Jim Stoppani, PhD, has been one of the fitness world’s top names for quite a few years now, and the 52-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. His own YouTube channel has more than 215,000 subscribers and he’s regularly featured on other vignettes across the internet — and he’s a Muscle & Fitness alum.
The thousands of lives he’s changed over the internet don’t include his in-person consultations with top stars such as Dr. Dre, LL Cool J, and Mario Lopez. His website is also one of the go-to sources of information for all things training and nutrition.
So while there’s been plenty of videos and articles written about this modern marvel’s fitness secrets, only this story contains everything in a convenient package. We took the time to sit down with Stoppani to figure out how he stays ripped, healthy, and lean all year-round.
Here, you’ll get his advice of training form, supplements, when you should do cardio, and more. It should be noted once again that Stoppani, though dominant on the internet, isn’t your average internet influencer. He holds a PhD in exercise physiology, so his advice isn’t “bro science,” it’s real science. You won’t get much better advice than right here.
I was wondering how fast or if there is a difference at how fast you should move the weight during any exercise. I hear a lot of different people saying different things. which is correct?
It depends on your goal like anything else as well as what types of equipment you are using. For instance if you are looking to develop strength, slow controlled movements are the standard as typically you are moving large amounts of weight. If you are looking to increase Power output then a more rapid pace movement should be required as power= Force x Velocity. This is why I am a strong and firm believer in the bands. The bands provide an environment where momentum is a nO factor, which allows you to move at a fast rapid pace.
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Stefanovic Mina
2) Cardio before or after
When should I do cardio? before or after I lift the weights?
Good question as its one that comes up quite often. Typically its always better to Do cardio separately in the morning on an empty stomach, however most of us only have one session at the gym where we are trying to get everything done in one session. My recommendation would be to lift the iron before and perform the cardio after. However research does show that a program (Such as HIIT Training) in which you are doing short bouts of intense cardio in between resistance training is best for shedding excess body fat.
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antoniodiaz / Shutterstock
3) Behind the Neck
I do behind the neck shoulder presses when i train shoulders and a trainer in the gym i workout in told me that i am going to blow my shoulders out. it that true?
If you watch my video I cover this particular movement. As a rule of thumb if you are careful to take note of the key techniques that you should be aware of while performing this movement, you will not “Blow out” your shoulders. Actually, quite the opposite. the behind the neck shoulder press emphasizes more of the lateral deltoid head of the shoulders giving the wide “boulder look”.
Typically to not lean your head forward and be careful not to slam or tap the base of the neck as you do them. Also do not focus on attempting heavy weight as you can compensate the technique and form wy trying to lift heavy which should not be the goal with this exercise.
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jorgegonzalez
4) Creatine
How safe is creatine for teenagers should they wait or can I take a supplement like the Con-Cret.
Research confirms that creatine is very safe for teens. Remember that creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in meat like beef, fish and chicken.
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MarsBars / Getty
5) Beta alanine feeling
Just got my hands on some beta-alanine, made by Pro-source. I was wondering if the tingling sensations and the flushing of the skin were normal in all brands of beta-alanine??? It doesn’t hurt, but it does feel funny. Thanks!!
Yes, that is normal with beta-alanine… it’ s known as parathesia and is caused by beta-alanine binding to nerve receptors.
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Marc Bruxelle / Shutterstock
6) Pro Hormones/Natural Test Boosters
Was wondering what your take on pro hormones/natural Test Boosters? Are any of them worth the money or do the possible side effect out weight the rewards?
I am a big believer in natural testosterone boosters, those that help to increase your own levels of testosterone. This is how I am able to keep my testosterone levels up and my muscle size naturally.
Some of my favorites include D-aspartic acid, forskolin, ashwagandha, ZMA, and believe it or not vitamin D and calcium. I am not a huge fan of pro hormones, since most of them are pro-steroids, that get converted in the body to steroids that increase testosterone levels unnaturally. The only supplements that I take that are technically prohormones are DHEA and pregnenolone. Since these are produced naurally in the body and decrease as we age, it is a good idea to take these. I am actually working on an article called Jim’s Favorite Test Boosters right now that will cover these supplements. Expect to see it soon in my Supplements section!
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Syda Productions
7) Con-cret
Would you recommend con-cret? It costs more but willing to try it. I started training biceps/back for first time in a while and my biceps have gotten so much weaker 🙁 Would you recommend the tablet or powder form? I’m also going to get some beta-alanine as recommended by you.
Yes, I definitely recommend Con-Cret. Not only does the research show that this form of creatine (creatine hydrochloride) is taken up better by the body than creatine monohydrate, but the majority of people who try it, notice a big difference. The powder form has a very sour taste, that you may not like. If that’s the case then go with the capsules. But either form works just as well as the other… it’s just personal preference.
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Africa Studio
8) Type 2 Diabetes
I’m 41, 6ft3 230pds. I have type 2 diabetes. Have you ever designed a work out routine for us diabetics? I know insulin plays a key role in muscle building and fat loss. I take 850mg of Metformin to control my blood sugar. Any advice would help.
Diabetics can do the same workouts as people without diabetes. The great thing about working out is that it increases the amount of glucose taken up from the blood without the help from insulin. So exercise is a great way to lower blood sugar and in many cases can reverse Type 2 diabetes. The only thing that I would be concerned about for you is that because you take Metformin, there is a very slight chance of the development lactic acidosis. THis is rare, but because weight lifting increase lactic acid levels, it could increase the likelihood. But again this is very rare. So just be sure to allow adequate rest between exercises (2-3 minutes). But pretty much, you can follow any of the workouts I have here on the site. All the best!
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RossHelen
9) Ideal Macros for fat loss
What are your ideal macros for any fat loss diet ? (i.e. 40/40/20, 50/30/20). Also amount of sugar? Not sure how to count sugar taking as a reference general macros.
I usually don’t worry to much about ratios, but more about how many grams of each macronutrient to take each day. For fat loss OR muscle gain you need about 1.0 – 2.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight and 0.5 grams of fat per pound of body weight. When it comes to fat loss, keep the fat steady at about 0.5 grams, as you need it to maintain testosterone levels. The real change comes from carb intake. For dropping body fat you need to keep carbs to 1 gram per pound or less, even going as low as 0.25 grams per pound. As far as calories go, using these guidelines will automatically set your calories up so that you don’t need to count them since the low carb intake will keep calories low enough for fat loss.
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Golubovy
10) Vitamin D
In one of your articles you mentioned that we do not get enough vitamin D in our daily allowance. You recommended 2000 IU of vitamin D, can you tell me what the best time to take and the dosage? Thanks
I recommend 2,000 – 5,000 IU of vitamin D. I usually recommend about 1,000-2,000 IU taken at breakfast and dinner.
