Strength and Physique

Just a heads up on a couple of things:

1) I have a new article in the September/October issue of Planet Muscle. The article goes over the effectiveness of partial reps and the various ways you can implement partial reps to smash strength plateaus and incur new muscle growth. Check out the latest issue at your bookstore.

2) Production of SPV2: Neo-Classical Bodybuilding is on hold at this point, although you can still get SPV1: The Articles. SPV2: Neo-Classical Bodybuilding should be back in print hopefully by next week. By that time, Volume 3: Tactics and Strategies should be available as well.

“Hey James. My name is Andy, and I am a police officer in NYC. I saw your 4 Shocks Technique to Widen Your Back article on Bodybuilding.com. My main problem is my back is very weak, and I can’t do more than 5 or 6 pull ups! Any tips on how to strengthen my lats, so I can do more pull ups with my body weight or other exercises to help me improve? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again and stay safe.”

-Andy Barron

My Answer: Four to five pull-ups is better than none, so don’t worry. At least you have a foundation of strength with which to work on. I’ve written about this before: Increasing Your Pull-ups. For you, the first 2 methods are best suited for your level of pull-up strength.

“My name is Recruit Ruiz, and this recruit has just began training in the police academy. To give you a brief history, this recruit is a former correctional officer who has decided to make a career change to a police officer. The reason this recruit is emailing you is because this recruit would like to know if you had any recommendations of supplements/vitamins to aid in the muscle growth throughout training. This recruit would greatly appreciate any advice that would be offered and is not asking for a ‘get big quick solution.’ This recruit is asking for healthy additional fuel for the body.”

Sincerely,
Recruit Ruiz

My Answer: Recruit Ruiz, it’s OK. You’re in the real world, and nobody here in the real world refers to him or herself in the 3rd person.

I’m just joking with you Ruiz.

Anyway, to answer your question as far supplements, I’m partial to Biotest supplements for muscle. Protein Factory has some good stuff too, plus they allow you to customize your supplements with whatever ingredients you want. Bodybuilding.com has a wide variety of supplements and companies to choose from.

If you’re in the academy, then your primary goal is performance (athletically and mentally). Muscle growth is secondary, but the 2 goals are interrelated. Here’s what I suggest for both goals:

1) Surge Recovery Post-Workout Drink
2) Micronized Creatine Monohydrate
3) Fish Oil (this will help with recovery and conditioning)
4) Protein supplement consisting of a micellar casein/whey protein combo

This should be the core of your supplement program. If you add more supplements, then make sure it addresses an area where you are lagging, whether it be muscle mass, fat loss, mental clarity and focus, cardiovascular conditioning or recuperation.

Good luck!

Q: "Good day Sir James. I like the effect on my muscles brought on by the 10-8-6-15 workout program. I think my body’s getting more defined.

“My question is, after the original exercises, what are the next set of exercises to be done? I want to change the exercises but remain with the 10-8-6-15 program, as I have already used it for 2 months now. Do you think it’s okay, or should I shift to another workout program?”

Thank you very much!
Gian Carlo

My Answer: I would prefer you change programs and switch to the 5×5 program, but if you want to stay on pyramid program, then simply do the program with variations of the exercises. So for example, instead of bench press, do the incline bench press. Here’s a sample of exercise variations:

Front Squats
Incline Bench Press
Lat Bar Pulldown
Incline Lateral Raise
Incline Dumbbell Curls
Close-Grip Decline Bench Press

Q: “Hi James, it’s me again. I have been doing the pyramid workout for a bit now. I haven’t been doing the 10-8-6-15 the whole time. I have been doing it for a month or so now, but I have been changing it up from 10-8-6-8 to 10-8-6-6, which I am currently doing.

“I have been trying to go for about 3200 calories a day. I have gained some weight but not a lot. I look a bit more defined, but not a lot also. Also I have been switching up the exercises every two weeks or so but keep some core ones.

“My question is should I continue to do this till I put on some more weight? I went from 132 to 137, till I get to about 140 or so. Or should I change it now? I’m not sure about the 5×5, because I can’t find anything about it or what exercises to do. Should i try something like:

Monday - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps, Abs
Wednesday - Legs, Back, Abs
Friday- Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps, Abs
Next Monday - Legs, Backs, Abs

-N. Ponte

My Answer: Yes, change the program. 5×5 is fine. It’s simple: just plug in the exercises you want to do for each body part. But if you want every detail spelled out for you, then just follow the 5×5 program I have outlined in the 3-5 Power Periodization Program

Q: “Hi James, I was reading up on some info you had about the three different body types, and how they should workout and eat. Well, I am an ectomorph, and I was wondering if you could give me a specific workout routine?

“I’m 16. My bicep muscle size is about 13.2 inches, and I want my muscles to get bigger quicker. Now what I normally do is workout the upper body one day and legs the next.

“I have some weights I use at home that are only 40 pounds all together, so the muscles I workout the most are my biceps, triceps and shoulders. What I do in my workout routine is pretty intense. It’s like this: using a 25 pound weight I do one set of 12 reps. Then without rest I do my triceps with the whole 40 pounds and do 1 set of 12 reps. Then without rest I use a 30 pound weight and do 7 bicep curls. Then without rest I do the same triceps exercise. Then without rest I use a 35 pound weight and do 4-5 curls and then the same triceps exercise.

“I try to repeat this 5 times and before all of this I do my shoulders which for them I use 24 pounds for each shoulder. My workout for shoulders include doing 17-15-13-12-10 reps of shoulder press. Then without rest after doing each set I pull the weights up to almost chin level, hold it for a second, then let it down. With this exerise my reps are 15-15-12-10-8.

“Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you can e-mail me back a workout routine to help my muscles get bigger quicker with the weights that I have. I was also thinking of working out 3 days a week and resting 2 days inbetween my workout days.

“Well anyways so thanks again for reading this, and I hope you can send me a routine and more info on this stuff. Thanks!”

-Adam Pikramenos

My Answer- Adam, I’m not sending you a routine. People pay for that. But you really should consider buying some more equipment (barbell, weight, bench, etc.) if you want to get bigger: Setting up a Home Gym.

Q: "I have a few questions concerning forearm size and grip strength. I remember that you mentioned thick bar exercises in one of your blog posts. I haven’t been able to find information on those exercises. What are some thick bar exercises?

"Another article suggested that doing compund lifts such as deadlifts and snatches will strengthen your grip and increase forearm size without the need for isolation exercises. Is that something that you would suggest?"

My Answer: Do yourself a favor and get a pair of thick bar heavy handles. Thick bar exercises just mean you do regular exercises with thick bars and dumbbells, so no matter what exercise you do, you’re working the forearms. Heavy handles allow you to work most of the conventional bodybuilding exercises with a thick grip.

Q: “During the next two months, I have enough time for two workouts a day. How do you suggest structuring the workouts for maximal muscle gain and fat loss? I like your Neo-Classical workouts. Would you suggest doing the same workout twice a day? Thanks.”

Best,
Larry

My Answer: There’s an inverse relationship between workout length and frequency: the greater the frequency of workouts, the shorter the duration of the workout and vice versa.

So for 2 workouts a day, you want to make sure your workout does not go beyond 30-45 minutes. If you want to continue with Neo-Classical workouts, then simply split each workout in half. Perform one half in the morning and the other half of the workout in the afternoon.

So ladies: pick up the latest issue of Planet Muscle at the supermarket or bookstore. I have an article in there on strength training for women. The article goes over training and supplementation for different female body types.

Q: “I recently read your article regarding hypertrophy for the ectomorph and I have a question. In the 4 set pyramid, what percentage of my 1 rep max should I begin the set?”

- Jason

My Answer: In the original version by Vince Gironda, he prescribed these percentages based on a 6 rep maximum, as opposed to a 1 rep max:

10 reps x 50% 6RM
8 reps x 75% 6RM
6 reps x 100% 6RM
15 x 35% 6RM

Now keep in mind that I don’t find percentage based calculations to be very accurate. Chances are the above percentages are too light, since my version requires that you rest 2-3 minutes between sets.

They do, however, provide a reference point. So if the weights based on these percentages are either too light or too heavy, then adjust the weights accordingly for the next training session. It’s like the business saying:

“Ready. Fire. Aim.”

In other words, it’s better to try a weight for a set and calibrate your poundages based on your performance. Don’t get stuck on percentages. Focus on performing the reps outlined for each set in the program and recording the weights.

Q: “I have a question. My bench press seems to be suffering. I was doing 210 to 215 lbs about 7 to 8 times easily. Lately, I can barely do 5 or 6 without having to strain a little and rest before doing the last two. Should I take a break and do other exercises for a while?”

-Victor Alexander

My Answer: People go through strength losses every so often, so don’t be too alarmed by it. Your nervous system is probably sick and tired of the bench press. Take a break from the bench press and do a variation of the bench press for a couple of weeks, such as the dumbbell press or the incline press. Then come back to the regular bench press. Your weights will go up when you come back once you get reacquainted with the exercise.

Q: "I have been doing your workout and the same exercises listed for about 5 weeks now. I have been switching up the order, but is it time I get a new workout? Should I stick with pyramid style, and should I do some of the same exercises or just substitute a few of them?"

Thanks again for helping,
Nick Ponte

My Answer: Nick, if you did a search on my blog, then you’d find that I recommend 5×5 after the pyramid program. Yes, switch to a different workout. No, don’t stick with the pyramid training. Do completely different exercises.

An easy way to figure out how to move from program to program is add up all the reps in the workout. If the rep totals are high, then switch to a program with lower rep totals. If your totals are low, then switch to a program with a higher rep total.

The Hypertrophy Training for Ectomorphs program has a total of 39 reps per body part (10+8+6+15=39). With 6 body parts per workout, that’s 234 reps per workout.

The 5×5 program has a total of 25 reps per body part. If you did 6 body parts per workout, then that would be 150 reps per workout. That’s a 35% drop in training volume, which means the 5×5 program serves as a good follow-up to the pyramid program.

Q: “I was reading your article on workouts for police, and it looks like something I want to try. I have two questions though: The workout you show has weeks 1 and 2, and weeks 4 and 5. What do we do for week 3?

“My second question is, will this help strengthen my hips at all? I was recently told I’m getting some bone loss in my hips and was told exercise would be the way to help it.”

Thanks for the help!
-Ed Berg

My Answer: That was a typo, so go from week 2 into week 4. With regards to strengthening your bones, strength training will help alleviate bone loss over time. However, if you’re asking that particular question, then chances are you haven’t been strength training very much at all. If that’s the case, then don’t start with the Return to Copland workout. This workout is brutal, and beginners and people who workout intermittently should not start off with this program. Choose a simple program first, like by 5×5, and transition to more and more complex programs over time. THEN start the Return to Copland workout.

"Hi there James. Last time I wrote you recommended that I use a 5×5 program to increase my results. With this program I have seen great results, but again I think it is time for a new routine. So I have two questions for you:

1) If I wanted to keep gaining size what would be the best follow up program?

2) If I was satisfied with the results, how would I go about ‘toning’ my body or ‘cutting’ up? I’m not sure of the proper word, but what would be the ideal program for that approach? Thanks again as always James.

-Jay

My Answer: You’re going to have a hard time training for 2 separate goals at the same time. A servant cannot serve 2 masters. You either focus on size or you focus on tone or you focus on cutting up.

For those of you who don’t know, muscle tone means your muscles are thick and dense, so much so that your muscles visually appear thick and dense.

Cutting up is different. Getting cut means that your body fat is so low that you can see muscle definition.

Muscle tone comes from high muscular tension. High tension comes from heavy weights. Tone does not come from high reps, as most people believe.

Thus, 5×5 is a program that increases muscle tone as well as size. Since you’ve been doing 5×5, my suggestion is to switch it up and follow a cutting phase. 8×8 should do the trick.

"Hey James,

"For your Shotgun Method you have two different layouts. I’m just wondering which one is better to follow? Version One or Version Two?

Thanks!
Craig

My Answer: What’s important is not the program parameters, but the principles of shotgunning (choosing the fewest number of exercises to stimulate the most amount of muscle) and troubleshooting (choosing exercises to address lagging muscle groups). The program parameters (sets, reps and rest periods) are flexible, which is why there were 2 different versions of the Shotgun Method.

Version One, which appeared in my 5 Battle-Tested Strategies for Size and Strength, will give you some impressive size and strength. You’ll be strong as an ox, and you’ll look like one too. Version One will give you the scary badass mofo look, similar to that of a wrestler. You will, however, be more likely to overtrain on this program if you stay with it too long.

Version Two found in my article The Shotgun Method will get you strong too, but it will give you more of a bodybuilder look. This version will emphasize symmetry more and give you a more balance muscular physique.

“Having read your books, articles & blogs, I know you keep your supplements to a minimum and prefer Biotest. As a 51 year old male, what 2 supplements would you recommend? A pre-workout formula like Surge and a testosterone booster, or a testosterone booster and an estrogen suppressant? Thanks!”

-Greg Santamala

My Answer: If money wasn’t an issue, then I’d buy all three. But if you could only buy 2, then ask yourself what your priorities are. If you value size and recovery, then Surge and a testosterone booster would be the way to go. If you’re looking to revitalize your health and your testosterone, however, then do a T-booster and estrogen blocker.

Q: "Mr. James,

"It’s good to talk to you again. I took a break from lifting, and now I’m getting back into the mesocycle. My primary goal is to get lean, and so I’ve tried to do more cardio like treadmill running and limiting myself to a 2000-2500 calorie diet. I’m 6′ and weigh 198 pounds.

"I was wondering if doing an 8×8 type of workout during my off days like the weekends can serve as a form of cardio? I love doing the Neo-Classical System even though its not primarily for weight loss, and I’d rather stick with that during the week. And is the purpose of the 8×8 exercises to achieve 64 reps on as few sets as possible on 8 exercises or to constantly maintain 8 reps for 8 sets for 8 exercises?”

Thanks,
Larry

My Answer: 8×8 requires that you perform 8 sets of 8 reps. It is an ideal program for both fat loss and overall conditioning. I have found it to be far better than cardio for fat loss.

HOWEVER, I would not perform 8×8 in combination with the Neo-Classical System, because you will surely overtrain. You’re essentially running 2 different programs at the same time. I suggest you do one or the other, but not both concurrently.

Another option would be for you to use the 8×8 program as a 2 week density phase, then follow it up with a 2 decompression phase. In other words, do 8×8 for 2 weeks, then perform the decompression phase found in Strength and Physique Volume 2.

Q: “Hi James,

“I read your recent article from Planet Muscle. It has a lot of good information for different body types, but I do not know how to find out which I am. The article refers to getting a muscle biopsy done. Are there any other ways to determine testosterone levels and muscle fiber makeup? The information is hard to implement otherwise. Thanks for your time.”

Thanks,
Joe

My Answer: For those of you who haven’t read it, I have an article in the current Planet Muscle about determining your bodybuilding potential through 1) testosterone levels and 2) fiber make-up. Question is: how do you determine your testosterone levels and fiber make-up?

In the article, I was pretty explicit as to the fiber make-up of all the muscle groups. There was a chart outlining this. This chart, however, shows what is common for most people. There is a non-invasive method to determine fiber make-up if you want to determine your own individual fiber make-up. It’s not the most accurate method, but it will give you some understanding of how your muscles are geared.

Let’s say you want to determine the fiber make-up for your chest. Do a brief warmup on the bench press and rest 3 minutes. Determine your 1 rep max and perform it. Make sure you have a spotter with you. If you miscalculate your 1RM on the first set or two (or however many sets it takes), then make sure you rest 4-5 minutes between these sets.

Once you determine your 1RM, rest for 10 minutes. During those 10 minutes, calculate and remove 20% of your 1RM weight. When your 10 minutes are up, perform as many reps as you can in good form. Make sure you lower each rep under a 4 second count (how quickly you lift the weight doesn’t matter). Again, make sure you have a spotter to assist at the end of the set.

Take note of the number of reps you’ve performed. If it’s 7 reps, then you have an equal amount of fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers in the chest. If it’s lower than 7, then you have a higher amount of fast-twitch fibers. If it’s higher than 7, then you have a higher amount of slow-twitch fibers. The further away you are from 7, the higher the percentage of that particular type of muscle fiber.

Finally, multiply 15% to the number of reps you’ve performed. Subtract this amount from the number of reps you’ve performed. This is the lower end of your ideal rep range. Then add the 15% to the number of reps you’ve performed. This is the higher end of the ideal rep range for your upper chest. So for example, if you performed 7 reps with 80%RM, then 6-8 reps would be the ideal rep range for the chest.

Now to determine testosterone levels, my article mentioned the role of age and diet. In your 20’s, your testosterone is raging and making you do stupid and reckless things. When you wake up, you literally have to wait for your morning boner to go down before you pee. Either that or you whisper to your girlfriend or wife, “Hey honey? You awake?”

But in this day and age, more and more men past the age of 30 are having problems with lowered testosterone. This wasn’t the case 50 years ago. Not only this, but younger generations of men nowadays are having less testosterone than previous generations at the same age.

Just ask yourself this:

How old are you? Obviously, the older you are, the less T you have.

How’s your sex drive? If your pecker is constantly getting you in trouble, then you have a healthy dose of T. If Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings” makes you tear up, then considered yourself neutered.

Do you get good sleep, or is it bad sleep? Shift work really screws with your T levels. Don’t stay up late all the time. Get some high quality sleep.

How do you handle stress? Everybody has to deal with BS, but how you react to it has an effect on your testosterone levels. To paraphrase the Police song, if you face the day with your head caved in, then your T-levels are depressed, just like you. Other people have a fight or flight response to stress, so their T-levels actually rise, but acutely.

Are you vegetarian? The lack of animal proteins can depress T-levels, which is why monks in Asia are vegetarian: it fits their Buddhist reverence for life, but it also kills the sex drive and aggressive tendencies. Just be careful when you eat a lot of meat. Eating a lot of meat by itself won’t clog your arteries, but eating a lot of meat with a high amount of carbs will. High T won’t do jack if you’ve got erectile dysfunction.

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.

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.