Training for the pump has been the holy grail of bodybuilding ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke about it in the documentary "Pumping Iron". Achieving the pump while working out is a great indicator that your body is in the right condition for muscular growth. The big reason that bodybuilders can display much more mass than someone who lifts exclusively for strength is because bodybuilders train for the pump. I'll talk about what causes the pump in a second, but first let's look at a picture of a pretty girl in a field of flowers.

[You didn't think I was going to show an oiled up bodybuilder did you? Call me crazy, but I think pretty girls are better motivation!]

Okay…Back to "The Pump"

The simplest explanation of the pump is that more blood is forced into the working muscles causing the muscles to swell a bit. [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Have I gone mad, or have I stumbled across an advanced way to gain strength? Well first let me give credit to where credit is due. This is a method that was introduced by a Soviet "Special Forces" Instructor named Pavel Tsatsouline. He speaks about it briefly in "Power to the People", but it is easy to miss so I want to expand upon this method a bit…as well as give you my unique perspective.

[Tanya's favorite lift is "12 ounce curls". Don't do this exercise too often, if you want to get lean!]

Muscle Size and Muscle Strength Are Not Always Directly Related

I used to think there was a direct correlation between muscle size and muscle strength…believing that the if gained strength in a muscle the bigger that muscle would get. If you think that this is the case you are mistaken! [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

"Time under tension" is the amount of time your muscles are working during a specific set. Simply put, a set of 5 reps that takes 60 seconds to complete has a time under tension (TUT) of 60 seconds. If you did that exact same set in under 30 seconds, it would have a different TUT and it would effect your muscles differently.

Why Does Tension Matter When it Comes To Lifting?

So if you have been a reader for any period of time to my blog, you realize that I follow Pavel Tsatsouline's (former Soviet Special Forces Instructor) school of thought on muscle tone. Mainly that muscle tone is a function of "residual tension in a relaxed muscle". The way to increase muscle tone is to subject your muscles to high tension workouts. I recommend lower reps with a heavier weight to create this higher tension. [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Anybody over the age of 35 years old probably has a strong memory of The Cold War. In case you are too young…basically The Cold War was the period of time from the end of World War II to late 1991. It began with the USSR influencing other countries to form communist ideologies after World War II ended and the US and great Britain opposed this. The last part of The Cold War (the part I remember), was the fear of an impending nuclear war between the USSR and the United States. There are tons of parts I'm missing…I didn't want to give a full history lesson…LOL!

[A Closeup Picture of the Former Soviet Union Army Badge]

The USSR Dominated the Olympics For Years

One strong memory I had growing up in the 70's and 80's was just how amazing the athletes of the USSR were. The USSR competed in a total of 9 summer Olympics and were 1st for medal count in 7 of these. They also had the same results for the winter Olympics…1st place in medal count 7 out of 9 times. In 1992, twelve of the fifteen former Soviet Republics competed together as the Unified Team in the Barcelona Games, where they finished first in the medal rankings. [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Well water retention isn't exactly the enemy of muscle tone, but it will tend to cover it up a bit. If you are pretty lean and only have a "4 pack" showing instead of a "6 pack" it is possible that you are a victim of water retention. A word of warning before we discuss this in more detail…don't use the excuse that you are "holding water" when you still have plenty of fat to burn. Water retention typically only matters once you get somewhat lean.

[Meghan Does a Unique Exercise Called "Tight Jean Crunches"]

So What Causes Water Retention?

Well without going into too much detail, your body stores water (just like your body stores fat). Obviously it is important to have water in your body, just like it is important to have fat…basic stuff. [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

When I was young, I was always kind of worried about getting old. I looked around and I never saw anyone over 30 that was in good shape. I was told that "father time" would eventually catch up with me and I would be overweight…all my other relatives put on weight like crazy once they reached their 30th birthday.

I Chose a Better Path…You Can To!

I'm now closing in on reaching the age of 40 and I'm displaying more muscle tone than ever. What is crazy is that [ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

I recommend a unique approach to gaining muscle tone. I believe that the key to toning your muscles is to actually lift heavy for low reps, for at least part of your workout. So if you were to ask me what the best triceps exercises are to build muscle tone, it would be exercises that allow people to use heavy weight.

Here is a List of What I Consider to Be the Best Triceps Exercises
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]