MUSCLE BUILDING ROUTINE #5- THE BICEPS!

STAYING TRUE TO MY WORD, HERE IS ANOTHER ROUTINE THAT FOCUSES ON BUILDING MUSCLE. THIS TIME, THE BICEPS WILL GET THE BULK OF THE ATTENTION. THE FIRST ARM ROUTINE, GAVE ATTENTION TO THE TRICEPS PRIMARILY. KEEP IN MIND THAT IF YOU DON’T ADEQUATELY TRAIN THE BACK OF YOUR ARM AND JUST FOCUS ON YOUR BICEPS, YOUR ARMS JUST WON’T LOOK RIGHT. BUT THAT’S NOT TO SAY YOU DON’T NEED TO TRAIN YOUR BICEPS. THE BICEPS ARE INVOLVED IN TASKS THAT INVOLVE LIFTING AND PULLING, SUCH AS PULL UPS OR CHIN UPS. THE BICEPS EVEN ASSIST WHEN I DEADLIFT, AS SEEN IN THIS PHOTO WHERE I’M DEADLIFTING 405 LBS.

ADD TO THAT THE FACT THE BICEPS ARE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS PEOPLE NOTICE ABOUT US AND WE’VE GOT SOME PRETTY GOOD REASONS TO BUILD UP THE BICEPS.
THIS ROUTINE WILL USE PRE-FATIGUING AND SUPER-SETTING EXERCISES THAT PUT LOTS OF TENSION ON THE BICEPS THAT WILL BOTH FORCE AND COAX THE MUSCLES INTO GROWING.
ALRIGHT, ENOUGH TALK. HERE’S THE ROUTINE.

1. UNDERHAND GRIP LAT PULL DOWN: SET 1-15, SET2-12, SET 3-10
1B. ALTERNATING DB BICEPS CURL: SET 1-10, SET 2-10, SET 3-8

2. CHIN UPS: SETS 1,2 AND 3- BETWEEN 8 AND 15 DEPENDING ON ABILITY
2B. DB HAMMER CURLS: SET 1-12, SET 2-12, SET 3-10

3. DB CONCENTRATION CURLS (ALL REPS ON RIGHT, THEN ON LEFT): SET 1-12, SET 2-10, SET 3-10
3B. STANDING BEHIND THE HEAD DUMBBELL TRICEP PRESS: SET 1-12, SET 2-10, SET 3-10

4. CABLE CURLS WITH STRAIGHT BAR: SET 1-12, SET 2-10, SET 3-8
4B. BEHIND THE HEAD CABLE TRICEP PRESS: SET 1-12, SET 2-10, SET 3-10

THAT IS THE ROUTINE. A COUPLE THINGS SHOULD BE EXPLAINED. AS WITH THE OTHER ROUTINES I’VE WRITTEN, YOU’RE CONSTANTLY SUPER SETTING. SO FOR THE FIRST PAIR OF EXERCISES, YOU DO 15 REPS OF THE UNDERHAND GRIP LAT PULL DOWN, THEN YOU IMMEDIATELY DO A SET OF ALTERNATING DUMBBELL BICEPS CURLS WITH THE DUMBBELLS THAT YOU GRABBED BEFORE STARTING THE SET.
THERE ARE ONLY 4 EXERCISES FOR THE BICEPS IN THIS ROUTINE SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON THOSE EXERCISES AND REALLY SQUEEZE THE WORK OUT OF THEM. FEEL FREE TO SEND ME ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROUTINE AND OF COURSE ANY EXERCISE CAN BE LOOKED UP ON YOUTUBE.
STAY TUNED FOR 2 MORE MUSCLE BUILDING ROUTINES SOON TO COME.

MUSCLE BUILDING ROUTINE NUMBER 4- CHEST!

HERE WE GO WITH ANOTHER PURE MUSCLE BUILDING ROUTINE. THIS TIME IT’S FOR THE CHEST MUSCLES. INTERESTINGLY, THE CHEST AREA IS IMPORTANT TO BOTH MALES AND FEMALES. FOR MALES OR FEMALES, THE CHEST IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT PEOPLE NOTICE ABOUT US. WHEN PROPERLY BUILT UP, THE CHEST MUSCLES WILL MAKE THE MEN APPEAR MORE MASCULINE AND THE WOMEN, WELL, MORE FEMININE.
ONE THING THAT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND IS WEIGHT SELECTION. WHEN A ROUTINE CALLS FOR CHEST PRESS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY DUMBBELL CHEST FLYES, 10 REPS OF EACH, IT’S IMPORTANT TO SELECT A WEIGHT THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO COMPLETE ALL OF THE REPS. SO WITH THESE ROUTINES,YOU’RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO GO UNTIL FAILURE. YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE A FEW REPS IN THE TANK FOR THE NEXT SET. WE DON’T WANT UGLY REPS DONE WITH BAD FORM THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE INJURY.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS WE ALL NEED TO TRAIN OUR CHEST MUSCLES AND WE NEED TO DO IT SAFELY. NOW TO THE ROUTINE.

CHEST.
SCOTT MENDELSON, HEAVY BENCH PRESS EXPERT

1. INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS-
Set 1-15, set 2-12, set 3-10,
set 4-10
You will have two sets of dumbbells. A heavier set for the presses, a lighter set for the flyes.
1B. INCLINE DUMBBELL FLYE- after each set of the presses, do a set of flyes. Sets 1,2,3 & 4- 10 reps each set. So after each set of incline dumbbell presses do 10 incline dumbbell flyes.
2. INCLINE BARBELL PRESS-
Set 1- 12, set 2-10, set 3-10,
set 4-8
2B. ALTERNATING DUMBBELL BICEPS CURLS- Sets 1,2,3,and 4-10 reps each set. So after each set of the barbell presses do a set of curls.
3. FLAT BARBELL PRESS-Set 1-15, set 2-12,set 3-10, set 4-10
3B. Two Arm Bent Over Dumbbell Row- Sets 1,2,3 &4- 10 reps each set. So after each set of Barbell Bench Press, you’ll immediately do a set of bent over two arm dumbbell rows using the dumbbells you grabbed and placed next to the bench BEFORE you got started.
4. Low Cable Crossover or Butterfly Machine- Set 1-15, set 2-12, set 3-10, OPTIONAL SET 4- drop the weight and do 20 reps
4B. Plyo Push Ups- Sets 1,2 & 3- 10 reps immediately after. So after each of the 3 sets of flyes/crossovers you’re going to drop and do a set of plyo push-ups. If need be, do them from your knees.

This is a very challenging routine if you nail the weight selection and if you do the reps with proper form. People will probably look at you like you’re a maniac, just giving you fair warning.
So that’s the chest routine. Have fun tearing it up next time you workout.
Another muscle building article coming soon.

GREATEST COMMON FACTOR, IN FITNESS

YESTERDAY I SAW MY OLD HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER. HE IS JUST STARTING TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH HIS FITNESS AND I SALUTE HIM. I ALSO WANT TO THANK HIM FOR REMINDING ME OF SOMETHING.

IN MATH CLASS, USUALLY AROUND MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE LEARN TO USE THE IDEA OF THE GREATEST COMMON FACTOR OR GCF.

HERE’S A QUICK REFRESHER. SAY YOU HAVE A FRACTION OF 12/4 AND YOU WANT TO QUICKLY REDUCE IT INTO THE SIMPLEST TERMS POSSIBLE. YOU FIND THE BIGGEST NUMBER THAT GOES INTO BOTH OF THEM AND DIVIDE. WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH FITNESS? WELL IT ACTUALLY TEACHES US A GREAT LESSON. THE GCF IS USED TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS. WE CAN USE THE IDEA TO SOLVE OUR OWN FITNESS PROBLEMS.

READY FOR THE LESSON? HERE IT IS:

TO MEET ALL OF OUR FITNESS GOALS WE CAN FOCUS ON USING EXERCISES THAT WORK MORE THAN ONE MUSCLE GROUP.

USE THE “BIGGEST”EXERCISES TO TARGET MULTIPLE GOALS. WE CAN DO THIS BY BUILDING OUR EXERCISE PROGRAM AROUND THE GCF EXERCISERS. TO BE A GREATEST COMMON FACTOR EXERCISE IT HAS TO USE MULTIPLE LARGE MUSCLE GROUPS.

HERE’S A QUICK  LIST: BARBELL DEADLIFTS. BARBELL SQUATS. DUMBBELL SQUAT PRESSES. PULL UPS. STANDING BARBELL SHOULDER PRESS. ALTERNATING INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESSES. BENT OVER DUMBBELL ROWS.

SO WE USE THE GCF EXERCISERS TO TAKE CARE OF THE BULK OF OUR TRAINING NEEDS, AND THEN WE CAN SPRINKLE IN OTHER EXERCISERS THAT WORK ON SINGLE MUSCLE GROUPS.

SAMPLE FULL BODY GCF ROUTINE:

1. MACHINE LEG PRESS SUPER SET WITH DUMBBELL SHOULDER FLYES.

2. BARBELL DEADLIFT SUPER SET WITH DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS.

3. INCLINE BARBELL CHEST PRESS SUPER SET WITH STANDING DUMBBELL BICEPS CURLS.

4. LAT PULL DOWN SUPER SET WITH WEIGHT PLATE WOODCHOPPERS.

DO 3 SETS OF EACH PAIR OF EXERCISERS AND BETWEEN 8 AND 12 REPS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE.

THIS IS A FULL BODY ROUTINE THAT FOCUSES ON GCF EXERCISES WITH SOME CURLS AND FLYES SPRINKLED IN.

SO HERE’S THE TAKEAWAY. USE EXERCISES THAT STRESS MULTIPLE MUSCLE GROUPS SIMULTANEOUSLY (GCF EXERCISES) AND YOU WILL GET WHERE YOU WANT TO BE FASTER.