CHAT TRANSCRIPT 08.30.2005
ms_irreverent
Wow. That's certainly a different approach! I'm game, though (with the caveat that I can't yet do anything involving a barbell because I can't even pick up the bar!). This could be interesting. I'll report back in a month on that.
One other question, if you please. You just told fireman1 that you never do fewer than 8 reps on things like leg curls and extensions. What's the reason for that? I've been doing 5x5 for those as well. Should I be doing something different?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:39:14:
Poundage - if you are handling light weight - less than 100 pounds say - then the recovery time is not as much an issue - when your talking real heavy weight overall recovery, session to session, becomes an issue - I don't advise 5x5 on assistance work and don't think you should be using this approach on anything other than the main exercise for a bodypart...could you remind me to look over your routine? drop me a line on my other e-mail - things are spinning so fast in other areas I've been neglecting and forgetting things....
Craig
Marty,
When are you, Kirk, Pavel, Keith, and others going to get together and start publishing a monthly magazine? The articles and blogs on your website could certainly fill most of the first year. Musclemedia may have been a grand EAS advertisement, but they had some good articles (including Pavel's) and I'm tired of the current periodicals that are all bodybuilding (Weider's) or poor health advice wrapped up in sex-sells (like Men's Health). We need some good quality advice for the every-man, backed by research and real world experience.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:43:31:
well you got me and keith right here - kirk's around - pavel has an entire empire just around the corner - seems that you've already got that which you seek...
ms_irreverent
Ok, I'll try that next Tuesday. I did page through the book, but there's so much in there I wasn't quite sure which to attempt! I'll look it up so I know what I'm supposed to be doing. ;-)
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:26:24:
I want you to consider trying every single shoulder exercise in the Pearl book - take four full weeks to cycle through ALL OF THEM! You'll be like Bubba in Forrest Gump, 'Shrimp gumbo, shrimp romolade, shrimp creole, baked shrimp, deep fried shrimp, shrimp cassorole..." seriously try and perform two exercises you've never attempted in each shoulder workout - I'd be curious how many he has listed...I used to do crazy stuff like that all the time...
fireman1
Marty:
could you be a bit more clear on whether to change the rep range for assistance exercises. Like guitarfreak I tend to cycle from high reps and lower weight to low reps with higher weight, then go after a new PR on the core lifts. Should assistance exercises follow this same cycle or would it be just the same to keep their reps the same but just slowly increase the weight when possible?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:23:29:
If I'm doing curls or pushdown, laterals or leg curls, leg extensions or flyes - I never do less than 8-reps - unless I'm going for 8 and only make 6 or 7 - on the inclines, press behind the neck, nosebreakers, leg presses or rows - I might sync those up to the rep range I'm working in in the other 'prime movers.'
Riverhorse
Marty
Optimal bench press stroke-the classic J stroke, where you push up and back, or the more modern of straight up and down-which do you prefer, is more safer than the other, is this a completely individual matter?
thanks
keith
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:30:11:
Hey there - glad you checked in - could you post a blurb for me under the 'stream of conciousness' next week? I'm working on a script under deadline and if you could spell me for a day it would be greatly appreciated - your choice of topic - about 1000 words...
We use the J - I got my bench facts learned from Kenny Fantano (640 bench no shirt) - Ken was so explosive that he used to SNAP the buckle off power belts routinely when he lowered, paused and EXPLODEED! His waist/chest expansion was so dramatic he'd snap the buckle off a powerbelt - Ken taught me to push upward in a straight line until resistance was felt then glide back to allow the triceps to acheive a better leverage toe-hold. I took young Karwoski up to The Muscle Factory back in 1988 - he had been stuck at 440 for over a year - Ken stripped Kirk's bench down to zero, re-taught him how to bench and within three years Kirk benched 600 in a shirt so loose I could put my hands under the sleeves and pull out creating a three-inch gap - Ken had the mind of an engineer - he could also do five perfect reps in the incline with two 220-pound bells week in week out - he also squatted 940 coming in second to Ware at the 88' APF's.
ms_irreverent
Muse (oracle?) here. I'm beginning to think I should just ditch shoulder presses. Today on the first two sets (remember, these are single arm) I had a really rough time of it with the right arm--I could not reach lockout; my elbow hurt and felt as though it were going to snap. I turned the bell inward and was able to then complete one set with no pain, after which I could also do two more facing forward again. This just seems nuts. If I eliminate them and do shrugs, front raises and lateral raises (prone on incline bench), is that sufficient?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:17:40:
Hell yes - go to Pearl's book - how about some single arm cable side laterals?
guitarfreak
It is indeed right out of your book. I just finished up a routine that was very very similar except I had the back day in two days... with bent rows and chins going with my arm work. It's posted in my training log. I know you ain't got time to go reading those things.
This next one I drew up after having read your book and adjusted it to 4 days instead of 5. I'll post the complete workout in my training log in about a week... I don't have it with me at the moment... and I want to post it along with my results from the previous session so my log doesn't turn into something massive and incomprehensible.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:19:10:
the main thing is that every major 'area' legs, back, shoulders, chest - start with a kick-ass compound multi-joint exercise - then follow up with a well thought out assistance exercise - I've found I can get through two muscle groups per session before the power in the battery runs down - some folks can do more lengthwise - but I prefer a shorter session strong all the way through than a lengthy session where either the final exercises in the session suffer or you hold back in order to finish 'evenly'...please keep me in the loop
El Dangeroso
That was Low. Seriously, Seriously Low.
By The Way, today is moving day!! Cable guy's coming at 5, and I'll be picking my TV up later in the week.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:45:22:
Now the Vegas Vacation really begins - can I call you Mr Papageogerio?
El Dangeroso
Are you as amazed as I am at the physical prowess of such super athletes as Richard Hatch and that dwarf lady on the "Battle of the Network Reality Stars". The Simon Says and dunk tank softball toss competitions were brutal!!
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:09:56:
You sir are mocking me - worse than John Malkovich on Saturday Night Live - I saw Mountain play live for two hours over in H-town in front of about 50 people - he did Nantucket sleighride for 40-minutes and Mississippi Queen for and encore...Leslie came back to the house afterwards and we talked about why he won't play Vegas "Bumpkins or sophisticates that don't understand me." was how he explained it...
Lorrie
Yes, that's why I wanted to see you on a holiday. He's got a day off and he's in town and I have a babysitter. The planets are in alignment!
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:04:13:
cool - call and we'll figure out what's what...
Lorrie
Do you think that while working on your TV show you will still have time for day camps? If so, I'd like to come up soon, maybe next monday if you want to work on a holiday. I'll bring some steaks and some tomatoes from my garden.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 11:58:01:
sure, sure - call me - not going to start filming until after cameraman/vidoegrapher hilary gets back from china in mid-september...you have my number right? Is kevin coming?
Bet
So Marty,
What do you have planned for Labor Day Weekend? Purposefully Primitive Barbecue I hope!
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 11:59:53:
Stay home - go to the Menonite farm and pick up a bunch of just picked vegetables - whatever he has - steaks from the local butcher - black angus ribeye grown locally - probably drink some imported beer, Smithwicks or XX lately...friends mysteriously show up when I get the hickory or mesquite smoke going on the weber - its like some sort of seductive smoke signal...
guitarfreak
Hey Marty,
This week I'm finishing up a doubles on my main lifts. Next, a week of singles and then on to a new cycle. I've planned out a long cycle for my top sets in the squat, dead, bp and bent row. My cycle will start with 2 weeks of 10s then two weeks of 8s, 4 weeks of 5s, 2 weeks of 3s, 2 weeks of 2s and finally a week of singles, Although I stay with doubles in the bent row and dead lift.
My question is about assistance excercises. With the exception of the bent row, which I do after stiff deads which come after regular deads, these are the first exercise in my routine. For assitance work that follows though, I've generally kept in the 8 - 12 rep range. I don't even plan those out in detail for that matter. So, I'm wondering if I should do the same amount of reps for assitance work as I do for the main lifts?
For example... if I do 5 reps in the bench press should I also do 5 reps in the incline bench and narrow grip bench?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:04:58:
I'd like to see the whole routine laid out day by day - this all sounds good - however deep into the session energy starts to nosedive - I suspect if you can get one compound multi-joint exercise and one assistance exercise in, you'll be doing good - I assume you'll work more than one body part per session and keep sessions to around 60-75 minutes - past that it you hit the point of diminishing returns...if you do deads, then stiffs and rows - I suspect the rows will suffer but maybe not...it'll be interesting - this is a 'Straight Ed Coan' routine, by the way
Cory
Hi Marty, any good prospects for the upcoming Fall TV season?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:13:34:
I'm liking 'so you think you can dance' - great bodies, great athletic ability, great kinestetic sense of movement and explosion - plus, the best show on TV Tony Bourdain's eating/travel show - russia, iceland, jersey with mario, france...the best! so politically incorrect, so purposefully primitive..."Leave the gun, take the cannoli."
Stephen
Marty,
When you talk about leaning out, there's usually an emphasis on reducing dietary fat. Does that include fats from fish, flax, olive oil, etc.?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:46:56:
No - I use olive oil (extra light) every day and eat more fish than an Alaskan grizzly - saturated fat is the enemy - and even a little of that is mighty good in a well-marbled ribeye or chicken thigh
Rockville, MD
Hey Marty,
I see you advocate high protein and low saturated fat. What about carbs? High? Moderate?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:48:35:
you have to differentiate your carbs - we break them into three categories
fibrous - green vegetables, green beans, bell peppers, spinach, brocoli etc
starchy - potatoes, rice, beans, etc.
refined - man made; pasta, bread, pasteries, etc.
all the fiber you want, starch in moderation and always with an insulin-dampening fiber carb - refined carbs are reduced to absolute minimum or eliminated
fruit is eaten also but contains some sugar so we don't go too fruit crazy
No Name
How do you recommend we keep a diet log? Plain old notebook? Or am I jumping the gun for tomorrow's blurb?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:57:12:
Depends how deep you want to go - competitive bodybuilders acheive 2-3% body fat levels for competition by weighing their food and balancing food intake to activity - do you want to go to that extreme? so do, most don't - but the method works and deserves an examination for those super serious types that want to dip below a 10% body fat percentile....
Jake L
You said in today's blog that you recommend going on a bulk phase first for those serious about physical transformation. So even if someone already has a significant amount of body fat (above 30%), you'd recommend bulking to build muscle first, so that when the fat loss cycle comes, you have the muscle to delineate?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:52:40:
Obesity is a different matter - usually an obese person is untrained and therfore can actually build muscle while reducing body fat - this requires a different tactical approach...stay tuned as I will be tackling this one in a big way real soon...
Washington, DC
Congrats on the show! So where are you- still shopping around for a network to pick it up? Will yoou be practicing the Ramsey motivational methods, or using a more Socratic system?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 12:54:57:
Think of Karwoski as Stalin, Dr John as chief of secret police Beria while I'm Trotsky with an edge...
Marty Gallagher
Hello, and welcome to this week's chat! you may submit questions ahead of time, and I'll answer them when the chat starts at noon. Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-2005 at 11:51:52:
I'm here so let's get rocking... Marty Gallagher replies on 08-30-
2005 at 12:59:52:
BANG! GOT THROUGH EVERYBODY JUST AS IT TURNED 1-PM - THAT'S IT FOR TODAY!
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