Okay, gang, here it is: after asking Rage if I should go ahead and start this, and some encouragement from Weedlewott, AND having said on another thread that I'm going for it, now begins the Journey to the stage!
From one of my last posts in the "Honored" section:
Given that I've made such good progress with the program I've used for the Iron Contest, Rage said, "just keep doin' what you're doin'!" So, there will be no major changes right now. I'll probably switch up some exercises for a little variety every month or so, but until the cut starts, this is strictly a mass program. I gotta admit, there's kind of a funny feeling in my stomach about saying this officially and publicly, and a real sense of a sea-change in my head going on.Well, I want to step on stage next July for the L.A. Bodybuilding Championships Masters Over 50 Class. To do that, I feel I need more mass in my legs and arms before I start cutting. At my height, it's hard to put on enough mass to show a big gain. I don't even know what my measurements are right now -- I just look at the pics and know my legs and arms don't measure up to my torso. My chest still needs work, but that's happening.
I'm finally beginning to see some muscle in my quads, which is one of the reasons I've started to hit up the smith squats -- I have balance issues due to neuropathy in my feet from before the back surgery, so the smitty lets me use more weight and target the quads better. The slngle leg leg press is great on the glutes, and I'm really liking the standing leg curl AND the seated. Both quads have issues -- I tore the right one off at the knee cap in '04, and the left got partially torn, so they'll never look "quite right", but the muscle mass was so gone when I started (I couldn't walk without a cane before my back surgery, and needed to haul myself upstairs on the bannisters), it's taken a year for them to start showing anything at all. Given that my legs USED to be my best bodypart, this is frustrating. (I was squatting 350 for reps regularly up till about 2000, and I'd been leg pressing 1200 in high school!)
My arms are just stubborn. The triceps are finally starting to come up, and the biceps SEEM to be, but it's hard for me to see on a daily basis. Being able to see the pics from the contest does help -- I -can- see progress; it just seems to freakin' little to me. The left bi has been torn off at the elbow, and will always look a little short, but hey, it gives a better peak! <grin> (Sgt. Rock said I should tell people it was a shark bite). I'd like at least 18" arms by the contest -- my calves are there already (no shape to them, but they are 18").
I feel my shoulders are coming along, and my back is doing better than I thought it ever could, given that there's a foot-long titanium cage and three artificial discs back there. Actually getting some -width- these past 14 weeks has really helped my mood. The thickness is coming up, too, and if you'd told me I could rack dead 455 right after my surgery, I'd have laughed bitterly. I don't think I'll ever get floor deads right, due to flexibility issues with that titanium cage, but you never know. Lots more to come, but . . . it's happening.
In terms of weights on the lifts? Bench Press for 315 for reps; squats (free) for 350 again (or more); curls for at least 110-125 for reps; I'd -like- to be pulling that 455 off the floor, but we'll see. Dips with two plates or better, military press for 225 maybe. Those are the ones that come to mind.
This is for real.
Hitting chest and delts tomorrow morning and back on Saturday. Back to my normal schedule on Monday. Let's see how big a freak this old man can be!
 |
Results 1 to 20 of 2752
| ||||||||||||||||
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Hoomgar
