Let’s Cut Through The Bull Shit!!
I’m a little angry right now so please bear with me. This article is going to cut through the crap and get down to what’s real! I’m sick and tired of the mind/muscle link! Yeah you have to have a pretty decent degree of determination and concentration while you are lifting, but that is where it ends! I like when I read about these genetic freaks talk about how they force their biceps peak to become higher while they workout. Are you kidding me? Hey, I want to grow 2 inches in height, so according to them if I concentrate hard enough it will happen. I’m tired of being 5’10”! Sounds ridiculous right? Well it goes the same with muscle! Also the positive thinking aspect only can go so far. I’ll bring up the UFC like I did in my last article. Before the fights they usually interview the fighters. A fighter will go on and proclaim, “ I will win, I have already foreseen it and visualized it, so I have already won”. Then they go out into the Octagon and get their ass knocked out! Wow, positive thinking really worked for them! I’m not saying to think negatively, just be realistic and prepare your self through training and practice. Believing in yourself will get you through hard times and life in general, not just thinking positive thoughts.
Before the injectable, “instant oil muscle” came along; you were stuck with your genetics, period! The great Lee Haney had the best back, delts, and chest in the world, but his arms always lagged behind no matter how hard he trained them. That was what his genetics dictated. Just look at what happened with a current pro who tried to get his arms bigger by using the “magic oil”; he almost died! Some of the current pros are a big mass of bumps and lumps! I love some of the current crop of bodybuilders with 90-degree angles on their deltoids. Did they force their side delts to grow through intense concentration? Hell NO!! Some of the pros that I have met have a hard enough time signing their autographs let alone thinking positively! I do have a great respect for most pro and high amateur level competitive bodybuilders. Most of them bust their ass getting into shape. I’m just stating the truth of the matter. Remember many people’s biggest fear is the truth.
Think for your self; don’t let some “motivational” speaker spew a few fake words at you so you think success is magical! When your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, your brain does not care if it’s because you’re horny, angry, happy, or excited. Your heart rate and epinephrine levels go up either way. Have you ever become sick after a vacation? That was “good” stress right? Your body does not care that you were having fun on your vacation; it was still stress, plain and simple. Chronic stress is what causes illness, not short-term stress. Our bodies were designed for short-term stress followed by relaxation. Relax after your workout, not during it! Our bodies were designed for “fight or flight”.
“ The sympathetic division of the [autonomic nervous system] mobilizes the body’s resources in emergency, stressful, and emotional [good or bad] situations. Walter Cannon (1932) termed this configuration of responses the “fight or flight” reaction. Sympathetic activation prepares the body for intense motor activity, the sort necessary for attack, defense, or escape” (Brannon & Feist).
What is a more intense motor activity than a set of squats? You want to get excited while you workout, it helps you focus and perform better. It does this by the accomplishing the following:
“ The reactions include an increase in the rate and strength of cardiac contraction, constriction of blood vessels in the skin, a decrease of gastrointestinal activity, [meaning, it is better to train on an empty stomach] an increase in respiration, stimulation of the sweat glands, and dilation of the pupils in the eyes” (Brannon & Feist).
Our physiology has not changed much if at all since we were cavemen, hunting and gathering for food.
“ Emotional behaviors are accompanied by changes in heart and breathing rates and other internal activities that prepare the body for the increased demands it faces. The internal activities depend on the two branches of the autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for intense, vigorous, emergency activity. The parasympathetic nervous system increases digestion and other processes associated with conservation of energy and preparation for later events. The parasympathetic system becomes especially active after removal of a stimulus that excited the sympathetic system”(Kalat).
That quote explains pretty well why eating after a workout is so important. Our digestive system is raring to go!
We were pretty laid back as cavemen until a bear or saber tooth tiger started to chase us, then our sympathetic nervous system kicked into gear and told us to get the hell out of there! After the danger was gone our parasympathetic nervous system calms us back down and reverses the sympathetic process. That is a simplified version, but that’s pretty much what happens. Intense workouts are sort of the same idea. They are not the main culprits to a negative effect on our body. Unfortunately today’s world is a bit different than our ancestors but we deal with it with the same basic physiological make-up. It is the everyday chronic stress that our immune system has a hard time dealing with. Our bodies are not designed to handle a constant bombardment of stress. I guess you could coin chronic stress as “bad stress” if you wanted to.
What causes the strain on your health and bodybuilding efforts are the things that happen to you after you leave the gym. Your occupation, relationships, driving in traffic, sleep patterns, noise, pollution, crowding, etc. are the chronic problems that our bodies have a hard time dealing with. Getting psyched up during a workout is not the problem. (Unless you train everyday, hours on end). Please don’t get me wrong. Positive thinking is very important for your personal well-being and outlook on life, and the opportunities it brings to us. Confidence and feeling good about our selves is a wonderful and important thing. Cockiness and arrogance are not. Feeling “positive thoughts” before a lift will not make you magically stronger however. Hard training and determination over a period of time will.
Many people try and make things to scientific or complicated. I like to live in the real world, not some mystic false hope realm. Leave that sort of thinking to the cults. Staying positive helps us get through the day and succeed in our goals. Train hard, kick ass, and stay true to yourself. That is the mental key to bodybuilding success!
More Random Thoughts
Before we get to more specifics let me dispel some myths that people hold onto like they do some outdated religions.
Myth 1: Muscle takes 3 days to recover- Muscle takes a week to recover- Muscle takes 6 weeks to recover, (for all you Mentzer nuts). Bottom Line: Everyone is different, period. This is not new earth shattering news to most of you, I know. Even though most natural lifters know they should be training less, they are afraid to for some reason. If a total genetic freak like Dorian Yates only trained 4 days a week, how do you think you can handle that amount of stress? Really think about that for a minute.
Myth 2: You must hit the muscle from different angles to stimulate strength and growth. Bottom Line: What a load of bullshit! Since powerlifting is more of a cult sport than bodybuilding, many of you have not seen the quality of some of the physiques. I’ve seen some powerlifters that could step onstage at a state level show and blow some people away. They look better than many bodybuilders without even touching a cable or machine!! I’m not bashing bodybuilders here, because I still consider myself one too.
Myth 3: Your body will adapt to almost any training routine. Bottom Line: You know my answer, bull shit again! Who comes up with this stuff anyway? Usually someone trying to sell you their book on some “new” form of lifting. I’ll also use a personal example about this one. My best friend for years is obsessed with training. He attributes all my gains on genetics, instead of giving me credit on the way in which I workout. Now my friend has been to the doctor more times in the last 2 years than anyone I know. He is constantly complaining about some new ailment. When I bring up the fact that he trains 5 days a week even when he is sick, he just blows me off. This guy is so blind to his own over training, that it will probably kill him someday! (Actually I think he actually may be dead).
Myth 4: There is no such thing as over training just under eating. Bottom Line: This is a supplement manufacturers dream! This one is my favorites! You know what, I’m not even going to address this load of crap.
I usually take 3 to 5 days off in-between workouts, depending how sore I am.
This is not the be-all end-all of training routines. I just wanted to show you that you don’t have to live in the gym to grow. You will not lose muscle if you don’t train it every 3 days!! Most bodybuilding and powerlifting systems are all built around nothing or drug cycles.
Now all this information changes if you use drugs. I’m not condemning drug users, far from it. What I’m trying to get across here is that if you’re not chemically enhanced you have to train different!
I don’t train this way just to be different. I’ve found this particular workout through trial and much error. I’ll take a break from heavy training after the powerlifting season is over this year. I’m still learning all the time, and you should be too!
I’ve said this in the past but it so important it deserves repeating. Nothing, and I mean nothing can compare to an all out sets of squats or deadlifts! After I complete my squat workout, all the muscles in my legs and glutes are sore. Many times when I competed in bodybuilding I had the most deeply cut legs on stage. I got those cuts from squatting! Leg extensions no matter how “intense” they are will not do the job. Doing squats and deadlifts also keep your metabolism raging. Remember I’m talking about drug-free lifters here. All the above can be replaced by a drug, I know. Even the most intelligent users have to respect their drug use and monitor themselves. DNP comes to mind. Yeah I’m a wimp when it comes to using drugs, I just don’t want to risk it at this point in my life. More power to the guys who do I guess, I just don’t want to use them right now.
Here a few things for the natural lifter:
Flax/Fish Oil – These 2 oils have helped in protecting my joints from all the years of heavy lifting. Natural anti-inflammatory, and good for a healthy brain.
Antioxidants/vitamins - This one is a given for any athlete.
Quality Protein Powder – Protein Factory has some incredible mixtures. Also lactoferrin is starting to be empirically proven to help in overall health and recovery.
I also believe that a protein drink with peanut butter or flax oil before bed helps the body recover big time. (Cheesy word I know)
Sleep - You should never underestimate sleep. Sure you can get by with little sleep, but over long periods of time is where the damage is done and your system as a whole can crash.
Stimulants (Fat-burners) – These are excellent for short-term use. I like to compare ephedrine to using nitrous oxide in a car’s engine. Sure that car will be faster than the others and win more races etc, but then inevitably the engine is destroyed from overwork. This goes the same for your adrenal glands; Give them a break!
By adopting some or all of the above methods, you to can improve your gains in the gym. We are far from finding an empirically proven style of training, so experiment! Remember there is no one-way to train. We are all built different with different lifestyles.
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