Written by IFBB Pro Josh Wade
04 August 2021

 Allmax-Josh-Wade-Bodybuilding-and-the-Drive-to-Improve-

 

 

 

Relentless Pursuit

By IFBB Pro Josh Wade

Presented by Allmax Nutrition

 

Bodybuilding and the Drive to Improve

 

“Weight training gave me a sense of accomplishment and something I could continue to improve on every day, and that type of challenge drove me.”

 

Q: Did you play sports as a kid? What got you into bodybuilding?

           

A:Like most kids, I played the usual sports like soccer and little league baseball and was pretty athletic in those. What I really excelled in was BMX (racing bicycles). I think a lot of my calf development came from that as even though calves are highly genetic in terms of needing long muscle bellies to reach a larger size, they grew during my younger years long before I ever touched a weight or did a single calf raise. I can attribute some of my development to that. I didn’t start playing football until high school and that’s when I started lifting weights and fell in love with it. Weight training gave me a sense of accomplishment and something I could continue to improve on every day, and that type of challenge drove me.

           

I followed bodybuilding in the magazines for years before all the social media was out there. In my eyes it was more exciting because of the anticipation of how the guys were going to look and who was going to show up at the big shows. I really liked and respected Dorian Yates, and he was a huge inspiration for me. I decided I wanted to try a show. I told my wife, “I want to do it at least once for pictures.” That first show lit my competitive fire for the sport of bodybuilding. I won the novice and open middleweight class. After trying many sports as a kid and being OK at them, I felt I was actually good at bodybuilding and could be competitive in a sport that I learned to love for many years to come. As most people know, bodybuilding takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight, and even if you place last you can, with hard work and dedication, eventually become a champion. That’s why it appeals to a lot of people. Even though some people are born with the proper genetics, shape and structure, others can do very well even when not so blessed. Plus, to me it gave me a sense of accomplishment with continuous improvement and something to keep working for! I feel you have to be goal driven to be a good bodybuilder, otherwise you just go through the motions and won’t change.

           

I feel that in the sport of bodybuilding you really have to do it for the love of the sport, to push yourself to be your best and have pride in working as hard as you can on a day-to-day basis building your body one block at a time. Anyone who thinks they are going to get rich is sadly mistaken. Even as a professional, it is still a hobby to me. Most pro bodybuilders have day jobs, but we compete because we are competitive in nature and love the iron that builds our physiques. If you have your priorities in order and do it because you love it then you could do very well. Just remember at the end of the day you are doing it for yourself and no one else!

 

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Building a Bigger Mid-Back

           

Q: I feel like I’m training hard and heavy but can’t seem to get the development in my mid-back. Any tips you can give me to help would be appreciated.

           

A:I have a great back workout I’ll provide, but let me start off by saying heavy might not be what’s needed to build thickness in the mid-back. I see people lifting way too heavy while training back and not being able to get their elbows back far enough to even squeeze the shoulder blades and get a contraction in the muscle. Obviously, that won’t build muscle in the area you are trying to build! We all know you need to have a great mind-muscle connection to stimulate muscle, but are you trying to feel each rep in the area you are focusing on? A lot of times when training clients I need to have them lighten the weight and focus on squeezing the contraction hard and controlling the resistance before we start increasing the weight again. This is a great thought for people to do occasionally on any muscle group to re-establish that connection, but I feel it’s most important with the back instead of slinging around heavy-ass weights with no intent!

           

A:While I always try to go as heavy as possible while using proper form, this back workout if focused on squeezing and resisting the negative should really light up your mid-back!

Wide Parallel-Grip Pulldowns: 5x12

 

Superset with

 

Rope Pullovers: 5x12 (don’t bounce off stretch and control the negative)

 

Close-Grip Pulldowns: 4x12 (arch back and pull to lower chest)

 

Reverse-Grip Bent Bar Rows: 4x12 (hard arch pull to belly button, target lower lats)

 

Two-Arm Dumbbell Bench Rows: 4x12 (lying facedown on bench, fire elbows up and squeeze mid-back)

 

Deadlifts: 4x8 (at top pull back with arch and squeeze shoulder blades for split second)

 

Hope it works as well for you as it does for me in building that mid-back thickness and density!

Strengthening the Immune System

 

With the COVID-19 situation, I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries as to which supplements can strengthen the immune system and help prevent infection. These are the supplements that I take every day year-round for immune system function and antioxidants, but they are even more beneficial at times of stress or sickness.

 

Allmax Immune-Boosting stack

Glutamine: 10g 3x day, upon rising, post-workout and before bed.

R+ALA: 2 caps (300mg) with first and last meal.

CytoGreens: 1 scoop upon rising. 

Vitastack: 1 multipack with first meal.

Omega 3: 2g with first and last meal.

 

Please send questions for this column to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Website: www.teamwadefitness.com

 

Instagram:

@ifbbprojoshwade

@teamallmax

@allmaxtraining

 

For more information, visit allmaxnutrition.com

 

ALLMAX is now selling directly to the consumer. Go to store.allmaxnutrition.com and use code JOSHWADE20 for 20% off.

 

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