Written by Craig Titus
10 October 2006

 

WELCOME TO TITUS UNIVERSITY

Craig, I must say you improved a lot lately. You address everything about your diet and workouts in Titus Talks, but now I'm confused.  I read a scientific study that said a muscle responds best with eight to 10 reps.  Anything more than that and you lose tension. Now, you improve on a higher number of reps, right? I know everyone is different, but at the end of the day, the scientists say it all comes down to the time and tension. How can it be that you are growing on higher reps without maximum weights? Does it have something to do with hormones, amino acids, or other materials going to the muscles along with blood volume training? How does this blood mechanism work? I couldn't find any studies about it in the medical journals.  Please correct me if I'm wrong. Good luck on your Arnold Classic prep!

Okay, wait up. Put all theories aside for a second. Forget about sets, reps and poundages. Let's just talk about going to the gym and training your ass off like an animal with the mindset that you have an important goal you're trying to achieve. If you go to the gym and train really intense, really hard, and keep in mind that you're trying to attain something while you're training, chances are you'll grow no matter how many sets and reps you do. 

It's all about the intensity in the gym that results in how much muscle fiber you tear down, which will then result in how much muscle fiber will heal, and in turn, will result in how much muscle you will put on. So, whether I'm doing six reps or 12 reps, either way, I'm going to train those six or those 12 reps as intensely as hell and I'm making sure I'm going past the previously obtained point. 

I've come to the realization that more reps helps me because it pushes more blood into the muscle and gives me better pumps. I don't have to use the maximum weights and that limits my chance of injury. Like you said, everybody's different. But keep in mind, if I don't train intense, it doesn't matter how many reps or sets I'm doing. I'm not going to grow. 

I also train with the heaviest weight first and then lighten it up for the pump. But remember, if your first set of curls is nine reps with 100 pounds, and you're trying to continue to do nine to 12 reps, you have to come down in weight. So, essentially, it's the same thing: The weight is pyramiding down to keep the rep range the same.

People tend to over-analyze bodybuilding, and no offense, brother, but this is just getting too picky. Over the years, I've come to the conclusion that I like 16 sets per body part. It's a nice, comfortable number for me. I never do less than 12 or more than 16. If I do 12-16 sets with a 12-20 rep range, I know I've worked my ass off. I've done every workout in the book and this is what works best for me. Anybody out there who has not tried blood volume training, I guarantee it will work for you. Now, I'm not saying do blood volume training the rest of your life. No, you're going to have to change your training again, because it'll come to a point where you're stagnating in the gym. Change is required for progress. I change up my workouts all the time. Right now, blood volume training works very well for me, but don't kid yourself; I'm not using light weight.  It's heavy- just not maximum poundages. 

If you'd like some more information on my blood volume training, I have a new video coming out that will be entitled "Craig Titus' Arnold Preparation."  The whole thing is going to be about blood volume training, so people can see exactly what I'm talking about. You're going to see heavy weights moved around for a lot of reps, and that's basically what it's all about: incredible gym intensity and training like a fucking animal!

 

I WANT TO SCREW YOUR WIFE

Hey Craig, a couple of things. I know you're sick of all the King Kamali shit (so am I), but I was sure glad when you beat him at the NOC! Anyway, you said you and Kelly use that Pinnacle Exotica thing sometimes. Are you fuckin' nuts? Why would you ever need any help in the bedroom when you have a little hottie like Kelly? Good luck to both of you!

Well, you gotta understand that little hottie is my wife, and she's been my wife for almost four years. When you look at my wife, Kelly, she's new and fresh to you. But every human being in the entire world knows that when two people are together for long periods of time, they might need a little help now and then.  You know, just to get excited with each other, keep things going, and keep the marriage nice and fresh. I'm not saying that I need help in that area with my wife- we just use it to have a little fun because we need to freshen up our relationship a little bit. That is why our marriage is so strong and ongoing despite everyone saying it wouldn't last. We truly love each other and are honest about all aspects of our relationship. Not that it's any of your business!

 

X-QUAT

I was reading an article in MD about how to achieve that X-frame look of wide shoulders, small waist taper and big sweeping quads. The article said to avoid squats, because it thickens the mid-section. I was wondering if lunges would have the same effect? Could I do lunges instead?

For many years, I didn't do squats in the gym. I always felt it was an injury waiting to happen. I didn't like the way it made my lower back feel and the way the weight felt on my shoulders. The squat just seemed like a very dangerous movement to me. Later on in my career, I've found that I like them now. 

I've had judges tell me I need to bring my glutes up and this is probably the result of not squatting over the years. I'm squatting now, but I don't go over 405 and prefer to do a lot of reps with it. I don't see where squats have made my waist larger, and I doubt this will happen to you unless you're doing extreme weight with low reps. When you start getting up to 500, 600 and 700 pound squats, then something will definitely grow besides your legs.

As far as lunges go, they won't make your waist grow, either. I've been doing lunges for years, and my waist has stayed the same- it is still 30-something inches. When I do lunges, I like walking across the gym and back instead of standing stationary. The walk is about 50 feet each way.

 

FEEL THE PAIN OF CRUSHIN' YOUR BRAIN

I have bad elbow pains when doing skull crushers.  Is there anything to prevent this? What about an alternate triceps exercise that will put on the type of mass I get from skulls?  

Brother, you are not alone. All my friends say the same thing when we do brain crunches. I don't really do those too much for that very reason. I tend to think that if a joint or tendon is hurting, you should simply avoid that exercise until you can do it without pain. If you can't do it without pain, then don't do it.

As an alternative, there are many variations of pushdowns and presses that you don't need to do the French press. Most of the people I know have hurt their elbows doing it. Treating the pain with ointments or liniments might minimize the pain for a while, but I really don't think it's worth it. Just find an exercise that doesn't hurt so you can maximize your potential for continuing to put on more triceps size.

Here's a lost of some brain crunch alternatives: 

Cable pushdowns with V-bar

One-arm rope pulldowns

Dip machine

Close-grip bench press

 

WOW WATER

You are an idiot if you think I'm going to spend two bucks for a bottle of tap water, or whatever is in that Pinnacle WOW Water shit you endorse.  What a scam, and a totally obvious one, too! Go stuff that water bottle up your ass, punk!

Man, I don't know what to tell you. I used to be skeptical of a lot of different things myself. I just hope you haven't tried the WOW, because if you have, you wouldn't be saying that. Instead of getting all defensive and thinking I'm trying to rip you off, why not just go get some and try it? Then send me another e-mail to let me know what you think. You've never even tied WOW, and you're jumping down my throat and saying all this shit? Seriously, go get some, and then write me again. I'm betting you will change your mind.

There are two types of WOW water we're offering. One type oxygenates your blood and it makes you feel very good, I must admit. We've got Rockin' Raspberry and Orange flavor with caffeine in it, which gives you nice little boost.  I like WOW because guys like me who don't drink coffee can still enjoy caffeine in a great-tasting drink. 

 

A SWEET SECRET FOR SIZE

You've really transformed your physique in the most extreme way since a few years back. I'm not saying you didn't have an excellent package to begin with, but I am saying you've taken something good and made it even better! How did you do it and what changes in diet and training did you make? I know the usual fools will say, "Oh well, he's just pumping more ‘roids in him as usual," but these are probably the same guys who sit on the weight bench and talk on their cell phone all day rather than push heavy ass weight! I've been in the game for over 20 years and I've hit a serious plateau.  The way you turned your physique inspired me and gave me hope. I'm just wondering what you did to propel yourself to the next level.  

Quite honestly, what I did is very simple. Many of you may not believe it, but it's God's honest truth. I've never been a big eater and my problem throughout most of my career has been poor food intake. I've never been able to take in enough calories to put on the amount of muscle I've always wanted. So, one day I realized there must be a way to get the calories in and I started incorporating more liquid meals into my diet. I upped my simple sugars dramatically, which transports the carbs into the muscle cells much faster than complex carbohydrates. To raise calories, I drink four half-gallons of Gatorade each day, and I eat applesauce, raisins, bagels and banana baby food. All of these are very high in carbohydrates. The Gatorade alone is 1,600 extra calories.

I didn't really change my diet that much. All I did was add a lot more simple sugars and they gave me the extra calories I needed to grow.  Considering that many of my meals are liquid drinks, I can easily add other nutrients into them, including my Juiced Protein and Juiced Creatine. Having said that, I've always been a big protein supplement user, but could never get enough carbohydrates in to really fill out the muscle and grow. Maybe my stomach is too small. I do know that carbohydrates attract water and when you eat carbs in the form of solid food, not only do you have the food sitting in your stomach, you've got a bunch of water along with it. This is similar to the stomachache you get from eating too much watermelon. As you can imagine, it's hard to even think about consuming more potatoes and rice when you're stomach is so stuffed that it's hard  to breathe!

When I incorporated all the simple sugar drinks into my diet, this gave me both carbohydrates and calories without the bloat. It's very, very effective.  Just from switching up my carbs this way, I'm getting in an extra 800 grams of carbohydrates per day. It's made a huge difference.

Thanks for noticing that I've made improvements. I really appreciate it!

 

BITCH TIT PREVENTION

There are numerous in-depth articles in MD about anabolic steroid cycles. However, they often lack specific details on the ancillary drugs needed at the end of a cycle to ensure minimal side effects and sustained growth. The ancillary drugs like Nolvadex, Clomid, Proviron and HCG are confusing to me. I have no idea how to use them at all!  I'm on an eight-week cycle right now consisting of 400mg Deca per week; 250mg Sustenon per week; and 25mg of Dianabol per day. Please help me before I hurt myself!  

This would be a better question for Dave Palumbo's column, but it looks like you are using a lot of androgens. When your androgen levels are high, you're at risk for also having high levels of estrogen, which can cause gynecomastia, bloating and fat gain. You don't want it! Gyno can be miserable looking as well as a miserable surgery. It's very irritating to get the gyno cut out, because you'll be out of the gym for several weeks. If you train before you've recovered, you could hemorrhage. There are various things you could use as an anti-estrogen, like Arimidex. This is a new anti-estrogen and is very effective.  All that's needed is one pill every other day to both block circulating estrogen and decrease its conversion from androgens. Most people use your basic Nolvadex, but either one will do the job. Just be very careful with all those high androgens.

 

A HELPING HAND TO AN IRON BROTHER

Hey, Craig, I'm a big fan and I always enjoy Titus Talks. I really hope you can help me out. I'm 22, 5-foot-10, and about 210 pounds. This is the heaviest I've ever been in my four years of training. Until four months ago, I was a nightclub bouncer and got in the steroid scene with all the rest of the guys. I worked there for almost two years, but just recently quit because my girlfriend is pregnant. I feel I need to get out of that scene now, if you know what I mean. I used steroids on and off for a year, but never made any great gains like my buddies did. The heaviest I ever got was 195. Now that I've been clean and slacking off from the gym for five months, I puffed up to 210. This past week, I was able to focus again and started hitting the weights really hard. I also quit smoking. I never want to use steroids again, though. I had the worst acne on my back! They were big, blood-filled pus things. My doctor couldn't believe how bad I was. I still have scars and acne, but not as bad. Anyway, I'm using NoX2, aminos, a multi-vitamin and 4-Test, but I'm about to cut that shit out. Prohormones suck, in my opinion. I'm not very good at dieting and shakes hurt my stomach, so I drink a lot of milk instead.  I also eat a protein bar a day on my way to the gym after work. I'm not looking to get ultra ripped, but want to get up to 225 and be pretty cut. Any advice on how to do this without steroids? I'm on a budget and have a daughter on the way, so I want to use supplements that actually work and not waste any money on those that don't. Thanks.

First off, congratulations on your daughter. She will be a lot of responsibility. It's good that you decided to get off steroids, because with her on the way and the problems you have with steroids to begin with, it's a good idea that you avoid using them. Obviously, you'll want to start training naturally.  When I talk about natural training, I'm talking about a very strict, consistent lifestyle, which involves sound nutrition, sleep and training. You don't have room for nightclubs, partying and staying out until the wee hours of the night. It is good that you left that life behind, as it will help your bodybuilding program.

The only other advice I can give you is to use your time wisely. Don't waste time when you're in the gym. Train hard, train very intense and train smart. When you're finished with your training, make sure you consume a liquid protein and a carbohydrate drink for instant recuperation. Eat six high- protein meals a day made up from clean foods. Make sure you're getting 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you weigh around 210, I'd eat 300 to 350 grams of protein a day. You can adjust your carbohydrates according to what works for you, specifically. The biggest role carbs will play in your diet is to keep your muscles full and keep your energy levels at their peak when training.

The bottom line is to just be consistent in your training, brother. Being natural means you are going to have to work extra hard, because you won't have the additional support steroids used to give you. And I'm talking about consistency across the board from nutrition to proper rest. If you do it half-assed, you're not going to put any muscle on. If you do plan to compete one day, you'll need even more muscle and using steroids is a choice you'll have to make in the future. But, if you don't plan on competing, I would just get ripped to shreds so you feel healthy, muscular and look good for your wife. You can stay the same weight you are and just get hard as nails. I think this would be a much better approach for your physique if you don't plan on competing. God knows it's a lot easier than trying to put on 30 pounds of muscle!

My recommendation for supplements is to go with the biggest bang for your dollar, and that'd be some Pinnacle Juiced Protein. You can supplement two meals a day with it and use Juiced Creatine both pre- and post-workout. I'd finish off the stack with NoX2. I'm glad to see you're using it. Another effective supplement you can try is Xenadrine, a fat-burning agent. That way you can train and stay lean at the same time. You'll look good and feel good.

I know what you're going through and have nothing but respect for putting your family first. It takes a real man to do that, as walking away is sometimes easier than facing the fire. Good luck with your training and your new family. Stay positive and you'll make it, brother. 

 

PRO WRIST STRAPS

Craig, what's up with the new wrist straps you're endorsing? I read about it on www.CraigTitus.com when I was looking for tickets to the Arnold Classic After Party. No offense, but what makes them better than the straps I can get from my gym for $2.50? You make them out to be the shit, so I'm just asking why?

These are great wrist straps, my friend. Powerlifters have been using them for years, and we're just now getting them out to the bodybuilders. First of all, the material my company uses is a softer, stronger material, and anytime you can get material that is both softer and stronger, you have a better strap.  Consequently, they will last way, way longer than the other straps on the market today. Pro Wrist Straps feel better on the wrists even during heavy back exercises because of their softness. 

Secondly, the area of the strap itself is slightly wider, so you can get more strap on the bar for a better grip. Third, and the best part about these straps, is that they are customized just for you. I'm talking about an exact fit

We will also customize the look with your choice of colors and even lettering. Maybe you'd like to have your own name, or the name of your gym, on the strap. We can totally hook you up. For instance, if Gold's Gym in Ohio wants the name "Gold's Gym Ohio" on their straps, they can just call up our company, and we'll make the straps for them to sell in their gym. 

We want to get our straps all over the United States and customize them however people want. We have a Kelly Ryan Signature Series coming out for the fitness market and we'll also have a Craig Titus Signature Series for hardcore bodybuilders. 

Pro Wrist Straps are just a better, higher-quality strap than anything ever sold. I guarantee you will prefer them over your $2.50 straps! Go to www.ProWristStraps.com and check ‘em out.

 

 

MD SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE

Craig Titus' Road to the Arnold Classic

Journal Entry: Five Months Out

Oh man! I am so fuckin' excited about doing the Arnold Classic! I'm gonna feel like boxers do when they go to training camp to get ready for a fight.  Starting December 1, I'll be in my own training camp. Now that I have my home gym done, I don't even have to leave my house to train. Having my own home gym is going to make such a huge difference. All the equipment is customized just for me. The stacks are heavier and all the machines are made for my body parts. Just think about it! I used to have to get up in the morning, eat breakfast, drive 20 or 30 minutes to the gym and train. When I was done training, I'd have to make it through the traffic to get home and finally get my first recovery meal of whey protein and creatine. Then I could sit down and rest up. This was a two- to three-hour ordeal, every damn day. Now it's like being in heaven. When I wake up, I can eat my breakfast and just walk out my sliding glass doors to train.  Then I can immediately drink my protein or creatine and sit down and rest for 30 minutes before I have another meal. My recovery time is phenomenally faster than before, and therefore, so is my progress.

Everything is going to work more synergistic because I'm right here- my own training camp! I can just concentrate on my training and not be bothered by anything else. I even have a posing room to work on my posing routine, and a tanning bed. Now, the only thing I have to do to get ready for shows is go grocery shopping. What a relief!

Right now, we're about five months out. My training is going really well, and I'm very focused. With Jay, Dennis and Dexter sitting out the Arnold, I'm going after Victor Martinez and will put him behind me. I'm larger than Victor on stage, and just as grainy. If I'd held my condition at the Night of Champions, I could have beaten him. But he's an awesome athlete and he did beat me, so there's no sense in crying over spilled milk. I hope Lee Priest gets on stage too, because I want to beat him, as well as Dexter and Melvin. If they read this, these guys shouldn't be offended when I say I want to beat them. They should be honored. I think they're superior athletes, I respect them immensely and I want to become as superior as they are. As for the guys behind me at the NOC, I'm not worried about them. I'm moving forward, and they're right where they belong- behind me.

Last month, my goal was to get up to 280 and I'm about four pounds off that. To be honest, I don't know if I'm going to hit the 280 mark, because I have a photo shoot for Pinnacle and I want to trim off a little fat for it. The little diet won't keep me from putting on muscle and as far as I'm concerned, I've reached my goal. I'm a solid 272. After my meals, I'm 276, so I'm very, very happy. I have abs, I'm not fat and I'm strong as hell. I sat out the Olympia and utilized my time to the fullest. Believe me, I will be ready for the Arnold Classic.  With Chris Cormier out of the picture, I have a chance to win my first pro show. I would love to win. I'm almost where I should be and I'm going to be a threat on stage. I can't wait!

Naturally, this year's Arnold Classic is going to be a huge event and you can tell I'm really excited about it. The Second Annual After Party is going to be one fine event, too. The party is being held at the Promowest Pavilion, just like last time, but will be even more fun. We're expecting lots more people, there will be more great hip-hop music, food and all your favorite bodybuilders. Don't wind up at the Red Zone, dying of heat in that little closet. Come on out to our party and have a fantastic time.

I'm making an addition to my website soon. I'll be putting cameras in my gym and through an exclusive monthly membership, you will be able to watch me for the Arnold Classic. How cool is that! I'm also coming out with a new website, www.promuscle-worship.com, which will be a website for men who admire female athletes, enjoy looking at them and would like to have these ladies pose privately for them. All they will have to do is go to the website, click on their favorite girl, and for a fee, that girl will do a posing routine just for them.  We'll also have male bodybuilders on the website for those who enjoy watching male muscle. It will give female bodybuilders a chance to make some money.  Everybody knows their income is limited and I'm going to give them a chance to make a better living.

I think this is going to be a very lucrative venture for everyone, but don't mistake this for a porn site. This website is not to be considered porn by any means. It is simply for people who admire bodybuilders. If somebody suggests taking it farther than just looking, I'm not about to get involved in that, but what the girl wants to do while she's posing online for her client is completely up to her.

It is pretty fuckin' cool that Arnold is now the governor-elect of California, but now that he has won the recall election, he's going to be under a critical eye even more. Even considering all the hype about him and alleged steroid use, I sincerely hope he would not distance himself from the Arnold Classic. This would be like Paul Tagliabue removing himself from professional football, or the head of the boxing association distancing himself from pro boxing. It really pisses me off that the first thing the critics do is bring up steroids.

Let's look at the whole picture. These hypocritical motherfuckers do steroids in every goddamn sport there is! I know that a large percentage of the Olympic athletes are on steroids while they are competing in the Games, but they don't get caught because there are ways around all the tests. Does that mean the IOC should drop the Olympics, because there may be steroids involved? Bullshit! Arnold should laugh at these fools and not even respond.  The Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic is a health and fitness oriented event that hundreds of thousands of people attend yearly, with lots of them learning how to feel good about themselves and creating whole new lifestyles because of bodybuilders. It was okay for Arnold to be the Chairman of President Bush's Council on Physical Fitness, but it's not okay for him to be governor? If I was Arnold, I'd tell them all to kiss my ass!

Now, as for all these women saying Arnold groped them 20 years ago, that is fucking absurd. I know about this stuff firsthand. When I married my wife, Kelly Ryan, several girls came to her and said, "Your husband is a pig, and he did this and that to me." There's always going to be the woman Arnold didn't marry, or he didn't take out, or he slept with but didn't send flowers to the next day. These women need to do something more constructive and shut their goddamn mouths! I know Arnold didn't just walk up and grab some woman's ass, because he doesn't have to. These women are the same ones who would walk up and offer him their hotel keys, I'd guarantee it.

Even if the sex issue had some credibility, what does that have to do with his ability to govern a state? JFK is said to be one of the greatest presidents of all time, and he was alleged to have slept with all kinds of women. That didn't keep him from being a great President.

If Arnold does feel he should distance himself from the Arnold Classic, they'll have to change the name of the show. Maybe they'll call it the Craig Titus Classic! Just remember, without bodybuilding, there is no physical fitness. It all started with bodybuilding.

I don't care if Shawn Ray has received enough signatures to be named as athletes' representative. He isn't representing me. My voice of reason will not be handled by Shawn Ray. I don't trust him, I don't like his attitude, I don't like the way he says one thing to your face and another behind your back! I don't like his snide comments. He is not respected by the authorities. Shawn Ray is a calculated, predictable person who has done nothing to benefit the athletes- only himself later in his career. There's something wrong when someone would offer to be an athletes' representative, but not discuss any kind of financial compensation. He will not represent me or my wife in any facet of our careers, and we do not recognize him as the athletes' anything.

I had told Shawn I wouldn't sign his petition unless I had an equal position next to him as representative. Then he used me as a maneuvering tool when he lied to other athletes by telling them I'd signed the petition. He doesn't want anybody else to have that kind of control, he wants it all for himself. But no one person should represent all the IFBB athletes. Assuming that he might make some kind of positive change for the athletes' benefit, I'd have to go with the flow, but I still think anybody who lies should never be an athletes' representative.

Looking forward, I didn't talk any shit before the NOC last year when I took third. I only said I wanted to do well. I'm not talking any shit either for the Arnold Classic, the Ironman, the San Francisco, the Melbourne, Australia and the Rome shows. My focus, first and foremost, is on the Ironman and the Arnold. I plan on being in the top two or three spots at least. I'm going to make a mark and next year, I'm moving up to the top level!

Have a question for Craig? Surf on over to MuscularDevelopment.com