MODOK, or others: I"m only 20, so I usually don’t even think about injuries - until I get them lol! Right now I am 100% healthful (knocking on wood). What would you recommend, however, to ensure success in the long run? I’m clueless…I don’t know anything about warming up, stretching, or anything related to injury prevention. I just know that I feel great right now, and don’t want to be sidelined if avoidable, so if anyone has the time, please help educate us young bloodz!
[quote]hlss09 wrote:
MODOK, or others: I"m only 20, so I usually don’t even think about injuries - until I get them lol! Right now I am 100% healthful (knocking on wood). What would you recommend, however, to ensure success in the long run? I’m clueless…I don’t know anything about warming up, stretching, or anything related to injury prevention. I just know that I feel great right now, and don’t want to be sidelined if avoidable, so if anyone has the time, please help educate us young bloodz!
[/quote]
Here’s a start: Longevity - Competitive Bodybuilding - Forums - T Nation
[quote]MODOK wrote:
Biceps are the most bizarre muscle group. They recover almost immediately, can handle tons of volume, and tend to be much more slow-twitch dominant than most of the other muscles. They also are the one muscle group, for me at least, which really grows on the slower eccentric training. You can play around with it and see how your body responds…maybe starting with a 3 or 4 second eccentric. I don’t think there is a problem with your exercise selection- they are very effective.
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OK thanks, I do like those particular exercises (although pinwheels kill me lol). Christian Thibaudeau has been something similar I believe about biceps, more constant tension and slower eccentrics. Honestly I have mostly been focusing on getting the weight up. That seems like its just part of pinwheels though right?
I’ll try the slower eccentrics with the preachers though, I haven’t done slow eccentrics for anything in awhile, I figured just controlled down was all that was necessary. Do think I should add any more volume? As of now I’m just doing 2x10 preachers on wednesday and 2x10 pinwheels on sundays.
Modok, I’ve read a number of your posts and find you to be a really insightful analyst of your own progression. One period I don’t believe I’ve read you talk about is your initial mass-building phase. You say that you used to be quite heavy, so now you’re extremely interested in nutrition (and have been for some time). As it relates to bodybuilding, was there a period before that, or did bodybuilding and your initial mass phase go hand-in-hand with your interest in nutrition? How did your initial mass building phase progress, and what might you have done differently?
Hoping that I haven’t missed a previous post that discussed this. If so, apologies.
Hey MODOK Im just curious after reading how you diet down, do you lose much or any strength when you do this?
[quote]MODOK wrote:
Why don’t you try slowing down the eccentrics first, then maybe adding another set or two when you see how that works out. I always hate to change more than one variable at a time, unless someone is waaaay out of sorts.[/quote]
Good point, thanks.
One other question if you don’t mind. How are your calves naturally and what have you done if anything specific to improve them? I got really skinny when I was in 8th-9th grade (in college now) and feel like I lost any calf potential being fat could have given me lol. At this point I’ve just about given up on them to be honest, I still work them but only 1-2x a week just going through the motions because I’ve tried so many things. Heavy low reps, lighter (relatively) high reps, quick motions, slow reps, double contractions, long stretch, 1,2,3,4x/week, over this last winter break I tried a high frequency plan going twice a day with bodyweight 4x/week and they went down a little…nothing seems to make any difference.
MODOK, how do you feel about the BBB split? Did you prefer everything being hit 3x a week, or do personally prefer the 2x a week frequency you use now?? My arms (both bis and tris), calves, and lats made alot of progress on the program (just finished it) but my chest, delts, and thighs didnt seem to respond the same way. Did you find similiar things when comparing the two splits??
[quote]MODOK wrote:
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
[quote]MODOK wrote:
Why don’t you try slowing down the eccentrics first, then maybe adding another set or two when you see how that works out. I always hate to change more than one variable at a time, unless someone is waaaay out of sorts.[/quote]
Good point, thanks.
One other question if you don’t mind. How are your calves naturally and what have you done if anything specific to improve them? I got really skinny when I was in 8th-9th grade (in college now) and feel like I lost any calf potential being fat could have given me lol. At this point I’ve just about given up on them to be honest, I still work them but only 1-2x a week just going through the motions because I’ve tried so many things. Heavy low reps, lighter (relatively) high reps, quick motions, slow reps, double contractions, long stretch, 1,2,3,4x/week, over this last winter break I tried a high frequency plan going twice a day with bodyweight 4x/week and they went down a little…nothing seems to make any difference. [/quote]
I have high calves, and extremely tight fascia that has actually contributed to a lot of hip problems (I recently discovered). Like you, they are stubborn and its hard to get them to move. You name it, I’ve blasted them with it. Poliquin’s Luke Sauder routine actually put nearly two inches on my calves in a short period of time. So I would say high volume, high frequency was the way that I personally found to make them move.
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I’ve seen that routine, definitely a little scared to try it lol. I’ll have to give it a shot. Any preference towards pausing or not at the bottom and full vs. partial ROM?
How big are yours now by the way?
[quote]MODOK wrote:
I have high calves, and extremely tight fascia that has actually contributed to a lot of hip problems (I recently discovered).
[/quote]
I have nice calf genetics (hate me), but similar fascia issues/general tightness there, big problem with conv. SLDL’s/RDL’s and such.
Let me know if you find a way to fix that… I’ve been trying for years. Damn geek childhood.
[quote]MODOK wrote:
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
[quote]MODOK wrote:
I have high calves, and extremely tight fascia that has actually contributed to a lot of hip problems (I recently discovered).
[/quote]
I have nice calf genetics (hate me), but similar fascia issues/general tightness there, big problem with conv. SLDL’s/RDL’s and such.
Let me know if you find a way to fix that… I’ve been trying for years. Damn geek childhood.
[/quote]
I really wish I could just slice it with a scalpel. Mine are so tight that I can’t stretch my hamstrings, adductors, or anything else that you stretch with a straight leg. I feel it completely in my calf no matter what. Its so frustrating.
[/quote]
EXACTLY the same issue I have.
Add to that my hip joints don’t seem to allow for much frontal raising of the upper legs to begin with…
Oh well. I got around it in training by using a toes out, knees out stance (forcing knees out actively as well during the lift) when squatting and pulling mod. sumo…
But SLDL’s and such feel terrible mostly, all calves… Lying leg curls have also been giving me trouble, mostly because no matter what my calves seem to take over.
Modified Sumo DL’s and Sumo/Ham leg presses at least helped make my hams look somewhat presentable.
But all those lifts that work for me are fairly adductor heavy, and my hips get beat to shit if I squat and DL too often.
I haven’t had any success with regular stretches and foam rolling either, but it’s not like I’m an expert on this stuff to begin with…
Even back in first grade P.E. I had such issues, but could do that meditation sitting position (whatever that’s called) where your feet end up on top of your knees instead of under no problem and without using my hands.
Maybe BushidoBB knows how to fix it…
In case anyone hasn’t seen the “BBB” thread or the “AD” thread, I’ve been reading them a whole lot this weekend, and I’m hooked.
BBB Tread (great stuff!)
I think this is the AD thread MODOK is referring to–also great stuff.
[quote]MODOK wrote:
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
[quote]MODOK wrote:
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
[quote]MODOK wrote:
Why don’t you try slowing down the eccentrics first, then maybe adding another set or two when you see how that works out. I always hate to change more than one variable at a time, unless someone is waaaay out of sorts.[/quote]
Good point, thanks.
One other question if you don’t mind. How are your calves naturally and what have you done if anything specific to improve them? I got really skinny when I was in 8th-9th grade (in college now) and feel like I lost any calf potential being fat could have given me lol. At this point I’ve just about given up on them to be honest, I still work them but only 1-2x a week just going through the motions because I’ve tried so many things. Heavy low reps, lighter (relatively) high reps, quick motions, slow reps, double contractions, long stretch, 1,2,3,4x/week, over this last winter break I tried a high frequency plan going twice a day with bodyweight 4x/week and they went down a little…nothing seems to make any difference. [/quote]
I have high calves, and extremely tight fascia that has actually contributed to a lot of hip problems (I recently discovered). Like you, they are stubborn and its hard to get them to move. You name it, I’ve blasted them with it. Poliquin’s Luke Sauder routine actually put nearly two inches on my calves in a short period of time. So I would say high volume, high frequency was the way that I personally found to make them move.
[/quote]
I’ve seen that routine, definitely a little scared to try it lol. I’ll have to give it a shot. Any preference towards pausing or not at the bottom and full vs. partial ROM?
How big are yours now by the way?[/quote]
I’ve always tried my best to get them to the same size as my upper arm… I have completely failed. I have through all that specialized time, gotten them to around 18 inches. Pretty pathetic, but believe me it was a personal victory.
For me, to get an results, it has to be a full ROM with a pause at the bottom.
[/quote]
18 is pathetic?? lol I’d kill to be able to have 18in calves, i think PX said his just got to 18.5 and he was over 300lb at one time at 5’10. How big are your arms then?
[quote]MODOK wrote:
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
I haven’t had any success with regular stretches and foam rolling either, but it’s not like I’m an expert on this stuff to begin with…
Even back in first grade P.E. I had such issues, but could do that meditation sitting position (whatever that’s called) where your feet end up on top of your knees instead of under no problem and without using my hands.
Maybe BushidoBB knows how to fix it…
[/quote]
Good idea. Throw up the Bushido Bat Signal.[/quote]
I’m not suggesting that you actually do this, but remember that T-cell guns roundtable, and morepain’s thoughts about site injections?
Seems like it could help stretch the fascia permanently. But it might risk causing compartment syndrome. In which case you would slice it open with a scalpel.
If you don’t want this littering your thread, tell me or a mod and I’ll edit it.
You have a great physique and always give great and/or entertaining advice.
Hey MODOK!
Tomorrow I’m finishing my last session of my first BBB cycle (3 weeks ramp 1 + 3 weeks supergrowth).
The exercise I had the most progress in is the Incline DB Bench. When I started I did 12 reps with the 37,5 kg db’s. Yesterday I did 10 reps with 45 kg. Really stoked about having done this in 6 weeks.
I feel like I could beat some PR’s for at least another two weeks, but I’m also feeling a little worn out. Could I continue training as I do for a little while longer, but dropping the volume on the main exercises down from 3 sets to 1 - 2 sets? This would allow me to increase the weights even further, while dropping the amount of work done to give my body a little deload.
Logical enough choice?
Thanks 
Hehe, okay, I see what you mean. The reason I asked is that I feel that everytime fatigue accumulates over time, it’s because of the volume I’m doing, not how heavy weights I push.
Thanks man And if I should somehow crash and burn I’ll learn from that 
quick question…
i LOVED doing the chest/back, shoulders/arms, and legs/abs/low-back style split you outlined in the ‘body part once weekly’ thread. really like the frequency and all that but i started stalling and hate to make big changes when that happens so i started doing chest/arms, shoulders/back, and legs on their own day. makes sense too when you look at it having 1 big muscle group per day…
any way im still playing with exercise order a bit and was wondering if you had any tips?
thanks
Thick grip has been a real blessing since I have strained my wrist for things like dips, but I don’t think ill be able to do heavy front squats until it feels better.
MODOK/CC,
Have you guys tried rolling your feet with a lacrosse ball (do they have those in Deutschland?), and rolling your calves/peroneals with The Stick?
I do this religiously before lifting, and each time it seems I can get a bigger and bigger stretch in my hamstrings.
Just a suggestion…