Fit or Fat?

For those of you who haven't heard, one of the newest Members to the Cygen Labs Team, National Level, Natural Bodybuilder Steve Doucette will contributing to the Cygen Labs blog. This week Steve throws in his two cents about the benefits (or lack thereof) to bulking in the offseason.

By: Steve Doucette

On a sunny weekend morning, I approach the gym parking lot ready to battle out another grueling leg workout. I am beginning to feel the intensity of my pre-workout supplement working its way through my bloodstream. The excitement of whether I will set another PR on a heavy squat is fueling my desire to get into the gym as quick as possible. Then as I ring in and head upstairs to the weight room, I get stuck. I am stuck behind a 280 pound monster. The man looks as though he can bench press a bulldozer, and as he takes another step up the stairs, he blocks the sunlight beaming through the window and casts a shadow that nearly blocks all the light from the main level cardio floor. But then I begin to question, is this guy going to make it up the stairs? Half way up the long flight of stairs he is already out of breath, and clearly putting out a big effort to make it up. As he rounds the bend of the staircase, this is when I notice he is larger sideways than head on. His face looks rounder than a full moon on a clear night and the pot belly protruding underneath his tank top is approaching his knees. I pause, and turn to the other wall and notice his face on the wall in a picture with an overall trophy, no more than 4 months prior winning the local bodybuilding championships. Yes, another example of taking the bodybuilding staple ‘you have to eat to grow’ too far.



Do I personally think one needs to stay lean year round? Not necessarily. Calories are essential to produce energy, maintain life and finally to stimulate growth. This is why you often hear people say we ‘grow’ in the offseason, and during contest prep season we can reveal just how effective the offseason was at stimulating growth. But often times what happens is individuals will gain a massive amount of weight in the pursuit of growth and yes – they grow – but why is it that the next year they look the same as they always did? In a best case scenario, they may have put on 3-5 pounds (which is an EXCELLENT achievement in a year – more on that later). Was it worth it? The answer to many of us reading this and trying to put on muscle is: YES, of course it was worth it. However, ignoring the fact that becoming morbidly obese in the offseason has countless other health drawbacks, ask yourself this…Would you have still gained those same 3-5 pounds of lean tissue this offseason if instead of packing on 50-60 pounds post contest, you were to have stayed within say 20-30? 99% of the time the answer is yes. No one argues the fact that you have to eat to grow, but I draw the line at gorging on fast foods because eating clean seems to have caused a plateau on the weight scale. Or getting to the point where working out becomes a chore since you are ready to vomit after each hard set.

Many people will have different answers to this question, but consider this. Let’s assume that getting fat in the offseason actually does provide a slight benefit above and beyond eating a clean but substantial amount of food in the ‘growing months’. Would you rather look good all year round, feel good all year round and make slow and steady gains of 3 pounds per year…OR is getting that 4th pound really worth the devastation to your cardiovascular health? In an obsessive sport, I do realize there are many that would agree that getting fat is actually worth the additional pound. But one thing people must realize is that you can still make, in my opinion, ALL the gains necessary and still look good year round. This applies to not only the competitive physique competitors, but to the average gym enthusiast as well. The notion of ‘bulking and cutting’ seems to be popular among anyone trying to gain muscle.

The debate has existed for years, and I see it come up time and time again on bodybuilding forums all over the net. One criticism of staying relatively lean year round is that how is one supposed to ‘move up in weight classes’ if they only gain 15 pounds in the offseason? For example: person “A” weighs 176 pounds on stage, and the goal is to be the top of the next weight class (187) the year after to stay competitive. So how is one going to achieve this by ‘only’ gaining 15-20 pounds in an offseason? My answer is, they probably won’t…! BUT gaining 40-50 is not going to change that fact! Seasoned competitors do not gain 10+ pounds per year of lean muscle…They may gain 10 pounds from 1 show to the next, but most often, those aren’t 10 good pounds. Perhaps the theory is that for every 1 pound of fat gained, an additional pound of muscle (for example) would come along with it. Realistically that only works for the first few pounds. Gaining muscle doesn’t come easy, and the reality of it is, jumping weight classes within a year is extremely rare. Remember the old adage, ‘slow and steady wins the race’…this isn’t exclusive to rabbits and turtles guys…If you can gain 3 pounds of muscle from the time you are 20 years old until you are 35, that is 45 pounds of pure muscle…That is taking a lightweight bodybuilder into the heavyweight class! Besides, judges don’t care how much you weigh – they care what that weight looks like. I know many people, myself included that have competed in back to back years in the same weight class, but the detail, maturity, and shape, all improved to the point where they could compete with guys 2-3 classes higher.

So as I take another step up the stairs, “Mr. Offseason” insists I go ahead. Too bad for him, it was also his squat day, and there is only 1 rack in our gym…But I’ll probably be done with it by the time he makes it up to the gym floor.

Bench Press Essentials

By Scott Milne

Long time no see Cygen Nation. In the coming weeks, IFBB Pro Bodybuilding, and Cygen Athlete Scott Milne will be posting blog entries here, giving you tips on how to properly perform certain essential exercises in the gym, to get the best muscle building bang for your buck. So sit back and enjoy the ride as Scott Milne turns you into a full fledged beast!

Without ever meeting you, I can guarantee that the bench press was either the first or second exercise you ever performed in the gym (you did curls 4 days a week didn’t you?). It’s the exercise that everyone likes to brag about to their friends (how much ya’ bench?). But in building a well developed chest, bigger weights don’t always translate into better results. What’s more important in the grand scheme are things like form, time under tension, which angle(s) you hit the muscle from, and adhering to specific cues that are going to make the muscle grow bigger, and not just stronger. Here’s a list of some tips I like to use to make sure I’m able to stimulate the most growth possible when hitting the bench press.

We’ll start with the Flat Barbell Bench Press:

• When grabbing the bar, you want to put your hands at a width that allows your elbows to be at a 90 degree angle when you are at the bottom portion of the movement. Grab it too wide, and the tension is shifted to the shoulders, grab it too narrow and the tension is shifted to the triceps. The wider your upper body, the wider grip you’ll need.

• I like to use a false grip (thumb open, under the bar), which helps keep my wrists locked, but for safety reasons, I recommend that beginners use a full grip (thumb wrapped around the bar).

• Before unracking the bar, ensure that your scapula (shoulder blades) are retracted and pulled back into the bench. This will engage your lats, and allow you to have a more stable base when lying on the bench.

• Once you’ve unracked the weight, make sure to move it out over your chest where you intend to bring it down. Too many beginners bring the bar straight down from the rack, and this results in moving the bar on a diagonal plane, which makes the subsequent reps more difficult.

• Bring the bar down to the mid chest at a slow, controlled tempo (about 2-3 seconds down). Many people bring the bar down to the lower pec, or upper abdominals and “bounce” the bar. This is great for inflating your ego, but it takes tension off the pecs.

• To bring the bar back up, initiate the movement by squeezing the pecs, and contract hard at the top of the movement.

• Lastly, don’t lock the elbows out at the top. By stopping the movement just before lock-out, this keeps the tension on the pecs, and better stimulates growth to the muscle, which is what we’re shooting for.

Here are some videos to demonstrate:



The second video is a different angle of me performing the Incline Bench Press. Most of the cues are the same, but there are a few variations:

• Bring the bar down closer to the top of your chest. This will better isolate the upper portion of the pec, which is the purpose of pressing from an incline in the first place.

• Unlike the flat bench, there is no need to bring the bar all the way down to touch the chest, especially if you have shoulder issues. Because of the angle of the bench, bringing the bar all the way down can put the shoulder into a compromising position.

• Press the feet firmly into the floor, and try to limit the amount of arch in your lower back. Many people will end up with a severe arch during an incline press to try and muscle up more weight, which makes the movement more like a flat bench press.



I hope these tips have been helpful for you, and I encourage you to give them a try the next time you plan to hit the bench press.

If you've got any questions on the tips or the videos, post them here, or on our Cygen Facebook page.

Till Next Time,

Scott Milne

What Does Success Mean to You?

In his latest contribution to the Cygen blog, Christopher Reed discusses his definition of what it means to be successful.



What does success mean to you? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Like what you hear? Then visit the Empire Fitness website to learn more about Toronto's #1 Garage Gym!

Burn Body Fat with Weights, NOT Cardio - Getting Rid of the Myth (Part 2)

In Part 1 of her article, Dawn shared her feelings on the myths and stereotypes surrounding women in the weight room. In Part 2, Dawn gets into more detail as to how you can use weights to effectively cut fat, and build a lean, sexy, feminine physique.

The idea behind using weights to burn fat is to raise your resting metabolism. Metabolism is determined by how much muscle you have on your body, incorporated with a few other factors. Researchers have shown that we have the ability, to "trick" our genes into behaving differently, mainly, by lifting weights, and building muscle. By increasing your fat to muscle ratio, you can change your body from flabby and weak, to a lean, strong, fat burning machine! How do you do this? First, you must pay close attention to your diet. In order to build muscle, you need to eat enough protein to build and repair your muscles, and enough carbs, at the right times, to fuel your workouts. You must challenge your muscles to do more than they are normally used to. By this I mean not doing the same old bicep curls, and abdominal work, with a few new things thrown in. I mean keeping a chart, and using a progressive overload technique. Lifting 2-3 times a week, and adding more weight to each set. Using enough weight to get 8-10 reps, with about 1-2 minutes of rest, between sets, to be able to do 1 warm up set, and 3-4 working sets. The ONLY way a muscle will grow, is by being challenged. If all you keep doing is light weights, and lots of reps, you will create muscular endurance, not larger muscles. Now remember, bigger muscles, burn more fat even at rest!

1. It is physiologically impossible for women to bulk up quickly from weight training. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle mass. Women simply do not have enough of it in their systems to build that much muscle. I have lifted weights for 25 plus years, and much heavier than any woman in my gym, and I by no means am huge!

2. By lifting weights correctly, you will take your muscles through their full range of motion. This will create over time lean, flexible muscles. Soon, you will appear leaner, will stand up straighter, and be stronger.

3. Weight and strength training is extremely important as women age. It has been shown that women gain strength at the same rate as men do. By taking charge of your strength, and flexibility, you will reduce your chances of falling, or having back problems later in life. You will learn how to lift objects without assistance. By getting stronger, you will prevent injuries. You will increase your grip strength, which is a marker now used in the anti-aging community that correlates to your mortality. Lifting weights will also strengthen your connective tissues, giving you a better sense of balance, and stability.

4. By strengthening your connective tissue, you increase your mineral density, decreasing your chance of developing osteoporosis.

What will you look and feel like? You will feel strong and energized. You will have less body fat, and your hard work will be "showcased" by your sexy, sculpted muscles. You will be less stressed, because you will have created the body you always wished you had.

Now go into the gym with a plan. Buy a weight lifting guide, or hire a trainer. Plan your new body, like you would plan any other future engagement. Get rid of old thoughts of getting too bulky. The only thing that will be to big are the pants you used to wear!

Like what you read? Check out Dawn's blog, Constant Energy Fitness for more of her awesome advice on health and fitness.

Do You Like What You See?

In his latest video log, Christopher Reed invites us all to take a look at ourselves in the mirror and think about how we react when confronted with controversy. So sit back, have a listen, and let Toronto’s #1 Underground Strength Coach hit you up with some truth:

Burn Body Fat with Weights, NOT Cardio - Getting Rid of the Myth (Part 1)

Dawn Sylvester is a figure competitor, personal trainer and kettlebell competitor who has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to living a healthy lifestyle. Inspired by her passion for fitness and helping others, she started Constant Energy Fitness, a fitness blog focused on providing women with cutting edge tips to get them stronger, leaner, and healthier.


In her first contribution to the Cygen Labs blog, Dawn shares with us her feelings on the myths and stereotypes surrounding women in the weight room, and how you can REALLY kick up your fat loss efforts in the gym.

Are you afraid to lift weights because you don’t want to get too big or bulky? Do you think you will lose your flexibility? Will you look like those "women" in bodybuilding magazines? Are you too "old" to begin a weight training program? NO WAY!! Let me get rid of some beliefs that women find hard to shake, and why weight training is something you need to start today.

Cardio is NOT the answer. It is now being studied that it is much more beneficial for women to lift weights, than to do cardio alone. I know, we have been told for so long, that the way to lose weight is to do endless hours of cardio, and the weight room is for the guys. If I was to tell you that you could cut your workout time in half, and within months, lose bodyfat, and inches, while gaining strength, would I have your attention?

I am 51 years old. I have lifted weights for more than 20 years, and have a bodyfat range of around 19%. It is due to clean eating, and intense weight lifting. I am 5'1", at 108 lbs, and have squatted up to 185 lbs, and done sets of leg presses using 360 lbs. I ask you, do I look bulky or too muscular to you? In my 20's I lived for cardio, was 15 lbs heavier, and chubby! A substitute instructor in my aerobics class one day had a body I would die for, so I stayed after to ask for tips. What she told me, was amazing! She said she NEVER did cardio! I didn't believe her then, but decided that what I had been doing, obviously wasn't working, so I started to lift weights. Within 6 months, I lost a total of 15 lbs of fat, felt great, and had never been leaner! Years later, I went on to become a certified personal trainer. I wanted to spread the word to women….stop doing cardio only, and stop cutting calories! A woman's place is in the weight room! Now when I do cardio, it is in the form of intervals, and only 2 x weekly.

As a 50th birthday present to myself, I entered a figure competition, and received 2 trophies. I was competing with girls 25 years younger than me! I also recently did my first Kettlebell competition, and received a medal. So, open your mind and erase your old misconceptions about women and weights, because the weight room is where we belong!

The most important thing you can do to lose body fat is eat a clean diet, and do anaerobic exercise. What we used to think, based on studies done in the 80's was to do cardio for as long as possible. Right?...Not anymore! Current studies done by exercise physiologists tells us that it is proven that you can burn up to 25% more calories from fat, AFTER an intense session of weight training, than DURING cardio. The afterburn is what is most significant, and can last for up to 36 hours! Since our ultimate goal is to burn calories from fat stores, this is the most efficient way to change the composition of your body. Nothing is more appealing, to men and women alike, than a curvy, lean physique on a woman.

The idea is to raise your resting metabolism. Metabolism is determined by how much muscle you have on your body, incorporated with a few other factors. Researchers have shown that we have the ability, to "trick" our genes into behaving differently, mainly, by lifting weights, and building muscle. By increasing your fat to muscle ratio, you can change your body from flabby and weak, to a lean, strong, fat burning machine!

Stay tuned for part 2 of Dawn’s blog entry where she takes us through a 4 step process of how you too can change your views on the weight room forever, and take your feminine physique to the next level.

Toronto's #1 Underground Strength Coach Gets Philosophical

Hey Cygen Fans,

This week, Christopher Reed has submitted a video log to the Cygen space, and the big fella has gotten a little philosophical on us.

Have a listen, and see how you can apply his advice to your own goals and life.