Bartek Ka
@Bartek_Kamyk_ • 11,128 subscribers
30+ years of training, 12 years teaching. Building a strong, resilient body & mind. Longevity and peak fitness at any age. 💪 Personal insights and takes. 👊
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If that’s your Smith machine squat, I can’t even imagine what your barbell squat looks like. No wonder you made poor gains over the last 3 years of barbell squatting. And I don’t believe you made any major gains after switching to the Smith machine either, if that’s the way you squat.
Bartek Ka510,860 views • 29 days ago
Just read a heated debate between two bodybuilders about fasted cardio. The argument is that studies don’t support it being any better than fed cardio. In fact, it may be inferior. Let’s see what John Meadows thought about fasted cardio and those studies. My personal, anecdotal experience is that fasted cardio was one of the tools I used to get into the best shape of my life, multiple times in the past. Now that I have more freedom, I do both... But every time I miss my morning fasted cardio session, I feel like I didn’t do 100% of what I know has worked best for me. It’s always in the back of my mind that fasted cardio might be more effective, simply because that’s been my experience. My take is this: if you’ve tried something, anything many times over and you just know it works for you, why try to fix it? Just because some studies say there might be a better way? Like John Meadows said: “You can find a study that supports anything you believe in. If you believe you shouldn’t do it, or you should do it, it doesn’t matter... you’ll find a study that agrees with you. So everybody is right and everybody is wrong.” Later he added: “Experiment and find out if it works for you.” That’s what I think bodybuilding is all about. No study should override your personal experience and convictions or determine your individual choices about how you do things. Because when it comes to bodybuilding and your own body, you’re not a participant in someone else’s study. You’re studying yourself through trial and error. You’re your own experiment.
Bartek Ka61,976 views • 12 days ago
In 2009, Chris Cormier visited Dorian Yates to train with him at Temple Gym in Birmingham. Chris and Dorian shared the Mr. Olympia stage in the ’90s. Chris continued competing into the early 2000s and was even planning a comeback. Dorian put him through his usual Blood & Guts, short, brutal, and intense leg day. What happened after training is what happens when you train with a ‘psycho.’ At the end, Chris said: “There is definitely something wrong with Dorian.”
Bartek Ka649,224 views • 5 months ago
Chris Bumstead was asked for his 10 favorite exercises “for the rest of time.” He didn’t name a single machine. Not one. -Squats -Deadlifts -Pull-ups -Incline DB press -DB shoulder press -Close-grip barbell press -DB curls -Bent-over rows -Lateral raises -Hanging leg raises Lesson here boys. That video was for Dean T. and all the stability crowd.
Bartek Ka284,390 views • 7 months ago
Be careful with your Bulgarian squat setup, don’t be stupid like me. Set was planned for 10+ reps. Rear foot pad slipped back on rep 3. I should’ve stopped, but didn’t. Pulled the side of my left leg on rep 5 (probably IT band or vastus lateralis). Nothing major but it wasn't smart.
Bartek Ka209,310 views • 9 months ago
Barbell Squats build more than your quads. They build more than your legs. They put systemic stress on your entire body, forcing it to grow. Barbell Rows build more than your lats. They build your entire back, including your erectors and traps. They also add to the growth of your posterior chain. I could go on with other free weight examples, just understand this: The overall hypertrophic stimulus and added muscle density achieved with heavy, free-weight compound lifts will be greater than what’s achieved using machines exclusively. In the context of bodybuilding, a combination of both free weights and machines is the best scenario… under one condition: The aim should be to first max out both maximal strength and execution quality on free-weight lifts. That’s how most of the best physiques in history were built. And that should be the bread and butter for any beginner, up to a late-intermediate / early-advanced lifter. Don’t just take my word for it. Study the history of bodybuilding and how the biggest mofos built their physiques.
Bartek Ka117,689 views • 6 months ago
Not sure what the standard is for women on dips. She failed at rep 20. We’re hitting 25–30 this year.
Bartek Ka135,342 views • 7 months ago
Chris Tuttle on Reta in bodybuilding: “I’m not by any means on board and it honestly disgusts me when people want to use it to quiet appetite… I’m sorry dude, then this is not a sport for you.” Andrew Berry on Reta in bodybuilding: “I don’t have people using reta to quiet a food noise ok, to me I kind of think it’s a little pussy…” Bartek on Reta: “I know coaches on this app putting already lean clients on 5 mg of reta from the start, when the clients’ primary goal is to gain size.”
Bartek Ka20,303 views • 28 days ago
So here we go, my first ever set of hip thrusts (after a few warm-ups). Took me only 31 years to try it. Not sure about the form, tried my best, and happy to hear criticism from my bros. Really liked it. Mind-arse connection: 9 out of 10. Article about Bret Contreras incoming. Now I know.
Bartek Ka103,317 views • 9 months ago
The gym I train and work at is expanding soon, so I shared a few IG posts last week in collaboration with the owner. While scrolling, I noticed some young guns doing impressive, almost unbelievable stuff. One guy caught my attention: Will Holmes. Natural bodybuilder. 18 years old. 225 lbs. He already lifts heavier than I did in my prime. Fascinating, and hard to explain at his age, especially natural. Pendulum squat: 8.25 plates x 8 Deadlift: 310kg , 283lbs x 2 Smith squat: 6.5 plates x 4 Cybex Incline press: 7 plates ps. Hack Squat: 8 plates x 4 And so on... His coach calls him Alien, and it seems like there are many more young “aliens” emerging out there. My theory is that those young athletes obviously have access to good coaching. But the main difference is they watch others, see what's possible, and by doing so they don’t create limitations in their minds. We’re gonna see more incredible things in the coming years.
Bartek Ka79,264 views • 8 months ago
Seated calf raises. You can’t find a less exciting exercise to post. The way I approach calf training is slow, controlled reps with a full stretch at the bottom and a strong contraction on top. That’s all there is. No bouncing, no fast half-reps bs. Also, if you do that with one plate, you probably get more calf growth from the impact running has on calves. Calves are one of the strongest muscles in the body due to their leverage. You can go heavier, don’t worry, they won’t snap.
Bartek Ka95,078 views • 10 months ago
If you’re struggling with a 3 plate squat, just rest at the bottom.
Bartek Ka47,811 views • 8 months ago