Tuesday, August 21, 2007
College
I am currently in the process of moving to college. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause my blog readers, but I assure you that normal weightlifting and fitness advice will resume as soon as I am moved in to Notre Dame and have gone through all the the freshmen orientation things they have planned for us. Thank you for your patience
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Lat Pulldowns
You probably know that you should workout your "back" sometime in your routine, but what exactly is classified as the back. Well, the lats make up a huge part of it; thus, today I will be sharing how to perform Lat Pulldowns.
The Muscles it Works: This exercise will target your lats. Your shoulders and triceps will also be worked to a lesser degree by this exercise.
How to Perform: Begin by finding a "lat machine" or a "high pulley". Set up the seat so you can sit on it while positioned directly below the bar. Speaking of bars, use a long bar. Grip the long bar with a wide grip and then begin the exercise (using either variation "A" or "B")
Variation "A"- Sit in the seat perfectly straight up. Without jerking your body, pull the bar behind your head. Then slowly allow it to return to the starting position before moving on to your next rep.
Variation "B"- Sit in the seat while leaning back at a slight angle. Pull the bar down to the top of your chest. Then slowly allow the bar to return to the starting position before moving on to your next rep.
Tips:
1. Hold the bar at the bottom of the motion (either behind your neck or at the top of your chest) and squeeze your shoulder blades together for about a second before returning the bar to the starting position to get a little extra workout from this exercise.
2. Go slow with this exercise and do not be jerky. Doing so will cheat your lats out of a workout.
Conclusion: This may sound good to you (and you may already be performing this exercise), but do you actually know what your lats are? I honestly didn't when I first began performing this exercise, but they are basically triangular muscles that run along your back and sides. With this being said, they are very important muscles for developing the "triangular" body shape sought after by many body builders (ie: wide shoulders and thin waist). They are also very important for developing a strong back to avoid injuries while lifting and playing sports so don;t cut them out of your routine (doing so will only cheat yourself and put you at risk for injuries)
The Muscles it Works: This exercise will target your lats. Your shoulders and triceps will also be worked to a lesser degree by this exercise.
How to Perform: Begin by finding a "lat machine" or a "high pulley". Set up the seat so you can sit on it while positioned directly below the bar. Speaking of bars, use a long bar. Grip the long bar with a wide grip and then begin the exercise (using either variation "A" or "B")
Variation "A"- Sit in the seat perfectly straight up. Without jerking your body, pull the bar behind your head. Then slowly allow it to return to the starting position before moving on to your next rep.
Variation "B"- Sit in the seat while leaning back at a slight angle. Pull the bar down to the top of your chest. Then slowly allow the bar to return to the starting position before moving on to your next rep.
Tips:
1. Hold the bar at the bottom of the motion (either behind your neck or at the top of your chest) and squeeze your shoulder blades together for about a second before returning the bar to the starting position to get a little extra workout from this exercise.
2. Go slow with this exercise and do not be jerky. Doing so will cheat your lats out of a workout.
Conclusion: This may sound good to you (and you may already be performing this exercise), but do you actually know what your lats are? I honestly didn't when I first began performing this exercise, but they are basically triangular muscles that run along your back and sides. With this being said, they are very important muscles for developing the "triangular" body shape sought after by many body builders (ie: wide shoulders and thin waist). They are also very important for developing a strong back to avoid injuries while lifting and playing sports so don;t cut them out of your routine (doing so will only cheat yourself and put you at risk for injuries)
Friday, August 17, 2007
21's
Getting the "pump" - that's what most lifters strive to achieve in each workout, yet we often fall short (and some never reach this level in their workout at all). For those who have never felt this sensation, it is hard to accurately describe, but it is mostly the intense soreness in your muscles that comes from working your muscles extremely hard combined with the ability to actually feel the blood pumping through your muscles. With this feeling, you certainly know that your routine is working and you will get the results you desire, yet how can you be sure to feel the pump after your workout? Well, adding 21's to your bicep routine is the only surefire way that I know to do this.
21's are essentially one very large set of bicep curls, but instead of doing 21 complete reps, you do 7 half reps (lower half), 7 complete reps, and 7 more half reps (this time the upper half). You will have to use a much lower rep than normally used for curls, but this is the best exercise I know of for adding mass to your biceps.
The Muscles it Works: If done correctly, 21's will specifically target your biceps.
How to Perform: This exercise begins the same way as barbell bicep curls (as this is a modified version of them) - Grip the bar at about shoulder width and even from the center on both sides. Begin with the bar around your waist and your elbows against the sides of your torso.
To perform the exercise, begin in the same manner as biceps by raise the bar up while keeping your arms from the elbows up straight. Instead of going all the way up, stop at the half way point and then go back down. Perform 7 reps this way. Then perform 7 more reps with the same motion, but bring the bar all the way up to your neck before returning to the starting position (the full bicep motion). Finally, perform 7 more reps, but this time begin at the top and stop half way down before returning to the top (neck level). This will give you a total of 21 reps, but you're not down yet. Very slowly, allow the bar to fall back down to the starting position (all the way down), but make this trip down as slow as you possibly can (even over the course of several minute). By the time it is all the way down, your arms should be throbbing so just rack the bar and stretch your arms a bit. Hopefully you have now achieved the legendary pump
Tips:
1. Perform relatively slow reps and do not cheat the exercise by moving your back (and using it to perform the motion by generating momentum)
2. The longer (and slower) you allow the bar to fall back to the starting position, the more you will be working your biceps and the better off you will be. Don't cheat this step out of your 21's routine
Conclusion: This is a great exercise to perform at the end of your normal bicep routine (but not at the beginning as you will probably be too tired to actually perform the rest of your bicep routine if this is done first). You biceps will be completely exhausted after 21's, but you will see amazing results after adding this to your routine, and you will certainly not regret adding this exercise.
21's are essentially one very large set of bicep curls, but instead of doing 21 complete reps, you do 7 half reps (lower half), 7 complete reps, and 7 more half reps (this time the upper half). You will have to use a much lower rep than normally used for curls, but this is the best exercise I know of for adding mass to your biceps.
The Muscles it Works: If done correctly, 21's will specifically target your biceps.
How to Perform: This exercise begins the same way as barbell bicep curls (as this is a modified version of them) - Grip the bar at about shoulder width and even from the center on both sides. Begin with the bar around your waist and your elbows against the sides of your torso.
To perform the exercise, begin in the same manner as biceps by raise the bar up while keeping your arms from the elbows up straight. Instead of going all the way up, stop at the half way point and then go back down. Perform 7 reps this way. Then perform 7 more reps with the same motion, but bring the bar all the way up to your neck before returning to the starting position (the full bicep motion). Finally, perform 7 more reps, but this time begin at the top and stop half way down before returning to the top (neck level). This will give you a total of 21 reps, but you're not down yet. Very slowly, allow the bar to fall back down to the starting position (all the way down), but make this trip down as slow as you possibly can (even over the course of several minute). By the time it is all the way down, your arms should be throbbing so just rack the bar and stretch your arms a bit. Hopefully you have now achieved the legendary pump
Tips:
1. Perform relatively slow reps and do not cheat the exercise by moving your back (and using it to perform the motion by generating momentum)
2. The longer (and slower) you allow the bar to fall back to the starting position, the more you will be working your biceps and the better off you will be. Don't cheat this step out of your 21's routine
Conclusion: This is a great exercise to perform at the end of your normal bicep routine (but not at the beginning as you will probably be too tired to actually perform the rest of your bicep routine if this is done first). You biceps will be completely exhausted after 21's, but you will see amazing results after adding this to your routine, and you will certainly not regret adding this exercise.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Bicep Curl (Barbell)
I am reluctant to post this exercise before many other great exercises that I have to offer as many new lifters place way too much emphasis on this exercise; however, big biceps do look really nice during these summer months (hence "beach muscles") and the Bicep Curl may be the easiest lift to learn.
The Muscles it Works: If done correctly, this exercise should exclusively target your biceps.
How to Perform: For this exercise, the bar can begin almost anywhere (on the floor, on a rack, etc...), just make sure your grip the bar at about shoulder width and even from the center on both sides. Begin with the bar around your waist and your elbows against the sides of your torso. Then, with your elbows up remaining as still as possible, raise the bar up towards your neck (so your forearms are pointing straight up). Then, slowly and deliberately lower the bar back to the starting position before repeating this movement over and over again for the desired number of reps.
Tips:
1. Perform a large number of reps for mass building (as bicep strength isn't the most useful, but big biceps certainly look impressive)
2. Perform relatively slow reps and do not cheat the exercise by moving your back (and using it to perform the motion by generating momentum)
Conclusion: Biceps should certainly be a part of any balanced weight lifting routine, but don't concentrate too hard on them. Many beginning lifters make the huge mistake of working hard on their biceps while neglecting their triceps which leads to unbalanced (and less impressive) arms than could be obtained by routing some of that bicep dedication to your triceps. As long as you continue to work all other body parts though, go all out on your biceps and get ready for the beach.
The Muscles it Works: If done correctly, this exercise should exclusively target your biceps.
How to Perform: For this exercise, the bar can begin almost anywhere (on the floor, on a rack, etc...), just make sure your grip the bar at about shoulder width and even from the center on both sides. Begin with the bar around your waist and your elbows against the sides of your torso. Then, with your elbows up remaining as still as possible, raise the bar up towards your neck (so your forearms are pointing straight up). Then, slowly and deliberately lower the bar back to the starting position before repeating this movement over and over again for the desired number of reps.
Tips:
1. Perform a large number of reps for mass building (as bicep strength isn't the most useful, but big biceps certainly look impressive)
2. Perform relatively slow reps and do not cheat the exercise by moving your back (and using it to perform the motion by generating momentum)
Conclusion: Biceps should certainly be a part of any balanced weight lifting routine, but don't concentrate too hard on them. Many beginning lifters make the huge mistake of working hard on their biceps while neglecting their triceps which leads to unbalanced (and less impressive) arms than could be obtained by routing some of that bicep dedication to your triceps. As long as you continue to work all other body parts though, go all out on your biceps and get ready for the beach.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Barbell Lunges
Legs are clearly my favorite body part to workout; thus, I wish to offer up another leg exercise to perform - Barbell Lunges. This is a very easy exercise to perform and will compliment the other lifts you are performing for your legs.
The Muscles it Works: The main target of this exercise is your quads. Its also works your glutes and hamstrings to a lesser extent.
How to Perform: Begin with the bar mounted on a rack. Use a wide grip (same one used for squats) to hold the bar and get underneath it so the middle of the bar rest on your shoulders behind your neck. Dismount the bar and step several steps back.
To actually perform the exercise, lunge forward with your first leg so your foot lands (heal to toe) a couple feet in front of your body. Lower your body (in a similar fashion to squats) by bending your back knee and hips until your back knee is about an inch from the floor. The return to the starting position by pushing back and up with your front leg. Then repeat with the opposite leg in an alternating fashion until the desired number of reps is achieved.
Tips:
1. If you have a long area accessible to you (like a track), you can lunge forward (in the same manner as walking forward) instead of pushing back into the starting position and performing them stationary as written here.
Conclusion: This isn't the most effective exercise to perform for increasing leg strength and mass, but it will certainly compliment any routine and lead to small gains in strength and mass. Every little bit helps, so don't cut yourself short by not including this exercise at least somewhere in your workout plan.
The Muscles it Works: The main target of this exercise is your quads. Its also works your glutes and hamstrings to a lesser extent.
How to Perform: Begin with the bar mounted on a rack. Use a wide grip (same one used for squats) to hold the bar and get underneath it so the middle of the bar rest on your shoulders behind your neck. Dismount the bar and step several steps back.
To actually perform the exercise, lunge forward with your first leg so your foot lands (heal to toe) a couple feet in front of your body. Lower your body (in a similar fashion to squats) by bending your back knee and hips until your back knee is about an inch from the floor. The return to the starting position by pushing back and up with your front leg. Then repeat with the opposite leg in an alternating fashion until the desired number of reps is achieved.
Tips:
1. If you have a long area accessible to you (like a track), you can lunge forward (in the same manner as walking forward) instead of pushing back into the starting position and performing them stationary as written here.
Conclusion: This isn't the most effective exercise to perform for increasing leg strength and mass, but it will certainly compliment any routine and lead to small gains in strength and mass. Every little bit helps, so don't cut yourself short by not including this exercise at least somewhere in your workout plan.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Tricep Pushdowns
Tricep Pushdowns (aka Cable Pushdowns) is a great exercise to follow up the close grip bench with. This exercise specifically targets the triceps, and is a great way to hit your triceps hard for greater growth and strength.
The Muscles it Works: The tricep pushdwn exclusively targets your triceps. Other muscles are used as stabilizers, but not to an extent worth mentioning or worrying about.
How to Perform: Begin by facing away from a high pulley with a "V bar". Grip the bar with your hands as close together as possible with a palms down grip (with your thumb tucked OVER the bar just like the rest of your fingers). Start with the bar at around the same height as your shoulders with your forearms angled up slightly.
Now, to actually perform the exercise, slowly and deliberately push down and slightly out on the bar. Once you reach the bottom, try to still push the bar towards the ground by dropping your shoulders to squeeze every possible bit of effort out of the technique. Then, still slowly and deliberately, raise the bar back up to the starting position, and do it again.
Tips:
1. Squeeze every bit of effort out of the exercise by dropping your shoulders at the bottom of each rep to puch the bar even further down.
2. Perform this slowly and deliberately (both on the way down and back up) for the best results.
Conclusion: This is one of the easiest weightlifting exercises to learn and perform, and it is also a great lift for targeting the tricep and growing massive arms. I would highly recommend performing this directly after close grip bench (or even supersetting the two) while performing a relatively high number of reps on these exercises for the best results
The Muscles it Works: The tricep pushdwn exclusively targets your triceps. Other muscles are used as stabilizers, but not to an extent worth mentioning or worrying about.
How to Perform: Begin by facing away from a high pulley with a "V bar". Grip the bar with your hands as close together as possible with a palms down grip (with your thumb tucked OVER the bar just like the rest of your fingers). Start with the bar at around the same height as your shoulders with your forearms angled up slightly.
Now, to actually perform the exercise, slowly and deliberately push down and slightly out on the bar. Once you reach the bottom, try to still push the bar towards the ground by dropping your shoulders to squeeze every possible bit of effort out of the technique. Then, still slowly and deliberately, raise the bar back up to the starting position, and do it again.
Tips:
1. Squeeze every bit of effort out of the exercise by dropping your shoulders at the bottom of each rep to puch the bar even further down.
2. Perform this slowly and deliberately (both on the way down and back up) for the best results.
Conclusion: This is one of the easiest weightlifting exercises to learn and perform, and it is also a great lift for targeting the tricep and growing massive arms. I would highly recommend performing this directly after close grip bench (or even supersetting the two) while performing a relatively high number of reps on these exercises for the best results
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Website
This post is just here to inform you guys that I have created a new website, http://www.TheWeightliftingBible.com, to archive all of my blog post. I also plan on adding a forum and many other features to the site too. I have been working on the site for the last week (I began it a couple days after starting this blog), but I finally got all the coding working so it should now load on all web browsers (Internet Explorer couldn't handle my original coding which cut out a big part of the market). Please feel free to frequent both sites as new content will be added to this blog before it is put on the site, but the website will soon have extra features that I can not add to a blog such as this. Keep checking back on both the blog and site to see what stuff I add in the near future
PS: I added the site to the banner on this blog and a link to the blog on my site :). Click here to be directed to my site
PS: I added the site to the banner on this blog and a link to the blog on my site :). Click here to be directed to my site
SuperSets
Today we will be covering our second weightlifting technique, the SuperSet. Its a great way to both save time on days when you are a little busier than normal, and it is also a great way to shock your muscles into better results.
Essentially, supersetting is just combining 2 exercises into one by performing each of them without any rest in between. A good example would be using triceps. You could perform close grip bench and afterwards go straight into tricep pushdowns without any rest between the two. After that, your would take your normal resting peroid and then go straight into another superset of these two exercises.
Which muscles should you superset? Well, I would recommend only supersetting smaller muscles, but that is only my personal preference (as I like to dedicate many sets of different exercises to my larger muscles). I would however like to strongly suggest that you only superset the same muscle (with two different exercises) or apposing muscles (like triceps and biceps). It honestly wouldn't make much sense to superset abs and calves because they don't share any of the same associating muscles.
How often should you superset? Well, this is also up to personal preference. Some people like to only superset when they are running short on time so they can stay on schedule and shock their muscles every once in a while with this change of routine. Others prefer to keep supersets in their routine at all times because of how hard it targets those muscles you are supersetting. I personally used to superset my triceps on biceps in every workout, but I now save it only for days when I am very short on time; however, I am considering reinstating back into my daily routine. I suggest you experiment with supersetting and see how you like it (and what results you are getting with it). That way, you can make an educated decision on how to use this technique in your daily routines.
Essentially, supersetting is just combining 2 exercises into one by performing each of them without any rest in between. A good example would be using triceps. You could perform close grip bench and afterwards go straight into tricep pushdowns without any rest between the two. After that, your would take your normal resting peroid and then go straight into another superset of these two exercises.
Which muscles should you superset? Well, I would recommend only supersetting smaller muscles, but that is only my personal preference (as I like to dedicate many sets of different exercises to my larger muscles). I would however like to strongly suggest that you only superset the same muscle (with two different exercises) or apposing muscles (like triceps and biceps). It honestly wouldn't make much sense to superset abs and calves because they don't share any of the same associating muscles.
How often should you superset? Well, this is also up to personal preference. Some people like to only superset when they are running short on time so they can stay on schedule and shock their muscles every once in a while with this change of routine. Others prefer to keep supersets in their routine at all times because of how hard it targets those muscles you are supersetting. I personally used to superset my triceps on biceps in every workout, but I now save it only for days when I am very short on time; however, I am considering reinstating back into my daily routine. I suggest you experiment with supersetting and see how you like it (and what results you are getting with it). That way, you can make an educated decision on how to use this technique in your daily routines.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Close Grip Bench
Following my posts on the Bench Press, I decided to follow up with my favorite tricep exercise (and a variation of the bench press) - the Close Grip Bench Press.
The muscles it works: If done correctly, you can almost exclusively target your triceps. This will also mildly work your pecs and shoulders.
How to Perform: Begin by lying on the bench as if you were about to perform a regular bench press, but instead of gripping the bar wider slightly wider than your shoulders, position your hands a little less than 12 inches apart (but still even on each side from the center of the bar). Keep your feet flat on the floor and your butt and shoulders against the bench (and this time, with as little arch in your back as possible). Then proceed to perform a bench (as copied below from my previous post on the bench press).
The muscles it works: If done correctly, you can almost exclusively target your triceps. This will also mildly work your pecs and shoulders.
How to Perform: Begin by lying on the bench as if you were about to perform a regular bench press, but instead of gripping the bar wider slightly wider than your shoulders, position your hands a little less than 12 inches apart (but still even on each side from the center of the bar). Keep your feet flat on the floor and your butt and shoulders against the bench (and this time, with as little arch in your back as possible). Then proceed to perform a bench (as copied below from my previous post on the bench press).
Now, to begin the bench press, lift the bar off of the bench by pushing up on the bar while pressing your shoulders against the bench. Move the bar so it is directly above your chest. Carefully lower the bar so that it touches your chest, and then lift it back up (once again, by pushing up on the bar while driving your shoulder blades into the bench). Repeat for your preferred amount of reps and then place the bar back on the rack.
Tips:
1. Use slow and deliberate reps to build up tricep mass (and impressive arms)
2. Perform your triceps workout on the same day as your chest workout because your triceps are also worked while performing a regular bench press
Conclusion: This is a great exercise to perform for building massive arms. Some beginning lifters tend to ignore their triceps and only train the biceps, but this will only lead to an unbalanced arm look. Make sure you include your triceps in your workout routine, and you will probably want to perform this exercise in conjunction with another triceps exercise to maximize your gains (this would actually be a great muscle to superset on)
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Incline Bench Press
The Bench Press certainly isn't the hardest lift to increase your max on, but adding the Incline Bench Press to your routine will certainly help in this department (along forming your upper chest).
The Muscles it Works: The main target of this exercise are the upper pecs. It also targets your anterior deltoids, triceps, and shoulders to a lesser extent.
How to Perform: Make sure you have a spotter with you for safety. Begin by raising the bench to a 30 degree angle (a good eye estimate will work fine). Then, lie down on the bench with bar positioned on the bench's rack. Make sure your hands are positioned evenly from the center of the bar, but the width of your grip is up to you and what feels comfortable (a good rule of thumb is slightly wider than your shoulders). Keep your feet flat on the ground in front of the bench, and keep your shoulders and butt flat against the bench.
Now, to begin the bench press, lift the bar off of the bench by pushing up on the bar while pressing your shoulders against the bench. Move the bar so it is directly above your chest and slightly out in front of your body. Carefully lower the bar so that it touches your chest, and then lift it back up (once again, by pushing up and slightly out on the bar while driving your shoulder blades into the bench). Repeat for your preferred amount of reps and then place the bar back on the rack.
Tips:
1. Slightly arching your back (while keeping your butt and shoulders on the bench) will help you out a bit, but do not use as great of an arch as used for a regular bench press (a large arch will cause discomfort in your back and possible injury may result)
2. Keep your shoulders against the bench to avoid recruiting your delts to help you out too much (and preventing your pecs from getting a good workout)
Conclusion:
This is definitely not a replacement for the normal bench press, but some lifters prefer to perform regular bench one day a week and incline bench on another (with a program involving two chest workouts a week) to shock their chest each time it is worked out. However, I personally prefer to perform both of these exercises in succession during each of my chest workout. This allows me to work my chest real hard with bench and then perform a few sets with a relatively low weight and a medium amount of reps to overload my chest every time I lift (although I actually perform dumbbell incline presses to give my muscles another perspective of training). Experiment around with this exercise yourself, and see which combination of bench and incline bench works best for you. By the way, make sure you are getting plenty of rest between workouts if you choose to perform both of these lifts on the same day (although this is what I recommend if you believe this would be at all beneficial for you)
The Muscles it Works: The main target of this exercise are the upper pecs. It also targets your anterior deltoids, triceps, and shoulders to a lesser extent.
How to Perform: Make sure you have a spotter with you for safety. Begin by raising the bench to a 30 degree angle (a good eye estimate will work fine). Then, lie down on the bench with bar positioned on the bench's rack. Make sure your hands are positioned evenly from the center of the bar, but the width of your grip is up to you and what feels comfortable (a good rule of thumb is slightly wider than your shoulders). Keep your feet flat on the ground in front of the bench, and keep your shoulders and butt flat against the bench.
Now, to begin the bench press, lift the bar off of the bench by pushing up on the bar while pressing your shoulders against the bench. Move the bar so it is directly above your chest and slightly out in front of your body. Carefully lower the bar so that it touches your chest, and then lift it back up (once again, by pushing up and slightly out on the bar while driving your shoulder blades into the bench). Repeat for your preferred amount of reps and then place the bar back on the rack.
Tips:
1. Slightly arching your back (while keeping your butt and shoulders on the bench) will help you out a bit, but do not use as great of an arch as used for a regular bench press (a large arch will cause discomfort in your back and possible injury may result)
2. Keep your shoulders against the bench to avoid recruiting your delts to help you out too much (and preventing your pecs from getting a good workout)
Conclusion:
This is definitely not a replacement for the normal bench press, but some lifters prefer to perform regular bench one day a week and incline bench on another (with a program involving two chest workouts a week) to shock their chest each time it is worked out. However, I personally prefer to perform both of these exercises in succession during each of my chest workout. This allows me to work my chest real hard with bench and then perform a few sets with a relatively low weight and a medium amount of reps to overload my chest every time I lift (although I actually perform dumbbell incline presses to give my muscles another perspective of training). Experiment around with this exercise yourself, and see which combination of bench and incline bench works best for you. By the way, make sure you are getting plenty of rest between workouts if you choose to perform both of these lifts on the same day (although this is what I recommend if you believe this would be at all beneficial for you)
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Steroids
Last night, August 7, 2007, Barry Bonds hit homer 756 taking the sole position of All-Time Home Run King. Although I would like to congratulate him on this wonderful accomplishment, many serious issues have been raised over his alleged use of Anabolic Steroids; thus, one of the greatest American sports records has been severely blemished. I for one would like to state that I am totally apposed to any non-medical use of these drugs, and hopefully these reasons will help you understand my stance on this controversial issue.
There are certainly serious health issues that arise from the illegal use of steroids, yet this is not my main problem with these drugs. For me, lifting is an activity in my life that I find great pride in. I find joy each time I am able to squeeze out an extra rep than I did the time before or every time I am able to increase my sets by even 5 pounds because of the feat I have accomplished. Putting up big weights isn't something that anyone can do right away, but this takes many hard days, weeks, months, and years of training to achieve. When I meet someone who is able to bench or squat more than I can, I am greatly impressed by the amount of time and effort they have put into lifting, and I personally strive to someday be as strong and hardworking as they are. However, whenever I hear of lifters who have used steroids, even if they are still no where near my strength, it saddens me because they are taking the easy way out of hard work and cheating themselves to the top. One can not truly take pride in an accomplishment, unless they have struggled to achieve it. Lifting weights is the same as anything else in that respect; therefore, I have little respect for anyone who uses steroids.
Even if taking pride in your body and weight training was not an issue, many obvious health issues still surround the illegal use of anabolic steroids. They lead to increased blood pressure, harmful cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, acne, baldness, high estrogen levels, decreased testicle size, infertility, ALTERATION OF YOUR HEART STRUCTURE, heart attacks, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and DEATH. To some, these risks might be worth it. If they are for you, I sincerely urge you to rethink your priorities in life. Premature death shouldn't be a good tradeoff for big muscles (with acne and baldness) when having big muscles can be obtained by everyone through hard work and dedication to a weightlifting program for an extended period of time.
There are certainly serious health issues that arise from the illegal use of steroids, yet this is not my main problem with these drugs. For me, lifting is an activity in my life that I find great pride in. I find joy each time I am able to squeeze out an extra rep than I did the time before or every time I am able to increase my sets by even 5 pounds because of the feat I have accomplished. Putting up big weights isn't something that anyone can do right away, but this takes many hard days, weeks, months, and years of training to achieve. When I meet someone who is able to bench or squat more than I can, I am greatly impressed by the amount of time and effort they have put into lifting, and I personally strive to someday be as strong and hardworking as they are. However, whenever I hear of lifters who have used steroids, even if they are still no where near my strength, it saddens me because they are taking the easy way out of hard work and cheating themselves to the top. One can not truly take pride in an accomplishment, unless they have struggled to achieve it. Lifting weights is the same as anything else in that respect; therefore, I have little respect for anyone who uses steroids.
Even if taking pride in your body and weight training was not an issue, many obvious health issues still surround the illegal use of anabolic steroids. They lead to increased blood pressure, harmful cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, acne, baldness, high estrogen levels, decreased testicle size, infertility, ALTERATION OF YOUR HEART STRUCTURE, heart attacks, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and DEATH. To some, these risks might be worth it. If they are for you, I sincerely urge you to rethink your priorities in life. Premature death shouldn't be a good tradeoff for big muscles (with acne and baldness) when having big muscles can be obtained by everyone through hard work and dedication to a weightlifting program for an extended period of time.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Bench Press
Although I would not consider this to be the most important lift in your arsenal, the Bench Press seems to be the ultimate measure of strength to the average man (and don't get me wrong, this is probably the best exercise for increasing strength and muscle mass in your chest as well); thus, this lift is an important exercise to have in your program from the start as it is also very easy to perform.
The Muscles it Works: The main target of this exercise are the pectorals. It also targets your shoulders and triceps to a lesser extent. Also, it minorly works your deltoids.
How to Perform: Make sure you have a spotter with you for safety. Begin by lying down on the bench with bar positioned above your shoulders. Make sure your hands are positioned evenly from the center of the bar, but the width of your grip is up to you and what feels comfortable (a good rule of thumb is slightly wider than your shoulders). Keep your feet flat on the ground in front of the bench, and keep your shoulders and butt flat on the bench (but you can arch your back a bit).
Now, to begin the bench press, lift the bar off of the bench by pushing up on the bar while pressing your shoulders against the bench. Move the bar so it is directly above your chest. Carefully lower the bar so that it touches your chest, and then lift it back up (once again, by pushing up on the bar while driving your shoulder blades into the bench). Repeat for your preferred amount of reps and then place the bar back on the rack.
Tips:
1. Try increasing the amount of arch in your back to add more shoulder strength into this exercise to increase the amount of weight you can do.
2. If you are going for strength, safely bounce the bar off of your chest to be able to handle a greater amount of weight.
3. If you are training for mass, keep the motion slow and deliberate both on the way down and on the way down (and you can even pause the bar on your chest for a second to eliminate all bounce you may be getting)
Conclusion: This is one of the easiest lifts to perform, yet it is also one of the ones that you will be most judged by for the amount of weight you can perform (along with being the key exercise for developing your chest). There are many different variations you can perform (which I will be covering in posts to come), but I would recommend that you never leave the Bench Press out of your weightlifting routine as their is nothing else that can replace hardcore strength and a fundamental lift such as this.
The Muscles it Works: The main target of this exercise are the pectorals. It also targets your shoulders and triceps to a lesser extent. Also, it minorly works your deltoids.
How to Perform: Make sure you have a spotter with you for safety. Begin by lying down on the bench with bar positioned above your shoulders. Make sure your hands are positioned evenly from the center of the bar, but the width of your grip is up to you and what feels comfortable (a good rule of thumb is slightly wider than your shoulders). Keep your feet flat on the ground in front of the bench, and keep your shoulders and butt flat on the bench (but you can arch your back a bit).
Now, to begin the bench press, lift the bar off of the bench by pushing up on the bar while pressing your shoulders against the bench. Move the bar so it is directly above your chest. Carefully lower the bar so that it touches your chest, and then lift it back up (once again, by pushing up on the bar while driving your shoulder blades into the bench). Repeat for your preferred amount of reps and then place the bar back on the rack.
Tips:
1. Try increasing the amount of arch in your back to add more shoulder strength into this exercise to increase the amount of weight you can do.
2. If you are going for strength, safely bounce the bar off of your chest to be able to handle a greater amount of weight.
3. If you are training for mass, keep the motion slow and deliberate both on the way down and on the way down (and you can even pause the bar on your chest for a second to eliminate all bounce you may be getting)
Conclusion: This is one of the easiest lifts to perform, yet it is also one of the ones that you will be most judged by for the amount of weight you can perform (along with being the key exercise for developing your chest). There are many different variations you can perform (which I will be covering in posts to come), but I would recommend that you never leave the Bench Press out of your weightlifting routine as their is nothing else that can replace hardcore strength and a fundamental lift such as this.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Snatch Squat
This is my the third (and final for now) type of squat I would like to hit upon right now. The Snatch Squat (AKA Overhead Squat) is a great exercise to perform for a couple sets after your legs have already been blown out performing regular squats and front squats in your routine, but it is also a great exercise to perform in its own right both for improving your snatch techniques and for building core strength, balance, and flexibility.
The Muscles it Works: This exercise targets your core muscles ( abs, obliques, and lower back) to a greater extent than the other 2 squats mentioned before, yet as a squat, it still also targets your quads and glutes (although with a little less emphasis than the other two). This also works your calves and hamstrings.
How to Perform: Use a squat rack for safety if available. Also, do not attempt until you are very comfortable in the weight room as improper technique can lead to serious injury. To begin either perform a snatch (to be covered later) or lift the bar off of a squat rack while using wide grip (as wide as you can comfortably grip the bar). Lock out your elbows over your head and stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width. Then proceed to squat (while keeping your elbows locked out and the bar over your head the entire time). I will copy and paste the squatting motion from my previous post to help you perform this exercise with the proper form.
To actually begin the exercise, keep your torso as straight and still as possible while lowering your body between to legs. To do this, you will bend your legs at the knees and the hips until your quads are parallel to the ground. Now, push your torso back up to the starting position by reversing to downward motion (to do this, you will push your feet against the floor so that you can stand back up)
And easy way to visualize this motion (and even practice it) would be to site down in a chair while keeping your torso straight and still. Then, stand back up into the starting position (again, without bending your torso). Many coaches even like to teach squat by starting with a chair this way, and I recommend that you should try this too while just using the bar (without weight) if you have never squatted before in order to practice the correct motion of squatting.
Tips:
1. Do not attempt this exercise until you believe you are an "advanced" weightlifter and can handle the snatch squat with perfect form.
2. Try to pause at the bottom part of your squat to work your core muscles and balance even more.
3. Keep your weight on your heels to work your flexibility (and avoid cheating this technique by going on your toes)
Conclusion: This is definitely not a beginner exercise, but it is one that can greatly enhance athletic performance; thus, I greatly recommend it to anyone who wishes to improve his game in whatever sport you happen to play. No matter what motion you require, a great majority of your strength will come from your core muscles and your legs. This exercise is one of the best "all-body" lifts for you to perform that hits both of those groups pretty hard. Because of that, this exercise can improve your athletic performance quicker (and greater in the long run) than almost any other out there for you to perform.
On top of this great benefit of the snatch squat, this exercise can also help you to learn one of the most difficult lifts out there, the snatch. The snatch is one of the Olympic Movements, and it is extremely important to any advanced power lifting program. If you have any serious intents of perusing powerlifting, than the snatch squat is definitely a move you should try to perfect as soon as you feel ready so that you can master the snatch later on (and establish a good muscle base now to build upon once you decide to start snatching)
The Muscles it Works: This exercise targets your core muscles ( abs, obliques, and lower back) to a greater extent than the other 2 squats mentioned before, yet as a squat, it still also targets your quads and glutes (although with a little less emphasis than the other two). This also works your calves and hamstrings.
How to Perform: Use a squat rack for safety if available. Also, do not attempt until you are very comfortable in the weight room as improper technique can lead to serious injury. To begin either perform a snatch (to be covered later) or lift the bar off of a squat rack while using wide grip (as wide as you can comfortably grip the bar). Lock out your elbows over your head and stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width. Then proceed to squat (while keeping your elbows locked out and the bar over your head the entire time). I will copy and paste the squatting motion from my previous post to help you perform this exercise with the proper form.
To actually begin the exercise, keep your torso as straight and still as possible while lowering your body between to legs. To do this, you will bend your legs at the knees and the hips until your quads are parallel to the ground. Now, push your torso back up to the starting position by reversing to downward motion (to do this, you will push your feet against the floor so that you can stand back up)
And easy way to visualize this motion (and even practice it) would be to site down in a chair while keeping your torso straight and still. Then, stand back up into the starting position (again, without bending your torso). Many coaches even like to teach squat by starting with a chair this way, and I recommend that you should try this too while just using the bar (without weight) if you have never squatted before in order to practice the correct motion of squatting.
Tips:
1. Do not attempt this exercise until you believe you are an "advanced" weightlifter and can handle the snatch squat with perfect form.
2. Try to pause at the bottom part of your squat to work your core muscles and balance even more.
3. Keep your weight on your heels to work your flexibility (and avoid cheating this technique by going on your toes)
Conclusion: This is definitely not a beginner exercise, but it is one that can greatly enhance athletic performance; thus, I greatly recommend it to anyone who wishes to improve his game in whatever sport you happen to play. No matter what motion you require, a great majority of your strength will come from your core muscles and your legs. This exercise is one of the best "all-body" lifts for you to perform that hits both of those groups pretty hard. Because of that, this exercise can improve your athletic performance quicker (and greater in the long run) than almost any other out there for you to perform.
On top of this great benefit of the snatch squat, this exercise can also help you to learn one of the most difficult lifts out there, the snatch. The snatch is one of the Olympic Movements, and it is extremely important to any advanced power lifting program. If you have any serious intents of perusing powerlifting, than the snatch squat is definitely a move you should try to perfect as soon as you feel ready so that you can master the snatch later on (and establish a good muscle base now to build upon once you decide to start snatching)
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Front Squat
Following my post earlier today for the squat, I have decided to make another one for the Front Squat. This exercise is great when used in conjunction with squats in your program as it target the same general muscles as this previous exercise, yet it hits them in different ways than a normal squat which will shock your muscles and stimulate into quicker and greater growth and strength.
The muscles it works: It targets the front quads more than a normal squat would. It also works all the muscles that a normal squat would hit upon (although to a lesser degree than it hits upon the quads) including glutes, hamstring, calves, and lower back.
How to perform: Use a squat rack for safety if available. There are two main stances for performing a front squat (choose whichever you feel is the best for you)-
1. Hold the bar as if you are powercleaning - To do it this way, put your hand on the bar at shoulder width. Then, rest your hands on your shoulders while clutching the bar so your palms are pointed up towards the ceiling. By doing this, the bar should be in your hands while your hands are on your shoulders and your elbows should be sticking straight out in front of you (with your arms parallel to the floor).
2. The traditional front squat stance - To do it this way, place the bar resting on you shoulders and upper chest. Your upper arms should be under the bar with your elbows pointed straight out in front of you, but you should cross your forearms over the bar (at around the wrists) and place your open hands over the bar around your shoulder. This might be somewhat hard to envision if you have not seen this stance before so just stand up now and stick your arms straight out in front of you. Then, bend your elbows so your forearms are at a 90 degree angle to the rest of your arms (and now parallel to your chest). Next, place one of your forearms directly on top of the other. Slide both of your hands across your biceps until they both reach your shoulders. Keep your arms in the exact same position they are in, but make sure both f your hands are now on top of your shoulders. That is the arm position you will use with this front squat stance.
Now that you are familiar with the two stance, pick one and then proceed to front squatting. The motion is exactly the same as squatting (all that is different is that the bar is now in front of your body instead of behind it). To reiterate how to perform a squat, I will copy and paste the motion from my previous post on how to squat :)
To actually begin the exercise, keep your torso as straight and still as possible while lowering your body between to legs. To do this, you will bend your legs at the knees and the hips until your quads are parallel to the ground. Now, push your torso back up to the starting position by reversing to downward motion (to do this, you will push your feet against the floor so that you can stand back up)
And easy way to visualize this motion (and even practice it) would be to site down in a chair while keeping your torso straight and still. Then, stand back up into the starting position (again, without bending your torso). Many coaches even like to teach squat by starting with a chair this way, and I recommend that you should try this too while just using the bar (without weight) if you have never squatted before in order to practice the correct motion of squatting.
Tips: The amount you front squat should be significantly less than the amount you squat, especially if you are doing it after several sets of squats. You should probably start out with an easy amount of weight (maybe even the bar), and then work on the motion until it feels natural. After that, you should continue to increase the weight you are front squatting until you feel that you have reached a plateau on which you can only increase the weight you are using by getting stronger (and not just by getting used to the front squat motion)
Conclusion: I would recommend that you become familiar with a regular squat until you attempt the front squat. However, if you decide to try this one first, you should use the same chair trick I mentioned in the post for squat (basically, you sit down into a chair and then stand back up without moving or bending your torso).
Also, which front squat stance should you use. Ultimately, the decision should come down to whichever is the most comfortable and beneficial to you. For most people, that is the traditional front squat stance. With that being said, I use the power clean stance, because I don't only front squat to gain leg strength, but I also do it to get extra practice with the power cleaning motion which helps me gain strength in the powerclean. If you are also training for a powerlifting competition or just wish to do powercleans in your workout routine, then you might want to seriously consider this alternative stance.
Addendum- This exercise for speed training: You can easily turn this exercise into one which targets the hamstring; thus, you can use this to increase your speed. By going past parallel while performing this exercise puts great emphasis on your hamstrings which will do wonders in strengthening them. When you run, the strength of your hamstrings are a big factor in how fast you can go; therefore, I greatly recommend performing front squate past the parallel mark (to the furthest extent your body can handle) to any athletes who are lifting to gain an advantage in their sport. Speed kills, and this is a lift that can greatly enhance your performance. However, you should never go past parallel until you are completely comfortable performing this lift at its normal range (parallel) and are sure that your motion is perfect (as the risk of injury caused by improper lifting technique is enhanced by bringing this techniques past its intended range)
The muscles it works: It targets the front quads more than a normal squat would. It also works all the muscles that a normal squat would hit upon (although to a lesser degree than it hits upon the quads) including glutes, hamstring, calves, and lower back.
How to perform: Use a squat rack for safety if available. There are two main stances for performing a front squat (choose whichever you feel is the best for you)-
1. Hold the bar as if you are powercleaning - To do it this way, put your hand on the bar at shoulder width. Then, rest your hands on your shoulders while clutching the bar so your palms are pointed up towards the ceiling. By doing this, the bar should be in your hands while your hands are on your shoulders and your elbows should be sticking straight out in front of you (with your arms parallel to the floor).
2. The traditional front squat stance - To do it this way, place the bar resting on you shoulders and upper chest. Your upper arms should be under the bar with your elbows pointed straight out in front of you, but you should cross your forearms over the bar (at around the wrists) and place your open hands over the bar around your shoulder. This might be somewhat hard to envision if you have not seen this stance before so just stand up now and stick your arms straight out in front of you. Then, bend your elbows so your forearms are at a 90 degree angle to the rest of your arms (and now parallel to your chest). Next, place one of your forearms directly on top of the other. Slide both of your hands across your biceps until they both reach your shoulders. Keep your arms in the exact same position they are in, but make sure both f your hands are now on top of your shoulders. That is the arm position you will use with this front squat stance.
Now that you are familiar with the two stance, pick one and then proceed to front squatting. The motion is exactly the same as squatting (all that is different is that the bar is now in front of your body instead of behind it). To reiterate how to perform a squat, I will copy and paste the motion from my previous post on how to squat :)
To actually begin the exercise, keep your torso as straight and still as possible while lowering your body between to legs. To do this, you will bend your legs at the knees and the hips until your quads are parallel to the ground. Now, push your torso back up to the starting position by reversing to downward motion (to do this, you will push your feet against the floor so that you can stand back up)
And easy way to visualize this motion (and even practice it) would be to site down in a chair while keeping your torso straight and still. Then, stand back up into the starting position (again, without bending your torso). Many coaches even like to teach squat by starting with a chair this way, and I recommend that you should try this too while just using the bar (without weight) if you have never squatted before in order to practice the correct motion of squatting.
Tips: The amount you front squat should be significantly less than the amount you squat, especially if you are doing it after several sets of squats. You should probably start out with an easy amount of weight (maybe even the bar), and then work on the motion until it feels natural. After that, you should continue to increase the weight you are front squatting until you feel that you have reached a plateau on which you can only increase the weight you are using by getting stronger (and not just by getting used to the front squat motion)
Conclusion: I would recommend that you become familiar with a regular squat until you attempt the front squat. However, if you decide to try this one first, you should use the same chair trick I mentioned in the post for squat (basically, you sit down into a chair and then stand back up without moving or bending your torso).
Also, which front squat stance should you use. Ultimately, the decision should come down to whichever is the most comfortable and beneficial to you. For most people, that is the traditional front squat stance. With that being said, I use the power clean stance, because I don't only front squat to gain leg strength, but I also do it to get extra practice with the power cleaning motion which helps me gain strength in the powerclean. If you are also training for a powerlifting competition or just wish to do powercleans in your workout routine, then you might want to seriously consider this alternative stance.
Addendum- This exercise for speed training: You can easily turn this exercise into one which targets the hamstring; thus, you can use this to increase your speed. By going past parallel while performing this exercise puts great emphasis on your hamstrings which will do wonders in strengthening them. When you run, the strength of your hamstrings are a big factor in how fast you can go; therefore, I greatly recommend performing front squate past the parallel mark (to the furthest extent your body can handle) to any athletes who are lifting to gain an advantage in their sport. Speed kills, and this is a lift that can greatly enhance your performance. However, you should never go past parallel until you are completely comfortable performing this lift at its normal range (parallel) and are sure that your motion is perfect (as the risk of injury caused by improper lifting technique is enhanced by bringing this techniques past its intended range)
Squat
The Squat is the first exercise I would like to offer because it is arguably the most important lift as it is believed to be able to produce quicker or greater muscle growth than any other exercise used by athletes. Also, the main muscles it works (the quads and the glutes) are some of the most important for generating power (thus, producing greater performance) in almost any sport you can play.
Most people dread squatting, some even write off this exercise from their weightlifting programs, but it is truly a wonderful exercise to perform (although it does suck) as it offers the greatest benefits to your overall strength both immediately and long term. It is actually my signature exercise (as I can squat around 550 lbs.) and the one that gained me notice, even as a freshman, by my high school football coaches, and was probably the biggest factor that played a part in making me a very successful high school player.
The muscles it works: The main muscles worked-out by the squat are the quads and the glutes. It also trains the calves, hamstrings, and lower back to a lesser degree.
How to perform: Use a squat rack for safety if at all available. Begin by placing the bar behind your neck with the bar resting on your shoulder blades. Your hands should be a little wider than they are while bench pressing, but any comfortable hand position should work. Stand with your feet a little farther apart than shoulder-width (again, just make sure you use a comfortable stance).
To actually begin the exercise, keep your torso as straight and still as possible while lowering your body between to legs. To do this, you will bend your legs at the knees and the hips until your quads are parallel to the ground. Now, push your torso back up to the starting position by reversing to downward motion (to do this, you will push your feet against the floor so that you can stand back up)
And easy way to visualize this motion (and even practice it) would be to site down in a chair while keeping your torso straight and still. Then, stand back up into the starting position (again, without bending your torso). Many coaches even like to teach squat by starting with a chair this way, and I recommend that you should try this too while just using the bar (without weight) if you have never squatted before in order to practice the correct motion of squatting.
Conclusion: You should probably begin squatting with just the bar (and using a chair if possible), but once the motion is part of your muscle-memory, you should quickly be able to build up to a good amount of weight in a very short time as this exercise is one of the quickest and easiest to build up your strength in (ie: while in seventh and eight grade, I managed to work up to 200 lbs. in this exercise in my first year of squatting). Minor back pain and neck pain is expected as you are getting used to squatting (which can be alleviated by wrapping a towel around the neck area of the bar to cushion your neck), but if severe pain is felt during (and especially after the exercise), you are probably performing this exercise with bad motion and should have an experienced friend watch your motion to help you improve.
Tips: Using a lifting belt will help prevent back injuries while performing the squat, but recent research indicates that this will cheat you out of building up your core muscles (back and ab muscles that support your body) so the call on whether or not to use one is yours. I used to use one, but stopped 2 years ago to build up my core muscles. Also, wrapping a towel around the neck portion of the bar with cushion your neck and alleviate pressure, but many lifters frown upon this as it is unmanly (and a common name for this is using a tampon on the bar).
Most people dread squatting, some even write off this exercise from their weightlifting programs, but it is truly a wonderful exercise to perform (although it does suck) as it offers the greatest benefits to your overall strength both immediately and long term. It is actually my signature exercise (as I can squat around 550 lbs.) and the one that gained me notice, even as a freshman, by my high school football coaches, and was probably the biggest factor that played a part in making me a very successful high school player.
The muscles it works: The main muscles worked-out by the squat are the quads and the glutes. It also trains the calves, hamstrings, and lower back to a lesser degree.
How to perform: Use a squat rack for safety if at all available. Begin by placing the bar behind your neck with the bar resting on your shoulder blades. Your hands should be a little wider than they are while bench pressing, but any comfortable hand position should work. Stand with your feet a little farther apart than shoulder-width (again, just make sure you use a comfortable stance).
To actually begin the exercise, keep your torso as straight and still as possible while lowering your body between to legs. To do this, you will bend your legs at the knees and the hips until your quads are parallel to the ground. Now, push your torso back up to the starting position by reversing to downward motion (to do this, you will push your feet against the floor so that you can stand back up)
And easy way to visualize this motion (and even practice it) would be to site down in a chair while keeping your torso straight and still. Then, stand back up into the starting position (again, without bending your torso). Many coaches even like to teach squat by starting with a chair this way, and I recommend that you should try this too while just using the bar (without weight) if you have never squatted before in order to practice the correct motion of squatting.
Conclusion: You should probably begin squatting with just the bar (and using a chair if possible), but once the motion is part of your muscle-memory, you should quickly be able to build up to a good amount of weight in a very short time as this exercise is one of the quickest and easiest to build up your strength in (ie: while in seventh and eight grade, I managed to work up to 200 lbs. in this exercise in my first year of squatting). Minor back pain and neck pain is expected as you are getting used to squatting (which can be alleviated by wrapping a towel around the neck area of the bar to cushion your neck), but if severe pain is felt during (and especially after the exercise), you are probably performing this exercise with bad motion and should have an experienced friend watch your motion to help you improve.
Tips: Using a lifting belt will help prevent back injuries while performing the squat, but recent research indicates that this will cheat you out of building up your core muscles (back and ab muscles that support your body) so the call on whether or not to use one is yours. I used to use one, but stopped 2 years ago to build up my core muscles. Also, wrapping a towel around the neck portion of the bar with cushion your neck and alleviate pressure, but many lifters frown upon this as it is unmanly (and a common name for this is using a tampon on the bar).
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Pyramiding
This is the first weightlifting technique I would like to offer, and I offer it first because I feel it is the most important weapon in my weight training arsenal. It is called PYRAMIDING.
Pyramiding is basically the practice of systematically varying the amount of reps you do in successive an exercise while either increasing or decreasing the weight depending on the type of pyramid you are performing (ie: In bench press I do 1 set of 10 reps with my starting weight. Then, in each successive set I do, I increase the weight by about 20 lbs. and do 2 less reps until I am at my "max" set of 2 reps with as much weight as I can handle. After that set, I decrease the weight back down to the second weight I used in the pyramid and try to get as many reps as I can get - although this is usually much less than I got the first time I used this weight). There are several different methods people use while pyramiding, but some of the most popular are as follows:
Ascending Pyramid - This is the process of beginning with a relatively light weight (even a warm-up weight) and going for a high number of reps. Each successive set after this one, you will increase the weight and decrease the amount of reps you will do. Your last set will be at a very heavy weight with low reps. In a short statement: Increase weight and decrease reps.
Descending Pyramid - This is pretty much the opposite of an ascending pyramid. In this system, you begin with a very high weight (often, a weight close to your max) and perform a low amount of reps. Then, in each successive set, you decrease the amount of weight you are using in order to squeeze out more reps. While using this system, you will probably decrease the weight at a slightly higher amount than you were increasing using an ascending pyramid because you will be starting with a higher weight than you could have concluded with on the previous system; thus, you will be getting fatigued quicker (and you will likely be unable to get as many reps as you would with an ascending pyramid with decreasing the weight to much lower levels towards the end than used towards the beginning of an ascending pyramid - Basically, to get the same amount of reps on each set...well, the opposite set...as used on the ascending pyramid, you would start with a higher weight but end with a lower weight than what you used to get the same amount of reps on an ascending pyramid). In a short statement: Increase reps and decrease weight.
True Pyramid (aka: Balanced Pyramid) - This technique is the combination of the ascending and descending pyramids. Essentially, you begin with a light weight with high reps, work your way up to a high weight with low reps, and then work back down to a low weight with high reps again. This is more advanced than the ascending and the descending pyramids alone, and should only be used by people who are both serious about lifting and have been lifting for a while (so they will have worked up the strength and stamina to be able to complete the large amount of sets required for this technique with over-training themselves). In a short statement: Combine ascending pyramid and descending pyramid into one group of sets.
Why use the pyramiding technique? Well, most lifters - especially beginners - like to a few sets of each exercise using the same weight and reps (like three sets of bench with 135 lbs. at 8 reps). This is certainly fine for beginners as it will allow them to build up a good foundation of strength and stamina on which to build upon; however, your body will soon become used to this type of lifting after working out this way for months at a time. Eventually, the only way to get good results will be to shock your body with a new way of training that is is not used to. By pyramiding, you are varying the way in which you lift between each set you do (high reps/low weight, medium reps/medium weight, and low reps/high weight) so your body will be a lot less able to become accustomed to any particular way of lifting, and you will definitely see much better results because you body will react much better to this type of training (although you will be working harder too).
Another good reason to pyramid is that there are two main ways to lift - bodybuilding (lifting to make your muscles larger) and strength training (working out to increase your strength). Most bodybuilding programs revolve around high reps (and low weight) while most strength training programs revolve around low reps (and high weight). Most of us don't just want to be big, nor do we just want to be strong (although all lifting will make you bigger an stronger...different types just concentrate more on one or the other). Most average weight lifter would like to be able to perform a program that is somewhat balanced between mass building and strength gaining. That is the true beauty of pyramiding; it is one of the best balances between the two that you can achieve as it combines both methods of training into one allowing you to evenly gain both size and strength.
Pyramiding is basically the practice of systematically varying the amount of reps you do in successive an exercise while either increasing or decreasing the weight depending on the type of pyramid you are performing (ie: In bench press I do 1 set of 10 reps with my starting weight. Then, in each successive set I do, I increase the weight by about 20 lbs. and do 2 less reps until I am at my "max" set of 2 reps with as much weight as I can handle. After that set, I decrease the weight back down to the second weight I used in the pyramid and try to get as many reps as I can get - although this is usually much less than I got the first time I used this weight). There are several different methods people use while pyramiding, but some of the most popular are as follows:
Ascending Pyramid - This is the process of beginning with a relatively light weight (even a warm-up weight) and going for a high number of reps. Each successive set after this one, you will increase the weight and decrease the amount of reps you will do. Your last set will be at a very heavy weight with low reps. In a short statement: Increase weight and decrease reps.
Descending Pyramid - This is pretty much the opposite of an ascending pyramid. In this system, you begin with a very high weight (often, a weight close to your max) and perform a low amount of reps. Then, in each successive set, you decrease the amount of weight you are using in order to squeeze out more reps. While using this system, you will probably decrease the weight at a slightly higher amount than you were increasing using an ascending pyramid because you will be starting with a higher weight than you could have concluded with on the previous system; thus, you will be getting fatigued quicker (and you will likely be unable to get as many reps as you would with an ascending pyramid with decreasing the weight to much lower levels towards the end than used towards the beginning of an ascending pyramid - Basically, to get the same amount of reps on each set...well, the opposite set...as used on the ascending pyramid, you would start with a higher weight but end with a lower weight than what you used to get the same amount of reps on an ascending pyramid). In a short statement: Increase reps and decrease weight.
True Pyramid (aka: Balanced Pyramid) - This technique is the combination of the ascending and descending pyramids. Essentially, you begin with a light weight with high reps, work your way up to a high weight with low reps, and then work back down to a low weight with high reps again. This is more advanced than the ascending and the descending pyramids alone, and should only be used by people who are both serious about lifting and have been lifting for a while (so they will have worked up the strength and stamina to be able to complete the large amount of sets required for this technique with over-training themselves). In a short statement: Combine ascending pyramid and descending pyramid into one group of sets.
Why use the pyramiding technique? Well, most lifters - especially beginners - like to a few sets of each exercise using the same weight and reps (like three sets of bench with 135 lbs. at 8 reps). This is certainly fine for beginners as it will allow them to build up a good foundation of strength and stamina on which to build upon; however, your body will soon become used to this type of lifting after working out this way for months at a time. Eventually, the only way to get good results will be to shock your body with a new way of training that is is not used to. By pyramiding, you are varying the way in which you lift between each set you do (high reps/low weight, medium reps/medium weight, and low reps/high weight) so your body will be a lot less able to become accustomed to any particular way of lifting, and you will definitely see much better results because you body will react much better to this type of training (although you will be working harder too).
Another good reason to pyramid is that there are two main ways to lift - bodybuilding (lifting to make your muscles larger) and strength training (working out to increase your strength). Most bodybuilding programs revolve around high reps (and low weight) while most strength training programs revolve around low reps (and high weight). Most of us don't just want to be big, nor do we just want to be strong (although all lifting will make you bigger an stronger...different types just concentrate more on one or the other). Most average weight lifter would like to be able to perform a program that is somewhat balanced between mass building and strength gaining. That is the true beauty of pyramiding; it is one of the best balances between the two that you can achieve as it combines both methods of training into one allowing you to evenly gain both size and strength.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Opening Post
Hey everyone :).
My name is Colin McNamara. I am 17 years old, and will be starting my freshman year at Notre Dame in just a few weeks. I figure I should make a blog because it seems like a "normal" thing for college kids to do, and hopefully my blog can help a lot of other people out with the weight lifting and fitness tips I will share. I have been lifting weights seriously since 7th grade (and was doing basic things like push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups for years before then). This enabled me to play AAA Hockey and play in a high school football all-star game (along with being recruited to play football at many colleges including Columbia University- which I eventually turned down in favor of ND...go Irish!). Although I am naturally athletic, I definitely far exceeded my natural gifts through the hard training I endured, and hopefully this blog can help you do that too.
My father is my main source of weight lifting knowledge (although I have gathered techniques and exercises from many sources). He grew up in a poor neighborhood in New York and was naturally very small; thus, he was beat up often...Until my uncle (his much older sister's husband) turned him on to weight training when he was around 15. He put on weight very quickly, and soon the tables had turned - he was no longer the small anymore, but one others looked to for protection. He loves everything about weight training, and he has spent the greater part of his life lifting and researching knowledge on this subject. He passed his love of lifting and much of his knowledge on to me over the past 6 or 7 years while he was my "personal trainer".
Yes, this post has been pretty boring, but hopefully most of the posts I make in future days, weeks, months, and maybe even years, will include different exercises for you to try in the weight room (along with detailed info on what muscles they train and maybe even some pictures of how to perform them) and various techniques you can try to help you break through walls you hit in your training. All I really have left to post right now is my personal bests (so you know that I'm not just bsing you)
Squat- 540 lbs.
Bench- 330 lbs.
Power Clean- 250 lbs. (haven't really trained this since sophomore year - when I set this personal best - because of a coaching change in our high school football program and his new philosophies on how to train for football)
PS: I set my signing name as Link (like the dude from the Zelda video games) because that seems like a good internet nickname, but I will probably change this in future posts
My name is Colin McNamara. I am 17 years old, and will be starting my freshman year at Notre Dame in just a few weeks. I figure I should make a blog because it seems like a "normal" thing for college kids to do, and hopefully my blog can help a lot of other people out with the weight lifting and fitness tips I will share. I have been lifting weights seriously since 7th grade (and was doing basic things like push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups for years before then). This enabled me to play AAA Hockey and play in a high school football all-star game (along with being recruited to play football at many colleges including Columbia University- which I eventually turned down in favor of ND...go Irish!). Although I am naturally athletic, I definitely far exceeded my natural gifts through the hard training I endured, and hopefully this blog can help you do that too.
My father is my main source of weight lifting knowledge (although I have gathered techniques and exercises from many sources). He grew up in a poor neighborhood in New York and was naturally very small; thus, he was beat up often...Until my uncle (his much older sister's husband) turned him on to weight training when he was around 15. He put on weight very quickly, and soon the tables had turned - he was no longer the small anymore, but one others looked to for protection. He loves everything about weight training, and he has spent the greater part of his life lifting and researching knowledge on this subject. He passed his love of lifting and much of his knowledge on to me over the past 6 or 7 years while he was my "personal trainer".
Yes, this post has been pretty boring, but hopefully most of the posts I make in future days, weeks, months, and maybe even years, will include different exercises for you to try in the weight room (along with detailed info on what muscles they train and maybe even some pictures of how to perform them) and various techniques you can try to help you break through walls you hit in your training. All I really have left to post right now is my personal bests (so you know that I'm not just bsing you)
Squat- 540 lbs.
Bench- 330 lbs.
Power Clean- 250 lbs. (haven't really trained this since sophomore year - when I set this personal best - because of a coaching change in our high school football program and his new philosophies on how to train for football)
PS: I set my signing name as Link (like the dude from the Zelda video games) because that seems like a good internet nickname, but I will probably change this in future posts
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