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Strength Training NOTBodybuildingHow To Build Muscle And Lose Fat Without MorphingInto A BodybuilderBy Marc McLeanwww.weighttrainingistheway.com
Copyright 2017By Marc McLean – All rights reservedAuthor’s Legal DisclaimerThis book is solely for informational and educational purposes and isnot medical advice. Please consult a medical or health professionalbefore you begin any new exercise, nutrition or supplementationprogramme, of if you have questions about your health.Always put safety first when lifting weights in the gym. Any use of theinformation within this book is at the reader’s discretion and risk. Theauthor cannot be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arisingout of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to takemedical advice, or for any related material from third party sources.No part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted, or sold inany form without the prior written consent of the author.All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing in this digital bookare the property of their respective owners.
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Table of ContentsIntroduction ------------------ 1Part One: The Warm-Up -- 5Chapter 1: Strength Training Not Bodybuilding There Is ADifference ----------------- 6Chapter 2: Getting Started With Weight Training ----------------- 10Chapter 3: Overcoming The Fear ------------------------------------- 13Chapter 4: Preparation & Goal Setting For MaximumResults -------------------- 16Chapter 5: The Secret To Staying On Track ------------------------ 24Part Two In The Gym ---- 27Chapter 6: The Way To Lean Muscle, Less Fat And SolidStrength ------------------- 28Chapter 7: Compound Exercises: Bigger Movements, BetterResults -------------------- 36Chapter 8: Muscle Isolation Moves ----------------------------------- 46Chapter 9: How To Create Your Own Training Plans ------------ 57Chapter 10: Gym Workout Mistakes --------------------------------- 64Chapter 11: Bodybuilding Bullshit ------------------------------------ 69Part Three: Outside The Gym--------------------------------------------- 73Chapter 12: Strong Mind ----------------------------------------------- 74Chapter 13: Strong Body ----------------------------------------------- 82Chapter 14: Stronger Self Image -------------------------------------- 85Chapter 15: Achieving The ‘Impossible’ ----------------------------- 91Final Points ------------------ 95About The Author --------- 97
Strength Training NOT BodybuildingIntroductionThere are a few too many people catching the bug that’s spreading itsway across every gym in the world Where once normal looking humans are becoming big, bulky, andsuper inflated.Where grown men are flexing their bulging biceps and posting selfieson social media like giggling 14-year-old girls.And where posing, huge egos, and too many loud, grunting noises areflourishing in gyms.Yep, I’m talking about the big bad bodybuilding bug where fitnessfreaks go to extremes and create huge, unnatural, overdevelopedframes.It’s everywhere now. What the hell has happened in the health andfitness world? It’s a humanitarian d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r !This book is your saviour from the bodybuilding bug. It’s a manual forthe ordinary man and woman who wants to become extraordinarythrough lifting weights without morphing into some sort ofmeathead bodybuilder.It’s your guide towards developing a lean, athletic, awesome bodyinstead – with a rock solid mind to match.It’s all about Strength Training NOT Bodybuilding.I’m Marc McLean, an online personal trainer with nearly two decadesof experience in strength training, and I’m author of the StrengthTraining 101 book series.I love lifting heavy weights. I hate bodybuilding.I love pushing myself hard in the gym and achieving personal bests. Ihate bodybuilding.I love coaching people to become leaner, stronger, better versions ofthemselves through strength training. I kinda hate bodybuilding. 1
Strength Training NOT BodybuildingLifting weights is without doubt, hands down, the most effective wayfor you to blitz bodyfat, develop lean muscle, and strengthen yourbody and mind. Then there’s the added bonuses of increasedconfidence, stronger bones, better posture, injury prevention, boostingyour mood. I could go on a while here I bang on about these huge benefits to everyone that’ll listen. I repeatmyself quite a lot. Yet over the past 19 years I always hear the sameresponse from men and women of all ages “But I don’t want to get too muscular and look like a bodybuilder ”“I really don’t want to become all big and bulky ”“I’m not into bodybuilding .”I’m trying to keep count of how many times I’ve heard comments likethese. I think we’re at 21,594 now.I’m guessing you don’t want to end up with the bodybuilder lookeither? Guess what? Neither do I. Never have done.I’m 5ft 8ins tall, hover around 73kg, and so I’m hardly the biggest guyin my gym. But I’ve got a lean, athletic body with good muscledefinition - and I’m in better shape now at aged 35 than I was when Iwas 20.What’s even more important for me is that I’m strong as hell, I’mhooked on my training, I love the buzz I get from achieving newpersonal bests in the gym, and I maintain a healthy mindset and overallapproach to my health and fitness. Does that sound good to you too?This is the magical middle ground between being unfit and out ofshape, and the far extremes of bodybuilding. This book is written withthe specific intention of helping you plant your feet firmly in thatmiddle ground where you can achieve amazing results throughweight training without going down the overgrown bodybuilderroad.Would you like to sculpt a lean, athletic physique, with good muscledefinition?Or how about feeling strong as an ox, and bursting with confidence?Developing a solid mindset to go along with your new strong body? 2
Strength Training NOT BodybuildingI’ve helped numerous personal training clients and friends to achievethis – and I’d love to help you do the same.It’s frustrating when I see countless people missing out on the massivebenefits weight training can bring because they’re put off by the ideaof rubbing shoulders with big, bad-ass bodybuilders. Or even worse,waking up one morning and discovering they’ve morphed into one.(Never gonna happen).That’s why I’ve written this book to convince you and others toforget the idea of bodybuilding and instead focus on building a betterbody, mind and lifestyle with your own strength training journey.I’m passionate about helping people become stronger, leaner, betterversions of themselves. Strength training is a ridiculously effective toolfor becoming the new you. That’s why I’m giving this book away forfree on Kindle, so that the information I’m about to share canconvince more people to put their fears and misconceptions aside andstart lifting weights.I’ve already published four other books on Amazon in this ‘StrengthTraining 101’ series focusing specifically on key areas such as goodnutrition, natural supplements, and even simple healthy recipes forfitness nuts.Strength Training NOT Bodybuilding is a bit different. While there ispractical advice for building muscle and burning fat in the gym, thisbook also includes my own strength training philosophy. It highlightsmy unique approach to training, nutrition, and the big emphasis I puton mindset and the self-image because I believe these are hugelyimportant for long term results.I didn’t come up with this approach overnight. It’s evolved over theyears based on experience, experimentation, lengthy education andit’s actually a continual process of developing best practice for us tobecome stronger, leaner, superhuman humans.If you’re a complete beginner to strength training, or have been hittingthe gym for a while but are simply not seeing results, then this isdefinitely the book for you. It has not been written for the moreexperienced weight lifters, although they might find some value in thechapters on mindset and self-image. 3
Strength Training NOT BodybuildingI’ve tried to put myself back in the shoes of being a weight trainingbeginner again to help less experienced men and women get a headstart - and avoid making the many training mistakes I made over theyears.The aim of this first book is to give you a solid foundation for goingforward in your journey towards more muscle, less fat and solidstrength.I explain all the best strength training exercises, how to easily createyour own workout plans, tactics for staying highly motivated, methodsfor making steady progress, adopting an unbreakable mindset, andmore.I fully understand that most readers want to see pictures of all theexercises because it’s much easier to get the hang of them this way.However, it’s not possible to show proper high quality pictures,particularly in the Kindle version of this book.That’s why I’ve created a bonus exercise demos e-book for you forFREE too. It features photos of me performing all the top weighttraining moves included later in this book, along with clear descriptionsand tips for best technique.You can grab your copy by visiting my website:www.weighttrainingistheway.comOkay, so let’s get warmed up 4
Part OneThe Warm-Up 5
Strength Training NOT BodybuildingChapter 1Strength Training NOT Bodybuilding ThereIs A Difference“I MUST BREAK YOU ”I heard those infamous words once again as I sat on the couchwatching Rocky IV. For the 263rd time. It was the 10ft tall Russianboxer Ivan Drago warning Rocky Balboa that he fully intended onsmashing his head into tiny pieces.By this point in the movie I’d already rewatched my favourite part. Thescene where Sly Stallone is working out in an old Russian barn Rocky’s lifting his family up in an old wooden cart like some sort ofhulk He’s training like a warrior and looking strong and fit as hell Meanwhile, the kinda cheesy (but also kinda brilliant) 80’s tune“Heart’s On Fire” is playing in the background Rocky’s getting all fired up for his big fight meanwhile I’m sittingthere all pumped up on the couch eating a packet of cheese and onioncrisps.This movie came out like 30 years ago and I had it recorded on video.I’d watch it over and over again with my uncle. I was obsessed.But as I sat there watching it again on my couch in my thirties – withthe same feeling of excitement in my stomach - I realised something.It was THIS movie that first inspired me to get into lifting weights. Itwas the motivational training scenes and Rocky strengthening his bodyand mind to overcome the ‘achieve’ that started it all.I’ve now been doing weight training for nearly 20 years, I’m an onlinepersonal trainer, and I’ve written a whole series of books on strengthtraining. 6
Strength Training NOT BodybuildingAnd it’s all Sly Stallone’s fault! When I finally figured out that it wasRocky IV that kick-started my healthy obsession with weight trainingI also realised something else. It was absolutely nothing to do withbodybuilding. I never wanted to look like a bodybuilder; all that posingand flexing always made me cringe.Ever since I was eight years old I wanted to be like Rocky superfit,fearless, confident, and STRONG. AS. HELL. That was the goal whenI first started strength training as a seriously skinny 16-year-old andthat’s now what I help other people like you experience.I class bodybuilding and building a strong body (and mind) completelydifferently. People generally think weight training/strengthtraining/resistance training whatever you want to call it is the sameas bodybuilding. It’s really not.Sure, both groups lift weights and develop muscle and burn fat. But there’s a difference in priorities. What bodybuilders tend to put firstis #1 Becoming BIG.I’m talking inflated, over-developed, unnatural looking physiques.#2 Competition.Entering bodybuilding competitions. Competing with each other.Competing on how much fake tan they can cover themselves in?#3 Extreme diets.Wolfing down crazy amounts of protein, counting every calorie andmacronutrient, using all sorts of supplements.#4 Taking dodgy stuff.It’s unfair to tar all bodybuilders with the same brush as many of themare all natural, but bodybuilding is rife with anabolic steroids. It’sfrightening how many people are messing with their hormones andputting their health at risk just to get bigger.Some of these guys and gals can’t resist jagging their bum with a needlefilled with steroids, or ingesting some other dodgy performanceenhancing supplements to become even more inflated. 7
Strength Training NOT BodybuildingFor me, all of that crap is a huge turn off, it’s fake, and is the oppositeof what I love about strength training. That’s why us strength trainingcool cats prioritise #1 Developing lean, athletic, natural looking bodies.Building lean muscle, keeping bodyfat levels low, and creating goodoverall body composition. Think Greek God, not Johnny Bravo.#2 Becoming fit and strong as hell.A huge focus on strengthening your body – and simultaneouslystrengthening your mind as a result.#3 Bettering yourself, not being better than anyone else.The only competition is you. Pushing yourself hard in the gym, alwaysaiming to progress and outdo yourself, setting new personal bests asyou keep getting stronger.#4 Following a healthy diet that’s easy to maintain.Who wants to constantly follow a super strict diet that’ll only make youmiserable? You can still get great results without following an extremenutrition plan and eating 93 chicken breasts and 42 cans of tuna ever
boxer Ivan Drago warning Rocky Balboa that he fully intended on smashing his head into tiny pieces. By this point in the movie I’d already rewatched my favourite part. The scene where Sly Stallone is working out in an old Russian barn Rocky’s lifting his family up in
