How the Pro-bodybuilders really train

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I have seen 6+ pro-bodybuilders train in different gyms across the USA.

Here’s my observations:

  1. They train 3-5 sets per exercise

  2. They train with low reps <8 or less

  3. They only train with 2-3 exercises per bodypart

  4. Most of the sets are warm-up sets per exercise.

  5. They do train to failure! but only 1-2 sets per exercise ( Out of the 7 bodybuilders 6 have go to failure 1-2 set per exercise, then the last set is a cool down set most of the time.) All other sets where warm-up sets and cool-down sets.

6)There exercise form was not perfect but much better then average.

  1. Most use a combo of machines and free-weights.

8)They do not talk much when working out

  1. They prefer certain exercises and equipment over others ( Working around past injuries is most likely why )

I will list the names, and equipment used if I get permission by T-mag since one cannot do advertising on these forums.

TC and Tim P. Do I have your permission ?

2

I don’t give a shit how the pro’s train. You do a few grams of gear a week on top of having great genetics and it doesn’t matter much how you train or the freaking brand of machines you like.

3

tek, know your role bud. bodybuilders, regardless of drugs, need to train like mo fo’s(dorian,mike francois,ronnie). don’t be ignorant.

4

So what? I train like a mo-fo. Lots of people train hard, very few look like pros. The reason: drugs and genetics. Do you think erik is going to drop some big secret on us? Then we can all go out and use the brand of machine that some freak full of juice likes and we’ll be just as big, right? You’ve been reading Flex too long. I’m sure pros work hard, never said they didn’t, but so do a lot of people. There’s no magic training method or top secret rep range. If the average non-drug user tries to copy the training of a pro, they’ll likely end up hurt or overtrained since they don’t have the drug support. Only the very young or the very ignorant beleive that pros look the way they do because they outwork the rest of us. Know my role? Know your role and stop idolizing a bunch of genetic freaks who are compromising their long term health and make a living misleading naive teenagers.

5

Erik, I really hope you can name them! Have you seen any fitness girls, or ‘female’ bodybuilders train? TEK, there are probably hundreds of bodybuilders who take a lot of steroids, and have above average genetics. However, there are only a handful of pros, so training MAY have something to do with it? Don’t get me wrong, I realize that their training is only a minor part of thier success, but it is still interesting, and beneficial, to know. After all, many great exercises in the gym are things invented by people such as Arnold and Larry Scott. I don’t know about you, but if someone’s training style can help me, I don’t care what kind of genetics they have, or how much they spend on drugs

6

erick: I think that it’s also important to mention that most train twice a day. This has an affect on rep and exercise schemes. It’s also where the Gear really comes into play, especially the pharamaceuticals with anti-catabolic modes of action. If you can recover more quickly, you can not only work out more intensely, but also more often.

7

Genetics and Illegal drugs help more the training and diet by far. One of the biggest bodybuilders I have seen train, just went thru the motions and did not train hard at all!
He must be on HGH (Hint his Jaw is huge).

Some machines are much smoother and are ergonomic thus have a better feel, so I think equipment does matter. Think of it this way, what will give you better results in the long run (over years) the bench press or the push-up?

Also illegal drugs ( which I think are wrong to use) make your recover better, so all natural strength trainers should not copy whats
in flex, M and F, or anything in this post!

The point of the post is that the pros do train less then whats printed in the magazines! ( I have never seen any of them be in the gym longer then 90 mins! unless they are talking to some babe with great glutes! ) Also the pros do less reps and sets then whats printed. The magazines say the pros prefer free-weights to machines, this is false , they use 50-50 machines and free weights, On some body parts they do all machines and other body parts all free-weights.

The magazine articles make it seem that all of the pros on every set is to failure, which is also false. 80%+ of all sets are warm-up and cool down sets ( too many in my opinion )

8

so they train HIT!!! ha, ha, ha, could not ressist!! don’t realy matter, huge drugs and great genetics will make you huge. I don’t realy care how they train either, it will never effect how I train. hell coleman does walking lunges in the parking lot (if you believe what people say) and that is plain stupid!!! if the rags said, they got great genetics, they eat like a horse, they take huge amounts of drugs and thats realy it, who would buy the rags??peace.

9

TC said it was ok to post the bodybuilders names, exercises and equipment used:

Answer:

No problem, Eric!

Erik wrote:

Re:
From erik: I have 2 posts at your messageboard on how pros really train and I would like to put the names of the pros and gyms I saw them in and what exercises and equipment they use and with what weight ( Since no marketing is allowed at your message boards I am asking your permission thanks. )

Paul Demayo is very strong, with 275 behind the neck presses for 10+ reps in good form and dumbell overhead presses with 120’s each. He was about 270 and <8 percent fat when I saw him, his thighs are about 30 inches.

Paul Deletitte:I have seen him train 2-3 times at Golds gym in Florida and he does not train hard at all.

Darriam Charles: In person he looks huge! Only about 5’7" 220 lbs but a great V-shape. The magazines do not do him Justice. He trains very hard and for calves and thighs likes cybex.

Mike Quinn: Mike Quinn has always been cool with me, he trains very hard, on the hammer horizonal bench press he does 4X45 each side +2x35 each side for 6 reps in good form
Total of 8x45 lbs plates and 4x35 lbs plates!

Mike Quinn Has and excellent back, again the photos in the mags do not do justice.

Jim Quinn: Also very strong and always super ripped ! I have seen him do hammer incline bench presses with 4x45 each side and 35 lbs plates + 10 lbs plates each side in very strict, slow and smooth form. total 8x45 + 2x35 + 2x10.

On cybex plateloading standing leg curl machine he does 2x45 plates each side-each leg + 10 lbs plates each side in very strict form.

Out of everyone Jim Quinn uses the strictest form by bar.

Jim Quinn is 6 foot and about 280 <3 percent fat ( I never saw him look less ripped then Clarence Bass ) in fact he is much more ripped then Clarence Bass or Rich Gaspari!

Jim Quinn is the most impressive looking out of the bunch with huge delts and traps and thighs that look over 31 inches and calves over 20 ( Most bodybuilders claim bigger measurements but are not nearly as big)

Gary Strydom: About 8+ years ago at Golds Gym in Venice cal. he likes overhead presses on a machine ( because of past injuries ) and the rack which was about 350+ lbs. full range reps in slow and smooth form.

Dave Palumbo: At Golds or Worlds (forgot ) in New york, hammer military presses with 2x45’s each side and either a 35 plate each side or 25. for 6 strict reps to failure. ( The hammer military press is much harder then the behind neck press. )

Mr. Florida 1990 or 91 6’2" 280 and lean (Forgot his name): he was about 6 foot 2 and 280+ lbs 10 years ago and very lean <8 percent body fat. He did 1000 lbs leg presses on old cybex plateloading leg press all the way down for 10+ reps in good form.

Samir Bannout: He has great lats in person also he poses in between sets which I notice since no one else did also he used cybex lat pulldown and Nautilus back machines.

One of the American Gladitors ( I think it was Tower ), he has done 135 lbs (each) dumbell bench presses in good form without help! He was about 6’5" and 250 lbs. with long arms !

Robby Robinson: He likes Cybex leg extensions and Leg curl supersets.

John Defendis: He trains hard and likes free-weights, cables and Nautilus and does not rest much between sets. He has good lats and quads. He was about 5’7 or-8 and 250+ lbs over 10 years ago and about 11 percent body fat.

None of these guys have 22 inch cold upper arm measurements. But a few have 30+ inch thighs
If you do not believe me buy a cloth tape measure at home depot and bring it to your a pro-bodybuilding contest and ask to measure their arms with your tape measure and 99 times out of 100 they will say no. If hulk hogan gives you his tape measure compare it to yours and it will be different.

The average pro-bodybullder has about 18 inch arms and about 28 inch thighs in off-season !
Hulk Hogan claims 24 inch arms when in fact they are about 18 inches each!

Also about 6 of these guys have 50 inch+ chests.

Note: I have seen the David and Peter Paul in person but not in training. Both are about 6 foot and 250 lbs each.

Shawn Ray is not big in clothes or out of clothes but is the second most ripped of everyone I have seen in person. (Ripped glutes)

10

Thnx for the kewl info erik