A word about New Years Resolutioners

I'd like to start off by wishing all my readers a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and generally a happy holidays.

I've decided to do an entry about New Years Resolutioners because I've seen a lot of negativity (usually jokes) about this group of people on social media. Understandably this stems from the frustration that is associated with the stereotypical New Years Resolutioner. That is typically the gym is full of newcomers at the beginning of the year due to everybody making fitness based resolutions and within a few weeks the crowd thins out again as people struggle to stick to their commitment.

Why is this frustrating?

Most committed gym goers find New Year an annoying time of year because the gym typically gets busier, full of people suddenly wanting to get in shape. These people of course end up using equipment, making lines for equipment longer and training sessions generally less time efficient. I think people also get annoyed with the resolutioners not only because they are making the gym more cluttered but because time after time we see that the motivation and commitment doesn't last. So I suppose it feels like the gym just gets temporarily busy and committed people are inconvenienced for no reason. If all the resolutioners were to actually stick with their resolutions then I doubt that regular gym goers would become as frustrated because they would have a real reason to be there and a genuine dedication to achieving their goals. That would make a crowded gym much more tolerable.

Tips for New Years Resolutioners

1. Make a real commitment - Like I mentioned above, there is nothing more annoying around this time of year than someone who joins the gym in the new year and takes up space and equipment in the gym only to quit soon after. Make your commitment real. You are going to find it difficult to adjust to training, to changing your eating habits, you will experience some soreness, you will have days where you don't want to train. Be prepared to deal with these things and make sure you are mentally committed to complete the task you set for yourself because it is good for you even when you don't want to do it.

2. Have a realistic plan - Your plan needs to be achievable both in terms of your current level of fitness and your life circumstances. If you aren't used to going to the gym, you have a busy job, 3 kids and 2 pets then training for 3 hours/day, 6 days/week might not be very realistic for you. If you were to set a plan to train 3 days per week or even 2 days per week for 1 hour then honestly that would be a great start. And if someone were new to training then that would yield some results over time provided they were consistent in implementing it. Don't be over-zealous when setting plans initially, in fact it doesn't hurt to be conservative.

3. Don't listen to the naysayers - I realise I've just written a few paragraphs about how annoying New Years Resolutioners can be. However I realise that some of you may be in this situation and you might not be very motivated. So if you are a New Years Resolutioner who wants to get in the gym and improve themselves then I encourage you to do it. Giving it a go doesn't hurt and there have been some people who have changed themselves dramatically having started off with a New Years resolution. I recall that natural pro bodybuilder Ryan Doris was once one of these people. No doubt many others have been the exception to the rule and have made huge changes to their lives and their health. You have the capacity to do it too, you just need to take the appropriate steps and stick to it.

4. If you fail don't give up - Clearly not everyone who starts out with the best intentions to get fitter in the new year is going to be successful the first time. If you do mess up then there is nothing wrong with that. Just get started again. There is a quote that I saw posted on instagram the other day that said "if you were serious about your New Years resolution, you'd be doing it already". There is some truth to this. You don't have to wait for a particular date to start. You don't have to start diets on Mondays. Just start these things whenever you want to. If you start your New Years resolution and fail then don't wait until January 2017 to get started again. Keep at it throughout 2016 until you fail less often.

5. Set a goal and go after it - The worst thing you can do is go into the gym with the vague idea of "I want to get fitter". What does "fitter" mean to you? Stronger? More muscular? Lower body fat? Improved cardiovascular endurance? Increased flexibility? etc. Think about exactly what you want to achieve, set some SMART goals, create a plan, hire a coach/trainer if you need help and make sure you stay dedicated to it.

I hope that this post was helpful to anybody considering embarking on their fitness journey. Again a Happy New Year to you all and all the best to you for your health and wellness in 2016.

Need help with your 2016 goals? Send me an email and let's discuss what you want to achieve.

Muscle Academy contact details:

Email - info@muscleacademy.com.au
Website - http://www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon

- Evan

The 3 biggest misconceptions about deloads

Deloading is a beneficial strategy to improve recovery, sometimes boost performance, reduce the likelihood of developing injuries and improve mental focus. Some people get anxious about including deloads and may not want to do them at all because they have made assumptions about them. This is especially true of people who are not used to deloading. Fortunately these assumptions simply aren't true. In this blog post I will discuss the three biggest misconceptions about deloads.

Number 1 - Muscle Loss

Some people think they may lose muscle if they don't train at full intensity or with the same volume of training they are used to. This isn't true because deloads generally only last for around one week and the amount of atrophy that can occur in that time period is negligible or perhaps nil. And we of course need to mention that during a deload we are actually still training (with low loads and training volumes). By continuing to train at low loads/volumes we are allowing to recovery processes to occur but we are maintaining all or most of our adaptations. Funnily enough the people that are against deloading are often the same people who decide that every once in a while they need to take a week off the gym completely, and that whilst it's not going to have a huge impact, will produce more muscle atrophy than deloading will.

Number 2 - Mentally unable to perform the deload

This is not a misconception but it is something that I see and hear frequently. What I mean here is that some people just don't feel like they can go into the gym and train at a level below what they are accustomed to. They can't go into the gym and not give it their all because it doesn't feel right for them. This is fairly common and people need to realise that giving it your all sometimes just means carrying out the plan. Being dedicated is going in there, doing your job and being able to do that both when it is difficult and when it is easy. Deloads are supposed to be easy, that is the point. They promote recovery, hard training doesn't promote recovery. So for these people it's a good idea to firstly chill out (mentally), stay focused on the task, get it done, enjoy it and know that it's doing you good in the big picture.

Number 3 - "Training is going well, I don't need to deload"

In this section I need to cover two points:

(i) One of the reasons for including deloads into one's programming is that it serves as pre-hab. It's a pre-emptive strategy that helps to reduce the likelihood of developing injuries. We all have those little niggles that happen as a result of training every now and then. Sometimes all those things need to recover (or at least to not get worse) is a bit of time away from the constant pounding of heavy weights.

(ii) Another thing is that yes you may feel like training is going perfectly and you don't feel like you need to deload at all. But unless you are very experienced your "normal" might actually be under-recovered. You may be so used to training in a chronically under-recovered state that it just feels normal to you. This is more common than you'd think. It's not until some of that training stimulus is removed that we can begin to notice that we weren't as recovered as we thought and that the deload is actually beneficial.

That's it for this week. I hope you guys got something out of it. If you have anything to add to the discussion then please comment below or on facebook/instagram.

Muscle Academy contact details:

Email - info@muscleacademy.com.au
Website - http://www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon

- Evan

Why I choose to stay natural

No doubt many natural bodybuilders have been asked this question numerous times throughout their careers - "Have you ever considered taking steroids?". I have personally been asked this question many times. I think that most natural bodybuilders have given thought to it at some stage and I think that there is always the question of "what if?". Ultimately I have decided to stay a natural bodybuilder (unless some kind of unexpected and severe health circumstances mean that it would be a necessity to use some kind of TRT in the future). Regardless I want to take you through my personal experience and my thought process on this issue.

My background with natural bodybuilding was I started training in 2002. I was still in my final year of high school at that point and I really was just training once/week. The results were of course minimal. The next year I started studying at university and I had more opportunity to train at the small on campus gym. I trained 5 days per week and found that I put on muscle fairly quickly, especially in my stronger muscle groups. For the most part over the years I was fairly consistent with training, only really taking time off when I had to study for exams. So I continued to gain muscle gradually over time and later on down the track I have come across good sources of knowledge that have allowed me to improve even further.

Because of my consistency, application of good information and my genetic ability to gain muscle I've never really felt disheartened with my results. So whilst I have thought about what it might be like if I did take steroids I haven't ever felt the need to consider them seriously. Though it is of course tempting to wonder just what might happen if I did decide to go that route. For the most part however, I figure if I'm getting great results and I'm happy with the way I look, why would I need to take substances to accelerate the process.

Reasons why I choose to stay natural:

1. Health - I think this one is controversial since we don't have a lot of scientific evidence to back this up because of ethical issues with performing studies and because there are so many factors that contribute to the health issues disorders that steroid use may be associated with. It is impossible to do anything other than correlate steroids with health issues that occur chronically (as opposed to acutely). Anecdotally and logically though it appears to be likely that steroids can have negative consequences on one's health in the long term.

Now I'm sure some people are going to say "but Evan, there have been very few hospital admissions for anabolic steroids!". Well of course there haven't because like I hinted at above, the negative side effects of steroid use are not acute they are chronic and they manifest themselves as things that might be contributed to by various other factors eg a heart attack. Anyhow, it's not a risk I personally wish to take.

One logical way to look at it is we definitely hear semi frequently of enhanced bodybuilders suffering from adverse health conditions and sometimes dying from them. But when is the last time you heard of a natural pro bodybuilder dying of a heart attack or suffering from liver failure? I haven't even heard of one case.

Whilst we can't say for sure that steroids definitely cause or contribute to any serious illnesses, I think we can say that there is likely to be some risk involved. Whether or not one wants to assume those risks is up to the individual. Personally it's not something I want to be hanging over my head later in life.

Nothing is ever free, there is always a cost involved or consequences to be paid at some point.

2. Competitiveness - The current context is that I am a natural pro bodybuilder and I compete at a high level. I can envision that indeed I may be able to win a World Championship at some point in the future. I could say that I'm not the best in the world but I could consider myself somewhere on that world level playing field. If I were to switch now to enhanced bodybuilding I go from somewhere close to the top, straight to the bottom. And doing this all at 30 years old mind you. I would then have to take enough drugs to push myself to a point where I may be able to win a pro card. How long would that take? How much would that cost? And there is no guarantee that I would be able to win a pro card. And if I did win a pro card I don't think I would have the genetics to be competitive at the world level. So to me it's a no brainer that competitively it just makes a tonne more sense to remain a natural bodybuilder and to excel in this area.

Ronnie Coleman - I don't think I'm going to be on his level any time soon

3. Financial - I had always assumed that using drugs was costly. I guess this depends on what you take and how much you take. Recently however I have learned that for the most part it isn't as expensive as I had assumed. Regardless it's really not another cost that I want to add to my list of expenses. The other thing about this is that it is a long term expense because let's face it, after most people start using and leave humanity behind they usually don't want to stop using and go back to being "normal" again.

4. Fake Natties - With enhanced bodybuilding there is not just the obviously enhanced side, there is also a good number of fake natural bodybuilders. Some fake natties use their developed and shredded year round physiques to make a good amount of money. Ethically I cannot bring myself to become a fake natty and lie to people so that I can personally make more money. It's the wrong thing to do and I will not do it.

5. Physique - there is often a certain look that is associated with steroid use. I'm talking about more than just muscle size, there are issues with proportion that I see as well as changes in things like skin tone. That isn't a look that I desire to achieve for myself. Another way I like to think about this is there aren't a lot of enhanced bodybuilders around that I look at and think "I would prefer to look like that!". I personally am content with the way my physique looks and I don't want to change that.

Best physique ever

6. Satisfaction - There is something satisfying to me about developing my body and knowing that I did it with nothing other than consistent training, diet and application of sound knowledge over a long period of time. I know that ego is involved to some degree here but I have to be honest. I derive something mentally out of it. I suppose it's like working with timber and creating something nice that you can use eg a chair. Sure you can just buy a chair or pay someone else to make a chair for you (most people obviously would including myself lol) but when you do create something like that by yourself it does kinda become that much more special and satisfying because you appreciate that much more what it took to create that thing.

7. Dating - Not all girls like guys that look like Jay Cutler. In fact I'd say it's a minority that prefers that look. At the end of the day I train for myself and what I like but I think it's wise to take into account that most girls are going to prefer someone that looks like Thor rather than someone that looks like the Hulk. Disclaimer: I'm not saying that I look like either Thor or the Hulk and yes I am aware of the irony that the actor that plays Thor is most likely using drugs to help him look that way. But I'm sure you get my general point here.

8. Personality - It is my personality that I like to take a slow and steady approach to most things. I like to enjoy the process of making progress over the long haul and doing things methodically. It just wouldn't make any sense to me to take something that accelerates that process. It's not me, it's not how I work, the thing would lose value and I wouldn't enjoy it.

9. Community - I actually really like the friends that I have made both within Australia and internationally through natural bodybuilding. I know that I probably would stay in contact with these people if I were to use drugs but I don't know that it would be the same in terms of inclusiveness into that culture and community. We tend to associate with those of us that we can relate to and are like minded.

At Layne Norton's Bodybuilding VIP Camp 2013 with Ben Esgro (left) and Ryan Doris (middle)

10. Challenge - Training for hypertrophy and strength has always been a challenge to me. I like that it is difficult, I like that it takes a long time, I like that in order to maximise my progress I need to apply sound principles. I frequently see people that start out as natural bodybuilders end up using and they seem to just lose their interest in training. They will go from training for 1 - 2 hours to training within 45 minutes, they complain about having to train, they seem to put less thought into the programming behind their training and they just don't appear to enjoy as much as they once did. I'm absolutely sure this is not the case across the board because I know of enhanced people that definitely put a lot of thought and effort into their training but it is what I have observed with some people who have gone from natural to enhanced. Perhaps the challenge is gone for them or they feel they can still get results by doing less. I'm not sure but it's not something I am interested in. I want to keep the challenge alive.

11. Carry Over - Some of the things I have learned from natural bodybuilding are things that I have carried over into other areas of my life and are things that I appreciate. Some of these qualities are patience, discipline, focus, prioritisation, organisation, self reflection, intuition, critical thinking and passion. I'm sure there are others too. These valuable qualities can and should in my opinion be learned from the bodybuilding/weight training process. To me it really is about more than building a lot of skeletal muscle, it's about the process that you have to go through to get there and the things learned along the way. The primary purpose of anabolic steroids is to accelerate the process of gaining muscle (or losing fat) and to increase the total amount of muscle that can be gained for an individual. To me that achieves one end (the physical goal) but it hastens the process and as such glosses over some of what you would normally expect to develop from weight training eg patience. By losing those things, it kind of defeats the purpose as far as I'm concerned.

Note: I am NOT saying that steroid users don't work hard or that things are not difficult for them. I am saying that by accelerating the process certain qualities that I consider valuable are missed or less likely to be developed.

Final Thought

At the end of the day staying natural or using steroids is a personal decision and one that I don't judge others for. I have plenty of friends and even some clients who have chosen to take stuff and it isn't up to me to say what they should or should not do. I realise that others have their own personal perspectives on life and their own reasons for doing what they do. So the above should be taken not as me having a go at those who do use anabolic steroids, but rather just as my own personal reasons for why I make the choice to remain a natural bodybuilder.

Disagree with any points I have made? Let me know your own perspectives in the comment section below or on social media.


Muscle Academy contact details:

Email - info@muscleacademy.com.au
Website - http://www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon

- Evan

PNBA Pro Qualifier

INBA Fitness Expo Show/ Pro Qualifier

The last show of the 2015 season (as far as my clients are concerned) was the INBA show held at the Sydney Fitness Expo last weekend. I had one client competing in this show (Jonathon). We were coming into this show with some great momentum coming off the overall win at the ANB Nationals the weekend prior.

Jonathon entered three divisions on the day - novice, open class three and the PNBA pro qualifier. There was no overall held for the INBA section, with class winners instead being encouraged to enter the PNBA pro qualifier.

Getting ready for stage - perfecting the colour

Jonathon won both of his divisions in the INBA fairly easily. We actually didn't get to pump up much for the open class so he went on looking a little flat but still prevailed.

Award presentation of Open Class 3

Last of course was the pro qualifier. I believe there were seven competitors in this line up and some of them had turned up exclusively to compete in this division. Just about every competitor (I'd say five or six out of the seven) were absolutely shredded which made the line up very competitive and very interesting to watch. At the end of it all the top three (who received pro cards) were announced. In third place was Adrian Franco who won the overall at the INBA NSW around four weeks prior. We also discovered on the day that Adrian was a childhood friend of Jonathon's. Talk about a small world. Anyhow Ash Drake was announced second in the pro Q line up. First place was then taken out by none other than Jonathon. This was a tremendous way to cap off a big 2015 season for both Jonathon and myself.

Introducing the competitors at the start of the Pro Qualifier

Rear double bicep during the Pro Qualifer mandatory round

Award presentation after the Pro Qualifier

Left to right: Adrian (3rd), Jonathon (1st) and Ash (2nd)

Backstage after the big win

We went out to celebrate that night at hurricanes with Jonathon's family and we ate a LOT of food as you can see!

Jonathon, myself and Kim at Hurricanes

In the days that followed the show we considered whether or not Jonathon would extend his season by traveling to the USA to compete in the PNBA Olympia. After much deliberation we decided that we would end the season there. I think Jonathon would have done very well and had a good chance to win the Olympia this year but it's just not the right time. So by all means we are ending his very successful season on a high note and moving into some much needed recovery focused time.

Post show photo with family and friends

That's it for this week. Thankyou for reading as always. I should be back with some more informative posts in the coming weeks. If there is anything you are dying for me to write about feel free to drop me a line and make a suggestion.

Competitor Announcement

Remember as well guys and girls that if you are a competitor wanting to compete in a show in season A or B of 2016, right now is the ideal time to get in touch with me. Don't leave it too late or we might not have enough time to get you ready. I am also taking on off season (improvement season) competitors who wish to make noticeable changes to their physiques. Of course non competitors are also welcome to apply for coaching too.

Muscle Academy contact details:

Email - info@muscleacademy.com.au
Website - http://www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon

- Evan

ANB Victoria and ANB Nationals Overview

Thew last two weekends have been busy ones for Muscle Academy with first the ANB Victorian State Titles and then the ANB Nationals the weekend just passed. Three clients of mine were competing in across these shows - Jayden, Kimberly and Jonathon. Here is a rundown.

ANB Victorian Titles

Jayden competed just over a week ago at the ANB Vics. This was his last show of the season and I'm very happy with the package that we brought to the stage. I wouldn't have changed anything in regards to the peak week that we performed. All Jayden's hard work paid off with him taking out the Under 90 kg Class which is a great achievement and a nice way to cap off the 2015 contest season. I am told he also came very close to winning the overall, and as you can see from his physique and conditioning below that doesn't surprise me. Congratulations again Jayden!

Jayden on stage at the ANB Victoria State Titles

Jayden with his partner at the show

ANB Nationals
 

Nationals were held at the Marconi Club on Sunday the 11th of October (this past weekend). I had two clients competing at this show - Kimberly and Jonathon. Fortunately I was able to attend this show as it was in Sydney. This is always of great benefit as I am able to help my clients with all aspects of show day and stage preparation so that they look their best.

Kimberly was first up with both of her figure divisions - Novice Figure Short and Open Figure Short. Kim was a bit nervous about getting on stage so I made sure we just focused on getting everything ready - ie having her tan done early enough, making sure she was looking good in terms of her suit/accessories etc and helping to to pump up before she got on stage. From there it was up to Kim and she pulled it off well. Being her first time on stage she wasn't perfect but she hit all the poses properly and she appeared to become more confident as she spent more time on stage. Unfortunately Kim didn't place but she has achieved quiet a bit of weight loss throughout this prep which is a feat to be proud of (15 kg total, which is 25% of her original body mass). Overall it has been a challenging but fulfilling process for Kim. She will now stay on track for one more week for a photoshoot and then begin the process of reverse dieting to recover from the contest diet.

Kim on stage in Novice Figure

Kim hitting an abdominal thigh pose in the Open Figure Short category
 

 Kim and I

Jonathon as you guys who have been following along may know, has a few shows and wins under his belt from this season already. This is his first bodybuilding season but he won the overall at the ANB Newcastle back in September and he also won Open Class 3 at the INBA NSW Titles narrowly missing the overall. Being ANB Nationals these were the toughest line ups Jonathon had faced so far but he was able to prevail winning the Novice Tall, Under 80 kg and the Overall. This is truly an amazing achievement. Few people can say they have won the Overall title at ANB Nationals and be able to call themselves Mr Australia. It's always a hugely difficult show and this title has even evaded me personally to this point. So winning it Jonathon joins an elite club of ANB Nationals winners and if he chooses can accept the invitation to become a UFC pro natural bodybuilder. His success at this show I feel comes down to of course his years of hard work building his physique, managing his contest prep effectively, peaking well and paying attention to the fine details such as posing and flawless colour. There are many factors that go into a champion beyond the obvious ones and I feel that together we ticked all the boxes at Nationals this year. We have one more show to do this coming Sunday which I am very optimistic about.

 Jonathon hitting a side tricep in the Novice Tall pose down

Side chest in the Under 80kg division

Jonathon hitting a most muscular in the Overall pose down

Overall winner

Myself and Jonathon after winning the overall

With Kimberly, Jonathon, Family and Friends on stage after the show

So that's a wrap folks. Now if you are a competitor (first time or experienced) and you are thinking about doing a show in season A next year, I suggest you don't delay in getting in touch with me. The more time we have available the better I will be able to plan and execute a contest season that will be both effective and structured with your well being in mind. Even if you are thinking about doing season B or beyond it's always a good idea to touch base with me about what the best approach might be for you.

Muscle Academy contact details:

Email - info@muscleacademy.com.au
Website - http://www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon

- Evan

Mind Muscle Connection

INBA NSW

Last weekend was the INBA NSW Titles which was held at the University of New South Wales. I had two clients competing at this show - Aaron and Jonathon. These clients also competed three weeks earlier at the ANB Newcastle Titles (you can check out my run down of that show in an earlier blog).

Aaron has dieted hard in the three weeks between his shows and he did end up improving his condition between then and now. Unfortunately it wasn't enough for him to place on the day but I am proud of his effort and achievement regardless. Aaron has now completed his 2015 contest season and is enjoying some much earned food!

Aaron on stage (green trunks, 5th from right)

With Aaron after the show

Jonathon competed also and won Open Class 3 (height class) which qualified him for the Overall. Unfortunately Jonathon didn't walk away with the overall title on Sunday. It was a close round (they came up with a tie the first time they judged it so had to rejudge all the mandatory poses). I thought he deserved the win but that's not the way the judging went in the end. At the end of the day it was a great outcome for Jonathon and myself and we are looking forward to bringing a better package to the last few shows of the season.

Jonathon on stage in the overall (winner on left)

After the show with the Muscle Academy boys Jonathon and Aaron

Mind Muscle Connection

This is something I want to write about because I think it is often misinterpreted. In fact I think some people take it almost literally, in that they think that your mind actually goes into your muscle. Muscles don't have minds and your mind can't enter a muscle so that doesn't happen lol.

Anyway back on topic, what I see a lot of at the gym and in fitness media is people focusing on the squeeze of a muscle and how it feels. This is usually placed at a high priority and the amount of weight used is often brushed off as being unimportant. This way of approaching weight training is completely backwards. I'm not saying that being aware of which muscles are contracting and focusing on them is unimportant but it certainly should not be the number one priority at the expense of things which are more important (like say the load being lifted for example!). If load isn't important why not just do the exercises with an imaginary bar or dumbbells but with a perfect, hard squeeze? Surely lifting air weights would cause hypertrophy if load isn't important and the squeeze is crucial. But in reality we know that doesn't happen. And I don't know about you guys but that's where I like to live - reality.

What is the mind muscle connection?

The mind muscle connection is in my opinion largely just using good form via contraction of the correct muscles. If you use good form then in most cases the correct muscles are by default doing the work that they should be doing. Pretty simple right?

Can you use correct form by using the wrong muscles?

Yes and no. You can have form that looks like or is close to textbook form. However it is likely that there will be small differences between the correct movement and the false movement. For example you can do a machine row by primarily pulling with your lats and scapula retractors and having the biceps help by performing the function of flexion at the elbow joint. You could also do the same movement by using primarily the biceps to pull the handle hard and having the momentum carry it through. Of course the lats are still going to contract to some degree to extend the shoulder joint but the movement is being initiated and driven by the biceps which should be a secondary mover in this case, not a primary mover. For this example I'd suggest that you wouldn't see much active scapula (retraction) movement happening. The movements are similar but when you look at the details they are different. The latter one is false and not correct form at all.

Does it matter if I can't "feel" my muscle working?

This depends on a few things. The first thing to consider is the exercise. If you are performing a high bar squat with correct form for example and you cannot feel your quads very much it doesn't really matter. The fact that you are using correct form means that the quads are working to extend the knees (as are the glutes and hamstrings to extend the hips). All of those muscles are working together to perform the movement so chances are you won't feel each individual contraction. Whereas if you are performing an isolation movement such as a lying hamstring curl and you can't feel your hamstrings working, you might need to focus more on the contraction of the hamstrings, reassess your technique and maybe even lower the weight a little.

The second thing to consider is the rep range you are working in. If you are working in a really high rep range you are going to accumulate a lot more metabolic by products and so when you reach the last few reps you will feel it a lot. Working in a low rep range it will be difficult and your muscles will be contracting with maximal force but you won't "feel the burn" a whole lot. Not feeling it doesn't mean that the muscles aren't contracting.

The third thing to think about is how well individual muscles contract for you. This is something you can only discover by experience through visual, tactile and sensory feedback. For example in my case I have a lot more trouble contracting my right hamstring as well as my left hamstring. In this case I need to focus a lot more on the contraction of my right hamstring in order for it to be effective. If I don't "feel" it contracting it's actually somewhat of a concern (in that I need to ensure it is
contracting).

Should steroids change anything?

Again, yes and no. Yes because training while on drugs is different to training without drugs, no because to "optimise" results the priorities of training (eg progressive overload) should still reign supreme. It's very common for me to see the situation I described earlier amongst enhanced folk (focusing 100% on the squeeze and thinking weight doesn't matter). I commonly see guys on steroids doing the hack squat with 10 kg on each side. Yes seriously 10 kg on each side! I'm certain I could lift that much the first day I ever stepped into the gym. Chances are I could have even lifted it when I was 10 years old. This isn't about me bragging but there are multiple enhanced guys I see regularly who should be stronger than me. They should be blowing me out of the water when it comes to strength. But they aren't and often I am lifting 2, 3, 4, 5 times as much as them depending on the exercise. I put this down to their training style (the squeeze with light weights). They are on drugs and lifting weights so of course they experience results (quite reasonable results in some cases). That's the power of anabolic steroids for you. But really they are just cruising on the drugs, letting the drugs cause most of the growth whilst doing just enough in the gym to help it along. The benefit to doing this is that it is safer ie they will experience results without any significant risk of mechanical injury.

In my opinion though that isn't the point of steroid use. The point of using drugs in bodybuilding is to aid you in increasing your performance so that you can achieve greater than normal levels of muscle mass and at an accelerated rate. So the priority for enhanced bodybuilders should really be the same as it is for natural bodybuilders ie becoming as strong as possible within relevant rep ranges with good form so as to develop maximum muscle mass (not just the muscle mass that is developed by synthetically raised hormone levels).

Note: this is not a "how to" for drug use and being a natural bodybuilder I don't know very much about drugs. The point is rather that if you are on drugs you should maximise their benefits rather than just cruise fairly passively on the results that they help to bring - and that is done by knowing, prioritising and applying basic training principles.

On that note, I will leave it there for this week. Have some input? Let me know in the comments section or on social media.

Muscle Academy contact details:

Email - info@muscleacademy.com.au
Website - http://www.muscleacademy.com.au
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Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon

- Evan

2015 Olympia Overview

Olympia Overview

Well the Olympia weekend is done and dusted and I want to go over the placings for the open bodybuilding and give my take on the event.

Firstly, we all know that Kai Greene didn't compete in the Olympia this year. We don't necessarily know the full story with what happened but at the press conference Bob Chic did clear up that the reason he was not competing was simply because for whatever reason he didn't sign his contract. Apparently that's what it comes down to so really Kai is the only one who let his fans and himself down in that situation.

I have seen various comments all over social media following the Olympia. Many of them have said that Kai Greene would definitely have won the Olympia had he entered. I find this interesting considering (a) we really don't know what Kai would have looked like on stage this year and (b) the top four competitors this year all brought their A game and it was very close. So considering the reality is that for the past four years Kai was unable to bring really crisp conditioning to the Olympia, I think what is more likely is that Kai would have placed outside of the top four. Of course that is just opinion and speculation but whatever the case it certainly doesn't make sense to claim that he would definitely have won the Olympia. In fact I think I enjoyed the Olympia more this year without Kai because there was less drama, more comradery and it allowed us to focus on some of the other top competitors.

Now that is covered let's get into the placings. The top six places this year were:

1. Phil Heath
2. Dexter Jackson
3. Shawn Rhoden
4. Dennis Wolf
5. Ramy
6. Branch Warren

Now as I mentioned above the top four were very competitive this year. After prejudging I had the top four as: 1. Phil, 2. Dennis, 3. Shawn, 4. Dexter. I think Phil was a little smaller and less "freaky" than he usually is. However he definitely had a tighter mid section this year. Overall he was the most complete though. Dennis Wolf I had in second because he was conditioned, full and freaky looking. His rear double bicep looked crazy. Shawn Rhoden appeared to have made some size gains since last year. From the front he looked great. From the rear of course his back was the area that was lacking. Dexter looked better than he usually does (which is always good anyway). He was conditioned and the only reason I had him in fourth at the end of prejudging was because he was a bit smaller than the other three.

Final call out at prejudging

At finals I felt Phil came in better than he did at prejudging. He looked fuller and his muscles popped more. Dennis and Phil had both improved their tan/colour. I'm not quite sure if Dennis had faded slightly compared to prejudging. Regardless he still looked really good. Shawn looked similar to prejudging but his mid section did look a little watery relative to the previous day. Dexter I would say looked equally good to the way he had looked on Friday.

Top call out during finals

Anyhow it obviously turned out that Dexter ended up placing second, Shawn third and Dennis fourth. I think you could have even mixed and matched those placings and it would have been valid just because it was so close. However the placings as they stand do make sense to me and here is why. Firstly all of the top four had a great combination of conditioning and fullness so that isn't something that could really separate the placings. Phil and Dexter are the only two competitors out of the top four that have complete and proportionate physiques so it makes sense that they are the top two. Phil is bigger than Dexter so of course he was first and Dexter was second. Shawn and Dennis both had weak body parts (Shawn's back and Dennis's calves) which pushed them into the third and fourth placings. Dennis is also probably a little bit less proportionate than the others when you look at his total physique.

Fifth place was a lot more difficult to pick. I actually had Roelly in fifth after prejudging based purely on the call outs. However of course we saw Ramy place fifth and Branch place sixth. Branch does have a fairly ugly physique with a few "battle scars" but he was very conditioned. Ramy has a tremendous amount of size but is always (and was this year) too soft. So in this case the judges went for size and structure over condition which I can understand. But I don't personally agree with that decision as I would never place a soft pillow over a hard, grainy physique.

I think the most overlooked competitor both last year and this year was William Bonac. He is a little bit smaller than some of the other competitors but he really does bring a great overall package - full, conditioned, separated, symmetrical, proportionate. He's got it all and I think he really should have gotten a look into the second call out. He did end up moving up to eighth but I think he could have been as high as sixth if the judging were a little fairer.

So that is my take on the Olympia this year. Before I wrap this up I am going to address a few of the common objections I have seen recently.

Typical objections:

1. It's politics, the IFBB is corrupt and it's all about money

This comment I find typically comes from fans who are disgruntled that their favourite competitor didn't win (or perhaps their least favourite competitor did win). I think what these people need to do is start judging the actual physiques that they see, rather than just thinking the bodybuilder that they like the most should win. I can say that when I judge the line ups during prejudging I can usually get pretty close or spot on where the placings actually happen. If you aren't getting close and you are blaming it on "politics" then chances are it's not politics, you just suck at analysing and comparing qualities of physiques. So to those people I would suggest to start learning about what things you should be looking for when comparing physiques in a line up. As much as it is subjective there are actually clear details that you should look for.

Additionally if it is "politics" that determines placings at the Olympia then I would ask this question. Why did Nicole Wilkins place second in figure to a relatively unknown newcomer? Nicole is amongst the most well known and popular figure competitors and is a four time Olympia champion. So if it were all about politics surely she would have won. But hold on, she didn't win. You can't have a double standard where it's all politics for men's bodybuilding but it's somehow not politics for figure at the same show.

2. Dexter should have won

No. There was never a point where Dexter was going to win this show. He did deserve to be in the top two this year. However since him and Phil were both equal in terms of condition, structure, symmetry, proportion etc it really just left muscle mass and Phil has more muscle mass than Dexter. There is no thing that I can see that would have justified Dexter placing first ahead of Phil at this show. So no, Dexter should not have won the Olympia.

3. Dennis or Shawn should have won

As I mentioned previously. Both have weak points. Phil and Dexter do not have any (at least not any glaringly obvious ones that I can see).

4. Phil Heath has a huge gut

Last year Phil was a bit bloated and specifically watery through his abs (very unusual and atypical of the guts you usually see on pro bodybuilders). Anyhow he specifically addressed it this year and didn't show any signs of a gut. In fact he drew deliberate attention to his mid section multiple times during prejudging as if to say "that's right, no gut!".

The thing I find most ironic about this kind of commentary is that it is usually expressed by Kai Greene fans and Kai Greene has a chronic, huge gut that is present every single year. So again a double standard where a gut is apparently ok for Kai to have (or ignored) but when Phil shows up once with a bloated stomach people never let him forget it.

 Kai sporting that nice trim waistline

5. Phil Heath is a big arrogant meany and Kai Greene is black Jesus so Kai should be Mr Olympia

I think the thing that people need to understand here is firstly we don't really know what Phil Heath is like or what Kai Greene is like in reality (in terms of personality). All we see is a limited view of them via social media and via the various bodybuilding media outlets. Secondly a bodybuilder's attitude isn't really relevant for a competition that is all about the person who has the best physique. That's right, it is called BODY-building for a reason!

That's it for this week. If you agree, disagree or have anything to add let me know in the comments.

Muscle Academy contact details:

Email - info@muscleacademy.com.au
Website - http://www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon

- Evan

ANB Newcastle Overview and Olympia Predictions

ANB Newcastle Overview

Before I go into my 2015 Olympia predictions I would like to go over the ANB Newcastle Classic show which was held last weekend (Sunday the 6th).

Firstly I want to congratulate the ANB on a well run event. The venue had enough space for competitors to tan/prepare/pump up. The officials made sure that ample time and warning was given for competitors ie when exactly they should be back stage preparing etc. For the most part I think the judging was of high quality also. As a coach it is always good to have your clients enter shows that are run smoothly and efficiently because it just makes things easier for me and for my clients that way.

I had two clients entering the show - Aaron who is a personal trainer at North Sydney Fitness First and Jonathon who runs a fitness oriented, healthy meal service called My Fitness Kitchn. Both of them were competing for the first time.

Aaron entered the Novice Short and under 70 kg divisions. Unfortunately he didn't place largely just because he lacked in size compared to others in his classes. However he did display some good conditioning and his presentation, posing and colour were all on point. Aaron will now be rounding out his season by competing in the INBA NSW in two weeks time which we are trying to come in harder and more conditioned for.

Aaron on stage hitting a rear double bicep

With Aaron backstage

My other client Jonathon went in the under 90 kg and Novice Tall classes. The under 90 kg division was the first up for him and perhaps the most competitive class he was in but he ended up coming out on top. He won the Novice Tall class fairly easily. Jonathon also managed to come away with the overall title. Needless to say I was very happy with the result considering it was Jonathon's first ever show and considering we were really just treating it as a warm up for shows later in the season. 

Jonathon in the overall line up
 

With Jonathon backstage

At the end of the day both boys put their all into their prep for this (and upcoming shows). So a big congratulations to them both.

Jonathon (left) and Aaron (right)

Olympia Predictions

With the Olympia just days away I think I will make my predictions for the top five (open bodybuilding). It can be really hard to predict who will place where because people can come in off, others can come in improved. Small changes in physiques can make a big difference at that level. So without further ado here we go:

5th Place

This one has probably been the hardest one to pick since numerous guys could jump in and take this spot - Ramy, Juan, Victor, Branch, Roelly. I think there is a chance that Branch will take this position because he will come in good condition. Ramy has a chance too but he has to be in good condition and we just haven't seen that high standard of conditioning from him yet. I think Roelly tends to struggle with condition and his gut and Victor can be very hit and miss. Despite his freaky upper body I just don't think Juan has the completeness in his lower body in particular to make it into the top five at this stage. So I'd say the most likely candidates for fifth are probably Branch and Ramy. As much as I'd like to see Ramy sneak in there I just don't think he's going to nail the condition so I'm going to go with Branch because we know he will be very hard and for the judges I think that might be enough to bypass his treestump reminiscent proportions.

4th Place

Dexter Jackson - We all know Dexter looks phenomenal. With the exception of maybe the 2011 Arnold Classic he has always compared really well in top line ups. The 2008 Mr Olympia won the Arnold Classic this year, setting the record for most Arnold Classic wins (five). So he's going into this show with a lot of momentum behind him. Whilst I predict that he will be fourth I can see him challenging for second or third place.

3rd Place

Shawn Rhoden  - I have Shawn in third because he has a great physique which compares quite well in a line up. However he never really seems to change much. He's kind of like Dexter Jackson, he just looks good every year but he never gets bigger and seems to get out-massed to a degree by some of the bigger guys. I think if he's on he could be as high as second (and I think he will be battling for that place) but I think more likely he'll be third. He's unlikely to be a danger for first place because he has no freaky wow factor.

2nd Place

 Kai very upset that he is unable to compete

A recent photo of Kai that gained a lot of hype a few weeks back

Originally I had Kai as my pick for second place. However as you may or may not know Kai has announced that he is officially out of the 2015 Olympia. As for the reason, in a video he posted on Facebook today he said "there's more going on than I'm able to say". But it looks like he didn't sign the contract to compete by the due date. So my pick for second place is....

Dennis Wolf - Dennis has been placing consistently well the last few years. He appears to have found the formula for nailing his condition which had been a bit off and on in the past. Of course his main weaknesses are his calves and also his high lats. However with his huge frame he really compares well with the top guys, especially when he is on. He is one of the only guys left with the size and potential condition to be comparable with that of Phil Heath. So I'm hoping that will be the case this year and so I am putting Dennis in second.

1st Place
 

Phil Heath - Phil may be called a lot of things cocky, arrogant, an asshole etc. But whether or not that is true is irrelevant because bodybuilding is not a personality contest. As you might be able to tell from the name "body-building" is about who has the best BODY. And it's quite clear that Phil currently has the best physique of everyone - freaky, popping muscle bellies, fullness, condition, proportionate, symmetrical, aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It's all there. 

Phil was a bit off last year (a mistake I don't think he will make this year) and he was still the clear winner. I just don't see anyone beating him unless he's very off and someone else is looking exceptional. But the way things have been going I doubt anyone is really going to challenge him for the top spot. Especially now that Kai is out of the race Phil is set to win without a doubt. He would have to come in soft and bloated to not win.

There has been some speculation that Phil won't place well because he said in a comment on social media that Arnold had small legs. I don't think that Arnold really cares since he is one of the most successful people in the world. He probably hasn't even read the comments because he has better things to do with his time. Even if he has what is he going to do? Walk up the Olympia judges and say "excuse me please make sure Phil Heath doesn't win because he said mean things about my legs on facebook"? Sorry Arnold isn't much of a girly man and that's just not going to happen in this lifetime.

So Phil Heath number one, that is what I expect to happen this year!

Those are my predictions for the top five. Let me know if you agree or disagree and why in the comments below or on social media. Either way we will find out for sure by the end of this week!

Thanks for reading. I will catch you guys again soon.

Coaching/Contest Prep

For those who are looking to get lean for Summer now is your last chance if you want to be ready in time. Also those who are competing in seasons A and B of 2016 I urge you to contact me soon as places for contest prep coaching are limited and will be filling fast.

Muscle Academy contact details:

Email - info@muscleacademy.com.au
Website - http://www.muscleacademy.com.au
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MuscleAcademy
Instagram and Twitter - @evansoooon

- Evan