Skip La Cour - Mass Machine Bodybuilding (Training, Nutrition, Mindset, & Lifestyle)

**skiplacour** · 05-07-2008, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Kiwi_n00b

Is your theory of short workouts for a natural bodybuilder, or one who is 'chemically enhanced'? because Serge Nubret says in his thread that the best approach for a natural is to spend a few hours pumping out many sets of moderately heavy exercises.

I can only speak from my experiences.

The best advice I can give you is to try a strategy that you can put your faith in--and then give it your very best effort. Make sure you support the training strategy with great eating habits too.

If you are in this for the long haul, you shouldn't mind comparing and contrasting different methods. Then, try a different strategy giving that one your full focus and effort too. That way, YOU have a real, concrete point of reference to make the decision that's best for you.

If you are natural, you should not even worry about what chemically-assisted lifters do. You have enough to learn doing it the way you've chosen.

*********************************

Skip La Cour’s web site: http://www.skiplacour.com

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**RippedGuitarist** · 05-07-2008, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Kiwi_n00b

Is your theory of short workouts for a natural bodybuilder, or one who is 'chemically enhanced'? because Serge Nubret says in his thread that the best approach for a natural is to spend a few hours pumping out many sets of moderately heavy exercises.

Even though Serge does workout for long periods each day, most of his workouts only around an hour divided through the day. Abs in the morning, two separate workouts for the other two bodyparts.

But you also have to remember Serge is very efficient as well and he completes a high volume in a relatively short amount of time. As well as the fact that he uses his weight training and ab training as a form of cardio.

I think they do have some beliefs in common from what I see so far, efficiency as well as a strong mental aspect.

**Kiwi_** · 05-07-2008, 05:03 PM

I know, I post in Serge's thread too. He often preaches about how people expect to get muscular while only training 45 minutes a day though.

**RippedGuitarist** · 05-07-2008, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by skiplacour

I'll start with:

Length of Workouts

Your weight training sessions should last no longer than one hour. And you know what? I?m being extremely liberal with that amount of time. I really believe you can be extremely effective in far less time. But, because I know it?s such a challenge for most of us to shorten our workouts and still feel confident that we are doing enough to meet our bodybuilding goals, I?ll make the cutoff point one hour.

Regardless of how you try to rationalize it, longer training sessions are NOT more productive. You must force yourself to become just as effective in a shorter period of time by becoming more efficient. I?ve given the time I spend training in the gym the empowering title of my ?Hour of Power!?

Now, before you start crediting my years of bodybuilding experience for allowing me to get significant results with such short workouts, let me make this point perfectly clear: It?s not my experience that allows me to shorten my time in the gym without sacrificing effectiveness. It?s your lack of experience that makes you feel you must stay in the gym longer. The only way you will ever become more efficient is by setting ambitious goals for productivity. I don?t mean to sound harsh. I only want to help you. I simply want you to avoid making some of the same mistakes I?ve made over the years.

To borrow a phrase I learned from former Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, you want to ?stimulate? the muscles when you are in the gym and not ?annihilate? them. Stimulating the muscles can be done quite effectively in one hour or less. It?s a fact that the more time you spend in the gym, the more your concentration and focus will wane. The more your mental focus and concentration diminish the less effective you will become physically.

Earlier in my bodybuilding career, I remember when a more experienced bodybuilder, Ron ?Alcatraz? Coleman (Not Mr. Olympia), told me that he finished his workouts in about 40 minutes?including cardiovascular training! I simply couldn?t believe a person could effectively get the job done in such a short period of time.

Even though I had a lot of respect for Ron and knew he had about 15 years of training experience and a world title under his belt, I simply couldn?t believe it. ?Surely his success had more to do with his years of training or superior genetics,? I thought. Does that kind of thinking sound familiar to anyone you know? Uh-huh. I know exactly what you?re thinking right now! Besides, I had been training for about seven years at the time and was already a national champion myself. It wasn?t like I was a rookie in the gym by any means.

Well, guess what? After about five long years, I finally understood what he was talking about. I wish he could have coached me a little better. I wish he could have persuaded me to understand his intelligent, effective, and efficient approach to training. Quite frankly, I wish he had hit me with a dumbbell to ram that valuable lesson through my thick head! If he had done so, I would have saved at least five years of less-productive training and hours of time wasted in the gym. I wish Ron had forced me to challenge myself to become more effective with shorter workouts.

Do both you and me a favor, won?t you? Don?t make the same mistake I did by not listening to a successful, more experienced bodybuilder. Hopefully, I?ve done a better job of convincing you why shorter, stimulating-not-annihilating workouts are more effective than longer, less focused ones than Ron did with me. Hopefully, YOU will do a better job of understanding and applying my advice than I did with Ron?s.

I try to take advice from everyone I talk to, especially if they have achieved a physique I one day intend to achieve. Which I can definitely say you have.

As far as being efficient in the gym, I certainly agree with you. Stating I specifically can't go over one hour, well I personally wouldn't do that but I see it as a great marker, because if I workout much longer than that even with long rest times and very little work I get burnt out, and frankly it just doesn't feel optimal. So I try to keep it around and hour, maybe a bit less, maybe a bit more on occasion.

How would you suggest to be more efficient in the gym? I'm guessing shorter rest times would be part of that?

**RippedGuitarist** · 05-07-2008, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Kiwi_n00b

I know, I post in Serge's thread too. He often preaches about how people expect to get muscular while only training 45 minutes a day though.

Tis true, tis true. Of course Serge has his own beliefs, I don't believe them to be the ONLY effective way(though I am not saying you do), even though I'm doing his routine and I love it so far. Like Skip said here compare and contrast, hence why I'm looking forward to this thread progressing.

**skiplacour** · 05-07-2008, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Kiwi_n00b

I know, I post in Serge's thread too. He often preaches about how people expect to get muscular while only training 45 minutes a day though.

I understand. That?s why I avoid making "absolutes" (i.e. "This is the ONLY way to do it!") when I discuss training. I certainly don?t make "absolutes" without giving detail explanations as to why I believe what I do. I realize that, if I do, I'll just create more confusion and overwhelm with the people who want to learn.

Just remember this:

All training strategies will work to some degree.

Your challenge is to find one you can believe in and stick to doing for a significant period of time. If you can do those two things for a significant period of time, you are going to get results. No doubt about it.

The strategy that you believe in and stick to is going to be "right" one.

Do I believe some strategies work better than others? Sure, I do. But I'm not posting here for me. I'm posting here so that you'll get results. I'll do my best to tell you what I believe works best and why I think so. After that, the decision is your own.

Serge's way, Joe Blow's way, or my way--it doesn't matter to me if you are getting results that make you happy. Good for you.

*********************************

Skip La Cour’s web site: http://www.skiplacour.com

Sign up for my FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter: http://www.skiplacour.com/newsletter

Listen to Skip La Cour's Bodybuilding and Training Talk Radio Show every week at http://www.SkipLaCourRadio.com

**DJINN** · 05-07-2008, 05:32 PM

Skip its great to have you join our team. I've been a follower of your's for a very long time and adopted my workout routine as adaptation to the principles of Max-OT. I think your presence on these boards as a natural bodybuilder, who developed a phenomenal physique via hard work, patience, and intelligent planning should serve as an inspiration to the bodybuilding.com members.

I'll be following along but again just wanted to say welcome and it truly is an honor.

O/T but what is Jeff Willett up to these days?

**skiplacour** · 05-07-2008, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by DJINN

O/T but what is Jeff Willett up to these days?

Jeff owns a Powerhouse Gym in Adrian, MI. He also just got married.

**DJINN** · 05-07-2008, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by skiplacour

Jeff owns a Powerhouse Gym in Adrian, MI. He also just got married.

Good for him and thanks for your quick reply. I think one thing worth noting about your career is your ability to not only be a successful bodybuilder but a successful businessman. I think its prudent for any pro athlete, specifically bodybuilders, to have the ability to self-promote and market themselves. The financial outlook for most bodybuilders is grim...show money, unless your a top competitor just doesn't pay the bills.

I truly believe that if members come into this thread with an open mind, open ears (well...eyes, since they are reading), and a willingness to learn, much can be gathered from your years of experience and your willingness to share.

**skiplacour** · 05-07-2008, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by DJINN

I truly believe that if members come into this thread with an open mind, open ears (well...eyes, since they are reading), and a willingness to learn, much can be gathered from your years of experience and your willingness to share.

Why wouldn't they? They have nothing to lose.

**musclePavel** · 05-07-2008, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by skiplacour

I understand. That?s why I avoid making ?absolutes? (i.e. "This is the ONLY way to do it!") when I discuss training. I certainly don?t make "absolutes" without giving detail explanations as to why I believe what I do. I realize that, if I do, I'll just create more confusion and overwhelm with the people who want to learn.

Just remember this:

All training strategies will work to some degree.

Your challenge is to find one you can believe in and stick to doing for a significant period of time. If you can do those two things for a significant period of time, you are going to get results. No doubt about it.

The strategy that you believe in and stick to is going to be "right" one.

Do I believe some strategies work better than others? Sure, I do. But I?m not posting here for me. I'm posting here so that you?ll get results. I'll do my best to tell you what I believe works best and why I think so. After that, the decision is your own.

Serge?s way, Joe Blow?s way, or my way?it doesn?t matter to me if you are getting results that make you happy. Good for you.

Amazing, just amazing, this is the best post ever.

As young bodybuilders, we read a bunch about how to train, what program to use , what is best etc etc, and quickly you realize there are sooooo many great bodybuilders that all have different ways of training and it has worked great for all of them.

Now how does that go together?. This is where everything you say is so absoluete. It is all in your own mind. you can decide which training program would be the most effective for you. And how Serge always says, listen to your body and mind and you will progress greatly. And I think its amazing how you and serge both preach the same essential things. In Serge's thread he has posted a training program for people to just start out, and people ask him for "advanced" programs and he says, when you are ready for a advanced training program you will not ask about it. And what he means by that is that once you have gained experiance and knowledge you will know what to manipulate/change to make it work for you. Everyone is different, and there are soo many good training programs. but the most important is to put your mind 100% into one program you believe in it more than anything and the results will come, if diet/rest etc is where it needs to be.

Thank you for posting with such an open mind!

This is definately a thread Iam going to follow.

**foshobombdiggity** · 05-07-2008, 06:39 PM

wow that is pretty ironic. I quoted your e books in my senior project on nutrition, and now i see you're from walnut creek. I go to northgate high school in walnut creek. Thanks for the information buddy

**skiplacour** · 05-07-2008, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by foshobombdiggity

wow that is pretty ironic. I quoted your e books in my senior project on nutrition, and now i see you're from walnut creek. I go to northgate high school in walnut creek. Thanks for the information buddy

My nephew goes there. He's a freshman. Do you know him?

**WaterBlender** · 05-07-2008, 07:04 PM

hi skip, great to have you on the boards

just wanted to say i hope you post regularly, alot of pro's show up, stay for a little while, most disappear, others come back every now and then. it be great to have another pro helping us out like layne and serge.

**skiplacour** · 05-07-2008, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by WaterBlender

hi skip, great to have you on the boards

just wanted to say i hope you post regularly, alot of pro's show up, stay for a little while, most disappear, others come back every now and then. it be great to have another pro helping us out like layne and serge.

As long as there is interest, I will be here.

Plus, Bodybuilding.com and I have an amazing personal development program that's coming to this site very soon.

What's great about this program is goes far beyond your physical development as a bodybuilder. It will stimulate your personal growth as a MAN and help you create success in all areas of your life.

If you enjoy the connection I make between your MIND and your bodybuilding success, then you are going LOVE this program.

Stay tuned.

*********************************

Skip La Cour’s web site: http://www.skiplacour.com

Sign up for my FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter: http://www.skiplacour.com/newsletter

Listen to Skip La Cour's Bodybuilding and Training Talk Radio Show every week at http://www.SkipLaCourRadio.com

**foshobombdiggity** · 05-07-2008, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by skiplacour

My nephew goes there. He's a freshman. Do you know him?

can't say that i do. is his last name lacour? play any sports?

**skiplacour** · 05-07-2008, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by foshobombdiggity

can't say that i do. is his last name lacour? play any sports?

Yes, it is. He plays freshman and basketball. He's a starting pitcher on the baseball team. #13

**foshobombdiggity** · 05-07-2008, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by skiplacour

Yes, it is. He's play freshman and basketball. He's a starting pitcher on the baseball team. #13

oh nice. a few of my buddies little bros are on that team.

**dedicated bb** · 05-07-2008, 09:55 PM

Welcome Skip it is an honour to have you posting here you've been a big inspiration to my lifting

thank you for taking the time to post here i look forward to hearing from you.

**Kiwi_** · 05-07-2008, 10:24 PM

I propose we run a rep train on Skip.

**skiplacour** · 05-07-2008, 10:27 PM

FREE E-BOOK

My bodybuilding and training motivational book, Thinking Big, has helped passionate lifters just like you use the POWER OF THEIR MINDS more effectively to achieve their goals. It has sold thousands of times in over 52 countries around the world since I published it.

This e-book is my free gift to you. I am certain you will take the lessons and apply them to your own successful journey.

Go here to download Thinking Big,

http://www.skiplacour.com/bb_com/thinking_big.pdf

**RippedGuitarist** · 05-08-2008, 01:17 AM

Originally Posted by skiplacour

FREE E-BOOK

My bodybuilding and training motivational book, Thinking Big, has helped passionate lifters just like you use the POWER OF THEIR MINDS more effectively to achieve their goals. It has sold thousands of times in over 52 countries around the world since I published it.

This e-book is my free gift to you. I am certain you will take the lessons and apply them to your own successful journey.

Go here to download Thinking Big,

http://www.skiplacour.com/bb_com/thinking_big.pdf

Right on man. I'll start reading that tomorrow. Thanks.

**WaterBlender** · 05-08-2008, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by skiplacour

FREE E-BOOK

My bodybuilding and training motivational book, Thinking Big, has helped passionate lifters just like you use the POWER OF THEIR MINDS more effectively to achieve their goals. It has sold thousands of times in over 52 countries around the world since I published it.

This e-book is my free gift to you. I am certain you will take the lessons and apply them to your own successful journey.

Go here to download Thinking Big,

http://www.skiplacour.com/bb_com/thinking_big.pdf

woah! 177 pages. thanks alot, reading now!

**morrsiway** · 05-08-2008, 07:04 AM

Well first of all - Hi Skip!
Hi to all the others also. My name is Mike and I live in Germany.
Im 39y old and Im also a certified personal and fitness trainer - I have trained certaintly 1000s of clients and have been doing BB for the last 20years..
I remember the days of Albert Beckles and Bertil fox..and so on..

I would like to say thank you very much to skip here! I really think that Ive trained every routine there are number of times and I cant even count how many training plans I have written and figured out to find my ultimate truth to build my body...

I started BB as the most puny and weak dude you have ever seen..I was a runner..they were all after me... even as a teen.. I never was respected physically...

But one day I said to myself the days are over and I got into it... It was the 80?s and I had no idea really what to do... I had no mentor.. had to do all the mistakes by myself...

I trained after school til I went to bed... sometimes Id get up at 2 am and workout again.. I was insane.... i really made ALL the errors you can imagine!!

if you have any questions that you would also like to ask me - Im open for your questions.. thou Im sure Skip can answer them much better then I can !!

Skip opened my eyes to my training routine totally... I was training too much...to many muscle groups in 1 session.. I remember the days where I didnt even want to go to my workout anymore thou Im a fanatic - cause I seen all the exercises - I thought I had to do and all the sets and different muscle groups... I just thought - that I cant move that mountain anymore...

As soon as I said to myself- Im dying here.. I need a change in my routine and Im not gunna be AFRAID to death to lose my muscles.. and I read skips routine...

the 1 muscle group a day... reducing sets and turning up the heat!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!! I was totally in a different mood.. I was a WARRIOR again!!!
It was great to know that Im only doing 1 muscle in the gym and give it full focus and INTENSITY !!!

Cant tell you guys to listen up to this !!!

Eat good quality foods, work 1 muscle group per session ( tris and bis together are ok ) and you will realise that your workouts were not high intensity but just thrashing in overtraining and killing yourself!!

I know how it is... my BW went up to over 260lbs of off season look and i was fresh and strong.. now im cut down to 230lbs and feel great.

Do not kill yourself in the gym and NEVER go for over an hour!!!

your buddy mike

**str8flexed** · 05-08-2008, 11:37 AM

nice to see you here skip.

-Layne

**skiplacour** · 05-08-2008, 02:12 PM

Volume of Training

I have experimented with many body part training splits over the years, but none produce results that compare to the ones I've achieved while training one major body part a day and training each body part once every week.

Al McGuire, the late Marquette University basketball coach, used to say "You gotta dance with who brung ya!" What the heck does that mean, you ask? Literally, it means that you are obligated to dance with the girl or guy who invited you to the dance--and no one else. As a basketball coach, McGuire felt that he should use the same strategies, routines, and philosophies during the championship game as he did during the entire regular season. It was his team?s success during the regular season that gave them the opportunity and privilege to play in the title game.

In this instance, it means you must use the strategies that made you successful in the first place.

So when a person asks me, "How many body parts should I train each workout?" I must tell them what has worked best for me and why I feel they also will benefit from my experiences. Without a doubt, training only one major body part during each workout has helped me pack-on muscle year after year.

*********************************
Skip La Cour?s web site: http://www.skiplacour.com

Sign up for my FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter: http://www.skiplacour.com/newsletter

Listen to Skip La Cour's Bodybuilding and Training Talk Radio Show every week at http://www.SkipLaCourRadio.com

**PleaseLetMeGet** · 05-08-2008, 03:31 PM

welcome to the boards Skip! amazing physique.

i was wondernig how long do u rest inbetween sets?

**skiplacour** · 05-08-2008, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by PleaseLetMeGet

welcome to the boards Skip! amazing physique.

i was wondernig how long do u rest inbetween sets?

Many bodybuilders often ask me what I think is the proper length of time to rest between sets. My answer is very simple:

You should rest long enough to get as close to 100 percent of your strength back--without losing your concentration and focus.

With the heavy training philosophy that I am sharing with you, I feel you must make sure you rest long enough to get most of your strength back before attacking another heavy set.

This is the only way I feel you can perform the next heavy set with enough weight, the right amount of intensity, and do so until absolute failure.

I oftentimes need to rest two minutes or longer between my heavy, working sets to get most of my strength back.

I?ll state it again to stress the importance: In order to efficiently initiate the muscle-building process, you must train as heavily as you can. In my opinion, it's simply not possible for you to do a set with the maximum amount of weight you are capable of lifting when you're still gasping for air after the last one.

Many bodybuilders feel that the ideal length of time is much shorter than a couple of minute--especially when they are trying to reduce their body fat. They make the conscious decision to lighten up on the weight and speed up their workouts by resting less time between sets. When I have asked them why they have decided to use this particular weight training strategy, they tell me that the purpose is to "burn more calories and thereby lose body fat".

I don't agree with this philosophy at all. The most efficient way to burn calories in order to reduce your body fat is through diet, cardiovascular training, or a combination of both methods at the same time.

Lightening up on the amount of weight you lift--especially during a calorie-deprived state will almost guarantee that you will lose quality muscle. During this time, you must fight hard to maintain and, preferably, build muscle mass. Heavy training is the only way that you?ll be able to accomplish this ambitious goal. You can only train heavily when you have waited long enough between sets and have regained most of your strength.

On the other hand, just because you are taking a little more time to rest between sets does not mean that you should squander it. Don't use the time between sets to let your mind wander or engage in conversations that will distract you. Use the time to refocus yourself on your training so you can lift the most weight possible on your next set.

*********************************

Skip La Cour?s web site: http://www.skiplacour.com

Sign up for my FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter: http://www.skiplacour.com/newsletter

Listen to Skip La Cour's Bodybuilding and Training Talk Radio Show every week at http://www.SkipLaCourRadio.com

**FitzChivalry** · 05-08-2008, 03:52 PM

Welcome.
Max-OT was my favorite program I have ever tried so far, but what are your feelings on the diet and its relation to science saying that you only need about 1 gram or slightly more of protein/lb of bodyweight? A 50/30/20 (about) ratio of protein, carbs, fat would give you a super amount of protein in a "bulking" phase.

**skiplacour** · 05-08-2008, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by FitzChivalry

Welcome.
Max-OT was my favorite program I have ever tried so far, but what are your feelings on the diet and its relation to science saying that you only need about 1 gram or slightly more of protein/lb of bodyweight? A 50/30/20 (about) ratio of protein, carbs, fat would give you a super amount of protein in a "bulking" phase.

Define what "bulking phase" means to you.

Thread: Skip La Cour - Mass Machine Bodybuilding (Training, Nutrition, Mindset, & Lifestyle)

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