Markus was the first "bodybuilder" I ever met. We went to school together. When the long break consisted of an occasional pretzel or pizza pocket, Markus had rice waffles and protein shakes. I first heard about exercise and nutrition plans, about a split, and "the diet for the summer." Certainly because of the sense of humor, Markus and I became good friends in high school. Even after high school we stayed in regular contact. Markus began his studies at the PH with the aim of becoming a teacher. And I dedicated myself to the everyday life of the business studies. During this time it was shin splints that ended my enthusiasm for running - running about 100km per week. Here, too, it was Markus who gave the impetus that I was interested in strength training and then signed up for the studio for the first time. Observed from afar for a long time, I was immediately enthusiastic about the structure and progression of the training. I then got the first training plan from him, the first nutrition tips and an explanation of how to do it with the post-workout shake.
And 10 years later we are here. Markus has written his first book. When Markus approached me about his book idea a few years ago, I was thrilled. Also when asked if I would contribute a chapter in the form of an interview, it was a no-brainer. The book is now 400 pages long.
What's in the book?
The title refers to the English saying "Do you even lift, Bro?", which translates to "Do you train at all, Bro?" Because in almost every fitness studio and on the Internet there is a mix of dangerous half-knowledge, ignorance and "monkey see, monkey do" training methods and exercises, of which nobody really knows why it is actually done like this or simply imitated. You just do it because the guy with the fat arms does it too – Bro-Science for short.
It's primarily a book about strength training and training systems that actually work. Here the wheat is separated from the chaff or bro-science from the practical methods. From Internet forums to magazines to wisdom in the gym, the fitness and weight training scene is also scrutinized. As a reader, you will be well entertained, as you will see yourself or others described in many situations, often with a wink, but not without a meaningful background.
So the book is divided into three segments:
The autobiographical part - Markus tells about his beginnings. The first studio membership. The first dose of creatine. The first diet. The first FIBO visit. Switching to powerlifting. With many anecdotes from more than 15 years of training with different goals, methods and motivations.
The humorous part - As the title suggests, humor plays a major role in this book. Especially the subtitles, in which he explains certain terms and phrases, make the whole thing very humorous. Combining humor with information is a very easy way to learn. And laughter does nobody too much anyway.
The teaching part - The book also goes into the analysis of training programs and periodizations. A total of seven of so-called "Daywalker" programs - which are programs that build both muscle mass and strength, such as Strong Lifts 5×5, five real bodybuilding programs such as Dante Trudel's Doggcrapp, and 10 real powerlifting programs are in the Discussed in detail with advantages and disadvantages as well as recommendations. That makes a total of 22 programs that are either completely included in the book or that can be found quickly on the Internet by citing the source.
In addition, there are interviews with the world champion in natural bodybuilding Sebastian Stitz, the successful powerlifter Daniel Mezger and me.
Enjoy reading Do You Even Work Out Bro?
The book is available right here on Amazon in paperback or Kindle