Bodybuilding Bible Continued

Training Bodybuilding
41

yeah that was definately a great post…I mean something like that should be stickied, this is pretty much the same thing I follow…

Bi-weekly - pictures taken, waist measurement, scale. If looking to gain muscle…if waist has gone up a couple millimetres, your making strength gains inthe gym and the scale is moving then you are making good progress and will (depending on your level) add that 1-2lbs of muscle in a month. If nothnig has changed in bodyfat or bodyweight you need to add more calories to your diet.

Start at BW x 16, and gradually work from there until you are making the above progress. This will definately limit fat gain in your approach instead of everyone going from 2000 cals a day to all the sudden 5000 cals with whoppers and whatever you think is fine to eat.

Remember you can only build muscle so fast, so once you find the point where you ARE making gains…coast there until you get bigger (in which you have to add more cals) if you keep adding calories…well again you can only build muscle so fast…you are going to start to pile on a lot of unneccessary bodyfat.

For a 200lb. male to get in 3200 calories in (thats BW x 16) it isn’t too hard to do with a healthy dose of steaks, chicken, tuna, pasta, whole wheat breads, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats (olive oil, nuts etc) and your protein shakes, PWO meal (high GI carbs).

The biggest thing that has helped me and has literally changed everything is A FOOD LOG!!! Write down everything you eat…how many of you really keep up 100% with it. Write what you eat for 1 week and see how it looks…along with pictures, waist measurements, and where the scale is. You can look at all the different proteins, carbs, and fats you ate that day, during each couple weeks and see what is working better for you.

As for me I’ve realized that…putting a bit less carbs, and upping my fats a bit more leaves me A LOT less bloated throughout the day. I probably wouldn’t of clued in on that if I didn’t write everything down cause I wasn’t realizing just how many carbs I was eating during the day. At the same time I would write down how foods made my stomach feel and my mood.

42

Can I ask you guys on squat technique? Im having trouble knowing how deep I should strive to go. Sometimes I hear go ATG, other times femur parallel. A sports therapist told me to make sure my low back is “flat”. To me that sounds wrong and I know a therapist doesn’t know shit about BB’ing but i wanted to ask you guys since I find the best info here.

Brick mentioned something about looking at how the pro’s do things but I have no idea how they approach the squat.

43

Great post Scott M!

I have always shied away from saying similar things to what you’ve said. Although I have said in the past that 1lb of muscle every month average is good going for a person of average height (once the first 20-30lbs of newbie gains have dried).

Many people have said that a calorie is not just a calorie and it’s true when it comes to gaining. There definitely are foods that will make your muscle vs fat gaining ratio be poor. And there are foods that help you burn more fat than others.

One thing to mention though (similar to the genetics part that Brick talked about) is lifestyle habits. Most people who want the biggest muscle gains aren’t always as dedicated to “eating right” (more-so with higher intakes and really fast metabolisms).

This means filling a lot of the calorie needs with “crap”. If I were asked which one is better: eating “squeaky clean” but not enough for noticeable muscle growth, or eating crap and accepting higher than normal fat gains, I’d likely chose the latter.

44

[quote]earthquake wrote:
Can I ask you guys on squat technique? Im having trouble knowing how deep I should strive to go. Sometimes I hear go ATG, other times femur parallel. A sports therapist told me to make sure my low back is “flat”. To me that sounds wrong and I know a therapist doesn’t know shit about BB’ing but i wanted to ask you guys since I find the best info here.

Brick mentioned something about looking at how the pro’s do things but I have no idea how they approach the squat.[/quote]

An bodybuilding squat uses a close stance and a high bar placement. Go past parallel keeping the back tight, which would have the lower back flat in most cases, but some curling under does happen.

45

[quote]its_just_me wrote:

This means filling a lot of the calorie needs with “crap”. If I were asked which one is better: eating “squeaky clean” but not enough for noticeable muscle growth, or eating crap and accepting higher than normal fat gains, I’d likely chose the latter.[/quote]

Dude, most non-behemoth men only need 3,000 to 4,000 calories to grow, which is really a joke to eat.

I really can’t picture someone needing to resort to shit foods to get the calories in unless their caloric amount is 7,000+ calories. Who needs to eat like this? Someone like Michael Phelps, who regularly consumes 10,000 calories per day in THREE meals and trains 4 to 6 HOURS PER DAY compared to ordinary dudes who exercise 4 to 6 times per week for 1 or 2 hours at a shot.

Dave Tate said in an interview that he went wild for a few months in his life to get his weight up - four McD’s breakfast sandwiches and hash browns with mayo for breakfast; an hour long Chinese buffet binge for lunch; and an entire pizza pie with toppings and olive oil for dinner - but this is an enormous individual who had YEARS of training under his belt; was at a sticking point for a significant amount of time; and whose bodyweight greatly impacted his performance in a competitive sport/hobby he was involved in. Most guys - %99.9… - don’t fit this bill.

46

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

[quote]its_just_me wrote:

This means filling a lot of the calorie needs with “crap”. If I were asked which one is better: eating “squeaky clean” but not enough for noticeable muscle growth, or eating crap and accepting higher than normal fat gains, I’d likely chose the latter.[/quote]

Dude, most non-behemoth men only need 3,000 to 4,000 calories to grow, which is really a joke to eat.

I really can’t picture someone needing to resort to shit foods to get the calories in unless their caloric amount is 7,000+ calories. Who needs to eat like this? Someone like Michael Phelps, who regularly consumes 10,000 calories per day in THREE meals and trains 4 to 6 HOURS PER DAY compared to ordinary dudes who exercise 4 to 6 times per week for 1 or 2 hours at a shot.

Dave Tate said in an interview that he went wild for a few months in his life to get his weight up - four McD’s breakfast sandwiches and hash browns with mayo for breakfast; an hour long Chinese buffet binge for lunch; and an entire pizza pie with toppings and olive oil for dinner - but this is an enormous individual who had YEARS of training under his belt; was at a sticking point for a significant amount of time; and whose bodyweight greatly impacted his performance in a competitive sport/hobby he was involved in. Most guys - %99.9… - don’t fit this bill.
[/quote]

That’s fair enough and true.

What I was referring to was the paragraph above (about lifestyle habits/dedication to the “kitchen”). Some people by nature are “lazy” when it comes to preparing decent meals etc. I was just saying that for these ones who just don’t seem to “get into it” in the kitchen, it’s better (gaining wise) to fill in the gaps with McDonalds or whatever, than to not eat enough. The point being that although not ideal, you can still do this for muscle growth albeit with more damage control to have to do later.

I do agree though, it doesn’t take that much dedication to eat decently around the 3-4000 cal mark. I am in the high metabolism camp, add an extra 1000 cals and I’m fine for growth :slight_smile:

47

[quote]earthquake wrote:
Can I ask you guys on squat technique? Im having trouble knowing how deep I should strive to go. Sometimes I hear go ATG, other times femur parallel. A sports therapist told me to make sure my low back is “flat”. To me that sounds wrong and I know a therapist doesn’t know shit about BB’ing but i wanted to ask you guys since I find the best info here.

Brick mentioned something about looking at how the pro’s do things but I have no idea how they approach the squat.[/quote]

Best thing to do is go over a checklist in your mind. Personally i go a little BELOW parallel:

  1. Back must be tight
  2. Feet must be comfortably apart
  3. Stick your ass somewhat out, dont just go down, but go back as well
  4. Drive with whole foot, but mainly heels!
48

And make sure the bar is on your TRAPS AND SHOULDERS, not your fucking rear delts, that makes the most difference

49

[quote]earthquake wrote:
Can I ask you guys on squat technique? Im having trouble knowing how deep I should strive to go. Sometimes I hear go ATG, other times femur parallel. A sports therapist told me to make sure my low back is “flat”. To me that sounds wrong and I know a therapist doesn’t know shit about BB’ing but i wanted to ask you guys since I find the best info here.

Brick mentioned something about looking at how the pro’s do things but I have no idea how they approach the squat.[/quote]

Just to clarify what a “flat” back actually means:

It means the natural CURVATURE of the lower spine. It’s a bit confusing, but a “flat lower” back is actually curved slightly…not straight (so the spinal erector muscles are tight during the movement).

When you keep your back in the right position for squats, it’s like sticking your bum out, shoulders/elbows slightly back and chest out. Keep hands as close together as is comfortable on the bar (not stretched out to each end). Allow bar to rest on clenched/retracted trap muscle.

Focus on shoulders/elbows/chest/bum…and the lower back will “sort itself” out (keep tight).

DO NOT lift the chest out of the movement first (from the bottom) - you should feel the weight in your heels, and drive up with you hips/bum.

In my opinion, back squat is more of a hip exercise (stimulates abs/bum more than thighs)…so alternatives like front squat are probably better long term for bodybuilding goals. But front squats are good to start with.

Bodybuilding squats don’t need to worry about going below parallel…which is pretty difficult to do with an decent load for the average trainee anyway (due to pretty standard flexibility/structure issues).

50

i_j_m I think this post warrants a video. I was with you with everything up until “DO NOT lift the chest out of the movement first…”

Isn’t this something you want to avoid to not finish your squat with a goodmorning?

51

[quote]MattyG35 wrote:
One advantage of the slow gain route is that it builds consistency b/c you have to keep at it for longer periods of time.

I’ve simplified my diet to the point where each meal consists of:
1 serving of protein
1 serving of fruit
1 serving of vegetables
1 serving of healthy fats

I still pay attention to marco totals for the day, but I still keep it as simple as possible, and check the scale and mirror for feedback over time.[/quote]

This is EXACTLY what I do.

52

[quote]skaterhernandez4 wrote:
i_j_m I think this post warrants a video. I was with you with everything up until “DO NOT lift the chest out of the movement first…”

Isn’t this something you want to avoid to not finish your squat with a goodmorning?[/quote]

Everyone’s style is different.

53

[quote]its_just_me wrote:

DO NOT lift the chest out of the movement first (from the bottom) - you should feel the weight in your heels, and drive up with you hips/bum.

In my opinion, back squat is more of a hip exercise (stimulates abs/bum more than thighs)…so alternatives like front squat are probably better long term for bodybuilding goals. But front squats are good to start with.

Bodybuilding squats don’t need to worry about going below parallel…which is pretty difficult to do with an decent load for the average trainee anyway (due to pretty standard flexibility/structure issues).[/quote]

Depends on the person. Someone who has equal development in the quads, glutes, and hams or is quad dominant usually benefits from regular squats.

Someone who’s glute dominant or has weak quads usually benefits more from front squats.

What’s “decent” is relative. If someone reaches failure or near failure with 135, that’s good for them.

Not going past parallel actually causes more knee and back problems than going past paralell. And if someone has structural and flexibility issues, they need to take care of that before they squat and deadlift - perhaps focus more on flexibility and single leg exercises and leg presses.

54

I was wondering if I could get some help on how your guys warm-up sets look. How do you build up to your work sets?

55

[quote]howie424 wrote:
I was wondering if I could get some help on how your guys warm-up sets look. How do you build up to your work sets?[/quote]

We already went through this several times in the original thread.

56

Well I’ve been looking trust me.

57

Then you must be fucking blind, because it’s REALLY easy to find.

58

Well then Moses, why don’t part all 50 pages and tell me where its at.

59

For bodybuilding (6 to 12 reps), I like to do one high rep set (15 to 20) with very light weight to GET TEH BLOOD FLOWIN’ and then 2 to 3 warmup sets with 40, 60, and 80 percent of my first work set.

60

[quote]skaterhernandez4 wrote:
i_j_m I think this post warrants a video. I was with you with everything up until “DO NOT lift the chest out of the movement first…”

Isn’t this something you want to avoid to not finish your squat with a goodmorning?[/quote]

Yeah video would definitely help…couldn’t find a good enough one though.

The essence of what I meant (don’t lift chest out of movement first) was that you need to push and get yourself out of the bottom position with your hips/legs…not strain and pull your upper body up with your lower back.

Obviously, you WILL be moving the back to a straighter position as you drive up, but initially, it’s the glutes/hamstrings ect that should get you out of the bottom position.

If you are leaning excessively forward and the back is doing a form of “GoodMorning” then there’s a good chance that you maybe have the bar in a very low position on back (but it all depends on the individual like Brick said).