596479776-The-Classic-Physique-Bible-Final-Compressed

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RICH GASPARI’S
Written by Rich Gaspari
Forward by John Romano
BIBLE
2
By John Romano
Former Senior Editor at Muscular Development magazine 
and co-founder of RX Muscle.com
FORWARD
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So, who is this guy and why you should you listen to him....
Every sport has its standouts.Think of the fringe practitioners of 
football, baseball, basketball, hockey, Moto GP, Formula 1, and 
the like. These are exceptional individuals, outliers who put the 
awe in “awesome” when it comes to describing their particular 
talent. Bodybuilding is no different. While the essence of what we 
do is often mocked and misunderstood, we still, nevertheless, 
have those who wear the badge of a legend. And every now and 
then, one of those legends sits down and lays out before you the 
definitive roadmap for how to get to the top of your game. Like 
they did. This is one of those books.
I first met Rich Gaspari in 1987 before his second assault on his 
old training partner, Lee Haney, the only man on earth standing 
between him and the Olympia title – the absolute zenith of any 
bodybuilder’s life on earth. Of course I knew of Rich; if you were a 
bodybuilder you knew who Rich Gaspari was. In fact, at the time, 
you could say I was a fan. I was working for a chiropractor in 
Santa Monica who specialized in pro athletes. I’d see Rich come 
into the office every week for adjustments and deep tissue work. 
He was one of those bodybuilders who left no stone unturned.
All of 24, with the muscle maturity of a man twice his age, Rich 
Gaspari was a brash, cocky kid from South Jersey, with a world 
class physique, who was so focused on winning the Olympia, 
he couldn’t have squeezed in another thought if he tried. We 
got along, I suppose, because I was a brash, cocky kid from 
4
New York, who actually admitted he liked the Jersey shore better than 
the beaches on Long Island. And, of course, we’re both bodybuilders 
and 100% Italian, with familial roots in the construction biz. We’ve been 
friends ever since.
Other than the Hudson river, the thing that separated us was the fact that 
Richy had every right to be brash and cocky. This kid, four years younger 
than I, had already bagged his IFBB pro card. Doing so at 21 years of 
age made him the youngest pro bodybuilder in the sport. The icing on that 
cake came one week later when he won the Mr. Universe, making him – 
to this day – the youngest Mr. Universe of all time. For the next five years, 
Rich would compete in 18 pro shows. With the exception of a 3rd place 
finish in his first Olympia in 1985, in the remaining 17 shows, he took 2nd 
eight times - three in a row at the Olympia - and won the rest, including 
the first Arnold Classic in 1989.
This incredible contest history not withstanding, no pantheon of modern 
bodybuilding would be complete without Rich Gaspari, because of 
where he, and he alone, set the bar for conditioning. Rich was the first 
bodybuilder in history to present striated glutes. I’m not particularly 
enthralled about having to talk about my friend’s ass cheeks here, but 
they are, nevertheless, pivotal items in bodybuilding history. Those 
striations set the conditioning standard that would mark the subsequent 
reign of the 90’s as the greatest era in the history of the sport, and 
known forever as the “classic era of bodybuilding.” After Rich, no 
pro bodybuilder’s physique would be considered complete without 
the conditioning marked by striated glutes. At no time since, have 
bodybuilders brought the level of conditioning to the stage that Rich 
ushered in.
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What makes these accomplishments so notable is the fact that Rich did 
not have stellar bodybuilding genetics. As you’ll see later in this book, 
genetics is the apex pre-requisite as far as any bodybuilding pursuit goes. 
What Rich exemplifies is ferociously rare. He overcame what his genetics 
lacked by out working everyone else. He’d wear out training partners 
like canyon racers wear out tires. Rich was an absolutely ruthless, 
unbreakable, animal in the gym and everyone knew it, including eight 
time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney, who recruited Rich to be his training partner 
during his Olympia prep. Lee literally had 7 billion other people in the 
world he could have chosen for that position, but he chose Rich because 
of how hard he worked, which he knew, would be how hard it would make 
him work.
In Lee’s mind, it would be the classic Biblical reference to steel 
sharpening steel. And, as history tells, it worked. Rich and Lee trained 
in “the Valley” at the Gold’s gym in Reseda, CA. I trained at the Gold’s 
in Venice. Even in the days before social media and instant messaging 
– cell phones too for that matter - everyone in Gold’s Venice would be 
talking about how brutal Lee and Richy were training in Resida. The 
members there would call and tell the guys working the desk what they 
were doing and they’d tell the rest of us. One day, about two weeks 
before the Olympia, Lee and Rich showed up at the gym eating Tofuti 
frozen yogurt cones! Phones started ringing all over the world! News of 
that sacrilege spread faster than a California wildfire during a drought. 
Such stories became legends.
Throughout this book, it will be abundantly clear to you that building a 
classic physique requires classic bodybuilding determination, focus, hard 
work, immense suffering, more hard work and, most importantly, attitude. 
6
You cannot possibly be successful at this unless you believe, with every 
fiber of your being, that this is what you’re going to do. And Rich is the 
classic example of what I mean by that.....
In 1983, Rich took a disappointing 5th in the Nationals. He was 
determined to come back the next year and win, which would qualify 
him for the Mr. Universe (World IFBB Amateur Championships) where, if 
he won, would earn him professional athlete staus (back in those days, 
they didn’t hand out pro cards like candy, like they do today. Becoming 
a card carrying IFBB pro bodybuilder was a HUGE deal). And, he did. 
He came back the next year, one weight class lighter and took 1st in the 
light-heavies, earning his coveted qualification for the Universe in Vegas a 
week later.
This feat was something he not only envisioned, but also sold to his 
family, who he wanted to attend. But, it gets better..... Several weeks out 
from Nationals, while Rich was telling his family to book flights and hotels 
for that show in New Orleans, he told them they also needed to book 
flights and hotel accommodations in Las Vegas a week later, because, 
Rich told them, he was going to turn right around after winning the 
Nationals and win the Mr. Universe. Not compete in the Mr. Universe, but 
win it and turn pro. And he wanted his family there to see it.
There was simply no doubt in his mind about that, and he convinced his 
family to pony up the funds for all that traveling from and to New Jersey. 
Well, long story short, in spite of everyone telling Rich he couldn’t do that, 
that’s exactly what he did. And he was the youngest guy to ever do it. 
“Can’t” simply was not a concept Rich would allow himself to understand. 
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In fact, telling him he can’t do something is a 100% guarantee that he will. 
Clearly, a trait worth emulating.
And that’s what you need to know as you scroll through these pages. 
Building a classic physique, in the true sense of the term, is one of the 
most difficult things to accomplish on earth. And, because it is, “can’t” 
is a concept you can not allow to exist. There’s no such thing. You can. 
Everything in this book works, but only if you follow it. It’s been proven 
hundreds and hundreds of times. Nothing suggested on these pages is 
going to require you fill a pioneering lab rat role; it’s all been done before 
and with great success. I can tell you from experience that it’s definitely 
not going to be easy, nothing worthwhileis. But, you can build a classic 
physique. Anyone can, as long as you never, for one second, believe you 
can’t.
Every single thing you need to build the classic physique of your dreams 
– whether you want to compete or just hear the girls gasp when you peel 
off at the pool – is contained in just three places: The gym, this book and 
your brain. And you’re lucky enough to have access to all of them.
So, it’s time to get to work. In the inimitable words of Rocky Balboa, 
when Ivan Drago said he must break him, “go for it.”
8
Intensity, power and focus. Employ these three things, 
never quit and you can’t possibly lose.
- Rich Gaspari
“
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PREFACE
Why This book had to be written . . .
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I’ve long looked at bodybuilding as “physique art.” I come 
from an era when bodybuilding focussed on aesthetics: 
pleasing, artistic lines, symmetry, balance, a small waist 
and crisp condition. Many, many aficionados of the sport 
have unanimously reflected on my era of bodybuilding – 
the 80’s through the 90’s, the “Classic Era” - as the most 
aesthetic and complete - between form and condition - the 
sport has ever seen, then or since. Toward the end of my 
competitive career, bodybuilding was heading on a differ-
ent course. I’m not going to point fingers, but the direction 
it was going led to incredible mass, less condition, bigger 
guts and a blurring of the “classic” lines. The guys were 
turning into monsters with odd proportions that fewer and 
fewer athletes wanted to emulate – either as competitive 
bodybuilders, or just guys who wanted to look like body-
builders.
The smaller guys – bodybuilders who turned pro as middle 
weights, light weights and bantam weights, were eventu-
ally given the 212 class. This was great for them because 
a lot of those guys are really incredible bodybuilders. But 
at 5’1”, and 198 pounds, you can’t be fairly compared to a 
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guy 6’3”at 290. I think the 212 class guys always bring bet-
ter condition than the open guys; the division is very excit-
ing to watch and will always be one of my favorites. But the 
taller guys who didn’t want to strive for a 300 pound plus 
contest weight had nowhere to go. The open guys were 
more and more often criticized for their big bloated look, 
distended guts, cartoon character proportions and lack of 
condition and none of them could hit the vacuum pose. But 
no one seemed to care. They kept bringing it and bringing 
it and the prize money at the Olympia kept growing. There 
was zero incentive to stuff the genie back in the bottle, his 
giant gut wouldn’t fit!.
This situation persisted, not only unabated but it metasta-
sized for almost two decades, inciting more and more re-
sentment for the direction things were headed and lament 
for the classic era gone by. From the late Steve Reeves, to 
Arnold Schwarzenegger to numerous Classic Era cham-
pions and thousands of competitors and fans, that period 
was universally regarded as the era that produced the best 
physiques of all time. On top of that, the prevailing belief 
was that if the current mass monster trend continued, it 
would kill the sport. 
In 2013 the Men’s Physique (“board short”) Division was 
hatched in an attempt to give guys who didn’t want to get 
13 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
so huge an alternative to open bodybuilding. It was a great 
idea and almost instantly became extremely popular. But, 
for a lot of guys, it was just too far away from bodybuild-
ing. They didn’t even need legs! The board shorts covered 
them. Some in the industry were really not very kind to the 
division, calling it “men’s bikini.” Honestly, it kinda was. 
Bodybuilding can’t just be about the upper half of the body. 
Don’t get me wrong, the guys look great and are very mar-
ketable for the industry, but real bodybuilders need mass 
and they have to have legs. 
Finally, in 2016, the powers that be answered the call and 
created “Classic Physique” as a bridge between the board 
shorts guys and the extreme bodybuilders of the open 
class. It was really a homage to the classic physiques of 
my era. There was a twist though; there would be height 
classes that limited weight. This was a great idea because 
it forces guys to be in condition. Obviously, you want to 
weigh as much as possible in your height class, and you 
want that weight to be all muscle; not fat, not bloat, not wa-
ter, not whatever is in those big distended guts.
Aesthetics, symmetry, pleasing lines, a tiny waist, balance, 
and crisp condition are the hallmarks of the classic phy-
siques of the 80’s and 90’s – not to mention classic poses, 
14
such as “the vacuum” that even the biggest guys could do. 
These were my hallmarks too. History will prove that I was 
the first pro to compete in the Olympia with striated glutes. 
I was also one of the youngest. Just barely into my 20’s, I 
took 3rd in my first Olympia and then 2nd three times in a 
row. I know I had what it took to win the Olympia, but I had 
a mountain of a man named Lee Haney blocking my way 
to the winner’s circle. He’d go on to win eight Mr. Olympia’s 
in a row. To say that he was a formidable adversary is a 
severe understatement. But he knew I was pretty formida-
ble myself; that’s why he invited me to be his training 
partner. 
It wasn’t so much the idea of keeping your enemies close, 
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it was because I trained like an animal and he knew I’d 
push him. And I did. We trained with savage intensity. But 
Lee would reel me in from time to time and teach me to 
“stimulate, not annihilate” the muscle. Instead of bench-
ing over 500 pounds every chest workout, he taught me 
to lower the weight and use better form. This was the ba-
sis of sculpting my physique and insure my lines would 
flow and not sacrifice form for unbridled mass. We did an 
amazing amount of work together and I learned a lot from 
Lee. Some time after he capped off his Olympia run, we 
were talking one day and I told him there was a year, may-
be two, where I think I beat him. He laughed and said that 
maybe that was true. But, the Sandows (trophies) are stay-
ing at his house.
That’s why I had to write this book. When I look at the 
Classic Physique guys competing today, it reminds me of 
the great era I was part of – the incredible work we put in, 
the suffering, the focus and attention to detail that created 
the era everyone agrees was the best the sport has ever 
seen. If there’s anyone who learned and invented more 
about the classic physique it’s me. I’m not patting myself 
on the back, but rather telling you, and history will agree, 
that I am imminently qualified to teach you how to build the 
classic physique. I’m also the only guy of the classic era 
willing to share this vast knowledge with you. 
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Whether you want to compete, or just look like 
you do, this book is basically an all inclusive 
instruction manual on how to build the classic 
bodybuilding physique. As of this writing, there’s 
nothing else out there like it. I cover everything, 
from training, nutrition, dieting for a show, sup-
plements, drugs, contest prep, posing, even your 
mindset - literally everything you need to know 
to avoid the pitfalls of extreme bodybuilding and 
sculpt a winning classic physique from one of 
the originators of the classic physique. 
Chapter 01
WHAT IS CLASSIC PHYSIQUE
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According to the boss of all bosses, IFBB Pro league/ NPC 
President, Jim Manion, “Classic Physique is for guys who 
want to take their muscularity and size beyond the limits 
of Men’s Physique, but not quite to the extremes of Body-
building. The sport is constantly evolving as the athletes 
find new ways to express their physiques and the NPC 
prides itself on offering a platform for these athletes to real-
ize their competitive goals. ClassicPhysique will highlight 
proportion, symmetry, pleasing lines, and a small waist. In 
short, the focus will be on aesthetic qualities in harmony 
with muscularity and condition.”
At least that’s the official version. For me, it’s all of that, but 
also a validation for the physiques we built back in the day. 
It’s the shared belief that bodybuilding went too far and 
was starting to turn off people. And more than anything, it’s 
a homage to those of us who believed that the essence of 
bodybuilding was and is “classic.” More than anything, 
it’s an opportunity for the guys competing today to honor 
the past.
I have nothing against the open class guys. I respect 
them and am just as in awe of what they can build as 
anyone else. But it’s too far a departure from what body-
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building was during the “classic era.” 
What they practice is a different kind 
of bodybuilding, and for a lot of guys, 
it’s not what they want. What the 
advent of classic bodybuilding did 
was unchain the open guys. There’s 
no reason now for them to reel it in. 
They can take it as far as they dare 
with no insult to the sport. It’s their 
part of the evolution and I’ll be a fan 
of them forever. 
21 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Classic bodybuilding, however, is our opportunity to con-
tinue and refine the physiques of the classic era. It’s our 
opportunity to take what the pioneers of my time created 
and espouse it to the masses in the modern times. This 
is the class of bodybuilding that will attract more partici-
pants, because the look we promoted was not only pleas-
ing to the eye, but it also seemed attainable. Sure we 
had standouts that had body parts from another planet, 
but for the most part, you can scan the lineup of any pro 
show during that classic era and not see a single bloated 
gut. The top guys came in crisp and shredded, with great 
detail, proportion and grace. This is what bodybuilding 
should never forget and strive to maintain. 
The new guys coming up now have a choice. We’re al-
ways going to see the new giant come to fame. But, now, 
we’ll also see the new classic physique come to domi-
nance. Given the direction bodybuilding had gone, the 
advent of Classic Physique is the best thing that could 
have possibly come to be and I applaud the federation for 
adopting it. 
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Chapter 02
THE CLASSIC PHYSIQUE MENTALITY
23 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
I’m not writing this book just for competitors. It’s really for 
any guy who wants to build a classic physique, if for noth-
ing more than to just look good at the beach. However, 
the competitive nature of the sport must be discussed and 
there’s some truths that need to be told, and decisions 
you need to make.
The Classic Physique is essentially a culmination of the 
physical and aesthetic ideals upon which bodybuilding 
was founded. For decades, it was these ideals to which 
bodybuilders strived to adhere. Based closely on the 
same ideals as the sculptures of Ancient Greece and 
Rome, it was an ode to physical perfection. Everything 
was balanced and in proportion, from the bone structure 
to the individual muscle groups. Competitors featured 
broad shoulders and a wide upper back, yet still with a 
small waist and hips. The champion physiques were true 
works of art; masterpieces carved in flesh. Shape, pro-
portion, condition and aesthetics were always foremost in 
their minds, not unbridled mass.
24
These are the attributes of building your physique that you 
must constantly keep in the front of your mind. It’s real-
ly easy, especially when you’re young and feel invincible, 
to get carried away with your training. I know because 
I’m guilty of it. As I mentioned before, when I first started 
training with Lee Haney, I was routinely pushing 500 plus 
pounds on the bench for nearly every chest workout. While 
that was great for building big pecs, it wasn’t until I low-
ered the weight and started doing slower reps, with deeper 
range of motion and full contractions that my chest began 
to develop its wow factor. This is the kind of attention that 
etches striations and detail into the muscle like nothing 
else. 
I was the first Olympian in history to showcase striated glu-
tes. I didn’t get those from doing squats. Although I could 
squat half the gym and my legs were huge, it wasn’t until 
I started doing walking lunges and reverse lunges – exer-
cises people used to call “girl exercises” - that I was able 
to etch in the detail that made my glutes the envy of every 
pro on the circuit. Now, everyone has striated glutes. But it 
took a different mindset to experiment with something new 
to bring them out. 
The classic mindset requires that you keep a keen eye on 
how your body is responding to the work you’re doing. If 
25 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
your waist is getting blocky, if you notice that your symme-
try is getting thrown off, if you see your proportions getting 
out of whack, you need to pull back, reassess what you’re 
doing and set out again. Remember, building the classic 
physique is like a sculptor honing his creation with fine 
chisels and delicate hammer blows. 
You’re not driving a bulldozer through the 
gym. This is not a knock on open bodybuild-
ing, but rather stating a point of difference. 
In classic bodybuilding you’re honoring 
the human form, in open bodybuilding, 
you’re exploiting it. 
Be that as it may, you ultimately have to come make the 
decision on competing. As l mentioned, l’m writing this 
book for everyone, not just competitors. However, the very 
same tenets of training and diet exist for the competitor as 
they do for the regular lifter who just wants to look great 
with his shirt off. But, I’m a competitor and I’m writing this 
from a competitor’s mindset. In so doing, I’d be remiss if I 
didn’t offer the following warning.
If you are going to pursue bodybuilding as a sport, and not 
just a pastime, there are several things your going to have 
26
to consider. Please don’t take it as negativity; it’s the truth 
and sometimes the truth hurts. 
The first thing you need to consider is if you really want 
to pursue bodybuilding as a sport and not a pastime. In 
consideration of the paucity of rewards in the sport (pro 
bodybuilders are the least paid athletes on the planet), and 
you still answer “yes” to that question, the next immediate 
question to answer is, should you pursue bodybuilding as 
a sport?
To say that this is a fork in the road is to say that the great 
pyramid at Giza is just a pile of rocks. If you decide to be 
a competitive bodybuilder, then you are committing to one 
of the most difficult physical pursuits available on the plan-
et. How difficult is it? Look around you. Better yet, go to a 
busy international airport – probably the best visible cross 
section of the world – and, forget a pro bodybuilder, just 
see how many fit, built, ripped people are walking around. 
None. If being big and ripped were easy, everyone would 
be. Almost no one is. Bodybuilders are even rarer than 
that! Those who possess a bodybuilder physique are the 
rarest among us. 
Do you, could you, fit in among them?
27 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Of course anyone can, and 
should, lift weights and follow a 
healthy lifestyle. And, because 
that’s so, popular opinion is that 
anyone can be a bodybuilder. 
However, just because anyone 
can join a gym and lift weights 
and anyone can enter a body-
building contest, doesn’t neces-
sarily mean you should – kind of 
like having kids. This sport has 
indeed produced some of the 
most enigmatic characters, with 
personalities that would have 
had Hollywood beating a path to 
their door if they won the Olym-
pia. But they had the physique 
of a turtle. It’s one of life’s cru-
el jests, as far as bodybuilding 
goes; genetics are the 1st, 2nd 
and 3rd greatest limiting factor 
in anyone’s bodybuilding career. 
Your bodybuilding potential is 
100% dependent on genetics.28
Structurally, the physical attributes of a champion body-
builder are well documented and well defined, and ge-
netics dictate absolutely every single one of them. From 
the width of your clavicles and your pelvis, the size of 
your joints, the roundness of your muscle bellies, where 
they insert, the details they contain, their ultimate size 
potential and willingness to stay intact under the sav-
agery they will suffer..... all of these structural attributes 
are the chisel strokes of God. You have no control over 
them. There is little to no making up for bad bodybuild-
ing genetics, unless, of course, you have the genetics 
to overcome bad genetics. You have to play the hand 
you’re dealt. And quite frankly, there are plenty of good 
reasons to fold. Very few hands are full houses. And, 
these days, you need at least that to win. You’re not 
going to get very far on a pair of 2’s. 
That’s on the outside. On the inside, genetics control 
our body type, how easily we gain or lose body fat, how 
well we respond to our training, diet, cardio, drugs, sup-
plements, rest, and various therapies. Even the willpow-
er to stick to your diet is controlled by your genetics. 
And psychologically, your genetic code must not only 
keep you from cheating on your diet, but also focus, 
manufacture training intensity, suffer, endure pain, stay 
29 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
positive, manage your time and integrate bodybuilding into 
your life. Even the will to drag your ass out of bed at 4:00 
in the morning, day after day, and ride your bike to the gym 
in the freezing rain no matter how much you ache, is writ-
ten in your genetic code. 
There is even a gene that limits muscle growth. Think 
about it. If there were no limiting mechanism in place, mus-
cle would keep growing as long as it was stimulated and 
there were enough nutrients on board to feed it. In fact, 
there is a breed of cow, called the Belgian Blue, that is so 
afflicted. These cows are genetically myostatin negative. 
Google them. They look like armored troop carriers; slabs 
and slabs of muscle. For bodybuilding, myostatin negativity 
– to any degree – is a huge genetic advantage, and there 
are some guys out there who purportedly have it. 
So, not only are you genetically dependent on the favor-
able physical attributes of your physique, but every single 
other aspect of bodybuilding – physiologically and psy-
chologically - requires a “yes” in the bodybuilding box. If 
too many of those boxes go unchecked, you might want to 
consider taking up a different hobby. By all means, keep 
working out and eating clean, but competing probably isn’t 
for you. Some people need to prove this to themselves and 
30
actually get on stage and take their inevitable lumps. And 
that’s fine. Those who accept that cruel reality and walk 
away, will do so with a great question answered. Those 
who don’t, and insist on coming back for more, beg to an-
swer another great question - “what the hell is he think-
ing?” Everyone can lift weights, not everyone should com-
pete. Plain and simple. 
Like I said, I’m writing this book for everyone who wants to 
build a classic bodybuilder physique, whether you want to 
compete or not. But, if you do want to compete, there’s a 
few more things to look into....
31 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Chapter 03
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPEN 
BODYBUILDING AND CLASSIC PHYSIQUE?
32
It’s critical that you know this because if you’re going to 
compete you have to decide early on what you want to be. 
For better or worse, open bodybuilding has become a freak 
show. I don’t mean that in a bad way; it just is what it is. 
Genetics are the holy grail of bodybuilding. Some genetic 
factors will take you down one path, while another genetic 
predisposition will take you a different way. The guys who 
are excelling in open bodybuilding have a unique gift; they 
can put on slabs and slabs of muscle. Imagine being 5’9” 
and walking around in the off season over 300 pounds and 
still see abs! That’s astounding. And there’s really only a 
handful of guys like that in the entire world. Now, that’s not 
to say that the genetics for Classic Physique aren’t as rare 
or awe inspiring. You have to have the right structure. Of 
course it can be said that I’m splitting hairs here, because 
the same genetic structural elements – wide clavicles, 
narrow waist and hips, etc. - are the same for both classes. 
It’s the ability to develop those genetic gifts one way or an-
other that’s the key. You have to decide what you are and 
what you want to be.
Once you do that, you have to determine in what 
class you will compete. 
33 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
HEIGHT & WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS
NPC national competitions and regional and state contests 
will have the option to offer 4 height classes or to stay with 
the 2 or 3 height classes they are currently using. Here 
are the breakdowns for the different height classes starting 
with 4 height classes.
DIVISION “A” 
(UP TO AND INCLUDING 5’ 7”)
DIVISION A
Up to and including 5’ 4” - Up to and including 160 lbs
Over 5’ 4”, up to and including 5’ 5” - Up to and including 165 lbs
Over 5’ 5”, up to and including 5’ 6” - Up to and including 170 lbs
Over 5’ 6”, up to and including 5’ 7” - Up to and including 175 lbs
DIVISION “B” 
(OVER 5’ 7”, UP TO AND INCLUDING 5’ 10”)
DIVISION “C” 
(OVER 5’ 10”, UP TO AND INCLUDING 6’0″)
DIVISION C
Over 5’ 10”, up to and including 5” 11” - Up to and including 205 lbs
Over 5’ 11”, up to and including 6’ 0” - Up to and including 212 lbs
34
DIVISION “D” (OVER 6’ 0”)
DIVISION D
Over 6’ 0”, up to and including 6’ - Up to and including 220 lbs
Over 6’ 1”, up to and including 6’ 2” - Up to and including 230 lbs
Over 6’ 2”, up to and including 6’ 3” - Up to and including 237 lbs
Over 6’3”, up to and including 6’ 4” - Up to and including 245 lbs
Over 6’4”, up to and including 6’5” - Up to and including 252 lbs
Over 6’5”, up to and including 6’6” - Up to and including 260 lbs
Over 6’6”, up to and including 6’7” - Up to and including 267 lbs
Over 6’7” - Up to and including 275 lbs
35 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Competition Breakdown For Three Classes:
DIVISION “A” (UP TO AND INCLUDING 5’ 7”) 
Up to and including 5’ 4” - Up to and Including 160 lbs
Over 5’ 4”, up to and including 5’ 5” - Up to and Including 165 lbs
Over 5’ 5”, up to and including 5’ 6” - Up to and Including 170 lbs
Over 5’ 6”, up to and including 5’ 7” - Up to and Including 175 lbs
 
DIVISION “B” 
(OVER 5’ 7”, UP TO AND INCLUDING 5’ 10”)
 
Over 5’ 7”, up to and including 5’ 8” - Up to and Including 182 lbs
Over 5’ 8”, up to and including 5’ 9” - Up to and Including 190 lbs
Over 5’ 9”, up to and including 5’ 10”- Up to and Including 197 lbs
 
36
DIVISION “C” (OVER 5’ 10”)
 
Over 5’ 10”, up to and including 5” 11” - Up to and Including 205 lbs
Over 5’ 11”, up to and including 6’ 0” - Up to and Including 212 lbs
Over 6’ 0”, up to and including 6’ 1” - Up to and Including 220 lbs
Over 6’ 1”, up to and including 6’ 2”
Over 6’ 2”, up to and including 6’ 3”
Over 6’3”, up to and including 6’ 4” - Up to and Including 230 lbs
Up to and Including 237 lbs
Up to and Including 245 lbs
Over 6’4”, up to and including 6’5” - Up to and including 252 lbs
Over 6’5”, up to and including 6’6” - Up to and including 260 lbs
Over 6’6”, up to and including 6’7” - Up to and including 267 lbs
Over 6’7” - Up to and including 275 lbs
 
37 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Competition Breakdown For Two Classes
DIVISION “A” (UP TO AND INCLUDING 5’ 9”)
 
Up to and including 5’ 4” - Up to and Including 160 lbs
Over 5’ 4”, up to and including 5’ 5” - Up to and Including 165 lbs
Over 5’ 5”, up to and including 5’ 6” - Up to and Including 170 lbs
Over 5’ 6”, up to and including 5’ 7” - Up to and Including 175 lbs
 Over 5’ 7”, up to and including 5’ 8” - Up to and Including 182 lbs
 Over 5’ 8”, up to and including 5’ 9” -Up to and Including 190 lbs
 
DIVISION “B” (OVER 5’ 9”)
 
Over 5’ 9”, up to and including 5’ 10” - Up to and Including 197 lbs
Over 5’ 10”, up to and including 5” 11” - Up to and Including 205 lbs
Over 5’ 11”, up to and including 6’ 0” - Up to and Including 212 lbs
Over 6’ 0”, up to and including 6’ 1” - Up to and Including 220 lbs
Over 6’ 1”, up to and including 6’ 2” - Up to and Including 230 lbs
Over 6’ 2”, up to and including 6’ 3” - Up to and Including 237 lbs
Over 6’3”, up to and including 6’ 4” - Up to and Including 245 lbs
Over 6’4”, up to and including 6’5” - Up to and including 252 lbs
Over 6’5”, up to and including 6’6” - Up to and including 260 lbs
Over 6’6”, up to and including 6’7” - Up to and including 267 lbs
Over 6’7” - Up to and including 275 lbs
 
38
Chapter 04
TRAINING FOR CLASSIC PHYSIQUE
39 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
The Goal:
Building a Classic Physique requires following a blue-
print that’s designed to produce the classic lines that de-
fine a pleasing, proportional, symmetrical and balanced 
physique. This is critical because you want to build your 
body correctly from the onset and avoid the pitfalls of the 
mass game, common in open bodybuilding today. Your 
goal should focus on forging the classic “X frame.” That 
means focussing on building a wide back and shoulders, 
while making sure your waist stays small and trim, with 
the highly defined abdominals that give your physique the 
illusion of a V taper. And be able to hit a vacuum pose, to 
further the appearance of having an even smaller waist – a 
bloated gut that looks bigger than your chest has no place 
in classic physique – or, technically, anywhere else. Leg 
development should focus on sweeping quads that ap-
pear much wider than your waist to further the look of the 
X frame. Your calves should match the size of your arms, 
and not look smaller than your knees. 
40
41 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
You have to make sure your chest is well developed with-
out it looking droopy because you did too many flat bench 
presses and not enough incline work to develop your up-
per pecs. It’s important that you develop your upper and 
mid back to have both width, as well as thickness, and that 
your lower back is also developed, with the coveted “christ-
mas tree” deeply etched and defined. 
In designing your training program, you have to assess 
your physique to determine where your weaknesses lie. 
Then, focus more attention on those weak areas, and less 
attention on the areas that develop more easily. At the be-
ginning of my bodybuilding career it was easier for me to 
build my legs but much harder for me to develop my upper 
body, especially delts and arms. So, I needed to focus on 
those body parts and do less leg training so that I devel-
oped proportionally. I basically had to cut back on training 
legs so that my upper body could catch up to my lower 
body. I focused on training and building my shoulders, as 
well as putting width on my back and size on my arms. And 
it worked. I ended up winning both the Nationals and World 
Championships – not to mention the first Arnold classic, 
3rd in my first Olympia, followed by three consecutive 2nd 
place Olympia finishes. 
42
A lot of people who take up bodybuilding don’t know how 
to do this, so they build up the easier body parts and tend 
to not want to train the more stubborn body parts. A good 
example we see in a typical gym is the guy who looks 
great from the waist up, but once you see his legs, you 
want to ask, “Bro, do you even lift?”
43 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
WHY DOES THE BODY 
BUILD MUSCLE? 
Before you ever cinch up a lifting belt and wrap your hands 
around an Olympic bar, there is an undeniable concept 
you absolutely must understand and accept 100%. Muscle 
growth (hypertrophy) is an adaptive response to progres-
sive gravitational stress. It’s actually considered a surviv-
al mechanism. In order to grow muscle the body must be 
subjected, repeatedly, to a work load it cannot accomplish 
with the stock muscle allotment. In order to survive that 
stress, it builds muscle to become stronger and adapt. 
And, that is IT. Other than some kind of rogue genetic fac-
tor, there is absolutely no other reason whatsoever your 
body will build muscle. It will only build muscle if it needs it. 
The opposite is also true. If you have any doubt, stick your 
arm in a cast for six weeks and see what’s left of it when 
you cut off the cast. Your job as a bodybuilder is to keep 
your body convinced it needs more muscle – if you want to 
grow. That means, doing ten easy reps and putting down 
the weight, isn’t going to convince your body of anything.
44
THE FORMULA 
While there are a variety of training protocols you can em-
ploy, none of them is demonstratively better than another, 
as long as you’re stimulating the body’s adaptive response 
which results in muscle growth. Ultimately, personal prefer-
ence usually takes precedent. That’s the easy part. The dif-
ficulty comes in the form of pain. This is because the pain 
you must endure to stimulate growth would make a statue 
of Hercules cry. The exact formula to stimulate hypertrophy 
is no different for one muscle group or another. It’s pret-
ty black and white. Execute it and your muscle will grow. 
Sandbag and you might as well not even go to the gym.
Time under tension (TUT) + Intensity (I) 
= Growth Stimulus (GS), GS + Nutrients 
(N) = Hypertrophy (H)
45 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
In this case, the “TUT” is the number of reps and sets to 
which you will subject a particular body part. The “I” part 
is done with your brain. While the former is more recogniz-
able and universally accepted (unless you’re doing curls in 
the squat rack), the latter is one of those things you have 
to learn to generate in the presence of searing pain, both 
during the workout and later when the soreness sets in. If 
you can scratch your head without your forearms cramp-
ing the night after your arm workout, you didn’t train your 
biceps intensely enough. If walking up and down stairs 
doesn’t make you wince and grab the hand rail two days 
after you trained legs, then you didn’t train them intensely 
enough. The concept of generating training intensity is a 
wide and varied topic that can fill an entire book. So suffice 
to say, not too much time is going to be spent here on the 
subject. What I will say is a simple rule of thumb followed 
by most bodybuilders: no matter how hard you think you’re 
training, someone else is training harder. So when you’re 
straining to grind out those last couple of reps and you’re 
ready to quit, remember, someone else is getting theirs. 
So, keep pushing. 
 
46
47 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Chapter 05
THE WORKOUT
48
There are two phases of training for the ultimate classic 
physique: the building phase and training for refinement 
(Pre-contest phase), and each phase requires a different 
style of training. I’ll cover both of them here.
In the building phase, the mission is to put on not only 
more muscle mass, but to also build your body within the 
right proportions. Upon assessing your physique, you 
would determine what your weak points are (everyone has 
weak points) and prioritize training them so that you’re hit-
ting these body parts in the beginning of a specific work-
out, as well as placing these workouts in the first days of 
your training split so that you’re hitting them after rest days 
when you’re the most rested. By prioritizing your weak 
points, you’re able to train them harder while still maintain-
ing your strong points so that your physique is more pro-
portioned, balanced and symmetrical. 
The actual training during the building phase is heavy. 
Very heavy. As heavy as you can safely go for the number 
of reps you’re required to do for a specified exercise. While 
the refining phase is predominately composed of higher 
49 # C l a s s ic P h y s i q u e B i b l e
reps and sets, with moderate weight – I’ll get to that in a 
minute – there is also a time and a place for high reps sets 
during the building phase
During a growth phase, I train on a four-day split, train-
ing all my body parts once a week. Then I’ll add a fifth day 
to train a weak body part a second time. The first workout 
at the beginning of the week, for the weak body part, will 
be heavy, while the second workout is designed more for 
reps, supersets or drop sets/ strip sets and slow motion 
reps for the added burn.
Advanced Training Techniques: 
Drop Sets/ Strip Sets/ Negatives
On several exercises in both the building and refining 
phase, you’ll notice that I’ll say for the last set, to do a 
“triple drop set.” It’s basically three sets in one. In a tri-
ple drop, the last set is done with the heaviest weight for 
a maximum (or specified) number of reps. Then drop the 
weight (by about 25%) and do another maximum (or spec-
ified) number of reps. Then drop the weight again (by 
about 25%) and get another maximum (or specified) num-
ber of reps. Then finally one last drop (of about 25%) for 
another maximum (or specified) number of reps. Each set 
50
should be to failure. Your goal is to choose a weight where 
you can barely get the specified number of reps before you 
fail. Then drop the weight, do the next round of reps to fail-
ure, then drop again and do another round, and finally, one 
last drop to failure.
Negatives are another way to squeeze out the last bit of 
strength that might be left at the end of a set. Particularly in 
the pre-contest phase. I used negatives in a lot of my work-
outs. Negatives are nothing I would recommend you do 
at every workout, but if you integrate them on a fluid basis 
and surprise yourself with a set of negatives a few times a 
week, you’ll be well on your way to going that extra mile. 
A negative movement is measured from peak 
contraction to the start position. Or while the weight 
is on its way down. 
Muscles are much stronger in their negative movement 
than they are while exerting force. In other words, if your 
max bench is 315, you can probably control 355 on the 
way down (while a spotter has his hands on the bar). In 
most cases gravity is enough to work the negatives, but if 
you’re really feeling like killing yourself, a sadistic training 
partner can exponentially increase the force gravity is ex-
erting on the muscle by pushing on the weight. While the 
ideal cadence for this is five-seconds for the negative and 
51 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
two-seconds for the extension, your training partner can 
assist quite a bit on the way up, making that part of the 
movement almost effortless. The focus here is not on how 
much you can lift, but fighting against how much you can 
put down. 
52
HERE IS A TYPICAL 5 DAY SPLIT FOR 
THE BUILDING PHASE: 
DAY 1: 
Priority Body Parts: Let’s assume Chest and Triceps – 
you can switch for any weak body parts, plus calves.
Chest: 
Incline Barbell Press or DB Press: 
4 sets of 12 reps
First set is a warm up set of 12 – 15 reps
Increase weight and do 10 reps
Increase weight and do 8 reps
Increase weight and do 8 reps (to failure)
Check out the video links at the end of each chapter where Rich 
shows you how to do each exercise right!
53 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Incline DB Flies
3 sets, each between 8 and 10 reps (to failure)
54
DB Flat Bench or Barbell Bench Press
4 sets - 10 reps
Increase weight and do 8 reps
Increase weight and do 6 reps
Then lighten the weight and do 10 reps (to failure) 
55 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Flat Bench DB Flies or Pec Deck
3 sets, each between 10 and 12 reps (to failure)
56
Weighted Dips
3 sets - 12 reps
Increase weight and do 10 reps
Increase weight and do 8 reps (to failure). 
57 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Triceps:
Rope Pushdowns 
3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (to failure)
58
Pullover Press 
3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (to failure)
59 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Overhead French Press
 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (to failure)
60
Tricep Cable Kick Backs
3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (to failure)
Calves: See page 121
61 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
For access to 
video library for Day 1 
click below.
http://dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-phase1-day1
62
DAY 2: 
Back, Lower Back Hamstrings
Back:
Wide Grip Pull-ups or Wide Grip Pull-downs 
One warm up set of 12 – 15 reps
3-4 sets of 10-12 reps, 
increasing the weight with each set (to failure)
63 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Seated Close Grip Cable Rows
3-4 sets of 10-12 reps, 
increasing the weight with each set (to failure)
64
T-Bar Rows
 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps, 
increasing the weight with each set (to failure)
65 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
High Cable Rows
3-4 sets of 10-12 reps, increasing the weight with each set 
(to failure)
66
Barbell Rows
 3 sets of 10 reps, increasing the weight with each set 
(to failure)
67 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Reverse Grip Pulldown
 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps, increasing the weight with each set 
(to failure)
68
Lower Back:
Dead Lifts
3 sets - 10 - 12 reps
Increase the weight and do 8 - 10 reps
Increase the weight and do 6-10 reps (to failure)
69 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Hamstrings:
Lying Leg Curls 
5 sets - 10 reps
Increase the weight and do 10 reps
Increase the weight and do 10 reps
Increase the weight and do 10 reps 
Increase the weight and do 10 reps with a triple drop, 
do each drop to failure. 
70
For access to 
video library for Day 2
click below.
http://dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-phase1-day2
71 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
DAY 3: 
Shoulders, Biceps and Forearms 
SHOULDERS:
Seated Front Barbell Press or Seated DB Press 
3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. Increase the weight with each set 
and perform each set to failure.
72
Standing Side Laterals
 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.
Increase the weight with each set. The last set should start 
with 12 reps and then do a triple drop of ten reps each 
drop (to failure).
73 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Wide Grip Upright Rows SuperSetted 
with Standing Front laterals raises
3 sets of x 10 reps to failure
74
Incline Bench Bent Side Laterals 
3 sets of 10-12 reps to failure
75 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Standing barbell Shrugs 
3-4 sets of 10-12 reps to failure
76
BICEPS:
Incline DB Curls 
3 sets of 10-12 reps (to failure)
77 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Standing Preacher Curls
3 sets of 10-12 reps (to failure)
78
Reverse Preacher Curls
3 sets of 10-12 reps (to failure)
79 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Standing Cable Curls
3 sets of 10-12 reps (to failure)
80
Forearms:
Barbell wrist curls
4 – 5 sets x 20 reps (to failure)
81 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
For access to 
video library for Day 3
click below.
http://dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-phase1-day3
82
DAY 4: 
Quads
Squats: 
Start with a light warmup set for 20 reps. 
Then increase weight for 20 reps.
Increase weight again for 15 reps. 
Increase weight again for 12 reps. 
Increase weight again for 10 reps.
83 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
45 Degree Leg Press: 
Start with a weight with which you can do 20 reps.
Increase weight for 15 reps. 
Increase weight again for 15 reps. 
Increase weight again for 12 reps (to failure).
84
Hack Squats:
Choose a weight with which you can do 15 reps and do 
three sets of 15 reps (last set to failure).
85 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
DB Walking Lunges: 
Pick a weight with which you can do 15 steps on both legs.
Repeat for a total of three rounds
86
Leg Extensions: 
Start with a weight with which you can easily do 15 reps.
Increase the weight for 15 reps
increase the weight again for 15 reps
Increasethe weight again for 15 reps then do a triple drop 
of 15, 12 and 12 reps (to failure)
87 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
For access to 
video library for Day 4
click below.
http://dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-phase1-day4
88
Day 5: 
Weak Body Part 
(chest and triceps example), Plus Calves 
(with any weak body part done for the second time in the 
five day split, shoot for two separate exercises of 5 sets 
each, adding weight with each set, with a rep range of be-
tween 10 – 20 reps, slow motion, tightly contracted reps, 
with a triple drop set at the end of each exercise)
Chest:
Incline DB Press
5 sets - 20 reps
Add weight and do 15 reps - last 5 reps should be very dif-
ficult, slow and tightly contracted at the top.
Add weight and shoot for 12 – 15 reps last 5 reps should 
be very difficult, slow and tightly contracted at the top.
Add weight and shoot for 10 – 12 reps last 5 reps should 
be very difficult, slow and tightly contracted at the top.
Add weight and do a triple strip set to failure on each drop.
89 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Pec Deck
5 sets - 20 reps
Add weight and do at least 15 reps, last 5 reps should be very 
difficult, slow and tightly contracted at the top.
Add weight and do at least 12 reps, last 5 reps should be very 
difficult, slow and tightly contracted at the top.
Add wight and do at least 10 reps to failure, last 5 reps should 
be very difficult, slow and tightly contracted at 
the top.
Add weight and do a triple drop set going to failure at 
each drop.
Calves: See page 114
90
For access to 
video library for Day 5
click below.
dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-phase1-day5
91 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Training for refinement 
(Pre-contest Training) 
In this phase of training you are sculpting and refining your 
physique to see details such as the striations in your chest, 
shoulders, legs and back. I switch from heavy weights and 
low reps to lighter weights and higher reps. I add more 
“squeeze” to the reps and do more supersets to help in-
crease heart rate and burn more fat. This phase of training 
is to show the details in your physique, so you see more 
of the muscle you don’t see when you are in the bulking 
phase. You’re training, not necessarily to gain size, but 
to still keeping your body balanced. You still want to work 
harder on your body parts that are weaker, and lessen the 
training on the body parts that are dominant.
Training frequency is increased to train your body 
parts twice a week. So you are working on a six-day 
split, training your entire body in three days and 
repeating it for three more, then taking 1 day off 
for recovery.
92
Rep range will be increased to 1—15 reps on upper body 
and 15-30 reps on lower body. During this phase of training 
you are also dieting with restricted calories and/or carbohy-
drates. Plus for those who have stubborn fat you are also 
adding cardio to your training regiments.
93 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
DAY 1: 
CHEST AND BACK
Chest superseded with Back:
Incline DB press Supersetted Wide Grip Pulldowns
4 sets of 12-15 reps to failure
94
Incline flies supersetted with Cable Low Rows 
4 sets of 12-15 reps to failure
95 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Flat Bench Press or Machine Press Supersetted with 
Close grip Pulldowns
4 sets of 12-15 reps to failure
96
Fly Machine Supersetted with T-Bar Rows
4 sets of 12-15 reps to failure
97 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Decline DB Flies Supersetted with Barbell rows:
3-4 sets of 12-15 reps to failure
98
Weighted Hyper extensions
3-4 sets of 12-15 reps to failure
99 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
For access to 
video library for 
training for refinement
(pre-contest) day 1
click below.
dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-phase2-day1
100
DAY 2: 
SHOULDERS AND ARMS
Shoulders:
Seated Arnold Presses
4 sets of 12-15 reps to failure
101 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Seated Side Laterals 
4 sets of 12-15 reps, last set is a triple drop of 12-15 reps 
each, to failure 
102
Cable Side Laterals: 
3 sets of 15 reps
103 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Cable Front raises supersetted cable wide grip 
upright rows: 
3 sets of 15 reps
104
Machine Rear Delt machine 
4 sets of 12-15 reps to failure
105 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
DB Shrugs 
3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
All reps are slow motion with a full contraction 
of the muscle.
106
Arms: 
Triceps Superset with Biceps
Triceps Rope Pushdowns Supersetted 
with Incline DB Curls.
 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps.
107 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Lying Tricep Extensions Supersetted 
with Seated Preacher Curls
3-4 sets of 12-15 reps.
108
Overhead Tricep Cable Extensions Supersetted 
with Standing “21 Curls.” 
This is Standing Curls done first with 7 reps from bottom 
to half way up, then 7 reps from the top of the curl to half 
way down, then 7 full reps - do 3 rounds
109 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Triceps Kickbacks Supersetted 
with concentration curls 
3 sets of 12 (to failure)
110
Forearms:
Barbell wrist curls
4 – 5 sets x 20 reps (to failure)
111 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
For access to 
video library for 
training for refinement
(pre-contest) day 2
click below.
dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-phase2-day2
112
DAY 3: 
Quads and Hamstrings 
Quads:
Leg Extensions
 4-5 sets of 15-20 reps, last set is a triple drop set of at 
least 15 reps each drop (to failure).
113 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
45 degree Leg Press Supersetted with Hack Squats 
4-5 sets of 15-25 reps. Last set of Hacks is a double Drop 
set to failure.
114
Wide Stance Squats Supersetted with Reverse lunges 
3 sets of 15-20 reps
115 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Sissy Squats
3 sets of 15-20 reps
116
Hamstrings:
Lying Leg Curls 
4-5 sets of 15 reps – increasing the weight with each set.
On the last set, do a triple drop set doing 15 reps on each 
drop (to failure).
117 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Stiff Legged Deadlifts 
3 sets of 15 reps, increase weight with each set (to failure)
118
For access to 
video library for 
training for refinement
(pre-contest) day 3
click below.
dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-phase2-day3
119 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
DAY 4 REPEAT DAY 1
DAY 5 REPEAT DAY 2
DAY 6 REPEAT DAY 3
DAY 7 OFF
120
ABS AND CALVES
These two muscle groups are treated differently from 
the other groups because they require special attention. 
This is because getting them to grow tends to be harder 
because they are constantly in use. If you’re standing 
and/or moving, you’re using these two muscles. This 
makes them unique and more difficult to develop. Most 
athletes who have holes in their physiques will have 
weaknesses in either or both of these muscle groups. 
This is why they get their own section.
121 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
The Calf Section
There is no such thing as “stubborn calves.” Of course 
genetics can play a roll in stellar calf development, but 
for the rest of us, if you’re calves won’t grow, it’s because 
you’re not training them right. 
The universally accepted method of growing muscle 
revolves around a low rep, high volume, explosive 
movement approach. 
This is where calves are exempt.
The empirical data I’m using to support this can be found 
in Olympic athletes. Cyclists vs sprinters: which group has 
better calves? Clearly, the cyclists. Not the sprinters, who 
are doing low rep, high volume, explosive training. The cy-
clists are doing high rep, varying resistance (up and down 
hills), high volume, high intensity training. Those who will 
argue that athletes of African decent (the best sprinters in 
the world) have genetically small calves are reenforcing my 
point. If calves responded to lowrep, explosive training, 
the best sprinters would genetically have huge calves. 
122
So I approach calf training using the cycling protocol. I 
also consider the anatomy of the calf and make sure I train 
both major movers: the gastrocnemius (originating above 
the knee) and the soleus (originating below the knee). Be-
cause seated calves, by virtue of the knee being bent iso-
late the soleus, seated calves are a must. As far as the 
gastrocnemius goes, any movement where the knee re-
mains straight (or slightly bent) will suffice. I prefer stand-
ing calf moves over donkeys. Or you can alternate. How-
ever, I’ve never done more than two different exercises for 
calves in a workout. 
The final element is intensity. Imagine racing up the 
Pyrenees, in the Tour de France, on a bike made of lead. 
The shit’s gotta hurt, like the getting your teeth drilled with-
out novocain kind of pain. Anyone who didn’t get their 
calves from their parents knows this unfortunate truth. 
During the building phase, calves are trained twice a week. 
During the refining phase it’s bumped up to three times a 
week. Stick them in wherever you want. If they’re a lagging 
body part you’ll want to prioritize them. If not, they go well 
with hams and then again with quads. 
123 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Standing Calf raises 
5 sets x 15 reps. 
The last set is a triple drop set. As described above, It will be done 
with the heaviest weight for 15 reps, then drop the weight (by about 
25%) and do another 12 reps, then drop the weight again (by about 
25%) and get 12 more reps, then, finally, one last drop (of about 
25%) for another 12 reps. Each set should be to failure. Your goal is 
to choose a weight where you can barely get 15 reps before you fail. 
Then drop the weight, do 12 more to failure, then drop again and do 
12 more and finally, one last drop for 12 reps to failure. 
124
Seated Calve raises 
5 sets x15 reps. 
The last set will be the same triple drop set as above. 
125 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
For access to 
video library for 
training calves
click below.
dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-calves
126
The Ab Section
I’m adding a dedicated ab section here because there is 
no more important a muscle group when building the 
classic physique than your abs. So I’m going to go very 
in depth here because a lot of guys gloss over abs; they 
don’t do them correctly, or not at all, until it’s too late. 
The whole stigma of the bloated gut is one of the defining 
differences between open bodybuilding and classic 
physique, and we tame that gut right here with ab work. 
Back in the day, guys trained their abs relentlessly to keep 
their midsection tight, flat and totally in control. And then 
there’s that elusive vacuum pose. The more you train your 
abs, the more control you have over them. The more con-
trol you have over them, the more your going to be able to 
train yourself to hit the vacuum pose. 
There’s a reason why the guys from my era can hit a 
vacuum and the majority of guys today can’t – back then 
we worked our abs, a lot.
127 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
As your contest date, or summer weather grow near, many 
bodybuilders will add a second gym session several days 
a week to do cardio, lagging body parts and/or abs. 
128
This is a good idea, especially on days when you’re hitting 
big body parts (chest, back, legs). It gives you a little rest 
time in between and the chance to get in another meal or 
two or three for some added energy. 
129 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
THE ULTIMATE AB WORKOUT
Chances are pretty good this will work for you. But you 
have to be consistent and commit to doing it five days a 
week pre contest, or even when you’re getting ready for 
summer. While you’re doing these exercises, wherever 
possible, touch the area being worked with a free hand. 
Feel how the spaces between the muscles gobble up your 
fingers and squeeze them with each rep. Poke around and 
find the details and feel them work, especially as the pain 
gets harder to bear. Certain exercises will preclude a free 
hand. In these cases try to picture the muscle while you’re 
in the start position. Close your eyes and find the origin of 
the muscle at the top, then try to imagine where it inserts 
below. 
Although you can’t completely isolate any one muscle of 
the trunk, you can concentrate the effort in one specif-
ic area if you focus while you’re training and make each 
move deliberate. Tossing weights around and doing sloppy 
reps is an exceptional waste of time here. Don’t let your 
ego ruin your progress. There is no set weight or number 
of reps below which it becomes emasculating in any ab 
movement. 
130
The key is isolation and deliberate movement with only 
enough resistance to allow you to consistently perform 
clean reps right up until you hit the wall— somewhere after 
12-15 reps during each set of each exercise. You have to 
go to failure and that means enduring thick burning pain to 
which no sane man would deliberately subject himself. 
Now, let’s see how tough you are. 
Assuming you will do this workout Monday through Friday, 
Monday, Wednesday and Friday will be heavy work days 
while Tuesday and Thursday will be lighter with different 
movements.
MONDAY-WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY 
The order of these exercises is critical because they de-
scend in degree of difficulty. In other words, the weakest 
move is first and the strongest move is last (i.e. prioritiza-
tion). So don’t mess with the order. There is also a slew 
of other ab exercises and a pile of pretty equipment upon 
which to do them that I’m not going to mention. 
131 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
I usually believe less is more, so I find the basic moves 
suit this program just fine. The simplicity of the equipment 
needed to accomplish the whole workout can usually be 
found in any gym, anywhere. If you ever find yourself trav-
eling to a foreign gym, you won’t be at a loss for your ab 
workout. If your gym has a bunch of expensive high-tech 
equipment that you are just dying to use, go ahead. 
Just make sure you are duplicating the movement you 
are replacing. 
HANGING KNEE RAISES: 
This is perhaps the most difficult ab exercise ever 
invented and the one you’re first most likely to relegate to 
some newfangled contraption. But doing them au natural 
is better because you are training your whole torso and ty-
ing it all into your abdominals. 
Machines tend to isolate the movement by strapping you in 
and forcing you to actuate the move with your lower 
abdomen. This is all well and good, probably safer too, but 
it does rob your upper body of the ancillary benefits. So try 
to master the old-fashioned hanging knee raise before you 
move on to a machine that stresses actuating ab flexion 
from the bottom.
132
If your gym has those comfortably padded nylon weave 
loops with a carabineer on one end that you can clip into 
a chin bar and hang by your elbows, you’re in luck. This is 
the easiest way to do them. 
If your gym doesn’t have a set, go to the Ab Originals web-
site: http://www.aborigionals.com/ and order yourself a 
pair. Otherwise, wrist straps can hold you in. Or, if your grip 
strength is of rock climber caliber, just hang on.
133 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Stand on a block or an up-turned 
dumbbell and grab the bar with your hands facing 
out (or slide your elbows into the straps) using a 
very comfortable shoulder-width grip. Step off the 
dumbbell and hang there for a second to get set. 
 
134
The most common problem people tend to have with this 
exercise is swinging. 
They swing because they are not using their abs 
to lift their knees. 
Although lifting your knees with the pivotal axis at the hip 
does indeed cause the muscles of the abdomen to tense, 
the primary mover in this instance is not the rectus abdom-
inis, but the psoas muscle. The psoas muscleis the main 
muscle that raises your leg toward your body. Its origin is 
the vertebrae of your lumbar spine, and it inserts in the top 
of your thigh in the front. It runs right through your abdo-
men under your guts. Unless you’re a sprinter, there’s no 
point in working this muscle— you can’t see it. If you find 
yourself swinging, don’t ask a spotter to hold your back 
still. All this will do is allow you to work your psoas muscle 
even more. The reason you’re swinging is because lifting 
your knees pushes your butt back, shifting the pivotal axis 
from your hips to your wrists and shoulders. Hence, just 
like a playground swing, you are going to rock back and 
forth as the balance shifts.
135 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Instead, hook one foot over the other and lift your knees 
until your quads are almost at a 45 degree angle to the 
ground and lock them there— this is the start position. 
Now, the object is to pull your knees up toward your chest 
as high as you can by rolling your spine, not lifting your 
legs. You do this by actuating the move from the top and 
the bottom by drawing your elbows down and your knees 
up in one deliberate movement until your abdominal mus-
cles are completely contracted and your low back is arched 
upward. Then, slowly lower your knees back down to their 
locked bent position, drop down with your elbows and start 
another rep. 
While you can certainly lower your knees for a more com-
fortable start position, remember, raising your knees by 
pivoting your femur in your hip does NOT work your abs. 
The most direct and difficult attack on your abs occurs 
when your knees stay bent and locked the whole time. 
Properly executed, this movement will not only call into 
play the rectus abdominis as the primary mover, but will 
also secondarily stress the serratus, external oblique and 
your lats. If you are doing these properly, you can’t possi-
bly swing. 
136
137 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
This is a powerful systemic exercise that will shift your ab 
development into high gear. Regardless of how much they 
hurt— and boy, do they ever— stick with this exercise. In 
the end, you’ll be glad you did.
Taking into account the degree of difficulty in perform-
ing this exercise properly, it’s quite possible your abdom-
inal muscles are not conditioned sufficiently to perform 
this movement at all. If that’s the case, try it on a decline 
bench first. You can adjust the angle all the way to horizon-
tal if you need to. The less steep the angle, the less the re-
sistance and the easier it will be to perform this movement 
properly. 
Regardless of how wimpy you may feel while you are try-
ing to get this right, work at it anyway. This is an incredibly 
effective exercise, as well as, a significant example of the 
power of the mind/muscle connection. 
Do four sets to failure. 
138
Side Cable Crunches:
 The primary mover here is the serratus and external 
oblique, with your rectus abdominis and lower lats coming 
along for the ride. This movement also underscores the 
value of the mind/muscle connection. Although it is consid-
erably less difficult than the previous move, this exercise 
still takes some practice to get to the point where it is most 
effective.
Clip a stirrup handle on a high cable pulley, face the 
machine with one shoulder slightly ahead of the other and 
grab the handle with the forward hand. Step back, bend 
slightly at the hips and shift your weight back to your 
opposite leg. Your arm should be fully extended and the 
weight should be hanging several inches up off the stack. 
Starting from this long stretched-out position, the object is 
to pull your elbow down while tilting your hip up to meet it. 
139 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
The movement should be deliberate and slow, slightly 
twisting your torso and crunching one side of your up-
per ab, serratus, lat and oblique as your elbow practical-
ly touches the front of your hip. This is a perfect time to 
use your free hand to feel around for the muscles being 
worked. It is perhaps the key to doing this exercise right. 
Slowly return to the start position, stretch the whole thing 
out and start again. You’ll want to use enough weight to 
get at least 15 reps on each side, with another five bringing 
you to the wall with all its brutality. If you did these right, fi-
nally letting go is a total rush. Do four honest sets of these, 
also to failure.
140
Cable Crunches: 
The relative ease of this exercise, compared to the pre-
vious two, is decidedly less. Since it is, this requires less 
thinking about mind/muscle connections, which in turn 
avails you of a much brighter shade of pain. 
This movement is really about finding the upper threshold 
of what you think you can’t possibly bear and going past it. 
For some reason, the primary mover here— the rectus 
abdominis— is freighted with nerve endings that cause you 
to feel an incredible amount of searing pain at the upper 
limit. Taking this muscle deliberately to honest failure four 
sets in a row is perhaps the most grievous route to enlight-
enment. However, necessary. 
Unclip the stirrup handle you just used and clip in a dou-
ble-ended rope. Find a pad or a yoga mat and place it on 
the floor in front of the machine. Grab the rope in each 
hand and kneel down a little more than arms length from 
the weight stack. 
141 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Raise your hands up behind your head so that your head is 
positioned between your elbows, and the cable is angling 
up away from you toward the machine. Arch your back 
and completely stretch out your torso making sure you are 
far enough away from the pulley so the weight does not 
rest on the stack. From this start position, lock your hips 
and pull the weight down by flexing your rectus abdominis, 
trying to touch your knees with your elbows. 
Do not let your femur pivot in the hip joint! And, don’t bring 
your elbows past your face. With your hips locked, this 
movement is accomplished by rolling your back from the 
arched position to hunched over, completely isolating the 
rectus abdominis. Use enough weight to get at least 20 
reps with another five to ten thrown in for masochism’s 
sake. Pain management is like a game; see how much you 
can handle. You can’t hurt yourself if the weights you’re 
using are realistic. So, crush’em. Try to find your limit.
 Do four sets to failure. 
142
TUESDAY AND THURSDAY:
Training the same muscle five days in a row flies 
in the face of conventional training philosophy. 
Surely, this will lead to overtraining and thus, di-
minished returns. If we were talking about any 
other muscle, except for maybe calves, I’d have 
to agree. It seems that the muscle fibers in your 
torso react differently from those that make up the 
thick muscle bellies of the bigger muscle groups. 
This could have something to do with the fact that 
your abs are constantly in use. The only time they 
are not working is when you are laying flat. Evi-
dently, training them five days running is some-
thing they can handle. Just like cyclists have 
amazingly huge calves for their size, the body-
builders with the best abs do something for them 
almost every day. 
143 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
There was a bodybuilder from the ‘60s and ‘70s who trained 
at Gold’s gym when Joe Gold owned it, and then later at 
World Gym, named Zabo Koszewski who was known to per-
form 1,500 ab movements a day. 
No one since has sported abs like “The Chief.”
144
Since you just torched your abs with weight, they are likely 
sore. This is normal, and if you are training your abs prop-
erly, it is something you’re going to have to learn to live 
with. Getting some blood back in there seems to help dis-
sipate some of the soreness, and keeps your abs tight. So 
on these two in-between days, stress high reps with only 
bodyweight as resistance. 
Here, two very basic traditional exercisesare employed to 
further stimulate abdominal development. The only catch is 
that you have to do them right. Once again, the mind/mus-
cle connection prevails. 
Twisting Sit-Ups:
This is an all-encompassing exercise that can really fry the 
entire midsection. Sit on a Roman chair or sit-up bench 
with a very mild incline— the first or second pin stop is 
steep enough. Make a loose fist out of each hand and hold 
them knuckle to knuckle directly over your pecs. Rock back 
with your hips until your torso is at roughly 45 degrees and 
lock yourself in. Now sit up by flexing your abs and rolling 
your back until you begin to hunch. 
145 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Again, your femur should not pivot in the hip; the move-
ment is accomplished by rolling your spine. Keep your 
quads flexed and locked. At what you perceive to be the 
midpoint of the movement, slightly roll one shoulder toward 
the opposite knee. Come to a complete and deliberate stop 
with your abs totally contracted. This is another opportunity 
to use your finger tips to pinpoint the muscle contraction. 
Return to the start position slowly and come to a complete 
stop before you begin the next rep. Do as many controlled 
deliberate reps as you can, alternating sides every other 
rep. As simple as this movement is, this is as painful as it 
will become. 
Do four sets to failure.
146
Twists:
This always seemed like a stupid exercise for a lot of 
guys until they grew to understand it. Once they did, most 
lament all the years they didn’t do them. Seeing someone 
with a broomstick across their shoulders twisting into infin-
ity is not a rare sight at most gyms. Unfortunately, most of 
the mooks doing the twisting are wasting their time. The 
purpose of this exercise is to strengthen the abdominal 
walls so they perform the same function as a girdle and 
hold your stomach in, thus reducing the girth of your waist. 
You can only accomplish this by starting and stopping the 
movement both in the center and at each lateral extreme. 
Wind milling back and forth won’t do a thing.
147 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Lay a broomstick across your shoulder blades and wrap 
your wrists around each end. Stand with your feet a little 
greater than shoulder width apart and face the mirror. Twist 
in one direction ultimately locking down all the muscles on 
the side of your ribcage to your oblique and lat until you 
come to a complete stop, as far to one side as possible. 
Then, flex your rectus abdominis and twist back to center 
coming to a dead stop with your abs flexed. 
Repeat it on the other side. Basically, you will be twist-
ing in one direction until you stop, twist back to center and 
stop, twist in the other direction until you come to a stop, 
then twist back to center and stop. 
Do four sets of at least 100. 
Going to failure here is pretty much impossible.
148
FLEXING FOR “DYNAMIC TENSION” 
The final part to this physical commitment may seem a bit 
narcissistic, but it is certainly valid. Flexing, or “posing,” is 
an integral part of a competitive bodybuilder’s final prepa-
ration for a contest. Bodybuilders must be able to hold 
their compulsory poses during the comparison rounds of 
a bodybuilding competition, thus training for this aspect of 
competition is essential. We came to find that the very act 
of flexing and holding a pose was actually a whole other 
workout evoking something on the order of Charles Atlas’ 
dynamic tension principle. 
A half-hour of posing can give you quite a pump. It also 
serves to ingrain the mind/muscle connection. The more 
you flex and study a muscle in the mirror, the better you 
will be able to manipulate it while training. 
Your abs can benefit from this as well. Learning to flex your 
abs and display their various aspects can be just as much 
of a workout as dozens of sit-ups. Obviously you are going 
to have to be pretty lean for this to mean anything. If you’re 
not yet trimmed down enough to see anything, this will give 
you something to look forward to. 
Before you go to bed, check your gut in the bathroom mirror. Face 
149 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
front and flex your abs. See if you can ad-
just your movement to call more of them 
into play. Blow all your air out and crunch 
them as hard as you can and hold it for as 
long as you can. Looks pretty cool, huh?
 
Do the same thing standing to the side with 
your body rotated slightly toward the mir-
ror. Reach up and grab the back of your 
neck and pull your elbow down toward your 
oblique. Blow out all your air and rock your 
hip up slightly as you crunch down your rib-
cage. Watch what happens and try to ad-
just your movements until you can see as 
much detail as possible. See how long you 
can hold it. Turn around and do the other 
side. Repeat the whole thing for four or five 
revolutions. Then climb into bed knowing 
you did everything right; the burn ebbs as 
you drift off to sleep.
150
For access to 
video library for 
training abs
click below.
dragonslayermedia.com/classic-physique-abs
151 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Chapter 06
CARDIO FOR FAT BURNING
152
Cardio is the holy grail of dieting. 
However, the goal is to do as little as possible. . . 
In a perfect world, you should be able to manipulate 
your diet and training in such a way that you wouldn’t 
need to do any. But this world is far from perfect and if 
your aspirations are aimed at the stage, or anywhere 
close, you’re going to find yourself on a stair climber, a 
treadmill, rower, bike, etc. Back in the Arnold era, there 
were guys who actually did no cardio, but you can’t 
compare the condition those guys brought to the stage 
to the level of my generation. Clearly, there was a big 
difference, and the biggest difference was the addition 
of cardio to the routine. 
However, cardio is not the bodybuilder’s friend. . . 
153 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Too much cardio can sacrifice muscle and way 
too much cardio can actually cause your body 
to hoard fat! And, of course, not enough will 
not get you ripped. 
So, there’s a fine line you have to tread here, between 
enough, not enough and too much cardio. 
The cardio implementation barometer is always going 
to be your sticking point. You have to pay close atten-
tion to how your fat level is dropping with weekly 
monitoring. While the mirror, and even another set of 
eyes, are great measures of body fat, the best, and 
most accurate, is taking weekly body fat measure-
ments. 
How you do that is quite simple. Forget those compli-
cated contraptions such as bio impedance machines, 
Bod Pods, scales that measure body fat, etc. These 
things are never accurate and never consistent. The 
best way to measure body fat is by some kind of skin 
fold caliper. They range in price and complexity from 
$9.00 for a simple plastic, spring loaded caliper from 
154
China, to the $400 digital Skinned model, and a variety 
in-between. Any of them will do. Obviously, the more you 
spend, the more accurate the total measurement will be, 
but you really don’t need that. 
What you need is to see the skin fold measurements at 
the various testing sites go down, week by week. It really 
doesn’t matter what the total percentage is. The key is get-
ting good at taking the measurement. Getting a good skin 
fold measurement is an art and it takes practice to get it 
right. Thankfully, there are plenty of good videos available 
on You Tube to show you how. 
It’s important, for accuracy’s sake, to take your measure-
ment on the same day of the week, at the same time of 
day, under the same circumstances – before or after you 
train, or do cardio, take a shower, weather or not you’ve 
been in the sun or the tanning bed, eat, etc. 
Almost everything affects the water content under your 
skin, and the leaner you are, the greater the variance will 
be. Learn to take a good skin fold measurement, do it con-
sistently, andyou will get a good idea of which way you’re 
155 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
going. All you want to see is the skin fold measurements 
going down. There are various sites you should test. 
There are various formulas out there requiring anywhere 
from three to seven sites. 
What I’ve learned is that most accurate areas that 
indicate measurable change are:
 • Biceps
 • Triceps
 • Oblique
 • Sub scapula 
 • Thigh
Having someone take these measurements for you is real-
ly the most preferable. Taking the biceps and triceps mea-
surements by yourself is a bit difficult and the sub scapular 
is impossible to take on your own. Most, if not all, gyms 
have trainers or diet centers that take body fat measure-
ments. Or, you always have your training partner. 
156
Before you go jumping on a piece of cardio equipment, 
there are a couple of things you should try first when you 
hit the inevitable sticking points. 
First, change up your workouts by picking up the pace. 
Add in an unrelated exercise between sets of your main 
exercise (super sets), reduce the rest period between sets, 
add in drop sets, giant sets, high rep sets, etc. Anything to 
get your heart rate up and increase energy expenditure.
The next thing you can do is adjust your diet. In the diet 
chapter, I mentioned something about adjusting your diet 
when you hit a sticking point and that I’d cover it in this 
chapter. I talked about lowering your total daily calories. 
You can even do something as simple as taking the carbs 
out of your last meal, or the last two meals. But at some 
point, you can only reduce your total calories so much; 
you’ll eventually either go out of your mind or run out of 
food. Before you hit that wall, it’s time to do cardio. 
Because you stayed relatively lean in your off season, 
you shouldn’t have to add very much cardio to get the job 
done. Remember, you want to get away with as little as 
possible. 
157 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Now, there’s two kinds of cardio: steady state, or low inten-
sity cardio, and high intensity interval training (HIIT). I start 
off with low intensity and then graduate to HIIT as I get 
closer to the show and the sticking points get tougher to 
push through. 
First I’ll start off by adding three cardio sessions a week, 
of 20 min each. You’ll want to do these sessions either first 
thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, or after you 
train. This is when your glycogen levels will be the lowest, 
forcing your body to liberate fat stores for energy. Your 
heart rate is going to be an important indicator, because if 
it’s too high the immediate energy requirement will be more 
than the liberated fat can satisfy, causing your body to con-
vert protein to glucose for its faster burning energy needs. 
Because you’re running on empty, that protein is probably 
going to come from muscle. The proven range for opti-
mal fat burning occurs when your heart rate is beating at 
70 – 75 precent of your maximum heart rate. To make that 
calculation, you simply subtract your age from 220. That 
number is then multiplied by .70 and .75 to calculate your 
optimal fat burning range. 
158
If following this plan for a week or two doesn’t yield results, 
bump it up to four days a week at 30 minutes a session. 
Then you can bump it up to six days a week for 45 min-
utes a session. The goal here is to add cardio as your body 
changes, slowly increasing it as your body hits plateaus.
Eventually, right at about the hour mark, rather than in-
creasing your time on the treadmill, you’ll switch over to 
HITT. The easiest way to modulate your HIIT cardio is to 
divide a minute into a 20 second and a 40 second interval. 
We’ll call that minute a “set” and endeavor to start out with 
15 of them. Five days a week.
159 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
First walk on a treadmill at your regular 70 – 75 precent 
pace for five or ten minutes to warm up. Then, set the 
treadmill at a decent angle, probably five or six, and set the 
speed of the belt so that when you run on it, it’s an all out 
100% sprint, as fast as you can possibly go. Do that sprint 
for 20 seconds, then grab the side rails and jump your feet 
to either side of the belt. Rest there for 40 seconds. Then, 
jump back on the belt and sprint for 20seconds, rest for 
40 seconds, etc., until you hit 15 of those, 20/40, one min-
ute sets. You can add sets, and/or another day, gradually, 
if your fat burning slows down or stops. HITT is far more 
exhausting than steady state, but the trade off is that you 
don’t have to do as much. You’ll probably never have to do 
more than 20 sets (20 minutes), six days a week. 
Cardio is one of those things that will cause your body to 
strive for efficiency. If you do 30 minutes of steady state 
cardio on the treadmill with your heart rate at 75% of your 
maximum, eventually your body will accomplish this work, 
utilizing fewer and fewer calories. That’s why we change it 
up. The goal is to keep your body confused. 
160
Chapter 07
RECOVERY
161 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
REST IS THE SECRET TO SUCCESS
Even God rested on the seventh day. 
You need to rest too. 
Building the ultimate body is brutally hard work. You not 
only have to follow a very strict diet and make sure you get 
all your nutrients in the right combinations, but you also 
have to take your intensity in the gym up to a level you’ve 
never reached before. You have to train like a beast - a 
crazed wild beast. 
Going to the gym and getting this work done is serious 
business. While you’re there I want you thinking of me – I 
want you to be as serious as I am and train as hard as I 
do. I want you to leave nothing on the gym floor. 
Nothing.
162
So, training and dieting like a bodybuilder – like me – is 
hard work. It’s seriously hard work. But, I’m going to let you 
in on a little secret. An incredibly simple little thing that’s a 
whole lot easier than sticking to your diet and working out 
like an animal. Pay close attention, because if you ever 
pay attention to anything I tell you, this is it. I know a lot of 
hardcore bodybuilders already know this—but, some ac-
tually forget it, or ignore it. Unfortunately it catches up with 
them when it’s show time. You might already know the se-
cret too. But, if you’re like countless others I’ve trained and 
counseled over the years, you don’t think it’s a big enough 
deal and don’t pay attention. And, while it’s probably the 
easiest thing you could possibly do, it’s still overlooked at 
every level of bodybuilding and fitness training. 
Are you ready? 
Can you handle it? 
Can you take it on with the same sense of urgency and 
importance as you do your workout? 
Here you go - 
163 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
You have to rest.
If you don’t make recovery a priority you’re not going to 
succeed. It’s not just a nice break from the action, and 
it’s not optional. It’s imperative. You have to take days off 
from the gym. And, even more importantly, you have to get 
enough sleep. In fact, I would argue that ignoring the need 
for sleep is having a devastating effect on our society at 
large. I have a friend in the medical profession who swears 
that Americans do serious damage to their health due to 
lack of sleep.
Trust me. When I showed up in Venice Beach, California, 
the opportunity to go out and have a good time was ev-
erywhere. I was young and single and always happy to go 
out and have a good time. One of the hardest things in the 
world was to say no to everyone wanting to go out and hit 
the clubs, and go home and hit the sack. But I knew I had 
to let my body heal. When it came time to compete, I de-
stroyed guys who had a lot more natural size and ability 
than I had. 
Why? 
164
They worked hard in the gym, but then they went out and 
partied all night. I know a lot of young people feel it’s their 
duty to run the streets at least a couple of nights a week. 
There’s aneven bigger temptation to do that as you see 
your body starting to getting bigger and leaner. The more 
jacked you look, the more you want to go out and show it 
off and see what kind of trouble you can get into.
Remember the TV show, Jersey Shore? I grew up there 
– l was one of those guys (Only bigger, leaner and less of 
a Guido) I can tell you that what you see on TV is the way 
it’s done there. It’s a real lifestyle. And living it will not make 
you a champion. Run the streets like those guys and you 
won’t reach your goals. Period. 
I’m not your dad and I can’t tell you what to do. And, I don’t 
want to. But I can tell you that your body is not made to 
be pushed to its limits and not be given a chance to rest. 
That’s why I recommend you schedule at least TWO off 
days per week if you really want to get big and ripped. 
Lowering your intensity on workout days so you can add in 
another workout day isn’t going to give you what you want. 
Get in the gym, go balls to the wall, then get out of there.
When it comes to sleep, you have to get at least eight 
hours. When I made the jump, at age 22, to be a profes-
sional bodybuilder, I knew I needed my sleep. Lee Haney 
165 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
taught me how to get the most out of my workout without 
destroying my muscles. 
But no one had to tell me to get to bed at a reasonable 
hour and let my body recover. Everything I’ve learned in 
my career has simply been a confirmation of what I already 
intuitively knew. Especially when it comes to sleep. 
Sleep does two things for you. 
First, it lets your muscles heal from the beating you’ve giv-
en them in the gym, allowing them to get bigger, leaner, 
harder, and more defined. Secondly, it lets you recharge 
your nervous system so that you don’t drag in the gym 
during your next work-out. Instead, you can go in there 
with determination on your face, ready to make an assault 
on the weights.
I get a lot of credit from my peers for having the absolute 
best work ethic they’ve ever witnessed. I’m proud of that. 
But what a lot of people don’t realize about my approach 
to bodybuilding is that I was just as serious about resting. 
Days off were days off. Nighttime was for sleeping. I even 
took a solid, half-hour nap every afternoon to make abso-
166
lutely sure my body was getting all the rest it needed. I can 
guarantee you that if I had run around all night like every-
one else, I would have accomplished next to nothing as 
a bodybuilder. And I seriously doubt I’d be the owner and 
CEO of a $100 million supplement company.
On your day of rest do something special with your loved 
ones—wife, children, significant other, friends. Do some-
thing normal. If you’re allowed a cheat meal, have it on a 
rest day. It keeps you well rounded so that you don’t get 
tired of the gym. It also keeps those who are special to you 
if not satisfied, then maybe at least appeased.
I know bad habits are hard to break and changing them 
can be a real challenge. But getting adequate rest is ab-
solutely imperative. Start making it a priority to get more 
rest, even try sneaking in a thirty minute catnap if you can. 
When it’s time for bed, turn off the computer, the televi-
sion and all your devices, get in bed and close your eyes. 
If there are things you didn’t get done today, don’t worry 
about it right now. Get your sleep and you’ll get more done 
tomorrow—in life and in the gym.
Remember, life is all about choices. You can choose to be 
like all the other young guys and run around until sunrise, 
or you can choose to sleep and give your muscles the op-
portunity to repair the damage you’ve inflicted on them in 
167 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
the gym, so you can keep growing bigger and better. Al-
ways remember that you stimulate growth in the gym, but 
you grow outside the gym, while you’re resting, especially 
while you’re asleep. Being diligent about getting the 
rest you need between workouts is the only way those 
intense training sessions will ever bear fruit in the form 
of massive biceps, triceps, pecs, lats, quads, hams, delts, 
and calves. You simply can’t build your ultimate body 
without proper rest.
168
Chapter 08
NUTRITION
169 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Whether you want to take your physique to the stage or 
no further than the beach, diet and nutrition are what’s go-
ing to make the biggest difference in how you look. You 
have to weight train to put on muscle and you have to diet 
off body fat so that you can see the muscle you built. You 
can’t have one without the other. Well, you can, it’s just not 
going to look good.
A lean physique that has next to zero muscle mass is 
hardly impressive; Marylyn Manson, Mick Jagger or the 
scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz come to mind. Before 
you go out of your way and suffer for weeks to get ripped, 
you better have some muscle under that fat or you’re just 
going to look like a bag of bones. Back in the day, we used 
to say, “you can’t carve a twig!” So, it’s kind of important to 
have built some muscle before you diet down, otherwise 
you’re going to look like you spent the summer in a gulag, 
not the gym.
170
Building muscle is first and foremost a product of adequate 
nutrition. You can workout until the cows come home, but 
unless you have the right nutritional building blocks on 
board, it will all be for nothing. You can’t build muscle with 
empty calories from a bad diet.
You want to make sure that your diet is composed of the 
right nutrients, in the proper ratios so that the “bulk” you’re 
gaining during your “bulking phase” is quality muscle, and 
not like Eric Cartman in the Beef Cake commercial. I’ve 
always said that if your waist is getting thick and you lose 
sight of your abs, you’re way too fat. Of course, you can’t 
stay totally ripped and gain quality muscle either, so you 
have to walk a fine line. 
I learned very early on that bulking up too much caused 
me to have to diet too hard, to the point where I ended up 
losing muscle. The best approach is gaining a little at a 
time. Forget about trying to gain 30-40 pounds in a cou-
ple months. I guarantee most of it will be fat! A good rule of 
thumb is that if you can’t see your abs and some degree of 
detail in your body, you need to bulk a little less. Maybe a 
lot less.
171 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Trust me when I tell you that the most important piece 
of the puzzle is eating. A lot of lifters will agree with me 
when I say that the battle is not with the weights, the bat-
tle is with the knife and fork. Following the right diet really 
matters. It’s got to be calculated, it’s got to be planned 
and it’s got to be followed. I hear a lot of people say they 
eat “clean.” But when I see what they’re actually eating, 
they’re a mess. Their macronutrient breakdown is all 
wrong, or they’re not eating enough meals with the right 
frequency to keep their body in an anabolic state, or eat-
ing too much and wondering why they can’t see their abs. 
You have to have a plan. Remember, fail to plan and you 
plan to fail.
Now, there’s a lot of diets out there; a lot of diet coaches 
and gurus too. They all have their own method. What I’m 
giving you here is mine. I’m not saying it’s any better or 
worse than anyone else’s. It’s the formula that I followed, 
and still follow, and it’s what has worked for numerous 
others; no one is using you as a lab rat. This works – if 
you follow it. 
172
The first thing you need to do is determine if you’re going 
to be “bulking” or “cutting.” Both require following a specific 
diet composed of a specific ratio of protein, carbohydrates 
and fats. To calculate how many total calories of each mac-
ro nutrient you should be eating every day, you have to find 
your starting point. Once you do, you’ll either decrease as 
needed to cut, or increase as needed to bulk. 
Here’s how we do it.
The easiest way to calculate is to be ableto see it. And 
the easiest way to do that is with a good ole pie chart. The 
starting point calculation is going to cut the pie into three 
macro nutrient pieces. The protein component is 40% of 
the pie, carbohydrates are 45% and fats are 15%.
 
 Protein
 Carbohydtares
 Fats
173 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Conventional bodybuilding wisdom dictates that we should 
consume one gram of protein per pound of body 
weight. 
For simplicity sake, lets use a 200 pound bodybuilder as 
an example: 
A 200 pound guy consuming one gram of protein per 
pound, means 200 grams of protein per day. 
Protein contains four calories per gram. 
200 grams X 4 calories = 800 calories of protein per day, 
which is 40% of the pie. 
If 800 calories is 40% of the pie, then we’re talking about a 
2,000 calorie total pie. If 800 of those calories are protein, 
that leaves 1200 calories for the remaining 60% of the pie 
for carbohydrates and fats. 
Because carbohydrates have four calories per gram, and 
fats have nine, we need a common denominator. 
This conveniently works out to four equal 15% slices of 
300 calories each. One of them (15%, or 300 calories) is 
going to be fat and three of them (45%, or 900 calories) 
is going to be carbohydrates. To see how many grams of 
each, we need to do the simple math: fat contains nine cal-
ories per gram, 9/300 = 33.33 grams fat. 
174
Carbohydrates contain four calories per gram, 4/900 =225 
grams carbohydrates.
To sum it up, based on our 200 pound bodybuilder 
consuming one gram per pound of bodyweight, his start-
ing point is going to be 2,000 calories per day broken up 
into four to five meals a day, with a total daily breakdown 
that looks like this:
200gr, or 800 calories of protein
33.33gr, or 300 calories of fat
225gr, or 900 calories of carbohydrates
 PROTEIN FAT CARBOHYDRATES
175 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Now that we have established the baseline diet, you have 
to decide if you’re going to be bulking or cutting. Lets take 
bulking first.
BULKING PHASE
When I bulked up, I kept my macros at the same, 45/40/15, 
split, but increased my total calories by 500 calories a day 
and expanded my eating to six to seven meals a day. I’d 
keep it there until I stabilized for a month and then raised 
it again by another 500 calories, still keeping the macros 
in the same ratio. Stabilize again for another month, then 
raise the total calories again by 500 a day. I’d keep doing 
this until my abs started to blur. When that happens, you 
have to back off 500 calories and keep it there. 
Following this method, I was able to get up to 6,000 calo-
ries a day. I have to admit, that was a bit much. I ended up 
backing down to about 4,500 calories a day. That was my 
“sweet spot.” 
You’ll have to follow this plan and find your own. There 
were guys I knew who were eating up to 10,000 calories 
a day! When you get up into the 4,500 realm and above, 
176
there’s no way to be able to eat all those calories. 
You have to drink some of them. This is where careful-
ly crafted protein shakes come in handy, made with high 
quality protein powder. Usually I’d throw in some oatmeal 
for carbs and peanut butter for good fats. Two or three 
shakes a day can really boost your caloric intake without 
you spending the day chewing.
DIET TO SHRED
I never did much cardio for a contest diet. What I did was 
dropped my calories back down to the starting point we 
calculated above and stuck to that for about two weeks. 
Then I’d vary my carbs (carb cycling) to keep my body 
from getting acclimated and hitting a plateau. I’d start with 
a high carb day, then a medium carb day, then three low 
carb days, followed by another high carb day, then a 
medium, then three low carb, etc., etc. 
177 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Using our 200 pound bodybuilder as an example, 
the cycle would look like this:
High carb day
Carbs – 1.5gr per pound of body weight: 
1.5 x 200 = 300gr carbs
Protein - 1gr per pound of body weight: 
1 x 200 = 200gr protein
Fat - 10 – 15 gr total
2135 calories total
Medium carb day 
Carbs – 1.25gr per pound of body wight: 
1.25 x 200 = 250gr carbs
Protein – 1gr per pound of body weight: 
1 x 200 = 200gr protein
Fat – 10 – 15gr total
1935 calories total
178
Low carb days
Carbs - 0.5gr per pound of body weight: 
0.5 x 200 = 100gr carbs 
Protein - double body weight in grams: 
2 x 200 = 400gr protein
Fat - 40 - 50 grams total
2450 calories total
On low carb days you’re obviously not going to be able 
to have carbs in every meal. There just aren’t enough of 
them. Try to eat your carbs around your training session – 
in the meal before and the meal after. 
179 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Make sure you write down all these changes in your daily 
journal. It helps to take progress pictures once a week, as 
well as measure your body fat and your weight, and keep 
those data in your journal as well. Whenever you hit a pla-
teau or a sticking point, it’s time to make a change. Don’t 
be afraid to throw a cheat day in from time to time as well – 
maybe once every 10 days – 2 weeks. Cheat days help to 
speed up your metabolism. You have to trick your body to 
lose body fat. 
If you end up stuck before you get shredded, and you 
probably will, you’ll have to include some cardio. 
I’ll cover that in the cardio chapter.
180
At this point I have to warn you about a couple of 
things that can cause great dieting angst. 
One is the appearance of losing muscle and the other is 
what dieting bodybuilders refer to as looking “flat.” 
These are some of the biggest misconceptions of dieting 
to shred. What looking flat refers to is, when you’re so de-
pleted from calorie restriction, that your muscles seem de-
flated. This happens before bodybuilding shows when you 
purposely deplete carbs to get your muscle to give up their 
glycogen stores. 
The theory being, that when you reintroduce carbohy-
drates, your muscle will uptake slightly more than normal, 
making your muscle look extra full and round. 
Unfortunately, many times looking flat, or looking like 
you’re losing muscle, is confused with the loss of intra- 
muscular fat. 
181 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
There’s three kinds of fat we worry about – there are other 
types too, but they’re confined to the nervous system and 
have nothing to do with how you look. 
There’s intra-abdominal fat – the fat on your organs, 
subcutaneous fat – the fat under your skin, and 
intra muscular fat – the fat that’s marbled in the muscle 
like the fat in a steak. 
Most people concentrate on the subcutaneous fat, 
because that’s the fat the blurs your abs and details in the 
muscle. However, as you lose that fat, you also lose the 
fat that’s around your organs and in the muscle. Just how 
much fat you have marbled in your muscle is written in 
your genetic code and you’ll have no idea how much that 
is, unless you’ve dieted down to contest shape before and 
know what to expect. 
If you have a lot of marbled fat in your muscle and you 
lose it, you’ll think you either look “flat,” or worse, are los-
ing muscle. The undeniable fact is that if you lose the fat in 
your muscle you’re muscle will look smaller. This is not to 
say that you might really be losing muscle or really be gly-
cogen depleted. That’s totally possible. 
182
The key is learning the difference and learning to manip-
ulate your diet so that you’re losing fat and keeping the 
muscle, and keeping your muscles full of glycogen. 
Manipulating your diet like this will require, in most cases, 
minimal cardio to get maximal results. The less cardio you 
have to do, the better. Like I said, I’ll cover cardio in the 
chapter on cardio. And, I’ll cover glycogen depletion and 
loading in the chapter on contest prep.
For a lot of people, constructing and following a diet like 
this might seem impossibleat first. Remember, it takes 
planning! This definitely pertains to proper eating to gain 
lean muscle mass and keeping it while you diet. Writing 
down everything not only keeps you honest, but gives you 
data you’ll need to make changes as needed, as well as a 
point of reference in the future when you diet again. 
Make sure the foods you eat consist of high quality protein 
from chicken, lean beef, fish, egg whites, and some whole 
eggs, plus protein powders such as Myofusion or Proven 
Egg. Carbohydrates should come from unrefined complex 
sources such as rice, sweet potatoes, potatoes and oat-
183 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
meal. I also eat gluten-free pasta, and gluten-free breads. 
This is just a suggestion. I’ve found lately that I don’t get 
as bloated or have as much water retention since I’ve tak-
en gluten out of my diet. I also eat fruits such as bananas, 
apples, pears, strawberries, and blueberries. And lots of fi-
brous carbs from green veggies like broccoli, string beans, 
spinach and other greens. You also need some good fats 
in your diet, such as those found in walnuts, almonds, 
whole eggs, fish oil, and olive oil. 
As you can see, I believe in a wide variety of healthy, 
clean, fresh food sources and stay away from the white 
sugars, white flour products, or anything highly processed. 
184
Chapter 09
PRESENTATION
185 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
ALL YOUR WORK WILL BE FOR NAUGHT IF 
YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO SHOW IT OFF.
When contest day finally arrives you are presented with 
the greatest responsibility to yourself that has ever been 
invented. You have spent years thrashing your body in the 
gym, prepared thousands of bland meals and humbly ate 
them while everyone else was eating pizza and ice cream; 
you sacrificed good times, parties and night clubs in or-
der to rest and recover; you suffered through weeks of 
dieting that had you gnawing on your hand because you 
were so hungry; and all the other suffering and sacrifice 
that brought you to this day – your final moment on stage. 
Imagine going through all that and then squandering those 
two minutes you get onstage to present all your hard work. 
186
Don’t think it hasn’t happened, or that it can’t happen to 
you. I can’t even count the number of guys I’ve seen over 
the years go through the pain, the suffering, the blood, 
sweat and tears to get ready for a show and then blow it 
all because they couldn’t hold their poses, or their stage 
presence was horrible. They were too nervous, their tan 
sucked or they forgot to put on oil. 
It might sound crazy, but the littlest thing can make a 
huge difference. 
You might have just read “or they forgot to put on oil” 
and said to yourself, come on, how could that make 
you blow it? 
My response is, are you kidding? 
If two guys who are close in comparison and one is prop-
erly oiled and tan, while the other didn’t pay attention to 
these two seemingly minor details, guess who the judges 
are going to reward? Not the guy who left out the $0.38 
worth of posing oil.
187 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
You have to remember, not only is the judging of a body-
building contest a subjective matter - decided by a panel of 
humans with varying opinions - it also, many times, comes 
down to splitting hairs. You make it really easy for a judge 
to do that if you forget your posing oil or have a crappy tan. 
These may sound like trivial elements in the grand scheme 
of things, but these are the details that can make or break a 
champion – even if the guy without the oil is better!
Not only that, but buried in the judges minds are images of 
who should represent the sport. They’re not only looking 
for the best physique, but they’re also looking for ambassa-
dors, statesmen, representatives, people of good charac-
ter, with charisma and charm and manners and who exude 
good sportsmanship. I’ve seen it happen more times than 
I can count; the guy who shoves other competitors around 
on stage, doesn’t follow the expediter’s instructions, doesn’t 
listen to what the judges tell them to do, doesn’t take their 
placing well and tears off their number and tosses it, or 
kicks the trophy across the stage yelling and screaming at 
the judges. I’ve even seen guys physically assault a judge! 
Needless to say, these bodybuilding careers are over be-
fore they start. Not only will the judges remember this as-
shole the next time around, but what company is going to 
hire them to rep their brand? I’m sure none. And can tell you 
quite frankly, neither will anyone else. 
188
189 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Win, lose, or draw, you have to be your best self possible 
up on stage. Off the stage too. You have to be good with 
people, take pictures with them, talk to them, answer their 
questions, even when all you want to do is lay down and 
die because you feel so depleted, tired and hungry. Show 
day is the culmination of absolutely everything you’ve 
worked for, sacrificed and suffered. Don’t blow it by doing 
something stupid.
POSING
This is the holy grail of presentation. 
Two gargantuan errors competitors make in this regard 
are: They don’t know the mandatory poses like the back of 
their hand and they can’t hold the pose. 
The first thing you have to do is learn the five mandatory 
poses and know them so well that you can hit them per-
fectly in your sleep. These poses have to be second nature 
to you. You have to be able to hit them, and hit them right, 
at any given moment – without the help of a mirror. You 
have to etch them into your brain so deep that when the 
archeologists dig up your bones 20 million years from now, 
190
you’re bent into a perfect side chest pose. Not only do you 
have to be able to hit them perfectly, without a mirror, but 
you also have to be able to hold them. 
At about the eight week out mark I used to add posing into 
my daily routine. I’d start with holding a mandatory pose 
for 15 seconds. A couple weeks later I’d increase it to 30 
seconds, then 45. By the day of the show I was holding my 
mandatories for a full minute each, twice a day! This not 
only guarantees that you’ll be comfortable during your call-
outs, but your poses will be solid, perfectly executed and 
pleasing to the eye. 
Your transitions have to be smooth, without stumbling or 
shaking. You need to be able to move on stage like smoke 
languidly drifting over the water. This goes not only for your 
mandatory poses, but also for your routine. It’s been said 
that too much of anything is no good. That might be so for 
almost everything – except posing. There aren’t enough 
hours in the day, or days in the week, for you to practice 
too much. Remember, bodybuilding is physique art. 
While nothing in this world is perfect, your posing has 
to be closer than anything else possible. I absolutely 
can’t stress this enough. I can guarantee you that the 
guys who treat posing as an afterthought will place as an 
191 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
afterthought. You have to wow the crowd and you have to 
wow the judges. The ONLY way to do that is to practice, 
practice, practice....
There is, however, a caveat to that. The old saying “prac-
tice makes perfect” is not true. What is true is “perfect 
practice makes perfect.” What’s the point of practicing 
a pose until it’s burned into your brain deeper than the 
names of your kids if it’s wrong? 
THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS 
LEARN THE FIVE MANDATORY POSES. 
HERE THEY ARE:
• Front Double Biceps
• Side Chest
• Back Double Biceps
• Abdominal and Thigh
• Favorite Classic pose (No Most Muscular)
192
Once you identify these poses, start 
a Google search and seek out clas-
sic bodybuilders who you like and 
who you think have the same dimen-
sions in their physique as yours. But 
be realistic. 
You might think Mohamed Makkawy 
is the best classic poser of all time. 
And there is certainly a good argu-
ment for that belief. 
But he’s 5’4”.If you’re 6’ 5” you 
might want to look for another guy 
to emulate. 
For a novice, the best advise I, or 
anyone else, can give you is to hire 
a posing coach. They will not only be 
able to teach you the correct execu-
tion of the mandatory poses and 
possibly even choreograph your rou-
tine, but they will also be able to help 
you hide your weak points and 
accentuate your strengths. 
193 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
194
Chapter 10
SUPPLEMENTS
195 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
I was a bit conflicted while I was thinking about this chap-
ter. On one hand, in a perfect world you’d get all the nu-
trients you need from your diet. But the realities are that 
the modern food supply is managed in such a way that the 
food we eat is missing, or low in, key nutrients. 
Then consider the fact that intense weight training, cardio 
and calorie restrictions (when dieting) add another layer of 
nutritional needs for the bodybuilder, to fuel both growth 
and recovery. This is why most, if not all, bodybuilders 
believe in supplementing their diet with the key nutrients 
which the body is either lacking or missing all together. 
On the other hand, I own a supplement company and 
would love it if all of you would buy my products. I was very 
careful throughout this book to keep all the information I’m 
sharing with you “marketing neutral.” Even so, this specific 
chapter is fertile ground for a chance to plug Gaspari Nu-
trition. I will say, however, that since you’re going to take 
supplements anyway, you should have a look at Gaspari 
products and see how the dosages and quality match up 
196
to the science – and that’s all I’m going to say on the mat-
ter. In consideration of the conflict I’d prefer you not as-
sume, I’m only going to recommend specific nutrients, not 
product names, and I’m not going to list a wheelbarrow 
full of stuff upon which you’d spend hundreds of dollars on 
each month. 
https://gasparinutrition.com/discount/ClassicPhysique20
197 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
To that end, a recent symposium on sports nutrition con-
vened, where the sports scientists from all over the world 
in attendance were asked this simple question: of all the 
nutrients currently studied that demonstrate some ergo-
genic aid (performance enhancing), list the top five.
Well, that got the room chattering. A few hours later, this 
list was agreed upon. 
In no particular order of importance, the top five sports 
supplements cited by the top sports scientists in the 
world came down to:
Whey Protein 
Beta Alanine
Creatine
Caffeine
Omega-3s
Distilled down to that short list, I couldn’t help but appre-
ciate – out of all the items that didn’t make the list – how 
incredibly vital these five nutrients are to support increased 
athletic performance. Lets take a look at them one at a 
time.
198
WHEY PROTEIN 
Whey is a byproduct of cheese production. It’s the liquid 
that’s left over from milk after the milk solids (curd) have 
been separated by the use of an enzyme. Prior to the sup-
plement boom, cheese manufacturers used to throw out 
the whey, or feed it to livestock. Now it’s more valuable 
than the cheese! 
While whey protein had been around for decades, it wasn’t 
until the 90s that science took a closer look at whey and 
brought about a renaissance in the protein powder indus-
try. As whey demonstrated more and more benefits to the 
lifting crowd, the quality of the products it contained in-
creased dramatically. But it wasn’t until the very end of the 
Millennium that a company called Cyto Sport marketed the 
first pure whey protein called “Complete Whey.” 
I’m paying the most attention to this supplement and giv-
ing this historical account because it’s a pivotal milestone 
in the supplement industry evolution. The advent of whey 
protein is incredibly important. Almost immediately after 
Complete Whey hit the market, a full fledged whey pro-
tein war erupted with one after another hitting the market, 
knocking all other protein powders out of the spotlight, and 
199 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
continuing their dominance to today, taking advantage of 
new high technologies in filtration, isolation, concentration 
and hydrolization. Whey had become the new gold stan-
dard in protein supplementation, and quickly became the 
most studied supplement in the world. 
Protein, and the amino acids they contain, are the main 
building blocks of the human body. They’re critical compo-
nents of tendons, connective tissues, organs, hormones, 
nervous tissue, enzymes, various molecules, and are the 
building blocks of all your muscle tissue.
200
The various assemblage of proteins in the body comes 
from amino acids, The body can synthesize some ami-
no acids, while others are supplied by the foods you eat. 
Those amino acids that your body can’t make, or can’t 
make enough of, are called “essential amino acids.” There 
are nine essential amino acids and whey protein is packed 
with all of them. Whey is particularly high in the essential 
branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) such as leucine. 
Studies show that leucine is the most anabolic (growth-pro-
moting) amino acid. If you’re lifting seriously, whey protein 
is incredibly agreeable to what you’re trying to accomplish.
Whey protein is not only one of the best forms of protein 
you can consume to support muscle growth, but it also 
contains a slew of other nutrients, some with very potent 
biological effects. First, whey is extremely low in calories, 
making it even more valuable during periods of calorie re-
striction. Whey also has been shown to improve satiety, 
making you feel full – which is extremely important while 
you’re trying to diet.
Whey protein is also very high in the amino acid cyste-
ine, which seems to mediate a broad field of health bene-
fits. Cysteine does this by raising levels of glutathione - a 
potent antioxidant in humans. Scientists believe it’s the 
201 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
cystine component of whey that’s responsible for the nu-
merous other health benefits of whey, from lowering blood 
pressure and blood sugar levels, to reducing the effects of 
depression and stress. Cystine has also demonstrated to 
be cancer protective, to cause an increase in bone miner-
al density, boosts immune function in HIV patients and in-
creases the lifespan of mice. 
The bottom line is that the sum total of the benefits of whey 
protein are vast. But to the point that interests you the 
most, numerous studies show that it can help you increase 
strength, gain muscle and lose significant amounts of 
body fat. 
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BETA ALANINE
Dose: 3,200mg/day
This is an amino acid the body produces naturally. It helps 
the body produce carnosine, a compound that plays a role 
in muscle endurance in high-intensity exercise. Numerous 
scientific studies have demonstrated carnosine’s influence 
on increasing endurance, stamina, and athletic perfor-
mance, regardless of how strenuous your workout. Such 
workouts cause a build up of lactic acid in the muscles 
you’re working, causing fatigue. 
Carnosine acts as an acid buffer, lessening the effects 
of lactic acid, staving off the feeling of fatigue so you 
can train harder. 
So why not just take carnosine? That would be a good 
idea, however, the body doesn’t react well to it when taken 
orally and not much of it is absorbed into the blood stream. 
Whatever amount does make it in, the body immediately 
breaks it down into beta alanine and histidine. Beta alanine 
is then used to make carnosine. So by taking beta alanine, 
you skip a very inefficient and circuitous route to the 
same end. 
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In order to build muscle, you have to torch it to a very cruel 
degree. This is the only way to incite the growth stimulus. 
Once in action, as long as sufficient calories and nutrients 
are on board, the body will build muscle. By enhancing 
your workout capacity,beta alanine, at 3,200mg/day, helps 
you train harder and longer, which lessens workout fatigue 
and helps you crush more weight to help you grow. 
Beta alanine has also demonstrated a synergistic relation-
ship with creatine. Several recent studies on experienced 
lifters have shown that, when supplementing with the com-
bination of creatine and beta-alanine, test subjects gained 
more lean mass and lost more body fat than a group sup-
plementing with only creatine. These data suggest that 
beta-alanine works as an effective amplifier for creatine, 
providing more endurance, strength, fat loss and muscle 
gain. Both supplements are very inexpensive, and just may 
well represent the best bang for your buck as far as sup-
plements go.
204
CREATINE
Loading phase (optional): 
10- 20 grams per day (in 5gr doses), for 4 to 5 days.
Maintenance phase: 5gr/day
If you’ve ever set foot anywhere even near a gym, you’ve 
inevitably heard guys extolling the muscle building effects 
of creatine. Your body makes creatine in your kidneys and 
liver, after you eat protein. Creatine then travels to your 
muscles, where it’s converted into creatine phosphate, 
which helps convert adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into ad-
enosine diphosphate (ADP), which your body uses for ex-
plosive energy.
Supplementing with creatine makes the process more 
efficient. Instead of consuming tons of protein, all you have 
to do is take some creatine. That does’t mean creatine is 
a replacement for protein. Creatine and protein work in dif-
ferent ways. Creatine leads to more strength during your 
workout while protein contains the amino acids your body 
needs to help grow and repair muscle after your workout.
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ATP is not only utilized in muscle. Your brain requires a 
significant amount of ATP when performing difficult tasks. 
Supplementing with creatine can increase phosphocreatine 
stores in your brain to help it produce more ATP. Creatine 
may also aid brain function by increasing dopamine levels 
and mitochondria function. In older test subjects, supple-
menting with creatine significantly improved memory and 
recall ability. 
Since meat is the best dietary source of creatine, vegans 
often have low creatine levels. One study on creatine sup-
plements in vegetarians found a 20–50% improvement in 
some memory and recall test scores.
When it comes to increasing strength, creatine - in the 
form of creatine monohydrate - is your best bet for achiev-
ing improvements in strength and power, while also help-
ing to maximize gains in muscle mass. There has been 
much published research on creatine monohydrate, in dos-
es of 10- 20 grams per day, for 4 to 5 days. Such a “load-
ing phase” can quickly saturate muscle, resulting in an 
enhanced production of force. After the loading phase, a 
5gr/day dose is what the research recommends. So over-
whelming is the science in support of creatine use, current 
research has included moving on to consider that 
creatine might act synergistically with other nutrients to 
206
have an even more profound effect on building muscle. 
This is where the link with beta alanine, mentioned above, 
became apparent.
However, even on its own, creatine brings an incredible 
array of benefits to the champion’s table. In consideration 
of its muscle building effects, creatine affects many path-
ways. By helping to increase the production of insulin like 
growth factor-1 (IGF-1), creatine helps in the formation 
of new muscle fibers (hyperplasia) by stimulating satel-
lite cells. Creatine can also increase the water content of 
your muscles. This volumizing effect not only makes your 
muscles appear bigger, it also contributes to the “pump” 
you generate during intense exercise. Additional research 
shows that creatine may help mitigate myostatin, the mus-
cle growth regulating gene that keeps muscle from growing 
out of control if it were to be continually stimulated.
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Creatine has also demonstrated effectiveness in slowing 
disease progression in certain neurological studies. Cre-
atine has been shown to mitigate the symptoms of Parkin-
son’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Epilepsy, brain and 
spinal cord injuries, ischemic stroke and Alzheimer’s dis-
ease. Although more studies are needed in humans, many 
researchers believe that creatine supplements represent a 
notable effect in treating neurological diseases when used 
alongside conventional medicines.
Creatine has also demonstrated benefits in controlling 
blood sugar levels. Short-term blood sugar response to 
a meal is an important marker of diabetes risk. The fast-
er your body clears sugar from the blood, the better. Re-
search suggests that creatine may lower blood sugar lev-
els by increasing the production of a transporter molecule 
that delivers glucose to muscle. The effects were partic-
ularly notable after a high-carb meal. In most of the re-
search, subjects who combined creatine and exercise were 
better at controlling blood sugar levels than those who only 
exercised
In short, creatine is one of the most notable and effec-
tive aids in the strength athlete’s arsenal of tricks. 
208
CAFFEINE
200-400mg/day
Almost every culture throughout the world has a practice 
of ingesting some form of caffeine. In the US, it’s estimated 
that over 90% of the population consumes caffeine regular-
ly. Among athletes, caffeine is regarded as one of the most 
popular performance enhancing supplements. Its benefits 
not only include its stimulant effect on energy levels, but 
also include improved muscle strength, mental alertness, 
as well as reducing the perception of fatigue during bouts 
of intense exercise, which can help athletes perform faster 
and for longer periods of time.
A single dose of caffeine (200mg) can not only sig-
nificantly improve exercise performance, but also 
enhances mental acuity (focus) and fat burning. The 
US Military even uses it to enhance performance and 
awareness among combat troops.
209 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Currently, ongoing research in athletes demonstrates 
positive effects on endurance, strength and fat loss using 
doses of 200 – 400mg of caffeine. 
That’s the equivalent of 1 – 2 cups of strong coffee. Such a 
dominant effect, while exhibiting relative safety, makes caf-
feine – or it’s herbal equivalent – a standard ingredient in 
most pre-workout formulas. 
210
OMEGA-3
2,400mg/day fish oil at 70% DHA/EPA 
(950mg EPA, 700mg DHA)
Like essential amino acids, there is a group of fats the 
body needs to maintain numerous functions in the body. 
However, the body can’t make them, or make enough of 
them, requiring you to get them from dietary sources. 
These fats are known as “essential fatty acids.” 
The group of essential fatty acids in humans are the 
omega-3 fats found in fish, and to a much lesser degree 
in some plants (some plants, nuts and seeds contain 
alpha-linolenic acid [ALA]. Along with docosahexaenoic 
acid [DHA] and eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] these make 
up the three essential omega fats. 
The only omega fats the human body can utilize are DHA 
and EPA. ALA must be converted to DHA and EPA. That 
conversion is extremely inefficient and yields very little 
omega fats the body can use). While omega-3 fatty acids 
are necessary for healthy brain, eye, heart and immune 
function, one of the main benefits of omega-3’s to the 
athlete is their effect on joint inflammation. Intense training, 
or an injury, can tax joints and connective tissues. 
211 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
The body responds by sending fluid to these regions to 
protect them. The problem is, the fluid causes inflammation 
which in turn makes the joint stiff and painful. Omega-3s 
are anti-inflammatory and absolutely necessary to main-
taining joint support, both in the acute phase of an injury 
and long term. 
212
SUPPLEMENTS FOR PRE CONTEST DIETING
If you think backto the training chapter, I identified two 
basic phases of training – mass building and contest prep 
(refining). You might think that these two phases require 
different supplement protocols. And, you’re partly right. The 
reality is, however, there’s a lot of cross over. Many supple-
ments are good for both phases, but sometimes for differ-
ent reasons. Very few compounds are going to be 
exclusive to one group or another. 
Creatine is an exception. 
Creatine works best with carbohydrates. When you’re diet-
ing, carbs are generally reduced, which will mean that cre-
atine will take longer to be absorbed. And may not be ab-
sorbed to the same degree as when a high dose of carbs 
were taken with it. It will still get into the muscle, however 
the effect will not be as profound. 
If you’re prepping for a bodybuilding competition, you will 
want to remove creatine from your supplement intake in 
order to prevent the water retention you experience while 
taking it.
213 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
EAAs
9gr/day (including 6gr BCAAs in leucine heavy ratio 
of 4:1:1, (leucine: valine: isoleucine, respectively)
A good replacement for creatine while dieting is an essen-
tial amino acid formula. When we eat protein, it’s broken 
down during digestion into individual amino acids, which 
are then absorbed into the blood stream and recombined 
to form the various proteins which help the body complete 
numerous processes, such as building muscle, burning fat, 
repairing damaged tissues and regulating many processes 
in the body. 
Of the 20 individual amino acids required to form “com-
plete” protein, nine of them are termed “essential.” This 
means that although the body requires them, we don’t pro-
duce them in adequate quantities and, therefore, must get 
them from our diet. As with the essential fatty acids, if you 
go long enough without essential amino acids, the deficien-
cy can cause a number of illnesses, such as accelerated 
aging, muscle loss, fatigue and even death. Yes, you could 
actually die.
214
The nine essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, 
leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryp-
tophan and valine. Even if one essential (or non-essential) 
amino acid is missing, the remaining 19 cannot be utilized 
and the body eliminates them, which can lead to a neg-
ative nitrogen balance in muscle. Exactly the opposite of 
what the athlete needs.
What are the benefits to the dieting athlete who take 
EAAs? 
Lean Muscle Growth
EAAs, particularly leucine, helps the body grow and re-
pair muscle by improving and regulating protein synthesis 
in muscle. EAAs are absolutely necessary for building and 
repairing muscles that are broken down during intense ex-
ercise.
Fat Burning
EAAs have demonstrated, in scientific study, an increase 
in body fat oxidation, particularly belly fat. In fact, a recent 
study demonstrated a 50% increase body fat oxidation 
supplementing with EAAs over a whey protein shake, 
and 2.5 times more than athletes who consumed a carbo-
hydrate sports drink.
215 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Better Gains In Lean Mass
The scientists who measured body fat burn, also measured 
the change in a ten rep maximum strength test using free 
weight squats and bench presses. In both cases, athletes 
taking EAAs saw significantly greater strength gains than 
athletes using whey protein or carbohydrate shakes.
Prevent Muscle Protein Breakdown
Athletes who insist on lifting weights or doing cardio “fast-
ed” run the risk of body breaking down muscle tissue for 
fuel. EAA supplementation an hour prior to training will help 
jumpstart protein synthesis in muscle. 
Increased Endurance
The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness pub-
lished a study that demonstrated EAA supplementation de-
creased muscle fatigue by almost 20% in glycogen-deplet-
ed athletes by increasing transaminase activation which 
assists in lipolysis (fat burning).
Muscle Recovery
Numerous scientific studies have overwhelmingly demon-
strated that EAAs can improve muscle recovery post-work-
out because of their bioavailability, which improves muscle 
protein synthesis.
216
Ease Muscle Soreness
Intense weight training causes micro tears in the muscle 
fibers. Healing these tears rebuilds the muscle to be stron-
ger the next time around. Known as “delayed onset muscle 
soreness” is caused by these micro-tears. EAA supple-
mentation helps increase muscle protein synthesis to start 
repairing muscles faster and shorten recovery time.
Science has clearly demonstrated the numerous benefits 
of EAA supplementation, particularly for athletes subjecting 
themselves to calorie restriction. Any carefully crafted sup-
plement regiment for a dieting athlete must include all nine 
essential Amino acids. 
217 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS
3.3mg/day, leucine heavy ratio of 4:1:1, 
(leucine: valine: isoleucine, respectively)
Three of the essential amino acids – valine, isoleucine and 
leucine, are termed “branch chain amino acids” (BCAAs). 
Of the three, leucine, has been shown to be the key 
nutrient for turning on protein synthesis when present, 
and turning off protein synthesis when absent. If you want 
to maintain nitrogen balance, it’s important to make sure 
you’re getting enough BCAAs before, during and after 
your workouts. 
 
A recent study showed that resistance-trained individuals 
who consumed BCAAs experienced significantly greater 
gains in lean body mass, compared to subjects who con-
sumed whey protein. The BCAA group gained 4 kilograms 
of lean body mass compared to the whey protein that only 
gained half as much. Another recent study conducted on 
athletes showed that short-term BCAA (3.3 grams/day) is 
scientifically supported, however, to be effective, the re-
search demonstrates a leucine heavy ratio of 4:1:1, (leu-
cine: valine: isoleucine respectively) to maximize muscle 
growth and recovery.
218
Honorable Mention
Dieting athletes can also benefit from other key nutrients.
GLUTAMINE
3.5gr/day
Supplementing with Glutamine can help reduce the 
amount of glutamine that is lost from the muscles during 
the recovery process. Glutamine can also help main-
tain cellular hydration, and maintain muscle anabolism or 
growth. Glutamine is also a powerful anti-oxidant which 
boosts immunity which also aids in recovery. In the gastro-
intestinal tract, glutamine not only fuels enterocytes (cells 
lining the inner surface of the small and large intestines 
which aid in absorption), but also helps to support the in-
tegrity of gut barrier function.
Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that a dosage 
of 500 mg/kg (34 grams for a 150-lb person) improved in-
testinal barrier and other situational effects. The most typ-
ical dosages used in clinical practice for a wide range of 
immune support study vary from 5 to 30 grams per day.
219 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
CARNITINE
2,000mg/day
Carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid widely avail-
able in supplement form and often used as a fat loss sup-
plement, as well as having a purported positive effect on 
brain function. Carnitine transports fat to the mitochondria 
of the cells to be burned as fuel. About 98% of carnitine 
stores are found in muscle, along with trace amounts in 
your liver and blood.
Carnitine can improve muscle recovery, enhance oxygen 
storage, reduce the buildup of lactic acid, and increase 
stamina. This clearly can give you benefits in the gym. Car-
nitine not only delivers fatty acids to your muscle mitochon-
dria to be burned as fuel, but it also directs your metabo-
lism to fat burning while you workout.
During periods of calorie restriction, carnitine becomes 
very important for burning fat. Dieting, especially with low 
carb intake, you’re insulin levels are suppressed. This sig-
nals the mitochondria to turn to fat for fuel. The problem is, 
the fatty acids have to get tothe mitochondria in order to 
be burned. 
220
They grab onto stored body fat, or the fat you eat, break it 
down into fatty acids, and send the fatty acids to your mi-
tochondria. Your mitochondria turn those fatty acids into 
ATP (energy) that powers your cells. You need carnitine to 
metabolize fat. If your carnitine level is low, less fat gets to 
the mitochondria, and you struggle for energy, making you 
feel weak and lethargic. This is why carnitine supplementa-
tion has been so popular among dieting bodybuilders, and 
there’s plenty of research to back up its use. In addition to 
its fat burning quality, science has demonstrated other use-
ful effects of carnitine for the athlete. 
Increased strength: A recent study showed that weight 
training athletes who took carnitine 90 minutes before in-
tense exercise realized a notable increase in power output, 
as well as lower levels of lactic acid. Lower lactic acid lev-
els not only stave off fatigue, but also speed up recovery 
time. Decreased lactic acid also enables the athlete to train 
harder and longer, resulting in more muscle stimulation. 
Boosts testosterone utilization: Scientists looked at hor-
mone receptors after intense weight training and found that 
the test subjects who took carnitine after their workout had 
more dense hormone receptors in their muscles, which 
may have improved their testosterone uptake. That doesn’t 
mean carnitine’s increases testosterone, but rather makes 
you better at using the testosterone you have.
221 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
COLLAGEN FROM BONE BROTH 
15gr from bone broth collagen concentrate
For guys with more miles on the clock, who have subject-
ed themselves to intense training for decades, collagen 
offers much needed support for bone, tendon and con-
nective tissues. After age 30 your body naturally produces 
less collagen. Add to that, the inevitability of the fact that 
intense training for long periods puts tremendous stress on 
your joints. Collagen has demonstrated effective bone and 
joint support in numerous clinical studies. Together with 
omega-3’s, collagen protein provides a formidable defense 
against the inevitable. 
222
MULTI-VITAMIN/ MINERAL COMPLEX 
Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t state that a potent 
multi-vitamin/ mineral supplement is necessary for overall 
health. The benefits in bolstering good health and a strong 
immune system aside, for hard training athletes, particular-
ly older hard training athletes, taking high doses of vitamin 
C and B complex are known to combat the effects of phys-
ical stress, and vitamin D and minerals such calcium, mag-
nesium potassium support good bone health.
https://gasparinutrition.com/discount/ClassicPhysique20
223 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Chapter 11
DRUGS
224
Now it’s time to address the 8,000 pound gorilla in 
the room - drugs. 
Specifically steroids, androgens, growth hormone, diuretics 
and insulin. Today these drugs are prevalent in most body-
building pursuits. On the professional level, it’s 100%. This 
is despite the fact that these drugs are banned by the fed-
erations, as well as the fact that, buying and selling them 
constitutes a felony, on both the state and federal level. 
Because they’re banned and illegal, but necessary, creates 
an interesting conundrum. There are no medical profes-
sionals that are going to monitor you and advise you while 
you use them to bodybuild, or enhance your performance 
in other sports. But, somehow, you need to learn how to 
use them, if you’re going to use them. For better or worse, 
this is where the gurus come in. The better choice is learn-
ing about them yourself. There are tons of good info avail-
able online – along with tons of bad info. I’m not going to 
tell you how to use drugs, but I am going to tell you a little 
something about them. 
225 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
One of the biggest differences in the bodybuilders of my 
era and the open class bodybuilders of today is the amount 
and duration of the drugs used. In my day, no one used 
insulin, no one used growth hormone, few people used 
diuretics and steroids were regular prescription items, 
not schedule 3 narcotics, as they are classified today. Be 
that as it may, the guys I knew who used them, as well as 
myself, used small amounts and we only used them lead-
ing up to a show, and got off them several weeks before 
the show to get rid of all the water they caused you to re-
tain. Not me, nor anyone I knew, used drugs in the crazy 
amounts bodybuilders are purported to use now, nor did 
they use them all year long – for years on end.
This proliferation of increased drug use is, in my opin-
ion, what’s responsible for the physiques that prompted 
the creation of the classic physique division. The advent 
of increased dosages, plus the use of insulin and growth 
hormone runs concomitant to unaesthetic mass, gyneco-
mastia, poor condition and bloated guts that have become 
prevalent. It might just be a coincidence, but I doubt it. 
226
For better or worse, drugs are always going to be part of 
bodybuilding. Using them correctly has become part of the 
deal. Just as you must know how to correctly train, do car-
dio, diet, pose, dial in, etc., you also must know how to use 
drugs. 
In using them, the focus should be more on what they don’t 
do. We can all agree that some drugs help with recovery 
and help retain muscle mass while dieting and can help 
build muscle while bulking, but they are not the 
“magic pill.” 
More drugs do not make up for less work. Drugs do not 
compensate for poor genetics. And drugs are not going 
to make up for cheating on your diet. I can’t tell you how 
many guys I’ve seen over the years spend the night of the 
contest in the hospital, rather than the stage, because they 
ODed on diuretics, thinking they could compensate for 
them not being lean enough. I know some guys who died. 
Ultimately, drugs have their place in bodybuilding, including 
Classic Physique; I’d be lying to you if I told you otherwise. 
However, since I’m telling you the truth, I’m going to go 
ahead and tell you that, as far as drugs go, less is more.
227 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Chapter 12
PRE-CONTEST PREP 
- THE DIAL IN PROCESS
228
 
This chapter outlines the last two weeks leading into a 
show. It’s pretty much an open topic. These days, most 
competitors rely on a “guru” to bring them into a show and 
they all have their own method, and most of those meth-
ods involve diuretics. I never really used a guru. The one 
time I sought some pre-contest advice, it was recommend-
ed to me that I use a diuretic. And they didn’t work for me 
at all. Using them messed up my prep; I looked smooth 
and flat. To the untrained eye, it looked like I was actually 
holding water! Now that I know better, I know exactly what 
happened. Glycogen in muscle and the liver is stored in a 
hydrated form, composed of four parts of water per part of 
glucose. This poses two potential problems with diuretic 
use. First, if your muscle is full of glycogen, it’s full of water. 
You need water to store glycogen. So if you overly restrict 
hydration, your muscles can’t get full. 
229 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Next, a diuretic does not preferentially target “the water 
under your skin.” The diuretic process is systemic; the wa-
ter you’re forcing your body to get rid of is coming from 
everywhere. Because muscle is one of the greatest stores 
of water, much of it’s going to come from muscle and, be-
cause there is so little, less from the fat under your skin. 
The more ripped you are, the less water you have under 
your skin (there’s no bladder of water sloshing around be-
tween the under surface of your skin and the underlying 
muscle). The water is in the fat cells. Most of it is in your 
muscles. So when you’re shredded, like I was, using a di-
uretic pulled most of the water from my muscles, making 
them look deflatedand flat,
and no amount of carb 
loading was going to do 
any good while I was 
dehydrated. The body 
can’t make glycogen 
without water. Had I 
known that, I could have 
saved the two contest 
placings that lapse in 
judgement cost me. 
230
This is not to say that I haven’t used some herbal diuretic 
tea, or some uva ursi, but never would I ever recommend 
that you use Aldactone, Diazide, Aldactazide, Lasix, etc. 
These are powerful drugs. They will absolutely affect the 
water under the skin, but most of it comes out of the mus-
cle. Haven’t you ever seen pics of guys two weeks before 
a show and they look huge and grainy and shredded, then 
they show up at the show looking much smaller, softer and 
with less detail? That’s all diuretics folks. Which are totally 
unnecessary if you’ve done your homework.
Your job is to show up two weeks before your contest in 
shape. That means shredded, no body fat, totally and 
completely peeled. Anything less is a recipe for failure, 
especially if you think a strong course of diuretics is going 
to make up for a lack of dieting. I’ve seen numerous guys 
over the years spend the finals in the ER hooked up to an 
IV because they ODed on diuretics, because they were fat 
and not ready. In my day, very few, if anyone, used diuret-
ics; no one I knew did. We were ripped. Period. That’s not 
to say we didn’t manipulate water and carbs, but no drugs 
were used. 
231 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Diuretics came in just after I retired. It got bad fast, coming to 
a head when Mohammed Benaziza died in his hotel room in 
the Netherlands during the grand prix tour immediately after 
the 1992 Mr. Olympia, where he placed 5th that year. Diuretics 
were to blame. But this didn’t stop anyone from using them. 
While a bit more care might be taken in their use, guys – and 
girls – still have gotten it wrong, with several competitors dying 
the day of their show. I feel very passionate about this topic 
because diuretic use is as unnecessary as the deaths they’ve 
caused. It’s one of the biggest differences between what we 
have today and the classic era. Put any 80’s or early 90’s 
lineup against a top pro lineup today, and the diuretic body 
is clearly evident. If you do your homework and show up two 
weeks out in shape, you don’t need them. If you don’t need 
them, you wont use them and if you don’t use then you can’t 
die from them. 
Shedding a bit of subcutaneous water is but one of a few 
things you need to do in your dial in process. Like I said, ev-
eryone has their own way of doing it. Some guys do a sodium 
load, some go off carbs completely and load up at the end, 
while some guys just cruise through and change nothing. You 
have to know your body to know what’s going to work for you. 
That’s going to mean some trial and error. Another good rea-
son to keep a journal and write down everything. 
232
What I’m going to tell you is what worked for me.
At the two-week out mark: 
(Throughout this dial in process, I’ll be assuming that your show is 
on Saturday. Pre judging in the morning, finals that night).
Drugs: Get off all oil based steroids.
Cardio: Cut back on cardio. You should be as lean as 
you’re going to get by the two-week out mark. The only 
cardio you might need to do is just 15 – 20 minutes a day, 
just to get your blood moving. The leaner you get the more 
your metabolism is racing. You have to keep an eye on 
your weight. If you’re dropping too fast, you’ll have to put 
on the bakes sooner. The idea is to grow up into the show. 
That’s why it’s important to be as lean and shredded as 
you can get, two weeks out. 
Posing: Add a second posing session (to the one you add-
ed six weeks ago) so that you’re practicing your mandato-
ry poses and your routine twice a day for 20 minutes at a 
time, holding your poses for 10 seconds and working up to 
15 – 20 seconds. You’ll gradually need to ween yourself off 
the mirror so that you can hit each pose perfectly just from 
feeling it. 
233 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Training: Switch up your workouts - use lighter weight and 
a lot more sets and reps. Do one body part per day, plus 
either abs, calves or forearms. Even though you stopped 
doing cardio, the added posing sessions and the higher 
volume in weight training every day, will be enough to start 
depleting your muscles of glycogen without having to cut 
down (or cut out) your carbs. 
At the one-week out mark:
Drugs: Get off all your other drugs, supplements, powders, 
pills, artificial sweeteners and any other chemicals. Con-
sume water and food, that’s it.
Training: Your last leg workout is Saturday, one week out 
from your show. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday split up 
your body parts so that you’re hitting two or three body 
parts, then on Wednesday, do a full body workout – lots of 
reps, lots of squeezing, get a good pump. Thursday will be 
just posing and Friday you take completely off. 
Posing: Increase posing, starting Saturday, to 40 minutes 
twice a day, holdimg each pose for 15 – 20 seconds. And 
practice your routine. There’s no such thing as knowing it 
234
too well. Run through your mandatories, then do your rou-
tine, mandatories, routine, etc., until your 40 minutes is up. 
(It’s a hell of a workout!) Thursday, is an intensive posing 
day. Add a another posing session so that you’re doing three 
45 minute sessions that include practicing your routine.
Carb Loading: At this point I would be eating 200gr – 250gr 
of carbs every day. The posing, the training and whatever 
light cardio I might be doing (no later than Wednesday) is 
eating them up, and some. By Wednesday I’ll start loading 
up on carbs. I’ll eat 350gr Wednesday, 550gr on Thursday, 
another 550gr on Friday. If I was losing weight, I’d increase 
my carbs again by 200gr. You have to feed your body or 
you’ll be flat - flat not fat. Whatever you eat over the next 
three days is not going to turn to body fat. 
What you have to worry about is water. When you’re hold-
ing water you can see it in your puffy ankles, or your face, or 
by the white dot your finger will leave on your skin when you 
poke your shoulder or your chest. You’ll know you’re flat just 
by looking in the mirror. 
Your body looks deflated. You can’t get a pump, no veins, 
your skin is loose. 
You need to fill your muscles with glycogen. The only way 
you’re going to do that is by eating.
235 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
Sodium: Cut back on sodium, Wednesday. You don’t have 
to go zero, but you do have to reel it in. Stay away from egg 
whites, don’t add salt to anything, and no dairy. You’ll add 
sodium back on show day, but until then, try to keep it as 
low as possible. 
Water: Make sure you’re getting plenty of water. At least 1 
– 1½ gallons a day. Friday afternoon before the show, cut it 
off. You can have little sips all day Saturday, just enough to 
get down your food.
Food: morning of show – eggs, pancakes, simple carbs like 
syrup, rice cakes, jelly. Pack some chicken breasts (in 3oz 
portions) with your food. You need to have some protein, all 
carbs might make you too gassy. Keep your portions small 
and eat frequently – every hour or two in order to keep your 
belly flat. Stop eating about an hour before pre judging. 
Start eating again after judging, every hour or two, small 
portions of simple and complex carbs and a little protein, 
right up until an hour before the evening finals. 
236
A few more last minute tips.....
The Friday before your show you’re going to drink up to 
3:00pm. Up to that time, you can add a natural diuretic tea, 
like uva ursi, to your gallon jug. Just make sure you drink 
the entire gallon by 3:00. Then just sip water to get food 
down.
Remember, if by Friday you still look flat you’ll need to in-
crease your carbs by another 150 to 200g more than what 
you took in on Thursday.
Always be mindful of the fact that this is what worked for 
me. We’re all a bit different. You may be more sensitiveto taking in as much carbs as I did. Or, you may have an 
even faster metabolism than I do, which means you’ll need 
more carbs. This is going to be something you’re going to 
have to try and test a few times until you find the right fi-
nal protocol for you, but I think this is a good place to start. 
You can always adjust. 
Also tuck away in your memory banks the fact that we tend 
to over diet and over deplete. How many guys do you see 
two days after a show, after they’ve inhaled the entire 
Chinese buffet, and look 10 times better than they looked 
the day of the show? It happens all the time. 
237 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
You need the complex carbs to fill back the glycogen that 
was depleted from the intense training prior to two weeks 
out. The reason you depleted carbs is because, after a 
period of deprivation, the body will over compensate its 
nutrient storage capacity. Your muscles will actually take 
up more glycogen after a period of depletion than if you 
had just cruised through and didn’t deplete. 
But, the system doesn’t work unless you feed it. 
Don’t be afraid to eat!
238
239 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
By the time you’ve reached the end of 
this book, you have been exposed to, and 
hopefully absorbed, the sum total of all of 
the knowledge I’ve learned over my entire 
bodybuilding career to build the classic 
physique. It’s what worked for me and now 
I’m passing it on to you. Your success is 
stretched before you still to achieve. 
Go get it.
“
240
NEXT STEPS:
The great thing about this guide is that you can follow it in many different ways 
simply by mixing up the workouts because it is a complete body program with 
so many different exercises for each body part. 
Maybe, you’ve noticed your body responding very well to specific exercises. 
Now it is time for you to have even more fun and create your own workouts by 
mixing up the exercises that are most effective for you!
1. SHARE YOUR CLASSIC PHYSIQUE
Seeing others succeed has always been a huge part of my life and I love 
sharing my knowledge with you. I encourage you to share your progress. 
USE THE HASHTAG #CLASSICPHYSIQUE AND LET’S LIFT EACH OTHER UP!
2. NEED HELP WITH YOUR NUTRITION?
As we all know, nutrition is 80-90% of our success or failure. I am also here to help 
you get on the right path with you nutrition and training and teach you how to make 
real healthy choices while still enjoying life the fullest. Dieting does not have to be 
boring and it certainly does not have to feel like a punishment.
EMAIL ME AT RICH@DRAGONSLAYERMEDIA.COM TO TAKE YOUR 
FITNESS GOALS TO THE NEXT LEVEL!
241 # C l a s s i c P h y s i q u e B i b l e
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