The Bodybuilding Bible

[quote]Mr.Purple wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

Now I fucking dare anyone to tell me what else needs to be here or what else 99 percent of newbies, intermediate, and even some advanced people need![/quote]

For newbies atleast: exercise selection, and how-to-not-fuck-up-your-shoulders-when-benching, how to row, how to… well a whole lot of how to’s :)[/quote]

How to do a bent-over row…

If you’re a total newjack weighing a buck-sixty, you can use super-strict form. Bend over the bar with slightly-bent knees, brace yourself, keep tight form, and row the bar to your body.

If you’re intermediate or advanced, you can–and actually have to–use looser form by using a hitch at the beginning of the exercise and using a bit of momentum provided by the legs.

Some exercises don’t warrant “cheating”, but warrant a looser style of lifting - exercises like curls, cable and bent-over rows, and all lateral raises. In some cases, a looser style is actually safer.

[quote]mr popular wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

[quote]mr popular wrote:
Although I don’t think this particular thread should be stickied, I think this should be the place where we discuss exactly what should be in the final sticky regarding bodybuilding training. [/quote]

What do you mean? [/quote]

I mean that I believe there should be another sticky in the bodybuilding forum that explains, in plain english, what it means to train like a bodybuilder, and how you go from skinny to big.

I don’t think this thread is ideal, but I think this thread would be a good place for everyone to throw in their ideas about what would make up the simplest, most concise chunk of text that a novice can actually read and then feel like he knows what to do from there.[/quote]

Fair points!

But ideal will never EVER exist. I used to think this whole site was ideal because it provided SOOOOO MUCH free content provided by some of the foremost experts on nutrition and training in the whole goddamn world! Apparently this isn’t the case, considering that with all the free, DETAILED, UP-TO-DATE information we have here, people still ask, “What’s good to eat?”, and we still need 50-page threads detailing how to warm up and ramp up.

Secondary to people’s inability to think and apply information, there’s no more ideal!

[quote]mr popular wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

[quote]mr popular wrote:
Although I don’t think this particular thread should be stickied, I think this should be the place where we discuss exactly what should be in the final sticky regarding bodybuilding training. [/quote]

What do you mean? [/quote]

I mean that I believe there should be another sticky in the bodybuilding forum that explains, in plain english, what it means to train like a bodybuilder, and how you go from skinny to big.

I don’t think this thread is ideal, but I think this thread would be a good place for everyone to throw in their ideas about what would make up the simplest, most concise chunk of text that a novice can actually read and then feel like he knows what to do from there.[/quote]

And by the way, the guidelines I provided above is how every successful bodybuilder got big, is staying big, and getting bigger!

With some minor variations, all of the top IFBB and natural elite are doing the shit I listed!

Remember T-mag writer Ron Harris, an actual competitive bodybuilder? He wrote that in his freelance writing career, it’s been difficult to come up with new content for bodybuilder interviews and profiles for the top muscle rags because most of them do the same shit as one another. Look at his articles or some articles by Greg Zulak.

It’s almost all the same shit, over and over and over again:

“Jacked Johnny starts off his delt workout by stretching a bit… Then he heads over to the shoulder press rack… Then he heads off to the dumbbell rack to do lateral raises…”

“Pizza Face McGough starts off his leg workout with leg presses. He used to do squats, until he broke his neck by grinding out 15 reps with 600 pounds on his back. He now goes for a good stretch and peak contraction with leg presses. He does 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps… He goes onto lunges… He goes onto leg extensions…”

“Farmboy Ferris noticed he got big and strong lifting bales of hay as a young buck. So he considers the deadlift to be a mainstay in his back training (tell us something new)… He works up to a whopping 600 pounds… Then he reps out on chins… Then he does back-breaking rows…”

Blah, blah, blah!

The best thing a newjack can do is notice the similarities amongst training programs of the top dogs, and then make adjustments for his individual need.

Same goes for diet. Everyone’s eating the same stuff, albeit with some personal preference. But then we have weirdos coming on here and asking, “What do you think of a gallon of whole milk a day?” Alright, fine. If that’s what you freaking need to do get big, then fucking do it! But some newjack weighing a buck-sixty, that can probably grow off a measly 2,500 to 3,000 calories per day–an amount anybody over 15 years old can easily take in–makes himself look ignorant and bizarre by proposing that idea. 2,500 to 3,000 “clean calories” is a joke to eat. And I’m not getting into the “dirty vs. clean” debate. You know what I mean.

And when I say look at the top dogs, I don’t mean looking to O-lifters and gymnasts and try to figure out what the jacked fraction of a percent of them are doing. Nope, I’m not on the side of Scott Abel, with his “success leaves clues” stuff that involves looking at non-bodybuilders and then trying to come up with some foo-foo-dust plan involving the most bizarre exercises ever created that most people can’t or won’t do in a normal gym, despite the fact that some of them might be OK or even beneficial to us. (I’m not doing “walking curls”).

Nice Brick, This SHOULD be stickied, it would eliminate so many shitty questions rampant on here. Bud add sweet po- Tay Toes to the starch list.

Why do you have Quinoa listed as a starchy carb? Isn’t it very low on the Glycemic index?

[quote]HynesKetchup wrote:
Why do you have Quinoa listed as a starchy carb? Isn’t it very low on the Glycemic index?[/quote]

That’s not what determines whether something is a starch or not. In fact, most of the truly high GI scale items are sugars, with some notable exceptions like white rice.

[quote]Sarev0k wrote:
Nice Brick, This SHOULD be stickied, it would eliminate so many shitty questions rampant on here. Bud add sweet po- Tay Toes to the starch list.[/quote]

Yeah, potatoes too - all kinds.

[quote]HynesKetchup wrote:
Why do you have Quinoa listed as a starchy carb? Isn’t it very low on the Glycemic index?[/quote]

It’s a grain. I could have titled the list “Grains”.

[quote]Sarev0k wrote:
Nice Brick, This SHOULD be stickied, it would eliminate so many shitty questions rampant on here. Bud add sweet po- Tay Toes to the starch list.[/quote]

And thank you.

I’d like to see this stickied please, mods.

[quote]Mr.Purple wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

Now I fucking dare anyone to tell me what else needs to be here or what else 99 percent of newbies, intermediate, and even some advanced people need![/quote]

For newbies atleast: exercise selection, and how-to-not-fuck-up-your-shoulders-when-benching, how to row, how to… well a whole lot of how to’s :)[/quote]

How to not fuck up your shoulders when benching…

  1. Keep your shoulders retracted and down.
  2. Press your head into the bench.
  3. Flex your glutes, quads, lats, and hams.
  4. Keep your elbow in line with your hands.
  5. Inhale on the way down and hold your air for the ENTIRE lift. No yelling as you finish the rep. You need the air in your belly for the entire lift.

This doesn’t apply as much to high reps, in which you might need to be more relaxed with form and breathing. I think these guidelines are important for a 1 - 10 rep range.

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I’d like to see this stickied please, mods. [/quote]

Thanks Waylander.

[quote]red04 wrote:

[quote]HynesKetchup wrote:
Why do you have Quinoa listed as a starchy carb? Isn’t it very low on the Glycemic index?[/quote]

That’s not what determines whether something is a starch or not. In fact, most of the truly high GI scale items are sugars, with some notable exceptions like white rice.[/quote]

Exactly. Beans contain starch too and don’t have much of an effect on blood sugar.

I don’t believe I saw peanut butter on the fats. One of my favorites.

I vote for Sticky but extraneous posts (such as mine) should be removed to keep it clean.

On Progression and Periodization

The way I’ve learned it, periodization is simply a plan. This means that if you write out a program or have one in your head, you follow periodizaton! So it’s safe to conclude that all serious bodybuilders periodize their training by this definition.

If you define periodization as setting up training with intricate macro-, meso-, and microcycles, with each dedicated to developing different qualities like speed, size, strength, and power - by that definition, ALMOST all, if not all, bodybuilders don’t periodize their training.

The way I used to deal with fatigue, motivation, and recovery was to follow what Dorian Yates did - try to build up the poundages or increase reps for 5 to 6 weeks, and then back off for two weeks by keeping weights the same and not attempting to increase reps either.

Here’s more genius stuff on how to progress in weights and reps…

Let’s say your set-and-rep scheme is 8 to 12 reps. Here’s how it works:

Week 1: 100 x 10
Week 2: 100 x 11
Week 3: 100 x 12
Week 4: 105 x 9
Week 5: 105 x 10
Week 6 (back-off week): 105 x 10 (no attempt to break last week’s record)
Week 7 (back-off week): 105 x 10 (no attempt to break last week’s record)
Week 8 (back to the grind): 105 x 11

Granted, you might not make that much progress in 8 weeks, but this example can give you an idea of how progress happens. Once again, this is NOT genius material.

[quote]sam_sneed wrote:
I don’t believe I saw peanut butter on the fats. One of my favorites.

I vote for Sticky but extraneous posts (such as mine) should be removed to keep it clean.[/quote]

I wrote “nuts”.

This is one of the most straight-forward statements that simplifies a ton surrounding bodybuilding splits. Great thread Brick. This is very similar to what I have done in the past and motivated me to change my routine back that type.

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
I’m not sure if this should apply to anyone else, but one of my top rules now is to avoid grinding out reps, they are not necassery and kill my progress.

I’ve added a good 30lbs to my bench in the past 2 months (265 for 5 reps to 315lbs for 2-3) and I feel fucking excellent, and it’s from following what Thibs said - treat each rep like it is a 1RM and make sure you always dominate the weight you are using.

Also another ‘rule’ of mine is: Don’t count calories or prot/carbs/fat, just measure out the food you eat, and increase/decrease to lose fat or gain muscle.

I also started training everything 2x a week, I was too worried about doing it before thinking that I’d burn out, but I’m progressing twice as fast. Don’t be afraid to experiment (within reason).[/quote]

Congratulations on your progress.

Right, grinding out reps is pointless. But OCCASIONALLY training to failure, either purposely or because of being overzealous, isn’t terrible.

Come to think of it, I think grinding and training to failure are different. Grinding is done by going on to complete shitty reps when it’s clear that you are shot. Failure occurs when you are shot and can’t complete another rep in good form and could only complete more reps by grinding.

I hate to nitpick but quinoa is a seed…

Good Bible you’ve got going, Brick.
I’m not sure If anyone has mentioned it, but I think consistency along with progress are the two most important factors. Those things are of course very vague (People can ask how to progress optimally and what not), but I think it reinforces the point that no matter what methods you’re using, all that matters is that it’s working for you and allowing YOU to make progress, and that there’s no set-in-stone recipe.

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

[quote]HynesKetchup wrote:
Why do you have Quinoa listed as a starchy carb? Isn’t it very low on the Glycemic index?[/quote]

It’s a grain. I could have titled the list “Grains”. [/quote]