Building Muscle Workouts: Gain Muscle And Build A Big Back

How to Gain Weight & Build a Barn Door Sized Back by Jason Ferruggia of Triple Threat Muscle


If you want know how to gain weight and build a thick, muscular back there are three exercises that you need to become very familiar with. Those exercise are chin ups, rows and lastly but most importantly; deadlifts. If you did nothing but those three exercises faithfully you would end up with a thick and impressive looking back.

When it comes to uncovering the secrets of how to gain weight you need to realize that the back muscles make up a huge portion of your total musculature and that developing them will add countless pounds to your frame.

So how do we go about developing all of the muscles of the back? Firstly we have to address the traps which start at the neck and go all the way down to the mid back. These can be worked most effectively with dead lifts, shrugs and hang cleans. Deadlifts can be done for anywhere between one and twenty reps. Shrugs are best kept at 6-12 reps and cleans should usually be done for six reps or less.

Next on the list are the smaller muscles around the shoulder blade area which are the infraspinatus, rhomboids, teres major and minor and rear deltoids. These muscles work during all forms of rows. If you are really looking to get the most bang for you buck and to work as many muscles as possible then stick with big compound rowing exercises like dumbbell and barbell rows. These will work most muscles in your back. But if you are more advanced and want to isolate and directly target some of these smaller muscles you can do that with face pulls, bent over lateral raises, scare crows and external rotations.

These smaller isolation type exercises are not necessary but can help prevent imbalances and can put the finishing touches on a well muscled back. Unlike other isolation exercises like leg extensions and concentration curls, these exercises actually do serve some purpose and are effective at building size and strength and preventing injury. When utilizing some of these smaller isolation exercises be sure to keep the reps in the 8-12 range as that is what seems to work best for these muscles.

The lats are next and are the muscles that stick out under your armpits and give you the appearance of width. They make up a great deal of the total back musculature. To really increase the size of your lats and thus the width of your back, focus on all variations of chin ups and the occasional higher rep set of pulldowns.

Lastly we have the erector spinae which is basically the lower back musculature. This area extends from the top of the glutes up to the traps. A well developed set of erector spinae really stands out and lets people know you are way more than all show and no go. There is no better lower back exercise than the deadlift and its variations. Some other great erector spinae builders are good mornings, back extensions and reverse hypers. These exercises should be done for 6-20 reps, while deadlifts can be done for 1-20 reps.

While everything written above is important and should be considered, you could ignore all of it and just deadlift on a regular basis and still develop a very impressive back. Whenever someone asks me how to gain weight I tell them to eat a lot and do deadlifts.

Deadlifts are the king of the back builders and work every muscle group. If you are pressed for time, stick with deadlifts. If you have more time to dedicate to building a big back do two sets each, twice per week of some type of deadlift or lower back exercise (deads should only be done once per week as they are very tough to recover from), shrug, upper back “isolation move,” compound row and chin up.

**********

For more advice on how to gain solid muscle visit Triple Threat Muscle take your muscle building to a whole new level.

Muscle Building The Triple Threat Muscle Approach

This is a short Q & A with Jason Feruggia from the Renegade Gym,  Muscle Gaining Secrets and his new programThe Triple Threat Muscle building program.

Q: Most guys are being told to follow bodybuilding splits, train multiple times a day, and other non-sense training tactics that don’t work. What tips do you have for people looking to build muscle as fast as possible?


A:The key to making consistent size gains is making consistent strength gains (in a hypertrophy rep range) while eating enough food and allowing enough time for recovery. You need to constantly be doing more weight or more reps. The body will respond to any given stimulus one time and one time only. If you place the same demands on it a second time (like pressing the same weight for the same reps) nothing will happen. You must always be forcing it to adapt and thus you must always ask it do something it isn’t used to.

The easiest way to do this is add more weight or do more reps with the same weight.

Aside from making consistent strength gains the next most important thing to consider is training frequency. To improve anything in life you need to do it frequently. Building muscle is no different. So you want to train a muscle as frequently as possible, while it is in a fresh and recovered state. This means that you should be training each body part once every 2-5 days, and not once a week like a lot of the muscle mags recommend. That’s too little frequency. The more times you can stimulate growth throughout the year the better. Obviously 104 growth stimulating workouts per year for each body part would be a lot better than 52.

Q: I have seen the phrase “stimulate, don’t annihilate” on your blog in reference to training. Can you explain what you mean by this and the relation to training volume?

A: To elicit a training response you need to present the body with a stimulus that it isn’t used to. This stress will cause the body to adapt. The body adapts by building itself up bigger and stronger.

Where people go wrong is that they think they need to annihilate the muscle in order to elicit any type of response. This is completely counterproductive. When you annihilate the muscle with tons of sets and reps and intensity techniques like drop sets you drastically increase your recovery time. And as I mentioned previously, frequency is very important. So when you increase your recovery time you have to decrease your training time. You’re shooting yourself in the foot.

The key is to do just enough to stimulate size and strength gains but not annihilate yourself so that it takes forever to recover, or worse- that you put yourself in a state of overtraining.

Q: Triple Threat Muscle is your new program. What separates this program from all the others and can you tell our readers why you created it?

A: My Muscle Gaining Secrets program is specifically geared toward skinny guys, hardgainers and beginners. This is more of an intermediate/advanced program that is more athletically based. So while the main focus is still on building muscle there is also a shift toward a bit more speed work, mobility and conditioning in Triple Threat Muscle.

The new program was created for the typical weekend warrior or Average Joe who wants to look and train like an athlete but doesn’t actually have the time or recovery ability to spend more than a few hours per week in the gym.

I spent the last two years experimenting on a wide group of individuals to come up with the most effective and fastest way to do this. Triple Threat Muscle is the result of two years of hard work and is based on all of my findings.

Q: tell us about Renegade Gym (this is the gym Jason owns in NJ.

At Renegade we want and accept only the most dedicated, disciplined hardest workers around. There is absolutely zero tolerance for anything less than 100% commitment. I don’t say that to be cool or hardcore or tough. Because I am none of those things. I say it because I take this business very seriously and am not in it for the money. I do it because I eat, sleep and breathe this shit. I am obsessed with it. I love getting people bull fucking strong and jacked out of their minds. I love helping guys run faster and jump higher. I live to help people hit goals and do things they never thought possible.


The majority of people, however, just don’t have the level of commitment that I expect and demand. That is why I have turned down more clients than I have accepted and will always continue to do so. It’s why I have always thrown an average of probably half a dozen people per year out of the gym. From a business perspective I highly recommend that you do the same. When you’re starting out it can be tempting to just take money from everyone that comes your way. But doing this will ruin your business in the long run. Your clients/ members need to be walking billboards for your company. And if they are lazy, whining schmucks, how is that going make you look when they get zero results and then tell people they train at your place? Never mind the fact that these types of negative, weak minded people will ruin the atmosphere in the gym, bring others down of and basically make you hate your very existence.

At Renegade we demand that if you are going to be a part of the team, you bring something to the table and make the entire group better. If you are not making the atmosphere better you’re only making it worse and just taking up space that we can’t afford to give you. At Renegade it’s not just about you; it’s about everyone else you train with as well. You need to not only elevate your game but also bring everyone else up with you. And if you are the low man on the totem pole, your job is to get to the top fast.

Like the great strength coaching legend Louie Simmons said about his world famous Westside Barbell Club, “I don’t have room for poodles in my gym; I only want pit bulls.” I am not comparing myself to Louie or Renegade to Westside, because there can not and will not ever be any comparison. But like Louie, I want guys (and girls) who are fiercely competitive and will do whatever it takes to constantly set PR’s and be the top dog in the gym.


Q: And finally, what general tips can you give to our readers who want transform their bodies?

* Strength train 3-4 days per week.

* Lift heavy and keep most of your sets in the range of 3-10 reps.

* Don’t go to failure.

* Train each body part 2-3 times per week.

* Don’t do more than 12-16 total sets per workout.

* Always strive to get stronger.

* Eat natural, organic foods and avoid anything processed.

* Sleep 8-10 hours per day.

* Minimize stress.

* Get out in the fresh air and sun more often.

Thanks to Jason for his insight into muscle building. Go check out Jasons new program Triple Threat Muscle if you think you can cut it.

Building Muscle 1 Key To Muscle Gains

Triple Threat Muscle Building

Stop over thinking. That’s it. That’s one very important key to fast muscle growth. It’s that simple. Stop doing that and instead focus on what’s really important and you’ll grow a hell of a lot faster.

Every day people ask me what angle they should set the incline bench to, should they do hill sprints or sled sprints, whether they should wait two hours or two and half hours between meals, if they should do six reps or eight reps on dumbbell presses, if they should rest between arms when doing 1 arm rows or do both arms and then rest.

It’s all way too much thinking and over analyzing. Stop stressing yourself out over all the minute details that make very little difference in the big picture.

The majority of people who fail to gain any appreciable amounts of size and strength do so because they over think, over analyze and bang away on the keyboard more than they actually eat, sleep and train.

Simplify it all and your results will come much faster. Not to mention the fact that your life will be a lot less stressful.

Muscles get bigger when you apply a stress they are not used to and then feed them properly and allow them adequate time to recover.

How much stress is enough? A lot less than most people think. Muscle growth can be stimulated in just a few hard sets.

Your goal is not to get the most massive pump possible. Skinny guys tend to chase the pump during their workouts. It’s one of the reasons why they remain skinny. Doing an extra three sets of curls because it temporarily makes your arms a half an inch bigger is a waste of time. It does nothing to contribute to real muscle growth. The pump is just a rush of blood in the muscles. It’s not real, lasting size. So don’t obsess over it.

The easiest way to stimulate growth is by lifting heavier weights or doing more reps with the same weight (up to a point). Anything over twelve reps on most exercises will be a waste of time for most people. Hardgainers are better off sticking with ten and under. Advanced guys can get away with higher reps, occasionally; especially on lower body exercises.

So your goal is to beat your training journal every week. It helps to have a training partner and to try to beat him as well. The more motivation the better. Just get stronger, no matter what it takes. Do this three or four days per week and don’t spend more than an hour in the gym.

If your numbers are going up you know you are recovering properly and that your training is on point. But the scale needs to go up too. So make sure you are eating enough to make that happen. You can do that on the Paleo Diet, the Zone Diet, a vegetarian diet or whatever works for you. When all is said and done the most important thing is that you eat clean, organic food and get the necessary calories required to make the numbers on the scale go up.

You don’t want to get fat in the process, so the majority of you (except the genetic freaks whom we all envy yet secretlydespise) will need some type of cardio or conditioning to keep body fat levels in check. By far and away the number one choice here would be some type of sprinting. Do this once or twice per week. And get really good at jumping rope.

Simple, right?

Now stop thinking and start growing.

Jason Ferruggia

PS. For a simple, yet brutally effective muscle building program with everything you need to know laid out in one fully detailed, step by step manual, pick up your copy of Triple Threat Muscle Building today.

Muscle Building Old School VS New School

Liberate Yourself From Classical Weight Training

By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS  Director, Staley Training Systems

During my recent talks in Bellaria, Italy, a theme developed which reflects what I consider to be a problem in the way that most people think about resistance training. In particular, during one roundtable discussion on Escalating Density Training, I fielded numerous questions about the so-called “correct” number of sets, reps, rest duration, etc., etc., for EDT workouts.

Finally, I saw the underlying problem behind the various questions I was fielding:

The attendees were focusing too much on the means of optimal weight training and not enough on the ends.

As I thought about it, virtually ALL resistance training systems and philosophies focus on means, often to the total exclusion of the ends.

Case in point: HIT training. HIT (which stands for "High Intensity Training") revolves around the performance of only one (or sometimes two), all-out sets to failure, as opposed to the more conventional methodology of several sets per exercise. Thus, the defining feature of HIT is the use of an unusual set of means.

Another example of a popular training system that focuses on means is Power Factor Training. This system advocates the use of restricted range of motion (for example, performing leg presses over the last 6 inches of extension only) in order to allow for the use of heavier loads. Again, the salient feature of this system is the means rather than the ends.

Enter Escalating Density Training

As I described to my lecture audiences in Italy, when I set out to codify the training system I had been gradually developing over the course of several years (the system that eventually came to be known as Escalating Density Training, or EDT for short), I eventually arrived at an arresting premise: in resistance training, the ends must dictate the means.

This realization struck me as profound, because it’s the exact opposite approach that virtually all other systems are based on! So in other words, what I became focused on is this question: "How can I organize sets, reps, rest intervals, etc., in such a way that I can perform the most amount of work possible in a pre-determined time frame?" (which in EDT parlance, we call "PR Zones").

In the process of asking this question, a fundamental truth emerged: work capacity is a function of managing (rather than seeking) fatigue.

This principle is universal in the lives of all successful people in all fields of endeavor. It is the hallmark of all effective people. In his excellent book "Leadership," Rudolph Giuliani states that one of his primary objectives was to get as much done as possible in the first hour of the day, while his energy was still high.

This is a strategy that I have used in my own professional life for many years, and maybe you have too. The point is simple: effectiveness, whether at the office, at home, or in the weight room, is a function of managing energy.

Escalating Density Training manages energy expenditure in the following seven ways:

1) Antagonistic Pairings:

Sherrington’s Law states that when a muscle contracts, it’s antagonist must relaxó otherwise, no movement would occur. Therefore, if the trainee performs a set of leg extensions in between two sets of leg curls, each muscle group recovers faster as a result of the work performed by it’s antagonist. In EDT, three type of antagonists are recognized:

True Antagonist: For example, pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi

Bilateral Antagonist: When using unilateral exercises (such as dumbbell rows for example), the left side becomes the ìantagonistî for the right side, and vice versa.

Proximal Antagonist: In some regimes of Escalating Density Training, two distal muscle groups are trained together in the same PR as a way to manage fatigue. For example, leg curls and incline presses.

2) Optimal force-velocity relationship:

In the body composition aspect of EDT training, trainees are advised to select a weight that can be lifted 10 (but not 11) times - in other words, a 10RM weight. Most importantly, each PR Zone starts with sets of 5 with this 10RM weight - exactly the opposite of what most training systems recommend.

The rationale? By selecting a moderate weight and lifting it acceleratively (See point # 7 on CAT training below), we strike a balance between force and speed which results in the highest possible motor unit recruitment and work output.

3) The Chronological Governor (PR Zones):

Most automobiles have a "governor" which sets a limit on how fast the vehicle may be driven. This is designed to protect both the vehicle and yourself. EDT training uses a similar device, called the PR Zone, to limit the amount of high intensity work you perform in an exercise session.

Typically, Escalating Density Training workouts feature 2-3 PR Zones, usually 15 minutes in duration. Note that most exercise systems provide you with a certain number of exercises, sets, and reps, and then you perform that workout, regardless of how long it takes to complete. EDT employs the opposite approach: you first set the time limit, and then perform as much work as possible within this time frame.

4) Definitive Progression Targets:

Unlike most training systems, EDT workouts provide a specific performance goal for each PR Zone. You start the workout knowing exactly how much time you have and exactly what must be accomplished. This provides focus and clarity each and every workout.

5) The Distraction Principle:

During an EDT workout, you’ve always got one eye on the clock and the other on your training log. There’s little time to consider how tired you are, what you’ll eat for lunch afterward, or any other distracting thoughts.

6) The Conscientious Participation Principle:

Workout by workout, each individual finds the best set-rep-rest strategy to permit a maximal performance. Slow-twitch dominant exercisers often find that higher reps and shorter rests result in the best performances. Fast-twitchers, just the opposite.

There are a number of individual factors that determine optimal exercise performance for each person, and Escalating Density Training provides the flexibility to capitalize on individual talents and predilections.

Consider this analogy: water, being flexible and adaptable, always fills the shape of it’s container. Most systems are more like ice however - it only fits if you’re the right container!

7) CAT: Compensatory Acceleration Training

This phrase was coined by Dr. Fred Hatfield, the first man to officially squat 1000 pounds in competition. The central premise is that you move the weight quickly, and compensate for momentum by accelerating the weight even faster.

The body is hard-wired to accelerate heavy objects, and training styles should reflect this reality. After all, if you had to move a 100 pound box from the floor onto a high shelf, would you move slowly in order to maintain continuous tension, or would you move it with as much speed as possible?

When you run a one mile course, your rate of energy expenditure is greater than if you walk that same course - in other words, you did more work per unit of time. Similarly, when you move a weight a certain distance, a faster execution results in greater work per unit of time. Forget about Super Slow training - it only applies to Tai Chi molasses wrestling events.


Static Versus Dynamic Systems

Another shortcoming in most training systems is that they are static. In other words, "Here’s the program, now go do it."

The problem with this approach is that everyone is different. Not only that, but each individual has different needs at different points in their lives. Most training systems prescribe a particular exercise/set/rep/rest/tempo recommendation for everyone.

A select few do a little better by tailoring these parameters for the individual exerciser. EDT takes it a step further by enabling the exerciser him or herself to participate in the design of the workout.

Even further, the exact parameters of each workout often change in accordance to the trainee’s innate experience and understanding about what it will take to beat the pervious best numbers. Interestingly, the flexibility just described does not blur the basic structure of the system.

The Perfect Training System

In fact, there is no singular "perfect" system, in any field of endeavor. However, the "best" systems are dynamic, flexible, and respect the established principles that are known to guarantee a successful outcome.

In the field of resistance training, Escalating Density Training dynamically conforms to the end-users needs from workout to workout while at the same time ensuring the stringent application of the established principles of athletic training.

For more on Escalating Density Training check out my review and a  introduction to EDT video from Charles click here Muscle Building

Building Muscle 12 Keys To Blow Past Your Genetic Potential

Good Morning,

The other day I told you about the FREE 37 page report being given away by Vince Del Monte The 12 Targets you have 1 more day to get it. So you better go now and download it. If you are serious about gaining new muscle you'll want to check it out. And why not it's Free.

I took a couple of things off the download page so you can see a small bit of what the report can show you.

There are only TWELVE ways responsible for constructing a perfect physique (even if you’ve approached or exhausted your genetic potential and not sure if your body is capable of any more physique-altering improvements) FAST and FREE! ***The 12 Anabolic Targets**


Inside You’ll Discover...

• The real reason you can’t add new lean muscle mass (whether you’re a male or female, young or old). Currently you’ve been taught to only target 1 (or, if you’re lucky, two), of the HUGE set of 12 “little-known” anabolic targets and I’m about to reveal the targets you’re missing. (See page 2).

• The shocking truth about why 95% of programs have the plateau built right into the program and why you had no other reason but to hit a plateau! (Do they really work? Find out on page 8)

• The fastest, safest, and most reliable way to grow beyond your genetic potential for beginners, intermediates and advanced people alike. See PROOF that it’s not impossible to grow beyond “genetic potential”... (Page 14)
 
Go Now 12 Untapped Targets To Ignite New Muscle Gains

Maximum Muscle Building 12 Key Untapped Targets

Just recently I was hanging out with my good friend and fitness model (from Canada) Vince Del Monte. I met Vince a few years ago and we’ve remained very good friends and I can tell you Vince is one of the most honest straight talking guys I have ever met.

I don’t know if you if you’ve ever met him, seen his videos or his pictures but he’s pretty much the “go to guy” for
muscle building advice in our circle of friends and online fitness community.

You may know Vince as the guy who was once called “Wimpy Skinny Vinny” and gained 41-lbs of muscle in 6-months then went on to become a National Fitness Model Champion and author.

What you may not know is that Vince couldn’t crack 190-lbs and hit a crazy rut after – probably very similar to your own rut. 190-lbs became his “limit” and according to the experts – a plateau he should have accepted as “normal” and not questioned.

But over the last 2-years, Vince has made a DISCOVERY!

That discovery helped him gain an ADDITIONAL 20-lbs of lean muscle the past 2-years. He contributes busting through his plateau to his discovery of the “The 12 Anabolic Targets” (which works for beginners, intermediate and advanced lifters alike).

The BEST NEWS: he wants to hook you up with all twelve of them absolutely FREE in his brand new 36-page report: The 12 Untapped Targets To Ignite New Muscle Gains.

No catch except that the report is coming down in 72-hours.

You can get it here:
The 12 Untapped Targets To Ignite New Muscle Gains

And this is not a sales pitch for something new and shiny…it’s a KILLER content that reveals 12 untapped targets you must hit if you want to ignite new muscle on your body.

You’ll love this! You’ll be able to unlock the target of your choice later today when you hit the gym.

Provide him your BEST email address to make sure this makes it nto your hands:

The 12 Untapped Targets To Ignite New Muscle Gains ;- click here for your FREE Report

I’ve been using Target #6 - High Frequency Lifting I've been using different poundages, rest times, rep ranges etc. And it’s been keeping my workouts fresh and stimulating.

Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, male or female, I’m absolutely certain that you will learn some new information that will help you blow beyond your genetic potential.

The 12 Untapped Targets To Ignite New Muscle Gains ⇐ FREE download

To your new muscle,
Jag252