[I wish I would have known about this technique when I started out. I struggled with the bench press for quite a few years and this would have helped me avoid lengthy sticking points.]

The Story of "Bear" – The King of Our College Gym!

I went to the University of Washington in the late 80's and early 90's…and I probably spent too much time in the gym and not enough time studying back then. We had access to a free gym called the IMA. There was a big friendly giant that trained at our gym that went by the name of "Bear". Bear looked like a cross between Mike Tyson and the huge guy in the movie "The Green Mile". He looked intimidating, but was friendly and made our gym a fun place to train.

I'm Pretty Certain That Bear Bench Pressed Every Day

I've never seen a guy with a thicker chest and upper back. When Bear shook your hand, it felt like it was made of stone. I'm pretty certain that 90% of Bear's workout was set after set of the bench press. I'm not sure he did a whole lot else. I think we occasionally saw Bear hit incline presses and perhaps some behind the neck shoulder presses. Most fitness magazines would tell you that bench pressing every day would lead to over-training…but why then was Bear the so impressive at the bench press?

Extraordinary Adaptation by Focusing on 1 Single Movement

Unlike Bear, you are not going to want to just perform and master one exercise forever. Instead, Nick Nilsson suggests focusing on just 1 single exercise for 5 days straight. As Nick puts it…

"The results you are going to see in these five short days could very well surpass what you've seen in the last 5 MONTHS"

The general idea of compound exercise overload is to train using just one exercise for 5 workout days in a row. The lift is going to be trained for multiple sets of 3 reps short of failure. To ensure growth, the total volume of the workout is going to be very high. The rest periods are also going to be shorter than traditional strength training.

Avoiding Training to "Chemical Muscle Failure"

When you train with medium to high reps, the muscle fails due to lactic acid buildup or ATP stores getting low <—Nick calls this chemical muscle failure. What happens is that chemicals in your body stop the muscle from being able to lift additional reps…so the muscle fibers aren't worked to their full capacity. To avoid chemical failure completely, you will do sets of 3 reps. This is going to allow you to target muscle fibers. You also want to avoid failure in this low rep range to allow you to do many more sets…a greater volume. High volume is important for gaining muscle quickly, so this makes sense.

* Low Reps for Growth? * The "Compound Exercise Overload" workout involves hitting the muscle with 120+ reps per workout…and hitting that same muscle with that volume each and every day for a week. This is crazy amounts of volume and fatigue done with low reps. If you want to train for tone without growth, then you wouldn't want to use Nick's method.

How to Use the Compound Exercise Overload Technique:

• Let's say you want to focus on bench press.
• Pick a weight you can do for 6-7 reps and do 3 reps.
• Rest for 20 seconds, then do another 3 reps.
• Repeat until you are unable to get 3 reps.
• Now remove 10 pounds off the bar and do 3 reps.
• Rest for 20 seconds, then do another 3 reps.
• Repeat until you are unable to get 3 reps.
• Continue on in this fashion for 20 minutes.

Note: On Day 1 it will be 20 minutes. Day 2 is 25 minutes (using 5-20 pounds more than Day 1). Day 3 is 30 minutes (using 5-20 pounds more than Day 2). Day 4 is 35 minutes (using 5-20 pounds more than Day 3). Day 5 is 40 minutes (using the same weight you used on Day 1).

Rest, Nutrition, Other Activities, etc.

You will try to keep all other activities to a minimum during this time. That means no cardio, no abs, no sports, etc. Try to avoid anything that is physically demanding during this week.  Nick puts it best…

"We don't want to confuse the body with any other stimulus".

You also want to eat A LOT during these 5 days. There is an exceptional amount of muscle fiber breakdown and you will need some additional nutrients. You will also want to drink a lot of water to maximize muscle growth.

Some Additional Pointers from Nick

End each set before failure. Stop at 2 reps if the 3rd rep is going to be a struggle…then reduce the weight on the next set. After your final set, when the time is up…rest 2 minutes then do one final set with as many reps as you can at that weight you ended with. You should be able to get 5-8 reps.

This is a Slightly Different Than the Newsletter Version

I went dug up a few articles Nick wrote about "compound exercise overload" and this one looked like it made sense. In his Newsletter he talks about starting out at 45 minutes from day 1, but I think that could be brutal. I like the progression in the version I listed above. Make sure and subscribe to his newsletter where he gives out a few additional pointers. Compound Exercise Overload is the first workout he sends out to subscribers.

Note: My hope is that a few people will want to give this a shot. If you do, please comment here with your results! My guess is that it will be a rough 5 days, but also pretty fun to see the progress.

[What if things like heavy weight vs low weight and high reps vs low reps didn't make a difference? What if "effort" was the only variable that mattered in gaining muscle?]

First, I Will Reveal the Study…

So this study was published in the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness (JESP). The cool thing about this journal is that the JESP website lets you download their PDF's for free. The downside is that you can only access the last two years worth of issues (2009-2010)…and the study I'm referring to happened back in 2008. Luckily I saved it on my Desktop last year, so you can have access to it

Some Great Info, But Presented in a Dry Manner

These scientific papers have great info, but are as far from entertaining as you can get. The summary doesn't do the paper justice either…

So Let's Get Down to the Juicy Info About This Study!

So Dr. Ralph Carpinelli reviewed past scientific literature on the size principle and came to an interesting conclusion: It is the amount of effort NOT the amount of force that determines the degree of muscle fiber motor unit activation. So the heavier the resistance, the more force is required to lift a weight…but remember it is "effort" NOT force that is responsible for maximum muscle activation.

Dr Carpinelli explains it best by using in this example:

"If a person is holding a 20 kg dumbbell at an elbow angle of 90 degrees…the first 10 seconds may feel relatively easy. After about 60 seconds the person will no longer be able to hold the 20 kg mass." <---So the force of 20 kg is constant, but the effort increased as the 60 seconds passed (interesting).

"At the point of maximal effort (~60 seconds), all the motor units in the pool were recruited for that specific isometric muscle action."<---So the maximum effort is what recruited all of the muscle fibers, the force was just a secondary variable in this example.

Carpinelli Does Not Believe That Rep Count Matters

In this paper, Carpinelli found 20 studies that reported no significant strength gains from doing 2 reps to failure or 20 reps to failure —> "If a maximal—or near maximal—effort is applied at the end of a set of repetitions, the evidence strongly suggests that the different external forces produced with different amounts of resistance elicit similar outcomes."

I Decided to Create a Quick Video Summary…

There are a lot of variables that this study does not address: High total volume for gaining muscle vs low volume training. What happens to the muscle when you don't train to failure. The different types of growth produced by high reps vs low reps. Like the findings of most studies, this is just a small snapshot at a few variables.

Go to failure if you want to build muscle: I believe in fatiguing the muscles over a series of sets with the final sets requiring maximum effort…in order to gain muscle. His study suggests reaching maximum effort for maximum muscle recruitment.

Higher reps can still build muscle: I've known this for ages, but if you are doing high reps close to muscular exhaustion…you are going to put on size. So even if you lift light, you can still add muscle. In fact I would say that higher reps are the best way to increase muscle size, due to the cumulative fatigue that "requires more effort" from set to set. Don't let any recently certified personal trainer tell you otherwise!

Avoid failure…for strength without muscle size increase: This is an area the study doesn't explore as much as I would have liked. The main point is that avoiding failure is a great way to consistently gain strength with very little muscle growth. Gaining strength is also a way to create muscle density (something this study doesn't cover). My girlfriend does sets of 5 reps with weights that she could probably do 8 times. Over the past year she has gained a lot of strength and muscle tone, with ZERO increase in muscle size. Since she avoids maximum effort, she doesn't need to worry about gaining muscle. Note: She wants to stay slim and lean instead of adding mass. My women's course coming out in Feb 2011 is based upon this way of training.

Maximum force without maximum effort: So this is a similar point to my last point. If you want to increase strength without adding muscle then you would lift heavy (max force), but avoid failure (max effort).

Would like to see a study on the effects of avoiding failure: When I started this blog, I was almost 100% focused on increasing muscle definition WITHOUT gaining muscle. As Dr. Carpinelli shows in his study, training with maximum effort to failure is a great way to build muscle mass and strength…REGARDLESS of the reps being used. So what if you want to gain strength and build muscle density without putting on mass? Well, I have found the best way is to avoid failure altogether.

What is Your Opinion on This Study?

I never take the results of one study as the WORD on fitness. I just hope that I learn at least one tip that will improve my ability to create effective training programs. My biggest takeaway from this study was…reaching maximum effort on the last rep or two will help muscles grow regardless of the amount of reps being performed. If you have a particularly stubborn muscle then make sure you push those final reps hard with maximum effort.

I Went Over to the Dark Side to Find This Research

Okay, so I like to joke that TMuscle.com and Bodybuilding.com are the "dark side". To be honest there is a ton of great info on these sites, but the forums are a bit out of control and they push the roided' out look pretty hard. I typically stay away from these sites, but John Romaniello peaked my curiosity with his chest workout post…darn you John! His friend Bret put up two fascinating articles over on Tmuscle (formerly T-nation). One article was a study to find out the best chest and tricep exercises and another was for the best shoulder and trap exercises.

Bret Measured Electrical Activity of Muscles During Exercise

Here is how he describes what he was measuring:

EMG measures the electrical activity of muscles during exercise. While EMG doesn't directly measure muscular tension, the two should be very similar (although slightly off-set), as the electrical activity that EMG measures is simply a measurement of the nervous system's signal to the muscles. Increased EMG activity is indicative of the nervous system's attempt to produce more muscular force. (That's a good thing, by the way.) I used a Myotrace 400 from Noraxon to measure the EMG of every exercise.

Measuring Isometric Contractions as a Baseline

Before electrical activity of each exercise was examined, Bret measured how hard a muscle could contract isometrically. Subjects could simply flex their muscles as hard as possible or push against an immovable object. The goal was to flex the target muscle hard and get an EMG measurement. This measurement is called Maximum Voluntary Contraction…or MVC for short. All EMG readings for an exercise are compared to your MVC as a percentage. So if barbell curls got the same reading as simply flexing your bicep, your activation percentage is 100. If the EMG reading for your biceps for barbell curls was half of your MVC reading, your activation percentage would be 50.

Measuring "Peak" Activation & "Mean" Activation for Each Exercise

Peak activation is simply the highest recorded electrical activity of a muscle on a lift. Mean activation is the average electrical activity during a lift. When you perform a barbell bench press, for instance the average activation ("Mean" activation) reading might be 110 (10% higher than your MVC reading), but your maximum reading ("Peak" activation) during that lift might be 150 (50% higher than your MVC reading). I hope this isn't getting too confusing. It took me a couple of times reading to get a full understanding of what this meant.

So Can Resistant Bands Work Better Than Free Weights?

I won't make a bold statement like that (makes for a good title though). I will tell you this…I was extremely surprised how favorably resistance band exercises compared to free weights. Let me show you the exercises that came out on top for pecs and delts.

Upper Pec:
Mean – Mid Pulley Crossover, Band Push Up, JC Band Press
Peak – DB Incline Press, Guillotine Press, JC Band Press

Mid Pec:
Mean – DB Bench Press, Floor Press, Fly
Peak – Guillotine Press, DB Bench Press, Fly

Lower Pec:
Mean – Weighted Dip, Blast Strap Push Up, Guillotine Press
Peak – Guillotine Press, Fly, Weighted Dip

Front Delt
Mean – Seated Behind Neck Press, Seated Military Press, Incline Press
Peak – Seated Behind Neck Press, Standing DB Military Press, Incline Press

Mid Delt
Mean – Band Face Pull, Lateral Raise, Seated Behind Neck Press
Peak – Band Face Pull, Lateral Raise, Cable Lateral Raise

Rear Delt
Mean – Band Face Pull, Bent Over Rear Delt Raise, Prone Rear Delt Raise
Peak – Band Face Pull, Bent Over Rear Delt Raise, Hanging Row

So I Am Going to Add Resistance Bands Into My Routine

I have had good intentions for a long time to add in some resistance band work, but just thought they were more about convenience and not as effective as lifting weights. Two exercises in particular that interest me are the "JC Band Press" (for upper pecs) and "Band Face Pulls" (for rear and side delts). I guess I have put off using resistance bands because the type of resistance feels a little odd to me. It is obvious that I need to drop this excuse and add in some resistance band work. Here's an awesome video that Bret made showing the top 50 resistance band exercises…

[I love Youtube! Seriously, this short video is outstanding and valuable. To see the full post about this video head on over to this post on his blog: Top 50 JC Band Exercises.]

What Are Your Thoughts on Resistance Bands?

I would love to hear some opinions on this. To me the feeling is completely different than lifting weights. I haven't really given them a fair shake. I have talked about them in my newsletter a bit, but never took the plunge and implemented them into my routine. I look forward to hearing some different viewpoints on the subject.

Note: Here are the links to the guest posts Bret did on Tmuscle: Inside the Muscles: Best Chest and Triceps Exercises , Inside the Muscles: Best Shoulders and Trap Exercises

Bench Presses Build Triceps and Chin Ups Build Biceps?

No doubt that various presses will build up your triceps and various pulling exercises like chin ups or rows will build your biceps. This is especially true once you have a strong mind-to-muscle link to these muscle groups from yeas of lifting. Most experts recommend that beginners stick to compound movements and avoid arm specialization. My argument against this approach is that a quicker mind-to-muscle link can be achieved when direct arm isolation work is thrown in. Once this mind-to-muscle link is created to these smaller muscle groups, that is when compound movements work their magic.

Isolation Movements As a Primer for Compound Exercises?

Once a mind-to-muscle link is created to these smaller muscle groups with isolation exercises…is when compound movements work their magic. The old school approach of just starting off with the compound lifts is basically just "hoping for the best". Hopefully the biceps or triceps are contracting as hard as possible in a coordinated effort to lift or pull the weight. The problem is that it is so hard to know if the compound lift is challenging the smaller muscle groups to the max.

Experienced Lifters Can Milk Every Exercise to the Max

…beginners will only feel an exercise in certain muscle groups. I believe in isolation exercises because I think it creates better body awareness to do compound lifts properly. I think people have it backwards…experts can get away with doing compound movements because they can get maximum benefit from these bigger lifts. When I first started lifting and did bench presses, my triceps would barely even feel like they were contracting. These days my chest, triceps, shoulders, and forearms all feel worked after doing a few sets of bench presses.

How I Fixed My Stubborn Triceps Problem

I spent 2-3 years doing heavy close grip bench presses and dips to build up the size in my triceps. The advice was to lift heavier and heavier to build size in this stubborn area…and it wasn't working. Do you know how I finally fixed this problem? I began doing light dumbbell kickbacks and high rep/high volume pull downs. I really aimed to feel the burn on these isolation lifts and eventually developed a strong mind-to-muscle link to this stubborn muscle group. The isolation exercise allowed me to finally get results from the heavy compound lifts. When I went back to the compound lifts they finally helped me add size in these areas.

A Backwards Approach That Works Well

This isn't something you will want to do very often, but is a good way to shock your arms into growing a bit. Work your biceps directly with isolation exercises before doing back exercises like chin ups and rows. If your biceps are a weak link, they won't be for long. Same deal with triceps…do some tricep isolation work and fatigue them before doing bench presses or military presses. Again, this is only something to do if one of these body parts is lagging a bit.

Heavier Lifting Does NOT Always Equal Bigger Arms

For quick growth aim for higher reps 6-15. For dense muscle and a little slower growth, go the 5×5 route. For strength with minimal size stay under 5 reps. Much of this blog is dedicated to increasing muscle definition without size increase, so that is why you see the past posts with lower rep recommendations. Also when doing 6-15 reps for quick growth, make sure you get in at least 2-3 sets over 10 reps. A mistake I see is guys doing a set of 10, then a set of 8, followed by 3-4 sets of 6 reps. Get in at least a few 10+ rep sets for maximum results.

What About Going Heavy With Isolation Exercises?

Another way to mix up your arm training a bit is to go heavy with isolation movements. You barely ever see anyone doing 5X5's with concentration curls, but you can generate a really strong contraction if you use heavy weights. A few years back I spent 6 weeks trying to increase the weight on lying triceps extension for 5 sets of 5 reps. I got up to an impressive weight and it certainly showed in my arms.

Note: You only have to increase the mind-to-muscle link to a muscle group one time in your life. Once you learn how to contract a muscle hard it is like riding a bike…it is a skill you will always have.

Advanced Trainees Need Bigger "Stresses" to the Body

In Mark Rippletoe's and Lon Kilgore's masterpiece on strength training, "Practical Programming for Strength Training", they talk about what happens as an athlete becomes more advanced. An advanced lifter must push their body much harder to achieve a positive adaption than a beginner…

"Unlike beginners or intermediates, advanced and elite
trainees need large amounts of intense work to disrupt
homeostasis and force adaptation. This means that the stress
required for progress will creep nearer and nearer to the
maximal tolerable workload that the body can perform and
recover from. An elite athlete who is doing ten sets of squats
and making progress may not make any progress with nine sets
and may "overtrain" by doing eleven. The window for progress
is extremely small." – Rippletoe & Kilgore

Stress to the Body VS Ability to Recover

As a trainee becomes more advanced, his recovery level does increase. This is what is talked about in fitness magazines and in many other fitness books. What people fail to mention is that in order to make positive progress, the stimulus and stress to the body must increase as well. In fact, the stress to the body winds up increasing at a faster rate than the ability to recover.

Supercompensation (Improving After Recovery)

A beginner doesn't need a massive stimulus to make progress…and because of that, they can recover quickly and gain strength or muscle (supercompensation). For intermediate and advanced athletes thing look different…they sometimes need more than one workout to give the body a big enough stress to improve…

"In the novice, a single training stimulus results in supercompensation in 24 to 72 hours, just in time for the next training session. For the intermediate trainee, multiple training sessions in a week are required to induce supercompensation. For the advanced trainee the cumulative effects of weeks of training are needed to induce supercompensation in a month's time or longer." – Rippletoe & Kilgore

What This Means & How You Can Use This Knowledge

I hate to make things too complicated, but here's how you can use this knowledge. If you are beginner you can expect to make consistent strength gains and muscle gains from workout to workout. An intermediate will cycle intensity (usually a heavy day alternated with a more moderate day seems to work well). An advanced lifter who wants to lift really heavy weights, will want to use a schedule of periodization (beyond the scope of this article).

Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid to "Go Light"

Most of us will never reach the level of an advanced lifter, so no need to make things too complex. What I suggest is to simply lift light weights on the days where the bar feels heavy in your hands. You should know within 1-2 sets of your first lift, if your body hasn't achieved supercompensation from the last workout. Don't worry that you will lose strength, muscle size, or muscle tone by backing off a bit…this is actually the way to experience positive results over time in your lifting.

Most of Us Won't Need to Worry About This As Much

This site is about just adding a natural level of muscle to achieve the lean look…like men and women in Hollywood. You don't need to stress the body to-the-max to reach this level. You can do this by simply gaining strength slowly over time while losing body fat.

[This is a funny commercial from "GQ" Magazine. A tiny bit of swearing at one point, but that still qualifies for the PG-13 rating of my site. Love this Billy Idol Song...good for some cheesy Karaoke for sure!]

The Law of Diminishing Returns and Muscle

I am a firm believer in the fact that most people will put on their "natural" level of muscle mass within just 6-9 months of training following a solid workout plan. Every pound of muscle gained after that simply takes magnitudes more effort than that initial muscle gain. My advice is to add a bit of muscle if you haven't trained and get that part "out of the way". After those 6 months, spend the rest of the time fine tuning your muscle by getting stronger without increasing in size…get great abs, increase muscle definition, etc.

Note: For those who do want a great strategic muscle building plan, get on my newsletter (by downloading "Vacation Body Blueprint"). I will make an announcement later this week. I'm working on a book that will help a lot in this regard.

Gaining Muscle "Where You Want it" Matters Most

If someone came up to me and offered me $1 million dollars to put on 20 pounds of muscle in 12 months, here is what I would do. I would concentrate on the "big" lifts like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. I have no doubt that I could put on 20 pounds of pure muscle in 12 months. The problem would be that at least 15 of those 20 pounds of muscle would be added to my legs, butt, and hips. The rest of that weight would be spread evenly over the rest of my body. Here is the weird thing…visually, I wouldn't look drastically different.

Gains Spread Over Your Entire Body Make a Small Impact

The irony about gaining muscle evenly over your entire body is that it creates a slightly bigger version of what you already look like now. Each muscle will look a little better individually, but as a whole package you won't look much different. In fact if you gain muscle in your dominant muscle groups at a quicker rate than your weak muscle groups, you will take a step backward visually.

I Think the Idea of Just Sticking to the Basics is a Mistake

The common advice of just sticking to the big lifts like deadlifts, squats, and bench presses is great if you just want to add mass and don't care what you wind up looking like. In fact, this is your quickest route to putting on a lot of weight. The problem lies in the fact that you are hoping that everything will look right after all the weight is added. I have seen beginners use this approach time and time again and wind up having the "professional wrestler" look…big butt, upper legs, hips, big around the mid section, massive traps…you get the idea.

"Want a Bigger Chest, Then Get Bigger Legs!"…I Disagree!

I have read this statement dozens of times when it comes to increasing the size of a muscle. Many experts claim that the fastest way to put muscle on your chest and arms is to put a bunch of mass on your legs, hips, and butt. The problem is that your legs hips and butt will typically grow at a much faster rate than your chest and arms. So compared to the rest of you body, your chest and arms are proportionally smaller.

[Just a quick video intermission to break up the post. Some old school techno..."Children" by Robert Miles...one of the best trance songs ever recorded.]

Muscle Specialization: A Smart Way to Create a Desired Look

As discussed before, adding 6 pounds to your shoulders, arms and chest can transform the way you look. Spreading that same amount of muscle over your entire body, not as visually impressive. The only way to insure that this is accomplished is through muscle specialization…focusing the majority of your efforts on 1-2 muscle groups, while just maintaining everything else.

Higher Volume on Muscles That You Want to Grow

I like the approach of increasing the volume of muscles that you need to grow and backing WAY down on everything else. If you want a bigger chest with a special focus on increasing your upper chest, then dramatically increase the volume on various incline presses, incline flyes, hammer strength machines, etc. To compensate for that increase in volume, back off a bit when it comes to some of your other body parts.

How Much Volume for Targeted Muscle Groups?

You can go as high as 15-20 sets per workout for muscle groups you are trying to add size to. You can even setup your workouts so that the targeted muscle group gets worked more often than the other muscle groups. I also suggest using a combination of free weights, cables, and machines when aiming for muscle growth.

How Much Volume for Everything Else?

This is tougher to answer, because it depends upon your genetics. I have some friends that never have to work their calves because they are naturally huge. I never do sets for traps or lower chest. For the most part you want to work each muscle group at least a little each week. My suggestion would be to pick 1-2 exercises for 3-5 sets of 5 reps…and do maybe 12-20 total sets per body part each week to maintain. You could probably get away with less than this.

I Recommend Doing This in 2-3 Month Bursts

What I think works best is to specialize for 2-3 months on a body part, then have a more balanced routine for a 1-2 months (as a precaution to insure that you don't neglect the other muscles). What you will find is that you can systematically build an ideal physique by giving selective attention to body parts that need extra work.

Note: I realize this is really general info. I am working on an entire premium (low-cost) report that covers building muscle while staying lean and ripped through the entire process. I will launch it in January, but you will have to be on my newsletter to access this. To get on my newsletter, you just need to click the banner below and download "Vacation Body Blueprint". If you have already downloaded this, you're good.

A Favor From a Supplement Developer and Industry Expert

I recently asked my friend John Barban to record a 5 minute video about building muscle mass. His stance on building muscle and losing fat is the same as mine…You use nutrition to lose fat and you use your workout to build muscle. To quote John…"Nutrition plays a negligible role in muscle building". Click on this video to see him explain why this is the case. I have had several conversations with John and I'm convinced that he knows more about building muscle than any other industry expert.

Pretty Heavy Stuff for a 6 Minute Video!

[John is very well-respected in the health and fitness industry. He has formulated supplements for some of the largest supplement companies in the world. I am glad someone of his stature is coming forward and saying what needs to be said about building muscle. I support his message 100%.]

You Can't Accelerate the Muscle Growth Rate by Eating More

Back in 1990 after lifting hard for 3 years, I tried to "bulk up" and put on 10 more pounds of muscle. I remember eating my way up from 210 pounds all the way to 230 pounds. I trained hard during that time for 9 months and then I spent the following 4 months "leaning out". After dieting hard and getting lean again, I wound up at 212..a whopping 2 pound muscle gain in a little over a year!

You Can Quickly Build Muscle Just Once in Your Life Time

The only time in your life that you can build a lot of muscle quickly is when you first begin training. It isn't unusual for an untrained person to put on a decent amount of muscle his first 1-2 years of training, but that will be the last of the quick muscle gains (unless he uses steroids). The window for even faster gains is when a male is in his late teens and early 20's…because when a teen enters into his 20's he typically adds a bit of weight naturally and "fills out". If a person adds in training along with this time of naturally filling out, then ultra-fast muscle gains can happen…but that will never happen again in that man's lifetime.

Trained Guys of Same Height Have Similar Amounts of Muscle

This is where the HUGE paradigm shift happened for me. John explains that an experienced lifters of the same height almost always carry the same amount of muscle (5-7 pounds give-or-take)….the only difference in size comes down to how much body fat each person is carrying. He also explains that frame size (somatotypes) play a role, but only 5-7 pounds in either direction.

How Much Muscle Can You Build? <—John explains in a video why trained guys of the same height typically have the same amount of muscle. Make sure you click over to John's blog and give him your feedback on this 3 minute video.

How to Get Part One of Adonis Effect for Free

John is giving away 57 pages of incredible content in regards to building muscle for free over on his blog. I am not sure how long he is going to do this, so make sure you head over there and download this and save it on your hard drive. He is launching Adonis Effect 2.0 on Tuesday, July 21st (tomorrow)…so I don't know how long he plans to keep up Adonis Effect Part One for Free.

Note: I am going to reference John Barban's Blog in the future and probably do a few podcasts with him, etc. I like the message he is sending out in regards to gaining muscle and achieving a pleasing physique. When you head over to his blog, make sure and subscribe to his newsletter…"The Truth Hurts". The first message that gets sent is one called "Get Ready to UNLEARN"…love it!

Let Me Give Credit to Nick Nilsson…

Nick Nilsson is the guy who outlined this body weight workout. He has written numerous books and is probably best known for his work with Charles Staley on Escalating Density Training (a video course on gaining mass and definition at the same time by lifting multiple low rep sets with compressed rest periods). I haven't mentioned either of these guys on my site before, because the subject matter here is more focused on building strength and muscle definition without adding size…to get that slim "Hollywood" look. As far as mass building goes, these are the guys I recommend.

The Common Problem With Body Weight Training

As soon as I read this outline, I knew Nick had come up with a solution to a common problem. You see…the problem with something like push ups is that you quickly get too strong for them to be challenging. A set of 50 reps of push ups is high rep "endurance training". The problem is that even if you go to failure, isn't really hitting the muscle fibers with the most growth potential.

High Volume With Compressed Rest Intervals

A key to gaining mass is to aim for a high volume of work while lifting weight that is heavy enough to challenge the muscles. You also want to keep the rest somewhat brief in between sets to get the full pump in the muscles…this is the optimum condition to put on size quickly. Here is the solution that Nick came up with to get this done with body weight exercises.

As Many Sets of 3 Reps As Possible in 15 Minutes

This is done in a strategic way, which I will explain in a second. The reason he suggests 3 reps at a time is to limit fatigue in order to maximize training volume (sets and total reps). Both Charles and Nick believe that you should train muscles for output and not fatigue…which is why their programs build strength and mass, not just muscle mass. Too much fatigue is bad for building strength. They believe in a high volume of quality reps without hitting failure, which is a unique approach in the bodybuilding world (and why I dig their approach).

How the Workout is Structured

1) Pick one body weight exercise – Push Ups (as an example)
2) Do 3 reps and rest 10 seconds then 3 more reps…repeat
3) When it becomes tough to do 3 reps, extend the rest time to 20 seconds
4) When it becomes to tough to get 3 reps, extend rest time to 30 seconds
5) Keep doing this exercise for 15 minutes straight. As soon as it gets tough to complete 3 reps add another 10 seconds to the rest time in between sets.

Tips: Make sure to avoid failure on all of your sets, but push yourself. By avoiding failure, you are limiting fatigue and you will get in more sets and reps in the 15 minute period.

Other Tips for This Mass Building Routine

Nick recommends 15 minutes for back, chest, and quads…and 10 minutes for hamstrings, shoulders, biceps, triceps, calves, and abs. He recommends a 2-day split doing a total of 4 workouts per week. Day One back, chest, biceps, abs and calves. Day Two quads, hamstrings, shoulders, and triceps.

Note: You could certainly use this same method with weights as well. I'm imagining there are probably a few people who have a weight set at home that they are too strong for. Consider using this lifting method with those weights to get some good use out of them again.

[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

I do understand where trainers are coming from when they suggest the standard compound lifts for each body part. These are the lifts that provide the biggest "bang for the buck" and they are also the best for functional strength. The problem is that sometimes it takes weeks or even months for the beginner to feel anything with certain exercises.

It Takes Time to Build the Mind-to-Muscle Link

The big compound exercises are great and shouldn't be ignored, however they are the ones that take the longest to "feel". Over time you will develop a strong mind-to-muscle link and you will really be able to milk these exercises, but until that happens I recommend that you work a little more on exercises that you can really feel.

Give Priority to Exercises that Work for You!

For my first 4 years of lifting, I did seated behind the neck military presses. I was told that this was the best exercise for building shoulder width. I was terribly weak at these and they never once felt like they were working my shoulders. My workout partner worked his way up to 185 pounds for 5 reps and I was stuck at 100 for 5 reps…for 4 years! After getting no results with this lift I decided to do seated dumbbell military presses and have stuck with these ever since. I also do a bit of nautilus military presses and these work great as well.

The Same Workout Partner Hated Barbell Curls

On the flip side, I love flat bar barbell curls but this guy didn't feel them in his biceps. He liked concentration curls and Preacher Hammer Curls a lot better (which I get nothing out of). So the bottom line is that you need to do exercises that work for you…not ones that are "suppose" to work for you.

An Exercise You Don't Feel Now May Improve Over Time

You may hate incline barbell presses now, but over a period of time they may become your favorite. I used to dislike flat bench dumbbell flyes and preferred cable crossovers. I only felt dumbbell flyes in my shoulders and cable crossovers really seemed to hit the chest muscles. Now it is much different…flat bench dumbbell flyes work my chest so hard that I have to be careful not to do too many!

My Suggestion…

Spend the majority of your time on exercises that feel great now and give them priority. If you do three exercises per body part, make sure at least two of them are ones that feel like they are working the target muscle group. Do those two first, and then throw in one exercise that is "suppose" to be the great for that muscle group. Over time you will develop a list of top exercises for you, which will be unique to you.

A Quick Personal Story About Muscle Maturity

I graduated high school in 1988 weighing 180 at about 8% body fat. I look a weight training class senior year, I was 175 when I started. I went to college and decided I want to get big. My goal was 240 (what was I thinking), but after 4 years I got up to 220'ish. After being that weight for a number of years, I decided it wasn't a good look and didn't even feel very healthy. I spent the next few years slimming down considerably and now I'm about 185 and around 8% body fat. If you were to take a picture of me then and compare it to present day, there is no comparison…I look much more defined today then I did 20 years ago…even though my stats are almost identical.

Don't Fear Getting Older…Plan to Look Better As You Age

I think that older people are more interesting to look at than younger people. Old people have character and look much more unique then their younger counterparts. I love seeing a man and woman in their 60's out 70's swimming, water skiing, playing volleyball, etc. If you stay active, the body looks great over time.

Another Reason Not to Gain Excessive Amounts of Muscle

I see a lot of older gym members in my gym when I work out in the mid-day. A lot of these men and women are retired and want to hit the weights before it get's busy around 5 pm. The men and women who train a bit on weights and hit the cardio hard look much more healthy and agile than the men and women who focused on muscle mass their whole lives. The large amount of muscle sags over time and just doesn't create a good look as a person ages.

Stay Lean and Trim Your Entire Life. Why Not?

I will never go back to putting on more muscle mass. From this point on I just want to maintain my same body weight, but challenge myself with tough cardio and slowly but surely gain strength. I know that at some point I won't be able to lift as heavy as I do now, or run as fast…but I will always have that lean, healthy look. Why not just make the decision to look great your entire life? Get in shape within the next 6-12 months…and be in "maintenance mode" for the next 60 years?

Note: This is one of my shorter posts, but I think the mind set here is really important. Society expects people to let themselves go as they age. I guess I want to live my entire 80-90 years to the fullest.

[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"

I'm actually convinced of this. People like to say "slim down". I'm as guilty as anyone. It just seems like a subject that many people dance around. The fact is that it does make sense for some people to lose muscle on purpose. There I said it again! Here are a few posts where I didn't use those exact words.

Will Smith Slims Down For the Movie "I Am Legend".
Duane Johnson, AKA The Rock, Looks Better Slim Instead of Bulky.
Kobe Bryant Loses 20 Pounds For Upcoming NBA Season

"Aren't We All Suppose To Gain as Much Muscle as Possible?"

I hear people talking about losing fat, or losing weight, but rarely about losing muscle. If the term "lose muscle" is used…it is always used as a negative. In fact, if you listen to all the main stream info…more muscle is always better than less muscle. The main reason for this is that you often times will hear that "muscle burns more calories all day long and helps you stay lean". This is an overused statement that is seriously exaggerated. Here is my post on that one:Gaining Muscle Doesn't Increase the Metabolic Rate a Significant Amount

How Did I Get the Idea for This Post

A reader named Michael asked this question:

"I am currently studying for the bar. This is keeping me out of the gym and out of my normal suits. Follow me here. I am wearing jeans again, which I never have time for in general. Wearing the jeans caused me to realize that I violated one of my number one gym rules: thou shalt not deadlift of squat."

"You see, I have these powerful short-ish legs (6'2 with a 32 inch inseam), and while I have focused for 15 years on building shoulders and back to not much avail, all I have to do is think hard about my legs, and they grow. And every few years, I make this same mistake…I decide that a couple heavy singles a week will not do anything. Wrong."

"Well, new firm, gym in the firm, and sometimes for kicks I would go and rack a couple hundred pounds and just do A squat. Or three heavy singles. Twice a week. Thats it. Well, my legs look like pile drivers again."

"So, here is the question…how can one use a limited gym availability period to allow muscles to shrink/catabolize? Further, I have read people talking about "muscle shifting" by not lifting the target group, lifting other areas, and not eating sufficient protein. What do you think of this? Whats the best way to get my old legs back? If you tell me, I will promise to never give in to the squat itch again…"
[Commercial break...A hot model named "Cindy" and "GQ" looking guy. Just trying to fill the site with attractive role models...No need for the typical flexing and 'Hardcore' vibe here.]

I Also Found a Funny Advice on A Few Forums

A female soccer player explained that she had tree-trunk legs and wanted to slim down. Half of the people replied and said to get a bigger upper body to even things out! Not the answer she was looking for. Another gentleman said his legs were too large from squatting and he want to lighten up for mountain climbing. Almost every single last reply told the guy that strong legs would help with mountain climbing and to keep doing squats. Sorry, but this is terrible advice. Climbers have strong but slim legs for a reason. They have to easily pull their own body weight up steep cliffs.

I Decided it Was Time for a Detailed "Lose Muscle" Plan

I certainly don't think most people need to go out of their way to lose muscle, but some do. In fact a huge complaint that many women have is that lifting makes their legs too bulky. I'll address that. I also know many guys are sick of lugging around a large amount of muscle. I have been there and it slows you down, plus it isn't the best look in the world. More often than not it is the legs that get too bulky, but I have seen guys and girls with overly developed traps, pecs, shoulders, obliques, etc.

I Dropped 25+ Pounds of Muscle Nine Years Ago

My story is that I spent the first 12+ years of working out to try to get as big as possible. It made me feel slow, it was hard to find clothes that fit well, and I was sick of lugging all of that weight around. I also realized that it wasn't an attractive look and being that large made it look like I was trying too hard. It took me close to a year to slim down. I've been carrying around much less muscle these past nine years and I look and feel better than ever. Here was my strategy…

My Legs Were Outrageously Large and Bulky

I used to be a monster at squats and deadlifts. I could easily do 3-4 sets of 405 for 5-6 reps with squats. Yes…I know to the hardcore lifters this doesn't sound like much, but I am 6'3" and I have a long way to travel on each rep…plus I did this at low body fat levels while having a ripped six pack. I wasn't a fat slob with his gut sticking out doing squats. I enjoyed doing squats back then because my legs pumped up like balloons. Plus I got all kinds of compliments from the guys in the free weight rooms, who were impressed with how deep I could squat with that type of weight.

I Dropped All Direct Resistance Training on Legs

This was a hard one for me to decide to do, since I used to make fun of guys that just trained their upper body. The problem is that if your legs are big, almost any resistance style exercise is going to help you maintain that size. I tried light weights or just doing things like lunges. I also tried low rep training. Typically low rep training doesn't dramatically increase the size of a muscle, but you just have to be more careful when it comes to legs.

The Number One Rule of Thumb to Lose Muscle in Your Legs

Avoid anything that creates a "pump" in the legs. Even things like riding an exercise bike will pump up your legs and cause them to stay the same size. My sister is a workout machine and she refuses to do cardio on an exercise bike, because it increases the size of her thighs. The exercise bike can really create a large pump in the legs. Jogging on a treadmill is the best way to slim your legs down (lose muscle on your legs). Once your legs are a smaller size, feel free to give the exercise bike a shot again.

The Type of Cardio for Those Who Want to Maintain Muscle

For the most part on this site, I recommend doing High Intensity Interval Training followed by Low Intensity Steady State Cardio. This is an amazing method to get extremely lean without losing muscle. Here is a quick little mini-course I'm working on, on that subject. It is only three pages at this point, but this a great strategy I've followed for years to stay at a low body fat level—>Low Body Fat Percentage.

Note: This method works if you want to maintain muscle mass. This is ideal for most of the readers, but Not for those people who need to lose muscle.

Marathon Cardio is the Best Way to Lose Muscle

If you are trying to lose a bit of muscle mass, you need to do what I call "Marathon Cardio". Jump on a treadmill and do a medium to high intensity steady state cardio for an extended period of time. Aim for 45-60 minutes at as fast as rate as you can handle for that period of time. Marathon cardio is used by boxers to "make weight". They basically call it "road work", but it involves long periods of running at a pretty high intensity level.

A Calorie Deficit Will Speed Up the Process

Don't go too extreme here, but it certainly doesn't hurt to go low-cal during this period of time. Heck, I like to go low-cal a few times a year just to give my digestive system a break and detox a bit. Make sure you go into your workout with an empty stomach and don't eat a meal right after exercising…wait at least 1-2 hours before eating anything.

How to Lose Muscle on Other Parts of the Body

It is quite a bit easier to slim down other muscle groups. You still want to work those muscle groups, but dramatically cut down the sets and reps. Lift heavy for low reps and don't go to failure. Also, just like your legs…you are going to want to avoid the pump on this body part. This is going to allow you to keep that area strong and dense without having the excess mass. In fact, I recommend that you train your entire body like this anyway. This builds a strong, functional body that winds up holding a "natural" amount of muscle.

Many People Would Benefit from Dropping Direct Leg Work

I'm going to go ahead and point out my most controversial fitness view. I believe that 9 out of 10 people would have better looking physiques if they dropped all of their leg exercises and replaced it with High Intensity Interval Training combined with Steady State Cardio. This just seems to create the ideal sized leg that is functional as well. Not only that, the extra time available for cardio will help you keep a lower body fat level year round. Also…your legs and butt greater definition from sprinting than they will from lifting. The nice thing is that they will remain a normal size while firming up.

Note: Michael…I hope that answers your question at least partially. I haven't heard much about "muscle shifting", so I can't comment on that. Bottom line is that you need to get a good pair of running shoes and hit the pavement (or treadmill). The side benefit is that it is going to help you lean down and lighten up…which will make you more athletic, give you more energy, makes your face look better, etc.

[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

I am not saying that my approach to building muscle mass is the only approach that works. You can do the typical bodybuilder 3 day split routine with pyramids, etc. There are dozens of other approaches that work as well. It isn't rocket science, but many of these routines fail in some ways. The biggest problem with a lot of the common routines is that they take a lot of time. Another problem is you have to be careful or you will end up with the "overly pumped" look…instead of the lean and angular look.

Full Muscles are Great as Long As This Isn't Overdone

The last thing you want to become is a rounded mass of soft muscle. It is fine to get bigger, as long as you still have compact functional muscles. Hugh Jackman & Duane Johnson (The Rock) are great examples of a bigger guys who maintains the angular look. There is a fine line between "full muscles" and simply overdoing it. These guys have the right idea.

Rep Ranges Are a Big Factor in Muscle Size and Density

The 2-5 rep range is geared towards strength and muscle density without significantly increasing the size of the muscle. This is especially true if calories are kept under control and lifting is done a rep short of failure. Gaining strength without increasing the size of a muscle is a great way to get the hard angular look. The 6-12 rep range is very effective at building muscle mass. This is why most "mainstream" magazines recommend this range. The 15+ rep range is more of a way of doing cardio with weights. This is the main idea behind circuit training.

The Problem With the Typical 6-12 Rep Range

This rep range does work in building muscle, I just don't think it creates the best look. What happens is that the muscles wind up getting ultra-pumped during the lifting. When I used to lift this way, my skin would get tight and I'd look like a different person while lifting. The problem with this is that the size is temporary. Another problem was that when my muscles weren't pumped up…they looked decent, but soft. The fluctuation in muscle size was unpredictable as well. Some days I looked huge, some days I looked much smaller. Anyone who has lifted this way for a number of years knows exactly what I'm talking about.

The Problem With the 2-5 Rep Range

This is the rep range I recommend the most, since it is great in creating "permanent" muscle tone. Technically semi-permanent…but muscles look defined 24 hours a day as long as body fat levels are low enough. The issue behind this rep range is that it isn't good for building mass. Well, that isn't exactly true…since the routine I'm going to describe uses 5 reps…but done in a much different way than the typical routine I've outlined on this site.

Why 6-12 Reps Build Soft Muscles (technical explanation)

I rarely like to get technical here, but some people crave detailed explanations. If you are NOT one of those people, please skip this paragraph as well as the next one. High rep, pump training creates sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy. This is an increase in muscle size due to an increase in the volume of the muscle cell fluid. This fluid can account for up to 30% of the size of a muscle on a pumped up bodybuilder who trains with 6-12 reps. It is also why the size of the muscles can increase and decrease dramatically with this type of training. It is "fake" muscle growth to a certain extent.

"Real" Muscle Growth (technical explanation)

Again, I like to explain things in basic ways…but some people enjoy the scientific explanations. Myofibrillar Hypertrophy is an enlargement of the muscle fibers…muscle size gains from the actual growth of fibers in the muscle not the fluid within the muscles. This is real and permanent muscle growth and this creates the dense and angular look. This type of muscle growth leads to stronger and harder muscles. The way this is accomplished is by lifting lower reps, but in a different way than I typically recommend on this site.

Low Rep + High Volume = Larger Dense Muscles

Most of the time I recommend low rep and low volume which is a way to build muscle definition without increasing the size of the muscle. Since this is a mass building routine, the volume needs to be increased substantially. The strategy is to lift many many low rep sets, so you can still lift heavy to a certain extent, but have enough volume of lifting for a size increase.

The "Soviet Special Forces" Mass Building Routine

Former Soviet special forces trainer, Pavel Tsatsouline, came up with an ideal mass building routine. I have to give credit where credit is due. This was the routine he used for guys he trained that wanted a bit more mass. It is quite simply the best mass building routine in my opinion. It builds a bit more mass, but this is quality muscle that looks great!

The "Evil Russian's" Mass Building Routine

1) Do one set of 5 reps with a heavy weight that you can do 6 times to failure
2) Reduce the weight to 80% of what you used for the first set and do it for 5 reps
3) Do as many sets as possible using the same weight with only 30-60 seconds rest in between
4) Stop when you can't do 5 reps in good form. This may be 5 sets or it could be 20…every person is different.

Note: The "Evil Russian" is the nickname that Pavel gave himself. It is all in good fun!

I Would Recommend a Slight Change to His Routine

This routine was designed for just one exercise per body part. I like to do 2-3 exercises per body part. If that is the case with you, then you can't do 20 total sets per exercise. I stop at 7-8 sets per exercise and do 3 exercises per body part when I do this routine. It works very well. If you are only doing two exercises then you can do more sets per exercise, etc.

A Great Routine to Use Every Once in A While!

I actually use this routine 2-3 months each year…normally in the summer months. I really don't want to gain excessive mass, but this is a way to make my muscles look full without looking soft. If you are slim and have great muscle definition, but your muscles look slightly flat then you will love this routine. Another reason to do this during summer is that is takes a little longer to recover in between each workout. You can't workout as often with this type of training. This is great because it means less days in the gym and more days in the sunshine!

Taking Advice from Someone With Big Calves

When I was younger I really wanted to have huge calves. Not sure why, but it was my goal at the time. Around the same time, I met a guy at the gym named Tony. Tony had amazing definition and great size in his calves. It was his best body part. I figured I would ask Tony what his routine was and copy it. The problem was that this was Tony's best body part. Heck…walking to the gym was probably enough work to keep his calves in amazing shape.

You Can't Expect to Be a "Jack-of-all-Trades" in the Gym

While Tony had ripped calves, the rest of his body was kind of average. In fact in comparison to his calves, the rest of his body was WAY behind. I didn't really realize this until later, since I wanted to know his "secret" to building big calves. If you look around the gym you will see examples of this. The guys who bench tons typically can't do a bunch of chinups. The women with great arms sometimes have a flabby butt, etc. Everyone has weak points.

Then I Met the "Natural Born Bench Presser"

Another thing I struggled with when I first started lifting was bench press strength. It seemed to be a big deal at the time…I remember the common question back in the late 80's was, "how much do you bench?". After 2 years of working out I could only bench 205 pounds. I was quite strong in almost every other lift, but I couldn't get 225 pounds up to save my life! Here is where it became a bummer…one of my friend's younger brothers wanted someone to show him a workout routine. He had never worked out a day in his life and I was going to be his summer workout partner. By week two, he was easily benching 225 pounds 8-10 times.

Balanced Muscle Groups Are the Ideal Situation

The best looking physiques typically have muscles that blend together nicely. This is the aim, instead of getting every muscle as big as possible. I always talk about how "mindlessly gaining muscle" isn't the best route. Remember Tony, the guy with the big calves? He worked his calves like crazy since it was his strongest group. If I was giving him advice today, I would have told him to avoid all direct work until the rest of his body "caught up".

People Who Are Trying to Get Huge, Typically Have The Largest Imbalances

A lot of the guys and girls in the bodybuilding community are the ones with the biggest muscle imbalances. This is just another reason to avoid putting on all that excessive muscle in the first place. Slim and functionally fit people don't have as much of a problem with this. If you have ever seen an elite military unit, they typically have balanced physiques. Obviously I'm a bit biased here, since I think slim and functionally fit is the way to go.

Taking Advice from People With a Strong Muscle Group

The Natural Born Bench Presser I previously mentioned was benching 405+ for reps after his second year of training. I am not sure he would be the one to give the best advice on how to increase bench press strength. It came so natural to him that he just benched and got stronger quickly. It would be like asking Kobe Bryant his vertical leap routine. There is a pretty good chance Kobe could "jump out of the gym" without any type of training.

Solid Principles Are Usually Better Than "Copying" a Routine

Educate yourself on what creates muscle definition, muscle strength, and muscle mass (if that is what you are into). It never pays to copy a routine. Notice how I rarely list specific routines? I talk about principles, because it is the understanding of how the body works that will allow you to look your best.

Note: Your body over time will balance out. If you are new to working out, just have patience. It could take a few years, but I hope all of you are committing to keeping fit for a lifetime. If you look at it like this, then a few years isn't a big deal at all.

[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

In the late 80's and early 90's Trent was super skinny…probably too skinny. Over a period of 6-8 years, he seemed to put on a bit of weight. I could tell that he was working out and he looked good. He had the ideal "look good without trying to look like you are looking good" thing going on. Throughout the mid 90's to 2002 he looked like a typical star who kept in great shape.

Trent Reznor in the Mid 90's Looking Great!

[In this picture, you can tell he takes care of himself. His arms and shoulders have nice tone without being excessively muscular. His face has the angular defined look, like a model. This was a great look for him.]

In 2006, Trent Comes out of Hiding Looking like the Hulk!

When people saw Trent Reznor's new look. There was a lot of steroid rumors. I have no idea whether he did roids or not. I don't like to speculate, but it certainly is possible. One thing was certain…he looked like a completely different person. I really preferred the way he looked before he packed on all that muscle. His face and neck look really bloated to me now. He lost his distinct look. There are probably some people who think he looks more bad-ass with all of this muscle, but something just seems a "little off" to me.

"Artsy" Guys Aren't Suppose to Bulk Up!

[In this Picture he looks like he is trying to "bulk up"...gaining muscle along with fat. This is a typical bodybuilder strategy that I don't recommend...it creates a sloppy look.]

My Recommendation of Gaining a "Natural" Amount of Muscle

I am not against gaining muscle. I thought it was great when Trent Reznor packed on 10-15 pounds of muscle. That was the perfect amount for his frame. He went from super-skinny to an athletic build. He kept this aesthetic athletic build for close to 10 years. The problem was when he went from a toned look, to the excessively muscular look. My guess is that he added another 20-30 pounds…this was when his face became unrecognizable. Not a good look for him in my opinion.

Trent Reznor "Going Against The Grain" Again!

I don't want to harsh on Trent too hard. He is still one of my favorite musicians. In fact, part of me thinks it is "slightly cool" that he did something so out of the ordinary. Most Alternative Musicians are slim and he did the exact opposite and packed on a ton of muscle. I just hope for his long-term health that he gets back to a more natural size.

"Head Like a Hole"…Some "Old School" Nine Inch Nails For Ya'

[Some people think this is just "noise"...I love the intensity!]

Johnny Cash Covering "Hurt", a Nine Inch Nail's Song!

[This was one of the last recording that Johnny Cash did before he passed away. Trent Reznor wrote and performed it, but when Johnny Cash sings it...it just gives me chills. This song fits Johnny Cash's life better than Trent's...it is simply an amazing version of this NIN song! It shows clips of Johnny Cash's life. When I hear him sing it...it reminds me the life passes by quickly and that I must live every day to the fullest!]

Note: Again…not a typical fitness article. I admire people out there living life with other interests besides just getting as ripped as possible and posing in muscle magazines. Those people in the fitness magazines bore the hell out of me! Get fit in the context of an exciting and adventurous life.

Some Sites Giving Info About Free NIN Downloads…

Free music downloads here to stay, says Trent Reznor – “I think free music downloads has been very important for a long time” says Jim Guerinot, talent manger whose clients include, among others, the rock band Nine Inch Nails. The band itself oversaw the ‘leaking’ of a number of tracks from … Nine Inch Nails Offers Album for Free Online via BitTorrent – After bailing on his record label earlier last year, Trent Reznor releases his band, Nine Inch Nails, new album "The Slip" Online via BitTorrent. Trent Reznor, leadman for Nine Inch Nails has long been known as a vocal artist who was … Trent Reznor “Slips” Fans a Sweet Surprise – Following the footsteps of Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” release in October, Trent Reznor’s giving fans a chance to download the new 10-track NIN album (The Slip) for FREE, in any format. (Read More About "The Slip" After The Jump) Put it … Trent Reznor to Give Away New NIN Album – Taking a cue from better band Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor will be releasing the new NIN album, The Slip, for free through the band’s Web site. Sign up here to receive an e-mail about where to download the record and … Trent Reznor Prevails With Profits and Fans – Trent Reznor, lead singer of Nine Inch Nails, has formed the foundation of a successful musician in a post-peer-to-peer world. Along with Radiohead, Reznor is the first musician to truly generate record profits and please a massive fan …

[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. I really prefer the chin up version the best, because it seems to give you the best leverage and works your arms more than pull ups. That being said, both chin ups and pull ups work very well. They are both wonderful exercises.

Don't Chin Ups and Lat Pull Downs Work the Same Muscles?

You would think so, since they visually look like your muscles are moving though the same range of motion. The biggest difference is that chin-ups are a "closed chain" exercise (your body is moving toward resistance) and lat pull downs are an "open chain" exercise (resistance is moving towards your body). The muscle recruitment patterns are extremely different for these two types of exercises. It has been show that closed chain exercises like chin ups will work the muscles harder than open chained exercises.

I Used To Avoid Chin Ups at All Costs

I'm 6'3" tall, so I'm not the ideal build for doing chin ups or pull ups. My range of motion is huge, so the first time I tried adding these I struggled big-time! My workout partner at the time was 5'8" tall and he could jump on a bar and do 10-12 reps and these reps looked easy for him. At the time I tried doing them I was into the bigger muscle look, so I also weighed closer to 225 (now I weigh 185-190). Anyway…I finally began doing chin ups every workout. Within 6 months, not only did my back look much more defined, so did my arms. The thing that surprised me the most was how much better my abs looked after doing chin ups for six months…in fact, most guys and girls I have run into who do a lot of chin ups have decent abs.

The Proper Way to Perform the Basic Chin Up

I really believe the best version is the basic underhand shoulder width or slightly narrower (I prefer a bit narrower) than shoulder width grip. Lean back a touch and inhale. Pull until your chin clears the bar and then go back down. Exhale as you descend back down. Go all the way to the bottom where your arms are fully extended and straightened.

Avoid Poor Form and the Use of Wrist Straps

When you perform a chin up, you don't want to kick your legs or engage the hip flexors (unless you are doing L-Chin Ups). The legs should stay in line with the torso. You can bend your legs at the knees, just make sure your body and thighs form a straight line. Throw away your wrist straps! Seriously…there is no place for them in a good workout. One of the great benefits of lifting is getting defined forearms and functional strength. I don't think you should train with any weights that you can't grip. Your grip will improve in time, so ditch the wrist straps.

What If You Are Too Weak to Perform Chin Ups?

I'm all for low reps, so I typically don't do any more than 5 reps. I get a great workout with 3-4 sets of 5 reps. I perform these in an extremely slow and controlled manner and squeeze the hell out of my arms, lats, and entire torso. If you have a tough time performing 5 reps, then a spotter can help you up by cupping his or her hands. You place your foot in one of their hands and get help on the way up by pushing off with your foot. An alternative is the special weight assisted machines that help with chins…you put your foot on a platform or bar that "lifts" you a bit to make the reps easier.

What If You Can Easily Do 5 Reps?

If you can do 5 reps of chin ups without even straining, then you have a few options. A friend of mine does them last in his back workout after he has completed 5-8 sets of rowing exercises. Normally 5 reps is easy for him, but his muscles are fatigued a bit by doing theses last, making chin ups tough. An alternative is to perform chins with a weighted belt (a lot of gyms have these). You basically put a belt around your waist that has a chain to add weights.

Tons of Ways to Add Variety to Chin Ups and Pull Ups

You can use an over hand grip, a parallel grip, one arm chin ups, wide grip chin ups, weighted chin ups, etc. I would recommend sticking with one version and getting the most of that version before moving on to a variation. Arthur Jones (inventor of Nautilus) believed the best grip was a medium parallel grip (palms facing each other). Supposedly, this gives your body the most leverage and puts your arms and back in the strongest position. Most gyms have this sort of chin up bar, so give this one a try.

Experiment With Reps, Tempo, Etc…

For me, 5 super slow reps really does the trick…that doesn't mean that 5 reps is the best for everyone. You don't necessarily have to go slow either. I just hopped on to Youtube and saw a bunch of great variations. Here is a guy who is doing the "L chin up" and is releasing the bar in between reps. The L chin up is a great one for the abs, since they have to remain flexed to a certain degree to hold the weight of your legs forward. Releasing the bar in between reps has to be amazing for building forearm density!

[This guy has a thick shirt on, but you can tell he is in tremendous shape]

In Case Regular Chin Ups Get Too Easy!

[Looks like I have some work to do!]

Spend Some Time Building "Functional Strength"!

Chin ups and pull ups are all about building functional strength. You can get really strong at "lat pull downs", but it doesn't translate into being strong at pulling your body weight. The reason the military puts so much emphasis on pull ups and chin ups is these exercises build functional "pulling muscles". Anything that involves gripping, pulling or climbing is greatly made easier by being strong at chin ups and pull ups. They greatly improve the appearance of your back, abs, and arms as well.

[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. A lot of people have great proportions but they can't lose that last bit of fat over certain muscles. The funny thing is that it is easy to focus on the negative, instead of being grateful for our strong points. Obviously it makes sense to work these muscle groups to improve them, just don't focus too hard on your weaker features.

There Isn't Always An Easy Fix For A Lagging Muscle Group

A friend of mine has large triceps, but flat biceps. He has worked his biceps hard for years and they have actually become his strongest body part. He lifts serious weight in strict curls and still has flat biceps. They have improved a little, but not in proportion to the amount of work he has put in. He just wasn't meant to have a "peaked" bicep muscle. The funny thing is that the rest of his body is ripped and nobody else even notices his flat biceps, because he is in amazing shape.

Don't Compare Your Weak Points With Someone's Strong Points

A trend I see in gyms is for young guys and girls to see someone with an amazing body part. Typically they are looking for people who are strong where they are struggling. An example of this would be a tall skinny kid who sees a stocky guy with big calves. He goes up to that guy and asks him the exercises he performs to get those great calves. Another example would be a naturally pear shaped woman going up to a "thong butt goddess" (forget where I got that term from) and asking what exercises she does to have such a lean and shapely butt.

People Are Quick To See Their Own Weaknesses

Here is the ironic thing about this. The guy with the big calves in the last example probably has a weak point that he focuses on. He might wish his upper chest was bigger, or that his shoulders were more defined. The woman with the amazing butt, may have big calves that she wants to slim down or soft triceps that she wants to firm up.

You Can't Really Change The Shape of a Muscle

You can slightly alter the shape of a muscle, but not dramatically. A muscle either contracts or relaxes. You can emphasize tension towards the beginning of a lift (preacher curls for example) or at the end of a lift (concentration curls), but that doesn't have as big of an effect as people often believe.

Getting Stronger In A Lift Doesn't Mean That Muscle Group Will Respond in Equal Proportion

Lets' say you wanted to get larger pecs. Just because your maximum lift for six reps on the bench goes from 225 to 275, doesn't necessarily mean you will experience the results you desire. Someone else may lift much less and also gain less strength and have bigger and more toned pecs than you have. I actually see this all the time. Now, if you did experience that type of strength gain something on your body will respond…that strength gain didn't come out of this air…but it could be bigger triceps, larger and more toned delts, or maybe your pecs just got more dense instead of growing (which is a great thing in my opinion). The point is this…your body is complex and doesn't always respond the way you think it should.

Emphasize Your Strong Points

Instead of obsessing over your weak body parts, you should be proud of your strong points. If a woman has great legs, she should wear short skirts (I'm a big fan). If she has a great butt, wear tight and form fitting jeans and pants (a bigger fan of that). A guy with great arms could wear short sleeve shirts on a regular basis. A guy with great shoulders could wear those sleeveless T-shirts in the summer. You get the point. Don't hide your best features…you are only young once, so flaunt it if you got it!

[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!

Training for Mass is Okay as Long as You Don't Go Overboard

I realize that there are many younger guys who want to put on some mass in a hurry. This is fine, but you will want to avoid two things. One…don't put on a bunch of fat in the process. Two…don't get caught in the trap that you need to get bigger and bigger. These are both big mistakes in my opinion. When you add a lot of fat to your body along with the muscle, you will quickly look less attractive to women. I'm not just talking about your body. Your face loses that angular handsome look when you put on body fat. Also…gaining muscle is kind of addicting…for some reason it is easy to get caught in the trap that you never feel big enough.

Gaining Your First 10-20 Pounds of Muscle is Easy

If you are a younger guy (17-22) who is just beginning to to train, you are going to quickly get results. What will happen is that you will put on 10 to 20 pounds of muscle your first year if you are trying to gain muscle mass. This obviously differs with each individual, but this first 10-20 pounds is the muscle your body was meant to have in my opinion. These days we live a sedentary lifestyle for the most part. This first surge of muscle growth is what you probably were meant to have if we were still "hunters and gatherers". This is not excessive muscle. Guys with bigger frames may even put on 20+ pounds of muscle quickly when they first workout. This is not excessive muscle either. A guy like The Rock is naturally going to be bigger than Brad Pitt, neither of them have excessive muscle…they have about the right amount for their body types.

After That Initial Surge of Muscle, Gains Slow Down Substantially

When it becomes excessively hard to gain muscle, this is when you should focus on strength and performance. After you gain that natural amount of muscle mass, from this point forward try to gain strength without getting bigger. This is what will refine those muscles and give you a really sharp look. You will want to focus more on cardio as well. As you become stronger over the years, you will display more and more muscle tone. I remember taking a trip to San Diego when I was younger and I saw a gentleman in the Coast Guard who had to be 50 years old. The guy was about 6 feet tall and probably no more than 180 pounds…to this day, he had the most visually impressive physique I have ever seen.

Training for Mass is Different Than Training for Strength

When you train for mass you do want to get stronger, but you have to focus on volume as well. Have you ever seen some of the lighter weight classes in an Olympic Lifting? These men and women concentrate on getting stronger without putting on mass. They do this by diet, but they also must keep their volume and reps low so they don't go up to a higher weight class. When you train for mass, you must train for volume and you have to keep your reps in the 6-12 range for the most part. So to train for mass, you want to get stronger and more proficient in the 6-12 reps range…stay away from the low reps. The lower reps are useful for tone and muscle density, once you have achieved the level of muscle mass you desire.

Eating for Muscle Mass…This is Where it Gets Tricky!

Don't get me wrong…it is really easy to eat a ton and gain muscle mass…the tricky part is gaining muscle without gaining too much body fat. I am not a big fan of eating six times per day, but it is a proven way to put on muscle mass. So lets talk calories…a general rule of thumb is 18 calories per pound if you want to gain muscle mass. If you weigh 180 pounds (82kg), you would be eating around 3,200 calories per day.

How Much Protein Per Day for Gaining Muscle Mass?

This is the most discussed subject in bodybuilding circles. Studies have shown that a "natural" athlete can only digest around 1 gram per pound of bodyweight per day. It is actually closer to .8 grams per pound, but 1 gram is easier to compute. So that same 180 pound athlete would need to eat 180 grams of protein per day to gain mass. This probably sounds low to a lot of people. Keep in mind that bodybuilding magazines get a huge amount of revenue from supplement sales in the form of protein powders, amino acid tablets, meal replacement powders, etc. I have no incentive to give you false information, I have researched this in depth and this really is a good place to start as far as protein goes.

How Many Calories and How Much Protein Per Meal?

Here is where eating strategically will pay off big time for you. A really basic way of eating would be to eat 6 meals of 30 grams of protein and 530 calories…I don't think this is the best way to go. I would recommend eating your largest meals in the morning and right after you workout. Your body has been in a fasted state all night, so it makes sense that you would be able to get away with more calories in the morning. You also have a window of opportunity right after you workout where you can utilize more protein and calories.

The One Hour Window of Opportunity After You Workout

For gaining muscle mass, this is your most important meal of the day by far. You want to eat or drink a quick absorbing protein source right after your workout. You actually want to eat some sort of High Glycemic carbohydrate as well. You basically want to get quick digesting nutrients into your body as quickly as possible after you workout. Your muscles will absorb a lot more nutrients than normal during this period of time. This will really help insure that your muscles recover quickly and help you during your upcoming workouts. Avoid any form of fat during this post-workout meal as it will slow down the absorption of the nutrients into your bloodstream. This is a great time for a big protein shake mixed with fruit juice. I used to mix vanilla protein powder with lime juice, non-fat milk and a few graham crackers. This was a recipe that made my protein shake taste like key lime pie…very tasty! It was an 800 calorie shake with 50-60 grams of protein. One more thing…you will want to eat a regular meal 1-2 hours after this as well.

Eat Less Protein and Calories During Other Meals

So you want to start your day off strong with a decent amount of calories and protein…and eat a large amount of quick digesting protein and carbs after your workout. You will need to reduce your calories you eat per meal during the day as the protein you eat. As far as carbs go, you want to eat fibrous and starchy carbs and healthy fats along with every meal to balance out your blood sugar. The only time you want to eat high GI carbs like simple sugars is right after you workout. If money is tight, you will do well with non-fat milk. I used to make chocolate milk with that cheap chocolate milk powder and non-fat milk…this sounds counterintuitive, but it is actually a good time to eat something along these lines right after your workout (if you are trying to put on mass). A better away to go is to get a high quality vanilla protein powder and mix it with fruit juice. Another good recipe…mix pineapple juice, ice, frozen strawberries, a bit of non-fat milk, and vanilla protein powder.

Keep Cardio to a Minimum During This Short Period of Time

Don't drop cardio out of your workout completely…but once or twice a week is probably fine. Also…don't do cardio and your lifting on the same day or in the same workout (this is a great way to burn body fat, but a bad approach to gain mass). When you want to gain mass, leave the gym quickly with the goal of getting that post workout quick absorbing meal or shake. Once you gain that muscle mass, then you will want to really focus hard on cardio.

Closing Comments on Gaining Muscle Mass Quickly

The ideal situation to putting on muscle mass quickly is to just do this in short 3-4 month "spurts". Workout for mass for 3-4 months and then make sure to get to lean (1-2 months) to see how much of that mass is actually muscle. You don't want to do too many months in a row of just gaining muscle, because your body fat levels can quickly get out of control. Also…it has been shown that lean people can put on lean muscle mass quicker than individuals with a higher body fat level (a subject for a future post). It is in your best interest to take an approach where you alternate getting lean, with putting on mass…because of these two factors.

Note: This isn't a bodybuilding site, so I recommend other sources if you want to get big. Also…the majority of this site is dedicated to getting lean, therefore the majority of my advice is MUCH different than is what is outlined in this post.

(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. A study at University of Connecticut called "Dietary Protein Intake and Renal Function" , shows that there isn't any concern for people with healthy kidneys. This paper references recent studies of high-protein diets for both weight loss and athletes, which have found no negative impact on kidney function. There is no evidence that supports the idea that high protein intake is a cause of kidney damage or dysfunction.

Excessive Protein Intake is Only Bad for People With Pre-Existing Kidney Problems

The paper states this…"Although excessive protein intake remains a health concern in individuals with pre-existing renal disease, the literature lacks a significant research demonstrating a link between protein intake and the initiation or progression of renal disease in healthy individuals." So if you have healthy kidneys, high protein diets won't be a problem for you health-wise.

High Protein and Low Carbs Are a Great Combination for Bad Breath!

If you eat a well balanced diet with both carbs and protein, then this won't apply to you…but if you eat high protein while keeping the carbs extremely low, then some nasty things do happen. First of all, you are very likely to have bad breath…really bad from what I understand. One study I read explained it very well…"When fatty acids are the primary source of energy and carbohydrate is severely restricted, part of the fat particle cannot be metabolized and builds up in the fluids outside the cells. These particles are converted to ketones (an “emergency” energy source), and unused ketones are excreted in the urine and expired air, resulting in acetone-smelling breath." Due to the lack of fiber found in carbs, this type of dieting causes constipation as well!

So Really No Worries if You Eat a Decent Amount of Protein in Your Diet

Even though I recommend a more moderate amount of protein if you want to stay slim…it is nice to know that on days when you splurge, you are not hurting your kidneys. Bodybuilders who read this can feel a little better about their diet, knowing that it isn't harmful to their kidneys (if they reach this page in my blog…bodybuilders can't stand my site for the most part…LOL).

One Request…Please Make Sure You Eat Some Carbs With Your Protein! You Don't Want Some "Funky Smelling" Camel Breath!

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…

———-Start———-
From MAGNATE

Ok, you want a serious reply?

I'll do my best to articulate why I label myself as a bodybuilder and feel this site is a joke. Hope this is okay with you, if not take it down again.

I go in the gym 4-5 days a week usually, I lift heavy some weeks, lighter other weeks (i cycle these phases to allow for CNS recuperation). I do this not to get a body that women find "attractive", that is merely a side affect. My goal is to be a size that, I admit, most women probably will not find that pleasing, I don't care. My motivation has never been getting checked out, although once again – it is a nice side affect. I do this for myself, not to please anyone else but myself. I started at 119lbs 5'8" tall, skinny, barely eating, by all accounts a twig. I am now 183lbs 5'8.5" tall (roughly), and still around 8% BF.

I feel better, I am stronger, I know I look better, I am happier and healthier for this. Your blog however, perpetuates an idea that all bodybuilders are "meatheads" to borrow your own term, in there to impress other people. We are not all there for that, but some undeniably are. Those people are not unique to bodybuilders however, you are indeed one of those people there to impress people (as evident by your many articles here), you just have a different idea of what is impressive. Please do not exempt yourself from this category of meatheads just in the gym to look better for the girls, you are clearly a part of that crowd, just smaller.

On to another point you like to repeat here. Girl's find excess muscle to be a turnoff. I've yet to reach a size that makes this so, I have no doubt if I am walking around like Marcus Ruhl in contest shape, however that it will become true. You have many articles about how certain exercises build an ugly physique. Deadlifts help build a nice thick back, Bench press build strong shoulders and arms, squats nice legs and ass. Where is the ugly physique in there? If I was only doing those 3 exercises, than yes I would quickly become disproportionate, but why do you assume that is the case? The bench press overdevelops the lower chest? No, it hits the lower chest more than the upper of course, but the only way to cause an imbalance between the two is if I were to neglect incline chest work, which I don't.

You seem to operate off the assumption that everyone here is ignorant and has no experience. Half your articles make outrageous claims with no substantiation behind them. On any site where people had real time under the bar, you'd be shouted down every time you wrote something like this article. Intensity breeds progress, and judging by your self proclaimed 19 years of training, you need more intensity.

I have passed your development in a mere 2 years? Why is that so? If you are happy with where you are, great. I certainly don't expect everyone to share my goals, but I do expect you to keep your opinions regarding my goals to yourself unless I (or anyone else) asks you specifically about those goals. If I came on your site asking if I should still bulk at 190lbs, then comment away. As that is not the case, shut your mouth and keep your training dogma to yourself, it's offensive to those of us that, heaven forbid, do grunt in sets sometimes. We don't do it because we are trying to impress (to reiterate), or trying to get attention.

If I'm grunting in the gym, it is because there is a heavy object that needs moving, and yes, grunting can help. Get under a 400lb bar and try to do a full Squat without grunting. Pick up 500lbs off the floor without a grunt. I don't purposely censor myself at risk of offending someone in the gym, if I am disturbing you with my grunts, approach me and tell me so, I will do my best to not disturb you anymore , but do not make any assumption as to why I am grunting.

Truth be told, when I am in the gym, I don't want your attention, I don't want you or anyone else's eyes on me in the gym, except a spotter if need be. Your attention is meaningless to me, I don't go around flexing to get people to stare, I know of nobody who takes up multiple machines unless they are running a superset, and maybe I like my damn 80s clothes (kidding, I lift in jeans and a t shirt usually).

Keep to yourself.
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Magnate…It is good to see a bodybuilder's point of view.

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).

Avoid Developing These Muscle Groups for An Attractive Body

Traps: These are the muscles at the base of your neck that extend out to your shoulders. If your traps get overdeveloped, it takes away from the look of wide shoulders. Worse than that, you may look like you don't have a neck anymore! The main lift that develops these muscles are shrugs. I would recommend dropping all shrug movements from your routine.

Obliques: These are the muscles that are on the side of your waist. No need to gain muscle here! If you do then you will have a wide looking waist like professional wrestlers have. The exercise that works these directly is side bends to one side with a dumbbell in the opposite hand. Don't do this lift at all!

Lower Pecs: To have a nice looking chest, you want even muscle mass from the collar bone all the way down to the lower part of your pecs. The problem is that you lower pecs almost always have more mass than the upper chest. I would recommend concentrating hard on exercises that work the upper chest and dropping exercises that work the lower chest. Declines and flat bench work the lower chest hard…I would recommend focusing on incline presses for the most part with the occasional flat bench thrown in. No need to EVER do decline presses.

Butt: I wouldn't recommend working your butt directly with any sort of weight lifting. I know this isn't a popular opinion, but tough cardio will make your butt look much nicer than resistance exercise. Run stairs, run hard on the Elliptical Trainer, etc…but don't try to add muscle to your butt! What is this world coming to?

Legs: I'm not a big fan of adding excess muscle to the legs either. Again, you want nice looking toned legs…then hit cardio hard! Another benefit of cardio is that you will not only get toned legs…you will get toned all over. I haven't done a leg lift in years and my legs are ripped from cardio.

So Gain Muscle in the Right Places if You Want an Attractive Body!