What's working for you this year ???

[chris250]

Here is another pre contest thread for everyone on the board to learn from. What have you done this year on diet or training from the past years, different. What is working or not working for you. This can mean anything from holding on to your muscle or leaning out faster. Or having a better overall look, ect, ect.

For me it's alot of things. My training is different, as most of you know. I have gone from DC training to more of a high volume stlye of training...I sometime's do Hany Rambod's FTS-7 training. Or it's more like Culter's style of higher volume. Do I think it has helped ? Of course it has worked (at least I think so...LOL !!!) My chest, delts, and back are all thicker and have more roundness to them...Now I might have to put the focus back on my quads this offseason...LOL !!!

As for diet, I have been doing more lower carb days with higher amount of cardio...I know this sounds like im going to lose muscle. I also ( I know Im going to get crap for this, but I want to tell the truth) have been eating more cheat days in my diet...I have been getting better cause now I feel like Im finally able to focus on a show that I can actully afford to do...LOL !!! But, like I said in another thread, my body seems to suck up all that junk food and fill me out...Plus, I get super hot and my metabolism goes like crazy...Then In a few days later, I look leaner and better (atleast that's what I think is happening) I remember skip back in 2005, shitloaded the last 5-6 weeks before his show, and he looked great...

What are somethings you guys have been doing this year to improve ???

chris

 

[big as a house]

Eating very consistent this year If I cheat its only after my main meal The eating has been a big part of my problem I know have someone cooking most of my food BIG HELP. As most who do shows know the food prep is a Pain in the ass and can make or break your training. I also have been playing around with my fats and carbs this year also. I am beginning to realize that my body responds well to fat loading We will see though. As far as training I have trained the same way for 4 years now and made good gains from it. I do a Ronnie colemen style of training routine. I am getting older though so I do listen to my bones when they say stop. I do all the basics deads squats inclines mostly freeweights with some machines thrown in. I have taken the approach that the harder the exercise the more you will get out of it. As far as reps I do 8-12 or 8 15 depending on ebergy and pump for that day

 

[pumpd]

What has made a huge difference for me this offseason is going back to DC training, modified a bit, but I think it just works for me I should of never stopped it in the first place. Also I've change my diet to a Dave Palumbo offseason diet type protocol, a lot more healthy fats and about 50g of carbs per meal except pre and post workout. It helps when you can just take two tablespoon of oil or a 1/2 of cup of healthy nuts instead of trying to cram down an extra cup or cup and 1/2 of rice. Keeps my waist way down and doesn't give me that bloated feeling at all yet I'm going up in weight without putting on any fat. I feel and look better then I have ever in my life and I credit that to those two changes.

 

[chris250]

Oh one more thing for me that is working...

I have in the past used a lower number of reps per set...I use to really focus on going as heavy as I can for 6-8 reps on my last set...Or if I was doing DC training (which was for about 4 years) It would look something like this 6-7 reps, 2 reps, then 1-2 reps...which still is only 10-12 reps total...So I was going really heavy...I noticed that my joints and bones where very sore and I was having elbow and knee problems...this past year, I have been doing much higher reps, but still trying to go as heavy as I can for a certain amount of reps...Now my rep range on most movements is around 12-15 and sometimes there are days when I go to 20 reps on every movement...For example the other day my delt routine looked like this...

hammer behind the neck press- 90 x 15, 180 x 12, 230 x 10, 270 x 20, 320 x 20 Notes- only the last two sets where my working sets...I like to really warm up my elbows and delts alot now that im older...

Flex seated machine lateral raises- 70 x 20, 90 x 20, 110 x 20 Notes - I went super slow reps on these and really focused on the upper part of the motion and flexed at the top of the movement...

Flex rear delt mach - 90 x 20, 110 x 20, 120 x 20 Notes- again super slow movements

Rope cable upright rows - 80 x 20, 100 x 20, 110 x 20 Notes- I try to pull these up to my chin and spread the rope apart at the top of the movement...Again its done slow and very strict...

Dumbell lateral raises - 25 x 20 x 20 x 20 Notes- done light at the end to really fill the delts out with blood and to finish them out...

thats it for delts that day...just one example of how I train them...and make them a better bodypart

chris

 

[The Mass]

Chris I think doing more cardio on low days is great ideal, insulin levels are lowered that day cause of less carbs, so that day is more fat burnering then a high carb day. I do more cardio on low days also.

For me this is year, is eating better in offseason. More balanced food groups, and eating more healthy fat also.

 

[Jeremy24]

I swithched my training to a high volume as well. Seems to be working good for me and my joints are feeling better. Aslo changed my diet added some calories, as well as LBA's and sus500. Feeling really good so far.

 

[Sassy]

Carb cycling made a difference in my diet. Along with tons of cardo...









ok... maybe giving up Mexican food and margaritas helped a little.

 

[EVERLAST]

WTF.......................

Sassy,

Does this mean you want a divorce?
Giving up Margaritas and Mexican food in the same lifetime?
Not for good forever, right? Say it ain't so....

 

[b-boy]

Big A's growth for beginners has worked freakin great for me this offseason, that and a diet a lot higher in carbs than im use to has really worked for me. suprising! I can't wait to diet down and see whats hiding under this fat kid body...LOL

 

[chris250]

I can give up mexican food but margarita's ??? I dont know about that one ...LOL !!!

 

[db006]

I can't wait to diet down and see whats hiding under this fat kid body...LOL

i hear that. i cant wait to diet either my friend.

 

[dalvare1]

for what its worth, I have found that keeping a daily log (on another board) has really helped.

Its motivating to be talking everyday with ppl who are dieting and training too.

I know for me at least NOBODY I knows trains or diets, so having a support group to vent on and discuss issues with is a big factor.

 

[VTliftVT]

DoggCrapp

I have always focused on a high volume type workout with different variations and splits etc. I have recently began training with Dan (Super D @ Intense Muscle and one of Dante's right hand guys) and love it. I felt I had a decent base at 210-215 when I started @ around 12% or so. I am now around 15% but sitting at 245ish so it seems to be working fairly well (I know im holding an ASS load of water tho haha). I really feel this style of training has been all the difference for me this year.

Chris250 - do you feel that DC training really gave you your base? As in that's what go you from x-y? and now you are going from y-z? y being a beast and z being a fine tuned beast?

 

[chris250]

VTliftVT - I will never down play the fact that Dante got me to where im at right now...(size wise) He really showed me how to do things differently..So yeah, I would say that...I do think that with DC training you need to adjust it for your bodytype and needs...I think when I first got into that type of training, the program was more set in stone, than it is now...


VTliftVT - after the North Americans Im probably going to do a DC type program...But I will adjust it to more my recoverly ablity and what I need to focus on...

chris

 

[VTliftVT]

VTliftVT - I will never down play the fact that Dante got me to where im at right now...(size wise) He really showed me how to do things differently..So yeah, I would say that...I do think that with DC training you need to adjust it for your bodytype and needs...I think when I first got into that type of training, the program was more set in stone, than it is now...


VTliftVT - after the North Americans Im probably going to do a DC type program...But I will adjust it to more my recoverly ablity and what I need to focus on...

chris

Thanks a lot for your input Chris...you look great in your photos and I wish you the best of luck! I hope one day to have a similar build and possibly step on stage. Still have a ways to go but I like the progress that I am seeing so far! Again, appreciate the reply!

 

[bulldog21]

What has worked for me is doing DC training and some variations with a few excersises and adding another excersise to my lagging bodypart if I had the energy for it. Also sometimes going in the gym and just doing something freaky or differnt just to make things interesting nad break up the monontony of prepping for a show..

DC training has kept me a TON fuller as I have always been a high volume guy in the past and would get so flat. I have to watch out for that so by lowering the volume with DC training but by going as heavy as I can with good intesity has kept me fuller through this whole prep...THat and my strength has been really good as I am lifting the same weights now at a week out than I was at 10 weeks out..

Also working with Justin (Troponin) nutrition has been AWESOME...I have learned so much about carb cycling and how I can use it to my advantage...

 

[tomuchgear]

figured out i was over thinking my training. became no longer objective so i started overtraining. asked for help from phil, hired phil. training back on point far better than ever.

 

[Tough Old Man]

I have changed my diet completely around..I'm now eating whatever I want but only when hungry and have gone from 257 to 238 in 6 weeks and lost only 1/8" on my arms..

 

[blackhole]

they opened a Moe's next to my gym. that place rocks! they have mexican food like taco bell but its not fast food. some pretty healthy stuff there. i go all the time and the girls always give me a BUTTLOAD of whatever meat i want (usually steak)

 

[syntheticmuscle]

Switching to LBA'S as my main protein source. Has really made a difference