Off Season

[btufts]

Any other competitors can chime in on this one, when do you stop putting on weight in the off season? I see a lot of guys that are still ripped months after a show and i'm slowly getting bulkier and softer looking. Stronger yes but i just wish i could say decently ripped throughout the year. I still have a decent 6 pack but its just soft looking blah

[steve_d]

lts all relative to the individual. Stay as lean as you can and still keep having awesome workouts. Don't put on 20 pounds of "bulk" for the sake of your strength going up say 1 rep on bench.

[Delt King]

My abs are the first thing to go bye bye come offseason but my goal is to never let myself go above 15% so that it's easier to cut up again. But not only that it's much easier to put on more fat as opposed to lbm over 15-16 bf% range. The time frame it takes is dependant on each individual and how well the offseason meal plan is designed and followed. Ultimately trying to stay in really good condition year round (say sub10%) will impede new growth (which isn't a big deal for some) but if you compete and want to improve then you're going to have to forget about your abs for awhile.

[tiramisu]

... Or you can join me in the race to 300 and I'm not talkng about my bench.

There is probably a smart way to grow in the off season but I haven't found it yet.
As you get close to your goals weight I think it makes a lot more sense to stay lean year round. I don't see the point in big bulks and big diets if you are within 10 pounds of the muscular weight you want to maintain. Alternately I don't think the lean bulk is the way to go if you are looking to put another 50 pounds of meat on your bones either.

... and then there's reality. There's no point in overfeeding if it's not putting on muscle.

I'm still in the pre-science, eat like a starving lion, camp but it's probably just another mistake I'll live to regret.

[JonnyO]

a soft 6 pack, lol.

My theory is once you lose a visual outline of your abdominals or serratus area then your gaining too much bodyfat. Like DK said it will be harder to add quality muscle when carrying too much bodyfat.

I tend to cary all my fat in the lower back and luv handle area. I hate it.

[Big D]

I tend to cary all my fat in the lower back and luv handle area. I hate it.

I feel ya man, same here

[steve_d]

same here...although, its kinda a good thing. In the gym I always look quite ripped. All the fat parts are covered up.

[bigtavi8]

In the offseason my weight goes up about 20-30lbs above competition but i still maintain my abs. It seems like the weight and fat on me is equally put everywhere with no real spots that are bad. I usually do a very lean offseason where i try to stay as ripped as i can while adding mass slowly but this year im trying something a little differnt. Im going to put on some serious bulk and eat a tonne of protein, mod carbs, mod fat. So far its been great and im up to 230-235 yesterday and competed at 205ish on stage about 3 weeks ago.

[natenator]

So far its been great and im up to 230-235 yesterday and competed at 205ish on stage about 3 weeks ago.

Let's not get carried away here and let people think you've added 25-30lbs of mass in 3 weeks. You hit contest rebound NOT muscle gain.

Need to be careful on how you phrase things as people might actually think you put on that much muscle/weight in 3 weeks!

[steve_d]

So far its been great and im up to 230-235 yesterday and competed at 205ish on stage about 3 weeks ago.

I can't believe you've gained that much since the show...Not only 205, but you weighed in at 197 (which, IMO, I think you would have looked sharper at 197 and not filling out so much...only so much the body can absorb before you start to blur).

But MAN, that's over 30 pounds from weigh in. I've only upped my weight by 8 pounds from weigh in weight! (or for example, 5 pounds from 1 week out morning weight).

[bigtavi8]

you got that right Steve. I always have a hell of a time carbing up and its never quite right. I felt soft in that last show and dont really even like the pics as much as missisuaga. I swear my body does not like being 197 at all. I have to do 3h cardio, not eat for 3 days, keto, cut water, etc to make 197 and i was right on 197. Im just made for the HW class but i need this year to make the neccesary gains in mass to hang there. So if i go to say 240, cut back down to 210-215 next show will be better.

[Andre Gregoire]

Any other competitors can chime in on this one, when do you stop putting on weight in the off season? I see a lot of guys that are still ripped months after a show and i'm slowly getting bulkier and softer looking. Stronger yes but i just wish i could say decently ripped throughout the year. I still have a decent 6 pack but its just soft looking blah

I agree with the others, a soft 6 pack is ideally where I like to draw the line but it really depends on many factors. I tend to gain weight and bodyfat really fast and my body settles around 14-15% and slowly gains without adding more fat.

If I try to stay below 13% offseason, I need to do cardio and eat a lot less. Seems like my body baselines around 15% and then I can do what I want within reason and not gain much fat.

My training partner is the same way but for him its around 12-13%.


I can't believe you've gained that much since the show...Not only 205, but you weighed in at 197 (which, IMO, I think you would have looked sharper at 197 and not filling out so much...only so much the body can absorb before you start to blur).

But MAN, that's over 30 pounds from weigh in. I've only upped my weight by 8 pounds from weigh in weight! (or for example, 5 pounds from 1 week out morning weight).

Again, I believe it depends on the person. At my last show I weighed in at 170lbs and the following morning I was 182lbs. The show finished around 10:30pm went and had a restaurant meal, a beer, a piece of cake, drank lots of water and woke up 12lbs heavier. A week after the show I was up 15lbs then it kind of stabilized.

I am meso-endo and my body seems to defy thermodynamics sometimes :rolleyes:

This is a sport for ectomorphs, damn you guys!!!

[gregdoucette]

Water bloat is normal but there are ways to get around that from happening. Ur quite ripped compared to most off season bodybuilders so u dont have too much to worry about.

[btufts]

Thanks Greg, I really can't gain much more weight and I'm eating constantly. I guess it really depends on the day too aswell. I felt bloated and crappy the other day and today I ate nothing but hamburger and wheaties and had the best workout of the year tonight and feel great. Abs much more pronounced and I seen definition in my hamstrings for the first time. I know I've talked about it before but I feel comfortable at my weight right now at 200-205 I wonder if I should stay here instead of bulking up

[steve_d]

you got that right Steve. I always have a hell of a time carbing up and its never quite right. I felt soft in that last show and dont really even like the pics as much as missisuaga. I swear my body does not like being 197 at all. I have to do 3h cardio, not eat for 3 days, keto, cut water, etc to make 197 and i was right on 197. Im just made for the HW class but i need this year to make the neccesary gains in mass to hang there. So if i go to say 240, cut back down to 210-215 next show will be better.

You said it - body doesn't like being 197, but that's part of the game. No ones bodies like being the weight they are in a bodybuilding show! Its part of the suffering we must endure to get ultra ripped.

If you can pull off another huge year of gaining that much muscle, then yeah 210. Although, I think what a better focus would be is getting real sharp for you next show - light heavy again, but peeled. Pick the body part that was your weakness, and make it your strength. IE. when you're "fat parts" are striated, you know you 4 weeks out.

[Andre Gregoire]

when you're "fat parts" are striated, you know you 4 weeks out.

Damn you Steve, Damn you!

That sentence right there is going to give me nightmares, you are right though you ripped MOFO!

[Delt King]

You said it - body doesn't like being 197, but that's part of the game. No ones bodies like being the weight they are in a bodybuilding show! Its part of the suffering we must endure to get ultra ripped.

If you can pull off another huge year of gaining that much muscle, then yeah 210. Although, I think what a better focus would be is getting real sharp for you next show - light heavy again, but peeled. Pick the body part that was your weakness, and make it your strength. IE. when you're "fat parts" are striated, you know you 4 weeks out.

Honestly Steve, BigTav looked better at 205 three weeks out from the first show, now i realize some of you will say "then compete at the weight you look best" but the reality is as a heavyweight he would've been killed. As a lightheavy his chances were better to get top five and move up the ladder so we sacrificed LBM to get there then tried to compensate by late loading after weigh ins. Not ideal but we felt it was necessary this year. 210 on stage next year isn't a stretch, remember he's only 21 lol lots of growing to go.

[steve_d]

Honestly Steve, BigTav looked better at 205 three weeks out from the first show, now i realize some of you will say "then compete at the weight you look best" but the reality is as a heavyweight he would've been killed. As a lightheavy his chances were better to get top five and move up the ladder so we sacrificed LBM to get there then tried to compensate by late loading after weigh ins. Not ideal but we felt it was necessary this year. 210 on stage next year isn't a stretch, remember he's only 21 lol lots of growing to go.

I believe it. I could never do 2 shows so far from each other and feel as good for my second show unless I was soft for my first. Let alone being ready 3 weeks out...that would mean holding for a full 7 weeks. I did it once (show 6 weeks from first show), and I looked way better (at the same weight even) for the first show.

BigTav will need to change his handle to HugeTav soon!

Not sure if this was mentioned anywhere, but what are the plans HugeTav...are you going to use your bye for nationals next year, or do you plan to simply re-qualify when the time is right?

[Andre Gregoire]

On the same topic Steve, do you plan on doing the Nationals next year?

[Praetorian]

You said it - body doesn't like being 197, but that's part of the game. No ones bodies like being the weight they are in a bodybuilding show! Its part of the suffering we must endure to get ultra ripped.

If you can pull off another huge year of gaining that much muscle, then yeah 210. Although, I think what a better focus would be is getting real sharp for you next show - light heavy again, but peeled. Pick the body part that was your weakness, and make it your strength. IE. when you're "fat parts" are striated, you know you 4 weeks out.

Best advice i ever heard!
P

[natenator]

Best advice i ever heard!
P
next to your own, right? :D

[bigtavi8]

Steve and P. I appreciate your comments and they really are good advice and make good sense. I realize i should have been tighter in my last show but like DK was saying it was a rough ride to make that class. But as for my plans for the future. I will take the bye this year for the nationals and do a compete year offseason and will be competing in the nationals in 2011 as a heavyweight. I like that idea of changing my name to hugetav. Maybe once im almost through this offseason and up around 250 ill change it. lol...

[ironwill]

Let's not get carried away here and let people think you've added 25-30lbs of mass in 3 weeks. You hit contest rebound NOT muscle gain.

Need to be careful on how you phrase things as people might actually think you put on that much muscle/weight in 3 weeks!

Yes Tavi, dont confuse Nate.......Great work Tav, you and your coach have a plan, see it through and you will do great!!!You have a good work ethic and i dont doubt you will gain the 10 lbs you seek for next yr.....

[steve_d]

On the same topic Steve, do you plan on doing the Nationals next year?

I hope so. As long as its in Montreal like everyone keeps saying it is.

[Delt King]

I hope so. As long as its in Montreal like everyone keeps saying it is.

Montreal really? i heard that too but also heard that it'll be in Saskatoon again as he's the only promoter who applied for it next year. I wish we knew someone in the CBBF who could shed some light on this subject.