G’day Shredders,
Today I’ll introduce you to a special friend of mine…but first a little history!
40 Days Ago…
Forty days ago on Day 505: M4 Training Day II Tom Venuto introduced me to a friend of his. Meeting Tom’s friend was literally 125 days in making and a goal that propelled me throughout the duration of Mission 4: Date With Destiny.
I can tell you from first-hand experience that Tom’s buddy is a tough hombre who prefers to let actions speak louder than words. In fact he doesn’t speak at all, he really is the “strong & silent type”.
A Friend Of Tom’s Is A Friend Of Mine!
Importantly, Tom’s mate also consistently “puts results on the board”. In fact, the “board” is the only place where he puts results!
That’s right! As I reported back on Day 542: My Friend From The USA Has Arrived In Japan my old buddy turned up at my doorstep early in the morning (and woke me from my “recovery sleep”!)
We Had A “Reunion Party” Today!
Even though we only met briefly once before on Day 505: “Say Mercy To The Quad Blaster” the coolest thing is Tom’s friend is now officially a friend of mine (we had a “reunion party” today!)
RTP Quiz Guesses…And The Winner!
As my Fellow Shredders had already seen my new friend on video I decided to hold the toughest RTP Quiz ever on yesterday’s Day 544 Post!
The Question Was:
Who Is My Friend Who Travelled From The USA To Japan To Be My M5 Training Partner?
Here Were The Three Hints!
1) My friend is the “strong and silent” type.
2) Tom Venuto introduced me to him.
3) A big hint is contained in this post!
Here were the guesses to yesterday’s RTP Quiz Question
Comment by Mike Groom on May 5, 2008 2:19 pm
Hey Adam. Didn’t you have some large photos (of yours truly) mounted on wood or foam? Are these coming out or is it a lifesize cardboard cutout?
Comment by Andrew on May 5, 2008 2:52 pm
I’ll take a stab at Jeff McBride…
Comment by Kali Lilla on May 5, 2008 4:01 pm
I’m surprised that you’re still calling him your friend after what he put you through. And I thought Tom was a taskmaster! Your “friend” is brutal.
BTW, hubba hubba! Looking good.
Comment by Suzette on May 5, 2008 7:06 pm
i figured it out!!! it took me a little while…but i am sure it is the infamous “Quad Blaster” “Results on the board”…would be the clue?! I am i right????!
Comment by Bob on May 5, 2008 7:54 pm
Hum, a friend introduced by Tom Venuto…hum, I looked at your facebook page and at Tom’s site and I think that it may be Rob Cooper.
I look for the answer Adam…Comment by Lynda Renfro Diaz on May 5, 2008 8:35 pm
Has got to be that terrible machine that made you so unhappy. Well, anyway you were looking unhappy. That´s all it could be. If it doesn´t get you, you will surely get into fantastic shape!
LyndaComment by Mike Groom on May 5, 2008 11:14 pm
I reckon Suzette’s got it!
Comment by Joni on May 6, 2008 1:38 am
Oh Suz you totally scooped me on that, it’s gotta be Mr. Quad Blaster! Great job! Adam, you are crazy that thing’s a beast. I couldn’t figure out how to buy one from the website, though…oh well, I don’t know if I’m up for that yet! Can’t wait to see the pic!
And The Winner Is…
Suzette! Great guess Suzette, you even picked up the “results on the board” clue!
“I’d Like To Introduce You To My Little Friend” said Tom Venuto
As I mentioned earlier my friend and I go way back. It was quite a weird introduction, Tom actually pulled him out of the trunk of The Burn The Fat Mobile!
His Name is Quad Blaster…The Son of Carlos.
Tom and Mr. Quad Blaster then put me through an intense training session on M4: Training Day II. Even though we only spent 10 minutes together he made a big impression on me…literally!
Day 505: “Say Mercy To The Quad Blaster”
Is Using The Blaster “Painful”?
The Quad Blaster is not for the faint of heart as this video shows. Yes, the exercise itself does require the user to move above and beyond the “pain threshold”.
The Quad Blaster is for people who are serious about getting tangible results from their training efforts.
Quite simply: Above average results require an above average effort.
“Weight Loss Gimmicks” And “Quick Fixes” Do Not Work.
The notion that anyone can get great results from minimal effort and time expenditure is rampant across the Web these days.
There are a ton of fad diets and gimmick training books for sale that pitch you on 4-Minute Abs or only 3 Days a Week Training. These kinds of books have been around for decades and they will be around in years to come as long as there are people who seek a “quick fix” to weight loss.
The Truth Is This…
If you desire the kind of “beach body” you see plastered across Calvin Klein billboards then you must educate yourself on what it really takes to transform your physique to hit that level of muscularity and leanness.
Once you fully understand the effort and dedication required to make a full-blooded physique transformation then you must implement all components (mindset, weight training, cardio and nutrition) on a daily basis with absolute precision.
M4 Shred: Real Time Accountability Daily Plan
Click M4 Shred: Real Time Accountability to get an insight into my daily mindset/training/meal plan that I implemented on Christmas Day 2007 for 84 Days during Mission 4 (at a 98.09% cumulative compliance rate).
The M4 Shred Daily Plan represents 84 days of real-time documentation carried out in the “real world” and is available for you to research and implement completely free of charge.
There Is More to The Blaster Than Meets The Eye
The Quad Blaster was originally designed to prevent pain in the lower back. Read on to learn more about how The Blaster can actually help you prevent lower back pain while working your Quads.
Here are a couple of pics below that were taken on Day 505 by my Fellow Shredder Agent (Codename L) with a few training notes. A full instruction manual is provided with every Quad Blaster.
Quad Blaster: Start Position
Note: To maintain maximum tension on your quads you don’t lock out at the top.
Quad Blaster: Finish Position
Note: To maximize the effectiveness of the Quad Blaster go below parallel (keeping your feet in front of your knees, chest out and head up) and do your reps in one continuous motion, i.e. don’t stop at the “top” or “bottom” of the movement.
Meet Carlos DeJesus, Father Of The Quad Blaster
The Quad Blaster is the brainchild of Carlos DeJesus who originally conceived of The Blaster in 1974. In 1979 Carlos had the plans copyrighted and 22 years later he would have a US Patent on The Blaster design. Put simply, the Quad Blaster is an original design.
The Storied 34-Year History of The Blaster
In 1974 Carlos had been exercising with weights for 10 years, but because of a sacro-lumbar strain and a degenerative disc condition he had constant back pain. Carlos was unable to do squats with enough weight to challenge his thighs to grow.
Overcoming Lower Back Pain Was The Goal For Carlos
One day he was wondering if there is some other way he could exercise his thighs without the crippling back pain he experienced with Squats. At the time there weren’t very many options. So he began to experiment on making some type of a “machine” that would give him muscular contraction in the Quads without the back pain.
The Quad Blaster Is Born!
Carlos tried everything he could think of until one day it all came together. After six months of experimentation he had his first prototype of what would later be called the Quad Blaster. Carlos then used it for 4 years before he even let anyone look at it.
During that time he attempted to refine and streamline his new invention to improve its appearance, but he found that the original design very functional. It was light in weight, which made it portable, and it worked his thighs like nothing else ever did.
Carlos DeJesus became a World Champion Natural Bodybuilder
The Quad Blaster then helped Carlos train for and win the 1980 Virginia State Bodybuilding Championships, Mr. USA and Mr. North America in 1981, and the Natural-For-Life World Bodybuilding Championships in 1985.
The Blaster Is My Mission 5 Training Partner!
I will follow the advice of Carlos DeJesus (The Blaster comes with an Instruction Manual) and implement Quad Blasting into my M5 Training Routine with the objective of gaining measureable (and visible) results by M5 Judgment Day.
How To Get Your Own Quad Blaster!
Click this link to learn more about the Quad Blaster and how you can implement it into your lower body training routine. The Blaster will especially help those who experience lower back pain when doing Squats.
Fact: Carlos personally trained 12 people using The Blaster and they all became Champions…every one of them. Maybe The Quad Blaster could help you in your quest for strengthened quads without lower back pain?
Carlos’ Website: http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness.com
Tom & Carlos’ Amazing 17-Year Quad Blaster Story!
Tom Venuto and Quad Blaster inventor, Carlos DeJesus actually go back 17 years when Tom first used the Quad Blaster in 1989/90. Read more about this Amazing 17 Year Quad Blaster Story at Tom’s BodyBuilding Secrets Blog when Tom revealed the Quad Blaster.
Ok Shredders, its lights out for me now!
Until tomorrow…
Eat Clean, Shred Hard, Think BIG!
P.S. Below you can see me and The Blaster hanging out in my doorway! He is a little camera shy but he promises to reveal himself fully very soon. Stay tuned…
P.S.S. Below are my RTP Blog Day 545 pics for May 5, 2008: Mission 5 – Pre Shred
Quad Blaster Update: 8 Week Results
Here are my Quad Blaster results over RTP Shred 1.0. Learn more about the Quad Blaster Carlos Dejesus website: http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness.com
13 Comments
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Love this quote, “Above average results require an above average effort”. YOu for sure put in above average effort, not only in your diet and workouts but also in all you do for us shredders!
sweet, I got one right. It took me a while. I had to brain storm through your videos and it just hit me about the “board” comment in quotations. at first I thought it might be “someone” else from maybe BFFM Inner circle anyways, great quiz.
Great story behind the QB. will be fun to watch your quads “grow”!
If anyone is interested, there’s really no need to get a quad blaster to do these types of things to your quads. Try this one on for size–it is also a true “quad blaster”.
Go to a power rack (the metal rack with holes and bars that can be moved up and down) and set the bars to just below the bend in your knees. Place the Olympic bar across the two bars and up against the front part of the rack so that it won’t move. Add to the Olympic bar the squat cushion thingy. Now stand at the bar in Adam’s start position above and sit back and squat until you’re in the finish position above. Make sure your feet are a little under the bar (or put some heavy weight plates at your toes to keep you from moving). Come back up and repeat. You just did a quad blaster workout! This tip came from the Muscle Nerd himself, Jeff Anderson.
Thanks for the tip Michael – I’m going to try that!
I think it will be a little different though because the QB is built at a slight angle and the straps probably provide more instability causing different muscle recruitment to balance.
There was another “toy” that provided a similar quad workout at S&S gym (kind of like you described – a bar with foot anchor) but I think Tom said nothing compares to the nuances of the QB. But since I won’t be getting a QB anytime soon, I’m gonna try your method.
Micheal, you’ll need to video that ( i am having trouble envisioning that)
Here’s what i do: ski squats. Place a stability ball between a wall and the small of your back. lean on the ball and lower to a squat position – bend at the knees unthill your thighs are parallell to the floor. Now, hold that. For as long as you can…usually a minute or so. When you feel like you’re going to fall over, or when you do fall over, then you can release your posiiton. Hold dumbbells to increase challenge. Do three sets of them and feel the burn!!!
I’m so tempted to get one of those things!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eINfSEtqUQE
That’s a video capture of what I am talking about. Sorry, no sound.
Michael,
What you have just described is similar to a Roman Chair Squat. This is what Tom Venuto and I did for Quad Blaster warm-up.
A Roman Chair vs. Quad Blaster comparison is on both Tom’s and Carlos’ websites at the specific links that were provided in the post.
From Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, ISSA, ASCM
“Some people who looked at the quad blaster the first time said, ‘Its nothing special, it’s just a roman chair squat.”
Indeed, the roman chair squat is about the closest thing there is to the quad blaster, but mark my words, it is NOT the same thing. They ARE similar, but you have to use the quad blaster to appreciate the uniqueness of the device.”
From Carlos DeJesus, 1985 Natural-For-Life World Bodybuilding Champion
“How is The Quad Blaster different from the Roman Chair?
The Quad Blaster lives. What I mean is, it breathes. If someone were to observe you using the Quad Blaster they would notice that the cushion behind your knee moves with you in a perfect arc of your thigh movement when you use it. The Roman Chair does not. The Roman Chair is a stationary apparatus; The Quad Blaster can be carried with you.”
From Myself:
I have personally tried both and I agree with Tom Venuto and Carlos DeJesus. I do not claim to be in their league but I have learned a thing or two over the last 545 days on my RTP Mission and over the last 8 years since I started BFL.
Here is a tip for you:
Actions, Results and Experience speak louder than words.
Hi Suzette, great job on guessing the right answer. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll get to experience the QB first hand!
Go for it Mike! Get your own QB and document your progress with it. By the look of your quads now I think you would get a good number of reps right out of the gate.
P.S. Carlos does ship internationally too.
Hey Adam,
As an observer watching you do the Roman Chair Squat and the QB, I definitely thought there was a difference between the exercises. Sometimes things that seem the same on the surface, can deliver totally different experiences.
What everyone didn’t see in your vid but I got to witness firsthand, was Tom V on the QB. And let me tell everyone, if the QB can offer someone of Tom’s status that big of a challenge, it’s got to be seriously intense.
BTW, 545 days straight and 8 years of experience is huge and a lot more than most people can claim. Your word is good enough for me at this point.
Adam, actually, if you watch the video, it is nothing like a Roman Chair Squat. In a Roman Chair Squats have your feet under a bar and your legs supported by the Roman Chair itself. If you see the video you will see that the exercise I described is almost exactly like the Quad Blaster. It puts you in the same position, but your feet are not supported by any straps at all. The bar itself replaces the strap that goes back behind you. I think this is about the closest thing to the Quad Blaster that you can get.
I agree that actions, results and experience speak louder than words and that’s why I say don’t knock it until you try it. Jeff Anderson and Nick NIlsson know quite a bit about exercise physiology and they specifically recommend this exercise, even calling it “The Quad Blaster Workout”. Give it a try and compare it to the Quad Blaster. I think you’ll see that your actions, resultts and experience will be in agreement with that of Jeff and Nick.
Quad Blaster (from Carlos) is SUPER cheap. I was shocked by how cheap it is for something that is hand constructed. He just gave me an estimate of $180 to build and ship the device, so I think I’m going to pick one up at the end of the month.
Cool Michael,
That’ll make a unique addition to your “toy” box when you’re a PT. Your clients are going to love you or curse you!