The 10 Commandments of Natural Bodybuilding (Part 4)

This month I want to discuss what I consider to be one of the most important of the “10 Commandments of Natural Bodybuilding,” and that is the need to FOCUS! As soon as you step foot through the gym doors, there should only be one thing on your mind and that is to have a kick-ass workout! For the next 1 to 2 hours, you need to leave the outside world behind and focus profoundly on what you are about to do. Turn off the cell phone, close the newspaper, quit the chatter, look straight ahead and get down to business. Do not let anything that is going on in the gym distract you from the task at hand. If someone tries to start a conversation with you, politely tell him, “Not now.” If you see a gorgeous babe with a perfect ass doing stiff-leg deadlifts, take a quick glance (for the testosterone boost, of course), then look away. During every rep of each and every set, concentrate intensely on every inch of the movement and solidify the “mind/muscle” connection. Feel your muscles stretch and contract against the resistance, and try to mentally force more and more fibers to fire! In between sets, don’t lose focus, but enhance it by thinking about what you want to accomplish on the next set. If you are dead serious on becoming a natural freak, then you should be thinking about just one thing while you are at the gym…what you need to do to BECOME a natural freak! Remember, your time in the gym is truly a gift. Do not waste a single moment…stay focused!

Q: I just read your article in the April issue of MD and must say I was blown away. My question is about overtraining. My current routine may look something like this. Monday: quads/hams/calves; Tuesday: lats/low back; Wednesday: chest; Thursday: shoulders; Friday: abs/cardio; Saturday: biceps/cardio; Sunday: train for bench press and dust off triceps. Yeah, I go pretty much every day, however, my thinking is that I break up the muscle groups enough where they should be getting enough rest. I am doing 16-20 sets for back, chest and shoulders on their specific days; 12 sets on biceps; and about 9 sets for the abs. Is this crazy? Seems to work for me, because I like to go to the gym a lot, but do not necessarily like to spend more than 1 1/2 hours in one shot. I would be willing to take your advice of fewer sets, but may need a little more convincing. I don’t feel like I am burnt out and I am still making periodic gains. Would love to hear what you have to say and look forward to your future articles.

A: Thank you for your question and kind words. When I look at your program, my first instinct would be to tell you that you are grossly overtraining. While you may not be overtraining your muscles, you are more than likely overtaxing your CNS, which is just as bad, if not worse. However, you mention that you are still making gains. Thus, if this program is providing you with progress that you find satisfactory, who am I to tell you that you are doing it all wrong and should make a change? Perhaps you are genetically gifted in terms of recovery ability and actually thrive off of the type of frequency and volume that would bury the majority of naturals. My only question to you is…have you ever tried training a bit less? What if you cut back to training just four or five days per week and decreased your volume by 25 percent and your progress increased substantially? It is quite possible that although you are making decent gains now, if you allowed your body a bit more recovery time you would receive an even greater payoff from your hard work. Less time training and greater progress is an equation I bet you could live with!

So, my suggestion is that you give an abbreviated routine a reasonable try, say for six to eight weeks and make a comparison to your current program. Make sure to meticulously record exercises, weights and reps, as well as bodyweight and body fat percentage. Before and after photos would also be a good idea. Perhaps this will lead to a discovery that will forever change the way you approach your training. And if not, at least you will know for sure what your body responds best to.

Q: I am in my early 20s and train very hard and have a quality diet set to gain weight. It’s a simple question, but how much weight (muscle) can a natural bodybuilder realistically look to put on over a given amount of time like a week, month, or year? Thanks a lot! This Muscular Development column on natural bodybuilding is great info and added confidence for me wanting to get huge without the assistance of drugs.

A: Thank you for writing and I am glad my column is giving you a confidence boost! Now, as to your question, it is really impossible for me to give you a truly accurate answer because there are just so many variables involved, with the most significant being genetics. Your genetics will determine your fiber-type makeup, recovery ability, metabolism, muscle origins and insertions, hormonal profile and a lot more. All of these factors will play a major role in just how much and how rapidly you are capable of adding muscle. However, if I were to simply answer this question based on a natural bodybuilder with average genetics, who is following an effective training and nutrition protocol, I would estimate that he could add anywhere from 15-20 pounds of lean tissue in about a year’s time (in the first year of training). Obviously when you first start out, you have the greatest potential for new growth, but each year after you can expect diminishing returns as you get closer to your genetic potential. Still, there is no reason you cannot add another 5-10 pounds in your second and third year of training, and about 3-5 pounds for several years thereafter. And with a truly intelligent, consistent and disciplined approach to bodybuilding you will be capable of making improvements to your physique indefinitely.

Natty Chat

In next month’s column I will introduce my first installment of Natty Chat, which will include short interviews with professional natural bodybuilders from a variety of organizations. Not only do I feel that these hardworking athletes deserve some recognition for their incredible achievements in the world’s number one bodybuilding magazine, but these guys and gals also have a plethora of vital information to share with up-and-coming natural trainees. Remember, “success leaves clues” and you will find all the best clues for natural bodybuilders right here in No Juice! See you next month!