Strength and Physique

"Mr. Chan, I have to send this to you through email, because I don't know how to post on your blog. Your advice for developing grip power for pull-up and dead hang purposes was great. As a fitness junkie, I believe that we all are meant to be strong, [but] our society is messed up in a way that we don't let ourselves be. I have done over five years of personal experimenting and research on how to go toward the potential of the human threshold for stamina, muscular endurance, and functional strength, and I have never found a way to build forearm stamina [other] than the advice you gave me. My dead hang time is up to 7 minutes and increasing. I'm shooting for 15. Ha-ha, wish me luck, and thanks for the great advice." J. Winkler My Answer: Hey J.W. Good to hear you're making such great progress. I have to agree with you: our society is messed up and frowns upon men and women who want to be stronger, unless they are professional athletes. Even then, only cert...

Q: I hope my fancy subject line stopped you from labeling this mail as spam. First off, through the decompression phase, I've added 20 pounds to my bench! I really wish I knew about you years ago.  My question for you is really simple. The adjustable bench at my gym can only go between 15 degrees and 30 degrees. For the 20 degree dumbbell exercise you recommend, should I adjust the bench at 15 or 30 degrees for maximum effect on my pectoral physique?  By the way, when Volume 3 comes out, you can guarantee that I'll be the first one to purchase it. Thanks, Larry My Answer: Good to hear you've made progress on the bench, Larry! As far as angle, if you had to choose between 15 and 30 degrees, then choose the 30 degree incline. It's still at a shallow angle to hit the sterno-clavical area and develop the upper pec fibers. As long as it is not 45 degrees and above, then you're good. Volume 3 ? Gosh, I'm pretty swamped at the moment with work, t...

Q:  I have just read your article on bodybuilding.com regarding the pyramid training . I've been lifting for about 6 months now. I still consider myself a newbie and am strongly considering using your workout plan.  I have a few questions: If I am trying to put on size (bulk) would this be a good regimen to follow? If so, Should I stop doing deadlifts? I am 6'3, and deadlifts are VERY hard for me to do. I usually do 3/4 deadlifts. I really appreciate any input you have towards my quest in bulking this winter. It's been hard to figure what to do. It gets really frustrating not seeing the gains that I had hoped for. Thanks again. -Jason My Answer: The 10-8-6-15 program would be a good bulking program if you eat a lot protein and calories. But at 6'3", you have special issues as a newbie. Us shorter guys have shorter limbs, so when we pack on muscle, it looks impressive. For taller, longer-limbed lifters such as yourself, that same amount of muscle ma...

Q: I hope I caught your attention with the subject heading, and you did not proceed to jab at the delete button. First off, I just want to thank you for your Strength and Physique Volumes One and Two . I believe your books work, because you are catering to the crowd who unabashedly train for mainly aesthetic reasons. Unlike the ridiculous Men's Health workouts, your methods/principles simply work. I am a medical student and the fact of the matter is that patients unconsciously trust fit doctors. Also, as a young man, I'm still very much interested in impressing the ladies.  That being said, what are your opinions on performing high intensity interval cardio during the decompression weeks? I understand that the weeks are purposely less intense and so will the cardio take away from the results? I just can't stomach the idea of non-intense exercise. Also, what are your opinions on forearm training? Since I wear scrubs in anatomy lab, I wouldn't mind huge, bulging ...

I remember talking to an FBI investigator at a cafe, and she related how every morning she'd arrive at the federal building and take the elevator up. There'd be other federal employees, of course, some FBI agents and investigators and some from "other agencies." For the longest while she couldn't figure out who these people from this other agency were. They would always exit the floor after the FBI floors, and these higher floors were restricted and unmarked. One thing she noticed about these federal employees was that they were bigger and more built than the usual FBI special agents. She figured out later that these people she rode the elevator with were DEA agents. Of all the law enforcement agencies, the DEA deals with some of the most dangerous assignments. You're dealing with drug dealers with weapons. Needless to say: very bad and very dangerous people. So it makes sense that a lot of these guys take working out very seriously. You have ...

"I found your blog from an article you wrote about the bench press. I have a question about the Guillotine press which you recommend as a better alternative to the normal-style bench press for building mass. "In one of the diagrams in your article, it shows a drawing of someone doing the guillotine press with his feet up on the end of the bench. Is this correct? "Most weight training magazines, and personal trainers, have drummed it into me that your feet should be flat on the floor for bench presses, so I’m a bit confused as to which is the best/safest way. Also, with the guillotine, do you recommend keeping the shoulder blades squeezed together, and also keeping your lower back with a slight curve (i.e. slightly off the bench), or should you try to flatten it out on the bench? "Thanks for any comments." Regards, Ben My Answer: Lifting your legs up is optional. Ideally you want to flatten out your lower back on to the bench, and to do this, ...

Q: I am a college student beginning to gain interest in bodybuilding as a sport. I am legally blind, so it is a good sport for me to feel competitive but also stay safe. I read your article, Wingspan Workouts on Bodybuilding.com. It was a very good, no nonsense workout that gave me a good burn.  Do you have any other tips for someone just starting out? My biggest problem is losing body fat and gaining muscle. It seems really hard to do both at the same time. Thank you for any advice you can offer. T. Taliani Pennsylvania My Answer: Well, if you're serious about becoming a competitive bodybuilder, then you'll need someone to visually assess not just exercise form, but also how your physique looks overall. You'll need someone who knows the bodybuilding aesthetic and can help you bring up lagging body parts. If you're serious about competitive bodybuilding, then you'll need the guidance of a good trainer specializing in bodybuilding, which is very...