[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Really sums up the basic newb questions nicely. I do disagree with the cardio suggestion, but that’s coming from someone who’s more interested in nutrient partitioning during a contest prep than burning off a few calories (I do think that a lot of the people take the high intensity cardio thing waaaay too far though). In my own opinion, doing 45 - 60 mins of cardio a day (and I’ve seen some people doing it twice a day) is just silly.
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I’ve never competed. You have. So you know what works best for you - a concept that people better get a grasp on if they plan to make continuous progress over YEARS.
And let’s get this straight. I PERSONALLY don’t train like this anymore, but it’s the sort of training that lead me to a bodyweight of 250 pounds–a LITTLE soft–at a height of 5’10" and to some impressive numbers. And when I say impressive, I don’t mean world-record shattering. I mean I have a good grasp on this thing and I reached what can be universally considered as GOOD or DECENT - not bad for a guy with average genetics that started this whole thing at a buck-sixty!
Why don’t I train 4 to 5 days per week on a bodybuilding program? Because my priorities have changed. BUT STILL - I don’t ignore what has worked for bodybuilders and I have not lost my admiration and interest in following the sport and scene. I changed my routine because I have other interests and priorities in life that have taken on more importance and value than getting fucking huge now.
BUT STILL–let me repeat that–I’m never going to counter my own guidelines given above with the new shit that’s being touted to counter them - shit like:
- “Wendler’s 5-3-1 Program only involves 3 days per week.”
- “Defranco’s WS4SB and Built Like a Badass programs only involve 3 days per week”.
- “My friend is huge and he only trains 3 days per week.”
- “I know some powerlifters that train 3 days per week.”
You see, that’s the sort of this shit that’s being spoken of and is literally derailing the whole goddamn forum.
Want to know what? I’m actually following the Built Like a Badass Program! But I don’t come on here–a bodybuilding forum–and then start trying to shove NON-BODYBUILDING ideas down people’s throats and lead hapless and feckless newjacks down the wrong path - newjacks that want to get fucking huge - like I did up until about a year and a half ago.
I’ll get back to the four jackassy statements above:
- Wendler isn’t a bodybuilder currently, never was, and judging from speaking to him PERSONALLY, live, IN PERSON, and on the phone, he has little interest in PURE bodybuilding and would tell anyone that wants to be a successful bodybuilder to follow in the footsteps of–drum roll, please–A SUCCESSFUL BODYBUILDER! Dave Tate says the same shit all the time too: “If you want to have 20-inch arms, speak to a guy who has 20-inch arms”.
At an Elite Fitness seminar I attended, Wendler said, “People better stop ripping on bodybuilders and cut this ‘they’re not that strong’ bullshit out. Many bodybuilders are damn strong, work very hard at what they do, and know what they’re doing.”
- Joe Defranco does NOT write programs for bodybuilders, doesn’t train bodybuilders, and has no interest in doing so. He even addresses this in his new e-book and in his articles. In his original WS4SB article, he wrote, “Since I don’t deal with physique geeks…” That’s not an insult; he just meant he doesn’t deal with people who want to get jacked for the sake of getting jacked - you know, bodybuilders. In his new book, he writes, “If you’re someone like a bodybuilder, who wants to just build as much muscle as possible, this program is NOT for you.”
The guy trains and advises athletes and people who want to stay in shape and maintain or develop some athleticism. That’s it!
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Show us your friend!
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Yes, there are strongmen and powerlifters who only train with weights three days per week. But keep in mind that many strongmen have a competitive bodybuilding background (eg, Svend Karlsen) or have done some serious bodybuilding in the past. Anyway, the rest of their training is spent lifting damn heavy stuff.
Most powerlifters DON’T train three days per week. Yes, some top ones do - Andy Bolton, Brad Gillingham, and Scott Mendelson. Why they schedule their training like that is up to them.
BUT STILL - that’s NOT bodybuilding; that’s powerlifting.
And yes, folks, most powerlifters use isolation exercises for the shoulders and arms! You’re gonna fucking tell me that added direct triceps and biceps work isn’t going to aid in the competitive lifts - that added mass in the arms isn’t going to aid in the bench press or prevent a muscle imbalance or prevent a biceps tear in the deadlift. EVERY goddamn bench press specialist does direct work for the triceps! MOST powerlifters do curls (gasp!). Click on a few You Tube clips or actually get your ass into a hardcore bodybuilding/powerlifting gym to see what the fuck I’m talking about!
Then we’ll have some geniuses who post pics of powerlifters–like the well-known one of Matt Kroc with his bloated buddies and then say, “Oh yeah? These dudes do only the big compound lifts, train really heavy, and they’re fucking huge!” Uh, no fucking shit they’re huge! But all of them, with the exception of Kroc, is anywhere near in shape to win a bodybuilding contest. Huge bellies, near-nonexistent calves, flat pecs, and an utter lack of aesthetic symmetry necessary to win bodybuilding shows doesn’t make you ready for–drum roll again, please–bodybuilding shows!
- I’ve added a fifth, and I’m not going back up to add it over there. Here it is: “What if people or I don’t have time to train that much?”
Answer: Then don’t take on the aspiration of trying to be a successful bodybuilder or powerlifter when you CAN’T be one.
See, I don’t want to sound cynical, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the BRUTAL TRUTH of life. And that is you can’t have it all! One day, every mature adult has to ask themselves, “What do I want to do in life?” or ACCEPT and DEAL WITH the circumstance they’re in. If you’re an investment banker that has to be at his desk at 7 AM, on call, eat on the go (or not think about eating one bit except when you’re presented with a meal), and work like a fucking dog 70 hours per week, then you say goodbye to being jacked–or don’t consider it in the first place–and move on with life! Same goes for many other lifestyles and careers.
So what do people who don’t want to be jacked as possible or compete? Follow a REALISTIC fitness routine they can live with. If you can ONLY go to the gym twice or thrice per week, then make it your business to follow that schedule. Don’t write out or plan a 4 to 5 day per week plan when you can only attend the gym for that amount of time. AND DON’T start trying to change around the Bible I published above or start trying to ram your dumbass ideas that would never work and haven’t worked in COMPETITIVE, HARDCORE bodybuilding down other people’s throats and leading newjacks down the wrong path!
Yes, the stickies in this forum are good. But it appears that newjacks can’t even handle those. The best articles that newjacks will ever need–for the rest of their lives probably–are Thib’s beginner series and his “How to Write a Damn Good Program” series. He had another great basic article that I think was titled, “Your Training Roadmap”, and went over every damn training style ever introduced to mankind.
