NZ's most Aesthetic Powerlifter

[soundsgood]

Ive had a pretty average week in the gym. Energy levels were failing and strength just not were it should be.

Had a meeting with my nutro this morning. A bodyfat test only showed a slight decrease down to 7%. Admittedly this week wasn't as good on the diet as it should have been. We looked at my diet and adjusted where nessesary but kept the calories the same. Added in BCAA's and Taurine so there is minimal muscle wastage.

We have decided to start doing a little bit of cardio too. 3 x 1hr Low intensity sessions per week. Preferably walking the streets in the afternoon but I do live in Hamilton and the weather is very tempremental here.

We decided to change my workouts too. Still keeping the 5 day bodysplit but doing a compound 10 x 10 to start with then 3 assistance exercises 3 sets of 12. Tacking Abs then calves onto the end of each workout alternating.

DAY 1: CHEST/BICEPS

DAY 2: QUADS/CALVES

DAY 3: DELTS/TRICEPS/ABS

DAY 4: BACK/CALVES

DAY 5: HAMMIES/ABS

Started today with renewed vigor and smashed chest and biceps.

Did 10 x 10 DB incline press with the 100lb DB's. 60 sec rest between sets.

Only managed 8 on the 9th set so pushed as hard as I could on the last set to get my 10 reps.

Followed by

- 3 sets of 12 Incline DB flies w 45lb DBs

- 3 sets of 20 BW dips with legs almost parallel to floor

- 3 sets of 12 Machine flat press with 3/4 stack

- Finished on flat bench. Max reps with 60kg. Roughly 40 reps

Biceps were up next. 3 sets of 12 for everything. 60 sec rest between sets again. Didnt go ultra heavy just tried to work the pump.

Seated one arm curls with arm between leg

Preacher curls on preacher bench

Preacher curls on preacher machine

Hammer Curls

Cable Double Bi's

Finished with Standing Bicep curls with Cable.

After the bench my chest was pretty pumped so I fired off a pic just cos I'm a picture whore (aye Harry ).

[Ann]

Looking forward to seeing how you are progressing. Will catch up Saturday week - bring Looch.

[soundsgood]

Looking forward to seeing how you are progressing. Will catch up Saturday week - bring Looch.

Yeah I caught up with Looch today, he's really looking forward to posing practise, said he might even shave for it haha.

[steak]

Got the garden hoses on those guns bro..looking sharp :nod:

[genetic freek]

How come you so lean this far out man?

No hate just curious

[soundsgood]

Got the garden hoses on those guns bro..looking sharp :nod:

haha Cheers bro :grin:

How come you so lean this far out man?

No hate just curious

2 Reasons

In the past I haven't really nailed my conditioning for shows. Ive tried to hold as much weight as I could as I dieted into shows and this meant I didn't have as good of conditioning as I could have. I wanted to make sure that I came in as shredded as possible this year so I have given myself plenty of time. I couldn't care less about bodyweight just wanted to be diced. Did someone say Striated Glutes :shifty:

The other reason Is I have a couple of other things that require me to be very lean coming up soon. I can't talk about it yet but no I'm not doing strip shows lol.

[HarryB]

Ha ha ha ha did I say picture whore? Bro if I looked like you do year around I'd take loads of pictures as well. You're looking good man and yep striated glutes and no one wil be able to beat you.

[soundsgood]

Harry, I think I have the highest picture posted to regular post ratio on the whole site :pfft:

The 10 x 10 has been okay. On Sunday I did DB shoulder press and used the 75lb DBS. I only managed 8 on the 9th set so I pushed thru as hard as I could to get my 10 on the last.

Yesterday I did Deadlifts with 145kg

I finished my 6th set then everything went black and I had a massive headache and felt sick so I couldn't finish it.

Today I did Leg Press with 8pps. It was way too light and I got my 10 sets of 10 with 45 sec rest between sets with no trouble so I rest paused for 10 seconds after last set and did another 16, rest paused again for 10 seconds and got another 8.

Did 3 sets of 20 walking lunges with th 80lb DB's

5 sets of 16-20 leg extensions with 3/4 stack

3 sets of 50 calve presses on seated calf press w full stack

40 mins crosstrainer.

Felt really lightheaded after this train. Not used to the cardio, only been walking at moderate pace up till now. Probably went a bit harder than I needed too.

GoFigure interview came out today too.

It can be viewed here

http://www.gofigure.co.nz/doc/bodybuilding/hunk-of-the-moment/1463-herculean-hunk-hamish-coulter-pics-profile-and-video-feb-12

[hjp]

Your quads are as big as your waist currently! Beastly!! Delts look awesome too bro

[Pete_S]

Got the garden hoses on those guns bro..looking sharp :nod:

haha Cheers bro :grin:

How come you so lean this far out man?

No hate just curious

2 Reasons

In the past I haven't really nailed my conditioning for shows. Ive tried to hold as much weight as I could as I dieted into shows and this meant I didn't have as good of conditioning as I could have. I wanted to make sure that I came in as shredded as possible this year so I have given myself plenty of time. I couldn't care less about bodyweight just wanted to be diced. Did someone say Striated Glutes :shifty:

The other reason Is I have a couple of other things that require me to be very lean coming up soon. I can't talk about it yet but no I'm not doing strip shows lol.

Muscle worship?

[soundsgood]

:pfft: :pfft: Hahaha

All will be revealed very soon Pete :wink:

[hjp]

Its got to be the new toffee pops ad... Lol

[Shutupandsquat]

Cover of men's health magazine

[Gym rat]

Cover of NZ Fitness mean delts bro.

[genetic freek]

Where you at dog?

[soundsgood]

Im not going to list exercises and weights used its been varied and not very impressive weight but its nessesary at this stage.

Training has been Really high volume - around 35 - 45 sets per workout with 45 seconds between sets. Still doing the 10 x 10 compound to start. Although strength has never been lower ive Been getting great pumps and levels of vascularity I've never had so that's good.

Diet has been tricky at times, fading in the afternoon due to lack of food. Might cram more meals into the morning, early afternoon so I can get through my work day. Have been doing more cardio, 6 days a week for 30 - 45 mins so that's caused some of my fatigue I think. Am still leaning up, not as fast as before but it's still coming down. Bodyfat test on Friday will show how much further we have to go.

Have been working on my posing regularly. Musclenz and Ann took me through a posing session critique on the weekend and I got a lot of good feedback that I can work on.

I'm working on my posing routine at the moment and I'm still undecided. I am tossing up between a well known instrumental like Requiem for a dream remix or a hard rock song like Pendulum - Watercolour, or a fast paced rap song like Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow. I'm going to just make a decision today and go with it.

[M.T]

Puff Daddys come with me? That song is pretty chilling in the right context.

How long are you on the stage for 3-5mins kind of thing?

[soundsgood]

Boom thats the one bro. Thanks for the suggestion, I'm gonna go with it \:D/

You are only on stage doing free pose routine to music for 60 seconds usually. 90 seconds of time allows it (ie small show). So it's not a long time, but long enough to show all your best poses.

[soundsgood]

Yesterday I trained Back

Warmed up with 3 sets of Widegrip pullups. Just with bodyweight, slow, controlled and big stretch. Did 14/12/10

Then I setup for Barbell rows. Warmup sets at 20kg and 60kg. Set the bar at 125kg for working sets.

Did 10 sets of 10 reps with 45 second rest in between. Lats were aching my the end so next exercise was DB snatches. Did a warmup set with the 70lb DBs then 3 sets with the 100lb DB's. 6 - 8 reps with each arm.

Barbell Hang Cleans were up next. Just used 60kg and did 4 sets of 12.

To finish I did Behind the neck widegrip lat pulldowns. Only used 2/3 stack and did 5 sets of 12. I never used to rate this exercise but I have been doing it lately because I get a good squeeze through my upper back and I can pull with my back and almost take my arms out of the equation.

Finished with some stretches, 5 mins intense in the boxing bags and 30 mins crosstrainer. I am not very flexible especially through my left shoulder-pec tie in and it is showing in some of my poses so I have been working on getting a few stretch sessions in where I can.

Had my nutritionist meeting this morning. Even though I had a few things against me in the last fortnight I still managed to drop almost a full percent bodyfat to get me firmly into the 6's. I also managed to gain almost 1.5kg muscle mass since the last weigh in \:D/ I am holding most of my bodyfat in my back. Apparantly when you are stressed your cortisol levels increase and can cause your body to be very stubborn with its fat release regardless of what you do with diet and cardio. So i need to focus on being destressed and hopefully my body will continue to release the last bits of bodyfat still on me. I am 10 weeks out from first show and at a good bf and condition level so there is no need to do anything drastic. The plan is to keep doing what I'm doing and cruise in. Next bodyfat test is in 2 weeks so will reassess then.

I shot off a Tricep shot last night before bed. Horseshoe shape is pretty dominant now and getting striations running through the tricep. Hopefully make MZ proud :grin:

[HarryB]

Loving your attitude towards you prep this time around man, you always work hard but the idea of relaxing and letting your body respond instead of trying to force it is the best thing I have heard from you and not worrying about weight but just focussing on conditioning takes away one of our biggest stresses. I am a victim of thinking I needed to be a certain weight rather than focussing on what condition I needed to bring to the table and it cost me many many times come comp time.

Tricep pic whore!!! lol

[soundsgood]

Once you realise it doesn't matter how much you weigh on stage or how much you can lift it takes the weight and pressure off your shoulders (mind the pun) and you can train the way that best gets the results I think. Well thats the approach I'm taking this year and it seems to be working.

Can I ask Harry, when you squatted 300kg a couple of weeks out from comp many years back, were you in good condition for that show? Because by my reckoning if you are pushing close to PR 1RM's so close to a show you can't be any where near the conditioning you could have been. Or no, you are just a freak. Yip Im pretty sure you're just a freak

[HarryB]

Once you realise it doesn't matter how much you weigh on stage or how much you can lift it takes the weight and pressure off your shoulders (mind the pun) and you can train the way that best gets the results I think. Well thats the approach I'm taking this year and it seems to be working.

Can I ask Harry, when you squatted 300kg a couple of weeks out from comp many years back, were you in good condition for that show? Because by my reckoning if you are pushing close to PR 1RM's so close to a show you can't be any where near the conditioning you could have been. Or no, you are just a freak. Yip Im pretty sure you're just a freak

I took the ab and thigh pic in red after that workout, I was in decent condition. I would say my best condition as a heavyweight and almost my best condition ever. I actually just felt great that whole prep, was ahead of time for a change and in a good head space. I find I am usually pretty good strengthwise as I get leaner, not sure why but I just seem to be able to push harder and everything feels more efficient.

[soundsgood]

Wow, you squatted 300kg just before THAT pic. You definately looked pretty awesome so yip it just confirms you are a freak Harry lol.

Actually our plan in to hit around 3% at least a fortnight before the show then increase our calories a little bit and drop the cardio leading into the show as I wont need to be in a deficit. I might be surprised at strength levels before a show for once :pray:

[Android]

behind the nek pulldowns gives a good feeling ay.

I always feel bad doing them cos sometime 10-15 years ago they became known as "the wrong way to do pulldowns" and I can remember people being told off in gyms for doing them.

Looking really good mate and more importantly feeling really good about it, roll on showtime!

[M.T]

Boom thats the one bro. Thanks for the suggestion, I'm gonna go with it \:D/

You are only on stage doing free pose routine to music for 60 seconds usually. 90 seconds of time allows it (ie small show). So it's not a long time, but long enough to show all your best poses.

This one I give you for free next comp I charge 5% of winners prize (after tax) + half any supps