Getting Rid of the Flab





Q: I am trying to get rid of the flab from under my arms. Help me please.

- C. Hendricks



My Answer: If you have flabby lats, then you have a very low tolerance for carbs. So cut out the white carbs: pastas, breads, grains, rice, potatoes, sugar (soft drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks). Stick to green carbs from vegetables: spinach, bok choi, green tea, asparagus, green beans, cabbage, lettuce, bell peppers, etc.

You'll need to increase the myogenic tone of your lats without increasing their size. Your lats are flabby already, so why increase their width if they're just going to be soft? Pulldowns and pull-ups will stretch your lats and increase their size, so avoid these movements for now. To increase the tone of your lats without increasing their size, you'll need to focus on rows and deadlifts.




Q: What is the 5x5 program you recommend? I have noticed some gains in mass just by doing my upper body more than once a week. Do you recommend this for ectomorphs as well? Thanks for any insight James.

- Brad S.


My Answer: Yes I recommend that ectomorphs train each muscle group more than once a week. Low volume done frequently is much better for the beginner lifter. This is part of the reason why the 5x5 program works, since the volume is only 5 sets. If you do more than 5 sets, then you will need more recovery time. Longer recovery time means you're building muscle at a slower rate. The 5x5 program is very simple. Five sets of five reps, one exercise per muscle group.

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