6 Weeks to a More Vascular, Muscular, and Lean Body

As I have mentioned in previous posts, it is a good idea to change up your routine every now and then to keep your body guessing and forcing it to make adjustments which will lead to more muscle growth. I have also talked repeatedly about how important intensity is in any routine if you want real results. Well, I have once again proven these concepts to be true in my own life over the past 6 weeks and I wanted to share with you what has worked so well for me.

Simply stated I have been using a routine that involves very low rest times between sets ( I mean very low), low weight, and strict form, and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.

This method of training is quite different from my usual training routine which consists of heavier weight where I can push out 6-10 reps and increasing the weight each set with rest times between sets of 1-2 minutes. Using this type of training I had put on some muscle weight, but it wasn't the high quality,- lean - hard muscle I was looking for. I was bigger, but losing definition and "shape" in the muscles. So I knew I needed to change things up.

I HIGHLY suggest you try low rest - low weight - strict form training for 6 weeks. You will be amazed at the difference it makes in your physique. You will be leaner, more vascular, and look more muscular. You will be leaner because you will be burning a lot more calories in the gym then normal (providing you keep the same diet) while at the same time pushing excess water out of the body (providing you stay hydrated).

Here is a run down of a typical training day for me using this philosophy. The objective is to pump as much blood into the muscle as possible so that you can feel the muscle working. It will hurt a little and you will sweat A LOT.

Chest - Biceps

Chest

Exercise 1

Dumbbell Bench Press

- I like to start with dumbbell bench press because it is a great weigh to pump blood into your pecs at the beginning of your routine. While I normally start of with 80 pound dumbbells and work my way up to 100, I only use 60 to 70 lbs dumbbells for this routine and keep the same weight throughout the entire exercise. It will take you a few workouts to figure out the correct weight to use. Put the ego aside and don't be afraid to move down the rack to lighter weights. You will be surprised at how heavy the become by your 3 or 4th set.

Sets = 4-5 - 12 Reps

Strict Form - Go slow, controlled, and deep on the decent and power up on the press but don't lock out your arms. Keep the tension on the pecs. You want to try buildup some lactic acid in the muscle to create that pump. After 12 reps don't drop the weight, rather rest them on your thighs in a seated position for a period of 10-20 seconds no more. Just count in your head then right back down for 12 more reps. Do this again for 2 or 3 more sets. If you find that by the 2nd or 3rd set you can't get 12 reps then you are using too much weight. Take a mental note for next time and increase your rest period a few more second so that you can complete them this time.

Exercise 2

Incline Bench Press Smith Machine

- Again, I use low weight. Smith machine is great because you don't have to worry about a spotter.

Sets 4-5 10 Reps.

Again, form. Slow, controlled, and deep on the decent -contract and power through the press.

10-20 seconds rest in between sets. Remember to take deep controlled breathes both during and after movements.

Exercise 3

Decline Bench Press - Smith Machine

Same thing- 4-5 sets 10 reps

Exercise 4

Dumbbell Fly

- You should have an incredible pump and the dumbbell fly will really help you carve out that muscle at the end of the chest routine. Can't stress it enough...STRICT FORM. Use your chest and only your chest to bring the dumbbells together. Stop when they are about a foot apart which will keep constant tension on the pecs.

When I am completed with the Chest portion of my routine I am covered in sweat and take a few minutes to rest and prepare for hitting biceps. When I feel I am ready I go about it like this...

Biceps

Exercise 1

Barbell Curls

- Strict Form. Elbows back and against your side. Squeeze the biceps at the top of each rep.

Sets 4-5 Reps 10

Same rest times. 10-20 seconds will give you just enough times to drop the weight, take a few deep breathes and the start again.

Remember - If you find you are tiring out to quickly. DROP THE WEIGHT. It is more important in this routine to reach the set number of reps, pushing maximum blood flow as opposed to the amount of weight you use.

Exercise 2

Alternating Dumbbell Preacher curls

Sets 4-5 Reps 10

Exercise 3

Dumbbell hammer curls

- I don't alternate during this exercise except maybe for a few reps on the last set.

THAT'S IT. I assure you if you stick to this type of training for 6 weeks you will notice dramatic improvements in your physique.

Here are some additional tips to get the most out of the 6 weeks.

1. DIET - Make sure you are getting ample amounts of protein. YOU WILL NEED IT. Aim for 1-2 grams per pound of body weight daily. In addition to protein, use creatine to supplement the muscles.

2. GET A GOOD FAT BURNER - I use ENERFIT of course and have no doubt that you will love the fat burning benefits it can produce during a workout like this.

3. GET LOTS OF REST - At least 7-8 hours a day.

4. DRINK LOTS OF WATER - You will need to keep hydrated especially before a high intensity training session like these. Aim for a gallon of water per a day.

5. FLEX - During and after your workout. This will help keep blood flow in the muscles and will give you greater control over the muscles during your workouts.

I would love to hear response from some of you that try this to see what type of results you achieve. Good luck!

Choosing Your Training Split

I recently changed up my training split so I thought I would through in a few tips when deciding for your self which body parts to work on which days. To make this decision you have to take a few things into consideration like "How many days a week am I going to train?" as well as "Which body parts need the most emphasis?".

Things to remember when choosing a training split -
1. Make sure you have proper rest days scheduled. I tend to always take a day before legs because it is such a demanding workout and I want as much workout energy as I can get. You just have to see what works best for you and your routine.

2. Give more attention to lagging body parts. If you feel like your legs are lagging behind the rest of your body dedicate a day soley to them.

3. Try to spread out days where you will be doing exercises using the same muscle groups. Meaning, you don't want to workout shoulders the day after you have hit your chest because the shoulders are utilized during many of your chest exercises. Another example would be back on day and biceps the next. You will work your biceps during your back routine so they need a days rest before you target them specifically.

4. Do not forget the details. You need to leave room in your routine for calves and forearms. You don't want thick muscular thighs on top of little sticks for calves.

5. If you can only workout 3 days a week, pair up similar body parts. Work Chest and Shoulders together on the same day or back and biceps.

6. Change the routine from time to time. I usually change my training split around about every 6 weeks. This will help alleviate boredom and will force your body to make physical changes to adapt.

Currently my split consists of the following.
Monday - Shoulders and calves
Tuesday - Back and abs
Weds - Chest and calves
Thursday - Off
Friday - Legs (hamstrings and quads only)
Saturday - Arms and abs

Good luck!
Sunday - Off

Mixing Low and Hi Reps in the Same Workout

Most gym goers working toward building muscle have heard the verbiage, "more weight, low reps for mass" and "less weight, hi reps for definition". This is basically true, however you can certainly add mass using low weights and high reps just as you can obtain definition using low reps and heavy weight. Most of your results will depend on workout intensity and form along with the right diet.

For the average weight trainer looking to build lean muscle, combining both philosophies in the same session can be a great way to change up your routine for better results. Studies show that the body will burn more calories after a workout using heavy weights for low reps and the body burns more calories during exercise using light weight for higher reps.

Get the best of both worlds by training heavy early in your sets and light at the end. For example, let's say you are going to do 4 sets of bench press. The first two sets focus on using heavier weight for a rep range of 6-8 reps. The final two sets drop the weight so that you can do 12-15 reps.

Burning Fat - You can't see a HardBody unless you are lean

The past few weeks I have talked about several ways to increase intensity during your workout in order to build hard, dense muscle. Now that you are in the gym pounding the iron and pushing yourself to maximize muscle gains you need to be burning body fat at the same time. Several posts back I gave you a link to ENERFIT's Burn Rate calculator so that you could put a fat burning plan in place. Now that you know how many calories you need to burn, check out this link from http://www.bodybuilding.com/ which discusses some of the best aerobic exercises for burning fat.

Intensity Part II: Working Opposite Body Parts Together

Today I popped an ENERFIT and hit arms and boy did I hit them good! I worked my biceps and my triceps together which are opposite body parts. Biceps are used along with your back for many pulling type exercises and triceps commonly assist your chest with pushing movements. Not only are they "opposite" in their functionality, but they are also located on "opposite" sides of the arm.

Working opposite body parts together are a great way to really raise the intensity level in your training because you are forcing a lot of blood into one general area (in my case the upper arms were targeted today).

What I mean by working them "together" is that you are interchanging body parts with each exercise or even each set instead of finishing all your planned exercises for one body part before moving on to the other. For example, today I started will bicep barbell curls. I did 4 sets of 10-12 exercises with little rest in between, squeezing the focus muscle hard at the top of each rep. Rather than move onto my next set of bicep exercises, I moved on to tricep pull-downs with the rope. Same thing: 4 sets of 10-12 reps with little rest in between. Even after doing one exercise for my bi's and one for my tri's I was already sweating and my arms were as tight as can be (I may have even been caught admiring them once or twice....or maybe three times but whose counting).

I followed this pattern for 3 more exercises a piece; working one body part for a few sets and then onto the other. When I was finished I was covered in sweat and I felt great knowing that I had achieved an intensity level that was going to change the shape, firmness, and look of my arms (providing I eat right and get enough sleep of course).

Try working opposite body parts during your next workout routine such as biceps with triceps or chest with back (Arnold was known to frequently train chest with back). Remember the idea is to push blood into the focus muscle and don't forget to do what you need to do to reach the proper intensity level as discussed in the last post. Good luck and remember that with every rep you are closer to a Hard Body.