T Nation

Optimum Anabolics Program, Anyone?

#1

There is a plethora of glowing reviews online. In fact, I have not seen one bad one, despite the claims in the reviews that it was "a controversial program that caused quite a stir in the bodybuilding world when it was first introduced".

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Optimum-Anabolics-The-Review-m26276.aspx

http://www.gain-weight-muscle-fast.com/optimum-anabolics.html

http://www.isometric-training.com/optimum-anabolics-review-week2.html

http://optimumanabolicsreview.wordpress.com/

http://body-building-review.upickreviews.com/optimum-anabolics-review.html

Of course it is being lauded as "one of the greatest programs in modern times". However, I am quite skeptical that "The Muscle Nerd", as he calls himself, is simply very good at marketing.

Anyway, if any of you have used to program or even read about it or hear other experts' reactions to it, I would be very interested in hearing your responses. I did a search on T-Nation and found no mention of it on the site.

I'm seriously considering doing the program as I am looking to gain some mass and have found that I respond best to high volume, intense training and don't overtrain easily. However, I don't want to devote myself to a 24 week program without knowing that it is what it is advertised to be.

#2

Anytime someone strikes a cross-arms-across-chest post to look more jacked in all his online pictures and looks like he’s only been working out on a sporty level for a year or so, I wouldn’t take all that “best program ever” bullshit seriously.

I also wouldn’t assume the “muscle nerd” didn’t have a LOT to offer from the point of view of building muscle and losing fat just on the basis oh his measly physique.

Jeff is a very intelligent dude, who was telling people to lift the concentric explosively way back when pretenders were emphasizing the 4 second concentric 8 second eccentric bullcrap - and always had a ton of good training ideas.

I would definitely listen to what the man had to say in his latest books, but looking the way he does, I wouldn’t drop my own thought and ideas in favor of his potentially opposite view (in the case of that happening)

I also wouldn;t entertain the possibility of the advice from that book turning you into a mass monster anytime soon.

#3

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Anytime someone strikes a cross-arms-across-chest post to look more jacked in all his online pictures and looks like he’s only been working out on a sporty level for a year or so, I wouldn’t take all that “best program ever” bullshit seriously.
[/quote]

Brilliant! I’ve seen it so many times, but once someone points it out, it’s all you see -lol.

S

#4

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
tribunaldude wrote:
Anytime someone strikes a cross-arms-across-chest post to look more jacked in all his online pictures and looks like he’s only been working out on a sporty level for a year or so, I wouldn’t take all that “best program ever” bullshit seriously.

Brilliant! I’ve seen it so many times, but once someone points it out, it’s all you see -lol.

S

[/quote]

Who else used that pose in his author-picture? Teeheehee.

#5

Waterbury? But i like his stuff! OH NOES! it will never work

#6

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Anytime someone strikes a cross-arms-across-chest post to look more jacked in all his online pictures and looks like he’s only been working out on a sporty level for a year or so, I wouldn’t take all that “best program ever” bullshit seriously. [/quote]

Of course it is not the best program ever. I would doubt any cookie cutter program that claimed that. And his formula was pretty simple–attack the “mainstream” magazines and steroids. Promote some secret formula for boosting your “natural potential”.

Advocate for a cookie cutter formula. Not that this is the penultimate measure, but the presentation looked pretty cheesy and low-budget too.

But really, my question is, have people tried it and does it work?

#7

[quote]xivb4m wrote:
Waterbury? But i like his stuff! OH NOES! it will never work[/quote]

True, thats why the smallest guys on the site use CW stuff.

No offense :wink:

lol just pulling your chain my man.

#8

I can almost PROMISE you it will work, as long as you monitor your food/caloric intake carefully. Its a popular program thats been doing the rounds, well balanced and not outrageous.

My aim was not to bash Jeff, who’s one of the smartest trainers around. I just got tired of people using that arms folded across chest pose. I can assure you that any skinny fat piece of shit can look decent in that Mr Clean pose when photographed properly, why do athletic dude feel the need to mimic them, lol?
PS: I’ve seen Waterbury use it, but having met him in person when he was a lean 250 at 6’3" before he got in with the MMA guys, I doubt he needs that trick. Then again, people get wacky ideas all the time.

[quote]Fiction wrote:
tribunaldude wrote:
Anytime someone strikes a cross-arms-across-chest post to look more jacked in all his online pictures and looks like he’s only been working out on a sporty level for a year or so, I wouldn’t take all that “best program ever” bullshit seriously.

Of course it is not the best program ever. I would doubt any cookie cutter program that claimed that. And his formula was pretty simple–attack the “mainstream” magazines and steroids. Promote some secret formula for boosting your “natural potential”.

Advocate for a cookie cutter formula. Not that this is the penultimate measure, but the presentation looked pretty cheesy and low-budget too.

But really, my question is, have people tried it and does it work?[/quote]

#9

The Optimum Anabolics Book sucks…you can find it online for free.

#10

I know his training programs are not geared towards size…just funny how most trainers nowadays adopt this pose.

#11

ChadWaterbury.com

#12

JB

#13

Berardi.

#14

[quote]Rhino Jockey wrote:
JB[/quote]

LOL you beat me to it!

#15

wow, popular pose.

#16

Yeah, very common pose, but I think there’s an obvious difference between standing the way most guys do normally (I do it myself all the time without even realizing it), and angling the camera to give a distorted view of your arm girth.

S

#17

I think Poliquin does it as well. I don’t think CT does.

I bet Shugart does and I think Bowden does it.

#18

[quote]Rhino Jockey wrote:
JB[/quote]

LOL you beat me to it!

#19

All the dudes featured on this page wielding the Mr Clean pose are in good shape (lean) without aren’t carrying much size at the point they were photographed. I;d be surprised to see Dave tate using the arms folded pose in his pictures.

Also seems popular with those not blessed with wide shoulders (narrow clavicles or heavy delts)… then again I;m sure someone will find a pic of Yates standing in the same pose.

Ive noticed that dudes with wide shoulders and good delts prefer to walk around/be photographed in a BB relaxed pose with the lat lightly flexed, shoulders rolled back and chest out howing a V taper even in regular clothing.

Also dudes with lagging back width (narrow clavicles) but significant delt development seem to prefer using a variation of the most muscular pose (without clenched fists) when they photograph themselves (we have a prominent example on this site lol)

Anyway my beef with the Mr Clean pose is just that ANY DAMN FOOL can ook half decent in that pose, just by altering the angle a bit (sometimes thats not even needed). Weedy forearms automatically look thick and (when phtographed from below) a peron can truly look scary.

#20

JB again…