MD Training Camp - Jose Raymond #1

Mass-Building 101: Clean Eating and Cheat Meals

I’m 20 years old, and am taking a year to really try to mass up before competing in my upcoming show. Do you have any advice in terms of training and nutrition that you found to be effective when it comes to just beefing up?

When I was your age, I just ate everything that wasn’t tied down and tried to put on as much weight as possible. Then I would hold on to it for a few months before dieting back down, and usually kept another eight to 10 pounds of new muscle each time I did it. The key is to try to always be able to see some sort of ab outline. Once your abs disappear completely, it will be that much harder to get back in condition. I’m guessing you have an amazingly fast metabolism (most kids your age do), so I would eat as much clean food as possible plus the calorie-dense cheat meals on top of that.

Proper Nutrition and Technique Key to Strength Gains

Jose, since moving from the drug-tested federations in you earlier years to the IFBB, has your strength soared with additional supplements? I know you could always lift a lot in the drug-tested federations. What were your squat, bench press and deadlift maxes or max reps in both drug-tested and IFBB federations?

You seem a little confused about which sport I compete in. I’m not a powerlifter and haven’t competed in any meets since I was a teenager. However, I’ll answer the question. I can’t give exact numbers, but I have gradually gotten stronger every year of my life, period. Even into my late 30s, I’ve set new personal records with incline barbell presses (405 for 10) and shoulder presses. I’ve squatted 405 for over 30 reps, and have deadlifted 600 for a few, though I am currently not going that heavy due to lower back issues. I work hard at it, very hard in fact. I won’t talk to you as if you’re naive and say supplements don’t play a role, but I think more importantly, years of practice, proper nutrition and technique play a bigger role in strength gains. I was bench pressing 315 at 14 years old, and now I can get some good reps with 405. I think that sounds like consistent improvement and also very reasonable.

DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE ON THE MD FORUM

READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS IN THE TRAINING SECTION

FOLLOW MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT ON:

FACEBOOK: MuscularDevelopment Magazine

TWITTER: @MuscularDevelop

INSTAGRAM: @MuscularDevelopment

YOUTUBE: http://bit.ly/2fvHgnZ