Maybe the Jay Cutlers and Ronnie Colemans of the world pack too much mass for your liking. That’s why second-year IFBB pro Mark Dugdale is among the top role models the sport of bodybuilding has to offer.
Not only are his physical aesthetics second to none onstage, but his workouts aren’t comprised of set after endless set; he likes to keep his training volume minimal and his intensity at full throttle.
No wonder, seeing as he has a life outside of bodybuilding as a husband, father of three children and co-owner of Garden Fresh Foods, a produce manufacturing company in Woodinville, Washington.
Take it from Mark Dugdale
On rest periods: “I try to get my workouts done in 60 minutes, so the pace is fairly quick. Once I’ve caught my breath and feel ready to give 100%, I go again.
Off-season the weights are heavier and the rest periods longer because it’s harder to recover from a set when you weigh 240 vs. 215!”
On dieting: He sticks to the basics: Seitan, baked tofu, and soymilk. Not! He didn’t comment on his diet.
On why he does two sets of everything, not three or four: “If you do more than two sets, then you’re saving yourself and not training to complete failure and beyond on each set. I go by feel with two sets being the upper limit. Sometimes I do only one set.”
On cardio: “Off-season this past year, I did 20 minutes [of cardio] at a low intensity before breakfast 5-6 days a week.
Preparing for the Ironman Pro Invitational, I did 30 minutes before breakfast at a higher intensity three days a week, with the other four days at 20 minutes of low intensity.
I exchanged a low-intensity session with a high-intensity one every couple of weeks. By six weeks out from the show, I was doing 30 minutes of high-intensity cardio every morning.”
Mark Dugdale’s Workout
Day 1 – Chest, biceps, calves
Day 2 – Quads/glutes, abs
Day 3 – Rest
Day 4 – Back, hamstrings, calves
Day 5 – Shoulders, triceps, abs
Day 6-7 – Rest [via]