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zakruti.com » Sport, fitness, workout » Jeff Cavalier
The Smartest Way to Build Muscle (100% NATURALLY)

The Smartest Way to Build Muscle (100% NATURALLY)

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Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1
If you want the smartest way to build muscle 100% naturally, then you have come to the right place. In this video, Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico go in depth into how to build muscle naturally and what it takes to do it. Remember, it’s not just what workouts you do, but how you do them that matters. It starts with the most common question that I get when someone new to training and that’s what does the workout look like Basically this comes down to what split should they be following. This is dependent on what the available time someone has to actually train. I can give a split that builds muscle whether it’s two days a week and all the way up to 6 days a week. This can come in the form of total body, upper / lower, push / pull / legs, or even an educated bro split. Next, it comes down to exercise selection. When it comes to build muscle 100% naturally, you need to avoid exerphobia, or the fear of a particular exercise. This usually comes in the form of avoiding compound lifts. However, there are 6 exercises that I think are a staple of every program and are based on Arnold’s golden six. These exercises include weight chin-ups / pull-ups, barbell curls, squats, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. These are the biggest bang-for-you-buck exercises that will help to build strength and size at the same time. One thing that you want to avoid when it comes to your workouts and building muscle naturally is the use of correctives. These are designed to help fortify your body against injury and breakdown, helping for training longevity. Remember, it doesn’t matter what the next week, month, or year looks like - rather, I’m looking to see how your perform 10 years down the road, and whether your body stays healthy and operational over the long term. Some correctives that you likely want to include in your workout program include face pulls, reverse hypers, hip band mini ladders, band pull apart, angels and devils, and clam shells. These will fortify your upper and lower body to make sure your joints stay healthy while performing compound lifts. What about other exercises These include accessories and exercises designed for nothing but building muscle. I recommend you find complimentary exercises that based on available equipment and natural athleticism. For example, someone with bad balance might want to choose a different exercise than a bulgarian split squat. It also comes down to the plane of motion, performing exercises in a vertical and horizontal fashion, separately. These exercise choices will lead to greater hypertrophic benefits and keep you moving through different planes of motion. You also want to focus on muscle function bias, as many muscle groups have multiple functions - think of the chest! You not only have the action of pressing, but also adduction. Training each function will help to lead to growing more muscle. You can also address muscle weak points. If you have a weak or underdeveloped upper chest, you will want to include upper chest dedicated exercises. This can be in the form of one function if you have available time or even an exercise that combines functions, like the low-to-high crossover which follows the direction of the upper chest fibers and also includes adduction. Exercise variety also can be a method of keeping interest in a workout program as performing the same exercises day in and day out can get boring and lead to a disinterest in continuing training. Now, when it comes to building muscle 100% naturally, you have to include muscle building techniques as well. For example, training to failure is extremely important to build muscle. There is also the newfound craze of training in the stretch position with partial repetitions. I think this is a problem for building resilient muscles as they don’t take the muscle through its full range of motion. Not only that, but the extra gains that are achieved through this technique is negligible. I often recommend that when someone reaches a plateau in their training, that they take the Mike Mentzer one set approach. This will help to understand necessary volume and intensity that are needed to build the most muscle possible. This concept works for natural lifters as Mentzer trained both naturally and enhanced and felt qualified to speak on which training method was conducive to muscle growth. Watch to the end of the video to see what other concepts are important to building muscle naturally. Build Muscle 100% Naturally - Subscribe to this channel here -
Date: 2024-09-30

Comments and reviews: 20


I have been doing a 3 day workout plan that I made myself for about 1. 3 years. (and I workout for 2 years in total) It was push pull legs. Firstly let me just tell you that if you are not too keen to train legs, you will skip tht third day quite often, and that's bad, especially if you are trying to burn calories and lose weight through these training sessions.
Secondly, whatever you do, consume enough protein pls. You can see some results even when you are at 0. 5 grams per kilo of bodyweight, but they are pretty minimal, not optimal at all.
Thridly, hitting a muscle group only once a week, is really not optimal either. Because you tend not to have enough volume in this case but also this muscle group remains untrained for 7 days.
What I ended up doing (and the reasons I'm leaving this comment before even going past min 4: 00):
Realistically I couldn't train for more than twice a week. I didn't have the time to do so. So, there was no leg day there: D (in all fairness, my legs are genetically pretty buffed and strong. hitting 130kg free squat with 1 month of training is proof of that xD. So 2 days.
I decided to try a total body workout. Now now. some considerations. If you want to hit all of your body in 1 workout and want to do it effectively, you must workout for longer these days. There is not such thing as 45 min total body workout. I decided to have 3-4 exersices for each muscle group with 2 sets for each exersice. Why Because I want to hit every angle. Mow if you add Chest, Triceps, Shoulders, Upper Back, Biceps, Lower Back and Legs (the last two is 1, 5 muscle groups let's say) you get 6, 5 muscle groups multiplied by 3, 5 exersices and then multipled by 2. 45 sets per workout xDDDD
They are too many, so no lies here, I didn't do legs xD About 36 sets per workout. But I want to sart doing legs again. Anyways. The results. At 36 sets per workout, which is quite high if you ask me and with 1. 1 grams fo protein per kg of bodyweight, I steadily gain muscle. Arms are getting bigger, chest is getting bigger, back is getting bigger. It works. I would argue that this is the most effective two day workout for upper body. But there is not enough stamina for lower body: 3 So what am I to do here. Maybe do 1 sets for some secondary exercises Idk: 3
Currently I need at least 2 hours for my workout (typically 3-3. 5 hours when talking with friends in between sets. someone might say that I'm wasting time, but I lack energy and stamina, I need quite long breaks to be able to perform well. So a 2. 5 hours workout session is typical even if I have no one to talk to. If legs are added, I would need at least 25-30 more minutes. What happens if I add abs RIP, 4 hours for every workout session xD
So. Let's land back in reality for a bit. 2 days per week is too little for most people and too much work in general. Ideally you want 3-4. If you are able to do it, even if a bit of a stretch, just do it. Training 2 days a week is very tiring. Way more than 3 or 4.
Unless you absolutely can't traing more than 2 days per week, don't try what I do. If you however are only able to train for 2 days, prepare for exhaustion after each workout.

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I just hit 53yo and in the last 2 years I had heart ablation surgery and 2 inguinal hernia surgeries. When I had my 2nd hernia surgery around April of this year I had hit 294'bs; 5'11. I am now able to move without pain and have the endurance to push and maintain activity without other discomfort. I got back into the gym July of this year and after 3 months I've dropped 30lbs and continue to make progress. (I have made changes to how I eat and not so much as what I eat)
After three months of focusing on cardio I am now shifting into weight training. My current cardio routine is 30m rowing targeting 210 split as a baseline for my pacing. If I blow it out and fail to hit 20m I come back at the end of the day and target that missing 10-15 with a different play list. Music is a beast when working out and it makes all the difference for me when doing any kind of cardio routine.
Thank you AthleanX, you've helped reinforce my good practices while curbing some misconceptions. I workout with a fluid type of routine where sets are not static in weight nor reps and always work to muscle failure. I target about 75% for a strenuous success with 25% being a push to fatigue. I approach this organically where my routine is altered by the needs of that day. The rowing machine helps make this process fun.
Fun, something we kind of forget why we do things. The more fun something can be the more we get invested in that activity. Music had made a massive difference for me to really get energized during the work out and wearing headphones with music blaring I take notice of the occasional looks I get when I'm in the middle of an intense workout; assume most of that is due to the huffinf and puffing, groaning and grunting, and other random noises.
Being spent on the row and winding down, Immigrant Song comes on my playlist. and I'm right back at it!

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00: 03 The smartest way to build muscle naturally
01: 54 Importance of willingness to train and consistency
05: 30 The best split is the one you can stick with.
07: 22 Utilize variations for more comfortable and effective squats
11: 06 Gradually increase weight and manipulate sets and reps for strength gain
12: 59 Importance of corrective exercises for preventing injuries and maintaining strength
16: 23 Importance of corrective exercises for preventing injuries and improving strength
18: 02 Emphasize longevity and unassisted muscle growth
21: 19 Vary exercise planes for muscle development
23: 04 Target weak points with extra attention and volume for muscle growth.
26: 27 Master the exercise before moving on to another one.
28: 11 Vary your repetition ranges for hypertrophy
31: 46 Realizing your true muscle-building potential
33: 25 Importance of quantifying gains in muscle building
36: 48 Focus on achieving failure with minimal sets
38: 27 Utilize effective reps for hypertrophy gains
41: 41 Importance of hydration, sleep, and managing stress for muscle building
43: 16 Importance of nutrition for muscle building
46: 28 Protein powder and omega-3 fish oils are crucial for muscle gains and overall health.

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when i started training at 22 yo. i did the Bro Split, 5 workouts a week (Sat, Sun rest. every 6 months i changed the exercises to avoid the plateau. as i got older, the change-up period became every 4 months, then 3 months. and then after 40 yo. i felt my body wasn't really responding to the Bro Split, 5x a week. my body would severely fatigued after 2-3 months of training that it manifested into a depression where i just wouldn't get out of bed all day (got up only to go to bathroom or eat. i needed a few days off to reset. so, i changed the training regiment to full-body workout and PPL to this day (i'm now 48. i started with 1: 1 training frequency (1 day working out, 1 day rest, repeat. my body responded well to that, but it makes the scheduling complex with other things in my life. i also felt 3x a week frequency is too low, so i do 4x a week (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri working out; Wed, Sat, Sun rest.
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Thank you for the in-depth discussion; it was stimulating for me to think about ways to make my routine (currently focused on calisthenics) more diversified and effective. I have two ideas for the future videos. First, I would love to hear science-founded opinions on the use of microbiota complexes as a supplement. Second, I would like to learn here if the diet with the split protein/carb/fat 40-40-20 is something sustainable over the years for a regular guy going to a gym/sport 3-5 days/week just to be in shape and for a boost. I am trying to implement the 40-40-20 split in my diet but find it difficult - I cannot eat so much protein daily. I feel comfortable with the protein/carb/fat ratio at 30-40-30, but I am not sure if such a split has adverse effects in the long run. I would appreciate your thoughts on splits in the diet.
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Help needed-
What does it mean to train 3sets of 5reps (or 4-6) to muscle failure
Should the weight be adjusted accordingly, if I successful get those 6 reps (or even more, on the next set already - or on the next workout day.
What happens if I don't get to 4 reps. Should I decrease the weight already on the next set.
I find it very diffucult to use follow the plan with given weights, sets&reps, given breaks between set.
For example: With a given weight 3 sets of 5.
On set 1 I barely make 5 reps ( to muscle failure - so propably good weight)
Set 2 was just 3 reps to muscle failure. (should I have taken a longer break between set 1 and 2)
Whats next Decrease Weight Longer break Just keep going and maybe make 1 or 2 reps. (and decrease weight in next workout)
Thank you very much

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For me I’m not to excited to work out anymore and I have seen results when I used to work out 5 -6 days a week. No longer what to do that I want to live life. But what works for me and I think a lot of people is frequency. Hitting each muscle 3 times a week. Man that’s when I saw bug results. Twice a week with a lot of volume not as good as too many days of between work outs. Keep in mind everyone health is the key. Blood work numbers need to be normal you can bug shredded or big and still have a heart attack. I’ve seen it many, many times. People take a million supplements which is not good. Don’t try to look like someone else. It will not happened. My Two cents peace out
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Love this video! The part about training to failure really resonates with me. When I’m on rep 9, I feel like I can push past 12, but as soon as I hit 10, the weight suddenly feels heavier, and I barely make it to 12. Realizing this, I started adding more plates or heavier dumbbells and can still do 12 repsit amazes me how much the mind affects the body.
Also, I love training, but I’m focused on my entrepreneurial ventures and don’t have as much time during the week. Do you have a program designed for people who can only train a few times per week
I have been training with your programs for the past few years and I love them all.
Thank you for everything you do.

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1: 10 Training Frequency.
5: 45 Exercise selection.
10: 25 Structure for exercises
10: 50 Overcoming strength plateaus
12: 20 Fortifying the foundations
13: 40 avoiding exercises
14: 40 corrective exercises
19: 30 Complimentary exercises
23: 00 Weak points
23: 30 Variety
24: 40 Sets
27: 15 Load and Intensity
30: 30 Training to failure
33: 45 Thoughts on lengthened training
36: 30 Different techniques/ Mike Mentzer approach
37: 45 effective reps
38: 40 How often to train to failure
39: 39 Cardio and conditioning
41: 10 Sleep, hydration and stress
42: 40 Motivation
43: 50 Nutrition

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Okay I'm posting this before I even watch your video. I've struggled with obesity and weight all my life at 5'8 272 lbs I would fight hung at the gym and cycled just to control my weight but my health what's declining so quickly I even had a knee replacement. Then I went ketovore then carnivore in one year I lost 130 lb but I had a lot of loose skin made me want to give up but I kept it up moving to 100% carnivore most of my loose skin is gone and I've never gain muscle so quickly. By the way I'm 64 so much for you can't gain muscle after 50 now I'm going to watch the rest of your video but I don't want to hear any diet advice from you.
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hey Jeff awesome video as always, would love to hear / see a video about correctives / supplement exercises to help with compound lifts, I have been following your full body workout for about a month and a half now but am finding that I cant complete some of the exercises during the later workouts in the week because I have pushed my forearms too hard and get a sharp pain and a throbbing ache that persists after the workout and was wondering if their are supplement exercises or something else I should be doing to prevent this from happening
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This video was perfectly timed for me. I've been training with your programs for years and have gotten excellent results and am largely injury free. I recently decided to retire from the career that was killing my soul and do personal training full time. I've gotten my CPT cert and have taken on a few beginners for free. This video gives a comprehensive take on how to program inspired by the same AX principles that have gotten me such amazing results. I 100% want you to make that long nutrition video. Thanks Jeff for all you do.
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The fact that he has biceps in his 'Big 6' is a red flag to me.
The REAL 'Big 6' are based off of biomechanics: A squat variation (Ex. : Barbell Squat, a hip hinge variation( Ex. : Barbell Deadlift, a horizonal press (Ex. : Barbell Bench Press, a horizonal pull (Ex. : Barbell Row, a vertical press (Ex. : Barbell Shoulder Press, and a vertical pull (Ex. : Pullups.
Major fail IMO, especially coming from someone who understand biomechanics.

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Something I struggle with (and I think a lot of other people do as well) is nutrition and how to constantly have a readily available source of food in the house or fridge at all times. For me, meal prepping is a pain and I like variety. However, constantly cooking food when I need it costs a lot of time and effort (especially with dishes. I could really use a video to go back to help overcome this obstacle. Appreciate ya
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Hey Jeff, I hope you read my comment and answer in your next QnA. My legs just don't grow. My upper body is growing gradually however its the legs that dont budge. I do leg work out twice in a week with squats, extentions, lunges, bulgarian splits but it simply does not grow. i got cuts thogh but how to make it grow I eat chicken, read meat no junks but really it would be helpful for any tip that you can share.
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I have been using your methods and advice for three years now, I went from skinny fat to totally ripped. I'm totally natural, 50 years old and lifting right along with the heavy lifters. My friend was saying 'damn, Sean you got some Jeff Cavalier biceps' and it made me think to thank you. Thanks, you and Jesse have inspired me on so many levels. I found myself at the gym and have never felt more alive.
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You can get results training a muscle once a week dude you don't have to do them twice a week unless you're counting compound movements as working that muscle. And I typically don't they typically consider compound movements like the bench press as a chest workout and I don't even think about my triceps and squats as a glute workout and I don't even think about my legs
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NOBODY needs to train more than 3 days a week, preferably 2 days a week as strength increases. Below is the workout split that took me to a national championship, that I still use today.
1) Chest/triceps/side delts 2( Back/biceps/rear delts 3) Legs/calves/abs
WIth this frequency of training, one must train HARD. Heavy Duty style, with ONE set to failure.

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Any tips for a 52 year old Is there anything specific nutritionally I should consider to gain muscle I've just lost 20kg and am back to a trimmish 190lb (6'3) but some of my weight loss obviously has been muscle. I'm back in the gym couple times a week and want a little of my muscle back. I don't want to get big! Should I consider creotine as well as protein whey
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For me I’m still strong. What I found out about injury is it’s more likely with a touch and go approach. As soon as I included double pauses and holds at the hardest parts of a motion and when I added a lengthened hypertrophy phase on my periodization was when the game changed. Strength became more easily attainable but longer repair times.
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