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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Thursday, December 08, 2005
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Thursday, September 22, 2005
"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
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Friday, August 26, 2005
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
Monday, August 15, 2005
More Proof That Psychiatry is a Pseudoscience!
Find out the truth about psychiatry, andsee how "They Lied."
http://www.cchr.org/lied/lied.htm
Find out the truth about psychiatry, andsee how "They Lied."
http://www.cchr.org/lied/lied.htm
Monday, August 08, 2005
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
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Here's some more great links conerning the truth about Psychiatry:
Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR)
Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR)
CITIZENS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFEATS PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGGING BILLS!
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Saturday, July 02, 2005
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:
Doctors Lambast Shields’ Dangerous Position on Paxil
Abusing women in the name of psychiatry, prescription drugs
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
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
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,and you will be automatically entered in our monthly drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes. Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Thursday, August 19, 2004
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?
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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?
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
"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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Monday, July 26, 2004
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!
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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!
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Friday, July 02, 2004
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Thursday, June 24, 2004
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Monday, June 07, 2004
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Thursday, June 03, 2004
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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.
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
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!
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
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!
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Shape Up. Sign up for our Free
Weekly Bodybuilding, Fitness and Health Tips Newsletter,
and you will be automatically entered in our monthly
drawing to win Free Supplements and other great prizes.
Stay informed, stay motivated, win free stuff, join today!
Click Here To Sign Up Free
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
