Author: Skip La Cour

When asked about the amount of effort they put into their training, most bodybuilders I talk with describe themselves as dedicated and committed. If I were to ask 10 guys who train on a fairly consistent basis “Do you work hard?” I can almost guarantee you at least 9 of the 10 would emphatically answer “Yes!” Physique development can vary greatly from person to person. Some guys excel, others do fine, while still others produce less-than-satisfactory bodies. If they are all indeed working hard as they believe, why are there such varying degrees of development generated from their bodybuilding efforts?…

For packing-on the most quality muscle in the shortest period of time, I suggest that you strive to perform 4 to 6 repetitions during every set. If you can do more than six reps during a particular set, then you have picked a weight that is too light. Conversely, if you are not able to properly perform four repetitions, the weight you’ve chosen is too heavy. I am really big into the mental factors that contribute to your performance in the gym. Your mind is your most valuable training tool. This is the way I see things: The less time…

Two sets of each exercise—performed with a high level of intensity—are all it really takes to effectively initiate the muscle-building process. On occasion, I will allow three sets to get the job done—but any more than three sets simply is not necessary. Just like many other bodybuilders, I used to perform four to five sets of every single exercise when I first started training years ago. Why did I choose four to five sets? To tell you the truth, I don’t really remember. More than likely, the reason why I settled on that amount was because the first person I…

If you are training with the right amount of intensity, I firmly believe that you can effectively stimulate a major muscle group for maximum growth using only 2 to 5 exercises during your workout. An intermediate bodybuilder once said to me, “Skip, doing two, three, four, or five exercises may work for you at your level of experience, but I think beginners and intermediates simply must do more exercises in order to be just as productive.” Although, I emphatically believe there are no physical reasons why his theory is true, I can understand why many less experienced lifters may feel…

At one time or another, we’ve all accomplished our short-term bodybuilding goals such as having a good day of training and eating properly. Those victories give us great feelings, don’t they? No matter how great that single event or day may be, one training session or one day of outstanding habits alone will not create an outstanding physique. When you can turn that one great day into a great week, that great week into a great month, and string together a series of great months, you begin to create the powerful force known as momentum. When you can harness the…

When it comes to contest preparation, too many competitive bodybuilders are often confused and frustrated because of their misguided beliefs. I’ve come to this realization after dealing with literally hundreds of bodybuilders around the world. Let’s face the facts. After a person has been dieting for weeks, when they fail to do as well in their show as they wanted, the entire process can be quite devastating. Man! I know this from some of my own personal, less-than-satisfactory contest preparation experiences! After an ill-fated contest experience, your brain desperately searches for reasons why things went so wrong. But, if you…

Unfortunately, when it comes to enhancing your physique many things are not easy to quantify or standardize. Many people (including myself at times) need everything to be specific, measured and/or in “black-and-white” when it comes to bodybuilding and training. They need exact numbers or indicators to feel comfortable about what they are doing. When they don’t get those concrete answers, they get confused and frustrated. Intensity is the key to determining the effectiveness of cardiovascular training. Constantly striving for a higher level of intensity, pushing yourself to exert more effort, or taking your training to the “next level” during each…

I’ve often shared with you that, the more I learn about training, I understand that less training—not more—is often needed to effectively build muscle. That is true, however, only if you are training with enough intensity and efficiently. Over the years, I’ve often documented how dramatically I’ve cut back on the number of sets I perform during my workouts—and how beneficial I think doing so has been for my development. No matter how much you love to train, you must take time off. More is not better in this case. Taking time out of the gym is very difficult for…

When it comes to training injuries, I feel extremely fortunate that I have never experienced any injuries that have seriously hampered my bodybuilding efforts. I’m sure the reason why I’ve avoided major injury isn’t because I’ve always trained 100 percent correctly in the gym. I certainly realize injuries can happen in the most surprising and unique ways. For example, one person I know has been hurt getting off a stationary bike. I’ve also known people who have been injured lifting very light warm-up weight. The problem was that they lifted the lighter weight in a slightly different manner than they…

The best time of day to train is the time that you feel you are the strongest, most motivated, and energized—and can feel that way on a consistent basis. For me, the best time of day is 4:30 a.m. Now, I know of many scientific studies that believe your natural growth hormone levels are at their peak in the morning and conclude that a person will build muscle most effectively at that time. However, that is not the reason I train at 4:30 a.m. I train at this time because of the way I prioritize my focus and energy. To…

You will not be doing yourself any favors by training when you are too sick to be productive. Both resistance (weight training) and cardiovascular training obviously put a lot of physical stress on the human body. Continuing to work out when you’re seriously ill could make you sicker and/or prolong the length of your illness. Training when you are too sick can also have negative effects on your bodybuilding efforts—both physically and mentally. If you are significantly weaker due to your illness, you’ll have difficultly training with weight heavy enough to truly overload the muscles. You simply will not be…

Today’s Mass Machine ® Bodybuilding and Training Tip: The key to success in bodybuilding and training (and every area of life) is to continually work effectively and efficiently is when things are not clearly defined. Things are rarely “black and white”  no matter how hard you try to make them. You must become mentally and emotional flexible in the “grey”.

In this video, Skip La Cour tells you how much time you should rest in between your sets to build muscle effectively, efficiently, and in the shortest period of time.

Many bodybuilders often ask me what I think is the proper length of time to rest between sets. My answer is very simple: When your number one priority is to build as much muscle mass as possible in the shortest period of time, you should rest long enough to get as close to 100 percent of your strength back—without losing your concentration and focus. With the heavy training philosophy that I am sharing with you, I feel you must make sure you rest long enough to get most of your strength back before attacking another heavy set. This is the…

Today’s Mass Machine ® Bodybuilding and Training Tip: Do you ever catch yourself pacing your energy and effort during your workout just to get through it all? Training intensity is a very important factor for producing the results you want in the gym. But how do you know if are really getting the most out of the amount of work your are doing?

Today’s Mass Machine ® Bodybuilding and Training Tip: If you are having a challenge following through with the training and eating strategies that you’ve adopted, today’s message will be especially helpful to you. Your plan doesn’t need to be complicated in order to be effective–even though those outrageously passionate fitness people on the internet may believe it and the slick fitness information product seller want you convince you that it true.

Bodybuilding is a lifestyle . . . a very demanding lifestyle! Even when you are not in the gym training hard, you must maintain a structured eating regimen throughout the entire day. If you want to develop your physique to its fullest potential, taking advantage of the tremendous benefits of state-of-the-art supplements is also important. Your supplementation schedule will need to be followed religiously throughout the day as well. You must also play tricks on your mind to keep your level of motivation high, get enough rest, pay close attention to how your body responds to your efforts, and much…

Getting cut, ripped, and shredded are all ways to describe ridding your body of excess fat. In the absence of excess body fat, you will display more muscularity, definition, or detail. Some people ask me, “How many reps should I do if I want more definition or detail? Shouldn’t I do more reps?” I would never suggest that you do more reps to get more cuts or definition. The number of repetitions you do during a set—or weight training at all, for that matter—is not what gets you lean. Getting rid of excess body fat comes from adhering to an…

Some people have very strong opinions whether or not you should use knee wraps, weight belts, or wrist straps during training sessions. For instance, some people believe that, for safety reasons, you’d be a fool not to use knee wraps, weight belts, and even wrist straps. On the other hand, others are convinced that, in order to give your joints, tendons, and muscles proper stimulation during each exercise, you should never use them. The problem is that they both use medical or scientific “facts” to back up their views. Personally, I try to steer clear of any debates or arguments…

In this video, your coach Skip La Cour provides your with a valuable tip when setting up for Squats. This tip will give you more certainty and confidence to go for one more challenging and muscle-stimulating repetition during each set.