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<title>BodyBuildingSecrets</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/" />
<modified>2008-03-31T22:46:03Z</modified>
<tagline>A weblog and training diary by Tom Venuto, CSCS, CPT, Bs.C. -- for hardcore bodybuilders.</tagline>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2008://1</id>
<generator url="http://www.movabletype.org/" version="3.35">Movable Type</generator>
<copyright>Copyright (c) 2008, Tom</copyright>
<entry>
<title>The Forearm Secret of Old Time Strongmen</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/workouts/the_forearm_secret_of_old_time_strongmen.php" />
<modified>2008-03-31T22:46:03Z</modified>
<issued>2008-03-28T21:09:59Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2008://1.182</id>
<created>2008-03-28T21:09:59Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">When you have huge, thick forearms that are so muscular, it looks like you have a bowling pin implanted in...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Workouts</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
When you have huge, thick forearms that are so muscular, it looks like you have a bowling pin implanted in...
<![CDATA[<img class="right" alt ="forearm2.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/forearm2.jpg" width="235" height="163" />
<p>Before I give you the remedy to skinny forearms, first let me explain the two problems.</p>

<p><b>Problem number one is that forearms are one of the "blow off" muscles. </b></p>

<p>Yes, you know exactly know what I'm talking about. Forearms and calves, and for some people, the abs too, are often left for last in the workout and then "conveniently" forgotten or intentionally blown off. Tell me the truth: Do you train calves and forearms as hard and as consistently as biceps or chest? Didn't think so.</p>

<p>Most bodybuilders neglect their forearms or insist that they get enough "secondary" or "incidental" forearm work from training biceps, back and anything else that requires gripping. It's actually quite true that your forearms get worked hard from the mere act of gripping barbells or dummbbells in all your other exercises, especially if you don't use straps. However, unless you have very good forearm genetics, you are unlikely to get optimal forearm development without working them directly.</p>

<p><b>That brings us to forearm problem number two: </p>

<p>Most bodybuilders find that their forearms, like their calves, are stubborn and they don't respond as well as other muscle groups. I'm sure some exercise physiologist out there could give us a scientific reason for this... something about muscle fiber type or somethingorother. For now, however, let's just keep it simple and agree that the forearms are sometimes a stubborn body part.</p>

<p>So what's a skinny-forearmed guy to do? Well, when it comes to stimulating any stubborn body part into growth, I often like to recommend that "harder" and "more" are not necessarily better - "DIFFERENT" is better. So when I recently wanted to take my own forearm development up another notch, I simply asked myself:</p>

<p><i>What kind of habit patterns have I fallen into with my forearm training, and what forearm exercises do I know about but have never done before?</i></p>

<p>Having recently written an article about an old time strongman exercise called the "Zercher Squat" (see previous blog posts), I started thinking about how all the old timers did a lot of grip strength work, and then "THE BIG IDEA" hit me.... No, it wasn't hand grippers (although those are great too)... no, it wasn't the the wrist roller either (excellent little piece of equipment, but I was already using that regularly)... no, it wasn't sandbags (another great grip strength tool, but not really my cup of tea)... <p>

<p>What was it?????</p>

<p><b>THICK BAR TRAINING</b></p>

<p>Lucky for me, one of the gyms I train at has thick bars in a variety of different diameters. The standard olympic barbell is 1.14 inches in diameter (29 millimeters), if I'm not mistaken. The thick bars run from just a wee bit larger than a standard bar, all the way up to three inches in diameter.</p>

<p>Just to give you a reference point, the outer sleeve of an olympic barbell is approximately 50 millimeters, or two inches, so if you visualize doing wrist curls or barbell curls with a grip the size of an oly bar sleeve, then you'll get the idea.</p>

<img class="center" alt ="thick_thin_bar.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/thick_thin_bar.jpg" width="340" height="252" />


<p>So, all I did was to start using the thick bar for all my forearm exercises: wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, and behind the back wrist curls and even reverse curls and some of my bicep curls. That's it. One little change and the result was an immediate increase in forearm development.</p>

<p>Of course, the body adapts quickly, so after a few workouts of thick bar wrist curls, then I looked for a way to increase the intensity further. I like to find various ways to do extended sets. Of course the most common is the descending set, and I use those often. </p>

<p>However, I also like to take the harder form of an exercise and do that first, and then superset into the easier form of an exercise, or the one with greater mechanical advantage. for example, on bicep day, I might do strict bicep curls standing against a post, and then without changing the weight, I step away from the post and continue with semi-cheat curls.</P>

<p>I used the same line of thinking to devise the forearm program you see below. You will reach muscular failure with the thick bar, but at that point, rather than ending the set, continue on with the same poundge, only using the regular bar. The switch over to the standard grip will allow you to keep going.</p>

<p><b>A1 Thick bar wrist curls or behind back wrist curls<br>
A2 regular olympic bar wrist curls or behind back wrist curls</b><br>
3 supersets, 12-15 reps</p>

<p><b>B1 Thick bar reverse wrist curls<br>
B2 regular olympic bar reverse wrist curls</b><br>
3 supersets, 12-15 reps</p>

<p>In order to avoid the "blowing off" of small muscle groups problem, I recommend that you do this quick forearm program right after biceps, and consider your biceps and forearms as a single, flowing unit, because you will already have a pump in your arms and a little bit in your forearms after training biceps. The most recent bicep program I used in conjunction with the new forearm routine looked like this:</p>

<p><b>A1 EZ bar barbell curl 6-8 rep max<br>
A2 Ez Bar Reverse barbell curl 6-8 rep max<br></b>
Perform this superset 3 times 

<p><b>B1 Dumbbell Hammer Curls (together) 8-12 rep max<br>
 B2 Dumbbell Curls (together) 6-8 rep max<br>
B3 Dummbell Hammer Curls (alternating) as many as possible<br></b>
Perform this tri-set 2-3 times </p>

<p>Train your forearms twice a week with this program (just the forearms - use your regular frequency for biceps), even if you are on a standard bodybuilding split where you are accustomed to working each muscle once every 5-7 days. The foreams do not require as much recovery time as the larger muscle groups. This forearm program should be done for at least 6 to 8 workouts, before changing to something else. With each successive workout, be fanatical about progressive overload, adding weight to the bar every time, even if it's as little as a 2.5 pounder on each side.</p>

<p><img class ="center" alt ="thick_bar_wrist_curls_med.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/thick_bar_wrist_curls_med.jpg" width="340" height="397" /></p>



<p>This brief article in no way begins to do justice to the many other uses of thick bars. You could conceivably use a thick bar for any exercise and it will help to improve your grip strength and forearm development (although it may affect the mechanics of the exercise and the amount of weight you can use). The program above is just one way you could use the thick bar to work your forearms in the most direct manner possible.</p>

<p>I realize that many gyms do not have thick bars. It's a shame too, because it's such a valuable training tool. If you have access to thick bars, give this program a try, and then drop a comment on this blog and let me know what  you think.</p>

<p>If you want better forearms, but your gym doesn't have a thick bar,  well, then get on your hands and knees and start begging the owner to get one!<p>

<p>Train hard and expect success,</p>

<p>Tom Venuto</p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>The Ideal Body Measurements</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/articles/the_ideal_body_measurements.php" />
<modified>2008-02-04T16:13:05Z</modified>
<issued>2008-02-03T17:03:54Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2008://1.181</id>
<created>2008-02-03T17:03:54Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">I’m often asked what my body measurements are and/or what are the ideal measurements for a bodybuilder or a classical...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Articles</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
I’m often asked what my body measurements are and/or what are the ideal measurements for a bodybuilder or a classical...
<![CDATA[<hr>
<P><i><b>QUESTION:</b>Tom, there is one thing that I really would like to know – your measurements. You have a physique that (in my opinion) is ideal and your photos are a real inspiration to me.  I am able to move up in weight gradually with my workouts, so I know I am building muscle, but I never have a measurement to shoot for – e.g. biceps, chest, waist, hips, etc.  Also, it seems like certain ratios (for example, chest to waist ratio, and maybe there are others?), would be helpful also.  My thinking is that if my waist and hips are “growing” faster than my chest, then that might be an indicator that I am gaining fat where it likes to show up first (hips and waist).  The measurements I have of myself are: chest, waist, hips, biceps, forearms, thighs, calves.  Thank you. </i></b></p>

<p><img class="left" alt ="tom_venuto.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/tom_venuto.jpg" width="181" height="303" />
 <b>ANSWER:</B>Personally, I no longer take my measurements, although I did regularly when I was a teenager. I do, however think it’s a great way to chart progress. Circumference measurements give you feedback about how well your training (and nutrition) regimen are working and let’s you catch yourself if certain body parts are lagging behind others, or in the case of waist and hips, if you’re gaining body fat. </p>

<p>The waist measurement is an important one, because when your waist circumference is going down, you know your overall body fat is going down. Also, when your waist shrinks even a little bit, it tends to completely change the way you look – even if you don’t gain any muscle, a narrow waist creates an illusion of broader shoulders. Abdominal fat and a large waist measurement is also a health risk.</p>


<p>There have been all kinds of different formulas proposed over the years for the "ideal proportions", but I never aimed for a certain measurement myself. Bodybuilding is a very visual sport. The judges don’t come up on stage and measure your arms in a bodybuilding contest – you are judged on appearance.</p>

<p>
I’ve always gone after a certain "look" as opposed to a certain measurement. I cut out photos of  bodybuilders whose physiques I admire and want to emulate and rather than having a measurement in mind, I always have a picture of my ideal in mind. </p>

<p>On top of a solid base of muscle size, I simply work towards symmetry, so all muscles are developed equally, with no single muscle groups that are out of proportion compared to others - for example, a huge chest and rib cage with small arms looks silly - huge arms and small legs looks un-symmetrical as well. </p>

<p>
I’m not all that hung up on weighing a certain amount either, although I do weigh myself regularly.  The main reason I monitor my weight closely is because in the off season, I’m always interested in gaining more lean body mass and prior to competition I have to make a weight class (middleweight has a 176 1/4 lbs cutoff. )</p>

<p>I'm 5' 8" tall and I weigh 174-176 for competitions. That is very much a "false" weight, however, because I easily lose 6-10 pounds of water weight in the three days before a contest. By the Monday after a Saturday contest, my weight is usually back up to 180-184 or so. Off season, I weigh about 195-200 lbs. My off season body fat is usually around 9-10% and before contests it’s around 4%</p>

<p>Years ago I do remember measuring my arms and they were 17 1/2" cold and 
18" pumped.  That was a long time ago. I would imagine they’re bit larger now, but who knows. My waist is 31-32" most of the year, even smaller before contests (last notch on the lifting belt!)</p>

<p>These are somewhat typical off season / pre contest height, weight and body fat measurements for a natural bodybuilder. In the professional and open federations (not drug tested), those weights and measurements might be considered "small." However, a 17-18 inch arm on a lean and proportionate body can look very impressive.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=steve%20reeves&tag=fitnessrenaissan&index=books&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">
<img class="right" alt ="steve_reeves.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/steve_reeves.jpg" width="169" height="238" /></a>

<p>Steve Reeves for example, was known as one of the most symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing bodybuilders of all time, even though he was not "huge" by today’s standards. </p>

<p>Reeves wrote about ideal measurements frequently and was always striving for his idea of perfection in this regard (and came close to achieving his own personal ideal). One of his criteria for ideal proportions included having his arms, calves and neck measure the same. </p>

<p><u>Steve Reeves Measurements:</u><br>

Arms: 18.5 inches<br>
Calves: 18.5 inches<br>
Neck: 18.5 inches<br>
Thighs 27 inches<br>
Chest 54 inches<br>
Waist 30 inches</p>

<p>In his "classic physique" book, Reeves said his formula for "ideal proportions” was as follows:</p>

<P><u>Muscle to bone ratios:</u><br> 
Arm size= 252% of wrist size <br>
Calf size= 192% of ankle size <br>
Neck Size= 79% of head size <br>
Chest Size= 148% of pelvis size <br>
Waist size= 86% of pelvis size <br>
Thigh size= 175% of knee size </p>

<p><u>Steve Reeves’ height and weight chart for a bodybuilder (natural)</u><br>
5'5" 160lbs <br>
5'6" 165lbs <br>
5'7" 170lbs <br>
5'8" 175lbs <br>
5'9" 180lbs <br>
5'10" 185lbs <br>
5'11" 190lbs <br>
6'0" 200lbs <br>
6'1" 210lbs <br>
6'2" 220lbs <br>
6'3" 230lbs <br>
6'4" 240lbs <br>
6'5" 250lbs </p>

<p>In the book brawn, Stuart McRobert published the old "John McCallum formula for "challenging yet realistic" measurements for "hard gainers. His formula is based on wrist measurement and was also published in the book Super Squats:</p>

<p><u>John McCallum's realistic measurement ideals for hard gainers</u><br>

1. 6.5 times your wrist gives chest girth<br>
2. 85% of the chest girth produces the hips<br>
3. Take 70% of the chest girth for the waist<br>
4. 53% of the chest gives the thigh girth<br>
5. The neck size is 37% of the chest<br>
6. 36% of the chest produces the upper arm girth<br>
7. The calves come out a little less at 34%<br>
8. The forearms get 29% of the chest measurement</p>

<p>Incidentally, McRobert's book Brawn has an entire chapter called "expectations" which discusses the truth about measurement claims.</p>

<p>The Sandow museum site has an ideal measurements calculator based on Earl Liederman’s 1924 book "muscle building". This was before pro bodybuilding during the strong man era, and based on "ideal male Grecian proportions"</p>


<p><a href="http://www.sandowmuseum.com/ideal.html" target ="new">Grecian Ideal Proportions Calculator</a></p>

<p>I find all these measurement ideals very interesting but personally I take them with a grain of salt. </p>


<p>Be careful with some of the formulas for "ideal measurements”, because if they were based on steroid using and or pro bodybuilders, you may get discouraged by trying to pursue an impossible goal for a natural bodybuilder or the measurements of someone with a totally different bone structure than you have. </p>

<p>Measurements - especially arm measurements - are also frequently exaggerated. Twenty inch arms, for example, are rare and when you actually see them in person, you realize just how massive they really are. But somehow beginners and natural athletes get the idea in their head that bodybuilding success means 250 pounds and a 20 inch arm.  </p>

<p>The truth is, a 17 to 18 inch arm on a ripped 175-180 pound physique with excellent balance, symmetry and proportion can look much larger than it really is – it’s an optical illusion of sorts.</p>

<p>Some of these guidelines for “ideal proportions” are the "Grecian" or "classical" ideals while others are ideals for bodybuilders. In either case, keep in mind they are subjective – they’re just someone else’s opinion of what is an ideal measurement. The only opinion that matters in the end is your own.</p>


<p><b><font color=red>Copyright 2008 by Tom Venuto and Bodybuilding Secrets.Com. Do NOT copy without written permission from the author.</b></font></p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Zercher Squats - The Update</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/articles/zercher_squats_the_update.php" />
<modified>2007-12-13T19:03:07Z</modified>
<issued>2007-12-13T18:47:04Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.180</id>
<created>2007-12-13T18:47:04Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">Ok, so I did a month of Zercher Squats. As a challenging &quot;strongman&quot; exercise, it rocks. As a bodybuilding exercise......</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Articles</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
Ok, so I did a month of Zercher Squats. As a challenging &quot;strongman&quot; exercise, it rocks. As a bodybuilding exercise......
<![CDATA[<p>The problem is, by the time you've developed some strength and you get up to your 4-6 rep max or so, it really does get difficult to hold the bar. When you're up to the heavier poundages it really is a tremendous challenge to the core as well. You have to work very hard to maintain an upright torso.</p>

<p>Now, having lots of trainer friends in the "functional training" field, I understand the value of this, but Im not sure about the value of the exercise as a regular staple in a bodybuilding regimen. </p>

<p>I like the Zerchers, and Im sure you can use them to put some size on your legs, and certainly to develop functional strength and toughness, but after my little zercher experiment, would stick with front squats ahead of zerchers as a long term staple if I wanted that bar-in-front effect. I simply feel that I can hit the quads for hypertrophy more efficiently that way.</p>

<p>For as much as a lot of functional trainers rag on bodybuilding exercsies, the fact is you have to train specific to your sport's needs. Some exercises may be awesome for "functional strength" but if they require so much total body effort and technique just to execute the movement properly, then the isolation and concentration that you need as a bodybuilder is lost.</p>

<p>By the way, I only partially redeemed myself (after my weak initial workout - see last blog post), the way I see it. Ive front squatted 315 for reps on numerous occasions, but after a month I only got up to 225 lbs on Zerchers and i found the bar falling before I had maxed out my reps. I have to admit, these are tough.</p>

<p>Zerchers are the type of exercise I'd use occasionally for variety as a boredom buster. I recommend that bodybuilders try some different stuff from time to time - even strong man exercises or odd object lifting - but don't forget your core focus is still aesthetics and hypertrophy.</p>

<p>Until Next time, train hard and expect success,</p>

<p>Tom Venuto</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Zercher Squats: A Very Evil Exercise</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/workouts/zercher_squats_a_very_evil_exercise.php" />
<modified>2007-12-13T19:06:24Z</modified>
<issued>2007-11-13T04:42:59Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.179</id>
<created>2007-11-13T04:42:59Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">I was scheduled for front squats today, and previously was gearing up to start moving the poundages back up at...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Workouts</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
I was scheduled for front squats today, and previously was gearing up to start moving the poundages back up at...
<![CDATA[<p>The Zercher squat is simply a barbell squat where you hold the bar in crook of your elbows. You just rack the bar in the squat rack or power rack a little lower than usual, scoop the bar up with your arms and start squattin.</p>

<p>It is a bit uncomfortable, but actually not as bad as I thought. </p>

<p>This exercise did exactly what I wanted it to do - there is literally NO compressional load on the spine whatsoever. It does take a bit of core strength and certainly the back is involved, but its the absense of that compression force that makes this a really good one for guys like me. I plan to keep doing these a while.</p>

<p>I didn't know what to expect for poundages, so I warmed up with quarters, then slapped on the 45's (135 lbs) and did a few sets of 8-12. My guess is that most people use these as a strength / power exercise with low reps because it does get uncomfortable holding the bar there as the reps go higher, but I'm in this game for hypertrophy so 10-ish reps or so is the place I want to be. </p>

<p>I also decided to do these with 3/4 range of motion and constant tension to maximize the pump and hypertrophy effect. It may be an old strongman exercise, but I did them bodybuilding style for sure. I also changed my foot positions. I found with the wide sumo stance, I could drop below parallel, while with a narrow stance, your elbows hit your thighs. </p>

<p>Well, I thought I did okay for my first time, as I had no reference point for poundages and I definitely felt it for 3 sets of 10 or so at 135. Also, it was the last exercise in the workout with pre exhausted quads and they were continous tension, non-lockout reps. </p>

<p>Then I found out I was being a sissy and I have been out-zerchered by girls:</p>

<object width="380" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gJbgnW80mWk&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gJbgnW80mWk&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="380" height="355"></embed></object>

<p>Then to make the humilation even worse, I found this video:</p>

<object width="380" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hdylzDG17KA&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hdylzDG17KA&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="380" height="355"></embed></object>

<p>Oh, and this is really evil! Zerchers with 315 and chains!</p>

<object width="380" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D9t-aWHYnuk&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D9t-aWHYnuk&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="380" height="355"></embed></object>

<p>Stay tuned!  I will redeem myself from my puny first workout poundages and report back my training progress on the "zercher project." I'll also let you know how it feels on the lower back as the poundages climb. </p>

<p>If you like "evil stuff" try these out and post a comment to let me know what you think.</p>

<p>Tom V...<br>
currently "culking"</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Put Your Weights Away, Or Pull Back a Bloody Stump...</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/put_your_weights_away_or_pull_back_a_bloody_stump.php" />
<modified>2007-11-01T04:41:06Z</modified>
<issued>2007-11-01T04:18:00Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.178</id>
<created>2007-11-01T04:18:00Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">Remember when I said they are &quot;hardcore&quot; at my gym (Strong &amp; Shapely Gym, East Rutherford NJ), well, I didn&apos;t...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>News</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
Remember when I said they are &quot;hardcore&quot; at my gym (Strong &amp; Shapely Gym, East Rutherford NJ), well, I didn&apos;t...
<![CDATA[<p>"He did not pick up his weights."</p>

<p><img alt="HeDidntPutAwayHisWeights.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/HeDidntPutAwayHisWeights.jpg" width="375" height="306" /></p>

<p>Be sure you put your weights away if you ever train here!</p>

<p>Happy Halloween!</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>The Quad Blaster Returns</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/workouts/the_quad_blaster_returns.php" />
<modified>2007-11-01T13:57:00Z</modified>
<issued>2007-10-29T14:18:23Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.177</id>
<created>2007-10-29T14:18:23Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">WNBF natural pro bodybuilder John Bartlett was in town this weekend, so we hit a leg session at Strong and...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Workouts</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
WNBF natural pro bodybuilder John Bartlett was in town this weekend, so we hit a leg session at Strong and...
<![CDATA[<p>Here's what our session looked like; the commentary is below</p>
</p>

<h4>QUADS</h4>
<dl class="workout">

<dt>A1 Front Squats</dt>
<dd>warm up: 95 X 15 reps</dd>
<dd>warm up: 135 X 12 reps</dd>
<dd>warm up: 165 X 10 reps </dd>
<dd>Set 1: 195 X 18 reps</dd>
<dd>Set 2: 215 X 13 reps</dd>
<dd>Set 3: 235 X 7 reps</dd>

<dt>B1 Barbell Back Squat</dt>
<dd>Set 1: 185 lbs X 26 reps (17 reps w continuous tension, brief pause, then 9</dd>

<dt>C1 Quad Blaster</dt>
<dd>3 sets X 30 lbs X 12, 11, 9 reps 3020 tempo, drop dumbell, rep out with body weight</dd>

<dt>D1 Dumbbell Walking Lunges</dt>
<dd>2 sets X 35 lbs X 42, 40 reps (20-21 reps per leg)</dd>

<dt>E1 Bulgarian split squat (static lunge with rear foot on bench)</dt>
<dd>1 sets X 35 lbs X 12 reps 3020 tempo</dd>


</dl>

<h4>HAMSTRINGS</h4>
<dl class="workout">

<dt>A1 Glute ham raise (aka "hamstring death drops")</dt>
<dd>3 sets X bodyweight X max reps with partner assist</dd>

<dt>B1 One legged hyperextensions</dt>
<dd>2 sets X bodyweight X 10-12 reps</dd>

<dt>C1 Strive (variable resistance curve) lying leg curl machine</dt>
<dd>set 1: 12 reps with overload at top (contracted position)</dd>
<dd> set 2: 10 reps with overload at bottom (stretch position)
</dl>

<p>Note: 4-point tempo prescriptions are as follows:<br>
2010 tempo =<br>
2 = negative/eccentric action<br>
0 = pause in stretch position<br>
1 = positive/concentric action<br>
0 = pause in contracted position<br>

</dl>


<p>Tempo is noted where it is important to achieve a desired effect. When no tempo is noted, reps are simply “controlled”, (not fast, not slow)</p>


<h2>Workout Commentary</h2>

<p>We kicked it off with front squats, a perrenial favorite of mine (I even prefer front squats over back squats because its easier on my lumbar spine and it builds the quads more than the glutes).</p>

<p> My poundages were a bit off my peak, but I was pleased nonetheless as it was my best in about 5 months, since I pulled a hip muscle over the summer and had to stop squatting completely for 4 weeks, and then rebuild strength back up from scratch.</p>

<p>I've written about the front squat previously here: <br>
<a href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/workouts/the_greatest_quad_builder_that_no_one_wants_to_do.php">The greatest quad builder that no one wants to do</a></p>

<p align =center><img class ="center"="front_squat_finish.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/front_squat_finish.jpg" width="350" height="227" /><br><i>Front squat, bottom position</i></p>



<p>we hit the quad blaster second in the workout. Doing it after intense front squats of course, is more difficult,  but I wanted to hit the blaster after I was already warmed up and had some blood in the quads.</p>

<p>When I walked into the gym carrying the quad blaster - a big plank of wood with a bunch of straps dangling off it, the girl at the front desk gave me the weirdest look.... I gave her a weird look back (kind of "evil"), and said, "It's a medieval torture device... wanna try it?</p>




<p align=center> <img alt="IMAGE_017.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/IMAGE_017.jpg" width="240" height="320" /><br>
<i>The quad blaster with dummbell</i></p>

<p align=center> <img alt="IMAGE_018.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/IMAGE_018.jpg" width="240" height="320" /><br>
<i>Quad blaster drop set - rep to failure with dumbbell, drop the weight and then keep going with bodyweight!</i></p>

<p align=center><img alt="IMAGE_019.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/IMAGE_019.jpg" width="240" height="320" /><br>
<i>Natural bodybuilder John Bartlett "experiencing" <br>the quad blaster for the first time</i></p>

<p>John's a pretty tough guy, so just so we don't embarrass him too much, we won't post the photos of him crumbled on the floor on his hands and knees after the set was over... But seriously, no need to make fun of him because I've never seen anyone push to total failure in this thing the first time using it. I mean, what's the worst that can happen - if you fail and collapse,  its not like a weight is going to fall on you and its only a couple feet down to the floor, right? (lol)</p>

<p>John liked it! He's "evil" that way... like me... he "gets it"... if it hurts and almost kills you... we like it... because as Neitszche said, "that which does not kill you makes you stronger..." That's hardcore bodybuilder philosophy and opening quote from Conan The Barbarian by the way, but those who are hardcore already know that... all those who are not hardcore, please disregard... (and if youre not hardcore, then what are you doing here on this site? Isnt there a "muscle toning" site where you should be hanging out? Go play with your inner-outer thigh machine.... just kidding... or not....)</p>

<p>Anyway, after the quad blaster, John was talkin about the leg extensions and I said, "yeah, we could do that,  but that would be the easy way out. I say we grab some dumbbells and start walking! So walking lunges it was. Just for good measure, after 2 sets of 40 (20 reps per leg), I did one last set of static lunges (aka, the dreaded "Bulgarian split squat" where the rear foot is elevated behind you by putting it up on a bench or platform.)</p>

<p>We were pretty toasted after all that, so we both mutually agreed to pass on the stiff leg deadlifts, but that did NOT mean we were going to do an easy hamstring workout...</p>

<p>We started with the glute-ham raise, which I affectionately refer to as "hamstring death drops".  Sorry, I blew it and didnt snap a picture of this one, but thats because we had to spot each other. It takes a little while to build up to doing these solo with body weight and added poundage. I'll spotlight the technique on this exericse with photos in a future article.</p>

<p>This can be done on a special apparatus or you can kneel and have a partner hold down the back of your ankles. Shapely had a special bench just for this. You begin on your knees, (most appropriately, as you need to say your prayers before doing this insane exercise), with your torso upright. Then you simply do a controlled "fall" forward, under the power of your hamstrings. It does work the whole posterior chain, but there is really a tremendous load placed on the hamstrings. </p>

<p>most people cant do a single rep with controlled tempo the first time so they need a spotter. An alternative if you are solo is to hold yourself up with a broomstick and spot yourself with the broomstick. </p>

<p>If you try these yourself, go slow and easy the first time and make sure you are warmed up - this is a new stress on the hams you may have never felt before. Rather than the body being fixed and knee flexion occuring by moving the feet, its the exact opposite - your feet/ankles are fixed and you are pivoting your entire upper body, hips and thighs around your knee joint. You may also notice soreness in a place you have never felt it before - i felt it in my lower, outer hamstring.</p>

<p>Second for hamstrings, we moved on to another unusual exercise - the one legged hyperextension. Most people reading this page are probably very familiar with the hyperextension, also known as the low back extension. Well, try that sucker with one leg at a time. Simply fix one ankle behind the pad and let one leg be free, above the pad. Wicked good hamstring and posterior chain exercise. (On a side note, Ive been told this is a great exercise for improving vertical jump).</p>

<p>Last but not least was the strive leg curl machine. If you don't have access to one of these, well then, poor you. You wish you could train at my gym... hahahahahahaha. (sorry, I like to rub it in).</p>

<p>Anyway, there's hope - there is a way you can mimic what this machine does - it has an adjustment lever for the cam which allows you to shift greater resistance to either the top, middle or bottom portion of the exercise. In other words, when you shift the lever to "top" position, you get increased overload at the top and it gets harder to finish the exercise, or when its in the bottom position, there is more load on the bottom range of motion and it gets easier to the top.</p>

<p>Your hamstrings will have no idea what hit them when you use one of these machines for the first time. If you dont have one available, but you do have a training partner, you can simply have your partner add manual resistance at the top or at the bottom of the movement.</p>

<p>That was all she wrote. John and I were up late night - pulled an all nighter actually - in the gym shooting some exercise video clips, and it was insane how both of our legs - quads and hamstrings got more and more sore by the passing hour. By 12 hours after this workout we were feeling it! By the day after, we were limping pretty good... but its all good... good pain that is!</p>

<p>Til next time... train hard and stay clean</p>

<p>Tom Venuto</p>

<p> PS. I almost forgot -- I heard from Carlos Dejesus, a short while back and he finally put up his website where there is info on the quad blaster:<br>
<a href="http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness.com">www.CarlosDeJesusTotalFitness.com</a></p>

<p>I get no financial remuneration for mentioning this, I just figure some people might want a quad blaster of their own, and Carlos is the only place you can get one, since he is the inventor and he holds the patent on it. Sorry I have no other details - dont know how much it costs or how long it takes for him to make each one (he makes them by hand at this point - there is no manufacturing facility). </p>

<p>PPS. I have instructed carlos not to sell one of these to anybody who might be competing against me in bodybuilding in the near future!!! (jest kidding...)

<p>For more info, see my previous posts</p>

<p><b>Introducing the quad blaster</b><br>
<a href ="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/introducing_the_quad_blaster.php">Introducing the quad blaster</a></p>














]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Are You Ready To Compete In Bodybuilding?</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/articles/are_you_ready_to_compete_in_bodybuilding.php" />
<modified>2007-08-04T23:53:17Z</modified>
<issued>2007-08-04T13:48:42Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.175</id>
<created>2007-08-04T13:48:42Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">How many aspiring bodybuilders do you know who desperately want to compete, but who keep saying, &quot;Im not ready&quot;... &quot;I...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Articles</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
How many aspiring bodybuilders do you know who desperately want to compete, but who keep saying, &quot;Im not ready&quot;... &quot;I...
<![CDATA[<hr>
<p><font size =4><b>Q: </font></b><i>Dear Tom: I am a 40-year-old male 5'10", 183 lbs. I’ve lifted most of my life and was a competitive bodybuilder in my early 20's. In my 30's I got married, had a child, and got fat.  Three years ago, I was 186 lbs with 22% body fat.  I began the Body For Life Program which got me back into the swing of things and I’ve kept my body fat below 12% ever since. </i></p>


<p> <i>I’d given up on even thinking about competing again long ago.  I’m somewhat of an ectomorph and never thought it was meant to be.  However, after reading <a href="http://www.burnthefat.com">your excellent "Burn The Fat" e-book,</a> I got motivated and began wondering if maybe I could do again.  </i></p>


 <p><i>The NPC South Carolina State Contest is coming up and I’ve considered entering the Masters Division.  If nothing else, I know this would be what I need to push me to my best shape in years. The BFL photo shoot was fine, but not the same as standing in front of hundreds of people practically naked. </i></p>



<p><i>If I retained my LBM and dropped my body fat to 4-5%, I could still come in at 170 Lbs. What concerns me is a quote I saw on a forum. Someone was defending the freaky mass of drug using pro bodybuilders as compared to smaller natural bodybuilders, and said,  "The only thing more ridiculous looking than a 5'10" 300 lb. bodybuilder is a 5'10" 165 lb. bodybuilder." Do you think I'm really ready to compete again or should I take another year to put on more muscle mass? </i></p>

<P align=justify><i>Sincerely, 
<P align=justify><i>Jim</P></i>

<P> <img class =right alt="bodybuilding_competition.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/bodybuilding_competition.jpg" width="140" height="146" />
<font size =4><b>A:</font></b>It’s very smart to track your numbers and have goals for body weight and body fat, but don’t get too hung up on the digits because you must have a visual goal as well, and that’s the real issue here.</p>
 
<p align = justify>The judges don’t jump up on stage to weigh and measure you. Work to achieve a certain look, not a certain weight. Whether you get that look at 3% body fat and 168 pounds or 4.5% body fat at 182 lbs or 6.1% body fat at 188 lbs, or whatever, is irrelevant.</p>
 
<p align = justify>Don’t get fixated only on body weight. That is only one of many tools you can use for feedback. There’s absolutely no way to tell how you’re going to look at 170 until you're there. What does the mirror tell you? Bodybuilding is VISUAL, not quantitative. It's not your weight that counts, but how well your muscular weight is visually distributed on each inch of your frame. </p>

<p align = justify>That said, it’s true that the taller you are, the smaller your muscle bellies will appear. Even if you’re ripped, you could lose to men who are equally as ripped and have more size at the same height. Size IS definitely one of the judging criteria. If you don’t have enough size you look "ripped, but skinny” and when all else is equal, the bigger man wins.</p> 

<p align = justify>Check out other guys your height in the same divisions and the same level of competition (masters or open?, local or regional? tested or not tested? Etc.), and see what they weigh. What you'll probably find is that men 5'10” (even in drug free local competitions) are usually heavier than 170 (sometimes substantially so), so your concern is a valid one.</p>

<p align = justify> I look very closely at the guys in my division (middleweight), to get an idea of the standards. In open competitions, middleweights are almost all shorter than me, sometimes much shorter, which means they have more muscle, inch for inch and will look thicker and fuller. In open competition, a man 5'8 (let alone 5'10), should ideally be at least a light heavyweight and may look a little thin in the lower weight classes. </p>
 
<p align = justify>In drug tested competitions, it’s different: The average height in the natural middleweights seems to be 5' 7" or 5 ' 6", but there are plenty of natural middleweights at 5’ 8" who have excellent physiques and they are highly competitive. </p>
 
<p align = justify>One thing you should NEVER do though, is look at the height and weight of the IFBB pro bodybuilders or even the NPC national level bodybuilders, and compare yourself to them, because that is a whole different ballgame... if you know what I mean.</p>
 
<p align = justify>Get an idea of what a "competitive weight" is for your height, but again, it’s not just a weight issue, its a visual issue. I won my first contest, the Novice Natural Mr. New Jersey at only 154 pounds. I was not big, but I looked bigger onstage than I actually was. A 5 ' 10" heavyweight can be the biggest guy in the show, and be handily defeated, because even with all that mass, he may lack definition and symmetry.</p>
 
<img class = left alt="natural new jerse bodybuilding 1st pl lightweight" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/naturalnewjersey.jpg" width="210" height="392" />


<p align = justify>Here is a (very old) photo of me at 20 years of age, 5' feet 8" and 154 lbs. (yes a lightweight!) Today, I just squeeze into the 176 lb middleweight class.</p>
 
<p align = justify>If you look at my arms and legs you can see they were pretty thin compared to today. If I were perfectionistic, overly critical of myself and caught up in bodyweight back then, I would have told myself I was too light for my height and possibly not even competed. </p>

<p>However, it was only my second show, I was a novice, it was drug-tested, it was a state level event, and guess what… it was good enough to take home a 1st place trophy, which still sits on my shelf to this day! Was I glad I went through with it? What do you think?</p>

<p align = justify>People will always have opinions, especially in bodybuilding. The guy who made the snide remark about a 5’ 10” natural bodybuilder competing at 165 pounds is one of those typical Internet "haters" who has nothing better to do than troll forums to criticize others and say that "natural bodybuilders look like swimmers." To heck with them!  Those aren't the kind of people you listen to. Their (usually anonymous) opinions don't matter. In fact, those <i>people</i> don't matter and they know it, which is why they have to knock down others and hide behind screen names. </p>

<p> I got so sick and tired of the caustic, critical mentality that pervades internet bodybuilding forums, that I actually started my own Internet community last year and I hardly ever step into other forums anymore. Do whatever it takes to surround yourself with supportive, positive people and put yourself in a motivating environment. Ignore the negativity and destructive criticism.</p>

<p align = justify>On the other hand, definitively take advice and accept honest constructive criticism, especially from those who have competed successfully. </p>
 
<p align = justify>We've all been to shows where someone got on stage who really didn't belong there; whether that means they were downright fat (seen that many times), or whether they just didn’t have any muscle (seen that before too). On one hand, you want to be nice and commend them for getting up there on stage and making the effort, but on the other hand, you want to go wack em' upside the head and say, “Hello… McFly…. What were you thinking????”</p>

<p align = justify>You can’t help wondering why some people don’t realize the type of shape they’re really in. How can you look in the mirror and not see it?  And how could friends, coaches and advisors not see it? (or DID  they see it, but they were just being “nice?”) Sometimes the best gift someone can give you is a brutally honest critique of your strengths and weaknesses. Often, you don’t take it well in the beginning, but later you look back in gratitude.</p>
 
<p align = justify>One of the most important and rarest skills a bodybuilder can ever possess is knowing when you’re really in shape, at your peak and ready… and when you’re NOT. I cover this topic in chapter 4 of <b><a href="http://www.burnthefat.com">Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle</a></b>, it’s a skill called "sensory acuity." </p>

<p>Combine "sensory acuity" with high enough standards and some intellectual honesty, and you will know when you're ready.</p>

<p align = justify>So the real questions to ask yourself are:</p>
 
<p align = justify>"Do I have enough muscle mass for my height to be competitive in my weight class?”</p>
 
<p align = justify>"If it’s clear that I need more size to fill out my 5' 10" frame to be highly competitive in my division, am I going to skip this competition and work on adding more size, or am I just going to go for it anyway?"</p>

<p align = justify>"Is my physique balanced and symmetrical and will I be so shredded that I can beat a bigger guy on conditioning and aesthetics?</p>
 
<p align = justify>"Why am I competing? Am I doing this for myself, for personal improvement and satisfaction; do I even care where I place, or am I dead set on beating everyone else and winning?"</p> 
 
<p align = justify>As long as you give it 100% and you’re honest with yourself about your condition, you’re not going to “look ridiculous.” You might even surprise yourself by placing above other guys who outweigh you – or even coming home with a 1st place trophy. </p>

<p>But like you said, it’s not always about beating the other guy; if it's nothing else, bodybuilding competition is great motivation to push yourself to get in the best shape of your life.</p>



<P align= "justify"><i>To learn more about how the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models get lean for competition, take a look at my ebook
<b><a href="http://tomvenuto.burnthefat.hop.clickbank.net/?TID=situpabs">BURN THE FAT, FEED THE MUSCLE</a></b></i></p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Build A Bigger Chest In 3-4 Workouts Or Less</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/workouts/build_a_bigger_chest_in_34_workouts_or_less.php" />
<modified>2007-04-15T21:43:56Z</modified>
<issued>2007-04-14T13:56:52Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.169</id>
<created>2007-04-14T13:56:52Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">If your pecs are a weak body part, or, if you&apos;ve simply hit a progress plateau in your chest development,...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Workouts</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
If your pecs are a weak body part, or, if you&apos;ve simply hit a progress plateau in your chest development,...
<![CDATA[<p> <img class="right" alt="Tom_Venuto_Most_Muscular_crab.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/Tom_Venuto_Most_Muscular_crab.jpg" width="170" height="214" />

I'm currently on workout 3 of 4 in this pec routine and the results have been so impressive that I decide to write it up for you before I even finish the final workout next week. </p>

<p>Considering I'm on a calorie deficit in a cutting phase, I'm especially impressed with the increase in my chest size and development after 3 workouts. You're not going to gain much if any muscular body weight if you are in a caloric deficit, but NO DOUBT, you can improve the development of a muscle group even while cutting up.  This is a perfect example. I'm going to return to this program again for sure on my next mass phase. This program is called...</p>

<p><b>Multi-Angular Rest Pause With Pump Finisher</b></p>

<p>Here's how it works. You select two exercises. For exercise one ( the main course), I chose a basic pec mass exercise that can be done at any angle from steep incline to flat bench. Thats the primary exercise you stick with for all 4 workouts. Incline Dumbbell Press was the natural choice. I set up on a fully adjustable bench that allows multiple angles of incline.</p>

<p>For exercise two (dessert), I chose an isolation exercise for a pump finisher, and it changes with every workout.</p>

<p>here's the sequence:</p>

<p><b>A1 Incline Dumbbell Press - steep incline - about 65-70 degrees</b><br>
6 reps<br>
rest 10 seconds</p>

<p><b>A2 Incline Dumbbell Press - medium (regular) incline - about 45 degress</b><br>
6 reps<br>
 10 seconds</p>

<p><b>A3 Incline Dummbell Press - low incline - about 20-25 degrees</b><br>
6 reps<br>
10 seconds rest</p>

<p><b>A4 Dumbbell Press - flat bench</b><br>
6 reps</p>

<p>Now rest 2 - 3 minutes.</p>

<p>That's one "set".  Technically of course, that is FOUR SETS, done in <b>rest pause </b>fashion, so lets call it one "round" for clarity's sake.</p>

<p>Yes... that was round ONE.  Now do it two more times.</p>

<p>Note: It helps a lot if you have a training partner change the bench angle so you can stay seated and keep the dumbbells in your hands. Doing it alone is slow and cumbersome.</p>

<p>For poundage, youre going to have to go MUCH lighter than usual. Although I dont train heavy pecs anymore, last time I did, I was doing 6 reps with 125s on the incline. So for this program I took about 50-60% of that; 70 lbs on workout 1, 75 lbs on workout 2,and 80 lbs on workout 3. On the last one, I had to drop to the 75s to finish all 3 rounds and even then I needed some forced reps towards the end. </p>

<p>You may need to decrease the weight on the 2nd or 3rd round, but if at all humanly possible, Do NOT reduce the weight during each round. Doing all four angles at the same poundage is the whole idea. </p>

<p>What may happen, especially if you even slightly overestimated your starting poundage, is that reps may drop with each angle change within a round. First angle - 6 reps is easy. second angle, a little harder, but still no problem. Third angle, you might only squeeze out 5 reps or hit honest failure on the 6th rep. 4th angle (flat), you might hit total failure on the 4th or 5th rep.</p>

<p>Now this is also where a training partner comes in. this routine should not be attempted without a spotter. Sorry, but you are a dork if you try to do this without a spotter. This program causes HONEST muscle failure (I'll explain that in more detail shortly), so you need the spotter for safety, but moreover, you will need a spotter's assistance to complete forced reps, at least on the final round or two, if not the first round.  In general, forced reps should not be overused, but they play an important part of this program.</p>

<p>Ok where were we? Oh yeah, you just finished your 3rd round.  You might be finished! Yeah. some people will be DONE, KAPUT, ZONKED, BONKED, NUKED, GAME OVER, after 3 rounds of that (think about it - that was 12 sets, disguised as 3 sets!) However, for those who want the full course.... come with me and lets finish off those pecs with the pump (oh, you thought were already pumped... heh.. just wait...you'll see what a pump is!)</p>

<p>The second exercise (exercise B) is going to be an isolation exercise.. ie., DB flye, cable crossover, machine flye (pec deck), etc., and you will perform 20-25 reps, non stop in piston-like fashion. use a steady quick tempo, but not so fast that you use momentum.</p>

<p>This isolation /pump exercise will change with every workout:</p>

<p><b>B1 Workout 1: standing cable crossover</b><br>
2-3 sets, 20-25 reps</p>

<p><b>B1 Workout 2: machine flye or pec deck</b><br>
2-3 sets, 20-25 reps</p>

<p><b>B1 Workout 3: decline dumbbell Flye</b><br>
2-3 sets 20-25 reps</p>

<p><b>B1 Workout 4: flat bench cable flyes in cable crossover machine</b><br>
2-3 sets, 20-25 reps</p>

<p>That's it! That's the whole program. Three rounds of multi angular rest pause, then finish your workout with 2-3 sets of 25 reps on a pumping, isolation movement.</P>

<p>This routine is performed within a standard bodybuilding type of split, so it should be done once in 5-7 days, no more. You would probably do another body part after chest,such as biceps or triceps, depending on how you organize your split routine. </p>

<p>I would recommend advanced bodybuilders use this program a couple times a year if and when they need a boost in chest development. This is not the type of program you would use all the time. You would burn out and overtrain. </p>

<p>There's one more very important part of this routine - progression.</p>

<p>On the Incline Dumbbell Presses, you will increase the poundage with every workout. Keep in mind, you will not be able to complete all 3 rounds at all 4 angles for 6 unassisted reps. Its going to get harder each time, even as you get stronger. You may have to use a spotter more with each progressing workout. You may also find that on workout 1 or workout 2, you can complete all 3 rounds with the same dumbbells, but on workout 3, by the 2nd or 3rd round, you have to drop the weight or you'll barely be getting 2 or 3 reps.</P>

<p>Now let me re-emphasize the importance of a spotter. Theres something thats going to happen when you do this routine that does not happen often. You will hit what my training partner and I call "HONEST FAILURE."  This means that  your muscles literally fail, or give out right underneath you. Mind you, this is not something you would usually aim for, but that's just the nature of this program and this is only a 4-workout high intensity "shock" type of routine.</P>

<p>When I say your muscles will give out, I mean that literally. On the last rep or two of 3rd or 4th angle, of the 2nd or 3rd round, your arms may literally buckle underneath you. That's honest failure. </p>

<p>You see, there are several types of failure... First there is "sissy failure".. that's when there is a lactic acid burn or a fatigue in the muscle (you're tired) and because it hurts or youre tired, that causes you to stop. Thats sissy failure (sarcasm).<p>

<p>Then you have positive failure. This is where you can no longer push the weight up in a concentric motion, but you are still able to lower the weight and exert an upward force against the weight. For example, you're bench pressing and you hit the "sticking point," but you are holding that bar at the sticking point (its not coming back down), and you're still exerting force to push the bar upward, but the bar simply isnt moving up!</p>

<p>Then you have honest failure. This is where the muscle simply gives out.. it buckles. you have reached concentric and eccentric failure. This type of failiure is rarely discussed. In fact I don't recall anyone ever writing about it except for Arthur Jones and Ellington darden and the rest of the High Intensity Training (HIT) camp. </p>

<p>Rarely does any body builder tread in this territory, and for good reason, as it is really not necessary and can be dangerous for anyone but a veteran who knows what the heck he is doing - and all the kidding aside for a moment, Im serious about this. Its no joke if your chest and arms give out from underneath you and you dump a 70 or 80 pound dumbbell on your face. (you do like your teeth, don't you?)</p>

<p>However, as a technique you use on rare occasion for a shock routine that breaks through progress plateaus, that untrodden territory is there... for those who dare. There is something about this particular program (multi angular rest pause) that takes you there. Youve been warned! train hard, but be safe!</p>

<p>One last thing gang... For YEARS, I've been "threatening" to write a book or manual about about all my bodybuilding techniques...routines and methods like this one...  high intensity techniques and programs for serious hard core bodybuilders. Yeah, I will get around to it one of these days. In the meantime, I consider this website to be my fun hobby more than anything else and a place where I can really be myself - the bodybuilder - and share some of these techniques and workouts with like-minded bodybuilders who crave the "old school ways" and are sick of the mainstream "fluffy" workouts that litter the mags these days.</p>

<p>So, until I eventually compile a book of my techniques and workouts, I'll keep posting some of them here if you will do me a favor. if you try these programs, would you post comments letting me know how they work out for you... what you feel during and after, and what kind of results you get in the end. Also post any questions you have about anything that is unclear. This will help me a lot when i finally compile all this stuff into a book someday.</p>

<p>I can see the traffic stats here on my blog, so theres lots of people READING this who are "lurking", but if you'd be willing to USE the methods and workouts and you'd post your feedback for me, I'll keep more coming. Otherwise, I might have to just vanish into cyberspace and leave the bodybuilding blogosphere. Sound like a deal? </p>

<p>Now, go out and get jacked!</p> 



]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Unconventional Leg Training Tactics</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/articles/unconventional_leg_training_tactics.php" />
<modified>2007-04-02T04:58:58Z</modified>
<issued>2007-04-02T01:52:28Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.166</id>
<created>2007-04-02T01:52:28Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">My last several posts were about leg training, so I thought I&apos;d continue on that theme today. I was going...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Articles</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
My last several posts were about leg training, so I thought I&apos;d continue on that theme today. I was going...
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<P><img alt="unconventional_page1_med.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/unconventional_page1_med.jpg" width="231" height="320" align ="right"/>
It's sort of a joke in natural bodybuilding circles that drug-free bodybuilders "have no legs."  I hate to admit it's true, but I've been to dozens of drug tested shows where nearly all of the competitors had thick chests, huge arms, wide lats and cannonball deltoids, but almost none of them had any lower body to speak of.  In natural bodybuilding competitions, outstanding quad development can be the difference between winning and losing. Unfortunately, unless you are among the genetically gifted or you use growth-enhancing drugs, developing great quads does not come easy. </P>

<P>If your quads aren't growing and your training consists of nothing but conventional straight sets - you know, the usual 3 - 4 sets of 8 - 12 reps, with a minute or two between sets - then you'd better try something completely unorthodox; something "unconventional." Unconventional training means doing things differently than usual and sometimes even doing the exact opposite of what is considered "normal" training. I'd like to share with you some of my favorite unconventional training techniques that that can help you develop huge, cut, freaky quads, without performance-enhancing drugs.</P>

<P><b><u>UNCONVENTIONAL LEG TRAINING TECHNIQUES</b></u></p>

<P><b>Heavy - Light training.</b></P>

<P>Although most fitness experts agree that the ideal repetition range for developing muscle mass is between 6 and 10, the muscles of the lower body seem to respond very well to a combination of both high and low reps. Why not just train heavy all the time?  Because the heavy - light system works every type of muscle fiber to the fullest.  The result is not just strong, bulky legs like a powerlifter, but the polished, chiseled legs of a bodybuilder.</P>

<P>Former professional bodybuilder Tom Platz, who is known for having the best leg development of all time and who is unconventional to say the least, used this approach to develop his monstrous thighs and win the Mr. Universe title.  Platz has performed squats with 405 for 25 reps, 315 for 50 reps and 225 for 10 minutes nonstop!  The king of quads was equally capable of pushing heavy iron as well with a max single of nearly 800 pounds.</P>


<P>There are a variety of ways you can incorporate the heavy-light principle into your training program.  One way is to designate a separate high rep and low rep day and alternate every other workout.  Another method is to use high rep and low rep training in the same workout.  If you choose the latter, you can perform exclusively high reps or low reps on one exercise or you can do both high reps and low reps on the same exercise.</P>

<P>Don't get the mistaken idea that light day means easy day. High rep squats can be the most brutal workout you could ever subject yourself to. After a few high rep squat workouts, you'll probably even find your heavy days feel easier. After you've conquered sets of 30-40 reps in the squat with 225 lbs., then 405 lbs. for sets of 5-6 reps will seem like a piece of cake! </P>

<P><b>Ascending Sets</b></P>

</B><P>Ascending sets are a little known technique I learned from my trainer, former Mr. Eastern America, <b><a href="http://www.richiesmyth.com">Richie Smyth</a></b> of New Jersey. This is an incredibly effective means of quickly taking a muscle to total failure without having to use near-maximal weights. An ascending set is the opposite of a descending set (drop set). Here's how it works: Select a weight that you can perform 12 reps with on a particular exercise. Do just six reps, then add 10%-15% to the weight.  Now continue with the heavier weight for six more reps. Increase the weight an additional 10%-15% and repeat for a final six reps (That's eighteen reps total.)  Take as little rest as possible between the weight changes.  If you've selected the amount of resistance properly, the second six will start to get difficult and the final six will take a supreme effort - you may need a spotter to assist with the last two or three.  If you have a training partner, you can increase the intensity by reducing or eliminating the rest periods between weight changes completely; simply have your partner add the weight on the bar without you even racking it. </P>

<P><b>Continuous tension &amp; partial reps</b></P>

</B><P>Conventional wisdom says that you must always perform your exercises through the full range of motion. If you were to cut out a third or a half of the movement that would only develop a half or two thirds of the muscle, right?  Wrong! Of all the exercises in the bodybuilder's repertoire, slow, constant tension, non-locking squatting movements have got to be the most difficult - and the most result producing exercises of all</P>

<P>The way to best utilize continuous tension in your quad training is to emphasize the lower range of motion and avoid locking out at the top.  Squatting very deeply and coming only one-half or three-quarters of the way up not only increases the amount of time the quads are kept under tension, but also generates greater recruitment of the teardrop-shaped Medialis. There are several variations of the continuous tension - partial reps technique, including bottom half reps, one and a half's, one and a quarters and the popular twenty-one method.  Bottom half reps are exactly what the name implies; only do the lower half of the range of motion. One and a half's and one and a quarter's are techniques where a single repetition consists of lowering yourself to the bottom position, coming up only one-half or one-quarter, lowering yourself back down to the bottom position and then coming up all the way (but never locking out completely).  Shoot for sets of 8 -10 repetitions in this fashion. Twenty-one's are another popular variation on partial reps. One set consists of seven reps in the top range of motion, seven in the bottom range of motion and then seven in the full range of motion. To increase the intensity even further, do your continuous tension reps slowly with five seconds on the eccentric movement and five seconds on the concentric movement.</P>

<P><b>High reps.</b></P>

</B><P>We've already touched on high reps in the heavy-light system, but high rep leg training is so result-producing that it bears mention on its own. First of all, let me clarify what I mean when I say high reps. I'm not talking about only 12 or 15 reps; I'm talking a minimum of 20-30 and occasionally upwards of 40, 50 and beyond. </P>

<P>There are a lot of "old-school" lifters who adamantly insist that you must stay in the 4-8 rep range and that in order to develop mass and get stronger, you must always strive to increase the weight.  If you are a powerlifter, football player or strength athlete then that's good advice. You'll get strong as an ox training with low reps, but if you want to look like a bodybuilder and not a lineman, then you must use different training systems that work every muscle fiber and engage every energy system: Enter high rep training. I'm not suggesting that you eliminate heavy leg training. What I'm suggesting is that you always include heavy low rep training and lighter high rep training.</P>

<P>There's a trick to doing high rep quad workouts: The secret to hitting reps in the 30-50 range is your breathing. Unless you pause and breathe between reps, you'll find yourself quitting due to a searing lactic acid burn in the muscle at around the 12<SUP>th</SUP> - 15<SUP>th</SUP> rep.  Breathing squats are a form of rest-pause training. Do the first ten reps in a continuous fashion as you normally would.  On the second ten, take a breath between each rep.  On the third ten, you'll probably need two or three deep breaths at the top to recover between each rep.   On the fourth and fifth ten (if you get this far) you'll be gasping for air, taking several deep breaths between every rep.  Breathing in this rest-pause fashion will allow you to complete a high number of reps with poundages that you never thought attainable. </P>

<P>If you're used to training exclusively with low reps, you'll need to build up your endurance gradually.  Start with 20 reps and work you way up to as many as 40 or even 50.  When you hit 40 or 50, increase the weight, drop back to 20 reps and then start working your way up again.  </P>

<P>Keep an accurate training journal and try to beat your previous best at every workout.  If you train with a partner, make a contest out of it and challenge each other to break your rep records.  This type of training is incredibly effective, but brutal. If you're done it right, expect to be lying on your back for several minutes gasping for air after each set. Towards the end of the set, it becomes more a matter of mental toughness than anything. </P>

<P><b>Regressive weight pattern</b></P>

</B><P>A regressive weight pattern is the exact opposite of the conventional pyramid system.  Pyramiding entails increasing the weight and decreasing the reps with each set. It is a good system for developing size and strength, especially if you are starting with basic exercises like squats or deadlifts and you are working up to very heavy weights.  </P>

<P>An unconventional system that may be even more effective is the regressive weight pattern.  On your first set, begin with your heaviest weight when you are fresh and the strongest, then decrease the weight and increase the reps with each set.  To use this system safely you'll need to warm up thoroughly beforehand.</P>

<P>The rationale behind regressive sets is that all the "build-up" sets in a pyramid are wasted and nothing more than warm-ups.  By the time you get to your heaviest set in a pyramid, all the warm-up sets have fatigued you so much you can't lift as much on your heavy sets.  With the regressive weight pattern you don't tire yourself out before getting to your productive heavy sets, therefore all your sets are productive.  Coincidentally, the regressive system was one of Tom Platz's favorite techniques.</P>

<P><b>Post-Exhaust</b></P>

</B><P>Post exhaust is an extension of the heavy-light principle. You select two exercises; a heavy compound movement supersetted with a lighter isolation movement.  Post-exhaust allows you to take the basic compound exercise and work it heavy followed by an isolation movement to flush the muscle and produce a maximum pump.  You get the benefits of training every type of muscle fiber and every energy system in the same workout. An example would be doing heavy leg presses for a 6-8 rep max followed by leg extensions for 20-30 reps.</P>

<P><b>Pre-exhaust</b></P>

</B><P>Pre-exhaust is also a variation of the heavy-light system. The difference from post exhaust is in the order of the exercises.  Once again you select a heavy compound movement and a lighter isolation movement.  This time you do the isolation movement first followed by the compound movement.  Pre-exhaust is a great system if you'd like to perform heavy basic movements like squats, but have difficulty doing so due to lower back or knee problems. You can work the quads to total failure on the leg extensions, then at a point where most people quit, continue to blast the quads even further using the synergism of the powerful hip, lower back and hamstring muscles.  Since you have pre-fatigued your quads you can use much lighter poundage in the squat and still receive the benefits of the exercise without subjecting yourself to injury.  If you can squat 275-315 lbs. easily for reps, then 185-225 lbs. can seem just as heavy when your quads are pre-exhausted.</P>

<P><b>Changing foot positions and stance width</b></P>

</B><P>Here's an unconventional way to thoroughly work every section of the Quadriceps group: Change your foot position with each successive set on a particular exercise.  On squatting movements you can vary your stance width from wide to medium to narrow.  You can also vary the angle of the toes.  For example, pointing the toes out 45 degrees and utilizing a wide stance will recruit the adductor muscles more.  Using a narrow stance with toes forward will recruit the quads more while working the hips, glutes and adductors to a lesser degree.  On leg presses you simply change your foot position on the platform.  On leg extensions, you can point your toes in to work the lateral portion of the quad, out for the inner quad and straight ahead for overall quad.</P>


<P><b>THE EXERCISES</b></P>

<P><b>Front squat</b></P>

<P>Left to their own devices, few people will volunteer to do front squats on their own.  The reason is simple: Front squats are probably the only exercise that is harder than regular squats.  Front squats are difficult to execute because they require extra balance and coordination to hold the bar on the front of the shoulders.  </P>

<P>The rewards of front squatting are well worth the added effort.  Front squats develop the quadriceps better than almost any other exercise.  The reason is because placing the bar on the front of the shoulders allows you to maintain a more upright posture.  This puts more emphasis on the frontal quads while at the same time reducing stress on the lower back, hips and glutes.  </P>

<P><b>Back squat</b></P>

<P>Squats are unquestionably the most effective quad builder of all. For maximum quad development, do "bodybuilding" squats with the bar high on your traps and use a medium to narrow stance. Elevate your heels under a one-inch board or mat to help you maintain your balance if you lack flexibility. Most importantly, squat deep!  Strength Coach Charles Poliquin is fond of saying, "squat down and don't come back up until you leave a mark on the floor." </P>

<P>Do not fear deep squats.  According to most strength training experts, the majority of injuries from squatting come from poor form.  In his book "<U>Weight Training, a Scientific Approach</U>" Dr. Michael Stone, one of the nation's leading experts on weight training writes, "Squatting in which the top of the thighs goes below parallel, has been erroneously associated with damage to the meniscus and ligaments.  Although bouncing and other improper techniques can cause knee damage, there is little evidence that squatting is harmful to a healthy knee."  To avoid injury, use impeccable form and keep your torso rigid at all times. Lower yourself slowly and always maintain control. Keep the torso erect and push through with your legs, avoiding the tendency to lean forward and use the lower back.  </P>

<P><b>Hack machine squat</b></P>


<P>&#9;Full range of motion is crucial on Hack Squats.  Deep hack squats without locking out will give you the greatest quad development possible. You should squat deep enough so the backs of your calves touch your hamstrings. A common mistake is using too much weight and only working the top half of the movement. Lower yourself slowly and under control and do not bounce out of the bottom position.  Drive through with your heels (not off the balls of your feet). As with regular back squats, you should have no fear of injury from doing your hack squats to below parallel provided that you are fully warmed up, you use good form and you have no pre-existing knee injuries. </P>

<P><b>Leg Extensions</b></P>

<P>While not the best mass builder, leg extensions are the most effective exercise for isolating the quadriceps. Leg extensions are a great way to help define and separate the quads and they are also an excellent finishing movement.  Leg extensions can be particularly effective when used together with a compound exercise.  Hold every rep for two seconds at the top of the movement and squeeze for a maximum contraction.  Lower the weight slowly and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.</P>

<P><b>Lunges</b></P>

<P>Lunges are a good quad builder and a great way to develop the glute-hamstring tie-in and the separation between the quads and the hamstrings. Lunges are most effective as a quad builder when combined with a quad isolation movement such as the leg extension.  There are many different ways to perform lunges. For the ultimate in quad development, lunge deep holding dumbbells, and step onto a block or step, emphasizing the bottom range of motion.</P>

<P><b>Sissy Squats</b></P>

<P>&#9;Why are they called sissy squats?  Legendary trainer Vince Gironda once answered, "Because they make a sissy out of the strongest squatter!" When performed as described below, they are a super way to work the quad from the lower Medialis and Lateralis all the way to where the Rectus Femoris inserts into the hip area. To keep maximum isolation on the quadriceps without involving the glutes and hips, lean backward and maintain a straight line from the shoulders to the knees as you squat down (do not flex at the hips). Hold onto an upright support to maintain your balance. Sissy squats should preferably be done last in your routine when your knees are fully warmed up. Like the leg extensions, sissy squats are very effective when combined in a post-exhaust or pre-exhaust superset.</P>

<P><b>THE ROUTINES</b></P>

<P>The techniques I've described can be arranged in a countless number of different combinations.  Note how a different technique can be used with each successive set of the same exercise. These two samples of unconventional leg-training workouts should give you some ideas of how to incorporate unconventional training tactics into your own routine.  These are high-intensity training routines designed for advanced bodybuilders. The weights listed are just used as examples.</P>

<P>If you're frustrated with your current level of quad development, don't resort to drugs; try these routines.  You can develop amazing quads drug-free, you just have to be a little unconventional!</P>

<p><B><U>Unconventional quad routine #1</b></P>

<OL>

<LI><b>Front squats </b></LI>
</U><P>Warm up: 2 sets X 135 X 12</P>

<P>Set 1: 185 lbs. X 6, 205 lbs. X 6, 225 lbs. X 6 (Ascending set: no rest between weight changes)</P>

<P>Set 2: 225 lbs. X 6-8 reps, 185 lbs. X 6-8reps, 135 lbs. X 6-8 reps (Descending set: no rest between weight changes)</P>

<P>Set 3: 185 lbs. X 12-15 reps (Slow, non locking continuous tension set, go only 3/4 of the way up; 5 second positive, 5 second negative)</P>

<B><U><LI>Leg press </U>( regressive weight pattern)</LI>
</B><P>Set 1: 720 lbs X 8-10 reps</P>
<P>Set 2: 630 lbs X 12-15  reps,  </P>
<P>Set 3: 540 lbs X 20+  reps </P>
<P>Set 4: 540 lbs X 8-10 reps feet middle of platform</P>
<P> &#9;450 lbs X 8-10  reps feet bottom of platform close together </P>
<P>360 lbs X 8-10  reps feet middle of platform wide with toes 45 degrees </P>
<P>270 X as many reps as possible feet at top of platform six inches wide. </P>
<P>(Descending set, change foot positions after each weight reduction, no rest between weight reductions) </P>

<B><U><LI>Leg extension </B></U>(ascending sets)</LI>
<P>Set1: 90 lbs X 6 reps, 110 lbs X 6 reps, 130 lbs X 6 reps (toes in)</P>
<P>Set 2: 90 lbs X 6 reps, 110 lbs X 6 reps, 130 lbs X 6 reps (toes out)</P>
<P>Set 3: 90 lbs X 6 reps, 110 lbs X 6 reps, 130 lbs X 6 reps (toes straight ahead)</P>

<P>Superset to:</P>

<B><U><LI>Lunges with dumbbells off step </LI>
</B></U><P>3 sets X 35 lb. dumbbells X as many reps as possible (only bottom half of range of motion)</P>
<B><U>
<br>
<P><b>Unconventional quad routine #2</b></P>

<P><b>1. Back Squats.</B>  </U>Alternate heavy - light every other week</P>
<U><P>Week 1:</P>
</U><P>Sets 1 &amp; 2: 225 lbs. X 20-50 reps</P>
<P>Set 3: 185 X 10-15 reps (one and a quarter reps)</P>

<U><P>Week 2:</P>
</U><P>2 warm up sets, followed by 4 heavy sets (pyramid)</P>
<P>set 1: 225 X 10</P>
<P>set 2: 275 X 8</P>
<P>set 3: 315 X 6</P>
<P>set 4: 365 X 4-6</P>
<P>set 5: 185 lbs X 10-15 (one and a quarter reps)</P>

<P><b><u>2. Hack Machine Squats (</B></U>Regressive weight pattern bottom 3/4 of the movement only; no locking out.)</P>
<P>Set 1: 315 lbs. X 6-8 reps</P>
<P>Set 2: 275lbs.  X 12-15 reps</P>
<P>Set 3: 225lbs.  X 20-25 reps</P>

<P><b><u>3. Smith machine Lunge (</B></U>with rear foot elevated on bench bottom half of range of motion.)</P>
<P>2-3 sets X 115 X 12-15 reps</P>

<P>superset to</P>

<LI><b><u>Sissy squat. </B>2-3 sets X bodyweight X as many reps as possible</u></b></LI></OL>

<p>Copyright, Tom Venuto &amp; Fitness Renaissance, LLC. <span style="color:red; font-weight:bold;">No reproduction of this article is permitted</span>. This article originally appeared as an exclusive for IRONMAN MAGAZINE.</p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Leg Blasting With All Supersets</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/workouts/leg_blasting_with_all_supersets.php" />
<modified>2007-04-02T01:52:11Z</modified>
<issued>2007-04-01T00:57:44Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.165</id>
<created>2007-04-01T00:57:44Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">I use a lot of variety and “muscle confusion” in my training, but even so, there is a thread of...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Workouts</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
I use a lot of variety and “muscle confusion” in my training, but even so, there is a thread of...
<![CDATA[<p>Here’s what today’s session looked like (commentary to follow)</p>
<dl class = "workout">

<dt>A1 Stiff legged Deadlift </dt>
<dd>1 set X 225 lbs X 20 reps</dd>
<dd>1 set X 225 lbs X 20 reps</dd>
<dd>1 set X 245 lbs X 17 reps, pause, then 4 more reps</dd>


<dt>A2 Dumbbell Leg Curl (on decline bench)</dt>
<dd>3 sets X 30 lbs X 8-10 reps</dd>

<dt>B1 Lying Leg Curl</dt>
<dd>3 sets X 200 lbs stack X 6-8 reps</dd>

<dt>B2 Step back Lunges with dumbbells</dt>
<dd>3 sets X 30 lbs X 20 reps per leg (40 reps total)</dd>

<dt>C1 One legged Leg Press, slow continuous tension ¾ reps 4030 tempo</dt>
<dd>3 sets X 190 lbs X 12 reps</dd>

<dt>C2 One legged Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift</dt>
<dd> 3 sets X 30 lb dumbbells X 10-12 reps</dd>

<dt>D1 Quad blaster Squats</dt>
<dd>30 lbs dumbbell X 10-12 reps, then drop dumbbell continue with bodyweight</dd>

<dt>D2 Leg Extension</dt>
<dd>160 lbs X 12-15 reps</dd>
</dl>

<p><b>Workout Commentary </b></p>

<p>Sometimes after doing a lot of straight sets of heavy squatting or front squatting, as the case has been last few weeks, I need to lay off heavily loading the spine, but continue to keep the intensity of the workouts high. </p>

<p>Sometimes I also need to focus more on the hamstrings and posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and low back) more than the quads. It often becomes a matter of habit to squat and do quads first on a leg day, then hamstrings second, and whatever gets done last in any workout tends to get somewhat neglected as you are always more fatigued later in the workout. So… in order to prevent puny hamstring syndrome, we flip the order and sometimes do hamstrings first, and instead of ½ to 2/3 of the workout volume on quads we do the reverse.</p>

<p>And sometimes, I simply like to do a workout that is completely different from my usual style of training. </p>

<p>We did all of the above today by doing hams first, by skipping the squats (except quad blaster squats) and by doing 100% supersets. in fact, this program uses 4 different types of supersets which I’ll explain below</p>

<p><b>Post exhaust group supersets</p>

<p>A post exhaust superset is where you select a compound exercise and then follow it with an isolation exercise. Because the compound exercise is performed first in the superset combination, this allows you to train that exercise heavier than if you did the reverse (pre exhaust). Therefore, you could say that post exhaust is “size and strength, then pump” An example is stiff legged deadlift supersetted to dumbbell leg curls. Another example is Any squat exercise (including quad blaster squats as we did today) supersetted to leg extensions</p>

<p><b>Pre-exhaust supersets</b></p>

<p>Pre exhaust was invented by Robert Kennedy of Muscle Mag international and popularized in the Nautilus days of Arthur jones and HIT training. A pre exhaust superset is where you choose an isolation exercise first and then follow it with a compound exercise. This allows you to take a target muscle group beyond the normal point of fatigue and failure by using the assisting muscles in the 2nd (compound) exercise. A true pre exhaust superset would be like a leg extension supersetted to a squat, lunge or leg press. Another example would be a leg curl supersetted to a stiff legged deadlift. Today we did a “pseudo pre exhaust superset” by performing lying leg curls to step back lunges. I say “Pseudo” because this was an isolation followed by compound exercise, but lunges hit quads moreso than hams.</p>

<p><b>Same muscle group supersets</b></p>

<p>In todays fitness literature there is a ton of information being published about supersets, but most of it is focused on antagonistic supersets such as quads to hams or chest to back (or the opposite movement pattern such as push to pull), or on "non competing body part" supersets like a row (upper body) and a squat (lower body), and so on. these methods can be great for fat loss and conditioning, but for bodybuilding I actually prefer same muscle group supersets. Examples today include quad blaster squats supersetted to leg extensions and stiff legged deads supersetted to dumbbell leg curls</p>


<p>Antagonistic supersets are where you work the muscle on the other side of the joint, Ie, quads to hams, chest to back or biceps to triceps. Antagonistic supersets we used today included leg press (quads) to one leg stiff leg dead (hams) and leg curls (hams) supersetted to lunges (quads)</p>

<p><b>Hi-low rep supersets</b></p>

<p>Using different rep ranges in your superset pairs is a great method that is often overlooked. When most people do supersets, they focus mostly on their exercise selection, as rightly they should. But one thing they miss is the choice of rep range. </p>

<p>It can be extremely effective to pair a heavy exercise (6-8 rep maximum) with a lighter exercise (20 reps). For example, we did 20 rep stiff leg deads followed by 8 rep dumbbell leg curls. Next, we selected a 6-8 rep max for lying leg curls (heavy), then immediately went into step back lunges for 20 reps per leg (40 reps total). It knocks the wind out of you, for sure. Excellent for conditioning and fat loss, plus muscle growth at the same time. You cant lose… if you can hack it.  </p>

<p>That’s was it for today. Without doing any heavy squats, we blasted the daylights out of our legs. Of course we will be back to squatting next time. When it comes to packing on the beef, you always have to go back to the  basics, but when the basics are getting stale, your joints ache or you need to prioritize another body part, don’t be afraid to mix things up and try something different.</p>

<p>Have …er… “fun”... with these superset methods. Drop me a note and let me know how you like em!</p>

<p>TV in NJ</p>

<p><b>PS.</b> By the way if you dont know what "quad blaster squats" are, refer to the previous 3 posts!</p>


<p><a href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/the_secret_muscle_building_weapon_has_arrived.php">The Secret Muscle Building Weapon Has Arrived</a.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/the_secret_muscle_building_weapon_is_unveiled.php">The Secret Muscle Building Weapon Is Unveiled</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/introducing_the_quad_blaster.php">Introducing The Quad Blaster</a></p>

<p><b>PPS</b> If you enjoyed today's info, you will LOVE This:<br>
<b><a href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/workouts/the_quad_hobbler_leg_training_that_will_make_you_limp.php">The Quad Hobbler - Leg Training That Will Make You Limp</a></p>

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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Introducing.... &quot;THE QUAD BLASTER&quot;</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/introducing_the_quad_blaster.php" />
<modified>2008-03-29T15:34:59Z</modified>
<issued>2007-03-11T21:59:58Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.159</id>
<created>2007-03-11T21:59:58Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">I unveiled my new muscle blasting &quot;toy&quot; in the last bodybuilding secrets blog post and after a few close guesses...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>News</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
I unveiled my new muscle blasting &quot;toy&quot; in the last bodybuilding secrets blog post and after a few close guesses...
<![CDATA[<p>The way I "virtually" met the inventor and got my very own quad blaster is a story unto itself... it was one of those "twilight zone" type of coincidences... in this internet age, its pretty wild the people who I end up connecting with...</p>

<p>About three weeks ago, I got an email absolutely out of the blue from some guy named Carlos who (I thought) I didnt know and had never heard of before. He had found one of my natural bodybuilding webpages online, and having found that we both had some things in common (we both had back injuries and were both competitive natural bodybuilders), he emailed me to introduce himself and tell me about this invention of his...</p>

<p>He said it was a piece of equipment made out of wood that made it possible to train legs without any strain on the lower back.  I have to admit, having had ruptured a lumbar disk many years ago and having on and off troubles with barbell back squatting, that did pique my interest.  </p>

<p>But on the other hand, I get "sales pitched" almost daily from people who want me to promote their stupid weight loss or muscle building pills or their "miracle" exercise machines, so I really didn't think much of it... i figured this carlos "character" was probably one of those snake oil salesman who just wanted me to promote their junk for them....</p>

<p>In fact, I remember thinking i would "humor him" and I recall specifically emailing Carlos back and saying, "sure I'll look at your information, but don't expect me to promote or endorse this contraption....</p>

<p>Not three minutes later I got a reply back from Carlos with an email attachment. His email subject line said, 'This device dates back to 1974"... and the email said, 'thank you for looking at this tom, and giving me your opinion. The attachment has a document with the specs for the Quad Blaster. the original plans were drawn up and copyrighted in 1974. My patent was issued in 2000...</p>

<p>When I opened that attachment and looked at the drawing of this device in action I JUST ABOUT FELL OFF MY CHAIR!</P>

<p>This is what I saw</p>

<p><img alt="The%20Quad%20Blaster375.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/The%20Quad%20Blaster375.jpg" width="375" height="218" /></p>


<p>Holy SH*T!!", I said to myself, "I can't believe it!!! I used to train on this machine 16 or 17 years ago!!!!! I know who this guy is!"</p>

<p>As synchronicity had it, it turns out that I had trained on the quad blaster extensively back in 1989 or 1990, the first two years I competed in bodybuilding, and I loved it! At that time, i had incurred a serious injury to my lower back and although I could back squat with a barbell, it was risky business, as back strains and spasms from back squatting often put me out of commission for weeks at a time.</P>

<p>Enter the quad blaster!</p>

<p>We had a few competitive bodybuilders at our gym in Pennsylvania back then and one of them was John venditti, who was an excellent natural body builder who competed at the national level. John used to come into the gym carrying a "board" with some straps attached to it, and all heads turned in the gym and everyone stopped to watch when we saw that this "board" was a portable squat machine.</p>

<p>Well, curiosity got the best of me of course, and I asked John what this thing was, where he got it and if I could use it. He explained it was for narrow stance vertical torso squats, and that he got it from his trainer Carlos DeJesus. John was generous enough to let me use it. </p>

<p>Mind you, this was almost 17 years ago...imagine my surprise when carlos Dejesus emailed me to tell me about this quad blaster machine a few weeks ago! I still cant get over the coincidence.</p>

<p>Normally, I dont ascribe any "special powers" to ANY single piece of equipment. In my view, every piece of equipment is just a tool and nothing replaces the basics like good old barbell squats.</p>

<p>But then again, "the basics" were the reason the Quad Blaster was invented... what about the folks who want to do the basics, like barbell back squats, but cant because of lower back problems?</p>

<p>Well, necessity is the mother of invention, and thats how and why the Quad Blaster was invented. You see, Carlos had suffered from severe low back pain, which was eventually diagnosed as a degenerative disc disease. this prevented him from doing ANY barbell back squats, but as a competitive bodybuilder, he knew that leg extensions weren't going to cut it.</p>

<p>Instead of trying to figure out what exercise could replace squats, carlos asked himself how he could do squats without pain. It was actually by accident how he got the idea.  One day, he was standing in front of a railing that was about mid calf in height. The heels of his shoes got caught on the sidewalk edge just beneath the railing and locked his feet into place.</p>

<p>At that moment, there was a group of people passing by, so he leaned back and squatted down to get out of the way and he immediately felt his front thigh muscles kick in and he noticed there was no back pain. He did it again, this time deiliberately. "WOW!" he said to himself, "If I could only get this kind of effect in the gym!"</p>

<p>So, that's exactly what he set out to do and the quad blaster was born. The year was 1974. By 1979, carlos had the plans copyrighted, and then in 2000, he had the device patented.</p>

<p>With a little help from his own invention, Carlos achieved great success in bodybuilding and became one of the pioneers in drug free bodybuilding, winning the 1981 Natural Mr USA, the 1981 Natural Mr North America and the 1985 Professional Natural Mr. World</p>

<p align ="center"> <img alt="Carlos_Dejesus.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/Carlos_Dejesus.jpg" width="320" height="439" />
  <br><b>Carlos DeJesus, natural bodybuilding pioneer<br> and quad blaster inventor</b></p>


<p>I just finished my second workout with this puppy (since 1990 that is), and let me tell you, I felt some "stuff" going on in my quads that I havent felt in years.</p>

<p>If you look at the photos and illustrations, you will notice two distinct characteristics of the quad blaster squat:</p>

<p>first is the narrow stance. in fact, the feet are completely together. This foot position is almost not possible with a barbell squat, as great flexibility is required for narrow stance barbell squats. the narrow stance squat, as many bodybuilders realize, is a highly quad dominant exercise. The wider stance decreases the isolation of the quads. This foot position makes the quad blaster an ideal bodybuilding exercise.</p>

<p>The second thing you'll notice is the vertical torso. On a regular barbell squat, the torso inclines forward. This is a normal position, required to maintain your center of gravity (otherwise you would fall over). On a smith machine, you can squat with a vertical torso, but the quad blaster is a very different effect</p>

<p>As for resistance, most people will struggle with just their body weight the first time out. A 40-50 pound dumbbell is pretty good resistance even for strong squatters, if the proper form is observed. the dumbbell can be held on the front of the shoulders, much like a front squat (which is my preference). the alternative is to hold the weight behind you as in a barbell hack squat.</p>

<p>Some people who looked at the quad blaster the first time said, 'Its nothing special, it's just a roman chair squat."</p>

<p>Indeed,  the roman chair squat is about the closest thing there is to the quad blaster, but mark my words, it is NOT the same thing.  They ARE similar, but  you have to use the quad blaster to appreciate the uniqueness of the device.</P>

<p>Like a roman chair squat, it does NOT take much weight to get a killer "quad blast" with this device, especially when form is perfect.</p>

<p>Perfect form on the quad blaster means that you keep a vertical torso, or even a very slight lean backwards. As you incline your trunk forward, stress comes off the quads and the hips, glutes and low back take some of the load. It is much more difficult and effective with a vertical torso.</p>

<p>Perfect form on the quad blaster also means (to me at least), continuous tension, non locking reps. If you stand up completely, then all the stress comes off the quads. If you perform 3/4 to 4/5 range reps, this keeps tension on the quads through the entire rep and the entire set. </P>

<p>Unfortunately, this piece of equipment is not commercially available yet. Carlos built mine by hand. Roman chair squats or feet forward, narrow stance smith machine squats would be the closest thing if you dont have your own blaster.</p>

<p>At the present, carlos only builds these one at a time by hand. Carlos said I could give out his email, so if you want more information, contact him at: <b>exercisetherapy1 @ aol.com</b>. 

<p>For now, I'm going to gloat and thumb my nose at you cuz I have one and you dont, hahaha.  Of course, if you're in Jersey and you want to "blast quads" with us and share our quad blaster... email me, and come join us... if you think you can hang!!!</p>

<p>Tom V.</p>
<br>

<p align ="center"> <img alt="quad_blaster_start.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/quad_blaster_start.jpg" width="325" height="406" />
 <br><b>Quad blaster start position... notice knees are not locked out,
which maintains constant tension on the quads</b></p> <br>

<p align ="center"> <img alt="quad_blaster_finish.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/quad_blaster_finish.jpg" width="325" height="383" />
<br><b>Quad Blaster Finish Position...notice vertical torso</b></p>

<br>
<hr>
<p><b>ADDENDUM:</b> Carlos DeJesus finally has a website and you can contact him about his quad blaster at: <b><a href="http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness.com/">www.carlosdejesustotalfitness.com/</a.</p></b>
<br>
<hr>
<br>

]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>The Secret Muscle Building Weapon Is Unveiled...</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/the_secret_muscle_building_weapon_is_unveiled.php" />
<modified>2007-03-06T16:42:11Z</modified>
<issued>2007-03-03T17:22:03Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.158</id>
<created>2007-03-03T17:22:03Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">In my last post, I announced the arrival of my new, secret muscle-building weapon in a big 5&apos; tall box....</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>News</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
In my last post, I announced the arrival of my new, secret muscle-building weapon in a big 5&apos; tall box....
<![CDATA[<p>the muscle building secret weapon is unpacked and unveiled....</p>

<p>What is it?</p>

<p><img alt="secret_weapon_unbodxed.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/images/secret_weapon_unbodxed.jpg" width="350" height="473" /></p>



<p><img alt="secret_weapon_unboxed2.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/secret_weapon_unboxed2.jpg" width="350" height="226" /></p>

<p><img alt="secret_weapon_unveiled1.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/images/secret_weapon_unveiled1.jpg" width="350" height="224" /></p>

<p><img alt="secret_weapon_unveiled2.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/images/secret_weapon_unveiled2.jpg" width="350" height="436" /></p>

<p>Okay, there it is... what is it gang????</p>
<p>-Tom</p>

<P>PS Those of you who have gotten a sneak preview of this puppy in action (you know who you are) dont spoil it for everyone else... let's see who can figure it out...</p>



]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>The Secret Muscle Building Weapon Has Arrived</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/the_secret_muscle_building_weapon_has_arrived.php" />
<modified>2007-03-06T16:42:11Z</modified>
<issued>2007-03-01T00:04:10Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.157</id>
<created>2007-03-01T00:04:10Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">I received a very special delivery in the mail today... came in a huge box... about 5 feet tall, and...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>News</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
I received a very special delivery in the mail today... came in a huge box... about 5 feet tall, and...
<![CDATA[<p>But I'm not going to tell you what it is yet.... I will be breaking it out of the box soon and then I'll tell you the whole story about how I got one... Amazing story too... was sheer incredible coincidence or synchronicity how I stumbled onto this. Only a handful of people in the entire world have one of these...</p>

<p>After I bust open the box, I'll show you some pictures of the "secret muscle building weapon,"  tell you how it works, and maybe even show you some photos of me using it... so you can see "the weapon" in action... </p>

<p>Or... maybe I wont.</p>

<p>Maybe I'll just keep it a secret... and just use it myself to get huge and ripped... It'll be my "unfair advantage!"</p>

<p>Hmmmmm... I wonder what's in the big box?</p>

<p>Whats Tom's "secret muscle building weapon</p>

<p>Maybe if you leave really nice comments and check back tomorrow or the next day, I'll let you in on it... or not... </p>

<p><img alt="specialdelivery.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/images/specialdelivery.jpg" width="350" height="385" /></p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Is &apos;THE PUMP&apos; Necessary for Muscle Growth?</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/articles/is_the_pump_necessary_for_muscle_growth.php" />
<modified>2007-03-06T16:42:11Z</modified>
<issued>2007-02-13T15:57:17Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.156</id>
<created>2007-02-13T15:57:17Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">The pump is the short-term sensation you get during training when your muscles fill up with blood faster than the...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>Articles</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
The pump is the short-term sensation you get during training when your muscles fill up with blood faster than the...
<![CDATA[<p>For bodybuilding and physique athletes, I believe the pump is of substantial importance and is something to pursue. For strength athletes, the pump is less significant. If it’s experienced at all, it’s a by-product rather than something sought directly. </p>

<p>You’ll hear some strength coaches and functional training experts knock pumping workouts because they claim pumping is cosmetic only and emphasizes “form over function.” That may be true, but if you’re interested in bodybuilding or physique development, then maximum pump can be very beneficial.</p>

<p>Most bodybuilders and even most exercise physiologists would agree that workouts that produce maximum pump can provide up to 20-25% of the increase in muscle size. This comes from sarcoplasmic and mitochondrial hypertrophy and increased capillarization. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy looks good and is beneficial to bodybuilders, but you do tend to lose it more quickly with de-training. </p>

<p>The pump has virtually nothing to do with increased myofibrillar hypertrophy – the actual fiber growth that’s responsible for 75-80% of the increase in muscle size. That type of fiber growth comes only from heavy training, which produces much less, if any pump. </p>

<p>Remember something, you can get a pump by dropping down on the floor and doing a few sets of push ups, but that doesn’t mean you are going to get permanent gains in muscle fiber size.</p> 

<p>In his book, The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger pointed out another benefit of the pump, the psychological effect. It feels good and is very satisfying to watch your muscles swell up and see the veins bulge right before your eyes in a matter of minutes. Arnold wrote:</p>

<p><i>"When you are pumped up, you feel better and stronger, and it’s easier to motivate yourself to train hard and achieve a high level of intensity. Sometimes you will walk into the gym and feel tired and lazy but you will get a fantastic pump after a few minutes of work and suddenly feel strong and energetic.” </i></p>

<p>A good pump can be a good indicator of an effective workout from a bodybuilding standpoint. The late bodybuilding guru and trainer of the stars, Vince Gironda, taught that a workout taken to maximum pump and then stopped before the pump began to subside was the optimal volume, tempo and duration: </p>

<p><i>“My own method would be to exercise until I noticed a pump loss,” said Vince. “I would then check back the number of sets and reps required to achieve this effect (noting the tempo and the amount of rest between sets). In this way I was able to calculate my personal exercise level.” </i><p>

<p>As important the pump might be for bodybuilders, the criteria that are more important than pump are progressive overload, intensity and of course recovery. Probably nothing is more important in bodybuilding or strength training than progressive overload. This means you must beat your previous workouts and increase the amount of weight you use in a slow, steady and systematic fashion (using periodization of course, because you can't keep adding weight to the bar forever in a linear fashion). </p>


<p>Some of the best gains I have ever achieved came from combining heavy strength workouts using a 5-6 rep max on basic exercises, with maximum pumping methods such as supersets, short rest intervals and medium-high reps. </p>

<p>I also believe that pump workouts combined with strength workouts give the muscles a more “polished” look than low rep strength workouts alone. High rep workouts alone do little more than flush blood into the area worked and contrary to popular belief, high reps do NOT get you “ripped.” </p>

<p>The “ripped” look is mostly a matter of low body fat, but if body composition is equal, the trainee who has done both types of training will usually have a more “finished” look to his or her physique than the trainee who only does low reps with heavy weight. If you look at powerlifters and strongmen, you’ll notice that even the ones with low body fat usually lack the polished look that competitive bodybuilders possess. </p>

<p>So if you’re a strength athlete, then don’t measure your workout effectiveness based on pump. Focus on heavy weight with progressive overload on movement patterns and exercises relevant to your goals. But if  you're like me and your goal is bodybuilding or physique development, then go after BOTH: pump and heavy, intense, fiber-stimulating training with progressive overload.</p>


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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Another Reason I Love My Gym</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/another_reason_i_love_my_gym.php" />
<modified>2007-03-06T16:42:11Z</modified>
<issued>2007-01-13T18:08:06Z</issued>
<id>tag:www.bodybuildingsecrets.com,2007://1.155</id>
<created>2007-01-13T18:08:06Z</created>
<summary type="text/plain">I&apos;d be negligent If I didnt give a shout out to Empire Fitness Club in Hoboken, NJ, where I was...</summary>
<author>
<name>Tom</name>
<url>http://bodybuildingsecrets.com</url>
<email>tomvenuto@mindspring.com</email>
</author>
<dc:subject>News</dc:subject>
<content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/">
I&apos;d be negligent If I didnt give a shout out to Empire Fitness Club in Hoboken, NJ, where I was...
<![CDATA[<p>Home gym training is really popular these days, and I even know a few bodybuilders who built some kick-ass home gyms, and trained there all the way to competition!  But with all due respect to the home gym trainers, I could just never dig training at home... no atmosphere... Home is where I sleep, eat, rest, relax, watch DVD's, surf the net... and some other stuff... Its my personal space. the energy to train is just not there. </p>

<p>The energy is in the gym...</p>

<p>Case in point, The day before yesterday, when coincidentally, I was training chest, A few benches over from us, Joel Toranzo was bench pressing 700 pounds...with the whole screaming and yelling posse behind him! </p>

<p>When you train in a gym with both - world champion powerlifters - and national champion bodybuilders - the energy is just off the charts... You get fired up just being there...</p>

<P>Different things motivate different people... but for me, I choose my environment and where I hang out carefully and I "GO WHERE THE ENERGY IS" at every possible opportunity... That's why I always train in a gym like this...</p>

<p>Train Hard and Expect Success,</p>

<p>Tom Venuto</p>

<p><b>PS</b> Man, you gotta see this bench... Ive never been to a powerlifting meet or even something like the Arnold classic Strength expo, (because I've only followed the physique side of the iron game)... so I had never seen anyone bench press 700 pounds before... what a sight to behold!. .. check out the video...</p>
<embed style="width:380px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-7071567427160187668&hl=en" flashvars=""> </embed></p>
<br>
<p>]]>
</content>
</entry>

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