Some current offseason pics

[zmcdole]

I wanted to post up some pics to get some honest criticism. Tell me what you think and what I should be working on. I'm 5'7 198 in the pics.

[NATURAL-1987]

I respect you asking for honest criticism. I look at every one of my bodyparts and rip them to shreds because I am never happy with any of them.haha.Genetically I think you are put together pretty well. In no order particular:
Bigger arms, bigger shoulders(especially side and rear delt), more mass in hammies, and possibly more thinckness to back(dont know what would go while dieting). Also, you should sit on your legs more when your posing, looks like everything is being "pulled up" so to speak. With this all being said I think you could still walk on any amateur natty stage and very much belong.

[TheGame]

It's like Kai Greene says... training hamstrings is like going to church. Do it every week and don't expect anything in this lifetime. How do you prioritize your leg training? You are super quad-dominant!

[zmcdole]

It's like Kai Greene says... training hamstrings is like going to church. Do it every week and don't expect anything in this lifetime. How do you prioritize your leg training? You are super quad-dominant!

Right now I train DC. I work my quads and hams together on the same day. I expect to see some more growth out of my hammies since I'm able to put more effort into working them with DC. before i was doing a lot more volume and I would work my hammies at the end of my workouts and I wouldn't really have enough in me to give it all I had. Now, they get worked a lot harder. ATM I do lying hammy curls, seated hammy curls, and db straight leg deads.

[Growin24/7]

I respect you asking for honest criticism. I look at every one of my bodyparts and rip them to shreds because I am never happy with any of them.haha.Genetically I think you are put together pretty well. In no order particular:
Bigger arms, bigger shoulders(especially side and rear delt), more mass in hammies, and possibly more thinckness to back(dont know what would go while dieting). Also, you should sit on your legs more when your posing, looks like everything is being "pulled up" so to speak. With this all being said I think you could still walk on any amateur natty stage and very much belong.

i agree, but overall looking good bro

[AVBG]

good mass!

[zmcdole]

i agree, but overall looking good bro


good mass!


Thanks for your input guys! It's a big help to get honest critiques from others.

[TheGame]

I'm not a DC fan. How long have you been using that system? I'm more about time under tension and volume. Maybe you should consider a more Y3T-based approach. One thing that I had seen in an MD a few months back had Evan Centopani squatting in a DC-variation.
He's doing 3-4 warm-up sets, pyramiding up in weight. (Let's say 135, 185, 225, 275)
Then he's setting up a challenging, but not maximal weight (say 315), and then repping out on it for 3 sets. And just recording the # of reps. He's focusing on getting more reps than improving his weights.

I like this alot more than just the progessive overload idea.

[zmcdole]

I'm not a DC fan. How long have you been using that system? I'm more about time under tension and volume. Maybe you should consider a more Y3T-based approach. One thing that I had seen in an MD a few months back had Evan Centopani squatting in a DC-variation.
He's doing 3-4 warm-up sets, pyramiding up in weight. (Let's say 135, 185, 225, 275)
Then he's setting up a challenging, but not maximal weight (say 315), and then repping out on it for 3 sets. And just recording the # of reps. He's focusing on getting more reps than improving his weights.

I like this alot more than just the progessive overload idea.

I've been doing DC for about 6 weeks now. I've already noticed changes in my physique and my strength is making incredible improvements.

I'm with you about the time under tension and I try to stick to movements that allow a maximal amount of TUT. However, I don't agree with you on volume. Personally I don't think it works that well for me based on my progress using volume techniques in the past. For others it maybe optimal. I seem to make the most progress when my strength is going up.

I haven't been using DC that long, but I do know that over the past 6 weeks I've seen more progress than I had seen during my entire previous offseason. I wouldn't argue with you if I hadn't already used a more volume type approach and then compared it to something else.

[v1hyp]

I've been doing DC for about 6 weeks now. I've already noticed changes in my physique and my strength is making incredible improvements.

I'm with you about the time under tension and I try to stick to movements that allow a maximal amount of TUT. However, I don't agree with you on volume. Personally I don't think it works that well for me based on my progress using volume techniques in the past. For others it maybe optimal. I seem to make the most progress when my strength is going up.

I haven't been using DC that long, but I do know that over the past 6 weeks I've seen more progress than I had seen during my entire previous offseason. I wouldn't argue with you if I hadn't already used a more volume type approach and then compared it to something else.


:yep::yep::yep: DC IS THE BOMB!! :yep::yep::yep:

[zmcdole]

:yep::yep::yep: DC IS THE BOMB!! :yep::yep::yep:

I agree! I really like it! I don't think it's for everyone though. Bodybuilding is crazy. You never know what you'll respond to. It's pretty neat once you figure out what your body responds to. It's like Christmas everyday at the gym for me!

[raylove]

I agree! I really like it! I don't think it's for everyone though. Bodybuilding is crazy. You never know what you'll respond to. It's pretty neat once you figure out what your body responds to. It's like Christmas everyday at the gym for me!

hahahaha oh man do i wish to get the feeling back again, i used to have that like everyday of my life now joints are hurting weights are down cuz of the diet i feel like im too skinny. DC does that definitely though you there is stuff that comes with the territory like hurting joints and unless you have good small bodyparts like arms and shoulders that grow easily they just get weaker since DC is all about the compound movements with heavy ass weight.

[zmcdole]

hahahaha oh man do i wish to get the feeling back again, i used to have that like everyday of my life now joints are hurting weights are down cuz of the diet i feel like im too skinny. DC does that definitely though you there is stuff that comes with the territory like hurting joints and unless you have good small bodyparts like arms and shoulders that grow easily they just get weaker since DC is all about the compound movements with heavy ass weight.

I hear ya! I'm just about to start my first cruise (deload). I'm gonna cruise for a week and a half, do a powerlifting meet, then cruise for another week after that.

[raylove]

I hear ya! I'm just about to start my first cruise (deload). I'm gonna cruise for a week and a half, do a powerlifting meet, then cruise for another week after that.

i signed up with dante and still never really understood what it meant to cruise in the first place lol i couldnt take time away from the gym and i think im still where i was 2 years ago cuz i never take time off, after these shows are over this season im taking like 3 weeks off at least. let us know how you do in the meet i bet dc is def helping in that departmetn. i remember squatting like 275 and 315 for a few sets, signed up with dante and went up to 455 for 8 lol

back to your topic though i think you look better than what a lot of guys are giving you credit for. maybe hamstring mass could improve and little more roundness in the shoulders but keep pluggin away at the arms since they are already good. overall a lean 200lbs at 5 freaking 7 is no joke your a big dude

[zmcdole]

i signed up with dante and still never really understood what it meant to cruise in the first place lol i couldnt take time away from the gym and i think im still where i was 2 years ago cuz i never take time off, after these shows are over this season im taking like 3 weeks off at least. let us know how you do in the meet i bet dc is def helping in that departmetn. i remember squatting like 275 and 315 for a few sets, signed up with dante and went up to 455 for 8 lol

back to your topic though i think you look better than what a lot of guys are giving you credit for. maybe hamstring mass could improve and little more roundness in the shoulders but keep pluggin away at the arms since they are already good. overall a lean 200lbs at 5 freaking 7 is no joke your a big dude

Thanks I appreciate the critique. I think overall I look way better in contest shape than in offseason, but who doesn't?!?! Here's a few pics from 2 weeks out in 09. I was around 176-178 in these. I think I've made some decent improvements since then, but it's hard to compare offseason to contest shape.

[TheGame]

ZMC - What local shows have you done? With what organizations? I'm just over in Lake Havasu and have been thinking about some of the Vegas shows.

[zmcdole]

ZMC - What local shows have you done? With what organizations? I'm just over in Lake Havasu and have been thinking about some of the Vegas shows.

I've competed twice in the INBA. I did a show in San Diego in 08 and I did the United States Natural here in Vegas in 09. I've been itching to do an untested show to see how I stack up, but right now I don't have anything set in stone. I plan on competing in April or May of 2011. I'm just keeping an eye out for the 2011 calendar of events in several different orgs and whatever show fits my schedule the best is the one I'll do. I would like to do a show here in Vegas, but if I have to travel I'll go to Utah, Cali, or Arizona.

I wanted to do the Las Vegas Classic this year in Nov, but I had knee surgery and then I did a transformation with MuscleTech shortly after and my offseason got cut off way shorter than I wanted. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity with MuscleTech, so I figured I'd do the transformation and then just bulk for the next year, do a couple powerlifting meets, and then get on stage again in 2011.

[TheGame]

Sounds like a good plan. Powerlifting is probably a very good way to bulk, but powerlifting isn't really my bag. I coach the JV football team out here, so I have time to train in Aug.-Nov. but not the kind of time to dedicate to show prep. I'm too late to get into the US Nat. this year, but I'd like to do it eventually.

Did you see the NPC Nevada State results on RX? Some of those untested guys looked like ass. I've been thinking about traveling to Reno for that one next year, I was suprised that it was a pretty soft line-up.

If you don't mind elaborating on the Muscletech transformation a little bit? I have always been curious what one of those things pays (or otherwise benefits) an average meathead.

[zmcdole]

Sounds like a good plan. Powerlifting is probably a very good way to bulk, but powerlifting isn't really my bag. I coach the JV football team out here, so I have time to train in Aug.-Nov. but not the kind of time to dedicate to show prep. I'm too late to get into the US Nat. this year, but I'd like to do it eventually.

Did you see the NPC Nevada State results on RX? Some of those untested guys looked like ass. I've been thinking about traveling to Reno for that one next year, I was suprised that it was a pretty soft line-up.

If you don't mind elaborating on the Muscletech transformation a little bit? I have always been curious what one of those things pays (or otherwise benefits) an average meathead.

I did see the Nevada State results and some of the guys looked pretty good, but there didn't seem to be a whole lot that were impressive outside of the top 2 or 3 in each class.

I'm sponsored by MT until Nov of this year. They send me $500 a month in supps of my choice and will cover some of the costs of a show and some of the travel expenses. I filled out an online app with before and after pics in July of last year and they contacted me in Nov. I went to Canada for a photoshoot for before pics on Dec 4th. I dieted for 16 weeks and then went back for after pics in March. I was doing a transformation for Hydroxycut.

[TheGame]

I did see the Nevada State results and some of the guys looked pretty good, but there didn't seem to be a whole lot that were impressive outside of the top 2 or 3 in each class.

I'm sponsored by MT until Nov of this year. They send me $500 a month in supps of my choice and will cover some of the costs of a show and some of the travel expenses. I filled out an online app with before and after pics in July of last year and they contacted me in Nov. I went to Canada for a photoshoot for before pics on Dec 4th. I dieted for 16 weeks and then went back for after pics in March. I was doing a transformation for Hydroxycut.


Well shoot, that sounds freaking awesome! Let's hope they'll take another school teacher! I checked it out and I'm going to apply too! I haven't taken my "out of shape" picture yet but I'm trying to decide which one I'm in the "best shape". Which one do you think I should try sending?

[zmcdole]

I say go with the hands on hips. I used a most muscular in contest shape and a standing relaxed "fatty" pic.

[shawncathey]

It's like Kai Greene says... training hamstrings is like going to church. Do it every week and don't expect anything in this lifetime. How do you prioritize your leg training? You are super quad-dominant!


what does that quote mean

[GuidedByScience]

Sounds like a good plan. Powerlifting is probably a very good way to bulk, but powerlifting isn't really my bag. I coach the JV football team out here, so I have time to train in Aug.-Nov. but not the kind of time to dedicate to show prep. I'm too late to get into the US Nat. this year, but I'd like to do it eventually.

Did you see the NPC Nevada State results on RX? Some of those untested guys looked like ass. I've been thinking about traveling to Reno for that one next year, I was suprised that it was a pretty soft line-up.

If you don't mind elaborating on the Muscletech transformation a little bit? I have always been curious what one of those things pays (or otherwise benefits) an average meathead.


wow you coach jv football? we should talk sometime!


as for the pics,I def think you could do some damage now and with some more work you could belong on stage at an untested show.

just keep training hard and getting all the meals in!

[Alpha.H]

Great V-taper there zmcdole!