Training
Bodybuilding fact vs/ fiction, by Charles Stately
Like all fields of human endeavor, bodybuilding has accumulated a vast collection of maxims— brief encapsulations of truth which are intended to serve as memorable (and often humorous) reminders of the proper way of doing things. So, I thought I’d take a look at some of these time-worn exonerations and see if these "kernels of truth" are worth their weight, or better left unsaid.
Do men and women respond the same to weight training?
Human muscle tissue is pretty much made from the same stuff whether you’re a man or a woman. Compared with men, generally women possess significantly less muscle mass, more body fat, and smaller muscle fibres ]. However, the question, do men and women’s muscles respond the same to intense weight training, is one that I’m asked often. Particularly by women that are fearful of building “too much muscle” from training with weights. In light of some recent research, I thought I’d provide readers of this website with the most up to date information.Top Strength coach Ian King's thoughts on training.
I live in Tempe, Arizona. In Tempe, although you can wear shorts and a t-shirt year-round, come August and September, you end up regretting your decision to live in the Southwest. Oh yea, summers down here are like reverse-winters. You do everything in your power to stay indoors. Only the most rugged die-hards and well-acclimated desert ruffians participate in voluntary outdoor activities during our hot season.
Fifteen exercises you almost never see done in the gym, yet all of which have the potential to improve your physique tremendously. Give each one a try over the next few weeks and see if one of them doesn't become a new favorite, or the solution to a stalled bodypart that hasn't grown in months. They might be obscure, but these power moves will definitely help put your body in the limelight it deserves!
The three types of muscle fibers are slow twitch (Type I) and fast twitch (Types IIa and IIb). Slow twitch are characterized by having long contraction rates, being resistant to fatigue, relying on oxygen as their main source of metabolism, and are used primarily in endurance type of activities that don't require a great deal of force.
Improving your Chin up Performance, by Charles Poliquin
Master Strength coach Charles Poliquin tells you how to improve your chin up performance.Increasing your Bench, by Charles Stately
The bench press has achieved almost cult status, reaching even into popular culture. It wasn't always this way— prior to the 1960's the most popular upper body lift was the military press— at that time, one of the three lifts contested in the sport of weightlifting (the press was removed from competition in the early 1970's due to fears that lifters were using dangerous lifting postures in the attempt to press larger and larger weights).
How to fix common training problems, by Dr. Squat
Millions of people workout every single day, but not everyone is doing their exercises correctly with proper form. Check out some of the common exercises and what people are doing wrong on them and how to change it to make sure you have perfect form on your exercises...
Bodybuilding and the Endocrine System
The endocrine system (from the Greek terms "endo" meaning within and "krine" meaning to separate or secrete) is comprised of chemical substances called hormones which serve as messengers, passing information from endocrine gland to organ, to control a large number of physiologic functions. To ensure these functions are governed efficiently, effective hormonal control is of paramount importance.
Are you the kind of person to just do wrist extensions and wrist curls and yet you still wonder why your forearms are like twigs with a few veins? The most common mistake within forearm training is thinking that the musculature of the forearms is only responsible for wrist flexion (curling) and extension. As you will see from this article a large and varied number of muscles make up the forearm, which all have differing actions and if you don't include at least some of these movements into your training you will greatly decrease the potential of your forearm growth.
Most of you have heard the terms type one and type two muscle fibers, also known as fast twitch and slow twitch, but do you really know what those two terms are referring to? In general, the two terms refer to the two types of muscle fibers present in every mammal, which are responsible for the composition of the muscle. The two types of muscle fibers are as inverse in physiological properties, as they are in the performance that the two yield. By now you are probably wondering which type of muscle dominates your physique. There is actually a very simple way to tell whether you are made up of dark or white meat.
Building size and strength, by Mike Robertson
In other articles, I've written at length about functional anatomy, exercises to try and the like, but I wanted to write an article that summarizes the kind of training I'm all about. Some might call me old-school or a throwback, but I feel like nowadays everybody is always searching for the newest, latest and greatest routine without ever really preparing their bodies for such a routine. Then, when they fail, they blame it on the routine, the coach, etc., when the real problem is they simply aren't ready for a specialized training program.
Flexibility and Mobility, by Mike Robertson
I've been told that what you say in the first paragraph of an article determines whether or not a reader will finish it; I would assume this is even truer regarding an article on flexibility! So what if I told you that something as simple as improving your flexibility could help keep you injury-free and lifting heavy for more years than you could ever imagine. Would that make you read further? If so, read on and find out what stretching can do for you.
How to improve your Deadlift, by Mike Robertson
In this final installment of the Accessory Onslaught series, I am going to give you the tools necessary to develop a big time deadlift. Deadlifts, like the squat and bench, can be built with a mix of smart training, hard work, and proper exercise selection. This article will cover a few of the exercises that can take your pulling prowess to the next level.
Improving your Squat, by Mike Robertson
My first 3-part article series dealt with how you can use biomechanics and technique to improve your total. However, choosing the right exercises and performing them correctly in your daily workouts can go a long way to improving your total as well. This first article will describe common exercises performed to improve your squat.
Biomechanics of the Bench Press, by Mike Robertson
How many times since you've been going to the gym have you heard, "Dude, how much can you BENCH?" If you've been training for a while, I would venture to guess quite a few. Big bench pressers are always highly revered, especially because someone with a massive bench can inspire everyone, not just powerlifters. To top it all off, the bench press is the only true test of upper body strength in a powerlifting meet. Finally, and let's be honest here, who doesn't want a big bench?
How to improve the Sumo Deadlift, by Mike Robertson
The deadlift is the lift that decides where you finish in a meet. Just like every other lift, the deadlift fits some body styles perfectly, while it is very difficult for others. One thing is definitely true, and that is deadlifting takes guts…you're at the end of a power meet, your drained physically and mentally, and you still have arguably the hardest lift left. Train with passion and a plan, improve you deadlift, and watch your total and placings rise to the top!
How to improve the Wide-Stance Squat, by Mike Robertson
Squatting…like it or not, you just have to do it if you are serious about getting strong! There are two main ways of squatting today; one being the high bar, narrow stance squat (Olympic squat), and the other being a wide-stance, low bar squat (Powerlifting or Power squat).
A revolutionary Approach to Strength Training, by Par Deus
The basic Dante (DC) Training System
My whole goal is to continually get stronger on key exercises = getting continually bigger. I will state this, the method I am about to describe is what I have found that makes people grow at the absolutely fastest rate possible and why I am being inundated down in this area to train people.
Today bodybuilding and weightlifting routines commonly extend into 4, 5, 6, or even 7-day fests of isolation and compound movements. These often use many sets, 'scientific' methodology, and if what can be seen in most gyms is taken as evidence, provide little results. This hasn't always been the case, and if we look back to turn of the century strongmen we can see that they focused on short, hard workouts utilising basic movements and heavy weights. Don't take my word for it, here are some examples of what people did before steroids and supplements came to the mainstream...Bodybuilders and strength athletes are always saying you have to train past failure to make good strength and size gains. What do they mean? There are a number of different ways of going beyond the pain barrier in order to work a muscle as much as possible, all of which take dedication and enthusiastic training, with the absolute want to make gains. The aim of a workout is to stimulate as many muscle fibres in the muscle as possible, and to do this the muscle must be trained to complete exhaustion.
Things used to be so simple: move weight from point A to point B, repeat 10 times and grow. Except, I didn't really grow and my joints got awful sore, my sleeping got all out of kilter and I felt like someone was assaulting me with a baseball bat on a daily basis.Training Frequency - How Much, How Often?
Too often, training programs seem to be put together with all the forethought of a Congressional campaign. In other words, very little forethought is generally involved. Trainees, instead of taking an objective, semi-scientific approach to training, try to stockpile training sessions as if they were stacking firewood for the oncoming winter.Warming up and cooling down correctly are two of the most important things you can do in a gym. Not only are they essential for their injury preventing qualities, but they also serve to increase flexibility, increase the intensity and volume of weights lifted and speed up recovery time from the workout. So why is it that countless times in the gym I see people ignoring the warm up and jumping straight into a heavy set?
Growth principles for beginners
This is a general guide for beginning and intermediate bodybuilders that don't know the principles behind muscle growth yet or are not happy with the results that they are currently getting. We will go through training, diet and gear. I