Ever since I became involved in the sport of bodybuilding (and, check your calendars, that wasn't yesterday...) It has always been ‘accepted logic' that in order to gain any significant muscle in the off-season you had to also gain a substantial amount of fat. Now, for most guys, adding extra weight in the off-season is not usually something to lose sleep over. However, for the female athlete, it can be both uncomfortable and distressing. I mean, society programmed women to have a certain ‘look' and that ‘look' didn't involve gaining 20, 30 or even 40lbs of extra weight in order to add a few pounds of extra muscle to their frame.
I decided to challenge the weight gain theory and found a candidate for my experiment that was not only eager and willing to participate but had previously decided -without my intervention- that this coming off-season she would gain no more than 10lbs, while making significant improvements to her physique.
Who's that eager candidate, you ask?
Well, it is none other than Roxanne "The Rebel" Edwards. Roxanne is already a strong competitor with a successful contest history behind her. She's also quickly gaining the reputation as a challenger to all rules and previously held belief systems in the bodybuilding world. Her plan is to stay within 10lbs of her contest weight this off-season...but is she deconstructing the myth or simply playing with fire?
Only time will tell, but for now let's turn to Roxanne for her thoughts on the controversial subject of off-season weight gain...
So Roxanne, how do feel about the common belief amongst bodybuilders that in order to gain any significant muscle size in the off season you must be prepared to also gain a significant amount of body fat?
"This may be a common belief amongst bodybuilders but what it doesn't take into account is the fact that EVERYONE'S DIFFERENT. For instance, I am getting older, I am a woman and I am black. These are three important variables that have to be considered now that I am getting prepared for my next contest.
"To begin with, after a certain age - and I don't care who you are - your body does change and it is not always for the better. Things that my body would have done easily when I was younger (like drop water or body fat) doesn't happen as fast anymore and I believe that you are a fool if you don't change your game plan to match the changes that are part of the make-up of your particular anatomy."
How much weight did you gain in your last off-season?
"Too much (lol!)...I gained roughly 15lbs above what I weight currently."
Did you feel that you gained any benefit from the increase in weight?
"Outside of finally fitting in my clothes properly I would have to say no..."
Do you find that women in general find it harder to accept off-season weight gain and does the ‘vanity factor' play a part in your own particular decision to stay within 10lbs of contest weight this off season?
"Let's get this straight, vanity is the reason I started lifting in the first place! So vanity in and of itself does account for some of the decisions I make concerning my body. I think what happens to some women is that their contest preparation is SO restricted that they completely disintegrate in their off-season. They seem to live in two life extremes with no balance whatsoever, and with that comes the inability to cope with their off-season weight.
"By the way...whose common belief are they following? The same belief system that puts them in a position where they have to kill themselves in order to get ready for a show! None of these women are questioning the source nor are they remembering - until their 3rd session of cardio for the day- that they are WOMEN."
How do you feel about athletes who go significantly over contest weight in the off season?
"Wow...I guess they must like doing 3 hours of cardio a day...to each his own! Personally, I feel that when you are getting ready for a show why would you want to spend SO much of your time doing cardio when you have so many other things that you need to do to prepare for the show itself?....but that's just me!"
So getting back to your own particular plan for the off season...
"As was stated...I plan to stay within the boundaries I set for myself in order to make my contest preparation as stress free as possible. I plan to stay within 10 pounds of my current weight and still add muscle."
What nutrient ratios are you implementing?
"60% Protein, 30% Carbs and 20% Fat."
What about supplements?
"I don't drink protein shakes because I simply can't digest them. So BCAA's are a must for me. They don't cause any gastrointestinal problems and they are the building blocks of all muscle."
And steroids?
"Steroids do play some part of my off-season training, but they are not the ‘be all and end all' of my regime. For me, TRAINING is what plays a major part in my off-season, followed closely by food, then finally steroids. Steroids don't make you more of anything! Let me explain...either you are strong or you are not, either you are determined to lift a certain weight or you are not, either you are insane enough to train like a maniac or you are not. Character does not come from drugs, taking steroids does not give you that tenacity of spirit required to be a true bodybuilder. The only thing steroids do is allow someone who is already determined to be amazing by HARD WORK be an even harder worker!"
Well said! Now, moving on to your training, are you employing any new training methods during this off-season?
"My plan is to utilize the same technique I used in my last off-season. Pre-contest reps with off-season weight...with one slight alteration. My legs will have to be trained with a complete pre-exhaust methodology then revert back to the standard 10 rep off- season regimen. So this should be fun!"
At the end of the day what do you aim to prove and what message do you want to communicate to other women via this experiment?
"That the belief that you have to gain inappropriate amounts of weight to gain muscle is not scripture from the bodybuilder's bible! The only thing you have to do in this life is stay true to yourself!
"As for the message I would like to send out to other women it is simply to motivate them to follow their own instincts. They are just as good, if not better, than the person who is creating the strategy to which they are currently subscribing. That person isn't living in their body! I am not saying that they do not know what they are doing but they should always be willing to question, change and experiment. That is the only way to truly learn who you are...by OWNING your knowledge and claiming your power!"
So can Roxanne stick to her plan of gaining no more than 10 lbs this off-season? Personally, I feel this is a done deal since she seems to be gifted with a very fast metabolism. She also has the determination and the drive to take a stand and prove her point!
The only question that remains has to be "will she be able to make noticeable improvements to her physique and add lean mass?"
Honestly, with a 10lb allowance I think this is totally possible and that we may be definitely on the way to not only ‘deconstructing the myth' but making a lot of women feel a whole lot better about themselves in the off season.
Stay tuned for updates on Roxanne's Q & A thread on the Women's Bodybuilding and Fitness forum!
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