As
I touched on with my previous article, there are many important factors to consider during a mass gaining phase that are often over-looked and a mass gaining phase is rarely given the same attention to detail that a trainee would give their pre-contest diet.
One thing in particular that is often overlooked during a mass gaining phase is the negative impact of a prolonged caloric surplus and increased amounts of carbohydrates. As you may know, during a dieting phase, metabolic and hormonal adaptations occur that negatively impact muscle mass and fat burning potential. These include a reduction in resting testosterone levels, a rise in cortisol levels and the metabolic rate begins to decrease.
Having
been a part of the Fitness Industry Professionally for over 15 years now I have seen a lot of people and trends come and go and in fact it is very uncommon that someone stays a part of the Fitness Industry for even more than 5 years, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
First off, let’s take a look at one of the number one reasons people get out of the Fitness Industry…
"Never let anything stop you!"
Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I used to compete as a bodybuilder and still do sometimes, but I saw myself more in Men’s Physique since I am not so huge compared to bodybuilders these days. And my first coach in the UK told me you will have more chances if you compete in Men’s Physique because I have a better overall look as a fitness model...
You've
been to a couple shows and know a few competitors from the gym and you tell yourself, "I could do that! Plus, I look way better than those guys! How did they even win? I would kill it in one of these shows!"
You start telling everyone you're going to compete. You start criticizing everyone’s physique. You're positing selfies all over social media claiming you're a future IFBB Pro and fitness model. You strut around the gym with your shmedium shirt showing off your self-proclaimed AMAZING physique. The throwing of the dumbbells along with excessive grunting increases to attract attention to yourself. You hire a coach to prep for the show...
This 
is the first of several ‘anatomy of a workout’ articles I will be presenting. It is based on techniques I’ve discussed previously here on Rx Muscle. I want to explain the ‘WHY’ of the program design because the structure and techniques are utilized for a specific purpose. The techniques incorporated are Straight Sets, Staggered Sets, and Supersets.
The workout: Please note that you can substitute different exercises depending on what you want to prioritize (ex. You may do Low Pulley Rows/Incline Chest Press for the Straight sets, or Reverse Grip Pulldown/ Incline Chest Press, etc.)...
The 
enticing waters of the competition world can truly rule a competitor’s life, especially when a national qualification is won at local and regional shows and the national stage beckons. In fact, most of you probably already have your national contest strategy in place and are prepared to hit contest after contest to maximize your chances of getting a Pro Card...
Normally
I prefer to work one body part per workout; however, I like to throw in some variety every now and then in order to continue to challenge myself. One of my favorite variations is to superset opposing muscle groups, particularly chest and back. Here is a typical chest/back routine that I like to do as I get closer to hitting the stage, or if I feel that I need to throw in a little variety...
If 
you are going hard in the gym, you will inevitably suffer from delayed-onset muscle soreness or DOMS. While you might not recognize the clinical name, you may recognize how this condition can affect your life. Consider the following examples:
· Do you struggle to sit or stand from a seated position, following a leg workout?
· Do you find it challenging to reach for a bowl in the upper cabinet after training arms?
· Is your toddler suddenly 30 pounds heavier after a tough back workout?
Have 
you been hammering away in the gym, day after day, week after week, throwing the iron around, and knocking out your fasted cardio or some form of HIIT only to not make the gains you are after or obtaining the ripped conditioning you should be displaying on your physique? You’ve stuck to your eating regimen, high carb – low carb days, post-show higher calories and pre-show caloric deficits. You have done everything you were told to do, only to not achieve the results you should be getting...
The
IFBB and NPC contest seasons are spooling up for the 2014 season. Many of you are ready to hit the stage hard and are in full contest prep. I understand this completely and am fully aware of where your head is at the moment. What I want to caution you about, before it’s too late, is the post-contest letdown and consequential common contest rebound. Many people think that holidays are the culprit responsible for weight gain. The holiday season can be a part of the typical end of the competition season but keep your eyes open mid-season as well. We can suffer from rebound at any time of the year if we don’t keep our eating habits in check and adjust our training styles immediately post contest.
As
you have probably been aware, the Men's Physique division is exploding. In the past if you were competing, chances are you were a competitive bodybuilder. Nowadays there are many more NPC competitors around, largely due to the addition of the Men's Physique category which allows for a more natural looking, seemingly more attainable body.
One of the best things to keep in mind in training for physique is to aim for that V-Taper look. A tiny waist and wide shoulders give this almost cartoonish illusion. Getting that waist to shrink is going to take some work in the kitchen, but I have designed a few workouts for building on other key areas.
For me, my goal is to bring up my upper chest, lats, and create the biggest shoulders possible. I'll share one workout with you guys now.
With
us today is MP Competitor Chad Jackson. Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I won a 12 week transformation contest on Bodybuilding.com in 2012 and I had this urge to keep going so looked for the next opportunity. I did not want to transform and then stop. So much dedication and hard work goes into a transformation contest and I wanted to not only keep going, but take my fitness and experience to the next level. I saw a local bodybuilding/physique contest in Houston (Branch Warren Classic) online 5 weeks before the contest and I told my wife, “This might be crazy, but I am going to do this.”
Every
now and then I believe that you need to change up your workouts in order to prevent plateauing. Normally I stick to a rep range of 8-12 reps per set, but for this shoulder workout I lowered the weight so that I could do 20 reps for each set.
All exercises were done with five sets of 20 reps.
Side laterals (dumbbell) – This can be done seated or standing, but I prefer to stand. Start with a pair of dumbbells at your side. You will then raise your arms straight out to your side and hold for a count. Once I get to the top of the movement, I like to turn the dumbbells so that my elbows are facing up and my palms are to the rear. Return to the starting motion and repeat...
We
all know nutrition is the number one factor in fat loss or building muscle, yet it is still the biggest issue we have in achieving our goals. It's not that we don't want to achieve those goals, but more that we let ourselves get in our own way. So here are the tips I use to help my clients and myself achieve success.
Don't keep junk in the house: This has to be the number one rule to success. It's pretty simple, if there is not junk in the house then there is no way you can eat it.
Always wait 15 minutes after you eat before eating more:
Elastic 
Resistance is an extremely versatile and effective training modality. My first introduction to elastic tubing was over 20 years ago and they’ve come a long way since then!
Resistance tubing is commonly used as a convenient means to pump up prior to competition as well as an excellent way to work the rotator cuff muscles via external and internal rotation exercises. However I have also found that they can be used as a legitimate modality to enhance one’s physique as well!
For many
, the off-season is a time to relax a little on your diet and training, allow yourself foods you would not normally have during a prep, having them in unmeasured amounts and then stepping on the scales once a week just to make sure you are “getting bigger”. However, like with any sport, the progression of science, monetary rewards and the depth of competition has lead to top level bodybuilders and physique athletes leaving fewer and fewer stones unturned as they do everything possible to gain an edge on the competition. This has resulted in much more attention being paid to the progress that can be made during the off-season and coaches are no longer employed by elite athletes solely for those 12-16 weeks prior to a show, but also for the knowledge they can employ during the athlete’s off-season...
The 
Sky’s the Limit for Marc Celestin!
Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
Thank you! I've always been a fan of the sport I just never thought about competing until I watched a couple shows live and felt like I belonged up there with the other competitors.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you most recently competed?
I recently did my first show, November 16, 2013. The NPC Florida Gold Cup. It was a great show and I met a couple great future competitors...
As
most of us are in the off-season right now and taking in a few extra calories, I thought I would post a good superset routine to help keep that waistline in check. It’s time to grow but don’t get sluggish or slow. Remember to stay ready at all times!
Here is a Back, Shoulder and Ab workout to get you motivated to keep pushing when most are resting. Go ahead and enjoy a few cookies, just make sure you keep healthy meals coming too. This way overeating the bad stuff will be tougher since you’ll already be full.
Yoga 
may be a four-letter, foreign word for some Physique and Bodybuilding athletes but it shouldn't be. You may be ripped to the bone, have the best physique, but if you lack flexibility and mind control your training, and eventually your quality of life, will be compromised.
A little yoga can improve your workouts and maybe even extend your Physique or Bodybuilding career and you don’t have to ditch your current training to take advantage of it...
Several
years ago there was a very popular medication being marketed on TV. The commercial’s introduction made the following declaration:
“You know when you feel the weight of sadness. You may feel exhausted, hopeless and anxious. Whatever you do, you feel lonely and don’t enjoy the things that you once loved.”
This commercial described the feelings of sadness that affects people suffering from depression, but could just as easily describe the effects of trans fats on the human body. New research from Spain reveals that trans fats could be the root cause of depression in some people...
Hallart Keaton:
Beastmode is Always ON!
Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I've competed as a men's middleweight bodybuilder and someone told me about the new Men’s Physique category and I wanted to see how I would do as a Physique competitor.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you most recently competed?
My most recent competition was the Lackland Classic where I competed in the A class open as well as in Masters. I placed second in both categories and qualified for Team Universe...
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