Anthony Johnson on Proper Exercise & Nutrition
Posted on 08. Sep, 2009 by Anthony 'Dream' Johnson in 2009 HD Footage
Anthony Johnson is the founder and director of The 21 Convention, and author of The Dream Lounge where he blogs regularly about proper exercise and nutrition. He was 20 years old at the time of filming, and currently attends UCF for a degree in entrepreneurship, health sciences, and education. You can find the books mentioned in his speech on his blog here.
Post notes and view further discussion of this speech on the forum.
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You are wrong about doing leg press, squat, leg extension, deadlift etc for building muscle for strength.
The body (muscles) adapt to the type of training, these excercsies above condition your muscles to contract slowly.
The only excercise that will help you to sprint is power clean. I know because I deadlift 120kg, squat 90kg. And I run just as slow as before I started training…
LOL @ leg press, and leg extension.
If what you say is correct then why don’t bodybuilders thrive in the sprint races in the olympics or fight in the UFC?
“The body (muscles) adapt to the type of training, these excercsies above condition your muscles to contract slowly. ”
It has been proved conclusively that “slow” training develops all fiber types- and that the fiber profile you are born with, is largely unchangeable.
All you can do, is make them grow.
The error being made is a confusion between motor skill and muscular hypertrophy (and combination of). Attempting to mix the two- as in the case of explosive lifting (power cleans)- results in a decrease of safety, efficiency, and effectiveness- and is unnecessary for best results.
This has been discussed in depth here (comments)
http://www.thedreamlounge.net/2009/06/22/dear-dream-what-is-p90x-and-does-p90x-really-work/#comments
here
http://www.thedreamlounge.net/2009/08/12/strength-training-superior-to-p90x-cardio-crossfit-functional-group-exercise-fitness-classes/
and here
http://www.thedreamlounge.net/2009/07/09/look-to-the-past-for-nutrition-and-the-future-for-exercise-the-missing-link-for-crossfit-and-primal-fitness-enthusiasts/
I’ve also discussed it here
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/proper-exercise-and-nutrition-free-video-presentation
“If what you say is correct then why don’t bodybuilders thrive in the sprint races in the olympics or fight in the UFC?”
The answer to this question can be found in a book titled Body by Science.
thanks for commenting
-Dream
Regarding the anonymous comment I just hit “spam” on, you are welcome to voice your opinions but please use a real e-mail address (even when remaining anonymous).
thanks
-Dream
why is it you have a physique of a novice lifter in the gym, and yet you pass yourself off as an authority on this subject… You must weigh like 75kg tops.
I weigh 85kg lean, with a bf of 12% and I’ve never picked up a diet book in my life.
Hell I drink a lot of soda as welll (full of corn syrup)
You ain’t big or athletic, the proof that your theories do not work is in you. btw, your theory that you couldn’t get bigger arms even if you took steroids is laughable. Your small arms would get bigger easily with a different program than what you’re doing now.
“why is it you have a physique of a novice lifter in the gym, and yet you pass yourself off as an authority on this subject… You must weigh like 75kg tops.”
Not that I am one, but the most knowledge people on the planet regarding exercise science usually don’t have a genetic potential that’s out of the ordinary. Attempting to discredit my knowledge in the field by taking stabs at my own results and personal reputation is not only silly, but- with all due respect- shows your own lack of understanding on the subject.
By your logic, if I was naturally gifted with long muscle bellies, a low level of myostatin, and a high level of testosterone- and I promoted nothing but walking for peak levels of muscular hypertrophy and overall health- I would be a more trustworthy authority on these subjects than I currently am.
“I weigh 85kg lean, with a bf of 12% and I’ve never picked up a diet book in my life. ”
That’s fantastic to hear. Personally I am about ~183 pounds @ 10% body fat.
“Hell I drink a lot of soda as welll (full of corn syrup)”
What was the point of posting this? At best, this only shows your results are in spite of your dietary efforts- good or bad.
“You ain’t big or athletic, the proof that your theories do not work is in you.”
So if I was big, and recommended you do nothing but walk and eat cheetos all day, you would listen to what I have to say more closely? If so- which it appears to be- please re-examine your positions on exercise, nutrition, and critical thinking.
It’s an easy trap to fall into, but looking at someone’s physique as a way to define your acceptance of their advice is not a wise idea.
thanks for commenting
-Dream
I have a friend who is a mesomorph. The guy is ripped and looks like he was carved out of granite. He sits around and eats Cheetos. I feel ya, bro.
I think what doing HIT and the workout in BBS does more then anything is create functional, lean muscle. Correct me if I’m wrong but typically people with big, bulky muscles aren’t generally the most explosive, or have that much energy, if you were to look at examples in the UFC or MMA.
For instance if you look at Phil Baroni, he has a lot of power, but he gets winded quickly and easily. He is a bodybuilder and has competed in the UFC as well as Pride Fc among other mma organizations. To see it on the opposite spectrum, look at Fedor Emelianeko and he is in my opinion one of the best pound for pound fighters, and yet he is a tiny heavyweight, and I can guarantee if he fought Brock Lesnar, or some of the top heavyweights in the UFC he would beat them.
There might be other ways to build muscle, but I don’t think there is another way that can build muscle as quickly, efficiently and safely besides doing HIT. Or that will not leave you sore, sick or tapped out of your recovery resources.
As some one that knows to much about MMA, i can tell you this.
Both Phil Baroni, and Lesnar are extremely explosive. I can think of specific fights where they decimated opponents based entirely on the strength and explosion that they were have at their command. Fedor is if anything less “explosive” than them. Though i agree he is certainly a better fighter.
Also, Bulky muscles are created my genetics not training. Just like swimming doesn’t make people long and lean. People that become good at a sport do so, because they are genetically predisposed to have that build. Long and lean is good for swimming thus the reason top swimmers look the same. Some people can swim hours a day without obtaining that build, simply because they are predisposed to being short with bulky muscles.
[...] on 12. May, 2009 by Dream in 2008 Footage Please seen Anthony Johnson’s 2009 solo speech for updated exercise and nutritional information. If you liked this article or video please [...]
Love the Shirt!
I must recommened Max Contraction Training System formulated by the co author of “Body By science” as Ive used it to oustanding results.
No yoga
No bootcamp
No Pilates
No p90x
you should add NO RANGE OF MOTION
Range of motion is a part of muscle building that I have thought a great deal about ever since “Power Factor Training” came out. From what you are saying I take it you have made great progress without any range of motion. I get the whole intense, brief, infrequent thing to build muscle. I just wonder what is the best way to perform the contractions. I’ve been told of different studies where using at least some range of motion causes more microtrauma. I’ve also heard of studies where strength gains where better at the joint range worked. On the other hand I’ve heard of studies saying that strength gains were full range from only working through a partial range.
Ha, thanks. Actually, I think Yoga is “ok”- as long as the person performing it realizes the biggest benefit is relaxing… not “stretching”.
As for ROM, I agree to an extent. That book “moment arm exercise” that I spoke about actually discusses “full range of motion” quite a bit, and challenges the concept well. While I don’t exercise with NO rom, I do perform partial ranges of motion for the majority of my exercises.
So ya, I can relate =).
Hopefully Bill De Simone is able to speak in 2010 as well (author of MAE).
-Dream
Could you please go into more detail about range of motion. I never questioned the need for full range of motion until “Power Factor Training” came out many years ago.
I did an interview with Bill recently, should help. He should also be speaking next year.
http://www.thedreamlounge.net/2009/11/05/interview-with-bill-de-simone-author-of-moment-arm-exercise/
Hey Dream, I just saw your speech and it enlightened me how nutrition and exercise are kinda like how much “The Game” and the community enlightened me about girls. Really great speech. Wish I could have been there, hopefully next year.
I think that the conventional wisdom about smoking is actually quite wrong now. People think that smoking will kill you, and while there’s an extent to which this is true, people miss a big truism about smoking, namely that if you quit, you can return to normal full potential. It takes 7 years for your lungs to properly heal, and 20 years for your arteries to get rid of the plaque, but the point is that the damage is not permanent. Additionally, there is no study that has proven that any less than 7 packs a day causes any long term effects.
Food for thought.
Good points Hammer.
Regarding the studies though, be careful. I am always super skeptical of studies, good bad or indifferent findings- and regardless of the subject.
In the case of smoking X number of packs per day, I’m sure that it’s unique to the individual as well- and probably not worth the gamble.
Sort of like a “healthy looking” individual over-exercising their entire life in the pursuit of maintaining “elite fitness”. They may be okay now, but they will be in that same body 20 years from now too…
Will their joints hold up over the years? Who knows, but it’s probably not worth the risk regardless- if there are better options (that lead to better results).
-Dream
That’s definitely true about the studies, and I doubt that there’s some magic threshold between 6 and 7 that is damage occurs or doesn’t, but, particularly in the situation of the “smoke when I drink” people, who are only smoking a few cigarettes a week, it’s probably not a big deal.
More importantly though, if you enjoy the feeling of smoking, and don’t mind having diminished lung capacity, there’s really no reason to not smoke and then quit in your 40s from a quality of life perspective. A lot of people get laid because of smoking, which is why a lot of pick up artists take it up (e.g. Mystery, Sinn).
I don’t smoke, but I’ve thought about becoming a social smoker just because of that advantage. It gives you a major logistical advantage with girls who smoke in helping you isolate. Bumming a cigarette is the most effective opener, and smokers have this instant bond over smoking because it is so looked down upon in today’s culture.
No potatoes?!
I can’t live without potatoes..
Not necessarily, but pretty sparingly. Like once a month frequency.
[...] started with Tim Ferriss‘ article on gaining muscle quickly. Then I saw Dream’s talk on proper exercise and nutrition which opened me up to a whole new world of ideas. I’ve since read Body by Science and there [...]
I’ve got a question about high protein products. I heard that it increases results of your workout very much. I also heard that products which icreases the size of your veins are very helpful. I can not believe this is riskfree.
Is this really working on a long term?
What are the risk?
Tell me your thoughts on this subject.
Eat real food, mostly meat, eggs, and dairy fat. You will get all the protein you ever need. Try to get “pasture” or “grass” fed animal products as well for better fatty acid profiles.
So what is your typical daily diet consist of?
Breakfast, lunch, dinner? Snacks?
Peter, this recent post of mine will answer any and all questions relating to my views on food, eating, and anything related.
http://www.thedreamlounge.net/2010/01/05/the-quest-for-nutritional-truth-why-i-eat-the-way-i-eat/
Caution: it is nearly 20 pages in length (~8,000 words). Sit down with plenty o time to read =)
Dream, forgive my ignorance and personal attacks on you, on the earlier posts, I am much more enlightened and slight more eager to learn than previously.
I’ve ordered body by science off amazon, and will have a thorough read, for now I’m doing mark rippetoe’s starting strength program, my lifts have all gone up well, and feel a lot more enegetic and can feel a difference in my moods (more testos I guess compared to my 3-day split BB workouts).
I was wondering what you think of Rip’s program? Let me know if you’re not familair with it, I’ll fill you in… (right now I’m time limited)
Ok forgive me that I haven’t read your post yet (man it’s long). Maybe you answered my question in it, I don’t know.
Here is my situation:
I started working out like they say in Body by Science and I started eating much more protein and fat and much less carbohydrates. And now (2 months from starting) I see and feel my muscles growing, but I also see my belly getting bigger. I used to have great abs. Now I’m thinking about eating much less or training 2 or even 3 days a week.
What do you suggest?
You have the right idea dude, training more frequently will get your abs back. It sounds like you are on a bulking plan (caloric-surplus) and only workout once a week so expect a GUARANTEED increase in body fat. Hit those core workouts two – three times weekly! THAT, will increase muscle-tone ( :
Nutrition on the other hand is the main deciding factor on how much we WEIGH, IN LBS. With that said, it does not affect muscle-tone nearly as much as consistent and proper weight-training.
(Though a well-rounded diet, to use DJ Fuji terms, does dramatically improve endurance and recovery times).
I believe your belly problem is due to over eating!
You can cut down carbs as much as you like, but if you over eat the protein and fat to a point where you are eating more of it than your body needs your body will start storing it, just as it stores the carbs you over eat.
I suggest you sit down and work out your recommended calorie intake and then work out how many calories you are actually eating in fat and protein.
(I am not saying you should be counting calories constantly, but try it for 2 weeks, until you get the gist of what you’re eating. After 2 weeks you’ll pretty much know how much to eat to keep it at your normal level.)
If say your calorie intake is 3000 and you are eating 3200 its fine for muscle building, but if you’re eating 3500 you will gain weight, its also advisable to eat less on days you do work out, as your body does not need as much energy as on the 1 workout day, this goes especially if you’re working out once a week.
So from day 1-6 you eat around 3000 calories and on workout day you aim for around 3200, if you want to burn the fat on your belly, on non workout days try eating 2500 calories for a while while sticking to the 3200 on workout day.
Give it a shot…
“you can cut down carbs as much as you like, but if you over eat the protein and fat to a point where you are eating more of it than your body needs your body will start storing it..”
Dude! I’d honestly be surprised if someone DIDN’T already know this.
“..if you want to burn the fat on your belly, on non workout days try eating 2500 calories for a while while sticking to the 3200 on workout day.”
Simple and obvious response: THIS WILL NOT WORK! No matter what is eaten our bodies will NOT build muscle-tone on their own.
Once again, hit those core workouts two-three times weekly and results will excel! ( =
@Mateusz Zajac
I believe your belly problem is due to over eating!
You can cut down carbs as much as you like, but if you over eat the protein and fat to a point where you are eating more of it than your body needs your body will start storing it, just as it stores the carbs you over eat.
I suggest you sit down and work out your recommended calorie intake and then work out how many calories you are actually eating in fat and protein.
(I am not saying you should be counting calories constantly, but try it for 2 weeks, until you get the gist of what you’re eating. After 2 weeks you’ll pretty much know how much to eat to keep it at your normal level.)
If say your calorie intake is 3000 and you are eating 3200 its fine for muscle building, but if you’re eating 3500 you will gain weight, its also advisable to eat less on days you do work out, as your body does not need as much energy as on the 1 workout day, this goes especially if you’re working out once a week.
So from day 1-6 you eat around 3000 calories and on workout day you aim for around 3200, if you want to burn the fat on your belly, on non workout days try eating 2500 calories for a while while sticking to the 3200 on workout day.
Give it a shot…
I can’t view any of the videos, it says ‘the creator of the page hasn’t given permission to embed the video, that is a Vimeo Plus feature’
I click on the video and it goes to the Vimeo page for that video and after logging in to Vimeo it says ‘this is a private video’ and that I don’t have permission to watch it.
How can I watch the videos?
Odd, works on mine.
Have you tried a different browser? Try Google Chrome or FireFox if you havent yet. If changing browsers doesn’t do the trick please let us know and we’ll go from there.
Also, is this problem only with 09 videos or 07/08 as well?
[...] Orlando for his documentary shoot: he told me that he knew people in Texas who had watched my 2009 exercise/nutrition speech and had lost a ton of [...]
Anthony,
Absolutely love your blog. I’m referring all my acquaintances to your website. I guess I am curious, however, why stretching is considered “bad.” Flexibility is a very good thing. Many centenarians are very flexible. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Synergy
That answer is in the book at http://bodybyscience.net