I've gone through quite the spectrum of program design models, bodybuilding training, strength training, sports performance training and more. Then, after all the ups and downs, the decades of training, you begin to get to a point where you view anything as "training". Depending on where you are in your own life cycle of training as well as your own goals, I have broken down the how and why of program design to help you dial in your OWN training. … [Read more...]
Why Does Worrying Too Much Make You WEAK?
Should I squat with a box or with out? Should I use a double overhand grip, a hook grip or alternate grip? Should I pull sumo or conventional? Should I follow The Rock's Hercules program or 531 or 5 x 5 or ...... There are only a few details you need to concern yourself with. The details the majority of people worry about will NOT make the difference between you becoming a champion or not. Here are the details you need to concern yourself with: … [Read more...]
10 Reasons You’re NOT Gaining Muscle or Getting Stonger
Tomorrow I turn 38. By the time you read this, who knows how old I'll be..... It got me thinking about time, training, life and a slew of other things. This whole life thing goes way too fast. Every year I get older I quickly do the math and have a memory from age 6 of what seemed like yesterday. You must make it ALL count. Life is too short to walk around weak and with a laundry list of excuses. Bill Starr has a GREAT book call The Strongest Shall Survive. The title alone hits home, it … [Read more...]
Breaking The Rules Of Traditional Strength Training & Muscle Building
I came up learning from the Golden Era Greats of Bodybuilding and the late, great John Kemper, the owner of Diamond Gym. These men were strong, jacked and ripped. They lifted heavy and often did supersets, even with the big compound movements. Even if they trained on machines, you would see guys loading up the machines and then rigging up the machine to add more 45s to the stack of weights. When I followed their routines of aggressive and heavy training using mostly free weights, my … [Read more...]
The #1 Problem Killing Your Strength & Muscle Gains
The #1 Problem Killing Your Strength & Muscle Gains Do you have further questions on how to get stronger and pack on more muscle mass? Have you hit a plateau in training? Are you confused with which program will work for you? Drop a comment below & I'll answer! Live The Code --Z-- … [Read more...]
The MOST Important Thing To Do In The Gym
The three of us were driving up The Garden State Parkway heading Northbound. It was a cold, dreary winter day in NJ. It was early 1995 and winter was in full swing. I was driving, as always, since my training partners had no money OR no car, typical of aspiring pro bodybuilders, yes? My 2 training partners sat quietly in my Mazda 626. I had a special sound system installed specifically to get me amped up for the gym. In fact, everything in my life revolved around the gym. How … [Read more...]
Underground Home Gym
Above, Dr. Ken Leistner working on his garage gym, a place known for EPIC workouts, rain or shine, brutal temps irrelevant. It was REALLY tempting to find a way to make my Underground Home Gym a bit more cozy.... warmer..... nicer... a sound system to crank heavy tunes on..... But, as the saying goes, give them an inch and they'll run a mile with it. I said to myself, "NO." Make it tougher to train in, more Uncomfortable than comfortable.... NO excuses. It's cold in my garage, I bundle up … [Read more...]
Boy to BEAST
Let there be NO mistake about it. The Basics ALWAYS WIN. Don't try to deny it. As soon as you accept this as the "Golden Rule" you will go from Boy to BEAST. Squats, Deads, Benching, Presses, Chins, Dips, Farmer Walks & Sprints. Add Steak & Eggs to Multiply the effects of transforming yourself from a Boy into a BEAST. As soon as you accept the fact that you can work these basic lifts and basic bodyweight exercises for years on end, heck, even DECADES on end, you WILL make … [Read more...]
Lessons Learned From The STRONGEST Guy From The Old School YMCA (Circa 1990)
I still remember that guy, even though I met him when I was only 14 years old, a freshman in high school with dreams of being bigger and stronger than everyone else. Back then, the YMCA was ending the era of "old school". Believe it or not, The Metuchen Y was very much like the Y that Golden Era greats trained out of like Dave Draper did when he was a Jersey boy. The plates were all YORK barbell, the squat rack was the rarely seen today York Isometric Rack. No machines except the cable … [Read more...]
Return of The Golden Era Bodybuilding Workout
Golden Era bodybuilding is a far cry from many of the bodybuilding methods of today. A focus on free weights, heavy lifting, hard work on the basics and no fads. No fad diets or fad workouts. The bodybuilders from the 70s and prior never questioned if the basics of squats, deadlifts, rows and the like were good enough or not. Today, everyone wants the short cut, the new fad and the easy way. F**k that. Easy workouts produce weak minds and weak bodies. … [Read more...]