Spring 2010 Contest Run Up

Training
701

[quote]tomkade wrote:
Hey Stu,

What are your thoughts about Darryl gaining 18 lbs of muscles in the short amount of time he had?
[/quote]

Well, first, let me say that when someone is ‘assisted’, obviously their recovery, and protein synthesis rate will be elevated compared to a typical, OTC supplement using gym rat. Also to note, is that the guys you see at the top of IFBB shows are also genetically much better off than you or I.

Now… let’s focus on Daryl’s actual progress. The guy has only been competing for a short time now if I recall correctly (read his backstory in an older issue of Flex). As with most competitors, no one ever hits their best the first time out.

While that’s not to say that Daryl didn’t look amazing when he first won his pro card (he did, I know I was floored by the pics), but if his mind worked anything like mine does, he probably overdieted a bit, and went for conditioning at the expense of a little added size, whether he knew he was doing this or not. Even Yates has acknowledged that his ‘huge’ gain in size from '92 to '93 was mostly the result of not thinking he needed to diet down so severely, and let his body come into its own.

I believe the figure batted about was that Daryl was 18 lbs heavier than last year. In a year’s time, that would only be slightly more than a lb a month gain. Throw into the mix the post contest rebound from his pro card win a year ago, as well as a method of training (and supplementation) that would allow for better recovery, and thus allow more growth to occur (how many of us can guarantee that we’re 100% recovered between training sessions?), and lastly, top it off with the expert eye of Christian Thibaudeau on hand constantly to monitor every facet of diet and training (and knowing tha Tim Patterson’s proudly showcasing your progress to the entire cyber world!), and I think you get a better view of what an elite athlete can accomplish if everything (EVERYTHING) is attended to in the best possible sense.

I’m certainly no IFBB Pro, but even after 17 years of training, the amount of attention to detail I applied from Spr '09 to Spr '10 allowed me to put on what I would guesstimate to be 5 lbs of muscle (3 lbs on the scale, and better conditioning to boot). This was with all the stresses of a real job, bills to pay, ‘normal’ genetics, only OTC supplements (although I started using a lot more of 'em), and only my training partners Corey, Mike and John egging me on each day.

With that said,… I have no problem as far as the final ‘gains’ Daryl made within the year’s time. Afterall, it’s not like he hadn’t made progress before training in Colorado,… he simply was able to maximize everything under the tutledge he received from the boys at Biotest (and who wouldn’t?! -lol).

S

702

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

[quote]FattyFat wrote:
@Stu
Just a wild guess, here, but have you checked your subcapularis for tightness / trigger points?
[/quote]

Gonna train with my Brother on Sunday, so after I rework his diet for him, we’ll focus on my accumulating injuries -lol. The next 6 weeks will pretty much determine whether I compete in the Spring. I’ve been pretty good training around my lower back issues, and while my knees have felt a bit wobbly this year, I’ve slowed my reps, shortened my ROM (eliminated the top part), and upper the reps, which I feel is helping a lot,… but the real issue is how much my left arm will come back into balance with my right.

Once they’re pumped (right after a session), you can’t tell there was an injury, so I do believe this is feasible. Still, time will tell,I’m going to be 38 next May, and I’ve been training pretty hard for a long while now. As much as I could just ‘retire’ from competition (with a 1st place win in each show), I still feel like I’ve got a little more left… here’s hoping.

S[/quote]

Okay, so while my subscap was okay, we did find some issues with my Superspinatis (sp?), which explains the slight pain I’ve been experiencing the last week in the rear of my shoulder joint. Trying to avoid overhead work for a bit, and instead of normal BB incline work, I’m going to keep to the DB’s so I can tuck my elbows more and eliminate a lot of the movement that is keeping the area irritated.

As I’ve had this before in my other arm over a year ago, I know it’s not a major issue, just annoying as hell. It does however add some explanation to why I can’t sleep on my left side with my arm up under the pillow (my brother laughed at me when I inquired if it was related -lol).

I really don’t want to jinx myself, but I think my arms are getting closer to matching a lot quicker than I would have thought. Although the elbow still clicks and pops a bit, and the corresponding forearm is still a tricky bugger (no overhead chins for me), I’ve been mostly pain free and able to train pretty hard. I have switched to a much more focused (slow and squeeze style) and higher rep approach for my bicep and tricep work, but after so many years of trying to be a beast in the gym, I think it’s working out just fine (crosses fingers!)

As of now, I have a rough list of possible shows for the Spring. The locales are pretty varied, as are the dates, so we’ll have to wait until the various Natural Organizations finalize their schedules and then I’ll see what seems feasible.

S
S

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Okay, so here’s an update.

First, let me stress that I’ve been dealing with several injuries/conditions since last May that, while I believe I was able to train around at the time, have probably hindered progress I could have made this past Summer and Fall.

Recently I’ve been hitting chest and legs both twice every ‘cycle’ in my rotation, and definitely feel the added volume has had an effect. This is despite the fact that my lower back has made me avoid squatting for a while, and despite the fact that my left elbow has prevented me from my usual heavy chest and shoulder pressing. In Late Summer, I decided to throw Alpha Male into my daily supplement regimen, and do think it helped me aging (38 in the Spring) and the beating I’ve subjected body these past 18 years. A couple of months later, after a lot o emailing/questioning with ModBrian, I also added in Receptormax, hoping that like most of the people who have been pleased with it, I too would notice better nutrient partitioning, and I would be able to stay leaner, and add more quality LBM despite what I felt was less than what I needed to be doing in the gym.

These pics were snapped last night, yes, after a meal, no pump, pale,… all the usual BS excuses. I did this because to be honest, a lot of people in my gym have been shocked at how relatively lean I’ve been able to stay, and also because I was pretty shocked that I was able to look so thick (in the gym, obviously with a pump, but still), and still be under 200 lbs.

My plan as of now, is to take the next TWO WEEKS off from the gym, COMPLETELY. Yes, I’ve taken a few odds days off here and there as my elbow has been killing me, but I figure a ‘normal’ person, not obsessed with constantly making progress would have done this a long time ago. I’m sure my brain will mess with me horribly, and I will imagine that I’m shrinking, losing definition, everything negative… BUT If I can come back and train the way I know I can (I never question that no one else at my gym comes even close to busting their ass as much as I do when I’m there), the way I used to, I don’t think it will be an issue. My brother is going to try to get one of the Orthopedists he refers patients to to give me a cortizone shot this week (my last one was over a year ago, so I don’t think I’m over doing it). Also, I intend to keep eating the amount of cals/macros I usually do in an effort to not lose anything (although I really doubt you can lose a real noticeable amount of muscle in two weeks), as well as keep up my full supplementation, so I don’t have to get my body reacquainted with anything when I come back.

If all goes well, I plan to crush the competition at the few shows I’ve penciled in for Spring 2011. If I’m back where I was,… well, I’ll continue to train around as best as I can (still moving serious weights, just feel like I’m mentally holding back too much), and let the chips fall where they may. Worst case scenario, we get an injury log out of this -lol.

S

704

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I also added in Receptormax, hoping that like most of the people who have been pleased with it, I too would notice better nutrient partitioning, and I would be able to stay leaner, and add more quality LBM[/quote] How did you use it? With carb meals? Before carb meals?

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[quote]tolismann wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I also added in Receptormax, hoping that like most of the people who have been pleased with it, I too would notice better nutrient partitioning, and I would be able to stay leaner, and add more quality LBM[/quote] How did you use it? With carb meals? Before carb meals?
[/quote]

I take 3 capsules about 25 mins before a ‘meal’ three times a day, and then one additional dose 10 mins before downing my finibars (so about 30 mins before hitting the weights). Again, I didn’t shift my diet at all, no cardio, and to be honest, truly feel like I wasn’t pushing myself very hard because of my (over)concern over the injuries I’ve been nursing for way too long. So when People began commenting the last two weeks, and I started to notice myself that I was pretty damn lean (and after a training session, very vascular, which I’m normally not), I can only attribute it to the new additions to my supplement arsenal.

S

706

Wow,… two weeks off is seriously difficult to do! -lol. I had planned on going back today, but with the insane storm that seems to have completely immobilized the NYC/L.I. area, I’m just glad I made it home after being stranded at my brother’s place for a the last 30 or so hours.

So I got my MRI last Wednesday, but couldn’t get an actual appointment with the Ortho until this week (this morning, but again, everyone in NYC was completely snowed in). When we spoke last time, he wasn’t too keen on just giving me a Cortizone shot, even though my last one was over a year ago, which makes me think that whatever he advises, I’m just planning on resuming my training as best I can, working around injuries that irritate the elbow, and making sure my diet and supplements are optimal. My girlfriend’s brother has an ortho he goes to (he’s a competitive Strongman), who will give a shot (or multiple ones if I want) no questions asked, so I’m thinking that it’s always an option. Last time I got a shot, I took 2 days off, and was back as good as new (with no pain in the elbow through my entire 2010 contest run up).

Also, I’ve been a bit bothered thinking that I didn’t make the progress I could have this past year (since May) because of thee few issues I’ve had, so when I noticed a contest in late May 2011 that I could use as my 1st show (instead of the April one I was leaning towards), I realized that I could train hard for the next 4-5 weeks, not as part of my prep, and certainly without any cardio or actual ‘diet’, trying to put on a bit of size and recapture any hardness that I may have lost during the last 2 weeks, and then still have 15-16 weeks to officially diet for the May show. It’s actually a show with a ‘title’, so once I make sure that I can actually contest it, I’ll let you guys know. Definitely not a walk in the park contest though, so going in I’ll be hoping for a top 5 placing (definitely not expecting to waltz in and walk away with the trophy -lol). Of course I will bust my ass like I always do, but all in all, I think this will be a better plan than rushing things for the April show (and it will be easier for the few competitors who I’m prepping for an April 30th show as well).

S

707

Hey stu I think the twice a week chest work(even though you say you can’t work heavy due to your elbow) has really started to bring up your chest development compared to your triceps and back development.

708

Sorry I’m a little late to the party.

Stu have you considered ART for your injury? It has worked wonders on nagging injuries I have had.

Leaning back too far on your side chest and side tri. On side chest, bring your back shoulder around more so you are more square with where the judge are but keep your hips still pointed to the side. So more of a twisting.

Hands are coming too far in front of you on both lat poses.

709

Hey Daryl-

Yeah, I’ve had ART in the past, and the few times my brother (DPT) has worked on it, it certainly felt much better afterward. I guess it’s just making me crazy that these issues never seem to go away for good. I actually just got back from talking to an Orthopedist (the Doctor who handles the Islanders), and he said he was quite surprised that there is absolutely no structural damage at all, and that my joints are pretty damn healthy (no scar tissues, no partial tearing of tricep attachments, nothing!). So after taking 2 weeks off, I’ve completely revamped a lot of my exercise selections to try to avoid a lot of the strain that is put on the area simply from training after all these years.

With my posing, believe me, I’ve studied the hell out of a good number of current pros as well as older heroes of mine. Also, I will note that I try to be objectively aware of any structural shortcomings I have. With that in mind, I’ve chosen, or even altered slightly some of my poses in order to “appear to have more than I truly do” when under the lights. I know for a fact that my chest will never be a strength in certain shots, especially the lower area (I think it’s just how my pecs attach to the ribcage), as such, I try to angle my ribcage slightly on the side chest. It’s not always as dramatic as it may be in some photos (shots from the May 2010 show look significantly better than the ones from April of the same year), but I am aware that I’m doing it. The leaning back on the tricep shot is to try to crunch down the abdominal area and make it more of an ab shot as well, otherwise my naturally thick midsection just draws away from the ‘X’ effect of being big on top (torso) and below (drooping hams,… I hope! -lol). The lat shots, where I actually angle my elbows a bit forward is something I adopted after viewing old videos of Mentzer. Yes, I take up more space horizontally when I don’t do that, but there’s something that’s hard to ignore when there is no ‘gap’ under your arms in the front lat spread. Yates himself commented that a few of my poses could be tweaked, but if I had his physique, I’d do it his way too.

I was actually surprised that the judges at the show where I won my card were all very complimentary of my posing. Assuming that they’ve all competed themselves at some point, I’m sure they understood just what I was doing… All an illusion my friends, all an illusion :wink:

S

710

I am sure this has been asked and answered, n=bu I didint notice it. What weight are you competing at when you cut from 200 plus pounds?

711

Hey Stu,

I just recently made DIY blast straps (well worth it). I’ve been doing what amounts to OH Tricep Extensions on them. They feel so great because your hands/wrists are free and not stuck in a certain path with a barbell, plus you get a great stretch. Just thought I would mention it since you’ve had some elbow and tricep issues.

Tim

712

SILVERDAN- I compete at about 173 (think I officially weighted 172.6 the morning I won my pro card). This is before I carb up that morning though, so probably closer to 175 or so judging by the pics from the contest.

TIMM- I actually did some rope-overhead extensions for a bit because I was hesitent to go right back to DB incline skull crushers (which is one of my favorite tricep exercises). At the moment, as long as I do some rope pressdown work (either two arms, or unilaterally) before hand, I’m handling the 40’s no problem for the inc skulls (actually feels pretty good).

I’m still shying away from bench dips (in the squat rack), which have been my finishing exercise for years, and something I have no doubt contributed to my thick arm development. Hopefully I’ll be able to reintegrate the movement sometime soon, as I’m hoping to officially start my Spring prep on 1/30/11.

Others have asked if I’ll be running what is now turning into an annual contest thread again, and I guess it makes sense to with all the PMs I get each week. Of course I’m going into this season with a lot more ‘concerns’ (physical and mental) on my plate than in 2010, but I’m sure that it will make for some interesting reading.

S

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Fantastic! It’s just GREAT you share all your contest prep experiences here on T-Nation.

My next one will be end of October. I hope I can pick up some nice ideas and tips from your pre thread to improve mine :slight_smile:

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Stu,
Can you give us an update on your present condition - pics, perhaps a glance at your current diet/training, etc…And how do you stay so damn lean during the off season?! I know that I’d be interested, as would many others!

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ParagonA- Thanks Bro. When I started my first one, initially as me just posing a few questions I had, I never expected people to get so into following my progress. I guess in hindsight, my being a ‘regular guy’, with regular genetics, a real job, and friends who mostly want nothing to do with the gym, may be what gives the threads some appeal.

Hopefully the fact that I try to put all my thought processes out there translates into learning experiences, whether my decisions work out or not. I’m definitely looking forward to your next prep. I know your plans last year ended up getting messed up, but as someone on here who I truly respect, I’m definitely wishing you the best.

HLSS09- I think I posted a few pics (scroll up) from early December 2010 just to give people some idea where I was at. While I did try to keep my weight a little lower than last year, it wasn’t a compeltely planned out, highly detailed approach like I would do during an actual prep. The occassional control day, or just being aware of how many times each week you really eat something ‘bad’ for you is usually enough to keep me in “okay” condition.

With my first planned contest of 2011 falling in late May (I had hoped for an April show, but decided to hold off a few more weeks and try to rebuild my left triceps a little more first), I’m actually going to start my prep on 1/30/11. So sometime this weekend, I’ll start a new thread, get some pics up as a starting point during the week, and outline what I have been doing, as well as what I will be doing.

S

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Nice

717

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
As much as I was looking forward to this, another teacher and myself had to go into Manhattan all day for some BS administrative meeting, and as I wasn’t sure if I was going to have access to a microwave, I actually pre-made several large tupperwares of oatmeal with Metabolic Drive mixed in and tossed 'em in my cooler with a couple of chicken breasts.

You know you’re hardcore/dedicated when it’s 9am, and you’re sitting on a park bench in front of city hall quietly eating cold oatmeal out of a container while sipping a giant jug of MAG-10 (I did get some very amusing glances).

S[/quote]

lol that’s great

Sometimes I feel guilty eating in front of the kids … but HEY, I’m the teacher!

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[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
As much as I was looking forward to this, another teacher and myself had to go into Manhattan all day for some BS administrative meeting, and as I wasn’t sure if I was going to have access to a microwave, I actually pre-made several large tupperwares of oatmeal with Metabolic Drive mixed in and tossed 'em in my cooler with a couple of chicken breasts.

You know you’re hardcore/dedicated when it’s 9am, and you’re sitting on a park bench in front of city hall quietly eating cold oatmeal out of a container while sipping a giant jug of MAG-10 (I did get some very amusing glances).

S[/quote]

lol that’s great

Sometimes I feel guilty eating in front of the kids … but HEY, I’m the teacher!
[/quote]

Lol, Geez, I didn’t think anyone was replying to this thread anymore!

It’s great being ‘in charge’ sometimes. Usually, it’s nothing worth writing about, but once I downed a couple of cans of sardines while teaching a class. Obviously I wasn’t too popular with the kiddies on that particular day :slight_smile:

S

719

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:

Lol, Geez, I didn’t think anyone was replying to this thread anymore!

[/quote]

Ha ha yeah I thought this was the 2011 thread :S

720

I have a high grade partial tear in the short head of my distal bicep tendon, the long head is fully intact. My bicep retracted slightly proximally. Did your bicep change at all from the partial tear? I’m two months post tear and slowly working back into things but my bicep still doesn’t look right, does this go away eventually?