The 6 biggest things to avoid when trying to maximize muscle gain
**Long form**
1.) Not having good measurements of long-term progress
- Take progress pics
- Track Body composition with a fancy scale
- Logging workouts to track reps and weight
2.) Learning form
“What ith up YouTube”
5x Olympia winner
Cbum… also known as Chris Bumstead the Canadian bodybuilder
He has proven that his physique is the best in his class
He’s been weight lifting since the age 14
I am going to break down his training and see why I think he stands out
What is a Fitness Journey?
Its more than just “getting fit”
A fitness journey is educating yourself
A fitness journey is learning to love yourself
A fitness journey is learning to be comfortable with getting uncomfortable
A fitness journey is striving to be 1% better
Want to grow some boulder shoulders?
Here’s the cheat code
Lateral raises on an incline bench
Will provide an unbelievable muscle growth stimulus
Why?
The muscle is stretched under tension
Sleep
Why is sleep so important for your over health?
It’s pretty obvious but
The little details don’t matter too much with this one
All you need to know is that it will help you to build big juicy muscles
burn fat more efficiently
Work better and more efficiently
What does a balanced plate look like?
Well in case you forgot
Here you go
Next time you go to order out at a restaurant or start cooking
Think of this picture and ask yourself
Hmm do I have a balanced meal here?
Or… am I wasting my time and money eating absolute
I love my super fancy gym with super expensive equipment and great lighting
But it’s not needed
Hit some arms this morning at my company’s gym
It’s got old a** stuff and not much for equipment
But I got er done
And a great pump was achieved
Instant gratification mindset needs to go
When starting your fitness journey it's not about rushing to the goal weight
Or trying to lift the heaviest weight as soon as possible
Or getting as big as you can right away
Unfortunately…
That's just not how it works
It's
How are we lookin chat?
On the left is the most recent pictures of me
The last video was me peak bulk around 188lbs
The second to last video is me at 180lbs
I am currently sitting around 174lbs
Cable RDLs
They are just okay
▶︎ Weight Placement
► It is hard to keep the weight directly under you like you can with a barbell or dumbbell which can cause some people lower back pain when doing this variation
▶︎ The Setup
► Typically you need more
Sometimes you get tired of going to the same gym all the time
It pays to take a day and lift in a different environment
My girl and I just tried this other gym and the lift was so refreshing
As a fitness coach
I cannot promise I will fix all your problems
In, fact fixing things FOR you is not my goal
My goal is to accelerate your learning and growth in fitness
Show you what works scientifically
Help you get started if you are completely lost
Then hope
Can't grow your glutes?
Do these few things
► Think about a good stretch under load
► Time under tension
► Are you able to easily load and progress the movement
Glute growth will come from any kind of split squat
I.E
This curtsey lunge has been my favorite recently
Vegan
Keto
Paleo
Carnivore
Low carb
What do all these diets have in common?
They suck
Kidding… kinda
They produce results fast
Too fast
What do I mean by that
I hear all the time
Someone was on this diet and they lost 40lbs
Then… they gained it back
You
Yeah you scrolling on X
I want you to think of what you feel like day to day
Now
Think of what you dream to feel like day to day
The kind of person you dream of becoming
Do you ever feel anxious or terrified when stepping into a gym by yourself?
You step in and think
“There are just so many machines”
“I don’t know how to use all of them”
“There are so many people by the free weights”
“I don’t know the correct form, is that person
How my plan has changed for leg growth
I do not do leg extensions for my quads at the moment
I have seen much greater growth
My favorite go to movements right now are
• Squat
• Single leg - leg press
Squat movement… lower weight higher reps
Elevated heels for
Chest growth
Chest growth happens from the pecs being stretched
Not from pushing a shit ton of weight
Take a day and try a seated cable fly
Lower the weight
Focus a stretch at the bottom
Control the eccentric
I promise this movement alone will grow your chest if you
Weigh in Wednesday
Last week to this week 178lbs - 182lbs
This is why I say to not focus so much on the number the scale shows you
You will fluctuate day to day
Focus on the changes you see to your body
Building muscle is honestly super simple
Compared to how social media portrays it
Eat enough protein (.82g per pound of bodyweight)
Hit each muscle group 2 times a week (10-20 sets per muscle group)
Get enough sleep (at least 7 hours)
Focus on technique
6-20 reps (take
“Squeeze at the top‼️”
A pause at the contracted part of a movement is just not very beneficial
For hypertrophy at least
Here is why
When it comes to training we want to think about the fatigue-to-stimulus ratio
The stretched portion is the most hypertrophic portion of a
What does the number 225 mean to you?
For some it could be $225 dollars was their first real sale
It could be $225 they have for spending this week
225 is the remaining steps they have for the day
225 is the amount of places they want to travel to
Obviously the number 225
Do you want a huge booty?
Stop doing hip thrust
I know this sounds crazy
All the tiktokers say to do hip thrusts and cable kickbacks for a big booty
And, I'm sure you "feel your glutes" so much during a hip thrust
If your main goal is muscle growth, there are much better
Hey you with the small arms
Skull crusher variation
►Control the weight on the way down tapping your neck just below your chin
► Break at the elbows pushing down toward your hips
►Deep stretch and pause at the bottom
►Explosive on the way up
I typically do 4 sets
How are we lookin chat?
On the left is the most recent pictures of me
The last video was me peak bulk around 188lbs
The second to last video is me at 180lbs
I am currently sitting around 174lbs
The greatest back exercise
Pull-ups
Actual pull-ups… full dead hang then chest to bar with controlled eccentric
Warm up with lat pull downs
Drop set with assisted pull-ups if possible
Save 1-2 reps in the tank until the last set go to absolute failure
Your back will
I’m 21 years old… about to be 22 in July
I’m not perfect
It’s hard to get to the gym consistently
It’s hard to get to bed early and wake up early
It’s hard to believe I can build this business
But what’s harder?
The thought of giving up
Not being able to play with
All these stupid ads… “no matter how hard I worked out or how hard I dieted the fat just never burned off”
Stfu
Obviously you didn’t work hard enough
You clearly were not actually in a deficit if you weren’t losing fat
You clearly were not moving enough through the day
Extended weekend coming to an end
I’m sad, but now it’s time to get back to work
I still worked over the weekend. I started cookin up a thread so stay tuned for that
But I hope yall enjoyed your Labor Day weekend
I also hope you are ready to attack the week
Why do I recommend slowing down movements when lifting?
• Helps to perform the correct technique
• Helps with mind-muscle connection
• Lets you feel what a safe “full range of motion” is for you. Everyone's full range of motion looks a little different, slow it down and
Shoulders x Arms x Abs
I’ve made some slight changes to my program
Really focusing more on Side Delt and Tricep growth
I am those two exercises to the beginning of my workout
That way most of my energy gets put toward those muscle groups
Just because you have a set
You have to cut out carbs or do a certain diet like keto to lose weight…
I'm just kidding
When it comes to losing weight it’s really super simple.
Find your maintenance calories subtract about 500 calories… and get at least 10,000 steps a day
You don’t need to cut out a
I have been a little MIA this weekend
It was my sisters big day
She got married to her first crush on Saturday so we have been celebrating
I told myself I wasn’t going to cry
I cried
Overall the weekend was a blast and I am so happy for my sister who is now Mrs. Fedewa🎊
I feel like I don’t belong
I’ve been down this road before and gave up last time
That’s the thought that keeps going through my head
when I’m thinking about my decision to start an Electrical Apprenticeship again
I feel like I’m not made for the work
I’ve barely used
Took a week off the gym completely
Didn’t step foot in the gym
First session back just felt like doing back and chest
The pump was absolutely amazing.
I felt so focused and honestly didn’t realize how much I love waking up at 4am to go to the gym before work
Do you only have dumbbells and a bench at home?
No worries… I got you
(5 day Plan)
Day 1.)
- Lateral raises
- Bent Over Row
- Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Bicep Curls
- Incline Chest Fly
Day 2.)
- Gobelt Squats
- Reverse Lunges
- RDLs
4 sets of each
Day
You want a small waist?
Train back width
- exercises that mimic the pull up motion
Train your side delts
- Lateral raises
Train your glutes
- Deficit reverse lunges
Eat in a deficit while still eating .82g of protein per lb. of bodyweight
How I PR in other ways than just adding weight
- Increase reps
- Slow the tempo
- Improve technique
- Deeper stretch on the muscle
You don’t always have to strive for heavier and heavier weight
Improve technique
Drop the weight
Drop the ego
I am exhausted
First week on the new job
I have been getting up much earlier to make sure I still get my exercise in
I will definitely be adjusting for another week
It has been yet another week of stagnation for my weight loss
Now
I could stay exhausted and frustrated
This is Michael
Just recently signed him on as a client. His goal is mainly to lose some body fat. He would also like to get a little bit stronger and build some muscle.
He has already been in the gym and has no problem getting there consistently but his main struggle was not
The grocery list that has helped me lose roughly 20lbs
My diet is pretty boring and I want to clarify that only eating these foods will not get you in the shape you want
You still need to exercise and be in a caloric deficit
Now
Let’s carry on with this list of foods!
Client updates‼️
This is JP
His goal is to bulk up quite a bit… he’s looking to gain about 10-15 lbs
When he started on June 7th he was 140lbs
He is now 143lbs so we are at a comfortable pound per week gain!
Excited to see what the end of these 90 days will bring so
The greatest back exercise
Pull-ups
Actual pull-ups… full dead hang then chest to bar with controlled eccentric
Warm up with lat pull downs
Drop set with assisted pull-ups if possible
Save 1-2 reps in the tank until the last set go to absolute failure
Your back will
I failed
I didn’t follow my set macros this weekend
I enjoyed myself and got ice cream and ate some candy
Stop that
When you are trying to lose weight you cannot have that mindset
Diet fatigue is a real thing
Getting mentally and physically tired from following a diet
Become addicted
Addicted to respecting yourself and your body
Addicted to keeping strong relationships
Addicted to trying new things
Addicted to progress
Progress =Happiness
‼️Perfect your bent-over-row Technique‼️
Key Take Aways
1.) Use Straps
2.) Go through the FULL range of motion. Protract the shoulders for a stretch
Retract the shoulders and point chest forward at the top slightly arching the back
3.) Hinge then bend the knees to take
How long do you really think it takes to build your dream body?
I can tell you right now it ain’t just a few weeks of “eating healthy” and getting to the gym 2 days a week
How I make my training as hard but efficient as possible
I usually only have 2 or 3 exercises per muscle group that I do during a training session
The reason I’m able to do that is because of my exercise selection
I chose the the correct exercises for my goal
I know for a
This is not what I really look like
Good lighting and a pump can do absolute wonders
Don’t believe everything you see on social media
I am flexed
I am in perfect lighting
And I have a pump
Be happy with physique as it is
But that doesn’t mean to stop working and
You don’t have to continue feeling sluggish and full of brain fog
There is a way out
It may not be easy but it is simple
Solution:
— Workout at least 3 days a week for 45 minutes
— Eat Whole Foods and have lots of color on your plate
— Walk outside for at least 30 min
Live by these few rules and you will be healthy
• Exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 days a week
• Focus on eating Whole Foods
• Get plenty of sunlight
• Drink lots of water
Calories are just calories
Correct
To an extent
Yes, you can still lose fat while your diet consists of Twinkie’s and Mountain Dew
As long as you are in a caloric deficit you will burn fat
Now the way you go about doing that will determine
Your overall health during the
‼️PERFECT YOUR RDL FORM‼️
Key Take Aways
1.) HINGE do not bend over
Stick the but back keeping the back straight
2.) Keep the weight close to your body nearly scraping your shins… if it helps put the weights to the side
3.) Dumbbells for greater range of motion and focus
I’ve noticed working in the electrical field that nearly all of these guys I work with
They brag about the amount of hours they work. And I get it, it’s important to be a hard worker
But nearly all of them also don’t enjoy what they do. They don’t focus on their health, they
Meal prep done
A day late but it’s done
In just 15 minutes
4 meals
1 cup of brown rice
Half a bag of steamed veggies for each meal
Can of chicken 76g of protein
A1 sauce
Back pain sucks
As someone who used to deal with back pain daily
These are few movements I have learned and progressed over time
These resisted stretches are all progressions of bodyweight movements that I started with
#FitnessMotivation
#FitLife
#HealthyLiving
Ya know I think I partially take this back
Social media has made fitness seem so much more difficult than it really is
So many people share what they “think” works not science backed strategies
I wonder how many time the fitness industry can say the same thing
Before people realize losing fat and living a healthy lifestyle
Is not rocket science
It's coming to the end of my day
I need to start asking myself
What have I done to make it a fulfilled day?
Did I post at least once today?
Did I give my job my all today?
Did I do my best to care for my body by hitting my step goal and meeting my calorie goal?
If you
We are so back
For a second there I was back up to 182 from 179
But we dialed in again
We just had to get adjusted to the new job and schedule
Also this heat is gettin to me my lawd 😮💨
Can you build your dream physique if you don’t love going to the gym?
Honestly
I don’t think so
Building muscle and forming your dream physique is such an art
It takes more than just discipline
You have to have a crazy amount of respect for yourself
And passion for
I wonder how many time the fitness industry can say the same thing
Before people realize losing fat and living a healthy lifestyle
Is not rocket science