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Mr. Olympia 2012 Preview

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Mr. Olympia will take place this weekend in Las Vegas, Neveda. It is the Super Bowl of the bodybuilding world and is always a great show to watch. This year will be no different. Can Phil Heath successfully defend the title he won from Jay Cutler in 2011? That remains to be seen. I am going to give my predictions for the Top 3 in this article as I preview what will be going down in Las Vegas this weekend.

Phil Heath. Phil is back to defend his title, the one he took from Jay Cutler last year. With Jay out of the mix, I believe Phil will win his second Sandow. He has the drive and determination to get the job done like nobody else. I also strongly believe that the reigning Mr. Olympia always has the edge in situations like this. Phil will come in massive. He will be hard and shredded. 

This is Phil's title to lose. I have a feeling that he will hold onto the Sandow for many years to come. He still has Jay Cutler in his corner helping him out and that is also a huge edge. This guy trains with Hany Rambod, one of the best preparation coaches out there. These factors combine to give Phil the edge.

Phil is going to have to come in just right and will not be able to do what Jay Cutler has done in the past where he has battled back on Saturday night after a disappointing showing on Friday. Phil will have to come in looking good on Friday and stay that way on Saturday, in my opinion.

 

Kai GreeneKai Greene is a mass monster. This guy trains in brutal fashion and will definitely appear at the Olympia with size. The problem is that many times Kai looks too big. He isn't as aesthetically pleasing when he just packs on major mass. This guy is a serious threat to Phil Heath. He could capture the title depending upon how conditioned he is at the Olympia.

Kai works hard all the time. There is no doubt that he will look good. He has come close to the Sandow before and it is one trophy he really would like to have. This guy has many Olympia shows ahead of him in his career, but this year I say he finishes in second place. I am just not confident that he is going to look the way he needs to look in order to win the title.

With that said, I would not be the least bit surprised if Kai won. He has what it takes, it just needs to be put together for the show. I've watched some recent videos of Kai and he looks awesome. The problem is always the last few weeks before a show. How does the body respond to the stress it has been under?

I know that for me those last 2 weeks are critical. That is the time when my body starts doing strange and unpredictable things. This is why I always keep a journal of my progress. It helps me the next time around. Kai is an expert at this and knows his body well. Let's see how well he does this weekend.

 

Some will disagree with me placing Branch Warren in the third spot, but that's how I see it. Branch came off a major injury to win the 2012 Arnold Classic and he looked amazing. That's my issue, though. Can he maintain and improve upon that form?

Branch has come so close so many times. He is honestly my sentimental favorite, but the bodybuilder in me just doesn't see him winning this or placing higher than third. I hope he surprises me, I really do. This guy is one of the hardest working bodybuilders out there today. I have major respect for him and what he does in the gym. 

Branch will be ready to take the title, but will he have a balanced physique? The criticism of Branch has always been that his legs are so much bigger than the rest of his body. This is something he is going to need to address in order to win the Sandow. He will also give Phil Heath a run for his money, but this is not Branch's year in my opinion.

So, now you see what I think of the Top 3 at the Mr. Olympia 2012 contest this coming weekend. Let's see how close I come to getting it right. I love this sport because anything can happen. I can in no way guarantee that my predictions will be accurate, but I feel pretty confident in them.

Let me hear your predictions in the comments section below.

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Changing Focus

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There comes a time when you have to figure out what you are trying to accomplish and that's the point I am at right now. I had stopped publishing articles here while I figured out what direction I wanted to go in. I examined everything and came to a conclusion. I decided that perhaps simply focusing on fitness topics wasn't where I wanted to be.

Fitness Exposé is taking a new direction. Starting today the focus is going to be on all things bodybuilding. You've proably noticed our new layout. That's just the start of what is to come. The menu options are going to change as I figure out what to do with the old content (that is still quite useful). However, since I started this blog my focus has changed. Originally I was going to do some type of fitness industry rip off report, but that just never materialized. Now that my passion is for bodybuilding 100% I thought that my blog should reflect that. 

Effective immediately I am going to be publishing articles about real deal bodybuilding. I will not hold back. I will be publishing bodybuilding tips,bodybuilding news, interviews, actual workouts that I do, my new take on body part splits, and much more about bodybuilding. This will be your new stop for bodybuilding news and information. I am going to look forward to interacting with each of you as this blog grows into an authority on bodybuilding. 

If you ever have any topics you'd like to see covered here, please get in touch with me and I will do my best to handle it for you.

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How Lifting Heavy Should Change Your Routine

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Heavy Lifting

Lifting heavy brings with it a whole different set of issues that you don't normally get from bodybuilding routines. I have learned a lot about how my body responds to heavy lifting over the years. It has taught me how lifting heavy should change my routine.

Heavy Lifting Program

One of the best programs that I know of for lifting very heavy is Max-OT. It is a program promoted by National Champion Skip LaCour and focuses the user on lifting as heavy as they can. The objective in Max-OT on each set is to lift a weight you can get at least 4 reps out of and no more than 6 reps. Each set is taken to positive failure. By pushing your muscles in this way they grow from the stress they are put under. As printed, the Max-OT program has you on a split that includes 5 straight training days followed by 2 straight rest days. This, to me, is the only weakness of the program.

Rest Days

I have learned that lifting heavy takes a major toll on your joints and ligaments. If you push too hard for too long, you run the risk of severe injury. This is why rest days become extremely important. As I stated above, the only weakness I see in the Max-OT program is the fact that it wants you to lift 5 days straight and then get 2 days of rest. To me, especially at my age (47) that is just too much heavy lifting in a row. As a result, I've changed the program slightly. I lift 2 days, then I take a rest day. I then lift 3 days and take another rest day. I wind up lifting the same number of days and resting the same number of days, but I find that on Day 4 (after my first rest day) I am much stronger and ready to attack those weights.

Self Massage

I believe in foam rolling and when lifting heavy, it becomes even more important. Your joints and muscles get very tight and sore from the heavy lifting. By foam rolling you are releasing the adhesions that develop and avoid injury. It becomes a major part of the recovery process. You benefit in many different ways including:

  • Faster recovery
  • Better flexibility
  • Less injuries

I always foam roll once a day, but when I'm on a heavy lifting cycle I foam roll in the morning and the evening before bed. This is something that you definitely want to change in your routine if you are not already doing it.

Rest Periods

Lifting this heavy means extending your rest periods between sets just a bit more. While the recommendation is 2 to 3 minutes, I honestly believe it is better if you aim for 90 seconds. The only exception I make is for arms. I give those a bit more recovery time because, for some reason, my recovery on arms takes longer. Figure out what works for your body and then go with it. Your body will tell you what you need.

Increase the Intensity

Lifting heavy is going to require a lot of intensity. This is more of a mental thing than a physical thing in my opinion. Most of us are capable of way more than we give during a workout. The ability to be intense is going to come from your mental outlook. For instance, yesterday I had an arm training day. I was watching sweat drip down my legs. That's right! Sweat was dripping down my legs. That is because I was pushing my arms so hard that I heated up tremendously. The intensity was great and I was able to have an incredible arm training.

Eat!

You are going to need to eat enough when you are training heavy. Watch your energy and how you feel after a workout. Your body needs fuel to get through the intense training. Give it what it wants! Up your protein intake. Eat enough carbs pre and post training. Don't miss meals when training heavy. If you do this, you will see growth.

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Why I Dislike the Paleo Diet

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Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet is an extremely popular diet plan being used by millions of people around the world. It is based upon alleged scientific principles that seem to mimic the better parts of the Adkins Diet and most ketogenic diets. As a person who has tried many different types of diet plans, I wanted to present the reasons why I dislike the Paleo Diet. Please understand that I am coming at this from the perspective of someone who has used the plan (and many others like it) and just want there to be no misinformation spread about it.

Paleo Diet: Controversial Viewpoint

I have avoided this topic for a long time because I didn't feel like stirring up controversy, but lately I am seeing more and more people going on this diet plan. As someone who tries to stop misinformation in the bodybuilding community, I cannot be quiet any longer. While my viewpoint may be controversial to some, it has to be put out there for all to see at this point.

Paleo Diet: An Overview

The idea is to help people eat like cavemen did during the Paleolithic Age. The recommendation is to only eat meats, vegetables and fruits. Specifically, it instructs you to stay away from grains, nuts and seeds. In fact, the Paleo Diet presumes that we have (as a society) become too dependent upon grains–bread, pasta, rice, corn, etc. In addition, the Paleo Diet claims we should avoid sugars (I have no issue with that) and processed foods (I have no issue with that either). Finally, the Paleo Diet claims that we should completely avoid dairy. The foods recommended by the Paleo Diet are:

  • Meat
  • Fowl
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Vegetables
  • Oils (natural)
  • Fruits
  • Nuts
  • Tubers (sweet potatoes and yams)

The Paleo Diet proposes that we eat a high percentage of quality fats. 

The Paleo Diet: The Issues

No Calorie Restrictions

The very first problem I have with the Paleo Diet (and it is something easily overcome) is that it encourages people to eat as much as they want. The people on this plan are encouraged to just eat and not track calories. This is a recipe for a very fat and overweight body. Any time you eat in excess it is going to be converted to fat at some point.

No Dairy

I want to be sure you understand that some people have issues with dairy. Their body reacts in a negative way. If that is you, by all means avoid dairy. On the other hand, I have no issues with dairy. My body loves dairy. I drink non-fat milk once a day. I eat cheese (a healthy fat) and yogurt (good source of protein). To me, avoiding dairy means reducing the amount of calcium you take in. For women this can eventually lead to osteoporosis. Yes, you can always supplement with calcium supplements, but we all know that no supplement can replace getting your calcium directly from a natural food source.

No Grains

For some reason carbohydrates have been given an extremely bad name. People look upon them as though they are evil. Somehow people believe that carbohydrates will instantly cause you to get fat. Think about that for a moment. Most bodybuilders include carbohydrates in their diet year round. Do they look fat? Quite the contrary, the carbohydrates are used by their bodies to build muscle. Muscle is a metabolic tissue and helps to burn fat from the body. Carbohydrates also provide us with energy.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that carbohydrates should be consumed in moderation and at the right times. I actually think the timing of carbohydrate intake is the most important aspect. Cutting carbohydrates out completely just doesn't make sense. I've tried it many times. What I would up with was a completely messed up metabolism in desperate need of repair. I learned a lot about nutrient timing from the book Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition and highly recommend you pick up a copy to learn more. It will change how you think about the various nutrients you take in on a regular basis.

Yes, I believe in lower carbohydrate dieting, but I do not agree with no carbohydrate dieting at all. I am in the best shape of my life and I got here by eating carbohydrates in moderation.

Fruit

Fruit is very high in sugar. I find it to be very helpful to kickstart the day and to give energy prior to a workout, but to suggest that we can eat unlimited amounts of fruit is dangerous. I find it odd that the Paleo Diet advises against sugar in the diet, but supports eating a lot of sugary fruit. That, to me, is a contradiction.

Paleo Diet: The Positives

There is a lot about the Paleo Diet that I like, but to change one thing would no longer make it the Paleo Diet. To me it is a far stretch to assume that cave men were thin and healthy with a low body fat. There just is no proof of that assertion. 

It is definitely a great idea to include a lean protein source with every meal, but you should also include vegetables and complex carbohydrates as well. Eating a lot of vegetables is a great piece of advice as well. Including healthy fats in the diet is also essential. Beyond that, I cannot recommend the Paleo Diet. It is, to me, just a fad that falls short when really examined closely.

Paleo Diet: If Not, Then What?

My recommendations are really simple. I think you should include a lean protein source at every single meal. You should eat 6 meals a day (small meals). You should include vegetables in every single meal. You should include complex carbohydrates in the early part of the day and phase it out in the later part of the day. You should eat the correct amount of calories for your activity level and your lean body mass. You should stick to a macronutrient ratio (protein/carbohydrates/fat) of 40/40/20 if you are trying to lose fat. If you want to gain mostly muscle (ie. you are already fairly lean) then switch to a macronutrient ratio of 50/30/20. How does this convert to real numbers? Let's take me for an example. I weigh 230 lbs. right now. This means I will be taking in 3300 calories to maintain my weight, but I want to gain muscle, so I should be eating 3600 calories a day. Using the 40/40/20 ratio, I would be eating 360 grams of protein, 360 grams of carbohydrates and 80 grams of fat every day. 

The basic premise here is that you don't need some funky named plan in order to get into shape. This is far too important a topic to ignore. 80% of your results will come from how you eat, so pay attention to it.

What are your thoughts on the Paleo Diet? Please share them in the comments below.

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Saturday Sharing – Episode 10

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Saturday Sharing

Today I’d like to share with you my 6 favorite fruits. Your job is to leave your own list of 6 items in the comments or on your own blog that relate to the topic this week. If you decide to put the list on your own blog, be sure to leave a comment with a link to your blog. Please note that permission is NOT granted top copy the question to a forum or message board for the purpose of having the readers participate in the answering of the topic.

Topic for Saturday, July 7, 2012: Favorite biceps exercises.

  1. Face down incline bench curls
  2. Preacher curls with EZ bar
  3. Bent over BB curls
  4. High Cable Curls
  5. Low Cable Curls
  6. Hammer Curls

If you have a Saturday Sharing you'd like to see, send me an email. I would love to feature it in the future.

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