5th time - Not a Charm!

The WNBF Worlds was held on November 9, 2013 at Worcester State University. I walked away from the contest with my 5th LW World title, but lost a very close (1 point) decision to the MW winner, Shevon Cunningham for the overall title. A total of 33 pro men showed up to vie for the World title, and the lightweight class was probably the most competitive of all. Each of the top 5 in the LW class had either won a pro show or won their class at a pro show, something no other class could claim. I managed to get unanimous first-place votes in the class for the second straight year, which to me was very impressive since two very good WNBF pro show winners (Levi Burge and Francisco Montealegre) were standing right beside me during most of prejudging. Shevon, the overall winner, was fantastic – dense muscle all over, with a great structure – and in the best shape I’ve ever seen him in. It was a hard fought battle during the overall, but he managed to beat me when I felt I was at my best and get 4 votes to my 3. Congrats Shevon!

Again I was very pleased with the improvements I made to my physique over the past year. A big thanks to Mike Zourdos, whose programming helped me to keep more muscle than I’ve ever had onstage. I will try to get a full write-up on the event soon.

Here is a picture of the 4 class winners battling it out in the overall:

Abraham Tchabe (HW), Shevon Cunningham (MW and Overall), Brian Whitacre (LW), Mark Oakes (BW)

Also a shot from  my routine during the night show:

And a pretty good video of most of the overall mandatories and posedown:

Layne Norton's VIP Camp Part II: Another Incredible Event!

I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in Layne Norton's VIP Camp in late June this year. Last year's camp was amazing, and introduced me to some of the best scientists in the U.S. in the field of hypertrophy and bodybuilding nutrition. This year's camp promised to be even better, with the addition of Dr. Joe Klemczewski and perhaps the most decorated natural bodybuilder in history, Philip Ricardo Jr.

The campers (which included people from all over the globe - and quite a few from Australia) and pros all met up in Tampa on a Thursday evening. It was great to see so many familiar faces from the natural bodybuilding world, and Layne and his wife Isabel once again did an outstanding job planning out all the events and making sure everything ran smoothly. This was no small feat considering that Isabel was about 8 months pregnant! After a group dinner on Thursday night, it was time to get down to business on Friday. I was partnered with some intense Australians who both set PRs as we squatted and deadlifted, and I was happy with a 425 x 5 squat on my last set that day.

Friday afternoon was spent on campus at the University of Tampa in Dr. Jake Wilson's lab, taking quad measurements and listening to awesome lectures about the latest news in the world of bodybuilding science. I was particularly impressed with Dr. Wilson's recent research on the benefits of band / chain training as well as incorporating a varied version of "extreme stretching" into your training routine. I will be thinking quite a bit more about the best way to include these in my current split. The campers were also lucky to hear more about Daily Undulating Periodization from Ben Esgro, recent studies into the benefits of a ketogenic diet from Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, and an awesome look into the mindset of one of the most promising young bodybuilders out there, Ryan Doris. Of course Dr. Joe's famous lecture on "Perfect Peaking" went over well, and my own lecture on "A Visual Progression of Dieting" walked the campers through the changes in my physique as I diet down into contest shape.

Again, the science and analytical way of thinking about bodybuilding is what sets this camp apart from all others like it. Layne is to be commended for recognizing the demand for this type of event.

Saturday and Sunday were also filled with some incredible lifts (including Layne's 675 x 3 sumo deadlift!) and great Q&A sessions as the campers picked the brains of people like Layne, Dr. Joe, Dr. Wilson, Philip Ricardo Jr. Dave Goodin, and Alberto Nunez.

I chose to save my deadlift session for Sunday when I was able to accomplish perhaps my most impressive lifts to date...

Here is a video of my 605 x 5 sumo deadlift:

And another of my 635 x 2: 

I am amazed to say this but I think I had a little more in me! That kind of atmosphere is just awesome, everyone was cheering each PR attempt and the intensity / comradarie was inspiring to say the least. Here is a nice compilation video of some of the other lifts from the camp, and another one featuring the amazing Philip Ricardo Jr. interviewing me about the camp.

Great job Layne and Isabel! Thanks to everyone who participated. I am already looking forward to coming back next year!!

Kurt Weidner article: Slow and Steady Progress

My good friend Kurt Weidner authored the article below and posted it to his site. I thought it was outstanding, and offers some insight into the mindset of a natural bodybuilder as his career evolves.

Plus, the link between economics and bodybuilding is fantastic! I've always thought it was interesting that Doug Miller, Kurt Weidner, and myself hold economics degrees...now if I could just deadlift 500 x 20 like those guys.

- Me and Kurt backstage at the 2012 WNBF Worlds

When I was in my twenties, progress in terms of muscular development and strength was easy to come by. For instance, I would have periods where I was able to set PRs every single week in the gym. There were several factors that contributed to this. First, as a young amateur competitor, there was plenty of room for improvement. Second, my body’s recovery capability at that point in my life was exceptional. Lastly, I had not yet sustained as much long term wear and tear on my tendons and joints, so nothing was ever interfering with my ability to train with maximum intensity. In other words, it was easier to enable muscle growth regardless of what approach I took, as long as I maximized my input.

At 37 years old, having trained for over 20 years, improvements to my physique come at a much steeper price. I once taught Economics and I can therefore parallel this idea to the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns. This law states that with other inputs fixed in the short run, as you increase the variable input, total output will increase, but at a decreasing rate (this is typically used to analyze the effects on output of an increase in labor in the short run while capital remains fixed). This can otherwise be termed as declining marginal productivity. This is similar to what I have experienced over the course of my bodybuilding career. As I have continued to allocate more resources towards the relentless pursuit of excellence in improving my physique, greater and greater inputs have yielded smaller results over my sixteen year bodybuilding career.

There are, however, two things to realize here. First off, even though progress increases at a decreasing rate over time, it still continues to increase as long as you’re keeping up with input. Second, the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns is specific to the short run where other inputs such as capital are fixed. In Economics, this can be offset by changes in physical and intellectual capital, technology, etc. in the long run, which enables greater output with the same level of input. This means periodic enhancements of the capital infrastructure can reset the equation.

So how does this translate to bodybuilding and making progress with one’s physique? In the long run with training, more inputs become variable as well (rather than fixed). These include: access to new information, implementation of new training and nutritional methodologies, use of new equipment and implementation of new exercises or new approaches to the same exercises. Just as companies must adapt in order to increase the production possibilities frontier, we as physique athletes must adapt our approaches to continue pushing the limits of our genetic potential.

There are two important points to recognize here: First, long run total output is the product of consistent input over a long period of time. Second, one must recognize when short run output potential has been maximized (marginal cost = marginal benefit) and be open-minded enough to adapt and manipulate other variables (implementation of new methodologies, exercises, etc). The bottom line is that while effort is important, it is not enough to make you a successful competitor in the second and third decade of your career. It’s not always about training harder…sometimes you need to train smarter. Applying ridiculous levels of effort with the same old methods will not only stop yielding positive results, but can actually detract from total output (consistent with the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns, which states that at a point increasing input in the short term will yield negative returns). It’s easy to make progress in the early years of your career. Continuing to make gains in the later years, when you’re approaching your theoretical genetic potential, requires periodic innovation. When you look at the upper echelon of competitive natural bodybuilding, the margins that decipher between the top pros get smaller and smaller. The great ones are those who find a way to continue to improve!

Training is the Easy Part

Below is an article I wrote (with the above title) that was recently published in the WNBF's newsletter Pro Natural Muscle. I think it does a good job of breaking down the mental component associated with natural bodybuilding.

Most people taking the time to read this article have been through the rigors of preparing for a bodybuilding or figure contest.  You are already significantly more dedicated than the vast majority of gym-goers, not to mention the legions of people who neglect their health altogether.   To those on the outside, it certainly appears that the most difficult aspect of what we do is the time spent in the gym – straining, sweating, pushing ourselves out of the dreaded comfort zone.  The true competitor knows, however, that the training is the easy part.  It is the other 23 hours in the day, when we must mesh our “real lives” with this hobby that we dedicate ourselves to, that represent the most challenging aspect of being a competitive bodybuilder.

The psychological component of bodybuilding is without question the most difficult part of competing – and is often what separates winners from losers.  It is simply not easy to have to regulate every gram of food that goes into your mouth for months on end without fail.  Maintaining high energy levels and a positive attitude in other aspects of your life can be extremely challenging as the diet continues, and body fat is stripped away.  Many competitors find their personal lives suffering as the contest gets closer, with most of their attention focused on that single day in the future when they hope that all of their hard work will be rewarded.

I have competed in the WNBF World Championships for 6 out of the last 7 years.  While I have enjoyed some measure of success in these shows, I am certainly not immune from the psychological challenges that are associated with our sport.  I would like to offer some perspective on this topic by focusing not on the specifics of training / diet (let’s face it, there are lots of bodybuilding articles written about that) but instead on the mental facet associated with competing.  I believe that several elements of my own contest prep might resonate with other competitors out there, including my approach to dieting (26 weeks without a cheat meal), having a demanding real-world job (professor), and family commitments (happily married with 1st child born last year).

When you prep for a contest over a relatively long period of time, there are bound to be instances where your job or family life interrupts even the best-laid plans.  Plane travel for work (often without access to a decent gym) or an unplanned sickness in the family (including you!) can disrupt the carefully crafted routine of the competitive bodybuilder.   In times like this, I revert to what economists call “constrained optimization.”  That is, I want to optimize every aspect of my contest prep, SUBJECT TO other constraints such as work or family that are frankly much more important to me than any bodybuilding show will ever be.   Is it optimal to train in a hotel gym?  Absolutely not.  Is it the best I can do given my work commitments?  Yes.  Along a similar vein, is it optimal to eat completely clean foods that I have prepped myself when traveling?  Yes.  Is it feasible to do so when traveling for 4-5 days at a time?  I argue yes, and have just about perfected the art of bringing 4-5 days worth of food in a carry-on cooler.  Prepping 2 weeks’ worth of contest food in one weekend is not uncommon in such instances.  On the other hand, is it optimal (in bodybuilding term) to miss a scheduled workout when your child or spouse is sick and needs you at home?  No, but any bodybuilder who chooses the workout over family has their priorities messed up.  SUBJECT TO the commitment you make to your family, optimize your workouts / meals in the best way you can – maybe that means working with your family to re-schedule your workouts the rest of the week.

One of my rules of thumb regarding contest prep is that something will ALWAYS go wrong at some point.  So, don’t freak out!  How you respond in such circumstances speaks volumes about you as a person and competitor.  I have gotten to the point where I actually look forward to something going wrong during prep, and would rather have it happen earlier rather than later.  After doing my best to overcome the obstacle, I relax a bit and push forward knowing that the worst is behind me.

For me, the first couple of months of dieting are relatively easy.  The only frustrating part is the desire to get lean quickly but knowing that a slow and steady process generates better results.  If I am picture perfect with my diet for 20 weeks, I am getting close…but not where I need to be.  At that point, the dieting becomes more difficult.  The low carb days, combined with continued low fat intake (and resulting low testosterone levels) will challenge the mindset of even the most seasoned competitor.   You can find yourself quickly frustrated with co-workers, friends, and family members who just don’t comprehend the demands you are placing on yourself and the extreme sacrifices you are making.

As you approach this point, it is essential to take a step back and re-evaluate your priorities.  If you almost snap at someone for simply talking about their lunch plans or continuously mentioning how full they are, take a deep breath and remind yourself that YOU and YOU ALONE are responsible for what you’re putting yourself through.  No one, and particularly not your loved ones, should have to suffer alongside you as you prep.  If you constantly call attention to how meticulous you have to be on your diet, or are always moody on low carb days, you will quickly have people around you hating the fact that you compete, and wishing you didn’t.  That is not an ideal setup for longevity in this sport.

I love natural bodybuilding because it requires both physical and mental strength.  Push yourself to the edge in both components – but not over it.

Working with a Ph.D. in D.U.P.

For the last several months, I have been working with Dr. Mike Zourdos on my weekly workout split. I met Dr. Zourdos at Layne Norton's natural bodybuilding camp last year and was impressed with not only his research on optimal training programs but also the fact that he practices exactly what he preaches (here is a video of Mike with a competition squat of over 500 lbs at a bodyweight of 178). Mike is an expert on Daily Undulating Periodization (D.U.P.) which he explains very well here. Prior to working with Mike, I trained for over 15 years in a manner that most bodybuilders do: pushing myself to failure (or close to it) on just about every set. Mike's presentation made me re-think things a bit, and after experimenting with D.U.P. on my own during my contest prep last year (see my post in this blog dated 8.14.12), I wanted a bit more guidance and insight.

I don't want to discuss the details of the split out of respect to Mike (he typically charges a nominal fee to design a program), but suffice it to say that I am squatting 3x per week and have seen significant increases in strength over just the past 2-3 months. I am no longer pushing myself to failure on every set, instead working through power / hypertrophy / strength days for the "big lifts:" squat, deadlift, and bench. Each day is still challenging, as the remaining lifts are structured to push you to perform (the supersets are particularly brutal). I have not touched a machine during this entire period - the whole system is focused on compound lifts. After training for 15+ years (and suffering through some extremely tough leg workouts), I didn't think I would see a sizable jump in my squat after just 2-3 months on the program...but I did. I have also switched to pulling traditional (vs. sumo) in an attempt to improve my back thickness. Here is a 545-lb pull before I started working with Dr. Zourdos, and also a 425-lb squat for which Mike called me out for not going low enough. These were taken just a few weeks after WNBF Worlds last year. My form on both lifts has improved dramatically. A few weeks ago I squatted 405 x 7 - all at "good" depth.

545 lb Conventional Deadlift (12-14-12)

425 lb Squat - not to depth (12-14-12)

I am not a powerlifter, so I will reserve final judgement on this program until I diet down again. At this point in my natural bodybuilding "career" I certainly don't expect to be adding pounds of muscle between contests. However, I am proud of the fact that I have continually made improvements to my physique over time, and hope that this latest change will help me continue that trend. Thanks Dr. Z for helping me to think outside the box and continue pushing for improvement!

Progressing as a Natural Bodybuilder

Most non-bodybuilders would look at the picture below and say that the two pictures look exactly the same. Those who compete, however, should be able to recognize the differences in the physiques. I spent the better part of two years crafting out the minor differences seen here. In the natural bodybuilding world, changes are going to come VERY SLOWLY - especially if you are getting up there in age (like me!). These 1-week out shots from 2012 and 2010 hopefully show that improvements can be made even by lifetime natural competitors approaching 40!

2012 WNBF Worlds Write-up

My write-up of the 2012 WNBF Worlds is now posted in the gallery.

Returning to the WNBF Worlds Stage: Now a 4x LW World Champ!

On November 10, 2012 I returned to the WNBF stage after taking the past 2 years off from competing.  This year’s contest was held at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.  Originally thinking I would be in the Middleweight class, I weighed in about a pound and a half over the Lightweight cutoff of 165 lbs.  After waiting about an hour to take my polygraph test (and peeing multiple times), I weighed in again and made the LW cutoff.  I felt very confident going into the show, and ended up winning the LW class of 12 competitors with perfect scores from all 7 judges.  This is something I had not accomplished before, and am very proud of.  In the overall, I found myself up against the massive Middleweight from Australia, Hayzer Cayli, and the even bigger Heavyweight from the U.K., Richard Gozdecki (last year’s overall winner). The crowd was truly amazing during the fight for the overall title, with the Aussie, English, and U.S. contingencies cheering on their man!  In the end Hayzer Cayli’s massive quads, thick back, and dramatically improved condition earned him a well-deserved overall World title.  Both Hayzer and Rich are very down to earth people, and I’m proud to call them friends.  Hayzer and I chatted for quite a while before the morning show – as soon as I saw him putting his color on I knew he’d be tough to beat.  It was a unanimous decision for Hayzer, making his win even more impressive.  I was surprised but pleased to learn that I had garnered 6 of the 7 2nd place votes in the overall, meaning that I had gotten the better of last year’s overall champ. This was no small task considering that Rich weighed in at nearly 230 lbs, was in true contest shape, and has now beaten the always-impressive Martin Daniels 2 years in a row.

I was very pleased with the result of my longest off-season to date, and I got multiple comments from the judges about the marked improvements I made over that time. I have now won 4 class titles at the WNBF World Championships, more than any other male athlete in WNBF history. I will try to get a full write-up of the show completed soon, but for now, here is a picture taken right after the end of the show:

Contest Prep Essentials: Food Prep

One of the things I pride myself on is being as efficient as possible with my food prep when I diet for a contest. I thought I would share the basic steps that I go through each week. I typically do my shopping on Saturdays and some minor food prep on Saturday night after my daughter goes to bed (cutting fat off chicken, making rice). Sunday morning is when most of the food prep is done:

Here is my grill with roughly a week's worth of chicken and tilapia:


















Here is pretty much all of the food I'll eat in a given week, although I usually have to make more rice during the week:

And this is what I grab before I leave for cardio / work every morning:

I typically eat a tilapia / chicken & broccoli meal with the family when I get home around 6:15, and my last meal of the day is usually egg whites + whey.

In my opinion, food prep is the least desirable part of contest prep. I try to make it as painless as possible in true economist fashion - by being efficient.

Looking forward to the home stretch of this contest prep!

An Updated Cardio Regime

As I mentioned in my recent interview on Natty Talk Radio (see post below), I have reconfigured my cardio routine during my contest prep this year. Most of the changes I made are based on research presented at Layne Norton's fantasy camp, namely several studies by Jacob Wilson at the University of Tampa. In prior years, I have incorporated mostly steady-state cardio during my contest prep, walking for 15-20 minutes on an incline treadmill (making sure not to hold the handles! - that is a pet peeve of mine). I did some high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but typically only when I felt fat loss had stagnated. After reviewing the research presented by Dr. Wilson, however, I am incorporating more HIIT cardio this year, and doing a version of it I never had before - on the stationary bicycle.

The studies on concurrent (cardio + weightlifting) vs. resistance (only weightlifting) training have some basic and expected findings: Dolozel et al. (1998) found that concurrent training significantly reduced bodyfat compared to a resistance only group, while Wilson et al. (2011) performed a meta-analysis of 21 studies to demonstrate that concurrent training leads to decreases in strength, power, and hypertrophy. To try to minimize this loss, the Wilson et al. study compared hypertrophy, strength, and power changes among three distrinct groups of athletes: 1) those who performed running as their cardio (and also lifted), 2) those who performed cycling as their cardio (and also lifted), and 3) those who only lifted (no cardio). As expected, the resistance training only group had the largest gains in strength, power, and hypertrophy, ...BUT those performing cycling as their cardio outgained those that performed running. This same Wilson study also demonstrated that the biggest "bump" for fat loss occurs when heart rate reaches 81 - 90% of its max, which does not happen with steady state cardio but does occur under HIIT. Similar results were found in Balibinis et al. (2003) study on NCAA basketball players who trained with a variety of cardio workouts.

So, what am I doing this time around?

• 2x a week: Cycling HIIT
• 15 minute session: 6 30s all-out sprints, followed by 2.5 minutes slow pedaling
• 1 x a week: Car pushes
• 6 30s pushes, 4-5 min rest in between

I'm also doing SOME low-intensity cardio, as well as some blood flow restricted cardio (which is pretty fun!)

I'll touch on my current diet in a later post

Interview on Natty Talk Radio

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed on Natty Talk Radio by co-hosts Zakary Walizadeh and Brett Freeman. We talked about quite a bit - from my contest plans for the year, to who I think are the "best of the best" natural bodybuilders in both the WNBF and IFPA, to my experience at Layne Norton's fantasy camp (and the changes to my contest prep that I made based on what I learned there), to how my prep has changed now that I have a daughter. Thanks guys for the awesome interview! It's fantastic that people are going the extra mile to get natural bodybuilding some exposure - great job Zak and Brett. You can check the full episode out here.

An Updated Workout Split based on Science

After participating in Layne Norton's Natural Bodybuilding and Figure camp last month, I was inspired to develop a new workout split based on some of the research that was discussed. In particular, Dr. Mike Zourdos gave a great talk on "Optimizing Periodization and Program Design for Hypertrophic Adaptations." He discussed the idea of Daily Undulating Periodization, which basically focuses on a different rep scheme incorporated for a particular bodypart multiple times a week. Some of the research he referenced was Willoughby (1993) who found that a linear periodization program resulted in significant increases in strength compared to non-periodized programs, and Peterson (2008) who used 14 well-trained firefighters to demonstrate that undulated training resulted in significant improvements in strength and power output versus linear periodization. Dr. Zourdas actually proposed a 6-day per week split, focusing on 2 primary bodyparts, each of which was hit 3x per week. One workout would focus on hypertrophy (maybe 4 sets of 12 reps), one would focus on strength (maybe 5 sets of 8 reps) and one would focus on power (6 sets of 4 reps). This was a dramatic change from the typical one-body-part per day, each body part one time per week bodybuilding split that I had been following variations of for the past 8-9 years. The thought of squatting 3x per week was somewhat intimidating!

After thinking it over for quite a while and tweaking the proposed split to have more of a bodybuilding focus, here is what I came up with:

• Monday: Upper Hypertrophy
• Tuesday: Lower Power
• Wednesday: OFF
• Thursday: Upper Strength
• Friday: Lower Hypertrophy
• Saturday: Upper Hypertrophy
• Sunday: OFF

With this split, I'm squatting twice a week and hitting most upper body muscle groups 3x per week. It was tough the first week or two, but as Dr. Zourdas made clear, the body quickly adjusts and my strength has been surprisingly good. Below are some example lifts that I would do on each day:

• Monday
• Incline Dumbell Press: 4 sets of 15
• Lying Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 15
• Pull-ups: 3 sets of 15
• Bicep curls: 3 sets of 15
• Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 15
• Tuesday
• Squats: 5 sets of 6
• Leg Press: 4 sets of 8
• Stiff-legged Deads: 4 sets of 8
• Lying leg curls: 3 sets of 8
• Calf raises (2 exercises): 3 sets of 8 each
• Thursday
• Incline Dumbell Press: 5 sets of 8
• Seated rows: 3 sets of 8
• Tricep pushdowns: 3 sets of 8
• Upright rows: 3 sets of 8
• Barbell curls: 3 sets of 8
• Friday
• Squats: 5 sets of 15
• Leg Press: 4 sets of 15
• Lying leg curls: 3 sets of 15
• Glute-ham raise: 3 sets of 12
• Calf raises (2 exercises): 3 sets of 15 each
• Saturday
• Similar to Monday but different exercises

The following Monday would begin with a strength-oriented workout for the upper body. Thus, my hypertrophy / power / strength ratio for the upper body is 2:1:1. The idea is to incorporate more hypertrophy workouts in an effort to focus a bit more on muscle growth while allowing for training specific to power and strength. So far I have to say I am a pretty big fan of this split. I look forward to every leg day and feel like I am making good progress on upper days as well. I will re-assess this split in another month or so, but for now I am pleased with the results.

An Awesome Time at Layne Norton's VIP Camp!

I was fortunate enough to participate in Layne Norton's Natural Bodybuilding and Figure camp held in Tampa, FL a couple of weekends ago. It was just an incredible experience - Layne invited some of the top natural bodybuilders around, including Dave Goodin, Francisco Montealegre, John Hansen, Alberto Nunez and more. The campers got to train with the pros for three straight days, and we had some great workouts. The best part, though, was sitting through a series of seminars given by some of the best scientists doing work related to bodybuilding. This stuff was simply awesome - I listened to Dr. Jacob Wilson talk about HMB supplementation and his most recent studies regarding maintaining strength while dieting, Dr. Dominic D'Agostino talk about some of his relevant work on ketogenesis, Dr. Mike Zourdas describe optimal workout splits using non-linear periodization, Ben Esgro give an overview of the most useful bodybuilding supplements, and two Ph.D. students right down the road from me at that OTHER University in the state, Jeremy Loenneke and Chris Fahs, talk about their research on blood flow restriction. A lot of the studies referenced were still under peer review and hadn't officially seen publication yet - giving the campers a preliminary look at some of the most innovative research related to bodybuilding that anyone in the country is doing. This science-based approach to a bodybuilding camp was incredibly unique (we all even got our quad muscle density tested by Dr. Wilson's lab at the University of Tampa), and everyone who attended (including me) has really had no choice but to re-think some of their approaches to how they prepare for contests. I have since re-structured my workout split based on what I learned from Dr. Zourdas, have changed the way I incorporate blood flow restriction training (don't call it occlusion training!), and am reworking my approach to cardio. I'll try to discuss some of these in future blog posts.

One of the things that impressed me most about the camp was that even though Layne himself has a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences, and makes his living as a contest prep coach (or, as he prefers, "physique architect"), he included many people in the camp with ideas contrary to his, or, like me, have never used him for contest prep. Letting the attendees see the different ways in which many of the pros approach their off-season or how they construct their own diet was extremely useful for everyone.

Congrats to Layne and his wife Isabel on a job well done, and a big thanks to all attendees and pros / experts who made the camp so special. Although it was tough to be away from my little girl for 4 days, it was an awe-inspiring time and I look forward to going back in future years if they'll have me.

For me personally at the camp, I gave a talk about how to mesh contest prep with real life, based on my experiences between 2006-2010 when I competed at the WNBF Worlds each year while going through the tenure process at OSU. It seemed to be very well received. I also managed to set a PR in the sumo deadlift, getting 585x3. I hope to get a video of that posted on here soon. Here are some pics from the camp:

Some of the Pros / Experts


Ben Esgro lecturing about bodybuilding supplements



585 x 3!

My Take on Occlusion Training

Over the past year or so, I have done a reasonable amount of reading on the topic of occlusion training. The basic idea is that muscular hypertrophy can result from restricting blood flow to a particular body part and performing low-weight repititions. This idea originated in Japan, where researchers use a specialized device called a Kaatsu to control exactly how much pressure was applied to the body part being trained. Unfortunately, the Kaatsu devices are not available to the common public, so I have attempted to replicate their technique using what I do have available: a couple of blood pressure cuffs. This allows me to set the pressures typically used in these types of studies (between 120 - 200 mm HG). The literature on this topic is quite amazing, as most research shows significant increases in muscle cross-sectional area, muscular strength, and levels of blood growth hormone (all good things for bodybuilders). One of the biggest benefits is that this type of training can be done multiple times a week since the low weights used do not tax the central nervous system very heavily. A couple of recent studies can be found here and here.

The growing consensus is that for the body part being trained, the weight should be set to 20-50% of your 1RM. The muscle should stay partially occluded (150mm HG is fairly constrictive pressure, but not "fully" occluded) throughout the sets, but the pressure should be released after no more than 5 - 10 minutes. The first set is fairly easy, and typically 30 repititions are done. Then, with about 30 - 60 seconds of rest, 3 additional sets are done of around 15-20 reps. These become increasingly painful as the occlusion continues and frankly is unlike any other type of pain I have experienced during weightlifting. However, the relief when the pressure is released feels amazing. Here are a couple of pics of how I use occlusion training for my calves (I don't use any weight, just toe raises):




I do this 4 times a week, usually after walking my dogs in the morning. I have tried it on a few other bodyparts, but mostly I only do that when I have no other options for training, such as when I travel for conferences. The few studies that have looked at how this type of training compares to traditional heavy weights suggests that I won't be stopping the heavy training any time soon, but that occlusion training does have its place. As to whether it has improved my calves...I won't know until I diet down again! But my calves are so poor (and have been since I started bodybuilding) that any type of growth would be a major improvement.

I love this type of outside-of-the-box thinking for improving as a bodybuilder! Keep the great scientific work coming!

Off to a quick start in 2012!

2011 ended on a very positive note for me, as my wife and I brought our new daughter back to our home state of Virginia for the holidays. We had a blast visiting friends and family and showing off Sidney. Being a dad is the best!

I was also fortunate enough to participate in Nancy Andrews' Pro Series Camp in Massachusetts for the 2nd straight year back in January, and will be helping out with Layne Norton's natural bodybuilding camp in Florida in June. It's pretty inspiring to see how far natural bodybuilding has come since I started participating in it - and Nancy and Layne are 2 huge reasons why. Thanks guys for all that you do for natty bbing!

Training has been going very well for me so far in 2012, and my weight is bordering on the 200-lb mark. I feel surprisingly good at this weight and have been sure to implement some off-season cardio at least a couple of times a week to prevent too much fat gain! My training partner Victor and I have implemented a modified Max-OT type of regimen, where reps are kept between 4 and 8. The focus here is on heavier weight and plenty of time to recover between sets. We are using a 4-day split with the following body parts:

• Monday: Chest / Triceps
• Tuesday: OFF
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: OFF
• Friday: Shoulders / Calves
• Saturday: Back
• Sunday: OFF

The volume under this split is relatively low (typically around 6 - 8 working sets per body part), but the heavy weights used on each set don't make it seem any easier. I've been able to hit 455 x 4 on Romanian Deadlifts and 355 x 7 on Front Squats using the smith machine. I'm also doing quite a bit of occlusion training for my stubborn calves - I'll try to write more on that at a later date.

For now, here's a pic of the Whitacre Family supporting the Cowboys!


Looking forward to an excellent 2012!