Yes, even though I charge people thousands of dollars for the same kind of advice, I’m offering it you, here and now, for less than a measly 50 cents a day.

It’s true, for a long time my most lucrative consulting has been my “Advice Line” where people happily pay me either $750 a week or $1400 a month for ongoing telephone, fax and email support including regular “get togethers” to visually see progress.

My accountant thinks I’m stupid, he told me I will do permanent and serious damage to my consulting business, by giving the same info away for a real fraction of my “Advice Line” prices. But you know what I don’t believe him and I don’t care.

I want to make this bodybuilding forum like nothing ever seen before, I hate the mainstream mags with their lies and hypocrisy and I want to get real info out to the regular bodybuilder in the street who cannot afford $750 a week. You see that guy will never have a chance if he can’t access info like this.

But let me explain something, these prices WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. I don’t know when and I don’t know by how much, but the 50 cents a day will not last forever, you can count on that.

Here’s how the membership subscription works…

Membership costs $14.95 US Dollars a month – about 10 Pounds Sterling, plus a $49.95 initial subscription fee. Let me explain why we have this initial fee…

… In the past we have had cases where people have joined the bodybuilding forum, and for a full month asked me all their questions, (including where they can buy steroids), they have received complete cycles with dosages etc, massive amounts of nutrition advice, been told which supplements to take and when, plus trade secrets about cutting and competition preparation… and then when their month was up they asked for their money back using our guarantee…

… The result was they had a full month of consultation with me and never paid a penny. Now that’s not playing the game, hence I introduced the initial subscription fee along with the small monthly amount.

Now the purpose of this bodybuilding forum is to put REAL INSIDE information in hands of the regular guy, for a fair and reasonable… and highly affordable amount of money… not to have freeloaders blatantly take the piss out of me. Hence the $49.95 initial fee is there to prevent that in the future.

The actual monthly subscription fee is only $14.95 — I made it this because it’s about 10 pounds sterling, which really is ridiculously low… it equates to a daily amount of 50 cents a day (approx 30 Pence)

This amount is nothing compared to what bad information can cost you. I personally know hundreds of people who have either been ripped off or who have literally wasted loads of cash on training and steroids over the years – money that they could have saved with good advice. I’m sure you know of similar cases as well.

Well let’s just put this 50 cents a day into perspective for a moment. What can you actually buy for 50 cents (30 pence) a day? Imagine if you smoked (maybe you do) it’s less than 2 cigarettes would cost you. In the UK it’s less than the cost of 1 beer a week (actually it probably is where ever you live).

When you consider what is on offer, this kind of investment in knowledge for yourself is exactly that – an investment, not a cost!

Let’s face it – what use is it spending hundreds a month on gym fees, supplements, food, steroids (maybe) if you don’t have the knowledge necessary to maximize the benefits of all your spending and training.

Without proper knowledge you could be wasting huge amounts of time and money. It is pure common sense to find and invest in a reliable source of information…

Learn How You Can Instantly Access The Greatest Bodybuilding Forum, With Easy To Understand, 100% Useful, Bodybuilding And Anabolic Steroids Advice Ever Crammed Into One Place…

(IMPORTANT NEWS — SAVE $49.95 — for an EXTREMELY LIMITED TIME ONLY I am going to waive the $49.95 initial fee, see full details by clicking on the next link below)

No Bull Bodybuilding Forum – www.MickHart.com/Board.html

Train hard and be strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

Now first of all I’d like to thank Lawrence for sending us his muscle growth tips, and you should really have a go at his bodybuilding workout routines revealed below…

You think you know better? Well I’ll be the judge of that, but I’d love to hear what you consider to be effective muscle growth tips, so if you want your bodybuilding workout routines published on this blog, then send them to mick@mickhart.com

I have been training seriously for the past two and a half years, with reasonable progress until I hit a plateau in the past 6 months. After serious gains, going from 170 lbs. to 210 lbs., in 6 months, and then leaning up to 190 lbs. Once I hit there, I tried to increase my weight and the weights I was using, but I had hit a brick-wall (although with the supplements I was using previously – provided by Mick, I would have gone through the wall and come out the other side, but that’s a different story).

I had limited motivation and could find none in the magazines that I was reading (No Bull excepted). I thought that I would have to start using the puffy machines to gain some motivation, but then thought … NO WAY, I’M NOT A GIRL, ONLY WOMEN WHO DON’T WANT TO PUT ON MUSCLE USE MACHINES!

I started on a method of increasing my strength and my muscle mass at the same time. If you are hoping to read about some incredible routine that will give muscle mass and lean you up at the same time, this is not it. This routine will give you increased muscle mass, but not necessarily the lean part.

What you need to do is find your three-rep maximum, and also your six rep maximum. From there you can start the workout. Each time you do a set you will feel more powerful, and also quite tired, but you must continue. This bodybuilding routine should be used for a maximum of six weeks, and only every six months.

Routine 1 (Chest and Back)

Bench-press 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)
Lat pulldowns 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)

Incline bench 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)
Cable rows 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)

Flyes 1×6, 1×6, 1×6
1 arm rows 1×6, 1×6, 1×6

Routine 2 (Shoulders and biceps)

B/bell press 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)
B/bell curls 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)

D/bell press 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)
D/bell curls 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)

Lat raises 1×6 (1×12), 1×6 (1×12), 1×6 (1×12)
Conc curls 1×6, 1×6, 1×6

Routine 3 (Triceps and lower back)

Cl grip bench 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)
Deadlifts 1×4 (1×7), 1×4 (1×7), 1×4 (1×7)

Pushdowns 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)
Back extensions 1×15, 1×15, 1×15

1 arm ext 1×4 (1×7), 1×4 (1×7), 1×4 (1×7)

Routine 4 (Legs)

Squats 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6), 1×3 (1×6)
H/string curls 1×7, 1×7, 1×7

Leg Press 1×3 (1×7), 1×3 (1×7), 1×3 (1×7)
Lunges 1×8, 1×8, 1×8

Calf raised 1×8, 1×8, 1×8, 1×8

All of these bodybuilding routines call for supersets, for example, day 1′s first exercise should look like this:

Do B/press for 3 reps (max weight), then straight to pull-downs 3 reps (max weight), then back to a lighter weight for 6 reps on bench, then back to a lighter weight for 6 reps on pull-downs. Then you get a rest (2 mins should be long enough get all your strength back for the next quadruple giant set.

Each time you go back to do these routines, try to use a little heavier weight, and by the end of the six weeks, you should have increased the weights you are lifting by quite an amount.

When I started this routine, I was benching 130kgs for 4 reps; now, only 4 weeks later, I can do 150kgs for 5 reps. Not bad for someone who weighs 92 kgs.

I have enjoyed writing my first article for Mick, and can quite honestly say that Mick has been a great mate and also someone to turn to, to bounce ideas off, not just for bodybuilding training, but also supplement and nutrition ideas.

Well cheers Lawrence, you really know your stuff!!!

Remember if you want your bodybuilding workout routines published on this blog, just send them to mick@mickhart.com

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

Now as I recently mentioned the Laymen Steroid Guides 1V are on their way to the press, and that I wanted to explore ways to help the over 60s be able to get those muscles that they have always dreamed of. So as an introduction, I’ve decided to share this great testimonial by then 67 year old Alan Brown. It really is a great read and includes some great bodybuilding training routines, so here we go, and many thanks Alan…

“It’s 27 October 2001 and I enter a bodybuilding competition for the first time. Big deal! Hey, wait a minute, it’s taken me some 47 years, since I first put my hands to a barbell … and I’m 67 years young!! In the words of a Kiwi friend of mine – “What kipt ya’, mate?”

When I retired from work in Feb ’99, my retirement present to myself was to go around New Zealand on a guided motor bike tour – EVERYONE should try it!! Fantastic country – God’s own. Wonderful folk. Simply brilliant, but how do you follow that, being turned out to graze to the end of time? All those hours to fill and with parents who passed on at 89 and 93, my gene pool might suggest I’ll go on for ever! I had always kept myself in good shape and had no health problems whatsoever.

I’ve much to keep the old brain cells up to the mark – lots of interests, not least my singing with a prestigious amateur choir. There was still the bike of course, although doubts were already creeping in here, because of the havoc its riding position was causing to my old back bone and, I had to admit, I was beginning to lose my bottle anyway, becoming more accident prone. It could give me lots of fresh air, certainly, but not real physical exercise and I WANTED to stay really fit, to enjoy life to the full with my grand-daughter, born ten years to the day that my wife had died.

In fact, the very day she was born, I enrolled at a local authority fitness centre and took up basic weight training, after a lay-off of about 20 years. I had first hit the weights when doing National Service in the early ’50′s – 3 of us found a few weights in a bunker that served as a sports centre – and, when at home, I rigged up a makeshift barbell with a broom handle and buckets of sand!

My brother bought a set of weights, to use in his bedroom until we dropped a loaded bar and cracked the plaster in the living room below. I went up to university in 1955 and found an almost unused weights room at the gym. You HAD to be a bit odd to do that kind of thing and I wouldn’t dare to say that I was “bodybuilding”, just weight training. I got started with Oscar Heidenstam’s “Bodybuilding for Beginners”, printed in successive issues of “Health & Strength”, circa 1955 – pages which I still have today!

Thereafter, wherever I worked – Corby/Kettering, Slough, Sheffield, Cambridge – I looked up a gym and trained perhaps once or twice a week. Nothing serious – it was just an interest. After all, I didn’t have the potential to do much, did I? – certainly not sufficient to think of competitive bodybuilding. I scarcely acknowledged the fact that I was any kind of bodybuilder, just a guy who worked out for fitness.

There was a bit of a hiatus, involving meeting my one-and-only on holiday in Greece and courting for two years by holiday “commutes” between the UK and Denmark! Then, after we married, I returned to university for a higher degree – and we had twins. It wasn’t until we came to live in Croydon in 1969, and the children got to school age, that I found my way back to a gym, just twice a week, as before. Back to that same beginners’ course, in fact.

I would have been about 38 then. I always say that it did my marriage a power of good, because I used to go home as horny as hell and my wife appreciated all the attention she got. BUT trouble struck after some two years of this, when I twisted my lower back very severely (from pruning an apple tree!!) and the various medics I saw said that I should never, ever, “lift” again. My old bones could take no more !!

But that was 1974, or thereabouts. Between then and 1999, I did no weights work and had several incidents involving problems with worn vertebrae, not least with my motor bike, but also as a result of too ambitious DIY or gardening. I always retained an interest in the Iron Game and bodybuilding in particular, so, come retirement, I thought I might venture back, cautiously, to training once more.

In fear of doing irreparable damage to myself, I determined that I would do this only under the supervision of a personal trainer … HA ! Some hopes ! I have now been through THREE such gurus, with little long-term guidance of any worth. This is a very real problem for an old ‘un like me – keen to do things, full of commitment, willing to work hard and time to do so, but who can take such as me seriously? Who has EVER trained someone twice their age? Who UNDERSTANDS this old man’s body, both structurally (as in weight training) and metabolically (as in diet/nutrition). I have yet to meet anyone who knows more than I do about myself.

The first guru writes for a well-known muscle magazine. I travelled to Birmingham for an assessment and, for a fee, he set me up with a Mike Mentzer-style ultra-brief schedule – single sets to failure stuff, twice a week, with a 5-6 meals a day diet sheet. The result? My early, rapid gains simply melted away and I was back where I started. And the diet nearly choked me, I almost had to push the food down with a stick!

The local authority gym lasted only a few months, being closed for refurbishment. However, I responded well to the basics and it showed ! Sometimes, I went for a swim after my workout and had young Dads asking me about my training; suddenly, I found myself called a “bodybuilder” at age 65 and it seems that I was an inspiration to a number of guys, who started back to training themselves as a result of seeing me.

I moved to a local YMCA, with excellent facilities of all kinds and got taken in hand by a “fitness instructor” who nearly finished me off with the most horrendous heavy duty routines. Loads of CV, stretches, then four weights routines, each of which could take me up to TWO HOURS to complete, plus cool-down CV and more stretches. I got so tired, that I would fall asleep over my meal when I came home. Also, more and more things took me back to a physiotherapist or osteopath – like a torn rotator cuff and bursitis of the knees – I was falling apart!! Then, this young Turk had the cheek to say, “Well, I knew that if I had given that to anyone over 50, it would have killed them … but I thought you were up for it !!”

Then to my second guru, who promised well, initially and gave me some excellent bodybuilding routines, with which I kept, more or less, for the past year, up to that show. He started me at my present gym – Muscle-FX, in Croydon – and got me to a good osteopath, to right the damage from working at the Y. But, I still experienced difficulties in coping with his diet recommendations. Sadly. this fellow had serious personal problems and had to give up training me; he was decent enough to return his fee – I miss his sure counsel.

Muscle-FX is a real hard-core gym and the guys there are so friendly and helpful. I’m probably twice as old as any other regular but I’ve so often been called “inspirational” and even “motivator” by youngsters who like the way I put my back into training. The gym manager soon suggested that I should consider competition but, somehow, I couldn’t take this seriously. Then, trainer number 3 took over – he refined slightly what was already a successful set of routines and also brought up the possibility of competition.

So, when I read about the Mr Hercules show to be run by Scott Horton and Terry Fisher at Colchester, I said I’d give it my best – very much tongue in cheek! However, instead of saying “Great!! This is what we have to do.”, trainer no.3 sort of melted away and left me to get on with it. In consequence, my diet and attempting to cut back up to the day of the show was pure guesswork on my part; indeed, I got more help and ideas over the ‘phone from Scott himself, than I did from my paid-up trainer. Actually, I all but chickened out but, while on holiday in Yorkshire, I sat in on the Mr Harrogate show and thought “Yes, I could handle this..” and the rest, as they say, is history.

The show was a fantastic experience. I went up to Colchester totally alone – didn’t even have anybody to help me with oiling down, pumping up and all the other things you have to do before going on stage. Fortunately, I had had two coats of ProTan before hand, from a gym colleague and I can’t thank Damar enough, for the time he spent with me, going through the compulsories and working out a simple pose routine for me to follow. May he do well at the All Stars show.

The camaraderie back stage was great and I had no nerves or stage fright whatsoever. When I went into my pose routine, the noise coming from the punters was so great that I couldn’t hear the start of my music. Although well supported out front, it was a pity to see so few competitors – and I was with just one other Senior on stage a “young” man 21 years my junior and in training twelve years.

Needless to say, I was second (i.e. last !) and felt such a fraud, walking off with a cup. But I was assured that it was well deserved; I was very flattered, even more so after the show, when I got mobbed by so many would-be wanna-bees about my performance. I learned A LOT from this first time … and … yes, I will do it again, God willing and a following wind. But, who can say what’s in the offing, at nearly 68?

So, how had this come about? Setting aside the traumas of my first year back in the gym, my training in the 13 months up to the show has stayed very much to the same formula. Four days a week, each session – excepting Friday’s quads/calves routine – preceded by CV warm-up, either on a treadmill (3 mins walk/5mins run/2 mins cool-down) or stationary bike (up to 20 mins), followed by stretches for the whole body. My bodybuilding routines followed the following pattern”…

Monday : Chest / Biceps
1. Incline dumbbell press (1 x 15, 12, 10,
2. Flat barbell press (1 x 12, 10,
3. Machine flyes (1 x 12, 10,
4. Barbell curls (1 x 15, 12, 10)
5. Reverse cable curls (1 x 12, 10,
6. Ab crunches – chair (3 x 25)
Cool-down (treadmill – 3 mins) and Stretches.
Variations on above : Decline barbell press (4 sets) every 3rd week. Flat dumbbell press, supersets with flat dumbbell flyes.

Tuesday : Back / Hamstrings
1. Pull-down to front (wide grip) (1 x 12, 10,
2. Incline bench dumbbell rows (1 x 12, 10,
3. Straight arm cable pull-downs (1 x 15,12, 10)
4. Hyper-extensions with dumbbell (1 x 12, 10,
5. Leg curl (1 x 15,12, 10,
6. Dumbbell stiff legged dead-lift (1 x 10, 8, 6)
Cool-down and stretches as above.

Thursday : Deltoids / Triceps
1. Cable upright row (1 x 12, 19,
2. Forward raise with barbell (1 x 12, 10,
3. Lateral dumbbell raise (1 x 12, 10,
4. Incline d/b rear deltoid raise (1 x 12, 10,
5. Triceps cable push-down (1 x 15, 12, 10,
6. Narrow bench press – Smiths (1 x 12, 10,
7. Ab crunches – chair (3 x 25)
Cool-down and stretches

Friday : Quads / Calves
1. Leg extensions (1 x 15, 12, 10)
2. Leg press (1 x 15, 12, 10)
3. Hack squats (1 x 15, 14, 12)
4. Seated calf raise (1 x 15, 14, 12)
5. Standing calf raise (1 x 10, 10, 10)
Cool-down and stretches

Okay thanks again Alan, and that is just a warm up for what is still to come in next weeks post, which will include tips on diet, vitamins and supplements for excellent muscle growth results… So until then,

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

Anyway, logically in the final of our bodybuilding training routines; but paying most attention to variety, we move down to the legs. So, onto the quads or QUADRICEPS FEMORIS, vastus internalis, lateralis and vastus medius. The latter set now often referred to as ‘tear drops’. These are the extensors of the thighs, balanced by the biceps of the thighs, which is the large muscle at the back of the thigh, brought into use when the leg is bent bring the foot to the buttocks (and very easy to cramp ..ouch)

The best bodybuilding exercises for these is the leg curl machine, usually found in both home and modern gyms. Athletes develop such thigh biceps by sprinting and other track events. As for the earlier extensor muscles of the thigh, all squatting moves, front squats, hack squats, straddle lifts, leg presses, smith machine exercises, bench squats, partial squats, unlocked squats, sissy squats and again all sporting activities like running and especially jumping.

Its easy to change your bodybuilding training routine often, yet still use the best exercises with just a little imagination and thought. Better still is to change frequency of workouts and sets and reps, shock your muscles out of that apathy. If you usually train 4 sessions a week, drop it to three and notice any change. If you improve, so much the better, if not, simply drop back to your original plan. But do give it all some thought, nothing is written in stone – see what works for you by trial and error.

At rock bottom now we come to the CALVES or gastrocnemius (Greek name from frogs bellies would you believe) with the main muscle group on the front of the shin being the tibialis. The calves are exercised almost continually, whenever we are standing (I do heel raises on the kerb when waiting for a bus, to much amusement of other passengers) or moving upright.

All sports of the running variety, especially sprinting (try running in soft sand) develop the calves, but of course bodybuilders isolate the group further and use heel raises, best on a block to stretch fully the muscles. Try a variety of foot positions for both calves and toe raising for tibialis. Calf machine raises, calf raises seated with the barbell placed across the knees, and perhaps best of all, single leg calf raises, holding a dumbbell for added resistance and with toes on a block to stretch the muscles to the max.

Next week we won’t be looking at any particular muscle group in particular, but we will be focusing on other ways to bring some variety to your regular bodybuilding training routines, so until then…

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

So, the next muscle group on our extreme bodybuilding workout hit list is the tank tops friend, the LATISSMUS DORSI, or as us muscle heads know it, the lats. Like the pectorals, this set of muscles respond favourably to training soon developing bigger and better than the non-weight trainer. You can always pick out a bodybuilder by his better than average lats, which adds greatly to the beach type V shape physique.

Choices of muscle growth exercises include all variations of pull downs on the lat machine or whatever piece of fixed apparatus you may have in your gym. Or simply practise chins or pull ups on a bar. All types of chins or pull downs from pull downs in front or back of neck, wide or narrow spaced grip, single or double arm pull downs (or chins) all work the lats and biceps, with a little help from the forearms as well. You can do lat machine pull downs with nice chrome bars, or use a thick tought rope over the handles ….it all helps!

If you still have a set, use chest expander overhead pull downs – the ultimate in full contraction from cables. Gymnasts display great lats and triceps and fully high biceps with all the rope climbing and bar work they practice. Again such things like climbing also really develop a strong grip.

Already we are half way down in our anatomy travels, and next is the waist or abdominal region, in the main being the ‘six pack’ or rectus abdominus. This area is developed by the many kinds of leg raises both with straight or more recommended bent legs, especially if you suffer with low back aches from hip muscle imbalance (shortened muscles of the ilopsoas) Use also sit ups again with legs bent, more commonly termed as crunches.

Begin from floor and work up to crunches on incline ab bench or hanging knee raises from chin bar. The abs really do move over a short range of inches or perhaps more cms. After that low back group, mentioned above, known also as PSOAS, comes into play. Although relatively unknown, it is extremely important and can result in major muscle imbalance causing many problems, the main one being ‘bad back’, limping and bad posture. So avoid any sort of old fashioned toe touching exercises unless you are anatomically suited to such movements, and few are.

Now when it comes to extreme bodybuilding workouts, for the side muscles of the waist or obliques, the most used exercise is the side bend, using a heavy dumbbell. All overhead lifting effects the obliques, so if you use free weights, chances are your obliques already get plenty of work., but diet will of course show them up to full advantage, rather then being overweight and having ‘love handles’.

By passing the sexual organs and penis enlargement methods, from vacuum pumps (how do you explain to the wife how you caught your willy in the hoover??) to Karma Sutra insect stings to swell the old sleeping serpent, we move quite rightly to the upper thighs and buttocks.

Whilst most people do not wish to enlarge the buttocks, they are mighty important muscles, and gorgeous glutes or the gluteus maximus, can and do look better with exercise, even if its just to lose unwanted obesity in that area – usually a female desire.

The glutes are exercised in all dead lifts, straddle lifts, leg presses on various machines, all types of deep knee bends and most weight lifting. High rep half squats along with sensible dieting MAY spot reduce this area somewhat, although any exercise has a toning up effect and will reduce fat so long as the calories are limited.

So that’s enough for today’s bodybuilding training routines and muscle growth tips, until next week when we will come to the end of this series of extreme bodybuilding workouts.

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

So let’s continue at looking just how we can add some spice to those routine bodybuilding workouts and exercises…

Also recommended for building arms are fixed machine PEC DEC and similar compressions machines found in all top gyms for those without weights or again for a change, or even warm up, try the many forms of press ups or floor dips. These too have multiple varieties of exercising, from hand spacing changes, to high fast press ups, with hand clapping in between pushes or even single arm push ups, or on finger tips. The latter used often by martial experts really impress non-bodybuilders.

For upper chest workouts, try INCLINE bench pressing, again using free weights, (make sure you have spotters around and still awake!) or machines with barbells and dumbbells or the reverse stance of floor dips with your feet raised higher than your head. For lower pecs, use the old standard vertical dips on parallel bars, adding extra resistance when you can exceed 20 reps with a weight attached to your lifting belt. Make sure you do complete full range movements and not just slight unlocking of the elbows – great also for triceps and lats.

Just think three popular muscle groups exercised in one go -must be a bargain! To gain chest EXPANSION and the lung fitness and accompanying health benefits, the best and proven exercise is the combination of SQUATS along with breathing pullovers. The prime requisite is that you perform enough high reps squats to make you literally gasp for breath, so you would need to squat for at least 20 reps, using around bodyweight in poundage, followed immediately by the pullovers, using a medium to light dumbbell, swing bell (centrally loaded dumbbell rod) end over or cross over a bench.

You can also use pulley arrangements. The main thing is to use light weights with the emphasis on stretching your rib box to the full. Aptly named because they look like the teeth of a saw, i.e. SERRATUS MAGNUS, these muscles are now noticeably pronounced in most muscular line ups, making a beautiful tie in with the abdominals.

To fully develop this group, include in your workout, prone flying exercises, and pullovers on bench. Do both straight arm and bent arm pullovers, the latter allows a lot more weight and is great also for lats. Early lone trainers often had to pull over the barbell first before using it for bench presses, and some impressive poundages have been recorded in this lift.

That’s it for today’s look at boosting your Bodybuilding workouts And exercises, so have a go to put these muscle building tips into action, and please feel free to share comments with other bodybuilders in the comments form below, or just join us on facebook and write on my wall!!!

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

Try Cables For More Variety In Your Bodybuilding Workouts

For SHOULDER workouts, the area consists of mainly the trapezius as detailed above, plus of course the Greek named DELTOIDS. These side or lateral, frontal or anterior, and back or posterior muscles are much admired and required if you seek that ‘coconut delt’ look of the muscle beach Adonis.

All forms of pressing of dumbbells, barbells or via gym fixed apparatus work this group. Alternative dumbbell presses, press behind neck, seated being favourite or standing varieties. For the side or lateral delts, lateral raises with dumbbells, upright rowing, with barbell, lateral raises with cables or pulleys, in fact all exercises which move the arm in a sideways and upward movement against progressive resistance.

The frontal part of the shoulders are given plenty of exercise with close grip barbell bench presses (which also work the triceps hard and inner pecs) and forward raises with dumbbells or barbells, and all moves which raise the arms outward and above the head. The rear part of the deltoids get pumped to the max with the many versions of rowing, especially the single arm dumbbell row, which lends itself to full range flexion and total extension, essential for full development of muscle.

Old fashioned named chest expanders, or modern cables or pulleys are all excellent movements to use for this area. A real toughie with even ‘dinky’ dumbells, is the bent forward lateral raise, and its also an effective chest expander if you wish to add size to your thorax.

Following on down in logical sequence, we come to the CHEST ,being our next muscle group to attack and second only to the arms in popularity with bodybuilders to train, probably because the pectorals soon show rapid growth, being comparatively easy to develop. In fact you may have to use some caution, as it is possible to overdevelop the pecs and create imbalance in your upper body and postural problems.

Use all forms of pressing, with also a variety of hand spacing. Wider grip bench presses get the outer part of the pectorals, the narrow grip/hand space variety pumps the inner pecs, and throws more work onto the triceps. Dumbells require you take more control, and thus use extra energy and overall body work, having yet again a different effect on the chest muscles, in the main the inner pecs.

Lone trainers often have problems using dumbbells in this move, most manage to load the dumbbells then sit astride the bench, lift the dumbbells onto the upper thighs then swing them into place as you lower yourself back onto the bench. Its tough, but also safer as its easier to drop the dumbbells after use, (put some extra carpet where you are going to drop the weights,) than it is to get rid of a over heavy barbell when you hit the last few reps.

Best of all for most bodybuilders for exercising the pecs is dumbbell flyes, being a more concentrated movement for the entire chest, both expansion and muscular. For safety to avoid strains in the elbow region, use slightly unlocked arms and finish off your last set of flyes with immediately going into one set of dumbbell presses on bench for real pump.

Don’t over do it, and save some energy for next week when I will reveal one of the best arm exercises, so until then give your muscles some variety by trying out the above bodybuilding workouts and exercises.

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

The chances are that unless you are a power-lifter or on some sort of specialist program, i.e. slimming, bulking up or record breaking lifting, then you will be like most, working out on a so called ‘normal routine’ of eight to twelve exercises for all round body-parts, or splitting them up on ‘split routines’ if more advanced.

An example of a standard routine would, after warm up, consist of usually dumbbell presses, mostly alternately pressed, for deltoids and triceps; basic squats for legs, general metabolism and chest expansion; basic bench presses for pectorals, triceps and shoulders (frontal deltoids).

This would be followed fairly soon by dumbbell flyes, barbell rows for the arms and of course lats and upper back; triceps extensions for guess what, that’s right, triceps; barbell curls for biceps, perhaps some reverse curls for a bit of forearm work. Lateral raises for deltoids; calf raises for lower legs (if we said gastrocnemius, who would know?) etc.

Split routines would probably follow the usual pattern of ‘push /pull’ alternative sessions, or more often lower body workouts one session and upper body the next workout. Nothing wrong with any of that, and it works for most, most of the time. BUT! Being human, the majority of us get bored doing the same thing, the same bodybuilding exercises, the same workouts, at the same time…. bored, bored, bored…. and when you are not putting your heart and soul into exercise, once it becomes just automatic, then you begin to lose interest and progress slows and eventually halts.

Fixed Press – A Great Triceps Exercise Too!
The answer is VARIETY! Sure use the basics that work, and the exercises you like, and of course avoid the exercises you hate by substituting some of the following. Nothing new, no magic formulae, just alternative exercises to try out from time to time to add spice and jest to your bodybuilding workouts.

So here, perhaps for future reference, or to use straight away, are suggestions for when you need a change of schedule to boost progress. Alternative exercises for top to toe workouts! Taking it from the top, here we go…….

Even in the scalp there are muscles, holding them too tense, too long, can soon bring about a headache, and even hair loss and it does help to try wrinkling up your forehead and face as often recommended in books on Yoga, followed by complete relaxation to keep you looking young, or so the beauty experts promise (it’s too late for me to start!).

Following on down to the NECK and looking at the neck from the rear, the main contributor to a thick muscular neck is the TRAPEZIUS for which you can exercise via all types of overhead lifting, deadlifts and all forms of barbell and dumbbell rowing, with emphasis on upright rowing to really pump the ‘Traps’ – a la Lou Ferringo. Try narrow hand spacing, knuckles to the front, lifting elbows high and keep going until you obtain a real saturation of blood to the area.

Also fine for Traps is the exercise of shoulder shrugging, whilst holding weights, either with barbell, often lifted in power racks, or dumbbells, the power mans tester of the ‘Farmers walk’ certainly calls upon the bodybuilder to have stronger than usual Traps. You know when you have had enough when your face begins to ‘twitch’.

For the frontal neck muscles, head resistance work using a towel or head straps with weights attached, or even ‘buddy resistance’ as wrestlers often do in training (all wrestlers are ‘buddies’,and can act with it…) i.e. get a partner to resist your neck movements, try also ‘wrestlers bridges’.

Now, I don’t want to wear you out this week, so I’ll save some more alternative bodybuilding exercises and workouts for next week, so till then…

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

So let’s get cracking with today’s bodybuilding and steroids training routine that will surely optimize your delts muscle growth.

3+3+3 Delt Blitz
First, decide whether you will prioritize the shoulders by working them first or after chest or back training, then stick to that format so a consistent poundage progression can be adhered to. If you are not on an anabolic steroid cycle then I do not recommend that you do this workout more than once every 5-7 days after the initial two orientation workouts to determine correct starting poundage’s and exercise form.

As usual the routine is set up so that a minimum of warm up sets is required after the initial pre-workout warm-up, i.e., 1-2 light to moderate sets of some dumbbell or barbell presses and a very light set of side lateral raises should suffice.

1. Military press with barbell, with 5 second overhead hold. Select a weight that is approximately 10% lighter than what you would use for a set of 10-12 very strict overhead presses. Military style with feet close together will prevent excessive back bend.

At the completion of each rep the barbell should be held in the lockout position for 5 seconds with some attempt to consciously contract the delt’s (not too hard). The weight should also be lowered to a 2 second count. even though the front delts and triceps bear most of the work in raising the weight overhead, the entire deltoids, including the side and rear delts work hard to hold the weight in the contracted position and you will find that holding the weight for the five count will make the press a more concentrated delt movement.

It is important that you select a weight that will allow at least 10 good reps to failure since you will be adding at least 5 pounds to the bar each workout and want to build some momentum from the first workout. You will be adding weight each session until you cannot get 6 good reps for the set so don’t want to reach this point to early on. For those of you who do not have shoulder or lower back problems I also recommend doing an additional “power set” at least every other workout.

After a rest of 2-3 minutes increase the weight by 10-20% and do a conventional set of presses for 4-6 reps. you will want to increase the weight of this set by 5-10 pounds per workout as well but aim for a minimum of 3 reps here to be cautious. By now the delts will already be pumped and primed for the “hammer”. A short (2- 3 minutes) rest and what I call a compound pre-exhaust set.

DORMANT DELTS
2. Determine what you would use for a set of 10-12 strict front delt raises then opt for a set of dumbbells 5 lbs. lighter than those. You will be performing these in a manner that is both more difficult and more effective. Starting with the left arm, raise the dumbbell to shoulder height and hold it there until you raise the right dumbbell to shoulder height as well, then lower and raise the left dumbbell back to shoulder height while all the while holding the right dumbbell in the contracted position.

Then repeat the process holding the left dumbbell in the fully contracted position while doing a complete rep with the right arm. Remember, one dumbbell will always be in the contracted position during the set. You should select a weight that will allow at least 8-10 strict reps to a point where you cannot complete a rep in proper form. At this point, holding the same dumbbells perform as many strict reps in the conventional side lateral raise, arms slightly bent, no body English, palms facing the floor.

Ideally you should get about 8-10 reps or so before failing to complete a rep. A couple of partial reps are recommended before immediately grabbing a fairly light barbell with a medium wide grip and performing a modified version of the behind the neck press. The middle portion of this exercise is utilized, 3/4 of the way up, 3/4 of the way down.

This will focus the deltoids and avoid unnecessary strain to the rotator cuff. A weight that will allow about 8-12 reps is best here. Once again I must emphasize that no more than 3 seconds should elapse from the last rep of laterals to the first rep of presses.

3. Lying cross body side lateral raise. You may be familiar with this one. It is also known as the “Arnold” raise (you know who!). Lie on your side in a flat bench with a light dumbbell in hand and start with the arm hanging straight down across your chest, dumbbell nearly touching the floor. From here raise the dumbbell with elbow slightly unlocked in a wide arc until your arm is pointing toward the ceiling, dumbbell fully extended.

This exercise will totally isolate the rear and side delts with no help from the traps or front delts. Due to the extreme range of motion (about 4 feet) and constant tension it is not necessary to complete more than one or two work sets here. If you cannot get more than half the reps the second time around then one set is probably enough, but if it makes you happy drop down in weight and do a second set, at most.

After a short break I like to finish of this blitz with one very strict set of low pulley rows 12-15 reps back arched and focused on upper back and rear delts. There are some variations to this routine for those of you who cannot safely press with a barbell and there are a couple twists to this routine to increase the intensity as you get into the latter stages.

Of course I remind you that while progress is the key here, increase poundage’s on the pre-exhaust portion of his routine cautiously as the idea is quality isolation for the DELTS only. I could go on much further here and explain the why’s and wherefores of the exercises listed here and there sequential order, define their superiority etc.

Suffice to say, if quick and symmetrical size increase in the delt area is desired give this sledgehammer assault a try and let me know what you think, by leaving a comment below.

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“

Do you have to go at it 100% when it comes to bodybuilding workouts? Well it really all depends on just how far you want to go, but think about it even if you want to be a little in shape, even then there still really should be quite a lot of commitment involved.

The question most asked of me on a day to day basis is I want to get big but I want to be ripped to the bone. Basically they are saying they don’t know what the hell they want, but do one or the other. You see, in order to get big, you have to eat big and accept the fact that you will put on some fat, that is inevitable, but you cannot pile it on one day and take it off the next, now come on! Commit yourself to one or the other, make the choice and stick to it. Doing that will give you the start you need.

So lets say that you have decided to get ripped. What do you do, where do you begin? Well for a start, you have to make sure that your training is designed to get you ripped or rather burn off fat, yet still produce muscle. This can be done but you have to remember that you will not get massive – ripped yes but not massive. Make sure you are clear on that.

The training with all bodybuilding workouts must cover (as always) all body parts for balance, reps in the region of 12-15 throughout and very short rest periods between sets. Five days per week training at least one body part per day. At least a couple of days per week, additional cardio vascular work really should be added. Personally I suggest bag training – a great way of getting rid of excess pounds. And for a few quid from your local Argos – a snitch too. 3 x 2-3 minute rounds, timed will get the sweat running out of any forehead and you will be that much faster in a brawl too!

Now you may be one of the many bodybuilders that really are 100% committed to bodybuilding workouts, but what about diet. Now that really can be tough, as hunger bites in, so check out my commitment tips for bodybuilding workout diets in next weeks blog post, and until then…

Train Hard, Learn & Be Strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ… Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0“