Bo Flecks' Training Lean and Power Density Experiment

[Bo_Flecks]

NANBF Judging Sheets: The Final Chapter From My 1st Competition


One last pic from the morning pre-judging

An Impending Dose of Reality
On Thursday morning, I opened my e-mail to find that the judging sheets from the Gateway Naturals had been sent to me.

I sat and looked at the e-mail with the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet attached and felt my heart rate increase. Do I really want to read this? Will it be helpful, or will it just be depressing???

I thought about it for another minute, and reminded myself that I had paid to have it sent to me for a reason. I intend to improve, and the only way to do that is stare the shortcomings in the eye and address them. My prediction all along would be that I would get gigged on the lack of development of my wheelz. It would be a comment that I would expect given the circumstances of my back injury, and only identifying a leg protocol within the last 18 months that did not cause my damaged L5-S1 major grief.

But would there be other shortcomings?

Time to find out.

A Soul About to Be Laid Bare
I had busted my ass for a year. I had put blood, sweat, and tears into my training. I reflected on all of the sacrifices I put my family through. I prepared myself to feel some dejection. After all, while I did place 3rd in the Masters Men, there was a reason (or reasons) I got beat. And then there was the fact that I got my ass handed to me against the young guys in the Open Tall.

I clicked the link. I read through the comments. They had already been cross referenced.

Here is what they had to say:

Comment #1: Very nice symmetry and proportion
Comment #2: Excellent conditioning
Comment #3: Great development at any age

...and here it comes...

Comment #4: Work legs

Things went better than expected
No surprises or dejection at all.

Prior to getting my judging sheet, I had looked over the competition pictures and placements, and it was obvious that the NANBF judges were leg heavy in their decisions this year. The two guys that placed higher than me in the Masters Men had me hands down in the wheelz department.

So this is where I start my training to improve for next year. Obviously, adding overall size is a primary goal. But the wheelz will get a special place in the training scheme. 10 months to bring them up.

It all starts on October 27th.

[cmoore]

Nice feedback. Onward and upward. Bring on the 5-0, gonna blow em away.

[alex2363]

NANBF Judging Sheets: The Final Chapter From My 1st Competition


One last pic from the morning pre-judging

An Impending Dose of Reality
On Thursday morning, I opened my e-mail to find that the judging sheets from the Gateway Naturals had been sent to me.

I sat and looked at the e-mail with the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet attached and felt my heart rate increase. Do I really want to read this? Will it be helpful, or will it just be depressing???

I thought about it for another minute, and reminded myself that I had paid to have it sent to me for a reason. I intend to improve, and the only way to do that is stare the shortcomings in the eye and address them. My prediction all along would be that I would get gigged on the lack of development of my wheelz. It would be a comment that I would expect given the circumstances of my back injury, and only identifying a leg protocol within the last 18 months that did not cause my damaged L5-S1 major grief.

But would there be other shortcomings?

Time to find out.

A Soul About to Be Laid Bare
I had busted my ass for a year. I had put blood, sweat, and tears into my training. I reflected on all of the sacrifices I put my family through. I prepared myself to feel some dejection. After all, while I did place 3rd in the Masters Men, there was a reason (or reasons) I got beat. And then there was the fact that I got my ass handed to me against the young guys in the Open Tall.

I clicked the link. I read through the comments. They had already been cross referenced.

Here is what they had to say:

Comment #1: Very nice symmetry and proportion
Comment #2: Excellent conditioning
Comment #3: Great development at any age

...and here it comes...

Comment #4: Work legs

Things went better than expected
No surprises or dejection at all.

Prior to getting my judging sheet, I had looked over the competition pictures and placements, and it was obvious that the NANBF judges were leg heavy in their decisions this year. The two guys that placed higher than me in the Masters Men had me hands down in the wheelz department.

So this is where I start my training to improve for next year. Obviously, adding overall size is a primary goal. But the wheelz will get a special place in the training scheme. 10 months to bring them up.

It all starts on October 27th.

I think that if you work on legs and pecs u will win it all next time. Those two parts will take a while to develop too, just add a bit more mass.

[Bo_Flecks]

Sunday 10/21/12- (De-Load) Legs

Leg press-Wide Foot Position
10x550
10x550
10x550
10x550
10x550

Leg press-Narrow Foot Position
10x450
10x450
10x450
10x450
10x450

Hack Squats
10x350
10x350
10x350
10x350
10x350

Lying Leg Curls
10x60
10x60
10x60
10x60
10x60

Glute-Ham Raise
10xBW
10xBW
10xBW
10xBW
10xBW

Leg Press Calf Raises w/Toes turned out
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600

Leg Press Calf Presses w/Toes in
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600

Observations
De-load. Well, sort of.

I had taken a complete week off from the iron and only done light cardio following the competition. I intended to take two weeks off from lifting, but simply could not get myself to stay out of the gym another day. I will do three workouts this week at 90% max weights, and not train shoulders directly. I will give the left RC a little more of a break before I pound it next week.

Today, I put the hybrid, high-volume 5x10 into place and ditched the Yates protocol I had been using for the last 18 months. It was time to move on, and commit to SteBo protocol.

Leg Press: Wide Foot Position
I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine forcing myself to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. I was already taking my leg presses and hack squats well past parallel, but I feel like I need to get a little more emphasis on the outer sweep of my quads. The only way to do this is to go ridiculously deep with the leg work. Dropping another 3 inches qualifies as ridiculously deep. Heels are about 15 inches apart with the quads coming down well to the outside of my chest at the bottom of the movement.
Leg Press: Narrow Foot Position
This movement was added into the mix to increase the weekly volume. It was originally rotated with wide foot position leg presses, but now will be a weekly staple. Once again, I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine forcing myself to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. Heels are about 5 inches apart with the quads coming down and pressing against my chest at the bottom of the movement.
Hack Squats:
One last time I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine forcing myself to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. Even somewhat pre-exhausted, my quads have responded well enough to the hacks to really crank out some work. The feet are positioned to put as much emphasis on the outer sweep of the quad as possible.

Lying Leg Curls:
Steady cadence with a short hold at the top and a slow negative.
Glute-Ham Raise:
Slow rep cadence on this one to totally focus on how the hammies pulling. Wide knee position which brings a little more of the upper hamstrings into play.

Leg Press Calf Presses- Toes turned out:
Gastrocnemius focused.
Leg Press Calf Presses- Toes in:
Tibialis focused.

Final Thoughts
I have thought about it, re-calculated it, and finally came to the conclusion that I am going to have to drive my body weight a little higher than I originally stated if I am going to add the mass I intend by competition season next year.

I originally said I intended to drive my training weight up to 190lbs+, but it seems obvious to me that to get the necessary calories and macros in, I will need to be closer to 200lbs to get the job done.

No biggie. I know exactly what my competition weight was this year, so given the muscle mass I intend to gain, I will know exactly when to start my cut to be totally shredded again next year. The difference will be that my stage weight WILL be several pounds heavier next year. No doubt about that.

[Payton1221]

I have thought about it, re-calculated it, and finally came to the conclusion that I am going to have to drive my body weight a little higher than I originally stated if I am going to add the mass I intend by competition season next year.

I originally said I intended to drive my training weight up to 190lbs+, but it seems obvious to me that to get the necessary calories and macros in, I will need to be closer to 200lbs to get the job done.

No biggie. I know exactly what my competition weight was this year, so given the muscle mass I intend to gain, I will know exactly when to start my cut to be totally shredded again next year. The difference will be that my stage weight WILL be several pounds heavier next year. No doubt about that.

No biggie is right . . . not for "the technician." Gaining weight might be daunting to some, but as you alluded to, you know how to chop away: ounce by ounce, pound by pound, day by day, to be where you want and when you want to be there.

[Brackneyc]

Steve, I had to show you my new toy. Picked it up today, along with 4 35lb plates. I figure I am out of the squat business for a while, and have always wanted one of these. This is old school Universal stuff. It matches my lat pulldown machine. I figured you could appreciate this, being that you have done well with leg presses. This one does hack squats too, but for now, calves and leg presses.

[Purple-Haze]

Congratulations! Amazing work, you should be proud of yourself.

[ironwill2008]

Whats next you ask??? Dominate the Masters and Master 50 and Over Classes next year, of course!

[HoustonTXMuscle]

Sunday 10/21/12- (De-Load) Legs

Observations
De-load. Well, sort of......

This made me smile cause at 90%. Am glad you qualified it... sort of. Definitely surpasses what I see most guys do (at least the ones that do work legs). Also enjoyed reading The Final Chapter and seeing the positive feedback.

[alex2363]

Sunday 10/21/12- (De-Load) Legs

Leg press-Wide Foot Position
10x550
10x550
10x550
10x550
10x550

Leg press-Narrow Foot Position
10x450
10x450
10x450
10x450
10x450

Hack Squats
10x350
10x350
10x350
10x350
10x350

Lying Leg Curls
10x60
10x60
10x60
10x60
10x60

Glute-Ham Raise
10xBW
10xBW
10xBW
10xBW
10xBW

Leg Press Calf Raises w/Toes turned out
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600

Leg Press Calf Presses w/Toes in
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600

Observations
De-load. Well, sort of.

I had taken a complete week off from the iron and only done light cardio following the competition. I intended to take two weeks off from lifting, but simply could not get myself to stay out of the gym another day. I will do three workouts this week at 90% max weights, and not train shoulders directly. I will give the left RC a little more of a break before I pound it next week.

Today, I put the hybrid, high-volume 5x10 into place and ditched the Yates protocol I had been using for the last 18 months. It was time to move on, and commit to SteBo protocol.

Leg Press: Wide Foot Position
I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine forcing myself to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. I was already taking my leg presses and hack squats well past parallel, but I feel like I need to get a little more emphasis on the outer sweep of my quads. The only way to do this is to go ridiculously deep with the leg work. Dropping another 3 inches qualifies as ridiculously deep. Heels are about 15 inches apart with the quads coming down well to the outside of my chest at the bottom of the movement.
Leg Press: Narrow Foot Position
This movement was added into the mix to increase the weekly volume. It was originally rotated with wide foot position leg presses, but now will be a weekly staple. Once again, I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine forcing myself to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. Heels are about 5 inches apart with the quads coming down and pressing against my chest at the bottom of the movement.
Hack Squats:
One last time I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine forcing myself to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. Even somewhat pre-exhausted, my quads have responded well enough to the hacks to really crank out some work. The feet are positioned to put as much emphasis on the outer sweep of the quad as possible.

Lying Leg Curls:
Steady cadence with a short hold at the top and a slow negative.
Glute-Ham Raise:
Slow rep cadence on this one to totally focus on how the hammies pulling. Wide knee position which brings a little more of the upper hamstrings into play.

Leg Press Calf Presses- Toes turned out:
Gastrocnemius focused.
Leg Press Calf Presses- Toes in:
Tibialis focused.

Final Thoughts
I have thought about it, re-calculated it, and finally came to the conclusion that I am going to have to drive my body weight a little higher than I originally stated if I am going to add the mass I intend by competition season next year.

I originally said I intended to drive my training weight up to 190lbs+, but it seems obvious to me that to get the necessary calories and macros in, I will need to be closer to 200lbs to get the job done.

No biggie. I know exactly what my competition weight was this year, so given the muscle mass I intend to gain, I will know exactly when to start my cut to be totally shredded again next year. The difference will be that my stage weight WILL be several pounds heavier next year. No doubt about that.

Yor gonna have to be heavier if u want more mass. The legs will add more weight and so will the chest. 12 months from now u will be massive and win it all.

[Lou1se]

Looking at those stage pics it's clear to see that you beat them in how shredded you looked. You had worked harder than they did on bringing fat levels down. I noticed you couldn't stop smiling, great to see you were enjoying every minute of it and felt comfortable with what you brought on stage. Great feedback from the judges, nice pics, the tan looked good too.

You did eat everything! I read out to hubby what you had to eat lol Like you, he also survived a parachuting accident.

..sigh..couldn't stay away from the gym.. Look, I'm not a gambler Steve, but I wish I'd placed my bet on this one!

Should be fun following your bulk. I expect you'll be hitting new PR's to match

[Bo_Flecks]

No biggie is right . . . not for "the technician." Gaining weight might be daunting to some, but as you alluded to, you know how to chop away: ounce by ounce, pound by pound, day by day, to be where you want and when you want to be there.

Honestly, the cutting is the easy part of competitive bodybuilding. With a decent plan in place, it is just a matter of working the plan. Not many variables that cannot be controlled there.

Gaining mass, on the other hand, is going to be the challenge. I can train properly, eat properly, and do everything I know to do and I am at the mercy of how my body responds with hypertrophy.

Steve, I had to show you my new toy. Picked it up today, along with 4 35lb plates. I figure I am out of the squat business for a while, and have always wanted one of these. This is old school Universal stuff. It matches my lat pulldown machine. I figured you could appreciate this, being that you have done well with leg presses. This one does hack squats too, but for now, calves and leg presses.

I have a lot of experience with that particular leg press/hack squat.

Back when I was running the weight training program for our sports teams in the early 90s, we had a Universal machine just like that. I have trained on one of those many times. A couple of the features I really liked about it were the adjustable back rest, and the adjustable depth stops that are spring loaded to take some of the hammering off of the machine.

The problem with the springs is that a lot of the kids used them to overload the arms with more weight than they could truly handle, and then bounce it at the bottom. Sounded like a jack hammer going to town in the gym.

Congratulations! Amazing work, you should be proud of yourself.

Thanks! I am very pleased with the outcome. I expect more out of myself next year, though. And I will place higher.

Yep. That is the placing higher I am talking about.

This made me smile cause at 90%. Am glad you qualified it... sort of. Definitely surpasses what I see most guys do (at least the ones that do work legs). Also enjoyed reading The Final Chapter and seeing the positive feedback.

The judging feedback was what I expected. I predicted that almost a year ago when I made the decision to compete in 2012.

Next year I will have had my wheelz exposed to the time under tension I believe is necessary to bring them in line. They responded very well over the last 8 months, but 8 months was not nearly enough. I saw in the pictures what the judges valued this year. There is always the possibility of dues paying involved in the judging as well. But simply put, I will not attempt to take anything away from the guys who placed higher than me.

Next year I intend dominate my classes with superior development and make it clear to the judges there is only one possible placement for me. That outcome completely falls on ME to get it done.

Yor gonna have to be heavier if u want more mass. The legs will add more weight and so will the chest. 12 months from now u will be massive and win it all.

I hear ya. But, I have to think like a competitive bodybuilder where this mass gaining phase is concerned.

There is a formula that I am putting in place to get this done. I cannot just indiscriminately bulk up. Every extra unnecessary pound of fat has to come off, and at a 1lb per week rate, every pound equals another week of cutting.

Right now I am eating 3,000 calories per day which is 500 over maintenance. That means that if I continue at the rate of 500 over a day, I would hit 200lbs in 26 weeks. That is six months. I will bulk for close to 9 months.

There will be times where I plateau on my mass gaining and will need to increase my calories by 100 to 200 per day. Making these adjustments will eat up some of the extra weeks involved. This is the formula of the plan, and I intend to work the plan to the letter.

By July, I have no idea how many calories I will be taking in per day, but the 25lbs I intend to gain will be as equally linear as I can make it over 9 months- not with a short dirty bulk blow up that will not benefit me in the least.

Keeping a 500 calorie per day surplus should give me more than enough extra calories to fuel the hypertrophy I am seeking. Adding fat while doing this is just the nature of the beast. But I will not allow that beast to get out of hand and make my contest prep more difficult next year.

Looking at those stage pics it's clear to see that you beat them in how shredded you looked. You had worked harder than they did on bringing fat levels down. I noticed you couldn't stop smiling, great to see you were enjoying every minute of it and felt comfortable with what you brought on stage. Great feedback from the judges, nice pics, the tan looked good too.

You did eat everything! I read out to hubby what you had to eat lol Like you, he also survived a parachuting accident.

..sigh..couldn't stay away from the gym.. Look, I'm not a gambler Steve, but I wish I'd placed my bet on this one!

Should be fun following your bulk. I expect you'll be hitting new PR's to match

I am really in a relaxed frame of mind to work the bulk right now.

Having feedback from the contest prep allowing me to evaluate my bodyweight when completely shredded, as well as the critique from the judging sheets makes all of this a very comfortable transition for me. I know exactly what I need to do to put a better product on stage next year.

Prior to this first competition run, it was all a big guess. Now it is crystal clear.

[ljimd]

Honestly, the cutting is the easy part of competitive bodybuilding.

I hear ya. But, I have to think like a competitive bodybuilder where this mass gaining phase is concerned.

Adding fat while doing this is just the nature of the beast. But I will not allow that beast to get out of hand and make my contest prep more difficult next year.

I'll be following your mass gaining phase with much attention. I agree with you that gaining
quality mass is a more daunting a task than is the competition cut. Walking that tightrope
of enough raw material to get the job done without the waste that has to be dealt with later.

Tis a subject that I've been struggling with myself for the last year. And then, the big
question is, "How much do you get to keep." Hoping I can gain some insight from you younger
fellows.

Once again, congrats on your accomplishment and willingness to share.

[FlaIronMind]

In for the well deserved bulk brother.

[Bo_Flecks]

Tuesday 10/23/12- (De-Load) Chest/Biceps

Incline Barbell Bench Press
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200

Decline Barbell Bench Press
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200

Incline Dumbbell Flyes
10x70
10x70
10x70
10x70
10x70

Seated DB Curls
10x40
10x40
10x40
10x40
10x40

Tricep Bar Spider Curls
10x135
10x135
10x135
10x135
10x135

Barbell Reverse Curls
10x115
10x115
10x115
10x115
10x115

Wrist Curls
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95

Observations
I was planning on going at 90% normal weight, but during my warm-ups it became obvious to me that I needed to be closer to 80% max weight today. My energy is not all that good yet, and my strength just did not feel like it was there. I am planning on starting my full weight workouts on Saturday, and I did not want to be too sore to rumble once I am ready to go.

I am blazing new territory in the training annals of SteBo. I have never had to recover from a contest depth cut, so I am simply going to have to listen to my body and not force it.

Don't let anyone tell you that taking a cut as deep as took my contest prep won't deliver a major bitch slap to your system. More on that it the Final Thoughts.

Chest Workout
Incline Barbell Bench Press:
I dropped the bench back to 30 degrees for this movement today. I plan to keep it here for a while and see if this angle plays more nicely with my left RC. Today, I got all 50 reps with 200lbs without any barking from the shoulder. This is a good sign. I am also very concerned about re-connecting with my MMC. I lost some of that when my energy started to wane during the last couple of weeks of the prep. I became pre-occupied with just handling the weight and getting the reps. Time to get back to feeling the muscle group handle the weight.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
Dropping the bar just below my sternum. The left RC was not a problem throughout any of the 50 reps I did with the 200lbs.
Incline Dumbbell Flyes:
Using the classic Hug the Tree form, here. The pecs were pretty much shot by the time I finished this exercise.

Bicep Workout
Seated DB Curls
I started the dumbbells at the bottom in the hammer position and put a quarter twist on them as I raised them to their apex.
Tricep Bar Spider Curls:
Using a total hang at the bottom to stretch the bis, and then pulling the bar to the apex using the chest supported protocol.
Barbell Reverse Curls
Chest supported to protect my lower back. Slow negative to burn the forearms and bis as much as possible.

Forearm Workout
Wrist Curls:
Performed with a barbell with my wrists facing up.

Final Thoughts
Recovering from the competition has been more of a challenge than I expected.

The day after the competition, I ate like crazy. I finally figured out my approximate calories for that day, and it was in the neighborhood of 11,000. I followed that up with 4 days at maintenance, which was right at 2,000 calories. Last Friday, I increased my calories to 2,500ish, and on Monday of this week, I bumped my calories to 3,000+.

I am famished all of the time. Besides the fact that I look a little buttered over from the carb spillover, I really have not added any body weight back yet.

I am experiencing the fact that a nearly starvation level body fat percentage is a major thing for a body to recover from. I posted a smaller version of this pic right after the contest, but with it blown up, you can see just how thin my skin really was by the stris and vascularity in my pecs as well as veins showing up on my quads for the first time ever. I am not making any excuses here, just recording the fact that I feel very out of sorts.

[alex2363]

Tuesday 10/23/12- (De-Load) Chest/Biceps

Incline Barbell Bench Press
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200

Decline Barbell Bench Press
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200

Incline Dumbbell Flyes
10x70
10x70
10x70
10x70
10x70

Seated DB Curls
10x40
10x40
10x40
10x40
10x40

Tricep Bar Spider Curls
10x135
10x135
10x135
10x135
10x135

Barbell Reverse Curls
10x115
10x115
10x115
10x115
10x115

Wrist Curls
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95

Observations
I was planning on going at 90% normal weight, but during my warm-ups it became obvious to me that I needed to be closer to 80% max weight today. My energy is not all that good yet, and my strength just did not feel like it was there. I am planning on starting my full weight workouts on Saturday, and I did not want to be too sore to rumble once I am ready to go.

I am blazing new territory in the training annals of SteBo. I have never had to recover from a contest depth cut, so I am simply going to have to listen to my body and not force it.

Don't let anyone tell you that taking a cut as deep as took my contest prep won't deliver a major bitch slap to your system. More on that it the Final Thoughts.

Chest Workout
Incline Barbell Bench Press:
I dropped the bench back to 30 degrees for this movement today. I plan to keep it here for a while and see if this angle plays more nicely with my left RC. Today, I got all 50 reps with 200lbs without any barking from the shoulder. This is a good sign. I am also very concerned about re-connecting with my MMC. I lost some of that when my energy started to wane during the last couple of weeks of the prep. I became pre-occupied with just handling the weight and getting the reps. Time to get back to feeling the muscle group handle the weight.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
Dropping the bar just below my sternum. The left RC was not a problem throughout any of the 50 reps I did with the 200lbs.
Incline Dumbbell Flyes:
Using the classic Hug the Tree form, here. The pecs were pretty much shot by the time I finished this exercise.

Bicep Workout
Seated DB Curls
I started the dumbbells at the bottom in the hammer position and put a quarter twist on them as I raised them to their apex.
Tricep Bar Spider Curls:
Using a total hang at the bottom to stretch the bis, and then pulling the bar to the apex using the chest supported protocol.
Barbell Reverse Curls
Chest supported to protect my lower back. Slow negative to burn the forearms and bis as much as possible.

Forearm Workout
Wrist Curls:
Performed with a barbell with my wrists facing up.

Final Thoughts
Recovering from the competition has been more of a challenge than I expected.

The day after the competition, I ate like crazy. I finally figured out my approximate calories for that day, and it was in the neighborhood of 11,000. I followed that up with 4 days at maintenance, which was right at 2,000 calories. Last Friday, I increased my calories to 2,500ish, and on Monday of this week, I bumped my calories to 3,000+.

I am famished all of the time. Besides the fact that I look a little buttered over from the carb spillover, I really have not added any body weight back yet.

I am experiencing the fact that a nearly starvation level body fat percentage is a major thing for a body to recover from. I posted a smaller version of this pic right after the contest, but with it blown up, you can see just how thin my skin really was by the stris and vascularity in my pecs as well as veins showing up on my quads for the first time ever. I am not making any excuses here, just recording the fact that I feel very out of sorts.

I think a little more mass this year and you will be champ for consecutive years to come.

[baker]

I never commented but your hammies look fantastic. Did you do anything special to target them, looks like a significant improvement.

[VoxExMachina]

Been away for a few days....back to see your "deload" workouts that look like anything but.

Yeah, no surprises on that judging sheet, from what I can see. It's nice to have it all boiled down to one clear goal that you need to work on. Definitely simplifies the planning for the next go-round.

[Bo_Flecks]

I'll be following your mass gaining phase with much attention. I agree with you that gaining
quality mass is a more daunting a task than is the competition cut. Walking that tightrope
of enough raw material to get the job done without the waste that has to be dealt with later.

Knowing my exact stage weight this year is a huge plus in planning this mass gaining phase.

This will not be an indiscriminate bulk. But I am going to set my surplus calories higher over the next nine months that I have run them for the past four year. Once again I will be embarking on a grand experiment that has a clear goal.

If I work the plan and the plan works, I will step on stage next year at a ripped 180lbs.

Tis a subject that I've been struggling with myself for the last year. And then, the big
question is, "How much do you get to keep." Hoping I can gain some insight from you younger
fellows.

Once again, congrats on your accomplishment and willingness to share.

That is always the big question mark with contest intensity cutting. While my plan it to have my body weight up to 200lbs by the time the contest prep starts, I DO NOT plan on all of that weight being fat I will need to cut.

In for the well deserved bulk brother.

I have been in contest prep mode for so long that I had forgotten what it felt like eat and eat big. Feelsgoodman!

I think a little more mass this year and you will be champ for consecutive years to come.

That is exactly the plan.

Besides adding overall size, I have my pecs and quads especially targeted over the next 9 months. The quads are the key to natty domination next year, though.

I never commented but your hammies look fantastic. Did you do anything special to target them, looks like a significant improvement.

I worked hammies 2x per week. I think the addition of the GHRs as well as hiking the hills had a lot to do with bringing them in line. I looked back over my journal and 8 months ago, I had some competitive eyes telling me I needed to bring the hammies in line. It is very satisfying to look over the progress pics during that time frame and see the developmental improvements.

Been away for a few days....back to see your "deload" workouts that look like anything but.

I originally intended to take two full weeks off after the competition to let the body heal up. It became obvious that it was unnecessary to take that much time.

The thing is, during Peak Week, I did three workouts at 80% of my full weights, and then did two circuit sessions at 60%. That in itself was a de-load on the connective tissue. Then the full week away from all training capped it off.

No reason not to go ahead and do some workouts at 80 to 90% full weights this week to prepare for the onslaught I plan for the next 9 months.

Yeah, no surprises on that judging sheet, from what I can see. It's nice to have it all boiled down to one clear goal that you need to work on. Definitely simplifies the planning for the next go-round.

Yep. The knowledge I gained during this contest prep and the stage experience I picked up is pretty much invaluable at this point. I know exactly what to do to create a natty nightmare (borrowing from MHL here). Now I just need to apply that knowledge and work the plan.

I will win my classes next year.

[Bo_Flecks]

Thursday 10/25/12- (De-Load) Back/Triceps

Wide Grip Pull Ups
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30

One Arm Dumbbell Rows
10x80
10x80
10x80
10x80
10x80

V- Grip Pull-ups
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30

Decline Close Grip Bench Press
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200

Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extensions
10x70
10x70
10x70
10x70
10x70

Weighted Tricep Dips
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30
10xBW+30

Observations
I set all weights in the 80 to 90% normal weight range today. My energy and endurance felt fine, so the eating at 3,000+ calories is finally starting to kick in.

Back Workout
Wide Grip Pull Ups:
Wide grip, dropping to a dead stop at the bottom and flaring the lats to bring them out as much as possible.
One Arm Dumbbell Rows:
I had to drop this exercise a couple of months befobuilder to ditch for very long.
V-Grip Pull-ups
Leaning my head and shoulders back and pulling my chest up to the handle. The feel of this resembles a low pulley rowing movement.

Tricep Workout
Decline Close Grip Bench Press:
Thumbs separated by 10 inches to try and force my elbows to stay in close to my sides and put as much focus on the tris as possible.
Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extensions:
This one was my opening tricep movement during the contest prep, but will be moved back in the exercise rotation for normal mass building purposes to make sure the elbows are ready to handle the necessary weight. Focusing on making the rear head of the tricep move as much of this weight as possible.
Weighted Tricep Dips
Maintaining an upright body posture to place the maximum emphasis on the triceps.

Final Thoughts
I will start my full weight workouts on Saturday, and I am expecting no problems with 100% weights and intensity. I am fully ready to get this 9 month mass building phase rolling.

[Lou1se]

Nice sig

In for the bulking phase!

[bustasinclair]

I like the plan, Steve. I know that there's nothing I could tell you that you haven't already considered.

Good luck adding mass to the legs, I've been working on that for over 3 years......darn genetics

Anyway, thanks for the help with the Norton Protocal. I've already started following it!

[bamazav]

Just checking in. Looking forward to learning from the mass attack.

[BergMuscle]

Great plan and good to see you back to moving iron. In for the bulk phase.

[Bo_Flecks]

Saturday 10/27/12- Chest/Biceps "A Week" Rotation

Incline Barbell Bench Press
10x205
10x205
10x205
10x205
15x205

Decline Barbell Bench Press
10x200
10x200
10x200
10x200
13x200

Decline Dumbbell Flyes
10x70
10x70
10x70
10x70
13x70

Incline DB Curls
10x45
10x45
10x45
10x45
10x45

Tricep Bar Spider Curls
10x150
10x150
10x150
10x150
10x150

Spider Concentration Curls
10x35
10x35
10x35
10x35
15x35

Wrist Curls
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95

Observations
Surplus calorie training FTW!!!

It has been 10 months since I have put in a training session while on a calorie surplus. I initially began my contest prep at the end of December last year when I started the Stage 1 of the contest cut to ascertain exactly where I was with my body fat vs. lean mass. Stage 2 started in March with maintenance level calories and continued until August. In August, Stage 3 of the contest prep began with the final cut and ran until October.

Today began 9 full months of bulk level eating and training. I will not waiver from this plan. I will NOT eat anywhere near or below maintenance level until July when the prep for the 2013 contest season begins. I am determined to fuel this mass gaining phase properly.

This is going to get interesting.

Chest Workout
Incline Barbell Bench Press:
Bench angle at 30 degrees. Controlled reps using the weight to work the muscle. All of my sets were performed this way today, and will continue to be performed using this method on future workouts.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
Dropping the bar just below my sternum.
Decline Dumbbell Flyes:
Hug the tree form to concentrate totally on the pecs. The suspension system is really the only reason I can do this movement, and I like it. Performed on my SuperBench at a 30 degree decline angle to achieve a good stretch.

Bicep Workout
Incline DB Curls
The bench angle is at 60 degrees. I started the dumbbells at the bottom in the hammer position and put a quarter twist on them as I raised them to their apex.
Tricep Bar Spider Curls:
Chest supported at a 45 degree angle. Using a total hang at the bottom to stretch the bis, and then pulling the bar to the apex. This is my heavy work for the biceps to try and add size.
Spider Concentration Curls
A new exercise I am experimenting with. Chest supported at a 45 degree angle. Using a total hang working both dumbbells simultaneously. I want to see if this variation will add a little more peak to the biceps.

Forearm Workout
Wrist Curls:
Simply continuing the rehab work on my forearm tendons.

Final Thoughts
The weight scheme used today is nowhere near where it is going to go. For this first week of "full bore" training, I will be re-connecting my MMC to the "heavier" weights. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I lost some of that in the latter stages of training under an extreme calorie deficit.

[BergMuscle]

Personally, I like spider concentration curls (I've been logging them as Scott DB curls, but your description is what I've been doing). I think they've helped me add some thickness and peak to my biceps. I usually do my inclines at 45 degrees; I should try them at 60 sometime. Always love seeing someone using the triceps bar for spiders. I love that exercise.

[Payton1221]

For this first week of "full bore" training, I will be re-connecting my MMC to the "heavier" weights.

I like the way you go for broke on the last set getting a few extra reps with most sets. Do you use this info to determine how much of a weight increase (if any) that you use for your next workout?

[ironwill2008]

Today began 9 full months of bulk level eating and training. I will not waiver from this plan. I will NOT eat anywhere near or below maintenance level until July when the prep for the 2013 contest season begins. I am determined to fuel this mass gaining phase properly.





This is going to get interesting.

Indeed, Steve.

And heavy, by necessity.

[cmoore]

Here we go.

[Bo_Flecks]

Sunday 10/28/12- Legs "A Week" Rotation

Leg press-Wide Foot Position
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600

Leg press-Narrow Foot Position
10x500
10x500
10x500
10x500
10x500

Hack Squats
10x400
10x400
10x400
10x400
10x400

Lying Leg Curls
10x60
10x60
10x60
10x60
14x60

Glute-Ham Raise
10xBW
10xBW
10xBW
10xBW
15xBW

Leg Press Calf Raises w/Toes turned out
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600

Leg Press Calf Presses w/Toes in
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600
10x600

Observations
I have my NANBF judging comments sheet posted right over my leg press/hack squat machine.

Work legs is highlighted.

They were right, so that is what I did.

Leg Press: Wide Foot Position
As I mentioned last week, I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine which forces me to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. I was already taking my leg presses and hack squats well past parallel, but I feel like I need to get a little more emphasis on the outer sweep of my quads. The only way to do this is to go ridiculously deep with the leg work. Dropping another 3 inches qualifies as ridiculously deep. Heels are about 15 inches apart with the quads coming down well to the outside of my chest at the bottom of the movement.
Leg Press: Narrow Foot Position
Once again, I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine forcing myself to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. Heels are about 5 inches apart with the quads coming down and pressing against my chest at the bottom of the movement.
Hack Squats:
One last time I adjusted the stops on my leg press machine forcing myself to drop the weight 3 inches deeper. The feet are positioned to put as much emphasis on the outer sweep of the quad as possible.

Lying Leg Curls:
Steady cadence with a short hold at the top and a slow negative.
Glute-Ham Raise:
Slow rep cadence on this one to totally focus on how the hammies pulling. Wide knee position which brings a little more of the upper hamstrings into play.

Leg Press Calf Presses- Toes turned out:
Gastrocnemius focused.
Leg Press Calf Presses- Toes in:
Tibialis focused.

Final Thoughts
The wheelz have no idea what is coming on Thursday for the next leg workout.