Let's talk - Natural Mr Olympia gives advice

[Natural_O]

Wooo Hooo

Finished reading all 60 pages (over the course of 3 weeks)

Now im gonna get ur book

Wow, impressive!
That's great that this thread has now reached 60 pages! That's a lot of questions!!

[jameskang2009]

John,

what is better for upper trap growth?
doing shrugs with heavy weight with fast, rather sloppy reps
or
doing shrugs with light/slightly moderate weight but going really slow and squeezing at the top for a few seconds

[|ceman]

John,

what is better for upper trap growth?
doing shrugs with heavy weight with fast, rather sloppy reps
or
doing shrugs with light/slightly moderate weight but going really slow and squeezing at the top for a few seconds

This is actually a really good question. Interested to hear John's perspective.

[Natural_O]

John,

what is better for upper trap growth?
doing shrugs with heavy weight with fast, rather sloppy reps
or
doing shrugs with light/slightly moderate weight but going really slow and squeezing at the top for a few seconds

Believe it or not, I think going really heavy on shrugs is the best way to build up the traps. However, I don't think that going so heavy that you have to do the reps sloppy is the way to go. You need to feel the contraction at the top and get a good stretch at the bottom. I like doing a little bit higher reps for traps (10-12) instead of low reps like 5-6 but go as heavy as you can. It's also a good idea to do 1-2 sets with really heavy weight to get the traps used to more resistance.

[_Machine_]

First off, thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions...

Throughout reading the thread you have stated your high carb days are on training days and low carb days are your off days. My questions is then, what are your thoughts on people who believe that getting in more calories on rest days is more important for recuperating and rebuilding the muscle? I personally, have never tried carb cycling, but have an interest to start soon. There are so many different views, so I guess what works for some may not for the other, but I would just like to get your thoughts on this...Thanks in advance.

[jameskang2009]

John,

whenever I do back or biceps I always feel it more in my forearms rather than the muscle I'm trying to target: back or biceps. What tips can you offer to minimize forearm involvement and maximize bicep/back involvement?

[Natural_O]

First off, thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions...

Throughout reading the thread you have stated your high carb days are on training days and low carb days are your off days. My questions is then, what are your thoughts on people who believe that getting in more calories on rest days is more important for recuperating and rebuilding the muscle? I personally, have never tried carb cycling, but have an interest to start soon. There are so many different views, so I guess what works for some may not for the other, but I would just like to get your thoughts on this...Thanks in advance.

It all depends on what your goals are and what your body type is like. When I was younger and trying to bulk up, I had a very difficult time gaining weight. Of course, back then, I never cycled my carbs or my calories. I ate a lot of carbs and calories all the time, even on my off days. Like you said, this was a perfect time to feed the muscles and recuperate from my workouts. Today, I am trying to stay lean so when I am dieting, I always eat less carbs on the days I don't train and then increase the carbs (usually through a post-workout drink) on my training days. I found that the up and down days with the carbs keeps the metabolism stimulated as opposed to eating low carbs all the time which tends to slow down the metabolism after several weeks.

[Natural_O]

John,

whenever I do back or biceps I always feel it more in my forearms rather than the muscle I'm trying to target: back or biceps. What tips can you offer to minimize forearm involvement and maximize bicep/back involvement?

James, you could use straps to feel it more in your back or biceps but I think the better long-range solution is to train your forearms directly so they get stronger and then you will feel those back and biceps exercises more in the muscles you are trying to target. I always built pretty good size in my forearms simply by doing exercises like barbell rows, dumbbell rows, deadlifts, chins, shrugs, upright rows and side lateral raises without using shrugs. These exercises target the forearms indirectly and build good size and strength into the forearms. Another tip is to use a thumbless grip on your back exercises which helps you to feel the exercise more in the lats than in the arms or forearms.

[grignasty]

hey john,

thanks for answering all these questions, i gotta get your book soon too.

anytime i've done a cut i noticed that i lose muscle pretty easily and it gets frustrating to the point where i stop and vainly try to regain what i lost(basically puts me back where i was) i'm going to try again soon and using your advice i'm going to do little to no cardio and just cut over a longer period of time. Do you have any other tips for preserving a good amount of my hard gained muscle during the cut?


thanks a bunch

[jrjt27]

John,

How many days a week do you feel the average natural bodybuilder should be training when hitting each bodypart once a week? (abs and calves twice a week) im doing a 5 days at the moment, and im thinking of droping it to 4 soild days to get more rest

[Natural_O]

hey john,

thanks for answering all these questions, i gotta get your book soon too.

anytime i've done a cut i noticed that i lose muscle pretty easily and it gets frustrating to the point where i stop and vainly try to regain what i lost(basically puts me back where i was) i'm going to try again soon and using your advice i'm going to do little to no cardio and just cut over a longer period of time. Do you have any other tips for preserving a good amount of my hard gained muscle during the cut?


thanks a bunch

The best way to do it is to weigh all your food and count everything (calories, protein, carbs and fats). Like I said on here before, I like to alternate my carb intake by eating more carbs on my training days and less on my non-training days. If you are eating too low calories, too low carbs or not enough protein, you risk losing muscle tissue when you diet. Most guys I see who lose size go from eating an off-season diet to a very low calorie diet. Many times, they do not count calories either in the off season or when dieting so they have no clue to how many calories they are taking in. I would always figure out how many calories I was eating in the off season BEFORE I started dieting so I would know how much to cut back when I started the diet. You want to eat just below your maintenance for calories when you start your diet. If it's too low, you can lose muscle quite easily.

[Natural_O]

John,

How many days a week do you feel the average natural bodybuilder should be training when hitting each bodypart once a week? (abs and calves twice a week) im doing a 5 days at the moment, and im thinking of droping it to 4 soild days to get more rest

I think that's a good idea. Train hard 4 days a week and rest 3 days a week. That's a great routine for getting enough recuperation when training hard.

[jrjt27]

I think that's a good idea. Train hard 4 days a week and rest 3 days a week. That's a great routine for getting enough recuperation when training hard.

what kind of 4 day split you recomend?

i was thinking

1. chest, biceps , forearms

2. quads, hamstrings , calves

3. shoulders, triceps, abs

4. back , calves

[jameskang2009]

John,
For the natural bodybuilder, is training 2 times a day counterproductive?
For example, training chest in the morning and triceps in the evening.
Or training back in the morning and biceps in the evening.
Could this lead to overtraining?

[dballer]

Hey John!

For the natural bodybuilder what rep range would you consider optimal for muscle growth?
4-6 reps?
or 10-12 reps?

i see alot of IfBB pros doing 10-12 reps but im not sure if thats optimal for a natural athlete, i thought that lifting heavy with 4-6 reps would be best for building muscle but im not sure. whats your view on this?

[Natural_O]

what kind of 4 day split you recomend?

i was thinking

1. chest, biceps , forearms

2. quads, hamstrings , calves

3. shoulders, triceps, abs

4. back , calves

I like working triceps with chest and biceps with back to take advantage of the warm-up and pump I get in the smaller muscles after I train the bigger muscles. So I train chest, triceps and calves on Monday, abs and legs on Tuesday, take Wed off, train shoulders, traps and calves on Thursday and then back and biceps on Friday and take the weekend off.

[Natural_O]

John,
For the natural bodybuilder, is training 2 times a day counterproductive?
For example, training chest in the morning and triceps in the evening.
Or training back in the morning and biceps in the evening.
Could this lead to overtraining?

Training twice a day is very stressful but it can be done for a limited period of time, like when training for a competition. A friend of mine is getting ready for a contest and he has been training twice a day - a bigger bodypart in the morning and then a smaller bodypart in the evening and that has been working really well for him. He is keeping his size and getting really hard and lean but he is really wiped out too. He can't wait for the show to be over with. So, yes, it could lead to overtraining if you don't eat the right amount of calories and if you do it too long but I think it can be productive for a short period (8-10 weeks) of time.

[Natural_O]

Hey John!

For the natural bodybuilder what rep range would you consider optimal for muscle growth?
4-6 reps?
or 10-12 reps?

i see alot of IfBB pros doing 10-12 reps but im not sure if thats optimal for a natural athlete, i thought that lifting heavy with 4-6 reps would be best for building muscle but im not sure. whats your view on this?

For size, I think the best rep range is 6-8 reps. I like to do a warm-up set (on the first exercise for each muscle group) of 12-15 reps, then do a moderately heavy set of 10 reps, then increase the weight and do 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps. For the next exercise, I am already warmed up so I will do one set of 8-10 reps and then do two heavy sets of 6 reps, etc. The rep range of 6-8 reps is great for increasing size because you will build strength along with muscle mass.

[mike_ami]

jon i just got chills i wish there was a world were genetics not your wallete and the amount of roids were the level playing field. Man with people like you it might be the rage......VOTE JON for pres
PS. i gave up my bodybuilding dream of competing at the pro level when i lost my ignorance that they arnt on chemicals and such but i hope i see you around at some comp.

[Money Shot]

For size, I think the best rep range is 6-8 reps. I like to do a warm-up set (on the first exercise for each muscle group) of 12-15 reps, then do a moderately heavy set of 10 reps, then increase the weight and do 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps. For the next exercise, I am already warmed up so I will do one set of 8-10 reps and then do two heavy sets of 6 reps, etc. The rep range of 6-8 reps is great for increasing size because you will build strength along with muscle mass.

do you train to failure on the last set of each exercise?

[Natural_O]

do you train to failure on the last set of each exercise?

Yes, absolutely. I use the heaviest weight possible for 6-8 reps and push out as many reps as I can get until I hit failure. This will stimulate the maximum amount of muscle cells possible during those sets.

[Money Shot]

Yes, absolutely. I use the heaviest weight possible for 6-8 reps and push out as many reps as I can get until I hit failure. This will stimulate the maximum amount of muscle cells possible during those sets.

only on the last set for each exercise? or the last 2? and do you go to failure on every exercise, even for arms?

[Natural_O]

only on the last set for each exercise? or the last 2? and do you go to failure on every exercise, even for arms?

I go to failure on the last heavy sets, whether it is one, two or three heavy sets. I will do the first set moderately heavy and not take it to failure but the heavy sets I will do as many reps as I can with that weight.

[jameskang2009]

John, what do you think of my diet? I'm currently bulking and have a very difficult time gaining weight.

On a school day:

Meal 1: 1.5 cups of orange juice with 1 scoop of whey protein

Meal 2: School breakfast (for example, a scoop of rice, a piece of chicken, fruit, and a carton of milk)

Meal 3: Same as meal 2

Meal 4: School lunch (for example, 2 scoops of rice, chicken sticks, salad, bread, fruit, carton of milk)

Meal 5: Rice, bacon, vegetables

Meal 6: Rice, 3 whole eggs, vegetables

Meal 7 (before bed): 2 hardboiled eggs, some noodles or a protein shake

[Natural_O]

John, what do you think of my diet? I'm currently bulking and have a very difficult time gaining weight.

On a school day:

Meal 1: 1.5 cups of orange juice with 1 scoop of whey protein

Meal 2: School breakfast (for example, a scoop of rice, a piece of chicken, fruit, and a carton of milk)

Meal 3: Same as meal 2

Meal 4: School lunch (for example, 2 scoops of rice, chicken sticks, salad, bread, fruit, carton of milk)

Meal 5: Rice, bacon, vegetables

Meal 6: Rice, 3 whole eggs, vegetables

Meal 7 (before bed): 2 hardboiled eggs, some noodles or a protein shake

James, I think you need to add some more high-quality protein and complex carbs to your diet. You need foods such as chicken breasts (not chicken sticks which are probably breaded and contain more fat than protein), turkey, sirloin steaks, egg whites and eggs, salmon. These protein foods are high in protein and will provide the necessary building blocks for adding more muscle. Also, eat more complex carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, etc. You are eating a lot of rice but you can add other complex carbs like the ones I listed. It seems like your protein intake is a little light. I would also cut out the bacon, too high in saturated fat. Also, with your protein shakes, you can try protein that is slower digesting like Optimum Nutrition's Pro Complex Gainer which is very high in carbs. Have the Optimum Casein before you go to bed too. The Whey protein is a high quality protein but it is digested very fast and you need a protein that is going to stay in your system longer.

[dballer]

Hey John, are there any bodybuilding books or DVDs you would recomend me (a young teen bodybuilder) buying? im looking for a realy good book or DVD that will give me heaps of information!

[Natural_O]

Hey John, are there any bodybuilding books or DVDs you would recomend me (a young teen bodybuilder) buying? im looking for a realy good book or DVD that will give me heaps of information!

Well, obviously, I would recommend my book, "Natural Bodybuilding" (2005, Human Kinetics) and my training DVD "Real Muscle" along with my Seminar DVD "Natural Bodybuilding Seminar and Competitions". I also like all the books by Chris Aceto when it comes to nutrition. There is also a great book on fats by Udo Erasmus called "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill". Bob Kennedy just came out with a great book called "The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding".

[zmcdole]

I have a quick question for you. Is it ok to eat whatever you want such as poptarts, hot pockets, potato chips, candy bars, deli meats and see results as long as you are meeting your macros for the day? Can you do this and build muscle effectively or burn fat and get into contest shape? Assume my macros are 2350 calories, 63 grams fat, 239 grams protein, 209 grams of carbs. Can I eat the mentioned junkfood as long as they fit into my macros and reach my goals?

[Natural_O]

I have a quick question for you. Is it ok to eat whatever you want such as poptarts, hot pockets, potato chips, candy bars, deli meats and see results as long as you are meeting your macros for the day? Can you do this and build muscle effectively or burn fat and get into contest shape? Assume my macros are 2350 calories, 63 grams fat, 239 grams protein, 209 grams of carbs. Can I eat the mentioned junkfood as long as they fit into my macros and reach my goals?

That's an interesting question because Mike Mentzer used to argue that it doesn't matter where you get your calories from, as long as you are eating the right amount of calories. I don't agree with that, however, and I do believe that you need to eat high quality foods to build the best physique possible. You need protein to build your muscles and it would be hard to obtain high quality protein from foods like deli meats which are high in saturated fats and low in protein. You also want to stay away from simple sugars so foods like poptarts, candy bars, etc, are full of simple sugars. You will need to get your carbs from complex carbohydrates like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice and whole wheat bread. These foods contain complex carbohydrates and lots of fiber so they will be digested slower in your system and not cause a big spike in your insulin levels which can lead to fat storage. Eat clean and you will get much better results.

[zmcdole]

Thanks for the reply.