It is hard for anyone to predict the top exercises for an individual, because we are all built differently. An exercise that feels great to you, may do nothing for me. Take bent over barbell rows for instance: I can't for the life of me feel it working my back at all, yet everyone recommends this as the so called - King of Back Exercises! One arm dumbbell rows on the other hand work wonders for me. Don't just assume that any one particular exercise is what you need to do for a body part. If you don't feel it, then move on to something else.
[This is a picture from the resort in Mexico that me and my girlfriend stayed at this past June. We spent a lot of time in this infinity pool. All of us need to take vacations more often!]
Why It Makes Sense to Suggest the Basic Lifts to Beginners Read more
There is a term you may or may not of heard of called muscle maturity. The way I look at it is that over time your muscles get more and more defined from repetitive use. Over time you gain the ability to contract your muscles harder, which results in greater muscle definition. The biggest reason you don't see a lot of older people with great muscle definition is either due to inactivity or excessive amounts of body fat.
[A father and daughter wake up early to catch some waves.]
A Word To the Younger Readers (under the age of 30) Read more
Why do I always tackle the hard subjects? Seriously, I know this is going to be a big-time controversial post. It is beyond the realm of imagination on most fitness sites to ever talk about losing muscle on purpose. I know I have disrupted the bodybuilding gods by even typing this phrase! Lets talk about this subject. What did I get myself into?
[In the UFC you have to be functionally fit and quick or you get knocked on your butt! Most of these guys display a natural amount of muscle without getting too big and bulky.]
I'm Convinced it is Politically Incorrect to Say "Lose Muscle" Read more
An article on how to build muscle mass? Have I gone mad? Well, not really. I think many people believe I'm against building muscle, which isn't the case. I'm against "excessive" muscle mass. You know, getting so big that you can't wear normal clothes. To be honest, many people need some size, especially when they are starting out. I have a basic routine that works really well. Even if you don't want to gain a lot of muscle, this is a way to create a slightly fuller look without looking like a "bloated and puffy" gym rat.
[Hugh Jackman is a muscular guy who looks great. If you want to add a bit more size, he is a great role model…NOT the bodybuilders in the mainstream fitness magazines. He can still look "GQ", even though he is big. One more thing…women love this guy!]
There Are Many Approaches to Building Muscle That Work Read more
I didn't really know what to title this post, because the topic I'm going to talk about is hard to nail down in a few words. What is funny is that this is quite possibly the most common mistake I see in gyms I visit. It is the phenomenon of having a lagging muscle group and taking advice from a person who has amazing development in this area. You would think that this would be a good idea. I'll explain the problems this creates, but first a video of my favorite trance song of all time.
[Chicane came out with "Offshore" about 10 years ago, but it is still an amazing song. I could do the whole "bicep" shot deal, or men and women "pumping iron" but that isn't what I want to see. Plus the ocean shots in this video reminds me of my girlfriend.]
Taking Advice from Someone With Big Calves Read more
Trent Reznor, the main singer of Nine Inch Nails is one of my all-time favorite musicians. This guy reminds me a bit of David Bowie in that he is a true innovator. I believe many people won't truly appreciate the full impact he made on the landscape of music until later in his career. I have followed Trent since 1988, when "Down in It" was a big dance hit in the clubs and soon after that in 1989 his first Album "Pretty Hate Machine" was released. I am used to Reznor surprising me with innovative music, but he shocked me a bit with his physical transformation. After three years out of the spotlight, in 2006 he went on tour with a new "buffed up" Hulk look.
[Here is what Trent Reznor Looks like these days. I am not saying he looks terrible or anything, he just looks like a different person to me. His neck and face have grown big time.]
Trent Reznor Was Probably Too Skinny Early in His Career
I forgot how great chin ups work the upper body. Recently, the lat pull down machine in my gym was taken, so I walked over to the power rack and decided to do chin ups instead. I did 5 sets of 5 reps at a slow tempo to really get the best out of the exercise. By the last set my forearms, biceps, and back were on fire! The next day, my entire upper body was a bit sore including my abs.
[A guy performing wide grip pull ups outside]
What is the Difference Between a "Chin Up" and a "Pull Up"?
Basically you will get slightly different answers depending upon who you ask. I consider it a "pull up" when your palms are facing away from you (like in the picture) and a "chin up" when your palms are facing you, or facing each other. Read more
Everybody has a strong muscle group or body part that is easy to build and tone. It could be your biceps, it could be your chest, it may be your legs. You get the picture. Everyone also has those weak or lagging muscle groups or body parts that are much tougher to build and tone.
[There's a Full Moon in the Forecast -or- is This a 3/4 Moon?]
What Muscle Groups Do You Have a Hard Time With?
Everyone has a body part that they wish was more toned. Read more
I guess I had to write this article sooner or later. My entire philosophy is to avoid excessive muscle mass. I believe in a physique of average size, but with outstanding muscle tone. So why I am writing this post? Well…I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are guys who do want to add a bit more muscle, but they don't want to look sloppy in the process.
[In my opinion, soldiers of elite military units like the Navy Seals have the ideal body size]
Training for Function Typically Is The Way to Ideal Physique
When I say train for function, I am not talking about just strength. I mean overall function…the ability to lift heavy and to run a few miles as well as perform sports at a high level. To perform at your highest level, you simply can't have a lot of muscle mass. I put up that picture of the Navy Seals, not because I like war. I showed you that picture, because these guys are lean for a reason. If they were big and muscular guys, they would be slow and ineffective…they are not. These guys are about as bad-ass as they come! Read more
I am sure many people have heard that too much protein is tough on your body and bad for your kidneys. I don't recommend excessive protein, mainly because I don't believe in focusing on gaining excessive muscle mass. I know there are a lot of people who do want to gain mass and they eat a very large amount of protein as a strategy to pack on muscle quickly. I was curious to see how harsh this type of diet is on the body.
(All of you young'ins are lucky! Protein powder in the 80's and early 90's tasted terrible!)
A Surprising Find About High Protein Intake!
I really thought that I was going to find that excessive protein was really hard on the body! What I found was surprising to say the least. Read more
Just a quick background here, before the article. It appears that I have upset the members of a very large bodybuilding forum. My site is a bit anti-bodybuilding, so it comes as no surprise. What did surprise me was the hate-filled and homophobic and overtly obscene comments that were thrown my way.
Note: My blog is now setup to automatically delete any "hate filled" comments…that isn't the tone I want this site to take.
One of the comments that was written to me, was actually extremely well-written. He doesn't agree with me at all and slams my site a bit, but I'm cool with that. The Internet is suppose to be a place to exchange ideas, so I wanted to include his post in its entirety. I also want to thank him for taking the high road… Read more
Gaining Muscle Strategically is the Way to Look Your Best
Typically all the guys (and some women) I see in the free-weight room are trying to gain as much muscle as possible. Worse than that, they will take the muscle gain on any part of their body. The problem with gaining muscle just for the sake of gaining muscle quickly creates an unbalanced body.
Male Model Bartholomeo Fasano…Great Muscle Balance (and not bad looking…"you're welcome" ladies…I'm trying my best to include photo's of good looking guys along with hot women). Read more
