Let's talk - Natural Mr Olympia gives advice

[The_Big_E]

I think it was between 33 and 35 years old. It seems like the early 30's is the prime condition for the natural bodybuilder. It takes years to reach muscle maturity and, when you are in your early 30's, you have the best combination of muscle maturity and the metabolism is still fast enough to allow for great conditioning after following a pre-contest diet. When I was 32, I bulked up to 230 pounds in the off season and competed at 204. The following year, I bulked up to 243 pounds in the off season and competed at 208. I was really strong and big that year and I felt great when I got lean and competed. I was 35 when I won the Natural Olympia and I weighed about 204 there, really ripped but still full and big. If you have a chance to see my new DVD, "Natural Bodybuilding Seminar and Competitions", listen to my Commentary over the Competitions segment and I explain the training and diet program I used for each natural contest and you can see the changes in my physique frm the competitions I competed in from 1991-2004. When I reached 38 years old, I could see my body was changing. I wasn't quite as strong as I was when I was 5 years younger and it was much harder to get cut. Your natural testosterone and growth hormone levels begin to decline after 25 years old so by the time you reach your late 30's and early 40's, it becomes much harder to get ripped and get big.

Reading this response makes me happy as I just started at 27 so I may still have a few good years ahead of me.

You're an inspiration to stay natural for sure... awesome physique!

[PRKing06]

Congratulations John on all of your accomplishments in life. I am really inspired by all that you have done.

I am 27 years old and I am diabetic. I have been working out on and off for about 5 yrs, but have been seriously training for 1 yr. Because of my diabetes it is harder to gain muscle because of the protein/carb intake. I can't have all that much carb that many bbers do. I am thinking of competing in my first competition next year.

What advice can you give me?

[Natural_O]

who is currently the best natural bodybuilder in the world?

what was the best natural physique you seen on stage?

what is the gray area for natural and not natural, do you think it just depends on the federation your in and in your opinion what federation is best?

what do you think of musclemania?

I don't know who the best natural bodybuilder in the world is now because there are so many different natural federations. I think Rob Hope from England looks really good, freaky biceps and really ripped. Rodney Hellaire has a very genetically gifted physique with a small waist and big chest, back and arms. His legs are a little out of proportion though.

The problem with picking the best natural bodybuilder is that you never know anymore who is clean and who is beating the test. The last time I competed in the Natural Olympia, they did urine testing for the top three (out of 10) pros and the winner of the amateur division. Out of the four guys they tested, 3 failed the test - the 1st and 2nd place pros and the amateur winner. Can you imagine how many more would have failed if they would have the sponsorship to test everyone in the contest??

The grey area for natural? Well, I think if it is a natural bodybuilding competition then everyone competing should not be using any type of steroids, growth hormones or diuretics. That's the big three. I personally don't think ephedra is going to give you that big of an edge. I used ephedra back in the '90's when it was around and I always got a slight buzz off it but I don't know if helped me get more ripped. I was dieting at the time I took it so I know the diet helped me lose fat, I'm not sure how much the ephedra helped. I've never tried the prohormones more than a few weeks so I can't vouch for how effective they are also. I didn't notice any steroid like effects from the pro hormones. To me, they were a waste of money. How long everyone should be drug free is up to that organization and their rules. I think it should be 3-5 years.

I think the Musclemania is a joke as far as it being a legitimate natural competition. I competed in it once, in 1995, and I would never do it again. Same thing with the Team Universe, I did it once and that was enough for me.

At the MuscleMania, they only did random polygraph testing and they didn't even pick some of the biggest and most freaky competitors to get tested. I can understand if you can't test everyone but at least test the guys that look like they are on. That show is WAY too political. They have favorites who they want to win and that's who usually places high or wins.

I think that there can be a lot of very impressive natural bodybuilders in competitions today but there are quite a few guys out there who will try to cheat the test and get by with using something just so they can have a competitive advantage. It would be GREAT if everyone was honest and everyone competed clean but, in the real world, it just doesn't work that way.

[Natural_O]

Reading this response makes me happy as I just started at 27 so I may still have a few good years ahead of me.

You're an inspiration to stay natural for sure... awesome physique!

27 is very young for a bodybuilder. You've got your best years ahead of you!
Good Luck!!

[Natural_O]

Congratulations John on all of your accomplishments in life. I am really inspired by all that you have done.

I am 27 years old and I am diabetic. I have been working out on and off for about 5 yrs, but have been seriously training for 1 yr. Because of my diabetes it is harder to gain muscle because of the protein/carb intake. I can't have all that much carb that many bbers do. I am thinking of competing in my first competition next year.

What advice can you give me?

That's fantastic that you have decided to compete even though you are diabetic. I think, in a way, you might have an advantage over many bodybuilders because you will really get to know your body and the effects of certain foods on your blood sugar level. I would definitely recommend that you only consume low glycemic carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes and maybe brown rice. If you eat carbs that contain a lot of fiber, are low glycemic and you limit the amount you eat at one meal, you should not cause a big rise in your blood sugar level. Also, combining carbs with protein (eating the protein first) will also effect how the foods are digested and the effect it will have on your blood sugar level. Even a low glycemic carb like oatmeal could cause a rise in blood sugar if you eat too much at one sitting or you eat it alone without any type of protein food like egg whites or a protein drink. I'm not an expert in this field so you should also consult with your physician but I think if you really experiment with your diet, you will find a way to be successful. Best of luck to you!!

[PRKing06]

That's fantastic that you have decided to compete even though you are diabetic. I think, in a way, you might have an advantage over many bodybuilders because you will really get to know your body and the effects of certain foods on your blood sugar level. I would definitely recommend that you only consume low glycemic carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes and maybe brown rice. If you eat carbs that contain a lot of fiber, are low glycemic and you limit the amount you eat at one meal, you should not cause a big rise in your blood sugar level. Also, combining carbs with protein (eating the protein first) will also effect how the foods are digested and the effect it will have on your blood sugar level. Even a low glycemic carb like oatmeal could cause a rise in blood sugar if you eat too much at one sitting or you eat it alone without any type of protein food like egg whites or a protein drink. I'm not an expert in this field so you should also consult with your physician but I think if you really experiment with your diet, you will find a way to be successful. Best of luck to you!!

Thank you for that advice!

[PRKing06]

One more question, if I may. I am 6'1" and I weigh 195lbs. What type of workout should I do to bulk up and then, for the pre-competition? I would appreciate the advice.

[Natural_O]

One more question, if I may. I am 6'1" and I weigh 195lbs. What type of workout should I do to bulk up and then, for the pre-competition? I would appreciate the advice.

I would suggest training no more than 3-4 days a week using the basic exercises with heavy weights (6-10 reps or, better yet, 6-8 reps). Keep the sets moderate and try to go heavier each week to build more mass. You could train chest and arms on day 1, take a day off, do abs and legs on day 2, train delts, back and calves on day 3 and take another day off. Something like this:
Monday - Chest, Arms
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Abs, Legs
Thursday - Delts, Back, Calves
Friday - Off
Saturday - Chest, Arms
Sunday - Off
then continue the cycle....

You also want to really look into your nutrition if you are trying to get bigger and gain weight. If you weigh 195 pounds, you should be eating at least 250 grams of protein a day (200 x 1.25 grams of protein) and 400-500 grams of carbs a day. Eat lots of whole wheat bread, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice and pasta for your complex carbs and eggs, milk, steaks, chicken and turkey for your protein. Eat six times a day and don't forget to consume a protein-carb recover drink immediately after your workouts.

[oziem]

I would suggest training no more than 3-4 days a week using the basic exercises with heavy weights (6-10 reps or, better yet, 6-8 reps). Keep the sets moderate and try to go heavier each week to build more mass. You could train chest and arms on day 1, take a day off, do abs and legs on day 2, train delts, back and calves on day 3 and take another day off. Something like this:
Monday - Chest, Arms
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Abs, Legs
Thursday - Delts, Back, Calves
Friday - Off
Saturday - Chest, Arms
Sunday - Off
then continue the cycle....

You also want to really look into your nutrition if you are trying to get bigger and gain weight. If you weigh 195 pounds, you should be eating at least 250 grams of protein a day (200 x 1.25 grams of protein) and 400-500 grams of carbs a day. Eat lots of whole wheat bread, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice and pasta for your complex carbs and eggs, milk, steaks, chicken and turkey for your protein. Eat six times a day and don't forget to consume a protein-carb recover drink immediately after your workouts.

Very comprehensive answer. Thanks

[au-naturalle]

i wud just like to add my thoughts to this thread-
it is very rare on boards that u get a professional willing to dedicate so much time to answering the many questions members have, not only that but also the in depth and comprehensive nature of johns posts.

Think i speak for many when i say we all can learn alot from this thread

[Natural_O]

i wud just like to add my thoughts to this thread-
it is very rare on boards that u get a professional willing to dedicate so much time to answering the many questions members have, not only that but also the in depth and comprehensive nature of johns posts.

Think i speak for many when i say we all can learn alot from this thread

You're welcome, I appreciate the opportunity to answer your questions.

[PRKing06]

I would suggest training no more than 3-4 days a week using the basic exercises with heavy weights (6-10 reps or, better yet, 6-8 reps). Keep the sets moderate and try to go heavier each week to build more mass. You could train chest and arms on day 1, take a day off, do abs and legs on day 2, train delts, back and calves on day 3 and take another day off. Something like this:
Monday - Chest, Arms
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Abs, Legs
Thursday - Delts, Back, Calves
Friday - Off
Saturday - Chest, Arms
Sunday - Off
then continue the cycle....

You also want to really look into your nutrition if you are trying to get bigger and gain weight. If you weigh 195 pounds, you should be eating at least 250 grams of protein a day (200 x 1.25 grams of protein) and 400-500 grams of carbs a day. Eat lots of whole wheat bread, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice and pasta for your complex carbs and eggs, milk, steaks, chicken and turkey for your protein. Eat six times a day and don't forget to consume a protein-carb recover drink immediately after your workouts.

Thank you very much. I really appreciate all the time that you spend answering our questions. What about cardio?

[Natural_O]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate all the time that you spend answering our questions. What about cardio?

Well, if you are trying to gain weight and get bigger, you don't want to do any cardio. I think cardio is overrated, even for losing fat. I try to lose bodyfat only with my diet when I am dieting. If I have to, I'll start out with 3 days a week of cardio, only 20-30 minutes a day. But the ideal situation is to lose the fat only with dieting and weight training. In your case, if you are trying to gain weight, don't do any cardio at all.

[Ravish]

What do you think of routines like 'Rippetoes' or '5x5'? They get talked a lot here in the workout programs section. I know you recommend about doing 6-8 reps but these routines recommend 5 reps, is that ok?

[Natural_O]

What do you think of routines like 'Rippetoes' or '5x5'? They get talked a lot here in the workout programs section. I know you recommend about doing 6-8 reps but these routines recommend 5 reps, is that ok?

Doing 5 sets of 5 reps would be good for developing strength as long as the routine is progressive. What I mean by that is that you would have to slightly increase the resistance each week to give the muscles something to adapt to. I think using heavy weights for 6-8 reps is better for muscle size because the additional reps are better at pumping blood into the muscle in addition to tearing down the muscle fibers because of the heavy resistance. However, if you were using heavy weights that limited you to only 5 reps and you did 5 sets of this exercise using the basic movements like squats, bench press and deadlift, that would be a great workout. Those who have more fast twitch muscle fibers respond better to heavy weights and low reps (5-6 reps). Those with slow twitch muscle fibers respond better to higher reps (10-15 reps) because their muscles need more time under tension to respond better to the higher reps.

[oziem]

Rippetoe says the same thing in his book...

[Natural_O]

Rippetoe says the same thing in his book...

He's a smart man.
I never heard of the book before you mentioned it. Can you send me a link?

[oziem]

He's a smart man.
I never heard of the book before you mentioned it. Can you send me a link?

http://www.startingstrength.com/

Here you are sir. I believe a new book has been released focusing on periodization.

[chenko]

John,

Wondering whether you incorporate some kind of stretching into your workout schedule and what importance you place on it beyond the traditional warm up type stretching?

A recent study was done that actually showed stretching before lifting decreased performance and muscle involvement. Had you heard of this? Thoughts?

Another question i had was related to posing. Do/did you do alot of posing year round, even outside of contest prep? I feel posing daily for 5-10mins helps the mind muscle link, and also helps condition the muscle further. Any opinions on this? Do you pose during workouts? Static contractions post set for example for that extra intensity.

Cheers

[PRKing06]

John,

Wondering whether you incorporate some kind of stretching into your workout schedule and what importance you place on it beyond the traditional warm up type stretching?

A recent study was done that actually showed stretching before lifting decreased performance and muscle involvement. Had you heard of this? Thoughts?

Another question i had was related to posing. Do/did you do alot of posing year round, even outside of contest prep? I feel posing daily for 5-10mins helps the mind muscle link, and also helps condition the muscle further. Any opinions on this? Do you pose during workouts? Static contractions post set for example for that extra intensity.

Cheers

Along these lines, I was wondering if you'd be able to send me a link on how to pose for competition.

Thanks.

[Natural_O]

John,

Wondering whether you incorporate some kind of stretching into your workout schedule and what importance you place on it beyond the traditional warm up type stretching?

A recent study was done that actually showed stretching before lifting decreased performance and muscle involvement. Had you heard of this? Thoughts?

Another question i had was related to posing. Do/did you do alot of posing year round, even outside of contest prep? I feel posing daily for 5-10mins helps the mind muscle link, and also helps condition the muscle further. Any opinions on this? Do you pose during workouts? Static contractions post set for example for that extra intensity.

Cheers

I honestly never did much stretching before but I try to do yoga at least 3x a week now because of my lower back. I actually love it! I have a yoga tape from a guy named Rodney Yee and it's called Back Care for Beginners and it has a lot of specific exercises for the lower back and hips which is exactly what I need.

I try to do my yoga in the morning either right after breakfast or even right when I wake up. If I don't do it then, I usually keep putting it off and never do it. As for stretching when you are working out, I would always do it AFTER my workout and never before. The study you mentioned about stretching affecting your strength is true, you should always stretch after your training and not before. My former chiropractor compared stretching your muscles to stretching a rubber band. You will temporarily lose the tightness in your muscles which is important for strength and contraction during exercise.

I also agree with you about posing and the mind-muscle connection. I also believe that the more you do a particular pose, the more you almost "grow into" the pose and your body begins to look better in that pose. I noticed this when I was competing as a teenager. The more I hit particular poses, the better I looked in those poses. In my mind, you can never pose enough. It helps establish the mind-muscle connection and you will look better in the specific poses. This is important if you ever intend to compete in a competition.

[Natural_O]

Along these lines, I was wondering if you'd be able to send me a link on how to pose for competition.

Thanks.

I know this will sound like a shameless plug but I cover posing in my book, "Natural Bodybuilding". In fact, the last 1/3rd of the book is all about preparing to compete in a bodybuilding competition. I think it is the most comprehensive discussion on what is involved in competing in a bodybuilding competition ever published because I don't know of any other books that cover this subject. I know "Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" covered it a little but I go much more into depth. I discuss the type of working out and diet that you should follow for a competition and then I tell you how to put together a posing routine and the correct way to execute the mandatory poses. I also detail what is involved in competing in a bodybuilding competition, the different judging rounds, what you should do backstage to prepare, what the judges are looking for, etc, etc. If you don't have a copy of my book yet then you can get one on my website at www.naturalolympia.com or you can purchase it at any Borders, Barnes and Noble or Books a Million bookstores.

[trailbreaker]

I'm thinking about doing a natural show myself.....I will have to get that book. I need all the help I can get lol. Thnx man.

[chenko]

I honestly never did much stretching before but I try to do yoga at least 3x a week now because of my lower back. I actually love it! I have a yoga tape from a guy named Rodney Yee and it's called Back Care for Beginners and it has a lot of specific exercises for the lower back and hips which is exactly what I need.

I try to do my yoga in the morning either right after breakfast or even right when I wake up. If I don't do it then, I usually keep putting it off and never do it. As for stretching when you are working out, I would always do it AFTER my workout and never before. The study you mentioned about stretching affecting your strength is true, you should always stretch after your training and not before. My former chiropractor compared stretching your muscles to stretching a rubber band. You will temporarily lose the tightness in your muscles which is important for strength and contraction during exercise.

I also agree with you about posing and the mind-muscle connection. I also believe that the more you do a particular pose, the more you almost "grow into" the pose and your body begins to look better in that pose. I noticed this when I was competing as a teenager. The more I hit particular poses, the better I looked in those poses. In my mind, you can never pose enough. It helps establish the mind-muscle connection and you will look better in the specific poses. This is important if you ever intend to compete in a competition.

Thanks for the reply. Interesting points on the Yoga from my experience it can also improve energy levels, i also believe Jay does some Yoga and Ronnie is well known for his flexibility.

[passionate]

As for stretching when you are working out, I would always do it AFTER my workout and never before. The study you mentioned about stretching affecting your strength is true, you should always stretch after your training and not before. My former chiropractor compared stretching your muscles to stretching a rubber band. You will temporarily lose the tightness in your muscles which is important for strength and contraction during exercise.

I'm a big advocate of stretching AFTER my workouts . It's perfect for "cooling down" and getting a nice "after"-pump (I always get a nice pump when stretching). It also keeps the joints and ligaments happy!

[Natural_O]

Thanks for the reply. Interesting points on the Yoga from my experience it can also improve energy levels, i also believe Jay does some Yoga and Ronnie is well known for his flexibility.

Yes, Ronnie has AMAZING flexibility as did Flex Wheeler and Tom Platz. Jay is also doing pilates lately as part of his training.

[Ravish]

Those who have more fast twitch muscle fibers respond better to heavy weights and low reps (5-6 reps). Those with slow twitch muscle fibers respond better to higher reps (10-15 reps) because their muscles need more time under tension to respond better to the higher reps.

Thanks for the advice. Is there a way to find out which muscle fibers that you have the most?

[Ajk_Lpool]

My best lifts? Well, I never did a Max on anything because I was never powerlifting, just bodybuilding. I was always pretty strong on back exercises. I was deadlifting over 500 pounds for a few reps as recently as 2002. I used to do barbell rows with 335-345 and same thing with the bench press. This was for 5-6 reps. On squats, I was doing 455 for reps in 2002 and I've done 495 for 5 reps a couple times in my career. I've done 130-140 lb. incline db presses and I've used 110 lb. dumbbells for seated db presses.

That's a great question that you ask because, in order to increase intensity, you don't necessarily have to increase the resistance. I think, in the beginning, when you are trying to get bigger and stronger, that adding resistance is the best way to accomplish that goal. You won't get big as a beginner until you get stronger and start using heavier weights. However, when you have some size, you can add more size by adding volume or by using high-intensity training techniques such as forced reps, drop sets, rest-pause, etc.

In 1996, I increased my legs by a couple inches by doing 10 sets of squats using the same weight for each set and gradually increasing the resistance each week. I kept the reps low but it was the total volume of the workout that made the workout progressively more intense. Here was the exact routine I used:

Week 1 - 365 lbs. x 5 reps x 10 sets
Week 2 - 385 lbs. x 4 reps x 10 sets
Week 3 - 405 lbs. x 3 reps x 10 sets
Week 4 - 385 lbs. x 5 reps x 10 sets
Week 5 - 405 lbs. x 4 reps x 10 sets
Week 6 - 425 lbs. x 3 reps x 10 sets
Week 7 - 405 lbs. x 6 reps x 10 sets

Thanks for the reply John!! Very much appreciated. I'll keep saying this, it's an honour to have you around the boards! To us you're on the same level of celebrity status as Britney Spears is to a teenage girl. lol!

It would be GREAT if everyone was honest and everyone competed clean but, in the real world, it just doesn't work that way.

Yep, unfortunately, that's a pretty good evaluation of the society will live in today. Not nice to say, but you have to look at the reallity of things. We must strive though to change this, otherwise we stand no chance..

[Natural_O]

Thanks for the advice. Is there a way to find out which muscle fibers that you have the most?

The traditional way is to perform 80% of your max on a specific lift and see how many repetitions you can get. For example, if you were doing the bench press exercise with 80% of your max and you were only able to lift fewer than 7 reps with that weight, your muscle fibers are composed of more than 50% fast twitch fibers, if you can perform more than 12 reps with that weight, your muscle fibers are more than 50% slow twitch. If you can do between 7-12 reps with 80% of your max, than you probably have an equal distribution between fast and slow twitch fibers.

I've noticed that certain bodyparts of mine don't really respond well to doing low reps (5-6 reps). If I go really heavy when training my quads, delts or calves, I don't feel the pump as much and I don't really get much bigger. I've gotten good results from occasionally doing higher reps with legs or calves and doing drop sets with delts. However, if I do low reps and heavy weight when I train back and chest, I get very sore and these muscle groups seem to respond more. So, it is an individual thing with each muscle group.

[MassIsAhead]

Ajk wrote: "I'll keep saying this, it's an honour to have you around the boards!"

- I agree with this statement completely. you're what healthy weight training is about - guys who are natural have always been a great inspiration for me, and your results speak for themselves.
Also, you take the time to give us solid, clean wise answers to our many questions - thank you

About the people who were quite flexible, you mentioned Platz. Since I am a big fan of Platz I wonder, did you ever get to train with him? I ask since I've read so many accounts that he was one of the toughest, hardest training men of all time - would have been during the 80s of course.