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

[Msmithbye]

Hi skip, I'm 16 5ft 9 and 78kg and about 15% bf I've been training for about 9 months now and I have had some good Gaines but now summer comes up in 12 weeks so I wanna drop about 5-7 % is that possible If I train hard and have good nutrition and would I be able to gain abit more muscle as well Im really confused when it comes to nutrition i know whats good and bad to eat but im not sure about how much calories etc i should be taking in just let me know if you need me to post my workout/diet routine Thanks for your time really appreciate it from matt

[skiplacour]

Hi skip, I'm 16 5ft 9 and 78kg and about 15% bf I've been training for about 9 months now and I have had some good Gaines but now summer comes up in 12 weeks so I wanna drop about 5-7 % is that possible If I train hard and have good nutrition and would I be able to gain abit more muscle as well Im really confused when it comes to nutrition i know whats good and bad to eat but im not sure about how much calories etc i should be taking in just let me know if you need me to post my workout/diet routine Thanks for your time really appreciate it from matt

Hi Matt.

Taking all of this information can be really confusing during your first year, can't it?

It sounds like you are doing a great job so far--so keep it up.

One step at at time. One good day of training at a time. One good day of eating at a time. Be patient and you will continue to learn more and make improvements.

I don't know of too many people that don't want more significant results NOW--so you aren't alone if you feel that way.

The best advice I can give you right now about your goal of getting lean is don't worry about how to get that "number" for your body fat percentage--just look in the mirror and let that be your guide.

Here's a video about determining how much you should eat:



I can help you better with the more SPECIFIC questions you have that relate to EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING (as opposed to asking questions about you have heard or read or what's being debated on the internet or in the gym).

Listing everything that you are eating and your workout routine would assume that what you are doing is "wrong." You might have everything in line FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME you've been doing this. Who knows? Asking someone to break it all down after posting will only overwhelm you. Trust me.

Tell me what your "Top 2" specific questions at this stage are.

Train Hard. Think Big.

[SpartanByNature]

Hey Mr. La Cour!

I have been doing your mass machine training for two years now. On my last 8 week long routine I didn't make any weight or rep improvements on chest and tricep exercises. Is this normal? I went up in all of my back exercises steadily for the whole 8 weeks and there where some slight improvements on every other muscle groups. But man, my chest and triceps, no improvement!

[skiplacour]

Hey Mr. La Cour!

I have been doing your mass machine training for two years now. On my last 8 week long routine I didn't make any weight or rep improvements on chest and tricep exercises. Is this normal? I went up in all of my back exercises steadily for the whole 8 weeks and there where some slight improvements on every other muscle groups. But man, my chest and triceps, no improvement!

Hi SpartanByNature.

Is that "normal"? No.

During the first week and final week of Mass Machine Training, you should be working in the 6 to 8 rep range. All the other weeks should be in the 4 to 6 rep range.

So, with such a variance of what's expected from you during each set (which could be as much as a 4 rep difference within just one set), there would simply have to be improvements in weight if you are setting yourself up correctly simply because you are expected to do so fewer reps.

During your first week, you should be setting yourself to be able to add more weight and/or do more reps in the following weeks. You really shouldn't even come close to "maxing out" until about Week #5 or #6.

So, it may all be in how you are implementing the progression.

Start less aggressively during your next training cycle.

Also, you need to remember there are many other ways to improve the quality of your workout from week to week other than weight lifted and reps performed during each set.

Form, feel, execution, hitting the targeted muscle more squarely, better mind-muscle connection, more intensity, more confidence, and better understanding are nuances to "next level" training and are sometimes more important than weight and reps when you've already accomplished a high level of performance.

You can't always go up in weight and reps forever.

Try implementing those things to execute Mass Machine Training more effectively.

That's how you will get the most out of it.


Click here to order Mass Machine Nutrition right here on Bodybuilding.com.

Train Hard. Think Big.

[SpartanByNature]

Hi SpartanByNature.

Is that "normal"? No.

During the first week and final week of Mass Machine Training, you should be working in the 6 to 8 rep range. All the other weeks should be in the 4 to 6 rep range.

So, with such a variance or what could be 4 reps within one set, there would have to be improvements in weight if you are setting yourself us correctly simply because you are expected to do so fewer reps.

During your first weeks, you should be setting yourself to be able to add more weight or do more reps in the following weeks. You really should even come close to "maxing out" until about Week #5 or #6.

Start less aggressively your next training cycle.

Also, you need to remember there are many other weights to improve the quality of your workout other than weight and reps.

Form, feel, execution, hitting the targeted muscle more squarely, better mind-muscle connection, more intensity, more confidence, and better understanding are nuances to "next level" training and are sometimes more important than weight and reps WHEN YOU'VE already accomplished a high level of performance.

You can't always go up in weight and reps forever.

Try implementing those things to execute Mass Machine Training more effectively.

That's how you will get the most out of it.


Train Hard. Think Big.

OK, I haven't used this 6 to 8 rep strategy on first and last week. How exactly i should do this? Let's say that i finished my last 8 week cycle getting 5 reps with 225 on bench press. How much should i lower the weight when i start my next routine?

[atw1552]

Hey Skip, atw1552 here. It is wonderful to see you on here still plugging away, helping people wade through the myriad of information available on the market. I am still training, still learning, still plugging away here as well. Just stopping in to say hi. I hope your business is growing and thriving and all is well.

[skiplacour]

OK, I haven't used this 6 to 8 rep strategy on first and last week. How exactly i should do this? Let's say that i finished my last 8 week cycle getting 5 reps with 225 on bench press. How much should i lower the weight when i start my next routine?

Make sure you implement the 6 to 8 rep scheme during Week #1 and Week #10 during your next training cycle, SpartanByNature.

That's part of what makes this [b]Mass Machine Training[b].

By just taking yourself through the process exactly as I have outlined it, you'll actually EXPERIENCE many of the "next level" physical and mental strategies that will help you perform at a higher level--instead of trying to "theorize" what it would be like at a place that you've never been before.

I have many, many things built into this Mass Machine Training Program that will have you training and thinking like a true "Mass Machine" and are so counter-intuitive to how regular people would naturally think that's it's not a good use of energy trying to explain each and every one of them before a person actually experiences them. They wouldn't "make sense."

As far as what weight you should use to start your next routine . . .

If a person tries to make decisions solely based on what they've done in the past, how would they ever improve?

You are going to have to make those decisions for yourself--and Mass Machine Training will help you challenge yourself to use your MIND more effectively so your demand a higher level of performance out of yourself which lead to more significant and quicker gains.

Consider these scenarios that would make "perfect sense" either way that was chosen:

You could look at your situation and say to yourself . . .

I've been stuck at 225 for 8 weeks. Now, I am supposed to do 6 to 8 reps during this Week #1. Screw this. I'm not going down in weight! I am DETERMINED on getting at least 6 reps with 225!"

Then, you get all 6 of them and say to yourself . . .

Holy crap! I friggin' surprised myself! I'm glad I didn't go down in weight. 6 was a challenge--but wasn't nearly as hard as I thought would be. I am going to be up to 250 by the time this cycle is over!

Or, you could say to yourself . . .

Well, I was ONLY able to get 5 at 225 at my strongest last cycle. So, there no way I can stay in the 6 to 8 rep range with the same weight. I better drop it down to 185 and be 'realistic.'

And then you get 8 reps with that . . . perfectly executing a less empowered, less optimistic self-fulfill prophecy.

By the end of Week #10, you may be back up to 225--because that's all you expect out of yourself.

The differences in the way you think will create a MASSIVE difference in what you produce--especially stacked up over time.

Train Hard. Think Big.


Click here to order Mass Machine Nutrition right here on Bodybuilding.com.

[skiplacour]

Hey Skip, atw1552 here. It is wonderful to see you on here still plugging away, helping people wade through the myriad of information available on the market. I am still training, still learning, still plugging away here as well. Just stopping in to say hi. I hope your business is growing and thriving and all is well.

Great to hear you're doing well, atw1552!

[Msmithbye]

Hi Matt.

Taking all of this information can be really confusing during your first year, can't it?

It sounds like you are doing a great job so far--so keep it up.

One step at at time. One good day of training at a time. One good day of eating at a time. Be patient and you will continue to learn more and make improvements.

I don't know of too many people that don't want more significant results NOW--so you aren't alone if you feel that way.

The best advice I can give you right now about your goal of getting lean is don't worry about how to get that "number" for your body fat percentage--just look in the mirror and let that be your guide.


I can help you better with the more SPECIFIC questions you have that relate to EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING (as opposed to asking questions about you have heard or read or what's being debated on the internet or in the gym).

Listing everything that you are eating and your workout routine would assume that what you are doing is "wrong." You might have everything in line FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME you've been doing this. Who knows? Asking someone to break it all down after posting will only overwhelm you. Trust me.

Tell me what your "Top 2" specific questions at this stage are.

Train Hard. Think Big.

Thanks skip I really admire what you do and all the hard work your doing to give back to everyone, my two questions would have to be
What's the main thing you need to know when it comes to nutrition and training to be a bodybuilder? And Do you think my goals to drop about 8 kgs I would think in 12 weeks is to challenging even if I do all the "right" things? Thanks again matt

[skiplacour]

Thanks skip I really admire what you do and all the hard work your doing to give back to everyone, my two questions would have to be
What's the main thing you need to know when it comes to nutrition and training to be a bodybuilder?

Be consistent with the plan you've chosen--no matter which plan it is. As you know, everyone will tell you that this is the "right" way to train and/or eat and, if you do anything else, they'll tell you that you are doing it "wrong."

The truth is that is building a great body is NOT an "all' or "nothing" endeavor. On a scale from 1 to 10, you don't have to use perfect "10" strategies exclusively--or you'll be wasting your time.

Even with a few strategies that are only 5s, 6s, 7s, and 8s, you can still make some great progress over time--even if it takes you more time than if you used only "10s."

Using 5s, 6s, 7s, and 8s, working hard, and constantly striving for a higher level of understanding, you'll gain experience and insight that will help you learn how to get them up to 8s, 9s, and 10s.

Be patient.

Too many people get frustrated and can't keep moving forward because they aren't sure they are doing everything "right." They can't deal with that uncertainty.

And Do you think my goals to drop about 8 kgs I would think in 12 weeks is to challenging even if I do all the "right" things? Thanks again matt

I don't know anything about what kind of shape you are in now or how bad your habits are now to know if you can do that in a healthy manner. If you have had had awesome habits for the last 9 months, it will be tougher to achieve than if you have admittedly been slacking.

But like I already mentioned, don't worry about some number on the scale. Worry about how you look in the mirror.

You really don't want to lose 8gks (17 1/2 pounds)--you want to LOOK a certain way Focus on that. What if the way you wanted to look only required you to lose 4 kg?

It is possible? Well, sure. If you cut off your right leg, that would be around 8 kg.

That wouldn't be a healthy way to lose weight, right? But you would lose the weight you wanted.

Well, I'm not sure what you would have to do to lose the weight you want.

Train Hard. Think Big,

[skiplacour]

BRAND NEW PODCAST!

Podcast #49 - June 19, 2013

Working Toward Your Goals With A "Sense of Urgency"



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

30 minutes

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


Click Here to order Mass Machine Nutrition's MM300 BCAA SUPREME on Bodybuilding.com

[emanuelahmed]

I guess thats some though love right?
I just need to stop complaining and step it up on the cardio and nutrition! How low how you advise to go on the calories? And how soon? I don't want to cut too much too early.

Ps: yesterday was leg day, I smashed all the previous weights and/or reps and smashed the calories and distance on the cardio! The right mindset got me there! I psyqued myself that today nothing less then beating my calories and/or distance is acceptable!