Deadlifts 5 x 8-10
Lying leg curls 4 x 10-12
Leg extensions 4 x 10-12
Seated or db leg curls 4 x 10-12
Smith machine ‘step-backs’ 4 x 10-12 each leg
Glute-ham machine 4 x 10-12*
Cable kickback for glutes 4 x 12-15 each leg*
*Optional, energy permitting
Training Split*
Day one: Legs
(Quads and some hams)
Day two: Chest and some biceps
Day three: Backs and some triceps
Day four: Shoulders and traps
Day five: Hamstrings and deadlifts
Day six: Arms
*Toney usually trains thirteen days in a row on this rotation, then takes one day off before resuming. RH: And Toney is older than both of us!
DP: You also have to remember that he had a period of about five years when he didn’t train. I think most guys his age have never taken any real time off, so they typically suffer from multiple overuse injuries in the shoulders, knees, and elbows.
RH: It’s also worth mentioning that he started training at 20, a few years later than most guys. So again, he doesn’t have as many years of wear and tear on the joints and connective tissues as the average 42-year-old bodybuilder.
DP: Good point.
RH: Will you be making any major adjustments to Toney’s diet for the Arnold?
DP: Not really anything major. Last year I only had about eight or nine weeks to work with Toney, but this time I have a full 12. We’ll start him off at seven meals a day, then cut that back to six meals at the eight-week-out point. I want to take advantage of the fact that he does eat better on a regimented diet so that he can maybe gain a little bit more muscle in those first few weeks of the diet.
RH: Considering how awesome Toney looked at the Olympia, is it safe to say that you will be repeating everything you did over the last week for the Arnold?
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MDreally figure out Toney’s body and how it responds to every- thing, but now I can predict what will happen week by week almost to the exact weight. When he starts the low-carb diet, he drops weight very fast in the first couple weeks— like 10-15 pounds. A lot of that is just weight lost from water and muscle glycogen, as his body is deprived of carbohydrates. Then as his body adjusts to that, he starts gaining weight again for about three or four weeks. Finally, it begins drop- ping again until he gets right to the show. I learned that Toney definitely smoothes out fast if you try to fill him up with too many carbs at the end. But if you deplete him down to nothing and then fill him out just a little bit, the results are spectacular. That’s what you saw at the Olympia. It’s the strangest thing. You can torture him with low calories and tons of cardio and he just doesn’t lose muscle. And when you take him to that point and put some carbs in, he looks phenomenal. Like I said, he’s a freak.
RH: Do you also work with Toney when it comes to designing his weight training workouts, or does he handle that on his own?
DP: Toney has his training down, but I do make sugges- tions at times. One thing is that Toney likes to use higher reps most of the time and doesn’t often go very heavy. It’s not like he isn’t strong, because he is. I think ever since he tore his pec years ago he’s been much more cautious and more conscious of injury. I have recommended that he train heavier at times because I feel that he’s cheating himself out of gains he could be making. I understand that he wouldn’t want to train chest super heavy, but there’s no reason he can’t go heavy on his back workouts. But Toney knows what he’s doing, and he works hard on his weak points.
RH: Some have suggested that Toney still needs more overall mass if he’s going to be a contender to win shows like the Arnold. Do you agree with that? And if so, how much bigger does he really need to be?
DP: Not a lot bigger— maybe 5 pounds heavier than he was at the Olympia with the same condition. That’s how I see him coming into the Arnold; ultimately, maybe another 5 pounds.
RH: Last question now. In all the hype and predic- tions for the Arnold, we hear about Toney being in the mix but never mentioned as a threat to win. What do you think about his chances?
DP: Obviously, Victor is the man to beat, but he’s still a question mark. Will he be able to look the way he did in 2007? If he does, he wins. But he still needs to prove that. He’s coming back from an injury and nobody really knows. Kai is a lot thicker and denser than Toney, even though I think Toney has better overall shape and structure. If Kai shows up looking ridiculous, he will probably beat Toney. Both of those guys need to be at their best, because Toney is very good and should be considered a potential threat to win. You have no Dexter this time, no Heath, and no Wolf. I think the show is going to be a lot closer than people think, and Toney has a shot to win. ■
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www.musculardevelopment.com March 2009