Mark dugdale offseason diet/program w/john meadows

[DJM]

(TAKEN FROM CJM WHERE I ORIGINALLY SAW IT)

That's because it is. I will post the blog that went along with it. I got it from a thread at RX.

November 2012: Mark Dugdale 2012 Offseason Plan
by Mark Dugdale

Thanks for tuning in guys. I am going to share a little about my evolution this offseason. My thoughts from the last contest, all the way to my current plan of action.

I swore off the 202 division in 2010, after placing 4th in the PBW Tampa Pro in 2011; narrowly missing an Olympia qualification in the open division. That same year the IFBB raised the 202 to 212, so as quick as I was “out” of the lighter weight class, I was lured back in! This past February I placed 2nd in the Desert Muscle Classic. I was not happy at all…does anyone train for less than 1st? I certainly don’t. Not to mention the IFBB changed the rules so that only those who win earn an Olympia berth. Truthfully, my disappointment ran a bit deeper because I was not entirely happy with the look I brought to the stage. Bringing my personal best to a competition is a reward in itself and I knew that was not the case at the Desert Muscle Classic.
Post-contest is always a mix of emotions for me. The competitor isn’t satisfied and wants to get back onstage immediately. The realist says I’m 37 and subjecting my body to numerous contests never leads to a better physique. My wife just wants her husband back. She says I’m like a ghost when I diet. And for those that don’t already know I have three daughters – 10, 12 and 14 whom need a dad that will engage with them…and scare off boys.
The ability to step on the Olympia stage is a huge honor and I’m blessed to have experienced it twice in my life – 2007 in the open and 2009 in the 202 division. Frankly at this point I don’t want to merely say I stepped on the Olympia stage again; I want to be a threat for the title. With this in mind I chose to forego further attempts to qualify for this years Olympia and get back to my first love – attacking the iron.

I realized that if I wanted to improve, something must change in the gym…but what? I’ve tried cranking up the intensity via heavier poundage only to find myself riddled with injuries.
I’ve torn:

both hamstrings
a pec
a quad

And for good measure, MRI’s revealed 50% cartilage loss in my knee, and I could nearly hang with some powerlifters if not for nagging lower back issues. I know I still got several good years left in me and my passion for training hasn’t waned, but my body seemed unresponsive.
Providentially I attended the Arnold Classic Expo a few weeks after the Desert Muscle Classic and a photo shoot landed me in Elite FTS Gym in London, OH. Over the past year I had been reading articles on T- Nation and one guy’s approach really resonated with me. I was pumped to learn that he would be at Elite the same day as my shoot.

Enter John Meadows.

My off-season strategy became – survive John’s workouts, lol! Actually, that was all I thought about initially. For nearly a decade I was a HIT disciple because I’ve been diagnosed as a high intensity addict. I toyed around with German Volume Training and other higher volume methods when progress stalled, but never found a viable training solution that continued to return results without hitting burn-out or a plateau. I seriously loved the intensity and challenge of HIT, but my body was trying to tap-out as injury after injury occurred.
John brought back that intensity and challenge but in all-new, masochistic ways. The ingenuity lies in the programming of exercises, keeping things in continual flux and using things like bands and chains to unload weight in the danger zone of exercises. Mountain Dog Training proved safer and more effective while giving me the license to go balls out again.
So here I am. Rolling into the final weeks of my third 12-week training cycle, and I don’t recall experiencing this much fun weight training since I bought my first weight bench. Obviously the goal is to gain muscle because this is the off-season, but I’m a little different in my approach. The key word is gain muscle…not fat. Excessive fat serves very little benefit, especially if you are sitting at a high, double-digit body fat percentage. I can’t tell you how many emails I get from guys asking questions about how to “bulk up”. My first question is always, “What’s your best guess as to your body fat percentage?” I bet half the responses are +20% and I’m thinking, “Is that even possible?! I’ve heard of girls being over 20%, but guys?!” If this is you, John has a great Get Lean Package that’s right-up-your-alley!

Presently, I’m training seven days a week!
Yes, you read that correctly and frankly I’m even a little shocked. I’m shocked for one that I can recover training this hard, and two that I’m having the time of my life doing it. So how is this possible, legally? In a word – Nutrition. And not just eating a well-balanced diet, but eating intelligently and timing your nutrition in accordance with your training. It’s made a world of difference for me.
In regards to my training schedule, I’m hitting three workouts really hard with various intensity techniques thrown in – drop-sets, accumulation-sets, super-sets, bands, chains, the kitchen sink, lol…whatever John can think up! These boil down to four days – 1) quads and hamstrings, 2) chest and shoulders, 3) back, and 4) biceps, triceps and calves. The other three days of the week are considered “optional workouts”…but there is no option for me…I’m not built that way.
The three optional workouts filling out the remainder of the week – 1) quads and hamstrings, 2) chest and shoulders, 3) back. High intensity techniques are shelved on these days in exchange for fascia-splitting pumps and explosive work with lighter weight. Trained correctly these workouts actually help facilitate the recovery process, affording me the opportunity to go ape-shit on the weights when the high-intensity days roll around again. This is exactly what I’m doing right now:

Monday 5:30PM – quads and hamstrings (heavy)
Tuesday 5:30AM – abs and calves
Tuesday 5:30PM – chest and shoulders (heavy)
Wednesday 5:30AM – back (heavy)
Thursday 5:30PM – quads and hamstrings (light/explosive)
Friday 5:30AM – chest and shoulders (light/explosive)
Saturday 10AM – biceps, triceps, calves and abs
Sunday 6AM – back (light/explosive)

As far as nutrition is concerned I’ve shied away from carbs over the last several years, but since working with John they’ve found their way back into my diet in greater quantities. I’m still not a mega-carb or mega-calories eater, but both are crucial when training this hard. The training volume allows me to forgo cardio while staying in relatively good shape. I’m not significantly heavier than past off-seasons, but I feel like the quality of the weight is much better.


The pre-intra-post workout nutrition is the most important element of my entire diet. Timing the consumption of fast acting protein and high molecular weight carbs to when the most blood flow is going to the muscles is vital to recovery. I don’t care how well thought out the food choices you’re consuming throughout the day, or the extent of your supplement arsenal; if you’re not getting what the muscles need most during the training window you won’t recover training the way I am. I know because I’ve tried. Without the pre-intra-post workout nutrition I’m doing right now…I fell apart in a hurry.
Logic says that if I’m training with more intensity, volume and frequency and not grinding myself into the ground, but actually pumped to get my hands on more iron – the body must adapt with positive improvements. It’s this fact that has me optimistic about my progress. I’m a firm believer that contests are won in the off-season because getting ripped is simply the green fees to show what you did in the gym the rest of the year. John’s program is forcing my body to do things it which it’s never previously done. What will the end result be? We will all get to see next May at the New York Pro.

All the best,
Mark Dugdale

- - - Updated - - -

Food Quantity Carbs Protein Fat

Shake One
Whey isolate (cold-processed) 1 scoop 1 20 0

Meal One
Bison (ground) 4 ounces 0 23 9
Eggs (pastured) 3 whole 0 24 18
Basmati Rice 1 cup 46 2 0
Coconut oil 1/2 tablespoon 0 0 6

Meal Two
Lettuce Shredded 2 cups 3 0 0
Arugula baby 1 cup 5 1 0
Fage Greek Yogurt 2 tablespoons 4 8 0
Chicken Breast 125 grams 0 32 3
Olive Oil 1/2 tablespoon 0 0 7
Basmati Rice 1/2 cup 23 1 0
Walnuts handful 2 2 9

Shake Two
Whey isolate (cold-processed) 2 scoops 2 40 0

Meal Three
Lettuce Shredded 2 cups 3 0 0
Arugula baby 1 cup 5 1 0
Fage Greek Yogurt 2 tablespoons 4 8 0
Chicken Breast 125 grams 0 32 3
Olive Oil 1/2 tablespoon 0 0 7
Basmati Rice 1/2 cup 23 1 0
Walnuts handful 2 2 9

Shake Three
Protein Pulse Casein Hydrolysate 11 20 0

Shake Four
Protein Pulse Casein Hydrolysate 11 20 0
Pre/Intra/Post Training Drink 161 80 0

Meal Five
Wild Boar 5 ounces 0 40 6
Basmati Rice 1 cup 46 2 0
Mixed Veggies 1 cup cooked in 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil 10 2 6

Shake Three
Vitamineral Greens 1/2 serving 5 4 0.5
Natural Vitality Natural Calm Magnesium 0 0 0
Super Seed (Garden of Life) 1 serving 8 7 2.5

375 372 86

[DJM]

take note of the macros, for a long time iv felt guys are over fkn eating on cycle, and how can they tell food gains from hormone gains when they bump to 5k cals on cycle

also the protein, for a high ranking pro not even 2g per pound, when skinny fucks all over the forums are aiming for 400g on their hdrol cycle, same guys are surprised i can be almost 220 without meat.....mmmmmmm

look at the quality of the food however...........again to reiterate when i posted in another thread, its all about fkn food
i believe i posted in an rx whey feedback thread how i bomb myself with protein and aminos pre/intra/post, thought might be overkill but works, well seems like meadows agrees in the food timing approach

its info like this that younger guys skip over and search for the best otc pct to a epi/sd cycle.......its a shame

[h2s]

So should I double the above if I am running this with epi?

[josh]

N=1 is not enough to base recommendations for the general population

Also, the macro intake for a professional bodybuilder is hardly relevant.

[DJM]

hahah yeah man
aim for 3g per pound!!!

really tho, can any of us actually afford 2.5-3g+ per pound ed? thats alot of fkn meat.....not to mention the look of disdain from the gf/wife from all the gas being passed

the brolore of protein amounts, i tend to agree with the notion it was started by supp companies to increase sales.....i do not disagree with a high protein diet to build a solid physique, but i do have a problem with the excessive amounts that some people feel they need.........read somewhere years ago that dexter was around 400g a day also, and he needed a couple shakes to hit it....n the guy is 230 shredded, 245 off season......not a 23yr old 175lb hdrol user looking to add 12lbs in 6weeks

[DJM]

N=1 is not enough to base recommendations for the general population

Also, the macro intake for a professional bodybuilder is hardly relevant.

i think it is sorta, alot of us aim for a more muscular physique, so why not look what they are doing and drop it back......thus if a 215+ top pro only gets in 375g protein ed.....the average 200lb guy prob doesnt need anywhere near that

[weekend]

been hitting 250g a day all cycle and results are coming like no tomorrow lol

[nate3993]

john meadows knows his shit. i will say though that dennis james has helped johnnie jackson make some serious improvements. but dennis and his clients just go too hard on the slin. one of denni's biggest faults was his massive massive waist.

but back on topic. good read man.

[Rulk]

I've met Mark once before. Nice guy, very intellligent and keeps shit real. I wish him the best in his next show. Digging his diet and the pre-intra-post shake protocol.

[O_RYAN_007]

take note of the macros, for a long time iv felt guys are over fkn eating on cycle, and how can they tell food gains from hormone gains when they bump to 5k cals on cycle

also the protein, for a high ranking pro not even 2g per pound, when skinny fucks all over the forums are aiming for 400g on their hdrol cycle, same guys are surprised i can be almost 220 without meat.....mmmmmmm

look at the quality of the food however...........again to reiterate when i posted in another thread, its all about fkn food
i believe i posted in an rx whey feedback thread how i bomb myself with protein and aminos pre/intra/post, thought might be overkill but works, well seems like meadows agrees in the food timing approach

its info like this that younger guys skip over and search for the best otc pct to a epi/sd cycle.......its a shame

Thanks for posting that my friend, tons of great info! Meadows is one smart mother!