Any beginners need help, just ask

[Buadain]

Texan9,
Just a few comments and suggestions...

You may want to bring your lower body up, with heavy squats and SLDL's, as well work hard on improving on your calves, before you consider entering a contest.

Also consider working on your chest and traps with heavy compound exercises.

Whatever you decide, best of luck

[Texan9]

Cool thanks for the advice. I will definately be trying to bring up the lower half and add more muscle. I appreciate it

[Tipsta]

Cool thanks for the advice. I will definately be trying to bring up the lower half and add more muscle. I appreciate it

Start training your legs with feet in a V stance the same as you would stand on stage to emphasize the angles the judges will be judging. Gives a smaller leg the illusion of a larger more complete look.

[bulldog21]

Cool thanks for the advice. I will definately be trying to bring up the lower half and add more muscle. I appreciate it

Also you should do some heavy prexhaust work (Before you hit the heavy compound movements on your quads.. i.e. Hacks, squats, etc.) on the adductor machine to build your upper inner thighs....Getting these muscles bigger will help with the illusion of quad thickness and sweep...

[Texan9]

Also you should do some heavy prexhaust work (Before you hit the heavy compound movements on your quads.. i.e. Hacks, squats, etc.) on the adductor machine to build your upper inner thighs....Getting these muscles bigger will help with the illusion of quad thickness and sweep...

Ok sounds good. I am all natural but I'm just gettin real frustrated lately cus I have tried heavy,light,high rep, low rep, everything to get those quads and calves to grow and it seems like they are but very very slowly. I haven't seemed to have this problem with any other muscle group except the traps. Guess I gotta keep poundin away and mixin it up.

[Chicken Legs]

Adductor machine is hell! I do it maybe once a month, good point bulldog.. also throw in some wider legged (toes pointing out) squats... It took me almost a year to catch my legs up to my upper body and what has really helped was heavy deep squats and walking lunges.

[Alex A]

Alex, just wonderin if u could give me some of that great advice you have! Am 6 foot 178 lb 21 years old 31 inch waist around 8%bfat lifting about 3 years. Currently usind a 3 day on day off, push/pull approach(simialr to Laynes, with HIT cardio on off days and high carb on leg days). I do low intensity cardio twice a week for 30 minutes a session. Daily macros about 2750 cals, 225 carbs, 50 g fat, 300 g protein. Should I bulk then attempt a show early in 08 or am I closer to contest ready now and begin my contest diet? Any weak areas? Thanks

This is the best advise i can give you but you might not want to hear it. THis is what I would do.... Give yourself time.

Keep eating, training heavy and give it time. I dont believe in bulking.... it usually means putting on fat. Believe me, there is no way to put on quality muscle fast.

Now gaining weight fast is another story, but like i said, it usually means getting fat and holding a ton of water also.

I would keep training and bring up everything, legs, shoulders etc. Your frame is built around two major muscle groups.

One being your shoulders and your legs. But keep training everything as well. You have a nice lean start though, keep it up! take care alex a

[Alex A]

Texan 9 you have some great things going, i forgot to mention..... One being your young and your lean. Nothing worse than trying to build muscle and all you see is fat, im serious...NO need to get fat here..

Another is that you have taken the time to listen to others.

Somtimes people will ask me a question and all they are really doing, well it almost seems like they are trying to teach me somthing or justify what they are doing because they are not really paying attention or listening, if you know what I mean.

Take good advises seriously! Many of us have been there and done that.No need for you to make the same mistakes we have.
I used to get really fat off season, etc. When im seeking advise I tend to find a phsique on a person whom I admire or want to realistically look like. Of course looking at Mr Olympia or past genetic freeks is not realistic.

Keep working toward improvement. Many of us get so complacent and i see it every day in the gym. Some people out there are just going through the motions..

Same crappy workout day after day and year after year they look the same.

I try to make my workouts vey dynamic(always changing) and exciting. I love training, not because I have to, because I want to. I look forward to the gym, every bit of it, including cardio and eating clean.

[Texan9]

Texan 9 you have some great things going, i forgot to mention..... One being your young and your lean. Nothing worse than trying to build muscle and all you see is fat, im serious...NO need to get fat here..

Another is that you have taken the time to listen to others.

Somtimes people will ask me a question and all they are really doing, well it almost seems like they are trying to teach me somthing or justify what they are doing because they are not really paying attention or listening, if you know what I mean.

Take good advises seriously! Many of us have been there and done that.No need for you to make the same mistakes we have.
I used to get really fat off season, etc. When im seeking advise I tend to find a phsique on a person whom I admire or want to realistically look like. Of course looking at Mr Olympia or past genetic freeks is not realistic.

Keep working toward improvement. Many of us get so complacent and i see it every day in the gym. Some people out there are just going through the motions..

Same crappy workout day after day and year after year they look the same.

I try to make my workouts vey dynamic(always changing) and exciting. I love training, not because I have to, because I want to. I look forward to the gym, every bit of it, including cardio and eating clean.

Thanks for the time and advice you have given. That is why I asked you (and others out there) because I know you have been thru it all pretty much and have suceeded. As for the bulking, I agree with you. I would rather stay in shape year round and make good solid gains, but many others have told me that the only way to add mass to my frame is to add weight and conduct a bulking offseason. I have thought about it but I just can't see myself adding that much fat and water because I enjoy looking like I am in shape. Thanks for everything and I won't hesitate if I have any more questions

[MrsRockyStar]

Can you work with women?

[Alex A]

Can you work with women?

Yes... And here is why... I'm giving allot a way here but who cares anyways. I am not competing against you or anyone here for that matter..

Ok, let me tell you that my style is a conditioning style of training..

I have written up a program that I share with the competitors I am helping, but it involves training to be complete of course and have muscle, but to be ultimately conditioned. And i follow this style of training year round. When contest time comes around, i take it to the next level.

I find that females are more into conditioning than men, especially off season. Guys are more concerned with the term "bulking". I prefer to put on muscle slower but add quality rather than just numbers to the scale.

[scoobysnacks]

Hi Jason, im going to look at your pics for sure! The tanning problem I had just totally eliminated me from the first callout!

My conditioning was spot on, i was fuller and better all around prior to dropping down to make weight so as a welter I would have done well.

I have to put it past me thought. It does kill me though to think about it. i was actually tied for 6th place but the tie breaker between us landed me in the 8th spot which is horrible.

But actaully, anything less than first was not satisfactory for me, especially seeing some of the guys that placed ahead of me, I had beaten at the USA.

Im not bitter toward them or anyone though. Presentation is a big part of competing at nationals and having such a horrible color along with all that oil, ruined my look. But I was in the wrong weight class as well. I did learn alot from this as I will not make these mistakes again.

Thanks for your comments, i appreciate that. Alex a

Yeah no disrespect to Carlo P, but I think based on the pics you posted earlier before all the dropping weight you would have easily given him a run for his money in the welters. But, I guess thats a big part of this peaking correctly and holding your conditioning, we do live and learn.

No rush on taking a look, just when you get a chance.

BTW, I agree with you, no reason to sloppy bulk--people like to continually see that scale moving up quickly when you know 1/3 is water and 1/3 is fat, then you lose the 1/3 extra muscle dieting your butt off to get that fat back off. I prefer a slow gain, not as satisfying on the scale sometimes, but you look good season round and that muscle is quality.

Take care,

Jason

[crou]

Alex,
Do you think I have what it takes to compete and do well on the national level (NPC)someday. Here is a link to some pictures. Any comments/critisicm would be greatly appreciated from someone of your stature in bodybuilding.
http://forums.musculardevelopment.co...ad.php?t=19004

[scoobysnacks]

Crou,

Not Alex, but go to the Contest Pics section and click on the Nationals link. Check out the bantams there. Those represent the best in the country in 2007, I think you could hang. Anytime you have your level of conditioning that you brought you will be dangerous. Now, would I put you any higher than 7, probably not, but the fact after one show that you could hang is pretty darn good.

Thats just my opinion, but put a few contests under your belt and i think you could do well, assuming same level of conditioning and you take that extra 3 1/4 pounds that would still keep you in the bantam division.

I watch these National shows and always check out the guys in our weight class, give me something to shoot for and lets me know where i stand.

Take care,

Jason

[Alex A]

Yeah no disrespect to Carlo P, but I think based on the pics you posted earlier before all the dropping weight you would have easily given him a run for his money in the welters. But, I guess thats a big part of this peaking correctly and holding your conditioning, we do live and learn.

No rush on taking a look, just when you get a chance.

BTW, I agree with you, no reason to sloppy bulk--people like to continually see that scale moving up quickly when you know 1/3 is water and 1/3 is fat, then you lose the 1/3 extra muscle dieting your butt off to get that fat back off. I prefer a slow gain, not as satisfying on the scale sometimes, but you look good season round and that muscle is quality.

Take care,

Jason

Thanks buddy, i really appreciate that ! I really had made a bad decision to drop down to the lightweights. I should have just held my weight right here. Look at these pics, I was 163 and could have adjusted my food to stay right around this weight with 5 days to go.