I almost missed this. The wedding’s about 6 weeks away now, and things are getting a bit busy around the ‘Mighty’ household (well, apartment-hold).
I like Ezekial bread quite a bit, as it’s pretty close to a bowl of oats in terms of macros, and it’s much more portable in terms of prep. Unless of course you enjoy cold oatmeal, which I have done on many occasions, but don’t recommend unless you’re used to the stares.
My preference is either the whole wheat, or the sesame variety. The carb content is close enough to not be concerned with, plus, you get a few more grams of protein in the process. Throw on a little sugar free jelly (which I don’t even count in my #s), or on high carb days, I’ll use “Better n’ Peanut Butter” AND some sugar free jelly and be very very happy with the accompaniment to my chicken breast or egg whites.
Most people obsess about the sources of their carbs, and while I do think there is some overall benefit to choosing something a bit ‘cleaner’ than say a few Twinkies, if it helps you make your daily #s, AND you’re combining it with other foods (ie. protein will slow the insulin spike, so don’t get all glycemic index-y on me), then by all means, enjoy yourself a little bit.
Trust me, ‘small things’ make a contest prep a little bit (just a little -lol) more tolerable.
As to the beans, I’m not really much of a fan. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, I just tend to keep my food choices pretty boring, and for the most part, always opt for foods that take up more space for the amount of calories they’re packing. I think beans are pretty dense, while, say, oatmeal, is sparse for the numbers its packing. So basically, you get to eat more of it for the same macros. Definitely a good thing if you like to eat,… like me!
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
[quote]ghost87 wrote:
Stu,
I read that you ate Ezekial bread in this thread. Did you eat this the duration of the prep? I’m 15 weeks out and eating oatmeal or avocados (low carb day) with eggs for breakfast? I’ve never touched breads in my prior contest preps
Second question, did you eat any beans in your prep? I eat them ocassionallly pre contest for variety but wanted to see what your thoughts are.
-Ghost [/quote]
Hey, sorry I almost missed this. The wedding’s about 6 weeks away now, and things are getting a bit busy around the ‘Mighty’ household (well, apartment-hold).
I like Ezekial bread quite a bit, as it’s pretty close to a bowl of oats in terms of macros, and it’s much more portable in terms of prep. Unless of course you enjoy cold oatmeal, which I have done on many occasions, but don’t recommend unless you’re used to the stares.
My preference is either the whole wheat, or the sesame variety. The carb content is close enough to not be concerned with, plus, you get a few more grams of protein in the process. Throw on a little sugar free jelly (which I don’t even count in my #s), or on high carb days, I’ll use “Better n’ Peanut Butter” AND some sugar free jelly and be very very happy with the accompaniment to my chicken breast or egg whites.
Most people obsess about the sources of their carbs, and while I do think there is some overall benefit to choosing something a bit ‘cleaner’ than say a few Twinkies, if it helps you make your daily #s, AND you’re combining it with other foods (ie. protein will slow the insulin spike, so don’t get all glycemic index-y on me), then by all means, enjoy yourself a little bit.
Trust me, ‘small things’ make a contest prep a little bit (just a little -lol) more tolerable.
As to the beans, I’m not really much of a fan. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, I just tend to keep my food choices pretty boring, and for the most part, always opt for foods that take up more space for the amount of calories they’re packing. I think beans are pretty dense, while, say, oatmeal, is sparse for the numbers its packing. So basically, you get to eat more of it for the same macros. Definitely a good thing if you like to eat,… like me!
S
[/quote]
Thanks Stu! Good luck in the wedding planning
I figured I’d drop a little update now that it’s been almost 4 weeks since the last show.
After the initial “oh boy I’m done dieting!” weekend, I resumed eating at the #s that I was using about a month before the contest. I would keep those #s Mon-Fri, and then enjoy myself within reason on weekends. Each week, I would let the cals and carb amounts go up a bit, still having typically non-diet stuff on weekends.
This past week, my #s were about 2600-2700 cals, and about 175g of carbs during the week. The weekend, despite being strict as hell all day Friday included:
-Friday Night - Grimaldi’s Pizza (I polished off 3/4 of a pepperoni and meatball pie)
-Saturday - IHOP after the gym, then an all you can eat Brazilian BBQ for dinner
-Sunday - No real awful ‘meals’, but a very large frozen yogurt in the middle of a fairly clean day
The reason I’m not freaking out about all of this, is that my weight has been fairly steady between 182-183 lbs (even hit a 180 last Friday morning, which freaked me out). My muscles have definitely filled out, and despite still having a very respectable degree of vascularity, I’m no doubt a good degree larger than on contest day.
I attribute this to a few things:
1-I’m not doing any designated cardio-days. If I went to bed bloated, I may do 20 mins of steady state before breakfast the next day, but nothing like I do for a contest (and no intervals). This is because I’ve been doing hard and heavy weight sessions every day. The only off days have been because of wedding matters to attend to (I had to be there to give my input on the cake,… chocolate cake with canoli filling!) The constant heavy stress is definitely putting my body in a constant state of nutrient requirement.
2-When you’re leaner, your insulin sensitivity is better, so you can get away with more in terms of ‘bad’ food.
3-My metabolism must be humming along, and this I chalk up to being smart about allowing it to reset itself in steps and not just jump right into storing fat as fast as it can after being driven into starvation mode.
This Saturday, I’ll probably take a day off as there’s a big contest in NYC where I’ll be supporting a few buddies (and T-Nations own ‘Thoughts1053’). After that though will be the first time Ive ever attempted a double split with my training. A few people have already asked how everything will be structured, and while I’ve thought it out very well, it’s going to be a learning experience for me too. As usual, I’ll do my best to update on here 
S
hey stu thanks 4 the update good luck with ur training and the up coming wedding
Very interested in hereing how your diet/and new training going. Updates whenever you busy schedule allows would be great.
Also details on the show and how thoughts does would be great
I know this isnt the best place to put this, but it looks like Thought’s thread got moved or deleted or something. Maybe you could pass word along that some of us want to hear updates on the big guys progress.
[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
I know this isnt the best place to put this, but it looks like Thought’s thread got moved or deleted or something. Maybe you could pass word along that some of us want to hear updates on the big guys progress.[/quote]
seems like a lot of guys here lately have all gone to muscle beach for a holiday or something lol.
Stu, major props to you for stying natural all these yrs an you look fantastic in those pics!
Hey guys, sorry I’ve been pretty busy the last few days, I’ll try to get to everything here
-My training:
Today is the first day of trying 2 a days. I don’t know if it’s the heat, or the fact that I woke up extra early to get my first session in, but damn I’m tired -lol. My proposed split (trying to really take advantage of the higher frequency to nail my weaker areas - chest and legs) is as follows-
Day 1 Chest I / Back n Bis
Day 2 Quads + abs / Hams + calves
Day 3 Chest II / Delts + Tris
Day 4 Quads II + abs / Hams + Calves
As the week goes on, I’ll get a better idea of how much volume I can handle at each session, and just how my current diet and supplementation is handling my recovery. My plan for diet (and this will get thrown a few curve balls I’m sure) is to focus my carbs around both training session, keeping the rest of my daily intake to P+F, with a heavy reliance on FINiBARs + Surge Workout Fuel before/during my workouts.
Actually about to run out and hit my back/bis now (and a little sushi dinner!), but I’ll pop back after, give you the rundown on how f-ing great Jon looked on Saturday. Definitely impressed a hell of a lot of people! Placed 5th in the open at the always super impressive Hercules (didn’t even place top 5 in the open at a smaller show one year ago!!!) A few judges had him in 3rd, one who I’m friends with was pissed he didn;t get 2nd (lotta booing when he was called out in 5th). Made a BIG impact at his 1st INBF show, and without a doubt as a trainer, and as a friend, I’m very proud of the guy.
I’ll write more later!
S
Glad to read the update, looking forward to hearing more about how Jon did.
Any chance he will pop in and give a personal update?
Not sure what the deal is exactly, if Jon’s gonna be giving a detailed write up or anything, but I can say that he definitely raised a lot of eyebrows at the show.
The usual Federation photographer was backstage taking a snap or two of each competitor as they came off stage, and when he saw Jon head over to talk to me (this is the guy who did a shoot of me for Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness after my Hercules win last year), he ran over, and when he realized that I was Jon’s coach, he starting going on about how impressive he looked, and how he’s gonna make a big splash in the INBF, and long story short, Jon showed up at the guy’s gym for a shoot I’m guessing for the upcoming online magazine the federation has in the works. He also expressed interest in setting up other ones down the line.
Couple this with the WNBF judge I’m friends with who was visible baffled at how Jon didn’t place 2nd, and the booing from people we didn’t even know in the audience, and you can see what an impact he had in his INBF Debut! I put the idea in his head that instead of settling into his off season now, perhaps he should hang on a bit tighter, and after resting for a week or two, lock things down and go into the Naturalmania in Sept.
It’s a Super-Pro Qualifier just like the Hercules, and chances are, many of the judges would be the same (recognizing him from this show, and then showing up even a bit better can only work in his favor). We’ll see if he takes the bait -lol.
Not the best pic (cel phone), but you can see how thick and dialed in he was. Definitely his best showing. For a lot of the day we were sitting around backstage on the floor, and every time after I’d tell Jon to eat something, I’d point out just how damn vascular he was getting. The veins on his arms looked about the thickness of drinking straws!
S