MC: Do you use FST-7?
JB: I use FST-7 [see below] during my whole prep. The whole idea is to optimize the pump, optimize cellular volumization throughout the workout. You want to stretch that fascia and force the blood in there.
MC: FST-7 can be a tough workout, right?
JB: Absolutely. I see FST-7 as a very mental style. You need a very good connection between your mind and muscles when you’re training. We aren’t pushing super heavy weight, and we aren’t doing low reps. We are using a moderate weight in the 10- to 12-rep range, but the whole idea is to concentrate on that point A to point B to optimize growth. FST-7 might not be as beneficial for a beginner as compared to someone who has trained longer and has that mind-muscle connection.
MC: What kind of training split do you follow?
JB: I do a five-day split of chest, back, legs, arms, and shoulders. I train every day and just cycle through that five-day split. If my body is beat up, I will take a day off, but that might be once a month. I do 25 to 30 sets per bodypart, with high volume and minimal rest between sets. Hany always wants me to rest longer, but I like to bang it out. I don’t like going slow. I like to slay it. That is just what works for me.
MC: How do you approach your diet?
JB: My diet gets determined every morning when I wake up. I call Hany and we look at how my body responded to the previous day and we adjust accordingly. I eat clean. I eat chicken, fish, and a lot of red meat. Sweet potatoes are the only starchy carb I take in. I don’t get sick of them. I get a cheat meal every couple weeks, and I get a re-feed meal every five days or so. A re-feed is just more clean food. I’ll up my red meat and my starchy carbs. I’ll usually do it on a day I train a weaker body part, so I can overnourish that muscle and get everything out of it.
MC: What’s an average day for you?
JB: First thing in the morning I throw on my shoes and go do fasted cardio for about 40 minutes. I train a little bit of abs and then I come home and eat breakfast. That’s when I take my pictures and send them to Hany. I usually get two to or three more meals in, and then go back and train. Then I will see my massage therapist or my chiropractor. The rest of the day is spent prepping: preparing food and tanning, stuff like that. The day ends around eight o’clock. I watch a little TV and then go to bed early so I can get up and do my cardio.
MC: How do you keep from over-training?
JB: I make sure each body part gets plenty of rest. I wont do triceps after chest day, and I won’t do biceps after back. I take a couple days and make sure the muscles are fresh. Also, I’m sponsored by Evogen Nutrition and we make top-of-the-line products. We use the highest-quality BCAAs on the market. I take glutamine and BCAAs three times a day, and I’m eating good, so my recovery time is next to nothing and my endurance in the gym is awesome.
MC: You seem very detail oriented.
JB: There are probably 10,000 guys competing in Physique in the world, and they are all trying to take what I have. I have to do everything above and behind what they are doing to stay on top. It comes down to the little stuff like stretching daily, seeing a chiropractor. My body is everything I have right now, so I need to make sure everything is working together.
MC: It looks like your competitive season centers around the Mr. Olympia. You don’t expect to compete at the Arnold Sports Festival this year?
JB: It’s Hany’s decision, but more than likely he’ll have me sit out The Arnold again this year. I would like to do it, but it depends on the timing. It’s rough being right in the middle of the off-season.
MC: What are your off-season goals for 2016?
JB: I want to improve on my abs, for one. My obliques are on point, but I need to develop my middle abs better, or at least get better muscle control on my core. In a straight-on pose my abs get a little washed out. I want to improve that and make that a stronger pose for me. And may be add a little more shoulders.
MC: You make this kind of disciplined lifestyle look easy. Does it come easy to you?
JB: It’s not easy. It’s a job. Not everyone wants to get up and go to work every day, but we do it anyways. I am very blessed to be in the position I am at. I don’t ever take it for granted. I am very grateful. Is my life easy? I don’t know. I would say I have it good. IM
FST-7 AND FURIOUS
The popular hypertrophy training program FST-7 was created by Hany Rambod, a master trainer who has spent the last several years shepherding IFBB pros to championship performances, including Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Nicole Wilkins, and Jeremy Buendia.
FST-7 stands for Fascia Stretch Training, with the 7 indicating the number of sets that need to be performed for the all-important last exercise.
The idea behind FST-7 is to volumize the muscle so much that it stretches out the fascia (the thin but stubborn membrane that sheaths the muscle) allowing more room for growth while flooding the tissue with anabolic nutrients.
The basic program calls for three compound exercises for a bodypart, performed for three or four sets of eight to 12 reps. The coup de grâce is an isolation exercise performed for seven sets of 10 to 12 reps with just 30 to 45 seconds of rest between.
By the time you are done, the bodypart should be completely exhausted and pumped to a point of near explosion.
Advanced lifters, like Jeremy Buendia, will start and finish each bodypart with the signature seven-set strategy and may use a challenging free-weight exercise.
If you’re new to FST-7, use it only for your final set and perform that exercises on a machine rather than with a barbell or dumbbells.
via : ironmanmagazine.com
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