If you are reading this, then you and I may be from the same tribe of Hard Core Strength Warriors!

We are men who are in a constant, desperate search for new training challenges that push the limits of our physical, mental and emotional potential.

We are obsessed with getting stronger, becoming more athletic and dominating every challenge we’re offered.
“Getting fit” is not good enough for us.

You and I NEED to test our will, throw caution to the wind and hold achievement, not safety as our ultimate goal in fitness and in life!

WE ARE HARDCORE WARRIORS.

In this report let us explore how some of this planet’s all-time greatest elite warriors of the past developed some physiques that have become legendary! If you feel like you’re close to becoming a desk jockey or you want to feel like you did in college, revive your energy, build lean muscle mass while burning fat as fast as possible all while making yourself as uncomfortable as possible than download this free PDF right now.

Hey guys I have to share a really cool email I received recently from some US Marines in Afghanistan. For security reasons I was asked not to use names but posted the email and pictures below for you!

Today is Memorial Day and we would like to honor and remember the brave men and women who have died in our nation’s service. Freedom isn’t free, and we want to thank the US Military for all that they do to protect and serve us. While you’re grilling today or hanging out with your friends at a pool party take a moment to say a prayer for our troops. God Bless the USA!

Now check out this bad-ass Hybrid Gym the Marines have built! I’m impressed. This gym is off the hook! We do have a few suggestions though for the Marines and for all you other guys out there that think it’s really cool to create your own home gym or warehouse gym for pennies on the dollar. Stay tuned for that info coming tomorrow. Leave a comment at the bottom of the post and let them know what you think of the gym!

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Mike,

Name Omitted
US MARINES

In my experience, the absolute best way to build physical and mental toughness… WHILE getting stronger, more conditioned and much, much leaner at the same time is with STRONGMAN DENSITY TRAINING.

I was first introduced to the idea of “escalating density” while training with my friend and former strongman coach Tom M.

When I would show up at Tom’s house on Saturday mornings to execute some strongman training I’d ask him, “so, what are going to train today?”

Being an ex college football player with a strength, conditioning, power lifting, bodybuilding background I expected him to say something like, “We’re gonna do legs today.” or “Let’s hit the chest and triceps”.

But the answer was NEVER that simple.

Tom would say, “How bout’ some STONES?”

When Tom said “How bout’ some ______ ?”– it basically meant that we’d spend the next 60-120 minutes training with THAT SINGLE IMPLEMENT ALONE!

My strongman coach was of the mindset that if you wanted to get stronger in a particular “event” or exercise… then just do THAT exercise.

To the exclusion of everything else!

(Taken From My Old Training Journal)

Now that may lead you to ask,  wouldn’t this philosophy lead to training plateaus, burnout or boredom?

NO.

Not with the WAY he would make us train, for 2 hours, on that single implement.

If we were gonna train “Stones” for the day, that meant that Tom was going to choose a particular number of reps that we would have to execute in the time that he allowed it.

Basically, he would point to one of the HUGE concrete stones sitting on his front lawn and say… “load that stone for 50 reps, and get it done before two o’clock.”

The he would walk away and do something else.

There I would stand, alone, staring at a 252 pound atlas stone that was so beaten up there were jagged edges and pits covering its surface.

With the scabs on my forearms still healing from the SAME workout performed last week, I would take a deep breath and begin the journey towards 50 reps.

THIS is what made this particular workout far more challenging than the one performed last week, and thus making me stronger and tougher…

THIS week Tom asked me to complete the 50 reps, with the 252 pound stone (same as last week) but instead of demanding I complete all 50 reps by 2:15, he told me to git er done by 2:00!!

He ROBBED me of 15 minutes!

What Tom expected, was that I had improved my “conditioning” since the prior week, so I shouldn’t need as much time to get the same amount of reps.

What I discovered later was that this was called “Escalating Density Training” or EDT.

If you’ve ever followed CrossFit workouts, you have experienced a similar type of training… basically “get X done in Y time, NOW go do it again… but faster!”

Without going into all of the boring science and jargon to describe how incredibly powerful this method of training is… I simply invite you to try it out.

First, if you have any “odd objects” or strongman equipment use it for this experiment. (I find that odd object training and strongman implements work really well here since you don’t want to be thinking about “form” and just want to attack the exercise)

Then, give yourself 20 minutes to complete as many reps of the movement as you can with a weight that you can easily perform about 10 reps with.

Finally, after about 5 – 7 days.. go back and repeat the exercise in the allotted time, but get MORE REPS.

OR get the same amount of reps that you did the week before… just cut about 5 minutes off of your allotted time.

Here’s a program that utilizes strongman density training!

GOOD LUCK and share your experience with us below

One of the most helpful analogies that I’ve EVER been taught about personalized program design was that some of your clients will be CATS and others, CHAMELEONS.

My teacher was using these animals to describe the neurological efficiency and kinesthetic awareness that either type of clients may exhibit.

You’ll have some clients or athletes who, like Chameleons, are very limited in their kinesthetic awareness, but tend to grow very efficient in a handful of particular movements.

These are the folks who take three weeks to learn to do “walking lunges”, then once mastered they never want to do anything else.  They’re very content with what they have learned and would be perfectly fine if they never did anything else… they like their exercise programs to “blend in” with their lifestyle and comfort levels.

Chameleons are very good at finding a program and sticking with it.  They may follow the same program, with positive progressive results, for several years!

They tend to gravitate towards consistent repetitive types of training that require little “thinking”, just shutting off the brain and DOING.  Sports and activities such as machine based bodybuilding routines, long distance running, and watching grass grow are best suited for your chameleon types.

Chameleons gravitate towards careers such as librarian or mail carrier.

They are more competent in the completion of activities, than the initiation of action.

Rapid change and anything overly dynamic or explosive makes them uncomfortable.

Then you’ll have other, Cat-Like people, who learn how to execute very complex exercises movements that require tremendous focus and concentration during their initial phase… SUPER FAST!

These clients or athletes can be taught how to perform Olympic lifts in less than 20 minutes, then they’re ready to do something else.  They want to be challenged EVERY single workout and like their exercise programs to make them uncomfortable.

Cats get bored with their training program if it doesn’t offer a challenge and actually benefit by changing exercises and programs every one to four weeks.  It’s not that these guys have “training ADD”, its that their highly adaptive nervous system needs a constant stream of challenges to foster growth… their strength, performance and muscle gaining results come to a grinding halt and they become stale very quickly.

They tend to gravitate towards training and sports that require a high level of awareness and focus, many of which tend to be fast moving or with high intensity.  Sports such as wrestling, sprinting, Olympic lifting and strongman are best suited for cat types.

Cats gravitate towards careers such as firemen, salesmen or Wall Street stockbroker.

They are more interested in achievement as opposed to safety.

Rapid change, danger and explosiveness gets them excited and fired up.

When designing training programs for yourself or your athletes you’ve got to consider what type of person you are dealing with, otherwise you’re going to end up very frustrated with your lack of results.

WHICH TYPE ARE YOU? 

 

Chameleons don’t want to flip tires, do “battling ropes” or box jumps.

They want to do leg presses, “Hammer” machines and jog for long distances… and they get their BEST results by following a program for very extended periods of time.

Cats don’t want to sit down… EVER, they hate machines and jogging.

They want to load Atlas Stones, press odd objects and throw things around the gym… and they get their BEST results by following a program for a few short weeks and then either change the exercises done, or parameters followed.

Here’s a program that utilizes strongman density training!

Words can’t describe how awesome I feel when I get totally unsolicited comments on my Youtube Channel or Facebook wall from dudes who have used Lean Hybrid Muscle Reloaded AND have gotten kick-ass results.

Check out this one that one of your fellow “Hybrid Musclemen” left over on my YouTube Channel last week.

Our good friend, who lost almost 30 pounds of fat, comment got me thinking about how many dedicated men over 40 are using our system and getting extraordinary results too!

Hey, did you know that about 50% of LHM users are between the ages of 40-55? (based on a survey we did back in February)

Now, I can’t vouch for every man over 40 and claim that they are ALL getting results like this… in fact I would bet that less than 20% are actually even following the system as it was designed.

That’s not to say that guys over 40 can’t do it… It’s just that the cross section of EVERY population tends to evolve to support the age-old 80/20 Rule.  (Only 20% of the people who commit to anything actually see it through… and I would bet that the percentage is even close to 10%)

Well, if you ARE a 40+ dude and you haven’t begun implementing the Lean Hybrid Muscle Reloaded system and need a little motivation…. I’ve decided to post a few pictures a guy over 40 that inspires me and may perhaps give you the kick-in-the-ass to get going with your personal evolution as well.

Neil Orkin, 43 (Strength Camp member, has been training “hybrid” with me for about 4 years):

When Neil first walked into my gym… I was WAY prejudiced of him.

I though to myself, “this fat bastard won’t last a week!”

Boy, did he prove me wrong!

Not only did Neil last more than a week (going on 4 years now), but he has had the most impressive physical transformation of anyone that busts their ass at my gym.  I gotta tell you the truth though… Neil didn’t make this transformation happen by simply following a 90 day workout plan.

Neil had become OBSESSED with training!

And in my opinion, nothing significant EVER happens unless you become somewhat obsessed with MAKING it happen.

Neil was not happy with the way he looked, he joined my gym (where we follow Hybrid Muscle Training in its many forms, right now we’re focused on relative body weight strength and conditioning) and then held onto his committement like a mad man until he got what he wanted.

Neil experienced several ups-and-downs along the way, but he kept his eyes on the prize!

So, what do ya think?

[+] If you made the type of die hard commitment to your strength and fitness goals could you get even 1/2 the results that Neil experienced?

[+] Are you willing to “become obsessed” with becoming The Best Version Of Yourself?

[+] What excuses / rationalizations are you telling yourself that is holding you back from becoming leaner, healthier and more vital?

Not enough time? – BULLSHIT, Neil runs several business and has three children under the age of 10!

Not sure where to start? – BULLSHIT, Neil follows the exact types of workouts I share with you in LHM Reloaded

Too Old? — Well, I bet you know what my answer to that would be!

If you are over 40… then I am talking to you!

I want to hear about your successes, challenges and what your most important fitness goals are.

Post your comments below… I’m looking forward to supporting you to become the best and strongest YOU that you have ever been… no matter what age you are.

Here is a quick video that shares some more info and answers many questions about our new Hybrid Muscle Publishing book 14-Day Hybrid Mass Building.

The picture below is taken directly from our 14-Day Hybrid Mass manual.  On this page Dennis Weis (the author) describes the methodology of Anabolic Burst Cycling used in the program.

In this image you’ll notice the type of training associated with the “over feeding” portion of the anabolic cycle.

Hey, if you have any further questions about gaining mass or The 14-Day Hybrid Mass system just post below!

Who loves ya?

While we’ve been on the topic of crazy mass building methods… one of my good buddies sent me this video of a Japanese bodybuilder by the name of Katsumi Kitamura a few years ago. (by the way, this dude is dead now… seems he died of heart failure due to severe dehydration and mineral imbalances, go figure.)

While you might think this video is crazy, I bet its only the tip of the iceberg for what some guys are willing to do to gain mass.  (and after reading some of YOUR stories… I know you’ve seen some weird stuff too!)

Today I just wanted to share an update on a project that Mike and I are working on.

In the spirit of the true Hybrid Muscle Building tradition we’re committed to ONLY bringing you information that “makes sense”.

Hard science backed by credible references.

When Lean Hybrid Reloaded (for getting leaner) launched in February 2011 we introduced you to the concept of “macro nutrient cycling” brought to our attention by Ori Hoffmeckler.  We also shared our experiences with Intermittent Fasting that we discovered by studying the work of Brad Pilon.

Next week we are going to introduce you to two very important, but “unsung” heroes in the world of MASS GAINING.  These guys have been working behind the scenes for decades and have brought insight and inspiration to some of the most world renowned fitness experts, like Bill Phillips, and bodybuilders.

The first gentleman is Dr. Torbjorn (pronounced Tor-b-yorn) Akerfeldt who was a scientist (in endocrinology, physiology, pharmacology and nutrition) and real-world bodybuilder, (6’ 1”, 225 lbs., with 8% body fat).  Dr. Torbjorn’s method for building EXTREME amounts of muscle mass in minimal time.

What we like most about Dr. Torbjorn’s mass building method is that it is perfectly aligned with several of our Hybrid Philosophies including “cyclical” nutrition / training, as well as in regards to the folly of  “bulking and cutting”

Next, you can look forward to learning EVERYTHING you need to know about this “Hybrid Mass Building” method from one our good friends and most trusted resources Dennis Weis.

Dennis was a  top level titled Power-Bodybuilding champion. He is also a hard-hitting, uncompromising freelance professional writer and investigative research consultant in the fields of bodybuilding, nutrition, physiology, and powerlifting.  You may be familiar with some of his work published in Bodybuilding Monthly (U.K. publication), Exercise For Men Only, Hardgainer (Nicosia, Cyprus, publication), Iron Man, Muscle & Fitness, MuscleMag Int’l, Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness and Reps!

If you are as sick of all of the Mass Building Mayhem as we are and would rather learn a HYBRID method for building mass than drinking the “muscle sludge shake” in that video above then I think you are really going to like what Mike and I are going to share with you next week.

Have an awesome weekend fellas

One of the most common quotes often recited by people who have used our Lean Hybrid Muscle Reloaded program is “your system just makes perfect sense!”

I gotta admit that we DID put a ton of time into creating the system as well as into testing it out at my gym for over a year.  So, if everything in the program seems well thought out and calculated, thats because it is!

Something else that I’ve got to admit to is devising and trying out some really weird and wacky means for gaining weight and building muscle mass.  Some of these goofy mass gaining tactics were shared with me by friends, and a few others I had just plain “pulled out of my ass”.

I began weight training using a power rack, barbell and about 300 pounds of Olympic plates in my parents basement when I was 14 years old.

At that time my uncle had just gotten his personal trainer’s license and committed to teaching me and my younger brothers how to train properly with the weights in our basement.

After a few months of learning the barbell basics my uncle decided that it was time to “step it up” and add some mass gaining nutrition strategies to our program since we needed to get bigger and heavier to play football.

As a great coach and trainer my uncle devised an incredible meal plan for me to follow that included three whole foods meals and three “weight gainer” shakes per day.

Now, if you are not familiar with what your typical weight gainer’s shake was like back in 1995… just imagine mixing 12 tablespoons of chocolate Quick, 10 tablespoons of sugar, maple syrup, flour and whole milk into one of those red and white Big Gulp cups you see fat kids walking out of 7 Eleven and sipping Slurpies from on hot summer evenings.

Well, as a high school kid eager to gain mass I decided that if I were to gain as much mass as possible in the minimum amount of time, that perhaps I should suck down one of these big, nasty insulin spikers WITH each one of my regular meals.

Imagine drinking a shake that had over 3,500 calories and 112 grams of sugar along with your meal of chicken wings and white rice!

Forget about gaining “puffy muscle”, I just got FAT!

In 9th grade I was 160 pounds with six pack abs, by the time I was graduating 10th grade I was 210 pounds with a double chin.

Did I gain mass?
Yes.

Was I stronger?
Yes.

Then was this really a “muscle building blunder”?
I don’t know… you tell me!

There are just some things that we do, to get what we want, that ends up costing us more than we get from it.

For instance, Mike told me yesterday that his college football coach had him eating raw potatoes, like they were apples, several times per day!

I don’t know about you, but I’d say that the indigestion and colon blowing that may be associated with eating raw tubers may not be worth gaining a few extra pounds.

And how about this GOMAD diet?

Before the age of pasteurization for so-called “public safety” (ie. shelf life), milk was actually an incredible super food loaded with live enzymes and beneficial bacteria.

But now, with all I know about the disgusting and dangerous side effects of drinking processed milk I might as well just invest in some injectable testosterone and deal with the shrinking testicles over chronic persistent farting… at least my tiny testes wouldn’t send my four young children running away from me like the Japanese from Godzilla.

Now, if you are desperate to gain mass I can totally see why you’d go about trying almost ANYTHING to watch the scale dial move forward an inch or two…. and if you’re anything like me you’re not scared to get a little wacky or weird about it.

I enjoyed a real hearty, tear jerking, belly laugh out loud when recounting some of the crazy things I have personally done and hearing stories from what others on the “path to mass” have experimented with.

So, I’d like to keep the smiles bright just a little bit longer and learn about some of the wackiest muscle building blunders YOU have made.

It can be anything from a psychotic diet to some magical workout or even a strange superstition about smearing bull’s semen on your forehead at night before sleep… whatever!

Just post your story below!

As you think about your story keep in mind that Mike and I are pulling the strings to license an amazing “anabolic cycling” mass building system devised by a doctor of physiology that Mike learned about while playing football in Sweden.

And just like Lean Hybrid Muscle, this guy’s mass building stuff “just makes perfect sense”!

Looking forward to your stories!

I often talk about building Relative Body Strength when answering questions related to increasing performance over on my Yo! Elliott Youtube Channel.

This idea of building superior strength in relation to your body weight will improve sprinting times, vertical jump height, chin up strength as well as giving you incredible “gymnastic strength” (like I was working on last week with my muscle up attempts)…

But keeping a low body weight WHILE increasing strength and power output is SUPER important for athletes who need to “make weight”… basically maintain their weight to meet the requirements for a weight class, like in boxing, MMA or wrestling.

This requires a system that build POWER but by passes the HYPERTROPHY response that is typical with most weight training programs.

Anyway, I thought that since we’re always talking about getting LEANER and STRONGER at the same time that the following Yo! Elliott Q and A would be interesting to you.
.

–> HERE IS THE LINK I MENTION IN THE VIDEO, CLICK HERE <—
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I personally am very intrigued with these “little firecrackers” who are smaller (read: leaner) but are still as strong or stronger than some of their massive counterparts.  This is a goal that I am currently working on.

If I can be as strong as I was at 235 lbs at a weight of only 200 lbs, this would prove to be a worthy experiment.

What are you thoughts on being LIGHT but STRONG?

(also, we’ve got something cool coming for you “hard gainers” next week… so we haven’t left you out)

by Mike Westerdal

Competitive bodybuilder, fitness coach and nutritionist Dave Ruel—aka the ‘Muscle Cook’—says that he has three passions in life:

1) bodybuilding
2) nutrition
3) cooking

Dave’s particular passions for nutrition and cooking have led him to begin authoring strength training-focused cookbooks/guides. His latest work is entitled Metabolic Cooking. Countless different bodybuilding cookbooks are published each year, but what’s exciting and different about Dave is that unlike most others, his approach to bodybuilding and fitness nutrition isn’t boring.

In fact, Dave promises that not only are his recipes remarkably healthy, but they’re extremely tasty too. Now that sounds like something I can sink my teeth into, so let’s take a look.

Dave says that Metabolic Cooking is geared towards persons who are trying to shed excess body fat. The program is actually comprised of several volumes.

First, there is a 50-page Fat Loss Optimizer cooking and nutrition guide. Here, Dave lays out the foundation of his approach to cooking for fat loss. The Metabolic Profile is one of the key concepts that you need to understand before diving into the program. As you review the cookbooks, you’ll find the recipes based on the particular nutrients included, referred to as proteins (P), carbohydrates (C), fats (F), and vegetables (V).

Dave has created each of his recipes so that you eat various combinations of these with each recipe. This helps promote the overall metabolic boosting benefits of the program, helping you to shed unwanted body fat.

Each recipe in the book has its own metabolic profile. The guidelines for this metabolic profiling approach are not difficult to follow: the Ps contain 15 grams of protein per serving; the Cs contain 10 grams of carbs per serving; the Fs contain 5 grams of fat per serving; and the Vs contain enough vegetables to be equivalent to one serving size. He recommends that you eat four to six servings of vegetables each day and says that you can add veggies to as many meals as possible throughout the day.

The program is based on a six-meal-a-day strategy, with three main meals (break, lunch and dinner) and three snacks (mid-morning, mid-afternoon and before bedtime). Carbs are eaten early in the day at breakfast, with the mid-morning snack and at lunch time. Other than vegetables, carbs are not part of the three later meals or snacks. Proteins and fats are a part of all meals and snacks, however.

Mike Westerdal with Metabolic Cooks Karine Losier and Dave Ruel

Each cookbook comes with a nice assortment of anywhere from 14 to 30 recipes to choose from, with the majority of them being pretty simple to prepare. Like any sound fat-loss nutrition plan, Metabolic Cooking places a strong emphasis on breakfast. According to Dave, “Having a well balanced breakfast that includes all three nutrients including proteins (P), carbohydrates (C), and healthy fats (F) is the best way to get your metabolism jump-started for the day and ensure that you have energy to spare as you go about your morning.” A healthy well-balanced breakfast is essential to setting your body’s ‘metabolic pace’ in fat-burning mode throughout the day. Numerous studies have found that people who eat a healthy breakfast burn more calories and fat throughout the day than non-breakfast eaters.

Complex recipes with lots of uncommon ingredients and complicated preparation instructions are what turn me away from a lot of ‘healthy’ cookbooks I’ve seen over the years. It’s a shame but I’ve tossed plenty of otherwise great bodybuilding/fitness cookbooks into the recycling bin because the recipes were just so flipping complicated to prepare. I’m happy to report though, that Dave Ruel apparently feels the same way.

Going through the ingredient lists in the various cookbooks I hardly ran into anything at all that might be difficult to find and even nearly all of the recipes only involve 3 to 6 steps to prepare. Even for someone who is ‘challenged’ in terms of cooking skills, Dave’s Metabolic Cooking recipes are manageable.

But, I’ve saved the best part for last—not only are Dave’s recipes healthy and simple to prepare, but they’re downright tasty too! His dishes really run the gamut of cuisines, so whether you’ve got a taste for Mexican, Asian, Italian, vegetarian or down-home American fare, you’ll find something for you.

You also get a broad variety of choices in terms of poultry, pork, seafood, fish, red meats and vegetarian choices so you’ll be able to mix things up as much as you like. You also get a fantastic selection of snacks and smoothies too so you won’t have to deal with any of those nasty hunger pangs between meals.

Now let’s get to the bottom line—can following Dave’s Metabolic Cooking plan help you to shed unwanted body fat? The answer to that question is a resounding yes—with the caveat that nutrition isn’t the only component of a realistic fat-loss strategy. Other things such as regularly exercising, getting plenty of sleep, not smoking and not drinking excessively are important too. I’ve looked through the recipes and can say that Dave has indeed done his homework.

But in terms of establishing a sound nutritional foundation for fat loss, you can’t go wrong with Dave Ruel’s Metabolic Cooking plan.

http://leanhybridmuscle.com/goto/MetabolicCooking