Big and Strong

Live for Nothing or Die for Something.

5 things I told to my daughter.

My take on Self-Improvement.

1. "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie (5:10) 2. "Quiet" by Susan Cain (8:31) 3. "The definitive book of body language" by Allan & Barbara Pease (12:30) 4. "The power of full engagement" by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz (14:50) 5. "Fit in one year" by Yuriy Oliynyk (20:46) 6. "Why men don't listen and women can't read maps" by Allan & Barbara Pease (25:36) 7. "The rational male" by Rollo Tomassi (29:27)

If Training Program Does Not Work.

Q&A: is ATP2 a modification of 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler?

Complete Training Program to Increase Muscle Mass. ⚠️ If you decide to utilize ATP-style periodization model while using this program, the weights for Chin-Ups should be calculated with the same formula as for Dips.

Training Program Design for Bodybuilding and Powerlifting.

This video is designed to help people who want to become personal trainers or strength and conditioning coaches to decide which certification to choose. These are the books discussed in this video: A. “ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer” B. “NASM Essentials of Sports Performance Training” C. “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet

Abbreviated Training and Heavy Duty.

In this video I address some of the questions and comments I get about my books "Big and Strong Without Steroids" and "Fit in One Year."

The purpose of this channel is to help you get bigger and stronger without steroids. With today's obesity problem, however, I feel obligated to say at least a few words about losing weight. On paper it sounds very simple but in practice results vary substantially. A fighter can lose 30-40 pounds in a month or two, while someone else is struggling to lose a pound. There are many possible reasons for it but here is an observation I have made over years: some people are obsessed with food. As they are eating one meal they are already thinking about the next one. The moment they go on a diet, they start craving everything. They are contemplating their cheat meals for days. They are constantly looking up healthy recipes and counting calories. They just can't stop thinking about food. They are ADDICTED. Looking at this situation from such perspective explains why some people are repeatedly unsuccessful with losing weight: they never really address the main issue. For example, one of the mistakes people make while “dieting” is trying to enjoy the limited amount of food they are consuming as much as possible. This is an ill strategy because by doing so they surrender to the power of food over them. You can't win a fight over this addiction with such defeated mindset. The more sound approach is to deal with this addiction as you would with alcoholism. Forget about losing weight and focus on cleansing your mind instead. Just like you would get rid of all the alcohol while trying to quit drinking, clean up your house of all the junk food. Get rid of all the spices while you are at it. Your food doesn't have to taste good. You don't need all the variety. You don't need a hidden stash of candy for “emergency” situations. You don't need your morning coffee to be ready for work. Eliminate these tantrums! Eliminate your weakness! Once the house is clean, you are ready to get started. We are going to divide this process in two distinct steps. Do not attempt to accomplish both at the same time. Your first step is going to be to start eating clean. Decide on a few food items that you allowed to have for the next few months. Do not try to restrict the amount of food you consume at this point. Once you learn eating clean, eating less will be a lot easier. Just stick to the same boring meal schedule without any attempt to starve yourself. Take a week or two to figure out how many meals and their sizes you need per day to feel comfortable. You can measure and record your food if it makes it easier. By then you should also realize why sticking to the limited number of food choices makes it easier to keep track of things. Once you have been compliant for at least a month, you are ready for the second step. Slowly start reducing the portion sizes. Nothing too drastic. Just take away a little bit and stay with that for a month. If everything goes well, take away a little more next time. It shouldn't be too difficult concerning that you are probably sick of eating the same thing over and over again. At some point you will arrive at the amount of food that allows you to lose weight without feeling hungry. Hopefully your training will be coming along at the same time. Things get much more complicated when you add social interaction to the equation. The unfortunate reality is that our current understanding of having fun still revolves around gathering together to eat a lot of unhealthy food. These events are normally accompanied by continuous meaningless conversations, therefore, at least some alcohol is recommended to get appropriate silly vibe. Of course, it is unreasonable to recommend to stay away from all social functions, but do be aware that these situations will require significant restraint on your part. The problem is not that you will get fat overnight. The fact that you couldn't resist the temptation will remind you that you are still a slave of your addiction.

This episode combined with my "Fit and Healthy" video contains a complete system that can enable people who have never worked out before (level 1) to get to their genetic limits of athletic performance (level 4). If you are interested in more detailed description, check out my new book “FIT IN ONE YEAR”

Rules of building big arms without steroids: 1. Big arms = strong arms. 2. To have strong arms you have to be strong overall. 3. Elbows are fragile joints.

People ask me if using my programs will guarantee great results. And the answer is: no. We all have different work habits. Some people will find time to workout while they are deployed in Iraq, while others will tell me that they couldn't even get halfway through my book because it was too complicated. Read it again! Stop making excuses! Develop ability to GET THINGS DONE!

I've read hundreds of books and magazines about strength training. I've trained at some of the best gyms in the world. I've worked with some of the most brilliant coaches in the world. I've trained with some of the most elite military units in the world. I have multiple certifications and college degrees. And after almost three decades of collecting all this knowledge and experience I can confidently say that this is THE BEST TRAINING PROGRAM that has ever been created!!! This training program is only seven weeks long. Which means that nobody should be expecting to increase their bench press by 50 pounds or so at the end of it. Take whatever your recent max is (NOT your all time best from years ago), add 5-10 pounds to it and that's your 100% for this cycle. Even if you underestimated your 1RM, there is still a chance that you will surprise yourself on the PR day. On the other hand, if you overshoot - almost certainly all your work will go to waste.

If you want to get serious results without steroids, this program is just what you need. No fancy terminology. No exotic exercises. Just training program that is based on real science and has been successfully tested for decades.

Top 10 Books About Strength Training: 10. “The Weightlifting Encyclopedia: A Guide to World Class Performance” by Arthur J. Drechsler 9. “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky 8. “The Westside Barbell Book of Methods” by Louie Simmons 7. “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer 6. “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli 5. “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” by Arnold Schwarzenegger 4. “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet 3. “Starting Strength Basic Barbell Training” by Mark Rippetoe 2. “Brawn: Bodybuilding for the Drug-Free and Genetically Typical” by Stuart McRobert 1. “Practical Programming for Strength Training” by Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker

This video contains an example of a training program that could help you stay fit and healthy. There is nothing magical about it and it's all about ACTUALLY DOING IT. Resist temptation to find an excuse for why you can't do it. Where there's a will, there's a way. If you do decide to commit to training, understand that participation in any strenuous physical activity involves risk of a potential injury. That is why it is important to take precautions to reduce your chances of getting injured. The first step is to make sure you consult a physician before committing to this program. Significant modifications might be needed because of your age, preexisting injuries or medical conditions. Once you started training, make sure to begin with very light weights and give yourself plenty of time to learn the proper form for all exercises. It will usually take at least few weeks. Being impatient and careless during this time can turn a healthy exercise habit into eventual catastrophe. If during training session something feels very painful - stop performing an exercise and assess the situation. Either you are performing exercise incorrectly (usually goes in hand with using weights that are too heavy) or there is an underlying pathology that needs to checked out by a qualified medical professional. In either case do not ignore these signs of potential trouble your body is giving you and take appropriate action.

Tenth episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. These are some of the recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “The Weightlifting Encyclopedia: A Guide to World Class Performance” by Arthur J. Drechsler “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky “The Westside Barbell Book of Methods” by Louie Simmons “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” by Arnold Schwarzenegger “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet “ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer”

Ninth episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. The only time I have seen this concept mentioned in any of the books was on the page 117 of the third edition of “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet.

Eighth episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. These are some of the recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli

Seventh episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. These are some of the recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky “The Westside Barbell Book of Methods” by Louie Simmons “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli “Practical Programming for Strength Training” by Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker “ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer” “Ultimate Bodybuilding” by Joe Weider

Sixth episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. This video explains how 80/20 rule applies to strength training. These are some of the recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “The Westside Barbell Book of Methods” by Louie Simmons “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli

Fifth episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. The only time I have ever seen a similar concept discussed anywhere was on pages 81-82 of the “Ultimate Bodybuilding” by Joe Weider. A more modern version of this concept is “Maximum Recoverable Volume” (MRV) popularized by Mike Israetel. These are some other recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “Brawn: Bodybuilding for the Drug-Free and Genetically Typical” by Stuart McRobert If you want lo learn more about the importance of GPP training I would also recommend: “5/3/1 Forever” by Jim Wendler “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky “The Westside Barbell Book of Methods” by Louie Simmons

Fourth episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. These are some of the recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet “Practical Programming for Strength Training” by Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker

Third episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. These are some of the recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky ”Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet “Starting Strength Basic Barbell Training” by Mark Rippetoe “Practical Programming for Strength Training” by Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker “ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer”

Second episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. These are some of the recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli “Practical Programming for Strength Training” by Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet

First episode of the "Theory of Strength Training" series. These are some of the recommended readings if you want to learn more about this subject: “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli “Practical Programming for Strength Training” by Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet

Just a little bit about myself and how it all started.

In this episode I address some questions and comments regarding my books "BIG AND STRONG WITHOUT STEROIDS" and "FIT IN ONE YEAR"

Rules of building big arms without steroids: 1. Big arms = strong arms 2. To have strong arms you have to be strong overall 3. Elbows are fragile joints

When you begin strength training it is very important to start moving in the right direction. In this episode I am sharing some of the advice on how to to do it.

Introduction to my channel and some of my background

Example of a meal plan* (* FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY) June 22nd - July 22nd Meal 1 · Two eggs, sunny side up. · 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal, 1 teaspoon of honey. · 1 cup of 1% fat milk (Foodtown). Meal 2 · 1 apple (Vurrica). · 10 almonds. Meal 3 · Grilled chicken breast (Foodtown), pinch of salt, pinch of pepper. · 1 cup of chopped Romaine lettuce (Foodtown). · 5 cherry tomatoes (Vurrica). · 1 cucumber, diced (Vurrica). · 1 slice of onion, diced (Vurrica). · 1/2 container of 5% fat Greek yogurt (Fage). · Pinch of salt. · Pinch of pepper. Meal 4 · 1/2 container 4% fat cottage cheese (Hood). · 10 blueberries.

1. "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie. 2. "Quiet" by Susan Cain. 3. "The definitive book of body language" by Allan & Barbara Pease. 4. "The power of full engagement" by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. 5. "Fit in one year" by Yuriy Oliynyk 6. "Why men don't listen and women can't read maps" by Allan & Barbara Pease. 7. "The rational male" by Rollo Tomassi.

In this video I talk about "Heavy Duty" by Mike Mentzer and "Abbreviated Training" by Stuart McRobert

Top 10 Books About Strength Training: 10. “The Weightlifting Encyclopedia: A Guide to World Class Performance” by Arthur J. Drechsler 9. “Supertraining” by Mel C. Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky 8. “The Westside Barbell Book of Methods” by Louie Simmons 7. “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer 6. “Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training” by Tudor O. Bompa and Carlo A. Buzzichelli 5. “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” by Arnold Schwarzenegger 4. “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Tripplet 3. “Starting Strength Basic Barbell Training” by Mark Rippetoe 2. “Brawn: Bodybuilding for the Drug-Free and Genetically Typical” by Stuart McRobert 1. “Practical Programming for Strength Training” by Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker