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I’d like to discuss an issue with a certain question I receive concerning training and angle variation. Can you add more muscle size by adding more angels to exercises for each muscle group? Not necessarily.

Many lifters are under the notion that adding more angles, sets, and repetitions can enhance their physique by recruiting all the muscle fibers. While this may sound logical, it can do more damage then good in the bodybuilding world.
The fact is, you either stimulate the muscle, or you don’t.

Those individuals seeking muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth) should stick to the basics for the core of the workout, and not over train. The basics include the flat press, shoulder press, chins, close-grip bench press, overhead extensions, straight bar curls, squats, etc.

Various fancy movements may change the direction of stress applied to the muscle, but you will receive optimal results from power movements designed to add mass. The poundage and intensity will determine if all the muscle fibers are recruited or not.

Example #1 (may produce muscle growth
)
Chest Workout:

Flat Press - 4 sets of 10 repetitions

Incline Dumbbell Press - 4 sets of 10 repetitions

Incline Dumbbell Flys - 4 sets of 10 repetitions

Seated Pec Dec Machine - 4 sets of 10 repetitions

Whew! I’m tired just reading that. If your poundage and intensity were right for the first exercise, the rest are a waste of time.

Example #2 (will produce desired growth)

Chest Workout:

Flat Press - 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Incline Press - 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Example #2 is a more productive workout for chest development. The entire chest muscle can be stimulated with the flat press because it’s one muscle, and therefore it contracts as one. If you put 100% into Example #2, there is no reason to add more exercises, sets, or reps.

A multitude of angels and exercise are not necessary. There is no sense in making your training a cardio session or an all out marathon. Remember, you are not growing in the gym. You must stimulate the muscle, feed it, and allow it to grow through rest.

The concept behind gaining muscle mass and strength lies in stimulation and form. If you can master these two concepts, then adding muscle will be easy.

Train, Eat, Rest = Growth

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She embarked on weight training to overcome an eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa in its early stages. She overcame the eating disorder, received her personal training certificate, competed in many local bodybuilding contests, and qualified for Nationals. Since then she’s went on to write six e-books (weight loss, female bodybuilding, contest preparation, leg training, figure/fitness secrets, and cellulite removal). She writes articles for several fitness websites, as well as her own, www.theelitephysique.com, and also distributes a monthly e-newsletter. She has a very active and lively forum, filled with positive and supportive people with informative content. Karen’s sole goal is to educate others and help them apply that knowledge.

Everyone will inadvertently hit a frustrating plateau in their training at one time or another. You’re cruising along for a while, gaining strength, losing fat, looking better, and then all of the sudden it hits. Suddenly, you find yourself even weaker than before on your lifts, or you find that you’ve gained back a couple of pounds. It happens to everyone. Most of the time, these plateaus occur because people rarely change their training variables over time. Many people stick to the same types of exercises for the same basic sets and reps and rest periods with the same boring cardio routine. Well, I hope to open your mind and bring some creativity to your workouts with this article!

There are many ways that you can strategically modify your training variables to assure that you maximize your fat loss and/or muscle building response to exercise. Most people only think about changing their sets and reps performed, if they even think about changing their routine at all. However, other variables that can dramatically affect your results are changing the order of exercises (sequence), exercise grouping (super-setting, circuit training, tri-sets, etc.), exercise type (multi-joint or single joint, free-weight or machine based), the number of exercises per workout, the amount of resistance, the time under tension, the base of stability (standing, seated, on stability ball, one-legged, etc.), the volume of work (sets x reps x distance moved), rest periods between sets, repetition speed, range of motion, exercise angle (inclined, flat, declined, bent over, upright, etc), training duration per workout, and training frequency per week.

Sounds like a lot of different training aspects to consider in order to obtain the best results from your workouts, doesn’t it? Well, that’s where a knowledgeable personal trainer can make sense of all of this for you to make sure that your training doesn’t get stale. Below are a few examples to get your mind working to come up with more creative and result producing workouts.

Most people stick to workouts where they do something along the lines of 3 sets of 10-12 reps per exercise, with 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Booooorrrrring! Here are a few examples of different methods to spice up your routine.

•Try 10 sets of 3, with only 20 seconds rest between sets.

•Try using a heavier weight and complete 6 sets of 6 reps, doing a 3 minute treadmill sprint between each weight lifting set.

•Try using a near maximum weight and do 10 sets of 1 rep, with 30 seconds rest between sets.

•Try using a lighter than normal weight and do 1 set of 50 reps for each exercise

•Try a workout based on only one full body exercise, such as barbell clean & presses or dumbbell squat & presses, and do nothing but that exercise for an intense 20 minutes.

•Try a workout based on all bodyweight exercises such as pushups, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, bodyweight squats, lunges, etc.

•Try a circuit of 12 different exercises covering the entire body without any rest between exercises.

•Try that same 12 exercise circuit on your subsequent workout, but do the entire circuit in the reverse order.

•Try your usual exercises at a faster repetition speed on one workout and then at a super-slow speed on your next workout.

•Try completing five 30 minute workouts one week, followed by three 1-hr workouts the next week.

•Try doing drop sets of all of your exercises, where you drop the weight between each set and keep doing repetitions without any rest until complete muscular fatigue (usually about 5-6 sets in a row).

There are many more ways to continue to change your training variables. I hope this article gave you some ideas on methods for you to take your body to the next level.

Visit http://truthaboutabs.com/Training-and-Nutrition-Articles.html to receive your own personalized metabolic rate calculator as well as 4 of my secret hard-body workout routines - both FREE.

Michael Geary is a nationally dual certified personal trainer (NCSF-CPT, AFAA-CPT), and author of The Truth about Six Pack Abs ©2004-2006.

Many individuals judge the quality of their exercise session from the amount of pain they experience afterwards. These individuals are convinced by the old adage “No Pain No Gain”. Research on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) has demonstrated that here may in fact be some truth to this phrase.

Recall in a previous article presented on this website dealing with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, we discussed the high probability that muscular pain after exercise results from actual muscle damage. This damage is viewed by the immune system as would any other injury and as a result, an inflammatory response is initiated to start the healing process. Several substances and chemicals are released during an inflammatory response and are thought to enhance the sensation of pain by excessively stimulating the nerve endings in the damaged tissue. So since pain is associated with muscle damage, in some cases it may be a fair indicator of a “good workout” or running session. The repair and healing of damaged muscle allows for hypertrophy or enlargement of the muscle fiber by the addition of myofibrils, thus increasing the cross sectional area.

Excessive muscle pain that continues for more than several days or continuously however is not desirable, as this is often an indicator of athlete overtraining or over-reaching. It must be stressed that if pain is experienced, it should be a “good” pain that is, not originating in the joints and should resolve within a couple of days. As exercise becomes more regular and the exerciser more accustomed to it, it will be noticed however that it becomes increasingly harder to elicit the same painful muscle response. The reason for this is unclear at this time but it is suggested that an exercise session that causes DOMS has a protective effect on subsequent exercise - lasting several weeks. Again it is unclear the exact mechanisms behind this protective effect.

In conclusion then, a regular exerciser should not place a high value on the “No Pain No Gain” evaluation of their workout, as their muscles will be less susceptible to the effects of DOMS. Rather it is suggested to concentrate on other factors such as strict technique and exercise variety so as to avoid undue stress on the joints and overtraining of single muscle groups.

David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com

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Anaerobic fitness is the force component of fitness in general, which also contains at least two other essential components: aerobic fitness (the part of cardio-vascular resistance) and joint mobility. Speed and skill are native qualities and they are not very relevant for the health state – which is the main concern in mass fitness, the one meant to keep the body in good shape.

The purpose of anaerobic training programs is developing the force, the fortifying of the body or the muscular mass. There are situations when only force or muscle fortifying is intended. The typical example for these situations is given by the sports organized in categories, in which physical force (with the interdiction of going over a certain limit of weight) is tested. Growth of muscular mass determines increase of force and fortifying of the skeletal muscles. In this case, the fitness programs are very similar to body building trainings, without being followed by the spectacular, yet dangerous changes, specific to body building.

The purpose of anaerobic fitness is uniform, balanced and harmonious development of all the muscles, without ignoring their functionality. This last idea is important for making a clear difference between fitness and the tendencies, many times narcissistic, manifested by body building practitioners. The sportsman who takes up fitness wants to be able to and is able to do something with his muscles, more than showing them in contests or in different other occasions and places (disco, swimming pool, clubs, etc.).

One of the important characteristics of anaerobic fitness trainings is the use of general programs, during which all or almost all the muscles are worked out in one training session. In body building the programs are divided and trainings are focused every time on one, two or at most three groups of muscles; while in fitness one training can be focused on a certain area, but it does not exclude the other muscles, which will benefit, directly or indirectly, of at most one exercise for each group of muscles. This way, the programs are not excessively long; they take an average of one hour and fifteen minutes; thus the catabolic faze is avoided; this usually appears in very long training sessions (two hours or even more).

Another modality of reducing the time of training is doing super-series whose object is to train two antagonistic groups of muscles (chest and back or biceps and triceps, etc.). Thus, for each group of muscles must be performed a series of exercises, without a break in between; the break is taken only at the end of this double effort. The programs can also contain triple series or even giant-series (more than three exercises one after the other). The intensity of the training can be considerably increased: many muscles can be trained in a short time.

The weekly frequency of the training remains the same (three sessions); so the aerobic phase can be covered in the free days. If only three or even two weekly sessions are possible, mixed programs can be adopted: after the anaerobic fitness, always done at the beginning of the session, 15-20 minutes of aerobic fitness are added for balancing the two phases (anaerobic and aerobic). In this case, also, training must not take longer than one hour and a half; otherwise the phase of catabolic processes is initiated – a phase in which muscles ’self-cannibalize’.

Anaerobic fitness is recommended to all somatic types, with specific differences of modality of training.

In the cases of ectomorphic and mezomorphic types, all the series (3 or 4) performed on the same machine must be finished, and then the machine and the group of muscles which is trained must be changed at the same time. This system is also called ‘workshop training’.

In the case of the endomorphic type (the overweight), circuit training is preferred: the group of muscles trained is changed after every series and the whole circuit must be repeated three or four times. This type of training consumes more calories because an aerobic component is introduced by not having breaks between series and slightly increasing the cardiac frequency.

Growth of muscular mass through fitness programs can’t exceed one weight category (5-6 kg), but they do not misbalance the other motion parameters.

Gaby Munteanu is a fitness trainer, with over 15 years experience, and editor at http://www.healthfitnessworld.com. HealthFitnessWorld.com - Health, Fitness, Body Building, Weight Loss, Nutrition - Articles and Resources.

HealthFitnessWorld.com is dedicated to providing high-quality, free advices, tips and resources on health, fitness, body building, supplements, nutrition, weight loss, beauty, massage, acne, medicine, depression, massage.

This article may be reprinted or published without the author’s consent as long as the “About” and “weblinks” are kept intact and active.

Two of the nine pivot points - those stunning body parts located precisely where they attract the most attention - are the lower biceps and long head of the triceps. When fully developed, these muscles lend a mystical beauty to the physique that size alone can’t.

BARBELLS FOR BICEPS

To work the lower biceps, use a preacher bench that has a rounded face and well-padded corners. Place a towel over the bench so the vinyl doesn’t rub the skin off your elbows.

First, do a set of dumbbell curls with a weight heavy enough that you can do only 6 reps. Go all the way down, uncurl the wrist and then curl it again. you can cheat on this exercise, but be sure to uncurl and curl your wrists at the bottom of the movement. After completing 6 reps and 4 partial reps, go immediately to the wide-grip barbell curl. Form is critical, so follow these tips:

Select a barbell that’s about 45% of your one-rep max for standing barbell curls.

Grasp the bar with your palms up and thumbs wrapped around the bar.

Use a grip that’s about 4 inches wider than shoulder width.

Let yourself sink all the way down on the bench so your armpits are right down on it. Make every effort to get as deep as possible on the bench.

Your goal is to do this exercise super-strict - absolutely no cheat at all. Point your feet forward so you can’t cheat with them either.

Let the bar move all the way to the bottom and uncurl your wrists. (you don’t have to uncurl your fingers, just your wrists).

With no cheat at all, slowly curl the wrists up, then curl the arms. This is the critical part of the exercise. Don’t pull back with your body or head. Stay fixed on the bench while the biceps and forearms do every bit of the work.

Curl your arms all the way up and rest just long enough to take a breath.

Repeat the exercise for eight reps.

This exercise is truly a killer, but man, it does build mass!

Bodybuilding is a thinking person’s sport. So regardless of whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced bodybuilder, the more you think about how you can make each exercise and all its variations work for you, the faster you’ll grow and the stronger you’ll get.Keep in mind that to make a muscle grown, you must work it with intensity and proper form

Find out more about bobybuilding at http://www.101bodybuilding.com/

Some supplement companies will go to any lengths to
prove their products’ effectiveness. But sometimes the
evidence isn’t quite what it’s cracked up to be. Before and
after photos are the most compelling means by which to
convince a person of steroid-like gains.

Often the before photos show the bodybuilder in off-season
condition; fat, bloated, with pale skin. Hardly inspirational,
but true to life. And photos are sometimes reversed. In one
instance a supplement company presented a photo of a
fitness model in top condition, declaring it the ‘after’ photo.
Beside it, the apparent ‘before’ photo showed the model in
her last trimester of pregnancy. Anyone who is familiar with
the model’s history is aware that the before photo was, in
fact, the after photo.

The same trick was used by an ex-professional bodybuilder
from the 1960s. Interestingly, his jowls sagged more and
his face looked older in the before photo. Apparently his
supplement line not only increases muscle, it may be the
proverbial fountain of youth!

Before and after photos from every day individuals sell a
product best. They represent people like you and me…
average weight trainees hoping to make dramatic changes
in short order. But these photos are also highly dubious. In
order to look as bad and as good as possible, the models
employ several tricks.

The before photos nearly always have the subject
slouching, frowning, pale skin, dull lighting, gut extended,
and with no muscle pump. The after photos use harsh
lighting with good shadow contrast, tanned skin, upright
posture with lats and shoulders spread wide, muscles
tensed, smiling with well-groomed facial and head hair, and
a muscle pump. It also is known that duct tape has been
used to pull back obliques/love handles in order to make
waists appear even smaller and shoulders even wider. The
same trick works under their arm pits, to make the pec line
more pronounced and sharp.

And so, are you truly seeing what the person has
accomplished and while on supplement ‘x’? Hardly; what
you are witnessing is an illusion of posing and photography
skills of the model.

One winning competitor in the EAS Physique
Transformation contest in 1999 did look good if contrasting
his before and after photos, losing twelve pounds of fat. He
also, however, lost six pounds of lean tissue! Ignoring the
fact that he won, it could be said that his program was a
failure and that he did the opposite of what exercise was
originally intended to do, e.g., increase lean tissue/function.

But it is to these unhealthy extremes that one sometimes
experiences in order to make a dramatic difference in a
contest that allows only 12 weeks. After all, 12 weeks is not
a long time, particularly for advanced trainees more so than
novices. For the advanced, there is not much muscle to
gain and to produce good before and after photos requires
extreme loss of fat - besides slouching, frowning, and no
pump or tan in the before photos.

Unfortunately, many people (particularly novices) who are
unaware of the benefits and application of long-term
planning will burn out on such an endeavor, perhaps
quitting exercise all together. After a 12-week stint of near
overtraining (if they haven’t done so by the contest’s end and
if not understanding how to train), they conclude they cannot
tolerate another 12-weeks of further self-inflicted torture, let
alone another three years.

Not everyone entering these contests understand that it is a
short-term solution… to see how far the body can be pushed
as quickly as possible. After that point, training must take
on a more cyclic structure. This means maintaining most of
what was accomplished during the physique transformation
followed by ‘easier’ off-season training and peaking
infrequently thereafter. Fat loss may continue after the
contest, or prior to another peak, but 100% mental effort and
extreme demands may only account for 8-12 weeks total
throughout the year once reaching an advanced stage.
Training throughout the remainder of the year can still be
tough, yet tolerable and never as demanding.

I don’t believe most beginner trainees realize the
importance of cycling or what needs to be done after a
physique transformation challenge. Most magazines don’t
talk about it, nor do bodybuilding books. They present
general ideas and expect you to lift happily ever after. It is for
this reason that physique transformation contests and
magazines as a whole produce greater failure than success
in. The thoughts of maintaining or bettering one’s physique
after 12-weeks of grueling effort is enough to shatter
anyone’s motivation. Believing that you must continue
training in a similar manner (something to which we have
all fallen victim) is the best guarantee to exercise
termination.

Interestingly, can you imagine the loss in profits that
supplement manufacturers (magazine owners) are
encountering due to frustration of their readers and the
thousands dropping out of exercise - or perhaps no longer
purchasing that magazine and the supplements it
endorses. If sound training information were provided,
particularly long-term application, there would be more
successes and supplement purchases from advanced
trainees. Rather, supplement companies are hoping and
expecting a new generation of customers to make up for
those recently lost – short-term solutions for a quick buck.

You may publish this article in your newsletter, on your web
site, or other publications, so long as the article’s content is
not altered and the resource box is included. Add byline and
active link. Notification of the use of this article is
appreciated, but not required.

Brian D. Johnston is the Director of Education and President
of the I.A.R.T. fitness certification and education institute. He
has written over 12 books and is a contributor author to the
Merck Medical Manual. An international lecturer, Mr.
Johnston wears many hats in the fitness and health
industries, and can be reached at info@ExerciseCertification.com. Visit his site at http://www.ExerciseCertification.com for more free articles.

Since the early days of physical culture, modern man has been searching for the elusive ”Fountain of Youth”. The promise of radiant health, enduring strength and a Herculean physique has drawn millions on this quest for physical perfection.

Through the early decades of bodybuilding, the forefathers of physical culture established basic guidelines for the muscle enthusiast to follow. Natural foods, resistance training, plenty of rest, and a positive outlook in life were the primary ingredients for achieving ones goals. The demand for knowledge on ‘how to’ reach the stars would result in millions of booklets being sold by mail order, while magazine stands and bookshelves were continually restocked with the latest ‘muscle building secrets’. Tons of steel and exercise equipment would find its way into the homes of thousands of Americans all across our nation. Health clubs and iron gyms would sprout up in local neighborhoods and towns, while physique competitions were held to determine whom the best in the land was. The strong roots of physical culture were taking grip in our society, and the mighty oak of bodybuilding would soon branch out through every city in America.

A new ‘way of life’ became a reality for many as the ‘body beautiful’ movement swung into high gear. For decades the much traveled road to muscledom kept its promise, then by the mid-60’s what seemed pure and natural took a wrong turn setting the course of modern bodybuilding down a dead end. The introduction of anabolic steroids into the sport of bodybuilding would usher in a new era of super sized and equally strong muscular physiques that would attract millions of young men with a desire to achieve the same naturally unattainable goals.

Along with the growth of the sport, the physiques continued to become bigger and more vascular as bodybuilders experimented with ’stacking’ the latest in designer muscle enhancing pharmaceuticals. Magazine and ticket sales were at a peak and bodybuilding competitions were seen regularly on network TV. The popularity of the sport was soaring high. Then, what could have been mostly prevented by not promoting and rewarding individuals whose physiques were chemically altered became a reality as the widespread use of drugs in the sport became relevant.

Words such as steroids, cycling, and growth hormones became common place in our gyms, and juicing no longer meant enjoying your favorite health drink. Reports of bodybuilders on dialysis and with heart ailments became a frequent occurrence while the eventual death of several competitive pros hit home hard. What had been a dark cloud in a sport with such great potential turned into a storm that spread its vast shadow on a culture that once shined.

Organizations dedicated to natural bodybuilding and a healthy lifestyle would soon respond to the call for a return to the ideals set forth by the forefathers of physical culture. Physique promoters throughout the land created natural bodybuilding competitions so athletes could compete on a level playing field without running the risk of ruining their health. Publications featuring natural bodybuilders began to spread the gospel of healthy living through proper nutrition and exercise. The televised media developed new bodybuilding and fitness programs to inspire future generations of natural iron pumpers. And as the age of cyber space came upon us, the Internet became a resource of concepts and opinions for bodybuilders to learn and express their views with other physique artist throughout the World. The new millennium is here and those dedicated to physical culture have begun to prevail as the radiant beacon of light from the torch of natural living begins to shine through the storm.

Mario Strong is a published author, trainer, national judge, competitor, gym owner, and recognized bodybuilding authority with over 40 years as a proponent for natural bodybuilding.

To learn more about natural muscle building and bodybuilding’s golden era go to http://www.mariostrong.com.

For many bodybuilders their first introduction to steroids was Dianabol (also known as D-bol and by the generic name, Methandrostenelone). It’s safe to say that many iron pumpers remember their first cycle as fondly as their first girlfriends! The Ciba Corporation first manufactured d-bol in the 1960’s. As an anabolic steroid it is chemically a derivative of the male hormone testosterone. This means that it has both anabolic (muscle building) and androgenic (masculinizing) properties. Since it’s first use 40 years ago, D-bol has quickly become one of the most popular and sought after drugs in bodybuilding.

The good - Super potent!

When used properly, D-bol will produce outstanding mass and strength gains. As many bodybuilders are fond of saying “if you can’t grow on D-bol you can’t grow!” The drug’s effectiveness is routinely compared to other strong steroids like Anadrol 50. For most bodybuilders a daily dosage of 4-5 tablets (20-25mg) is more than sufficient to produce dramatic results. Some users do experiment with higher dosages, but this practice often leads to unwanted side effects. Dianabol also combines well with other steroids such as Deca-Durabolin, into stacks. Bodybuilders have discovered that for developing maximum size, a long acting testosterone analog such as enanthate works best.

And now for the bad

As expected, D-bol, being moderately androgenic will produce side effects. For starters the drug can be quite estrogenic in some users. Gynecomastia (swelling of the nipple region) is often a concern during use, and may occur quite early in the cycle (particularly if the individual used high dosages). For this reason many bodybuilders add an estrogen blocker such as Nolvadex, to their cycles. Another cosmetic side effect is water retention. This is a concern for competitive bodybuilders, as it will cause a notable loss of muscle definition.

Besides gynecomastia and water retention D-bol can produce such androgenic side effects as oily skin, acne and body/facial hair growth. There is also the possibility of aggravating male pattern baldness in individuals genetically predisposed for this condition.

And the ugly

Like all oral steroids, D-bol has been C-17 alpha alkylated (chemically modified at the 17th carbon position on its nucleus). While this modification protects the drug from being deactivated by the liver, it can also be toxic to the organ. Long-term exposure to C-17 alpha alkylated substances can result in damage and possibly even the development of certain forms of cancer. A combination of short (6 to 8 week) cycles and medical monitoring can reduce this risk.

The alternatives!

Besides the risk of side effects there are three other reasons to avoid using Dianabol. For starters the drug is easily detectable in drug tests. So if you’re an athlete in a sport that has testing, D-bol is out. Second, as of 1990, most steroids-including D-bol were reclassified as illegal substances. Whether it’s cocaine, heroin, or steroids, law enforcement types don’t really care. If they nail you it’s a pay raise for them and jail time for you. Enough said.

Finally a third reason to pass on D-bol is that there are options. The supplement industry has made available numerous legal alternatives to steroids. Users report outstanding muscle gains with few side effects.

The previous information has been created by experts to help you increase your knowledge base about anabolic steroids and bodybuilding supplements. Be knowledgeable. Be informed. Make the right choice!

© Bob Howard 03/27, 2006

Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you
looking for more of his Dianabol
articles? http://www.bodybuilding-news.net

©Article Bob Howard 03/22/2006

Bodybuilding is hard work. As far as athletics and sports go, it may very well be one of the hardest. I have spent time in competitive boxing, martial arts, powerlifting and yet I think I can say with confidence that bodybuilding caused me to face some of my greatest challenges. All sports present different challenges that are unique only to that specific
sport. My boxing taught me that I needed to take a punch, shake a punch and more importantly do my best to avoid getting punched. Boxing also taught me how to achieve incredible endurance. My martial arts training caused me pain in parts of my body I never knew existed. I learned the importance of stretching, flexibility and mental discipline.

Bodybuilding is completely different. Some of the same factors are there. Bodybuilding requires steadfast discipline, both mentally and physically. However, true bodybuilding is much more than a sport—it’s a lifestyle. From the diet, to the supplements, to the workouts that impact your daily schedule, bodybuilding requires dedication unlike anything else. Then, on top of all of that, you must look in the mirror every single day and see progress in the form of new muscle with greater degrees of definition. It can be very disheartening when the mirror doesn’t represent gains that you believe you have earned and worked hard for.

That’s why it grieves me to see novice bodybuilders and even worse, experienced ones, making mistakes and succumbing to obstacles that are avoidable and inhibit their progress. As we consider the following obstacles, let’s remember that they can make or break a bodybuilder.

1. Stick to the basics

Here comes Johnny Newcomer. He skips squats. He skips heavy bent over rows. If you asked him to do a deadlift he would look perplexed and wonder why you asked him such a ridiculous question. He would rather use the machines, swing the light dumbbells, and toy around with the cables. Oh yes, I forgot, he loves to bench press too. None of these things are bad and they all are important, but they must not replace basic, heavy compound movements (barbell). Compound movements involve more than one muscle group (squats, deadlifts, etc) and tax the body in such a way so as to cause the most favorable metabolic and hormonal environment—provided that you do not overtrain. If you incorporate heavy movements like squats, heavy bent over rows, deadlifts, and standing military presses into your regimen, you will see and feel the difference. Give it shot and let me know. I’m sure you will come back smiling even though they will take their toll physically.

2. Go home—enough already: Stop overtraining

You see them every day in the gym. They move from machine to machine and never seem to want to go home. Sometimes I sit in awe and I wonder, “Does he have a home to go to?” They work 20-30 sets for biceps and then still have the nerve to do some back training after all that. If you’re training for more than an hour, you are overtraining. As far as I’m concerned you have reached what I call the point of no return. After forty-five minutes of intense resistance training your body’s defense mechanisms engage and that in turn causes a sharp increase in cortisol (stress induced hormone). You will also have significant decreases in testosterone and human growth hormone levels. If you cut your workout time and increase your recovery time and your post workout nutrients, you will grow.

3. Exchange light & fluffy for heavy & intense

Put down the light weights and stop looking at yourself in the mirror with such lust in your eyes. If you have the wherewithal to take smoldering glances at yourself in the mirror as you smirk and blow kisses, you may not be lifting a weight that is heavy enough. Muscles will grow only if they are forced to the adaptation necessary to lift something heavier than they are use to and normally recognize. In other words, lift heavy and lift with intensity. Working out hard and working out with intensity are two different things. Intensity is what you should strive for if muscle mass is your goal. How can you lift with more intensity? Lift heavier weight. I say that because I know the word “intensity” gives some people the wrong idea. You can yell and scream in the gym, but that doesn’t mean you’re lifting with intensity.

In order to understand the true meaning of intensity I like to equivocate intensity with overload. I know that there can be a problem with this as well. Some can lift heavy, but lack the mental intensity. But keep in mind that when I use the word intensity I’m not only referring to the mental aspects, but also force, strength and velocity. Keep your rep range in the 4-6 area and do 9-12 sets per body part maximum. Heavy weight would be considered a weight that you can not get more than 6 reps with on your own while using strict form. When you get to this point and you can do 7 reps, add more weight until you continue to fall in this rep scheme. Drop the light & fluffy. Heavy & intense is where the muscle lives.

4. There’s no happy hour here: Focus, focus, focus.

I think that some people see gyms as bars, nightclubs or social societies. I’m amazed when I see people stop in the middle of a set to engage in conversation for 15-30 minutes or more. It’s unbelievable. It’s one thing if you’re done with your workout and you’re cooling down. But that is not the case most of the time. I once witnessed a girl walk up to a friend and begin conversation. Just by the duration I assumed she must have been done with her workout. Well, you know what they say about assuming—never do it. She turned around 35 minutes later as I was leaving and she picked up on the same machine she left off at. Focus and concentration is directly related to your degree of success and muscle growth. Save the conversation for after the workout. Think about and focus on nothing else but the muscle you are training. The only thing you should do between sets is mildly stretch the muscle you’re working on. And I’m not talking about the one in your mouth.

5. Now is the time: The importance of pre/post workout fuel

Last week a guy in the gym approached me and asked me if he should take a protein drink after his workout. I told him that if he didn’t plan on having a protein/carbohydrate drink following his workout, it would have better off for him to stay home. How can anyone think that it is okay to put the body through serious stressful resistance training and then not know how crucial it is to give the body the nourishment it needs to grow and repair? You have a window of opportunity immediately following a workout which could lead to the foundation of an incredibly anabolic (building) environment or one that is catabolic (tearing down). You should always ingest a good protein source at least an hour before your workout and then a protein/carbohydrate drink immediately following your workout. Make sure the pre workout source is pre-digested. It’s never a good idea to workout with anything undigested in your system. I would recommend 5 grams of glutamine before and after every workout. Never miss taking your glutamine.

6. The giver of life: Drink your water.

Your body can last months without food, but only days without water. Your muscles are made up of almost 70% water. Water is responsible for almost every single physiological function in your body. Lack of proper hydration can cause muscle weakness, stunt your muscular growth, cause joint pain, bring a lack of focus and concentration and inhibit your body’s ability to burn fat. That is just to name a few. Drinking your water is the most important thing that you can do—period. Drink a minimum of one gallon a day.

7. Put down the pills: Eat your food

He walks into the local health food store and the salesman smiles as he sees the eager young bodybuilder with his wide-eyed hunger for muscle. The young bodybuilder then walks out with a box of supplements that he can now get home only with a truck. The biggest mistake that most bodybuilders make is wasting tons of money on pills and potions when they are not eating the proper amounts of solid foods to begin with. Supplements have their place. But supplements must never take precedence over healthy eating habits. Eating 5-6 solid muscle-building meals each day will build more muscle than any pill or powder. Make sure to have a balance of Protein/carbohydrates and fats. For muscle gains I would recommend a ratio of 25% Protein, 50% Carbs, 25% fats or depending on your metabolism another good ratio I put my clients on is 35/45/20. If maximum weight gain is your goal then add 500 calories above your maintenance & total expenditure levels.

Avoiding the common pitfalls can bring about rapid gains in muscle. Try to implement these basics if you’re not currently doing so.

Tony DiCostanzo is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer (NFPT-CPT) and the Founder of DreamBodies Body & Life Transformation System. With over 20 years of practical experience as a natural bodybuilder in the field of health & Fitness, Tony is also a coach and motivational speaker who has inspired many through his lectures and seminars. He holds certifications in Advanced Sports Nutrtion, Sports Hypnosis and Stress management.
http://www.dreambodies.net

Cardiovascular training, or aerobics, requires a different approach than other body parts. At the “heart” of cardiovascular training is one basic premise: if you elevate your heart rate to 65-80 percent of your maximum and keep it there for a period of at least 12 minutes it will stimulate the production of fat-burning enzymes. It will also strengthen your heart and increase the capacity of your lungs to re-oxygenate your blood more efficiently. The idea here is not to work yourself to a frenzy and go beyond your target heart rate, but to stay within that magic training range of 65-80 percent of maximum for a minimum of 12 minutes and, optimally, for 20 to 30 minutes.

Smart Tip: Training for longer periods will certainly hasten your improvement, but not on a 1-to-1, linear basis. Research has shown that the first 12 minutes of aerobic exercise produce a more lasting training effect than the second 12 minutes. So unless you’re already in pretty good condition, it’s probably better to do your 12 minutes more frequently (say 4-6 times per week) than it is to train for longer periods of 30 minutes or more but less frequently.

Many people believe that the primary purpose of aerobic exercise is to burn off excess calories while they’re doing the exercise. However, that is not exactly true. Think about it, most aerobic activity can only burn off several hundred calories even if you exercised for an entire hour. Eat a hamburger with fries and you’re already playing catch up. And you’ve just had lunch! The real purpose of aerobics is to stimulate the growth of the body’s natural fat-burning enzymes long term so you burn more and more calories all the time, not just when you’re exercising. Increase the size of the fireplace and you can burn more logs in it. The same principle applies to the calorie burning potential of your body.

Okay, so the key is to elevate your heart rate. But how do you do it? Walking, jogging, running, cycling, rowing, jumping rope, running in place, and aerobic dancing are all fine. As long as your heart rate is elevated into your training range and remains there for 12 minutes minimum, any of these activities will do a pretty good job. However, SmartGYM’s cardio program has an edge. Not only can you walk, jog, or run against SmartGYM’s formidable Power Band resistance system, but you can also perform upper body strength training exercises at the same time. And since you’re able to engage more muscle groups simultaneously, you get results faster.

Heart Rate and the Training Range…

To determine your training range, simply calculate the lower limit at 65% of your Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate and the upper limit at 80% of your Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate. Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate = 220 minus your age. If you’re 45 years old, for example, your lower limit is 220 - 45 x 0.65 = 114. Similarly, your upper limit is 220 - 45 x 0.80 = 140. If you elevate your heart rate to between 114 and 140 beats per minute continuously for at least 12 minutes, you’ll get the desired training effect on your heart.

Smart Tip: It takes a few minutes of exercise to elevate your heart rate into your training range. This time does not count toward your 12 minutes.

Take Your Pulse!

Check your pulse by resting your index and middle fingers lightly against the carotid artery on either side of your neck underneath the curve of the jawbone. Count the beats for 6 seconds and multiply by 10 to calculate your heart beats per minute. Or, for a rough estimate, you can use the “talk test.” If you’re gasping and panting so much that you are unable to talk, then you’re probably exercising too hard and are beyond your training range.

Consistency is the key. If you do your 12 minutes 2-4 times a week, within a few weeks time you’ll begin to notice that you feel more energetic, you won’t tire as easily, and your body will start to burn calories more efficiently and begin to lose some of its fat stores (providing you eat a sensible low fat diet!).

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Gym systems that provide cardio, strength and flexibility at great savings!