What's the value of strength training for the person on a Raw Food Diet?

          The most valuable contribution of strength training is that it gives you feedback about the diet. Most people are so concerned about protein and getting enough of it. Well, if you're getting stronger you can be assured that you're getting enough protein, how could you not? This totally confuses those who are unknowledgeable about a raw food diet. They'll tell you that you need your meat, eggs, and milk for protein, but at the same time, you'll be getting stronger without those foods, and it just plain baffles them, they don't have an answer for why you're getting stronger without those foods. The answer of course, is that you are getting enough protein, that the raw diet contains adequate protein provided you get enough calories.

     As your body adapts to the Raw Food Diet during the transition phase, most people lose weight. Personally I went from 152 lb, down to a low of 141 lb. for a short time, then as close to a year passed, my weight gradually increased to where a month before the photos above were taken, I weighed 158.5 lb. I would say it took me about a year to transition to the Raw Food Diet.

      My theory is that proper strength training will prevent muscle loss during this transition period (and beyond) allowing those people transitioning to the Raw Food Diet to maintain their muscle mass, and, along with a proper eating program (mostly not trying to subsist on only vegetables and no fruits), not end up looking like human skeletons.

     There are two types of bodybuilding techniques. The most common is known as "conventional" bodybuilding, where the basic thought is simply "more is better." As an example, a set of 8 repetitions is performed, and when you reach 8 repetitions you stop, regardless if you can do more or not. You then rest a minute or so, and do it again, and again, etc.

     The problem with conventional training is that frequently people will work out 3, 4, 5, or even 6 days per week. The idea is that the more you work out, the bigger muscles you'll get.

     My experiences with conventional training, working out 4 or 5 days per week is that all I really got from it was a constant tired, run down feeling and minimal gains, forcing me to take time off. I've since come to the conclusion that it takes more than working out long hours, or really hard. You can do both and end up with no gains. Instead, it's better to workout smart, meaning, knowing what you're doing in the gym. My motto then, is workout smart, not hard or long. 

     In the 1970's, the timing was right for a new training approach, and along came new hope for me. Arthur Jones, founder of the famous Nautilus exercise machines not only introduced machines that changed the fitness industry, but even more important was his "high-intensity" approach to building muscles. His message was this: train harder, but briefer. Whereas conventional  bodybuilders were training 4, 5, 6 or more hours per week, Arthur Jones trained Casey Viator usually for 3 days per week, about 30 minutes per workout - a total training time of about 90 minutes per week - enabling Casey to win the Mr. America at only 19 years of age - the youngest man to win it ever, and ever since!

     To top off the Arthur Jones story, there's the famous Colorado Experiment. In 1973, Casey Viator had lost weight due to an industrial accident. Under the supervision of Arthur Jones, in only 28 days Casey regained his lost muscular weight by gaining 45.28 lb. of bodyweight, and losing 17.93 lb. of fat, for a total muscle weight gain of 63.21 lb.! This was training 3 days per week for less than 30 minutes per workout! (read about the Colorado experiment at http://www.musclenet.com/coloradoexperiment.htm)

     Though High Intensity exercise was an improvement for me over the long workouts leading to overtraining, I found that it was still easy to over train using high intensity training too, as too much high intensity is too much for the body.

     I've since come to the conclusion that all the Colorado experiment proved is that when you're way underweight and below your normal weight, it's possible to return to your normal condition very rapidly, but when you approach the point where you will be gaining new muscle above and beyond your previous level, once again muscle growth slows and only grows as fast as your body will allow it due to present conditions.

     In my 20's, I learned all I could about high intensity training. I signed up at one of the new Nautilus training facilities popping up all over the country, and I started working out 3 days per week, for 30 minutes each. While I don't have the genetics that Casey Viator does, I did achieve my personal best condition by winning the 1981 Mr. Sonoma County bodybuilding contest.

     Then in 2005, at age 48, having not competed since 1982, I decided to see what I sort of condition I could achieve on the raw food diet. This time I was training only twice per week (the current Nautilus recommendation). Although I didn't quite equal my 1981 condition, I was only a few pounds less, and intended to try again for another contest later in the year to see if I could do better with some adjustments to my training routine, (which I never did).

     If you follow the bodybuilding contests you can see that all bodybuilders seem to peak in their 20's and 30's and have difficulty maintaining the size of their youth in their 40's and 50's and beyond. (My photos from this contest are above - I was age 47 in these photos and had been on a 100% raw food diet for about 2 1/2 years.)

     The point is however, that I did achieve a muscular condition that few people of any age are capable of, and I did it on a raw fruitarian diet. And I want to make a pitch here for high intensity training, proving that people can get good results without spending unrealistic amounts of time in the gym. The last 4 weeks before the May 2005 photos were taken, I had trained for under 1 hour per week for a total training time of less than 4 hours that month.

     Now I know that I don't have a physique equal to the top bodybuilders you read about in the magazines, but that's the point here. My physique is a realistic goal to aim for by the vast majority of those involved in the weightlifting game who wisely choose not to use chemicals to enhance their bodies, and here's the big kicker, those who are willing to put in the hard work it requires to attain such a physique. Believe me, I have found that results don't seem to be forthcoming until I get to the point where my workouts are so hard that I almost don't look forward to the workouts anymore, and would really rather quit - but obviously I don't.

     My message to you is that if I can do this, then you can add muscle to your body on a raw food diet too.

So, here's how I would recommend you train:

Start with the following routine

1. Calf Raise 1 set of 20 reps

2. Regular Deadlifts 1 set of 8 to 15 reps

3. Squats with Dumbbells 1 set of 15 to 20 reps

4. Parallel Bar Dips 1 set of 8 to 15 reps

5. Palms facing you chin ups 1 set of 8 to 15 reps

6. Overhead Press 1 set of 8 to 15 reps

7. Barbell curl 1 set of 8 to 15 reps

8. Tricep extension, supine on a bench 1 set of 8 to 15 reps

That's it. Do the routine 3 times per week, such as Monday, Wednesday, Friday. It should take you no longer than 20 minutes, including rest periods and set up times between exercises. When you first start, start with weights that are easy, to prevent soreness, and slowly add weight, say 2 1/2 or 5 lb. each workout until you reach the point of failure on each exercise, that is, when you can't do any more. At this point, simply stop adding weight and repeat the same workout, 3 times per week, for several weeks,  until you feel you can easly add more weight to some of the exercises. Then keep doing the workout again, until you feel rested and feel you can add weight. This way, you will not be adding weight each and every workout, which would quickly lead to overtraining. Instead, you add weight as your body adapts to the weight increases, which takes time. Eventually you will reach a point where you cannot add weight to the exercises, as each of us can only get so strong. At this point, I started adding sets, one by one, every few weeks as my body adapted to the new workload, and I started to grow!

     The problem I found with "high intensity training" is that in my own training I was never able to duplicate the results found in the high intensity training books with the case studies and standardized before and after pictures. The point of these books was that the author "found the key to muscle growth" and all you had to do was read his book and imitate the workout plan and you would get similar results. Well, I didn't, and it took me some trial and error over many years to find out why, and eventually I did find out that high intensity training is just plain too much and leads to over training, which is why I stated in the above example to add weight or sets, then keep repeating the workout as the body adapts, and this may take a week or two, or even three.

     From my years of training experience, I found that the 3 day per week training schedule using whole body workouts, gave me the best results by far.

     My new book, The Raw Food Bodybuilding Training Manual outlines my training recommendations for beginners, intermediates, and advanced trainees using this modification to high intensity training.

Questions:

Have you ever taken steroids?

     No, never even considered taking them. I recommend you do the same. This is a primarily a health endeavor, large muscles indicate a healthy body. It really lacks integrity to parade around with the appearance of health when in reality you are pumped full of bodybuilding drugs, what's the point? You'll find that ususally, anybody who does take the drugs will dodge this question and give an indefinite answer, whearas someone who doesn't take the drugs is very enthusiastic about the natural drug free contests and will answer your questions straightforwardly.

"Do you do any Cardio?"

     No, I find "cardio" unnecessary.

     First, Cardio is a poor method of buring calories. Intense exercse burns about 400 calories per hour. One pound of fat contains 3500 calories. How many hours would you need to exercise to burn one pound of fat? You can see it takes a long time and is very inefficient. And in the meantime because of all the extra activity, your appetite increases. I've tried cardio in the past and all I got was very hungry, very tired, and I seemed to lose muscle tissue. What works best for me is work out with weights 2 or 3 times per week to build muscle, and reduce my calories to lose fat. It's as simple as that.

     The other reason to do cardio is to exercise the heart. Again, I feel this is unnecessary. Aerobics has been around long enough now to measure the results, and we have not seen a huge decrease in cardiac health due to aerobics. Instead, what we have seen decrease the incidence of heart attack is remove meat, dairy, eggs, chicken and fish from the diet. This is a plant based diet and many real doctors that have had the courage to break away from medical dogma are having real success with their patients in improving cardiac health without surgery or drugs.

     As far as exercising the heart, I believe the body has two systems to back each other up. If the muscles are out of shape, the heart rate increases during exertion to deliver nutrients to the muscles. When the muscles conditioned to an activity, they are more efficient at extracting oxygen and nutrients and the heart rate doesn't increase as much as a back up system. It's really impossible to work the heart alone during "cardio" - you must work the skeletal muscles too. That's why I believe you can't do just "cardio" - it's really a poorly descriptive term. Instead, it's really just easy exercise carried to a point of exhaustion for the muscles so the heart rate has to increase as a back up system.

     Running is better exercise than walking. Sprinting is better exercise than running. Sprinting up steep hill is better exercise than sprinting on flat terrain. Why? Because each works the muscles harder. So why do a bunch of easy exercise and call it cardio? Instead, do high-intensity exercise - work the muscles as hard as you can - that's why I call it the natural evolution of "cardio".

What about Pilates and "Core" muscles?

     It has been said that if Joseph Pilates were alive today, he would be doing strength training with weights. He just didn't have the tools in his day. What you're really doing here is lower intensity exercise with bodyweight. People get lost in the terminology of "exercise for the core muscles." Actually, the abdominals and other "core" muscles are used during practially everything you do, especially during strength training. Some of the best abdominal exercises are chin-ups, pushups, pullovers, and I've found that even at the end of a heavy set of deadlifts, my abs are working hard!

     All through my bodybuilding career, I've never performed direct abdominal work, and I've had great abs!

     Although Pilates may be what some people like, just because they like it doesn't mean it will give you larger muscles. You have to do what does promote larger muscles and that's progressively lift heavier and heavier weights by strength training.

How important do you think the short rest between sets is in regard to your results (size and hormonal release and/or cut)?

     I feel that the shorter the rest periods, the better - as far as stimulating the overall growth of the body (indirect effect as Arthur Jones called it), which may affect a hormonal release that does this. In effect, I feel that the more work you do in a shorter period of time, the better.

     Look at it this way. Suppose on a Monday, I do a workout of 25 sets in 25 minutes. Then on Wednesday 2 days later, I do the exact same workout, same weight, reps and sets, but I do it in 22 minutes. To me, my body just performed more work in a shorter period of time, and that's a greater intensity, as I define intensity as the amount of work per unit of time. This makes a greater demand on the body and is the same as increasing the weight on exercises, in my opinion. You can decrease the time it takes to do a workout only so much though, and so you will need to eventually increase the weights too.

     The big catch here that I've found though, is not to sacrifice the amount of weight used for the amount of time it takes to do a workout. When I first did a high intensity workout, I raced through my workout and was breathing so hard that I had to drasticallly reduce my poundages and guess what happened? I lost size and blamed it on high intensity. Instead, I find it best to slowly decrease the time between sets and let the body adapt, and soon it will, then I continue to add weight.

     As far a getting cut though, I found that shorter rests make minimal difference, as a half hour workout doesn't use enough calories to substantially affect weight loss. The best bet is slowly decrease the amount of food intake to the point where you still have enough energy for daily tasks and your workout, but yet you are losing bodyfat.

Note: I have deleted my you tube videos because of the time I spent responding to unnecessary comments posted by people. It has been suggested that I re-post it with a password or something. I've yet to decide whether to do this or just produce an instrucdtional workout DVD showing proper form and more. Your suggestions on this would be welcome.