Bulking up
by Zach Bashore


Building muscle quickly is a quality very few people possess. Not only do
you have to train like a bodybuilder, you must be willing to eat like one
too. This article will educate the people who are interested in building
muscle on the basics of bulking. You will learn what bulking is, the
difference between clean and dirty bulking, and what supplements to use.

Bulking is a time when you are primarily focused on building muscle.
You must be willing to train like an animal and eat more calories than
what you are used to eating. It is very important that you set goals for
yourself. Some say you can only gain .5 to 1 pound of muscle naturally
every week, so set realistic goals for yourself so that you don't get
discouraged when you're not gaining the amount you've set
yourself out for.

Your main concern when bulking is your diet. Clean bulking is eating
clean, making sure that you don't gain any fat. Dirty bulking is
thinking that by eating pizza and cookies that you will gain mass.
Doing this will cause gain, but it will be more fat them muscle.

Your diet should consist of the same bodybuilding foods that you
would normally eat, just in a higher caloric amount. Aim for an excess
of 300 to 500 a day and make adjustments at the end of the week if
you feel that you're not gaining enough muscle.

Most bodybuilders use supplements to assist with muscle growth. The
three most frequently used when bulkinh are creatine, whey protein, and
glutamine. Creatine holds water, making your muscles look harder. Whey
protein is just a more convenient way of getting your daily protein needs,
and glutamine is an amino acid used to keep fat gain to a minimum while
doing clean bulking. There are also many other supplements that aid in
muscle growth.

Don't confuse bulking with cutting. Cutting is the exact opposite of
gaining muscle. When cutting, you are trying to shed as much fat as
possible while not worrying so much about muscle gain. It is very hard
to drop fat and gain muscle at the same time, so bodybuilders have two
choices. cutting or bulking.


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Go Have a Cheat Meal
By Zach Bashore

We are all guilty of cheating on our diets from time to time and can
also feel guilty about doing it. So why do we cheat anyways? This
article is going to address this question. You will also learn how
often you should cheat on your diet and supplements that should be
taken before and after a big cheat meal.

Too strict a diet can sometimes cause many problems such as headaches,
fatigue, depression, anxiety, and wanting to be unsocial. If you're
feeling a severe drop in mood, you're probably restricting too much,
too fast." You may also be out with a couple of friends one night and
they say, "Hey, do you want a beer," or the best one yet, "How about
a piece of pizza." On special occasions like these or when you feel
that you need a treat from the past few weeks, then cheating is okay.
Just don't make a habit out of it.

From a health perspective, using a cheat day as an excuse to gorge
yourself is horrendous. It's fine to have cookies, cakes, soda, pizza,
etc., but the key is to not gorge yourself. You should use your cheat
meal as an chance to eat anything you want, but not everything
you want. Eat enough to enjoy the food, but don't over do it. Speaking
personally, I cheat once a week to satisfy my cravings.

So how do I go about preparing for my cheat meal? You better be
guessing that I am prepared supplement wise to keep myself from
feeling guilty afterwards. I also need to decide if I really need a
cheat meal or if it's just a craving that I normally get from time
to time. The first thing I do is take a thermogenic fat burning
supplement and a healthy fat source such as fish or flax seed oil. I'll
then wait twenty minutes to decide if I am still hungry and if I am,
then I will get something such as pizza, lasagna, or spaghetti. Then
I might go eat a few cookies.

I know of no one who can go their entire life without eating something
that's bad for them, and if someone ever tells me that they don't ever
cheat, I know they are lying! Another reason people can't stick to
their diet long-term is because they think that they have to be
perfect all of the time. Live a little and go have a cheat meal!

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One-Day A Week Beginner Dumbbell Routine

The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated
with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies
show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity,
helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood
pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you
healthy and makes you look and feel better. To follow you'll find
a simple dumbbell routine that can be performed in the comfort of
your own home.

This is a full body workout to be performed once a week. You should
finish in about an hour. Concentrate on correct form and perform each
repetition nice and slow to fully work the muscle avoid injury.
Perfect for the beginner or person with a busy lifestyle. There are
many advantages to exercising even if it's just one day a week. To keep
this routine under an hour and also benefit from a cardio only rest for
30-seconds between sets. You may have to build up to this. After
following this dumbbell routine for 2 months pick new exercises for
each muscle group. 10 repetitions is good for toning and shaping. If
you want to add muscle do lower reps. If you want to see more definition
in the muscle you have do even higher reps. 10 is a good compromise
for most people.


Dumbbell squats- 2 Sets of 10 repetitions
Stiff legged dumbbell deadlifts- 2 Sets of 10 repetitions
Standing dumbbell calf raises- 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions
Dumbbell bench press- 2 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell military press- 2 sets of 10 repetitions
One-armed dumbbell rows- 2 sets of 10 repetitions
Concentration curls- 2 sets of 10 repetitions
Kickbacks- 2 sets of 10 repetitions
Bicycle crunches- 3 sets until failure

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Lethargy – To Train Or Not To Train?
By BigCanuk

As per usual, as the winter settles in, a lot of the guys I hear
from are telling me the same thing; that with the cold season,
their zeal has dropped and their workouts are diminishing. I also
am in that category. It's real tough to live in a country where
cold weather is prevalent almost half the year! I've always told
myself I would one day live in a country where the climate would
be more tropical but so far it hasn't transpired. I envy those
people who live in paradise all year long! But enough of my
whining about the winter. There are certain things that can be
done to combat this natural occurrence.

Outside of changing my training when necessary, a couple of tricks
I use to take the edge off winter are these items. First off, I
bought a hot tub. You know, it's interesting how sitting in
103-degree water makes the snow and cold become so tolerable all
of a sudden.

Another trick is to be tanned. While everyone else around seems to be
looking pale and white and sickly, it seems that nothing looks as
good as a healthy looking tan. Obviously the sun isn't going
to do the job and although the medical research won't exactly
say that sun tanning beds outright cause skin cancer, it seems the
general consensus is that they are bad for you. So what's a guy to
do? I ordered an oral tanning product called "Canthaxanthin". The
stuff works and best of all, it's non-toxic to the body. So you get
to look tanned and don't have to worry about the bad effects of it
on your body.

For the training aspect. We all know how hard it is to get into
a workout especially when you're not excited about it. Well, I've finally
stumbled onto a little key that helps unlock those lethargic training times.
First of all, tell yourself that you are only going to the gym for a half-hour
to train. Surely, you can spare a half-hour out of your day, right? Next pick
the body part that is your favorite to train. Usually, this is not what you're
supposed to do as it takes away from the intensity of what's needed to pick up
those lagging body parts but in this case, we're trying to just get into an
intensity mode. It doesn't take long to find the workout falling into place
and going well once your favorite muscle group starts feeling that pump and
burn. The next thing you know, the half-hour is over and you've accomplished
the most important thing of the day. Your workout. Most of the day, we give
and sacrifice our time and abilities for others whether it be work or play
or visiting family/friends but when you're at the gym, that is for you. Try
to make it count as the best it can be.

I hope this helps beat some of those lethargic times that is sure to come
along and hit every one of us sometime during the winter months when it is
tougher to get motivated.

* Editor's note: If you've ever felt there was something holding you back in
life, ruining your plans and stopping you from being who you want to be, you
were right. The fact is, there is a single source of all your problems, stress,
unhappiness and self-doubt. It's called the reactive mind - the hidden part
of your mind that stores all painful experiences, then uses them against you.
Dianetics gets rid of the reactive mind. It's the only thing that does.
Read the book Dianetics and learn how to get rid of your recative mind.

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BOOK REVIEW - DIANETICS
Book: Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health

Author: L. Ron Hubbard

Dianetics was first released on May 9th 1950, it has remained
a bestseller every year since and has now sold over 20 million
copies worldwide. Many self-help books have come and gone but
Dianetics continues to go strong. Why? Because it really works!

We all know how important the mind is to training, it has even
been said that "Your mind is your strongest muscle." Dianetics
will give you a true understanding and control of your mind, it
shows you how to locate the blocks and barriers to your full
potential and totally handle them. I believe this book should
be part of every trainee's library. For more information go to
http://www.dianetics.org

Here are some great links to visit:

Anabolic Steroids Information and Alternatives

Bodybuilding Fanatic - The Best In Bodybuilding Information

Fitness Links - Your Health and Fitness Resource!

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Moving Past Grief Jim and Nancy fall in love at their first high school dance. They see each other every day and talk on the phone every night. Jim looks forward to their marriage and a life together. The day after their high school graduation, Nancy says, "I’m sorry Jim, but I want to date other guys now. Please don’t call me again." Jim pleads, yells and sulks. He tries letters, flowers, cards. He talks to Nancy's family and friends. Nothing changes Nancy's mind. He asks himself every hour, "How can I get her back? Why did she really leave me? What did I do wrong?" Jim stops eating, stops smiling, refuses to talk to his friends. He loses interest in life and spends hours watching television in his room. His mother tells him not to worry. "Time heals all wounds." But after a few months, Jim is not over his loss. He can't get her out of his mind. Time heals nothing. A friend says, "You need to wash away your troubles with some beer!" So Jim gives it a try. It seems to help! Jim feels better . . . for an hour. Then he sees a girl with hair like Nancy's and gets tears in his eyes. Another beer makes it worse. The next morning, Jim realizes beer is no solution. Another friend says, "The best way to get over Nancy is to find a new girlfriend!" So Jim goes out on a date with Jill. Her perfume reminds him of Nancy, her laugh sounds like Nancy's. The music reminds him of Nancy. He wants to go home and just think about Nancy. The date is a disaster. Jim loses interest in school. A counselor gives him a booklet on depression. "Of course," Jim thinks, "I need professional help." So he goes to a psychiatrist who gives him a prescription. The pills make him feel wooden, but Nancy is still on his mind most of the time. The psychiatrist tells Jim's dad that Jim needs to take the pills forever. His dad gets angry and throws away the pills. He tells Jim, "Just get over it!" Jim goes to his room and cries. Failure, loss and death are parts of life. You lose pets, jobs, businesses, homes, friends, lovers and family members. Major losses can change your life forever. For most people, the only options to the pain are drugs, alcohol or time, none of which really help. L. Ron Hubbard discovered two ways to get on with your life after a loss. 1. Shift Your Attention You can help someone whose attention is on a loss by asking this question over and over. "Tell the person you are going to help them. Tell him or her, ‘Find something that isn't reminding you of ______ (name of person he or she lost).’ "Repeat the command, getting the person to find something else that is not reminding him or her of the person until he or she has a realization and feels better about the situation. "This simple procedure can help the person recover from his or her lost love and begin to live again." — L. Ron Hubbard You decide to help Jim get over his break up with Nancy. You tell Jim, "Let me help you get over Nancy, okay? Here we go. Find something that isn't reminding you of Nancy." Jim looks around the room for a little while. "That mirror doesn't remind me of Nancy." You say, "Okay" and repeat the instruction: "Find something that isn't reminding you of Nancy." "The drapes." You say "Okay" and repeat the command: "Find something that isn't reminding you of Nancy." "The couch. Oh, Nancy sat there. I sure miss her. Okay, that box of Cheerios." "All right. Find something that isn't reminding you of Nancy." "That plant. . . ." After repeating this question a few dozen times, Jim's eyes become bright and he smiles. "Nancy who? To heck with that. I feel better! Let's get something to eat." While it might take a few minutes or a few hours, Jim will snap out of it. The technique works equally well with the loss of a job, a business, money—anything you or the person you are helping wants to stop thinking about. 2. Erase the Emotional Pain Harmful memories are stored in the mind at a conscious and unconscious level. These memories ruin marriages, careers and your confidence. They cause unfounded fears, unreasonable anger and irrational behavior. You carry this mental baggage wherever you go. Harmful memories cause you to act in ways that are not really YOU. Dianetics eliminates the influence of these destructive memories. The Grolier Encyclopedia defines Dianetics as: ". . . a form of counseling for curing emotional and psychosomatic illnesses and enhancing life" (psychosomatic illnesses: health problems stemming from the mind). When you receive Dianetics counseling, you talk about your past in a certain way until the emotional pain stops. The depression, grief and anxiety caused by your memories are gone forever. Benefits When you reduce the emotional pain of memories, you enjoy these benefits: * More energy * Increased control * Interest in new activities * More self-confidence * Higher intelligence * Better health * Reduced need for drugs, alcohol or medicine * Less fear of failure To learn more about Dianetics, buy Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.

"Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard."

FITNESS WORLD MOURNS THE DEATH OF NUTRITION GURU DON LEMMON

Donald Edward Lemmon, Jr., age 37, died in a car accident outside of Las Vegas, June 10, 2006. He was born Sept. 4, 1968, to Donald Edward, Sr. and Laura Pearl Weimer Lemmon. On Dec. 19, 2003, he married Asia Carrera in Koolina, Hawaii. Donald grew up in Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army, then moved back to Ohio working as a personal trainer. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in a rock band. There Donald found success with a nutritional web site and he became a nutritionist and personal trainer. He was also a published science fiction author. Donald was a devoted husband and a loving father. Survivors include his wife, Asia; one daughter from his first marriage, Carly of Ohio; one daughter from his second marriage, Catalina of St. George, Utah; one soon to be born son, Donald Edward Lemmon, III; mother, Laura of Ohio; one brother, Jeff Lemmon; and four half sisters and one half brother. Private family services will be held. Arrangements were under the direction of Moapa Valley Mortuary.

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How To Turn Fat Into Muscle
By Doberman Dan

OK... to be quite honest, turing body fat into muscle is simply NOT possible.
But it has become a popular saying. What it REALLY means is to lose body fat
while retaining and/or gaining muscle mass.

In this article I would like to share the basics of a training protocol advocated by
Charles Poliquin and many other bodybuilding gurus called German Body
Composition (GBC).

GBC uses weight training for fat loss. Aerobic training is not utilized -- at all! The
primary goal of this method is fat loss while preserving hard earned muscle.
Contrary to popular opinion, aerobics usually cause a LOSS of muscle tissue.

Also, as an added little perk, many trainees will also add lean tissue during the
course of a GBC cycle.

Results normally seen from this type of training average a loss of approximately
one-half a percent of body fat per week.

The basic premise behind GBC is the promotion of fat loss by increasing lactic
acid levels in the body, which in turn produces higher growth hormone levels.
This puts the body in an optimal state to burn fat and build lean tissue.

So how do you go about attaining this state with your workouts?

The following is a bullet point list of what you need to do:

Full Body Workout Utilizing Upper and Lower Body Supersets -- By alternating
between upper and lower body exercises it is possible to keep the rest intervals
short, even with big compound movements like the squat and bench press. This
allows you to accomplish a large amount of work in a relatively short time.

High Reps (10-15) Stopping Short of Failure -- Studies have shown that high
reps sets with a time under tension of 40 to 75 seconds produce an appropriate
amount of lactic acid for the purposes of GH release and fat loss. You should
stop about two reps short of concentric (positive) failure. Training to failure has
little benefit and potential drawbacks with this protocol. Remember, the goal is
to create the environment within your body to burn fat. Also, if you train to
failure it would be highly unlikely you would last until the end of the workout.
The volume of work is pretty high (at least for a natural trainee).

Short Rest Intervals (30-75 seconds) -- By alternating between upper and lower
body exercises, you will be able to cut down on needed rest intervals greatly
compared to repeating the same movement in a straight set fashion. These
short rest intervals accelerate the accumulation of lactic acid and create our
desired state.

Workout Duration Less Than One Hour -- Studies have shown that weight
training sessions lasting over one hour tip the anabolic/catabolic scale in
the negative direction. Fifty minutes seems to be the ideal time frame. This
does not include warm-ups, stretching, or cool-down.

Sample Workouts

Below are three sample workouts based on the GBC protocol. These three
workouts can be alternated throughout the week. Frequency of workout
sessions depends on training age and starting condition. The minimum is
twice a week and the maximum that I would recommend would be five per
week.

In these examples I use the notation system developed by Charles Poliquin
because it provides a good amount of detailed information on each of the
workout variables.

There are a few notations that you might not be familiar with. These are used
to denote supersetting and tempo.

Supersetting is designated by the use of letters and numbers i.e. A1 and A2
or B1 and B2. First perform the A1 movement. Rest the prescribed amount
of time and then perform the A2 movement. Continue alternating between
the two exercises until all the recommended sets of each are complete.

Tempo (the speed at which you perform the movement) is designated with a
three-digit number in units of seconds i.e. (301). The first number is the
eccentric or lowering portion, the second number indicates the isometric or
pause, and the final number is the concentric or positive portion. For
example, on a bench press with a 311 tempo you would lower the load for
three seconds, pause on the chest for one second, and then extend to the
start in one second. Note: "X" denotes explosive effort.

Day One

A1 - Step Ups 4 x 12 (20X) 60 sec
A2 - Chin Ups 4 x 10 (311) 60 sec

B1 - Lunges (dynamic) 3 x 12 (311) 45 sec
B2 - Incline Dumbbell Chest Press 3 x 10-12 (411) 45 sec

C1 - Seated Leg Curl 3 x 10 (401) 45 sec
C2 - Barbell Shoulder Press 3 x 12 (311) 45 sec

D1 - Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl 2 x 10-12 (411) 30 sec
D2 - Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 2 x 10-12 (422) 30 sec

Day Two

A1 - Deadlift 4 x 10-12 (311) 60 sec
A2 - Swiss Ball Push Ups 4 x 12-15 (222) 45 sec

B1 - Leg Press 3 x 12-15 (411) 60 sec
B2 - Seated Cable Row w/rope to Neck 3 x 10-12 (321) 45 sec

C1 - Single Standing Leg Curl 3 x 10 (411) 45 sec
C2 - Lateral Raise 3 x 12 -15 (221) 45 sec

D1 - Barbell Curl 2 x 10 - 12 (311) 45 sec
D2 - EZ Bar French Press (seated) 2 x 10- 12 (311) 30 sec

Day Three

A1 - Squat 4 x 12-15 (401) 60 sec
A2 - Bench Press 4 x 10-12 (411) 60 sec

B1 - Lunge (static) 3 x 15 (311) 60 sec
B2 - Barbell Rows 3 x 12 (311) 60 sec

C1 - Good Mornings 3 x 10 (312) 60 sec
C2 - Standing Alt. Dumbbell Press 3 x 12 (201) 45 sec

D1 - Reverse Barbell Curls 2 x 12 -15 (212) 30 sec
D2 - Triceps Pushdowns (underhanded) 2 x 12 -15 (312) 30 sec

I hope you find this program effective in achieving your goals. Give
it a shot and let me know how it goes for you.

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Does Weight Lifting Stunt Growth in Height?

I get this question all the time: "I'm in my teens and I want
to start weight lifting. But someone recently told me that
weightlifting can stunt my growth. Is this true?"

It's seems this myth will never die. But I will try again to
kill it.

The whole notion of growth being stunted by weight lifting is
a myth. It didn't stunt the growth of Shaquille O'Neal, David
Robinson, Karl Malone, Michael Vick, etc. They all started
lifting in their early teens, and all have gone on to be well
over 6' tall and star in professional sports.

Dave Draper and Arnold Schwarzenegger started lifting very
young and both are 6'1" or taller. Lou Ferrigno started
working out at 14 years old at the height of 5' 9" and grew to
6' 5" - taller then anyone in his family!

So the answer is no, weightlifting does not stunt height growth, or
any other kind of growth, for that matter. There is no scientific
evidence to support such ideas and, in fact, books such as the
Russian, School of Height, suggest that weight training may
stimulate growth. The latest weight training studies done on
teens showed only positive effects.

I'd also point out that activities such as running and jumping
create forces on the body that are six to eight times one's body
weight. The compression forces on his legs and spine are far
greater in running and jumping than they will ever be in
squatting or pressing over head.

Not only will proper weight training not stunt growth, it allows
teens to grow up with stronger muscles and bones, along with a
healthy lifestyle. It certainly benefits any other sport they
engage in.

Even though proper weight training protocols will not inhibit
growth, the risk for such occurrences and injuries are just like
anything else. If you have proper instruction and a
well-organized program,,your chances are very low.

It is important to learn the basics of weight training and get
medical clearance from your doctor before you begin.

Careful attention should be paid to correct weightlifting form, and
not using too much weight or too much stress placed on the
joints. This is still true, of course for everyone, regardless
of age, and no one should ever try to do more weight than they
can reasonably lift, otherwise injury can occur.

Correct technique will reduce any risk of injury and develop your
strength more effectively than not training with proper technique.
The greatest benefits and smallest risks occur when 8 to 15
repetitions can be performed with a given weight before adding
weight in small increments.

Remember if you are going to exercise regularly always do a
warm up followed by some stretching. After your workout take
5-10 minutes to cool down and do some more gentle stretching.
Studies have shown that people who warm up and cool down
adequately have far fewer injuries.

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Steve Reeves Workout - How Steve Reeves Trained

Steve Reeves had a classic physique body that is still admired
to this day. To many it is still the greatest physique of all time.
What's even more impressive is that Steve won the Mr. America,
Mr. World, and Mr. Universe titles with out ever using stroids.

His top form measurements were:

height 6'1"
weight 215lb
shoulder breadth 23 1/2 in
neck 18 1/4 in
chest 52 in
waist 29 in
hips 38 in
biceps 18 1/4 in
forearms 14 3/4 in
wrist 7 1/4 in
thigh 26 in
calf 18 1/4 in
ankle 9 1/4 in.

Note that his calf, biceps and neck are the same measurement. He
did this deliberately based on the concept of Grecian ideal
proportions.

He also worked to get his shoulders as wide as possible and his
waist as small as possible in order to exaggerate his upper
body width. He didn't do shrugs or side bends as he thought large
traps took away from the visual illusion of shoulder width and
large obliques thickened the waist, spoiling his v-taper.

Steve Reeves Training Methods

I found one of Steve Reeves training routine in an old booklet
and was happy to see he trained briefly, infrequently and
intensely to make the fastest progress. He trained full body
workouts three times a week, doing about 3 sets for each
exercise. He choose mostly basic exercises that worked the
part of the muscle he wanted to bring out.

Steve Reeves once wrote that 12 reps is the ideal number,
but never at the expense of good form!

Of course he had great genetics, but he also trained the right
for a natural bodybuilder.

Exercises of Steve Reeves

1. Shoulders - Press Behind Neck
2. Thighs - Hack Squat (toes pointed at 'ten and two' heels closed)
3. Calves - Toe Raise (on block of wood at least 6" thick)
4. Chest - Dips on parallel bars
5. Back - Chin behind neck
6. Triceps - Pressdown on lat machine
7. Biceps - Incline dumbell curl

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MEASURING YOUR PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT

Your percentage of body fat is another good measuring stick for your
level of fitness. Unfortunately, people often tend to judge their fitness
level according to what the scale says. We want to break you of this
habit. This is very important because the percentage of your body
which is fat is a much better measurement of your fitness level than
the above mentioned scale.

The most accurate and expensive method of measuring body fat is
hydrostatic emersion. This method can only be done in a laboratory
by a clinician. Another method uses electrical impedance. But you
need a special machine and a trained staff. The most affordable and
accessible method is to use skin-fold calipers. All you need is a
friend willing to pinch you a couple of times (remember to be
consistent with the sites measured). This form of measurement (if
done correctly and consistently) will give you a quality guide for
determining lean body mass vs. fat.

BODY FAT MEASUREMENTS (U.S.)

Men 26% Women 36% ----> OBESE
Men 24% Women 34% ----> AVERAGE
Men 18% Women 20% ----> GOOD
Men 14% Women 16% ----> ATHLETIC
Men 10% Women 12% ----> EXCELLENT
Men 06% Women 10% ---> BODYBUILDERS

SETTING BODY FAT GOALS

Even though society tries to impose an ideal body type on people,
everyone has unique genetic determinants. Therefore your body fat p
ercentage goals will be specific to you. Be advised that certain body fat
levels have risks. For example, if you fall into the obese category, you
are open to respiratory difficulties, high blood pressure, diabetes,
hardening of the arteries, coronary disease and failure, digestive
diseases and kidney problems.

Once you have determined your current percent body fat, you should
set a realistic short-term goal that will allow you to show small, and
continuous improvement. For example, if you fall into the Obese
category, set a short-term goal of losing enough fat to qualify as
Average. If you are presently Average, your immediate goal will be
Good. Get the idea? Set yourself up to succeed with small, attainable,
short-term goals!

A word of caution is needed if your body fat falls below a certain level:
4% for men and 10% for women--it may cause health complications. For
men they are minor, but for women they may include cessation of
menstrual activity and the inability to conceive. These problems will
reverse themselves when fat levels return to "healthy" levels.

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Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, you must - but don't you quit

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow -
You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt -
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

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"I Just Want to Get Big...FAST!"
By Lester Maurice

This is the battle cry heard around gyms and on the internet all the
time. Some people just starting out are skinny or feel undersized for
their height. Others are tired of training for definition or doing
aerobics and want to add muscle mass and power that they haven't
necessarily experienced before.

There is always a fascination to see just how big you can get for
your size. There's really nothing wrong with this goal as long as you
do it intelligently. You have to cycle this type of intense lifting with
periods of lighter training and you have to develop the whole body
so as not to throw yourself way out of proportion by having only a
huge chest or gigantic thighs with nothing else that matches.

Everyone has been told that the basic compounds lifts are the best
and I have to re-tell you that same song. Grimek, Reeves, Scott and
Arnold first put on their massive thickness by focusing on the
powerlifting exercises exclusively for some time. Its not a
coincidence that Mr. Heavy Duty Mentzer also had this phase in
his life.

The flat bench, parallel squat and deadlift will be the main focus of
this cycle. If you can't do these, then you can replace them with some
alternate movements using machines or dumbbells but you will be
losing some of the intended growth hormone effect.

This is a five-week workout routine that can be performed once every
nine-weeks. In other words, after you've completed it, do your basic
bodybuilding routine for four weeks before cycling on again. Use the
routine two days each week (eg. Tuesday and Friday or Monday and
Thursday). You will never use the program more than two days
throughout the five week cycle. Trust us, it won't be necessary.
Good luck!

Week One
Bench Press: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions
Parallel Squat: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Deadlift: 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Week Two
Bench Press: 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions
Parallel Squat: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Deadlift: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Week Three
Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Parallel Squat: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
Deadlift: 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Week Four
Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Parallel Squat: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
Deadlift: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Week Five
Bench Press: 5 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Parallel Squat: 5 sets of 8-10 reps
Deadlift: 4 sets of 6-8 reps

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Paul Becker Bio

Mission Statement

I strongly oppose the use of anabolic steroids or any illegal or banned substances. My purpose is to bring you drug free training and diet techniques along with legal supplements to help you achieve your goals. I only carry products which contain ingredients that are well established dietary supplements and contain nothing illegal or banned in the USA.

About Me

I am a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder. I am also a bodybuilding trainer, personal fitness trainer and a weight loss coach.

I grew up in Queens, NY, in a great little town called Rosedale. At the age of 16 I became very interested in bodybuilding and fitness. Right from the beginning I felt that the idea was more then just improving appearance, but that it was intended to make us feel better, be healthier and even live longer. And of course harmful and illegal drugs of any kind could never play a part of such a lifestyle.

Once I started working out and eating right, others would notice my results and ask me for advice on their own diet and workout programs, which I was always happy to help them with. Over the last 25 years I have studied and tested all areas, including physical training, mental training, nutrition, supplements and recovery. Theories are great, but what counts is real results in the gym and on your body, and that is why after testing practically everything out there, I kept only the ones that consistently produced positive gains, time and time again. I have trained hundreds of men and women and helped them to reach their individual fitness goals.

In 1993 I moved to Los Angeles, CA, where I met my love and soul mate, Jan Fuksa. We were married on August 27, 1994 (see picture to your left). We currenly live in Hillsboro, OR.

In 1995 I wrote a manual devoted to drug free bodybuilding called "Truly Huge" which was devoted to natural muscle growth. "Truly" Huge as opposed to "fakely" or "artificially" Huge as I consider the steroids users to be.

In 1996 I lanched my website TrulyHuge.com this site was designed to give you all the tools you need to achieve your goals. We offer a quality line of supplements, diet and training info, personal training, motivation and a lot of other good stuff!

In The Media

Articles about myself and my online personal training services have appeared in many well know publications such at The New York Times , The Saturday Evening Post, etc.

I have written for many bodybuilding and fitness magazines, such as The Scientific Bodybuilding Journal, Burn! Men's Fitness, MuscleMag International and Robert Kennedy's upcoming new magazine Reps!

My articles also can be seen on many of the top internet websites such as bodybuilding.com, bodybuildinguniverse.com, criticalbench.com, dolfzine.com, drugfreebodybuilding.com, getbig.com, etc.

Stay fit and healthy!

All the best,

Paul

More Proof That Psychiatry is a Pseudoscience!

Find out the truth about psychiatry, andsee how "They Lied."
http://www.cchr.org/lied/lied.htm

Bodybuilding Contest Diet and Training

Maybe this tip will help those weight lifters who want to
become body builders. I have been training with weights
since 1991 after I got out of high school, although I wasn't
very serious. I always found something that gave me an
excuse to get out of the gym because I was not making
any gains. I am sure there are a lot of fellows out there
that have the same problem. Well let me tell you how I
started making true gains. It wasn't until I decided to get
serious, and this included my DIET. It is very hard to
make those impressive muscle gains with the fat loss
needed to chisel that round body into a "X" frame when
eating Big Mac's and frosties. I spoke with a couple of
friends at my local gym who were competitive NPC
bodybuilders and I got a lot of help with diet and training
advice and I would like to share them with you. My diet
had to change from eating junk three times a day to
eating lean low carb meals 6 times a day, I thought
Oh-my-God. Food, every two-three hours, WOW! Well
for the next sixteen week (4 months) this is what I ate
and I was 95% faithful to this diet.

Meal 1: 1 cup oats mixed with Protein mix.
Meal 2: 1 can of chunk turkey or tuna in spring water.
Meal 3: 1 chicken breast, 1/2 cup of green beans or brochilli.
Meal 4: Protien mix (1 hour prior to training).
Meal 5: 2 chicken breast, Protein (immediately post workout).
Meal 6: Baked potato or rice (1 hour prior to sleep)

*Lean beef, fish and turkey can substitute for any of the
meat. I know a lot of you out there are saying man that
could get expensive, however if you are not buying
chips, ice-cream, soda and other junk food at the store
and you stay strict to what you purchase, your price of
groceries will be the same.
I also supplemented with Andro one hour prior to weight
training and Fat Burners twice a day (morning/night).

Now for my training routine I was very consistent by
changing up my routine if I felt I was getting into a rut.
This was my training schedule.

Monday: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps.
Tuesday: Cardio 1 hour
Wednesday: Back, Biceps (forearms),Shrugs, Calves
Thursday: Cardio 1 hour
Friday: HELL DAY (legs)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

* Warm up at the beginning of each workout with medium
weight. 2-3 exercises each body part 2 sets 6-8 reps or
to failure. Start with 80 to 90% of max on first set then
drop 15% of that for second set work to failure.
CONCENTRATE of the affected muscle that you are
working.

I lost 52 lbs and went from a size 40 waist to a 32 waist
in four months. I guarantee if you stay consistent and
FAITHFUL you will have that Physique that you want.
STAY OUT of the cookie jar!!!
Good Luck,
Bobby Qualls
Kennesaw, GA

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MYTHS ABOUT WEIGHT TRAINING

1. Doing sit-ups or some other form of abdominal exercise
will trim unwanted pounds from your waist. There is no
such thing as spot weight reduction. Doing abdominal
exercises only strengthens the adominals; it doesn't
make fat magically disappear. The only way to trim
unwanted pounds from your waist (or any other part of
your body) is to expend more calories per day through
activity than you consume through food.

2. Women shouldn't lift weights because their muscles
will become huge and they will look like men. People
don't suddenly become "huge" from lifting weights. It
takes years of intense training to become "huge".
Women can, however, develop a shapely and well
proportioned physique by lifting weights.

3. Big, muscular people will probably become fat later
in life because their muscle will turn into fat. Muscle
and fat are two different types of tissues and can no
more turn into one another than wood and glass. When
muscle tissue is not used it will atrophy, or shrink in
size. Typically the neglected muscle becomes
surrounded by fat, giving the illusion of turning into
fat.

4. Lifting every day, 3 days on and one day off, or
doing double splits\twice a day will accelerate
muscular development. These workout routines lead
to overtraining; the body cannot recover sufficiently
between workouts for real muscular growth to occur.
These routines will only work for steroids users.

5. Some exercises are good for "shaping" your muscles
and some are good for "building mass". It's not the
exercise which determines the type of muscular
adaptation, but the number of repetitions performed
and the intensity of your workout.

6. Cheating (so that you can lift a heavier weight) will
accelerate muscular development. Cheating (not
performing the movement with strict form) is
counterproductive. The point is to work the muscle
properly, not move some heavy weight.

7. It doesn't matter which muscles I work out which
days. You must keep in mind which muscles assist
in working major muscle groups. For example, when
you work your chest, your triceps are also being
worked. Therefore, if you work chest one day and
triceps the next day you are over-working your triceps.

8. Some people are just too old to start weight lifting.
This is patently false. In studies reported in Science
News, people in their seventies and eighties began a
weight training program and showed significant gains
in muscle size and strength. Some of the participants
in the study could scarcely walk before the program
began could walk easily after the program.

9. People will stare at you in the gym if you're out of
shape. Men and women of all fitness levels, weight
ranges, races, and ages work out in gyms. And most
of them are too busy with their own workout to
even notice whether you are overweight or can't lift
much weight in the bench press.

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Here's some more great links conerning the truth about Psychiatry:

Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR)

CITIZENS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFEATS PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGGING BILLS!

Standing Up for Human Rights

My Get Ripped Quick Diet
by Scott Leisler

I've been bodybuilding for about 7 years, and started off
with the idea that I just wanted to get big. After putting on
close to 40 pounds, maybe 85 percent of it muscle, a
bodybuilder wants to get ripped. Over the 7 year period, I
experimented with many diets to get ripped, many times
coming close, but no cigar on 100% satisfaction. The last
3 summers I have dieted down and lost the fat I needed,
but sacrified much muscle in the process. This year, I have
achieved success for the first time. If anybody is
interested in what I have done. This is it in its simplicity.

wake up: 7:15 am
one twin lab ripped fuel, one aspirin
8:00 am
one myoplex deluxe, with creatine (42g p, 25g c, 2g f),
vitamin c, e,
multiple vitamin
10:00 am
a mesotech bar, or myoplex plus bar (about 25g p, 45g c,
7g f)
11:30 am
one twinlab ripped fuel, one aspirin
12: pm
2 chicken breast, brown rice or big baked potato
3:30 pm
metrx bar (32g p, 15g c, 7g f)
6:15 pm
10 egg whites in an omlet with velveta light cheese,
1 large apple
8:00 pm- workout
9:30 pm
myoplex deluxe with creatine (42g p, 25g c, 2g f),
vitamin c, e, multiple vitamin

The idea here is not to eliminate carbs, but to keep
them in the earlier part of the day. Having low carbs
for breakfast, allows for the continuation of fat burning,
but allows for replacement of minerals so muscles
aren't broken down. Then the next couple of hours,
have more carbs, to allow for energy for workouts,
and to keep the muscle you have. Slowly lower
carbs in the early afternoon and evening, not
eliminating, but keeping them low, and making sure
they are low glycemic, or slow absorption rate.

This program relies quite a bit on supplements,
mainly meal replacements, but in a busy schedule
with work, it has worked very fast, and worked the
best I have seen, even better than when I ate a lot
of whole foods instead of supplements. It will take a
little patience, but it works well with the mind games
that you always have when you feel like you're
getting skinny, but still fat. Since you still have
carbs, you keep most of your muscle.

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As you know I promote drug free bodybuilding and fitness, the reason for this is that drugs have unhealthy and even dangerous side effects!

Tom Cruise has brought to the attention of the public that Psychiatry is a Pseudoscience and that they push their dangerous drugs (even on children!) that do not cure anything.

Anyone who is in the least bit of doubt if Tom is right or not, should really look at the facts. The links below will give you all the proof you need:

American psychiatric Association President admitts that there is no way to test for a “chemical imbalance”

Doctors Lambast Shields’ Dangerous Position on Paxil

The Food and Drug Administration says that “ADHD” stimulants cause visual hallucinations, aggression, violent and suicidal behavior…

Abusing women in the name of psychiatry, prescription drugs

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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