Strength and Physique

So here's an article from Maria Cheng of the Associated Press on the superiority of HIIT to steady state cardio: People who complain they have no time to exercise may soon need another excuse. Some experts say intense exercise sessions could help people squeeze an entire week’s workout into less than an hour. Intense exercise regimens, or interval training, was originally developed for Olympic athletes and thought to be too strenuous for normal people. But in recent years, studies in older people and those with health problems suggest many more people might be able to handle it. If true, that could revolutionize how officials advise people to exercise — and save millions of people hours in the gym every week. It is also a smarter way to exercise, experts say. “High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise,” said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. “This is like finding a new pill that works twice as we...

Q:  "First I wanted to say thanks for the article on widening your back. I just read it over, and yes it looks brutal, but that's what I'm looking for in some back exercises. I only have one question and it might seem dumb, but are the 4 different techniques meant to be all on one workout or are they meant to be separated?  "Currently I'm doing my back exercises on Wednesdays with 3 sets of 3 techniques. Should I take one of these techniques and sub it into one of my current techniques, or should I drop the 3 I do now and use all 4 of your techniques?  "Simple, maybe dumb questions, but I thought I'd go right to the author for some info. I've been really dabbling into bodybuilding for the past few months and have loved all the information I've found. I've learned a lot and I know I still need to learn A LOT more. I've lost about 35 pounds since April 2008.  "Thank you in advance for you assistance,"    - Corey   My Answer:...

I just wanted to say that I have been following your mesocycle program [from Volume Two ] and have seen excellent results after just a few weeks. I am in week 5 now and my shirts are all of a sudden much smaller! I have been lifting for 5 years now and have never had results so quickly.  Thank you! Dan B. My Answer: I'm happy that you like the program, Dan. Neo-Classical Bodybuilding is a very tough program, but those who follow it to a T will be rewarded with newfound size and muscularity. I'm actually working on another bodybuilding book, which will be about training and lifestyle for the busy bodybuilder. Whereas Neo-Classical Bodybuilding is about the most you can do achieve mass and muscularity in an ideal situation, this new book is going to be about the least you can do to achieve mass and muscularity while still living a life outside the gym. It's meant for the Renaissance Man who wants a phenomenal physique, but also wants to live life and pursue o...

I inquired before about the 10-8-6-15 training, and I'm planning to use it again in the gym for mass building. I just enrolled in a gym (before I just worked out at home). I would just like to clarify: if I have 3 consecutive days off (Monday to Wednesday), then how would I use the ectomorph training? I mean, I would like to work out on those 3 days, or at least 2 days, but my work schedule is crazy sometimes. As much as possible, I would like to maximize those days off as workout days. One more thing sir, if I work out at night, is it healthy for my muscles to work out the next day in the morning or day time? Thanks sir! I really respect your teachings! - G.C. My Answer: If your schedule only allows for training Monday to Wednesday, then the Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph program is not for you. No point in trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Life dictates your training schedule, and it doesn't give a crap about what's your optimal workout sche...

Just a heads up: Strength and Physique: The Articles is now available as an Ebook.  Any day now I'm going to be a dad. It's been one long waiting game for the past week, and I have no idea how much longer it's going to take. I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my life, that of fatherhood and being a family man. I've resolved myself to the fact that everything I do and plan from here on out will revolve around my child. To say that raising a child will dominate your life is an understatement. When a coworker of mine found out my wife were having our first child, he said to me, "You can forget about working out ever again."  I don't plan to withdraw completely from my interests and hobbies, but I do plan to pull back a bit. In my bodybuilding book Neo-Classical Bodybuilding there is a training strategy called "body part specialization."  Body part specialization is a strategy where you devote most of your training to one or two muscl...

Q:  I am writing in regards to your book Neo-Classical Bodybuilding . I am interested in purchasing it to look at some techniques but wanted to ask if there was any collaboration between any exercise physiologists, physical therapists, or any other advanced educational degrees.  Please don't take this the wrong way in thinking that I am belittling your accomplishments and results. The main reason I ask is that I, personally, am involved in physical therapy and would like to incorporate some techniques into my career, yet I would prefer evidence based research. Thank you sir for your time, Jonathan My Answer: No offense taken, Jonathan. Frankly I encourage my readers and clients to actively research things for themselves and that means validating information sources and confirming who's an authority. Let me be clear about this, because a lot of clients and readers have this misunderstanding: A personal trainer is not a doctor, and a doctor is not a persona...

Q: I am starting a CKD . Would you recommend doing the Complete Strength Athlete program while on this diet or would you recommend a Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)? -R.V. My Answer: Go with a Targeted Ketogenic Diet, since you'll need the carbs for the explosive lifting and general strength performance while on the Complete Strength Athlete program. For those of you who don't know, a TKD is different from a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD). Whereas you eat carbs only on the weekends with a CKD, on a TKD you spread your carb intake throughout the week by ingesting carbs before and after your workouts. This is much better for athletic performance and will give you some fat loss benefits. But a CKD is superior in terms of fat loss and extreme leanness. It takes a few days to weeks to get your body into ketosis, whereby your body fractures fats for fuel and uses them as its main energy source. A Targeted Ketogenic Diet is not a true ketogenic diet. You never enter ...