How to Add 1 Inch to Your Arms Without A Single Curl

Last Tuesday I wrote that heavy Squatters almost always have bigger arms than non-Squatters. I want to talk more about this today.

First, let’s put things straight: if you want to build really big arms, then you’ll need direct arm work like – yes – biceps curls. There’s no way around this.

Second, if you only do heavy compound exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Presses and Rows, without direct arm work, then your arms will increase in size.

Think about it – do you really believe that if you increase your Squat by 150lbs and gain muscle as a result, that your arms will somehow remain skinny?

As an example, consider StrongLifts Platinum Member Tom (21, USA). When he joined my private coaching program, he was Squatting 145lbs, weighed 130lbs at 5’10″ and had 10.6″ arms. Today he is well on his way to reach 300lbs on the Squat at 156lbs BW (a 26lbs weight gain so far… in just a few weeks).

What about his arms? From 10.6″ to 11.6″. A 1 inch gain… without a single curl. Just heavy Squatting, Deadlifting, Pressing and Pulling.

I challenge you to find a non-Squatting curl monkey who achieves the same kind of arm gains in just a few months. Few non-Squatters will ever get anywhere by just doing biceps curl inside the Squat Rack. Even fewer skinny guys understand they can NOT build 18″ arms unless they also start eating more.

Before I reveal what the secret is here, I’ll tell you what it’s NOT: compound exercises like Squats and Deadlifts do not unleash more muscle building hormones than other exercises like Biceps Curls. Research clearly shows that the hormonal response is just too little to make a significant difference.

The real secret here is that heavy Squatters are by definition training at a higher intensity than non-Squatters. Everybody knows that the guy who trains hardest will achieve the biggest gains. Well you can train hard more easily with exercises like the Squat because they allow for heavier weights.

More important: Squat and Deadlifts are challenging. It’s the guy who does them, consistently, even though he may not always enjoy it, that develops the strongest mindset. And this is the most valuable asset you can ever gain.

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13 Responses to “”Burke says:November 26, 2010 at 1:26 pm

“Squats and Deadlifts do not unleash more muscle building hormones than other exercises like Biceps Curls. Research clearly shows that the hormonal response is just too little to make a significant difference.”

I really misunderstood this, then. Any citations we can look at to understand it better?

Riley says:November 26, 2010 at 2:23 pm

This is one I’m going to have to say doesn’t apply to everyone. I’ve been doing squats, 5×5 as heavy as I can go, for years. I’ve been ramping up my bench press, overhead, press, pulling, and you know what? My arms have gotten stronger, but nowhere near as quickly as my legs and core, and even my chest. Maybe I can blame genetics, maybe I can blame a poor starting position (I’ve always had a weak upper body) but I don’t care what to blame, I want to fix it. I started doing more isolation – curls, skull crushers, flies, pulldowns – and so far it seems to be improving things. The gains should translate well back to my bench press, and should just help me get stronger.

Don’t write off curls. Some people need em.

Stevo says:November 26, 2010 at 3:33 pm

“Squat and Deadlifts are challenging. It’s the guy who does them, consistently, even though he may not always enjoy it, that develops the strongest mindset. And this is the most valuable asset you can ever gain.”

Couldn’t agree more.

Vivek Sood says:November 26, 2010 at 3:59 pm

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To Guys Who Think That Arnold Got Big with Steroids

I’m a big fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger, not just for what he has done as a strength trainer first and as a bodybuilder later, but also for what he has done as a successful entrepreneur (direct mail marketing and real estate) well before he became the Terminator and now the Governator.

Frankly, I’m not fully aware of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s political program, but since I’m a right wing liberal living in Communist Belgium and burdened by an outrageous 57.3% income tax thanks to those frigging socialists, I could probably find myself with Arnold’s Republican ideas.

That said, it always amuses me when someone claims that “Arnold just got big using steroids”. Steroids 50 years ago were nothing compared to what they are today. Compare Arnold to today’s champion, Ronnie Coleman…

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How to Overcome Your Fear of Squats

Last Friday I talked about how every strength trainer, no matter how strong he is, will always experience some kind of fear when facing unfamiliar weights.

Today I’m going to reveal you 2 techniques to overcome your fear of Squats.

The first one is called Walkouts and goes like this: after your Squat sets, pick a weight that is about 45lbs heavier than your work weight. Now get under the bar, unrack the weight, walk backwards to where you normally Squat and stand there for 10 seconds. Then walk back to the rack and set the bar down.

Walkouts will strengthen your joints and ligaments while getting you used to lifting heavier weights. Make sure you do them inside your Power Rack, with the safety pins high and ready to catch the bar would anything go wrong.

There’s another technique to overcome your fear of Squats that I’m about to share in a moment. First, in 2005 I did indoor climbing for a few months. Was pretty good at it, could climb 5c’s within weeks without even using climbing shoes or chalk. If I would ever quit lifting I’d probably get into climbing.

The funny thing is that I actually have some fear of heights. This turns out to be quite common and the usual advice is to practice falling. Here’s why: there’s knowing you’re safe, and there’s experiencing it. Once you experience it, then the psychological barriers are removed and you can really go all out.

The same method applies to Squats. Set the safety pins of your Power Rack so they can catch the weight, then Squat and let yourself drop on purpose. The pins will catch the barbell. You no longer know it’s safe, you’ve experienced it. This is how you can overcome the fear of injury on Squats, and this is also why you absolutely need a Power Rack (or Squat Stands with saw horses).

Most of the things you fear will almost never happen. Keep that in mind.

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9 Responses to “”pboonnao says:November 22, 2010 at 1:24 pm

True.

Dan says:November 22, 2010 at 1:27 pm

I wish my gym had power racks.
they only have squat stands with a pretty low catching frame. if you’re over 5’9″ / 180 cm you’re pretty much trapped under there I imagine

Vishal Verma says:November 22, 2010 at 2:42 pm

Quite similar to walkouts strategy for squats, I do rack lockouts before bench press every time I am feeling a bit diffident about heavy weight. Yes sometimes it works. Not always though. But it’s still better than sticking to the same weight for the fear of failing. At times when you are scared of failing, all you can do is put your best foot forward. And little tricks (walkouts, lockouts etc) like these give you that little confidence you need.

KevinT says:November 22, 2010 at 3:22 pm

Interesting that this article should come out today.

Last year I didn’t back out far enough, clipped a plate on the side of squat rack on the way down, stumbled and fell backwards onto the pins. Nothing hurt but my pride so I just laughed, re-racked and finished my session.

After a summer spent sprint canoeing I am working my way back to some semblence of strength (week 5) and backed 122.5kg of the hooks. It felt oddly heavy and my back was playing up, but its only 122.5kg! In the hole of squat 2 my back went (history of SIJ issues) and there was no way back up. I collapsed it onto the pins, crawled out, swore, stretched and put the plates back on the tree. that was me done for the day and probably the rest of the week as well! But, although as I write there are beads of sweat on my forehead from the pain, I know it could have been a lot lot worse.

That’s twice the equipment has proved its worth and I know beyond doubt that if I can lift it I will lift it and if I find I can’t then the rack WILL protect me – nothing to fear!

Don says:November 22, 2010 at 4:23 pm

The walkouts are an idea I had not read before–great tip. I will definitely add these to my squats (which really are improving and I’m going to hit my 1.5xsBW within the next 6 weeks. SL5x5 is so darned sensible compared to most of the nonsense I see people doing in our Navy/Marine Corp gym.

Vivek says:November 22, 2010 at 5:24 pm

Nice idea!! You got really practical ideas not only theoritical! This is the best part about you Mehdi.

rere says:November 22, 2010 at 9:14 pm

Sensible advice. I think a lot more gyms need to invest in power racks. I stopped doing walkouts, thanks for the prompt Mehdi

Steve says:November 22, 2010 at 9:18 pm

I’m gonna give it a try tonight.

Hilts says:November 22, 2010 at 10:24 pm

Great idea so next workout I’m gonna try walkouts! I’ve already experienced dropping the weights within my power rack. Thanks for the tip.

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What’s Your Excuse?

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What’s Your Excuse?Nov 25th, 2010 by Mehdi

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The Difference Between Muscle Confusion And PL

Last week I said that the secret to gaining muscle is Progressive Loading – you have to increase the weight systematically to gain muscle and strength. Today I want to talk about muscle confusion.

According to muscle magazines and idiot personal trainers, you need to switch your training all the time – sets, reps, exercises. If you don’t, your body will get used to what you’re doing and you’ll stop gaining muscle and strength.

While it’s true that once you reach a certain level, you can benefit from such an approach, few guys will ever need to do this.

In fact, I look at my most accomplished StrongLifts Members and see them doing the exact same exercises all the time (Squats, Deadlifts, Presses, Rows), hardly changing sets and reps, yet still achieving amazing muscle and strength gains.

The truth is that muscle confusion is a marketing gimmick intended to make you buy each new issue of that magazine. Why do you think they feature a new “workout” each month? They’re trying to get you hooked. Meanwhile, those idiot personal trainers just reiterate what they’ve read in those magazines.

But it’s not because muscle confusion sells that it also works. It is a scientific fact that muscle size is directly related to strength gains. Why do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger could Deadlift 710lbs before he became 7x Mr Olympia?

And I assure you you won’t get that strong by switching exercises, sets and reps all the time. You can’t master technique, you can’t track gains efficiently.

You want to confuse your muscles, here’s a simple way to achieve this: lift more weight than you did last time. Now they’re confused.

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18 Responses to “”Elmer says:November 15, 2010 at 1:08 pm

“You want to confuse your muscles, here’s a simple way to achieve this: lift more weight than you did last time. Now they’re confused.”

Hahaha. Great post, thanks Mehdi. It’s true that observing the gym regulars makes you wonder sometimes whether it’s a good idea to switch routine every now and then. But I’m happy with SL5x5 so it’s good to know I don’t need to change a thing.

Vishal says:November 15, 2010 at 1:22 pm

“You want to confuse your muscles, here’s a simple way to achieve this: lift more weight than you did last time. Now they’re confused.” – Excellent!

newlystrong says:November 15, 2010 at 2:09 pm

Excellent as always!!!so much makes sense after reading your articles…the best thing about SL5 5 is that is its so godarn simple..yet powerful…it lets you focus on the really huge weights without getting bogged down by the details….wish i had know 4 years back

silvana says:November 15, 2010 at 2:14 pm

Great post Mehdi.Changing things just to confuse muscles might be valid only for isolating joint exercises and for advanced bodybuilders.And very few athletes ever reach that level

Keld says:November 15, 2010 at 2:20 pm

Good post M.

I used to do “confuse the muscle” (and myself) exercises. Yes, i did make some progress but nothing line now that im doing the SL. Now at age 33 and weighing 78 kg im stronger and healthier than ever! In faktor short time i reached 105 kg on both squat and deadlift and tomorrow that’ll be 107,5! Mind you, i never plateued failed on SL. Only excersice that’s hard is the bench, im only at 87,5 Kgs but that’s due to a shoulder operation in spring. I absolutely love SL and recomends to everybody.

Now, the big and “strong” guys in the gym ask me for advice because they are struggling….

Good work Mehdi

Keld

Maslow says:November 15, 2010 at 2:22 pm

So you’re saying I didn’t need to buy the Shake Weight?

Bob says:November 15, 2010 at 2:25 pm

Nice post, very well said!

RandyB says:November 15, 2010 at 2:37 pm

SL is simple to understand, but difficult to do – difficult because it requires hard work, which is always difficult. But, as always, hard work brings the reward.

Nikola says:November 15, 2010 at 2:44 pm

Also, it is downright funny to see all the people that propagate this “muscle confusion” method have the same physique, year-in year-out.

Anthony says:November 15, 2010 at 3:52 pm

I absolutely LOVE how you refer to them as ‘idiot trainers’ hahahahaha. Its soooo true. I go to the gym and see so many trainers making their clients do half squats or squats with their back not even straight.

Vivek says:November 15, 2010 at 4:37 pm

“Now they’re confused!” Good one hahahaha… !
Point taken Mehdi. These updates are very motivating.

James says:November 15, 2010 at 5:21 pm

Hey Medhi,

I actually like the muscle confusion stuff :( I’ve never so fit cardiovascular wise in my life. But I must admit, when I do heavy weight training my muscles are a lot fuller looking. Great Article

James

Patrick says:November 15, 2010 at 5:53 pm

Hey Maslow! I absolutely love that crack about the “shake weight.” When i saw the ad for the “Shake Weight” on TV I almost puked. That people would be so mis-guided amazes me. I guess, anything to avoid the really hard wark that reaps results. Personal trainers! what a bunch of

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The Secret to Unstoppable Motivation

I believe that the main reason why so much guys get caught into that muscle confusion nonsense is that they get bored. They get bored of their training program, and thus they think they need something new to keep it fun.

The erroneous thinking here is that training is supposed to always be fun.

I urge you to get that out of your head right now. Training is not always going to be fun. Consistency is key to success and that means training when you’re tired, sore, not in the mood, sick, heck even injured. None of that is fun.

Yet if you expect to always have fun and only go to the gym when you feel like it’s going to be fun, then I guarantee you – you won’t be showing up a lot.

In fact, it’s been my observation that the guys who train even when they’re tired, sore, sick – whatever – accomplish the most impressive gains.

As an example, consider StrongLifts Member Will aka “Sid” (23, NY USA). He gained 37lbs and increased his Squat by 410lbs (475lbs so far at 200lbs body-weight) in only 18 months. Pay attention to what he says…

The only thing I can attribute the fast strength gains to is desire and consistency. Aside from a 2 week vacation, I never missed a session on SL5x5/3×5. I trained when I was sick, and when I just felt like crap (and sometimes still hit PRs.) I slept 8 hrs almost every day. I ate when I needed to eat. While at first I was skeptical, once I saw my numbers going up, I started to take this very seriously.

Once he saw his numbers going up, he started taking this very seriously. This is the real secret to motivation: results – NOT fun.

When you are gaining muscle, when you are hitting PRs, when all your friends are starting to notice and complimenting you on your physique and strength, then you’ll be motivated to do whatever it takes. Training will sometimes be fun, and sometimes it won’t. But real, dramatic results will always be fun.

Many guys get bored of their training NOT because they’re not having fun. But because they’re not getting results. You do not need to switch to another program all the time, you just need to do one proven to deliver results.

Yes I’m shamelessly going to plug my StrongLifts 5×5 program because I truly believe it’s the most powerful training strategy you can do, and I have so far over 184 success stories to prove it. Try it for 12 weeks, it works.

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15 Responses to “”pboonnao says:November 16, 2010 at 1:22 pm

Millions likes. That’s what I’m thinking right now. Lately, I only to to gym whenever I feel like to. Because I hit a new PR and feel like everything is too hard too heavy to do it 3 times a week so my motivation is missing. Thank you for a wake up article.

Jim says:November 16, 2010 at 1:26 pm

Thank you I have been asking that question from multi sourses.Some days I hate working out but I do it and consider it more of a success than any other workout day because I didn’t want to do it but I did do it.
Live Long Live Strong
Jim
PS- I am 59

Keagan says:November 16, 2010 at 2:26 pm

When I get back from a break I can barely walk 2 days later…that is probably the only time I take a break, and its for a day.Better safe than sorry especially when coming back from a break. Otherwise just play some rocky and blast out the sets.

Mark says:November 16, 2010 at 4:18 pm

Right Mehdi!
Since I started SL5x5, I’ve pretty much been falling apart. I’ve always believed “No Pain – No Gain”. Since July, I’m down 35lbs., a lot of body fat has disappeared, I’m feeling MUCH stronger (although very tired and run down often), I’m getting compliments from those who don’t see me often, I can bend and move now and I couldn’t before. There is alot more, but it IS all you said. I’ve turned my health around which is the MOST important thing. I just keep eating, keep lifting, keep the tunes playing,,,,,,AND I envision what I want to be! It works!! Consistency seems to be the KEY component.
Mark.

Bill says:November 16, 2010 at 4:19 pm

Great post! Once I am serious about a program I try my best to stay consistent. I wake up early somedays to get my work out in, and even though I am tired and I may be so drained by the end of the lifts that I can’t do the extra exercises I still get up to do it. If I am sick is one of the best times to work out as it helps fight off what ever I am coming down with. Lets all stay motivated and consistent and we will all have success! And I agree, with Keagan about playing some Rocky, just seems to help motivate a little more!

Eric says:November 16, 2010 at 5:20 pm

Plug away Mehdi!!

neil says:November 16, 2010 at 6:17 pm

Consistency is definatley the key, but i have found better gains since going to twice a week workouts. I didnt do this until my squat was 110kg and deadlift 140kg. I work shifts and somtimes get mild insomnia though which is probably why 3x a week is not so good for me.

wsuwarrior says:November 16, 2010 at 6:20 pm

Good article as always. Ive been trying to drill this type of thinking into my sometimes-training partner for over a year. You can be tired, sore, not in the mood, etc. but when you get to the gym and start pushing weight, all those thoughts leave your head. You focus on the workout. I think I finally got through to him to other day when I MADE him workout even though he was tired, and he had one of his best workouts in months.

Its all about gaining that mentality.

Julian says:November 16, 2010 at 8:56 pm

Been on SL5x5 for two weeks and I love the consistency and steady increase in weights. Although I have been lifting weights for a few years now with good results, I underestimated the necessity of focussing on one simple plan.

rere says:November 16, 2010 at 9:00 pm

Man, I have worked out for so long, I know exactly what Mehdi is getting at. For me Squats were always hard, I had trouble, I blamed it on sickness etc, When you look in your training log, you just get up and go to the gym, no matter what. I think Mehdi should write an article on the importance of your training log, it’s like a training partner you never had.

Faraz says:November 16, 2010 at 10:15 pm

Consistency is the key…. but despite tiredness, soreness, sickness I find training to be fun!!

Keep the big movements like squats, deads, presses and rows… and tweek the less important bits to keep it fun…. ie stay consistent with the important movements and have a little fun with other bits and pieces…..

Ben says:November 16, 2010 at 10:26 pm

This article is spot on.

Many a time i have had been sore, or tired and thought i will have a light day today but as soon as i start moving the iron i think you know what. Why waste a week.

Brilliant, keep it up Mehdi

David says:November 16, 2010 at 11:42 pm

I work out by myself and can not say I have ever felt like I was having fun. I have overcome a spinal injury and lift religously, and never think about maybe I should change up my program. Anyone can take a look at my log and see success. The log is really the only part of my routine where I do have fun. I really enjoy interacting with other like minded people. As an old Navy Master Chief Petty Officer used to say, “Results count, everything else is bullshit”.
Thanks for the awesome website Medhi!

Porter Perkins says:November 17, 2010 at 12:30 am

Absolutely.

I am addicted to SL 5×5 since I’ve started seeing and feeling real results. The difference in playing rugby or any other sport, the difference in the way I feel and look…

Though I also confess that as a graduate student sometimes it becomes a matter of school v gym, and generally the former wins out, so I end, like now, missing a week or so here and there. But as they say it’s a marathon, and so long as I don’t

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Why You Need to Track Everything

Yesterday I talked about the secret to unstoppable motivation – results. Today I want to talk about how to guarantee you actually yield results

As the most expensive strength coach in the world paid upwards from $2485,00 for private consulting (don’t apply, I’m full until 2011), one of the very first things I do with all my StrongLifts Platinum Members is force them to build the habit of tracking their training and diet daily. Here are some reasons why I do this:

No more guess work – we have accurate data to track progressIncreased motivation – by looking back at progress as the weeks go byIncreased knowledge – we learn what does and does NOT work for him

During my early bodybuilding years I never bothered about tracking training data. I just went to the gym, did the same exercises every week and tried to lift more weight. But I didn’t write anything down. It was a huge mistake.

All that changed when I switched to strength training in late 2004, 1 year after I discovered the 5×5 method through Glenn Pendlay MS. That’s when I started to track every single workout – exercises, sets, reps, weight, feeling. And I’ve been doing that ever since with my training, and then with my private clients.

It only made sense as I was already doing this with my finances – I can show you exactly how much money I earned, spent and saved every single month of the past 7 years, incl. when I was still working for “Corporate Belgium”.

As a small business home based entrepreneur, I can show you every single stat of StrongLifts.com since I started this website in May 2007. I know for example that I’ve reached over 15 million of guys from

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A Little 5×5 Mistake That Can Retard Your Gains

HomeAboutBlogCommunitySuccess StoriesCoachingContactStrength Training and Nutrition StrategiesThis is "The Place" where Men seeking
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greater strength, fitness and confidence come together.
A Little 5×5 Mistake That Can Retard Your GainsNov 18th, 2010 by Mehdi

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Are You Afraid of Squats?

Yesterday I said that one common mistake I see guys doing on StrongLifts 5×5 is neglecting to add weight. Today I want to talk one of the reasons for this…

Fear.

I honestly believe that every strength trainer, no matter how strong he is, will always have some kind of fear when facing unfamiliar weights. I’m now in my 12th year of lifting and I admit I still have it when attempting PRs.

The difference is that experience has taught me how to handle this fear – by lifting that frigging weight, NOT by avoiding or delaying or overthinking it.

There’s actually a book (it’s not that good) called “Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway,” that makes this point – winners and achievers almost always keep feeling some fear when performing. The difference? They do it anyway.

Now this does NOT mean that you should load 200lbs extra on the bar, and risk injuring yourself in the process. You should always Squat inside the Power Rack, use the safety pins, and settle with smaller, yet consistent PRs.

What this does mean is that the fear of missing a lift will most likely never go away, and that there are only 2 ways you can deal with it:

face your fears; ORchicken out

Winners are winners because they stop thinking, stop rationalizing and just go for it. This, facing your fears, is what develops true courage and unbeatable self-confidence – not just under the bar but in everything.

So the real secret is becoming comfortable in uncomfortable situations. And you do what by consistently facing your fears, not by avoiding them.

I’ll reveal specific Squat techniques next week.

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7 Responses to “”Maxim says:November 19, 2010 at 1:48 pm

True.

Patrick says:November 19, 2010 at 2:14 pm

A great truth! and the book? FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY? never read it, I got the concept by just looking at the title. I didn’t need to read all teh psycho babble inside to get the idea. I’d been squatting over twenty years I think when the book came out. I have alwasy done squats, afraid or not. I was taught by a powerlifter in 1970 to “psych myself up.”
His name was John Garber, a great teacher and awesomely strong.

Alyona says:November 19, 2010 at 2:32 pm

Tnanks, Mehdi, for this inspiring post. Your confession and your advice make me realy optimistic, because yes, I’m afraid of squats (even though weight is not frightning).
Looking forward to read about technique next time.

Clement says:November 19, 2010 at 2:51 pm

I am afraid of squats, because they give me huge legs. I have that genetic advantage. They made my legs improportionate to my body and slowed my speed. I only do them once a week, and 3×3-5, and deadlifts for 1×5 the other time.

MARK says:November 19, 2010 at 3:16 pm

Fear is one emotion, but do not confuse it with caution, I for one have had to back off when lifting / squatting heavy due to injuries, too much heavy lifting can eventually cause injury after injury if you do not back off occasionally to allow niggles to repair before you know it those niggles can turn into bigger problems, I used to lift like a mad man every time I walked into our gym no fear just psyched and ready to lift anything, now I know better (at 44) a little common sense or caution can go a long way in keeping you injury free, now when attempt a personal best I stop to think about how my joints feel and what niggles I have been getting for the past few days, if all is well I go for it, if I suddenly remember that the niggling pain in my lower back has not quite gone I will play it safe and leave it for a few more days, this is caution not fear, you have to be sensible and work with your body not against it,
Good call about fear though never let it win, use it to get psyched and all being well go for it!

Vivek says:November 19, 2010 at 4:15 pm

I need to squat in life man! Not only under the bar.

Thanks mehdi.

Wyrmwood says:November 19, 2010 at 4:24 pm

No Fear – not very courageous (or smart)
Know Fear, and face it – intrepid

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7 Ways To Gain Rock Hard Muscle

Few guys want to accept the harsh reality – muscle mass is directly related to strength gains. This isn’t just a scientific fact, but also an anecdotal one: legend Arnold Schwarzenegger and his mentor Reg Park could both Deadlift over 700lbs and developed world class physiques as a result.

Few guys understand that pump, soreness, reaching failure and even rep range do NOT matter if you’re not getting stronger. Several of my StrongLifts Members gained more muscle their first 5 months on StrongLifts 5×5 than their 5 previous years doing those silly bodybuilding split routines – while training less!

With 2011 coming closer, I ask you – are you lifting more weight today than at the start of 2010? Are you Squatting more than 6 months ago? Has your Deadlift increased? If not: what the hell have you been doing this year?

To gain muscle mass, you need to increase the resistance systematically by simply adding weight to the bar. This – Progressive Loading - is the real secret to raw muscle gains. Here are the 7 other imperatives…

BarbellsCompoundsFoodRestTechniqueConsistency 80/20 rule

Barbells – natural movements, force you to stabilize the weight yourself, allow for heavier weights than dumbbells, and the only way to Squat/Deadlift heavy.

Compounds – allow for heavier weights than isolation exercises because you’re using several muscles at a time, prevent muscle group favoritism.

Food – critical for maximum recovery and growth, eat like a horse first, then get at least 1g/lb of protein per day – and this doesn’t need to come from shakes.

Rest – most guys do way too many exercises and train way too frequently, muscle need rest for growth – less is more.

Technique – you can lift more with proper technique and gain more muscle using a full ROM than with partials because the distance the bar travels is longer.

Consistency – expect, on average, 25 pounds of raw muscle gain your first year of training, you got to be consistent, this is a marathon not a sprint.

Next time I’ll talk about the 80-20 rule. Make sure you share this post with your friends on facebook so they grasp the concept of gaining raw muscle.

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8 Responses to “”Nikola says:November 11, 2010 at 2:10 pm

I am glad, and at the same time honored that I am one of those few (yes, it is _few_ when comparing people that train against people that know how to train) that understand, and most importantly, use this simple, beautiful concept. And it works.

Chuck says:November 11, 2010 at 2:26 pm

Great one Mehdi….ever since I came to know about SL about 2 years ago, I haven’t looked back at anything else. Now granted I haven’t been consistent over those 2 years but SL is the only thing I did when I did it. I just never could get the right time of day nailed down to where it benefited me the most. Now I have, and I am seeing gains just over the past month of CONSISTENT training. I keep telling myself to be patient and the rewards WILL come. I’m slowly getting my nutrition in check, but it’s better than it was a month ago. Thanks Mehdi for this program!

Franco says:November 11, 2010 at 4:49 pm

I think 8O/20 rule is about doing 80% compound exercise while doing only 20% isolation exercise. I’m so excited for this next blog.

Keagan says:November 12, 2010 at 1:24 am

The 80/20 rule refers to food right? Thought it was 90 clean and 10 junk, maybe that’s been changed because of the extra calories you get from junk food? I swear everyone eats too little.

Gustavo Sandri Heidner says:November 12, 2010 at 1:39 am

80/20 is that rule that states that 20% of the exercises known will produce 80% of the gains. It’s an efficiency rule :)

Samuel says:November 12, 2010 at 6:46 am

Just started the 5×5 I hope I get as much out of it as every one says. I will say this program will separate the real from the fake.

Prabu says:November 12, 2010 at 8:26 am

I believe, the 80/20 rule is 80 percent of muscle gain is from rest, nutrition and recovery, while only 20 percent is from workouts :-)

Nikola says:November 12, 2010 at 10:32 am

Personally, I think it’s gonna be regarding food. As long as you eat quality food 80% of the time, you would be perfectly fine with eating 20% “crap” the rest of the time.

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Are You Wasting Your Time Like This?

I’m a big fan of the 80-20 rule – the Pareto Principle – which states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes, or that the population can always be divided into 20% achievers and 80%, quite bluntly, losers.

With regard to muscle and strength building, here is the secret 20% that will translate into 80% of your gains…

Progressive LoadingCaloriesConsistency

Consistently add weight to the bar while making sure you reach your caloric needs and I guarantee you that 1 year from now you’ll have dramatically increased your muscle mass and strength while melting away stubborn fat.

But what do I see 80% of the guys do? Waste their time with those 20% details that frankly don’t really matter for them.

Low bar or high bar Squats?1 or 2g/lb of protein per day?Low fat or whole milk?

The list goes on and on. And it sure makes for interesting discussions, but it doesn’t get you closer to your goal. You need focus – in this case, focus on the 20% that translates into 80% of your muscle and strength gains.

I said that training mattered more than diet for muscle and strength, but there’s always an exception. How many guys do you see Squatting 490bs, Deadlifting 550lbs and Benching 380lbs like SL Member Don (31, USA) does? Exactly.

The more you progress, the more the 20% become important. But make sure you master the 80% first. This ain’t rocket science unless you want it to be.

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3 Responses to “”AdamH says:November 12, 2010 at 4:40 pm

I think the flip of this also applies:

You don’t need to shoot for 100% perfection – if your diet/training are perfect 80% of the time, that other 20% is ok (holidays!). No need to drive yourself crazy.

Norman says:November 12, 2010 at 5:03 pm

Great post Mehdi! I tried lowering the weight so I would not have to eat as much in an attempt to loose fat.

I failed miserably.

I am back to lifting heavy and will continue to do so and do my best to keep my calories consistent. Let my clothes be the judge of muscle gains and fat loss.

Dchrist says:November 12, 2010 at 7:21 pm

Good post Mehdi.
Training is the key! I wish people would realize that.

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What Do You Hate Most?

I wrote about the importance of waking up early for fast weight gain yesterday. Most successful people are early risers. Donald Trump wakes up at 5:30am, Tiger Woods wakes up at 6:30. It’s a foolproof method to get more done.

And yet, every time I introduce this idea to a guy who wakes up late and/or at a different time every day, I meet with resistance.

StrongLifts Platinum Member Tom used to woke up between 8am and noon when he first joined my coaching program. His wake up time depended on the time his shift started and the time he went to bed the night before.

The result: 35lbs under-weight.

By forcing Tom to track every single calorie he ate, day after day, I showed him the direct correlation between his daily caloric intake and his wake up time. So far, Tom has already gained 21lbs by just waking up at 7am ever day. It’s not rocket science, you get more calories in when you eat more than 3x/day.

But nobody likes waking up early. I sure hate it. Especially during the cold winter mornings here in Belgium. I’d rather stay in my warm bed. Heck, I’m my own boss, working from home, I can decide whenever I want to wake up.

And yet I wake up early, every weekday, no matter what. Why would I do that? Because I know from experience that it makes an incredible difference.

After coaching countless of guys, I’ve come with a powerful question that gets them moving towards the kind of lifestyle that will yield the muscle and strength gains they always wanted. I’ve used this question with Tom. It goes like this…

“ Waking up early OR staying skinny, fat and weak?”

I know the answer.

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5 Responses to “”Dan says:October 28, 2010 at 2:41 pm

After reading your posts about waking up early I started today,too (though I couldn’t convince my gf to try it too, eventhough she’s sleepy all day long due to her wrong sleeping and eating habits)

Waking up just 15 minutes earlier (6:15 am for me) I had enough time to enjoy a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water. Usually I get my first meal of the day after the first lecture (over 3 hours later).

Now I have to resist the habit to sleep in on weekends as I’m used to staying up late and sleeping till noon.

nisch says:October 28, 2010 at 2:50 pm

” waking up early or staying skinny,weak fat?”

That’s a really great motivator thank you. I’ll think about it tomorrow morning.

SonOfTroy says:October 28, 2010 at 5:58 pm

I think the correlation you drew between getting up early and being successful is really interesting because it highlights the underlying source of both: self control. If you have enough self control to force yourself to get up early everyday, you have enough to stay focused on your goals no matter what.

Sonny says:October 28, 2010 at 10:43 pm

Cool article, has some saying in it.

bam says:October 28, 2010 at 11:05 pm

Great point SonOfTroy, I did not think of that

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Why 5×5 Is The Most Powerful Training Method

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Why 5×5 Is The Most Powerful Training MethodOct 29th, 2010 by Mehdi

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An Unusual Way to Lose Fat

Last Wednesday I showed you how to gain weight by waking up early. Today I want to talk about how waking up early can benefit losing fat.

What’s the most important thing for fat loss? Diet –  most guys don’t have the time to burn significant calories through exercise so you will have to eat less to achieve a caloric deficit. Note that you do need to build muscle first (training).

The challenge is that most prepacked foods have misleading labels and contain hidden calories. It keeps amazing me how some guys will eat an organic donut, not understanding that a donut remains a donut – friggin’ junk.

The only way around is to eat whole foods 90% of the time and cook your own meals like my SL Diet advises. But since you probably don’t have the time to cook several times a day (I sure don’t), you’ll have to batch cook your meals.

Now what’s the best time to cook your food?

Every productivity book will tell you the secret to getting things done is to do the most important thing first thing in the morning. Here’s why: the more you procrastinate, the less likely you are to get it done. Add that most guys just don’t have the patience to cook after a rough day at work.

That’s why you have to wake up early. In fact, when I was still employed and commuting 2h/day, I cooked my food for work every single morning. During those 5 years I was still living at my parent’s place, and it bothered the hell out of them and my brothers (not my dog somehow) to wake up every morning with the smell of my eggs cooking. But I assure you it got me the body I wanted.

You will say – “but Mehdi, I hate waking up early!” And I will ask you, once again, what do you hate most? Waking up early OR staying fat? Smart guys they give this a 30-day trial before making a bunch of excuses.

There’s another way waking up early benefits fat loss, but that’s for tomorrow.

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3 Responses to “”John says:November 2, 2010 at 2:16 pm

That’s when I lift. I will have to start batching my meals out on Sunday and maybe do again Wednesday evening. My wife really helps for meals but doesn’t always pack me the things I need to eat that day this may make it easier.

Surge says:November 2, 2010 at 4:57 pm

Same thing – I usualy do all my cooking on Sunday with some additional help from my roommate and my GF during the week.

Another great benefit of waking up early is that more time you’re awake and active, more calories you’ll burn.
As simple as that.

Meat says:November 5, 2010 at 5:13 am

A wise man once told me the #1 most important thing I needed to do for success was to wake up early. It was truly on target for me, because waking up on time has perhaps been my Achilles heel. If you have the willpower to get things done, it wont matter if you don’t give yourself enough time in a day. And there’s nothing like a good morning workout for burning fat and building muscle. Thanks for another great blog post Mehdi.

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Why Breakfast Is King (And Why It’s Not)

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Why Breakfast Is King (And Why It’s Not)Nov 3rd, 2010 by Mehdi

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Training Lessons From Tiger Woods

Yesterday I talked about waking up early and eating breakfast. Today I want to talk about having a plan.

Napoleon Hill stressed in his bestseller Think & Grow Rich that every goal should start with a plan. There are guys who do too much planning and never get anything done (perfectionists – afraid to make mistakes as if that was bad). But most guys have no plan and as the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail.

What’s your goal? Gain muscle, develop strength, melt away fat. How are you going to do this? Train smart, eat right, be consistent. How will you make sure this happens? You make it a lifestyle. How? By repeating the exact same steps until they become automatic. Good news – it only takes 30 days to build habits.

So if you want to make sure you eat breakfast every day, you should start by coming up with a plan for your day. Some questions to help you get started…

What time do you start working? Let’s say 8am.What’s your commute time? Let’s say 1h.How much time do you need to cook foods

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Pendlay 5×5: Glenn Pendlay’s Strength Training Program

Note by Mehdi.This is a guestpost by Olympic Coach Glenn Pendlay MS USAW.

The Pendlay 5×5 program is aimed at those who are new or relatively new to weight training and want to put on basic size and strength. The concept dates back to Bill Starr, and has been used over the past 4 decades.

I still use a modified version (some different exercises) with my Olympic lifters, as well as a variety of athletes from track and field to cycling to football. One athlete used this programming while preparing for the NFL combine and draft this year, put about 50lbs on his Squat in the months leading up to the combine, went much higher in the draft than expected (early 2nd round) and is now not only a starter but a standout in the defensive backfield!

The most useful features of this Pendlay 5×5 program are that it requires little or no thought on your part, a useful feature if you have no idea what to do. This is a program that gives you a complete plan, no guesswork involved.

Pendlay 5×5 also involves a fairly limited amount of heavy sets per week, and only 3 training days, making it useful not only for beginners but also for athletes in sports that require considerable training outside the weight room. The relatively limited inroad into recovery made by this program compared to others definitely allows you to have a life outside the gym and still make gains.

Pendlay 5×5 uses ramped sets and a single top set for each exercise. You go from a set of 5 with a light weight as your first warmup set, take consistent jumps in weight over the next 4 sets, doing 5 reps each set, and you end with your heaviest set. So, you are doing 4 submaximal sets, and one maximal set.

An example of the weights used in a Squat workout would be 95lbs, 115lbs, 135lbs, 155lbs, and 175lbs, all for sets of 5. As the top set moves up, move the warmup sets up to keep the jumps between sets as even as possible.

The exercises are as follows:

Monday. Squat, Bench Press, RowWednesday. Squat, Military Press, Power CleanFriday. Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift

It is preferable to do the program as written, but there are some areas that are negotiable in certain circumstances.

On Wednesday, you can replace the Squats with Front Squats if desired. If you cannot do powercleans for whatever reason, you can replace them with chinups. One of the bench press workouts can be replaced with either dips, close grip bench presses, or incline presses.

The key to Pendlay 5

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How to LOSE 15 lbs Over The Holidays (17 Strategies)

Are you sick and tired of gaining 15lbs over the holidays?

I said last week that I was going to share nutrition strategies to help you get through the holiday season. Well diet expert Joel Marion just saved me a lot of typing by releasing two free reports that reveal how to lose (instead of gain) up to 15lbs of fat this holiday season. Click here to claim your 2 reports now.

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How to Lose 27lbs In 61 Days Eating Twinkies

Yesterday I shared 2 free reports revealing how to lose (instead of gain) up to 15lbs of fat during the holiday season. Make sure you claim your free reports by clicking here if you haven’t already, Joel might take them down soon.

Today I want to discuss the article CNN published today, “Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds,” which StrongLifts Members Mathillas and DrLifts shared inside the SL Community.

I stressed before that fat loss is all about calories in vs. calories out. Well here’s more proof that backups what I say. Mark Haub, professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, lost 27lbs in 61 days on a junk food diet consisting of twinkies, nutty bars, donuts, etc. His before/after stats:

Body-weight: 201lbs

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And The Winner Is…..Low Carb

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The Six Pack Calculator. Input Your Stats Now!

You can now tell how long it’s going to take you to get a six-pack AUTOMATICALLY just by plugging in your stats.

In a previous post entitled “How Long Does It Take To Get Six-Pack Abs” I told you how to work this out manually for yourself.

Now you don’t have to!

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Which Weight Lifting Accessories?

Some
weight lifting accessories and attachments are must-haves.

Some are optional.

Some are a waste of money.

In this video I’ll guide you through the accessories I’m using at the moment and also show you some attachments I’m using too.

Watch the video first, then I’ve listed the items below…

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5 Reasons Why Water Aids Fat Loss

I had a terrible workout yesterday!

Afterwards I could pinpoint the reason straight away – I was dehydrated.

I’ve already blogged about the fact that a 2008 study concluded that muscular power DECREASED by up to 19% at a dehydration level of 3%!

So what happened to me yesterday?

Well I hardly drank any water at all. I didn’t sleep well and felt like I absolutely needed caffeine to function (I know you’ve been there too). So I had 2 x strong cups in the morning.

Later when it was time to workout, I took 1 x 200mg caffeine tablet (prolab caffeine supplement). All this caffeine actually compounded the dehydration because caffeine is a diuretic.

Even though I was sipping water during the workout, the damage was already done – my insides were bone dry.

I’m back on track today and I’m sure I’ll have a better workout later on.

Now, what about water intake and FAT LOSS?

You should be drinking even MORE water when cutting. Why?

Here’s 5 Reasons…

(1) Appetite Control. Water is an appetite suppressant. Drinking enough water ensures that you get hungry when you REALLY need something to eat.

When cutting to very low body fat percentages, you can’t eliminate hunger, but you can minimize it. Drinking an abundance of water keeps hunger at bay for as long as possible.

(2) Kidney Function. Your kidneys need plenty of water to carry out their duties efficiently – processing waste products. If they don’t get this water, the liver comes into play to help.

Since the liver is responsible for taking your stored fat and turning it into energy you can use, you will slow this process down by relying on your liver. You can therefore OPTIMIZE fat loss by drinking adequate water and letting your liver get on with the job of turning that unwanted blubber into energy!

(3) Hormonal Signals. When you start leaning out, the body senses the lack of food. It will fight back to a degree by trying to hold onto its fat stores. Your energy levels will drop and your body temperature will fall – ever get cold hands when dieting down? Drinking an abundance of water will help counteract this.

From an evolutionary perspective, whenever there was a lack of food there was also a lack of water. By giving the body a steady and abundant supply of water you limit this unwanted effect by telling the body that there is no emergency, there’s plenty of water around and it’s safe to let go of that fat.

(4) Wasting Heat. Thermogenesis is the process of heat production by the body. Most weight loss pills are thermogenic aids i.e. they increase thermogenesis, which is a fancy way of saying they help you burn more Calories at rest.

Increasing the production of warm fluid (urine) will also burn more Calories. More frequent trips to the loo when cutting is a good thing.

(5) Hydrated Muscles. Hydrated muscles are strong muscles. This leads to better workouts and more growth stimulation. Holding on to (if not building) muscle while cutting keeps your metabolism revved up since muscle is METABOLICALLY ACTIVE tissue.

In layman’s terms this means that muscle burns Calories just by its mere existence.

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The Best Way To Gain Muscle Mass

I’m currently writing the new Total Anabolism book and wanted to share with you the following which will become one of the early chapters…

The most important statement to be made regarding intensity is this: You should ALWAYS train to muscular failure! Why?

Because muscle growth literally has to be FORCED!

There is a point in a set where the body’s

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How Much Muscle Can A Hardgainer Gain in 4 Weeks on THT? (pics)

If you’re an ectomorph, you’re going to LOVE this!

If you’ve ever had trouble building muscle at all, you’ll feel very much inspired.

Have you been led to believe that you can’t make NOTICEABLE gains in muscle size in 4 weeks?

Well I’m here to tell you that it’s not true.

Which is good since the Month of Muscle Challenge started last Monday on the Facebook Fan Page to find out just how well MuscleHackers can do in 4 weeks!

A reader and user of my bodybuilding forum, “Smiler”, posted what I think are incredible progress pics that show a DRAMATIC increase in muscle size in just 4 weeks using THT.  (here’s that thread)

The best part? He’s an ectomorph/hardgainer!

Here’s the BEFORE THT pic

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You’re Screwing Up Your Potential For Muscle Growth By Making This 1 Mistake

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