In the last article we talked about work and how to calculate your workload for each workout, the first part of the formula for power is the same (Force X Distance), now we add the factor of time.

Now, for the purposes of muscle building we don’t mean increasing lifting speed, this just allows momentum to do the work and not the muscles. All exercises should be preformed slowly and deliberately.

As you will see when we talk about power, we are talking about training intensity. Let’s look how we can increase our workout power (intensity):

1) Use a full range of motion, for example let’s say your full range of motion on the bench press is 2 1/2 feet, that means1 rep (up and down) is 5 feet. And let’s say each rep takes 6 seconds (2 up and 4 down), if you use 250 lbs for 8 reps the power would be – 250 lbs X 40 ft -:- 48 sec = 208.3 ft-lbs/sec.

Now let’s say you cut 3 inches off the range of motion by not bringing the bar all the way down to your chest, this takes 1/2 foot off of each rep. So, if all other factors are the same, the above set now looks like this – 250lbs X 36 ft -:- 48 sec = 187.5 ft-lb/sec. With less range of motion power goes down.

2) Increase the weight you lift, for example, on our full motion bench press (250 lbs X 40 ft -:- 48 sec = 208.3 ft-lbs/sec) if next workout 5 lbs is added , it then looks like this – 255 lbs X 40 ft -:- 48 sec = 212.5 ft-lbs/sec. Lifting more weight increases Power.

3) Decrease time between sets, for example, 3 sets of bench using 250 lbs for 8 reps has the workload of – 250 lbs X 40 ft = 10, 000 ft-lbs. If these 3 sets are done in 10 mins (600 sec) the power is – 10,000 ft-lbs -:- 600 sec = 16.7 ft-lbs/sec.

If by decreasing rest time those same 3 sets are done in 6 mins (360 sec) then the power is – 10, 000 ft-lbs -:- 360 sec = 27.8 ft-lbs/sec.

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more information on Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding Supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com.

When we workout we use a certain amount of muscular force to lift a weight across a certain distance, the work done is measured in Foot/Pounds. If we kept track of the work we do each workout it will tell us much about our progress and also how we should proceed with our training. You can measure the work done each workout in the following way:

1. Take an empty bar and do the full range motion for each exercise you are currently doing in your workout, have your training partner measure the distance (e.g., how far is it from the bar being on your chest to it being at full extension for the bench press, how far is it from the bar being on the ground to when you are standing up with it on the deadlift, etc.) and write down all these measurements. When there is an exercise that the movement is in an arc, like curls, you will have to find a way to measure the distance of the arc, you might want to take some chalk and do the motion against a wall and then measure the arc of the line you drew, or some other bright idea on measuring the distance of an exercise that travels in an arc.

2. Now the next time you workout you can figure the amount of work done (called workload), just take the reps done on your first set and times it by the distance (this would be twice the distance of the distance you measured, since one rep is both down and up), for example, if one rep down and up on the squat is 7 feet and you did 10 reps that would be 70 feet. Now take the weight lifted and times it by the distance, for example if you squatted 265 lbs: 265 lbs X 70 ft = 18,550 ft/lbs.

3. Take every set of the workout and used the same formula (F X D) and you will know the workload for each set add the workloads of all the sets and you will have the total workload of that one training session.

Now when you keep track of your workload each workout in this way you can see that as you get stronger your workload increases, you will also see that you can monitor how much workload you can handle each week before overtraining sets in. Just watch yourself for signs of overtraining and see where you workload is at.

You can increase or decrease your workload as you feel is necessary, and you can see that not all sets are created equal – a set of curls is much less work then a set of squats or deadlifts. You can also vary the workload from workout to workout, may alternating heavier with lighter sessions.

Keeping track of your workload will give you a much insight and the ability to predict things in your training, experiment with it and you will learn much more about how useful it is. In the part 5 I’ll expand a bit on this formula.

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more information on Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding Supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

There is a lot of information out there about Rotator Cuff injuries and the various methods for recovery. I too have experienced these problems, especially while doing extensive high intensity training and specifically during the Bench Press exercise. This article gives priority to several key aspects; first, how the Rotator Cuff muscles function during the performance of the Bench Press exercise. Second, I have included muscle testing information to help you pinpoint which one, the muscle or the Rotator Cuff is truly the culprit. Third, I will teach you which stretching exercises to use before and after performing the Bench Press. Finally, I will provide you with specific strengthening exercises to enhance the overall health and stability of the shoulder.

Part One: Rotator Cuff Muscle Functionality in Relation to the Bench Press Exercise

The Bench Press exercise is classified as a double-joint exercise, in which one performs the exercise by laying down on a bench, lowering the bar to the chest and then pressing it up. The basic bio-mechanics are explained as: lowering of the bar is “Retraction of the Shoulder Girdle” and the Pressing is “Protraction of the Shoulder Girdle.” The muscles most susceptible to stress or injury (in both actions) are the Rotator Cuff muscles, Supraspinatus (underneath the Trapezius muscle) and the Subscapularis (underneath the shoulder blade).

Another common injury area associated with the Bench Press, but not related to the Rotator Cuff muscles are the Bicep Tendons and the Pectoral Minor-a novelty finding! The lifter or health practitioner often mistakes a Rotator Cuff problem when in fact; it can be related to a bicep tendon or pectoral minor concern. There are two reasons why this could occur. One, the lifter does not stretch this area properly and/or the lifter’s upper body development (chest/shoulders) is such that the anterior shoulder area (Bicep Tendons underneath) sits too high while the lower Pecs are underdeveloped, thereby putting too much strain on the front shoulder area and not enough lower pectoral muscle is being used. Example: A novice lifter complains that he does not feel the “Pecs” working while at the same time, feeling too much of the stress in his shoulder area – case in point!

Part II: Practical Steps to Determine which Muscle is the Source of the Pain:

• Rotator Cuff Supraspinatus: The shoulder hurts or aches when you raise your arm over your head and when you would perform the “press” action of the Bench Press.

• Rotator Cuff Subscapularis: The stronger shoulder area experiences pain when lowering the bar to the chest during the Bench Press exercise (eccentric phase). Secondly, it continually feels tight in the back of the shoulder area after a workout or, another example would be experiencing tightness in the shoulder when you are trying to talk on the cell phone.

This problem is most commonly referred to as the “Frozen Shoulder” condition.

• Pectoralis Minor: This muscle condition is tricky to identify; one, because it involves both bone and muscle and two, because it mimics another type of strain. Usually, this condition affects the muscle in the stronger arm. The tightness will be in the front of the shoulder giving you the impression it is a bicep tendon strain. A good method of verifying a Pectoral strain would be while lying on your back, your training partner notices that you have one shoulder resting higher than the other. Another muscle condition indicating a pec minor strain can be experienced in the collarbone region. If you are feeling tightness or discomfort in this area, it is likely that your collarbone attachment (located directly below the throat) is out of alignment. This will noticeable as a swelling or protrusion. NOTE: At this point, it would be advisable to consult a sports chiropractor for the misalignment, as well as stretch and strengthen the Pec Minor area with the exercises below.

• Bicep Tendon: The Bicep Tendons attach underneath the shoulder towards the end of the Humerus bone. If you are experiencing pain directly in front of the shoulder while lowering the bar (this is an “Eccentric” motion) during the Bench Press exercise; you have strained your Bicep Tendon. Another example would be pain caused by simply picking up your gym bag or suitcase or, while reaching into the backseat of your car.

Part III: Stretching the Rotator Cuff Muscles:

• Dynamic Stretching: This form of stretching should be done before workouts to warm up the major and minor Rotator Cuff muscles. The benefits of Dynamic (Active) Stretching are: improved range of motion, enhanced circulation and the “activation” of the muscle fibers. Examples of dynamic stretching are: jumping jacks, body weight squats, lunges and arm swings.

ÿ Arm Swings: This is a great warm up for shoulders. Below are four variations of arm swings:

i. With arms straight, position the thumbs downward (palms out) and move the arms forward in a circular fashion. If you are tight you may only be able to perform the stretches in small circles. As the shoulders loosen you will be able to increase the circular motion. Perform 20 reps.
ii. Maintaining the same hand position now go backward for 20 reps.

iii. Change the hand position to thumbs up (hand shake position). Perform 20 reps. going forward

iv. Maintaining the same hand shake position going backward 20 reps.

Note: Rest 30 seconds to a minute between stretching exercises.

• Static Stretching: The purpose of this type of stretching is to improve mobility and range of movement. It involves placing the muscle in a maximally lengthened position and holding it there for a sustained time interval. Research has shown that holding the stretch at the end for 30-90 seconds is the optimal time period. These stretches are “passive” in nature and should be done after workouts. However, in some cases if the muscles are really tight, it is best to perform them before and after workouts.

ÿ Supraspinatus – Seated, tilt the head forward and away from the shoulder you are stretching. Grasp the bench keeping the arm straight with minimal tension in the hand/arm. Lean away from the shoulder; you should feel a stretch in the lower neck (Trapezius muscle) area. While your head is in the tilt/away position have your partner press gently down on the shoulder being stretched. Most of the stretching will be experienced in the “Traps”. Repeat.

ÿ Subscapularis – (Lying Rotator Cuff Stretch) Start by lying on your side. Position the arm closest to the floor so it is perpendicular to your torso. Bend this arm at the elbow to form a 90 degree angle (fingertips pointing toward the ceiling). With your free arm push the wrist and forearm of the opposite arm toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your shoulder. Those with adequate flexibility will be able to touch their wrists to the floor. Hold the bottom position for 30 seconds before switching sides. Release and relax. Attempt again for another 30 seconds applying more pressure if necessary. Perform this stretch for several intervals of 30 seconds. The range of motion to accomplish is when the forearm is parallel to the floor. Change sides and repeat.
ÿ Pectoralis Minor – In a standing position; place the arm up against a pole or doorway keeping the forearm firmly against the pole. Maintain an “L” position (90 degree angle) with the arm. Slowly press forward and rotate away from the shoulder to allow a stretch in the Pecs. Hold 30-60 seconds and release. Repeat.

ÿ Bicep Tendons – Using the Bench Press rack, grasp the bar while facing away from the bar allowing your hands to be ‘open’ (palms facing away). Gently squat down while bending the elbows and lowering the arms. This creates a stretch in the front of the shoulders and into the bicep attachments. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Repeat.

Warning: This stretch is uncomfortable and holding for 30 seconds will take a few attempts. It is an intensive stretch to be used if the biceps are tight.

Step Three: Strengthening Exercises for Rotator Cuff Muscles.

Rotator Cuff strengthening exercises are essential for shoulder stabilization during heavy lifting in the Bench Press exercise. They are designed to strengthen the Rotator Cuff, Supraspinatus and Subscapularis. As mentioned earlier, it is the Supraspinatus and the Subscapularis that are afflicted the most during the Bench Press exercise.

1. Straight Arm Laterals (for the Supraspinatus): Sit at the end of a bench, lean forward and grasp two light dumbbells (5-10lbs) with palms facing toward the body. Position the dumbbells below your legs (arms against the mid-thigh). Raise the dumbbells straight out maintaining the prone position (no bend in the elbows). Raise the arms almost parallel position to the floor. NOTE: Raising the arms past parallel may cause an impingement in the shoulder. Lower the dumbbells in a slow, controlled manner back to the starting position. You will know you are performing this exercise properly if you feel a muscle burn in the back of the shoulder.

2. Internal Rotation/Mid-Line Position (for the Subscapularis): The Subscapularis is located inside a large muscle group that is housed within the Rotator Cuff muscles; therefore strengthening this muscle from two different positions is not much more effective.

Use either a pulley handle device or a resistance band. Grasp the pulley handle/band and place your arm in an L-position (elbow bent at a 90 degree angle) directly against your body. Take two or three steps out away from the device. Pull the handle/band in toward your mid-section until you feel the effort in the shoulder (fist should be in line with the navel). It is imperative you maintain the L-position at the arm in order to isolate the Subscapularis muscle! Do not pass the mid-line of the body or you will lose the effectiveness of the exercise.

Tip: For more resistance and effectiveness try stepping further away from the device.

3. Internal Rotation/Overhead Position (for the Subscapularis):

*Using an adjustable pulley handle or a resistance band attached to a pole or door above your head. Face away from the device, grasp the handle creating a 90 degree/L-position with the arm (your hand should be parallel with the top of your head) and pull downward from the elbow. The forearm will be parallel to the floor at the bottom of the movement.

You will feel tightness in the back of the shoulder, this is a good indicator you are exercising the muscle effectively.

Part III: Identifying the Muscles that Stabilize the Shoulder Joint:

1. Supraspinatus: This muscle is located underneath the Trapezius muscles. It originates in the Scapula and inserts at the Humerus and shoulder joint capsule attaching at the upper arm/Humerus.
ÿ Action: Raises the arm laterally (away from the body) along with the deltoids and stabilizes the Humerus in the Glenoid Cavity. During the pressing action of the Bench Press the Supraspinatus muscle stabilizes the shoulder joint.

2. Subscapularis: Located in the shoulder blade, the origin is in the middle region of the shoulder blade and inserts at the head of the Humerus.
ÿ Action: Rotates the shoulder-medially (towards the body) and stabilizes the shoulder joint. Example: activates primarily during the pressing motion of the Bench Press.

3. Infraspinatus: Located in the Shoulder Blade and inserts in the Humerus.
ÿ Action: Laterally rotates the shoulder joint and stabilizes the head of the Humerus in the Glenoid Cavity. For example, as the arm is raised away from the body and a throwing motion is created (i.e. throwing a baseball).

4. Teres Minor: Originates in the upper region of the Shoulder Blade and inserts in the Humerus and shoulder joint capsule. It works with the Infraspinatus to laterally rotate the shoulder joint (i.e. baseball pitch).

5. Pectoralis Minor: Located underneath the Pectoralis Major, its’ origin is in the third, fourth and fifth ribs and attaches at the anterior region of the Scapula.
ÿ Action: Creates the pressing motion along with the chest muscles.

6. Bicep Tendon: Originates at the elbow and attaches on the anterior region of the Humerus Head. They are positioned in a groove of the Humerus and tend to move or shorten under heavy stress caused by shoulder pressing exercises.
Conclusion:

For years, physical therapists and athletic trainers discouraged strength coaches from implementing the Bench Press exercise because of the strong opinion that it actually caused injury to the shoulder. Today, equipped with the knowledge of proper techniques and preventive measures an athlete can use the Bench Press long term without wearing out the shoulder.

The inspiration for this article came from personal experience and fellow lifters I have worked with over the years. I really wanted to break down all the information out there and explain the most important elements such as: the shoulder anatomy, how to identify the source of the pain and how to stretch and strengthen those muscles in an attempt to alleviate any discomfort, prevent further aggravation to the muscle(s), improve the overall health of the shoulder and ultimately, increase your strength and power as you perform the Bench Press exercise.

I know you are asking yourself, “Why have I put so much effort into this when anyone can now surf the internet superhighway for the answers?” Well, it’s because so much is either misunderstood or simply not known about the correlation between the shoulder/Rotator Cuff muscles and the Bench Press exercise. Believe me when I tell you, I had no idea of the aggravation and frustration I would experience with my injury, however, with my 25 years of training and experience I was able to determine the source of my shoulder problem (Subscapularis muscle) and, in a relatively short period of time I was able to return to one of my favorite exercises – the Bench Press. As a result of this experience I wanted to share my knowledge and expertise with you, the reader, in the hope that you might not have to endure the setbacks and discomfort that it has caused me in the past.

About the Author:

Ramsey Rodriguez is a Sports Fitness Consultant with 25 years of professional experience in fitness training, sports nutrition and natural alternatives for health and wellness. He has also created sport-specific training and nutrition programs for various professional and collegiate athletes in the areas of football, sprinting, swimming, weightlifting and powerlifting. His
Mission Statement: I am 100% committed to the passion and pursuit of improving human performance

Ramsey Rodriguez was born and raised in Texas, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and a minor in Health from The University of Texas at San Antonio. He is a nationally certified personal trainer credentialed as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Ramsey is also a disciple of Dr. Angel Spassov ( a world-renowned Bulgarian strength and conditioning specialist and former 7 time Olympic competitor), who taught him Periodization Training methods based on Eastern Bloc theory and whose inspiration led to the creation and development of “Tribustol” some years later.

In 1994, Ramsey, alongside several other notable names in the sports industry, conducted the first Creatine Monohydrate studies for weightlifters.
Over the past 15 years, Ramsey Rodriguez has made appearances on several televised sports/fitness programs, including, “The Larry North Fitness Show”. He has also published articles for various health and fitness magazines and has collaborated with and been featured in several internet articles by Jon Benson, including the popular book, “Fit Over 40”.

In addition to his accomplishments, Ramsey founded two successful companies: Pinnicle Fitness, Inc. and Nutritional Ergogenic Systems (NES). NES is dedicated to developing safe and effective nutritional supplements designed as an alternative to anabolic steroids. NES was formed around the creation and development of “Tribustol”- an all natural proprietary blend that is solely intended to enhance performance, build lean muscle mass, improve strength and quicken recovery time.

Currently, Ramsey resides in Dallas, Texas. He is a competitive bodybuilder and former NPC Bodybuilding Judge. He also takes an active interest in powerlifting via his affiliation with 100% RAW Powerlifting.

For more information about Tribustol or for a sports fitness consultation, contact Ramsey Rodriguez directly at: www.tribustol.com

Photo courtesy of Ramsey Rodriguez

When working with machines friction can become a problem, you have the situation of weight on the machine plus friction making it feel much heavier than the weight stack says it is. This can wreck your progression, let’s say you’re going along on lat pulldowns, last workout you made over 10 reps, you add 5 lbs and start to pull and nothing happens, a big yank gets the weight moving and you have to use excessive momentum to keep it moving, all this cheating still only gets you 4 reps. You wonder “what’s wrong?”, friction that’s what.

Each time you use a machine, you should inspect in for any loose nuts and bolts, frayed cables, stuck pulleys or any broken plates on the weight stack. Any of these can cause you problems with friction. Also you should regularly keep machines oiled and otherwise well maintained.

There is another kind of friction I’d like to talk about, and that is the friction within your own body, yes, of course your body has it’s own friction, and this gives us 3 levels of strength:

1) Positive strength – contracting your muscles to lift or pull a weight, during this phase you are working against your own bodies friction.

2) Holding strength – contracting your muscles to Keep a weight in one position, you are aided by your bodies friction here and can thus hold 20% more then you can lift.

3) Negative strength – lengthening your muscles to lower a weight, you are also aided in phase by friction and it has been found that most trainees can lower 40% more then they can lift.

This would mean that if your max on the bench press was 200lbs, that you could hold 240lbs and lower 280 lbs. Research done by Nautilus in the 1970′s showed that any increase in positive or negative strength would result in an increase in the other, of course, skill is also a factor.

Now all this is very interesting. But, can it help us to build larger and stronger muscles? Yes, it can, let’s take a look at some of the techniques that can come from this.

If your lowering strength is 40% more then your lifting strength, but you use the same weight for both then you will not be really be taxing your negative strength. We must find a way to make the negative harder, there are many ways to do this. One way is to do some of your exercises on Life Circuit machines they automatically make the negative 40% heavier then the positive, while these machines are good I feel they can be improved on due to a perceived lack of resistance during the change from positive to negative and then back again. Another way would be for your training partner to grab the bar and push down what he approximates to be 40% of what your lifting, have him do this on each negative of the set. And for safety have him have a good hold on the bar while doing this and make sure he’s ready to stop pushing and Start pulling, in case you for some reason lose control of the weight. You can also try it this way, (use only a universal type machine for this, because you couldn’t balance a barbell for this technique.) take a weight that’s about 50% of what you usually use lift it with both arms and then lower it with your right arm only, lift it again with both arms and now lower it with your left arm only, continue to alternate the lowering arm till you make you target reps or until you can no longer lift the weight with both arms.

Other techniques would involve training the holding and lowering phases totally separate from the lifting phase. When doing this you would need at least two very strong training partners to lift the weight for you while you try to hold it in place as long as you can (a good position would be the sticking point for that particular lift), or you have them lift in up and then you lower it slowly and under control and they lift it again and then you lower it again, repeat for you target reps or till you can keep the bar moving slowly and controlled. Again for safety your training partners should keep their hands on the bar and be ready to take the weight if you should lose control. You would also want to work gradually up to the really heavy poundages.

These techniques will raise the intensity of you workouts and can lead to overtraining if used too often, but if used properly can help you reach new levels of size and strength.

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more information on Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding Supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

Gravity is defined as – The natural force that causes objects to be pulled towards the center of the earth, it causes objects to have weight.

Because the earth is round, no matter where you are on it the center is always straight down. Thus, in order to have continuous tension on our muscles while training we must make sure the actual resistance we use travels a path that is straight up and straight down. an example of this is the military press, the weight is pushed against the force of gravity in a straight line up until the arms are locked over your head, then it is lowered slowly resisting gravity, in a straight line to about shoulder level.

In all of the big basic exercises (deadlifts, squats, bench press, military press, rows, etc.) the bar always travels straight up and straight down, this keeps the muscles being worked under a constant load. The basic exercises produce the best results because they stimulate growth in more then one muscle at a time, but we also now know that they provide continuous tension in the muscles involved – this is the secondary reason why they are so productive.

There are a group of exercises called isolation exercises these tend to work only one muscle or muscle group at a time, these exercises are not very efficient at producing overall body mass as the basic exercises. The reason for this is they don’t stimulate growth in many muscles at once, but also secondarily because most of them don’t provide continuous loading of the muscles.

In most isolation exercises the bar travels in arcs where only the middle of the movement approximates a pull against gravity. Take the barbell curl for example, The bar is lifted from the upper thighs in a circular path towards the chin, at the beginning of the movement the bar is traveling more horizontally then vertically, it is only when the bar is in the middle position that you are pulling it upwards against gravity, then as you move into the top position of the movement you are once again moving the bar in an almost completely horizontal direction. This is why curls tend to be easy at the beginning, hard in the middle and the easy again at the end.

Other examples of this type of exercise are, lateral raises, flys, tricep extensions, pullovers, etc.. Any exercise preformed with a barbell in which the resistance doesn’t travel straight up and down, will cause a loss of continuous load on your muscles. As a side note, preacher curls done with a barbell are even less effective because it make almost the whole movement horizontal, the only benefit is the elimination of cheating by benefit the upper arms from moving.

Ok, so how do we use this data to make our training more productive? We make sure that we have continuous tension on our working muscles by making sure that the resistance we are using is traveling straight up and down. There are many machines that use pulleys to lift a weight stack up and down against gravity even though you may be moving in a circular motion, if you workout in a gym where these are available – make use of them.

But even if you train in a home gym you can still use these principles to build more muscle. Let’s take bicep work for example, do some close grip pull-ups with the palms toward your face, this strongly works the biceps and the resistance (your own body and any extra weight you add) is moving straight up and down, it also give you the added benefit of peak contraction at the top of movement. Or instead of regular barbell curls try body drag curls, take a shoulder-width grip and start from the regular curl position drag the barbell against your body up to your throat while keeping your elbows back.

For your triceps, nothing beats dips with extra weight added by mean of a belt you can hang plates on to. For deltoids, notice that the shoulder joints do the exact same motion when doing military presses as doing lateral raises, so you don’t even need to really do the lat. raises it’s just more of the same.

You may ask “But what if i want to do some pre-exhaustion, I would have to do some lateral raises then, wouldn’t I?”. No, you don’t Try this instead – do a set of upright rows immediately followed by a set of military presses. It works this way, the upright rows fatigue the biceps and shoulders but leave the triceps fresh, now on the presses the strong triceps push the already fatigued shoulders even harder really making them grow. This is what I call the pull/push method of pre-exhaust, it can also be used for other muscles of the torso.

In conclusion, there are many ways to make gravity work for you in weight training, now that you know the theory of this article you may come up with some new and interesting exercises or exercise combinations.

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more information on Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding Supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

Photo by Francesco Pillari

The program goes like this – pick a day when you can do nothing but train, eat and rest. You use just two exercises, one for triceps and one for biceps, and you do a set of each every hour for 12 hours. Use a weight lighter then your usual poundages, and do not work to failure. Eating some protein every hour, massaging the muscles after each workout and to resting all you can, were also recommended.

This program has worked for many and we could continue to use it exactly the same way to get a quick increase in arm size, but Peary gave us a hint of the full usefulness of this method. He stated “Most men use it on their arms since no one ever seems to have as large arms as he would like. However it will work on any muscle. We hope that some day when we have a greater understanding of muscle growth and the controlling factors, a similar method can be applied to men and women in a specialized session of perhaps a month and give them a physique that today takes years to acquire.” So we can see that Peary had a lot of hope for this method.

I believe I have a program that would be useful for advanced hardgainers who would like a quick increase in size all over their body. It would go something like this, you pick six exercises that cover the entire body, for example squats, bench press, over-head press, rows, calf raises and curls. For about 4 weeks you workout twice a week ,wed and sat, (this is to get used to these exercises and avoid extreme soreness when you begin specialization) do 2 work sets for each exercise, then on week five on Wednesday you do your regular workout but on Saturday you take the first exercise (squats) and do one set an hour for 12 hours, use about half of your usual poundage the idea as Peary said was “Working on the principle of flushing the muscles with blood and keeping them flushed all day long, the muscles will grow unbelievably for a short time.”, so we aren’t trying to push to maximum on these sets. Keep the Wednesday workouts the same as the first 4 weeks, and every Saturday take the next exercise in your program and hit it for 12 sets in 12 hours.

This program is still admittedly experimental, but all signs seem to show that it would bring about a big gain over the 10 weeks it takes to complete. The most important thing is that you don’t get overtrained, do only two workouts a week, and give the most days rest after the specialization day, hence the wed and sat schedule. The other thing is to do the hardest exercises like squats early in the cycle when you recovery ability is strongest and as the cycle progresses you work your way down, and at the end of the cycle you are doing the least taxing exercise like curls. The volume per exercise is high one day a week but the overall volume is kept at about 12 sets a workout, which is still not too bad for a hardgainer.

If you are a beginner, or intermediate stick to the basics like 20 rep squats, heavy deadlifts, presses, at al., you will grow plenty fast if you work hard, and eat and rest enough. But, if you are getting close to you potential and would like to get a quick burst of size, try this routine and see how it works for you. Tell me how it goes.

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more information on Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding Supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

This is my write up of a training/supplement program I was on. The total program lasted 9 weeks and in that time I actually gained 20 lbs! I went from 174 to 194, now I have in the past weighed 188 and some of this was regained muscle, but on top of that I put on a fresh new 6 pounds.

Ok, some background on how I thought up this program, as you may already know, suggested programs for hardgainers are short and infrequent. I got to thinking that “what if you trained even shorter workouts and did them more often?” I was on a busy schedule and still wanted to train so I decided to try this to see how it worked.

I knew pre exhaust workouts were a very effective method, but in the past I had only done it here and there for one or another body part and I had never done it for every muscle group for weeks at a time. Below is the routine I used, most workouts lasted 5 minutes or less.

Workout 1 (Chest)

Dumbbell Fly

With no rest do Bench Press

Workout 2 (Back)

Dumbbell Pullover

With no rest do Row

Workout 3 (Shoulders)

Lateral Raise

With no rest do Press Behind Neck

Workout 4 (Legs)

Leg Curl

Leg Extension

With no rest do Barbell Squat

Workout 5 (Arms)

1 Rep Chin (Go very slow, 30 seconds up and 30 seconds down)

With no rest do Standing Barbell Curl

1 Rep Dip (Go very slow, 30 seconds down and 30 seconds up)

With no rest do Tricep Exertions

I did do a warm up of a lighter set of the compound exercise then I did just one hard work set as listed above. I tired to add weight to the exercises each and every workout and I stayed in the 6 to 9 rep range, except on the chin and dip, which is done for a painfully slow 1 rep.

The first 2 weeks I worked out Monday through Friday and took the weekends off, each muscle group was being hit once a week, but the soreness from the last workout was interfering with the next workout and I switched to training every other day. After 3 weeks I gained 11 pounds and then the gains seemed to slow down.

Starting week 4 I began taking an Andro Shock supplement and my gains started up again, I gained another 9 pounds over the next 6 weeks!

On diet I followed a zone type plan (40% Carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat) and I ate up to 7 to 8 times a day.

This program is very different then any you will see in the glossy muscle magazines but it sure does work, and if any one is feeling he can’t train because he “doesn’t have the time”, I’m sure you can squeeze in 5 mins every other day to make some great gains!

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more information on Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding Supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com.

Hours before the late 4 PM start, the name being whispered by the team representative’s tables as the one falling down the draft board was Brian Orakpo, defensive end out of Texas. Of the nine players who chose to be at Radio City Music Hall on the biggest day of their lives, the former Longhorn is the only defensive lineman, normally a position looked at as one to go high in a draft.

Why exactly Orakpo has been mentioned as falling remains to be seen. He had a great combine, showing amazing strength by doing 31 reps with 225 pounds on the bench press, as well as good speed for a big man with a 4.64 40-yard dash.

With the first two picks going as planned (QB Matthew Stafford to the Lions and T Jason Smith to the Rams), Tyson Jackson of LSU went third to Kansas City. The defensive end going before Orakpo does seem to give this a little credence.