@BowTiedBarbary
Inspired by @ketoaurelius @BowTiedBulldog @BowTiedOx @BowTiedBreath
Fitness for Full-timers
How to feel good and look good on a (time) budget.
The bodybuilding industry is packed full with “bro science” and “supplement salesmen”. The audience is often 15-35 year old men seeking advice on how to build muscle mass and lose fat. Yet...somehow...Arnold and the “OG” Bodybuilders found success with a natural diet, few supplements, and (of course) steroids.
Objectives of Article
How to Build Muscle: Schwarzenegger Principles, 1970s
Efficiency: How YOU can look good and feel good with limited time to eat and train
Old School Diet, 1970s
High-Fat, High-protein, Low-Carb
Meat, Eggs, Fish, Chicken, Vegetables
Blair’s Protein Powder
Free Weights
Compound Lifts
*questionable steroids
New School Diet
High-Carb: bread, pasta, granola bars, nuts, chicken, fish
Whey Protein Powder
BCAAs
Pre-Workout
Creatine
Exercise Machines
Isolation Exercises
Steroids
Dozens of Supplements
Do you think Arnold used all this crap in the 1970s competing for Mr. Olympia…?
Arnold’s “Shocking Principle”
FORMULA FOR BODYBUILDING!
Formula → Progressive Overload + Variance = Muscle Growth
Four Principles of Weight Lifting
Variance
Overload
Progression
Recovery
*Progress Overload + Variance = Muscle Growth
*Recovery / Sleep will be covered in subsequent articles
80 / 20 Rule
80% of muscle growth comes from compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, press, etc.) because the exercises target multiple muscle groups simultaneously. We are meant to use our entire bodies in movement and motion, not isolated exercises (ex: bicep curl).
80/20 Rule:
80% Compound Lifts
20% Isolated Lifts
Compound Lifts (80%)
High intensity, low volume of repetitions on compound lifts provide progressive overload to multiple muscle groups AT THE SAME TIME.
Compound Lifts → Tool Box of Exercises:
Primary Compound Lifts
Squat - Front/Back
Deadlift - Straight / Hex / Romanian
Bench Press - Incline/Decline/Flys/Dumbbells
Military Press
Pull-Ups
Bent-Over Rows
Isolation Lifts and Muscle Groups (20%)
Arms→
Tricep Extension
Bicep Curl
Narrow Dumbbell Press
Tricep Dips
Back→
Bent-Over Row
Romanian Deadlift
T-Bar Row
Straight-Leg Deadlift
Pull-Ups
Legs→
Squats
Leg Press
Leg Extension
Straight-Leg Deadlifts
Lunges
Front Squat Lunges
Good Morning Exercise
Abs→
Leg Raises
Planks
V-Sits
Chest→
Bench Press
Incline Press
Dumbbell Flys
Principle #1: Variance
Minor changes in the number of sets, repetitions, and motion of a given exercise maximize muscle growth by “keeping the body guessing.”
Sub-Type of Compound Lift (ex: front v back squat)
# Repetitions, # Sets
Recovery Time between Sets
Repetition to failure v holding (pause set)
Example → Bench Press
Day 1: 3 sets, 6 repetitions, Flat Bench
Day 4: 3 sets, 8 repetitions, Incline Bench (dumbbells)
Compound Lifts are a toolbox. Use the same set of tools in different ways to provide variance and progressive overload.
Principle #2, #3: Progression & Overload
Increase weight, frequency, intensity, or repetitions of exercises to maximize muscle growth.
Four Components of Progressive Overload:
Execute Exhaustion → finish each set struggling on the last repetition
Increase Weight
Increase Repetitions
Increase Tempo (recovery time between sets)
Schawrzenegger Diet - 1970s
7 Time Mr. Olympia Champion
Professional Bodybuilders swore by a low-carb, high-fat (and protein) diet.
Avoid:
Bread
Pasta
Potatoes
White rice
Protein Sources:
Meat
Fish
Chicken
Eggs
Liver
Fat Sources:
Whole Milk
Meat
Butter
Nut Butters
Supplements:
Dried Beef Liver tablets (high nutrient density)
Blair’s Protein Powder (milk/egg mixture)
Carbs:
Leafy Greens
Sweet Potatoes
Brown Rice
Oatmeal
Nuts / Nut Butters
Rep Ranges - What’s Your Objective
The frequency of sets and repetitions depends entirely on YOUR goals!
Lifters: Peak Power → 1-4 Reps
Builders: Bulk Mass --> 5-8 Reps
Showers: Maintain Physique → 8-20 Reps
Max Strength: 1-5 Reps
Max Size: 6-12 Reps
Max Definition: 12+ Reps
Training Schedule for the Working Man: 9-5 Life
Changing your body composition while working full-time is no small feat. Discipline and efficiency is necessary to maximize your “ROI” in the gym.
Two Variables in determining Training Schedule:
# of Days available per Week
Personal Objective: Build Strength, Size, or Definition (ref: Rep Ranges)
Workout Splits - Time Management
Example Schedule →
Time: 5 Days per Week
Goal: Build Size
Example Schedule →
Time: 4 Days per Week
Goal: Maximize Strength
Push, Pull, Legs
Remember: 80/20 Rule → 80% Compound Lifts
Toolbox Cheat Sheet →
Upper, Lower
Remember: 80/20 Rule → 80% Compound Lifts
Toolbox Cheat Sheet →
Pitfalls to Avoid
Fasting (Eat 4-6 meals is ideal for bodybuilding)
Excess Alcohol (beer, wine, sugary cocktails)
Sleep < 7 hours per day
FURTHER READING
Eat Meat, Stop Jogging by Mike Sheridan
Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Carnivore Diet by Shawn Baker, MD
Lies My Doctor Told Me by Dr. Ken Berry, M.D.
Memento Mori,
@BowTiedBarbary
Pure gold.
1. Chaos (variance)
2. Go to Failure. 80/20 rule. Last 20% is 80% of growth
3. Ketosis!
4. Full-body, natural exercise. Isolation doesn't tire me, not good exercise.
Keep it up Barbary!