Best for Boulder Shoulders

Everyone wants delts like Phil Heath, but if you don’t have the genetics to build boulder shoulders, we now have scientific proof showing which exercises are best for getting—and keeping—them. 

Researchers wanted to record the EMG activity of the three portions of the deltoid (anterior, middle, and posterior) in eight different exercises. Subjects performed the free-weight bench press, Smith machine shoulder press, pec deck, reverse pec deck, free-weight lateral raise, cable-crossover lateral raise, incline lat

pulldown, and seated row. Here’s a breakdown of the most effective exercises.

ANTERIOR DELTOID

EMG activity of the anterior deltoid did not differ significantly between Smith machine shoulder press, free-weight bench press, or pec deck. However, the researchers found that muscle activation of the front deltoid was greater in the Smith machine shoulder press than in the free-weight lateral raise, cable-crossover lateral raise, reverse pec deck, seated row, or incline lat pulldown.

MIDDLE DELTOID

The researchers noted that the EMG activity of the middle deltoid did not differ significantly among the free-weight lateral raise, cable-crossover lateral raise, reverse pec deck, or seated row. They reported that the free-weight lateral raise resulted in greater EMG activity of the middle deltoid than the shoulder press, incline lateral pulldown, bench press, or pec deck.

POSTERIOR DELTOID

According to the researchers, the EMG activity of the posterior deltoid was greatest during the reverse pec deck, incline lat pulldown, and seated row, and did not differ significantly among these exercises. They also reported that the reverse pec deck resulted in greater activation than the cable-crossover lateral raise, free-weight lateral raise, bench press, shoulder press, or pec deck.

To sum it all up, the research concluded that it’s best to use several different exercises to build impressive shoulders. The best exercises for the anterior deltoid were: the Smith machine shoulder press, free-weight bench press, and pec deck. The best exercises for the middle deltoid were: the free-weight lateral raise, cable-crossover lateral raise, and reverse pec deck. For the posterior deltoid, the best exercises were: the reverse pec deck, incline lat pulldown, and seated row. - FLEX

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10 Quick Tips to Build Mass

Muscle mass is the straw that stirs the drink in the sport of bodybuilding. Talk all you want about symmetry, shape and definition, but in the final analysis, muscle mass is the defining element of a physique. The mass building equation has three components: a correct diet strategy, hardcore training and high tech supplementation. It;s not rocket science, but there are tricks to it, nonetheless.

To save you time and trouble, I've complied 10 tips to jump start anabolism and create a positive nitrogen balance - to pack on muscle mass, you need to take in more nitrogen via protein and training than you excrete through the natural metabolic process.

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1. Emphasize the Negative

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Muscle growth is the logical byproduct of muscle contraction. Much emphasis is placed on the concentric phase of a lift where the muscle shortens as it contracts. But the stretching of the muscle during the eccentric, or negative, phase where the muscle lengthens while maintaining tension can directly cause muscle hypertrophy, too. Emphasizing the negative is an easy technique to overload muscles and promote radical gains in mass.

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2. Eat Fish

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Fish containing higher amounts of fat - salmon, for instance - provide us with the ever popular omega-3 fatty acids. Why is this important? The omega-3s make the muscle more sensitive to insulin; hence, they fuel glycogen storage and amino acid entry into muscles while also preserving glutamine stores.

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3. Increase Sodium Intake

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I'm not kidding. Sodium is an essential mineral that is an absolute must for muscle growth. Sodium has a bad rap because it can cause water retention - anathema to contest ready bodybuilders. On the plus side, sodium enhances carbohydrate storage and amino acid absorption while also improving the muscle's responsiveness to insulin.

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4. Stop All Aerobics

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Aerobic exercise has a detrimental effect on mass building. Aerobics interfere with strength gains and recovery while burning up valuable glycogen and branched chain amino acids (BCAA). Adding mass is the best way to upgrade your resting metabolic rate (RMR); is the RMR is elevated, more calories are burned and it is easier to stay lean.

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5. Lift Explosively

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The amount of force a muscle generates is proportional to the amount of muscle growth you'll be able to create. Force is defined as mass (the weight you use) multiplied by acceleration (the speed at which you push a weight against resistance). To generate more force, then, progressively increase your poundages while lifting explosively - in this context, you actually increase speed during the second half of the rep.

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6. Dramatically increase your calories for three days

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You will never achieve a positive nitrogen balance with a low calorie diet. It takes raw materials - carbs, protein and fats - to build new muscle mass and support recovery. Increasing your calories by 50% (from 3,0000 to 4,500 per day, for instance) for three days can spur growth while adding little if any bodyfat. The key is to limit the increased calories to a designated three day period; you'll be able to stimulate growth by improving muscle sensitivity to insulin and by providing more carbs for glycogen storage. If you are in a overtrained state - and if you're not gaining any new muscle mass, this is probably the case - the additional calories will promote anabolism before fat storage is able to kick in. That's why you want to limit the 50% increase to a three day period. After that time, return to your typical intake of daily calories; you'll have stimulated new growth without adding unwanted fat.

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7. Rest

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Many bodybuilders are unable to pack on mass because they are always training and, therefore, always recovering from those grueling workouts. Taking a couple of days off can restore glycogen, increase anabolism and allow hormonal indexes such as testosterone and cortisol to return to optimal levels.

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8. Eat in the Middle of the Night

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Anabolism depends on an excess of calories. As you are well aware, bodybuilders eat four to six times per day to increase the absorption of nutrients and to provide a steady influx of carbs, protein and fat. Expanding on the four to six meals per day plan is to include a protein drink in the middle of the night that can encourage additional growth. Glutamine EFX, providing 30 grams of protein and carbs along with the 'big three' (see tip #10), is a good option for this late at night infusion of nutrients.

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9. Increase Strength Through Powerlifting

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Your muscles respond to training in three ways. When you train with high reps (more than 15), there is an increase in endurance with no substantive improvement in size or strength. The six to twelve rep range - the range that all big bodybuilders rely on - promotes an increase in both size and strength. Powerlifters generally stay with low reps, two to four per set, which supplements strength with slight variances in size. However, if you set aside one week of training to pile on the weights with low reps the subsequent improvement in strength will make you stronger when you return to the six to twelve rep routine. Here's the formula: More strength equals more tension on the muscle equals more growth.

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10. Supplement with the Big Three:

Glutamine, Creatine and BCAA

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Glutamine is known as the immunity amino. If you are overly stressed from dieting or training, the immune system kicks in, releasing glutamine into the bloodstream. Having low levels of glutamine will inhibit muscle growth - that's why supplementing with glutamine is important.

Creatine is associate with added power and the ability to produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - the chemical fuel source for training and growth. Supplementing with creatine allows bodybuilders to raise creatine levels in the muscle - therefore enhancing strength and ATP - without the unwanted fat that you'd be saddled with by getting all your creatine exclusively from food.

Branched chain amino acids act as a handy fuel source when glycogen stores are low. Adding BCAA to your nutritional program will increase your nitrogen balance while preventing the dreaded catabolic state that derives from overtraining or overdieting.

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7 Sacred Rules for Packing on Muscle Weight You Should Never Break

1. Eat at least five times a day, every two to three hours.  You must keep your system saturated with amino acids and glycogen from protein and carb sources, respectively, if you want to push muscle growth to abnormal levels. You  never know when your body will need these precious nutrients. What's more, not eating every few hours can cause the starvation mechanism to kick  in,  which  signals your body to begin consuming  its own muscle tissue.
2. Center your bodybuilding program around the big compound movements, such as squats and presses. You should strive  for maximum efficiency of effort, or to work as many muscle groups as possible with as few sets as possible. Squats, for example, train not only your quads but also your lower back and glutes, so direct work for the muscles that assist during the squat should be minimal. This leaves more of your recovery ability to help in the growth process when you're out of the gym.
3. Don't  do more than 30 all-out work sets at  any workout, and  less is usually better.Overtraining is the number one reason most bodybuilders can't pack on muscle weight.
4. Don't train more than two days in a row. Your  muscles aren't  the only things that have to recover after a heavy workout; your entire nervous system needs a rest too.
5. Have a protein drink immediately after every traning session. Research  indicates that  boosting insulin levels right after an intense workout promotes muscle protein synthesis, which leads to faster growth.
6. Take  a  break after four to six weeks of  high  intensity training.  Either  take  a full week off  or  downshift  your intensity  for two weeks. This lets you recuperate fully  and  in many cases promotes a new growth spurt.
7. Keep  your  cruise control on. Try to keep your cool during the day no matter what. Getting overly excited can stress you out and cause excessive energy burn, energy your body could be using to fuel extraordinary muscle growth.

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10 Biggest Nutritional Mistakes of Bodybuilders

This article was featured in Muscle & Fitness, December  issue. This is a view on what are the biggest mistakes that bodybuilders do in terms of nutrition. 

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      Larry Scott, the first Mr. Olympia, remarked in 1965 'Bodybuilding is 90% nutrition.' Shawn Ray in 1993 echoed the sentiment: 'The weights, the gym, the training, I can do that part in my sleep; it's fun and relatively easy. It's the other stuff, the dieting and supplementing, that

demands the discipline.' If success is any measure, Shawn knoweth that of which he speaketh. Top professional bodybuilders weight, measure, quantify and chart every bite they put into their mouths.

      Does the grass roots trainer need to go to that level of dedication and exactitude? To maximize gains, yes. Perhaps not to the degree the elite go to, but nutrition is a key ingredient in bodybuilding success. So take a hint. Without a scientific nutrition program, bodybuilding devolves into plan weight training, which is a hell of a lot further down athletic evolution. As Robby Robinson once observed 'Nutrition is everything'.

      Taoist monks in search of spiritual enlightenment have a method for obtaining nirvana called Wu Wei, the Negative Way. In the system of Wu Wei, adherents obtain enlightenment through negation. Rather than try to define the enlightened truth, they identify all that is false. After doing so, they are left with that which is true. Hidden within the science that encapsulates modern bodybuilding nutrition, we have the equivalent of Wu Wei. We can acquire nutritional truth through the identification of that which is false. Identifying the false sheds light on its opposite, the truth. Here are the top 10 false moves of bodybuilding nutrition and their implied opposites.

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1. Eating Too Much

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      We all know the biology. Excess calories are stored as bodyfat. For overeating to be at the top of the nutritional false move list is no mistake. Building muscle is the number one goal of bodybuilding and bodyfat is the bodybuilder's number one enemy. What's the sense of working an impressive set of muscles requiring much blood, sweat and tears, if it's obscured by a layer of lard? May I suggest the obvious? If you are overweight, eat less. The simple act on consuming less food will cause you to lose weight. Be aware, however, that if you eat less but retain your current food profile, you will just construct a miniature version of your old self. Less of the same will shrink you, but your proportion of muscle to bodyfat will stay the same. The end result? You look like your old self, just pounds lighter. Truly sensational physical transformation lies in losing bodyfat while maintaining muscle. To achieve true nutritional nirvana, building muscle while simultaneously losing bodyfat, we need to practice nutrient based dieting.

      To lose fat and retain muscle, besides doing aerobic exercise, you need to eat precise amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. You need to become nutrient conscious. Read the labels on the food you eat. What is the consensus on achieving metabolic nirvana? To hang on to muscle, you need protein and lots of it. To maintain energy and fuel growth you need quality cards. To shed the fat blanket and keep the muscle, to effect the physical transformation you seek, you need lots of quality nutrients, but not in excess. You tread the razor's edge between enough and too much. Everyone is different. Experiment and monitor.

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2. Eating Too Little

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      Undereating is as bad as overeating. Physiologically, it's impossible to build muscle if your diet lacks proper nutrients. Ample amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and yes, even fat are necessary to build muscle. The trick is balance, you need enough high quality food to grow muscle. Yet even the finest muscle fuel will be stored as fat if taken in excess. One key strategy is to confine your eating to 'clean fuel', nutritionally dense foods with little or no fat and sugar. And you need to eat plenty of them. A serious weight trainer who additionally performs regular cardiovascular work will need to the extra nutrients to cope with the additional metabolic demands.

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3. Insufficient Protein

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      The fact remains: Protein is the single most important nutrient for muscle regeneration and building. The trick is to use only lean protein. Protein and fat usually coexist in food sources. Meat, fish, fowl, dairy, these primary sources all can have much fat content. In the old days, we did not worry about such inconveniences. As a result, heavy protein consumers developed nasty clogged arteries and astronomical cholesterol rates. The fault wasn't in the protein, but the fat attached to the protein.

      Nowadays, we hardcore weight trainers confine our protein to nonfat or low fat sources. Skim milk, egg whites, fish, skinless fowl, flank steak, and of course that staple of weight training, protein powder. These foods represent powerful, clean protein sources. Start by ingesting 1 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. To stay anabolic, divide the total intake into 4-8 equal portions and eat these low fat protein sources at regular intervals throughout the day.

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4. Failing to Cook for Yourself

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      Meal preparation is a critical skill. To be truly successful as a bodybuilder, you should be able to prepare your own food. Nutritionally sound foods eaten throughout the day are necessary to obtain anabolism. Most male bodybuilders (and more than a few female ones) do not cook. Big mistake. Why depend on mom, your spouse, restaurants or fast food joints for the endless succession of small, nutritious feedings required to mount a serious bodybuilder effort?

      Not only do you have to come to grips with cooking, but you have to develop a wide and inventive repertoire of dishes and meals. Otherwise you are locked into the equivalent of prison chow. Jail house cuisine is bland, unimaginative, tasteless. Kinda like the clean foods we bodybuilders choose to contend with day in, day out.

      You need a lot of imagination to deal with clean food. Tuna and egg white need not be dull. How do the ignorant become enlightened? Comb the magazines. Read low fat cook books. Assemble your ingredients, set aside some time and have at it. Plus, you'll impress the heck out of your mom when you serve her a low fat gourmet feast some fine Sunday.

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5. Not keeping a Nutrition Log

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      As cumbersome as it might sound, the muscle elite keep daily records of what they consume and when they consume it. They write it all down in a log. This allows them to keep a running tally of their nutritional progress. They establish a long term game plan and keep daily tabs on food and supplement consumption. Tracking results, identifying trends, finding what works, discarding what doesn't, a log becomes your nutritional report card. You can make truly accurate assessments and implement intelligent corrective action when you base your adjustments on factual data and objective analysis. Otherwise it degenerates into wishful thinking and self-delusion.

      So begin by assembling data. The truly complete nutritional log lists date, time, food type, and carb, fat, sugar, sodium, protein and caloric content. Body stats are notated along with short descriptive phrases on the athlete's general condition. Drawn up in column format, the comprehensive notation of a meal takes about two minutes. And you'll find that the purchases of a food nutritional value book (available at any bookstore) will be of a great help. Did I hear you say what a hassle? It could be worse. Thomas Jefferson wrote down every financial transaction he made in his adult life and he lived to be 83.

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6. Too Much Fat & Sugar

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      The twin demons of nutrition. Fat is calorically the densest of all nutrients, with nine calories per gram. Fat is hard to digest and is the body's preferred storage material. Though a certain amount of fat is needed for brain and other bodily functions, the little that's required is easily acquired through regular low fat eating.

      Excess sugar is easily converted to fat once in the body. Buyer beware: A food may be advertised as low fat and still be loaded with sugar. Taken in excess, this sugar can be quickly converted to fat. Quite a few a few of the sports drinks and nutritional sports bars are loaded with sugar. Limit fat intake to roughly 15% of your total caloric consumption.

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7. Not Drinking Enough Water

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      As we know, the body is 67% water, and we should drink lots of water throughout the day. Water courses throughout the body's plumbing; downing copious amounts throughout the day keeps the pipes clean as chrome. So flush the system continually and regularly, regenerating muscle cells through water replenishment. Drink 10 eight ounce glasses of water a day.

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8. Lacking Positive Nitrogen Balance

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      Positive nitrogen balance is the physiological state in which muscular growth is possible. How to achieve it? Take in a fresh supply of muscle building nutrients every 2-3 hours. The human body works most efficiently when given small feedings at regular intervals throughout the day. These evenly spaced feedings should be composed of high quality protein and carbohydrates.

      How can you eat every 2-3 hours when faced with the rigors of a job, family and real world responsibilities? A nutritious sports bar and a glass of skim milk can supply 50 grams of protein and 50-100 grams of carbohydrates. How long does it take to eat a sandwich? Or drink a protein shake? How about a piece of fruit and a chicken breast? You get the idea. This ties into food preparation; pack clean food snacks and graze throughout the day. When an athlete is in positive nitrogen balance, the body is ready, willing and able to grow.

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9. Lacking Food Balance in Meals

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      Imbalance is rampant in this off kilter world. Food consumption is no exception. Balanced eating as defined by some nutritionists is not quite the same as balanced eating as defined by the muscle elite. The optimal feeding, according to the elite, is a skillful blending of lean protein, starcvhy and fibrous carbohydrates, minuscule amounts of fat and no sugar. The proportional divisions vary depending upon individual characteristics. Some folks are carb sensitive and need to keep starchy carbs to a minimum, otherwise they blow up like cartoon characters who've swallowed an air hose. Others thrive on a diet heavy on potatoes and rice with no ill effects.

      How you metabolize food is as individual as your hair color or height. You need to determine how foods affect you. Rule of thumb for proportional balance: 50% calories from carbs, 35% from protein and 15% from fat. This is a good starting point, and careful monitoring once on this 50-35-15 regimen will dictate any necessary adjustments. The goal is building muscle and reducing bodyfat. How do you achieve a real world balance with traveling around with a scale, calorie book, and calculator? At each meal, fill 50% of your plate with carbohydrates. Half of these should be dense, starchy carbs (rice, potatoes) and half should be fibrous carbs (broccoli, green beans, lettuce, etc.). The other half of the dinner plate should consist of lean protein (skinless chicken, turkey, fish, etc.). Don't worry about the 15% fat... it's there!

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10. Ignoring Supplementation

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      We all have little holes and shortcomings in our diets, and supplements help us round them out. All elite athletes use supplements. The expense, hassle and confusion of diet supplementing scares off some trainers. Big mistake. State with a prepackaged multipak. In addition, a quality protein powder, a high grade carbohydrate powder, and a big supply if beef liver tabs will do wonders for your recuperation, training, and physique.

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5 Ways to Eat for Strength

If you train like a strongman, you need to eat like one. Use these 5 tips to fuel your body for your crazy bouts with the iron (or Atlas stones).

You'd probably like to think that lifting big

weight is simply a matter of big muscles—that if you have hulking lats, you can row a barbell loaded with clanking plates until next Thursday. However, if you're not fueling your body properly, you'll find out in a hurry just how shortsighted that philosophy is. You've probably heard the analogy before: your musculature is like a car—if you fuel it with junk, it'll perform like junk. That is absolutely true when it comes to training for strength.

If you're looking to move the most weight possible, then you're going to have to make sure that your muscles are performing like they're running on jet fuel, not 87 octane from your discount, corner gas station. Here are five ways to make sure your body is firing on all cylinders each time you step up to the rack, bench or platform for a big lift.

1) Start With Protein

Protein is essential for driving muscle growth and you need to get at least 1 gram per pound of body weight per day if not 1.5 grams per pound. That's because when lifting extremely heavy, protein is even more critical—for several reasons. The most important reason is to protect your muscle. The heavier you lift, the more mechanical damage your muscle fibers undergo. The more damage your muscle fibers endure, the more recovery they will need. More damage and recovery actually translates to more growth. These three processes require protein. When lifting heavy you can make sure you get ample protein to aid recovery and further enhance muscle growth by getting in about 1.5 grams per pound of body weight per day. That's 300 grams per day for the 200 pounder. Good sources of quality protein include eggs, beef, poultry, fish, and dairy, not to mention whey, casein, and soy protein powders.

2) Continue With Carbs

To be strong set after set, you need plenty of carbohydrates, which will be stored in muscle as glycogen. That's because the primary fuel sources you use when training heavy are creatine phosphate (which burns out after about 10—20 seconds) and muscle glycogen (which kicks in heavily after the creatine phosphate has run out to fuel the rest of your reps). You should shoot for about 2—3 grams of carbs per pound of body weight per day and up to four grams per pound the day before a big lift day. That's 400—800 grams of carbs for the 200 pound guy. Good sources at most meals include slow-digesting carbs such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread and pastas, brown rice, and sweet potatoes.

3) Don't Forget Fat

Fats—both the healthy unsaturated fats and saturated fats—are important for bodybuilders and powerlifters for numerous reasons. Research shows that athletes who maintain higher fat intake, particularly saturated fat, have higher testosterone levels than those who eat lower fat diets. A great source of saturated fat is beef, which kills two birds with one stone—protein and fat. Healthy fats are also important as they not only offer multiple health benefits but they help you stay lean and help your joints recover. When lifting heavy weight, joint recovery is a critical issue. Good sources of healthy monounsaturated fats include olive oil, mixed nuts, avocados, and peanut butter. For essential omega-3 fats go with fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, or white tuna, as well as flaxseed oil and walnuts. Aim to get about 30% of your total daily calories from fat, and 10% of those calories from saturated fat.

4) Count on Calories

You need ample calories each day to fuel heavy workouts. As long as you follow tips 1-3, you should hit about 20 calories per pound of body weight per day. That's about 4000 calories for the 200-pound guy. You need enough calories to make sure you eat more than you burn. If you burn more than you eat, your body will be in starvation mode, which doesn't allow for adequate muscle regeneration, growth or strength gains.

5) Get Stacked

Knowing what supplements to take can make a huge difference in your strength levels. Consider stacking these supplements around your workouts:

Caffeine
This central nervous system stimulant can do more than give you the energy you need for a hardcore workout. Caffeine has been proven in clinical studies to immediately boost muscle strength. It enhances the ability of nerves to intensify muscle contractions. University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers found that taking one dose of caffeine taken an hour before working out allowed trained men to immediately increase their bench press by an average of five pounds. Go with 200—400 mg of caffeine about an hour before workouts.

Arginine
By now you know that arginine increases the amount of nitric oxide (NO) your body produces, which increases blood flow to muscles for a better muscle pump. But arginine is no one-trick pony. One study confirmed that trained men taking arginine for eight weeks increased their bench press strength by almost 20 pounds more than those taking a placebo. Take 3-5 grams of arginine as L-arginine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, arginine ketoisocaproate, arginine malate, or arginine ethyl ester, about 30-60 minutes before workouts.

Creatine
The granddaddy of strength builders is creatine. After years of skepticism, scientists agree that the stuff works well and is safe. Take 3-5 grams of creatine as creatine monohydrate, creatine citrate, creatine ethyl ester, or creatine alpha ketoglutarate, immediately before and after workouts.

Beta-alanine
In the body, this amino acid is combined with the amino acid histadine to form carnosine. Research has determined that muscles with higher levels of carnosine have more strength and endurance. This also holds true in athletes supplementing with carnosine or beta-alanine. Numerous studies on these supplements show that they are very effective at boosting muscle strength and power. Take about 1-2 grams of beta-alanine or carnosine immediately before and after workouts.

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The Real Secret To Building Muscle And Burning Fat

Let me tell you, if there is one question that I get in loads on a daily basis it's about quickly gaining lean muscle mass. People really want to know the "secret" to building a large, muscular body and want to know how to do it NOW!

Most people are simply surprised by the answer I give them.

Really, it's no secret and in this business, you

have to keep everything simple. If you can keep it simple and follow it on a consistent basis, your going to gain a lot of muscle mass. And this is the real secret.

Alright, let's face it, we're all looking for the same thing right? We want to know how to make huge muscle gains in the shortest timeframe possible. We all want that magic secret that will help make us super strong and give us the body of our dreams.

it's that super routine that fits perfectly with our body types, it's the super diet that simply makes us huge, and it's that perfect supplement that gives us that extra edge.

Well, do these things exist?

Well, I've been looking for that secret for over 20 years and you want to know something, I think I've finally found it. Nope, it's not in a bottle and it's not in vial.

This is something that is so simple but it is truly the real secret to building the body of your dreams. The advice I'm about to give you is something that every supplement company doesn't want you to know about. This is something that not even the big muscle magazines doesn't want you to know.

Want to know why they don't want you to know the real secret to gaining muscle mass? Because they'll be out of business. These guys and gals over at the muscle mags and supplement companies want to keep you guessing and always in a state of confusion because that's the only way they'll make money.

Here's my take on building muscle mass. I can sum up the secret of building muscle, and burning fat into 3 points. If you can make sure you hit at least one of these points, each and every workout, you are going to 1) Get Very Strong; 2) Build A lot Of Muscle; And 3) Burn Alot Of Fat.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. I know, it seems pretty simple but trust me, this is truly the fastest and most effective way to build the body of your dreams. It's funny because I've just skimmed through an issue of one of the muscle mags and some of the ads in that magazine are just crazy.

It's no wonder everyone is so confused! Money grabbing supplement companies try and make this rather simple process, more complicated than it needs to be. Muscle magazines don't help because the last time I checked, most of these publications are actually owned by supplement companies.

If it was up to supplement companies like Muscle Tech, they would have you believe that it's only there products that have the real secret to building muscle. Well, old school body builders and trainers have built plenty of muscle well before Muscle Tech every came around.

In fact, I remember when Muscle Tech first came around back in ‘94. My buddies were saying IHAD to try this muscle stack because they believed that it would magically build more muscle mass. No thanks, I'm doing just fine without them. I was a student at the time and I didn't have the money to dish out for these supplements. If I had 200 bucks, you can bet I was going to spend it on food and not supplements. I'd rather have my fridge and cupboards stocked with muscle building food.

Now, what I'm about to tell you is no secret but it's something that most seasoned body builders and athletes know very well. Really, it's the only way to get strong and to build lean, hard muscle mass. If you can make sure to accomplish one of these points each and every workout, your going to get strong and build lot's of muscle.

Alright, what are the points. What is the real secret? I truly didn't understand these points until after about 3 years of training. Than again, I really didn't have any direction or guidance to implement these points.

However, once you truly understand these points and try to achieve one of them, each and every workout, you'll achieve success. Everything else including your diet and rest will fall into place once you understand these points.

These points are what I like to call “Beat Your Last Session” principle. If you can constantly improve in one of the following areas with each workout, your going to build muscle and gain weight. The points are as follows:

1) Use heavier weight than the last workout for the same exercise for the same amount of repetitions and same rest periods ;

2) Use the same weight as your last workout for the same exercise but for more repetitions using the same rest periods ;

3) Use the same amount of weight and repetitions as your last workout but do the exercise is less time;

This is it! If you can do this from workout to workout, your going to grow. The real muscle building magic is with these points. If you can constantly achieve these points with all of your exercises and use them in correct training cycles, your going to gain A LOT of muscle mass.

Pretty simple huh? Let's use the bench press as an example. Let's say you can bench press 185 pounds on the bench press for 6 repetitions for your final set. In order to effectively get strong and build muscle you need to:

• Use heavier weight like, 195 pounds for the same amount of repetitions and the same rest period.

• Do the same weight with the same rest periods for 8 repetitions.

• Do the same amount of weight and repetitions but do them in less time.

If you ever wondered about gaining muscle mass, well, this is it. This is how you build muscle, pure and simple. If you can improve on one of these points with each and every workout, you will constantly challenge your body and therefore, constantly grow. It's that simple. Following the above mentioned principles, you will get strong, build muscle, and burn fat. Simple as that.

If you can't improve with each and every workout, something is wrong. You should beimproving in one of those three areas each and every workout for each and every exercise. Let's say you are doing chest and you have the following exercises:

• Bench press;
• Incline dumbbell press;
• Flat bench fly.

With each of these exercises, you must be improving with each workout. Once you stop improving in one of those areas, you have to step back and take a look at why your not improving. Ask your self:

• Am I eating enough quality nutrients?;
• Am I getting enough rest?;
• Am I getting more stressed and work or school?;
• Do I need to take a couple of weeks off from training?;
• What's changed in my daily routine that has caused me to stop progressing?;

The main point is to find out why your not improving and correct it.

Well, now you now know the real secret to building muscle. It doesn't get any simpler than this - Make sure you improve in those areas each and every workout and your going to gain a lot of muscle mass and get very, very strong. I'm going to strongly recommend a resource that you might want to look at. The resource is called "Somanobolic Muscle Maximizer". The reason I'm recommending this resource is

Remember, the muscle building process is simple. It's not rocket science so keep it simple. If you can employ the above mentioned points, you’ll gain all the muscle you want.

All the best and good luck,

Van 

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