TeaMan Offseason - Death of the mass monsters - facing the truth (Shrinking my waist down)

[TeaMan]

Hi Guys, many of you knows me already as from my log at the "members logs" section but this time i wanna make the log a little bit different and maybe help some guys along the way. This whole year i spend on trying to get my ProCard starting with the spring season and finishes it at the end of the autumn/winter season. The only break between these periots was 12 weeks of rebound to freshened up my physique and add some muscle (succesfully done as my chest never been so full), and then i went straight back to the prep again. No need to say that i have not been able to get the card. And to be honest i've always place either out of the top 6 or at best at 3th place in my category, so thats not even close to get to the overall, not mention winning it. Im not saying this to cry about myself but to simply get you to the reason = shitty midsection and being blocky overall. As many of you knows i have one of the best coach in the europe @luki7788 so we get back to the drawing board and put the plan to bring the best out of my physique as I am not a fool and i know that i never gonna be at the top of the chaing, but i am also not a pussy and i know that with great coach, hard work and being patient can make it to the Pro one day.

Lets face the truth guys. With Samson winning the Olympia this year, addin the official addnotation in the ifbb rules about bloated midsection, Keaon solidified himself as a 212 mr.o, classic guys compets in the open succesfully etc. the era of Mass Monsters are simply over. Either we like it or not, you have to present yourself like a greek statue on stage or you get mark down.

The overall idea of the offseason is to NOT to focusing on getting as big as possible as it was over the last couple of years (whitch i believe leads me also to get a little bit more blockier then before) But we are gonna focusing on refining my physique. Add the size to the shoulder, chest, back and keep an close eye on my midsection control throuaught whole process (i know that averyone likes to tell you thah he is keep a eye on it but no one really does. After a couple of weeks being offseason bloated everyone just forgot about the whole midsection thing).

Here's some reasoning, whitch in my opinion leading to the poor midsection control and if you are not bleesed with the small hips/waist structure potentially even to addidional waist grow:
- General digestion (poor food choices, dirty cheat meals, lack of the fruits, veggies and variety in the diet, lack of fiber intake, poor hydration - leading to the bacteria overgrowth and intestinal diseases whitch makes you bloated and unable to controll the midsection throught the day)
- Meal portion size (volumizing food leads to the stretch of the stomach wall, whitch not only makes you more hunry in the prep as the mechanical factors for the satiety signaling is not working proprarly, but also makes you bloated and unable to controll your waist)
- Lack of ab development and core strenght/stability (not doing vacuums, weekening of the deep abdominal muscles, not keeping your waist in throught the day)
- Poor excercises choice (basically training like a powerlifer keeping focusing on the strenght rather then contracting the cartain muscle. Im not telling you to not do the basics like deadifts, squats or bend over rows - but doing it with the proper form and controll and using it as a secondary movements, not as a main point in our plan).
- Incorrect ab training (using heavy ass weights for the abs, doing side banding shits etc. ABS are just a muscle > you work it hard, it getting bigger whitch leads you with thicker waist).


WAIST SHRINKENING DAILY ROUTINE:
J.Jewett suggestet me (we gonna make a podcast for you guys about the midesection control) to do everyday rutine off:
- McGill Big 3 - this is the core strengtening/stability program for getting a better control and strenghtning the deep muscle tissue.
- He's ab vacuum routine
part 1 -

part 2 -

- ill spend on it 10minutes on the clock, faster in the morning before the cardio.

When it comse to the other factors thats are VERY important in my case (and probably many of you reading this) i've also get done my intestional test to check it out what my general intestinal bacterial flora looks like (waiting for the results), for proper probiotics treatment.

My diets and PED's choice also change. Luki reduced my protein intake and we switch to the "drier" compound choice to eliminate potential bloated or anything thats could cloud the real tissue progression.

Im currently 5 days post show, so im gonna share all my diet, peds, cardio, training routine etc. on every wednesday witch the check ins as soos as Luki change anything in my plan. If you up for the road to the better waist in 2025, keep an eye on this topic. I'll try my best to keep you updated on everything.


I invite you to take an active part in the topic, ask questions and share your own thoughts!

 

[weedle]

Great post Dawid. I think you look outstanding. I shake my head with your placings, your competition must look incredible. Just think what another year will bring. I know you will get that pro card one day.

 

[plane]

Great post Dawid. I think you look outstanding. I shake my head with your placings, your competition must look incredible. Just think what another year will bring. I know you will get that pro card one day.

Second this

 

[TeaMan]

Great post Dawid. I think you look outstanding. I shake my head with your placings, your competition must look incredible. Just think what another year will bring. I know you will get that pro card one day.

Thanks brother, but its one thing to look good by yourself on the instagram and totaly another thing to being compere to guys that are working as hards as you but they just structully overpowering you. Nothing to be ashame off. i know i worked my ass off. Luki brought me on stage in the best packed possible - dry, full and diced. It was just not enough as the standards of judgeing are changeing drasticaly.

 

[kadafi2]

You already have the size/dimensions, so you don't have to focus on increasing the weight, in fact, improving the details/quality/waist makes the most sense for you. You did a great job putting on so much mass in such a short time (you are an ectomorph, did you start with a very small weight from what you wrote?) and you reached about 120 kg on mass. You did a great job. That's all from me, good luck because the card will be yours, sooner or later! You have good muscle shapes, and that's very important.

 

[Fleezy]

This thread is relevant to me

Will be following along

 

[bbxtreme]

I think you will really love this new approach and @luki7788 is just the man to help you achieve it.

I stopped chasing the “size at any cost” and open bodybuilding when I started with AJ. It was hard at first, but now I think I have a FAR better physique for it, feel better and am healthier.

Very excited to follow along through your next season as this is the future of bodybuilding in terms of judging criteria as you said.

 

[TeaMan]

You already have the size/dimensions, so you don't have to focus on increasing the weight, in fact, improving the details/quality/waist makes the most sense for you. You did a great job putting on so much mass in such a short time (you are an ectomorph, did you start with a very small weight from what you wrote?) and you reached about 120 kg on mass. You did a great job. That's all from me, good luck because the card will be yours, sooner or later! You have good muscle shapes, and that's very important.

Yes, i as 58kg when i start lifting.

This thread is relevant to me

Will be following along

Im sure you'll find a great source of adherance motivation .

I think you will really love this new approach and @luki7788 is just the man to help you achieve it.

I stopped chasing the “size at any cost” and open bodybuilding when I started with AJ. It was hard at first, but now I think I have a FAR better physique for it, feel better and am healthier.

Very excited to follow along through your next season as this is the future of bodybuilding in terms of judging criteria as you said.

Thanks. Yes definetly !

 

[3BILLS]

This thread is relevant to me

Will be following along

Me to

 

[Prowrestler]

Following this!!

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Following.

I mean, I feel like I understand this as much as anyone right now. I’m not the seasoned vet that you are @TeaMan and I’m also not the BBer you are. You have what it takes to be a pro, you just have this last hurdle to make before it happens for u. Very interested to take these pieces and apply it to my journey as well.

 

[traininsane11]

Very interested to see how you get on as something I’m looking to work on myself I can definitely see it becoming an issue for me with my natural structure and passion for adding size

 

[SOUR DIESEL]

the multiple adjustments you'r making are very interesting ..looking forward to your successful results

..good luck brother

.

 

[Biggerp73]

Couple ideas ..

Don't just practice vacuums. Try to keep your 24/7 posture vacuumed as much as possible. You won't, obviously, be able to do a real/full vacuum all day. But at the least keep the abs inverse concaved 24/7. I did this for years in my teens and now after almost 20 years of intentionally letting my gut distend all day I can still pull a decent vacuum any time I want.

When training the big lifts, don't use a belt and push your stomach out against it. That's like hypertrophy training for the guy.

 

[hawkmoon]

Looking forward to your progress with this. I have fought this for 5+ years now and it's a real challenge.

 

[TeaMan]

Couple ideas ..

Don't just practice vacuums. Try to keep your 24/7 posture vacuumed as much as possible. You won't, obviously, be able to do a real/full vacuum all day. But at the least keep the abs inverse concaved 24/7. I did this for years in my teens and now after almost 20 years of intentionally letting my gut distend all day I can still pull a decent vacuum any time I want.

When training the big lifts, don't use a belt and push your stomach out against it. That's like hypertrophy training for the guy.

The first part I trying to do as much as it possible for me. But I do keep an eye on it, thank you. But the second part is interesting as there are two schools of thought on the topic. Some says use the belt as often as possible for example Hany Rambot is a huge believer in training with Belt. As well as Bleu Taylor as im asking him about it certainly. And some says exactly what you just said for example Layne Norton believes that bracing upon the belt, makes your abs/obliques working harder. Personally I feel the opposite way. Using belt kinda deactivates the abs as I’m wearing my belt throughout all the training sessions right now and I’m watching on how tightly I can wear it (last hole as for now, and the goal is to not get lower then the second hole at the end of the offseason maximum). After I take it off, my stomach is flat as fck! So it feels like make it better, not worse.

 

[TeaMan]

Looking forward to your progress with this. I have fought this for 5+ years now and it's a real challenge.

It is, it’s the hardest part of bodybuilding. That’s why almost no one is talking it seriously.

 

[Biggerp73]

The first part I trying to do as much as it possible for me. But I do keep an eye on it, thank you. But the second part is interesting as there are two schools of thought on the topic. Some says use the belt as often as possible for example Hany Rambot is a huge believer in training with Belt. As well as Bleu Taylor as im asking him about it certainly. And some says exactly what you just said for example Layne Norton believes that bracing upon the belt, makes your abs/obliques working harder. Personally I feel the opposite way. Using belt kinda deactivates the abs as I’m wearing my belt throughout all the training sessions right now and I’m watching on how tightly I can wear it (last hole as for now, and the goal is to not get lower then the second hole at the end of the offseason maximum). After I take it off, my stomach is flat as fck! So it feels like make it better, not worse.

Depends on how you use the belt, I suppose. If you use the belt almost like a waist trainer, I do think it can help. But if you are using the belt as powerlifter would use it, pushing your abs against it, distending the abs are far as possible against it, to lift big weights, then I have to assume it would work against you here. Take for example Nick Walker. His gut distension is never worse than when he is training with a belt on.

 

[Fleezy]

a little inspiration

 

[TeaMan]

Depends on how you use the belt, I suppose. If you use the belt almost like a waist trainer, I do think it can help. But if you are using the belt as powerlifter would use it, pushing your abs against it, distending the abs are far as possible against it, to lift big weights, then I have to assume it would work against you here. Take for example Nick Walker. His gut distension is never worse than when he is training with a belt on.

The one with Nick i never notice, but it's just becouse i never put an phesis on that. But i never use the belt, i only wear it. To be honset, i dont really know how to use the belt like a powerlifter. Never been big on that knowledge as i never thought it's suited to bodybuilding. Great comment bro, think many of us benefits from that.