Muscle & Strength's Content Team is a group of fitness industry experts dedicated to publishing the highest quality articles, workouts and guides on the M&S Website.
M&S Team
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Muscle & Strength's Content Team is a group of fitness industry experts dedicated to publishing the highest quality articles, workouts and guides on the M&S Website.
M&S Team's Content
Bodybuilder and OCB/IFPA contest promoter talks drug testing, and gives us a behind the scenes look at running a natural bodybuilding event.
In part two of our interview with Stu Yellin tells you what makes him rant, and talks about nutrition, supplements, and natural muscle growth potential.
Stu Yellin talks about training nuts and bolts, how he got involved with bodybuilding, and the factors that lead to a successful physique.
Sean has competed over 70 times. In this interview, he talks about how the sport of bodybuilding has changed over the years, and hints at a comeback!
Natural bodybuilder Joe Ohrablo talks about his comeback to the stage following a devastating injury to both quads in December of 2008.
Ashley is passionate about motivation. In this discussion, she helps you how to find the willpower to change, and talks about her transformation.
Karma Schopp, who calls herself a tomboy princess, is a pro figure competitor, a freelance writer, and a successful personal trainer.
Vanny took home 1st in Bikini at 2009 FAME West Canada. In this interview, Vanny Vay talks about her life before fitness, and her journey into modeling.
It's the new year, and you have a laundry list of goals. In this conversation, trainer Anthony Catanzaro provides guidance on how to achieve your goals.
Natural bodybuilder Victor Costa is one of the top trainers on the Internet. His Youtube channel is wildly popular, and currently has over 11,000 subscribers.
Pro figure competitor who is also an acclaimed competition coach. Mary was recently featured on E! True Hollywood Stories, Female Bodybuilders.
Obi has appeared in numerous muscle building and fitness magazines, and is known as the world's most ripped fitness model.
Tommy is a champion natural bodybuilder and a member of Team Scivation. In this interview Tommy takes a detailed look at bodybuilding training.
Andrew is a true bodybuilding champion. In 22 contests he took home 16 first place finishes, and never placed outside on the top 3!
Figure model and bikini champion Josephine Dalton has taken home 5 first place finishes in the past several years. She knows her training!
With the nickname the Texas Shredder, you know Dave Goodin has to be hardcore! Dave is an experienced bodybuilder, powerlifter, and a contest promoter.
The Bodyopus approach is simple...low carbs for 5 days, high carbs on the weekend. An interesting approach to fat loss, and possibly a better way to utilize a keto run.
Summer's done and it's time to pack on mass. This hardcore diet and supplement plan will get you headed in the right direction.
Big eaters...do you fear the word "diet" Do you have a lot of weight to lose in a short period of time? Fear not! This is a lifestyle for you!
Contest promoter, writer, and a highly experienced natural bodybuilder. Learn how Delbert trains and diets, and find out what's up for him next in life.
Pro bodybuilder Kevin Weiss entered his first competition in 1986 at the age of 15. 18 years later, he who his pro card!
Nadine talks about how she got into weight training and her goals for 2010. Read about her surprise transition from accountant to top fitness role model.
In a matter of a couple of years, Pamela transformed her life from flabby to fit to INBF figure competitor. Learn how she Murray turned her life around.
At 135 lbs Shaun is the epitome of a bodybuilder. In this interview he talks about his love for the sport, and shares his diet and training secrets.
Dr. Joe is a nutrition and diet guru, as well as a natural bodybuilder competitor in the WNBF. He has helped numerous natural competitors.
Roger Waters has captured the INBA Overall Mr. Universe, and the INBA Mr. Olympia Masters Tall, and Overall Tall in 2007 and 2008.
Tim is one of the largest naturals in the history of bodybuilding. In this interview, Tim Martin talks training philosophy, motivation, and training mistakes.
Larry began competing in in 1980 and has 34 shows under his belt. And get this: he's only 46! In this interview Larry talks about his training and more.
Jos knows what it means to be a true natural bodybuilder. Few men are more passionate about the natural side of the sport.
Professional natural bodybuilder Daniel Grissom has taken home first places finishes in the INBF, the NGA, and the NPC.
At the age of 47, Catherine Basile has a body that every 18 year old would die for. In our interview with Catherine, she talks diet, competition and family.
This muscle building diet is best suited to a 180 pound man who works out in the evenings. The meals are not set in stone, you can see I have listed a few options for your main meals.
Have you stopped gaining size? Then it may be time to switch up what you are doing in the gym. This article provides 15 tips to help you get back on track and growing.
351 Comments
Hey Steve,
Been a while, haven't heard from you. I sent you a few emails lately. Hope everything is okay!
Brad
Hi steve. I am 35 years old 1.81m and for the last 8 months I have been doing a 6 day per week training. That inlcudes a 2 x 3 days schedule of Chest + triceps, Back + Biceps, Legs + Shoulder repetitions of 10. Also i do about 20m of cardio (running at 11km). The result was to go from 86kgs to 79kgs in 5 months and then go to 81kgs in the rest 3 months. I just use whey protein twice a day and eat healthy. I want to push it more seriously now. Can you reccomend me one of your workouts that will boost me up faster? Always taking into account my age (35).
Hi Steve
Im currently about to start following your hardgainer routine. Ive been doing doggcrapp training now for around 16 weeks getting moderate gains and im ready to switch it up. One question i have is for example on Monday when u do bench press, do u recommend staying with a bench press every week? or on the next week would you suggest you do an incline, the following a decline, and then back to bench. Also, how many weeks do you recommend training on the hardgainer routine? Thanks!
Tyler
I'd recommend incorporating incline and decline bench in the same day. You can either use a barbell or dumbbells.
Hi i was wondering if you could help me, i am 17 and have been weight lifting for about 5 months but i have usually been doing almost the same thing every day that i go and not specifying on a specific muscle each session. i was wondering if you could recommend a training that will help me put on more muscle and gain more power all over.
Thanks
Steve, I am a beginner who has been working out for one month, I currently work my chest every other day.( 3 sets bench, 3 sets flat dumbbell press, 3 sets for dumbbell flys every workout) is this overtraining my chest? I am an ectomorph.
That's a lot of volume for a beginner, especially if you haven't dialed in your form. If you haven't made progress, I'd say that's a pretty clear indication that you're overdoing it. You may want to consider incline bench/dumbbell press on chest day.
Hello Mr.Shaw.I'm new to all of this but I've doing your beginner workouts which I appriciate and enjoy. I've read a few articals on the subject and no one mentions how much weight you should use.
The weight you use is entirely dependent on you as an individual. The general idea is to use a weight that barely allows you to complete the low end of a given rep range. For instance, if a given rep range is 8-12, then you'll want to pick a weight that allows you to perform 8 reps with good form. Focus on getting extra reps each session. When you're able to hit 12, increase the weight. Rep ranges are a guideline, so if you feel that you can increase weight when you hit 10 reps, go for it.
I can max 155 using the calc it says i can do like 115 12 times should i lift that weight 12 time take a break then lift as many as possible rest and try again till i cant do 8?
hi steve im a student 19 y old just started gym my weight is 57 kg i want to gain weight and build muscles. can u maked a routine for me which includes all 7 days. and i want this plan to be of 8 weeks. can u plz help me
hello steve im 15 and looking for a benchpressing program that has me lifting on weekdays and resting on weekends i currently bench 150 and would really like to get it up to 200 before the school year is over. i only have dumbbells from 30-75lb and a bench and a bar with about 250lb in weight ive looked at your 8 week program you posted a while back but i dont really like it i would prefer a program that only had me bencing and useing the dumbbells any help would be awesome.
hi steve
i read your Articles
i learned from you a lot
thank you bro
i greatful to you very very much
i have a question for you please ?
i work 5 days routine
if i want to add some methods like ( cluster sets or drop set )
example
arm day
3 Exercise 4 sets for Biceps
i want do cluster set for 8 set 30 sec rest ;4 reps
now how my routine become look like
please teach me the role to add any method to my routine
how many sets & how many reps to any method and any muscle
thanks again bro :)
for the dumbbell only full body workouts or any full body work outs in general should you rotate your program every few weeks for or does it matter? how often do you increase weights, & once you reach your goal whether you are trying to lose weight or build muscle do you stay with a certain measurement in weights? sorry if you have a hard time understanding my question i'm having hard time trying to explain what i'm asking.
Hiya Steve, I'm 15 and currently weight training to get rid of the curse of being skinny, is this program
For me do you think,
Thank you x
I just started one of the full body routines , The Grinder. I just wanted to know if some cardio on the days off might be to much a day after this workout?
Cardio on Off Days is totally fine, but listen to your body.
Hi Steve. I am new to all this and was just wondering if you could give some advice and tips. I am 27 and I'm 5ft 9 and I weight approx 170lbs I want to start bulking up and gain muscle mass and develop a larger body including legs. Any info on best protein shakes to start with and also I will be using home gym equipment which will be dumbbells and a bench press with barbell too any advice as to the best exercises and routines would be really appreciated. Mainly I don't want to start doing exercises but not doing it right and wasting time. Would rather get advice from someone who knows and do it properly. Many thanks. Kevin
hi Steve
how r u men ?
i need your advice for the bulldozer training..
can you recommend me what type of supplement that i can take ?
previously i took whey protein from optimal gold...
Hi Steve... I just recently completed 2 cycles of this workout (60 days) http://www.weighttraining.com/workout-plans/adrian-peterson-workout-plan and the results were pretty good but I want to try something new because im beginning to plateau..I'm 18 with solid muscle and in good shape overall..I was wondering if you could take a look at that workout and tell me which one of your workouts would be most beneficial to me after completing that. I have been lifting pretty consistently for about 3-4 years. My goals are to gain muscle mass, gain strength and definition...thanks so much for the help
hi steve,
i mention a few times, tthat u can be contacted by a private message, but my mind doesnt seem to gget, where this private message thingie is located?
got a couple of questions from a danish follower :)
First off: Power Muscle Burn 5 Day Powerbuilding Split
im trying to incorporate this into my schedule, but i dont seeem to see any rest time? i mean, how long should the rest time be? 90 sec? 60 sec?
would this workout give me any positive results, sinice im in KCAL deficit, due to weightloss? (already lost 75ish pounds, 38kg)
my schedule is starting monday.
Xfit, offday, Xfit, chest/tri, back/traps, shoulder/bic, deadlift/abs/calfs
I would also like to ask if it is absolutely necessary to include a rest day in between lift days. Again I'm not sure my schedule will allow it. At least once a week I would have to do back to back. Is that ok?
While it's not ideal, it should be ok if you're eating right and getting enough rest. Rest days are pretty important in that they give your body time to recover and build. I'd actually suggest a different routine than the one I previously recommended, as it wouldn't be a great idea to perform the same routine back to back. A split like this one would better suit your needs: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/3day-beginners-workout.html
Hi Steve, I am looking to get back into weightlifting after a long absence. I need to shed some fat and also build muscle. I only have maybe 3 dedicated days per week due to my crazy work schedule, is there a good workout you would recommend for me? And also what kind of cardio is good? Like how many times per week, how long, etc? I would think a beginner program would be appropriate but also looking for a good long term workout as well. Thanks!
You might want to check out this beginner full-body routine: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/beginner-fullbody-workout.html
As far as cardio, you can throw it in on your off days. Feel free to mix it up between steady-state cardio and HIIT cardio. If you're unable to include the cardio on your rest days, post-workout is a good time to include it.
Hi Steve,
Can you help me please?
My issue is about Cardio! I'm 21 years old, 145Lbs (65Kg), 175cm, and about 12-14% body fat I think and I see 2packs of mine... I'm not skinny at all but I'm not shredded and muscly as well as I want!
I don't really know about how much Cardio I need! and what type? (HIIT, LISS)
I can only do Cardio after my weight training at gym, can I do HIIT just right after my weight training? How many days in a week I need HIIT, how many days LISS....??
Help me please Steve with a complete Cardio Workout for me, Thanks a lot!
What are your goals?
Thanks a lot,
but I don't really know yet about these:
How many days a week are the maximum for doing HIIT? And can I do that in weight training day just right after weight workouts?
Another issue is about the nature of LISS and HIIT... for example I do cycling for 20 minutes and I burn 150 calories but my heartbeat is not too high and I tolerate pretty high pressure... I don't understand is this HIIT or LISS??
I'm really grateful!
I want to decrease my body fat to see abs, increase muscle mass much more and shredded in a Fitness way...
I really try to have a good nutrition, and I only use Whey as supplements after workout,, my weight training is 5 days a week.... so when/how much do I need to do Cardio (HIIT/LISS) in a week after workout (weight training)? may you combine treadmill and bicycling for this issue?
Thank you very much Steve!
It's not entirely realistic to expect muscle mass gains while also trying to drop body fat. The issue being that you need to have a calorie surplus in order to build muscle mass, which can lead to a bit of fat gain. It's more effective to focus on one or the other (focus on building mass, THEN cutting body fat).
That being said, it's quite difficult to say how much cardio you should be doing, as this will have a direct effect on what your daily caloric intake needs to be. Obviously, more cardio means more calories. You'll need to adjust your diet accordingly. You can absolutely combine treadmill and cycling.
hi steve.
I am from sri lanka. i saw your workouts. i want some details from you. how can i contact you?
your mail address?
I am available on the forum via the same username.
hey steve
I read your profile and it said your arms are 19". is that flexing or not flexing. i'm 14 and mine are 13 not flexing. and i dont have fat arms.
Flexed.
Hi Steve,
Im an 18 year old with a little bit of a slower metabolism that wants to lose fat and build muscle. Should i be eating more calories then required or less?
I don't recommend at 18 that you run any form of diet. I would eat mostly clean foods, and eat until you are satisfied.
Just wanted to say your Power Muscle Burn 5 Day Powerbuilding Split workout is one of the best I have followed, I have a lot of time for your work and knowledge. Thank you mate.
Glad to hear it. Keep working hard.
Hello Mr. Steve.. :) How Can I Contact You? I Want To Ask You Several Questions :)
I can be found on the forum via the same username.
Steve,
I found your four day work out on this site. I have been doing it for a month or so and gained massively. Thank you for your advice and guidance. True inspiration.
Thanks!
Hi Steve,
I am 36 and have lifted for periods on and off for the last 20 years. I hurt myself pretty bad this last May when I completely tore my left pectoral loose from my upper arm (humerous bone). I had corrective surgery and all is good now except for a ten inch scar that will forever remind me of being a dumbass.
That being said,I have been back in the gym five days a week 45mins-hour a day. I also attend a trim and tone 1 hour group exercise class with my wife 3 nights a week that I use to get my cardio and ab work in. I have done more reading on diet and exercising this go round than ever and eel like I have a better understanding of the way things should be done.
I am currently 5"11 190 and 15% body fat. Measurements by a pro by the way not me. I "think" I have a good diet setup. I am sticking to 2500 cals a day and trying to balance cals evenly across protien,carbs and fats. Good carbs and good fats 80% of the time. Like I said "I think this is a good plan". I have lost about 6% body fat in the last 3.5 months. I dont really care about the scale,190 is fine with me. I want to get into the 10-12 % body fat range.
Im not trying to be "huge". I wouldnt mind putting a couple more inches on my arms (currently 16.5in). Other than that I just want to trim up this last bit of belly fat and tone up a little more overall.
After all of that being said my question to you is what routine would suggest for me? I have been comitted to Mon-Fri gym visits for strength training and can keep that schedule. I get so confused about all the different splits and how many times a week to work each body part etc.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated whether it is diet,exercise or grammar related. I dont know if it helps but a couple of things I left out earlier...
I take a quality multivitamin,zinc,and fish oil daily.
My chest measures 47in
My legs are 28in
My waist is 32in.
Thanks
Hey Steve I have some questions as a teen that i was wondering if you could help answer, mainly about my routine. I have been working out seriously for about 5 months (have worked out longer but not to the extent i have been these past few months) and i have been wanting to change my routine. Any suggestions? I have checked out your 5 day split https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/power-muscle-burn-5-day-power... and the 4 day split version of it. Would it be ok to start up on it?
hi steve i like your workouts very much... I designed a workout and I would like you to see it and tell me your opinion about what can I change for get better results
monday - grappling circuit ( bent over row, upright row, military press, good morning, split squat L R, explosive squat, straight legged deadlift)
tuesday - biceps and a little back
wednesday - rest
thursday - chest and triceps
friday - grappling circuit
do you think that could work good?... I'm going to combine this with good rest and nutrition for best results. but what could I change?
Thanks Steve
Thanks Steve!
hi steve i like your workouts very much and also consider them ones of the most effective for the people according to what I see, that why i send you this post to ask you what do you think about the workout that I want to do:
Monday- Grappling Ciurcuit (consist on, bent over row, upright row, military press, good morning, split squat L and R, squat and push press together and finally straight legged deadlift) I want to do this 4 sets of 8 reps
Tuesday: back and biceps
wednesday: Rest
thursday: chest and triceps
friday:grappling circuit
do you think that is a good idea or should I change something?, I'm obviously going to combine this with a very good nutrition plan and rest, I'm not a beginner and with this I'm referring that I'm concerned about the importance of nutrition, rest, consistency and the good performance of exercises, y started to do exercise at 16, now I'm 20 but because of some compromises I haven't exercised in the last 4 months... I hope you could help me.
Thanks Steve
Hey Steve,
Is ther any chance to talk with you in private ? I don't feel comfortable talking in public like this. If you want I can leave my e-mail in the comments so you can contact me. If you don't have time to talk in privite it's fine.
Have a nice day.
Thomas
I'll send you an email.
Hey Steve, I had book marked a 3 day total body workout by you and deleted it by mistake....any chance you could point me in the right direction to find it again? Thanks
Brian