Friday, May 28, 2010

Building Biceps And Triceps 9 Quick Tips For Bigger Arm Muscles

9 Quick Tips For Bigger Arms



1) Include a lot of close grip chin ups and dips in your workout program.

2) Do both heavy sets to stimulate the fast twitch fibers and higher rep sets to get a good pump increase the size of the slow twitch fibers, sarcoplasm, etc.

3) Consider training arms (biceps and triceps) on your leg day, 48 hours after your main upper body day. This allows you to hit them more often and also when they are fresher.

4) Or consider, for a short specialization period of a month or two, training biceps and triceps first in your upper body workout.

5) Since they are a smaller body part, the arms can tolerate more volume and frequency than the lats, quads or other larger body parts, when specializing on them for a month or two.

6) Do an equal amount of work for both the triceps and biceps.

7) The triceps respond best to heavy loads so be sure to hit them heavy with some dips, floor presses or board presses.

8) Stretch the biceps and triceps in between sets and after your last pump set.

9) Always try to increase the load on all of your biceps and triceps exercises. If you are curling 35 pound dumbbells now you had better be curling 50’s a year from now. If not your arms will look pretty much exactly the same

For more info on how to build bigger arms tips and routines check out Muscle Gaining Secrets from Jason Ferruggia.

Jason Ferruggia is a highly sought after, world renowned strength and conditioning specialist based out of the New York/New Jersey area. Over the last 15 years he has trained more than 700 athletes from over 90 different NCAA, NFL, NHL and MLB organizations. He has also worked extensively with firefighters, police officers and military personnel as well as countless weekend warriors, Hollywood stars and entertainers. Jason is known as “the secret weapon” by many of his clients for his unmatched ability to deliver awe inspiring results in record time. He has also been called “the most controversial man in the fitness industry today” for his outspoken views and politically incorrect, underground training methods.


Jason is currently the chief training adviser for Men’s Fitness magazine where he also has his own monthly column called The Hard-Gainer. He has authored over 500 articles for various other fitness related websites and magazines such as Men’s Health, Maximum Fitness, MMA SportsMag, Today’s Man, Muscle and Fitness Hers and Shape.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Building Muscle Workouts Push / Pull For Upper Body Muscle

Push / Pull Workout for Upper Body Strength

Good Morning,

I've got another great workout from Jim Smith from the Diesel Crew and Accelerated Muscular Development.


Here is a recent push / pull workout I did.

I remember the first publication I read specifically talking about the balance required in a workout. It was Alwyn Cosgrove’s The Professional Fitness Coach Program Design Bible.

He specifically talked about you must balance your pressing movements with your pulling movements. Extension movements should balance flexion movements. Rotation with the reverse movement, and so on… It was the first time it was ever explained so simply.

And yes, it can be simple for you and your programs.

If there isn’t a balance of the volume and load (sets x reps x weight) on all movements, then imbalances occur. And that is when injuries happen.

Simply, look for the balance.


Muscle Building Upper Body Workout example 1:

Bench Press, 4×8, 200 lbs = 32×200 = 6400 lbs lifted with a pushing movement.

Bent Over Rows, 3×10, 150lbs = 30×150 = 4500 lbs lifted with a pulling movement.

OT BALANCED!

The bent over rows should be adjusted for volume or weight.

All you would have to do is, change the sets to 4×10 and increase the weight to 160lbs and it will balance.

Bent Over Rows, 4×10, 160lbs = 40×160 = 6400 lbs lifted with a pulling movement.

NOW IT IS BALANCED!


Or you could do a different technique. You could balance the pressing movement with MULTIPLE pulling movements within the same workout.


Building Upper Body Muscle Example 2

Bench Press (pushing exercise)

Bent Over Rows (pulling exercise 1)

Face Pulls (pulling exercise 2)

Band Retractions (pulling exercise 3)


The goal is to maintain the integrity of the joint, balance the musculature to ensure optimal strength.

Here is the workout I performed with some key tips.



Swiss Bar Bench Press

Key coaching points to remember. Stay tight, chest up and drive the feet down. Try hard not to let the elbows flare outwards. Take a breath at the top and create tension. Hold that tension for the rep. Reset after each rep.

Cage Rope Climbing


This movement is extremely hard on the grip, biceps and back. The rope used in the video is 1.5″ nylon rope and it is anchored to the top bar of the power cage. In the video I also perform a hand over hand kettlebell lift. This movement is easy to setup. Just put the rope over the top of the power cage and anchor to the kettlebell.

Check out my review and more building muscle videos from Jim click Accelerated Muscular Development

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

To Gain Muscle Fast Time Under Tension For Building Muscle

Time-Under-Tension for Fast Muscle Gain  By Jason Ferruggia

One of the supposed rules of fast muscle gain is that in order for a muscle to grow it has to be exposed to a certain load (e.g. under tension) for 40–70 seconds at a given time. This simply means that every set you do should last somewhere between 40 and 70 seconds.

 If you have never heard this nonsense before, I will give you a second to pick yourself up off the floor and stop laughing. To disprove this theory, I will point to the immeasurable number of lifters who have grown to enormous proportions without ever adhering to this rule.

Taking 40–70 seconds to do a set of 6–8 reps is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. Lifting at this slow speed severely limits the amount of weight you can use and thus decreases the effectiveness of the set.

The only thing that long time-under-tension sets do is increase lactic acid production. This results in the burn feeling and may be what people are confusing with effective training. You can get a great burn by going for a swim or a long bike ride or by doing 1,000 crunches, but everyone knows this isn’t going to do a single thing to help you build muscle.

Fast twitch muscle fibers are the ones that have the greatest potential for building muscle and are only stimulated when the load is heavy, the reps are fairly low and the set lasts about twenty seconds or so.

So sets of five or six reps with 80% or more of your one rep max (1RM) are far more productive at eliciting fast muscle gain than sets of 10-20 reps with 50-60% of your 1RM done at slower speeds. That’s not to say that you should never do slightly higher reps or use less than 80% of your 1RM but that that type of training should never be the main focus of your program.

I hate to admit this, but back when time under tension was first discussed and brought to popularity, I did extensive experiments with this so called muscle building concept in my own private training center. Yes, I got suckered. After reading everything I could about time under tension, I immediately modified every one of my clients’ training programs. We experimented with longer time under tension sets of 40-70 seconds for over a year.

The results? Nearly every single client, to a man, got smaller and weaker. Those that didn’t remained the same size and strength or made marginal muscle gains, at best, that were far inferior to anything we had previously done. I admit it was a huge mistake, but trying things, making mistakes and adapting is the best way to learn.

The good news is that I have already done the experiments and made the mistakes for you. Learn from my misfortunes, avoid these deadly mistakes and you will be on the road to fast muscle gain in no time.

For a more effective approach to gain muscle, click HERE now.


Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people gain muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more check out How to Build Muscle Fast tips

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Build Muscle And Strength Fast A Power Combo

Morning,

I have a real kick your butt video for you today from Jim Smith of Accelerated Muscular Development (AMD). What we have for you is a Power Combo that will pack on muscle fast. It is a 2 exercise combo guaranteed to kick butt and pack on muscle.

Pull-Ups and Ab rollouts. Ab rollouts? A very good and tough ab and core strength exercise. Pull-ups I hope you know that pullups are one of the best upper body strength and muscle building exercises you should be doing.







Give this combo a try. Don't get thrown by Jim's use of chains if you aren't strong enough to add weight to your pull-ups yet. Work on building up to adding weight for your pull-ups. Remember gradual progression is the key to building muscle and strength.

Now get to work! Talk to you soon.


Jim Smith, CSCS is a highly sought after lecturer, author and renowned strength coach. Jim is an expert for Men’s Fitness and a member of the Elite Fitness Q/A staff. He speaks regularly at clinics, conferences and seminars about the Diesel Method. His distinctive and comprehensive training approach has helped athletes and fitness enthusiasts of all skill levels attain their goals and "Achieve Beyond Potential". Jim is an active student of strength athletics and is always seeking new ways to innovate and provide a unique perspective for gaining muscle, rehabbing injuries, improving performance and building better athletics.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Eating For Muscle Gains

Gaining 10 pounds of muscle is not the easiest task in the world but it’s definitely not the hardest task either. Adding a deadline of 4-weeks make the task more challenging but absolutely realistic.


The key is to apply diligence and discipline to your the muscle building diet plan and raise your intensity when you pound the weights. If you’re goal is to pack on some brawn, I’ve designed a very simple muscle building diet to ensure you’re tipping the scale ten pounds heavier in a month’s time.

Let’s get started.

Bulking Up The Brawn!

Your muscles grow on calories – 20-22 per pound of body weight to be exact. A 180-pound man will have the challenge of consuming 3960 calories per day.

Unfortunately, not all calories are created equal, which means 3960 calories of chicken wings, bagels and sausages will have a huge difference on how you look naked versus 3960 calories of lean beef, oatmeal and egg whites.

Protein Portions Gone Wild

You’ll notice in the sample muscle building diet plan that you’re consuming 2 grams of protein per pound of body weigh (360 grams for the 180-pound bodybuilder), which is probably double your normal protein intake.

Why are you consuming so much protein?

The main reason is to recover and regenerate the muscle tissue you break down while training and to ensure you don’t lose any muscle during your intense workouts.

This amount of protein will switch on the “muscle-growing” switch inside your body and ensure you plenty of amino acids to support your growth to new levels.

Don’t Take Away My Carbs!

If you want to gain ten pounds of muscle in 4-weeks, your protein intake needs to be matched by your carbohydrate intake. Carbs will keep your muscle full and large and ensure you have enough energy to meet your weight training programs demands. So the 180-pound bodybuilder will strive for 360 grams of carbs each day. As you can imagine, this is a much easier task then consuming 360 grams of protein.

Get Full On Fat

Fat is not as critical during a muscle building diet plan but a certain amount is required to support testosterone levels. Shop for only healthy fats like mixed nuts, coconut oil, olive oil and avocado. Not only do these foots boost testosterone production but they protein your joints and balance your hormones.

Double Up On Breakfast

The challenge of a muscle building diet plan requires serious diligence and discipline to schedule your meals into your schedule, often times you must form new habits.

I like the double breakfast strategy because your body can handle more calories in the morning and it mentally reinforces your goals for the rest of the day. Your first breakfast is designed to get into your blood stream quickly to prevent muscle breakdown and your second breakfast is designed to supply a slower-releasing form of energy for your morning.

Back Off On Off Days

Since you’re energy demands are not as high, you’ll consume a lower amount of carbs to maximize the muscle-to-fat ratio and ensure you gain muscle, not fat. Also, we’ll drop our calories to 19 per pound of body weight, maintain our protein intake, increase the fat intake and decrease the carb intake the most.


Gain 10-Pounds Of Muscle In 4-Weeks – Workout Day

* Breakfast 1 *

2 slices of whole wheat bread with 2 tbsp of raspberry jam

1 scoop of Iso-Smooth Protein Powder


* Breakfast 2 *

3 eggs + 3 egg whites plus veggies (omelet)

2 cups of oatmeal (cooked)


* Mid-Morning Snack *

2 scoops of Iso-Smooth Protein Powder

2 slices of whole wheat bread

1 tbsp of natural peanut butter

1 tbsp of strawberry jam



* Lunch *

1 large whole wheat bagel

1 tbsp of mustard

6 oz of your favourite deli meat (chicken or turkey is best)

2 cups of mixed greens salad

1/2 avocado (mixed into salad)

1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp. olive oil


* Pre Workout Meal *

1 scoop of Iso-Smooth Protein Powder

5 chocolate/caramel rice cakes


* Post Workout Meal *

2 scoops of Iso-Smooth Protein Powder

1 large banana


* Dinner *

8 oz of fish or sirloin steak

1 large baked potato

1 full head of steamed broccoli

2 cups of mixed greens

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp of olive oil


* Pre Bed Time Snack *

1 cup of cottage cheese

1 cup of mixed berries

1 cup of mixed nuts on top


Gain 10-Pounds Of Muscle In 4-Weeks – Off Day

* Breakfast 1 *

2 slices of whole wheat bread with 2 tbsp of raspberry jam

1 scoop of  Protein Powder


* Breakfast 2 *

3 eggs + 3 egg whites plus veggies (omelet)

1 cup of oatmeal (cooked)

1 tbsp of natural almond butter (blend into oatmeal)

* Mid-Morning Snack *

2 scoops of Protein Powder

1 cup of oatmeal (blend into protein shake)


* Lunch *

1 large whole wheat bagel

1 tbsp of mustard

1 can of albacore tuna (in water)

1 tbsp of mayo

2 slices of mozzarella cheese (melted in tuna and bread)


* Mid Afternoon Snack *

2 scoops of Iso-Smooth Protein Powder

1 tbsp of natural peanut butter

* Dinner *

8 oz of fish or sirloin steak

1 cup of brown rice

2 full head of steamed broccoli

2 cups of mixed greens

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp of olive oil


* Pre Bed Time Snack *

1 cup of cottage cheese

1 cup of mixed berries

1 cup of mixed nuts on top

END OF MEAL PLAN

As you’ll notice, this meal plan does not include any fancy foods or any outrageous budget to afford. The foods are easy to purchase and simple to prepare. I followed a similar muscle building diet plan like the ones above to gain 41-pounds of muscle in six months.

I’m sure you’ll pack on at least 10-pounds of muscle in the next 4-weeks with this muscle building diet plan. Feel free to ask questions and tomorrow I’ll share some muscle building supplements to compliment this plan.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Muscle Building On 3 Meals A Day?

Three square meals a day...breakfast, lunch and dinner. Can a person achieve great muscle-building results with just three meals a day?


Absolutely...and I'll tell you how.

It's all about meal timing and quantity.

Before I get started, please note it IS very true that you're better off eating smaller, more frequent meals, both for muscle building and fat loss. I'm not going to argue with that.

The problem arises because many people simply CAN'T get more than 3 meals day.

Here's my solution...

1. Plan to train in the late afternoon/early evening, if you can. For our meal timing, this will be the best option.

2. Have a moderately large breakfast...eggs, oatmeal, broccoli...whatever else you normally eat. Breakfast is the second most important meal of the day (for our purposes here, at least) and it's not going to be your biggest.

3. Have a medium-sized lunch...at this point, you're looking to not overload your digestive system with food (you already did that with breakfast) because you'll be training fairly soon.

4. Do your workout and have your post-workout shake.

5. DINNER is going to be your biggest meal of the day. Because your body is primed to take full advantage of whatever you eat after training THIS is the time to load up. You should get at least half your days calories or more in this meal...overloading calories like this is extremely anabolic and your body will thrive on it.

6. Next day, repeat.

That's the plan! It's nothing complicated, of course, but I've been using this type of eating and training schedule for a long time and it's been extremely effective for me.

If you can squeeze in a few small snacks during the day, go for it! But if you don't have time for 5 or 6 meals a day, don't stress about it. Your body can cope and you can definitely still make great muscle building progress!