Body and Muscles : Step by step guide on how to biuld your body muscle

GETTING STARTED

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:25:00 +0000

This all-new, 10-part plan will teach you how to build the body you want, one muscle group at a time, in just three work outs a week guaranteed.

EXPECTING MUSCLES BUILT FOR LOOKS to perform well is like gathering your family for a touch-football game and expecting them to run the West Coast offense.

There’s a perfect way to build multipurpose muscle. It hinges on one word: stability. See, most guys lift weights from the outside in. That is, they start with an idea of what they want their muscles to look like and go from there, pummeling their biceps and pectorals and abs with the most basic exercises.

The result: big muscles that look really good from the outside and perform really well in isolation, but lack simple balance and coordination. With our plan, you start with the basic exercises most men already know how to do, but as you get comfortable with them, you move on to exercises that challenge your balance and coordination. You still get big, strong muscles, but as they grow bigger and stronger, they also work together better.

FIND YOUR LEVEL

BEGINNER
If you’re new to weight lifting or are returning to it after a long layoff, consider yourself a beginner.

INTERMEDIATE
An intermediate has been lifting for at least 6 months to a year, has tried several different workout programs, and has seen gains in strength and muscle mass.

ADVANCED
An advanced lifter has been lifting consistently for more than a year, has seen considerable gains in strength and size, is proficient at squats and several varieties of deadlifts, and can do at least five pullups.

THE SHOULDERS

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:20:00 +0000

THE SHOULDERS: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

THE EXERCISES IN THIS PART will help protect your shoulders from injury and ensure a strong, stable frame. So when it comes time to run a pick-androll, toss your kids in the air (for height or distance), or uproot a few saplings to make way for your new backyard putting green, you’ll have what it takes. But you'll also receive an extra benefit: muscles that will pump up nicely for display purposes.

THE REST OF YOUR WORKOUT

Do the shoulder exercises first in your workout. After that, it’s up to you how to fit in exercises for other muscle groups. Most important: Build strength and muscle size with equal effort on both sides of your body. Working the front and neglecting the back is a recipe for injury. Some suggestions:

BEGINNER

Do a total-body workout two or three times a week. After you finish your shoulder exercises, you can try one set of eight to 12 repetitions of the following exercises (except where noted):

Lat pulldown
Squat or leg press
Leg curl
Dumbbell chest press
Cable or dumbbell row
Cable triceps extension
Dumbbell biceps curl
Crunch (15–20 repetitions)

INTERMEDIATE

Divide your program into two workouts: one for the upper body, one for the lower. Alternate between the two workouts, taking a day off after each. So you would do the upper-body workout on Monday and Friday of one week and the lower-body workout on Wednesday, then the following week do the lower-body workout on Monday and Friday and the upper-body workout on Wednesday.

Upper-body workout After doing this shoulder program, choose one exercise each for chest, back, biceps, and triceps. Do two or three sets of the chest and back exercises and one or two sets of the arm exercises.

Lower-body workout Choose one “hipdominant” exercise, meaning that the main emphasis of the exercise is on the hamstrings and gluteals (examples: stepups and any variety of deadlift). Then choose one “knee-dominant” exercise, meaning the emphasis is on the quadriceps muscles the front of the thigh. (Squats, leg presses, and lunges qualify.) Do two or three warmup sets and two work sets of each. (Use heavier weights and do fewer repetitions in each warmup set. A work set means you’re using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions.) Add your choice of abdominal and calf exercises.

ADVANCED

Divide your workout into four parts. Do each once a week; don’t work out more than 2 days in a row.

Shoulders and arms
Knee-dominant exercises (described above), plus abs and calves
Chest and back
Hip-dominant exercises (also above), plus abs and calves again

THE SHOULDERS - Beginner

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:19:00 +0000

THE SHOULDERS: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the three beginner exercises for 4 weeks, then switch to the intermediate exercises for 4 weeks. If you want, you can do the advanced exercises for the next 4 weeks after that, or go back and repeat the beginner and intermediate exercises, using heavier weights and fewer repetitions.

WEEK 1: Do 1 set of 10–12 repetitions of each exercise.
WEEK 2: 1 or 2 sets of 10–12
WEEK 3: 2 or 3 sets of 10–12
WEEK 4: 3 sets of 10–12
WEEK 5: 2 sets of 8–10
WEEK 6: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 7 & 8: 3 sets of 8–10

Set an incline bench to 45 degrees.
Holding a pair of light dumbbells, lie chest-down on the bench. Raise your upper arms so they’re perpendicular to your torso and parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows 90 degrees, so your forearms hang straight down toward the floor.
Keeping your elbows, wrists, and upper arms in fixed positions, rotate the weights up and back as far as you can you want your shoulders to act like hinges, your arms like swinging gates.
Pause, then slowly lower the weights.

Seated Alternating Dumbbell Press

Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench, holding the weights at jaw level, just outside your shoulders. Your palms should face forward.
Starting with your weaker arm (probably your left if you’re righthanded), lift one dumbbell overhead until your arm is straight.
As you lower it, raise the other that’s one repetition.
Alternate until you finish the set.

45-Degree Scarecrow

Snatch-Grip Shrug

Grab a barbell with an overhand grip that’s as wide as comfortably possible. Hold the bar down at arm’s length in front of you.
Lean forward slightly so the bar is about an inch in front of your thighs.
Shrug your shoulders as high as you can.
Pause, then slowly lower the barbell.

THE SHOULDERS - Intermediate

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:16:00 +0000

THE SHOULDERS: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the three intermediate exercises for 4 weeks, then switch to the advanced moves for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 10–12
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 5 & 6: 2 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 7 & 8: 2 or 3 sets of 6–8

Hang Clean and Press

Grab a barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip, and hold it in front of your thighs while standing with your knees slightly bent. Your lower back should be in its natural alignment (slightly arched, in other words).
Shrug your shoulders as you pull the bar up as hard as you can. You should rise up on your toes as you do this.
When the bar reaches chest level, bend your knees again, rotate your forearms from the elbows, and bend your wrists so they go around the bar as you “catch”the bar on the front of your shoulders (shown).
Straighten your knees, then press the bar overhead.
Lower the bar to your shoulders, then rotate your arms and wrists back as you lower the bar to your waist, then finally lower it to your thighs again.
Throughout the exercise, the bar should stay as close to your body as possible.

Alternating Lateral Raise with Static Hold

Sit holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, your palms facing in.
Lift the dumbbells straight out to your sides.
Lower and raise one dumbbell, starting with your weaker arm (your left if you’re right-handed), then lower and raise the other. That’s one repetition.

Double-Cable External Rotation

Attach two stirrup handles to the low cables of a cable-crossover station.
Grab the left handle with your right hand and the right handle with your left, and stand in the middle of the station with your elbows bent 90 degrees and the cables crossing over each other in front of your midsection.
Rotate your forearms up and outward, as if they were two gates swinging out from your upper arms, which act as hinges.
Pause, then slowly return your arms to the starting position.

THE SHOULDERS - Advanced

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:15:00 +0000

THE SHOULDERS: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the intermediate exercises for 4 weeks, then the advanced exercises for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 6–8, after a thorough warmup with lighter weights
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 4–6, after warmup
WEEKS 5 & 6: 2 sets of 6–8
WEEKS 7 & 8: 2 or 3 sets of 4–6

Twisting Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells just outside your shoulders at jaw level, palms facing in.
Press the dumbbells overhead as you twist to your right.
Lower the dumbbells as you twist back to the center, then twist to the left as you press the weights upward again.
If you end the set with an odd number of repetitions, start the next set by twisting to the side opposite the one you finished on in the previous set.

Alternating 45-Degree Incline Shoulder Press

Grab a pair of dumbbells and position yourself on your back on a Swiss ball or incline bench so your
torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
Hold the dumbbells just outside your shoulders at about jaw level, with your palms facing forward. Your forearms should be in line with your torso.
Lift one dumbbell overhead so the weight is in a line with your torso. As you lower it, lift the other.
Alternate until you finish the set.
Alternate the arm you start with on each set.

Overhead Dumbbell Shrug

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells overhead, just beyond shoulderwidth apart, palms facing forward.
Shrug your shoulders up as high as you can.
Pause, then slowly lower your shoulders.

CHEST AND BACK : Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:05:00 +0000

CHEST AND BACK, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate /Advanced

OVER THE YEARS, you’ve learned to avoid unstable situations internships in Iraq and horseloving girlfriends, for example because your life is a lot easier that way.

And you probably apply the same thinking to your workouts. That is, you do exercises such as the standard bench press with your body in a supported, stable position, in order to isolate specific muscle groups. But performing the same exercises while you’re in an unstable position so that you have to balance yourself as you lift forces the smaller, surrounding muscles to work, too. And that means a more productive workout.

Using instability to your advantage can lead to the best gains you’ve ever achieved in strength, muscle, and athletic performance. Think about when you first learned to walk. As you advanced from crawling to standing to walking, your body position became less stable. But as a result, you became stronger. That’s because your muscles had to perform better in each stage.

In this plan, you’ll give your chest and back the same advantage. By changing from stable to less stable positions, you’ll not only build the muscles you can see, but you’ll also build the underlying stabilizer muscles you’ve ignored for years. And by training your body in unstable positions, you’ll prepare it to be more stable when it counts like when it’s time to get away from that horseloving girlfriend.

THE REST OF YOUR WORKOUT

Do the chest and back exercises first in your workout in other words, do the exercises described here in Chapter Two. After that, it’s up to you how to fit in exercises for other muscle groups. Most important: Build strength and muscle size with equal effort on both sides of your body. Working the front and neglecting the back is a recipe for injury.

Some suggestions:

BEGINNER

Do a total-body workout two or three times a week. After you finish your chest and back exercises, try one set of eight to 12 repetitions of the following exercises (except where noted) :

Squat (or leg press)
Leg curl
Seated alternating dumbbell press
Cable triceps extension
Dumbbell biceps curl
Crunch (15–20 repetitions)

INTERMEDIATE

Divide your program into two workouts, one for upper body, one for lower. Alternate between the two, taking a day off after each. So, you’d do the upperbody workout on Monday and Friday of one week and the lower-body workout on Wednesday, then the following week you’d do the lower-body workout on Monday and Friday and the upper-body routine on Wednesday.

Upper-body workout After doing the chest and back program in this installment, choose one exercise each for shoulders, biceps, and triceps. Do two or three sets of the shoulder exercise and one or two sets of the arm exercises.

Lower-body workout Choose one “hipdominant” exercise, meaning the main emphasis of the exercise is on the hamstrings and gluteals (examples include stepups and any variety of deadlift). Then choose one “knee-dominant” exercise, meaning the emphasis is on the quadriceps muscles of the front of the thigh (squats, leg presses, and lunges qualify). Do two or three warmup sets and two work sets. (A work set means you’re using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions. The warmup sets should be percentages of that weight maybe 40, 60, and 80 percent. Do fewer repetitions in each warmup set.) Add your choice of abdominal and calf exercises.

ADVANCED

Divide your workout into four parts. Do each one once a week; don’t work out more than 2 days in a row.

Chest and back
Knee-dominant exercises (described above), plus abs and calves
Shoulders and arms
Hip-dominant exercises (also above), plus abs and calves again

CHEST AND BACK : Part 1 (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:03:00 +0000

CHEST AND BACK, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate /Advanced

Do these four beginner exercises for 4 weeks.

WEEK 1: Do 1 set of 10–12 repetitions of each exercise.
WEEK 2: 1 or 2 sets of 10–12
WEEK 3: 2 or 3 sets of 10–12
WEEK 4: 3 sets of 10–12 Increase weights each week

Three-Point Pushup

Get into pushup position your hands set slightly wider than and in line with your shoulderswith your arms straight. Place the ball of your left foot on top of your right heel.
Keep your back flat, and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position.

Flat-Bench Fly (Feet Elevated)

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a flat bench, with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees and your feet in the air. Hold the dumbbells over your chest with your elbows slightly bent and thumbs turned toward each other.
Slowly lower the dumbbells down and slightly back until your upper arms are parallel to the floor and in line with your ears.
Pause, then lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.

45-Degree Prone Dumbbell Row

Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie chest-down against the pad. Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders and turn your palms so that your thumbs are facing each other.
Bend your elbows and lift your upper arms as high as you can by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Your upper arms should be almost perpendicular to your body at the top of the move. Your forearms should be pointing toward the floor.
Pause, then slowly lower the weights to the starting position.

Pronated Lat Pulldown

Grab a lat-pulldown bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip.
Moving only your arms, pull the bar down to your chest by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

CHEST AND BACK : Part 1 (Intermediate/Advanced)

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:02:00 +0000

CHEST AND BACK, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate/Advanced

INTERMEDIATE

Do the six intermediate/advanced exercises, shown here, for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 10–12
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10

ADVANCED

Do the six intermediate/advanced exercises, shown here, for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 6–8, after a thorough warmup with lighter weights
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 4–6, after warmup

Swiss-Ball Pushup

Get into pushup position your hands set slightly wider than and in line with your shoulders but instead of placing your feet on the floor, rest your shins on a Swiss ball.
With your arms straight and your back flat, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position.

Alternating Decline Dumbbell Press

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a decline bench.
Hold the dumbbells just outside your shoulders, with your arms bent and your palms facing forward.
Push one dumbbell up and slightly toward your head so that when your arm is extended, the dumbbell is above your chin.
As you lower the dumbbell back to your chest, repeat the movement with your other arm.
Alternate until you finish the set.
Alternate the arm you start with on each set.

Low-to-High Cable Fly

Attach two stirrup handles to the low cables of a cable-crossover station.
Grab the left handle with your left hand and the right handle with your right, and stand upright in a staggered stance in the middle of the station, with your arms outstretched but slightly bent.
Pull the handles up and together without changing the angle of your elbows, until the handles are even with your eyes.
Pause, then return to the starting position.

Snatch-Grip Bent-Over Row

Grab a barbell with an overhand grip that’s as wide as comfortably possible. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend at your hips, lowering your torso about 45 degrees, and let the bar hang straight down from your shoulders.
Pull the bar up to your torso, pause, then slowly lower it.

Towel Pulldown

Drape a towel over each handgrip of a lat-pulldown bar. Sit on the bench and grab the ends of each towel so that your palms are facing each other.
Moving only your arms, pull the bar down below your chin by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

Seated Rear Lateral Raise

Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit at the end of a bench. Keep your back flat and your elbows slightly bent, and lean forward at the waist as far as you can. Let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length, with your thumbs turned toward each other.
Slowly raise the dumbbells as high as you can without changing the angle of your elbows.
Pause, then lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

CHEST & BACK, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:01:00 +0000

CHEST AND BACK, Part 2: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

IF YOU'RE LIKE US, you automatically delete any e-mail that has "FWD:FWD:" in the subject line because you're tired of getting the same messages over and over again. Well, imagine how your muscles feel doing the same exercises the same way, workout after workout. Just like your brain, they need something beyond the same old stuff if you want them to get bigger and stronger.

In Part 2 of the chest and back program, you'll force your muscles to work harder than ever by doing exercises that require you to balance and stabilize your body while lifting a weight. More muscle fibers and nerve endings get involved in each exercise, which means better results. If you're a beginner, this workout will help you build overall strength faster than a routine using traditional versions of these exercises. And if you're an intermediate or advanced lifter, the exercises here will help you see new gains in size and strength.

Oh, and before we forget: Be sure to forward this workout to everyone on your mailing list.

THE REST OF YOUR WORKOUT

Do the chest and back exercises described here before working other muscle groups. Try to increase the amount of weight you lift in each exercise by roughly 5 to 10 percent each week.

You can do the remaining lifts in your workout in any order you wish. Some suggestions:

BEGINNER

Do a total-body workout two or three times a week. After you finish these chest and back exercises, try one set of eight to 12 repetitions (except where noted) of the following:

Squat (or leg press)
Leg curl
Seated alternating dumbbell press
Cable triceps extension
Dumbbell biceps curl
Crunch (15–20 repetitions)

INTERMEDIATE

Divide your program into two workouts, one for upper body, one for lower. Alternate between the two, taking a day off after each. For example, do the upper-body workout on Monday and Friday and the lower-body workout on Wednesday; the following week, do the opposite.

Upper-body workout
After doing these chest and back exercises, choose one exercise each for the shoulders, biceps, and triceps. Do two or three sets of the shoulder exercises and one or two sets of the arm exercises.

Lower-body workout
Choose one "hipdominant" exercise, meaning it emphasizes the hamstrings and gluteals (examples include stepups and any variety of deadlift). Then choose one "kneedominant" exercise, meaning it emphasizes the quadriceps muscles of the front of the thigh (squats, leg presses, and lunges qualify). Do two or three warmup sets and two work sets. (A work set means you're using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions. The warmup sets should be percentages of that weight maybe 40, 60, and 80 percent of the work-set weight. Do fewer repetitions in each warmup set.) Add your choice of abdominal and calf exercises.

ADVANCED

Divide your workout into four parts. Do each one once a week; don't work out more than 2 days in a row.

Shoulders and arms
Knee-dominant exercises (described above), plus abs and calves
Chest and back
Hip-dominant exercises (also above), plus abs and calves again

CHEST & BACK, Part 2 - Beginner

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:59:00 +0000

CHEST AND BACK, Part 2: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the four beginner exercises for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 10–12 repetitions of each
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10

Bilateral Cable Rear Lateral Raise

Attach two stirrup handles to the low cables of a cable-crossover station.
Grab the left handle with your right hand and the right handle with your left, and stand in the middle of the station. Keep your back flat, and bend at the waist and knees until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Your arms should be crossed in front of you and slightly bent.
Raise your arms until they're parallel to the floor, without changing the angle of your elbows.
Pause, then slowly return your arms to the starting position

Single-Arm Row (Elbow Out)

Grab a dumbbell in your left hand and place your right hand and right knee on a flat bench. Keep your back flat and your upper body parallel to the floor. Let your left arm hang straight down from your shoulder, and turn your palm so that it's facing your left leg.
Raise your left upper arm out to the side until it's just past parallel to the floor. Your upper arm should be perpendicular to your body at the top of the move. Your lower arm should be pointing toward the floor.
Pause, then slowly lower the weight to the starting position.

Wide-Grip Barbell Chest Press (Feet Elevated)

Lie on your back on a flat bench with your hips bent 90 degrees and feet up in the air. (Keeping your feet elevated forces you to balance on the bench, which calls more muscle fibers into play.)
Grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands a bit farther apart than for a standard bench press, and lift it off the uprights. Hold it over your chin at arm's length.
Slowly lower the bar until it nearly touches the middle of your chest.
Pause, then push the bar back up until your arms are straight and the bar is over your chin again.

Decline Fly

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a decline bench. Hold the dumbbells directly over your lower chest, with your elbows slightly bent and thumbs turned toward each other.
Slowly lower the dumbbells and bring them slightly back toward your shoulders until your upper arms are parallel with the floor and in line with your ears.
Pause, then lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.

CHEST & BACK, Part 2 - Intermediate

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:56:00 +0000

CHEST AND BACK, Part 2: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the six intermediate/advanced exercises shown here for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 6–8

IMPORTANT!

ALL SIX EXERCISES ON THESE TWO PAGES ARE FOR INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED LIFTERS. NOTE THE DIFFERENCES IN SETS AND REPETITIONS FOR EACH LEVEL.

Single-Leg Alternating Dumbbell Row

Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your left foot in front of your right. Keep your back flat and bend over at the hips so the dumbbells are hanging at arm's length from your shoulders, palms facing in. Raise your right foot off the floor.
Raise your left upper arm as high as you can by bending your elbow and squeezing your shoulder blade toward the middle of your back.
As you lower it, raise the other that's one repetition.
Alternate until you finish the set.

Note: Alternate the foot you raise and the arm you start with on each set.

Swiss-Ball Reverse Pushup

Secure a bar 3 to 4 feet above the floor. Lie under the bar and grab it with a shoulder width, overhand grip. Hang at arm's length from the bar with your body
straight and your lower legs on a Swiss ball.
Keep your body rigid and pull your chest to the bar.
Pause, then lower yourself back to the starting

Staggered-Grip Pullup

Grab a pullup bar with an overhand grip. Your right hand should be directly above your right shoulder, and your left hand 6 to 12 inches outside of your left shoulder. Hang at arm's length with your ankles crossed behind you.
Pull yourself up as high as you can.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.
Alternate hand positions on each set, so your right hand is placed out from the shoulder on the second set.

CHEST & BACK, Part 2 - Advanced

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:54:00 +0000

CHEST AND BACK, Part 2: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the six intermediate/advanced exercises shown here for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 6–8
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 6–8, after a thorough warmup with lighter weights

Alternating Swiss-Ball Incline Dumbbell Press

Grab a pair of dumbbells and position yourself on your back on a Swiss ball so your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
Hold the dumbbells just outside your shoulders at about jaw level, with your palms facing forward.
Press one dumbbell overhead so the weight is above your chin at the top of the move. As you lower it, press the other.
Alternate until you finish the set.
Note: Alternate the arm you start with on each set. If you're doing an odd number of sets, start with your weaker arm on the first and third sets.

Santana T-Pushup

Get into pushup position with your hands on the handles of dumbbells that have been placed shoulder-width apart
Do a pushup, and as you come up, rotate your body so that you raise your left arm and the dumbbell straight up over your shoulder and your body forms a T.
Lower the dumbbell and yourself, and repeat to the other side.
Note: If you can, use hexagonal dumbbells the first few times you try this.

Bent-Over Cable Crossover

Attach two stirrup handles to the low cables of a cablecrossover station.
Grab the left handle with your left hand and the right handle with your right, and stand in the middle of the station. Keep your back flat and bend at the waist and knees until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Your arms should be outstretched but slightly bent.
Pull the handles together without changing the angle of your elbows, until your hands just pass each other.
Pause, then return to the starting position.

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:49:00 +0000

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate/ Advanced

WORK OUT LONG ENOUGH and you're bound to hear a trainer utter this weight-room truism: "You can't shoot a annon from a rowboat." To which most guys reply, "Huh?" Say you're a beginner. You walk into the gym with a shopping list: wide shoulders, big biceps, abs like a brick walkway all the fun stuff you see on the cover of this magazine. Getting these things seems like a straightforward proposition, so you press and curl and crunch, and follow that with more pressing, more curling, and more crunching. Then you wonder why you haven't been asked to do a Bowflex commercial.

The problem is, you left out the most important part. Running, jumping, hitting, throwing, and heavy lifting all start with the muscles in your hips, thighs, and lower legs.

When those muscles grow bigger and stronger, they allow your torso muscles to grow, which provides the structure for the arm and shoulder muscles you really want. This lower-body workout, the first of two parts, takes your scrawny, shaky foundation and makes it strong and solid enough to support some high-caliber weaponry up top.

So the next time you see a stick-legged guy doing your old press-curl-crunch combo, you can tell him, "You can't fit Clint Eastwood's gun in Roy Rogers's holster." He'll have no idea what you're talking about, but that's not your problem.

THE REST OF YOUR WORKOUT

Do the leg and butt exercises described here before working any other muscle groups. You can do the rest of the lifts in your workout in any order. Try to increase the amount of weight you lift in each exercise by 5 to 10 percent each week.

Most important: Build strength and muscle size with equal effort on both sides of your body. Working the front and neglecting the back is a recipe for injury.

Some suggestions:

BEGINNER

Do a total-body workout two or three times a week. After you finish these leg and butt exercises, you can try one set of eight to 12 repetitions (except where noted) of the following exercises:

Lat pulldown
Dumbbell chest press
Cable or dumbbell row
Seated alternating dumbbell press
Cable triceps extension
Dumbbell biceps curl
Crunch (15 to 20 repetitions)

INTERMEDIATE

Divide your program into two workouts, one for upper body, one for lower. Alternate between the two workouts, taking a day off after each. For example, do the lower-body workout shown here on Monday and Friday and an upper-body workout on Wednesday; the following week, do the opposite.

Upper-body workout
Choose one exercise each for "horizontal pulling" (seated or bent-over row), one for "horizontal pushing" (dumbbell or barbell bench press), one for "vertical pulling" (pullup or lat pulldown), and one for "vertical pushing" (dumbbell or barbell shoulder press). Do two or three warmup sets and two work sets. (A work set means you're using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions. The warmup sets should be percentages of that weight maybe 40, 60, and 80 percent of the work-set weight. Do fewer repetitions in each warmup set.) You can finish with exercises for your biceps and triceps.

Lower-body workout
Do the exercises described here, followed by abdominal exercises.

ADVANCED

Divide your workout into three parts. Do each part once a week, with a day off between workouts.

Vertical pushing and pulling
Lower-body exercises, plus abdominals and calves
Horizontal pushing and pulling

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 1 - Beginner

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:47:00 +0000

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate/ Advanced

Do the five beginner exercises for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 10–12 repetitions of each
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10

Dumbbell Split Squat

Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your sides. Stand in a staggered stance with your left foot about 4 feet in front of your right.
Lower your body until your left knee is bent 90 degrees and your right knee nearly touches the floor. Your left lower leg should be perpendicular to the floor, and your torso should remain upright.
Push yourself back up to the starting position as quickly as you can. Finish all of your repetitions, then repeat the exercise with your right foot in front of your left.

Leg Press

Position yourself in a leg-press machine with your back against the pad and your feet about 4 inches apart on the platform. Unlock the platform and slowly lower the weight until your knees are bent 90 degrees.
Pause, then push the weight back up to the starting position.

Snatch-Grip Romanian Deadlift

Grab a barbell with an overhand grip that's as wide as comfortably possible. Hold the bar down at arm's length in front of you. Your feet should be hipwidth apart and your knees slightly bent.
Keep your lower back slightly arched and bend slowly at the hips as far as you can without losing the arch. Don't change the angle of your knees, and keep the bar close to your body throughout the entire move.
Pause, then lift your torso back to the starting position.

Lying Leg Curl

Lie facedown on a leg-curl machine with the pads against your lower legs, above your heels and below your calf muscles.
Without raising your body off the pad, bend your legs at the knees and pull the weight toward you as far as you can.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

Alternating Seated Calf Raise

Place a step in front of a bench, grab a pair of dumbbells, and sit down. Set the balls of both feet on the step, and place one dumbbell on each knee. Lower both heels as far as you can without touching the floor.
Push off the ball of your left foot and lift your left heel as high as you can. As you lower your left heel to the starting position, raise your right heel.
Alternate until you finish the set.

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 1 - Intermediate/Advanced

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:43:00 +0000

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate/ Advanced

INTERMEDIATE

An intermediate should do the five intermediate/advanced exercises for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1–2: 2 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 3–4: 2 or 3 sets of 6–8

ADVANCED

Do the five intermediate/advanced exercises shown here for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 6–8, after warmup
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 4–6, after warmup

Bulgarian Split Squat

Hold a barbell with an overhand grip so that it rests comfortably on your upper back (not on your neck) and stand about 3 feet in front of a bench. Place your left foot behind you on the bench so that only your instep is resting on it.
Lower your body until your right knee is bent 90 degrees and your left knee nearly touches the floor. Your right lower leg should be perpendicular to the floor, and your torso should remain upright.
Push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as you can. Finish all of your repetitions, then repeat the lift, this time with your right foot resting on the bench while your left leg does the work.

Barbell Squat

Hold a barbell with an overhand grip so that it rests comfortably on your upper back (not on your neck). Set your feet shoulder-width apart, and keep your knees slightly bent, back straight, and eyes focused straight ahead.
Slowly lower your body as if you were sitting back into a chair, keeping your back in its natural alignment and your lower legs nearly perpendicular to the floor.
When your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause, and then return to the starting position.

Good Morning

Start in the same position as for the barbell squat.
Slowly bend forward at the hips as you lower your chest as far as you can go while maintaining the natural arch in your lower back, or until your upper body is parallel to the floor.
Keep your head up and maintain about the same angle of your knees.
Lift your upper body back to the starting position.

Single-Leg Curl

Lie in a leg-curl machine with the pads against your lower legs, above your heels and below your calf muscles.
Without raising your body off the pad, bend your left leg at the knee and pull the weight toward you as far as you can. Your right leg should remain in the starting position.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position. Finish the set, then repeat with your right leg.

Single-Leg Standing Calf Raise

Grab a dumbbell in your left hand and stand on a step or a block. Put your right hand on something for balance a wall or a weight stack, for instance. Cross your right foot behind your left ankle and balance yourself on the ball of your left foot.
Lower your left heel as far as you can, pause, then lift it as high as you can. Finish the set with your left leg, then repeat with your right while holding the dumbbell in your right hand.

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:24:00 +0000

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 2: Beginner | Intermediate/ Advanced

MOST MEN HAVE A SIMPLE PHILOSOPHY when choosing their lower-body exercises: The more weight plates they can pile on, the better the lift. But choosing your exercises based on the amount of weight you can heft is a lot like timing your 40-yard dash on the moving sidewalk at O'Hare.

That's because the most popular exercises for your lower body machine exercises like leg presses, leg extensions, and leg curls allow you to lift heavier weights than their free-weight counterparts. Why? Because they give your body a mechanical advantage.

So even though you're able to lift more iron, you're using less muscle. That puts you at a disadvantage when you're trying to maximize your lower body strength and size.

This chapter will gives you exercises that force your muscles to work without help from well-designed machinery the same way they work in sports and real life activities. You'll hold the weights in different positions behind your legs, in front of your shoulders, above your head and prepare your body for virtually any task. Plus, you'll work your muscles more intensely than you have before, which will stimulate them to grow.

When you see the end results of this program, we're guessing you'll have some new favorite exercises.

THE REST OF YOUR WORKOUT

Do the leg and butt exercises described here before working any other muscle groups. You can do the rest of the lifts in your workout in any order. Try to increase the amount of weight you lift in each exercise by 5 to 10 percent each week.

Most important:
Build strength and muscle size with equal effort on both sides of your body. Working the front and neglecting the back is a recipe for injury.

Some suggestions:

BEGINNER

Do a total-body workout two or three times a week. After you finish these leg and butt exercises, you can try one set of eight to 12 repetitions (except where noted) of the following exercises:

Lat pulldown
Dumbbell chest press
Cable or dumbbell row
Seated alternating dumbbell press
Cable triceps extension
Dumbbell biceps curl
Crunch (15 to 20 repetitions)

INTERMEDIATE

Divide your program into two workouts, one for upper body, one for lower. Alternate between the two workouts, taking a day off after each. For example, do the lower-body workout shown here on Monday and Friday and an upper-body workout on Wednesday; the following week, do the opposite.

Upper-body workout
Choose one exercise each for "horizontal pulling" (seated or bent-over row), one for "horizontal pushing" (dumbbell or barbell bench press), one for "vertical pulling" (pullup or lat pulldown), and one for "vertical pushing" (dumbbell or barbell shoulder press). Do two or three warmup sets and two work sets. (A work set means you're using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions. The warmup sets should be percentages of that weight—maybe 40, 60, and 80 percent of the work-set weight. Do fewer repetitions in each warmup set.) You can finish with exercises for your biceps and triceps.

Lower-body workout
Do the exercises described here, followed by abdominal exercises.

ADVANCED

Divide your workout into three parts. Do each part once a week, with a day off between workouts.

Vertical pushing and pulling
Lower-body exercises, plus abdominals and calves
Horizontal pushing and pulling

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 2 - Beginner

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:21:00 +0000

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 2: Beginner | Intermediate/ Advanced

Do the five beginner exercises for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 10–12 repetitions of each exercise
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10

Modified Farmer's Walk

Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells and stand holding them at arm's length at your sides.
Stand on the balls of your feet, and walk forward until your grip is about to give out.
Put the dumbbells down, rest, and then turn around and repeat, going back to the starting point.

45-Degree Traveling Lunge

Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your sides. Stand with your feet hip-width apart at one end of your house or gym you need room to walk forward.
Step forward with your left foot at a 45-degree angle and lower your body until your right knee almost touches the floor and your left knee is bent 90 degrees.
Stand and bring your right foot up next to your left, then repeat with the right leg lunging forward. That's one repetition.

King Deadlift

Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart. (This is done without weights.) Lift your left foot behind you and bend the knee 90 degrees so your left lower leg is parallel to the floor.
Slowly lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Your left leg will rise behind you as a counterbalance, and your torso will bend forward at the hips.
Pause, then push your body back to the starting position. Finish all of the repetitions, then repeat, lifting your right leg this time.

Swiss-Ball Hip Extension and Leg Curl

Lie on your back on the floor and place your lower legs on a Swiss ball. Put your hands flat on the floor at your sides.
Push your hips up so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Without pausing, pull your heels toward you and roll the ball as close as possible to your butt.
Pause, then reverse the motion roll the ball back until your body is in a straight line, then lower your back to the floor and repeat.

Barbell Front Squat

Grab a bar with an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulderwidth and hold it in front of your body, just above your shoulders. Raise your upper arms so they're parallel to the floor and let the bar roll back so it's resting on your fingers, not your palms. Set your feet shoulder width apart and keep your back straight, knees slightly bent, and eyes focused straight ahead.
Without changing the position of your arms, lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position.

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 2 - Intermediate/Advanced

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:16:00 +0000

LEGS & GLUTES, Part 2: Beginner | Intermediate/ Advanced

An intermediate should do the five intermediate/advanced exercises shown here for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 6–8

ADVANCED
Do the five intermediate/advanced exercises shown here for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 6–8, after a thorough warmup with lighter weights
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 4–6, after warmup

Overhead Squat

Stand holding a barbell with an overhand grip, and press it over your head so that your arms are fully extended. The bar should be directly over your shoulders. Set your feet shoulder width apart.
Slowly lower your body as if you were sitting back into a chair, keeping your back in its natural alignment.
When your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause, then return to the starting position.

Barbell Hack Squat

Stand holding a barbell at arm's length behind your back, using an overhand grip. Set your feet shoulder-width apart and place each heel on a 25-pound weight plate.
Slowly lower your body as if you were sitting back into a chair, keeping your back in its natural alignment.
When your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause, then return to the starting position.

Dumbbell Calf Jump

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your sides at arm's length.
Dip your knees so they're bent about 45 degrees and jump as high as you can. Point your toes toward the floor when you jump.
Allow your knees to bend 45 degrees when you land, then immediately jump again.

Single-Leg Swiss-Ball Hip Extension and Leg Curl

Lie on your back on the floor; place your right lower leg on a Swiss ball and your left leg in the air, perpendicular to your body. Put your hands flat on the floor at your sides.
Push your hips up so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Without pausing, pull your right heel toward you and roll the ball as close as possible to your butt.
Pause, then reverse the movement and return to the starting position. Finish the repetitions and repeat with your left leg.

Single-Leg Back Extension

Position yourself in a back-extension station. Hook one foot under the leg anchors and leave the other foot resting on top. Cross your arms over your chest.
Lower your upper body, allowing your lower back to round, until it's just short of perpendicular to the floor.
Raise your upper body until it's slightly above parallel to the floor. At this point you should have a slight arch in your back, and your shoulder blades should be pulled together in back.
Repeat, finish the set, then repeat with your other foot under the leg anchor.

THE ABS - Beginner

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:18:00 +0000

THE ABS: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the four beginner exercises for 4 weeks, followed by the intermediate exercises on the next page for weeks 5 through 8.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions of each exercise except the bridge
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 12–15
WEEKS 5–8: Do the intermediate program on the next page

Bridge

Start to get into a pushup position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
Pull your abdominals in; imagine you're trying to move your belly button back to your spine. Hold this for 20 to 30 seconds, breathing steadily.
Release, then repeat for another 20 to 30 seconds. That equals two complete sets. As you build endurance, you can do one 60 second set instead of two shorter ones.

Russian Twist

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat. Hold your arms straight out in front of your chest with your palms facing down. Lean back so your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
Twist to the left as far as you can, pause, then reverse your movement and twist all the way back to the right as far as you can. As you get stronger, hold a light weight in your hands as you do the movement.

Towel Crunch

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Set a rolled-up towel under the arch of your lower back and lie back so your head
rests on the floor. Place your fingers behind your ears.
Raise your head and shoulders and crunch your rib cage toward your pelvis.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

Back Extension

Position yourself in a back extension station and hook your feet under the leg anchor. Hold your arms straight out in front of you. Your body should form a straight line from your hands to your hips.
Lower your torso, allowing your lower back to round, until it's just short of perpendicular to the floor.
Raise your upper body until it's slightly above parallel to the floor. At this point you should have a slight arch in your back and your shoulder blades should be pulled together in back.
Pause, then repeat.

THE ABS - Intermediate

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:13:00 +0000

THE ABS: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

An intermediate should do the four intermediate exercises shown here for 4 weeks, then the advanced exercises for weeks 5 through 8.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 1 or 2 sets of 4–6
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2–3 sets of 6–8
WEEKS 5 & 6: 2 sets of 3–5
WEEKS 7 & 8: 2 or 3 sets of 5–8

Two-Point Bridge

Get into the standard pushup position.
Lift your right hand and your left leg off the floor at the same time. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds. That's one repetition.
Return to the starting position, then repeat, lifting your left hand and your right leg this time. Continue to alternate until you've completed all of your repetitions. Make sure you do an equal number with each hand and leg.

Hanging Leg Raise

Grasp a chinup bar with an overhand grip and hang from it at arm's length, with your knees slightly bent. If you have elbow straps Ab-OrigiOnals, for example hang from them.
Without bending your legs any more, lift your knees as close to your chest as possible by rounding your back and curling your hips toward your rib cage.
Pause, then slowly lower your legs to the starting position

Low-to-High Reverse Woodchopper

Attach a stirrup handle to a low cable pulley, grab it with both hands, and stand with your right side facing the cable station and your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend over and hold the handle with both hands just outside your right calf muscle. Your shoulders will be rotated toward the cable machine. Straighten your arms and keep them straight throughout the entire movement.
Pull the handle up and across your torso as you straighten your body and twist your shoulders to the left. Your right arm ends up in front of your face, and the handle is at the same height as your ear.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position. Finish the repetitions on this side, then switch sides to complete the set.

Swiss-ball Crunch

Lie on your back on a Swiss ball with your hands behind your ears.
Raise your head and shoulders and crunch your rib cage toward your pelvis.
Pause and slowly return to the starting position.

THE ABS - Advanced

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:10:00 +0000

THE ABS: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the four intermediate exercises on the previous page for 4 weeks, then switch to the advanced exercises for weeks 5 through 8.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 6–8
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 5 & 6: 2 sets of 6–8
WEEKS 7 & 8: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10

Swiss-Ball Jackknife

Get into push-up position your hands set slightly wider than and in line with your shoulders but instead of placing your feet on the floor, rest your shins on a Swiss ball. With your arms straight and your back flat, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
Roll the Swiss ball toward your chest by raising your hips and rounding your back as you pull the ball forward with your feet.
Pause, then return the ball to the starting position by lowering your hips and rolling it backward.

Oblique Hanging Leg Raise

Grasp a chinup bar with an overhand grip and hang from it at arm's length, with your knees slightly bent. If you have elbow straps Ab Origionals, for instance hang from them. Then raise your legs until your knees are bent 90 degrees.
Keep your knees bent and lift your left hip toward your left armpit, until your lower legs are parallel to the floor.
Pause, then return to the starting position and lift your right hip toward your right armpit. That's one repetition.

Twisting Back Extension

Position yourself in a back extension station and hook your feet under the leg anchor. Place your fingers behind your ears.
Lower your upper body, allowing your lower back to round, until it's just short of perpendicular to the floor.
Raise and twist your upper body until it's slightly above parallel to the floor and facing left.
Pause, then lower your torso and repeat, this time twisting to the right. That's one repetition.

Long-Arm Circle Crunch

Lie on your back on a Swiss ball with arms extended straight above your head in line with your ears—and your thumbs crossed so that they interlock.
Raise your head and shoulders and crunch your rib cage toward your right hip, then continue contracting your abdominals to move your torso counterclockwise till you're crunching upward, then left, then down, so that your upper body moves in a circle.
Each circle you complete is one repetition.

ARMS, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:58:00 +0000

ARMS, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate/Advanced

EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US this little-known muscle training secret: If you build the rest of your body, your arms will grow by default. That's because they're involved in virtually every exercise you do. You'll never see a man with wide shoulders, a meaty chest, a V-shaped back…and puny arms. But plenty of guys spend hours on their arms and look as if they hardly work out at all. The lesson: Spend the majority of your workout time on your big muscles, and the smaller muscles like your biceps and triceps will take care of themselves.

However, there are times when your arms should be the center of attention and not just when you're updating your tattoo collection. Say you've been following our TBW program from the beginning. You've spent time working your shoulders, chest, back, abs, and lower body. You're bigger, stronger, and probably better at every physical activity you attempt. But now your arms may be holding you back. And not because your ex-girlfriend's name is still engraved on your left biceps.

So, the next 8 weeks are going to be all about arms starting with this, the first of two 4-week programs. You should notice the difference in obvious and subtle ways. You'll get stronger in exercises like the bench press and pullup because your arms will provide better assistance. And when you finally get your new girlfriend's name tattooed on your arm, well, you'll be able to use bigger letters.

THE REST OF YOUR WORKOUT

Do the arm exercises first in your workout. After that, it's up to you how to fit in exercises for other muscle groups. Here are some suggestions.

BEGINNER

Do a total-body workout two or three times a week.
Here's a sample: Do one set of eight to 12 repetitions of these exercises after you finish your arms.

Lat pulldown
Squat or leg press
Leg curl
Dumbbell chest press
Cable or dumbbell row
Crunch

INTERMEDIATE

Divide your program into two workouts, one for your upper body and one for your lower body. Perform your arm exercises on the day you do your upper-body workout. Alternate between the two workouts, taking a day off after each. So, for example, you might do the upper-body workout on Monday and Friday one week and the lower-body workout on Wednesday, then the following week do the lower-body workout on Monday and Friday and the upper-body routine on Wednesday.

Upper-body workout
After doing the arm program in this installment, choose one exercise each for your chest, back, and shoulders. Do two or three sets of the chest and back exercises and one or two sets of the exercises for your shoulders.

Lower-body workout
Choose one "hipdominant" lift an exercise that emphasizes the hamstrings and gluteals (examples include stepups and deadlifts). Then choose one "knee-dominant" exercise, meaning the emphasis is on the quadriceps muscles of the front of the thigh (squats, leg presses, and lunges qualify). Do two or three warmup sets and two work sets. (A work set means you're using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions. The warmup sets should be percentages of that weight maybe 40, 60, and 80 percent. Do fewer repetitions in each warmup set.) Add your choice of abdominal and calf exercises.

ADVANCED

Divide your workout into four parts. Do each one once a week; don't work out more than 2 days in a row.

Arms and shoulders
Knee-dominant exercises (described above), plus abdominals and calves
Chest and back
Hip-dominant exercises (also above), plus abdominals and calves again

ARMS, Part 1 - Beginner

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:44:00 +0000

ARMS, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate/Advanced

Do the four beginner exercises for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 1 or 2 sets of 10–12 repetitions of each exercise
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 10–12

Overhead Triceps Extension

Grab an EZ-curl bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Hold the bar at arm's length over your head.
Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows to lower the bar behind your head until your forearms are just past parallel to the floor.
Pause, then return the bar to the starting position by straightening your arms.

Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a flat bench. Hold the dumbbells over and slightly behind your head with straight arms, your palms facing each other. Your upper arms should be angled back.
Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells until your forearms are nearly perpendicular to the floor.
Pause, then lift the weights back to the starting position by straightening your arms.

Standing Hammer Curl

Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hipwidth apart. Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, and turn your palms so they're facing each other.
Curl the dumbbells up as high as you can without moving your upper arms forward.
Pause, then slowly lower the weights to the starting position

Seated Preacher Curl

Grab an EZ-curl bar with an underhand grip. Rest your upper arms on the sloping pad of the preacher bench and hold the bar at arm's length in front of you, your elbows bent about 5 degrees.
Lift the bar as high as you can without moving your upper arms off the pad.
Pause, then slowly lower the bar to the starting position.

ARMS, Part 1 - Intermediate/Advanced

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:58:00 +0000

ARMS, Part 1: Beginner | Intermediate/Advanced

INTERMEDIATE
Do the four intermediate/advanced exercises shown here for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 6–8

ADVANCED
Do the four intermediate/advanced exercises shown here for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 6–8, after a thorough warmup with lighter weights
WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 4–6, after warmup

Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension with Feet Elevated

Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on the end of a bench with your back straight. Hold the dumbbells at arm's length above your head, your palms facing each other. Lift your feet off the ground a few inches by raising your thighs slightly.
Without moving your upper arms, lower he dumbbells behind your head until your forearms are just past parallel to the floor.
Pause, then straighten your arms to return the dumbbells to the starting position.

Body-Weight Triceps Extension

Set the barbell supports of a squat rack about 3 to 4 feet above the floor and place a bar across them.
Grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands 6 to 8 inches apart. Still holding the bar, back up until you're in a modified pushup position: Your arms are straight, your body nearly forms a line from your head to your ankles, and you're standing on the balls of your feet.
Lower your head toward the bar by bending your elbows until your head nearly touches the bar.
Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.

Single-Arm Unsupported Concentration Curl

Grab a dumbbell with your left hand and stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart. Keep your back flat and bend at your hips and knees until your upper body is almost parallel to the floor. Let your left arm hang straight down from your shoulder and place your right hand on your right thigh.
Curl the dumbbell toward your chin as high as you can without moving your upper arm.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position. Finish the repetitions with your left arm, then switch to your right to complete the set.

Incline Zottman Curl

Set an incline bench at about a 60-degree angle and grab a pair of dumbbells. Lie on your back on the incline bench and let the dumbbells hang at arm's length straight from your shoulders, your palms facing forward.
Curl the weights up as high as you can without moving your upper arms forward.
At the top of the curl, rotate your wrists so your palms face the floor. Slowly lower them in that position.
At the bottom of the curl, turn your palms forward again to start the next repetition.

ARMS, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:42:00 +0000

ARMS, Part 2: Beginner/Intermediate | Advanced

VIDEO GAMES AREN’T USUALLY ASSOCIATED with fitness. But you could probably learn something about building muscle from that old Gameboy in your basement. Like most video-game systems, it lets you start with easier versions of a game when you’re a beginner and adds tougher levels of play later on. The reason: You need to keep challenging yourself in order to improve.

The same holds true for your muscles. They adapt to your exercise routine by growing, which in turn makes your workout easier. But the longer you do the same exercises the same way, the less the muscles are forced to progress. And that means you get diminishing returns on your workout investment. In this segment, we’re going to make all of the standard arm exercises guys normally use more difficult. Think of it as playing a video game on the "expert" level for the first time. You have to rise to the occasion. Follow this plan and your muscles will do the same.

Do the arm exercises first in your workout. After that, it’s up to you how to fit in exercises for other muscle groups. Here are some suggestions.

BEGINNER
Do a total-body workout two or three times a week. Try one set of eight to 12 repetitions of the following exercises after you finish your arm exercises.

Lat pulldown
Squat or leg press
Leg curl
Dumbbell chest press
Cable or dumbbell row
Crunch

INTERMEDIATE
Divide your program into two workouts, one for your upper body and one for your lower body. Perform arm exercises in the upper-body workout.

Alternate between the two taking a day off after each. So you might do the upper-body workout on Monday and Friday one week and the lower-body workout on Wednesday, then the following week do the lower-body workout on Monday and Friday and the upper-body workout on Wednesday.

Upper-body workout After arm exercises, choose one exercise each for your chest, back, and shoulders. Do two or three sets of the chest and back exercises and one or two sets for your shoulders.

Lower-body workout Choose one "hipdominant" lift—an exercise that emphasizes the hamstrings and gluteals (examples include stepups and deadlifts).

Then choose one "knee-dominant" exercise, meaning the emphasis is on the quadriceps muscles of the front of the thigh (squats, leg presses, and lunges qualify). Do two or three warmup sets and two work sets. (A work set means you’re using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions. The warmup sets should be percentages of that weight maybe 40, 60, and 80 percent. Do fewer repetitions in each successive warmup set.) Add your choice of abdominal and calf exercises.

ADVANCED
Divide your workout into four parts. Do each one once a week; don’t work out more than 2 days in a row.

Arms and shoulders
Knee-dominant exercises (described above), plus abdominals and calves
Chest and back
Hip-dominant exercises (also above), plus abdominals and calves again