Layne Norton

[dpd555]

Masters Nationals next year. Time to make a statement after all these years.

I'm gonna take Ron Coleman up on his offer. I know my posing is good but like he said with a few tweaks it could be better. : )

That's great to hear. How old are you?
As you know Ron Coleman was my coach for that show. Initially my posing was HORRIBLE, but Ron has been a HUGE help in that department. Ron will be guest posing at the NPC Hurricane Bay this Saturday. Let me know if you're going and we'll meet up!
Gotta mention Layne too. His pre-contest diet articles and advice made prep so much easier!

After pre-judging Ron came up to me and said "Dominic, the middleweight guy looks AWESOME, and it's going to be close for the overall". Most people thought your conditioning was more impressive than my size, so I was surprise to get the overall. I spent the afternoon in the sun and shed about a gallon water and put on a TON of Jan Tana to be as dark as possible...and it made a difference, but I REALLY need to improve my conditioning for the next show.
Definitely get with Ron to tweak your posing! You're gonna kick azz at the Master's Nationals!

[Tipsta]

That's great to hear. How old are you?
As you know Ron Coleman was my coach for that show. Initially my posing was HORRIBLE, but Ron has been a HUGE help in that department. Ron will be guest posing at the NPC Hurricane Bay this Saturday. Let me know if you're going and we'll meet up!

After pre-judging Ron came up to me and said "Dominic, the middleweight guy looks AWESOME, and it's going to be close for the overall". Most people thought your conditioning was more impressive than my size, so I was surprise to get the overall. I spent the afternoon in the sun and shed about a gallon water and put on a TON of Jan Tana to be as dark as possible...and it made a difference, but I REALLY need to improve my conditioning for the next show.
Definitely get with Ron to tweak your posing! You're gonna kick azz at the Master's Nationals!

Thank you for the kind words. I didnt know Ron was guest posing. Now I need to go to watch for sure! Are you competing? Can I tell you I was very depressed after realizing that I was in my home town and the last time they saw me was in 02 when I REALLY had it together. Knowing how much less of a bodybuilder I was made it hard to show such confidence and I was in regret of deciding to do it after the Florida. However, the addition of a new friend in the sport who already has an awesome attitude back stage and only being his FIRST show has made the experience all worth it. It takes guys years to realize that back stage we are all in the same boat and attitude isnt gonna do squat for your placing.

Thank you!!!

[dpd555]

Thank you for the kind words. I didnt know Ron was guest posing. Now I need to go to watch for sure! Are you competing? Can I tell you I was very depressed after realizing that I was in my home town and the last time they saw me was in 02 when I REALLY had it together. Knowing how much less of a bodybuilder I was made it hard to show such confidence and I was in regret of deciding to do it after the Florida. However, the addition of a new friend in the sport who already has an awesome attitude back stage and only being his FIRST show has made the experience all worth it. It takes guys years to realize that back stage we are all in the same boat and attitude isnt gonna do squat for your placing.

Thank you!!!

You're welcome! My first show was an incredible experience. The NPC Hurricane is a Level IVa show, like the Gulf Coast, so I can't compete laterally (says NPC Rules). That's OK, because I'm prepping for the NPC SouthEastern in Orlando on Oct 6th (Level 5, National Qualifier). I just wanna be the most conditioned SHW on stage.
I definitely need to pick your brain this Saturday if you attend the Hurricane. Let me know for sure if your going and I'll pick you up a ticket from Tim Gardener tomorrow-- I'll get the best seats possible. It's gonna be an awesome show

[JMS350Z]

Droppin sodium and water before a show, competing naturally.

Layne,
I was wondering your views on dropping my sodium and water before my show. My trainer has had me sodium loading until Thurs.(my show is on Sat.) as of Thursday no more protein shakes, just low sodium chicken for protein and brown rice for carbs. 100g spread through out the day, I've been 0 carbs since Sunday. Friday at noon, I am supposed to cut water except for what is needed to swallow my aminos and EFA's. After weigh-ins Friday night I am supposed to go out for a nice steak dinner with some potatos. How does this sound to you? Thanks in advance.
-J

[ah24]

Layne,
I was wondering your views on dropping my sodium and water before my show. My trainer has had me sodium loading until Thurs.(my show is on Sat.) as of Thursday no more protein shakes, just low sodium chicken for protein and brown rice for carbs. 100g spread through out the day, I've been 0 carbs since Sunday. Friday at noon, I am supposed to cut water except for what is needed to swallow my aminos and EFA's. After weigh-ins Friday night I am supposed to go out for a nice steak dinner with some potatos. How does this sound to you? Thanks in advance.
-J

Check Laynes video series episode on contest prep at bodybuilding.com, that'll answer that Q

[hulk7280]

Thank you for the kind words. I didnt know Ron was guest posing. Now I need to go to watch for sure! Are you competing? Can I tell you I was very depressed after realizing that I was in my home town and the last time they saw me was in 02 when I REALLY had it together. Knowing how much less of a bodybuilder I was made it hard to show such confidence and I was in regret of deciding to do it after the Florida. However, the addition of a new friend in the sport who already has an awesome attitude back stage and only being his FIRST show has made the experience all worth it. It takes guys years to realize that back stage we are all in the same boat and attitude isnt gonna do squat for your placing.

Thank you!!!

were the one at the florida iwth striped trunks?? my friend won the welters, the one with the "glutes", that was only his second show.. first year competing.. life time natural

[str8flexed]

Layne,
I was wondering your views on dropping my sodium and water before my show. My trainer has had me sodium loading until Thurs.(my show is on Sat.) as of Thursday no more protein shakes, just low sodium chicken for protein and brown rice for carbs. 100g spread through out the day, I've been 0 carbs since Sunday. Friday at noon, I am supposed to cut water except for what is needed to swallow my aminos and EFA's. After weigh-ins Friday night I am supposed to go out for a nice steak dinner with some potatos. How does this sound to you? Thanks in advance.
-J

let me guess.. he also told you to stop training on wednesday right?

[JMS350Z]

let me guess.. he also told you to stop training on wednesday right?

Yeah.....bad idea??

[Tipsta]

were the one at the florida iwth striped trunks?? my friend won the welters, the one with the "glutes", that was only his second show.. first year competing.. life time natural

Twas I. The stripped trunks were because of the Dirty Diana Kai Greene wanna be posing routine. Not my first choice but I thought it would be good for laughs. What did you think of it? Yes your friend gave me an ass kicking there as well but I'm kinda glad it turned out the way it did this year because with a few months of eating and training I think I could get back the rest of my lost physique.

Lifetime natural here as well.

[str8flexed]

Yeah.....bad idea??

i'm sorry but this is the typical peak week crap that every 'trainer' gives their client... it's like they take it off a cookie cutter conveyer belt.

1) if you stop training on wednesday your body has NO REASON TO HOLD ONTO ALL THAT GLUCOSE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE LOADING ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND IT ENDS UP IN THE SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE.

2) if you are going to load at all, the loading should be done when you are working out hard, earlier in the week,

3) you should never stop working out, light circuit training on thursday and friday will not impair your recovery or make you sore but will help retain the glucose within the cell

4) cutting sodium is just flat out dumb, listen to part one of my debate with **** ******* on MD radio. Essentially cutting sodium does nothing to help you. Your body is perfect at conserving sodium. If you cut it out totally your body will just stop excreting it and reabsorb everything. Only to reabsorb sodium it needs to also reabsorb water, but now since your blood pressure is reduced from sodium depletion, you don't have the pressure to keep the reabsorbed water in the vascular system and it goes where? the subcutaneous layer.

don't even get me started on the idiocy of cutting water.

I hate to sound like i'm ripping on your trainer but he is just giving you the same regurgitated crap that 99% of 'trainers' give their people. It's the reason you hear 99% of people at shows say "I looked so much better the week before or the day after"

-Layne

[hulk7280]

Twas I. The stripped trunks were because of the Dirty Diana Kai Greene wanna be posing routine. Not my first choice but I thought it would be good for laughs. What did you think of it? Yes your friend gave me an ass kicking there as well but I'm kinda glad it turned out the way it did this year because with a few months of eating and training I think I could get back the rest of my lost physique.

Lifetime natural here as well.

i thought you looked great.. rudy is a tough guy to beat he has an almost flawless physique, the only thing he needs more of is a back.. i actually thought he should have won the overall. He had superior asthtetics and conditioning.. the heavy that won was just big..

[crou]

Layne,
I read your article on the final week. If I have been having only 60 carbs a day max for my whole prep should I follow your final week carb rules or would this not work? I am really stressing now that the show is 10 days away so I would appreciate an in depth answer if possible. Thanks.

[jerryjuice]

Hey Layne,
Being natural, I have become a huge fan of yours and have been following you through your videoseries and forums. I am looking to finally compete next fall 08 sometime in an amateur show here in Canada and am treating this winter/early spring as my first real "offseason"...legs are a huge priority.
Would you mind taking a quick look at my leg routine for this fall/winter bulk and identify any GLARING problems. I respect that you dont have much time but anything that you can identify that jumps out as a prob would be appreciated my friend.Traditionally i have done legs once a week on saturdays with the following two routines interchanging each week. I would like to keep these two routines on the saturday and add in another leg day on Wed (usually one of my two off days). With my increased calories I think it should be fine. Here it is...any critique, changes, variation in reps..etc please let me know...im treating the saturday as more of a heavier day and wed focusing on quads/hams with high rep/high intensity day. I had read that incorporating the second day for you had worked and was not detrimental to your leg development.

SATURDAY (interchanging between a and b everyother week)
A) Standing Calve Raise 4x20
Leg Press Calve extentions 4x20
Sitting Donkey Calve 4x20
Squats 4x5 3x1 (pyramiding heavy to lighter on the singles)
Leg Press 4x10
1 Leg Quad Exten. 4x12
Lying Ham Curl 4x12

b) Standing Calve Raise 4x20
Leg press Calve Extentions 4x20
Sitting donkey Calve 4x20
1 Leg Quad Extentions 4x12
Lying Hamstring Curls 4x12
Squats 4x12
Leg Press 4x10

WEDNESDAY (my new day)

Standing Calve Raises 4x10
Leg Press Calves 4x10
Sitting Donkey Calve 4x10
Front Squats 5x20
Quad Extentions 5x20
SL Dlifts 5x20
Hamstring Curls 5x20

[str8flexed]

Layne,
I read your article on the final week. If I have been having only 60 carbs a day max for my whole prep should I follow your final week carb rules or would this not work? I am really stressing now that the show is 10 days away so I would appreciate an in depth answer if possible. Thanks.

isn't earl doing your final week?

[crou]

isn't earl doing your final week?

Yes but I thought it was weird and unusual that he said to just keep everything the same. He told me to stop training tuesday, cut my water from my usual 2+ gallons a day to 3/4 gallon on Thursday, 1/2 gallon Friday, and sip water on the show day. He said to have a sweet potato before pre-judging and sweet potato/steak between pre-judging and the night show. I know that I have used him for 18 weeks but im just really nervous and I am coming to you for help bc you are very knowledgable. Please Layne help a brother out.