IDFA Ottawa Classic - October 30th, 2010

[ironwill]

I guess we could come up with a formula to say the shorter you are, the less pounds per year. But then again the taller you are, the more pounds per year is required to actually visually see an improvement.

I dunno. Anyone should be perfectly content with gaining 2-3 pounds per year as a natural, or perhaps double that as non-natural. Take those numbers and add a bit if you're 6 feet or taller. I am just going by my own experience - and I wouldn't say my training sux, even though It's not dog crap. I think my brother's resume also speaks for itself. No one would ever say his training philosophy is stupid after seeing what he's done...and again, another example of 2-3 consistent pounds per year.

Let's just throw some other names up here. Ron Partlow...in the last 10 years, how much has he gained? No one is saying he doesn't know how to train, or that he should quit, but again, baby steps to get to where you want to be. How about Pat bernard? He's been placing as a middleweight at nationals for years...5 pounds per year would put him as a top end heavy...more than that and he's a super heavy? How about my buddy Che, freaky lightweight always doing well in all his shows, yet he continues to compete as a lightweight...Denis Pednault - another freaky competitor, natural too - yet he's a bantam every year he competes, and has done so for 5-6 years now...So shouldn't he at least be a welter by now? Larry Vinette...after stearing away from the Fame shows, he's been consistently in the 190s show after show....why hasn't he gotten up to 210?

Is everyone's training wrong?

And I'd like to know who your friend is that placed top 3 as a middle to a light heavy...No disrespect to him, but was he top 3 as a middle, or did he place top 3 as a light heavy. If the former, and didn't do well as a light-heavy, it only means he just didn't come in lean enough, or he weighed in before drying up, or he went from natural to non-natural.

We can disagree on this, but my point remains about Bbuilder's post - don't expect to jump from 170 to 190 in a year and obliterate the competition in a year. And I'll even add that that won't happen even going from natural to non.

I can come up with many examples of natural guys going on and basically placing no better in a higher weight class. Once you gotta compete against guys in the 190s at a high level, it becomes more than just packing on a bit of muscle to be competitive.

He placed top 3 in the middles, and got 5th in light heavies...Then went back to middles, and got third once again, but way, to depleted this time...Noticeably...
Definitely dont think youre training wrong steve, nor anyone else, i havent seen anyone else train.......I am using DC guys as examples, because thats what i am most familiar with..., not saying it is be all, end all trng.
Again, i am only saying that i get frustrated hearing guys say they cannot, and again i am talking first few shows in beginning of BB attempts.Not seasoned vets....
You are correct it takes more to see an improvement in taller guys...But i believe a taller larger framed guy would gain more in a yr than a shorter, smaller framed guy would, everything being equal....

Ron, cool to see you joining the discussion..., would you say you gained 6-8 lbs of muscle per yr in your first few years of competition?? Have you ever gained 6-8 lbs in a yr?? How much was the most gained in your career in one year??
I also think the way one diets down definitely makes a difference also, in the end result....Maybe some guys try a different diet technique etc, then they may lose more muscle in his prep, than if he did a different style, One can have cortisol, or thyroid differences during prep, that would make a big difference in final result, BUT, one may have actually built that extra muscle off season, and lost more due to different conditions...Thats my opinion, anyway...???