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

[ctgblue]

Welcome Skip, to Bodybuilding.com

[Prolab]

welcome skip!

[skiplacour]

Hi Guys:

I'm excited to be on this forum. Let me know how I can help you achieve your bodybuilding and training goals.

As you already know, there are many, many different training, nutrition, and nutritional supplementation strategies out there. There are people out there getting great results with an assortment of different methods. There are many professional bodybuilders on this forum that provide some awesome information. And, there are many other "experts" who claim that their way is the best way.

All of this information--if used properly--can potentially help you take your body to the next level.

What I've discovered after helping thousands of bodybuilders over the years is that your MENTAL APPROACH to the strategy you've chosen is what makes all the difference in the world. Oftentimes, your MINDSET is what will determine what?s going to work?and will not.

Helping you figure out the reasons WHY you do the things you do when it comes to your training, nutrition, and nutritional supplementation habits is what here to help you do most of all.

Your MIND is the powerful training tool you have.

Again, let me know how I can help you achieve your bodybuilding and training goals.

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

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

[antish]

holy sh*t .welcome skip,.great to have you here.what training approach do you rrecommend?

[antish]

that's awesome.now we do have some pros in this section.

[sk1nnyboy]

hey man welcome, nice of you to help people achieve their goals, just a questions do you recommend supplements for teenagers? or do you think they are not needed until reaching a plataeu etc by supplements i mean protein powder and creatine etc.

[a-dog]

hey skip,

I've read a ton of your writings and I even listen to your training show on the old IPOD. This past week you talked alot about max-OT cardio and one thing about that program always confused me, maybe I'm not reading it right but when you do it you set up the recumbant bike on "interval", that makes sense but do you go balls out for the whole 16 min or do you go hard for 1 minute and then a little easier for a mintue?

any help with this would be great.

[skiplacour]

holy sh*t .welcome skip,.great to have you here.what training approach do you rrecommend?

I have used just about every training strategy out there at one time or another over the years. All have worked to some degree.

From my experience, shorter training sessions, training each body part less frequently, fewer exercises and sets during each workout, fewer reps during each set, heavier weight, all done with the utmost intensity is what builds the most muscle in the shortest period of time.

I can get into the specifics as this thread progresses.

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

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

[skiplacour]

hey man welcome, nice of you to help people achieve their goals, just a questions do you recommend supplements for teenagers? or do you think they are not needed until reaching a plataeu etc by supplements i mean protein powder and creatine etc.

Supplements are just that. They are an ADDITION to all the things you are doing well and on a consistent basis with your training and eating.

Supplements are not designed to (and NEVER will) replace good training, eating, and mental habits.

Whether you are a teenager or an adult, it doesn't matter.

All supplements should NOT be treated equally. The intelligent bodybuilder creates a hierarchy of what he values and put emphasis on most.

Protein builds muscle. Protein powders and meal replacements should be at the top of your list. This is more like a standard FOOD ITEM than a "supplement" in my book.

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

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

[Ace28]

Awesome welcome aboard, true inspiration to some of us Skip!!!

[Loctus]

Welcome Skip! Enjoy your stay!

You're a great inspiration!

[Gym God]

Supplements are just that. They are an ADDITION to all the things you are doing well and on a consistent basis with your training and eating.

Supplements are not designed to (and NEVER will) replace good training, eating, and mental habits.

Whether you are a teenager or an adult, it doesn?t matter.

All supplements should NOT be treated equally. The intelligent bodybuilder creates a hierarchy of what he values and put emphasis on most.
Protein builds muscle. Protein powders and meal replacements should be at the top of your list. This is more like a standard FOOD ITEM than a ?supplement? in my book.

I think I am going to use this as quote sometime Skip, and yes you will get full credit for it.

Welcome to the boards!

[skiplacour]

hey skip,

I've read a ton of your writings and I even listen to your training show on the old IPOD. This past week you talked alot about max-OT cardio and one thing about that program always confused me, maybe I'm not reading it right but when you do it you set up the recumbant bike on "interval", that makes sense but do you go balls out for the whole 16 min or do you go hard for 1 minute and then a little easier for a mintue?

any help with this would be great.

During Max-OT Cardio, you go with everything you've got inside of you the entire 16 minutes. You are going "balls to the wall", as you put it, the whole time.

Whether you have it on "interval" or at a set resistance level, it doesn't matter. I prefer a challenging, set resistance level that I've documented and worked up to over time.

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

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

[a-dog]

During Max-OT Cardio, you go with everything you've got inside of you the entire 16 minutes. You are going ?balls to the wall?, as you put it, the whole time.

Whether you have it on "interval" or at a set resistance level, it doesn't matter. I prefer a challenging, set resistance level that I've documented and worked up to over time.

thank you, that cleared it up well for me.

[KarateChris]

Welcome to the boards.

[musclePavel]

Hey skip, welcome to the forum

when your talking about fewer reps, what rep ranges would that be?

[skiplacour]

Hey skip, welcome to the forum

when your talking about fewer reps, what rep ranges would that be?

I?ve have learned when I give out "numbers"--without a detailed explanation of why I believe those numbers effectively build the most muscle in the shortest period of time--it causes a lot of confusion.

The foundation to all effective training methods is the INTENSITY in which they are implemented.

That being said, it is easier for most people to put more intensity into what they do in the gym when LESS is required of them to do while they are there.

Metaphorically, training becomes more like a "sprint"--rather than a "middle-distance race" or a "marathon". The more you train in a sprint-like manner, the more intensity you will produce and the more effective your training will be. You do NOT want to train in a marathon-like manner (or even like a middle-distance race) if you want to build the most muscle in the shortest period of time.

Absorb this as a guiding principle for now and I will explain the specifics as this thread progresses.

Trust me on this one. I have learned this is a more effective way of explaining training strategies. When you throw out numbers without a lengthy explanation, people tend to make quick, reactive opinions (i. e. yes or no that will work) without enough experience or reference to make that decision.

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

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

[Mr...Genetics]

HELLO SKIP nice to have you hear wwelcome to the forum.

I actually quit my gym because is was to far to travel and the atmosphere was just like a fitness gym, now i workout in my garage and it is so much better, feels more intense training on my own and more focused, the only thing is i only have free weights a bench press and pull up bar so far ive managed to do every workout fine without any machines.My question is Do you think i can still get big without any the machines? cheers

[skiplacour]

HELLO SKIP nice to have you hear wwelcome to the forum.

I actually quit my gym because is was to far to travel and the atmosphere was just like a fitness gym, now i workout in my garage and it is so much better, feels more intense training on my own and more focused, the only thing is i only have free weights a bench press and pull up bar so far ive
managed to do every workout fine without any machines.My question is Do you think i can still get big without any the machines? cheers

Well, something is ALWAYS better than nothing. You weren't motivated to get to your gym on a consistent basis--so it doesn't matter what types of weights and machines it had there.

In this case, what you have in your garage is the best option with your current way of thinking.

There will be a time when "the next level" will be difficult to achieve with the limited resources that are available to you in your garage. Progressively overloading or taxing the muscles is what creates continual gains.

After you get to a certain point with what you are doing in your garage, we should discuss mental strategies to get you more focused in the gym that offers more and more effective equipment options.

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

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

[a-dog]

I've listened to the podcast of your show a few times, overall I really think you're preaching the right message with the whole "use your mind" angle. I really liked when you were you were doing your paul crib (?) imitation last week with the whole "why are you doing that"...it was good.

if I could critisize and this is a really small thing I don't like when someone is talking and you do the whole 'yeah....ok....ok...yeah....ok", I know it's a little thing and I know you're probably doing it to assure them that you are listening to them but to me it sounds like you just want them to shut up...don't take it the wrong way, I do like the show.

[skiplacour]

I've listened to the podcast of your show a few times, overall I really think you're preaching the right message with the whole "use your mind" angle. I really liked when you were you were doing your paul crib (?) imitation last week with the whole "why are you doing that"...it was good.

if I could critisize and this is a really small thing I don't like when someone is talking and you do the whole 'yeah....ok....ok...yeah....ok", I know it's a little thing and I know you're probably doing it to assure them that you are listening to them but to me it sounds like you just want them to shut up...don't take it the wrong way, I do like the show.

Thanks for listening to the show. Your point well taken.

One thing you have to remember with a talk radio show is that you are broadcasting to a large audience and each person has their own different needs.

I must keep the caller and the conversation moving. If I let him explain every exercise and every set he does during every workout, it gets BORING real quickly for everyone else.

I have to get his point quickly--and then open it up so that everyone can benefit from his question.

FYI - If you want to listen to this show, you can go to www.SkipLaCourRadio.com and set a reminder for the next one. If you want to listen to past episodes, you can do a couple of things:

1) Go to the www.SkipLaCourRadio.com web site and download them there, or

2) Go to your Apple iTunes Store; go to "Podcasts"; then do a search for "Skip La Cour". The shows will be downloaded automatically into the Podcast section on your computer when you SUBSCRIBE (it's FREE).

[a-dog]

Thanks for listening to the show. Your point well taken.

One thing you have to remember with a talk radio show is that you are broadcasting to a large audience and each person has their own different needs.

I must keep the caller and the conversation moving. If I let him explain every exercise and every set he does during every workout, it gets BORING real quickly for everyone else.

I have to get his point quickly--and then open it up so that everyone can benefit from his question.

FYI - If you want to listen to this show, you can go to www.SkipLaCourRadio.com and set a reminder for the next one. If you want to listen to past episodes, you can do a couple of things:

1) Go to the www.SkipLaCourRadio.com web site and download them there, or

2) Go to your Apple iTunes Store; go to "Podcasts"; then do a search for "Skip La Cour". The shows will be downloaded automatically into the Podcast section on your computer.

dont' take it the wrong way, I do enjoy the show and I guess your right with having to move the call along, I didn't consider that when i posted above.

good luck in the future and I look forward to this thread and your podcasts in the future.

[RnR]

hey skip!

I just wanted to give props to one hell of an inspiration!

[RippedGuitarist]

Hey Skip, great to have you here. You have an awesome physique. I'm curious as to what you feel is the most effective way to workout, sets, reps, exercises, rest times, splits and what the appropriate amount of intensity is. So I'll definitely be checking up on this thread as you give out these answers over time.

I like the fact that your talking about the mind as being a huge factor. You certainly have to believe what your doing is going to work, and you certainly have to have a good mind muscle connection. This is something Serge Nubret talks about a lot in his thread as well.

[skiplacour]

Hey Skip, great to have you here. You have an awesome physique. I'm curious as to what you feel is the most effective way to workout, sets, reps, exercises, rest times, splits and what the appropriate amount of intensity is. So I'll definitely be checking up on this thread as you give out these answers over time.

I like the fact that your talking about the mind as being a huge factor. You certainly have to believe what your doing is going to work, and you certainly have to have a good mind muscle connection. This is something Serge Nubret talks about a lot in his thread as well.

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.

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

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

[EVO-PT]

Welcome Skip, im a massive massive fan of you and AST.
Ive pretty much always used AST products and training style.

I have been thinking about how great it would be to become part of AST in Australia, seeing as though i believe so much in what you guys do.
Any advice how to do so?

Pm me if you can.

Thanx mate!

[markandspike]

Hi Skip.
At what stage in your development did you gain the most muscle mass. And what where the deciding factor which contribution to the gains ( can you give details).

Thanks
Mark
England

[skiplacour]

Welcome Skip, im a massive massive fan of you and AST.
Ive pretty much always used AST products and training style.

I have been thinking about how great it would be to become part of AST in Australia, seeing as though i believe so much in what you guys do.
Any advice how to do so?

Pm me if you can.

Thanx mate!

That?s a good question and one that I?m asked often.

If you want to become a part of ANY business, you must find a creative way (or ways) to help them make MONEY.

Your physical body is one way but, believe me, there are THOUSANDS of people who have great bodies. You are more than likely have to be much more creative than that.

I?ll share my thoughts on the business on bodybuilding and fitness throughout this thread.

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

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

[Kiwi_]

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.

[skiplacour]

Hi Skip.
At what stage in your development did you gain the most muscle mass. And what where the deciding factor which contribution to the gains ( can you give details).

Thanks
Mark
England

My biggest gains came during my first six months of training. Like most people who start taking eating and training seriously, the biggest gains came for me
at the very beginning.

After that point, the size and maturity came pretty much evenly and at a consistent basis.

The thing about contest preparation, however, is the tremendous ILLUSION of size improving your symmetry (how the body parts flow together and match) and conditioning (degree of leanness) creates.

I?m 5' 11". In my first contest after 13 months of training, I weighed 200 pounds on stage (not at weigh in). In my last contest 14 years later, I weighed 205 pounds on stage (not at the weigh in).

I took no breaks during my career. I was a serious bodybuilder the entire time. I entered something like 28 shows. The only year I did not compete was during my second year of training.

Obviously QUALITY and QUANTITY are NOT the same thing. Size isn't as important as many people think when it comes to bodybuilding competition.

How much muscle in that time period? How much body fat compared to muscle? I?m not really sure because it doesn't matter when you are trying to win on stage. I have never really worried much about size too much.

A perfectly proportioned, symmetrical body that is very lean will look HUGE in pictures.

When creatine was introduced back in the day, the way it forces water INTO the muscle--and being very lean--made me look as though I made huge gains that year. When I finally learned what I was doing as far as contest preparation goes, I was able to give the illusion of looking bigger on stage too.

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

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