MD Training Camp: Branch Warren #2 - Best Triceps Exercise

Low-carb Diet No Way to Build Mass

I’m 17 and I’ve been lifting for a few years. For about the last month, every time I go to the gym I have no energy at all. I get plenty of sleep, but I don’t eat a lot of carbs because I also want to lean out a little. Every time I’m in the gym, I’m gassed after the first few sets. I do what I can to power through, but if you have any advice or tips, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks

The answer is simple. You need to eat more carbs. Whatever amount you’re eating now is clearly inadequate to provide the fuel for weight training. No 17-year-old who’s trying to get bigger and stronger should be following a low-carb diet. If you want to lose a little fat, just make sure your diet is clean and add a few 30-minute cardio sessions a week after you finish up with the weights.

I used to have the idea that carbs were something I had to be very cautious with until I started working with George Farah over three years ago. The first thing he changed was to increase my carbs, which I assumed was going to make me gain body fat or at least make it tough for me to lose any. He told me to trust him, and I did. It turned out carbs weren’t the enemy after all. Since I made those changes, I took second at the Mr. Olympia and won the Arnold Classic two years in a row. How’s that for proof carbs can work in your favor?

Do this. Double your carbs and keep them at that level for a month, and then see how different you look and feel. You’ll have more energy for training, and more muscle mass— and the more muscle you have, the more fat your body burns.

Cable Pushdowns Best Triceps Exercise

Branch, what’s the best triceps exercise, in your opinion?

Cable pushdowns. You probably thought I would say weighted dips, close-grip bench presses, or skull-crushers, but personally I have gotten more out of cable pushdowns than all of them. I should note that a lot of that has to do with the fact that I’ve torn both my triceps and since then, I need to be very careful with my elbow tendons. That’s a big reason why you never see me lock out on my presses for chest or shoulders. For me, or for anyone with elbow tendon issues or a past triceps tear, the cable is a lot smoother and safer, because you don’t hit a sticking point that puts extra stress on the tendon.

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