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Contest Preparation Journal – 5 Weeks Out

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Excalibur 2012

Friends, it is with great disappointment that I am announcing my withdrawal from the Excalibur contest on December 1, 2012. Certain issues have kept me from focusing completely on the goal and I do not want to give less than 100% effort to the cause. After much contemplation, I consulted with my coach and decided not to continue contest preparation at this time.

However, because I have been having great results I am going to continue training and eating the way I was during contest prep. My goal will be to bring up lagging body parts. Thus, my new focus is going to look something like this:

  • Leg  training – weekly
  • Biceps training – 3x a week ( 1 pump style and 2 heavy and use different angles every time)
  • Triceps training – 3x a week (1 pump style and 2 heavy and use different angles every time)
  • Back training – 2x a week (1 for thickness and 1 for width)
  • Chest training – 2x a week (heavy weights)
  • Shoulders – weekly (aim for hitting every head and hitting the traps at each shoulder training)

I will continue with the supplements I've been using and the regimen that has been working for me. Watch for major success in the future as I grow to a size I've never been before.

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Y3T Training System: Looking Back

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Why Y3T?

At the start of my Excalibur contest preparation cycle I utilized the Y3T system of training. I now would like to give you my impressions of that system and what, if anything, I learned from it.

First, Y3T is a system invented by Neil Hill. Flex Lewis is one of the bodybuilders who uses it on a regular basis. It involves changing up the type of training you perform every single week. It is a 3 week cycle that gets repeated 3 times for a total of 9 weeks. 

Strength Gains

I found that I made strength gains while on Y3T. I believe it is because the system cycles you through various repetition ranges and that forces all muscle fibers to be engaged during a 3 week cycle. 

Recovery

Recovery started to become an issue as the program went on. At first I was fully recovered and ready to train by the time a body part was scheduled again for training. This because frustrating because I'd have to adjust the schedule to accommodate the fact that I was not yet recovered. I believe that the system is so intense that recovery becomes more difficult. In the long run, there are ways around this as long as you are willing to be flexible with your training schedule.

Muscle Growth

I gained size while on Y3T. My back improved as did my shoulders. There is something to be said for the approach used in this program. It has heavy days, light days and extremely high repetition days. These each stimulate growth in their own unique way. What I thought about while utilizing this training is that certain body parts on me respond to different types of training. Y3T automatically handles this by including 3 types of training over the 3 week cycle. It obviously worked well for me.

Overall Impression

This program is very well thought out, but it involves a body part split. If you've been reading my contest preparation journals you will know that I am currently not sticking to a body part split type of training. I use my instincts and train what needs to be trained.  If I were to incorporate Y3T into my training schedule again, I would skip the body part schedule and just use the workouts as outlined. I would cycle the type of training as programmed into Y3T. I think that the concepts are very helpful for the budding bodybuilder. 

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3 Fundamentals for Building Bigger Arms

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Building bigger arms is most every bodybuilder's goal. With most other body parts the bodybuilder would blast away at the muscle with extra heavy weights and get results. I've personally improved my back this way. However, the arms are very different. They require a strategy in order to see growth. Today I want to discuss 3 fundamentals for building bigger arms that you can employ in the gym to see fantastic results.

Use the Correct Angle

Your biceps and triceps are made up of multiple muscles. Hitting these muscles from various angles is the only way to insure that they will grow. Most people make the mistake of doing the exact same exercises over and over. They wonder why the are not getting any results. Do your research and find out what exercises target which part of your arms.If you make sure to hit your arms from every angle possible you will see impressive growth numbers. How do you manage to hit the arms from different angles? Simple–use different benches.

Let's say you are doing French Presses for your triceps. You can do this lying or standing. If you do them lying on a flat bench, switch things up and do them on an incline bench. You could also use an incline bench as well. This will change up the angle and keep your triceps guessing. TIP: Change the angle each workout and your muscles will continually have to guess at what is going on.

Get a Good Pump

Getting a pump feels good, but it also enhances the stretch on the muscles. This causes the arms to grow by bringing all the nutrients and oxygen necessary for growth straight to the front lines. One suggestion is to do a blast workout and a pump workout. I train my arms 3 times a week. Twice I use light weights and go for a pump and the third time I use heavy weights and blast my arms hard with a lot of sets. 

Use a Wide Range of Rep Ranges

Just as it is important to hit your arms from different angles, it is important to push your arms to their limit from time to time. One way to accomplish this is to vary your repetition range. By hitting them with lower reps and heavier weights you stimulate the fast twitch fibers. By hitting them with higher reps and lower weights you stimulate the slow twitch fibers. This gives you a complete assault on your arms that will spur them on to more growth. 

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Excalibur Contest Prep Journal – 6 Weeks Out

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Excalibur 2012

Excalibur is now 6 weeks out and I am in the best shape I've been in. At the same time, I am starting to panic. Some personal issues in my life are starting to interfere with consistent training and nutrition. I have to re-focus myself and fast or I am going to let this slip away. That simply is not an option for me. These are the times that discipline followed without any thought is what I need.

I have been leaning down nicely and gaining muscle. I am looking much more ripped now than I did when I stepped on stage on April 14, 2012, yet I am 20 pounds heavier. That's thanks to the muscle I've built since April. I have worked hard at improving my physique in areas where it needs improvement. I am working certain body parts 3 times per week. I am pushing harder and harder–until this week!

This week I was not getting enough sleep. That lack of sleep took down my motivation levels tremendously. It is not something I have a lot of control over either. Just things on my mind that are keeping me from getting the job done. This is something that is very important to me and I will not allow myself to fail. I've come too far and my preparation coach has done too much work for me to allow failure to be an option.

I am now changing the way I am thinking about this. I am allowing myself to be OK with missing a couple of workouts in the past. I am not going to be OK with it going forward though. By changing my thinking and accepting that I've made some mistakes in the past week, I am giving myself permission to move forward. It will make a difference if I let it.

I am still training instinctively. I don't stick to a split anymore. I just train what needs training on a particular day, focusing on building lagging body parts. It works well. If you are tired of worrying about splits, give this method a try.

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The Role of Sleep in Your Growth

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If you want to gain size then you have to get enough rest. Sleep allows for maximal recovery and growth. While sleeping your body shuts down and that allows other metabolic processes to take over and work more effectively. When you are continually smashing your body with weight workouts, sleep becomes essential.

If you are having trouble sleeping, it is possible that the intensity of your training is interfering with the production of Melatonin in yor body. You can always supplement with Melatonin from a bottle. Using Melatonin is especially helpful if you experience jet lag from travelling a lot. It is quite an effective supplement.

Aim for 8 hours of sleep every night. That seems to be optimal for most people. You should feel energized and refreshed upon waking. Get out of bed when you wake up. Don't attempt to squeeze in 5 or 10 more minutes as that will likely just make you even more tired.

Sleep is something I personally need to work at. I generally get 6 hours a night and I feel refreshed enough, but there are days where I need a nap. I don't resist that and try to fit the nap in. I always set an alarm when I take a nap so as not to sleep too much. I pay careful attention to the energy levels in my body because they tell me if I am getting enough sleep or not.

Sleep is a misunderstood tool for growing bigger muscles. Don't neglect the usefulness of getting enough sleep. You will notice that you are stronger and your muscles start to grow when you get more sleep each night. We all have issues at times with sleeping, but take the necessary measures to get enough sleep the majority of the time and you will reap the rewards in the long run.

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