Changing your training program every 4 weeks is very popular. It's also one of the dumbest things you can do. Much of the “gains” you experience in the first few weeks of a new program are neural, i.e., your nervous system getting used to the workout and the exercises. It's not until after this break-in period that any increases in strength are more likely due to gains in muscle tissue. By...

At some point, everyone I've coached has had to deal with a "life curveball." People get sick. Accidents happen. Tragedy strikes. And overnight, five small, healthy meals a day becomes picking at hospital food in a crowded waiting room. These events await all of us. No one is exempt. And worrying about falling off your plan or "losing your gains" only adds more stress to a difficult situation....

For us mere mortals, building a lean and muscular physique takes years, if not decades. As such, it’s best to employ joint-friendly exercises as your training "cake" (do them regularly) with other effective yet potentially problematic moves serving as the "icing” (do them less frequently or at least with caution). Here are some GENERAL guidelines to clue you in. Of course, this is not an...

First, a pet peeve of mine, one you might’ve seen (many times) on social media: A dramatic before and after transformation doesn't show someone “overcame bad genetics.” If anything, it shows the opposite—good genetics—as in a genetically gifted response to resistance training. Because that’s how gene expression works. Now you can spot "genetic potential" as far as good bone structure for...

Meal plans don’t work. Really? So having a well-planned set of meals you routinely shop for, prepare, and eat every day is ineffective for reaching a body composition goal? Wow. Groundbreaking news! Especially for the THOUSANDS of physique athletes (professional and recreational) who have successfully followed meal plans since the invention of lined paper and a fridge magnet. But in all...

Newer clients often write to me somewhat dejected that their weights “haven’t gone up in a few weeks.” And while progression is certainly the name of the game, progress—especially in terms of the load on the bar—is NEVER linear. Now that’s not to say training loads don’t matter at all—they absolutely do. It’s simply the case that working to increase them serves as a proxy for building muscle—but...

Years ago, I worked for a bodybuilding/muscle magazine. One of my jobs was to spot content that would resonate with the core of their readership—largely men aged 18-30. I learned quickly that most of their readers felt they were "advanced" lifters, or at least high-level intermediates. Very few would self-select the "beginner" box. As a result, basic training or nutrition programs would...