Students Of Success

These are not the reasons we do Lactate Threshold Training.

What is it?
When muscles contract vigorously for long periods, the circulatory system begins to lose ground in delivery of oxygen (necessary for energy production). In these conditions the breakdown of glucose is converted to lactic acid. As the lactate is produced in the muscles, it leaks out into the blood and is carried around the body. If this condition continues, the functioning of the body will become impaired and the muscles fatigue very quickly. This point is often measured as the lactate threshold.

Why Do We Do It?
The aim of the training system is to saturate the muscles in lactic acid, which will educate the body’s buffering mechanism to deal with lactic acid more effectively. Thus raising the anaerobic (lactate) threshold. It’s not the lactic acid that causes the burn in the muscles as you exercise, but the hydrogen ions released as the lactic acid leaks out.
An elevation in blood lactic acid levels is a major trigger of growth hormone (HGH) release. Increasing HGH, is beneficial for gaining muscle / lean tissue and reducing fat.

Aging: Many of the physical and personal changes that are associated with the aging process are directly related to the age related decline in Human Growth Hormone, HGH. Many of the ‘acknowledged symptoms’ associated with ‘maturing’ are directly related to hormonal demise. In 1996 the US FDA approved HGH for treating symptoms associated with adult hormonal demise. The FDA approved that medical signs and symptoms of HGH demise are parallel with the conditions associated with the progression of aging: Fat gain, muscle loss, loss of energy, poor sleep, skin changes, bone density loss, libido issues .. all HGH related. Increasing HGH has a on our skin, body composition, muscle tone, mood, energy, sleep quality, and bone density.

Metabolism: Fat utilization requires HGH! Low blood sugar triggers the secretion of HGH to utilize fat for energy. The best time for HGH stimulating exercise is in the morning after the all night fast. If you cannot exercise first thing in the morning, time meals so that you have several hours ( 2 - 3 ) to burn off the blood glucose from the meal, before you workout. A relatively hard, planned and synergistic workout will result in up to a 250% increase in HGH secretion.

Posture and Alignment: The constant total body movement (infinite & constant movement variations ) results in a constantly changing center of gravity. You instinctively assume a personally optimum posture and naturally fine tune the muscles of grace, balance, alignment and posture.

Taking a week off from training every 8 to 10 weeks is very important for overall recuperation. Many people have a psychological barrier to taking time off from training. They feel like they are going to shrink. Not so. In fact after your week off for complete recovery you will usually come back stronger and energized.

This program is based on the research published by the recognized leaders of HGH and AntiAging Research: Dr. Donald Rudman, Dr. Ronald Klatz, Dr. Mario DiPasquali, Sandy Shaw and Dirk Pearson. Renowned doctors, authors and scientists with findings published worldwide. New England Journal of Medicine, several best selling scientific / technical medical books and a multitude of magazine articles.
Dietary Recommendations

Eat a high protein / lowish carb and fat meal 15 - 45 minutes after exercise.
Five to Six small meals per day spaced 3 1/2 hrs apart.

Protein
No potential problem with consuming 1 gm of protein per pound of body weight per day. Whey protein is inexpensive, low fat, low carb and convenient for a high protein shake.

Animal Protein, Lean Beef, Skinless Chicken , Turkey Eggs. A wonderful, nutritious food!

Fish
Good Oils. More good OIL not just more fat. 20% - 30% of total calories. Specific Essential Fatty Acids are needed for most of the bodies hormonal functions. Olive, Sunflower or Canola oil for salads & cooking.

Trim the fat out of the beef & pull the skin off the chicken and turkey.

Lower Carbohydrates.

Raw fruits & Vegetables are nutrient dense & fiber rich.

Processed grains are mostly useless, non nutritious calories with minimal fiber.

More Raw Fruit & Vegetables.

Way Less Sugar.

Less bread & pasta. Use whole grains when you do enjoy the grain products.

Eating five or more servings a day of fruit and vegetables lowers your chances of getting cancer.
Persons with extreme weight loss requirements ( more than 50 pounds ) obviously have different needs than the average weight conscious person. Persons striving for a 5% body fat and rippled abs probably also have different goals than simply enjoying a healthy life.
Recognizing that food is a sensual thing and to enjoy eating is certainly a simple pleasure. However being intelligent in sensual pleasures is certainly not an unheard of concept today. Fast food is a luxury. I eat fast food. I enjoy ice cream. Thank God I don’t particularly like doughnuts.

Dr. DiPasquali’s diet allows you to low carb for 5 or 6 days per week and “binge” on what ever you want for one or two days. This will make sticking to a “diet” easier and will eliminate the over whelming cravings that can dominate your sub conscious hunger center.

This ‘breaking’ of the ‘low carb’ diet will also serve to ‘reset or raise’ your basal metabolism.
Cooking for Good Nutrition and Weight Control

Choose methods of cooking that will retain flavor, color and nutrients. Steam instead of boiling vegetables. Avoid cooking at high temperatures (except for quick stir-frying) and long cooking times. Both extended heat and liquid can destroy or leach out valuable nutrients.

Add vegetables whenever possible to ensure your five-a-day intake. Experiment with more veggie variety in salads, try new vegetable mixes, include some shredded vegetables in casseroles, and add different vegetables to soups and stews. Use chopped red or yellow peppers to “pep” up the flavor. Try vegetable salsas and fruit chutneys as accompaniments to meat or poultry in place of heavy gravies or sauces.
When you use oil, select olive, sunflower or canola oil. Drain off visible fat while cooking, blot pan-fried foods on paper towels to absorb extra grease.

Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE
email: deb@vitalsignsfitness.com
web: www.vitalsignsfitness.com

DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include…

Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing

Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification

Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness

Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification

Yoga Teacher

Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals

Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE
email: deb@vitalsignsfitness.com
http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com for fitness needs including personal training, books, vitamins and supplements, and information resources.

Image starting your strength training routine knowing you are about to begin the most effective, efficient workout routine
possible. Being on a weight lifting workout routine that gets
you in and out of the gym as quickly as possible with maximum
benefit is what everyone should be aiming for.

After twenty plus years of celebrity fitness training in Beverly
Hills, California, I would like to share with you my top six,
most effective, weight lifting tips. If you follow these tips,
you will know you have accomplished the maximum in the
least amount of time.

Here are the six best muscle building workout tips I have
discovered throughout my years as a celebrity fitness trainer.
Please note: consult with your physician prior to taking part
in any exercise program. Each individual has their own specific
medical history, and overall objectives.

1. Use Multi-Joint Exercises

You will want to incorporate weight lifting exercises that
work more than one muscle group at a time. Two or more joints
are moving throughout a particular strength training exercise.
Performing an exercise like this will utilize a greater amount of muscle fibers, thus stimulating growth, as well as burning more calories. Examples of such multi-joint exercises are the chest press, leg press, leg squat, pulldown, and shoulder press. These are all very effective exercises leading to greater muscle development.

2. Focus on Form Before Weight

While lifting weights, it is important to focus on form. Let the particular muscle do the work, not momentum, or other muscles you are not targeting. You goal is to fatigue a particular muscle to its absolute maximum. It is not important to impress someone else in the gym with the weights you are lifting. Focus on working the muscle!

3. Repetitions Should Be Slow and Controlled

Eliminating the external force, momentum, is the key. Once again,
let the targeted muscle do the work, and nothing else. Zone in on that particular muscle. You should concentrate on moving the weight using a cadence of two seconds positive motion, and four seconds back (negative). Please remember, this is weight lifting, not weight throwing.

4. Proper Rest Between Workouts Is Critical

Make sure your weight training workouts are high enough in
intensity to stimulate muscle tissue growth, and have the proper
rest between workouts to allow this growth to occur. The average
amount of rest between workouts is 2-10+ days depending upon
the intensity level. You shouldn’t feel tired, and sore before your next workout, but eager to conquer the weights.

5. Don’t Do Too Many Sets

Too many sets will put you in an over-trained zone. All you need
is one, all out, set to momentary muscle failure in order to stimulate optimal muscle growth. Anything more is counter productive. However, light warm up sets are fine, and necessary.

6. Track Your Progress

Without tracking your workouts you will not know where you are, and where you need to go. Be a mad scientist and track your workouts. The information you gather will tell you more about yourself than a muscle magazine will.

If you want the most effective, efficient weight training workout, then follow these six simple tips to maximum muscle development.

*** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners ***
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine, Blog, Autoresponder, or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way. Thank you!

Jim O’Connor - Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter

Copyright (c) - Wellness Word, LLC
9461 Charleville Blvd. #312
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
1-866-935-5967

Jim O’Connor is an Exercise Physiologist, author, and publisher located in Beverly Hills, California. He combines his education with practical knowledge to promote Wellness Word.com. To discover additional weight training workout tips visit
Wellness Word Newsletter.

Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most popular and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement currently available. The beauty of creatine is that it is 100% natural and occurs in many foods so it’s unlikely to be banned from any sports or competitions.

Let’s first establish what creatine actually is. In brief, creatine is produced naturally in our bodies to help supply energy to the muscles. It is produced in the liver, pancreas and kidneys before being transported in the blood to our muscles. It is then converted into phosphocreatine which is a powerful metabolite used to regenerate the muscles’ ATP source of energy.

From a bodybuilder’s perspective, creatine can significantly increase lean muscle mass quickly, improve performance in high intensity exercise, raise energy levels and speed up recovery rates. Creatine’s ability to raise energy in muscles is due to its muscle protein synthesizing action whilst reducing the breakdown of protein. This happens because creatine has the effect of super-hydrating muscle cells with water. It also improves muscle growth adding size and strength to muscle fibers.

Creatine is normally taken in two ways. The first involves loading the muscles with 20 to 30 grams of creatine per day for four to seven days. At the end of this phase maintenance involves a regular intake of 5 to 15 grams per day. The other method is more gradual in that it skips out the loading phase and simply involves supplementing with 5 to 15 grams per day for an extended period.

Two questions remain to be answered - does it work and is it safe? Creatine has undoubtedly been proven effective in recent years - over twenty scientific studies have concluded that creatine can increase energy levels and result in enhanced strength, endurance levels and recovery rates. As a training aid it therefore has many merits. In terms of safety, no study to date has shown creatine to be anything other than safe, provided manufacturers’ instructions are followed.

Rick Mitchell has written numerous articles aimed at helping athletes, from beginners to advanced, understand how to build muscle and increase strength. He has also developed several supporting web resources including Affordable Supplements Online

Many inexperienced (sometimes even experienced!) gym regulars believe that muscles grow while lifting weights. However lifting weights forms only a small fraction of the muscle building process. Muscle development takes place at night during deep sleep when the body synthesizes new cells with nutrients from our diet. Therefore nutrition forms a very important part of a bodybuilding program.

The body utilizes nutrients in food to perform daily metabolic and what’s commonly referred to as the “wear and tear processes”. With bodybuilding, additional strain is put on the body to make new muscle tissues. Therefore the nutrient requirements also shoots up to stay with the demand.

The best bodybuilding nutrition comes from a balanced intake of carbohydrates, adequate protein, vitamins, minerals, fats and large amounts of water. So if you are serious about getting lean and ripped it’s time to say goodbye to mayo burgers, colas and other synthetic foods. Adopt eating habits imbibing fruits, whole grains, milk, eggs and fresh farm products.

How much protein do you need?

Your growing muscles need amino acids to create new tissues. The amino acids are provided by protein in diet. There is a lot of debate on the exact quantity of protein required in bodybuilding. The caution to maintain is that extreme amounts of protein in the diet can cause gastric and renal complications. Recent studies have suggested that a protein intake of 1 to 1.4 grams per unit of body weight is adequate to sustain the bodybuilding process. This means that the protein requirement of a 70 kg individual should be around 70 to 98 grams. To give an estimate of the amount involved consider the following: A 100 gm chicken breast has 22 grams of protein, a glass of milk has 8 grams,an egg approximately 5 grams and a slice bread 3 grams.

A word of caution against the tide of bodybuilding supplements in markets. Many times you come across advertisements proclaiming, ‘Gain 20 pounds of muscle in 3 months flat!’. Stay clear of these money hungry advertisers. Building lean muscle takes time and effort. Making use of synthetic products which alter body’s natural mechanism would offset what should be your real purpose in bodybuilding which is to keep the body fit and healthy.

Lastly in bodybuilding it’s not, ‘the more the better’. Rather it is ‘the more precise the better’. Don’t over exert, eat balanced food and include plenty of rest. With everything good in life, patience, commitment, and balance will guarantee your success. With these tips in mind you are all set to pump iron!

Boyd Adams helps bodybuilders develop themselves physically and mentally while keeping a healthy and balanced life. Visit the Bodybuilding Zone for more helpful tips and encouragment.

Don’t Care If You’re A Hard Gainer, Skinny Or Just A Thin Ectomorph… You Can Gain Weight And Build Muscles!

We have always been obsessed with articles after articles on losing weight and losing fats leaving out one segment of people who want to gain weight on their thin and skinny body frame. In the bodybuilding and fitness industry, these folks are commonly referred to as the ” hard gainers “. If you are one of these people who are genetically thin and skinny but want to gain muscle weight and pack on solid muscular body frame, then this article is written especially with you in mind.

Amongst the many reasons why you are skinny and thin and having difficulty in gaining weight is probably due to your genes. Your built-in calorie burning furnaces metabolize calories much too fast and too efficiently. Many of your obese counterparts will part with their last dollar to have a genetic predisposition like as yours. If your parents and siblings are naturally skinny and thin with small body frames, then you will most likely have the same small body type. You are then what is commonly called the ” Ectomorphs “.

Although the words ectomorph and hardgainer are commonly used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference which many people do not realize. An ectomorph is someone who is genetically thin and skinny. A hard gainer is someone who finds it difficult to gain muscle mass. A hardgainer need not be an ectomorph but is commonly assumed to be one.

You may have been training very hard to pack on muscles. You may have experimented with many bodybuilding and weightlifting exercises. Some of the exercises may have worked for you but most don’t. You are so fed up that you may have accepted that your thin and skinny frame is going to be with you forever and that you cannot do anything about it. Don’t blame it on your genes so quickly because you can certainly gain muscle weight and pack solid muscles on your frame. Thousands and perhaps millions like you have succeeded and so can you. I know this for a fact because some of them are my happy clients.

I have to concede that it is more difficult for you to gain muscle weight relative to another who have average metabolism but if there is a will, there is a way.

Build Muscle Gain Weight Science

Firstly, you must know the science of building muscles and how your metabolism works. As they say, knowledge is power. If you do not know what was wrong, how then can you fix it? You either have to read up extensively on these subjects and labor your way through trial and error (which may also be very frustrating and time wasting affair) or engage a professional personal trainer with successful track record on helping skinny and thin people to gain muscle weight and mass.

Write Down Your Goals and Objectives

You don’t want to grope your way through something as important as your health and physical appearance do you? How do you determine what to do, how to do and when to do to get to the body shape that you want without written down goals? For example, if you are in a dark room, how long would you take reach for the exit door when compared with a room that is fully lighted up? It is thus imperative that you must have a tool to measure your progress and check yourself when you are doing things wrong. Otherwise you will be without focus will be directionless which will get you nowhere. Having a specific program to follow allows you to take specific action each day. You need an organized plan to eat and exercise correctly until you have achieved what you wanted, to pack on muscles and gain muscle weight.

Do not change your plan mid way because you have just heard that someone has a better program. It maybe true or it may be false and most likely it is the latter because fundamentals are fundamentals and the fundamentals are what you will learn in this fitness tips article. Do you want to take the risk of having your goals derailed by something that is new and not proven?

Dare To Dream

Dare to dream. Visualize where you will be and how you will look like if you follow your written plan in 3 months time and six months time. Man walked on the moon because they dare to dream and then execute the plan to make the dream come true. Martin Luther King changed America the day he proclaimed, “I Have A Dream!” didn’t he?

Once you have begun your plan, you must have faith and believe in what you are doing. Stays focused and avoid critical or negative people. These people are called “dream snatchers”. They snatch away your dreams of becoming a hunk and want you to remain where you are. Thin and skinny. Stay away from people who say that you can’t do it, you can’t change what is fated or it’s in your genes and you can do nothing about it. They will be correct if you listened to them because you won’t be doing anything then. By listening to them, you will prove them right. Instead, take those negative comments as a challenge to you. When you succeeded in gaining your muscle mass and gain weight, show your fabulous new body to them and watch them gawk in amazement at your determination and your fit and healthy body . You will gain tremendous respect and self confidence.

Show me a naysayer and I will show you a loser. A winner never quit, a quitter never win!

Avoid Overtraining

One reason why hard gainers or ectomorphs failed in building muscles and gaining lean muscle mass is that because they train too hard, thinking that training for long hours and frequently will get them the results. Over training not only impedes your progress, it may actually make your muscle shrink. Also avoid too much cardio exercises. You already naturally possess a highly efficient fat burning machine. Too much cardio exercises not only burn fats, it burn muscles too. So have enough cardio exercises just to improve and maintain your cardio vascular fitness and no more.

You need not train everyday and need not stay too long in the gym. 45 minutes and you are out because if your training is intensive enough, the longer you train, the more muscle eating hormones will be produced. You do not want to lose those hard earned muscles, do you?

Remember that in the sport of bodybuilding and weightlifting, more is not always better.

Do Compound Exercises

Compound exercises stimulate the most many muscle fibers because in a compound movement, many muscles are being utilized. For those needing to gain weight and muscle mass, this is terrific because these lifts put your body under heavy stress. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system and causing a surge of muscle building hormones. This results in increased muscle gain all over your body. Yes, muscle gain for your entire frame for overall musculature growth not just the muscles being exercised.

Add dead lifts, Squats, Chin ups, Dips, Military Press and Bench Press into your routine and watch your muscles explode in strength, power and size!

Use Free Weights Instead Machines

Free weights utilize many more muscles for balance and support than machine exercises. That means that you will have a more complete overall workout and build more muscles in more places. Skip those sophisticated machines and train heavy on dumbbells and barbells.

Progressive Overload

To build mass, you must lift heavier and heavier weights to force you muscles to grow. If you do not stress your muscles enough, why should they grow? As an indicator, if you can lift a particular weight in good form for more than 8 reps, then the weight that you are lifting is too light for you. By the same token, if you can’t lift the weight more than 4 reps, then the weight that you are lifting is too heavy. Never sacrifice form and technique so that you can lift heavier. Doing that is just putting yourself at risk of injuries and poor muscle development.

Eat and then Eat and Eat Again

Lucky you. Because of your high burn fat rate, you have more liberty over food because you have wider choices of food.

To build mass, you must consume more calories than you expand. So do not be afraid to eat. But do bear in mind that not all calories are the same. Eat primarily the good calories. Calories you get from your soft drinks and pastries are fattening ones and do almost nothing for your muscle growth. Eat calories laden with proteins. Given your high metabolism, treat yourself to a burger, pasta, pizzas and the likes now and then. You have the luxury to indulge in these starchy and calorie rich food where many people will have to do their utmost to avoid them. However, do not overdo it. When your consumption of calories is more than your expenditure, your body will have no choice but to grow.

Eat frequently. Eat up to 6- 8 small meals a day if you can. Drink plenty of water. Soft drinks and coffee don’t count.

Use Nutritional Supplements

Many people think that by popping some pills or drinking some shake, they will get results fast. That is not true as supplements are not some magical formula. Too many people think that just because you buy the latest product, it is a forgone conclusion that you will automatically begin to pack on the pounds. The truth is that supplements are only there to enhance an already solid diet and workout program.

If you do not have time to eat so many meals a day, try getting some meal replacement bars. Essential supplements to help you gain mass are phosphagen, creatine, glutamine, desiccated liver and protein powders. Never never succumb to the temptation of taking anabolic steroids. The harmful effects far out weigh any temporary muscle gains that it may provide. Also take multi-vitamins and anti-oxidants. These not only provide you with more nutrients but also help mop up free radicals for building immunity which can be compromised by intense exercises such as weight lifting.

Conclusion

Yes! It is possible for you to gain mass and weight. But the battle will not be easy. You have to stick to the above rules, have the burning desire and motivation to stick to your plan. You must be mentally very strong as you are fighting a battle against what your body which is genetically programmed to do the opposite. However, with sheer grit and determination, the pot of gold when you come to at the other end of the rainbow will definitely be worth the journey of climbing to the rainbow to get to that end. However tough that journey may be to you, dare to dream and rach for the stars.

Chris Chew is a personal trainer and count actors, pageant winners, models and other celebrities as his clients. He runs a fitness school at Personal Trainers and is the author of Lose Fat Build Muscles!

The Bent-Over Lateral Raise is one of the most common exercises used for working the rear or posterior deltoids. For most trainers, it can be difficult to really feel the rear delts working during this movement as the larger, stronger muscles of the back have a tendency to take over.

To really get the most out of this exercise, you need to remove the back muscles from the equation. This can be easily accomplished with a simple technique.

How to Do It:

First, get yourself into position for the Bent-Over Lateral Raise. This can either be standing, seated or with your chest on an incline bench. The same technique applies to all variations.

Your arms should be hanging straight down in the start position.

Now, drop your shoulders down towards the ground without moving your torso. You will be keeping them down throughout the exercise. This forces the back muscles into a stretched position, thereby reducing their involvement in the exercise.

Once your shoulders are dropped, start the movement by doing a reverse wrist curl with the dumbells. This means simply bending your wrists back and up and holding them there.

Now squeeze the weights up to the top position of the lateral so that they are in line with your head at the top and squeeze hard at the top.

Here is an excellent tip for the way up: as you raise the dumbells, imagine as though you are trying to wrap the backs of your arms around a tree. You’ve often heard that you should try to wrap your arms around a tree for dumbell flyes, now apply it to this movement.

Also, try to force your hands into as wide of an arc as possible and keep the dumbells as far away from your body as possible. This technique will help you to keep your shoulders down as you lift the weights.

What all these tips accomplish is to reduce the ability of the stronger back muscles to contract during the exercise, forcing the rear delt muscles to “shoulder” the burden of the exercise.

The keys to remember are:

1. Shoulders down throughout the movement.

2. Do a reverse wrist curl at the start.

3. Wrap your arms around a tree on the way up.

4. Raise the dumbells up in line with your head.

Incorporating these tips into the bent-over lateral movement will target your rear delts like a laser beam!

For pictures on how to execute this technique go the following URL: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue10-delt-tip.htm

About The Author

Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” at http://www.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com.

Thinking back on all the work I did with bodybuilders who went on to win
major titles, one thing becomes perfectly clear regarding why they reached the top. Through training their minds, they became as mentally tough as they were physically developed; this was the factor enabling them to ultimately take top honors.

They would also be the ones who were able to get more out of themselves
each workout. They were the ones who were able to push themselves to heroic
dimensions so that every fiber of every muscle trained was feverishly worked to the
max!

And through those I worked with winning Mr. International, Mr. America, Mr.
Universe, Grand Prix, and Mr. Olympia titles (Cahling, Christian, Platz, Coe, Haney), I
saw the need for a framework of mental training principles – a framework enabling
any serious bodybuilder to develop the mind/muscle link the way my clients who
became champions did.

So I set about developing easy to apply, yet powerful strategies so you can use
your mind to get the most, and best, out of yourself, and your workouts.

I’ve been training for almost 30 years now. And as the country’s foremost
sports and peak performance hypnotherapist, today I work with high profile pro
athletes in every sport. I help them go beyond their personal bests, and achieve
incredible performance levels. And my dedication to helping people by providing
them positive change strategies has been my hallmark.

So here now are the 12 principles to help you develop the Mind Of A
Champion. And I’ll tell you, this is serious stuff for serious bodybuilders.

Enjoy and prosper from applying every one. And as you do, you’ll readily
appreciate what’s involved in coming to stand victoriously atop muscle mountain’s
peak!

1.) Pre-Workout Mental/Emotional Priming

Here, you stimulate your nervous system with the kind and quality of effort you
want to generate while you train.

Before your workout, clearly 3-dimensionally visualize yourself performing one
set for each of the muscles you’ll be training. And experience yourself generating
super-human effort–pushing yourself, driving yourself, contracting to the max,
and blasting ever fiber to the bone. (Take your time here; each time you perform
this process, your visualizations will become more lifelike, and positively
emotionally activating.)

2.) Pure Mental Isolation And Focus–Cultivating And Applying Laser

Concentration

This type of concentration is not the traditional type where you try to block out
external distractions. No.

Laser concentration is entirely different. It entails mobilizing all of your
consciousness into a singular focus point that you then project into - and sustain
within - a particular task involvement (i.e., each rep of every set throughout your
entire workout).

This concentration form, once mobilized, is so powerful, you’re not even aware
of yourself. You just sense an extreme energy force lasered directly into the specific
muscle you’re training. And this is an essential part of producing full muscular
development—bringing a muscle to where its full size and shape potential
ultimately becomes actualized.

It takes determined practice and application to develop this laser
concentration. And here’s how you can it: with each set you perform, purposefully
bring your whole consciousness into the specific muscle you’re training. This
means you’re whole visual focus, all your emotions, your imaginative focus, your
willpower, and your exclusive action intent.

F-e-e-l this “all of you” then begin to work the muscle with each rep,
sustaining this same laser concentration during the positive and negative parts of
each rep.

If you sense you’re drifting, just gently bring this “all of you” back into the
wholly locked-in dimension (just the same as a cowboy would redirect a stray that
wandered off from the herd).

Keep applying this laser concentration principle, and in a short time you’ll find
it will become your natural mental inclination.

Performing this principle as outlined, you’ll almost feel like you’re filling the
specific muscle you’re training with a compelling power. And as you continue
applying this principle, you’ll be able to direct maximum mental intensity into the
muscle you train each rep of every set. (And imagine what kind of gains this will
provide you!)

3.) Cultivating And Applying The Pain Barrier Power Breakthrough

Mastering the pain barrier spells the difference between realizing your full
potential, and just being “good.”

Recall a decisive workout power memory — one where you were in the zone,
going beyond your max, or training with an almost animal like passion and intensity
—to a degree where it was as if nothing could or would deny you.

When you’ve isolated this memory, imaginatively step into it, and into your
body. And wholly f-e-e-l the exact feeling and sensations you did. And as you’re
feeling this, think of one word that, to you, represents you embodying this feeling.

Mentally exclaim it to yourself 5 consecutive times with passion, and
conviction.

Then, when you’re at your next pain barrier threshold during a set, forcefully
mentally exclaim this word so it’s as if, as you silently repeat it, it “explodes” to fill
all of you with its power. Then, go on to crank out 2 more reps!

4.) Developing Mind/Muscle Self Talk

Over the years, the champions have told me they felt as if they could control
every muscle in their body — as if they had a sort of individual relationship with
every single muscle group.

And so here, in the evening, lie comfortably upon your back, close your eyelids
down, and begin to focus upon a specific muscle. When you feel you’ve mentally
connected with it, then imaginatively “talk” to it.

Tell it what you’re going to do to it your next workout, and what you expect of
it in terms of exertion, performance, and growth.

Mentally go into “lagging” body parts, and do the same thing; talk to these
muscles like they’re your employee and you’re the boss.

Continue on with this process, and you’ll be surprised, even amazed at how
your muscles will begin to respond!

5.) Determine And Connect With Your Peak Performance Workout Emotion

Emotions are to performance what gas is to your car; the highest grade octane
enables your engine to perform at its peak.

And if you think about the best workouts you’ve had–when you literally felt
like a machine, and almost unconsciously blasted through set after set, coming to
feel a worked sensation that was the way you’d like to feel after every workout -
you’ll begin to realize an important fact.

The kind of emotion fueling these workouts produces the most demonstrable
results for you.

So recall the very last time you had a peak performance workout. Then
imaginatively step into the picture, and into your body. Then, think what you did
then, feel what you felt, say to yourself what you did, and breathe as you did.

When you’re replicating all the preceding, clench your right fist hard, and think
the word “Activate” 3 consecutive times. Then, very s-l-o-w-l-y unclench your fist.

Now you’ve formed a peak performance emotion anchor. And I want you to
use it in the following way:

• Before each set, clench your right fist hard, breathe as you did in your
peak performance workout, and mentally, passionately exclaim your key word
(”Activate”) 2 consecutive times.

You’ll feel your specific success fueling emotion filling you rapidly. Then,
unclench your fist, and go on to perform your set.

6.) Recite A.M. Personal Power Affirmations

Most “ordinary” people start their day as an extension of their yesterday. The
truly accomplished start each day with an empowering mental “breakfast”.

This “breakfast” consists of thoughts and ideas detailing what they’ll do, why
they can, and that they will!

I encourage you to tailor your own individualized personal power affirmations.
And as an illustration, here is a framework you can adopt:

“Today I exemplify power. I am strong in my thoughts; I think ‘Yes I can–I’m
supposed to triumph’.

I remain wholly confident in my beliefs; I can do what I set out to, and take
myself higher because I choose to.

I am disciplined, determined, and dedicated in my pursuit of excellence —
physical excellence when I work out in the gym, and life excellence as I go through
the various tasks and responsibilities of my day.

There are things I can do better than anyone else. And today…I shall!”

7.) Set Specific Outcomes For Every Set, And For Each Overall Workout

Do you honestly spend the overwhelming majority of your gym time involved
in productive growth and strength increasing efforts? Or, do you “sorta, kinda” just
go through the motions and feel “Ok; I did my workout today”?

Purposeful effort produces purposeful results. And here, I want you to
determine the following:

A.) What is the overall result you want to produce/experience from your workout
(in terms of feeling, sensation, workload to be accomplished, and degree of
performance generated)?

B.) What is each set to produce for you, or result in (what you’ll do, how you’ll do
it, and the degree to which you’ll do it)?

You must know where you’re going if you’re ever to get there. And so, have a
well detailed, specific result you’ll strive for always in mind. This way, you have a
progress stimulating reason to exert, and a personally advancing purpose to strive
toward.

No more “half-assed”, “idle”, “routine”, or “mindless” effort. From now on,
know your outcome, then set about achieving it.

8.) Deeply Embracing The “Push It To The Limit…And Beyond” Attitude

Here, you begin to internalize the same kind of overall training attitude the
champs instinctively embrace. And this revolves around the sentiment “Just good
enough…isn’t!”

The new attitude here is “If I’ve done what I’ve done, I’ve done it; now I dig in
and push myself beyond!”

The workout impact of this attitude actualized is a natural tendency to - ever
higher - push, strive, test, climb, and triumph.

Appropriately attempted heavier poundages, appropriately attempted
increased reps, appropriately attempted forced reps, appropriately attempted super
sets, tri-sets, quad sets…and giant sets!

Your heart is probably pounding just from reading this, isn’t it!

As an aid to developing this attitude, here’s a peak performance affirmation
you can begin internalizing about one hour before you leave for your gym:

“Today I strive for more. Today I push myself tougher and harder, striving to
bring more of myself into every rep of every set, and make my muscle’s exert more
feverishly than I ever have before.

I never rest on my laurels; I ignite the flames of conquest passion–and
today, push myself to the limit…and beyond!”

9.) Deep Mental/Emotional Relaxation To Promote Sound, Restful Sleep

The volts of intensity you generate during your workouts must be balanced
with emotional/neurological calmness so you can fully rest, and deeply sleep each
night.

As you know, your sleep period is essential for recuperation and growth. So
here, you now purposefully unwind before getting into bed to sleep–mentally and
physically.

First, lying comfortably, perform 6-8 release breaths. Inhale deeply through
your nostrils (letting your stomach expand and distend), and then slowly, easily
exhale through your mouth.

Next, calm and relax your mind by focusing upon your breathing. And with
each breath, imagine you’re expelling a white mist. And mentally, silently repeat the
word e-a-s-y with each exhalation, experiencing your thoughts calming down, and
the muscles in your head, cheeks and jaw slackening completely.

Next, just visualize and allow the deeply soothing looseness and comfort you
feel to easily flow into, and fill your entire body—all the way down to your toes.

You’ll quickly come to feel a pleasant “heaviness” and a comforting inner peace
enveloping you. Then, just spend a few moments enjoying the inner calm you’ve
produced.

Now, you’re ready to hop into bed and enjoy the deeply restful sleep that
supports your muscular growth.

10.) The Success Ideal Motivation Principle

If you’ve ever seen something you wanted, something you felt you really
wanted, every time you either saw it or it entered your mind, a feeling of drive to get
it also flow through you.

Whether it was a car, a suit of clothes, a certain female who caught your eye, a
job you wanted—the objective of your desire so captivated your “want power”, you
likely ultimately came to acquire or produce it, didn’t you?!

It’s very similar with physical development. When you’ve clearly formed an
impression of your overall desired physique, and you wholly believe in, and are
deeply excited by it, it naturally motivates you to expend the energy necessary to
ultimately achieve it.

So, as you get into bed to sleep, begin to mentally visualize and experience the
imaginative answer to the following question. “If I could have the kind of physique I
truly wanted, what would this look like, feel like…and be?”

Then, to the best of your ability, wholly sensory envision what this looks like
from the front, and the rear. And be sure to experience every cut, groove, peak,
and striation connected to this ideal you.

After 6 minutes or so of this success ideal visualization, then just let this
impression fade, and allow yourself to drift off to sleep.

Continue doing this every night, and you’ll find your motivation will stay
invincible, and your physical training drive will never waver.

11.) Embracing The Resolve Toward Completion

Are you an “Ok; I did enough” person? Or, are you an “I will do all I set out to”
personality?

Let me tell you that those who truly reach their muscular peak are the latter
type. They’ll fully complete what they set out to, and will not tolerate, or settle for
anything less.

And this applies to adding one full inch to their arms, or 50 pounds to their
max bench press, or carving a tight, cut, muscular etched waistline.

Goals are to be fully achieved. Workout plans and strategies are to be fully
completed and actualized. Self structured and determined standards of
performance are to be fully adhered to and honored…always.

So if you say you’ll do 10 reps, do all 10. If you say you’ll do 12 sets, do all 12.
Don’t compromise yourself…ever. The results you’ll achieve through applying this
principle will more than justify your effort.

12.) Independent Belief—Keep Your Own Counsel

This last principle is a very important part in you going as high as you can.

Here, you - you - determine how big, strong, developed, accomplished,
powerful, advanced, and physically evolved you can become.

No one knows you like you do. If you choose to consider and believe in
limitations, rest assured you’ll experience, at best, partial life and muscular
achievement.

But when you choose to say what’s possible for you, and really mean it, that’s
when all your power will be generated toward making what you believe…fact.

Hold your beliefs. Tightly embrace your vision of self and possibility. And
train fueled by these ideals…exclusively!

Now you have the 12 Mental Training Principles you can apply to significantly
bolster your training efforts and results. And I encourage you to use them as
outlined, so you keep developing yourself.

It’s up to you now. No one can - or will - do it for you, but you. And through
the 12 Mental Training Principles detailed, now you can bring your full power into
play — each rep of every set.

Go ahead; start applying these principles in your workouts, and your life.
Then, you’ll come to understand how to move yourself from ordinary…to
Extraordinary!

Author, clinician, and national TV therapist, Pete Siegel is America’s foremost peak
performance hypnotherapist. Go ahead now, and review his highly acclaimed
confidence building and Think & Grow BIG Muscle building programs at
http://www.incrediblechange.com

For those who don’t know, Canadian born Doug Hepburn was one of the strongest men to grace our planet with only Paul Anderson being stronger at the time.

Hepburn burst on the Olympic Lifting scene in 1950 and would later defeat the legendary John Davis at the 1953 world championships - shattering records along the way. Those records would eventually be smashed by Anderson.

In his prime, Hepburn had lifted 760 pounds on the squat, 705 in the deadlift, 440 in the press and 580 in the bench. He was the first man to ever bench press over 500 pounds. More impressive is the fact that his lifts were before the age of steroids, bench suits and all the other crap that’s used today.

This is how Hepburn trained for the 1953 World Championship. I’ve eliminated his weight totals in case anyone reading this would want to follow. Use weights that you can handle.

Doug Hepburn’s Championship Routine

Monday

Cleans 10 x 2
Bench Press 1 x 5; 6 x 2
Squats 1 x 5; 6 x 3

Wednesday

Snatch 10 x 2
Bench Press 1 x 5; 6 x 2
Squats 1 x 5; 6 x 3

Friday

Press 10 x 2
Bench Press 1 x 5; 6 x 2
Squats 1 x 5; 6 x 3

Notes: Doug ate 4-5 meals a day and would try to get nine hours sleep a night. You don’t have to follow these guidelines, stick with what makes you feel comfortable. Hepburn used very heavy weights in his workouts and you should too. Always work with weights that are heavy for you and keep training hard and progressive.

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program - hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or grossly out of shape, consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.

In an earlier article we looked at how repetitions contribute to the muscle building process, but is the position regarding sets just as clear cut? Unfortunately, the answer to this is no as some experts feel one set to failure is sufficient, whereas others argue that multiple sets are needed to ensure maximum muscle gains.

Research to date suggests that, when using six to eight repetitions to failure at 75-80% 1RM, there is little significant difference between training with single and multiple sets in terms of increasing either strength or muscle size. Any small differences that have been recorded indicate that a single set completed to failure encourages strength gains but subsequent sets have a slightly greater impact on muscle size. What is clear is that the law of diminishing returns applies, so you have to question if the marginal improvements in size justify the extra time and effort expended.

Like everything else in life, bodybuilding does not remain static and several cutting edge experts have redefined the boundaries of achievement. Increasingly, serious athletes are using methods that extend the set beyond the point of failure. This involves forcing the muscle to perform more work despite having experienced failure in the previous rep. In practice, you perform one last forced repetition with the help of a training partner.

This obviously calls for great commitment and high motivation but the rewards include better mass gains thanks to the greater muscular overload. Such intensive training places additional importance on the need to lift with sound technique and to incorporate sufficient recovery time into your muscle building program.

You can find out more about building muscle by visiting the site listed below.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

Everyone wants a huge chest, plain and simple. It is all too common to see inexperienced lifters slaving away on endless sets of bench presses and cable crossovers in search of full, thick pecs. The reality is that there is nothing complicated about building an impressive chest. The bottom line for huge chest gains is consistency, effort and steady progression in weight and repetitions.

The chest is made up of two main heads, the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. To stimulate the chest using weights you will be using one of two motions: a press or a flye. If you want the greatest bang for your buck from your chest workouts, the true gains lie in your pressing movements. Flyes may have their place from time to time, but nothing can compare to the overall anabolic effect of high intensity pressing movements. I’m talking about the basic, bread-and-butter lifts such as heavy barbell presses, dumbbell presses and wide-grip dips. Save the pec-deck and cable crossovers for the pencil necked geeks on the treadmill; real men train with real lifts.

Like I said before, building a thick and well-developed chest is fairly simple. There are no secrets, magic formulas or killer techniques that will “shock” your chest into massive growth. Stick to your basic presses, focus on overload and progression, and I promise that you will see impressive gains. Here are the most effective lifts for packing muscle onto the chest:

Flat/Incline/Decline Barbell Bench Press:

A standard barbell press is the meat and potatoes of any effective chest routine. This basic compound movement will allow you to handle the most weight through the given range of motion. The incline press will shift more of the stress to the upper region of the chest while the decline does the opposite, targeting the lower/outer region. The flat bench press works the upper and lower regions equally. I highly recommend a standard barbell press as a basic component of your chest routine.

Flat/Incline/Decline Dumbbell Press:

Dumbbell presses are another basic and highly effective movement for stimulating chest development. The main advantage that they have over the barbell is that they allow you to move through a more natural range of motion, helping to prevent shoulder injuries. They also prevent strength imbalances from occurring since one arm can’t cheat for the other. The only drawback is that you are not able to handle as much weight. Overall, a standard dumbbell press is an awesome movement that allows for great chest stimulation.

Wide-Grip Dips:

An amazing movement for the chest that is often overlooked. Make sure to use a wider grip and lean forward to shift the stress from the triceps onto the pectorals. If pressing your own body weight is not sufficient then you can always add weight using a weight belt. Dips are an excellent compound movement for overall chest development.

Here are a couple sample chest routines:

1) Flat Barbell Bench Press: 2 x 5-7
Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 x 5-7
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 x 5-7

2) Incline Barbell Bench Press: 2 x 5-7
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 x 5-7
Flat Dumbbell Press: 2 x 5-7

All sets should stay within the 5-7 rep range and should be taken to complete muscular failure. Write down the details of each workout you perform and focus on progressing in either weight or reps from week to week. There is nothing more to it than that. Good luck!

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. If you want to learn how to build the greatest amount of lean muscle mass and strength in the shortest period of time possible, visit his website: www.MuscleGainTruth.com/