When bodybuilding coach and natural strength athlete Jeff Nippard isn’t in the gym, he’s usually taking a deep dive to discover the best, most evidence-backed way to workout. Last year, Nippard looked at social media’s most popular bodybuilding influencer, Sam Sulek, to provide what he says is the most “analytical, science-based critique of Sam Sulek’s training on the internet”. And, he says he’s found Sam Sulek’s training secrets, the one thing that the newly crowned IFBB Pro does better than anybody else. Here’s the good news, you may be able to emulate this too.
When Nippard isn’t crushing his workouts, he is usually crunching the data. Don’t believe it? Maybe this will help: The bro-science fact checker looked at 460 sets of Sulek’s exercises in order to analyze his workout structure in 2024. Apparently, those 460 sets were made up of 15% chest, 20% back, 16% biceps, 11% quads and 25% triceps. The first thing that Nippard was surprised to see was Sulek’s heavy emphasis on triceps, because “anatomy research tells us that the triceps are less than 4% of total body muscle,” he explained.
The quads, says Nippard, account for almost 30% total muscle-mass, however. Also of note was the fact that aside from his forearm work, 98% of Sulek’s training is done to failure. Nippard says that this could cause a problem with recovery but says that if that’s covered, training hard is one of the best ways to ensure muscle growth. Now an IFBB Pro, Sulek has surely evolved his training and recovery since last year, but there is plenty here for the aspiring bodybuilder to study.
In the interests of balance, the coach noted that Sulek looked huge, and was still making great progress, but felt that he could make further improvements to his gameplan by “stripping back” some of the weight and concentrating on his range of motion. This advice is supported by science, he says, but Nippard also piled plenty of praise on the fast-rising bodybuilder. “There’s one thing in particular, that I think Sam does better than any fitness influencer that I am aware of,” said the buff scientist.
“Most importantly, Sam clearly loves training,” observed Nippard after studying his haul of flex footage. “Probably more than any fitness influencer that I am aware of. He’s super consistent, he does exercises that he enjoys, and he has a good time in the gym.”
Nippard understands that mindset is the key to making progress and is not to be underestimated. “Obviously, hard workouts require discipline, and there will always be days when you don’t feel like going to the gym,” he said. “But finding ways to make your workouts more enjoyable is always a good thing, and Sam clearly has that mastered. And he gets an A++ for sustainability and enjoyment.”
This should serve as inspiration for us all. The key to consistency is finding a way to enjoy the process. While Sulek often braves the elements and drives to his early morning workouts, he is not averse to switching up his routine if he isn’t feeling a particular exercise, on a particular day. This flexibility allows him to have a little more fun and has no doubt served him well on his meteoric journey to going pro.
Still, the critical coach detailed a number of other things that he felt Sulek did well, some that he did badly, and other traits that he thought were probably a waste of time. To show your appreciation for Nippard’s epic analysis, watch the full YouTube video below.
To follow Jeff Nippard on Instagram, click here.
Continue reading...
When Nippard isn’t crushing his workouts, he is usually crunching the data. Don’t believe it? Maybe this will help: The bro-science fact checker looked at 460 sets of Sulek’s exercises in order to analyze his workout structure in 2024. Apparently, those 460 sets were made up of 15% chest, 20% back, 16% biceps, 11% quads and 25% triceps. The first thing that Nippard was surprised to see was Sulek’s heavy emphasis on triceps, because “anatomy research tells us that the triceps are less than 4% of total body muscle,” he explained.
The quads, says Nippard, account for almost 30% total muscle-mass, however. Also of note was the fact that aside from his forearm work, 98% of Sulek’s training is done to failure. Nippard says that this could cause a problem with recovery but says that if that’s covered, training hard is one of the best ways to ensure muscle growth. Now an IFBB Pro, Sulek has surely evolved his training and recovery since last year, but there is plenty here for the aspiring bodybuilder to study.
In the interests of balance, the coach noted that Sulek looked huge, and was still making great progress, but felt that he could make further improvements to his gameplan by “stripping back” some of the weight and concentrating on his range of motion. This advice is supported by science, he says, but Nippard also piled plenty of praise on the fast-rising bodybuilder. “There’s one thing in particular, that I think Sam does better than any fitness influencer that I am aware of,” said the buff scientist.
Jeff Nippard’s Analysis Found Sam Sulek Excels in One Particular Area of Bodybuilding
“Most importantly, Sam clearly loves training,” observed Nippard after studying his haul of flex footage. “Probably more than any fitness influencer that I am aware of. He’s super consistent, he does exercises that he enjoys, and he has a good time in the gym.”
Nippard understands that mindset is the key to making progress and is not to be underestimated. “Obviously, hard workouts require discipline, and there will always be days when you don’t feel like going to the gym,” he said. “But finding ways to make your workouts more enjoyable is always a good thing, and Sam clearly has that mastered. And he gets an A++ for sustainability and enjoyment.”
This should serve as inspiration for us all. The key to consistency is finding a way to enjoy the process. While Sulek often braves the elements and drives to his early morning workouts, he is not averse to switching up his routine if he isn’t feeling a particular exercise, on a particular day. This flexibility allows him to have a little more fun and has no doubt served him well on his meteoric journey to going pro.
Still, the critical coach detailed a number of other things that he felt Sulek did well, some that he did badly, and other traits that he thought were probably a waste of time. To show your appreciation for Nippard’s epic analysis, watch the full YouTube video below.
To follow Jeff Nippard on Instagram, click here.
Continue reading...
