Let's talk - Natural Mr Olympia gives advice

[soccerdad5]

Congratulations on getting your pro card! That's an awesome achievement!!
What does your off season training and diet look like now?

John, I took 1 week off then my current calories are 3,628 and my protein is 306, fats 120 and Carbs 330 the past 3 weeks. I am probably up over this 200-300 calories 2x per week.

The past 2 years I have been doing each body part 2 times per week but have changed that up to 1 time per week but doing chest 2 times per week (need improvement). Hanging in the 8-12 rep range during these next 4-6 weeks. FST-7 Training. Let me know your thoughts. I respect your opinion a lot. I have a window of opportunity getting on stage and competing at a high level but come May my gains will stop and I will be competing in 3-4 IFBB shows next year.

[matthew2474]

Lol yeah this is ridiculous, how many people believe this is natural. Especially for old he is. Lol at the comment of you taking it only to maintain the muscle you had. Just lol. wouldn't of said anything until i seen so many asinine comments to intensebrah.

Guys do your research, you'll be surprised what youll find.

It doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to him, he has good advice but when you spout off you being natty dvery time you open your mouth , kinda makes you seem defensive

[bic_staedtler]

Old man I know this was supposed to be your moment of glory but the only glory you're gonna have is that 5 cent senior discount you get on your coffee at McDonalds. Make it a decaf next time.

You really ran the gambit with this post. Basically all you did was insult me while dodging the question I asked you in the previous post. Do you believe someone can use steroids and work out with high intensity and stay the same? Do you believe this? We both know why you didn't answer that. It's not possible, and you don't believe it.

I have an old account I made when I was 16 that is still here. The only thing missing from it is the original profile pic, I just checked. What does the website changing have to do with you being on an alt account? This isn't your main account. You didn't just pull an old account from 2004 out and make the very first post on it in this thread. You're lying. You just got caught. It's cool, but stop doing it.

The last paragraph you typed literally makes no sense. "Everything John has done flies in the face of what you believe." I truly have no idea what the **** that was even supposed to mean. Judging by the zingy manner you threw it out in, I'm sure it was supposed to have impact. Things have more impact when they make sense so bare that in mind for the future.

You're absolutely right about one thing, John knows way more about bodybuilding than me. He has more knowledge and has done more not just in the sport of bodybuilding, but in the field of bodybuilding outside of competition. He knows way more about every facet of the game and is more accomplished within this field than I will ever be. I respect him for that. As such this is my last post in this thread because our argument is detracting from people getting their questions answered, and that's something I do not want.

If I went into a baseball forum Barry Bonds posted in and called him out on his use I'd get flamed by everyone and told I was an idiot, a troll, to kill myself, etc. I'm on someone else's home turf this is to be expected. Doesn't bother me one bit. It is what it is. Some red squares in my cp aren't going to make me reevaluate my life. It's gonna be hard man, but, somehow some way I think I'll pull through from this.

As far as "somebody putting me in my place". Again.

Make it a decaf next time.

Holy ****, you really do care about what some 'old guy' who has made 3 posts in 10 years thinks, so in order to wrap this up Mr IntenseBra, let me quote you: " You're absolutely right about one thing, John knows way more about bodybuilding than me. He has more knowledge and has done more not just in the sport of bodybuilding, but in the field of bodybuilding outside of competition. He knows way more about every facet of the game and is more accomplished within this field than I will ever be. I respect him for that."

I'm right about all the things I said, Bra. You're in meltdown and enjoy thinking you're right when in fact you're a clown by your own admission. You actually have no respect for John, for if you did, you wouldn't even consider making the post you made. I'd spell this out, but why bother...it's boring and you already know everything, right?

Let me waste more time talking steroids. You think that using steroids ONCE, and allowing decades to pass means that your body is forever changed (for the better, pfft!) and that somehow nullifies all the advice that John can give because he used steroids for a short period, after training for many years naturally. You have a very hard time understanding this. You're so confused about the 'science' you think you know, you don't even realize how stupid you actually sound. Everybody else does, though, so don't worry about that. Moving on. You believe that John's taking steroids (admittedly) means that his body is completely different on some beneficial way so as to demerit his advice to others without his having to explain his history with said drugs. Buy his book, you cheap bastard. And you wonder why he gets annoyed that chumps like you crawl out from under their rocks to spout out some 'knowledge'?

Here's the final verdict, you little troll. John has lived a bodybuilding lifestyle his entire life. A short period of that time he took steroids, saw some gains, then stopped using them and carried on. What's so hard to digest here? Bill Pearl did the exact same thing (you could spend a few of your dollars on his book too but I'm sure you've got better things to spend your welfare check on). Both made some gains, but because they did not ABUSE steroids like every other bodybuilder you've ever heard of, they didn't see any real gains from their experimentation. And that's the end of the story, Bra. Now here's the hard part: just leave this alone. Leave it alone, Bra! Go on with your life, like you'll pull through this!

PFFFT....and your mere mention about red squares is ****ing hilarious. Like you don't go in there and count your beloved little self-affirming rep points, BWAHAHAHAHA!
Enjoy that free time of yours. But for God's sake, please stop talking about bodybuilding. You obviously know nothing, and because of that, you feel you must attack those who do...all under the thinly disguised veil of 'telling the truth' or 'being honest'. You're a bra, Bra. Go do something with your life now...like, right now, this very moment, right away. Time's ticking, Bra!

That is all.

[Natural_O]

John, I took 1 week off then my current calories are 3,628 and my protein is 306, fats 120 and Carbs 330 the past 3 weeks. I am probably up over this 200-300 calories 2x per week.

The past 2 years I have been doing each body part 2 times per week but have changed that up to 1 time per week but doing chest 2 times per week (need improvement). Hanging in the 8-12 rep range during these next 4-6 weeks. FST-7 Training. Let me know your thoughts. I respect your opinion a lot. I have a window of opportunity getting on stage and competing at a high level but come May my gains will stop and I will be competing in 3-4 IFBB shows next year.

The calories and macros look fine if you are not putting on too much fat with those amounts. As for your training, I used a training method last year to add size that really helped. I did cycles of Power Training (3-5 reps) and Mass Training (6-10 reps). Each cycle was 6 weeks long with a one week break in between cycles (I actually just went light for a week, I didn't take it off). I was able to get much stronger using this and then was able to use that weight and train heavier for the more traditional mass building reps (6-10). This training method works great when you are eating more calories because you will have the energy to train heavier. I only trained 4 days a week in order to recuperate enough to get bigger.

[soccerdad5]

Thanks John. Will complete this workout cycle I am on now then try a power training and mass training. That 12-13 weeks you suggested will get me through December.

The calories and macros look fine if you are not putting on too much fat with those amounts. As for your training, I used a training method last year to add size that really helped. I did cycles of Power Training (3-5 reps) and Mass Training (6-10 reps). Each cycle was 6 weeks long with a one week break in between cycles (I actually just went light for a week, I didn't take it off). I was able to get much stronger using this and then was able to use that weight and train heavier for the more traditional mass building reps (6-10). This training method works great when you are eating more calories because you will have the energy to train heavier. I only trained 4 days a week in order to recuperate enough to get bigger.

[FitnessguruBj]

This was very enlightening and a great introduction of yourself to me. Definitely going to look more into you man!

Hey Guys, I saw you were talking about me so I thought I would jump in here. I appreciate the comments about how big I am. That is the natural bodybuilder's ultimate compliment, to be big enough that some people question whether you are natural or not.

I started bodybuilding at 14 years old and I was pretty skinny, 135 pounds at 5'8". I didn't have great genetics for putting muscle on very quickly as some bodybuilders do. I had a good frame (wide shoulders, big ribcage, etc) but it took me YEARS before I had built enough mass. I started competing at 16 years old and I got sort of addicted to competing in bodybuilding competitions for the next few years. I entered 10 teenage contests between the ages of 16-19 years old. The biggest I got as a teenager was about 185 pounds and I would compete at around 170-175 pounds.

When I reached my 20th birthday, I was no longer eligible to compete as a teenager so I decided to take at least a year off to get bigger. My goal when I started bodybuilding was to win the Mr. Universe and be featured in the magazines like the bodybuilders I admired when I was growing up (Arnold, Franco, Frank Zane, Robby Robinson, Lou Ferrigno, Mike Mentzer and Kal Szkalak). I wanted to bulk up to at least 100 pounds heavier than when I started bodybuilding and then work my way up the ladder from the Mr. Illinois to the Mr. Midwest to the Mr. America to the Mr. Universe.

Within 6 months after my last teenage contest, my bodyweight shot up to 205 pounds. I think this was a reaction to finally being off my pre-contest diet for awhile and letting my body grow. When I was competing so much as a teen, I was dieting every 3-4 months and I never gave myself time to grow and get big.

I thought for sure I would be 230 in another six months. Unfortunately, my body reached a sticking point and I couldn't get bigger no matter what I did. I started bulking up by eating even more food than I was eating previously. I had to eat so much food to get bigger, it was unbelievable! I actually got tired of eating so much. After awhile, it started to work. I was able to train heavier and heavier every week using the basic exercises. The more calories I ate, the more weight I was able to lift at the gym. I increased my strength by lifting really heavy. For my last couple sets, I would shoot for 3 reps on my own and have my training partner give me another 2-3 forced reps. This really helped to get me stronger (and eventually, bigger).

After six months of this bulking up program, I weighed 230 pounds. I was pretty bulky, believe me. I looked more like a football player than a bodybuilder but by doing this, I had the mass I needed to compete over 200 pounds. So, that's how I did it. It was a lot of eating good bodybuilding foods along with training heavy using the basic execises four days a week. I trained chest, delts, triceps and calves on Monday and Thursday and legs, back and biceps on Tuesday and Friday. I covered this routine in my book "Natural Bodybuilding" and in my new DVD, "Natural Bodybuilding Seminar and Competitions". Incidently, my new DVD features not only a 90 minute seminar on training and nutrition but also most of the natural bodybuilding competitions I competed in from 1991 to 2004. This is very interesting as you will be able to see the progress I make from each year in the competitions. I also have a commentary option on the DVD so you can listen to my thoughts on how I prepared for each show, what went right and what went wrong, what happened behind the scenes, etc.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to express my thoughts!

[Natural_O]

Thanks John. Will complete this workout cycle I am on now then try a power training and mass training. That 12-13 weeks you suggested will get me through December.

Good Luck! Let me know how it goes.

[Natural_O]

This was very enlightening and a great introduction of yourself to me. Definitely going to look more into you man!

Thank you Fitnessguru

[Dream83]

Hey John,

In your experience do you think that 3 sets is the optimum amount sets per exercise? I read from poliquin website that experienced lifters get the best results from doing more sets and you should do at least 3 sets per exercise for the best bang for the buck. What's your take on this?

[Natural_O]

Hey John,

In your experience do you think that 3 sets is the optimum amount sets per exercise? I read from poliquin website that experienced lifters get the best results from doing more sets and you should do at least 3 sets per exercise for the best bang for the buck. What's your take on this?

"back in the day", as they say, most bodybuilders actually did 5 sets per exercise. That was more of a high volume workout. Bodybuilders like Arnold would do 20 sets for just his biceps (4 exercises for 5 sets each). When Mike Mentzer came along, everyone started changing their workout routines. Mentzer, and later Dorian, would say you only need one all-out, high intensity set to make the muscles grow. However, they would usually do 2 high intensity sets. Today, I like doing three working sets after the muscle is warmed up. If I am doing bench press for my chest, I will do 2 warm-up sets first and then do 3 working sets with the same weight for the same amount of reps. If I am training more high intensity, I may only do 2 "real" sets, perhaps doing a drop set or forced reps to increase the intensity.

[AESTHETICGOD007]

Have you seen the time when phil was on tv and said he was natty lol. If these big names said they were on the juice they could lose endorsements. Anyone with half a brain would know that to be the best at a sport you have to use performance enhancing drugs. look at lance Armstrong. lol. If you don't others will, staying natural is everyones individual choice and it should be respected. thinking rationally should be expected. Most people you can tell just by how they look. Am I wrong? Oh yeah and I mean, natty mr o looks reasonably natty. 50/50. That should always be taken as a compliment. People are always filled with envy looking at successful people which leads them to hate. Narrow minded if you ask me

[michaeloey]

John Hansen says hes a natural competitor and has won the natural mr. olympia and universe. Do you think he is natural? He is a very big guy, probaly the biggest claimed natural. I know Ronnie and Jay and those guys claim natural but this guy actually has competed in national natural events. I know the human body is capable of great things but getting this big naturaly is hard top concieve. Whats your thoughts?

Nowadays i dont know what defines competitor as natural, even in natural shows, lots of them r actually using drugs n still pass the test. I know this coz almost every athlete in my country do this, they discuss about how they have to stop using certain drugs at several weeks out or else they would get detected, and they proudly claim that they are natural! well i can understand that in some circumstances they have to do this, if they have sponsorship from supplement company, the last thing the company wants is for that bodybuilder(s) to come out n tell the truth, like boston did!

[michaeloey]

Hey John,

In your experience do you think that 3 sets is the optimum amount sets per exercise? I read from poliquin website that experienced lifters get the best results from doing more sets and you should do at least 3 sets per exercise for the best bang for the buck. What's your take on this?

I think what polquin recommends is that beginners might benefit more from fewer sets and higher reps ( 3 sets of 10) but the intermidiate and advanced would probably get better results by doing more sets and fewer reps ( like 10 sets of 3), just like mike o hearn style....

[michaeloey]

I have always wondered about natural bodybuilding. If i recall correctly, the ECA stack and prohormones are all legal back then, so using them then would be considered natural but using them now means that u r not? So being natural in 90's might mean that u r not natural by today standard?

[Natural_O]

I think what polquin recommends is that beginners might benefit more from fewer sets and higher reps ( 3 sets of 10) but the intermidiate and advanced would probably get better results by doing more sets and fewer reps ( like 10 sets of 3), just like mike o hearn style....

I agree with that. A beginner should train the muscles more frequently (2-3x a week) and use less overall sets with higher reps. As they get more advanced and start adding exercises (and sets) and using heavier weights, they will need to train the muscles less frequently.

[Dream83]

I think what polquin recommends is that beginners might benefit more from fewer sets and higher reps ( 3 sets of 10) but the intermidiate and advanced would probably get better results by doing more sets and fewer reps ( like 10 sets of 3), just like mike o hearn style....

Well a recent research confirms that when the total volume is equal, like doing 3 sets of 10 vs 10 sets of 3, the training effect is pretty much the same, same amount of muslce was build and strength gains were almost the same, powerlifting style training made tiny bit better gains in max strength. BUT the powerlifting group were a lot more fatigued from the training and bodybuilding group could have handled a lot more volume, plus bodybuilding type of training takes just a fraction of time versus doing **** loads of sets.

I always thought and have read that if you're a natural lifter you should train heavy all the time or you shrink, that's why I trained many years max-ot style 4-6 reps every exercise. I now know better and that is complete bull****. Now I train just straight sets of 8 and 10 reps, this style seems to work for me the best, now I really look like I lift and people turn to look when I pass by. When I trained max-ot style, I didn't get much size, I think it's because my body type is a weak ectomorph and low rep style is not suited for my muscle fiber type. Someone who is really explosively strong could get huge gains trainig max-ot type I think.

It's also a lot less taxing for your body to go only as low as 8 reps, you also get to feel the muscles working better which I've grown to like.

And Mike o'Hearn uses ridiculous amount of volume, for chest he starts with 7 sets of 4 and after that usually 4-5 sets of 10 and 4 sets of 10 after that. For chest I personally do three exercises, first 4 sets of 8, then 3 sets of 10 and finish with 3 sets of 10, this seems enough.

[michaeloey]

Well a recent research confirms that when the total volume is equal, like doing 3 sets of 10 vs 10 sets of 3, the training effect is pretty much the same, same amount of muslce was build and strength gains were almost the same, powerlifting style training made tiny bit better gains in max strength. BUT the powerlifting group were a lot more fatigued from the training and bodybuilding group could have handled a lot more volume, plus bodybuilding type of training takes just a fraction of time versus doing **** loads of sets.

I always thought and have read that if you're a natural lifter you should train heavy all the time or you shrink, that's why I trained many years max-ot style 4-6 reps every exercise. I now know better and that is complete bull****. Now I train just straight sets of 8 and 10 reps, this style seems to work for me the best, now I really look like I lift and people turn to look when I pass by. When I trained max-ot style, I didn't get much size, I think it's because my body type is a weak ectomorph and low rep style is not suited for my muscle fiber type. Someone who is really explosively strong could get huge gains trainig max-ot type I think.

It's also a lot less taxing for your body to go only as low as 8 reps, you also get to feel the muscles working better which I've grown to like.

And Mike o'Hearn uses ridiculous amount of volume, for chest he starts with 7 sets of 4 and after that usually 4-5 sets of 10 and 4 sets of 10 after that. For chest I personally do three exercises, first 4 sets of 8, then 3 sets of 10 and finish with 3 sets of 10, this seems enough.

Yuup i have always felt that when i go really heavy, it would only be 3 weeks before i start burning out, it seems like my body doesnt wanna go that heavy anymore... but alternating heavy n light days in the same week works really well, u can get the best of both worlds...

[michaeloey]

That seems to be the new definition of natural. When I competed in my first natural contest, the contest requirements were one year drug free. As I continued to compete, the time for being drug free went up to 5 years and then 7 years drug free. What you may not know is that I was 230 pounds natural at 21 years old. When I started training at 14 years old, I was only 135 pounds so I increased my bodyweight by almost 100 pounds before I ever did anything. If you look at bodybuilders who use steroids to put on muscle, when they get off the steroids, their weight and muscle mass always goes down. That did not happen to me because I did not use the drugs to put on muscle. When I competed in 1986 in the NPC Jr. Nationals, I competed with another competitor who was about 5'10" and he weighed 215 pounds and was one of the most promising athletes in the show. I was 5'8" and weighed 200 pounds. Six years later, when I won the Natural Mr. Universe, I weighed 198 pounds. This other competitor had also decided to compete natural and he also won a natural contest in 1992 weighing only 185 pounds. That's a 30 pound difference when he went drug free. My weight was a 2 pound difference. That's the difference when you use the drugs to build muscle and when you build the muscle naturally. In my opinion, the drugs only work when you take them. When you stop taking them, you go back to what you were before. Do the drugs work? Absolutely! Do they keep on working 2 years later, 5 years later, 10 years later, 15 years later? Do they permanently change your muscles forever? In my opinion, no. To be fair, you also don't know me. You don't know how many years I've been working out and how hard I train. You have no idea how many calories and how much food I was eating for YEARS to add mass and get bigger. It's very easy to sit behind a key board and play the bodybuilding expert and make declarations on "oh, this guy is all drugs. That's why he's so big, because he used drugs in the past". You also may not know that, after winning my first Natural Mr. Universe in 1992, I made a new goal for myself to be bigger and better naturally than when I used steroids. In 1995, I competed at 204 pounds and then one year later, I won the Natural Mr. Universe in the pro division weighing 208 pounds. Was that a result of me using steroids 10 years earlier? Or was it because I was eating 4500 calories every day in the off season, training very heavy and hard, doing 10 sets of squats in the off season (at one point doing 10 sets with 405 for 6)? I have a lot of desire for this sport and I pushed myself extremely hard for decades, not just a couple years, in order to be successful. When I started winning titles and I was featured in a few magazines like Ironman Magazine, Muscular Development and Muscle Mag International, I was always very honest when I was asked if I used steroids in the past. In my opinion, the small amount I used was not responsible for building my physique. The years of training naturally, the amount of food I was eating, the desire to lift more weight in order to get bigger, those the main factors responsible for the physique I developed. That's why I was always very honest about what I did. Compare that to many other natural bodybuilders who claim to be "life time drug free" when they aren't even drug free when they do the interview or when they compete onstage. You may not be a jerk but you're jumping to conclusions without having the facts. Like I said, you have no idea what I went through to get the physique I have and the physique I had when I won those shows. You weren't at the gym, you didn't see me train and you didn't see the dedication I put into my training and diet.

I am curious when u were trying to get shredded for shows, do u just rely on OTC supplementation, training and nutrition or did u use things that are now not available OTC, such as the ECA stack?

[michaeloey]

Hi John, i am really concerned about my hormone levels when i am dieting for competition, i had blood work done, n my T was 1.91ng/ml, down from 5.8 ng/ml, pre-diet, my T3(0.52 ng/ml)and my free T3 (1.34pg/ml) is really low as well, and the health stats for my liver is bad as well, with SGOT and SGPT being high, my LDL cholestrol is on the high side too (213 mg/dl), i have never used any drugs be it for bulking or cutting, i relied mosty on solid food and some basic suppplements ( bcaa, preworkout and WPI)... Is this normal to have health marker messed up when trying to get shredded? i have to mentioned that i lose a lot of bodyfat when trying to get really lean ( i dont stay lean when i am trying to pack on size)....Now i am really discouraged to get lean n start looking great, coz it seems like i cant stay lean as part of healthy lifestyle, as seen that my bloodwork is a lot better when i am chubby.... what would u recommend i do if i want to start staying lean year round and most importantly be healthy?

[Natural_O]

Hi John, i am really concerned about my hormone levels when i am dieting for competition, i had blood work done, n my T was 1.91ng/ml, down from 5.8 ng/ml, pre-diet, my T3(0.52 ng/ml)and my free T3 (1.34pg/ml) is really low as well, and the health stats for my liver is bad as well, with SGOT and SGPT being high, my LDL cholestrol is on the high side too (213 mg/dl), i have never used any drugs be it for bulking or cutting, i relied mosty on solid food and some basic suppplements ( bcaa, preworkout and WPI)... Is this normal to have health marker messed up when trying to get shredded? i have to mentioned that i lose a lot of bodyfat when trying to get really lean ( i dont stay lean when i am trying to pack on size)....Now i am really discouraged to get lean n start looking great, coz it seems like i cant stay lean as part of healthy lifestyle, as seen that my bloodwork is a lot better when i am chubby.... what would u recommend i do if i want to start staying lean year round and most importantly be healthy?

What type of diet are you following right now to get ripped? Also, what is your training routine like, how many days a week are you training and how much cardio are you doing?

[michaeloey]

What type of diet are you following right now to get ripped? Also, what is your training routine like, how many days a week are you training and how much cardio are you doing?

My macro breakdown is as follows, C:150( excluding veg) P:170 F: 40 and have 1 big cheat meals once every 10 days.. i do 20 min of cardio steady state on ellepticals 5 days a week post weight training. The duration of my diet is typically 4 months and i used WPI, stimulants, and leucine as my supplementation. I was wondering, is it normal to have ur bloodwork result to be very bad at the end of the diet? I have to mentioned that i stay pretty chubby year round, so could it be that losing that much bodyfat has something to do with it? Do u think its wise to go to doctors to have him administer hormonal assistance? but my bloodwork is normal when i am not lean....

[Natural_O]

My macro breakdown is as follows, C:150( excluding veg) P:170 F: 40 and have 1 big cheat meals once every 10 days.. i do 20 min of cardio steady state on ellepticals 5 days a week post weight training. The duration of my diet is typically 4 months and i used WPI, stimulants, and leucine as my supplementation. I was wondering, is it normal to have ur bloodwork result to be very bad at the end of the diet? I have to mentioned that i stay pretty chubby year round, so could it be that losing that much bodyfat has something to do with it? Do u think its wise to go to doctors to have him administer hormonal assistance? but my bloodwork is normal when i am not lean....

What part of your blood work is very bad? Is it your cholesterol? Your diet is very strict with only 150 grams of carbs and low fat and 170 grams of protein. Your profile says you only weigh 150 pounds at 5'7" so how heavy do you go in the off season? When I was younger, I would never do cardio in the off season because I was trying to get bigger and conserve my calories. I definitely DON'T think you need hormonal assistance at your age. You are way too young for that.

[Natural_O]

Check out my interview with Elliott the Trainer on Healthaven.com - http://www.healthaven.com/interviews...se-john-hansen

[AgelessSoul]

Just my two cents, you come off as very sincere and forthcoming. It appears that role models are not yet dead in sport culture.
Congrats on your accomplishments and much continued success.
I think I'll be checking out your links and hopefully getting some info and inspiration.
I'm now and back in the gym for a comeback.
Feeling good.Timely thread for me.

[Natural_O]

Just my two cents, you come off as very sincere and forthcoming. It appears that role models are not yet dead in sport culture.
Congrats on your accomplishments and much continued success.
I think I'll be checking out your links and hopefully getting some info and inspiration.
I'm now and back in the gym for a comeback.
Feeling good.Timely thread for me.

Thank you, I appreciate that! Be sure to check out my latest website www.FloridaPhysique.com as well.

[Dan3317]

Hey John, I don't really have any questions for you but I just wanted to say I really appreciate all the information you've put out on here. I got a stomach bug that's put me out of commission today from training so I've spent most of my day reading through all your old posts in here from years ago, and am enjoying all the reads. Hope all is going well with you, take care.

[Natural_O]

Hey John, I don't really have any questions for you but I just wanted to say I really appreciate all the information you've put out on here. I got a stomach bug that's put me out of commission today from training so I've spent most of my day reading through all your old posts in here from years ago, and am enjoying all the reads. Hope all is going well with you, take care.

Thank you Dan! I hope you start feeling better soon but at least you had a chance to read through the 125 pages of this thread.

[skiplacour]

Interview With Mr. Natural Olympia, Writer, And Creator Of MP6 Training JOHN HANSEN – Bodybuilding And Fitness Podcast #330

Mr. Natural Olympia JOHN HANSEN has a bodybuilding and fitness career that lasted more than an incredible 40 years. He is a true ambassador of bodybuilding as you'll learn during this interview. In this podcast, John shares the mindset and perspective that has led to his tremendous success both on and off the competitive bodybuilding stage.

In addition to being an internationally-recognized champion bodybuilder, John talks about the level of passion, focus, and marketing skills that bolstered everything he achieved with his physical body.

Hansen shares his advice for those in the fitness industry to get more out of their efforts. He also talks about why natural bodybuilding is important to him, his greatest accomplishment as a bodybuilder, the secrets to his longevity, the people who influenced him most, the ups and downs that he experienced, his ambitious plans for the future, and much more.

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This podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher, and BlogTalkRadio.

Train Hard. Think Big.



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[Bodysouljapan]

John may I ask, how do you find recovery from workouts, and particularly strains and injuries once over 40ish?
I am 46 and after an illness induced break of a few years, am starting to rebuild myself and find that I put muscle on just as easily (easier really as the foundation is already there) than when I was in my 20's, BUT it is harder to avoid things like tendonitis or similar which I feel I have at least somewhere most of the time lol. Supplementing with Glucosamine, Chrondroitin and MSM is sufficient doses has really helped a lot, but still... Any tips?

[Natural_O]

John may I ask, how do you find recovery from workouts, and particularly strains and injuries once over 40ish?
I am 46 and after an illness induced break of a few years, am starting to rebuild myself and find that I put muscle on just as easily (easier really as the foundation is already there) than when I was in my 20's, BUT it is harder to avoid things like tendonitis or similar which I feel I have at least somewhere most of the time lol. Supplementing with Glucosamine, Chrondroitin and MSM is sufficient doses has really helped a lot, but still... Any tips?

Yes, recovery is much harder as we get older. I only train each muscle group once a week as opposed to twice a week when I was younger. It might be a good idea to have your hormone levels checked and see where you are at. Lower testosterone levels can lead to increased cortisol levels and this might account for some joint pain. I warm up a lot now before training heavier. I find that dumbbell exercises are not as stressful on the joints as barbell exercises. If I am training chest, I will usually do a dumbbell pressing movement first and then do a barbell exercise second. I also train triceps with chest so my elbows are warmed up a little before I train triceps. Believe it or not, getting regular massages and stretching the muscles also helps to keep the joints and tendons in better shape.