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CONTENTS
Bodybuilding.com magazine.
7 Editor’s Letter
Why we created this magazine
and how to use it.
9 The Warm-up
The next All Access plan, new
ways to evolve your workouts,
and the video you need for
insane motivation.
BUILD MUSCLE
16 3 Intensity-Boosting
Techniques for More Muscle
Kris Gethin shows you how and
why to get comfortable being
uncomfortable.
19 5 Tips for Gaining Mass Fast
Fast-track your muscle growth
and build size in a hurry.
19 Ask the Muscle Doc
What’s better: a full range of
motion or partial reps?
20 Editors’ Picks
The tools you need to build
muscle: programs, supps,
accessories, and more!
Welcome to the first issue of Real Fitness, the
LOSE WEIGHT 26 Editors’ Picks
Supplements, workout plans,
22 Paige Hathaway’s Fat- and gear: everything you need to
Burning Bodyweight Circuit burn body fat and keep it off.
Social media superstar Paige
Hathaway shares her favorite
GAIN STRENGTH
bodyweight moves.
28 Layne Norton: Look Strong,
25 Lose More Weight in Lift Strong
the Gym Try this innovative workout
Pro advice to supercharge your to build oak-strong legs and
shred sessions. massive arms!
25
Ketosis
Ask the Supplement
Expert: Are
supplemental
ketones as good as a
ketogenic diet?
 Charge to the Finish Line in
This Intense 90-Day Plan
Scott Herman Guides You on Building Muscle,
Improving Mobility, and Losing Weight

Workout tracking so you never lose your place again!

GET ALL ACCESS

Your Membership, Your

Choice on How to Pay: 
• $89.99/year (42% savings!)
• $29.99/quarter (23% savings)
• $12.99/month

4
 44
Transformation
Josh Deese
changed his life and
body for love.

GAIN STRENGTH
CONTINUED
31 4 Ways to Improve Your Squat
Progressive overload isn’t enough.
Battle the weak points in your
squat head-on.
AFTER
31 Ask the Super Strong Guy BEFORE
Can you cut carbs and hold onto
your strength and weight?

32 Editors’ Picks REAL PEOPLE, REAL

Getting crazy strong is 90 percent
effort and planning. For that final
10 percent, these products
can help.
GET FIT
34 Man-Maker Mayhem
Test your strength and fitness with
one pair of dumbbells and this
rapid-fire video workout.
37 Stretching: When, How,
and Why
Your flexibility routine is due for
an overhaul. Here’s what you need
to know.
37 Ask the Master Motivator
How do you motivate your
significant other to work out
with you?
R E S U LT S
40 Sara Solomon: Stronger Than
Ever
Fitness phenom Dr. Sara Solomon
never stops evolving. Here’s
where she’s going next.
44 Transformation: Josh Deese
After years of obesity and
depression, Josh Deese found the
motivation to transform his life top
to bottom.
48 The Last Set
The 12 key takeaways from this
issue you can put into action
right now!
HOW TO USE THE
DIGITAL MAG
It’s not an overstatement
to say that Real Fitness
is the most interactive
magazine you’ve ever
encountered.
You can play videos
with just a click. You can
also listen to podcasts,
and even shop for your
favorite products, right
in the magazine. Images
you encounter might be
static, or they might be
a GIF.

38 Editors’ Picks Look for even more

Plenty of products claim to help interactivity in
you get fit. We eliminated the upcoming issues!
guesswork and picked the best!
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EDITOR’S LETTER
Welcome to REAL FITNESS
We have been publishing fitness
content now for two decades;
arguably, we have published more
digital fitness content—articles,
videos, photographs, forum
threads, and social media posts—
during that span than any other
publisher in the world. In fact, many
of you probably know us as much
for our content as you do for our
supplement store.
The breadth of our publishing
empire is one reason we
decided to launch our first digital
magazine. There is now so
much Bodybuilding.com content
spread across so many areas
of the site—not to mention on
our social media platforms—that
finding it, let alone digesting it all,
can be an impossible challenge.
This magazine, which is slated to
publish quarterly, distills the best of
our content into one easy-to-digest
package. Think of it as your free
portal into the rest of Bodybuilding.
com: the articles and videos, online
supplement store, social media
channels, podcast, forums, and more.
Another reason we are launching
now is that digital magazine
publishing technology finally
caught up with the multimedia
nature of our own publishing
efforts. The cutting-edge platform
we chose allows you to not only
read, but also watch videos on the
REAL FITNESS
Vice President Of Digital Publishing
Brandon Poe
Editor-In-Chief
Jeff O’Connell
Director Of Creative Services
Meghan Kahnle
Executive Editor
Nick Collias
Senior Content Editor
Heather Eastman
page, listen to podcasts, and shop
for supplements, apparel, and gear
while you read.
So, why “Real Fitness?” The name
struck us as being emblematic of
what the site has always been about:
evidence-based content. We’re all
about real people showcasing real
results. Fitness solutions that work,
even if they don’t work overnight.
Experts with legit credentials,
along with influencers and
average readers with experiential
knowledge that holds up under
critical scrutiny and doesn’t
contradict accepted science.
In light of all that, the choice for our
first cover model was surprisingly
easy. Abel Albonetti’s journey to
Bodybuilding.com, and his growth
on the site, reflects the evolution
of our own content. In his teens,
he began learning about fitness by
devouring everything he could read
on Bodybuilding.com. After gaining
exposure through photoshoots,
he shot to prominence as an
influencer who clearly knew what
he was talking about. He began
sharing high-volume workouts with
us in 2016, and they were instantly
wildly popular. Videos featuring him
blew up on our YouTube channel,
as did his live appearances
on our Facebook page. When
Bodybuilding.com introduced
All Access, the subscription
Content Editors
Shoshanna Cohen, Kailan Kalina
Copy Editor
Frieda Johnson
Senior Graphic Designers
Makayla Frickey, Greg Descargar
Contributing Designer
Morgan Specht
Content Technology Manager
Richard Barnet
portion of our content, in 2017,
Albonetti quickly became a leading
contributor to that platform. His
program 30-Day Abs was launched
in 2018, followed by 30-Day Chest
and 30-Day Shoulders in 2019.
He’s just getting started, too. Here’s
the lineup for upcoming plans
featuring Albonetti in All Access:
30-Day Back July 2019
30-Day Arms September 2019
30-Day Legs November 2019
90 Days to Maximum Muscle
December 2019
It took Albonetti 12 years to
become an overnight sensation,
and gaining muscle never came
easy for him. Like us, his goal is to
help you get the body you want
without taking any shortcuts—
but also without taking needless
detours based on bad information.
“My goal in the fitness industry is
to help people both physically and
mentally,” he says. “A lot of people
out there are looking for answers. I
want to help them get healthier and
just enjoy life.”
Same here. We hope Real Fitness
provides more of the answers
you’re looking for and that
you have come to expect from
Bodybuilding.com.
Jeff O’Connell
Bodybuilding.com
Editor-in-Chief
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A few dumbbells, a bit of floor space, and
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Bodybuilding.com Bodybuilding.com All Access
All Access Programs Launched: 2017
Programs: 60
1 Jim Stoppani’s 6-Week 6 Kris Gethin’s 12-Week Subscribers: Over 100,000 and
Shortcut to Shred Muscle-Building Trainer
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5 Alpha M’s Tailored: 6 10 FYR: Hannah Eden’s Sign up Now!

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Did you know that along with
great content, Bodybuilding.com
is one of the internet’s largest and
most comprehensive supplement
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11

In just under a year, Meg Crews, and Jay Cutler.
Squats’ “Meet the Powerlifting
Grandma” video has risen As Meg shares in the video,
to become the second-most she was subjected to hours
popular video in the history of serious make-up work
of our YouTube channel, right to become the 83-year-old
up there with Arnold, Terry granny who can pull 375
SNAPSHOT: The Bodybuilding.com YouTube Channel
Subscribers: 4,295,336 and counting
Views in 2018: 176 million
All-Time Most-Viewed Bodybuilding.com YouTube Videos
How to Train for Mass:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
37M views
Meet the Powerlifting Grandma
20M views
30-Minute at Home Strength
Workout | Clutch Life
12M views
Super-Pump Arm Workout
| Abel Albonetti
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Shoulder-Gains Workout
| Jake Alvarez
8.5M views
12
and squat several plates
effortlessly. But if you want
to transform yourself for
the better, there’s a more
straightforward way that
doesn’t involve any masks
or wigs.
All you have to do is work
hard, eat up, and let Meg
teach you the right way
to lift! Her popular eight-
week program, Uplifted:
Build Muscle and Strength
with Meg Squats, is helping
women (and men, too) around
the world feel the unique joy
of moving a heavier barbell
than they ever imagined.
Total Videos: 3,000 and counting
First Video: December 8, 2009
How to Eat for Mass | Jay
Cutler
8.5M views
At-Home Core Workout |
Clutch Life
8.5M views
Terry Crews’ Expendables
Training
8M views
Jordan Grahm’s
Transformation Story
7.2M views
How a Bodybuilder Eats to
Build Muscle | Evan Centopani
7M views
FYR 2.0 Launches 8/30/2019
Escape from your comfort zone with these
kick-ass 30-minute video workouts.
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13
 The Bodybuilding.com Podcast
went live in 2016 with an
episode titled “You’re Doing
it All Wrong,” outlining all
the ways lifters tend to work
against themselves. We’ve
been trying to help lifters get it
right ever since!
The Bodybuilding.com Podcast’s
Every two weeks or so,
Bodybuilding.com releases
a new episode, wherein the
hosts interview fitness stars and
influencers, discuss hot topics
in health and training, and
introduce new Bodybuilding.
com All Access programs.
SNAPSHOT:
Bodybuilding.com Podcast
Hosts: Nick Collias and
Heather Eastman
First Episode: October 14, 2016
Episodes: 65 and counting
Where to listen: Online or
wherever you get podcasts

Most Listened-To Episodes

1 Dr. Layne Norton’s Hard
Truths of Training
2 How to Eat for Strength
Without Budging the
Scale
3 You’re Doing it All Wrong!
4 Dr. Jim Stoppani on Full-
Body Training, Fasting,
and More
5 The Foundations of
Fitness Nutrition
6 Dr. Dom D’Agostino on
the Ketogenic Diet
7 Pauline Nordin: Lessons
from 20 Years of Hard
Training
8 Abel Albonetti on How
He Earned (And Keeps)
Those Abs
9 Straight Talk on Protein
and More with Dr. Jose
Antonio
10 Old-School Training
Wisdom from Julian
“The Quad Guy” Smith
Browse All Episodes
Inside The Art Of The Dunk
Podcast Episode 62: Myree Bowden -
The Underground Dunk King
It’s such a great feeling,
like maxing out on a
bench or getting a PR in a
hang clean. To be able to
perform this and do it with
aggression, authority—
you’re putting your stamp
on it. It just feels great.

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Nick Collias Heather Eastman

Nick is the executive editor at
Bodybuilding.com and the lead
host of the podcast. He’s also a
certified RKC kettlebell instructor
and was a member of Team USA
at the Professional Armlifting League World
Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia, in
May 2019. You can learn more about him in the
episode “Nick’s Quest to Get a Grip.”
14
Heather is a senior content editor
at Bodybuilding.com and the co-
host of the podcast. She’s also a
personal trainer, former physique
competitor, judge, and prep coach.
You can hear more about her in the episode “The
Weird, Gritty World of Contest Prep.”
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 BUILD MUSCLE

For bodybuilder Kris Gethin,

the strategic use of intensity
boosters has helped take his
physique to the next level.

16
 -

Every diehard lifter needs a full arsenal of intensity

techniques to use on a moment’s notice. These three
inarguable classics will help you push through the down
times and get comfortable being uncomfortable!
By Kris Gethin

If you’ve been training is the time when it’s perfect to 1. DROPSETS

consistently for at least a couple
of years, there has probably been
a time when you came up against
some kind of plateau. You’re in
the gym regularly, hitting it five
days a week, never missing
a meal, and taking the right
supplements, but the scale and
the mirror just aren’t cooperating
like they used to.
When this happens, you need to
start thinking outside of the box—
or more specifically, outside of
the same old sets and reps. This
start using the advanced training
principles that bodybuilders have
been using for decades, and that
I’ve been using myself for the last
20 years to continue to evolve
and grow.
You can find all four of my go-to
intensity boosters throughout my
most popular training programs,
such as “Kris Gethin’s 12-Week
Muscle-Building Trainer” and the
“8-Week Hardcore Trainer,” or you
can test them out for yourself in
your workouts.
Dropsets are the ultimate
“simple on paper, hard in action”
technique. When you hit failure at,
say, 12-15 repetitions on a move
like the cable biceps curl, you
simply lighten the weight a couple
of plates and bust out another
5-6 reps, which should take you
to failure again. You could stop
there, or you could make another
drop for another 5-6 reps, which
would be a double dropset.
By the end of that second drop,
your biceps should be screaming.
17
 You’ll hit both your fast-twitch and
slow-twitch fibers, push plenty
of blood into the muscle, and do
enough damage to force your
body to respond by
growing.
2. GIANT SETS
There’s nothing
like giant sets
to give lagging
muscle groups
an unmistakable
message to grow.
Legs in particular
can benefit from this
brutality, because
they’re made of large muscles, but
they’re also a serious weakness
in a lot of bodybuilders. Too
many lifters focus on their upper
bodies and neglect their legs, or
sleepwalk through their lower-body
training. Giant sets will help you
turn this weakness into a weapon.
Giant sets are simply three or more
Kris Gethin’s exercises in a row, with little to
no rest between. And I’m not just
Muscle-Building talking three isolation moves like
12-Week Trainer leg extensions, leg curls, and calf
raises. No, my favorite giant sets
You asked, Gethin for legs are built around high reps
answered. You wanted of compound exercises, and they
to know how to build an look more like this:
extreme amount of size
in 12 weeks, and he has TRISET: Up to 5 sets
your plan. Gethin built the Squat: 20 reps
Muscle-Building Trainer Leg press: 20 reps
over the course of 15 years Hack squat: 20 reps
of working with some of
the world’s best experts, Don’t go to failure on these sets.
then tested everything This should be hard, but I want
on himself! you to be able to hit every rep,
push a massive amount of blood
into the legs, recover for a couple
Available Only of minutes, and then be able to do
On All Access it again.
3. SUPERSETS
START YOUR FREE There are different variations of
7-DAY TRIAL supersets for all parts of the body.
18
You can hit antagonist muscle
groups, like biceps and triceps,
noncompeting muscle groups,
or crush the same muscle group
with two movements back to back.
When the goal is to bring up a
muscle group that is refusing to
grow, I like the third option.
More specifically, I like to do an
isolation movement, such as a
The goal here is pain,
not comfort, so seek
failure and drown that
muscle in lactic acid!
triceps extension variation,
followed by a multijoint exercise,
such as a close-grip push-up.
When you do a close-grip push-
up, other muscle groups like the
shoulders and chest inevitably
help out. This means you can go
all the way to failure on the triceps
isolation move first, but then
accentuate that failure by getting
some more quality reps and burn
out even more muscle tissue.
The goal here is pain, not comfort,
so seek failure and drown that
muscle in lactic acid!
Adapted from Kris Gethin’s 4
Essential Intensity-Boosting
Techniques For More Muscle.
You can’t avoid the fact that building
muscle takes time—sorry, but Ronnie
Coleman didn’t get that way from a
4-week bulking program. That said,
there are a few things that can speed
up the process.
1. FOCUS ON MULTIJOINT
MOVEMENTS
Multijoint lifts (squats, push-ups)
recruit more muscle groups
than isolation exercises (leg
extensions, curls). That doesn’t
just allow you to push heavier
weights, it also produces greater
increases in both growth hormone
and testosterone, which translates
to more muscle growth.
2. DO THINGS YOU HATE
If you never venture into the pain
cave, your muscles will never be
forced to adapt to new demands.
See what happens when you
add two more reps or five more
Ask The Muscle Doc: What’s The Best
Range Of Motion For Maximizing Muscle?
By Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.
I see conflicting information all
over the Internet concerning the
ideal range of motion for building
muscle. What’s your take?
Generally, working through a full
range of motion (ROM) builds
more muscle than partial reps. But
that’s not the whole story. Muscle
activation varies based on the joint
angle. For instance, the long head
pounds to your hardest lift,
or do a few sets of your
least favorite exercise.
3. TRAIN WITH A
WORKOUT PARTNER
Spotters are good for
more than just safety.
It’s easier to squeeze
out one more rep when
someone’s watching, and they
can see your form mistakes better
than you can. In gym etiquette, it’s
totally OK to ask that random guy
with the same workout schedule
to spot you, bro, so don’t be shy.
4. ADD PRE-BEDTIME PROTEIN
You know how important it is to
eat frequently during the day.
But what about those eight hours
you’re asleep? Casein protein—
available as a powder or the anabolic
supplement known as cottage
cheese—takes several hours
of the biceps works harder during
the initial phase of a curl, while
the short head assumes a greater
burden in the latter phase. And
training in the bottom position of a
movement is particularly effective
across the board.
So, if your goal is to pack on size,
a majority of training should be
carried out through a full ROM,
to digest, giving your muscles
something to snack on overnight.
5. TAKE CREATINE EVERY DAY
An avalanche of research supports
creatine for bodybuilders and
strength trainers. The short version:
Creatine helps your muscles
produce more energy, so you can
push harder for longer and have a
more productive workout. Plus it’s
cheap. Win-win.
This article is the tip of the muscle-
building iceberg. To learn more,
read our guide to gaining weight.
with particular attention paid to the
fully stretched position. Sprinkle in
some partial reps too; even just a
few heavy-load sets per week in a
muscle’s strongest range can help
maximize gains.
This is the short version of a more
complex topic. Read the full ROM
geek-out here.
19
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 LOSE WEIGHT

Fitness influencer Paige

Hathaway understands that
building muscle is crucial for
burning fat.

22
 Social media superstar Paige Hathaway takes you through
her favorite bodyweight moves to train the whole body.
By Roger Lockridge

Paige Hathaway created this
30-minute full-body no-equipment
program to take care of business
in a short amount of time, while
enjoying yourself along the way.
“I designed this workout to make
cardio fun,” says Hathaway.
“You’re still going to build muscle
and strength while burning the
most calories in the least amount
of time.”
You’ll alternate two exercises for
a minute, then rest 30 seconds
and move to a different pairing.
The only exception is the single-
leg burpee (you read that right),
where you’ll just alternate legs for
a minute.
Take a few minutes to generally
warm up, familiarize yourself with
the movements, and then dive in!

23

FYR: Hannah Eden’s
30-Day Fitness Plan
Hannah Eden’s training
style simply must be
experienced in real time.
That’s why this program is
structured around follow-
along workouts that are all
30 minutes or less, start to
finish. Once Hannah gets
you going, there’s
no escape!
Available Only
On All Access
START YOUR FREE
7-DAY TRIAL
24
Single-Leg Burpee
Not only does each
leg have to work
harder in this burpee
variation, your core
and shoulders will
feel the difference,
too. Do 30 seconds
with one leg, then
switch.
FAT-BURNING If you can’t do single-
BODYWEIGHT CIRCUIT leg burpees for the full minute,
Perform 4 total rounds, resting 1 min. just try to do as many as you can
between rounds
before switching to doing them
with both legs.
Superset
Frog Squat 5 Reps Superset: Shoot-Through and
Jump Lunge 5 Reps/leg Heel Tap
Alternate performing 5 reps of
Single-Leg Burpee 30 sec./leg
each exercise while the clock is
Superset ticking. If you’re doing this with a
Shoot-Through 5 Reps/leg partner, leave plenty of space.
Heel Tap 5 Reps/leg
“The shoot-throughs are so much
Superset
fun,” Hathaway says. “They’re
Mountain Climber 5 Reps/leg going to work your arms and your
Air Bike 5 Reps/leg back and when you stand up,
Superset those heel taps are really going to
Bear Crawl 4-5 Steps get your heart pumping.”
Burpee 1 Rep
Superset: Mountain Climber and
Bicycle Crunch
TECHNIQUE TIPS Start with five mountain climbers
followed by five bicycle crunches.
Superset: Frog Squat and
Jump Lunge
For the frog squat, lock your feet in You’re still going to build
place, lock your elbows into your muscle and strength while
knees, and move your hips up and
burning the most calories in
down. Keep your spine neutral and
the least amount of time.
don’t lower your head. This will
warm you up right away.
Rinse and repeat until you’ve
As for the other half of the reached 60 seconds.
superset, beginners can do a
simple alternating lunge. If While the mountain climbers will
you’re more advanced or want challenge the arms and chest, the
a challenge, Hathaway has one real emphasis for this pairing is the
for you: “You’re going to do a abs. Make each rep count.
jump lunge.”
Adapted from Paige Hathaway’s Fat-
Keep these strict and powerful! Burning Bodyweight Circuit
Are you making the most of
your gym time? Lean up with
these workout tweaks from elite
athletes and coaches.
1. D
 ON’T DITCH THE
HEAVY WEIGHTS
“I’ve lifted weights for over 10
years,” says personal trainer
Lindsay Cappotelli, “and I’ve
found that heavy weights lifted for
5-8 reps with a focus on big lifts
like the squat, deadlift, and bench
press have worked best for me.
You always hear, ‘Train with light
weights for high reps to burn fat,’
but I’ve found the opposite to
be true.”
2. U
 SE SUPERSETS FOR
SUPERIOR RESULTS
“I’m a fan of supersets and pairing
up body parts so you can train
Ask The Supplement Expert:
The Skinny on Ketone Supplements
Chris Lockwood, Ph.D., CSCS
Will taking ketone supplements
while eating a normal diet
provide the same fat-loss benefits
as being on a seriously carb-
restricted, or ketogenic diet?
Ketone supplements, such as
beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) salts
or esters, don’t appear to stimulate
the body’s liberation and burning
them 1-2 times a week,” says
Dave Dreas, fitness model and
entrepreneur. “If you have a
good program laid out, you can
cycle through higher weight and
high volume.”
3. CUT YOUR REST INTERVALS
Long rests between sets could
hold you back, cautions personal
trainer Cody Ivey. While he’s
also a big fan of supersets,
Ivey doesn’t rest more than 30
seconds after any set when he’s
leaning out.
4. FINISH WITH A KICK
“What’s worked for me has been
adding in short, 5-10-minute
finishers after my strength-training
workouts 1-3 times per week,”
says Cappotelli. “A few examples
are several sets of heavy farmer’s
of stored body fat as fuel on their
own. And no, raising blood levels
of ketones by consuming a ketone
supplement isn’t the same thing as
your cells manufacturing ketones to
support energy needs.
I don’t think ketone supps are
total bunk, though. I recommend
thinking of them as an alternative
caloric fuel. My experience—
Think training for weight loss is all about high reps
and light weights? Think again!
walks, battle ropes, double-
unders ( jump rope), kettlebell
swings, or prowler sprints.”
5. L
 OCK DOWN YOUR
NUTRITION
Of course, no workout can produce
results without a solid nutrition
plan. Learn how to eat right for
your goals in Bodybuilding.com’s
Foundations of Fitness Nutrition
course on All Access.
This is a condensed version of a
longer article. For more tips on
losing weight, read the full article.
one that I’ll admit hasn’t yet
been investigated directly using
humans—is that short-term ketone
supplementation can help reduce
hunger and support cognitive
energy during periods of
caloric restriction.
This is the short version of a more
complex topic. Learn more about
ketone science by reading the
extended article.
25
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27
 GAIN STRENGTH

Layne Norton, Ph.D., argues

that you don’t need to
choose between size and
strength. You can have both!

28
 Size or strength? For raw elite powerlifter and
natural bodybuilder Layne Norton, the answer
is both. Try this innovative workout to build
oak-strong legs and jacked arms!
By Layne Norton, Ph.D.

I’m a powerlifter and bodybuilder.
When I go to the gym, I want to
make my big lifts bigger, but also
add size with some hypertrophy
work. If you’re interested in being
strong and looking strong, this
workout will help accomplish both
goals at once—without spending
hours in the gym.
This workout is tough, yes, but
it’s effective. The template is also
extremely versatile and can be
used with any of the “big three”
lifts. If you want to repeat the
session for other body parts, you
can simply implement the deadlift
or bench instead of the squat,
and then incorporate accessory
work of your choice for other
body parts like your back, delts,
or chest.
Why Squat Heavy?
Even if you’re not a powerlifter,
the barbell back squat is well
worth your time. It’ll challenge
your entire lower body and help
make your core iron strong,
making it one of the best
movements for building overall
strength and size.
There’s nothing magical about
29

Ph3: Layne Norton’s
Power Hypertrophy
13-Week Trainer
Squat, bench, and deadlift.
The big three. The standard
of strength. No one has
been able to replace them,
and you’ll never outgrow
them. Make consistent
progress on the big three,
add in a little bodybuilding
work and a smart diet, and
you’ll build the body you
want: dense, muscular, and
strong. This program will
help you do it.
Available Only
On All Access
START YOUR FREE
7-DAY TRIAL
30
doing 4 sets of 6 on squats, I
simply like this rep range because
it allows me to use heavy weights
and still get quite a bit of volume in.
I encourage using a variety of
rep ranges as part of a properly
periodized training program like
my Bodybuilding.com All
Access program Ph3: Layne
Norton’s Power Hypertrophy
13-Week Trainer.
One thing I don’t encourage:
simply getting into the rack and
squatting. Think about what you’re
going to do. Think about how
you’re going to do it. If you have a
pre-squat ritual, follow it. Each set
should be a concentrated effort.
Take 5-10 minutes of rest between
each set. A lot of people believe
that increasing your rest period
cuts down on muscle stimulation,
but for a big movement like the
back squat, that’s not the case.
The time your muscles spend
under tension is cumulative, so
even though I take a fair amount
of rest, my muscles get plenty of
time under tension (TUT) to grow.
Moreover, by taking longer rest
periods, I can give max effort to
each set and lift near-max weight.
Yes, there are benefits to using
less rest, but if you decide to do
that, you’ll have to use lighter
weight. The choice is yours.
Flow to Grow
Another unique
feature of this work
is its usage of blood
flow restriction
(BFR) training. BFR
is a relatively new
training technique in
which you wrap your
appendages with a
knee, wrist, or other
wrap to restrict blood
flow to the veins, not the arteries.
This restriction causes an increase
in cell swelling that may help you
build more muscle—and even
boost maximum strength!
I like to use BFR because it
allows me to add training volume
without taxing my joints too much
or detracting from my main lifts.
Plenty of research indicates
that BFR using low-intensity
resistance, like 20 percent of
your one-rep max, may be just as
effective at increasing strength
and hypertrophy compared to
traditional strength or
hypertrophy training.
BFR may sound dangerous, but
research indicates that it’s completely
safe when done correctly.
LAYNE NORTON’S LEGS
AND ARMS BLAST
Note: 1 cluster set = 4 mini-sets of 30, 15, 15,
15 reps. Rest 30 sec. between mini-sets and
1-2 min. between cluster sets.
Barbell Back Squat 4 sets of 6 reps
Dumbbell Curl (BFR) 2 cluster sets
Cable Triceps Push- 2 cluster sets
Down (BFR)
Seated Calf Raise 2 cluster sets
(BFR)
This is adapted from the article “Look
Strong, Lift Strong: Layne Norton’s Legs
and Arms Blast” on Bodybuilding.com.
 By Tony Gentilcore

Variations that attack your weak 2. ANDERSON SQUATS

points make your squats tougher
and better. Use these as a
really sucky vacation from your
traditional back squats or front
squats, and you’ll find you’re
magically stronger when you return.
Use these variations to attack
your weak points and make your
squats tougher and better.
1. PAUSED SQUATS
To develop starting strength
out of the hole, camp out for 1-5
seconds once you hit depth. For
safety and performance, stay tight
during your pause. Don’t relax!
Then, explode out of the hole like
you normally would.
Set the safety pins where you’d
be at the bottom of your squat.
Get underneath the bar, brace
your abs, and set your lats. Pull
down on the bar, explode off the
pins and finish at the top with
do it, cheating themselves out
your glutes, then descend back
of a lot of lower body muscle
to the pins.
growth. Squatting deep also goes
further to fix the effects of too
3. 1-1/2 SQUATS
much sitting. Try box squats to
Unrack the barbell, squat down
learn to squat to a passable depth.
to the bottom position, and come
back up halfway. Descend back to
This is a condensed version of a
the bottom, then return to the full longer article. Check out the full
standing position. Plan on taking article for demonstration videos and
more details.
the escalator the next day.
4. DEEP SQUATS
Squatting to depth sounds
obvious, but a lot of people don’t

Ask The Super Strong Guy:

The Low-Carb Dilemma
Mark Bell, pro powerlifter and strength coach

Can I maintain my strength and
my weight on a low-carb diet?
It depends on your priorities. My
low-carb diets have helped me
lean down; I look better and I feel
better. But, if you go ultra low
carb, you’ll probably lose some
of your strength.
If you’re a CrossFitter, you play a
sport, or you’re a powerlifter or
strongman, ultra-low-carb diets may
not be for you—your body needs
adequate amounts of all three
macronutrients to stay in high gear.
That said, being smaller does offer
some advantages. You may find
that when you lose weight, your
mobility improves. This will help
you get into better positions for lifts
or allow you to incorporate new
exercises like pull-ups.
So, if you don’t have imminent
performance goals, it might be
beneficial to lose weight before
you bulk up with muscle.
This is a shortened version of the
original article. To read Mark Bell’s
complete answer, check out the
full article.

31
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33
 GET FIT

Man-Maker Mayhem can add variety

to your workout routine and test
the strength and endurance you’ve
developed using the other workouts.

34
 This rapid-fire follow-along video workout is a great
way to learn a top-notch movement, giving all types of
lifters a chance to test their strength and fitness at the
end of a grueling total-body workout.
By Heather Eastman, NSCA-CPT

You don’t have to be a man to
perform Man-Maker Mayhem. All
you need is a bit of floor space,
two light to medium dumbbells,
and a half hour’s worth of
willpower. Are you ready? Then
watch the video and dive in.
The series of exercises in this
workout are all components of
one total-body dumbbell exercise:
the man-maker. As the name
implies, it’s a tough move that will
tax your legs, back, shoulders,
and lungs. And you’ll test yourself
against it in the final 2 minutes
of the workout. No matter what
weight you use, you’ll have to
work hard!
Before that, you’ll perform
reps of each of the individual
components of the man-
maker to help develop the
skills and strength you’ll need
during different portions of the
sequence. Altogether, Man-Maker
Mayhem is a full-body strength-
and-muscle workout—as well
as one where you’ll burn a ton
of calories.
You can use Man-Maker
35
 will build strength
and hypertrophy,
while lighter
dumbbells benefit
aerobic performance
and athletic
endurance. The last
2 minutes will be a
burner at any weight!

Perform these first

Mayhem—or the other four four exercises in a
workouts in the Bodybuilding. circuit, with about a minute of rest
com All-Access Program The in between each full round. The
Total-Body Dumbbell Fix—to add man-maker is not part of this circuit
variety to your workout routine and because it is your final fitness test
test the strength and endurance at the end of the workout.
you’ve developed using the other
workouts. It’s a great weekly or
bi-weekly fitness test for anyone You won’t focus on
looking to lose fat, add muscle, or
become more athletic, or it can be
hitting specific sets and
part of a complete program with reps as you practice these
the other workouts. movements. Go at your
own pace and complete as
Man-Maker Mayhem: Overview
many reps as possible.
As with the other workouts in
The Total-Body Dumbbell Fix, you
won’t focus on hitting specific THE TOTAL-BODY
sets and reps as you practice DUMBBELL FIX: MAN-MAKER
The Total-Body these movements. Go at your own MAYHEM WORKOUT
Dumbbell Fix pace and complete as many reps 3 rounds. Rest 15-30 sec. between exercises.
as possible. If you find yourself Dumbbell Front Squat 35-45 sec.
Meet your new favorite struggling to learn a particular
workouts. All you need is Dumbbell 35-45 sec.
movement, pause the video and
two dumbbells, 30 minutes, Military Press
work at your own pace until you
and a towel. Every workout feel confident in your form. Alternating 35-45 sec.
in the Total-Body Dumbbell Renegade Row
Fix is presented in real Exercise intervals last 35-45 Dumbbell Sprawl 35-45 sec.
time so you can follow your seconds, with 15-30 seconds of
rest in between. Listen for the tone Finisher
coach every step of the way.
Do one workout, or do them as you follow along with the video Full Man-Maker Max reps in
all. It’s up to you! to let you know when the time is 2 min.
almost up. If you choose not to
follow the video, you can increase
Available Only or decrease the interval and rest
On All Access times to adjust the intensity of
the workout.
This is adapted from the article “The
START YOUR FREE Light to medium weight is best for Total-Body Dumbbell Fix: Man-Maker
7-DAY TRIAL this workout; heavier dumbbells Mayhem.” on Bodybuilding.com.

36
Make sure you’re doing the right
stretches at the right time to build
mobility and avoid injury.
DYNAMIC STRETCHING:
PRE-WORKOUT
On leg days include high knees,
butt kicks, deep air squats,
walking lunges, lateral squats,
and skipping or hopping.
Then on upper-body days,
consider arm circles, push-ups
with thoracic rotation, bear crawls,
bodyweight rows, and push-ups.
Yoga flows like cat-cows, sun
salutations, and warrior flows are
also great full-body options.
FOAM ROLLING:
PRE-WORKOUT OR REST DAYS
According to Nike Master Trainer
Jason Raynor, you should be foam
rolling before, not after workouts.
on a flat bench as opposed to a
“Targeted soft-tissue work helps
vertical chest fly machine uses
prep muscle-tissue elasticity and
gravity to provide a deeper range
realign fascial lines of force,”
of motion for your shoulders.”
Raynor says.
STATIC STRETCHING: POST-
ECCENTRIC MOVEMENTS:
WORKOUT OR REST DAYS
INTRA-WORKOUT
Deep stretches can also increase
You can enhance your flexibility
range of motion. Focus on
throughout your workout by
chronically tight muscle groups
focusing on the lowering, or
like the hip flexors, glutes, and
eccentric, half of the rep.
thoracic spine.
Strength coach Rachel Straub, This is a shortened version of
“The Lifter’s Guide to Stretching.”
CSCS, explains, for example, The full article includes more
“Simply performing chest flyes explanation and demonstrations of
recommended stretches.

Ask The Master Motivator: How Can I

Motivate My Significant Other to Work Out?
James Grage, fitness coach and entrepreneur

It’s easy for your partner to feel
like they’ve taken a back seat
to your fitness goals, leading to
resentment. Instead of letting
fitness tear you apart, allow it to
bring you together. While you don’t
have to spend every moment lifting
together, try hitting the stepmill
at the same time, or joining each
other on a nightly walk or run.
Explore different activities together
until your partner finds one they
enjoy. Someone who’s self-
conscious might shy away from
group classes, while someone
who loves heights might take well
to bouldering. If they like MMA,
sign up for classes at a martial arts
studio.
Taking a little time to give your
partner a supportive initial push
can help demystify fitness for them.
And who knows, you might find
your new favorite activity.
Adapted from a longer article by
James Grage.
37
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39
 R E A L P E O P L E , R E A L R E S U LT S
Dr. Sara Solomon will be the first
to admit that when she was an
up-and-coming fitness personality,
she made every mistake in the
book. It took her until 2015 to
get the message and transition
from what she calls a “washed-
up fitness model” into an athlete,
one whose feats of strength drop
people’s jaws on social media
daily. How did she grow freakishly
strong after 40, an age when
many women lose interest in
staying fit? We sat down with the
good doctor to learn her secrets.
WHAT WAS YOUR TRAINING
LIKE EARLY ON?
For 20 years, I trained and dieted
for aesthetics, regardless of the
physical and mental toll it took
on me. Hitting rock bottom was
the catalyst I needed to change
my intent. In the spring of 2016, I
chose to prioritize my well-being
over my ego. I wanted to be able
40
The motto of this Team Bodybuilding.com
member: “Quit exercising to burn calories
and start training to become a badass!”
By Ruth Silverman
to exercise without experiencing
pain, and I wanted to stop dieting.
YOU’VE SAID YOU STARTED
“TRAINING WITH INTENT.”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Without profound intent, I end up
ruining what I am doing. Intent
allows me to ditch my ego and
take the best action, which is
not always the action with the
greatest momentary reward.
Rather, it’s the action that offers
the greatest long-term value.
For example, if I want to
overcome chronic aches and
pains and get stronger, I need
to attack my muscle imbalances.
That’s why my training intent
revolves around getting the
correct muscles to fire, even
if that means I’m devoting my
training sessions to doing the
“unsexy” exercises.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY
“UNSEXY” EXERCISES?
Examples would be core
exercises, staggered-stance
Dimmel deadlifts (a variation
using a shorter range of motion),
end-range hip thrust holds, and
bipolar scaled push-ups. The
“sexy” exercises would be high-
skill movements like snatches,
pull-ups, barbell overhead
presses, and barbell squats. I
don’t recommend performing
them unless you are balanced.
Otherwise, they can exacerbate
your imbalances.
I want to move
well, I want to be
pain-free, and I
want to enjoy the
entire process.
 No Matter Your Goal,
Let All Access Guide You
Want to build muscle? Lose weight? Get strong?
Do it all with All Access.  

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41
 HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRAIN
CURRENTLY, AND WHAT’S A
TYPICAL TRAINING SESSION?
OR IS THERE A TYPICAL
SESSION?
I make an effort to move daily. I
don’t follow rules. Rules create
unnecessary anxiety in my life,
and anxiety precludes results.
That’s why I improvise and try to
be random with my training. It is
how I learn and make progress.
My training is quite varied: Pilates,
running, strongman training,
jump-rope training, bodybuilding,
gymnastics, and pole fitness.
YOU’VE BEEN CALLED THE
INTERMITTENT FASTING
QUEEN. HOW DOES IT WORK
FOR YOU?
I’ve practiced intermittent fasting
every day since 2012. My daily
dietary intent is to have a healthy
relationship with food so I can
enjoy it—in moderation—without
feeling anxious.
make food trade-offs and
practice moderation.
I don’t let my diet micromanage
me. Sometimes I will train fasted,
taking BCAAs, and other times
I will train in a fed state. I enjoy
the freedom of having options.
Options facilitate consistency.
Everyone needs to establish what
works best for their schedule,
goals, and eating personality.
YOU STRUGGLED THROUGH 17
YEARS OF YO-YO DIETING. WHY
DID IT TAKE SO LONG?
It took as long as it needed
to take. I had to make a lot of
mistakes to figure out what not
to do. Trial and error is one of the
best ways to learn.
Mistakes are not failures. In order
to excel, we need to love learning
more than we love winning.
This means finding value in all
outcomes, good and bad. We
must try new things, be random,
and be willing to make mistakes.
NOW THAT YOU ARE IN
YOUR 40s, WHAT ARE YOUR
TRAINING GOALS?
My training goals are still the
same: to improve my physical and
mental well-being. I want to move
well, I want to be pain free, and I
want to enjoy the entire process. I
want to try new things, and I want
to inspire others to do the same!
Progress cannot be rushed. I’m
exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Adapted from “Dr. Sara Solomon
Interview: Stronger Than Ever.”
If you want to improve your overall
strength and athleticism, check out Total
Fitness with Andy Speer, plus more than
60 other expert-designed fitness plans in
Bodybuilding.com All Access.

My approach is very laid back. I

don’t do anything I know I can’t
maintain. I don’t demonize any
macronutrients. I don’t track
my calories and macros. I don’t
under-eat, and I don’t fast for
more than 20 hours a day; I
typically fast for 16.

Also, I go grocery shopping with

intent. If it’s in your house, it’s in
your stomach! That’s how I

SNAPSHOT: Sara Solomon

Age: 41
Location: Toronto, Canada
Fitness Resume: Team
Bodybuilding.com athlete,
WBFF pro fitness model,
personal trainer, certified
StrongFit coach

42
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43
 At age 22, Josh Deese was 360
pounds, living on fast food, and
smoking a pack a day. He had
just flunked out of college, felt
severely depressed, and admits
he “had stopped caring.” Here’s
how he turned everything around.
WHAT PROPELLED YOU TO
MAKE A CHANGE?
My grandfather passed away
unexpectedly. It really made me
stop and think about how I was
living my life. He was always
proud of me, despite my many
failures, and wanted better for me.
I decided to change my life.
I had to appeal to the board
of directors at the college to
explain why I deserved a second
chance. Luckily, they agreed, and
I enrolled in summer classes.
I knew that living on campus
would mean a lot of walking to
the different buildings. I dropped
smoking, signed up at a local
gym, and ended my second year
with straight As.
HOW DID YOU ACCOMPLISH
YOUR GOALS?
I started walking just 10 minutes a
day. I didn’t know anything about
diets or nutrition, but I stopped
eating junk food, cut out
sodas and sugary drinks, and
drank only water. I tried to eat
only meats and vegetables. If my
family cooked an unhealthy meal,
I would pick out the meat and
have a salad.
I slowly worked my way up on the
treadmill to where I could handle
walking on an incline and eventually
progressed into using some of the
machines for resistance training. In
one year, I lost 120 pounds. But I hit
a major plateau, let the depression
come back, and the weight came
back, too.
HOW DID YOU OVERCOME
THAT SETBACK?
I met a girl and we started dating.
We were enjoying going out
to eat, going to movies, all the
normal stuff. I had kept my weight
on and still wasn’t working out or
eating healthy.
Fast-forward a couple of years,
and at the age of 29, I proposed
to her. She said yes, and we set
our wedding date for one year
later. This made me stop and think
about how I wanted to be seen on
that day.
I knew that this time I would
do whatever it took. I spent
hours researching nutrition
and exercise, and this is where
I discovered Bodybuilding.
com. I was inspired by the
transformation stories, read up on
all the exercise plans and nutrition
plans, and began putting my
program together.

SNAPSHOT: Josh Deese

Height: 5’ 9” Weight: 201 lbs.
Location: Fargo, North Dakota
Occupation: Microsoft Partner Manager

BEFORE AFTER
Age: 22 Age: 32
Height: 5’ 9” Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 360 lbs. Weight: 201 lbs.
Body Fat: 45-50% Body Fat: 18%

44
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45
 WHAT HELPED YOU BE
SUCCESSFUL THIS TIME
AROUND?
I started lifting weights and not
just focusing on cardio. I began
tracking my calories and macros
daily, utilizing intermittent fasting,
doing fasted cardio, and lifting
heavy weights. By the time my
wedding day arrived, I was down
to 225 pounds. I had more lean
muscle, I was proud of the way
I looked, and I felt more alive
than ever.

More importantly, fitness had

become a passion for me. The
gym was something I looked
forward to every day instead
of something I dreaded, and I
didn’t stop after my wedding. I
continued to lift and diet, and now
I have lost over 155 pounds—and
I also managed to pack on a
decent amount of muscle.
Josh’s Training Split
Mon: Chest & Triceps
Tue: Back & Biceps
Wed: Cardio or Rest
Thur: Legs
Fri: Shoulders
Sat: Cardio or Rest
Sun: Rest
WHAT WAS THE MOST
CHALLENGING ASPECT OF
YOUR JOURNEY?
Understanding that fitness and
weight loss are long-term goals,
and not something to be rushed. I
messed up my metabolism by not
understanding this, and it caused
some major plateaus early in my
journey. Most people make the
mistake of wanting fast results,
but you should focus on just
being consistent to get results
that last.
WHAT’S YOUR BEST FITNESS
ADVICE FOR ASPIRING
TRANSFORMERS?
Work at your own pace. Do not let
someone else tell you where you
should be or what you should be
doing. Learn your body. Do what
you are capable of at that time,
but do not push yourself to the
point of feeling like a failure trying
to live up to someone
else’s expectations.
Adapted from “Josh Deese
Changed His Life for Love and Lost
160 Pounds.”
If you’re looking for a plan to help you
transform, check out Bodybuilding.com All
Access. You’ll find expert plans for men and
women of all experience levels!

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Fish Oil
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46
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47
 Train and
supplement
smarter with one
of the top 12 tips
from this issue!

Schedule your toughest workout after a
rest day.
Take your pre-workout 60-90 minutes before
your first rep. You’ll still have enough energy
to get through even a pretty long workout.
 on’t do anything to lose weight that you
D
won’t be able to stick with permanently.
Transformation is a long game!
Pause at the bottom of your squats to
build strength and improve form.

 uperset two lifts for the same muscle

S Rest as much as 5-10 minutes between
group to bust a plateau. Follow an isolation heavy sets as you get close to your
movement with a compound lift. one-rep max.

 here’s no downside to having a

T
 on’t take ketone supplements as a shortcut
D protein shake after training. It doesn’t
to fat loss. Consider them an alternate have to be right away, but the sooner
energy source when dieting. you do it, the sooner it’ll do its work
and you can eat again!

Do dynamic stretching before a

workout and static stretching after.

 o get your significant other to work

T
out, do something they’ll like, not
just what you like. It might not even
involve the gym, and that’s OK.

 ift heavy on compound, multijoint

L
movements to lose fat, not just to
build strength.

 on’t expect your normal level of

D
performance when you’re eating
low-carb. It will come back when
you finish the diet.
48
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49
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