DO YOU WANT TO GET AWESOME TRICEPS?

POWER TRICEPS. If you want 'em BIG, make 'em STRONG!




Looking strong is never enough. I always want to be strong as well. Working out with powerlifters years ago, it was crucial that I be able to press bar-bending weights, so I made sure my triceps were never a weak link in chest or shoulder presses. Even today, when my focus is more on triceps detail than size, I continue to specifically train tris for pressing power.

CHANGE OF FOCUS 

I'm injury-prone. You'd think I would've figured this out with as many strains and sprains as I've accumulated through the years. Just a few months ago, though, coming off a serious shoulder injury, I rushed a workout and strained my right elbow. As always, I've continued to train heavy and to failure, but ever since the sprain, I've had to alter the focus of my workouts toward more pushdowns and away from barbell and dumbbell extensions.

My triceps workouts were in the process of changing anyway. Dead cold, my arms are almost 23", so, not to sound cocky, but my arms don't really need to be much bigger. However, I'm always looking to get better, and better means more detail at this point. A diversity of triceps pushdowns lets me squeeze hard at contraction and focus on specific areas of my upper arms to really etch in the separation. Barbell and dumbbell extensions are good for mass, but they don't provide the same pressure at contraction as the lifts in my current routine.




CURRENT ROUTINE 

I start with one-arm pushdowns with an overhand grip. The first set is for high reps (18-20). I push this set to failure, so it's not strictly a warm-up. However, the high reps get the blood pumping into my upper arms. I follow this with three sets in the 10-12 range. Again, these are somewhat higher reps than what I do for other exercises. I just want to make sure the muscles and tendons are OK before I start going really heavy.

Next come regular pushdowns with a V handle, which focus on the outside heads of my triceps. I bend over a little bit and keep my elbows near my sides, and I don't let the bar go up very high. If I was actually standing straight, I don't think my forearms would come up any more than exactly parallel to the floor. Most of my focus is on the lockout. In fact, I lock out so fully that I turn my wrists slightly outward at the bottom. I accomplish this by holding the handle with a monkey grip (thumbs over). Then, at the end, my wrists can rotate to put more pressure on the triceps at contraction. It's a minor motion, but you can certainly feel it. I follow three sets of these with three sets of reverse-grip pushdowns (palms facing up) with a straight bar, which I feel more in the inside heads of my triceps.

Next, I superset rope pushdowns with dips on a dip machine. A lot of trainers bring the ropes apart at the contraction, but I keep them together throughout, so my palms are always facing each other. In this way, I keep the pressure on the long head of each triceps. When you bring the ropes apart, you switch the pressure from your long heads to your outer heads.

Dip-machine dips also hit the long heads. Rather than using a regular grip, I hold the handles on the very end with just my palms pressing down, so my fingers aren't actually grabbing ahold. It just feels more natural that way. I lock out at the end, but I don't go as far as I would if I were doing dips for my chest. As soon as I feel my pecs stretch, there's no point in going any further. (Those of you without access to a dip machine can approximate this movement by doing dips between two benches, with your hands on a flat bench behind you, your feet resting on a flat bench in front of you and weight plates on your thighs, if necessary.)

Finally, I finish off my workout with the best tri power exercise: close-grip bench presses. I do these either with a barbell or on a Smith machine, and I pyramid three sets, typically doing 12, eight and then five reps. Due to my elbow injury, I stop a tiny bit short of lockout, which also keeps continuous tension on my tris. I also sometimes get a forced rep or two at the end of the
final set.

VOLUME AND INTENSITY 

As you may have noticed, I do a lot of sets for triceps. Counting both exercises in the supersets separately, I do 19 sets, and the workout typically takes an hour and 15 minutes to complete. Like most people, in my early training years, I did nine or 10 sets for tris. However, at some point, I realised the muscles weren't getting taxed enough with that volume, so I started increasing the workload. Soon my sets got into the 12-15 range, and my triceps starting growing a lot more. It's not like they were weak before, but I was able to take a good bodypart and make it what some people call my best.

I may do a lot of sets for my triceps, but that doesn't mean I train less intensely. I always train hardcore and heavy. Virtually every set is pushed to failure. 

Furthermore, in addition to the Weider Supersets Training Principle, I also use the Weider Forced Reps Training Principle and the Weider Descending Sets Training Principle to push my sets beyond failure.

I like doing descending sets with cables, because I only have to move a pin up a stack. When I can't do any more reps with the original weight, I reduce the weight by approximately 20% and pump out a few extra reps until I again reach failure. I usually do these only for the last set of two-arm pushdowns. When I'm doing one-arm pushdowns, I give myself a forced rep with the other hand to help squeeze out an extra rep. My form is always strict. I don't have a choice on that. 

When you've got injuries, you can't take a chance on yanking things around. 

Lately I've been training with Bob Cicherillo, who helps with forced reps, but most of the time I train alone, so descending sets are the easiest and safest way to push my sets beyond failure.




PURE POWER 

The three most important exercises for triceps mass and power are close-grip bench presses, dips and lying triceps extensions. To really build power, try this routine (see "Triceps Power Routine" sidebar). Due to my elbow injury and my greater focus in recent years on upper-arm details, I no longer do free-weight extensions, but they're crucial for a strength foundation in your triceps. Keep the reps low for all three exercises. You can pyramid sets of close-grip bench presses down to as few as four reps, as long as you always warm up properly. Do two warm-up sets of 12-15 reps before beginning.

I'm one of the few professionals who performs close-grip benches. In fact, it's rare to see anyone but me do them at Gold's Gym in Venice, USA. They're not trendy or fun. They're hard work, and that's why I love them. I've always done close-grip benches because I not only want my triceps to be strong, but I want them to be strong in pressing movements as well as in isolation lifts. When you're trying to be a great bench-presser, remember that using a lot of weight for pushdowns doesn't necessarily translate to the bench press.

There's almost an art to focusing just on your tris when doing close-grip bench presses or dips. You need to concentrate on the hinge movement at your elbows. 

Forget about your chest and front delts. The flip side is also true. Once you learn to isolate your triceps, you can call on them during a compound movement to help you eke out a few extra reps of chest or shoulder presses.

FINALLY I've never done anything too fancy for triceps. You only need to do subtle variations on the tried-and-true lifts to throw the stress to various areas of your tris. 

Build a foundation of power and mass, but make sure you always adhere to strict form. The triceps are a key muscle - for a bodybuilding stage as well as for overall upper-body power. Train them properly and not only will you look strong, but you'll be strong as well.




STRICT FORM

The most important thing in bodybuilding is to learn how to perform the lifts with strict form. This is especially important for pushdowns. I see people in the gym all the time doing pushdowns with their hands coming way up, and they're virtually throwing the bar down. They make pushdowns an aerobic exercise, training many muscles but never fully taxing their tris. This is actually natural. Your mind and body's first inclination is to get muscles to work together to maximise strength. 

That's why you really have to concentrate to make a lift isolate a specific muscle. With pushdowns, make sure the only things moving are your forearms via the hinge joint at your elbows. Leave the aerobics for the treadmill and the bike. 




By Tom Prince 1997 NPC National Overall Champion

The Key Mass-Building Move (Not What You Think)

I was having an e-mail conversation with Mr. America Doug Brignole, which will be part of an exclusive interview in the March ’12 IRON MAN, and I asked him which are his favorite exercises for building mass. 




He’s put on quite a bit of size lately, so I was wondering if he’d made any “discoveries.”

His answer stunned me, even though it’s something related to an animal study on hypertrophy I often quote and directly related to my Positions-of-Flexion mass-building protocol (more on that in a moment)…

“[The best mass-building exercises] are the ones that have a resistance curve whereby the resistance increases as the muscle elongates and diminishes as it contracts–for example, standing cable laterals.”

Whoa! Ask most people what the best size-building move is for the medial-delt head, and you get “presses.” But I know for a fact Doug is not an overhead-press fan. That’s another story. The point here is that his best choice for shoulder size is a STRETCH-position exercise.




Doug said, “A standing cable lateral raise–with the pulley about hip high–provides resistance right from the beginning of the movement [where the medial head is somewhat stretched], and it diminishes as the arm is raised to parallel to the ground.”

That’s the complete opposite resistance curve of a standing dumbbell lateral raise, an inferior delt exercise, according to Doug. There is zero resistance at the start–the most important point–and it gradually increases to where it’s impossible to hold in the contracted position. There should be max resistance at the bottom with much less at the top.

So why is the stretch point so important for stimulating muscle-mass increases? Here’s the scientific explanation from top strength and hypertrophy researchers Steven Fleck, Ph.D., and William Kraemer, Ph.D.:

“At the optimal length [of the muscle fiber] there is potential for maximal cross-bridge interaction and thus maximal force….. With excessive shortening there is an overlap of actin filaments so that the actin filaments interfere with each other’s ability to contract the myosin cross-bridges. Less cross-bridge contact with the active sites on the actin results in a smaller potential to develop tension.”




In case your eyes glazed over while reading all the science lingo, what they are saying is that at the peak-contracted position, like the top of a dumbbell lateral raise, the fibers are very bunched up, so much so that they can’t produce as much tension as when the muscle is in a more lengthened, or stretched, state.

There’s definitely something very special about stretch-position exercises when it comes to triggering mass–semi-stiff-legged deadlifts for hamstrings, overhead extensions for triceps, flyes for pecs, incline curls for biceps and so on. I use those as the second move in standard Positions-of-Flexion mass-building protocol, but maybe they should be first.

I’ve been more intrigued with stretch-position moves since I saw the bird study by Antonio and Gonyea (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 25:1333-45; 1993). They produced a 334 percent increase in mass gain in the “lat” with one month of STRETCH-ONLY “workouts.” They progressively overloaded the bird’s wing at elongation, and according to Antonio, “produced the greatest gains in muscle mass ever recorded in an animal or human model of tension-induced overload.”

With Doug’s comments and revisiting all of the above, I’m going to experiment again with putting the stretch-position exercise first in my bodypart routines. I say “again” because we tried that years ago. In fact, it worked so well we created a video titled “Hypercontraction Training.” Lots of trainees reported excellent mass gains–but it fell out of favor. Why? Because strength was sluggish on the big midrange exercises, which were performed after a few sets of a stretch-position exercise. We thought because strength wasn’t increasing, it wasn’t working well. Wrong…

Now we know that there is not a major correlation with getting a muscle stronger to get it bigger. And maybe, just maybe, stretch overload is the key get-bigger trigger.

I’ll have more in a future blog. Till then, stay Built for Life.




By Steve Holman - Iron Man

Steve has been training for 35 years, since he was 15, and has been IRON MAN Magazine’s Editor in Chief for more than 20 years. He has written more than 20 books on bodybuilding, weight training and nutrition, and his popular “Train, Eat, Grow” series, which he writes with his training partner Jonathan Lawson, appears monthly in IRON MAN magazine. Steve has also interviewed many legendary bodybuilding figures including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cory Everson, Tom Platz, Lee Labrada and Boyer Coe. 

THE BAG OF MUSCLE TRICKS FOR FITNESS & BODYBUILDING

If you've hit a lifting plateau, you know how difficult it can be getting over the top and continuing the climb for more muscle gains. 




That's why somebody asked me to open the vault and pull out my heaviest hitters: 10 training techniques designed to ensure you won't fail again in the pursuit for more muscle.

Here's what to do: Incorporate any of the following techniques into your workout regimen with virtually any exercise you perform -- but only for four weeks at a time. Since each is so effective, you'll be tempted to stick with the first one you try. Don't. Instead, trade one method for another every four weeks. This will help prevent plateaus and take your size and strength levels to an all-time high. The added bonus: You'll never get bored.

Whether you're stuck in a long-time lifting rut or you simply want to add another weapon to your workout arsenal, these methods will help you make the fastest gains ever, in the quickest time possible.


1. The 5% Method

How to do it: Choose the heaviest weight you can lift eight times (your eight-rep max) and do four sets of seven repetitions, resting three minutes between each set. Do the same for your next two workouts (do one workout every five days), but increase the weight by 5% each session and decrease the reps by one. In your fourth workout, do seven-repetition sets again, but use the weight you used in your second workout. You'll be 5% stronger than when you started. Here's an example:

Workout 1: Do four sets of 7 reps with 100 pounds.
Workout 2: Do four sets of 6 reps with 105 pounds.
Workout 3: Do four sets of 5 reps with 110 pounds.
Workout 4: Do four sets of 7 reps with 105 pounds.

Why it works: By always increasing your weights or the reps, you'll improve a little each workout for a dramatic cumulative effect.


2. Diminished-Rest Interval Training

How to do it: Time the rest you take between sets in your current workout. In each subsequent session, try to perform the same total number of sets and reps, but reduce your rest periods by five to 10 seconds each time.

Why it works: This forces your muscles to recover faster between sets, which stimulates growth.




3. The Patient-Lifter's Method

How to do it: Find your two-rep max and do six sets of two repetitions, resting two minutes between each set. In your next workout, try to perform six sets of four. You may be able to get only three sets of three, or three sets of two, but keep repeating this workout until you can perform four repetitions for all six sets. When you do, your two-repetition maximum will now be your four-repetition maximum, so you'll be able to lift more at any repetition range.

Why it works: Most guys hit a plateau because they train with the same weights and reps for too long. This method shocks the body to trigger fast results.


4. Back-Off Sets

How to do it: After performing 2-4 sets with your six-rep max, perform a higher-repetition set with lighter weights, known as a back-off set. Drop the weight by 40% and do as many reps as possible, performing them as quickly as you can. For example, say your first and second sets were six reps with 100 pounds. Do set No. 3 with 60 pounds for as many reps as possible. (You'll be able to complete more repetitions than you'd usually get with 60 pounds.)

Why it works: The nerves that stimulate your muscles are already "excited" from your heavy sets, so they're psyched up to do more work than usual. Doing the back-off set forces your muscles to work harder than normal, sparking muscle growth.


5. Partials

How to do it: Choose a weight that's about 10% to 20% greater than your six-rep max. But instead of doing a full repetition, lower the weight about one-fourth of the way down before lifting it back to the starting position. Do 3-4 sets of 4-6 repetitions, resting three minutes between each set. (Use a spotter.) Follow that up with 1-2 regular sets of 4-6 repetitions using a weight that's a little heavier than the amount you could normally lift for 4-6 reps.

Why it works: It preps your body for heavier weight because it allows you to overload the part of the lift where you're strongest, without being limited by the portion of the movement where you're weakest.

6. Waveloading

How to do it: Find your five-rep max and follow these guidelines:
Do four repetitions.
Rest for three minutes.
Increase the weight by 5% and do three reps.
Rest for three minutes.
Increase the weight by 5% and do two reps.
Rest for three minutes.
Repeat the process, but start with a weight that's about 5% heavier than the one used in your first set.

Why it works: In the second set, your muscles' nerves are highly activated from the heavy load of the first set. This allows them to recruit more muscle fibers than usual, allowing you to lift even heavier weights.


7. Cluster Repetitions

How to do it: Choose a weight you can lift at most 2-3 times (about 80% of your one-rep max). Then perform 10 sets of one repetition, resting 30 seconds between each set.

Why it works: It allows you to perform 10 repetitions with a weight you can usually lift only two times. So it works more total muscle fibers than is typically possible. Combine this with Diminished-Rest Interval Training for maximum muscle-building effect.




8. 6-1 Principle

How to do it: Take your seven-rep max and do six repetitions. Then rest for 3-5 minutes. Then increase the weight until it's about 90% of your one-rep max. Do one repetition and rest 3-5 minutes. Repeat the procedure, but this time do six reps with a weight that's about 2% to 3% heavier than your six-rep max. For your one-rep set, choose a weight that's about 2% to 3% heavier than your max. (Congratu-lations, you set a new personal record.)

Why it works: In the one-repetition set, your muscles are expecting to do six repetitions, so it doesn't seem as hard. In the six-repetition set, your muscles are expecting a heavier load, which makes the weight seem lighter. The end result is a plateau-busting effort.


9. Inverted Sets and Reps

How to do it: Use this scheme if you've been doing three sets of 10 reps or a similar workout. Take your current set and rep scheme and flip it, so the number of sets you're doing becomes the number of repetitions, and vice versa. Instead of doing three sets of 10 reps, you'll do 10 sets of three reps. Since you're stopping at three reps instead of 10, you need to rest only about 20-30 seconds between sets.

Why it works: Inverting your workout allows you to do the same number of total repetitions but increases the average amount of force your muscles apply to the weight.




10. Half-Volume

How to do it: Cut in half the number of sets you normally do.

Why it works: If none of the other muscle tricks work for you, your muscles are probably overtrained. By reducing the demand on them, you'll allow them to recover. Another option: Take a week off.





 By Alwyn Cosgrove - M&F

10 Motivational Tips To Enhance Your Energy!

Training has been sub-par with my hectic schedule and anytime I gain momentum I would have to disrupt my own routine due to schedule conflicts. 



Here are 10 useful tips for improved energy through motivation.

 Last week, I was at a convention with old friends who were in the field of fitness and athletics. The past few months my training has been sub-par with my hectic schedule. Anytime I gain momentum exercising I would have to disrupt the consistency of my own routine due to the scheduling of people I train.

In this profession we are so busy helping others that we tend to forget about taking care of our own health. It's all about balance and this is something I've tackled a little better over the years since it can be a challenge if you don't make it a priority. Just seeing the condition of my colleagues has always put a reminder that you should also be on top of your game. I always thrive on a friendly competition and I look forward to seeing them once or twice a year to keep me on my toes.

Personally, this is the only thing that really keeps my energy levels up when I think about it because for me it is motivational to be in top conditioning when interacting with others in the same industry. Now that I've given you an example what keeps me motivated. Let me discuss 10 ways you can enhance your energy; it has given me dramatic changes as well.


1. Know The Diffence Between Knowing And Doing

    The majority of us know what we must do to achieve our dreams but we sometimes don't move forward with the endless excuses or reasons. Our excuses range from being busy, we don't have the money to continue, we don't have the patience, and we don't have the talent or skills, and so on.

    In actual fact, with all these excuses we've probably burnt out a good portion of our energy just thinking of those excuses. Put away those excuses and write down what you'll be doing to achieve that goal. 

     Write down that message that motivates you. Carry it with you so you can look at the message and take heart in the knowledge. Leave these notes in key places such as your house, your car, or a locker before you step into the gym. When you begin to slip into the "excuses mode", pull out that message so you can be back on track! 


2. Get A Picture Of A Physique You Hate

    What I personally like to do is display photos or pictures of you that you hate or imagine you would look like if you stopped exercising. Grab a picture of yourself that you hate the most and carry it around with you, such as your wallet or somewhere you can access it. 




3. Download Audio Clips

    I'll sometimes download audio clips and listen to them while I am training. Some of my clips would come from the movie "300". A quote I enjoy very much is from King Leonidas declaring "Madness... This is Sparta", or "Spartans tonight we dine in h*ll".

    You can also listen to clips of someone yelling at you for being lazy. The movie "Full Metal Jacket" comes to my mind when Sergeant Hartman is blasting down your throat to get back into the gym. What a great motivator boosting your energy levels.


4. Eat The Right Foods For Recovery & Energy

    An important aspect is your diet which can develop or increase your endurance. By knowing you are eating the correct foods to help stimulate your body's recovery and energy levels gives you an edge and greater confidence in yourself.


5. Get A Visual Aid

    Visual aids can be another motivator for some people if you need an additional push to head to the gym. For the single people like me, it's always good to have a sexy picture of a girl or guy motivating you to work hard in achieving that good body you want. Heck, don't you want to look good at the beach and impress the opposite sex?! 

6. Use Aromatherapy

    Using aromatherapy promotes your health, well being, and vitality by the use of plant essences. These natural plant essences are also known as essential oils and have been used by man for their therapeutic benefits in cosmetics, perfumes, medicines, and massage oils.

    The oils deliver a source of energy that includes physical and spiritual affects. The physical side effects are contributed by components of essential oils (the chemistry, biophysics, etc): antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral, to name just a few. 

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils, and other aromatic compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person's mood or health.

    On the spiritual side of things - energy is present in all organic life. It flows through us all; it is also known as Qi, Chi (Chinese), or Prana (Sanskrit) - the life-force that emanates from all living things. You can use essential oils in everyday life through inhalation or oils for a relaxing massage. You can also use essential oils because it harmonically affects your physical, emotional, or spiritual level and thereby increases your energy. 


7. Get Enough Sleep

    This next point isn't anything new and we just sometimes forget to take care of our body. Resting your body allows you to recuperate and workout effectively for your next routine. Getting adequate sleep in conjunction with a nutritious diet will provide a foundation of energy and productivity. 


8. Write Down Your Progress

    Having a log book or diary can help you stay motivated by seeing if you've progressed from your previous numbers a few weeks ago. Concentrate on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. Concentrate on your potentials. By building on the positive things it will translate to your inner confidence. 




9. Don't Forget To Breathe

    A person's performance can dramatically increase if you were to understand proper breathing. Our breathing mechanism has changed over the years due to stress in our life. This change has increased the amount of tension in our body.

    When we are born we naturally breathe through our diaphragm which is also called fetal breathing or natural breathing. The natural way of breathing is when you inhale and your stomach inflates and as you exhale your stomach deflates. We build the amount of stress in our life by the time we become an adult - this creates tension which also goes into our mind & thoughts and carries over to our face, neck, and shoulders. 

Over time, we carry so much tension that it eventually effects our breathing mechanism. We then breathe shallow breaths and use only 1/3 of our diaphragm (also known as upper breathing) due to this. We need to relax the upper body and letting it sink or flow downwards to our body.

This is specifically important to any form of exercising or heavy lifting. The diaphragm is the most important muscle for lifting and the strongest as well. The diaphragm works as a pump, up into the lungs and to the remainder of the body.

Learning to fill the lungs from the bottom is important for your training. Let me explain how you should breathe properly. By simply relaxing your shoulders at a sitting or standing position with shoulder width apart. Place fingers tips into the soft part of your abdomen and be relaxed. 

     When inhaling, the muscles of your diaphragm push out and as you exhale your fingers go back in. So as you inhale you will inflate and exhaling you will deflate.

    Proper breathing plays an important part in protecting your spine when you lift. It compresses your surrounding core area and contracts when you lift weight. By keeping it stable the contraction is generated throughout your body. Try lifting heavy without a belt and you truly know you've mastered your breathing. 




10. Involve Your Mind, Body & Spirit

    To get maximum results, people need to involve their mind, body, and spirit. Qi Gong and Yoga is an ancient system that has been around for centuries.

    Qi Gong will help re-boost your energy levels helping you feel recharged. It can be practiced once or twice daily and will prepare you for your exercising. It will also assist those recent or old nagging injuries that will eventually be gone. Simply practicing Qi Gong will help promote the blood flow (Qi) within your body. 

Qi Gong

Qigong refers to a wide variety of traditional cultivation practices that involve movement and/or regulated breathing designed to be therapeutic. Qigong is practiced for health maintenance purposes, as a therapeutic intervention, as a medical profession, a spiritual path and/or component of Chinese martial arts.

    Anyone has the capability of becoming a healer to oneself or to others. Knowing you have this type of energy gives you a new profound confidence and allos you to do things more confidently. Drop me a line and I'll be glad to explain further how you can build Qi within your body! 



Conclusion


Alright, I have to confess to everyone, being competitive isn't the only thing that motivates me. It's time for me to do that late night work out and I need an additional boost of energy. Ok, there are just too many selections and I just don't know which one to choose? Since it is a Wednesday I'll choose that nice picture of Jessica Alba from the Fantastic Four. Tomorrow... Scarlett Johansson! 



 By: Richard Chan - BodyBuilding.com

These easy fiber fixes fight hunger and promote health

Along with providing myriad health benefits, dietary fiber can help you control hunger and lose weight



On top of scrambling a dozen egg whites, grilling four chicken breasts, opening three cans of tuna and scheduling your pre- and post-workout supplements and shakes, fiber might be the furthest thing from your mind. But it could also be just the weight-loss edge you need. Along with providing myriad health benefits, dietary fiber can help you control hunger and lose weight.

How does fiber help? "First is the chew factor," notes Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director of sports-medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Foods that have fiber take longer to eat.

"Second, foods that have fiber take a little longer to empty from the digestive tract, so you feel fuller longer," adds Bonci, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and author of the ADA's Guide to Better Digestion (2003).

"Third, foods that have soluble fiber, such as oatmeal and mature beans, help stabilize blood sugar over the day, so you don't feel as hungry," she explains.

Seems like you'd be foolish not to have fiber if you're trying to control your weight. Since fiber also helps prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other maladies, you should be screaming for fiber by now. But if you think getting more fiber means forcing down bowl after bowl of lettuce and prunes, you'll probably just be screaming. Relax -- Bonci has several painless ways for you to increase your dietary fiber.




Cereal

"High-fiber cereals like All-Bran, Kashi and Raisin Bran have a lot of fiber for a small serving size. In addition to eating these cereals with milk, you can sprinkle some on top of oatmeal or yogurt, or add it to a smoothie."

Fiber counts: Raisin Bran, 1 cup, 7.7 grams; cooked oatmeal, 1 cup, 4 grams


Beans

"Dried or mature beans like kidney beans, limas and chickpeas are high in fiber. You could have bean soup or add some to vegetable soup," Bonci says. "Canned beans are quick and easy. We're talking about mature beans, though, not green beans."

Fiber count: kidney beans, canned, half-cup, 5.66 grams

Vegetables "Frozen mixed vegetables have many ingredients -- corn, beans and more -- and all have fiber. Throw some into a stir-fry or spaghetti sauce," she advises. "There's no work involved."

Fiber count: mixed vegetables, half-cup, 4 grams




Nuts and seeds

"There's no dietary fiber in meat protein, but nuts and seeds have protein along with fiber, so you're killing two birds with one stone," Bonci notes.

Fiber count: peanuts, 2 ounces, 4.5 grams


Fruits

Fruits are sweet sources of fiber, especially when you can eat the skin.

Fiber counts: large apple with skin, 5 grams; large banana, 3.5 grams; large orange, 4.4 grams

Grand total fiber count, just for the eight foods listed above: 38.76 grams, slightly above the 38 grams recommended daily for a typical man. See how easy it is to get your fiber?


MAKING THE SWITCH Bonci cautions: "Don't go to extremes with fiber. If you haven't been eating fiber, add it gradually, starting with one meal per day." You could change your cereal. You could add a vegetable to dinner. You could add chickpeas (garbanzo beans) to a salad.

Switch to whole foods and whole grains. That means the whole apple instead of apple juice, 100% whole-wheat bread instead of white or "wheat" bread, a potato with skin instead of instant mashed, old-fashioned oatmeal instead of sugary puffs. You don't have to eat prunes, either, although now they're called dried plums. 




Story by: By Jo Ellen Krumm

MUSCLE BUILDING: Intensity Is Everything

Building New Muscle With Intensity Techniques & Rest Periods And Failure




Part 1 - Building New Muscle With Intensity Techniques

Bodybuilder and contest coach Cliff Wilson explores the concepts of training load and volume, helping you to optimize your training and maximize results.

How varying intensity techniques can lead to new muscle.

All my life I have always wanted a cool nickname. In high school I even went so far as to try to give myself the nickname C-Dub. This was definitely not a proud moment for me. But recently, after speaking with a friend at my gym I was informed that the majority of the people at my gym already had a nickname for me.

Initially I was excited, but that changed when I found out what my nickname was. My great new nickname is now “That Crazy Guy”. As in, “Be careful not step in front of That Crazy Guy while he’s doing walking lunges.” Apparently, some people at my gym feel that I am crazy because of the level of intensity that I train with. This is not exactly the awesome nickname I had in mind, but I’ll take it.




I don’t expect the average gym goer to understand the need for ever increasing intensity, but too many bodybuilders and figure competitors fail to understand this as well. It doesn’t matter what level of training you are at. If you always do 4 sets of 10 reps on the squat with the same weight every leg day and make no effort to increase the intensity of your workout, your body will make no effort to change the amount of muscle you have.

Just because you get a pump from a workout does not mean you stimulated muscle growth. This is especially important for seasoned lifters. After someone has been training consistently for years it takes extreme measure to make significant improvements.

When it comes to training the word intensity has many different meanings. When putting together a training, program intensity in all forms need to be raised and lowered to make gains without overtraining. Knowing the reactions that the body has to varying levels of intensity will allow you to use many different methods to increase muscle growth.

Load

Load during a set can be expressed as percent of your 1RM (1 Rep Maximum). Lifting weights using both light and heavy loads will induce hypertrophy, which is the primary mechanism of increasing muscle size (1). One very common debate among lifters is whether it is better to lift with lighter loads or heavier loads.

Lifting weights that are approximately 85% 1RM to muscular failure or near muscular failure have been shown to stimulate hypertrophy best (1). Even though the greatest gains in muscle growth are seen with moderate loads, heavy and lighter loads must be used to maximize full potential. This is due to the fact that there are two different types of hypertrophy that occur with resistance training (2).

The first is called myofibrillar hypertrophy. Myofibrillar hypertrophy is an increase in the number and size of the actin and myosin filaments within muscle tissue (2). This type of hypertrophy is accompanied by strength gains since it involves an increase in the contractile tissue (2). Although you cannot completely isolate one type of hypertrophy over another, myofibrillar hypertrophy primarily occurs when lifting with heavy loads for low reps (2).

Those new to lifting should note that they will notice huge increases in strength with little increases in hypertrophy no matter what rep ranges or loads are used. These strength gains are primarily due to neural adaptations, as previously untrained individuals may have difficulty activating their motor units (1).

The second type of hypertrophy is called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is an increase of the sarcoplasm and other non-contractile proteins within muscle cells and is primarily induced by lifting light loads for higher reps (2). This type of growth, although not accompanied by any strength gains, is the primary reason why bodybuilders tend to be more muscular than strength and power athletes.

To continue making muscular gains over long periods of time progressive overload must be applied. To put it simply, if you want to keep growing you have to lift heavier weight. This holds true no matter what rep ranges and loads are used. Increasing your max weight for both high rep and low rep sets should be the ultimate goal for any training program as this is the best way to assure continued growth.

One of the reasons moderate rep ranges produce the greatest gains in muscle tissue may be because the moderate loads allow for the use of heavy weights with more time under tension. This combination seems to strike a balance between inducing large amounts of both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

Too many bodybuilders are still under the misconception that heavy weights for low reps should be lifted to build muscle and light weights for high reps should be lifted to burn fat. Too often I meet new clients that have been working under this assumption for years. Lifting only light weights during a contest diet is a great way to lose muscle and a lot of potential muscle growth is missed out on by never lifting lighter weights in the offseason. A solid weight training program should include heavy, moderate, and light loads to maximize total muscle hypertrophy.

When dieting for a contest this still holds true and will help you retain or even gain muscle while dieting. Weight training should build and preserve muscle tissue while on a contest diet. Let diet and cardio take care of the fat loss. Most importantly when discussing load and intensity is carrying each set to a point that is, at the very least, close to muscular failure. A light load that is only lifted for only a few reps will do no good. If your workout isn’t challenging then that is not training intensely.




Volume

Volume during training refers to the total amount of work performed within a given workout. Most often though, the term volume is used to describe the number of sets performed during training. Training volume has been a very sensitive subject to many in the bodybuilding community for years.

Many high intensity training advocates, such as Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer, claim only 1-4 sets to failure per body part are needed to stimulate maximum muscle growth. While others, such as Arnold Swarzenegger, claim that maximum growth will occur by doing 20-25 sets per body part. With such opposite views on training volume, it can be difficult to know how much volume is appropriate.

Although both high and low volume training programs have been proven to be effective, if maximizing muscle growth is the primary goal, then high intensity, high volume training programs must be used. Although it has not been fully proven, research on humans provides indirect evidence for hyperplasia after intense, high volume strength training (3). Hyperplasia is another form of muscle growth that differs from hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of existing muscle cells, whereas hyperplasia is an increase in the actual number of muscle cells.

The endocrine system, which is responsible for hormone release within the body, is also sensitive to training volume. Varying the amount of work from workout to workout may be used to manipulate the endocrine system and create an optimal hormonal environment. Serum testosterone levels can be increased and adrenal hormones can be optimized by using high volumes with multiple sets of multiple exercises (4).

Although high volume training can be very effective it does come with the risk of overtraining. Adding extra volume to training sessions can cause an increase in anabolic hormones but if too many sets are added too often then it can have the opposite effect. Volume related overtraining will eventually lead to a decrease in lutenizing hormone and free testosterone (5).

Cortisol also becomes an issue with volume-related overtraining. Small cortisol increases during training can lead to growth hormone release and can signal to the body that repairs need to be made, but if high volume training is continued for long periods of time and not cycled it can cause cortisol levels to rise too high and stay there, leading to chronic catabolic responses to cortisol.

Besides the risk of overtraining there is another down side to high volume training. Resistance training in general has been shown to upregulate androgen receptors for 48-72 hours after the workout (5). Unfortunately, high volume workouts will initially downregulate androgen receptors prior the upregulation.

This initial downregulation can be avoided by having a protein/carb mixture pre and post-training. If you have read my past articles you already know the benefits of having a protein/carb mixture before and after training. This just adds another good reason to include these shakes in your nutrition plan.

When discussing the subject of training volume its best to keep an open mind. Too many people get locked into thinking that they must not ever go above or below a certain number of sets. Keep in mind that increasing the volume of your workouts is one of the easiest ways to overtrain, but adding volume is a great way to stimulate growth. Periods of high volume should used to maximize growth, but periods of low volume must be incorporated to ensure that your body can keep up with the demands you are placing on it.

Conclusion

When setting the intensity level for an effective training program, the volume and load used are the first two things that must be addressed. Incorporating varying levels of both the amount of weight used and the number of sets performed can be difficult, but doing so will allow you to prevent overtraining and maximize your genetic potential. These variations can also fluctuate from one body part to the next depending on your individual weak points.

Once you establish the load and volume of your training, there are still two more points that I will address in part II. For now, just make sure the next time you walk into the gym make it a point to scare someone with your intensity. If you do this regularly you can call the promoter of your next show and tell him to go ahead and engrave “That Crazy Guy” on your first place trophy.

References:

    Chandler, T. J., Brown, L. E., Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance, 2007, 52-53p.
    Zatsiorsky, V. M., Kraemer, W. J., Science and Practice of Strength Training, 2006, 50p.
    Abernethy, B., The Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement, 2005, 151-152p.
    Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 63p.
    Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 114-116p.





Part 2 - Rest Periods And Failure

Natural bodybuilder Cliff Wilson explores the impact of rest periods and training to failure, helping you to train better and maximize your time in the gym.

How varying intensity techniques can lead to new muscle.

Read Part 1: Intensity Is Everything: Building New Muscle With Intensity Techniques.

“I think I’m gonna throw up!” My young training client said in a panicked voice as he was gasping for air. He had just finished a brutally hard set of squats. I couldn’t help but laugh because not more than 5 minutes ago he had bet me that he trains legs harder than anyone I’ve ever met. I could tell by the sickly look on his face that he knew had lost that bet.

We were only 4 sets into the workout but we had been working at a blistering pace. On the last set I literally had to drag him to the upright position. “I am not used to taking so little rest between sets and I’ve definitely never taken squats to failure before.” He said. We made it though one more set before he went to the bathroom to revisit his pre-workout meal.

I actually see this happen a lot. New clients always brag to me about how hard they train but once we get into the workout you’d think that it was their first day. It is not always that they do not train intensely on their own but rather they do not vary their training enough. Too many bodybuilders find a training style that they prefer and very rarely stray from it.

The human body is extremely adaptive, and if it is not challenged with new stimulus it will not continue to change. In part one, I discussed the importance of varying the volume and load of your workouts while not overtraining. To put together a plan that constantly challenges you with new forms of high intensity training there are other factors that must also be addressed and controlled.




Rest Periods

Rest periods between sets are something that most bodybuilders rarely change. As with rep ranges and the number of sets used during training, most lifters find what they like best and tend to stay within that comfort zone. Rest periods are yet another tool that can be used to raise the intensity of your training.

The amount of rest taken in between sets is directly related to how much energy will be available to your muscles when the next set begins. It takes about 3 minutes after a set for muscles to recover nearly 100% of ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) and CP (creatine phosphate), which are the two primary energy sources for a working muscle.

This will allow near maximum weights to be used for nearly every set. This is why strength and power athletes take very long rest periods between sets. Taking long rest periods with heavy loads should be incorporated into every bodybuilder’s routine as this will help with the ultimate goal of progressive overload.

Shorter rest periods between 60-90 seconds, will allow for approximately 85-90% recovery of ATP and CP (1). Short rest periods have been shown to have a greater impact on growth hormone levels than long rest periods. Keeping breaks short works great when training for hypertrophy with moderate to light loads for high reps and more volume. Studies show the most dramatic increases in growth hormone with sets that are at least 10 reps combined with rest periods between 45- 60 seconds. (2)

Shorter rest periods also have the advantage of allowing more volume in a workout with less duration. Growth hormone and testosterone levels peak 60-90 minutes into training and fall quickly thereafter. If exercise continues too far beyond this point hormone levels can fall below normal resting levels and can actually remain lower for a few days. (3, 4)

I am not an advocate of looking at the clock with a dead stare until my next set, but too often I see bodybuilders take rest periods that are all over the place. Too much talking and texting is most often the culprit. There is no need to change for Facebook status to “Blasting Bi’s and Tri’s” right in the middle of your workout.

It is not acceptable for football or basketball players to text or talk on the phone during practice, so why should bodybuilding be any different? All of these are distractions that will rob you of your focus and intensity. There is no need to break out the stop watch, but appropriate timing between your sets will require paying attention and focusing on the task at hand. Leave the distractions in the locker room and your training will skyrocket to a new level of intensity.




Failure

Although failure is a little different than the other forms of intensity discussed here, I feel it needs to be addressed. When training to the point of momentary muscular failure heavy or light loads can still be used. It is simply continuing a set to the point where another rep cannot be completed with good form without assistance from a spotter. When most people think of really intense training, the first thing that usually comes to mind is lots of sets to failure.

This is why whenever the topic of training intensity is discussed, failure training is often the point of emphasis. Just like the other forms of increasing intensity, training to failure has been a very heated topic in the bodybuilding community for decades. Many advocates of training to failure feel that a set not taken to failure is a wasted set. Detractors of failure training avoid taking any sets to failure for fear that it will lead to overtraining. Both groups have valid concerns that need to be addressed.

The rational for training to failure is that during a set, as some motor units fatigue and drop out, other motor units must be recruited for continued activity. The problem with this rational is that, by this rational, one could simply be able to exercise to failure with very light resistances and produce large gains in hypertrophy and strength.

As discussed earlier, this is not true. It is well known that heavy to moderate loads must be placed on muscles to achieve maximum hypertrophy. (5) Training to the point of failure has been shown in many studies to produce gains that are superior compared to when sets are terminated early. Although training to failure has been shown to be more effective, stopping sets just short of failure can also produce large amounts of growth.

This is because overload is the primary determinant for muscle growth, not failure. Continually lifting heavier resistances for all different rep ranges will overload muscles and force adaptations. This is easier said than done as anyone that has lifted weights for many years knows. Increases in strength are not always steadily moving up at a constant pace rather increases seem to ebb and flow. This is one of the reason why taking sets to failure is effective.

At some point in training, optimal gains are produced by taking sets to the point of momentary muscular failure. (6) Failure also may be the best way to increase the intensity of a workout. Once a training session begins, testosterone and growth hormone (GH) levels will increase within the first few minutes.




How high levels of both hormones go is directly related to the intensity of training. Intensity of exercise is the primary determinant for how much GH your body will secrete, while duration and volume have little to do with GH secretion (7). For this reason, training to failure can be a great way to increase the intensity your training and to take advantage of the increased anabolic hormone release.

One disadvantage of training to failure is that it is very taxing on the central nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for activating motor units during exercise. Although muscle tissue may be able to recover from taking many sets to failure, the nervous system will not. Some programs that call for all working sets to be taken to failure will definitely lead to overtraining.

Workouts must contain both sets to failure and sets close to failure along with periods of time where no sets are taken to failure. Many of the benefits of failure training can be had by taking a set very close the point of failure. Stopping a set 1-2 reps just short of failure will allow for sufficient fiber stimulation while sparing a lot of stress on the nervous system.

One thing to note is that high intensity overtraining has a much different affect than high volume resistance overtraining. The main difference between the two causes of overtraining is the effect it has on the endocrine system. With high intensity overtraining, catecholamines, which are the fight or flight hormones, actually show an increased response to training. Also, while volume related overtraining will cause a decrease in testosterone levels, intensity related overtraining will leave testosterone levels unaffected. (8)

The ultimate goal of any training program is to push as hard as possible while not overtraining. Bodybuilders are always tip toeing on the brink of overtraining and it seems that if that line is crossed the effects will be less detrimental if more intensity and less volume is used.

Putting It All Together

These intensity boosting techniques are different from those such as drop sets and supersets. Although those are great intensity boosting techniques and should definitely be used from time to time, principles of load, volume, rest periods, and failure must be adjusted in your weight training to ensure constant and steady growth for years.

These aspects of training are not independent of each other, and if one is adjusted all other must be adjusted accordingly. There is a reason nobody sprints a marathon. Appropriate levels of intensity will vary greatly from person to person depending on genetics, diet, and whether or not steroids are involved. Those who have made the choice to be natural bodybuilders have chosen a difficult road.

Natural bodybuilders must be more conscious of every single one of these points since drugs will not make up for the flaws within their training.  Be sure to take a hard look at the intensity level of your own training. In my experience, most lifters convince themselves that they are training more intensely than they actually are.

Many people have no problem going from set to set with very little rest periods. Many people have no problem lifting heavy weights or doing a lot of sets. You’ll find though, that very few people have the determination to strive to be great in every aspect of the word intensity. Doing so takes a level of planning and pain that most are not willing to go through.

My young training client returned from the restroom looking pale as a ghost. Sweat was still dripping off of him. I expected him to say that he was going to head on home. Instead he looked at me with a smile and said, “Man, what a great workout. I need to do this every week. So what’s next?” I knew then that this kid was going to do just fine at his show.

References

    National Academy of Sports Medicine, Optimum Performance Training for the Health and Fitness Professional: Course Manuel, 2008, 332p.
    Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 58p.
    Garret, W. E., Kirkendall, D. T., Exercise and Sport Science, 2000, 152p.
    Kreider, R. B., Fry, A. C., O’Toole, M. L., Overtraining in Sport, 1998, 153p.
    Frohlich, M., Pruess, P., Current Results of Strength Training Research: An Empirical and Theoretical Approach, 2005, 80p.
    Fleck, S., Kraemer, W., Designing Resistance Training Programs, 1997, 20p.
    McArdle, W. D., Katch, F. I., Katch, V. L., Essentials of Exercise Physiology, 2006, 410-411p.
    Chandler, T. J., Brown, L. E., Conditioning For Strength and Human Performance, 2007, 119p.

By Cliff Wilson - muscleandstrength