HUGE & FREAKY
____MUSCLE MASS SECRETS____ “Build A Body Fortress NATURALLY!”
BY
© 2007 During the past 30+ years that I have been writing for the various bodybuilding magazines I have received letters and e-mails from the readers requesting answers to their bodybuilding problems. Of all the letters & e-mails, at least 75% are from those who want to get "Huge & Freaky" and powerful as fast as possible. It then seems that gaining muscle weight is still the foremost concern of the average bodybuilder. A majority of you began training because you were below that certain muscular body weight that you personally considered ideal. From my 45 plus years of active involvement in the iron game both as a former bodybuilding and powerlifting competitor and as a contributing consultant to many of the bodybuilding magazines, my observations lead me to the conclusions that bodybuilders are perpetually on a ceaseless search for greater muscle size and want to "Huge & Freaky”, no matter what their body types dictates! Most bodybuilders also reach a point when they feel their power would go up in a big jump if they could just add a few pounds of muscle body weight. Gaining muscle body weight should be a relatively simple process, yet, it has always been given the status of a major problem! The down-to-earth concepts of gaining muscle body weight has suddenly been dignified with a lot of technical jargon. It has now become a deep science complicated with sophisticated advertisements and articles about metabolic programming. Frankly, I find it amazing! You, the average bodybuilder who is underweight or who simply want
more Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass, needn’t be frightened by these seeming difficulties. Like the vastly over-inflated "science of bodybuilding" itself, most of this concern is totally un-necessary. Except for the very few advanced bodybuilders who might lie awake at night worrying about a blurred "cut" in his left pectoral, gaining muscle weight can still be a simple, quick and sure process. What I propose to do is present to you a unique but basic 4 Phase Program, that will accelerate your muscle body weight gains and double your present power, but first let’s review a few crude, basic, unglamorous facts. A normal health body maintains its average body weight by consuming a certain number of calories per day. If you continue consuming that number of calories but reduce the amount of your daily physical activities, your body over a period of time will become heavier. By the same token when you increase your daily calorie consumption but maintain your daily physical activities you will also gain weight. It seems pretty simple when I explain it this way, doesn’t it? Why then, do some bodybuilders fail to gain Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass as readily as others? That’s not quite as simple but is still not a big mystery. Some bodybuilders have a faulty metabolism that prohibits the assimilation of use of food (nutrients) into a muscle weight gain. Others have peculiarities of body chemistry that causes shortages of iron, copper, B vitamins, enzymes or trace minerals that are vital to the gaining cycle. Other bodybuilders have such a faulty nutritional program that they do not consume the vitamins and natural elements they need; instead they are merely shoveling down "empty calories". Still others have digestive difficulties that allow the food they have consumed to be passed off as waste without being fully utilized. With rare exception, each of these conditions responds to regular exercise with heavy weights eating correct foods in sufficient amounts, and the use of natural supplements. Being a free-lance writer, in the fields of bodybuilding, powerlifting, anatomy and physiology, etc. I have had the unique opportunity to observe the techniques for gaining Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass and power from many of the worlds elite bodybuilders, powerlifters and strongman. The champions that I have talked to about the subject of building Herculean muscle mass and power universally agree that its success is based on a 4 phase program which consists of the following: 1. Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Workout 2. Nutrition & Supplementation 3. Recovery & Sleep 4. Positive Mental Attitude In This Age Of Bodybuilding Sophistication, I Realize That This Proposed 4 Phase Program Will Seem Too Easy, But Be Assured That It Does Still Work.
The 1st Phase For Gaining Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Is The… 2
Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Workout One thing I have observed during my visits to various weighttraining facilities in the lower 48 is that all the super systems, the pumping approaches, the growth-forcing principles, the bombs and blitzes, are generally used by individuals who have never built a solid foundation for the later years of great muscle gains. Contrary to my way of thinking, most bodybuilders try to increase the muscle gain factor by adding more sets and reps to their present training routines and in some extreme cases, increase the frequency of their training. They do not change their basic concept or approach to training. Sometimes, they are fortunate enough to stumble on the upward path to great muscle gains. More often, they fail to solve the problem, try something else, finally panic, and take a layoff from training that may become permanent. Yet one of the simplest ways to jump start muscle gains is by returning to the “old fashion” basic programs of just a few exercises which work large groups of muscles rather than the detail ones which work smaller groups of muscles. Working out on a simplified training schedule two or three times a week, getting plenty of rest and recuperation and good solid nutrition and supplementation will often be all that is necessary to derail a sticking point. After six weeks of training on a basic program of a few exercises, the powerlifter or bodybuilder who has experienced a sticking point can usually resume their advanced training schedules with the assurance of continued progress for a long time to come. For the basic schedule of training, I would recommend the following proven exercises: Barbell Back Squat, Calf Raises, Barbell Bench Press, Conventional Barbell Deadlifts, Barbell Bent-Over Rowing, Barbell Shrugs Standing Barbell Press Over Head (no illustration shown), Standing Barbell Curls, and Crunches (no illustration shown). The exercises should be performed in the order listed above, and in this way they are worked in the order of their relative size from the largest muscle to the smallest. Naturally, leg training is important in one’s training due to its role in blood circulation through the body as
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well as its dramatic indirect effect on other muscle groups, so it is included as the first exercise in this particular training schedule. It is an established fact that leg training can contribute to a one-inch increase in the upper arms in many cases. Now that’s what I call a classic example of dramatic indirect effect! The exercises suggested on the previous page are also sequenced so that the muscles which function as a synergist or stabilizer in one exercise is forced to function as a prime mover later on in the schedule. A couple of examples of this would be the spinae erectors of the lower back, which serve as a synergist muscle in the Barbell Back Squat but later these same spinae erectors are the prime mover muscles in the Conventional Deadlift. The triceps on the back of the upper arms serve as a synergist muscle and the lats as a stabilizer in the Supine Bench Press, but later on in the workout the triceps are the prime mover muscle in the Barbell Press Overhead, and the lats become the prime mover in the Barbell Bent-Over Rowing exercise. The exercise plan is "set-up" on a 45-day schedule by which you will work 7 muscle groups of the body (thighs, chest, back, deltoids, biceps, calves, and abdominals) on two non-consecutive days per week. These muscle groups are the important ones for gaining Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass and power fast. The calves and abdominals are structured into the schedule more for the intended purpose of improving your muscular shape and bodily proportions which may have previously been unresponsive or neglected. Depending on your past training experiences and capacity for hard work you can either work all 7 muscle groups in a total body workout but if you don’t have the time necessary to give in a day to complete the entire training schedule you could go with a split training schedule where you utilize the popular PUSH/PULL system, where you train pushing and pulling muscles in the following manner. For example, during week one you might train thighs, calves, and abdominals, on Monday. Chest, and delts can be trained on Wednesday. Back and biceps are trained on Friday. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are total rest days. General & Specific Warm-Ups and Stretching: I strongly suggest a careful general warm-up for the body be taken before tackling this workout. Begin with 5-10 minutes of “high octane” aerobic work (to break a sweat), such as stationary cycling, Versaclimber, X-Country Skier (Nordic Track), stair stepper, or rope skipping (start with a slow cadence and work up to a relatively brisk pace the last minute or so); then do some PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) stretching, hold each stretch for 6-8 seconds, for 3-4 reps.
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As well specific warm-ups are a necessary factor for each of the exercises in this workout schedule. One or two sets with 50-60% of your hard work set maximum will suffice. An example would be if you are doing 300 lbs. for 6 sets of 6-8 reps in the Barbell Bench Press. Your two warm-up sets would be 150-180 lbs. for 6-8 reps, resting 1.5-2 minutes between these sets. You’ll notice that the exercises in this basic non-glamorous training schedule, although brief, cover every major (and some minor) muscle in the body and there is no need to add anything else to round it out. Remember, this workout is not intended to prepare you for a bodybuilding contest, but rather it is planned out to give you the solid and brutal man-building work the body may need, for a change. You must plan your training in a positive way and this means doing the prescribed number of sets and reps, and add poundage as often as possible without sacrificing technique, and you will continue to improve. The following progression formula will help you in this respect. If you begin your exercise schedule as advised earlier, you will begin with the Barbell Back Squat for 6 sets of 6-8 reps (whenever I mention 6 sets or 3 sets, these constitute the “hard work” sets for a particular exercise and do not include the one or two specific warm-up sets). Low Set, Moderate Rep, Heavy Poundage Principle: I am going to recommend that you do 6 sets of each exercise, 6-8 reps for the Barbell Back Squats, Conventional Deadlifts, Barbell Bent-Over Rowing, Barbell Shrugs, Barbell Bench Press, and 3 sets, 6-8 reps (except for the Calf Raise and Crunches, do 15-20 reps per set), Standing Barbell Press Overhead, and the Standing Barbell Curl.
The number of work sets may seem low but this is one of the best ways to avoid "Self Destruct Training." As Lee Haney, former 8 time IFBB Mr. Olympia has said on many occasions, "STIMULATE not annihilate!"
Work as heavily as possible! By that, I do not mean using cheating movements, just for the sake of handling the Huge poundages. Perform each repetition completely, without exaggeration; strongly, using the techniques of concentration (which I’ll discuss later on). Use as much weight as you can while doing this, and constantly push for more. Work slowly, pausing for a breath or two between each rep (Weider Rest/Pause principle).
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Rep Contraction Tempo: Generally, the time allotted for an exercise set is the calculated number of seconds it takes to move the weight in the positive (+) and negative (-) phase of a full exercise range of motion repetition(s). For many bodybuilders, the positive (+) phase of a rep will take 3 seconds to complete and the negative (-) phase, two times slower (called slow negatives) at around 6 seconds. However, if your desire is to build Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass coupled with equally huge reserves of power, then accelerated high-speed positive (+) phase reps is a good option. Here is how it works. Each and every rep in the positive (+) phase should be completed as fast as possible, not with momentum, but with perfect motion and precise form (never jerky). Positive (+) phase speed-reps should take approximately 2 seconds each or less to complete. As mentioned the negative (-) phase, should be at least two times slower at around 4 to 5 seconds. YOU MUST CONTROL THE WEIGHT, DON’T LET IT CONTROL YOU! HUGE & FREAKY Exercise/Rep Factor Chart Muscle Group THIGHS CALVES CHEST LOWER BACK
LATS
TRAPS DELTOIDS BICEPS ABDOMINALS
Exercise Selection Barbell Back Squats And/or Barbell Hack Squats One-Legged Heel Raises And/or Donkey Heel Raises Barbell Bench Press And/or Incline Barbell Press Conventional Barbell Deadlifts And/or Barbell Cleans Barbell bent-over rowing And/or Medium Palms Up-Grip Pullups Barbell Shrugs And/or Dumbbell Shrugs Barbell Press Overhead And/or Barbell Upright Rows Barbell Curls And/or Dumbbell Curls Quarter Ab Crunches And/or Leg Raises
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Rep Factor 5-25 15-40 5-12 6-15
6-15
6-15 5-12 5-12 15-40
Let’s assume that you have decided to perform 6 “hard work” sets of 6-8 reps for the… …Barbell Back Squat.
Intensify The 6 Sets/6-8 Reps By Using One Of The: 14 Power-Reps Workouts Increment Charts. Using a hypothetical power poundage of 500 lbs. in the Barbell back squat, the following 14 workouts power-reps increment chart(s) reveals how to Intensify the 6 Sets/6-8 Reps
Option No. 1 st
1 Workout 2nd Workout 3rd Workout 4th Workout 5th Workout 6th Workout 7th Workout 8th Workout 9th Workout 10th Workout 11th Workout 12th Workout 13th Workout 14th Workout
6 sets/6 reps 1 set/7 reps 5 set/6 reps 2 set/s7 reps 4 sets/6 reps 3 sets/7 reps 3sets/6 reps 4 sets/7reps 2 sets/ 6 reps 5 sets/7 reps 1 set/6 reps 6 sets/7 reps 1 set/8 reps 5 sets/7 reps 2 sets/8 reps 4 sets/7 reps 3 sets/8 reps 3 sets/7 reps 4sets/8reps 2 sets/7 reps 5 sets/8 reps 1 set/7 reps 6 sets/8 reps 6 sets/6reps
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“x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500lbs “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 505-510 lbs.
Option No. 2 st
1 Workout 2nd Workout 3rd Workout 4th Workout 5th Workout 6th Workout 7th Workout 8th Workout 9th Workout 10th Workout 11th Workout 12th Workout 13th Workout 14th Workout
6 sets/6 reps 1 set/7 reps 5 sets/6 reps 1 set/8 reps 5 sets/6 reps 1 set/8 reps 1 set/7 reps 4 sets/6 reps 1 set/8 reps 1 set 8 reps 4 sets/6 reps 2 sets/8 reps 1 sets/7 reps 3 sets/6 reps 2 sets/8 reps 1 set/8 reps 3 sets/6 reps 3 sets/8 reps 1 set/7 reps 2 sets 6 reps 3 sets/8 reps 1 set/8 reps 3 sets/6reps 4 set/8 reps 1 set/7 reps 1 set/6 reps 4sets/8reps 1 set/8 reps 1 set/7 reps 5 sets/8 reps 1 set/8 reps 6 sets/8 reps 6 sets/6reps
“x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500 lbs “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500lbs “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500 lbs. “x” 500lbs “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500lbs. “x” 500lbs “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 500lbs. “x” 505-510 lbs. “x” 505-510 lbs.
You can easily see from the charts above how the power-reps progressions are made, using a hypothetical 500-pounds. On the exercises for the thighs, back, chest and calves you can increase your poundage 5-10-15 lbs. and on the exercises for deltoids and biceps, poundage increases can go from 2.5-5 lbs. Continue on with the progression formula in the manner outlined until you are capable of performing 6 sets of 8 reps with 5 to 10 pounds more than your base weight at the beginning of the program. At this point, you will increase your poundage by 2.5-5% and decrease your rep scheme back to 6 and begin a new progression formula as outlined.
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Optional Duration of Rest Between Sets: You must also consider what the optimal duration of rest should be between each and every set. Going back to the 300 pound barbell bench press for 5 sets of 6 to 8 reps that I mentioned earlier, it is possible at the completion of your first set (reps done to momentary failure) you may experience a startling strength loss of 20-42%. Put in simple terms, your momentary starting strength loss at the completion of your first all-out set of 6-8 reps is now between 60 pounds (240 lbs. as 20% of 300 lbs.) and 126 pounds (174 lbs. as 42% of 300 lbs.). The internal structure of our moving body has an amazing recovery rate. In the first ten seconds of the rest/pause, 56% of the decreased starting strength is recouped, at the 35-second mark 84% of the lost strength is regenerated. From here, it takes another 35 seconds to regain an additional 12% of the starting strength loss. So at the 70-second rest/pause, 96% of the decreased starting strength is recouped. It then takes a continued 2 minutes and 50 seconds to gain the final 4% or near-100% recovery. Rest 5-6 minutes on each exercise set for the thighs, back, and chest. For the deltoids, biceps, calves, and abdominals rest 2-3 minutes between sets. But don’t take a siesta or enjoy a gab session between sets by taking longer rest/pauses than what I have recommended here. Keep moving steadily through your program and do plenty of deep breathing. Rest between actual exercises should only be long enough to allow you to change the poundage. Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Momentum: One way to keep the Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Momentum is to alter your exercise performance bio-mechanically. You can do this by altering your stance, grip, bar placement, the movement itself, speed of the movement in the rep itself as well as periodic use of a different exercise altogether. Use dumbbells in the place of barbells, etc. If you exercise properly and continue to handle those heavy poundages, this program can be tough. True, you won’t have that “pumped-up” feeling you may be used to, but you’ll notice other beneficial effects. You’ll steadily become stronger, have more 9
energy, and best of all, you will feel better physically. You will probably notice an improvement in your appetite (better do some concentrated abdominal work on your non-training days: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday if you are performing the above program on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), and some muscle bodyweight gains. Best of all, your body will take on a more rugged, hard, capable look that will please you. When you return to your usual training programs after six or so weeks on this basic training schedule, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at your renewed enthusiasm for training. Genetic Potential: Genetics plays a major role in gaining Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass and power, but you can improve your physique no matter who you are. While genetics is the main thing, desire and discipline are important as well and that is something that most people don’t have. I’ve personally seen guys in the gym with great genetics who train maybe once or twice a week if that often and when they train, they’re training with their mouth more than they are training with their body. On the other hand, you’ve got guys with sunken chests, shoulders like a pear, and big old wide hips. It’s a shame because while they will never be great as a bodybuilder or power lifter, they have the really awesome desire and discipline. Basically, though, I’d say that about seventy to eighty percent of the people who train can enter a level three bodybuilding contest. The bottom line is that you can improve your Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass and power no matter who you are. Aerobic 3 Minute System”: When training for HUGE & FREAKY MUSCLE MASS it is important that you don’t do extended periods of aerobic’s (30 minutes and more) because it will burn up hard earned muscle mass. Aerobics’ are terrific for developing the cardio respiratory system. I suggest you do what is called Aerobic 3 Minute System (aka"20-10 x 6 System”): Here’s how it works. Using a treadmill or stationary bike, etc., simple work at a sprint pace for 20 seconds (80-90% of your target heart rate) and then without pause coast for 10 seconds (at about 60-65% of target heart rate). Repeat this (sprint-run system) 20-10 sequence nonstop for a total of 6 series, two nonconsecutive days a week. Don't use this high-low intensity method of aerobic conditioning if you are over 40 years of age, sedentary, and have not had an active cardiac stress test. *As with any aerobic training session always begin with a 5 minute warm-up and conclude the “20-10 x 6 System” with a 5 minute cool-down. 10
The 2nd Phase For Gaining Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Is… Nutrition & Supplementation Some bodybuilders have a faulty metabolism that prohibits the assimilation of use of food (nutrients) into Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass. Others have peculiarities of body chemistry that causes shortages of iron, copper, B vitamins, enzymes or trace minerals that are vital to the gaining cycle. Other bodybuilders have such a faulty nutritional program that they do not consume the vitamins and natural elements they need; instead they are merely shoveling down "empty calories". Still others have digestive difficulties that allow the food they have consumed to be passed off as waste without being fully utilized. With rare exception, each of these conditions responds to eating correct foods in sufficient amounts, use of natural supplements and regular exercise with heavy weights. All of the top champions in competitive bodybuilding recognize the value in obtaining Herculean muscle mass and power, for it has allowed them to make gains in muscle body weight, measurements, strength and endurance. Perhaps you may be wondering at this point whether adding Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass is good for one’s physique. I will let you be the judge of this as you consider the following: Bill Pearl was beaten in the 1956 NABA Mr. Universe by Jack Delinger. It was shortly after this narrow defeat that Bill decided to get Huge & Freaky, and did so by increasing his muscular body weight to 255 pounds. It was at this new body weight that he had a 55" chest, 60" shoulder circumference, and 21" upper arms. My good friend, the late, John Grimek who was never defeated in any amateur or professional bodybuilding contest that he entered, once increased his muscle body weight to a Huge and Freaky 250 pounds at a height of only 5’8 ½". Some of the top physique champions of yesteryear have gone to some real extremes nutritionally to gain Herculean muscle mass. Bruce Randall, a former Mr. Universe winner once reached a body weight of 400 lbs. by following such dietary measures as drinking an average of 8-10 quarts of milk per day (though one day he drank 19 quarts of milk), an average of 12-18 eggs per day, along with 7 lbs. of meat per day. Bruce gained this huge muscle mass and power as a means by which to try and break some of Paul Anderson’s lifting records. This was the absolute extreme in eating for the purpose of gaining Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass that I ever observed.
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If you want to make FREAKY progress, start out the day with a big breakfast. You might start out with 8 oz. of orange juice and 3 oz. of Familia Swiss Museli mixed cereal, with milk or maybe cooked oatmeal made up with whole milk rather than water. Add a half a cup of raisins or diced dates (sometimes both) and top it off with a ½ cup or dairy cream and a liberal supply of honey. Next eat a 4 oz. lean beef patty, which is to be eaten with an omelet made of 5 eggs, 2 cups of nonfat dry milk and a 2” x 1” x1” piece of American cheese. For the omelet, beat the eggs; blend in the powdered milk and a bit of liquid milk if needed. Pour this into a hot buttered pan and fry it like a regular omelet with cheese broken into small pieces or melted on top. If you’re still hungry eat whole wheat toast or 12-grain bread with it. Also you can add unsalted natural peanut butter in large amounts on it; and sandwiches and blender drinks as well. Other Breakfast Options: Whole Brown Rice: about five minutes before it’s finished, add a half cup of raisins and a half cup of dairy cream, stirring it in. Serve with a liberal supply of cream, honey and wheat germ stirred through it. Cooked Oatmeal: rather than combing water with the oats when cooking, make up the oatmeal with whole milk instead. About five minutes before this is finished add a half cup of diced dates, and a cup of cream. Serve as above, with cream, honey, tablespoon of safflower oil and raw embryo wheat germ flakes stirred through it. It is important to never skip a meal when you are attempting to gain additional FREAKY MUSCLE MASS. Instead of going the doughnut route at coffee breaks at work, eat yogurt, protein tablets by the handful, peanut butter tiger milk bars, and unsalted sunflower seeds. Better yet you might have a pre-mixed blender drink. A couple of these drinks which come to my mind are as follows: Drink #1 4 raw eggs (boil for 15-20 seconds) ½ pint heavy dairy cream ½ cup mountain honey 1 cup non-fat powdered milk 1 cup Beverly Milk and Egg Protein Powder Add 1.5 quarts of whole milk
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Drink #2 1 cup whole non-fat milk ½ cup heavy dairy cream 2 tablespoons Brewer’s Yeast powder 1 tablespoon flax seed oil ½ banana 2 raw eggs (boil for 15-20 seconds) 1 tablespoon unsalted natural peanut butter 1 scoop natural ice cream. Above all as an active bodybuilder be sure to include plenty of water packed (sodium free) tuna, fish and chicken breast in your daily eating regimen, plus plenty of cheese, bananas, unsalted peanuts, all nuts, raisins, dates, fresh figs, potatoes, yams, corn, and beans. Also have a big bowl of soup with at least one meal a day, but use only split pea, potato, black bean or lentil. Add a little cream or raw embryo wheat germ flake. It is better to eat small feeding every 2-3 hours or so. Five 1000 calorie feedings are easier to digest and assimilate rather than three 1500 calorie meals, and keeps the stomach from stretching or distending. Vince Gironda’s Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Secret: Make use of heavy cream or at least half and half. Vince Gironda "The Iron Guru" told me many years ago about a rather unique muscle weight gaining trick where equal parts of Ginger Ale and half and half is used between main meals. You can also use half and half on cereals, with sliced fresh fruits and puddings.
Daily Supplementation: The supplementation in your daily diet is an important issue but not as complicated as you might think. Three high potency multi-vitamin/mineral tablets from natural sources (www.bodybuildingworld.com)); take one at each main meal,. Use 2-4 bromelain (Bromelain/Papain Digestive Enzyme) tablets AFTER EACH MEAL OR SNACK THAT YOU EAT. Two tablespoons per day of wheat germ or other blended germ oils. Brewer’s yeast in powder or flakes can be added to blender shakes and you should get 2-4 tablespoons every day. Let me say that a more extensive supplement program could be used with benefit.
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I will be the first to admit that the eating regime I have talked about is unbalanced for normal living. It is swimming in fats, and swarming with nasty carbohydrates. It’s intended for bulking up the body and will do exactly that; it is NOT recommended for use throughout the year. The bodybuilder who wants to bulk up another ten or twenty pounds of FREAKY MUSCLE is not interested in technicalities nor pseudo-scientific nonsense about cuts and striations. Using this nutritional program you’ll get those extra additional pounds if it is combined with the other three phases detailed in this eReport. Only then will you reach your new bodyweight, loaded with Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass. To insure proper nutrition, if you’re consuming the wrong foods take in a quality vitamin & mineral packet each day plus some type of protein supplement. It has been my experience that you can get away with eating “junkie” if you are taking a good regimen of vitamins and supplements (Beverly International is an excellent choice) throughout the day along with your food intake.
The 3rd Phase For Gaining Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Is That Of… Muscle Recovery and Sleep Muscle mass and power increases during the rest cycles and not during the workouts themselves. The way I structured the heavy and light push and pull training days and having Wednesday (optional if you work your legs on a heavy pull day, Tuesday), Saturday, and Sunday for rest will allow your muscles and nervous system to recover completely from the workouts. You must rest completely between workouts and especially on non-training days and get a good night’s sleep each and every night of the week. I suggest a minimum of 8 hours sleep and night and I myself try to get nearly 10 hours. Few bodybuilders or powerlifters relax enough. In this modern life, with the tempo stepped up so high, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of fast living. I’m not talking about living in the fast lane of night clubs, drinking, and parties every night in the week. Television, movies, and attending sports contests, etc., can keep most folks up later in the evening than is good for them. As a result, they try to sleep a little later in the mornings and from then on out it’s a race against time: rush, rush, rush all day long – nerves on edge, eating fast meals, rushing through a workout (weights feel heavy and the bodybuilder feels shaky and has to push himself to continue). These types of conditions, day after day, are more exhausting than beneficial and no profit will be shown from it. Kick back and slow down your pace. 14
Get to bed early so that you can get up in plenty of time to take care of your morning hygiene and eat a sound breakfast such as the one I described previously. Leave for work or school early enough so you don’t have to rush. Arrange your workouts so that they will fit into your daily routine and you will not have to rush through them. Relax several times a day. Reading is a good way, and I know Ted Arcidi takes a 1 ½ hour nap each afternoon. Get rid of the fast pace. Your body and mind will benefit from this greatly.
The 4th and Final Phase For Gaining Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass Is That Of A… POSITIVIE MENTAL ATTITUDE Bill Pearl once told me "A proper mental attitude plays a large role in your efforts to build size and strength. When thinking positive thoughts, one has a happy outlook on life. You should think positively about all your daily activities, physical, mental and moral. It will aid you in your training in the gym as well as your personal life. A healthy, positive attitude will improve your body and help make you a better person." Mental Imagery-Rehearsal: Mental imagery-rehearsal and its application to the iron athlete is a thoughtful and intelligent two-stage event consisting of pre-workout and one-set interval preparation. Here's a brief look at each. Stage I: Pre-Workout Imagery Rehearsal Simply stated, you will mentally visualize (like seeing a series of pictures on a movie screen), by bringing images into the mind, all the simple and complex elements associated with the forthcoming workout. About 15 to 30 minutes prior to your workout, go to a place of solitude (void of ringing telephones, ticking clocks, people talking, and bright lights). Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes and begin slowly and deeply to breathe in and out through your nose and begin to relax (called relaxed breathing).
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Now, begin mentally to empty your mind of all thoughts that do not pertain to the workout. Don't let intruding thoughts attract your attention. This could be any thought such as what you did yesterday, what you are going to be doing after the workout. Sometimes a remark that someone made that you didn't particularly like will pop back into your head, but don't let it. Drive away the nagging negative voice from the dungeon of your subconscious mind that might be telling you to skip your workout for one reason or another. Mentally see yourself well rested, recovered, and stronger from your last workout a couple of days ago. As you continue to progress into a relaxed state, visualize the collective atmosphere of the training energy in the gym that is being generated by the other iron warriors. Feel this sensation and how it gives you a special power to dominate the heavy iron. Become a master of training by mentally reproducing the tracking patterns of the exercises rep for rep, set for set. Repeat this process several times in your mind. Finally, see yourself at the conclusion of the workout with a bone-deep, growthproducing, vein-choked pump in the muscles of the upper arms. When the mental pictures and related sensations that you expect to see are clear and vivid in the mirror of your mind, open your eyes. Your should now have an unyielding commitment, intense desire, determined persistence, and powerful will to succeed moving, flowing, pulsing, and surging through your entire being. It's time then to get up out of the chair and step into the hardcore trenches of the gym. Stage II: One-Set Mental Imagery-Rehearsal This stage of mental imagery-rehearsal is conducted approximately 10-15 seconds prior to each set of a prescribed exercise methodic. While standing or sitting, however you feel most comfortable, close your eyes and take in and exhale short breaths of air as you mentally prepare (with selective focus) for the moment at hand. You must go to that place in your consciousness where there is no pain, no negative influences, no fear, a state of mind where only positive forces dwell. Your mind must be time-locked (cohesive) with the muscles in order to do battle with the heavy iron. Begin by picturing in your mind's eye the bench, the bar, the plates. Imagine this so intensely that you can smell the sweat, feel the knurling on the bar, hear the plates rattle, and so forth.
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If you are going to be performing the classic standing two-hands barbell curl, for example, recreate all of the exercise mastery techniques that are necessary for the successful completion of each gut-wrenching rep of the set. The more organized and detailed you can make this ritual of mentally focusing in one-set intervals, the better chance you will have for training to the outer limits of muscular size and strength. Here's another way to explain it. Think of how organized and detailed the ritual of mental imagery-rehearsal would be if it related to making love to a beautiful woman. The details are never slippery or vague. They're always clear and vivid. As the magnitude of mental imagery-rehearsal for the upcoming set becomes more and more vivid, you will begin to feel torrents of unleashed fury and your heart will beat in a manner that reflects your ability to dominate and prevail in the moment. Open your eyes. You are now 100% mentally focused and psyched. Go for it! It's time to lift the HEAVY IRON! Tip: During your workout, play your own favorite high-energy music to trigger strong energy responses. Adopt the attitude of a champion by developing a positive self image of yourself, set some specific goals both short and long term. Above all have that burning intense desire to succeed and THINK Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass!!! Final Comments: If you exercise properly and continue to handle the HEAVY IRON, this program can French Foreign Legend tough. You will probably notice an improvement in your appetite (better do some concentrated abdominal work on your non-training days on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday if you are performing the above program, as a total body workout, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Best of all, your body will begin to take on a Huge & Freaky look that will please you. When you return to your usual training programs after 6 weeks on this Huge & Freaky Muscle Mass training schedule, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at your renewed enthusiasm for training. *Only work the Conventional Barbell Deadlift once and at most twice per week. Note: Hardgainers who lack decent recovery ability and find 3 non-consecutive training days overwhelming, would do well to train the total body twice per week at most, perhaps on a Mon-Fri or Tue-Sat schedule.
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Vice Like Gripping Power Q. I am shocked and a little embarrassed by what I am about to tell you. I have about 12 years of extreme hardcore training under my belt. I am a heavy boned guy with thick wrists and pretty darn good forearms strength wise. At least I thought so until recently. I did a handshake type test of strength with a slightly built oriental guy at work and I couldn’t believe the amount of gripping power he had. Neither one of us was brought to our knees and I nervously laughed when we finished up, not wanting him to know how surprised I was with his gripping power. I don’t want this to happen ever again and am wondering what you might suggest to increase my gripping power? A. So you let a “button head” oriental almost best you with his forearm strength eh? You
didn’t mention it but I’ll bet that “slope head” had forearms that looked like a couple of buggy whips compared to yours. I experienced the same situation myself years ago. I could do barbell wrist curls for multiple sets of 20+ reps with a 175-200 pound barbell and as a result my forearms grew in size and strength. I was still lacking that gripping power I desperately wanted and it wasn’t until I wised up and started doing direct exercises that increased my gripping power. One exercise I did which increased my gripping power was the “Sliding” Pinch Grip. There are many forms of pinch-gripping exercises but there is one in particular that is favored above all the rest. Take two Olympic plates (not the ones with rubber bumpers), and stand them edgewise between your feet, placing them together with the smooth surfaces facing out. Proceed to bend over and pinch grip the plates at their highest point (with a forcepslike grip of the thumb and fingers). The thumb and fingers should be pressed as flat as possible against the plate. Once you have a firm grip established, stand up, keeping the lifting arm perfectly straight while doing so. If you attempt to lift the weight with the arm bent, the plates may escape your grip. This is very likely to happen since you will not be enjoying the benefit of a resin or chalk application to the palm of your hand and fingers. Once you are standing begin to walk some definite distances. It will be during this walk that a “sliding” will occur between the two plates (hence the name “Sliding” Pinch Grip) so you must harness your mind to access the reserve of untapped strength within your body and grip the plates even tighter. You can measure the progress you make in the “Sliding” Pinch Grip by the distance walked or by adding more weight (perhaps in the form of MICROLOAD magnetic weight plates) and walking a set distance (not to change). This can be done 1 to 3 times separately with each hand. Some individuals do the “Sliding Pinch Grip exercise immediately after a deadlift session. 19
How much weight should a person use when first beginning the “Sliding” Pinch Grip exercise? This question does not have an exact answer. I personally knew one guy who had a naturally strong hands and was able to pinch-grip two 45 pound Olympic plates (smooth sides out) in each hand and walk a distance of 90 feet with them. This dude didn’t weight over a buck sixty. On the other hand I have know some Big Guys who had difficulty handling two 25pound Olympic plates at the beginning. On the reserve side you might start with a couple of 10-pound plates just to get a feel for the movement. The “Sliding” Pinch Grip was a popular favorite of the late John C. Grimek.
Cable Pull Thrusts Q. I do all my training at our local health club here in town. It has all the usual stale equipment like the cable cross over machine, hyper extension bench, leg curl machine and whatnot. I want to develop a strong back but to be honest with you “Herc” I am burned out on doing deadlifts and hyper extensions. Do you have any novel idea’s for developing the lower back?
A. Yeah as a matter of fact I do have a novel idea for the development of the lower back and it involves the use the cable cross over unit. The exercise I am going to describe is called “Cable Pull Thrusts” and has been popularized over the past few years by Louie Simmons and the powerlifters at the Westside Barbell Club in Columbus, Ohio as an assist movement for garnering more strength in the lower back. The exercise goes like this. Begin by attaching a triceps rope to one of the (base floor pulley) cable stations on the cable-cross over unit. Next select a weight stack poundage that you will be using for a pre-determined number of reps. Now turn around with your back toward the pulley cable. Assume a shoulder width foot stance and bend your upper torso forward from vertical (taking care to keep the lower back flat or slightly arched) so that you can reach down between your legs (kind of like the posture if you were going to hike a football) and firmly grasp each end of the triceps rope (palms of the hands should face each other and the arms slightly bent). Make sure that the cable is taut (you will have to adjust your distance from the floor pulley) as this will allow you to support the weight stack throughout the full range of the exercise motion. Now it’s just a matter of pulling on the rope and bringing your upper torso to an upright position. If you do this correctly your hands will be positioned near your groin (it will mimic the lockout of a sumo deadlift where the arms are inside the thighs). Reverse the movement just described and allow the triceps rope to travel between your legs past your heels as far as possible. Repeat for the desired reps. Points to remember: 1. Keep a very slight bend at the elbow joints meaning that you never lock-out or straighten the arms. 2. You can do this exercise with the knees locked (emphasizes the lower back involvement) or with a “soft” knee bend (initiates gluteal 20
involvement). Even though you are after more back development you may want to switch from a locked to soft knee position from workout to workout for variety sake.
Steroid Like Muscle Gains? Q. I just recently ordered your e-book titled “Buyers Beware” off your website. I liked all the tips on “how not to take it in the shorts” when ordering bodybuilding books but what really rocked my boat was your story about a guy named Rheo H. Blair. I’m not old enough to remember him, that was way back in the 60’s, but some of the old geezer bodybuilders at the gym told me that Rheo H. Blair had a nutrition program that could produce steroid like muscle gains. Was it true? Was it?
A. Yes it was true. Back in the 60’s the late, Rheo H. Blair supervised the nutritional programs of top physique champions from all around the country. Champions such as Dave Draper, Vince Gironda, Don Richard Howorth, Larry Scott, and Frank Zane would go to Rheo’s white stucco house in Los Angeles and load up on his wildly popular and result-producing milk and egg protein powder and other Blair supplement formulas. Rheo’s secret to producing steroid like muscle gains in the physique champions was the use of dairy cream in combination with his special milk and egg protein powder. His protein was formulated in such a way that the cream would be efficiently metabolized in the body. Other proteins (even the ones formulated today) are not formulated in a way to help use the creams or fats. Here’s a look at some of the cream and protein formula’s he was recommending to the top physiques of that era. Rheo said the key to using his special milk & egg protein supplement for all bodybuilding goals is what you mix with it. Sometimes he would have bodybuilders forgo the use of whole milk and whipping cream and mix the protein with unsweetened grapefruit juice (not grape juice, because it is too high in sugar), fresh orange juice or carrot juice. Today a bodybuilder has the opportunity to mix a protein such as Blair’s with a noncaloric (sugarless) non-cola bottled drink such as diet orange soda or Fresca. Rheo went to say that there were other more specialized ways to use his special milk & egg protein powder depending on one’s body type and offered the following “3” recipes: For Maximum Definition and Fat Loss: Substitute breakfast and lunch with a protein drink made of one-third cup Blair’s milk & egg protein powder and 8 ounces water. Dinner should consist of meat and a salad.
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For Muscle-Density Gains (for the underweight bodybuilder): Mix one-third to one-half cup Blair’s milk & egg protein powder and two eggs in 8 ounces of certified raw milk. Sip this slowly at 10:00 a.m. Have another liquid protein feeding at 4:00 p.m., and another one hour before retiring to bed. Breakfast, lunch and dinner should consist of meat, fish, fowl and protein-rich dairy products such as cottage cheese, cheese and eggs. For A Gradual Muscularization of The Body: Always have a protein drink with 2 ounces of certified raw cream, 6 ounces of water and one-third cup of Blair’s milk & egg protein and one egg yolk, one hour before training. This drink will allow a bodybuilder to maintain optimum muscle size while on a low carbohydrate definition diet.
European Bodybuilding Q. I had the opportunity a few years ago to go out to the Mecca of Bodybuilding in Venice, California and see how the champs trained. I couldn’t believe that the champions I saw weren’t even training hard. It seemed like they were just unintense. They’d do a set and then yak or walk around for 15 or 20 minutes etc. I always thought that the bodybuilders here in the U.S.A. always trained the harder than those in say the European countries. What’s up with that?
A. I’ve been out to the Mecca of Bodybuilding myself and have noticed the same thing and thought it kind of odd since the mainstream bodybuilding magazines are always pushing how brutally hard the bodybuilders train out at Golds and World Gym. Then it dawned on me that I usually made these observations when the top guys were in the off season. I never had the opportunity to make any observations say two or three weeks out from the Mr. O or the Arnold Classic when I surmise that the guys were training “balls to the wall.” I have never personally traveled over sea’s so I can’t tell you first hand how the bodybuilders train but I talked to Bob Kennedy about it and he said that “Yes in France they don’t train hard at all but in certain places like Eastern Canada, New Castle in England, Sweden, Finland and even in Scotland they are training like crazy.” Bob went on to tell me that If the official Mr. Olympia title was given by the intensity of effort that the people in these countries put out, they’d all be Mr. Olympia’s. Come to think about it a story comes to mind that Robby Robinson, the 1994 IFBB Masters Mr. Olympia, once told about the training of his legs –Dutch Style. He was over in THE HAGUE, Netherlands (Holland) many years ago and had the opportunity to train with Wilhelm Jungman, the owner of Muscle and Fitness Gym.
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Robby said that he and Wilhelm trained quads and hamstrings twice a week. The first training day was a quad blast Heavy Workout performed in double split style. The a.m. session begin with Leg Extensions with a medium weight for 4 sets of 15 reps, holding each rep at the peak contraction for two seconds. This was the warm-up segment of the workout. Barbell back squats was the core exercise in this training session and Robby and Wilhelm would start with a 135 pounds and pyramid up, adding weight and decreasing reps, for 8 sets. The goal of the 8th set was to get at least 4 clean reps with around 500600 pounds. Then they would pyramid back down in weight for 8 descending and brutal sets, increasing the reps when they could. After the Barbell back squats it was on to Barbell front squats for 4 sets up (400 pounds) and 4 sets down. Again they pyramided the poundage. Next to work not only quad isolation but ham-glute tie-in they would do Barbell lunges for 2 sets of each with 135, 185 and 225 pounds. This particular morning workout was concluded with a super-set consisting of Leg extensions and Sissy squats for 4 sets of 15 reps. They would then come back at noon for what they called the “short, sweet hamstring blast.” Here they would do Stiff legged deadlifts for 4 sets of 10 full and strict reps with 325 pounds and then Leg Curls for 4 sets of 12 reps. After a two or three day rest they would come back to the gym and do a Light Workout for the quads and hamstrings. Smith machine squats were done with a variety of foot spacing to stimulate the inner, outer thighs and glutes for 5 sets of 12-15 reps. Next up was Leg presses for 4 sets of 20 reps. The ground based finisher of this workout was a super-set of Leg extensions and Leg curls for 4 sets of 15 reps for an outrageous muscle pump. Leg training-Dutch style is just one evidence of proof that the hardcore European bodybuilding community train as intense or even more so in some cases than bodybuilders in North America.
Staying Anabolic Q. I am a natural drug free bodybuilder and it seems to me that I hit sticking points in my training a heck of a lot quicker that some of my buddies who are on the “juice”. No matter how hard I try, progress almost seems like impossibility some times. Maybe I am just not tough enough or not training intensely enough. I know that you have trained natural all of your bodybuilding/powerlifting career so what are some of the secrets you have learned for making continued progress.
A.
You know what you sound like to me? A fool! Another cry baby wannabe bodybuilder, who makes up excuses for a lack training intelligence. I would venture to say that if I told you to do heavy barbell squats and deadlifts to help create an anabolic 23
effect you’d whine and tell me that you couldn’t do these kind of exercises because you have bad knees and a weak back. I am in a particularly good mood because I have just made a load of cabbage selling ereports off my website so just this one time I’ll reveal some of the secrets for making progress. To begin with you want to avoid at all costs the negative influences which create a catabolic (muscle robbing) effect on the muscles such as: Over-training, poor nutrition, not enough rest and emotional stress. The positive influences for staying in the anabolic (muscle gain) environment includes and is not limited to: Proper training, nutrition, rest and a positive mental attitude. With regard to proper nutrition the late, Vince Gironda always seemed to have some natural anabolic secrets in his bag of goodies. Here are “3” of his secrets. Secret #1 Vince used to suggest taking three to four amino acid tablets and 3 to 10 liver tablets every three hours to help keep the body in a positive nitrogen state between meals and during those times when a person can’t eat a normal meal or snack. (Liver contains a red protein pigment called Cytrochrome P-450 which accounts for the endurance factors that many hard training bodybuilders receive from taking it. Back in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s it was common to see many bodybuilding competitors take as many as 60 Liver tablets a day in the off-season and 100 tablets the last few weeks prior to a competition). Secret #2 Another of Vince’s Anabolic Secrets that has proven to be beneficial in the promotion of muscular weight gains was to eat 1 boiled egg every hour that you are awake. Secret #3 Back in the 1960’s the late, Vince Gironda “The Iron Guru” revealed to the bodybuilding world the Euro-Blast Weight Gaining BIG SECRET that the European muscle monsters were using to gain muscle density. Vince begin using it on his students to increase their body weight by as much as 40 pounds. The BIG SECRET is simply drinking 6 ounces of half and half or certified raw cream mixed with 6 ounces of ginger ale. Sometimes to trigger the anabolic or growth mechanism of the body further yet Vince would advice adding 2 ounces of a milk & egg protein powder. The students at Vince’s Gym in Ventura, California enjoyed this drink as a daily inbetween meal pickup at 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
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Exercise/Rest Principle Formula Q. Greeting from Italy. I have a simple yet complicated problem. I'll try being as brief and comprehensive as possible. I'm 23 yrs old. I do my Cardio religiously 3-4 times a week. I don't have access to a gym. Actually I love freehand exercises (without weights like push up/ pull ups). My back when seen in the mirror shows my Shoulder blades sticking out.. feel like a famished boy. Is there any way I can build the back specifically making those shoulder blades disappear in the back... I wanna a CLEAN neat back. I used to do pull ups both with palms facing me and more-than shoulder span pull'ups with the bar ending in the front to the chest! My wings are still visible... This was a long time ago... Do you think this is what I should start again?? Can push ups help as well?? Could you please suggest some great freehand exercise to get lean and toned I'd say…not too bulky (I'm a car designer... no macho man). Awaiting your reply... desperately...Thank you very much for your time.
A. There is one thing in particular that I can think of that will help you get into some kind of shape using just bodyweight only exercises to help you get leaned and toned and develop as you say, “a CLEAN neat back”. A few years ago a Dr. Frank I. Katch and his brother Victor (both of whom hold EdD, and PhD in exercise science and physical education respectively) developed a unique formula as it applies to bodyweight only exercises. The formula is based on the Exercise / Rest principle and it goes something like this. As a starting point you must pick out a non-apparatus exercise such as a bodyweight only Pull-ups (any non-apparatus exercise will suffice: Pull-ups, Crunches, Dips between two chairs, One-Leg Heel Raises, Leg Raises, Pushups, One-Leg Squats and Sissy Squats). STAGE I Using the Pull-up as an example, begin by performing this exercise for as many ultrastrict repetitions as possible within a 10 second time frame, Now rest for exactly I0 seconds; after the 10 second rest, immediately begin to perform some more Pull-ups for I0 seconds, then take another 10-second rest. Continue this pattern of I0 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest for 9 more complete cycles, for a total of 10. On each of the succeeding five days you increase the number of cycles by two. STAGE 2
This stage, as well as stages 3, 4, and 5, consists of 6 workout days and begins with 10 cycles of work and rest, increasing to 20 cycles by day six, The noted difference in this stage and the stages to follow are varying degrees of rest between each cycle. Within this stage (2) you will perform 15 seconds of exercise and take 10 seconds of rest per cycle,
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STAGE 3 At this stage you switch to 20 seconds of exercise and take 10 seconds of rest per cycle. STAGE 4 Now you do 30 seconds of exercise and take 10 seconds of rest per cycle. STAGE 5 In the last stage you do 30 seconds of exercise and take 5 seconds of rest per cycle. To summarize, here are the steps for successfully completing the five stages of the exercise/rest principle. I. Each individual stage (I-5) consists of 6 non-consecutive workout days in a two week time frame. The workouts could be performed on a (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Rest days include: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. 2. Begin each new stage on day 1 by doing a minimum of I0 nonstop sequences of the exercise/rest principle, then on each scheduled workout day thereafter be sure to add 2 nonstop sequences (as in the detailed stage 1 example). 3. Always do as many ultra-strict repetitions as possible during the work phase.
Follow the Exercise/Rest Formula as described and you discover a renewed interest in performing Bodyweight Only exercises especially as it applies to Pull-ups and Pushups and the development of the musculature of your back.
Abdominal Vacuum & Routine Q. I know that the importance of strong abs can’t be ignored or overlooked so I have a couple of quick questions. First I keep hearing about doing stomach suctions which act as sort of an internal massage for the abs. But you know what? No body ever seems to describe in much detail how they should be done. I know you are very detailed in your writing so I am wondering if you might describe stomach suctions for me? Second my training time in the gym is going to temporarily come to a screeching halt soon. My abs are fairly well developed now and I don’t want to turn into a cheese gut during my down time so I am wondering if you could outline a very brief but effective ab program that I could do 2 or 3 days a week. Thanks!
A. If you are like me, more than likely bodybuilding is an important part of your existing lifestyle. It is not uncommon during one’s training career, to find themselves cramped for gym time that makes full-length muscle fiber-alerting workouts impossible.
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When a lack of the customary training time in the gym becomes evident, as you will soon experience, it should never become an excuse for procrastinating or missing workouts completely. From my own experience and those of others who I talk to, usually the muscle group to experience the most neglect is the abdominals. Don’t become one of the statistics. Let me address your two questions. First, stomach suctions or the Abdominal vacuums as I prefer to call them are managed in the following way:
Abdominal Vacuum Perform this exercise on an empty stomach. Bend the knees slightly. Bend forward at the waist (hump the upper back). Place your chin on the chest. Place your hands on top of the thighs and press downward and outward. Avoid lifting the rib-cage, unduly, or expanding the chest. Relax the abdominal muscles. Expel, sharply, as much air as possible from your lungs. Suck the abdominals (stomach) in-and-out several times (a minimum of 10 times or more till the abs ache), mentally trying to pull it into and behind the rib-cage. Inhale and then begin the procedure all over again. Repeat the described series 5-10 times, twice per day. As you become more adept at abdominal vacuum, with both hands on the tops of the thighs, gradually press downward and outward with only one hand on your thigh. This results in a single isolation effect of one side of the abdominals. An even more advanced version is to alternately press your hand on one thigh, then the other. This will cause the abdominals to move from one side then the other. Second, here is a training routine for the abdominals that will maintain their existing level of development, until you can once again return to your previous optimum abdominal workouts.
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Exercise No. 1 - Reverse Trunk Curl 3 sets x 15 reps – Hold 5, then 10 No. 2 - Floor Crunches 1 set x 25 reps – Hold 5 seconds 1 set x 20 reps - Hold 5 seconds 1 set x 15 reps - Hold 5 seconds No. 3 - Alternate Elbow to Knee Twisting partial Crunch 2 sets x 40 reps each side Technique-Emphasis Reverse Trunk Curl -
Lay back on a flat exercise bench
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Reach overhead and grip the end of the bench
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Cross your legs and bring your thighs so they are perpendicular to your body.
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Without swinging your body, use your abs to lift your trunk (butt) off the bench approximately 8 inches. This is considered the “up” or “contracted” position. Breathe out at “up” position.
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Slowly lower your trunk (butt) to within 1 inch of the bench surface. This is one rep.
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Breathe in and begin again doing 4 more reps. Upon completion of the 5th rep (“up” position) hold for a 5 second count. Do 10 more reps and hold in the (“up” position) for a 10 second count. This completes one set. Do two more sets in the manner described.
Floor Crunches -
Standard crunch
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After performing 25 reps, hold the (“up” position) for a 5 second count.
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Do 20 more reps- hold for a 5 second count.
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Do 15 more reps – hold for a 5 second count.
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Rest
Alternate Elbow to Knee Twisting partial Crunch -
This is simple a Floor Crunch with an alternating elbow to knee sequence thrown into the mix. There are no secret abdominal exercises, no magic formulas, no shortcuts to abdominal perfection. The training tips I have provided, however, will definitely be a help in your quest for maintaining rock-hard abdominals.
Micro-Burst Chest Workout Q. Man you know what sucks the big one? I am working on an oil rig for the next 3 months or so and the only equipment for working out is a lousy 100 pound barbell and a pathetic flat exercise bench. I like doing bench presses big time (225 x 8) but that is going to go to hell in a hand basket with nothing more than a stupid 100 pound barbell. What would you do if you were me?
A. What would I do if I were you? I’d go stick my head in a bucket of water and take ten deep breaths. You sound like a big puss to me. Like the character Martin Burney said in the movie “Sleeping with the Enemy” “Think Chloe!” “Think!” That’s exactly what you should be doing, thinking! Since you’re obviously not thinking here is what you can do with that so called worthless 100 pound barbell. For a period of three months and twice per week on non-consecutive days do Flat barbell bench presses with the 100 pounds for no more than two sets; do as many reps as possible. Always try to do more each workout! In other words don’t settle for less than one additional rep each set per workout. Rest two to three minutes between the first and second set. Upon completion of the second set strip the bar completely of all poundage and position it securely on the floor (use some type of wedge on either sides of the collars to keep the bar from moving). Get into a regular pushup position and grasp the bar with your regular bench press hand spacing. Now do one to two sets of the bodyweight only for as many reps as possible. Again mimic the instruction given for the barbell bench press. Do as many reps as possible on each set and try to desperately add one additional rep to each set each workout. You will experience a tremendous pump from this micro-burst chest workout but even better, at the end of three months, you will hold most of the previous gain factor on your 225 x 8 and may even make an increase in poundage or reps on it.
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Arm Mass Potential Q. I have visited your website (www.dennisbweis.com) often and one thing I notice is that you are into charts in a big way far more than anyone else on the web. The Strength and Measurement Chart for Men revealed some numbers for figuring the potential for the biceps but not for the triceps. I am kind of wondering if you might have a formula tucked away for determining a measurement for the triceps? A. I should call you Miss Cleo because you must be psychic. When your e-mail arrived I was just walking through a couple of rediscovered formula charts which have been successfully used to compute the potential for building muscle mass in the triceps and biceps. Here’s what I have in my bodybuilding archive file regarding this. For determining triceps potential for building muscle mass simple take a steel measuring tape and measure the distance between the elbow tip and the top of the inside of the horseshoe shape of the triceps. If the triceps length is 3 inches or less that means you have a long triceps head and your potential is great, 3-4 inches your triceps are above average with good potential while 4-6 inches is just average with regard to length and potential. You can kiss your triceps good bye when the measurements start reading in the 6-7 inch range because the length is below average or short and your potential is poor to very minimal. This doesn’t mean that you are destined to have really small arms because there is still the biceps potential for building muscle mass. For the biceps you simple measure the distance between the inside of the elbow joint and the edge of a contracted biceps. Here we go: ½ inch or less means that you have a long biceps length and your potential for building muscle mass in this area is great, ½ -1 inch you are still above average and the potential is good while 1-1 ½ inches is average to length and potential. Like unto your triceps you can kiss your biceps good bye if the measurements fall to 1 ½ -2 or more inches because the length is below average or short and the potential is poor to very minimal. If, God forbid, you find that you are on the lower end of the potential for building muscle mass on the upper arms don’t go running off in search of a phone to call the Suicide Prevention number. After listening to your muscle head story about having really small arms, the operator would put you on hold anyway. Remember there is always the concept of shape training or cosmetic illusion that Bob Kennedy and the late Vince Gironda harped on respectively for years. Heck Running Dummy just by applying a technique such as shape training you might reveal an arm which looks like it has great muscle mass. I should mention that years ago when my arm measured 16 inches pumped, people used to estimate it visually at 17.5-18 inches all the time.
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Power Rack Attack Q. I had what I thought was really a novel idea about training my deltoids. I figured if I did a bunch of different isolation or shaping exercises for them they would get bigger than if I just did Barbell presses over my head. Well just like the five women to whom I have been married to and divorced (I’m only 40 years old) I made some bad decisions, regarding my training strategy that is. My deltoids still are lacking. I want the thick deltoids of a current bodybuilding champion. Can you help me out? I train in my own home gym which is well equipped. It has all the usually stuff, even a power cage (rack).
A. I have read your letter and let me digress as I declare that one maxim or truth that should be placed on the wall of every home and commercial bodybuilding gym. “BODYBUILDING IS MERELY COMMON SENSE PROCEEDURE.” I have been involved in the iron game for 40 plus years and I have never been able to understand why certain bodybuilders, such as yourself, possess an immense faculty for making exercise difficult. Actually successful bodybuilding isn’t that difficult. All you have to do is observe the common sense rules of Exercise, Diet, Rest and Relaxation, and in addition, possess a very basic knowledge of the working of the muscles and that’s all there is to it. All of the mainstream bodybuilding magazines go over these common sense rules every single month. Let me get onto answering your question. There is no doubt that massive deltoids are the distinction of a man. I have to say though that the deltoids are slow-growing, sometimes frustrating to train, and often meager in the observable development as you have personally noticed with regard to your own development. As I have mentioned in some of my Q & A’s, shape training and or isolation movements have their place but none will stimulate the whole deltoid complex as completely as compound movements. You mention in your letter that you have a power cage (rack). That’s good news so here is what I propose to strengthen and thicken your deltoids. If you want to work the deltoids brutally hard, begin you first exercise with the standing Military press with a barbell. This exercise should be performed in isometric style in a power rack, doing isometric stops and at 3 different stages or positions of limited movement. The 3 stages or positions are: 1. pressing the barbell from shoulder level to eye level 2. pressing the barbell from eye level to 6 inches from a lockout position 3. pressing the barbell from 6 inches from lockout to lockout position Do the most difficult stage of the isometric stop first, then the next hardest, and finally the least difficult.
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Let’s assume that the most difficult position for you is stage 2 of the standing military press. Place a barbell on the set of starting pins (where the movement will begin) at eye level, beginning with a poundage that is approximately 70 percent of your current one-rep maximum of unlimited movement (full extension and full contraction) in this exercise. As your workouts progress, you will want to use training loads of 80-90 percent of your onerep maximum. A second set of power rack pins (called holding pins) should be placed at approximately 6 inches from the actual lockout position of the standing military press. These are the pins that you will be pressing the barbell against. Begin the exercise by pressing the barbell off the starting pins. As the barbell makes contact with the holding pins, begin applying a measured resistance of 3 seconds to reach a peak sustained contraction. Hold this sustained contraction of 9-12 seconds. At the completion of the measured sustained contraction, take 2 additional seconds to release the tension as you lower the barbell down to the starting pins. This completes stage 2. Now set up for the next hardest position (it could be #1 or #3) and finally the least difficult position, using the measured time factors described for stage 2. After you have completed the standing Military press (done in isometric style, performed once only at each stage), you can begin to do seated Dumbbell presses for a total of 3 sets of 6 reps each. I favor the use of dumbbells for a couple of reasons. First, they develop a greater stabilization of the muscular structure of the deltoid region than the barbell. Second, the deltoids are best exercised from a range of 45° below shoulder level to a range of 45° above shoulder level (after which the synergist muscles of the scapula, trapezius, and the triceps muscles do the rest of the work), and this is easier to perform with a set of dumbbells than with a barbell. Press either the dumbbells from 45° below shoulder level to the top of your head in non-lock style. I am not going to get into frequency of this type of training as you should know that already. My closing thoughts would suggest first that you concentrate on contracting the thighs and abdominals and by doing so you will be able to press more weight overhead. Secondly, you mentioned that you have been married five times. My Lord, you need to approach the producers of Dr. Phil’s show and try to become a guest where you can talk out your losers approach to marriage. Geese!
Sleep=Growth Hormone Increase! Q. I have heard that rest is of vital importance and that a bodybuilder should get at least eight hours of sleep a night, but never more than nine, to increase growth hormone levels—naturally. I know you have the reputation as a no B.S. type of guy. So I am asking you if this is a true statement or not?
A. There are many factors which tend to increase growth hormone (GH) production and secretion. Little know is that fact that GH release increases during short term fasting 32
(perhaps the 11th hour before a bodybuilding competition). Reducing intercellular bodyfat levels can also lead to a GH increase as can elevated body temperature in the form of a sauna. To address your question directly, GH is preferentially secreted from the pituitary gland after falling asleep, especially during the very important stage 4, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep which occurs every 1.5 hours. Growth hormone release is very essential for protein synthesis and the growth and repair of muscle tissue. During a continuous 8 hour sleep pattern you cannot program an increase in the very important stage 4. However some of the Pro bodybuilders have found unexplainable that by breaking their normal 8-9 hour period of sleep into two different 4-4.5 hour naps, the proportion of time in stage 4 (associated with GH release) somehow becomes increased. Growth hormone increase levels-when accomplished naturally not only add a spurt to muscle growth but it can directly lend it self to bodyfat loss as well. There are six means by which to insure quality sleep and I cover them in detail within my e-report titled: Special Big Arms Report “Add ½ Inch in One Day.” Visit my website (www.dennisbweis.com) for the details.
Regular Sets, Plus Fast Doubles Q. I am always looking for a way to get a super pump in all the muscle groups whenever I happen to train them. Do you have an idea’s along this line?
A. I have to tell you that I am impressed with you very concise and to the point question. As you may have noticed in some of my previous columns a few of the questions read like a yawner B.S. (and I don’t mean “before steroids”) life story and that is even after I have asked Bob Kennedy and Johnny Fitness to edit them for brevity or clarity. Realize of course that Muscle Mag is tops when it comes to retaining the spirit of each and every question. Here is a flashpoint answer to your question. Sometimes you can do what is called Regular Sets, Plus Fast Doubles: This is done on the last rep of a set. Example: Close-grip standing wall curl-when you complete the last repetition of a set, put the barbell down. Rest about 3-10 seconds and then do two more repetitions, rest and do two more additional reps, rest again and complete a final two reps. This is usually performed within the confines of the last rep of the last couple of sets of a select exercise. If there is a secret when doing the Fast Doubles it is in the 3-10 second rest- pauses. It is these rest-pauses which allow a 50-56% recovery of the involved localized muscle (in this case the biceps).
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Determining Optimal Workout Load Q. From what I can figure out from reading all the bodybuilding magazines it takes about seven full days to completely recover from maximum overloads on muscle groups. People like the late Mike Mentzer used to say that a workout program had to be designed to overload specific muscle groups on particular days, with adequate intervals of rest provided for. He for one was very adamant about his clients not changing what he had set up for them, as they might become over-worked, and possible injury themselves. I wished I had hired him to train me because I would have asked him more about how to determine optimal workout loads. Hey I know you aren’t Mike Mentzer by any stretch of the imagination but what’s your take on this?
A. That’s right I am not Mike Mentzer and you, YOU…well I could get into a verbal pissing match but you’d be so down on your self after I finished my verbally assault you’d probable cancel your subscription to Muscle Mag. Bob Kennedy wouldn’t like that at all so I’ll just get onto to answering your question ‘cause that’s what I am paid to do. To achieve the greatest muscle gains possible you must train with as high of intensity and volume of exercise as you can without over training. The key is to avoid over training in order to stimulate the muscle and not annihilate it. About 10 years ago I learned a couple of methods for determining optimal workout load (which in turn maximizes and accelerates muscle gains to previous unattainable levels) from a gentleman named Kevin A. Pezzi, M.D. Here are the two methods Dr. Pezzi suggests a person do to determine their optimal workout load when training with the heavy iron. Method #1: This particular concept will give you an instant insight as to whether you are over training. If for example you are a right-handed individual, your upper body on the right side should be greater than the left ( 1-Limb Lifting such as one-legged squats, onedumbbell curls, one-dumbbell [or barbell] press and squat). If you don’t see a strength increase on the dominate side of your body when employing Uni-Lateral or Asymmetric Training (and actually get weaker) after a predetermined period of time then this is a clue that you may be over training. Method #2: This concept allows a person to determine his/her optimal workout load and as well objectively evaluate such variables as (number of sets, reps, frequency of exercise, etc.) and its effects on your muscular development. Here how this method works. Select an exercise for evaluation such as the Standing two hands barbell curl, for example. If you have been performing 4 total heavy sets for this exercise and you think you may be under training try 6 total heavy sets for 2-3 weeks.
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Now compare the results during this time period with the results for an equal period of time on the previous 4 total heavy sets (keeping an accurate training log of exercises used, number of sets/reps, dates of workouts, [intermediate, muscle specific, critical term recuperation] and miscellaneous factors such as lack of sleep, injuries, illnesses are of vital importance for making such comparisons). If you find that your progress has accelerated from doing 6 total heavy sets as compared to the previous 4 then you were under training. Increase the total number of heavy sets from 6 to perhaps 8 (and no more) and repeat the process as described. It is important to note that if at anytime your strength or size decreases while the evaluations of the effects of optimal workout loads (i.e. 6 sets as compared to 4 sets, etc.) are being studied you are over training and need to immediately REDUCE the workload on the biceps to previously accepted workout loads. Another variable to the above described method would be to substitute the Onedumbbell curl for the Standing two hands barbell curl, performing a different number of sets and reps for each arm. For example for the next 2-3 weeks you might do 6 total heavy sets of say 6 reps each for the right arm and 8 sets of 4 reps for the left. Reverse sets and reps protocol for each arm after 2-3 weeks and continue on in the manner described for another 2-3 weeks. Continue to evaluate your response to the variable number of sets and reps. Dr. Pezzi’s espoused method (#2) will work not only on the biceps but on any other major or minor muscle group as well. Generally when using the method described (above) for evaluating training responses the number of sets would in most all cases never exceed 8 to 9 total heavy sets per a select muscle group. As a result you will only be using one exercise per a select muscle group. Dr. Pezzi suggests that it may take a few months to determine optimal workout loads. Dry Sauna Modality Q. Hey here is something I heard a while back. I can’t remember if I read it in a
magazine or on the internet but a former Mr. Olympia named Larry Scott said something to the effect that if a person can spend some time in a dry heat sauna prior to working out and up to 3-4 more times during the workout, growth hormone release would increase. Have you ever heard of such a thing or experienced it yourself? A. Yeah I can recall reading about what Larry said regarding the multiple sessions of dry
sauna and its effect on growth hormone release. I never paid much attention to it simple because at the time I didn’t have access to a dry sauna. I am sure that it has merit or Larry wouldn’t have mentioned it but how many home gyms or commercial alike have a dry sauna where the actions mentioned could be carried out to a final conclusion? And further more think of the inconvenience of multiple sauna applications during a workout. I just couldn’t imagine doing some 20 rep barbell back squats with say 405 pounds and in the back of my mind thinking “Oh great I have to hit the sauna after this set and then 35
come back out on the gym floor afterwards for another set of squats and then back to the sauna again!” However if you want to give it a go be my guest. Regardless whether or not if a dry sauna application has a marked value with the release of growth hormone I don’t personally but I do know that many of the Eastern Bloc countries (Bulgaria etc.) used to have their Olympic lifters use dry sauna frequently on a weekly basis, after a workout, as one of the restorative modalities to accelerate the necessary physical, chemical and metabolic responses in the body, so necessary for the release and reduction of toxic metabolites and residual fatigue. Regardless if you elect to use the dry sauna for the supposed growth hormone release effect or as a restorative modality there are 6 valuable tips you should be aware of for getting the most expedient use out of a dry heat sauna and here they are: 1. Take a warm shower (100-100º F) prior to entering the dry sauna. Don’t get your head wet, and be sure to towel dry immediately after showering. 2. To prevent dizziness in the sauna, wrap a cool damp towel around your head. 3. Use a dry towel to sit on when you enter the sauna. Sit on the bottom level of the sauna for 2-3 minutes to acclimate your body to the temperature (165-175º F). After 2-3 minutes move to a higher level. The temperature here will be between 195-205º F) so avoid moving around much. In fact lie on your back if possible and remain calm. NEVER get gong ho and exercise in a sauna. I mention this because I have heard of macho guys doing pushups in the sauna’s, I would guess as a means of trying to impress the very naked babes who might be in there. 4. Stay in the sauna for 6-10 minutes max then leave and quickly take a cold shower (5055º F) for 20-40 seconds, then a hot shower (about 115º F) for 1-2 minutes. Alternate the cold shower with the hot shower sequence for 3-4 more series but always conclude with the cold shower. Towel off and take a 15 minute break before reentering the sauna. This is an excellent time to rehydrate your body by slowly drinking an 8-12 ounce glass of cool water or electrolyte drink. 5. Reenter the sauna, following tips 1-4 previously outlined. 6. NEVER enter a sauna while intoxicated, overly fatigued, or physically sick. ALWAYS follow the protocol of spending 6-10 minutes in the sauna and then leaving to do the cold/hot/cold shower sequence/series. All in all if you don’t have access to a dry sauna you can always use the cold > hot > cold > hot > cold hydrotherapy shower (at the gym or home) after a hard workout. It was a favorite post-recovery modality of the late IFBB bodybuilding superstar Chuck Sipes.
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Wall Curls & One-Rep System Q. I was down in Venice Beach, California sometime back and had the good luck to
be able to check out that blue fenced outdoor weightlifting yard on the beach where a lot of the top celebs in bodybuilding hang out. It was really a busy time when I arrived because there was a Wall Curl competition going on. I’ve been to a few powerlifting competitions and I feel so inadequate because of the huge weights that are lifted but watching the Wall Curl competition I didn’t feel that way. This is one of the first times in my life where I said “I can do that!” and so I would like to enter the competition the next time the opportunity presents it self. Do you have any “how to” tips and possible a routine that would help a 195 pound guy like me get ready? A. You feel so inadequate eh? Your girlfriend told me the same thing about you last
night. Only kidding! It’s interesting that you would bring up the subject of the Wall Curl as that was one of my favorite lifts back in the 1970’s when I was competing in powerlift competitions, bodybuilding shows and arm wrestling events. Unlike say Barbell back squats or Flat barbell bench presses the Wall Curl doesn’t require the use of a squat rack, power cage, bench or a training partner to act as a spotter. The Wall Curl exercise it self can be practiced in the privacy of your own home, especially if you live in a rural area where there are no gyms, with only the minimal investment of a barbell. Yeah I have a tip or two regarding the “how to” of doing a Wall Curl for an upcoming competition and an outrageously brutal training program for increasing your strength in this exercise. Here is a little bit of dialogue on the Wall Curl. This exercise was popularized by “Big” Bill Anton, 13th man in the world to bench press 400, decades ago. This exercise will test the strength and power in your biceps like no other exercise. Begin by grasping a loaded straight bar with a shoulder width hand spacing. If I am not mistaken I believe at the Wall Curl competitions at the Muscle Beach/Venice weight pen, an E-Z curl bar is used rather than a straight bar. Stay with the straight bar and you will find that there will be a marked increase of strength when and if you do use the E-Z bar. Next lean back against a wall (a stationary post or door jamb is much better) so that you back is flat against it for support. Your legs should be straight with your feet slightly forward from your body (approximately 18”) with the barbell held at arms’ length, resting against the front of your thighs. Keep the elbows well behind the plane of your body with the insides of your biceps touching you rib cage. From here you curl the barbell (which is almost brushing the front of the body) all the way up to your neck and slowly lower the bar back down in the reverse manner just described… Your elbows will move forward and up very slightly which means that some deltoid action is taking place – not enough, however, to detract from the maximum peak 37
squeezing and tensing effect. This brief commentary should adequately take care of the “how to” of the exercise. Now here’s a very detailed workout that will get you ready for the competition. It is called the “Blue Print” One-Rep System. This select solid, bold and mighty “blue print” One-Rep System is what the “late immortal” Doug Hepburn used exclusively back in the 50s to obtain a giant reserve of overall body strength and power and take his lifting strengths to a the world class level. Using the Wall Curl as an example here is how the One-Rep System is performed. Part One: One-Rep System Begin by loading a bar to starting weight you can do in the Wall Curl for five consecutive repetitions for a specific warm-up (use a weight you can do comfortable without straining). Perform five consecutive repetitions. Rest-pause from 3 to 5 minutes. From here you advance onto single repetitions. Perform 3 sub-maximum SINGLE repetitions (rest-pause 3-5 minutes between each single repetition) while increasing the weight of each proceeding sub-single so that a near limit weight that can be performed for the third and final sub-maximum single. Generally this will be about 30 pounds less than you can do in the Wall Curl for a maximum single effort. Take this poundage and do one maximum single repetition. Consider this to be workout number one. Build up the numbers by striving to add ONE additional maximum single repetition each proceeding workout until you are doing EIGHT maximum SINGLE repetitions. When the EIGHT maximum SINGLE repetitions can be accomplished, increase the specific warm-up, sub-maximum, and maximum single repetition weights by at least 5pounds and no more than 10-pounds. IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not increase the poundage until the EIGHT maximum SINGLE repetitions can be performed otherwise you may create an environment of over-training of both the localized skeletal muscle and central nervous systems. Part Two: Maxi-Rep Sets Upon completion of part one of workout number one, decrease the weight so that FOUR sets of THREE CONSECUTIVE REPETITIONS with the most weight involved can be performed. Rest-pause 3-5 minutes between each triple rep set. Each proceeding workout add one additional repetition until FOUR sets of FIVE CONSECUTIVE REPEITIONS can be performed.
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For example at your next workout you would do 1 set x 4 reps and 3 sets of 3 reps, the next workout it would be 1 set x 5 reps and 3 sets of 3 reps, then the following workout, 1 set x 5 reps, 1 set x 4 reps and 2 sets of 3 reps, continuing on in the manner described. When you can do prescribed FOUR sets of FIVE CONSECUTIVE REPETITIONS increase the weights on all four sets by at 5-pounds and no more and begin a new series of FOUR sets of THREE CONSECUTIVE REPEITIONS, following the above outline (Workouts #1 through #9). A 5-pound increase may not seem like much but remember that the Wall Curl is a low poundage lift, when compared to many other lifts, with a low poundage improvement. If at anytime you can’t seem to make the required ONE REP GAIN for two consecutive workouts (most generally this happens within the grid of the single rep sets) you may be experiencing a mild onset of the over training syndrome. If this is the case temporarily eliminate part one (Single-Rep Sets) from the next 3 or 4 proceeding workouts but continue part two (Triple Rep Sets) doing SIX sets instead of FOUR. When you once again add part one (Single-Rep Sets) back into the program (beginning at where you left off previously) decrease the number of Triple Rep Sets back to four. You will have to recalculate parts one and two so that the progressive ONE REP GAIN, in both, once again increases somewhat proportionately. This [Wall Curl for Poundage] workout seems to garner the most productive cumulative results in muscular bulk and strength when it is performed on a frequency of every 3rd or 4th training day. In some severe cases of over training I would suggest decreasing the frequency to once every 7th day. One last thing I should mention is the type of poundage you will need to be competitive in the Wall Curl at your bodyweight of 195 pounds. A 125 pound single attempt is considered fair, 140 pounds good and 155 pounds excellent. I have personally used this One-Rep System (as a part of my power-bodybuilding when I used to compete) and have to admit that the training sessions are somewhat lengthy but the investments of time is well worth the gains it will promote in upper arm strength.
6 Week Bench Program A. I have to ask, and I hope I don’t offend you, but what is one of the most poundage producing bench press routines you know of or have ever used that universally will satisfy the poundage conscious ego’s of bodybuilders perhaps worldwide? B. Your question doesn’t offend me in the least bit. It is no secret that I am perhaps one of the most disadvantaged iron heads ever when it comes to pushing up a big poundage in the bench press. There was a time early on in my bodybuilding career when I could do a triple with the same poundage in the Barbell press overhead (225 x 3) that I could do while lying on a bench. Weird eh? It’s interesting to me that I have pretty much used all the assistance exercises for improving my bench and the poundages I was able to use in 39
these movements indicated that I should have been benching (without a bench shirt) 350375 pounds but it was only on a very rare occasion that I could barely go over 300 pounds. The paltry 300 pounds would have been fine if I only weighted say a 165 pounds but that was not the case as I was nearly 220 pounds. I trained alone (no training partners) all of my competitive career, and most of the top lifters I talked to about my sub par bench press performances, agreed almost to a man that is was more of an issue of me mentally holding back, knowing I didn’t have a spotter if I got buried by the weight. All in all though I never fretted over my performance in the bench press simple because I never felt that except for my ego and bragging rights the bench never afforded me any functional strength advantage in my day to day employment at hard labor. Think about it. Unless we are in the forest and a tree falls on us or we are doing some work under a car and the jack fails most of our day to day situations require use of the thigh and the back strength most exclusively. Also the rotator cuffs are compromised somewhat when doing the bench press. Having said that, I am aware of the value that the bench plays in sports disciplines such as, Powerlifting, Judo and select gridiron applications etc. I should also mention that in the bodybuilding communities over in Europe the bench press isn’t as big of a deal as it is here in the U.S.A. I am only sharing these comments as my personal observations and not as an excuse to not perform better in the bench press. In fact I have searched out every imaginable bench press program in existence as a means to “up my bench” There are at least three dozen or so excellent ones that would universally benefit the bodybuilding communities worldwide but one of my favorites is the 6 Week Power Bench Program that a bodybuilder named John Robbins used to blast his bench pressing strength and those of others into new growth. The program involves a two-day, 3-sequence (A, B, C) training method. Here’s how.… The intensity threshold of the Robbins 6 Week Power Bench Press Program requires only two workouts per week, usually on Mondays and Thursdays to avoid the overtraining syndrome. The first training day consists of workout “A” in which your stress loads for your “barometer” one rep sets consists of working with 95% of your current maximum single effort (MSE). Assuming that you are a natural non-anabolic steroid-free bodybuilder who has a hypothetical 300-pound max bench press your workout will appear as follows: 135 (45%)/10 reps, 185 (62%)/5 reps, 225 (75%) /3 reps, 255 (85%) /2 reps, and 285 (95%) /4 non-consecutive single reps. The second training day of week number one consists of workout “B” where you will use 85% of maximum (300 pounds) for three triple rep “barometer” strength building sets. Workout B thus appears as follows: 135 (45%)/10 reps, 185 (62%)/5 reps, 225 (75%)/3 reps, and 255 (85%) for 3 sets of 3 reps.
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Workout “C” is the third training sequence and requires you to use 75% of your critical threshold 300-pound maximum for two to three five-rep sets. 135 (45%)/10 reps,185 (62%)/reps and 225 (75%) for 3 sets of 5 reps. A brief overview of this program would show that on the first week you are doing workout A on Monday, workout B on Thursday, and workout C on Monday at the beginning of the second week. Workout A is on Thursday and workout B on the following Monday of week number three and C on Thursday. Workout A begins on a Monday again in week number four, cycling through as explained above where you end with workout C on Friday of the sixth and final week of this program. To maintain a systematic strength progression in this 3-program training approach it is necessary that you strive to add five pounds over your previous training “barometer” one rep (workout A), or multiple rep strength building sets (workouts B and C) each and every workout if possible. At the conclusion of the six week cycle you will accomplish approximately a 6-8% strength gain in the “barometer” sets of programs A, B, and C. From here you can test for a new maximum single effort (MSE) and after taking a oneweek layoff of active rest, begin a new 6-week cycle. A disadvantaged bench press is not an inherited trait as my 33 year old son Billy at 195 pounds does 405 x 3 and 440 for a single, all natural and without the use of a bench shirt. There is a saying when talking about a father and his son to the effect that, “The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.” But in this father & son bench press scenario, the acorn does fall far from the tree!!!
Intensity Progression Q. I am getting confused from reading all the bodybuilding magazines because there are so many training progression methods a bodybuilder can use. You’ve got; Forced Reps. Going to Failure, Negatives, Super Sets, Tri-Sets, Giant Sets, Rest-Pauses, Double and Triple Split Workouts. The list is endless. You’ve been in bodybuilding a lot more than some of the rest of us and I wonder if you know of some type of guidelines for knowing when to use the training progressions and when not to use them, especially for a guy like me who is just starting out?
A. Let me try and break down your question a bit. I can tell you one thing and that is a newbie bodybuilder should take a simplistic straight set approach to lifting. You want to avoid going to failure, doing forced or post fatigue reps, negatives and all the other ones you mention in your letter. For the first three or four months of training you want to avoid all of that. Maybe after that you can start delving into that. During the first 3 months do conventional training where you just go with straight sets and a split routine. Don’t use negatives and very seldom would you ‘go to failure’. You see these are the training 41
techniques that advanced bodybuilders use to bypass sticking points and I am far from convinced they are the best for great progress, as far as adding great size and strength especially for the beginner. After the first 3 months of training and for the next three you might consider adding super sets. Super sets are really good because they get you used to working opposing muscle groups, just ask Dave Draper. My suggestion would be to just try it on one muscle group (such as quads/hamstrings, or biceps/triceps) and only once per week. When you’re six months down the road you might add in some giant sets for your lat workouts or even the abs. With regard to double split workout, no way, unless you are really an advanced competitive bodybuilder, which you are not. All in all many of the techniques you mention, especially if done during the first year or two of training can hinder and detract from one’s training. They are the enemy of progress because they will expose you to needless high stress and overload your adaptive mechanism. The techniques you mention may be good once in a while but not on a regular basis. I just couldn’t imagine going to failure every workout, and I have been training for over 40 years. A friend of mine Dennis Tinerino, a former Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia contender from years past, published a very concise Logical Intensity Progress chart which revealed how to use many of the training progressions discussed here. Tell you what I’ll do. When this particular Q & A appears in Muscle Mag, and it will, I’ll post the Tinerino chart on my website: (www.dennisbweis.com) so you can see just how the training progressions should logical be used. Hope all this helps you out.
Big Arms? Q. My question is this: I want my arms to be big! I train them at least twice a week. My biceps seem to have a nice peak but my arms are only 16 1/2 " on a good day! I do preacher curls, dumbbell curls and cable curls. They just don’t seem to grow! I'll do whatever it takes!
A. I hear a sort of hysterical panic in the unedited section of your letter. I'm not sure if I want to know what that’s all about, but I do know that having big arms is important to a lot of guys. I can help you my skinny armed friend. I noticed that while you named several bicep exercises you didn't mention a single triceps exercise. You can do bicep movements until your blue in the face, but unless you do triceps work as well, your arms will always be embarrassingly small! Here is a triceps workout that will compliment the ratio of work you are doing for your biceps. I call it the “atomic” triceps workout. This is a shock blast workout consisting of combining two exercises within the same set. The exercise of choice is the Bent arm barbell pullover and triceps press (E-Z-curl bar),
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Do the Bent arm barbell pullover and triceps press in the following manner: An adjustable sit-up (abdominal) board is set at a 30-degree angle, with a barbell on the floor directly at the lower end of it. The barbell is loaded to 40% of his 10 rep maximum in the Supine close-grip triceps extension. While lying in a declined position on the bench reach back and grasp the bar (ref: Supine close-grip triceps press) and with the arms bent. Now pull the bar in a semi-circle to the upper pectoral region, and with a brief pause, contract the triceps and extend the forearms up to lockout in strict form, lower the bar to the chest by elbow flexion, and return it to the floor. This is the completion of the first rep with fourteen more to go in this first set. For the second set, the bar is loaded to 60% of a 10 rep maximum and 8 reps were performed. Then there is a third set of 8 reps, a forth set of 6 reps, then a fifth set for a triple and finally a sixth set where a limit single rep is performed. Rest 3-5 minutes between sets one through five. Upon completion of the sixth set, a ten-minute rest is taken while you massage the triceps and save your energy for the heavy work to follow. The bar is then loaded to 1 ¼ times the weight that was used for single rep on the sixth set. Hypothetically if 100-pounds were performed for a single rep then the bar was loaded to 125-pounds. The bar is then pulled to the upper chest region, pressed to full extension over the chest. Now instead of lowering the bar all the way down to the chest as was previously done the bar is only lowered six to eight inches, then driven back to lock-out. This is repeated for eight reps. The bar is next loaded with 25% more weight (using the hypothetical example above, the bar is now 150-pounds). Seven to ten sets of 6 reps in the measured movement (six to eight inches) Close-grip triceps extension is the order of the day. If you can read, pick up a copy of Robert Kennedy's "Arm-A-Gettin". This book has some awesome arm routines to help you pack on size and keep it on. Even if you can't read, you can look at the pictures! They're worth the price alone! You know what they say, "If you only go through life once, you might as well have big arms!" And dude, relax! Your arms will grow.
Bodybuilding Truth Q. I constantly read and hear that rest is as important as the work you put in at the gym. I'm not a pro level body builder, so I’m not so sure that I need to rest all that much. I do a 3-1 split work out, so I’m getting plenty of rest, right? Most of the time I take off maybe a week every 6 months or so. Is this enough? Everything I read tells you something different. What’s the truth? A. If you want the "Truth" go climb a mountain in Nepal! Seriously though, Quality rest is as important as the quality work you put out. Bottom line! Try to keep up with me here, when you lift heavy and intensely it breaks down the muscle fibers in the part of the body 43
you just worked. In order for your muscles to heal and grow, you have to rest. If you constantly keep taxing your body and not giving it proper rest, your gains will be minimal at best and you may even and most likely will injure yourself! You say you use a split work out. I don’t know what kind of split routine you use, but the best definition and total integration of nutrition, training and rest as it applies to the "Split" can be found in Robert Kennedy's new book "MuscleBuilding for EveryBody" Inside there are several awesome examples of various split routines and the explanations of when to rest and how much. Basically if you want to grow you need to train hard! But you also need to rest just as hard!
Training Past The Burn Q. I am a 27 year old professional business man in a small town. I have in my employ a personal trainer. He has me work out generally 4 times a week, including strength training, cardio, and stretching. However I don’t think he is pushing me hard enough. Whenever a set starts to get tough he has me quit! Now I don't know a lot about lifting, but it seems to me that to get bigger and stronger you have to push harder. What is your opinion? I really want to get stronger ,what should I do?
A. You seem like a sincere fella' who really wants to train hard so I’ll help ya. First off get a new trainer. A good personal trainer (like my good friend Maximum Bob Whelan in Washington, DC) will know how to push their clients without injuring them. Maybe your current trainer is just out to make a buck. Maybe he doesn't have a clue. The only way to get truly huge and truly strong is to push your self over the pain threshold! The last 2 or 3 reps of a really hard set aren't called the "Golden Reps" for nothing. A quality trainer will know this. Any trainer worth his salt will have spent some time in the "Pain Zone" himself. Being able to do reps when your muscles are screaming at you to stop is when you will make truly magnificent gains my friend! Let’s Build Calves Q. I'll cut right to the chase. My calves are too small! I could lie about it but that just won't do me any good. I normally supplement my leg training with a couple of sets of standing calf raises, but they haven’t grown in at least 4 years. I know what I’m doing isn't working, so could you recommend a few ideas to shock my calves into growth? Thanks.
A. Holy Crap!!! You waited 4 years to try to find out how to grow calves?! You deserve to have "long ankles" if you know what I mean! I shouldn't tell you how, but it's my job so I suppose I will give you a few ideas. First off you should do more than just a couple of sets per leg workout. The key is to use as much weight as you can for as many reps as you can. Calf muscles are dense and as such need to have their butts kicked on a regular basis just to make them grow.
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The tone of your letter indicates you have been training for a few years which should qualify you as an advanced bodybuilder. Therefore here is a routine which will jump start your calf growth. M-W-F a) Seated Calf Machine: 5 sets, 9-12 reps b) Donkey Calf Raise: 5 sets, 15-20 reps c) Standing Calf Machine: 5 sets, 30 reps Tu-Th-Sa a) Single-Legged Heel Raise: 5 sets, 20 reps (This exercise is normally done with a dumbbell held in one hand while standing with one foot on a wooden calf block or stair step.) b) Five 50 yard wind sprints on your toes In addition to this workout do bodyweight-only one-legged heel raises at 5 other times during the day if you can manage it. With a shoeless foot and standing on a wooden calf block or stair step do 25 reps for each leg and then immediately without any rest do 20 reps for each. Remember to do this 25/20 sequence four more times during the day, each sequence done preferable an hour apart from the other. If you can’t find the times available to do the sequences then I would suggest you do just one set of bodyweight-only two-legged heel raise for as many continuous reps as you can. This might run into a hundred reps and more. Do this a few hours apart from the exercises (a & b) listed above. You will find that several weeks on this six day a week workout will do a great deal to promote the growth you are looking for in your calves. All it takes is constant and persistent training, the same ingredients you use for building big arms. If none of this works I guess you'll have to just get calf implants! Just kiddin'! Hope that helps you out Chicken Leg man!
is a Ketchikan, Alaska based power-bodybuilder. He is the co-author of 3 critically acclaimed books; Mass! Raw Muscle, Anabolic Muscle Mass and the exclusive author of 21 Master Data E-Reports (read about them at: www.dennisbweis.com). He is also a frequent hard-hitting uncompromising freelance consultant to many of the mainstream bodybuilding magazines published worldwide.
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Website: www.dennisbweis.com E-mail:
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