Shugs' Blog - The Physique Clinics

Training Bodybuilding
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[quote]Kalle wrote:
Mike84 wrote:

I’d remove one of the fat-guy clinics and replace it with a performance clinic, with someone like Eric Cressey or Mike Robertson in command. You wouldn’t care about looks, just performance. A few vids instead of a few pics.

YES I haven’t checked the Physique Clinics out in awhile, (I catch up on Crew’s sometimes) but to me it is BORING for people just trying to get in shape. You need someone who is TRAINING to COMPETE in ANYTHING.

Why doesn’t Biotest sponsor athletes? I know they do sponsor G.S.P and Stan McQuay but thats about it I think. [/quote]

Does training for a triathlon count because last I heard that was a competitive event. Maybe I’m wrong, its happened before.

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I agree with a lot of what is being said here. Trojan’s thread was awesome to read but I just thought he was one hell of a writer.

From a almost FFB’s perspective, I am not sure you all understand what it means to change a persons life. This Clinic started off about losing fat and changing the way my body looked, but its evolved into something bigger. Everyone thinks that losing fat is so easy. Well, most of the people have never had to lose weight of this magnitude. You have no idea how hard its is physically or psychologically.

The fact that the Clinic wants to use more fat people if fine with me because it means more to help a fat person. At least in my case, it meant a ton that they picked me.

But I also agree that the creed of T-Nation is to the hardcore lifter and gainer. So I don’t think they should turn their back on them at all. Its what the site was founded on really. But it is boring to see and read, minus the Trojan exception.

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[quote]Bartl wrote:
Does training for a triathlon count because last I heard that was a competitive event. Maybe I’m wrong, its happened before.[/quote]

Yes, yes indeed that counts!

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[quote]Bartl wrote:
Kalle wrote:
Mike84 wrote:

I’d remove one of the fat-guy clinics and replace it with a performance clinic, with someone like Eric Cressey or Mike Robertson in command. You wouldn’t care about looks, just performance. A few vids instead of a few pics.

YES I haven’t checked the Physique Clinics out in awhile, (I catch up on Crew’s sometimes) but to me it is BORING for people just trying to get in shape. You need someone who is TRAINING to COMPETE in ANYTHING.

Why doesn’t Biotest sponsor athletes? I know they do sponsor G.S.P and Stan McQuay but thats about it I think.

Does training for a triathlon count because last I heard that was a competitive event. Maybe I’m wrong, its happened before.[/quote]

Yes it counts, I didn’t mean to discount what you are doing with my post. I think it is awesome you are training for a triathlons and makes your Clinic more interesting to me and I am sure others.

I also think it will keep you more motivated and help you continue to make more progress. I think it is very important to strive to compete in something and have a purpose you get from your lifting beyond just being/getting in shape.

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[quote]Bartl wrote:
I agree with a lot of what is being said here. Trojan’s thread was awesome to read but I just thought he was one hell of a writer.

From a almost FFB’s perspective, I am not sure you all understand what it means to change a persons life. This Clinic started off about losing fat and changing the way my body looked, but its evolved into something bigger. Everyone thinks that losing fat is so easy. Well, most of the people have never had to lose weight of this magnitude. You have no idea how hard its is physically or psychologically.

The fact that the Clinic wants to use more fat people if fine with me because it means more to help a fat person. At least in my case, it meant a ton that they picked me.

But I also agree that the creed of T-Nation is to the hardcore lifter and gainer. So I don’t think they should turn their back on them at all. Its what the site was founded on really. But it is boring to see and read, minus the Trojan exception.[/quote]

I never read the Trojan thread and I still found all the other threads interesting, well most of them.

Your change has been HUGE! and I am looking forward to seeing how you do in the triathlon.

I am in San Diego, but if it were closer I would definitely be there to cheer you on.

I hope Crew kills it as his meet.

The two of you have give a great ending to this thing. It was more than just losing weight or packing on the muscle. You showed you can take control of things and change your life. Man that sounds all new agey and very “life coachy” but it is true.

You guys put in time and effort and it has definitely been a reward for you and great to follow along for me.

This is why there needs to be variety. Folks identify with all different kinds.

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Bartl, Another thing I forgot to add is your Clinic did not start out as you guys training for a competition.

What it shows is how proper diet and training can really change your life around for the best. It gives you the confidence to reach your goals and crush them.

Great work man, keep it up.

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I think Kalle nailed it. Hypertrophy takes time, this is just a fact. Without AAS or some other anabolic factor, you’re always going to be limited to maybe a pound or 2 of lean mass per week. Shugs is right: visually, that’s boring. Gains beyond that are usually fat. USCTrojan certainly increased his muscle mass, but he had to add fat, too.

For most people, myself included, adding muscle and fat would make my physique appear worse than it is now (hard to do). Nevermind that it is the RIGHT thing to do, since more muscle will increase the base metabolism and make cutting that much easier…T-Nation would rather find those with this muscular base already…See Bartl’s info, the guy was formerly strong as HELL.

I think the change in thought has a lot to do with “beach body” mentality… How many articles on T-Nation include some passage about how this recipe or will have “panties droppin’”? Quite a few.

I think athletes would be an interesting way to go, it way provide a different perspective, since the goal is not necessarily the bulking or cutting “rabbit”, but rather performance metrics that can be statistically studied. The supplement company EAS has gone away from bodybuilding completely to athletes like Brady Quinn and Vernon Davis.

Bodybuilder isn’t necessarily a mainstream goal, probably because at the highest level, you’re seeing a size monster attitude…Does Jay Cutler really look better aesthetically than Frank Zane? (Even he admits he can’t wait to stop being 300 pounds). That alienates people. Athletes, well, we see them on cribs. We see TO doing situps in his driveway. They’re the prototype of the moment.

If Biotest had a program to increase your vertical leap 4 inches in 2 months, I think they’d still make a huge killing. Plenty of Athletes, especially on the high school level, NEED good information about improved performance. If T-Nation chose to “shut up and prove it” that they can bring people closer to makin’ the team, gettin’ their scholarship, they’d have a huge market.

That said, the V-diet does represent about $432 in sales to them, per person-diet. I know at least 3-4 people for whom I’d recommend the V-diet…They NEED it.

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Just to clarify further when I said athletes training for competition I meant Bodybuilders as well. I would find a contest prep clinic very interesting.

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[quote]Kalle wrote:
Bartl, Another thing I forgot to add is your Clinic did not start out as you guys training for a competition.

What it shows is how proper diet and training can really change your life around for the best. It gives you the confidence to reach your goals and crush them.

Great work man, keep it up.[/quote]

You definitely hit the ball out of the park with that one. It just goes to show that it shouldn’t matter what the body type, this is about changing people’s lives. It did for me.

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[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
personally i never read anyones clinic other than the 2 ectos because i wanted to see what type of treatment they were getting so i could apply it to myself. i know theres a shitload of ectos on this site who did the same thing and want another ecto so they can take it past the baby-step workouts and move on to better shit.
[/quote]

Count me in as one of them. How can they pick non-ectos simply because it’s boring? Well, guess what, gaining muscle to someone watching from the outside IS boring…it’s the nature of the slow process. And even eating loses it’s joy when you get that full feeling and really don’t want to eat and sign and start chewing.

But that’s the reality of it. And why I hate those false ads that mislead so many into thinking guys go from 150 to 190 in 3 months with sub 10% bodyfat.

Why try to hide the uncolorful, unentertaining, undramatic side of a hardgainers path? It’s the fucking truth and most would be better off knowing that the battle is a pain in the ass right from the start.

I personally am much more interested in how someone like Crew can “put the most weight on in a single push” even if it is an unshocking 5 or 8 lbs. Because that info is more in tune with what I’m trying to do and I can learn something from it.

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Athletic performance? I already applied, so if you want me in, fill up Shugart’s PM box! lol.

Anyhow, whoever posted Berardi had my thoughts exactly. The unfortunate part is that Berardi really doesn’t have the time to train clients, online or otherwise. He already has someone who directs his knowledge into client training at precision nutrition. Maybe we could get some of his time (Carter Schoffer, he has a couple articles here).

The main reason the fatloss thing is big is because the V-Diet. How many V-Diet threads were started in the supps&nutrition forum during/after Gus finished? Yeah, Biotest likey. So what happens? Oh let’s put the other dude on it, if he doesn’t do well, then— we don’t have to put his pictures in a future V-Diet article!

I don’t really read any of the physique clinics day-to-day. I’ll go browse crew’s if I need ideas for prepping meals, but that’s it.

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[quote]Otep wrote:
At the same time, I do mourn the loss of the renegade feel, and I kinda wish they’d alter the site to cut out the children and know-it-all newbies and bring back the vets. I know I’d shut up and listen.

Why is there a Physique Clinic? There’s so much information here there’s no excuse for anyone to not acheive their goals in record time. Is it motivation? Does it require the entirity of the T-Nation community to look over an individuals back to get them to work hard? Is that why the forums are filled with blogs?

What ever happened to shutting up and lifting? What ever happened to squats and milk?[/quote]

Good questions. So many people seem to want so badly to participate in the clinic (sure I understand–free access to world-class coaches and supplements). But if you want it that badly, all the information is here for the taking. I made my transformation last year with mostly just the information on this site (and a couple of others) and no supplements.

That said, I’d definitely be most interested in reading a clinic of a mesomorph gaining strength/muscle . . . or an athlete preparing for an event (as a specific goal, not just an aside), yes!

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[quote]medevac wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
personally i never read anyones clinic other than the 2 ectos because i wanted to see what type of treatment they were getting so i could apply it to myself. i know theres a shitload of ectos on this site who did the same thing and want another ecto so they can take it past the baby-step workouts and move on to better shit.

Count me in as one of them. How can they pick non-ectos simply because it’s boring? Well, guess what, gaining muscle to someone watching from the outside IS boring…it’s the nature of the slow process. And even eating loses it’s joy when you get that full feeling and really don’t want to eat and sign and start chewing.

But that’s the reality of it. And why I hate those false ads that mislead so many into thinking guys go from 150 to 190 in 3 months with sub 10% bodyfat.

Why try to hide the uncolorful, unentertaining, undramatic side of a hardgainers path? It’s the fucking truth and most would be better off knowing that the battle is a pain in the ass right from the start.

I personally am much more interested in how someone like Crew can “put the most weight on in a single push” even if it is an unshocking 5 or 8 lbs. Because that info is more in tune with what I’m trying to do and I can learn something from it.[/quote]

i would fucking kill for 8 pounds. seriously, i would murder a total stranger and hide in Miami for a couple months til things pass over. 5 or 10 lbs may not be a lot to guys who can gain that by going over 200 cals a day or something but for the rest of us its a huge accomplishment. if i was gaining 5lbs every 3 months thatd be 20lbs in a year…my god thatd be fucking amazing. i think putting on that much solid mass in a year is great for anyone.

youre right though, the ecto faces a huge uphill battle and every single gram and ounce of muscle (or even fat) accumulated is hard earned. maybe no one else but other ectos wants to see it but theres a lot of us ectos out there and i know that USCTrojan had a huuuge following. ill admit it does suck from a before and after standpoint, when i checked the pictures Gustavo’s was really good and i noticed the skinnier guys hadnt really done much in terms of aesthetic progress but i also wasnt reading their PC’s, i was only looking at Trojan’s.

bottom line is that any ecto that makes it has had to train 10x harder than anyone else.

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[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i would fucking kill for 8 pounds. seriously, i would murder a total stranger and hide in Miami for a couple months til things pass over.
[/quote]

Wouldn’t you lose all that hard killed-for mass by running and hiding from the cops? — and them some?

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[quote]hockechamp14 wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i would fucking kill for 8 pounds. seriously, i would murder a total stranger and hide in Miami for a couple months til things pass over.

Wouldn’t you lose all that hard killed-for mass by running and hiding from the cops? — and them some?[/quote]

sssshhhhhhhhhhh

you reality killer

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[quote]hockechamp14 wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i would fucking kill for 8 pounds. seriously, i would murder a total stranger and hide in Miami for a couple months til things pass over.

Wouldn’t you lose all that hard killed-for mass by running and hiding from the cops? — and them some?[/quote]

Maybe, but just think about all the testosterone injections you’d receive in jail as an ecto. They like 'em thin.

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[quote]Vicar Philip wrote:
<<< If they decide to only use gay midgets from Australia, that’s their fuckin choice.[/quote]

this is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read. Everybody knows all the gay midgets are in Greenwich Village.

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[quote]hockechamp14 wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i would fucking kill for 8 pounds. seriously, i would murder a total stranger and hide in Miami for a couple months til things pass over.

Wouldn’t you lose all that hard killed-for mass by running and hiding from the cops? — and them some?[/quote]

yeah right, i wouldnt be running and hiding, id be in Miami fucking left and right. besides the cops would never recognize me with all my new muskels.