Dave Hawk Jr.'s Workout Tips
|
 |
Although the proper diet is essential for bodybuilding success, the time spent at the gym is the foundation for sculpting your body and becoming ripped. Read below to find out which combinations of workout routines are most effective for Dave Hawk Jr. during his training regimen. |
"When I first started, for almost a year I used nothing but light weights, high reps and did a lot of conditioning. As I became more acclimated with the gym, I slowly evolved into using heavier weights with moderate reps (6-10’s), but always using good form. I normally workout two days on and one day off, and then three days on and one day off, hitting each body part HARD one time per week."
Dave Hawk Jr.'s Workout Schedule (PDF)
What Every Bodybuilder Needs To Know
Here is one tip that I feel that every bodybuilder should know. A lot of people feel that if they just eat a lot and train hard, they will get big. Well, bigger isn’t always better if fat is being put on. What I keep telling people is this--what you eat is what you will become. So, if you’re only going to eat fats, you’re going to be fat and never make changes. Another thing that I want to add is that dieting is 75 % of every bodybuilder’s routine.
On the training side, one tip that I always go by is that when you have come to the point of failure, make sure that you STOP training. You are only hurting yourself by pushing too hard and your gains will surely decrease. Know your limit!
Here is a great tip when doing calf exercises. Make sure to angle your feet in or out to change it up instead of going straight on. This way, you will hit different parts of your calves which will allow for maximum muscle growth.
Dave's Tip For Young Bodybuilding Hopefuls
I also have a suggestion for younger kids just starting to train. You want to make sure to start off light with weights and work your way up. Any credible trainer or bodybuilder will say that you should never feel intimidated by anyone in the gym, because everyone has to start off somewhere. Bottom line…no one should think that they need to train every body part in one day. I see too many kids in my gym training this way and I am sure that there are people in other gyms doing the same thing. Be sure to break your routine down into 4 or 5 days with 2 days of rest. No one should ever be afraid to ask someone for help in order to ensure that they are training correctly.
Being that I am in the process of training for a show, I wanted to offer another piece of advice to others in the same position. Recently, I have been working out with guys who are bigger and stronger than I am. The main reason that I work out this way is because it pushes me to train more intensely since I want to keep up with their level of training. You never want to be the weakest in the group, so always strive to work harder.
Like Father, Like Son: A Tip From Dave Hawk, Sr. to Dave Hawk, Jr.
I just learned a great tip from my Dad. This is to visualize while training. Visualize your muscles as bigger and as a result they will become bigger. For example, being that my legs are my weakness, I asked my Dad for some advice on the best way to achieve my desired gains. He said that if I concentrate and visualize my legs as bigger than they actually are, they will turn out to be larger as a result. Bottom line—it’s important to remember that training can be just as much psychological as well as physical.
Dave’s Tip on Competing
While competing at the 2007 IFBB North American Championships, I found out how much your nerves can affect you on stage. When you allow your nerves to get to you, it’s amazing the way your body will smooth out and retain water. Personally, I noticed it the most in my legs.
I want people to know that whether you win or lose, remember that you put just as much time in at the gym as everyone else did and you should be happy with how your outcome is. If you have improved from a past show, that is all that really matters.
When you go out there, don’t worry about how everyone else looks; as long as you have improved yourself that’s winning to me. Worrying about anyone else will only affect the way you feel about yourself and trust me--it will show.
Here are some things that I have been thinking about that are very important--not only in bodybuilding, but everyday training...
Stretching- I was at the gym the other day and it was amazing how many people I saw go right into training without any type of stretching. From what I've heard and learned over the years, most injuries in the gym or in any activity are due to lack of stretching. So, this tip is really important if you want to keep yourself free from injury.
Hydration- This is probably one of the most important tips of all. You never want to dehydrate yourself. Too many competitors have injured themselves from cutting back on water. It is a vital key in the bodybuilding world, but there is a time to say no more. I've seen it at shows and at my local gyms, kids trying to cut water whether it’s for bodybuilding, wrestling or any sport that falls in that type of field. The main point I'm trying to say is that while you’re working out, you want to keep yourself hydrated to a point where your body can still perform at its maximum potential. When you try to cut water out while training, it’s only going to go down-hill from there.
Breathing- One tip that may benefit people as they are working out is breathing. I see tons of kids in my gym working out while holding their breath and that is actually holding them back from muscle growth. While you are working out, make sure you’re exhaling while flexing the muscle. It will contract the muscle while removing the oxygen from the blood so that when you inhale, you will be flooding the muscle with oxygen causing it to expand and get fuller. In doing this, it will not only work the muscle out to its max, but it will allow you to get that last rep in or a little bit more weight up. Try it sometime; you may find it to help you out with your training.
Focusing- The key to training any body part is focusing on it. Without focusing on the muscle, you’re pretty much just throwing weights around. Visualize the muscle as you work it. Really feel the tension you’re putting on it, and experience the pump you will get while concentrating. It will improve your training ten fold...
