Benching it is! You can't build incredible upper body thickness without
benching. Most great pro bodybuilders, Arnold to Jonnie Jackson, started out
powerlifting. Rules #1 and #2.
Get off your lazy bump and hump to the gym! You are not going to get a
"monster" bench sitting on your behind or working out two times a month or by
not actually reading PM, in lieu of looking at all the gorgeous rock hard babe's
butts.
One more thing - summarily take all those workout programs you have been
collecting from other magazines, the ones from the so-called "voice of the
champions or pros" and take them to a recycling center.
Unless you are a "juice-crew all-star," you are not going to get freaky mass/
big bench from any workout in those magazines. Freaky mass gains come more from
freaky full syringes made for horses not from gut busting bench press workouts.
DOS AND DONTS:
DO
Take multi-vitamins, zinc supplements, antioxidants, all to speed recovery
time and decrease soreness. Take blended proteins 3-4 times each day, sleep 7-9
hours, especially the day before benching.
Warm up with light cardio (8-12 minutes), back and leg work (15 to 20 reps-
2 sets). (Light cardio and leg work before benching will give you a crazy upper
body pump while you are benching.) Bench, Saturday and Tuesday. Wednesday-Friday
are not good benching days (assuming you actually work a M-F job).
Take 2-5 minutes between sets when benching heavy, sets of 8 or less reps.
Visualize your bench workout before you get to the gym. You will be
stronger mentally if your brain knows exactly what you are doing before you get
to the gym.
Keep a log. In the Air Force we say, "If you don't document it, it didn't
happen." Keep it dynamic. A great cycle is to do only flat bench one workout.
Next workout warm up with flat, then do incline dumbbell. Repeat.
DON'T
Don't bench after sleeping less than 5 hours the night before.
Don't bench heavy (70%+ of max.) with low reps (1-7) the day after back
training.
Don't bench the day after training your legs, triceps, delts, or back. Only
bench with well rested tri's, delts and back. This is extremely important to
benching strength. Also, if you hit the legs hard the day before, you will not
have any energy to bench.
Don't do more than 3 sets of tri's and delts the same day you bench 70% or
more of your max (you are going to tear down more muscle thereby increasing the
time needed for recovery).
Don't bench more than 5 times a month.
Don't do decline presses. Declines don't work what responds least. Instead
do more incline barbells, and incline dumbbells. Don't have sex within 2 hours
of benching. Stress is good when benching, memories of sex are not, not to
mention sheer fatigue. [Everson note: I knew there was a reason I never hit 600
lbs.]
Don't worry about size, size will come. There are no raw, natural benchers
who are benching 400 lbs. plus walking around with 12" arms and a puke chest!
The bench press is pushing power of the triceps, delts and chest. Your
back (even though a pulling muscle) is important, as it is the base of the bench
press. It stabilizes everything. I never broke 300 lbs. on the bench press until
I started deadlifting.
Also when training to increase your 1-5 rep bench-press, train delts and
tri's for size (8-15 reps). It's important to grow these muscles to increase
benching power. Your triceps and shoulder power will increase naturally with
benching strength.
In a future issue I will discuss what to do opposite bench day to help
increase your bench press, and will present a 6 month, 27 bench press workout
program to boost your bench 50 lbs. to 100 lbs. and/or take your 1-rep maximum
to a 3-rep max!
(by Jeff Everson)
...I would guess that the bench press is the most popular lift of all time
for most athletes of muscle mass and strength, such as bodybuilders and
power-lifters. Olympic lifters and hammer throwers might be the exception
....For all its simplicity, the bench press is misunderstood. If you bench
properly, you can develop great strength along with huge, dense pectorals,
deltoids and triceps
....No one will argue that competitive bodybuilders should do a variety of
chest exercises and believe me, the biggest bodybuilders in history, guys like
Eder, Park, Schwarzennegger, Oliva, Ferrigno, Haney, Yates and Coleman have been
careful to include a lot of bench pressing with dumbbells or the bar.
USING THE BENCH FOR BODYBUILDING
...
...For maximum pectoral work/stress, always bench with your elbows directed
outwards (approximate right angle between your forearm and upper arm when the
bar touches your chest). This ensures that the prime stress stays off your
deltoids and triceps.
...When benching, lower the bar to your sternum with your chest held high
while maintaining a full inspiration. Your scapula back muscles should also be
tight. This positioning has the rather nice effect of shortening your work
stroke and allows you to utilize all your upper body muscles in their strongest
synergistic pattern
....Of course, you can do some benches to your clavicle area to maximize the
stretch to the pectorals. That is a refinement rather than a building movement.
Don't go crazy on them
....Bodybuilders are not powerlifters. Their goals are different. But if
you're interested in strength in your bench press along with a huge chest, you
should handle heavy weights for the right repetitions.
...Developing a big bench in conjunction with a massive chest takes a
long time.
...To develop a big bench and a good physique worthy of bodybuilding
competition, you must do a compromised workout.
...I suggest the following routine two times about every 6-8 days, based on a
personal maximum of about 300 lbs. Now this is rough so you can't do it often
and you must do all you can to recover in between sessions
....Personally, here's my bench history: I first bench pressed as a high
school freshman and made 135 lbs. As a sophomore I made 185 lbs. as a junior 265
lbs., and as a senior 320 lbs. Then as a freshman in college 350 lbs., as a
sophomore 380 lbs., as a junior 405 lbs. and as a senior 430 lbs. I was gaining
about 25 lbs. in bodyweight each year! No crap, I weighed 132 lbs. as a high
school sophomore and 270 lbs. six years later as a college senior.
...I continued for 4-5 more years but brought my bodyweight down a bit and
only crawled to 440-450 lbs. without steroids.
...I started using steroids at age 27 and bench pressed 500 lbs., with
a pause, within 2 years. A few years later I was at 575 lbs., with a pause at
the chest, when I blew out part of my right pectoral and discontinued the heavy,
heavy stuff at that point.
...However today (35 years after I first bench pressed), I am able to
bench 275 lbs. x 27 reps today, even with my God-awful lousy shoulders.
Big Chest - Big Bench Program!
Day One (Monday For Instance) Day Two (this should fall atleast 6-8 days
later)
Chest
Chest Bench Press 135 x 10; 185 x 10; 215 x 8; 260 x 4-6; 280 x 2-3; 240 x 6-8,
220 x 6-10, 200 x 6-10.
Flat Dumbbell Press3 x 6-10
45-degree Incline Dumbbell Bench3-4 x 6-10, 1x 15 heavy as you can.
Flat Bench Dumbbell Presses 5 x 12-15, 10-12 and 3 x 6-8
Incline Dumbbell Presses3 x 8-10
Close-Grip barbell Bench Presses4 x 15, 10, 2 x 6-8
Triceps Triceps Triceps Pushdowns4 x 8-12
Dips3 x as many reps as possible (no added weight)
Lying Triceps Extension over head and press with EZ Bar4 x 15, 12, 2 x 6-8
Triceps Pushdown4 x 6-10
Shoulders Shoulders Behind-Neck Press 4 x 15, 12, 10 and 6-8
Front Dumbbell Press 3 x 10-12
Lateral Dumbbell Raise 3 x 12-15
Seated Dumbbell Presses 4 x 8-10
Cheating Lateral Raises 3-4 x 10-15
Cheating Bent-Over Raises 3-4 x 8-12
=========================
GIGANTIC ARMS!
The One Arm Per Day Blast For Bigger Arms.
(by George A. Baselice)
Have you ever tried the professional bodybuilder one-day arm blasting
programs? I hope maybe some of you have heard of these and tried them. Primarily
because I'd hate to think that I am the only goof who can spend an entire day
training my arms!
Now, some of these are downright nutty programs. Most of the methods were
"developed" and occasionally promoted in some of the muscle magazines back in
the 50's and 60's, and some trainers such as Charles Poliquin have refined them
a bit today.
At any rate, in most of them, you actually perform arm exercises every
half-hour and every few hours you eat proteins. I tried one program and I mean I
went from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. doing arm exercises. Don't ask me what I was
thinking! (Or not thinking as the case may be.)
Did I gain the 1/2" on my arms, five days after completing this particular
program, as the varied and sundry past articles claimed I would? Unfortunately,
no. Did my arms shrink for the first 24 hours after this workout as most of the
article also claimed they would? Unfortunately, yes!
Nonetheless, I believe this kind of experimentation has made me a better
trainer more able to relate to unusual requests and needs from some clients. I
certainly have applied many of Charles' suggestions on bodybuilding training,
specifically when I did the 12-week exercise and nutrition program outlined in
my book "The Turning Point" which won me the affirmation of MET-Rx World's Best
Trainer Contest 2 years ago. (www.worldsbesttrainer.com)
Furthermore, having done that kind of arm program now makes me feel
qualified to give everyone else a chance to call my own training methods nuts!
(Ahem). I have developed my own workout called the one-arm-per-day arm cure for
those with lagging biceps and triceps and unlike the over-training mess I
alluded to earlier, I believe that my arm masterpiece really works!
Guts Behind Giant Arms
The guts of my unique program is to work one arm (both triceps and biceps) --
8 sets of 8 reps total and do this daily, alternating arms, six days a week for
six weeks.
Say what? That's right -- for six weeks, one day you work your right arm and
the next day your left. You should not do any other weight-training exercises
except alternating one of the "big 3" with this arm training.
The "Big 3"
:1) Squats (4 sets x 10 reps)
2) Bench Press (4 sets x 10 reps)
3) Bent-Over Barbell Rowing (4 sets x 10 reps)
You should do one of these since you will fail to get big arms by working
only your arms. Your whole body must be trained, but not over-trained. By
utilizing only the squat, bench and row, you give the body what I call a "ripple
effect." No other exercises (with the possible exceptions of the deadlift and
clean and jerk) give you as much total muscle stimulation. These "Big 3"
exercises are also powerful hormone stimulators and, literally, can work your
cardiovascular system as well as any aerobic workout. They're simply
outstanding. Sure, they're tough, but the indirect high-growth potential for
your arms far outweighs the effort required.
This is an advanced routine, one that would be far too difficult for a
beginner (1-2 years of core, fundamental resistance training). It is a course of
action whereby the advanced bodybuilder can improve the size and shape of his or
her arms significantly. At the same time, the actual duration of your workouts
will decrease. Less time-more effort. You'll have to focus and concentrate like
never before. Just make sure you follow the usual guidelines that are designed
for you to get the most out of any such workout program; warm-up sufficiently,
end a set before your form breaks down completely and pay attention to proper
nutrition, supplements, and sleep.
Guidelines To Giant Arms
Concentrate on two basic arm exercises only (one for biceps and one for
triceps) per workout. The search for some kind of magic exercise or program to
suddenly create twenty-one inch monsters out of matchsticks is useless. Forget
that, you want to work harder, not longer. I don't try to make weight training
more complicated than it needs to be. Forget all the "advanced mad Russian
programs" or the "muscle building secrets of the Bulgarians."
1) Work as hard and heavy as possible. I know you've heard this one before,
but this time you're not only going to do it, you're going to do it right. Use
maximum weights as much as possible in this program. The last rep should leave
you breathless and too cramped to support the weight any longer. Remember to
constantly keep upgrading your weights. Weight that has been a gut-busting
struggle to lift 4 - 8 weeks ago should not be today, and weight has to be
steadily and constantly added to your routine to ensure your muscles are always
worked to their maximum.
2) Longer isn't better (at least that's what I tell my wife Carmela!). This
is the answer for all those of you who have just been thinking that they can
maintain such intensity for their usual fifteen or twenty sets each of bicep and
triceps work, you can't. But what you want to achieve is as thorough a working
of the muscle as possible in as little time as possible. Consider your workout
time as an uninterrupted battle between the weight and yourself. This rules out
conversation between sets, striking and holding a spectacular front double bicep
pose and gazing too long and intently at the babes in spandex! Work at a steady,
efficient pace at all times and limit your rest between sets and exercises to
bare minimum, 30-75 seconds.
3) Keep your movements slow and strict. Don't become the world's fastest
curler. Momentum should not be your training partner. Exercise should be slow,
smooth and controlled.
4) Visualize your goals and concentrate. Remember, it was Arnold who started
imagining his biceps filling his whole room. Frank Zane will give you the same
pitch for utilizing your mind properly to shape/build your body. Watch the
action of your biceps and triceps as you train. This is why one limb training is
effective. All your effort, concentration and force is on that one major muscle
to achieve that one goal - size. Keep that image of your muscle swelling before
your eyes for as long as you can after exercising. Even imagine / believe that
the protein you've eaten is going straight to your engorged, pumped arm. Think
size and it will follow.
MONDAY
Squat (4 sets x 10 reps)
Arm Workout - right arm only
Note: some size imbalances from left to right are common. If you have an
imbalance, you can benefit from starting your workout with your smaller arm. If
you find a small, perceived imbalance, do an extra set for your smaller side. If
the imbalance appears large, use 6 reps with your strong arm and to 8 reps with
your weaker arm (both as heavy as she goes). The theory here is that eight reps
might be slightly better for size than six reps.
Seated Offset-Grip Dumbbell Curl (4 sets x 8 reps)Sit upright on a regular
bench holding a dumbbell in your right hand with the thumb side of your hand
resting against the inside surface of the dumbbell plate. Start the exercise
with a normal grip and curl the weight simultaneously supinating your wrist
(turn your palms up) as you complete the curling movement. The purpose of the
offset-grip is to attempt to provide resistance upon supination. This may place
extra emphasis on the supinator muscle of the forearm along with the biceps
brachii. The brachioradialis also assists with supination. For added resistance
upon supination, I stick a magnetic 1-1/4 lb platemate on the heavier end of the
dumbbell.
Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension (4 sets x 8 reps)I believe this exercise
is effective for recruiting all three heads of the triceps. You'll find it also
allows for a greater stretch than most triceps exercises and the extended range
of motion against gravity will help your muscles into new growth. Start by
positioning yourself on your back on a decline bench with a dumbbell in your
right hand. Make sure to hook your feet under the padded rollers or you'll slide
off like a sack of potatoes. Once you get in position, lift the dumbbell
overhead in a bench press position. Your grip should be neutral. Keeping your
elbow pointed directly upward (and don't let it flare out), lower the dumbbell
until the plate makes contact with your right shoulder. Lift it back up to the
starting position with extension at your elbow. Your elbow should be the only
moving joint during the exercise.
TUESDAY
Barbell Bench Press (4 sets x 10 reps)
Arm Workout (left arm only)
Seated Offset-Grip Dumbbell Curl (4 sets x 8 reps)
WEDNESDAY
Bent-Over Barbell Row (4 sets x 10 reps)
Arm Workout (right arm only)
Seated, Offset-Grip Dumbbell Curl (4 sets x 8 reps)
Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension (4 sets x 8 reps)
THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY Begin entire cycle over as follows:
Thursday: Squat/left arm
Friday: Barbell Bench Press/right arm
Saturday: Bent-Over Barbell Row/left arm
SUNDAYRest and recover!
Follow this program exactly as given for six full weeks. Rest a week, and
then evaluate it. If you liked the results repeat it for another month. But I
would not try this again for about 3-6 months. Rather, go back to your regular
workout routine. If you occasionally need to bring your arms up fast, try it
again. If you do so, you may switch arm exercises a bit after following the
outlined schedule twice.
Biceps: One-Arm Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl or Unsupported One Arm
Bent-Over Dumbbell Concentration Curl.
Triceps: One-Arm Reverse Grip Cable Pushdown or One-Arm Cable
Kickback.Always keep the seated offset-grip dumbbell curl and the decline
dumbbell triceps extension as staples of your program. And, of course, you could
do the deadlift in place of the squat or bent-over barbell row once in a while.
While the name may imply it's dead, the dreaded deadlift should be alive and
well in every bodybuilding, powerlifting, beginning or advanced athlete's
program. Doing the "big 3" (or 4) that I have listed plus this unique arm
program will pack massive muscle on your legs, back and ARMS.
IF YOU WANT BIG GUNS, CURL TILL THE SUN DOESN'T SHINE!
...Today, a ripped and flat six-pack is the symbol for male virility and
fitness. Of course, the abdominal-washboard-as-fitness-thing is really
erroneous. The fact that we neither can see or feel if our coronary walls have
adequate perfusion, until its usually too late, is more than mildly
disconcerting because this index is a better indicator of fitness reality.
...Be that as it may, for better or worse, our own industry benchmark for
perceived power, male virility and strength is big and vascular biceps!
...Yes our mantra has been to screw both the washboards (which really, any
lamebrain can get) and screw the coronary wall perfusion. Give us the 19" and
20" big guns instead baby!.
..If you want big, vascular and complete biceps, within your genetic
structural framework, then face it, you have to be willing to put in years of
pain and punishment training. ...And you know, the genesis for great biceps can
really be broken down into one word
CURLS. CURLS NOT JUST FOR GIRLS!.
..You say you want some curl variations? Here's a short big guns list:
Standing barbell curls
Close-grip standing barbell curls
Seated barbell curls
Cheating barbell curls
Alternate dumbbell curls
Scott or preacher curls
Cable curls
Concentration curls
EZ-bar curls
Overhead cable or Nautilus Machine overhead curls
...The exercise key to great arms? Well first, it's not that difficult
really.
...Provided you get good sleep and lots of protein and calories, then
by doing an adequate number of sets (training volume) often enough, with good
form and high intensity (relative percentage of your maximum weight), you can
develop some very impressive arms. Over time, you should be able to obtain a
pair of great Priest-like arms (well, almost anyway).
...No doubt there is sometimes a fine line between training heavy and too
heavy. We feel that you should use weights that you can control with sensory
feel, but heavy enough that you fail at the end of your prescribed rep range,
and you must get adequate recovery.
...Remember, the biceps area and associated tie-ins are fragile to chronic
strain. In fact, no one we know ever developed huge, complete arms by training
them heavy more than twice a week especially non-steroid users. ...We suggest
strongly that for biceps work you keep your reps in the 8 to 15 range as the
best modicum for size, shape and strength. Of course, you must train
progressively and try to add weights regularly or get an extra rep with the same
weight.
...We also advocate that you do some medium-rep sets with heavy weights and
some sets of higher reps with (relatively) lighter weights.
...You can also warm-up very well and then start with your heaviest
weight and work down to a light weight (which isn't going to seem very light by
then). You can also do several partial reps (burns) following your full reps to
failure....Like everything, from sex to making apple pie, form is important. To
become a good curler, you must pay attention to the position of your wrists,
elbows and shoulders/traps as you do your various biceps exercises. ...You may
wonder what the shoulders and traps have to do with proper curling. Too many
bodybuilders actually shrug the barbell or dumbbells halfway up with their delts
and traps and then finish the curl at the top with their biceps. They do not
curl the weight all the way up with just their biceps. You see this practice
especially on alternate dumbbell curls which become more like mini dumbbell
power cleans. As to that style, as Nancy Reagan argued, "just say no." Just
don't do it.
...Shrugging might have made Ayn Rand famous, but doing it with your
traps and deltoids is another subtle form of cheating. There is nothing wrong
with cheating if you know how to put most of the overload on the target muscle
group, but if you cheat because it's the only way you can move the weight then
it is too heavy for proper form.
...When you curl, lift your chest on full inspiration as you begin each
repetition of curls. Don't use your traps to shrug the weight up. Lean back a
little if you must to help lift the bar past the sticking point, but do not
shrug or heave with your traps. Keep your chest arched high and your rear
deltoids down. As much as you can, curl the weight up smoothly with biceps power
only.
...Another thing, if the barbell or the dumbbells can touch your shoulders at
the top, you're curling incorrectly. If you keep the wrists locked and straight,
the fully contracted position of the biceps becomes between 10 and 11 o'clock,
not 12 o'clock. (For Greg Kovacs this may even be 8 o'clock.) So keep your
biceps fully contracted.
...The finish position of all curls at the top is actually never for resting.
...What about your elbow position? We like them fairly tight to your body,
but maintain some natural body motion. ...The coracobrachialis although the
smallest muscle of the upper arm, helps full development. It adds fullness to
the upper arm, especially since it is closely related to the short head. The
brachialis lies beneath the long and short heads of the biceps, overlaps the
elbow joint and is the elbow joint workhorse no matter if your wrists/hands are
supinated (palms up) pronated (palms down) or in mid-position (think hammer
curls). The good news is that curling works all these muscles, more or less.
...We call the "belly" the real meat of the muscle so basic curls with
heavy weights should target the belly of the biceps and should always be
included in your routine. Fortunately the basic barbell curl and cheating
barbell curl are great biceps-belly exercises and take care of its development
quite nicely, thank you. Gee, even the neglected seated barbell curl also is a
fantastic biceps-belly movement.
...Influencing or modulating natural arm flexor or biceps peak is
controversial. Most writers extol the long head of the biceps as it
theoretically relates to peak, but if you asked 10 bodybuilders which exercise
develops peak; you'd get 10 different answers. Rest your pondering mind since
bodybuilding simply is always about where you put the stress on the muscle....In
theory, a fantastic peaking exercise is the bent-over-freestyle one-arm
concentration curl or even the fixed concentration curl seated with the elbow of
the working arm resting on their inner thigh.
...In terms of theorizing peak, it's similar to doing a one-arm preacher curl
using the 90-degree Scott bench. Why? Because in these positions, you
anatomically pre-flex your shoulder joint so the long head of the biceps is
shortened over the shoulder joints since it is a two-jointed muscle. Physiology,
therefore, dictates that it is weaker at the elbow joint so this supposedly
means it has to work harder to keep up with the short heads of the biceps.
...It's the same scenario as the overhead Nautilus curl machine where your
upper arms are up over your head. Here the long biceps heads are really
shortened over the shoulder joints and they really cramp and struggle to keep up
with the better-leveraged short heads....Your choice of curling exercises is as
important as how you do them. You must do exercises that train all aspects of
the biceps and your brachialis. Herein is a routine we really recommend.
...Do 4-5 sets of the straight-bar barbell curls, and 3-4 sets each of the
other exercises, depending on your condition, age, recovery ability, stress
levels, injuries and so on. A REAL NO FLUFF ROCK 'EM and SOCK 'EM BICEPS
TRAINING Standing Barbell Curls (Straight Bar)...This is THE biceps mass/size
builder since it supremely adds mass and thickness to the belly of the biceps
beast, especially as you curl relatively heavier weights. .
..We detest exercise robotics. Personal nuance suggests that a bit of body
movement and rhythm may be warranted to get your biceps-building groove on. So,
if you use some natural momentum to curl the bar past the 90 degree sticking
point, don't sweat it, but use "pure biceps contraction" as much as possible.
Always lower your weight slowly (more for safety as opposed to the
negative-resistance-get-bigger nonsense). In short, never just drop the weight.
...Try the up and down Pyramid Principle and do the following reps.
Rest about 2-3 minutes between sets:
1 x 15 reps (warm-up)
1 x 15, 1 x 12,
1 x 10, 1 x 6-8
1 x 15-20 (pump down set)
Alternate Dumbbell Curls.
..This exercise is a great mass-builder. We like the first 6-8 reps
alternately and the last 2-6 reps of a set done together! With alternates, lean
from side to side as you curl the dumbbells to your shoulders. It's the
groove-on thing. BUT curl the dumbbells up, don't swing them up. Remember to
inspire your way to a high chest as you curl. Try this:
1 x 15-18 to failure
1 x 10-12 to failure
1 x 6-10 to failure
The Hammer-Of-Thor Curls.
..This exercise is a variation exercise, curling dumbbell curls across your
chest to the opposite shoulder. (Also called Zottman curls.) You should get an
interesting contraction and a cramping sensation if you do these properly. Try
just 2 sets of 10-12 reps with each arm.
Concentration Curls...
To finish with a humongous pump and burn, do 1-2 sets of 15-20 reps as heavy
as you can go. Try this routine twice every 10-12 days. Here it is summarized:
Barbell curls - 1 x 15 (warm-up),
1 x 15, 12, 10, 6-8, and 15-20
Alternate dumbbell curls - 1 x 15-18, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 6-10
Hammer curls - 2 x 10-12
Concentration curls - 1-2 x 25-20
