Normally, in the two weeks leading up to a show Phil would use two to three plates on each side when he did hack squats. This time, until he was one week out, he used four to five plates on each side. The result was a more dramatic quadriceps sweep on his quarter-turns.
NEW CURRICULUM
Certain exercises were tweaked to make them more effective. For example, on lying leg curls he pointed his toes down (we call it “like a ballerina”), because this works the lower hamstring, close to the back of the knee. His hamstrings were more arched from his glutes to the back of the knee.
STRONG FINISH
Phil went heavier than usual with the FST-7 sets. In the past, he would begin to lose strength about two weeks out. This time, he was doing incline hammer strength presses with four to five plates on each side four days before the show.
JEREMY GROWS
Jeremy went from 170 pounds at the 2014 Olympia to 175 pounds in 2015, all while coming in more conditioned.
FST SUPER 7
We incorporated FST Super 7 supersets done with 45 seconds’ rest, which increased intensity fourfold. FST Super 7 is a variation of my standard FST (fascia stretch training), a protocol that calls for the use of medium or heavy weight for seven intense sets and 30 to 45 seconds’ rest between sets.
BOULDER SHOULDERS
We wanted to build up Jeremy’s shoulder-to-waist ratio. To do that we went heavier with all pressing movements.
STRICT WITH SUPPS
In the past, Jeremy was lax about supps. This year he took BCAAs and glutamine prior to and intra-workout, and he drank a whey protein isolate and carb powder shake post-workout.
