AmpedTraining Blog
2010 January 12 | 13 Comments »
By Matt
The piece I wrote yesterday – Bodybuilding has lied to you, and that’s why you’re skinny – was a big hit. In particular, it was posted over on BB.com’s teen forum, which is the digital equivalent of dropping a roach bomb in a the middle of New York City. The hilarity that was generated has been off the charts.
A quick view of the thread reveals that a few guys thought it was solid info; they actually read it and saw the points I was making. A much larger segment of the respondents thought it was bunk, of course. It’s interesting that these guys all had their stats posted as being between 130 and 180 lbs, if they were average height, or around 190-210 if they were taller.
In other words, they went out of their way to prove me right – still skinny, still weak, and still telling me I don’t know what I’m talking about. You don’t pay money for better comedy, folks. I flat out said, in the article that they read, that it would happen – and they did it anyway.
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2010 January 11 | 26 Comments »
By Matt
Over the last say five, six years, I’ve pretty well managed to wall myself off from gym culture. I do lift in a commercial gym, though I have very little contact with the people there – unless you count staring in slack-jawed amazement at some of the antics and stupidity as contact. I don’t, personally.
Most of the people I talk to in person are real lifters of some sort or another, guys that like powerlifting and strongman and Highland games. The manly kind of sports that you can drink beer with. We don’t always agree 100% on the details, but we also know that the details don’t matter and that in every way that matters, we’re on the same page.
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2009 March 12 | Comments Off
By Matt
It’s a bit of a status symbol to have big arms, at least if you’re a guy. Looking around I’m noticing that some of the ladies want these muscles developed too – they just use the code-word ‘toned’ (which means “just a little muscle and a lot less fat” for those not in the know). Depending on who you ask, you’ll get two different answers as to the best way to develop this “muscle group”.
Orthodox bodybuilders are going to tell you to do 5-10 different curl exercises, 5-10 different kinds of triceps extensions, and if history is anything to go by, you’ll be told to do this for 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps. The “new wave” of Internet strength-training doctrine, however, is going to suggest almost exactly the opposite: very limited arm training, maybe even none at all.
Who’s right? This is one of those instances where I don’t think there is a completely correct answer for all situations. There’s some merit to both sides depending on what you’re after. So let’s have a look.
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2009 February 12 | 2 Comments »
By Matt
This is a topic that’s argued endlessly: how big can you really get as a natural? What’s the limit for a truly natural bodybuilder?
The mainstream viewpoint, promoted by the media and held by naive gym-rats, is that even the biggest guys can be totally clean. Guys that are “average” height, say 5’7 to 6′ or so, holding less than 8-10% body fat while being 250 lbs or heavier. It’s nice wishful thinking, especially for the anti-doping zealots and the denial crowd, but no. Just no.
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2009 January 9 | 3 Comments »
By Matt
I’ve put up the first in a short series on contest preparation for natural competitors. You can read it here:
Contest Preparation: Boiling it Down for Natural Bodybuilders – Part 1
This one discusses general reasons for natural competitors to look at the process differently, and goes over some basic myths and guidelines for your workout routine.
Part 2 will discuss conditioning and dietary strategies. I should have it up in the next day or so.
