Transformation from bulking to contest day

[bran987]

not sure if it is the different posing from week 6 but your abs look more defined.. absolutely.

 

[Quadsweeps Sister]

training...posing...nutrition..

Apollo asked about my training program. My philosophy has changed a bit when it comes to pre-contest. I always thought that lighter weight and more reps would help me to get where I needed to be. I've been told (by a dude that has forgotten more than I will probably ever know) that heavy weights are the key to keeping your muscles big and full. So far so good.

Monday- Legs- 4 x 10 leg press
3 x 8-12 front or regular squats
3 x 8-12 extremely deep hack squats
4 x 8-12 SLDL
3 x 8-12 seated or laying leg curls

Tues- Chest 5 x 7-10 Bench press
3 x 7-10 incline press (usually with dumbells)
3 x 7-10 decline press (always with dumbells)
3 x 8-12 dumbell flyes
3 x 8-12 weighted dips

Wed- Back 4 x 8-12 palms facing away chin-ups
3 x 10-12 deadlift
3 x 8-12 bent over rows (usually barbell)
3 x 8-10 upright rows (usually smith machine)
3 x 8-12 palms facing toward lat pull downs

Thurs- shoulders 4 x 10-12 reverse flyes
3 x 8-10 overhead press
3 x 8-12 medial raises
3 x 8-10 forward raises
3 x 8-10 don't know the name. One an incline with a light dumbell, lay on your side and raise and lower the weight almost like you are swinging a golf club on your side. (for rear delts)

Friday- Arms- 4 x 8-10 straight bar curls
3 x 8-10 seated incline curls
3 x 8-10 single arm isolation curls
******I plan to start doing more hammer curls******
4 x 8-10 overhead tricep extensions with cables
3 x 8-10 tricep pushdowns
3 x 8-10 either skull crusher or reverse grip bench

Hello again - just noted your pics and recent comments to others and wanted to provide some more feedback:

Glad to hear you eat meat, so by all means try to add it to the 5th meal in the nutrition i suggested. I'd be careful with things like honey and sweet tarts, (some people may think i'm just being a shit - but 3 1/2-4% bf is pretty tough to achieve with these in your diet.)

Training: Didnt see hardly any hamstring work on leg day or any other day except SLDL & LL curls - just wondered if you are leg pressing also? Are you planning to do walking barbell lunges-they really tighten up your ass and hams. I might not do Deads after ten weeks out and i wouldnt do deads and bent rows in same week/session - alternate 1 wk deads then 1wk bent row/weighted hypers. Good to see u have arms on their own day. I always did tri's first and heavy. Maybe start with heavy tri pressing, big power mvmts first-close grip bench, skulls, then move to your cables & lighter, etc. Same with bi's - big mvmts first, barbell curls, dumbells and on down. Just my suggestions anyway.

Posing & stretching are definately things most i know hate practicing, but it truly benefits by both making your muscles harder and adding seperation. Aside from that it will become second nature, since u cant see yourself in a mirror onstage. I would suggest in your bicep or side poses really sitting back low and smashing your front leg ham (to judges) against the back leg to press it out there. I will try to look at pics a bit more tomorrow too. Take care.

 

[onerepmaximum]

QSS, That you so much for taking the time to offer input. I'm sure that I don't have to tell you how mentally taxing the last weeks before a contest are. I also do leg presses and hack squats, I go as deep as possible to stimulate glutes and hammies. My glutes are getting that squared look when I put one leg back. In 5 weeks, I think there will be some striations. Thanks for the tip about the walking lunges, I'll incorporate them.

Why do you recommend no dead lifts after 10 weeks? I'm sure there is a good reason, I'm just curious.

I added the honey to the morning oatmeal just because after I looked at my diet log over several days, I realized that I was getting a lot less carbs than I would have liked. I'm probably better off putting low gl carbs in throughout the day though. I am a little hung up on trying to make sure that I don't catabolize too much muscle. Thank you again, you are a definite asset to the boards.

 

[Lumberg]

Ok less talk more pics! We want to see pics ORM!

 

[onerepmaximum]

Ok less talk more pics! We want to see pics ORM!

I have clients tonight, so I'll take some or the relaxed-round poses.

 

[WalkingBeast]

Looking awesome brother!! Good luck with the show!!

 

[onerepmaximum]

finally wk 4 pics

Well, I took these as an after thought. I just finished working legs and having a meal, but here they are. Fire away:

 

[Lumberg]

Dude I can't get over how bad that tribal tat makes your left tri look....I'm scrolling down going mm hmm hmmm hmm mmm and on the last one I'm like, nice tri...wait how did I miss that on the other side....scroll up..then I see the tat covering it up.

ah well nothing you can do about it....in freestyle posing just be sure to hit the right one broly

on the back shot...not sure how "relaxed" you're supposed to be..are you flexing your hams and glutes? if so flex 'em harder! also one ass cheek looks kinda lower than the other...not sure if you're subconsciously kinda leaning to one side or not...no wait you definitely are...look at the bottom edge of the picture frame in reference to your shoulders.

Other than that have you figured out what you're gonna do with your hands? point? three fingers? figure out what looks good.

where's that smile? are you not supposed to smile for those poses? I still haven't seen your pearly whites.

 

[onerepmaximum]

My left tri is a little behing my right tri, but oddly enough when I do a best side tri, my left looks better. In the relaxed round, it does look pretty bad and the tat doesn't help. The tan will cover it pretty good , but it won't make up for the symmetry gap. You caught me on my back pose, I wasn't flexing my hams and glutes. My wife was holding the camera a little crooked. I may be leaning a little, but I think her photography contributes a bit, too. Not too sure what to do with the hands, just playing around now, trying to look relaxed and still be tensed.

 

[B0ARDIN087]

looking awesome man.