Tom-the secrets

[b_chest31]

I was wondering if you'd let some of us know how you stayed in such great shape and got huge and stayed lean this past off-season.
I believe you added in cardio to your off-season diet was that the main thing. Also how many times and long did you perform cardio after your training this off-season?

[SHOT]

My guess is...

1. hard work
2. great diet
3.he is a freak

[Pro Tom Prince]

My usual bodyfat and weight was a pretty steady 308-310 pounds, and 9 1/2% bodyfat. I also held a decent amount of water at that weight, though I never had a fat, bloaty look. 300+ pounds, was becoming to much of a stress on my body. I had always liked how I felt at a lighter weight, but always strived to gain more and more mass, so my weight kept climbing over the years. I decided that for health reasons, I'd drop a little weight and bodyfat.

I'll give you a short outline as to what I did differently this past off-season, from what I had done in the past.

1: Cut my number of sets down to 9-11 per bodypart. Actually, chest and back were 11 sets each.. every other bodypart was 9 sets, total. For the previous 10 years, I had done 14 sets for chest and nack, 12 for bi's and tri's, 15 for delts, and 9 for quads and hams, each.

2: Cut protein intake to 225-250 grams/day. Keep carbs at 600/day. First time that I've EVER restricted calories or kept track of calories in the off-season.

3: Cardio: Did cardio for 3 weeks (alternating treadmill/stationary bike). First time I've ever done cardio in the off-season, either. Week #1, did 20 minutes of cardio, 6 days. week. Week #2: 25 minutes cardio x 6 days/week. Week #3: 40 minutes cardio (20 a.m.-20 p.m.), 6 days/ week.

*NOTE: Stopped cardio after 3 weeks, because my bodyweight went from 304-285. My goal was to 8% bodyfat (which was 285 pounds). I didn't think I needed more cardio, as long as I stayed at 8% bodyfat. The diet stayed the same, even with no cardio.

4: Stopped training in heavy 5-6 rep range, and upped all my reps to 10-12 reps per set. Obviously, my weights had to come down some. This was to save my badly deteriorated shoulders, elbows, and knees, which no longer had the benefit of the "gear" to help lubricate the joints and mask the pain.

Those are the 4 major things. Not sure if this will help, but it may be interesting just to see how I did it.

[J.S.B.]

Originally posted by tom prince
My usual bodyfat and weight was a pretty steady 308-310 pounds, and 9 1/2% bodyfat. I also held a decent amount of water at that weight, though I never had a fat, bloaty look. 300+ pounds, was becoming to much of a stress on my body. I had always liked how I felt at a lighter weight, but always strived to gain more and more mass, so my weight kept climbing over the years. I decided that for health reasons, I'd drop a little weight and bodyfat.

I'll give you a short outline as to what I did differently this past off-season, from what I had done in the past.

1: Cut my number of sets down to 9-11 per bodypart. Actually, chest and back were 11 sets each.. every other bodypart was 9 sets, total. For the previous 10 years, I had done 14 sets for chest and nack, 12 for bi's and tri's, 15 for delts, and 9 for quads and hams, each.

2: Cut protein intake to 225-250 grams/day. Keep carbs at 600/day. First time that I've EVER restricted calories or kept track of calories in the off-season.

3: Cardio: Did cardio for 3 weeks (alternating treadmill/stationary bike). First time I've ever done cardio in the off-season, either. Week #1, did 20 minutes of cardio, 6 days. week. Week #2: 25 minutes cardio x 6 days/week. Week #3: 40 minutes cardio (20 a.m.-20 p.m.), 6 days/ week.

*NOTE: Stopped cardio after 3 weeks, because my bodyweight went from 304-285. My goal was to 8% bodyfat (which was 285 pounds). I didn't think I needed more cardio, as long as I stayed at 8% bodyfat. The diet stayed the same, even with no cardio.

4: Stopped training in heavy 5-6 rep range, and upped all my reps to 10-12 reps per set. Obviously, my weights had to come down some. This was to save my badly deteriorated shoulders, elbows, and knees, which no longer had the benefit of the "gear" to help lubricate the joints and mask the pain.

Those are the 4 major things. Not sure if this will help, but it may be interesting just to see how I did it.

Tom-

Looking back, do you think this is a better way to train as opposed to a traditional off-season?
Could you have achieved the same results, without the wear and tear?

[Pro Tom Prince]

J.S.B.: I get asked that question ALOT. Could you have made the same gains training with weights that allow for 10-12 reps, insteas of the heavy 5-6 rep sets you uised for the bulk of your career?

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. I BELIEVE so.

I know that when I switched to 10-12 reps, I got better pumps, my joints hurt less, I felt the muscle I was training better, and the size of each of my muscles, remained the same (even being "clean" for 7 months).

BUT, that's after 17 years of training. What if I was on year #3.. would I have gotten the same results? I honestly think so. However, for anyone reading this.. there is another answer.

As long as your joints are healthy, you don't need to go one way, or the other. Do BOTH. One workout: Heavy 5-8. One workout, still heavy, just 10-12 reps and heavy. Mix it up.

This is always where Bob and I finish every training conversation with our own personal training mantra, becausae way too many people overthink all of this (like Bob's buddy, Layne, for instance): Just f**king train!

[scott_donald]

Originally posted by tom prince
J.S.B.: I get asked that question ALOT. Could you have made the same gains training with weights that allow for 10-12 reps, insteas of the heavy 5-6 rep sets you uised for the bulk of your career?

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. I BELIEVE so.

I know that when I switched to 10-12 reps, I got better pumps, my joints hurt less, I felt the muscle I was training better, and the size of each of my muscles, remained the same (even being "clean" for 7 months).

BUT, that's after 17 years of training. What if I was on year #3.. would I have gotten the same results? I honestly think so. However, for anyone reading this.. there is another answer.

As long as your joints are healthy, you don't need to go one way, or the other. Do BOTH. One workout: Heavy 5-8. One workout, still heavy, just 10-12 reps and heavy. Mix it up.

This is always where Bob and I finish every training conversation with our own personal training mantra, becausae way too many people overthink all of this (like Bob's buddy, Layne, for instance): Just f**king train!

yep i like to keep things nice and simple....

i have started doin a upper heavy, lower heavy - upper light, lower light and love it...

mostly compounds excep for bis...

[b_chest31]

Thanks,
I'm having troubles gaining muscle and staying lean, so I'm adding cardio. My diet is quite clean here's a rundown.
7:30 6 jumbo egg whites, and 1 yolk, oatmeal w/ nat. pb.
10:30 Pro Complex, w/ Olive oil
1:30 8 oz. chicken w/ sweet potato fries
5:00 8 oz. chicken or can of tuna w/ oatmeal and PB
7:00 pw drink whey, and 70 grams of dextrose
8:00 8 oz. of chicken
10:00 Pro Complex w/ nat. pb

Lean beef and chicken can be switched.

[ronmolina]

Your size is amazing.

[J.S.B.]

Originally posted by tom prince
J.S.B.: I get asked that question ALOT. Could you have made the same gains training with weights that allow for 10-12 reps, insteas of the heavy 5-6 rep sets you uised for the bulk of your career?

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. I BELIEVE so.

I know that when I switched to 10-12 reps, I got better pumps, my joints hurt less, I felt the muscle I was training better, and the size of each of my muscles, remained the same (even being "clean" for 7 months).

BUT, that's after 17 years of training. What if I was on year #3.. would I have gotten the same results? I honestly think so. However, for anyone reading this.. there is another answer.

As long as your joints are healthy, you don't need to go one way, or the other. Do BOTH. One workout: Heavy 5-8. One workout, still heavy, just 10-12 reps and heavy. Mix it up.

This is always where Bob and I finish every training conversation with our own personal training mantra, becausae way too many people overthink all of this (like Bob's buddy, Layne, for instance): Just f**king train!

Thanks for the response. This is true, I guess everyone is guilty of overthinking everything at times, especially the longer you've been training. With all the info. out there these days it's easy to get caught up second guessing yourself.