Natural Muscle is Built to Last

I've had over 30 years bodybuilding experience and there is one thing that I can say for certain: Build your muscles naturally and they will be built to last. I've seen so many bodybuilders and powerlifters make unnatural drug induced gains in power and size only to soon drop out of the game. Why? Because they don't last. As soon as they are cycled off their muscle enhancing drugs the gains that they so quickly made quickly diminish to pre-drug levels and in most cases even beyond. This is because when you obtain testosterone from an outside source the body ceases to produce it's own. Then when the drugs are stopped the body is left with a testosterone void. Often there are other problems as well because there are now more female hormones running through the body than male hormones. This often can produce some embarrassing unwanted feminine side effects. Additionally, there are also many long term negative side effects such as well such as cancer.

If you build your muscles naturally, the right way, without performance enhancing drugs, through hard exercise and proper nutrition it often takes longer to make gains in size and strength. But to me it is more than well worth it. Those gains you will see in the mirror are your own made from your hard work and proper nutrition. And when you have to endure a layoff you will not immediately shrink to pre-workout levels. Additionally, once you hit the weights again your peak form will return much quicker. You can enjoy a lifetime of bodybuilding, lessen the chance of injury and illness if it is done through natural means. To me it was a lifestyle I chose from the very first day I walked in the gym and I've never regretted it since.

Are Barbell Squats The Right Exercise For You?

Ever since circus strongmen and the early superstar bodybuilders like John Grimek and Steve Reeves were winning the Mr. Universe contest the question to perform barbell squats has been a hotly debated topic. In the 1970's, top bodybuilders like Ken Waller and Arnold would swear by the squat, while fitness guru's like Vince Gironda would not even have squat racks in their gym! His argument was that the barbell squat would overdevelop the glutes and would be a detriment to the symmetrical bodybuilder. Others, like Arnold and France Columbu squatted religiously, and they attributed there overall muscular balance and strength to the squat. So which point of view is correct? I don't want to ride the fence but in my humble opinion both are!

There really isn't a better exercise you can do for overall body balance, mass and conditioning that the squat. When I perform squats as part of my leg routine I can almost feel my strength and conditioning increase as I am doing them. I also feel that I have endless energy and stamina for the rest of my workouts, and every exercise seems that much easier to do. Barbell squatting is that good for conditioning! However my body type tends to gravitate more towards the ectomorph side (thinner and a hard gainer), so putting on too much mass was never an issue for me.

If your body type is more of an endomorph (larger and heavier) you may not ever need to put on more mass on your body, especially in the glute area. Although lighter weight and high repetition squats would still be of benefit to you for shaping and conditioning, heavy squats probably would not be the first and best choice of leg exercise, unless you're a powerlifter.

In summary there is not a better over all exercise you can do than the barbell squat. It is an individual choice as to determine if the aesthetic results are to your liking.

Barbell Squats are Great for Strength and Conditioning

There really isn't a better exercise you can do for overall body balance, mass and conditioning that the barbell squat. When squats are performed as part of your leg routine you will feel your overall strength and conditioning increase almost immediately. You will also have more energy and stamina for the rest of your workouts and every exercise will seem that much easier to do.

If you've never squatted before start out with a light weight until your form is perfected. Proper form is imperative for barbell squats. If you do not have good form not only will you not work the muscles you're supposed to but you will leave yourself susceptible to serious injury as well. So go ahead and squat and reap the benefits of the best overall exercise there is!

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Always Maintain Proper Form During Exercise

I can't emphasize how important proper form is. Proper form will enable you to get the absolute most out of each set and totally fatigue the intended muscle group. Improper form will often bring ancillary muscles into play decreasing the effectiveness of the exercise and wasting most of your effort. For example, have you ever seen a lifter with well developed pecs who bounces the weight off of their chest? Or a bodybuilder who uses mostly back during a squat with large well developed legs? Probably not on both accounts. Improper form often occurs when the lifter is more concerned with the actual weight they lift instead of form. These trainers are wasting their time by cheating their way through the exercises and the heavy weights they claim to lift are mostly false bravado. Good exercise habits begin early but are never to late to correct. If you feel that you have poor form you can correct it by performing the exercise in front of a mirror for self critique or have a seasoned lifter or personal trainer at the gym show you proper form.

If you want to speed up your workout at the gym to increase the cardiovascular benefit or you're in a time crunch then decrease the time in between sets. Never perform your exercises faster to save time. You'll only end up compromising your form and leave yourself susceptible to injury.

Seven Important Factors to Consider When Choosing A Gym

A good gym should always motivate you to come back. The atmosphere should be conducive to your personal goals and should meld with your personality. Keep these seven factors in mind when choosing your gym:

1) Location: Choose a gym nearby. Having a gym close will allow you to fit time in your schedule. Usually a location between your home and office is convenient.

2) Hours: Make sure the gym is open for hours that will work with your schedule.

3) Staff: The staff members should be friendly and helpful. They should be able to answer questions whenever you need.

4) Cleanliness: Towels should be available around the gym to wipe off the equipment. This will help avoid health problems.

5) Equipment: Make sure that the equipment will benefit you. Also check if there are enough machines for everyone to use. There is no use in waiting in a long line to workout.

6) Classes: Classes are a great way to get motivated. Look at the list of classes and see if there are any you would enjoy. Also decide whether or not these classes fit into your budget.

7) Fees: The cost of gyms can be very expensive. This could also be a deciding factor of whether or not to join. See if you pay each month or if you are committed for a year or more. Choose according to your needs.

Featured Exercise - Seated Triceps Extensions

The seated triceps extension is a tremendous refinement exercise when completing your triceps routine. This exercise will help carve out that "horseshoe" look in your triceps. Perform this exercise while seated and begin the exercise by holding the dumbbell directly above your head. You can use your other arm as a brace to help keep your elbow in place. Slowly lower the weight behind your head until you feel a full stretch in your triceps. Then lift the weight back up to the point where your arm is almost locked out. Do not completely lock out your arm as this will keep constant stress on the muscle and will make it work harder.

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Working Legs After a Layoff

Legs are often the most neglected area for bodybuilding today. Novice,intermediate and even some advanced lifters often spend a great deal of their time and energy on the "flashier" muscles like chest and arms while back and legs are ignored. This is a poor choice as strong, well-developed legs are the foundation for your physique. You'll gain in strength and mass much faster if you are working your legs especially with squats as the "king" of all exercises with its aerobic and overall mass benefits.

With all of the benefits of leg work in mind I went to the gym resigned to the fact of the self-inflicted torture I'll soon be facing by doing squats. As it turned out I only did two sets, 135 x 12 and 185 x 15 due to the cramping I had in my hamstrings. It's interesting how in a relatively short time how your body so quickly loses it's edge for working out and especially squatting. Well after the soreness wears off from this workout I look forward to the next round of squats and I'm anxious to see my progress in strength and endurance.

Remember to Cool Down after Exercise

After working out, it is important to take about ten to fifteen minutes to cool down. Stopping abruptly will not benefit your body. Keep moving after a long run or workout in order to redistribute the blood in your body. This allows your heart rate and your body to slow gradually. Be sure to include stretching in your cool down. Cooling down and stretching will help prevent stiffness in your body.

Arm Workout Difficult in Comeback

Considering that the biceps and triceps are such small muscles, I had a feeling that fatigue would become an issue as I trained them for the first time in quite a while. I considered performing super sets but considering the difficulty of the routine even when I was in shape I quickly nixed the idea.

I started of with standing barbell curls for biceps. After two warm-up sets I quickly went into the first working set with 85 lbs for 12 reps. This is about 20 lbs. less than I usually use but considering the 4 month layoff that weight seemed about right. The weight actually felt a bit easier than I thought it would be but after 12 reps I started feeling fatigue creeping in. I completed three more sets with only five reps on the last set. I didn't fare much better with seated dumbbell curls as I fell to only four reps for the last set of these. I completed biceps training with three sets of concentration curls and a set of very tired biceps.

For me triceps fatigue usually sets in faster than biceps, so I know I wouldn't have much endurance for this first triceps workout. I did 12 sets total of press downs, long pulls, and one arm extensions. As I thought the tri's were tired and burning after only a few sets. I completed 12 sets total as I did want to get some endurance for future workouts. I finished the workout with four sets of seated forearm curls.

I knew I'd have some extremely sore arms for the next few days, but that is a good thing as I can memorize what parts of my arm muscles were sore and use that to aid in focus and concentration for future workouts.


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Eliminate Hand and Wrist Fatigue - Flexsolate Grip-Free Lifting Straps

Everyone has experienced hand and wrist fatigue while lifting. Especially when working back your hands or grip will weaken before your lats or other back muscles. There is a great new product which will practically eliminate hand and wrist fatigue and let you focus and work your back and other body parts effectively Flexsolate Lifting Straps.

Flexsolate Grip-Free Straps provide the perfect isolation for targeted muscles. They reduce the focus on the secondary muscles and allow for the natural movement during exercises that reduce stress on joints, tendons, and other areas prone to injury. You can really avoid that unnecessary strain on your wrists when you perform back, arm and shoulder exercises using dumbbells, barbells, smith machines or selectorized cable machines. Available in four sizes: XS, S, M, and L. We have these on special today at Unique Fitness Concepts for only $19.95.

High and Low Rep Workouts

The saying goes that high reps are for definition and low reps for mass. This is true as a general rule but to have a more complete and full physique you should be doing both high and low reps at some point during your weekly workout regiment. You can have a "light" or "heavy" day or you can finish out an exercise with some high rep burns. You'll feel the muscles more and you'll also be attacking both the fast and slow twitch fibers for a more complete workout.

Come visit us at Unique Fitness Concepts for loads of equipment specials and fitness information.

Assess Your Physique

Monitor your body's progress and overall development by looking at yourself in a full length mirror. This is the best way to assess your overall progress as well as your body's strengths and weaknesses. A mirror will be brutally honest with you and if you heed its advice you can determine which body parts need extra work and be on your way to better more eye pleasing proportioned physique.

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Stale Workout? Ramp Up Your Intensity Level

If you've noticed that you're spending hours each day in the gym and seeing little or no progress in your strength or physical appearance, then it is definitely time for a change. One of the first things you should look at is your intensity level at the gym. And what you will probably find out is that needs needs an adjustment. You can accomplish this by resting less in between sets, performing super and giant sets or by changing the exercises or the order in which you perform them. Do one or all of these suggestions and you'll be be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can revitalize your workouts with a refreshed attitude. This positive energy will quickly translate into increased strength and faster gains.

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Perform Supersets to Rejuvenate Your Workouts

Supersets are a great way to bring life back to stale workouts. Here are four benefits to supersetting: They help you maintain a quick pace during your workout which has proven to be an excellent cardiovascular training method. They cut down on the time in the gym by allowing you to complete your workout faster. They effectively break up the monotony of your routine. They help you "shock" your muscles in a new and effective manner.

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Perform Barbell Squats

Do Squats! Barbell squats may very well be the best overall weight exercise that you can do. In addition to the direct work you receive on your quads, hamstrings and glutes, squats also indirectly hit almost every muscle on you body including back, calves, traps, and even chest. I always find it much easier to perform other exercises when I am squatting intensely. In my opinion there is no exercise that is more difficult and beneficial!

Keys to Performing Back Squats Correctly

Three key factors to performing back squats correctly:

1) Place your feet approximately 6 inches wider than your hips to maintain a good solid base.
2) Locate an area in front of you that is slightly higher than your line of vision. Keep your eyes fixed on that spot throughout the set. It will help with your balance and stabilization.
3) Flex the lumbar muscles in your lower back. This will help you keep your back arched and your form tight.

Follow these basic rules and you will soon find your repetition groove which will help you focus on the lifting task on hand and not balance and form issues.

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