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Thursday, April 22, 2021

NPC NATIONAL LEVEL BIKINI COMPETITION TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

 

NPC NATIONAL LEVEL BIKINI COMPETITION TIPS FOR BEGINNERS. Elaine Jurun, skating coach shared her experience of competing at the NPC National Level Bikini Competition, what she eats and the favourite exercises she does for preparation for the competition.

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Build Muscle & Lose Fat By Eating Plants




“My style for preparation is much different because of my vegetarian diet. I have to drink a half gallon of water more than other competitors because of the higher sodium in my diet due to being vegetarian and eating meat substitutes.”

Name: Elaine Jurun
Occupation: Figure skating coach
Location: Enumclaw, WA
Age: 34
Height: 5’2″
Weight: 111 lb.*

*Around 105 lb. show day – 119 lb. off-season.

Q: Tell us a story of the mentor who played a key role in building confidence in you.

My aunt Fern is somebody who was a role model for me and helped me gain self-confidence as a kid.

As many young women are self-conscious about their body, I was pale skinned, muscular from competitive ice skating, and was born with an auto immune disease.

“My aunt Fern always reminded me that I was beautiful, helped me find my voice to speak up for myself when people would put me down, and was a role model of what a strong woman is. My family lost her to breast cancer in 2005. I always think about her when I need these reminders about myself when my confidence is lacking.”

She was a successful business owner, mother, loyal sister, and daughter.

Q: Tell us the story of how and when you decided to go vegetarian?

My mom actually knew when I was a kid that I would someday be a vegetarian. I never cared for the taste and texture of meat. At barbecues, I was the kid who would trade a hot dog for another kid’s vegetables. About age 14, I cut out beef and pork completely, only eating chicken and turkey from time to time and never ate seafood.

“One day, while driving on the freeway — I was 19 years old at the time, in college — I saw a truck with chickens in cages, and my boyfriend at the time told me, ‘There goes lunch.’ Ever since that day, I have not eaten one piece of meat.”

I still eat eggs, and cheese in the off season, but no other animal products.

Q: Describe your experience of competing at the NPC National Level Bikini Competition. What is your trademark for preparing your style? What was the hardest part this last competition?

It was super exciting; I had such a fun time traveling to Las Vegas for a whole week with my coach and team. We rented a house for the week, we motivated each other to keep to our meal prep and going to the gym for two-a-day workouts. The event was held at UNLV, which was a great place to have it, it was a huge audience.

It was an intense preparation leading up to it; I was kept on a similar diet and exercise plan but intensified for the next level. My suit and posing had to be modified because it is a higher caliber of competitors, different cut of suit bottoms, and different poses.

My style for preparation is much different because of my vegetarian diet. I have to drink a half gallon of water more than other competitors because of the higher sodium in my diet due to being vegetarian and eating meat substitutes. I eat egg whites every day, and the amount is increased during the last one to two weeks before the competition.

“Last year during qualifying competitions, I tried an all-vegan diet, but because I was eating carbs every meal, the results were not the same and my coach made the decision to stick with a vegetarian meal plan. My body didn’t respond to the normal carb up right before going on stage.”

He likes to call me an “eggitarian”!

The hardest part of my last competition was actually the texture of my food. After a couple of days eating similar foods over and over, I just wanted one bite of something crunchy to change it up.

Another challenge was which hair color to go with. For the last few years, I have been blonde, but I wanted to try my natural dark hair color. I noticed many of the winning competitors across the country had dark hair, and they looked more natural with the tanner and suit colors.

Three additional tips for bikini competitors:

  • It’s your journey don’t let others try and change the way you do things. (Like trying to get you to eat meat or take supplements/drugs you are not comfortable with.)
  • It’s a whole package. You can have the best body up there but if you tan, hair and posing isn’t on point you still might not place. Practice posing a lot!!!
  • Don’t binge eat after a show. It’s hard since you have deprived yourself for so long. I made this mistake last year and got really sick. Try your best to live your off season clean. That way you won’t have to work as hard closer to the show.

Q: Tell us about your figure skating life.

I have been ice skating since I was six years old. I have always been a natural competitor; I get that from my dad, who was a competitive downhill skier.

I started competing not long after learning to skate.

I trained under a coach and skated six days a week; by junior high, this turned into two a day, five days a week, and once on Saturday.

I loved the competitions; my mom would make my competition dresses by hand at home.

As a kid, I was always a singles skater, but in college, I switched to skating pairs.

During college, I started assisting my coach teaching synchronized skating and really enjoyed it. After graduating with a bachelor’s of fine art and graphic design, I looked into getting a design job but found nothing that compared to how much I enjoyed teaching skating. So I committed myself to it and have been coaching full time since 2006.

I still continue to practice skating and now compete in the Adult Masters Division. I enjoy the continued challenge, cross training between skating and fitness competitions. It keeps me engaged, so I know what changes in skating rules and judging are so I can better prepare my students.

“My favorite part about skating is the interaction with my students and watching them improve toward their own goals. I think this experience makes me a better student to my fitness coach because I know that a coach has your best interests in mind and you have to trust them.”

Q: Tell us what it’s like to be a poultry farmer.

Well, I wouldn’t classify myself as a poultry farmer by trade, just a bird lover. I have loved birds my entire life and always wanted some as pets. I have about 15 chickens that are all free range; they have a very large coop that my husband built with large nesting boxes and perches, with all-day access to our 10 acres.

“They go in at night on their own, and we shut the gate to keep them safe from critters. They give lots of eggs, which help with my meal prep and enough for me to sell to friends for enough profit to provide healthy food to the chickens.”

I also have a couple of pet ducks that roam the property, along with a peacock and peahen. Last year, they won first place at the State Fair here in Washington. My husband and I take great care of our pets that live out their lives naturally; we even tell our dog Ollie that “birds are friends, not food!”

Q: Tell us what it’s like owning a vineyard.

A: We are still in the preparation phase of planting our first vines this spring! It has been a few years in the making, between going to school for viticulture at Washington State University for two years, purchasing property, and all of the land prep to make the soil conditions just right. We have had some incredible support from family and friends.

I will be planting just one acre this year and more next year. As a small business starting out, it is just me and my husband, so it was a lot of work just to get to this point.

Q: What did you eat yesterday?

  • 7:30 a.m. Meal One: ½ cup of red kidney beans (cooked measurement) with ½ cup of long grain brown rice (cooked measurement).
  • 10:30 a.m. Meal Two: Eat three ounces of Beyond Beef (Beyond Meat) with ½ Cup of steamed green beans.
  • 1:30 p.m. Meal Three: Eat three ounces of Beyond Beef (Beyond Meat) with ½ Cup of steamed green beans.
  • 3:00 p.m. Pre-workout: Take one serving of BCAA capsules (NutraKey) with 1,000 mg of Vitamin C; add 500 mg of Calcium.
  • 4:00 p.m. Pre-cardio (45 minutes of high intensity cardio): Take one serving of BCAA capsules (NutraKey) with 400 IUs of Vitamin E; add 500 mg of magnesium.
  • 5:00 p.m. Post-Cardio Meal Four: ½ cup of red kidney beans (cooked measurement) with ½ cup of long grain brown rice (cooked measurement).
  • 7:30 p.m. Meal Five: Eat six egg whites (hard boiled) with ½ cup of steamed green beans.
  • Drink 2½ gallons of water.
  • Take one serving of BCAA capsules between each meal.

*Please note this is two weeks out from competition day and is the initial cut down of weight. My normal diet consists of a much higher calorie count, filled with lots of fruit and vegetables and not as many supplements. The substitute meat on my meal plan is pea isolate protein; this is important because most other substitutes are soy and have high phytoestrogen levels.

Q: What does the first 60 minutes of your morning look like?

First thing in the morning is taking my vitamins and then doing 30 minutes of fasting cardio. I have a home gym, so I have a couple of options, either the elliptical or the treadmill. The last few weeks, it has been running three miles. After that is done, I eat my first meal of the day and look at what food and how much I will need to prepare based on that day’s schedule.

Q: Favorite three exercises and why?

  • Straight leg deadlifts: they are great for glutes!
  • One-leg tricep dips: that muscle for some reason is very hard for me to see the results I want, but these really work.
  • Cable kick-backs: not only does it work the glutes, but it strengthens my lower back for skating and lifting heavy bags of feed on the farm.

Q: Fun fact most people don’t know about you?

As a kid, I was known at school for ice skating and art. Actually, my best subject was math and I was on the math competition team for two years. We competed against other school in Washington. It was a military style course. If you got the math problem right you climbed a rope, ran tires, etc. Whichever team made it to the end first won.

Q: What three pearls of wisdom would you tell your 13-year-old self?

Concentrate on school, rather than worrying about your reputation.

Choose what path in life you want to do after high school. I was pushed toward art school but really wasn’t interested. I wanted to study agriculture but was talked out of pursuing that.

Don’t worry about what the scale says because I was muscular and always weighed more than the other girls. This is actually a good thing as an athlete, because you have a healthy body with the muscular strength to perform better at sports.

Q: What is the biggest personal challenge you have had to overcome in your life? 

As a kid, my dad struggled with addiction to alcohol; he was verbally mean to my mom and me. It made my home life something that I didn’t want friends to know about. He never physically hurt us or anyone, but he would come home after work, already drinking, and make my mom and I very uncomfortable being around him.

He would say terrible things to us, and it was hard on my self-confidence. My mom and I would get in the car and leave, sometimes staying in a hotel. My mom knew this was a problem he needed help with; we didn’t want to leave him but instead help him, even though this went on for years.

Eventually, he did get help, and while he always maintained a job and provided a financially stable home, his addiction made many years of my childhood difficult.

“My family and I have come out of this experience with his alcoholism as stronger people. We really understand what being a family is, and that you don’t quit on somebody when they are down and need help.”

Q: How do you wind down and relax at night?

I like to relax while finishing my daily water intake and watch YouTube videos. It takes me all over the place, from videos and vlogs of other competitors, to helpful information about how to take care of my farm animals. My dog Ollie (she’s a six-year-old puggle) keeps me company and entertained while I wind down from a full day of training and work.

For more ideas about bikini competition tips, watch this video – Bikini Competition Guide – EVERYTHING YOU MUST KNOW



Author Bio:

Chris Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.

V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with optimal diet and exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians only.

A lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising its progressiveness and efficiency.

The program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Instead of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”

To find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding – BIKINI COMPETITION TIPS FOR BEGINNERS


Wednesday, April 21, 2021

How to Gain Muscle and Lose Weight on a Vegetarian Diet?

 

How to Gain Muscle and Lose Weight on a Vegetarian Diet? Daria Deptula shared her thoughts about going vegetarian, her training routine, what favourite exercises she does and what she eats to keep fit and healthy.

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Build Muscle & Lose Fat By Eating Plants



DARIA DEPTULA SHOWS MIAMI WHAT VEGAN LOOKS LIKE

“I stopped drinking, partying, and really focused on my fitness. Working out has always been a kind of therapy for me. Anytime I was in the gym I felt in my element. Then I discovered veganism, and it’s like everything just clicked!”

Name: Daria Deptula
Occupation: Sales Ambassador for Sazerac Company but currently in the process of getting certified as a Health Coach
Location: Miami, FL
Age: 32
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 127 lb.

Q: Tell us the story of how you got turned on to plant-based fitness.

I’ve always been into health and fitness since I can remember. Working out for me was a part of my life, so I never felt like I was forcing myself to hit the gym, but I always had challenges with the proper diet to complement my lifestyle. It wasn’t that I didn’t eat healthy, I just never felt energized enough without pre-workout, etc.

I heard about the Forks Over Knives documentary on Netflix and watched it one night, then watched it again and again, until all of the information truly sank in and made an impact on me.

Cancer runs in my family. My dad beat colon cancer 15 years ago, and my cousin recently developed breast cancer in her 30s.

The facts were all right on the screen, and once I saw Mac Danzig, the UFC fighter, speak about going plant-based, I was all in!

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out on this path?

My advice would be to do as much research as possible to educate yourself on the benefits of the diet, the proper balanced nutrition, and the ethical side of going vegan. Watch documentaries, YouTube videos, read books (I recommend “The Happy Vegan” by Russell Simmons), and follow social media accounts which support this lifestyle.

Q: Tell us about what Generation Vegan is and your involvement in it.

I was approached by Dani Weiss from Generation Vegan to do a podcast interview for her YouTube channel a while back. She interviews vegan athletes to give people a perspective on plant-based fitness and break all stereotypes associated with veganism.

She is a such an inspiring person herself! We became quick friends during the interview, which was over two hours because we couldn’t stop talking.

(Watch Video Here — Generation Vegan: Daria Deptula)

Q: What does the first 60 minutes of your morning look like?

I wake up at 6 a.m. every day by my five-month old puppy, Mali. She’s my alarm clock and the first thing to have my attention every morning. Then it’s time for my warm water with apple cider vinegar and lemon, and after about 15 minutes or so, I have my breakfast and start getting ready for the gym.

Q: What did you eat yesterday?

  • Every morning before I have any bite of food, I have a huge glass of warm water with organic lemon and a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
  • I drink over 64 ounces of water a day.
  • For breakfast, I had 1 slice of Ezekiel Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Bread with Justin’s Maple Almond butter and sliced bananas on top (one of my favs!).
  • After I hit the gym, I had a protein shake made with Vega Sport Chocolate Plant-Based Protein powder, a scoop of Super Greens powder, 2 tablespoons of ground chia and flaxseeds, kale, parsley, cilantro, blueberries, a cup of almond milk, and the rest purified water (this all fits in my NutriBullet).
  • For lunch, I had a quinoa bowl with black beans, avocado, half of a purple yam, and spinach, sprinkled with nutritional yeast.
  • Fuji apple for a snack during the day.
  • For dinner, I made a tempeh skillet, with bell peppers, onions, and spinach, and ate the other half of the purple yam, since they’re like candy to me!

Q: Favorite three exercises and why?

Boxing has been my favorite since I started taking classes about six years ago. It’s become a huge part of my workouts, and now I teach classes at SobeKick Miami about two times a week.

Sumo squats are my second favorite because I love targeting the glutes, especially living in Miami!

I’m also a huge fan of pistols. I used to CrossFit for about a year and a half, and incorporate some of those moves I learned into my workouts.

Q: Tell us a story of the mentor who played a key role in building confidence in yourself.

Johnny Rock, the owner of SobeKick Gym, has really helped me see my potential. He saw me as someone who could really motivate others and become a badass fitness instructor. He is one of the most genuine people I have ever met!

I am in the process of getting certified as a health coach and will be focusing on helping others who want to thrive on a vegan diet and in fitness.

Q: What is the biggest personal challenge you have had to overcome in your life?

I moved to Miami seven years ago with no goal in sight. I got sucked into the party life.

My idea of fun was going out four to five nights a week and getting home at the crack of dawn.

The other days, I would be recovering so I could do it all over again. I was all over the place.

There were so many moments when I would say to myself, “OK, it’s time to get your shit together!

No more clubs or drinking or partying!” — only to forget all about it the moment someone asked me to go out.

It wasn’t until I started to really take full responsibility for my actions that I realized how much time I was wasting on party and “fun.”

I’ve always been a bookaholic. I’m fascinated by human psychology, among other topics. I read a book called “The Power of Habit,” which talked about a negative “keystone habit” that triggers other bad habits and decisions in a person’s life. I had an awakening moment and realized that habit for me was drinking.

Something told me to search the bookstore on my iPhone, and I came upon an audiobook called “Control Alcohol: Stop Drinking Now” by Craig Beck. That audiobook changed my life.

“It opened my eyes to the truth about alcohol and the lies we tell ourselves just to continue drinking. The moment my beliefs about alcohol changed is the moment I stopped my vicious cycle.”

Once I refocused and gained back control over my life, everything started to fall into place. My friends and family saw the positive impact this decision had in my life, and have been very supportive.

I stopped drinking, partying, and really focused on my fitness. Working out has always been a kind of therapy for me. Any time I was in the gym, I felt in my element. Then I discovered veganism, and it’s like everything just clicked!

Q: What are some fun facts most people don’t know about you?

I graduated college with a Communications Disorders degree and was a speech therapist for about five years. I also own every Harry Potter and Twilight book.

Q: What three pearls of wisdom would you tell your 13-year-old self?

  1. Follow your intuition and listen to your inner voice.
  2. Stop worrying so much about what others think.
  3. Remember to always be grateful!

For more ideas on how to gain muscle and lose weight on a vegetarian diet, watch this video – How to Build Muscle On A Vegan Diet – The In-Depth Guide



Author Bio:

Chris Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.

V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with optimal diet and exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians only.

A lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising its progressiveness and efficiency.

The program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Instead of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”

To find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding – How to Gain Muscle and Lose Weight on a Vegetarian Diet

How to Gain Strength Faster Using the 4 Percent Solution?

 

How to Gain Strength Faster Using the 4 Percent Solution? The Four Percent Solution involves a set pattern of progression. In a nutshell, you’ll increase the amount of resistance by 4 to 5% each workout, while simultaneously reducing the number of reps by one each time. After you recover from the sixth workout, you’ll have increased your strength in each lift by approximately 10%!

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Build Muscle & Lose Fat By Eating Plants



FASTER STRENGTH GAINS USING 4 PERCENT

The Four Percent Solution for Fast Strength Gains

I recently gave a private seminar in Montreal for a small dedicated group of strength coaches led by Eric Falstrault of The Strength Code fame.

Over three days of private teaching, we spent 70% of the time discussing individualization of program design. Even though the trainers were advanced, they had a very deep interest in learning more about making precise and individualized recommendations in terms of loading parameters.

Norwegian powerhouse Kjell Egil Bakkelund deadlifting 337.5 kg at 79.5 kg bodyweight

I recommend variety, of course, but there are some set-rep schemes that I tend to favor over others. I like them because they’re mentally stimulating and physically challenging. Moreover, I like them because they’re effective. One in particular is the aforementioned Four Percent Solution. It’s effective regardless of where you are in the bodybuilding hierarchy. You can be a rank beginner, or master of the universe. In short, it gets your heart rate going and your muscles growing.

A Closer Look…


The Four Percent Solution involves a set pattern of progression. In a nutshell, you’ll increase the amount of resistance by 4 to 5% each workout, while simultaneously reducing the number of reps by one each time. After you recover from the sixth workout, you’ll have increased your strength in each lift by approximately 10%!

People in the know in the field of strength training realize that the number of reps is the loading parameter to which an individual adapts the fastest, and the Four Percent Solution takes advantage of this fact. I’m sure people like Tony Little have no idea what I’m talking about, but no matter. The Four Percent Solution is based on the principle, “success breeds success”.

Whenever people achieve goals, whether it’s in business or athletics, testosterone levels rise. When T levels rise, your recovery ability improves. And, because you recover more quickly, you make more gains. Because you have more gains, you have more success and you make more testosterone, and so on and so on.

Before I give examples of the workout, let’s talk about the loading parameters of the Four Percent Solution.

The Intensity Zone


Select a 3-rep bracket to start the cycle. The number of reps should fall between 3 and 8. For instance, choose to do sets of 3-5 reps, 4-6 reps, 5-7 reps, or 6-8 reps.

The decision is somewhat arbitrary; just make sure you write down the rep bracket you selected and stick with if for the duration of the program.

Tempo


The tempo (the time it takes you to complete one rep) should be the same throughout the 6 workouts of the phase. Depending on your goal, the total time under tension per set determines the chosen tempo. For example, if mass is your goal, the set should last at least 40 seconds. If relative strength is the desired goal, the total length of the set shouldn’t exceed 20 seconds.

Let’s say the rep bracket you selected is 4 to 8 reps and your goal is to build functional hypertrophy. That means that it should take at least 20 seconds to do your 4 to 8 reps. Therefore, a suitable tempo for a set of six might be 3210, where 3 is the number of seconds it takes to lower the weight; 2 is the number of seconds you pause in the bottom position; and 1 is the number of seconds it takes to raise the weight. The 0 stands for not taking a pause at the top.

Therefore, each rep would take about 6 seconds and since you’d be doing 6 reps, 6×7 equals 42. That means your total time under tension would be 42 seconds for that particular set.

Rest Interval


In order to allow the phosphagens to nearly replenish and give the central nervous system enough time to recover and be able to activate the high-threshold fibers again, you need to rest 3 to 4 minutes between sets.

It may be difficult for many of you to take that much rest, but believe me, your discipline will pay big dividends in the long run. In fact, failure to take adequate rest between sets will negate the positive effects of this program. I recommend using a stopwatch that beeps after the rest interval is over.

As a note, strength athletes generally rest between 4 and 5 minutes after sets of the Power Clean or other Olympic lifts. The technical element of these lifts is much greater than that of conventional lifts; thus the demands on the nervous system are much greater.

Number of Exercises


I don’t recommend doing more than 2 exercises per body part because you’ll be doing a high number of total sets

Exercise Selection


I recommend that you select compound exercises that recruit a lot of muscle mass. Therefore, exercises like rows, squatsdeadlifts, or presses are the best choices for this method. Hopefully, you can use at least 100 pounds in a given exercise because it makes the math easier. It also makes it easier to change the weight since 1 1/4 pound plates are a rarity. Of course if your strength levels are low, you can always use Eleiko Friction Plates to meet the 4 to 5% weight increase. Eleiko also makes 1 ¼ pound plates which permits you to make even more precise jumps when combined with the Eleiko kilo plates

Frequency


Work every body part once every 4 to 5 days. Here’s one possible split:

  • Day 1: Chest and Back
  • Day 2: Legs and Abs
  • Day 3: Off
  • Day 4: Shoulders and Arms
  • Day 5: Off

Duration


This program is designed to be used for 6 workouts per body part.


Overload Mechanism

Do your initial workouts with the chosen number of reps and the predetermined weight. You’ll then increase the load by 4 to 5% every workout for two workouts in a row. Concurrently, you’ll also reduce the target reps by one rep for every weight increase. Then, after the third workout, you’ll reduce the weight 4 to 5% but bring the number of reps back to the original starting point. If you’ve done this correctly, you’ll have increased your strength by 4-5%.

If you’re confused, I don’t blame you, so let me offer an example:

The Four Percent Solution


Let’s say you have a weak brachialis muscle and you want to improve your reverse curl strength. And, for the sake of this example, we’ll say your best performance for the reverse curl is 100 pounds for 7 reps.


This is what your rep/set cycle would look like:

  • Workout 1: 4-5 sets x 7 reps at 100 pounds
  • Workout 2: Increase the weight from the last workout by 4-5 percent and do 1 rep less per set: 4-5 sets x 6 reps at 104-105 pounds
  • Workout 3: Increase the weight from the last workout by 4-5 percent and do 1 rep less per set: 4-5 sets x 5 reps at 108-110 pounds
  • Workout 4: Use the load you used in workout #2 for the workout #1 rep target. In this case, you’re shooting for: 4-5 sets x 7 reps at 104-105 pounds
  • Workout 5: Use the load used in workout #3 for the workout #2 rep target: 4-5 sets x 6 reps at 108-110 pounds
  • Workout 6: Increase the weight from the last workout by 4-5 percent and do 1 rep less per set: 4-5 sets x 5 reps at 115 pounds

NOTE: If you achieve your goal, it means you’re already 4-5% stronger!

By logical extension, if you did workout 7, you’d now be able to do 7 RM (repetitions maximum) with 110 pounds! That’s a 10% percent increase in strength over 6 workouts, and that’s excellent! (I don’t actually map out the seventh workout because it would just be an exercise in vanity-the nervous system typically adapts to any workout program in 6 workouts and after that, it’s time to move on to another type of program.)

Obviously, because of neuromuscular fatigue, you won’t be able to achieve your rep target every set, but as long as you hit your goal on the first set of every workout, you’re doing fine.

The Four Percent Solution Applied to Squats


Biomechanists have determined that when you do a squat, you’re in fact squatting 75% of your bodyweight, plus the load on the barbell (Although it seems like you’re squatting all of your bodyweight, you’re not. After all, the legs are lifting the upper body; they’re not lifting themselves off the ground).

Keep that in mind when you adjust your squat poundages up by 4%. For instance, let’s say you weigh 100 kg and you’re squatting 200 kg for 5 reps.

When increasing the weight four percent from workout to workout, the load increases would look like this:

Weight increase: 4% (load of barbell + (75% x bodyweight)) Weight increase: 4% (200 kg + (75% x 100 kg) Weight increase: 4% (200 kg + 75 kg) Weight increase: 11 kg

So, in this particular case, a 4% increase would bring our hypothetical 100 kg bodybuilder’s load to 211 kg for his sets of 4 in his next workout.

Tips for the Four Percent Solution


In order to perform this program properly, I strongly urge you to keep a detailed journal of the exact number of sets and reps performed, load used, and rest interval taken. Furthermore, only count the reps done in strict form. Go ahead and do forced reps for the last rep of every third workout, but don’t count them as complete reps.

Wrap Up


I hope that the Four Percent Solution isn’t too confusing. I think that you’ll find it well-worth all the head scratches and furrowed brows it took to figure it out, though.

In any event, if there’s such a thing as one singly unifying theory of training as Mike Mentzer claims, it’s that the best system is the one that constantly changes. As your body adapts, it’s recovery ability increases and higher levels of volume and intensity of training are needed to ensure further growth.

To find out how you can gain strength faster, watch this video – The Fastest Way to Get Stronger (WORKS EVERY TIME!)



Written by Charles Poliquin

Author Bio:

Chris Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.

V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with optimal diet and exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians only.

A lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising its progressiveness and efficiency.

The program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Instead of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”

To find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding – How to Gain Strength Faster


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