Are you frustrated with your progress at the gym? Do you pump iron week after week, only to see the same physique time and time again? Do you feel discouraged and disheartened by your progress? You may just have hit a plateau!
The human body is incredibly effective at adapting to change. This applies to all types of scenarios and situations, working out is no different. Following the same routine for a prolonged period of time will have nothing but toxic consequences to one's mind, spirit and progress.
A plateau is literally the end result of a fitness rut that no one is immune to. The best way to get over a plateau is to look for signs of one. The most obvious of these signs is the inability to progress at one's goals, regardless of whether its weight loss, weight gain, muscle growth or strength gains. Another sign is fatigue and low motivation. Both of these symptoms go hand in hand, as they are psychological responses by our body. They are a direct result of our inability to progress and to a lesser extent, are caused by over training.
There are several ways to prevent and get over a plateau. The following will provide you with 9 simple steps to do just that!
#1) Rest! Rest! Rest!
If you have reached a plateau or think you have it is important to rest. Taking a week to ten days off from the gym can work wonders. You will come back feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. This is especially important for those individuals who feel tired and unmotivated. Remember, don't just plant your butt in front of the couch and eat wedges – go for walks, spend time with family, do some yoga etc. This is called active resting and relaxation. Use this additional free time to do relaxing, enjoyable and constructive activities. It is important to take short breaks from working out, when one has been consistently training for 3 to 4months. These breaks should last about a week and will assist in preventing a plateau.
#2) Eating Habits:
As you increase your physical activity your body's caloric requirements will rise. This will probably be accompanied by an increase in one's metabolism. 3 square meals a day will not cut it. Even if you’re eating 5 to 7meals/day you have to examine the nutritional value of these foods. If you find that you are hungry in between meals or throughout the day, you are seeing a clear sign of inadequate food consumption. It is also important to make sure that you are meeting your daily protein requirements. If you are looking to pack on some heavy muscle, a rule of thumb is to eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Remember to eat moderately sized meals, every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day.
#3) Change the Routine
Many people are skeptical about changing their routine. It is a norm to be hesitant of change, especially when things have gone so well in the past. The body is a beautiful object that adapts easily to the stresses it is exposed to. This is the main reason why it is important to modify one's routine every now and then. Changing the routine doesn't mean starting from scratch. All you have to do is take out one exercise, for a particular workout and replace it with another. You should also change the order in which you perform exercises. These two changes, though small, will shock the body and promote greater muscle growth. A great way to prevent gains from diminishing is to systematically change one's routine at certain fixed intervals. Changing one's routine every 4 to 6 weeks is a great way to prevent the halting of one's progress.
#4) Stay F.I.T.
It is important to not only modify the exercises one does, but also change how one exercises. F.I.T. stands for frequency, intensity and time. These words are golden when it comes to breaking out of a plateau. They can be used to modify one's cardio and resistance training program. Lets run through them quickly:Frequency: It is important to increase or decrease how often you workout.Intensity: You should try and increase or decrease the level at which you train.Time: You should also change the length of time you train for.
#5) Sleep Enough!
Working out and eating a healthy diet are very important when it comes to staying fit and building muscle, but there not your only concern. Your body regenerates and repairs muscle tissue the fastest when your sleeping. It is therefore important to get an ample amount of sleep every night. The average adult should strive for 7 to 8 hours of sleep to ensure that the body is properly rested. The amount of sleep you get has a direct effect on your energy levels as well as how you train. This is very important when it comes to building muscle, so sleep enough!
#6) Keep Workouts Under an Hour
The goal of weight training is to train your muscles to stimulate growth, not murder them. When we put intense pressure on our muscles for prolonged periods of time, our bodies go into a state of catabolism (muscle breakdown). This will usually begin to happen if weight training is done for more than an hour and a half. Consistently working-out for more than an hour will result in over-training. This will lead to the weakening of one's muscles. Studies have shown that the growth assisting hormones the body releases, peak within 30mins of exercise and decline shortly after. Always keep workouts under an hour and if you must, never train more than an hour and fifteen minutes!
#7) Challenge Yourself!
Overloading our muscles results in growth and strength. It is therefore important to assess our ability to challenge ourselves. When we are working out, we must pay attention to the number of reps we perform per set, for a given exercise. If you are able to do 7 to 8 reps on the last set of a specific exercise, you are lifting too light. If you are able to get less than 4 reps, you are lifting too heavy. You must consistently increase weight whenever possible, but strive for 4 to 6 reps on the last set of an exercise.
#8) Don't Over Do It!
The only time our muscles grow is when they rest. It is important to have ample rest before working the same muscle group again. If you did an intense workout you should leave a gap of 7 days before you work that muscle group again. If your muscles are not well rested, they will become overworked and you will become weaker as a result.
#9) When Building Muscle, Don't Go All Out on the Cardio!
When we are training our muscles, we should be doing just that – training them. A common mistake people make when trying to build muscle is to burn fat at the same time. This unfortunately does not work. Keep your cardio limited to 20 to 30mins per session and limit yourself to 3 to 4 sessions per week. Cardio sessions that are too long will negatively affect the body's muscle building abilities. Studies have also shown that prolonged cardio sessions reduce testosterone production.
A plateau is never an enjoyable experience. It can be frustrating and emotionally draining. By paying closer attention to our bodies and the things we do, we can limit or eliminate the potential for hitting a plateau. We all face challenges in this world, working out is no different. By staying motivated, listening to our bodies and consistently pushing ourselves harder, we can accomplish anything!
Minggu, 05 Agustus 2007
Rabu, 01 Agustus 2007
6 Muscle building secrets from the world greatest bodybuilder
Secret #1: Stimulate The Muscle Don't Annihilate It!
This has to be the granddaddy secret of them all. If I had just a dime for every person who gave up weight training because of over-training, I would quite possibly be the richest man in the world. I learned this secret from Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman.
Here was one of the best bodybuilders that ever lived, and I was doing more sets and reps in my weight training than he was. Ronnie Coleman believes that you should strive to,
"Stimulate the muscle, don't annihilate it."
Once a muscle has been thoroughly stimulated, more sets and reps will just retard growth.
Great bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman limit the number of sets and reps per workout, this make's it easier to target your specified muscle and enhance its overall potential. Too many bodybuilders are guilty of "over-training." Most weight lifters just go into the gym and do countless exercises per muscle group and never give a thought to what-or-why they train the way they do.
It's that type of approach to training that leads to insignificant gains in muscle mass and overall fitness. To stimulate muscle growth pick 1 or 2 basic exercises per muscle group and perform 4 to 6 all out hard work sets for each exercise. Rep range should be between 6 to 20 reps with all the weight you can safely handle.
Secret #2: Heavy Basic Exercises Build Big Muscles!
Countless sets of concentrated dumbbell curls, preacher curls, cable curls and incline dumbbell curls will not produce half the results that a 6 set weight pyramid of all-out 6 to 20 reps Olympic barbell standing curls will.
My training partner and I were guilty of this crime. The same can be said for the Squat. All out barbell back squats for 6 to 20 reps will produce more muscular size and strength than 50 sets of leg extensions, leg curls, and even leg presses. I learned this important secret from Lee Priest; a man whose training methods of using heavy squats will put slabs of muscle on the most hopelessly skinny guys you have ever seen.
The muscular bodybuilder Jay Cutler is also a big advocate of big weights with basic exercises. The biggest, strongest, and best-built champions of both past and present always incorporate the squat, deadlift, bench press, shoulder press and bent over rows into their training. You cannot build mighty muscles lifting mini-mouse weights. End of story!
.
Secret #3: Eat Like A Bodybuilder To Look Like A Bodybuilder.
This sounds simple and actually is simple, yet most trainees screw it up! A champion bodybuilder like Ronnie Coleman has a daily diet that consists of.
1. Protein:
The most important element to the bodybuilder. Protein is for growth, maintenance and repair of muscle tissue. One to one and a half grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is recommended. The highest-quality proteins are from animal sources - eggs, fish, poultry, and meat and dairy products.
2. Carbohydrates:
Raise the blood sugar level and supply the muscles with energy. Best sources of carbohydrates are yams, oatmeal, stone ground whole wheat bread and cereals. You should also consume several servings of vegetables every day.
3. Fats:
Fats are essential to a good diet as they heat the body and lubricate body parts. They also provide a necessary base for carrying vitamins A, D and E. You can get ample amounts of good fats through your daily diet of fish, eggs, and if needed a tablespoon of olive oil.
If you're trying to build new muscle and keep your body fat at 10 percent or less, you'll wind up looking like a well-defined scarecrow. As Gunter Schlierkamp says,
"Eat big and grow big!"
Secret #4: 7 To 9 Hours Of Sleep At Night.
You cannot and will not grow bigger and stronger if you ignore this rule. 7 to 9 hours of sleep is required for the total recuperation and growth of the entire body. Muscular bodybuilders like Chris Cormier and Markus Ruhl are big believers in proper rest. Rest time is when the combination of proper training and eating come together and morph into making bigger, stronger muscles.
When you're at the gym heaving the weights around, you're actually tearing down the muscle tissue not building it up. When you're eating the proper amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and water, you're feeding the muscles for growth. But when you're sleeping the actual growth is taking place.
The body is at rest and can do what it's meant to do at sleep time, GROW. Power naps throughout the day (15 to 45 minutes of sleep) are also a great way to build up extra energy and give the muscles time to repair and grow. Just remember this, cut your sleep short and you're cutting your progress short! You have to decide what you want most, late nights out partying with friends or a bodybuilder's physique that turns heads wherever you go!
Secret #5: Have A Master Plan.
Secret #5 could arguably be the #1 ingredient needed to be successful. I learned this secret from the all time #1 bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger and have never forgotten it. What are our goals and why are we training? Without a master plan you'll be like a ship at sea without a definite destination (what you want to accomplish) and without a rudder (how you're going to steer yourself to it). Here is what a master plan consists of.
1. End Goal:
What do you want to be or accomplish? Do you want to win a state or national bodybuilding championship? If so then that is your end goal.
2. Goal Map:
This is where you plan out the ways and means of accomplishing your goal and how long it will take you to achieve it.
How will you cycle your training?
How will you cycle your diet?
What supplements will you take?
What will you have to give up in order to realize your dream?
You then proceed to answer these questions and write them down on paper. By writing them down on paper you bring them to life and check over them every day to make sure you're keeping on track with your master plan.
3. Take Action:
Now this is really the hardest part - taking action and sticking to your plan. You must stay the course until you reach your desired outcome. Neither Arnold nor any other champion bodybuilder would have been successful if they abandoned their master plan after their first setback or failure.
Secret #6: A Winner Never Quits And A Quitter Never Wins!
Remember this very simple phrase and make it a part of your life. When Gunter Schlierkamp defeated Ronnie Coleman some people said he just got lucky.
A lucky break or successful event in life is nothing more than being physically and mentally prepared to take advantage of an opportunity when it comes your way. Think and act like a champion and you'll be one!
This has to be the granddaddy secret of them all. If I had just a dime for every person who gave up weight training because of over-training, I would quite possibly be the richest man in the world. I learned this secret from Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman.
Here was one of the best bodybuilders that ever lived, and I was doing more sets and reps in my weight training than he was. Ronnie Coleman believes that you should strive to,
"Stimulate the muscle, don't annihilate it."
Once a muscle has been thoroughly stimulated, more sets and reps will just retard growth.
Great bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman limit the number of sets and reps per workout, this make's it easier to target your specified muscle and enhance its overall potential. Too many bodybuilders are guilty of "over-training." Most weight lifters just go into the gym and do countless exercises per muscle group and never give a thought to what-or-why they train the way they do.
It's that type of approach to training that leads to insignificant gains in muscle mass and overall fitness. To stimulate muscle growth pick 1 or 2 basic exercises per muscle group and perform 4 to 6 all out hard work sets for each exercise. Rep range should be between 6 to 20 reps with all the weight you can safely handle.
Secret #2: Heavy Basic Exercises Build Big Muscles!
Countless sets of concentrated dumbbell curls, preacher curls, cable curls and incline dumbbell curls will not produce half the results that a 6 set weight pyramid of all-out 6 to 20 reps Olympic barbell standing curls will.
My training partner and I were guilty of this crime. The same can be said for the Squat. All out barbell back squats for 6 to 20 reps will produce more muscular size and strength than 50 sets of leg extensions, leg curls, and even leg presses. I learned this important secret from Lee Priest; a man whose training methods of using heavy squats will put slabs of muscle on the most hopelessly skinny guys you have ever seen.
The muscular bodybuilder Jay Cutler is also a big advocate of big weights with basic exercises. The biggest, strongest, and best-built champions of both past and present always incorporate the squat, deadlift, bench press, shoulder press and bent over rows into their training. You cannot build mighty muscles lifting mini-mouse weights. End of story!
.
Secret #3: Eat Like A Bodybuilder To Look Like A Bodybuilder.
This sounds simple and actually is simple, yet most trainees screw it up! A champion bodybuilder like Ronnie Coleman has a daily diet that consists of.
1. Protein:
The most important element to the bodybuilder. Protein is for growth, maintenance and repair of muscle tissue. One to one and a half grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is recommended. The highest-quality proteins are from animal sources - eggs, fish, poultry, and meat and dairy products.
2. Carbohydrates:
Raise the blood sugar level and supply the muscles with energy. Best sources of carbohydrates are yams, oatmeal, stone ground whole wheat bread and cereals. You should also consume several servings of vegetables every day.
3. Fats:
Fats are essential to a good diet as they heat the body and lubricate body parts. They also provide a necessary base for carrying vitamins A, D and E. You can get ample amounts of good fats through your daily diet of fish, eggs, and if needed a tablespoon of olive oil.
If you're trying to build new muscle and keep your body fat at 10 percent or less, you'll wind up looking like a well-defined scarecrow. As Gunter Schlierkamp says,
"Eat big and grow big!"
Secret #4: 7 To 9 Hours Of Sleep At Night.
You cannot and will not grow bigger and stronger if you ignore this rule. 7 to 9 hours of sleep is required for the total recuperation and growth of the entire body. Muscular bodybuilders like Chris Cormier and Markus Ruhl are big believers in proper rest. Rest time is when the combination of proper training and eating come together and morph into making bigger, stronger muscles.
When you're at the gym heaving the weights around, you're actually tearing down the muscle tissue not building it up. When you're eating the proper amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and water, you're feeding the muscles for growth. But when you're sleeping the actual growth is taking place.
The body is at rest and can do what it's meant to do at sleep time, GROW. Power naps throughout the day (15 to 45 minutes of sleep) are also a great way to build up extra energy and give the muscles time to repair and grow. Just remember this, cut your sleep short and you're cutting your progress short! You have to decide what you want most, late nights out partying with friends or a bodybuilder's physique that turns heads wherever you go!
Secret #5: Have A Master Plan.
Secret #5 could arguably be the #1 ingredient needed to be successful. I learned this secret from the all time #1 bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger and have never forgotten it. What are our goals and why are we training? Without a master plan you'll be like a ship at sea without a definite destination (what you want to accomplish) and without a rudder (how you're going to steer yourself to it). Here is what a master plan consists of.
1. End Goal:
What do you want to be or accomplish? Do you want to win a state or national bodybuilding championship? If so then that is your end goal.
2. Goal Map:
This is where you plan out the ways and means of accomplishing your goal and how long it will take you to achieve it.
How will you cycle your training?
How will you cycle your diet?
What supplements will you take?
What will you have to give up in order to realize your dream?
You then proceed to answer these questions and write them down on paper. By writing them down on paper you bring them to life and check over them every day to make sure you're keeping on track with your master plan.
3. Take Action:
Now this is really the hardest part - taking action and sticking to your plan. You must stay the course until you reach your desired outcome. Neither Arnold nor any other champion bodybuilder would have been successful if they abandoned their master plan after their first setback or failure.
Secret #6: A Winner Never Quits And A Quitter Never Wins!
Remember this very simple phrase and make it a part of your life. When Gunter Schlierkamp defeated Ronnie Coleman some people said he just got lucky.
A lucky break or successful event in life is nothing more than being physically and mentally prepared to take advantage of an opportunity when it comes your way. Think and act like a champion and you'll be one!
Top 10 Increasing Your Bench Press Tips
1.Power up your triceps
I would say in about 80% of cases where guys have asked me for increasing bench press tips, their triceps have been holding them back. You need to hit your triceps hard with big exercises like close grip bench press and skullcrushers. Don’t waste your with cable machines, stick to heavy dumbbells and barbells.
2.Shock your chest into growth
I know it’s easy to stay with the routine your comfortable with. Ask yourself this question: “Am I really training out of my comfort zone?” Most people are not. Yes, they train hard but they’re not pushing themselves as hard as they are capable of. So switch your workout up, vary the intensity. Vary the rest between sets. Do supersets. Do 30 pushups at the end of each set. Get the picture?
3.Don’t overtrain
I know it’s tempting to train more often because you think the more you train the bigger you’ll get. This myth holds back many lifters, especially beginners. You have to get out of that mentality and start thinking about “less is more”. The quality of your reps, sets and exercises is more important than how many you do. Stick to training your chest once or twice a week, there’s no need for more unless you’re trying to break the world record bench press!
4.Get plenty of rest & sleep
This goes hand in hand with my previous tip, and is part of the basics of building muscle. Your muscles repair and grow while you’re sleeping and resting, so getting enough rest and sleep is essential for muscle growth. Get at least 8 hours sleep and plenty of rest between workouts.
5.Bench press negatives are your friend
If you don’t know what a negative is, it’s the lowering phase of an exercise. In the case of the bench press, it’s lowering the weight to your chest. Negative training involves very heavy weights (up to 1.5 times your 1 rep max) and simply lowering the weight slowly down to your chest and having 2 assistants lift it back up for you. Negative training is highly underestimated and can have a dramatic effect on your upper body strength and your 1 rep max.
6.Don’t train your triceps with your chest
If you really want to build strong triceps you need to train them when they’re fresh and you can’t do this after a heavy benching session.
7.Eat like there’s no tomorrow
If you want to get bigger and stronger you have to eat like you have the appetite of Ronnie Coleman! You should eat up to 7 meals per day and each meal should contain a good serving a protein (in various forms) and complex carbohydrates. This is essential for increasing your bench press. If you’re not eating enough calories per day, don’t expect and additional pounds on your bench.
8.Take a week off
Sometimes all you need is a break. Professional bodybuilders have scheduled 7 to 10 day breaks throughout the yearly routines. Your muscle may be fatigued and this is preventing growth. You can choose to go a week cold turkey, or a maintenance week where you drop the weights back and do 3 easy full body workouts.
9.Use supplements
Supplements the best way of delivering nutrients to your body fast and in my opinion are essential to increasing bench press. You should use supplements first thing in the morning, after your workout and before bed at the very least. For more info on supplements see the supplements section.
10.Correct your technique
You’ll be surprised how many experienced weight lifters are not using the correct technique. The bench press sounds like a simple exercise, but bad technique habits can develop and hold you back. Some common bad techniques are wrong hand position on the bar, not keep your body still throughout the set, feet off the floor, lowering the bar to the wrong position on the chest and wrong grip.
I would say in about 80% of cases where guys have asked me for increasing bench press tips, their triceps have been holding them back. You need to hit your triceps hard with big exercises like close grip bench press and skullcrushers. Don’t waste your with cable machines, stick to heavy dumbbells and barbells.
2.Shock your chest into growth
I know it’s easy to stay with the routine your comfortable with. Ask yourself this question: “Am I really training out of my comfort zone?” Most people are not. Yes, they train hard but they’re not pushing themselves as hard as they are capable of. So switch your workout up, vary the intensity. Vary the rest between sets. Do supersets. Do 30 pushups at the end of each set. Get the picture?
3.Don’t overtrain
I know it’s tempting to train more often because you think the more you train the bigger you’ll get. This myth holds back many lifters, especially beginners. You have to get out of that mentality and start thinking about “less is more”. The quality of your reps, sets and exercises is more important than how many you do. Stick to training your chest once or twice a week, there’s no need for more unless you’re trying to break the world record bench press!
4.Get plenty of rest & sleep
This goes hand in hand with my previous tip, and is part of the basics of building muscle. Your muscles repair and grow while you’re sleeping and resting, so getting enough rest and sleep is essential for muscle growth. Get at least 8 hours sleep and plenty of rest between workouts.
5.Bench press negatives are your friend
If you don’t know what a negative is, it’s the lowering phase of an exercise. In the case of the bench press, it’s lowering the weight to your chest. Negative training involves very heavy weights (up to 1.5 times your 1 rep max) and simply lowering the weight slowly down to your chest and having 2 assistants lift it back up for you. Negative training is highly underestimated and can have a dramatic effect on your upper body strength and your 1 rep max.
6.Don’t train your triceps with your chest
If you really want to build strong triceps you need to train them when they’re fresh and you can’t do this after a heavy benching session.
7.Eat like there’s no tomorrow
If you want to get bigger and stronger you have to eat like you have the appetite of Ronnie Coleman! You should eat up to 7 meals per day and each meal should contain a good serving a protein (in various forms) and complex carbohydrates. This is essential for increasing your bench press. If you’re not eating enough calories per day, don’t expect and additional pounds on your bench.
8.Take a week off
Sometimes all you need is a break. Professional bodybuilders have scheduled 7 to 10 day breaks throughout the yearly routines. Your muscle may be fatigued and this is preventing growth. You can choose to go a week cold turkey, or a maintenance week where you drop the weights back and do 3 easy full body workouts.
9.Use supplements
Supplements the best way of delivering nutrients to your body fast and in my opinion are essential to increasing bench press. You should use supplements first thing in the morning, after your workout and before bed at the very least. For more info on supplements see the supplements section.
10.Correct your technique
You’ll be surprised how many experienced weight lifters are not using the correct technique. The bench press sounds like a simple exercise, but bad technique habits can develop and hold you back. Some common bad techniques are wrong hand position on the bar, not keep your body still throughout the set, feet off the floor, lowering the bar to the wrong position on the chest and wrong grip.
Best Bicep Workout of All Time
Arnold Schwarzenegger's bicep-building routine stands the test of time.
Originally featured in:Flex October, 1999
Written by: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Though championship physiques have changed dramatically over the years, Arnold Schwarzenegger's arms remain a standard for size and shape even among today's bodybuilders. The strategically minded Austrian Oak approached his arm training with a methodology relying on variety and intensity. He left nothing to chance. The following are highlights of the psychological and technical innovations he employed in building his remarkably shaped biceps. His advanced cerebral approach demonstrates that Arnold was every bit as brilliant an architect of his body as he has been of his Hollywood career. THE MINDSET"When I am working my biceps, I have illusions. I picture my arm pumping up and filling the room. It's a crazy thought, but when you want something badly, you always see it as bigger than it really is.
"When you think of biceps as merely a muscle, you subconsciously have a limit in your mind, which for biceps is something in the 20- or 21-inch area. When you limit yourself to that measurement, it is very hard to get to that level and, needless to say, impossible to get past that measurement. But when you think about a mountain, there is no mental limit to biceps growth, and therefore you have a chance of going beyond normal mental barriers."
SUPINATION - LEARN IT!"So what is supination? If you are doing curls with two dumbbells and supinating correctly, your palms will begin by facing directly toward each other when your arms are straight down at your sides.
"From there, with your arms still straight, rotate your thumbs toward each other to fully stretch your biceps. Then begin simultaneously curling the dumbbells up and rotating your thumbs in the opposite direction - out away from each other - as the weight goes up. At the completion point, your arms should be fully flexed and your hands turned out as far as humanly possible. This turning out of the hands and wrists is the supination movement."
CHEATERS CAN BE BIGGER"The cheating barbell curl stands alone for building mass. I start the movement with the barbell at my thighs, using a shoulder-width grip, and nudge it into motion with slight body movement. This gives me sufficient momentum to pass any sticking points as long as I keep concentrating. I go to full biceps flexion, then lower the bar slowly to the starting position. Since the palms face up, I get the benefit of supination, which peaks up the outer heads of the biceps during full flexion, as well as developing thickness throughout the central section of the muscles, the bellies."
ARNOLD'S FIVE RULES OF TECHNIQUE FOR BICEPS1) Variety Switch around, using barbells, dumbbells and cables.2) Isolation Don't get help from the delts, lower back or other bodyparts when training biceps. Don't swing the weight.3) Full range of motion As this implies, move the weight in a controlled but complete fashion, unless you're using an intensity movement for a shock session.4) Find the groove Locate the natural line of motion for each movement.5) Total concentration Don't let your mind wander. Always fixate on the movement and the feeling in the muscle.
Originally featured in:Flex October, 1999
Written by: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Though championship physiques have changed dramatically over the years, Arnold Schwarzenegger's arms remain a standard for size and shape even among today's bodybuilders. The strategically minded Austrian Oak approached his arm training with a methodology relying on variety and intensity. He left nothing to chance. The following are highlights of the psychological and technical innovations he employed in building his remarkably shaped biceps. His advanced cerebral approach demonstrates that Arnold was every bit as brilliant an architect of his body as he has been of his Hollywood career. THE MINDSET"When I am working my biceps, I have illusions. I picture my arm pumping up and filling the room. It's a crazy thought, but when you want something badly, you always see it as bigger than it really is.
"When you think of biceps as merely a muscle, you subconsciously have a limit in your mind, which for biceps is something in the 20- or 21-inch area. When you limit yourself to that measurement, it is very hard to get to that level and, needless to say, impossible to get past that measurement. But when you think about a mountain, there is no mental limit to biceps growth, and therefore you have a chance of going beyond normal mental barriers."
SUPINATION - LEARN IT!"So what is supination? If you are doing curls with two dumbbells and supinating correctly, your palms will begin by facing directly toward each other when your arms are straight down at your sides.
"From there, with your arms still straight, rotate your thumbs toward each other to fully stretch your biceps. Then begin simultaneously curling the dumbbells up and rotating your thumbs in the opposite direction - out away from each other - as the weight goes up. At the completion point, your arms should be fully flexed and your hands turned out as far as humanly possible. This turning out of the hands and wrists is the supination movement."
CHEATERS CAN BE BIGGER"The cheating barbell curl stands alone for building mass. I start the movement with the barbell at my thighs, using a shoulder-width grip, and nudge it into motion with slight body movement. This gives me sufficient momentum to pass any sticking points as long as I keep concentrating. I go to full biceps flexion, then lower the bar slowly to the starting position. Since the palms face up, I get the benefit of supination, which peaks up the outer heads of the biceps during full flexion, as well as developing thickness throughout the central section of the muscles, the bellies."
ARNOLD'S FIVE RULES OF TECHNIQUE FOR BICEPS1) Variety Switch around, using barbells, dumbbells and cables.2) Isolation Don't get help from the delts, lower back or other bodyparts when training biceps. Don't swing the weight.3) Full range of motion As this implies, move the weight in a controlled but complete fashion, unless you're using an intensity movement for a shock session.4) Find the groove Locate the natural line of motion for each movement.5) Total concentration Don't let your mind wander. Always fixate on the movement and the feeling in the muscle.
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