Waterbury's Top 10 Tips

by Chad Waterbury

What do you get when you ask some of the world's top strength coaches and nutrition gurus to share

their most powerful tips for dramatic physique changes? You get one hell of an article series!

In this first installment, Chad Waterbury lays outs his ten most effective tips for boosting muscle

gains. If you want to see some jaw-dropping, holy-cow changes in your body in the next few months,

then you better listen up!

The Top 10 Hypertrophy Boosters

When I think of a good mass booster, I usually think of a hot, hell-raisin blond bombshell with a

Southern drawl. But most of you dont have the luxury of walking around the University of Arizona

campus on a sunny afternoon to view the lovely gals sent from above. So, for those who prefer your

mass to be erected on other parts of your body, Ive compiled the following list of hypertrophy

boosters.

1. Perform Compound Movements!

Theres a damn good reason why my training programs revolve around compound, multi-joint

exercises: they work! Anyone who tells you the short route to mass is through isolation exercises is

delusional, at best.

When training for mass, its best to choose exercises that allow for the greatest load for each given

body part. When you train a compound movement with a large load, youll get the greatest

recruitment of mass-inducing motor units. In addition, youll be forced to use many extra muscle

groups that arent taxed with isolation exercises.

Ill make this easy on you and give you the list of exercises you should perform for each set of

primary movers and shakers:

Chest: Incline, flat and decline bench presses; wide-grip dips.

Back: Upright, horizontal and bent-over rows; chin-ups and pull-ups.

Delts: Standing and seated military presses with traditional, reverse or semi-supinated grips.

Triceps: Dips and close-grip bench presses (lockouts included).

Biceps: Chin-ups along with supinated and semi-supinated grip rows.

Quads: High-bar, full squats; front squats; hack squats; lunges; step-ups.

Lower Back/Hamstrings: Traditional and sumo-style deadlifts; good mornings; back extensions and

glute-ham raises. (Technically, back extensions and glute-ham raises arent compound exercises since

only one joint is moving, but theyre too damn good to leave off the list!)

2. Perform Full-Body Workouts!

Training all of the major muscle groups in a single session has too many benefits to list, but I can tell

you that its one of the most important pieces of a hypertrophy puzzle!

Bill Starrs The Strongest Shall Survive was based on this idea, but even before Starr learned to write,

old-time strongmen were challenging their entire body with every damn training session throughout

the week, and they were some big, strong sumbitches! I took note and you should too.

Not only will you be able to minimize your trips to the gym, but youll be frequently exposing your

major muscle groups to a much greater level of stimulus. This is combined with the fact that the

androgen response increases when many major muscle groups are being taxed in a single session.

Just remember to keep isolation exercises to a minimum because you want to be in and out of the

gym in less than an hour. If not, overtraining will probably ensue.

3. Train Frequently!

The more often you can train a set of muscles, the more hypertrophy youll achieve. As a rule of

thumb, you should train all of the major muscle groups at least twice each week. But, youd be much

better off training every major muscle group three or four times each week!

The tricky part is introducing a "once a weeker" to multiple total body sessions without initially

burning out the trainee. Heres how you should periodize your total-body routines with each

previous training method. If youve been training each body part once-a-week, then do the following:

Week 1 and Week 2: Train each major muscle group twice.

Week 3 and Week 4: Train each major muscle group three times.

If youve been training each major body part twice-a-week, just add one workout to each of the

aforementioned weeks. Need a complete guide to frequent training and a full program to follow?

Check out my Quattro Dynamo program.

4. Train Multiple Strength Qualities Simultaneously!

In order to withstand multiple, total-body sessions each week, you must learn to rotate different

strength training methods. Constantly manipulating the load and volume of each workout will recruit

multiple sets of motor units that werent previously taxed, and, by default, itll allow you to use a

range of lifting tempos (more on this later).

Training multiple strength qualities throughout the week wasnt my idea, I just paid closer attention

to this type of training than most coaches. Whether your periodization parameters are based on

conjugate or undulating techniques, youll benefit. Heres a breakdown for either three or four total

body sessions each week:

3 Total-Body Sessions Each Week:

Day 1: 6 x 3 with a 5RM* (Maximal Strength)

Day 2: Off

Day 3: 3 x 8 with a 10RM (Hypertrophy Strength)

Day 4: Off

Day 5: 8 x 3 with an 18RM (Explosive Strength)

Day 6: Off

Day 7: Off

* Reps Max

4 Total-Body Sessions Each Week:

Day 1: 6 x 3 with a 5RM (Maximal Strength)

Day 2: 2 x 20 with a 24RM (Endurance Strength)

Day 3: Off

Day 4: 3 x 8 with a 10RM (Hypertrophy Strength)

Day 5: Off

Day 6: 8 x 3 with an 18RM (Explosive Strength)

These are just two of many examples that'll work. Ive had huge success with each method!

5. Use Short Rest Periods!

I define short rest periods as any time less than two minutes between sets. The antiquated 3-5

minute rest periods recommended in every shitty newsstand muscle mag made me incredulous. As it

turned out, my instincts were right on target.

My empirical evidence has shown that short rest periods will lead to a great hypertrophy response. In

other words, five sets of ten reps with 60 second rest periods will induce more hypertrophy than five

sets of ten reps with three minute rest periods. An even better option is to utilize short rest periods

with low-rep (1-5 repetition) training parameters. This is precisely what 50% of my ABBH program is

based on.

If you keep the rest periods short, youll stay more focused. In addition, youll keep the nervous

system revved up, and youll get out of the gym quicker. For certain trainees who only seek maximal

strength increases, shorter rest periods are still possible by alternating between opposing muscle

groups (antagonist training).

Bottom line: If you seek hypertrophy, keep your rest periods under two minutes. Its preferable to

utilize a 60-90 second range when training more than six sets at a load greater than 80% of your

1RM.

6. Employ Active Recovery Sessions!

When embarking on a new training program that forces you to perform a frequency greater than

your nervous system is accustomed to, active recovery sessions are a godsend. These sessions consist

of an extremely light load (~25-50% of 1RM) in order to increase blood flow perfusion and nutrient

transfer.

This performs like a champ to help lagging muscle groups recover between workouts and induce

sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. I covered this topic at length in my 100 Reps to Bigger Muscles article.

Check it out!

7. Perform Twice-a-Day Sessions!

For those of you who have the luxury, twice-a-day training sessions are unbeatable. In order to keep

cortisol levels in check and maintain a fresh nervous system, twice-a-day training works exceptionally

well. In addition, youll get the added benefit of two anabolic responses instead of just one.

Many trainees are confused by twice-a-day training because they feel they can simply perform their

original workout twice in the same daynope! You have two choices with this type of training:

1) Split your original workout. You can simply cut your original workout in half. Perform one half in

the first part of the day, then wait 6-8 hours before performing the other half.

2) Use different parameters. If youre trying to perform as many sets as possible in a single day, then

you should have each session consist of completely different parameters. For instance, perform 6 x 3

(maximal strength) parameters for your first workout, followed by 3 x 8 (hypertrophy strength) for

your second workout.

Another option is to perform 5 x 5 (maximal/hypertrophy strength) parameters for your first

workout, followed by 8 x 3 (explosive strength) parameters for your second workout.

8. Keep Intensity in Check!

Training to failure and multiple training sessions throughout the week mix about as well as Hillary

Clinton and Laura Bush. You can't train to failure on every set and expect to recover within 48-72

hours. Minimize any failure training to the last rep of the last set of each exercise (not each set). Even

then, it should only be performed for maximal and hypertrophy strength parameters.

You should never approach failure when training for explosive strength: its counterproductive. If you

seek a "sure thing," then stay away from failure training altogether.

9. Perform Fast Concentric Tempos!

Of all the variables Ive mentioned up to this point, youre probably most surprised by this

recommendation. Fast concentric tempos (the lifting portion of the movement) activate high-

threshold motor units quicker than slow training. In fact, a trainee can achieve extremely high levels

of tension within a muscle utilizing a very light load, if the speed of execution is fast enough. For

further info on this statement, refer to Science and Practice of Strength Training by Vladimir

Zatsiorsky.

Heres a statement that Ive learned to make with utmost confidence: I hate Super Slow training. Our

bodies werent designed to perform slowly, so I dont train it that way. I feel the future of training lies

within extremely fast tempos.

But dont read too much between the lines. I recommend that trainees execute tempos at varying

speeds. Even though I usually prescribe a tempo as fast as possible, each load will mandate a

different tempo. For instance, if I tell a trainee to lift a 3RM load as fast as possible, it'll be slow. If I

tell a trainee to lift a 20RM load as fast as possible, it'll be very fast. Viola! One recommendation

leads to different responses. Pretty cool, huh?

Bottom line: Perform concentric actions as fast as possible, and keep eccentric (negative) phases

under control (1-3 seconds of lowering).

10. Embrace Breakfast and Post-Workout Nutrition!

I couldn't compile a list of hypertrophy tips without including nutrition, mainly, breakfast and post-

workout nutrition. Without adequate carbs and protein during these times, muscle growth is unlikely

to occur at any appreciable rate.

When so-called "hardgainers" hire me to increase their muscle mass, Im always sure to load them up

on high-quality protein and carbs during breakfast and the post-workout feeding. I usually shoot for a

carb/protein ratio of 2:1 during these times. I like to have my clients consume 0.5 gram protein for

each pound of lean body mass. Carbs should be 1 gram per pound of lean body mass.

Heres a sample breakfast for a 155 pound trainee with 10% body fat whos looking to put on mass:

Mix in water in a blender:

2 scoops Grow!

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 cup whole uncooked oats

2 bananas

2.5 to 5 grams creatine

Heres a sample workout and post-workout feeding for the same trainee:

Half serving Surge during workout [http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459244] and half

serving Surge immediately post-workout with 5 grams creatine.

Wait 45-60 minutes and consume the following

1 Serving of Surge

Wait 30-45 minutes before consuming:

70 grams of carbs from cereal and/or bagels with a banana*

35 grams of high-quality protein powder such as Grow!

*For those of you who dont prefer this option, it can be replaced with the same amount of

maltodextrin powder. But why not indulge a little, without supercharging lipogenesis?

That's a Wrap

If you incorporate all of these tips into your workout plan, youll achieve mass quicker than a sleazy

politician in a cheap hotel. Try them out!

The Athlete Diet

From North American Diet to Athlete Diet:

Tips for Making the Transition

by Dr. John Berardi

Elite Sport and Nutrition

What do you get when you take over 50 athletic young Canadians, a few hundred bottles of

Gatorade, a few dozen pair of Oakleys, a few dozen swimsuits, about a hundred paddles or so, and

mix them on high in the blender of Southern Florida?

You get the Canadian National Canoe/Kayak Team, that's what you get. (And you get a wild group of

Canadians wreaking havoc all over a sleepy little vacation town.)

I know, as I just returned from spending a week with these athletes one of the world's top groups

of paddlers. The Canadian National Canoe/Kayak Team was one of the most successful Canadian

summer sport teams from the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Hoping to repeat or improve their

efforts from the 2004 games, they've just brought me on as their head of Sports Nutrition. So I guess

it's my job to whip their sorry butts into nutritional shape. And I've got my job cut out for me.

Right now this team is in the middle of a four month training camp in which they train three times

per day, totaling 3-6 hours of training. This ranges from weight training to high intensity intervals on

the water, to longer duration technique work.

Once camp is over, they head on the road for three to four more months as the competition season

begins. During this time, they'll tour the world, staying in hotels and sports centres, competing in

dozens of different cities during this year's world cup circuit. (Think of the challenges that would arise

if you were on the road, without coming home, for three to four months... and during this time you

had to perform at your highest level physically!)

Then, once the competitive season is over, they'll head back to wherever it is that they call home and

begin off-season training.

Each of their three phases of the year camp, competition season, and off season will have its own

unique set of challenges. It also means that as their training changes, their nutrition must be

periodized as well:

1. During camp, calorie needs are ridiculously high. Yet camp is also the time where body mass and

composition need to be shaped for the upcoming season. So there needs to be a fine balance

between eating for recovery and fuel while also eating for maximal lean body mass and minimal body

fat.

2. During competition season, rigorous travel schedules and unpredictable meal offerings foist a

whole new set of responsibilities on the team. It's imperative to make sure that all the hard work of

training camp isn't squandered with poor dietary habits on the road.

Some athletes have no problem with body weight regulation during these tours, while others have a

real hard time with this (gaining as much as 10 pounds or losing up to 15 pounds during the

competitive season and these are rarely "good" gains and losses).

3. Finally, during the off-season, it's important that with a lower training volume, calorie intake be

tapered down in order to ensure excess body fat doesn't accumulate. However, it's still important to

eat properly during this time as many athletes continue to train with a fairly high volume even during

the off-season.

These three sets of challenges above form the basis of the higher level nutritional planning I regularly

address with my elite teams. However, before any of this higher order planning is discussed, it's

critical to begin by teaching these athletes what an "athlete diet" looks like. You see, most young

athletes really have no idea what they should and shouldn't be eating.

Sure, most of the athletes I work with know to avoid junk food. They also know that hydration is

important, so many of them drink either water or Gatorade during training. Some even eat a few

extra fruits and veggies a day.

However, most athletes think this is sports nutrition. They think these elementary nutrition steps are

enough to fuel elite training and performance in the modern age of high technology training, testing,

and supplementation not to mention the modern age of designer drugs. In reality, these "good

nutrition" ideas are a step behind basic they're primitive.

Despite all our current knowledge, to this day I never cease to be amazed at how very much the

average athlete diet looks strikingly similar to the average North American diet. In fact, not only does

it amaze me, it can, at times, piss me right off especially when our athletes are being misguided by

stupid advice.

The Time Interview

Back in 2004, I was interviewed by Time Canada for a special pre-Olympic nutrition story. The

interviewer's thesis was garbage basically, the article's theme was that high performance nutrition

in Canadian summer sport was benefiting from a "back to the basics" movement; a movement back

to how athletes ate a decade prior.

I disagreed.

After painstakingly detailing some of the cool advances in nutritional science that I was using

successfully with some of my winter sport teams, the interviewer insisted that "No, it seems like

many nutritionists are promoting a 'back to the basics' philosophy."

I asked her to clarify.

Back to the basics, to her, meant things like "drinking more fruit juice," "having more daily servings of

dairy for calcium," "avoiding dietary supplements," "eating more pasta," etc.

My response: "The only nutritionists promoting these sorts of 'back to the basics' strategies are the

ones that don't know anything more than the basics. And these individuals aren't fit to advise

athletes competing at a level where results are paramount and technology and information lines the

path to these results."

I didn't even make a dent. Her mind was made up.

So, as you can imagine, the interviewer doggedly stuck to her thesis, went ahead and found a few

registered dietitians to support the "back to the basics" thesis, largely ignored my advice and

commentary, and ran the article to support this ridiculous idea.

In the end, whether the typical athlete diet strikingly resembles the typical North American diet

because of socialization, environment, and/or the media information/mis-information discussed

above, the fact remains higher level performance requires something a little different.

Therefore, in this article, I'd like to compare and contrast the two types of intakes. Once this is

accomplished, I'll give you some practical strategies for making the transition from a typical North

American eater to a high performance eater. Whether you're training five hours a day or five hours a

week, take heed of these nutritional strategies if optimal performance, body composition, and health

are your goals.

The Average North American Diet

To shed a little bit of light on what I mean by the typical North American Diet, let's consider for a

moment how the average North American lives each nutritional day.

First, they wake up and scramble around the house, getting ready for work. Because they've either

gotten up too late, have chosen to read the paper or watch the news instead, or insist that they don't

feel hungry in the morning, they either skip breakfast or eat a small breakfast that's usually a bowl of

cereal, half a cup of milk, coffee, orange juice or some yogurt, a bagel, or something sweet. Then,

they're off to run their day.

After a few hours at the office, they have another coffee (or three) and are starting to get hungry. If

there are cookies or donuts around, they might munch on one. If there are candies on a colleague's

desk, they'll pop a few. If they don't find any snacks around, they simply fast until lunch, building up

quite a hunger.

And lunchtime, of course, means sandwich time. Whether it's a lunch-meat sandwich, a burger

sandwich, or a chicken sandwich, they chuck some sort of meat and/or cheese between some sort of

highly processed bread and scarf it down. Maybe there's a sad-looking lettuce leaf in there or a three

day-old soggy tomato, but let's be honest, these don't really count for veggies, do they?

If they're at a restaurant, the side dish might be some chips or fries and a pickle. And at this same

restaurant, maybe they'll have some soup. If they're eating a meal they brought from home, they

may just stick with the sandwich and throw in a cookie and some crackers. This lunch is washed

down with some pop or some milk and it's back to work.

After another 5-7 hours, it's dinnertime. Of course, during the gap between lunch and dinner, if

crackers, cookies, donuts, or candies are around, they might be snacked on for sheer boredom or

hunger. Either way, dinner comes along and miracle of miracles, this individual's accumulating energy

deficit leads to a huge appetite.

Now, as opposed to breakfast, lunch, and snacks, if a person is eating at home, dinner usually isn't

that bad. In fact, home-cooked dinners are usually passable. Okay, maybe I should clarify, take-out,

fast food, and microwavable dinners eaten at home are rarely passable. I'm talking about home-

cooked dinners here. At least with these meals we typically see a good protein source, a good carb

source, some vegetables, and maybe even some fruit.

Sure, this good meal is often tainted by the overabundance of cheeses, too much sugar, and high fat

dressings and sauces, but at least we've seen some decent protein and some veggies for the first

time today. Sometimes, due to the accumulating energy deficit and hunger, this meal is a little too

big, but again, it's usually the best meal of the day.

Yet, at this point, the eating day isn't quite finished. With a few hours to go before bed, another

snack usually creeps in before sleep. This is where ice cream, cookies, cakes, and all the little dietary

treats make their appearance. This snack might come right after dinner or it might come an hour or

two later. But it usually comes. And then, before ya know it, it's bedtime and it all starts again the

next day.

The Average Athlete Diet

I mentioned earlier that there were some striking similarities between the typical North American

Diet and the typical athlete diet. Rather than taking my word for it, let's look at a typical athlete's

day, one recorded by a canoe/kayak athlete I'm working with.

7:00 AM 7:50 AM: Wake up, get dressed, and quickly eat a small bowl of cereal with banana and

milk or two pieces of toast with peanut butter. This meal is light because the athlete isn't hungry and

doesn't want to eat too much before his workout.

7:50 AM 10:00 AM: Stretch, train, sip Gatorade, and return home.

10:00 AM 11:00 AM: Rest, drink some fruit juice, and maybe eat a cheese and turkey breast (lunch

meat) sandwich and some crackers or cookies, maybe not.

11:00 AM 12:30pm: Weight train, drink water.

12:30 AM 3:50 PM: Rest, nap, eat one or two sandwiches (cheese, lunch meat), and eat some fruit.

3:50 PM 6:00 PM: Stretch, train, sip Gatorade, and return home.

6:00 PM 7:00 PM: Prepare and eat dinner (stir fry with veggies and rice, or pasta with meat and

salad, or lasagna).

7:00 PM 11:00 PM: Relax, play cards, read, watch TV, maybe eat one more snack (bowl of ice cream

and/or some cookies), maybe not.

11:00 PM: Bedtime

High Performance?

After looking over the average North American and the average athlete schedules above, you should

notice quite a few similarities. Sure, there are some differences the athlete is eating more total

food, with the extra energy typically being weighted in favor of carbohydrates. Also, the athlete

tends to eat a bit more frequently.

However, if you take an honest look at these daily schedules, the food choices and meal patterns are

very, very similar. Let's look at the areas of overlap:

1. Both groups wake up too close to when they've gotta go, leaving little time to prepare, eat, and

digest a good meal before work (whether "work" is an office job or it's training for sport). Both

groups also complain that they're "not hungry" in the morning.

2. Both groups opt for scarfing down a quick, fast digesting breakfast that's low in calories, missing a

significant protein portion, low in micronutrients and phytochemicals, low in good fats, and rich in

processed, high glycemic index carbohydrates.

3. Both groups head to work relatively poorly fed.

4. Both groups are fairly inconsistent with their mid-morning snacks. Also, "snack" usually means

more processed carbs and sugar without much in the way of fruits and veggies, quality protein, or

good fats.

5. Both groups continue to work until lunch-time.

6. Both groups, during their lunch break, opt for a small amount of protein (a couple of slices of lunch

meat and cheese) between a few slices of processed bread. So again, we're stuck with low protein,

low fruit and veggie intake, and very little good fats.

7. Both groups go back to work (to the office or to rest and recover for the athlete).

8. Both groups are fairly inconsistent with their mid-afternoon snacks. Also, "snack" usually means

more processed carbs and sugar without much in the way of fruits and veggies, quality protein, or

good fats.

9. Both groups go back to work (at the office or back on the water).

10. After work, both groups have a decent, nutritionally balanced dinner with a good protein source,

good carbohydrates, their first larger fruit and veggie portion of the day, and perhaps even some

good fats if they've included olive oil or other sources of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats.

11. After their evening activities, both groups are inconsistent with their pre-bed snacks. These

snacks, if they do eat them, usually are the worst of the day, consisting of larger servings of sweets or

processed foods.

The Problems

With these comparisons made, let's discuss what the problem is with this type of intake, especially as

it relates to the athlete:

1. Breakfast has been shown to be a critical daily meal. After a catabolic overnight fast, a balanced

breakfast helps to regulate blood sugar, helps to regulate energy balance, and helps to control late-

day cravings that lead to overfeeding on processed, high fat, and high sugar foods. In both cases

above, breakfast is either a very small feeding or is completely non-existent. This needs to change.

2. The bulk of total dietary energy is distributed later in the day in both cases above. What this means

for our athlete is that hourly energy balance is hugely negative in the morning, and positive in the

evening.

Studies at Georgia State University demonstrate that hourly energy balance is at least as important

as total daily energy balance and should remain as close to neutral as possible throughout each of

the 24 hours. This means a better distribution of calories throughout the entire day not just loading

up on a big dinner.

3. In the case of our athlete, by 12:30 he's expended nearly 1200-1800 calories from activity alone

and would be lucky to have ingested 1000 calories and 50 grams of protein so far. One athlete I

assessed had only eaten 200 calories by 12:30pm. As discussed above, energy intake needs to be

better distributed through the day.

4. In both cases above, fruit and veggie intake, as well as protein intake, is very low until dinnertime.

Just as total calorie distribution should be spread evenly throughout the day, so should

macronutrient (protein, carb, fat) and micronutrient intake.

5. With blood amino acid concentrations low from the overnight fast and continually low throughout

the early day (especially if the morning has two training sessions), catabolic conditions will

predominate in the body, making recovery and adaptation difficult without a higher morning and

early afternoon protein intake.

6. Throughout the morning and afternoon, vitamin and mineral intake as well as dietary antioxidant

intake is quite low, creating a deficit that'll be hard to make up later in the day.

A fair number of sport athletes have been shown to be deficient in a host of vitamins and minerals,

leading to impairments in nervous system function, metabolic processing, and oxygen

delivery/consumption. It's hard to get the requisite amount of vitamins and minerals in only one or

two meals. Now, this doesn't mean that athletes should start popping multi-vitamins. It means they

need to get more fruits and vegetables as well as other micronutrient dense foods with every

feeding, not just with one or two feedings per day.

7. Many sport athletes who don't actively pay attention to their protein intake tend to get too little

protein for optimal recovery, preservation of lean body mass, and for the metabolic advantages

associated with higher protein intake. Many of the athletes I regularly work with would benefit from

a higher protein intake.

Now, this doesn't mean at the expense of good carbs and good fats. It's in addition to those things.

Our athlete above is getting a good, high protein dinner, but it's difficult to take in enough total

protein in only one or two protein rich meals. (Nor is it advisable.)

8. For both the physically active and even the sedentary individuals discussed above, dietary fat

intake is usually out of balance in favor of saturated fat. Without actively choosing foods and

supplements that contain mono and polyunsaturated fatty acid, fat balance is unfavorable. In our

examples above, neither individual is getting enough good fats.

9. With most of the meals above being rich in simple, processed carbs, the hormone insulin isn't well-

controlled. This means that athletes predisposed to fat gain will have a more difficult time controlling

and/or losing body fat, even with higher training volumes.

10. With most of the meals above being rich in simple, low-fiber carbs, not enough dietary fiber is

being ingested. This may mean constipation, poor blood sugar regulation, and poor GI health.

11. Our athlete above isn't actively taking advantage of the post-exercise improvement in insulin

sensitivity and boost in post-exercise protein synthesis by eating carb and amino acid-rich foods right

after exercise.

With all of these dietary limitations, it should be clear that although these athletes aren't dying of

malnutrition, they're certainly not laying the groundwork for high performance. So let's talk about

how to transition from the average athlete diet to an exceptional athlete diet.

From Average to Exceptional

At this point I'd like to lay out some of the practical tips my athletes have found most useful in

improving their intake. I'll list them in the order that I typically present them to my athletes.

Step 1: Improving Workout and Post-Workout Nutrition

Decades of research has clearly demonstrated that glucose-electrolyte drinks ingested during and

after training and competition can help stave off dehydration, delay fatigue in both longer duration

activities and higher intensity, glycogen dependent repeated efforts, decrease the stress response to

exercise, and can aid in glycogen resynthesis. So, any glycogen dependent bout not accompanied by

some sort of glucose-electrolyte solution is missing something.

And, with some recent research demonstrating the performance boosting and recovery enhancing

benefits of adding protein to such a glucose-electrolyte drink, an easy way to instantly increase total

daily energy intake as well as improve training quality, recovery, and adaptation, is to sip a protein +

glucose + electrolyte beverage during training as well as drinking one immediately after training.

Typically, as athletes can use an average of anywhere from 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour of

training, I recommend athletes sip a drink containing at least 30g of carbohydrate during each hour

of training. Also, as athletes can lose an average of anywhere from 500-1000ml of water per hour, I

recommend that this carbohydrate be mixed with at least 500ml of water.

Finally, the addition of protein in anywhere from a 1:4 (P:C) to 1:2 (P:C) ratio is recommended.

Depending on how many sessions they have that day and what the rest of their diet looks like, I'll

determine whether or not they need a second workout drink a post-workout drink.

Step 2: Improving and Scheduling Breakfast Meals

As mentioned above, breakfast is a critical meal, and if you're not eating it or if you're just eating

some nutritionally empty meal that's missing a good amount of protein and micronutrients, you're

nutritionally handicapping yourself early in the day.

To improve your breakfast meals, be sure to include a serving or two of lean protein like an egg white

omelet (throw in a yolk or two), some cheese, some dairy like plain yogurt or cottage cheese, or even

some lean turkey or chicken bacon or sausage. You could even throw in a protein shake on the side.

Men should be shooting for 30-50 grams of protein and women should be shooting for 20-40 grams

of protein in this meal. If you don't know how much protein your food contains, check out this

resource: USDA Nutrition Database.

As you'll likely be training in the next hour or two and will be sipping your carbohydrate/protein

drink, you can get away with a breakfast that's a little lower in starchy carbs. So focus your breakfast

meal on high quality protein, lots of fruits and veggies (make a smoothie, juice some fruits and

veggies, eat fruits and veggies raw, whatever), and good fats (more on how to do this below).

At this point, most athletes offer either the "I'm not hungry" or the "I don't want to throw up during

training" objection. Here's how I address these:

"I'm not hungry." If you've not been eating breakfast for quite some time, your body adjusts to this

and therefore you won't be hungry. Once you start eating breakfast regularly, you'll be hungry every

morning. For the first week or two you may feel uncomfortable but you'll adjust. Keep focused on the

benefits.

"I don't want to throw up during training." If you wake up 30 minutes before training and try to

have a large meal just before training, of course you'll feel uncomfortable! Duh!

Instead of waking up at the last minute, wake up two hours before training, have a great breakfast,

and by the time you're ready to train, you should feel fine. I know you don't want to wake up earlier

than you have to especially if you're training early (8 AM or so), but create a morning ritual and

things will be just fine.

When I used to have early morning workouts, I'd get up two hours before training, eat a great

breakfast, and read for an hour or so before heading to train. It was a great, quiet, relaxing time and I

was well prepared for training. Another option is to eat your breakfast and take an hour nap before

training. Or you can eat your breakfast and reflect upon your upcoming training session.

However, let's say you try these strategies and you still feel sick during training. In that case, you'll

need to play around with food choices until you find the foods that are best tolerated. Perhaps you

can tolerate an omelet with cheese and veggies as well as some fruit on the side.

Or maybe liquid nutrition (like a protein shake) is best for you. Perhaps you'll want some oats with

yogurt, protein powder, nuts, flax seeds, and berries. Experiment until you find what works for you.

Step 3: Adding good fats

The balance of fat in your diet can control some very important physiological functions, from

inflammation to hormonal balance to metabolic rate. So it's important to make sure you're adding

some good fats to your daily intake.

Since most North Americans get more saturated fat than polyunsaturates and monounsaturates,

we'll focus on adding some of these latter fats into the plan. The best way to do this is to include the

following foods every day:

Fish Oil 6-10 total grams per day (1-2 capsules with each meal)

Olive Oil 1-2 tablespooons per day (unheated; just add to cold food or after cooking)

Flax Oil 1 tablespoon per day (unheated; just add to cold food or after cooking)

Mixed Nuts

Ground Flax Seeds (Flax Meal)

Avocadoes

Coconut Oil or Butter (for cooking)

If you include each of these foods every day, your fat balance will be well taken care of.

Step 4: Improving lunch meals

Some of the same strategies we used for breakfast are relevant for lunch as well. Just like with

breakfast, the typical lunch is usually light in protein as well as fruits and veggies and good fats. Also,

if an athlete has just trained (or, in the case of our canoe/kayak athletes above trained twice

already), a sandwich or two won't be providing enough carbs either. So we'll want to bump up the

total calorie intake as well as the protein, carb, fat, and fruit/veggie intake.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to make sure you're double-cooking dinner each night. Simply

cook a double-portion of each dinner meal and eat the second half of dinner for lunch each day. This

is assuming your dinner meals are complete and contain a complement of protein, carbs, fats, and

fruits and veggies.

If this is impossible, seek out lunch options that contain the same balance a typical well-constructed

dinner might have. Skip the lunchmeat sandwiches and go with higher-protein stir-fries made with a

ton of veggies and whole grain rice, whole wheat pastas with high protein side dishes and a big fruit

and veggie salad, etc.

Step 5: Improving dinner meals

As discussed, most dinners tend to be fairly complete with proteins and veggies, making their first

real appearance of the day. However, that doesn't mean that folks are maximizing their dinner

intake. Some great strategies for improving dinner meals are as follows:

Include whole grain versions of breads, pastas, and rice instead of their processed (white)

counterparts. Also try including things like oats, quinoa, etc.

Include high fiber foods like legumes (a variety of beans, lentils, etc).

Include lean protein like chicken, fish, beef, turkey, or even more exotic meats like elk, bison,

kangaroo, venison, etc. Tofu is another good protein option.

Always include a few servings of veggies.

Always include some good fats to compliment the fats that'll be already present in your meat

choices.

Have fruit dishes or homemade smoothies for dessert.

Of course, these rules apply for lunch meals and, as mentioned above, your best bet is to double

cook dinner and serve the second portion for lunch the next day.

Step 6: Strategies for increasing fruit and veggie intake

When most people think of veggies, they think of boring salads and wilted, freezer-burnt veggies.

Well, that's not what I think of at all.

Sure, you could make big, plain spinach salads, but why not add more exciting ingredients like fresh

fruits, craisins, mixed nuts, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, etc), beans, avocadoes, and flavored vinegars

and oils? Also, if you're not eating fresh, steamed veggies, you're missing out.

There are many ways to include more veggies, from eating them raw, to steaming them, to juicing

them in a blender, to cooking them with your pasta or rice, to including them in stir-fries.

I personally also like to make sauces with them. One of my favorite sauces is influenced by Indian

cooking and is made from three cups of spinach, two whole tomatoes, one whole onion, and three

cloves of garlic. I puree these in a blender with 0.5 cups of water. Then I mix in some salt, pepper,

and curry powder (eliminate if you don't like spicy food). I then cook this with some chicken breasts

or lean meat and add some yogurt for a few minutes at the end of the cooking process. Just think of

how much veggie goodness is included in this delicious meal.

With respect to fruits, as mentioned above, you could certainly eat them raw (like you would an

apple), but you can also make fruit salads (add a little lemon to preserve it for longer than a few

hours), you can include the fruit in your veggie salads, and you can blend up some fruit with a little

water or dairy (plain yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.) and make a juice drink/smoothie.

Remember, one serving of fruit/veggie is about 0.5 cup and you should be aiming for 10-15 servings

per day.

Step 7: Strategies for improving snacks

As mentioned earlier, typical snack choices are usually full of sugar, processed carbs and a bunch of

other nasty things like trans fats and artificial ingredients. So you're going to need to start choosing

better snacks.

My favorite snack for when I'm on the go is a Super Shake, which usually includes some fruits,

veggies, protein, good fats, and more all blended up.

Another snack I like is made by mixing plain yogurt or cottage cheese with frozen berries, mixed nuts,

and vanilla protein powder. Another variation on this theme is yogurt or cottage cheese with peanut

butter, a banana, and ground up flax seeds with chocolate protein powder.

You can also try yam chips and fresh veggies dipped in homemade hummus. I have a few hard-boiled

eggs along with this snack.

As with the other meals, what's important here is to get a complete snack. I think of every feeding

(snack or meal) as an opportunity to either improve my body or to make it worse. By making sure I

get some good carbs, fruits and veggies, good fats, and good protein with each feeding, I'm making

sure I'll avoid deficiencies in energy or nutrients.

Transition Complete

Hopefully the message of this article has become clear. Whether you're a high level competitive

athlete or just a recreational exerciser, eating like the typical North American is bad, bad news. And

despite your exercise habits, eating this way might have you ending up looking more like the typical

North American than you want.

To avoid making the same mistakes other North Americans make, it's important that you view each

meal or snack as an opportunity to get a good balance of nutrition. This means making sure each

meal has a good protein source, a good fat source, and a good amount of fruits and veggies.

And if you're a hard-training athlete (especially if you're training three times per day), you'll also be

adding a good amount of starchy carbs to the mix. (If your training volume is low or you're training

infrequently, you'll want to eat fewer starchy carbs, saving the majority of them for the three hours

after exercise.) Finally, it's important not to neglect workout nutrition.

While some of the strategies in this article are very practical, they're founded on a firm base of

nutritional science. It's important for today's athletes to make the best use of the latest sports

science information. So if you're a hard-training athlete, start using these strategies immediately and

record your progress.

Keep an adherence chart. Measure your body weight and body fat. Record your energy and recovery

levels. Keep track of your performance testing results. And adjust your intake as often as you need to

in order to keep the progress going.

For a more comprehensive discussion of how my NCAA, Olympic, and professional athletes are

eating, supplementing, and monitoring their progress in order to achieve peak performance, check

out my Precision Nutrition programs at www.precisionnutrition.com. There you'll find recipes, eating

manuals, CDs, and DVDs guiding athletes step-by-step toward optimal food intake and

supplementation.

How To Deload: Deloading Week & Taking Time Off From Working Out

And now for the most neglected aspect of weight training NOT training.

Its a simple concept very few people seem to grasp or actually give a damn about to any

degree. Yet, its a concept that will ensure you actually reach your goals, progress

consistently, and prevent injuries.

When I say it like that, youd think this would be something at the top of everyones list

of training components but it never is. In many cases, its not even on that list at all.

You see, I dont care who you are, how genetically gifted you think you are, how

hardcore you are trying to be, or how you just dont feel any of this stuff applies to

you.

The honest truth is that it always does probably more so than youll ever realize.

In fact, Id even go as far as to say that the aspects of NOT training (rest/recovery,

scheduled breaks, deloading, taking time off, etc.) are JUST as important as all of the

aspects of training that always get all of the attention.

I know, thats a pretty bold statement which will probably take some explaining to

understand (or just believe). So, let the explaining begin

Scheduled Training Breaks

Scheduled training breaks are exactly what they sound like. They are

Planned breaks you purposely take from training for the purpose of giving your entire

body (muscles, nervous system, joints, etc.) and mind (training gets mentally draining

on everyone after a while) an extra large dose of rest/recovery and to allow for super-

compensation to occur (which is basically when all of your bodys improvements occur).

This then puts you in a fresh and ideal state for the upcoming period of training.

There are mainly 2 different types of training breaks, and both have their place

depending on the situation.

1. Taking Time Off. This is what most people think of when they hear training break. You know, just take a full week off completely from all forms of weight

training or possibly all forms of exercise in general.

2. Deloading/Easy Weeks/Back Off Weeks. In this case you dont take any time off, you just somehow reduce the work (or the amount of work) being done so

that your workouts are easier for a certain period of time.

As usual, there are pros and cons to each, a recommended frequency, and a specific way

to make them work best. All of which Im going to explain right now.

Taking Time Off

This type of training break really doesnt need much explaining. You just simply stop

training. In most cases, youd take 1 full week off from weight training (or all of forms

of exercise, in which case you just stop working out altogether).

Of the 2 different types of training breaks, this one might offer the largest benefits. You

really cant beat an entire week off from training when it comes to giving your body/mind

time to rest, recover and recharge.

The downside however is what you come back to. Specifically, the oh-my-god-I-cant-

even-move type soreness. Kinda like the muscle soreness you experienced when you

first started weight training. Not fun at all.

Not to mention, while some people actually come back stronger after a full week off,

some people find that they get set back a bit too far when they return, and they have to

spend the next few weeks working to get back to where they were at before the break

(while at the same time fighting the sometimes extreme soreness I just mentioned and

attempting to get back into the groove of certain exercises).

Like I said pros and cons.

How Often Should I Take Time Off From Working Out?

For the reasons mentioned above, I dont recommend taking a training break like this

TOO often.

Im definitely not against doing it, but I just think the people who recommend that the

average person should take a full week off from weight training every 4-8 weeks (or

whatever) are out of their mind. For the majority of the population, its just unnecessary

at best and counterproductive at worst.

Instead, taking 1 or 2 weeks off per year is more what Id recommend (and personally

do myself). There are exceptions of course (someone who is older and more beat up

physically might need to do it more often), but in most cases, this is my

recommendation.

So whether you make it an every 6-8 month thing, or just during a vacation or trip you

take once or twice a year, or only when it feels like its needed feel free to take a full

week off from working out. As long as your diet stays even remotely sane during that

time period, your muscle, strength and leanness will remain just fine.

I personally like taking my full week off at the end of the year during Christmas week.

School sort of programmed that concept of Christmas break deep into my soul, so it

just feels right to me. Plus Im way too busy playing with toys and eating tree-shaped

cookies to train anyway, so it works out perfectly.

Another Useful Option

Before moving on to deloading, theres actually one other modified version of the take-

a-week-off type of training break that I want to mention, because I happen to like it a

lot.

You see, one way Ive found of lessening those cons I mentioned a minute ago while

still getting some of the same pros is simply by taking time off but NOT taking a

FULL week off. Instead, maybe just take half of the week off.

So for example, if youre using a 4 day upper/lower program (like The Muscle Building

Workout Routine), youd do just 2 of the workouts for the week and take the other 2 off.

Ive found this to work quite well.

Deloading (aka Easy Weeks/Back Off Weeks)

In the case of a deload, rather than taking actual time off from training, you just take

some of the load off from training (hence the name de-loading). Meaning, you continue

to train, but you somehow back off and make your workouts easier for you in some way

for a predetermined amount of time.

That means NO training to failure, NO attempts at progression, and NO really hard work,

period. This time should be relatively easy and comfortable. If its not then youre doing

it wrong.

There are many different ways to deload properly and plenty of different protocols that

can all work quite well, but in terms of what I prefer myself and recommend most often,

this predetermined amount of time will be a 1-3 week period.

And the 3 most common ways of backing off and making your workouts easier during

this time is by either significantly reducing your training volume, intensity or both for 1

week, and then spending the next 2 weeks or so gradually bringing it back up to what it

originally was.

Let me break that down for you

How To Deload Volume:

1. When deloading your volume, your goal is to maintain all of the weights you lift

on every exercise WHILE you reduce the total number of sets (and/or reps) being

done each workout for an entire week by about 40-50% of what it usually is.

(Examples: If a workout normally has 20 sets total, maybe you do 10-12 sets

total. If you normally do 4 sets of an exercise, maybe you do just 2. If you

normally do 3 sets of 8 reps, maybe do 2 sets of 5 reps.)

2. The following week, youd start bringing volume back up to about 60-70% of what it originally was.

3. The week after that, youd bring volume back up to about 80-90% of what it originally was.

4. And the week after that, youre back up to 100% of your original prescribed volume and ready to start a fresh new cycle of consistent progression.

Also note that this is just one way of doing it, and that some people can get this protocol

done in 3 weeks instead of 4. So maybe 50% in week one, then about 75% in week 2,

and then 100% in week 3, thus eliminating one of the ramp up weeks. For others, that

extra week of building up is beneficial or sometimes just flat out necessary.

The only way to know whats best for you is to try it both ways and see.

In either case, the concept is the same. You spend 1 full week at a greatly reduced level

of volume, and then use the next 1-2 weeks to gradually ramp that volume back up to

what it originally was (or will now become). At that point, everything is back to its

normal level and youre ready to start pushing for progression again.

How To Deload Intensity:

1. When deloading your intensity, you would maintain the total amount of volume

being done WHILE you reduce the amount of weight you lift on every exercise to

about 80-85% of what it usually is for an entire week. (Example: If you normally

bench press 200lbs for 36-8, youd now bench press 160-170lbs for 36-8.) 2. The following week, youd start bringing intensity back up to about 85-90% of

what it originally was.

3. The week after that, youd bring intensity back up to about 90-95% of what it originally was.

4. And the week after that, youre back up to 100% of your original intensity (aka the weight you were lifting on each exercise) and youre ready to start a fresh

new cycle of consistent progression.

Again note that this is just one way of doing it, and that some people can get this

protocol done in 3 weeks instead of 4. So maybe 80% in week one, then about 90% in

week 2, and then 100% in week 3, thus eliminating one of the ramp up weeks. For

others, that extra week of building up is beneficial or sometimes just flat out necessary.

The only way to know whats best for you is to try it both ways and see.

In either case, the concept is the same. You spend 1 full week at a greatly reduced level

of intensity, and then use the next 1-2 weeks to gradually ramp that intensity back up to

what it originally was. At that point, everything is back to its normal level and youre

ready to start pushing for progression again.

How To Deload Both:

1. When deloading both volume AND intensity together, just do some combination of

the above protocols. (Example: If you normally bench press 200lbs for 3 sets of 8

reps, youd maybe do something like 165lbs for 2 sets of 8 reps). 2. Youd then spend the next couple of weeks bringing volume and intensity back up

to their original levels as outlined above, and then start working your ass off for progression again.

Another option for doing both, by the way, is to deload intensity on certain exercises (like

primary compound movements), and deload volume on others (like secondary isolation

movements). Just another method to keep in mind.

Which Is Better: Deloading Volume, Intensity or Both?

Im not really sure if one deload method is truly better than another. The truth is that

they all work and I think personal preferences and individual differences factor in a great

deal in determining which way you should do it.

Which means, the best answer here is the one that everyone hates the most: try them

all and see which works best for you. The next time you deload, reduce volume. The

time after that, intensity. The time after that, both. Pay attention to how it goes each

time and figure out which one is most ideal for you.

If I had to make one general note though, its that deloading intensity gives your joints

(and for me at least, my mind) MUCH more of a break than deloading volume by itself.

How Often Should I Deload?

Once again, the best answer here is that it depends on you, your goal and the specifics of

your weight training routine.

For example, someone training for strength whos squatting and deadlifting at a higher

frequency and a higher intensity and doing singles and triples and hardly ever going

above 5 reps per set will need to deload more often than someone training more in the

realm of hypertrophy (less frequency, less intensity, etc.) or some other less taxing goal.

Not to mention, it can vary from person to person depending on genetics, age, training

experience level and strength levels.

For example, a 40 year old would need to deload more often than a 20 year old.

Someone with terrible genetics would need to deload more often than a genetic freak.

Someone advanced who is lifting VERY significant amounts of weight would need to

deload more often than someone who hasnt been training as long and isnt really all that

strong.

For this reason, youll typically see deloading frequency recommendations fall as

frequently as every 3 weeks to as infrequently as a couple of times per year depending

on the specifics. But, generally speaking

Id recommend deloading every 6-12 weeks (or more frequently if you feel you

need it). That ends up being about 4-8 times per year on average.

When Should I Deload?

Many intelligent workout routines program deloading (and sometimes full weeks off as

well) right into the design of the routine so its done on a very specific and required

schedule.

In my opinion, this is both good and bad.

Its good because it forces people to deload regularly and most people are just too dumb

and stubborn to ever deload on their own accord (been there myself). On the other hand,

it means everyone deloads at the exact same time, and not everyone needs it at the

exact same time.

I find this to be the case more often with muscle building routines rather than

strength/performance oriented routines, but it can really be true with any type of

program or goal.

What I mean is, someone might have truly needed to deload at week 6, while someone

else could have made it to week 10 or week 12 before truly needing to. While it wouldnt

be the worst thing in the world to deload too soon (much better than doing it too late), it

still causes that second person to basically pause their progression unnecessarily right

when everything is going perfectly and take a break sooner than they really needed to.

For all of these reasons, I usually prefer to go by feel. So if at week 6 Im feeling

physically or mentally in need of a break (progression stalls, my body hurts, Im losing

motivation, etc.), Ill deload at week 6.

But if Im feeling great, progressing well, killing it in the gym and can hardly wait for the

next workout, Ill just keep on going and not even consider stopping. In that case, I

might go another 6 weeks before actually deloading.

This is how I do it and would typically recommend it be done. The only potential

downside is that its then up to each person to be smart enough to actually deload when

they need it and not keep trying to grind it out and basically run themselves into the

ground. So um dont be a dumbass. If 12 weeks of hard consistent training have

passed and you havent deloaded, take a very serious look at your progress and how

youre feeling (physically and mentally) in general. Chances are its time.

Should Everyone Deload or Take Time Off From Working Out?

Yes, pretty much everyone actively trying to build muscle, increase strength, improve

performance or really just push/challenge their body to improve in any capacity certainly

should.

However, there are 4 possible exceptions that come to mind

1. Beginners (and maybe early intermediates).

Most people wont really need or benefit from any sort of true training break during their first entire year of weight training, sometimes slightly longer. This

becomes much more of a requirement when you reach mid-intermediate levels

and beyond. This is partially because youre just so fresh and new to weight training as a beginner (meaning your body is less beat up and fatigued), and

because the weights youre lifting arent really all that heavy at this point. However, the stronger you get, the harder you have to work, the more advanced

the training methods become, the higher the volume gets, the longer youve been doing it all, and so on the more of a regular requirement deloading and/or taking

time off from working out becomes.

2. People who arent trying or working hard enough in the first place. The people who just go through the motions, dont care at all about progressive overload, are wasting their time with pointless toning workouts (hi ladies!) and are essentially having an easy week every week do not really have a need for any sort of training break. What they really need to do is stop training like an

idiot.

3. People who have reached their goal and only want to maintain. At this point, youd really just need to be in a constant state of semi-reduced

volume/frequency. This is because the volume/frequency required to just

maintain is much less than whats required to build or improve. So in a case like this, youd just drop your volume down a little and/or cut back frequency a bit,

and just stay there permanently. Theres no real need to regularly deload at that point unless you actually felt the need to do so.

4. People whose primary goal at the time is fat loss (and maintaining

muscle).

As Ive explained in detail before (Burn Fat NOT Muscle), recovery is at its worst when losing fat. A caloric deficit is obviously super fantastic (and required) for fat

loss, but it basically sucks for everything training related (recovery, work

capacity, volume tolerance, etc.). This means you should automatically reduce

your volume and/or frequency to some extent to compensate for this drop in

recovery and prevent it from becoming a problem. What kind of problem, you

ask? A strength loss/muscle loss kind of problem which occurs all too often when

training isnt set up correctly. What this means is that during fat loss, volume/frequency should already be somewhat reduced, thus greatly lessening or

even eliminating the need for deloading or taking any time off. Not to mention,

deloading intensity while in a caloric deficit is quite possibly the worst idea ever. More on that below.

How Should I Eat While Deloading or Taking Time Off?

Well, for starters, the macronutrients (protein, fat and carbs) should pretty much always

remain within their ideal ranges especially protein. As for calories, that depends on your

exact goal at the time:

If Your Goal Is Building Muscle and/or Increasing Strength

With these goals, you would already be in a caloric surplus. During the deload weeks,

you should definitely ensure that a small surplus remains intact.

Reason being, this is a time when your body is basically rebuilding and recovering more

so than ever before, so its not uncommon to experience muscle growth WHILE you

deload. Making sure the calories needed for it to happen are still being supplied is

obviously a pretty good idea.

The same goes for when taking a full week off (or my half week off suggestion).

If Your Goal Is Losing Fat

With this goal, you would already be in a caloric deficit. And, as I mentioned a minute

ago, the need for deloading regularly at this time isnt really there as long as your routine

has been adjusted accordingly.

HOWEVER, depending on how much fat you need to lose or how long its taking you, you

can still definitely reach the point where you feel like some kind of deload or time off is

needed. In this case, definitely come out of the deficit and go back up to

maintenance level during the entire deloading period or the entire week youre taking

off.

Reason being, reducing intensity (aka the amount of weight youre lifting) while in a

caloric deficit is pretty much a recipe for disaster in terms of losing muscle. Maintaining

that intensity is actually THE KEY to preserving lean muscle while body fat is lost, so the

last thing you want to do is start purposely lifting less weight at this time (which is why

the idea that you should switch to lighter weight and higher reps when trying to lose fat

is a terrible Fing idea).

Yes, going from a deficit back up to maintenance means you wont lose fat during this

training break, but it also means you wont lose muscle either and thats WAY more

important during this short time frame. Once the deload is over and intensity is back up

to normal, resume the deficit and get back to losing fat.

And Thats How, When & Why To Take Breaks From Weight Training

So, that about wraps things up. Taking some form of training break when its needed, be

it a full week off, half a week off, or a 1-3 week period of deloading intensity, volume or

both is really one of the most important aspects of making long term progress, staying

healthy, staying motivated, and getting the results you want and the body you desire.

Yet, its easily the aspect of working out that the average person ignores the most and

always suffers for as a result. My advice? Dont be that average person.

Dont let your stubbornness or inability to take a break or train at anything less than

110% be what hurts your progress. Ive been there and done that myself, and what

finally got me to come around is the fact that it ALWAYS ends up being beneficial.

See for yourself.

Build More Muscle, Strength and Powerat the same time!

A colleague of mine recently asked me what I think the future of training will be. Of course, thats a

loaded question. It depends on who the target market is. I knew, however, that he was talking about

the 18-40 year old male population that wants to get bigger, leaner, stronger and more powerful,

without the use of steroids.

Given the popularity of combat sports, I think it makes sense that guys will try to emulate what they

see on TV. In mixed martial arts (MMA) or football, its not enough for a guy to be strong he must

also be big and powerful. Sure, a guy doesnt need to look like an extra in Gladiator to excel at his

sport, but every athlete wants to. Not only is a big, strong, lean body typically more powerful (ie,

better at sports), but its also more lucrative for landing a big endorsement deal.

In other words, a bigger, leaner, more powerful body = more money. And theres no better

motivation than the almighty dollar.

So, the future of training will consist of programs that build muscle, strength, and power at the

same time. A training trifecta that will metamorphose an average Joe into a muscular warrior. This

type of training will help athletes perform better at their sport, and itll help non-athletes look like

theyre, well, a combat athlete!

The question, of course, is: How can you pull off that trifecta without overtraining?

First, lets start with the training component. Ill break up the training parameters into three

categories: strength, muscle, and power. The exercises you use are vastly important for getting

results in record time. To build strength, you need total body exercises that work your upper body,

lower body, and core at the same time. For muscle, compound exercises such as dips, pull-ups, and

single leg squats are awesome. And for power, nothing beats pushing a sled, carrying a sandbag, and

tossing a medicine ball.

Heres how it all breaks down.

Strength

Exercises: power clean, power snatch, deadlift, push press, etc.

Total reps: 15 per exercise

Load: a weight you can lift a maximum of 3 times for the first set

Muscle

Exercises: dip, cable chest press or push-up with a weighted vest, chin-up/pull-up, row, Bulgarian

split squat, single leg deadlift with dumbbells, single leg hop, etc.

Total reps: 25 per exercise

Load: a weight you can lift a maximum of 6 times for the first set

When training for total body strength or size, I dont use a typical set/rep sequence such as 5 sets of

5 reps (55). Instead, my clients start with a specific load (say, a weight they can lift no more than 6

times for the first set) and they continue using that load for all sets until they reach a target number

of reps (eg, 25). That way, they never miss a rep, the load is always right, and theyll only do as many

reps in a set as their body is capable of at that moment. This is the system I devised for my book,

Huge in a Hurry.

For power training, however, I use a different approach. Since power exercises consist of complex

exercises that force you to work in different planes of movement, its difficult to find a true repetition

maximum like you could for a deadlift or squat. Furthermore, this type of training depends on

explosive, total body movements in order to build speed, increase mobility, and burn fat. The load

for power training should be moderately heavy a weight that challenges you, but still allows you to

move explosively.

So instead of focusing on a target number of reps, I have my clients train with all-out effort for a

specific timeframe (say, 20 seconds) before they take a quick breather and move to another exercise.

Power

Exercises: sled dragging/pushing, sandbag or heavy medicine ball carry/toss/slam, burpee with a

weighted vest, etc.

Duration of each set: 10-30 seconds

There are two ways you can arrange this type of warrior training. First, is to perform a workout for

each category. I like to use a 3 on/1 off cycle like this:

Monday: strength

Tuesday: power

Wednesday: muscle

Thursday: off

Friday: repeat the 4-day cycle

The other way is to combine all three categories into one workout. This, of course, is very demanding

and only recommended for advanced athletes. However, if you can pull it off, the results can be

mind-blowing:

Sample Hybrid Workout

Strength

Deadlift

Push press

Muscle

Pull-up

Dip

Bulgarian split squat

Power

Sled pushing

Overhead medicine ball toss

When you combine strength, muscle and power training into one workout, you must limit the

number of exercises you do for each category. When you separate the workouts into different days

(first example), you can, and should perform more exercises in each session.

Getting plenty of high quality calories, especially in the hour or two after training, is paramount to

your success. This type of training is tough, and youll get overtrained in no time, unless you

constantly feed your body.

Give this type of training a shot, and let me know what you think.

Stay focused,

CW