Adelfo Cerame - Road to The Wheelchair Nationals '12: The 5x5 of (Re-)Programming Your Workout Routine to Make Continuous Progress.

Image 1: The "roadmap" on Adelfo's back (left) may not yet be as detailed as the one of Phil Heath (right). The one in his head, however is probably as, if not more elaborate than the one of the reigning Mr. Olympia.

As a (hopefully) regular reader of the SuppVersity, I assume that going to the gym for you has become more than a annoying duty - more than something you are doing just because you fear that otherwise you would start looking like the 68.3% majority of Americans you are either overweight or obese (data according to CDC)... as I pointed out in the "Programing Success" part of the Intermittent Thoughts a, if not the major determinant of your dietary (and training) success is that "healthy eating" (and I am not talking about the "whole grains approach" here ;-) and smart, not excessive, training becomes a part of your lifestyle, an appreciated cornerstone of your daily routine. For Adelfo, "our man" at the 2012 Wheelchair Nationals in Florida, physical culture has become even more: It is his passion and his #1 priority and though this is what has brought him to where he is now,  he is well aware that getting too passionate, or let's say, letting your emotions gain the upper hand, can become counterproductive...

Sometimes, keeping on track means holding back

I just checked my calendar… And I have exactly 17 more days left until I reach the12-week mark when I will be halfway through my contest prep. And though I am currently working towards my short term goal of copying, better outperforming Duong's amazing transformation by Christmas, I must keep in mind that the latter is nothing but a "test run" to practice for the real event - the 2012 Wheelchair Nationals. So as much as I want to look incredibly shredded on Chistmas day, I mustn't rush myself by drastically slashing calories (stick to 1600kcal) or overdoing HIIT cardio. So I keep telling myself that I have to stay disciplined, stick to my assigned cheat days and stay on course, knowing that this way I should, no, I will hit my mark.

Image 2: Picture on the left hand side 149.5 lbs. Picture on the right hand side 141 lbs. Lets hope I can maintain the lean muscle mass in the latter part of my prep ;-)

To assure that I won't miss that, I have been weighing myself again: 141 pounds. Maybe you do remember - my previous weight was 149.5 pounds in September. That means that I have lost 9 pounds since I have started my prep back on October, 1st. It took me 2 months to drop 9 pounds, which means that I lost about a pound a week. Compared to what some biggest losers may drop within a week this appears to be quite slow, but as Dr. Andro pointed out in his Intermittent Thoughts on Healthy Weight Loss, the rate by which you will lose weight necessarily slows down, once your body has reached "healthy" body fat levels and it becomes really slow, when you are approaching the unnaturally low body fat percentages you will need to compete on stage. That being said, it should raise the red flag, when you are already decently lean an still lose more than 1-2lbs per week - chances are, that anything beyond that is pure muscle mass and that is something I certainly want to avoid.

Back to a regular exercise split

As those of you who have been following all my blogposts, here at the SuppVersity (thanks for that, by the way!) will be aware of, I really enjoyed training according to the escalating density principle. I got stronger, lost body fat and felt incredible tight... but as I have been hinting at in one of the previous installments, training at such a pace and trying to outperform your personal best every time you hit the gym burns you out pretty fast (specially if you are dieting down for a show). Therefore, and simply to change things up (remember: change and thusly novel stimuli are the prerequisite for adaptation), I decided to "go back" to a more traditional bodybuilding split this month.

Recipe of the week: Spartan Steak.

In line with this week's "traditional" training approach, the recipe of the week is a very "traditional" meal, simple yet delicious and particularly appropriate for a rest day of all of you m@tha-“IF”-ers out there!

• 7oz RAW grass-fed NY Steak (seasoned w/sea salt & pepper)
• 4 oz mangoes
• 3 oz cantaloupe
• 5 baby carrots

Macronutrients: 42g protein/ 26g CHO/ 18g fat

Tip: Add 1 tbs. coconut oil to the meal for your fat (grass fed beef is naturally lean so you may want to add more fat such as coconut oil or raw butter to add to your fats)

Last month I have been toying around with alternate workouts - doing EDT every other week - but noticed that my body still felt worn down by the fast paced heavy lifts. Especially my wrists did not recover properly, which, for me, is even more of a problem than it would be for most of you, guys, because I depend a lot more on my upper body during my everyday-life: The joints in my shoulders, elbows and wrist take a constant beating, anyway. So that even now that I have cut back on the "beating the crap out of myself"-style of heavy lifting, I am wearing wrist wraps, for the heavy lifts, which are, of course, still an essential part of my current 5x5 split routine.

Figure 1: Adelfo's current 5x5 training split; this is a screenshot I (Dr. Andro) sneaked out from his "secret" training log... let's hope he does not sue me for "breach of secrecy", now ;-)

I will be sticking to this split for the month of December.  For the first 3 weeks of December, I will still keep the intensity high and tension (weight) heavy. On the second to the last week of December, I will do a de-load week, before I do another famine/detox phase during the last week of December. And while I will talk more about sense and purpose of this technique, about which I have learned in Rob Regish's Blueprint, those of you who missed my previous experience with this low protein low calorie + heavy lifting regimen can read up on that in my previous blogpost.

"Deload week? What's that? Ain't that for pussys?"

Image 3: If you think deloading is for pussys, only, chances are you got more brawns than brains.

For those of you that don’t know what a deload is, it’s basically taking a week (or maybe more) off from lifting heavy and intense. In other words, you are taking a short break of that kind of extreme training that is highly productive in the short, yet potentially detrimental in the long run. You can either take the whole week off completely (away from the gym), or just basically play around with the weights. It all depends on how deep the whole was that you have been digging for yourself and how fast your body recuperates... and believe me, the benefits are manifold! Most notably, deloading...

• ... gives central nervous system a rest
• ... gives body & mind a rest
• ... can prevent overtraining & injury
• ... sets you up for new / accelerated progress
• ... refreshes & keeps you motivated

My current plan is to deload for about a week to give my body, especially my joints a rest before I start another famine/detox phase and start the second half of my contest prep. And since I am in contest prep mode, I wont take the full week off and stay away from the gym completely. Instead, I will ease up on the training, lift very light so that I get a little pump going, rack the weights again and head home.  

The beneficial novelty of the tried and proven

In the mean time, I will enjoy the astonishing benefits, I am currently seeing from a 5x5 routine, many of you may (rigthly so) call "old fashioned" or even boring. But I mean, who cares if it works? My strength has increased significantly in my bench press, and I give most of the credit to the techniques and tricks I have adapted from Rob Regish’s Blueprint. If I keep progressing like that, I do foresee myself bench-pressing three 45 plates on each side for 5 reps before the end of my contest prep (I’ll try to shoot a video for you guys next week on my progress with my bench).

Image 4: By incorporating techniques from the Blueprint Adelfo is making constant progress.

As for my back exercises, my strength may have come to a halt. This is specifically the case with any type of high rows or high pulls, and I think this is mostly due to my weight dropping from 149.5 to 141 pounds. So I didn’t necessarily lose strength but I can’t increase the weight in my lifts as much as I want to, because of the weight distribution. I only weigh 141 pounds now, and I’m lifting weight twice my body weight (250+ lbs). Also keep in mind that I don’t have the function in my legs to plant and keep me grounded, so my body can only withstand so much weight until I am lifting myself off the seat.

That being said, my energy and the intensity in the gym are still very high. Part of this could be because you can focus more on the individual lifts during a 5x5 training split vs. the fast paced as escalating density training

And now that we are already talking about training at a fast pace, Dr. Andro asked my opinion on the discussion that has been revolving around his recent blogpost on time under tension and lifting slow vs. fast:  I’ve never been a fan of lifting lightweight slowly… "What am I!? Some sissy just wanting to tone up, because I’m scared to put on too much muscle!?" Lol, just kiddin'… But seriously? Isn’t this the training myth women fall usually fall for, because they are afraid of getting too buff or bulky? So they lift light weights slowly and for high reps, believing that this will "tone" their muscles? I mean, from what the studies and the research in the “TUT” article shows, this would be the exact opposite of what these women should avoid because it increases protein synthesis right?

Lift heavy and intense, but with good form and a focus on constant progression


For me the fundamental denominator of every successful training protocol is that you lift heavy and intense, use a good form and keep an eye on "progress", i.e. increasing the tension you apply to your muscles... that's all it takes to grow! ... well, I guess it goes without saying that eating smart is a necessary prerequisite without which even the best exercise protocol is pointless.

Image 5: Don't train like Phil Heath, unless you are Phil Heath.
(Flex Magazine cover from July '08)

Moreover, it is important to realize that "increasing tension" is a very complex process, which can be achieved by slow negatives (which I am a big fan of by the way), exaggerated stretches (overhead pulls), static holds, modifications in set and rep ranges, reduced rest, increased TUT, etc. etc. It should thus be obvious that there is no such thing as a one size-fits-it-all solution to constant progress. As Dr. Andro said, it comes down to the individual’s preference and what works for you as an individual at a given point in your "career". What may be an optimal set and rep range for one person may be counterproductive for another. And as my own example shows, while EDT may be the best way to train for weeks A-D, in week E your progress may stall and another regimen will be the "best way" for you to train. If that was not the case, everyone who wanted to look like Phil Heath would just follow his training regimen from Flex Magazine and SHAZAAM! He would look like Mr. O!

You have to find what work for you (no matter what it is) and build on it.

Personally, I enjoy lifting heavy the majority of the time whether it is in the 4-6 rep range, using a 5x5 routine or during EDT-esque workout routines - all of these are part of my training arsenal, an arsenal I am constantly expanding and revising and where higher rep ranges are just another tool I use whenever I feel that switching things up training with higher reps and more volume could benefit me... it's a matter of knowing what works for you, and for me that mostly is using low(er) reps and high(er) weights. What is it for you, guys? Use the comments on the bottom of the page and let me know!

Adelfo Cerame - Road to The Wheelchair Nationals '12: Experience and Intuition Distinguish Bro from Pro

Image 1: If Einstein had been into bodybuilding, he'd have loved how Adelfo approaches his contest prep.

Science certainly is a serious business. Nevertheless, even Einstein was convinced that, at the end of the day, "intuition" and "experience" is what distinguishes the average scientists, who spends his life in one of those sterile labs doing what philosopher of science T.S. Kuhn once called "normal science", from a genius like Einstein, who scribbled his theory on the photo-electric effects, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize, on a few sheets of paper in the course of a transatlantic cruise. And though I assume Adelfo won't like it, if I call him a "genius" (and I assume for a future pro bodybuilder the comparison with Einstein is not very flattering, anyway), intuition and experience are two things our man at the 2012 Wheelchair Nationals in Florida has in abundance, which is why I will now sit back, relax and let the "pro" do the work ;-)

4 Weeks in - Let's See Where We're at!

Week 4 is almost a wrap, and as I promised last week… I have new progress pictures and 2 new videos for you. We'll start with the pictures, because - even in the age of digital cameras and even smartphones with (supposedly) "high definition", stills like those in image 2 are unique (and necessary) in that they give you the time to really judge your progress - taking weekly (more often is neither necessary nor advisable) pictures is thus a must-do not only for a competitive bodybuilder, but for everyone who wants to take his physique to another level.

Image 2: Progress pics, front - September 2, 2011 (left), pre-contest experimentation phase; October 24, 2011, 4 weeks into the contest prep (img Adelfo Cerame, 2011)

For those of you who are catching up, I did not start my contest prep until the 1st week of October, so the September photos were taken while I was still in my bulking phase and still trying to experiment and to adjust my raw foods intermittent fasting dietary regimen to my individual needs. The lighting is a bit off between the two comparisons, but after 4 weeks, I can see a slight, yet visible improvement in my abdominals - it’s not much, but in view of not having been in a caloric deficit, yet (I'll be going there next week), this is certainly noteworthy.

Image 3: Progress pics, back - September 2, 2011 (left), pre-contest experimentation phase; October 24, 2011, 4 weeks into the contest prep (img Adelfo Cerame, 2011)

The biggest improvement I have noticed though are related to my back. I don’t know how much of the difference is due to the lighting or maybe just because I put my hair up, ... but I honestly think that I was able to put on some decent size - looks like the switch to an EDT-type training style with all the grueling, but obviously productive compound moves was already paying off…

"Opinions, please! What do you guys think? Honestly… I’d like to here some of the readers’ opinions. Am I just seeing things? Or am I really making improvements?  [Comment Dr. Andro: You can either use the "comment" function at the bottom of the page or contact Adelfo directly via Facebook if you want - the latter also holds true if you have specific questions or are interested in dietary counseling]

Like I did mentioned last week, I do feel a lot harder, tighter and fuller. The typical "side-effects" everyone I've talked two who has implemented Rob Regish's interpretation of "escalating density" training into his regimen is "complaining" about.

Showtime! Adelfo hits the gym again...

A pros pros training. Let's get to my latest training videos, now. We shot the videos Wednesday night! They are in fact so brand new that I did not even have the time to get sore, yet ;-)

Video 1: Adelfo is incorporating static holds at the end of each set, a technique he has adapted from Rob Regish's Blueprint (Adelfo Cerame, 2011)

Before I start my EDT Block, I always start off with some static hold movements. As you can see in the video, I do five reps and then hold the weight up, after the last one without going to full lockout (this is obviously important, unless you want your joints, instead of your muscles, to do the work ;-). When I began incorporating this technique from the Blueprint into my regimen, I used to add 4 plates on each side and just do one static hold without the extra reps, but I have noticed that the tension on a decline hammer strength machine is a lot different from a free weight decline press (the tension is a lot heavier on free weights). Thusly, I wasn’t getting enough tension with just one static contraction, because the hammer strength machines does a lot of the additional stabilizing work, you would be doing if you were performing this move with free weights.

Image 4: Even the best blueprint will need some tweaking to become your blueprint for success.

A brief note by Dr. Andro: This little "tweak" to the original "Blueprint" Adelfo has come up with is further evidence of what I mentioned two weeks ago, when Adelfo and I were on Carl Lenore's Super Human Radio. Adelfo is the kind of guy who does not follow (even good) advice blindly. He has exactly the kind of Einstein-ish "intuition" and "experience" which distinguishes an average trainee, who relies on his "gurus" to take him to the top (which obviously seldom happens), from a professional bodybuilder, who takes responsibility for his own progress.So, whatever your personal goals may be, whether you are an aspiring bodybuilder or just an average Joe or Jane wanting to look good naked - always remember: success comes from making a blueprint your blueprint!

Being assisted by the hammer strength machine does yet not mean that you cannot hit the pecs hard - it's well possible that the opposite may be the case, because you are eliminating some of the weaker links... So even if I am doing only 3 instead of 4 plates on each side the pump and the pain during the static hold tell me that I am sending that growth signal you should strive to trigger whenever you are at the gym... after all, muscle growth not exhaustion is why (I assume) most of you will be at the gym.

"I am always tailoring my workout to my very specific needs"

And just in case you are now asking yourselves why I am not just doing the static holds with free weights then, the answer is simple: It's a safety issue. When I use free weights, I do not have the luxury to plant my legs and feet to th ground, which would give me that extra stability I need. I depend solely on my core to balance myself. I have to focus on balancing the weight and myself at the same time. So you can just imagine if I lost balance while trying to lift 3 plates on each side - therefore, the most I ever did after my injury on a free weight bench, was 2 plates on each side. And while there will be a video of me doing free weight bench presses somewhen in the near future, as well. For now, I want you to take a look at me performing my favorite EDT block (video 2)

Video 2: Adelfo doing incline presses and DB rows on the third of on of his EDT cycles (Adelfo Cerame, 2011)

I perform these push-pull combinations right after decline press static holds on the hammer strength machine. Being able to move as fast as I can from one exercise to another, this combo allows me to really make the most of my time at the gym. This video comprises only one of the many cycles I try to do within the 20 minutes given…(if you have not followed the whole series, you can read up on my EDT regimen here). The video, I think, shows the third of the cycles, each of which consists of a one push and one pull exersice

"I do a set of incline presses, then I superset that with DB back rows."

My goal with each EDT block (comprising two exercises each) is to try and complete as many cycles as I can within the 20 minutes. Last night I got up to 7 cycles and with each cycle, I lift as heavy as I can for 4-6 reps. If you do the math - 7 cycles à 4 reps does not sound so much, but you must also count the reps from the superset.... so that you are doing 56 all-out heavy (!) reps within 20 minutes… Then you have another static hold exercise, and another EDT block… remember what I said about not exhausting, but stimulating a few lines above - well, sometimes the former just works best by doing the latter ;-)

Image 5: A Philly Cheese Steak Wrap, the latest delicacy from Adelfo Cerame's personal cookbook.

Adelfo Cerame's Cookbook - Philly Cheese Steak Wrap: With the great feedback I am receiving on the recipes, Dr. Andro and I have decided to include one page of the repertoire I have come up with for me, as well as for the clients, I am doing dietary counseling for, as a regular part of each of my blogposts. Today's recipe is a tribute to all of you (and many of my clients) who are no big fans of raw food eating - and let's be honest, if you are doing it correctly "cooked" food can be both healthy and delicious as well. Not being a raw foodist, paleo eater, south beacher, or whatever else people affiliate themselves with… I eat nutritionally dense whole, natural foods (well, maybe with some exceptions on my cheat/reefed days ;-), of which I have found that my body cherishes extra bucks the ingredients may cost me.

A pros pos ingredients, here is what you will need for the one and only ...

Adelfo Cerame Philly Cheese Steak Wrap

• 1 La tortilla Low Carb / High fiber tortilla (12g fiber/6g carbs)
• 6 oz lean grass-fed sirloin steak
• 1 tbs. real mayonnaise
• 1 string cheese
• Bell peppers & onions (optional)

Macros: 43g protein/ 6g carbs/  16g fat - bon appetit!

Looking back at the first month: "So far everything has gone smoothly!"

Image 6: Adelfo 10-8 weeks out from 09’ WC nationals (Adelfo Cerame, 2009)

Although we still have a couple of days left, I want to take the chance and review this first month of my contest prep. What is kind of exciting is that I have noticed that the way I look as of now is actually how I looked 10 to 8 weeks out during my 09’ contest prep (see image 6), and this is the time during prep where I usually felt rushed and began to drastically cut back on calories, because I felt there wasn’t enough time to achieve the level of competitive leanness I am expecting of myself. And though the drastic cuts did not affect me during the prep, it affected me after! And for those of you who have made extreme cuts before know what I’m talking about.... But anyway back on topic.

Next month (i.e. next week, already) I will actually begin to drop my caloric intake. This month I was at 2,250 calories, which is my maintenance calories. Next week I plan to start out with a ~15% calorie deficit from my caloric maintenance, which is about 1,912 calories. That's not much, but with the way I am looking now, eating at or even above maintenance, I expect to see some changes. If my body does not react the way I expected, I can still adapt my caloric intake in the course of the next four weeks, so that I will be able to reach my first long term goal, which is getting almost stage ready by January. By that time, March comes around real quick and I just want to have the luxury of knowing that I’m ready. But I’ll blog more about that next month and also write more about wheelchair bodybuilding in general for those of you that weren’t aware that there is such a thing ;-)

Adelfo Cerame - Road to The Wheelchair Nationals '12: Leaner, Tighter, Stronger - And All That Despite a Novel Sugary Twist to the Uber-Technician's Diet.

Image 1: Just in case you didn't listen to Adelfo on SHR, last week - he is still single, ladies!

Another week, another Thursday; and although I suppose that more of you have been waiting for Adelfo's update than for my humble thoughts on the latest anti-multivitamin campaign... ah, I mean respectable research on multivitamins ;-), I just wanted to let you know that I am at it. Expect the second installment of the follow-up on "Ask Dr. Andro: Are Supplements Bad For Me (1/2)" either tomorrow or on Saturday... fortunately, future pro-wheelchair bodybuilders like Adelfo Cerame appear to be more reliable than muddle-headed pro-physicists, who spent most of their free-time either in the gym or blogging away on exercise and nutrition science. So, "now, without further delay, let's get to" (I bet some of you will recognize this slogan ;-) Adelfo's third week of what I believe is going to be his last contest prep as an amateur *thumbs up!*

Adelfo Cerame Jr., the uber-technician

Week 3 almost in the books and... I’m feeling great! I’m really having fun with my EDT (escalating density training) routines and tweaking it in to my own. Through trial and error, last week, I was able to pick and eliminate what EDT combinations worked and didn’t work for me. I narrowed it down to 5 exercises that work really well considering my mobility, where I can quickly move from one exercise to another during my EDT block. With some help of my friend Dr. Andro I have compiled a graphical overview for you, always pairing one chest and one back or one biceps and one triceps exercise.

Illustration 1: Adelfo's favorite antagonistic supersets for his current EDT routine.

These are the 5 EDT antagonistic (push/pull) combinations that work real well for me, where I can quickly move from one exercise to another. I will try to get some video for next week (don't forget to come back ;-) with me doing one of my favorite EDT blocks.

Image 2: Adelfo's abs during a previous contest prep. Difficult to outdo, but he will do it ;-)

After the famine and with this escalation in training density, I am getting harder and stronger!

The videos probably won't be able to show that, but after the famine, I cribbed from Rob Regish's Blueprint and with the switch to this (for me) novel training style, I have also noticed that my body has gotten a lot harder, my skin feels tighter, and I feel a lot leaner... while this obviously is somewhat subjective, there is not doubt: I’m definitely getting STRONGER! Moreover, my waist is already at 31" and it looks like it can get down to 30" by next week… pure imagination? I wouldn't think so. I’ll try to take some quality photos of how my physique is looking for next weeks segment - promise!

My diet: A permanent construction site...

As for my diet… I have made some minor adjustments to keep things simple! When it comes to prep and my diet, I get really paranoid and over analyze everything from my nutrition to training. I don’t know why I get like this, but I always do every time I prep. The only way out of this misery is to keep things as simple as possible, so I decided to return to protein and fat (P+F), only, as the basis of the majority of my meals. The only meals that is going to have a "high" carbohydrate content (and low fat) will be my PWO shake and PWO meal. Knowing my own body best, I figured it would be wise to let it run on what it runs best, i.e. fats and give him those damn carbs it needs not to shut down and keep the performance up in the very window, where they will get stored, right where they belong, inside my muscle.

This also implies that I will stop doing my usual Sunday re-feeds for a while, because I feel that I get plenty of carbs post workout after this tweeks, so that - given my current caloric intake - I do not see any need for further refeeds (especially not carby ones). Up to know, this has worked out pretty well, I haven’t been feeling flat, my energy is up throughout the week, my metabolism seems to be up... moreover, I haven’t been feeling deprived of anything, so psychologically I’m fine, as well. The formula is easy:

no flat muscle + no lack of energy +  no metabolic shutdown + no cravings = no re-feeds

I am yet aware, that, eventually, somewhere down the road, I will start to incorporate re-feeds again. Probably every 2-3 weeks, at the latest, when I drop the carbs even in the post workout phase and switch to a strictly "ketogenic" diet.

Image 3: An image for those of you who forgot what table sugar looks like; and Alan Aragon's wisdom for those of you who still believe that only dextrose, or even waxy maize or Vitargo are tolerable PWO sugars.

A pros pos carbs, in case you are wondering what carbs we are talking about... we are talking about "white poison" - plain table sugar! I have been adding 5 tsp. of it to my post-workout shakes (and as you can see, I survived ;-) Originally, I wanted to use dextrose, but I really did not fell like forking over $6 for a pound of sugar. I’d rather spend that $6 on half a gallon of raw milk! [Comment Dr. Andro: A wise decision, but since I do not want to adorn myself with borrowed plumes, I just refer you to Alan Aragon's December 2008 Research Letter, where, in his article "An objective comparison of chocolate milk and Surge Recovery", he beautifully dissects, the dextrose (and other) myth(s).

So, what have I left to tell you? Ah, yes. As of lately I have come up with a new "all natural" growth promoting sleeping aid, it's a dessert I suppose the chefs among you will be interested in.

My pineapple chocolate cheesecake

Image 4: Healthy, all natural pre-bed nutrition - Adelfo Cerame's original Pineapple Chocolate Cheesecake (TM)

Ingredients:
• ½ c. cottage cheese
• 24g vanilla whey
• 1 tbs. heavy whipping cream
• ¼ c. of fresh chopped pineapples
• 1 tbs. of Walden Farms Calorie free chocolate syrup
• 1 tbs. coconut oil
  
  Macronutrient breakdown:
• 37g protein
• 10g carbs 
• 25g fat

How to do it:  Mix cottage cheese, vanilla whey and heavy whipping cream (you can blend it as well, if you prefer that). Pour Walden Farms Calorie free chocolate syrup over what you just mixed. Add the fresh pineapples on top, then pour 1 tbs. of melted coconut oil over your fresh pineapples and wait for the coconut oil to harden over the cold fresh pineapples (about 20 sec.) - You can wash this down with a cold glass of raw milk (which I do), and enjoy your anabolic sleep!

...hmm, what are you waiting for? I said "anabolic sleep!" ;-)

Adelfo Cerame - Road to The Wheelchair Nationals '12: After the Famine the Training Starts to Escalate!

Image 1: Adelfo Cerame Jr. survived the famine ;-)

Another Thursday, a busy one that is not over with this blog post, but will go overtime on Carl Lenore's Super Human Radio, where, today at 12pm EST, you will be able to hear Adelfo Cerame Jr. and my humble self, Dr. Andro, chitchatting with Carl about Adelfo's contest prep, his raw foods diet, intermittent fasting and much more. So don't forget to tune in live (update: click here to download podcast) And in case your boss doesn't like it when you listen to Internet ratio shows in the office, I will post the link to the podcast, as soon as it is going to be available. In the meantime, I'd suggest you read up on whether or not Adelfo survived the self-inflicted famine that had befallen him in the last week ;-)

Low calories + low protein = no hunger, no sluggishness, no visible muscle loss and no acne!

As those of you who have been following my weekly updates (a new installment appears every Thursday) here on SuppVersity know, I picked up a technique I read about in Rob Regish's Blueprint and kicked the hot phase of my contest prep off with a famine/detox protocol. The idea behind this initially counter-intuitive dietary intervention was to give my digestive tract, as well as "Mr. mTOR" on his "AMPK/mTOR seesaw" (if you aren't familar with "Mr. mTOR" and his unique "toy", you got to read up on Dr. Andro's latest blogposts on Intermittent Fasting) a well-deserved rest, in order to reset and improve my body’s ability to absorb and utilize nutrients more efficiently. In combination with strenuous training, the famine signal, which is obviously a novelty for a bodybuilder who has been focusing almost religiously on getting his share of protein in every few hours for years, is supposed to shock and alarm the body. It's similar to what a beginner will experience, when he is first hitting the gym - stress-induced super-compensation is the name of the game.

Figure 1: Macronutrient break down (protein, carbs, fats in g) famine and regular training day - what a difference!

With a calorie intake way below what it will look like even at the end of my contest prep, I expected to be hungry all the time. Much to my surprise (yet actually in accordance with what I had read in Rob Regish's "Blue Print"), the 5 days on fresh pineapples, raw carrots and vegetable juice (V8) weren't so bad at all. Being an "Intermittent Faster" for quite some time now and thusly accustomed to going without food for longer periods of time, I did not even feel particularly hungry. My performance in the gym did not suck and I did not feel sluggish, either. What I did notice, though, was how my skin cleared up. By day three on this low calorie, low protein diet the acne on my chest and back had cleared up - quite astonishing for someone like me who has had issues with body acne for most of his life!

A Guru of my own - wandering in Gironda's footsteps

I broke the famine/detox on Saturday afternoon and treated myself to a Brazilian BBQ buffet. If you’ve never been to a Brazilian BBQ restaurant… it’s a meatgasm of all you can eat: cuts of rib eye, sirloin, brisket, lamb, duck, rabbit… and the list goes on! For the first 48 hours I loaded up on protein and quality carbohydrates, drank lots of water and popped liver tablets throughout the day. "Liver tabs, what's that?", if you are now asking yourselves that question, you probably belong to the post-Gironda generation. Vince Gironda, the "Iron Guru", himself, swore by those dessicated liver tabs for their high content of quality protein and highly bioavailable vitamins and micronutrients. While this may have been in the days before protein powders, BCAA caps and mega-dosed vitamin supplements became widely available, I feel like this completely natural nutrient blend still has its merit. As of Monday, I went back to my daily maintenance calories.
 

Image 2: This is what a  Brazilian BBQ looks like. Certainly, a decent contrast to a famine. So, just in case you ever happen to be starving, I guess now you know where to go to refeed yourself ;-)

When I first started experimenting with IF last month, I mentioned that I wasn’t really keeping track of my calories or numbers. This has obviously changed with the beginning of my contest prep. After all, intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy, but no magic bullet that will give you the body of a bodybuilder if you eat like a pig - when on stage 0.1% body fat make the difference, between victory and defeat, calories begin to count again. Accordingly, I began keeping track of my calories and macronutrients, again, in order to make sure that I am hitting my numbers: For the next two weeks my goal is to keep my calories around my caloric maintenance to take advantage of the super-compensation process I hope to have triggered by the short famine phase.

After those two weeks, I will evaluate my physique, take measurements and go from there. In that I will diverge from the usual approach, where you are gradually decreasing your calorie intake from week to week, and use what you may call "caloric zig zagging" instead. In essence, I hope to be able to forestall metabolic adaptation processes (it should be obvious that we are talking about reductions in energy expenditure, here) by keeping my energy/calorie intake up during my training days and using my off days to create the caloric deficit which simply is a necessary prerequisite to bring your body fat level down into the unquestionably unnatural lower single-digit range, where veins start popping and striations begin to show, where "normal" people would not even know they had muscles ;-) ... but as I said, I’ll figure out the details, based on the results of the next two weeks.

EDT = Escalating Density Training - well, why not give it a shot!?

Image 3: Adelfo's personal EDT blueprint right from his secret training diary ;-)

I have also decided to make a major change in my training routine: For the next couple of weeks, I will be experimenting with static holds and EDT, i.e. escalating density training. At first I was very hesitant, because I am so used to common split routines, muscle-isolation and all those specialization and isolation stuff you read about in the muscle mags. After some conversations with Rob Regish, who happens to offer additional advice to all readers of his "Blueprint" on the Blueprint Forum, and some research of my own, I have convinced myself that the intense antagonistic training style of EDT could work particularly well for someone like me, who, partly due to my handicap, usually doesn't do any regular "cardio" training during his contest prep and wants to rely on strength training and nutrition, exclusively, when dieting for a show. Being short and intense it could help burn off calories while building or maintaining the muscle mass I already carry.

A pros pos intense: EDT is a program or training system that challenges you to do the most work per unit of time, which is supposed to be an optimal stimulus for muscle growth. Each session consists of two antagonistic or push/ pull exercises (for example, 1 chest exercise superset w/ 1 back exercise and 1 biceps exercise superset w/1 triceps exercise). You have 20 minutes for each exercise (which is called the PR Zone or personal record zone), to perform as many reps as you can. The goal is to try and beat your personal or PR zone, every workout session. Now, if you have not tried it yourself, two exercises, 40 minutes of training... that may not sound very intense... believe me, my experience from Monday's workout tought me otherwise: EDT is fast paced and intense. I was sweating and breathing hard, like I was running sprints back and fourth for 20 minutes. I haven’t felt like that in a long time from a weight training session…

And for those of you that are wondering. "Hey, and what about your other body parts? Deltoids, triceps, the individual heads, etc.?" Honestly, when you’re hammering your chest and back constantly within those 20 minutes… I can assure you that you WILL feel that your deltoid, triceps, and biceps are getting hammered just as well. And FYI… you cannot change the shape of your muscles or restructure your muscle bellies by exercising body parts from certain different angles - you may be able to make up for minor imbalances, but when it's all said and done, all you can do is shed off the body fat and showcase what you have made out of the body God gave you.

Abs, abs, abs,... is that all people want?

You think you could use some advice on your own training, diet and supplementation regimen and want it from someone who obviously knows what it takes to build muscle and lose fat? You can reach out to Adelfo via Facebook.

Before we close this weeks update, a brief note on a topic many of you appear to be interested in: My, or I actually I think you are more interested in YOUR abs ;-) I get a lot of compliments and questions on how I get my abs so defined, people ask me what type of exercises I do or think that I spend the whole day working them out. To be honest, I don’t do any special exercises or different varieties of abdominal workouts, as you see some people do. I keep my abdominal workout simple, just your basic cable crunches using a rope. People don’t realize that everybody exercise his abdominals on a daily basis... you cannot do squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses, benches, etc. without them! During each rep, your abs got to work - they are stabilizing your body, whether you realize it or not, your abs will gets their share of stimulation.

Now, obviously, I depend a lot more on my core to hold me up and balance myself, since I cannot use my gluteus and legs. When it comes to "training" abs, this is an advantage, because I am utilizing my core more than most "healthy" people do, just to keep my posture up and balanced... I let my diet take care of the rest!  Always remember: Abdominals are built in the kitchen, but that’s stuff for one of the next installments ;-)

Adelfo Cerame - Back on the Grind! Introducing the World's First Hypertrophy-EDT-5x5 Alternate Cross-Over Regimen!

Image 1: A classic physique, but a novel routine.

I guess, I don't have to tell you that our mutual friend Adelfo is fired up to get back to the gym. I guess if it had not been for the intermediate famine phase after the post-contest binge, he would hardly have endured the one week without drudgery, but alas, the time of laziness is over now and Adelfo is about to return to the gym. Yet not without a detailed plan of attack, not as "voluminous" (in the literal sense) as he had intended before our conversation, last weekend, but still a ton of grindingly hard work - exactly the kind of thing Adelfo loves and what helped him build, what may not be the most muscular, but certainly the most aesthetic physique I have ever seen on a wheelchair bodybuilder (let alone other athlete). But I guess, I will just let him tell you how he is planning to take this superlative to yet another level.

Back on the grind! But not without a few tweaks

"After taking a week off, your boy is back at it again for another 14 weeks!" *lol* Today is training day. No food, just weights - or put more simply: I will focus on the exercise part of my plan of attack for the next show. As Adel, aka Dr. Andro, already gave away in Part II of his "Step by Step Guide To Your Own Workout Routine" series (click here for Part I) I will give you the run-down on the training protocol we have workout out on the last weekend. It's more or less a work in progress, with a tried and proven workout-base, which has worked for me in the past, and some additions that are intended to make it even better. If that sounds confusing, just bear with me, you will soon understand, what I mean.

Image 2: If you have not seen them already, you better make sure to go to either RXMuscle.com or Adelfo's Facebook page to check out the pics Dave Palumbo's crew shot at the 2012 Sunshine Classics

Those of you, who have been following the "Road to Wheelchair Nationals" series, here at the SuppVersity, know that I have found some success in increasing my strength and lean muscle utilizing an EDT and 5x5 training type regimen even though I was on a caloric deficit for the most part of my prep. Up to now, I have never used this regimen on a "bulk", i.e. in a phase, where I consumed at least slightly more calories than I needed, but judged by my previous results, the results should be scary - obviously, in a positive sense ;-) For now, this will yet have to wait to the off-season. After all, the time to my next competition (~15 weeks) is not that long that I could afford to go really overboard calorie-wise.

Given my past experiences with this regimen, I would yet be a fool to skip the EDT + 5x5 regimen completely. So, I decided that it would be prudent to stick to what has worked and try to come up with a set of modification that would make it even more efficient. 

The thing I have come up with is basically a "cross-over regimen" (sounds funky, right? I guess I should patent the training system and sell it, then ;-) with a two-day 5x5 strength core that is combined alternately with two-day escalating density regimen or a newly developed three-day hypertophy protocol.

The key points and main changes of / in my new regimen:

• I threw out the static holds and added another EDT exercise to make it a total of 3 EDT exercises in 1 workout session, equaling 60 minutes total. I did this, because I felt the cost-benefit, in terms of the time I spent doing the statics and the results strength and size-wise were not worth, given that at this point of my prep I will still be consuming enough food to cope with a third escalating density superset, which would otherwise have extended my workouts into the 70min+ realm.
   
• I wanted to add hypertrophy-type workout into my regimen. Something I could alternate with the EDT workouts every other week. Firstly, to avoid overtraining on the metabolically demanding 2x60 min EDT sessions per week and secondly to add another unfamiliar growth stimulus. It has been some time that I did a "normal" bodybuilding split) and as much as I love low reps and lifting heavy, I feel that hypertrophy style training also has its benefits. When I’m lifting real heavy, my intensity and focus is just on strength and moving the weight. It’s really hard to focus on the mind to muscle connection, and the stretch and squeeze, when you’re trying to lift a lot of weight. This is where a hypertrophy style training excels. It allows you to focus on good form, the mind to muscle connection, and the stretch and the squeeze. I also feel that it’s a good confidence builder, because it allows you to appreciate the strength gains you make, from lifting heavy all the time - well, at least that is what it is for me: The way the weight suddenly feel so light, when you transition from the low reps with heavy weight, to a high(er) rep protocol with moderately heavy weight just makes me feel good.
   
• I wanted to work on my "new" problem area, the shoulders, which I have decided were the body part, where Neil beat me in Florida. I must admit that just doing the classic push movements, I may have neglected my rear and side delts and the results were particularly visible, when I hit the rear double biceps pose. 

In fact my decision to add additional shoulder work was part of the reason to a) add another EDT superset and b) (re-)incorporate a "classic" hypertophy split into my regimen, the first rudimentary incarnation of which looks as follows:

Figure 1: Week A of my new alternate cross-over training regimen (2x EDT + 2x 5x5)

Basically, in the first the first week, I’m sticking to my bread and butter regimen, which is EDT & 5x5. Call it a strength and conditioning phase, if you will. In the subsequent week, I will then replace the two EDT days on Monday and Wednesday with a classic three-day bodybuilding split, so that week B is slightly more hypertrophy-oriented, and will look like that:

Figure 2: Week B of my new alternate cross-over training regimen (3x Bodybuilding Split + 2x 5x5)

Overall this regimen is - and this should apply to any of your new regimen, as well (don't forget to check out the past and future installments of the "Step By Step Guide to Your Own Workout Routine") - a "work in progress". I will stick to it for these first two weeks and think about adjustments, on either the training or the nutrition side of things, afterwards. Apropos, nutrition: If you are curious about what my intermediate "maximal muscle, minimal fat gain diet" is going to look like, I suggest you do not miss the next installment of my ongoing series, here at the SuppVersity!

Step By Step Guide to Your Own Workout Routine - Part II: Choosing the Right Training Style(s) for Your Goals

Image 1: Maybe it is because I don't have the beard, but for me HIT a la Mike Metzner never worked out ;-)

In the last installment you should have learned "How to Fit Your Training, Rest Days, Strength and Conditioning Workouts into Your Personal Schedule". By now, you should thusly have a general idea of what your future workout week is going to look like. You should, for example, know that you will have to bring your gymbag to the office on Monday, to be able to go right to the gym after work. While you will have programmed your shiny new iPhone to wake you up on Wednesday early, so that you can do a fasted HIIT workout before you shower, have breakfast and head to work... what you still need to know, though, is what exactly you are about to do at the gym, on your treadmill or simply in the park next door. The second part of the "Step By Step Guide to Your Own Workout Routine" thusly starts with a chapter on training types and splits.

A fundamental decision: The "right" training type(s) / style(s) for you

When you are planning your workout days the first decision you will have to make relates to the "training type" or "training style". Based on this decision and the number and schedule of your workouts your will then decide on the optimal training split. It goes without saying that we are dealing with a two-tier menu, here. In other words, there is a range of strength and a range of conditioning workouts you can chose from, when planning your workout regimen.

Strength workouts	Conditioning workouts
Classic full body strength training Circuit training High(er) volume bodybuilding split German volume training Escalating density training Pyramid training 5x5 high intensity training HIT a la Mike Metzner Olympic / powerlifting	Low intensity steady state High intensity steady state High intensity interval Metabolic circuit training Cross-fit conditioning workouts Other sports
Table 1: Examples of "training styles" you could chose from (not intended to be complete!)

This brief overview is obviously not intended to be complete. The main intention is to give you an idea of what a "workout style" actually is. In most cases the latter is closely linked to certain volume, intensity and even set and rep prescriptions. This is something you should be aware of, since the type of workout you chose will limit your choices as far as set and rep schemes are concerned. On a full body strength training regimen, for example, it is impossible to do five exercises per body part. And while you could certainly do olympic lifts in the 20+ rep range, it is still questionable, if that makes sense, after all you will probably have chosen an o-lifting or powerlifting type of training, because your main goal is to increase your strength and though it may be debatable if that is not just as well possible if you train in what is usually considered the hypertophy range of 6-10 reps (cf. Marshall. 2011), I can assure you that you are not going to see significant strength increases if you perform your deadlifts with 20lbs plates on each side for reps.

"Right"? What's that supposed to mean and how do I know?

That said, we are already approaching the question of "which type of training is right for me and my goals" - a tricky question in which you will have to consider a whole host of parameters, of which I believe that the most important ones are:

Image 2: I know that most magazines and website make it appear as if you just go to the gym, pick up a dumbbell and train... unfortunately, your results depend not only on what you do (the correct plan you are learning to set up, here), but also how you do it. Especially complex movements, like the squat and the deadlift require training (not just "doing") and someone who checks your form and helps you correct it. So, if you can't afford a personal trainer, please don't be rude to the strength training veteran who is telling you that you are using way too much weight, but ask him to help you improve on your skills!

• your training schedule: If the training schedule you have outlined based on what you have learned in the last installment allows for just one strength workout per week, this must be a full-body workout. If you have four or five workout days, you will have to use a body part split.
   
• your training experience, conditioning and age: Just like the number of workouts must be matched to your experience, your athleticism and your age (or potential health issues), you will have to chose your workout style accordingly, as well. Other than in the case of the training schedule, which has little to no restrictive influence on the range of conditioning workouts you can chose from, your training experience, your conditioning and your overall health could make it hard or not advisable to perform certain conditioning workouts. As I have hinted at before, I don't believe in HIIT training for morbidly obese trainees, simply because walking on an incline at a constant (moderate) tempo for 15 minutes is already very high intensity training for someone who carries an additional 100-200lbs of body fat around. Similarly, someone who has never lifted weights before would be ill-advised to do any sort of high intensity lifting (only), simply because chances are that he or she will just move the weight from point A to point B without stimulating the muscle, but putting lots of stress on cartilage and joints.
   
• your personal preference and previous choices: Many trainees who want to see optimal results make the fundamental mistake of following a plan to the T, although they hate doing what they do. In other words, a commonly overlooked, but fundamentally important question you should ask yourself is: "What type of training do I want to do?" If you want to get stronger, but hate O-lifting, you better ignore all expert advice that this would be the best way to get stronger, and rather pick a more bodybuilding oriented HIT regimen a la Mike Metzner - assuming you like BB-style workouts better than olympic lifts. In this regards, you will yet have to be cautious not to stick to your favorite routine forever. The HST (hypertrophy-specific training) regimen with its carefully planned macro- and micro-cycles of heavy lifting in the lower and lighter lifting in the higher rep ranges has not been around for so long for nothing. From a physiological perspective it simply makes sense that maximal muscle gain requires adequate strength gains in as much as maximal strength gains won't occur if you don't make sure that your muscles also grow (I will address the issue of "periodization" in an individual post)
   
• your goals: Based on the previous considerations, the number of workout styles you can / want to chose from should have narrowed down considerably. It is thusly time to make a decision on which of these suits your current goals best (remember: whenever your goals change, e.g. when you have lost enough fat and want to start building muscle, you will have to revisit this choice!). 

Your goal - your workout: There is no single "best" combination

Since it is virtually impossible to come up with definite pairs of workout-style < > goal, and in view of the fact that I have bombarded you with more than enough theoretical information I will try to come up with a handful of common examples:

• health focus, three days a week: 2x full body classic bodybuilding inspired routine (use different exercises, i.e. routine A and B), 1x HIIT
   
• health focus, four days a week: 1x full body circuit training (3 rounds), 1x light intensity steady state (35 min), 1x 5x5 high(er) intensity lifting, 1x HIIT (15 min)
   
• weight loss focus, three days a week: 1x HIIT (20min), 1x full body circuit training (3 rounds), 1x steady state cardio (45 min on rowing machine; largely underrated "cardio" equipment, by the way)
   
• weight loss focus, four days a week: 2x escalating density training (chest + back, shoulders + legs, arms as supersets), 1x HIIT (20 min), 1x light steady state (35min on incline treadmill)
   
• hypertrophy focus, three days a week: 2x classic bodybuilding split (day 1: upper body or push; day 2: lower body or pull), 1x HIIT (15 min) + optional ab and flexibility work
   
• hypertrophy focus, four days a week: 2x escalating density training, 1x powerlifting, 1x steady state cardio (35min rowing ;-)
   
• hypertrophy focus, five days a week (hardcore ;-): 3x classic bodybuilding split, 2x powerlifting, 2x additional HIIT training either in the morning or 1x steady state (30min) and 1x HIIT (10min) after two workouts of your choice
   
• strength focus, three days a week: 2x 5x5 training, 1x HIIT (20min) or 1x olymypic lifting + 1x HIIT in the morning or after one of the strength workouts
   
• strength focus, four days a week: 3x HIT a la Mike Metzner (push, pull, legs), 1x light intensity steady state cardio (45min walking on treadmill)
   
• strength focus, five days a week: 2x powerlifting, 2x olympic lifting, 1x steady state cardio (35min rowing)

I could obviously continue this list for ever, but rather than doing that I will conclude this installment of the  Step By Step Guide to Your Own Workout Routine, by identifying two common patterns, which may also help you your decision about which combinations could work for you:

1. Variety means freedom and keeps you from getting bored: You will probably have noticed that many of the templates combine different training styles. This is particularly true for the regimen with more than three workout days and with respect to the "cardiovascular" or conditioning work you are performing. The reasons for that are two-fold: For one, performed correctly, i.e. at maximum intensity, a 15-20min HIIT will require about as much recovery time as a 50min strength workout. A light intensity steady state "aerobic" workout, on the other hand can actually accelerate your recovery (assuming that you have a decent baseline conditioning). It does thusly, at least in my humble opinion, make sense to include one "classic cardio" session into your regimen, especially if you are sitting at a desk for the rest of the day. Secondly, you will notice that having the option of doing one or the other will allow you to chose your cardio workout according to what you feel like. Just got that new magazine in the mail? Well, then discard the 20min HIIT and read your magazine while you are fidgeting around on the cross trainer ;-)
    
2. Auxilliary work not directly related to your goal can make all the difference: If you look at the "hardcore bodybuilding split" (hypertrophy, 5-day routine) you will see that this is not one of those stupid 5-day splits you see in the magazines. You rather follow a classic 3-day bodybuilding split from Mo-Wed, rest, and perform a push-pull powerlifting type of training on Friday and Saturday. This is similar to one of Layne Norton's plans, who, I am sure, is just as aware as you should be that by improving your major lifts and your overall strength on the "powerlifting days", you are able to get much more out of the "hypertrophy days" earlier in the week. Similarly, a power- or olympic lifter would be ill-advised to neglect his overall conditioning. With the "low" training volume, auxilliary long(er) duration light(er) intensity cardio sessions are thusly an ideal complement to make sure that he does not have to drop the bar, simply he gets wind.

"How many reps? I want to know how many reps I am supposed to do!"

I guess, by now you probably understand, why I have hitherto shied away from this type of blogposts. I have spent the whole sunny Sunday afternoon "blogging" and covered no more than ~15% of what I had in mind, when I sat down. I hope you have still gotten some inspiration, and promise that I am going to do my very best to tackle all of the following issues

Image 3: What is the most underrated conditioning workout? Easy: Rowing! A decent rowing machine will activate your whole body, train your coordination and can even help you build muscle. What more can you ask for of an "auxilliary" and allegedly "uselsess" aerobic exercise?

• pairing body parts - antagonistic, synergistic, arms on their own day... ?  
• set and rep ranges - 1-5 for strength, 6-12 for size and 12-20 ...? 
• exercise selection - do's & don'ts (for a sneak peak check out the EMG series)?
• periodization - HST, intra-workout "periodization" a la Hatfield... ?

on the coming weekend. In the meantime, you will have the chance to see a 100% concrete example of how an allegedly beginner (and probably also intermediate) incompatible workoutplan can look like, when Adelfo is going to present the results of the "workout-plan-storming" session we had yesterday.

And don't forget: The comment section (below) is open for suggestions, wishes and questions on this and for the future installments of this series - don't be shy folks ;-)

Adelfo Cerame - Road to The Wheelchair Nationals '12: Are You Only Lifting Weights or Already Building Muscle?

Image 1: If you asked yourself how much "damage" the reintroduction of fruits and starchy carbs has done to Adelfo's physique, I guess that this picture that was taken on Tuesday, this week will suffice for an answer... or do you see any fat-gain? I don't not even the dreaded water in the lower abs has returned.

When people ask me for training advice - be that at the gym, on the SuppVersity Facebook wall or directly on my facebooky, ah... I mean fancy new "timeline", my first question usually is: "What is your training goal?" If the answer doesn't come like a shot, I already know where things are at sixes and sevens. More often than not the simple reason people's training sucks is because they either don't have a goal or are unwilling to prioritize one over the other. Training is there for a purpose it is no purpose in and out of itself! And for those of you who are aspiring to build a physique like Adelfo, this purpose will be muscle growth, not strength. To hit the gym "to lift heavy weights", will thusly always be secondary to hitting the gym to stimulate muscle growth. Given the fact that both are obviously closely related, the tips Adelfo is going to give you in today's installment of his contest prep series, here at the SuppVersity focus mainly around how your mindset and mind-to-muscle connection can help you to achieve the latter, i.e. maximal training stimuli, by doing the former, i.e. lifting heavy weights... enjoy!

You know how to lift weights, right? But do you know how to train?

What is your focus when you train at the gym? Are you prepared? Do you have a plan of attack? Know which exercises do to, how much reps you want to crank out and how many plates you are going to put onto the bar? No? Then you are one of those guys (or girls, obviously ;-) who just wing it and make up shit as you go? These every serious trainee should ask him- / herself, because the way you answer them will affect the way you perform at the gym and the latter will obviously determine whether you will meet your aims or fail.

Recipe of the Week: Keep It Simple, Nutritious and Delicious

Nutrition and training certainly have more than one thing in common. One such thing is that simplicity mostly beats finesse. And what could possibly be simpler, or I should say more basic than chicken breast, russet potatoes and veggies?

• 10 oz chicken breast marinated in peanut thai sauce from Trader Joe’s  
• 11 oz of organic russet potatoes baked and cut into mojo potatoes (seasoned with sea salt, crushed pepper, tarragon, and cayenne pepper)
• 1 whole cucumber sliced and topped with 1 oz of fresh cut pineapples, sea salt, red wine vinegar, and sprinkles of truvia to add a sweet taste to it.
• 1 cup of fresh papayas to top off the meal

Macros:  83g protein / 81g of carbs / 21g fat

Note: This 949 kcal post-workout meal is another demonstration of the beauty of intermittent fasting. I mean who, if not an intermittent faster would be able to chow down 949 kcal in one meal and still run a 500-600kcal/day deficit?

If the decision whether you want to wear the red or the black muscle shirt, or the question if the blue pants go well with your greenish top are the only things you have on your mind, when you are getting ready for a workout, I can guarantee you that your training will suck. For those of you who do now feel caught with the hands in the cookie jar (by the way, eating cookies before a workout ain't particularly productive either ;-), I have compiled a brief checklist which may help you to make the most of your time in the gym:

1. Focus at the task at hand: Know your the body parts you are going to train, know the exercise and have a clear set / rep / weight goal for each of them.
    
2. Get into the right mindset and your physical preparedness will follow: Know that you are in for a hard ride, commit yourself to putting your body through some positive pain (I am not talking about hurting yourself, guys), and, if by any means possible, find yourself a training partner who is just as dedicated as you are. I used to train alone, but I guess my current success is in part attributable to my new training partner who is willing and able to help me push through my limits
    
3. Don't lose sight of your long-term goals:  Know what you are training for and which overall direction you want to take. Maximum fat loss and maximum strength, for example are mutual exclusives. Trying to achieve both at a time will lead to stagnation or regression. Make a list of short-term goals that mark the way towards your overall goal - this does not have to be the title at a bodybuilding competition. Just something that allows you to constantly remind yourself: "There's a prize, and I have my eye on it"

As you may notice, it's all in your head. Whether your workout is going to be productive or not is to a large extent determined by the attitude with which you are hitting the gym. It will keep you going, pushing, pulling, curling, squatting, and, what is probably most important, feeling confident with what you are doing.

Remember: For bodybuilders, lifting weights serves a purpose, it is no purpose of its own

Instead of just going to the gym, taking the heaviest dumbbell you can lift off the rack to do a few "ballistic curls" that will make your ego and maybe your traps grow, but leave your biceps idle, your (newly acquired?) mindset allows to really focus on good form and technique. You ignore the bros around you - some of them may be bigger than you are and they may be lifting heavier weight, but the way they train tells you that it won't be long until you will be the one who lifts the heaviest weights... and that with proper form.

January 2012 Training Video: Shoulder Day!

Video 1: Click on the image (or this link) to watch Adelfo perform alternating military and neck presses for 5 reps - the one shoulder exercise where he is going really heavy, yet not without his training partner as a spotter.

My shoulder regimen is basic and simple. I train my front, back and rear deltoids, and for some reason I like to incorporate my trapezoids into my shoulder training. To be honest for a while I thought the traps were a shoulder muscle, so I think that’s why I got into the habit of always training traps with shoulders. I don’t really do anything fancy with my shoulder training regimen, because, I figure my deltoids get hit most of the time when I’m doing bench press exercise or any type of rows when I train back, therefore one "shoulder day" a week is plenty - and for me that is usually Saturday.

In view of the fact that the shoulder is probably the most vulnerable of the major body parts bodybuilders use to isolate in their training regimen, I usually don't lift as heavy on these days, turn to the higher rep schemes (8-12) and perform 4-5 sets per exercise.

You can see me perform the last movement of my current shoulder workout, which consists of

• DB lateral raises (side): 4x8-12 (Sometimes I’ll superset one with the other)
• DB lateral raises (front): 4x8-12  (Sometimes I’ll superset one with the other)
• Reverse machine fly’s/ or reverse cable crossovers (high grip): 4x8-12
• Shrugs: 5x5 heavy
• BB Military/Neck presses: 5x5 (I press from front to back= 1 rep)

in this weeks training video. The workout is based around a few suggestions Rob Regish, the author of The Blueprint, came up with and which has become one of my favorites!

For me and probably many of you, lifting heavier weights will yet always remain a means to an end. You improve your strength to be able to expose your muscle to new growth stimuli and those stimuli will be amplified, when you focus on the "mind-to-muscle connection". Learn the basic anatomy of your muscles, learn to flex each one of them and practice posing. All that can strengthen the mind-to-muscle connection and will exponentiate your gains. It will also help you to determine when a body part needs more rest - when you don't feel the muscle and are just pumping away your weights, chances are you need more rest.

Don't be "that guy": 5 Things not to do at the gym

And while these are the most fundamental DO's here is a list of the absolute DON'T's, most of which you will however encounter in gyms all across the world everyday:

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• lifting weights for no clear-cut purpose - the "I just like to lift weights mentality" will get you nowhere
   
• "lifting" way too heavy - the "I can use the heaviest dumbbells mentality" will get you nowhere but into the hospital
   
• focussing on finishing a lift instead of lifting - the "just one more set mentality" will have you do 100 sets without having taxed the muscle once
   
• training the same body parts everyday - the "my chest/biceps is lagging mentality" is the exact reason why your biceps and/or chest are lagging, you are overtraining them
   
• becoming complacent - the "I am happy the way I am mentality" is just a way by which you are saving your lazy ass from the work it would take to make progress

Now, even if you think that you are already doing all the DO's and avoiding all the DON'T's, there will allways be room for improvement. For me, the incorporation of a lower rep-regimen (5x5 and even EDT) has brought my mind-and-muscle connection to another level. When you know that you have "only" 5 reps to stimulate the muscle, you will almost inevitably "make every rep count" - on the higher rep schemes, this is tremendously more difficult and you will find yourself often more focused on completing the 12-15 reps you are supposed to do than on the actual task at hand, which is to stimulate hypertrophy by contracting your muscle against the momentary resistance of the weight.

Lower rep schemes will force you to make every rep count

With low(er) rep schemes, such as 5x5, you know all you need to do is give everything you got for each of the 5 reps you are about to do. If you asked me, it's a psychological thing… I mean, mentally you know you only have to do like 3-5 reps and that’s it! You know you can just give everything you got and shoot your load within that one set, without worrying about having to keep going for another 5, or maybe even 10 reps. That will allow you to focus on maximum contractions and practicing the mind-to-muscle connection, which will eventually help you to maintain proper form and focus on higher rep sets, as well.

So, I guess the best thing you can do now is to just randomly select any muscle shirt, ignore whether the color of your pants jars the one of your top and head off to the gym... the next installment of this series won't be available before Thursday anyway. So you have plenty of time to practice your mind-to-muscle connection ;-)