Strength and Physique

Q: "I’m Gary, a university student who weighs about 145-150lbs and about 5"10 tall. I’ve been working out on and off for two years with out much results and decided to dedicate myself fully to the gym this time. I read your ectomorph pyramid training guide on Bodybuilding.com and wonder if it would hurt to add in some upper back training exercises, deadlifts and military presses in the 3 day routine? ‘Cause I want to get a wider back and larger shoulders.”

Thanks,
Gary

My Answer: Substituting the military press for lateral raises and deadlift for the back squat would be fine. Adding these exercises to the workout would not be good, because the length of the workout would be increased. The more volume you have, the more likely you are to overtrain.

Substitute the deadlift for the back squat just once a week. So that means two workouts with the back squat, one workout with the deadlift in between. The reason is the deadlift is quite traumatizing to the nervous system, so once a week with that exercise is best.

You’ll need to lower the pyramid of repetions on the deadlift as well. I don’t recommend doing high reps on the deadlift, because your form starts to break down as the reps go up. You don’t want your form to break down on the deadlift, because then you risk injury to your lower back. So rather than follow the 10-8-6-15 pyramid for the deadlift, follow this pyramid of reps: 6-5-4-8.

Q: “Why aren’t the traditional barbell curls listed in your sample biceps routine? At least I don’t recall that I saw them there. Barbell curls are considered to be the king of biceps exercises.”

-CS

My Answer: King of biceps exercises? On what basis? I like the barbell curl, but Strength and Physique Volume One explains why the biceps like dumbbells better. When it comes to upper body exercises and hypertrophy, the dumbbell version always beats the barbell version, hands down. This is for all upper body dumbbell exercises, not just curls. Your nervous system has to exercise far more control on a pair of heavy dumbbells than it does on a barbell.

The dumbbells are easier on the joints, because they don’t lock you in like the barbell. Your hands can twist and turn the dumbbells as you move the weight. Plus the range of motion is greater with dumbbells. Do a barbell curl, and the range of motion starts and stops at mid-thigh, because the bar is impeding the full range of curling. Dumbbell curls allow you to go through a full range of motion, which is better for biceps development.

Q: “Hey, my name is Jessica. I just came across your website and saw your email on it. I hope I’m not bothering. I just had a few questions I hope you don’t mind answering for me.

“Well, basically I’m 18, and I’m still in high school, almost done. My plan after high school is to go to college and become a police officer. I’m 5′5″, and I weigh about 220. I know, that’s very bad!

“I recently started a diet, because I know in order to become a police officer you must be fit in order to pass the fitness test. I live in NYC, and I was wondering if the fitness test is different in different places, and if it would be possible to find a personal trainer to help me train for that fitness test?”

My Answer: The PT tests will vary somewhat from state to state. I don’t know what NYC’s PT test involves, but if I were you, I’d find that out. You can find a personal trainer to help you prepare for the PT, but of course you should first concentrate on slimming down. After you make weight, then focus on your performance on the PT test. If you do hire a personal trainer, then make sure the trainer knows what the hell s/he is doing. I hate to tell you this, but most personal trainers don’t know jack.

 
Q: “I know you are a fan of interval sprints for cardio. I use sprints in my training but for the sake of variety what’s your take on rope skipping and sled pulling?”

Thanks
- MB

My Answer: I actually recommend jump roping for my clients for variety, so yes it would be perfectly fine as a cardio substitute. Sled pulling is better for active recovery, meaning you should use it to get the blood flowing and aid in recovery, not so much for fat loss. Interval training can be done a very apparatuses, such as rowing machines, stationary bikes and elliptical machines. So substitute any of these for variety. Kickboxing is a cardio workout that resembles interval training, because your expending energy in short pulses with the combinations of punches and kicks.

So as you can see, you have a lot cardio options to choose from.

Q: “I have just read your article on bodybuilding.com regarding the pyramid training. I’ve been lifting for about 6 months now. I still consider myself a newbie and am strongly considering using your workout plan. I have a few questions: If I am trying to put on size (bulk) would this be a good regimen to follow? If so, Should I stop doing deadlifts? I am 6′3, and deadlifts are VERY hard for me to do. I usually do 3/4 deadlifts. I really appreciate any input you have towards my quest in bulking this winter. It’s been hard to figure what to do. It gets really frustrating not seeing the gains that I had hoped for. Thanks again.”

-Jason

My Answer: The 10-8-6-15 program would be a good bulking program if you eat a lot protein and calories. But at 6′3″, you have special issues as a newbie. Us shorter guys have shorter limbs, so when we pack on muscle, it looks impressive. For taller, longer-limbed lifters such as yourself, that same amount of muscle mass gets spread out over a larger skeletal frame. You have to gain much more weight than the shorter guy just to look buff.

Plus, as you alluded to, people with long-limbs have poor leverages and don’t do so well on exercises such as deadlifts. For taller lifters, I usually recommend a program combination of full range and partial movements. The 10-8-6-15 program calls for squats instead of deadlifts, as squats are superior to deadlifts in regards to thigh hypertrophy. You will still have problems doing full squats, because of your height, but that’s OK. Just do full range squatting at the 10 rep mark and the 15 rep mark. For the 8 rep mark and the 6 rep mark, squat down as far as you can go in good form. This way you get a combination of full range and partial movements.

"Hope all is well. I started reading the Volume 2 book, and I’m learning a lot of important aspects on how to come up with the ultimate bodybuilding program. The book is great!

“Recently, I’ve been eating a little less than normal given that I was gaining too much body fat. I have an ectomorph body type, and I’ve been losing the weight like crazy. My arm size decreased by ¼ of an inch in about a week. The funny thing is, is that I’m constantly lifting more weight every workout (I keep track of how many sets and reps I do for each workout). I workout 4 times a week: Sun, Mon, Wed and Friday. I did what you suggested your readers to do in Vol. 1. I chose 3 different exercises for a muscle group and spread the exercises throughout the whole week. So, every workout, I attack the muscle using a given exercise I chose from the 3 I picked for my program. The reps and sets for each exercises change every workout to recruit different muscle fibres. This works fantastically!

“Seeing that I’m getting stronger from workout to workout, shouldn’t my body be getting bigger instead of smaller? Eating a surplus of the right calories is key to getting big, I know. But doesn’t getting stronger correlate with getting bigger?

“Your help is much appreciated.”

Take care,
Jason

My Answer: Hey Jason, great to hear you’re making excellent progress. To answer your question, does increased strength directly equate to increased size? No, not necessarily. You can be stronger and not gain size at all. This is why there are weight classes in powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting.

Gaining muscle is contigent upon 2 things: the right stimulus (weight training) and the right building blocks (diet). The Strength and Physique programs are increasing your strength, but without the extra calories and extra protein, you will not get bigger. You’ll certainly get more toned and lean, so your physique will still be impressive.

But if you want to have impressive muscular size, then you’ll need to up the calories and protein. I understand that you want to avoid getting too fat, but you’ll need to focus on one goal at a time. What I suggest is to follow the ZigZag Zone diet mentioned in SPV2: Neo-Classical Bodybuilding for 2 weeks, then follow a lower calorie diet for 2 weeks. Alternating in this way will help you focus on one dietary goal at a time and will help you make better gains in the long run.

“I got Volume 2 from Amazon.com the other day, and it looks great. I have questions about two of the exercises you list. In the Insulin/Testosterone pump and pre-stretch exercise list, you include ‘barbell high pulls’ for the deltoids. I understand high pulls to be a power clean without catching the barbell at the top: an exercise where you use a clean grip and start either on the floor or from a hang and explosively pull the bar to chest level or so. Is that the exercise you mean? I never thought of that as a pump and pre-stretch movement. Also, is the Gironda swing lateral the movement where one arm goes out to the side and the other crosses the body at the same time? If so, that’s a great exercise.”

Thank you for any response,
Adam

My Answer- Yes, you can use barbell high pulls as a pump movement for the deltoids, as long as you perform high reps in good form. In the Insulin/Testosterone workout, you can perform either a pumping exercise or a stretch exercise for a muscle group. There are no good stretching movements for the deltoids, however, so you simply perform high reps on shoulder exercises, such laterals and high pulls.

The high pull that I’m referring to, however, is not the Olympic version, but the bodybuilding version. The Vince Gironda high pull is a variation of the upright barbell row done from the hang position. Here’s a description of the VG high pull from the Iron Guru website.

- Overhand grip on the bar about shoulder-width apart.

- At the “low position” the bar rests on the front of the thighs and the elbows are slightly bent.

- With the elbows pulled high the bar is raised to about the top of your head.

- At the raised position, the bar should be about 12 inches (30 cm) in front of the head.

“I am a college student beginning to gain interest in bodybuilding as a sport. I am legally blind, so it is a good sport for me to feel competitive but also stay safe. I read your article, Wingspan Workouts on Bodybuilding.com. It was a very good, no nonsense workout that gave me a good burn. Do you have any other tips for someone just starting out? My biggest problem is losing body fat and gaining muscle. It seems really hard to do both at the same time. Thank you for any advice you can offer.”

Tony Taliani
Pennsylvania

My Answer: Well, if you’re serious about becoming a competitive bodybuilder, then you’ll need someone to visually assess not just exercise form, but also how your physique looks overall. You’ll need someone who knows the bodybuilding aesthetic and can help you bring up lagging body parts. If you’re serious about competitive bodybuilding, then you’ll need the guidance of a good trainer specializing in bodybuilding, which is very hard to find.

If you’re just a recreational bodybuilder and you’re working out to look good naked (not because you have a burning need to oil yourself up and pose on stage in front of a hundred people with nothing on but a speedo!), then get yourself a good workout partner if you haven’t done so already. A good workout partner can spot you on exercises, motivate you to push hard and can also visually assess what your weaknesses are in your physique.

If you’re just starting out in bodybuilding, then read up on training techniques and exercises. Strength and Physique, Volume One is a good start. SPV1 will provide you with a wide variety of training strategies to get the physique you want. There’s a chapter on each major muscle group and how to train them for size and symmetry.

Strength and Physique, Volume Two is also a great bodybuilding book, but it’s meant for an advanced bodybuilder and is far more focused.

“I am a 30 year old Asian-American ectomorph in the Air Force. Unfortunately, running is mandatory 3 times per week, since there is a monthly PT test. I want to build some muscle. Can you recommend a workout program? Should I use the one in your article for Bodybuilding.com? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!”

-J. Yu

My Answer: I don’t know which one of my articles you’re talking about, since I have quite a few at that site. Since you mentioned that you’re an ectomorph, I’m assuming you mean the 10-8-6-15 article. I have no idea what you’re doing as far as training, so that program or any of my programs would help you build some muscle. You need to be more specific about your background.

I will say this though: if you’re an ectomorph who has to run 3 times per week, then you should eat a lot of carbs and not worry so much about your fat intake. Endurance athletes perform better on a diet that is high carb and moderate fat, because their high volume of training requires a lot of fuel (carbs and fat), but not as much protein.

If you ate low carb and low fat, then your body will have to use protein as fuel and it will catabolize your muscle just to fuel those lengthy cardio sessions. So eat a lot of carbs.

"I just read your article at Bodybuilding.com about back exercises. Now I’ve noticed that almost every routine out there requires or suggests pull-ups. While I understand the importance and what you can gain from performing pull-ups, I myself do not have the strength to incorporate them into my own routine.

“What do you suggest I do to gain the strength to do so? I feel that maybe it is a matter of me losing more weight? But what else is there to do beside that? Thank you in advance for any advice, and I do appreciate your time.”

Regards, Dante Romandia

My Answer- If you’re overweight, then yes, losing the excess bodyfat will make it easier for you to do pull-ups. Concentrate on losing weight first, then come back to pull-up training. Once you’re down to a respectable and trim weight, then I suggest the following:

1) Do some partner assisted pull-ups. This will teach your body how to do pull-ups, but you have to have a partner that gives you just the right amount of assistance. If he’s essentially heaving you up every time, and you’re doing jack shit, then there’s really no point. So make sure your partner gives you the minimal amount of assistance to help you with the pull-ups.

2) If you can, then start out with pull-ups with a narrow and neutral grip. In other words, palms facing each other. This is the easiest form of pull-ups.

3) Do some hanging inverted rows. Most people substitute this exercise for pull-ups if they can’t do pull-ups or can’t do enough repetitions of them. This exercise doesn’t have the greatest carryover to pull-ups, but it will teach you how to move your body from a hanging position.

“I was reading your ectomorph article about proper training. I weigh-in at around 143-145 lbs. I’ve gained approximately 25 lbs. in the past year, give or take. In the beginning, I used to only train chest with one to two exercises (bench press, or flyes, or even incline).

“In your article, it states that I should typically concentrate on only one exercise per bodypart. I’ve been training chest with at least four to five (flat bench, flat/incline flyes, cable crossovers, decline press, and incline press), and I’m assuming, according to your post, that I’m definitely overtraining my chest.

“Should I really only concentrate on only one core exercise for my chest? Wouldn’t that decrease the progress I’ve made with my lower chest if I was only to train with flat bench? I’m not a beginner, I guess, since I’ve been doing this for a little over a year. So I’m not sure if this pertains to me or not. I would really appreciate your help and guidance on this topic. Hope all goes well, thank you.”

Sincerely, Sean Cho

My Answer- You make the most progess on the muscles and exercises trained first in a session. After that first exercise, you’re receiving diminishing returns from succeeding exercises. Do yourself a favor and choose one exercise for the chest and simply change the exercise from workout to workout. Don’t worry, you won’t lose size on your lower pecs:

Workout #1- flat bench barbell press

Workout #2- incline bench barbell press

Workout #3- decline bench barbell press

“When I was younger (15 years ago), I believe I damaged some nerves on the fleshy part of my palm at the base of my right thumb. I was curling a lot of weight and then this stinging/tinge feeling came from the fleshy part of my palm below the thumb. It has never completely healed. 

“In order for me to avoid the pain when I curl heavy weights with my right arm, I have just been doing Hammer Curls. With lighter weights, I can do the traditional curl, but I don’t get a good bicep workout like that. Will the hammer curl suffice?”

- Guy C.

My Answer- If you haven’t done so, then you should get that checked out by a doctor. In the meantime, hammer curls with heavy weight and traditional curls with light weight is fine. If anything, you will develop a greater biceps “peak” by using a hammer grip, since you’re working the brachialis muscle. Just stay with the heavier weights and mix up the angles. Incline hammer curls are always good.