How can I be so sure that I can build muscle? Part of it is experience and the other part is the network of people that I know. I went from 240 lbs. and 30% body fat a year ago to 240 lbs. and 15% body fat today. That's an increase of 36 lbs. of lean body mass.
Intensity in Training
I know I can build muscle because I train with extreme intensity. I don't worry about burns because burns don't mean the muscle is done working. Yes, I pay attention to pain, but the burn you feel doesn't mean it is time to stop working. I push myself to a place I like to call “beyond” and it forces my muscles to grow. This type of intensity is something most people don't even know exists.
I see it all the time with my clients. I tell them to go to failure and then I see them mentally counting the reps. They stop when I can clearly see they have more in them. When I call them on it they say “I did 15 reps!” My response to that never varies–“Why the hell are you counting the reps when your job was to get to failure?” They usually laugh because they know exactly what I am saying–they quit because they “did 15 reps” not because they had reached failure.
Consistency in Training
I am consistent with my weight training. I rarely take time off unless I am injured or my body is screaming for the rest. Otherwise I train and train and train. My muscles grow as a result. I have seen this first hand. I was able to add a V-shape to my back with this type of approach. Consistent and hard training for 3 months and I went from Photo A to Photo B.
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| Photo A | Photo B |
I was able to accomplish this improvement in a very short period of time. Through consistent training methods.
The Squeeze Method
I was taught “The Squeeze” by Ken Turchek and it has been the single most useful technique I have learned for training purposes. It has given me a much bigger gain in lean body mass than I ever thought possible. He taught me to focus on the squeeze of the muscle. It made me really focus on the mind-muscle connection. It made me work the muscles to failure. I was able to efficiently work every muscle group using “The Squeeze” technique. I will be describing this technique in a video coming soon.
Conclusion
I know I can build muscle because I have proven the ability to do so already and I am confident in my approach to bodybuilding. I have gone back to the basics and it really works. You can do the same thing.
