Muscle Building Techniques

A simple way to beat shoulder pain

Q. For a few weeks I've been doing the pulley triceps extension from behind my head, but my elbows are bothering me. What am I doing wrong?

A. Unless you had some pre-existing elbow problem, you're probably using a bar and grip that aren't right for you. Triceps extensions can be rough on the elbows unless you use a bar and grip that are comfortable for you. Try a rope attachment that permits you to keep your hands parallel to each other. That's usually the most natural for the wrists, and the easiest on the elbows.
Source: Flex (July 2005, page 144)

Ed. Note: Keeping your palms facing each other, or even facing you, while you do various pulling and pressing movements is a great way to take the stress off your shoulders. If you get pain in your shoulder when you try overhead pressing movements, try the overhead dumbbell press with your palms facing each other (rather than facing forward).

The 5% System, devised by Muscle & Fitness science editor Jim Stoppiani, is designed to help you gain both strength and size. The 5% System is best used with basic compound exercises, such as
the bench press (flat, incline or decline as well as dumbbell versions), squat, leg press, shoulder press (barbell or dumbbell), seated row and pulldown. Stoppiani also suggests that you perform no more than 2-3 exercises per muscle group and rest for 5-7 days between workouts [e.g. Train the whole body over 3 days (Mon, Wed, Fri) and then again the week after].

• Workout 1 - Week 1

Pick a weight that allows you to do four sets of six reps (but no more than six) with 2-3 minutes of rest between sets. So, let's say you can shoulder-press 100 pounds for four sets of six reps.

• Workout 2 - Week 2

Increase the weight by 5% and reduce the reps by one per set. You'd lift 105 pounds for four sets of five reps.

• Workout 3 - Week 3

Increase the weight by 5% again (10% more than the original weight) and decrease the reps by one per set. During this session, you'd lift 110 pounds for four sets of four reps.

• Workout 4 - Week 4

After your two "up" workouts, it's time for the "down." Reduce the weight by approximately 5% and increase the reps by two per set. So, in our example, you'd press 105 pounds for four sets of six reps.

• Workout 5 - Week 5

Again, bump up the weight by 5% and reduce reps to a total of four sets of five, lifting 110 pounds.

• Workout 6 - Week 6

Repeat the 5% increase and one-rep decrease, lifting 115 pounds for four sets of four reps.

• Workout 7 - Week 7

The final workout drops the weight by 5% and bumps up the reps by two. This brings you to 110 pounds for four sets of six reps, or 10% more than you lifted just six workouts before.

Because your strength varies naturally, if you miss the rep targets for one workout, don't repeat it. Instead, next time, proceed with the planned 5% change in weight and aim for the targeted number of reps.
"The reason it works is due to the two-steps-up/one-step-down progression," Stoppiani explains. "Forcing your muscles to adapt to heavier weight during the two step ups causes biochemical and
structural changes within the muscle fibres that increase both strength and size."
Source: Muscle & Fitness (June 2005, page 140)

Tim Scheet, writing in the May 2005 issue of Muscle & Fitness, suggests this exciting alternative:

"But what if we told you that there's an alternative to spending 30-40 minutes bustin' your butt on the stationary bike, treadmill, stair-stepper or elliptical trainer to shed body-fat?
It's true... What is this great activity? Martial arts, and according to a study from the Human performance Laboratory at Wayne State College (Nebraska), it boosts heart rate and calorie burn to levels equivalent to those produced by a good run. Scientists studied the heart rate and calorie expenditure of 18 male and female beginner-level martial artists during a typical tae kwon do workout. The routine cycled front kicks, butterfly stretches, forearm strikes, crunches, side kicks, quad stretches and push-ups. Researchers found that, on average, the men's heart rate rose to 80% of their maximum heart rate and they burned about 600 calories per hour. The women showed similar results."
Source: Muscle & Fitness (May 2005, page 180)

NOTE: Classes like Boxercise are now very popular and are excellent for building tight, toned, muscular bodies, especially for women, who might not want to push weights like the men.

I've been having trouble with my shoulders and knees. What pain relievers should I use? What else should I do?

Here's what Luke Bucci, author of "Pain Free: The Definitive Guide to Healing Arthritis, Low-Back Pain, and Sports Injuries though Nutrition and Supplements" suggests in the May 2005 issue of Muscle & Fitness:

Evidence suggests that the usual NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin and ibuprofen] are fine for short-term use, as recommended by a doctor," Bucci says. "But they do little to repair or rebuild cartilage." In fact, long-term NSAID use could work against you: "Evidence suggests that the usual NSAIDs might lead to cartilage loss when used in high doses for more than a few months at a time. The newer NSAIDs - like Bextra - are now the primary prescription choice, but over-the-counter varieties work, though aspirin should be your last choice," notes Bucci. Be warned that NSAIDs have serious side effects that become more likely to occur with continued use. And using NSAIDs can limit muscles' capacity to synthesise protein.

In any case, no matter what pain reliever you choose, it's only going to treat the symptoms and not their cause, which is why Bucci recommends supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin. "They're better at preventing joint pain without the potential side effects. Look for products that contain both, as they work better together."
Source: Muscle & Fitness (May 2005, page 46)

Here's what Dr. Sarah Schenker, a nutritionist at the British Nutrition Foundation, had to say when she was asked if protein after a workout was really that important:

"Your post-workout snack can make a big difference. Until recently attention had focused on the importance of carbs, but according to a 2003 study from the Journal of Applied Physiology protein is just as necessary. Researchers studied 387 Marine recruits undergoing basic training, giving a third of the men a high-carb supplement after exercising, a third a high-protein supplement and a third of the men no supplement at all. After two months they found the soldiers taking protein had 30 percent fewer injuries and infections and 40 percent fewer muscle and joint problems." Schenker adds that "protein bars are convenient because the protein they contain is more easily absorbed than other types of protein in some foods."

Source: Men's Fitness (June 2005, page 113)

Muscle Building Supersets: What They Are, Why They Work, and Several Unique Variations You Can Try In Your Next Workout.

The Superset is an top-notch high intensity technique. This technique is not only designed for fat loss but for muscle building too.

The Superset is a very simple concept, basically, you just do two exercises back-to-back, with no rest in between! A quick example of this is doing a barbell curl then going directly into a hammer curl.

Maybe it sounds simple? Well, it definitely is. However there are many different combinations and ways to use the Superset to make it an incredibly powerful training technique.

You need to know what, generally speaking, makes a Superset more effective than two regular sets done with rest inbetween. There are three major reasons why Supersets are so effective for training (and there are many more specific reasons that apply only to specific Superset types):

1. Supersets increase Lactic Acid production, which helps boost Growth Hormone (GH) levels in the body. The body responds to the reduced pH (increased acidity) in the body from the production of Lactic Acid by secreting GH. GH is a powerful fat loss and muscle building hormone.



2. Supersets are time-efficient. By doing sets back-to-back, you reduce your total workout time while still doing the same amount of total work. If you're in a hurry in your workout, Supersets can get you out of the gym faster.



3. Different Superset combinations can help increase muscle fiber activation. Essentially, this means you can use specific exercise combinations to increase the intensity of work on a specific muscle, helping to develop it faster.

Aside from giving a welcome boost in energy, many such drinks contain specific ingredients that aid bodybuilders in other ways. For example, taurine, found in many energy drinks, has muscle-building and muscle protective effects.

Taurine is a nonessential amino acid that is found in the body, primarily in muscle and nerve tissue. It is termed nonessential because the body produces enough naturally so that exogenous sources aren't really needed, at least for normal physiological function.

However, taurine is found in many foods, such as meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and fish. It serves multiple functions, including cell volumising, speeding recovery between workouts and stabilising the cells of electrically active tissues (including the brain and the heart).

There is growing support in the scientific community to classify certain "nonessential" amino acids somewhat differently based on their roles during increased activity (i.e., exercise or work). During heavy training or psychological stress, the body utilises additional amounts of various nutrients, and supplementation may be necessary to ensure optimal performance.

It is known that exercise induces a significant dramatic decrease of taurine levels in predominantly fast-twitch muscle fibres. These decreases are of the same magnitude as those induced by the natural ageing process. Supplementation with taurine replaces depleted intramuscular levels and improves exercise performance by increasing the skeletal muscle's force of contraction (strength).

Another key function of taurine is to help regulate cellular fluid balance. Creators of energy drinks use taurine to enhance the movement of water from the bloodstream into muscle cells (roughly 60% of fluid in the body is found inside cells). This leads to an increase in the amount of intracellular fluid and induces what is called the "cellular volumisation effect."

This effect is also observed with creatine supplementation. Optimising the fluid levels inside muscle cells has been shown to boost the rate at which cellular protein is produced (i.e., it increases the rate at which muscle grows).

Furthermore, taurine reduces muscle damage caused by exercise by speeding recovery between workouts. It also reduces drowsiness, increases mental alertness, and improves reaction time and decision making abilities.

As an energy and strength boost, take creatine along with taurine, whether in capsule form or from an energy drink. The caffeine added to energy drinks consumed prior to training will help your drive and intensity in the gym, as well.

Source: Flex (October 2005, page 112)

How do I stop my knees aching when I train legs?

Are joint-saving glucosamine-chondroitin (GC) supplements the real deal? Active people are buying the anti-arthritis supplements glucosamine and chondroitin in droves, with sales exceeding $2 billion a year. An athlete knows they may get hurt if they train hard enough and all serious athletes develop joint pain at some point and will do what's necessary to get rid of it. Many athletes use large amounts of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, but they can have serious side effects. The anti-pain drug Vioxx was withdrawn from the market last year because it increased the risk of heart attack. In addition, overuse of NSAIDs can cause stomach ulcers. Runner's World (July 2005) reviewed the studies on glucosamine-chondroitin and concluded it works. GC speeds cartilage growth to help protect joint surfaces and allow better distribution of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints. GC enhances joint health and is a useful supplement for bodybuilders. Source: Muscular Development (October 2005, page 136)

Glutamine is one of the most crucial amino acid supplements you can purchase: it promotes physical recovery, stimulates muscle growth, aids digestion, boosts growth hormone (GH) levels, enhances
concentration, increases memory and can even decrease cravings for sweets. The immune system uses glutamine as a primary fuel source, so taking extra helps prevent your muscle stores from being used up. In addition, glutamine is effective in helping muscle cells store more glycogen-the storage form of energy from carbohydrates-and it acts as a cell volumiser, aiding in size and further growth of muscle fibres. Finally, glutamine assists the production of bicarbonate, a biochemical buffer that helps prevent muscle fatigue.

Dosage: Take 5-10 grams of glutamine twice a day. As with most aminos taken in high doses, start with a lower dose and progressively increase as your tolerance goes up.
Source: Muscle & Fitness (August 2005, page 124)

In college I majored in Food Science and Dietetics, ultimately graduating with my four year degree. As I was taught more and more in the program, I became more and more cynical about the information I was being taught. For example, I was taught that athletes do not have greater protein requirements than those of sedentary individuals of the same weight. Really? How fascinating! I learned something very important in college. I realized that sometimes scientific knowledge has yet to catch up with common knowledge, and that sometimes we have to learn to trust what we know to be true versus what we are taught to be true.

Of course, it is now widely accepted that athletes do have increased protein requirements. I guess that million dollar question is, how much more? I like to simplify the whole protein issue through the following example. Your body, in a very basic sense, is like a factory. This factory has to constantly work to produce a product called protein. This product is made up of 20 different parts, eight of which are totally unique and must be shipped in from an outside source. These parts are referred to as amino acids, with the eight unique parts being referred to as the essential amino acids. We also have workers in the factory, utilizing these parts to build these proteins. All 20 parts are necessary to build this product, and if one part is missing, production stops, either temporarily or completely, depending on which part is missing. Now, this is where the information I learned in college becomes laughable. There are things you can do that will increase your need for product (protein). Things like training, drugs, sickness, etc. If we increase the number of workers, but don't increase the number of parts, we simply stop production faster, correct? But what happens if we increase the number of workers and parts at the same time? More product is manufactured, and we become bigger!

So, how much more protein is required by athletes? Who knows! To be perfectly frank, I don't care about how much protein a tennis player needs, or how much a figure skater needs. I concern myself with the needs of bodybuilders. Bodybuilders have protein requirements far greater than that of any other athlete because their success in the sport is based on breaking down muscle tissue during a workout. During the recovery phase, this muscle tissue is repaired, and hopefully comes back slightly thicker than it was before. This constant tearing down and rebuilding is what causes muscular hypertrophy. In order to ensure that the "factory" has all of the necessary "parts" in order to produce protein, I advocate a protein consumption of 3 gm a day per lb of bodyweight. What?!!! That would mean that a 250 lb bodybuilder would consume somewhere in the range of 750 gm of protein a day. This equates to about 3000 kcals from protein alone on a daily basis for this particular bodybuilder. If you're not prepared to do this, I guess you're not prepared to succeed in bodybuilding

Meal timing becomes critical in bodybuilding. It's vitally important that protein is consumed every 2-3 hours, even throughout the night if possible! When we look at newborn babies, we see a similar pattern. Babies will tend to eat every 2-3 hours, even throughout the night. Primarily, they feed on protein. Instinctively, babies know that they need to consume large amounts of protein on a continuous basis. Now, the growth we experience as bodybuilders can't compare with that of a baby. But we also need to constantly keep our body in as anabolic a state as possible. Consuming large amounts of protein helps maintain positive nitrogen balance.

Glutamine is vitally important because it is the most abundant amino acid in the body. While glutamine can be made from the amino acid glutamic acid, it's known as a conditionally essential amino acid. Basically what this means is that although the body can synthesize glutamine, there are times when the bodies need for glutamine outstrips its ability to manufacture this amino acid. Glutamine supplementation acts to prevent muscle catabolism by providing free glutamine in time of increased need. Glutamine has also been shown to increase cell volume and increase protein synthesis. Glutamine should be supplemented daily, with 20-30 grams being an effective dose.

What about branched chain amino acids (BCAA)? Briefly the amino acids L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Valine are the three essential amino acids that are referred to as BCAA. These amino acids make up a large portion of your muscle mass and must be present in large amounts for growth to take place. BCAA's should be taken immediately after a workout along with glutamine to facilitate recovery of the muscles you've just trained.

Now for the next question. What kind of protein should I be using? Well, we all know that whey protein is the best right? Whey is certainly a great protein. But whey is not a perfect protein. Let's examine the major kinds of protein sold on the market today.

Whey Protein
For the longest time, whey protein was considered a waste by-product of cheese manufacturing. Unrefined whey is very sweet and syrupy and contains large amounts of lactose. Through advents in food technology, processes have been developed to extract the proteins from whey, yielding an extremely high quality, low lactose protein. These two processes are micro filtration and ion exchange. Whey protein has several advantages over other proteins, the most important of which is it's extremely high branch chain amino acid (BCAA) content. Whey also seems to have immune system enhancing properties due to it's high content of immunoglobulin proteins. On the down side, whey is tremendously expensive. Many bodybuilders cannot afford to pay the cost associated with a high quality whey protein. Whey protein is also relatively low in glutamine, which is vitally important to any hard training bodybuilder.

Soy Protein
Why the hell are you wasting your time talking about soy? Well my friend, soy is a surprisingly superior source of protein. Although it comes from plant sources, it is a complete protein, given that it is a soy-protein isolate. Let me repeat this. Soy is a great source of protein, but it must be a soy protein isolate, the trade name of which is Supro. Soy protein is very high in both BCAA's and glutamine. Soy-isolate is also very inexpensive when compared to high quality whey proteins. Unfortunately, soy is somewhat low in the amino acid methionine, which reduces it's effectiveness as your sole source of supplemental protein.

Casein (Milk) Protein
Here's the old standby. How many of you think that a milk protein powder is cheap crap? Well, it's a actually a very good source of protein, as long as it's purchased from a reputable manufacturer. There are good brands of milk protein and there are brands that really are crap. However, if you stick with a brand from a major company, you can be fairly confident that you are getting a quality product. Casein has a very high glutamine content, which as we all know is crucial to any hard training bodybuilder. However casein tends to contain high amounts of lactose which can cause problems for some people.

Egg Protein
Before the advent of whey, egg protein was the king, reigning supreme over all others. Egg protein is still a great choice for a protein powder. Additionally, don't forget about real eggs! Just don't eat your eggs raw, as the avidin content in raw eggs can deplete your body of biotin, and you can also get salmonella poisoning. With so many protein powders out there, many often forget to eat high quality protein sources of real food. Egg whites should be a part of every bodybuilders diet.

Well, what to do? Ideally, the best protein supplement on the market would combine the best qualities of these proteins in one formula, the combination of which would overcome the weaknesses or amino acid deficiencies of the others. Let me know when it comes out. Until then, I recommend that you do the following. Buy equal amounts of whey, casein, and soy protein and mix them together in an equal ratio. I know this sounds like a lot of work but it's relatively easy to do and gives you the perfect supplemental protein. Realistically this can produce 6 lbs of protein that is superior to the highest quality whey at a cheaper price than if you had purchased six lbs of whey alone.

As I stated before, some bodybuilders get away from eating quality whole food sources of protein because they supplement with so many high quality sources. Remember from earlier that production will slow or stop if any one part is missing. So the choices you make at each and every feeding is crucial to your bodybuilding success. I'll be the first to advocate the use of junk food in the off season. It's almost a requirement to eat foods with a high fat content in order to consume the calories necessary to attain the muscular size seen on stage today. Anyone who's seen a pro's diet in the off season knows the chicken and rice thing only comes into play pre-contest. What I recommend is that bodybuilders combine complimentary sources of protein, even when eating junk food. If you're going to KFC, down a protein shake along with your chicken. If your going to eat a big steak, eat it with some beans and wash it down with milk.

Metabolism. There isn't perhaps a more frequently used word in the weight loss (and weight gain) vocabulary than this.

Indeed, it's not uncommon to overhear people talking about their struggles - or triumphs - over the holiday bulge or love handles in terms of whether their metabolism is working, or not.

Doctors, too, often refer to metabolism when they try and explain why starvation and water-loss diets aren't scientifically of medically responsible; since, alas, they do not influence or take into account metabolism (there's that word again!).

So, for all of the usage that this rather daunting and biologically-charged word enjoys in our world, you'd comfortably assume that people understand it, right?

Or, at least, they have some fundamental information when it comes to how to speed up their metabolism, right?

Wrong!

Muscle building is not easy. If it was, everyone you know would be 250lbs of pure muscle. Muscle building takes time and effort, and if you aren't willing to dedicate your time and put in extreme amounts of effort, then you are wasting your time. However, if you fully understand the amount of dedication that is needed, then read on and lets get down to business.

Muscle building requires 3 steps. Step 1 and the most important step is the weightlifting, which must be done correctly. This includes your workout routines and programs, as well as the actual exercises that you do. Your workout routine must allow your entire body to get the best workout it can (so that you are not overtraining), and you must do the most effective muscle building exercises. There are tons of different exercises and machines for each muscle group, but there are just 4 that have the greatest effect. These 4 exercises are your "compound" movements. Let me explain.

The most effective muscle building exercises are compound movements. Compound movements are exercises that require your body to use more than one muscle. For example, bicep curls will only require your body to use your biceps. This is known as an isolation exercise. An exercise like the bench press, which mainly requires the use of your chest, but secondarily requires your triceps and shoulders is a compound movement. Including the bench press, there are 4 weightlifting exercises that MUST be included in your workout routines.

The 4 biggest, most effective, muscle building exercises are Squats, Deadlifts, the Bench Press and the Military Press. All 4 are compound movements and all 4 are are extremely important to your workout. The main exercise of your chest workout should be the bench press, the main exercise of your leg workout should be squats, the main exercise of your back workout should be deadlifts and the main exercise of your shoulder workout should be the military press. Exercises like dumbell flyes which works the chest, leg extensions which works the legs, lat pulldowns which works the back and lateral raises which works the shoulders are all fine exercises and I do every one of them, however, the "big 4" exercises are the ones that will allow you to gain the most muscle, size and strength. (Click here for more info on workout routines and programs)

Muscle building step number 2 is your diet. Diets are just as important as the actual weightlifting, because if you aren't eating to grow, then you will NOT grow. You have to eat big, to lift big, to get big. Say that over and over again to yourself until you fully understand it. Some of the diet basics are eating at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight EVERY DAY whether you worked out that day or not. Protein is the building block of muscle. If you can't get at least 1 gram of protein per pound every day from real food, then use a whey protein supplement like powder and bars. Most people use them, and so do I. Click here for more info on protein supplements. Eating very little (if any) saturated fat is important as well. You want to get big, but you don't want to get fat. Also stay away from the rest of the junk food like cookies, candy, cake, anything high in sugar, soda, fast food, fried food, etc. and make sure you are eating enough calories! You have to eat big to get big, remember? (Click here for more info on how to gain weight)

Muscle building step number 3 is "everything else." This includes overtraining and giving your body enough time to rest and recover from your workouts. Make sure you are not overtraining! Overtraining can be just as bad as not training at all. (Click here to learn more about overtraining) This step also includes motivation and dedication. If you aren't consistent, then you are wasting your time. You must stay dedicated and stay motivated. The results won't come easy, and they won't come very fast either, so stay dedicated, and stay consistent, and do all 3 steps correctly, and the muscle building results WILL come!

If you're retired, unemployed, on vacation, or an out-of-season athlete with plenty of time to spend at the gym, continue doing bicep and leg curls, tricep and leg extensions, and other single-joint (isolation) exercises.

However, for those juggling many activities like work, school, family, and sports commitments while trying to fit in quality weight-training workouts, multi-joint movements (also known as compound exercises) are proven time-efficient muscle builders that deliver more results than single-joint exercises.

This does not imply that single-joint movements are ineffective. However, outside the weight room, in daily activities and in sports, virtually every movement involves more than one joint.


Benefits

Therefore, it makes sense to do mostly multi-joint exercises not only from a time management standpoint, but from a functional perspective outside the gym as well. And if you really want to gain mass for athletics or build beach muscles in the coming months before summer, replace those bicep and leg curls with barbell rows, deadlifts and squats for the next several weeks.If your time is limited and you want fast results from these multi-joint (compound) exercises, or if you simply need some motivation, listen to Randall Strossen, Ph.D., who wrote a book called Super Squats back in 1989. He said, "Ignoring the fact that your time is precious and you might not want to spend three hours in the gym hitting each muscle group in turn, and the fact that it's a rare movement in everyday life that truly isolates a muscle group, there's another very compelling reason to stick to the basic exercises: They increase strength and size far more effectively than the isolation exercises. In fact, one compound exercise will produce far more bulk and power than an entire series of isolation exercises."


Proof

Need proof? Take note of the size of powerlifters. Each of their workouts focuses on just three multi-joint powerlifting exercises -- squats, deadlifts and bench presses. Performing several sets of those "big 3" during each workout can quickly yield growth without having to do any single-joint exercises that extend gym time. But limiting yourself to only those three exercises can get stale.

For variety, there are additional multi-joint exercises you can perform to boost muscle size in the shortest amount of time, such as overhead or shoulder presses, pulldowns, dips, lunges, pushups, and dumbbell rows. When you do multi-joint exercises, more muscle groups are used per exercise, stimulating growth throughout the entire body -- including your arms -- due to the release of anabolic (muscle-building) testosterone and growth hormone.

More anabolic hormones are activated during a squat or deadlift than during a single-joint exercise such as a leg extension (knee joint) or bicep curl (elbow).

Following are several multi-joint exercises to incorporate into your workouts. To keep things interesting, occasionally substitute deadlifts and lunges for dumbbell or barbell rows and leg presses. Or do squats instead of leg presses and dips, or pushups rather than bench presses. For shoulders, try upright rows instead of overhead presses.

Find out which multi-joint exercises will bulk you up and try some of the sample workout schedules...

Squats: Recognized mostly for building powerful thighs and hips, squats also add size to the upper body (including the back, shoulders, chest, and arms) due to their anabolic effect.

Deadlifts: The deadlift is another anabolic king because it not only increases lower body growth, but that of the upper body as well.

Leg Presses: These enable you to use heavier resistance than do leg extensions or curls, thus promoting more muscle growth. While three or more sets each of leg extensions and leg curls mainly work the quadriceps and hamstrings respectively, three or more heavy sets of leg presses or squats will strengthen and add more mass to the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals, in a shorter time frame!

Front, Side or Reverse Lunges and Stepups: These are also excellent time-saving multi-joint lower body exercises, and they are particularly more functional for sports and daily activities than leg extensions or leg curls.

Bench Presses, Dips and Pushups: When it comes to the upper body, bench presses, dips and pushups not only add mass to the chest, shoulders and back, but the triceps as well. In fact, they do it much more effectively than single-joint tricep pressdowns or kickbacks. Also, eliminate those single-joint dumbbell flyes for the chest for several weeks; these exercises will build up your chest muscles to a greater degree in less time.

Overhead Presses: Excellent for shoulders and triceps.

Pulldowns, Pullups, Barbell Rows, and Dumbbell Rows: You'll see your biceps grow without doing one curl; not to mention the added size of your back muscles from doing these exercises.


Upright Rows: They're also a bicep and forearm-building movement, as well as a wonderful shoulder and upper back exercise.


sample muscle building workouts

Here's a sample workout schedule utilizing these multi-joint exercises. For those with a full plate of business occupying each week, do full-body workouts every third day with two days off for recovery. For example, train on Monday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Tuesday over a two-week period. If you have more time, try a four-day per week split routine, training the lower body on Monday and Thursday, and the upper body on Tuesday and Friday (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday off).

Full-body "every third day" workouts might include leg presses, deadlifts, dips, pulldowns, and upright rows during one session. The next workout could comprise squats or lunges, bench presses or pushups, pullups or barbell rows, and overhead presses. For those favoring a four-day split program, do several sets of squats and lunges on lower-body days, and choose leg presses and stepups for the next workout.

Upper-body days would involve selecting bench presses, dips or pushups, pulldowns, pullups, or dumbbell rows or barbell rows, and either upright rows or overhead presses.


give it a shot

Devote approximately eight weeks to doing only multi-joint exercises, combined with adequate sleep and nutrition to enhance recovery.

What? no bicep curls for about two months? Well, believe me, after all those sets of pulldowns, pullups, upright rows, barbell rows, seated rows, and one-arm dumbbell rows, your biceps should be huge, not to mention your bigger triceps, shoulders, chest, back, and legs from all the other multi-joint exercises.

And think of all that extra time you will have accumulated to accomplish things outside the gym just by removing the single-joint exercises from your workouts!

By: Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

"The glycemic index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose. The original purpose for the glycemic index was to help diabetics keep their blood sugar under control. The glycemic index has recently attracted a lot of attention in the bodybuilding, fitness and weight loss world and has even become the central theme in numerous best-selling diet books as a method to choose the foods that are best for losing body fat.

"The glycemic index has recently attracted a lot of attention in the bodybuilding, fitness and weight loss world and it has even become the central theme for numerous best-selling diet books.

"According to advocates of the glycemic index system, foods that are high on the GI scale such as rice cakes, carrots, potatoes, or grape juice are "unfavorable" and should be avoided because they are absorbed quickly, raise blood sugar rapidly and are therefore more likely to convert to fat or cause health problems.

"Instead, we are urged to consume carbohydrates that are low on the GI scale as black eye peas, old fashioned oatmeal, peanuts, apples and beans because they do not raise blood sugar as rapidly.

"While the GI does have some useful applications, such as the use of high GI foods or drinks for post workout nutrition and the strong emphasis on low GI foods for those with blood sugar regulation problems, there are flaws in strictly using the glycemic index as your only criteria to choose carbs on a fat loss program.

"For example, the glycemic index is based on eating carbohydrates by themselves in a fasted state. If you are following effective principles of fat-burning and muscle building nutrition such as those outlined in my Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle (BFFM) e-book http://www.BurnTheFat.com), you should be eating small, frequent meals to increase your energy, maintain lean body mass and optimize metabolism for fat loss. However, since the glycemic index of various foods was developed based on eating each food in the fasted state, the glycemic index loses some of its significance.

"In addition, when you are on diet programs aimed at improving body composition, (losing fat / gaining muscle), you will usually be combining carbs and protein together with each meal for the purposes of improving your fat to muscle ratio. When carbs are eaten in mixed meals that contain protein and some fat, the glycemic index loses more of its significance because the protein and fat slows the absorption of the carbohydrates (so does fiber).

"Mashed potatoes have a glycemic index near that of pure glucose, but combine the potatoes with a chicken breast and broccoli and the glycemic index of the entire meal is lower than the potatoes by itself.

"Rice cakes have a very high glycemic index, but if you were to put a couple tablespoons of peanut butter on them, the fat would slow the absorption of the carbs, thereby lowering the glycemic index of the combination.

"A far more important and relevant criteria for selecting carbs - and ALL your foods, proteins and fats included - is whether they are natural or processed. To say that a healthy person with no metabolic diseases or disorders should completely avoid natural, unprocessed foods like carrots or potatoes simply because they are high on the glycemic index is ridiculous.

"I know many bodybuilders (including myself) who eat high glycemic index foods such as white potatoes every day right up until the day of a competition and they reach single digit body fat. How do they do it if high GI foods make you fat? It's simple high GI foods DON'T necessarily make you fat choosing natural foods and burning more calories than you consume are far more important factors. Although it's not correct to say that all calories are created equal, a calorie deficit is the most important factor of all when fat loss is your goal.

"The glycemic index need not be completely disregarded, as it is a legitimate tool in certain situations, but diet programs that hang their hats on glycemic index alone are just another example of how one single aspect of nutrition can be used as a "hook" in marketing and said to be the "end all be all" of fat loss, when it's really only one small piece of the puzzle.

"Eating Low glycemic index foods alone does NOT guarantee you will lose fat. You have to take in the bigger picture, which includes calories/energy balance, meal timing and frequency, macronutrient composition, food choices as well as how these nutritional factors interact with your exercise program.

"For more information on the glycemic index and for a balanced, gimmick-free look at all aspects of fat-burning nutrition, be sure to visit the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle website at: http://www.BurnTheFat.com