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  1. #1
    PENCILNECK
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    Default Stripping Off Muscle But Still Looking Small and Lean?

    How do you do that? All i know is training..hard, heavy as you can within your rep range on any given workout. Diet is important obviously, cardio...I competed last November in figure and placed well for my first show, but trainer told me not to "flex" because I have too much muscle.
    As soon as I get my hormones straight, I am thinking about doing another show. Seems like the judges want a sleek, defined, symmetry without the mass? Once you have the mass, how the hell do you "tone it down" keep it defined" and still stay lean? I hate gaining fat over my muscle, I think it just makes me look SO much bigger. Does this make sense??

  2. #2
    Super Moderator sassy69's Avatar
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    Drop your protein intake, either STOP training, or change your approach to training to more high rep / low weight / aerobic. One approach something like Charles Poliquin's German Body Comp training, or just generally doing Giant sets, moving from set to set quickly, but resting about 2 minutes between cycles. And cardio.
    "The only way you can hurt the body is not use it. Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."
    ~Jack Lalanne



  3. #3
    IFBB Pro & Senior Forum Administrator tammyp's Avatar
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    i have downsized considerably by stopping weight training, doing alot of cardio and dieting all off season. read my journal here.
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    FREAK Suzanne's Avatar
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    I am confused in 1 thread you said you went back on Anavar which would only be to add msucle or preserve muscle if prepping for a show and now in this thread you want to strip muscle????

    I don't think you looked overly muscular in the pic you posted maybe just come in fuller and rounder. What is your height and comp wt

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    IFBB Pro & Senior Forum Administrator tammyp's Avatar
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    ^ agree w suz...i didnt see the thread she is speaking of. being ON is counterproductive....
    APS HI TECH PHARMACEUTICALS ATHLETE
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  6. #6
    Super Moderator sassy69's Avatar
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    I think primarily you need to have 2 things in place: 1) a stable state of hormones to work with and 2) a clear view of your goals.

    Any mixed messages you give your body are going to only produce mediocre results. Everything you do has to be geared towards the same goal.

    But FWIW, when I first thought about downsizing, I honestly had no idea how to do it, since "LIFTING BIG" is the only way I know how to lift, and I do it because I LOVE doing it. The muscle hypertrophy and all that is secondary for me - I simply get my high off lifting, I get my grounding from lifting, I get my relaxation from lifting, I get my confidence from lifting. After researching the topic of how to LOOSE muscle mass, I kept coming across info that said doing nothing was actually one of the best ways to dump mass. That doesn't even register for me. It just happened in that exploring a hundred other ways to do some sort of more aerobic activity, I ended up doing a lot of nothing because I kept hitting problems w/ existing limitations I have (primarily tendonitis). I mentioned German Body Comp as one approach that has worked - it is essentially my traditional approach to lifting, but set into Gian sets. The challenge of going up in weights is not there, but the challenge becomes endurance. It is humbling how hard you can kick your own ass w/ the light weights.
    Last edited by sassy69; 02-05-2012 at 05:20 PM.
    "The only way you can hurt the body is not use it. Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."
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  7. #7
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    I understand the confusion. Part of me was very excited cycling the var because I got so veiny and lean, I had NEVER gotten that lean before, even in my 30's when I did the bodybuilding side of the Emerald Cup.
    I was digging the veins in my abs, my cellulite was finally all gone, etc.. So when I saw trainer at show and he said I am too muscular (almost) for figure and to not "flex" onstage, I was like, "oh shit".

    I want to do another show eventually, but realized, now that I am trying to get my hormones and body back to "normal", I cannot throw var in the mix, nor can I hit the weights as hard as I like due to a shoulder/nerve injury. In my head I credit my diet and training for my physique of course, but with the var it stepped it up to a different level. But in today's figure, you need a softer look anyway right? So I stopped taking the anavar yesterday, and will let my body "do it's thing" for the next couple months before even thinking about adding anything else into the mix. Thank you sassy69 for that, I never listen to ANYONE.

    I am 5'7' ..My "happy weight" is around 152-154 which is what I weight when i am working out, dieting (I always diet, but don't eat totally perfect if you know what I mean), and not stressing over missing a workout.
    My show weight was 141 when I left for my show, I probably dropped two more pounds of water although trainer said I wasn't holding water. He also had me stop all upper body training one month prior to show because I was getting too muscular. I dropped two jeans sizes, and want my "show jeans" to still fit, but they are getting tighter as my weight is flucuating now between 145-148 It's such a head fuck. It's a struggle for me to maintain! And I do everything "right". I thought the var would help with metabolism.

    I just thought doing another cycle of var would help keep me lean like before, but throwing the biodentical hormones into the mix, well, its too much for the body to process. I would like to come in a bit smaller/softer this next year, so am lost how to do that. Like sassy69 I adore lifting heavy. And my joints will NOT allow plyometric type training, but I can implement giant sets, lighter weight...cardio, which I do in abundance anyway.

    If I sound all over the place, I am. When do you finally reach a place of "peace" with the old body? Don't tell me to do yoga either. Lots of love, have a great week!!! And thank you!!

  8. #8
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    Staying in you day of contest clothes is vittually impossible. I do know someone who in basically contest stage condition year round but she dosn't compete anymore and eats crazy clean and lots of cardio and training. Being leaner at his show is [robaby more than just the var. Tehre are all kinds of factors that were probably differnt then when you did the bbing. I did 8 shows totally natural and was leaner and better each time. Vars job is not to keep people lean.

  9. #9
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    Yeah, that is exactly what I am doing Suzanna, basically same diet (a few more fats some days though) cardio, and trying to lift the same with an injury no less. In attempt at maintaining my weight not 5 pounds away from my on stage weight. Shit. hard as hell. Toss messed up hormones into the mix now.
    I need to step back, chill out and proceed smarter, not harder. Started giant sets for legs last night, keeping reps high. Kicked my own ass. Did some HIIT cardio afterwards.

  10. #10
    Super Moderator sassy69's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GlutesnBoots View Post
    I understand the confusion. Part of me was very excited cycling the var because I got so veiny and lean, I had NEVER gotten that lean before, even in my 30's when I did the bodybuilding side of the Emerald Cup.
    I was digging the veins in my abs, my cellulite was finally all gone, etc.. So when I saw trainer at show and he said I am too muscular (almost) for figure and to not "flex" onstage, I was like, "oh shit".

    I want to do another show eventually, but realized, now that I am trying to get my hormones and body back to "normal", I cannot throw var in the mix, nor can I hit the weights as hard as I like due to a shoulder/nerve injury. In my head I credit my diet and training for my physique of course, but with the var it stepped it up to a different level. But in today's figure, you need a softer look anyway right? So I stopped taking the anavar yesterday, and will let my body "do it's thing" for the next couple months before even thinking about adding anything else into the mix. Thank you sassy69 for that, I never listen to ANYONE.

    I am 5'7' ..My "happy weight" is around 152-154 which is what I weight when i am working out, dieting (I always diet, but don't eat totally perfect if you know what I mean), and not stressing over missing a workout.
    My show weight was 141 when I left for my show, I probably dropped two more pounds of water although trainer said I wasn't holding water. He also had me stop all upper body training one month prior to show because I was getting too muscular. I dropped two jeans sizes, and want my "show jeans" to still fit, but they are getting tighter as my weight is flucuating now between 145-148 It's such a head fuck. It's a struggle for me to maintain! And I do everything "right". I thought the var would help with metabolism.

    I just thought doing another cycle of var would help keep me lean like before, but throwing the biodentical hormones into the mix, well, its too much for the body to process. I would like to come in a bit smaller/softer this next year, so am lost how to do that. Like sassy69 I adore lifting heavy. And my joints will NOT allow plyometric type training, but I can implement giant sets, lighter weight...cardio, which I do in abundance anyway.

    If I sound all over the place, I am. When do you finally reach a place of "peace" with the old body? Don't tell me to do yoga either. Lots of love, have a great week!!! And thank you!!
    Google Poliquin's German Body Comp training - the basic idea is giant sets , but I've found a number of different programs that mix things up in different ways to keep it all interesting. When I'm not feeling creative or there are just too many people in the gym (I belong to a gym that doesn't have a lot of floor space so it gets cramped sometimes - gotta accommodate) to reasonably do giant sets & keep the aerobic aspect up, I'll do what I call The Night Of 100s -- which is basically whatever I pick to do - can be upper body /lower body split or per muscle group - whatever - but every exercise has to be in units of 100 - could be 4x25 or 3x100 (e.g. light or alternating leg press), etc.
    "The only way you can hurt the body is not use it. Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."
    ~Jack Lalanne



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