Successful Competing

[krugerr]

Great thread buddy !

I'm looking to compete next year now, just something amateur and local. Is there any recommended books or websites to read regarding posing? Or should I look for someone to help with it?

Cheers!

[--->>405<<---]

dang awesome thread!

[Metalject]

Great thread buddy !

I'm looking to compete next year now, just something amateur and local. Is there any recommended books or websites to read regarding posing? Or should I look for someone to help with it?

Cheers!

This video goes over the basics of all the mandatories and quarter turns:

http://www.probodybuilding.com/video...ie-jackson.php

Very good posing tutorial IMO. You can learn how to do all the basics from this video. Don't worry about other types of poses right now. Once you've got these down you can start trying little things to mess with your posing routine but the mandatories are what's by far the most important.

Something I have all my guys do is asking them to practice posing every day and learn how to hold each pose for 30 seconds. 30 seconds is an eternity at first but the more you practice the better you'll get at it. And by hold a pose I mean get into position without a bunch of twisting and adjusting. A bunch of twisting and adjusting is annoying to the judges and it generally looks bad. Go right into he pose, hold it without shaking and while keeping a smile on your face. When you first start practicing you will not be able to hold each pose perfectly without shaking and while keeping your entire body tight for 30 seconds, but if you practice every day you'll be able to work up to it. And the good news is rarely will you be asked to hold a pose during competition for a full 30 seconds but if you can you'll be in a much better position than a lot of your competitors.

[Java Man]

Really good stuff, metal. I'm glad this got.bumped.

[krugerr]

This video goes over the basics of all the mandatories and quarter turns:

Video Link: http://www.probodybuilding.com/video/posing-tutorials/posing-tutorials-johnnie-jackson.php

Very good posing tutorial IMO. You can learn how to do all the basics from this video. Don't worry about other types of poses right now. Once you've got these down you can start trying little things to mess with your posing routine but the mandatories are what's by far the most important.

Something I have all my guys do is asking them to practice posing every day and learn how to hold each pose for 30 seconds. 30 seconds is an eternity at first but the more you practice the better you'll get at it. And by hold a pose I mean get into position without a bunch of twisting and adjusting. A bunch of twisting and adjusting is annoying to the judges and it generally looks bad. Go right into he pose, hold it without shaking and while keeping a smile on your face. When you first start practicing you will not be able to hold each pose perfectly without shaking and while keeping your entire body tight for 30 seconds, but if you practice every day you'll be able to work up to it. And the good news is rarely will you be asked to hold a pose during competition for a full 30 seconds but if you can you'll be in a much better position than a lot of your competitors.

Muchly appreciated. Ill give it a look over tomorrow! Just got back from work at its 5AM /yawn/

Love the tips you've posted too. Look forward to more!

[Back In Black]

Really good stuff, metal. I'm glad this got.bumped.

It has now been stickied

[bdos]

This is a really great read changed my view on a few things

[Metalject]

This is a really great read changed my view on a few things

How so?

[bdos]

How so?

Using gear to bulk up instead of prep if i where to compete i feel i have to gain alot more lbm. losing bf% isnt really an issue for me so i didn't think about using it to prep, also the feeling fantastic before you go on stage i thought a better self confidence would be better or did you mean feel psyically like crap?

[Metalject]

Using gear to bulk up instead of prep if i where to compete i feel i have to gain alot more lbm. losing bf% isnt really an issue for me so i didn't think about using it to prep, also the feeling fantastic before you go on stage i thought a better self confidence would be better or did you mean feel psyically like crap?

1. I've said this many times, if you're going to be a bodybuilder but you're only going to use gear for bulking or prep, not both just one, always pick prep time. If you're going to use gear, not using it during your prep makes absolutely no sense at all. In my opinion it doesn't make any sense not to use it during a diet if you're just trying to lean out and you're going to be a steroid user, but it makes even less sense not to use it for prep. Getting ready for a show means two things: losing body fat and protecting all the lean mass you can. You get down to low single digit BF levels, if there isn't adequate gear there you will lose muscle mass. Plus, you won't be nearly as conditioned.

2. Everyone always thinks they need more size to compete, but rarely is this true. First and foremost you're competing as an amateur. You're not competing against any true mass monsters in local shows, not generally. Second, why not compete in the weight class you're at now? Later on as you grow larger you can then worry about being in a bigger class. Third, I've seen plenty of guys who weren't even light heavy weights win overalls at a show. Also, consider this, Dexter Jackson, his first show he competed in and he won he didn't weigh 170lbs...if I remember right he was somewhere in the 150-160 range. Brandon Curry, when he won his first show he didn't weigh 200lbs.

3. What I meant about not feeling fantastic was physically related. Think about it, you've been dieting for weeks and training your ass off. Cardio, weight training and a constant round the clock prep and now to top it off you're dehydrated. Being dehydrated alone will make you feel like crap. Let's not forget most guys bottom their estrogen levels out before a show, add that to the pile and you feel more like crap. There's a reason bodybuilders look their best but are their absolute physically weakest before a show. Granted, you may very well be excited and have a good adrenaline rush before stepping on stage, but bodybuilding can be physically brutal....there's really no way around this. Have you ever heard of oxygen tanks and IV's back stage at a bodybuilding show? This isn't a rumor, it happens. I'm not saying you'll see it at every show or even at a local show but it happens.

[bdos]

1. I've said this many times, if you're going to be a bodybuilder but you're only going to use gear for bulking or prep, not both just one, always pick prep time. If you're going to use gear, not using it during your prep makes absolutely no sense at all. In my opinion it doesn't make any sense not to use it during a diet if you're just trying to lean out and you're going to be a steroid user, but it makes even less sense not to use it for prep. Getting ready for a show means two things: losing body fat and protecting all the lean mass you can. You get down to low single digit BF levels, if there isn't adequate gear there you will lose muscle mass. Plus, you won't be nearly as conditioned.

2. Everyone always thinks they need more size to compete, but rarely is this true. First and foremost you're competing as an amateur. You're not competing against any true mass monsters in local shows, not generally. Second, why not compete in the weight class you're at now? Later on as you grow larger you can then worry about being in a bigger class. Third, I've seen plenty of guys who weren't even light heavy weights win overalls at a show. Also, consider this, Dexter Jackson, his first show he competed in and he won he didn't weigh 170lbs...if I remember right he was somewhere in the 150-160 range. Brandon Curry, when he won his first show he didn't weigh 200lbs.

3. What I meant about not feeling fantastic was physically related. Think about it, you've been dieting for weeks and training your ass off. Cardio, weight training and a constant round the clock prep and now to top it off you're dehydrated. Being dehydrated alone will make you feel like crap. Let's not forget most guys bottom their estrogen levels out before a show, add that to the pile and you feel more like crap. There's a reason bodybuilders look their best but are their absolute physically weakest before a show. Granted, you may very well be excited and have a good adrenaline rush before stepping on stage, but bodybuilding can be physically brutal....there's really no way around this. Have you ever heard of oxygen tanks and IV's back stage at a bodybuilding show? This isn't a rumor, it happens. I'm not saying you'll see it at every show or even at a local show but it happens.

I realise all that now, im planning to start bulking in 2 days for the next year or so, thats the idea i had was everybody would be massive but weight classes are a good way to go, thought you did mean psyical aspect of it

[Doom44]

Awesome thread mate!!!

[Metalject]

I realise all that now, im planning to start bulking in 2 days for the next year or so, thats the idea i had was everybody would be massive but weight classes are a good way to go, thought you did mean psyical aspect of it

Just a bit of advice, you can take from it what you life.

When you bulk non-stop for a year or two most end up putting on too much fat or at least they find they really stagnate with growth. It's best to go through at least one diet per year and drop body fat to a low level even if you're not going to compete. The reasons for this is twofold, you don't put on too much body fat and more importantly growth in terms of actual lean tissue is always greater after a diet.

You come to an end of a diet and your metabolism is on fire and you will make greater progress in growth than at any other time. It's generally a good idea to take a little time off from training after a hard diet (how long varies from person to person) but once you start back you'll typically see some great progress. How much heavier will you end up? That's impossible to say but if you're doing things right you'll end up with more muscle tissue. Maybe you'll weigh more than you did last time but if not even if you end up weighing the same more of the weight will be quality weight.

Hope all this makes sense.

[Metalject]

Off-Season: Mistakes, Myths and Tips

1. One of the biggest mistakes most guys make is trying to grow for too long. The excuse is always the same "I'm not big enough" but you'll never be big enough, not in your own eyes and there will always be someone bigger than you on stage, always. Granted, there very well might be a guy here who's the heaviest super-heavy at his next show, but at the show after that there's going to be someone bigger.

When you're bulking you're necessarily eating more calories than you burn per day and this will result in body fat gain. When you continue to bulk year after year you inevitably gain more and more body fat. Does this mean you're going to be "Fat" by traditional standards? Maybe not, but it doesn't mean you're making good progress. Keep in mind, the more fat you gain the harder you'll have to diet, the harder you diet the more it will tax your body and the more you tax your body the more muscle mass you'll risk losing.

In my opinion, it's rarely (if ever) a good idea to bulk for a full year. If you're competing, even if you decide to take a year off from competing, you'll make better progress if you don't focus on nothing but growing for the entire year. You should at the very least go through a period where you let your body rest and just maintain, but a better course is to implement a simple diet and shed some of the weight. If you do this, I guarantee you you'll grow even better. You always grow better after a diet. If you continue bulking, you'll hit plateaus. Plateaus will always come regardless of what you do, but there's no reason to invite more of them. When you continue bulking non-stop you also risk severely slowing down your metabolism and gaining even more body fat.

2. There is no perfect right answer for the amount of calories you need to eat. One thing that drives me crazy is when I hear people say (in real life or on message boards) that you have to eat X amount of this nutrient and X amount of that to grow. Equally I don't care for "your calories should be X amount over your maintenance."

It's common for people to give advice based on what worked for them. On one hand this advice can be valuable, but when it's given in a way that implies this is what works perfectly for everyone it becomes ridiculous advice. This same rule applies to when you're getting ready for a show, but this bad bulking advice seems to be the most common.

I had a lot of training partners over the years, and while it didn't happen overnight I learned that just because my training partner was eating one way didn't mean I should. Of all the training partners I've had, there was one that was truly a genetic freak and I mean that in every sense of the word. He is the only human being on earth I've ever known who could hold over 200lbs at 5'10" or under and drop down to low single digit body fat without any gear. This is not normal, not even close. Add gear in and his size and muscularity gets ridiculous. Most of us are not this guy, I'd say less than 1% are this guy. Most of us cannot bench 315 for reps at 16yrs old or squat 500lbs at 18 ass to the floor for every bit of 10 reps. And most of us cannot consume 5000kcl per day and still stay pretty lean. Maybe you know a guy like this, and if you try to mimic his diet you'll probably get fat. I did, I mirrored it perfectly, trained with him and took everything he took...he grew and stayed pretty lean, I grew too but gained way too much fat. He did no cardio in his off-season and I did a lot of cardio and I still got way fatter than him.

3. If you're going to compete and use gear, you should use more gear when prepping than when bulking. Doing it the other way is backwards. If you use the same amount bulking and prepping there's nothing wrong with that, but using less during your prep makes no sense.

When you grew you did so because of the diet, training and gear you used. The excess hormones you put into your body helped to support the muscle mass you now have. Take away the excess hormones and you now have less hormones to support the maintenance of your muscle tissue, which is one of the two primary keys to successful competing - dropping body fat and maintaining muscle tissue.

I cannot count how many guys I've seen over the years use a ton of gear when bulking, start a diet that's well planned and they do everything right in their prep. However, they cut their gear in half and end up a lot smaller than they should have and then they're left scratching their head wondering what went wrong.

4. You should do cardio during your off-season. The idea that you'll slow down your growth if you do cardio in the off-season is one of the biggest lies and myths of all time. You will keep your metabolism burning stronger when you keep cardio in your plan, and when your metabolism is stronger you'll make better and cleaner progress.

Remember the genetic freak I mentioned above? Even he does cardio in his off-season now. Even he learned how to do things even better. And to reiterate a similar phrase I've already used in this thread - If Ronnie Coleman does cardio in his off-season, what makes you think you don't need to do cardio?

5. The best foods to eat in the off-season: The answer - the same foods you eat when you're dieting, just a little more of them. There's no secret bulking food. Granted, you can get away with a few more cheat meals, but how many is dependent on your genetics.

Genetics really are everything when it comes to bodybuilding. That may be unfair but life is unfair and genetics being everything is simply the reality. However, the most important aspect revolving around genetics, and I've said this in other threads is the genetic response to gear. You can train your ass off, eat perfectly and do all the right things, but you will always find a guy who does the exact same and grows better than you using half the amount of gear. Keep in mind, when I say "half the amount" I'm not implying he's using very little gear. Most bodybuilders who are serious about competing are using a ton of gear.

[Metal1877]

Absolutely amazing read, thank you sir!

[Iron Mind]

Great information here; really an eye-opener on the willingness to use gear in order to potentially win international competitions etc.

[Metalject]

Glad you guys have enjoyed this. I hope it's helped. If there's anything else you'd like me to talk about, let me know. I'm happy to share my opinions and thoughts. I don't claim them to be the greatest words of wisdom of all time, but I'm happy to share. I enjoy talking about this stuff.

[krugerr]

Glad you guys have enjoyed this. I hope it's helped. If there's anything else you'd like me to talk about, let me know. I'm happy to share my opinions and thoughts. I don't claim them to be the greatest words of wisdom of all time, but I'm happy to share. I enjoy talking about this stuff.

Could you post up a couple of different preps that you've used? By that I mean either a 10, 12 or 16 week and compounds, diet and cardio/training.

I realise this would be specific to you, so maybe just a general outline or one that you've recommended before.

[Metalject]

Could you post up a couple of different preps that you've used? By that I mean either a 10, 12 or 16 week and compounds, diet and cardio/training.

I realise this would be specific to you, so maybe just a general outline or one that you've recommended before.

Sure, here you go.

For a long time I did standard carb cycle diets. I would start with high protein, very low fat (almost none) and moderate carb. All 7 days of the week were the same each day. From there, once my fat loss started to stagnate, then I'd start cycling the carbs. For example:

Mon: 250g carbs
Tues: 250g carbs
Wed: 100g carbs
Thu: 250g carbs
Fri: 100g carbs
Sat: 500-700g carbs

As the diet progressed, there would be more 100g carb days and quite a few less than 50g carb days, basically just trace carbs from vegetables.

From there, my diets started to evolve into a rotation of moderate carb days, no carbs high fat days and then one low fat, low protein very high carb day. You can make either way work, but none of these are my favorite.

My personal favorite is keto. Less than 50g of carbs every day, high fat and protein. I simply feel better this way, no highs and lows in energy, and I feel I end up much harder in the end. The downside is there's a lot more strength loss but that comes back pretty quick after the diet.

Now over the years, as I got better at dieting, my keto plan changed. I would start the diet and keep carbs in for as long as I could but I'd keep them fairly low. Around 100-125g per day, nothing but oatmeal and maybe a little potatoes every now and then. I would always have one cheat meal per week. As time went by, my carbs would become less and eventually it was a keto diet. I should mention, even with the 100-125g of carbs my fat intake stayed high, the only thing that changed when I got into keto is my carb intake went down. Once I start keto, I would not have a cheat meal for 10-14 days making sure I got my body good into ketosis and then would reintroduce cheat meals and would leave them in for as long as I could. As more time went by, I'd start swapping my fats for vegetables a few days a week, so there would be 2-3 days per week where I ate nothing but protein and vegetables. The last 2wks this was generally all I ate until carb up.

Gear, I've done high and low dose cycles and more combinations than I can think of. My contest cycle would always begin 16wks out even if I didn't need 16wks of hard dieting. Although it didn't always work out this way, I normally had 4-5wks of no cycling before I started my contest stack with the exception of a low dose of testosterone during that time. There were, however, times when I'd go right from a large off-season stack right into dieting.

A pretty standard cycle for prep for me would look like this:

WK 1-8 NPP 200mg/eod
WK 1-12 Test-e 250mg/eod
WK 9-12 Tren -a 150mg/eod
WK 9-12 Masteron 150mg/eod
Wk 9-14 Winstrol 50mg/ed
WK 13-16 I'd switch test to Propionate in case I needed to drop my dose rapidly. Sometimes I did and sometimes I'd keep test around 200mg/eod all the way to the end. It never played out the same.
WK 13-16 Tren-a 100mg/ed
Wk 13-16 Masteron 100mg/ed
WK 15-16 Winstrol 100mg/ed

Anastrozle: Normally 0.5-1mg/eod the first 14wks and would increase to 1mg daily at the end.

HGH: 4-5iu/ed until 10-14 days out
T3: start at 50mcg and run it the entire diet. Normally at minimum 100mcg/ed by 10wks out and would end up around 150mcg/ed if needed.

Anadrol : Hit or miss on this one but if used, 25mg/ed minimum the last 2-3wks, sometimes 50mg/ed if I felt I was in really good shape.

EQ: For several years I used EQ in place of NPP at 300mg/eod.

Cardio: Always started with 45min in the morning every day. Would quickly get up to 60min per day whether I was on pace or not. The goal was to get into shape sooner than later. Most all diet I'd end up doing 60min 2x/day at some point and time.

Training: same as the off-season. If in full blown keto drop sets and super sets were very limited. No weight training session ever went for more than 45min. Chest was done easily in 30min. No reason on earth you can't get a good 12 sets of chest in 30min. There's no reason to train for endless amount of time when dieting. Honestly, there's no reason to in the off-season. I've never seen it help anyone. The long and short, training was more about maintaining the muscle mass you have. Everything else was diet and gear.

Food:

Chicken breast
Tiliapia
Oatmeal
Fillet
Salmon
Peanut Butter
Almonds, Walnuts or Cashews
Asparagus or Green Beans

That's it, nothing else. Condiments would be soy sauce, tons of it and mustard.
I would drink gallons of crystal lite and probably 4-5 diet cokes per day...usually diet DR. Pepper. I don't buy the "you can't drink diet soda on a diet" deal. Plus, it helps keep you sane.

Cheat meals would be massive and I do mean massive. Basically a gorge. Favorite cheat meals:

Sushi
IHop: steak omelet, 6 pancakes, a few glasses of milk, a lot of bacon, and normally half of whatever my girl was eating
Chinese Buffet

All cheat meals included ice cream and doughnuts as in 5-6 doughnuts.

Normally when eating the cheat meal, I would be drenched in sweat afterwards and my heart was pounding. 20min later I'd be starving. This didn't work this way in the beginning, but the longer I dieted the faster my cheat meals would burn right up.

Anyway, sorry if this is kind of all over the place.

I did have some prep cycles that contained Tren-a at 700-800mg/wk from 12wks out or so, one year for a full 16wks. One cycle I ran 1750mg of test per week and even Dbol at 100mg/ed the first 8wks. I never used Halotestin or Anavar when dieting. I never could get a good deal on quality Anavar and never felt the Halo was needed.

End of a diet, I normally could never sleep through the night. I would typically get very emotional if watching TV and would find myself crying for absolutely no reason. My brain usually turned to mush and I spent most of my day pissing my brains out. Each day was the same:

5:30am Cardio
Work in between
4:30pm training followed by cardio

*Meals were at the same time every day 7 days a week. Early on my diets were 8 meals per day, but later they were only 6 once I started doing high fat.

*Social life, zero. On the weekends I normally rested on my butt between the two gym sessions and cooked food for the following week. Every now and then I'd go to a movie but I'd often fall asleep. Pretty much I'd live for the cheat meal which was every Sat. night last meal of the day.

*Libido: non-existant at the end of the diet, probably the last month.

*Normally ran a small fever towards the end a lot of times.

*Soaked in a hot bath with epsom salt and rubbing alcohol 3x/wk

*Practiced Posing every day for 20-30min after training.

Sounds like fun huh? LOL!

[Back In Black]

Sounds like great fun, you're really selling it to us

MJ, can I ask your contest history? Not necessarily the shows you did but roghly when you did them, what category and maybe your placings?

We're they all worth it?

[Metalject]

Sounds like great fun, you're really selling it to us

MJ, can I ask your contest history? Not necessarily the shows you did but roghly when you did them, what category and maybe your placings?

We're they all worth it?

Sure.

My first show was not really a show. It was something put on by a chain of gyms in the area for firemen and policemen. But, the people that put it on didn't feel they had enough guys signed up so they asked some local gym buddies of theirs including me. In the end, I won. Needless to say the local FD & PD were pissed.

After that I competed in a real show about 4-5 months later. Middle weight and I got my ass handed to me. I didn't know what I was doing. In the FD/PD show, most of the guys were muscular but they were all fat for bodybuilding. I was right at 7%.

From there I did state level shows for 5yrs or so, mostly as a light heavyweight and eventually as a very light heavyweight. I never was all that good. It was very frustrating having friends who didn't have to work near as hard and they would look even better. Because of that, I started taking more gear to make up the difference. That helped but it's not the end all be all.

After the 5yrs, I competed for a few more, started to do better. Placed top 3 some, won my class a few times and qualified for nationals each year. But, every time I dieted for nationals I'd run into a wall. One diet I tore a hamstring 6wks out. The next year I injured my shoulder. The final year, and this one was the most heartbreaking, I became extremely sick. 2wks out I passed out at work, had a fever of 104 and every capillary in both legs from my ankles to my knees burst. Oh, and my face swelled up like I had walked into a hornets nest and my gut began to swell. I was rushed to the ER and the doctor told me it was because of my steroid use and said there was nothing he could do. All he did was look at me and that was the diagnosis he came up with. Finally, another doctor came in and talked to me and ordered some blood work. Long story short, I had become severely dehydrated and was on the verge of having a stroke. And no, I was not purposely dehydrating. Heartbreaking doesn't do the description justice. I had worked so hard for this one and looked better than I ever had. I stood 5'9" 197 and checked out at 4.3% in the dunk tank. But the prep ended...I wasn't willing to actually physically die.

Injuries over the years:
*Torn shoulder (I don't remember the medical term)
*Twisted vertebra
*Small pec tear in my left pec
*Shoulders are covered in bone spurs
*Torn hamstring (not severe)
*Dislocated shoulder 2x

Anyway, like I said I was never that good of a bodybuilder. I lack the magical bodybuilding genes. However, while still bodybuilding, I had done so much trial and error, I began helping others with their prep. I've always enjoyed doing that probably more than bodybuilding. I wouldn't call myself to best, but I think I'm pretty decent at it. You know how it is, usually the best athletes make the worst coaches and the best coaches weren't the best athletes. Over the years I've helped prep around 200 competitors, give or take a few. I've yet to have one not place top 5. Both men and women, bodybuilding, figure and bikini. I've had several do very well at national level shows, both in the U.S. and overseas. I've had one turn pro. I've done drug regiments for a handful of pros, not a ton, maybe 5-6. I've also done some diet/drug coaching for some small reality TV stuff...nothing outrageous.

Currently, I haven't been doing as much prep work the last couple years. I've been more focused on career things. I have, however, always kept a small base of people. I have one figure girl right now that is the first one I've ever had that is IMO a sure thing and one guy overseas who I think has a very good shot in the next year or two. However, recently I have been wanting to pick up a few more clients. I enjoy doing it but I always make sure I don't take on more than my time can allow for.

As far as bodybuilding, me and bodybuilding, I haven't had a strong desire to take a stab at competing in awhile. Every now and then I think about it and I may very well do it again, but only if it all falls in place. I do know I could do better than I did in the past simply because I understand what works for me a lot more than I used to. And if I did do it, I would still have someone who guides me. I don't care what anyone says, you can never see yourself accurately. No one can. But, I won't try to compete again if it's going to cause any issues with the rest of my life. So who knows. I'm in what I call OK shape now. I eat very clean and strict and train every week simply because I enjoy it. But I don't cycle anymore, I don't see the point. I'm not competing, I don't need it to pick up women (you can do that fat, skinny or muscular and ripped, and you can pick up the same quality girls in any condition if you know how to speak coherently IMO). Do I miss gear? Despite all I just said, yes. And I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, lol! I'm not 100% gear free, I stay on TRT...Test and HCG . No AI, don't need it. I also use a little T3 now and then if I'm wanting to lean out a little. Thank AR

If I ever do another cycle, just for fun, it will be low dose test (TRT level) and a lot of Tren and Masteron and I'm sure HGH.

Alright, there you go. Nothing all that exciting but that's the story or at least the short version...yes, that's the short version. Was it all worth it? Yes. I actually wouldn't have my job or my prior jobs if it weren't for bodybuilding. I'm not talking about contest prep, that's a side thing. However, I fully understand I'm one of the lucky ones. I was in the right place at the right time. I went to school to be an attorney but fate had different plans. Don't get me wrong, there have been some low moments, some hard struggling times, very hard, make you sick to your stomach hard, but it's all worked out in the end.

[kelkel]

Great read Metal!

[Java Man]

Great stuff metal. Very candid, informative, interesting.

[greekfreak]

very informative post Metal, i like the honesty. u say it like it is...

[Metalject]

very informative post Metal, i like the honesty. u say it like it is...

Thanks. No point in saying it any other way. Well, unless you're a bodybuilding magazine. In that case, lying your ass off about every last detail is the only way to do things...apparently, lol!

[Metalject]

Waiting to Compete & Competing too Soon.

*Waiting to Compete: You here it in the gym and see threads about this on message boards all the time. The comment is always the same "I want to compete but I need to be bigger." What's funny/strange about this is you'll hear it all the time from guys who already have a decent build. The point:

1. You will NEVER be big enough in your own eyes.

2. If you get caught up in thinking you need to bulk for a solid year or two, you will put on more fat or like many you really want change at all because you don't know what you're doing.

3. No matter how many times I say this, most of the time it falls on deaf ears...for an amateur bodybuilder conditioning is everything and size means very little. Yes, if there's a huge guy standing next to you that's every bit as ripped and conditioned, odds are he'll beat you. But guess what? This hardly ever happens. Go to any local show, most of the super heavyweights are extremely out of shape and a good portion of the heavyweights are too.

4. Think of your favorite bodybuilder, the one you admire most. Guess what? He won't be competing in your show and neither will the guy that placed last behind him at his last show.

5. Growth always happens best after a contest diet. If you really want to put on more size, DO NOT continually and endlessly bulk. Diet down, truly diet down, do a show and then plan things out right afterwards and you'll get more solid growth than you ever have before. If you do it right, I GUARANTEE you this will happen. The problem is, some guys do not do it right, actually a lot of guys don't. Two common things happen. A guy gorges and starts eating whatever he wants with no end in sight for weeks and months on end. Yeah, he may gain some size if he's still training but it's crap, he gets too fat and ends up having to kill himself next diet. Or the second thing, the guy goes balls to the wall right after a show with his training. He does not let his body rest and recuperate from the torture he's just put it through. In many cases, he spends the entire off-season doing things exactly like he did the past off-season, does his diet and ends up looking exactly like he did in his last show.

*Competing too Soon: Some of this might sound like it's contradicting the above. If it sounds that way, read everything again.

1. If you've been training for a few months, unless your a genetic freak, an ancient mythical figure from the heavens, you're not going to be ready to compete and be competitive.

2. If you're not less than 6% body fat, you're not ready to compete. Women, less than 15% for figure, preferably 10-12%, bodybuilders, preferably high single digit.

3. If you're really strong, one of the strongest guys in the gym and all your friends tell you that you look great but you're actually a fat ass, you're not ready to compete. You'd think this would be obvious, but it's not.

4. There are exceptions to the above three. If you're simply competing for competition sake and really don't care, by all means, slap on the banana hammock and enjoy.

[Metalject]

Maybe my most controversial post in this thread.

Losing Fat while Gaining Muscle.
I wrote an article on this years ago as it's one of the most common questions people have or one of the most common stated goals. When I wrote this article I explained you needed to focus on one goal at a time, leaning out or gaining muscle and that if you tried to do both at the same time you'd end up beating your head against the wall. I still stand by that but there is an exception. Who is the exception for? The hardcore bodybuilder and by "hardcore" I'm talking about someone who lives for this in a way that nothing else in his life or this earth matters.

The point in this post, yes it can be done and no most of you shouldn't do it, nor will you be able to afford it. This goes against everything you've heard about safe and responsible gear use.

Here's the time table starting with the last show the competitor competes in for the year.

Phase 1: Take time off from training and eating like a bodybuilder. You've just finished putting your body through hell and you're soon to put it through a massive shock again...rest! You will NOT lose all your gains..."GAINS" I've always hated that word, it's such a generalized meaningless word when it's used in this game...yes, you will become smaller during this rest period, big deal! Your body and mind need the break and the loss of size will be very temporary and when it's all said and done you'll be bigger than before. Now you can ignore this part and like so many retards keep pounding the gym like some barbaric moron with the idea that insane volume training makes you a better bodybuilder because you do more sets and take less breaks than the average guy, or you can for once actually be a good bodybuilder.

How long to take a break? After a diet with no more shows for the year, most should at minimum not step foot in a gym for a minimum of two weeks. That's a minimum. Most would be good to take a month. During this time, eat like a normal human being. Still eat, still eat clean, but enjoy a few cheat meals a week. Are you taking any gear during this time? Only if you need TRT.

Phase 2: Your off-season is here, the items you need:

a. Testosterone (butt loads)
b. HGH (You'll be fine with a small amount, 4-5iu per day but have enough to continually creep up all off-season until you reach a very high dose towards the end and through your contest prep.

That's it, that's all you'll need. Your off-season should be very simple and should surround food, testosterone and HGH.

*Nandrolone : You can use nandrolone if you want to but it's not essential.
*T3: You can use some T3 if you need it to help you maintain a leaner state, that's fine.
*IGF-1: You can use IGF-1, I prefer 4wk on/4wk off rotations.
Dbol : Yes, you can use Dbol if you just want to use it for fun, but it's not going to make any difference in terms of your finished product.

How long phase two last is hard to say, that depends on when your show is. Will you ever come off gear before your next break from training that will more than likely occur in the late fall and early winter? Absolutely not.

Phase 3: Contest prep, the items you need:

a. Testosterone (butt loads, just as much possibly more than you used during the off-season.) Consider regular testosterone as well as suspension if possible.

b. Nandrolone (butt loads)

c. Trenbolone (butt loads) if you don't like using Tren , you can't use Tren or you want to use something other than Tren-a, you will be severely diminishing your overall return.

d. HGH: 10iu per day minimum! The closer you can get to 20iu the better.

e. Insulin : If you really want to grow during your contest prep, this is the answer but you better have plenty of HGH in your system if you're going to use it during this phase. Most bodybuilders (amateurs) have no business using insulin, but if you're experienced, dead set on a pro card and care about nothing else, it might be worth consideration. Now, on a personal note, I'm a little conflicted about insulin use during a diet. Yes, it can work well but it can be better for some to dabble with in the off-season, but in the off-season there's more potential for more fat gain with its use. It's something you have to find the right mix with for yourself. If you use it during the prep phase, you shouldn't need a lot. When dieting, you'll be more carb and insulin sensitive than during your off-season, a little will go a long way.

IMPORTANT!!! DO NOT use insulin during your prep if you've never used it before!!!

f. T3 (but loads)

g. Masteron (a lot)

h. Anadrol (a small amount at the end)

*Anavar or Winstrol : Yes, you can use it but it's not going to make or break you.

*Clen : Yes, you can use it but it's not going to make or break you.

End result: You now look bigger and are leaner than you ever have been before. You've just put your body through turmoil and hell but you look better than you ever have before. Better in terms of sexier? Hell no, you look like a freak but that's what you wanted isn't it? So stand in your man bikini proud!

[stirated]

Maybe my most controversial post in this thread.

Losing Fat while Gaining Muscle.
I wrote an article on this years ago as it's one of the most common questions people have or one of the most common stated goals. When I wrote this article I explained you needed to focus on one goal at a time, leaning out or gaining muscle and that if you tried to do both at the same time you'd end up beating your head against the wall. I still stand by that but there is an exception. Who is the exception for? The hardcore bodybuilder and by "hardcore" I'm talking about someone who lives for this in a way that nothing else in his life or this earth matters.

The point in this post, yes it can be done and no most of you shouldn't do it, nor will you be able to afford it. This goes against everything you've heard about safe and responsible gear use.

Here's the time table starting with the last show the competitor competes in for the year.

Phase 1: Take time off from training and eating like a bodybuilder. You've just finished putting your body through hell and you're soon to put it through a massive shock again...rest! You will NOT lose all your gains..."GAINS" I've always hated that word, it's such a generalized meaningless word when it's used in this game...yes, you will become smaller during this rest period, big deal! Your body and mind need the break and the loss of size will be very temporary and when it's all said and done you'll be bigger than before. Now you can ignore this part and like so many retards keep pounding the gym like some barbaric moron with the idea that insane volume training makes you a better bodybuilder because you do more sets and take less breaks than the average guy, or you can for once actually be a good bodybuilder.

How long to take a break? After a diet with no more shows for the year, most should at minimum not step foot in a gym for a minimum of two weeks. That's a minimum. Most would be good to take a month. During this time, eat like a normal human being. Still eat, still eat clean, but enjoy a few cheat meals a week. Are you taking any gear during this time? Only if you need TRT.

Phase 2: Your off-season is here, the items you need:

a. Testosterone (butt loads)
b. HGH (You'll be fine with a small amount, 4-5iu per day but have enough to continually creep up all off-season until you reach a very high dose towards the end and through your contest prep.

That's it, that's all you'll need. Your off-season should be very simple and should surround food, testosterone and HGH.

*Nandrolone : You can use nandrolone if you want to but it's not essential.
*T3: You can use some T3 if you need it to help you maintain a leaner state, that's fine.
*IGF-1: You can use IGF-1, I prefer 4wk on/4wk off rotations.
Dbol : Yes, you can use Dbol if you just want to use it for fun, but it's not going to make any difference in terms of your finished product.

How long phase two last is hard to say, that depends on when your show is. Will you ever come off gear before your next break from training that will more than likely occur in the late fall and early winter? Absolutely not.

Phase 3: Contest prep, the items you need:

a. Testosterone (butt loads, just as much possibly more than you used during the off-season.) Consider regular testosterone as well as suspension if possible.

b. Nandrolone (butt loads)

c. Trenbolone (butt loads) if you don't like using Tren , you can't use Tren or you want to use something other than Tren-a, you will be severely diminishing your overall return.

d. HGH: 10iu per day minimum! The closer you can get to 20iu the better.

e. Insulin : If you really want to grow during your contest prep, this is the answer but you better have plenty of HGH in your system if you're going to use it during this phase. Most bodybuilders (amateurs) have no business using insulin, but if you're experienced, dead set on a pro card and care about nothing else, it might be worth consideration. Now, on a personal note, I'm a little conflicted about insulin use during a diet. Yes, it can work well but it can be better for some to dabble with in the off-season, but in the off-season there's more potential for more fat gain with its use. It's something you have to find the right mix with for yourself. If you use it during the prep phase, you shouldn't need a lot. When dieting, you'll be more carb and insulin sensitive than during your off-season, a little will go a long way.

IMPORTANT!!! DO NOT use insulin during your prep if you've never used it before!!!

f. T3 (but loads)

g. Masteron (a lot)

h. Anadrol (a small amount at the end)

*Anavar or Winstrol : Yes, you can use it but it's not going to make or break you.

*Clen : Yes, you can use it but it's not going to make or break you.

End result: You now look bigger and are leaner than you ever have been before. You've just put your body through turmoil and hell but you look better than you ever have before. Better in terms of sexier? Hell no, you look like a freak but that's what you wanted isn't it? So stand in your man bikini proud!

Excellent post mate, I have been reading most of your stuff in this thread and found myself constantly nodding my head in agreement.

A lot of guys will miss the best opportunity to grow after a show as they continue to eat garbage for way too long, sure get your cravings out of the way but your body is a anabolic sponge after you have dieted for many weeks, I think Dorian wrote something along these lines.

I also agree with arrest period, but for those that absolutely must do something try some light cardio like walking or maybe some rehab type swimming, give your body a chance to heal and more importantly your mind a rest and you will find your motivation will return with a vengeance.

I myself will be taking a break of sorts after my comp while getting some physio and massage work done to speed the healing process, then I will be following a very similar protocol to the one which you have outlined with the exception of the insulin.

I believe in the progression of things and at this stage of my career insulin is something im not ready for, but again you are right in the fact that if you want a pro card then this is something that must really be considered. I suppose as we get older you get more cautious and maybe insulin can be the last ace to be played once you have reached a plateau with AAS, GH and Thyroid, anyway great read and I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts.

[Metalject]

Excellent post mate, I have been reading most of your stuff in this thread and found myself constantly nodding my head in agreement.

A lot of guys will miss the best opportunity to grow after a show as they continue to eat garbage for way too long, sure get your cravings out of the way but your body is a anabolic sponge after you have dieted for many weeks, I think Dorian wrote something along these lines.

I also agree with arrest period, but for those that absolutely must do something try some light cardio like walking or maybe some rehab type swimming, give your body a chance to heal and more importantly your mind a rest and you will find your motivation will return with a vengeance.

I myself will be taking a break of sorts after my comp while getting some physio and massage work done to speed the healing process, then I will be following a very similar protocol to the one which you have outlined with the exception of the insulin .

I believe in the progression of things and at this stage of my career insulin is something im not ready for, but again you are right in the fact that if you want a pro card then this is something that must really be considered. I suppose as we get older you get more cautious and maybe insulin can be the last ace to be played once you have reached a plateau with AAS, GH and Thyroid, anyway great read and I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts.

When dieting is over for me, I'll normally take a week and do very little physical activity, at least nothing too strenuous. But after that I'm usually ready to be active again. There have been several times where I've gone hiking in the mountains for a week or so, enjoyed a camping deer hunting trip and will often take a vacation to the beach or something like that during this phase. Just let my body rest from the grueling training but still active and just enjoying life.

As far as insulin, that's such a tough one. I almost didn't mention it in that post because so many guys use it who shouldn't and so many who use it ruin their body, but when it comes to the truth about bodybuilding that's just part of it so it had to be in there.

Anyway, I'm glad you've enjoyed the thread. I'm not sure what all there is to mention that I haven't yet. Seems like most everything's been touched on a little. I don't like going into specifics like "take this exact much of this exact thing" on a general thread like this but maybe we can find a way to get a little more specific with things if people have questions.

[Cuz]

Im learning a lot reading this. But you say you have to take HGH to be on a national level. What about to turn pro. Do you have to have HGH and insulin and all the other "hardcore" drugs to turn pro? So far All I run is Test. I may kick it off with a few orals but never very long. Ive never tried any other injectable besides test. I want to compete one day but I don't want to risk my health to be on the national stage. Local competitions are fine for me. Im not trying to win a pro show or even turn pro. I have seen a few entry level "pro's" that I wasn't that impressed with though not to sound cocky. I agree though metal, im sure you do have to put a lot of drugs in your body to get to that level.

Ive done ok for a small dose of test in my opinion. My problem is I don't know a lot about competing, or conditioning to get ready for a show. Another problem I have is I am tall, 6'2. That could hamper my chances at winning also I would think. Is there a chance I could ever compete or should I just stop worrying about it and go on with my normal life of get off work and hit the gym?

[Metalject]

Im learning a lot reading this. But you say you have to take HGH to be on a national level. What about to turn pro. Do you have to have HGH and insulin and all the other "hardcore" drugs to turn pro? So far All I run is Test. I may kick it off with a few orals but never very long. Ive never tried any other injectable besides test. I want to compete one day but I don't want to risk my health to be on the national stage. Local competitions are fine for me. Im not trying to win a pro show or even turn pro. I have seen a few entry level "pro's" that I wasn't that impressed with though not to sound cocky. I agree though metal, im sure you do have to put a lot of drugs in your body to get to that level.

Ive done ok for a small dose of test in my opinion. My problem is I don't know a lot about competing, or conditioning to get ready for a show. Another problem I have is I am tall, 6'2. That could hamper my chances at winning also I would think. Is there a chance I could ever compete or should I just stop worrying about it and go on with my normal life of get off work and hit the gym?

I'm not saying the combo of HGH and insulin is necessary to turn pro but it is if you want to be pro and do well. Look at all the recent bodybuilders of the last 15-20yrs. Look at their pics from their pro card winning show, which is still amateur and then look at their pics from their first pro show often less than one year later. The difference is often night and day. In less than a year they go from competing at 210-220 to competing at 240 and being leaner than ever before. Phil Heath just a few years ago is one of the best examples of all time. Are there exceptions to this rule? Yes, there are exceptions to almost all the rules, that's why threads like this I refer to them as "General" because so many things can change from one guy to the next.

As for your situation, the height argument is a non-argument. Taller guys can still build great physiques. Gunter Schlierkamp Tony Freeman, Quincy Taylor, Lou Ferrigno...all good bodybuilders and all over 6'.

As for if you should compete, that's impossible to answer. You're the only one who can answer that. It may be one of those things you want to try just to see what it's like and get it out of your system. Or you might end up getting addicted to it, who knows. But either way, if you decide to do it make sure you go all in and don't half-ass it or you'll never know for sure where you stand and that's a sucky feeling with anything in life.

[kelkel]

You know Metal I absolutely love reading your diatribes on competing. I'm entertaining the idea again but it's such a double-edged sword, dammit.

[t-dogg]

I'm assuming you compete metal?

[Metalject]

You know Metal I absolutely love reading your diatribes on competing. I'm entertaining the idea again but it's such a double-edged sword, dammit.

I know what you mean. It's the epitome of love/hate. The only way I'd ever even consider it again is if I'm rich and if it won't hinder anything else in my life. For now, I enjoy what I do.

I'm assuming you compete metal?

Not anymore.

[t-dogg]

What do you do?

[Metalject]

What do you do?

I do everything, lol! My favorite thing to do on this earth is to come here and argue with austinite, lol!

In real life, I started out as a personal trainer while in college and did a lot of free lance writing for various websites and magazines, mostly websites. From there that lead to more things and I worked in that industry for a good while. Over time, I got more and more into hormone research and writing related articles. I have around 2500 articles on hormones out there floating around. Not too shabby but I still don't consider myself an expert. I don't do as much writing anymore, very little. Currently I simply work in a more business minded aspect of that industry. Funny how life works out, I grew up on a farm, went to school to be an attorney and now I talk about steroids and bodybuilding all day. Funny is probably an understatement.

[Cuz]

You know Metal I absolutely love reading your diatribes on competing. I'm entertaining the idea again but it's such a double-edged sword, dammit.

You could step on stage right now and blow everybody away.

[Cuz]

I'm not saying the combo of HGH and insulin is necessary to turn pro but it is if you want to be pro and do well. Look at all the recent bodybuilders of the last 15-20yrs. Look at their pics from their pro card winning show, which is still amateur and then look at their pics from their first pro show often less than one year later. The difference is often night and day. In less than a year they go from competing at 210-220 to competing at 240 and being leaner than ever before. Phil Heath just a few years ago is one of the best examples of all time. Are there exceptions to this rule? Yes, there are exceptions to almost all the rules, that's why threads like this I refer to them as "General" because so many things can change from one guy to the next.

As for your situation, the height argument is a non-argument. Taller guys can still build great physiques. Gunter Schlierkamp Tony Freeman, Quincy Taylor, Lou Ferrigno...all good bodybuilders and all over 6'.

As for if you should compete, that's impossible to answer. You're the only one who can answer that. It may be one of those things you want to try just to see what it's like and get it out of your system. Or you might end up getting addicted to it, who knows. But either way, if you decide to do it make sure you go all in and don't half-ass it or you'll never know for sure where you stand and that's a sucky feeling with anything in life.

Thanks for taking the time on such a detailed response. I may get to know you a little better so you can help me out on this stuff.

[krugerr]

Hey Metal - I was wondering if you could possibly discuss how some of the pro's cut so much fat without sacrificing lean tissue. I know you'll be speculating in some cases, just a general example.

Jay cutler for example, in his last bulk he was huge, how did he drop that much fat, he would have been losing more than a pound a week. Is it the high gear doses that allows them to use large deficits? Do they use the dreaded DNP ? Or do they really begin to cut that far ahead that they can preserve all tissue and cut slow?

Just curious!

[Metalject]

Hey Metal - I was wondering if you could possibly discuss how some of the pro's cut so much fat without sacrificing lean tissue. I know you'll be speculating in some cases, just a general example.

Jay cutler for example, in his last bulk he was huge, how did he drop that much fat, he would have been losing more than a pound a week. Is it the high gear doses that allows them to use large deficits? Do they use the dreaded DNP ? Or do they really begin to cut that far ahead that they can preserve all tissue and cut slow?

Just curious!

Sorry for the late reply. Some how I missed your post.

Man, it's simply drugs and genetics and lots of drugs. A lot of them do get pretty heavy in the off-season and we often say they've gotten fat, but they're really not that fat. Sure, they look puffy as all outside but we're talking about a lot of water retention in a lot of cases. And sure, some fat gain, but it's not like they're getting up to 30% BF or anything.

When you're using large amounts of HGH and thyroid, anything is possible. When you're doing that with genetics that carry such a strong, positive response to gear, then anything really is possible. And when you're taking the amounts of gear they are on, you're not going to lose muscle....that's not going to happen. So now you're in a calorie deficit and you're still carrying the same amount of lean tissue, which is going to make your metabolic rate insane and fat will just melt off.

DNP, for years I wondered about this too. It's not something people talk a lot about. We know they don't talk a lot about their gear use openly. If you're around them enough they'll talk about it a lot more in private circles, but DNP is still not spoken of much just like Synthol. However, over the years I did learn it was more common than I once thought, but I still can't say how common. I was surprised in a few cases though when I learned of a few people who used it and if they do I'm sure others do as well. George Farah has been accused of pushing DNP on his clients heavily over the years. Of course he denies it. It's a rumor that's been pretty steady for a long time, and I know of one competitor of his that I know for fact used DNP. But still, that doesn't mean he's asking all of them to do it.

A little side note, I may have mentioned this before...it's hard to remember what all I've mentioned in this thread but I found this interesting. I learned years ago that tummy tucks are pretty common in pro bodybuilding. Think about it, year after year you bulk and diet, bulk and diet and so on and so on. Your stomach year after year is stretched in and out. Anyway, I was having dinner at JR. Nationals one year with two retired pros...no names, but one very tall black man who competed through 2001-2010 and one guy who a lot of people always said should have gotten at least one Olympia in the 90's. I don't remember how it came up, but one of them mentioned so and so wouldn't be competing any more that year because of a tummy tuck he just had. So I had to ask how common that was and the tall one said, "pretty much everyone ends up doing it at least once." The other guy shook his head while eating and then said "yep, pretty much." That's always left me wondering if other things, other surgeries of this nature aren't more common so I asked. Both said more than likely but not as common as a tuck and the tucks are so common place people no one really thinks about it anymore.