• My Training Evolution

• The 3-Part Contraction

• A Tasty High-Protein Snack

As I step into life after competitive bodybuilding, I realize how much my approach to training is evolving. It’s no longer just about lifting heavier weights or perfecting my physique for the stage, it’s about longevity, functionality, and staying jacked while exploring new challenges.

Recently, I brought in Justin King, a trainer who’s been instrumental in helping me navigate this transition, for a full-body assessment.

The goal? Fine-tune my training for what’s next while addressing old imbalances and weaknesses that years of intense bodybuilding left behind. This is what growth looks like, embracing the challenge of reinventing yourself while staying true to your goals.

Taking Stock: The Assessment

After 15 years of pushing my body to the limit, I’ve picked up my fair share of injuries and quirks. Justin’s assessment revealed strengths and weaknesses:

• Hips: My hip muscles are weak and tight, and I need to address the issue to improve my mobility.

• Hamstrings: My hamstrings are weak, and there’s a clear imbalance between my left and right sides.

• Ankles: Surprisingly, my dorsiflexion (ankle mobility) is solid, which gives us a foundation to build on.

This information shapes how we’re now approaching my training. By addressing these weak links, I’ll improve my mobility, reduce injury risk, and achieve better strength and hypertrophy results.

Train Smarter, Not Harder

One of the biggest shifts in my mindset has been focusing on efficiency and longevity. It’s easy to get caught up in pushing through pain or discomfort, something I did plenty during my career, but that approach eventually catches up with you.

For example, bodybuilders (myself included) often switch to machines or reduce their range of motion when a joint starts to hurt. While that might keep you in the gym short-term, it can worsen the underlying issue. Now, I’m taking the time to fix those problems at the root, which will allow me to train harder and more effectively.

Justin put it perfectly: fixing the weak links not only prevents injuries but also improves muscle activation and range of motion, leading to greater gains overall.

The New Approach

The exciting part of this transition is that I’m not just looking to maintain my physique, I want to expand what my body can do.

We’re incorporating elements of athletic training, like high-density sets, isometric holds, and movements that focus on explosiveness and control. These are helping me build strength, mobility, and endurance in a way that’s functional for everyday life while still aligning with my goals to stay jacked.

For example, one session focused on strengthening my hamstrings with controlled eccentric movements, lowering the weight slowly to maximize muscle engagement. It’s tough, but the results are undeniable.

What’s Next

Looking ahead, my goal is to redefine what it means to be a hybrid athlete. To me, that means combining the size and strength I’ve built as a bodybuilder with the mobility, athleticism, and endurance of an all-around athlete.

The idea of being able to sprint, jump, and even run a solid mile excites me, not because I want to become a marathon runner, but because it’s a challenge that will push me outside my comfort zone.

At the same time, I’m committed to sharing this journey with all of you. Through the STNDRD training app, we’re building programs that incorporate these principles, from injury prevention to mobility work to functional strength training. It’s about helping everyone — not just elite athletes — move better, feel stronger, and reach their goals.

Lessons from the Transition

This stage of my career has taught me that slowing down doesn’t mean stopping. It means being intentional, reassessing your goals, and finding smarter ways to achieve them.

For me, that means embracing the challenge of change while still staying true to the things I love: training hard, pushing my limits, and finding joy in the process.

As we head into 2025, I’m excited to continue this journey, both for myself and for the community we’re building together.

Whether you’re looking to improve your mobility, avoid injury, or simply take your training to the next level, I hope these insights inspire you to keep evolving.

Set the Standard!

Chris

When most people hit the gym, they focus on lifting the weight: pressing, pulling, or standing up. That’s the concentric phase, where the muscle shortens to move the load.

But if you stop there, you’re missing out on the other two critical phases, eccentric and isometric, and leaving gains on the table.

Each phase plays a unique role in building strength, size, and performance. Here’s how to make the most of all three:

Concentric Phase (Shortening the Muscle): This phase happens when you lift or push, like pressing a barbell up on a bench press or standing up in a squat.

Key Benefits: Strength and hypertrophy.

Upgrade Your Sets: Add pauses or slower eccentric lowering to extend your set’s duration, turning a 20-second set into 40–120 seconds for greater gains.

Eccentric Phase (Lengthening the Muscle): The eccentric happens as you lower the weight, bringing the bar to your chest during a bench press or lowering into a squat.

Key Benefit: Extended eccentrics are brutal but yield incredible growth.

Upgrade Your Sets: Manipulate time under tension, like adding 3-second descents, to maximize hypertrophy.

Isometric Phase (Pausing the Movement): This occurs when you hold a position, like pausing at the bottom of a squat or mid-row.

Key Benefit: Stimulates strength gains across a range of motion (±15 degrees from the pause point).

Upgrade Your Sets: Pause in a stretched position to strengthen weak links and prevent injuries.

Incorporate all three phases into your training to unlock new levels of strength, hypertrophy, and resilience. For more, download our Jacked Athlete Handbook using the link below.

If you are looking for a high-protein snack, here’s a quick recipe from RAW Nutrition (courtesy of Chef Walker) for a blueberry mug cake that will satisfy your cravings without extra sugar. 

How to make it: 

Combine 1 scoop of Christopher’s Whey Protein, 1/4 cup of oat flour, 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 Stevia packet, 1/4 cup almond milk, and 1/4 cup blueberries. 

Mix ingredients thoroughly, then cook in the microwave on high for 1:30 to 2 minutes. 

Go to RAW Nutrition and use the code CBUM to get our best deal on whey protein and other essentials.

Q: Hi Chris, the new year is here, and I have no idea where to start to get my diet squared away. Any advice?

 — Alex O., Naples, Fla.

A: Hey, Alex, you’re not alone, a lot of people don’t know where to start when it comes to nutrition.

My advice is to begin tracking everything you eat. Don’t change anything at first, just put down everything you eat in the STNDRD app or a macro calculator.

Then look at your protein requirements, your carbs and fats, and the quality of the food you’re eating. You may realize you are eating way more or way less than you thought, but you’re not going to know until you track it.

Once you do that, then you can begin to adjust based on your goals.

 Question for Chris? Hit reply or send your question to [email protected] and we’ll consider it for inclusion in a future issue of The Standard.

Champion Mentality

“When your success is no longer attached to an outcome, the only way you can lose is if you quit on yourself.”

Introducing: The New STNDRD in Fitness!

I’m stoked to launch my new app, STNDRD. Get my daily workouts, track your nutrition, connect with our community, get discounts on merch, and more.

Download it on Apple or Google Play today!

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