Hamstrings (leg biceps, a.k.a. rear thigh)
tend to respond better to lower rep ranges of 8 or less reps. However, there may be times
when higher rep sets are necessary if you notice a plateau in development of the hamstrings.
Vary the amount of reps widely for quad leg (front thigh) training: low reps to
sets of up to 25+ reps per set. Quadriceps will eventually adapt to a tight rep range (example: you always stay within 8–10 reps) and progress in the
thighs may halt. Changing the amount of reps every 2–3 weeks can help stave off leg
development stagnation (example: weeks 1–3 do 6 reps per set, weeks
4–5 do 12 reps per set). Naturally you'll use more weight on low rep
sets and less on high rep sets.
Arm Training:
If your arms are not responding to your regular training methods, try not
training arms directly for 4 months out of the year. You may lose a little size initially on
your arms, but once you go back to arm training your arms will grow quickly and surpass your
previous arm size. You could, for example, train arms 4 months then no direct training for 2
months then train arms another 4 months and lastly take 2 months off for direct arm lifting.
This could be the ticket to breaking the plateau for your arms.
Training Strategies:
Moderate to heavy workout sessions should not last longer than 1 hour.
After about 45 minutes to an hour your energy level drops significantly and the benefits are
minimal. At times you also risk over training during intense lifting sessions lasting longer
than an hour depending on how you lift.
Lifting Heavy (81–90% of 1RM):
a weight you could lift 4–7 times before failure (totaling about 25 reps between all
sets).
Lifting w/ Moderate Weight (60–80% of 1RM):
a weight you could lift 8–14 times before failure (totaling about 35 reps between all
sets).
Lifting Light (40–55% of 1RM):
a weight you could lift 18–22 times before failure (totaling about 60 reps between all
sets).
Resist using lifting straps. If you find it hard to hold onto heavy
weights, then you will likely need to do grip exercises and wrist exercises.
Perform the first set and stop when you notice your lifting rep speed
is slowing down considerably. Rest. Perform another set and stop when your rep speed slows down.
Repeat this sequence until you reach the targeted number of total reps for the exercise. Move
on to the next exercise and repeat this strategy.
Training To Burn Off The Fat:
Avoid lots of low intensity lengthy aerobics. This common type of cardio
exercise will cause you to lose muscle over time and you become more efficient at burning fat
meaning that you burn less and less fat as you lose muscle size. Lots of low intensity aerobics
can make it more difficult to build muscle and can lead to more fat gain over time. Less muscle
means less fat burned. Do you really want your fat burning machinery to get smaller and more
efficient when you are trying to lose fat?
Have you noticed that long distance marathon runners, though they are skinny, many still
have a little layer of fat covering their bodies? They perform low intensity cardio by slow
running during training. In contrast, take a look at a sprinter. A sprinter usually does not do
much low intensity training, but instead trains in maximum bursts of speed pushing the muscles
to their limits thus yielding a lean muscular body. Regular weight training with heavy weights
functions in a similar way. Replace low intensity aerobics cardio with medium and/or intense and
shorter cardio training (perhaps kept to 20—30 minutes or so). [See note
on doing higher intensity cardio]
Do a physical movement where you include intense bursts of movements for
cardio. Example: instead of doing low intensity elliptical cycling for 45 minutes, do a mix of
moderate and higher intensity elliptical training with several maximum bursts of speed for
30—60 seconds each over a total duration of 20—25 minutes.
Muscle Imbalances:
Acupuncture meridians at various points within your body will halt
progress for building large muscles when muscle imbalances are present. This is generally more
of a problem for men. For example, if your biceps are large in comparison to your triceps,
eventually your biceps will stop growing until the triceps are able to catch up. Likewise, if
your arms are huge compared to your leg size, your arms won't grow more until your legs are
built up to balance out the size ratio between upper and lower body parts.
Until you restore balance to the rest of the body, certain overly developed areas will cease
to develop further. Often neglected muscles include: the back, calves, leg biceps (a.k.a.
hamstrings), forearms, rear deltoids and even the quadriceps (front thighs of legs).
Misconceptions:
Claim: Bodybuilders are people
who aim to get huge for bodybuilding competitions.
Reality: Anybody who is putting forth sincere effort to get
into a higher fitness level is a bodybuilder even if they don't look the part at this moment.
People who enter competitions are at the elite end of the spectrum of bodybuilders (professional
competition bodybuilders). Realizing that you are a bodybuilder can help you feel more motivated
resulting in higher fitness success.
Claim: People get shoulder
injuries doing the bench press.
Reality: People get shoulder injuries because they develop a
muscle imbalance. This can happen when the person does too much chest and front deltoid
exercising in relation to the amount of back and rear deltoid work. Doing less chest work and
more back and rear deltoid work can over time correct this problem. You may need to stop doing
bench pressing for a lengthy time if you have chronic pain in your shoulder. Consult a doctor
if necessary.
Claim: Weight lifting makes
you fat.
Reality: If someone eats a certain amount in order to gain
muscle and then stops training, but still eats the same amount as if they were still lifting,
they now are ingesting excess calories. Excess food in relation to the amount that a person
needs is what makes people who quit training fat.
Date: 07/29/08
Author: Curt Dunmire Author's Link:AllNaturalBodybuilder.com About Author: Curt Dunmire is the publisher, director and owner of
AllNaturalBodybuilder.com; an avid researcher within the health and fitness industry, helping people
to live healthier happier lives. He is also a Webmaster since 1996 and has served as a full-time CAD
drafter at a major corporation in past years.
1RM = Maximum weight you can lift for one
repetition (1 rep max)
×
A higher intensity cardio work-out pushes your heart and lungs past
the comfort zone and lasts for a shorter time period until you are exhausted (examples:
sprinting a number of times, a mix of medium and hard running, a mix of medium and high intensity biking, or a
mix of medium and high intensity elliptical exercise done until you are fatigued). In contrast, aerobics
is done in a comfort zone for a longer duration and does not fatigue a person nearly as quick (walking, light jogging, or other low impact exercise routines that can be performed for a half
hour or longer with relative comfort and not exhausting yourself).