Hypertrophy Bootcamp: Day 5 Update

When I was invited to the Hypertrophy Bootcamp, I didn’t actually think it was a a REAL bootcamp! I thought it was primarily lecture. Nope!  Fifteen “balls to the wall” workouts in five days! Three chest and back workouts Monday; three quad workouts Tuesday; three arm workouts Wednesday; three hip workouts Thursday and three shoulder workouts Friday. Afterwards the reoccurring comment was, “I have not been training hard enough.”  It was a raw reminder of the importance of INTENSITY.

We asked Charles, “What has been the greatest and worst thing you’ve seen in the fitness industry since you started 32 years ago?”  His reply was, “The Internet.”  It’s great because of all the free information but horrible because more than 95% of the information in completely wrong.  This got me reflecting….

My personal journey has cycled through three phases of focus – Body, Business and Brain.  From 1998-2006 I was all about the Brain (University, certifications, courses etc), then from 2006-2010 I really dedicated myself to learning the business side of the industry, then in 2011 I was all about the Body and competed four times. Now in 2012 I’m back to the Brain and spending a fortune on new courses and getting around the smartest people I can find.  In my experience, it’s hard to focus on Business, Body, Brain all at once because you spread yourself thin.  I prefer to put all my eggs in one basket, via cycles, and get the most out of each one.  Focusing on one speciality at a time has proven successful for me.   I share this because Charles superiority of knowledge exposed how little I know (in the big picture) and although I know more than 97% of the population that’s not good enough for my standards. If you’re growing, you’re dying.

I’m so grateful for people like Charles who have dedicated their life to being extraordinary and after spending five days, I can’t image where I’ll be (and where you’ll be if you stick along for the ride) after an entire year of more courses and classes.

Alright, here are the takeaways from the last day! And here’s a pic of the amazing new friends I met from Canada, United Statues, Finland, Italy and Australia:

1. Jumping your meals from five to six a day makes a big improvement in hypertrophy. Jumping your meals from six to seven meals a day makes a HUGE improvement.  Seven is your magic number skinny guys!  There’s your next experiment!

2. A quote from Henry Ford, “Everyone who works for me is smarter than me.” How does this apply to your life?

3. Consistency in eating patterns is another MEGA limiting factor in muscle growth and lack of fat loss.

4. The two sports that abuse steroids the most? Tennis and cycling.  I’ll give you a simple way to spot steroids in sports.  If there is money there is juice. Hockey has the least amount of juice of any sport. The Kenyan runners are legit. It’s hard to detect steroids in other sports because the athletes don’t lift weights. If bodybuilders didn’t lift weights you would never know they are on steroids.

5. Carnitine is the number one under utilized supplement in bodybuilding.

6. Charles fertility boosting stack for men: 10g of carnitine (various types), 6 caps of Uber C (his specific Vitamin C product) and 180mg of zinc.  Carnitine will increase your sperm volume and the Vitamin C will make them swim!

7. If you struggle to make the right diet decision ask yourself, “Would a caveman eat it?”  Another way to look at this is, “If it doesn’t fly, swim, or walk or it isn’t green, don’t eat it.” This rule helps many people learn basic nutrition principles instead of following a rigid diet.

8. The most UNDER UTILIZED tool in athletics?  A professional stretcher.  His tip for guys who can’t find the motivation to stretch? Hire a really attractive girl to come stretch you and you’ll become compliant to the program no problem! Or join a stretching class with all females (for you single guys).

9. Infra red saunas are good for muscle growth because they boost growth hormone.

10. On a scale of 1 to 10, Charles rates a foam roller a minus 27 for being effective!  In his opinion, it’s a complete waste of time because most foam rollers are not hard enough to be effective.  Spending $100-200 on a ART therapist is the equivalent of 200 foam roller sessions. To understand his perspective, Charles is all about EFFICIENCY.  So, you’re not a bad person if you use a foam roller, he just feels it’s low on the chain for effectiveness.

11. Stretching 20 minutes a day for five times a week is useless and leads to no gains. For those who stretch 20 minutes a day. Has your flexibility REALLY improved?

12. To see a significant improvement in your flexibility: 6 hours a week for 3 months. Then 1 hour a week for maintenance. This is not research based this is the protocol he’s found effective with his athletes.

13. If you stretch between sets, be sure to contract the muscle for 2 seconds before starting your next set.

14. If you’re a trainer or coach: never overwhelm the client. People retain 10 seconds of info and the less info you provide the more they will retain. For example, when teaching technique, Charles uses three words or less per set.  One tip per set.  So if I’m doing horrible looking lateral raises his first cue might be, “Sit up tall.”  Next set, “Straighten your arms.” Next set, “Slower on decent.”

15. Rotate your personal trainers!  Every personal trainer favours certain techniques.  One train might be a stickler for tempo but not full range of motion.  Another trainer might be the opposite.  By working with different trainers you get exposure to each of their specialities. For those without trainers, rotating your training styles is critical.

16. YOU are your own worst coach.  We tend to favour the things we already do or are good at or like doing.

17. Dark haired and dark eye males need a higher dose of stimulants for a response. Blonde hair and blue eyes need a lower dose of stimulants for a response.

18. The BIGGEST mistake fitness professionals make is when they STOP LEARNING.  This was powerful to hear from a man who has 32 years experience and apart of hundreds of Olympic medals.

And I think that’s a great place to wrap up because, as you know, I’m a huge believer in the motto ALWAYS BE LEARNING!

Again, I know they’re many sound bites in my report and not many were in context so if you need clarification then ask.  I’m flying home from Rhode Island now and can’t wait to put my new info into action (after I take the next five days off to grow!). We were told we would all gain 5-7 lbs of lean body mass in the next five days so I’m going to bed with anticipation like it’s Christmas Eve!

Thanks for following the week with me and maybe one day you can join me at a Hypertrophy Bootcamp!

Vince Del Monte