winflex wrote:

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More offseason eating today:
Chicken Samosas
Lamb Samosas
Pork egg roll
Ribs
Shrimp Purses

MMMM....Going to tear up back tonight.

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Dwayne - do you make a major difference between your contest and off season eating?  Joe has me eating clean all the time and just curious what other people do ( I guess as I needed to GET into shape instead of just maintaining it)

Dave,
The major difference between pre-contest and off season is that I have way more calories in the offseason coming from a variety of sources...and I, at least once a week, meet up with a friend or my wife/baby and go out to eat. On those days, however, I still eat everything on my plan..so I kind of eat at least 1000 cals extra on those days. Here's an example, on average in pre-contest I was eating 150 grams of carbs per day. Now I eat an average of 300 or so per day. My protein intake is also up about 50-60 grams and my fats are about double. Off season, Joe and I play with the macros depending on what I bring up to him but it up to me to choose the foods. Pre-contest, I stick with the chicken breast for protein, brown rice and oats and a simple carb for workouts (dextrose or waxy maize) for carbs. Off season, right now, I eat chicken, beef, fish, pork, lamb for protein and eat white rice, oats, bananas, raisins, Kashi cereals, Uncle Sam cereals, I had BarNaked granola for a while too and a simple carb for workouts (currently waxy maize). I throw different stuff here and there depending on what's available at home and what's on sale and what Jen wants to cook.

Definitely the quickest way to trimming the fat though, for me, is to keep it simple and stick to the same things that work.

Serg,
Stage plans currently are for 2009 but really I think it will come down to my progress and how much muscle I put on in the weak areas. Contest prep takes a lot out of the year when you want to really dial it in and I really plan on being improved from the last time. It will be hard because truly last year I was my best ever and to be truthful, my biggest fear is that I will fail at beating my previous best. I had previously taken three years between groups of shows; so it was enough time for the pressure to be off and I knew that in three years I had improved. This time around it will be different with a shorter offseason. So, the plan is 2009 but there really needs to be improvement before that time comes.

Also, after watching to the Yorton last year where I was exposed to the top echelon of natural bodybuilding for the first time, with those IFPA pros, there is a lot I will be working to get. Previously, I only saw NGA and USBF pros while I was living in Syracuse. Yes they are good but the top IFPA guys are better....WAY BETTER. So with that impression left upon me, there is a lot to work for in this offseason but who really knows how long it will take to achieve that.

Wish it was something easy to plan but it isn't.

Good workout Dwayne!  100's on the bench row, impressive.

Sat Aug 2 08

Before I post this I want to share a pet peeve that I saw today at the gym. This guy was on the ham curl machine that I use. He just kept slamming the weights down for each rep-- a sure fire way to break the machine. I was just hoping that he didn't break it before I got a chance to use it. Luckily, he didn't. Can't wait to get my own home gym in the future...but first I have to get a bigger place...

Hams/Calves
Leg Curl: 2 warms, 75/10, 100/6, 85/8,7,7+1, 50/stopped counting after 20...xreps at the end
DB SLDL: (made a conscious effort to turn these up since last week wasn't so good due to the low back)
3 warms, 100/10, 115/8 8 7, 120/5 5 (used straps on all work sets)
Smith machine standing calf: 3 warms, 315/10, 325/8 8
1 leg standing calf: 2 sets each leg to failure

DB SLDL was on today. I had to lay on a bench between the last three sets because the pump in the posterior chain was unbearable.

Joe Question: In the 'B' phase of the workout plan, plan on starting up in two weeks, the plan is Deadlifts on day 3 and BB SLDL on Day 4. Is that a typo? Sounds a little redundant. Just thinking that SLDL with BB is going to suffer if the Deads are pushed hard the day before.

winflex wrote:

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Sat Aug 2 08

Before I post this I want to share a pet peeve that I saw today at the gym. This guy was on the ham curl machine that I use. He just kept slamming the weights down for each rep-- a sure fire way to break the machine. I was just hoping that he didn't break it before I got a chance to use it. Luckily, he didn't. Can't wait to get my own home gym in the future...but first I have to get a bigger place...

Hams/Calves
Leg Curl: 2 warms, 75/10, 100/6, 85/8,7,7+1, 50/stopped counting after 20...xreps at the end
DB SLDL: (made a conscious effort to turn these up since last week wasn't so good due to the low back)
3 warms, 100/10, 115/8 8 7, 120/5 5 (used straps on all work sets)
Smith machine standing calf: 3 warms, 315/10, 325/8 8
1 leg standing calf: 2 sets each leg to failure

DB SLDL was on today. I had to lay on a bench between the last three sets because the pump in the posterior chain was unbearable.

Joe Question: In the 'B' phase of the workout plan, plan on starting up in two weeks, the plan is Deadlifts on day 3 and BB SLDL on Day 4. Is that a typo? Sounds a little redundant. Just thinking that SLDL with BB is going to suffer if the Deads are pushed hard the day before.

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I can understand.  We have a grunter, a yeller and a weight dropper at our gym.  I can give the grunter and yeller a bit of room as they really are moving a lot of weight - still anoying but can understand.  But the weighth dropper is just silly.  He throws 40 lbs db after doing Chest Presses.  Come on - I can understand if they are 100's but do you really have to throw 40s?  It's amazing.  I know the first thing my first trainer said to me was that you have to respect the weights and other people - ALWAYS.  I guess some people just don't understand that.

Sun Aug 3 08
Shoulders and Back (vertical)

Strict Standing Military Press: 2 warms, 125/9, 135/5,140/4, 125/7, 140/3, 95/12
Weight Chin up: warmed with light lat pull under, (all weights are me+ listed weight strapped on) 35/10, 50/7, 70/4, 50/6, 70/2, 0/9
Shrug: 305/8 7 6 drop 225/8 drop 135(behind the back-Lee Haney style)/15
Weight Pull up: (all weights are me+ listed weight strapped on) 10/ out wide - 8 7 in close - 8
Side Lateral: 2 warms, 35/6 30/8 20/20 (kept set going with cheating on the end of the set..not much though since I did them on against a bench)
Rope Pulls: 170/20 180/15 190/10+1(5)

Added light Rope cable rows because the pump was so good I wanted to feel what it would be like on a rowing motion. It was good. Next phase I will go back to doing all back stuff on one day because I miss the feel of pumping some rows out after doing the vertical pull up/chin up stuff. It will just have to be a little longer but not so long that my intensity drops.

Summary: There was good improvement today on all exercises in either weight or reps. Used cheating, rest pause, and clusters to intensify the workout. Weighted pullup was done from a dead hang. Lifting my weight plus 70 lb dumbell on chin up was the most I've ever done and it was T-O-U-G-H. I could feel every muscle in my upper body contract on those. On the chin up I don't stop at the fully stretch position like I do on pullups because of the way my arms are twisted, the pull on the shoulder is not comfortable. So on chins I go right back up once I am at that point. The rope pulls really pumped it up at the end...I was happy with today's workout.

-- Edited by winflex at 18:15, 2008-08-03

Tuesday Aug 5 08

Got to the gym really late tonight due to an evening appointment with an insurance broker. The appointment took longer than expected...but it motivated me to get to the gym even more.

Quads (I didn't do calves because I realized that I've been hammering them twice a week and this is supposed to be a "hit the bodypart once hard each week" split...besides, I still can't touch my calves without searing pain...they need the recovery)

Squat: 2 warms, 185/9, 8, 195/7,6, 205/4,4
Hack Squat: 165/11, 175/11, 185/8, 7
Leg Extension: 90/15f 11f 9f
Sumo Squat: 95/ 20f, 115/16f

Summary: First the good news:
Made tremendous progress this week on the hacks, leg extension, and sumo squats. Although the weights were a tad lighter than last week on squats, I pushed more reps and thus the overall volume of the workout increased..on top of that I finished off with the same top weight for the same amount of reps even though I had already taxed my thighs greater than I had the week before. So I was happy with that. Progress comes in all forms.
On the sumo's, I used my dipping belt so I didn't have to deal with the sweaty palms. I will definitely go up again next time. I'm really starting to love that exercise and the way it seems to be recruiting the quads all over at the end of the workout. Kind of like a "Hello" after the leg extensions.

Now the bad news (but learned a good lesson from it):
I managed to irritate my right knee again. As I write I am icing it. It happened on the hacks. Basically, what happens with me and hacks is that the motion is just not natural for me. I kept going down to hams to calves and really that doesn't work for me on hacks. It over-stretches my patella tendon. Not only that, it causes my back to round. On normal squats, that doesn't happen because my butt can shoot back to keep that neutral flat back...but because of the restriction due to the pad, you can't sit back on hacks. That coupled with the fact that my back isn't against the pad completely anyway because I'm so tall part of my back hangs off the pad doesn't make it any easier. So after I irritated it, I decided not to push it too much with the weight and keep the reps up. I began to notice all the things I was doing wrong on the hacks and fixed them throughout the sets. Happily, I didn't injure myself and I will be back at the hacks but next time with better knowledge on how to do them for my body and avoiding injury.

Thursday Aug 7 08 (written on Friday)

Day off...but ended up staying up really late just talking with my wife last night. It was good discussion. I slept in and got to work late this morning...but I plan on leaving early today anyway because I'm going on vacation next week starting Monday. I only usually workout during the week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Most of my workouts are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There's a Gold's out where we are going so I will get some workouts in on Tuesday and Wednesday. Probably will take it easy since I will be out of my element...besides its vacation.

Will be bringing my protein powders with me to make sure I get all my protein in and my SuperCissus to keep the joints happy...that's about it. It will be a bunch of guesstimation next week but I think the rest will be worth it.

3 more posts until vacation!!

Sat Aug 9 08

Training Day at Team Franco Studios

Hams/Calves
SLDL w/ BB: 3 warms, 225/10 255/6 275/6 295/7 (used straps on last set)
Assisted glute ham raise on a lat pull down: bodyweight assisted with a pole, 3x10
Wide leg press:180/12 270/12 315/12
1-leg standing calf raise: BW+25/2X10, BW/DC failure

Summary:Was a great workout. I always enjoy my monthly trek out to Warminster, PA. Joe (who I consider my bodybuilding sensei), although it was "just" hams and calves, knows just how to switch it up enough to wake those muscles up. I surprised myself on SLDL w/ BB. I never really did that weight before on that exercise and I think my powerlifting phase helped develop some of the much needed strength to get it done. One more workout until vacation!

Friday 8/15/08: Back from Vacation today. I decided to hit the gym tonight but had a low key day. I did my rowing and tricep day. I also hit the gym on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, also low key since I was on vacation. I will post them up tomorrow because I'm feeling pretty lazy right now. Plan on getting back to blasting on Tuesday as I will do some easy workouts this weekend as I get back into it.

Sunday 8/17/08

Shoulders/back2 (at Gold's Hamilton so Rope Pull ## is a different)
Standing Military Press:2 warms, 115/10 10 135/4 4 (weak today)
Wt. Chin: 3 warms, me+60/6 6 5 4
BB Shrug:3 warms, 325/10 11
Wt. Pullup:me+20/10 10 8
Standing Side Lat:15/10 25/10 35/10 45/10(super loose form), 35/10, 25/20
Rope Pull:100/10 12 9 (totally different gym, totally different cable stack so number is off).

Good workout today. Still about 75% back into the swing of things. Not in a rush as I feel the recovery was somewhat needed.

Back to work today...and back to a new round of exercises. Started off with Quads.
Quads:
Leg Press: 5 warms (new machine to me, needed to feel it out), 365/5 345/10 10 (counting the sled as 45lb)
Front Squat: 2 warms 175/6 180/5 2 165/6 5 (will use 170 to start out next time)
Step Lunge: 1 warm, 95/14, 105/16, 125/8
Leg Extensions: 2 warms, 90/12f 11f

A good start to a new phase of exercises. My Front squat was where I left it off but a smidge stronger and it is right about where I thought it would be in comparison to my back squat so I'm happy with that. I surprised myself on the step lunge and I think I could've done more reps with the 125 and maybe could've even gone up to 135 but I didn't want to push my luck considering my form was starting to get wobbly. First time in a while ending off with leg extensions and it was a totally different feeling but definitely left my quads super pumped and me in a hypoglycemic state...so I just finished devouring my carbs and protein just now and I feel better.

Chest and Biceps tomorrow!

On another note, good luck to all the competitors going in the OCB MidAtlantic this weekend in Burlington, NJ. You all worked hard for what you are about to do and whatever your placing, remember that its not all about the one day, everything you did up to this point was a learning experience and good for building character. What you have achieved to this point already makes you a champion. Don't forget to enjoy the post contest comfort food!!

Its all about the journey. The hard work, the dedication, and the fun you had along the way and the people who supported you through it. Every competitor is a winner.

Yesterday was an off day but I seem to be slacking on my ab training. I need to get back on that on my off days so next off day I will make sure I thoroughly blast my abs for a good 15 minutes.

Back Calves
OOOOO-WEEE, what a dastardly incredible workout. I mean I really nailed this one square in the jaw like Evander Holyfield. I am so pumped. It all started with a young fella coming up to me and saying, "Hey are you training for something because you are in incredible shape and I was wondering if you could give me some tips." My ego went sky high but I kept it under control, don't worry didn't start showing off with the weights; I know better than that. So I talked with the kid for a while and I was in such a positive mood that I could help but to have a good workout. He kind of reminded me of me when I was 21. He said he had just started training about a year ago and had asked me how long I had been training. I had to think. I started lifting around 18 and now I'm 27...wow, 9 years? Has it been that long already? I talked to him about natural bodybuilding and doing shows and that time and consistency is the most important thing to making progress. He said he wanted to get cut up and wondered what supplements could get him there in a month. I told him that you will probably need six months to gain some muscle on a good diet and 3 months to cut up; one month was out of the question. I said that if he really wanted to do it, he could come to me for any questions. Joe, if he has a lot of questions and is serious, I will make sure to drop your name. I already told him that I first hired a trainer when I was around 21 and since then have learned that good guidance is the only real "shortcut" to success. I made the analogy to learning calculus. Its easier to learn it if you can ask your professor questions but hard if you have to do it all on your own. He was fresh out of college so he knew what I meant. I was so happy that I was able to help that I applied all that positive energy to a kick a$$ ZAPPED workout as described below:

Bodybuilding style deadlifts: 3 warms, 315/6 6 4 285/7
T Bar: 3 warms, 135/8 8 6
Bench Row:1 warm, 65/8 7 8
1 arm Row: 1 warm, 80/ 10 13 15
Chins: 3 warms on lat under, me/ 8 6 6 5
Rope Pull:190/10 200/9 9
Smith Calf Raise:1 warm 335/9 8 7 6 6
Seated Calf Raise:90/15 12 70/12 18 14

Comments on workout:
BB style deadlifts, all that means is that instead of picking the bar up from the ground first, I started out holding the bar up top and lowering it to the ground. This style is actually easier than pulling straight from the ground where you have no idea how hard you have to pull...both ways have their advantages and disadvantages but I'm using this because when I did the powerlifting program, I pulled from the floor. I had good improvements with this exercise that I think I'm going to powerlift again after this phase. The strength is really paying off. Tbar, 135 is just three plates. I know I'm capable of more but after those deads, it wasn't to be but the pump was great. I drastically dropped the weight on Bench Rows because I realized that I wasn't doing them right before. I wasn't pulling them far back enough or twisting the bells to a supinated position for the tight contraction up top...so I did that and wow what a difference. One arm rows just basically annihilated the lats. Did chins instead of lat under because why pulldown when you can chin? Chins make a much better contraction in my opinion. Rope pull to iso the length of the lat again. Then it was onto the calves where the goal was just to stress it with the weight and then pump it up to smitherines. It was great. I'm going to be dead tomorrow at the show but this was one workout for my personal history books. I feel like Usain Bolt did when he broke both World Records. I have to shout out Jamaica, my parents homeland, for doing so well in the sprints. Everyone in my family is a big track and field fan...(especially since my great uncle won the 400 sprints in the London Olympics back in the 1940's..google him Arthur Wint). I did track in high school so I know what it is like to be on the track...but lacrosse is still my favorite sport...why they don't have it in the Olympics is beyond me...the closest things to it are Handball and Field Hockey but lacrosse is more exciting. Just my opinion. Okay good night everyone and have a good show tomorrow to the competitors. Time to eat some grits and protein.