Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

[iron addict]

I talk to guys on an almost daily basis that are walking encyclopedias of all things bodybuilding related. They know the stats of most of the pro’s, exotic gear stacks, effects and contradictions of a huge array of supplements. They can go over the pro’s and cons of most of the currently popular, and many of the popular routine styles of the past. They can quote vast tomes of bodybuilding literature past and present. But yet they still don’t have a handle on the basics of what it takes for THEIR bodies to respond to their training and nutrition/supplement program. They know everything except what they need to know to grow.

Many of these guys are paralyzed into inaction because they are so confused by all the information (most of which is TOTALLY irrelevant to them) they rarely break out of the rut they are in. And while they may change their approach constantly, it is always within the confines what wasn’t working before.

They analyze everything to the ninth degree and fret over EVERYTHING except what is REALLY important. The basics MUST come before the minutia. All the intricacies are useless unless the foundation is in place first. These are:

1. Having a routine structure that is suitable for THEIR body. Doing Cutler’s routine till they are blue in the face will be USELESS for the vast majority. When in doubt start low and work up in volume and frequency, not the other way around.

2. Rely on basic compound moves for the bulk (90%) of your training until you have a solid strength base. That means squatting/deadlifting at LEAST 350 for reps and benching 250+ and rowing/pull-downs with 200 plus.

3. Have a diet plan that is suitable for the goals at hand that includes extreme protein. MOST guys simply get nowhere near enough protein to grow well, plain and simple!

4. DON’T eat yourself fat in the hopes of “bulking up�. It should be called muscling up and useless fat gained now will come back to haunt you when it comes time to get lean.

5. Don’t consider gear/PH use until you are at the close to or at the aforementioned strength levels.

6. While there are a lot of good supplements out there, and some truly great ones, most people can get extremely good results with a bare minimum of supplementation. I talk to people that spend 200-300 dollars for supplements all the time. Until you are at least reasonably advanced this is just a foolish waste of money.

7. Rest and sleep make it all come together. If you constantly burn the candle at both ends, expect nothing more than to be burned out

8. It takes time, and if you really are expecting bodybuilding to be a “eight weeks to a new you� thing like you see in the ads in all the glossy muscle mags, you are in the wrong sport.

Iron Addict

[PC1]

......... Beautiful in both truth and simplicity. Amen!

[bigpetefox]

If only my writings were to the point..

Well written, IA!