Training question for all Competitive bodybuilders

[TooPowerful4u]

This is a question for all that have competed, im lookin for all opinions and experiences here, but also hoping for some of the bigger names to chime in here as well.

How big of a difference does your training methods matter when training for a show? I have seen two sides to this arguement... on one side people believe on more isolation movements while approaching a show, while others believe you have to stick with heavy freeweights and compounds the whole way through to keep fullness and size. Before you give me the speach about how detail comes from diet not training, i know iv heard it over and over, but i remember a few respected members of this board stating it makes a difference. Also too many heavy compounds i feel become more dangerous as you approach a show since your bodyfat levels are lower and you are more dried out with less joint lubrication just to name a few things.

Basicly what i was planning to do for my next show was tone down the heavy compounds at about the 6 week out point (but not phase them out, just more 12-15rep range) and work with more isolations and concentrate on the contraction and squeeze in a higher rep range. Opinions/corrections/advice?

 

[Vander_V]

Just fucking be prepared training means shit at that point absolute shit if u ask me , its diet and disipline along with a bunch of cardio that makes the difference .

 

[JonnyO]

I like to throw in the occasional drop sets, super sets. Stuff like that. It may help bring out those extra striations come show time.

 

[xcelbeyond]

Basicly what i was planning to do for my next show was tone down the heavy compounds at about the 6 week out point (but not phase them out, just more 12-15rep range) and work with more isolations and concentrate on the contraction and squeeze in a higher rep range. Opinions/corrections/advice?

Well, I've been trained by some successful local bodybuilders who understood pre-contest. They said if you're eating properly, it doesn't mean squat as to "what type" of workout you do - just keep working out. If you think the trick to striated muscles is doing the "correct" isolation movement (when you have 7% BF) you're only trying to make excuses.

Your statement above contradicts itself, doesn't it Who in the hell can do heavy "compound" movement at that high a rep range. You've done pre-contest - haven't you? Do have the energy to do "heavy" workouts as when bulking? Hell - I barely have enough energy to get in the gym and do what I need to do.

 

[FutureFreak]

I'd say if you literally have the "strength" to move heavy weights around in compound movements, by all means go for it, just be very cautious about it. But, like Excel mentioned, when in that mode, you barely have enough energy to walk around let alone lift massive weights. When my strength severely diminishes through my contest prep, I will throw in giant, tri-set, superset and compound sets to super-exhaust my muscle and push it past its limits. Also, not bad for extra calorie burning. Either way, do what you feel you are safely capable of.

 

[JonnyO]

Thats funny, I actually find myself stronger in some movements pre-contest training. I have good energy even on LOW carbs so I think the excuse of "I'm tired from the low carbs" is b.s. personally. It's all in the mind.

 

[xcelbeyond]

I wasn't try to pick on you Jonny

When you're eating close to BMR (no matter "where" calories come from) it's only providing X amount of energy - calories in/calories out. There are guys like homonunculus that can get super shredded WITHOUT doing any cardio. I've talked with him during precontest (mine) and he told me if I wasn't eating as much as I was, I wouldn't need to be doing all that cardio

I don't believe that "low carb" has anything to with strength - energy does. I've done low-carb in bulking phases and still had plenty of strength - and still gained BF as my "overall" calorie intake was high.

I'm not saying every day during pre-contest has to be torture. There are plenty of days I feel energetic and get in hard workouts. But it seems like like there's days when I'm too lethargic and to push yourself when the body is down is only asking for injury.

 

[russmeister]

during my last show

i stayed with heavy basic exercises until about two weeks before my show. at that point everything started to really kick my ass.also i only did cardio about 4-5 times per week in the morning on an empty stomach. i was on very low carbs all week and very high protein. my energy was very good most of the time. i also tend to think your strength and energy levels is also a factor of what type of supplementation you are doing, just my .02
russ

 

[Trulyhuge]

Train the same way you did when bulking. All in the mind. Maybe 2 weeks closer slow down a bit but evrything else stays the same!

TH

 

[jerrywear]

i dont know but i was training heavy all the time,but the closer to the show the weaker i got,but last show it was diferent i was realy with a lot of anergy and i was pushing stupig weights,its all about the diet amyway.EVERYBODY IS DIFERENT.

 

[mung]

At pre-contest time, you have all the muscle you are typically going to have at show time anyways, so as Vander says, it does not mean shit at this point. I stay with the basics as heavy as possible and have fun with the training...if possible. Keep it light mentally and I do things I might otherwise not. Be creative and intense and I free myself of normal routines, if that makes sense. Stimulate the muscle...period.

 

[gooey]

king mung is right

as a genious once told me, dance with the girl u brought to the prom... cause it got u there. But when u need to adjust in those cpl of weeks prior to the show king kamali i think said "its stimulation not annihilation" train smart, and u dont have to train with heavy compound movements. But weight training is a key variable in mucle tone and fullness. I dont want to one of the reasons Im flat on stage is because I didnt want to do a cpl of "foo foo" sets those weeks b4 the contest
gooey

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

its my opinion that you should strive to add weight to the bar (like offseason) even when dieting down, i think that overloading the muscle provides a perfect reason for it to stick around...however i dont move nearly as much weight as the members on this board do, so injury was not a big issue for me.....also i think relatively low volume is a good idea, your eating less calories so your recovery abilities will probably be reduced, so let the diet and cardio take care of the fat, let the weights keep the muscle...

 

[hardkor]

Train as hard/heavy as you can but be safe. I wouldn't recommend any forced reps.

It's funny cuz back in the days, i heard when the guys were getting ready for shows, they'd train longer, more frequently and would add techniques such as forced reps, super sets, drop sets, etc. I don't know how they did it being that i barely have the energy to walk. I read that Gaspari use to train like a maniac before shows...unbelievable!

 

[JonnyO]

I wasn't try to pick on you Jonny

QUOTE]

No worries I didnt think you were,

 

[Jrflex10er]

why not try both and see what your muscles do with both of these methods? If your joints start to hurt and you feel like you're going to rip something then lighten up.

 

[Big A]

I train twice a day before comp, but one of the workouts is the usual HIT workout I do, the other is basically replacing a cardio session - it doesn't stimulate any muscle growth, just burns calories (I hate cardio).

 

[wyldeone]

my thoughts

train as heavy as safely possible thrue the show with compound movements. with the secondary muscle groups and issolated movements you can get alot from rest-pause and drop sets while issolating and using peak contraction movements to bring out the detail. there is a difference but it is minimal. the BIG and resounding difference is doing the cardio,sticking to the diet and consistency. thats it. to many people try to re-invent the wheel and that is not necessary. at certain levels the smallest of refinements make all the difference but for the majority of the comp. bodybuilders at the local,state and regional level it doesn't pertain to them. this is geared more towards the elite level bodybuilders that work with a Charles Glass to target week or lagging bodyparts. wyldeone.