The Beast Cannot Be Caged: Derek Charlebois 2011-2012 Offseason Journal

[The Solution]

Thanks Big Bob!

I haven't weighed myself in a while, but I have put on a few extra lbs from too much eating lately LOL. I'm not going to weigh myself until January first and I will probably take some pictures then too. If I had to guess I would say I am around 210-215.

You were 198 on stage correct? Seems like you are on a very good pace. Great job D! Hope you have a great upcoming Holiday Season.

Monday
Highlight = Bench Press 305 X 5

Tuesday = OFF

Wednesday
Highlight = Deadlift 455 X 5

My lower back/glutes/hams were still sore from Sunday's madness, so it made deadlifting very challenging. Last time I did 455 I got 3 reps so some steady progress there.

I will start logging more indepthly after the new year. All my nagging injuries seem to be fading so I am looking forward to a solid year of progress in 2012!

Back is feeling good deadlifting and squatting Derek!? hope that continues to be that way as it has really set you back over the years. Keep grinding and look forward to the updates after the new year.

[fltallpaul]

Monday
Highlight = Bench Press 305 X 5

Tuesday = OFF

Wednesday
Highlight = Deadlift 455 X 5

My lower back/glutes/hams were still sore from Sunday's madness, so it made deadlifting very challenging. Last time I did 455 I got 3 reps so some steady progress there.

I will start logging more indepthly after the new year. All my nagging injuries seem to be fading so I am looking forward to a solid year of progress in 2012!

THis is great news, I too am having progress without injuries and its so nice. Have a great Christmas and New Years.

[Beast]

You were 198 on stage correct? Seems like you are on a very good pace. Great job D! Hope you have a great upcoming Holiday Season.

Back is feeling good deadlifting and squatting Derek!? hope that continues to be that way as it has really set you back over the years. Keep grinding and look forward to the updates after the new year.

I competed at 194 lbs. I maintained my leanness pretty well until about the last month, during which I have been eating way more than I should

As of late my lower back has been holding up fine. I hit 545 X 1 on Deads and 405 X 1 on Squats recently. If my lower back cooperates this year I will be beyond happy.

THis is great news, I too am having progress without injuries and its so nice. Have a great Christmas and New Years.

Its great being able to go in the gym and squat/dead without fear of crippling yourself LOL.

Thanks and you too Paul!

[bilestyle]

In your contest prep, when you were eating Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef, what were the ratios on that? Costco recently started carrying some 85/15; Is that Lean enough? That would be 34G of Fat, 14G Saturated per 8oz. serving. I am currently bulking.

[Beast]

In your contest prep, when you were eating Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef, what were the ratios on that? Costco recently started carrying some 85/15; Is that Lean enough? That would be 34G of Fat, 14G Saturated per 8oz. serving. I am currently bulking.

I believe mine is 90/10. Depending on how you cook it you will lose some fat, but it will still contain a good amount so I wouldn't add a fat source to that meal.

[Beast]

Weight Update... 206.7 lbs! When I stepped on the scale Monday morning I was expecting to see a higher number since I have been enjoying a lot of food lately, but I guess intense workouts help limit fat gains

All of my injuries are clearing up and I am feeling strong! On Monday's bench press workout I hit 325 X 3 and then did 345 for 3 singles. The singles were hard, but not to failure. I probably could have gotten 2-3 reps with 345 but I haven't lifted this heavy on bench for a while so I was proceeding with caution.

I have deadlifts on tap for tomorrow and I am aiming for 495 X 3!

[The Solution]

Celebrating Christmas and Your birthday on the same day does not = a good outcome for the scale now does it
Hope you had a great holiday Derek.

[Beast]

Today's deadlift workout went very well. I hit 495 X 3 (accomplished my goal for the workout) and then hit 545 X 1! Everything is going very well right now

[Roniboney]

Today's deadlift workout went very well. I hit 495 X 3 (accomplished my goal for the workout) and then hit 545 X 1! Everything is going very well right now

nice work Derek.

I'm on your Tri-Phase training atm and I'm loving it so far.Towards the end of week 1.I really love the whole progression on it.

Stay injury free man and good luck in 2012

[bilestyle]

When you do Standing BB Curls w/ bands; which ones do you use and how do you set them up?

[Beast]

nice work Derek.

I'm on your Tri-Phase training atm and I'm loving it so far.Towards the end of week 1.I really love the whole progression on it.

Stay injury free man and good luck in 2012

Tri-Phase delivers results!

Injury free is the key that is for sure. I am looking forward to a very productive 2012 and wish you the best in 2012 as well.

When you do Standing BB Curls w/ bands; which ones do you use and how do you set them up?

I use the elite FTS pro minis. The setup is hard to explain... I will either find a video or film a video at some point.

[whatnow5]

Staying injury free is essential! 2012 is going to be HUGE!!

[fltallpaul]

Today's deadlift workout went very well. I hit 495 X 3 (accomplished my goal for the workout) and then hit 545 X 1! Everything is going very well right now

That's a nice day in the gym, great lifts and injury free! Stay warm this off season!

[Beast]

Staying injury free is essential! 2012 is going to be HUGE!!

As of right now everything is feeling good. Just have to keep up with my foam rolling and stretching. I have been doing a more comprehensive warm-up before my workouts and it seems to be helping.

That's a nice day in the gym, great lifts and injury free! Stay warm this off season!

Thanks Paul! This week was the first week where it has felt really cold which definitely makes it take a little longer to warm up.

[Beast]

12/31/11

Squats

Hits 375 X 3 and then 395 X 1. My squat has not been increasing as fast as my deadlift. I still think I have some structural issues impeding my progress, but my IT band no longer hurts nor has my lower back bothered me a in a while so I can't complain. My short term goal is to hit 405 X 3.

1/2/12

Bench Press

Hit 305 X 5 and then 325 X 3. I wanted 325 X 5, but I was pretty beat after the 305 X 5. My bench press has been climbing steadily, which makes me want MORE WEIGHT. I have never been that strong at bench press, but I have been really liking bench lately. I have been watching some videos on bench press form to pick up some tips. My goal right now is to hit 365 X 3.

[Beast]

1/4/12

Deadlift

The weights were feeling heavy today so I ended up doing 415 for 5 sets of 3 reps. I think I was still recovering from the 495 X 3 and 545 X 1 from last week. My hip flexors are starting to feel tight again so I did some extra foam rolling and stretching during the evening.

[thaAtrain]

1/4/12

Deadlift

The weights were feeling heavy today so I ended up doing 415 for 5 sets of 3 reps. I think I was still recovering from the 495 X 3 and 545 X 1 from last week. My hip flexors are starting to feel tight again so I did some extra foam rolling and stretching during the evening.

Hi,
I've been following along for a while and the numbers tossed around here are definetly very motivational.

I wanted to ask, is there specific brand of foam roller that people such as myself should look out for ( I have tight IT bands among other stuff) or is the standard pretty good across the board?

[Beast]

Hi,
I've been following along for a while and the numbers tossed around here are definetly very motivational.

I wanted to ask, is there specific brand of foam roller that people such as myself should look out for ( I have tight IT bands among other stuff) or is the standard pretty good across the board?

Thanks!

I use the PB Elite Molded Foam Roller: http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Molded-R.../dp/B000HLLREA

Some foam rollers will lose their stiffness or smoosh, but the PB Elite holds up well and has a 2 or 3 year warranty.

[mad86]

Popped in to say hello! It looks like your beasting weight derek, i hope your previous injuries will subside to make your offseason even more epic!!
I am currently dealing with a tight lower back and hip flexors poppin in here and reading your journal makes me think i need to stretch and foam roll before my workouts or perhaps after.

I really miss those workouts that you had setup for me, i added so much strength man! I think your split and the way you have the progression on the focus days are great, that split is money. Im hoping to go back to it here soon ;-)

[davemcmullan]

Yo Derek, congrats on your last season and looking forward to watching you put on some serious size.

Been following your progress for a long time and have alot of respect for your information you provide especially when its comes to contest prep. Although this might not be the right place to be posting this, was wondering if you could again provide your insights.

As one of the most important meals of the day is straight after your workout, during a contest prep however I tend to do about 30-40 mins cardio post weight workout. This therefore delays this meal following my workout. During the offseason I would usually have a shake consisting of 40gP,40gC (dextrose or fast acting carb source) straight after my weight workout to refuel and begin the rebuilding process prior to any cardio.

As in contest preps we are limiting our carbs should one cut out their postworkout shake? Or should I more or less factor these carbs into my overall intake and keep it in? If cutting the shake out, is 40mins post weight workout before the next meal (due to cardio) too long or is cardio still considered as "working out"?

Any thoughts?

Thanks Dave

[adamjohn32]

Yo Derek, congrats on your last season and looking forward to watching you put on some serious size.

Been following your progress for a long time and have alot of respect for your information you provide especially when its comes to contest prep. Although this might not be the right place to be posting this, was wondering if you could again provide your insights.

As one of the most important meals of the day is straight after your workout, during a contest prep however I tend to do about 30-40 mins cardio post weight workout. This therefore delays this meal following my workout. During the offseason I would usually have a shake consisting of 40gP,40gC (dextrose or fast acting carb source) straight after my weight workout to refuel and begin the rebuilding process prior to any cardio.

As in contest preps we are limiting our carbs should one cut out their postworkout shake? Or should I more or less factor these carbs into my overall intake and keep it in? If cutting the shake out, is 40mins post weight workout before the next meal (due to cardio) too long or is cardio still considered as "working out"?

Any thoughts?

Thanks Dave

If you don't have any carbs to spare, I'd suggest some BCAA's post lift/pre cardio and then your next meal post cardio, assuming you have adequent carbs in your pre and post workout meal. If you have some carbs, you could add some to the BCAA's. This is just my opinion and what has worked for me, not sure if it's something Derek would recommend.

[georgiacorn]

hey derek. I used to do team scivation diet when you guys could keep up with all the clients but I can't remember something from that experience. I am beginning a cut this week after a year of bulking and know I need to slowly remove calories. Question: On non-lifting days would you go to carbs only at meal one, or take away carbs from meals later in the day only as progress stalls. Appreciate it.

also for anyone: does anyone know how to change the signature on your posts here? I click on my profile and cannot find any way of changing my signature.

[Beast]

Popped in to say hello! It looks like your beasting weight derek, i hope your previous injuries will subside to make your offseason even more epic!!
I am currently dealing with a tight lower back and hip flexors poppin in here and reading your journal makes me think i need to stretch and foam roll before my workouts or perhaps after.

I really miss those workouts that you had setup for me, i added so much strength man! I think your split and the way you have the progression on the focus days are great, that split is money. Im hoping to go back to it here soon ;-)

Good to hear from you Marcus! Things are going pretty well for me. The nagging injuries I had have subsided and my workouts are going very well. Foam rolling and stretching is definitely vital. The hard part is keeping up with it, especially when things AREN'T hurting.

Yo Derek, congrats on your last season and looking forward to watching you put on some serious size.

Been following your progress for a long time and have alot of respect for your information you provide especially when its comes to contest prep. Although this might not be the right place to be posting this, was wondering if you could again provide your insights.

As one of the most important meals of the day is straight after your workout, during a contest prep however I tend to do about 30-40 mins cardio post weight workout. This therefore delays this meal following my workout. During the offseason I would usually have a shake consisting of 40gP,40gC (dextrose or fast acting carb source) straight after my weight workout to refuel and begin the rebuilding process prior to any cardio.

As in contest preps we are limiting our carbs should one cut out their postworkout shake? Or should I more or less factor these carbs into my overall intake and keep it in? If cutting the shake out, is 40mins post weight workout before the next meal (due to cardio) too long or is cardio still considered as "working out"?

Any thoughts?

Thanks Dave

Hey Dave. Even during contest prep I would keep your carbs in post-workout. I personally would opt for a low GI carb like oatmeal or sweet potato post-workout instead of dextrose contest prep as that will help keep you more satiated. If doing cardio post-workout wait to have your protein/carbs until after your cardio session.

hey derek. I used to do team scivation diet when you guys could keep up with all the clients but I can't remember something from that experience. I am beginning a cut this week after a year of bulking and know I need to slowly remove calories. Question: On non-lifting days would you go to carbs only at meal one, or take away carbs from meals later in the day only as progress stalls. Appreciate it.

also for anyone: does anyone know how to change the signature on your posts here? I click on my profile and cannot find any way of changing my signature.

If you currently are having carbs in all your meals on off days either decreasing the amount of carbs per meal or removing carbs from meals altogether are both fine options. I personally like to keep my carbs to meal #1 only if I am not working out at all that day.

[Beast]

1/7/12

Squats: 315 for 5 sets of 5.

1/9/12

Bench Press: 275 for 5 sets of 5.

I have been taking squat, deads, bench to maximum or near maximum weights lately so I opted for some sub-maximal training. I plan on working both maximal and sub-maximally training into my routine.

[robertfah]

also for anyone: does anyone know how to change the signature on your posts here? I click on my profile and cannot find any way of changing my signature.

Click on My Dashboard (on the right of this page), then click My Profile (on the left of the next page), the click on Manage My Personal Information (3rd column down on page), then at the bottom of that page there's a link that says "Edit Forum Signature".

Derek,

Some solid work in here as always...good to see your back is doing great and not giving you any troubles either.

[Beast]

Derek,

Some solid work in here as always...good to see your back is doing great and not giving you any troubles either.

Thanks Robert! What's funny is my lower back has been decent lately but other nagging injuries (IT Band, Elbow, Shoulder) were holding me back. I'd gladly deal with those over having a hurt lower back though!

[whatnow5]

As of right now everything is feeling good. Just have to keep up with my foam rolling and stretching. I have been doing a more comprehensive warm-up before my workouts and it seems to be helping.

Its crazy how much of a difference this makes! I can always tell when I warmed up "right" and when I didn't. HUGE difference!

[georgiacorn]

[QUOTE=robertfah;811513581]Click on My Dashboard (on the right of this page), then click My Profile (on the left of the next page), the click on Manage My Personal Information (3rd column down on page), then at the bottom of that page there's a link that says "Edit Forum Signature".
thanks robert!

[Beast]

Its crazy how much of a difference this makes! I can always tell when I warmed up "right" and when I didn't. HUGE difference!

Yup there are days where every just seems to go right!

1/4/12

Deadlift

The weights were feeling heavy today so I ended up doing 415 for 5 sets of 3 reps. I think I was still recovering from the 495 X 3 and 545 X 1 from last week. My hip flexors are starting to feel tight again so I did some extra foam rolling and stretching during the evening.

1/11/12 Deadlifts

Today on deadlifts I did 465 for 5 sets of 3 reps. I had planned on only doing 3 sets but decided to do 5 sets. Oddly my 4th set actually felt like the easiest of the 5 sets. I quoted my workout from 1/4/11 to point out how it is ideal to base your training on how you are feeling that day. On 1/4/11 415 felt heavy for 3 reps. Today 465 felt easier than 415 did last week. I usually have a game plan of what I want to try to hit when I enter the gym, but sometimes it doesn't happen. There are days when you feel strong, and days when you feel week; it is best to listen to your body on that day and train accordingly.

[davemcmullan]

Good to hear from you Marcus! Things are going pretty well for me. The nagging injuries I had have subsided and my workouts are going very well. Foam rolling and stretching is definitely vital. The hard part is keeping up with it, especially when things AREN'T hurting.



Hey Dave. Even during contest prep I would keep your carbs in post-workout. I personally would opt for a low GI carb like oatmeal or sweet potato post-workout instead of dextrose contest prep as that will help keep you more satiated. If doing cardio post-workout wait to have your protein/carbs until after your cardio session.



If you currently are having carbs in all your meals on off days either decreasing the amount of carbs per meal or removing carbs from meals altogether are both fine options. I personally like to keep my carbs to meal #1 only if I am not working out at all that day.

thanks for the reply guru