Author Topic: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!  (Read 127130 times)

AVBG

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Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« on: June 21, 2007, 03:22:52 PM »
We're starting a new Q&A thread for Baby_Hercules.

AVBG

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2007, 03:24:27 PM »
To begin..


Q. Give us all you training background?

Q. What is your training split?

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2007, 04:22:27 PM »
To begin..


Q. Give us all you training background?

Q. What is your training split?
Its an honor to have my own thread for people to ask me for advice. I only hope that I am able to answer most  of your questions. For the most part I can tell you things that have worked for me or some of my clients in the past.

I began weight training in high school for wrestling. I found myself getting pretty strong rather quickly. Lifting was what we did for fun in my neighborhood growing up. I majored in physical education in college. I attended Alabama State University. College is where I got my first experiences with personal training and competitive bodybuilding. A friend of mine saw a flyer for a natural competition in the gym and said that I should do it. This was during my sophomore year in college. I got with a guy named Ray Adkison who showed me how to diet and train for a show. The name of the show was the ANPPC All-Natural Gulf Coast Night of Champions. It was held in Mobile,AL. I won the overall in the novice division and my class in the open division. Needless to say I was hooked after that. I have been competing since 1995 and have been competing on the national level since 1999. I have placed in the top 5 in three national level NPC events as a natural competitor.
  I have been personal training since about 1994. I started as a trade-out trainer for Gold's Gym in Montgomery. I would take beginning members through their introductory workouts when they signed up for a membership at the gym in exchange for a free membership. When I graduated from college in 1998 I took all that I learned in school plus all that I had learned from bodybuilding and began working as a paid personal trainer for World Gym in Montgomery,AL. I have been a health/physical education teacher/coach since 1998. I am now going into my 10th year as a teacher. I am currently teach all the weight training classes and coach wrestling, cross country, and track & field at Jonesboro High in Jonesboro, GA. (Atlanta Suburb)

As for my training split, this is what I've found to be most effective for me:
3 days on 1 day off
Example:
Mon:Quads & Calves
Tues:Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
Wed:Hams & Calves
Thurs:Rest
Fri:Back, rear delts, Biceps
Sat:Light leg day(quads & calves)
Sun:Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Mon:Rest and repeat

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2007, 04:30:04 PM »
How tall are you? & what is your weight?

BTW - excellent physique.

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2007, 04:59:47 PM »
How tall are you? & what is your weight?

BTW - excellent physique.
Thanks.
I am 5'4" and I compete around 150 pounds. In the offseason I weigh around 170.

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2007, 11:34:12 PM »
150lbs is pretty big being shredded in a competition for 5'4 for a natural.  Do you attribute it to genetics, diet, training or what?  Also what kind of diet do you do in the offseason and about what is your bodyfat level when you arnt competing?  Very impressive for a natural.

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2007, 06:29:59 AM »
150lbs is pretty big being shredded in a competition for 5'4 for a natural.  Do you attribute it to genetics, diet, training or what?  Also what kind of diet do you do in the offseason and about what is your bodyfat level when you arnt competing?  Very impressive for a natural.
I have been at it for a while. I started out competing as a 132 pound bantam. In the 12 years that I have been competing through hard work and very few layoffs, I have put on 20 pounds of muscle. I would say its a combination of genetics and years of training. I would say my bodytype is ecto-mesomorph.
  Offseason I pretty much eat whatever I want. I just make sure though to keep my protein intake to at least 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, my sugar intake moderate, and my saturated fats low. I don't get too fat in the offseason. My bodyfat has never gotten higher than 10%.

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2007, 11:08:15 AM »
A question that I get asked quite often is what did I do to develop my triceps.
I would have to say that the exercises that I did for chest and shoulders laid the foundation for my triceps development. When I first started working out my workouts primarily consisted of bench presses, inclines, dips, push ups, and military presses. Since I only had free weights at home and no machines this is pretty much what I was limited to. When my dad started taking me to the gym to workout with him is when I started including triceps exercises like pressdowns, kickbacks, and other isolation movements in my workouts. Taking chest and shoulder exercises through their full range of motion not only stimulates the primary muscles, but also heavily stresses the triceps. Its common practice nowadays to not take these exercises through their entire range so as to emphasize the target muscle, but I don't totally agree with that. The human body was designed for each of its muscle groups to function as a unit, not as single muscles in isolation. So as a beginner thats how I believe you should train. Leave the partial reps for when you become more advanced.


njflex

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2007, 06:49:25 PM »
i've already complimented herc few times,has very good lines,and clean lol muscularture ,it's balanced and he looks bigger than he is,ur back is very seperated and has that jagged muscle look to it,i was suprised at your body part breakdown,and how many days per wk u train consecutive.you probably know your body well and the term "overtraining" isn't going to affect you.everbody's body is different,how many sets are u running on bigger body part's,and then smaller groups?

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2007, 05:49:02 AM »
i've already complimented herc few times,has very good lines,and clean lol muscularture ,it's balanced and he looks bigger than he is,ur back is very seperated and has that jagged muscle look to it,i was suprised at your body part breakdown,and how many days per wk u train consecutive.you probably know your body well and the term "overtraining" isn't going to affect you.everbody's body is different,how many sets are u running on bigger body part's,and then smaller groups?
On large muscle groups like back, legs, and chest I'll do 4-5 sets of 4 exercises.
On smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps, etc. I'll do 3-4 sets of 2-3 exercises.
As for my training split if I feel like I'm overtraining I'll go 3 days on 2 days off, or 4 days on 3 days off to include more rest time.

AVBG

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #10 on: June 27, 2007, 05:45:36 PM »
Hey B.H, you're doing a good job with the thread!

Let me know something, you've trained some people over the years.. What type of cardio protocol do you recommend for a "slower metabolism"? HIT? or long/consistant? heart rate?

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2007, 07:10:17 PM »
Hey B.H, you're doing a good job with the thread!

Let me know something, you've trained some people over the years.. What type of cardio protocol do you recommend for a "slower metabolism"? HIT? or long/consistant? heart rate?
As long as they're progressing consistently I'll keep them doing 30-45 minutes at 75% THR. If they aren't progressing I'll mix it up to keep the body guessing. For example we'll go 65% THR for an hour one day and then 85% THR for 20 minutes the next. Never let the body get used to one type of cardio or one intensity level for too long.

Knives

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2007, 05:57:00 PM »
As for my training split, this is what I've found to be most effective for me:
3 days on 1 day off
Example:
Mon:Quads & Calves
Tues:Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
Wed:Hams & Calves
Thurs:Rest
Fri:Back, rear delts, Biceps
Sat:Light leg day(quads & calves)
Sun:Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Mon:Rest and repeat

Why do you only hit back and hams once and every thing else twice?

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2007, 06:58:34 PM »
My back is ahead of everything else. I am trying to bring up my chest and quads. As for my hams they usually get hit indirectly on back day with deadlifts, and on quad day with lunges and squats.

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2007, 06:11:47 AM »
It's great to see that you have your own Q&A section.  I think you have a knowledge to offer.   Do you do cardio year-round?  If so, do you increase it once you start prepping for a contest? 

Interestingly, you and I are roughly the same size on paper.  Yet you appear considerably larger than me.   I'm kicking around the idea of doing the GA masters next year.  I've won every category (as a lightweight) in GA, except the masters.  It's going to be nice picking your brain for ideas. :)

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #15 on: June 29, 2007, 07:42:50 AM »
It's great to see that you have your own Q&A section.  I think you have a knowledge to offer.   Do you do cardio year-round?  If so, do you increase it once you start prepping for a contest? 

Interestingly, you and I are roughly the same size on paper.  Yet you appear considerably larger than me.   I'm kicking around the idea of doing the GA masters next year.  I've won every category (as a lightweight) in GA, except the masters.  It's going to be nice picking your brain for ideas. :)
Thanks for visiting my q&a section, and also for your compliments. I have had the benefit of picking the brains of some pretty knowledgeable people over the years such as IFBB Pro Vickie Gates, my original trainer Ray Adkison,IFBB Pro Tricky Jackson, IFBB Pro Jimmy Canyon, IFBB Pro Jonathan Rowe, GA NPC Chairman Ty "Ropeman" Felder, and IFBB Pro Willie Stallings. I have taken from each of these very knowledgeable people what I can apply to my own physique and used it to develop my own training philosophy.

 As for your question on cardio I don't do cardio in the offseason. I do however do it during precontest training. I'll start with 20-30 minutes a day at about 12 weeks out and gradually increase it to 60-90 minutes a day. I wish you the best of luck in your training for the Georgia. Let me know if you have any questions about anything. Where do you train?

wes

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #16 on: June 30, 2007, 07:00:41 AM »
Great physique and great thread!!

What type of cardio do you do pre-contest?

Thanks!  :)

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #17 on: June 30, 2007, 12:26:00 PM »
Baby H,

1) How often do others try to demean your accomplishments by attributing your physique to the use of steroids?
2) In terms of the size that can be achieved without drugs, what do you think is the limit?
3) Do you think any of the following achieved their success without drugs (just your yes/no opinion):
 a) Mike "The Natural" Ashley 5'7 225
 b) Yohnnie "Mr. Universe" Shambourger 5'7 180
 c) Michael "The Rocket" Lockett 5'9 230

Nice to have u here.

Edly
BigNationRadio.com

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #18 on: June 30, 2007, 06:01:17 PM »
Great physique and great thread!!

What type of cardio do you do pre-contest?

Thanks!  :)
Thanks.
I mix it up. I'll do either, treadmill, eliptical, stair climber, or upright bike. I always try to stay around 75% THR or slightly higher. On my lazy days I'll do the recumbent bike. You have to keep your body guessing when it comes to cardio. Plus it just gets boring doing the same machine everyday for an hour to an hour and a half.
I hope I answered your question and thanks for posting on my thread. PM me with any questions.

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #19 on: June 30, 2007, 06:21:13 PM »
Baby H,

1) How often do others try to demean your accomplishments by attributing your physique to the use of steroids?
2) In terms of the size that can be achieved without drugs, what do you think is the limit?
3) Do you think any of the following achieved their success without drugs (just your yes/no opinion):
 a) Mike "The Natural" Ashley 5'7 225
 b) Yohnnie "Mr. Universe" Shambourger 5'7 180
 c) Michael "The Rocket" Lockett 5'9 230

Nice to have u here.

Edly

1)Of the people who've asked me do I use steroids, I'll assume most are just asking out of curiosity and not with any demeaning intent. For example, I teach high school kids. Most of what they know about steroids comes from the 6:00 news. They see my physique and wonder if I take them too. If they still don't believe me I just take it as a compliment.
2)I honestly don't know if there is a limit on the size of a natural bodybuilder. When it comes to genetics you have extremes at both ends of the spectrum. I know guys from my high school weightlifting class who were pretty big and strong naturally. If you wanted to get your name on the top 10 bench press wall, you had to bench at least 300. None of the guys I went to school with could afford steroids, or supplements for that matter. Their diets were bad. It was all genetics and hard work. My wrestling team looked like they all could have stepped on a teenage bodybuilding stage and done well.
3)Mike Ashely - Yes
   Yohnnie Shambourger - Yes
   Mike Lockett - Who knows? I'd like to believe he is.

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #20 on: June 30, 2007, 08:28:48 PM »
Do you do any strength training?  Or do you mostly stick to training with moderate weight and getting a pump?

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #21 on: June 30, 2007, 08:58:01 PM »
Do you do any strength training?  Or do you mostly stick to training with moderate weight and getting a pump?
I train mostly in the 8-12 rep range going as heavy as I can for that number of repetitions. I plan to start doing some training in powerlifting after my competitions this summer to add some density to my physique. I am supposed to be working with world champion powerlifter Krista Ford. She trains at my gym. This woman is the real deal. Her squat and deadlift are in the 500's. She benches about 270. Thats tremendously strong for a woman, or the average man for that matter. Krista was also on the Olympic Bobsled team. I hope to learn a lot from her.

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #22 on: July 01, 2007, 01:31:39 AM »
Thanks.
I mix it up. I'll do either, treadmill, eliptical, stair climber, or upright bike. I always try to stay around 75% THR or slightly higher. On my lazy days I'll do the recumbent bike. You have to keep your body guessing when it comes to cardio. Plus it just gets boring doing the same machine everyday for an hour to an hour and a half.
I hope I answered your question and thanks for posting on my thread. PM me with any questions.

Hey there Baby_Hercules, fantastic physique mate. How do you feel about cardio on an empty stomach in the morning. I'm thinking about doing some light stuff in the mornings while i watch the breakfast tv at home ;D.

Baby_Hercules

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #23 on: July 01, 2007, 05:58:02 AM »
Hey there Baby_Hercules, fantastic physique mate. How do you feel about cardio on an empty stomach in the morning. I'm thinking about doing some light stuff in the mornings while i watch the breakfast tv at home ;D.
I think its an excellent strategy when trying to lean out. I'm doing myself as a matter of fact. You are better able to burn fat for energy when you're on an empty stomach. If you don't want to do cardio on a completely empty stomach you can take in a little protein before hand.

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Re: Ask Baby_Hercules Q&A thread!
« Reply #24 on: July 01, 2007, 06:57:49 AM »
Thanks for the reply. I'm going to give it a go first thing in the mornings and see how it goes. I normally have a shake as soon as i get up followed by some eggs etc, but i'll try on an empty stomach first and add a quick shake if i feel i need it 8) Cheers mate :D.