T Nation

Powerlifting Aesthetics: An Unexpected Journey

Bodybuilding
#1

Whats up guys figured I’d start a contest prep journal to log my journey towards my 1st physique competition, the npcmidwest.com/events/st-louis-pro-figure-bikini-and-npc-midwest-championships/ as a Novice physique competitor on March 17 - 2 months away!! Hopefully a log will help me gauge my progress and make it easier on myself, since this is the first time I’ve had to cut/diet. Also a place to post all of my pics lol

Insight/Background:

As of this post, I am 22 years old at 157lbs bw

I have been competing in powerlifting for the past 4 years, hitting elite totals in both the 148 & 165 lb weight classes. My most recent competition was the Night of the Living Dead (NOTLD) in 2011, where I missed a 512 pull @ 20 yrs old. Since then my PR’s have been a:

350 Bench @ 157 lbs

500 x 3 deadlift @ 151 lbs

405 x 3 squat I just hit last week, unfortunately no vid :frowning:

Training:

I’ve never focused on aesthetics at any point of my training really, it’s all been strength based - wrestling in high school and the powerlifting during college. I’ve gradually shifted towards a mountaindog style of training with the big 3 still being the heart & soul of my training. My goal is to compete in both physique while maintaining an elite level in powerlifting

Physique:

These 2 pics were taken about 4 days ago

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https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/20016_10151431563015120_1487083831_n.jpg

Front flexed a month ago
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/59597_10151353583665120_598197209_n.jpg

Back relaxed a month ago

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Lat spread a couple of months ago

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Back same time

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I’m really thinking/considering consulting Meadows at the start of Feb since I’ve heard the leaning out phase can either make or break your chances at placing. My posing right now is absolutely atrocious right now, when flexing I hold my breath and look bloated lol, get lightheaded and cramp up. Gotta figure that out!! Anyways, should be fun!! Thanks for reading

#2

Very impressive all around, since you wont be training in a PL style has your strength suffered much?

#3

[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Very impressive all around, since you wont be training in a PL style has your strength suffered much?[/quote]

I haven’t been on a structured PL program since Nov. and I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. Starting my workouts with the big 3 and then following it with Mountaindog is doing wonders for me right now. I’m expecting strength to suffer once I start hardcore cutting

#4

I have been tinkering with Mountain Dog stuff after my OH press day, fucking killer. Best of luck man, I will definitley be following.

#5

Look good man. Legs?

EDIT: Just realised you’re entering a physique competition. Some wheels would still be good though man.

#6

Judging from those pics, your “leaning out” phase might need to last about two days, my friend.

Good luck! I’ll be following, keep us posted!

#7

impressive! 2 months seems like a lot of time to me considering how lean you are

#8

Nice dude, you look really awesome and those lifts are impressive. Best of luck with everything, I will definitely keep my eye on the thread If you keep posting pics and videos.

#9

This will be a cool log, I’ll be following!

#10

Thanks guys. For as strong as my legs are, they look like they belong to those kids you see on those donate $1 a day commercials haha. My quads aren’t really that bad, but not that great either, my calves are horrendous though. They will definitely be stressed from now on

Anyways today was deadlift day for me

5 min bike warmup then stretched doing the Agile 8

Deadlift -

225 x 12
315 x 3
405 x 1
455 x 1
485 x 1
500 x 1
500 x 1

Felt some tightness with my right knee to the point of where I couldn’t bend it for a goo 10 min. It’s died down but it’s gonna be sore as **** tmrw, I’ve been working up to sets of 1 on 500 3 weeks in a row right now, I think it’s taxing my knees too much

Leg curls

70 x 20
80 x 20
110 x 12

At this point my knee was really bothering me :confused:

Leg Presses

4 plates x 20
4 plates x 20

Kettlebell swings

30lbs x 1 min
40lbs x 30
40lbs x 30

Crazy sweat worked up with this

Seated calf raises

2 plates x 50
2 plates x 50

10 min elliptical cool down

#11

[quote]Efeguwewe wrote:

[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Very impressive all around, since you wont be training in a PL style has your strength suffered much?[/quote]

I haven’t been on a structured PL program since Nov. and I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. Starting my workouts with the big 3 and then following it with Mountaindog is doing wonders for me right now. I’m expecting strength to suffer once I start hardcore cutting[/quote]

I REALLY like doing the big three in some capacity at least 3 days a week at the beginning of your training session. It is absolutely awesome for strength.

#12

I guess for leaning out I’d get my bf% checked which I plan on doing sometime this week. From what I’ve been told and from research online some guys start prep from 6-18 weeks out. I’ve never done this before so I’d like to try as slow of a cut as possible without losing any mass. It seems like a lot of novice guys run into the problem of doing too drastic of a cut too quickly

#13

How tall are you? You look big for 157. Looks like you have a nice small waist which always looks great. I’ll guess you shouldn’t need more than about 6 for prep.

#14

[quote]ESX wrote:
How tall are you? You look big for 157. Looks like you have a nice small waist which always looks great. I’ll guess you shouldn’t need more than about 6 for prep.[/quote]

I’m 5’7/8ish with a 28 in waist. I just got some of my blazers tailored and my jacket size was a 44s if that helps put anything into perspective. It seems everyone is recommending not only from here but other places as well that I would only need 6 weeks of cut. That seems perfect and all if this wasn’t my first rodeo, but since it is I’m bound to fuck up somewhere. It’s better to start to soon rather than too late (zraw <3)

#15

[quote]Efeguwewe wrote:
I’m expecting strength to suffer once I start hardcore cutting[/quote]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. As long as you don’t diet moronically, you should be able to maintain strength.

I know when I have leaned up, my ability to endure is what suffers. For example, higher rep sets and long and/or high volume workouts are killer. But shorter bursts of higher intensity are still no problem when lean.

#16

In4n00dz, kthx

#17

[quote]timmcbride00 wrote:

[quote]Efeguwewe wrote:
I’m expecting strength to suffer once I start hardcore cutting[/quote]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. As long as you don’t diet moronically, you should be able to maintain strength.

I know when I have leaned up, my ability to endure is what suffers. For example, higher rep sets and long and/or high volume workouts are killer. But shorter bursts of higher intensity are still no problem when lean.[/quote]

Yep this is a first for me so it’s all projections right now, I have no idea how my body will react to the change in training style. I think the bulk of my training will be the latter, short burst of high intensity as that’s what I’m built for

#18

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Had a really really sick chest pump today

Worked up to 2 sets of 1 on 340 bench

Chest flyes w/ 2 sec squeezes

Rear delt raises with hard squeeze at top

Heavy partial lat raises

DB skullcrushers

Cable crossovers

Light lat raises with squeeze at top

30 min posing practice

#19

Don’t know why it’s sideways but here’s normal

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I’m somehow down to 152lbs right now so I think I’m leaning out a bit too quickly

#20

You are a strong dude. As others have said, i dont think you’re going to need to get too “hardcore” with your cutting. A nice bonus to this is that you probably wont suffer much strength loss, if any, since you are already so strong at such a lean bf level.

I see width from the front being a bit of an issue, you have a really narrow torso and high lats, which is gonna make them damn near invisible in front poses. Chest and shoulders definitely dominate upper body. Also, calves.

Ill be following, best of luck to you.