Would you hire a "guru" or adviser to help get ready for your 1st show?

[gordiano]

What do you weigh? Is that for pre-contest?

Right now, I'm hovering at around 198-202lbs.  Not pre-contest, just cutting.

[MikeThaMachine]

Right now, I'm hovering at around 198-202lbs.  Not pre-contest, just cutting.

I have found that recently on my lower calorie diet I have been gaining more lean mass. I didn't weigh myself for a few weeks cause I felt small cause I wasn't eating as much but I seemed to look bigger. turns out I lowered my BF% but kept most of the weight if not gained some. I don't use anything other then protein shakes and an ECA stack which I have been off for 2-3 weeks (about to go back on). I say screw most supps anymore except actual roids.

[Van_Bilderass]

In theory getting in shape isn't rocket science. The value of a "trainer" or "guru" is having a second set of eyes keeping you on the right track. You tend to keep second guessing and doubting yourself as you go along.

[gordiano]

I have found that recently on my lower calorie diet I have been gaining more lean mass. I didn't weigh myself for a few weeks cause I felt small cause I wasn't eating as much but I seemed to look bigger. turns out I lowered my BF% but kept most of the weight if not gained some. I don't use anything other then protein shakes and an ECA stack which I have been off for 2-3 weeks (about to go back on). I say screw most supps anymore except actual roids.

I know what you mean. As long as I bust ass in the gym, I've seen some gains despite the caloric deficit. At first I was shooting for a pound or two loss a week, but I'm not concerned with that now, as I seem to be retaining muscle and even gaining. I'm dropping bf, so that's a good sign. Best thing I can hope for, as a natural.


I still use NO-Xplode. I recommend it, if you haven't tried it. As far as protein, I use Met-Rx.

[The Luke]

I once worked with a guy who was 78 kg (172 lbs) at 11% bf and eating 2,500 kcal per day...

I changed his diet around, changed a few of his staple foods; a few new foods; a few neutriceuticals; some vitamins; new meal plan; new meal timing; new training regimen (less cardio)...

The result?:

Two weeks later he was going nuts! He'd gained about ten pounds of fluid and fat and didn't like it... but he'd promised to stick with my changes for a full month, and he was as good as his word. But he was very suspicious of my 3,600 kcal per day recommendation as it was much more than he would ever normally eat...

A month after that (total six weeks later) he had his bodyfat tested again (same method, same tester):
82 kg (181 lbs) at 9% bf... and he couldn't believe it. Less training, less dieting, less cardio... more results.

Thats:
172 lbs (153 lbs solid) (19 lbs of bodyfat)
...to...
181 lbs (165 lbs solid) (16 lbs of bodyfat)

...a 12 pound muscle gain with a simultaneous 3 pound fat loss.


You don't have to starve yourself to get contest ready, not if you know what you're doing... if you don't know what you're doing, ask someone who does... (or hire someone like me).


The Luke
PS- sorry danielson, I wouldn't post my current pic: I'm 230 lbs at about 25% bf with long hair and a full beard (small movie part)... although I might take my pic and post it when it can be compared to my normal 190-200 lb expedition physique later in the summer.

[gordiano]

In theory getting in shape isn't rocket science. The value of a "trainer" or "guru" is having a second set of eyes keeping you on the right track. You tend to keep second guessing and doubting yourself as you go along.

Very true.


I think the hardest part is figuring out what YOUR body responds/doesn't respond to. After that, just be consistent.....

[The Luke]

I think the hardest part is figuring out what YOUR body responds/doesn't respond to. After that, just be consistent.....

Good point gordiano... but if you've done enough study (sometimes in fields outside of nutrition) you can actually quantify a lot of the "variables" involved... there isn't enough genetic variation among modern humans to produce significant variations in the basic biochemistry involved. What confuses people are the small racial variations and the HUGE variation in dietary habits; hormone profiles; and the resultant effects on training response.

When I work with a precontest (or offseason) bodybuilder I do a full evaluation before I ever give any nutritional advice.

Body structure; joint measurements; tendon attachments; joint flexibility; limb ratios; bodyfat measurements; relevant medical history... anything and everything that might be important.

Then I evaluate all the weird little anthropometric nuances that only geneticists are interested in... finger length ratios, jaw structure, foot shape, calf structure... they all hint at the underlying genotype, whether it has been fully expressed or not. It's a simple matter of diagnostics.

After a full physical evaluation, that's when I advise a basic healthy diet... and then I evaluate the trainer's workout regimen. Specialised dietary recommendations are my third priority, because so many people make huge progress once the basic mistakes are removed from their bodybuilding efforts and I don't want them to think that the ten pounds they gained almost overnight are due to my recommending vitamin C when in fact it's down to them finally squatting and deadlifting properly. I prefer to convince people that I understand the proper implementation of the basics rather than attempting to build myself up as some kind of enigmatic oracle. 


If more coaches and trainers simply kept up with the cutting edge science we'd have a lot more healthy, well developed natural bodybuilders who never had to resort to steroid abuse.

The Luke

[D.L. 5]

Title kinda says it all, how many on here would go it alone vs. getting the help of someone more experienced to guide them along?

i hired the jewish doctor Dr. Krowinskynberg.

he fucked up my prep.

[gordiano]

Good point gordiano... but if you've done enough study (sometimes in fields outside of nutrition) you can actually quantify a lot of the "variables" involved... there isn't enough genetic variation among modern humans to produce significant variations in the basic biochemistry involved. What confuses people are the small racial variations and the HUGE variation in dietary habits; hormone profiles; and the resultant effects on training response.

When I work with a precontest (or offseason) bodybuilder I do a full evaluation before I ever give any nutritional advice.

Body structure; joint measurements; tendon attachments; joint flexibility; limb ratios; bodyfat measurements; relevant medical history... anything and everything that might be important.

Then I evaluate all the weird little anthropometric nuances that only geneticists are interested in... finger length ratios, jaw structure, foot shape, calf structure... they all hint at the underlying genotype, whether it has been fully expressed or not. It's a simple matter of diagnostics.

After a full physical evaluation, that's when I advise a basic healthy diet... and then I evaluate the trainer's workout regimen. Specialised dietary recommendations are my third priority, because so many people make huge progress once the basic mistakes are removed from their bodybuilding efforts and I don't want them to think that the ten pounds they gained almost overnight are due to my recommending vitamin C when in fact it's down to them finally squatting and deadlifting properly. I prefer to convince people that I understand the proper implementation of the basics rather than attempting to build myself up as some kind of enigmatic oracle. 


If more coaches and trainers simply kept up with the cutting edge science we'd have a lot more healthy, well developed natural bodybuilders who never had to resort to steroid abuse.

The Luke

Good stuff, man.......sound like it's very much worth the money.

[The Luke]

Good stuff, man.......sound like it's very much worth the money.

...you should see the look on the faces of some of these so-called bodybuilders when I tell them what their projected maximum natural measurements are.

Most of them using large amounts of steroids are nowhere near those measurements, or anywhere near my (lifetime natural) regular training poundages.

It's a little disheartening explaining the realities of real-world bodybuilding to a skinny kid who thinks he can build 24'' arms in two years naturally... most of them are avid Flex magazine memorizers... usually you can tell if someone has a poor aptitude for bodybuilding just by measuring their finger length ratios. But very few people know that.

-Luke

PS-danielson, I don't have any pics; and I wouldn't post them at the moment (very fat), but if you really want to get an idea of what can be done naturally there is a short video of me on the web... pm me and I'll send you the link.

[LatsMcGee]

I thought everyone here worked with Goodrum for their shows?

[MikeThaMachine]

I know what you mean. As long as I bust ass in the gym, I've seen some gains despite the caloric deficit. At first I was shooting for a pound or two loss a week, but I'm not concerned with that now, as I seem to be retaining muscle and even gaining. I'm dropping bf, so that's a good sign. Best thing I can hope for, as a natural.


I still use NO-Xplode. I recommend it, if you haven't tried it. As far as protein, I use Met-Rx.

When I had the money I used all kinds of different stuff and NO-Xplode was by far one of my favorites. Right now I am too broke so I just got the basics but haven't seemed to skip a beat. One thing I need to do though is keep from overtraining which I have a tendency to do, I am lucky I am young so I can take it but it will really start to catch up with me sooner or later. I agree though that it's better to rely on the mirror then the scale, only thing I use a scale for is to make sure I never drop below 200lbs again