Spartan Fitness Reviews

By Vince DelMonte

Almost anyone that’s picked up a set of weights has or will experience symptoms of over-training at one point in there muscle building program. Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue, and even muscle loss.

Over-training is very common amongst athletes and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains.

This couldn’t be any further from the truth however…

Training too much, or at too high of an intensity will lead to over-training.

Now this doesn’t mean you don’t have to put plenty of effort in to see some decent results… Whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that’s a given. In order to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training workout.

The problem is however, that many of us increase the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even worse, a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between workout volume and intensity, and rest and recovery. And that is exactly what I’ll cover in this article.

The Effects of Over-Training on Bodybuilders

First, let’s take a look at some of the effects of over-training and how one can prevent over-training from happening in the first place.

The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous System

Over-training effects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:

* Higher resting heart rate
* Weak appetite
* High blood pressure
* Weight loss
* Trouble sleeping
* Increased metabolic rate
* Irritability
* Early onset of fatigue

If you are experiencing more than one of the symptoms outlined above, you may be in a state of over-training, and should evaluate your routine as soon as possible.

The Effects of Over-training on Hormone Levels

Many studies have indicated that over-training negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in the body. Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.

Over-training has been show to:

* Decrease testosterone levels
* Decrease thyroxine levels
* Increase cortisol levels

The increase in cortisol levels along with the decrease in testosterone levels is a deadly combination, since this leads to protein tissue break down. This will ultimately lead to a loss of muscle tissue.

The Effects of Over-training on the Immune System

perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions of over-training is it’s negative impact on the immune system-you’re bodies first defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.

Over-training can drastically decrease the levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more susceptible to illness. Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of over-training, you are much more likely to get sick. Since you will have to skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow considerably.

The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic System

Here is a list of how over-training can effect the metabolic system. These symptoms are the ones that are most commonly discussed, and are ones we can’t ignore:

* Micro tears in the muscle
* Chronically depleted glycogen levels
* Slow, weak muscle contractions
* Depleted creatine phosphate stores
* Excessive accumulation of lactic acid
* Extreme DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
* Tendon and connective tissue damage

So you must get the point by now… Over-training effects the entire body, and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program.

Now let’s take a look at the different types of over-training, and what we can do to prevent it.

Is it Worse to Over-Train With Cardio or Weight Training?

Any form of over-training is a bad thing, however, I’ve personally experienced both types of over-training and can honestly say that over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.

Here are some of the reasons why:

* In order to grow, muscles must fully recover from their last workout, every workout. If you are over-training and work the muscles before they have fully recovered, you will break down the muscle tissue before it has rebuilt-making it impossible to build muscle!

* Over-training with weights makes you more susceptible to nervous systems hormone and immune system issues, which all pose serious health risks.

* It can lead beginners down the wrong path, perhaps wasting money on unnecessary supplements, or even worse, steroids.

I personally believe that only competitive athletes such as swimmers, runners and bikers run a serious risk of reaching a state of cardiovascular over-training, since there are often training for two or more hours daily.

The bottom line is that it is much easier for the average person to over-train while weight training than while cardiovascular training, and I think the effects can be more serious.

How do I Determine if I’m Over-training?

Determining if you’re currently over-training is fairly simple. If you’re in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of over-training before they get serious. If you are losing interest in workouts, are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state of over-training and should take a week or more off.

If you are experiencing two or more of the symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag.

Another variable you can use to determine if you are over-training is by tracking the performance of your workouts.

Has your physical performance improved compared to your last workout?

For example, let’s say last workout you were able to perform 8 pull-ups using your body-weight, but were only able to perform 6 pull-ups the following week. This means that you have not “out done” your previous workout, have not fully recovered, and therefore are likely over-training. You nave to re-asses your program and make modifications so that you see progress every workout.

How Can I Prevent Over-training?

n order to avoid over-training, you need to take a multi-facited approach. Determining the correct training volume and intensity, eating the right foods, and getting the right amount of rest and recovery must all be taken in to consideration. Now let’s take a look at each of those factors in more detail.

Correct Training Volume

Determining the correct training volume can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out. You have to determine how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every single workout.

You need to use your own judgment in this case, based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods. Remember that the goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn’t happening, you have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.

This is where many people go wrong though. You begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered. You can either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or skip the workout entirely.

As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is the right way to go. Just turn around and go home! Your body is telling you that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it!

There is no point in training at a lower intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue. By doing this you will increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully recovery for your next training session.

Proper Nutrition

Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle building program. It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.

Here are some dietary recommendations that will limit the chance of over-training:

* Do not skip breakfast. This is one of the most important meals of the day. Skipping breakfast is very catabolic, and can promote muscle loss.
* Never let yourself get hungry. If you’re trying to build muscle mass, you have to constantly feed your body quality foods so that it never has the chance catabolize muscle tissue.
* Unless you are trying to build muscle and lose fat, make sure you have eaten prior to your training session and are not hungry.
* Have the largest meal of the day within an hour after your workout. Do this every single workout!
* Consider taking proven supplements like creatine, and antioxidants to increase performance and fight free radicals.
* Eat every 2-3 hours to ensure that your body remains in an anabolic state.
* Keep glycogen levels at full capacity to inhibit muscle tissue breakdown.

Rest & Recovery

Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to avoiding over-training. Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and that you are on a consistent schedule. As for recovery time, it’s important that you have days off between weight training workouts. Try to have one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.

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About the Author:

Vince Delmonte is a competitive fitness model and personal trainer, as well as the author of
No-Nonsense Muscle Building, a complete guide to building muscle for the hardgainer.
Vince’s program includes extensive diet plans, complete weight training regimens, video tutorials, and full email personal training support.
© 2006-2008, Vince DelMonte Fitness. All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package.

By Vince DelMonte

Are looking for a weight loss program that works? If so, you’ve probably seen the Fat Loss for Idiots program around, along with plenty of Fat Loss For Idiots Diet Reviews. What’s this program about? It’s touting to offer you a high rate of fat loss with minimal effort involved. Fat Loss For Idiots works on the claim that it is all about eating your foods in a certain manner throughout the day, while decreasing the attention that is paid to a proper exercise plan.

But how beneficial is Fat Loss For Idiots? Understanding some common dieting myths is important to determine whether this program is worth its salt. First, if you read their premise, they state that if you eat 2500 calories a day, your body will adapt and stop burning 2500 calories a day. Well sorry folks, but that just is not correct. If your body adapted to burning off however many calories a day you are eating, how do you think you got fat in the first place? Your body certainly did not adapt to those calories – what makes you think it will adapt to the ones this program tells you to eat?

The bottom line is that if you are looking for a smart way to lose fat, you will need to create a caloric deficit. Your Six Pack Quest does this. By reading through it, you will get access to a metabolic calculator to determine the optimal number of calories your body needs to guarantee fat loss, without feeling like you’re starving. Sure, if you have been on a starvation diet, you will need to up the calories – and when you do, you’ll find you do actually lose weight! But if you are currently eating thousands of calories, your body will not adapt to burning those off. You need an action plan that works – Your Six Pack Quest will lay it out for you in easy to understand terms that anyone can follow.

Next, when looking at the Fat Loss For Idiots program, they downgrade exercise stating that it doesn’t ‘matter’ when it comes to gaining or losing weight. How can exercise not matter?! Study after study has shown that dieters who combine exercise with their dietary efforts show a much higher rate of fat loss, rather than a mixture of muscle and body fat. Do you know what happens when you lose both muscle and fat? Your metabolism slows down. So sure, you’ve lost weight but now your natural metabolic rate is slower meaning you have to eat less for the rest of your life! Is that something you want? A diet of rabbit food forever? Didn’t think so.

Your Six Pack Quest will show you how to exercise productively, where you aren’t spending hours in the gym, but you are getting results. Doing so will help you retain that crucial muscle mass, thus helping keep your metabolism revved and make maintaining your weight loss a piece of cake.

So, instead of falling for another gimmicky plan that promises rapid weight loss (they claim 9 pounds in 11 days – which will be mostly water anyway), opt for a plan that combines both a healthy, long-term way of eating with healthy exercise that doesn’t feel like torture. Your Six Pack Quest offers meal plans just as Fat Loss For Idiots does, but it takes things one step further – you’ll also received detailed exercise descriptions and plans for a variety of exercise needs, a workout DVD, a virtual trainer, supplement information, along with continuous updates on all the latest on the research front related to fat loss. It really is an all inclusive program that will address all the factors that contribute to weight gain – not just diet alone. Remember, losing weight should be a lifestyle approach, not just changing what you put on your plate.

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About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest found here

He specializes in helping chubby guys and gals get six pack abs without gimmicks, supplements or dieting.

© 2006-2008, Your Six Pack Quest All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package

By Vince DelMonte

If getting ripped abs is on your list of priorities when it comes to your current fitness program, do not overlook the importance of your usual strength training activities. One of the biggest misconceptions about getting ripped abs is that you must spend hours doing ab work alone. Unfortunately this is furthest from the truth.

The real fact of the matter is that when you are lifting heavy during your squats, lunges, deadlifts, and the bench press, you will be using the ab muscles to a great degree. If they were not working, you would find yourself feeling unstable, and chances are, you would wind up injured.

The ab muscles are going to be called into play with every weight lifting exercise you do, so ensure proper form is being utilized during all workout sessions.

Furthermore, one of the major factors in developing ripped abs, is going to be getting your body fat level low enough for them to be seen clearly.

If you’re not approaching close to single digits, chances are you may have great ab muscles, but you aren’t going to see them when looking in the mirror.

Weight training exercises are one of the best ways to boost your metabolic rate, which will then help you burn off body fat all day long. Do keep in mind though that all weight lifting activities are not created equally. A heavy set of squats is going to ramp up the metabolism a great deal more than a set of bicep curls would for example.

To utilize this principle, try your best to program your weight lifting routine so that only core, compound lifts are included. This would be movements such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, bent over rows, shoulder presses, and the bench press.

Not only will this provide you with a far better whole body workout without wasting too much time on needless exercises, but it will also help you achieve that ripped abs look that you are going for.

Lastly, keep in mind that ripped abs and strong abs can mean different things. If you do a great deal of weighted abdominal work, you may actually cause your ab muscles to grow larger, thus giving you the appearance of a wider waist. Unless the body fat levels are not low again, you’ll just end up looking bigger in the middle, rather than more defined.

So, in order to make this goal a reality for you, first focus on getting low enough body fat levels to get those abs showing. This can be accomplished through a solid lifting program and a clean diet. Then, if you are not happy with the shape of the ab muscles or the amount of ab muscle development, start focusing on doing more work focused on just this muscle group itself.

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About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest found here

He specializes in helping chubby guys and gals get six pack abs without gimmicks, supplements or dieting.

© 2006-2008, Your Six Pack Quest All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package

By Jason Ferruggia

There are usually four to five reasons why someone would become a vegetarian and they are:

- The negative effect on the environment and the contribution to global warming.
- The contribution to world hunger.
- The cruelty to animals issue.
- The fact that the thought of eating animal carcasses grosses them out.
- Health reasons.

The question that plaques many of us, however is, “how to build muscle on a vegetarian diet?” People often wonder if it can be done but I am here to tell you that it absolutely can.

So, how does being a vegetarian affect your ability to build muscle?

Probably a lot less than you would think or have been led to believe.

First of all, man was probably actually intended to be an herbivore and not a carnivore. Physiologically speaking, man has all the characteristics of an herbivore and none of the characteristics of a carnivore. We have the teeth, jaws, digestive enzymes, stomach acidity, and small intestine length of herbivores. Probably the most disturbing and nauseating of those is the small intestine length. Carnivores have a small intestine that is 3-6 times body length. This is because meat rots very quickly and needs to pass through the body very rapidly. Unfortunately, humans have a small intestine length of 10-11 times body length. What this means is that long after the meat has gone rotten, it’s still in your body decaying and contributing to untold number of diseases.

When you add in all the chemicals and other unhealthy substances that our meat contains these days you can see that eating meat might actually not be the best option for those interested in remaining healthy long into the future.

With that out of the way let’s get to the question of how to build muscle on a vegetarian diet. As I have mentioned plenty of times in the past, high protein diets are a scam. You don’t need all that much protein to build muscle. Although many people thought he was insane, Mike Mentzer first told me that during a phone conversation back in the mid 90’s. I asked him his thoughts on protein intake and he screamed at me “That’s the biggest scam under the sun! Nobody needs that much protein. Muscles are 70% water. The only reason you read about the benefits of high protein area because that’s what everybody sells! It’s all a lie, Jason!”

Say what you will about Mike Mentzer, but I think he was ahead of his time on that one and you have to respect his rebelliousness.

In all honesty, being a vegetarian will not affect your strength gains AT ALL. In fact it shouldn’t really affect your size gains that much either. As you know, you need a caloric surplus to build muscle. To do this as a vegetarian, you need to focus on good fats like nuts, oils and avocadoes, starchy carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, pasta and brown rice and for protein sources you will be limited to dairy and fish (if you eat those things) or if you are a true vegan- beans, legumes, quinoa, soy, hemp protein, nuts, etc. Even though your protein will be lower than that of most meat eaters you can still build plenty of muscle.

Look at guys in prison. Walk into any state pen and take a look at the weight pit. You will see some of the biggest, most jacked guys you have ever seen. How many grams of high quality ion exchange protein do you think they eat per day? Very, very little, I can assure you that. Someone I know used to be a prison guard and told me of how big and strong the guys were. “How are they getting so big with no protein” I asked (this was back in the days when I was still brainwashed). He told me that he had no idea because all they had to eat was grits, fake potatoes, rice and a small serving or two a day of very low quality meat or a meat substitute. So maybe they were getting 90 grams of protein per day. Yet they were huge.

You simply do not need high protein diets to build muscle.

When it comes to adding muscle while maintaining bodyfat, this is the only place you may have difficulty. Because it will be impossible to get all the calories you need from veggies and fruits you are going to really need to pile down the starchy carbs like rice and bread. If you are lean, this shouldn’t be a problem. But since your insulin sensitivity is lower when you are fatter, you may have trouble staying lean by eating all those starchy carbs. This may slow down your size gains because you may end up looking like a fat slob in no time.

To combat this problem, I would recommend carb cycling the way a normal meat eater would do it. Have super high carbs on training days and limit your starchy carbs on non training days. Maybe one day per week, only have vegetables as your carbs and eat nuts, and beans and fish and eggs that day.

Building a great physique as a vegetarian is definitely possible. Bill Pearl and Clarence Bass were vegetarians and a couple other legendary bodybuilders were as well. My friend and colleague, Robert Dos Remedios, is vegetarian and is a lean 240 pounds and in incredible shape. Jon Hinds is a vegan, in his mid 40’s and is jacked and strong as could be. The greatest tight end in NFL history, Tony Gonzalez is also a vegetarian and obviously it hasn’t hurt him in the least.

Like the great Chuck D once said, don’t believe the hype. You don’t need 400 grams of protein per day to grow. You will progress just fine as a vegetarian. Good luck and train hard.

For more information on how to build muscle visit please click here

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He has trained thousands of clients during his 14 years as a professional fitness coach, including more than 500 athletes from over 20 different sports. Jason has written hundreds of articles for numerous top rated training magazines and websites and has authored four fitness books. He is also the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building information, please click here

By Jason Ferruggia

Here are 5 random muscle building tips that may make a big difference in your training.

– Don’t exceed 5-6 reps on most of your warm up sets. Your first set could consist of a very light weight for 10-20 reps just to get loosened up and get the blood flowing but beyond that you want to keep the reps low. The reason for this is that you don’t want to build up too much lactic acid or accumulate too much fatigue with your warm ups.

– Don’t stretch before your workout in the hopes of preventing injury. This doesn’t work. The only benefit of stretching before a workout is to help you get into positions you might not be able to reach (such as a full squat) because you are tight in specific areas (such as the hamstrings and hip flexors). But stretching for the sake of injury prevention is an outdated idea and doesn’t really work.

– Don’t over-analyze and over-think everything you do in the gym. This never gets you anywhere. Don’t worry if the incline of the bench is supposed to be 50 degrees or 55 degrees. Don’t worry that if you don’t supinate at exactly the right time that you won’t activate your biceps optimally. Don’t stress out about the exact grip width on the bar. If someone tells you that a 16? grip on the bench press hits your triceps better than anything else, but because of an injury or anatomical difference you can only comfortably use an 18? grip, don’t sweat it. People over-think themselves to death and they never get anywhere because of it. Go to the gym, get stronger, go home, eat, sleep and repeat. Don’t turn it into advanced calculus. That is one of the best muscle building tips I can give you.

– Always train both sides of the joint with equal volume. Therefore if you do six sets per week of pressing exercises you need to do six sets per week of pulling exercises. If you do two sets of curls you should do two sets of triceps work. And so on and so on…

– If you can’t get your forearms to grow, try hitting them with more frequency than other muscle groups. They can easily be trained three times per week and recover without any problem. Also, try to hold the bottom stretched position of wrist curls for 3-5 seconds per rep. When you finish training the forearms, hit them with a deep stretch for both the extensors and flexors for 30-60 seconds. These muscle building tips should get the forearms to grow.

For more incredible muscle building tips please click here.

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build 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 How to Build Muscle Fast tips, please click here

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Let me solve your workout problem.

I know that you are:

- Eating well
- Exercising regularly
- and TICKED OFF that you aren’t making progress.

I’ve answered dozens of emails from new readers that have said exactly that. And after I get more info from them, here are the 3 mistakes commonly made:

1) Your perception of your nutrition “success” doesn’t match the
reality of what, when, and how often you are eating. To learn the rules of fat loss, you need to read (scratch that, you need to
STUDY), Dr. Chris Mohr’s Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines.

2) There is no variety in your training.

3) You need to up the intensity of your training.

Let’s face it. Human beings like to stick to a routine. We don’t
like change. We like our comfort zone – some more than others.

But if there is no change in your workout from month to month, then your body will not change either.

That is why I insist on changing your workouts every 4 weeks as you do in the TT workouts.

You won’t succeed by doing the same thing over and over again.
Would you get ahead at work by doing the same tasks you did as the first day on your job? No way. You have to take on more challenges.

With variety in your training, you will continue to apply
“turbulence” to the muscle, and making your body use lots of energy (i.e. calories and fat) during the recovery period to repair the muscle and replenish the energy used. That will “jack up” your metabolism.

If your body is used to the training, the exercises, the sets, and
the reps, it will give a “ho-hum” response and your metabolism will flatline.

And that’s why you need to raise the intensity of the workout as
well.

Slow, boring cardio doesn’t jack up the metabolism like intervals.

And research has shown that 8 reps boost your post-workout
metabolism more than 12 reps. So you have to safely add a little
weight (try using 5% more weight with perfect form, of course), and decreasing the number of reps per set by 2. That’s a good place to start.

So if you’ve been doing a machine circuit, then stop, and give this sample free weight Turbulence Training workout a try.

Warmup with a bodyweight circuit. 8 reps per exercise, go through it twice.

Sample bodyweight circuit:

i) Bodyweight squat
ii) An easy pushup
iii) A bodyweight row if possible, if not, do stick-ups

Then do 20 minutes of total body strength training done in
supersets.

ie.
1a) DB Squat
1b) DB Press

Do each exercise with a weight that allows only 8 reps. Do not rest between the squat and press. Rest 1 minute after the press. Repeat the superset 2 more times.

Next superset:

2a) DB Split Squat
2b) DB Row

Same as above.

On to intervals:

5 minute warmup.

6 intervals of 60 seconds at a “harder than normal cardio pace”
with 60-90 seconds recovery (at the easiest pace possible).

5 minute cooldown.

Stretch tight muscles only.

Done.

We don’t do slow cardio. It does nothing for the man or woman who is short on time.

And of course, always train safe and don’t do anything you are not comfortable doing…but if you are fit and healthy, you can
increase the intensity, change the variables, and burst through
your fat loss plateaus.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne,
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit his official site

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

The great thing about strength training and intervals for fat burning is “efficiency”. Because you are working harder, the signal to your body to change is stronger. You cut time when you increase intensity and you burn fat faster.

Now don’t worry, I won’t be asking you to do hill sprints tomorrow if you aren’t exercising today. For a beginner, we just do some slightly faster than normal walking intervals. For intermediate fitness levels, we’ll pick up the pace about 20% compared to their normal cardio levels, but again, the work periods are much shorter.

The key is, you must shift to a slightly higher intensity in order to cut time from your workout. But the workout also goes faster, and much more importantly, you will get more results and better fitness from these methods.

It’s easy to do these workouts first thing in the AM, at lunch, or after the kids go to bed. Plus, you can get a great workout at home with only a bench, dumbells, and an exercise ball. You don’t need fancy machines or an expensive gym membership.

And another bonus, you only need three hard fat burning workouts per week. You don’t have to be in the gym six days per week.

On your off days, it’s important to stay active for at least 30 minutes, but these days should be unstructured and revolve around being active with your family or hobbies. Don’t think of them as workout days, think of them as fat burning, stress reducing activity days.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

By Vince DelMonte

The “Guns.” The “Pythons.” “Thunder” and “Lighting.” The “Rockweillers.” There is no other muscle group that has earned more nicknames than when describing a bulging and huge set of bicep! Bulging biceps – every guy wants them. Count me in this group.

The days are far from gone when you walk into the gym and see 9 out of 10 guys doing bicep curls all at the same time with the same determination to add even ¼ inch to their biceps. Training biceps has become almost an ‘obsessive addiction’ in the gym. I have seen guys do bicep curls in between sets just so they can ’see’ a little bit of a pump in their arms. I have seen guys spend an entire hour bent over doing concentration curls while starring in the mirror. I have seen guys take weights on vacation so that they can do some bicep curls at their hotel before they go into the club! I have seen guys spend longer amounts of times shopping for t-shirts than girls shopping for a blouse with the hope that one of these shirts will make his arms look ‘good.’

Someone disagree with me that bicep training has become an unhealthy ‘obsessive addiction.’ for many. In the “Skinny Arms” defense, the allure of peaked, mountainous biceps will never go away. Why should it? The ‘guns’ are of a man’s most prized possession and one of many women’s most desired body parts on a man (of course)!

My question is if 9 out 10 guys are obsessed with seeing their biceps grow and dedicate so much of their workout volume to isolating their biceps and using every technique from forced reps, drop sets, and 21’s which are ‘promised’ to be the most effective methods confirmed by pro bodybuilders, why do they still have little to show for their efforts?

Let’s examine five of the most common problems with bicep training before I offer a step-by-step program to take your bicep peak to new heights.

Problem #1 with bicep training – More is not always better

If doing 4 sets is better than 3 sets, why don’t you just do 10 sets? Even better, why don’t you just train them all day? It has been said before, but it obviously needs to be said again: “Less is often more.” Especially if you are not gifted with “muscle-friendly” genes.

Your goal of each weight training workout should be to simply ‘out do’ your last workout. Once you achieve this with an extra pound or a few extra reps, then it is time to move to the next exercise. Not to Nazi-torture the muscle for another hour.

I have found this a hard concept for many skinny guys to grasp because they are fixated on the instant gratification of making their biceps ‘look’ big during the workout and not what they look like when they leave the gym, which leads us to our next problem.

Problem #2 with bicep training – Being more obsessed with how they look while you train rather than when you are not training!

Problem #2 ties in with problem #1. The truth is that the longer you train your biceps, even if the weights are not extremely heavy, you can achieve a fairly decent pump that can turn a few heads while in the gym. This attention and perception that you are doing something beneficial is deceiving. Yes, there is something to say about keeping blood in the muscle as long as possible, but if the workout is done with weights that do not overload your muscles and emphasize an increase in strength, your biceps will quickly deflate back to normal with no true muscle growth.

Problem #3 with bicep training – Not focusing on increasing your overall strength

Some of the biggest guys I know rarely even train their arms. What they do though is put a strong emphasis around increasing their chest, back and shoulder strength. If you simply focus on increasing the weights on your rows, pull ups and chin-ups, rest assured that your biceps will come along for the ride and grow proportionally.

However, if you are always blasting and ’smoking’ your biceps, they will always be fatigued when you train your back muscles and, as you should know, you are only as strong as your weakest link. This is another reason to take a lower volume approach to arm training.

Problem #4 with bicep training – Using the same bicep exercises every time

Every pro bodybuilder will put their money on two of the simplest exercises for building huge biceps – barbell curls and dumbbell curls. According to the pros, these two exercises have built more huge guns than any other exercise in the world. I definitely agree that these ’simple’ exercises are a safe foundation to build a program around, but let’s also remember that pro bodybuilders using steroids are going to have a strong response to practically any exercise they do.

I have no problem using these two exercises under one condition – you are getting stronger from week to week. As long as you are increasing the weights and reps relative to perfect form, then your arms should continue growing. Aim to build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds for a few “slow speed” sets and your dumbbell curls up to 50 pounds for a few “slow-speed” sets that involve zero rocking and swaying.

Once you build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds, you will be ready to try these two different angles on the bar. You will have to drop your weights a bit, but stick with these two variations until you build back up to 110 pounds:

Bicep Exercise 1: “Stress” the outer portion of the bi’s by placing your elbows outwards and using a super-close grip.

Bicep Exercise 2: “Stress” the inner portion of the bi’s by taking a super-wide grip on the bar and digging your elbows into your side (and don’t let them move.)

Bicep Exercise 3: To “stress” the brachialis and brachioradialis stick to good old fashioned hammer curls and reverse curls. Don’t underestimate these two exercises in the slightest.

Problem #5 on biceps – Not enough tension on the muscle

I think many weight trainees do not fully grasp the concept of isolating and actually training a muscle. They do not know how to make the muscle work and fatigue. Instead, you see a lot of swinging, momentum and sloppy lifting used to move the weight from every part of the body except the one they are actually trying to train. The biceps have a very strong response to “constant tension,” which means you should never give them a chance to breathe. Keep the bar constantly moving without pausing at the top or bottom. Focus on squeezing the heck out of the bar and never let your biceps relax until the set is over. Your entire goal is to not allow any oxygen into the muscle which creates a spike with your anabolic hormones to promote muscle growth. Resort to a slower 3-0-3 or 4-0-4 tempo to get the job done.

VIEW OR DOWNLOAD
4- Week Bicep Prioritization Program – CLICK HERE

Weight Training Program Notes:

* Notice the simplicity of the workout structure. This program will work extremely well for hardgainers. The overall volume might be a little low for someone used to a traditional bodybuilder split program and has more than four years of consistent training.

* The power of the program is found in the principle of prioritization by sequence on the first pull workout. Notice that your prioritization muscle is being sequenced at the start of the workout and the start of the week. This is happening on purpose. We are intentionally giving your biceps an opportunity to train at their two most “fresh” times – at the start of the week and at the start of the workout.

* Focusing on increasing overall strength can still be achieved on the second pullworkout where the biceps will not be pre-fatigued.

* Notice the slow speed movements. Many anabolic hormones are released when your muscles are under constant tension. The tempo’s are set up so that will be forced to move the weight slower and with a greater amount of tension concentrically and eccentrically.

* On a pull day, 402 would mean: 4 seconds to release the weight, 0 second pause at the bottom and 2 seconds to pull the weight. On a push day, 402 would would mean 4 seconds to lower the weight, 0 second pause at the bottom and 2 seconds to push the weight up.

* Focus on adding 5-10 pounds to each of your exercises over the course of the next four weeks while keeping the rep ranges and sets the same. It is not necessary to do more sets or more reps. Focus on increasing more weight under the same set, rep, tempo and rest prescription.

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About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at his official website

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly by using the correct cardiovascular and weight lifting techniques.

© 2006-2008, Vince DelMonte Fitness. All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package.

By Vince DelMonte

Do you know what it really takes to build big muscles? Do you think it’s as simple as buying a gym membership, training each body once per week, slamming back some protein shakes and trying to eat as much chicken and tuna possible? Viola, you are big enough to enter a bodybuilding contest. Can you imagine it was that easy to build big muscles? Unfortunately, your monthly gym membership, regular weight training workouts and casual eating habits, isn’t going to cut it. Here are five simple steps to getting big muscles fast :

Squat and Deadlift

Squatting and Deadlifting are known as two of the Big Three exercises that are responsible for power and mass muscle building. Consider these two animal exercises the kings of the jungle! Without them, you do not have a chance of survival. These two exercises alone, work out about 75% of your entire musculature, including your traps, shoulders, arms, back. Gluts, hams, calves and core muscles.

Not to mention the degree of intensity, squats and dead lifts force your body to release greater volumes of growth hormone, which results in bigger muscles all over your body. This spillover effect results in strength gains in all you other lifts which translates into a more muscular you! Squatting and dead lifting are especially critical for hard gainers because of the hormonal spikes affecting the entire body.

Stick to Compound Exercises

What is going to isolate more muscle fibers? A bench press or cable cross over? A military press or lateral raise? A chin up or bicep curl? A dip or tricep kickback? If you ever hope to get big muscles than compound lifts are not optional, they are mandatory. Stick to squats, leg presses, deadlifts, bench preses, barbell rows, pull ups, chin ups, over head presses, and dips.

If all you do is concentrate on building your puny muscles like arms and calves, then you will end up with exactly what you focus on – puny muscles!

Keep Your Rest Periods Honest

When was the last time you were in the gym and you watched the average guy time his recovery with a stop watch? Stop watches are not just for endurance athletes but should be used by every person who is serious about building big muscles.

Generally, the closer you lift to your one rep max, the longer the rest period and the higher the number of reps, the shorter the rest period. This is a crucial variable, which is often overlooked, yet will determine whether you create the correct training response.

For example, if you are training for maximal strength which requires at least 3-5 minutes rest between sets and you are only taking 2 minutes, you are not giving your nervous system an honest workout. If you are training for muscle size which requires shorter 30-90 second style recoveries but are gazing at the cute girl on the elliptical letting your rest periods carry over these ranges, you are not giving your metabolic system an honest workout.

Lastly, how do you know if you are truly stronger if you do not monitor your rest period? For example, let’s say last week you bench pressed 135 pounds for four sets of ten. This week you bench pressed 145 pounds for four sets of ten. Assuming the rest period was identical for both workouts, this is a tremendous improvement and a measurable sign of improvement! However, what if you took an extra minute or two between each set on the recent workout? This means that you did not actually become stronger. You just had a longer rest period!

Conclusion

You now know that building big muscles is not easy as showing up at the gym and throwing back a few protein shakes. Apply these three simple steps in your next program and I promise that you will start building brand new muscle all over your body!

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About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at his official website.

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.
© 2006-2008, Vince DelMonte Fitness. All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package.

By Vince DelMonte

To have a world class fitness body, you must be muscular of course, symmetrical and balanced, and have a well defined six-pack, but most importantly, you have to get ripped and shredded to the bone! If you do not know how to get ripped fast, then we are about to discuss how weight training, proper nutrition and aerobic exercise will assist in getting a ripped, beach worthy body by next summer.

Determine Where You Are Starting Before You Start To Get Ripped

If you do not have the ripped body of your dreams than you are either one of two people:

1. The ‘big guy’ at the gym who looks huge in clothes but has no muscle definition when the shirt comes off. You are training like a bodybuilder, eating in a caloric surplus, getting stronger and bigger each week but would never win a fitness model show because of your excess body fat.

2. Or, are you the ’skinny guy’ who thinks he is ripped because your veins are popping out of your tank top, but have no muscle mass to support your frame. Sure, your veins make you look ‘ripped’ to the bike club but this false sense of ‘big’ would only get you laughed off a bodybuilding stage.

To get ripped, you must determine whether you need to start leaning down through a fat loss program or else add muscle mass with a bulking program. You cannot be ripped if you are lacking muscle mass or lacking muscle definition. Don’t chase both goals at once. I will address how both categories can learn how to get ripped fast with weight training, nutrition, and cardio.

How To Get Ripped With Weight Training

* Skinny guys should train less than 45 minutes each workout.
* Skinny guys should focus on only compound movements and no isolated movements.
* Skinny guys should focus on getting stronger by 5% every two weeks.
* Skinny guys should do no more than 1-2 forced reps to avoid wasted energy.
* Skinny guys should have there body parts split up into a maximum three day program.
* Bulky guys can train from 1 hour to 1 and ½ hours for the extra caloric expenditure.
* Bulky guys can incorporate more isolated movements for caloric expenditure.
* Bulky guys should still maintain their strength which will ensure no muscle loss.
* Bulky guys can include drop sets and pre-exhaust sets for the extra energy expenditure.
* Bulky guys can spend more time per muscle group and split their body parts over 5 days.

How To Get Ripped With Nutrition

* Skinny guys should be eating about 15 x their current body weight in calories for muscle mass.
* Skinny guys should eat at least 1- 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean muscle mass.
* Skinny guys should be eating at least 2x as many carbs as proteins.
* Skinny guys should be getting high quality fats with each meal.
* Skinny guys should be getting extra calories through workout nutrition drinks.
* Skinny guys should have their largest meals at breakfast, pre-workout, and post-workout.
* Skinny guys should be eating large quantities of oatmeal, whole grains, potatoes, and rice.
* Bulky guys should be eating about 10 x their current body weight, in calories, for fat loss.
* Bulky guys should eat at least 1 – 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean muscle mass.
* Bulky guys should eat a 1:1 ratio of proteins to carbs in the day.
* Bulky guys should only eat healthy fats like flax oil, olive oil, nuts, and avocado’s.
* Bulky guys should only consume liquid carbs during the workout.
* Bulky guys should consume carbs only in the form of veggies and fruits.

How To Get Ripped With Cardio

* Skinny guys should only do cardio if there caloric intake is in a 1000 calorie surplus.
* Skinny guys should keep their cardio workouts as far away as possible from their weights.
* Skinny guy should keep their cardio workouts less than 20-30 minutes.
* Skinny guys should do cardio no more than 2 – 4 x a week.
* Skinny guys should perform cardio on a full stomach.
* Skinny guys should have a protein-carb workout drink ready after the workout.
* Skinny guys should avoid long, endurance-style training.
* Bulky guys should do there cardio immediately after weights.
* Bulky guys should do a mixture of long, slow cardio and interval cardio.
* Bulky guys can do cardio up to 7-10 x a week in extreme cases.
* Bulky guys should do cardio on a empty stomach for quicker fat loss.
* Bulky guys should sip on a protein drink to avoid muscle loss.

There you have it. Now you know how to get ripped fast, whether you are a skinny or bulky.

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About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at his official website

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.
© 2006-2008, Vince DelMonte Fitness. All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package.