Fitness Competitor & Cover Model Scott Dorn Talks With Simplyshredded.com

How did you get started with bodybuilding?

When I was a kid my older brother had a subscription to Men’s Fitness magazine. I remember looking through the magazines and knowing from a young age I wanted to start working out and one day look like those athletes. My first job as a college freshman I worked as a lifeguard at the YMCA.

I took the job mainly because it came with a free gym membership so I could start working out and I have been hooked ever since.

Where does your motivation come from?

Being competitive, I love a challenge. I have yet to find anything else that challenges me both mentally and physically the way that bodybuilding does. It’s a constant competition with myself to continue to improve.

It’s my passion, my hobby, my career and I love it.

What workout routine has worked best for you?

My training strategy is based around the theory of progressive overload. Simply put, progressive over load is the theory that in order to force a muscle to grow you need to continually increase the level of stress placed upon the muscle each workout. If the level of stress is not increased your muscles will not grow. Increasing the level of stress placed on the muscle can be accomplished in several ways.

Below are some of my favorite ways to increase stress levels.

Lift a greater amount of weight for an equal number of repetitions
Lift the same amount of weight for more repetitions
Lift a greater amount of weight for more repetitions
Decreasing rest periods between sets
Partial reps
Negative reps
Supersets
Drop Sets
The cheating method
The one and half method
The platoon system
The flushing method
The rest pause method

Each of my workouts is structured around a combination of the priority principal and the isolation principal. I prefer to work muscle groups that are lagging or that are of higher priority earlier in the week. I train one muscle group each day, with the exception of leg workouts. I find this allows me to focus my effort; getting the most from each workout. Each workout starts with a compound exercise in order to utilize the maximum amount of strength while the muscle is strongest.

Then I pick an isolation exercise to hit each head of that muscle. I feel it’s vital to target each head of each muscle group in order to fully develop the muscle.

Monday: Chest/Abs/Cardio

Incline DB Press 4 x 8-12
Flat DB Press 2 x 8-12
Decline DB Press 2 x 8-12
Cable Flies 3x 8-12
20 min treadmill
Cable Rope Crunches 4×50
Oblique Crunches 4×50
Hanging Leg Raise 4×50

Tuesday: Biceps/Triceps

Seated DB Curls 4 x 8-12
Standing Hammer Curls 2 x 8-12
Seated Concentration Curls 2 x 8-12
Close Grip Bench Press 4 x 8-12
Cable Rope Press Down 4 x 8-12
One-Arm DB Extension 2 x 8-12

Wednesday: Rest Day

Recover

Thursday: Back/Abs/Cardio

Seated Low Pulley Rows 4 x 8-12
Standing BB Rows 4 x 8-12
Partial Dead Lifts 4 x 8-12
20 min treadmill
Cable Rope Crunches 4×50
Oblique Crunches 4×50
Hanging Leg Raise 4×50

Friday: Quads/Hamstrings/Calves

Seated Leg Extensions 8 x 25-50
Seated Leg Press 6 x 25-50
Hack Squat Machine (Calf Raises) 6 x 25-50

Saturday: Shoulders/Abs/Cardio

Seated BB Military Press 4 x 15-25
DB Lateral Raise 4 x 8-12
Cable Rope Rear Deltoid Rows 4 x 8-12
20 min treadmill
Cable Rope Crunches 4×50
Oblique Crunches 4×50
Hanging Leg Raise 4×50

Sunday: Rest Day

Recover

What is your diet like?

Regardless of your fitness goals, it’s critical to take the time to educate yourself on proper nutrition. Nutrition is a major part of every human beings life. Anything done as frequently as consuming food should be understood on a higher level. Take a bit of time to learn what you are eating; after all you are what you eat. I would recommend checking out one of the many documentaries on the current food industry and its future.

I personally like to stick to natural, non-processed foods. After making the switch to high quality foods, I have yet to find a person who has had regret other than wishing they had made the switch sooner.

My philosophies on nutrition:

Don’t get me wrong, creating a quality nutrition plan that works for you is no easy task. However, it’s an essential part to any successful exercise program. I eat 6-8 small meals spaced between 2.5-3.5 hours throughout the day. Each meal contains a protein, carbohydrate and fat source. The ratios of each are determined by body weight and goals at that time. There is plenty of debate on the correct ratios for each. I keep protein between 1-1.5 grams per pound of body weight. Carbohydrates are typically between 0.8-1.8 grams per pound of body weight. Fats are roughly between 0.2-0.35 grams per pound of body weight. I like to also incorporate carbohydrate cycling in my nutrition plan. If I’m in a muscle building phase I lower my protein and fat amounts and increase my carbohydrate amounts. I then do five high carbohydrate days and two reduced carbohydrate days. Ideally keeping reduced carbohydrate days on non-training days. When I am in a dieting or cutting phase, I increase my protein and fat sources and lower my carbohydrate sources.

I then do five low carbohydrate days and two high carbohydrate days. There is one way to determine what ratio works best for you and that is by using trial and error. Determine your goal, track your nutrients and adjust them based upon the results. Yes, it can be mind boggling at first, but like anything the more you do it the easier it becomes.

My Food Sources:

Protein Sources: Chicken, Venison, Lean Beef, Fish, Eggs, Cottage Cheese
Carbohydrate Sources: Oatmeal, Yams, Bananas, Whole Wheat Rice, Whole Wheat Breads, Whole Wheat Pastas, Whole Wheat Flour, Fruits, Vegetables
Fat Sources: Fish Oil, Flax Oil, Olive Oil, Nuts