T2B
TWIG TO BIG
Stimulate Vs Annihilate
Make sure you are hitting your muscles — not your ego — in the gym .
By Vince Del Monte
Some of the biggest BS advice in fitness , the kind of stuff that I hate the most , is anything associated with the theme of “ destroy it ” or “ beast mode ” or “ leave it all on the gym floor .” In my mind , all of these saying promote just one thing : exhaustion .
The entire industry is obsessed with seeking exhaustion ! From 15 years of experience in the industry , I can tell you straight up that this “ seeking exhaustion ” mindset is killing your gains . Achieving a lean , strong , and muscular body is not about chasing exhaustion , it ’ s about managing exhaustion .
Your workouts are meant to leave you invigorated , not destroyed . You should always be leaving the gym with a few more reps left in the tank . You do not need to leave it all in a sweaty puddle on the gym floor .
Let ’ s talk about the iconic eight-time Mr . Olympia champion Lee Haney for a moment . Haney retired at 31 years old . He achieved a feat that puts him in the legendary class of bodybuilders , surpassing even Arnold himself . Most impressively , Lee is in his mid-50s now and has no injuries , not even any nagging aches . This may be common for average guys , but at the pro level this is very rare .
Go on Facebook today and you ’ ll find guys in their 20s and 30s with a laundry list of injuries that include arthritis in both shoulders , loss of cartilage , full tears in the biceps , lower back surgeries , partial pec tears , calf strains , hamstring pulls , and the list goes on .
Why do some guys ( who don ’ t even do this for a living ) get more banged up than a guy like Lee Haney and other great bodybuilders like Rich Gaspari , Lee Labrada , Mike Christian , Gary Strydom , Shawn Ray , and Vince Taylor , who have very few lingering injuries or pain ?
Less Is More The answer lies in Haney ’ s famous quote : “ Stimulate , don ’ t annihilate .”
Haney trained hard , but more importantly , he trained smart . He never used as much weight in training as he could have because he always understood the risk-to-benefits ratio .
Lee learned how to build his body without relying on too much weight . While he could squat 400 to 500 pounds or more , he stuck with 315 pounds so that he could save his spine from the pressure .
Meanwhile , you have the other eight-time Mr . Olympian , Ronnie Coleman , who was known for squatting up to 800 pounds and
14 JUNE 2017 | ironmanmagazine . com
FROM 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY , I CAN TELL YOU STRAIGHT UP THAT THIS “ SEEKING EXHAUSTION ” MINDSET IS KILLING YOUR GAINS .
leg pressing more than a ton . Do you think it ’ s a coincidence that Ronnie has had five back surgeries over the past several years on top of having both hips replaced ?
I feel bad for all the young kids who follow their YouTube idols ( cashing in now by chasing heavier weights for more views ) loading up their workouts and trying to go as heavy as possible . They are being led straight for a miserable time in their 40s , 50s , and 60s , and they don ’ t even know it .
I did some research on Haney ’ s delt training because he has amazing shoulders . Guess how heavy he went on shoulder presses ? Sixty-pound dumbbells , and on rare occasions he might have gone as heavy as 70 .
How many times have you tried to use weights that you could hardly manage , even with a spotter ? Let me tell you : The heavier you train now , the more dire you ’ ll pay the price later .
Choose your weights wisely . Use just enough weight to get the job done — and no more . Heavy weights are a tool , but they are not the entire tool box . They play a role but only to a certain degree . How do you expect to avoid injuries if you ’ re putting equal stress on your joints and connective tissues as your muscles ? Eventually you ’ ll find yourself limping , immobile , and ultimately injured . Some of these injuries can heal , but some of them will never go away , which means you ’ ll always be limited by what you do in the gym . Is it worth it ?
We live in an industry that preaches “ more is better ,” but this is a lie . More is not better . Better is better ! It ’ s critical we all find out where our threshold is and then discipline ourselves to stay underneath it .
From now on , every time you ’ re about to select a weight , I want you to ask yourself : “ Will this stimulate or annihilate ?” IM
PHOTO : BINAIS BEGOVIC , MODEL : DANNY HESTER