Pre contest training and DC

[proplanner]

Have searched this a lot in stickies and not finding what i am looking for. Am starting training/diet tomorrow for comp on Sept 23rd. (just on 20 weeks) Have done a couple of DC blasts and just finishing a cruise. Am 44, 6ft 4in, 120kgs at present at about 22% BF (hence the long pre comp phase). This will be 3rd contest (last in 2006), but had no idea then and wasted down to 93kgs. Hope to compete around the 100kg mark.

Q: Can I/should I continue a new DC cycle into this early dieting phase? My diet and macros will be much cleaner now that I have this goal, and think my training will benefit from cleaner diet.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

[SadButTrue]

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.

Follow Dante's advice here.

[bicep_grind]

Im 4 weeks from a contest now and have just switched my blast to the 5 way. Honestly dude carry on with your blast as long as you can and even cruise if its time to. Stick with dc, it'll keep your thickness.
Matt

[proplanner]

Thanks for replies, and good luck for your comp Bicep grind.

Is your avatar current condition?

[bicep_grind]

My altar is from last October. Skip is getting me ready this time so sicker condition and more fullness is to be expected.
Sticking with dc up to this point has kept all my size too :-)

Thanks for the good luck too mate.

Matt

[Albanian muscle]

I would keep everything the same as you have been doing it. The only thing different is for me is beating the log book is not as important as in the offseason. If I can do at least the same amount of reps or one more them I am happy.

[proplanner]

Thanks for replies. I understand why regulars say to check stickies before asking questions but I had a hard time finding that Dante thread even with the benefit of the actual post.

Going to keep reps much higher this first blast that I started this week. Any advice on when to (if at all) throw in more isolation work?



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[bicep_grind]

as soon as i hit the 3way split (from 18 weeks out to 4 weeks out) i was using isolation exercises as widowmakers. not on everything, just for me was biceps, chest, shoulders and obviously one for quads.

now im on the 5way split because the workouts are super short iv been throwing wm sets in with everything except back.

Matt

[homonunculus]

Thanks for replies. I understand why regulars say to check stickies before asking questions but I had a hard time finding that Dante thread even with the benefit of the actual post.

Going to keep reps much higher this first blast that I started this week. Any advice on when to (if at all) throw in more isolation work?



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

PP,

The bolded would be a mistake, IMO, as you're just starting the diet. At your age, you're already likely using higher reps (?), so going too much higher when you are not depleted / worn out from the diet will just take your further away from the heavy loads which are (should be) the cornerstone of the gains you made with DC.

As BicepGrind mentioned, stick with the plan you're on as long as possible. If you're on a 2-way, you can even ride that in a good while, then switch to a 3 way *as needed* and if you're just absolutely devastated from the prep, then go to a 5-way. Dance with the one who brung ya.

-S

[SadButTrue]

PP,

The bolded would be a mistake, IMO, as you're just starting the diet. At your age, you're already likely using higher reps (?), so going too much higher when you are not depleted / worn out from the diet will just take your further away from the heavy loads which are (should be) the cornerstone of the gains you made with DC.

As BicepGrind mentioned, stick with the plan you're on as long as possible. If you're on a 2-way, you can even ride that in a good while, then switch to a 3 way *as needed* and if you're just absolutely devastated from the prep, then go to a 5-way. Dance with the one who brung ya.

-S

Scott,
When someone reaches the 5-way during prep, would they use the same exercises each workout or would you still rotate 1 main exercise for each body part followed by 2 more exercises?

Thanks

[proplanner]

PP,

The bolded would be a mistake, IMO, as you're just starting the diet. At your age, you're already likely using higher reps (?), so going too much higher when you are not depleted / worn out from the diet will just take your further away from the heavy loads which are (should be) the cornerstone of the gains you made with DC.

As BicepGrind mentioned, stick with the plan you're on as long as possible. If you're on a 2-way, you can even ride that in a good while, then switch to a 3 way *as needed* and if you're just absolutely devastated from the prep, then go to a 5-way. Dance with the one who brung ya.

-S

Thanks Scott

My last blast, I kept reps between 15 & 20. Thought I may go to17-25?


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[homonunculus]

Scott,
When someone reaches the 5-way during prep, would they use the same exercises each workout or would you still rotate 1 main exercise for each body part followed by 2 more exercises?

Thanks

Frankly, I'd have to know the person and their circumstances to see what I would do there.

There was no "5-way" possibility as far as going into a show (at least that was posted about openly) until more recently and many guys have gone into shows on the 3 way and done just fine. And some crazy, highly motivated guys have just stuck with the 2-way right up to show day, as well.

Note the first sentence quoted from Dante above, "Stay with what got you to the dance as long as it feels right...." as well as this one, "or something like the above....whatever fits your schedule and lifestyle best."

So, we're talking about managing what the individual is experiencing with the prep. I would still keep a 3 workout / muscle group (A, B, C) pattern in place, but frankly, if at all possible, I'd rather see someone on the 3 way right up to the show, maintaining that frequency of training and stimulus for holding on to muscle, and also changing as little as (safely) possible.

The way I look at it, if you can keep doing the same routine with the same weights (even if rotating exercises in and out occurs more often) all throughout the prep (and this is done time and time again by guys going into shows) then you've got a damn good chance of holding on to muscle REALLY well.

Thanks Scott

My last blast, I kept reps between 15 & 20. Thought I may go to17-25?

Why would you do that right off the bat?... (Are you going to be following a really rigorous diet?...)


That might be a nice adjustment, for instance, if you find that you start to get joint pain. You can adjust the reps up and then work toward using the same weight for those higher reps that you used previously for lower reps. Adjusting the rep range up or down can be a nice way to keep an exercise in rotation (as long as you don't go crazy low), so if, for instance, you're stalling on BB back squats and just KNOW from past experience that this is a must have, meat n' potatoes exercise in your routing, you might increase the rep ranges for your straight sets there to mix things up. (You could also reverse the order of the heavy and light sets, too, if you're doing two of those before a WM for quads.)

-S

[proplanner]

Frankly, I'd have to know the person and their circumstances to see what I would do there.

There was no "5-way" possibility as far as going into a show (at least that was posted about openly) until more recently and many guys have gone into shows on the 3 way and done just fine. And some crazy, highly motivated guys have just stuck with the 2-way right up to show day, as well.

Note the first sentence quoted from Dante above, "Stay with what got you to the dance as long as it feels right...." as well as this one, "or something like the above....whatever fits your schedule and lifestyle best."

So, we're talking about managing what the individual is experiencing with the prep. I would still keep a 3 workout / muscle group (A, B, C) pattern in place, but frankly, if at all possible, I'd rather see someone on the 3 way right up to the show, maintaining that frequency of training and stimulus for holding on to muscle, and also changing as little as (safely) possible.

The way I look at it, if you can keep doing the same routine with the same weights (even if rotating exercises in and out occurs more often) all throughout the prep (and this is done time and time again by guys going into shows) then you've got a damn good chance of holding on to muscle REALLY well.



Why would you do that right off the bat?... (Are you going to be following a really rigorous diet?...)


That might be a nice adjustment, for instance, if you find that you start to get joint pain. You can adjust the reps up and then work toward using the same weight for those higher reps that you used previously for lower reps. Adjusting the rep range up or down can be a nice way to keep an exercise in rotation (as long as you don't go crazy low), so if, for instance, you're stalling on BB back squats and just KNOW from past experience that this is a must have, meat n' potatoes exercise in your routing, you might increase the rep ranges for your straight sets there to mix things up. (You could also reverse the order of the heavy and light sets, too, if you're doing two of those before a WM for quads.)

-S

15-20 it stays then until I cant do it or get too sore in my joints.. ....

Still hoping to increase weights early on as my diet will be so much cleaner and consistent than what it had been.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[homonunculus]

15-20 it stays then until I cant do it or get too sore in my joints.. ....

Still hoping to increase weights early on as my diet will be so much cleaner and consistent than what it had been.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Where your mind goes, your body will follow.

-S

[Sammich]

Where your mind goes, your body will follow.

-S

Christ, no wonder I look so filthy and disheveled.