So you  want to train for the best physique.

• A great physique means low body fat with well developed muscle (i.e. toned, defined, lean, ribbed, clean cut, etc.)
• To get there, you must train for more muscle then cut the fat to have the best look. Some of you may have to cut some fat first, then train for muscle, then cut fat one more time at the end.

And you have no idea how to train for the best physique.

• Don’t know what program to follow:
  • Here is the only way you can train for an awesome body:
    • Set aside 1-2 years when training is in your top 2 priorities in life.
    • Spend the first 3-6 months working out to a certain strength level (unless you have already developed enough strength).
    • Spend the next 6-9 months bulking up cleanly.
    • Spend the last 3 months cutting down all the fat.
    • (If you are currently carrying some extra fat (if you are skinny fat—low muscle mass, lots of fat), then spend the first 3 months cutting fat with the P90X program (reviews here, some success stories: Daddybeast and Futix). After that, you can follow the normal schedule above).
    • (There are other ways to cut fat too. P90X is just one good program. More on this below)
  • If you are a beginner, then you definitely have to train with the Starting Strength program for 3-6 months to gain strength (my review, a glimpse of the program, FAQ about the program here and here).
  • If you have been working out for a while, then put your egos aside and seriously answer these questions:
    • Can you perform with perfect forms these exercises: Squat, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Press?
    • Can you perform this much weight with each of the follow exercises: Squat (at least: 1RM 225 lbs, i.e. 5RM 200lbs), Deadlift (at least: 1RM 240lbs, i.e. 5RM 210lbs), Bench Press (at least: 1RM 150 lbs, i.e. 5RM 135 lbs), Press (at least: 1RM 110 lbs, i.e. 5RM 100 lbs)?
    • When you failed to complete the last rep of the last set of your bench press, were you able to pin point the exact reason why?
    • If you get stuck on one exercise for three sessions in a row, do you know how to fix it?
    • When you walk into the gym, do you know EXACTLY what exercises you are going to perform, what weights, how many sets and reps, and how much rest you will have in between?
      • If you answer no to any of these questions, then you must seriously consider going back to the basics with the Starting Strength program.
      • Go to forum.bodybuilding.com and ask people for their opinions if you are in doubt about any of this.
  • After graduating from the Starting Strength program (3-6 months), you can start bulking up:
    • Keep the four core exercises Squat, Deadlift, Press, and Bench Press but change the rep ranges (i.e. Squat: 1 work set of 20 reps, the other three exercises 3 work sets of 10 reps).
    • Add other assistant exercises to work all the muscles of the whole body.
    • Two great books that will give you comprehensive knowledge on this subject: Beyond Brawn and Weight-Training Technique by Stuart McRobert.
  • The last phase—cutting fat:
    • You can do the P90X program.
    • Or you can keep doing the same program as when you bulk up; just add some cardio. For ectomorphs, losing fat is not a problem; just have to be careful about keeping your hard-earned muscles.
• Don’t know about the nutrition plan:
  • Highly recommend Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto. You will have comprehensive knowledge about nutrition after reading this book.
  • Here are a few articles on this subject on bodybuilding.com. Read them to grasp the basic ideas, but you still need to read the book to understand the whole picture.
• Don’t know about recovery:
  • You must sleep at least 7 hours during the Starting Strength program, at least 8 hours during the bulk up period, and at least 7 hours in the fat-cutting period.
  • You must not exert yourselves outside the gyms.
  • Give 100% of yourself to working out in the gyms, but give 110% to resting for proper recovery.

You have no idea about the costs of training.

• You may think training to gain muscle is not that costly (my post on the costs).
• You have trouble with balancing life and training (this is where this blog comes in to help).
• You may even become disillusioned because it takes too much time and energy to train (but you get more from this experience than just a better physique. Here’s how).

You have no idea (or twisted ideas) of what to expect from training.

• Some of you think you can never gain any muscle:
  • Here’s a quote that says it all: “The only reason anyone isn’t getting bigger is because they aren’t training smartly.”
  • You gain muscles by giving your body physical stress—always more stress in one session than the last—and by feeding yourself more (clean) calories than you spend daily, having ample sleep, and resting properly. If you have not made any progress, that’s simply because you have been doing something wrong.
  • Ectomorphs find it super difficult to gain muscle, but difficulty is not equal to impossibility.
• Some of you, after watching some fancy infomercial or reading some glossy bodybuilding magazines, believe you can easily transform your bodies after just 3 months:
  • A program like P90X can help you cut tons of fat just after 90 days, but if you have little lean body mass to begin with, losing all these fat is hardly an amazing transformation yet. You still have a long journey of bulking up waiting ahead.
  • P90X is extreme. The X stands for extreme. It is one of the hardest programs out there. The leg and back session is brutal. All the other sessions can be categorized as near-brutal. Anyway, the point is, if it is a good program, it is not easy.

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