ExRx.net

What's everyone's opinion on the advice given by Scooby Werkstatt? Most of his website seems to contain some solid information that coincides with other sources. One of my issues, however, is his criticism of bulking and cutting cycles as well as his expectations of muscle gain. For example:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/gainingMuscle.htm

http://scoobysworkshop.com/bulkingAndCutting.htm

These two pages basically advocate eating at about even with your daily caloric expenditure in an effort promote muscle gain and fat loss gradually but simultaneously. I've heard from many sources that doing this at the same time is physiologically impossible, one must be in either muscle gain, fat loss, or general maintenance cycles. He also says that the best one can expect is between 5-10lbs of muscle gain per year, which seems a bit low to me. I'm curious what everyone here thinks overall.

I scanned those two pages, and I think he's right on, as far as I can see.

I have never read or heard any knowledgeable person say that it's impossible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. In fact, it's pretty common in the first months of a newbie's training. Everyone (well, that's a literary "everyone") agrees that it is very difficult. Very few people have the discipline to lift and to eat as they have to to accomplish this. I think in reality most of us have to concentrate more on one or the other from time to time, even if we aren't really "cutting" or "bulking".

Yeah, I managed to do the impossible, apparently, in my first few months of training. I'm thinking the emphasis on dividing the cycles is for focus as you said.

To comment on the 5-10lb, I think this is about right. He clearly explains this is not counting beginner gains and teen gains. For someone with a couple years experience who lifts consistently this seems about right.

I think he's probably one of the least informed, yet loudest, people in the online fitness industry. There are at least 100 better sources of information out there.

I'd be inclined to agree, he's always banging on about how you don't need to join a gym and can workout at home with fancy home made contraptions. That's just begging folk to injure themselves if you ask me.

On the other hand he's encouraging folk to get in shape so you can't really knock him for that.

I think your time would be much better spent on Stronglifts or T-nation

Scooby's a wierd one.. his information is incomplete. I'm not sure who his target audience is?

I dont see any deadlifting or squats in his routines and surely he needs to stretch? Experienced lifters wont listen to this and beginners are going to waste time on loads of isolation work.

He also advocates a high carb/run off the extra calories approch to diet, which I dont agree is healthy.

I do like his workout at home attitude. I'm not saying you should rig up a high pulley made from nylon rope and castors, but there's no reason (if you have the room that is) that you shouldn't invest your money into decent equipment for home use.

Unless you think the liquid that they use at the gym to clean with is some sort of steriod.

He does all this, while having a body that looks unnatural. It's not that he's big, he's just weird looking.

He basically makes people think they're going to put loads of muscle on doing pushups at home and tells people to use 'light weights'.

I just personally think he's about as bad for the industry as supplement marketing.

Most of his advice is sound advice. His views on bulking and cutting is true IMO. You can indeed gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. I've done it before even when Im not a beginner.

His "preaching" about using home workout sets is simply that, for the convenience of his target audience. And the fact that cheap used set of dumbells are more beneficial in the long run.

My "problems" with him, though:

1. Seriously, no stretching at all? He has a decent point about the injuries, but those who injure themselves while stretching definitely does extreme stretching or doesnt do something right.

2. His advice on perfect form. Look at his youtube videos for his demonstration of "perfect form" of some exercises (most of his exercise reps takes 4-5 seconds for each rep to complete). Its a sound advice that definitely will prevent people from getting injured, but it will also take trainees much longer to gain both strength and size.

3. Preaches strictly clean nutrition. "If it tastes good, spit it out".

People doubt that he is a natural, but he posted photos of himself in his site. He obviously gained muscle through time, dedication and hard work. But the other problem is he looked just decent at age 29 (which is like about 7 years or so after he began working out). He certainly looks better than the average joe, but seriously....he didnt look that impressive for someone working out 5+ years. Which makes it obvious that his "perfect form, perfect nutrition" approach isnt the best way to train for someone who wants to naturally gain the maximum amount of muscle in a period of few years (He preaches that fitness is a lifestyle)

I do respect him a lot though, because he is making the time and effort to help people get in shape and feel better about themselves.

I can't accept the whole area of people who say you don't need to bulk and cut, I've heard it a few times but not enough. Im about 15 months experienced now and two major issues I'd coach friends on is the fact you have to eat to get stronger and reduce to loose fat - I've experienced it first hand, perfectly linear gains until a plateu, burning fat whilst at that plateu - lifts remaining stalled, eating an extra 700 calories, hey presto, stronger/more gains.

Then I've done the opposite - maintained somewhat of a surplus, adding weight to bar, then went to GVT which has 1min 30 rest intervals (or 1 min for iso) which burned through a fair amount more calories a week which must have tapered me down to a slight defecit - I went from 16% to 14% BF. So I was really encouraged, but ate a little more to compensate for GVTs intensity/reduce fatigue (especially the 10x10 squats.. my lord...) and my body fat just skipped around 14-15% - no matter how hard I worked (I didn't exactly add an hour more work, but I'd give leg days a true beating and even then, literally lying down between sets, the body fat didnt go down).

scooby's routines are nice but he has a completely different take on things at times. I must say he is very innovative for finding home workouts though!

I couldn't resist making and account and posting here after reading all your posts. You clearly have no idea who Scooby is what he supports and what he really tries to do. All he wants to do is to get people motivated to get healthier. His aim is not to make everyone huge. That being said, i should stress that he's read probably almost every book about bodybuilding (there's a book section in his website) and has been training at a gym or at home for 24-25 years. That obviously means he is not at all an amateur and is fully informed about everything that has to do with the subject.

He is a natural that simply has thin head and neck which is the reason people think he's not. He encourages correct form to prevent injury and as he said taking the time to do correct form not only works the muscles better but prevents from injuries that can take you months and years to recover. As a supporter of correct nutrition he states scientific facts simplified. Fat loss and weight gain can be achieved at the same time since the burning of fat cell stores and the assimilation of amino acids in the muscle tissue is not related.

By encouraging people to train at home not only he gives the opportunity for someone that doesn't want to or can't get to a gym to work out and get in shape. His engineering skills came handy for him to build devices that help him replicate some machines at the gym which he liked to share with people. He only suggests strong material from mountaineering stores and does only but suggest and show them after having tons of comments asking about them.

Scooby does not make people think they'll get huge by doing push ups. He just explain's that you can get fit by doing them. You can gain mass doing push ups and having a back pack full of weight as he shows in one of his videos. The main reason he shows push ups, as he explains is to incorporate them into your home chest workout and always does them until failure and usually in supersets. The fact that Scooby tells people to use light weights in nothing but misinformation. He only suggests using as much weight as possible to still be able to do correct and slow form. If you can easily do a lot more reps with the suggested form then you need to increase the weight. However he only suggests these to beginners or intermediates. He clearly states to professionals or experienced to use slow and correct form to 8 reps which means a lot more weight. Obviously if you get to be experienced you can follow your own style but Scooby suggests the correct form to get people from 0-50 without injury, from there on they can reach to 100 in whatever way they want, it's up to them however Scooby does have a section for advanced bodybuilders.

Scooby doesn't show stretching but does mention it a few times and obviously believes and uses it. Also he always warms up as he is a big supporter of aerobic exercise such as running or cycling as he keeps mentioning. His form does not make you gain slower as you can choose to use bigger weights and less reps with the correct form to get the same or even better results as you would with bad form.

About Scooby's nutrition views, he is extremely strict as he basically ignores his taste buds when eating. He believes that food is fuel and not enjoyment although he does think recipes of foods that taste good are nice to have. On his website he suggests a book that contains some recipes that will help bodybuilders although he does not force anyone to buy them and never mentions them in any of his videos. The fact is you actually don't need to eat a lot to bulk. Eating a lot just makes creatine in your body larger if it's meat you are asking for and besides creatine can be consumed without the need of the extra calories. I understand how it gives you more energy at the gym but that's not a reason to get fat, as Scooby says "nice and slow"

Anyway to finish this comment as i have answered to all your posts i believe Scooby is a hero in the world of bodybuilding media as he gives a lot of information for free and with his "everything for free" moto he achieved to make himself famous. He does not sell any devices or supplements as everyone else does, he gives away programs and software for free, he even donates what you donate to him to charity if it's between 75-500. Scooby should be treated with respect, please don't judge someone that you haven't been informed about purely by watching one or two videos. He is an all natural (against all supplementations except protein powder which only gets the most natural of them) bodybuilder with years of experience and knowledge on his resumé.

Peace,

well if you love him so much, why don't you marry him?

I'm just kidding. Kinda. You make some fair points I suppose but I still think as far as resources go Scooby should be avoided. If, however you are learning from him and using his advice to get good results then you can't really argue with that.

Sounds like a fanboy, imo.

Would you accept a broke down car with absolutely no value as a "Free" gift?

No, you wouldn't.

He's essentially giving at best mediocre and at worse TERRIBLE advice. I couldn't care less if he's natural, he has no idea how to train.

man, if you had only signed up as Shaggy.