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The questions and myths about bodybuilding are as rampant as the ones about 9mm vs .40 vs.45 debates. There is no magic formula, pill, or workout "routine" that will turn you into a muscle freak. It takes hard work (training) done in a SMART manner, proper diet, plenty of rest, and forget all the miracle claims about supplements, growth pills, etc. Ever look at the supplements you or someone you know take? Ever see that part where it says something to the effect of:"This product has not been evaluated by the FDA"? That should throw up a big red flag.
Also, those "before and after" photos are nothing more than promotional propaganda. Someone else said it on these forums and I'll repeat it here. The models are already in shape, put on fat, take "before pics," burn the fat off and look great then take "after" pics, and the companies claim you "may" see results like these if you use product X...with that nifty little caption of "individual results may vary." Another red flag.
A good friend of mine and co-worker is a NGA Heavyweight (200lb+) Pro in the Natural (drug free) division (David Gallahan, Jr.). You can see him from 3 years ago here: http://bodybuildingsenior.com/bbs/index.php?p=friends
He has since gotten a little bigger and just this year actually won his pro card. He is also a fulltime police officer, and my former partner on the graveyard shift.
There are 4 main exercises everyone should use in their workouts. These are the "staples" for any type of bodybuilding (ie strength training) program.
Bench Press
Squat
Dead Lift
Military Press
Aside from these 4, you'll also want to target other muscles in whatever variety of exercises you choose to use. But here is the SMART part of working out...DON'T OVER DO IT. Far too often I see guys in the gym who are trying to copycat what the models on the cover of Muscle & Fitness are supposedly doing. Big mistake. For starters, roid freaks are cheaters and completely unnnatural, so not even going to go there.
Most people dive into the gym with a mindset of 3-4 sets x 10 reps a set, and 4-6 exercises per muscle group. Way overtraining for diminishing returns. Back it down for better gains.
I never use sets of 10. The most I do are 3-5 reps for 5 sets on that particular exercise. I also only do 2-3 exercises per muscle group, and work out 4 days a week: Mon-Tue and Thur-Fri. I try and limit my workouts to 1 hour a day. Now to some, this seems like it woudn't do anything. This is where lack of knowledge, hype, etc come into play.
For starters, proper form and technique are the single greatest factors you need to concentrate on. I don't know how many guys I see in the gym doing the Bench Press and this is what they do:
1. Feet on the edge of the bench.
2. Lower back arched up off the bench 8+ inches.
3. Hands too close together on the bar.
4. Bounce the weight off their chest.
5. Let the weight drop too rapidly, and after the chest bounce, their feet are digging into the bench, their backs are arched to the point of lower lumbar injury, and they are NOT breathing out.
If you fall into this category, you're an idiot that doesn't know what in the hell you're doing.
A proper bench press would be as follows:
1. Feet on the floor for a solid base and stability.
2. Lower back barely off the bench (see next step).
3. Shoulders pressed tight and into the bench, which will force your chest out more (less bar travel distance), and will naturally arch your lower back slightly.
4. Hands just beyond shoulder width apart to put emphasis on your pectorals (chest) and not your triceps (close grip hits triceps).
5. Lower the weight with a 1-2 count and push up with the 1-2-3 count, in a SMOOTH and FLUID motion. Do not, for any reason, bounce the weight off your chest.
6. Don't let your elbows drop below the bench.
Follow these guidelines and you'll NATURALLY increase your strength, size and efficientcy with less risk of injury.
More to come, as this will probably be a long and on-going post by me. Feel free to ask any specific workout questions.
Also, those "before and after" photos are nothing more than promotional propaganda. Someone else said it on these forums and I'll repeat it here. The models are already in shape, put on fat, take "before pics," burn the fat off and look great then take "after" pics, and the companies claim you "may" see results like these if you use product X...with that nifty little caption of "individual results may vary." Another red flag.
A good friend of mine and co-worker is a NGA Heavyweight (200lb+) Pro in the Natural (drug free) division (David Gallahan, Jr.). You can see him from 3 years ago here: http://bodybuildingsenior.com/bbs/index.php?p=friends
He has since gotten a little bigger and just this year actually won his pro card. He is also a fulltime police officer, and my former partner on the graveyard shift.
There are 4 main exercises everyone should use in their workouts. These are the "staples" for any type of bodybuilding (ie strength training) program.
Bench Press
Squat
Dead Lift
Military Press
Aside from these 4, you'll also want to target other muscles in whatever variety of exercises you choose to use. But here is the SMART part of working out...DON'T OVER DO IT. Far too often I see guys in the gym who are trying to copycat what the models on the cover of Muscle & Fitness are supposedly doing. Big mistake. For starters, roid freaks are cheaters and completely unnnatural, so not even going to go there.
Most people dive into the gym with a mindset of 3-4 sets x 10 reps a set, and 4-6 exercises per muscle group. Way overtraining for diminishing returns. Back it down for better gains.
I never use sets of 10. The most I do are 3-5 reps for 5 sets on that particular exercise. I also only do 2-3 exercises per muscle group, and work out 4 days a week: Mon-Tue and Thur-Fri. I try and limit my workouts to 1 hour a day. Now to some, this seems like it woudn't do anything. This is where lack of knowledge, hype, etc come into play.
For starters, proper form and technique are the single greatest factors you need to concentrate on. I don't know how many guys I see in the gym doing the Bench Press and this is what they do:
1. Feet on the edge of the bench.
2. Lower back arched up off the bench 8+ inches.
3. Hands too close together on the bar.
4. Bounce the weight off their chest.
5. Let the weight drop too rapidly, and after the chest bounce, their feet are digging into the bench, their backs are arched to the point of lower lumbar injury, and they are NOT breathing out.
If you fall into this category, you're an idiot that doesn't know what in the hell you're doing.
A proper bench press would be as follows:
1. Feet on the floor for a solid base and stability.
2. Lower back barely off the bench (see next step).
3. Shoulders pressed tight and into the bench, which will force your chest out more (less bar travel distance), and will naturally arch your lower back slightly.
4. Hands just beyond shoulder width apart to put emphasis on your pectorals (chest) and not your triceps (close grip hits triceps).
5. Lower the weight with a 1-2 count and push up with the 1-2-3 count, in a SMOOTH and FLUID motion. Do not, for any reason, bounce the weight off your chest.
6. Don't let your elbows drop below the bench.
Follow these guidelines and you'll NATURALLY increase your strength, size and efficientcy with less risk of injury.
More to come, as this will probably be a long and on-going post by me. Feel free to ask any specific workout questions.
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