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

[skiplacour]

The bodybuilding and fitness lifestyle should only be a short term solution to life's challenges – Morning Connection Podcast #24 (35 minutes)

Whether we realize it or not, many of us are attracted to the structured bodybuilding and fitness lifestyle because of the “safe place” and certainty we feel it provides for us in what we perceive to be an uncertain world. Many of us have found the lifestyle to be emotionally soothing and an effective distraction from life's challenges.

I appreciate your comments below and your social media likes, shares, and retweets to spread the good word!

Have a great day!

--Skip La Cour

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Train Hard. Think Big.






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unique and potent 3.5:2:1.5 amino ratio. The succulent Crimson Raspberry flavor tastes awesome!
Click Here to order Mass Machine Nutrition's MM300 BCAA SUPREME on Bodybuilding.com

[rcooper98]

Thanks for your response. It's not really a "burn", it's more of a fatigue. I am training in the 4-6 rep range still. I will post some videos when I have enough posts. Also, I wanted to mention I am one of those guys you mentioned in a previous Morning Connection that when I see 40+ minutes on a podcast that I choose to pass up on it till later and that later often comes WAY later. Thanks. Have a good one, Skip!

Great advice as always Skip! I also have a new daughter. My daughters are what motivates me! I want to be the best I can be in everything for them. And not to mention to run the boys off when they get older. When my first daughter was born I changed my gym time to 5am. This is a double win. First I get more time to spend with them after work, and secondly you never really have to miss a work out! My moto is 'if it was easy, everyone would be doin it.'

[skiplacour]

Great advice as always Skip! I also have a new daughter. My daughters are what motivates me! I want to be the best I can be in everything for them. And not to mention to run the boys off when they get older. When my first daughter was born I changed my gym time to 5am. This is a double win. First I get more time to spend with them after work, and secondly you never really have to miss a work out! My moto is 'if it was easy, everyone would be doin it.'

Hi rcooper98.

Congratulations with your baby girl! That's awesome.

You are so correct when you say "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it". That good advice. I have to remind myself of that often.

I'm still working on scheduling my day for optimal performance. Now I have 3 #1 priorities . . . my family, Mass Machine Nutrition, and being healthy! LOL

Welcome to the thread.

Train Hard. Think Big.

[skiplacour]

Check out my latest article on Bodybuilding.com . . .

6 Next Level Training Principles

Build a more successful workout foundation before your training starts! Follow these simple yet extremely effective tips and take your performance and productivity to an entirely different level.

Click Here to read this article.

[skiplacour]

BRAND NEW PODCAST!

Podcast #60 - September 4, 2013

Your Message Board Questions Answered - Advice To Get Yourself On Track

Click Here to listen and/or download this week's podcast.

36 minutes

Send me your FEEDBACK about this episode at skip@massmachinenutrition.com




Recover faster from workouts, increase protein synthesis, and rebuild quality muscle with this
unique and potent 3.5:2:1.5 amino ratio. The succulent Crimson Raspberry flavor tastes awesome!
Click Here to order Mass Machine Nutrition's MM300 BCAA SUPREME on Bodybuilding.com

[skiplacour]

Everyone who is great at what they do is compensating for something – Morning Connection Podcast #25 (34 minutes)

I’ll be the first one to admit that the level of success that I’ve achieved as a bodybuilder, coach, and fitness entrepreneur is the result of me “compensating” for other things going on inside my head. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what all those things are and were to this day!

It’s my belief that EVERYONE who is great at what they do is compensating for something in their lives so, if that’s you too, welcome to the club. You’re in good company. Embrace it as you work toward overall happiness and fulfillment in your life.

Just because you are not as committed as an expert who may be compensating for something in his or her life does NOT mean you can’t benefit from the extensive knowledge they’ve gained through their extreme focus and dedication.

I talk about all of this in this morning's podcast.

I appreciate your comments below and your social media likes, shares, and retweets to spread the good word!

Have a great day.

--Skip La Cour

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Train Hard. Think Big.






Recover faster from workouts, increase protein synthesis, and rebuild quality muscle with this
unique and potent 3.5:2:1.5 amino ratio. The succulent Crimson Raspberry flavor tastes awesome!
Click Here to order Mass Machine Nutrition's MM300 BCAA SUPREME on Bodybuilding.com

[trikunz]

Hello skip,
I'm trying to lose that last bit of body fat on my stomach. I'm going on two years of consistent lifting, and cardio (mostly running). I have tried a lot of things but I can't seem to lose it. I'm naturally a chubby person so putting on mass has been easy but getting to that shredded state still illudes me. I am an army soldier so I work out two times a day usually cardio in the morning with my company, and lifting in the evenings after work. Do you have any suggestions on how to help lose the last bit of fat?

[skiplacour]

Hello skip,
I'm trying to lose that last bit of body fat on my stomach. I'm going on two years of consistent lifting, and cardio (mostly running). I have tried a lot of things but I can't seem to lose it. I'm naturally a chubby person so putting on mass has been easy but getting to that shredded state still illudes me. I am an army soldier so I work out two times a day usually cardio in the morning with my company, and lifting in the evenings after work. Do you have any suggestions on how to help lose the last bit of fat?

Hi trikunz.

Welcome to this thread.

I can tell you with certainty that losing that last bit of stubborn body fat won't come down to more or different weight training weight training and/or cardio strategies.

It's going to come from adjustments to your diet. In many cases for a fit person like you, that may even include eating more food than you are currently eating (although that's seems counter-intuitive).

So, you'll need to fill me in on how you usually eat--and how consistent you are with those eating habits.

[skiplacour]

People who succeed at the highest levels focus on executing the "basics" at higher levels – Morning Connection Podcast #26 (28 minutes)

This is one “next level” distinction about success that many people who are new to their journey just don’t understand.

I appreciate your comments below and your social media likes, shares, and retweets to spread the good word!

Have a great day.

--Skip La Cour

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Train Hard. Think Big.





Click here to order Skip La Cour's Mass Machine Nutrition right here on Bodybuilding.com today.

[Charles956]

Skip, ZMA is gone? And answering one of your Morning Connection questions from yesterday, I listen to the Morning Connection on my laptop in the morning usually when I'm going about my morning routine but I have listened to it about twice on my Galaxy phone with headphones in the afternoon when I missed out on it in the morning for whatever reason.

[skiplacour]

Skip, ZMA is gone?

The demand has been great and Mass Machine Nutrition MM90 ZMA is currently out-of-stock on Bodybuilding.com. If you call in, some might be there by now.

And answering one of your Morning Connection questions from yesterday, I listen to the Morning Connection on my laptop in the morning usually when I'm going about my morning routine but I have listened to it about twice on my Galaxy phone with headphones in the afternoon when I missed out on it in the morning for whatever reason.

Cool, thanks for your input, Charles956.

Train Hard. Think Big.

[trikunz]

Hi trikunz.

Welcome to this thread.

I can tell you with certainty that losing that last bit of stubborn body fat won't come down to more or different weight training weight training and/or cardio strategies.

It's going to come from adjustments to your diet. In many cases for a fit person like you, that may even include eating more food than you are currently eating (although that's seems counter-intuitive).

So, you'll need to fill me in on how you usually eat--and how consistent you are with those eating habits.

Well I usually eat breakfast around 0615 right after we finish our morning runs. It usually consists of 3 scrambled eggs, 1 cup of oatmeal, 2bananas. i get to eat again around 1200 i stick with either chicken or tuna salad, with a bowl of vegetables (tomatoes, olives, and carrots), and about 1 cup of coleslaw or just a small salad. then dinner is usually forfiet due to time constraints of my job. I'm consistant in this until the weekends when we get time to do things on our own i usually eat the same for breakfast and i try to have a protein shake for dinner sometimes with a small salad or a hamburger.

I appericate your help in this matter.

[skiplacour]

Well I usually eat breakfast around 0615 right after we finish our morning runs. It usually consists of 3 scrambled eggs, 1 cup of oatmeal, 2 bananas. i get to eat again around 1200 i stick with either chicken or tuna salad, with a bowl of vegetables (tomatoes, olives, and carrots), and about 1 cup of coleslaw or just a small salad. then dinner is usually forfeit due to time constraints of my job. I'm consistent in this until the weekends when we get time to do things on our own i usually eat the same for breakfast and i try to have a protein shake for dinner sometimes with a small salad or a hamburger.

I appreciate your help in this matter.

Ok, trikunz. That's helpful.

It also supports what I suspected that, an active 21-year old like yourself, isn't eating ENOUGH food to signal to your body that it is okay to dump that stubborn, last bit of body fat.

I have some homework for you:

Get on the internet and figure out the best you can how many calories you are eating each day. Then, figure out how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you are eating.

It's good to know these numbers in order to make the needed adjustments to reach your specific goals.

Post those numbers here--and we'll continue from there.

Train Hard. Think Big.

[aussiedave]

Dear Skip,

What weaker bodyparts did you have when starting out?

When did you identify them?

What worked best in bringing these weak points up?

Do you have any pointers for chest development, in particular the inner chest. Its something ive trained for almost 9 years and its still subpar. Ive tried angles, different rep ranges, pre exhaustion, you name it. I really struggle to get a pump. The best pre pump and workout I can find is good ole push ups?!?!?!

Also calves? Yes I could train them harder, but my outer grow much easier than inner? Again, I try concentrate on what im doing, butbits as if I lift the weight with my ankles and the muslce just below the calf?@?!?! WTF !!!!

complete lifetime natty- **** chest!

[skiplacour]

Dear Skip,

What weaker bodyparts did you have when starting out?

When did you identify them?

What worked best in bringing these weak points up?

Do you have any pointers for chest development, in particular the inner chest. Its something ive trained for almost 9 years and its still subpar. Ive tried angles, different rep ranges, pre exhaustion, you name it. I really struggle to get a pump. The best pre pump and workout I can find is good ole push ups?!?!?!

Also calves? Yes I could train them harder, but my outer grow much easier than inner? Again, I try concentrate on what im doing, butbits as if I lift the weight with my ankles and the muslce just below the calf?@?!?! WTF !!!!

complete lifetime natty- **** chest!

Hi aussiedave.

Do you think your muscles groups just might not be genetically shaped the way you'd like them to be?

If that's the case, you might just have a embrace your strengths and camouflage (or just deal with) your weaknesses as we all do.

It sounds like you've been training a long time and have tried many different things.

I've seen plenty of lifetime natural bodybuilders with well-developed chests and and well-developed calves. I've also seen plenty of chemically assisted bodybuilders with sub-par chests development and sub-par calves development (compared to their other body parts).

Do you think being a lifetime natural is holding you back?

Or, do you truly feel after 9 years of training you haven't found the right set of strategies?

[trikunz]

Ok, trikunz. That's helpful.

It also supports what I suspected that, an active 21-year old like yourself, isn't eating ENOUGH food to signal to your body that it is okay to dump that stubborn, last bit of body fat.

I have some homework for you:

Get on the internet and figure out the best you can how many calories you are eating each day. Then, figure out how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you are eating.

It's good to know these numbers in order to make the needed adjustments to reach your specific goals.

Post those numbers here--and we'll continue from there.

Train Hard. Think Big.

First off I would just like to say thank you for your help and advice in this manner. I also got a chance to listen to your podcast for toady, and I am going to try and make it a part of my daily routine. I did the home work and was supprised to see how little i was actually eating on a normal week day.

Calories : 1,490
Fat(g): 74
Protein(g): 85
Carbs(g): 125

[skiplacour]

First off I would just like to say thank you for your help and advice in this manner. I also got a chance to listen to your podcast for toady, and I am going to try and make it a part of my daily routine. I did the home work and was supprised to see how little i was actually eating on a normal week day.

Calories : 1,490
Fat(g): 74
Protein(g): 85
Carbs(g): 125

Bingo, trikunz.

You need to find a way to double that daily caloric intake.

Trust me on this one.

Let me know how this works for you.

Train Hard. Think Big.

[valla]

Hi Skip,

In your recent article in #5 you mentioned proper warm up. Can you explain what does this involve?

[skiplacour]

Hi Skip,

In your recent article in #5 you mentioned proper warm up. Can you explain what does this involve?

Hi valla.

Welcome to this thread. It's great to have you here.

Watch this video and if you want me to explain the warm up process in more detail, let me know.

What Is The Best Way To Warm Up For A Workout? How Many Sets? How Many Reps? How Much Weight?

In this video, I explain the most effective and efficient approach to warm up sets. Follow this advice and you'll save the majority of your time and energy for the heavy, progressively overloading, muscle-stimulating working sets. It's the heavy, taxing working sets that initiate the muscle building process--not the warm up sets.



Train Hard. Think Big.

[skiplacour]

Finding people who you can relate to will make your journey a lot easier – Morning Connection Podcast #27 (34 minutes)

My Saturday morning ramblings.

I appreciate your comments below and your social media likes, shares, and retweets to spread the good word!

Have a great day.

--Skip La Cour

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Train Hard. Think Big.





Click here to order Skip La Cour's Mass Machine Nutrition right here on Bodybuilding.com today.

[ticalman2000]

Keep the personal stories in the podcast coming Skip, there's always something valuable to learn from others experiences.

Had to give you a shout out as I watched "Packing on Muscle" last night and then again this morning before the gym. It got me so fired up and lit a fire under my ass to be as intense as possible and I had an amazing workout. A guy at the gym even asked me if I was prepping for a contest, ha. Definetly learn so much from the motivational podcasts but watching the absolute intensity that you throw I to each rep of every set during your workouts is beyond inspirational and a good self check to be honest about how intense I'm actually being.

[antpitt]

Great to see you on here Skip! I competed in the '98 Team Universe as well and was amazed at your size and conditioning when I saw you in person. You and Chris Faildo are the 2 that I have looked to for many years for inspiration, thank you!!

[aussiedave]

Hi skip,

Great answer!

I think definetly there genetically shaped not the way Id prefer. Especially my chest, but I guess because ive had some growth in these weaker areas im wondering why the rest of it is taking so long.

Ive thought about the chemically assisted way for a long time. But essentially I came to the conclusion that why should a drug pick up my weak points if I have trouble picking them up now. Its only going to make me a bigger me and give me a false sense of over zealousness in the gym. As ive seen time and time again with other people go down that road.

I guess I just thought after almost a decade training (especially my chest as its the one thing I wanted most developed) id find a way to make it work or improve more.

[aussiedave]

Hi aussiedave.

Do you think your muscles groups just might not be genetically shaped the way you'd like them to be?

If that's the case, you might just have a embrace your strengths and camouflage (or just deal with) your weaknesses as we all do.

It sounds like you've been training a long time and have tried many different things.

I've seen plenty of lifetime natural bodybuilders with well-developed chests and and well-developed calves. I've also seen plenty of chemically assisted bodybuilders with sub-par chests development and sub-par calves development (compared to their other body parts).

Do you think being a lifetime natural is holding you back?

Or, do you truly feel after 9 years of training you haven't found the right set of strategies?

And yes, maybe i just havent found what works for me (those strategies) in those areas. Dammit

[skiplacour]

And yes, maybe i just havent found what works for me (those strategies) in those areas. Dammit

That's the exciting challenge of bodybuilding and training (and of life, for that matter) . . . continually pounding away . . . looking for that one strategy . . . that one distinction . . . that one new way of looking at things that will launch you to the next level. It's just like a engaging "zig saw puzzle" that you do everyday to attain your definition of the "ultimate physique". You'll never really know for sure until you try just "one more time".

Whether or not we ever find the "perfect" set of strategies, the beauty is in the passionate, dedicated pursuit of them, right?

Keep on keepin' on!

[aussiedave]

That's the exciting challenge of bodybuilding and training (and of life, for that matter) . . . continually pounding away . . . looking for that one strategy . . . that one distinction . . . that one new way of looking at things that will launch you to the next level. It's just like a engaging "zig saw puzzle" that you do everyday to attain your definition of the "ultimate physique". You'll never really know for sure until you try just "one more time".

Whether or not we ever find the "perfect" set of strategies, the beauty is in the passionate, dedicated pursuit of them, right?

Keep on keepin' on!

Thanks alot for your reply, answer and knowledge. So very true. Your a great guy.

Much appreciated,

David

[skiplacour]

Let's use this daily podcast to become more accountable to our goals – Morning Connection Podcast #28 (24 minutes)

You’re making this Morning Connection podcast one your daily rituals, right?

In this podcast, I suggest that we reserve some time after listening every day to put more focus on achieving some of our other goals in life.

We can make each other accountable to follow through with the things that we “say” we want to get better at in life.

I appreciate your comments below and your social media likes, shares, and retweets to spread the good word!

Have a great day.

--Skip La Cour

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Train Hard. Think Big.





Click here to order Skip La Cour's Mass Machine Nutrition right here on Bodybuilding.com today.

[skiplacour]

I'm not going to let you forget the goals you set for 2013. . . .



9-8-13

We begin Week #37 of 2013

Sound off MASS MACHINES!

What's one MAJOR thing you WILL accomplish this week that has been lingering--and you know you absolutely MUST get it done? It can be either inside or outside of the gym.

Commit to finally getting it done right here.

I will ask you this every single week in 2013 and do whatever I can to help you follow through. That's my commitment to YOU.


Click here and SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss out on over
24 years of experience and insight in emails, blogs, and videos.

[henderjb]

I will begin recording my workout in my training log this week & journaling daily again. Post-surgery, I was unable to write for 2 weeks as my writing hand was impaired. In addition, being able to train only unilaterally with my upper body,logging my workouts seemed pointless & journaling was challenging.

However, just like you said in your podcast about Pounding the Basics, I see the benefits of these disciplines & will be implementing them again.

Regarding recovery from my surgery to repair my distal bicep tendon tear, things are going great! This is a photo taken two weeks post-surgery with the bandage covering the incision on my right arm.


The therapist says my recovery is outstanding & the benefits of the health & fitness lifestyle in recovery is definitely shining through!

I'm not going to let you forget the goals you set for 2013. . . .

Sound off MASS MACHINES![/size][/b]

What's one MAJOR thing you WILL accomplish this week that has been lingering--and you know you absolutely MUST get it done? It can be either inside or outside of the gym.

Commit to finally getting it done right here.

[skiplacour]

Create CHECKLISTS for greater and more consistent productivity – Morning Connection Podcast #29 (24 minutes)

In today’s podcast, I share a very simply yet highly effective strategy that will help you become more productive both inside and outside of the gym.

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Here are the checklists that I mention in this podcast:

Skip La Cour's Training Standards Checklist

1. I will build upon my outstanding training habits by improving my form and range of motion—while still lifting heavy weight!

2. I will achieve these ambitious goals by taking my training performance to an entirely new level, paying meticulous attention to my nutritional habits, implementing efficient cardiovascular training, and mastering my emotional state on a consistent basis.

3. I will arrive at the gym on time—in a peak state and expecting to have an outstanding workout.

4. I will preframe and plan what it will take to have an outstanding workout and identify the challenges I must overcome.

5. I will constantly search for ways to become more efficient during my workouts.

6. I will constantly strive to learn more about training and the way my body responds to my training. I will record my observations for later use.

7. I will constantly strive to become more focused during my workout session. I will remain quiet from the moment I finish my last warm-up set until the end of my weight training to help my concentration.

8. I will strive to push myself to a higher level of performance during each workout by lifting more weight, doing more reps, improving my range of motion, improving my form, or all of the above.

9. I will constantly redefine what “absolute failure” means to me by pushing myself to give more effort than ever during every set. I will remind myself to do this before every set.

10. I will review and evaluate my daily workout performance—whether by doing so mentally or actually writing it down—after every session. I will ask myself What was great? What wasn’t perfect YET? What can I do to make my workouts more enjoyable, efficient, and/or productive?

11. I will finish my workout in a timely manner.

12. I will preframe and plan what it will take to have an outstanding workout during tomorrow’s session and identify the challenges I must overcome.

13. I will meet the cardiovascular training goals I set for myself each day.

14. I will take my post-workout supplements immediately after my training session.

15. I will start the recovery process immediately by eating meal #1 right after my workout.

Tyrus Reed’s Training Standards Checklist

1. I ate the right foods, the right amounts of foods, and ate my meals on time so that I had the strength to train hard and recover fully from my workout.

2. I was well-rested enough to have 100 percent of my physical energy to devote to my training session.

3. I have managed my personal affairs and my work life well enough so that I gave 100 percent of my mental focus and emotional energy into my training session.

4. I visualized my entire workout (every exercise) that I’ll do that day on my drive to the gym.

5. I knew how much weight and how many reps I must do to beat last week’s performance before I even stepped foot in the gym.

6. I arrived at the gym on time--ready to train both physically and mentally.

7. I knew what my goal was before every set.

8. After every set, I stopped for a moment, closed my eyes, and made sure I hit the targeted muscle group with as close to 100 percent efficiency as possible.

9. I did not do any unnecessary talking once I started my workout other than to talk about specific exercise execution or champion mindset observations.

10. I completed my workout in one hour or less.


I appreciate your comments below and your social media likes, shares, and retweets to spread the good word!
Have a great day.

--Skip La Cour

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Train Hard. Think Big.





Click here to order Skip La Cour's Mass Machine Nutrition right here on Bodybuilding.com today.