Darkest Before the Dawn by Evan "Ox" Centopani

Some dude who was a boxer said that, “life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.” I’m telling you that bodybuilding isn’t all cable curls and cheat meals. Most of the time, bodybuilding is tough and ugly. Everybody sees the finished product; the champion standing onstage with his trophy at his feet while he hits a front double. Ripped to shreds, round muscles, sharp veins, tanned up, sheened up and damn his teeth look white. What nobody sees is the process. It isn’t always lean offseasons and being 15 pounds away from stage weight. Sure, it’s nice to be in shape all year, to look good and feel good too. But if there’s one thing any successful bodybuilder will tell you, it’s that you don’t always get to go the route that has you looking and feeling dandy. Most of us want to improve, get bigger and get better. And of course, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. This way is a little bit ugly; it’s a little crude and a little uncomfortable. But it damn sure can be effective. And like any other way, it has its pluses and minuses.

First of all, let me tell you what’s on my mind. I feel like I need to put on solid 10 pounds. Coming off the Olympia, I didn’t make the top 10, which isn’t to say I’m altogether disappointed. Truthfully, I feel I was my best yet and improved from my showing a couple months prior in Tampa. So that’s cool, but I want to make a jump. I’ve been on the slow and steady and it’s been working pretty well. I’ve had some success and in the name of self-preservation, I’ve played the game as safe as I know how. But I’ not gonna lie, these guys on the Olympia stage are freaks. There are some big dudes. And even the guys that aren’t that “big” have some freaky physiques and give the illusion of being much bigger than they are. I’m a decent-sized guy but I’m no Ronnie Coleman. Just the same, I’m no Dexter Jackson. What I’m trying to say is that if I’m going to be competitive on the Olympia and Arnold stages I have to be that much bigger and thicker than I currently am in order to stand out against the competition.

How am I gonna do it? I’m thinking it’s time to reluctantly go where I’ve been before and haven’t been since—the BIG offseason. I can’t say how long the storm will last but I’m predicting heavy with a chance of strong. A few years back after turning pro I had a big heavy offseason. I got up over 300 lbs and was the strongest and thickest I had ever been. When it came time to diet down for my Pro debut at the New York Pro I had put on a fair amount of new muscle. During that offseason I was training with weight that was very heavy for me. Incline barbell pressing 405 for 10 plus reps, squatting 6 plates for 8, deadlifting 6 plates for 8 and shoulder pressing 365 for 10 plus. I was able to train heavy week after week and my recuperation was at an all-time high. My back was strong and my joints felt good. My body had a thickness to it that allowed me to take a greater beating than I can take when leaner. With strength and recuperation very high I feel I was in the greatest position to put on new tissue and it definitely turned out to be true as I had an entirely different look at the New York Pro than I had at the Nationals. That’s what I need this year. I know my frame can hold it, it’s just a matter of putting it on.

Truth be told, it’s easier to stay semi-lean during the offseason once you have a good amount of muscle. Simply maintaining that bodyweight requires a good deal of calories and that makes it harder to put on weight. But it also makes it difficult to get your bodyweight high enough to put on muscle too. Let’s face it, you can only eat some much. And the past few years, my offseason diet has been high protein, moderate to high carb and moderate to lower fat. Personally, I feel that it’s only possible to take in so much protein and carbs before it makes sense to take advantage of the calorie dense nature of fats. I have definitely noticed that higher fat intake (along with high carbs and protein) allows me to gain more strength, recover better and have less pain. Besides, fats taste good and upping them after having been low for a while could be a good change for my body.

Added bonus to getting my bodyweight up higher? Based on past experiences, the fat literally fell off when it came time to diet. I’ve heard many people state that the reason for keeping yourself in great shape all year is that it makes getting in shape easier because you don’t have to diet as hard. While I agree that staying leaner means you’ll have less to lose, I think doing anything for too long, including staying in shape could result in your body adjusting itself and getting accustomed. If anything, considering that most of us agree that “cycling” any variable is usually the most effective way to keep your body responsive, it makes sense to let your body experience a period of time when food intake is different and bodyweight is higher. It would make sense that doing this might keep you most responsive. And based on what I’ve experienced in the past, it did keep my body very responsive.

Admittedly, I’m hoping that I’m able to pack on some good size and get nice and strong all while staying in respectable condition. But if these next few months have me looking a bit chubby in the cheeks, I’m not extremely worried. I’ve been there before. Body fat comes and it goes. This is bodybuilding and it’s not always pretty. It’s a process. And in the words of the Scarecrow, “Of course I don’t know but I think it’ll get darker before it gets lighter.”

This is so true in every way! Great article by OX