MONSTER TRICEPS! Ask JROD (Nattie BB CHAMP) Q & A

[Super Natural]

Yeah, I second that. 

Cool here we go…This was taken last weekend 5 weeks out. I’ll some more this weekend in better lighting.

mwbbuilder : Isn't ephedrine illegal Mr. Super "Natural?

– Well not here in South Africa, we can still buy ephedra based product at the health shop.

* I did used ephedrine back in 2005 but haven’t touched it since then, (I didn’t like the jittery feeling it gave me and the crash afterwards)  As to whether you think that make me ”Natural” or “un-Natural” I know a lot of Natural bodybuilders in the USA have tried an Ephedra based product at one time or another before the ban (I mean Skip and Jeff Willet use Dymetadene Extreme or what ever it’s called) Now I just use an ephedrine free/green tea product with caffeine and that’s all. Otherwise I’m lifetime drug free (except Pre bodybuilding when I was young and dumb I had the odd joint in college, which didn’t exactly help my bodybuilding   …There are no drug tested shows to compete in here in SA so my little bit of ephedrine is Pretty tame considering I compete in the IFBB untested shows.
 

[Mat]

Mate you look like your right on track for 5 weeks out and of course great. It looks like you already have done the hard work, and now it's just time to present it the best way possible. All the best of luck and keep us  updated on how things go.

[Meso_z]

Hello jrod!

You are truly inspirational.....congra tulations, I wish you the best in bb and your life.

I have a simple question regarding food-cals-grams measurements.

How do you measure your food?

Tell me some tips!

Thanks.

[jrod]

Hello jrod!

You are truly inspirational.....congra tulations, I wish you the best in bb and your life.

I have a simple question regarding food-cals-grams measurements.

How do you measure your food?

Tell me some tips!

Thanks.

I'll tell you how I measure my food, but let me first say this.  It isn't a big deal weather you measure something in terms of volume, weight, size, etc.  The important issue is to have an accurate way of doing this and keeping the same standard.  When dieting, it is the difference (reduction) that matters. 

With that, here is what I use:

For dry foods like oats, cereal, dextrose, rice, etc., and for liquids I'll use a measuring cup; or, a teaspoon in the case of dextrose.
EG: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/ce/Measuring_cup.jpg/300px-Measuring_cup.jpg
http://lagostina.com/boutique-c/media/procladspoons.jpg

For beef, chicken, fish, I'll use a food scale:
EG: http://precisiondigitalscales.com/library/2Cibo_2.jpg

For certain things like egg whites or bananas (given a certain length) I'll simply look up how much protein,carbs,fat are in one and make that my standard.
Here is a good place to look up the macronutrient breakdown of foods: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Hope this helps.  Thanks for the nice words.

[jrod]

Justin,

You look very good for 5 weeks out in the picture; you look on track to come in well conditioned. 

[Mat]

Jrod how much cardio do you do in the off-season?

Also, roughly how much protein, carb, and fat intake in the off season?

Thanks
Mat

[jrod]

Jrod how much cardio do you do in the off-season?

Also, roughly how much protein, carb, and fat intake in the off season?

Thanks
Mat

Off-season, I do not do cardio.  Very Roughly around 370 Carbs, 460 Protein, 50 Fat.  I'll get back to you on this, though.  I plan on writing down a new offseason diet plan with some small, minor changes compared to last year. 

[Meso_z]

jrod, thanks for the reply!

I've got another question for you.....regarding my tri's

They are well ripped but lack of mass from the behind, they are flat and dont have the ")" look..

What do you recommend me doing?

i hit them twice a week one with chest and one with arms...

Help!!!

Thanks

[jrod]

jrod, thanks for the reply!

I've got another question for you.....regarding my tri's

They are well ripped but lack of mass from the behind, they are flat and dont have the ")" look..

What do you recommend me doing?

i hit them twice a week one with chest and one with arms...

Help!!!


Thanks

Without seeing a picture of your triceps (I'm assuming the heads are in relative proportion) I would say its probably a matter of time.  Simply  put, just keep training them.  What I do is train my triceps once a week directly (they get worked on shoulder day too) after chest.  I have never trained them on an "arms" day.  I do a total of 4 sets; with each set in a 4-6 rep range.  For example, my current triceps routine is 2 sets of lying triceps extensions (4-6 reps) followed by 2 sets of hammer strength dips (4-6 reps).

Here are my favorite triceps exercises:

**Lying triceps extensions (skull crushers, but bar is brought behind head; not to forehead, if I could only do one execise for trcieps, this would be it)
**Lying or Decline Dumbbell extensions
**Close grip bench press
**Dips for triceps (minimize forward lean to keep overload on triceps; I started using the hammer strength seated dip machine for this as it is more comfortable on my wrists http://www.usedgymequipment.com/hammer/seated_dip.jpg )

**Overhead dumbbell extensions (don't often do these, but you might like them)

[Meso_z]

Thanks for the reply!!!

Another one,

Lets say i want 60 carbs (from rice) and 45 protein (from chicken breast)

How do you measure rice and chicken? cooked or raw?

Thanks

[jrod]

Thanks for the reply!!!

Another one,

Lets say i want 60 carbs (from rice) and 45 protein (from chicken breast)

How do you measure rice and chicken? cooked or raw?

Thanks

1 cup of cooked rice yields about 40g carbs.  Therefore, 1/4 of a cup of cooked rice yields about 10g carbs, or 60g of carbs is about 1/4x 6 cups = 1.5 cups of cooked rice.

According to http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ , 100g of "chicken breast, oven-roasted, fat-free, sliced" yields 16.79g of protein.  Therefore, you have a ratio of 100 g chicken/16.79g protein = 5.96g chicken/1g protein.  So, if you want to know how many grams of chicken will yield X amount of protein, then do the following calculation:  (X)(5.96).  In your case, (45)(5.96) = 268g of chicken.

I could have given you simple answers, 60g carbs from rice is 1.5 cups of cooked rice and 45g protein from chicken breast is about 268 grams of chicken cooked, but I wrote it as it is above to give you an idea of how i go about measuring/calculating macro nutrients in foods. 

Like i said before, just have a standard you stick to (EG, dont measure chicken raw one day, then measure cooked another day). 

Use the database I pasted a link for above. 

[jrod]

Off-season, I do not do cardio.  Very Roughly around 370 Carbs, 460 Protein, 50 Fat.  I'll get back to you on this, though.  I plan on writing down a new offseason diet plan with some small, minor changes compared to last year. 

As promised, here is my new off-season diet plan:  http://www.speciesnutrition.com/athletejrod2.html

The following changes from last year were made:
1) meal 3 used to be high GI; now i eat slow to medium GI carbs at this time.
2) I am making sure I will get more healthy fats (olive oil, raw nuts, fat from sardines, etc.)
3) I switched to Isolyze (whey isolate) as my source of whey protein (which is my predominant daily source of protein).  I used to take whey isolate for my workout shakes and a whey blend (isolate+concentrate) for other times (due to $$$); now I will take whey isolate for all my shakes. 

[Mat]

Thanks for that jrod. Just curious with the pasta for a low GI source. What sort of pasta do you use and how do you cook it? Boil it? Do you use anything for flavouring the pasta.

[jrod]

Thanks for that jrod. Just curious with the pasta for a low GI source. What sort of pasta do you use and how do you cook it? Boil it? Do you use anything for flavouring the pasta.

No problem!

I do not eat pasta that often, and not cause of any other reason than I like rice better (rice and chicken, rice and tuna, rice and steak, etc.).  But, the key thing I look for is that the pasta is made from durum wheat/semolina (so that its low GI), though most pasta is.  I cook it by boiling it and, off-season, I'll use pasta sauce on it.  I used to eat pasta more often a couple years ago; at this time i used to mix canned tuna with my pasta (with pasta sauce).  It might sound gross, but I actually like the way it tastes (and its not very expensive!). 

[Hedgehog]

Off-season, I do not do cardio.  Very Roughly around 370 Carbs, 460 Protein, 50 Fat.  I'll get back to you on this, though.  I plan on writing down a new offseason diet plan with some small, minor changes compared to last year. 

jrod, I see you're on a very high protein-low/moderate carb-low fat diet

Roughly:

39%Carbs / 12%Fats / 49% Proteins

1. Why do you go so low on fat?

2. Why have you decided to not follow a traditional diet somewhere along the lines of 50-30-20?

[jrod]

jrod, I see you're on a very high protein-low/moderate carb-low fat diet

Roughly:

39%Carbs / 12%Fats / 49% Proteins

1. Why do you go so low on fat?

2. Why have you decided to not follow a traditional diet somewhere along the lines of 50-30-20?

Its probably closer to 14-17; but still low (http://www.speciesnutrition.com/athletejrod2.html)

First of all, I do not like to use percentages when coming up with my diet.  Also, I should say that my priority between the 3 macronutrients is protein.  I have learned, over the years, that I need a lot of protein why? I'm not sure; metabolism?; regardless I have gradually increased my intake over the years and noticed a strong correlation with improvements and more protein.  Right now, off-season, I want to get over 400g protein per day (~450).  If I were to use the traditional ratios (as above) this would give me more carbs than I think I need (I'm assuming the above ratio, 50-30-20 is for carbs, protein, fat, respectively; if so, then with 30% of my calories are from protein and I'm taking in 450g protein, I would have to eat 750g carbs! to get 50% of my calories from carbs). 

I should also say that I probably eat a bit more fat than I write down in my diet since i dont measure exactly in the off-season. My main priority is to eat enough protein; if I eat a bit more fat or carbs (not way more) this is fine.

Finally, I should also say that this is still (and will always be) a learning process for me.  One thing I am focusing on this off-season is getting enough healthy fats.  Also next year when I diet I will keep my ratio of good fats a bit higher.  Hopefully this will help me improve. 

[SquatAss]

Its probably closer to 14-17; but still low (http://www.speciesnutrition.com/athletejrod2.html)

First of all, I do not like to use percentages when coming up with my diet.  Also, I should say that my priority between the 3 macronutrients is protein.  I have learned, over the years, that I need a lot of protein why? I'm not sure; metabolism?; regardless I have gradually increased my intake over the years and noticed a strong correlation with improvements and more protein.  Right now, off-season, I want to get over 400g protein per day (~450).  If I were to use the traditional ratios (as above) this would give me more carbs than I think I need (I'm assuming the above ratio, 50-30-20 is for carbs, protein, fat, respectively; if so, then with 30% of my calories are from protein and I'm taking in 450g protein, I would have to eat 750g carbs! to get 50% of my calories from carbs). 

I should also say that I probably eat a bit more fat than I write down in my diet since i dont measure exactly in the off-season. My main priority is to eat enough protein; if I eat a bit more fat or carbs (not way more) this is fine.

Finally, I should also say that this is still (and will always be) a learning process for me.  One thing I am focusing on this off-season is getting enough healthy fats.  Also next year when I diet I will keep my ratio of good fats a bit higher.  Hopefully this will help me improve. 

Do you get any digestion problems from a diet so high in protein or none at all? What are your main protien sources?

[Meso_z]

Also............how to measure my rice ? Lets say 100 grams

after or before cooking.....?

im asking this because after cooking it becomes double in quantity, i dont think a dish full to the top of rice is

normal.

Thanks!

[Tapeworm]

What does it say on the bag?

[jrod]

Do you get any digestion problems from a diet so high in protein or none at all? What are your main protien sources?

I do not have a problem at all with it.  If I should have a problem with it (as in most people do) then maybe its because I'm used to it and have gradually increased protein over the years. 

Main sources: whey, chicken breast, egg whites, tuna.  Sometimes steak, salmon, or other fish. 

[jrod]

Also............how to measure my rice ? Lets say 100 grams

after or before cooking.....?

im asking this because after cooking it becomes double in quantity, i dont think a dish full to the top of rice is

normal.

Thanks!

to measure rice, use a measuring cup.  like Tapeworm said, check out the nutrition label. 

Don't know if you meant 100g of rice or carbs, so
100g rice COOKED = about 23g carbs
100g carbs = about 2 1/3 cups COOKED


after or before cooking, doesn't matter, just use the same standard EVERYTIME. 

When you don't know, try looking at the nutrition label, it should give you an idea of how to measure.  otherwise, try this:

http://www.calorieking.com/

(search for rice if you want that)

[jrod]

One more thing.  you say you don't think its normal to have your bowl filled with rice.  Well, unless you have a problem with undereating (which most people don't) or MUST get in a minimum number of calories, then just eat less.  If its the case that the amount of carbs from rice you allow yourself (in your diet) is more than you can comfortably finish, then you no longer have to measure because you can eat what you want and not overeat.  This make sense?

[pobrecito]

JRod, how much of your daily protein would you say comes from whey?

[jrod]

JRod, how much of your daily protein would you say comes from whey?

Varies day to day in the off-season since I don't eat exactly the same everyday; 1 day i might have chicken & rice for a certain meal, another day I might not be home so I'll eat whey and oats (easier to prepare & eat) for this certain meal.  I would say AT LEAST 300g protein from whey.

One thing I'm really happy about is the fact that I can have whey isolate for all of my whey meals/shakes this off-season.  I used to use concentrate (or a blend of concentrate/isolate) during non-workout times; but now I can have isolate at all whey meals!!!

[pobrecito]

To me it's really amazing you've made the progress you have becuase I've seen studies showing that using whey alone is not great at all for building muscle mass compared to protein blends or whole food.