Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Building Big Shoulders

Wide shoulders are what make a person look powerful, the shoulders are
also one of the first noticed and admired body parts. With the workout
routine explained below, lets try to make yours as large and as
powerful as humanly possible.

1) The Overhead Press - This exercise is performed by pressing the
weight upward until the arms are fully extended and lowering the
weight down until barely resting on the collar bone. You should
use a moderate weight so at least 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps can
be achieved. It is important to have a smooth controlled motion
when performing this exercise. These should be done with a wide grip
on the bar so the entire muscle group can be worked. The key to
having massive delts is to think big and train heavy - but also
train safe. Always focus on trying to increase the weight that
you're lifting. Never be satisfied with staying with the lighter
weight.

2) The Lateral Raise - This exercise is performed (standing or
sitting) with the dumbbells at the waist side. The weights should
be brought up sideways until each dumbbell is parallel to the
shoulders. You can bring each weight up separately or simultaneously.
I prefer simultaneously with the basic laterals because my formed is
less compromised.

3) The Bent-Over Lateral - Is performed in the same manner but the
difference is that you should lean forward until the upper body is
at a 45 degree bend. You must do this type simultaneously. The amount
of weight that should be used should be appropriate so that at least
4 sets of 8 to 10 reps can be achieved. Adjust weight accordingly
until this is achieved. When doing laterals, don't focus on just
trying to swing the weight up, Take a one or two second pause in
the air with the weight at the top position so you can isolate and
contract the muscle. Remember to try to constantly increase the
dumbbell weights over periods of time to allow your body to
continue to be stressed. This is the only way to promote growth.

4) The Shoulder Shrug - Is also an excellent exercise for building
mass in the shoulders. Most people use this exercise to build mass
in the trap area but the deltoids are also worked with this exercise.
This exercise should be done with heavy weights. It is performed by
holding a barbell and shrugging the shoulders. It is beneficial if
the shoulder muscles are flexed at the top of the rep. It is also
necessary to perform these slowly and controlled and try to get the
most out of each rep. When I do shrugs, I tend to put them towards
the end of my routine and use them as a final burn exercise. I
found these to work better for me toward the end of my routine
which allows me to use the presses and lateral raises as my main
mass exercises. Defiantly include shrugs into your routine. No
shoulder routine is complete without them.

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Upper Body Workout
By Ryan Ridding

Looking to build muscle? Well, here is a workout that I have done
for about a month, and I notice a big difference on my body. You
need only do one set of each. The key is: find a weight that you
can do at least 8 reps with, but no more than 15, you must do it
slow and controlled otherwise you will probably get injuries.
Every so often I grab drink half a can of 'Power Up' It is a
protein shake. I also drink "Maxi-Carbs" before hand.

Chest
Pec Dec
Dumbbell Fly
Bench Press

Back
Kneeling Lat Pull Down
Wide Grip Rows
Lat Pull Downs (bring bar behind head)

Drink Full Can of Power Up

Shoulders
Deltoid Press (Machine Military Presses)
Side Delt Raise
Front Delt Raise

Biceps
Barbell Bicep Curls
Machine Curls
Hammer Curls

Triceps
Machine Dips
Tricep Pushdowns
Tricep Kickbacks

Drink 3/4 of Power Up

Abdominals
Oblique Crunches
Crunches
Leg Ups

Drink 1/4 of power up

This really works, 3 or 4 people have already noticed the difference
on me.

Give it a go!

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Monday, April 21, 2008

he 10 Commandments of Bodybuilding Success

1. Lift Big - Give your muscles a reason to grow. Don't do endless
sets, be intense. Go heavy, but don't remain much longer than an
hour. Train 3-4 days a week. Hit failure and make that last set
count.

2. Eat Big - You must eat to grow. For gaining, take 20 Cal/lb
bodyweight daily. Get 30g protein per meal. Eat 6 meals a day.
Don't be scared of fats. Cut junk food. You will crave chicken,
tuna, pasta and chocolate milk.

3. Sleep - Recovery is key. If you're an meso/endomorph, get 8-9
hours a day, an ectomorph needs at least 6-7. You grow outside
the gym, not in.

4. Water Water Everywhere - Carry that gallon jug with you at all
times. Drink 8 litres a day. Keeps you well-hydrated so you can
train at your best and have your caloric needs in check.

5. Commit - If you're not sick or injured, you must train. You start
skipping... you might as well forget those dreams. You must want to
become that impressive physique before you can begin building it.
Get yourself a reliable training partner.

6. Your Ain't Squat 'Til You Squat - If you have legs, a desire to
grow and your back is OK, you must squat. Without the king of
exercises, your growth is going to suffer. Squats develop more than
just legs.

7. Change Up Frequently - Change your routine around frequently.
Every 3-6 weeks, vary the order that you do your routine, or change
your whole style altogether. Try HIT, super-slow, negative training,
high volume, etc.

8. Don't Over Train - A good routine is brief, intense, and only has
a couple exercises per bodypart. Limit the total number of sets you
do. If your progress is slowing, you're getting injured or sick
frequently, then it's time to take a break. Take 4-6 days off, and
then go back at it. Don't be surprised if you're stronger after your
layoff.

9. Heal - Once you're injured, take a break. Lose 2 weeks training
now, or prepare to keep those injuries forever.

10. Form - Anyone can throw around the weights. Concentrate on good
form, and then let the numbers follow. Get a full range of motion
and be proud that you're one of the few who actually trains
properly.

Time to hit the iron.

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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Training Partners
By Matt Danielson

A training partner can be beneficial in many ways, but he may also
be one of the major impediments in your quest for excellence.
Simply put, is your partner a negative or a positive thing for
your workout? Or are you the kind that, regardless of the partner,
would be better off without one? So...what are you, a lone wolf or
a team player?


Pros
The good thing about the training partner is that he or she equals
safety. With your partner, you have a built-in spotter that, note
this, KNOWS YOU. Why this? Well, if you ask any bozo passing by
to spot you, there's a chance you'll end up red as a beet with a
350-lb barbell over your throat while the guy stands there paying
extreme attention ... to the babe in that outrageous thong over
by the stairmaster.

Or he could be used to spotting Anthony Clark, and thinks you're
just clowning around when your eyes pop out of their sockets.

Or you could end up with someone who'd need help picking up a
towel from the floor.

Simply put: you could end up with someone you don't want spotting
you. Your training partner, on the other hand, knows your
strength, knows your weaknesses and knows how you prefer to be
spotted.

The second good thing is the psyching-up part of it. We might
need a little extra "push" once in a while. A good partner
just might be the spark to ignite your workout.

The third and last major advantage - it may prevent cheating in
the long run! It's easy to find an excuse not to go when you'd
rather sit around watching TV instead, but having someone at
the gym waiting for you makes it harder.

Cons
So then what could possibly be wrong, you may ask? Not much,
if you have a good partner. (That is, one that YOU work well
with. If not, it doesn't automatically mean the guy is a moron,
it just means the two of you don't work too well together.) A
BAD partner can be late, fail to spot you properly, go AWOL
and, most importantly, get you down mentally!

This is an absolute no-no!

A partner who pushes you on and drives you to do those two
extra reps can be most beneficial, but the Marine Wannabe who
starts barking in your ear in the locker-room before even
warming up is not likely very helpful. If you view your
partner as an AID to get you through a tough workout, as in
getting support, help and safety, it's generally a good
thing. But if you view your partner as just another obstacle
... Well, take a wild guess what you should do.

Lone wolf
There are some people who just don't see any advantage in a
training partner. And for them, it's perfectly right! It
requires higher discipline, and you sometimes has to rely on
bypassers in the gym, but like most other things it's mostly
in your head. If you hate training with someone else, you're
not likely gonna see any positive effects if you're FORCING
yourself anyway.

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