Thursday, May 17, 2012

Weekly Q&A

Read this story.........

This Chic was hurt over all the talk about how fat she was.  So she lost 25 l b's.

I have another story to talk about on this weekends podcast that also backs up my theory, that if your girl is fat and you want her to loose weight, hurt her god damn feelings about it.  "You're fat.  Loose weight."  And she will.  If she breaks it off, then you can go find a smaller chic.  Win, win.  It pays to listen to me.

Anyway, leave a name and a question.  If you have a Q for the podcast LEAVE ONE QUESTION.  You guys leaving 5 questions for the podcast are retarded.  One.  If you have a Q for me, just like with banging women, I can do multiples.........

124 comments:

  1. Hey Paul, two questions here:

    1. How's the book coming along? I remember you said it's very closely to being finished. Can't wait until it's released.

    2. I'm afraid I'm gonna have you do a bit of routine critique (yes it's that time, and yes I feel bad for doing so). I'm interested in a big Press, I don't care about benching, I'm fascinated by old time lifters and I love lifting shit above my head. I'm gonna be pressing 3x a week. I wouldn't mind some mass gains alongside it though.
    I was thinking of setting it up along a sort of heavy/medium/light approach (not percentage, but rather exercise based). So it'd look like (always do a few warm up sets before pressing):

    -Monday (heavy)
    Clean & Press 3x3
    Unilateral squat work (lunges, split leg squat, whatever) 3x10
    T-bar rows 3x10
    low back work
    -Wednesday (Medium)
    Snatch grip BTN press 1x8-12
    Deadlift 1x3 (maybe singles instead? again asking for your critique here)
    Pipe work 3-5x10
    -Friday (light)
    DB presses 3-5x15-20
    Pause squats 3x3
    Weighted chins 1x5 (top set), 50% set 1x12-15
    Ab work 3-5x10

    Anything you would change, advice you could give, etc? Give me your best or worst, I'm all ears. Essentially I was thinking of going the push/pull/squat route, but I'm not sure on how to order squats and deads properly.

    Long ass post, I know. Hopefully it'll make other questions look easy by comparison.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Just doing the fine tuning on the book. I am guessing another 4-5 weeks. Have to get all of the pics taken.

      I'd put the squats and deads on the same day, or just drop to pause squats and deads, and I'll tell you why. Overhead pressing requires a lot of low back. And you're squatting twice a week and deadlifting as well. The low back is the foundation of standing presses, so you need to be aware of how much work it is getting.

      So if I had to redo it.....

      1 - clean and press, t-bars, abs

      2 - Snatch Grip PBN, face pulls, arms

      3 - Db Press, pause squats, deadlifts, abs

      That's what I would do.

      Delete
    2. You really are all about the face pulls now, huh? I've seen you add them to every routine critique this week. You gonna talk about more at length about that at some point?

      Delete
    3. You can swap them out with bent laterals, they are basically the same thing, you're just standing up with one. Mainly, I just find that they make my shoulders feel good.

      Delete
    4. Thanks a lot Paul, really appreciate it (sounds like major ass kissing here though)

      That makes a bit more sense for sure, I was aware of the lower back involvement and I noticed that the overlap I was getting with it was holding me back (fatigued lower back from deads for instance). As for face pulls, I forgot to mention, but I do those religiously (and have been doing so for about a year). Best shoulder prehab movement out there IMO, and they make your shoulders feel so awesome. I go light on them though and never focus on progression or anything, I take it you do the same.

      Delete
    5. No real point in maxing out the stack on face pulls IMO. I've seen this done before and it's pretty retarded. Bent laterals I could maybe understand going heavy on but these? Not really.

      Maybe I didn't understand thing completely, but rep/sets wise you're alright with what I'm doing? As for weighted chins, don't do them (would be a shame, 'cause I love them)? And I know you're big on unilateral work but leave it out? Wouldn't feel too bad about that 'cause I detest unilateral work but the results speak for themselves (recently did 2x10 with shit weight (65lb DBs) and christ almighty I'll take heavy pause squats over them any day of the week).

      Delete
    6. The only thing I'd change for sets and reps is to take the klokov press down to triples as well.

      And you can leave the uni lateral work in. I would just throw it in on an off day for 5x20 or something. It's good to keep 1 legged work in. It doesn't have to be heavy.

      Delete
    7. Much obliged, Paul. I'll be doing one legged work on an off day before or after cardio. Seems fitting.

      Delete
  2. You're right there mate, I gave my my ex gf shit about the weight she put on and she ended getting all butthurt and eventually leaving me for a short pot bellied guy who didnt care about appearences. Two weeks later i started sleeping with a 20 year old ballerina.

    Ive started training at the only proper gym in my city, the only problem with it is theres no 1.25kg plates and im not really strong yet so progressing up at 5kg a time is proving hard. Ive seen a few progression methods like 3x6/3x8/3x10/4x6/4x8/4x10/5x6/5x8/5x10. What do you think about using that? i think that may be the better choice if i can only go up in 5kg's as by the time i get to using 5x10 with the weight i used for 3x6 i should be strong enough to move up by 5kg.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you remember what Matt Kroc did when he couldn't get a db bigger than 170? That's how Kroc rows started.

      Bust out some rep PR's for a while. When you're stronger you'll be able to make the next jump. And you'll be bigger from all of those reps to boot!

      Delete
  3. No question, just a quick comment. Yesterday was my last day working back on the UB/WCS program (I'll send you a full write-up after I finish the program this weekend). We'd talked about adjusting the programming to do maintenance Deads and work on rowing strength, and that's what I did.

    I felt awesome walking into the gym yesterday so I went right ahead and pulled THREE Deadlift PR's (and failed twice on a fourth), and still went and pulled a Rep PR on T-Bar Rows as well. It was awesome (after I talked myself out of being pissed about failing the 4th DL PR). Thanks, Paul.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amazing how that works isn't it?

      Kinda like the guy that wrote in to me that he felt like my programming was too light, so he went in and decided to work heavy and hit a 20 pound squat PR.

      Wait......what?

      Delete
  4. She doesnt look that bad at all in the first pic. I am not all por-fat acceptance movement or anything but that first pic isnt what I call "Fat".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually thought so too. She looks like a "good" thick to me.

      Delete
  5. What are your thoughts about maxing out on squats daily?

    ReplyDelete
  6. What's your opinion on this belief that cardio burns muscle? I'm trying to put on some mass, but I really love riding a bike and running. Sometimes I'll ride/run for a few hours in a single session. I'm just worried about burning muscles I'm trying so hard to achieve.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe a calorie deficit with too much cardio can def eat through muscle, but so long as you're eating good you'll be fine.

      Delete
  7. Hi Paul,

    Pulled conventional today. I've been alternating rack pulls one week and conventional from the floor the next. Have been hitting pr's on triples and my rack pulls have been going up as well. My PR from the floor is 500 went to hit 505 today after 455 flew off the floor. Got 505 off the ground fast but stalled at knee height. Just couldnt fit my glutes. I understand strength isn't linear but I pulled 475x3 3 weeks ago, rack pull is going up and front squats have increased. Maybe it just is what it is?? Without seeing a video what would you do with that info??

    Thanks,
    Jason

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd pull heavy from the rack one more time, take the next week off from pulling, then go back to the floor. Thank me after you smoke 505.

      Delete
    2. Will do thanks. Looking forward to your book coming out. Especially the Strongman DL. My DL has been stuck for awhile. Anyway will let you know how it goes in 2 wks

      Thanks,
      Jason

      Delete
  8. Questions for both of you about the what constitutes strong list.

    -Have you got any of them already?
    -Close to getting any in the near future?
    -Ones you plan to reach as lifetime goals
    -Ones you probably have no chance in getting, if any

    -Andy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can say for me.....and we can still discuss....

      dead and bench should happen in the next year (500x20 and 315x20)

      chins could get close

      no chance in getting? for me, probably the squat. I'm not sure I will ever gain enough weigh in order to have a shot at it. I'd have to be 250 LEANER than I am now in order to have a shot at it. That might require doing some shit I will not do.

      Delete
  9. What are your thoughts on sumo deadlift vs conventional deadlift for strength? Is there a real correlation between deadlifts and body leverages, as in one deadlift is better for a certain body type?

    Also, do you think that lean strongmen such as Vince Urbank can win a WSM? He is about 6'6, 310lbs. Do you think he can compete against the 6'8, 450lbs Brian Shaw's of the world?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't consider the sumo a deadlift actually. I consider it a sumo lift. Because that's what it is. I understand that lots of feds accept it as a deadlift, but I don't.

      And Pudz won WSM for years? Why not? Derek Poundstone is lean as fuck. He has a chance.

      Vince has a ton of potential. And he's a smart dude. He'll end up on TV one day.

      Delete
    2. Ha, after my last meet, I decided to do sumos in lieu of deadlifts in my training (standard 5/3/1). I'm ~7 weeks in. I hate them with a passion and I think I'll be done with them after this training cycle. What a stupid movement.

      Also, I find them pretty rough on the knees.

      Delete
    3. Hey Paul, what about Ed Coan's deadlift stance, like when he pulled 901?

      Delete
    4. Ed's stance is a modified sumo. And Ed can do anything he wants.

      Delete
    5. Do you consider modified sumo a deadlift then? I do it exclusively and my erectors sure consider it a deadlift!

      Delete
    6. No I still consider it a sumo lift. Again, this is one of the few things I'm dogmatic on. I think deadlifting means feet inside your hands. The whole purpose of deadlifting in powerlifting, was to show back strength. Sumo pulling is used by women more often than not, because it brings in the hips and legs more and they tend to have a lot more strength in that area. Plus the ROM is severely cut down on. I just hate sumo deadlifts with a passion.

      Delete
    7. Fair play Paul. I can definitely see what you're saying and if you hate sumo, you hate sumo. However I believe when performed the way Coan performed it and from my own experience pulling that way, the range of motion really isn't shortened any substantial amount and back involvement isn't reduced a great deal either. I struggled with conventional for a long time (I have a very long torso and short limbs) and when I switched to modified, my back strength and size blew right up. Just my experience though.

      Delete
    8. That's the best thing about lifting. Finding your own way. The Coan sumo I don't have a terrible problem with. It's as close to conventional as a sumo lift can get.

      Delete
  10. For the podcast:
    Since you are gonna discuss Thibeadeau, who are the guys you actually respect at the strength traiing world? This can be authors, coaches, etc...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Paul I think you said you were going to buy Carbbackloading 1.0 by Kiefer.
    If you did....Would you recommend buying it for $90?
    Thanks for your opinion.
    A.J

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't yet. But I may. I feel like I have a handle on how to work this thing. I still research it daily.

      Delete
  12. Wendler wrote on his site that you can out-train your diet. Thought it was interesting. Got any general thoughts to expand on that?

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    1. I agree, but you have to be doing a shit ton of work. Like cardio twice a day most days, and then lifting. Eventually though you're going to get burnt....

      Delete
    2. The only real examples I've seen of this is guys who do manual labor. My dad didn't train or anything, but he was "dad strong" at ~160lbs. He was a drywall taper, plus always did stuff around the house. At night the dude crushed food. Big dinner followed by a couple huge glasses of milk and a stack of cookies with a piece of cake, or a massive bowl of ice cream with a stack of oreos. Only when he started approaching 55 did he put on a little weight.

      If you work a desk job, I just can't see how you'd ever burn enough calories daily to manage an awful diet, unless you're just one of those lucky dicks who can eat whatever and it doesn't matter.

      Delete
    3. that too......but they are working all day.

      Delete
  13. You wrote about a 6 day lifting week when you were young. I've got the whole summer to basically train my ass off during a summer session- given...there's no magic routine that'll make me a monster come august; but if you had all the time, opportunity, and consistency for balls to the wall work- after all you know now would you still recommend that? Or twice a day lifting? Big/small sessions? I feel like this summer will hopefully be my "everyone that grew at all had this type of lifting and eating". Thanks again for your input and work into all this man.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Paul,

    I'm having a lot of trouble finding a pain free bench setup. My shoulder doesn't seem to like anything I try. I recently came across this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5MikmvUMQs&feature=youtu.be&t=41s in which CT advocates shrugging up instead of "down" on the bench. I'm going to try it tonight, but was wondering if you had any thoughts on this? Thanks.

    Jake

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    Replies
    1. I think that Tibadouche shouldn't be teaching anyone how to bench with all the awful shit I saw going on in that kids technique and he never said a god damn word about it.

      If you're not going to compete in powerlifting, don't bench if it causes you pain.

      Delete
    2. Paul,
      Yall always talk about fucking girls and stuff, and how to make them squirt and shit. Well i need some help with my game bad. maybe yall could give me some advice. I'm not a bad looking dude, but i was a skinny geek in high school so i think i still got some of that shit left over. Any help would be gladly appreciated.
      Jason

      Delete
  15. I'd like to eventually do at least one comp. I'll just keep picking away at it and work more face pulls in. Hopefully it'll eventually click.

    By the way, wouldn't it be fucking hilarious if his accent was as fake as his tan?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If that's the case, just work on various techniques to see what works for you pain free. That's what I had to do.

      Delete
  16. Have you ever heard of George Leeman (geoleeman at yotube) and Bradley Castleberry ?

    The first squatted something in the upper 600's when he was 16 years old and deadlifts for reps ( sets of 10 and 9) in the low 700's and benches 500 for reps and 455 with a close-grip. The second squatted 765 at 20 years old I think, totally raw, zero equipment, not even a belt and he does shit like lateral raises for 20 with 70's. George Leeman is supposed to be natural ( he is 6'3 and 280 lean, when he previously was almost 400 pounds fat ). Castleberry markets himself as "Natural", but he doesn't look the part.

    Amazing how there are kids out there putting up raw totals most pros would envy that we never even heard of because they don't get time under the spotlight Pat Mendes occupies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can't be serious with this. Castleberry was outed as fake a long time ago. I know about Leeman. Strong kid. Castleberry's shit is fake as fuck though.

      Delete
    2. GL/Babyslayer toke Superdrol or something alike when he cut from obese to lean, he said so himself. Impressive as fuck regardless and seems like a cool dude, but he's not natural.

      Delete
    3. Dante Trudell swore Castleberry was natural ( but this was 2-3 years ago).

      Dante always striked me as an honest man, especially considering the man gave away $10.000 last year to some guy a friend of his ( not even an associate) scammed, just because it happened on his subforum.

      Delete
    4. Whether or not he was clean I don't know. I just know his lifts were bullshit fake.

      Delete
    5. Leeman is not natural and he doesn´t claim to be.
      Impressive as fuck regardless.

      Delete
  17. I'd love to hear yours and Jaime's thoughs on this one:

    Scientists create in a lab a clone with the perfect genetic make-up of the ultimate strength athlete, he basically has the best genes of all the strongest strength athletes out there. The scientists give you 1 million/year so that you are encharged with training the clone from young age to make him the ultimate human being. What would you do training/nutrition/everything wise ?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Paul,

    Would there be anyway to fit 2x weekly Olympic Lifting in with the new Big-15? I'm doing the lifts for competition (10 months, atm), but I'd like to get jacked as all hell by that time as well. Sincerely,

    Matt

    ReplyDelete
  19. I really like the question that Anonymous posted about who you guys respect in the strenght training world.

    Stupid question for the podcast time. If you two were professional wrestlers, what would your finishing move be? It could be one that's a real move (chokeslam, for instance) or something made up, like the dreaded awful waffle (early 90's kids tv show reference).

    John

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like this one.

      Expanding on this a bit, what would your wrestling "gimmick" be? What sort of character would you create?

      Delete
  20. The people that commented on Shawn Johnson's "fatness" are too funny- I'm sure the same people who talked shit about her were skinny-fat douchebags who have never accomplished anything in their lives. Shawn, on the other hand, won three silver medals and one gold medal in the Olympics after a life time of hard work. The same people that bash her for her "obesity" are the same ones that make excuses as to why both Jamie and yourself have been successful in your strength endeavors.

    Thanks to you guys for the great podcasts and for answering my questions about behind the neck presses during one of your shows.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think she looks hot as shit in the first pic. And it's always the people who have accomplished very little that are the greatest critics.

      But my point still stands. If you want your girl to lose weight, tell her she's fat.

      And no problem man.

      Delete
  21. Just like to comment that you talking with Jamie about his wide stance on DL's kind of hit a light bulb for me. Make me realize how long it's been since I tried to alter my deadlift form stance.

    Last workout was 225x5, 265x5, 305x5, 385 for 5 singles 30-60s rest.

    Not anything amazing but I'm getting there slowly making gains. The week before I couldn't even hit 3 singles of 385 with straps. Did it mixed grip this week. All because I brought in my feet stance! I felt so much more power....and the mixed grip felt WAY more comfortable. Held the last single for 20 seconds mixed grip when was failing with straps before.

    Good to hear some honest responses without all the crap out there. Look forward to your book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anytime I see a guy that is pulling conventional with a wide stance I wonder how he got in that position. It's a mechanically weak position to pull from for 99% of the lifting population.

      Delete
  22. What would you guys do for neck work if one cannot obtain one of those neck harness things?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Put a plate on your forehead, lie down on a bench, and do neck crunches. Great neck exercise.

      Delete
  23. Paul,

    Have you ever hurt your groin?

    I hurt mine doing (of all things) bodyweight squats with a little too wide a stance on vacation (just doing hundreds of reps of bw squats a week to try to make up for lack of access to weights) ...

    Anyways, when I came back I was hurting big time coming out of the whole even on light weights (20-70%).

    So I stopped squatting about a month ago, and only deadlifted about twice in that time to about 80% if that (groin started acting up) ... trying to get this bitch to heal.

    I'm pretty good on nutrition and supplementing with Vit C, MSM, Wobenzym, Glucosamine, and of course fish oil ...

    Layed off the squats and just focusing on bench/press stuff (along with some power cleans).

    Anyways, any idea of exercises to help this thing heal? I've never done the good girl/bad girl machine or anything -- I know I've seen it in your logs -- would that help you think?

    I've been focusing on walking more than usual and dragging the (light) sled, etc -- just trying to keep blood pumping in the area without overworkign the groin too much.

    Much appreciation for any ideas bro!

    Later,
    caleb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just train it like you would if you strained the adductor. Lots of good girl machine, and cossack squats. Supplementing with shit isn't going to help much. You need to restrengthen it.

      I had an adductor tear that took 6 months to heal. Don't be stupid, take your time.

      Delete
    2. Fuck. six months. Glad I asked I figured u had been down this long ass road before

      Delete
  24. fat bars / fat gripz. thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good idea. You can never have a grip too strong can you?

      Delete
  25. Hi Paul,
    Bought an ab roller about 6 months ago, never bothered with ab stuff usually, but I thought some extra work might make me less reliant on a belt. Thing is, my elbows get terrible terrible pain after a couple reps and I'm unable to continue, I have very long arms so this probably contributes, I like to come back to it every month or so to check it out, but it's always the sam. Any tips? ideas? Booya.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When you do em, what kind of path do your elbows travel in? Pointed down towards the floor, or out to the side?

      Delete
    2. I think they've been flaring out the sides a bit much, I just tried to tighten it all up like a close grip bench with more of a 45 degree angle, and it hurt a little less today. Does that sound right? I'll keep at 'em.
      There are tonnes of youtube tutorials but none seem to mention elbow pain. I'm stronger than the average bear and I see little bitches doing this thing all the time, so I must be doing something stupid.
      Anyway, thanks for the tip, you virile beast!

      Delete
    3. Try to keep em under you if you can.

      Delete
  26. thoughts on the slingshot? especially for people with shoulder issues and for raw lifters?

    http://howmuchyabench.net/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm interested in it actually. I may get one.

      Delete
    2. Just reading an old thread. I have one. I'm an extremely weak bencher. I also have some mental barriers with it.

      For me, so far, the thing I like most about it is it allows you to handle heavier weights very confidently. Every couple of weeks I've thrown in a couple of heavier sets after my raw work.

      However, I haven't been at it long enough to know how well it will actually translate. But it certainly isn't hurting anything.

      Delete
    3. Good to hear. I am going to get one more than likely.

      Delete
  27. Hi Paul,

    This is gonna be a stupid question. I've recently been on your shake diet for 2 months.

    BW 210lbs to 190lbs
    Waist 36-37" to 33"
    Lifts pretty much stayed the same but bench increased.

    I want to do a body recomp (drug free) but I've been hearing two sides of the story. I'm still not lean because I can't see my abs but some veins are started to appear on my delts, upper arms and I'm starting to see (minimal) muscle separation in my quads.

    Question: For a body recomp where I'm still interested in being as strong as possible (even though I'm aware that strength gains won't be maximized), should I be trying to drop more weight or is a body recomp possible if I stayed in the 180-190lbs range? Sorry for the long question! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congrats on the great gains for one.

      Just stick with what's working for now. Things will start to slow down a little as you get leaner. But stick with what's working. Don't make hasty changes.

      Delete
  28. Paul,

    first off: found your blog through Jim Wendler and i really like it! You guys have similar attitudes concerning getting strong.

    I read in the Raw Squat article here on your blog, that you should also do higher reps like 8,9,10 etc.

    So i trained with 531 , where you also do those in the first week normally (i guess you know the program). Now i switched to 531 for Powerlifting and i wanted to hear your opinion on that? Will that also work good for a raw lifter (i´m not doing the program for geared lifters, which are also discussed in the book, of course). So basically the 531 for PL just looks like that:

    week 1: 3x3 (last set all-out as in normal 531) + heavy singles
    week 2: 3x5 (NO all.out, different than 531 so no higher reps) NO singles
    week 3: 531 (last set all-out as in normal 531) + heavy singles
    week 4: Deload

    Thanks man, really appreciate your help!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Podcast:

    What's the leanest you or Jamie have ever been and how did you achieve it?

    ReplyDelete
  30. What's your opinion on incorporating strongman lifts in a routine? Log press in favor of a press, for instance. Or stone loading in favor of deadlifts or something.

    Beneficial or only for fun?

    ReplyDelete
  31. My question is

    'What 3 things would you and Jamie advise (in diet/training/whatever? a sufferer of THE BEETUS to do, to improve their health?'

    (assuming said Beetus sufferer is the typical overweight, inactive individual)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Paul, I'm 20 and training for absolute mass/size and strength ( I think both things walk hand in hand ).

    I have three problem however, I have too much free time ( can only sleep 3-4 hours night ) and I hate once-per-week splits. I tried training like Jaime but I just like to go to the gym with a plan otherwise I keep doing the lifts I love and forget about the stuff I suck at. Last problem is I'm a dickhead and can't put together a training plan.

    Could you give me some critique on this routine ? My main concern is overlapping exercises/bodyparts

    Day 1: Deads, Rows, horizontal pulling, biceps
    Day 2: Bench, chest work, overhead press, triceps
    Day 3: Cardio
    Day 4: Overhead, shoulder work, rack pulls, cleans and shrugs
    Day 5: Squat, Leg work,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you're after absolute mass and strength then why are you doing so much shit?

      Get strong as fuck on a few basic movements. bench, incline, squat, row, chin, curl.

      Then throw in some support work. 1 legged stuff, rear delts, abs, calves.

      3 big, 3 small. Eat a shit ton. This works.

      day 1 - press, pull
      day 2 - small workout
      day 3 - squat
      day 4 - small workout
      day 5 - press, pull
      day 6 - small workout

      the next week, squat twice, and press/pull once with three small workouts again.

      Delete
  33. Paul,

    How did you get your daughter interested in lifting?

    Aaron

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lOL interesting story. She got in a little bit of trouble of school. And I grounded her, took the laptop away, phone away, etc and told her for the next couple of months she was going to be glued to my hip, and that meant training with me. She loved it and wanted to keep training.

      Delete
  34. Here's my question for this week. So, Paul (and Jamie), how about them Game of Thrones? Have you watched it/read the books yet? What do you think of it? Favorite characters/scenes?

    Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire is a big favorite of mine, the TV series and the books both. I know you're into fantasy, since you wrote a fantasy novel yourself, and Game of Thrones seems like the kind of thing that would appeal to Jamie based on the copious amounts of violence and sex in it, not to mention the fact that George R.R. Martin is a first rank wordsmith who can really turn a phrase.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love GOT. Read some of it, but I didn't want to get too far ahead because I'm loving the show.

      Obviously Tyrion is a fave, but there's not really any characters that don't interest me.

      And yes, GM is a fucking phenomenal writer and I think they have done a great job of putting his words to screen.

      Delete
  35. Fortunately, I've never had one of those. Not anything serious in my back, anyway.

    I'm glad I can't speak from experience on this one.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Question for the podcast. Do you feel bulking and getting muscularly large has impacted your speed and flexibility negatively as alluded to in this clip:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qNQD4B4b9o&feature=relmfu

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hey Paul! Question man, for a person who hasn't really setup a sprint workout..how would you go about it? Meaning, how many times/week for how many sprints would you start off with?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wouldn't. I'd start with steady state work 4 X a week for 2 weeks, then mix in a day of 50% sprints after that once a week the first week. 10 of em for 40-60 yards. then 2X the next week for two weeks, then 3x a week max after that.

      Delete
  38. What are your thoughts on training for strength endurance events/sports such as kettlebell sport OR the Dragan Challenge while maintaining or building maximal strength?

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    1. I think one is going to eventually take a backseat to the other. You can't serve two masters. In this case, strength endurance and maximal strength.

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  39. Hey Paul, just a quick question. How bad is my knee cave? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CUtVHxtqYA&list=UUPaBlDZ-jJZKS1ISHWGhnKw&index=1&feature=plcp

    I read you post on developing raw squat and I'm definitely gonna implement some of the exercises you recommend.

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    1. It's not awful but your glutes are def weak.

      Your elbow angle and upperback probably need to be fixed. You're squeezed too tightly together back there, and not in a good way.

      I also love the camera angle, where I get to look straight up your asshole.

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  40. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  41. Are the percentages correct for the first week of each deadlift phase in the strong-15? Suppose to start at 40% versus 50% in the following week? Thanks.

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  42. Paul, quick question about Rows.

    I absolutely hate barbell rows, of any kind: Pendlay rows, yates rows, reverse grip, whatever. I'm perfectly fine with dumbbell rows however, I feel more in control with them. The only reason I still do barbell rows is because I've heard and read from so many people that barbell rows are a necessity for shoulder health and adding mass to your back. These same folks say that dumbbells are ineffective and you can't use as much weight as you could a barbell.

    My question is: Should I keep doing barbell rows, replace them with dumbbells, or will Chins, Cleans, and deadlifts be enough to get my back strong and massive?

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    1. I hate barbell rows. Makes my back feel jacked up to shit.

      Do the movements that you can actually FEEL best, i.e. you can make your lats and rhomboids do the work. Cheating and sloppy rows are bullshit and should be left to dumbasses to mock in the gym. Vince Urbank does barbell rows with 135 pounds and has a 900+ deadlift. His reasoning is the same as mine. You use rows to build your midback and lats. You don't need a shit load of weight to make this happen if you actually make the lats and mid back work.

      My fave is actually cable rows. I feel those in my mid back and lats more than anything else.

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  43. Hey Paul,

    you look awesome and are strong, are there any pics of you, where you show your abs? May sound like weird question maybe, i know (no homo!), but i´m not sure how good in shape i am compared...

    Thanks, keep going your very interestig blog!

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    1. First, yes all over the blog.

      Second, why are you trying to compare yourself to me? This is the kind of thing I've written about over and over again. Not worrying about what other people lift, or look like. Did you read the Ode I wrote to Jim? Or any of my other articles where I talk about this very thing?

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  44. Sorry, i think that didn´t sound like what i was trying to say...i am NOT comparing me to anyone, i don´t care if anyone else looks better/is stronger than me.

    It was just for the purpose to get an idea! of what in shape means (only looking at the aesthetic aspect), because i really can´t rate myself...

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    1. Just get your bodyfat tested and see where you are.

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  45. Hey Paul,

    i got a nutritional question for your. There´s SO much sh*t and information going through the net, it gives me headaches man...i hate following any "programs", but rather follow some basic guidlines. I made some for myself and would like to hear, if they make sense or if i should probably change something. Here we go:

    - only consume good food (lean protein, good fats, low gi carbs, i guess you know what i mean)
    - lots of veggies
    - some fruit
    - eat like every 2-4 hours
    - only non-calorie drinks
    - carbs on training days only before and after training (and in the morning too? first question to you here)
    - on off days no carb source (except veggies/fruits) should i take carbs in the morning here or leave them away?

    So a training day could look like that:
    - morning: (see above, not sure if protein + fat or protein + carbs)
    - forenoon: protein + fat
    - lunch: protein + fat
    - late afternoon (pre workout meal): carbs + protein
    Then going to train
    - post workout shake: carbs + protein
    - evening (post workout meal): carbs + protein

    Example for Off days:
    - morning: (same as on on-days: carbs + protein or fat + protein?)
    - forenoon: protein + fat
    - lunch: protein + fat
    - afternoon: protein + fat
    - evening: protein + fat
    - late evening: protein + fat

    What do you think? Would you change anything? Would like to hear your thoughts (esp. on the "what to you eat in the morning" question). I oriented myself by John Berardis 7 rules of good nutrition...

    Thanks for your answer, appreciate it!
    -

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    1. Check my "getting jacked" lift-run-bang diet. Exactly what you want to know.

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  46. Paul,

    just read the diet-article, looks really good. I´ll definitley give it a try!

    I don´t count calories, but just calculated roughly the calories and macros.

    All in all on training days i would be around 3800 calories/400g carbs/90g fat/340g prot. and on off days about 3000kcal/270g carbs/100g fats/270g prot. Isn´t that a bit too much for a guy like me, who weighs around 83kg ( dieted down from 91kg)?

    I didn´t take really large portions, so for example my breakfast would consist of 80g oats, 30g whey, banana and 200ml skim milk. The high Carb pre-workout meal was 100g brown rice, chicken, veggies (+some oil for cooking)...

    What do you think?

    Thanks man!

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    1. I personally don't like high carb pre workout. Makes me feel sluggish.

      Diet is something you are going to need to experiment with. Just like I'm having to do with my carb backloading, and Keifer even says that. And he's a physicist.

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  47. yeah, i´ll just need to try and adjust the amounts. How much weight do you generally target when trying to gain lean gains?

    And one last question: in your powst workout meal you´re writing, that you don´t like high Gi carbs like malto/dextro etc. In the example it is said, that the pwo should consist of high prot/med. carbs/low fat. So what do you take/eat here? Only Whey+milk?

    That´s what i mean:

    "Post-Workout - High Protein / Medium Carb / Low to Medium Fat -
    Protein Sources - Whey or Egg Protein, Milk (skim to whole), Egg Whites or Whole Egg
    Carb Sources - Naturally occurring carbs in milk and foods
    Fat Sources - Naturally occurring"

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    1. Basically, a good guideline is like so.....

      get in the usual 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.

      from there, I just play with carbs and fats. If I want to gain, I just up carbs and bring down fats. If I want to lean up, I lower carbs and up fats, but try to get into the 2500 range. I can generally maintain my weight (245-250) on 2800 calories a day. I'm not normal in regards to this however. Most guys my size need a shit ton of calories to maintain that.

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  48. haha yeah that doesn´t sound like that much calories for a guy like your size!

    But what is with the pwo question? Still not sure what to have there.

    Thanks for all your patience and help Paul, awesome stuff

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    1. Dude that stuff will not make or break your progress. Stop overthinking pre workout and post workout. Just eat.

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  49. Pul, got some tips on improving calves? Yours are incredible!

    By the way: do you shave your legs?

    Greetz!

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    1. Yeah, get fat for two years and stay fat. I had shit calves for years and then I got up to 275-280 and was fat for a while, and they got huge. when I dieted back down, they just stayed. I never did anything special for them during that time than the usual calf work I had always done.

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  50. I just purchased your training philosphy and I really enjoyed it. I am going to try one of the templates shortly. I am a letter carrier and walk 7-8 miles a day, six days a week. So, obviously a shit-ton of steady state cardio. Do you think this should alter how many days per week I should train using your Big/Strong 15?
    Thanks,
    Ferch

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    1. I'd go with two big sessions a week with 1-2 small ones if you can handle it. Obviously no cardio is needed.

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  51. What is your opinion on trap bar deadlifts? Like em? High handle or low handle? Good for shrugs?

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    1. Solid alternative movement for squats and deads. Good for adding in some more heavy pulling in case the low back needs more of a break.

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  52. little late but:

    1. How often would you go for a real 95%+ Grinder if you probably won´t compete in the near future?
    2. I´ve pushed my close grip bench pretty hard for ~20weeks. Now I feel uncomfortable benching wide and my close grip is becoming stronger than regular (and it feels way better / fluid). Some 405+lbs raw benchers told me I should still go back to wide benching to bring the chest back into the movement. What´s your thought on that?
    Do you do extrawork for your chest - since you bench mainly close? What exercices do you prepare to supplement the close bench?

    peace

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    1. 1. Just when I feel strong, like a PR is there.

      2. Whoever told you that is fucking dumb. You're telling me the chest doesn't work during close grips? Tell them I said they are fully retarded.

      Even from a scientific standpoint, we already know through EMG analysis that the pecs don't fire any different for the most part, from a close, medium, or wide grip. We do know that the triceps fire harder with a close grip however. So you're getting more bang for your buck. Guys who speak that kind of broscience, talking about bodyparts related to grip width, should be avoided for the most part.

      "Contrary to popular belief, a wider grip does not stress the pectorals more than a closer grip, although the triceps are recruited to a much greater degree with a narrower grip due to the greater vertical displacement of the bar."

      Study - Madsen, N., and T.M. McLaughlin. Kinematic factors influencing sports performance and injury risk in the bench press exercise. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 16:376-381. 1984.

      I don't think about "bodyparts". I think about movement. If I think about a bodypart it's usually for injury prevention.

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