Da Bullpen
By George “Da Bull” Peterson III
Build a Bigger Back Without Deadlifts
Q: I was listening to Hunter Labrada talk about how he has trained his back to make the needed improvements, and he mentioned that you don’t “have to” do certain exercises like deadlifts or T-bar rows to build a great back. As the man with possibly the best back on earth right now, do you agree or disagree?
A: I definitely agree that deadlifts aren’t absolutely necessary. I do recommend T-bar rows to build back thickness. But even if you don’t want to do those for whatever reason, other exercises can substitute. I like to do a variation of close-grip lat pulldowns that’s more like a row. I face away from the weight stack and lean back over the support pad, pulling to my chest. I find that one is also great for back thickness. You can’t go as heavy on that as you can with T-bar rows. Hunter is right. You don’t need any specific exercise to have a great back as long as you have a great mind-muscle connection and work hard and heavy. People will tell you that deadlifts are a must. I haven’t done a set of deadlifts in over four years now, but oddly enough I am good at them. I turned pro in 2016, and in 2017 I was the “Pro” in a “Bros versus Pros” deadlift challenge for a cash prize. At that point I hadn’t done deadlifts for three years, and this was with 315 for as many reps as possible. The “Bro” did 33 reps, and I thought for sure he would beat me. But I picked up the bar, closed my eyes, and told myself, “no pain,” and then proceeded to do 35 reps. True story!
Consistent, Higher Rep Ranges
Q: Do you use the same rep range for all muscle groups, or do you go lower or higher for certain ones? Even then, do you do various rep ranges for a given body part in each workout, or do you mix it up? I hear so many different opinions on this.
A: I pretty much do the same rep range for all my body parts and I’m a strong believer in keeping the reps higher even on heavy sets. I always do at least 10 reps, and I usually shoot for 15. Most of my sets overall are for 12 to 15 reps. Even if I am going very heavy and I start to seriously fatigue around rep eight or nine, I make sure to hit 10. On the leg press I like to do 15 to 20 rep sets. Most of my sets of squats are for 10 to 12 reps, but I will also do drop sets at times where I end up doing closer to 20 reps total.
Height Is an Advantage in Classic
Q: Now that you are in the 212 division, which has traditionally been dominated by guys who are 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-5, with you being 5-foot-8, do you ever wish you were shorter?
A: No, I don’t. Unless a man is freakishly tall, as in 7 foot, I very much doubt any man ever wishes he was shorter! I actually think my height sets me apart and makes me stand out in the 212 division because almost everyone else is a few inches shorter. Even though I’m tall, I’m still fairly wide; so I don’t look thin as you might expect. I still have round muscle bellies and good muscle density to carry me, plus my joints and waist are very small. I think my height helps me present the aesthetic, “classic” look that I want to bring to the 212 division. I do have a unique look that brings variety to the division. I think it’s cool that we have so many different looks among the top guys: Shaun, Kamal, Derek, and Keone all have distinct looks. Myself and the new guy who won the New York Pro, Nathan Epler, are taller than the rest. I’m glad we don’t all look the same. How boring would that be?
Adjusting Late-Night Carbs
Q: I heard you talking about your daily schedule, and I know you stay up very late. How does that work with your carbohydrate intake? Do you keep having carb meals into the late evening? And does this vary depending on if it’s off-season or pre-contest?
A: I have my last meal at 2:00 a.m. before I go to bed. In the off-season even that meal has carbs in it. For contest prep, my 10:00 p.m. meal would be the last carb meal. In the final few weeks, it’s all irrelevant because I’m down to little or no carbs at that point.
Don’t Ever Give Up!
Q: How long does it take to know if you have good genetics for bodybuilding? I’ve been training for a little over a year now and no one has told me I have any potential. What should I be looking for?
A: I’d say the number one indication of gifted genetics would be a faster response to training than pretty much everyone else around you. If you just started lifting and you’re gaining muscle quickly, as evidenced by the mirror and the scale, that’s a reliable indication that you were blessed. But putting muscles aside, you should also look at your bone structure. The ideal structure for bodybuilding is wide clavicles and a narrow waist. If you have narrow clavicles, a wide waist, or worse, both, that does not bode well for your future as a competitor. For me, I started seeing noticeable results in less than a month after I first joined a gym. People I knew were commenting on how different I looked already and asked what I was doing. It was harder for me to notice because I saw myself every day. But don’t get discouraged just because no one is encouraging you or remarking on how fast you’re growing. We all have different genetic makeups. Only a small percentage of people have great genetics for bodybuilding. For everyone else, you just need to work longer and harder to see gains. The good news is that if you are patient and dedicated, you are guaranteed to look much bigger and better as time goes by. You might never look like a pro, and that’s OK. Eventually you will still be much closer to that look than the average gym rat. Most people will be very impressed. So don’t ever give up!
Instagram @georgep_dabull
Online coaching info at http://www.dabullcoaching.com
YouTube: George Peterson
Redcon1 Stack
Upon Waking
Double Tap powder, 1 scoop
With Breakfast
GI Juice, 1 scoop
Pre-Workout
Total War, Big Noise and MOAB all together, 1 scoop each
Before Cardio
L-Carnitine
Post-Workout
Breach
2 scoops
Middle of the Day
Double Tap caps, 3 capsules
Evening
Silencer, 3 capsules
Before Bed
Fade Out, 1 scoop
For more information, visit redcon1.com
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