Jeff Rodriguez - The Frank Zane of Natural Bodybuilding
April 17 2012
Jeff Rodriguez is a natural bodybuilder, and is one of the best natural bodybuilders out there. As you can see his conditioning, muscle separation and symmetry is just of the world. Jeff Rodriguez is indeed the Frank Zane of natural bodybuilding.
Jeff Rodriguez competes in the NPC (National Physique Committee) competitions. He recently won the overall at the 2012 NPC California Governor’s Cup. To compete in the Mr. Olympia, Arnold classic and other pro bodybuilding shows, you have to win the overall (or sometimes your class) at a national level, professional qualifying NPC show. Hence most of the bodybuilders in NPC are using some special ‘vitamins’. You have to have some amazing genetics to be a natural bodybuilder and still compete in the NPC. So to be a natural bodybuilder and win is something special. A few of the other natural bodybuilders in NPC who are doing very well are Kiyoshi Moody, Phillip Ricardo, and Dave Goodin.
I have been following Jeff Rodriguez for a couple of years. What I really like about Jeff is that he seems to be very reasonable and rational in his approach to bodybuilding. Jeff is always quick to say that he doesn’t have any special or magic program and his bodybuilding results could be partly due to his genetics too. There are many uncertainties in bodybuilding and Jeff Rodriguez is honest about his opinion on these, and does not shy away from conveying these uncertainties.Here is Jeff Rodriguez for you:
1. Tell us a bit about yourself Jeff Rodriguez (weight, height, occupation, location)?
Height: 5’9” offseason weight: 215, contest weight: somewhere in the 180s. Occupation: Personal Trainer. Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California
2. Since we might get a few questions on this topic, let me ask straight away: I had a lot of comments about this issue when I posted the article “The Top Natural Bodybuilders”. Do you think it is possible to get a physique like yours without steroids?
I’ve done it so of course I think its possible. I think most people do not get close to their natural potential because they either aren’t consistent enough over a very long period of time.
2. What do you think are your favorite body parts, Jeff?
To train? Back, legs, or chest, though I also like training arms. Favorite body parts… I would say it is the general balance/flow/symmetry of my physique more so than any one body part, though if I had to guess what I think people would say, it would be triceps
3. What is your bodybuilding training program like? For example, the frequency, the number of sets and repetition range.
Here is what I am currently doing. I don’t have a specific day I do these on as they fall on different days each week, but I am currently following this order for 2 days on 1 day off. I also do not do the exact same exercises each week, but I will list a typical workout for each day.
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
3x Flat Dumbbell Presses, 4-10 reps
2-3x Incline Plate Loaded Presses (EG Hammer Strength), 6-10 reps
2-3x Cable Flys, 8-12 reps
4x Side Raises (cable, machine, or dumbbells), 6-12 reps
3x Lying Triceps Extensions, 5-10 reps
2x Cable Push Downs, 6-10 reps
Day 2: Quads, Calves
3x Squats, 4-10 reps
3x Leg Press, 6-10 reps
2x Something 1-legged (lunges, 1 legged leg press, etc.) 8-12 reps
2x Abductor Machine, 8-14 reps
2x Adductor Machine, 8-14 reps
3-4x Any calf machine, 8-14 reps
Day 3: Back, Biceps
3x Barbell Rows, 6-10 reps
2-3x Plate Loaded Pull Down, 6-10 reps
2-3x Dumbbell Rows, 8-10 reps
0-2x Pull Overs, 8-10 reps
2x Barbell Shrugs, 8-12 reps
3x Dumbbell Curls, 6-10 reps
3x Cable Curls, 6-10 reps
Day 4: Hamstrings, Abs, Calves, Rotator Cuffs
3x Lying Leg Curls, 6-10 reps
2-3x 1-Legged Leg Curls, 6-10 reps
0-2x Seated Leg Curls, 8-12 reps
3x Crunches (cable or dumbbells), 8-14 reps
2x Reverse Crunches (hanging or lying on bench), 8-14 reps
4x Any Calf Machine, 8-14 reps
3-4x Rotator Cuff Exercise (Dumbbell or Cable) 10-16 reps
4. What do you think of failure training? How often do you go to failure? Do you do forced reps, drops sets and other bodybuilding intensity techniques?
I do not train to failure every set. I usually stop a bit short of true failure and only complete reps I can complete on my own. For example, if I had 8.5 reps on a certain exercise, I would perform 8 reps, then stop. No, I do not do any of those techniques.
5. For people who want to put muscle, what are the 2- 3 most important things in bodybuilding that they should focus on?
That is, its precisely what people should focus on that they neglect in an effort to put on muscle. My top three that people should focus on, but do not, are: 1) nutrition 2) consistency 3) training intensity
My top three that people should focus on, but do not, are: 1) nutrition 2) consistency 3) training intensity
6.Can you write a sample program with exercises, sets (warm up and work), and reps for someone who want to improve his lagging triceps. Imagine his diet is good and he is hitting a muscle group once a week.
I don’t think there is anything special or new I can say here and I think my response holds true for any body part. Let us assume a few things: 1) you’re training them properly, 2) you’re giving them enough rest, 3) your nutrition is allowing you to maximize your goals. With that in mind I don’t think there is really much you can do. I suppose you could try training more, but other than that if you’re doing everything correctly then you’re already maximizing your potential.
However, if one of the above three things I listed are not true, then that’s what you should address. 1) Try training them differently if what you are doing is not working well. 2) make sure you allow adequate rest since you can only beat up a muscle so much, it has to have time to heal. 3) Improve your daily nutritional habits and string together not just a good week or month, but a good year and see where that takes you.
Finally, regarding triceps, here are some specific exercises I like: dips, lying triceps extensions, close grip bench press on the smith machine, push downs using the w-bar/cambered bar.
7. What supplements do you take Jeff?
Whey protein, creatine, beta alanine, dextrose, caffeine, multi vitamins
8. Who are your favorite natural bodybuilders, Jeff?
Just to name a few: Kiyoshi Moody, Tim Martin, and Donovan Strong (I used to Donovan at the Team Universe every year and really liked his physique).
9. What are your future goals, Jeff?
My goal is to win the overall at the NPC Team Universe.
You can follow Jeff on his website or on his facebook page:Website: jrodfitness.com Facebook: facebook.com/jrod.bodybuilding. thank Jeff Rodriguez for taking the time to answer the questions.
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| Tue April 17, 2012
Hi anoop, every time natural athletes who compete in physique contest say what Jeff said here, it is very depressing to know that they have no special diets, exercise program but consistent hard work & GENETICS to get them where they are today. today’s market place is buzzing with hormone this, special diet that kind of gimmicks which may or may not work. honestly, topics like reaching the genetic potential through exercise, diet & whatever else is there should become the focus of future discussions. t
Thank you for interviewing a fine physique artist. cheers, sham
| Tue April 17, 2012
Great article, Anoop.
“offseason weight: 215, contest weight: somewhere in the 180s.”
35 pounds of difference between off-season and contest weight it’s quite big, don’t you think?
Anoop | Tue April 17, 2012
Hi Anatoly,
Thanks!
No. Some of the top level natural lifters are leaning towards 25-35 during off season. I know Doug Miller does this too for sure. I know Layne gets around 225 lbs in off season. You don’t put any muscle with 10-15 lbs weight gain at that level and still keep it on after dieting.
And would depend on the person too you know.
| Tue April 17, 2012
Congratulations Jeff! Hard work paying off! Good luck to you in your future contests!
| Tue April 17, 2012
Wish you all the best from Germany Jeff!
| Tue April 17, 2012
Dear Anoop,
I think most of them is not aware of myostatin hormones that decides the growth,one of my friend who does not take any whey protein or diet possess good huge muscles,i think because of less myostatin hormones…
| Wed April 18, 2012
That is some impressive tricep definition.
| Wed April 18, 2012
Thanks Anoop for the interview. One question I wish you can ask these guys is how they trained to get where they are (as opposed to what they are doing now at an advanced stage).
Because a lot of guys will just copy what they are doing now and think they will get same results but maybe for example they built most of their mass training full body or upper/lower etc.
Anoop | Wed April 18, 2012
Hi Sunil,
There is a big genetic component in bodybuilding. But you can always be better than you ever imagined. Most natural bodybuilders were pretty skinny. I know Doug Miller used to be called ‘pencil neck’ when he was a kid!Now he is one of the biggest natural bodybuilders.
As Jeff wrote, it is all about consistency,nutrition and intensity. It is really refreshing to see someone like Jeff take only a handful of supplements and has a simple straightforward workout.
Hi Daz
Very true. If I get it right, Jeff does very low volume routines and a handful of exercises. His current routine I think is more of a specialization routine.
I am not sure about the upper lower body split though.
| Wed April 18, 2012
I wonder about cycling strategy Jeff uses.
Is he cycle intensity? volume?
Is he alternate between periods of load and cruise? It he does - how exactly?
Thanks
| Thu April 19, 2012
Why didn’t you ask him about his diet? He said it was the no.1 important thing.
Anoop | Fri April 20, 2012
Hey Anatoly and Alix,
Jeff will be here tomorrow to reply to some of the questions. Just don’t make him mad by asking too many 😊
From what I have read, he does go light a few weeks based on how he feels. He does a very low volume workout,compared to toher natural bodybuilders.
| Sun April 22, 2012
“I wonder about cycling strategy Jeff uses.
Is he cycle intensity? volume?
Is he alternate between periods of load and cruise? It he does - how exactly?
Thanks”
I strive to lift heavy, and use a medium to low rep range often but, based on how I’m feeling, I switch to something else for a few weeks to back off going heavy. This “something else” could be more volume for a week or two and lighter, more rest between workouts/days off, or a deloading week where do not train to failure and lift only 60% of my usual weights. I’ve made my best progress when I train a bit heavier/6-8 reps, so I always come back to this even if I deviate sometimes.
“Why didn’t you ask him about his diet? He said it was the no.1 important thing.”
My diet will be on my webiste/blog: http://www.jrodfitness.com after I’m done with competing this year I’ll post everything I did. My diet for previous years is on there too, just go through the months leading up to Team Universe (usually in July) and you’ll find the diet information on there.
“I wish you can ask these guys is how they trained to get where they are (as opposed to what they are doing now at an advanced stage).”
I train differently in that I can’t train heavy ALL THE TIME like I used to. I try to change things up more often and train to avoid injury more than I used to, but I still strive to train in the 6-8 rep range. I also use more variety and try to change exercises up a bit more often that I used to. If you want to know what I did before, I pretty much followed Max OT, look it up online, its pretty simple and straight forward, heavy, low volume. Nowadays I don’t do max ot exactly, I’d say I do something a little closer to what I see in Dorian Yates’s videos, but not exactly. I try to lift with explosive force and lower the weight (negative) with a lot of control. 2 days on, 1 day off. 6-8 reps, sometimes 8-12. I go by feel a lot so I could not write down exactly what I do and when, but that is the gist of it. .
Thanks everyone for all the nice words, I appreciate it!
—Jeff Rodriguez
| Mon April 23, 2012
Great Interview and good to see you responding to the comments here Jeff.
I’ve always admired the way Jeff has kept things simple throughout his time as a competitive bodybuilder. Too often as Natural trainers we get caught up in what this magazine or that site is advocating this month, which inevitably changes the following. As long as I have followed what Jeff has done, which has been a while (not a stalker I promise) he’s stayed very consistent. The detailed blog he kept for his competition prep really helped me in my own quest which culminated in my participation in the 2009 IFBB Classic Bodybuilding World Champs. As a natural trainer I was very proud to have gotten to that level and I owe a great deal of that to Jeff. Thanks dude! So if there’s anything else that anyone wants to know about what Jeff does you should seriously check out his blog.
Cheers
| Sun April 29, 2012
Thanks, Jeff
| Fri May 11, 2012
Jeff is an awesome guy, because I know firsthand! I saw Jeff train at the UC Davis ARC when I used to workout there. You have to see how he trains to understand how he is able to achieve such a physique. He is extremely form critical and does 2-3x the weight a guy his size would do ...with perfect form.
| Wed December 17, 2014
“Natural” my ass. Seriously?
If this guy is the “natural” Frank Zane, then then how is it that he looks at least as big and ripped as Zane.
http://nattyornot.com/jeff-rodriguez-natural-bodybuilder/
Natural? Seriously?
| Mon June 22, 2015
Jeff,
Do you have any plans on competing naturally with the WNBF?
| Tue August 18, 2015
This profile of Jeff Rodriguez related to natural bodybuilding is really inspirational. I am also thinking of switching to natural bodybuilding as it does not have any side effects. Great article.
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