My New Life in Colorado...

Training Bodybuilding
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@Eric Buratty: Thanks buddy! Like I said before, Im not better than anyone of you guys, all those mistakes, I made them, and paid the price! But as the years passed by, I started to learn more and more about my body, so now, when Im preparing for a show, it’s always easier and easier (well, less painfull I should say!!!), even though I keep improving onstage.

I don’t know if I’ll be competing this year, with my arm injury and stuff, I feel like I made some improvements, but not to the point of being in the mix to win my class, and more important, the overall title and a pro card.

The Canadian Nationals is held in October this year, so I still have a couple of months to decide. Still, the beauty of our sport, compared to the other ones, is that you don’t need to compete to improve your physique. Actually, skiping a year from 2008 to 2010 help me put on close to 20 lbs of lean body mass onstage, going from 204 lbs in 2008 to 222 lbs in 2010.

Then again, I might still feel the itch to compete in couple weeks…we’ll see…

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Thanks for the respone Alex. I don’t usually do cardio. Training cuts it for me (most of the times) and I don’t want to do cardio until late spring or early summer.

I was wondering what’s your favourite pizza?
Mine is the one with ham and mushrooms.

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@Gaby 2700: Hahahaha!!! Well, I pretty much enjoy them all, but I often go for the meat lover version, the hole nine yards, 1 inch thick!!!

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More meat on a pizza = better pizza. Although apparently Italians don’t think so. I’m going to eat what is apparently the most authentic Italian pizza available in London this Thursday with an Italian friend of mine and he told me that they don’t really put much meat on their pizza, and he’d rather not risk losing his passport if I order one like that (also, pineapple on a pizza is out of the question, but I actually agree with that one). I told him it’s ok, I’ll just eat two to get enough meat.

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@BiP: I hear you when it comes to fruits on a pizza, it ain’t happening with me for sure!!! Do what I often do bud, two pizza’s slice facing each other, like a pizza quesadilla!

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Thanks for the reply, Alex.

And I gotta say that pizza is always my cheat meal! But I love the pineapple lol.

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you guys gotta try the sweet ‘n’ spicy pizza - Pepperoni, pineapple and jalapenos.

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Nice laughter guys, it’s really good to see people that have some sense of humour (including myself). I once talked to a local big bodybuilder. He was just so stiff and serios and full of misconceptions.

I can’t think it’s happening to me again. I mea I’m so frustrated now. Today I did a upper body workout (I’m in the 2nd part out of my first 6 week cycle) after 2 weeks of NO training. You’d say it’s normal to have a slight decrease in strength, right. But I just can’t get it; since I started the program I chose my MTW based on calculations, yet it allways felt too close to grinding the last reps when wave loading; now I was supposed to add 5 pounds and redo the 1st 3 weeks.

Nothing too hard. Instead I ended up decreasing 5 lbs so that I don’t grind it and still there were some problems. When I got to the 2nd part of the workout (sumo deadlifts and some assistance work = extra triceps isolation work) I actually felt an increase in strength (I also think I probabily I used slightly less then my usual deadlift but it was the only main exercises that felt the right way) and I felt superstrong on isolation stuff.

Now don’t get me wrong guys I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me or to try and bring my motivation and mood up. It’s just that I always stagnated on pressing weights for a long while, I mean the 1st time I learned ramping I always worked it up to my 1RM (or very close to it) and I guess in about a month or so I increased my 1RM on (i.e.) bench press that I wnt form 60 kg (grinding) to a smooth 78 kg, and now struggeling to get 80 kg.

Please don’t misinterpret guys; HPM is awsome, but why is it that I’m so not improveing the way I should. Is it normal?
Did anything like this ever happened to someone? (to remain on the same weights for more than 5 months while training for strength) ?

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[quote]Gaby 2700 wrote:
Nice laughter guys, it’s really good to see people that have some sense of humour (including myself). I once talked to a local big bodybuilder. He was just so stiff and serios and full of misconceptions.

I can’t think it’s happening to me again. I mea I’m so frustrated now. Today I did a upper body workout (I’m in the 2nd part out of my first 6 week cycle) after 2 weeks of NO training. You’d say it’s normal to have a slight decrease in strength, right. But I just can’t get it; since I started the program I chose my MTW based on calculations, yet it allways felt too close to grinding the last reps when wave loading; now I was supposed to add 5 pounds and redo the 1st 3 weeks. Nothing too hard. Instead I ended up decreasing 5 lbs so that I don’t grind it and still there were some problems. When I got to the 2nd part of the workout (sumo deadlifts and some assistance work = extra triceps isolation work) I actually felt an increase in strength (I also think I probabily I used slightly less then my usual deadlift but it was the only main exercises that felt the right way) and I felt superstrong on isolation stuff.

Now don’t get me wrong guys I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me or to try and bring my motivation and mood up. It’s just that I always stagnated on pressing weights for a long while, I mean the 1st time I learned ramping I always worked it up to my 1RM (or very close to it) and I guess in about a month or so I increased my 1RM on (i.e.) bench press that I wnt form 60 kg (grinding) to a smooth 78 kg, and now struggeling to get 80 kg.

Please don’t misinterpret guys; HPM is awsome, but why is it that I’m so not improveing the way I should. Is it normal?
Did anything like this ever happened to someone? (to remain on the same weights for more than 5 months while training for strength) ? [/quote]

Hey buddy. I’m here to help (we ALL are) but from your bench numbers it’s sounds like you’re still pretty young in the lifting game. How is your nutrition? Do you ever track you calories/protein for the day? You may FEEL like you’re eating a lot, but in reality, you aren’t eating much at all. Yes, you went from 60kg to 78kg, but those are typical newb gains. Now you have to step something up, which is most likely your nutrition. I’m not asking about periWO nutrition either. YES, that stuff is important, but if you aren’t getting your needed protein and calories for the day, those supplements can’t make up for it.

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Sorry for the double post, but I had a question for you Alex. Has CT ever had you consistently do the “pulse fast”? I’m using it right now for a 12 week transformation contest (2 weeks done) and LOVE it! Just wanted to know if you had any opinions on it.

Thanks!
-Adam

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[quote]Alex Raymond wrote:
@BiP: I hear you when it comes to fruits on a pizza, it ain’t happening with me for sure!!! Do what I often do bud, two pizza’s slice facing each other, like a pizza quesadilla![/quote]

I’ll give that a try tomorrow. Hopefully I won’t end up being attacked by a mob of angry Italians :wink:

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[quote]ashylarryku wrote:

Hey buddy. I’m here to help (we ALL are) but from your bench numbers it’s sounds like you’re still pretty young in the lifting game. How is your nutrition? Do you ever track you calories/protein for the day? You may FEEL like you’re eating a lot, but in reality, you aren’t eating much at all. Yes, you went from 60kg to 78kg, but those are typical newb gains. Now you have to step something up, which is most likely your nutrition. I’m not asking about periWO nutrition either. YES, that stuff is important, but if you aren’t getting your needed protein and calories for the day, those supplements can’t make up for it.[/quote]

Thanks man. It kind of helps me to see some people showing even the slightes interest.
I have to say that I don’t do supplimentation (I’m more the “lets make it as cost-free as possible” guy). So just to clarify my size gains until now are nothing to complain about. As for dieting I started carb cycling (2 high, 2 moderate/normal, 3 lower carb). I revised my nutrition and made sure I get the necessary.
I’m also aniversating 2 years of training (not much) this month. I also have to point out that I cleared the misconceptions and myths that the avreage gym rat knows. I also follow CT’s doctrine (since 8-10 months ago).

I’m affraid it’s not nutition. I used to do more of a eat whatever you have after every 2 hours.

I know that by default I’m weaker than the avrege Joe. When I started training I wasn’t able to do 1 single correct push up and all the bw only exercises were hard to do for low reps. I have to say that my performance improved a lot.

I guess I had my share of newbie gains within the firs 6 months of training, because I was training like rubbish and gaining size.
I also started form 10" arms and I’m now at 14.5 and growing. also when I started training I was training with 20 kg on the bench press.

My only concern is that my strength hasn’t improved that much for the upper body pressing muscles in the latest period.

I usually love to experiment a lot, but in the later cas only with what CT aproves.

Now I just want you to get that I’m fine with what I’ve been doing until now and I am not upset because I’m weaker than the normal because I know that I’ll improve with the time.
Again I want to outline that I am doing HP Mass and the only part that exausts me and makes me think if I used good enought tehniques is only when I get to wave loading.

don’t get me wrong but the kind of problems you raise are mostly what people have been telling me since the 1st year. Since than I evolved a lot. BUT you messege really helped me get my mood up. Thanks.

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@ashylarryku: Hey man! I never used the pulse feast so far, coach Thibaudeau never went that way with me yet, I think pretty much because I react very badly to low carb diet, and since Im training twice a day, it makes it difficult to adjust it with two waves of periworkout nutrition.

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Hey Alex, Hi from the UK. Got to say man that I really enjoyed reading your posts in this, you come across like a genuine guy with a down to earth attitude even though you’ve got this super human physique.

I work in a gym and I spend most of my time reading up on this site(when the boss ain’t looking of course)and will keep checking in on how you get on this year.

Simon

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[quote]TrampwithaPlan wrote:
Hey Alex, Hi from the UK. Got to say man that I really enjoyed reading your posts in this, you come across like a genuine guy with a down to earth attitude even though you’ve got this super human physique.

I work in a gym and I spend most of my time reading up on this site(when the boss ain’t looking of course)and will keep checking in on how you get on this year.

Simon [/quote]

Thanks buddy!!! UK, home of one of my favorite bodybuilder of all time, Dorian Yates. Like I said before, Im blessed with the opportunity to live from my passion, so it’s only normal that I give back a little… Thanks for your interest man, right now I trimed down to a lean 240 lbs, while maintening pretty much all my strength and healing my right arm, which is now back at 99%. Im starting to touch weights I use to handle before my injury, 545 lbs deadlifts, 455 lbs bench presses, 315 lbs overhead presses…I just hope it stays that way!!!

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Hi there Alex. How are thing going? I’m guessing CT had you doing complexes or a spec phase recently (or something even more anabolical - I was going to say diabilical but anabolical sounds better). Also what happened to those heavy partials stuff?

I’m feeling a lot better not, I’m back in the gaining zone. And I have to say I’m so thankful that some of you guys supported me because I’ve got a new PR on the bench press last week. I’ve increased my 1RM to 85 kg (with no grinding) and with grinding I went further to 96 kg.
I’m also gaining more overall size too.

I owe you guys a big thanks for being supportive.

Enough about me, so I have a sensitive question for you Alex (if you don’t mind): it’s impossible to notice that you have a tatto. I’m just wondering what’s the story behind it and what does it represents?

From experience I know that people with tattos have some awsome stories about them (wll more about their semnification).

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How is your training and recovery going?