Changing the Shape of a Physique
This is something I have noticed amongst some competitors - the desire to change the shape of their physique. This begs the question - is this at all possible?
To answer this we need to think about what changing the shape of one's physique could mean:
- It could mean changing the global size of a muscle or muscle group (make it get bigger or smaller) in relation to other muscles/muscle groups.
- It could mean changing the size of individual heads or regions of a muscle
- It could mean changing the actual shape of a muscle eg changing a rectangular quad sweep to a round quad sweep
- It could mean changing skeletal structure
- It could mean changing "width" or "thickness"
Changing global muscle size (proportion)
This is something we can certainly work on. If for example you have lagging biceps there are things you can do to change their size. It largely comes down to manipulating training variables to achieve progressive overload. Increasing one or more of: volume, frequency or intensity can help to achieve this if increasing load specifically is not an option. Other variables like exercise selection, time under tension (part of volume), "intensity techniques" (generally transiently increase volume), rest period length etc may have an effect also.
Changing the size of regions of a muscle
There is actually a lot of evidence to support compartmentalisation, functional subdivisions, and regional differences when it comes to damage, activation, metabolic stress and hypertrophy. Further we do have evidence for different exercises activating certain regions of muscle tissue. So the final piece is "does activation of a region equal hypertrophy of that region?". And we have evidence for that too. In fact Bret Contreras wrote a brilliant article detailing all these things in the September 2014 edition of the AARR. Check it out if you are interested.
So what does this mean? It means you can change the size of regions of a muscle to some degree (I would argue to a limited degree) by using exercises that put more emphasis on activation of that region of tissue. To achieve this a good start would be training using a variety of exercises for a given body part. Beyond that you could look into evidence for what exercises tend to activate which regions. Luckily the article I mentioned above contains some of this information as well.
Changing the actual shape of a muscle
Beyond changing the size of certain regions or heads of a muscle this just isn't going to happen. Muscle shape is determined by genetics. If you have a bicep which is long and full with short tendons, no amount of manipulation of anything is going to change it into a short, round muscle belly with a high peak and longer tendons. That is genetic, it cannot be changed!
Changing skeletal structure
It is quite obvious that there is no training method that is going to alter your skeletal structure. If you have narrow clavicles, guess what? You are always going to have narrow clavicles! If you have a thick waist, guess what? You are always going to have a thick waist! Get over it and move on.
Changing "width" or "thickness"
Width and thickness are terms used in bodybuilding to denote or describe qualities of a physique. Width is referring to how wide you are or you appear from side to side. Thickness is referring to that same thing but from front to back. In this case if someone has told you that you are lacking in width or thickness you really have to break it down and figure out exactly what that means and then apply the information above to determine whether that is something you can change. What is contributing to your lack of apparent width/thickness? Skeletal size/shape? Absolute and/or relative muscle size? Size of specific regions/heads of a muscle(s)?
If you wish to change the "shape" of your physique you should now be able to start analysing what you need to work on, how you might approach working on it and whether you can actually do anything about it. If you can't do anything about it, stop wasting your time and start working on the things you have some actual influence over.
Coming soon: an account of my final weeks of contest prep, my pro competitions, my two week vacation in the USA and the beginning of my off season. Stay tuned!
Announcement: Season A 2015 is fast approaching. I have recently opened up new coaching spots for competitors but places are limited. To secure your coaching position contact me at Muscle Academy. Details below:
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Thankyou for your continued support
- Evan
Tuesday 9 December 2014
Sunday 26 October 2014
Contest Prep Weeks 30 - 31
What's been happening recently
On Monday of last week I made my trip to LA from Sydney. I have of course made the trip numerous times before with various degrees of difficulty (illness/food poisoning, low calories, lack of aisle access/seating have all been challenges I have experienced previously). This time I asked that I receive adequate macronutrient guidelines for the day. In particular we agreed on two days macros 600 P, 500 C, 70 F over a 42 hour waking period. Even so I experienced a lot of hunger on the flight simply due to planning meals for the flight that fit one day's macros only. Anyhow I made it through the flight and have been enjoying my time training at Venice Beach since then. Special thanks and mention to my buddy Daniel Gaitan who was nice enough to pick me up from the airport and drop me to my hotel!
Nutrition
Since arriving here I've been going through a digging phase. This involved no additional cardio but did involve caloric restriction down to ~ 2500 kcals which to me felt like death. This has been very effective at inducing fat loss (2.4 kg loss over a 2 week period) but also very difficult for my body to handle. Workouts have been basically free of energy, I've been needing to lie down between sets and a large coffee has been an absolute necessity pre workout. I have experienced some diet related symptoms numerous times which are less than desirable - nervousness, anxiety, irritability, mood disturbance, fatigue, weakness, feelings of emptiness and detachment, difficulty thinking and concentrating have all been unnerving and scary symptoms to manage. I've also found that I am wiped later in the afternoon/evening and fall asleep easily.
I had a few refeeds for the past couple of days which have helped me immensely to manage the lows that I was experiencing in numerous areas. Moving forward I am on low day macros again for a couple of days and then will be beginning my peak week which is a complex plan that I do not wish to divulge the details of in my blog as it is not something that people other than myself need to know. However the macronutrient ratios, planned training, cardio and show day plan designed by Alberto all look very promising and I am looking great at this point in time. We may or may not make changes to what is currently planned throughout the week.
Training
This week we deloaded my accessory lifts which was much needed for energy reasons. I also tested all my lifts - squat, deadlift, bench, OHP, row. All went well. Each of my estimated 1 RMs were maintained or slightly improved which I was happy with considering I am at the tail end of an extended deficit and we've been running my program for eight weeks. My new 1 RMs (estimated) were bench press 151 kg, high bar squat 186 kg, OHP (seated dumbbell) 52 kg, sumo deadlift 218 kg, t bar row 125 kg. These will be used for my future programming.
Since I usually have a rest day on Sunday and am instead having a rest day tomorrow as part of my peak week, I took the opportunity this morning to do a full body hypertrophy workout at Golds (which I don't normally do). I made the workout "machines only" and made use of lots of the equipment that I usually don't make available to myself in my normal workout routine. The workout was really enjoyable, I got a great pump. It just felt good to do something different and use all the great equipment I had missed to this point whilst here. See below for workout:
Vertical Leg Press 3 x 10
Plate Loaded V Squat 3 x 10
Seated Leg Curl 3 x 10
Hammerstrength Underhand Grip Single Arm Low Row 3 x 10
Lat Pull Down Long Straight Bar 3 x 10
Lat Pull Down Shoulder Width Reverse Grip 3 x 10
Hammerstrength Decline Chest Press 3 x 10
Old Incline Chest Press Machine 3 x 8 - 10
Hammerstrength Incline Chest Press 3 x 10
Hammerstrength Chest Press 3 x 8
Smith Machine Shoulder Press 3 x 10
Other Stuff
So far I've been just getting through these last few weeks of training/prep. I haven't put a huge emphasis on sight seeing and have just been doing the basics (training, eating, resting etc). I expect to have a good few weeks to enjoy the culture and cuisine of the USA post shows (Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco and Las Vegas). Speaking of cuisine I have acquired numerous delicious food items of interest in my trips to the supermarket so far. See below for photos of some of these foods and a few other photos of pieces of equipment at Golds Venice.
On Monday of last week I made my trip to LA from Sydney. I have of course made the trip numerous times before with various degrees of difficulty (illness/food poisoning, low calories, lack of aisle access/seating have all been challenges I have experienced previously). This time I asked that I receive adequate macronutrient guidelines for the day. In particular we agreed on two days macros 600 P, 500 C, 70 F over a 42 hour waking period. Even so I experienced a lot of hunger on the flight simply due to planning meals for the flight that fit one day's macros only. Anyhow I made it through the flight and have been enjoying my time training at Venice Beach since then. Special thanks and mention to my buddy Daniel Gaitan who was nice enough to pick me up from the airport and drop me to my hotel!
Nutrition
Since arriving here I've been going through a digging phase. This involved no additional cardio but did involve caloric restriction down to ~ 2500 kcals which to me felt like death. This has been very effective at inducing fat loss (2.4 kg loss over a 2 week period) but also very difficult for my body to handle. Workouts have been basically free of energy, I've been needing to lie down between sets and a large coffee has been an absolute necessity pre workout. I have experienced some diet related symptoms numerous times which are less than desirable - nervousness, anxiety, irritability, mood disturbance, fatigue, weakness, feelings of emptiness and detachment, difficulty thinking and concentrating have all been unnerving and scary symptoms to manage. I've also found that I am wiped later in the afternoon/evening and fall asleep easily.
I had a few refeeds for the past couple of days which have helped me immensely to manage the lows that I was experiencing in numerous areas. Moving forward I am on low day macros again for a couple of days and then will be beginning my peak week which is a complex plan that I do not wish to divulge the details of in my blog as it is not something that people other than myself need to know. However the macronutrient ratios, planned training, cardio and show day plan designed by Alberto all look very promising and I am looking great at this point in time. We may or may not make changes to what is currently planned throughout the week.
Training
This week we deloaded my accessory lifts which was much needed for energy reasons. I also tested all my lifts - squat, deadlift, bench, OHP, row. All went well. Each of my estimated 1 RMs were maintained or slightly improved which I was happy with considering I am at the tail end of an extended deficit and we've been running my program for eight weeks. My new 1 RMs (estimated) were bench press 151 kg, high bar squat 186 kg, OHP (seated dumbbell) 52 kg, sumo deadlift 218 kg, t bar row 125 kg. These will be used for my future programming.
Since I usually have a rest day on Sunday and am instead having a rest day tomorrow as part of my peak week, I took the opportunity this morning to do a full body hypertrophy workout at Golds (which I don't normally do). I made the workout "machines only" and made use of lots of the equipment that I usually don't make available to myself in my normal workout routine. The workout was really enjoyable, I got a great pump. It just felt good to do something different and use all the great equipment I had missed to this point whilst here. See below for workout:
Vertical Leg Press 3 x 10
Plate Loaded V Squat 3 x 10
Seated Leg Curl 3 x 10
Hammerstrength Underhand Grip Single Arm Low Row 3 x 10
Lat Pull Down Long Straight Bar 3 x 10
Lat Pull Down Shoulder Width Reverse Grip 3 x 10
Hammerstrength Decline Chest Press 3 x 10
Old Incline Chest Press Machine 3 x 8 - 10
Hammerstrength Incline Chest Press 3 x 10
Hammerstrength Chest Press 3 x 8
Smith Machine Shoulder Press 3 x 10
Other Stuff
So far I've been just getting through these last few weeks of training/prep. I haven't put a huge emphasis on sight seeing and have just been doing the basics (training, eating, resting etc). I expect to have a good few weeks to enjoy the culture and cuisine of the USA post shows (Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco and Las Vegas). Speaking of cuisine I have acquired numerous delicious food items of interest in my trips to the supermarket so far. See below for photos of some of these foods and a few other photos of pieces of equipment at Golds Venice.
Left to right - pumpkin spice coconut milk, marshmallow oaties, buttermilk pancake mix, dark chocolate peanut butter, double choc chip cookie
Pumpkin Pie Icecream
Hammerstrength Decline Chest Press at the Mecca
Plate Loaded V Squat at Golds Venice
Various Poptarts and treats
My right leg upon waking this morning after two days of heavy refeeding
Remember you can contact me at Muscle Academy for coaching (contest
preparation, off season, general weight loss, nutrition, training):
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Thankyou for your continued support. Check back for more updates #soon
- Evan
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Thankyou for your continued support. Check back for more updates #soon
- Evan
Thursday 16 October 2014
Contest Prep Weeks 28 and 29
What's been happening
Something I didn't let you guys know is that I was going to do a local warm up show before I headed overseas for my pro debut. I competed over the past weekend at the ANB Nationals in Sydney. My main reason to do this show is because being a natural pro all my shows are now overseas (as Australia currently holds no professional shows). So essentially I wanted to do a show where all my friends and family could attend.
Diet Break
Leading into Nationals we decided not to peak and we just made one change which was the implementation of a diet break. My calories increased by 500 kcals. The result was a fuller, leaner physique which I was very happy with. I didn't change my training or cardio at all and even trained legs the day before my show (a big no no in the bodybuilding world). In my opinion I ended up looking my all time best on stage. I'm not discounting the importance of peaking well but it just goes to show that zero ridiculous methods such as water loading, sodium depletion, glycogen depletion etc are required to present yourself at your best on stage #justsaying
The Show
I feel everything went well in the lead up to the show and on show day, perfectly in fact. My training, my cardio, my macronutrient intake, my food sources, my fluid and sodium intake etc were all on point and I looked great. I had a lot of help on the day and as a result there wasn't too much stress for me, my tan looked great and I was able to pump up really well. I feel that for the most part my posing was very good with a few minor errors that I intend to correct for upcoming shows. After the first round of mandatories I was moved to the middle of the line up next to Luke Belcher (the eventual over 90 kg division winner) and we repeated the mandatory and symmetry rounds. I felt during the round and afterwards looking at photographs that basically it was neck and neck with myself and Luke. I was a little more conditioned and I have a more aesthetic physique with a tight waist and good V taper. Whereas Luke was in condition but less so and has a thick muscular physique (big chest and thick back) but also is a little blockier eg thicker waist. So it could have gone either way depending on whether you prefer thick, muscular but blocky or the aesthetic and conditioned X frame. Anyway myself and Luke stayed in the middle of the line up throughout the comparison so to my surprise when the placings were awarded I ended up placing third. I'm not going to have a whinge about my placing because it is what it is. Bodybuilding is a subjective sport and comes down to the opinions of a panel of 5 or 6 people. Other than presenting yourself to the best of your ability on the day you have no control at all over your placing. Regardless of the placing I am happy because I gave my best, looked my best, don't believe I could have done anything better at this time and as I mentioned earlier it was very special to have my friends and family with me at the show. So I would not change a thing.
Plans
Onwards from the warm up show we have ceased the diet break and gone into a phase of digging in preparation for my pro shows. We have reduced my caloric intake by ~ 1000 kcals. I am certainly feeling it in terms of hunger, energy, motivation, sleep disruption etc but it simply has to be done to get to the destination. I have opted for more volumous foods at the moment in an attempt to keep my hunger levels at bay. For the most part I am managing.
The next phase is going to include my trip to the USA. I will spend numerous weeks training at Golds Venice in LA in the lead up to my two professional shows. I've trained at Golds for extended periods numerous times before and it is my favourite gym in the world to train at. So I'm definitely looking forward to that and also to seeing some of my buddies in the USA.
One change to my show schedule I am making is I am dropping the PNBA Natural Olympia from my show schedule. The reason being is that this show is for me perhaps the biggest "hassle" of all the shows I have planned. This is because I have to drive there, it is mandatory to stay in the host hotel so I won't have cooking facilities making peaking properly difficult, the weekend schedule is excessive in terms of mandatory attendances to certain things, competing is a stressful experience and I feel I just don't need that. Especially not one week out from WNBF Worlds which is my main and final show of the season. So I'm going to do my first show, take some time to train and chill for the week and then head out to Boston for the Worlds. I am happy with my decision and feel it is the right one.
Photos
I have included some photos from show day below:
Remember you can contact me at Muscle Academy for coaching (contest preparation, off season, general weight loss, nutrition, training):
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Thanks for all the positive feedback and messages. Looking forward to bringing you more updates from the USA soon.
- Evan
Something I didn't let you guys know is that I was going to do a local warm up show before I headed overseas for my pro debut. I competed over the past weekend at the ANB Nationals in Sydney. My main reason to do this show is because being a natural pro all my shows are now overseas (as Australia currently holds no professional shows). So essentially I wanted to do a show where all my friends and family could attend.
Diet Break
Leading into Nationals we decided not to peak and we just made one change which was the implementation of a diet break. My calories increased by 500 kcals. The result was a fuller, leaner physique which I was very happy with. I didn't change my training or cardio at all and even trained legs the day before my show (a big no no in the bodybuilding world). In my opinion I ended up looking my all time best on stage. I'm not discounting the importance of peaking well but it just goes to show that zero ridiculous methods such as water loading, sodium depletion, glycogen depletion etc are required to present yourself at your best on stage #justsaying
The Show
I feel everything went well in the lead up to the show and on show day, perfectly in fact. My training, my cardio, my macronutrient intake, my food sources, my fluid and sodium intake etc were all on point and I looked great. I had a lot of help on the day and as a result there wasn't too much stress for me, my tan looked great and I was able to pump up really well. I feel that for the most part my posing was very good with a few minor errors that I intend to correct for upcoming shows. After the first round of mandatories I was moved to the middle of the line up next to Luke Belcher (the eventual over 90 kg division winner) and we repeated the mandatory and symmetry rounds. I felt during the round and afterwards looking at photographs that basically it was neck and neck with myself and Luke. I was a little more conditioned and I have a more aesthetic physique with a tight waist and good V taper. Whereas Luke was in condition but less so and has a thick muscular physique (big chest and thick back) but also is a little blockier eg thicker waist. So it could have gone either way depending on whether you prefer thick, muscular but blocky or the aesthetic and conditioned X frame. Anyway myself and Luke stayed in the middle of the line up throughout the comparison so to my surprise when the placings were awarded I ended up placing third. I'm not going to have a whinge about my placing because it is what it is. Bodybuilding is a subjective sport and comes down to the opinions of a panel of 5 or 6 people. Other than presenting yourself to the best of your ability on the day you have no control at all over your placing. Regardless of the placing I am happy because I gave my best, looked my best, don't believe I could have done anything better at this time and as I mentioned earlier it was very special to have my friends and family with me at the show. So I would not change a thing.
Plans
Onwards from the warm up show we have ceased the diet break and gone into a phase of digging in preparation for my pro shows. We have reduced my caloric intake by ~ 1000 kcals. I am certainly feeling it in terms of hunger, energy, motivation, sleep disruption etc but it simply has to be done to get to the destination. I have opted for more volumous foods at the moment in an attempt to keep my hunger levels at bay. For the most part I am managing.
The next phase is going to include my trip to the USA. I will spend numerous weeks training at Golds Venice in LA in the lead up to my two professional shows. I've trained at Golds for extended periods numerous times before and it is my favourite gym in the world to train at. So I'm definitely looking forward to that and also to seeing some of my buddies in the USA.
One change to my show schedule I am making is I am dropping the PNBA Natural Olympia from my show schedule. The reason being is that this show is for me perhaps the biggest "hassle" of all the shows I have planned. This is because I have to drive there, it is mandatory to stay in the host hotel so I won't have cooking facilities making peaking properly difficult, the weekend schedule is excessive in terms of mandatory attendances to certain things, competing is a stressful experience and I feel I just don't need that. Especially not one week out from WNBF Worlds which is my main and final show of the season. So I'm going to do my first show, take some time to train and chill for the week and then head out to Boston for the Worlds. I am happy with my decision and feel it is the right one.
Photos
I have included some photos from show day below:
Remember you can contact me at Muscle Academy for coaching (contest preparation, off season, general weight loss, nutrition, training):
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Thanks for all the positive feedback and messages. Looking forward to bringing you more updates from the USA soon.
- Evan
Thursday 2 October 2014
Contest Prep Week 27
The Contest Prep Rolls On
Another week has flown by and I have made some good progress. I am now just over 6 weeks away from my main show. In fact I just sent my entry form in today. So things are getting official.
The Diet
I've been trying to keep things fairly consistent, hitting my macros dead on as usual, not changing food choices around too much, opting for lower calorie options and volume for the most part. Of course I still keep my daily dessert in. I think I'm a little food focused as there is a lot of different foods I simply can't have (or it would be stupid to try to have at this point). However I'm really not that fixated on it. Certainly not to the extent I was last time where I was planning my itinerary post show based around food nearly exclusively, looking up restaurant menus and such. It's more like I drive past pizza hut and I'm like "oh I wouldn't mind having a pizza" and I know in time I will be able to. After I eventually have it I know I will think to myself that it wasn't a big deal after all. So I like to think each prep I do I try to grow and mature further and become aware of myself more behaviorally. I think so far I can say this season (whilst not without it's obstacles) is a success in terms of how I'm managing it.
The Training
Coming off the end of the deload last week I'm feeling great. For the most part my strength has maintained and in some cases for exercises I feel like my performance is actually up. I have become accustomed to my pre workout coffee and I'm actually really enjoying my coffee now. I've been converted. That along with prioritising my pre workout meal to being a bigger meal really helps me in terms of satiety and especially in terms of energy/performance in the gym. So things on that front are all good.
I actually purchased a tricep bar this week for the purpose of close grip bench press. It arrived promptly the next day which was great and the bar is high quality. However it turned out to just be impractical for two reasons: 1. it's just too short/narrow so unless I use small plates (which limits the weight then the plates collide with my biceps reducing the range of motion, 2. since the bar is short there is really no way to rack it in a bench press and using the kind of weight I'm using for close grip bench press there is no way I can go from a seated position to a lying position with this bar. Even having a friend pass me the bar is extremely difficult. So instead I'm going to use this bar occasionally for hammer curls and lying/seated tricep extension variants. I'd love to get a longer version of this bar but (a) they are expensive, (b) I don't have space in my car to transport it and (c) I don't like leaving my equipment at the gym.
Another week has flown by and I have made some good progress. I am now just over 6 weeks away from my main show. In fact I just sent my entry form in today. So things are getting official.
The Diet
I've been trying to keep things fairly consistent, hitting my macros dead on as usual, not changing food choices around too much, opting for lower calorie options and volume for the most part. Of course I still keep my daily dessert in. I think I'm a little food focused as there is a lot of different foods I simply can't have (or it would be stupid to try to have at this point). However I'm really not that fixated on it. Certainly not to the extent I was last time where I was planning my itinerary post show based around food nearly exclusively, looking up restaurant menus and such. It's more like I drive past pizza hut and I'm like "oh I wouldn't mind having a pizza" and I know in time I will be able to. After I eventually have it I know I will think to myself that it wasn't a big deal after all. So I like to think each prep I do I try to grow and mature further and become aware of myself more behaviorally. I think so far I can say this season (whilst not without it's obstacles) is a success in terms of how I'm managing it.
The Training
I actually purchased a tricep bar this week for the purpose of close grip bench press. It arrived promptly the next day which was great and the bar is high quality. However it turned out to just be impractical for two reasons: 1. it's just too short/narrow so unless I use small plates (which limits the weight then the plates collide with my biceps reducing the range of motion, 2. since the bar is short there is really no way to rack it in a bench press and using the kind of weight I'm using for close grip bench press there is no way I can go from a seated position to a lying position with this bar. Even having a friend pass me the bar is extremely difficult. So instead I'm going to use this bar occasionally for hammer curls and lying/seated tricep extension variants. I'd love to get a longer version of this bar but (a) they are expensive, (b) I don't have space in my car to transport it and (c) I don't like leaving my equipment at the gym.
Pictured: New Tricep Bar
Progress
Last week we made no further changes to our approach and I'm pretty happy because I've continued to use the variable of "time" to just let things develop visually. I can see the changes happening almost daily now. My legs are getting leaner, my glutes and hammies are coming in more and my upper body is getting even more vascular. I'm quite confident with my progress at this point. I know you'd like to see more progress shots but I'm going to keep things under wraps and stay covered up just for now just in case there are spies reading this :p .
My Tips for Deloading
My Tips for Deloading
I forgot to add this in last week when I actually deloaded so i figure I'll do it now. I think firstly we need to understand the difference between a taper and a deload. A taper means a reduction in training volume whilst maintaining intensity at a normal level and usually keeping training frequency constant. A deload is a reduction in training intensity whilst keeping training volume up and again usually maintaining training frequency. Both are recovery tools which are usually done consecutively ie taper first, then deload. But they can also be used simultaneously if desired (theoretically your training adaptations might be more at risk if you reduce multiple training variables simultaneously but considering it's for a short period it probably won't make a huge difference - in practice it certainly doesn't appear to).
Tips:
- during a taper volume is typically reduced by up to 50%
- during a deload intensity is typically 60 - 90% of normal, usually erring on the lower end
- do not go to failure during a deload
- whilst deloading take the opportunity to: practice correct form, work on power/explosiveness, focus on contracting the correct muscles.
That's it for another week. Remember you can contact me at Muscle Academy for coaching (contest
preparation, off season, general weight loss, nutrition, training):
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Thanks for all the support!
- Evan
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Thanks for all the support!
- Evan
Thursday 25 September 2014
Contest Prep Week 26
The Week in Review
This week has gone by fast. It's been business as usual with work and prep keeping me busy. We are now just over 5 weeks until my first professional show and 7 weeks until it's all done and dusted at the World Championships. I won't know what to do with myself when it's all finished.
The Discovery of Caffeine
As I've noted previously I have been pretty low on energy over the past month or so simply because it's that grindy time of prep. I've been able to mitigate this somewhat by having a decent pre workout meal. Still I found I was dying about half way through my workout and losing energy. I've never been a real coffee drinker (I could count the number of coffees I've had in my life time on one hand), I don't drink a large amount of soft drinks and I've never once taken a pre workout. So I guess you could say I don't have a high tolerance to caffeine and I've really been able to use this to my advantage. Last Saturday I thought I might try having a coffee just before I worked out and I noticed a big difference in energy levels and performance (I actually quite enjoyed the taste too which surprised me as it was instant coffee). Since then I've been drinking a black coffee pre workout and I've actually had energy during my training sessions. This will continue to be a staple for the remainder of my contest prep.
Diet
We didn't make any changes to my macros last week. Everything is coming along smoothly and I'm slowly shedding a bit more fat. Interestingly my weight has actually come up a little after increasing protein a few weeks back. At the same time I'm getting leaner. Go figure.
This week I've more or less kept my diet constant with a few minor adjustments. I've increased my vegetable intake a little to increase food volume. I've also been giving baked beans a whirl as they are low in fat, a good source of protein and carbs are pretty reasonable. Inb4 baked bean jokes.
Progress
This week has gone by fast. It's been business as usual with work and prep keeping me busy. We are now just over 5 weeks until my first professional show and 7 weeks until it's all done and dusted at the World Championships. I won't know what to do with myself when it's all finished.
The Discovery of Caffeine
As I've noted previously I have been pretty low on energy over the past month or so simply because it's that grindy time of prep. I've been able to mitigate this somewhat by having a decent pre workout meal. Still I found I was dying about half way through my workout and losing energy. I've never been a real coffee drinker (I could count the number of coffees I've had in my life time on one hand), I don't drink a large amount of soft drinks and I've never once taken a pre workout. So I guess you could say I don't have a high tolerance to caffeine and I've really been able to use this to my advantage. Last Saturday I thought I might try having a coffee just before I worked out and I noticed a big difference in energy levels and performance (I actually quite enjoyed the taste too which surprised me as it was instant coffee). Since then I've been drinking a black coffee pre workout and I've actually had energy during my training sessions. This will continue to be a staple for the remainder of my contest prep.
Diet
We didn't make any changes to my macros last week. Everything is coming along smoothly and I'm slowly shedding a bit more fat. Interestingly my weight has actually come up a little after increasing protein a few weeks back. At the same time I'm getting leaner. Go figure.
This week I've more or less kept my diet constant with a few minor adjustments. I've increased my vegetable intake a little to increase food volume. I've also been giving baked beans a whirl as they are low in fat, a good source of protein and carbs are pretty reasonable. Inb4 baked bean jokes.
Pictured Above: Kangaroo sausages, toast, walden farms BBQ sauce and baked beans on the side
Progress
I believe I am slightly leaner this week. Lines are becoming more visible in my quads and hamstrings. As you can see I have received my posing trunks which I ordered from Jagware. I was worried the trunks were a bit ..ahem small but having taken photos in them they seem to be about right for posing trunks.
That's it from me for the week. Thankyou for the ongoing support. It is always much appreciated.
Remember you can contact me at Muscle Academy for coaching (contest preparation, off season, general weight loss, nutrition, training):
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Soon
- Evan
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Soon
- Evan
Monday 22 September 2014
Bodybuilding vs Powerlifting
What Will Be Covered
This post has been coming for a while but I think it's something that needs to be written. I intend to cover a variety of issues in this post including: the rising popularity of powerlifting, differences/similarities and why you would/would not choose to embrace powerlifting.
Powerlifting Gaining Momentum
Powerlifting has been gaining popularity in recent times for a variety of reasons (particularly amongst natural lifters). The reasons are as follows in my opinion:
- Some of the best natural bodybuilders and coaches out there who have large followings have been getting into powerlifting or have been doing it for a long while and promoting/popularising it.
- Sometimes bodybuilders will come out of the tail end of a contest prep and decide that either they would like to try their hand at powerlifting or that they need something to focus on in the off season and powerlifting is just the ticket.
- Some bodybuilders tend to believe that powerlifting is the secret to building a bigger, better physique.
- Some people who do/have done both bodybuilding and powerlifting will tell you that they think bodybuilding is a sport which has a fairly negative community attitude and that powerlifters tend to display more comradery and positivity towards one another.
- For some people lifting heavy shit is fun.
I suppose since powelifting appears to be becoming more popular we have to ask ourselves the question - is bodybuilding on the decline? I think there are people who have moved from bodybuilding more into the powerlifting community that would tell you that it is. But I really think that the answer is no it isn't. Bodybuilding is as popular as ever and with the newer divisions that have emerged over the recent years I think it is encouraging more and more people who would have otherwise never considered bodybuilding as such in a competitive sense to get involved in the physique based sport.
Are They Really That Different?
So are bodybuilding and powerlifting really different things? Should they be viewed as separate? I suppose the answer is "yes and no". There are some differences in terms of the ultimate goals and training focuses. Obviously with powerlifting the goal is to lift as much weight as possible at a meet for a single repetition in the squat, bench press and deadlift whereas in a competitive sense with bodybuilding the goal is to present maximal, proportionate and symmetrical muscle mass, with low levels of body fat on stage.
The focuses with training will tend to be on the lower end of the rep range for powerlifters and generally a little higher for most bodybuilders simply because each is more specific to the goals of either strength or hypertrophy. However that is not to say that bodybuilders cannot utilise lower rep ranges or that powerlifters cannot train in higher rep ranges. This certainly is common practice. However I use the phrase "training focus" because it depicts the tendency for powerlifters to focus on lower reps/heavier weight and bodybuilders to focus on moderate or higher rep ranges with lower percentages of load.
Some of the other differences can be found in overall program design and application: amount, type and variety of accessory work performed, technique eg low bar squat vs high bar squat, equipment used (referring to both assistance equipment that equipped powerlifters use to assist in their lifts and also tools that powerlifters typically use in some contexts to improve weak parts of a lift). Now I want to emphasise that none of these things are strict hard and fast rules. They more refer to tendencies or areas that either bodybuilders or powerlifters often focus on in regards to training. It is of course somewhat of a continuum with blurred lines as to where bodybuilding training ends and powerlifting training begins. After all we are all just lifting stuff up and putting it back down again in a gradually progressive fashion.
Why Choose Powerlifting
1. You have a passion for it
I think this is probably the single most important factor. You simply love lifting heavy weights (squat, bench, deadlift) and you are in love with the idea of getting as strong as possible (either recreationally for personal goals or competitively at a meet). Just like anything you want to be successful at you must have unbridled passion for it.
2. Support and Comradery
I think there is truly something to the notion that powerlifting fosters a more supportive environment than does bodybuilding in a general sense. There is more comradery because it is about performance (which people want to see others succeed at) and less about body image (which people can get jealous about). However I do believe that this has become something that is over hyped and only applies generally and not specifically. Whilst there is plenty of negativity in the bodybuilding industry, there is also plenty of positivity and support. I know that amongst my networks as a bodybuilder I have experienced both (though I tend to surround myself and associate myself with positive people for the most part). As a bodybuilder you have to be willing to take the good with the bad and if you are not willing to have the bad as part of your life then powerlifting may be something to consider. I will also say that anything that is competitive is going to have some degree of negativity and jealousy involved with it as that is the nature of competitiveness. Certainly powerlifting is not exempt from this. Negativity will always exist if you seek it out.
3. Powerlifting Interests You
This one is more along the lines of - you've never tried powerlifting and are unsure about it but it is something that has sparked your interest and you'd like to get involved in. In this case by all means try it (whether competitive or not). There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying new things if you genuinely have some interest in them.
4. Nutrition
If adhering to a strict diet is not your thing and you prefer to eat all the foods then powerlifting may be a good option for you to choose (or perhaps you are just in the off season between shows and don't want to obsess over your diet too much whilst gaining muscle). This is not to say that you may not have to stay within or close to a weight category, cut body weight for a meet or that you cannot track your nutritional intake with as much discipline and strictness as you desire if you are a powerlifter. It is just to point out that powerlifters typically have less of a focus on body composition and more of a focus on performance. It doesn't mean you can't have both.
5. Strength and performance is more of a priority than aesthetic qualities and physique related goals
If you want to be a powerlifter then you better have a desire to get stronger. After all lifting as much weight as possible is what the sport is all about and at a meet it is what you are judged on. I want to point out that having a great physique and lifting a lot of weight are not mutually exclusive goals. Can you do both? Yes! Look at Dan Green for example. There is quite a bit of overlap between strength and hypertrophy but where your priorities lie are going to determine where and how you develop the most.
6. You like facts and numbers
This is a fairly big attractor for powerlifters (especially those transitioning from bodybuilding to powerlifting because of the contrast in terms of objectivity). The fact is powerlifting is a lot more objective and fact oriented than is bodybuilding (in a competitive/judging sense). In powerlifting you either make the lift or you miss it. Of course there is some interpretation involved by the judges as to whether the lift was acceptable in terms of the rules and regulations which dictate how it should be done. But that is about as subjective as it gets. Bodybuilding of course is a much more subjective sport where each judge on the panel may have a very different opinion about the competitors physiques. Simply put there it's not always very clear cut. Additionally biases, corruption and politics are more likely to creep their way into competitive bodybuilding as it is a subjectively judged sport.
7. You want to build a base for your physique
If you are in that beginner to intermediate phase of training then this point is for you. There is an argument that you may put more of an emphasis on the big three lifts so as to build a base (after all the big lifts are going to help with development of the major muscle groups). I think this one could really be argued either way. If you are truly beginning (as in you've never lifted before) then you probably are going to be quite challenged just using some basic equipment such as machines, developing the neuromuscular pathways and motor control required to develop correct technique. You will also have to contend with quite a bit of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Lifting very heavy weights on exercises that have a higher than average risk to reward ratio (particularly without professional instruction) may not be the best idea if you are a beginner. At least not until you develop sound technique. If you are an intermediate and have your technique down pat then I think by all means it would be advantageous to utilise a powerlifting focused routine to develop a good base to then build upon further for the purposes of bodybuilding and physique development. This is of course not to say that the same could not be achieved by simply focusing on these movements in more "hypertrophy oriented" rep ranges (or a variety of other movements) for the same purpose. This one as I said is kind of up in the air and can be approached from a variety of angles.
Why Not to Choose Powerlifting
1. Inability to set physique goals
Scenario: A bodybuilder has been preparing for 6 months for a contest and comes out of the prep wrecked, sick and tired of focusing on nutrition and since the show they have been focusing heavily on is now over kind of "lost" in terms of what to do next. This person thinks to him/herself "I think I'll give powerlifting a shot!". Now how commonly have you seen that happen? Pretty damn often I'd say! Whilst there is nothing wrong with doing this, I have to question how well did that person reassess their own goals? If you are a bodybuilder who is passionate about building a better physique wouldn't you analyse which muscle groups and areas of your physique are lacking and get to work on improving them? As a bodybuilder it seems like a no brainer to me.
If I may make an analogy if you are a soccer player and you get to the end of the season do you then take up rugby league in the off season to help yourself develop as a soccer player? Of course not! You apply specificity and practice soccer related skills that will help you improve most in your chosen sport. Could there be some carry over from rugby league to soccer? Sure there could. But you'd be better off actually practicing soccer if you are a soccer player. I get the impression that more and more people are turning to powerlifting because they are incapable of setting specific goals related directly to their physique.
2. Using powerlifting specifically as a means to improve your physique without critical thought
This is heavily related to the previous point. Squats, bench press and deadlifts are highly beneficial movements that will benefit your physique. They will. Lifting heavy weights will also undoubtedly benefit your physique in terms of both direct hypertrophy and theoretically strength potential carryover to hypertrophy rep ranges. However the point I want to push home is that if you are primarily a bodybuilder and concerned with developing your physique you really have to think about what areas you want to develop. Is powerlifting going to be the answer to develop those areas? Could you train differently to more effectively build muscle in specific areas that need them? Typically I see people post photos on social media with the sarcastic caption "powerlifting ruined my physique". Indeed it may be true that powerlifting does not ruin physiques, in fact it probably improves them in many cases (specific to the muscle groups involved in the lifts). However I advise that you program your training specific to your own goals. You need to ask yourself how can you best develop YOUR physique rather than assuming powerlifting is a cure all.
I think under this heading we can also discuss the rep ranges that are typically used in both powerlifting and bodybuilding. As we know volume is one of the most important variables when it comes to both strength and hypertrophy (and no it isn't the only variable). The lower rep ranges and heavy loads required in powerlifting typically mean that you have to perform more sets with more rest in between to achieve equivalent volume to what could be achieved with a moderate - high rep range. In other words training with a tendency for low reps/heavy weight most of the time is a less efficient means to achieve hypertrophy (it can be done but it means you will spend longer in the gym). This is something to keep in mind if you have physique related goals as a priority.
3. Coaches or other bodybuilders that you follow are also powerlifters
Again this is not a reason to choose to do something unless you also have a specific interest in it. Do something because you have passion for it, not because someone else does it even if you look up to them. Learn to develop yourself as an individual instead of trying to copy others. Don't be a sheep.
4. You just don't like lifting heavy or prefer other exercises/training styles
Adherence and consistency with a training program is hugely important for progression no matter that your goal is. If you plain don't like doing what you are doing then why are you doing it? Lifting heavy is not for everyone even though some may suggest you are a "pussy" or something along those lines for not wanting to lift heavy or if you prefer other exercises to squats and deadlifts. In my opinion that kind of attitude is fostered through insecurity and excessive ego. Not everyone has to train in the same way and if you dislike lifting heavy or you just plain hate squatting or deadlifting then you don't have to (and whilst all those things are great you can still achieve champion level results without them by the way). Stand up for yourself, be an individual, train intelligently in a way that helps you progress towards your goals in a manner that you enjoy (at least to some degree).
5. Injury
This may apply to bodybuilding to some degree as well but if you have a specific acute or chronic injury that prevents you temporarily or permanently from squatting, bench pressing or deadlifting then you may need to re think things (at least for a while). These movements carry a larger risk than other exercises do and since (other than some assistance/accessory work) powerlifting consists of only these three exercises it doesn't give you much room to move in some cases.
Why Not Both?
So I'm sure you are thinking why not just incorporate both styles of training and get the best of both worlds? This is indeed what many people are doing as they have a genuine interest in both. I don't see a problem with doing this as long as you have created specific, prioritised goals for yourself and have a training program which will assist you in achieving those goals. If you are a bodybuilder 1st and a powerlifter 2nd and your program is 90% squats, bench and deadlifts then you might need to reassess your training. Likewise if your priority is powerlifting it doesn't make sense to be doing a huge amount of accessory work but hardly putting any focus on the main lifts. Get your priorities and goals in order and have progressive training which reflects this and you are more likely to succeed in your chosen discipline(s).
Final Thought
I think both bodybuilding and powerlifting are interesting and enjoyable sports in their own rights. I just think a little more thought and direction needs to be placed behind why we do what we do. That and a lot of passion.
- Evan
This post has been coming for a while but I think it's something that needs to be written. I intend to cover a variety of issues in this post including: the rising popularity of powerlifting, differences/similarities and why you would/would not choose to embrace powerlifting.
Powerlifting Gaining Momentum
Powerlifting has been gaining popularity in recent times for a variety of reasons (particularly amongst natural lifters). The reasons are as follows in my opinion:
- Some of the best natural bodybuilders and coaches out there who have large followings have been getting into powerlifting or have been doing it for a long while and promoting/popularising it.
- Sometimes bodybuilders will come out of the tail end of a contest prep and decide that either they would like to try their hand at powerlifting or that they need something to focus on in the off season and powerlifting is just the ticket.
- Some bodybuilders tend to believe that powerlifting is the secret to building a bigger, better physique.
- Some people who do/have done both bodybuilding and powerlifting will tell you that they think bodybuilding is a sport which has a fairly negative community attitude and that powerlifters tend to display more comradery and positivity towards one another.
- For some people lifting heavy shit is fun.
I suppose since powelifting appears to be becoming more popular we have to ask ourselves the question - is bodybuilding on the decline? I think there are people who have moved from bodybuilding more into the powerlifting community that would tell you that it is. But I really think that the answer is no it isn't. Bodybuilding is as popular as ever and with the newer divisions that have emerged over the recent years I think it is encouraging more and more people who would have otherwise never considered bodybuilding as such in a competitive sense to get involved in the physique based sport.
Are They Really That Different?
So are bodybuilding and powerlifting really different things? Should they be viewed as separate? I suppose the answer is "yes and no". There are some differences in terms of the ultimate goals and training focuses. Obviously with powerlifting the goal is to lift as much weight as possible at a meet for a single repetition in the squat, bench press and deadlift whereas in a competitive sense with bodybuilding the goal is to present maximal, proportionate and symmetrical muscle mass, with low levels of body fat on stage.
The focuses with training will tend to be on the lower end of the rep range for powerlifters and generally a little higher for most bodybuilders simply because each is more specific to the goals of either strength or hypertrophy. However that is not to say that bodybuilders cannot utilise lower rep ranges or that powerlifters cannot train in higher rep ranges. This certainly is common practice. However I use the phrase "training focus" because it depicts the tendency for powerlifters to focus on lower reps/heavier weight and bodybuilders to focus on moderate or higher rep ranges with lower percentages of load.
Some of the other differences can be found in overall program design and application: amount, type and variety of accessory work performed, technique eg low bar squat vs high bar squat, equipment used (referring to both assistance equipment that equipped powerlifters use to assist in their lifts and also tools that powerlifters typically use in some contexts to improve weak parts of a lift). Now I want to emphasise that none of these things are strict hard and fast rules. They more refer to tendencies or areas that either bodybuilders or powerlifters often focus on in regards to training. It is of course somewhat of a continuum with blurred lines as to where bodybuilding training ends and powerlifting training begins. After all we are all just lifting stuff up and putting it back down again in a gradually progressive fashion.
Why Choose Powerlifting
1. You have a passion for it
I think this is probably the single most important factor. You simply love lifting heavy weights (squat, bench, deadlift) and you are in love with the idea of getting as strong as possible (either recreationally for personal goals or competitively at a meet). Just like anything you want to be successful at you must have unbridled passion for it.
2. Support and Comradery
I think there is truly something to the notion that powerlifting fosters a more supportive environment than does bodybuilding in a general sense. There is more comradery because it is about performance (which people want to see others succeed at) and less about body image (which people can get jealous about). However I do believe that this has become something that is over hyped and only applies generally and not specifically. Whilst there is plenty of negativity in the bodybuilding industry, there is also plenty of positivity and support. I know that amongst my networks as a bodybuilder I have experienced both (though I tend to surround myself and associate myself with positive people for the most part). As a bodybuilder you have to be willing to take the good with the bad and if you are not willing to have the bad as part of your life then powerlifting may be something to consider. I will also say that anything that is competitive is going to have some degree of negativity and jealousy involved with it as that is the nature of competitiveness. Certainly powerlifting is not exempt from this. Negativity will always exist if you seek it out.
3. Powerlifting Interests You
This one is more along the lines of - you've never tried powerlifting and are unsure about it but it is something that has sparked your interest and you'd like to get involved in. In this case by all means try it (whether competitive or not). There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying new things if you genuinely have some interest in them.
4. Nutrition
If adhering to a strict diet is not your thing and you prefer to eat all the foods then powerlifting may be a good option for you to choose (or perhaps you are just in the off season between shows and don't want to obsess over your diet too much whilst gaining muscle). This is not to say that you may not have to stay within or close to a weight category, cut body weight for a meet or that you cannot track your nutritional intake with as much discipline and strictness as you desire if you are a powerlifter. It is just to point out that powerlifters typically have less of a focus on body composition and more of a focus on performance. It doesn't mean you can't have both.
5. Strength and performance is more of a priority than aesthetic qualities and physique related goals
If you want to be a powerlifter then you better have a desire to get stronger. After all lifting as much weight as possible is what the sport is all about and at a meet it is what you are judged on. I want to point out that having a great physique and lifting a lot of weight are not mutually exclusive goals. Can you do both? Yes! Look at Dan Green for example. There is quite a bit of overlap between strength and hypertrophy but where your priorities lie are going to determine where and how you develop the most.
6. You like facts and numbers
This is a fairly big attractor for powerlifters (especially those transitioning from bodybuilding to powerlifting because of the contrast in terms of objectivity). The fact is powerlifting is a lot more objective and fact oriented than is bodybuilding (in a competitive/judging sense). In powerlifting you either make the lift or you miss it. Of course there is some interpretation involved by the judges as to whether the lift was acceptable in terms of the rules and regulations which dictate how it should be done. But that is about as subjective as it gets. Bodybuilding of course is a much more subjective sport where each judge on the panel may have a very different opinion about the competitors physiques. Simply put there it's not always very clear cut. Additionally biases, corruption and politics are more likely to creep their way into competitive bodybuilding as it is a subjectively judged sport.
7. You want to build a base for your physique
If you are in that beginner to intermediate phase of training then this point is for you. There is an argument that you may put more of an emphasis on the big three lifts so as to build a base (after all the big lifts are going to help with development of the major muscle groups). I think this one could really be argued either way. If you are truly beginning (as in you've never lifted before) then you probably are going to be quite challenged just using some basic equipment such as machines, developing the neuromuscular pathways and motor control required to develop correct technique. You will also have to contend with quite a bit of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Lifting very heavy weights on exercises that have a higher than average risk to reward ratio (particularly without professional instruction) may not be the best idea if you are a beginner. At least not until you develop sound technique. If you are an intermediate and have your technique down pat then I think by all means it would be advantageous to utilise a powerlifting focused routine to develop a good base to then build upon further for the purposes of bodybuilding and physique development. This is of course not to say that the same could not be achieved by simply focusing on these movements in more "hypertrophy oriented" rep ranges (or a variety of other movements) for the same purpose. This one as I said is kind of up in the air and can be approached from a variety of angles.
Why Not to Choose Powerlifting
1. Inability to set physique goals
Scenario: A bodybuilder has been preparing for 6 months for a contest and comes out of the prep wrecked, sick and tired of focusing on nutrition and since the show they have been focusing heavily on is now over kind of "lost" in terms of what to do next. This person thinks to him/herself "I think I'll give powerlifting a shot!". Now how commonly have you seen that happen? Pretty damn often I'd say! Whilst there is nothing wrong with doing this, I have to question how well did that person reassess their own goals? If you are a bodybuilder who is passionate about building a better physique wouldn't you analyse which muscle groups and areas of your physique are lacking and get to work on improving them? As a bodybuilder it seems like a no brainer to me.
If I may make an analogy if you are a soccer player and you get to the end of the season do you then take up rugby league in the off season to help yourself develop as a soccer player? Of course not! You apply specificity and practice soccer related skills that will help you improve most in your chosen sport. Could there be some carry over from rugby league to soccer? Sure there could. But you'd be better off actually practicing soccer if you are a soccer player. I get the impression that more and more people are turning to powerlifting because they are incapable of setting specific goals related directly to their physique.
2. Using powerlifting specifically as a means to improve your physique without critical thought
This is heavily related to the previous point. Squats, bench press and deadlifts are highly beneficial movements that will benefit your physique. They will. Lifting heavy weights will also undoubtedly benefit your physique in terms of both direct hypertrophy and theoretically strength potential carryover to hypertrophy rep ranges. However the point I want to push home is that if you are primarily a bodybuilder and concerned with developing your physique you really have to think about what areas you want to develop. Is powerlifting going to be the answer to develop those areas? Could you train differently to more effectively build muscle in specific areas that need them? Typically I see people post photos on social media with the sarcastic caption "powerlifting ruined my physique". Indeed it may be true that powerlifting does not ruin physiques, in fact it probably improves them in many cases (specific to the muscle groups involved in the lifts). However I advise that you program your training specific to your own goals. You need to ask yourself how can you best develop YOUR physique rather than assuming powerlifting is a cure all.
I think under this heading we can also discuss the rep ranges that are typically used in both powerlifting and bodybuilding. As we know volume is one of the most important variables when it comes to both strength and hypertrophy (and no it isn't the only variable). The lower rep ranges and heavy loads required in powerlifting typically mean that you have to perform more sets with more rest in between to achieve equivalent volume to what could be achieved with a moderate - high rep range. In other words training with a tendency for low reps/heavy weight most of the time is a less efficient means to achieve hypertrophy (it can be done but it means you will spend longer in the gym). This is something to keep in mind if you have physique related goals as a priority.
3. Coaches or other bodybuilders that you follow are also powerlifters
Again this is not a reason to choose to do something unless you also have a specific interest in it. Do something because you have passion for it, not because someone else does it even if you look up to them. Learn to develop yourself as an individual instead of trying to copy others. Don't be a sheep.
4. You just don't like lifting heavy or prefer other exercises/training styles
Adherence and consistency with a training program is hugely important for progression no matter that your goal is. If you plain don't like doing what you are doing then why are you doing it? Lifting heavy is not for everyone even though some may suggest you are a "pussy" or something along those lines for not wanting to lift heavy or if you prefer other exercises to squats and deadlifts. In my opinion that kind of attitude is fostered through insecurity and excessive ego. Not everyone has to train in the same way and if you dislike lifting heavy or you just plain hate squatting or deadlifting then you don't have to (and whilst all those things are great you can still achieve champion level results without them by the way). Stand up for yourself, be an individual, train intelligently in a way that helps you progress towards your goals in a manner that you enjoy (at least to some degree).
5. Injury
This may apply to bodybuilding to some degree as well but if you have a specific acute or chronic injury that prevents you temporarily or permanently from squatting, bench pressing or deadlifting then you may need to re think things (at least for a while). These movements carry a larger risk than other exercises do and since (other than some assistance/accessory work) powerlifting consists of only these three exercises it doesn't give you much room to move in some cases.
Why Not Both?
So I'm sure you are thinking why not just incorporate both styles of training and get the best of both worlds? This is indeed what many people are doing as they have a genuine interest in both. I don't see a problem with doing this as long as you have created specific, prioritised goals for yourself and have a training program which will assist you in achieving those goals. If you are a bodybuilder 1st and a powerlifter 2nd and your program is 90% squats, bench and deadlifts then you might need to reassess your training. Likewise if your priority is powerlifting it doesn't make sense to be doing a huge amount of accessory work but hardly putting any focus on the main lifts. Get your priorities and goals in order and have progressive training which reflects this and you are more likely to succeed in your chosen discipline(s).
Final Thought
I think both bodybuilding and powerlifting are interesting and enjoyable sports in their own rights. I just think a little more thought and direction needs to be placed behind why we do what we do. That and a lot of passion.
- Evan
Thursday 18 September 2014
Contest Prep Week 25
Week 25 Overview
This week has been up and down in terms of energy. Some days I've felt like death dragging myself around the gym like a zombie and other days I've felt below average but still reasonable. It just goes to show no matter what your calories are we are all going to feel pretty crap when we get to the end of a contest prep and those low levels of body fat.
Nutrition
We made a change this week which was actually to up protein. The reason behind this is that my body fat levels are getting down there and my lean muscle tissue is now more at risk of atrophy. So this was a counter move to help stop or minimise that. It has slowed down my rate of weight loss which was quite rapid last week but it has not stopped my fat loss.
Training
Training this week has been good for the most part. My performance on major and accessory lifts has been maintaining well ie strength not dropping. I am injury free at the moment and intend to attempt to continue to train smart, not be a PR hero and remain injury free for the rest of prep. The only negative would have to be lows in energy most days but I'm just trying to manage that with good pre workout nutrition.
Progress
This week's progress has been solid. As I mentioned my rate of weight loss slowed a little as the result of increasing my protein intake. However I did get leaner especially through the lower body and this was apparent visually. See photos below:
This week has been up and down in terms of energy. Some days I've felt like death dragging myself around the gym like a zombie and other days I've felt below average but still reasonable. It just goes to show no matter what your calories are we are all going to feel pretty crap when we get to the end of a contest prep and those low levels of body fat.
Nutrition
We made a change this week which was actually to up protein. The reason behind this is that my body fat levels are getting down there and my lean muscle tissue is now more at risk of atrophy. So this was a counter move to help stop or minimise that. It has slowed down my rate of weight loss which was quite rapid last week but it has not stopped my fat loss.
Training
Training this week has been good for the most part. My performance on major and accessory lifts has been maintaining well ie strength not dropping. I am injury free at the moment and intend to attempt to continue to train smart, not be a PR hero and remain injury free for the rest of prep. The only negative would have to be lows in energy most days but I'm just trying to manage that with good pre workout nutrition.
Progress
This week's progress has been solid. As I mentioned my rate of weight loss slowed a little as the result of increasing my protein intake. However I did get leaner especially through the lower body and this was apparent visually. See photos below:
Overall I am happy with where I am now and where I am heading. Thankyou to everyone for the continued support.
Remember you can contact me for coaching via the following avenues:
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Until next time
- Evan
Remember you can contact me for coaching via the following avenues:
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Until next time
- Evan
Thursday 11 September 2014
Contest Prep Week 24
Wow, I am now officially coming to the close of week 24 of my contest prep. That is 6 months of dieting! At this point even though things are starting to get difficult I really have to stop, appreciate where I am and be proud of how far I have come so far (or smell the roses as Jeff Alberts would say). Things are getting close now as I'm just over 4 weeks out from my warm up show and I know that phenomenal things lie ahead for me.
Weekly Summary
As I mentioned this part of the prep is starting to get a bit hard. My energy is down most of the time when training. I've even felt a little light headed at times but the changes I'm seeing are spurring me on to keep pushing forward. My lower back was re-injured when I was performing a set of dumbbell shrugs last Friday. However it has gotten much better since then and I'm happy to say I'm now completely pain free. Of course I'm being cautious and intelligent with my training, am continuing to stretch and am doing some core strengthening to assist in preventing a recurrence. Dumbbell shrugs I'm replacing with smith machine shrugs for safety right now (especially in terms of picking up and putting down the heavy dumbbells). Just as a side note - isn't it funny how everyone bags out the smith machine but it's actually quite useful for numerous things and especially so when one is injured! Just because an exercise isn't a free weight squat, bench or deadlift it doesn't mean it cannot be very effective for hypertrophy and strength development.
TrainingTraining this week has been going well. The new program Berto has me running is plodding along nicely. I think this training style is super appropriate for me at the moment in terms of both injury prevention, putting volume on the lifts where it is required, removing it from where it isn't and not having me lift at intensities which may hamper my recovery which is limited. Each day I have a target for sets, reps and weight which I hit for three of my major lifts, so I just do that and then I move onto my accessory work. I'm not really trying to hit PR's at this time although I do sometimes hit them for accessory lifts at the moment as I don't have the other big lifts fatiguing me as much prior.
Food
Right now I'm more or less being forced into "clean eating". I do still manage a dessert each night but it's more a bit of sugary stuff with some low calorie topping most of the time as fats are limited. I really look forward to my refeed days at the moment which are every fourth day. Every time I feel like I'm about to collapse I have a refeed day to save me lol.
Progress
Progress has been exceptional this week. I've lost approximately 1 kg over a 7 day period and become significantly leaner all over. Things are looking promising. See photos below:
Future Plans
A good friend asked me this week what I intend to do after my shows are over. Whilst I am very, very focused on achieving in what I am doing in the here and now I still have a reasonably clear picture of what I will be doing in the future. I intend to have a short break after my last show and then head into a reverse diet leading into the offseason. I intend to remain under the guidance of Alberto Nunez of 3DMJ and work with him on (a) first and foremost recovery from the prep, (b) nutritional strategies and weight control, (c) improving relative weak points in my physique which I have a good idea of but which I will reassess post show and discuss with him, (d) work on getting stronger in particular lifts gradually for the purpose of hypertrophy (no you won't see me on the powerlifting platform any time soon since I am clearly capable of setting goals post show which don't involve straying from my area of passion - natural bodybuilding!). With that in mind looking forward I do not see this as my last ever contest season. I think I've probably got a few more in me and I have more improvements to make regardless of how high or low I place this year. However I most likely will not be competing in 2015 as I want to have some off season time for 2 - 3 years again both to make improvements and just to enjoy myself without specific time frames or pressure and allow more emphasis to be placed on other important areas of life. Anyhow I was quite happy when asked this question by my friend that I was immediately able to give a specific answer which tells me I do know where I am heading. I think that's a good thing ;) .
I hope you guys have enjoyed reading my ramblings again this week. If you want to contact me for coaching you can do so via any of the following methods:
Email - evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Until next time. Soon....
- Evan
Thursday 4 September 2014
Contest Prep Weeks 22 and 23
Blogman Returns
This entry will cover both week 22 and 23 of my contest prep. At the point of writing this I am just over 10 weeks out from my major show which is the WNBF World Championships.
How it's Going
Contest prep is going well. I am sitting at a good place for 10 weeks out right now. I'm feeling a little hungry. Berto had me reduce my fat intake to 30 - 35 grams per day which basically means no more pizzas or take away food at all as I simply can't fit it and I think it's about the right time to begin to avoid those foods anyway just for the sake of consistency and accuracy more than anything. Rest assured I will continue to consume a dessert each day to some degree (more carb dense options and diet friendly options too). That will continue at least for now. At some point hunger is likely to take over and I will want to simply use those extra carbs to consume more volume in my food. In fact that is beginning to happen already to some degree as my hunger levels are rising. Luckily I'm refeeding every 4th day which is making things slightly easier.
Training
Last week I was kind of doing my own training split. I had some questions about the new DUP plan that I wanted to ask my coach before I jumped blindly into it and having sorted that out and been satisfied with the explanations I began the program this week. The program has me hitting 3 major lifts each day (squat, deadlift, bench, OHP, row) at reduced intensities. The idea is increased frequency, reduced intensity/volume per day which I feel is exactly what my body needs now getting down to these lower calories and levels of body fat. Most of my volume is focussed on squats and bench because those are the lifts which I have struggled the most to maintain during prep. Volume on the other lifts have taken a small hit but I should have no trouble maintain mass and strength on those stronger body parts especially considering all the accessory work I do. I am handling my own accessory lifts of which I do plenty and have decided to complete most of them in the 8 - 12 rep range (well mostly around 8s lol). So far I'm very much enjoying the new program and am benefiting from the training style so far. We shall see what results this will bring both during contest prep and onward into the offseason. I believe we plan to run this for the next 6 - 8 months.
An Injury
Injuries always happen at the worst of times. In this case my lower back flared up (whilst picking a sock up from the floor of all things). To be fair previous to the injury I had just finished a fairly long block of higher intensity which involved a lot of heavy squats and deadlifts. So that is likely what predisposed me to this. After a few weeks of discomfort I saw my physio for some treatment which improved the problem to about 90%. Unfortunately on Monday of this week the other side of my lower back flared up with exactly the same symptoms during a training session. I had to take anti-inflammatories for two days but strangely I was able to continue training with minimal discomfort. Today I had another treatment which seems to have more or less restored normal movement and relieved my pain - I was able to train completely pain free this afternoon which is promising. I will most likely return for another treatment next week just to make sure everything is ok (touch wood). Until then I will be performing some prescribed stretches for some tight muscles. If the worst case occurs and things do go sour I know that always have BFR training in my arsenal. For now though the training that I'm doing at reduced intensities is actually a God send because my form is close to perfect and there is less risk of the injury recurring.
F.A.Q
I thought I might include a few questions that I hear frequently both in the gym and on social media. I figure I can just send people here instead of constantly answering the same things. Here goes:
Question: What are your macros?
Answer: Currently 260 P, 350 C, 35 F and refeed at 240 P, 450 C, 35 F every 4th day
Question: How many weeks until your show(s)?
Answer: I am just over 10 weeks out from my final show and I am also 8 and 9 weeks out from two other major pro shows I intend to do.
Question: How much do you weigh right now?
Answer: This morning I weighed 92.3 kg (203 lbs)
Question: How tall are you?
Answer: I am 186 cm (6 ft 1)
Question: What are the macros of X specific food you are eating?
Answer: Look it up!
Question: Where did you get X specific food?
Answer: If it isn't sold in Australia one of my American friends may have sent it to me in a care package
Progress Photos Week 22
As you can see here glutes and hamstrings are starting to come in, as well as the quads. The lower body is always the last place for me to lose as it is for many people.
Progress Photos Week 23
A little bit of progress since last week. Side glutes are coming in more and more each week. Slow and steady wins the race.
A little on judging shows
*Gets on soap box*
I have to say something that I would like to see improved (not only at WNBF shows) but competitions in general is the quality of judging. We need judges who lift, who have competed before, who are experienced, who know the criteria and exactly what they are looking for. Too many times have I been sitting in the audience at shows and been shocked at the placings, as in my pet cat could have placed the competitors with more accuracy than some of the judging I have witnessed at times. If you are judging a state or national level show I would suggest watching some of the IFBB pro shows. They are usually more difficult to pick the top 5 (especially at the Arnold or Olympia). If you can get at least close to picking the top 5 accurately when watching one of those shows and you can give me the specific reasons why you placed those competitors the way you did then you will easily be able to judge a state or even a national level natural show with competency. Do your homework, because competitors put in a shitload of work to get on stage and they deserve to be judged accurately.
*Gets off soap box*.
Until next time
- Evan
This entry will cover both week 22 and 23 of my contest prep. At the point of writing this I am just over 10 weeks out from my major show which is the WNBF World Championships.
How it's Going
Contest prep is going well. I am sitting at a good place for 10 weeks out right now. I'm feeling a little hungry. Berto had me reduce my fat intake to 30 - 35 grams per day which basically means no more pizzas or take away food at all as I simply can't fit it and I think it's about the right time to begin to avoid those foods anyway just for the sake of consistency and accuracy more than anything. Rest assured I will continue to consume a dessert each day to some degree (more carb dense options and diet friendly options too). That will continue at least for now. At some point hunger is likely to take over and I will want to simply use those extra carbs to consume more volume in my food. In fact that is beginning to happen already to some degree as my hunger levels are rising. Luckily I'm refeeding every 4th day which is making things slightly easier.
Training
Last week I was kind of doing my own training split. I had some questions about the new DUP plan that I wanted to ask my coach before I jumped blindly into it and having sorted that out and been satisfied with the explanations I began the program this week. The program has me hitting 3 major lifts each day (squat, deadlift, bench, OHP, row) at reduced intensities. The idea is increased frequency, reduced intensity/volume per day which I feel is exactly what my body needs now getting down to these lower calories and levels of body fat. Most of my volume is focussed on squats and bench because those are the lifts which I have struggled the most to maintain during prep. Volume on the other lifts have taken a small hit but I should have no trouble maintain mass and strength on those stronger body parts especially considering all the accessory work I do. I am handling my own accessory lifts of which I do plenty and have decided to complete most of them in the 8 - 12 rep range (well mostly around 8s lol). So far I'm very much enjoying the new program and am benefiting from the training style so far. We shall see what results this will bring both during contest prep and onward into the offseason. I believe we plan to run this for the next 6 - 8 months.
An Injury
Injuries always happen at the worst of times. In this case my lower back flared up (whilst picking a sock up from the floor of all things). To be fair previous to the injury I had just finished a fairly long block of higher intensity which involved a lot of heavy squats and deadlifts. So that is likely what predisposed me to this. After a few weeks of discomfort I saw my physio for some treatment which improved the problem to about 90%. Unfortunately on Monday of this week the other side of my lower back flared up with exactly the same symptoms during a training session. I had to take anti-inflammatories for two days but strangely I was able to continue training with minimal discomfort. Today I had another treatment which seems to have more or less restored normal movement and relieved my pain - I was able to train completely pain free this afternoon which is promising. I will most likely return for another treatment next week just to make sure everything is ok (touch wood). Until then I will be performing some prescribed stretches for some tight muscles. If the worst case occurs and things do go sour I know that always have BFR training in my arsenal. For now though the training that I'm doing at reduced intensities is actually a God send because my form is close to perfect and there is less risk of the injury recurring.
F.A.Q
I thought I might include a few questions that I hear frequently both in the gym and on social media. I figure I can just send people here instead of constantly answering the same things. Here goes:
Question: What are your macros?
Answer: Currently 260 P, 350 C, 35 F and refeed at 240 P, 450 C, 35 F every 4th day
Question: How many weeks until your show(s)?
Answer: I am just over 10 weeks out from my final show and I am also 8 and 9 weeks out from two other major pro shows I intend to do.
Question: How much do you weigh right now?
Answer: This morning I weighed 92.3 kg (203 lbs)
Question: How tall are you?
Answer: I am 186 cm (6 ft 1)
Question: What are the macros of X specific food you are eating?
Answer: Look it up!
Question: Where did you get X specific food?
Answer: If it isn't sold in Australia one of my American friends may have sent it to me in a care package
Progress Photos Week 22
As you can see here glutes and hamstrings are starting to come in, as well as the quads. The lower body is always the last place for me to lose as it is for many people.
A little bit of progress since last week. Side glutes are coming in more and more each week. Slow and steady wins the race.
WNBF NSW Titles
On Sunday I judged (alongside Adam Cooke the 2013 Overall Champ) and guest posed at the WNBF NSW Titles. Deanne Murphy did a good job of running the show. A few up and coming competitors were on stage including Johnny Vong and Jay Blakely who were both very impressive. The overall was taken out by Paul (unsure of his last name) who also placed first in the novice and bantamweight divisions. I want to shout out to my client Kevin Vo for competing in his very first show as I know he found the contest prep grueling to say the least but he pushed through it anyway and that is a great achievement for him.
The guest posing went well. I think I looked a little flat because I felt a little stressed, hadn't slept well and it was a low day. Considering that I still got a reasonable pump. Tracy Schembri from Bare Mystique had me covered for tan (see photos) and I think she did a great job. In terms of the day overall it was great to catch up with Adam and the 4 coaches from NPS Ryan, Joey, Aaron and Chris, as well as a couple of clients and friends. Thankyou to everyone who came out to support myself and all the competitors.
Here are a few photos from back stage and on stage.
On Sunday I judged (alongside Adam Cooke the 2013 Overall Champ) and guest posed at the WNBF NSW Titles. Deanne Murphy did a good job of running the show. A few up and coming competitors were on stage including Johnny Vong and Jay Blakely who were both very impressive. The overall was taken out by Paul (unsure of his last name) who also placed first in the novice and bantamweight divisions. I want to shout out to my client Kevin Vo for competing in his very first show as I know he found the contest prep grueling to say the least but he pushed through it anyway and that is a great achievement for him.
The guest posing went well. I think I looked a little flat because I felt a little stressed, hadn't slept well and it was a low day. Considering that I still got a reasonable pump. Tracy Schembri from Bare Mystique had me covered for tan (see photos) and I think she did a great job. In terms of the day overall it was great to catch up with Adam and the 4 coaches from NPS Ryan, Joey, Aaron and Chris, as well as a couple of clients and friends. Thankyou to everyone who came out to support myself and all the competitors.
Here are a few photos from back stage and on stage.
A little on judging shows
*Gets on soap box*
I have to say something that I would like to see improved (not only at WNBF shows) but competitions in general is the quality of judging. We need judges who lift, who have competed before, who are experienced, who know the criteria and exactly what they are looking for. Too many times have I been sitting in the audience at shows and been shocked at the placings, as in my pet cat could have placed the competitors with more accuracy than some of the judging I have witnessed at times. If you are judging a state or national level show I would suggest watching some of the IFBB pro shows. They are usually more difficult to pick the top 5 (especially at the Arnold or Olympia). If you can get at least close to picking the top 5 accurately when watching one of those shows and you can give me the specific reasons why you placed those competitors the way you did then you will easily be able to judge a state or even a national level natural show with competency. Do your homework, because competitors put in a shitload of work to get on stage and they deserve to be judged accurately.
*Gets off soap box*.
Until next time
- Evan
Tuesday 26 August 2014
Contest Prep Week 21
Ok I am now 21 weeks into my contest prep for the WNBF Pro World Championships (well 21.5 weeks as I write this). That means I am now just 6.5 weeks out from my warm up show should I decide to do it and 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 weeks away from my major pro shows. So realistically there isn't much time to go, but I'm sitting in a good place at the moment.
Right now I'm feeling pretty reasonable actually. My mood is focused but good, my hunger levels are not exceedingly high (granted for the most part I am making food choices to increase volume), training performance is still pretty good for most lifts and in general I'm just enjoying the process. I have a feeling that we are about to start digging a bit deeper though, at least that is what coach Nunez tells me anyhow.
Training
My training has been going pretty well up to this point. Week 21 was a deload week which was quite timely as the weekend prior I hurt my lower back bending over to pick up a sock from the floor of all things. It was following a leg session but I didn't feel anything at all whilst I was actually training. Anyhow it has been sore in the morning ever since (though surprisingly better as the day goes on and pretty reasonable during training). The deload was definitely a good thing considering the circumstances but I am going to see my physiotherapist this week for some treatment because it isn't recovering as fast as I'd hoped and I don't want to risk it getting worse.
Alberto sent me a new training program this week. It is a DUP (daily undulating periodisation) program based on the following lifts: squat, bench press, deadlift, OHP, row with the option for different squat variations eg low bar, high bar, front squat. Intensities are reduced to anywhere from 65 - 90 % of normal loads, hitting 3 lifts each day with reduced daily volume but increased frequency over a five day period. Accessory lifts of choice are also included in the program. I like the general structure of the program and I think it would be a good way to progressively add weekly volume over time. I also like that the structure allows for emphasis to be placed where it is needed (and taken from where it perhaps isn't). Additionally the frequency of the lifts means you get a lot of practice for each of them and therefore theoretically you become more efficient at performing them. I'll admit though that this kind of program is not my typical "style" as I am more of a pure bred bodybuilder and whilst this program is for hypertrophy it is a little bit closer to a powerlifting type program to what I am used to.
Progress
As I said earlier I think I am sitting in a very good place for being ~ 12 weeks out from Worlds. Upper body is more or less in at this point. The lower body still requires more time to come in from both the front and back but progress is gradually occurring on a weekly basis. I have a lot of my poses down but I need to start setting aside some time for specific posing practice soon to really polish my presentation. See below for progress photos from this past week.
Refeed Day
This week I decided to take photos of every bit of food I consumed on my refeed. I hadn't had a refeed for 11 days before this so it was long overdue and I was definitely looking forward to it. No not all of it is wholesome but that's half the point. See photos below:
Kanga Bangas (kangaroo sausages) on toast and 100 grams of banana for breakfast
WNBF NSW Titles Reminder
This Sunday the 31st I will be guest posing at the WNBF NSW titles at Castle Hill RSL. I hope to see some of you there supporting natural bodybuilding. Good luck to all competitors.
Follow Me
Remember if you want to keep up to date with my prep or what I am up to you can always follow me on social media.
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
For personalised coaching and contest preparation services email evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
- Evan
Right now I'm feeling pretty reasonable actually. My mood is focused but good, my hunger levels are not exceedingly high (granted for the most part I am making food choices to increase volume), training performance is still pretty good for most lifts and in general I'm just enjoying the process. I have a feeling that we are about to start digging a bit deeper though, at least that is what coach Nunez tells me anyhow.
Training
My training has been going pretty well up to this point. Week 21 was a deload week which was quite timely as the weekend prior I hurt my lower back bending over to pick up a sock from the floor of all things. It was following a leg session but I didn't feel anything at all whilst I was actually training. Anyhow it has been sore in the morning ever since (though surprisingly better as the day goes on and pretty reasonable during training). The deload was definitely a good thing considering the circumstances but I am going to see my physiotherapist this week for some treatment because it isn't recovering as fast as I'd hoped and I don't want to risk it getting worse.
Alberto sent me a new training program this week. It is a DUP (daily undulating periodisation) program based on the following lifts: squat, bench press, deadlift, OHP, row with the option for different squat variations eg low bar, high bar, front squat. Intensities are reduced to anywhere from 65 - 90 % of normal loads, hitting 3 lifts each day with reduced daily volume but increased frequency over a five day period. Accessory lifts of choice are also included in the program. I like the general structure of the program and I think it would be a good way to progressively add weekly volume over time. I also like that the structure allows for emphasis to be placed where it is needed (and taken from where it perhaps isn't). Additionally the frequency of the lifts means you get a lot of practice for each of them and therefore theoretically you become more efficient at performing them. I'll admit though that this kind of program is not my typical "style" as I am more of a pure bred bodybuilder and whilst this program is for hypertrophy it is a little bit closer to a powerlifting type program to what I am used to.
Progress
As I said earlier I think I am sitting in a very good place for being ~ 12 weeks out from Worlds. Upper body is more or less in at this point. The lower body still requires more time to come in from both the front and back but progress is gradually occurring on a weekly basis. I have a lot of my poses down but I need to start setting aside some time for specific posing practice soon to really polish my presentation. See below for progress photos from this past week.
Refeed Day
This week I decided to take photos of every bit of food I consumed on my refeed. I hadn't had a refeed for 11 days before this so it was long overdue and I was definitely looking forward to it. No not all of it is wholesome but that's half the point. See photos below:
Kanga Bangas (kangaroo sausages) on toast and 100 grams of banana for breakfast
WNBF NSW Titles Reminder
This Sunday the 31st I will be guest posing at the WNBF NSW titles at Castle Hill RSL. I hope to see some of you there supporting natural bodybuilding. Good luck to all competitors.
Follow Me
Remember if you want to keep up to date with my prep or what I am up to you can always follow me on social media.
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
For personalised coaching and contest preparation services email evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
- Evan
Tuesday 19 August 2014
Contest Prep 2014 Week 1 - 20
Blogman Begins
Welcome to my official blog covering my 2014 contest preparation. I've been thinking about doing this for a while but have been so busy that it has been difficult to find the time. I am now half way through my 21st week of prep. Better late than never I suppose.
What I hope to achieve in this post is to catch you up on what I have experienced so far during this prep and then from hereon out follow this post up with regular entries.
Choosing a Coach
The first thing I want to address is that yes I am a coach and I coach others. When it comes to preparing for a big show I like to hand the decision making over to someone else for (a) an objective eye, (b) the ability to make tough decisions which are unbiased by my personal feelings of progress or physical discomfort eg hunger, (c) experience and knowledge that is different to my own ie bringing new ideas to the table. So I knew I was going to work with someone but the hard decision was who. This is something I had thought about for months and months prior to beginning my prep and discussed with others. In the past I had worked with Layne Norton in 2011 when I won my pro card (who is a great coach by the way). This time around I considered and enquired with multiple coaches including Layne, 3DMJ, Dr Joe but ultimately I decided to work with Alberto Nunez of 3DMJ. I had been following Alberto for a while during my off season. I liked his ideas and philosophies, I liked that 3DMJ had a contemporary focus on bodybuilding and felt as if I would personally be able to get along with him well in a coach/client capacity. I'd also attended a 3DMJ Seminar in Sydney in February in which he gave a presentation about peak week which very much impressed me. Anyway I went with Berto for this prep and I have to say it's been a very good decision. The man knows his stuff, his feedback is thorough and I think with his mentorship I am going to blow my previous self out of the water.
Show Choices
Initially I wanted to just do the WNBF World Championships which are held in November. This would be my pro debut. However since the WNBF changed it's rules to allow it's pro competitors to cross over into other natural federations I figured I might as well hit up some other shows. After some discussion with my coach I decided to go with the PNBA World Cup, the Natural Olympia and WNBF Worlds. I also really wanted to do the Yorton but it required me to qualify by placing in another IFPA show and it would just mean too much time and money spent in the USA with very little left to travel after my shows were completed. So for now the Yorton is a no go unfortunately, but perhaps another year. I also may do a local show in Sydney as a warm up primarily so that friends and family actually get a chance to come see me on stage.
Starting the Prep
We decided to start my prep at 33 weeks out from the main show I wanted to do (WNBF Worlds). It was a fairly quick decision and something that I had not expected (I had expected to do a standard 24 week prep and reverse into the show towards the end). I enquired with Alberto, he created a unique plan for me which was to do a fairly assertive "diet before the diet", have a diet break in the middle, go hunting for the final conditioning and then fine tune towards the end of the prep. I was slightly hesitant at first but I decided that Berto was right in his thinking that this was the right approach for me and I went ahead with beginning my prep the very next week. This is what I looked like at 33 weeks out (105 kg).
Week 1 - 13
I started out my prep with my macros set at 260 P, 300 C, 70 F with 1 refeed each week at 240 P, 525 C, 110 F. I was doing 1000 calories/week of LISS cardio as well. Progress was pretty good and as expected I dropped fairly rapidly to begin with. Progress in terms of weight dropping slowed a little around the 99 kg mark but we steadily continued dropping throughout the 13 weeks. The only adjustment we made was a downward adjustment to fat intake. I was pretty good in this part of the prep - hunger wasn't an issue, energy was pretty good, libido was fine, performance in the gym was reasonably well maintained. At the conclusion of the first digging phase I had reached a weight which fluctuated between 94 and 95 kg (over 10 kg down from my starting point) and this is how I looked.
Week 14 - 19
Week 14 - 19 was the Diet Break period of my contest prep. This was also probably the easiest portion. You could think of it as the nutritional equivalent as a deload for training. The goal was to increase calories to give me a physical and mental break before the final dig. Over 6 weeks we took my carbs gradually to 450 g and to 650 g during refeeds and added in some more LISS cardio. I have to say I really enjoyed the diet break as my strength in the gym was good, I was eating plenty of wholesome and also tasty "treat" type foods, energy throughout the day was great and best of all I was getting visibly leaner whilst maintaining body weight. My weight during this time went from 94 - 95 kg to 93 - 94 kg. Not a huge loss but good considering it was a diet break and of course as I mentioned I was progressing visually. I am pictured below at the end of the diet break.
Week 20
So here I am just beyond week 20, approaching week 21. This is going to be the most difficult phase of the diet - the dig for the final shows. The main change we have made in past 1 - 2 weeks is to reduce carbs to 350 g and I have to say I feel worse than at the beginning of my diet. Energy is down, performance is not too bad, hunger levels are way up, libido is taking a hit, cardio seems more difficult. These changes are partly in effect because I'm now sitting below my body fat set point and my body is fighting the changes. But that's how it is, this is the final digging phase. It's just beginning and it's only going to get harder from hereon out so I best strap myself in and enjoy the ride. I'll leave you with my most recent progress photos. As you can see glutes and hamstrings are starting to come in at this point.
WNBF NSW Titles
I will be guest posing and judging (alongside last year's Overall Champion and all around good guy Adam Cooke) at the WNBF NSW Titles which will be held on Sunday the 31st of August at Castle Hill RSL. I know of some of the young competitors who are entering this show and they are peeled! Best of luck to all competitors. If you are keen to see them or myself grace the stage or if you are in the area be sure to stop on by!
Follow Me
Remember if you want to keep up to date with my prep or what I am up to you can always follow me on social media.
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
For personalised coaching and contest preparation services email evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Until next time - Evan out!
Welcome to my official blog covering my 2014 contest preparation. I've been thinking about doing this for a while but have been so busy that it has been difficult to find the time. I am now half way through my 21st week of prep. Better late than never I suppose.
What I hope to achieve in this post is to catch you up on what I have experienced so far during this prep and then from hereon out follow this post up with regular entries.
Choosing a Coach
The first thing I want to address is that yes I am a coach and I coach others. When it comes to preparing for a big show I like to hand the decision making over to someone else for (a) an objective eye, (b) the ability to make tough decisions which are unbiased by my personal feelings of progress or physical discomfort eg hunger, (c) experience and knowledge that is different to my own ie bringing new ideas to the table. So I knew I was going to work with someone but the hard decision was who. This is something I had thought about for months and months prior to beginning my prep and discussed with others. In the past I had worked with Layne Norton in 2011 when I won my pro card (who is a great coach by the way). This time around I considered and enquired with multiple coaches including Layne, 3DMJ, Dr Joe but ultimately I decided to work with Alberto Nunez of 3DMJ. I had been following Alberto for a while during my off season. I liked his ideas and philosophies, I liked that 3DMJ had a contemporary focus on bodybuilding and felt as if I would personally be able to get along with him well in a coach/client capacity. I'd also attended a 3DMJ Seminar in Sydney in February in which he gave a presentation about peak week which very much impressed me. Anyway I went with Berto for this prep and I have to say it's been a very good decision. The man knows his stuff, his feedback is thorough and I think with his mentorship I am going to blow my previous self out of the water.
Show Choices
Initially I wanted to just do the WNBF World Championships which are held in November. This would be my pro debut. However since the WNBF changed it's rules to allow it's pro competitors to cross over into other natural federations I figured I might as well hit up some other shows. After some discussion with my coach I decided to go with the PNBA World Cup, the Natural Olympia and WNBF Worlds. I also really wanted to do the Yorton but it required me to qualify by placing in another IFPA show and it would just mean too much time and money spent in the USA with very little left to travel after my shows were completed. So for now the Yorton is a no go unfortunately, but perhaps another year. I also may do a local show in Sydney as a warm up primarily so that friends and family actually get a chance to come see me on stage.
Starting the Prep
We decided to start my prep at 33 weeks out from the main show I wanted to do (WNBF Worlds). It was a fairly quick decision and something that I had not expected (I had expected to do a standard 24 week prep and reverse into the show towards the end). I enquired with Alberto, he created a unique plan for me which was to do a fairly assertive "diet before the diet", have a diet break in the middle, go hunting for the final conditioning and then fine tune towards the end of the prep. I was slightly hesitant at first but I decided that Berto was right in his thinking that this was the right approach for me and I went ahead with beginning my prep the very next week. This is what I looked like at 33 weeks out (105 kg).
Week 1 - 13
I started out my prep with my macros set at 260 P, 300 C, 70 F with 1 refeed each week at 240 P, 525 C, 110 F. I was doing 1000 calories/week of LISS cardio as well. Progress was pretty good and as expected I dropped fairly rapidly to begin with. Progress in terms of weight dropping slowed a little around the 99 kg mark but we steadily continued dropping throughout the 13 weeks. The only adjustment we made was a downward adjustment to fat intake. I was pretty good in this part of the prep - hunger wasn't an issue, energy was pretty good, libido was fine, performance in the gym was reasonably well maintained. At the conclusion of the first digging phase I had reached a weight which fluctuated between 94 and 95 kg (over 10 kg down from my starting point) and this is how I looked.
Week 14 - 19
Week 14 - 19 was the Diet Break period of my contest prep. This was also probably the easiest portion. You could think of it as the nutritional equivalent as a deload for training. The goal was to increase calories to give me a physical and mental break before the final dig. Over 6 weeks we took my carbs gradually to 450 g and to 650 g during refeeds and added in some more LISS cardio. I have to say I really enjoyed the diet break as my strength in the gym was good, I was eating plenty of wholesome and also tasty "treat" type foods, energy throughout the day was great and best of all I was getting visibly leaner whilst maintaining body weight. My weight during this time went from 94 - 95 kg to 93 - 94 kg. Not a huge loss but good considering it was a diet break and of course as I mentioned I was progressing visually. I am pictured below at the end of the diet break.
Week 20
So here I am just beyond week 20, approaching week 21. This is going to be the most difficult phase of the diet - the dig for the final shows. The main change we have made in past 1 - 2 weeks is to reduce carbs to 350 g and I have to say I feel worse than at the beginning of my diet. Energy is down, performance is not too bad, hunger levels are way up, libido is taking a hit, cardio seems more difficult. These changes are partly in effect because I'm now sitting below my body fat set point and my body is fighting the changes. But that's how it is, this is the final digging phase. It's just beginning and it's only going to get harder from hereon out so I best strap myself in and enjoy the ride. I'll leave you with my most recent progress photos. As you can see glutes and hamstrings are starting to come in at this point.
WNBF NSW Titles
I will be guest posing and judging (alongside last year's Overall Champion and all around good guy Adam Cooke) at the WNBF NSW Titles which will be held on Sunday the 31st of August at Castle Hill RSL. I know of some of the young competitors who are entering this show and they are peeled! Best of luck to all competitors. If you are keen to see them or myself grace the stage or if you are in the area be sure to stop on by!
Follow Me
Remember if you want to keep up to date with my prep or what I am up to you can always follow me on social media.
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon
Website - www.muscleacademy.com.au
For personalised coaching and contest preparation services email evansmuscleacademy@gmail.com
Until next time - Evan out!
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