Training between BB Contests


Hi CT,
Was wondering if you had any advice on training while doing back to back bodybuilding contests (4 weeks apart). In your opinion, would you change anything from what led you to the current condition. Realistically speaking, is it possible to make any sort of improvements in the 4 weeks between contests (it is drug tested, natural contest)?

Below is a pic of my contest, would appreciate any feedback that you feel I can do to improve b/w contests. Thank you in advance!

[quote]parrao79 wrote:
Hi CT,
Was wondering if you had any advice on training while doing back to back bodybuilding contests (4 weeks apart). In your opinion, would you change anything from what led you to the current condition. Realistically speaking, is it possible to make any sort of improvements in the 4 weeks between contests (it is drug tested, natural contest)?

Below is a pic of my contest, would appreciate any feedback that you feel I can do to improve b/w contests. Thank you in advance! [/quote]

Amazing condition! I would not mess with anything diet wise. 4 weeks is too short to try to gain a lot of mass by increasing calories. You risk doing more harm than good.

What I would do is pick two bodyparts that you really want to improve and specialize on those muscles for the 4 weeks, training them 3 days per week (on the same days) then do the rest of your body over 2 or 3 other workouts.

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]parrao79 wrote:
Hi CT,
Was wondering if you had any advice on training while doing back to back bodybuilding contests (4 weeks apart). In your opinion, would you change anything from what led you to the current condition. Realistically speaking, is it possible to make any sort of improvements in the 4 weeks between contests (it is drug tested, natural contest)?

Below is a pic of my contest, would appreciate any feedback that you feel I can do to improve b/w contests. Thank you in advance! [/quote]

Amazing condition! I would not mess with anything diet wise. 4 weeks is too short to try to gain a lot of mass by increasing calories. You risk doing more harm than good.

What I would do is pick two bodyparts that you really want to improve and specialize on those muscles for the 4 weeks, training them 3 days per week (on the same days) then do the rest of your body over 2 or 3 other workouts.[/quote]

Thanks CT! It means alot coming from you and I appreciate your feedback! I’ve actually been trying to do what you said. My 2 parts I am focusing on are my thighs and calves. So what I have been doing is 3x a week, I come in for a morning workout, and I do lower body (then additional 30 min SS cardio, walking on an incline, heart rate average around 115).
I’ve been doing Leg extensions and calves. I would like to try and incorporat your Growth Factor Method, with the leg ext, by doing drop sets, not sure how I can do mechnical drop sets with leg extensions. But I give myself about 12 minutes worth of work capacity before doing calves for another 8 minutes. I love doing Hack Squats on the machine, but they definitely wear me out for my evening workouts and not sure if that is counter productive, or if I should just suck it up? any opinion?

Either way, my plan is just doing this one last contest in October and taking all of next year to work on my lower body. I am 6’2 so I have always had problem putting weight on and always had the long lanky look :-(.

But I would certainly appreciate your feedback on whether i should be doing hack squat machines or leg extensions as my additional work for my weak parts.

Thank you again, in advance! Love your articles!
Parrao79

[quote]parrao79 wrote:

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]parrao79 wrote:
Hi CT,
Was wondering if you had any advice on training while doing back to back bodybuilding contests (4 weeks apart). In your opinion, would you change anything from what led you to the current condition. Realistically speaking, is it possible to make any sort of improvements in the 4 weeks between contests (it is drug tested, natural contest)?

Below is a pic of my contest, would appreciate any feedback that you feel I can do to improve b/w contests. Thank you in advance! [/quote]

Amazing condition! I would not mess with anything diet wise. 4 weeks is too short to try to gain a lot of mass by increasing calories. You risk doing more harm than good.

What I would do is pick two bodyparts that you really want to improve and specialize on those muscles for the 4 weeks, training them 3 days per week (on the same days) then do the rest of your body over 2 or 3 other workouts.[/quote]

Thanks CT! It means alot coming from you and I appreciate your feedback! I’ve actually been trying to do what you said. My 2 parts I am focusing on are my thighs and calves. So what I have been doing is 3x a week, I come in for a morning workout, and I do lower body (then additional 30 min SS cardio, walking on an incline, heart rate average around 115).
I’ve been doing Leg extensions and calves. I would like to try and incorporat your Growth Factor Method, with the leg ext, by doing drop sets, not sure how I can do mechnical drop sets with leg extensions. But I give myself about 12 minutes worth of work capacity before doing calves for another 8 minutes. I love doing Hack Squats on the machine, but they definitely wear me out for my evening workouts and not sure if that is counter productive, or if I should just suck it up? any opinion?

Either way, my plan is just doing this one last contest in October and taking all of next year to work on my lower body. I am 6’2 so I have always had problem putting weight on and always had the long lanky look :-(.

But I would certainly appreciate your feedback on whether i should be doing hack squat machines or leg extensions as my additional work for my weak parts.

Thank you again, in advance! Love your articles!
Parrao79[/quote]

Mechanical drop sets with leg extensions involve changing the feet/thigh angle.

  • Leg extension feet/thigh rotated in, then;
  • Leg extension feet/thigh neutral, then;
  • Leg extension feet/thigh rotated out

For the hack squat:

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]parrao79 wrote:

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]parrao79 wrote:
Hi CT,
Was wondering if you had any advice on training while doing back to back bodybuilding contests (4 weeks apart). In your opinion, would you change anything from what led you to the current condition. Realistically speaking, is it possible to make any sort of improvements in the 4 weeks between contests (it is drug tested, natural contest)?

Below is a pic of my contest, would appreciate any feedback that you feel I can do to improve b/w contests. Thank you in advance! [/quote]

Amazing condition! I would not mess with anything diet wise. 4 weeks is too short to try to gain a lot of mass by increasing calories. You risk doing more harm than good.

What I would do is pick two bodyparts that you really want to improve and specialize on those muscles for the 4 weeks, training them 3 days per week (on the same days) then do the rest of your body over 2 or 3 other workouts.[/quote]

Thanks CT! It means alot coming from you and I appreciate your feedback! I’ve actually been trying to do what you said. My 2 parts I am focusing on are my thighs and calves. So what I have been doing is 3x a week, I come in for a morning workout, and I do lower body (then additional 30 min SS cardio, walking on an incline, heart rate average around 115).
I’ve been doing Leg extensions and calves. I would like to try and incorporat your Growth Factor Method, with the leg ext, by doing drop sets, not sure how I can do mechnical drop sets with leg extensions. But I give myself about 12 minutes worth of work capacity before doing calves for another 8 minutes. I love doing Hack Squats on the machine, but they definitely wear me out for my evening workouts and not sure if that is counter productive, or if I should just suck it up? any opinion?

Either way, my plan is just doing this one last contest in October and taking all of next year to work on my lower body. I am 6’2 so I have always had problem putting weight on and always had the long lanky look :-(.

But I would certainly appreciate your feedback on whether i should be doing hack squat machines or leg extensions as my additional work for my weak parts.

Thank you again, in advance! Love your articles!
Parrao79[/quote]

Mechanical drop sets with leg extensions involve changing the feet/thigh angle.

  • Leg extension feet/thigh rotated in, then;
  • Leg extension feet/thigh neutral, then;
  • Leg extension feet/thigh rotated out

For the hack squat:

[/quote]

Thanks Coach!! will start incorporating these mechanical drop sets ASAP!! I really appreciate your help and feedback on this!!
Sincerely,
Parrao79