Powerbuilding
Mindset
Vacuum Burns
Coaching with
Bill
Muscle & Mind Combined:
Special
Edition
Combo
Thursday June 4, 2009
HOW DID YOU FARE ON THE IDEAL ROUTINE
QUESTION
Mr. Sahli,
Thank you for your replies and answers to my bodybuilding queries. I just guess I can't get enough literature on High Intensity Training despite owning almost all of Mike's books!
I always find it interesting to see how various colleagues of Mike's took HIT to what they found the logical conclusion through their own experiences training and training others.
I know you were working with Mike back in the day and I've always been interested to hear how he trained some of the celebrities he did. Notably Aaron Baker, David Paul and yourself. What routine did he place you guys on, was it the ideal routine or consolidated etc?
I know you're an advocate of even lesser training than the Ideal Routine suggests, but you still don't train with as restricted volume as the consolidated rotuine Mike would later come to suggest in his underground seminar (2 exercises once a week).
This is how I've come to view it. When an individual starts off, the Ideal Routine is precisely that, ideal! The pre exhaustion and direct training for deltoids calves etc works because the beginner is rarely able to generate sufficient intensity, lacks the neuromuscular efficiency and cannot use the heavy poundages synonymous with tremendous growth stimulation and hollistic anabolic effects.
As one gets stronger, the need for direct work for the smaller bodyparts gets negated as their compound lifts get stronger and require further assistance from the "weaker link muscles"
My only question is, Mike seems to have trained the best of the best on the Ideal Routine and judging by when you interacted with him I'm quite sure he had you on just such a routine back in the day. How did you fare on this routine?
Also, I'm all for greater infrequency of training! But isn't that something that one needs to build up to? Only when a trainee builds up the weights and intensity to make such inroads into recovery ability that the trainee will require extended rest periods?.
One final question, in a routine you suggested to me via your question and answers page on your website you suggested no direct training for deltoids, but a set of curls and pressdowns for bi's and tri's. Wouldn't the biceps and triceps receive adequate stimulation from palms up pulldowns and dips?
Please feel free to use this email in your question and answers section.
I've attached a brief artcile on Heavy Duty training that I wrote and posted on highintensity.net, it comes no where near what Mike and you have produced in terms of quality literature on Anaerobic exercise, but it's my tribute to Mike and thought you might appreciate it. I did my best to answer questions that have been rolling around the boards of highintensity.net for ages now and no one seems to answer properly!
Warm Regards,
Joshua B Mumbai, India.
ANSWER
Hi Josh...
Back in the day we were still over training ... including Baker, Paul and myself... Mike eventually realized it and zeroed in on his clients requirements... based on their genetics. There is not a "one workout fits all" if you are fine tuning... BUT there is a baseline starting point. This is why I give example workouts in my books but... as in my latest... make it clear that there are certain movements that turn on the growth mechanism of the body and should always be included. See http://mindbecomesmass.com or just click the front cover below!
The key is to start with a baseline workout and then manage from there based on feedback.
Direct arm work can be done intermittently but not necessarily at ever workout based on the genetics and level of the athlete... (I personally do some direct arm work) ... it also depends on your genetics... yes back work and dips will stimulate the arms... but depending on your chest and back strength (as in which one takes over in the movement along with shoulder strength and attachments) and your genetics... i.e. how you are put together... OR if you are lacking in a certain area etc... you may want to do specific exercises... for size you can stick to pushing and pulling for the arms without any direct work but even then, certain triceps exercises are recommended to assist those big movements. I don't find that pull downs are the best biceps stimulating exercise... rather high pulls and heavy rows do a much better job if you are going compound because of the weight employed.
One of the best movement I have found for upper body is my version of High Pulls... they blow dumbbell or lateral raises away and hit traps, back & biceps AND total Delt... And turn on the growth mechanism of the body much better.
I have found that even beginners... who have a low tolerance to exercise... needing much less than the Ideal Routine in most cases.
I personally at this time use an abbreviated routine with intermittent isolation
exercises inserted. I do not use the exercises that most use as I have found there
are others that turn on the growth mechanism a bit better as inferred above ... I
train personally once every 7-
I hope this answers your question... Bill
-
Thursday March 26, 2009
CRITIQUE, OVERLAP & BIG MOVEMENTS
QUESTION
Bill,
Great Website. After reading Heavy Duty II, I have constructe the following regime and was wondering if you could critique it for me. I have strong recovery ability and tend to train every 48 to 72 hours while beating my log book in both weight and reps. But as my training goes, on I increase that to 96 hours between workouts and finally take a week to 10 days off, before starting the cycle again when I'm fresh. My routine is as follows:
Day 1, Chest,Delts, Tris
Flyes x 1 set(pre exhaust)
Incline Machine Press x 1 set
Dumbbell Lateral Raises x 1 set
Rear Lateral Raises x 1 set
Cable Tricep Pressdowns x 1 set
Day 2
Back Biceps
Dumbbell Pullovers (pre Exhaust) x 1 set
Palms up Pulldowns x 1 set
Barbell Rows x 1 set
Dumbell Shrugs x 1 set
Barbell Curls x 1 set
Day 3
Legs
Leg Extensions (pre exhaust) x 1 set
Leg Press x 1 set
Leg Curls x 1 set
Calf Raises x 1 set
NB All Pre exhaust cycles are performed in a super set fashion.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Best,
Joshua B
ANSWER
Hi Joshua... Thank you for your kind words. Heavy Duty II is a great book and I have it in my personal library. Mike Mentzer was my friend and mentor and is still my bodybuilding hero! An amazing man that is directly responsible in pioneering what we know today as the theory of high intensity training.
What I have found recently is that there is not a whole slew of exercises and movements that need to be done in order to turn on the growth mechanism of the body. Actually this was know by me for decades but until the past few years... Especially where it concerns serious bodybuilders, I encourage a shorter approach to training with more rest right of the bat. In that you will realize much better gains. Let me explain.
Big movements such as deadlifts, dips and bench presses, rows and high pulls, along with squats and leg presses turn on the growth mechanism much better than the smaller isolation exercises such as laterals, pull downs, leg extensions etc. Some are very much necessary to be sure... For instance flies. Flies are very important in development of the pectoral muscles as the bench and dip is primarily a shoulder and triceps movement. In fact, the dip is a great alternate exercise to the standing press. In a situation such as this, it is necessary to include flies in your workout.
Also, when you perform a high intensity workout, something is taken away. Even if you compensate and feel fine after a day or two... You have only gotten back to the way you were before I.e. Compensated for the exhaustive effects of the workout but you have not overcompensated as much as possible... Layed down muscle!
I suggest a minimum of 5 -
Exercises I feel that should be added are:
Partial Deadlifts (the top part of the deadlift movement)
High Pulls (you can find these on the forum or in my new book not yet released)
Exercises I feel you should remove:
Laterals both side and rear
Leg extensions and leg curls
Shrugs
Exercises you could alternate:
High Pulls with Rows (get strong with high pulls before alternating these)
Inclines with Dips
Example of where I would go:
WO1
Flies (pre exhaust style) ~skip flies every other workout and just do compound exercise~
Dips (when pre -
Leg Presses 5-
Calf Presses 5-
WO2
High Pulls 5-
Partial Deadlifts 3-
Barbell Curls 5-
Pushdowns 5-
The High Pulls work every head of the delt, along with the biceps, traps and upper back which will grow very thick and muscular. As you progress you can always insert an isolation exercise here are there but these above outlined exercises will turn on the growth mechanism of the entire body. The partial deads should be done from just below the knee area... You can read the correct way to do these and also the safest way to position yourself so that your back gets stronger anytime you do a deadlift, squat or row. High Intensity Powerbuilding has it outlined there as does my new book not yet released.
You would be working with just 2 workouts here. The high pulls could be done on a Smith Machine which I prefer. You could actually alternate a close grip pulldown with curls on occasion for variation.
Give it a try and again, I would personally go with more rest than lesser as you will see your gains much more quickly.
Best regards and thanks for the question,
Bill
SPECIAL 3 GIFTS FOR YOU >>>> CLICK HERE
-
Friday, April 11, 2008
Applying the Theory of HIT to Powerlifting and Powerbuilding
This is actually a question and answer taken from a forum I frequent. The main focus was about one of the members in the forum and trying to reason through the application of the theory of High Intensity Training while applying the difference in training requirement for a powerlifter vs a bodybuilder. Although both adhere to the theory of high intensity training, the requirements are different because of the performance in both sports. Enjoy... Applying The Theory of HIT to Powerlifting and Powerbuilding
************************************Thank you for your response and
since you voiced
a few issues I will respond to them below each one
preceded by asterisks... Bill Sahli
======================================================
First
of all, you said
"I can certainly respect a man with that kind of strength
because
he didn't get there not knowing what he is doing."
Are you equating the amount of
weight a person can lift to the amount
of knowledge he possesses?
If you are, I’m sure
you can see the fallacy therein.
************************* What I am saying here is
this person,
whether he has a keen understanding of High Intensity Anaerobic
Exercise
or not, has discovered and knows what it takes to increase
his functional strength
level to proportions above the norm as it
pertains to his sport. Powerlifting is a
different animal as I
mentioned and it takes much more than a high intensity contraction
to
perform in this sport. He understood well enough that supersetting
leg extensions
with squats would not be better and more productive
than what he is doing. I don't
know what he is doing but I understand
functional muscle enough to know that there
are better selections
than preexhaustion technique for his sport. i.e. if I wanted
to be a
strong arm wrestler, I would not do a pre exhaustion of nautilus
machine curls
supersetted with reverse grip pulldowns, I would focus
on heavy barbell rows, barbell
curls and heavy hammer curls done with
low reps, negatives and rest pause. This would
give my arms, back and
shoulders the necessary strength and coordination to arm wrestle
effectively
if I also practiced my arm wrestling.
============================================================
And
secondly, if I understand the gist of your overall message,
you're saying that
Yes,
HIT Heavy Duty is perfect for stimulating growth, but not for
stimulating strength
gains, which is what a powerlifter requires.
************************* Here is a quote
from my post "but not all
the high intensity techniques apply well for powerlifters
because of
the coordination needed that only certain exercises can give."
======================================================
Are
you saying then that even though the leg extensions and squats DO
INDEED stimulate
growth in all the muscles of the legs, it somehow
does not increase strength in the
way that doing a different exercise
that stimulates the very same muscles does?
****************************
Not for a power lifter, strong man or
powerbuilder. This combination hits primarily
the quads and is not
the best combination for overall power in all the muscles required
to
squat in competition. In doing the least amount necessary to
stimulate a neuro muscular
response best suited for a powerlifter,
no, leg extensions would not be my exercise
of choice but squats
would.
==========================================================
How
can this be?
*********************** Again, we are talking neuro muscular
coordination...
understand what powerlifters do... perform lifts
========================================================
There
are only so many muscles in the legs. And if
supersetting leg extensions to failure
with squats to failure yet
again isn't enough to stimulate growth, how is any other
way better?
************************ These athletes don't just require growth,
they
require functional power to perform in their sport
==============================================================
Failure
is failure, and growth is growth, yes? And Added muscle most
certainly = added strength,
correct?
****************************** We are
not talking anything to the contrary
of the theory of High Intensity
Training. i.e. intense, infrequent and brief... you
are stuck on
exercise selection and technique best suited to a strength athlete.
=============================================================
These
are two quoted areas from my response
"if you want to be strong in something you must
do that
something to get stronger... whether it is squatting, benching,
deadlifting,
picking
up cars, tearing phone books in half or bending rebar."
AND
"but not all the high intensity
techniques apply well for
powerlifters because
of the coordination needed that only
certain exercises can give."
Powerlifters require neuro muscular coordination unlike
a bodybuilder
that requires an intense contraction and a full range of motion to
stimulate
muscle growth. Certainly a well designed bodybuilding
program is tracked by strength
increases as muscle and strength is
relative. Their (powerlifters, strong men etc)
muscles have to
perform certain movements so instead of doing a Preex Peck Deck and
incline
on a smith or hammer strength or getting away with isolation
exercises or squatting
with a smith, they have to put the iron on
their shoulders, balance that iron... and
every muscle involved in
balancing and coordinating that exercise has to develop.
And yes,
there are so many different muscles in the legs and the way that they
learn
to work together (balance, coordinate, strengthen, develop) is
by doing the exercise.
Most strength athletes know this, that is why
the barbell squat is the king of all
exercises with the deadlift not
far behind coupled with the barbell row and a pressing
movement of
some sort at the core of any powerlifting, strong man or powerbuilder
program.
I
will give you a good personal example and I have seen this time and
time again in
the gym unless the athlete was a powerbuilder. My
training partner has huge quads,
bigger than mine and he can out leg
extension me almost every time in reps and if
we do a preexhaustion
set of legs which is usually done with the leg press, he can
almost
match or beat me there too, especially with reps, of course he is a
youngster
, just kidding...:-
But when it comes to squats,
he is 100 + pounds behind me any day of
the week. Now can you explain that? I can,
it is style and neuro
muscular coordination. Although it certainly takes strong quads
to
barbell squat, it also takes strong erectors, hamstrings, gluteus and
core and you
are not going to get that kind of strength and neuro
muscular coordination from doing
a preexahustion set isolating the
quadriceps with leg extensions and then moving to
leg presses or
smith squats. It takes doing the movement and if that is a compound
movement
that is what needs to be done. Isolation in this
environment, not all, hinders the
result.
What you are confusing is again...the proper exercises selection that
is most
effective in performing in the sport of choice. I would not
select a preexhaustion
superset of hyperextension machine with stiff
leg deadlifts if I wanted to deadlift
my best. It just wound not
happen, it is a poor choice. The hyperextension machine
is not going
to give me the kind of power I am looking for because it takes
balance
and coordination and thus the stabilizing out of the equation.
Again, I give a personal
example of my training partner who enjoys
the hyperextension machine and we just about
match each other in this
machine. Yet, put him in front of a bar to deadlift and I
am 250
pounds ahead of him. He has great erectors also but there are just
certain exercises
that affect your core and give you that functional
strength that a preexhaustion set
can not.
I am not going to beat a dead horse but I will say, and as
quoted "not all
the high intensity techniques apply well for
powerlifters because of the coordination
needed that only certain
exercises can give." For powerlifters, strong men, powerbuilders,
they do much better with the exercises that require them to balance
and hold that
weight in their hands, on their shoulders and require
the entire body to move that
weight, whether those muscles are just
stabilizing or if they are the prime movers.
Leg extensions just
don't fit the bill when you are trying to develop raw power in
this
way because again these athletes require neuro muscular coordination.
There are
at least three other exercises I would prefer to leg
extensions as an auxiliary movement
to help improve the primary
movement i.e. squat and none of the movements are an isolation
exercise.
i.e. leg extensions
I hope you understand what I am saying here. For those of the
readers
who have read my book, High Intensity Powerbuilding, they already
know which
exercises I recommend and what High Intensity Techniques I
use with those exercises.
I would suggest that if you are
considering strongman shows that you get my
Powerbuilding
EBook. That is how I would and have approached strength
in a HIT fashion. I would
also find out what feats are required and
start doing those feats in preparation.
Depending on what is being
done we can modify that approach accordingly. You can always
contact
me at my email address to discuss it.
Best Regards,
Bill
-
Friday, March 21, 2008
The following question and answers are those posted on a High Intensity Training bodybuilding forum I frequent. The start of which resulted in the latest article as of this day called Overtraining is Overtraining, just click to read.
More on Recovery and Overtraining
Hi, since you raised a few points, I am going to answer after each one.. :-
Q-
A-
Q -
A-
Q-
A -
Q-
A -
Think of it this way with ... here is QUESTION to help you think of this in perspective... If you wanted a deep dark tan, would you go out into a overcast, mostly cloudy day, every hour for 45 minutes for 6 hours hoping to get a good tan or would you go out on a Hot August day at noon, in direct sunlight for 45 minutes to get one. It is the intensity of the sunlight that causes the adaptive response to create the pigment to do its job on your skin. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN If you continued to go into the hot August sun before the adaptive response had completed, and you were still a bit tender or red, wouldn't you burn and if you continued further, wouldn't you blister and possibly worse? In fact, you would stay out of the sun and allow the tan to take place before going back.
Same thing here, I know for a fact you would not be caught on a cloudy day trying to get a tan. You would know that no matter how much sun tan oil you put on, it wouldn't matter how long you stood out in a cloudy day, you would not get a tan like you would being in the direct sunlight, no matter how hot it was or how much you sweat...because it is the adaptive response that makes the difference in getting the tan you are looking for...
Remember, this understanding is of major importance, if you are want to achieve the upper limits of your genetic capability, without resorting to recovery enhancing drugs.
I hope my response is understandable in its presentation, as I did not edit it...
Best regards,
Bill
-
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Stress is Stress
I have gotten alot of questions lately regarding progress as it relates to stress. This is a hard
one to come to terms with because the body does not know the difference between stress.
Stress is stress. It does not matter if it is training stress, emotional stress, work stress or just inner termoil. It all has an affect on your recovery ability.
How do I know when I am becoming overtrained???...
These are the signals that I see coming from new clients that are on the border or in an overtraining state. When I reduce their volume or frequency or both, after I recomend usually a one week or more layoff, they begin to progress again.
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
Remember, overtraining means doing one set more than is necessary to stimulate an optimum gain (in strength, size or both). As Mike Mentzer said, what is over training? it is over training people!
It has nothing to do with your emotions or your desire to be in the gym, rather it has to do with your ability to compensate and then overcompensate for the exhuastive effects of the workout. This could take possibly days, sometimes a week or more.
If you decide to go into the gym prior to the completion of this process, you will short circuit the entire affair and by that time... you have now wasted weeks. The sad thing is once you get into a severe overtrained state, it may take a layoff of a month or two or MORE! Yes MORE! To bring you back to ground zero. The lesson to be learned is DONT OVERTRAIN, by continually monitoring your volume and frequency.
If you are not sure of how it comes together, read my book RU Serious -
Click the link below to learn more....
R U Serious
-
Most of the time I see cases like this in my phone clients, is because the athlete is so emotionally tied to thinking that if they take additional time from the gym that he or she is going to loose or is loosing hard earned muscle. They just continue in this state of overtraining and then start thinking maybe they should switch to the volume approach, because their progress is marginal if any. Not the case folks. You will find the answer either in your volume or frequency, or both...as long as you are training intensely.
If you are finding a problem with this or would like to be monitored more closely, I have many affordable alternatives on my website. http://ruserious.info/phonecoaching.html
If you would like to see what people are saying about it, go here http://ruserious.info/testimonials.html
-
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Q-
A-
-
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Q -
Q -
A-
Exercises like the squat and the deadlift, hit or effect the entire body, from head to toe. They turn on the growth mechanism of the body in such a way that everything grows. Both the squat and the deadlift hit the calves. The deadlift also hits the back, traps, arms, eyeballs! You get my drift! As does the squat hits the entire body.
Big exercises that induce growth make your whole body grow, including biceps, triceps,
shoulders, calves. So Brian, this should answer your question. Those body-
Now John... how to move to a one set workout and what exercises would I suggest...
I have a couple of suggestions, but here is a good example of what I would use as exercises.
WO1 -
WO2 -
WO3 -
You could just as easily substitute Inclines for WO1, alternate deads for WO2 or WO3.
If you wanted to occasionally work the smaller groups you could also add triceps pushdown static holds to WO1, Nautilus bicep holds to WO2 or leg extension holds or calve raise holds to WO3.
The important thing is to go to failure using good exercise form on all exercises.
There are some very effective exercises and the above are my favorites! -
-
Friday, November 9, 2007
Bench Press For Bodybuilders?
Q -
About three years back I had to have a shoulder done and it bothers me to bench press
now. It almost feels loose inside when I complete the movement and there is a scuffing
sound. I have no problem doing dips though. Do you think dips would be a good substitute
for bench presses? -
A-
What I think you are experiencing is due to some cartilage they may have taken out when they did the surgery. But, to answer your question, YES!
Dips are a great replacement for the bench and considered the squat of the upper
body. If you are doing them after a pre exhaustion set, make sure to warm up with
the dip first. Hope this helps! -
-
Thursday, November 1, 2007
My Calves Wont Grow!
Q -
I have tried training my calves with a number of sets, I have tried training them
heavy, I have trained them with twenty sets down to one. I am now training them with
one intense set of standing calve raises. I am doing a consolidated routine. I do
squats and deadlifts and everything is coming along but my calves, what should I
do? I swear I train them intensely to failure! -
A-
Years ago when I was doing an abbreviated program, I did nothing more than squats and leg presses for my legs, dropped the extensions, leg curls and calve raises from my routine. I also dropped all direct shoulder and arm work. My strength went through the roof! My bodyweight went up to 238 (at 5'5"), my thighs measured 33 inches and my arms measured almost 18 ¾ . My waist was 37 but with 33 inch thighs and a 54 inch chest...it didn't much matter and by the way, my shoulders looked like bowling balls.
This is what I was doing at the time, 1 set each:
WO1 Bench, Close Grips, Squat
WO2 Partial Deadlifts, Barbell Rows, Pulley Rows
WO3 Bench, Squat, Leg Press
I inserted 2-
-
Friday, October 26, 2007
Unwanted Bodyfat
Q -
A -
This is what I would do, depending on your goals. I would train intensely to add additional muscle to your legs. If you are doing leg extensions before squats or leg presses, drop the leg extensions.
Concentrate on the bigger movements for legs like the leg press or squat but bring the reps up to 20 or more, don't go higher than 25...
at the same time, depending on your bodyweight, take about 500 calories out of your diet without going below 1200 calories a day.
Insert some cycling into your off days, not hard but easy spinning just to burn some
additional calories. I don't want you to become over-
Friday, October 18, 2007
Abbreviated Routine for Powerlifters
Q -
A -
You should not train anymore than once every 5 days or so, I used this workout on Monday, Friday, the following Wednesday only, then started back the following Monday, Friday and so on. You will be training 6 times in a month.
You can employ rest pause on all exercises but not all in the same workout, too intense. On occasion you can alternate dead lifts with leg presses and bench presses with dips.
Good luck-
WORKOUT 1
Bench Presses -
Close Grip Benches -
Squats -
WORKOUT2
Barbell Rows -
Dead lifts -
-
Thursday, September 28, 2007
CLOSE GRIP BENCH OR DIPS
Q-
Marno P.
A-
You are absolutely correct. In my book I do recommend the close grip bench press, as it is also a great compound exercise to use following an isolation exercise. I personally have gotten great results from it.
The dip is also a great exercise and is usually considered by those in the know, the squat for the upper body because it hits not only the pecs, but also the shoulders and triceps and to some degree the lats too! In fact if I had to choose to do one upper body exercise only, it would be the dip!
Sometimes however, I have had clients experience problems with the dips, regarding
their shoulders and sometimes their elbows. Although a great exercise and if they
do not bother you do them but, I feel that in a superset fashion after your triceps
have been exhausted with an isolation exercise, the smith close grip is both a safe
and effective exercise also. I hope this helps -
-
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
FEMALES AND MUSCLE MASS
Q-
A-
As you diet, your goal is to maintain as much if not all of your muscle mass . I am assuming that you are following a lower calorie balanced diet. If you are not you should. Look in my book RU Serious for info on this along with the articles section and newsletter archive on my website ruserious.biz to educate yourself on what a well balanced diet is and how many calories to cut. Which should never go below 1200 calories.
What has happened is you lost weight, both fat and muscle so your skin is experiencing that first hand. It is a well known fact among bodybuilders that the more lean body mass you possess the higher your metabolism. The reason I say this is two fold... You said you wanted to loose fat once and for all and that your skin is hanging. With a properly structured workout program which in fact is a strength program, you can develop more lean body mass (that will help with the curves you seek) which will increase your metabolism which will turn your body into a fat burning machine.
You also said that you didnt want to look like a guy, well, as a female you just done have the hormones to build the type of muscle a male would, however, if you got to a point where you felt your body mass, shape, curves were sufficient, you would simply maintain the reps and weight that you are at now without pushing to add any additional weight or reps to your workout. In doing that you will maintain your muscle mass.
I suggest you
1-
2-
3-
I have trained a number of women both in the gym and as phone clients and this works very well. Be consistent and you will find that the fat will melt away and the curves you want will be more apparent.
I hope this helps! -
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
WHAT IS TIME?
Q-
A-
Andrew, what you need is to get a life, your life, BACK! Really!! Remember, muscle is stimulated inside the gym and then the body takes over. The body must compensate systemically and then overcompensate (grow) from the exhaustive effects of the workout. This may take up to 7 days or more, based on the individuals exercise tolerance and genetics.
This does not take 5000 calories a day, aerobics, sit-
I too, when I first started training, did not know any better... but you are much better able to reach your goals by eating a normal balanced diet with a few extra calories, living a normal lifestyle that is balanced in all respects and cultivating your mind to think properly and in doing so giving it all the food necessary to create a great body, a great life and a life style!
Even Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer advised that to live a normal lifestyle, a balanced
one, not so off balance that the majority of your time is spent in the gym, is all
you need to do to excel in your muscle and bodybuilding goals, as long as you understand
what it takes to get there and that is... train intensely and then monitor and adjust
your volume and frequency as you get stronger so that you progress is forthcoming
and predictable to the point that you reach your genetic potential. That understanding
is cultivated by cultivating your mind to think rationally. Hope this helps! -
HOW MUCH PROTEIN:
Q-
A-
Eddie, we have specific needs. Those needs are based on scientific research and evidence that has been carried on by independent researchers that have no interest in selling you protein supplements or anything else.
Protein requirements are based on bodyweight needs. Protein is used to maintain lean body mass and is specific to you. Meaning, for a 200 pound person, bodybuilder, railroad engineer, social worker, whoever, it takes approximately one half gram of protein per kilo of bodyweight (2.2 lbs.) to maintain their existing lean tissue. Later there was another research group that said .80 would be better, I beleive it was the RDA Committee. Well if you figure that out a 200 lb. bodybuilder needs approximately 72 grams of protein a day, NOT per meal or multiple times a day. This would maintain their existing muscle.
Follow me on this.
So let's assume that this individual had the genetic potential to gain 20 lbs of muscle this year and that they are willing to train hard enough and infrequent enough to stimulate a 20 lb gain. What additional protein would they need, above their daily requirement to accomplish this gain? Let's figure it out.
A pound of protein is equal to approximately 600 calories if put in a calorimeter. So if multiplied 600 calories by 20 lbs that would be 12,000 calories. OK Great! So that would be 12,000 additional calories in a year, not a day, week or month, in addition to create a muscular gain of 20 lbs! If you divide 12,000 calories in a year by the number of days in a year, which is 365, you would get 32.8 calories additional calories needed a day. Since muscle is mainly water, over 70% and only about 25% or less is protein, then we know that 25% of that is the daily caloric requirement to gain 20 lbs in a year.
So let's take 25% or ¼ of 32 (32.8 calories) which is 8 calories! Just 8 calories a day from protein in order to make a 20 lb gain in the year. Now follow me!!! Since a gram of protein yields a heat measurement of 4 calories, you would need an additional 2 grams of protein a day or 74 grams rather than 72 grams, if you are a 200 lb bodybuilder, to gain an additional 20 lbs of muscle this year.
Now there has been some discussion that there is some metabolic cost to creating
that muscle but that is in the line of calories rather than protein. So if you increased
your protein requirement from 72 to 74 or even say 80 grams, and added just an additional
125-
Amazing when you put it on paper and take all the hoopla out. I hope this gives you
a clearer understanding on figuring out how much protein you require. Actually, the
most important nutrient to a bodybuilder is carbohydrates, as they fuel the muscular
contraction and are protein sparing and muscle sparing. You can read all about this
in my book...RU Serious? -
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Saturday, August 18, 2007
THE DEADLIFT
Q-
A-
In my book, I give an example routine that has very little risk for injury, especially for those who have never done deadlifts. That does not mean that you should not do them. I will cover the proper form below.
Stand in front of an Olympic bar with your feet approximately shoulder width (I prefer a little closer). The bar should have 45 lb plates on it to bring it to the proper height.
*Squat down to grab the bar, one hand facing you, one hand facing away from you. This grip keeps the bar from rolling out of your hands as you get heavier. You can also use training straps which is what I prefer and then you can face both hands towards you.
*Your grip should be such that your inner forearms are against your outer thigh, and as close as possible without interfering with the lift
*Your back should be flat or what I call (the erectors contracted) arched backwards. Your eyes should pick a spot higher than head level and not move, this will keep you in the right position as you look up.
*Begin as you would a leg press, pushing with your legs against the floor yet keeping your position locked to start the bar off the floor, you should actually be dragging the bar up your shins as you keep the bar as close as possible!
*As the bar leaves the floor and approaches your knees you should begin standing erect without rounding your back or letting your butt higher than your hips, always maintaining that leg press position.
*Stand upright but do not arch backwards once you are standing erect, standing erect is enough and arching may cause damage so DON’T DO THAT!
*Lower the bar slowly to the floor, no jerking, bouncing or anything else like that. Once you have rested the bar on the ground for a second, maintain the same style and do it again.
I prefer lower reps for this exercise as I feel the back gets very unstable as the
reps get higher. I would do one set of 5 and no more than 8. Once you reach 8 reps
increase the weight 10 -
While doing the deadlift I suggest dropping your row and shrug if you are doing them.
In fact my clients do well with just doing 2 exercises, Pulldowns and Deadlifts for
their back. Hope this helps!! -
