Hey bro, thanks for the compliments!
I am 27 years old, and I started training maybe in the year 2000, so about 10 years ago!
In regards to Training, I'm a big believer in doing what works for you, I really do believe everyone is different. For myself, I've always been a Volume Trainer, My work outs are normally 2-3 hours long and I train 5 times a week, and do A LOT OF sets like 25-30 per bodypart. I do a combination of heavy and light training (but stick more to moderate - light), I almost always train to failure, Intensity is KEY! I do take long breaks in between each set, especially in the heavier ones. I don't have a FIRM plan in the gym, like I have a basic idea, but I wing it a lot, for example.... If I'm done with a work out and I still feel like I can keep going, then I just keep training and doing different things until the muscle is completely annihilated... I'm usually almost passed out as I leave the gym, even on a day like Arms! I just truly believe in BLASTING it. If I hit a plateau I don't really believe in any tricks, I just keep training and training and training and training until I push right through that sticking point. I don't do anything fancy really, every now and then I may do a drop set or super set, but its not an every day thing!
In the past I used to take 1 week off every 6 or 7 weeks, but now I don't do that, and just go by feel, usually I take time off when I'm going on a business trip or something, I'll relax then.
I'm a big believer in the BIG 3, Squats, Flat Bench Press, and Deadlifts. Although I think I'm going to be giving up squats for good from now on and sticking to hack squats and leg press, my lower neck is just really in bad shape from that exercise. I love deadlifts, I took some time off but I'm glad to be doing it again and hope to keep it in there. And as for Flat Barbell Bench Press, I absolutely love it, I know it gets a bad rep today, but I personally enjoy doing it, just don't let your ego take over because that's how bad things happen, its not a contest (unless you're a powerlifter), I think its a great way to effectively build your chest, as long as you don't get stupid on it!
But again, this is ME! Some of the best bodybuilders I know have completely different styles, and will be done with a work out in like 30 mins, that's never worked for me! So I guess you just have to figure it out with trial and error!
For Nutrition, In the off-season I like a 40/40/20 split (40% Protein, 40% Carbs, 20% Fat). I'm at about 3000 calories right now (as long as I'm not cheating) and I take in about 1.3 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (so for me that's about 300 grams of protein), I would like to take in more protein but eating so much gets exhausting LOL I TRY to eat as healthy as I can, but that doesn't really always work out hahahaha... For the most part I have a solid diet, but I go out a lot on the weekends so I pretty much always cheat then! Recently I've been pretty good at avoiding the fast food and junk food, or at least significantly decreasing it in comparison to the past.
When I diet for a show, I slowly begin to decrease my carbs as the weeks go by, for example, I will usually start a diet with around 200-250 g of carbs, and as the weeks go by I drop them out, starting with my last meal of the day, working all the way to the first meal of the day, and usually end a diet at like 20 g of carbs (VERY LOW), but at that point I usually have a high carb day once a week where I go up to 180 g of carbs (usually this is at 4 weeks out). I'm one of these people that has to go REALLY low in carbs to get that crazy shredded look. I consider Layne Norton a good friend, and after my show in 2007 we spent a number of hours talking on the phone, and he was helping me out with my diet. Layne uses a higher carb approach, and lower protein than what I take in, I tried what he recommended for a while, but I dunno, just didn't respond that well. Then again, Layne has a PHD in this stuff, so he knows what he's talking about much more than I do, good guy, and he's really helped me out. We had some internet beef in the beginning but I really respect him now and we're good friends.
As for supplements, I've practically tried EVERYTHING, I've been training seriously for about 10 years, And I've tried so many crap supplements, and so many GOOD supplements. Again, its one of these things that you have to just go with trial and error to find out what works for you and what doesn't. There is no secret to it. As I've grown older, I've pretty much stuck to the basics.
What I'm taking right now is:
Whey Protein
Creatine
NO Product
Dextrose
BCAA's
Slow digesting protein for night time
Omega 3/Fish Oil
Glucosamine for my joints
Multi-Vitamins
When I get ready for a show I also include Fat Burners, but I never use them in the off-season
As you may know I am sponsored by the company Phenom Labs, which make an AWESOME tasting protein shake called Wicked Whey, they also make an NO Product called Herculean Xtreme, which I can HONESTLY say is the best bodybuilding supplement I have EVER used, and I'm not exaggerating with that. They make a number of other products too like BRAWN test booster, Chains BCAA's, and Phenylean Xtreme fat burner. Really solid company, they are new but they know what they are doing and headed in the right path!
In a nutshell this is what I do, and how I approach the sport of bodybuilding. But there's something important that you must know.... I didn't get into bodybuilding for competition, I don't really care all that much if I ever get a natural pro-card or not, or how I really do..... To me I've ALWAYS wanted to be the best BODYBUILDER that I could be, NOT the best COMPETITIVE Bodybuilder that I could be. If that makes sense? Competition is just something I do on the side for fun and to show off what I've accomplished. But my real goal has always just been FOR ME and wanting to look a certain way FOR ME! Not for any judges. I can honestly tell you that I've wanted to be a bodybuilder for as long as I could remember, since I was like 8 years old, that's all I thought about, when I was 10 I used to try to sneak into the gyms, and I would get kicked out because I was too young, I went back to those gyms when I got older and they welcomed me with open arms. I just wanted to get as big as I possibly could, and even today I want to just get as big as I possibly could. You could sorta say I'm REALLY living my dream!
Hope this answers your questions! And Please feel free to ask any more, or if you have specific questions about any of those sections, let me know, will be happy to share them bro!
Good luck!
Thank you very much for your time and efforts you put to reply to my post.
You are all around great dude, you deserve respect from all.
What a hard worker you are! I spend 70 minutes at max on weight training and 60 minutes on cardio, however, I am going to try what you have said in regard to volume training and will see what happens.
I am 23 years old and I have been training since 2005, so about 5 years up to now, however, I have never competed. Actually, I am very excited and I would love to compete here in my country, but unfortunately, all of the local guys are using steroids and looking like pros giving me no chance to place well and we have no rules that can prevent them from using these banned products.
If we had 100% Natural shows I would be in for sure, but that is not the case.
Nevertheless, as you have already stated, once I started bodybuilding, I was not thinking of competing and be one of the great competitive bodybuilder in my country\world. I only train to be the best of me and to feel strong and look nice and fit all the time.
I used to be a Taekwondo fighter when I was like 8-14 years old, and I am planning to return back to it at the end of my diet where I am pushing myself to show the best of me this year. I have been dieting for 3 weeks now and there are still 11 weeks more to go.
Thanks again for all of your advices and I wish all the best for you.
