Training To Failure Pro
When you train (with whatever method you are using) don't put a specific number of repetitions in your mind. For example, if you say you're going to do 10 reps of a particular exercise, don't stop at 10 if you really could have done 11 or 12. Lift each set to COMPLETE failure (with good form). That is accomplished more easily WITHOUT putting a specific rep number in your head!Greg Jones

Training To Failure Con
Unless you are fairly skinny, bench less than, say, 225 x 6, or are under 26, forget training to so-called "failure." Over the course of a few months this, along with forced reps, negatives and the like will just about gaurantee a halt to your progress. Decide first if your goal is size or strength. For size, try sets of 12-15, taking 36-60 secondsto complete sets; for strength try sets of 3-5 taking 10-15 seconds per set. Two exercises or so per muscle group should do it, with 3 sets per exercise, once weekly. Most of these guys screaming about "training 'til you puke" weigh 150 lbs, are 16-18, and can't bench their bodyweight for 12, so be careful whose advice you take!An Old Man

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ARM TRAINING
By Dan Gallapoo

I've had quite a few people ask me about arm routines. It seems that anybody who ever picked up a weight at one time or another wants big arms. Here's an example of an arm specialization program that has worked well for many hard gainers.

One piece of advice: When specializing on arms, cut the work load back a little bit on the rest of your routine.

This arm specialization routine is not an easy one. We'll be using super-sets. If you've never done super-sets (one exercise right after another, with no rest) then you're in for a treat!

This arm routine should be done twice per week and no more. I would only recommend staying on this specialization course for 4 to 6 weeks maximum.

BICEPS
*Dumbbell Preacher Curls - 1 set for 6 to 8 reps.
*Standing Barbell Curls - 1 set for 6 to 8 reps (a little cheating...I said a LITTLE,
on the last few reps is OK).

Do these 2 exercises with no rest in between. That will be counted as one cycle. Start with only one cycle. (Super-sets are very intense!) The second week do two cycles. Rest for 90 seconds between cycles. The third week do 3 cycles, again resting for 90 seconds between cycles. I would never recommend doing more than 3 cycles unless you have very good recuperative abilities.

TRICEPS
*Lying Tricep Extension (sometimes called "skull crushers". I usually use an EZ bar.) 1 set for 6 to 8 reps.
*Close Grip Bench Presses (just keep using the same weight/bar you've been using for the previous exercise. Do as many reps as you can until failure).
*Standing Dumbbell Extension (Please forgive me if that's not the correct name for this exercise.
Here's how you do it: Grab a dumbbell with both hands, lower it behind your head, then extend your arms until it's back overhead again.) 1 set of 8 to 10 reps.

Do these 3 exercises with no rest in between. That will be counted as one cycle. Start with only one cycle. The second week do two cycles. Rest for 90 seconds between cycles. The third week do 3 cycles, again resting for 90 seconds between cycles. Once again, never do more than 3 cycles unless you have very good recuperative abilities. If you're a hard gainer then here's a news flash...you DO NOT have good recuperative abilities! So never more
than 3 cycles, OK?

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"TRAINING, FREQUENCY & INTENSITY"
by BigCanuk

We've all heard proponents of low volume, high intensity saying that it's the only way to train. Yet we've all seen the mass mongers who do 20 sets per body part getting the results we want as well. So who's right? According to a recent study, two groups were chosen to workout. One group did the regular 3 sets of 3 different exercises per body part. The other group did one set. At the end of 3 months, the group that did only one set had better results! Unfortunately, this study only used individuals who had no bodybuilding or serious lifting experience and did not monitor critical elements such as protein intake, rest levels, etc. It does however show us
some very interesting details concerning what the body responds to best.

On that note, we've known for a long time that human GH levels go up at the start of a workout but quickly diminish after about 45 minutes. That's why it's always recommended to try to finish your workout in under an hour. You can take advantage of your bodies' own natural GH levels that way. This is
definitely a bonus round for enthusiasts of the low volume, high intensity workout.

I recently tried the 10 sets of 10 workout at 60% of the maximum lift for 2 weeks. I was very disappointed with MY results. I incurred 2 injuries (very minor and short lived but an injury is always something you can't enjoy.) The one was some serious pain in my knee which showed up the day after the
leg workout and taking ibuprofen for 10 days was what got me through that. The other was an elbow injury from doing triceps which also went away after about 5 days. I can only assume these injuries occurred from mass repetitions. Let's face it, 100 reps for one exercise is a lot. The clincher is that I am one of those low volume, high intensity workout guys and I believe this departure was just too radical for my body to
handle and it let me know that by giving me the painful injuries I mentioned. Needless to say, I went back to the low volume, high intensity again and have been enjoying my gains once more.

There is a time and a place for everything and we have to be the ones to be in tune with when and where that is so we don't overtax ourselves and wind up being broken down wondering what happened. So be in tune with what your body tells you. If it likes and responds best to 3 sets of 3 different exercises, keep with it. If it likes one set per body part, so be it.

Planned over and under training can take you a long way if you plan them well. I've been doing it for years and still dabbling with other styles as I feel the inclination to but keep coming back to what works best for me. With all these points in mind, you should be able to experiment and find
what your body likes best and fine tune your workout to see the results you want.

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For anybody who ever works out and really want's to exercise properly, just
use these few tips!

-Find 4 to 6 really good exercises for any larger muscle groups, or 2-5 for even smaller muscle groups.
-Pick exercises that are mostly dumbbell and bar related, use very little machines!
-To find a good weight will take a little practice, but the best way to really work out hard is sets to absolute failure by increases weight and lowered repititions. First set should be about 12-14 reps giving every thing that you have using proper technique! 2nd set increases wight by 5 or ten pounds 9-12 reps, again trying Hard as phsically possible to complete a set to failure! and 3rd set of the weight which is most challenging but can complete 6-9 reps and Have nothing left in you to lift once more! If you are more experienced lifter you may want to add another set, or superset the
last exercise with about 67% the weight to failure.
-It doesn't matter what or how many exercises you do as long as you work to failure and use 90% proper form and technique, with very little momentum!
-Do a warm up before you exercise where you are sweating but not exausted, your heart should not be beating wildly, and as for rest between sets you should wait for however long you feel it takes for your heart to stop beating at a frantic pace, but not at resting pace either, only until you know you can once more give everything you got, these rests can take up to a whole 4 minutes!
-Always stretch after workouts, and do light to moderate stretch of the
muscle being worked out so you can give everything that you got!
-Always Support your back!
-Never risk injury, if you know you can not finish a set without cheating it's probably because you've given everthing you got, so don't Swing, or Bounce!
-For each rep push the weight as hard as you can under control but don't let momentum do any work, eg, when you are doing Dumbell Flat bench Lift then as hard as you can until the last set is so hard that you have to squeeze your muscles to finish it, but NEVER push one side of your body off the bench to elevate the dumbbell!
- Drink, Drink, Drink, Water only, none of the Gatorade junk! Water is the only drink that properly feeds your muscles Oxygen and re-hydrates you bod of liquids!
-Use a partner to workout, but don't have them spot you every set just let them be there for 1st rep lifts, or last rep absolute failures.
-Breaks: If you do a muscle group a certain day in the week only do that muscle group again when that muscle is not feeling sore, and that you know you can lift just like the other day, Eg. If you do chest it usually feels sore for days after, well don't work it out again until it is not sore, or else you'll just help yourself get weaker, because your muscles are too torn up to repair themselves in time.
-Get enough sleep that your body feels fine enough to work out!
-Eat a very well balanced diet, and get lot's of protein! Eat protein enriched meals an hour before workouts, and right after a workout, also include carbs, and don't eat extra fat, the amount of fat in a well balanced diet with meat is enough to get you ewnough energy and keep you slim while increasing metabolism!
- Exercise After Lunch when your body usually feels best!
- Go jogging every morning!
- Workout whenever you feel like it, Just don't work the same muscle group everyday, sometimes similar muscles get workout for different muscle groups eg, Triceps are worked out when you do Shoulder and Chest as well As traps, so keep longer breaks between those days, and do ohter muscle groups, like Legs!
- When you really know you can't workout, pick the muscle that you rarely work on and do a little 20-30 minute exercise, and then do a lot of cardio, but don't change your diet! Eat Lots! But Eat Healthy!
- Focus on a mind set that will help you lift best, don't feel angry, sad, and don't laugh while lifting.
- Record or remember your results to make sure you're improving!
-Some times, Just rest!
-Wear proper workout gear.

Here is an example of my chest routine:
Decline BarBench 3 sets: 12r x 135lb, 9r x 155lb, 7r x 165lb (ss)6rx135lb Flat Bench Dumbbells 3 sets: 12 x 55, 9 x 60, 7 x 65 super set> 5 x 45 Incline Dumbell bench 3 sets: 12 x 50, 9 x 55, 6 x 60> (ss) 6 x 40 Pec Deck 3 sets: 12 x 160, 10 x 170, 8 x 180
Incline Dumbell Flies 3 sets: 12 x 25, 9 x 30, 8 x 30 (ss) 5 x 25
Dips: To Burnout (All sets are done to burnout currently the weight and reps shown are how much it takes until I can't do more, and each time I do the erecise I see improvement!

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STATIC REPS

Static reps are done by holding a weight in a fixed position, usually fully contracted, for an extended period of time. They are typically done for 1 or 2 reps only and the weight should be held for 15-25 seconds although the actual optimal time is still up for debate.

Statics are easier to do on certain exercises and more difficult on others. For example, flies, leg extentions, and side raises are greatexercises to use statics on, but deadlifts or squats would be more difficult. On the compund exercises you would have to use substantially more weight than you use for regular reps. Statics also work great on pulldowns.

There are a few ways I use them. First, you can do a set to positive failure and once you cannot complete any more, have someone help you get the weight to a fully-contracted position and hold it up as long as you can. Then lower it under strict control until you have finished the rep.

You could also just pick a weight 20-40% heavier than your normal weight for that exercise and either use a cheat rep or have someone help you to get the weight in the fully contracted position. Then hold it as long as you can and lower it under control until the rep is completed. If you do them alone and not after a set of positive reps, you may want to so 2 static holds instead if one.

This is a great technique to use to blast through plateaus, but don't use it too often.

Mike Mentzer once told a story of a guy who was stuck at the same weight on his leg extensions for 2 complete cycles. Mentzer then had him perform static holds only for 2 or 3 workouts. When he went back to positive reps, his strength had increased and he was able to break through his plateau.

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COMMANDO PT
By Pavel Tsatsouline,
Master of Sports

"I have tried lifting weights to add power to my striking and
grappling techniques. Since I want to build endurance, as
well as strength, I do three sets of ten to twenty reps to
failure on all my exercises. The problem is, I get so sore
and tired, that I have no energy left for my martial arts
practice! What am I doing wrong?"

Everything. The punch bag who came up with the light
weights/high reps formula for martial artists did not have
a slightest clue about either strength training or martial arts.

The best strength training formula for a fighting man or
woman is heavy, 80-95% 1RM, weights, and low, 1-5,
repetitions. There are at least five reasons why:

1. Heavy weights build strength.

It is the muscular tension, not fatigue, that you should
maximize in training if strength is your goal. There are
plenty of studies, for instance Goldberg et. al (1975), to
support this notion. The heavier is the weight you are
lifting, the higher is the tension. It is that simple.

2. Strength endurance gained with ten, twenty, or more,
reps is not specific to hand to hand combat.

You would be a lot better off doing a few rounds on a
heavy bag or Thai pads. Iron is just for strength, period.
Leave the sissy high rep stuff to aerobic instructors.

3. Low rep training causes minimal fatigue and muscle
soreness.

Strength endurance work of the kind that you and most
martial artists favour takes a lot longer to recover from
that one to five rep strength work (Roman, 1962). High
repetitions also make you a lot more sore. Does not it
make sense to perform your conditioning in a manner
which does not interfere with the practice of your
fighting art?

4. High reps build useless tissue and break down real
muscle.

One of the reasons some bodybuilders are generally a lot
weaker than they look is that their muscles ain’t real.
Repetition lifting of a submaximal weight promotes
sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, or an increase in the
volume of worthless jello like filler inside the muscle,
while breaking down the contractile proteins, the "real"
muscle (Nikityuk & Samoylov, 1990).

5. Heavy low rep training is the safest way to lift.

No, I have not been hit on the head a few times too many.
I will give you at least two reasons why heavy, low rep
weight training is much safer than lifting a light weight a
lot of times. First, the stabilizing muscles get tired before
the prime movers in high rep sets, which sets you up for
an injury. When you do a set of twenty squats, your back
gets tired before your legs and sooner or later you will
get hurt! On a five rep set your legs will be first to go.
Second, when you lift a weight which is heavier than
eighty percent of your maximum, you can get
superstrong without training to failure. Ed Coan who
posted the highest powerlifting total of all time not
long ago always racks his monstrous weights a rep
or two short of his limit!

With all of the above in mind, here is the program of
choice. Perform three core lifts: the squat, the bench
press, and the deadlift. Squat and bench on Monday,
then press again and deadlift on Thursday. Upper
body exercises tax your body less than leg and back
work, that is why you get to bench twice a week.

Do five sets of five, four, three, two, and, one reps.
Add a little weight, 2,5-10 pounds after every set.
Rest for as many minutes as the number of reps
you have just done: 5 reps, 5 min, 4 reps, 4 min, 3
reps, 3 min, 2 reps, 2 min, 1 rep, go home.

Start the program with weights you can easily lift
for the prescribed number of repetitions. Add a
little weight every third workout until you can barely
make your reps, then take a week off lifting. When
you come back to the gym, start another power
cycle with comfortable weights, and build up to
your new personal best in eight to twelve weeks.

The results will be spectacular. You will build great
strength without stealing time or energy from your
martial art practice. Who can expect more from a
conditioning program?

Pavel Tsatsouline, Master of Sports, is a former
physical training instructor for Spetsnaz, the
Soviet Special Forces. He has a degree in coaching
and physiology from IFK, the Physical Culture
Institute, in the Soviet Union. Pavel was nationally
ranked in the Russian ethnic strength sport of
kettle-bell lifting.

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OVERTRAINING
by Dan Gallapoo

The most common mistake I see most hard gainers making is that they
consistently overtrain. They overtax their muscles, endocrine system, and
nervous system too frequently and don't allow enough recovery time. Hey,
even if you're eating correctly, this means NO GAINS! Weight training is
pretty stressful on your body and if you're not recovering adequately from
each training session, you will not grow. You don't grow when you're
training, you grow when you're resting.

I have had several people send me their routines and I'm amazed that some
folks can even do the volume of work that they are doing. Almost every
time I ask where they got the routine, they tell me that they got it from
one of the muscle mags and it's the routine that Mr. Supreme Dictator of
the Cosmos Bodybuilding Champ does.

I've got news for ya...Mr. Supreme Dictator of the Cosmos Bodybuilding
Champ didn't even write that article that it says was written by him. I
know this for a fact! I'm friends with someone who regularly
"ghost-writes" articles for all the Mr. Supreme Dictator of the Cosmos
bodybuilding champs.

Also, Mr. Supreme Dictator of the Cosmos Bodybuilding Champ is genetically
gifted and has never had trouble making gains. He also has a lot of
pharmaceutical assistance at his disposal. Actually at his level, his
pharmaceutical bill runs about $60,000 a year! I'm not making this up! I
have interviewed several of these guys.

NOTHING that Mr. Supreme Dictator of the Cosmos Bodybuilding Champ does
has any relevance to you and me, the Genetically Average Joe.

I can give you an exact formula for bodybuilding failure: follow Mr.
Supreme Dictator of the Cosmos Bodybuilding Champ's routine. You'll not
only NOT make any gains, you'll probably even go backwards in size and
strength.

The best way for guys like us to train is to go heavy (5 to 8 reps) on the
basic exercises. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, chins, rows, standing
press, barbell curls, and dips. And don't try to do too many sets for
each bodypart. I would consider myself an advanced trainer and am
carrying a fair amount of size for my small skeletal structure and I only
do 7 to 8 sets once a week for large muscle groups. That is about what my
recovery abilities can handle. So you really don't need that many sets to
grow.

I really believe that most hard gainers should train to positive failure.
In other words, if you are going to do 8 reps, the eighth one should be
the last possible rep that you could do without assistance. Although I
think that sometimes out of laziness, or fear, we cheat ourselves and stop
a set short when we could actually do another couple reps.

So that is what I believe is the best training formula for hard gainers:
Basic, multi-joint exercises, train to positive failure, and perform only
as many sets as necessary to stimulate growth...and you would be surprised
how few that actually is. When in doubt, always err on the side of doing
LESS sets. I would venture to guess that 98% of the people who consult
with me about training are WAY overtraining and have been overtraining for
years...and of course haven't made any appreciable gains for years, too.

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BETTER FORM FOR BETTER GAINS
By Dan Gallapoo

Why do people workout and not make any gains? I’ll tell you why. Most
people go into the gym to move weights and not workout with them. They
think that just because they can move the weight, they are using the
proper weight.

Good gains will only be made by using the proper amount of weight. The
muscle cannot tell if you are using 50 pounds or 30 pounds, if you use
momentum to move the weight. I use heavy weight because my body has
adjusted to such poundages. I do not expect anyone to use the same weight
I am using, when they have 14" arms. All I can recommend is that everyone
should leave their ego at home and go to the gym, to workout and not cheat
their gains. You will get better gains, if you use a weight that you can
move under full control.

I see too many people who bounce the weight off their chests, arch their
back, and swing the weight up. These techniques do not work. The purpose
of going into a gym is to stimulate muscle growth, and not to show off
what you can do.

You've got to tell yourself the truth about your capabilities. I run into
this problem almost every bench day. I want to add huge amounts of weight
and perform terrible form , but I know that if I do that, I won’t see any
gains the next week. I see some people over estimate their strength. They
start off with 135 on the bench, then they go straight to 225 (the
strongman weight) and then try to force out 4 reps, when they should have
been lifting 155 or 165.

Strength will come with time. You've got to have a plan. A simple plan is
this:

Make a simple (honest) pyramid of what you can really do with good form.
Then week after week add 2 ½ to 5 pounds to the bar, on the 3rd to 5th
set. Then you will slowly see results. Take your time with it and it will
work. Don’t expect to come into the gym and lift 50 pounds more than the
last time. A 2 pound gain is great!

You've got to be a intelligent lifter and not give into your ego. If I
pick up a weight and it feels too heavy, I put it down and find a better
feeling weight. I have hurt my back in the past performing cheat curls.
Cheat curls do not work! They never did work, and they will never work.
The only thing they do, is build up your ego and not your muscles.

Lesson learned: A lighter weight under full control will be more
beneficial than a heavy weight under no control.

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A SOLID ARM ROUTINE
By John Brown

Everybody loves big arms and the routines penned here should help
most, if not all of you, no matter what stage of development you
currently are at. So pay attention!

For the first six weeks I want you to do this:

BARBELL CURLS 4-6 sets of 6 repetitions.

INCLINE DUMBBELL CURLS 4-6 sets of 6 repetitions

I want you to go heavy on this but not at the expense of good
form. Try 2-3 times a week, depending on your stage of development.

For the next six weeks you can do this super-setting with biceps and triceps:

BARBELL CURLS 4-6 sets of 6 reps super-setted with

LYING TRICEP EXTENSIONS 4-6 sets of 6 reps. And:

INCLINE DUMBBELL CURLS 4-6 sets of 6 reps super-setted with

INCLINE PUSHDOWNS 4-6 sets of 6 reps.


Then for the next six weeks superset each muscle group separately
to get a maximum pump. Here goes:

BARBELL CURLS 4-6 sets of 6-8 reps super-setted with

INCLINE DUMBBELL CURLS 4-6 sets of 6 -8 reps. And then:

LYING TRICEP EXTENSIONS 4-6 sets of 6 -8 reps super-setted with

TRICEP PRESSDOWNS 4-6 sets of 6 -8 reps.

After completing 6 weeks of that agony your arms should feel really swollen and full. So you can now go back to your regular straight set routine as in the first six weeks, but this time pick two new exercises for each muscle group.

Nothing fancy or complicated, just basic heavy training and you'll get results beyond your wildest dreams. This is a time proven formula that has brought success to many champions in the past. It can do the same for you.

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HOW TO BUILD A POWERFUL BACK
By Dan Gallapoo

Deadlifting can be tough, no doubt about it. But, once you
get used to it you won't want to stop because it gives
RESULTS!

The back is one of the main areas to focus on for increasing
overall body mass (legs are the other) and no other exercise
HITs all areas of the back like deadlifts; from the traps down
to the lower erectors.

Here are a few tips:

I only advise deadlifting once every 10 to 14 days. When you're
just starting the exercise, you can deadlift every 7 days.

Go SLOW when you start doing deadlifts. Don't get too anxious
and make big weight jumps. Make sure you have the form down
so you don't even have to think about it.

Never jerk the deadlift. Your arms must not have any slack and
should be held tight. And there's no need to do a shrug or bend
the arms at the top of a deadlift.

Don't overextend your back at the top by leaning back too far.
Stand erect, period.

Keep your back flat and NEVER round your lower back during a
deadlift.

I also recommend using a lifting belt.

Warm up thoroughly with a light weight. This also helps you
practice your technique in perfect form.

Don't go lower than 6 reps unless you are going to enter a
powerlifting competition.

Here are some other exercises to help build a big, strong back:

CHINS - An AWESOME back builder. When you can do 10 with
your bodyweight, strap extra weight around you. NEVER over
stretch in the bottom and let your shoulders rotate! You are
asking for a shoulder injury if you do. Always be under control
and don't try and explode in the bottom - squeeze it up. Don't
go below 6 on these.

ONE ARM DUMBBELL ROWS - Do these with both your fists
parallel and perpendicular to the body. Again, don't jerk these,
squeeeeeeezzzzze. Don't rotate your trunk either. I really like
these because with a knee up on the bench, there is no stress
on the low back. Also, I found these to be second to deadlifts for thickness.

Here's an example of a sample back specialization routine:

Deadlifts - warmups, 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

Chins - 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

One Arm Dumbell Rows - 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 reps.

THAT'S IT! And believe me, you'll probably feel it the next day!

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INFANTRYMAN WORKOUT
By Z-Man

I started working out in 1989. Seriously working out, while I was
in the army. (For all those guys that are in the military and are
expected to run long distances or march long distances. Don't
worry about getting big. Your job requires you to have endurance
and strength. Strength that will last all day. So don't go into the
gym and do allot of weight for 1 to 6 reps. Thats not the
infantryman's workout. You need to go into the gym and do 4
sets of 12 reps. That doesn't mean stay at the same weight.
When you can do a weight for 4 sets of 12 without a spot. It is
time to go up in weight. even if your partner has to help you with
the last 4 reps still go for 12reps. Stay there for an hour.
Concentrate on the areas that your job requires you to excel
in.

Remember this formula:
Pushup= Bench press, Dumbbell Flies. Military Press. Lat pull
downs. Pull ups, Dumbbell Rows, Barbell Rows. Go to the gym
for no less than 40 minutes a day and no more than 1 hour.
Work at a fast pace, with no more than 1 minute brakes in
between sets. Go for 6 days a week and divide workout like this.
DAY:
1. CHEST
2. BACK
3. LEGS
4. CHEST
5. BACK
6. LEGS
When you do legs you need to do 4 sets of 20 of every exercise.
Legs can endure much more than the upperbody and there is
much more required. Formula For this is:

Legs= Squat, leg curls, leg extensions, Leg Press, calf raises,
and what ever else you see people doing in the gym that
doesn't appear to be Dangerous.

Now only do this workout if things like Running, road marching,
and PT tests. wear you out and you barely meet minimum
requirements. This is why I started working out. I found
workouts like this in Muscle Mag and other guys that have been
in the military for a long period of time.

My Accomplishments after working out like this until 1992 was:

*PT Score was 296-300 average every time.
*EIB Roadmarch 2 Hours. 5 Minutes. 1st place out of 500 soldiers.
*Chosen to represent my Battalion in the Biathlon Compition.
Placed 3rd in Every division in Alaska.
*Chosen to Represent my Battalion in Division Orienteering
competition. Placed 3rd again in Alaska. Ran 18 miles that day
with a broken foot that I tripped over while looking at the map
while I was running. Lost my watch and still came in 20 minutes
early.
*Represented my Company in the Battalion obstacle Coarse.
1st place.
*1 of 5 men in battalion chosen to be one of the Battalion Scout
Snipers.

One other thing that I blame my success on was. While
everyone else was out to the bars drinking their beer and
wisky with all there drunken women that is looking for a soldier
to drag down to thier level. I was doing something like Hiking,
Camping, Rock climbing or some adventure with Good women
that didn't drink or have a looser attitude. Now that, I can
brag about for the rest of my life. I wasn't always like that.
I have seen both sides. One day I woke up and realized that
life was to short to live small and sell my self short.

I am not bragging! I am just letting you know that this can be
you and you can get results just like I did. I was Fat, Lazy,
unmotivated and only met life half way. When I made up my
mind that, this is who I wanted to be. 6 WEEKS LATER I
STARTED TO SHINE. I had sergeants asking me what I think
we should do and I was just a private. So Remember: (Be A
Leader! Not A Follower!) You set the example for others to
follow.

AND THATS ALL I GOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT!!!!!

Z-MAN

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BEGINNERS COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
By Jay Thompson

I have been surfing alot of the sites and forums and have
found many things to be consistent with beginners. Some
of the common questions, with accompanying answers
are listed below:

1) I just started bodybuilding and would like to know what
supplements I need to take to get big!

There are three things that you need to concern yourself
when beginning. Eating the right food and drinking enough
water to keep your body functioning optimally; Training
properly; and SLEEPING/RESTING! You must understand that
you do not grow while working out. Your muscles grow in
response to the stress placed upon them, ie. weight training.

2) What exercises should I do?

Assuming that you are trying to get big, you need to do basics.
Chest=Incline Bench Press, Flat Bench Press, Dumbbell Flye,
Dumbbell Pullovers, Dips. Back=Chins, DEADLIFTS, T-Bar Rows,
1 Arm Dumbbell Rows, Low Pulley Rows. Biceps=Standing Barbell
Curl, Alternate Dumbbell Curl. Forearms=Wrist Curls, Reverse Curls,
Hammer Curls. Triceps=Close Grip Bench Press, French Curl, Dips,
Skull Crushers. Quads=Squats, Leg Press, Front Squats. Hams=Stiff
Legged Deadlifts, Ham Curl. Calves=All Variations of the Calf Raise.
These are, in my opinion, the best exercises for each bodypart.

3) How do I lose the fat on my stomach?

The answer to all variations of this question is proper diet and proper
training. Your abs don't just come to you when you get big enough. You
need to work them from the beginning. Not only does a strong
mid-section look good, it protects you from injury by stabilizing your
trunk. Many of the people you hear complaining about lower back pain
have a big gut! The fact is that you can't lose the fat on your stomach.
You can only lose fat throughout your body. Doing 5,000 situps a day
won't do any good without a good diet and cardio program.

4) How often should I lift?

Train each body part ONCE A WEEK! That's it. Train no more than 4 days
a week. On the other days, eat, sleep, drink water and be happy.

5) I want to gain weight and get my six pack.

I saw this one today. This is a misnomer. You can either gain weight or
get a six pack. You are going to have to choose. You really can't have the
best of both worlds. In order to get big, you have to take in more calories
than are required for maintenance. To cut, you must ingest less calories
than maintenance while keeping protein high to prevent muscle loss.
Of course once you have built size you can then work on getting cut.

6) Do weight gainers help?

I saw this question and HAD to respond. Weight gainers are a way for the
supplement companies to trick the beginner easily. They post an ad with
some FREAK and say that he made his gains using this weight gain!
Really? Ask the model endorsing the product. By saying you need more
calories to gain weight and offering weight gain shakes as the answer,
beginners are confused into thinking that they NEED weight gainers to
get big. Fact is, you just need plenty of real, good food. Eat tuna, chicken
breasts, lean red meat, turkey, beans, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, fresh
veggies, etc to get big. It is more beneficial for you to eat properly than
to drink a weight gainer!

7) Why don't I get sore muscles after my workout?

It does not mean that you have not worked your muscles sufficiently if
you don't get sore. Work at 100% intensity, with perfect form and you
will get results!

8) I can't "feel" the exercise working.

This is usually heard when someone is performing with too much weight
in poor form. You don't get the burn in the muscles you are working
because you are working every other muscle except for the "target"
muscle. For example, many people do curls with entirely too much weight
and are bending over backwards to "lift" the weight! You are going to
strain your back and/or shoulders, along with a host of other muscles.
You might not pick up the heaviest weights in the gym, but using the
proper weight for your strength, you will benefit in the long run! Take
your ego to the club and your ass to the gym!

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LOST SECRETS OF BODYBUILDING
PART 3: INTENSITY CYCLING

by David Gentle

Intensity cycling refers to the regular varying of training
intensity through changes in poundage’s used and the
effort level given forth. Very simply you build up to your
previous best weight over a five to eight week period and
then slowly add very small drops of weight for as long as
possible. When increases stop, have a few weeks off lifting
and start again. By taking two steps back in order to travel
three steps forward, persistent sticking points and
plateau’s are removed and progression can he seen and
predicted.

The human body can not be pushed to failure week after
week, month after month. year after year, no matter how
geneticallv advantaged one is. Linear progression cannot be
sustained forever, but linear progression can be maintained
for an individual cycle, where progress is seen relative to the
previous workout and absolute progress observed at the end
of the cycle

For novices and the genetically gifted, intensity cycling is not
essential, but for average men of intermediate level it is
impossible to become as big and strong as one possibly can
without cycling training intensity. There are many forms:
Modified powerlifting cycles, mini-cycles, alternated volume
intensity cycles, long cycles. periodisation etc. I have tried
them all, but the one that works best for me, is the simplest It
consists of building up to my previous, personal best weight
for a fixed number of reps over a period of 5 or 6 weeks Then
I add tiny bits of weight to the bar and keep the reps the same.
If I fail to get all the targeted reps in a workout. I stick with the
same weight the next workout and make dam sure to get all
the reps on all the sets I then add a tiny amount of weight
and continue. The key is to supply your body with a running
start and then add just a small amount of iron to the bar. Your
body can become 2 lbs stronger for a very long time, but if
you are impatient and add too much weight to the bar too
quickly, the momentum produced in the cycle will be lost

As an example. I have used an excerpt from an actual
training cycle which shows progress in the bench press. All
weights are in kg. e.g. 30 kg for 5 reps with two warm-up sets.
followed by two working sets My personal best was 87.5 kg
for 5 reps before this cycle.

WEEK 1 30X5 60X5 70X5 70X5
WEEK 2 30X5 60X5 75X5 75X5
WEEK 3 30X5 60X5 80X5 80X5
WEEK 4 30X5 60X5 82.5 X5 82.5 X5
WEEK 5 30X5 60X5 85X5 85X5
WEEK 6 35X5 65X5 87.5 X5 87.5 X5
WEEK 7 35X5 65X5 88.5 X5 88.5 X5
WEEK 8 35X5 65X5 89.5 X 5 89.5 X 5
WEEK 9 35X5 65X5 90 X5 90 X5
WEEK 10 35X5 70X5 91 X5 91 X5
WEEK 11 35X5 70X5 92 X5 92 X3
WEEK 12 40X5 70X5 92 X5 92 X5
WEEK 13 40X5 70X5 93 X5 93 X5

Note that the second set on week 11 was a triple so the next
workout I stuck with the same weight. After 13 workouts I was
totally exhausted, so I finished the cycle 6.5 kg stronger in the
bench press This might not sound a lot, but a 6.5 kg net gain
per cycle adds up to about 19.5 kg in a year. And how many of
you out there can honestly say your bench press increases
that much per year?

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LOST SECRETS OF BODYBUILDING
PART 2: THE NEED FOR REST

by David Gentle

This article looks at the importance of allowing enough time to
pass between workouts and what happens if you train too
frequently. To build size and strength we undertake what
scientifically it is known as the over compensation factor.
Very simply if you stress the body by lifting a heavy weight
the body will adapt to the demands placed upon it. Once
recovered, you will be able to lift more weight or do more reps
because the body has overcompensated for the initial
stress and has built a reserve. It is easier to visualise what is
going on if you imagine being chased by a lion one day and you
just manage to escape. If you got into the same situation your
body will have adapted, and because you are able to run faster,
the chances of being killed are far less. Now that you understand
this simple, natural mechanism you will be able to see the
importance of allowing your body to fully recover before you
next train.

Once you have stressed you body in the gym, you need time to
allow it to recover and overcompensate for the stress. If you don’t
rest long enough, the body will not have had time to
overcompensate and you will be no stronger than the last time you
trained. For an average man, recovery from a truly hard workout
may take between 3 and 10 days. It is not true that after 48 hours
your muscles begin to degenerate. Just recently due to a busy
work schedule I was unable to train for 16 days. According to
modern misconceptions I should of lost considerable amounts of
strength, in fact I was able to lift more than the previous workout.
I had not lost any strength, for if I had, it would be impossible to lift
more than the last workout. Actually I train a lift (bench press,
deadlift, squat etc) once every 10 days, when I am working truly
hard at the end of a training cycle. It actually takes me that long to
recover.

The harder you work out, the more you stress your body and the
more time needed to recover. The more advanced a lifter is, the
more time is needed in order to fully recover because they can
generate more intensity than a beginner. Age, work and family
commitments are another factor to consider because they all
use energy that is needed to build your body. The more pressure
you are under and the more commitments you have, the longer
you must wait until you have another workout. The consequence
of training too frequently is something I am sure you are familiar
with overtraining. As you can now see, this common term refers
to the body being unable to fully recover before it is stressed
again. But how do you know when one is recovered I hear you
say. I go on how my body feels. If I am full of energy and cant
wait to get into the gym and have a demanding workout, then
you can bet, I’m fully recovered . This may be three days after
my last workout, it may be ten or somewhere in between. My
cut off time is 10 days, because I don’t want to make excuses
not to train and baring an illness, I’m confident my body will
have fully recovered by then.

So the moral of the story, is don’t be afraid to have that extra
days rest, science has proven you need time for your body to
grow bigger and stronger. Unless you are a genetic abnormality
or on ‘gear’ training more frequently than twice a week is counter
productive and I would strongly advise every intermediate or
advanced lifter to train three days every two weeks or have
four whole days between workouts. So go out and experiment
on having an extra days rest, assuming you are serious about
your training and are working hard enough to NEED it.

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LOST SECRETS OF BODYBUILDING
PART 1: STRENGTH = SIZE

by David Gentle

In this series of articles, I have tried to bring together three
principles of successful training that have been either
forgotten, ignored or misunderstood. I am not trying to
pretend these ideas are my own 'invention'. Instead, I am
bringing them to the attention of the many in the hope of
helping them, as these secrets have helped me. If you are
serious about getting bigger and stronger, have an open
mind and feel that things are not going to plan at the
moment, then these articles are for you.

Magic Formulas

I am sad to report that in today's society people are looking
for short cuts to success or 'magic formulas' that will make
their dreams come true and this is reflected most vividly in
the body building fraternity. If this wasn't the case then
the newsstands would not be full of glossy magazines with
pictures of Mr. Olympia and the routines he used to build his
prize-winning physique. Sadly, very few people realise that
the routines accompanying the pictures are designed
for advanced men who have already built a huge, muscular
physique and want to sculpt it into a work of art in order to
win contests. The isolation exercises they use are designed
for just that, isolating a muscle NOT BUILDING IT. One of the
most painful things for me to watch in a gym is a 1201b, 6 foot
fifteen year old beginner hammering out sets of lateral raises
with 10 lb dumbbells and wondering why his shoulders aren't
growing.

Putting The Building Back Into Bodybuilding

It is about time that the building is put back into BODYBUILDING.
Forget about trying to keep muscular symmetry while you are
building (unless you are an extremely easy gainer and look huge
before you even pick up a weight) get huge first, then worry about
sculpting. But how do you know when one is advanced and ready
to gain from isolation exercises. Simple, if you have a medium bone
structure (that's 7 to 7 1/2 inch wrists measured ABOVE the
protruding bones) until you have built 17 inch upper arms, 45 to 47
inch chest, 24 to 26 inch thighs and the ability to curl 150 lbs for
reps, squat 400lbs for several reps and bench over 300lbs, then
forget about cable crossovers.

Strength And Size

What has strength got to do with muscle size I hear you say.
Weightlifters train for strength while body builder's train differently
for size. The two are totally separate issues. Rubbish! Strength and
size are interlocked and the only way to get bigger is to get stronger.
If you double your bench pressing strength over a number of years,
how on earth can the muscles of your arms, shoulders and back
stay the same size? If you dont believe me load a bar with 170 lbs
and hold it as if you were to perform a curl. Now do you think your
biceps will be the same size if they can curl this weight. Of course
not, how could they, a famous old bodybuilder called Reg Park
regularly performed 3 sets of 5 reps with 300 lbs in a behind the
neck press. It is impossible for a man to be that strong and have
small muscles. You must concentrate on the big compound
exercises such as squats, deadlifts, presses, pulldowns and rows.

Remember that YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIRECTLY STIMULATE A
MUSCLE IN ORDER FOR IT TO BECOME BIGGER AND STRONGER.
This is why compound exercises work, bench presses indirectly
stimulate your triceps, shoulders and even your back. So forget
about 30 lb concentration curls unless you already posses a huge,
strong physique.

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PRE-EXHAUSTION

Pre-exhaustion is a technique that can be used every
now and then to shock a muscle and bring it to a
greater level of failure than when one reaches failure
on a single exercise. This is an advanced technique
and requires high intensity levels in order to carry
out the second of the 2 exercises involved in the
"super set".

The idea behind pre-exhaustion it is that certain
exercises target a specific muscle while working other
secondary muscles involved in the lift while certain
exercises completely isolate the target muscle. For
example, bench presses work the chest primarily while
the delts and triceps are invloved, where as dumbell
chest flys can be performed such that the triceps and
majority of the delts are removed.

As an example with with chest. start with a set of
dumbbell flys or pec deck to failure then immediately
go to barbell or dumbbell bench presses--flat or
incline. You won't be able to use as much weight on the
pressing movement as normal, but you will shock your
muscles--possibly into growing.

When blasting biceps, start with hammer curls, which
hits mainly the brachialis part of the bicep. Hit
failure and go right to barbell curls. this will reall
shock the biceps.

Many think you must ALWAYS start with bench presses,
heavy curls or heavy tricep movement in order to grow.

What I have found from my experiences is that muscles
respond to INTENSITY! Hardcore intensity! Not
necessarily the load applied--however that is an
important factor. And remember for the drug-free
lifter, as intensity increases volume should decrease.

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BUILDING MUSCLE MASS!

How do I build mass? I want to put on some weight.
I need to bulk up for sports.

This is what I am asked all the time. Building mass is
not difficult to plan, but you MUST plan. There are a few
basic principles you must understand first.

Stimulation:

In order to gain muscle, you must place a demand on the
body which triggers your survival mechanism, causing
overcompensation. Your body does not want to be
stressed by muscle fatigue, so it adds muscle to alleviate
the stress caused by strenuous activity. You must
adequately stimulate your muscles to be able to expect
growth.

Rest/Recuperation:

Rest is probably the most overlooked aspect of bodybuilding.
You do not grow while working out! Growth takes place when
you are at rest. You should avoid as much aerobic activity as
possible. The more rest you get, the easier it is for your body
to grow.

Nutrition:

You must eat to build mass! I hear all this crap about not needing
to consume more than the Daily Recommended Allowance. How
are you going to grow without excess calories? You are not. You
should eat six quality meals per day. A good ratio is 40 - 40 - 20,
Protein - Carbs - Fat.

Consistency/Frequency:

You must go to the gym regularly. You can't go every now and
then and expect to grow. At the same time, you cannot work 7 days
a week and expect your body to recover! Work each body
part ONCE a week and work no more than 4 days a week!

Variety:

People say that you need to add variety to confuse your muscles.
Whatever. You can't confuse your muscles. Add variety to break up
the monotony of doing the same thing every workout. This can be
as simple as using dumbbells instead of barbells.

Recovery:

DUH! DO NOT NEGLECT RECOVERY! The recovery process is
enhanced by following all of the principles outlined above! Eat a
small meal consisting of about 25 - 70 - 5, protein - carbs - fat
within 45 minutes of your workout!

Exercise Selection:

Chest:
Bench Press (with dumbbell or barbell)
Incline Bench Press
Decline Bench Press
Dumbbell Flye

Triceps:
Dips
Lying French Curl (lying barbell extension, skull crushers)
Tricep Pushdowns
Close Grip Bench Press

Back:
Deadlift
1 Arm Dumbbell Row
Chins/Pulldowns (all variations)
T-Bar Row
Low Row

Biceps:
Barbell Curl (to include E-Z Bar Curls)
Alternate Dumbbell Curl
Preacher Curls

Hams:
Leg Curl (all variations, ie lying or standing)
Stiff Leg Deadlift

Quads:
Squat
Leg Press

Shoulders:
Military Press (not behind the neck, shoulder wrecker)
Dumbbell Press
Lateral Dumbbell Raise
Front Dumbbell Raise

Calves:
Standing Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises
Donkey Calf Raises
Toe Raises on Leg Press

Traps:
Dumbbell Shrugs
Barbell Shrugs
Bench Shrugs

Forearms:
Reverse Curl
Wrist Curl
Hammer Curl

If you apply ALL of these principles, you will be on your way to
a great physique without the need for pharmaceutical aid!

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You might be a bodybuilder if....

Written by: Jeremy Huddleston

1. You grunt when you are not in the bathroom.

2. Any meal in your day involves a blender.

3. You spend more on bills for the gym and supplements
than on your wife or girlfriend.

4. You intimidate more than five other men a day.

5. You can't wear a sleeved t-shirt.

6. You can't fit in a xxx-large t-shirt.

8. The WWF calls you once a week for a job opportunity.

9. You eat more than 4 square meals a day.

10. You intimidate more than five other women a day.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for entertainment
purposes only! It is not intended to degrade any athlete
or bodybuilder in the world.

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DELAYED ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS

By John C. Yobst AS.,CPT,CSTS

You know the feeling, it comes usually the morning
after a great workout.. the soreness which is sometimes
unbearable. Well this is what is known as DELAYED
ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS (DOMS). In this article, we
will explore some of the causes and remedies of DOMS.
Most scientists are in agreement on one thing when it
comes to DOMS, that it is caused by an eccentric muscle
contraction. An eccentric contraction is defined as the
lowering or lengthening of a muscle against some form
of resistance (ie. weights or gravity). Eccentric muscle
contractions have been shown to cause a greater
amount of tissue damage to the contractile tissue in the
muscle. On the other side are concentric muscle
contractions or the shortening of a muscle against a
resistance. These are less likely to cause large amounts
of damage to a muscle cell.

Other points that have been studied in relation to DOMS
are tissue being torn at the microscopic level and that
these "microtears" are the cause of the pain. The next one
is the overstretching of connective tissue
(ie. tendons/ligaments) that are attached to muscles
(tendons) are responsible for the pain. The last theory is
that inflammation caused by training is the reason for the
pain due to the body trying to heal itself. The following are
things that are known about DOMS:

1 - The pain from DOMS will begin to manifest itself within
24-48 hours after training is completed. The pain will usually
peak within 24-72 hours post-excercise and will be gone
within 7-10 days.

2 - Skeletal muscle is the only type of muscle that is
affected by DOMS, however it can occurr in any athlete
regarless of fitness level.

3 - DOMS is not caused by a buildup of lactic acid in the
muscle. Lactic acid buildup, however, is responsible for the
intense "burning" sensation which usually accompanies a
hard training session. The use of over the counter
anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen may be of help in
only extreme cases.

4 - DOMS is not an indicator of whether or not you had a
"good" workout. Many people think that if they are not sore
following a workout that they wasted their time. That is
nonsense! To have a productive workout, you don't have to
be sore for days following it.

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FITNESS QUIZ

ARE YOU TRAINING RIGHT FOR YOUR BODY TYPE?

1) My bone structure is:

__ (a) Very Large

__ (b) Large to Medium

__ (c) Small to Frail

2) My body tends towards:

__ (a) Carrying too much fat

__ (b) Being lean and muscular

__ (c) Being too skinny

3) My body looks:

Men answer here:

__ (a) Round and soft

__ (b) Square and rugged

__ (c) Long and tenuous

Women answer here:

__ (a) Pear-shaped

__ (b) Hourglass-shaped

__ (c) Mostly straight up and down

4) As a child I was:

__ (a) Chubby

__ (b) Normal

__ (c) Too thin


5) My activity level is:

__ (a) Sedentary

__ (b) Fairly Active

__ (c) Over active, can't sit still


6) My approach to life is:

__ (a) Laid back

__ (b) Dynamic

__ (c) Worrisome

7) My metabolism is:

__ (a) Slow

__ (b) Just right

__ (c) Too fast

8) People tell me:

__ (a) I should lose some weight

__ (b) Stay the same, that I look fine

__ (c) I should gain some weight

9) If you encircle your wrist with your other hand’s middle finger and thumb:

__ (a) Middle finger and thumb do not touch

__ (b) Middle finger and thumb just touch

__ (c) Middle finger and thumb overlap


10) Concerning my weight, I:

__ (a) Gain weight easily, but find it hard to lose

__ (b) Gain or lose weight fairly easily. Usualy stay about the same weight

__ (c) Have trouble gaining weight

11) I am hungry:

__ (a) Almost all the time

__ (b) Just at meal times

__ (c) Rarely

12) People would describle me as an:

__ (a) Emotional person

__ (b) Physical person

__ (c) Intellectual person



RESULTS

Give yourself a 1 for each A answer, a 2 for each B answer
and a 3 for each C answer. Add them up and devide by 12.

Look below at the number you now have. If you come up
with a fraction, for example 1.5, then you are somewhere
inbetween those two body types. And recomendations
would be a middle approach.


1

You tend towards being an Endomorph, your biggest concern
should be the losing of fat and adopting a lifestyle that keeps it
off.

Strength training should be done to get a better muscle to fat ratio
and therefore improve metabolism. Use moderate weights at a fast
training pace (very little rest between sets and exercises).

You should lower your calorie intake (but not try to starve yourself)
and should eat frequent but small meals. Sugars, sweets and junk
food should be eliminated from your diet.

Engage daily in some activity like brisk walking, biking, etc., and
try to increase the amount of time you spend each week.


2

You tend towards being a Mesomorph and have a naturally
fit body but to maintain it or improve it you should exercise
and diet corretly for your type.

Strength training can be done more often and for longer
sessions then would be good for an Ectomorph, but you must
still be carefull not to overdo it. You should train with moderate
to heavy weighs and at a moderate pace, not resting too long
between sets. You will find you gain muscle quite easy (some
women and even men might not want to get too bulky, but this
won't happen suddenly. When you are happy with your muscle
size simply train to maintain it).

Stick to a good healthy diet to keep you lean and muscular, and
watch for any slow creeping fat gains.

Engage in and enjoy aerobic activities, sports, etc. but do not
overdo.

3

You tend towards being an Ectomorph, you should
concentrate on gaining weight in the form of good lean
muscle tissue (some women that are too thin may also
want to put on a little fat to look more feminine).

Weight training should be done but not too often or for too
long each session. Weight should be fairly heavy and
workout pace slower (longer rest periods between sets).

Diet should be high in calories (good quality food not junk)
and you should eat more then you're used to and often.

Aerobic and other activities (sports, dancing, etc.) should be
kept to a minimum, at least until you are happy with your
weight and looks.

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NUTRITION TIPS

Protein powders and meal replacment drinks can help you add
protein to your diet and are easily digestible.

For those on a budget, here's a protein drink recipe I used to use
(before I became rich and famous...LOL):

*2 to 3 eggs
*16 oz. milk
*non fat dry milk powder
*Some kind of flavoring. Some times I used a couple scoops of ice
cream or some chocolate Ovaltine.
(Unfortunately for you low carb guys, this is not a low carb
protein drink.)

If you're concerned about the eggs and salmonella, you can drop
them in boiling water for 45 to 60 seconds.

Here's a low carb protein drink:
*2 to 3 eggs
*4 oz. heavy whipping cream
*Sugar free Tang (or a generic equivalent).

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OVERTRAINING

This is usually the biggest reason that most people are not making
gains.

Overtraining is every bodybuilder's nightmare. It is a condition in
which your body catabolizes it's lean muscle as fuel due to putting
too much a demand on your body.

Training too often, for too long causes your body to go into a state
of shock and store your food as energy and use your muscles as
food. Quite the opposite of what we as bodybuilders want, huh?

Training while overtrained will cause you to grow weaker and get
smaller. Roughly translated, if you are not progressing, you may
need to take a rest. Most people think that if they are getting
weaker they aren't doing enough so they add in more sets or train
more often, putting them deeper and deeper into the overtraining
trap.

Symptoms of Overtraining

1. A loss of appetite.

2. A lack of motivation to train.

3. Irritability.

4. Insomnia.

5. Unexplained strength loss.

If these symptoms apply to you, I advise you to take 2 to 3 weeks
off and evaluate your training. Find out where the problem lies, fix
it, and get motivated for your new workout!

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TRAINING JOURNALS

Keeping records of what you do and how you do it is vital to
bodybuilding success. I think keeping a journal is one of the best
things I've done to help myself improve. If you keep track of what
you've done in the past, it will be easier for you to see what works
for you.

When assessing a problem such as an extreme soreness or a lack
of pump, you could look back in your journal to see either what
you ate differently and see if that is the culprit.

Or, maybe you did an exercise that you normally don't do and
you've hit an area you never get at.

Or, it may still be a different method of supplementation.

Any way you look at it, relying on your memory isn't the best way
to get maximum growth in minimum time.

Also, by keeping track of poundages, you can continually see how
much stronger you've gotten. Or you could try to beat what you did
last week by adding 5 pounds.

A journal would also be very helpful in preparation for a contest
or even just getting in shape for summer or spring break. You can
find out what works for you and use it.

Tips On How To Keep A Productive Journal

1. Write down when you worked out.

2. Write down how much weight you used in each exercise.

3. Write down how the movements felt, i.e. "50s are too light".

4. Write down how you looked and what was going on in your
mind.

5. Write down what you wore or what music you listened to.

6. Write down what you ate and when you ate it.

7. Write down how you looked when you woke up, went to
sleep, etc.

8. Write down how much cardio you did.

9. Write down your body weight.

10. Write down the other aspects of you life i.e., if you had a
good day, a bad day, it was raining, dog ate your shoes, you
had a fight with your girlfriend.

This will help you attribute outside factors into your performance
in the gym.

So, say you had a bad workout on February 1st and you can't
figure out why since your diet and supplementation were the same
as your last training session which was good. If you see that you
got into an argument with your spouse that morning, you might find
the reason your workout sucked was because your head wasn't into
it. This would stop you from radically changing your diet or
supplementation unfoundedly.

A training and dietary journal can be your best friend when
assessing progress.

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HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUT ROUTINE

Mon - Chest, Triceps, Delts
Incline Barbell Press - 3 sets - 10, 8, 6 reps
Flat Flye - 1 set - 8 reps
Shoulder press - 2 sets - 8, 6 reps
Side raises - 1 set - 8 reps
Pressdowns - 2 sets - 8, 6 reps

Wed - Legs
Squats - 3 sets - 10, 8, 6 reps
Leg ext. - 1 set - 8 reps
Leg curls- 3 sets - 10, 8, 6 reps
Standing calf raises - 1 set - 8 reps
Seated calf raises - 3 sets - 10, 8, 6 reps

Fri - Back, Biceps
Hyperextentions - 3 sets - 10, 8, 6 reps
Barbell row - 3 sets - 10, 8, 6 reps
Pulldowns or Narrow Chins - 1 set - 8 reps
Barbell curls
Superseted with incline hammer curls - 2 sets - 8, 6 reps
Barbell shrugs - 2 sets - 8, 6 reps

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VINCE GIRONDA'S ROUTINE FOR FAST ARM GROWTH

1 . METABOLIC STIMULATION (BREATHING SQUATS):

Squats, heels about 20 inches wide, knees a comfortable width about
24 inches. In the erect position, take 2 very deep breaths and hold the
second breath and squat (back straight) and return to upright position
and exhale. Perform 3 sets of 15 repeats, 2 to 3 minutes rest between
sets. This gets your adrenal activated for your arm program.

2. BICEPS:

Stand in front of the dumbbell rack and pick up a pair of
5# dumbells. and with palms facing thighs, curl left dumbell slowly
turning palm up and bending to the left. Watching dumbell travel up to
shoulder, hand should be outside deltoid at contracted position. At this
point, turn your head to the right and start to curl right dumbell
simultaneously. As you curl the right dumbell, lower the left dumbell back
to starting position. Counting with your left hand, complete four repeats
only. Next step: put dumbells back on rack and take 2 deep breaths and
shake your arms and pick up the next heavier set and do 4 repeats.
Proceed until you have curled the heaviest set of dumbells you can
handle (creative cheating is ok). Next step: work down the rack to your
starting set. That's it for Bicep. Don't do any other Bicep work.

TRICEPS:

Barbell pullover and press: lie on your back on can lower barbell below
head. Take a 12" grip (over-hand) lower barbell down and back over
head and slightly below bench level, with elbows in and up, pull barbell
over face to low pec line. At this point, swing at arms length over
stomach (forward press). Lower barbell back down to chest and roll
elbows in, parallel position (4 sets of 12 reps).

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HOW TO MAKE HIGH-PROTEIN CANDY BARS
(Taken from The Bodybuilders Cookbook)

These very high protein candy bars are so full of
protein...and other nutritious ingredients that you
could almost exist in the peak of health by eating only
the candy bar recipes I'll give you now! Many people
in this world live quite well on a diet that is far less
nutritious. But, for the bodybuilder who wants to make
fast, lasting gains in strength muscle size and energy,
these High-Protein Candy Bars are fantastic!

To accurately determine the nutritional analysis of
each bar, simply divide the number of bars you cut from
the whole mixture -- I will give you an example with
recipe #1.


C'bar #1:

2 cups natural peanut butter:
Protein-134.6g Carbs-108.4g Fat-246.6g Calories-2,972

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk:
Protein-21.3g Carbs-32.2g Fat-1.4g Calories-217

4 tablespoons brown sugar:
Protein-0 Carbs-52.4 Fat-0 Calories-204

2 tablespoons honey:
Protein-0 Carbs-16.7 Fat-0 Calories-62

TOTAL:
Protein-155.9g Carbs-209.7g Fat-248g Calories-3,455

Mix ingredients in large mixing bowl (if mixture is too
dry, add a little whole milk; if too moist, add a little
nonfat dry milk -- be sure to measure these other
ingredients and see back of book for nutritional
break-down so you can add this to total). Mix with your
hands, thoroughly mixing everything. Now, very lightly
butter cookie sheet, large, flat pan,or sheet of wax paper
and spread mixture out on it about 1/2" to 1" in
thickness, and in the shape of a square; than refrigerate
until it hardens. Remove from refrig. and cut into equal
pieces. Now, roll bars in sesame seeds that are spread-out
on wax paper, etc. Each bar will take about 1 tablespoon
sesame seeds.

Let' s say that you made 12 equal-sized candy bars from
this recipe, each bar would have this nutritional analysis
including the sesame seed):

1 Candy bar:
Protein-13+g Carbs-17.6g Fat-20.8g Calories-289+

That's a whopping handful of protein and other nutrition!
And it's so inexpensive, too! Keep these bars refrigerated
and eat one whenever you need protein power.

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SIT-UPS OR CRUCHES WHICH IS BETTER?

Traditional sit-ups emphasize sitting up rather than merely
pulling your sternum down to meet your pelvis. The psoas
muscles run from the lower back to the front of the thighs.
This muscle action is to pull the thighs closer to the torso.
This action is the major component of sitting up. Because
of this, when you are doing sit ups your psoas muscles are
the primary muscles being engaged and not your abdominal
exercises. So sit-ups are a pretty useless exercise if you want
to get your abs in shape. Instead, use crunches, because they
directly work your abs.

HOW TO DO CRUNCHES THE RIGHT WAY

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet
together flat on the floor and about 10-15 inches from your
buttocks. Your hands should either be crossed on your chest,
by your side, or cupped behind your ears. Without moving your
lower body, curl your upper torso up and in toward your knees,
until your shoulder blades are as high off the ground as you can
get them. Only your shoulder blades should lift--not your back.
As you come to the highest point tighten and flex your abdominals
for a brief second. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting
position. Repeat for reps.

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I've created this weblog as a companion to my website:Truly Huge - Bodybuilding, Health and Fitness. Free Fitness Tips.

Many people are keenly interested in health today. You don't have to sacrifice a healthy lifestyle to reach your ultimate size and strength potential as a bodybuilder. To help you accomplish this I publish a weekly newsletter with tips and suggestions.

I will be posting selections from my Bodybuilding / Health / Fitness newsletter here to share with althetes who want to live healthy drug-free lives.