Since the world’s largest bodybuilding show was recently, this conversation has come up a lot. “He had him everywhere but the back.” “His arms need to grow to match his chest.” “His quads dominate his upper body.”
Lagging body parts are frustrating, especially when it seems like you are doing everything to improve them. When we begin training everything seems to grow at such a high clip that it takes a while before you even begin to realize that certain body parts are not growing at the same rate as others. Larger muscle groups take longer to develop than the smaller muscle groups. Genetics also play a critical role in where you can pack on muscle mass. Some people just aren’t meant to have 21 inch arms. While that is a hard reality to accept; you can still progress to where you have a muscle bound and symmetrical physique. You must learn to train smarter, not just harder. Let’s look at some different methods to bring up lagging body parts.
Increase Frequency
If you have been hitting the same weekly split for years and nothing is happening, why not change it up? Increase the workload from once a week to two or three times a week. The increased frequency and volume will elicit more muscular damage, which will hopefully in turn mean more muscle hypertrophy. Frank Zane was a big proponent of overtraining lagging body parts to bring them up.
By increasing frequency, overall volume within the training session may need to be taken back to ensure recovery is still optimal. I would try to limit the overall work sets to under 10. That means if you do three different exercises, only do three sets of those exercises. It’s also a good idea to mix up the exercises during each session. For example, if you do flat barbell bench press on Monday, don’t do barbell bench press on Wednesday. Choose a different compound chest exercise such as incline dumbbell press.
If increasing frequency is the route you take to try and bring up lagging body parts, skip the advanced training techniques such as drop sets and supersets. The nervous system can only handle so much, and by increasing frequency it will already be taking more of a hit than normal.
By increasing frequency, your overall recovery ability will be compromised to a certain degree. It’s important to remember this when constructing your training program, as other areas of training need to reflect this change in frequency. Also focus on bringing up only one lagging body part if it is a large muscle group. You will run your body into the ground if trying to bring up both legs and back simultaneously.
Decrease Frequency
How can decreasing frequency be a benefit, when we just talked about increasing frequency? You could actually be training too much; not allowing your body to fully recover between training sessions. It typically takes 72 hours after a muscle is worked before it is fully recovered, and protein synthesis starts to dissipate. A lot of times we use muscle indirectly when targeting other muscle groups, like triceps during a chest session for example.
Typically this is much less likely of a scenario than needing to train more frequently, but nevertheless it is still a possibility.
Using Proper Form
This probably seems like a no brainer, but not using proper form to target a muscle is a surefire way to miss out on some growth. It’s important to consciously visualize the muscle being worked. You may need to lower the weight and focus on the contraction of the muscle.
Working the muscle in a full range of motion will also give the greatest return when it comes to muscle hypertrophy. Remember, we are trying to build muscle here not just move weight. The weight is secondary to form when hypertrophy is the main goal.
Pre Exhaust
This technique could be the most important to bringing up a lagging body part, especially for those who have trouble “feeling” the muscle being worked. Pre exhausting a muscle is the idea of pre fatiguing the muscle by isolation before any compound exercises. This is typically done with an isolation movement like pec deck for chest or straight arm pulldowns for back. Choose an exercise that will not exhaust any other muscle than the one you want to target.
This will force blood into the target muscle, making it easier to feel the movement. When setting up a program with pre exhausting incorporated, it’s crucial that the muscle being pre exhausted is not too much of a secondary muscle. For example, do not pre exhaust the biceps before a back session. If you do set up your training with two muscle groups being worked, always pre exhaust the larger muscle group first.
Unilateral Work
Unilateral movement is working one side of the body, and then the other. So alternating dumbbell curls, one arm pulldowns, and one leg extensions are all examples of unilateral movement. This is a great way to bring up a lagging body part, and bring more balance to your physique.
Unilateral movements actually recruit more muscle fiber activation than bilateral work. Typically if you were to add up the weight between the two sides of the body, you are stronger on unilateral work than bilateral. Heavier weight means a heavier and bigger physique. Unilateral training is great for repairing muscular imbalances, such as one bicep being slightly larger than the other.
Increase Overall Volume
I am strictly talking about within the session here. We already touched on increasing frequency, which will in turn increase volume over time. By increasing volume within each session the muscle is being taxed further. Recovery will be compromised to a certain degree, so nutrition and supplementation should reflect this.
Volume does not just refer to the amount of sets and reps completed in a workout, but could also mean different advanced training techniques. These could be drop sets, supersets, negatives, and time under tension. Anything that puts the muscle under more stress during a session could be considered as increased work volume. Negatives are a great way to increase volume, because the increased time under tension will recruit more motor units than a traditional rep tempo. Pump sets are another great way to increase total volume. Pump sets keep the muscle under tension the whole set, while not completing an entire range of motion. Think of the difference between how a bodybuilder does the bench press compared to a powerlifter. Now take that concept and exaggerate it even more. This is a fantastic way to burn out the muscle at the end of a session.
Increase Carbs around Workout
Nutrition obviously plays a key role in growing any muscle group. When a muscle group is lagging, this is especially crucial. You will need every edge you can get to increase glycogen uptake into the target muscle group.
Start by consuming slightly higher carbs before the workout. Make sure the meal isn’t too large, as you want blood going to the muscle and not just to the gastrointestinal tract. Choose a carb source such as white rice or oatmeal.
During the workout consume an intra workout carb source like Redcon1 Cluster Bomb. This product has 25 grams of Cluster Dextrin per serving. Cluster Dextrin is an easily digestible form of carbs with rapid gastric emptying properties. This means that it will not weigh too heavily on the stomach, but will replenish glycogen to the target muscle group. To bring up a lagging body part, try by increasing peri workout nutrition only on the days this muscle is being trained.
Isolate
We all know that compound exercises are king when it comes to getting bigger, but isolation movements have their place. This is especially true for muscles that need to be brought up.
Complete your normal workout, but throw in some specialized isolation movements to really burn out the muscle. This concept is like pre exhausting, but backwards. Instead of exhausting the muscle before compounds, you will really burn it out after the heavy lifting is completed. This is a great technique for those not wanting to lose strength before major compound lifts.
Turn Weaknesses into Strengths
Give some of these ideas a go. Remember that your physique was not built over night, and neither will lagging body parts. You cannot just throw the whole kitchen sink at it and hope that it all sticks. Try by implementing one or two of these at a time, and then move on to the next. Give these some time and you will see your physique grow into the symmetrical statue you had always hoped.
-Daniel Henigsmith
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Ever heard that one? I know I have countless times on various podcasts, forums, and articles. But, why? Why does this question come up so often?
I think that it’s poor phrasing for a different question that wants to be asked: “what is the singular greatest exercise that exists?” Could a more subjective question be asked? Ask 10 different people this same question and you are bound to get answer variance within each person. What exactly constitutes the best exercise anyways? Is it the exercise that recruits the most amount of muscle fibers, makes you strongest, makes you the most fit, or most functional?
For the purposes of this article let’s find out the best exercise for bodybuilding (because well… muscle bro).
Squats
By default it seems fitting to open up this discussion by talking about the squat. If you polled a group of fitness enthusiasts, the majority will more than likely agree that the squat is the king of all exercises. Start typing in “squat” into a search engine and a few slots down it will begin to auto populate with “squats the best exercise.” Understandable, so let’s look at why this may or may not be the greatest exercise of them all.
First off, the squat does work the largest muscle group in the body. This alone gives the squat some merit as the best exercise out there. They also provide a systematic metabolic stimulation, which means they even can cause hypertrophy in the upper body as well as other muscle groups not being worked directly. This is actually pretty cool. Squats are also probably the most functional bodybuilding movement, as they strengthen not just muscles, but ligaments, bones, and increase flexibility.
Squats are also one of the most difficult exercises to complete, and they tax not only the muscles, but also the central nervous system and cardiovascular system. This can aid those looking to burn extra calories, especially in a caloric deficit.
Because squats are so difficult to complete, they are thought more of as a skill, comparable to other sports type movements. For this reason, squats are not for everyone, as this movement is difficult for some to learn. Movement patterns are also person dependent with people with longer limbs having a difficult time squatting, especially squatting for muscular hypertrophy.
For those with knee issues, the squat may also pose some issues. This is especially the case as the load grows heavier.
Squats also play a key role in building core strength. Many people who squat regularly claim they do not need to do any direct core work. While yes, squats do a great job in engaging the core, direct core work is still important. This is especially true for competitors, as they diet down you want to ensure the core is worked from multiple angles, as with any muscle group.
Deadlift
Deadlifts: probably second on the list if you were to poll a group of people on the best exercise. The deadlift is a tremendous full body exercise, mainly targeting the largest muscle groups in the body; the legs and back. When it comes to working the most amount of muscle groups in the body, the deadlift is second to none. Although the deadlift is inferior to the squat as far as overall metabolic systemic effects, it directly targets more muscle than the squat. The deadlift is also probably the greatest mass gainer of all the exercises.
As far as heavy compound exercises go, the deadlift is the safest. For one, there is no risk of being pinned under a large load of weight. Another reason is that the deadlift uses the least amount of joint flexion, much less in the knee over the squat. This is obviously very dependent on proper form being utilized and performed.
An often overlooked benefit of the deadlift is grip strength. There is a very strong relationship between grip strength and forearm and bicep mass. Even if wrist straps are used, there is still some muscle engagement and activation in the forearms and biceps.
Deadlifts are also great for cardiovascular endurance and metabolic stress, but not quite to the same degree as squats. For some, it may actually become difficult to breathe from the diaphragm while performing deadlifts.
While yes, the deadlift is probably the safest compound exercise, it can still be bothersome to those with low back issues. Deadlifts are the most common exercise to cause low back injuries in the gym. For those able to handle the lower back stress, the deadlift is the greatest exercise for aiding in spinal stabilization and spinal posterior chain musculature. So, just like with the squat, not everyone is suited to perform this movement.
Barbell Bench Press
Every gym bro’s favorite exercise could make a case for the king of all exercises. While you might not think of it as a full body exercise, it can be. If performed properly the shoulders, chest, core, legs, and back are all used to a certain degree. Obviously the chest is the main muscle being targeted, but the other secondary muscle groups are also taking some of the load. The bench press typically aids in the performance of other exercises, although I guess that isn’t the point of this discussion.
Interestingly, compared to the deadlift and squats, limb length and body structure do not have as much bearing on the bench press. “But short arms and a stocky frame are best for benching.” This is true, if you are talking about who is suited to lift the most amount of weight for the most amount of reps. Truthfully even those with long limbs can still bench correctly, they just may need to switch up their technique slightly. With a squat you are somewhat stuck with what you have: you can either do the movement or you cannot.
Now, just like with the squat and deadlift there are certain factors that may limit the effectiveness and safety of this movement; the main one here being shoulder joint pain or impingement. Take myself for example; I cannot do barbell bench press. I can however safely and effectively do dumbbell bench press.
The major downfall to the bench press when discussing the king of all exercises is the lack of overall stimulus to different muscle groups. While yes, you are engaging your core and back in the movement, there is not a huge catalyst of force being placed on these muscle groups.
The barbell bench press is excellent for building tremendous upper body mass……and ego!
Pull Ups
The forgotten exercise when it comes to discussing the greatest exercises. Dave Palumbo once chose the pull up as the one exercise he would choose if he could not do anything else. Pull ups take a fairly good amount of upper body strength to perform, making this an excellent exercise choice for moderate to advanced lifters.
While yes, the back is mainly being targeted during pull ups, so are the arms, core, traps, and forearms. You will notice I left off legs, making this a very difficult argument to be the king of all exercises.
Push Press
Another exercise that is not typically thought of when you discuss the best exercises out there. The push press is an exercise that looks like a standing version of the military press. It is, however, much more than that.
One unique aspect of the push press is that initiation begins from the floor and ends overhead. This allows muscle activation through the entire body from the legs, to the core and back, and then through the arms and shoulders.
Just like the squat is a skill, so is the push press to a certain degree. This movement is more for strength than it is muscular hypertrophy, although it will elicit some. Once again, shoulder joint issues will become a concern with push presses.
Verdict
So we have looked at five different exercises. Each exercise has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Once again, the goal here is to find the king of all exercises, the one that is second to none.
If you could only perform one exercise for the rest of your life and you still wanted to grow muscle, what would you choose? After everything is weighed out and analyzed, where do we stand?
…..Drum roll please…..
Whatever works for you and your individual body. Anticlimactic isn’t it? I agree, however it’s dangerous to give blanket statements like the squat is the best exercise when someone has had two knee replacements. Or the deadlift is the best exercise to someone with a bulging disk in their lower back.
As much as a letdown as this is to the two people still left reading this article, I assure you that if you were to incorporate all of these compound movements into your routine you will undoubtedly see positive results in your physique.
The king of all exercises is what you want it to be.
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>I am just as guilty as the next person. After competing I could not wait to enter a true offseason and put on as much tissue as humanly possible. In my mind it did not matter as much if I were to gain some extra body fat, because I was ready to get big! Here I am now five months post contest, ready to get lean again.
It seems that social media has had a negative impact on the idea of growing. It’s not fun to post a selfie when you are 12 percent body fat looking a little softer than you did a few months back. Everyone on Instagram is seemingly lean 365 days a year, making it less enticing to gain a little extra body fat.
There is actually science behind the idea that humans want what they can’t have or don’t have. One of these being insecurity, not being satisfied or feeling self-conscious of the present. When we are lean we actually think we are not lean enough, making us want to do a 180 and start chasing size. The same can be said for being heavier with a little extra softness; we are not satisfied with the current look and want something better.
We also picture in our minds that being lean is actually more satisfying that what it truly is. When I look back at progress pictures when I was single digit body fat I cannot believe I was that lean, but at the time I did not think I really was. We romanticize things that are not readily available, so we deviate from the plan. We do “mini cuts” and short bursts of calorie cutting to hopefully not get too fat.
Truthfully, all this does is hinder the end game results. Now, there is some benefit to mini cuts such as increasing insulin sensitivity if the body becomes resistant. As far as the prevention of body fat accumulation, the best way to avoid this is to slowly progress calories.
So let’s break away from the notion that we want what we don’t currently have, and put on considerable muscle mass. The key to any mass building program is to progressively increase calories until that caloric intake is higher than what it was before a caloric deficit program, while also being leaner at a higher body weight. If fat gain is a concern, then be even more deliberate about small increases in overall calories.
Macros
Macronutrients are what are going to make up your total caloric intake, and they should be the main goal when building a nutrition program. 100 grams of carbs is completely different than 50 grams of carbs and 50 grams of protein. Typically in a mass gaining phase you want carbohydrates to be the highest macronutrient consumed, with protein being a close second. As anyone wanting to have considerable muscle mass it’s important to consume a fairly large amount of protein. It’s important to remember that one gram of protein and carbs is four calories, and one gram of fat is nine calories.
It’s necessary to slowly increase macronutrients over time to ensure the most amount of muscle is being built. There is an idea that the body will do whatever it can to remain at homeostasis body weight; through different mechanisms in the body this makes it very difficult to vary body weight and composition. Set point theory assumes that the body will do anything it can to remain at a certain body weight set point.
So if this is the case, how do people lose weight or gain weight? They create new set points. By increasing calories and macros to a point that the body has no choice but to move in body weight. At this point it’s important to remain at this specific set point for a short period of time before attempting to make another big jump. This idea is multi beneficial in that you can gain muscle, but also limit the amount of body fat accumulation. The goal is that we can break away from the yo-yo effect of going back and forth between wanting to get bigger and wanting to be lean.
Training
Just as it’s important to slowly progress upwards in calories, so should training. Every week and every phase should see an increase in weight, reps, overall volume, or total workload. To gain considerable amount of muscle mass, training intensity should never falter. Even at the beginning of a bulking phase intensity should be high. Where the changes occur will be in the aforementioned weights and volume.
Progress your lifts (as long as proper nutrition is in place) and you will see your body follow suit and get bigger. The body really has no choice but to adapt if lifts are increasing. In a bulking phase a program like the popular powerbuilding program might be beneficial. In a program such as this frequency is high and lifts progression is important. Obviously this goes without saying, but proper form and safety is the most important thing when talking about any training program.
Supplementation
Nutrition is number one when it comes to any program, but supplements truly compliment a proper nutrition protocol. As calories climb to their peak, it’s difficult to get all calories from solid food choices. A product I really like for a big boost in calories is Redcon1 MRE. Each serving contains 525 calories, 4 grams of fat, 75 grams of carbs, and 47 grams of protein. Not only is this a great alternative to solid food, but it actually contains real food ingredients like rolled oats, beef protein, salmon protein, chicken protein, yams, sweet potatoes, and real fruit. I could argue this is the single greatest supplement ever created!
Another product to help gain some size is Redcon1 Tango. Creatine has been widely recognized as a mass gaining aid longer than any other category of sports supplement on the market. Tango contains 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, 1 gram of creatine hydrochloride, 1 gram of creatine magnapower. These various forms of creatine will help ensure that there is a high bioavailability and assuring the most is absorbed into the body. Creatine helps with ATP production, recovery, endurance, and muscular strength.
Redcon1 Total War will help you push through the most grueling and intense weight training sessions. While calories are high it’s best to take advantage of your time in the gym to put on the most amount of muscle mass. This is not just another high stimulant product, but also contains ingredients like citrulline malate, beta alanine, and agmatine sulfate to give you skin splitting pumps. While a pump feels good in the gym, it can also help elicit muscular hypertrophy as well.
Make a Plan
The lesson to be told here: stop yo-yoing, make a plan, and get it done. It’s not going to happen overnight, and it’s not going to happen without fat gain. It’s easy to become complacent and say “that’s good enough.” Come up with some goals and follow through with the plan. We all want what we don’t have, but do you have what it takes to get to the next level with your physique? Do you have the willpower to get as big as you can?
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>Truthfully…..not necessarily. While I am not here to argue the efficacy of the squat, I am here to argue that you can build a great set of wheels without the use of a squat. I also feel it’s necessary to mention that I am strictly speaking of the barbell squat here.
Squats are great for many reasons. They do elicit some muscular hypertrophy, but more than that they tax the central nervous system. Squats actually have more of an anabolic effect on the body as a whole than they do on the legs, by helping to release growth hormone.
Squats are also hard on the knee joints, especially to those with chronic knee pain or prior knee issues. Performing a squat with unequivocally flawless technique is also more of a skill; not everyone inherently possesses those skills. Squats are also very hard on the lower back and spine, as loading through the bar is transferred to the lumbar region of the back in a compressing manner.
Say you cannot do squats (or don’t want to do squats); how can you setup your training to build some decent mass in the legs?
When it comes to muscular development and hypertrophy, squats are especially inferior when it comes to quadriceps development. Squats just do not put enough stress on the quads, as there are many better options to target this muscle group.
Leg Press
The leg press is a great exercise to target the quads, especially because you can easily change angles and foot placement. By placing your feet lower on the platform, you put greater stress on the quads than any other area of the leg. Weight must be lowered to perform this movement safely, as the knees could be put into a precarious position the farther you stretch on the eccentric part of the movement.
The leg press is also a great exercise because of the constant tension on the sled. At the bottom of the movement the quads should be in a completely stretched position, while at the top of the movement the quads should be completely flexed.
Some plate loaded leg presses have two different pins to put weight on. This allows you to change where the greatest amount of load will be placed. Put the weight on the higher pin and it will be heaviest at the top of the movement; put the weight on the lower pin and the load will be greatest at the bottom. For the greatest amount of hypertrophy, work in a rep range that is moderate to high. Use a weight that is safe, but taxing; taking the quads to muscular failure. Come to a complete stretch at the bottom of the movement without your back side coming off the seat.
Leg Extension
When it comes to building quads and bringing out definition and detail, this exercise reigns supreme. Leg extensions have the distinct title of bring out the vastus medialus or “teardrop.” The teardrop is one of the most impressive muscles in the entire body, and helps stabilize the knee.
Leg extensions get a bad rap as being hard on the knees, and this is true to a certain degree. Just as with any other exercise, flawless execution and proper form of the movement will keep the knee safe. Research has suggested that it is both a safe exercise and a dangerous exercise, so choose wisely. Personally, I have had two ACL reconstructions and I feel zero pain in my ligaments when performing this exercise. There are many other exercises that bother my knee more than a standard knee extension. The key is to not come to a complete 90 degree (or further) angle. By not coming completely down on the movement the tension is constantly placed on the quadriceps and takes the load off the ligaments. I do however think of the leg extension as an accessory exercise, and should either be used after compound exercises or to pre-fatigue the muscle.
Stiff Leg Deadlift
This is my personal favorite when it comes to building hamstrings. Hamstring muscles are probably one of the most difficult to fully develop. For one, you cannot see them. Two, it’s a difficult muscle for many people to flex because of its structure and placement on the back of the legs. Think of your hamstrings as the biceps of the legs. It’s easy to raise your arm up and flex your biceps in the mirror. It’s more difficult to bring your leg to a 90 degree angle and flex your hamstrings.
The stiff leg deadlift is a great exercise, because if performed correctly, it is impossible not to place the load on the hamstrings. As you come down on the eccentric part of the movement you should feel a very deep stretch. Use a relatively light weight and slow down the negative stretch; then explode back up engaging the glutes. This is the only exercise in existance where rounding the back slightly is acceptable. An important thing to remember when performing this exercise is to not use the lower back to lift the weight.
Weighted Lunges
In my mind, this is the singular most difficult exercise in existence. Not the most difficult in application, but wait until the next two days when the delayed onset muscle soreness kicks in. While squats do truly work the entire leg muscles, so do lunges, but I believe they do so much more efficiently. Lunges work the muscle in both flexion and extension, so the stretch works the muscle equally as effective as the contraction.
Use a weight that is safe to use without putting too much load on the knee joint and patellar tendon region (front of the knee cap). When descending do not let the knee go beyond the toe; pause for a brief movement and gradually return back to the starting position. I like to bring the feet back to the starting position as opposed to performing constant reps in a manner that is similar to walking. This puts you in a much better position to safely perform the next rep.
Hack Squat Machine
Yes, I know the word squat is in the title of the exercise, but that is where the comparison to squats begins and ends when it comes to this exercise. For one, the load is not placed on the spine. The movement pattern is also fixed, meaning spinal stabilization is not required. It’s much easier to keep the knees slightly bent at the top of the movement, keeping constant tension on the quads.
The hack squat targets both the quads and hamstrings more balanced than a traditional back squat does. On a back squat it seems that you either target one or the other more, but it’s difficult to find that balance. Hack squats are also much safer to perform in a full range of motion, as there is much more room for error.
Hip Adductor and Abduction
The same machines fitness girls are using to “tone their butt” are also great for building leg mass. Tom Platz is known as the “Quadfather”; building massive tree trunk legs over time with heavy squats with very high volume. Now look at his adductors, the muscles that make the two legs come together. They are huge, and have a lot to do with the overall mass of his legs.
One of the main functions of the hip adductors is to externally rotate the hips and legs. They are responsible for flexibility and stabilize the hips, making other movements stronger and more efficient. For overall leg development adductor muscles are crucial.
The abductors really are good for working the glutes, especially the outside region of the glute. While the hip abductor machine might not “tone” it does help to build thicker and denser glute muscles.
Both adductor and abductor training should be done in a safe manner, as these are both vulnerable to injury with the groin and hips.
Conclusion
One of the areas I did not touch on is calf training, but I think it goes without saying proper calf training is important for overall leg development. Often considered “genetic” muscles, it’s still important to place some emphasis on these. Some great calf exercises would be standing calf raises, seated calf raises, and calf wall stretches.
While yes, the squat is a great exercise especially for anyone new to training, legs can be built without the use of them. This article’s intensions are not to diminish the efficacy of the squat, but rather to open up to the idea that legs can be built without the use of squats.
As with any muscle group, progression will be key when building this large set of muscles. Mix up the rep tempo, ranges, and total volume. Pay attention to diet, rest, and proper supplementation and watch your quads explode out of your current wardrobe!
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>Okay, so as corny as that first paragraph sounds, women really should be lifting weights. I don’t just mean heading into the group room alone and picking up the rubber coated 2.5 pound dumbbells. I am talking about picking up some heavy ass weight. Heavy weight is a relative term, as heavy weight to me is not the same as heavy weight to the next person. Those 2.5 pound dumbbells could truly be heavy to you, but it’s all about progressing to become stronger. Pushing yourself to full intensity is the key to getting the most out of a weight training session.
There are a few negative stigmas associated with women lifting weights. The main one: “lifting weights will make women big and bulky.” Let’s put this incorrect misnomer to bed once and for all. Listen, if this were true I would be a much larger human than I am right now….and I am a man. Putting on considerable muscle mass is hard. Actually, it’s damn near impossible for a lot of us. Women do not possess the hormone profile needed to look like a top-level bodybuilder. Naturally, women can put on lean muscle tissue, but it’s not the mass that they are afraid of gaining. Women have 10 to 30 times less testosterone than men, and that is the differential for a man that possesses natural testosterone levels.
I can almost guarantee that if you have fitness goals or physique aspirations, lifting weights will surely get you closer to reaching those goals than if you did not lift weights. Let’s look at the reasons why women should be lifting weights.
Every female I have ever worked with in the past has said, “I don’t want to get too big, but I want to lose some fat and tone.” The harsh truth is that you cannot tone. It just is not possible and there is no such thing. You can either burn body fat, gain muscle mass, or do a combination of the two (and even that last part is pretty hard to do). As you lose body fat and gain muscle mass you will achieve a more “toned” look to your physique. As body fat is lost around muscle tissue that muscle becomes more visible, making the appearance of the muscle more defined.
Lifting weights is the only way to achieve this particular look. Cardio and diet alone will only make you lean and “skinny-fat.” The term “skinny-fat” is a phenomenon where you lose body fat and get skinnier, but there is no musculature under that body fat.
Lifting weights and gaining muscle tissue is the only way to achieve a physique that looks lean, muscular, and toned. Countless times you will hear women say, “I want to get a bigger more firm butt.” Well guess what will get you a bigger more muscular butt? Lifting weights. You can ride the stationary bike or walk on the stair stepper as much as you want, but nothing will build bigger glutes like squats, glute bridges, stiff legged deadlifts, and lunges.
Weight training with intensity will burn more calories and fat than cardio, and it does it much more efficiently. When compared head to head with cardio, weight training came out on top when it came to overall calorie expenditure.
The interesting thing about resistance training is the caloric burn following the actual workout. Cardio burns a lot of calories during the act of exercise, but weight training will burn more following exercise, causing the overall calorie expenditure to be higher than cardio itself.
Muscle mass is metabolically active, meaning even just your base metabolic rate will be higher. This is the calorie burn you get from just resting. Workouts in moderate length with high intensity cause the most amount of excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). EPOC is great for burning extra calories long after the workout has ended. The effects of EPOC can last as long as 72 hours, meaning you are burning calories up to three days after the workout took place!
As a woman, you are more susceptible to things like osteoporosis and other bone degenerative diseases. As women age their overall bone density tends to decline, especially post-menopausal.
Weight training over time not only delays and prevents bone loss, but can also encourage growth of new bone mass. This is pretty incredible when you think about how bones are structured. Not only is their potentiation for bone growth and a decreased likelihood of bone loss, but weight training also increases the strength of existing bone mass. More importantly is the acquisition of more bone density in those that weight train. Weight training also has an impact on vitamin D conversion in the body, which in turn may lead to an increase in bone density, strength, and overall health.
While women do not possess the same hormones as men to put on considerable amounts of muscle mass, having healthy hormone levels is just as important. Estrogen is the female equivalent to testosterone for males, but with worse effects. Estrogen makes a woman a woman, but it can also play havoc on your physique goals and body fat assumption. Studies have shown a strong correlation between high estrogen levels and body fat accrual.
Balance is necessary for women to have the right amount of estrogen without it being too high or too low. Weight training has been shown to promote healthy hormone balances for women. By increasing muscle mass, the body reduces the amount of aromatase, the mechanism responsible for converting testosterone to estrogen. A healthy balance of testosterone to estrogen is paramount to burning fat, gaining muscle, and overall wellbeing and mood. Yes, women also need a fair amount of testosterone to remain healthy.
Ever dread going to the gym, but the second you step out of the gym you feel so much better? There is a quote “the only bad workout is the one you didn’t do,” and that could not be more true. Exercise reduces stress in a few different ways. Those who exercise tend to manage stress more efficiently and the gym gives them an escape from the real world for a period of time.
Exercise induces the body to release endorphins; hormones responsible for giving you that “high” feeling. These are natural pain killers; physically and mentally. Endorphins are responsible for all of the good emotions and feelings you have in life, so it’s easy to see why weight training can reduce stress.
Weight training (done the correct way) can also help with adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is a syndrome that occurs when the body is over stressed. This is the feeling of soreness, tiredness, lethargy, and cognitive inefficiency you may feel even when exercise or physical exertion is not present. Weight training can actually help reverse the effects of adrenal fatigue by putting the body in a more conducive state to deal with stressors. It’s important to understand how to weight train, as over training is hard on the central nervous system. Training in a way that allows for recovery is beneficial to the CNS and adrenals.
Ever wonder why you sleep so much better after a strenuous workout? It has a lot more to do with just being worn out from exercise. Effective exercise has been shown to promote more restful sleep, and on occasion even curing insomnia.
Weight training makes the body produce and release more growth hormone. Growth hormone promotes a deeper and more restful sleep, as natural growth hormone release pulses through the night.
Without all the wonders of growth hormone release, a good, hard workout will leave your body starving for a restful night’s sleep.
Each time you go to the gym and pick up weights you become stronger. The stronger you get the more confident you become. Strength gains come on much quicker than overall fat loss, meaning you will see the benefits much faster. There is something to be said about seeing progress in the gym and how it can affect your psyche.
Lifting weights also has an impact on energy levels, which has been linked to self-esteem. A more energized person is a more confident person. Weight training has been shown to help those with depression and anxiety by gaining self-confidence and reducing self-doubt. Weight training has been shown to be a better coping medicine for depression and anxiety than running and other cardiovascular activities.
Get into the gym and pick up some heavy weight! Reap all the benefits of weight training and see your body and confidence grow. Ignore the negative stereotypes and stigmas associated with lifting weights. You will never get big and bulky, believe me. If that were the case there would be a lot more muscle wielding men on the streets.
– Daniel Henigsmith
]]>Insulin is a hormone created in the pancreas that allows your body to effectively use glucose (sugar) from the foods you consume. Insulin has the ability to regulate blood sugar levels, keeping them from plummeting too low, or increasing too high and too quickly.
I have heard insulin described as a key, like the one you use to unlock your door. You insert the key (insulin) into the keyhole (insulin receptor) to allow people (glucose) into your home. This glucose that has now been led in will be used as energy or stored in the liver to be used later, or stored as adipose body fat tissue.
Insulin’s anabolic properties come in the way of transporting nutrients and amino acids to muscle tissue. If these nutrients are shuttled primarily into muscle cells the muscle grows. Insulin also stimulates mTOR and protein synthesis, a process necessary for growing new muscle tissue.
For insulin to be truly effective the body needs to use it efficiently and stay sensitive to its effects. When the body becomes insulin resistant it becomes burdened with attempting to use insulin in an effective manner, but essentially does not know how. The cells have an inability to absorb glucose, causing a number of concerns. This is actually what eventually leads to type II diabetes.
For bodybuilders and weightlifters, insulin resistance can put a pretty large damper on your ability to reach your goals. We typically tend to eat more than the average person, and as such we are becoming more and more insulin resistant. The more calories consumed, the more insulin is released causing a large amount of glucose to be stored as body fat. This inefficient use of glucose will not only make you fat, but will also prevent you from putting on additional muscle mass. Once insulin is present too frequently it downregulates the amount of insulin receptors.
The opposite of insulin resistance is insulin sensitivity, which is much more conducive to bodybuilding. Staying insulin sensitive will allow the body to secrete just the right amount of insulin and use glucose in the most effective way possible. Insulin sensitivity is the sensitivity the body has to insulin, and not necessarily just the amount of insulin. It’s an efficiency mechanism with more qualitative properties than quantitative. Meaning, you do not have to have a large amount of insulin release to be insulin sensitive.
So, we know that insulin sensitivity is good and insulin resistance is bad. How can we increase our body’s sensitivity to insulin?
#1 – Keep Carbohydrates Under Control
Carbohydrates are converted to glucose once consumed and in the body. That glucose then is used in the body either as fuel or fuel reserves (fat). As bodybuilders, we tend to take things to the extreme, carbohydrate consumption included.
The type of carbohydrate source could also have an effect on insulin sensitivity. Higher glycemic carbs tend to be digested much quicker than lower glycemic. They arrive into the bloodstream too quickly in the form of glucose that it causes an elevation in insulin. Lower glycemic carbs move through the digestive system much slower, utilizing insulin much more efficiently without causing a drastic spike.
Consuming lower glycemic carbs most of the day is a good way to keep insulin sensitivity high. These lower glycemic carbs will give you sustained energy throughout the day without causing a spike in insulin or blood glucose levels.
Higher glycemic carbs should be consumed immediately post workout. Glucose uptake will be highest at this time and your body is the most insulin sensitive following exercise.
You also want to make sure you are not getting too out of control with your overall carb intake, whether that be in the form of high or low glycemic carbs. The body will get accustomed to the constant influx of carbs, causing insulin resistance.
#2 – Use Glucose Disposal Agents
Glucose disposal agents basically help your body more effectively use glucose. They are nutrient partitioning compounds, ensuring glucose arrives to muscle cells and not stored as fat. GDAs also work to keep blood sugars and insulin at stable levels. These products and ingredients work to act as an insulin mimetic. When we consume carbs the body tends to secrete excess insulin, oversaturating the body in muscle and fat cells. GDAs help to ensure these sugars do not arrive there too quickly or oversaturate these cells.
The nice thing is, you can find safe products like these to take without having to take harsh prescription drugs such as metformin. A product like Redcon1 RPG is a great choice when it comes to a very effective and safe GDA product.
Berberine has been shown in many different studies to be more effective than metformin. Berberine is a natural ingredient extracted from a variety of different herbs. It has also been shown to lower cholesterol and can improve intestinal health. Berberine mimics insulin activity by increasing glucose uptake for a period of time after ingestion. It creates a hypoglycemic response making the use of glucose more effective without the need for excess insulin. This alone creates insulin sensitivity by reducing the need for extra insulin to be excreted by the pancreas.
Another effective glucose disposal agent is cinnamon, also working as an insulin mimetic. Cinnamon has the ability to convert glucose and sugars to be used within muscle cells.
Gymnema sylvestre powder has the ability to reduce overall blood sugar levels, but can also help in sugar cravings. Taking this before a heavy carb meal will help lower blood sugar levels, leaving the body in a conducive state to remain insulin sensitive.
Those are the main GDAs found in most products, while Redcon1 RPG also includes alpha lipoic acid, bitter melon powder, banaba leaf extract, and paradoxine.
#3 – Carb Cycling
We touched on the effectiveness of keeping carbs under control, but what if we could manipulate the diet so that you can still consume large amounts of carbs without becoming insulin resistant, while also increasing sensitivity?
Over time increased insulin levels will begin to lose potency, effectively leading to insulin resistance. This is also what happens when carb intake is constantly elevated. Think of this like taking pre workouts. When you first begin taking pre workouts they are amazing and you get crazy energy. Over time they become less effective and you eventually build a tolerance to the stimulants. Now cycle that pre workout every once and awhile and you can still get a pretty decent kick from it. Carb cycling works the same way, if you think of insulin like the stimulants found in pre workouts. You know that pre workout will give you a boost, but not if you take the same thing every single day for months on end.
By manipulating carbohydrates we can get this same effect with an insulin response that will be used efficiently. So, for example, you may have two days of lower to moderate carbs, then one day with a fairly high amount of carbs. This keeps your body out of homeostasis and keeps insulin receptor activity high. This can be used in any stage of dieting, whether it be bulking or cutting. Obviously, a low day in a cutting phase will be much lower than it would be during a bulking phase. The key is to continually switch things up and not allow the body to become too accustomed to the insulin response needed for higher carb consumption.
#4 – Apple Cider Vinegar
Yes, that same fad product people are using to “lose weight” does have some effectiveness in keeping the body insulin sensitive. Apple cider vinegar has the ability to lower overall blood sugar, allowing the body to remain sensitive to the effects of insulin.
Studies have shown that consuming this before a high carb meal can improve insulin sensitivity, blood sugar levels, and insulin responses as high as 19 percent. The interesting thing about apple cider vinegar is that the diet can remain the same, but when taken this has been shown to help increase insulin sensitivity regardless of dietary changes. Essentially this works as a glucose disposal agent, but apple cider vinegar does have many other health benefits such as detoxifying and digestive health.
#5 – Train with Intensity
Seems like a no-brainer here, but exercising, especially with moderate to high intensity, will greatly increase insulin sensitivity. 70 to 90 percent of glucose in the bloodstream will eventually arrive in the muscle cell. Exercising can actually increase this number up to 24 hours post workout.
One study showed that for every 10 percent increase in muscle mass, an 11 percent decline in insulin resistance occurred. That is a pretty hefty number when you think about the ratio of muscle to glucose uptake. Now, a 10 percent increase in muscle mass is quite a large amount of new tissue gained, but you can break it down on a smaller scale as well. Intense exercise also increases uptake of protein and enzymes that signal insulin receptors in the body.
Cardio, especially high intensity interval training (HIIT), can also improve insulin sensitivity. It’s best to combine some form of cardio with weight training to improve insulin sensitivity, especially in a dieting phase or consistent caloric deficit.
Insulin sensitivity is extremely important in achieving your physique goals, as well as your health goals. Maximize the amount of muscle gained, while minimizing fat gain by being diligent with diet and following these guidelines to help ensure insulin is being utilized in the most effective way possible. Harness the power of the most anabolic hormone in your body, while reducing the negatives associated with it, and you will make progress like never before.
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>It’s difficult to break opinion away from fact when speaking on these matters, as the topic is subjective to a fault. I could say science differentiates the two (and it does to a certain degree), but that doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s also hard to ignore the fact that these are very polarizing ideas. Typically one side of the fence hates the other side. Opinion is never more present than the residence of these two camps.
The dictionary defines natural as “existing in, or caused by nature.” The definition is very simple, yet complex. So nothing is natural unless it truly is produced by the land, untouched by human progression.
Unnatural is defined as “contrary to the ordinary course of nature, abnormal.” So basically, anything not found naturally automatically falls under the category of unnatural.
By basing our judgements on definition alone, everything we do is unnatural: driving a car, looking at your computer screen, eating processed foods. This is where the argument gets difficult and blurred, and personal ideological philosophy comes into play. It’s necessary though, as the argument would go nowhere without it.
If we were to base our perception of the two on these principles alone, the argument would not be much of an argument. It would be black and white, and this is not a black and white topic. Just as politics take personal stance and opinion, so does the discussion of being natural.
That’s enough prefaces, what exactly is natural? Personally, natural to me is anyone who does not partake in the use of performance enhancing drugs, namely anabolic androgenic steroids. This is not a morally right or wrong contest, and I don’t care who takes what. This is an argument about what is natural and what is unnatural.
What about supplements? Those who take supplements claim to be natural, but are they?
Most supplements are exactly as the word says; they supplement nutrition. They fill a void that the diet may be lacking to either help with performance or functionality. Most supplements can also be found in either food or nature. For example, creatine is found in beef and caffeine is found in coffee. If someone were to eat a steak and drink coffee would you say that person is unnatural? Probably not. Almost everything we eat today could be considered as unnatural. As I sit here and write this I am drinking a diet cola, probably the least natural thing I could consume. Our diets consist of many processed foods not found in nature.
Supplements are made in a lab or factory just as your favorite frozen pizza is. Protein, pre workouts, amino acids, fat burners, and creatine should all be considered natural in my eyes. Most of these can be found in the foods we eat or in nature in general.
Steroids are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone. They are 100 percent synthetic, meaning they cannot be found anywhere in nature. Once again, not condemning those that use steroids, but rather discussing the distinction between the two.
It’s pretty easy to classify steroids as being different than a typical protein powder or creatine monohydrate. What about designer steroids (prohormones), SARMS, and other things in these categories? I would once again consider these to be unnatural compounds. They work in a way that is abnormal, and they work well.
I prefer to use the term “enhanced” instead of unnatural. The stigmas attached to enhanced seem to be a little less sensationalistic.
Taking supplements should be considered natural, as they can be found in certain areas of nature. Most supplements are derived from natural substances such as plants.
Should someone who has taken drugs in the past be considered natural now? This question is even more problematic to answer. In most bodybuilding governing agencies the person competing only has to be natural for so many years before they can compete. I could see how this could rub some people the wrong way when it comes to deciphering what is natural and what is not.
As far as competing in bodybuilding or other sports, check with your governing agency. Find out what you can and cannot take.
As far as where you stand morally, I don’t know what to tell you. Let people choose what they do with their own lives and you choose what to do with yours. Supplements are fair game, as far as beyond that it’s your own interpretation of what is natural and unnatural.
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>By becoming a faster type of strong, you will in turn generate more power. Creating explosiveness requires the body to recruit the most amount of motor units as possible. You want to have both strong and elastic type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers. Becoming explosive depends on more than just training, as nutrition and supplementation are just as paramount to reaching explosion goals as the training itself.
Training
Obviously when you think about becoming a more explosive athlete, training is the first thing that comes to mind, and rightly so. Training to become more explosive is two-fold, with weight training and cardio type training. As opposed to physique sports like bodybuilding, performance sports are based on the actual performance on the field or court. Performing movements that are reminiscent and applicable to actual on field performance are the key to performing at a high level.
Training for explosiveness needs to be a program with a certain amount of volume and frequency. With a higher frequency approach it’s better to lower volume from an individual workout session. This ensures that the central nervous system gets a break but muscular workload can still remain high. Each movement should be performed three to four times a week, with mobility work done daily.
Rep ranges should fall in the low to moderate, with adequate rest in between sets depending on the particular movement. It’s important to have a program that incorporates both speed and power, in turn creating explosiveness. These two separate factors need to work synergistically to create maximum explosiveness that can be translated to the field.
Exercise Selection
This program is designed to be implemented three times a week with four to five exercise selections made from the following. Work in each movement once a week. Try to structure this so that you have a rest day in between training days. It’s important to remember that muscular hypertrophy is not the goal here.
Try to work at least one main compound movement in for each session. For example: day one might consist of deadlifts, pull-ups, box jumps, and back hyperextension. It’s logical to place deadlifts or power cleans in more than once a week, but make sure these are not the main compound movement for both sessions.
Sprinting and Bounding
Sprints should be done every day that you are not in the gym. These sprints should test your cardiovascular endurance as well as your muscular endurance. Sprint no more than 100 meters at a time, with most sprints done in the 40-50 meter range. Try to “bound” when running, which means your feet are only touching the ground for a split second. Think of this style of running as if you were running on very hot rocks. Try to also incorporate some sprinting that is not done as a consecutive sprint, but also some shuttle runs and down and backs. By doing this you will gain lateral quickness, as well as stop and go speed.
Nutrition
You cannot drive a Ferrari without fuel. You cannot become a more explosive athlete without fueling the body with the right micro and macro nutrients.
Protein is going to be vitally important in helping maintain muscle mass while training with such intensity and force. You need a fair amount of muscle to generate the power needed to become an explosive athlete. For most athletes gaining weight is not needed, nor is it wanted. You wanted to create dense muscle without the added hypertrophy, allowing the body to remain at the same playing weight.
Carbohydrates are important in ensuring you have the energy needed to perform at a high level. A diet that is higher in carbohydrates than it is in fat and protein is important for athletes. Carbs also replenish glycogen stores in the muscle that is expended when training. Most of your daily intake of carbohydrates should be consumed around the workout perimeter.
Water consumption is also very important for athletes to ensure that the body is well hydrated to perform at its max. Consume at minimum one ounce per pound of body weight.
Supplementation
Think of nutrition as fuel, and supplements as jet fuel. To get the absolute most out of training, supplementation is also essential.
If you want to become a more explosive athlete give these recommendations a try and get the most out of your training, nutrition, and supplementation. If being a top athlete is your goal, explosiveness is going to be the one factor that could push you over the top. Don’t just become faster or stronger, become strong faster.
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>The best training style is the one you are probably not doing. The body and muscles constantly need new stimulus to elicit growth and progress. If you are constantly doing the same weights on bench press every Monday for the same amount of reps, for years on end, your body has no reason to adapt. When we weight train the goal is to make your body and muscles uncomfortable and adapt to the increased training stimulus. The body wants to maintain homeostasis, and without adequate stimulation the body will maintain. If you are a high volume trainer, try a low volume higher frequency approach.
2. CHANGING TRAINING TOO MUCH
Changing training styles too frequently is just as bad as not changing at all. It’s difficult to see what works for a specific individual if they are constantly changing things. It’s easy to jump on a website or look at a magazine (do people do that anymore?) and see something along the lines of “Grow Biceps 5 Inches in 30 Days.” While it’s good to change things up, too frequently changing things and you could be stalling progress.
3. OVERUSE OF CARDIO
Cardio is a tremendous tool to help burn extra calories to aid in fat loss. However, if muscle gain is the goal cardio can hinder progress. To gain weight the body needs to be in a caloric surplus, so burning extra calories will only slow down the process of gaining muscle. While cardio is great for cardiovascular health, too much of it will hurt your progress.
4.INSUFFICIENT REST
You don’t actually grow in the gym; you grow out of the gym. After training protein synthesis is upregulated for a period of about 48 hours. During this time is when you grow the most appreciable amount of muscle. When you train you are making micro tears in the muscle tissue; these tears need time to repair. Intense training is also hard on the central nervous system, slowing down progress and putting your immune system in a vulnerable position. Training depletes muscle glycogen stores that take some time to fill back out post workout.
5. IGNORING PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD
As the saying goes, “If you want something you have never had, you must do something you have never done.” This can be directly applied to training philosophy. Just as we talked about not changing up training style, it’s also important to progress your lifts. Typically a stronger muscle is a bigger muscle. Progressive overload is a gradual increase in volume, intensity, frequency, or time. This means that loading the bar with more weight is not the only way to implement progressive overload. You could still be lifting the same amount for either more reps or more sets. The idea is to constantly progress forward to achieve the greatest stimulus to muscle tissue.
6. NOT PRIORITIZING NUTRITION
Of all the mistakes someone might make to hurt progress, this could be number one. You cannot out-train a bad diet, plain and simple. If muscle growth is the goal, undereating will only cause you to spin your wheels. You must fuel your body with the correct amount of macronutrients to recover correctly and to gain. A caloric surplus over a consistent period of time is the only way to gain weight. As well as proper nutrition, it’s important to fill in the gaps with a solid supplement regiment. Nutritional supplements help to aid with diet, but also to give you things that food alone cannot provide.
7. POOR FORM
Once again, to stimulate muscle growth the muscle must be presented with the correct catalyst. Throwing up weights you cannot control with improper form will do nothing but put your body in a position to get injured. Swinging too much on a biceps curl will take tension away from the biceps and place some of the load on other body parts. Part of progression is mastering the current weight before moving up. Progressive overload that we talked about before could also mean doing the same amount of weight, for the same amount of reps, but with better form. Time under tension and working the muscle instead of the joint will allow for faster muscle gains while also minimizing the risk of injury.
8. RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON MACHINES
The latest fad you see on Instagram these days is filling up the bars on plate loaded chest press machines. Why? Wouldn’t you stimulate the muscle more effectively using heavy compound movements such as a flat barbell press or dumbbell press? Now, machines have their place no doubt. They are safe, especially if training alone. The important thing to remember is that machines cannot completely replace free weights, but are instead supplementary movements to be used in conjunction with compound exercises.
9. FAILURE (OR LACK THEREOF)
Failure is necessary when it comes to making optimal progress in the gym. You need to reach muscular failure occasionally to elicit the greatest amount of muscle damage and then in turn muscular growth. Dorian Yates said “I’m not really good at knowing where 85 or 90 percent is. I only know where 0 and 100 percent is.” You must reach that 100 percent of training to see your body reach its full 100 percent potential.
10. MARATHON WORKOUTS
If you are training as hard and as intense as you can, there is no reason why it should take you three hours to train. Your training is severely lacking something if you can complete marathon type workouts. Someone once said “If you can text in between sets you are not training intensely enough.” This also goes back to rest and your body’s ability to recover. If you are training with the right type of intensity then it should not take you more than 90 minutes to complete a session.
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>So, you are (insert number) weeks out and you have made the conscious decision to enter a bodybuilding competition. Congratulations! Truly one of the most difficult aspects in all this is making that initial decision. If you have never competed it can be anxiety filled, deciding to enter a show. You will also never be more excited about prep than the day you decide to begin prep. “I can do this!” “I have heard competing is hard, but I am sure it’s not as hard as people say it is.”
First off, competing is hard. Everyone says it’s hard. But until you go through it yourself it’s hard to quite understand how truly difficult it is. Yes, it’s undoubtedly hard physically, but it’s beyond difficult mentally. Competing will test your mental fortitude bounds above most anything else in life. I am not romanticizing this; obviously there are many things in life more difficult to go through: death of loved ones, financial hardship, etc. But, this is probably the most challenging thing you can cognitively choose to do.
One of the most difficult things to understand as you delve deeper into contest prep is the idea that you are choosing to do this. You may question why you would want to even go through this quest to get on stage. Why not just stop when things get a little deranged? You are missing out on life: social events, family dinners, sleep. When you are doing your cardio before your job first thing in the morning, these are the things that go through your head. When you are scrolling through social media and see the seventieth food post in a row, you question the worth of this prep. It’s a very odd dynamic to have the power and autonomy to choose when to quit. Nobody is making you do this and torture yourself, but you continue anyways. Why?
Cravings. “But I am strong willed and food doesn’t bother me.” Okay, just wait until you are sitting around the dinner table on Mother’s Day eating out of Tupperware while Grandma is sitting next to you eating a barbeque pulled pork sandwich. You begin to fantasize about food, especially at the end. This is not an exaggeration either, I would wake up after having dreamed about eating. You will start to construct in your mind the perfect post contest food concoctions. “I am going to eat an entire Little Caesar’s pizza with Oreos and a dozen donuts.” That’s probably not a heathy mindset.
You may begin to develop anxiety about leaving the house. You know you ate two hours ago and you are not sure if there will be anything for you to eat for a few hours. Taking prepped food with you everywhere is not fun.
I became a pretty terrible employee the last few weeks leading into the competition. You begin to think single mindedly, and it’s hard to break out of it. I am lucky to have a flexible job and I spent the majority of my day sitting in my car.
More than likely your family will not understand why you are doing this. My family could not have been less supportive of the idea of competing. “You look sick, why are you getting so skinny?” “So best case scenario all you get is a plastic trophy?” And there is some truth to this, once again, why are you putting yourself through all this? Even if your family begins to at least support you, they still do not quite understand the process. “Eat this apple, apples are healthy.”
My wife and I decided to prep for our first show together. She had never competed and I had never competed. We decided together to prep for 16 weeks and keep it as quiet as possible. The strain contest prep puts on a relationship is real; the irritability, tiredness, lethargy, moodiness; none of these bode well for a solid healthy relationship. On top of this, also try to be a halfway decent parent and human. The house will never be as clean as you want, and alone time is rare. More than likely your sex drive will be in the tank. That’s a very hard thing to accept. We do not have a babysitter, so after work we rotate going to the gym; myself first, then her. You begin to become roommates more than spouses. You go to bed every night questioning in your mind your choice to do this.
Competing was the most rewarding thing I have ever decided to do. I talked a lot about the negative, but in my mind the positives far outweigh the negatives. The decision to continue on when you are questioning everything is such a cool experience. Showing your family why you decided to get on stage and transform your physique. Showing the willpower and grit required to adhere to a strict caloric deficit.
With each passing training session your body starts to transform. Taking progress pictures becomes less of a chore, and more enjoyable. Seeing new definition, vascularity, hardness, detail; those things never get old.
Stepping on stage is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life. All of that hard work for the past 16 weeks is for this one moment. But, that’s not necessarily the case. In hindsight the process was a lot more rewarding than the end result. The day in and day out; taking it one day at a time. Conquering the day. Leaving no stone unturned.
I do not want this to come across that my prep was any harder or any easier than the next person. My hope is that it will at least resonate with a future competitor or someone who has competed looking for a little reassurance. When you are deep in the trenches it’s nice to justify why you are being less than a reputable human being.
If you get the chance to compete, do it. There are few things in life that will give more intrinsic reward than stepping on stage and pushing your body to its physical limits. I would not trade that experience for anything.
-Daniel Henigsmith
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