Strength and Physique

Q:  "Hey James, I read your article on  Training for Ectomorphs  and have decided to give that routine a try, as I have had trouble gaining on other routines. I was just wondering what your thoughts are on failure and whether or not I should be training to failure on any of the sets?" Much appreciated, Dan My Answer:  Well, it depends. If you are completely new to strength training, then going to failure would be good. A newbie needs to develop those neural pathways. However, if you've been seriously training for years, then going to failure would not be a good idea. Intermediate to advanced trainees can tap into larger motor units much better than newbies, because they have been training for a while. If they were to train to failure, then they would exhaust their nervous systems much more than a newbie and their recuperation period would be much greater. This is why really big guys tend to use split routines where they train each body part once or twice a week. What I su

Sometimes the simplest plan is the best plan. This doesn't necessarily it's the most effective plan, just that it's the best suited plan for you at a given moment. For example if you wanted to lose fat quickly, then go on a cyclical ketogenic diet, strength train three times a week and do HIIT two or three times a week.  That's the most effective plan. But is it the best plan? No, because most people are too lazy or busy to do any of that, let alone all of that. Most people are willing to settle for half-ass results if they put in less effort and thought. Sad but true.  Let me give you a no-brainer plan for dieting. No calorie counting (I never count calories, not even for my clients). Just do the following everyday:  Drink only water and green tea (no sugar coffee is optional). No other liquids.  Pack your lunch. It's going to be a large salad. That's it.  Pack a snack. It's going to be an apple.  If you concentrate on these 3 simple tasks and ate a regul

I'm a former law enforcement officer in one of Oregon's largest cities. I agree with almost everything you said in your article  Return to Cop Land . Especially how the academy doesn't prepare us for the true fitness of the streets. However, not every cop just wants to look good. After four years I have sought after a strength program that delivers strong and explosive speed and action. I train for only 2 miles runs to increase my time for foot pursuits, and so I don't sound like an out of shape idiot on the radio while doing it. Studies show that every cop will get it that one 'fit for your life' fight during his career. I train for that. The winner is who can withstand the longest. My performance on the street increased dramatically after power lifting and strength training vs push ups and so much cardio. My workout also consisted of 2 to 3 minute rounds of pad striking for grappling to ensure my lungs and stamina were prepared for the one true fight I woul