Monthly Archives: February 2010

How to Get Big and Stay Lean

Carb Cycling for Athletes As I promised in a previous article, I will now talk about the method I recommend for increasing lean muscle mass while maintaining body fat. Please note that this method is highly effective and should be used by lifters that are already pretty lean. If you need to loose a lot of weight, you should diet down first. If you need to gain a lot of weight (greater than 15 lbs), you should focus on taking in more calories. This approach is perfect for the trainee who is looking to critique their physique while making steady progression. So how is it possible to add muscle Read more…

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How to Warm Up

A Guide to the Complete Warm Up Most lifters generally neglect the importance of a complete warm up. As mentioned in a previous article, most lifters step into the gym and immediately perform a few static stretches or will hop on the bike for a couple minutes. A complete warm up includes soft tissue work, mobility work, CNS work and basic calisthenics. The benefits of a complete warm up include improvements in mobility, basic health, performance and technique. The foundation that is built from a complete warm up allows the lifter to perform at peak performance and will also help to prevention Read more…

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5 Tips for Building Serious Muscle

1) Train 3-4 days per week- Building muscle requires only 3-4 training sessions per week. Not including the warm up, these sessions should last no more than 45 minutes. Also, each workout should be a full body, or upper/lower body split. 2) Perform compound movements- Squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press. Pick one of these movements each session and train it hard. Work up to a 3 or 5 rep max. Keep in mind you will need a few warm up sets to prepare you for your 3 or 5RM. I remember Dave Tate suggesting to start with the bar and making 10 % (of your 1RM) jumps each set until you perform Read more…

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How to get STRONG

So You Want to be Strong? Before you answer this, you must determine what you define as strong. Your sport can have a significant impact on your definition. Powerlifters define strength as your ability to squat, deadlift and bench as much weight as possible. Olympic lifters define strength as how much you can snatch, and clean and jerk. Notice how bodybuilders place little stress on developing strength. Instead they are more concerned with muscle mass and symmetry and that is why they are much weaker than other weightlifters. Non-weightlifting sports, such as baseball, football, basketball Read more…

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The Truth About Bulking Up

Bulking up Than Cutting Down: Smart or Dumb? The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to bulking up is eating for size. Most gym rats divide their nutrition into a “bulking” phase and a “cutting” phase. The “bulking” phase is used to put on as much muscle as possible, while the “cutting” phase is used to strip all the excess fat off that was put on while “bulking”. Unless you are a skinny bastard and need to gain over 20 lbs, there is a better approach to increasing lean muscle mass than using the conventional “sea food” diet to bulk up. Most natural Read more…

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“Working Out” vs. “Training”

Training with a Purpose Everytime somebody tells me that they are going to "work out" I become slightly amused. This amusment quickly turns into anger. Before you ask me what the hell I am talking about please read on. There is a clear difference between those individuals who "workout" and those that "train". Most people who work out show up to the gym and do 1-2 minutes of b.s static stretches and hop on a bike for 5 minutes and call that a warm-up. God forbid they touch a foam roller or some other form of self massage and then do a dynamic warm-up with mobility work. After their warm-up they Read more…

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A Tribute to My Athletes

This winter proved to be a very successful off season for my athletes. They trained with me anywhere from 2-4 days a week for their whole entire winter break. These guys knew that if they wanted to compete at the collegiate level, they would need to become better athletes. The work ethic these athletes displayed showed a lot about their true character and what they are willing to reach their goals. I would like to whish the best of luck to all of you. I will end this post with a question for you. What are you trying to achieve in the gym? Do you go to the gym to “work out” or do Read more…

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Sick of Your Gym

Okay so this will not be the most popular post I will ever write because it may offend some people. This post is dedicated to the serious lifter or anyone who is truly dedicated to training and cannot stand training at their gym. First let me describe what your typical gym looks like. Upon entering you notice that there are countless cardio machines with a personal TV attached to each one, hundreds of strength training machines, BUSO balls and every other fitness gimmick known to man. Aside from the fitness equipment, you notice that there is a juice bar and Britney Spears music blasting through Read more…

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