Does Soreness Matter?

The answer to this common question is no.

Muscle soreness or lack there of is not an indicator of the success of your workout. Remember the goal of each weight training workout is to overload the muscle with a heavy weight (Max-OT style) and therefore initiate the best muscle growth response.

You have probably found there are certain muscle groups that always get a little sore and some muscle groups that never do. I think this is normal based on my own experience and the feedback from many others. I wouldn't put much stock into it one way or the other.

As you go forward with your workouts I would suggest not placing emphasis on your degree of muscle soreness and certainly don't use it to gauge the success of your workout.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Principles are more important than the routine.

I get a lot of questions about which Max-OT routine is best to follow. The answer is there really isn't one Max-OT arrangement that is better than any other. The important thing is that each routine sticks with the important Max-OT principles:

*Train each body one time per week.

*Stick with basic free weight compound exercises.

*Train in a 4-6 rep range.

*6-7 total sets for larger body parts (chest, back, legs)

*4-5 total sets for smaller body parts (biceps, triceps)

*Train to achieve overload NOT muscle fatigue.

Remember, there are a number of different Max-OT routines you can follow and all can be effective. Let me reiterate the adherence to the Max-OT principles is more important than the actual arrangement you follow.

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www.jeffwillet.com

What is Max-OT and why is it best for changing body composition?

Max-OT stands for Maximum Overload Training and is based on the physiological principle that overloading a muscle with heavy resistance creates the best stimulus for growth. The Max-OT principles were created by Paul Delia, CEO of AST Sports Science and are the principles I’ve followed exclusively since 1998. Paul was a very valuable mentor and I model a lot of my teaching after things I learned from him.

Max-OT is a low volume, high intensity approach to weight training that will maximize muscle and strength gains. Remember, this is very important to anyone interested in fat loss because every ounce of muscle you can build you are going to raise your resting metabolic rate and make fat loss easier. Plus, if you can build muscle you will achieve a more shapely/toned body when all is said and done.

When I speak about volume I am talking about the total number of sets and reps you are going to perform in any given workout. Most programs advise way too many sets and reps in my opinion, particularly those programs that are supposed to be designed specifically for “toning”.

I often hear people say they don’t want to lift heavy because they don’t want to get too bulky or they will point to one of my contest photos and say "I don’t want to get that big"; they just want to tone up. They make it sound as if the moment they start lifting any weights they’ll add gobs of muscle over night. Before I yell at them, I remind myself it is not their fault they have this fear of lifting heavy. It’s because that is what has been ingrained in their heads. We all hear it all the time….light weight and high reps for muscle tone and heavy weight with low reps for bulk (BTW - I hate the term bulk. To me that is another way of saying fat because adding quality muscle will never make anyone look “bulky”. A so called “bulky” look comes from too much body fat). Every time I hear the talk about light weights for muscle tone I want to scream because that is just not accurate and leads people to mediocre results.

You don’t need to lose any sleep over building too much muscle. Building muscle is very low on the physiological totem pull. You need to do a lot of things right with your weight training and diet to build muscle and not only that, you have to do these things day in and day out for a long, long time. Even then you might not build appreciable amounts of muscle depending on your body type. It is doubly hard for women right out of the gate because they don’t have the hormonal support to build muscle easily on top of everything else.

Take most drug free bodybuilders for example. They work their tails off for years doing everything geared towards building muscle from a diet, training and supplement standpoint just to add a few inches of circumference to their muscles. What makes the average person think they are going to start working out and become the Incredible Hulk over night? It just isn’t going to happen so stop listening to all that nonsense and start grabbing heavier weights.

Lifting heavy weights is not going to make you huge but it is going to set you up to build muscle way more efficiently than high rep training. The reason is because overloading the muscle with a heavy weight will create the best stimulus for the muscle to grow and become stronger. This is not my opinion, this is physiology talking. And let’s remember that is the whole purpose behind lifting weights to begin with is to build muscle and strength. (More muscle = higher resting metabolic rate and a more shapely body when you lose the fat with smart diet and cardiovascular exercise.)

I believe Max-OT is the best way to train to maximize results based on what physiology tells us and also based on my own 20 year real world study with myself as the primary test subject. Plus there are countless success stories of men and women all over the globe who've really changed their bodies by executing this style of training.

If you’ve seen our documentary “I Want to Look Like That Guy” it illustrates this point perfectly. In the documentary, Stuart MacDonald (Pictured Above) was the test subject and he followed Max-OT training for a 6 month period while also following the Max-OT cardio principles as well as a very strict and carefully calculated nutritional plan. In those 6 months his results were astounding and you can watch it happening right in front of your eyes during the film. He went from over 30% body fat to under 6% body fat and lost over 50lbs. All this by continuing to lift heavy weights throughout. If you follow the logic that heavy weights build bulk and light weights get you toned and trim then how do you explain Stuart’s outstanding results?

Keeping the weights heavy with Max-OT style training kept Stuart in a state where he was building and at the very minimum maintaining muscle throughout his strict diet and intense cardiovascular exercise. I guarantee you that if Stuart followed the “normal” guru advice and did a lot of high rep, high volume workouts with long duration cardio he would have never achieved the results he did. He may have been able to lose 50lbs or even more but his physique and body composition would not have been as incredible as there were at the end of the film. Why? Because he continued to have a muscle building emphasis with his weight training by using the Max-OT principles.

I've said it many times before and I will say it again. There are many different training philosophies and you can workout a variety of ways and achieve results. Some programs might work more on your athleticism, some on your agility and some on your flexibility, however, if your primary goal is to change your body composition then I firmly believe Max-OT is the best. To really change your body composition you must have a strong muscle building component to your plan and that is exactly what Max-OT will give you.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Lower Back Training

One question that comes up from time to time is about lower back training in relation to the Max-OT workouts. I receive this question because most Max-OT routines don't have any specific lower back exercises. Here's my answer:

I don’t do any direct exercises to target my lower back. This is due to the degree the lower back is recruited during many compound exercises to stabilize the upper body. I feel that any additional work is not necessary and could possibly lead to over training the area.

One of the things that makes Max-OT the most effective way to train is because it is centered on basic compound exercises which are the best for maximum muscle recruitment and stimulation.

Movements like squats, deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts, and bent over barbell rows all involve the lower back quite a bit. I feel that a Max-OT routine that includes many of these exercises gives the lower back plenty of work already.

If you feel your lower back is a weak point, you may want to include a couple sets of direct work to target the area. But remember, the lower back has already received a good deal of stimulation throughout the entire training week and doesn’t require a lot extra. I would say 2 to 3 sets of good mornings or weighted hyper extensions would be plenty.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Workout Duration Doesn't Equal Overload Success

One common question from people who are new to Max-OT training is about the short duration of the workouts. A lot of times people have been brainwashed into thinking long workouts equal better workouts and that is not the case when it comes to maximizing your gains. You want low volume/high intensity workouts focused on one or two muscle groups. You don't want to be in the gym for hours. In fact, if your workouts are taking you more than an hour to complete you may want to re-examine your approach.

Max-OT workouts will range anywhere from approximately 20 minutes to 45 minutes depending upon the body part arrangements. Don't be fooled by the short time span because short doesn't mean less intense. I'd argue it is just the opposite. Shorter workouts allow for greater intensity and focus compared to marathon workouts that span an hour or more. The longer you are in the gym and the more sets you have piled up the more likely your intensity and focus will decline over the span of your long duration workout.

Remember, the goal of each Max-OT workout should be to effectively overload the targetted muscle group(s) and the duration of a workout has nothing to do with the overload success achieved.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Sample 5-day Workout Schedule

I thought some of you might find it helpful to view a sample 5-day Max-OT workout schedule. There is nothing special about this arrangement or any other Max-OT arrangement for that matter. You can group the body parts and the order of days in any number of ways and still be effective.

Here are some important principles to keep in mind when constructing your schedule:

• Train each body part once per week.
• 4-6 reps for major body parts.
• 6-8 total sets for bigger muscle groups.
• 4-5 total sets for smaller muscle groups.
• Select mostly free weight compound exercises.
• Don't group large body parts together like chest and back or legs and chest.

MONDAY (Back & Traps)
Back:
Deadlifts....2 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
Weighted Pull-ups.... 3 sets 4-6 reps (After acclimation set)
Bent-over Rows.... 2 sets 4-6 reps (After Weight Acclimation)
Traps:
Barbell Shrugs.... 2 sets 4-6 reps (After Weight Acclimation)


TUESDAY (Chest)
Chest:
Flat Barbell Bench Press.... 2 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
Incline Barbell Bench Press.... 2 sets 4-6 reps
Weighted Dips.... 2 sets 4-6 reps


WEDNESDAY (Legs & Calves)
Calves:
Calf Raises On Leg Press.... 3 sets 6-8 reps
Seated Calf Raises.... 2 sets 6-8 reps

Legs:
Squats.... 5 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
Stiff Leg Deadlifts.... 2 sets 4-6 reps (After weight acclimation)


THURSDAY (Biceps, Triceps & Forearms)
Biceps:
Barbell Curls….3 sets 4-6 reps
Standing Dumbbell Curls….2 sets 4-6 reps

Triceps:
Lying Triceps Extensions….3 sets 4-6 reps
Cable Push-downs….2 sets 4-6 reps

Forearms:
Barbell Wrist Curls.... 3 sets 6-8 reps


FRIDAY (Abs & Shoulders)
Abs:
Cable Crunches.... 3 sets 8-10 reps (After weight acclimation)
Weighted Leg Raises.... 2 sets 8-10 reps

Shoulders:
Military Barbell Press (To the front).... 3 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
Side Lateral Dumbbell Raises.... 2 sets 4-6 reps
Seated Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raises.... 2 sets 4-6 reps

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Don't Over-Complicate the Process

This is a subject I've touched on before and I think it is worth mentioning again.

The actual process of building muscle and burning fat is pretty simple. We best build muscle by training with heavy weights and basic compound lifts and we best attack fat with high intensity cardio and smart nutrition with a strict eye on caloric intake. That's it!

The hard part should not be the plan itself but rather your dedication towards executing the plan on a daily basis with an understanding that the real magic happens from your attention to nutritional detail over a long period of time.

I don't know how many times I see people who are not achieving the results they want and the first thing they do is to start searching for a new workout approach. They want some magic way of training that is going to transform their body. Let me tell you, there is no magic way. Again, don't over-complicate it. Stick with basic compound movements, train with heavy weights and really pay attention to your nutrition. And to add to that, if you are focusing on fat loss you have to add more cardio to your plan. Not more as far as the duration of each session but more as far as frequency of sessions per week.

For outstanding results keep it simple and execute the basics over a long period of time!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

More great reviews are in!

Shapefit.com recently featured our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy" on their site. This is what they had to say about our film:

"Eye-Opening, Entertaining and Inspiring!"

"The documentary I Want To Look Like That Guy is a very interesting look inside what it takes to get truly "bodybuilding lean". Stuart MacDonald is an average guy who is a bit overweight and decides to take on this challenge to get in top shape with the help of IFBB Pro bodybuilder Jeff Willet. It follows Stuart as he gets his body fat levels tested throughout many weeks of his transformation. One of the great aspects of the documentary is how it really shows the viewer a sense of just how strict the diet and training is to make such a drastic change in body composition. Stuart goes through some difficult times trying to stay on such a rigid regimen and its interesting to see how he deals with the emotions of a reduced calorie diet along with intense weight training and cardio work. The overall transformation Stuart makes is truly remarkable and it shows the viewer that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible."

Stuart MacDonald and I were also recently interviewed for a feature article to appear on bodybuilding.com which should be available soon.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Keep it simple.

A lot of times I think drug free bodybuilders are "missing the dollars to pick up the pennies". (Paul Delia, creator of Max-OT, told me that saying years ago and I loved it so I've used it ever since!) Or in other words, they over analyze things when it comes to their workouts and thus waste a lot of mental energy and many times even impede results by implementing less efficient methods or not fully executing all the Max-OT principles.

The actual muscle building process is pretty simple and can always be traced back to the elementary pattern of stimulus and response. The muscle is stimulated to grow by heavy overload and the degree of response is then dictated by nutritional support and rest (recovery). When this cycle of stimulus and response happens over and over for months on end the muscle building magic happens but in order for the magic to happen you need to do a couple things.

One: Focus on heavy basic lifts (Max-OT style). Strive for continual overload by working to better your numbers each workout. This pattern of continual overload done over time will be the best catalyst for muscle growth.

Two: Be meticulous with nutrition, particularly in the 3 hour post workout time period. The more consistent you are with your nutrition day in and day out, the better your results will be. Great workouts with poor nutrition will equal mediocre results at best.

Don't be too analytical and over-complicate things. Keep the workouts simple. Basic lifts, heavy weight and hard work with the Max-OT principles will set you up for the best drug free gains. The rest will come down to nutrition and how good your habits are when you leave the gym.

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com
www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com

One from the archives!

While going through some photos to include in the posing DVD we are producing I came across this picture taken at the 1991 NPC Novice Michigan Championships (Redford Theatre). It was my first bodybuilding contest and I won the 18 and under division as well as the overall teen title. I was 17 years old and had been training serious for about 1 year.

A little history about the start of my bodybuilding career...

My brother Joe encouraged me to start weight lifting and he was my first training partner when I was 15. He had just moved back home to start a new job after being away for several years in college and graduate school. He and I went to the gym for one spring and summer. I absolutely loved it! Then my school started (fall of 1989 - sophomore year in high school). I remember I stopped working out and was busy with school activities including basketball. That's right, I was a basketball player prior to fully starting my bodybuilding odyssey.

The spring of 1990 after basketball season concluded is what I consider to be my true uninterrupted bodybuilding start. This time once I began I would never stop again.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Which training method is best?

Throughout the years I have received many of the same questions or variations of the same question over and over. One that pops up now and then involves people asking me what I think of "this" training method or "that" training method compared to Max-OT and do I really think Max-OT is the best one out there.

They say there is no such thing as a dumb question but I have to scratch my head every time I receive this one. If I thought there was a better training method wouldn't I have been using a different one than Max-OT all these years? That seems pretty elementary to me.

Sometimes its almost as if people are trying to debate or convince me there is a better way. Well, there are many training methods out there and each individual has the right to select and follow whatever they wish. I will also say you can train many different ways and achieve a degree of results. I do, however, believe Max-OT is the best way to train for maximum results. I believe this from my own personal success as well as the countless others I've instructed who've also achieved great success, male and female. (AST Sports Science provides the Max-OT online course for free)

My job is not to argue the merits of Max-OT. My job is to provide the most honest information I can that I believe will help you the most. When it comes to training I believe Max-OT is the best way to go and you are not going to get a different answer out of me no matter how many times or different ways you ask me the question.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Do I still train Max-OT style?

I often get questions about what my training and diet is like now that I have retired from competing. The most common is probably if I still train using the Max-OT principles. The answer is yes.

My physique goals are very different these days from what they were throughout my 12 year competitive career. The goal then was to maximize results and build every ounce of muscle possible. Now my physique goals are simply to maintain muscle, feel good and be healthy.

I feel my current goals are still best achieved using the Max-OT principles that I learned from Paul Delia, founder of AST Sports Science. The only difference between now and during my "hay day" is intensity. Instead of always striving to better my numbers each workout in the 4-6 rep range my weight selection is a bit more modest and I typically end up in the upper end of the range (6 reps). I still train each body part only once per week (usually over a 5 day period) and adhere to the Max-OT principles of exercise selection and set volume.

The next most popular question is about my diet. My diet is no longer structured like it was for all those years. I can't tell you how many calories or grams of protein I take in daily. I keep it pretty simple. During the week I eat clean trying to avoid excess calories. I continue to follow some important supplement timing strategies such as VP2 Whey Isolate, DGC, GL3 L-Glutamine and Micronized Creatine post workout and I still have VP2 and breakfast cereal first thing every day. Beyond that I use Muscle XGF as a meal replacement as well as VyoPro Protein Bars to help get quality protein throughout the day. I couple that with a one or two whole food meals that consist of a protein source and usually a salad to get some vegetables. When the weekend comes I eat pretty much like a normal human being would. If I want it, I eat it. This dieting pattern works well for me and has allowed me to enjoy life while maintaining my current physique goals.

My primary emphasis these days is more on the business side of things. I'm continually expanding my product line of instructional DVD's as well as my consultation service. I am also very busy as a small business owner/operator of my Powerhouse Gym in Adrian.

Looking back over the last few years I can definitely see how I've evolved in many respects yet also stayed the same. Now I am doing my best to use all that I have learned to achieve new goals and help others achieve as well.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Intensity Not Duration

One key to maximizing results is understanding the importance of intensity.

When you are weight training to change your body composition your goal should be to overload your muscles with a heavy resistance. This is best achieved by using a weight that you can complete at least 4 reps on your own but no more than 6 reps. (Always with good control and execution of each rep.)

If you are not challenging yourself with your weight selection (this goes for women too) you will be limiting your results.

People will sometimes look at a Max-OT workout and see I only do 4 sets for biceps for example and will say to themselves there is no way that is enough. Then they will try it for themselves and tell me it doesn't "feel" like they did anything. When I get that answer I know that the person's intensity level was not where it needs to be because if you do 4 sets with high intensity I guarantee you will not want to do the 5th set.

When you are striving to build muscle (again this is for women too because there should always be a strong muscle building component to each workout if you want to change body composition) you need to continually overload the muscle with a heavy resistance NOT fatigue the muscle with countless high rep sets.

One way to improve your intensity is by working to better your numbers each workout. You should try to either increase weight on at least one exercise or achieve more reps than the week before. A training journal is a helpful tool to ensure that you never go backwards with your weight selection because you will have a detailed account of your progress at your fingertips.

Remember, to best change your body composition focus on the intensity of your workouts NOT the duration. Keep a journal and strive to better your numbers each workout.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Muscle Building Tip - Don't get too ahead of yourself with weight selection.

It is true that you want to continually strive to increase your weights when training Max-OT style, however, it is important to remember not to increase weights at the expense of form and control.

The idea is once you hit 6 reps on your own with good execution you should increase your weight for the next set by the smallest increment possible. If you are struggling to get 6 reps or if your form is compromised to get 6 reps then do not increase until you get 6 "good" reps.

What is a good rep? If you've seen any of my training DVD's you've seen illustration of what I feel is a good rep. To me a good rep is one with maximal weight that can be controlled through a natural range of motion.

If you feel your form has become compromised, don't be afraid to take a step back with your weights. Remember that muscle doesn't know absolute poundage, it knows a resistance level. In other words, you could have less absolute weight on the bar and be performing the movement better and thus be directing more actual resistance to the intended muscle group. More resistance/overload = more muscle growth stimulation.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Muscle Building Tip - Stop at positive failure.

Remember to stop at positive failure (the last rep you can complete on your own) or at most get just a little help completing your final rep.

I do not advise going to the point of forced reps where your partner is assisting you in completing the last 2 or 3 reps of a set.

Once you complete 6 reps on your own with good execution that is your cue to add weight. If you are doing forced reps you will not have a good indication of when to increase weights because you will be using more weight then you could actually handle on your own in the desired 4-6 rep range.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

The 'magic' answer.

One thing that has become clear to me over all these years is that people tend to look for that 'magic' answer when it comes to achieving above average results. They want that one exercise, that one supplement, that one fad diet or that one fancy workout that is going to magically propel them past mediocre results.

Let me be the first to tell you.....there is no 'magic' answer. There is, however, one best combination of things that will allow you to maximize your results and that combination involves continual execution on your part. If you are looking for just one thing to plug into your plan than you are barking up the wrong tree.

I've trained the same basic way since about 1998 and that is with the Max-OT principles. If you have followed my career at all then you are very familiar with this. These are the training principles I live by and the principles that I instruct everyone to use who comes to me for guidance.

So before I go any further, let me make this very clear. I believe in, use exclusively and prescribe the Max-OT principles only because I feel it is the best way to train to maximize results. I believe this from my personal experience and success as well as the success of countless others who've followed it over the years. Don't waste your time asking me what I think about 'this' training method or 'that' training method because I will always point back to Max-OT. I am not here to argue it. If you like to train another way then by all means do what you feel is best. I practice what I preach and always have. If I thought there was a better way to train than I would have trained a different way.

OK, now that that is out of the way, let me continue.

When I speak about Max-OT I guess I am talking about the philosophy as a whole which includes the cardio principles and the diet principles I used to become one of the best natural bodybuilders in the world. The greatest illustration of the the philosophy can be seen perfectly in our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy". http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

I mentioned in another post that this documentary in many ways validates my career and the reason I say that is because it proves that a person can maximize their potential if they are willing to fully execute this plan without excuses.

In the film Stuart MacDonald is a great student who executes daily and achieves results in 6 months that many would have said he shouldn't have been able to do, especially considering his age and career demands. He achieved outstanding results because he trusted me and he didn't look for that 'magic' answer. (Speaking of magic...an interesting side note, Stuart MacDonald is an incredibly accomplished magician respected highly by his peers and an inductee in the magic hall of fame.)

What was interesting to me is throughout the process, Stuart posted progress pictures here at the gym. The better he looked, the more people would come to me and ask "What is Stuart doing". Again, they assumed there was one 'magic' thing he had added into his plan. They often seemed almost disappointed when I would tell them that Stu is not doing anything different than I have told you to do. The difference is he is executing it on a daily basis and doing so for weeks on end. He also isn't making any excuses. He is doing all the elements the best he can...training, cardio and diet.

It is not easy and the documentary shows this clearly. But it also shows that it IS possible to achieve great things drug free.

The first step to achieving great things is to give up the notion of that 'magic' answer and start executing an intelligent plan that is based on physiology and has a proven track record of success.

Also remember the better you do all aspects of the plan (weights, cardio and diet) the better and faster your results will be. If any one of those elements suffers, so will your results.

Just ask Stu. He lived it.
http://www.thatguymovie.blogspot.com/

Believe. Achieve.