Let's_grow gets skinny, road to the stage

[Let's_Grow]

Hey everyone,

Ive been lurking this board for a while, so i decided to start posting more and make a pre contest thread.

usually id post on T-nation, but my work blocked that site, and since i dont have a working computer at home, it makes it hard to post.


on this saturday, im going to be 16 weeks from my 2nd show. Its an IDFA show (international drug free athletics)

my first show was a hell of a journey (nov 2012), I went from 215 lbs to around 175ish in 18 weeks (never doing that again).This year, i decided to stay leaner at the top weight i reached in the off season was 193 lbs, currently im about 191.5.

I plan to make the 175 lb class and make improvements on my conditioning, presentation, and hopefully look like i gained some muscle from my last show.


Shelby Starnes is handling my diet, and my training is all my own, but mostly its John Meadows style training.

Right now i dont have any pics to post, but you if look up "GRINDOVERMATTER" on google images, youll find a handful from last year.

[Let's_Grow]

Trained Back today:


Deadlifts:
warmed up to one working set
365x10 (pr)

Pullups:
Wide gripx20
Neutral gripx20
Wide grip x20
Neutral grip x20

Deadstop Dumbell rows:
100 lb dumbels 3 x10 , focussing on driving the elbows back

Seated cable rows
3x10, and on the last set a drop set

Dumbell Pullover- 3x10

Barbell shrugs- with 1 second hold at the top
135x40
185x30
225x20
315x10

trained some abs as well after this.

[LG1]

That's some serious pull up strength. Welcome!

[Let's_Grow]

That's some serious pull up strength. Welcome!

thanks, for some reason ive alwys been decent at pullups, a lot of times i do 100 pullups in a back workout, i got the idea from the matt kroc article on t nation with his take on back training.



One time last year i did a set of 30 reps with a medium/wide grip. Im sure they werent all full range motion though

[v1hyp]

Welcome to IM.

[JWALL]

Wow, serious pull-up strength indeed! Welcome.

[Let's_Grow]

Welcome to IM.

thanks, nice MM in your avatar!

[Let's_Grow]

Trained some upper chest and arms today

Incline Bench 185lbs--5x5
Single arm incline hammer strength-1.5 plates/side for 2x12, then normal set with both sides for 35 reps
moved onto arms:
Tricep pushdown SS with single arm cable extension
5 sets, 30-45 seconds rest between super sets

Dumbell cross body curls-
5x10 (30-45 seconds rest)

Seated dip machine 4x15 (30-45 seconds rest)

Preacher curls with ez bar- 4x8 (30-45 seconds rest)

Overhead tricep extensions with ez bar 3x10 (same rest period)

Cable curl triple drop set

[Let's_Grow]

2nd leg day:

around october of last year i sent John meadows some pics of my physique and asked him what i needed to work on the most to place better in shows. He told me i looked pretty balanced but needed to work on legs the hardest, he suggested i do main day and a 2nd pumping day for legs, today was more of the pumping day.

Lying leg curls- 6 sets of 10 (60 seconds rest)
squats- 135x10, 185x6, 225x6, 245x6, 265x6, 275x6 (didnt go super hard on these, just trying to go explosive)
smith lunges- 25 lb/sidex12, 35lb/sidex12, 45/sidex12, 55xsidex12
hack squat 3x20 (60-90 seconds rest)
Standing calve machine- 4x10 ramping weights and super setting each set with 50 reps of dorsiflexion

wasnt meant to be super hard, just give me legs a bit more of a boost, tuesday will be my main leg day.....


have some HIIT cardio on the menu tomorrow.

[Let's_Grow]

HIIT cardio

used bike

5 mins warmup
15 mins intervals
45 seconds at 50 percent, 15 seconds all outx15
10 minute cool down

tanning: 7 minutes lol

[Let's_Grow]

Monday- chest/shoulders

Dumbell twist press- 3x10
Decline barbell bench- 135x8, 185x8, 205x8, 225x8, 245x5
incline hammer strength- 2.5 plates/side for 3x8 plus partials every set
decline smith bench- 135x30, 225x20, 275x10,DROP SET- 275x10, 225x6, 135x30
Cable flys high to low- 1x12
DC chest stretch, on to shoulders:
3x12-15- side laterals strict, 1 destroyer set with partialsx 50 reps
Rear delt flys on incline bench- 3x25, one destroyer set of 50 reps
barbell shoulder press- 1 set

[Let's_Grow]

Tuesday- Legs
Lying ham curlz- 1x15, 1x12, 1x10, triple drop set plus 30 partials after the 3rd drop, also 2 iso holds at after the partials
Squats- ramped up to 295 for 4x4---however my back was feeling funky so i cut the 4th set short after only doing 2 reps
cybex squat press- 4 plats/sidex40, 5 plates x30, 6 plates x20, 7 plates x10 (3 second descents on this set)
leg extensions- 3x20---last set had added partials
3 sets DB stiff legs
standing calve raises, also finished with a few sets of abs.

Post workout meal= 6 oz steak, 1.5 cups white rice

[Let's_Grow]

Not quite as good a back day this week:
Deadlifts:
ramped up to 385x5--then got told by the owner, that i was being too loud and that it was annoying. Been dealing with this at this gym for a while, the trick is to train deads when that guy is not around.
Dumbell rows: 130x8, 120x10, 120x10
Seated cable rows with 1second squeeze- 3x12
Pullups, Widex20, Neutralx15, wide x10, neutral x10, wide x10, neutral x10. (not as good one pullups after 6 sets of rows)
Dumbell pull over- 60x15, 70x15
***lat stretch**
Dumbell shrugs with 3 second squeeze- 90lbsx10 extended by just shrugging at a normal tempo till failure for 4 sets

[Let's_Grow]

trained arms today and used a workout straight from mountaindogdiet.com, its called Fascia splitting arm pump

I wont post it because its paid content on the website, but the pump was insane!!!!!!!!!!


Updating shelby tommorrow.

[Let's_Grow]

12 weeks out, 1st thing in the morning, no food , water or pump