Summer Champions Are Built In The Winter…

I’ve always liked training hard throughout the winter, especially in the gym.

The winter is by far the best time of the year to gain some body weight and lift heavy weights.

And to be honest with you, I actually miss running outside in the winter.

It has been probably 10 years since I have run outside throughout the entire winter and that year was most likely my best physique ever.

RIpped abs

Right now my training is going full steam.  My bench press is in the 275 range, I deadlifted 455 x 2 last Friday and my squats are nearing the 315.

This year, I also decided to keep up with my cardio. Although I am only doing the treadmile, I am still getting close to 2 miles in 14 minutes and under.

Winter is a time to work.  Time to stop looking into the mirror and to just put in the work.

My plan going forward is to keep lifting heavier in the gym, continue with my cardio and when I start cutting down in the Spring, I should be looking jacked.

P.S. I am strongly considering a powerlifting competition in early 2020, it has been about 4 or 4 years and I am overdue.

-John Andre

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Am I “Babying” Myself Too Much In My Training…

It’s kind of sad, but I think at my age (almost 40) there are just certain records that I will never beat.

I will never beat my long jump record from college.  That just isn’t happening, I tried it last year and I was about 4 feet off.

I can still grab the rim and jump pretty high but I will never jump as long as I used to.

My bench press record is also going to be tough.

Although i can still muscle my way up to 315 lbs almost every day, it’s going to be tough for me to get past 355.

First of all, I am not willing to gain as much weight. 10 years ago when I bulked up to 205 lbs, I would bench press 315 for an easy 4 reps.

Now at 170 lbs tops and without a steady spotter, it is going to be close to impossible to beat.

For the deadlift and squat, I believe I could beat it.

Yesterday I deadlifted 375 for 10 reps and it felt like a feather.  For me to get back near my record of 585, I will need to start lifting in the mid 400’s for 10 reps, to be honest, it doesnt seem that far off.

I am still able to get my deadlift over 500 almost every year without even training.

For the squats, I feel like I break my “non-equiped” record if I had a consistent spotter.

Running is a mixed bag.

I am definitely slower in the 100, 200 and 400 meters, but I feel stronger in long distance.

I think I could still beat my 5-mile and half-marathon record and maybe have a slight chance to break my 5k record.

But that big question is, am I pushing myself enough?

I have been pretty much injury free for the last several years, so should I start pushing it a little more?

Unfortunately,  I think the answer is “Yes”.

I want to hit some strong numbers in the gym this winter and I want to run faster in the Spring and Summer.

If I dont have any injuries, why not?

It’s time to start going harder…

-John Andre

 

Can You Work Out Bodyparts More Than Once A Week? (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

I have to be honest, I think that Arnold is slightly full of shit when he talks about his workouts.

Arnold trained in the “high volume” era of the 1970s and to be honest, that era had most of the most popular physiques in bodybuilding history.

But is not fair to say it’s just from the training, alot of it is from the steroids available at that time.

Whatever they were injecting in the 1970s, seemed to work.

I have read all of Arnold’s training guides and his legendary “several hours a day” workouts.

I tried to follow his workouts in the past and they did not work for me at all. If anything, I started to look worse by copying his routine.

The workouts that worked the best for me have always been heavy powerlifting training along with cardio and intermittent fasting.

But part of Arnold’s training philosophy does makes sense. If he is training chest twice a week while receiving enough rest and recovery, he will develop faster than someone only working out their chest just once a week.

For myself, I can only work out body parts twice a week if I limit the sets.

The first exercise that I started training twice a week was my chest. I found that if I cut the sets, I would be able to hit it hard twice a week.

My workout now is bench press on Mondays and then I will mix flat and dumbbell press on Thursdays. By only doing one or two heavy sets after warming up, I found that I can train heavy twice a week without getting injured.

The second bodypart I started working out twice is my back.  I add some light high-rep work on Mondays and then I add heavy duty back training on Fridays.

The 3rd and probably the final body part I started working out twice a week is my legs. I am attempting to squat on both Sunday and Wendsday.  Squatting takes a lot out of me, so I am going to see how long I can keep it going.

Overall, although I believe that Arnold was slightly embellishing his true workouts, but there is some validity to his methods.  If you can handle working a bodypart twice a week, then feel free to go for it. You’ll will get in shape much faster if done correctly.

-John Andre

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Time To Set My Fall/Winter Goals…

Although it was 90 degrees in NYC on Wednesday, the Fall is officially here and it is time to change up my training.

Overall, I had a solid year of training. I got my bench press over 300, my deadlift over 500 and I was running 3 miles in slightly under 21 minutes.

For this coming year, I want to make two necessary adjustments:

A) I need to do cardio all year round. I dont need to go crazy in the winter,  but I would like to keep my 3 mile treadmile time around 21 minutes.

After 20 years+ of working out; I have noticed that the years that I looked my best, I typically kept up a cardio routine during the winter.

B) I am only allowing myself to bulk up 10 lbs over my peak.  That means I am only allowing myself to go up to 166 lbs. I am finding it more and more difficult to lose body fat as I get older (39)

Goals:

Bench press 315+. I usually reach this, but it’s going to be difficult without a regular spotter.

Squat 315+ ass to the ground. This should be easy. I have really worked on my squats the last couple years and I should be able to go over 315 pretty easily. I also may start squatting twice a week.

3 miles in 21 minutes treadmile. This is easy, I should be able to reach this with only 2 or 3 cardio sessions a week and that would allow me to run a fast session next summer.

Overall, my routines dont change that much.  I am basically just starting to eat cleaner and add some extra cardio during the winter, and my weight training is basically power based.

Good luck!

Want to train like I do? Check out one of my 3 training guides on amazon.com.

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Season Over? Time To Bulk?

Well, its looks like my season is over, at least for competitive running.

How did I do this year? Not great, not bad.I achieved most of my winter lifting goals.

I deadlifted over 500lbs pretty easily and I was squatting near 315, ass to the ground of course!

Bench press was slightly more difficult since I dont have a spotter,but even without a workout partner, I was lifting near 300 lbs  With a steady spotter I like to go up to 315 every winter but this year it was just impossible.

For my running, this year had been off and on for me.  I definitely need to change something up in my training for next season, because my times are not improving.

This year I did a 3 mile race in Mid May and ran around 21 minutes flat, and then I did a sprint race in the summer which included the 100 and 200 meters.

I did “ok” considering that I havent sprinted in over 20 years, but my times were not great.

Then this past weekend I did a 5k race that I run every year and I finished it in around 21:55; 20 seconds slower than last year.

I dont expect to get faster every year as I age (39) but I hope with improved training I can lower my times.

One area that I definitely need to improve on, is my diet.  I’ve learned that I cant put on 30lbs during the winter like I used to.  This year, I plan on only adding 10 lbs of extra bodyweight, to a max of 166.

Most likely I will never weigh over 180 lbs again in my life, it’s not healthy and its becoming harder and harder to remove bodyweight as I get older.

Overall, I have a second child coming in 2 weeks, so I will probably start my winter bulk up in a month.

I need to focus on my diet super hard this coming year and include cardio during my bulk up.

I dont know why, but even when I bulk up and gain weight, the cardio workouts help to keep me lean.

I will be posting my bulk up routine soon.

Good luck!

Want to train like I do? Check out one of my 3 training guides on amazon.com.

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I’m Starting To Look Pretty Insane This Year (pics)

I feel like I am disappointing my readers.

I blog about bodybuilding but then I dont offer any pictures.

Well, you are in luck. Today I will show you my final Spring training picture.

Keep in mind, I am nowhere near my peak.  I still need to cut down another 7 lbs and I also just started my sprinting.

But most importantly, I didnt start tanning yet.

Overall, “I am getting there”.

Another couple weeks of sprinting, tanning and fasting, and I should start to look really good.

Want to train like I do? Check out one of my 3 training guides on amazon.com.

Life Isn’t Fair, But Bodybuilding Is Pretty Close…

Life in general is not fair, not even close. It took me a while to realize it, but this simple fact is something important that you need to eventually understand.

If you are unable to ever acknowledge it, it will start to slowly eating away at you.

There is always going to be someone smarter than you, richer than you, and definitely better looking than you. (You, not me)

And that is why I love sports so much. Effort is important.

In my opinion, bodybuilding is one of the most “fair” sports in the world.

I’m not gonna plead ignorance and say that genetics are not important, but without heavy and consistent weight lifting, cardio and a proper diet; you will never get anywhere.

There is nothing I enjoy more than standing on the beach in the summer and showing off my hard work.

I might be able to beat Arnold, except in abs, but I can still get in better shape than 95% of the population.

Check out my 3 books on amazon.com! Or other books I support!

Running 2.0 The End Of Long-Distance Running: Including The Top Ten Spint Workouts To Remove Bodyfat

Finally, Some Good News

If You Are Gonna Take A Shot At The King, You Better Not Miss…

I am not trying to brag, but when I get my ass into great shape, I really start to look good.

What it really comes down to for me is, what kind of mindset am I in?

• Am I willing to starve myself?
• Will I do repeat sprints in the blazing heat outside?
• Will I try to deadlift 600 lbs?

If the answer to all of these are “no”, then I will not look like a freak.

I need to be firing on all cylendars to look my best.

So far this year, I am feeling “pretty good”.

My mindset is in the right place, I’ve been injury free and my numbers have been impressive.

My workout last week were as follows:

Monday: Bench press 245 x 7, biceps, etc

Tuesday: 275 x 5 squats (ass to the floor), calve raises, etc

PM Session 3 miles in 20:40 treadmile

Wendsday: Rest

Thursday: Chest# 2. dumbbells, fly’s, etc.

Friday: Deadlift 345 x 10, 110 lb dumbbell bend over rows, 2 sets of 10 chins

Pm session: 2 miles in 13 minutes (Treadmile)

Saturday: 2 miles in 13:55 outside.  6 x 40 meter sprints.

Overall, that is a tough week of exercise, along with going to work everday and eating like a bird.

I am “finally” starting to look a little bit slimmer and my times are starting to improve.

My game plan from here out? 5-6 days a week of exercise with multiple “double” sessions.

My typical goal is to hit 3 miles in 21 minutes outside and it looks like I “should” hit that pretty easily.  On a really good year, I will even go under 20 minutes.

But I am also looking pretty solid this season.  My winter training was strong with 550 lb deadlifts, 315 lb bench presses and 355 lb squats.

I tell people all the time, if you werent lifing heavy in the winter you will have trouble trying to get ripped in the Spring and Summer.

Overall, I am feeling really good and that is bad news for all you other guys out there.

Remember, if you take a shot at the king, you better not miss.

And I am still alive.

-John Andre

Check out my 3 books on amazon.com! Or other books I support!

Running 2.0 The End Of Long-Distance Running: Including The Top Ten Spint Workouts To Remove Bodyfat

Finally, Some Good News

To Look Freaky, You Need To Train And Eat Freaky…

As of today, the best shape I have ever looked was when I was 29 years old.

Ripped abs

Since then, I have gotten pretty close to my “peak” shape and I always get relatively ripped during the summer.

But to be honest, it’s going to be difficult to beat my 29-year old physique, although there are some advantages of being older.

Older bodybuilders have the advantage of having really solid muscle.  There is just no way to cheat or replicate years of heavy powerlifting.

That is why some College Football players will still look massive even years after they stopped competing.

But, I also think about what type of crazy training I was doing back then.

First of all, my diet was STRICT.  I was living with two roommates at the time and without the distraction of a wife/kids, all I did was eat cleanly.  Very low carb and also very low calorie.

Secondly, I was lifting heavy.  I was just coming off my best powerlifting year, where I was benching 350 and deadlifting over 560.

And finally, I was also running pretty good.  I had my 3 mile time down to 20 minutes flat and I was running the mile in around 5:20 on the track.

So overall, I was bench pressing over 315 lbs, while running a mile in 5:20 and eating like a bird.

That combination is tough to beat.

I was also hanging out all night, especially on the weekends, until 4 in the morning and burning a ton of extra calories.

One thing I am starting to notice is that although I always get cut, I am starting to look the same every year.

For me to make any “freaky” changes, I am going to have to start getting freaky in my routine.

That means super fast cardio, more super sets in the gym and also a ton of “fasting”.

If I don’t change it up, I will look the same as last year.

Time to make a change…

-John Andre

Check out my 3 books on amazon.com! Or other books I support!

Running 2.0 The End Of Long-Distance Running: Including The Top Ten Spint Workouts To Remove Bodyfat

Finally, Some Good News

March 1st Is the Last Day To Start Cardio Or You Will Be Fat This Summer…

I am sorry to inform all of my competition out there, but if you did not start your cardio routine recently, you better start it now.

March 1st is the last day to start your cardio routine and still get ripped for the summer.

How do I know this? From YEARS of experience.  If you start too early you might end up “skinny fat”, if you start to late, you wont get your body fat low enough.

The “sweet spot” to start doing cardio is between Feb 14th and the first week of March.

The other question is, “what type of cardio I should be doing”? That is also important, because if you are doing your cardio incorrectly, you can also ruin your summer.

In my latest book, I tell you exactly what you need to do.

Running 2.0 The End Of Long-Distance Running: Including The Top Ten Spint Workouts To Remove Bodyfat

For me personally, my Spring training is just starting to get revved up.  I lost around 5 lbs so far and I’ve completed about 10-12 cardio sessions.

Another week or two and I will start to add my sprinting routine into the mix and then I should start to get pretty cut.

And if you do it correctly, you should end up looking like this.

Ripped abs

-John Andre