Let's talk - Natural Mr Olympia gives advice

[Quelly]

Hey Natural O,

What type of Supplements would a typical IFBB Pro take? for off-season and contest.

juice and juice

[Natural_O]

Hey Natural O,

What type of Supplements would a typical IFBB Pro take? for off-season and contest.

Probably the same supplements that any competitive bodybuilder would take, protein powders, post workout recovery drinks, creatine, NO, multi-vitamins and minerals.

[Natural_O]

What about BCAA/amino acid, beta-alanine, glutamine?

Is there any specific multi-vitamins or vitamins that they take?

Thanks!!

I'm not an IFBB pro bodybuilder so I can't really answer that question. To be honest, the drugs they take work very well so they may not be taking as many supplements as someone who is drug free because they don't have to. I'm sure they take multi vitamins and minerals to cover their vitamin needs but I'm not sure if they would take glutamine, beta alanine, etc because they may not need them for results. But, like I said, I don't really know.

[corpun]

Hi David, you would have to check with the heads of each individual organization but pseudoephedrine is not the same as ephedrine, which is a diet aid and helps to get you cut up faster. I don't think it is banned but, like I said, check with whichever organization you are going to compete in.

John, thanks for your once again speedy response.

I'll admit I came into this thread a skeptic but after reading and then participating a bit I've been really impressed by how much time and effort you put into answering peoples questions.

[eschlick19]

John,

When do you plan to have your Mr. North America?

[Natural_O]

John,

When do you plan to have your Mr. North America?

I don't have a location yet Erik but I'm planning on holding it the first weekend in August as usual. Are you going to compete again in 2009?
Also, I am going to be promoting the Natural Olympia contest in Chicago in 2010 so I hope you can compete in that contest.

[eschlick19]

I don't have a location yet Erik but I'm planning on holding it the first weekend in August as usual. Are you going to compete again in 2009?
Also, I am going to be promoting the Natural Olympia contest in Chicago in 2010 so I hope you can compete in that contest.

John,

Yes I will be competing in the Natural North America in August. Also, competing in the Natural Olympia has always been a dream of mine, so you can already pencil me in.

Thanks,

John

[Natural_O]

Yes sir.

In your honest opinion you think taking anabolic steroids with proper dosage/usage can be safe for you?

The problems with steroid use seem to be related to the amount and the duration of their use. In other words, if you use high dosages of the drugs (or multiple drugs as many user "stack" the drugs - using several at one time) or if you stay on the drugs for a long time, you will suffer more side effects and more potential harm than if you used small amounts of the drugs for short periods of time (8-12 weeks). Long term use of steroids seems to negatively affect the heart by lowering good cholesterol (HDL) and raising bad cholesterol (LDL). They can also negatively affect the kidneys and liver and raise your blood pressure.

One of the things about steroids, as with all drugs, is you never know how they will affect you because drugs affect everyone differently. I have personally seen bodybuilders who have used steroids for decades with no negative side effects or health problems and I have also seen bodybuilders who used a cycle or two and ended up with serious problems because they had a bad reaction to the drugs. I have also seen bodybuilders who absolutely blew up when they used small amounts of the drugs and others who used high dosages and got a very small reaction to the drugs. It's all an individual thing.

[nz_shadow]

been reading through this thread its great , your an inspiration!

I wanna be a natural body builder now

[Kiwi_]

Good decision.

[buff_dad_dy]

John, i am currently reading your book "Natural Bodybuilding" and just wanted to say that it is a great read. Tons of great information! Would make a nice reference guide to have on hand.Saw it on the shelf at the local library the other day,checked it out and am contemplating it being "lost" that's how much i am enjoying it LOL.I am contemplating entering an amateur masters natural event locally,maybe in a year+ Any advice on how you know when you are physically and mentally ready to enter? Thanks for your time.

[Natural_O]

John, i am currently reading your book "Natural Bodybuilding" and just wanted to say that it is a great read. Tons of great information! Would make a nice reference guide to have on hand.Saw it on the shelf at the local library the other day,checked it out and am contemplating it being "lost" that's how much i am enjoying it LOL.I am contemplating entering an amateur masters natural event locally,maybe in a year+ Any advice on how you know when you are physically and mentally ready to enter? Thanks for your time.

Thanks for the comments on the book. I wish you would have bought it though, then I would get my bi-annual royalty check up to $10.

If you are planning on competing, the number one thing is that you need to be ripped for the contest. This is particularly important for both natural contests and for masters contests. There aren't a lot of really big natural masters competitors but the guys that do the best are the ones who are ripped. This gets more difficult as you get older so my advice would be to stay pretty lean in the off season and then give yourself plenty of time (anywhere from 12-16 weeks) to get ripped for the contest.

Also, spend a lot of time posing in the months leading up to the contest. Practice the mandatory poses until they are second nature and work hard on your posing routine by including poses that compliment your physique. I have a big section on posing in my book.

[|ceman]

John, i am currently reading your book "Natural Bodybuilding" and just wanted to say that it is a great read. Tons of great information! Would make a nice reference guide to have on hand.Saw it on the shelf at the local library the other day,checked it out and am contemplating it being "lost" that's how much i am enjoying it LOL.I am contemplating entering an amateur masters natural event locally,maybe in a year+ Any advice on how you know when you are physically and mentally ready to enter? Thanks for your time.

Even if you've read it cover to cover at your local library, it's a good idea to buy it.

1) It's an excellent reference to have around should you want to look something up at home.

2) You support a great contributor to the sport.

3) John Hansen will autograph it for you (at least he did mine).

[buff_dad_dy]

Thanks for the comments on the book. I wish you would have bought it though, then I would get my bi-annual royalty check up to $10.

If you are planning on competing, the number one thing is that you need to be ripped for the contest. This is particularly important for both natural contests and for masters contests. There aren't a lot of really big natural masters competitors but the guys that do the best are the ones who are ripped. This gets more difficult as you get older so my advice would be to stay pretty lean in the off season and then give yourself plenty of time (anywhere from 12-16 weeks) to get ripped for the contest.

Also, spend a lot of time posing in the months leading up to the contest. Practice the mandatory poses until they are second nature and work hard on your posing routine by including poses that compliment your physique. I have a big section on posing in my book.

Thanks for your reply John. I just looked at your personal website and am going to purchase the book through your site as i had no clue where to get one, hence the "lost" library book LOL (I would have to pay for a new one so you would get that royalty ) Both my wife and myself absolutely love your book and both agree it would be an awesome addition for on hand reference.

Would you consider my height and weight range to be in the bigger competitors range and is this a good weight class for a first timer to learn the ropes? I understand that i will be shedding weight but curious if i should bulk more and drop to a ripped 230 or just drop to say the ripped 215 range.Personally I like the look of the 230 size and i feel skinny in the low 200 range.Is it true one needs to walk in around 5-6% BF to be competitive in a natural contest (even a smaller local show)?

I pose quite often checking out progress, my body fluctuates like crazy! I currently briskly walk or jog 13 miles, 5 days a week.I have no way around this unless i quit my fulltime job of 20 years but it helps me stay lean..er.Because of this I cannot slip up on the diet or i immediately see the drop.

Thanks again for the replies and your time, i know you are a busy man.

[jrjt27]

John , I did a few test and back tracking and I determind that im defintly highly fast twitch dominant, even did the fiber test program and it should to be fast twitch dominant big time. What is the best way to go about my training , any tips or main points you can share with me since being fast twitch dominant?(ex. volume, reps, rest time, ect.)

[rude boy]

Hey John,

exactly what and how much did you eat in order to gain so much weight at first? i'm trying to gain about 20 pounds. and how many days off do you take per week?

[pumpingiron76]

Do you recommend wide grip V-Dips or wide grip decline presses for outer pecs? When I try this it seems to hurt my shoulders. What do you recommend?

[pumpingiron76]

What do you recommend for cardio? Running? Cycling? Or soemthing else?

[Natural_O]

Thanks for your reply John. I just looked at your personal website and am going to purchase the book through your site as i had no clue where to get one, hence the "lost" library book LOL (I would have to pay for a new one so you would get that royalty ) Both my wife and myself absolutely love your book and both agree it would be an awesome addition for on hand reference.

Would you consider my height and weight range to be in the bigger competitors range and is this a good weight class for a first timer to learn the ropes? I understand that i will be shedding weight but curious if i should bulk more and drop to a ripped 230 or just drop to say the ripped 215 range.Personally I like the look of the 230 size and i feel skinny in the low 200 range.Is it true one needs to walk in around 5-6% BF to be competitive in a natural contest (even a smaller local show)?

I pose quite often checking out progress, my body fluctuates like crazy! I currently briskly walk or jog 13 miles, 5 days a week.I have no way around this unless i quit my fulltime job of 20 years but it helps me stay lean..er.Because of this I cannot slip up on the diet or i immediately see the drop.

Thanks again for the replies and your time, i know you are a busy man.

I was surprised you couldn't find where to purchase my book on my website. I am having a Holiday Special now where you can buy my book and both of my DVD's for only $50. It's right on the front page: http://www.naturalolympia.com/
Here is another link on my website about the book: http://www.naturalolympia.com/frames...ok.html#review

As for your question about the competing, yes, you need to be a ripped as possible when it comes to competition. Today's contests favor the really ripped and shredded competitor. Of course, you don't want to lose valuable muscle mass when you are dieting. That's why I recommend that you stay lean in the off season so the dieting part before the contest is not as difficult. I'm not sure if you need to be 5% bodyfat, you just need to be the most ripped guy onstage to have a good chance of winning. If it's close, the judges will always choose the guy who is the hardest and most ripped.

I would start by measuring your waist and taking photos of yourself. This will give you an objective viewpoint about how you look and how much you need to lose to have a chance of winning. Remember, it's not about how much you weigh or how much you can lift, it's all about how you look onstage that counts.

[Natural_O]

John , I did a few test and back tracking and I determind that im defintly highly fast twitch dominant, even did the fiber test program and it should to be fast twitch dominant big time. What is the best way to go about my training , any tips or main points you can share with me since being fast twitch dominant?(ex. volume, reps, rest time, ect.)

Fast twitch muscle fibers respond best off of heavy training for low reps (5-8 reps). You don't need a lot of volume and your rest periods between sets will be a little longer than normal because you want to be fully rested before you do your next heavy set. Heavy training requires full recuperation of your ATP stores so you can fire off those muscle fibers to blast the heavy weight up. If you are getting sore from this heavy training, you know you are on the right track.

[jrjt27]

Fast twitch muscle fibers respond best off of heavy training for low reps (5-8 reps). You don't need a lot of volume and your rest periods between sets will be a little longer than normal because you want to be fully rested before you do your next heavy set. Heavy training requires full recuperation of your ATP stores so you can fire off those muscle fibers to blast the heavy weight up. If you are getting sore from this heavy training, you know you are on the right track.

awsome! , sore , my body feels pumped for almost 2 days and gets pretty dam sore every since i changed it up! But are there any bodyparts i should use a litle higher rep range at all?

[weightmaster98]

How can I get that high trap look? What is the best exercise to reach this area?

[Natural_O]

Hey John,

exactly what and how much did you eat in order to gain so much weight at first? i'm trying to gain about 20 pounds. and how many days off do you take per week?

When I bulked up to 230 pounds, I was stuck at 205 pounds for about 8 months. I just couldn't gain any weight no matter what I was eating and I was really getting frustrated. My metabolism at that age (20-21 years old) was really fast and I couldn't put on any pounds even though I was eating a good bodybuilding diet (high in protein and carbs, six meals a day). In order to turn things around, I drastically increased my food intake. I didn't give my body any choice but to gain weight.

For breakfast, I was eating a 7 egg omlette (whole eggs, not egg whites) with muenster cheese along with 3 slices of whole wheat toast with both butter and honey. I also had 2 glasses of orange or pineapple juice.

For lunch, I would have half a pound of lean hamburger (2 burgers) on whole wheat bread with muenster cheese again.

Dinner would be protein and complex carbs. I would also have at least 2 protein drinks each day made with 2 cups of whole milk, 1 egg, protein powder, a banana and 2 scoops of ice cream. This protein drink would fill up the whole blender. I would have one of these drinks after my workout and another right before I went to bed.

I would also often have a snack of Haagen Daaz ice cream (vanilla swiss almond). I was trying to eat foods that not only had protein but were also high in fat because fats have twice the calories that protein and carbs do so I was increasing my calories.

After following this diet a for month or so, I started to slowly gain weight. From February to August, my weight increased from 205 pounds to 230 pounds. I also gained fat but I drastically broke through the sticking point I was stuck at and gained valuable muscle mass all over my body. My calves even got bigger just from carrying around 25 pounds of extra weight.

[Natural_O]

Do you recommend wide grip V-Dips or wide grip decline presses for outer pecs? When I try this it seems to hurt my shoulders. What do you recommend?

The wide grip V-bar dips and the wide grip decline presses would work your lower pecs more than your outer pecs. I think the reason those exercises are hurting your shoulders is because of the wide grip. Dips are notorious for tearing up the shoulders, especially wide grip. Some people can do them, some people have to avoid them like the plague.

I've never liked decline presses myself. I seem to feel them more in the shoulders than the pecs. When I do decline presses with dumbbells, I can feel it more in the pecs but not when I use the bar.

For the outer pecs, I would recommend regular barbell bench presses and flyes on a flat bench. Using a medium wide grip on the barbell bench press will work the outer pecs. Too wide of a grip will hit the shoulders more and too narrow a grip will affect the triceps more.

Flyes on a flat bench are the best exercise for the outer pecs. Let the dumbbells go out really wide and keep the tension on the pecs by not bringing the dumbbells all the way together. Arnold would always stop the dumbbells about 10 inches apart on the top of the movement and he had some pretty decent pecs.

[Natural_O]

What do you recommend for cardio? Running? Cycling? Or soemthing else?

Personally, I prefer to walk fast on a treadmill with a high incline. I also use the stair stepper (stair mill) on occasion. I will put the treadmill on about 3.3 mph with a 8 incline and take long steps and use my arms during the workout. This gets my heart rate up and burns bodyfat without eating up any muscle tissue.

Running is too intense of an exercise for cardio, in my opinion. If you are trying to lose bodyfat and eating less calories and carbs and then you throw in an intense exercise like running, you have more of a chance to lose muscle mass. The more intense of an exercise, the more sugar you will burn for energy. If you are cutting back on the amount of carbs in your diet, you will have less sugar available for energy and your body may have to break down muscle tissue for immediate energy.

Cycling is pretty good but I was always worried about my legs being overtrained because of all the work my legs were doing in cycling. I was stuck with a fast walk on the treadmill or outside to limit any muscle tissue loss.

[Natural_O]

How can I get that high trap look? What is the best exercise to reach this area?

I think barbell shrugs are the best exercise for building up the upper traps. Grab the bar with a medium wide grip (not too close) and hold the top position for a second or two before lowering the weight. I have been doing barbell shrugs sitting on the end of an exercise bench for the last few years because the standing version was putting too much strain on my lower back.

[liamcarter]

hey man..those last few replys u just gave are to a troll..please dont feed this guy

[jrjt27]

john , you recomend the 4-8 rep range on most lifts , But are there any bodyparts i should use a litle higher rep range at all? (ex. calves , rear delts ect.)

[buff_dad_dy]

I was surprised you couldn't find where to purchase my book on my website. I am having a Holiday Special now where you can buy my book and both of my DVD's for only $50. It's right on the front page: http://www.naturalolympia.com/
Here is another link on my website about the book: http://www.naturalolympia.com/frames...ok.html#review

As for your question about the competing, yes, you need to be a ripped as possible when it comes to competition. Today's contests favor the really ripped and shredded competitor. Of course, you don't want to lose valuable muscle mass when you are dieting. That's why I recommend that you stay lean in the off season so the dieting part before the contest is not as difficult. I'm not sure if you need to be 5% bodyfat, you just need to be the most ripped guy onstage to have a good chance of winning. If it's close, the judges will always choose the guy who is the hardest and most ripped.

I would start by measuring your waist and taking photos of yourself. This will give you an objective viewpoint about how you look and how much you need to lose to have a chance of winning. Remember, it's not about how much you weigh or how much you can lift, it's all about how you look onstage that counts.

John, i appreciate the replies.Like your book, informative.
I am trying to purchase your book online with no luck.The checkout is giving me a hard time about my billing address and for the life of me i do not know why as it is how i typed it in and it matches my CC.

[NaturalLoco]

Hey John,

A little while back you recommended me to try your 6 day split.. I believe I have been on this program for atleast 6 weeks now..

Legs
Shoulders/traps/calves
OFF
Bicep/back
Chest/Tricep/calves
OFF

At the moment I am doing reps in the range of 6-8, and am using 1RM/2RM on squats/deadlifts to get these movements up..
My focus has been on heavier weights but only heavy with good form..

Anyway just a question i would like to ask you..
Would it be a good shock to the system if i used a higher rep/higher set scheme with low rest times similar to Serge Nubret's training routine (if you are familiar with it) as a means to stimulate growth?