Question for Dante regarding leg training whilst prepping for a show

[bicep_grind]

Hey all,

hopefully Dante will post to this, or if anyone else has some input on this it would be awesome.

i been dc training for about 2 years now, i think this is my 11th blast right now.

i typically do the 3 way split for 2 blasts then throw in a 2 way split on the 3rd and so on.

Im just prepping for a show at the moment and usually i switch from dc training about 10 weeks out but since last time i prepped for i show i virtually lost NO strength iv decided to stick with DC for as long as possible.

im doing the 3 way split and all is going great except for the leg training, im hitting my heavy for 6-10 and progression is normal but the widowmaker...im really struggling with it, like dropping from 20 to 15 and lower than 10 on some movements.

would it be more beneficial if i did the heavy for 6-10, then fowwow up with a back off set for 10-12 and then a widowmaker that was not a compound exercise??? perhaps leg extentions or those funky sissy smyth hack squats Homon was doing in a vid he posted??

also just to note...my legs have been feeling pretty much no soreness which is pretty damn dissapointing and makes me wonder if their getting properly stimulated.

Cheers
Matt

[Kidrok (Hop)]

About 6-7 years back when I was working with Dante I had a similar situation. In regards to changing your training to something other than DC for prep he said to me "dance with the one who brought you"....basically, DC training added the muscle size off-season so stay with it during contest prep to help keep the muscle size.
For the leg widowmaker he had me use leg press for all 3 leg workouts. So if i was doing squats on a particular day, after my heavy squat set I would go to the leg press for the widowmaker. Seemed to help and it also provides a bit more safety. Also, with the additional cardio your legs are taking a beating, so as I got closer I would either reduce my WM set to a goal of 15 reps.

[DCBliever]

If I'm not mistaken and often am, didn't Dante recommend the:

1)2-Way, then
2)3-Way, then
3)5-Day

Stay in each until you could no longer recover properly? I'm going off memory but those with more time could use the search function. I agree with Kid Rok, what ever helped you obtain that muscle should help you keep it and no reason you can't get stronger as you approach the show minus maybe the last 2-3 weeks.

[bicep_grind]

About 6-7 years back when I was working with Dante I had a similar situation. In regards to changing your training to something other than DC for prep he said to me "dance with the one who brought you"....basically, DC training added the muscle size off-season so stay with it during contest prep to help keep the muscle size.
For the leg widowmaker he had me use leg press for all 3 leg workouts. So if i was doing squats on a particular day, after my heavy squat set I would go to the leg press for the widowmaker. Seemed to help and it also provides a bit more safety. Also, with the additional cardio your legs are taking a beating, so as I got closer I would either reduce my WM set to a goal of 15 reps.

great input buddy, i do not have leg press in at the moment so it would deffinetly be an option to use that as my only widowmaker and is an exercise that is more "grind worthy"
dont know what it is but on legs its somewhere around 10 reps and someone just shuts off the power....dieting and cardio must be the cause of this.

for my last show like i said i cut dc out 10 weeks out but however i was still doing a rest pause set for my main exercise, i hardly lost any strength...if any so this time im sticking with it right the way through.

perhaps some altrations will need to be made for safety the close i get though?

Matt

[Doggcrapp]

Stay with what got you to the dance as long as it feels right.....and then when you really are getting spent switch over to very short workouts.

sun chest abs
mon biceps forearms calves abs
tuesday hams quads
wen off
thurs shoulders triceps
friday back width thickness abs
sat off

or something like the above....whatever fits your schedule and lifestyle best......i want you to repeat this mantra "its all about maintaining muscle size now and coming in nasty looking."

*****Nobody wins shows if they arent shredded so put the emphasis on getting shredded (cardio diet with training used for maintenance of size)

You built the muscle already....emphasis is on keeping the muscle...dont take chances, dont get hurt, dont worry about using low reps that could cause injury, raise your rep ranges while still training heavy in those higher SAFER rep ranges. Reset your logbook if you need to by lowering weights but raising rep ranges 15-30rp and 12-20rp or 12-15 straight set <-----thats your starting point now so thats what you got to beat..not your old offseason poundages. Trust me your not going to lose size and you can still have the battle with the logbook you crave so not to lose focus.

CONDITION CONDITION CONDITION...come in diced....your not going to be putting on 12 pounds of lean muscle mass the last 6 weeks before a show so make the emphasis this thought process "Ok when i walk out there im going to fucking shellshock the crowd because im so freaking shredded....i just got to keep this muscle mass i have right now and come in DICED! (Diced to me is top of your teardrop triangle on your quadriceps is fully separated.

As simple as it sounds and i have to do this to alot of guys sometimes.....
A)guys who think of terms of "im going to come in so big and full and in condition the crowd is going to be awed by me" end up getting 4th because condition was third in the thought process
B)guys who think of terms of "im going to come inside out shredded and gross out my relatives who will be seeing their first bodybuilding show" end up with first place.

[Doggcrapp]

About 6-7 years back when I was working with Dante I had a similar situation. In regards to changing your training to something other than DC for prep he said to me "dance with the one who brought you"....basically, DC training added the muscle size off-season so stay with it during contest prep to help keep the muscle size.
For the leg widowmaker he had me use leg press for all 3 leg workouts. So if i was doing squats on a particular day, after my heavy squat set I would go to the leg press for the widowmaker. Seemed to help and it also provides a bit more safety. Also, with the additional cardio your legs are taking a beating, so as I got closer I would either reduce my WM set to a goal of 15 reps.

Absolutely spot on. I would do this immediately and make the leg press the widowmaker every single leg workout

[bicep_grind]

Thanks Dante thats awesome bro!!!

it makes sense yes to get the rep ranges alittle higher so i aint handeling such freaky weight whilst im dieting and hammering the cardio. im 6 weeks into this blast...is it more worth while sticking with this blast as it is for another 2 weeks??? i feel i can still beast the next few weeks of exercises.

the split you mentioned above....man those are really going to be super short workouts!!! sat and sun training is difficult for me bro...is the wednesday for a rest day so necissery??? since the workouts are so short set like that im pretty shore i could blast 5 days straight

Matt