I have been asked this question everywhere I go. I will be honest. I am not scared of Ronnie, that is for sure. I am a competitor and I love to compete. I felt that I had a pretty decent run at two contests (Mr. O 2^nd place and Arnold 1^st place). I needed to rethink my strategy a bit to improve. I have not changed much in my training routine. I am still doing my twice-a-day workouts and eating eight to 10 meals per day. I moved to Vegas in July. This was a major factor in my decision to sit out. I need my life 100 percent on track to train and eat 100 percent to win. I will not be satisfied with seconds and thirds anymore. I plan to be the best, and as I begin training for 2003, this will be the case.

I am training for a contest in a couple of months. I work a regular 7a.m. to 3p.m. job. I do most of my weights in the evening after work. Why do all the magazines suggest cutting carbs after 5p.m. when trying to cut up? I was under the impression I need carbs before and after weight training.  

I think this theory is a farce, especially for a bodybuilder. Of course, if you are a person who does not work out, and you are trying to lose weight, this may be your route. I have run into this question on many occasions. Yes, you need carbs after you train— no matter how late it is. I would suggest keeping your calories from carbs lower during your earlier meals and putting them in your post-training meals to allow recovery and fuel for repair. The only time I would suggest a no-carb post-training meal would be after a late night cardio session. In regard to weight training, you need a plentiful serving of carbs following your workout.

I read your training splits over the last few years. Every publication has a different training schedule on you. I want to know what your real split is currently and why you train this way.

I am currently doing a two-on, one-off routine. I have stayed with this schedule for the past two years with great results. The reason I chose this schedule is because of the volume and intensity in my workouts. I learned over the years that I need a recovery day every 48 hours or so. My body tends to get sore two days after training each body part. I still train twice a day and honestly, after two days straight, or four total workouts in two days, I am absolutely spent! I have done the four-on, one-off split, three-on, one-off split. It all depends on your schedule. I take a bit longer to recover than others, so I like to have a day of rest every third day.

I’m 26 years old, 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds, 16 percent body fat. I want to get down to 175-180 before January. Right now, I’m doing cardio six days a week for 40 minutes and lifting weights after work for a little more than an hour. My diet is 2000 calories— 150 carbs, 40 fat, 200 protein— and I take a variety of supplements like glutamine, diet pills, protein powder, HMB, ZMA and vitamins. I’m worried about losing the muscle I have gained in exchange for a trimmer waistline. How can I keep my muscle and still lose weight?

This is actually a pretty good food plan for what you are trying to achieve. I like your approach, but I would change a couple of things. I would alternate your cardio a bit to start. Pick two days out of the six. On those two days, cut the cardio to 30 minutes, but double the intensity. For example, if your are keeping a steady pace for 40 minutes, instead, do a walk/ jog/walk/jog method. This will help “shock” your body a bit. The second thing I would do is zig-zag your diet a bit. On your off days, drop your carbs to 50 grams a day, but up your protein to 300 grams and keep your fat at 30 grams instead of 40. This will allow your body to go into “shock” mode and shift its fuel from fat stores and therefore retain muscle. Your diet may continue to need these kinds of adjustments through this diet phase.

I have read all the articles concerning your workout now— today— but how did you train the first two years? I mean how often, sets, reps, and body part schedule. Your workouts now are more for shape and definition. I want to know how you built the foundation.  

In the early years of training, I followed a four-on, one-off routine. I was addicted to the gym. I always stuck to the basics: squats, deads, benches, presses, but I always trained with an eight to 10 rep range with high volume (15-25 sets per body part). I still stay on the same system, just a little more advanced. I like to basically follow the basics on each body part and add a few bells and whistles from there. My basics for each part are as follows:

Back: bent row, dead lifts, pull-ups

Chest: benches, flyes, pullovers

Biceps: preachers, standing curl, dumbbell curl

Triceps: dips, close grip benches, overhead extensions

Calfs: standing raises

Abs: crunches, hanging leg raises

Quads: presses, squats, leg extensions

Hamstrings: stiff legged deads, lying machine curls

Delts: presses, side laterals, front raises

Note: All exercises have two to three sets each. All my other “extras” are variations of these exercises.