The Art of Muscle

Olympia Results

2011-09-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

So my predictions were correct, with the massive Phil Heath winning the Sandow this past weekend. Jay had a torn bicep muscle that hindered his symmetry and his physique just wasn't as polished as Phil's. Kai showed up with an insane amount of mass but the judges felt he was slightly lacking in terms of conditioning, he still picked up 3rd place, and it could be argued that he should have taken 2nd instead of Jay. Turns out Evan Centopani announced a few months ago that he wouldn't be competing for "financial and personal reasons" ?? Guess I missed that.. What it really means: I'm going to get my ass handed to me by guys like Phil and Jay so I'll take another year off.

Olympia 2011 Preview

2011-09-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Olympia weekend is taking place next weekend. It promises to be a very close battle with all of the competitors standing a chance of walking away with a Sandow. The favourites are last years winner Jay Cutler and last years runner up Phil Heath. However I think both Kai Greene and Evan Centopani have the potential to do very well. It will also be very interesting to see what kind of physique South African Marius Dohne brings, as while he lacks the mass of guys like Jay and Phil, conditioning can make up for this.
Overall Prediction

Phil Heath
Jay Cutler
Kai Greene

RIP ZYZZ

2011-09-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Sadly the famous amateur bodybuilder known as "Zyzz" passed away in Thailand at the young age of 22. Rest in peace Zyzz.

Marius Takes the Tampa Pro

2011-06-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Whatsup guys, sorry haven't been able to post lately due to exams, but hopefully can start getting back into the swing of things now.

Over the Weekend the Tampa Pro took place, and South Africa's top bodybuilder Marius Dohne was able to take the title, bringing a huge and ripped physique true to his nickname : "The Sultan of Symmetry".
The results were:
1. Marius Dohne
2.Hidetada Yamagishi
3.Frank McGrath

Your Weekly Dose of Motivation

2011-06-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

Guys trust me check this video out, best motivational video I've seen in a while.

The importance of a suitable diet

2011-05-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

I have to stress to all my readers the importance of a good diet and supplementation plan. Getting your perfect physique is 80% nutrition ! Keep checking my site for diet plans and articles, or if you want to see the best improvements message me on facebook or email me at darrynsolimene@gmail.com for a diet and supplementation plan especially suited to your goals.

Building your chest !

2011-05-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a basic chest training routine that should elicit great gains in any motivated individual:

• Flat Dumbbell bench press – 4 sets of 10
• Incline Dumbbell Bench press – 4 sets of 10
• Incline Dumbbell flyes – 4 sets ( 14, 12, 10, 8)(Choose one weight)
• Dips (weighted if necessary) – 3 sets
• Cable Cross (3 sets to fail, lighter weight each set)

For the first 2 exercises alternate between dumbbells and bar for each chest sessions.
Focus on pushing as heavy as you can for the first 2 excercises, whilst making sure you are lowering the dumbbells or bar all the way. Increase the weight for each set of these exercises.
Make sure you have someone spotting you, especially on bench press.
Ensure that you squeeze your pecs together at the peak of your movement on flyes.
For dips go as low as possible and lean forward so you use more chest and less tris.
Cables is used as a finisher to get as much blood to your muscles as possible - only rest for 30 seconds betweens sets here.

Kai Wins the NY Pro!

2011-05-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

As I predicted Kai Greene took first place at the New York Pro, exhibiting some great mass and freakish definition. He has definitely established himself as a huge threat to take the Olympia title later this year. Runner up was Ronny Rockel and in third place was Craig Richardson, both showed great proportion and size.Defending champion Roelly Winklaar who I had high hopes for dissapointingly finished in eighth place.

Check out Kai's interview after winning at: http://www.flexonline.com/news/contests/kai-greene-wins-ny

image is courtesy of flexonline

IFBB New York Pro Predictions

2011-05-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

The New York pro is happening tomorrow and here are my predictions for the top 3 of the overall mens division :

1: Kai Greene
2: Roelly Winklaar
3: Ronny Rockel

Not too sure about 2nd and 3rd but Kai was looking bigger than ever in his facebook photos from 5 days out, and he should definitely take it if he is able to shed that last bit of water ( which is where he messed up his prep for the last Mr.Olympia )

5 Gym Mistakes That You Might Be Making

2011-05-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Many people feel that they are doing everything the can to improve their physique, however in reality what they blame on poor genetics is in fact lack of knowledge! Here's a quick list of some common mistakes that are often made by rookie gym goers.

Having a poor diet: You can train with the intensity of an IFBB pro all year long, but if you aren't eating properly you might still look like you haven't touched a weight in your life! Looking good is 80% based on your diet, so if you aren't getting the results that you want then the first thing that you should look at is improving your diet. Go to a dietician, research diet plans online, or ask for help on any bodybuilding forums to ensure that your diet is suited to your goals.
Overtraining: Overtraining is a trap that's easy to fall into. If you don't give your muscles a rest then they will never have time to repair (and thus grow), and by training them before they are repaired you are actually breaking them down and putting your body in a state of muscle catabolism. A good general rule of thumb is to take a rest day every third day, and avoid training one bodypart more than once per week ( abs is an exception).
Believeing in "miracle" supplements: One of the first things that you should learn is to never believe the claims of supplement companies! The supplement industry falls into a grey area in that it is not regulated by the FDA, therefore they are technically allowed to say anything! One of the companies that abuses this to the fullest extent is Muscletech ; they would have their customers believe that a simple whey protein or bcaa supplement will give results that mirror those of anabolics! This is completely ridiculous! There is no substitute for hard work, and while supplements may improve your results to a slight extent, they will never give you any results if your diet and training aren't spot on.Don't think you can slack off and still get results just because your "on" the latest "breakthrough" from whatever supplement company.
Ego lifting: Many men fall into the trap of trying to impress their fellow gym goers by swinging around big weights by utilising momentum and poor form. This can easily lead to injury and not very easily lead to muscle growth! You need to put your ego aside in the gym and use weights that allow you to execute your sets with perfect form whilst still causing you to strain on those last few reps. I have personally seen much greater results by doing slow reps curling 20kg dumbells than by swinnging around 35s.
Lifting too little: This is a mistake that is commonly made by women who fear getting "too big and muscular". They do all their weights training without breaking a sweat and insist they only want to "tone up". What needs to be realised is that women's testosterone levels are nowhere near that of mens, and so they are pretty much incapable of resembling any of the olympia competitors without heavy anabolic assistance. The only way to succesfuly "tone up" is by using weights or rep schemes that require you to push as hard as you can. Also if you do get bigger than you want do due to some sort of superhuman genetics then its as easy as stopping gymming for a bit to lose the muscle and reach your preffered look.

Sickest Abs Training Workout

2011-05-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite ab workout, which I was doing 2-3 times a day when my abs where in their best condition. Video is courtesy of Keith1985nYc from youtube.

Adding width to your back

2011-05-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

As per a request today decided to post a great Back training routine to add width and definition to your back. This is the same way IFBB pro Al Auguste trains and its been working pretty well for me lately :

Warm up - 3 sets of wide grip pullups (10 reps)
Deadlifts - 3 sets (15, 10, 8 reps)
Wide grip lat pulldowns- 4 sets (20, 15, 12, 10 reps)
Barbell rows - 4 sets ( 20, 15, 10, 8 reps)
Seated Cable rows - 4 sets ( 20, 15, 10 , 8 reps )
Close grip pulldowns- 4 sets ( 15 reps ) - Same weight
Wide grip pullups - 3 sets to fail

For each set use a weight that you nearly fail with on the final rep, and also ensure that you feel the squeeze in your back for all exercises- as it is easy to switch the focus to bis on most movements. DO NOT USE MOMENTUM TO PUSH HEAVIER WEIGHTS THAN YOU SHOULD - this is a common mistake with back training, as there is a misconception that you need to use huge weights for your back to grow.

Yates vs.Coleman vs. Schwarzenegger

The Science Behind Creatine

2011-05-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

One of the few supplements that has truly stood the test of time, is the often misunderstood creatine. Creatine is great for increasing strength and endurance, and thus, muscle mass. Creatine is a naturally occuring amino acid, however, our body does not synthesize a great amount of it, so supplementation can be highly beneficial. Basically any creatine supplement forms creatine phosphate in muscle cells, where it provides an additional phosphate molecule. This phosphate molecule is used by the body to transform ADP into ATP ( which we primarily use for energy) . What this relates to for us is extra muscular energy in the gym - which means we can push heavier weights for longer ; this of course leads to increased muscle mass.Creatine use is perfectly natural and there is no substantial proof of negative side effects other than some slight water retention in some individuals. So that's basically how creatine works! Now onto which form of creatine to choose.

Nowadays when you go to the supplement shop though its not as easy as just buying some basic creatine - you're presented with a choice between dozens of different forms of creatines all claiming to provide the best results in the shortest time. The key difference between these creatines is the newer forms have esters attached to supposedly make you absorb more of them - but in reality there is no reason to not buy plain old Creatine monohydrate - the cheapest and most researched form available. The 2 other forms of creatine that I would recommend are Creatine ethyl ester and kre alkalyn which do not give as much water retention as what you find with regular monohydrate - however they are subtantially more expensive than creatine monohydrate.

Arming Yourself for Battle !

2011-05-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Time for another training article and this time its about everybody's favourite body part to train... ARMS!

Arms training is split up into 2 major parts : Bis and Tris. Forearms don't really need to be trained regularly.
It's important to understand that everybody responds differently to different types of training, but what I have found is that to add inches to your guns it's best to train with a variety of rep ranges, and incorporate many supersets, drop sets, and negative reps. What follows is my ideal arms training routine :

Biceps:

Warm up : Light alternating DB curls (15 reps)(2 sets)
Preacher Curl (8-10 reps) ( 4 sets - increasing weight each set, you should be near fail after about 8 reps on your last set)
Seated Alternating Dumbell Curls Dropset (6 reps then drop, 8 reps then drop, then 10 reps) (3 sets)
Cable Curls (12 reps) superset with bicep pullups (underhand) till fail (3 sets)
CableCurl Dropset ( Pick 5 weights, start with heaviest, curl till fail, then drop )

With all biceps exercises its important to focus heavily on the negative portion of the rep, and make sure that you aren't using momentum to swing heavy weights - Rather go lighter and properly isolate your biceps!

Triceps:

Cable Pushdown (30 reps )(20 reps) (10 reps) (5 reps). Increasing weight. Use a weight that you fail with at the end of each set. Rest 1 minute between sets.
Close grip bench press (8-12 reps) (4 sets), increase weight
Skullcrushers ( 10 reps) (4 sets) Use the same weight for all the sets- Go heavy !
Dips ( 4 sets till fail)
Dumbell kickbacks (3 Sets) Squeeze at the peak of the movement

The important thing to remember when training tris is to squeeze ! You want to get as much blood into ur tris as possible so ensure that you can really feel your triceps working.

Cutting Nutrition Plan

2011-05-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Started cutting today, first sesh was great, hit chest bis and abs- kept the weights heavy and the reps in a range of about 10-14, 30 sec rest between sets (weights felt like cardio.. cardio felt like death).
Anyways heres the basic nutrition plan for a succesful cut :

Breakfast :Oats (no sugar);coffee with sweetener;Whey protein shake or egg whites; EFA supplement
10am : Protein shake (optional); lean protein source eg. chicken breast
Lunch: 2 tins tuna ; vegetables such as spinach or brocolli
Pre Workout: Whey protein shake
Post workout: Whey protein shake,BCAAs, lean meat eg. chicken or tuna, slow releasing carbs eg. brown rice
Dinner: Lean protein source ( chicken breast is best) ; avoid carbs near to bedtime
Before Bed: Casein protein shake or Cottage Cheese

Also include caffeine wherever possible as it has a stimulatory effect on metabolism.
Furthermore if you choose to include a pre workout supplement ensure that it is low carb.

Cut fat while building lean muscle mass - Yes it is possible!

2011-04-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

All across many bodybuilding info sources you will hear the "bro logic" that it is impossible to simultaneously build muscle and cut fat - this just is not true! For my first year or so of training this is exactly what I did! While it is true that you will achieve better results by focusing on either bulking or cutting, you can in fact build lean muscle while eliminating fat.The way to do this is as follows :

Ensure you are eating a diet high in protein ( at the very least 2.2grams per kilo of bodyweight )
Limit carb intake to clean carb sources (such as oats, brown rice and veges) for breakfast and after training
Supplement with BCAA's (Branched Chain Amino Acids)
Train with a high intensity - Heavy weights, short rest between sets
Do cardio at least 4 times a week- either first thing in the morning before eating or straight after weight training
Use a fat burner such as OxyElite Pro and also supplement with creatine.
Train abs 4 times a week so that you can see your fat loss results faster ( your abs will start to show sooner)

Which Whey Protein to buy on a budget

2011-04-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick overview of how much protein you're getting for your money with some popular whey proteins:

Name of Product	Percentage of protein per serving	Product Price	Price per 20 grams of protein
Evox 100% Whey	72 %	R420	R3.88
USN 100% Whey	73%	R350	R4.79
SSN 100% Whey	75%	R359	R4.79
Muscle Works Superior Whey	74%	R349	R3.77
War Whey	80%	R349	R4.36
SPS isopro	84%	R269	R8.54
Muscle Science 100% Whey Supreme	73%	R485	R5.32
Cytosport Complete Whey	73%	R489	R5.95
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey	75%	R699	R8.47

Keep in mind that this doesn't take into account the quality of the products ( such as amino acid profiles), however it is a decent indicator of which products are of a better value than others. The prices are courtesy of www.supplementworld.co.za

Building Colossal Shoulders !

2011-04-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Afer hitting a plateu not too long ago with my shoulder development I started a new routine that I have started noticing great results from. The workout consists of a giant set of 4 exercises followed by some work on the cables to fill the muscles with as much blood as possible.

It goes as follows :

Warmup :

-1 set of light front raises and side laterals for 20 reps
-1 set of light arnold press for 20 reps
-50 pushups

The GIANT set:

-Seated dumbell press (10 reps)
-Side Lateral raises (12 reps)
-Rear lateral raises (seated) (12 reps)
-Dumbell shrugs (to failure)

You should use the same weight for the 2 raises and the same weight for shrugs and presses
Do the giant set 4 times in total, with about 2 or 3 mins rest between sets.
Its important to not go to heavy and rather use a weight that allows you to isolate the muscles as much as possible. Focus on using the delts for the laterals and traps for the shrugs.

Cables :

Finish up the workout with 4 sets of upright rows with about 20 reps per set. Focus on getting a pump and ensure you are rowing the weight as high as possible, keeping the elbows above the wrists.

All in all you will have done 20 working sets and over 216 reps! This will definitely be enough to get those shoulders growing

Rest In Peace Serge Nubret

2011-04-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

On April 19th 2011 bodybuilding icon Serge Nubret passed away of natural causes at the age of 72. In my opinion Serge along with Arnie had one of the best ever physiques in bodybuilding. He was a legend and his spirit will live on. May he rest in peace.