Author: rxbodybuilders
Q: I’m an intermediate bodybuilder who has never competed before. I wish to complete in a show in 4 months, and will begin my pre-contest diet in a few weeks. I will be making drastic changes to my diet at that time, and I figure I’ll change my weight-training to high-repetition in order to etch detail into my muscle group. How should I adjust my training to get ready for the show? A: Be careful that you don’t make a mistake that many bodybuilders do, forgetting who brought you to the dance. In order words, you achieved your current level…
What are the steps of rest-pause training? Complete one maximum weight repetition. Take 15 seconds of rest. Complete another maximum poundage rep. Continue until you have completed 6 to 8 repetitions. Why use rest-pause training? Rest-pause training allows you to place an extremely heavy workload upon the muscle group repeatedly. This stimulates the fast-twitch muscle fibers, utilized in very heavy repetitions, as well as the slow-twitch fibers, which are called into play once you pass repetition 4 or 5. This method draws a great deal of blood into the region, and increases strength as well. It is very popular with…
When it comes to training the muscles of the body, slight variations on the angles of exercises can have a profound effect upon the number and location of muscles fibers being stimulated. Many bodybuilders make a major mistake in not adjusting their training angles and grips over time. Their bodies become accustomed to the same movements, and stop growing. Additionally, there are groups of muscle fibers which are never stimulated, as they’re not in the “line of fire” of that particular movement’s range of motion. It’s important to rotate angles and grip approaches to ensure you are stimulating the muscle…
Recently, a very high-profile amateur bodybuilder added 80 pounds in the off-season. Competing at 255 pounds as a super heavyweight, he moved his bodyweight up to 330 pounds. It was all the talk of the bodybuilding industry: “How much muscle will he gain? How will he be able to diet down? How will he look?” Self-proclaimed armchair gurus, secure in the anonymity that internet forums provide, debated for months about whether or not this amateur phenom and self-proclaimed “Next BIG thing” would show up with 25 pounds of new muscle, or depleted and overdieted. When contest time arrived, the bodybuilder…
You’ve tried everything to get big. Yet it’s still not happening. You’re still severely underweight. But why? You work your tail off in the gym. You eat everything in sight. But you’re not gaining any weight. Let’s check out a few factors you just may be overlooking. Calories If you consume more calories than you burn, you will absolutely gain weight. It’s simple science. Eat 500 more calories than you burn over a 7 day period, and you will gain one pound (3500 calories per pound). It’s that simple. Sleep If you’re severely underweight, chances are pretty good that you’re…
You can’t have too much of a good thing, right? Eh, this is not always true. Can you have too much money? Probably not. Can you do too much cardio? Yes, you can. Cardio is an integral part of the pre-contest formula. Along with diet, weight training, and supplementation (which may include the use of AAS), cardio helps you to shed unwanted body fat so that your muscles will be better displayed on-stage. Many bodybuilders, particularly those embarking upon a pre-contest diet for the first time, will not yet have a grasp upon how much cardio to complete each day…
The standard 5-workout per week, 20-set per workout routine is very effective for adding muscle mass and maintaining steady, consistent gains in strength. However, there are many times in life when the rigors of our schedules will prevent us from training in the high-volume, high-set routines we enjoy. When times like that arrive, we need to find way to stimulate the muscle group equally (or near equally) in a lot less time. Here is a complete 4-day workout which only requires 20 minutes of lifting time per workout. They are incredibly tough to complete, and attention must be paid to…
Bodybuilders like Bill Pearl and Casey Viator exemplified outstanding forearms in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s, Sergio Olivia was king of the forearms. The 1980s saw thick, insane forearms on men like Bertil Fox. In the 1990s, Steve Brisbois had perhaps the best ‘hamhocks’ in the business. And today, top pro Phil Heath is known for his almost cartoon-like forearms. First off, it should be noted that some bodybuilder never train their forearms. Their forearms receive secondary stimulation from gripping the barbell, on exercises such as deadlifts and barbell rows. They also become highly involved in arms exercises…
It’s very hard for a man to serve two masters. The goals and means to reach these goals will often be different, which could result in not only wasted efforts, but an inability to complete either goal. This happens in bodybuilding all too often. Trainers believe they can use mass-building movements such as squats to build up the legs. They also believe they can use frequent cardio training to shed unwanted body fat. They attempt to complete both of these goals at once. As a result, they often end up completing neither, and wasting their efforts. The problem exists because…
If you’re an intermediate or advanced bodybuilder looking to add some thickness to your quadriceps, then higher volume leg training might be a good fit for you. The total number of sets isn’t significantly different from many leg routines. The major difference here is the use of rest-pause training at the end of each body part grouping. After scorching each body part with three solid sets of standard compound lifts, you then employ one giant set of rest-pause repetitions. These are unique in that there is no time limit, and there is no stopping. You begin your set of 20…