4 Ways To Cure Deadlift Pain

Lets get one thing straight…

The deadlift is arguably the king of all back exercises.

Actually ill rephrase…

The deadlift IS the undisputed king of all back exercises!

However, it is not uncommon to hear about the deadlift being trash talked about, due to the lower back pain it has known to cause individuals. This may have happened to you too, even when you swear blind that you have been following correct form and technique for weeks on end.

Could it be that you don’t have the optimum physique to perform deadlifts at max capacity/ intensity?

Possibly.

Could it be that you have actually started to sacrifice good technique as you’ve increased the weight, without realizing it?

It could be that too.

There are indeed other reasons why you could b etaking an injury beating from performing the deadlift. But the main focus point of the deadlift is that you are supposed to feel the pain in your upper back, and not your lower back. And the last thing you want to be doing is sacrificing your health just to grow big. Seriously… it’s not worth it.

However…

I’m not here to talk about quitting exercises. Especially the ones that will get you those super gains. I’m here to show you what you can do to prevent, cure and substitute those exercises with. And in this case, the deadlift.

#1 Deload week (Go light)

This is what you’ll probably need to do, if you happen to be one of those whose lower back pain has ‘suddenly ‘ appeared out of nowhere. This is because you’ve probably been going ‘at it’ for 6 weeks or more.

Note: A 12 week program is usually best in most cases. It’s always good to take a breather after that period. Say a week or two, before getting back into the swing of things.

You can get the full scoop on the upcoming Stay-fit Bug strength progression program that’s coming in a few weeks below.

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If that is the case, then it’s time to deload. Take a week off and then work in again lightly over the next week or two at about 60% intensity (higher volume).

#2 Perform an alternative exercise

Deadlift on a Hammer Strength shrug machine

This machine is actually designed for performing the shrug exercise. But you can use it as a machine to perform deadlifts on.

The benefits?

1. You can concentrate on what you need to do and be more upright as it helps you take out the dangerous lower part of the deadlifting movement whilst still getting a good range of motion.
2. You can load on the uber heavy weights without getting scared. Which is understandable when performing deadlifts with a free weight barbell.

#3 Strengthen your lower back

With stiff leg deadlifts

This exercise is geared towards working your hamstrings, glutes and lower back. And unlike normal deadlifts, you should indeed feel tension lower down your back and not your upper back. If you do suffer from pain from performing ordinary deadlifts, then this is an exercise that you should include as a core part of your program.

Why?

1) Isolation
2) Less explosive than ordinary deadlifts

Focus on this (While performing correctly) early on in your progression and you should indeed find that it helps quite a bit. But please.. do it right, otherwise you’ll just be back at square one. Pain central!

#4 Focus on good form

Last but not least (And probably should have been first). Focus on good form.

It’s a well known rule that you should be starting out with light weights. That’s with any exercise. But one reason you could be feeling pain in your lower back is due to performing the exercise with incorrect form… over a period of time. Don’t be a dumb meat head and shrug off pain, thinking your ego is all bad and that your body can ‘take it’. Taking pain for the sake of looking cool is the dumbest thing ever. Don’t do it.

Get someone to watch you perform the exercise to see if you are doing it right. Especially once you start lifting heavier weights. Or better yet, record yourself and make sure you tick all the boxes below.

Preparing for the Deadlift.

1. Position the bar first, 2-4 inches away from your shins before attempting to lift. Don’t walk with the bar. Do so and something like this could happen.
2. Hold the bar at Shoulder-width
3. Point your toes outwards and curl them upwards. (Stability)
4. On the way up, make a big chest & lift it up, and pull your shoulders backwards. Do this and your back will never ’round out’ on the way up.
5. Look forward throughout the entire lift. It’s not just a psychological thing either. It really will prevent you from arching your back.
6. Grip the bar with your fingers and not your palms. Start my allowing the bar to just sit in your fingers. Roll the bar in, close your hands and lift. Doing so will help prevent the formation of big calluses.
7. Keep your arms locked and straight through the entire lift. Bend them and risk tearing a bicep.
8. Lift with your hips and not your lower back. This is the critical part of the movement which will determine if you feel pain and cry, or continue to lift big and grow. The upper back is the target and where you should feel all of the tension.
9. Keep the bar close to your shins on the way up. Move your hips first before bending your knees and you won’t risk scraping them.
10. Squeeze you glutes. Bring your hips forward by pushing from the heels & squeezing your glutes . This too will help prevent lower back pain as it stops you from pulling with your lower back.

There’ll be a more detailed video version of this upon the launch of the new program, so make sure you enter your email address below to get the full scoop.

To conclude

After all is said and done, the deadlift is still the champion back exercise. If pain has struck you, or if you have been afraid of even performing the exercise because of all the trash talk you hear about the exercise, then follow the above. And of course, keep an eye out for the upcoming program.

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See you in the comments

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10 Reasons Why This Is The Best Post Workout Food Source Ever!

Ok… very soon you’ll be introduced to the concept of ‘In The Zone’ nutrition. I wont reveal all of the specifics just yet. But the short version is to stack your guts and deliberately spike your insulin levels around the times that you workout.

Now, if we fast forward to the post workout meal, you’ll know that its important to refuel your body full of nutrients. Nutrients that you would have used up during your workout.

You can read more here

If you have been following, you will also know that it’s important to refuel your body with the RIGHT sources of carbs and proteins… especially within 30-45 mins after working out.

There are many food sources you can choose from (Many of which you will learn about in the coming weeks).

But if there is one food source that does it all and has gained the crown to be labeled the ‘best’, it would be…

Whole milk

Why whole milk?

Let’s look at the specifics…

#1 Whole milk is highly anabolic

Anabolic…?

This is just a word used for the process of building muscle. And whole milk is very good for that (More on this below).

#2 Whole milk is highly soluble

Milk is 87% water, which means it’s largely a liquid food source. Which also means it’s a easily digested food source. Which is exactly what you want to be consuming 30-45 minutes post workout. As you want to get the right nutrients into your muscles as quick as possible.

#3 Whole milk is convenient

We all want to make the process of building muscle an easy one as well as a pleasurable one. Milk is packaged in bottle form, which means you can…

• Take it with you on your travels
• Buy it from the store and take it with you into the gym
• Drink it as you please
• No preparation time (Great for you talentless cooks out there )

#4 Whole milk is cheap

Where I’m from (UK) 568ml of milk (2 cups) costs about 45 pence/ 72 cents.

That is 72 cents per workout.

4 workouts a week x 4 weeks = 16 workouts x 72 cents

= $11.72

That is pocket change!

Your ultimate post workout nutrition source costs next to nothing. Follow a good program (Coming very soon) and you’ll look like a million dollars… at the cost of nothing!!!

Hail to whole milk…

#5 Whole milk contains a good balance of protein

Now, unless you have been living under a rock, you would be well aware of the popularity of whey protein for post workout nutrition. The reason being is that whey protein is a fast digesting protein, which makes it right for post workout nutrition in order to refuel your muscles. (You can learn more about the different types of protein/supplements in The guide to necessary supplementation ebook).

However, I do not represent any supplement companies, and I won’t force every supplement in existence down your throat. So I’ll introduce you to a case of did you know.

Did you know that whole milk consists of 80% casein 20% whey?

Well now you do. With that being the case. One swift gulp (say 250-500ml) of milk post workout will give you the best of both worlds.

1) Fast digesting protein into your muscles
2) Slow digesting protein into your muscles

This means that you can keep on guzzling milk even up until bed time, which of course means muscle repair activity even while you sleep!

Did you know that whole milk contains a strong dose of BCAA’s? (The main 3 chain BCAA’s – There are 21 in total).

Branch chain amino acids are what proteins in your body are made up of (They are like long strips).

I talk about these in ‘The guide to necessary supplementation too‘. But drinking whole milk actually means you won’t have to spend any extra money on supplementation. Whole milk is already very affordable as mentioned above. You’ve now saved yourself a stack load of cash!

#6 Whole milk contains a good balance of carbs

That’s right, whole milk is high in carbs too. Carbs are what you need along side protein after you workout. Yes, you will be spiking your insulin levels through the roof, but don’t worry. This is the one time of day that you are allowed to do so. Your muscle receptors will greet the flow of food into your muscles with open arms (Read this post for more on that).

Oh, and another thing. Earlier I talked about eating the right type of carbs post workout. Meaning you need to be consuming simple/ fast digesting carbs. Also known as lactose. Which is largely found in products such as… milk (Whole milk wins again). And again… this will indeed spike your insulin levels. But it’s ok. This is the one time of the day you are allowed to do so.

Cant drink milk because you are lactose intolerent?

If you’re lactose intolerant you can consume lactase pills instead. They’re just as good as taking lactaid milk, but they cost a lot less.

#7 Whole milk contains a good balance of fat

Earlier I mentioned that whole milk is highly anabolic. This is partly due to the increased levels of saturated fats contained within it.Yes, you may have understood that saturated fats are ‘bad fats’ (Which I actually state in the guide to necessary supplementation ebook). But in the scenario of post work out nutrition, they happened to be the right fats. Because they are known for sending testosterone levels through the roof. Which is of course what we all want when it comes to building muscle.

The increased fat content in whole milk is also very beneficial post workout too, because of ‘fats’ slow digesting nature.

#8 Whole milk tastes better

We all know that Stay-Fit Bug is all about living the lifestyle while us ‘meat heads’ pump our way to muscle bound oblivion. And one important part of that lifestyle is to make sure that we aren’t just eating food… bust tasting it too!

With that said, whole milk makes another winning entry for reasons why it makes for the best post workout food source.

More fat > more tasty >  digests slower> Therefore…keeps hunger at bay

#9 Milk is better than Water

Milk is about 87% water. Proper hydration improves muscle recovery and can increase strength by preventing fatigue & stalling. However, milk contains electrolytes and minerals such as potassium and sodium which improve re-hydration by retaining the fluids you consume post workout. Read killer foods for fitness for my favorite post workout milk… shake.

#10 Whole milk (Contains fast & slow digesting protein?)

That’s right. And if you have been reading The guide to necessary supplementation, you might think this article is contradicting itself a bit. Because you would have learned that whey protein is good for refueling right after a workout, and that casein is good for well… all other times of the day. Mainly before bed time though.

Now, even though I gave you the ultimate post workout cocktail in that ebook, you would have also noticed it has a mix of both whey and casein. This is because a mix of both slow and fast digesting proteins ‘together’ actually work better post workout, when your goal is look like this…

Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine once I introduce you to ‘In the zone’ nutrition. Either way, whole milk contains both, and wins again.

 

Last words

Whole milk isn’t the be all and end all of post workout nutrition. But it is hands down the best food source for refueling your body/muscles post workout. Myself, along with a few others are still testing the new workout/nutrition program, so expect to see something very different than just guzzling on bucket loads of milk daily in order to build that ripped body, with the bulk. Sign up below for the full scoop.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Note

Since publishing this article, there has been some confusion. Whole milk is indeed great as a post workout meal. But when it comes to the post workout meal, we are usually talking about 2 meals.

1) 30 minutes right after a workout

2) 2-3 hours after a workout

The idea is to get the nutrients into your muscles as fast as possible after you workout, because they would have been radically depleted from intense activity from your workout. Hence why I state that this is the only time of day where it’s ok to spike your insulin levels. Now, whole milk is great because of it’s saturated fat content… leading to increased testosterone levels, which is of course great for muscle building. However, saturated fat increase does indeed mean slower digestion. Which means our food sources pass through a lot ‘slower’ than usual (Remember the hose vs tap concept). Therefore this means that whole milk will make for a better meal no.2 post workout nutritional boost. Which of course is where all the benefits listed above come into effect. So, whole milk is great for meal 2 yes, but not meal no 1.

Meal 1 options include…

1. Semi-skimmed milk (Or chocolate. As mentioned in killer foods for fitness, which I mentioned back in 2009). Semi-skimmed milk is in fact what I take right after the workout at this moment in time. I drink 568ml right after the workouts that are currently being tested. Nutritional values are as follows (Protein 3.6g/Carbs 4.8 grams/Fat 1.8 grams). Fat is under 2 grams per 100ml serving.
2. Hydrolyzed whey protein

A cocktail taken from the guide to necessary supplementation ebook

• Platinum Hydrowhey + iced coffee + Glycomaize + Glutamine Powder.

1. Fast-acting proteins (Whey protein)
2. Free form amino acids (Amino acids only – Glutamine) – Build/Repair muscle faster
3. Quickly digested carbohydrates (Starch – Glycomaize) Replenish muscle

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4 of The Best Ways To Treat ‘Big’ Calluses

It’s been a while since I’ve talked on this topic, but it is something that has caught my attention recently, especially as I too am one of the guinea pigs testing out the the workout program. Which means I’ve been lifting weights more than usual, which means an increase of the chances for me to develop calluses.

Now, you’ll notice that I placed an emphasis on the word ‘big’ in the title. The reason for this is that big calluses is what will cause you pain and grief. They’ll bleed and make your hands look like you have been playing around with razor blade sharp… ‘balls’.

Once this happens you will indeed be turned off from wanting to lift the bar. Which of course means no muscles to rip and build, no progress, super catabolism and a loss of muscles mass. This you don’t want (obviously).

So how can we avoid developing big calluses? (Small calluses aren’t a bad thing btw. It’s better to have some kind of callus formation rather than none. Because the bar will chop away at your baby soft hands and hurt. So grow some man hands already )

#1 Be friends with Mr.Chalk

And I’m not talking about chalk for the use on the blackboard either.

Now, just like you see in the picture above, our fellow olympians don’t just use chalk because it looks like a cool thing to do. No. They use it for the same reasons that you will be using it. The first reason…

Chalk smooths out the grooves

If you look closely at the palms of your hands, you’ll see that they have grooves along the surface. Placing your hands in chalk will help fill the gaps in the grooves, giving your hands the feel of a smooth surface.

Prevent the sweat

If there is one thing that annoys me more than anything else while lifting is not being able to grip the bar, due to execessive sweat. It’s like being stuck in a traffic jam behind the wheel of a Ferrari. You know your car can move, but there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. You know you have the strength to lift big, but your sweaty hands just won’t hold out.

ANNOYING!!!

And that’s where Mr.Chalk comes in to save the day. Because he will indeed help prevent sweating in your hands, which in turn will increase your grip strength, especially when performing pulling exercises such as the deadlift, pull ups and cleans.

Note #1

Don’t use gym gloves

Unless you want to keep lifting baby weights all your life.

This is because in order to become proficient at lifting the heavier weights as you progress, you will need to place an emphasis on some callus formation. That really is the only way you are going to survive the big weights later on in the program when performing exercises such as the deadlift.

But Shaun, isn’t the point of this article  to help prevent the formation of calluses?

Yes… but again, take notice of the word ‘big’. That is what you don’t want. However, what you do want is the beginning stages of callus development, and then to keep it that way and under control!

Note#2

Now, since we are living in the year 2011, you will probably notice a strong disappearance or lack of chalk in your local gym. Especially mainstream ones (Haaail to the old school hardcore gym).

The main reason for this is that chalk is messy, and gym owners don’t want to have to clean up extra mess. Especially when you have people such as those described in this article.

The solution?

Metolius Eco Ball

This is basically a coloured chalk ball. It is more expensive than generic chalk, but if you want to get away with using chalk without being caught in those mainstream gyms, then this is the stuff to use. Key benefits?

• Increases grip
• Reduced chalk dust present
• Less messy (No white chalk stains everywhere)
• However, may dry your hands out

(I would have mentioned liquid chalk as an alternative. However, recent tests of using the stuff has indeed been disappointing. Avoid).

#2 Buy a pumice stone

Now, I already know that you will walk away from this page, fresh advice and gym ready. And a few weeks from now, you’ll start to get some callus formation and there will be one day where it starts to go out of control. One way to prevent this is to use a pumice stone. I’ve actually used these for years, long before I even touched a weight plate. Just be warned… use it properly, otherwise you may do the opposite and wreck your skin. Don’t know what a pumice stone is? Click here.

Alternatives

• Nail file
• Foot file

(We all know your girlfriend has one of those )

#3 Hire Edward Scissor Hands

Well, not really… he’ll probably take your whole hand off, along with the calluses.

But if your calluses are really bad, just cut them away with scissors… gently! Just use basic tissue paper to wrap your hands while you lift for the next few weeks after doing so.

Other prevention methods

• Weightlifting gloves
• Weight lifters’ wrist straps
• Inner-tube rubber wrapped around the barbell (Most mainstream gyms will have this)
• Weight lifting hooks

I’ll probably be experimenting with this again soon, and put it on video towards the launch of the program, seeing as my hands are almost callus free at present. But until then, follow the above and you will indeed prevent the formation of ‘big’ calluses and avoid the screaming gym owner by not using loose powdered chalk.

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Muscle Building… It’s a Lifestyle

It’s a new year folks, which means yet another year of building muscle.

Have you made any new years resolutions?

I’d say yes, you probably have. However, in terms of building muscle… heck, in terms of living your life as a whole… while building muscle, most of those resolutions should be defined by short term and long term goals and NOT just some new years eve happy moment mantra. Those happy moment mantras are meaningless, and just like a guy who is crap in bed, won’t last very long.

But Shaun, I like to take each day as it comes. Live everyday like it’s my last?

Yes, so do I. Spontaneity has been a true hard coded rule of how I have lived my life for the past 12 years. That may be how you have been living yours too. If so, good! Don’t stop. All you do is just set short term and long term goals along side that way of living. That way, you can ensure that you are always growing as a person, and when you look back, years from now, you can cherish those moments, reflect and be proud that you achieved what you achieved ‘at the time’. I say ‘at the time’ because the world is constantly changing. Time does not stand still. One look in the mirror 30 years from now will be hard proof of that (Although it is a good idea to preserve youth with fitness . This post and this post may help with that too).

Humans are also lazy, which means that any action taken that doesn’t have a goal and an end date fixed to it probably won’t ever get completed. Heck, no end date will probably burn you out, because motivation is driven by inspiration, and in most cases, that motivation won’t last very long. So having a goal and having the motivation to complete it when you say will, will both work hand in hand.

But let me give you some examples before I blabble on any further.

Possible short term goal

Obtain my IFBB pro card

I call this a short term goal because it can be achieved within the space of a year for most people. It requires a hardcore focus on training and good dieting to get your body in shape where you either…

1) Qualify to attend a bodybuilding competition (Which is a great way to start, if catching the fit bug has taken you down this route)

2) Obtain your pro card directly via your weight class

However, this is a means to an end (or a beginning, depending on how you look at it). And once you achieve it, you will scale back on the intensity a little and get back to some normality.

1. Goal
2. Do what’s required within a certain time frame
3. Work towards a desired end date
4. Achieved!

Possible long term goal

Open a new local bootcamp business and build it to a certain level

This might be a new goal for many in 2011, especially if you’ve caught a nasty dose of the fit bug. If so, starting up any new venture may take some time until it starts to develop it’s own set of legs to drive itself forward. Which means you are going to have to set quite a few short term goals along side those ultimate long term goals (e.g, build a 200K a year business). It probably won’t be all whistles and bells throughout that journey, but structuring your goals like that will allow you to at least enjoy it to some degree.

Now, those are just examples. Everyone who reads this will all have different career paths. And the point is this…

If you want to enjoy your life, along side a life of fitness, then you need to treat it as a lifestyle.

Whatever you do inside and outside of fitness will affect how you live your life as a whole. Heck, in many cases living the lifestyle may cause you to change career paths altogether. Look what happened to my recent interviewee Christina Adler. Who is now dubbed ‘attorney turned figure nut’ and who will most likely drive herself forward to a full time career in fitness.

That’s right… the lifestyle will impact not just your body, but your mind too, because they work together. Having a great looking body will improve self esteem, amongst other things (You can read what they are here). Once that happens your confidence will go through the roof, and that will in turn create a mindset where you believe that anything you want can be achieved, if you put your mind to it.

This is actually a very powerful thing.

A process that allows individuals to improve their lives for the better. And with so many avenues to go down to make a living out of the lifestyle, the next question to put to yourself would be, ‘why not’?

Remember what I said a few days ago…

If you have a goal to do something or become the person you are meant to be, then do it. Do it now. Time is precious and you can’t buy it back once it’s gone.

With that being said, make sure to keep any eye out for the upcoming program that I’ll shine upon your world within the next 4-5 weeks. Which has a core ‘lifestyle’ theme to it. I’m still testing the waters with it (I too am a guinea pig at present ), but I’m certain it will cure a quite a few of the dilemmas that you face TODAY on your on your journey to build that near perfect physique… supreme muscle mass, with the supreme cuts. New readers can sign up below this post to stay updated on that.

Nevertheless, muscle building should be treated as a lifestyle. And let’s make 2011 an exciting lifestyle at that!!!

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Put Your Stay-Fit Bug to Work: Become a CPT Online

This is a guest post by Tamara Wysell

If you have a particular zest for health, exercise, and physical fitness, then becoming a certified personal trainer is the best career path for you! Many people who love to work out and have a passion for helping people in an active environment can put their stay-fit bug to work by enrolling in a certified personal trainer (CPT) school online. You can obtain your CPT certification much quicker than you think, utilizing any of a number of online personal training schools and turn your fever for exercise into a very successful career.

Put simply, a personal trainer helps people exercise by enhancing their workout and maximizing the results for their clients. It should not be confused with an athletic trainer (AT), which requires a bachelor’s degree in a specific athletic training health professions field. Most personal trainers work through gyms and health clubs, and many train privately, going directly to their client’s place of residence to train them. A personal trainer is expected to demonstrate prowess with many exercises and help clients improve their exercise technique. Due to the one-on-one contact that a personal trainer has with clients, he/she must be able to provide support and motivation in an effective, encouraging fashion; a great personal trainer will get as excited about their client’s success and results as the client(s) is. In addition, physical trainers must be well versed in nutritional sciences so they can recommend the proper diet for their clients to achieve their physical fitness goals.

One of the fastest growing fields for personal trainers to work in is corporate fitness training, where large companies pay a personal trainer to service their employees in an attempt to keep their workforce healthier and at peak physical condition. It is also becoming popular for certified personal trainers to run their own private studios, affording them the ability to personalize all aspects of their training regimens with their own equipment and tools. A private studio is also generally the best way for a certified personal trainer to maximize their earnings, as they do not have to pay stipends to any other source for using their facilities and/or equipment.

A personal trainer can obtain certification from any of a number of sources. Most certifying organizations require students to have a GED or high school diploma, obtain certification in CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator), and pass a series of exams testing their knowledge in the human body and techniques that maximize exercise. The rigor and difficulty of these requirements vary by organization, as some focus on narrower specialties such as muscle building, and others train for a broad variety of specialties. Organizations that offer certification for personal training include the ACE (American Council on Exercise), the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), and the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine). No matter whom you choose to get certification from, your career as a personal trainer will bring you satisfaction, fulfillment, and will allow you to put some money in your pocket doing the things that you love.

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3 Steps To Building Bigger Arms (Hardgainers)

Bigger arms, bigger arms, bigger arms!

Tall (6ft plus)?

Arms that hang down to your knees?

Or just plain out right struggling to build arms?

If any of those pain points apply to you, then you will no doubt be constantly screaming out. ”Bigger arms, bigger arms, bigger arms”. Because it really can be a struggle for people like you (And in this case, people like me too). And in my case, I can build shoulders, traps, wings and chest muscles with frightening ease. But when it comes around to building arms, I just want to cry . It’s not as drastic as suffering from chicken leg syndrome, with an abnormally top heavy body.

But I’d say it’s not far off…. having a bulky upper body with little twig-let arms poking out of the side of it.

I say erghhh!!

If you have suffered from this scenario like I have done, then the 3 steps below should help you fix the problem by helping you build at least 1/2 of an inch on your arms.

#1 Maintain Your Current Physique

A basic strength/size routine (With less volume/ frequency)

Now, we’ll get into step #2 (The arm workout) in just a moment. But before we do, we are going to structure your weekly workout for the rest of your body. For most of you, you probably perform a 3 day split routine. Say…

• Monday
• Wednesday
• Friday

So let’s stick with that. However, for the 3 steps to building bigger arms guide we will indeed perform a basic strength/size routine (With less volume. frequency).

So your current workout may look something like this….

Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday

5-7 exercises each day

1. Bench press                                                 3 sets            6 to 10 reps
2. Chin ups                                                       3 sets            8 to 12 reps
3. Standing/ Seated calf raises                     2 sets           12 to 20 reps
4. Squats                                                           3 sets             8 to 12 reps
5. Dumbbell press (Standing/ Seated)       2 sets             8 to 12reps
6. Tricep extension (Or similar exercise)   3 sets            6 to 15 reps (Depending on goal)
7. Barbell curls (Or similar exercise)          3 sets            6 to 15 reps (Depending on goal)

Note: I personally wouldn’t recommend this kind of workout, if the goal is to increase muscle mass. The 3 Done and Out approach is better for that.

Now remember, the goal here is to focus on building bigger arms, which means focusing on them more than usual. Which also means cutting back on your current workouts, which may look like the one above. The new workout will look like this…

Monday and Friday ONLY

1. Bench press                                                 3 sets            6 to 10 reps
2. Chin ups                                                       3 sets            8 to 12 reps
3. Standing/ Seated calf raises                     2 sets           12 to 20 reps
4. Squats                                                           3 sets             8 to 12 reps
5. Dumbbell press (Standing/ Seated)       2 sets             8 to 12reps

The main reason for cutting back is so that you can stick to the consistency rule and maintain the gains on the rest of your body. And which is of course the no.1 rule for achieving great muscle building results.

That’s step one out of the way. But here’s a few rules to follow while performing the step #1 workout.

• Progressive failure is the key. Don’t train ’till failure.
• Feel free to increase the weight if things become a little easy.
• Stick to 90 second rest periods between sets

#2 Arm Isolation Workout

Now that we have cut back on the volume and frequency of your standard 3 day split workout. It’s now time to focus on the 3 day workout routine for your arms (Which will be performed during the same week as your lowered volume/frequency workout from step #1)

Some rules

#1 Muscle building goal structure

Strength/Power   1 – 5 reps
Hypertrophy (size) & some strength 6 – 12 reps
Local endurance/ little size  12-20 reps

#2 The good form rule

If the weight you lift turns out to be too heavy, decrease the weight. Focus on steady progression and load up the weights again as your strength increases.

#3 Longer rest periods

90 second rest periods are fine for your 8-12 rep sets. But not for your 1-5 rep sets. These need to be longer so that you can regain your strength for the next set.

And so we don’t forget…

The goal is to build bigger arms

The workout

Monday

• Super set workout (Perform an exercise straight after completing the previous one – 45-60 second time gap)

Seating dumbbell tricep extension

5 sets/ 12 – 15 reps

Standing dumbbell curls

5 sets/ 12 – 15 reps

Mondays notes

• Always 12 reps and above! Can’t finish a set? Just decrease the weight.
• Perform this workout after your step #1 workout

Wednesday

• Heavy and hard

Lying EZ bar Tricep Extension

5 sets/ 6-8 reps (Increase the weight each week)

Standing barbell curls

5 sets/ 5 – 8 reps (Increase the weight each week)

Wednesdays notes

• Perform this workout after your step #1 workout
• Longer rest periods between sets

Friday

Barbell curls

3 sets/ 8 – 12 reps

Tricep extension

3 sets/ 8 – 12 reps

Fridays notes

• Perform this workout before your step #1 workout

#3 Growth = Steady Progression

We all know the core rule is…

• 70% Diet
• 30% Gym

Just don’t make the mistake of trying to bulk too quickly. Doing so may actually go against you in the long run, as described in this post.

Besides, the body can only assimilate so much food at once (70% diet), so don’t go over board by stacking your guts 24 hours around the clock. Just keep feeding your protein intake every 3 hours or so.

Progression is the key here. It is a much safer approach, allows you to enjoy the journey and is much more rewarding. After all, it is a lifestyle. A lifestyle that you’ll learn more about and enjoy, in the upcoming program I’m working on (Which will also contain the full version of how to build bigger arms).

Enter your email address below for future updates regarding this.

The Stay-Fit Bug Fitness Program For Hardgainers

A program that I’m confident will improve your bodybuilding lifestyle for the better in 2011 and beyond.

And remember to stack up on your EFA’s (Essential Fatty Acids). You won’t be able to bulk effectively without them.

You can learn more about that in the Guide to Necessary Supplementation ebook below.

I can’t determine how much your arms will grow from following the above (Genetics and other factors). But if you follow ‘everything’ that’s available to you on this page, then you will indeed grow some size on those guns. The only thing left for you to do now is to go and get those guns blazing.

Train insane!

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Why The Process of Building Muscle (Skinny) And Losing Weight (Fat) Is Equally Hard?

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about body comparisons and what body types have it harder than another to achieve great fitness results, whether that be weight gain (muscle) or weight loss (fat). In fact, I can show you which posts those were here…
Muscle building from Fat, Muscle building from Bone

Building Muscle For Bulk Is Un-sexy/ Build ‘Ripped’ Muscles Instead

Building Muscles for Tall Men vs Building Muscles for Short Men

Now, I could easily just defend the hardgainers of the world by stating that the skinny people have it the hardest in the race to build a better body compared to the fat folks of the world, seeing as I started off as a hardgainer (And the fact that I am the author of this particular article).

But after all these years of comparing, experiencing and watching those who take up the fitness lifestyle, I’ll no longer defend my fellow hardgainians any more.

Why?

Because today, I believe that both the skinnys and the fattys of the world have it equally hard to gain optimum fitness and muscle building results. And today I’ll explain why that is.

#1 Both body types take time to achieve ‘major’ results

Just as you need to burn 3,500 calories to drop a pound, it also takes an extra 3,500 calories to gain a pound. However, achieving optimum fat losing and muscle building results takes time. So just as you can’t expect to pack on huge amounts of muscle mass in a matter of days, is the same as not expecting to get fat over night from pigging out the night before. This is the reason why you should not be avoiding fats and carbs like the plague throughout your weightlifting diet.

What you ‘need’ to be avoiding is eating ‘excessive’ fatty and carb heavy foods on a ‘regular’ basis.

That is what will really destroy your ability to reach muscle building or weight loss success. The answer?

#2 CONSISTENCY!

That is the key element of the cycle. Everything else that you follow to achieve the body of your dreams will just be sub categories of that element. Most of which I spoke of in this post…

The Top 8 Reasons Why You’re Scrawny And The Other Dude Is Not!

• If you are complaining about your lack of gains, its because you are failing to be consistent with your diet (under eating on a regular basis).

• If you are complaining about your lack of weight loss results, it’s because you over eating and not being consistent with your workouts (over eating on a regular basis).

The Build a 6 Pac: From Flab to Flat ebook will give you an idea of how to structure your workouts based on your body type.

The concept behind both processes are exactly the same!

1. To increase body mass you need to consume more calories than you use.
2. To lose body fat you need to consume fewer calories than you use.

Note: Low fat foods are not always the answer!

• That low fat ice-cream you like to buy still has a ton of sugar in it. Which may of course spike insulin levels when it really doesn’t need to be spiked, which will then lead to unnecessary fat build up (After a workout is the best time to spike Mr. Insulin).
• You still have to moderate your intake. What’s the point of buying low fat to only then eat twice as much of the stuff? Duh!!
• Eating a ton of low fat stuff may make you want to eat more.

#3 But I notice a difference the next day?

… After pumping hard at the gym (Hardgainer)
… After pumping my guts full of ALL kinds of foods at last nights party (Fat person)

Well… in this scenario…

Muscle building = Temporary pump
Weight gain = Water weight, which will eventually drop right off

That’s all you are experiencing when you notice the above after a hardcore training session, or a night out on an extreme binge.

Temporary pump

Is a nice experience, because you look good for that moment in time. Hence why some people are a fan of the 15 min workout. One of which I posted here…
15 Minute Workout For A Few Hours Pump

But to look like a temporary pump guy/gal for the long term takes time.

Aka, building mature muscle mass.

This is muscle that sticks around, yet takes years to build (consistency). But once you have it, you’ll probably keep it for a long time. Even long after you stop working out intensely as you reach your 60-70s. But only if you still maintain a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise it will indeed all fade. Just like it did for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Water weight

Really isn’t something to worry about, because it will drop right off (Unless you ‘consistently’ binge).  But like someone who has appeared to lose their gains from training and dieting incorrectly (For prolonged periods of time), looking in the mirror the day or two after a binge can wreak havoc on your self esteem levels. Because when you look good, you feel good, it will show and people will notice. When you look bad (In your eyes) you’ll feel bad, it will show and again, people will notice.

The main point here is that these random days are just fine. Have fun in this fitness lifestyle. Just be consistently good.. NOT consistently bad!

#4 There is no magic pill

Muscle building = Steroids
Weight loss = Crash diets

You all know the saying that success doesn’t happen over night… right?

Well, it’s the same in this game of building the ultimate physique. Reducing yourself to one of the above solutions will give you what you want initially, and you will look the part. But not for long. And once the honeymoon period is over, everything will indeed come crashing down in front of your eyes.

Steroids

Are bad…

Why?

• Sterility in Males and Females
• Kidney problems
• High blood pressure
• Virilization (Development of male characteristics in women)
• Can cause acne
• Gynocomastia (Development of breast tissue in males)
• Inhibition of natural hormones

Crash diets

Are bad…

Why?

1. Rapid fat loss also equals rap lean muscle loss
2. Lean muscle loss equals slower metabolism
3. Less muscle tissue equal less calories to be eaten
4. = more fat storage
5. back to square one!

Harsh!

One supplement that is actually good at helping you protect your lean muscle mass is glutamine. You can read more about it here. Or if you want a No B.S take on what supplements can help you out, whether your goal is muscle building or weight loss, then watch this video.

To conclude

If you want uber fantastic superfragilisticexpialidocious results, whether that be for building muscles or losing weight, then you’re just going to have to work your ass of for it. Your body type is not an excuse to start making excuses for your lack of results. Start doing more of what works, be consistent, cut out the magic pill mindset and get to work!

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Great Execution YES/ Rushed Muscle Building Diet Plans NO

A well executed and thought out workout/diet plan is better than a rushed one.

Why?

Because A rushed executed plan will just leave you with more crap to clean up. In this case, more fat to get rid of.

This actually applies to many other things you want to achieve in life too. I won’t go into what those could be here, because I really do want to stick to the topic at hand.

But the key point here is that you need to be diet precise, while at the same time tracking your…

• Appearance
• Bodyweight
• Rate of metabolism

Along the way…

You will need to do this because everyone’s bodies/ and rates of metabolism will vary. Yes, it’s all good following websites like Stay-Fit Bug and consuming all of this written information that’s provided. But you also need to step away from the computer screen and track what happens in your real day-to-day life. Which is of course what I tell you in the Build a 6 pac: from flab to flat ebook.

The other reason you need to be diet precise is because of how the body works. Speed is not in your favor, hence why a rushed plan in order to build muscle fast is a flawed plan.

Great execution

Is what’s need… every time!

Note that down, because it will apply to many things in your life along side living the fitness lifestyle.

How the body works

The body doesn’t respond well to rapid changes. Overnight success doesn’t exist. If you try to do this, by stacking your guts full of food everyday (5-6000 calories per day), the chances are you’ll start poking Mr. Insulin in the butt, causing him to get all fiery and start spiking. Your muscle receptors will start to get sick of this (The folks who control how much food goes into your muscles. Kind of like the bouncers at the front door of a club) and they’ll eventually shut the doors. This is when food gets stored as fat, which is the usual normal bodily process, but in this case, more often than usual (Can lead to diabetes in the most serious of cases). So moderation will always be in your favor.

The rule

To increase body mass you need to consume more calories than you use.
But only what your body needs in order to put on muscle (250-500 calories above maintenance levels).

If you consume more than what you need, you will run the risk of putting on extra fat, which of course kills your muscle definition, making you look fat.

And which of course defeats the whole objective of this article…

Building Muscle For Bulk Is Un-sexy/ Build ‘Ripped’ Muscles Instead

Plan, execute and lap up the results.

• 6 months of planned execution = success
• 3 months of rush + 6 months (Or more) of fat clean up = failure (9 months or more)

And I can tell you now, trying to shift fatty weight and get cut again is not easy. In fact, it sucks… big time! But you already knew that, didn’t you? Of course you did, otherwise you wouldn’t have stumbled upon this article.

Read this post for the extreme example.

Building Muscle For Bulk Is Un-sexy/ Build ‘Ripped’ Muscles Instead (The guy on the right)

And follow this post for a known approach to keep the fat stores at bay.

The 4 Crucial Steps To Shred ‘Core’ Fat And Build Lean Muscle

So, after all is said and done, we once again get re-directed back to the headline of this post.

Great execution YES/ rushed muscle building diet plans NO

Take your time, follow everything you read above (including  your own personal tweaks) and build that sexy ripped muscle mass… without the fat!

And if you need a solid approach on how you should be structuring your weightlifting diet, then be sure to check out the guide to necessary supplementation.

I explain what it’s all about in the video below

See you in the comments.

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It’s Good To Tweak….

The workout

Just like our workouts, it’s always a good thing to switch things up and try something new. In fact, that is exactly what I’m doing now in my current workouts. You see, I can build shoulders, traps, triceps and lats (wings) with frightening ease. Yet no matter how hard I try, I struggle to build my forearms to a size that compliments those other muscle groups (That is… focusing on compound exercises).

This has been in practice since I started my new workout regime as of September 2010 (Progress pics coming soon – And hopefully to add to your own inspirational drive).

Any how, once this happens, it’s a good idea to switch things up.

If you want to build killer forearms (Hence look muscular when wearing ordinary t-shirts) then try these exercises for size.

#1 Barbell reverse curls

This was one of the first exercises that I began to include in my workouts back when I first started out. In fact, this will be the first exercise that include into my current regime.

Target: brachioradialis (Inner forearm muscle)

Execution

• Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart
• Place a barbell in front of you
• Bend downwards with your knees and grab the bar with both hands, palms down.
• Begin with your arms hanging down, fully extended.
• Similar to a biceps Hammer curl, curl the barbell up to a level that is parallel to the floor.
• Make sure you keep your elbows locked in place throughout the movement and focus on having your forearms do the work.

Tip:

It’s ok to allow your arms to go forward slightly when your arms are fully flexed. Doing so allows you to release some of the built up tension in your muscle between reps.

#2 Reverse cable curls

Target: brachioradialis (Inner forearm muscle)

This exercise is similar to the reverse barbell curl exercise except that you will be using a short bar attached to a pulley machine. Perform this exercise if you have troubles adapting to the barbell.

Execution

• Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart
• Grab a short bar attached to a pulley machine with both hands, palms down.
• Begin with your arms hanging down, fully extended.
• Curl the bar up to a level that is parallel to the floor.
• Make sure you keep your elbows locked in place throughout the movement and to focus on having your forearms do the work.

#3 Standing plate finger tip raises

These just happen to be good for improving grip strength too. In fact, read this post for the full low down on how to do that.

Unique Hand Grip Exercises

Because you will need to improve your grip strength to in order to take your gains to the next level.

Execution

• Grab a weight plate in each hand and hold them with your fingertips.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and with each arm hanging by your sides, fully extended, holding the weight plates with your palms facing in toward your body.
• Using only your fingertips, simply curl the plates upward toward the inside of your forearms. Return to the start position and repeat until failure.

These exercises have worked wonders for me in the past, and I know they’ll work wonders for me again. Which means they will work wonders for you too. I’m certain of it!

That’s enough forearm action for today. Be sure to follow me on to my next post where I introduce the first official Deal of the day offer.

See you in the comments.

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3 Exercises + 3 Tweaks = 3 New Exercises

Exercise tweaks are back!

It’s been a while since since I’ve added any exercise tweaks. In fact, the last time I added any tweaks to anything was in the latest update of the Unique Bodyweight Exercise ebook.

Nevertheless, it’s that time again. So get ready to add some variety to your workouts. That is, 3 exercises, plus tweaks, so much so that they create an entirely whole new exercise (almost).

The muscle groups

1. Biceps
2. Shoulders
3. Rear delts

#1 Biceps

Now, I do often mention that you should place a higher emphasis on building your triceps rather than your biceps.

Why?

Because biceps are the common go to muscle to build. Especially with newbies. But the fact is, your triceps are a bigger muscle than your biceps, and it is your triceps that will give you the impression of size when you show your muscles off. However, without contradicting myself, you should focus on your biceps too. It’s all about balance, and the tweaked exercise below will help you do just that when it comes to focusing on your biceps.

The exercise – Standing/ seating arm curls

The tweaks

Move your hand grip to the outer far side of the dumbbell and perform seated arm curls on an incline bench

The fight against gravity

When performing normal arm curls, you would hold the dumbbell with your little finger nearer inner weight by your waist. But by simply moving your hand to the far right, you will shift the balance of weight making the inner side of the weight heavier. Which in turn forces your for arms to dip towards you, which of course makes the exercise a lot more difficult to perform, leaving your biceps brachii (The main part of your bicep) with a lot more work to do ( A kind of leverage).

Range of motion

By performing this exercise on an incline bench, you will cause your arms to hang behind your body, allowing for your biceps brachii to be fully extended. This will in turn place a higher emphasis on the head of your bicep brachii, hitting muscle fibers that you may often miss without these added tweaks.

The new exercise = Incline Offset-Thumb Dumbbell Curl

How to perform them

• Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie face up on an adjustable bench that’s set to a 45-degree angle.
• Grasp the dumbbells so that your each thumb touches the outside head of a dumbbell.
• Allow your arms to hang straight down, your palms facing out.
• Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can. Pause, then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.

#2 Shoulders

Shoulders, shoulders, shoulders. Yes I love shoulders. You seasoned readers would already know that. But why do I love them so much? Well, your shoulders will be the first thing that people will see in regards to your physique. It will be your shoulders that will determine whether someone thinks you workout, or not! And if you are a tall beam pole like myself, then you will need a hot pair of shoulders. However, your shoulders are also the most delicate parts of your body that are usually first to be affected when it comes to bodybuilding injuries. And the exercise tweaks below will help you prevent shoulder injuries AND increases exercise performance while at the same time working your abs.

The exercise – Lateral raises

The tweaks

Tilt your palms backwards at the peak of the movement.

Shoulder exercise injury prevention (Prevent shoulder impingement)

Most people that perform the lateral raise will do so by tilting their palms forward at the peak of the movement. This does indeed make for a more challenging exercise, yes. However, performing the exercise this way may well lead to future injuries. And trust me, you really do not want to suffer from shoulder injuries. Look after those balls and sockets, because one bad injury could put you out for good. That is eternally skinny! :O

So tilt your palms back when you raise your arms up. This makes for a better long term solution when performing this exercise.

Extra tweak

Hold both dumbbells in your hands, raise one arm up and keep it raised. Then perform the exercise with the other arm, followed by the arm that you have held up. So it’s, 1,2… 1,2… 1,2. This places an extra emphasis on the shoulders.

Extra tweak

Perform the exercise with only one dumbbell in your hand. That is, one arm at a time. Doing so will allow your to focus on good exercise form while at the same time stabilizing your core and working your abs.

Extra tweak

Perform the exercise while holding on to a piece of gym apparatus and placing your body into an incline position. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand and perform the exercise one arm at a time. Doing so will allow you to hit your shoulders deep at the peak of the movement

The new exercise = Super duper lateral raises

#3 Rear delts

There are actually 3 sections that make up your shoulder muscles.

• Anterior
• Posterior
• Lateral

And it’s quite a common thing to skip or miss out on working your rear delts.

Why should you worry about this?

Because your front delts will pull you chest forward, which will make you look like a hunch back. Not cool. The ultimate physique is what this website will help you build, and help you build that it will. So what you must do is place a focus on working your rear delts. So it’s Lat pull downs, pull ups, rows and…

The exercise – Bent-over rear-deltoid flyes

How to perform them

• Stand with your knees unlocked and your back slightly arched
• hold a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
• Bend your body at the waist until your back is almost parallel to the floor
• Raise your arms straight out to the sides, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.
• Pause when your arms are parallel to the floor
• Lower the weights
• Repeat.

The new exercise = There isn’t one. Just supreme shoulder domination

There are of course many other exercise tweaks out there. And they do indeed make difference in regards to performance and gains in your workouts. I will of course reveal others over time, but for now, try these out and get back to me after you have tried them. And of course, leave your thoughts and results in the comments below.

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