Berardi Phone Consultation?

Training Bodybuilding
101

[quote]CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
Professor X wrote:
De-loading and rest techniques? I don’t even use those terms. You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t know the latest lingo being pushed by whatever authors you’ve read.

Its almost funny that your attempt to be rude results in you sounding as though you’re somehow not intelligent enough to infer the meaning of “rest technique” or “deloading” (since they’re very elaborate and esoteric terms indeed). [/quote]

I’m sorry, but how was I rude to you? By telling you that I don’t read every new article because I don’t care what people are trying to sell at every turn? This is somehow rude to you? By letting you know that this is not complicated and you are NOT more intelligent simply because you use these terms as opposed to people who don’t care what they mean? This is showing how “unintelligent” I am? Kid, my educational background is deeper than many of the people you are reading these terms from. That is the point you need to understand. You are being SOLD something and are gullible enough to not realize that knowing everything trying to be sold to you does NOT make you more intelligent or take the place of experience.

How many ways does this need to be written before you get it?

[quote]
You couldn’t have just replied with “I dont schedule less intense workouts, I just take the day off if I feel like I need it”? Does reminding people that they arent as experienced as you make up for something you’re lacking in your life?[/quote]

You NEED to understand that what you’ve read does not equal experience. I let you know that I don’t even use those terms yet this was somehow not enough info? Exactly how should that have been written so as not to offend your delicate senses? You were not insulted yet took everything as an insult previously. Don’t worry, you’ll know if an insult is truly coming.

[quote]
Some training advice I’ve commonly heard is that if you stop making gains with one exercise, you should try a similar exercise for a while. Usually, when you go back to the original, you can break continue progressing. For instance, if your bench stops going up, switching from BB to DB bench, then going back.

I dont see how that constitutes a “specific routine” or “bullshit”.

I’m sorry for wasting your time with such ignorance. It wont happen again. Take care.[/quote]

Here comes a true insult:

I would guess you are ignorant if you can’t gather from what I wrote previously…THAT WHATEVER YOU’VE READ INDICATING THAT AN EXERCISE ALONE IS WHAT IS HOLDING BACK PROGRESS IF YOU EVER HIT A PLATEAU IS INCORRECT. This has to be written in such soft language or else you honestly can’t grasp the message…but I’m “unintelligent”? Wow.

102

[quote]Professor X wrote:
CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
Professor X wrote:
You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t know the latest lingo being pushed by whatever authors you’ve read.

I’m sorry, but how was I rude to you?
[/quote]

Uhhhh, you sarcastically apologized for “not knowing the latest lingo being pushed by whatever authors I’ve read”. That in itself would have been rude if I was using fancy terms. “Deloading” and “rest techniques” aren’t exactly off the wall jargon.

Your sarcasm was simply a way of saying “You are stupid, but you are trying to sound smart by using these terms. I see through this, but I’ll patronize you and sarcastically apologize for not understanding.”

No, by implying that I must be a brainless follower because I used a term I picked up from an article.

The fact that you feel the need to “remind me that I’m not more intelligent” implys that I’m acting as though I am… when all I did was ask you a question about what you’ve found works for you. Apparently, asking you about deloading means I worship the deloading gods and think everyone who doesnt use scheduled deloading is an idiot. You entirely missed the point of my question.

No, pretending not to know what “deloading” or “rest technique” means makes you SOUND unintelligent, when in reality you were just being rude and sarcastic.

Again: I’m stupid and gullible. I’m falling for people selling me things, and on top of it, I think I’m a smart when really I’m stupid. Funny thing is, I dont remember ever buying anything from Charles Poliquin, Alywn Cosgrove, Chad Waterbury, Mike Boyle…shit, the only money I’ve spent on Biotest products had nothing to do with any of their articles! I dont get where you equate “Trying something Poliquin talked about” with “Poliquin just wants my money and I’m a fanboy so he’s going to get it”. Can you really not tell the difference between “What do you think of this?” and “This is Gods personal gift to me and the only way anyone should ever train ever ever ever”??

Again: I’m stupid and need to be told things repeatedly. Thing is, I already know what you’re saying, you just grossly misinterpreted my questions.

NO SHIT GENIUS, MAYBE THATS WHY I THOUGHT I’D (GET THIS, CRAZY FUCKING IDEA) ASK SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE ABOUT SOMETHING I READ.

You dont use those terms. Ok. But you also said that when you arent feeling up to a workout, you just take the day off. So, even though you obviously HAVE A REST TECHNIQUE (that being: take the day off if you feel you need it), you’re just too damn smart to use a term like “rest technique”. So, take home message: What works for Prof X is just listening to his body without planned rests/deloads. So, its not necessary to plan them out according to someone elses advice, but better to listen to your own body, experiment, and find what works for you. This takes time and experience.

Read above, the “take home message” part. Ya know, same message, minus all the “you are stupid and you worship people who are ripping you off”-ness of the original

hand to forehead

Oh my fucking god.

Ok, I’ll try to explain this again:

Just because I ask “Do you find that changing your exercises when you start making less progress helps you continue to make progress?”

is not

not
negative
negatory
opposite of
no
not
not
not

NOT the same as “You have to switch your exercises to make progress, I read it therefore its gospel and its the most important thing in the world and the only way to continue making progress once you stall.”

Now tell me, how does

“I’ve read that changing your exercise when you hit a plateau is one way of breaking that plateau. What are your thoughts on this?”

read the same as

“The only way to break a plateau is to change exercises. Period. Only way ever.”

??

Seriously, everything I write, you twist to fit the stereotype of an arrogant newcomer: I ask about deloading, so obviously I’m just trying to show off my superior training knowledge. Couldnt be that I’m just asking your opinion on something.

I ask what you think about changing exercises as a way of breaking plateaus. Obviously I think this is the only way to break a plateau because I mindlessly worship an article that said so.

103

[quote]CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
Professor X wrote:
CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
Professor X wrote:
You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t know the latest lingo being pushed by whatever authors you’ve read.

I’m sorry, but how was I rude to you?

Uhhhh, you sarcastically apologized for “not knowing the latest lingo being pushed by whatever authors I’ve read”. That in itself would have been rude if I was using fancy terms. “Deloading” and “rest techniques” aren’t exactly off the wall jargon.

Your sarcasm was simply a way of saying “You are stupid, but you are trying to sound smart by using these terms. I see through this, but I’ll patronize you and sarcastically apologize for not understanding.” [/quote]

I wasn’t even being sarcastic. I let you know that I don’t use those terms. It is as simple as that. Your own insecurities led you to believe anything else…and that is very telling.

[quote]

No, by implying that I must be a brainless follower because I used a term I picked up from an article. [/quote]

Again…

and again…

[quote]
Again: I’m stupid and need to be told things repeatedly. Thing is, I already know what you’re saying, you just grossly misinterpreted my questions. [/quote]

…and again. Yes, everyone is out to get you. If I were you, I just wouldn’t take it anymore.

I honestly didn’t read the rest of what you wrote because once I feel the estrogen levels getting that deep, I get out of the water.

104

[quote]CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
Professor X wrote:
CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
Professor X wrote:
You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t know the latest lingo being pushed by whatever authors you’ve read.

I’m sorry, but how was I rude to you?

Uhhhh, you sarcastically apologized for “not knowing the latest lingo being pushed by whatever authors I’ve read”. That in itself would have been rude if I was using fancy terms. “Deloading” and “rest techniques” aren’t exactly off the wall jargon.

Your sarcasm was simply a way of saying “You are stupid, but you are trying to sound smart by using these terms. I see through this, but I’ll patronize you and sarcastically apologize for not understanding.”

By telling you that I don’t read every new article because I don’t care what people are trying to sell at every turn?

No, by implying that I must be a brainless follower because I used a term I picked up from an article.

This is somehow rude to you? By letting you know that this is not complicated and you are NOT more intelligent simply because you use these terms as opposed to people who don’t care what they mean?

The fact that you feel the need to “remind me that I’m not more intelligent” implys that I’m acting as though I am… when all I did was ask you a question about what you’ve found works for you. Apparently, asking you about deloading means I worship the deloading gods and think everyone who doesnt use scheduled deloading is an idiot. You entirely missed the point of my question.

Again
This is showing how “unintelligent” I am?

No, pretending not to know what “deloading” or “rest technique” means makes you SOUND unintelligent, when in reality you were just being rude and sarcastic.

Kid, my educational background is deeper than many of the people you are reading these terms from. That is the point you need to understand. You are being SOLD something and are gullible enough to not realize that knowing everything trying to be sold to you does NOT make you more intelligent or take the place of experience.

Again: I’m stupid and gullible. I’m falling for people selling me things, and on top of it, I think I’m a smart when really I’m stupid. Funny thing is, I dont remember ever buying anything from Charles Poliquin, Alywn Cosgrove, Chad Waterbury, Mike Boyle…shit, the only money I’ve spent on Biotest products had nothing to do with any of their articles! I dont get where you equate “Trying something Poliquin talked about” with “Poliquin just wants my money and I’m a fanboy so he’s going to get it”. Can you really not tell the difference between “What do you think of this?” and “This is Gods personal gift to me and the only way anyone should ever train ever ever ever”??

How many ways does this need to be written before you get it?

Again: I’m stupid and need to be told things repeatedly. Thing is, I already know what you’re saying, you just grossly misinterpreted my questions.

You couldn’t have just replied with “I dont schedule less intense workouts, I just take the day off if I feel like I need it”? Does reminding people that they arent as experienced as you make up for something you’re lacking in your life?

You NEED to understand that what you’ve read does not equal experience.

NO SHIT GENIUS, MAYBE THATS WHY I THOUGHT I’D (GET THIS, CRAZY FUCKING IDEA) ASK SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE ABOUT SOMETHING I READ.

I let you know that I don’t even use those terms yet this was somehow not enough info?

You dont use those terms. Ok. But you also said that when you arent feeling up to a workout, you just take the day off. So, even though you obviously HAVE A REST TECHNIQUE (that being: take the day off if you feel you need it), you’re just too damn smart to use a term like “rest technique”. So, take home message: What works for Prof X is just listening to his body without planned rests/deloads. So, its not necessary to plan them out according to someone elses advice, but better to listen to your own body, experiment, and find what works for you. This takes time and experience.

Exactly how should that have been written so as not to offend your delicate senses? You were not insulted yet took everything as an insult previously. Don’t worry, you’ll know if an insult is truly coming.

Read above, the “take home message” part. Ya know, same message, minus all the “you are stupid and you worship people who are ripping you off”-ness of the original

Some training advice I’ve commonly heard is that if you stop making gains with one exercise, you should try a similar exercise for a while. Usually, when you go back to the original, you can break continue progressing. For instance, if your bench stops going up, switching from BB to DB bench, then going back.

I dont see how that constitutes a “specific routine” or “bullshit”.

I’m sorry for wasting your time with such ignorance. It wont happen again. Take care.

Here comes a true insult:

I would guess you are ignorant if you can’t gather from what I wrote previously…THAT WHATEVER YOU’VE READ INDICATING THAT AN EXERCISE ALONE IS WHAT IS HOLDING BACK PROGRESS IF YOU EVER HIT A PLATEAU IS INCORRECT. This has to be written in such soft language or else you honestly can’t grasp the message…but I’m “unintelligent”? Wow.

hand to forehead

Oh my fucking god.

Ok, I’ll try to explain this again:

Just because I ask “Do you find that changing your exercises when you start making less progress helps you continue to make progress?”

is not

not
negative
negatory
opposite of
no
not
not
not

NOT the same as “You have to switch your exercises to make progress, I read it therefore its gospel and its the most important thing in the world and the only way to continue making progress once you stall.”

Now tell me, how does

“I’ve read that changing your exercise when you hit a plateau is one way of breaking that plateau. What are your thoughts on this?”

read the same as

“The only way to break a plateau is to change exercises. Period. Only way ever.”

??

Seriously, everything I write, you twist to fit the stereotype of an arrogant newcomer: I ask about deloading, so obviously I’m just trying to show off my superior training knowledge. Couldnt be that I’m just asking your opinion on something.

I ask what you think about changing exercises as a way of breaking plateaus. Obviously I think this is the only way to break a plateau because I mindlessly worship an article that said so.

[/quote]

Hey Cap I agree with a lot of what you have said. I don’t know why a lot of guys have to make themselves appear to be so much more knowledgeable than someone else. I honestly see that your original comment was a very valid one and this guy replied back with rudeness. I kinda wish I had never started this thread.

105

[quote]matt_t2004 wrote:
Hey Cap I agree with a lot of what you have said. I don’t know why a lot of guys have to make themselves appear to be so much more knowledgeable than someone else. I honestly see that your original comment was a very valid one and this guy replied back with rudeness. I kinda wish I had never started this thread.[/quote]

You can’t be serious. You’ve had everyone, including Berardi, respond to your thread…and my guess is, you will walk away with very little from it all.

Let me guess, you haven’t changed that diet at all…huh?

I would ask you to point out the “rudeness” in my original reply to that poster, but my guess is, you will simply use that as justification for not changing your approach to training.

Have a great one.

106

[quote]matt_t2004 wrote:
I am thinking of purchssing the 1 hour phone conversation with Dr. John Berardi. It costs $200 do you guys think it is worth it?[/quote]

I’ve come to the conclusion that you never actually wanted help in the first place. You simply wanted someone to confirm what you were already doing. Someone who truly believed their approach might be wrong would have responded differently in this thread. Instead, your response was to list what you eat and then debate that you eat enough “good fats”.

People like you don’t make much progress no matter what. That makes you specifically the type of person who should pay for a consult. That way, at least someone is compensated for wasting their time.

107

Heh. If you quickly skim over the nonsense, there are some really entertaining posts in this thread.

And to the OP, a PWO salad?! That is just awesome.

108

[quote]Professor X wrote:

People like you don’t make much progress no matter what. That makes you specifically the type of person who should pay for a consult. That way, at least someone is compensated for wasting their time.

[/quote]

A classic paragraph!.

109

[quote]matt_t2004 wrote:

I kinda wish I had never started this thread.[/quote]

I kinda wish that too,

there’s some great training info on this thread, read through it again over time, try and absorb it and it will serve you well in your goals.

110

[quote]Professor X wrote:
I would ask you to point out the “rudeness” in my original reply to that poster, but my guess is, you will simply use that as justification for not changing your approach to training.

Have a great one.[/quote]

So let me get this straight: A sarcastic reply where you pretend “not to know what a rest technique is”(but go on to explain the one you use), tell someone they are gullible, stupid, dense, and they are trying to appear smarter than they are… all in response to them asking a simple question about what you’ve found works for you…

thats not rude?

I forgot. I’m just oversensitive. Right.

Oh, and “I didn’t even read your full resonse”… clearly not rude either.

Not only are you rude, you attempt to justify your rudness by accusing those you are rude to of being oversensitive. You lack class.

111

Meanwhile back at the ranch =]

@ matt_t2004

You need to eat some food with the actual potential of building some muscle and most likely change up your training habits as well

There’s also a pretty good chance you aren’t training nearly as hard as you think you are.

This is the kicker, I hope you’re sitting down. You will NEVER EVVVVER get bigger without picking up SOME fat.

I am nobody too special, but I guarantee you in 4 years I could’ve (as well as many others) had you WAAAY beyond where you are now. Not because of how much I know, but because of how little it’s actually necessary to know at least until you make some serious progress.

112

[quote]chillain wrote:
Heh. If you quickly skim over the nonsense, there are some really entertaining posts in this thread.

And to the OP, a PWO salad?! That is just awesome.

[/quote]

actually my pwo meal was whey and instant oatmeal with strawberries.

I have decided to change this meal to a whey and dextrose shake and change my breakfast to 1 cup of oatmeal instead of 1/2 cup. I am also going to add more lean beef in there.

113

[quote]CappedAndPlanIt wrote:

I forgot. I’m just oversensitive. Right.

[/quote]

Actually, as a relatively disinterested third party - you really are coming off as totally insecure.

Read back through the thread at your responses - they smack of major insecurities in practically every sentence…

Now, on topic - I purchased PN about 6 months ago. It was money well spent - it’s not really anything I didn’t know before, but it certainly puts it all together in a cohesive and well planned package.

To the OP - if you spend any money at this point, it should be on purchasing the PN package - it’s worth it for the cookbook alone.

Best of luck… : )

114

[quote]matt_t2004 wrote:
chillain wrote:
Heh. If you quickly skim over the nonsense, there are some really entertaining posts in this thread.
And to the OP, a PWO salad?! That is just awesome.

actually my pwo meal was whey and instant oatmeal with strawberries.

I have decided to change this meal to a whey and dextrose shake and change my breakfast to 1 cup of oatmeal instead of 1/2 cup. I am also going to add more lean beef in there.
[/quote]

GOOD HEAVENS MAN!!! Don’t hurt yourself.

You need to break the grip the fat phobic mindset has on your life before any individual steps are going to do you much good.

Look, if you were going to pay Dr. Berardi to tell you how to change to a whey and dextrose shake then Professor X is right.

How old are you? I bet you’re in your twenties. This is where I beat my head on my desk. Right at the prime age where eating mountains of food and moving mountains of weight could have you building a truly imposing physique in the next few years and here you are playing ring around the rosies with Richard Simmons.

You have no idea what I would give to be able to have those years back.

115

[quote]matt_t2004 wrote:
chillain wrote:
Heh. If you quickly skim over the nonsense, there are some really entertaining posts in this thread.

And to the OP, a PWO salad?! That is just awesome.

actually my pwo meal was whey and instant oatmeal with strawberries.

I have decided to change this meal to a whey and dextrose shake and change my breakfast to 1 cup of oatmeal instead of 1/2 cup. I am also going to add more lean beef in there.
[/quote]

Just a quick note about the way you’re measuring you’re food intake, but before I do let me say that I used to be the exact same way as you. I used to measure everything and try to make the smallest increment humanly possible to try to make sure that I only got a tiny surplus of calories so that the weight I gained was just muscle.

Well, after having done that for about two years (yes, I was pig headed and now see why I drove my mother crazy at the time) I came to realize that:

  1. The body is complex. It follows its own “rhythm” and usually does not follow the same pattern of growth that your linear calorie progression does.

That being the case, why break your head trying to increase your calories by 250/day?

It’s an awful lot of work to put into a system that is largely “off”. Not only that, but when you don’t get the results from all that work you put in you become more frustrated and likely to quit.

I know, I’ve been there.

IMHO, its a good thing to know about nutrition and know which foods you should be eating and a ballpark figure of how many calories you’re eating. But being so meticulous doesn’t pay off in this game. At least not until you compete or are at a high level.

  1. What if you sleep and hour more or less today? How are you modifying your calorie intake for that? Perhaps you missed the bus and had to walk a bit further etc…

My point is that being so precise is silly because not every day is the same in terms of calorie expenditures. Even at the gym, a “legs” session probably burns more calories than a chest/push day. You’re calorie formula doesn’t take into consideration these nuances.

Again, my point is that to actually calculate a 250cal/day increase is not the best way to go if you want to stick with this for years to come.

If you had a competition of some sort and only had to do this for 12 weeks, fine. But a life-time of weighing bananas is borderline obsessive compulsive, IMHO.

So, to summarize my little rant. Relax. Buy PN and read up if you’d like. Have a “feel” for how many calories and the types of food you eat. If you had a harder session and maybe played a bit of ball in the afternoon. Use common sense and make an adjustment.

Just because you don’t weigh/measure your food doesn’t mean its of lesser quality.

Use good judgment, your experience and go with the flow.

116

Take that $200 and set it aside. Then work out what you should “invest” it in. PN is great. I own it and would recommend it to others. That leaves you with a little money left over if you look around you can get other decent books second hand for the change. Scrawny to brawny is good. It emphasises progressively eating more along with some good training routines. I like cosgroves NROL.

I find that with every book i read and add to my shelf the less i care about forums. So while my compliance to JB’s programs isnt steller i dont feel the need to really buy other products (for the same topic), get anal over articles… or actively search for tips. To bastardise fight club quotes, “no matter what happens, ive got that nutrition guide problem handled.” Its a lot less mental load.

We need a real FAQ, no one RTFM’s people anymore.

117

[quote]matt_t2004 wrote:
I have decided to change this meal to a whey and dextrose shake and change my breakfast to 1 cup of oatmeal instead of 1/2 cup. I am also going to add more lean beef in there.
[/quote]

matt_t2004,

I guess that’s a start. If you want a few more small changes consider adding a couple table spoon fulls of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to your salads and veggies in Meals 4-6 (I think). It goes well with balsamic vinegar and at 100kcals/tbsp that’s ~600kcals.

Also regarding your fat intake, you mentioned most is unsaturated. Remember that the reason for the constant push for unsaturated fats is because they are lacking in most people’s diets. The general recommendation for fats is roughly 1/3 of each mono, poly and saturated fats.

The simplest solution for you would be to (as you said) eat some meat, use regular cheese (I have no idea how people eat fat-free cheese) and maybe even add a bit of butter.

Finally, I assume this is a “typical” day, how often do you go outside this and eat fast food or pizza, etc…?

118

[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
<<< If you want a few more small changes consider >>>[/quote]

This guy doesn’t need a few more small changes in my opinion. He needs to reformat his intellectual hard drive and load up a different operating system altogether. Honestly I think YourXLNS is on the right track.

You’re in bondage Matt and shifting around to keep the chains from chafing isn’t going to get them off.

Somebody needs to take you to Burger King and make you eat 20 bucks worth of shit fast food just for the emancipatory effect.

119

[quote]Professor X wrote:
I honestly didn’t read the rest of what you wrote because once I feel the estrogen levels getting that deep, I get out of the water.[/quote]

LOL… I wonder if I had that much estrogen if my boobs would be bigger?

OP try PN it’s a good product.

120

[quote]YourXLNS wrote:
Just a quick note about the way you’re measuring you’re food intake, but before I do let me say that I used to be the exact same way as you. I used to measure everything and try to make the smallest increment humanly possible to try to make sure that I only got a tiny surplus of calories so that the weight I gained was just muscle.

Well, after having done that for about two years (yes, I was pig headed and now see why I drove my mother crazy at the time) I came to realize that:

  1. The body is complex. It follows its own “rhythm” and usually does not follow the same pattern of growth that your linear calorie progression does.

That being the case, why break your head trying to increase your calories by 250/day?

It’s an awful lot of work to put into a system that is largely “off”. Not only that, but when you don’t get the results from all that work you put in you become more frustrated and likely to quit.

I know, I’ve been there.

IMHO, its a good thing to know about nutrition and know which foods you should be eating and a ballpark figure of how many calories you’re eating. But being so meticulous doesn’t pay off in this game. At least not until you compete or are at a high level.

  1. What if you sleep and hour more or less today? How are you modifying your calorie intake for that? Perhaps you missed the bus and had to walk a bit further etc…

My point is that being so precise is silly because not every day is the same in terms of calorie expenditures. Even at the gym, a “legs” session probably burns more calories than a chest/push day. You’re calorie formula doesn’t take into consideration these nuances.

Again, my point is that to actually calculate a 250cal/day increase is not the best way to go if you want to stick with this for years to come.

If you had a competition of some sort and only had to do this for 12 weeks, fine. But a life-time of weighing bananas is borderline obsessive compulsive, IMHO.

So, to summarize my little rant. Relax. Buy PN and read up if you’d like. Have a “feel” for how many calories and the types of food you eat. If you had a harder session and maybe played a bit of ball in the afternoon. Use common sense and make an adjustment.

Just because you don’t weigh/measure your food doesn’t mean its of lesser quality.

Use good judgment, your experience and go with the flow.[/quote]

Excellent post.