First of all, thanks to those people who’ve shown interest and taken the time to e-mail me. I didn’t really know I had any regular readers. What can I say? Thanks!

Right. Let’s see where I am. For a good while now I’ve not trained my full body, and with summer I’ve trained sporadically – mostly not – since I’ve mostly just been busy with other things in life.

At the moment I’m simply training triceps and biceps, and that’s it – and I’ve been doing so since August, with steady results, despite having just a regular diet and no supplements. And, I’ll continue to train this way for the foreseeable (though I may use protein supplements starting in October.)

Why just the arms?

Well, it’s a no-brainer for me…

A: Least important, but important enough: I can’t afford to buy enough food to grow everywhere, nor do I have the time to eat that amount of food and I don’t have the time and dedication to train like that at the moment.

B: Most importantly: It makes absolutely no sense to me to put the effort and time into training other body parts when the only body part everyday people really notice (and the only part I really give a damn about) – the arms – don’t stand out at all, and never have… and the average person who half-arsed picks up a pair of dumbbells seems to have bigger and better arms than me within a few months. (So I think.)

For me, training other body parts when my arms are nothing is a piss take on myself of the highest order, and I’m not having it any more. I’ll likely begin training other body parts once more when I feel I’ve got arms that stand out. ‘Til then, sod it all.

I’m a regular person living a regular life among other regular people living regular lives. I aim not to impress the purist with the unhealthy obsession about the male physique with perfect proportion and symmetry, but myself – who couldn’t give a damn – and the average person, who doesn’t know a damn. And that simply means arms, above all else.

No arms, no nothing. Wimme?

So, gimme the arms first, and I’ll worry (yeah, right) about the ‘unimportant’ stuff later.

(And no, I’m not worried my arms will become so big that the rest of my body will look ridiculous. Think about it. If that were even possible for me, I’d not even be in this situation, would I?)

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I Hear Ya

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1. Best Muscle Supplements To Make Your Muscles Bigger And Life Easier Whilst I’m a big believer in trying things for oneself,...

I’ve been changing things round every 3 weeks, exercises, repetition schemes, bar paths, tempo, rest times, etc. I definitely made a massive mistake last time around in sticking to the same old stuff for months on end believing all I had to do was force myself to lift heavier because other people seemed to be making gains on the same program months on end and I felt I should be able to, too. I definitely won’t be making that mistake ever again.

I’ve been eating good but not sticking to a rigid diet. Just making sure I get plenty of good nutrients each day, especially protein. Unlike last time, I haven’t been aiming to gain weight as an indicator of progress – though I’ve gained several pounds in weight and when I last weighed myself I was just over 12.5 stone – still almost half a stone lighter than when I started training in 2008, so I’m keeping the fat off and still making reasonable progress.

I’ve taken this week off. Maybe I’ll take next week off, too. I’ve got a few aches and pains I don’t want to aggravate – not related to training, as such – and as much as I like training at times and making gains in strength, it can sometimes become a burden when you like doing/have to do other things in life. I’ll see how I feel come next Monday.

I’ve also noticed I’ve started every sentence in this blog with “I’ve” – which is a pretty good indicator that while my training progresses, my blogging skills have deteriorated somewhat. Ah well, I don’t care!

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May Update

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I did have a very good session on Saturday (should have been Friday, but had to be rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances; shelves collapsing in the garage spewing paint all over the floor which had to be left to dry… typical). I definitely felt stronger, and lifted substantially more than the last week, right across the board. (But, maybe last week I just underperformed – like I say, real progress across just a few workouts can’t really be gauged.)

I know that I lifted more in my dead lift than I have ever done before by 2kg (if I remember correctly) – and I’m talking more than I did when I was at my heaviest of 14.5 stone, or round about… and I’m currently around 12 ¼ - 12 ½ so I’m pleased with that – plus I did an extra rep since I’m now doing 6. Though, I did twinge my right thigh slightly sometime during the set which I’ll have to be careful of. No pain today so hopefully it will of healed properly before my next session. I’ll just have to be very careful and not make such large leaps up in weight next time – I should have gone for 2.5-5kg increase but went for 10kg from last week because I thought I had it in me. I did; just. At least now I have a better idea of my limits, so I’ll be more conservative in my increases next time.

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Checking In

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God, did I learn some harsh lessons – and truth/reality – last time around.

I’ve made sure that this time around I’m much more strict in what I’m doing. Far better awareness of what I’m doing, diet, exercise selection, tempo of repetitions, strict rest periods in between sets, proper warm ups, etc.

I’m more interested in maximizing my strength for my size (relative strength) than I am about getting stronger through getting far bigger. But, I still desire to gain a reasonable amount of muscle mass along with it. Having done a lot of reading – particularly Charles Poliquin’s work – it would seem to be that I needed slightly more reps and sets to achieve my goals this time. My old set and rep scheme was 5 reps, 3 sets. This time around I’m performing 6 reps, 4 sets. This should give me slightly more size gains through greater volume of work, but still keep me strong pound-for-pound for the size gains I do get.

I will be changing things far more regularly this time around, as well as having a much greater knowledge of assistance exercises to work weak points, helping me achieve better results with compound lifts. That was a major failing the last time. I simply didn’t know enough before starting, and I didn’t do enough things right to achieve the kind of results I could have.

As for helping compound lifts with assistance exercises, something Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell said now resonates strong in my ears: ‘The bench press itself does not stall. When it fails to go up you have a weak point you need to bring up.’ I guess that holds true for most compound lifts, too. So this time around I’m making sure I work my weakest areas that let my big lifts down with assistance exercises, rather than just trying to power through with more effort – even at the cost of good form.

Still, mistakes, misfortunes, regrets, could haves, would haves… that’s in the past.

I live to train another day.

I’ll keep you posted.

This post belongs to the Real Muscle Building Blog

Round 2

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1. Build Muscle Strength With Specialist Weight Training Why you need to avoid bodybuilding routines for strength: Depending...

You know, push ups, incline push ups, crunches, etc. I’ve also done various isometrics and I’ve been paying particular attention to rotator cuff training and performing various stretching exercises to increase flexibility. Areas of my training long neglected, to my discredit.

I’ve had what you could call mild shoulder discomfort for a long time – in one shoulder before I even started training, due to an unfortunate incident several years back. It hasn’t been right since, with a mild pain from time to time in certain positions, and clicking/grinding.

I’ve definitely neglected my rotator cuffs since I began training, I’ll cop to that. And, although I’ve not really had any injuries, I’ve definitely developed further minor ‘disagreements’ in both shoulders.

Time to start looking after the small muscles, and the big muscles will take care of themselves, I think. Whatever I do in the future, I’ll be sure to include rotator cuff training, too. It’s win-win.

What else… ah yes, the stretching exercises. For my rotator cuffs I’ve been doing some strange front-to-back rotations with a length of unused PVC drainage piping. I believe some refer to this as ‘shoulder dislocations’. Whatever. It feels good, and I also feel it stretching my chest. Anything which improves general flexibility and range in my shoulders is good.

As for other stretching exercises, I’ve been doing lower back, hamstrings, calves, groin and quads.

Really, I’ve never been the most flexible person. Even as a youngster when I played football (proper football that is, not that rugby knock-off you Americans playJ) I was never the most flexible person, and I definitely suffered plenty of injuries due to overextending my muscles.

I hope that in relatively short time, I’ll be much more supple.

As far as my fat loss is going, with my primitive scales, I weighed myself as 11.5 stone a few days ago. I hope to get as close to 11 stone as possible by the end of March, when I’m finally going to begin building muscle again for a short burst. Hallelujah.

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And… Stretch!

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My last blog post I told of how I was skipping training because I was getting ill. I didn’t know the half of it. I wound up with gastric flu and had massive headaches and, I have to say, I’ve never felt so ill in my entire adult life.

Then the following week I seemed to develop tonsilitis, which I still have.

I didn’t train during the past 2 weeks. Today I was thinking of training but, rather than do weights I opted to do some push ups and static contraction training in my bedroom for a change. Not correlating with what I was supposed to be doing today, but who cares. I did something and it felt quite good to get the blood pumping for the first time in 2 weeks. (Come to think of it, I haven’t even been out on my bike during that time, either…)

I’ll likely just do some more basic body weight stuff this week just for a change. Maybe even during next week, too.

I’m getting anxious to start training properly for muscle and strength again but at this rate I just don’t know when it’s gonna be. This fat loss stuff is starting to feel like a life sentence now, and it’s dawned on me that I’ve now spent more time losing fat than I ever did building muscle, which to me is ridiculous and a major pisser. And, I still think I’ll need to lose another half stone at least… and preferably closer to a stone.

Then there’s the money aspect. Even if I was blessed with a miracle (fat chance) and I lost a stone of fat tomorrow, I still couldn’t bulk, because money wise, quite frankly, I don’t have a pot to piss in… so I’m going all out to try and turn that, and my life around.

I can’t go off half cocked. I’m doing it properly this time or not at all. Proper food, proper protein, etc.

Whoever says money isn’t important clearly hasn’t been broke.

This post belongs to the Real Muscle Building Blog

Back From The (Almost) Dead

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• Training to muscle failure is not necessary for increases in muscle size and strength.
• Lactic acid burn does not always accompany training to muscle failure.
• Lactic acid is not the cause of muscle failure, but actually provides extra energy to prolong effort.
• Lactic acid is not the culprit for post-workout pain, DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is.

A recap of these points is important so they are fresh in your mind for what I’m about to say next with regards to the positive effects training for the lactic acid burn can have.

For the longest time, training to the ‘burn’ was seen as nothing more than superfluous. It had benefits no more than satisfying the zealous trainee that he/she had indeed trained hard enough. How could they not have? They felt a burning pain!

Few – including those who would train to the burn – would have truly dared to believe that doing so actually had benefits far greater than mere self-satisfaction and confirmation of a thorough session. Now, that’s all changed.

Hormones is the buzzword of today, and modern studies show lactic acid burn is linked to growth hormone release in all athletes.

This news is of particular importance to those who train with weights, because working the bigger muscle groups, such as the quads, lats, glutes and hamstrings to levels where lactic acid burn is felt, will produce the most growth hormone release for your efforts.

Once growth hormone is released, it’s not only the muscles which were worked to the ‘burn’ which benefit, but any other muscles which are currently in the process of rebuilding.

But, does growth hormone actually increase strength and performance?

It’s worth noting that although human growth hormone (the synthetic kind) is banned by athletic boards worldwide, it’s not currently testable, so many athletes are able to take it without being caught.

A 2008 study by Dr. Hau Liu of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center into growth hormone[1] concluded while growth hormone certainly helps to increase lean muscle mass, it doesn’t improve strength or athletic performance.

Logically then, the only possible way a corresponding increase in strength increase would not be made is if only the sarcoplasmic area of the muscle was increased in size, and not the actual fibres themselves.

Dr. Hau Liu even went so far as saying it may hinder physical activity and performance.

I’m sceptical. For me, I fail to see how an athlete would risk being banned for life from a sport for taking growth hormone if there weren’t some positive performance benefits to be gained from it. It just doesn’t seem to add up, for me.

Either way…

How to achieve ‘the burn’

Naturally, when lifting weights, one should always go as heavy as they can, whilst still aiming to complete their reps and sets in a good, controlled way.

Getting the burn is as simple as continuing to pump out reps without pause for as long as you can, ensuring you maintain the heaviest weight you can possibly lift at the same time.

Normally, going for the burn is only done on the last set when you give it all you’ve got until you can go no more. Drop sets and supersets, because of their relentless nature produce an excellent lactic acid burn.

References

• Systematic Review: The Effects of Growth Hormone on Athletic Performance

This post belongs to the Real Muscle Building Blog

Lactic Acid Burn Triggers Growth Hormone Release

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3. How To Burn Body Fat: The Hidden Pitfall Ask anyone about how to burn body fat, and they’ll...

I therefore feel it counterintuitive to train until I’m better.

On the upside, it’s snowing and freezing cold here, so training in my unheated, drafty old rickety outside garage isn’t a sufferance I need to incur.

Until further notice.

Hasta Luego, Hombre.

This post belongs to the Real Muscle Building Blog

Not Today I Don’t

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Vince Gironda believed putting the feet and legs up after a meal helped to bring increased blood flow into the stomach which helped to digest food better.

This kind of idea could only have come from Vince Gironda!

But, it makes perfect sense. Digesting food can be a cumbersome task, and, without proper digestion, where are we? Our bodies are still left lacking the nutrients they need to repair and grow properly, even if we did, by rights, eat a sufficient amount.

You may find that this small tip may make all the difference. If you’ve struggled to gain size, before you try eating more, why not simply try putting your feet up?

This post belongs to the Real Muscle Building Blog

Vince Gironda: After A Meal Put Your Feet Up (Literally!)

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Anyway, here they are…

1. Because I train alone, maintaining good form (or indeed, acquiring good form in the first place!) can be difficult when you don’t have experienced people coaching you. You’ve just got to make the best of it. Anyway. Today wasn’t a day when I do bent over rows. But, I was certain that I wasn’t parallel to the floor enough and so mimicked how I usually perform them in front of a mirror in my house (there is no mirror in my garage). It turns out I was right - in fact, I was way too upright. I now need to get used to feeling and positioning of being parallel to make this big correction, or my lat training is undoubtedly going to suffer. This error is also very much related to the next point…
2. Today I learned something new.  A little technique to engage the lats in the bench press more. I first heard Louie Simmons say about it, but didn’t really ‘get’ what he meant, until I saw a video on YouTube with a guy explaining it. Now I get it.The technique is to try to ‘pull the bar apart’, which has the effect of engaging the lats, making for better form and a better lift. (Imaging holding a bar in the press, and trying to pull it apart, your hands trying to move outwards away from one another, pulling the bar apart.)

I was actually sort of dreading doing the bench press today, prior to the second revelation. I’ve never been what you’d call very proficient in the bench press, and to be honest, the fact pisses me off greatly because although I’ve got very long arms, I still feel that I should be capable of lifting far more than I am. But anyway… to the point… I remember Louie Simmons mentioning that the lats are one of the most important muscles in the bench press. And… the way I have been not only training my lats, but, how I’ve been engaging them in my bench press form has probably been nowhere near optimal.

That’s the sobering reality. But, I’d take that over fantasyland any day.

Although I’ll make the technique amendment immediately, the effect on my strength and growth will obviously be little to null while I’m cutting and losing strength, but still, at least I know the score and I’m going to be far better off for it in my next muscle building phase.

So, that’s 2 important lessons. The most important probably being regular form checks are imperative, and, that I need to get a mirror put in my garage ASAP.

On a more positive note, I looked in the mirror after my training, I actually thought I looked pretty damn good (Either that, or the mirror is telling very cruel lies!). So, I’m looking forward to really cracking on with this fat loss, then on with more muscle and looking even better - and you just try and tear me away from the mirror then!

This post belongs to the Real Muscle Building Blog

Reality Check

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