| The greatest thing you can do today regarding your | | | | only do 6 reps, then 4 reps, and so on- It\'s OK to |
| health is to show up at the gym. The rest will soon be | | | | periodically pyramid so that your heaviest set yields a |
| history and you will reap the benefits and feel fantastic | | | | single rep. Remember, never do a rep that isn\'t pretty. |
| because you did this for yourself. When you\'re in | | | | Try this approach: instead of blasting out a set of 6 |
| shape, you are unstoppable. Never accept less than | | | | reps, take it one single rep at a time, six times. Take as |
| the best from yourself and you will achieve greatness | | | | many breaths between each rep as necessary. How |
| in every aspect of your life. Beware when it comes to | | | | do you take out a forest? One tree at a time. Always |
| chosing bodybuilding products and even more when | | | | push the envelope; always strive to raise the bar each |
| starting out on steroids. | | | | time you train, even if it\'s only a little. You don\'t need |
| PERFECT FORM | | | | to push the bar up very fast. If you only increase the |
| It\'s imperative, when trying to grow muscle mass, that | | | | weight a pound or two each week, before you know |
| you follow the strictest of form in every movement. | | | | it, with proper nutrition, you\'ll be blowing up the gym. |
| Quickly blazing through an exercise will only waste | | | | DON\'T OVERTRAIN |
| your time and energy (except for the cardiovascular | | | | Progressive resistance exercise stimulates |
| benefit). However, slow strict movements, on both | | | | testosterone and other anabolic hormones that |
| concentric and eccentric movements, will always bring | | | | increase muscle mass, improve bone density and |
| far greater results. It is also important to do the full | | | | stimulate appetite. On the other side of this coin, |
| range of an exercise (total extension, to total | | | | overtraining can stimulate cortisol (hydrocortisone), a |
| contraction); as opposed to partial reps. Full range | | | | steroid hormone that can result in accelerated muscle |
| motion builds prettier, fuller looking muscles. | | | | tissue breakdown and other negative effects |
| If you\'re going to expend your valuable time in the | | | | throughout the body. The correct number of sets of |
| gym, why not make that time as productive as | | | | heavy weight training can reap the desired anabolic |
| possible? You may hate working out, but if you\'re | | | | effect (muscle growth), however, there is a point of |
| going to spend the time, get the most return from your | | | | diminishing return where each additional set results in |
| investment. The object of this game is to control every | | | | an increased negative result (muscle breakdown). |
| inch of every movement of every exercise. You | | | | Sparing you all the details of what physiologically |
| control the weight; the weight cannot and must not | | | | occurs, just know that overtraining is far more |
| control you. | | | | catastrophic than you might think. |
| SLOW MOTION | | | | So, a "less is more" rule comes into play. Listen to your |
| One slow rep will reap far more benefit than several | | | | body; if your muscles are still sore four days after you |
| quick reps. Graceful super-slow motion movements will | | | | trained them, you\'re overdoing it. Also, it\'s a good idea |
| target the fast twitch muscle fibers, which grow huge. | | | | never to train the same muscle group more than twice |
| On the other hand, long-term aerobic exercise (light | | | | a week. Broken down muscle tissue, like any other |
| weight, high reps) stimulates the slow twitch muscles. | | | | injured tissue, needs time to heal. Some believe it\'s a |
| Slow twitch fibers don\'t grow nearly as large as fast | | | | good idea is to alternate heavy days with lighter |
| twitch fibers; however, they can increase the number | | | | training days. I personally train one major body part per |
| of mitochondria (the cells\' fuel burning, energy | | | | day, six days a week. This way I don\'t have to look |
| factories) within the cells, resulting in higher calorie | | | | forward to a long treacherous workout and I\'m in and |
| burning metabolism. Ever seen a "buff" marathon | | | | out before I start producing cortisol. Although I\'m only |
| runner? It doesn\'t happen. As a matter of fact, | | | | training a single muscle group, I can annihilate that |
| endurance athletes often become hardgainers (unable | | | | muscle group and then it has a week to recover. Why |
| to grow large muscles), because muscle fibers have | | | | kill yourself for hours in the gym, when you can get the |
| the ability to change from fast twitch, to slow twitch | | | | same results in a fraction of the time? Train smart! |
| upon demand, drastically reducing their (and your) | | | | MIX IT UP |
| potential for growth. On the other side of that coin, at | | | | Another serious mistake that many bodybuilders make |
| least runners are seldom fat. | | | | is forgetting to change up their routine regularly. It\'s |
| THE GOLDEN RULES | | | | easy to find something that works and stick with it. In |
| Always remember these tips and repeat them to | | | | many areas of life that makes a great strategy, but in |
| yourself before every workout: | | | | the gym you have to change things up all the time. |
| 1) "Always keep the form and the strength will follow". | | | | Confuse the muscle groups and hit them from |
| 2) "If you want to grow muscle, you have to push | | | | different angles once in a while. I\'m not suggesting that |
| heavy weight" | | | | you just make it up as you go; it\'s best to have a plan. |
| Now, it might seem like these two rules contradict | | | | Although you must remain open minded and willing to |
| each other, but really they don\'t. Packing on the heavy | | | | try new, off the wall, and sometimes even unorthodox |
| weights, while maintaining absolute perfect form, | | | | techniques from time to time, stay focused. Make a |
| basically means pushing yourself hard, to your limit, | | | | plan (one that includes variation), set goals, define your |
| while never ever doing a rep that isn\'t pretty. Pretty | | | | objectives and diligently pursue them. Monogamy |
| controlled movements build pretty muscles. To avoid | | | | works in relationships - radical variation works in the |
| injury, always remember to warm up first. Now, if you | | | | gym. |
| ever feel that you\'ve reached a plateau and you\'re | | | | TAKE PLANNED BREAKS |
| just not getting the results you\'re seeking, think back | | | | Don\'t mistake a planned break for inconsistency. |
| on my golden rule: Always keep the form and the | | | | Successful bodybuilding takes hard work, drive, |
| strength will follow! If you\'re getting frustrated with | | | | self-discipline, killer nutrition and a plan. A good plan will |
| your progress, back up, lighten up, and start over with | | | | include scheduled time out of the gym for good |
| slow perfect form. Pretty reps build pretty muscles. I | | | | old-fashioned R&R (meaning rest & recuperation, but |
| can\'t stress that enough. | | | | not excluding rock & roll). Some people need more |
| GOING HEAVY MEANS LESS REPS | | | | R&R than others. You might plan to train hard for |
| If you\'re trying to cut up, lose weight, reduce mass, or | | | | three months, and then chill for a week. During that |
| do cardio, then you\'ll want to stick with at least 10 to | | | | break, don\'t even think about the gym. Let it be a |
| 15, or even more reps on each exercise. But, if you | | | | mental breath of fresh air, as well as a physical |
| want to grow more muscle mass (and who doesn\'t?), | | | | vacation. Consistent non-stop training without a break |
| put on the poundage and do fewer reps. You need to | | | | is referred to as long-term overtraining, which results in |
| warm up first, but don\'t make the mistake of doing | | | | burnout. Training for too long in a single workout is |
| too many sets trying to warm up. This can waist the | | | | called short-term overtraining, which produces excess |
| valuable energy that you will need for the heavier | | | | cortisol (the stress hormone). |
| workout sets. You can try doing 5 - 8 sets of 6 reps, | | | | Train hard, train smart and never, ever slack up on |
| or pyramid up, beginning with a 10 - 12 rep warm up, | | | | your protein. Be sure to have a look at my steroid |
| then throw enough weight on so that you can only | | | | guides before you start your first steroid cycle or buy |
| squeeze out 8 reps, add more weight until you can | | | | you first bodybuilding products. |