nasser workouts

[bigbobs]

bigbobs could you provide some detailed information about nassers workouts? if you have access to this knowledge that is.

From talking to Nasser, training with him a few times, and of course reading his articles and watching his videos I can conclude that he never claimed a "special" or "magical" way of training, and instead advocates basic principles such like heavy free weights (heavy but not at the expense of form or min. # of reps), instinctive training, not doing exactly the same routine in the same order each workout (could simply mean switching up the order of the exercises sometimes or using different rep ranges), and sometimes supersetting (usually isolation followed by compound).

He rarely went lower than 6 reps on any set (sometimes 4), but usually 1-2 sets to failure for each exercise in the 6-8 rep range for upper body, with a total of 3-4 sets per exercise include warm-ups and pyramiding from 15 reps for upper body or from 20 reps for legs.  So for incline bench for example, he may do 1 set of 15 reps, 2nd set of 10-12 reps, and 3rd and 4th set to failure or near-failure at 6-10 reps.  Sometimes at the very end of an exercise he would take a light weight to "rep out" for the last set to really get the blood flowing.

For chest he would usually alternate exercises between pressing and flyes.  For example if first exercise is a pressing movement, next will be a flye, then next pressing, and 4th flye.  Or vice versa, starting with flyes to pre-exhaust, then presses, then another fly exercise and a final pressing exercise.  He used all angles (flat, incline, decline), dumbells, barbells and maybe one cable or machine exercise.

Calves he said you can train practically every day or 6x a week.  Sometimes he would do seated calf raises one day, then the next day would do standing and donkey calf raises on day two, then back to seated on day three, and you could repeat this 3x in one week and woudl be hitting calves 6 times, just focusing on different parts of the calf muscle each day.

Will most more later!

Also, I think sherief Shalaby has posted many Nasser's old training articles on the Nasser facebook fan page (which is at almost 2000 members now), let me or him know if you need a hand finding these articles for more info.

[the_swami]

Nasser's training was extremely intense

off season from what i have seen on Nasser's videos, he'd usually pyramid the weights on each exercvise with his last set anywehre from 3-6 reps for the max poundage.
Nasser would also do alot of pre exhaust and superset techniques in the pre contest phase

many novice trainees think you have to be lifting very heavy weights to be training with intensity- this is not the case.
you can train with lighter poundages and still train with great intensity.
Nasser always trained with great intensity.

Nasser handles some very heavy poundages in the off season and in the pre contest phase generally slightly lighter poundages than his offseason workouts

[the_swami]

people ahve to remember that everyone is different and will respond to different types of training differently.

you have to find what works best for you.

Nasser found what works best for him , obviously his great genetics played a part but also his consistency and intensity.

and as big bobs stated, Nasser is a BB and not a power lifter so is not concerned about what his max lift is!

[benchmstr]

So you're judging his workouts based on how heavy he lifted "during Olympia week" while at sub-5% bodyfat, near-zero carbs, not wanting to risk injury, etc. 

Besides, Nasser's workouts were for the purpose of improving his physique only, not to try to show off how heavy he is lifting.  It's bodybuilding, not powerlifting.

re-read my post, i said he WAS NOT competing.....team nasser

bench

[bigbobs]

re-read my post, i said he WAS NOT competing.....team nasser

bench

Okay, so now you're basing on how heavy he was training while he was retired? lol.

Regardless, here's a simple question - what did Nasser accomplish from his so-called "light" training compared to you with your so-called "heavy" training? 

If you were one of the top in the world at what you do (powerlifting?) perhaps then you may be able to question Nasser's training without looking stupid like you are

[Sherief Shalaby]

yes i have nasser on the way 1-3.

he seems to like this split

chest/shoulders

legs

back


biceps/triceps

5 workouts per week: everything trained every 6th day or so...and calves and abs hit 3 days per week


but i would still like to hear more stories about his workouts

yes but i also read that sometimes he likes to change, for example instead of doing his normal chest/shoulders he may train triceps after chest!!.. he doesnt have a fixed thing all the time..

[Sherief Shalaby]

everytime was in vegas during olympia week...i saw him do chest everytime, and it was always superset's but even for supersetting the weights he used were laughable.....i would have understood the light weights if he had been competing.....but he wasnt.

bench

in his prime he was lifting heavy but as you said when you saw him he was not competing and even if he was training heavy in normal days he didnt have to do so at the olympia weekend where he doesnt have time to eat well and is busy doing a lot of other things beside training..

[Meso_z]

Ironic since his workouts led him to be one of the most successful pro bodybuilders of all time whereas yours have made you into nothing more than the typical gym rat?

omg.

Does anyone have the clip where Nasser hangs 2-3 plates on him and does 3 inch Rom "chins"?

Thats how he built his "back" right?

[LatsMcGee]

The only training Nasser does nowadays is with Big Bobs,  they do one set of Rock Hudson curls every few hours until failure. 

[nolotil]

From talking to Nasser, training with him a few times, and of course reading his articles and watching his videos I can conclude that he never claimed a "special" or "magical" way of training, and instead advocates basic principles such like heavy free weights (heavy but not at the expense of form or min. # of reps), instinctive training, not doing exactly the same routine in the same order each workout (could simply mean switching up the order of the exercises sometimes or using different rep ranges), and sometimes supersetting (usually isolation followed by compound).

He rarely went lower than 6 reps on any set (sometimes 4), but usually 1-2 sets to failure for each exercise in the 6-8 rep range for upper body, with a total of 3-4 sets per exercise include warm-ups and pyramiding from 15 reps for upper body or from 20 reps for legs.  So for incline bench for example, he may do 1 set of 15 reps, 2nd set of 10-12 reps, and 3rd and 4th set to failure or near-failure at 6-10 reps.  Sometimes at the very end of an exercise he would take a light weight to "rep out" for the last set to really get the blood flowing.

For chest he would usually alternate exercises between pressing and flyes.  For example if first exercise is a pressing movement, next will be a flye, then next pressing, and 4th flye.  Or vice versa, starting with flyes to pre-exhaust, then presses, then another fly exercise and a final pressing exercise.  He used all angles (flat, incline, decline), dumbells, barbells and maybe one cable or machine exercise.

Calves he said you can train practically every day or 6x a week.  Sometimes he would do seated calf raises one day, then the next day would do standing and donkey calf raises on day two, then back to seated on day three, and you could repeat this 3x in one week and woudl be hitting calves 6 times, just focusing on different parts of the calf muscle each day.

Will most more later!

Also, I think sherief Shalaby has posted many Nasser's old training articles on the Nasser facebook fan page (which is at almost 2000 members now), let me or him know if you need a hand finding these articles for more info.

thank you very much, !!  this is really good and interesting information as there is often a difference between what the magazine writers make up and the real actual training of the pros. so nasser does between 4-8 heavy sets per workout if you don't count the lighter pyramid sets.

yes i also noticed nasser does high frequency workouts for his calves (and abs).

[bigbobs]

omg.

Does anyone have the clip where Nasser hangs 2-3 plates on him and does 3 inch Rom "chins"?

Thats how he built his "back" right?

LOL, as expected you did not have a sensible reply to my actual comment.

And in that video he weighed 320 lbs.  Add 3 plates = 435 lbs on the chinup bar.  How many people can do full range chinups with 435 lbs? 

[bigbobs]

thank you very much, !!  this is really good and interesting information as there is often a difference between what the magazine writers make up and the real actual training of the pros. so nasser does between 4-8 heavy sets per workout if you don't count the lighter pyramid sets.
yes i also noticed nasser does high frequency workouts for his calves (and abs).

Yes and no, you can say he does 4-8 sets to failure, but definitely some of the lighter pyramid sets are intense enough to be considerered working or almost-working sets.  What I mean is he does not do his lighter pyramid sets so light that they do not fatigue the muscle at all (maybe the first few sets of the workout are simply light warmups)

[delta9mda]

So you're judging his workouts based on how heavy he lifted "during Olympia week" while at sub-5% bodyfat, near-zero carbs, not wanting to risk injury, etc. 

Besides, Nasser's workouts were for the purpose of improving his physique only, not to try to show off how heavy he is lifting.  It's bodybuilding, not powerlifting.

BOBS, he said during olympia weekend but also that nasser was not competing.

[benchmstr]

Okay, so now you're basing on how heavy he was training while he was retired? lol.

Regardless, here's a simple question - what did Nasser accomplish from his so-called "light" training compared to you with your so-called "heavy" training? 

If you were one of the top in the world at what you do (powerlifting?) perhaps then you may be able to question Nasser's training without looking stupid like you are

dude seriously...your idol was all drugs, he was the actual downfall to bodybuilding...hope this helps

bench

[bigbobs]

dude seriously...your idol was all drugs, he was the actual downfall to bodybuilding...hope this helps

bench

ahhh, so anyone, including yourself, can just take a bunch of drugs and win the 2nd and 3rd largest bodybuilding shows in the world and get top 6 at the Mr. O for 6 years in a row, and end up with enough earnings to retire and never have to work again?  If only more people knew this secret 

[nolotil]

LOL, as expected you did not have a sensible reply to my actual comment.

And in that video he weighed 320 lbs.  Add 3 plates = 435 lbs on the chinup bar.  How many people can do full range chinups with 435 lbs? 

exactly..and half and quarter reps they also provide stimulation to the muscle. nasser also says he would do full reps and not only quarter reps

[nolotil]

another workout from Mr el sonbaty

tuesday 19th of june 2001.

biceps, forearms, traps, triceps

standing dumbbell curls

2 sets shown..top weight: 80lbs x 10 reps)

ez- bar curl

3 sets including top set with approx 107 kg x 6 reps( approx 235lbs)

one arm db preacher curls

2 sets...top set 80lbs x 1.5 reps

concentration curls

1 set shown (very strict)

reverse straight bar curls

2 sets (light due to extreme pump)

behind the back wrist curls

3 sets 80kg

close grip barbell lifts (traps)

2-3 sets including top set of 225lbs for 5 reps

dumbbell shrugs

2 sets. (140lbs dbs 18 reps)

seated two hand behind the neck dumbell extensions

3 sets ( with i think 140-150 lbs dumbells) ( you can see that he has very good muscle-mind connection in this movement)

seated behind the neck ez-bar extensions

3 sets

cable pushdowns

3 sets

bar pushdowns

2 sets

very good workout and nasser is always appreciative of his spotters and and helpers

[Fatpanda]

very interesting that another mass monster used what two fairly recent meta studies on strength and hypertrophy have found beyond doubt the most efficient training protocol for maximum mass and strength gains 

[nolotil]

very interesting that another mass monster used what two fairly recent meta studies on strength and hypertrophy have found beyond doubt the most efficient training protocol for maximum mass and strength gains 

do you mean the wernbom paper where they recommend every muscle group worked 3 times per week if a newbie and 2x per week if intermediate or advanced. and 40-60 reps per body part (although you probably have to take overlap into account thus less reps for smaller body parts).

i think for many of the very large beats hitting everything heavy twice a week becomes very difficult..but every 5th day is doable. or that you pick 1-2 muscle groups (you wanna focus on) and hit those twice per week and the rest of the body parts once a week.

[benchmstr]

ahhh, so anyone, including yourself, can just take a bunch of drugs and win the 2nd and 3rd largest bodybuilding shows in the world and get top 6 at the Mr. O for 6 years in a row, and end up with enough earnings to retire and never have to work again?  If only more people knew this secret 

i personly couldnt...i could never take as much drugs as nasser did...i have morals

bench

[calfzilla]

Also part of Nasser's workout involved injecting sythol into his biceps, shoulder,calves and other parts that were lagging. 

[benchmstr]

Also part of Nasser's workout involved injecting sythol into his biceps, shoulder,calves and other parts that were lagging. 

which was most of his body until he started synthol, and Esiclene

bench

[nolotil]

nasser competed at 270-285lbs at just under 6 feet...very very few people packed as much muscle per CM as he did.

[nolotil]

http://www.fitnessandnutritionradio.com/bodybuilder-interviews/interview-with-pro-bodybuilder-nasser-el-sonbaty

[nolotil]

bump