Eric's 2013 Summer Prep w/Ahlstrom Fitness Consulting

[Crazyups]

Who: Eric Coons

You may recall me from this thread last summer: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...4528881&page=1

After a VERY successful prep with Layne Norton last summer, I made the jump to Team AFC this off-season for no other reason than learning as much as I can from some of the most successful folks in the industry. By comparison, Brian himself has also prepped w/the likes of Layne, Berto and last season, Cliff Wilson. So it hasn't hurt to switch it up and lucky for me, Brian pumped me with a ton of food this off-season, lol.

So, while I reached as high as 230 this off-season, which being 6'5" wasn't too hard too carry around. However, I have been sitting b/w 210-205 for about the last 3 months. With a TON of travel for both work and catching up w/my favorite college hoops team, Villanova, it was quite hard to nail my macros to the "T". Thankfully, I've stayed pretty lean and after my last vacation for work in Cancun (coming up the second week of April), I hope to be within striking distance of my stage weight (195-193 last year). As of 3 weeks ago, playtime is officially over, as I hope to be more dialed in than this fella:



This season (off/on..lol) has had it's ups and downs for sure. During the first week of December, about 4 months into DUP, I was in La. visiting wife's family...my fault, didn't warm up....long story short, one of the most painful experiences of my life, blew a disc and pinched a nerve while deadlifting 405 on about the 10th rep of a plus set. So, I've finally been able to conduct deads/squats again as of 3 weeks ago. Yet, in all honesty, it was nearly like learning to walk again.

Secondly, I hadn't had a physical in sometime, but when I upgraded a recent life insurance policy, it was discovered that the filtration rate of one of my kidneys was about 1/4 of where it should be..completely hereditary. So, the only supplementation I've been taking and will continue to take this prep is simply 5g of creatine a multi and HMB...so far so good.

Currently, Brian upped my cardio slightly to two 30 mins of MISS weekly and 5 intervals of HIIT twice weekly (usually on the step-mill). Everything has been lovely as of late as I'm shooting for the NGA super pro qual on the 22nd of June, which puts me at 14 weeks out (all depending on how well I "keep it tight" in Cancun next month). My current macs are as follows: reg days: 235p/215c/50f and one weekly refeed of 720c/240p/40f. I've had good luck w/PHAT for the last two years...however, I've kept the Bench portion of DUP in and have significantly made gains for about 8 months straight.

I just turned 37 today and my job is COMPLETELY sedentary so I've been quite blessed (fingers crossed) to keep food significantly higher and cardio the same as last prep. Thanks in advance for tagging along!!

[Logie_Bear]

First
Sub'd

[Logie_Bear]

So I was such a fan of your trunks last year that I may or may not have had Cynthia make two pairs for myself.
I have two different pairs from Cherry Bombs and there is really no comparison.

[Crazyups]

So I was such a fan of your trunks last year that I may or may not have had Cynthia make two pairs for myself.
I have two different pairs from Cherry Bombs and there is really no comparison.

BTW, did you get em ordered? It takes her a while...funny thing, I was bringing in my shorts from storage bins in the garage this wknd for the spring and found a pair I had ordered for a show I was gonna' do in November of this past year...so I'm good to go for this year

[The Solution]

What an insane offseason man, good to see you back and going to be putting in work. Make sure you are cautious about your back!

[jpfaherty]

In for Epicness!

Pro Card or bust!

[Logie_Bear]

Yes, got them in yesterday.
I had a question for you...
You did the spray tan @ the bentonville show and you and Brian both did the dream tan @ the st louis one?
What were your thoughts on that... which show do you think you had better color @ ?

BTW, did you get em ordered? It takes her a while...funny thing, I was bringing in my shorts from storage bins in the garage this wknd for the spring and found a pair I had ordered for a show I was gonna' do in November of this past year...so I'm good to go for this year

[Rypt1]

Good luck!

[Crazyups]

Yes, got them in yesterday.
I had a question for you...
You did the spray tan @ the bentonville show and you and Brian both did the dream tan @ the st louis one?
What were your thoughts on that... which show do you think you had better color @ ?

dude, that spray tan at B-ville was THE WORST....I only did it 4 convenience...I've done nothing but Red Bronze the morning of the show and it's nice to get a good rest the night B4, w/o worrying about color...but yeah, Dream Tan ALL DAY

[Crazyups]

3-18-13: Power Upper (DUP Incline)

Incline BB: 210x6x5

Alt Grip Pulldowns: 10 w/150,165,180 195x8

Rack Chins: 10x2sets

Flat DB Flye: 70x10,75x8

One Arm Seated Cable Row: 12x45, 60, 75

Weighted Dips: 8 w/45 x 2

DB Shoulder Press: 8x 60, 65 70x5

Alt. DB Curls: 8x35,40,45,50

OH Camber X-tension: 110x6, 8x110x2

Upper Back/Rear Delt Row: 100x12, 110x10x2

Camber Conc. Curl: 70x10x4

Notes: Keeping DUP for bench (recently switching from Flat BB to Incline) does fatigue your Upper pretty quickly, I've noticed a dip in strength the last two weeks, may be time for a deload..it's been quite some time since last one. Today is Power Lower, and while I went deadlift crazy w/DUP over the winter (not as suggested mind you, hence the disc issue), I'm talking 100 singles w/405...I've had to start all over from the ground up, starting as low as 225 for 4 sets of 10 and adding in 10-20 lbs each week. Squatting is another issue, with the pinched nerve for nearly two months I've really had to lower the weight to get back in the groove as my right leg suffered from a slight bit of atrophy. Regardless, looking at pics from last year at 14 weeks out, while not quite as lean...DUP definitely did me good in the Upper, I'm just slightly concerned about some of the size I lost in my right leg. Just gotta' keep grinding!!!

[Ccm644]

Happy Birthday for yesterday

6'5-your a foot taller than my short arse

Im sure this season will be good for you with Brain

Workout looks solid

Good Luck

[The Solution]

Did you customize your own DUP plan, or did your coach Brian come up with it? Looks like very high volume!

[Bnizzle163]

In on this fo sho!

[Crazyups]

Did you customize your own DUP plan, or did your coach Brian come up with it? Looks like very high volume!

no sir, I worked w/Zourdous four about four months this off-season, i've taken the principles of the bench "portion" and consistently made gains weekly. My "lower" just couldn't keep up with the disc. I'll tell you this though..when we did my 2 rep max coming out of prep last year..my squat was 285...I actually did 415 for a double this year and my deadlift went up nearly 200lbs (exaggerated, b/c I was always cautious w/deads and normally just did 315 for sets of 10..never really tested a 2RM)

[curjo]

First off good luck with your new prep, I'll be following along. Next, is there anything specific you did to recover from your back injury or was it just a time thing? I'm in the middle of a pinched nerve/bulged disc issue right now and I'm wondering if there is anything more that I could be doing to speed recovery?

[Crazyups]

First off good luck with your new prep, I'll be following along. Next, is there anything specific you did to recover from your back injury or was it just a time thing? I'm in the middle of a pinched nerve/bulged disc issue right now and I'm wondering if there is anything more that I could be doing to speed recovery?

Not to be a bummer..but dude, it's gonna' take time....I stuck w/occlusion stuff when I couldn't squat/dead....it's gonna' be a good two months....and i probably overdid it to be honest..I did, however, go from back squats to the V-Squat (facing pad) and focused on form no more than ever.

[The Solution]

no sir, I worked w/Zourdous four about four months this off-season, i've taken the principles of the bench "portion" and consistently made gains weekly. My "lower" just couldn't keep up with the disc. I'll tell you this though..when we did my 2 rep max coming out of prep last year..my squat was 285...I actually did 415 for a double this year and my deadlift went up nearly 200lbs (exaggerated, b/c I was always cautious w/deads and normally just did 315 for sets of 10..never really tested a 2RM)

You did that in 4 months on DUP with Zourdos?
That's insane dude!
How often were you training your big 3 and how did you set it up? Major accessory work or not really?

[Logie_Bear]

Whats new man ... still planning on the pro qualifier in june ?

[Crazyups]

Whats new man ... still planning on the pro qualifier in june ?

ehhhhhhh....kinda' backed off a bit, soo much goin' on with work this year. and prepping 3 years in a row has been VERY tough. Gonna' see where I'm at in 2 weeks to make final judgement.

[Devils]

You have all my feels about the disc problem, it's good you feel ready to squat and deadlift again, but can you live without them? I also have the biggest fear of resuming stressful lower back work as I feel the lightest weight could push the disc out again.

Good luck!

[Crazyups]

You have all my feels about the disc problem, it's good you feel ready to squat and deadlift again, but can you live without them? I also have the biggest fear of resuming stressful lower back work as I feel the lightest weight could push the disc out again.

Good luck!

I'll be honest with you, I had to start at 225x5 on my POWER days back in Jan/Feb. and work my way back up about 10-20 lbs a week, it was like learning to walk again...now, for instance, today was a power day, and I just do singles n e more to save ****ty form...so today I just did 30 singles of 405.

NOW, for squatting, I picked up a trick from Paul Reveilia and as my waist gets smaller and smaller I revert to the plate loaded "v-squat" machine (facing pad), I find this keeps me strict, you can get ass to grass and they do become a grinder...but nothing will replace squats.