Hey G, sorry to say this but I missed this and was just wondering if this was a new idea new for this year or an updated you and wrath did at the last few Arnolds.
good times g diesel.. i really liked the roundtable... u get to hear others storiies and journeys.. def a good segement.. u speak from the heart big man .. all can def see that and feel it too...
"When you feel like puking and the pressure of the weight on your back is so strong that people talking to you sound like a fucking cartoon... remember I feel that shit too."
-Machine
Leave Nothing
"Anyone can buy size in a bottle. What separates a champion from everyone else is a work ethic. You cant buy that. That's hardcore."
I was there with my laptop trying to type as fast as I could. I'm just waiting on G and JDawg to give it a once over and proof -read for me.
Great job on the transcription bro. Hopefully this covers some of the essence of the seminar for those that missed it. Big ups to mjsef88 for the time and effort dedicated to pulling this off...
Peace, G
G Diesel Seminar: "Train Like an Animal"
also featuring a "Roundtable" of Enforcer, Big Byrd, treetrunklegs, The Freak, Big Al and Rage
On training styles in general:
G: Powerbuilding is not that different from what a lot of guys do. Be as strong as you look and look as strong as you are. That is the simple goal. Emphasizing Strength and as much as you do the look. Machine said, “Strength begets size and size begets strength.” That’s really fucking true. Powerbuilding is about building around the core lifts and using diverse rep ranges.
Training around injuries becomes difficult, but there’s always a way around it. You can train around current injuries without exacerbating any further problems if you’re smart. If you’re planning on having a future and some staying power in this sport, you have to learn how to train around injuries. You’re going to get banged up from time to time. Preventative measures are important--chiropractors, massage therapy, stretching, etc. If you can afford it—do it.
If you plan on being around in your late 30s-40s and well beyond you have to learn how to take care of yourself. Involving tools like the above are a way to last in the sport a little longer. I want to be doing this shit when I’m 70 and I’ve already been training hard for 13 years. You do the math.
What do you eat? If I’m stuck at a weight, what can I do? Drinking shakes and eating tuna doesn’t always put on the size you want it to. You have to eat like an athlete that is the size you want to be. You have to force feed to a certain extent. One of the myths is that everybody eats perfect all the time. Hang out with Big Al for a weekend and you’ll find that out. Tuna and rice 6 times a day isn’t the way you get as big as him. You have to learn to push your body past a certain point. You’re going to have to eat. Once you raise your baseline bodyweight it becomes easier to maintain it once you’ve held that size for a while. If you hold a weight for a year it’s easier to maintain that. But you have to eat over what you’re maintaining. The more and more you stay in an area, the less the effort it takes. For the guys who are looking to build a base of muscle, you have to learn to eat enough to get to that point
On Supplements:
I’m a drug free athlete, so I have to make up the difference in whatever is available legally. Being drug free isn't a cop out or excuse. You have to use the tools you have. Aminos initiate recovery, BCAAs and EAAs--anything to promote further protein synthesis and nitrogen retention. Simple carbs around your workout are critical. Training on a keto diet is great when you’re a massive dude like Ox to use it to get shredded. A 16 year old kid would be crazy to be cutting carbs. There’s no way anybody just getting into that game should be thinking about low carb dieting unless they’re already overweight. If you have a built up your base and you’re looking to get into contest shape, then you should look into it.
What are the guys that are better than me doing? What can I do to get better? I look at the guys around me and get motivated. I’m fired up when I get home from The Cage. What do I have to do to be better next year? That’s my goal every year—steady improvement, slow and consistent progress.
Supplements on a daily basis:
Animal Omega, Pak, aminos, creatine, protein powder, and that’s basically it. In this industry “Everything is the next great thing”. Bullshit. It’s nonsense. The basics that worked in Arnold’s era still work now. But companies like Animal and Universal have fine tuned them… And made them taste better.
G: Rage what do you use when you’re putting on size?
Rage: Pak, Flex year round. Off season: RealGains, because it’s a clean gainer and low in sugar. Also, Ultra Iso Whey. I’ve got to put in more calories than I can reasonably eat. EAA Stack, because I like that watermelon. They are a few key staples. And now PM.
Enforcer: On a daily basis? Pak, Flex, Nitro, Omega. When I was younger I was a chronic over-doser. 1 pack RDA was taken for 3 or 4. I keep it simple and rely on food, not necessarily supps. I feel better eating whole food. I’d rather eat my food than drink it. I feel fuller, stronger and harder. 6-7 meals a day plus a shake PWO. I have Torent with Nitro PWO. And PM before bed.
G: The thing everybody is emphasizing… Are these recovery tools. You’re only as good as you can recover. It’s just not physiologically possible to come back over and over from the beating you take in the gym. The tools available are proteins, aminos, PM and other basic supplements.
treetrunklegs: To gain 49 lbs as a natural, competitive athlete. It’s hard to eat that much so I use Real Gains with whole milk, bananas, pb and oats. How do you eat so much? You just gotta do it. Everybody has to do it. You need to stuff yourself. To put on the weight it’s a sacrifice you need to make. As far as supps, I go with Pak, Joint-V by SportPharma, Nitro, Torrent, Shock Therapy, Uni-Liver, Real Gains. Just keep it basic, lift heavy and eat.
G: You learn from others to figure out what you need to take your game up a level. You need to push your body and figure out what you need to do to go further. Your goals have to be what YOU need them to be. I’m not going to be Ox or Ronnie Coleman. And that’s alright. Maybe I’ll go at my goals just as hard as a Mr.O competitor, but I’ll do it on my terms. We’re all completely different, and it’s OK. It’s about taking what YOU have and wringing the life out of it.
Freak: When I was growing up and I was just getting started in the sport I met Jay Cutler. I’ve known Mr. O for almost 18 years. I walk one path, he walks a different path. I’m 5’ 2”. My parents kept me out of a lot of sports for fear of safety. Going to the gym it doesn’t matter how tall you are. There are guys bigger and smaller with different goals. You just have to walk your own path. I got to see the entire sport all over the world, and I got to do it my way and had the best time of my life. Do I look at the next man’s path as a bad way? No. I want to walk my path the best I can the same way every day. It all comes down to what you want. As long as you can go home and say I gave it my best.
G: It’s all about following your own path. One of the things I love most about the lifestyle is that making progress in the gym takes consistency and discipline and that translates over into your outside life. If you take the same approach, going after it every day, doing the little shit, following through, all of those aspects that help you find success in the gym, will help with life in general. School, family, all of life. Big Byrd is the prime example. He’s in law school, squatted world records, is a hell of a bodybuilder and is a former Marine. He’s the perfect guy to talk about balancing physique and strength with having a real life.
Byrd: I’d classify my training along the same lines as G. Be as big and as strong as you can, and look like you can do it. It’s easy to get carried away in weight classes, I decided to stay in the same weight class, gaining and cutting weight, trying to stay in the same general area as a powerlifter while getting stronger but it makes you crazy. You have to be obsessed.
All I ever wanted to do was be a huge and then reality set in. A quote that hit home for me was “Follow your dreams, but don’t let your life become one”. I dropped out of school trying to compete, lost a few relationships and I sacrificed a lot. It just wasn’t worth it. You have to find a balance between what you love to do and what you need to do. You just have to put things in perspective. It’s an expensive lifestyle, you gotta have some good money to put food in your mouth. If you don’t keep in school, you’re not going to get a job, and won’t be able to even afford to eat to get big, let alone supps, gym memberships and everything else. It’s all about finding a balance. You have to come to that realization on your own. I had to cut down on my training and thought I’d wither away, it’s just simply not the case. All of the pros here at Animal have a level head. They’ve got a lot going on behind the scenes, and they do a great job of finding that balance. The harder you work on your outside hobbies, the more the discipline and dedication you put in… It pays off both ways.
G: Sam brings up some good points. 1.) Finding a balance and priorities, as balls out as Animal is, it’s OK to care about your health. Balancing nutrition like veggies and fruits are important. Byrd only tries to “eat within the perimeter of the supermarket”. That’s genius. Dairy, veggies, fruits, meats are the less refined natural food choices and they’re healthier. Ox makes it a priority to put the right foods in his body, not only cuz it is his job, but it is his life. General overall health should alwaysbe the goal. Being the most jacked up motherfucker in the world when your 30 doesn’t mean shit when you’re bed ridden when your 40. There are guys like Vinny G and BigAnt that are a testament to longevity in this sport. Those are the guys I want to be like. The dude who owns my gym, Greg Long, he’s 62 and trains balls to the wall every day. I want to be like that.
2.) Just to summarize, I don’t find it too egotistical to think of myself as a role model. The way you carry yourself in the world, the way you carry yourself in general. When you're training in a gym and walking around out in the world, you have to think of yourself as a role model. Most people think bodybuilders are egotistical pricks, you have to be an ambassador for the sport and prove them wrong. Be polite and kind and humble. You’ll find yourself living a better life and going down a better path that will translate to success both in life and in the gym.
Great seminar, as always! And big props to mjsef88 for the transcript, nice work bro!
Fraternal order of the Animal
The Crew™
Saraigh
"I don't need no arms around me.
And I dont need no drugs to calm me.
I have seen the writing on the wall.
Don't think I need anything at all.
No, don't think I'll need anything at all.
All in all it was all just bricks in the wall."-Pink Floyd
"If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning." C.S. Lewis
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." Leo Tolstoy
My journey-http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?t=29269