The Slingshot Training System

[Ronnie Rowland]

The Slingshot Training System is best program in existence for gaining muscle mass. Beyond this, it's simply a matter of whether or not you have the genetics to become a great bodybuilder! If you have the genetics you will prevail. If you do not have the genetics, you will not be able to achieve the muscle development of a pro-bodybuilder. I can assure you that jumping around from one program to the next will not make any noticeable difference in your appearance. Stick to the program as outlined and find out if you have what it takes to become a champion bodybuilder! Genetics are extremely important in this game. If you have the gift to excel, you'll know it within the first 4 years of Slingshot Training. If you are always switching routines, diets or trying large amounts of various steroids, you don't have the genetics to become a top-level bodybuilder. Most of us do not have freaky genetics! You'll have to decide at that point whether to throw in the towel or be happy with less size/strength. There is still hope! Bodybuilders coming from various genetic backgrounds make better progress using Slingshot Training then those who do not! One reason is that it forces you to cycle your training and diet. Thus the body is constantly receiving new training stimulus and responds with new muscle growth. Another reason they make better progress is because knowledge is power!

Editors Note: First of all, I want to say how much I am enjoying being a part of the anabolic review board and would like to thank the people who have made this board what it is today. I would also like to thank the admistrator (Brian) and moderators like (Doc sust) who have allowed me to share Slingshot Training ]with you! There is a ton of knowledge in this thread and I feel everyone will learn something to help achieve their bodybuilding success.

Feel free to ask questions about Slingshot Training in this thread, in the workout section below or through private e-mails. I will provide you with "real answers" and do my best to provide those answers in a timely manner.

1. Introduction Chapter
2. Biography
3. Straight Sets
4. Training Past Muscle Failure
5. Returns You Get For Your Efforts
6. Slingshot Anabolic Cycles
7. Slingshot Aerobic Cycling For Bodybuilder's
8. Slingshot Pyramiding For Bodybuilder's
9. Active or Inactive lay-off-"The 1-2 Week Anabolic Prime"
10. Sample Menu For Priming Phase
11. The Primary Training Phase-"The 8 Week Reload"
12. Breaking Plateaus By Changing Training Frequency
13. Diet For Reload Phase
14. Sample Menu For Reload
15. Diet for Deload
16. Slingshot Bodyfat Loss Diet Plan
17. Slingshot "Keto Diet" vs Slingshot "Carb Cycling" Diet and Sample Menu For Getting Shredded
18. Three-Four Day Per Week Split For Beginners
19. Three Day Per Week Split For "Once A Week" Muscle Training
20. Three Day Per Week Split For "Twice A Week" Muscle Training
21. Four Day Per Week Split For "Once A Week" Muscle Training
22. Four day per week Split For "Twice A Week" Muscle Training
23. Five Day Per Week Split For "Once A Week" And "Twice A Week" Muscle Training
24. Six Day Per Week Split For "Once A Week" And "Twice A Week" Muscle Training
25. The "Super Blast"-To Be Used Only For Blasting Past The Most Stubborn Training Plateaus
26. Slingshot Training Cutting Routines "To Be Used With The Slingshot Bodyfat Loss Diet Plan".
27. Please Represent Our Sport With Dignity
Glossary

[Ronnie Rowland]

Throughout the years, myself and other bodybuilders/power-lifters have experimented with reloading for longer than 8 week intervals. On paper the idea sounds promising but in reality it causes progressive gains to stop sooner that what can be accomplished with proper periodization. I have been fortunate enough with my profession to be able to perform many trial runs with people coming from various genetic backgrounds and who where at diffferent training levels (beginners, intermediate advanced and very advanced)!

## I have learned that many people can do enough right by accident in the gym to reach a pretty high level of development. I like to see them obtain that last 20-25% with Slingshot Training they are usually missing out on while avoiding injuries that should never have occured in the first place.##

Multitudes of people, especially our youth, are often guilty of listening to those who are taking or have taken a ton of anabolic drugs. Not that there’s anything wrong with adults taking anabolics if they chose to do so, but when these individuals use their stats to bolster arguments in favor of some idiosyncratic approach to training and dieting, it becomes the flavor-of-the-month approach to bodybuilding. The truth is, a lot of drug- enhanced bodybuilders make impressive initial gains, but are not making continued gains because they do not know what constitutes proper diet and training. My suggestion to everyone is to approach training in a simplistic manner. There's no reason whatsoever to be filled with doubts. The best thing you can do is not over analyze and just train consistently hard and allow what ever will happen in the long run. This will put you on the right track! It's rarely about muscle recovery, it's about tendon, joint and CNS recovery. Meaning the joints, tendons and CNS of steroid users can't withstand more than a natural trainer regardless of how many steroids they take to enhance protein synthesis. Just because someone using steroids will experience faster muscle recovery does not mean they can get by with more volume and make maximal gains. The muscle tissue of natural bodybuilders also recovers at a fast rate but they still need to wait for CNS and joint recovery to take place prior to training again. Anabolic steroids are known for increasing the rate at which a muscle recovers by accelerating protein synthesis and up-regulating neuro-muscular pathways. This combination makes "steroid users" stronger and bigger at a quicker rate than natural trainers. The extra strength allows those who are on steroids to generate more intensity and push heavier work loads. The additional stress breaks down more muscle tissue, increases joint deterioration, and puts a tremendous strain on the central nervous system.



## Use of the Slingshot Training System promotes the greatest results in a controlled fashion—both with and without the use of illegal substances.##



Weightlifting is about creating continual adaptation. Gains in muscle mass are not made in a linear fashion. My studies have found that after reloading for 8 weeks, the body's ACTION/REACTION FACTORS catch on to the same training stimulus even if some gains are still being made. What occurs next is that all gains will come to a sceeching halt much sooner! Why? Beause a deload provides the body with a different training stimulus while allowing Central Nervous System recovery-hence muscle gains are also made during a deload. It's not just during a reload that muscle gains are made! Alternating back and forth between a reload and deload will certainly extend your growth period by keeping the body off balance. The old sayings that sometimes "less is more" or "a lot of things work but nothing works forever" is correct.

The culprit with deloading is when someone absuses it as an excuse to become lazy or look for an easy way out. Think about this-Mike Mentzer was always big due to his genetics. For years he had utilized a constant reload to obtain pro-level status. One day he decided to reduce his training volume by way of a deload. What happened? Mike experienced a huge growth spurt that made him believe low volume training was the holy grail of bodybuilding. However, this was not the case at all. He simply provided his with body with a new training stimulus while simultaneously allowing the body full-recuperation. Mike should have returned to his old higher volume training method of reloading and then changed things up with proper deloads. Instead he went from one extreme to the others and this kind of dogmatic thinking has brought forth much confusion in the bodybuilding community that should not be. Dorian Yates when through the same exact thing and it ended his career!

NOTE: I believe in taking the path of least resistance in all that I do bodybuilding wise. Paralysis by Overanalysis is a common thing with today's bodybuilder's and Slingshot Training is helping people break away from the viscious cycle of obsessive compulsive high-volume training and obsessive compulsive low-volume training!

Due to all the chaos, we now have much division in the weight lifting community. On one side we have the low volume crowd screaming everyone’s over training! On the extreme opposite end we have the high volume advocates preaching that anyone who uses low volume is lazy and are not doing enough work to stimulate muscle growth! Then there’s the moderate volume crew who believes low volume and high volume lifters are nothing more than a bunch of extremist! Next, we have the powerlifters claiming the only way to obtain size is to lift with heavy weights and low reps! Last, we come to the radicals who have given up on finding any truth and go around telling everyone all they need to do is lift until they drop and eat like a mad man! Next, we come to the fad diets. On one side we have the high carb crowd claiming if you eat dietary fats they are more likely to be stored as bodyfat. Then, we have the high fat diet advocates teaching that carbohydrates are a menace because they increases insulin levels causing our body’s to store fat. Yes, there are also groups who teach you should never eat carbs and fats in the same meal or eat carbs at night. Other self-proclaimed experts are saying the body is only capable of digesting a certain amounts of protein in each meal and the rest is stored as bodyfat or eliminated by the body. Last, we have the radicals who believe the more protein you eat the bigger and stronger your muscles will become. So, if you’re tired of all the chaos, and I know many of you are, you have finally found the right training system!

# # Slingshot Training is turning chaos into predictability for many weight lifters.# #

The Slingshot Training System is the authoritative guide to reaching your utmost genetic potential as a bodybuilder or power-lifter/strength athlete. Both natural and drug enhanced lifters should train in cycles that mimic the action/reaction factors of anabolic steroid cycles! The same dosage of synthetic testosterone enanthate starts losing it's effectiveness after having been active in the body for roughly 8 weeks. The same rule applies to anabolic agent like creatine that can be purchased over-the-counter by naturals. The secret lies in doing 2-Anabolic Phases (RELOADING AND DELOADING)! The advantages of Slingshot Training over other routines is that it’s fun and exciting, it's not some cheesy cookie cutter routine, its' safe and proven to work, the training splits and exercises that will fit everyone’s needs, it allows you to work on weak points, there's a diet plan to fit everyone’s bodytype, it’s easy to follow and it will allow you to reach your utmost full-genetic potential in muscle size at a faster pace without becoming injured or over-trained.

Truth be told, some of you go around boasting about making gains following a particular training style or diet plan that's not really the best. When I was inexperienced, I was in the same boat. What I learned throughout my career is that it's not nearly as important to find which methods work, but rather finding those that do not work so well! Throughout my 22 years as both a personal trainer and weight lifter, I learned to allow my experiences in the gym and at the table have their way with me. I compared the over-all results of every training style/diet I could find until only the best was left standing. Now at 43 years of age, I have discovered that as with most truths, it's usually very simple and right in front of your face. The best program I have found for both bodybuilders and strength athletes is the Slingshot approach. I have a very good idea who most of you are. And even though we may have grown up in different parts of the world, we are just a like when it comes to weight training. Many of you are fed up with not looking any different and you do not want to spend the next few years wasting time jumping from program to program and being confused by all the different opinions. Slingshot Training is precisely what everyone is looking for in this day and age of complexity and over-analysis.

## Within the next 10 years, I predict that most people who are serious about weight lifting (bodybuilding and strength training) will be using some form of Slingshot Training. Everyone must dedicate themselves to this lifestyle, incorporate the proper nutrition, lift heavy weights with the correct form, utilize straight sets, use a lot of sets for the anchor exercises and push through the cruelest reps weight lifting has to offer. You must avoid thinking in absolutes if you want to succeed at this sport. Bodybuilding in an extreme sport, but having an all-or-nothing mind-set is counter-productive. I am of the opinion, there never has nor will there ever be a better way to train than using a Slingshot approach.##

Important Note: I've received a ton of emails concerning training splits. For the record-I do not believe in "cookie cutter routines" because they do not work for everyone! Everybody has a unique training preference. This includes both exercise selection and the way body parts are split. No one split can be said to be Holy Grail because so much is dependent on individual preferences. The training splits listed are mere samples that have worked extremely well for many. Those of you with a very busy schedule may be able to train only twice a week where as some of you hardcore bodybuilders will want to train upwards of 7 days per week and twice a day (morning and aftenoon workouts)! For now I am covering 3, 4,5 and 6 day sample training splits for bodybuilder's. The strength training/power-lifting and power-building (hybrid between bodybuilding and powerlifting) programs will be listed in my book when it gets published. I do want to say something up front for those involved in various sports- Do not use speed reps in hopes of increasing athletic performance. This is wrong! Speed reps will actually do just the opposite over time by slowing down body motion in order to protect the joints. Those of you involved in sports must utilize polymetrics or practice the sport you are involved in to increase speed, not speed reps where there is a lock out at the end of the movement with weights. Also understand that you can use your own customized split with each and every type of training program. Just keep the maximum amount of sets and 2 training cycles (RELOAD/DELOAD) as I have outlined. DO NOT use poor splits were a lot of over-lapping occurs between body parts if you want Slingshot Training to work for you!



Biography


My name is Ronnie Rowland. I am 43 years old and have been a personal trainer for over 22 years. My passions for helping others gain as much size and strength as humanly possible has turned into a life time obsession. Years ago, I dreamed of designing the most logically consistent training system in the world. I'm glad to have the opportunity to share with you what I believe are the finest principles. For those of you who have a basic understanding of training and diet, Slinshot Training will make sense. My agenda is helping others full-fill their dreams both inside and outside the gym. When my elite clients think they are working hard in the gym and on their diet, I tell them that someone is probably working even harder and that should drive them crazy!

I specialize in working with elite-athletes (for i.e.; professional football players, bodybuilders and power-lifters). I'm here to help everyone in need. I do not quit on people because I have learned, it's like patronizing them for life! I tend to be a perfectionist and set no boundaries with my hardcore trainees. I teach them to think like a child so more can be accomplished through imagination and visualization. I am of the opinion that all too often weight lifters let society dictate to them what they can do instead of thinking outside the box. I also believe in making short term goals. Then once you achieve them you can start getting more aggressive in your vision of what you want to accomplish. If I do not know how to do something, I'll learn to do it. I'll do whatever it takes to help others achieve their weight-lifting goals and let no one stand in my way! I am commited to being the best personal trainer I can be. It's been very exciting for me to watch the transformations being made with Slingshot Training. I am convinced you have to have your mind, body and spirit working in harmony so you can confront and conquer this sport.


Muscle size, shape, potential for growth and strength are determined by your own personal set of genes-but I do not mean to imply the proper diet and training program won't help you maximize your genetic potential. My biggest obstacle as a personal trainer has been training "insecure people". They tend to get all upset when I show them a better way. For example, I have explained to many individuals that the flat bench press is great for those with superior chest genetics, but not so good if they were born with a small chest. With the flat press, more of the load is taken over by the front delts, triceps and lats as opposed to the chest for those individuals with small pecs. These people tend to do much better with decline presses, incline preses and flat flyes. People who were born with a big set of pecs usually excel using flat presses. Some of the people I meet that have a small chest will turn a deaf ear when they hear what I have to say about flat presses because they have a hard time accepting the fact they do not have a huge barrell shaped chest like Arnold. However, once they start having severe rotator cuff pain or show signs of lagging in the chest department, most become all ears.


## Let's be honest, accepting our genetic limitations is not an easy thing to do. You can lie to others if you choose to do so, but never lie to yourself! ##


Years ago, I dreamed of designing the most logically consistent training system in the world. I'm glad to have the opportunity to share with you what I believe are the finest bodybuilding principles. For those of you who have a basic understanding of training and diet, Slingshot Training will make sense. My body type falls into the category of your classic skinny-fat-man with poor vascularity. Before you laugh too hard at my non-training picture, I want you to realize my genetics represent the largest population of today’s bodybuilders; the hard gainer! Due to having surgeries, I was unable to train. I lost all the muscles I had worked for in only 2 years time. This occurred when I was in my early 30’s. At the bottom of this page are some before and after pictures showing you what Slingshot Training has done for me. The after pictures were taken back in the summer. The picture of me holding up the fish was taken when I was unable to train. Here's a link to some current pictures. http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=323739 In addition, my 45 year old wife decided to post some of her pictures in the following link- http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=361620 My wife Kathy Rowland is currently squatting 315 pounds for 8 reps and is doing lunges for 15 reps with 2-45lb plates on each side of the bar. I will post more progress pictures of my wife and I as time goes on!

Before Slingshot Training





After Slingshot Training





Pics of wife after entering her first bodybuilding show this year and winning 1st place in middle weights-http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=389194





The STS is just as effective for one of my friends with good genetics. I’ll let you read a quote from a professional bodybuilder named "Tricky Jackson". Lonnie Tepor of Ironman Magazine referred to him as the greatest light weight bodybuilder of all time. A quote from Tricky Jackson himself: “Many have asked what my "secret" is for putting on lean muscle mass during the off-season. To make a long story short, it wasn't until the year 2004 that I met long time professional trainer Ronnie Rowland out of Aiken South Carolina. He introduced me to an unconventional approach to bodybuilding called the STS (Slingshot Training System). I thought I had heard it all, but he opened up my eyes to what bodybuilding could be and showed me how to cycle my workouts in conjunction with my diet-supplements in order to mimic the way chemically enhanced bodybuilders make their best gains. In 2004, I was an advanced competitive bodybuilder weighing in at 198 lbs during the off- season and my gains, had all, but stopped. I gained only one pound of muscle that whole year stepping on the stage at 170 lbs. As you can imagine I was getting a bit frustrated. Rowland convinced me to give his off-season training system a try during the 2005 off-season. To my surprise, I increased my body weight considerable and was able to maintain 8 pounds of pure muscle after I dieted down for my show. This allowed me to step on stage at a ****** 178 lbs. It wasn't until getting my pro-card, that I fully realized just how far this training system had taken me. In 2006, I was about 221 lbs off season and a whopping 190 lbs on stage. That’s 12 more pounds of pure muscle in only a year’s time!!! It gets even better. I almost won my first pro show this past weekend by placing 2nd to Silvio Samuals in the Europe 210 lbs and under Division and came in 9th in the open. My experience with the STS is beyond measure-"literally"!

[Ronnie Rowland]

Straight sets

I am of the opinion that all beyond failure training techniques (e.g., rest-pause and forced reps) are just an egotistical way to promote a radically different training method! I have developed an advanced training system that will work for anyone that is willing to give it a chance. It goes against a lot of the Muscle Mag Dogma that’s continually being rehashed. There’s no rest-pause, forced reps, or giant sets. Many training systems sound whacky because they are whacky! If you do something extreme, it’s going to be something you can’t live with so it’s bound to fail. No one has devises a training technique that will work as good as straight sets for building size and strength. There’s a very good reason that most veterans in this sport have stopped using extreme training techniques. It doesn’t matter if beyond failure training techniques are used in the lower rep-ranges or the higher rep-ranges because the burn and stress still carries over to the vulnerable joints and tendons-hence greatly increasing your odds of developing tendonitis and tearing a tendon. Using beyond failure training methods like rest-pause, forced reps and giant sets will force you to train with less volume and weight. Therefore, you won’t be able to keep the training volume and weight loads high enough for a long enough period to experience maximum muscular growth.


## As far as all beyond failure techniques such as giant sets, forced reps, rest-pause or whatever, after you do them the first time, its difficult to go above and beyond the work you did last time without over-training or causing injury##


Power-lifters and those who compete in the world’s strongest man competitions are some of the largest men to ever walk on the face of this planet. They obtain their massiveness by utilizing nothing other than straight sets. Every training method other than straight sets has fallen short of what I consider optimal for providing fast, safe, and efficient results. There has never been any evidence to show that any training method regardless of how many bells and whistles it comes equipped with can increase your muscle mass and strength as efficiently as straight sets. Trust me on this one! Who do you think would make the most gains; a guy who does 4 sets of 10 reps using 400 lbs on the vertical leg press machine or the guy who does 1 triple drop set using 400 lbs, 350 lbs, 300 lbs and finally 270 lbs? The obvious answer is the guy who used more weight on all 4 sets. Why? Because straight sets allows you the power to lift a greater weight-load range. With beyond failure techniques such as drop sets, you’re basically breaking down less muscle tissue yet annihilating the nervous system and joints. The same rule applies to rest-pause training as well because with each subsequent set you are using fewer reps with the same amount of weight. A rest-paused set done in the 8-12 rep range will not create the same kind of strength gains that are obtained by using a straight set for 4-6 reps simply because you cannot lift heavy when training near the point of non-stop. Straight sets give you the best of both worlds because it allows you to stay within the bodies recovery limits while building maximum size and strength. Using beyond failure training methods will force you to train with less volume-hence you won’t be able to keep the training volume high enough to experience maximum muscular growth.

* * There’s a lot to be said for being logically consistent* *


The problem with always using very intense low volume training and/or intense beyond failure training methods to gain muscle is that you are supposed to keep using more and more weight or perform more reps with the same weight until you get to the upper limit of whatever rep-range you have for the various exercises you are utilizing. That works for beginners but not for those of you who are more advanced. Anyone can make continued strength gains for the first year or two of training, but if you have been training for 5 years using a good training system, how much stronger do you think you are really going to become? Trust me, there is a limit you will reach! If not, then everyone of you reading this who have been lifting for 5 years would be bench pressing 500 pounds plus for 10 reps and that's not the way it works. Only the genetically gifted are able to bench press 500 pounds plus for 10 reps in good form! Most of you who have trained hard-heavy for multiple years have injuries of some form and have to be careful to not flare up old injuries. If you try to lift even heavier weights by employing intense beyond failure training methods such as rest-pause or forced reps, you are just going to get hurt even worse. Bodybuilding and powerlifting are two different things and you will do well to remember this. Just because I have been using 160 lbs on lying tricep extensions for the past two years does not mean I am not making forward progress as a bodybuilder! My tricep tendons can only handle so much pressure until they give way. So, by adding work sets and changing the frequency in which my triceps are stimulated, I get a rapid training effect as an advanced trainer without having to keep increasing the weight I lift or upping the intensity past momentary muscular failure. Those bodybuilder's who claim you must lift heavier weights every single week are either being dishonest or living in Fantasy Land. Low volume bodybuilders always hit a plateau and then they have no safe place to turn in order to put on more size! Proper periodization with nutrition, straight sets, single drop sets, and supplements are the best route to take as an advanced weight trainer when training for size.



Important Note: Researchers from Truman State University (Kirksville Missouri) investigated whether the amount of rest taken between sets had an impact on the immune system/CNS. What they found was something I have known for some time: "Nine male college students performed two workouts of 10 sets of 10 reps of the leg press, resting either 1 minute or 3 minutes between sets. They found that the one-minute rest periods caused more strain on the subjects immune systems compared to 3-minute rest periods". The graphs shown in this article suggest that higher-intensity training techniques by way of shortening rest periods by only 2 minutes increases strain on the immune by an extra 60% on the Lymphocytes scale and 40% on the Monocytes scale. Now just imagine how much more of an increase you would get by using beyond failure techniques! Heavy compound exercises like the squat will take longer to recover from than isolation exercises such as biceps curls. When you go to good failure on very demanding compound movements, you may need to wait around 4 minutes between sets. It depends on how large the muscle group and with how much weight you are pushing. For example; you wont need to wait as long between sets for shoulder presses as you will deadlifts.



Regardless of what anyone claims, no ones body does well pushing beyond failure. It's just not as effective for increasing weight load-range and workload capacity as common power-lifting fundamentals. If so, every power-lifter and strongman on the face the planet would be using beyond failure training techniques instead of straight sets and we know that’s not the case. When over-training of the CNS occurs you are exhausting all the neurotransmitters in the nerves so that now they have trouble telling the muscles how to contract with optimum efficiency. People who make the mistake of training with more intensity by shortening their rest time between sets will become over-trained. Handling maximum weight places a tremendous stress upon the nervous system, which takes longer to recover than muscles. For example, cranking out 145 pounds for 8 repetitions puts less stress on your body than pushing 350 pounds for 8 repetitions. Your muscles grow, but your CNS and joints do not!


Bodybuilding is about applying stress to the targeted areas. The form and rep ranges to be used for bodybuilding is a bit different than power-lifting. With compound movements, bodybuilders should smoothly explode the weight faster with full power after completing approximately one fourth of the complete repetition. It should take you about a second and a half to complete the positive stroke when performing heavy compound movements. With isolation movements, you should wait and move the weight faster at about the half way point of the repetition. With full-stretch exercises the muscle and tendons are easily damaged with sudden burst at the beginning of the movement. With isolation movements the positive stroke should take you around 1 and a half to 2 seconds to complete! The controlled negative should be around 2 seconds for both categories of exercises. The positive stroke should be somewhat explosive yet controlled to the point it's working the muscles to the fullest extent. Moving the weight too slow (for i.e. a 3 second positive and a 4 second negative) won't allow you to use enough weight to fully break down the type 2 muscle fibers due to lactic acid build-up. As you approach the end of a work set, you'll need to increase the explosiveness within each repetition (not speed of the repetition itself) as your muscle begin to fatigue and build up lactic acid. Do not fall victim of using very slow reps to try and gain additional muscle size. This means avoiding the use of slow negatives, slow positives or both. The only time you can gain more muscle mass by converting to slow reps is if you have been under-training or using very poor form. In these particular cases it's the increase in time under tension, not the slow reps that are actually making the difference. The secret to increasing the recruitment of the powerful fast twitch muscle fibers is using a controlled negative and the fastest positive rep speed possible while delivering maximum stress to the targeted area. Then, simply increase the amount of weight you can lift in conjunction with extra time under tension during the appropriate periods.

Editors Note: I am all for using a very controlled negative (around 2 seconds) but against super slow negatives only with heavy weight. Slow twitch fibers fibers have a very small growth capacity so do not waste your time doing super sets, giants sets,strip sets etc! High reps or beyond failure technigues as described can increase muscle increase and build some new capillaries but contractile fibers (what you are after) need heavy weights and a slow controlled negatives. Rapidly stretching a muscle will reduce the time of the negative contraction. Thus, bodybuilders should strive to exploit all of the possible muscle stimulation benefits of the negative stroke by controlling the negative portion with a deliberate movement. Muscle tears can occur during the negative portion of the movement. This is when the muscle lengthens under the weight load. Performing your movements with a controlled negative of around 2 seconds actually helps protect against muscle injuries. During the last set of each exercise I strongly recommend fuly taxing the muscle by using a slower negative of around 4 seconds on exercises that are feasible. The advantages of controlling the negative are 3 fold:


1) It keeps you from using excessive momentum during the transition phase between the negative and positive portions of the movement.

2) The muscle adapts to the negative portion and builds up its resistance for injury during a negative part of the movement.

3) As with the positive stroke, controlling the negative causes your muscle to grow bigger and stronger.

Using heavy negatives, super slow negatives and/or negative training only should be avoided because the muscle damage experienced by this kind of training is very similar to the very thing you should be trying to avoid-(muscle strain)! In addition, attempting to perform a very slow negative produces a lot of lactic acid in the muscles-hence reducing your ability to push maximal weight on the positive contraction. Feeling the negative stroke and stretch should be treated with the same importance of feeling the squeeze and contraction during the positive stroke because both actions increase strength and size. If you avoid feeling the negative you’re missing out on your potential for increasing maximum muscle size and strength. Make sure to control the movement of each repetition to ensure that you generate both size and strength with both the positive and negative.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Training past muscle failure.

Powerlifter’s and those who compete in the strongest man/woman competitions have learned the value of preventing injuries and nervous system destruction by not training beyond momentary muscular failure. Taking less away from the body allows it to recuperate faster, meaning the overcompensation process (where strength and growth occurs) can conclude sooner and with consistency. Using excessive body english to reach absolute muscular failure or beyond (the point you can no longer budge a weight), especially with heavy work loads, creates great demand on the tendons, joints, and nervous system.

Your goal as a weight lifter should be to increase the weight on the bar through a Progressive Overload and train with great intensity, not training to the point where someone has to pull the barbell off your chest on the last rep or assist you in pumping out a few extra repetitions at the end of an intense work set by pushing past failure. Do not want to avoid training to failure if you are a bodybuilder; it’s the wrong kind of failure training you should avoid, especially when training a large muscle group like the legs. The ideal situation as a bodybuilder is to reach as close to muscular failure as possible on each work set, but in a way that will induce maximum stimulus to the muscle fibers without causing injury or impairing the Central Nervous System. I call this good failure because it is the absolute best way to train for maximum size. As a strength trainer/power-lifter you will want to train in the 1-5 rep range and try to leave one in the hole (stop one rep shy of good failure) on power-lifting movements to prevent injuries and Central Nervous System burn out.


## Bodybuilding and Powerlifting are not one in the same and you would do well to remember this if you want to be good at either.##


Some people have equated overloading the muscle with decreasing the amount of rest taken between sets. This means using a lot less weight on subsequent sets. Their purpose of moving quicker between sets is to burn the muscle beyond a point that can’t be achieved with straight sets. I think some tend to forget that burning a muscle with higher reps or taking less rest between sets is not equivalent to burning the muscles by performing additional work sets. Increasing training volume up to no more than 12 sets per major body part each training session, along with the a properly utilized deload, will allow you to train with a heavier workload on a progressive basis. You'll need to wait long enough between sets to allow ATP restoration. On the other hand, when you move rapidly between sets, ATP cannot regenerate itself fast enough to support a true progressive over-load.

It’s important that you understand a burn obtained from using more straight sets equals over-load, but a burn obtained from applying beyond failure techniques like triple drops sets, super sets, rest-pause and or moving rapidly between sets does not promote the same degree of over-load. Also, it’s been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that a certain amount of volume is needed when utilizing any rep-range with straight sets. Over-load and intensity should come through weight selection and the amount of sets performed, not to burn the muscle beyond fatigue. I think this is where some tend to get confused. Keep in mind that getting a nice pump is not the same as burning the muscles. Your primary focus should be overloading the muscles while obtaining a nice pump.

# # Obtaining a good pump by moving rapidly between sets should be avoided like the plague if your goal is to add size-strength. # #

I want you to understand that I have watched people waste a lot of precious time and energy using beyond failure techniques and many have the injuries to prove it! Nothing good can come from building the foundation of your workouts around training techniques whose primary focus is on nervous system/joint over load as opposed to progressive muscle over load. Beyond failure methods cause a severe burn in the muscle and this burn always carries over to the joints/tendons! This can produce tendonitis in short order. I’m here to tell you that using these extreme training methods with any consistency can hold you back by causing injury and nervous system fatigue. (However, the body does do a good job at handling single drop sets given they are not used during compound leg exercise!)



Beware of Deception: Some of these training methods being exploited are more of a badge than a great training program. In fact, some of these programs are totally destructive to your body. Some of the followers can name the exercise selection for the most part, but that's about it. Ironically enough, they sure know how to preach it. I’ve witnessed more injuries from rest-pause, bouncy reps and forced reps, than any other forms of training. Don't allow yourself to become a victim. You'd think anybody in their right mind would know better, but it can be easy to get brainwashed through someone elses exxagerations about how much size they gained following a particular style of training. See to it that no one mis-leads you with pschological conditioning! Being able to discern between truth and error is very important. I respect the opinions of others but there has to be an authority in the weight lifting community. Cling to the things that are safe and timed-test in the gym. When a person departs from the basic foundations of weight training, they are going to end up disillusioned. Don't let some muscle magazines or some so-called training guru lead you astray! We as bodybuilder's need to make sure as individuals that we take responsibility for what we accept to believe and teach others. I am not pointing the finger at anyone in particular. I am only pointing out the fact that our generation of weight lifters have an oppotunity to fix some things that are broken and say never again will we be led astray by deceptive marketing strategies that lead only to fantasy land.


The human body wasn’t designed to go beyond failure. If you cannot lift a weight on your own within a given set, the weight load is too heavy! Extreme training methods have tore many a tendon clean off the bone and everyone who uses these techniques for long periods of time almost always develop a severe injury. Furthermore, techniques like rest-pause can weaken the muscle so severely it will rip a tendon clean off the bone before muscle failure occurs in the rest-paused reps within the set. It makes no difference whether or not the rest-paused reps are performed in the high or low rep range because extreme fatigue is still present and this stress carries over to the vulnerable tendons and joints.



Some training methods get their fame increased through articles in mainstream magazines. I have my concerns about some of these programs being exploited. Sometimes dogma and or marketing are a tough wall to crumble! Listen, I’ve spoken with literally thousands of trainers over the years who can vividly recall their last and final beyond failure training session. They grew to hate training and the gym with all their heart, mind, and soul! I think this speaks volumes about its validity in training to get giant muscles. I have been around bodybuilding for a long time now and I know many have the dedication to apply themselves. I don’t want you to make the mistake of pumping up your muscles with massive amounts of blood or pushing the muscles beyond belief with low reps. No ones body and mind can take that kind of abuse for long.

Every training method has some validity when applied with some sanity but, most tend to get carried away and make up the meat of their workout with these more dangerous yet less effective training techniques. Due to safety reasons and the lack of gains made using extreme forms of training, I have quit recommending any form of training other than time proven straight-sets.

Let's pretend you are doing a set of incline bench presses. You lay back on the incline press and crank out one, two, three, four, and five reps. You get to rep number 6 and your face begins to show some pain. Those standing around you think you're finished but you get rep number 7. Surely you are finished they are thinking, but you use sheer will-power to lift the weight to complete number 8 while still avoiding momentary failure. You try for rep number 9 and have to bounce the weight really hard off your chest in order to get the barbell up on your own and you just barely make it at that. The set should have been terminated after the completition of rep number 8! Repetition number 8 is what I consider good failure and repetition number 9 is what I call bad failure! Simply said, you continue lifting until you know that if you attempted the get the last rep you couldn't without severely draining the nervous system and using bad form!

Your goal as a bodybuilder is not to avoid training to failure; it's to avoid training to the wrong kind of failure. The ideal situation is to reach as close to muscular failure as possible, but in a way that will induce maximum stimulus to the muscle fibers without causing injury or impairing the Central Nervous System. I call this good failure because it is the absolute best way to train for maximum size.


* * I’ve experimented with training past failure and was very un-satisfied with the results. After making the switch to stopping at good failure, everyone’s results, including my own, have been nothing short of miraculous in comparison.* *


Contracting the muscles using good failure fatigues the muscle fully and builds muscle at a faster rate. As you become stronger, it becomes even more important to use impeccable form, choose the proper exercises that agree with your biomechanics and avoiding beyond failure training techniques so you can stay injury free. Nothing will set you back more than having to take time away from the gym due to an injury. I am all about longevity and have seen multitudes of serious injuries in the gym that could have been avoided in the first place! Knee wraps can be great for squats and other leg work. Weight lifting belts, manta rays and wrist straps work well for some during exercises such as dead-lifts and squats. Some elbow wraps can work great during triceps work and wrist braces like the tiger paw can provide relief for the wrist when doing heavy chest presses. Braces canl help you work around minor strains and tendonitis. Chiropractic care is another tool for bodybuilders experiencing pain in the spine! Glucosamine and Chondroitin can preserve cartilage in the joints and increase joint mobility. Active Release practitioners can reduce your symptoms of tendonitis. Use common sense and work around an injury when possible.

* * Muscle/tendon tears can be avoided by keeping the movement strict and never training past the point of not being able to get another good rep. Explosive repetitions are best for adding muscle size and gaining strength. For every rep of every set, power should be applied gradually. You must maintain tightness and never jerk, bounce, or toss the weight. **


It's important to work in the fullest range of motion possible without causing injury. You must be careful to avoid over-stretching the shoulders during exercises like flyes or you will damage the shoulders. The same thing applies to squats, leg presses, over-head presses, chest presses, dead-lifts, etc. Work in the fullest range of motion that's comfortable for your body not someone else's!

There are lots of kinds of exercises and lots of variations in the performance of them. Exercises done for higher reps would be more of a conditioning exercise. Exercises done with heavy loads and low reps will build strength. Exercises done with the heaviest load possible for moderate reps (6-12) will build muscle mass. Exercises done explosively will build power. The training effect would also depend on the training age of the individual. Most exercises are not inherently "bad for the joints." Exercises performed poorly can be stressful on the joints. Exercises performed with too great a volume or intensity for the conditioning level of the exerciser might become stressful on the joints. Certain exercises performed by someone with existing joint problems have the potential to create additional pain and should be performed with caution and care or avoided altogether.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Returns you get for your effort.

You get the most returns for your efforts with the first 3 sets for any given body part. Regardless of how many different exercises you perform for a given bodypart the ability to generate intensity is reduced considerably by the time you finish set # 5. Considerably less and less muscle tissue will be broken down with each consecutive set there after. After that point, the curve starts to taper off but 6 sets still provides gains. After 6 sets the curve continues to slope down and you will obtain even less results for your efforts! This must be taken into consideration when trying to gain strength.

There's a strong correlation between getting the most returns for your efforts during the first 5-6 sets of an exercise and increasing your odds of developing an over-use injury when exceeding 6 sets. Your ability to generate intensity using only 1 exercise for a particular body part will be greatly diminished by the time you've finished 5-6 sets. By switching over to a second exercise after doing 5-6 sets of the first exercise, you will increase the returns you get for your efforts during the second exercise because you'll be working from a different angle. The second exercise will fully breakdown down the remaining muscle fibers that are present within the muscle group. This means trying to go past that point by inserting a 3rd exercise would be a complete waste of time because the entire muscle has already been broken down. By doing 5-6 sets a piece with your two main exercises you will break down more muscle tissue and gain more strength than if you were to perform 20 sets with 5 different exercises. Performing upwards of 16-20 sets for a body part in one session will cause you to waste a lot of time because a muscle no longer fires with optimal force once you go past doing 12 sets. Regardless of how many different exercises you use for a particular body part, the ability to generate intensity is over with after 12 work sets. This must be taken into consideration when trying to gain size.

Performing more than 12 sets for any body part will make you refrain from using great intensity on every work set. For instance, if you were on your 5th set for quads, and you knew you had 15 sets left using 3 different exercises, you wouldn't push yourself nearly as hard as if you were on your 5th set for quads, and you knew you only had 5 sets left with only 1 other exercise. After completing 12 sets for any given body part, it's virtually impossible to generate enough intensity to further break down any substantial amount of muscle tissue. By trying to do so, it creates a scenario where the Central Nervous System and joints have to work harder to keep moving the weights while the muscles are working less. You can only stimulate the muscles so much in any given training session. After reaching the point of diminishing returns, very high volume trainers who train each body part using 20 sets in one training session have to over-strain to try and make up for the muscles inability to put forth effort. This creates tons of stress and possible injuries to the muscles, tendons, and joints. When fatigue is so great that stabilizers and synergists (which generally give out faster than the prime movers) become too tired to allow maintenance of proper form, you're asking for an injury. Train till the muscles gives out; not the joints!

FACT: Adding in a few extra sets after the completion of 12 intense work sets is not going to do anything but lengthen your workout and hamper the recovery process. The muscle is sufficiently stressed and fatigued already. Lastly, the extra sets would expose you to injury through over-use!

[Ronnie Rowland]

Slingshot Anabolic Cycles


It’s very common for fast acting anabolic/androgenic steroids to be used by the drug enhanced bodybuilder/power-lifter for 8 weeks at a time. This gives blood pressure and liver enzymes a chance to normalize. After gaining mass-strength for 8 weeks they take 1-2 weeks off (a deload to prime the body for future growth) and begin another 8 week mass cycle using different stacks of steroids or more of the same. Top level bodybuilders do not run long steroid cycles and then go off the drugs for lengthy periods of time. Doing so would keep them in a viscous cycle of making gains then losing most of the gains they worked so hard to obtain. This is very important to understand because the same rule applies to recreational bodybuilders using anabolic steroids and natural bodybuilders using legal anabolic agents like pro-hormones, creatine and amino acids in various forms.

Editors Note: No adult should contemplate using anabolic steroids until they reach their maximum potential as a natural trainer through Slingshot Training The idea situation is to train naturally with Slingshot Training until you hit your plateau. Then you will have the option of adding steroids to blast past your natural plateau. If you haven't reached your natural plateau yet through Slingshot Training, then you will be wasting a lot of money on steroids that could have been used towards food.


Top level competitive bodybuilders who are chemically enhanced make much better gains and keep more of their gains by doing longer 8 week anabolic cycles. In fact, most never go off all the drugs all together but only reduce their doasges for 1 to 2 weeks after an 8 week cycle. This approach is not always recommended for recreational trainers as PCT is needed for 2 weeks after an 8 week cycle to help remain fertile.

A base drugs usually consist of a slow acting testosterone and/or a slow acting anabolic. These top level competitors run these drugs as their base throughout the whole duration of the off-season. In order to free more testosterone during a mass phase they often add a fast acting oral steroid and/or a fast acting ester of the injectable version and run it along with the base at a high dose. Some even opt to throw in a different slow acting ester than what’s used for the base. Upon completion of an 8 week mass cycle, they reduce the drugs for a 1-2 week period in exception to the base. The base is used as a bridge. This bridge could be a gram of test per week for top level guys. This is done in order to prime the body so they can make additional gains by going back to the same drugs at higher dosages and or/or change over to different drugs altogether for another 8 weeks. They also drastically reduce training volume (deload) during the the 1-2 week period period when fewer drugs are used. You might ask "Why would they reduce their dosages for two weeks as opposed to continuing"? It’s because at that point their body will become desensitized to the powerful drugs and their receptors will be fully saturated. In William Llewellyn's book (9th edition anabolics) it states and I quote-"the plateauing affect that occurs after 6-8 weeks is poorly undestood but likely due to the metabolic limits placed on muscle cell under the influence of certain anabolic steroid dosages"! If you steroid users stay on any drug past 8 weeks and continued with the same protocol, you begin doing more harm than good because SHGB levels will begin elevating and cortisol levels will increase-hence gains slow way down. Drugs like insulin, etc are known for being added during a 8 week blast while growth hormone is often run as a base throughout most of the year to keep bodyfat levels low and rebuild the tendons/joints. A positive nitrogen balance is a primary anabolic indicator of an anabolic agent and this will dissipate if the dosages are not continually cycled properly.


Important Note: "Time on = Time off" is a bad advice for those wanting to make serious muscle gains!!!



The same dosage of synthetic testosterone starts losing it’s effectiveness after having been active in the body for around 8 weeks. The same rule applies to anabolic agent like creatine that can be purchased over-the–counter by natural bodybuilders. People who administer a slow acting testosterone begin having an increase in libido during their 3rd week of administering the drug. The majority of their gains are made during week 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Your goal should be to use enough legal anabolics and/or anabolic/androgenic steroids to stimulate your receptors so muscle and strength gains can be achieved while avoiding over-saturated receptors. Receptor down regulation, which is a decrease in the amount of a steroid being utilized by a cell, will begin to occur after 8 weeks whether a person is natural or drug enhanced. You might ask? “Does Slingshot Training work for natural athletes”? Absolutely! The Slingshot Training System is about working with the body’s Action/Reaction factors. It takes manipulating training volume along with use of enough legal anabolics (including the proper combinations of food) to stimulate the receptors so muscle and strength gains can be achieved while avoiding over-saturated receptors. By adding the most powerful legal anabolic substances known to man for 8 weeks, you will coincide with the way anabolic steroid users make their best gains.



You may need 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to put on maximum lean muscle during the off-season reload when utilizing Slingshot Training and upwards of 2 grams per pound of body weight during a Slingshot Cutting Phase provided you have a good metabolism. I have seen zero evidence after 22 years of being in the gym that anything over 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is beneficial for anabolism. In fact, there is evidence that going too high for too long can actually reduce the anabolic response when utlized long term during the off-season. This is another reason I recommend reducing protein intake by about half for 7-14 days after completing your reload phases! The problem with many bodybuilders is that they have this "more is better" or "all or nothing" mindset. They over analyze by thinking if an increase in protein intake is good, then always taking in supraphyisiological amounts must be better. Another example is intense work sets!!!


To increase lean body mass to the max, the most powerful anabolic supplements are added to a 4-8 week reload to increase strength, increase protein synthesis, and decrease protein breakdown. These anabolic supplements are always taken during the most catabolic period of the day (before breakfast on non-training days) and (after working outs or during breakfast on training days) to enhance their rate of absorption. The bigger your muscles become by following these 2 anabolic training cycles (DELOAD/RELOAD), the more receptors they create. Thus, you increase your body’s capacity to use larger amounts of anabolic hormones and/or it’s own naturally produced hormones. I refer to these basic macro-cycles as Slingshot Periodization. The Slingshot Training Cycles mimic the anabolic steroid cycles being used by top level professional bodybuilders/power-lifters behind the scenes, making Slingshot Training the best training system in existence for gaining size and strength.


Here an example of an 8 week anabolic cycle to be employed during a 8 week reload by the very advanced competitive bodybuilder


(Week 1-8-RELOAD) could be 2 grams of test enanthate per week, 400 mgs of deca and 50 mgs of d-bol per day or use a large amount of a pro-hormone that will increase testosterone production similar to testosterone and combine it with another pro-hormone comparable to trenbolone or d-bol so it will create anabolism in the face of catabolism.

(Week 9-10- DELOAD) could be around 500 mgs of test enanthate.


Note: I've seen people get hung up on taking too many drugs when proper nutrition adn training is the most important thing to consider. Fewer calories adn over-training equals less muscle mass! If you are taking adequate amounts of anabolics yet still aren't making gains don't always assume you have poor genetics or that you are not responding to the drugs. Try eating more clean meals through out the day and even one in the middle of the night if needed. Also, try reducing training volume during reloads! Wev'e all seen guys who take a ton of anabolics yet are not very big. Sometimes the only difference between a massive bodybuilder and a small bodybuilder is their food consumption I realize that some people get fat easier than others because they were not blessed with a good metabolism for bodybuilding purposes but it still does not negate the fact that some people have better genetics than they think if only they would start tapping in to them by using proper nutrition!



Sample-Slingshot Cutting Cycle used by Competitive Bodybuilders getting ready for a show:

A base of testosterone (750-1000 mgs of test enanthate for 12-16 weeks), (.5mg of arimidex ed for 8 weeks) then increasing to (1 mg ed for last 8 weeks), trenbolone (75mg-150 mgs every day for 12-16 weeks), (100 mgs of Winstrol depot every day for last 2-8 weeks depending on how it affects your joints), (2 clenbuterol tabs per day at 20 mgs a piece), increase by one tab every 2-3 weeks for 12 weeks while not exceeding 120 mgs), one Cytomel (25mcgs per day) while increasing dosage by half a tab every three weeks until (50 mcgs max) is reached for 12 weeks); Those who can afford it add (4 to 10 IUs of Growth Hormone daily for 12-16 weeks). 200 mgs of Deca per week until 3-4 weeks out from the show is often utilized to keep joints healthy from all the drying out!

NOTE: To maintain as much muscle mass as humanly possible you will probably need to use what's considered a very large dosage of steroids to maintain your muscle size and fullness. This means you will need more anabolics to maintain muscle then gain muscle! Some of you reading this won't have to use very large amounts where as others will need to use a whole lot of different drugs to get shredded and maintain what has already been built. Throughout my years as a personal trainer, I've seen a lot of bodybuilders try smaller dosages while dieting down only to end up losing a ton of muscle. Some of you will need to use much larger amounts than your training partner does to maintain muscle mass. Obviously, this is something you'll have to determine on your own. You cannot go by what other board members are recommending because everyone responds differently! One thing I want to stress is that the biggest mistake I have seen during pre-contest is not taking enough anabolics to maintain muscle mass/strength!

[Ronnie Rowland]

EXERCISE CADENCE-VERY IMPORTANT!

I see a lot of repetitive questions in the training section and in the anabolic steroid section. What do you think is the #1 mistake I have witnessed by both natural bodybuilder's and drug enhanced bodybuilder's in my 24 years as a trainer? I bet you thought I was going to say over-training, diet or taking the wrong kinds of drugs didn't you? While those can be problems, the biggest mistake being made by many (and this applies to people on this board) is improper exercise form. Ever noticed how many people on the net are always getting injured? They get shoulder pain, elbow pain, knee pain, and the list goes on and on! And it can be even worse for steroid users because they get stronger faster.

If you train with the right form you will rarely, if ever get an injury that will put you on the sidelines. If you are always striving to beat a log book you should resort to power-lifting, not bodybuilding. Bodybuilding and powerlifting are two different sports. I think many people tend to not understand this. I see them asking how to bring up lagging body part when the answer is simple-use better form!

A true bodybuilder goes to the gym to work his muscle, not lift a certain amount of weight. Sure, you will get stronger to a point as you progress but feeling the muscles stretch, squeeze and contract while using no momentum is what builds the most muscle size and keeps you injury free. In fact, as you progress your goal should be to keep improving your mind muscle link which can mean reducing the weight load. I realize some people just never learn and they are not secure enough within themselves to let someone else lift more weight than them on a particular exercise even if it means throwing the weight. For those who are still searching for how to gain maximum size without dealing with nasty injuries you will want to take this all in. You've got to quit worrying about what others think and start worrying about your own self if you want to keep training for years without having to deal with all sorts of chronic injuries down the road. I steer clear of people who are always bragging about how much they lift. I say who cares unless you are powerlifting! I am never impressed when a bodybuilder comes up to me and says I did 315 for 6 reps on the bench today. What does impress me is when I hear someone say they got a good pump on chest by using perfect form.

Strength is mostly determined by genetics not training routines. And you can take all the steroids you want and never be as strong and many guys who are all natural because they have thicker tendons, etc. Some people are just very strong while others are not so strong. Sometimes it's the big guys who aren't that strong and sometimes it is the big guys who are very strong. Either way you must go to the gym with the attitude I am really going to feel my muscles working today, not with the attitude I am going to lift more weight or get another rep if it kills me. That's a stupid way to train because it causes certain injury over-time and you will not develop the muscles to your ut-most potential.

Most people fail to max out their genetics because they use momentum to lift the weight. When momentum is used the ancillary muscle can do more of the actual work than the targeted muscle group. It's an ego thing and has no part in bodybuilding.
.....

[Ronnie Rowland]

Slingshot Pyramiding for Bodybuilder's

I have found Slingshot Pyramiding to be the best way to increase both strength and muscular size during an off-season blast. Warming up the right way and starting out with a medium rep PREP-SET taken 2-4 reps shy of absolute failure before performing a heavy low rep work-set with a key compound movements used by power-lifters allows you to take a much bigger jump in weight during a low rep set without becoming injured. A prep set consist of doing 4-8 reps and stopping at least 4 reps shy of good failure! When trying to gain additional strength you should do your heavy set for each anchor exercise first (after warm up-sets and the prep set) while your strength is at its peak. With all other work sets that follow, simply drop the poundages after each work set as needed, to stay in your desired rep-range.

Every advanced power-lifter and stregnth athlete I have worked with soon realizes they must hit their heaviest set on key movements before the neural muscular pathways weaken yet while they have some pump in the muscle. This is important because when a muscle is fresh, ATP (the chemical responsible for energy and contraction) and stored glycogen in the muscle are at their highest. That's when you can really lift some heavy weight loads. Stopping a few reps shy of failure on the PREP SET will keep the CNS strong and awaken and optimize the firing of neural pathways for the heaviest work set that follows. This helps you to lift heavier weight! The PREP SET is more fatiguing than the warm up sets. You must never train to failure during the prep set or it will exhaust the CNS before the heaviest work set. And you’ll need to wait an additional minute or so before going to your heaviest work-set (set # 1). Power-lifters are known for doing a prep set and then waiting around 5 minutes or more before doing their heaviest set to increase weight load range and workload capacity. You’ll be required to wait around 4 minutes as a bodybuilder before doing your heaviest set on compound/power-lifting- movements. Then go back to around 2-3 minutes between sets for that same exercise on each set that follows.

Using more than 3 warm-up sets for any cold body part (for i.e. chest and quads) will hurt your performance. If you need more than 3 warm up sets your doing something wrong (for i.e.; ego lifting). If a muscle group is completely cold, you should always start using 1 high rep warm-up set of 12-15 reps followed by 1 to 2 heavier warm-up sets using only 6 reps. If you fail to warm up properly you won’t be able to bring enough blood flow (pump) into the muscles before performing the heaviest set even though you’ve done a PREP SET and this will increase the risk of getting injured. In addition, a muscle that is not warmed up sufficiently will contract and stretch with less efficiency and this means less muscle fiber stimulation. On the other hand, if you over exert yourself during the warm up sets by using more than one high rep set or using too much weight, you will become to fatigued to produce the desired training effect during the work sets. Warm ups are designed to bring blood flow into the muscle not break down muscle tissue or exert yourself. Using too much weight during warm-ups sets or pushing too much intensity is a huge mistake being made by many bodybuilders and it’s really hurting their ability to increase weight load range and workload capacity. A moderately pumped muscle responds better to heavier workloads and it takes a non-fatiguing high rep set followed by one or two moderate low rep sets to make this happen if the muscle is completely cold. Anytime you do not feel adequately warmed following a high and a low rep warm up set, you’ll need to add an additional low rep warm up set using the same amount of weight used in the second set. Adding more weight to the third warm up set would produce too much fatigue and would do nothing to further prepare the joints for the heavy workload to come.

Note: The PREP-SET is in a league of it's own. Not a warm-up and not an all out work set. You'll need to leave about 4 reps in the hole during a PREP SET. And PREP SETS are to be used only for power exercises such as the following-(squats,dead-lifts, bench presses and over head shoulder presses)!


One low rep warm-up set is usually sufficient before doing the PREP SET for the deltoids if they are trained after chest. When training bicep after lats, a warm up set is generally not needed before proceeding to the work sets. If you feel the need to use more warm-ups set for the delts or biceps because it’s an area that’s been injured in the past, you can use a total of 2 low rep sets of 6 repetitions. In these particular cases, you would need to shun high reps during the warm up because of the fatigue already present from training the chest and lats. This rule applies to every body part. Performing countless warm-up sets for a body part that’s already filled with blood is counter productive and only wasting valuable gym time. It’s not mandatory to work your way up the ladder within each rep-scheme. Stay in the designated rep-range the best you can and add weight when applicable.


Note: If for some reason you are not able to use a particular rep-range due to joint pain, simply work in a rep-range where no pain is experienced.


More weight can be used during the low rep heavy set (4 to 6 reps) when utilizing the Slingshot Pyramiding Scheme. I’ve had multitudes of trainees obtain a new personal record on key movements the first time using this pyramiding scheme and they continue doing so because they are doing it right for the first time in their life! If you tried doing the heaviest set before the PREP SET, the muscles would not be pumped sufficiently to contract at full force-hence the chance of being injured would be greater. On the other hand, if you wait until the last work set to go heavy as many do, it will decreases performance due to excess fatigue-hence actually increase your chance for injury. You’ve got to do the heaviest work set when the muscle is at its strongest! The advantage is catching the body off guard! I call this Slingshot Pyramiding because it “hurls” a burst of intensity to the muscles during the “heaviest work-set” on the key power-building movements.

Slingshot Training adds an extra margin of safety by never doing heavy sets for isolation movements! With compound movements, more weight can be used without getting injured because more muscles come into play during the lift. No PREP SETS are required before doing isolation exercises. Do only the desired warm up sets, if any, and stay near the 8-10 rep-range for all intense work sets. Another way to surprise the muscles is during the the final work set when using a power-lifting movement. You will want to do an intense burn out set composed of higher reps (12-15) with key power-lifting movements to help increase functional strength. These will completely fatigue the stronger regions of the muscles being worked and in return activate some of the more stubborn dormant muscle fibers often neglected.

Note: There is way too much chaos amongst bodybuilders pertaining to which rep-range builds the most muscle size. It's simple! You'll need to perform the majority of your work sets in the 8-10 rep-range (give or take a rep or two) if you want to max out your full-genetic potential as a bodybuilder because it delivers superior gains in muscle size. Perform 1 heavy set in the 4-6 rep-ranges with key compound power-lifting exercises to make continued strength gains. Utilize 1 set in the 12-15 rep-ranges with your key power-lifting exercises to build endurance,functional strength and aid in healing. Keep most work sets in the 8-10 rep-range for maximum hypertrophy. This is how you obtain total bodypart mass and full-blown muscle-belly development. But, time under tension is more important than your rep-range!


Sample of how to pyramid your chest training as a "bodybuilder" during the blast: Here's a chest workout using 2 exercises once a week for 10 sets. Incline barbell bench press- 1st warm up set 135lbs-12 reps, 2nd warm up set 175lbs-6 reps, 3rd warm up set 185 lbs-4 reps, PREP SET- 240 lbs for 6 reps stopping 2 reps shy of failure). )-“wait an extra minute before performing your 1st work set”. 1st work set/heavy-set 350 lbs-4 reps to failure, 2rd work set 275 lbs for 8 to good failure, 3rd work set 265 lbs for 8 reps to failure, 4 th set 255 for 8 reps to failure, 5th work set 200 lbs for 12 reps to failure. Second exercise is flat flyes- 1st work set 45 lbs for 10 rep to failure, 2nd work set 45 lbs for 9 reps to failure, 3rd set 45 for 8 reps to failure, 4th work set 40 lbs for 9 reps to failure. 5th and final work set 40 lbs for 8 reps to failure.


Note: By keeping intense low-rep sets (4-6 reps) to roughly one per each training session it helps prevent over-training of the CNS, connective tissue and joints when training to all out failure on each set as a bodybuilder. The high rep "burn-out sets" is a conditioning technique and is also a means to prevent tendonitis later on as you progress in size strength. High rep training is very intense, especially when training the legs with compound exercises like squats, so it works best if used sparingly. Too much high rep training can push you into a catabolic mode, but just the right amount will increase muscle size.

Note: Eack work set is taken to good failure!


8 WEEK RELOAD


SLINGSHOT PYRAMIDING Sample using 3 exercises for 4 sets during 8 week reload when training each muscle once a week
(warm up sets not included)-



1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree barbell decline press
PREP SET- 4-8 rep (3 reps short of good failure) -wait an extra minute than usual before going to 1st work set
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set) to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure
3rd set 8-10 reps to failure
4th set 12-15 reps to failure



2nd exercise is a first secondary exercise- 15 degree barbell incline press
1st set- 8-10 reps to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure
3rd set 8-10 reps to failure
4th set 8-10 reps to failure


3rd exercise is a second-secondary exercise
Flat bench dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist while bringing hands to lower chest during contraction.
1st set- 8-10 reps to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure
3rd set 8-10 reps to failure
4th set 8-10 reps to failure

TOTAL WORK SETS=12



8 WEEK RELOAD


REVERSE SLINGSHOT PYRAMIDING:

An alternative Reverse Slingshot Pyramiding scheme should be utilized by those of you who get easily injured or have joint problems. Skip the "prep-set" and increase weight on each set while reducing the reps. As you advance in strength/size it can be important to pyramid in this manner to avoid injury. You'll see many pro-bodybuilders using Reverse Slingshot Pyramiding as they become more advanced.


Reverse Slingshot Pyramiding for bench press (warm up sets not included)-

1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree barbell decline press
1st set 12-15 to failure
2nd set 10-12 reps to failure
3rd set 8-10 reps to failure
4th set 4-6 reps to failure



2nd exercise is a first secondary exercise- 15 degree barbell incline press
1st set- 8-10 reps to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure
3rd set 8-10 reps to failure
4th set 8-10 reps to failure


3rd exercise is a second-secondary exercise
Flat bench dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist while bringing hands to lower chest during contraction.
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set 12-15 reps to failure
3rd set 10-12 reps to failure
4th set 10-8 reps tp failure

TOTAL WORK SETS =12
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


2 WEEK DELOAD-


SLINGSHOT PYRAMIDING Sample using 3 exercises for 2 sets during 2 week reload when training each muscle once a week
(warm up sets not included)-



1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree barbell decline press
PREP SET- 4-8 rep (2 reps short of failure) -wait an extra minute than usual before going to 1st work set
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set) to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure




2nd exercise is a first secondary exercise- 15 degree barbell incline press
1st set- 8-10 reps to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure


3rd exercise is a second-secondary exercise
Flat bench dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist while bringing hands to lower chest during contraction.
1st set- 8-10 reps to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure

TOTAL WORK SET = 6



2 WEEK DELOAD

REVERSE SLINGSHOT PYRAMIDING:

An alternative Reverse Slingshot Pyramiding scheme should be utilized by those of you who get easily injured or have joint problems. Skip the "prep-set" and increase weight on each set while reducing the reps. As you advance in strength/size it can be important to pyramid in this manner to avoid injury. You'll see many pro-bodybuilders using Reverse Slingshot Pyramiding as they become more advanced.


Reverse Slingshot Pyramiding for decline bench press (warm up sets not included)-

1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree barbell decline press
1st set 12-15 to failure
2nd set 8-12 reps to failure




2nd exercise is a first secondary exercise- 15 degree barbell incline press
1st set- 8-10 reps to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure


3rd exercise is a second-secondary exercise
Flat bench dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist while bringing hands to lower chest during contraction.
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set 12-15 reps to failure

TOTAL WORK SETS = 6

[Ronnie Rowland]

THE BACK UP TRAINING PHASE-"THE 1-2 WEEK PRIME"

During this first 1-2 weeks of a mass training phase you have the option of creating a controlled catabolic state over a 1-2 week time spans. During the priming phase you will use strategic de-conditioning over a 1-2 week time span in order to make the muscle more responsive to the stimulus of weight training, thus making the muscle respond in a similar fashion as to when you first began lifting weights. You will be amazed at how fast you can gain muscle mass-strength after an “anabolic prime” once become over-trained! This has a lot to do changing things up, allowing the nervous system to fully recover, and giving connective tissue time to repair itself.

##Everyone knows how weak we can become when the nervous system becomes over-trained and/or a joint/tendon becomes inflammed.##


Perform around 4-6 high rep sets per major body part during the prime regardless of the training split used or do not train at all! All the muscular gains you make during the prior reload will remain in tact, given you do not lose over 2 pounds of bodyfat per week or over do cardio (exceed the 5 day limit). This training phase entails letting the sympathetic system (used during weight training) to completely rejuvenate while the parasympathetic system (used during aerobics) helps put the body is a controlled catabolic state.Consider it joint therapy![/B] Think of your tendons as a cable on a winch. When the cable gets frayed from over-use, the cable weakens and begins to lose strength. The same scenario happens to us when our tendons fray-we get weaker! Two weeks of using low sets/high reps will help prevent and repair the tiny frays in the tendons from the heavy-high volume lifting utilized during the mass phases. Those who neglect the 2 week prime will eventually move backwards as opposed to forward because of nagging injuries and nervous system burnout. Tendon repair is slow, but prevention techniques work relatively fast. Meaning reducing weight loads and volume for only 2 weeks before a blasting phase can spell the difference between training free of pain or having to deal with nagging injuries year round and we all know how a nagging injury will hold back gains!


The high reps used during the 2 week prime gather lactic acid (the burning sensation) into the area where tendons are attached. This stimulates both the tendons and joints to get stronger because lactic acid keys off the fibroblasts to signal for collagen synthesis to occur. The anabolic prime is not about gaining size or strengthening the muscles connected to the tendons/joints per se, rather it's about muscle maintenance and creating a burn so collagen synthesis can be increased. Keeping the sets low with higher reps produces lactic acid while putting less wear and tear on the muscles/tendons/joints/nervous system-hence preparing the body once again for another blast however long it may be.




Important Note: The prime can be skipped altogether when trying to gain mass if you are fully recoverying and/or are utilizing an extended anabolic steroid/pro-hormone cycle! The anabolic prime is a mere healing phase muscle. Do not expect to build muscle during this period. Your goal during a primer should be to burn the muscles with high reps while stopping each set a rep or two shy of good failure.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Diet for Anabolic Priming Phase


During the 2 week prime you’ll need to reduce your protein intake by half during the entire training phase and replace those protein calories with slow burning carbs or fats depending on your body type! This gives the organs a break from having to filter all that protein needed during the blast. Upon entering the blasting phase you must return to eating normal amounts of protein. Your muscles will latch on to that extra protein and start building new muscle tissue. Understand here that a very high protein diet used long term can cause insulin resistance and build up toxic ammonia. Obviously this is a problem for off-season bodybuilders!


A lot of people think dieting down of any kind makes you shrink, but the right kind of dieting in the off-season will actually help you gain muscle mass-strength. When a prime is performed properly over a brief 2 week window, no muscle mass will be lost. In order to make forward progress you have to take a small step back in body weight composed of bodyfat and water weight (not muscle) in order to go forward. You must never take a step back in muscle weight because this would create a viscous cycle of gaining muscle then turning right around and losing some of the muscle you gained during the blast. All too often bodybuilders tend to equate body weight loss with muscle loss and those two are not one in the same when done with caution. You will be in what’s considered a “controlled catabolic state” during the prime and this is not the same thing as being in an “uncontrolled catabolic state” where you are actually losing muscle mass-strength. You'll need to drop protein intake by around half for the entire 2 week anabolic prime while you are preparing to enter a blasting phase. Don't worry, the extra slow burning carbs will spare muscle tissue from being burned as fuel and help restore the central nervous system. When normal amounts of protein are added back into the diet at the beginning of the higher volume blasting phase, your muscles will grab hold of the extra protein and begin adding new muscle tissue. This means if you took in 300 grams of protein daily during the blast you will need roughly 150 grams of protein daily during the 2 week prime. All you are required to do is replace the deducted protein calories with carb calories. Next, simply decrease some calories from dietary fats if you need to lose bodyfat to improve insulin sensitivity! Insulin resistance is an obviously problem for many off-season bodybuilders who need a lot of protein and fats in order to build muscle tissue at the fastest rate humanly possible. Long term bulking with even moderate amounts of carbs that accompany a high protein diet will be more inclined to increase your blood glucose levels when you develop some degree of insulin reistance. Monosaturated fats are safer than carbs unless over indulged from a calorie stand point because too many calories will also cause insulin resistance. A a decrease in over-all calories consumption will improve insulin sensitivity regardless of macronutrient ratios ingested. [U][COLOR="Red"]If you are one of these people who thrive on more carbs and less fats you will need to reduce carb intake while increasing fats during a prime to improve insulin sensitivity and remove body fat. In a nutshell, the body will enter a controlled catabolic state by dropping protein intake by half during an anabolic prime! Those who drop some fats in addition to the protein to decrease bodyfat/calorie intake, you will further create a controlled catabolic state. Think of protein and fats as nutrients and carbs as macro-nutrients! A decrease in bodyfat will still be made on a higher carb diet given additional calories are used for energy or calories are decreased in the diet. The body will adapt to the decrease in protein consumption in about 2 weeks and staying with such a protocol for upwards of 3 weeks could decrease muscle size. When you return to eating at maintenance level or above during the blasting phase that follows the prime and increase protein intake, your whole musculature store more protein in the form of lean muscle. On day 1 of the blasting phase you can start taking fast acting anabolic supplements along with increasing protein intake back to the norm.


* * The lesson to learn here is it takes a controlled catabolic environment to create an anabolic environment.* *


Fast acting supplements such as creatine, leucine, free form amino acids or fast acting anabolic steroids,etc should never be used during the 2 week prime. The only supplement allowed during this period is a “base”. For natural bodybuilders the “base” will consist of food and/or hydro whey mixed with some form of healthy fat like natural peanut butter, flax seed or carbs. The “base” for the chemically enhanced bodybuilder could consist of slow acting esters such as Testosterone Enanthate, Deca, Equipoise, Growth Hormone, etc. You’ll need to eat every 3-4 hours dictating the need for 5-6 meals per day depending on how much you sleep. Carb intake will increase while protein and fat calories are decreased slightly in order to obtain a 1-4 pound weight loss over the entire 2 week period if needed to increase insulin sensitivity. You must determine how much water weight you lose when coming off the anabolic supplements and add that into the equation. You simply can’t lose too much bodyfat weight at any given time or you’ll sacrifice muscle and make it hard on the endocrine system. During a prime you can use green tea and/or caffeine pills up to twice a day at 200-400 mgs. Take them during breakfast and an hour before workouts to help push through and increase the thermogenic effect. Green tea extract also increases the metabolism. Take 500-1000 mgs of green tea along with caffeine twice a day. Obviously, drugs like Growth Hormone, Clenbuterol and T-3 can be used when priming to help improve insulin sensitivity.

Post workout-

Post workout nutrition (consisting of a whey shake and fast acting carbs) should be avoided during a prime unless you won't be able to eat for several hours. The prime is all about preserving the muscle mass you have already built while giving the system a break. All that's required post workout is your regularly scheduled post-workout meal after training.


Healthy fats and/or carbs must always to be used in conjunction with hydro whey protein when priming/cutting to slow down absorption and prevent catabolism. If you are unable to do aerobics during the “anabolic prime” and need to lose bodyfat, drop 300-500 fat calories from your diet so a fat loss of 2-4 pounds occurs over a 2 week time span. Effort is put into consuming lean proteins, healthy fats and slow burning carbs (including breakfast and post workout) to enhance hormonal sensitivity and harden the musculature. Two weeks is all that’s needed to produce a reaction to the majority of hormonal actions in the body. After a 2-week prime, you have now created an environment for extraordinary muscle-strength gains! Do not skip the anabolic prime! You must prime the body to improve insulin resistance so you can enter a mass phase and put on more muscle weight as opposed to more fat weight. A person with a poor metabolism won’t be able to grow muscle and keep bodyfat levels low because they are insulin resistant.


** The bodyfat loss experienced during the anabolic prime will greatly improve insulin sensitivity and allow you to enter back into the blasting phase experiencing leaner muscle gains. * *


If you are already lean then it’s not necessary to lose any body weight during the 2 week prime, but you'll still be required to incorporate a 2 week prime. For those of you who do not need to lose bodyfat, all that's required to increase insulin/hormonal sensitivity is simply dropping all fast-acting anabolic supplements, decreasing the amount of saturated fats, hi-glycemic carbs and protein consumed. If you need to drop weight during the prime but cannot do cardio or the extra cardio is not enough, simply decrease fat calories! Those of you who struggle with gaining bodyfat easy or who have gained too much adipose tissue during a blast will need to try and lose about 1-2 pounds of body fat per week during the 1-2 week anabolic prime. Do not go overboard by losing too much weight. You should never go hungry during the prime. This is not pre-contest it’s simply a prime. All body types will be required to eat less saturated fat, less protein and hi GI carbs during the prime. The leaner you become the more calories from fats and/or carbs you'll be able to consume during the anabolic blast following the prime. Don't go over-board because they can be hazardous to your healthy. Even the ectomorphs possessing ****morphic tendencies should focus primarily on consuming essential fats and slower burning carbs year round.

Another big advantage of this approach is if adhered to properly you will avoid the dreaded plateau of no longer being able to gain muscular body weight without tons of fat until you've reached your full genetic potential. With mainstream methods you would gain slower, put on more unwanted bodyfat during the off-season, develop more nagging injuries and hit a plateau much sooner. When a plateau is hit using a long term high calorie diet, people begin to gain more bodyfat than muscle and injuries run rampant. Do not make the mistake of trying to go up and up in your weight and work sets while the Basal Metabolic Rate never has a chance to adjust. With Slingshot Training you will deload for 1-2 weeks and then take 1 giant step forward with each reloading phase. By the end of the first reloading phase you will be ahead of what can be accomplished using conventional programs. When trying to gain a lot of muscle size or lose large amounts of bodyfat, you must never take 1 step forward and a half a step back. Gradually work your way up or down the ladder in the direction you desire to go!


Important Note: If you go on vacation for a week, that can count towards the prime given you eat a good diet.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Sample Menu For 1-2 Week Priming Phase

Diet for entire 2 week anabolic prime:

To Lose Body Weight on a high fat diet - Body weight x 16kcal. Measure your body fat weekly using a set of calipers and going by the mirror. Take in the same amount of calories as long as your body fat continues to improve. Cut 500kcal weekly when you don’t progress. Next take the blasting diet to be used on 5 lower calories/carb days and subtract protein in half while replacing them with carbs. Here’s a sample that can be used for the blasting diet listed below if you weigh a lean 175 pounds-

Meal 1: 2 bananas (50 grams of carbs), 2 whole ***** 3 enriched eggs (10 grams of fat/14 grams of protein, 1 egg whites (4 grams of protein) and 2 cups of oatmeal (120 grams of carbs)
1) Total- 18 grams of protein, 170 carbs, 14 grams of fat (CALS/872).


Meal 2: A half pack of lean deli chicken or tuna or left over lean meat from last night’s dinner (20 grams of protein) on 1 slice of whole wheat bread (20 carbs) and 1 apples (25 grams of carbs)
2) Total-20 grams of protein and 45 grams of carbs (260).

Meal 3: Any lean meat such as a half a pack of deli turkey (20 grams of Protein) and ½ a pound of grapes (40 grams of carbs)
3) Total-20 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbs (260)

Meal 4: Small portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon, London broil, flank steak, etc (25 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 6 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (91 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat), 2 tbsp of croutons (4 carbs) and a sweet potato containing (30 grams of carbs).
4) Protein 25 grams, fats 91, carbs 34 (CALS/1055)


Meal 5: Whey protein shake (25 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, 3 carbs) on a slice of whole wheat bread.
5) 29 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, 22 carbs (CALS/353)

DAILY TOTALS-(PROTEINS/112) (CARBS/314) (FATS 119) (CALORIES/2719) equals minus 155 calories below maintenance level for lower carb/calories days during blast.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This priming diet works in conjunction with the blasting diet listed on page 14!

Part 2-to lose weight on a high carb diet: Still in construction!

[Ronnie Rowland]

The primary training phase-the anabolic blast".

**The science behind lower volume training (deload) involves muscle damage. The science behind higher volume training (reload) involves both muscle damage and stimulating genes in the muscle cells to increase protein synthesis-hence high volume should be used more often than low volume **


You cannot train hard all the time without over-training. Once full adaptation occurs there will be no continued improvement beyond the point to which the body has already fully-adapted regardless of how much intensity you put the body through in the gym. Reaching a sticking point is one of the biggest reasons why weight lifters stop training. After they have experienced growth at a rapid rate during the first 6 months, their bodies readily adapts to the training and progress slows down. I have learned that the absolute best way to break plateaus is by changing my training completely by alternating back and forth between mini cycles of high volume and low volume training (always using great intensity).

During the reload you will go for a full pump and fully traumatize the muscle tissue to create an increase in muscle size-strength. This is accomplished using more volume to fully stimulate the type-2 muscle fibers. Lifting heavier weight loads with volume will increase muscle size over-time. The extra volume used when reloading will help stretch out the fascia that surrounds each major muscle group! The smaller your sheath the harder it will be to grow muscle. You'll want to really pump up those muscles and stretch out the fascia during the reloads.


Beware: Extreme soreness can occur when entering a reloading phase. This is due to the "Slingshot Effect" (hurling a burst of intensity to the muscles)!


The higher training volume used during the reload phase will certainly increase scar tissue through inflammation, but it will not be to the point of compromising gains as long as a deload is applied as I have outlined. Very low volume training prevents the build up of scar tissue but it also results in less muscle mass increases, even in the presence of increased strength gains. Remember, bodybuilding and powerlifting are not one in the same! There is an optimal time limit for maximal growth to occur before accumulation in scar tissue out weighs the benefits of muscle gains. This inflammatory process is an essential part of the muscle growth process because mediators such as IGF-1 are stimulated by the release of inflammatory cells. Your goal as a bodybuilder is to build muscle size without accumulating too much scar tissue-hence the need to reload and deload as you blast away.

Higher volume training is one of the most under-rated weapons in your training arsenal. Increasing the amount of intense work sets you perform will increase the rate of lean muscle mass growth. I call this a reload! It will also increase the rate of fat loss during both a bulking and cutting phase. The amount of intense work sets you perform will determine your metabolic rate. This will govern if the food you eat is stored as bodyfat or used to build new muscle. Very low volume training (regardless of the intensity applied) results in slow healing and slow muscle growth! When training volume is too low, no amount of training intensity will allow calories to to be metabolized at an efficient rate. This is why many weight lifters hung up on always using low volume protocols get overly-fat. They eat to keep up with the supplements or drugs they are utilizing, but fail to train with enough volume in order that their metabolic rate will match. High volume training has a repartitioning effect on your whole musculature and it greatly ehances androgen receptor site sensitivity. Use it to allow maximum growth to occur while minimizing gains in bodyfat.

The good news about deloads during the blast is they help increase strength and will help improve inuslin sensitivy because protein/glucose production will be reduced! A delaod primes the body to improve insulin resistance so you can enter yur next reloading phase and put on more muscle weight as opposed to more fat weight. A person with a poor metabolism won’t be able to grow muscle and keep bodyfat levels low because they are insulin resistant. Anyone who wants to succeed in building a better body must establish outstanding insulin sensitivity by changing their BMR. When your body deals well with insulin, it will produce a positive re-partitioning effect upon muscle-to-fat-ratio. This means an improved rate in which nutrients are absorbed-hence less adipose tissue build up during a mass phase. Insulin resistance is caused by 4 primary actions 1) Eating too many carbs. 2) Weight gain caused by eating too many calories from carbs and/or fats given protein intake is not excessive. Yes, too much protein can cause you to get fat as well! 3) Eating the wrong kinds of carbs or fats on a long term basis, 4) having a small amount of lean muscle tissue, and/or a lot of bodyfat. The definition of Insulin resistance consists of 2 different things. 1) Muscle cell resistance is when the muscle building hormone-insulin can no longer reach the muscles. Therefore, it won’t be able to drive amino acids and glucose into the cells. This means you will appear flat and not be able to build a substantial amount of tissue. 2) Fat cell insulin resistance means insulin can’t aid with nutrient storage in fat cells and the insulin will not be able to slow down the breakdown of fat.

Since the CNS and joints will be fully rested after a 2 deload, you will be amazed at how fast you can gain muscle mass-strength. Give your body the time it needs to recover during a deload and before you realize it, you’ll be eager to get back to working out with enough volume during a reload to experience maximum hypertrophy. The lower volume combined with the specialized diet/supplement discontinuance can make androgen receptor sites more sensitive. And it heleps give nagging injuries time to heal. After years of making it to the next level in muscular development, only to develop another nagging injury to hold me back, I finally figured out a deload was needed to help keep me relatively injury free. Do not skip the deload or avoid reducing anabolic supplements or you will not make forward progress at the fastest rate possible. You’ll be surprised to see how much adipose your body will expel within a brief two week deload if needed. The strength gains made during this very low volume phase will not become manifested until you enter the “anabolic blasting” phase with renewed energy and increased joint function. Reaching a sticking point after an extended reload is normal. The best way to overcome sticking points is by changing your routine with a deload or the occasional prime.




Important Note: Other than beyond failure training methods, long-intense workouts is the leading cause of over-training! It's very important that you understand how over-training and under-resting will slow down your progress. The 4 major signs of entering an over-trained state are: 1) You don't have much of an appetite. 2) Your feel tired and lethargic. 3) Your strength levels are decreasing instead of maintaining or increasing. 4 ) Insomnia


I strongly believe that changing your exercises constantly is a huge mistake. Doing so will not allow for SPECIFIC ADAPTATIONS to occur to their fullest. If you are changing exercises every time you train you will have no history of progress. Results can only be measured against your baseline exercises that give you the most bang for your buck. For example: squats for the thighs! Alternating leg presses with squats every other week would not be as beneficial as sticking with squats for most of your leg training sessions unless squatting every week caused joint pain. By using the same key exercises most, if not all the time (during reloads) your results will be better. It's during the deloads you should consider changing exercises! I WANT TO DRIVE THIS POINT HOME!!!!!!!!!

Work harder on weak points if you want to try and bring them up to par but do not annihilate. You have the option of increasing sets and/or adding additional exercises for ancillary bodyparts like traps during a blast if they are lagging behind. For instance, if wanting to use 9 sets for traps choose 1 key movement and 1-2 secondary exercises. It could go as follows: 3 sets of seated dumbbell shrugs, 3 sets of standing barbell shrugs to front (using a smith machine) and 3 sets of shrugs behind the back during the blast.

Deloading allows for catch-up growth to occur that was stimulated during a Reload. I compare the gains made during the deload to the gains you'll make during the first 2 weeks after doing a show even though training has been reduced and you have come off of all or most anabolics. It takes higher volume training to blast the type-2 fibers to the utmost and this causes fatigue to accumulate. During intense periods of blasting, some of the gains made are delayed because the body isn’t capable of converting all the extra training into gains because more training is happening at the same time the body needs more rest for recovery. Once a deload is incorporated and the body fully-adapts, your Central Nervous System will recover and allow maximum gains in size-strength to occur.


Important Note: You should deload for 1-2 weeks after you reload for 8 weeks. Do not exceed 8 weeks of reloading or 2 weeks of deloading during a blasting phase!!!


You want to train with both volume and intensity when going for maximal muscle size. There will times during the reload phase were you feel like doing fewer sets due to a lack of energy and/or joint pain. When this occurs you should do less volume on those days while keeping the intensity high! This is called a "spontaneous de-load" and don't be afraid to utilize it if needed. On the other side of the coin, there will be days when you feel like doing more sets than usual during reloads. For example, if you normally so 8 sets for biceps once a week but have extra energy, you decide to do the max for biceps (12 sets)! This is called a "spontaneous reload" and don't fear over-training when it times to hit it hard. Take advantage of the extra energy on those days or weeks by making your muscles withstand as many intense work sets as your nervous sytem and joints can handle without becoming over-trained or injured. DO NOT EXCEED 12 INTENSE WORK SETS FOR FOR A BODY PART DURING ANY TRAINING SESSION OR 12 SET TOTAL FOR THE WEEK! Only you will know, so listen to your body and modify these learning lessons to do what works best for you. A de-load rejuventates the joints/nervous system-hence keeps you from over-training during a reload phase if you are feeling over-trained. A reload improves overall conditioning which also helps you prevent over-training. Reaching a sticking point after an extended reload phase is normal. The best way to overcome sticking points is by changing your routine with a deload. The reduced protein intake during a deload will improve insulin sensitity. When more protein is added during the next reload more amino acids will be accepted by muscle cells![/U]

##Do not avoid a reload in fear you might over-train. It takes periods of doing higher volume to attack type-2 muscle fibers and increase sarcoplasmic growth which constitutes nearly 30% of your total muscle size. ##

Slingshot Training is not about following a cheesy cookie cutter routine. I want to drive this point home! It's all about finding what works for you! Everyone responds differently to various sets, exercises, training days and nutritional plans. Everyone has different injuries, workloads outside the gym, etc, to work around as well. Most of us need to save some energy so we can specialize on lagging muscle groups or carry out our daily functions. The only way to figure out what's best for you is to try different Slingshot approaches. Due to my experience as a trainer, I can put you in the ballpark, but no one, including myself, can possibly tell you with 100% accuracy what's best for your body because it's your body! When working in person with serious lifters I keep a journal and make adjustments weekly. My advise to you is-keep what works and discard what doesnt work. For example, if you need more strength incorporate a longer delaod or more rest days if that's required for you to sleep better, eat more and have increased energy levels. Deloading during a blast is an absolute necessity so do not skip it! (the deload is no to be mixed up with a priming phase) in order to max out your genetic potential. Do not back off the intensity during a deload unless you are injured but do change what you are doing in terms of the amount of sets performed and the exercises being used if need be to take some stress off the body and prevent boredom. Reloading and Deloading make reference to the following paragraph located in the introduction chapter-" The intelligent trainer's switch-over to using more volume, while the less fortunate keep thinking less is always more! The next mistake comes into play by the trainees who have switched over to using the higher volume approach. Many become so overwhelmed with their newly found muscle mass after having increased the volume that they begin to reason with themselves thinking more must always be done from that point on. They quickly hit a point of diminishing returns and eventually develop over-use injuries and an over-trained nervous system, instead of reverting back to using a lower amount of volume that worked so well at the beginning."



It's best to stay with your most productive exercises most of the time so you can gauge your progress and cause specific adaptations to occur! Some prefer to train 5 days per week during a reload and only 3 days per week during a deload! ## Avoiding overtraining is one of the hardest things for an over-enthusiastic lifter to do just as under-training is common amongst the overly cautious. Over-training doesn't necessarily mean that you have trained too much. It can mean you have trained too long using the same volume or frequency just as under-training can occur by not using the same volume or frequency for a long enough time frame to allow full-adaptation to occur.##


Reloading and Deloading is mandatory all year long so progression and recovery can continually be made over months to come. The bigger your muscles become by following these 2 anabolic training cycles, the more receptors they create. I refer to this as Slingshot Periodization. These 2 training cycles are the absolute best periodization plan in existence.
for those wanting to make maximum muscle gains.


Important Note: Slingshot Training was designed so you as an individual can train instinctively. This gets even more important as you advance. For example, there are a limited number of high quality exercises you can perform for each body part. It’s a good plan to hit the same exercises every week you train when trying to build up a good base. As you become more advanced and get very strong, doing these same exercises over and over again might cause joint problems for some. Therefore, you will have to train instinctively to prevent over use injuries. This can mean changing the exercises you do frequently or not at all. Listen to your muscles, joints and nervous system and you will find your way through the bodybuilding maze!



Note: Some do best by reducing their weekly training sessions during a deload. For example, some may find that going from a 5 day split during a reload, to a 3-4 day split during a deload works better than staying with the 5 day split during the deload given the rest allowed between training body parts remains similar. Below is a sample-

5 day split (reload sample )-

Monday-Chest
Tuesday-Back
Wednesday-Shoulders
Thursday-arms
Friday-legs

4 day split (deload sample that could be used with 5 day reload)-

Monday-Chest
Tuesday Back
Wednesday-Off
Thursday-Shoulders/arms
Firday-Legs

3 day split (deload sample that could be used with 5 day reload)-

Monday- Chest/Back
Tuesday-Off
Wednesday-Shoulders/arms
Thursday-Off
Friday-Legs



Cardio: Two to three days per week of cardio is sufficient for most during a blast. Do not exceed 3 days per week unless you are female or have a super slow metabolism.

Work sets: Perform 6-12 intense work sets total for the entire week (warm up sets not included) whether you train each muscle group once a week or twice a week!

Final Note: There is no set limit on how long one can blast. The blast consist of reloading and deloading. However, a reload should never exceed 8 weeks in duration and a deload should never exceed 2 weeks in duration if you want to make maximum progress using slingshot training!

[Ronnie Rowland]

Breaking Plateaus by Changing Training Frequency


Breaking Plateaus by Changing Training Frequency


I've seen a trend over the last few years were many people are stuck on training their muscles only once a week. I've also witnessed a trend were some always train each muscle twice a week. It's not mandatory but it's good practice to try and mix things up on occasion by training each body part using a different frequency. It can help you break past training barriers and it can prevent boredom!


Important Note: Due to joint problems some may be incapable of training a muscle twice a week or vise versa. Do what works best for you. If you do not enjoy it you will not stick to it!


For those of you who prefer twice a week muscle training you'll need to provide each muscle group with one heavy day and one lighter day. Each muscle group is trained with more frequency and receives a different type of stress-hence providing a holistic approach to gaining more muscle mass and strength. Your Central Nervous, joints and muscles will welcome the separation of exercises into two different training sessions! Those who prefer once a week training can still train weak body parts twice a week as a baseline while hitting strong body parts only once a week as a baseline.

When reloading and deloading you "DO NOT" want to use the same exact exercises over and over again indefinitely. But, do use those most of the time or as much as possible without experiencing staleness. If the over-head dumbbell press is one of your bread and butter exercise for the deltoids, then it's best to perform that specific exercise while you are totally fresh. When rotated with another basic movement such as military barbell presses, hammer strength shoulder presses, etc, you'd also want to start with presses so the maximum amount of weight can be used to build up the bulk of the shoulder complex. Another advantage of twice a week muscle group training is that it let's you hit secondary exercises like lateral raises while you are totally fresh during the second weekly shoulder workout if desired. This will help widen the deltoids over-time because you will be able to use more weight on these very important secondary exercises. This same rule applies to the chest, etc! In addition, you can try training smaller muscle groups like the biceps with larger muscle groups like the back when training them twice a week and try keeping the smaller muscles like biceps separate from back workouts when training them once a week. Experiment to find what works best for you! When training a muscle once a week, it is harder to push the needed intensity with deltoids and triceps if performed after a 12 set chest workout. Training the deltoids and triceps on the same day as chest is easier with twice a week muscle group training because you can have more energy left to do so due to performing less sets per muscle group in each training session and it can shock the muscle by giving them a different type of stimulus. This has worked extremely well for my some of myclients! For those who need the extra training volume or tend to get over-trained easily, 2 a day workouts can be your salvation! Instead of doing 90-120 plus minutes training sessions once a day, you can split your training time into half by doing two training sessions a day, whether you are training a body part once a week or twice a week. Below is an example of how to train a body part only once a week using a 2-day split.

Monday AM-CHEST
Monday PM-BICEPS/FOREARMS

TUESDAY AM-CALVES/QUADS-
TUSDAY PM-HAMS/ABS

THURSDAY AM-SHOULDERS
THURSDAY PM-TRICEPS

FRIDAY AM-LAT WIDTH
FRIDAY PM-LAT THICKNESS/REAR DELTS/TRAPS



Adjust the amount of sets you can handle per body part for the reload. Some of you will do better using around 6-8 very intense work sets per major body part as a baseline during a reload when training a muscle once a week. Others of you will be able to use 10-12 work sets per each major body part (constituting longer workouts) without over-training. Lower the amount of sets if you begin to feel lethargic, achy joints or begin to lose strength as a very advanced trainer. If you cannot make additional strength gains at an intermediate level try decreasing total sets.


Those of you who respond better to training with more frequency will do best with twice a week muscle training! You can do as many as 12 sets total each week for a muscle group (6 sets twice a week). It's best not to exceed 6 intense work sets for any particular exercise so you can keep over-use injuries under control. Some of you will excel performing 6 sets a piece for the key/anchor exercise and doing only 2-3 sets a piece for secondary exercises. If you choose to use 3 exercises for a body part then utilize 1-2 key movements during the first weekly training session for that body part and 1-2 secondary movements for the second weekly workout for that same body part. Your options are practically unlimited with Slingshot Training!


Editors Note: I make my best overall gains using "once a week" muscle group training phases. This is because at age 43, a lot of twice a week training tends to irritate my joints more than once a week muscle group training. But, some find just the opposite to be true! With once a week muscle group training I often like 3 exercises for most of my major body parts while doing around 4-6 sets (during a deload) and 8-12 sets total per week (during a reload). If I do twice a week training to break a barrier I generally use 2-4 exercises for major body parts and perform around 4-6 sets twice a week during reloada and around 2-3 sets per msucle group during a reloads. I often use the exact same amount of total volume for the week each week when training a muscle twice a week or once a week muscle training. My blasting phases generally last for 3 months when training a muscle "once a week" and only 4-8 weeks when training a muscle group "twice a week".

Note: Body parts such as legs and back that are more demanding to train. They can be trained only once a week while simultaneously hitting smaller muscle groups like the chest, calves, shoulders, arms, twice a week if needed! When the time comes to train the smaller muscle groups only once a week for an 4-8 week reload simply reduce the amount of sets for the legs and back so you can now train them twice a week!



Work harder on lagging points for a more balanced physique! Overall training volume can be increased when training each muscle twice a week if it is lagging as long as you do not exceed 12 total work sets. I keep track of weekly weight increases if there are any at my advanced level but it's been my ability to do more sets with the same amount of weight that's helped me gain the most muscle size. THAT'S WHY I HAVE GAINED! AND THIS IS HOW YOU WILL GAIN!


During the SUPER BLAST you will need to use the same exercises for both weekly workouts for each body part!
I highly suggest that you do not use the same exercises over and over again throughout the blasting phase, especially when training each muscle group twice a week. This kind of training is to be used by beginners or the more advanced trainee-on a limited basis to shock the system and break training plateaus. To prove my point- go and try to do multiple sets of squats with 8-10 reps twice a week for a lengthy period of time and see if you don't start experiencing joint problems along with an over-trained nervous system. Not to mention mental boredom! You must train more like a power-lifter when it comes to training each muscle twice a week on a frequent basis. For example, power-lifters may do squats on Monday and box squats on Friday but you rarely see them do both movements on Monday and Friday for lengthy periods. Why? It's because their joints, cns and mind can't take that kind of abuse for long. Training both the squat and box squat in the same workout session works well for power-lifting given you train those movements only once a week. You can use the same movements twice a week but utilize this form of training sparingly to break plateaus if you want to keep healthy joints. Yes, there are some people who can use the same exercises over and over again without experiencing over use but many cannot. Once again, you'll have to experiment to see how your body can hold up to the stress. Some people develop over use injuries very rapidly when using the same exercises, especially with twice a week muscle group training, while others appear to be no worse off. I encourage everyone to err on the side of caution. For instance, if you want to use the same PRIMARY EXERCISE during a second weekly workout in place of a SECONDARY EXERCISE the choice is ultimately yours! I also believe in increasing overall volume if you can handle it when training a muscle twice a week in order to over come sticking points! Think like a "Power-Lifter" when it comes to training each muscle twice a week with the Standard Slingshot and think like a "World's Strongest Man Competitor" when utilizing the Super Blast!

Final Note: When training a muscle group twice a week you'll need to train heavier with lower reps (for example around 6-8 reps) during the first weekly training session and lighter using a few more reps (for example around 12-15 reps) on the second weekly workout.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Diet for Anabolic Blasting Phase

PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS ENTIRE LINK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO GAIN MASS DURING A BLAST- http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=393063


In regards to dieting to put on mass the main objective is to take in 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight during reloads. When you deload simply cut protein intake by about half and replace it with fats, carbs or both inorder to remain at maintenance level.I wanted to toss something out there for all you guys taking anabolic steroids. If you have read through the Slingshot Training System article you know I believe in protein cycling. Protein cycling while using anabolics is nothing new! Dave Palumbo suggest that protein cycling is anabolic. Vince Gironda was pushing periods of lower protein intake years ago. Tom Platz talked about it in his book "Big Beyond Belief." I believe that constantly taking in high amounts of protein (for i.e.: 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight year round) can make the body become efficient at getting rid of it as waste rather than utilizing it for muscle growth regardless of what you may be using to promote protein systheis. Why? For starters the liver becomes stressed and gains can slow down. Ammonia is a product formed during amino acid deamination and is very toxic to the body. Constanlty overloading your body with excessive amounts of protein in order to achieve more growth does not work as well as one might think.

The key to getting the body to store more protein in the mucles is to first remove excess toxins from kidneys and liver by way of a deload ( a lower volume training phase). This helps the organs to become efficient at storing amino acids in the body rather than getting rid of them as waste. In addition, increasing healthy fat intake while simulataenously lowering carbs/proetin during a deload will help increase insulin sensitivity. When insulin sensitivity is high-more amino acids can be accepted into the muscle cells. Fats allow for additional calories to be ingested without decreasing insulin sensitivity like tons of carbs do. And healthy fats do not put undue stress on organs like heavy amounts of protein. The *****-3 fatty acids are somewhat anabolic and significantly improve glucose disposal in both diabetics and healthy humans.

I have learned the best time to load up on protein and carbs is during higher volume training phases (called a reload) where their is a larger demand for such. It's simply not needed during lower volume training phases (deload). As with training volumes- protein/carb cycling causes the body to become more efficient at storage of either. I believe lowering protein during a deload tricks the body into becoming very sensitive to the anabolic effects of amino acids just as lowering training volume during a deload encourages the body to become more sensitive to higher training volumes during a reload.. If the body is always being overloaded with large amouts of protein it can down-regulating protein storage enzymes secondary to anticipating excess protein. The body is an adaptive machine so realize taking in too much protein or carbs can actually decrease absorption over a period of time. The same rule applies to training volumes!

There are 3 different ways to employ the Slingshot Mass Diet. The key is to keep fats and carbs separated for the most part regardless of the method you choose. You have the option of adding 1 hyperinsulinemia meal (combining saturated carbs and hi gi carbs) once a day. I think most know that Dave Palumbo was known for going to McDonalds once a day and eating fries and burgers for his once a day hyperinsulinemia meal. The rest of his off-season diet consisted of separating carbs and fats to a large degree. Dave's super fast metabolism allowed him to eat a large high calorie meal composed of both fats/carbs on a daily basis. Obvioulsy, not everyone has the metabolic rate to do this. But, if you do have a fast metabolism I would take in this hyper meal either for breakfast in the form of something like whole eggs and pancakes/waffles or during an evening meal post workout for something like red meat and potatoes. Some have such a slow metabolic rate they have to limit hyperinsulin meals to 1-3 times per week. Eat to match your metabolism!

Method # 1)

Sample 6 for eating meals per day
meal 1-p/c
meal 2-p/f
meal 3-p/c
meal 4-p/f
meal 5-p/c
meal 6-p/f (Note: carbs are cut off before bed time)


Method # 2)

Sample 6 for eating meals per day

meal 1-p/c
meal 2-p/c
meal 3-p/c
meal 4-p/f
meal 5-p/f
meal 6-p/f (Note: carbs are cut off before bed time)


Method # 3)

Alternate a low carb days with a high carb day inorder to control body fat levels and bloat.


The three carb meals on low carb days will contain carbs and proteins (breakfast, before workouts, immediate post-workout drink/post-workout meal 60-120 minutes after your workout). The remaining 3-5 meals should be made up of protein, healthy fats, and green veggies such as green beans and salad. Make sure and keep fat intake very low during the earlier part of the day on high carb/calories days so it will not interefere with digestion and prevent you from eating enough carbs/calores to grow. If you need fats to boost total caloric intake it's best to wait and conume them later in the day.

On low carb days you ingest carbs in the morning or earlier in the day and/or after workouts if it falls on a training day. Total caloric intake is less on lower carb days. You'll have to experiement to see how many calories your body requires to grow on both low carb and high carb days without getting fat. The amount of carbs and calories consumed will vary every other day. The lower carb days improve insulin sensititivity so maximum protein synthesis can occur on the following higher carb/calorie days. These lower carb days will increase your appetite so you have the option of eating more carb/calories the following day. Protein intake remains the same on both low carb and high carb days. This is called Slingshot Carb Cycling!

Sample lay out for low carb/calorie days

Low carb/calorie days:
Meal 1 carbs
Meal 2 fats
Meal 3 fats
Meal 4 carbs
*workout*
Meal 5 carbs
Meal 6 fats

Sample lay out for high carb/calorie days

High carb/calories days:
Meal 1 carbs
Meal 2 carbs
Meal 3 carbs
Meal 4 carbs
*workout*
Meal 5 carbs (fats if needed)
Meal 6 carbs (fats if needed)

[Ronnie Rowland]

In construction!

[Ronnie Rowland]

SLINGSHOT BODY FAT LOSS DIET PLAN

The Slingshot Cutting Diet entails 2 phases- phase-1 (4-8 weeks of carb cycling) phase 2 (4-8 weeks of ketosis). Begin your Slingshot Cutting diet with 4-8 weeks of carb cycling and then progress to 4-8 weeks of ketosis. This produces a Slingshot Effect and prevents the body from adapting!!! During the first phase of the diet when carbs are being consumed it's recommended to do shorter burst of higher intensity cardio in conjunction with weight training to burn off excess glygocen. Obviously, this more intense form of cardio would not be employed on leg or back training days unless absolutey needed. Five-six days per week max on moderately/high intensity cardio is usually plenty but those with a slow metabolism can do 7! It burns more total carb calories than lower intensity aerobic work such as one daily 60 minute sessions at a much easier workload which uses primarily fatty acids for fuel. During the last 6-8 week of the dieting phase (where no carbs are consumed so you can stay in ketosis) you would switch over to low/moderate intensity cardio with more frequent and longer cardio sessions. Upwards of 7 days per week and twice a day if needed but once a day will suffice for most. High intensity cardio uses carbs for energy and when in ketosis higher intensity cardio burns muscle (gluconeosis). Lower intensity cardio burns fatty acids and stored body fat for fuel. Cardio should be performed at a low intensity (around 120-130 bpm heart rate or 70% max heart rate). This will ensure that you use fat as a fuel source because as your heart rate goes up, carbs become the desired fuel for your body. In addition, weight training volume may have to be reduced during this period where ketones are being used as a fuel source as opposed to glycogen. When the body is in ketosis the nervous system gets fatigued more easily and the muscles don’t want to fire.

Note: Over time the body grows accustomed to diets (keto and carb cycling) and various forms of cardio (low and high intensity). Therefore, it's best to alternate carb cycling and high intensity cardio with a ketogenic diet and lower intensity cardio. Clenbuterol is a much better and safer fat burner than ephedrine so my advice to you is use clen instead of ephedrine. However, if you do want to use ephedrine, a good plan is to use ephedrine or stimulant based fat burners only when carbs are in the diet since it wil raise cortisol levels and then change over to clenbuterol when in ketosis. On a long term diet one can alternate back and forth betwen each protocol every 4-8 weeks if desired or use the clen straight through with t-3. Using clen straight through is superior!

Going into ketosis is a great diet plan for maintaining muscle during the second part of a dieting phase because insulin levels must be at a minimum to obtain the shredded look. With carb cycling the body can look for glucose in a severe caloric/carb deficit! When no glucose is available, the body has to create it's own. The only way the body can create glucose is by converting amino acids-hence the breaking down of your muscle tissue! With the keto diet your body looks for fatty acids in a severe caloric deficit. When no fatty acids are available through diet, the body has to create them. The only way the body can create fatty acids is by converting stored adipose tissue for fuel. This means stipping off some body fat for energy needs when eating enough protein to spare muscle. However, you can also lose muscle while in ketosis so the biggest advantage of hittting ketosis is to stabilize blood sugar levels and keep up your strength to train while burning off maximum body fat during the finale of the diet phase -hence more muscle retained. As a baseline you can eat 60% protein and 40 fats. Those with a faster metaboolic rate may need more than 40% of their diet composed of fats! The faster the metabolism the more calories from fats will be required to prevent muscle loss. No one needs more than 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight in ketosis. In additon, I would not go below 150 carbs per day or so during the first part of the dieting phase (carb cycling) due to blood sugar crashes. There's no value in carb cycling if youre bodyis fighting to go into ketosis all day long. It will turn you against dieting down in short order! Let your body hit lipolysis at night when you are a sleep during the carb cyling phase. This occurs by cutting off carbs later in the day and not going over board earlier. The whole purpose of entering a state of ketosis is to stabilize blood sugar levels once you reach the point of needing to strip off any remaining bodyfat left from the carb cycling phase. Once the brain begins using ketones (produced from fats) for fuel instead of glycogen (produced from carbs) you will feel better and stop craving carbs. This means no more severe blood sugar crashes! Those who lose muscle on a keto diet do so because they do not take in enough dietary fats and/or calories to support their basal metabolic rate. You must keep dietary fats high enough to prevent muscle loss and also keep protein high enough so muscle loss will not occur when fat intake gets low. Once you hit ketosis the carb cravings will diminish. You will then crave fats because that will be your new fuel source. Do not mistake going flat as msucle loss because once carbs are re-introduced the muscle swell up fast-bascially changing you into a different looking person over night!

Slingshot diet-"Carb/Calorie Cycling":

A recent report showed that taking carbs down to 100 per day burned away almost as much bodyfat as being in a state of ketosis but most experience blood sugar crashes with such low levels of carbs because the body will be fighting to entering ketosis. Carb cycling is the superior way to "lose bodyfat" during the beginning of a diet phase. Keeping carbs/calories in check 5 days per week is the best way for all somatotypes to either add some lean muscle and lose ugly bodyfat. Eating less carbs/calories 5 days per week helps you lose unwanted body fat but you’ll need to increase carbs/calories twice a week to encourage your body to burn more body fat for fuel. I realize some of you are unaware that increasing caloric and carb intake twice a week will actually help prevent the build-up of adipose tissue, but it does! The body responds in a positive manner when 2 non-consecutive carb/calories up days are included each week. It does so by driving up anabolic hormones and increasing thyroid hormone output-hence speeding up the metabolism and increasing lean muscle mass. When carbs and calories are constantly kept low, your body adapts and the metabolism slows down. Insulin is needed for muscle repair and it prevent catabolism. Keeping carbs under control for too long will sabotage muscle gains and your body’s fat burning potential since muscle burns calories. ( A great approoach is to use a 3 low-1 high-2 low-1 high carb/calorie rotation). Monday-low, Tuesday-low, Wednesday-high (carbs clean on the first carb/calorie up day (day 3), Thursday-low, Friday-low, Saturday-high (cheat day), Sunday-low. Add in some junk food carbs like pizza on the second carb up day (day 6 Saturday). I recommend increasing calories through carbs by around 500 (150 carb grams) on the first carb up day, (for i.e. Wednesday) and increasing both carbs and fats to total around 2000 calories (300 carb grams and 30-100 fat grams) during the second carb/ calorie up (cheat day), (for i.e. Saturdays). . Decrease fat calories on first carb up day to remain at maintenance level.(Keep in mind that a carb up day and a cheat day are not one in the same)! Factor in how much cheating you should allow on cheat days and stay within your limits. At the end of the low carb days, your energy levels will drop, but the high carb days will rejuvenate your energy levels and get you ready to train for a few more days before becoming depleted once again. By adding in the additional fats during the cheat meal it helps pull glycogen into the muscles! You can have Pizza, Mexican food, hamburger/fries etc on cheat days. The extra sugar and calories is going to boost your metabolism, make you sharper in regards to your diet the rest of the week and give you something to look forward to-“big-time”. You have to be disciplined but you need one day each week to look forward to where you can ease the cravings for junk food. By night-time your muscles will be absolutely full and vascular from all the extra glycogen stored in the muscles. Focus on making the first calorie/carb up day a clean eating day full of complex carbs and have some junk food like pizza for a couple of meals during the second calorie/carb up day (considered a cheat day). A good plan is to have one calorie/carb up day the day after training legs because that’s when you’ll find your self the hungriest. IMO it's the absolute best day for the cheat meal! The upper back muscles and legs are very demanding train, so I always need a carb up day the following day. By using this approach you will kill two birds with one stone. If you are no longer losing fat, simply increase cardio and/or decrease daily calories by 300-500. Make these caloric decreases every 7-14 days if need be until your fat loss goals are met. Aim to subtract calories or add as needed till you achieve your desired 1-2 pound fat loss per week. No cheat meals are allowed 6 weeks prior to a peaking date, only a second weekly carb up meal.

Phase 2 of Slingshot Diet-"Ketosis":

Ketosis: You will need to enter into a state of ketosis by consuming around 40 grams of carbs or less per day, 6 days per week, is the last phase. I would advise not staying in ketosis past 8 weeks in length because it's too hard on the body. On your 1 weekly carb up day around 200-600 grams (dependant upon metabolism). A good approach is 1-3 carb up meals once a week replenish glycogen levels. Have those meals later in the day to prevent going overboard! A good long term plan for those of you doing several competitions each year is to follow the Slingshot carb cycling diet phase- (5- low)- (2 high) then go into ketois only as needed when the show approaches. On every sunday or saturday each week (only 1 designated carb up day a week) you get to carb up during the last 1-3 meals with ketosis. Waiting til the end of the day to carb up will keep you from craving carbs all day long and not going over baord will allow you to be back into a state of ketosis the following morning. 200-600 carbs on the carb up day will suffice. Do not stop the once a week carb up meal if you have trouble losing fat. Instead switch over to taking in less fats, adding more cardio and/or alternating protein and fat meals with Protein and veggie meals on an every other day basis as needed if more body fat needs to be eliminated. No one needs more than 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight when in ketosis unless their body fat levels are getting very low or they are using t-3. If you begin to lose muscle I suggest increasing fat intake before increasing protein since this usually solves the problem If your metabolism is fast or you feel very fatiqued you can add 1-3 carb meals (200-600 carbs) a couple of days before the second carb up day. For example, if your big cheat meal is on sunday you could have a cheat meal late evening and/or night on wednesday. I would not exceed 3 back to back meals per cheat day because it can delay getting back into ketosis by the next morning. With Slingshot-Keto you also increase calories on the 1 cheat day per week so the body does not adapt to the same amount of calories every day! To recap: with both the Slingshot-Keto and the Slingshot-Carb-Cycling diet, you must refeed once a week whether you are still losing weight or not. I find the once a week re-feeds prevents plateauing up front but after a few weks I generally need two weekly carb up meals on non-consecutive days to have the energy to train with one of those more pronounced. By increasing calories/carbs on the 1 day per week cheat meal, it deters the body from adapting to the same amount of calories every day, etc. If people only knew how effective the re-feed is for continued weight loss and performance in the gym!


It's been my experience that separating carbs and fats for the most part is the best route to take when trying to lose bodyfat. Why? Because combining saturated fats from protein sources like eggs and meat with a lot of carbs (especially Hi GI carbs will cause an insulin response to the utmost)! This prolonged insulin response is called hyperinsulinemia. It can be great for building muscle but not so good when you are trying to rid the body of stubborn bodyfat. Consuming a lot of dietary fats in the presence of a lot of carbs (an insulin producing food) increases the chance of fat being stored as body fat. Why? Well since insulin is a storage hormone it pushes the dietary fat into fat cells. You want to eat lean protein with insulin producing carbs so the amino acids from the protein will be pushed into muscle cells and build lean muscle! Consuming a moderate combination of carbs and fat in one meal makes it harder for the body to break them down. Healthy fats and low GI carbs are different and can be combined if needed but separating fats and carbs should be your goal. It's important to realize that when trying to gain as much size-strength as humanly possible during the off-season, you'll want to eat both carbs and fats in the same meals along with your protein but you do not have to mix up either in large quantities. Doing so produces a synergistic muscle building effect that tends to trump what the separation of carbs and fats can provide. It's always best to take in less carbs and more fats later in the day with protein when trying to keep bodyfat under control. Carb sources, like protein and fat sources can be changed daily as long as you stay within the required ratios. Carb cut-offs later in the day are very important for fat loss. Weight-training triggers the release of both anabolic and fat burning hormones, but it's while you sleep that the most bodyfat is burned by being in a fasted state. Remember, you're body needs to be in a state of lipolysis (the breakdown of fat stored in fat cells) which happens when glycogen levels become depleted. If you load up on late-nights carbs you won't hit lipolysis whilst asleep nor will your body release as much Growth Hormone. Also, if you sleep only 5 to 6 hours a night as opposed to 7-8 hours, it leaves you with too much ghrelin (a hormone that increases appetite) and too little leptin (a hormone that decreases appetite and can decrease metabolic rate).

Protein: Protein levels should be kept high in order to build or keep the body from eating muscle tissue during exercise or times of being in a calorie deficit. Everyone, regardless of their body type, needs about a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to maintain and/or gain lean muscle mass. Protein is used in gluconeogensis during exercise and fasting when carbs are low. Some of the energy your body uses will come from protein sources during periods were carbs are kept low (for i.e.; later in the day and while you sleep). I recommend that everyone keep protein at 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight during a long term cutting phase. Those with a slower metabolism will need less (for i.e. only 1 gram per pound of body weight). Too much protein can also make you fat due to producing a calorie surplus. What happens is glycogen levels spill over and the extra calories are stored as bodyfat. With my metabolism (endo-****) 2 grams of protein would make me fat and 1 gram would be a bit low. So, I take 1.25 and multiply it by my body weight. Then I divide that by 5 or 6 meals, depending on how many meals I am getting in for that day. When eating 6 meals per day I take in about 50 grams of protein during each meal. Eat your protein first because you’ll get fuller faster which will keep you from eating as many carbs and fats. This is good for bodyfat control! Tuna, chicken, salmon, turkey, egg whites and London broil are all good staples. Steer clear of the fattier deli meat that contains nitrates. Fatty red meat is not the best choice to make because it contains about 8 grams per serving and a serving is only about 4 ounces. In those 4 ounces you will only get roughly 25 grams of protein and a whopping 10 grams of saturated fat (not good)! This means you might need another serving of fatty ground beef to get your protein needs for that meal. However, the same 4 ounces of fish, turkey or chicken has about the same protein but only around 2 gram of fat or less. Therefore, you can eat more food while taking in fewer calories! Whey protein used twice a day as a meal-replacer works very well when combined with fruit earlier in the day and essential oils at night because it will bloat you and keep you satisfied. Smaller meals consumed throughout the day decreases bodyfat levels over-time. Every time you eat (especially protein) your body burns calories when it breaks down the food during digestion. This is why your body heats up every time you eat. The time spent in a heated state will burn more calories than when you are skipping meals. Protein will make you gain weight when added to what you are already eating but will make you lose bodyfat when it replaces some carb and/or fat calories! Why? Because for every 100 calories of carbs or fats consumed, only about 5 calories will be burned off through digestion. But for every 100 calories of protein you take in around 25 calories will be burned through the digestion process. This is why it’s so important to trade a lot of carbohydrate calories for protein calories when trying to lose fat. When whey protein is used, always add a small amount of essential fats such as smart balance peanut butter, almonds or mixed nuts to slow down the digestion rate and keep you full. Fruit can be added to whey protein post workout or during the earlier part of the day. Eating frequent meals prevents hunger pangs. Drink around 1 gallon of water per day to keep the body hydrated and the to boost the metabolism and try to stay away from wheat, gluten and dairy products to get absolutey ******. I have never put a lot of emphasis on meticuously counting each and every calorie consumed, rather I concentrate on eating, with proper food combinations so that the food is broken down properly and absorbed. Never let yourself go hungry. When you are hungry it means that your body is using muscle tissue for energy, as opposed to bodyfat!

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are not bad for you in moderation, but when trying to lose body fat, you're body needs to be in a state of lipolysis (the breakdown of fat stored in fat cells) which happens when glycogen levels become depleted. High Glycemic carbs should be kept to a minimum on low carb/calorie days and consumed in moderation during the cheat day. The brain and nervous system needs roughly 50 grams of carbs coming from glucose to maintain daily functions. Carbs should never be eaten without adequate amounts of protein. Doing so really spikes insulin levels and cause an increase in bodyfat! It’s very important to combine a fibrous carb (green vegetable) or (fruit) with each meal to provide energy needed to train and carry out daily functions, but not load your glycogen stores to the point where you don't hit lipolysis until much later on. Focus on diet just as much as or more so than training when trying to get shredded! Do not make the mistake of reducing calories too much when trying to shed bodyfat. If you normally take in 2500 cals per day you should only reduce calories to 2000-2200 per week until you start losing weight at about 1-2 lbs per week. If you lose more during the first week, don’t worry because it will be a lot of water. Going lower can eat away muscle tissue. Just as you have to periodize your training, the nutrition plan must also be periodized. Staying on a low calorie/low carb diet for too long will not just lead to fat loss, but a lot of muscle loss as well. A mistake most people make when trying to lose body fat is sticking with the same exact calorie-carb reduced meal plan seven days a week. This will not work well because the body has a finely tuned system that protects itself from starvation mode. When the body feels threatened it begins to store bodyfat after only a few short weeks as opposed to releasing it. By including two- weekly calorie/carb up days, you can trick the human body by giving it a calorie surplus–hence negating the slowing down of the metabolism that comes from calorie depletion. Protein should not need to be reduced during the first carb up day but it can be reduced some during the cheat day because the body can readily use fats and carbs for fuel when in a calorie surplus. All carbs, whether they are of fruit, rice, bread, potatoes, ice cream, milk or pure sugar, eventually turn to glucose and they will all elevate insulin levels. It’s the slower burning carbs with a lower glycemic index like fruit and steel oats that you want to consume because they provide more energy for training and can help keep bodyfat levels a bit lower because the initial insulin spike is less. Let me be clear, all carb sources will count towards your daily carb intake regardless of their Glycemic Index. This includes all fruits! Mixing foods found on the lower end of the glycemic index scale with foods found on the higher end of the glycemic scale will reduce the glycemic index of the high glycemic index carbs when eaten in the same meal. In addition, eating low glycemic carbs has a carry-over-effect to the next meal. For instance, eating steel cut oats would lower the glycemic level of a white potato if a potato was eaten in the meal following the oats. Relying on fibrous carbs helps improve ones conditioning. Everyone should think of high-fiber foods as a diet aid. Strive to consume 30 grams or more of fiber per day. Slowing down carb absorption also helps keep your energy up longer during the day when dieting. If you take in 30 grams of carbs that are absorbed quickly, you're going to process them quickly, and then you're going to feel tired, hungry and depleted. When you take in the same amount of carbs with a high amount of fiber, they'll stay in your system longer, and you'll have a lot more energy. The fiber also slows down the digestion of protein. The longer that it takes your body to process the protein, the more efficiently it will use each gram! During a cutting phase you’ll do better sticking to foods such as green vegetables/salads with extra virgin olive oil and lean protein sources later in the day and fruit, cereal and/or oatmeal along with lean protein sources during the morning. Carbohydrates and protein, break down slowly throughout the day as well as burns bodyfat. Remember the Krebs cycle! Your last 3 meals should be composed of proteins and fibrous carbohydrates, such as green vegetables. Breakfast should be the largest meal of the day! Keep food volume up (especially lean protein sources). Consume 5-6 meals per day) to keep hunger pangs at bay, speed up the metabolism and to prevent muscle loss or weakness. Trade carbohydrate calories for protein calories gram for gram on the five lower carb days and you will lose weight! Replace an equal amount of carbohydrate calories with extra virgin olive oil for dinner and you will lose weight. Stay around 150 grams of carbs on low carb days as a baseline (you may need more if you start losing muscle or begain to experience low blood sugar. All carbs whether they are fruit or whatever turn to sugar and spike insulin (a fat storage hormone). So it’s very important to read the label or do some research on the internet to find out how many carbs are in each food you consume. You’ll also need to read the labels on each food consumed so you can see how many macronutrients of protein, carbs and fat you are ingesting. Focus on slow burning carbs as opposed to fast burning carbs. Adding in some slow burning carbs with fast burning carbs helps lower the glycemic index of the fast burning carbs. Keep this in mind if you decide to take in some High glycemic index carbs, mix them with a low gi carb source. If you are involved in a lot of outside activities (for i.e.; long distance cycling) you can bump carbs up to 200 or more on low carb days.

Fats: Fats are very important in a cutting diet. Fats can be used as an energy source when we become carb depleted or at rest by undergoing beta oxidation. Dietary fats spare the burning of glycogen, and this aids in pulling more carbs/water into the muscle. This means you don’t need as many carbs to prevent the deflated muscle syndrome! *****-3 fatty acids increase insulin sensitivity in the muscle cells. The receptors for insulin are both fat cells and muscle cells. The benefits gained by ingesting EFA’S is that the insulin receptor sites of the muscle cells will become more sensitive than the insulin receptors on the fat cells. An increase in sensitivity of the muscle cells will push more amino acids from protein sources into the muscle cells and away from the fat cells! They are good for hormonal levels, and they taste great. I personally have had great success with combining moderate amounts of fats with high protein meals eaten later in the day. My typical sources are salmon, ***** 3 eggs, almonds, smart balance peanut butter, extra virgin olive oil and macadamia nut oil. I try and get around 100 grams of fat during my last 3 meals of the day. You’ll need to replace an equal amount of carbohydrate calories with essential fats up to 3 times daily for fat loss. Those with a slow metabolism that are taking in only 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight will need to eat fewer fats to lose weight. My suggestion is to not go below 50 grams of fat daily because doing so can cause permanent joint problem from a lack of lubrication when pumping iron and going too low will slow down the fat burning process! Adipose tissue is certainly affected by both insulin levels (produced from carbs) and ASP (produced from fats) because higher quantities of either force the body to become less efficient at eliminating either. Insulin is not the only regulator of fat storage. Adipose tissue is also composed of fats by a hormone called Acylation Stimulating Protein. This hormone doesn't need insulin to make you fatter because it's released from fat cells directly in response to blood chylomicrons (fats produced in the intestinal lumen following the absorption of digested fat) which are responsible for storing triglycerides in adipose cells. Guess what hormone can increases the number of ASP in the body? If you guessed insulin you are correct! So, by controlling carb intake you indirectly reduce ASP levels-hence less bodyfat will be stored when dietary fats are consumed. By watching the kinds of fats you eat, along with the amounts, you can help control how many calories get stored as bodyfat. Basically, ASP works for dietary fat storage like insulin works for carbohydrate storage. Understand here that how well the body deals with insulin and ASP cannot always be equated to an individual’s metabolism because thin ectomorphic who have a hard time gaining muscle can also be considered clinically obese (for i.e. some marathon runners). This is due to their having a poor lean muscle mass to bodyfat ratio.

There are a lot of people with a condition known as “insulin resistance”. Once you develop high levels of bodyfat your body will no longer respond to insulin as it should. What happens next is it only takes a small amount of carbohydrates to really shoot those insulin levels through the roof-hence bodyfat will be stored at a fast rate of speed. When too much insulin is produced, you will be left with too little sugar in the blood stream and some will get stored in the fat cells. This puts you in a viscous cycle where the fatter you get the easier it is to keep putting on the wrong kind of weight (bodyfat). This makes it very hard to lose bodyfat. But don’t panic! Once you lose the fat, gain the muscle mass, and establish outstanding insulin sensitivity, you will be able to control your bodyfat levels. This is great news because once you get lean you’ll probably be able to eat roughly 200-300 grams of carbs on the low carb days as opposed to 150 grams or so for maintenance and be able to consume a few more carbs later in the day. Also, you may be able to increase your carb up/calorie up days to 3 per week as opposed to only 2. Why? Because once you get lean, the metabolism speeds up! Losing weight is fairly easy, but stripping straight body fat off while maintaining or gaining lean body mass is tricky. Men in general have an easier time losing bodyfat because they carry more muscle mass. The more muscle mass you can acquire through the proper weight training regimen along with a high protein diet-the faster your resting metabolic rate will be just sitting around doing nothing (even while you sleep)! This is why a properly designed weight training program and diet is more important for improving body composition than cardio. Here I will outline a few things that have worked well for me and thousands of my clients. You can go to (fit day) on-line for a free journal. It calculates both calories and macronutrients for everything you consume!





Final Note: You may find that exclusively following the "Slingshot Carb Cycling Diet" or the "Slingshot Ketosis Diet" works better than the other one. If you fall into that category then by all means follow the diet that works best for you!

[Ronnie Rowland]

Slingshot Carb Cycling verses Slingshot Keto diet.


Slingshot diet-"Carb/Calorie Cycling":

A recent report showed that taking carbs down to 100 per day burned away almost as much body fat as being in a state of ketosis but most experience blood sugar crashes with such low levels of carbs because the body will be fighting to entering ketosis. Carb cycling is the superior way to "lose body fat" during the beginning of a diet phase. Keeping carbs/calories in check 5 days per week is the best way for all somatotypes to either add some lean muscle or lose ugly body fat. Eating less carbs/calories 5 days per week helps you lose unwanted body fat but you’ll need to increase carbs/calories twice a week to encourage your body to burn more body fat for fuel. I realize some of you are unaware that increasing caloric and carb intake twice a week will actually help prevent the build-up of adipose tissue, but it does! The body responds in a positive manner when 2 non-consecutive carb/calories up days are included each week. It does so by driving up anabolic hormones and increasing thyroid hormone output-hence speeding up the metabolism and increasing lean muscle mass. When carbs and calories are constantly kept low, your body adapts and the metabolism slows down. Insulin is needed for muscle repair and it prevents catabolism. Keeping carbs under control for too long will sabotage muscle gains and your body’s fat burning potential since muscle burns calories. (A great approach is to use a 3 low-1 high-2 low-1 high carb/calorie rotation). Monday-low, Tuesday-low, Wednesday-high (carbs clean on the first carb/calorie up day (day 3), Thursday-low, Friday-low, Saturday-high (cheat day), Sunday-low. Decrease fat calories on first carb up day to remain at maintenance level. Add in some junk food carbs like pizza on the second carb up day (day 6 Saturday). I recommend increasing calories through carbs by around 500 (150 carb grams) on the first carb up day, (for i.e. Wednesday) and increasing both carbs and fats to total around 2000 calories (300 carb grams and 30-100 fat grams) during the second carb/ calorie up (cheat day), (for i.e. Saturdays). (Keep in mind that a carb up day and a cheat day are not one in the same)! Factor in how much cheating you should allow on cheat days and stay within your limits. At the end of the low carb days, your energy levels will drop, but the high carb days will rejuvenate your energy levels and get you ready to train for a few more days before becoming depleted once again. By adding in the additional fats during the cheat meal it helps pull glycogen into the muscles! You can have Pizza, Mexican food, hamburger/fries etc on cheat days. The extra sugar and calories is going to boost your metabolism, make you sharper in regards to your diet the rest of the week and give you something to look forward to-“big-time”. You have to be disciplined but you need one day each week to look forward to where you can ease the cravings for junk food. By night-time your muscles will be absolutely full and vascular from all the extra glycogen stored in the muscles. Focus on making the first calorie/carb up day a clean eating day full of complex carbs and have some junk food like pizza for a couple of meals during the second calorie/carb up day (considered a cheat day). A good plan is to have one calorie/carb up day the day after training legs because that’s when you’ll find your self the hungriest. IMO it's the absolute best day for the cheat meal! The upper back muscles and legs are very demanding train, so I always need a carb up day the following day. By using this approach you will kill two birds with one stone. If you are no longer losing fat, simply increase cardio and/or decrease daily calories by 300-500. Make these caloric decreases every 7-14 days if need be until your fat loss goals are met. Aim to subtract calories or add as needed till you achieve your desired 1-2 pound fat loss per week. No cheat meals are allowed 6 weeks prior to a peaking date, only a second weekly carb up meal unless you are losing body fat according. In addition, some will need to drop the first weekly carb up meal anmd only carb up once a week with carb cycling if fat loss stalls.

NOTE: Do not jump immediately down to 150 carbs per day at the beginning of "Slingshot Carb Cycling" if you have been consuming quite a few carbs to gain size. Instead gradually reduce carbs by 50-100 each week until you hit 150 on 5-low carb days.

Slingshot Carb Cycling verses Slingshot Keto diet.

Its spring-time and many are asking me how they can get ****** for summer! Here are my suggestions- as you begin a cutting phase, it’s best to start out with the Slingshot Carb Cycling diet unless you are severely over weight and it great need of losing fast. As a contest or beach trip approaches your body fat levels will get lower. When this occurs you will become more drained. This can be the perfect time for some to incorporate lower volume training coupled with the Slingshot Keto Diet so that last tiny bit of stubborn body fat that does not want to leave will be expelled. Those with a faster metabolism should avoid keto diets and stay with carb cycling!

After 23 years of training other bodybuilders, I have witnessed that some people with a slower metabolism have a harder time using the carb cycling diet and actually felt better with keto. However, they still got zapped, depleted and irritable. Some hate the no carb/keto diet but many of those same people need it to drop a lot of fat fast. I have also observed that someone might or might not react to either forms of dieting (carb cycling and keto) for a long time. I will say it can also depend on how much you have to loose or how much is left after you’ve been dieting. If you have a fast metabolism you should probably avoid keto the last 2 weeks before a show or you may have trouble filling out! Going long durations without carbs is hard on one’s body but most get accustomed to it after a couple of weeks and become fat burning machines (women in particular do well in ketosis). I have experimented with many pre-contest diets and prefer starting out with carb cycling then progressing to a more stringent Ketogenic diet to keep insulin levels more steady as things get tougher (if needed). Keto is used only as a last resort as I feel carb cycling and keeping carbs at no less than 150 per day is the superior way to get cut and feel best for most males. Women do better with keto diets than men as they have slower metabolisms and lose less muscle while dieting. Keto forces you to train using less volume while in a depleted state and this can help prevent over use injuries when the joints are drying out. However, some do better with some carbs (water retention) to cushion the joints. I will have to say the first 3-5 days of going into ketosis is like hitting a brick wall at 90 mph but once in a full blown state of ketosis,1 you may feel pretty good. The brain does not function as well on ketones as it does glucose but it can still be better for some than when their brain in starving for glucose with very low carb/calorie cycling diets.

Some people do not fare as well as others while in ketosis-hence they must use more training volume and/or cardio to take off the weight. This can be bad if they have time restraints or have joint pain that worsens with higher volume training. The idea situation is coming into a bodybuilding show with that grainy look coupled with cross striations and bulging veins while having some energy to spare! When you diet down properly and you are not trying to lose fat up to the last day before the show, you will be able to relax and enjoy your competition as it was meant to be.

I’ve done well using both diets while being able to get lean and spare most of my muscle mass. Yes, you will always lose some muscle when dieting down. All in all, I am able to keep more mass with carb cycling so I rarely go into ketosis and if I do I can only lose a pound of body weight per week without sacrificing strength and size. Some can get away with two pounds a week in ketosis but not me! Genetics will determine how much is kept and how much is lost. I do not think one diet out performs the other in terms of sparing muscle mass but I do feel that essential fats are somewhat more important than carbs for muscle growth once enough carbs are taken to fuel the body. However, there is a point of diminishing returns where adding dietary fats beyond this point doesn't provide any additional muscle building/health benefits and only adds unnecessary fat calories! In addition,

The keto diet is a bit more simplistic because proteins and fats are easier to keep track of and being in ketosis helps deter hunger pangs. Carb cycling can actually increase your craving for carbs-hence making it more difficult for some to adhere to. With keto you can lose weight faster so you must be very careful not to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week. The biggest mistake people make while in ketosis is not consuming enough healthy fats (which causes muscle loss) or trying to train with high volume and/or higher intensity cardio (which also cause muscle loss). The biggest mistakes made with carb cycling is going below 150 grams of carbs per day on low carb days (which causes unstable blood sugar levels and potential muscle loss) and not doing enough weight training or cardio to burn off excess glucose.

When using the "Slingshot Keto diet" you may have to reduce your training volume accordingly. If you are a high volume trainer you will not be able to get through long/intense workouts so make the needed adjustments if you plan to use the keto phase. Keep in mind you are only maintaining muscle during a dieting phase and the extra volume does nothing for additional muscle size! Higher volume should only be utilized during a carb cycling phase to burn off additional calories and if you have joint problems I recommend staying with lower volume training and doing more high-intensity cardio to strip off the fat when carb cycling! You will need to lower fats when carb cycling and you will need to lower carbs when in keto. I think people with slower metabolisms and most women respond better to Ketogenic dieting, especially for longer durations. Those with faster metabolisms can respond better with carb cycling longer before resorting to keto.

Note:A good time for cheat days (extra carbs) is on leg and back training day whether you are using carb cycling or ketosis. It's best not to carb up on consecutive days but some fare well with that method because it allows them to monitor water weight. After 2-6 weeks of carbing up only once a week the body adapts and you'll need to resort to twice a week carbing up while in ketosis. This is a very important aspect of the keto diet phase. Begin with only 1 carb up day per week and as you become more and more depleted of body fat increase carb days so you can continue training and functioning.



In a nutshell, you have to manipulate each diet to your training, time restraints, goals, metabolic rate, etc. Experiment to find what works best for you and do not detour from your plan unless absolutely necessary. Carb cycling will benefit someone that performs a lot of volume or who has a very fast metabolism. A Ketogenic diet will drop the body fat off an over weight person faster than cycling carbs. Again, I've tried both diets and both have worked well for me. As much as I love carbs towards the end of a long drawn out dieting phase, being 43 years old I have to watch my intake carefully to get those road map veins. It all boils down to your specific goals and only you can make that judgment call. High volume training requires a lot of glycogen from carbohydrates. Without carbohydrates you are just going to lose some muscle mass! When CP (creatine phosphate) stores become depleted your body will start breaking down glucose for ATP, with less glucose available your body will struggle to compensate for high volume training and begin breaking down muscle tissue.

The final few weeks of ketosis before a show is the hardest part and this is where many people blow it! I am here to tell you- just stick it out if you are 7-8% because you've got more to loose to hit 5%! I know you will be tired but just hang in there and do as I say. You can fat load the final week before a show and carb load the last 1-3 days (depending on your condition/metabolism) to fill out the muscle bellies and bring out your vascularity. The fact that you are starting to seriously deplete your fat stores and are lacking of carbs will make you look as though you are losing muscle. Before you do anything at this point, take a breath and remember-"this is where most people blow it!!!" It's mostly because the last few weeks is a total mind game. You should expect to look flat! You do not ever look as big when you are flat and depleted and you never look as big to yourself just before the show. But, WOW how you look onstage!

If you enter a show with carb-cycling you'll have to hang tough with the extra training volume and/or cardio in order to come in sharp. Some woman do not have to carb up for a show when doing a keto diet but men do best carbing up 1-3 days prior or 5-6 days prior while letting water reside. If you are not depleted then do not carb up! I have noticed that carb depleting and loading is not always necessary or as productive when going into a show carb cycling. In short, you can usually keep doing what you have been doing to get in shape and cut the water the night before the show to dry out.



Slingshot Cutting Routine:

You will not build muscle when dieting down for a show. The plan is to "maintain" as much muscle as possible while in a calorie deficit. Forget trying to bring up lagging body parts because it won't happen! Moving rapidly between sets with training methods such as super sets, giant sets, tri-sets, etc does not cause weight loss! Losing body fat comes from diet, cardio and muscle maintenance. When trying to lose body fat you should always stick to what worked to build you up in the beginning-straight sets done with heavy weights in good form with plenty of recovery time taken between sets.

Note: When preparing for a bodybuilding competition you should use the same training method that was used to put muscle on your frame in the first place. Using lighter weights and/or moving faster between sets to keep up the heart-rate will cause more muscle loss in the end. Continue training heavy while letting cardio and diet remove the fat!

When trying to get cutyou will want to reload throughout the entire duration to burn off more calories and hit the muscle as hard as possible to help maintain them. This means no deloads! This means 6-12 intense work sets per each major body for the week part whether you train them once a week or twice a week. When cutting the reload can last as long as you need but its good practice to not exceed 12-16 weeks.

Sample Menu for Getting Shredded while using the Slingshot Cutting Routine


"PHASE 1 OF SLINGSHOT DIET"

Sample Diet for low carb/calorie days: Designed for those who work out in the morning.

Summary:
Meal 1 (protein/carbs
Meal 2 (protein carbs)
Meal 3(protein and carbs)
Meal 4 (protein and fats)
Meal 5 (protein and fats)
Meal 6 optional-(protein and fats)[/COLOR]
"PHASE 1 OF SLINGSHOT DIET"

Sample Diet for low carb/calorie days: Designed for those who work out in the morning.

Summary:
Meal 1 (protein/carbs
Meal 2 (protein carbs)
Meal 3(protein and carbs)
Meal 4 (protein and fats)
Meal 5 (protein and fats)
Meal 6 optional-(protein and fats)[/COLOR]


Important Note: If you normally need 3000 calories each day to maintain your bodyweight, you should only reduce calories to 2500 in order to lose body fat. Everyone should keep carbs around 150 grams per day unless they begin to experience low blood sugar or are very active outside the gym. In general, between 25-100 grams of fats each day will suffice. But those with a fast metabolism will need more fats if they are consuming 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight and losing more than 2 pounds of body weight after the first week of reducing carb intake. Protein intake should be adjusted at 1-2 grams per pound of body weight to fit your metabolism. [/B]

Here’s a sample of the diet I have been utilizing to lose body fat while maintaining muscle mass.

Meal 1: 10 eggs-1 whole egg and 9 egg whites (5 grams of fat and 50 grams of protein, 1 cup oatmeal (60 grams of carbs).

(Workout)

Meal 2: Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) and banana (25 grams of carbs)

Meal 3: Lean Protein like deli chicken (50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat) and 1 slice of whole wheat bread (25 grams of carbs)

Meal 4: Tuna (50 grams of Protein) and 6 Almonds (5 grams of fat)

Meal 5: Large portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon or London broil (50 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 5 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (70 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat) and 2 tbsp of croutons (4 carbs)

Meal 6: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)

That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, (only 125 grams Carbs), and around 100 grams of fat.

Sample Diet for low carb/calorie days: Designed for those who work out in the evening.

Meal 1: 10 eggs-1 whole egg and 9 egg whites (5 grams of fat and 50 grams of protein, 1 cup oatmeal (60 grams of carbs)

Meal 2: Tuna (50 grams of Protein) and 6 Almonds (5 grams of fat)

Meal 3: Lean Protein like deli chicken (50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat) and 1 slice of whole wheat bread (25 grams of carbs)

(Workout)

Meal 4: Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) and banana (25 grams of carbs)

Meal 5: Large portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon or London broil (50 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 5 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (70 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat) and 2 tbsp of croutons (4 carbs)

Meal 6: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)

That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, (only 150 grams Carbs), and around 100 grams of fat.

Sample diet for High carb/calorie days: Designed for those who work out in the morning.

Meal 1: 10 eggs-1 whole egg and 9 egg whites (5 grams of fat and 50 grams of protein, 1 and 1/2 cups of oatmeal (90 grams of carbs).

(Workout)

Meal 2: Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) and 2 bananas (50 grams of carbs)

Meal 3: Lean Protein like deli chicken (50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat) and 2 slice of whole wheat bread (50 grams of carbs) and an apple (25 grams of carbs)

Meal 4: Tuna (50 grams of Protein) and 6 Almonds (5 grams of fat)

Meal 5: Large portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon or London broil (50 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 5 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (70 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat) and 6 tbsp of croutons (12 carbs)

Meal 6: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)

That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, (300 grams Carbs), and around 100 grams of fat.

Sample diet for first High carb day: Designed for those who work out in the evening.

Meal 1:10 eggs-1 whole egg and 9 egg whites (5 grams of fat and 50 grams of protein, 1 and 1/2 cups of oatmeal (90 grams of carbs).

Meal 2: Tuna (50 grams of Protein) and 6 Almonds (5 grams of fat)

Meal 3:Lean Protein like deli chicken (50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat) and 2 slice of whole wheat bread (50 grams of carbs) and an apple (25 grams of carbs)

(Workout)

Meal 4: Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) and 2 bananas (50 grams of carbs)

Meal 5: Large portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon or London broil (50 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 2 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (28 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat) and 6 tbsp of croutons (12 carbs)

Meal 6: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)

That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, (300 grams Carbs), and around 64 grams of fat.

Sample diet for cheat day (High carb/fat/calorie day)

Note: A cheat day consist of being able to eat 2 large meals containing anything you want within reason and making the other 3-4 meals like those found in the first carb up day. It’s usually best to eat these 2 meals for breakfast and dinner.

Meal 1: 8 eggs-1 whole egg and 7 egg whites, a HUGE stack of blueberry pancakes cooked in olive oil and light syrup, sugar free syrup or pure maple syrup.

Meal 2: Lean Protein like deli chicken and 2 slice of whole wheat bread.

Meal 3:Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) a bowl of cheerios and 1 banana.

Meal 4:Pizza, chips, salad, and some ice cream (Kirk's ice cream -peanut butter ice cream with chunks of peanut butter).

Meal 5: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)







"PHASE 2 OF SLINGSHOT DIET" (optional for females and males who have a slower metabolic rate)

[B]Sample Keto diet: "60-70% protein and 30-40% fat is the base-line the ratios for ketosis"

Meal 1) 4 whole *****-3 eggs and 6 egg whites
Meal 2) lean meat with 1/2 cup of mixed nuts or almonds
Meal 3) 50 grams of whey isolate protein with Smart balance peanut butter
Meal 4) lean meat with 1 cup of green beans or broccolli. ( Add a little extra virgin olive oil to green vegetable)
Meal 5) 4 whole *****-3 eggs and 6 egg whites
Meal 6) 50 grams of whey isolate proein with Smart balance peanut butter

Supplements: Make sure and consume adequate fluids each day containing no sugar. Protein intake can be lower during each weekly cheat meal since protein sources will be spared from all the carbs/calories and you do not have to take a fast acting post workout shake/carb combo because cutting has more to do with preserving the muscles as opposed to adding a lot more unless you are a beginner to a proper structured weight training program like the Slingshot Training System. You will be fine if you just have your regularly scheduled meal when you get home after working out. In order to get really lean you can choose to use green tea and/or caffeine pills or low calorie caffeine drinks twice a day at 200-400 mgs. Take them during breakfast and an hour before workouts to help push through and increase the thermogenic effect. Green tea extract also increases the metabolism. Take 500-1000 mgs of green tea along with caffeine twice a day. Obviously, drugs like Growth Hormone, Clenbuterol and T-3 can be added to burn off additional fat at the fastest rate possible.

[Ronnie Rowland]

3 DAY PER WEEK SLINGSHOT TRAINING FOR BEGINNING BODYBUILDERS


As I have said many times, the 3 day per week program will stimulate growth like nothing else if you are new to bodybuilding! The advantage of the 3 day Slingshot Training Systems is that, if followed as I have outlined, the muscles have no choice but to grow at a phenomenal rate for 2-3 months.


3 day per week basic Slingshot Training for Beginners to be used 2 months before progressing to once a week or twice a week muscle group training.


Note: As a beginner there is no need to prime. You'll need to reload for 2 straight months before deloading. A push-pull split also works great with the beginner program! For example, Day 1-Lats/Biceps/Foreams/Legs, Abs. Day 2-Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Traps

Insert exercises into this 3 day program that you feel might work better for your body type! No heavy sets are to be performed with power-lifting movements-meaning no PREP SETS are needed. You can change the amount of sets to be used per body part but stay in the ball park.

WAIT AROUND 2 MINUTES BETWEEN SETS AND AROUND 3 MINUTES ON LEGS.
GO TO THE POINT YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T GET ANOTHER FULL REP THEN STOP AT THAT POINT. DO NOT GO UNTIL YOU FAIL ON A REP!

Warm up sets are not provided in sample. Take each work set listed to good muscle failure. Alternate back and forth between day 1 and day 2 when training 3 days per week using a 2-way split. For example:

WEEK 1

Monday (Day 1)
Tuesday (Off)
Wednesday (Day 2)
Thursday (Off)
Friday (Day 1)
Saturday (Off)
Sunday(Off)

WEEK 2
Monday (Day 2)
Tuesday (Off)
Wednesday (Day 1)
Thursday (Off)
Friday (Day 2)
Saturday (Off)
Sunday(Off)

WEEK 3-REPEAT WEEK 1 AND SO ON!



(Week 1)

Monday (Day 1)

Chest-

10 degree Decline Press- 3 sets (8-10 reps)

10 degree Incline Press- 2 sets (8-10 reps)



Shoulders-

Dumbbell over head shoulder presses- 3 sets (8-10 reps)

Lateral raises- 2 sets (8-10 reps)



Lats-

Medium/wide grip pull-ups or lat pull-downs- 3 sets (8-10 reps)

Close grip pull downs (plams facing each other)- 2 sets (8-10 reps)

Barbell rows to lower stomach 3 sets- (8-10 reps)

Barbell rows to mid/upper stomach-2 sets (8-10 reps)


Traps-

Seated Dumbbell shrugs-3 sets (8-10 reps)



Abs-

Crunches-2 sets for 15-50 reps


Tuesday -Off


Wednesday (Day 2)


Biceps-

Seated dumbbell curls 3 sets (8-10 reps)

Seated dumbbell Hammer curls 2 sets (8-10 reps)



Triceps-

Lying Tricep extensions 3 sets (8-10 reps)

Tricep pushdowns with small straight bar 2 sets (8-10 reps)



Quads-

Squats- 3 sets (8-10 reps)

Partial dead-lifts -1 set (8-10 reps)

Leg press 2 sets (8-10 reps)



Hams-

Lying leg curls 3 sets (8-10 reps)



Calves-

Standing calves raise 3 sets (8-10 reps)



Thursday -Off


Friday (Day 1 Workout)

(Week 2)


Monday (Day 2 Workout)


Wednesday (Day 1 Workout)


Friday (Day 2 Workout) Continue with cycle!


Important Note:

1) You are training each muscle group twice a week to improve neural pathways.

2) You can do 15-30 minutes of cardio on 1-2 non-training days if desired.

3) Use the blasting phase diet.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Sample 3 day per week training splits where each muscle is trained once a week using 2 exercises per major body part.


Important Note: You should work harder on weak points if you want to try and bring them up to par with stronger areas. You have the option of increasing sets and/or adding additional exercises for ancillary body parts like traps during a blast if they are lagging behind. For instance, if you use 8 sets for traps choose 1 key movement and 1 secondary exercise. It could go as follows: 4 sets of seated dumbbell shrugs and 4 sets of standing barbell shrugs to front (using a smith machine) during the blast. "Forearm work" is optional but highly recommended for most. I would suggest adding some wrist curls and reverse wrist curls to your regimine. Perform approximately 1-6 sets of each exercise during a high volume blast as needed. Twice a day weight training sessions can be incorporated to decrease fatigue from lengthly workouts and increase over-all training volume. Adjust the amount of sets you can handle per bodypart for the blasting phase. Some of you will do better using around 6-8 very intense work sets per major body part during a blast when training a muscle once a week where as others of you will be able to use 10-12 work sets per each major bodypart (constituting longer workouts) and max out your genetics without over-training. Lower the amount of sets if you begin to feel lethargic, achy joints or begin to lose strength as a very advanced trainer. Intermediate and advanced bodybuilder's may have to lower the total amount of sets performed if they cannot make additional strength gains. Very advanced trainers may not be able to increase stregnth to a large degree but they can increase muscle size through Slingshot Periodization. Some of you will excel performing 6 sets a piece for the key/anchor exercise and doing only 2-3 sets a piece for the secondary exercise. Your options are practically unlimited with Slingshot Training! There’s no value in exceeding 12 intense work sets for any major bodypart in any particular training session. You have the option of splitting each training session in half and do 2-a-day workouts to get in more volume while experiencing less nervous system fatigue. Obviously, you can use only 2 exercises for some body parts and as many as 4 for others and with any type of split! In this sample we are utilizing only 2 exercises per major body part


WAIT AROUND 2 MINUTES BETWEEN SETS AND AROUND 3 MINUTES ON LEGS.
GO TO THE POINT YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T GET ANOTHER FULL REP THEN STOP AT THAT POINT. DO NOT GO UNTIL YOU FAIL ON A REP!


10-14 week training cycle in sequence for the 3 day per week training split. Muscle Definition and de-conditioning (the "anabolic prime") 2 weeks
Mass and Strength (the "anabolic blast") 8-12 weeks


There are 2 phases to each training cycle:




SUPPLEMENTS: Fast acting over-the counter anabolics such Creatine and Leucine can be used during the blasting phase. Fast acting drugs such as Test Propionate, Trenbolone Acetate, Winstrol, D-bol, Anavar, etc can also be used during the blasting phase. Both fast acting over-the counter anabolics and fast acting drugs should be discontinued during the 2 week anabolic prime. Slow acting drugs like Test Enanthate, Deca and Equipoise can be ran as a base during the prime.

EXERCISES -Choose 1 to 2 key exercise and 1 to 2 secondary exercises for each major muscle group. Then use those exercises in the same training session once a week. In this sample we will concentrate on using only 2 exercises and 8 sets per major body part. Do not go over 12 sets a week when using 2 exercises because the maximum amount of sets allowed is 6! If your best chest movement is 15 degree declines, simply start out with that exercise and do the lowest rep-set during the first work set. Next, finish off your chest with a secondary exercise (for i.e.; 15 degree incline flyes or presses). Inclines would be considered a secondary movement in this sample. You’re hitting each bodypart only once a week! The volume changes during each of the 2 training phases but the split can remain the same through the entire training phase. Perform as many warm-up sets as you need before going into your work sets. That can be anywhere from no warm up sets for a muscle group that is getting warmed up indirectly or up to 3 warm-up sets for a cold muscle group or areas that are prone to injury.

Warm up sets are not included in samples! Insert your favorite exercise for each bodypart-including ones not listed in these samples-that works best for your biomechanical make-up. Both low and high rep sets are to be performed only with power-lifting movements during blast. This means PREP SETS should only be utilized with power-lifting exercises. The split below is a mere sample so adjust the amount of sets needed that works best for your body type. Make up your own training split if desired. Each set other than warm-ups and prep sets are taken to monentary muscular failure!





During each phase you could organize your workouts as follows:

A.
Chest
Back
Traps


B.
Off


C.
Shoulders
Biceps
Triceps
Forearms

D.
Off

E.
Legs
Abs

F:
Off

G:
Off

H. Repeat training cycle.





4-8 WEEK RELOAD



Day 1 would be Monday-4-8 week training cycle
Monday would consist of:

Chest:

1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree barbell decline press (POWER-LIFTING EXERCISE)
PREP SET (4-8 reps taken 2 reps shy of failure)
1st work set- 4-6 reps (heavy set)
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 12-15 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-15 degree Incline dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist while bringing hands to lower chest during contraction.
1st set- 8-10 reps to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure
3rd set 8-10 reps to failure



Overall back thickness/width:

1st key exercise- dead-lifts (POWER-LIFTING EXERCISE)
PREP SET- 4-8 reps (2 reps short of failure)
1st set set 4-6 reps (heavy set)
2nd set 8-10

1st secondary exercise-partial dead-lifts on smith machine
1st set 12-15 reps



Lat Width:

1st exercise is a key exercise-medium grip pull-up
1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps



Lat Width:

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-close grip pullups with palms facing each other.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps


Lat Thickness:

1st exercise is a key exercise-close grip pulley rows to lower abs

1st set- 8-10 reps to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps to failure

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-wide grip rows to mid/upper abs

1st set is 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps


Traps:

1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbbell shrugs
1st set- 8-10 reps.
2nd set 8-10 reps.
3rd set 8-10 reps.
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps


Day 2 (Tuesday)-Off

Day 3 would be Wednesday and would consist of:

Shoulders:

1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbbell presses (POWER-LIFTING EXERCISE)
PREP SET- 4-8 reps (2 reps short of failure)
1st set 4-6 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 12-15 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-leaning one arm at a time dumbbell lateral raises.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise- Reverse cable flyes
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Biceps:

1st exercise is a key exercise- seated Incline dumbbell curls on a 45 degree angle

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

2nd exercise is uni-lateral inverted preacher curls.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Brachialis/Forearms:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Seated dumbbell hammer curls.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Triceps:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Lying tricep extensions using ez-bar
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

2nd exercise is secondary exercise-Tricep pulley pushdowns.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

Forearms:

1st exercise is a key exercise-standing wrist curls

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

2nd exercise is secondary exercise-reverse wrist curls

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Day 4 (Thursday)-Off


Day 5 would be Friday and would consist of:

Calves:

1st exercise is a key exercise-Standing calf raise
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Seated calf raise
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Quads:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Barbell squats (POWER-LIFTING EXERCISE)
PREP SET- 4-8 reps (2 reps shy of failure)
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set) to failure
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 12-15 reps

2nd exercise is secondary exercise-Leg extensions
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Hams:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Lying leg curl
1st set-8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Seated leg curls
1st set-8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps



Abs- Weighted crunches

5 sets of 15-30 reps using weight



[B](Weekends off)

Day 8 of the blast would be the following Monday (week 2) and would be the same workout as done on day one (Monday of week 1)

And the cycle continues on- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, weekends off, etc until 4-8 weeks are completed.

[Ronnie Rowland]

3 DAY PER WEEK SPLIT WHERE EACH MUSCLE IS TRAINED TWICE A WEEK

Important Note: You should work harder on weak points if you want to try and bring them up to par with stronger areas. You have the option of increasing sets and/or adding additional exercises for ancillary body parts like traps during a blast if they are lagging behind. For instance, if you want to perform 9 sets for traps with 3 different exercises choose 1 key movement and 2 secondary exercises. It could go as follows: 3 sets of seated dumbbell shrugs during first weekly trap workout and 2 sets of standing barbell shrugs to front (using a smith machine) and 3 sets to back (using a smith machine) during the second weekly trap workout. "Forearm work" is optional but highly recommended for most. I would suggest adding some wrist curls and reverse wrist curls to your regimen. Perform approximately 2-6 sets of each exercise during a high volume blast if needed.

Adjust the amount of sets you can handle per body part for the blasting phase. Some of you will do better using around 6-9 very intense work sets per major body part when training a muscle twice a week where as others of you will be able to use 12 to 24 work sets and up to 4 different exercises per body part (constituting longer workouts) and max out your genetics. However, performing this type of volume with a 3-day per week training system will certainly require you to do 2-a-day-workouts (preferable 1 workout in the morning and 1 in the evening). Lower the amount of sets if you begin to feel lethargic, achy joints or begin to lose strength. Intermediate and advanced bodybuilder's may have to lower the total amount of sets performed if they cannot make additional strength gains. Very advanced trainers may not be able to increase strength to a large degree but they can increase muscle size through Slingshot Periodization. With twice a week muscle training you can do as many as 12 sets each training session for a major muscle group utilizing 2 exercises (up to 6 sets a piece for each exercises) or as few as (2 sets a piece for exercises totaling only 4 sets per week). You also have the option of utilizing up to 18 sets per week with 3 exercises ( up to 6 sets a piece for each of the 3 exercises) or as few as (2 sets a piece for 3 exercises totaling only 6 sets for that week). In final, you can perform as many as 24 sets per week with 4 exercises (6 sets a piece for each of the 4 exercises) or as few as (2 sets a piece for each of the 4 exercises totaling 8 sets).


Note: Some of you will excel performing 6 sets a piece for the key/anchor exercises and doing only 2 to 3 sets a piece for secondary exercises. Your options are practically unlimited with Slingshot Training!


There’s no value in exceeding 12 intense work sets per bodypart in any particular training session. Split your training session in half and do 2 a day workouts if needed to prevent over-training of the nervous system. If you want to use only 2 exercises per bodypart use a key movement during the first weekly training session for that particular body part and a secondary movement during the second weekly workout for that same bodypart. If you choose to use 3 exercises for a bodypart then utilize a key movemement during the first weekly training session for that body part and 2-secondary movements for the second weekly workout for that same bodypart. When utilizing 4 different exercises for a bodypart you will use a key movement and a key secondary movement during the first weeekly training session for that bodypart and 2-secondary exercises the following workout for the same bodypart to keep each workout balanced. Obviously, you can use only 2 exercises for some body parts and as many as 4 for others.


10-14 week training cycle in sequence for the 3 day per week training split. Muscle Definition and de-conditioning (the "anabolic prime") 2 weeks
Mass and Strength (the "anabolic blast") 8-12 weeks

There are 2 phases to each training cycle:

1. Prime: 2 weeks in duration, 4 high rep sets (12-15) per key exercise each week. During the prime you have the option of playing with new exercises on machines, etc, to renew your thirst for the basics.

2. Blast: 8-12 weeks in duration, 2-6 sets per exercise, (4-12 sets per major bodypart a week)



CARDIO FOR ANABOLIC PRIME:

Up to 5 days of cardio can be utilized to increase insulin/hormonal sensitivity and lose bodyfat. Cardio can be done after leg and back day since its low volume. Do not exceed a maximum time limit of 45 minutes per session.

CARDIO FOR ANABOLIC BLAST:

Only 1 to 2 aerobic sessions, if any, are best when blasting if at all possible. Cardio should be avoided on the days you train legs and back if you can.


SUPPLEMENTS: Fast acting over-the counter anabolics such Creatine and Leucine can be used during the blasting phase. Fast acting drugs such as Test Propionate, Trenbolone Acetate, Winstrol, D-bol, Anavar, etc can also be used during the blasting phase. Both fast acting over-the counter anabolics and fast acting drugs should be discontinued during the 2 week anabolic prime. Slow acting drugs like Test Enanthate, Deca and Equipoise can be ran as a base during the prime.

EXERCISES -Choose 1 to 2 key exercise sand 1 to 2 secondary exercises for each major muscle group. Then use those exercises in the same training session once a week. In this sample we will concentrate on using only 2 exercises and 5 sets per major body part each training session. If your best chest movement is 15 degree declines, simply start out with that exercise and do the lowest rep-set during the first work set. Next, finish off your chest with a secondary exercise (for i.e.; 15 degree incline flyes or presses). Inclines would be considered a secondary movement in this sample below. You’re hitting each bodypart twice a week! The volume changes during each of the 2 training phases but the split remains the same through the entire training phase with the sample provided. Perform as many warm-up sets as you need before going into your work sets. That can be anywhere from no warm up sets for a muscle group that is getting warmed up indirectly or up to 3 warm-up sets for a cold muscle group or areas that are prone to injury.

Warm up sets no included in samples! Insert your favorite exercise for each bodypart-including ones not listed in these samples-that works best for your biomechanical make-up. Both low and high rep sets are to be performed only with power-lifting movements during blast. This means PREP SETS should only be utilized with power-lifting exercises. The split below is a mere sample. Each set other than warm-ups and prep sets are taken to momentary muscular failure!

WAIT AROUND 2 MINUTES BETWEEN SETS AND AROUND 3 MINUTES ON LEGS.
GO TO THE POINT YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T GET ANOTHER FULL REP THEN STOP AT THAT POINT. DO NOT GO UNTIL YOU FAIL ON A REP!



Sample of how you could reload and deload throughout this 12 week blast where each muscle group is trained twice a week. This makes reference to weekly training sets for each body part not work sets in each training session for each major body part.

Week 1-12 sets
Week 2-12 sets
Week 3-6 sets
Week 4-12 sets
Week 5-12 sets
Week 6-6 sets
Week 7-12 sets
Week 8-12 sets
Week 9-6 sets
Week 10-12 sets
Week 11-12 sets
Week 12-6 sets



Sample of how you could reload and deload throughout this 12 week blast training each major muscle group twice a week using a 2-day- split. This makes reference to weekly training sets for each body part not work sets in each training session for each major body part.

Week 1-16 sets
Week 2-16 sets
Week 3-16 sets
Week 4-8 sets
Week 5-16 sets
Week 6-16 sets
Week 7-8 sets
Week 8-16 sets
Week 9-8 sets
Week 10-16 sets
Week 11-16 sets
Week 12-8 sets



During each phase you could organize your workouts as follows:

Week 1

Day 1 (Monday)-
Chest (Key exercise)
Shoulders (Key exercise)
Triceps (Key exercise)
Traps (Key exercise)
Abs (Key exercise)


Day 2 (Tuesday)-
Off

Day 3 (Wednesday)-
Lats (Key exercise)
Biceps (Key exercise)
Forearms (Key exercise)
Legs (Key exercise)


Day 4 (Thursday)-
Off

Day 5 (Friday)- Chest (Secondary exercises)
Shoulders (Secondary exercises)
Triceps (Secondary exercises)
Traps (Secondary exercises)
Abs (Secondary exercise)



Saturday:
Off

Sunday:Off



Week 2

Day 8 Monday:
Lats (Seconday exercises)
Biceps (Secondary exercises)
Forearms (Secondary exercise)
Legs (Secondary exercises)


Day 9 Tuesday:
Back to Monday's workout of week 1-

Chest (Key exercise)
Shoulders (Key exercise)
Triceps (Key exercise)
Traps (Key exercise)
Abs (Key exercise)


Repeat training cycle for 2 week during prime and 8-12 week during blast.



To recap:Choose 1 key exercise and 1-3 secondary exercises for each muscle group. Then take those exercises and rotate them using only 1 key exercise during first weekly workout and the secondary exercises during the second weekly workout for that bodypart. The rotation looks like this:

Monday: A Key
Wednesday: B Key
Friday: A Secondary
Monday: B Secondary
Wednesday: A Key
Friday: B Key

Continue cycle as shown!





2 WEEK PRIME


Day 1 would be Monday and would consist of KEY EXERCISES:
Chest:

1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree Incline dumbell press
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set 12-15 reps to failure


Shoulders:

1st exercise is a key exercise-machine over head press
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure


Triceps:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Over head cable tricep extensions
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure


Traps:

1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbell shrugs
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure


Abs:

2 high rep set of crunches with body weight


Day 2 (Tuesday)-off

Day 3 would be Wednesday and would consist of KEY EXERCISES


Lat Width:

1st exercise is a key exercise-medium grip pull-downs
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps


Lat Thickness:

1st exercise is a key exercise-close grip barbell rows to lower abs
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure



Biceps:

1st exercise is a key exercise-Seated dumbell curls
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure


Calves:
1st exercise is a key exercise-Standing calf raise
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps



Quads:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Hack squats
1st set 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps

Lower back:

1st exercise is a key exercise-Deadlifts
1st set 12-15 reps


Hams:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Lying leg curl
1st set-12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps

Forearms:

1st exercise is a key exercise-standing wrist curls
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps

Day 4 (Thursday) off-

Day 5 is Friday and would consit of Secondary exercise

Chest:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise-Flat flyes
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set 12-15 reps to failure


Shoulders:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise-uni-lateral dumbell lateral raises
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure

2nd exercise is a seondary exercise-reverse dumbell flyes
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure



Triceps:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise- Cable tricep pushdowns
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure


Traps:

1st exercise is a key exercise-standing barbell shrugs to front using smith machine
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure


Abs:

2 high rep set of crunches on machine of choice or exercise ball.

Day 6 (Saturday) Off

Day 7 (Sunday) Off

Day 8 (week 2) would be Monday and would consit of SECONDARY EXERCISES
Lat Width:
1st exercise is a key exercise-close grip pull-downs
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps


Lat Thickness:

1st exercise is a key exercise-Wide grip barbell rows to mid/upper abs
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure



Biceps:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise-standing barbell curls
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure

2nd exercise is seated dumbell hammer curls
1st set- 12-15 reps to failure
2nd set-12-15 reps to failure


Calves:
1st exercise is a secondary exercise-Seated calf raise
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps



Quads:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise- Leg extensions
1st set 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps

Lower back:
1st set 12-15 reps

Hams:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise- Seated leg curl
1st set-12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps

Lower back:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise-hyper-extensions
1st set- 12-15 reps


Forearms:
1st exercise is a secondary exercise-seated reverse barbell wrist curls
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps




8-12 WEEK BLAST


Day 1 would be Monday-week 3 of the 10-14 week training cycle
Monday would consist of:


Day 1 would be Monday and would consist of KEY EXERCISES:
Chest:

1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree decline barbell press (POWER-LIFTING EXERCISE)PREP SET( 4-8 reps taken 2 reps shy of failure)
1st set- 4-6 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 12-15 reps



Shoulders:

1st exercise is a key exercise-Dumbell over head press (POWER-LIFTING EXERCISE)PREP SET (4-8 reps taken 2 reps shy of failure)
1st set- 4-6 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 12-15 reps


Triceps:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Over head cable tricep extensions
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps


Traps:

1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbell shrugs
1st set-8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Abs:

3 sets of weighted crunches in the 15-30 rep-range


Day 2 (Tuesday)-off

Day 3 (Wednesday) KEY EXERCISES-

Lat Width:

1st exercise is a key exercise-medium grip pull-ups
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Lat Thickness:

1st exercise is a key exercise-close grip pulley rows to lower abs
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps


Biceps:

1st exercise is a key exercise-Seated dumbell curls
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Biceps/Forearms/Brachialis

2nd exercise is a key exercise seated hammer curls
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps



Calves:
1st exercise is a key exercise-Standing calf raise
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps



Quads:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Barbell squats (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)
PREP SET (4-8 reps taken 2 reps shy of failure)
1st set 4-6 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 12-15 reps

Overall back/legs:
1st key exercise- Dead-lifts (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)PREP SET (4-8 reps taken 2 reps shy of failure)
1st set-4-6 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps

Hams:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Lying leg curl
1st set-8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Forearms:

1st exercise is a key exercise-standing wrist curls
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Day 4 (Thursday) off-

Day 5 (Friday) SECONDARY EXERCISES

Chest:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise-Flat flyes
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Shoulders:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise-leaning uni-lateral dumbell lateral raises
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-reverse dumbell flyes
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps



Triceps:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise- Cable tricep pushdowns
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Traps:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise-standing barbell shrugs to front using smith machine
1st set-8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set-8-10 reps


Abs:

3 sets of secondary exercise-reverse crunches (15-50 reps)

Day 6 (Saturday) Off

Day 7 (Sunday) Off

Day 8 MONDAY (week 2) SECONDARY EXERCISES

Back:

Lat Width:

1st exercise is a key exercise-close grip pull-downs
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set-8-10 reps


Lat Thickness:

1st exercise is a key exercise-Wide grip barbell rows to mid/upper abs
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps


Biceps:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise-standing barbell curls
1st set-8-10 reps
2nd set-8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps



Calves:
1st exercise is a secondary exercise-Seated calf raise
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Quads:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise- Leg press
1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Lower back/legs: partial deadlifts is a secondary exercise
1st set 8-10 reps


Hams:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise- Seated leg curl
1st set-8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps

Forearms:
1st exercise is a secondary exercise-seated reverse barbell wrist curls
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

And the cycle continues on- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, weekends off, etc until 8-12 weeks are completed.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Sample 4 Day per week Slingshot Training System were each muscle is trained "once a week" using 3 exercises per major body part.


10-14 week training cycle in sequence for the 4 day per week training split. Muscle Definition and de-conditioning (the "anabolic prime") 2 weeks
Mass and Strength (the "anabolic blast") 8-12 weeks

There are 2 phases to each training cycle:

1. Prime: 2 weeks in duration, 2 high rep sets (12-15) per primary exercise and 1 set a piece for each of the two secondary exercises. (4 high rep sets per major body part) and during the prime you have the option of playing with new exercises on machines, etc, to renew your thirst for the basics.
2. Blast: 8-12 weeks in duration, 1-6 sets per exercise, (4-12 sets per major bodypart)


CARDIO FOR ANABOLIC PRIME:

Up to 5 days of cardio can be utilized to increase insulin/hormonal sensitivity and lose bodyfat. Cardio can be done after leg and back day since its low volume. Do not exceed a maximum time limit of 45 minutes per session.

CARDIO FOR ANABOLIC BLAST:

Only 1 to 2 aerobic sessions, if any, are best when blasting if at all possible. Cardio should be avoided on the days you train legs and back if you can.


SUPPLEMENTS: Fast acting over-the counter anabolics such Creatine and Leucine can be used during the blasting phase. Fast acting drugs such as Test Propionate, Trenbolone Acetate, Winstrol, D-bol, Anavar, etc can also be used during the blasting phase. Both fast acting over-the counter anabolics and fast acting drugs should be discontinued during the 2 week anabolic prime. Slow acting drugs like Test Enanthate, Deca and Equipoise can be ran as a base during the prime.

EXERCISES -Choose 1-2 key exercise and 2 secondary exercises for each major muscle group. In this sample we will concentrate on using only 3 exercises.

Warm up sets for a muscle group that is getting warmed up indirectly or up to 3 warm-up sets for a cold muscle group or areas that are prone to injury.
Warm up sets no included in samples! Insert your favorite exercise for each bodypart-including ones not listed in these samples-that works best for your biomechanical make-up. Both low and high rep sets are to be performed only with power-lifting movements during the blast. This means PREP SETS should only be utilized with power-lifting exercises. The split below is a mere sample so adjust the amount of sets/exercises needed that works best for your body type. Make up your own training split if desired. Each set other than warm-ups and prep sets are taken to good muscular failure!





WAIT AROUND 2 MINUTES BETWEEN SETS AND AROUND 3 MINUTES ON LEGS.
GO TO THE POINT YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T GET ANOHTER FULL REP THEN STOP AT THAT POINT. DO NOT GO UNTIL YOU FAIL ON A REP!


Sample of how you could reload and deload throughout this 8 week blast where each muscle group is trained once a week.

Week 1-12 sets
Week 2-12 sets
Week 3-12 sets
Week 4-6 sets
Week 5-6 sets
Week 6-12 sets
Week 7-12 sets
Week 8-12 sets



Sample of how you could reload and deload throughout this 8 week blast training each major muscle group once a week using a 2-day- split. This makes reference to weekly training sets for each body part not work sets in each training session for each major body part.

Week 1-20 sets
Week 2-20 sets
Week 3-10 sets
Week 4-20 sets
Week 5-10 sets
Week 6-20 sets
Week 7-10 sets
Week 8-20 sets




During each phase you could organize your workouts as follows:

A.
Chest
Biceps
Forearms


B.
Calves
Legs
Abs

C.
OFF

D.
Shoulders
Triceps

E.
Back
Rear delts
Traps

F:
Off

G:
Off

H. Repeat training cycle following week on Monday.






"2 WEEK ANABOLIC PRIME" were each muscle is trained "once a week”

(EACH WORK SET IS TAKEN TO GOOD FAILURE)


Day 1 would be Monday and could consist of:

Chest: 4 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree barbell decline press
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps

Incline barbell press is a secondary exercise
1st set 12-15 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Flat dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist while bringing hands to lower chest during contraction.
1st set- 12-15 reps



Biceps:4 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- seated Incline dumbbell curls on a 45 degree angle
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps



2nd exercise is uni-lateral inverted preacher curls.
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps to failure



Brachialis/Forearms/biceps

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise- Seated dumbbell hammer curls.
1st set- 12-15 reps


Forearms:4 sets

Wrist curls
1 set of 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps to failure



Reverse wrist curls
1 set of 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps to failure




Day 2 would be Tuesday and would consist of:


Calves: 4 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-Standing calf raise
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Seated calf raise
1st set- 12-15 reps

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-Donkey calf raises
1 set 12-15 reps

Quads:4 sets


1st exercise is a key exercise- Barbell squats
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps



2nd exercise is secondary exercise-Leg extensions
1st set 12-15 reps

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-Leg extensions
1st set- 12-15 reps


Hams: 4 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- Lying leg curl
1st set- 12-15- reps
2nd set-12-15 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Seated leg curls
1 set set 12-15 reps

3rd exercise is secondary exercise-Still legged dead-lifts
1st set- 12-15 reps


Abs: 4 sets

1st exercise is a 1 key exercise-crunch
1st set using only your bodyweight
2nd set using only body weight

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-reverse crunch on flat surface
1set using only your bodyweight
2nd set using only bodyweight



Day 3-Wednesday=Off


Day 4 would be Thursday and would consist of:

Shoulders:4 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-seated overhead presses on a machine
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-lateral raises using a cable.
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set 12-15 reps



Triceps:4 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- Leaning forward overhead rope cable extensions
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps

2nd exercise is secondary exercise-Dips
1st set 12-15 reps

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-Tricep pulley pushdowns.
1st set- 12-15 reps






Day 5 would be Friday and would consist of-

Back:
Overall lower back thickness: 1 set

1st key exercise- partial dead-lifts
1st set- 12-15 reps


Lat Width: 4 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-medium grip pull-downs (overhand grip)
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Wide grip pull-downs (over-hand grip)
1st set 12-15 reps

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-close grip pull-downs with palms facing each other.
1st set- 12-15 reps


Lat Thickness:4 sets


1st exercise is a key exercise-Close grip Pulley rows brought to lower stomach
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-underhand grip rows on a hammer low-row machine.

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-Wide grip T-bar rows brought to mid/upper stomach
1st set- 12-15 reps


Rear delts:2 sets

Reverse cable flyes
1st set- 12-15 reps
2nd set-12-15 reps





Traps:4 sets


1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbbell shrugs
1st set- 12-15 reps.
2nd set 12-15 reps.
.

2nd exercise is standing barbell shrugs to front using smith machine
1st set- 12-15 reps.

3rd exercise is standing barbell shrugs to back using a smith machine
1st set 12-15 reps




(Weekends off)

Day 8 would be the following Monday (week 2) and would be the same workout as done on day one (Monday of first week)

And the cycle continues onward for another week- Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, weekends off.




8-12 WEEK “ANABOLIC BLAST" were each muscle is trained "once a week”


(4 Day per week Slingshot Training System)

During each phase you could organize your workouts as follows:

A. Monday-
Chest
Biceps
Forearms


B. Tuesday-
Legs
Abs

C. Wednesday-Off


D. Thursday-
Shoulders
Triceps



E. Friday-
Back
Traps
Rear deltoids

F. Saturday-Off

G- Sunday-Off

H. Monday-Repeat weekly training cycle.



(EACH WORK SET IS TAKEN TO GOOD FAILURE)

Day 1 would be Monday and would consist of:

Chest: 12 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree barbell decline presses (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)
PREP SET- 4-8 reps (2 reps shy of good failure)
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set).
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 12-15 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary movement- 15 degree incline barbell presses
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps


3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-Flat dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist while bringing hands to lower chest during contraction.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10


Biceps: 12 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- seated Incline dumbbell curls on a 45 degree angle
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

2nd exercise is preacher curls.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10


Biceps/Brachialis/Forearms:

1st exercise is a key exercise- Seated dumbbell hammer curls.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

Forearms: 8 sets

Wrist curls
1 set-8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10

Reverse wrist curls
1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10





Day 2 would be Tuesday and would consist of:


Calves: 9 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-Donkey calf raise on a machine
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Standing calf raise on a machine
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-Seated calf raise
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Quads: 12 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- Barbell squats (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)
PREP SET- 4-8 reps (2 reps short of good failure)
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set)
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 12-15 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-lunge on a smith machine
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps


3rd exercise is secondary exercise-Leg extensions
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps


Hams: 9 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- Lying leg curl
1st set- 8-10 rep
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Seated leg curls

1st set- 8-10 rep
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd exercise is secondary exercise-Still legged dead-lifts
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Abs: 8 sets

1st exercise is a 1 key exercise-weighted ab crunch or use a good machine
4 sets of 15-50 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-reverse crunch on decline bench
3 sets of 15-50 reps



Day 3 would be Wednesday-Off:




Day 4 would be Thursday and would consist of:

Shoulders:12 sets
1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbbell shoulder presses (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)PREP SET 1st set- 4-8 reps (2 reps short of good failure)
1st set 4-6 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 12-15 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-leaning one arm at a time dumbbell lateral raises.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps



Triceps:12 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- Over head cable extensions
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-Dips
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4TH set 8-10 reps

2nd exercise is secondary exercise-Triceps pulley pushdowns.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps





Day 5 would be Friday and would consist of:



Overall back thickness:


1st key exercise- dead-lifts (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)
PREP SET- 4-8 reps (2 reps short of good failure)
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set)
2ND set 8-10 reps

1st secondary exercise-partial deadlifts on smith machine or using a rack
1st set 12-15 reps

Lat Width: 10 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-medium grip pull-ups
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-wide grip pull-ups
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-close grip pull-ups with hands facing one another
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Lat Thickness: 9 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-close grip pulley rows (palms facing one another) to lower stomach
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd exercise is a secondary exercise-medium to wide grip over-hand barbell rows to mid-upper stomach
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

3rd exercise is a secondary exercise-medium grip/under-hand grip rows to lower stomach
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Rear Deltoids:

1st exercise is a secondary exercise- Reverse Flyes.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps


Traps:9 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbbell shrugs
1st set- 8-10 reps.
2nd set 8-10 reps.
3rd set 8-10 reps.
5th set 8-10 reps.

2nd exercise is standing barbell shrugs to front using smith machine
1st set- 8-10 reps.
2nd set 8-10 reps.
3rd set 8-10 reps.


3rd exercise is standing barbell shrugs to back using smith machine
1st set- 8-10 reps.
2nd set 8-10 reps.
3rd set 8-10 reps.



Repeat weekly training cycle for 8-12 weeks.

[Ronnie Rowland]

(Sample 4 Day per week Slingshot Training System were each muscle is trained "twice a week" using 3 exercises per major bodypart.

WAIT AROUND 2 MINUTES BETWEEN SETS AND AROUND 3 MINUTES ON LEGS.
GO TO THE POINT YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T GET ANOTHER FULL REP THEN STOP AT THAT POINT.




Each muscle is trained twice a week

During each phase you could organize your workouts as follows:

A. Monday-KEY EXERCISE
Chest
Shoulders
Back
Traps

B. Tuesday-KEY EXERCISE
Arms
Legs
Abs

C. Wednesday-Off


D. Thursday-SECONDARY EXERCISES
Chest
Shoulders
Back
Traps

E. Friday-SECONDARY EXERCISES
Arms
Legs
Abs



F. Saturday-Off

G- Sunday-Off

H. Monday-Repeat weekly training cycle.





Day 1 would be Monday and would consist of KEY EXERCISES :

Chest: 5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-15 degree barbell decline presses (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)
PREP SET-4-8 reps (2 reps shy of good failure)
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set).
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 12-15 reps

Shoulders:5 sets
1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbbell shoulder presses (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)PREP SET 1st set- 4-8 reps (2 reps short of good failure)
1st set 4-6 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 12-15 reps

Lat Width: 5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-medium grip pull-ups
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps




Lat Thickness: 5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-close grip pulley rows (palms facing one another) to lower stomach
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps


Traps:5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-seated dumbbell shrugs
1st set- 8-10 reps.
2nd set 8-10 reps.
3rd set 8-10 reps.
4th set 8-10 reps.
5th set 8-10 reps



Day 2 would be Tuesday and would consist of KEY EXERCISES:

Biceps: 5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- seated Incline dumbbell curls on a 45 degree angle
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps


Triceps:5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- Over head cable extensions
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps


Calves: 5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise-Donkey calf raise on a machine
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps


Quads: 5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- Barbell squats (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)
PREP SET- 4-8 reps (2 reps short of good failure)
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set)
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 12-15 reps


Lower back:

1st key exercise- dead-lifts (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)
PREP SET- 4-8 reps (2 reps short of good failure)
1st set 4-6 reps (heavy set)
2nd set 8-10 reps



Hams: 5 sets

1st exercise is a key exercise- Lying leg curl
1st set- 8-10 rep
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps

Forearms:

1st key exercise is standing wrist curls

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps
5th set 8-10 reps


Abs: 5 sets

1st exercise is a 1 key exercise-weighted ab crunch or use a good machine (for example: hammer strength ab crunch)
5 sets of 15-30 reps



Day 3 would be Wednesday-Off:




Day 4 would be Thursday and would consist of SECONDARY EXERCISES:

Chest:

1st secondary exercise is 15 degree incline barbell press on smith machine

1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

2nd secondary exercise is flat flyes

1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps


Shoulders:

1st secondary exercise is one arm at a time lateral raises

1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

Lats:

1st secondary exercise is wide grip pullups

1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd secondary exercise is close grip pullups-(palms facing each other)

1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Lat Width:

1st secondary exercsise is bent over rows to mid/upper-stomach

1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd secondary exercise is under hand rows to lower stomach

1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

2nd secondary exercise for deltoids is reverse flyes
1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Traps:

1st secondary exercise is standing barbell shrugs to front using smith machine

1st set 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps



Day 5 would be Friday and would consist of SECONDARY EXERCISES:

Biceps:

1st secondary exercise is preacher curls.
1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10


2nd secondary exercise is Seated dumbbell hammer curls.

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

Triceps:

1st secondary exercise is Dips

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4TH set 8-10 reps

2nd secondary exercise-Triceps pulley pushdowns.

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

Calves:

1st secondary exercise is standing calve raises

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

2nd secondary exercise is seated calf raises

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Quads:

1st secondary exercise-lunges using a smith machine

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps
4th set 8-10 reps

Lower back:

1st secondary exercise- partial dead-lifts/rack pulls (POWER-LIFTING MOVEMENT)
1st set 8-10 reps



2nd exercise for quads is a secondary exercise-Leg extensions

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps



Hams:

1st secondary exercise-Seated leg curls

1st set- 8-10 rep
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


2nd secondary exercise-Still legged dead-lifts

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps

Forearms:

1st secondary exercise is reverse wrist curls

1st set- 8-10 reps
2nd set 8-10 reps
3rd set 8-10 reps


Abs:

Reverse Crunches on decline bench:

3 sets of 15-30 reps.



Repeat weekly reload training cycle for 4-8 weeks before deloading for 1-2 weeks.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Cliff notes on how you could train 5 day per week using 4 exercises per major body part




(Sample 5 Day per week Slingshot Training System were each muscle is trained "once a week" using 3 sets and 4 exercises per major bodypart.



Monday: Chest
Tuesday: Lats
Wednesday:Shoulders
Thursday: Arms
Friday: Abs and legs




3 days on/2 days off sample split where each muscle is trained twice a week:

Monday: Chest/ Back/Traps
Tuesday: Shoulders/Arms
Wednesday:Legs/Abs
Thursday: Off
Friday: Off
Saturday: Repeat training cycle starting with Chest/Back/Traps

[Ronnie Rowland]

"Cliff notes" on how you could Slingshot Train 6 day per week using 3 exercises per major body part


6 day per weeK training split sample where each muscle is trained once a week using 3 exercise per major body part:

Monday: Chest/calves
Tuesday: Lat thickness/hamstrings
Wednesday: Shoulders/traps
Thursday:Lat width
Friday: Arms
Saturday: Quadriceps
Sunday Off





(Sample 6 Day per week Slingshot Training System were each muscle is trained "twice a week" using 3 exercises per major bodypart.


[
3 days on/1 day off sample split where each muscle is trained twice a week:

Monday: Chest/Back/Traps
Tuesday: Shoulders/Biceps/Triceps
Wednesday:Legs/Abs
Thursday: Off
Friday: Repeat training cycle starting with Chest/Back/Traps

[Ronnie Rowland]

The "Slingshot Super Blast" is to Be Used For Blasting Past The Most Stubborn Training Plateaus.


Caution-the Super Blast is to be used sparingly as it can create over use injuries and CNS burnout when abused!!!


Super Blast training principles: As a bodybuilder you will be training each muscle group once a week and/or twice a week using various exercises from workout to workout as you feel fit. This does not apply to the Slingshot Super Blast! With this routine you are trying to increase specific adaptations. In order to get stronger and break past size plateaus you will want to go through a period of building up your central nervous system along with your muscle. This can be accomplished by using the same exercises over and over again every time you hit the gym and by training each muscle group twice a week for 8-weeks during a high dosed anabolic steroid or pro-hormone cycle. This is very similar to how the WORLD'S STRONGEST MEN train before a competition! This allows you to lift in a sport specific manner to improve technique. It's very important to choose exercises that agree with your joints so they can take the extra volume and training frequency. This allows you to work the muscles to their max! For instance, if squats, leg presses and smith machine lunges are your 3 main mass builders for the quads, you will ALWAYS use these same 3 exercises. You should train near the 4-8 rep range for the most part during both the first part of the week and second part of the week. No need in going heavy during the first weekly workout and light during the second weekly training session. Train heavy as you can possibly stand in regards to using the lowest reps your joints can handle. I like 4-6 reps on most exercises! You can use any split you desire and the same principles that apply to the standard Slingshot Routines applies to the Slingshot Super Blast in regards to reloading, deloading, and perfroming only a total of 12 work sets per muscle group each week. The only two differences will be-1) During the Super Blast use the same exercises for both weekly workouts and you train heavy twice a week!

Important Note: The Super Blast is only for breaking training plateaus once you reach stagnation. More calories should be consumed with this kind of training if you want to add more muscle size. This intense routine should never be used back to back. After one 8 week reload with the Super Blast it's time to move on to one of the Standard Slingshot Training Routines where you train by instinct and have the option of utilizing different exercises each time you enter the gym ,etc. TO RECAP: In order to prevent over-use injuries and keep the body from catching on to using the same exercises over and over again, there will always be a need to perform a Standard Slingshot Routine whether each muscle is trained once or twice a week using various exercises before going back to the Super Blast.


Final Note: This form of brutal training encourages the human body to increase protein storage in the muscles because there's no down time. The end result-more muscle size!

[Ronnie Rowland]

Slingshot Cutting Routine


Slingshot Cutting Routine

You will not build muscle when dieting down for a show. The plan is to "maintain" as much muscle as possible while in a calorie deficit. Forget trying to bring up lagging body parts because it won't happen! Moving rapidly between sets with training methods such as super sets, giant sets, tri-sets, etc does not cause more weight loss! Losing body fat comes from diet, cardio and muscle maintenance. When trying to lose body fat you should always stick to what worked to build you up in the beginning-straight sets done with heavy weights in good form with plenty of recovery time taken between sets. Sicne your is going to be maintaining muscle you'll need to reduce the injury factor by keeping rep in the 10-15 range and stopping each set shy of good failure!



When trying to get ******, you will want to blast throughout the entire duration to burn off more calories and hit the muscle as hard as possible to help maintain them. Stick to using 6-12 sets per major body part only once a week or twice a week muscle training using 6-12 sets total sets per body part. You can use once a week and/or twice a week muscle group training. If you need to burn more calories then use twice a week muscle training and/or two a day workouts if joints permit. Performing both AM and PM workouts (2-a-day workouts).


Training Routines to be used with The Slingshot Bodyfat Loss Diet Plan located on post 16 of this article.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Ronnie Rowland]

Please Represent our Sport with Dignity!


I think attitude is one of the most neglected topics in today’s sports, especially bodybuilding. In this game you do not learn everything overnight nor should you think you are correct and everyone who disagrees with you lacks critical thinking skills or cannot comprehend things as you do.

Some trainees in this day and time have forgotten that positive actions as opposed to positive thinking are the essence to succeeding. If you want size and strength with all your heart, then you can transform the body. Change in one’s physique begins in the mind. Men in prison get big muscle due to their daily desire to survive. It is the drive behind their training that produces muscle size. All of the big inmates train just about every day of the week and not all of them that are large in size have great genetics. You have to visualize it, feel it, live it, and then become what it is you want and let nothing steer you away from that. I honestly think everyone should take a long look at their self in the mirror and not move from that mirror until they are very unhappy with what they are seeing. Go to the mirror and take a look at your reflection until there is nothing left except the anger and fuel to drive you into a state of mind that cannot waiver from its path. Then visualize, feel, and receive in your own mind what type of body you want and then go make it happen!!!

Over the years, I have seen quite a few frustrated bodybuilders. The bodybuilding community on the internet is ripe for misunderstandings. For some the gym is all they have. And our egos can get sensitive to the fact that bodybuilding is an individual sport and everyone wants to come up with their own style of training. After all, who can blame us? We already have enough people telling us what we can and cannot do. But, having self esteem issues has become a serious matter for too many bodybuilders and that should not be! Any sane person wants to improve their body by adding some more muscle mass regardless of what they may claim. Be happy for weight lifters who have been able to build a better body than you and leave all forms of jealousy and criticism directed towards weight lifters, for the bitter non-trainees who are just not dedicated to working out and eating a clean diet!

Most opposition in the bodybuilding building community does not come from out-siders; rather it comes from other bodybuilders. The fact of the matter is we did not choose the sport called bodybuilding we all love so dearly. That’s right, it chose us! So please do everything in your power to make this sport better. Listen carefully; bodybuilding will bring forth an appetite that can never be filled! If you become superficial or start comparing yourself to others, your jealousy will spew out and you’ll come across as someone who is upset because they are not getting their way in life (the perfect body or recognition). Being too competitive will take the fun out of any sport. Don’t take your anger and frustrations out on people who can’t do anything about it. Most of you will never get the recognition you deserve, while others will continue to get more than their fair share. For the record; some of the best and most knowledgeable weight lifters in the world are people you’ve never heard of. These trainers have done the most with the least amount of talent. They go unrecognized for their efforts yet continue to toil away in anonymity!

Never get the idea you are all washed up because each of you have special talents! Do not become a slave to the gym while neglecting more important things in life. You must keep simple margins so you can make space for greatness. You must visualize what you want out of bodybuilding and then it will come true if you stay on the right path. Do not let bodybuilding become so big in your life that you have no control. A big part of discipline is keeping things balanced! You can get all the sleep and rest your heart desires, yet still be totally exhausted. You need some form of spirituality in your life so you can unwind, continue train hard, and recover on a long term basis. This does not mean you have to go join a church, etc. Only during a pre-contest phase should you lose some balance in your life due to the extra pressure.


I've watched some get high on hating others and it holds back their muscle building endeavors. If you have an unforgiving attitude towards others and/or self, it will greatly increase your chances of developing chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and the muscle eating hormone cortisol. Stress destroys your body as a whole and your muscles are a part of that equation! When you stay stressed out over something the muscle tense up and loses some of their ability to function. It’s quite obvious that negativity prevents the body from healing! Attitude and stress levels go hand and hand. Let things go and watch lean muscle grow!

As long as I can remember, I’ve watched pessimistic parents tell their children they better not get involved in a particular event because they’ll never make it. Later, someone else moves in and accomplishes the dreams they left by the wayside. Not because they were more talented, but because they had never heard anyone tell them they couldn’t do something. Most of you have better genetics than you realize. It’s going to be up to you to capitalize off of them by getting rid of any pre-existing mental blocks you may have acquired. I become so proud of people who look at an impossible task and say, “Why not!”


The biggest complaint I have received from other bodybuilders throughout the years is the-it’s all about me attitude that’s displayed by some. It’s no secret that the most miserable people in the world are those who have the “it’s all about me” mentality. Listen carefully; the measure of your character is how you treat the least among you, especially when no one else is around. You must never forget that we are all involved in this sport together and we were put on earth so we could enjoy each others company. We must make our presence around others to be as enjoyable as humanly possible.

In no way am I suggesting what anyone should or should not be doing religion wise.This has nothing to do with religion! It has to do with one's attitude. And while most people will view differently what it means to know God on a personal level, the areas in which they differ do not over-ride the basic concept-upon which we fully agree-that all of us are unique beings that must take responsibility for our own physiques and actions.

Please never forget that the heart of bodybuilding is integrity and kindness towards others. Unfortunately, some have wrongly equated showing kindness as weakness-hence they neglect to understand that kindness is a far greater strength than they will ever obtain in a gym.

Good luck to everyone and may you Slingshot your way to the top using the Slingshot Training System!


Ronnie Rowland



Glossary

1. 10-14 week Slingshot Training Phase- Consist of a 2 week prime and an 8 to 12 week blast.

2. 2 week priming phase- A deconditioning/cutting phases to be utilized before beginning each 8 to 12 week blasting/mass phase. The purpose is to increase insulin sensitivity and produce a rapid training effect.

3. 8-12 week blasting phase- A strength and mass gaining phase.

4. Reload-A 1 to 4 week high volume training phase to be utilized during an 8 to 12 week blast. The purpose is to break down as much muscle tissue as possible with heavy weights. During this microcycle you double the amount of training volume that was used during a deload.

5. Deload- A 1 to 2 week low volume training phase to be utilized during an 8 to 12 week blast. The purpose is to make progressive strength gains and allow full recovery before reverting back to a reloading phase. During this microcycle you decrease the amount of training volume by half of what was used during the reload.

6. Slingshot Pyramiding- Hurling a burst of intensity to the muscles during the “heaviest work-set” on key power-building movements.


7. Prep set- consist of doing one set of 4-8 reps (after warm ups sets) while stopping at least 2 reps shy of good failure. To be used only with power-lifting movements such as deadlifts, squats, chest press and shoulder press.

8. Work set- A straight set taken to good failure. Drop the poundages after each consecutive work set if needed to stay in your desired rep-range (6-12 reps).

9. Good muscle failure-Lifting until you cannot get another good repetition.

10. Straight sets-Perform as many repetitions as poosible until good failure is reach then terminate the work set.

11. Macronutrient ratios for Prime- A good base line for putting the bodu in a controlled catabolic state fall in this range: 1) 2-4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. 2) .25 to .75 grams of fat per pound of body weight. 3) .5-.75 grams of protein per pound of body weight.


12. Macronutrient ratios for Blast- A good base line for gaining maximal muscle size with minimal body fat fall in this range: 1) 1-2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. 2) .5 to .75 grams of fat per pound of body weight. 3) 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

[F4iGuy]

2 WEEK “PRIME”

Monday (Back, Traps, Abs)
Back: 1 set each
-dead-lifts 12-15 reps
-medium grip pull-up 12-15 reps
-pull-over 12-15 reps
-Bent over barbell rows 12-15 reps
-supported t-bar row. 12-15 reps

Traps: 1 set
-seated dumbbell shrugs 12-15

Abs: 3 sets
-Crunches

Tuesday (Chest, Bi’s)
Chest: 1 set each
-Dumbbell Bench 12-15
-15 degree Incline dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist 12-15 reps

Biceps: 1 set each
-Incline dumbbell curls 12-15 reps
-preacher curls 12-15 reps
-Seated dumbbell hammer curls 12-15 reps

Thursday (Shoulders,Tri’s)
Shoulders: 1 set each
-seated dumbbell presses 12-15
-leaning one arm at a time dumbbell lateral raises 12-15 reps
-bent rear dumbbell raises 12-15 reps

Triceps: 1 set each
-Lying tricep extensions using ez-bar 12-15 reps
-Tricep pulley pushdowns 12-15 reps

Friday (Legs)
Calves: 1 set each
-Standing calf raise 12-15 reps
-Seated calf raise 12-15 reps

Quads: 1 set each
-Barbell squats 12-15 reps
-Leg extensions 12-15 reps

Hams: 1 set each
-Lying leg curl 12-15- reps
-Still legged dead-lifts 12-15 reps

[Ronnie Rowland]

Sample Menu For 2 Week Priming Phase

Diet for entire 2 week anabolic prime:

To Lose Body Weight- Body weight x 16kcal. Measure your body fat weekly using a set of calipers and going by the mirror. Take in the same amount of calories as long as your body fat continues to improve. Cut 500kcal weekly when you don’t progress. Next take the blasting diet to be used on 5 lower calories/carb days and subtract protein in half while replacing them with carbs. Here’s a sample that can be used for the blasting diet listed below if you weigh a lean 175 pounds-

Meal 1: 2 bananas (50 grams of carbs), 2 whole ***** 3 enriched eggs (10 grams of fat/14 grams of protein, 1 egg whites (4 grams of protein) and 2 cups of oatmeal (120 grams of carbs)
1) Total- 18 grams of protein, 170 carbs, 14 grams of fat (CALS/872).


Meal 2: A half pack of lean deli chicken or tuna or left over lean meat from last night’s dinner (20 grams of protein) on 1 slice of whole wheat bread (20 carbs) and 1 apples (25 grams of carbs)
2) Total-20 grams of protein and 45 grams of carbs (260).

Meal 3: Any lean meat such as a half a pack of deli turkey (20 grams of Protein) and ½ a pound of grapes (40 grams of carbs)
3) Total-20 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbs (260)

Meal 4: Small portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon, London broil, flank steak, etc (25 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 6 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (91 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat), 2 tbsp of croutons (4 carbs) and a sweet potato containing (30 grams of carbs).
4) Protein 25 grams, fats 91, carbs 34 (CALS/1055)


Meal 5: Whey protein shake (25 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, 3 carbs) on a slice of whole wheat bread.
5) 29 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, 22 carbs (CALS/353)

DAILY TOTALS-(PROTEINS/112) (CARBS/314) (FATS 119) (CALORIES/2719) equals minus 155 calories below maintenance level for lower carb/calories days during blast.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This priming diet works in conjunction with the blasting diet listed on page 14!

2 WEEK “PRIME”

Monday (Back, Traps, Abs)
Back: 1 set each
-dead-lifts 12-15 reps
-medium grip pull-up 12-15 reps (2 sets)-
- pull-over 12-15 reps (2 sets)
-Bent over barbell rows 12-15 reps (2 sets)
-supported t-bar row. 12-15 reps (2 sets)
Traps: 2 sets-seated dumbbell shrugs 12-15

Abs: 3 sets
-Crunches

Tuesday (Chest, Bi’s)
Chest: 2 sets each
-Dumbbell Bench 12-15
-15 degree Incline dumbbell flyes using inward pinky twist 12-15 reps

Biceps: 2 sets each
-Incline dumbbell curls 12-15 reps
-preacher curls 12-15 reps
-Seated dumbbell hammer curls 12-15 reps

Thursday (Shoulders,Tri’s)
Shoulders: 2 sets each
-seated dumbbell presses 12-15
-leaning one arm at a time dumbbell lateral raises 12-15 reps
-bent rear dumbbell raises 12-15 reps

Triceps: 2 sets each-Lying tricep extensions using ez-bar 12-15 reps
-Tricep pulley pushdowns 12-15 reps

Friday (Legs)
Calves: 2 sets each
-Standing calf raise 12-15 reps
-Seated calf raise 12-15 reps

Quads: 2 sets each-Barbell squats 12-15 reps
-Leg extensions 12-15 reps

Hams: 2 sets each-Lying leg curl 12-15- reps
-Still legged dead-lifts 12-15 reps

F4iDOM, I made the needed corrections in red. Basically, just add a set to every exercises but deadlifts and crunches. You want 4 sets total. The split looks great!

[VASCULAR VINCE]

Hey Ronnie, what I did not realize until your article is that volume is another form of overload. i beleive you must continuously increase overload on the muscle to stimulate new growth. After reading your article I also realize I will only gain so much strength before eventually plateauing thanks to you. I can always add more volume.

Thanks Bro!

[Ronnie Rowland]

Hey Ronnie, what I did not realize until your article is that volume is another form of overload. i beleive you must continuously increase overload on the muscle to stimulate new growth. After reading your article I also realize I will only gain so much strength before eventually plateauing thanks to you. I can always add more volume.

Thanks Bro!

That's exactly right given you do not over do the volume and fry your joints/cns. The best approach is to decrease volume to gain strength (deload) and then take those strength gains and increase volume (reload) to increase muscle size. This should be done during the 8 to 12 week blasting phase.

The repetitive progression between gaining strength with a "deload" and increasing muscle size with a "reload" is the secret many weight lifters are in search of yet few have found.

[big_k]

Hey Ronnie just got done reading through the slingshot training system. Its so detailed and comprehensive with great explanation I love it.


I am in the middle of switching up routines, and think this would fit me perfectly, although I really am having trouble deciding which split is good for me.

I am 6'1 215lbs, @ 15~16% BF, 24 years old.

I am cutting currently, eating a cyclic ketogenic diet, and am looking to lower body fat, and slowly preparing (mentally and physically) for my first cycle.

For cutting I see that the 3 days on/ 2 days off (2-a day split) is given as an example, is this optimal for cutting? I have a home gym so I don't think 2 a days would be a problem for me, but I haven't ever really done it.

I am just the kind of person that likes to have everything written down, so I know what I am supposed to do so any clarification for cutting, and overall advice would be greatly appreciated.

[VASCULAR VINCE]

Ronnie, I am achieving considerable gains with slingshot training but will it cause pain in ligaments and tendons down the road? It seems like I'm growing so fast that my ligaments might not be keeping up. I do not want an adverse affect on my lifting capabilities.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Hey Ronnie just got done reading through the slingshot training system. Its so detailed and comprehensive with great explanation I love it.


I am in the middle of switching up routines, and think this would fit me perfectly, although I really am having trouble deciding which split is good for me.

I am 6'1 215lbs, @ 15~16% BF, 24 years old.

I am cutting currently, eating a cyclic ketogenic diet, and am looking to lower body fat, and slowly preparing (mentally and physically) for my first cycle.

For cutting I see that the 3 days on/ 2 days off (2-a day split) is given as an example, is this optimal for cutting? I have a home gym so I don't think 2 a days would be a problem for me, but I haven't ever really done it.

I am just the kind of person that likes to have everything written down, so I know what I am supposed to do so any clarification for cutting, and overall advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi BIG K. I am Glad you enjoyed reading about Slingshot Training!

First I need to know what is your definition of a cyclic ketogenic diet?

In addition, have you ever trained each muscle group twice a week with higher volume?

[big_k]

Hi BIG K. I am Glad you enjoyed reading about Slingshot Training!

First I need to know what is your definition of a cyclic ketogenic diet?

In addition, have you ever trained each muscle group twice a week with higher volume?

My Pleasure, My definition of a cyclic ketogenic diet: More or Less sticking to a 65% Fat, 35% Protein 5% Carb Macro Nutrient breakdown. For PWO Shake I have about 40g of Whey + 30g of Dextrose.
Once a week, usually on Saturday is my carb up, where I eat carbs @ about 30% of maintenance. To keep it simple I flip flop the macro's. So 65% Carbs, 35% Protein, 5% Fat. High Glycemic Carbs initially right after the workout, then low glycemic carbs for the rest of the day. I will do some HIIT at the end of the day (to get some GLycogen out of the system) and on Sunday I go back to "keto" diet.

Yes I have trained each muscle group twice a week. I did for about 4 months back in February. Back/Bicep, Chest/Tricep, Legs, Shoulders, after the 4th day, I went back to day 1, then rested. 8 days on, 1 day off (I was overtraining)

[Ronnie Rowland]

My Pleasure, My definition of a cyclic ketogenic diet: More or Less sticking to a 65% Fat, 35% Protein 5% Carb Macro Nutrient breakdown. For PWO Shake I have about 40g of Whey + 30g of Dextrose.
Once a week, usually on Saturday is my carb up, where I eat carbs @ about 30% of maintenance. To keep it simple I flip flop the macro's. So 65% Carbs, 35% Protein, 5% Fat. High Glycemic Carbs initially right after the workout, then low glycemic carbs for the rest of the day. I will do some HIIT at the end of the day (to get some GLycogen out of the system) and on Sunday I go back to "keto" diet.

Yes I have trained each muscle group twice a week. I did for about 4 months back in February. Back/Bicep, Chest/Tricep, Legs, Shoulders, after the 4th day, I went back to day 1, then rested. 8 days on, 1 day off (I was overtraining)

big k, twice a week muscle training works but so does once a week muscle training. It all boils down to individual preference. In addition, I would not do HIIT on your carb up day because that defeats the purpose of carbing up.

I have more questions-

1) How long have you been on the ketogenic diet?

2) How long do you plan to cut?

3) Do you prefer once a week muscle training or twice a week given your experiences in the past?

[C-heavyweight]

STS is awsoume so far. the workouts seem to fit me perfectly. I feel as though i heal efficiently better from sts. The 8 set per body part for mass works well. STS IS THE REAL DEAL!

[big_k]

big k, twice a week muscle training works but so does once a week muscle training. It all boils down to individual preference. In addition, I would not do HIIT on your carb up day because that defeats the purpose of carbing up.

I have more questions-

1) How long have you been on the ketogenic diet?

2) How long do you plan to cut?

3) Do you prefer once a week muscle training or twice a week given your experiences in the past?

I have been on the ketogenic diet on/off since February. I stopped for about a month and am got back.

After some research though, I'm considering changing it up a little. Keeping the same principles, but instead of a re-feed, I would eat carbs pre and post workout only.

I am at about 15-16% body fat right now, I have read the benefits of cycling @ about 12% bodyfat, so I want to go as long until I am about 12%, so lets say probably 2 months? Which will coincide well with researching and putting together a good first cycle, etc.

As far as my preference, for certain body parts (legs) I feel better doing once a week, since I can hardly walk the day after. But for the rest of the body, I feel like I can hit it twice a week. My chest, shoulders, arms, abs recover fairly quickly. Usually back soreness can be felt throughout the week, so back twice a week might be overkill.

[Ronnie Rowland]

I have been on the ketogenic diet on/off since February. I stopped for about a month and am got back.

After some research though, I'm considering changing it up a little. Keeping the same principles, but instead of a re-feed, I would eat carbs pre and post workout only.

I am at about 15-16% body fat right now, I have read the benefits of cycling @ about 12% bodyfat, so I want to go as long until I am about 12%, so lets say probably 2 months? Which will coincide well with researching and putting together a good first cycle, etc.

As far as my preference, for certain body parts (legs) I feel better doing once a week, since I can hardly walk the day after. But for the rest of the body, I feel like I can hit it twice a week. My chest, shoulders, arms, abs recover fairly quickly. Usually back soreness can be felt throughout the week, so back twice a week might be overkill.

1) Since winter is on it's way I would recommend a lean bulk. Try consuming around 1 gram of carbs for each gram of fat consumed after meeting your protein needs. This would include eating most of your carbs for morning and/or pre-workout/post workout as you suggested. There is absolutely no reason whatsover to stay in ketosis. And if you are constantly going in and out of ketosis your blood sugar is going to be all over the place.

2) I would recommend training each bodypart only once a week as a baseline using a 4 or 5 day split since you excel with once a week muscle group training. On the other hand, if you decided you want to gain some size and strength instead of cuttting you could train the smaller muscle groups twice a week as a baseline while simultaneously training the larger muscles (legs and back) only once a week as a baseline. A 4 day split would be a good place to begin using this approach.

I hope this helps!

[Ronnie Rowland]

Ronnie, I am achieving considerable gains with slingshot training but will it cause pain in ligaments and tendons down the road? It seems like I'm growing so fast that my ligaments might not be keeping up. I do not want an adverse affect on my lifting capabilities.

There's no such thing as being able to max out your genetics without taking some sort of risk. It's the potentially dangerous beyond failure training methods I am against.

Glad to hear your are making gains with Slingshot Training.