Category: Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding: articles about building muscle (both size and strength) for a more powerful physique.

Prison Muscle: Workout Lessons from The Slammer

Below is a video from a prison weightlifting competition.  I’ve always been impressed by these lifts (though I can’t say the same for their singing).

But I’d like you to consider some of the lessons we can learn from these guys.  Here are a few that come to mind:

1. Supplements aren’t important 

We can safely assume these lifts were done without any help from bodybuilding supplements (unless you think they can order them in prison).  This reinforces something I learned a long time ago–you don’t need them to get big and strong.  Yes, there are a few supplements that work, but they are definitely not necessary.

2. You don’t need massive amounts of protein to build muscle

I’m sure inmates do their best to get extra protein (buying extra food, etc).  But ultimately they have to eat whatever meals are provided to them–I doubt any of them are getting the “1.5 grams of protein per lb of body weight” you hear so much about (see also How Much Protein?).

3.  Optimize your testosterone

Here’s where I’m not sure about cause vs effect.  Some speculate that prisoners are so strong because they already had elevated tesoterone levels, even before their incarceration.

This is certainly possible, but I also wonder if the conditions in prison cause elevations in testosterone.   Perhaps being in a highly competitive environment (understatement) is a factor.  We also know that prisoners tend to get plenty of sleep, which is important for the manly hormone (see Sleep for Muscle).

Regardless, it makes sense to do everything you can to optimize your testosterone levels.  Getting enough rest, limiting your beer consumption, and eating broccoli are just a few things you can do for this.

4.  Keep things simple

Prisoners have a reputation for using anything at their disposal for training.  There’s nothing wrong with training at a well-equipped gym, but you don’t need fancy equipment to build muscle and strength.  You can do plenty with just basic equipment, like barbells, dumbbells, a pull-up bar, etc.  Your best bet on building a great, powerful physique is to get strong in the basic lifts: squat, deadlift, etc.  This is one reason I’m such a fan of Jason Ferruggia’s Minimalist Training.

Watch the video and compare this to what you see a lot of guys doing at your local gym:

Bodybuilding and Protein

I was impressed (and a bit surprised) at what I learned in Brad Pilon’s How Much Protein book.  I’ve saved a lot of money on supplements since reading it.

I thought I’d share some research I found while discussing/debating nutrition on a bodybuilding forum:

Although definitive dietary recommendations for various athletic groups must await future study, the weight of current evidence suggests that strength or speed athletes should consume about 1.2-1.7 g protein/kg body weight.d-1 (approximately 100-212% of current recommendations) and endurance athletes about 1.2-1.4 g/kg.d-1 (approximately 100-175% of current recommendations). These quantities of protein can be obtained from a diet which consists of 12-15% energy from protein, unless total energy intake is insufficient. There is no evidence that protein intakes in this range will cause any adverse effects. Future studies with large sample sizes, adequate controls, and performance as well as physiological/biochemical measures are necessary to fine tune these recommendations.1

This is fairly consistent with what I’ve learned from the before-mentioned protein book, and it is less than the “1 gram per lb of body weight” you’ll keep hearing in bodybuilding circles.

Let’s do a few calculations for those of us more familiar with pounds.  Right now I weigh around 195 lb.–88 kilograms.  Multiply that with the lower end of the suggested requirement (1.2 grams) and you end up with a protein requirement of 105 grams a day. This is consistent with Brad Pilon’s conclusions, and it’s about half of what the typical muscle magazine article would suggest.

I actually eat around 80-90 grams/day, and I’ve seen no negative effect on strength or muscle mass.

I’m not saying eating a gram of protein per pound of body weight is bad for you.  I’m simply challenging the notion that extremely high levels of this macronutrient are necessary to build (or maintain) muscle.

I’m also not saying you shouldn’t use protein supplements.  I still use them for the sake of convenience, but I spend less money them now.

Reference:

1. J Sports Sci. 1991 Summer;9 Spec No:53-70. Effect of exercise on protein requirements.