Classic Bodybuilding: Gene Mozee's Rut-Busting, One-day Muscle Blitz

August 23, 2015, 4:40 pm

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An Old-School Technique for Breaking a Mass-Building Plateau

     I can remember rather vividly my first plateau in muscle-building.  It was 1991, and I was only seventeen years old, but I had also been training hard for a couple of years prior to this.  (I started training at the age of 15, when my father bought me my first weight training set—a DP bench, and about 120 pounds of weight from the local Sears.  By the time I was 16, I started training at a commercial gym.  It was located adjacent to the dojo where I practiced Karate-Do consistently 4 to 5 days per week.)
     At the time, I used a full-body routine, where I would train 2 or 3 days per week, focusing on the basics such as squats, bench presses, chins, barbell curls, and whatnot.  (To be honest—as ashamed as I am to admit it—I didn't discover the efficacy of deadlifts and the "quick lifts"—power cleans, power snatches, et al—until several years later.)  For the most part, it was a 3-days-per-week routine, but I would cut it down to 2 when I had a particularly tough  week in the dojo.  (Lucky for me, my sensei at the time knew the effectiveness of serious barbell training for aiding in the practice of the ways of Budo.  He was a student of the great Okinawan karate master Shoshin Nagamine, who always recommended barbell training as a supplement to karate.  For those interested, you can read Nagamine's thoughts on training in his wonderful book "The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do.)
     And in '91, I hit a serious plateau.  I knew that part of it was all of the martial arts training—it's always hard to put on muscle when you are doing serious cardio so many days per week, and it was even harder for me, considering my ultra-fast metabolism as a teenager.
     My first attempt at busting out of the rut was through lowering my training volume at each session.  I had read enough Arthur Jones, Mike Mentzer, Steve Holman, and Stuart McRobert to be influenced by their thoughts on overtraining.
     It didn't work.
     My second attempt at plateau-breaking was through seriously increasing my calories.  Owning the book "Super Squats", I used Strossen's recommended diet in the book, which consisted of a lot of milk and meat-and-cheese sandwiches.  The diet consisted of around 4,750 calories and 250 grams of protein daily.  In addition to all of those calories, I would regularly supplement this diet even more by drinking home-made protein shakes consisting of ice cream, protein powder, milk, and raw eggs.
     It didn't work.  I just ended up too bloated to be able to train effectively—in the gym or in the dojo.
     Around this same time, I also began reading the likes of Gene Mozee and Greg Zulak—which I've mentioned elsewhere in this blog.  Both of them were more volume oriented bodybuilding writers—Mozee in particular—and their training articles had a differing impact on how I trained after their influence.  There was the me before Mozee/Zulak, and the me after.
     During this rut that I was stuck in, I came across an article of Mozee's at the newsstand, in Ironman Magazine, about "Plateau Busters".  It had a routine that he recommended—which didn't bust me out of my plateau; it was simply too much volume for me at the time.  (Later, I would use such volume-high routines with a great deal of success.)  But it also contained a "One-Day Blitz" that Mozee recommended for those trainees stuck in a bad rut.
     And the one-day "cure" did work.
     This is what Mozee had to say about the program:
     "Here is a tough but highly effective routine that you can use occasionally to jolt stubborn muscles into new growth.  If you are doing whole-body workouts three days a week, as most average trainees do, once every two weeks is as much as you can handle of this exercise barrage.  Advanced intermediate trainees will  get best results on the same schedule.  Highly advanced trainees can do it more often, say once a week.  Either way, it will help you smash through a no-progress slump."

Gene Mozee, in his competitive bodybuilding days, in the '60s.

The One-Day, Mass-Building Blitz
     For Mozee's seemingly crazy rut-busting program, pick one day that you can devote entirely to training.  For myself, this would be Saturday, and even then, I would need to make sure my sons are in the mind of doing it with me, and I would need to make sure the rest of my family and friends knew that this was a day where my sons and I were not to be disturbed.  In other words, you need a day where you don't just devote it to training, but also to resting and eating when not training.  Aside from the training, it should be a day of complete relaxation.
     Here's the one-day blitz:

10 a.m. workout
Incline presses   4x10
Leg presses   4x10
Long-pulley rows   4x10
Dumbbell presses   4x10
Preacher curls   4x10
Dumbbell triceps extensions   4x10

1 p.m. workout
Barbell bench presses   4x5
Squats   4x5
Barbell rows   4x5
Behind-the-neck presses   4x5
Barbell curls   4x5
Skullcrushers   4x5

4 p.m. workout
Flat-bench flyes   3x15
Hack squats   3x15
Lat pulldowns   3x15
Lateral raises   3x15
Incline dumbbell curls   3x15
Rope pushdowns   3x15

     Gene Mozee had quite a few tips at the end of his article about how to make this program work, but, to be honest, I think a lot of them were too basic, or possibly just made some false presumptions about how routines such as this one work.  (I absolutely loved Mozee's articles, still do, but there are some inherent problems in a lot of theories that he espoused—and sometimes his recommendation was simply to do more workouts.  More is sometimes better, and sometimes it isn't, and I think he had some great stuff.  But I also think the ideas that he espoused, taken from many of the great champs of the eras he covered, can be made even better today.)
     With that being said, here are my tips for making this thing work well.  It did work well for me almost 25 years ago, but I think it could have worked even better.

• This program works the best if you are currently performing a three-days-per-week, full-body workout (just as Mozee said in his original article).  Let's say you train Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and plan on using this on Saturday.  On your Friday session, either take the day off or—and I think this is even better—perform a "light" workout where you use about half of the weight from the Monday workout on all lifts.
• You will get even better results from your Saturday blitz if, on Friday, you do little other than rest aside from your Friday workout.
• Eat a lot of calories daily in the week leading up to this workout.
• This is a mass-building program.  It should not be used by anyone who is currently trying to get ripped, or is simply on a caloric-deficit diet.
• Always take the day off after completing this one-day blitz, even if you are following a split training program when you attempt it.
• It really works well if you are performing extremely low reps in the workouts leading up to it.  For instance, if you're performing a three-days-per-week, full-body routine, consider using triples, doubles, and singles on all workouts that week.  Your Monday and Wednesday workouts can be fairly "intense", but drop the weight way down for the Friday workout, even while maintaining the triples, doubles, or singles.
• At each session, do a couple of warm-up sets for each exercise.
• On the day of your blitz, eat your first meal about 8 a.m., and not much later.  As soon as you finish the first workout, eat another meal.
• Eat immediately after your 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. workouts, as well.  Eat two more meals following the meal after your 4 p.m. session.
• When the day of the blitz is over, you should have consumed 6 meals.
• The last three meals of the day should be the highest in calories, and the total amount of calories consumed should be higher than your average days during the rest of the week, even if you already consume 6 meals a day.
• Use this blitz three or four times over the course of a training cycle before you deem it either a success or failure.
• If possible, do no "taxing" activities the day or two following your blitz.

     If you're having trouble building muscle, and you already tried more volume, less volume, and significantly increasing your daily calories (just as I did initially), then it wouldn't hurt if you gave this seemingly odd, rut-busting blitz a try.  If you do, then please feel free to email me any questions you might have—or just comment below.  And, please, leave feedback for any muscle-building results you experience.

     As always, good luck, and good training.  Better yet, just good training, because luck has very little to do with it.  And properly programmed training has almost everything!

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3 Methods for Pain-Free Dieting (and Awesome Results)

September 1, 2015, 3:07 pm

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Three Ways to Make Dieting Easy—and Even Increase Your Performance

By Matthew Sloan

author Matthew Sloan

     Any form of dieting can be stressful on the body, the mind, and your emotions, and sometimes the idea of "just push through it" isn't enough. Sometimes we all need some extra motivation or special methods to get us through the day or week. So here are three methods I personally use to make dieting easier, and I think any serious bodybuilder, lifter, or strength athlete can use them to his or her advantage.

The 3 Methods

     The first method is to just simply switch up your training. This switch up should be something " fun" or "exciting" to give yourself something to look forward to (because dieting for weeks on end can get repetitive). For example, if you are following my “lean mass-made-simple program” from a few posts back, and are getting bored with the training, then try something new for a day, then get back on the program. So, if you're doing 10x10 at the time and need just a " fun" type of day, then have an “all-out arm assault day” with supersets and tri-sets, and just go for the " pump". Another example would be if you are on a “cutting” regimen and have started to implement some cardio (three days a week or so) and are getting bored of it—or lacking in the motivation for it due to the caloric restrictions—then have some fun with your cardio. Maybe go to your gym's bike class or even something such as a "Zumba"[1] class. Whenever you are dieting (especially while in a caloric deficit), then you have got to keep the training fun and interesting. If you don't, then you will have difficulty sticking with it, and when you aren't consistent with your training, you aren't consistent with the results

     The second method is to have a cheat meal! Cheat Meals are a perfect way to give your mind a boost in motivation. There's nothing like the feeling of rewarding yourself with a tasty meal after a strict week of dieting. The way I do cheat meals, while in a deficit, is to consume a cheat meal after every three days of dieting. But this is only because I have acquired a fast metabolism (no I have not always had a fast metabolism) that is the result of proper dieting and training. So if you know that you have a fast metabolism, then you can treat cheat meals the way I do, but if you have always had problems with your weight, and think that you have of a slower metabolism, then I would have a cheat meal after every five days of dieting. (If you dieted strictly Monday through Friday, then have a cheat meal on Saturday.) For your cheat meal, you will want to have a predominately high-carbohydrate meal, because one of the main benefits of these (aside from the mental boost) is the increase in leptin levels in your body—and high carbs is how you increase your leptin.  Leptin is one of the key components of burning off fat, and should not be overlooked. When you have a cheat meal, you must not feel guilty about it, otherwise the meal will do more harm than good, because you will be de-motivated (and your mood might just plain suck!).

     The final method I use to make dieting easier is to make your food taste good! When the food you are eating is bland and boring, then sticking to your nutritional regimen can prove to be doubly difficult. So when you prepare your tilapia or your chicken breast—two of the mainstays of my personal diet—make sure you season it well.  (Tasty fish or chicken is always something to look forward to in my book.)

     If you have a problem staying away from the sweets, then go ahead and peruse the internet for some healthy dessert recipes. You can even use artificial sweeteners in your Greek yogurt, or instead of drinking only water, you can drink some flavored zero-calorie drinks (and, no, there are not significant harmful effects of artificial sweeteners). Keeping your food tasteful—not to mention enjoyable—is one of the biggest factors in sticking with a diet, and, ultimately, making it a successful one.

In Conclusion

     From a nutritional aspect, there are many different methods that you have at your disposable to make things easier.  And although there are “easier” ways to reach your goals, there are no shortcuts. So stay consistent, listen to your body, adapt to your needs (and your occasional desires), and keep growing!

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[1] C.S.’s note: I’m pretty sure my son put in this one for his stepmother (and my wife) who also happens to be a Zumba instructor.

Prime and Pump for Massive Muscle Growth

September 5, 2015, 11:10 am

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Why are you warming up, when you could be priming your muscles for growth?!

by Jared Smith

I have never been one to just take the word of a scientist in a lab coat with no real world training experience. Many experienced lifters figure things out years before science finally catches up. For instance, look at the golden era of bodybuilding when antagonistic supersets were all the rage. Science now shows that training a muscle's antagonist increases performance for both! Well before the days of "human performance "labs", much like the one headed up by Dr. Jacob Wilson at the University of Tampa, time-tested meat heads were pumping opposing muscles to get the most out of training. Some of the methods I’ve come to love are unconventional, even by the standards of those who do love the pairing of agonist/antagonist muscle groups. 

Arnold —seen here looking cool—was a big fan of pairing agonist/antagonist muscles

For instance, I’m a firm believer that stretching a muscle before there is any blood in it is dangerous.  We know that static stretching prior to weight training can compromise performance. With that said, how do we effectively warm up without compromising performance? 

(Before anyone thinks that I’m anti-stretching, I am not. There just happens to be a time and place for everything, stretching included.)

     Prior to training, a muscle needs to be activated and the connective tissues need to be made pliable. A dynamic stretch of sorts is needed. A brief stretch repeated several times is great, provided that it ends in a contraction! An example of this is pumping the biceps with some high-rep work prior to training chest. A barbell curl will activate the external rotators as well as stretch the triceps tendon a little bit without having to hold it statically. Remember, the only way for a muscle to be completely contracted is for its antagonist to be completely elongated. With the elbows now primed and ready to go, you also have a pumped bicep that will act as a buffer zone at the base of a bench press (and should make you feel much stronger). As you can see, I am a proponent of stretching, as long as it’s not static, prior to loading your muscle tissues with heavy weights. (Static stretching does have a place, but we will get to that later.)

Personal Experience

There are some movements that felt terrible on my joints, until I started pumping another muscle before training it. The barbell overhead press was definitely one of those. No matter how many “warm-up’’ sets I did, it never ceased to make my shoulders feel as if they were being ground to bits. To remedy this problem, I decided to engorge my traps and rear delts with blood.  Once these muscles had a good, solid pump, I found that my joints felt more stable. Though the weights were slightly down when I performed my work sets, the contraction was much more intense, which is what will make your muscles grow!

The next combination that I’ve found to work  well is one that I admittedly "jacked" from D.C. Training creator Dante Trudel. I find that pumping the calves, followed by an intra-set stretch, promotes greater flexibility and allows me to keep my heals seemingly "glued" to the ground when squatting. I will also perform several sets of leg curls prior to training quads. This allows for my quad tendons ready to be "primed" and preps my knees for the compound assault! 

This protocol is perfect for anyone who has some years under their belt in the gym, as well as any wear and tear on their joints. I must admit: I was surprised at how much my performance increased once I started utilizing this approach. 

     In addition to priming before training, I added stretching where it matters most—after training a muscle! Once I’d thrashed the muscle—and pumped it with plenty of growth-enducing blood—I performed static stretching. I’ve found that this facilitates recovery and loosens the fascia to allow the muscles to expand, which I’ve found is great at eliminating that “tight” feeling the days following a workout. 

Let’s Prime and Pump it!

     Here is what several workouts should look like using this technique:

Workout 1: Chest/Biceps

Preacher Curls 3x 25,15,10

Incline Dumbbell curls(supinate on the way up and pronate on the way down)3x10,15,25

Reverse curls 3x30,20,10

Dumbbell Bench Presses 4x8-12

Incline Barbell Presses 3x8-12

Weighted Dips Superset with Dumbbell flies 2x8-12

Workout 2: Quads/Hams/Calves

Standing Calf Raises 3x10-12. On the last set, hold the stretch position for 10 seconds on each rep.

Lying leg Curls 3x8-12. Hold the contraction for a two count on each rep. You can perform a rest-pause set on the final set if you want to ramp up the intensity, just keep a slow, deliberate tempo and squeeze the hell out of it!

Squats 5x8-12. Make sure to keep tension while squatting. The best way to do so is by imagining that you’re pulling yourself down by the hamstrings. This will force you to keep everything tight. The weight will be somewhat limited by this, but the pump and (good) pain you’ll feel in your quads will be tremendous! The last set should be almost impossible. If you don’t quite get the designated number of reps, that is fine. The point is to push as hard as you can and once you fail, that is all she wrote!

Leg presses 4x30,25,20,15. Keep these moving like a piston to finish off your wheels. If you need to rest-pause these to get all the volume in, feel free!

Workout 3: Shoulders/Triceps

Bent-over Dumbbell Trap Row 3x 30,20,15. This movement is a hybrid—not quite a lat row, and not quite a rear lateral. I find that these get blood into the rear delts, as well as the mid/lower traps, very well. Give them a try and I promise you’ll love them!

Standing Barbell Shoulder press 4x 8-12. Keep these under control. You will find that after the trap row, there will be an intense pump in your upper back and rear delts, which will make this movement feel much better. Being more aware of your upper back when pressing has a good advantage—this will allow you to stay tighter and really torch your shoulders.

Lateral Raises 8x10—Run the rack. Start off with a light weight for ten, and increase three times with no rest. After you’re done with the fourth set, go back the other way. Brutal, but awesome! Your shoulders should be screaming!

Triceps Pushdowns 4x30,25,20,15

Skull Crushers (straight bar) 3x8-12

Workout 4: Back

Before you begin training back, perform a few light sets of flyes for chest, then stretch it out. Since the pecs are the antagonist for the lats, you need to make sure they aren’t tight so that you can get your back in a fully contracted position. Once your pecs feel stretched, only then should you begin.

Stiff Arm pulldowns 4x30,25,20,15. Keep the tempo piston-like and try to get a solid pump before moving on.

Wide grip Pulldowns 3x 8-12. Perform a rest-pause on the last set.

One Arm Dumbbell rows 3x8-12

Deadlifts 3x4-6. These sets should feel like torture after what proceeded them, but the result will be a much thicker back.

     So there you have it: a program geared toward packing on the beef without killing the joints. Wear and tear will happen, but it doesn’t have to slow you down. I’ve given you the tools, now it is time for you to hit the gym and perform some priming and pumping of your own!

Classic Bodybuilding: The Mass Building Methods of Steve Davis

September 10, 2015, 3:15 pm

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     In the late '70s-early '80s,  Steve Davis became a well-known figure in the bodybuilding world.  He graced the cover of quite a few bodybuilding magazines due to his "classical" physique—he was by no means "massive" in the sense that we think of it today, but he had clean lines, and a well-proportioned physique.  But it wasn't necessarily his build that made him so popular, but, rather, the transformation that occurred in his body.

     You can see Steve's rather impressive transformation on the cover of his popular book "Total Muscularity."

     In addition to the above book, he also wrote a few others, but "Total Muscularity" remained the favorite among his readers.

     When I took up serious bodybuilding training in the early '90s, Davis wrote a monthly column for MuscleMag International that, I'm afraid, was overlooked by many of its readers—I just never felt as if Steve got his just due for (not just) his physique, but his knowledge of muscle-building and his expert dietary advice.

     Steve had some great advice for building mass—advice that can still be used today to great success.  One of the intriguing things that he used was something called a "set series"—the program below is built on the "set series" premise.

Steve shows off his classical lines in competition

Steve's 12 Keys for Building Quality Mass

     Here are the "12 keys" that Steve believed in, and recommended, for building muscle:

1. Train each bodypart 2x per week.
2. Use 8 reps for arms, chest, shoulders, and back exercises.
3. Use 15 reps for calves, lower back, quadriceps, and hamstring development.
4. Do not do ab work on a mass-building regimen.
5. Wear a watch and time your rest between sets.  Keep it at 30-45 seconds, the shorter the better.
6. Perform 2 exercises per bodypart (see sample routine).
7. For each exercise, do a light warm-up set and then 6 sets using the same weight, reps, and rest between sets.  Steve called this a "set series."
8. Keep a chart, and increase your weight each week.    Even tiny increases are good.
9. Rest 3 minutes after each set series.
10. Think heavy weights.  Lift heavy weights.
11. Take in one gram of high-quality protein for each pound of bodyweight.  
12. Follow the "Master Diets" found in any of Steve's books.

On the cover of the defunct Muscle World magazine

The Steve Davis Mass Blast

     Using the following routine, you would train six days on, one day off, your only day of the week off being Sunday:

Monday and Thursday

Chest, Back, and Lower Back

1. Bench Presses 2x8
2. Dumbbell Incline Presses 2x8
3. Dumbbell Pullovers 2x8
4. Bent-Over Rows 2x8
5. Behind-the-Neck Pulldowns 2x8
6. Hyperextentions 2x8

Tuesday and Friday

Shoulders, Arms, and Forearms

1. Behind-the-Neck Presses 2x8
2. Dumbbell Lateral Raises 2x8
3. Barbell Curls 2x8
4. Incline Dumbbell Curls 2x8
5. Close-Grip 2/3 Bench Presses 2x8
6. Non-Locking Pushdowns 2x8
7. Reverse Curls 2x8

Wednesday and Saturday

Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves, and Lower Back

1. Front Squats 2x15
2. Hack Squats 2x15
3. Leg Curls 2x15
4. Donkey Calf Raises 2x15
5. Standing Calf Raises 2x15
6. Hyperextensions 2x8

Prime and Pump Chest and Biceps Training

September 27, 2015, 3:13 pm

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C.S.'s note: The chest-training methods that Jared uses in this article are ones that he first laid out in his "Prime and Pump for Massive Muscle Growth" article a couple of posts back.  Do yourself a favor and read that one first, if you haven't yet done so, before proceeding to this new bodypart-centric piece.  If you read the article below without having read the other one, you may be confused over some of the terminology Jared uses.

Prime and Pump Training for a Silverback Set of Pecs and Animalistic Arms!

by Jared Smith

I’ve heard some say that a pump will limit one's ability to go heavy. This could not be further from the truth. Physics dictates that the more mass something has, the more power it will possess. I’m not saying to obliterate a muscle with insanely high reps before attempting to go heavy, but if you pump the muscles that support the lift, it will add “mass” via sarcoplasmic expansion which will lend itself to more strength.

Everyone and their brother wants more strength and more muscle. No meat-head can call himself such if he has never been asked how much he can bench press. I’m not saying that simply moving more weight will cause hypertrophy—because no one technique or scheme of progressive overload will work forever—I am simply stating that there must be some sort of measureable progress if one is to grow larger muscles. The conventional approach to the average chest workout is to simply warm up on the bench, and put it first in the workout. While this is not a bad idea, there is a more efficient way of training. 

We start "priming" our chest by performing barbell curls with a wide grip. This serves a duel purpose: 1. This will get those elbows "ready-to-go" by pumping the biceps, giving you a “cushion” at the bottom half of the bench press. 2. By keeping your elbows in as tight to your sides as possible while curling, you will activate your external rotators, preparing the shoulders for the load to come. While performing the curl, act as if you are trying to touch your elbows together as you ascend.  Control the negative and shove in your elbows as you lower the barbell.  (I promise you the pump in the biceps— as well as the increased range of motion of your shoulder—will have you chomping at the bit to get under some hefty weights!)

Matthew Sloan builds detailed biceps by doing a lot of barbell curls

After four sets of curls for around 10 reps each, you are ready to "get under the bar". Knock out a few “feeler” sets on the bench to lock in your groove. Once you’re ready to go, you will perform five sets of 8-10 reps, resting about 40 seconds between sets. Control the negative, and use inward intent on the bar as if you are trying your damnedest to compress it together in the center. Stop the bar about an inch above your chest and pause for a second before letting it touch, then ascend, continuing with inward intent. By the last set, you should only be able to complete around six reps, but that is fine. The next time you train chest, you should be able to complete ten reps on all sets. Once this happens, you know it is time for you to increase the intensity and add some weight.

Sergio Oliva built an awesome chest by doing little other than flat bench presses

Upon completion of the bench press, it is time to keep that “pump power” going. Hammer out three sets of incline dumbbell curls—supinate on the way up and pronate on the way down. At the bottom, contract the triceps—which will insure that the biceps are fully lengthened—then squeeze the hell out of them! Keep your shoulders depressed and retracted throughout the movement, and make your biceps swell with engorged blood!

Stay where you are, because that incline bench is about to be put to use again. Grab a set of dumbbells, and pound out 4 sets of incline presses. Again, keep your shoulders depressed and keep your entire spine in line with the bench. Lock everything down, and press up and inward, but not so far that the ‘bells are directly overhead. Keep them outside the shoulders slightly to maintain tension on your pecs. Remember, the function of the pecs is not only to bring the upper arm across the torso, but to internally rotate the shoulder. On the negative, rotate the dumbbells by turning your palms in to face each other, and turn them out on the way up. This will make sure that the pec is contracted to the max! Take 40 seconds between each set of 8-10 reps.

One of the greatest "power-builders" of all time, Pat Casey loved heavy incline dumbbell benches!

Before the pump can dissipate, you will now perform three sets of preacher curls for 8-10 reps. Keep your chin up and get your elbows as close together as possible. Never stop at the top or bottom of the exercise. Try to keep a count of three-up, three-down in your mind, and never pause. The burn and pump will be immense, but keep grinding! Keeping with the same rest period, knock these reps out, and make your peaks scream!

To finish off the workout, you will perform a superset that will test your mettle: classic wide grip dips and close grip, palms-in pulldowns. I know what you may be thinking, “Aren’t close-grip pulldowns a back exercise?” and you’re right. It also happens to be—in my humble opinion—the single greatest biceps builder on the planet! Focus on squeezing them throughout the movement, and feeling them contract all the way up to your shoulder. This means you’re hitting your biceps from two points. Not only are you adding thickness to your lower biceps, but the peak contraction you’ll feel is insane! Control the negative of both movements and never stop thinking about contracting the hell out of the target muscle! Three sets of each to absolute failure. Shoot for 8-10 on all sets, but as long as you are failing somewhere close to that on the last set, that is what counts. 

The Rundown: 

Wide Grip Barbell Curls 4x8-10

Bench Presses with Inward intent 5x8-10

Incline Dumbbell Curls 3x8-10

Incline Dumbbell Presses 4x8-10

Preacher Curls 3x8-10

Wide Grip Dips superset with Close Grip Palms-in Pulldowns 3x8-10

     There you have it. The perfect way to pulverize your pecs, and mutilate your meat hooks! The volume is not insanely high, but squeeze each and every rep as if your life depends on it. How do you know your set is done? When the muscle won’t contract anymore! There is nothing complicated about going to failure—you must simply work until that muscle refuses to. Look deep within your own mind, and push past your comfort zone. If you have to use a rest-pause to hit your target rep range on the last set, then do so. If you must perform a drop set to hit the designated number of reps, it’s all good. Intensity is the name of the game. There is no time to screw around and no time to take it easy in the quest for ultimate muscle mass. 

All About Fat Loss for the Bodybuilder

October 12, 2015, 5:04 pm

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Control Your Calories, Your Macronutrients, and Your Training for an Awesomely "Ripped" Physique

by Matthew Sloan

Matthew Sloan displays the results of his hard work, both in the gym and in the kitchen.

     This is a very important topic and it is important for one reason: millions of people set their goal to lose fat every year, and only a very small percentage succeed. Some people will say that these people are just lazy, but the simple fact is that the majority of people who fail to lose the fat have been misguided in the way to accomplish their goals. So I am going to attempt to enlighten you on the real way to lose fat and to lose it permanently.

     Let me begin by saying that this is not the ONLY way to lose fat, but this is an effective way and many of these principles are necessary in any fat loss journey. The most important factor in losing fat is one thing, and one thing only, and that is calories. You must be expending more calories than you are consuming daily to lose weight. You can calculate your daily caloric expenditure by going to an online calculator( this number will be based on your weight, height, age, and activity level). Some people will be exceptions to this caloric expenditure number, but you probably are not one of them.

     Calories are important, but only worrying about calories is not going to give you the optimal results you are looking to achieve. Our goal is to not only lose weight but to lose adipose tissue and not muscle that you've worked hard to build. In order to accomplish this, you must also worry about which macronutrients you get your calories from. When I say "macros", I am talking about the three main macronutrients found in foods: protein, carbs, and fats. Your proteins are primarily your meats, beans, dairy, protein powders, and a few other sources. Your carbs are primarily your potatoes, rice, fruits, and your common junk food. Your fats are primarily your nuts, dressings, and other common junk food choices.( I am a proponent of "flexible dieting" or "IIFYM" , so ,yes, you can get your macros from junk food or non "clean" foods, but for health reasons, I would recommend getting majority of your calories from clean whole foods.) It is important to have a balance of all these macros because they are all important in their own way. You need your protein for muscle growth and to prevent muscle loss. You need your carbs for energy and muscle growth. You need your fats for a few important body functions. Everybody will respond differently to these macros, and some people will need more of a certain thing than another. This is where a coach is able to manipulate and adjust your macros for optimal performance. But a good starting place for everyone is to get 25% of calories from protein, 15-20% from fat, and 55-60% from carbs.  (One of the most common macro ratios is a 40/40/20, but this is not optimal because no beginner needs that much protein. 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass is enough.)  This 25/55/20 macro ratio will give you plenty of energy from the large amount of carbs( I am a big opponent of low carb diets, but I will explain that in another article), and this will provide you with a protein amount that is effective, while also making dieting easier.

     OK, so now we know the first two keys to fat loss—your calories and macros—the next thing is your workout program. I would recommend a high frequency training style while cutting—my dad has written multiple articles on high frequency training so just check one of those out; we have tons of awesome ones here at Integral Strength. The reason for this is that the goal of your workouts should be to conserve as much muscle as possible and to burn as many calories in your workouts as possible. High frequency training is going to allow for more protein synthesis in the muscles, and will allow you to train more body parts per workout, leading to more calories burned.

Matthew uses a HFT protocol—similar to many of the articles here at Integral Strength—to help him lose fat while maintaining muscle mass.

     Now that we have the three main components of fat loss explained, I am going to explain how you will implement these for maximum fat loss. So fat is basically just stored calories, or stored energy. This fat was very useful for our ancestors because they may have had to go weeks without eating, and would have needed energy to continue living. In today's society, we have no need for this extra fat, so we wish to get rid of it. So it seems simple—if you starve yourself then you will lose the fat (such as commonly found in today's popular low carb and/or low-calorie diets), right? Maybe, except for one giant, fat (pun intended) problem: when your body goes into "starvation mode", it is going to get energy from your fat and muscles, and simply losing fat and muscle is not going to make you look any better or perform better—its simply going to make you smaller (I have made this mistake in the past). In order to lose fat without losing muscle, you must slowly decrease daily caloric consumption, while slowly increasing daily caloric expenditure.  So for an example, I will use myself. I am coming off of a caloric surplus, and I have been consuming 3200 calories daily. My macros were something around 160 grams of protein, 450 grams of carbohydrates, and 80 grams of fat. I want to ensure I don't lose my muscle, so I have been decreasing my calories by only 100 calories per week. Every 1.5 weeks, I am increasing cardio by five minutes, as well.  ( I jump rope for my cardio but any form of cardio will be fine.)  I have a "macro change" every three weeks—keep calories the same, but decrease carbs and increase protein. The only other thing I do is have a "re-feed" day( back up to 3000 calories) once a week. These are the main key components of my "cut".

     You should now have a good understanding of the basics of fat loss, and if you incorporate these components into your program, then you will lose fat and change your body. I will go into detail on low carb diets, cardio, food sources, and a few other minor fat loss ideas/methods in another article.

Prime and Pump Leg Training

October 26, 2015, 2:41 pm

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PRIME time for sliced Hams and PUMPED quads!

by Jared Smith

How a person trains can tell you a lot about that person. There are always the guys and gals who only train the “beach” muscles and seldom pay attention to the really important things such as legs and back. You can also tell when someone has spent too much time doing the “more bang for your buck” movements without properly preparing themselves for it. I have fallen victim to the same thing in the past. I was so excited to get under the bar that I all but ignored the preparation aspect of training, and, after a while, I started feeling the effects. I have no intention of being that old man who still packs a little muscle, yet can hardly get off the toilet without the joints sounding like someone pouring milk over a bowl of Rice Crispies! There is a way to keep pounding at the king of all exercises while preserving your knees and hips—and I will show you how.

If you have read the previous installments of Prime and Pump, you know that I am an advocate of pumping  antagonistic muscles to get the connective tissues pliable and ready to train hard. With leg training it is no different. We will start our session by getting those knees and hips ready for the assault in the squat rack. The first exercise will be lying leg curls. These will be done in two different variations. The first three sets will be done with a "piston-like" cadence while you elevate your torso off the pad, thus putting your hips in a slight position of extension. Perform three sets of these for 10-12 reps. At the top of each rep, you will feel a slight tug at the very top of your thigh, and that’s exactly what you want. The next three sets will be done in the "traditional style", keeping your torso on the pad and trying to push your hips through the apparatus as you curl upward. Lower the weight slowly and squeeze at the top for a count of two. After your third set of 8 reps, it is time to move on. 

One often-overlooked and neglected preparatory measure is making sure that the calves are limber enough to allow for one to keep his or her heels glued to the floor when squatting. We will accomplish this while simultaneously prepping our lower backs for the squat. Start by placing two ten-pound plates on the floor, at around shoulder-width. We will use these to elevate our toes and perform straight-leg deadlifts. By elevating the toes, you will place the calves under a stretch, and semi-stretch the hamstrings, thus recruiting them more than with the traditional version. Make sure that you descend slowly, and initiate the concentric by contracting your hamstrings. The descent should be deliberate, and you should attempt to touch your backside to the wall behind you. Push back with your hips, then push through with them. This will really get your hamstrings "firing", and your lower back should be warm and ready to go after three sets of 10-12 reps.

Now we are ready to get down to business! After a couple of warm up sets to get the nervous system kicking in, we will pound out four sets of squats. Imagine trying to pull yourself to the floor with your hamstrings. This will  keep your descent slow and controlled. The concentric shouldn’t be explosive. We are trying to squeeze the muscle as if it owes us money, even though it's a compound movement. We are after hypertrophy, pure and simple. After four sets of 8-10 with only a minute of rest between sets, you should feel pumped.

Next up, we have leg presses. If you think that since squatting is done the hard part is over, you are very sadly mistaken. We will do seven “doubles” as I call them. (These will be far less enjoyable than a double you would order from the local bar tender.) The first half of each set will be done with a narrow stance for ten reps, the second half will be done with a wide stance for another ten. We are essentially cramming 14 sets into a very short period of time. Rest only 40 seconds between each double, and keep the tempo smooth and piston-like, with no stops at the bottom or top of the movement. 

Next on the agenda will be drop-set leg extensions. These will not be the traditional drop sets you might be used to. These will be mechanical drop sets. This means we will do a more difficult version of the lift first, then, keeping the weight the same, we shift our “mechanical” advantage and continue repping out. The first part of the set will be done with your chest held up high, and a slight forward lean off the back pad, allowing your torso to be at exactly 90 degrees to the thigh, thus shortening the quad from both the hip and the knee. When you reach failure, lean back against the pad which will place the muscle in the midrange where it is strongest. Continue the set until you fail again. Three rounds of this torture, with a minute rest in between, with a controlled negative and a two-count squeeze at the top of each rep, and that is all she wrote!

By this point, your legs should be pumped and, if you pushed your sets to failure, you should be feeling a little shaky—perhaps even a bit nauseous. If you feel like death warmed over, I applaud you for a job well done! 

     Stay tuned for the next installment of Prime and Pump, where I will carve out your path of destruction through a back/triceps workout that will get you grabbing attention even when your back is turned to the “cardio bunnies”!

X-Factor Arm Training

November 8, 2015, 2:56 pm

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Little Known Training Routines for Massively Muscled Arms

 

Arnold shows off his "guns" at their most massive!

     The “x-factors” are those little-known training programs that not many people even know about, let alone actually do.  But for the bodybuilders who do perform these workouts, there can be little doubt: these are the best programs in existence, capable of transforming physiques, and turning proverbial 98-pound weaklings into the big boys of the beach.

     For this installment of “x-factor” training, I thought I would turn my hypertrophy-inducing beacon of light on every bodybuilder’s favorite bodypart(s): the arms.  So if you’re prepared to go down the rabbit hole, to swallow Morpheus’s red pill and enter an arm-training world that you thought only existed on some quantum paradoxical alternate universe, read on.  (And prepare to put inches on your arms as never before.)

Arm Training Specifics

     Despite the fact that this article contains some routines where the “rules” go out the window, arm training is unique compared to other bodyparts.  Let’s first look at what I consider the 2 “specifics” of arm training.  Once you understand—and accept—these specifics it might be a little easier for your eyes (and your mind) to adjust to this new world of mass-building.  Here goes:

1. Central nervous system (CNS) fatigue is very low with arm training.  If your central nervous system has not recovered from the effects of your training, then it doesn’t matter if your muscles have recovered.  Some research suggests that the nervous system takes more than twice as long than the muscles to recover from a workout.  This means that if a workout session is too intense, your muscle fibers will have recovered before your central nervous system.  The problem this presents is that if your workout is too hard, your muscles could begin to atrophy before your CNS has recovered.  In other words, you could both undertrain and overtrain at the same time—not good.  The good news, however, is that CNS fatigue is very low when training either your biceps or your triceps.  In layman terms, all of this means that you can train your arms very hard—lots of intensity techniques like drop sets, tri-sets, and giant sets—and still be able to recover from the CNS damage before your next workout.
2. Arms don’t require a lot of exercises for full development.  Just because you are capable of using a lot of sets and a lot of intensity techniques when training your arms, this doesn’t mean that you have to perform a lot of exercises.  Unlike muscles such as the chest and the back—which require “hitting” the muscles from 3 or 4 different angles for full development—you can develop huge biceps and triceps from just one or two exercises per muscle group.  Now, keep in mind from our first “specific” that you can certainly train your arms with multiple exercises if you so wish.  There’s no reason that your arms can’t recover from the damage—it just means that multiple exercises aren’t necessary for full growth and development to occur.

The X-Factor Programs

     Now that we have our 2 specifics covered, it’s time to get down to the nuts and bolts, the nitty-gritty of why you’re reading this article: the actual workout routines.

     Before we begin, keep this in mind: all three of the programs that follow are meant to be used during a period of training when your sole focus is to make your arms as large as humanly possible.  Do not attempt to train the rest of your body with even close to the same intensity.  Don’t get me wrong, you still need a good staple of squats, benches, chins, and deadlifts while performing these arm-training routines, but you shouldn’t be going overboard.  (The first program incorporates the entire body, and gives you a good idea of the kind of training you need to do for bodyparts other than your arms on the last two routines.)

     With that in mind, let the games begin:

High-Volume, Heavy/Light/Medium Training

     If you have read any of my articles in the past, then you know might know that I favor the heavy/light/medium system of full-body training.  Well, here’s an arm-training version of the same thing—with a twist, of course.  This program has you training six days per week.  Three days will be devoted toward training the chest, back, and legs (with a minimum number of exercises) and the other three days will be devoted toward arm training.  The other twist is that the arm training days will be high-volume—plenty of sets for a massive pump and massive growth.

     Here’s what the program for a week of training should look like:

Day One—Heavy Full Body

1. Squats: 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps.  Only the last set should approach muscular failure.

2. Bench Presses: 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps.

3. Chins: 3 sets of close-to-max reps, using bodyweight only.

Day Two—Heavy Arm Training

1. Barbell Curls:  8 progressively heavier sets of 3 reps.  Take your time working up over 8 sets to a max triple.

2. Weighted Dips: 8 progressively heavier sets of 3 reps.  As with the barbell curls, take your time working up to a max triple.

3. Barbell Curls: 5 sets of 10 reps.  For these, use the same weight on all 5 sets.  The first couple of sets should be tough; the last three sets should be damn near impossible to get all 10 reps.

4. Skullcrushers: 5 sets of 10 reps.  Use the same set/rep format as the barbell curls above.

5. Barbell Curls: 2 sets of 25 reps.  Now, it’s time for some real torture.  Despite the fact that your arms—at this point—should be pumped and full, you will do both of these sets to muscular failure.  The 25 reps is just a guideline; if it takes more reps to reach failure, do it!

6. Skullcrushers: 2 sets of 25 reps.  Do these the same as the barbell curls.

Day Three—Light Full Body

1. Squats: 5 sets of 5 reps.  Work up to a weight that is approximately 80% of the max weight performed on Day One.

2. Standing Military Presses: 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps.

Day Four—Light Arm Training

1. Barbell Curls: 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps.  The last set should be hard, but you should still have something “in the tank” when you are finished.

2. Bench Dips: 4 sets of max reps.  This is an exercise that you can train hard, and it still doesn’t take its toll on your recovery system.

Day Five—Medium Full Body

1. Squats: 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps.  Work up to a weight that is 90% of what was used on Day One.

2. Bench Presses: 5 progressively heavier sets of 5 reps.  Work up to a weight that is 90% of what was used on Day One.

Day Six—Medium Arm Training

1. Barbell Curls: 8 progressively heavier sets of 3 reps.  Take your time working up to a set that is approximately 95% of what was used on Day Two’s triples.

2. Skullcrushers: 8 progressively heavier sets of 3 reps.  Take your time working up over 8 sets of a max triple.

3. Dumbbell Curls: 5 sets of 10 reps (each arm).  Use the same weight for all 5 sets.  The last few sets should be “all-out.”

4. Dips: 5 sets of max reps.  Using your bodyweight only, do 5 sets of the maximum number of reps you can perform.

The almost-forgotten Joe Bucci still has some of the best arms in bodybuilding history.

Smolov-Style Power Training

     Former Soviet strength coach S.Y. Smolov must have been one sick commie because he created some of the most hellish squat routines imaginable.  But here’s the thing: if you were capable of making it through his programs—actually manenough to do the hard work required—then you came out of them with bigger legs and stronger squats than ever before.

     Enter Smolov-style arm training.  Make it through the program below, and I can guaran-friggin-tee that your arms will be bigger—not to mention stronger—than they have ever been in your life.

     Follow the program below without deviating.  The first week, there is a chance that you will want to quit because of how sore your muscles are; don’t worry about it.  Your body will adjust to the new workload after a week to a week and a half of training.

Week One

Monday

1. Barbell Curls: 70% (of one rep maximum) for 4 sets of 10 reps.  Don’t worry if the percentage you use isn’t exact, but it should be close.

2. Weighted Dips: 70% (of one rep maximum) for 4 sets of 10 reps.

Wednesday

1. Barbell Curls: 75% for 5 sets of 7 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 75% for 5 sets of 7 reps.

Friday

1. Barbell Curls: 80% for 7 sets of 5 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 80% for 7 sets of 5 reps.

Saturday

1. Barbell Curls: 85% for 10 sets of 3 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 85% for 10 sets of 3 reps.

Week Two

Monday

1. Barbell Curls: 70% (plus 10 pounds) for 4 sets of 10 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 70% (plus 10 pounds) for 4 sets of 10 reps.

Wednesday

1. Barbell Curls: 75% (plus 10 pounds) for 5 sets of 7 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 75% (plus 10 pounds) for 5 sets of 7 reps.

Friday

1. Barbell Curls: 80% (plus 10 pounds) for 7 sets of 5 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 80% (plus 10 pounds) for 7 sets of 5 reps.

Saturday

1. Barbell Curls: 85% (plus 10 pounds) for 10 sets of 3 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 85% (plus 10 pounds) for 10 sets of 3 reps.

Week Three

Monday

1. Barbell Curls: 70% (plus 15 pounds) for 4 sets of 10 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 70% (plus 15 pounds) for 4 sets of 10 reps.

Wednesday

1. Barbell Curls: 75% (plus 15 pounds) for 5 sets of 7 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 75% (plus 15 pounds) for 5 sets of 7 reps.

Friday

1. Barbell Curls: 80% (plus 15 pounds) for 7 sets of 5 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 80% (plus 15 pounds) for 7 sets of 5 reps.

Saturday

1. Barbell Curls: 85% (plus 15 pounds) for 10 sets of 3 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: 85% (plus 15 pounds) for 10 sets of 3 reps.

Week Four

Monday

Rest

Wednesday

Rest

Friday

Barbell Curls: Work up over progressively heavier sets to a max single.

Saturday

Weighted Dips: Work up over progressively heavier sets to a max single.

     Once the four weeks are finished, perform a week of “active recovery” training.  During this week, train 2 to 3 days, using a full-body program.  Perform 3 to 5 exercises per workout for 3 to 5 sets on each exercise.  Don’t take any of these sets to failure.

     Following the “active recovery” week, return to another four-week block of Smolov training.  Be sure to calculate your new one-rep maximum percentages based on your numbers on the Friday and Saturday of your fourth week of training.

The Fantastic Four

     As with the Smolov workout, this program has you training your arms 4 days per week.  Unlike the Smolov plan, you are going to rotate exercises and repetition ranges at each session.

     Before we get to the actual program, here is an outline of what is involved:

• Workout One will be devoted toward high-set, low-rep, heavy weight training.  This will develop maximum strength, as well as tap into your fastest-twitch muscle fibers.
• Workout Two will be devoted toward endurance training.  You will perform only a couple of sets of each exercise for 30 to 40 reps.
• Workout Three is strictly for hypertrophy.  Here, you will use a standard 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps regimen.
• Workout Four is for “speed” training using explosive reps.  You will perform 10 sets of 3 reps.

     Below is an example of what one-week of training should look like:

Monday—Maximum Weights, Maximum Sets

1. Barbell Curls: Using 90% of your one-rep maximum, perform 8 sets of 2 reps.

2. Weighted Dips: Using 90% of your one-rep maximum, perform 8 sets of 2 reps.

Tuesday—Muscular Endurance

1. Cable Curls: 2 sets of 30 to 40 reps.  For these, use a light weight where you wouldn’t reach failure until approximately the 50^th rep.

2. Bench Dips: 2 sets of 30 to 40 reps.  Use your bodyweight only on this exercise.  Be sure that you are not pushing it to your limit.

Thursday—Hypertrophy Only

1. Dumbbell Curls: 4 sets of 6 reps.  Use a weight that would allow for approximately an 8-rep maximum.

2. Skullcrushers: 4 sets of 8 reps.  Use a weight that would allow for approximately a 10-rep maximum.

Saturday—Speed Training

1. Barbell Curls: Using approximately 65% of your one-rep maximum, perform 10 sets of 3 reps.  Every rep should be as fast and “explosive” as possible, while maintaining as strict form as possible.

2. Close-Grip Bench Presses: Using approximately 65% of your one-rep maximum, perform 10 sets of 3 reps.  Every rep should be as fast and “explosive” as possible, while maintaining as strict form as possible.

     Perform this program for 3 weeks straight before taking a “down” week.  On the down week, perform the same workout but cut the poundages used in half.  This will aid recovery, and will prepare you for whatever program you decide to perform next.

Other Factors

     None of these programs are fat-loss workouts.  Make sure that you’re consuming plenty of protein, carbs, and fat.  In fact, go ahead and eat everything in sight.  (If you need to lose a lot of bodyfat, you should probably be on another program anyway.)  Consume at least a gram of protein per-pound-of-bodyweight daily.  Consume at least 15 times your bodyweight in calories every day.

     Be sure to get adequate sleep.  No less than 8 hours every night should suffice.  Any less and you’ll be inhibiting your recovery ability.

     Another important factor is water.  I recommend you drink your bodyweight in ounces on a daily basis.  This also aids your recovery ability and keeps your muscles “fuller” than if you don’t drink this much H2O.

Closing Thoughts

     Give all of these routines an honest try.  You don’t have to do them all back to back.  For instance, you might want to follow the heavy-light-medium program for 4 weeks, then switch over to more of an over-all mass building program for 4 weeks.  After that, you could switch to 4 weeks of Smolov-style arm training, before once again switching over to another program for 4 weeks.

     Good luck and good training.

---

Prime and Pump for Back and Triceps

December 5, 2015, 8:13 am

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Grow Dragon-like Wings and Torch the Three-headed Monster

by Jared Smith

The Massive Back and Triceps of Dorian Yates

I recall the first time I ever stepped foot in a gym. I saw a man—who would later become one of my mentors—standing in front of the mirror sporting a stringer tank, with a back that looked wide enough to project a movie upon, and thick enough to cushion a fall from a ten-story building.  From that point on, I knew that in order to really look powerful and “swole”, I had to pack on plenty of back beef!

      In addition to having an impressive back, his triceps were monstrous. I had never seen someone standing relaxed that looked so impressive. I remember seeing the veins snaking up the long head of his triceps, and being in awe of the density they displayed. That image stuck with me—and has inspired me ever since: from the first set of barbell rows to the last set of skull crushers. Inspiration is great, but how do we sculpt such gnarly-looking muscle ourselves? A combination of gut busting intensity and laser-like focus! 

If you’ve read the previous installments of Prime and Pump, you know that I am a huge advocate of using the pump from one muscle to enhance the "hammering" of another without wear and tear on the joints. You might, however, be wondering why I choose to pair triceps with back. For starters, training the triceps with the chest or shoulders can sometimes tax the elbows too much. That is not to say that it can’t be done, but, rather, that one must minimize the amount of pounding the joint takes in a given workout. Another reason is getting more "bang for your buck". The pullover actually activates the long head of the triceps more than any other movement. If you take a look at pics of Mike Mentzer and Dorian Yates in their heydays, you’ll notice that they had tremendous triceps, and both were advocates of the pullover. The third reason for pairing these groups together is due to the position one must get into for the triceps to be fully contracted. Until the arm is behind the torso, it is not in the fully contracted position. With that said, many movements that will put thickness on the mid-back require that the arms travel in that direction, and that the elbows come as far back as possible. Finally, the last reason will appeal to all those who love lifting heavy: You will NEVER have a big bench if your triceps, lats, and traps are small or weak! Without a dense upper back, to support the weight, how would one expect to squat a ton? The back is the foundation from which the beast is built! 

The Nuts and Bolts

We will start this torture session with a superset of straight arm pulldowns with tricep pushdowns. Keep the reps here between fifteen and twenty for both. At the top of the straight arm pulldowns, "depress" your shoulders by attempting to pull your scapula to your waist. This won’t happen, obviously, but it will cause you to initiate the exercise with your lats. Squeeze these at the bottom for a two-count before ascending. For tricep pushdowns, keep your elbows crammed into your sides as tight as you can get them, and, if at all possible, use a rope attachment and spread it apart at the bottom. If you are lucky enough to have two ropes available, then pull both of them to the end, letting the rubber ends catch at the base of the handle and attach them both to the same cable station. This will allow you to extend past your torso and thighs, allowing your triceps to be in a fully-contracted position. Make sure that you are standing far enough away from the cable station that the cable itself creates a 90 degree angle. This will keep optimal tension on the cable, making the contracted position even harder. After cranking out three rounds of this superset, it is time to move on. 

Next up, we have another superset. This time we pair up straight-arm dumbbell pullovers with skull crushers. When performing pullovers, make sure to depress the shoulders before starting the positive portion of the lift. We ALWAYS want to initiate an exercise with the target muscle. Keep the tempo consistent and "piston-like", only pausing long enough in the stretch position to depress your shoulders and squeeze the lats. When you dive into the skull crushers, do not come down to the forehead. Lower the bar to the crown of the skull, and press back as if you’re trying to touch the wall behind you. This will keep the tension on the triceps! Keep the reps here between twelve and fifteen. After three rounds, it is once again time to move on to the next round of brutality.

For this round, we will go with a “meat and potatoes” combination. Good, old-fashioned barbell rows and close-grip bench presses. You should be pumped to hell and back at this point, so we will drop the reps. Shoot for six to eight on both, with a slow tempo of 3/0/1. By this point, there should be so much blood in your triceps that you have to put on some serious weight to even get the weight down to your chest.  Your lats should be swollen to the point that getting your elbows back far enough will be a task! After three rounds, it will be time to polish the entire workout off.

Here comes the hard part. This will test your mettle and call upon any remaining fibers that haven’t already been thoroughly activated and "fried". We will superset dips with deadlifts. Yes, you read that correctly! By now, you shouldn’t have to add weight to the dips, just crank them out until you fail! Keep as upright as possible, and initiate with the triceps. You can’t eliminate chest involvement, but make sure that your triceps take the brunt of the load. The deadlifts should be initiated by engaging the lats. Grab hold of the bar, and shove your elbows in and back, squeezing your lats. Lower the bar slowly, and come to a complete stop at the end of each rep, and reset. Shoot for six to eight reps on deads. After three rounds, it is time to call it a day! 

At the end of this session, your back should feel thrashed from top to bottom. All three heads of the triceps should be begging for mercy! Is it rough? Of course! Nothing worth having comes easy. Perform this workout once a week, and make sure you are eating enough to feed a small nation!

Shredded Made Easy

January 15, 2016, 3:13 pm

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5 Simple Ways To Make Dieting Easier

by Matthew Sloan

Matthew Sloan shows off his lean physique

     The New Year of 2016 has arrived, and, with it, comes New Year's resolutions. The vast majority of these resolutions involve something such as this, “I'm going to get ripped!” or “I want to be toned”.  Unfortunately, the majority of these lost souls who go on their journey to that "dream physique" never make it past the month of January. Although much of this failure is the result of being misinformed on the correct way to lose fat (which I have talked about before), it is also the result of a lack of willpower. A very small percentage of us can follow a strict dietary program and never slip up, even if it's only now and then. But many of us, have a hard time not to binge-eat on the weekends while watching the latest episode of our favorite TV show(myself included). But over this past year(as I embarked on my journey from fat to shredded), I have learned some simple methods for coming up with easy ways to stick to my dietary regimen. So here are my 5 simple ways to make dieting easier.

•Intermittent Fasting. I'm sure many of you are aware of intermittent fasting, but here is a short description. Intermittent fasting is, essentially, just consuming all of your calories within a period of the day called an eating window. For example, one may fast from 8:00 pm until 12:00 pm the next day. This would create a 16 hour fasting period and an 8 hour eating window. So now that you all are aware of what intermittent fasting is, here is how it can work to help you achieve your fat-loss goals. So, let's say you are consuming 2000 calories a day and you eat from the time you get up at 6:00 a.m. until you go to sleep at 10:00 p.m. You are attempting to spread 2000 calories throughout a 16-hour period. This is very difficult to accomplish, and makes it much harder to stick to your diet. But let's say you fast from the time you get up until noon. Then it will be much easier to go throughout the rest of the day with your limited calories. Give it a try—I'm sure you will find that it is much less taxing on the mind when you eat this way.

•Caffeine. For all of you coffee drinkers out there, this one is definitely for you! Caffeine is a good appetite suppressant. This will make it so that you aren't as hungry, resulting in a lower caloric intake for each day. We've all heard of diet pills, well, all these pills are primarily just caffeine! I recommend having a cup of black coffee every morning—you will grow to enjoy black coffee (trust me).

•Water. It doesn't get anymore simple than this. Water can be very beneficial for those of us that are dieting, not only because it is healthy for your body, but because it will help to keep you full. Try drinking half-a-gallon of water every morning, and watch how much easier it is to keep your cravings under control.

•Stay Busy. I am always the hungriest when I am just sitting around watching T.V. or just being lazy. So in order to make it easier on yourself, just stay active! When you are busy, time will fly right by you, and, before you know it, you'll have a hard time getting in all the calories, not the other way around.

•Cheat Meals. One of the best ways to give your mind a break while dieting, is to have a cheat meal! I recommend having 1 cheat meal on a specified day every week. Not only will this give your mind some much needed rest, it can also be beneficial to losing fat directly. So, begin with 1 cheat meal each week and, if you feel as if you're body responds better to more cheat meals( I am like this), then add in more.

     Hopefully this is the year in which more people reach their New Year's resolutions than in the past. Just remember to train hard, eat correctly, and follow these tips!

Mass — and Strength — Made Fast and Easy!

January 25, 2016, 5:01 pm

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High-Frequency Training for Fast Growth in Muscle Mass plus Some Serious Strength and Power Gains

"A day without work is a day without food."—Zen Master Hyakujo

     After my son posted his previous article on some easy ways to lose fat (fast), I thought I would do something similar, assuming, of course, that your goals in this instance are fast gains in both strength and muscle mass.

Matthew Sloan builds his muscle with HFT

     I have many other articles on this blog that cover high-frequency training, but it's amazing how many emails I still get from folks—typically guys, of course—who want more information on how to properly design a high-frequency training program, or use HFT for a period of a few weeks as a break from their typical routines.  Consider this post—and the subsequent ones that will follow during the remainder of this month—as my answer(s).

     There are many ways to build both strength and/or muscle mass.  Some programs are decidedly better than others at building just muscle mass or strength.  Conversely, some programs suck at building one of the aspects, and are really good at building the other.  For instance, if you are trying to stay in a weight class (as some people do for powerlifting) and are concerned about gaining weight, then a very effective way to train is infrequent training combined with really low reps (1 rep, or at the most 2 rep, sets) for multiple sets.  In this scenario, you would train, say, Squats on Monday, bench presses on Wednesday, and deadlifts on Friday.

     Such low-rep, infrequent training is not good at all if you are trying to build muscle mass.

     In that same regard, if you perform a program of moderate to low-frequency workouts with lots of sets and reps—15 to 20 sets of 15 to 20 reps—then you have set yourself up on a program that will build plenty of muscle, but will result in virtually zero strength gains.

     When it comes to building both muscle and strength, there are several programs that are effective.  (Almost all of the training articles I've penned on this blog are good for building both.)  A heavy-light-medium, 3 days-per-week program, for instance, is quite good, as is an upper/lower split program where you train 4 days-per-week.  (And, of course, programs such as Westside ain't "half-shabby" either.)

     For my money, however, nothing—and I mean nothing—beats HFT for building muscle and strength and power WHEN it's used correctly.  (And the operative word is "when"—you can do daily training, multiple-times-per-day for really high reps, and you won't build strength that would amount to much of anything.)

     When I say high-frequency training, I mean high-frequency training!  I mean a program that has you training each muscle group between 4 and 6 days-per-week.  Anything less than that is not the kind of training that I'm talking about.

     Here are some of the "keys" to making HFT work for building the ultimate combination of both strength and mass:

Train Very Frequently

     As I just mentioned, HFT is most effective at building this ultimate strength/mass/power combo when VERY high-frequency is used.

     Each muscle group should be trained on an almost daily basis.  Typically the training works best if you train every day for 3 to 5 days in a row, then take a break of one day before repeating.  You don't have to be too systematic about it, however.  So, if you train 3 days, then take a day off, followed by 5 days, then take a day off, followed by 4 days, then take a day off, and so on and so forth, then that should work out "perfectly."

     You can take the day off whenever you feel as if "mentally" you need the break, or you can do something such as what I do: When training this way, I simply take a day off whenever "life" gets in the way.  If I come home from work, for instance, and my wife wants to go on a "date night", then I take a day off.  If, come the weekend, some friends invite us over for beer and burgers, then I know that's another "life" reason for a relaxing day away from training.

     Here's the thing, however: the more often you train, the more often will you NOT want a day away from the gym.  In fact, if you take two days off at any time, you'll probably be absolutely dying to get your tail back under some big weights.
Treat Each Training Day as a "Practice Session"

Herman Goerner was massive and strong even in the 1920's.  He trained as if it was a "practice session" and could deadlift almost 800 pounds, an impressive feat no matter the era.

     This is one I learned from the "old-timers".  Your old-school strongmen and other lifters interested in cultivating "physical culture" did not "thrash", "obliterate", "destroy", or "crush" their muscles and lifts into oblivion with sets taken to the point of momentary muscular failure.  No, what they did was "practice" their various lifts.
     In this way, lifting becomes much more similar to martial arts, where you pick a handful of exercises, and then "practice" the exercises for numerous sets, but never take your sets to the limit that your form begins to "break down."
     Which brings us around to the next big key:
Train the Lift and Not the Muscle Group
     At each training session, pick a handful of exercises, and then train each exercise for a handful of sets, beginning with a fairly light weight, and then work up to a heavy triple, double, or single.
     None of the sets should be "all-out"—or even close, for that matter.  Always leave a few reps "in the tank", aside from the last set, where you should be lifting close to whatever your max is for that particular rep range of 1 to 3 reps.
Always Finish Training Your Exercises with LOW-Rep Sets
     Along the same lines, whenever you are finished with your last set of your chosen exercise, DO NOT perform a final high-rep set or two.  Sure, this technique is fine for some programs, but not when it comes to building plenty of mass and strength with HFT.  You want your muscles to "remember" the last set.  Your strength gains will be diminished if you don't follow this tip.

Train Using the "Big" Lifts
     There is no need for "isolation" movements, or anything of the like when it comes to HFT.  In fact, using such exercises could actually hinder your progress on programs such as this.
     Stick with the "big boys."
     As a rule, you can't go wrong with the exercises I've outlined in the past in one of my "Big 5" articles/posts.  Pick a heavy squatting exercise, a heavy pulling exercise, a heavy overhead pressing exercise, and, then, throw in a "drag" or "carry" exercise as a finisher.
     Here's a small list as an example:

• barbell squat
• dumbbell squat
• Zercher squat
• overhead squat
• deadlift
• deficit deadlift
• trap-bar deadlift
• sumo deadlift
• power clean
• power snatch
• clean-and-jerk
• dumbbell power clean
• clean and press
• military press
• push press
• one-arm dumbbell overhead press
• farmer's walk
• sled drag
• sandbag carry

     Also, in addition, it's perfectly fine to include some heavy chins, dips, barbell curls, dumbbell curls, or the like for good measure.

Use the "3 to 5 Rule" as a Reliable Guide
     At each training session, perform 3 to 5 exercises for 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps.  I like this "rule" because it limits your total amount of reps on any exercise to 25 reps.  If your total reps on any exercise, and, thus, your total "workload", gets too high you will begin to have problems with such high-frequency training.  This form of training has to be tempered with a moderate amount of volume.  (The exception, of course, would be highly advanced lifters who have built up the work capacity to do high-frequency, high-intensity, and high-volume workouts.)
     At the same time, another benefit is that this "rule" prevents you from doing too-little work.  Too much training, and you can stifle some of your results, but too little training, and you might as well stay away from the gym altogether.
     Finally, don't be limited by this "rule", either.  There will come a time—assuming that you stick with HFT for long enough—when you will need more sets, and, eventually, more exercises to keep making progress.  Also, to keep from growing incredibly bored, you may want to try some other methods that work well in the context of this style of training.
Another Reliable Method is the "Two-Barbell Rule"
     If you would prefer to do less exercises, you may want to try the "two-barbell" rule.  This "rule" simply states that, for the fastest progress, begin each training session with 2 barbell exercises before proceeding to whatever-the-hell-else you feel like doing.  In this case, however, the 2 barbell exercises would be the only exercises in use.  You perform less exercises, but more sets.
     A good way to use this "rule" is to do "ramps" on your two exercise.  Pick a rep range—either 5 reps, 3 reps, 2 reps, or singles—and simply "ramp" up in weight on each set until you reach the "near-max" for the chosen rep range.
     If your first exercise is the squat, and you choose a 5-rep ramp, your sets may look like this:
135x5
155x5
175x5
205x5
225x5
250x5
275x5
295x5
     This example assumes that the last set of 5 reps was "tough" with 295; tough enough that you probably could not get 5 reps if you added another 10 to 15 pounds.
     The lower the reps, the higher the sets.  Also, the more advanced, the higher the sets.  Advanced lifters may want to, as well, begin with sets of 5 before proceeding to sets of 3, then singles.  Remember, I said "advanced"—too many sets, even with only 2 exercises, and you won't be able to train at the frequency required.
Eat Plenty of Food!
     Unless you are advanced enough—by this point, if you haven't figured it out yet, the rules go "out the window" for advanced lifters—you would not want to follow my HFT strength and power training advice and follow my son's "Shredded Made Easy" diet plan at the same time.  The kind of training I have advised here requires calories, lots of calories!  Throw all the macros you want at this training regimen—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.  In fact, I think a diet that is almost equal in all the 3 macronutrients would be rather ideal.
     Don't forget the calories, either.  As a starting point, shoot for 12 times your bodyweight in calories daily.  After a few days, bump that up to 15 times your bodyweight in calories minimum.  So, for all of you 150-pound "Macs" who are tired of having sand kicked in your face while your woman tells the bully to beat off, this means that you need to work up to at least 2,250 calories-per-day minimum.  If you can stomach it, you will eventually want to add more.  (In fact, you should have to add more.  You should begin to gain weight at a rather fast rate on this program—compared to others—and as your weight increases, so must your total caloric intake.)

Charles Atlas is shown on the right, with a snippet from his legendary "dynamic tension" course on the left.  (Anyone my age or older, who read comic books as a kid, can remember the advertisements well.)

     For now, this should be enough information to get you started on the right track with HFT for strength and muscle mass.  Keep coming back to the blog regularly this month, however, because the plan is to have plenty more where this came from!

     (As an end note, the plan this year is to have at least 2 articles every week added to Integral Strength, whether the articles come from myself, my son, or the behemoth that frequents these whereabouts known as Jared Smith.)

HFT Benefits

January 28, 2016, 6:12 pm

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The Benefits of High-Frequency Training for Size and Strength Gains!

     If you haven't done so, please read my previous post on High-Frequency Training (HFT) before reading the following.  It will be of more benefit—no pun intended—if you do so.

     Now, on to building more muscle, strength and power...

George Hackenshmidt—the "Russian Lion"—built a massive physique, with the massive strength to boot, using High-Frequency Training tactics in the early 1900's.

     Different training strategies provide different benefits.  For instance—as an example of a training paradigm completely counter to HFT—if you were to follow a 2-days-per-week program of full-body workouts, focusing on the 3 powerlifting exercises, then you would reap the benefits of having more free time than usual during the week, and of being able to get good strength gains out of minimalistic training.

     High-Frequency Training has more benefits, in my book, than most other training strategies.  Here are some of the best benefits of this style of training:

It's Easy to Properly Regulate the "3 Variables"

     In the past, I've discussed what I consider to be the "three variables" of training.  For any program to be successful, these 3 variables must be properly regulated, controlled, and even manipulated.  The 3 variables are intensity, volume, and frequency.  As a general rule of thumb, two of the variables should always be high, while the other variable should be kept low.  The exceptions to this rule are either (a) highly-advanced lifters who have the ability to train intensity, volume, and frequency at a very high level, or (b) a program that is focused on keeping all 3 of the variables at a "moderate" level.
     The sort of HFT that I generally recommend here is one where you regulate the 3 variables by keeping intensity and frequency high, while keeping volume relatively low.  As the lifter gets more advanced, he/she can slowly add volume, but not until sufficient and regular strength gains are maintained.
     And that's really the beauty of HFT: it makes regulating the 3 variables relatively easy.
     You are training almost daily.  This keeps the frequency high.
     You are using relatively few sets for each exercise, while only using a handful of exercises.  This keeps the volume relatively low.
     And you are working up to a fairly high percentage of your one-rep maximum, which, in turn, means that your intensity is also going to be high.
     It's simple, and that's what makes it so effective for a great majority of lifters.
Training Motivation Stays High
     For lifters or bodybuilders who use any kind of low-frequency training, one of the hardest things is remaining motivated while on the program.
     Generally, this isn't a problem for lifters on HFT programs.  The daily training makes it more "addictive" for your body, so that your nervous system and muscles will actually be "craving"—for lack of a better word—to train each and every day.  In fact, most lifters reach a point where they feel really weird when they take a day off, and they are usually dying to get to the gym on the day after an off-day.
     And once you reach a point where you are not looking forward to the daily training, then you know that you are doing too much, which means that all is needed is a few "back-off" days to renew and re-energize the body and the muscles.
Better Hormonal "Response" on a Daily Basis
     Each and every time that you train, a host of good things happens to your muscle cells and the hormones that control/regulate them.
     Training increases output of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1).  So, obviously, the more frequently you can train a muscle group, the more frequent is the anabolic response.
     Bodybuilders—and researchers to boot—have long known about these anabolic responses to training, but many really didn't know how to take advantage of them.  The idea just to "train more" obviously was not the appropriate response.  The beginner or intermediate trainee doesn't need to increase his/her frequency without regulating volume and intensity.
     The sort of HFT I have written about regulates volume and intensity rather nicely, and the daily training really does make a difference in the anabolic response.  When performed properly, you should feel more "full" in your muscles, and feel more "aggressive" than usual in your mindset—both indicators that your hormones—and your muscles—are getting adequate stimulus.
Take More Advantage of Peri-Workout Nutrition
     Consuming the appropriate macronutrients and supplements before, during, and after your workout (peri-workout nutrition) can have a big influence on your muscle growth.  Bodybuilders who take advantage of peri-workout nutrition know that doing so makes their muscles grow larger and stronger in a shorter period of time.
     It only makes sense that more frequent training, combined with always using peri-workout nutrition will result in the largest, strongest muscles possible within a particular training cycle.

High-Frequency Training Trouble

February 3, 2016, 2:59 pm

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Telltale Signs That Your High-Frequency Training Might Be Causing You Trouble!

     In my previous post, I listed some of the benefits of HFT (high-frequency training).  The benefits are great—trust me, and I don't want to discourage anyone from setting foot on the HFT path.  But, to be honest, this kind of training is always best utilized by lifters who know their bodies well, who understand when to push it hard and when it's time to back-off.
     This is not to say, of course, that HFT shouldn't be done by any lifters who are not advanced.  While it's not the form of training I recommend for the beginner—that would typically be 3-days-per-week, heavy-light-medium training—its perfectly fine for intermediate lifters.  (While I'm on the subject of "beginners" and "intermediate", realize that you are still a beginner if you haven't built an appreciable amount of muscle and/or strength, no matter how long you've trained—even if it's years.)  However, when lifters who are not advanced take up this form of training, I've noticed one of two things sometimes happen.  Either the lifter (a) doesn't push him/herself hard at all because he/she is concerned about "overtraining", performing such little work that they might as well not even train, or (b) the lifter goes overboard, and does too much training, leading to possible overtraining and/or injuries.
     What follows here is for our "b" lifters:
Bradley Steiner to the Rescue

Bradley Steiner on the cover of his training booklet "12 Keys to Bodybuilding Success".

     When I was younger—and when Iron Man Magazine still kicked ass in its sheer amount of training information—Bradley J. Steiner was one of my favorite authors to read.  His column, and occasional articles, were all informative in the pages of Iron Man, and were frequently entertaining to boot.  While I didn't always agree with the man (and probably disagree with him even more as I grow older and—hopefully—wiser), a lot of his opinions held a great deal of validity.
     He once wrote that there were 5 "telltale signs of training trouble"—warning signals that you were headed towards serious problems if you didn't make adjustments to your program.
     Here are the 5 training problems (in Steiner's own words) that must be nipped in the bud, and I find these to be highly applicable when it comes to HFT:

1. "You experience deep-felt fatigue and exhaustion following your normal workout.  Proper training should leave you with a pleasant muscle fatigue, and no more.  Within an hour, you should be feeling exhilarated and vibrant."

2. "You lack the desire to train.  The idea of a hard workout appeals to you about as much as that of painting your house or mowing the grass on a football field.  Rather than looking forward to a good workout, you look for ways to avoid the gym or to slide through the exercises with less than top effort."

3. "The weights seem extraordinarily heavy.  They feel so heavy that you have to use very sloppy form to get out the desired number of sets and reps.  This should happen occasionally, as there are times when you have more or less energy.  When it happens frequently, however, look out."

4. "You feel totally wiped on your non-training days between workouts.  In this case, your recuperative powers are not working right, and you're probably overtrained."

5. "You make zero progress for long periods.  If you stop making gains or find yourself regressing, your training is definitely off base."


     If you are going to set off on a course of High-Frequency Training, you would do well to always keep these 5 signs of training trouble in the back of your mind.



Sources:
"Telltale Signs of Training Trouble" by Bradley J. Steiner, published in the November, 1991 issue of IronMan Magazine.

High-Frequency Training with the 3x5 Program

February 5, 2016, 8:58 am

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Build Muscle and Strength With This Basic 3x5 HFT Program!

Matthew Sloan—at just 16 years of age—has built plenty of lean muscle and an aesthetic physique using HFT programs almost exclusively

     After my last several posts on HFT, I thought it would be good—based on several emails that I have received, with readers pondering how to properly apply the HFT principles—if I did a few posts with specific methods of training.  These posts will take out more of the guesswork from planning, and then implementing, a HFT plan.
     Keep in mind that these programs are just examples.  You may need to make your own adjustments based on genetics, past training history, etc.  But, for the average lifter, these programs—as examples—will be good on setting you on the correct path.  Some of you may need more training, and some may need to be less, but stick with the programs as I recommend them before deciding that you need to make personal changes.
The 3x5 Program
     I like to (generally) begin a lifter on what I call the "3x5 program" when they first embark on HFT.  It's easy to program compared to some of the other programs (we will get to the other programs in future posts), and, for the most part, the lifter has less questions when employing it, and seems to "get in the groove" of training fairly quickly.
     The 3x5 program is simple.  Here are my "rules" when using it: 
     Train a minimum of 4 days per week, 5 to 6 will be even better.  When first starting on the program, I think that the easiest thing to do is train on a three-on, one-off program.  Once again, this takes all the guesswork out of training.  But, if you prefer more flexibility, then do as I recommended a few posts ago: just take a day off whenever "life" gets in the way.  The important thing, however, is to train frequently.  You will not be doing a whole lot of work at each training session—no matter what form of HFT you are using—and so it necessitates very frequent training.  4 days minimum, period.
     Use 3 to 5 exercises at each training session. Choose 3 to 5 exercises that work a wide range of movements and muscles.  I generally recommend a lower-body pulling exercise, a squatting exercise, an upper-body pulling exercise, an overhead pressing exercise, and an upper-body pushing exercise when using 5 exercises.  So, for instance, this might mean squats, deadlifts, chins, military presses, and bench presses on one training day, and front squats, power cleans, one-arm dumbbell rows, behind-the-neck presses, and weighted dips on another.  If you choose 4 exercises, then drop the upper-body pushing exercise, and if you do 3 exercises, then drop the upper body pushing exercise and the upper-body pulling exercise (but keep in mind that this is not a "hard" rule).  I would much rather one of my lifters—if he is using just 3 exercises—choose push-presses, deadlifts, and squats over deadlifts, bench presses, and chins, as an example.  (Feel free to throw in some barbell or dumbbell curls on some days, but just don't make direct arm training a daily thing.)
     Perform 3 to 5 sets, of 3 to 5 reps, on each exercise.  These sets should include "warm-ups".  Let's say that your first exercise of the day is the bottom-position squat, then your sets may look something such as this:
135x5
175x5
205x5
225x3
275x3
     The last set is the only one, in this instance, that is close to being all-out.  Use the same scheme, or something similar, on the other exercises.   Depending on how "big" the exercise is, however, depends on whether all of your sets are "ramps" (as above) or whether you fit in some "straight" sets as well.  So, let's say that your second exercise is chins, and, since most people can't use much weight on the exercise, your set/rep scheme may look like this:
bodyweight x 5
25 pounds (via weight belt) x 5
50 pounds x 3
50 pounds x 3
50 pounds x 3
     Also, keep in mind that you could do all of your sets with 5 reps—you don't have to go down to 3 reps on each exercise.  In fact, if you're after more muscle than strength, then it would probably be best to stick with 5 reps.  Keep in mind as well that you don't have to do 5 sets, either.  On some exercises, 3 will be plenty.  Program according to how you feel on each particular training day.
The Program on Paper
     Pretty simple and easy to program, huh?  However, just to make it even easier to understand, here is what several days of training may look like (please keep in mind, however, that this is just an example, too):

Monday:
Squats: 5x5
Deadlifts: 5x3-5
Behind-the-Neck Presses: 5x5
Weighted Dips: 5x3-5
Weighted Chins: 5x3-5

Tuesday:
Goblet Squats: 5x5
Power Cleans: 5x3
One-Arm Overhead Presses: 4x3-5

Wednesday:
Front Squats: 5x3-5
Power Snatches: 4x3
Military Presses: 5x3-5
Behind-the-Neck Chins: 3x5

Thursday:
Off

Friday:
Repeat Monday's workout

     At this point, you could repeat Tuesday and Wednesday's workout on the next couple of training days, or you could begin mixing in other exercises, or mix and match which days you do the above exercises.  But don't use too many different exercises—the less advanced you are, then the less exercises you need to use.  You should be constantly pushing for heavier and heavier weights on the last set of each exercise, and too many different exercises makes it hard to do that.
     If your goal is to really increase the weight on a certain exercise—as competitive powerlifters would need to do—then feel free to perform each exercise on each training day.  The more often you perform the exercise depends on the nature of how your body adapts to it.  You could squat at each training session, bench press at every-other training session, and deadlift at every third training session.

     In the next couple posts on HFT, I will go over a program that only uses one or two exercises in a training day, and another program that uses as many as 10 to 12 different exercises on each training day.
     Until then, train hard and frequent!

Where Pharaohs Go to Die!

February 7, 2016, 2:53 pm

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My Dramatic Transformation Principle Experience

by Jared Smith

Jared demonstrates some of the mass he's built using the principles in this article.

There are things in this world that can never be eclipsed. Upon the sands of a fallen empire—and in the ruins of rust-covered gyms around the world—they will forever be. The pyramids have been a symbol of power and mystique not just for the Pharaohs of old, but for every gym rat and serious bodybuilder to ever grasp a barbell. Though some things stand the test of time and cannot be replaced, they can be learned from and, thus, improved upon.

Most bodybuilders who have trained for even a short period of time, have performed a standard pyramid. Starting with a higher number of reps and building up to an apex, the pyramid usually ends there. Unfortunately, this is short changing potential gains in hypertrophy. Once the apex is reached, the nervous system is primed and ready for intense muscular contraction. The heaviest set serves as the "switch" that turns on the machine. With the nervous system excited, you can now squeeze that muscle as if it owes you money. After all, a pyramid doesn’t have only one side.

For a long time I used “heavy drops” to get more out of my heavier workouts. During these sessions, I would build up to my apex set, drop the weight after a sufficient rest period, and perform higher rep sets—this worked like a charm for a while. Like anything else, this does not work forever and, so, must be tweaked. Thanks to a man named Kris Gethin, I found a program that would allow me to (a) flood the muscle with blood and (b) move some intense iron at the same time.

If you are familiar with some of my other articles here at Integral Strength,you know that I am a huge proponent of priming a muscle then pumping it into oblivion. The style of training I am about to describe will do just that—and then some! This will promote sarcoplasmic expansion (cell swelling) like you wouldn’t believe, and test your threshold for pain.

Welcome to DTP! 

DTP, or Dramatic Transformation Principle, is based around picking just a couple of exercises for antagonistic body parts, and working them into the ground. You will construct one side of the pyramid, starting with anywhere from thirty to fifty reps and building up to an apex of ten to five, while increasing rest periods after each successive set. Upon completion of that, you then build the other side of the pyramid, starting with another heavier set, then going back down in weight with each set, decreasing the rest periods as you go.

Why it works!

The harder the contraction the better, and without a primed central nervous system, this will never be maximized. The first set will act as a "wake-up call" to the nervous system and it will activate neurotransmitters. In addition to waking up the body, this will also promote blood flow to the connective tissues which will prevent injury. After the initial set, I guarantee your joints will feel "like a million bucks", so to speak, which will amp you up even more for the heavier sets to come. Though you may be sucking wind after performing a set of fifty, the pump will make you almost forget about the gasping, thus, making you want to tear into your next set!

There are some who will argue that the pump does not cause muscle growth, and they are correct. Yes, I said that! While they are correct, they are also wrong. There is not one singular mechanism that causes growth. Cell swelling is correlated with hypertrophy, but, then again, so is mechanical trauma. With this program, you get both, and the added safety of having the joints well prepared for the sets that will cause the trauma. The pump indirectly will cause growth due to the fact that it enhances your enthusiasm about training. Nothing will make you want to pound out some hard, heavy reps like feeling “swole’’!

Details of the Devastation 

Each of these “complete pyramids” will be performed with minimal rest between sets. After the first superset, you will rest for thirty seconds, then forty five, then a minute, then ninety seconds, and, finally, two minutes. Upon reaching the apex, you will rest two minutes, then begin going back down the other side, reversing this order. This will make it tougher as you go along. The lactic acid surge will be agonizing, and the pump will be almost unbearable, but if you get through it, you will experience a euphoria that can only come from completing a grueling session!

The Meat and Potatoes

Workout 1:

Chest/Back 

Superset one: Incline Dumbbell Presses/bent over dumbbell rows (to the waist)8x 30,20,10,5,5,10,20,30

Superset two: Flat dumbbell Presses/bent over dumbbell rows ( arms bent and raising out to your sides squeezing your scapula together torching those traps!) 8x 30,20,10,5,5,10,20,30

Decline sit-ups 5x Failure. The number of reps here is not important at all. Squeeze until they cramp on each set, regardless of how many reps that takes!

Workout 2: 

Legs

Leg Presses (feet low on platform and around 9 inches apart)/ calf raises 5x 50,40,30,20,10

Leg Presses (feet high on platform and shoulder width)/Calf raises 5x 10,20,30,40,50

Leg Raises 5x Failure. Performed in the same as previous ab workout.

Workout 3:

Shoulders/Traps

Behind the neck barbell Press(or in front, whichever you prefer.)/ Upright rows 5x 40,30,20,10,5

Seated dumbbell Arnold Press/Dumbbell Shrugs 5x 5,10,20,30,40

Workout 4:

Arms

Cable pushdowns/cable curls 5x40,30,20,10,5

Skull crushers/barbell curl 5x5,10,20,30,40

If you cannot complete the number of reps designated, don’t sweat it. Simply "rest-pause" until you’ve hit the numbers. You may have to go beyond failure a couple of times, and that is perfectly fine! This is not meant to be easy. Like the building of any monument, it will take tons of sweat and effort. The epic tombs of the Pharaohs weren’t built easily, and neither is a massive physique.

It is now time to go build your own monument. Approach this pyramid with the determination of a warrior-king riding into battle. Leave your sweat and blood upon the sands of the gym, and let any weakness within you die and be forever buried within this place…..where the Pharaohs go to die!

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It Came From the '90s: Brooks D. Kubik's Dinosaur Training

February 15, 2016, 2:42 pm

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Build Massive Arm Size and Strength with this Singles-Oriented Dinosaur Program

The great Bill Pearl demonstrates just the kind of mass that is built with classic, basic "Dinosaur-style" training.

     It really doesn't seem that long ago.  The '90s, though seemingly in a distant past for many younger lifters these days, seems as if it was just yesterday for me.
     In the late '80s, early '90s, I got serious about weight training, and I spent the first seven years of the decade, or so, performing bodybuilding workouts.
     I was a bodybuilding addict.  I tried almost every form of bodybuilding training under the sun, while also attempting a hell of a lot of different diets and supplements.  (Supplements, for the most part, didn't get "advanced" until the early '00s—when creatine came on the scene mid '90s, it was absolutely revelatory, and it relegated all other supplements to sub-par status.)  (Some of those other forms of training and dieting, I've already mentioned in other "It Came from the '90s" posts, so please pilfer through this blog if you're interested in them.)
     But in the late '90s—1997, to be precise—it all shifted for me.  I began training at a hole-in-the-wall, hardcore, chalk-slinging "lifters" gym in backwoods Mississippi, where my wife and I had just moved due to her job relocation.  (I made most of my money at the time from training others, and from writing, so it mattered not where, geographically, I lived.)  At this new gym, I had no intention of ever doing anything other than bodybuilding, but the gods of power-building, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and strongman training saw my Fate as something other than that—and from seemingly nowhere was bestowed upon me the desire—and, soon, the knowledge—to move some seriously heavy iron, with physique aesthetics soon a distant memory.
     The gym had very little other than heavy barbells and dumbbells (it had a pair of 180-pound "homemade" dumbbells that I was dead-set on benching for at least a triple), paired with more than a few lifting platforms and heavy-duty squat racks.
     The lifting gods were kind in their quick grace—a veteran lifter handed me a copy of Brooks D. Kubik's "Dinosaur Training: The Lost Secrets of Strength and Development", published just a year before in 1996, and a binder full of "Westside Barbell" articles photocopied from magazines, and printed off the internet.  (The internet was in its infancy.  I didn't even have access to the internet at the time, and, in a few months, when I finally did, everything was slow as hell—it was all "dial-up.")
     I hardly ever looked back.  Although I "played around" with bodybuilding training off-and-on, and continued to write some bodybuilding articles, I have, more or less, been a serious strength trainer ever since.  I competed in multiple powerlifting meets for the next 10 years or so, and published more articles than ever before due to my "innovative" strength articles, which were really nothing more than re-hashed stuff from old-time lifters, bodybuilders, power-builders, and strongmen.

Enter the Dinosaur
     As the years went by, I achieved the most results by using "hybrid" Westside workouts, and, eventually, Russian-style programs that I found to be hands-down the best for elite, and advanced, lifters.
     But for the first two or three years, until around 1999, I built all of my base strength and power with programs decidedly similar to, and inspired by, those found within the pages of "Dinosaur Training." This training is the best "style" for the vast majority of beginning and intermediate lifters.  In fact, if you're not going to use Bill Starr's basic programs, then you can't go wrong using one of Kubik's basic-as-hell, but also tough-as-nails programs.
     Actually, there are quite a few programs that fit under the guise of "Dinosaur Training", but one of my favorite programs of his is the "Dinosaur Arm Training" that was first featured in the May, 1998 issue of IronMan Magazine.
     Use as written, and I can guarantee bigger, thicker, stronger, and more dense arm muscles as a result.

C.S. does some farmer's walks—one of the mainstays of all of Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Training programs.

Dinosaur Arm Training Program
     Here is Kubik's advice, in his own words, from the pages of IronMan:
     "Unless otherwise indicated, do three progressively heavier warmup sets, followed by three work sets with your top weight.  Train on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday."

Day One
Aerobic warmup x5-10 minutes
Parallel Squats  6x5
Bench Presses  6x5
Lat Pulldowns or
   Weighted Chins  6x5
Bottom-Position Close-Grip Bench Presses  6x5*
Sandbag or Thick-Bar Curls  6x5

Day Two
Aerobic warmup x5-10 minutes
Bottom-Position Close-Grip Bench Presses  5-6x1*
Thick-Bar Curls  5-6x1
Sandbag or Barbell Overhead Presses  5x failure
Sandbag or Thick-Bar Curls  5x failure
Hang from Chinning Bar  1x failure

Day Three
Aerobic warmup x5-10 minutes
Deadlifts, Stiff-Leg Deadlifts, Partial Deadlifts,    Dumbbell Deadlifts, or Power Cleans  6x5
Incline Dumbbell Presses, Flat Bench Thick-Bar    Presses, Flat Bench Dumbbell Presses, or Dips  6x5
Hammer Curls  6x5**
Bench Press Lockouts  6x5*
Farmer's Walk  1-2x failure
  or Sandbag Walk  2-3x failure

C.S. lifts over 500 pounds—and the pain shows!

*Performed with a thick-bar in a power rack.

**Preferrably using thick-handled dumbbbells.

Sources:

"Dinosaur Training: The Secrets to Building Jurassic Size and Strength," by Brooks D. Kubik.  May, 1998 issue of IronMan Magazine

The Big 3

February 21, 2016, 12:48 pm

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Manipulating the Three Primary Training Variables for Awesome Results and Quick Muscle Mass Gains

by Matthew Sloan

C.S.'s note: While editing this short article of my son's, I resisted the urge to make a few changes.  I will let Matthew's thoughts speak for themselves, and, in the future, he and I will both write a more in-depth article—or a series of articles—on styles of workouts that "work" when the 3 variables are properly manipulated.

Matthew Sloan demonstrates the lean muscle mass he has developed while practicing what he preaches.

     Anyone who is serious about getting real results from training(whether it’s strength or muscle gains), should be following an effective training program.  (As my father has often written—quoting the late, great Vince Gironda: "Are you on a training program, or are you just working out?") There are countless programs out there, and they are all different in their own unique ways, but they all have one thing in common if they are to be effective. All effective training programs manipulate the three main training variables for specific purposes. These three variables would be Volume(the amount of work), Frequency( how often a lift or muscle group is being trained), and Intensity( how much weight is being lifted). All of these variables are important, and should be manipulated, depending on the results one wishes to achieve. So here are some advantages, disadvantages, and differences in each one, and how to correctly implement these three variables for optimal results.

Volume

      Let's talk volume first. High volume training is often used by bodybuilders and especially the “pros”. You often see guys in the gym training on a “bro split”( a program in which you train one body part a day, once a week). Guys will come in on Monday, better known as “national chest day”, and completely annihilate their chest by doing anywhere from 20-30 sets. Unfortunately, for natural lifters (especially beginners) this type of training is very ineffective due to the inability to recover, resulting in a very low frequency of training (training a body part or lift once a week). As the great Lee Haney once said, “Stimulate, don't annihilate”.  Inability to recover quick enough is the main disadvantage to high volume training, but what if you could recover quickly from a lot of volume? That question brings us to the effectiveness of high-volume training. High-volume training is very useful—and effective—for those who have high work-capacity or good genetics. Not all of us will have “good genetics” but all of us can increase our work capacity, allowing us to progressively increase the volume of our workouts. This is the key to the variable of volume, it is simply just a “weapon in your arsenal” to progressively overload your muscles. Progressively increase your volume over a span of time, give your body time to recover, remember to stimulate a muscle and not always annihilate it, and you will have the variable of volume mastered.

Frequency

     The next main training variable is frequency. Frequency goes hand in hand with volume because when one of them is high, the other is usually low. You rarely see a program training high frequency, high volume, and low intensity. Using a high frequency training program is what I personally believe to be the most effective way for most people to train. It is very effective because of one key reason: muscle protein synthesis. Whenever a muscle is stimulated, protein muscle synthesis is “started” and lasts for 48-72 hours. This is very important because muscle simply grows during this process, so wouldn't it be beneficial if your muscles were undergoing muscle protein synthesis all the time? This is possible if you are training a muscle 3-4 times a week, in other words: high-frequency training! It is simply better to stimulate the muscle more frequently rather than “annihilating” a muscle less frequently. 

Intensity

     The intensity variable is the most difficult variable to master, in my opinion. It is difficult because there is only one way in which you can ensure that you are using the correct amount of weight your program calls for based off of your set/rep scheme. This is by using a percentage-based program (this system uses percentages of your max lifts to determine the amount of weight that should be used).  (C.S.'s note: I generally loathe percentage-based systems—for more on reasons why, search some of my past articles that deal with H-L-M training, or Westside-style workouts.)  This system is effective, but very complicated, and unless you're an advanced lifter, your max lifts can change often (I will do an article purely dedicated to percentage-based training in the future). So what would a high-intensity training program look like? Something such as this: 10 sets of 3 reps with 85-90% of your max, or it could be something such as a double-ramp style of training with the set/rep scheme like this: 2sx5r,3sx4r,4sx3r,5sx2r. Although this style of training is used by almost all powerlifters and strength athletes—predominately in Eastern European countries—it can also be used by bodybuilders if programmed correctly. (My father has multiple articles on Integral Strength about this type of training for bodybuilding.) The primary advantage to correct manipulation of the intensity variable is it allows you to easily overload your muscles. Simply increasing weight used on your lifts every 1-2 workouts is a simple and effective way to progressively overload your muscles. Monitor your intensity and manipulate it in accordance with your volume and frequency, and you will continue to grow and make “all kinds of gains”!

The Two-Barbell "Plus" Program

February 28, 2016, 1:22 pm

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High-Frequency Training for Muscle and Strength with the Two-Barbell "Plus" Program

Matthew Sloan demonstrates more lean muscle built with HFT

     This is part of my on-going series on how to build muscle and strength fast by using low-rep, multi-set, high-frequency training.  If you haven't read my other, recent posts on the subject, you may want to do so before continuing with this article.  If not, then this article certainly stands on its own two feet.

The Two-Barbell "Plus" Program

     This program begins with its starting point something that I have, in the past, called the "two-barbell rule".  (Others, such as Dan John, have certainly written about it as well.)  The two-barbell "rule" says this: at the start of any workout, begin with two barbell exercises before proceeding to anything else.  I recommend using it in conjunction with my "Big 5" rules.  In summary, even though I have discussed this a lot lately, the Big 5 rules go something like this:

  1. At each workout, squat something heavy.

  2. At each workout, press something heavy overhead.

  3. At each workout, pick up heavy stuff off the ground—barbells, dumbbells, sandbags, kegs, you name it.

  4. At each workout, drag or carry stuff for time or distance.  This generally means farmer's walks, sandbag carries, sled dragging, or the like.

  5. Eat a lot of calorie-laden, nutrient-dense food each and every day.

     If you were to combine the two-barbell rule with the Big 5 rule, a couple of workouts might look something like this:

Workout A: barbell squats, power snatches, dumbbell overhead presses, and sandbag carries

Workout B: power cleans, deadlifts, one-arm dumbbell snatches, farmer's walks

     Of course, a couple of workouts in a row would look the same way even using a "3 to 5" style program as discussed in my previous HFT post.  The key with the "two-barbell workout" is this: at each workout, the beginning two barbell exercises are going to be performed for multiple sets of each exercise.  After they are performed, feel free to stop the workout with these two exercises, or add another one, two, or (at the most) three exercises.  But the third exercise (onward) would all be performed with minimal sets.
     This program is great for those of you who like to spend more time in a workout doing more quality sets per exercise, and those of you who generally like to do one or two exercises in a workout anyway.  I, for instance, personally favor this kind of program.  Especially if I'm trying to focus on getting really strong on just one or two exercises.  (All of you powerlifters out there, or, especially, you push-pull lifters, this would mean you.)  This is also the kind of workout that would generally be favored by Olympic weightlifters, who need a LOT of work on back squats, front squats, and the two Olympic lifts themselves.
     Keep the first two exercises at an average of 8 sets each if you decided to utilize this program.  Take your time in working up in weight to a top set, or a top sequence of sets.
     Here is what I have in mind for an example workout:

1. Squats: 5 sets of 5 reps (adding weight with each subsequent set), followed by 3 sets of 3 reps with a weight slightly heavier than the top 5-rep set.
2. Power Cleans: 5 sets of 3 reps (adding weight with each set), followed by 3 sets of 2 reps, with a weight slightly heavier than the top 3-rep set.

     At this point, you could certainly stop the workout, or feel free to add an exercise or two at the end of it.  Any additional exercises performed would only be done so for a couple sets of each exercise, with rep ranges in the 6 to 8 range.  None of these sets should be taken to failure, but they should be close, within a rep or two of reaching momentary muscular failure.
     Train as many days in a row as you want before taking a day off.  As with most HFT programs, you want to train a minimum of 5 days each week.  If you don't mind being spontaneous in your training, then just take the day off whenever you feel as if you need it, or just whenever "life" gets in the way of things.  If you prefer a more regimented training schedule, then I recommend beginning with a 3-on, 1-off system, and just adjust things from there.  (It could be a 4-on, 1-off is better for some people, whereas others—low-volume lifters, as I refer to them—would benefit more from a 2-on, 1-off schedule, but the 3 day program is a good starting point for most.)
     Here is an example of 3 days of workouts to give you an idea of what a series of workouts should look like:

Day One: 
1. Squats: 8 sets of 5 to 3 reps
2. Power Cleans: 8 sets of 3 to 2 reps
3. Chins: 2 sets taken almost to failure, using bodyweight
4. Dips: 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps

Day Two:
1. Deadlifts: 8 sets of 3 to 2 reps
2. Bench Presses: 8 sets of 5 to 3 reps
3. Farmer's Walks: 2 sets for distance

Day Three:
1. Squats: 8 sets of 5 to 3 reps
2. Push Presses: 8 sets of 5 to 3 reps
3. One-Arm Dumbbell Rows: 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps

     Your strength level would depend on just how high you push your first two-barbell exercises in terms of sets.  For those of you who are really strong, you may need 12 or more sets before you are finished.
     Also, advanced lifters may want to eventually do some "back-off" work with this kind of program. If, for instance, you work up to a max triple on an exercise, and that takes you 11 sets, then you might finish off with 5 sets of 5 reps, or 2 sets of 8 reps—something such as this.  But save this for when you have the strength to make it worthwhile.  Otherwise, it will just cut into your recovery ability.

In the next HFT post, we will look at a program that uses multiple exercises (6 or greater) per workout.  Until then, come back to Integral Strength often for other, different articles, and don't forget: train hard first, eat big second, and read a lot of articles here third!

Return from Exile...

May 22, 2016, 6:59 pm

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...Enter Phase 3 of Integral Strength

     It has been too long since last I published an entry here at Integral Strength—the end of February to be precise.  Before that, I think things were rolling along.  I always tried to publish quality material, not just from myself, but from my son, and from Jared "JD" Smith.  And I think the last year has seen some of the best material since I first started this blog—primarily as an outlet for my writings that many of the magazines wouldn't touch—perhaps some of the most informative training articles you will find anywhere on the internet.

     But something happened to me a few days after our last entry, at the beginning of March: I was rushed to the emergency room.  I had lost all control of my arms, my legs, and my ability to speak. As I was being transported to the hospital in the ambulance, I thought I was going to lose consciousness.  And I thought, if I did, then my life had come to its end.

     I was prepared to die.

     I have regrets, sure, but my life is not my own.   It belongs to the God beyond all being and knowing—He may do with me as He pleases, and if He chose for that day to be my last, then so be it.

     But apparently He has other plans.

     Slowly, at the emergency room, I began to regain feeling in my extremities, and my ability to speak.

     I left the emergency room about 10 hours later.  The doctors were confounded as to what had happened to me, but they were pretty sure that I wasn't about to die in the next 24 hours.

     My E.R. visit was not a complete shock to me at the time.  What you don't know is that, over the last year or two, I have had many episodes of extreme pain, severe lethargy, and severe spasms in my arms and legs.  It has made lifting weights difficult at times, not to mention even basic things, such as getting ready for work in the morning, or doing my work once I arrive at my office.  It has affected my life and my family.

     The good news is that, after my E.R. scare, I was sent to a neurologist (I was sent to every damn sort of doctor you can imagine, to be honest, but that's besides this point) who has deduced that I have some sort of severe neurological disorder.  They are continuing to do tests.

     In the meantime, they have finally put me on a neurological drug that works — it has almost completely changed my life the past week.  I have been lifting weights harder this week than in the last two years.  I have also been training my sons hard in The Way of the Empty Hand—traditional full-contact Karate-Do, to be precise.  In the weeks before this week, I could instruct, but I could not truly teach (and by "teach", I mean whooping their asses in kumite).

     All of this is not to whine or "bitch and moan" about my health recently, it is simply to tell you that Integral Strength is ready to get back on its feet, and, hopefully, better than ever!

     I vision what you are about to witness is what I would call "Phase 3" of Integral Strength.  "Phase 1" included all of the stuff I wrote when I first started the blog.  There was plenty of good training pieces at the time, but I also wrote stuff dealing with more "New-Agey" or Buddhist stuff (not all of which is "bad", I might add, especially the more training-centric pieces).  "Phase 2" was after I had taken almost a year off from writing, and had converted to Orthodox Christianity in the meantime.  When I returned to writing, Phase 2 focused on some traditional philosophical writings, but it also focused on primarily serious, hardcore strength-training and bodybuilding.

     "Phase 3" will continue the work of "Phase 2", but with even more "hardcore" training pieces, geared toward the powerlifter, strongman athlete, the older strength athlete who still wants to move some serious iron, and just the average weight lifter who takes what he or she does seriously.  In addition to the serious training, the other pieces will be ones focused on real martial arts training—traditional full-contact karate-do for the most part.  Also, I will consider writing philosophical pieces that deal directly with power training or budo.

I hope you will enjoy what's coming.  Look for the next piece within a few days.  Until then, train hard, and stay strong.

Martial Arts and Bodybuilding: Can the Two Co-Exist?

May 24, 2016, 12:39 pm

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Can One Be Both a Martial Artist and a Bodybuilder?

     Both of my sons have recently taken more of an interest in martial arts—or, perhaps, I should say, just "fighting" in general.  My oldest son, Matthew, who writes regularly enough here, has gotten pretty serious about his martial arts training, with plenty of bag work, sparring, and conditioning, with a fairly high workload to boot.  (If you are going to take anything serious, then your work load should be high, by the way.  As in the above caption from the great Masutatsu Oyama—one must "train more than one sleeps".  That is Mas Oyama in the picture.)
     Yesterday, as we were finishing a sparring session, he remarked, "I just don't think I can do it." And he seemed rather frustrated when he said it.
     "What can't you do?" I asked.  I generally don't like comments that are in the "negative" from my offspring.
     "I can't train in both martial arts and bodybuilding," he replied.  "It's just too much work." I knew he was tired and exhausted.  His punches and kicks lacked their usual "snap" during training.
     Before our sparring and bag-work, Matthew had finished a hard "pull" session of back and biceps training, performing a more traditional bodybuilding workout comprised of 16 to 20 sets for both biceps and back.  This, of course, was one of the reasons his movements while sparring and hitting the heavy bag lacked "snap." He had performed a lot of work not just yesterday, but throughout the past few weeks, not cutting down on his bodybuilding training, while also adding a lot of bag work, while practicing the basics for an hour or more each day.  His solution to all of this added work was to dramatically increase his caloric intake.
     "I ate over 7,000 calories yesterday," he said.  "And I've eaten a good 5,000 so far today, but I'm still tired.  I just don't think it can be done."
     And so the question is put forth: Can one be both a serious bodybuilder and a serious martial artist (whether traditional Karate-Do or more non-traditional fighter such as an MMA practitioner)?
     In short, the answer is NO!  I'm not saying you can't take one of them seriously while dabbling in the other, but what I am saying is that the amount of weight workouts it takes to be a really good bodybuilder, with the kind of physique one could compete with, cannot be combined with the amount of training it takes to be a great fighter.  Sure, there are some genetic anomalies, but for 99.9% of the lifting population, it just wouldn't work.  And this is coming from me, a trainer who often recommends, well, a crap-load of work for advanced guys.  I even let my son get away with hour-long workouts six to seven days each week, and he thrives on those workouts from a muscle-building perspective, and he's the one that also says it can't be done!
     Now, all of this is not to say that a martial artist shouldn't also do a lot of weight workouts.  He or she most definitely should.  But those workouts are going to be quite different from the kind of bodybuilding sessions my son is currently engaged in.  In fact, one could be a great powerlifter while being a great fighter.  The powerlifting and martial arts training actually compliment one another, and the amount of work it takes for many lifters to be a great powerlifter is in stark contrast to the amount of work it takes to be a great bodybuilder.
     Strongman training would also be an excellent choice of "training-style" for the fighter.  Once again, the strongman workouts would greatly compliment the sort of strength a martial artist needs in order to dominate in kumite or MMA matches.
     Honestly, most of the training I write about here at Integral Strength is also perfectly fine for the martial artist, not that I wouldn't make minor adjustments if I was working with an individual, depending on the style of martial arts the practitioner was performing.

When this picture was taken, C.S. was also routinely squatting and deadlifting around 600 lbs—the martial arts obviously didn't "hurt" his powerlifting regimen, which was his primary focus at the time.

     Personally, for the average lifter who is also interested in martial arts, 3 to 4 tough weight workouts each week, combined with 3 to 5 days of martial arts training—some days more intense than others—would be a perfect fit.
     In future posts, look for some serious "warrior workouts" that are just what I have in mind.