fitness Archives – Five Starr Physique

Workout Logging: My Secret to Force Progressive Overload

November 1, 2018June 27, 2019 darinstarr

Let's start with a quiz. It's simple, so don't worry. It'll take about 3 seconds, and then I'll call for pencils down. Ready? GO! Are you a human being? Do you like to lift? Do you hate hitting plateaus? If you answered 'yes' to all of those questions, then you should be logging your workouts.

The Drop Set – Episode 71: Protein Requirement, Darin’s Burning Ceremony

August 23, 2018 darinstarr

How much protein do you really need, and how much is too much? This comes from a great listener question and rather than cite studies (which can support arguments on either end of the spectrum), I offer a little practical insight and opinion instead. Also: I get a little heated as I work to get some things off my chest!

The Drop Set – Episode 69: Gender Training Differences, Roast Darin!

August 15, 2018 darinstarr

Should men and women train differently? It’s a basic question with a pretty easy answer, so I dig a bit deeper into the weeds on what they SHOULD do specifically. Also, an open invitation to roast me, on my own show! Clearly, I’m a masochist.

The Drop Set – Episode 5: Gym Efficiency & Coping w/Holidays!

December 23, 2016December 23, 2016 darinstarr

More Q&A, a total softball thrown my way in “bodybuilding myths”, a discussion on how to be more efficient in the gym and also how to cope with holidays and all the associated food!

Contest divisions and your body

February 23, 2012May 21, 2017 darinstarr

If you read my earlier post on the different divisions at a physique contest, you know that there are 7 total divisions – 2 for men, and a whopping 5 for women. That’s a lot to choose from – so how do you make the best decision for yourself? It comes down to this – what’s important to you? Men...

Video: Lifting straps explained

February 23, 2012May 21, 2017 darinstarr

As I explain in the introduction to the video, it seems nobody really understands how to use lifting straps correctly. If you search around you’ll certainly be inundated with opinions on why straps are good, bad, or downright evil – but we’re going to completely sidestep that discussion for now. This video assumes you’ve found some reason why you want...

Is your ‘routine’ hurting you?

January 30, 2012May 21, 2017 darinstarr

I’ve mentioned before my semi-masochistic tendency to frequent the Bodybuilding.com forums. Here’s something you see all the time – people asking for critiques of their workout routine. Here’s a direct cut-and-paste of one poster’s routine: I Squats heavy Bench press BB heavy Cabel crossover Incline Bench BB DB Pullover DB flies II Cardio III Calves sitting Calves Standing DB shoulder...

HIIT it hard!

January 27, 2012May 21, 2017 darinstarr

If you’ve competed – or thought about it – before, you probably know about or have at least heard of HIIT. High-Intensity Interval Training is an exercise format that gets you working with a significantly higher heart rate. Combined with a correctly devised and timed diet, this can be a fantastic way to get in to shape or shed those...

A primer on contest divisions

November 16, 2011May 21, 2017 darinstarr

With 2 new options at the sub-national level in NPC contests in 2012, there are now 7 divisions to compete in at most bodybuilding shows – 5 for women and 2 for men. Let’s break them down individually from a bird’s eye view and we’ll take a closer look at specific divisions in later posts. The Men Bodybuilding – the...

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