In a recent post on his Instagram handle, Bumstead opened up about the reality of winning five titles. Including glimpses of all the blood, sweat, and tears it took to reach the zenith, he wanted fans to understand the hardships of the sport. And fans came in full force to support and respect the bodybuilding icon with their comments.

Compiling a series of his videos, he created the post to show what people thought winning five titles was like versus how it went. People only see the final results that Bumstead presented on stage, where he came in with his best conditioning. However, what they didn’t see was the hard work he put in to achieve those gains.

“Most things we want in life are harder than you think, but more rewarding than you can ever imagine.”

Fans immediately reacted to the post with encouraging comments. Fellow bodybuilder and winner of the Mr. Olympia 2023, Derek Lunsford, agreed with the way Bumstead expressed the struggles:

“What people don’t see…”

 

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Another bodybuilder, Philip Visicaro, resonated with the Canadian’s sentiments and penned a long note:

“This is very real. The pressure mentally is immense…I think he does a good job of staying humble and respecting everyone. And as of now he’s the classic GOAT.”

Another fan encouraged Bumstead with some kind words:

“Keep inspiring the World! You are the Face of Bodybuilding Worldwide!!!”

A fan even related to the bodybuilding champion’s post and commented something along similar lines:

“It is the work & the journey that most people don’t see.”

And finally, one follower was convinced that a tough feat like this was something that only Bumstead could pull off:

“It’s hard but only Cbum can do it.”

Bumstead’s reality check was enough for many to not only get a glimpse of what the prep for bodybuilding championships looked like but also what sacrifices were made behind the scenes. In the end, the reality check only made friends and fans respect him more.

A recap on how the year has been for Chris Bumstead

With this reality check, Bumstead aimed to be transparent with his progress. This year has been quite eventful for the champion, even after winning his fifth title in a row. Moving houses and preparing for a new member has been a priority since he recovered from his hair transplant.

The new year brought him some respite from training, as he took a month off from his gym to spend time with his family. After getting back to the grind, he even collaborated with his onstage rival Ramon Dino to film workout videos. Now, with his eyes on the next Mr. Olympia title, Bumstead is all set to make history and hopefully inspire many more.

The post Chris Bumstead Comes Clean With a Reality Check on Winning the Mr. Olympia Five Times appeared first on The SportsRush.

In a bunch of resurfaced interviews, the late veteran opened up on how his routine worked for him. After training for over 15 years, his strategy for the Mr. Olympia championship at the time was to hit the gym for fewer hours with more intensity. His signature heavy-duty training was hence born.

The logic behind the routine was recovery enabled growth. Therefore, intense training must be followed by sufficient rest periods to gain more mass and size. At that time, his method was revolutionary and rebellious.

To trace the history of how Mentzer discovered the sheer effectiveness of recovery for growth, one must go back in time to when the elite bodybuilder trained with his brother for competitions. One day, both he and Ray Mentzer had exhausted every muscle fiber in their body and realized how they couldn’t train the next day. Their bodies hadn’t completely recovered, and they ran the risk of injury.

“We haven’t even recovered from our workout yesterday, we’re not going to be able to invest with our our workout today with the intensity that is required to stimulate maximum muscle growth.”

Recovery not only brought the body back to its original state but also made the muscles stronger due to all the repair work. Mentzer recalled how he began noticing visible results after taking a day or two to rest between his training days. Eventually, he set his schedule – training for four days out of a nine or ten-day split. This included a 72-hour recovery period in between.

“Our gains skyrocketed again even for advanced bodybuilders. At one point, there I had gained 10 lbs of muscle in 3 weeks and lost 4 lbs of fat at the same time.”

Once he understood that one didn’t need to spend the entire day at the gym, Mentzer walked through his path. His technique may have been unorthodox at the time, but he set the bar high. This situation helped upcoming bodybuilders draw inspiration for their routines.

New-age bodybuilders read through Mike Mentzer and his protege’s books

Six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates had adopted Mentzer as his trainer early in his career. Since then, the bodybuilding Hulk followed the footsteps of the late legend by training heavy-duty. And now, Yates is an inspiration for upcoming bodybuilders.

Mr. Olympia’s elite contender, Nick Walker, recently opened up on his training plans. He recently suffered a horrific hamstring injury that forced him to pull out of the championship at the last minute. Post-injury, Walker switched his training methods to follow Yates and Mentzer’s heavy-duty plan. Judging by his prep for the upcoming New York Pro, it looks like the legend’s training routine has been working like a charm.

The post Mike Mentzer Once Revealed an Important Lesson Learned During Mr. Olympia Training appeared first on The SportsRush.

A few months ago, the duo teamed up to train together for an off-season routine. Since Rambod coached both of them, it was easy for Lunsford and Bumstead to collaborate and flaunt their friendship with the world. With some intense warm-up in the form of machine lat pull-downs, they started their workout with a bang.

Both Bumstead and Lunsford focused on technique over pushing themselves. Since it was an off-season routine, they had fun while Rambod guided them through each exercise. In total, the duo went through four tasks:

• Iso-Lateral Lat Pull-down
• T-Bar Rows
• Seated Cable Rows
• Incline Dumbbell Rows

Starting with the iso-lateral lat pull-down, Rambod instructed them to try two different grips: reverse for the first few sets and neutral for the subsequent ones. They then moved on to the T-bar rows to benefit the back muscles. Here, coach Rambod had a useful tip:

“Make sure that you’re being able to bring your elbows back and you’ll be able to contract your last to some degree. If you end up using too much weight, all you’re doing is a shrug.”

The group then performed multiple sets of seated cable rows next. This workout would help their overall strength and posture. Their last workout was a few sets of inline dumbbell rows. This exercise set their back muscles on fire, and while Bumstead and Lunsford took turns performing the routine, they finished strong and satisfied with their one-of-a-kind plan.

Under Rambod’s expertise, the champions could annihilate a killer back workout and inspire other fitness enthusiasts. The popular coach made sure that they didn’t injure themselves and had fun along the way. But they’re not the only titleholders to be trained under him.

Hany Rambod: The Mr. Olympia star coach who took in Derek Lunsford, Chris Bumstead, Hadi Choopan, and many more

Over the years, Rambod has established himself in the industry as one of the elite trainers in the bodybuilding world. While his own bodybuilding career was short-lived, he made sure to push his clients up to the top. With a star-studded clientele, Rambod has only raked up his reviews.

To date, the coach has trained elite bodybuilders like Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, Hadi Choopan, Big Ramy, Chris Bumstead, Derek Lunsford, and many others. The titles have only piled up high every year. His USP is his scientific approach and trademark training program that helps bodybuilding veterans shoot through their routines with big gains. Fans love to witness his work, and he often offers suggestions and fitness tips on social media.

The post Derek Lunsford Once Teamed Up With Chris Bumstead for a Killer Back Workout With Coach Hany Rambod appeared first on The SportsRush.

The event is named after popular German bodybuilder Dennis James. The retired pro bodybuilder has won the 1995 NABBA Mr. Universe in the medium-tall category and has also appeared in various editions of the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia. The Dennis James Classic, a yearly event, is not only conducted in Arizona but is also held in Germany.

With the Arizona Classic making its debut in 2019, this year will witness another edition of fierce competition, with many new bodybuilders making it onto the scene. 

Dennis James Classic Arizona 2024

The 2024 edition of the Dennis James Classic Arizona is set to begin in a few months. The organizers have disclosed the competition categories, registration details, and other information the participants need to follow going into the event.

The all-new edition will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at The Clayton House, 3719 N 75th St., Scottsdale, AZ. 85251. Participants who wish to take part in the event need to register before June 28, 2024.

The athletes are required to check in at the venue on Friday, June 28, 2024, at 4:00 pm, according to the governing rules. This includes late registrations, NPC membership, stage photos, backstage/trainers pass, height and weight check, and CD/music turn-in.

 

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The prejudging of the event begins at 9:00 am, after which there will be a 1-hour break for the judges between pre-judging and finals. In addition, the participants should also bear in mind that, they are not supposed to leave the venue during this time frame as the finals will begin soon after the break.

Registration for DJ Classic Arizona 2024 

Athletes who wish to compete at the DJ Classic Arizona can fill out the registration form available on the official website. Only candidates over 18 years of age are allowed to take part in the event. Those athletes who are 18 and 19 years of age need to showcase their ID proof at the venue. The registrations are open until June 28, 2024.

Arizona Classic Events

The events have been classified into both male and female categories. All events will be conducted on the same day, along with the finals. 

• Men’s Bodybuilding
• Men’s Classic Physique
• Men’s Physique
• Figure
• Women’s Physique
• Women’s Bodybuilding
• Women’s Wellness
• Bikini

 

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Previous Winners of Dennis James Arizona Classic

The 2023 event saw multiple winners in each category. Below are the winners from the 2023 edition of the Arizona Classic.

Men’s Bodybuilding Category

• Men’s Bodybuilding – Masters 45+ – Jason Callies
• Men’s Bodybuilding – Masters 35+ – Marcus Boaca
• Men’s Bodybuilding – Novice – Eric Godoy
• Men’s Bodybuilding – Open Lightweight – Chris Redaelli 
• Men’s Bodybuilding – Open Middleweight – Alexander Perez
• Men’s Bodybuilding – Open Light Heavyweight – Rudy Garcia
• Men’s Bodybuilding – Open Heavyweight – Devon Stephanian 

Women’s Physique

• Women’s Physique – Open Class A – Aislynn Greenly
• Women’s Physique – Open Class B – Natalie Hays 

Women’s Wellness

• Women’s Wellness – Masters 45+ – Mariana Arellano
• Women’s Wellness – Masters 35+ – Yvonne Estrada
• Women’s Wellness – Open Class A – Mariana Arellano
• Women’s Wellness – Open Class B – Kennedy Wahlen 

Men’s Physique

• Men’s Physique – Masters 45+ – David Green
• Men’s Physique – Masters 35+ – Scott Wolf
• Men’s Physique – Novice A – Agustin Jaime
• Men’s Physique – Novice B – Craig Erickson
• Men’s Physique – Open Class A – Matthew Diana
• Men’s Physique – Open Class B – Scott Wolf
• Men’s Physique – Open Class C – Tyler Raab
• Men’s Physique – Open Class D – Craig Erickson

Women’s Figure

• Women’s Figure – Masters 45+ – Jennifer Wolfe
• Women’s Figure – Masters 35+ – Jennifer Wolfe
• Women’s Figure – Novice – Melanie Boyle
• Women’s Figure – Open Class A – Jennifer Wolfe 
• Women’s Figure – Open Class B – Aislynn Greenly
• Women’s Figure – Open Class C – Natalie Hays

Men’s Classic Physique

• Men’s Classic Physique – Masters 45+ – Jason Callies
• Men’s Classic Physique – Masters 35+ – Scott Wolf
• Men’s Classic Physique – Novice A – James Solano
• Men’s Classic Physique – Novice B – Jesse Short
• Men’s Classic Physique – Open Class A – Chris Redaelli 
• Men’s Classic Physique – Open Class B – Mylan Fernandez
• Men’s Classic Physique – Open Class C – Michael Katrenak

Women’s Bikini

• Women’s Bikini – Masters 45+ – Yawtvaw Kedem
• Women’s Bikini – Masters 35+ – Sharri Detharidge
• Women’s Bikini – Novice A – Sharri Detharidge
• Women’s Bikini – Novice B – Tricia Kersten
• Women’s Bikini – Novice C – Kennedy Christiansen
• Women’s Bikini – Open Class A – Irene Curry
• Women’s Bikini – Open Class B – Katherine Mendoza
• Women’s Bikini – Open Class C – Melissa Buder 
• Women’s Bikini – Open Class D – Tricia Kersten
• Women’s Bikini – Open Class F – Tara Williams

Arizona Classic 2024 Tickets

This year’s tickets for the 2024 NPC Dennis James Classic NPC National Qualifier aren’t available online. The tickets will be available to all only at the doorstep of the venue.

The exclusive tickets are priced at $65 and are available as an all-day wristband. The venue to collect your tickets will be at The Clayton House, 3719 N 75th St., Scottsdale, AZ. 85251.

The post All You Need to Know About the NPC Dennis James Classic 2024 appeared first on The SportsRush.

This time around, Arnold has written an interesting section in his newsletter, which is the workout of the week. Through this, he suggests his followers use these workout routines to witness changes in their bodies. Arnold created this full-body workout to push your body to its absolute limit.

One might think full-body training isn’t worth it. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger proves it wrong and states that these types of workouts are more challenging than any others that you must have tried.

Every muscle group in your body will benefit from Arnold’s workout plan. To start the Arnold-recommended workout, all you need is a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. The workout is as mentioned below.

Barbell or dumbbell clean and press:

Grab a moderate set of dumbbell weights or a barbell with weights that you can accommodate. With a tight core, stand up and pull the weights into a front rack position. Bend and lock your knees, and then stand straight. After which, you pull the weight upward. Allow your shoulders to lock the weight out above your head. Reverse this movement and complete 4 sets with 5 reps each.

Barbell or dumbbell bent-over row: 

Hinge your hips with a flattened back, allowing your hips to go behind your heels. For the weights you use (dumbbell or barbell), the dumbbell should be by your thighs, or the barbell should be hanging in front. Ensure to keep the weights away from your ears while doing it. Once you’re set, lower the weight and do 8 sets with 6–8 reps.

Barbell or dumbbell squat: 

Lift the dumbbells at your collarbone with your palms facing inward. Send your hips back, with your chest upright, into a squat position. Once you are in position, push through with your heels back to standing and repeat the motion. Arnold suggests completing 3 sets with reps of 10, 8, and 6.

Barbell or dumbbell chest press: 

A workout familiar to all. In this exercise, you need to lie on a flat bench with the dumbbells or barbell up above your chest with your arms firmly straight. With the elbows below your shoulder, slowly lower the weights towards your chest. Before pushing the weights away, feel a stretch across your chest. Repeat this for 3 sets with 10, 8, and 6 reps, respectively.

Straight-leg barbell or dumbbell deadlift:

Use a pair of dumbbells in either hand or a barbell by holding it in front. Bend your hips and your back until your torso reaches horizontal or just above. Keep your knees straight or slightly bent if you lose balance.

Squeeze your lats and stand straight, pushing the ground with your feet. Take deep breaths, reverse the movement, and continue the exercise for 3 sets with 10 reps each.

Barbell curls:

Begin this exercise with the barbell hanging in front. Your palm should be kept facing upwards, while your elbows should be tightly close to your waist. Bring the barbell up. Ensure to keep your shoulders perfectly back and upright. Complete this workout for 3 sets with 10 reps each for maximum output.

Lying triceps extension: 3 x 10

Set the dumbells above your chest by lying on a flat bench. Allow the weights to dip behind your head and bend your elbows. Ensure your elbows don’t move, and reverse this movement. A set of 3 with 10 reps is what Arnold suggests for this workout.

Seated calf raises: 4 x 10

Sit on a bench, and keep a weight plate on the floor to rest your toes on it. After this, place a dumbbell on your knees and lift your heel as high as you can. Take a pause, and then lower your heels. Complete this last workout with 4 sets of 10 reps each.

You might notice changes right away once you finish Arnold’s suggested entire full-body workout. Even though the entire workout might be tiring, one could achieve greater results in less time.

Arnold Schwarzenegger let’s in on the secret to maintaining a healthy life

During the podcast ‘Pardon My Take,’ the Austrian Oak took a trip down memory lane and discussed the good old days. With his debut in bodybuilding and initial years gaining momentum as an icon, he had a lot of strength to achieve it all. 

Furthermore, Arnold Schwarzenegger came into the world of fitness through powerlifting at 15, joined the Austrian powerlifting team, and soon switched to bodybuilding at the tender age of 19. Grinding in the gym with intense exercises and going for long runs at the beach for cardio, he had a lot of fun preparing for his dream. 

Nonetheless, he admits that consistent exercise is the key to maintaining a quality life. While it helps to maintain a calm mind, body, and soul, it also helps to boost cognitive health.

The post Discovering Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Workout of the Week: A Method to Build Mass and Strength appeared first on The SportsRush.

In his newsletter, Schwarzenegger met popular bodybuilder Kyle Landi, who has Down syndrome and works on spreading awareness about it. His drive to exercise and work towards his goals set forth a major concern that Schwarzenegger highlighted. Are gyms inclusive enough?

Landi’s goal is to inspire everyone to stop accepting the limitations society tries to hammer in. This drove Schwarzenegger to bring up a crucial aspect of fitness. Not all gyms are inclusive, and since the former bodybuilder has been on a mission to spread the message that ‘fitness is for everyone,’ he took it as an opportunity to educate his village.

Arnold Schwarzenegger raved about how Landi was a joy to train and how, despite challenges, both had a great time. Incidents like these inspire Schwarzenegger to make his event, the Arnold Sports Festival, as inclusive as possible.

 

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“Young, old, rich, poor, black, white, straight, gay, man, woman, “disabled,” able-bodied — and anything in between; no matter who you are and what your situation might be, fitness is for you.”

With specially-abled athletes, Schwarzenegger observed that all they needed was a strong motivating force to move forward. They didn’t need sympathy, as long as the fitness they sought gave them the power to overcome obstacles. Exercises and workout mediums had no boundaries and only one purpose: to keep the person trained regardless of their quirks and challenges.

“We don’t have an excuse. They aren’t moping around, so there isn’t a challenge big enough to keep us from getting off the couch and…focusing on our fitness and moving forward every day.”

Here’s where Schwarzenegger asked his village to step in. Pointing out how many of his readers owned gyms and wanted some sort of promotion in his newsletter, he asked the community to make gyms and other such places more accessible. It might take some time and effort, but the payout would be worth it.

“I’ll keep fighting to make fitness for everyone every day of my life. But I can’t lift this weight alone. I need all of you.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger once rooted for his favorite heroes at the Arnold Sports Festival

The star’s respect for specially-abled athletes has had a history of its own. From the Special Olympics during his political career to a dedicated segment at his own sports festival, he has always had the same message. Fitness will always be for everyone, as long as they have the will to move forward.

In a resurfaced video from an older edition of the Arnold Sports Festival, the icon talked about how his favorite heroes were Derick Carver, Miles Taylor, and Garrett Fort—three specially-abled athletes who left jaws on the floor with their strength and passion for fitness. And now he aims to open the gateways to more such heroes.

The post “We Don’t Have an Excuse”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Lights the Fire of Inclusivity in Fitness With an Inspiring Meet appeared first on The SportsRush.

The New York Pro is set to launch on May 18, 2024, and Walker has announced his participation. The icon will return with all his might, and he recently took his fans on a journey through his prep. His latest video shows a glimpse of an intense back workout with a long list of exercises.

Throughout the routine, Walker performed seven exercises, each dealing with a specific part of the back. He started with a few reps on the pullover machine for warm-up. Once he felt sufficiently prepped, he added more weights and performed multiple sets.

He then moved on to the Seated Single Arm Cable Lat Pulldown, Incline Bench Pull, and Cable rows. All of the exercises had him doing a few sets but pushing to failure. The bodybuilding icon had formed a new regime for himself by combining that with longer rest periods. This training technique helped Walker stay away from injuries.

“I think a main thing people lack is taking longer rest periods they think oh I got to move fast you know burn more calories…I get it but maximum growth comes from a longer rest periods.”

He then ended his final lap around the back workout with some reps on the Rear delt fly machine, dumbbell rows, deadlifts, and back extensions. Although he had already worked his back in a separate routine a few days ago, Walker was experimenting around this time.

“I just wanted to try some some things that were a little different just to see if I want to progress with the uh certain exercises.”

Since his terrible injury, the bodybuilding champion has taken things seriously and changed his routine to a large extent. While he still believed in the powers of volume training, his new routine came courtesy of his inspiration from veteran Dorian Yates.

How did Mike Mentzer and Dorian Yates inspire Nick Walker?

Before he passed, Mentzer had pioneered his version of the high-intensity training technique, called the heavy-duty routine. Yates, who had won his first Mr. Olympia at the time, became his protege and went on to reign the bodybuilding world.

Walker saw how the six-time Mr. Olympia would work out and decided to follow it. Mentzer has often spoken about how heavy-duty training prevented injuries due to the extended recovery periods. Since Walker adopted the technique, he has been feeling quite positive about his progress. Fans now hope that the icon aces the upcoming title.

The post Nick Walker Gears Up for NY Pro With a Killer Back Workout After Horrific Injury Led to a Mr. Olympia Miss appeared first on The SportsRush.

Though Mentzer’s methods were unconventional, it has left an impact on many fitness enthusiasts. Mentzer who always shared training methods with his followers, once shared his favorite types of exercise for arm training. 

In a resurfaced video Mr. Heavy Duty shared a few of his arm training exercises. For his biceps, Mentzer loved training using the scot curls, nautilus curls, and concentration curls. For the triceps, he used to train with press downs, nautilus extensions, and dips. According to Mentzer, he felt that dips are the most effective and best exercise. 

“It’s also the best upper body, overall upper body exercise. I call it the upper-body squat. A very good exercise.”

However, Mentzer mentioned that before you get into training, there is a particular formula you should follow. The pre-training, intense training, and frequent training. Mentzer further mentioned that young bodybuilders should be careful while training and avoid doing too many sets on too many days for all body parts. 

Mentzer had noticed how bodybuilders who are willing and able to train significantly hard acquired a muscular physique. However, the mistake they often made was over train, which is not ideal for your body. Hence, Mentzer states that it is important to apply yourself while you train but overtraining is not the way.

“Results are usually linked primarily to motivation, and your willingness to apply yourself 100 percent.”

Mike Mentzer’s tip for achieving more gains from HIT training

Mike Mentzer’s heavy-duty training has seen a lot following ever since its inception. It’s been lauded and widely followed by fitness freaks and has almost achieved a cult status. The technique is aimed at performing a workout with intensity to maximize growth.

In a resurfaced video, the legend was seen exposing why heavy-duty training is imperative in fitness plans. He stated that HIT training never required the backing of equipment. He offered substitute exercises that worked the same set of muscles without equipment. 

The legend mentioned that one should focus more on strength and intensity and that if done right, it can give visible results. The results one yields from HIT depend completely on the efforts put in. That’s why Mentzer advises on going to failure for gains. 

This will trigger a recovery response from the body and further induce growth. Mentzer’s heavy-duty routine training included working till failure and going for a recovery period of 72 hours.

The post “Willingness to Apply Yourself…”: Mike Mentzer Once Unveiled His Favorite Exercise for Arm Training appeared first on The SportsRush.

In a podcast on Chris Williamson’s channel, Dr. Mike was asked the question, how often should people train each week, that is for the sets of muscle groups and training frequency? Mike responded to the question by stating that, there are two questions to this. The first one is how often should you train any given muscle.

According to Mike, generally, the answer is anything can work between one and six times. You can even train the same muscle seven times a week. He mentions that, though there is no ideal answer. You can always train a muscle six times a week instead of one. 

Our muscles don’t take that long to recover, hence it made no sense to train a muscle just once a week. He further provided an example to Chris stating, when you train your chest, how long will you be sore for? You could be healed and feel strong halfway through the week, but you’re instead waiting for another three or four days rather than going for it again.

“I would say anywhere between two and four times a week for the same muscle is a good idea. Two is great for a lot of people, three and four is more for specialization phases and folks that just recover rapidly.”

Therefore, Dr. Mike says that the ideal answer to train the same muscle would be between two and four times a week. Dr. Israetel then moves on to the next question, which is how many total sessions how many total times you should go to the gym. To this, he has an interesting answer.

He further said in the podcast, that for fitness enthusiasts who want to be healthy and already have a decent amount of muscularity, two times a week of training is enough. You train with weights on Monday and Thursday for your whole body. This will help you become healthy and attain benefits and a well-maintained physique.

For those who look forward to general recreational fitness or if you’re a professional bodybuilder, training anywhere between five and six to nine sessions per week is ideal. And in conclusion for those you want a serious change in your body, you need to hit the gym three to five times per week. 

“Each of them should be an hour to an hour and a half in duration. This is what I call serious effort.”

Hence, according to Mike, it is best to train a muscle more than once a week. And hit the gym based on what type of body you’re looking to build. Ensure that you never overdo anything and take appropriate rest between every session. 

Dr. Mike Israetel breaks down the truth about training to failure

Fitness icon Mike Mentzer’s legendary training-to-failure method was widely accepted by bodybuilders alike. He believed that it helped in faster gains and increased muscle potential. But exercise scientist Dr Mike Israetel had different thoughts.

Dr. Mike Israetel delved deep into the details of this technique on Chris Williamson’s podcast. He shed light on how this technique can create a lot of fatigue and spur an uneven growth-to-fatigue ratio. While he asserted that it did give muscle growth, one should keep in mind that moderation should be maintained. 

This is because overdoing the technique can be detrimental. Champions like Mike Mentzer truly aced it, pushing to failure with all intensity because they have enough time for recovery. Dr Israetel also suggested an alternative, to work with heavier weights gradually. 

While the reps and sets will be lesser than failure, increasing weight gradually would give a similar result. He also suggests it as an ideal method to achieve goals without subjecting the body to risk. He also stressed about the recovery period. 

Though Mentzer advocated for a 72-hour rest period, the scientist suggested striking a balance between two working days. This would be a situation, where you don’t completely feel exhausted or completely recovered creating optimal growth.

The post “Anywhere Between Two and Four Times…Is a Good Idea” Exercise Scientist Dr. Mike Israetel Reveals How Often One Should Train Each Week in Chris Williamson’s Podcast appeared first on The SportsRush.

When Chris asked Mike the question on how long one should rest between sets, he responded stating he had a unique take on this. A lot of answers you frequently hear from people and all around the internet is that a minute of rest is required. Even if someone states two – to five minutes, Mike understands why the answer.

But the problem is that these are not a theoretically based answer it’s just a it’s just a notional answer. Everyone has a different take and opinion on this. Therefore, what Dr. Mike mentions in the podcast is that when a person completes his set, before he is about to begin the next set there is a checklist you should follow. Before beginning your next set always ensure to follow the below mentioned checklist according to Dr. Mike. 

• Your cardiovascular system needs to be mostly recovered. 
• You need to have your neural nervous strength back.
• Synergists need to no longer be a limiting factor.

To break it down Israetel says, ensure you’re back to breathing properly and perfectly before starting your next set. Your cardiovascular system must be recovered well, if not could lead to various issues. In addition, he said only when you start to feel strong, you begin the next set. This means you have gathered your neural nervous strength back.

When it comes to synergists he shares an example as well. While doing a lat pull-down, and your forearms are still throbbing, this means it’s not time to do your next set of lat pull-downs. 

“Even if your lats feel quite good and that last factor model checklist covered, the target muscle must have enough recovery in it for it to be able to do at least another five repetitions.”

He further says that the reason is if you do anything less than five reps can be hypertrophic and less time for sufficient recovery. Thus take your rest according to how your body is prepared to go for the next set. However, Mike also said that, if you want growth in your muscles, taking a longer period of rest might not help. But what you can do is add more sets for better impact. 

Therefore, in conclusion, Dr. Mike says that while you train, and if you’re not ready, if you’re breathing hard and still feel weak, you need to take your rest. If your muscles are still cramping you have to rest no matter what you see on the internet.

“One to two minutes, two to three, those are unrealistic ideas. This is a theoretical basis.”

Dr. Mike Israetel reveals the common misconception about tempo training

Fitness isn’t just about hitting the gym consistently and trying hands-on every other equipment. It requires one to focus on technique, variations, posture, and more to gain muscles. Exercise Scientist, Dr Mike Israetel breaks down for readers how growth while doing each rep can affect growth.

In conversation with colleague Menno Henselmans, he delved into details of maintaining training tempo during exercises. This includes time taken to hold reps, speed of performing exercises, etc. Training tempo has four main elements. They are; speed of the eccentric, length or degree of pause, Speed of the concentric, and degree of squeeze. 

On an interesting note, he also added that if an individual reached a level of fatigue by any effective method, then training tempo didn’t matter. This didn’t apply to the pause while doing an exercise owing to a lack of research about it.  

To make sure you complete an optimal workout, the technique is to slow down and take control. He also made an observation that concentric movement governed growth. This is because it requires more strength to start, the body will see gains only eventually. Dr. Israetel surmised that an ideal workout only required good control over movement and technique while performing exercise.

The post “Those Are Unrealistic Ideas…”: Sports Physiology Scientist Dr. Mike Israetel Spills Facts on How Long You Should Rest Between Sets appeared first on The SportsRush.