Strength and Physique

Q: "I want to know if I follow the Hypertrophy Training for Ectomorphs program and I go twice a week to my Krav Maga lessons (which involve a lot of cardio), then am I facing overtraining and less hypertrophy? Just for info, I'm preparing for the RCMP cadet program. Am I on the right track with this?" "Thanks a lot. Your work is inspiring." -François C. Montreal, Quebec My Answer: Thanks for the compliment. You should be OK, but if you find it taxing on your body, then just do the 10-8-6-15 program twice a week (evenly spaced out) instead of 3 times a week. Also keep the workouts under an hour to avoid overtraining. Typically, when one regularly engages in martial arts or some other athletic activity, then strength training in the gym twice a week is best. Most people find it to be overtraining if they went to the gym 3 times or more AND played a sport or martial art. Anyway, good luck with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police! Q: "...

Q: "Hi! I'm Rafael and I've read your Strength Training for Fat Loss article on Bodybuilding.com, and I must say it looks very promising. It reminds me of Bruce Lee's strength training. Anyway I'm going to start doing the program you put up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I was wondering what YOU recommend for cardio on Tuesday and Thursday? "I'm planning on doing 20-30 minutes of H.I.I.T. on the treadmill. You know, 5 minutes warm up then 20 second sprints alternated with 10 second jogs for a total of 12 minutes, followed by a 5 minute cool down. Then followed by 15 minutes of hitting the heavy bag. I'm just looking for some suggestions. I'm in great cardio shape, but I have stubborn belly fat that I'm trying to lose. I've lost over 60 pounds and still have this belly fat that's so hard to lose! That being I use to hit up a lot of keggers and what not. "I hope to hear from you as I would greatly appreciate it! ...

Q:  "Hello my name is J. L., and I read an  article  with your name and your skills. I have a question: I was a police officer in PA, and I was released from the department, because I failed my 1.5 mile run. I am a stocky guy and running was never my favorite thing to do. Now I am going for another department, and of course I have to run. "Do you have any advice on what I can do to improve my run? I'm currently running a 9 minute and 30 second mile. And I have to run a 12 minute 1.5 mile. I run every other day and do strength training, and I am getting no where to achieve my running goal." JL My Answer:  I'm not the running expert. My fortes lie in strength training and in bodybuilding. If you're stocky, however, then you should really focus on losing some weight and dieting. Go on a vegetarian diet. If you have the discipline, then go on a vegan diet. Lose the weight training and just focus on running. I know this runs counter to my usual training and...

Q:   I want to employ your lat shock routine, but I am on a periodization routine.  I'm working upper and lower every other day. Instead of putting all 4 exercises in one day, then resting that part for a week, I'm doing it all week.   If I split up the lat work all week, will it still shock them into growth, or do they need all that work in one sitting?  Or should I do it once a week then the rest if the time do a lightweight lat workout?  Cause exercise done every other day would result in overtraining right? < -Brian My Answer:   The Wingspan Workouts are 4 different WORKOUTS. So you would not do all 4 in one day.  You can rotate through the 4 workouts through a length of 2 weeks, so that would mean 2 lat workouts a week. Or you can do one lat shock workout a week, so that would mean 2 lat workouts a week:  one lat shock workout, one light active recovery workout for the back. Q:    I was looking for a workout routine....

Q:  My name is Trey, and I am writing you today to see if by any way you could possible whip me in to shape with a workout. I would say I have maybe 2-3 months to get in to shape for the job demands. I work out now, but I feel like it's not getting me any where. I bust my ass when I go to the gym, but I see nothing different, so maybe you could refer something? Please help! Thank you. My Answer:  First off I have no idea what is your physical condition and physical conditioning.  Are you overweight, or are you looking to add more muscle? The problem I see with a lot of guys trying to get in shape is that they are not honest about what their condition is and what they need to do to remedy the condition.  I know a deputy who doesn't do cardio and was doing 5x5 to get in shape. I thought to myself, "Dude, you're diabetic and overweight.  You don't need to do 5x5.  You need to do higher reps and cardio." If you're trying to prepare for the physi...

Q:  I am interested in doing your Modern Strength Training/Fat Loss program: One arm kettle bell swing Front barbell squat Barbell hack squat Pull ups Push ups Preacher curl Bench dips Side lateral raise Calf press leg press machine If I add the bench press on that program or switch it with one of the work out, would it ruin the whole program?  I've been bench pressing for the start and warm up as always. I was also advised to do bench press only once a week as well. Another question I have is, am I allowed to do cardio exercise on the same day or should I do it on separate day? -Ki My Answer: You should do cardio on a separate day.  As far as adding the bench press, that would lengthen an already very long workout.  If you really want to do the bench press, then do them instead of the push-ups: One arm kettle bell swing Front barbell squat Barbell hack squat Pull ups BENCH PRESS Preacher curl Bench dips Side lateral raise Calf press l...

Q:  Hi I'm 14, and I like to workout with just body weight.  It seems like I'm stuck.  I don't know what to do. I'm going for strength training and weight loss, but I'm such an amateur.  I don't have a diet or food plan, I started using this app that counts calories and that's it. Please give me some feedback, I don't know what to do. This is my routine. If you have any suggestions, I'd be very grateful. These workouts usually make me feeling sore, you could say they are hard to finish.  I feel like my abs aren't really getting hit all around and as hard. I'm 5'7, 180 lbs, age 14, 18-25 body fat. Note: I usually have to wait more than 2 days to recover WORKOUT A Wide Push-ups 3x8 Perfect Push-up 3x8 1.5 Push-up 2x10 - 30 seconds rest Resistance Curls 3x12 (each arm)  Wide Dips 4x12 Cross Crunches 4x12 Sprinter Abs 3x15 Reverse Crunch 3x12 Mountain Climbers 30 seconds x 2 Leg Raises 3x8 Pistol Squat 3x8 (each leg) Plank...

Q: My name is Jesse, and I need to lose about 40 pounds by June. I'm 16 years old and weigh 225. I've always been bigger than most, and I'm ready to put an end to that.  More importantly I need to lose the weight to go in the career I want, which is the Army. I want to be physically ready when I'm there. I have a gym membership, so can you just give me some lifts that will burn fat kind of quick but help me gain muscle at the same time and maybe a diet plan that won't leave me feeling like I'm not even eating.  Thanks, Jesse My Answer:  If you're looking to go into the Army and you want to lose weight, then I suggest you train as they would in the Army: endless running and endless push-ups.  High volumes of cardio and low-tension calisthenics will make you lose weight.  So do calisthenic exercises like push-ups, burpees, jumping jacks, body weight squats, box jumps, lying leg lifts, flutter kicks and pull-ups. If you can't do pull-ups, then do in...

I'm J. M., 24 from Finland. I found working out to be my thing about a year ago and been following different training programs ever since. Previously I've been playing ice hockey for 7 years, football for 2 years and practiced Thai boxing for 2 years also. Therefore my physique and condition are quite fine, but I've never been too muscular before.  Currently I'm studying law and working out regularly three times a week and been trying to get more muscle, in which I've quite succeeded. I have no medical issues, and I sleep regularly 8 hours per night. Now I read your article about strength training and fat loss at Bodybuilding.com. I found it highly informative and interesting and decided to give it a try.  What kind of diet would you suggest if I plan to follow The Modern Strength Training/Fat Loss Program, since there was no mention about that in the article? I've been working out with Arnold's Golden Six for almost three months now and gained a lot of...

Q:  Hello any advice for me? I am 16 years old and want to build muscle.  -Johan My Answer:  Well, I have a new article at Muscle and Strength titled  Ectomorph Muscle Building: Nutrition And Training Basics For Muscle Growth .  If you're just starting out, then what you want to do is build strength on whole body exercises.  Whole body exercises (such as the clean and press, squat and deadlift) are what I call "anabolic blowtorches."  Done properly, they elicit a huge testosterone response from your body. So if you focus on perfect your form and getting stronger on these 3 exercises, then you can build quite a bit of muscle.  You can add other exercises that target specific muscle groups, but those should be supplementary exercises.  In Strength and Physique: High Tension Exercises for Muscular Growth you'll find a variety of these supplementary exercises that target each muscle group. Q:  Hello, I was just reading an articl...

James, Got the last book and it complemented the whole series.  I have made major changes in my lifting because of your books, and even at this stage in life I am making gains.   I do still have some troublesome parts, like my belly fat. Even though there is not a lot there to cover up the six pack.  And for some reason I am bloated and tried probiotics, but it's not making much of a difference.  If I can get those under control I would be at the goal I have set for months in the future.  I have a couple questions.  First about chest specialization.  I don’t know, but I may have missed it.  What type of weekly workout routine should I do with it?  Every other day and only 4 workouts a week?  How long should I use this routine (2-3) weeks?  I have my upper middle chest area that I need to add mass to.  Would you say to substitute the day of bench presses with 20° incline dumbbell presses? I have done the density and de...

I'm hitting a weight loss plateau. After losing around 14 lbs my body seems to not want to lose more fat. I'm currently at 22% body fat on the bioimpedance machine. Current weight of 146 lbs. I can see my 6-pack when I flex my abdominals hard, but it doesn't really show if I don't squeeze it out. If you can get what I mean. Although I could never perfect the idea of counting calories, because I don't cook and it's hard to avoid fat in meat or protein, seems to go hand and hand w/ most of it. I'm also having a hard time controlling sugar cause let's face it I'm human! But most of the sugars I get is from fruits like mango or banana, plus I need fiber. I do drink a Starbucks flavored drink almost every other day! I do try to keep at least a 110g of protein at least 160g of sugar and fat is about around 84g. I tried reducing my protein this week, and I noticed some weight loss. Question: Am I losing muscle if I am reducing my protein? Would postin...

Q:  In your 2nd book on page 94 there is a Modern Strength Training and Fat Loss Program. Some questions: 1) How long should I stick to this program? Is 2 months too long? 2) Is the kettlebell swing a warm-up? If so, I should use a lighter kettlebell 3) I can't take dips because of a shoulder injury. Do you recommend diamond pushups instead, or narrow grip bench presses or some other triceps exercise like triceps extensions for 5-6 reps? -C. Slotte My Answer: Yes, 2 months is too long.  I talk about how long to stay on a program in the previous post. The kettlebell swing will serve as a general warm-up, but you should use a moderately heavy kettlebell, not a light one. If you can't do dips, then stick with diamond pushups for as many reps as possible. GET BIG and order the Strength and Physique E-books “This book is terrific. It distills years of experience and research into short sections laying out specific, creative programs for the m...

Q:  I came across your Modern Strength Training/Fat Loss Program on Bodybuilding.com, and I have a few questions as I'm about to embark on this program. 1. You mentioned the amount of rest we have to take as below: Hack Squats: 4 sets, 10-12 reps, no rest Pull ups: 4 sets, as many reps as possible, 60-90 seconds rest What I'm wondering is the rest in between sets or in between exercises?  i.e. After I perform a set of pull-ups, I rest for 60 secs or do I finish doing the Hack squats then immediately move on to pull-ups. If the rest is for in between exercises, how much rest should I have in between sets? 2. The gym that I go to doesn't have kettlebells. Is there any exercise I can substitute that with? Really looking forward to your reply. Thanks! Syafi My Answer: The exercises that are paired together are supersets.  So you perform a set of Hack squats, go immediately to a set of pull-ups, rest for 60-90 se...

I'm 6'0, 143 lbs, 21 years old. I had a question about the ectomorph program . So far, following your program I've gained three pounds, which is good -- but I seem to be gaining fat more than I seem to be gaining muscle. Is it possible that I could be somewhere between endomorph and ectomorph? My carb:protein:fat ratio has been 50:30:20, at 3100 calories a day (I wasn't gaining weight at 2700). Should I lower my carbs? If so how much? Again, thank you so much for your work and help. -Richie My Answer: Yes, you should lower the carbs. In Volume One I go over diet, and I recommend an isocaloric diet for muscle gain. In other words, your macronutrients should be equally balanced: 33/33/33 or a Zone diet of 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats. James, Long time it seems since I have written you. Just an update I feel both MCL’s are healed and I have been training for now 4 weeks. Doing the Density/Decompression training that I have gotten from your bo...

It's weird, but I have lost 10 lbs, and people say I look bigger. I have abs now and no love handles. Is it normal to look bigger and yet weigh less? My Answer: Yes, this is perfectly normal.  Nobody gives a rat's ass as to how much you weigh.  You don't walk with a number on your forehead.  They're only impressed by how you look.  If you're fat, then your fat is going to be inside and around your muscles.  Fat gives you size, but it doesn't give you the shape of muscularity.  Fat hides your muscles.  If you burn all the fat inside and around your muscles, then they will have shape.  The striations of your muscles will be clearly defined, and that definition makes you look bigger and more muscular. Quality muscle, muscle that is hard and lean, is far more impressive than fat smooth muscle.

Q:  I am not fat, but I have a small roll and slight love handles. Now I don't think I'm completely at 24% [body fat].  I think I'm a slight lower than that. Do you think I should still do the Bigger Engine workout? Will that keep my size up? I have over all pretty big arms and a wide chest.  -B. Smith My Answer: Even if you're "slightly" lower than 24%, you've still got some fat to lose.  Like I said, at least 10% less would be better.  Why are you worried about losing size if you say your arms and chest are big already? Sounds like you don't want to give up any size, even if it's fat.  But leaning down means you lose fat in and around your muscles.  You will lose size to some degree, because fat does add to muscle size. Go with the Bigger Engine program.  Use it as a density phase workout for a few weeks.  Then switch to a decompression workout like the 5x5.  This way you focus on one goal at a time: 3 weeks of fat...

Q:  I went to the gym, and they told me I am 24% body fat. I get the bloated look a lot. I eat lots of chicken, beef, whey protein, and cottage cheese. I don't eat a lot of sweets at all. I also don't get a lot of fiber either. Do you [what] may cause my bloated look? Your thoughts? [Also] do you have any other ectomorph routines besides the 5x5 program you could recommend me?   - Brad S. My Answer: What's causing your bloated look? Well, you're at 24% body fat. If you want to look lean and ripped, then you should bring your body fat down by at least another 10%. Bloat is different from being fat. Bloat means you're eating foods that you can't digest very well. And because you can't digest these foods very well, it ferments inside your intestines and gives you gas. Those gases expand inside your intestines and tummy and you have a bloated stomach. You can be skinny and have a bloated stomach if ate a bean burrito with root beer float. Dairy,...

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 ...