Things I've learned from over 25 years of Bodybuilding

1. THE CHEST IS A SMALL MUSCLE GROUP LIKE THE ARMS. DON'T PERFORM TOO MANY SETS FOR THIS MUSCLE GROUP, UNLESS YOUR EXTREMELY GENETICALLY GIFTED IN THIS AREA.

2. MY SHOULDERS TAKE A POUNDING ON CHEST WORK AND MY ANTERIOR DELTS ARE EASY TO OVERTRAIN DUE TO THIS FACTOR . ONCE I OVERTRAIN THE ANTERIOR DELTS, I BEGAN TO GET WEAKER ON ALL PRESSING MOVEMENTS FOR THE CHEST. NEXT COMES THE ANTERIOR DELT PAIN. REGARDLESS OF HOW CONSISTENTLY I STICK WITH MY ROTATOR CUFF EXERCISES, MY SHOULDER ACHES AND THROBS WHEN I OVERTRAIN. THIS COULD HELP EXPLAIN WHY SO MANY GUYS IN THE GYM ARE HAVING SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHOULDER PAIN,"THEY ARE OVERDOING IT'! 

3. ARMS GET LESS WORK FROM CHEST AND BACK THAN MANY THINK. I MUST HIT THE ARMS HARD WITHDIRECT EXERCISES IN ORDER TO GET THEN GROWING. INDIRECT WORK DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE A BIT OF DIFFERENCE FOR ME. 

4. WORKOUTS PUSHING THE 2 HOUR MARK WILL OVERTRAIN YOU IN SHORT ORDER IF DONE OVER TWICE A WEEK. 

5. 4 WORKOUT DAYS PER WEEK IS OPTIMUM FOR MOST WHEN TRYING TO GAIN MASS. 

6. I GET THE MOST OUT OF THE FIRST 5 SETS PER BODYPART, THEN I BEGIN GETTING LESS RESULTS FOR MY EFFORT. THAT'S WHY I USUALLY TRAIN MY BODYPARTS TWICE A WEEK FOR 4 TO 7 SETS. THIS ALLOWS ME TO STIMULATE MY MUSCLES WITH HEAVIER WEIGHT ON A MORE FREQUENT BASIS THEREFORE MAKING THEM GROW LARGER. 

7. THE LATS AND QUADS CAN TAKE A LOT OF PUNISHMENT AND ARE MUCH HARDER TO OVERTRAIN THAN A SMALLER MUSCLE GROUP LIKE CHEST UNLESS YOUR SEVERELY LACKING THE GENETICS IN THOSE AREAS.

8. I MUST EAT EVEN WHEN I'M NOT HUNGRY IN ORDER TO KEEP UP MY WEIGHT OF 225 POUNDS.

9. CREATINE WORKS FOR ME A WHILE THEN IT QUITS WORKING. 

10. REGARDLESS OF HOW HARD I TRY TO PUSH MORE WEIGHT OR GAIN MORE LEAN SIZE IT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE ONCE I HIT MY NATURAL GENETIC POTENTIAL. "DRUGS WERE THE ONLY THING THAT HELPED ME BREAK MY STRENGTH AND SIZE PLATEAU AND CONTINUES TO DO SO, NOT MY PARTICULAR TRAINING ROUTINE"!

11. GENETICALLY INFERIOR BODY PARTS CANT HANDLE AS MUCH TRAINING VOLUME AS GENETICALLY SUPERIOR BODY PARTS. WE ARE BORN WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MUSCLE FIBERS IN EACH AREA OF OUR BODY AND THERE'S NO WAY A PERSON BORN WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MUSCLE FIBER CAN GET AWAY WITH AS MUCH VOLUME AS A GUY WHO WAS BORN WITH LOTS OF FIBERS. MY CHEST OVER TRAINS EASY AND GETS VERY SORE. MY BICEPS-TRICEPS CAN HANDLE 20 SETS A WEEK LIKE LEE PRIEST AND NOT BE OVER TRAINING. HOWEVER I USUALLY ONLY NEED 12 INTENSE SETS A WEEK ON ARMS TO GET A GOOD WORKOUT. 

12. GUYS LIKE RONNIE COLEMAN HAVE NO BODY PARTS WITH GENETIC INFERIORITY. THIS EXPLAINS WHY THEY CAN HANDLE SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF VOLUME.

13. I CAN STILL USE GOOD FORM AND PERFORM SOMEWHAT OF AN EXPLOSIVE STROKE TO HIT THE WHITE FIBERS IF I GET THE MIND MUSCLE LINK IN ORDER. "THE MIND IS MY STRONGEST MUSCLE" 

14. LACK OF SLEEP WILL KILL MY TRAINING PROGRESS AND ENTHUSIASM FOR TRAINING MORE THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE ASPECT. 

15. ITS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO GAIN A LOT OF MASS AND LEAN OUT AT THE SAME TIME. THE ONLY TIME FOR ME WAS WHEN I FIRST STARTED TRAINING AND DURING MY FIRST STEROID CYCLE. 

16. 12 DEGREE DECLINE PRESS OR INCLINE PRESSES HIT THE WHOLE PEC MASS MUCH BETTER THAN FLAT BENCH PRESS. 

17. MEDIUM TO WIDE GRIP CHIN-UPS TO THE FRONT ARE THE ABSOLUTE BEST EXERCISE FOR WIDENING THE LATS. 

18. "TRAIN ACCORDING TO YOUR GENETICS" IF THE ARMS OR CHEST IS A STRONG POINT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO MORE SETS AND RECOVER MORE SO THAN A COUNTERPART WHO IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THOSE MUSCLE GROUPS. ARNOLD HAD HUGE BI'S AND CHEST AND DID 40 SETS PER WEEK. YES THAT'S TOO MUCH IN MY OPINION BUT YOU GET THE POINT. DO NOT DO AS MUCH VOLUME FOR WEAKER GROUPS OR YOU WILL OVER TRAIN THEM. 

19. THE MORE WATER RETENTION I EXPERIENCE AND THE MORE SLUGGISH I FEEL, THE MORE STRENGTH GAINS THAT COME. I GUESS ITS WATER COMPRESSION THAT GIVES ME THE EXTRA POWER. 

20. GAINS AREN'T GRADUAL FOR ME BUT COME ALL AT ONCE.

21. THE BASIC EXERCISES, NOT ISOLATION MOVEMENTS ARE STILL WHAT I DO MY BEST WITH AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. I LOVE FREE WEIGHTS BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE. NO FANCY MACHINE WORK HERE! 

22. A LOT OF CARDIO OVER TRAINS ME. I DO NOT DO CARDIO ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THIS FACTOR. 

23. TRAIN ARMS ON SEPARATE DAYS OF YOUR TORSO BECAUSE IT WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO USE THE MOST WEIGHT POSSIBLE IF THEY ARE PRE-FATIGUED FROM A TORSO WORKOUT. MORE WEIGHT EQUALS MORE GROWTH! 

24. THE LOWER BACK IS EASILY OVER TRAINED AND TAKES MORE TIME TO RECOVER THAN OTHER MUSCLE GROUPS DUE TO ITS SMALL SIZE. 

25. THE CALF MUSCLE ARE EASY TO OVER TRAIN UNLESS YOUR REALLY GIFTED IN THAT AREA. 

26. WAIT A GOOD THREE MINUTES BETWEEN SETS WHEN TRYING TO GAIN STRENGTH ON A PARTICULAR EXERCISE. 

27. CHANGING WORKOUT ROUTINES IS GOOD FOR BEATING BOREDOM BUT WILL DO LESS THAN YOU THINK TO ADD MORE SIZE TO YOUR BODY. FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR PARTICULAR BODY TYPE AND DO IT AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. CHANGIN YOUR DRUG DOSAGES AND THE TYPE OF DRUGS YOU USE IS THE REAL KEY TO PROGRESSING ONCE YOU GET PAST YOUR "NATURAL GENETIC POTENTIAL".

28. PROTEIN IS VERY IMPORTANT BUT OVERALL CALORIE INTAKE IS MORE IMPORTANT WHEN TRYING TO ADD BULK. WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN CALORIES ALL THE PROTEIN IN THE WORLD WONT HELP YOU GROW. IT TAKE MORE THAN TUNA AND EGG WHITES TO GET MASSIVE. THOSE DIETS ARE STRICTLY FOR ENDOMORPHS AND PRE-COMPETITORS. 

29. STAYING LEAN YEAR ROUND WILL HOLD YOU BACK ON YOUR ENDEAVORS TO GET BIG AS POSSIBLE. G-S IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ONE EATING A LOT OF CALORIES IN ORDER TO GET BIG AS POSSIBLE. IT'S WORKING FOR HIM! JUST DON'T EAT TWO BOXES OF GIRL SCOUT COOKIES FOR A SNACK! GOOD GRIEF? LOL

 30. THE MORE TIMES I USE A PARTICULAR DRUG THE LESS SIDE EFFECTS I EXPERIENCE "IN EXCEPTION TO ANADROL". DROL ALWAYS MAKES ME FEEL BAD.

31. IT TAKES MORE THAN GREAT GENETICS TO LOOK LIKE THE PRO'S. BE WILLING TO SPEND MEGA BUCKS ON VARIOUS DRUGS EACH MONTH IF YOU PLAN ON GETTING THAT LOOK. 

32. I SEE TO MANY GUYS UNDER TRAINING THESE DAYS. IN THE 80'S MOST WERE OVER TRAINING BUT I FEEL MANY ARE GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND UNDER TRAINING THESE DAY. I SEE GUYS DOING 3 TO 5 SETS ONCE PER WEEK FOR BIG MUSCLE GROUPS AND THEY DON'T EVEN LOOK LIKE THEY'VE EVER DONE A STEROID CYCLE. YOU'LL NEVER HAVE 20 INCH ARMS ON 3 SETS A WEEK. BUT YOU CAN MAINTAIN THEM ON THREE SETS ONCE THEY ARE BUILT UP. BUILDING NEW MUSCLE IS VERY HARD BUT MAINTAIN A MUSCLE ONCE ITS BUILT UP IS RELATIVELY EASY AND TAKES VERY LITTLE WORK. DORIAN YATES PERFORMED 8 TO 12 SETS TWICE A WEEK IN HIS EARLY GROWING DAYS. NO JOKE! THEN HE DROPPED THE VOLUME WITH THE USE OF HEAVY DUTY TECHNIQUES LATER ON IN HIS CAREER AND INJURED HIMSELF TO THE POINT OF BEING DISABLED FROM BODYBUILDING. NOT GOOD! 

33. HOW MUCH ONE CAN PERFORM ON A PARTICULAR EXERCISE, FOR EXAMPLE "BENCH PRESS," MEANS NOTHING UNLESS YOU CAN COMPARE IT TO THE FORM ANOTHER IS USING DOING JUST AS MUCH WEIGHT. I CAN ADD ALLOT OF WEIGHT TO MY BENCH WHEN I BOUNCE AND EXPLODE THE WEIGHT UP. OVER 400 POUNDS IS NO PROBLEM WITH THAT KIND OF FORM. HOWEVER I WORK OUT WITH 305-325 POUNDS TO FEEL THE CHEST MUSCLES WORKING AND NOT THE DELTS AND TRI'S SO MUCH. 

34. IT TAKES MORE THAN GREAT MUSCLE FIBERS TO BE BIG AND LEAN. IT TAKES A METABOLISM THAT ALLOWS ONE TO HOLD ONTO LARGE AMOUNTS OF MUSCLE TISSUE WHILE GETTING LEAN. THAT GENETIC HAND ME DOWN CAN BE TOUGH TO ACCEPT.

35. NOTHING I'VE TAKEN COMPARES TO THE RESULTS OR FEELING I GET FROM TESTOSTERONE. IF I COULD DO ONLY ONE DRUG IT WOULD BE TESTOSTERONE.

36. OVER TRAINING THE JOINTS, LIGAMENTS AND TENDONS IS THE REAL DANGER OF OVERDOING IT, NOT SO MUCH THE MUSCLE ITSELF. THE KEY IS TO STIMULATE THE MUSCLE AS HARD AS YOU CAN WITHOUT OVER STRESSING THE JOINTS.

37. EXTREMES IN FORM ARE A WASTE OF TIME. EXTREMELY SLOW REPS DO NOT ALLOW ONE TO USE ENOUGH WEIGHT TO BLAST THE WHITE MUSCLE FIBERS WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT CAUSE THE MOST GROWTH. MOVE THE BAR TOO FAST TOO THE POINT OF BOUNCING OR LETTING MOMENTUM TAKE OVER AND YOU DON'T TRAIN ANYTHING BUT YOUR JOINTS. STAY AT HOME IF YOUR NOT GOING TO DO IT RIGHT OR YOU'LL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO STAY AT THE HOUSE DUE TO AN INJURY.. 

38. JUST BECAUSE A PARTICULAR DRUG WORKS FOR MANY DOESN'T MEAN ITS GOING TO WORK FOR YOU. UTILIZE THE DRUGS OR DRUG COMBO THAT WORKS FOR YOU. THEN PLAY AROUND WITH THE DOSAGES TO SEE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOUR PARTICULAR BODY. DON'T OVERDOSE! I NEED AT LEAST A GRAM OF TEST PER WEEK BUT SOME MAY ONLY NEED 750MGS. OTHERS MORE. 

39. PRESS BEHIND THE NECK WORKS ALL THREE HEADS OF THE DELTS. DON'T BRING THE BAR DOWN BELOW THE EARS IF YOU HAVE ROTATOR CUFF PROBLEMS.

40. NEVER DO PULL DOWNS TO THE REAR BECAUSE IT WILL HURT YOUR ROTATOR CUFF.

 41. NEVER BRING THE BAR DOWN TO THE NECK WHEN DOING BENCH PRESSES. BRING THE BAR TO THE LOWER CHEST TO KEEP FROM INJURING THE DISK IN THE NECK AND THE SHOULDER CAPSULES. 

42. 12 DEGREE DECLINE PRESS IS THE ONLY PRESSING MOVEMENT THAT MAKES MY WHOLE CHEST SORE. 30 DEGREE DECLINES, FLAT BENCH PRESS, AND 30 PLUS DEGREES ON INCLINES WORK MY ANTERIOR DELTS WAY TOO MUCH. 

42. LEG EXTENSIONS STINK AT BULKING LEG MASS. THE SQUAT IS THE KING OF ALL LEG EXERCISES. 

43. PUT SOME SMALL 10 POUND PLATES UNDER YOUR HEELS WHEN SQUATTING IN ORDER TO TAKE SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF THE LOWER BACK. PUSH WITH THE HEELS FOR QUAD SIZE. 

44. NEVER DO OVER 20- 25 SETS IN ANY GIVEN WORKOUT. IT WILL OVER TRAIN YOUR CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND YOU WILL BECOME VERY SLUGGISH WITH NO DESIRE TO TRAIN AMONG OTHER THINGS. 

45. DON'T BE A BULLY OR HAVE AN ARROGANT ATTITUDE TOWARDS OTHERS IN THE GYM, ETC. YOU WILL LOSE WHAT RESPECT YOU'VE TRIED TO GAIN IN THE EYES OF OTHERS. I'VE SEEN THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN. BE A "GENTLE GIANT" NOT A BAD ASS PRICK! ALMOST EVERYONE HATES THOSE GUYS REGARDLESS OF HOW BIG THEY BECOME. 

46. HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE THE GYM OR YOU'LL BURN YOURSELF OUT AND EVERYONE ELSE OUT AROUND YOU. THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN LIFTING WEIGHTS. THERE'S SEX!... 

47. IF YOUR GETTING BURNED OUT WITH COMMERCIAL GYMS BUY YOUR OWN HOME GYM AS I DID. I NO LONGER HAVE TO WAIT ON EQUIPMENT AND I CAN STAY ON ANY PARTICULAR MACHINE FOR AS LONG AS MY SWEATY BODY DESIRES. 

48. LISTEN TO WHAT SMALLER GUYS THAN YOURSELF HAVE TO SAY ABOUT TRAINING. MANY TIMES THEIR ADVISE ON EXERCISE PERFORMANCE AND SUCH IS MORE HELPFUL THAN WHAT THE BIGGER BOYS ARE PREACHING. 

49. UNLESS YOUR IN A HARDCORE UNDERGROUND GYM OF SOME SORT, DON'T BE YELLING AND SCREAMING DURING YOUR SETS. EVERYONE, WOMAN INCLUDED WILL THINK YOUR AN IDIOT. YELLING IS NEVER NECESSARY UNLESS YOU HAVE A WEIGHT STUCK ON YOUR CHEST. 

50. IF YOU WORKOUT WITHOUT A SPOTTER LIKE MYSELF HAVE A SPECIALLY MADE SAFETY DEVISE FOR EXERCISES LIKE THE BENCH PRESS SO YOU CAN RACK THEM AT A LOWER POINT IN THE LIFT IN CASE YOU CANT MAKE IT ALL THE WAY BACK UP. I'VE ALSO SEEN GUYS IN THE PUBLIC GYMS GET WEIGHTS STUCK ON THEIR CHEST FOR A VERY LONG TIME BEFORE ANYONE CAME TO THEIR AID. "IT COULD BE DEADLY" DON'T MESS AROUND WITHOUT A PLAN. 

51. SUPER SETS, PRE EXHAUSTION AND SUCH ARE GOOD FOR SOME BUT NOT FOR ME. ONE STRIP SET PERFORMED AFTER A STRAIGHT SET SAY 30 SECONDS LATER IS THE ONLY THING I'VE FOUND THAT BUILDS UP OR KEEPS UP MY STRENGTH. MOST OF THE TIME I PERFORM STRAIGHT SETS BECAUSE THEY WORK! 

52. IF A PARTICULAR EXERCISE IS INCAPABLE OF MAKING YOU SORE DEEP DOWN INTO THE MUSCLE FIBERS YOUR WASTING YOUR TIME WITH IT. FOR EXAMPLE: IF YOUR FRONT DELTS ARE GETTING SORE FROM BENCH PRESS AND NOT YOUR WHOLE CHEST THEN MOVE TO ANOTHER EXERCISE. HOWEVER YOU WONT GET SORE THAT MUCH ONCE YOU PROGRESS BUT YOU'LL KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCES WHICH EXERCISE IS RIGHT FOR YOU. 

53. I'VE FOUND THAT BY SPENDING MORE TIME ON EXERCISE THAT COUNT, I CAN HIT MORE FIBERS AND GET MUCH BETTER RESULTS. FOR EXAMPLE" LYING TRICEP EXTENSIONS HIT ALL THREE HEADS OF THE TRICEP WHERE AS PUSHDOWNS DO NOT. THEREFORE I GAIN MORE BY DOING JUST THAT ONE EXERCISE FOR TRI'S. KIND OF LIKE GERMAN VOLUME TRAINING. MARKUS RUHL DOES A HIGH VOLUME APPROACH ON THE BASIC EXERCISES THAT COUNT AND HE LOOK LIKE A CARTOON CHARACTER! 

54. CHANGING THE AMOUNT OF REST TAKEN ON KEY EXERCISES IS MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN CHANGING EXERCISES OR SETS FOR A PARTICULAR MUSCLE GROUP. FOR EXAMPLE: LETS SAY I DO FIVE SETS OF LYING TRICEP EXTENSIONS TWICE A WEEK. NORMALLY I WAIT 3 MINUTES BETWEEN SETS BUT FOR A CHANGE I COULD DROP THE WEIGHT AND REDUCE THE WAIT BETWEEN SETS TO 1 MINUTE. THIS KEEPS ME IN TUNE WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EXERCISES AND GIVES ME SOME VARIETY TO KEEP FOCUSED.

55. ISOLATION EXERCISES ARE FINE BUT THEY AREN'T GOING TO MAKE YOU A MASS MONSTER LIKE THE BASIC EXERCISES. SURE ARNOLD DID A LOT OF FLY'S IN HIS CAREER BUT JOE WEIDER HIMSELF ADMITTED IT WAS THE CHEST PRESSES THAT GAVE ARNOLD HIS AWESOME CHEST, NOT FLY'S. 

56. NEVER MAKE FUN OF ANOTHER GUYS BUILD. THAT'S SO NOT RIGHT. IF HE HAS A BIG CHEST AND NO ARMS ITS HIS GENETICS AND HE CANT DO A THING ABOUT IT. I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE PUT OTHERS DOWN FOR SOMETHING THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. REMEMBER THE GUY WITH NO ARMS IS PROBABLY TRAINING HARDER THAN THE GUYS WITH BIG ARMS! 

57. EXPECT SOME TO GET JEALOUS OF YOU WHEN YOU PASS THEM UP ON SIZE. THEY ARE EASY TO SPOT. THEY NEVER COMPLIMENT YOU! LOL 

58. 10 HOURS OF SLEEP IS BETTER THAN 8 WHEN IT COMES TO BODYBUILDING. CUT BACK YOUR TRAINING BACK TO THREE DAYS A WEEK IF YOU WORK SHIFT WORK. SHIFT WORK KILLS THE BODY'S RECOVERING ABILITY. THE BODY WASN'T DESIGNED TO WORK SHIFT WORK MORE LESS DO INTENSE WORKOUTS.

59. BE CAREFUL WITH HAMMER CURLS OR YOU'LL RUIN THE BRACHIALIS MUSCLE THAT CONNECTS TO THE FOREARM-BICEP. NO MORE THAN THREE OR FOUR SETS PER WEEK IN SLOW PERFECT FORM. THIS MUSCLE TEARS VERY EASILY! 

60. YOUR LOWER BACK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO PROTECT WHEN LIFTING. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE A YEAR BECOME DISABLED OVER BACK PAIN. MANY OF THESE INJURIES ARE WEIGHT LIFTING RELATED. EXERCISES LIKE SQUATS CAN ACTUALLY HELP BUILD UP THE LOWER BACK AND KNEES CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF BUT IF DONE TOO HEAVY THEY WILL BLOW OUT A DISK AND POSSIBLY END YOUR BODYBUILDING CAREER FOR GOOD. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK AT ALL COST! BY: Mr. Biceps