MONDAY

Biceps/Triceps- Some may argue against training both arm parts on the same day, but it will all make sense when you read the rest of the schedule. Performing 12 sets for each is sufficient and you can switch each week with which one you start with.

TUESDAY

Legs – Quads and hamstrings done the same day, starting with the quads, of course. Squats should be the first movement done and you should try to do at least 12-15 sets combined. This is also important because you are giving your arms a day off from lifting when they would be the secondary muscles worked during the rest of the body parts.

WEDNESDAY

Chest - Everyone does chest on Mondays, right? So why wait around the benches while the entire gym does the same? By mid-week, the flat and incline should be wide open. Hit this body part hard when you’re more than warmed up for the week instead of doing it after two rest days.

THURSDAY

Back – This goes right along with the switching on and off for the push/pull muscles. You will have nothing holding you back from blasting those lats, one of the larger muscles that need a good pounding and multiple sets, 12 being the least.

FRIDAY

Shoulders/Traps – Some like to do traps on back day, which you can do but the workout can stretch a bit long then. Deltoid moves should be done first, then traps. Heavier exercises such as front and behind presses need to be performed first, then you can hit the dumbbells for lateral raises, etc.

ABS – One of the most annoying muscles to respond to training should be hit nearly every day. Do one exercise for four sets at least four times a week and make sure to switch them around each time. Hanging leg raises and rope crunches do work if you do them properly.

FOREARMS – Should be done with arms, chest and shoulders. They are a small muscle group, so keep it to four sets per day and a variety of exercises.

CALVES – Hit them often to bring out the diamond shape in your calves. You can do them all five days with the same system as forearms as far as the amount of sets, etc. . Calves are perhaps the weakest body part even up to the pro level in bodybuilding, so they will not grow unless worked.

CARDIO – Three times per week is a good start. The days can be any you choose, but leg day should be avoided. It’s personal preference when to do it, but after the weights is our recommendation.

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.

Well, now is the time to work on your “impressive muscles.” Some muscle groups are more likely to impress people then others, these are the muscle groups that people who have never trained with weights have little to no development in at all. When these areas are fully developed, they become super impressive to people on the street and even your fellow gym rats.

So if you’re ready to take your physique from merely looking good to looking amazing, then here are the areas to work on: 1) Wider Shoulders, 2) Thicker Pecs, 3) Larger Upper Arms, 4) Smaller Waist With Etched Abs and 5) Diamond Calves. When you have developed these to the max, you will take on a classic refined look that will put you a step above everyone else in your gym. OK, I know you’re excited and ready to get started, so let’s get to the workouts you’ll be doing for for each muscle group.

1) Wider Shoulders

What you want to do it maximize your development of the lateral head of the deltoid, this is what gives you width. Start with the Dumbbell Lateral Raise, use a weight that you can do in a slow and controlled manner. Hold the top position for a count of two and really feel the burn in the lateral head of your delts. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. Next is Barbell Upright Rows, keep your elbows high and the bar close to your body, hold at the top for a count of two while flexing your shoulders. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. To finish off your shoulders do Dumbbell Presses, keep your elbows back and don’t lock out at the top. Do 3 sets of 6 reps.

2) Thicker Pecs

Start off with Dumbbell Flys, keeping your arms bent. Get a good stretch at the bottom and come up like your hugging someone, do not touch the dumbbells at the top so you keep constant tension. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. Next is the Bench Press, Keep your elbows back and Don’t lock out at the top. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. Now Incline Dumbbell Press, while keeping your elbows back start at the bottom with the dumbbells wide and as you press move them closer together till then touch at the top, flex your upper pecs hard, lower and repeat. Do sets of 12 reps. Last is Parallel Bar Dips, keep your chin on your chest and your elbows out wide, not close to you body. Do 3 sets of 6 reps, add weight as you get stronger.

3) Larger Upper Arms

Alternating Dumbbell Curls, start off with the palms facing down and as you curl rotate the dumbbells up so your palms are facing up. Raise your pinkly high and flex you bicep hard at the top. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. Next do Barbell Curls, put one foot slightly forward and curl up with out bending back. Do 3 Sets of 8 reps. Lastly do Dumbell Hammer Curls, these build the brachialis a large muscle beneath the biceps. This is often a weak link in arm development. Many have found that by adding specific brachialis exercises to their workouts can increase their upper arm size by as much as one inch in a month. Do 3 sets of 10, 8 and 6 reps adding weight each set.

Now you’ll want to hit the long head of the Triceps and this will make your arms are look huge when standing relaxed. The First exercise is Bench Dips, place two flat benches parallel to each other, about three to four feet apart. Using your hands to support your weight, lift your feet to the top of the other bench so that the rest of your body is suspended between the two benches. Slowly lower your body toward the floor by bending your elbows until your upper arms and forearms form a right angle. Slowly rise back up to the start position by straightening your arms. The secret is to keep your elbows back and as close as possible to each other. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. Next is Dumbbell Kickbacks, keep elbows tight to side also trying to pull them as close together as possible. Hold and flex at the top for a count of two. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. Lastly Tricep Pushdowns, do 3 sets of 10, 8 and 6 reps adding weight each set.

4) Smaller Waist With Etched Abs

Frog Crunches. Lie flat on your back and draw your heels up under your knees wide and out to the sides like a frog. Place your hands with a barbell plate behind your head. Keep your head down with your chin on your chest as your shoulders round forward curl your upper body until only the small of the back remains in contact with the floor. This movement is not a stiff back sit up, it is a roll movement and you must perform it as such for it to produce results. Crunch Your abs hard at the top and hold for a count of of three. Do 3 sets of 20 reps. Remember cruches only tone the ab muscles, you need a lowered calorie intake to burn off the fat, to make the waist smaller and so the muscles then show through clearly.

5) Diamond Calves

Start with Seated Calf Raises, move slow (no bouncing) get a good stretch at the bottom then hold and flex your calf hard at the top for a count of two. Do 3 sets of 20 reps. Next is Standing One Leg Calf Raises, it’s been found that a straight leg generates less torque than when the knee is slightly bent about 20 degrees keep it fixed at that angle throughout the exercise. Hold a dumbbell on the same side as the working calf, use you other hand for support. Do 3 Sets of 12 reps.

Time To Get Pumping!

Hopefully you now see that training your “impressive muscles” will bring your physique up to a whole new level!

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.

That isn’t a concern when you purchase quality instead of something from Sam Sam the Discount Man. The guys over at Strength, Inc. know their business and their equipment is ready for everything from ‘racking it’ to super sets.

One of the staples of every gym big and small is the cable crossover machine. If you’re hitting your pecs, tris, bis, shoulders, back, abs or even hamstrings, you know this piece of equipment all too well. Hundreds of reps performed over the years on the cables are merely part of the program so why not set yourself up with one that is going to do the job the right way and last?

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*Walk-through design

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*Adjustable front column swivel pulleys

*New design takes up less room  (96″ width X 36″ depth X 80″ height)

*The 96″ width allows you to put a flat bench in the middle and pull direct from the side for cable chest flyes instead of from over the shoulders as in the new narrow versions that are on the market today

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*Comes with one pair os stirrup handles, one v-shaped tricep pushdown handle and one campered cable bicep curl handle.

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It only gets worse. Just when you thought that Donovan McNabb was the only NFL player dumb enough to not know that a regular season game can end in a tie, a few of his teammates have come to their quarterback’s rescue. Running back Corell Buckhalter, wide receiver DeSean Jackson and linebacker Omar Gaither all admitted on Monday that they, too, were in the dark during the overtime period of yesterday’s 13-13 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals.

That makes three Eagles who believed that the teams would keep playing until someone scored, instead of the game ending in a draw after the extra session. The blame has to go square on the shoulders of Andy Reid, and the head coach told reporters, “I’ll take the responsibility for that.” But it isn’t as simple as that. Reid – who has been under fire due to the team’s lackluster 5-4-1 record – needs to explain how anyone wearing an NFL uniform could be as uninformed as that. The coaching staff either failed to do their job or the players are just plain stupid.

Conveniently, McNabb was not available on Monday for reporters to take him to task, which would have definitely been the case. Not only did he make a complete fool of himself by not knowing the OT tie rule, but played miserably by going 28-for-58 with three interceptions and a fumble. Those numbers are bad enough if the Eagles were playing a good team, but to do that against the one-win ‘Bungles’ only exasperates the situation.