Okay, so today I was doing some research online and my goal was to do another article on working the upper chest. This was inspired by an excellent post over on John Romaniello's blog. John put up an outstanding post about 3 creative exercises to work the heck out of your upper pecs (click to read that article). I was going to add in my 2 cents and expand upon this article, but something else happened. John mentioned that one of his friends, Bret Contreras, did EMG testing for various chest exercises to find out which exercises targeted parts of the chest best. The results were surprising!
[I went to see Iron Man 2 this past weekend with my girlfriend and saw the previews for the A-Team. Bradley Cooper plays "Face" and it looks like he got in pretty darn good shape for that role. I have a feeling people are going to ask how to get in the Bradley Cooper look in the near future. Anyway, all the characters look cast well and I'm excited for this movie.]
Yes, I just used a terrible joke as the title of this post. I wanted to discuss a bit about building size in the arms, but couldn't get myself to write a "how to" title. Let's discuss what it takes to build bigger arms. Despite what many would suggest, I believe beginners need to mix in isolation work to get the most "arm building power" out of the heavier compound movements.
[Insert your bad "Tickets to the Gun Show" joke here.]
I felt the need to discuss muscle recovery here, because I think many people get this part wrong in their training. Many magazine and sites would have you believe that the more experienced you are, the better your levels of recovery. That is true to an extent but as a trainee gets stronger, the training stress increases as well. In fact, the closer you get to your genetic potential the tougher and heavier you must lift to see a change in strength (or muscle size if you are trying to increase muscle mass). Advanced lifters have a much greater need to cycle intensity than beginners. A beginner can gain strength each and every workout, with less time in between sessions.
[I always appreciate good photos even if they don't relate to the topic. 2010 has just begun and I think this will be know as the decade of neon! Old retro 80's stuff is coming back big which means neon is going to make a comeback. Back in the mid-to-late 80's black lights were very common place...great for making your teeth look white...bad if you forgot to use a lint roller.]
Two guys gain the same amount of muscle over a 6 month period of time. Both guys are exactly 6'3", 190 pounds and both are at the exact same body fat level. They both put on 6 pounds of muscle in 6 months, yet one guy looks outstanding and the other looks almost visibly the same as he did 6 months earlier. How can this be? How can two guys be at the same low body fat level and put on the same amount of muscle and look drastically different?
[Here is an outstanding example of muscle density. Notice how this athlete has compact, dense and an angular look to his muscles? This is much different that the typical rounded puffy bodybuilding look. This angular compact look is much more impressive than big and bulky.]
What if half of what you have been told about building muscle mass is completely wrong? You see, building muscle is almost 100% about training and has very little to do with nutrition. The main thing that nutrition affects is gaining or losing body fat. The mainstream fitness publications would have you believe that you can eat your way to quick muscle gains. This simply is not the case. John Barban has created an exclusive video for the readers of this site, that you guys have to see!
[I like to look at ancient Greek and Roman statues as ideal proportions to shoot for. Although centuries have gone by, the proportions of these statues are still considered optimum by most of the population.]
I don't talk too much about building mass, since it really isn't the main focus of this site. That being said, I know there are quite a few readers who do want to add a bit of mass. I am going to talk about how to put on mass with nothing but body weight exercises. I don't care if you can do 80 push ups or 30 pull ups, here is a way gain size and make body weight exercises challenging again.
[I found a body weight routine that will even challenge people in peak condition...like this guy!]
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!]
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) [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]
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.]
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!]
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.]
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. [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]
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?]
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! [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]
