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Archive for April, 2009
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Q: "Hey James, love your blog! Quick question:
"I am currently doing a 5×5, 4 times a week routine per your site, and recently got sick and have been backtracked this week. Normally train Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and this week I got a slight cold on Sunday, and haven’t been able to go to the gym.
"Thankfully today Wednesday I am feeling a lot better, but I am already behind for my routine for the week. My question is, what is a good quick training routine you would recommend to someone in my situation? Say once or twice this week, in order to basically maintain strength, or not lose their progress in the gym?
"I’ll probably adjust weights for next week depending on how I feel, but it would be great to stay at the level I was, or not lose much progress from this backtrack. Thanks for addressing my question, and thanks for the great information!"
Regards,
Jenaro L. Jimenez
My Answer: It’s a tricky thing when you get sick, but when you’ve recovered, just resume your program from where you left off. Since you coming off a mini-layoff, however, I suggest you cut the volume down to half and not train to failure. Jumping right back into the program full force would be too much of a shock for your system.
In other words, if you’re doing 5×5, then you should bring it down to 3 sets of 5 reps with a weight you can do 6-8 reps with. Next week when you feel better, resume the 5×5 program.
Q: "I have read your article on Bodybuilding.com and was wondering whether you are able to advise me further. My name is Darren Chan, originally from Malaysia (Chinese). I am currently working in London and have been going to the gym for almost 4 weeks now. However, I am definitely an ectomorph. I have been working out a lot and even have a personal trainer, but I am unable to achieve my personal goal of getting stronger and having six pack abs. Would you able to advise me further what do I need to do?”
Thanks,
Darren
My Answer: Why do I feel like my long lost cousins have been coming out of the woodwork lately to hit me up for training advice? Anyway, Darren, I don’t know anything about your diet or your training, so how can I advise you on what to do? I will tell you this, though: 4 weeks is not enough time to get you six pack abs if you’re not pushing yourself. You should, however, be getting stronger.
Having a trainer doesn’t mean anything, because most trainers don’t know jack. Bottom line if you’re not getting stronger from week to week after one month, then you should fire your trainer.
Posted in Training
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
Q: "Hey James. I am a 51 year old Homicide detective for the City of Philadelphia. I also have done Olympic lifting on and off since my teen years. I have read your many articles and ordered your books. I enjoy your writings very much.
"What would you suggest for an old head like me who would like to still compete (Masters) in the Olympic lifts but want to add some muscle and strength? Most of my training is at home, so I am limited to a full Olympic set, dumbbells, squat racks and kettlebells.
"Any advice and or routines would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work. I know this has been a very tough year for Police Officers…..please be safe and continue the good fight!"
Sincerely,
Gregory Santamala
My Answer: Good to hear from you detective. Yes, this really has been a tough year for law enforcement, and I can only imagine it’s been a rough one for you guys at the Homicide Unit in Philly. I answered your exact same question for someone else, so here’s what I told him.
1) You can use my Shotgun Method. For Shotgun Days, practice your compulsory lifts (snatch, clean and jerk) and assistance lifts (front squats, Romanian deadlifts, etc.)
On your Troubleshooting Days, do some hypertrophy work. So during the week, you’ll do 2 Olympic weightlifting workouts (one heavy, one light) and 2 bodybuilding workouts.
2) If you can only do 3 workouts a week, then do the Olympic lifts at the beginning of the workouts, and then follow up with hypertrophy work. Just make sure you don’t go beyond an hour.
Q: “First, I am an ectomorph - 5′6″ 120lbs. I have gained 10 lbs. since I started working out consistently for the past month. I have been doing pyramid split routines of 15-12-10-8 reps.
Monday (chest/triceps)
Tuesday(back/biceps)
Wednesday(Legs+abs)
Thursday(shoulders)
“I have noticed I tire out after the first few exercises. I have a question regarding your pyramid 10-8-6-15 training. I know it’s best to have a rest day in between, but can it be 3 out of 4 days?
“My free days are Monday to Thursday. Could I do Monday, Tuesday, Thursday with Wednesday doing abs? Or either of those combinations between Monday to Thursday? Since it’s a full body workout on each workout day, do I need to rest a full day in between?
“Another thing how much weight should I take off between set of 6 reps and set of 15 rep?
Example: Bench press
10×105
8×115
6×125
15×105?
“Please help me. I really like this idea of training 1 exercise per body part.”
Thanks,
Steven Chan
My Answer: If you can only train Monday to Thursday, then I suggest you split the body parts in half and do 2 upper body workout and 2 lower body workouts:
Monday and Wednesday (chest, back, deltoids, biceps, triceps)
Tuesday and Thursday (quads, hamstrings, calves, abs)
Stick with one exercise per body part. As far as weight progression for your last set, drop the weight to slightly less than that which you used on your first set:
10×105
8×115
6×125
15×100
Q: “I have put some of your arm training ideas to good use. I have found your training ideas very effective. I am a blinded vet. I can access your info with the use of ’screen reading’ software.
“I was wondering about the possibility of an audio version of your latest book? With an audio version of your info, I could get the info independently. I know I would get some great info and effective training ideas. Thanks for all the great info that you put out.”
Sincerely,
Dale Allen
My Answer: Hi Dale, thanks for the high praise. Believe it or not, I’ve actually had a few people request that I do a podcast version of my books and sell them on iTunes. Unfortunately, I don’t have the audio equipment to make a decent podcast. Time is also an issue for me as well, since I’m playing around with several different projects, not all of them strength training related. I’ve got a bit of A.D.D. (I’m joking, of course), so I like to keep a variety of interests.
I’m not closed to the idea of a podcast, however. But at this moment, I’m not sure how much of a demand there is for it (aside from yourself) to merit buying the audio equipment. I’ll keep you posted.
Posted in Training
Saturday, April 18th, 2009
So I have another training article in the latest issue of Planet Muscle titled “Get Huge: Train By Your Fiber Types and Testosterone Levels.” The article goes over four categories of bodybuilding potential based whether you’re fast-twitch or slow-twitch and whether you have high testosterone or low testosterone. It also goes over how you should train for which ever category you fall under.
Check out the May/June 2009 issue of Planet Muscle the next time you’re at the bookstore or at the supermarket.
“Hi James,
“I’ve been doing your 10-8-6-15 routine with the six exercises for about six weeks now, with pretty good results. I think it’s time to shake things up a bit, but don’t know what to do to next to keep up my momentum. Any ideas?”
Thanks so much for your help!
Garrett
My Answer: Try one of these: A Program for All Seasons.
Boy, I’ve been getting a lot of these emails asking for a follow-up program to the 10-8-6-15. I’ve been thinking about writing a follow-up article which will take pyramid training to the next level, so keep an eye out for this.
Posted in Training
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
Q: I’m a 19 year old engineering student, and I am an ectomorph. I was chubby as a kid, ran and slimmed down when I was 15, and I’ve been skinny ever since.
“My problem is I have little muscle, BUT I hover around 18% bodyfat. I’ve improved my diet (more veggies less pizza) but remain unsure as to my immediate dietary goals. I’m lifting on your pyramid program (getting much stronger) and eating often, but I’m afaid to eat too many calories, because I want less fat. What is your suggestion? Thanks!”
-SA
My Answer: I think you’re still suffering from a poor body image. You still see yourself as the chubby kid, and I have a feeling your diet is poor. Keep eating lots of veggies, lower the starchy carbs and sugar intake and make sure you eat a lot of protein.
If you’re suffering from body dysmorphia, then you might be restricting some needed calories. If you restrict the calories, then there’s a tendency to restrict needed nutrients, such as protein. You need more protein to build more muscle, to build a bigger engine to burn the fat weight.
What I suggest you do is go to Fitday.com and sign up for a free account. Use the Fitday journal and record your meals. Fitday will break down your calorie and macronutrient intake. You will see it clearly in a pie chart what macronutrient profile you are eating from day to day.
Ideally, for simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain, you want all 3 macronutrients (protein, fat and carbs) to be equal. To get ripped and maintain muscle, then you should have moderate to high protein and fat, extremely low carb.
Q: “I tried finding out where to post on your blog, but I couldn’t see where to sign up. I just have a quick question, and I hope you can help. I am an ectomorph. I’m 20 years old, 138 lbs. and 6′1″. Are pyramid sets the best thing I can do to gain muscle? Also I do a split routine and workout 4 times a week with about 2-3 exercises per muscle group. Does this sound ok? I’m thinking about doing the same exercises and trying the pyramid sets. Do you have any advice?”
Thanks,
Nick
My Answer: Nick, you obviously read my 10-8-6-15 article. Re-read the article. I outline every reason why you should NOT be doing a split routine and why you should stick with ONE exercise per muscle group.
Pyramid training is not necessarily the best program to gain muscle, but the 10-8-6-15 article does tell you how an ectomorph should train. If you’re going to do the same exercises you’ve always done but on a pyramid scheme, then forget the split routine and do a full body workout 3 times per week. Choose one exercise per muscle group and change the exercises from workout to workout.
Posted in Training
Sunday, April 12th, 2009
Bodybuilding is a hobby that develops not just your body, but your mind as well. You need a focused and determined mindset in order to build the ideal physique. Hard training teaches you some very valuable lessons that you can apply to other aspects of your life:
1) Walk before you run- A lot of bodybuilding newbies take the "kitchen sink" approach to working out and incorporate every exercise and set extension technique they can think of. Plus they get so excited about every program that they read about, that they don’t stay on a program longer than a day.
You have to walk before you run. There’s no point in doing force reps, if you can’t push and pull the weight in a straight line! Seriously, don’t get super fancy with the training methods until you build a foundation of strength.
2) Focus on technique, and the goal takes care of itself- People who fail are people who focus on the goal and not the proper technique or method to achieve that goal. Ever see somebody talk to him or herself, "I can do this! I’m going to kick ass!"
Guess what? They don’t do sh!t, because they try to convince themselves that they are going to succeed. Instead of saying "I can do it," you should ask "I will do it… Now how can I make it happen?"
I’ve seen plenty of guys bang their heads, slap their faces and work themselves up into a frenzy before a max lift. What they’re trying to do is to rely on adrenaline to lift the weight. And a lot of times they lift the weight, but their form looks God awful.
If you focus on proper lifting technique, then the goal (lifting heavier weight) takes care of itself. Andrenaline is transient and doesn’t always come around when you want it to. Technique and skill, however, is something you can pull out at any time.
3) Practice often- To make sure you have proper technique ingrained into your muscle memory, you must practice and practice often. Use it or lose it, as they say. People who train with shorter durations (45 minutes) but more frequently (3-5 times per week) gain more size and strength than those who train infrequently.
4) Practice is practice. Competition is when it counts- The time to fail is during your practice sessions. Practice is PRACTICE. This is the time for you to experiment and to try new things. Larry Scott would have a regular training routine for most of the week and for one day he would have a workout where he experiment with new exercises and techniques.
When you compete, however, you should bring your A-game. Competitive lifters do not train with maximum weights all the time. Most of their training sessions involve submaximal weights done short of muscular failure. Training is really just practicing their lifts and fine tuning the techniques that allow them to lift more weight. But when it comes to competition time, that is when they perform their max lifts. Competition is when it counts.
5) Focus your efforts- Bodybuilders who choose one exercise per body part progress much faster than those who include multiple exercises per body part. It’s quite simple: your recuperative abilities are limited, so you have to focus your efforts if you want to get bigger and stronger.
6) Get the most bang for your buck- Question is: what exercises do you focus on? Choose exercises that stress as much of your musculature as possible while still targeting the area you want to target. Free weights are consistently better than machines in this regard, but bodyweight-free weight movements are best: dips, pull-ups, squats, deadlifts.
7) Variety is the spice of life- Although you should focus when you train in a single session (few exercises, proper technique), vary your training from workout to workout is what keeps your mind and muscles fresh. Rotate your exercises, varying your sets and cycle your reps from workout to workout.
8) All good things must come to an end- Although all things work to some degree, they will only work for so long. You try a technique or new program, you milk it for all it’s worth and then you move on.
9) Two steps forward, one step back- Bodybuilding is a lot like farming: there is a time to sow and a time to reap. There are periods where you must train hard, balls to the wall, and there are times where you must pull back and show some restraint in your efforts.
Progress is never linear, and people who expect linear progress get little in return. Progress is cyclical, and once you understand this, you’ll make much more progress both in the gym and in life.
Posted in Training
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