Peak week. The final seven days before a bodybuilding competition. For many, this is the holy grail, the week where the "magic" happens. The internet is flooded with protocols promising to transform you from "in shape" to "unreal" in just a few days.
Let's be direct: that's nonsense.
The truth is that peak week isn't magic. It's the final, refined step in a months-long process. It's the 5% that perfects an already completed 95%.
Your diet is perfect. Your training is consistent. The fat is melting off everywhere... except your hips, glutes, and thighs for women; your belly fat for men. It feels like your body is clinging to these last reserves for dear life. You're not imagining it; this is a physiological mechanism. This "stubborn fat" has a different cellular makeup and responds differently to your body's signals. Understanding the biology is the first step to strategically attacking it.
One of the most overlooked parts of cycle planning is understanding ester half-lives. The ester attached to a compound doesn’t change its potency — but it does control how long the compound stays active, how often you need to inject, and how long it takes before you can start recovery.
To make this easier, I built a steroid cycle calculator and half-life plotter. It lets you plug in your cycle details and instantly see vial requirements, injection volumes, and an interactive graph of how your levels rise and fall.
Show day can feel overwhelming — tan, suit, pump-up food, paperwork… the list goes on.
That’s why I’ve created this checklist for you. Everything you might need is in one place, along with links to some of the useful products so you don’t have to scramble last minute.
Pack smart, double-check your list, and you’ll step on stage with peace of mind knowing you’re fully prepared.
If you’ve been in the gym long enough, you’ve seen both:
Someone using a bit of body English to squeeze out extra reps.
Someone heaving weight around with zero control, clearly doing more harm than good.
On the surface, both look the same. But there’s a big difference between cheating reps as an intensity technique and plain ego lifting.
You don’t need a fully equiped home gym or 90-minute workout sessions.
If you’re at a desk all day, you can make NEAT (non-exercise activity), short strength sessions, and simple food routines do most of the work.
If you’ve spent any time digging into bodybuilding forums or listening to podcasts with experienced coaches, you’ve probably heard whispers about DHB — dihydroboldenone, also known as 1-testosterone cypionate.
It’s one of those compounds that, for the right lifter, can feel like a secret weapon. But it also has quirks that make it far from beginner-friendly.
If you’ve been around bodybuilding long enough,
you’ve probably heard someone swear by
injectable L-carnitine — usually right before prep,
or when they’re trying to get “that last bit” of conditioning.
Some people call it a game changer.
Others call it an expensive placebo.
The truth, like most things in bodybuilding,
is somewhere in the middle — and a lot more
interesting than the sales pitch.
When I first started coaching, I tested out a bunch of coaching platforms.
You know the type: sleek apps where clients can log food, track workouts, and sync metrics from Apple Health, Garmin, or Fitbit.
On the surface, it’s a dream for both sides—coaches get neat, organized data, and clients get everything in one place.
Sounds perfect, right?
Well… not quite.
If you’ve been training hard but not growing — or you’re constantly switching routines hoping “this one will work” — you’re not alone. One of the biggest mistakes I see (as a coach, a competitive bodybuilder, and just someone who’s spent years in the gym trenches) is this:
Too many people are following someone else’s plan.
Maybe it’s a pro bodybuilder’s split.
Maybe it’s a workout you found on Instagram.
Maybe it’s your buddy’s “killer leg day.”
If you’ve ever lost weight on a diet, only to gain it back, you’re not alone — and you’re not broken.
You were just never told the full story.
Most diets work. That’s the truth no one really talks about. Keto, vegan, intermittent fasting, carnivore, juice cleanses — people lose weight on all of them. And if you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m not here to demonize any specific approach.
But if they all “work,” then why do so many people end up frustrated, burned out, and right back where they started?
That’s exactly the question I answer in my new book:
Let’s face it—supplements are everywhere. Fat burners, brain boosters, testosterone stacks, pump formulas, recovery blends... and about 90% of them are underdosed, overpriced, or outright useless.
After spending thousands of euros and years experimenting with everything from the basics to the most hyped ingredients on the market, I decided it was time for a reality check.
That’s why I wrote Powders, Pills & Promises.
This book is not sponsored, sugar-coated, or written to sell you on the next miracle powder. It’s a no-nonsense, evidence-backed guide to the supplements that actually matter—and the ones you should leave on the shelf.
Are you ready to take your bodybuilding journey to the next level? Whether you're looking to overcome training plateaus or push your muscle growth to new heights, the key lies in intensity.
"Advanced Intensity Techniques for Bodybuilders: Maximizing Gains and Breaking Plateaus", is a comprehensive guide that dives into the most effective, science-backed methods to maximize your gains.
In the age of technology, AI is making strides in every field, including fitness and wellness. Today, AI-powered apps can craft personalized workout programs and diet plans based on your inputs, offering instant, data-driven recommendations. Yet, while AI is excellent at generating structured plans, it misses the mark on what really makes fitness coaching effective: the human connection. Here’s why a good fitness coach offers more than any AI ever could.
AI systems can analyze your fitness level, goals, and even past performance to produce tailored workout and diet plans. Many trainers may even use AI to help them structure programs faster. I use it to rewrite my loose thoughts into a clear and structured post like this one. However, sticking to a plan isn’t as simple as following a set of steps. Consistency and motivation are built through accountability, which comes from a relationship with a coach who’s genuinely invested in your success.
A coach’s ability to observe, adapt, and help you overcome obstacles in real-time is something AI simply cannot replicate. Life is unpredictable, and so are the mental and emotional challenges that come with fitness journeys. When setbacks happen, a coach can help you adjust, regroup, and stay motivated.
Incorporating the strategy of cycling back to a lower weight and increasing repetitions before progressing to heavier weights can be an effective method for breaking through plateaus and stimulating muscle growth. Here's how you can implement this approach within your strength training routine:
When you reach a plateau and can't add more weight to the bar, consider deloading by reducing the weight to a manageable level that allows you to perform higher repetitions with proper form. Aim to increase the repetitions for each exercise over the course of a few weeks.
The total amount of muscle that can be gained by an individual, whether through natural means or with the use of steroids, varies based on several factors including genetics, training experience, nutrition, and overall lifestyle. Let's explore the potential maximum muscle gains over a period of several years under optimal conditions:
For individuals pursuing muscle growth through natural methods:
First Year: Beginners can typically gain around 20-25 pounds (9-11 kg) of lean muscle mass within the initial year of consistent resistance training. This rate of muscle growth gradually declines in subsequent years.
Subsequent Years: Intermediate and advanced lifters may continue to gain muscle at a slower rate, averaging about 0.5-1 pound (0.2-0.45 kg) of muscle per month with continued training and proper nutrition. Over several years of dedicated training, natural lifters can potentially achieve significant muscle development.
We've all encountered someone, perhaps even ourselves, who has experimented with various diets—from soup diets to juice cleanses, intermittent fasting, keto, low carb, and paleo. While these diets promise quick results, they often fall short in delivering sustainable, long-term success. Here's why and what you can do instead to achieve lasting health and wellness.
Most diets operate by imposing restrictions on certain foods or food groups, ultimately aiming to create a caloric deficit. While this deficit can lead to initial weight loss, the sustainability and nutritional value of these diets are questionable. Many restrictive diets lack essential nutrients and calories, causing the body to shed water and muscle mass instead of fat. The rapid weight loss observed on the scale often masks unfavorable changes in body composition. Additionally, once the diet ends, many individuals experience weight regain, often surpassing their initial weight.
In the realm of fitness and bodybuilding, the topic of steroid use is often met with controversy and debate. Steroids, often touted as a shortcut to achieving a chiseled physique or remarkable athletic performance, can indeed yield impressive results. However, what many fail to recognize is that steroids are merely a tool—one that must be wielded with caution and responsibility.
Observing individuals who take excessive amounts of steroids without displaying the expected physical changes is not uncommon. Conversely, there are those who achieve remarkable transformations with minimal steroid use. This stark contrast underscores a fundamental truth: steroids alone cannot guarantee success in the pursuit of fitness goals.
When progress slows, it’s rarely because you’re not training hard—it’s because your muscles have adapted. That’s where intensity techniques come in. These advanced methods push your body beyond its comfort zone, driving new growth and strength.
They’re strategic ways of manipulating weight, volume, tempo, and rest to create a bigger training stimulus. Used correctly, they let you:
Break plateaus
Increase time under tension
Drive more hypertrophy
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been into lifting weights.
Over the years, I’ve helped friends and family become healthier, stronger versions of themselves.
Back then—10+ years ago—it was hard to find good information. I had to figure it all out myself through trial and error.
Now it’s the opposite: there’s so much information that it’s hard to separate what really matters from what’s misleading or irrelevant.
Even with the rise of AI, I believe there’s still huge value in having an experienced coach by your side.
Because while AI can spit out a workout program or meal plan, it won’t check up on your progress.
It won’t push you when you need it—or pull you back when you’re going too hard.
Fitness is my life. Helping people reach their goals is genuinely satisfying for me.
If I were a millionaire, I’d coach people for free.
But since I’m not, you’ll find my prices on the packages page.
