Bodybuilding & fitness workout routines

DOGCRAPP TRAINING MANUAL My whole goal is to continually get stronger on key exercises=getting continually bigger. I will state this, the method I am about to describe is what I have found that makes people grow at the absolutely fastest rate possible and why I am being inundated down in this area to train people. It’s going to go against the grain but I'm making people grow about 2 and a half times as fast the normal rate so bear with me

Strongman Training 101, Part 1 This article is for the strongman competitor who is just starting to compete and really has no clue about how to train. However, there may be some things that the advanced athlete can use to improve his or her game as well. There are three different approaches to training for strongman. Most articles are written about one person’s training philosophy, but here you will get three views from three, very qualified strongmen—Eric Hammer, Bryan Dermody, and myself.  

Strongman Training 101, Part 2 Part two will focus on cardio, core/flexibility work, and diet as well as the most important Strongman implements that a beginning Strongman athlete should have.

Beginner Powerlifting Program 1) Max Effort Movement: (Squat or Deadlift Variation:1-3rm, followed by rep work; ex.2x3@80%) 2) Supplemental: Some sort of pull (deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, rack pulls, 1-5rm)

Squatting from Head to Toe Technique is the most important factor in squatting big weights. If you're training with bad technique then it doesn't matter what supplemental exercises you use or how many sets or reps you perform.

Powerful Nutritional Tactics for Meet Day Today is the day of the big competition. You've been putting in some of the hardest training sessions of your life. You've been getting plenty of sleep, even taking those extra power naps that help you recover from those brutal workouts

Heavy Negatives are a Good Idea This article will assume that you are trying to increase your strength. If you go to the gym to stay in shape, maintain your strength, or even worse, to avoid getting fat, than don't waste your time reading this

The Safety Squat Bar I used to think this bar was a total waste of time and money before I used it for the first time at Westside Barbell Club in the early 1990’s. I came to Westside from a very intense progressive overload background.

10 surefire ways to help you squat BIG there's a huge difference between squatting and squatting big. Let me explain very quickly. How much can you currently squat? If you answered 500 pounds, I'd reply, "How much more do you know

TRAINING FOR THE BACK Many lifters train with a bad back. They often ask me what to do to decrease their chances of getting hurt while squatting or deadlifting. I fractured my fifth lumbar vertebra twice. In 1973, I pulled a 670 deadlift

27 Reasons To Be Big "Why do you guys want to be big?" I was so excited about this one that I had to write a whole article in response to it. Listed below are some of the reasons why I feel we all like to get big

High Density Strength Training The word “Intensity” has been given many meanings in the context of weight training and bodybuilding. For example, some strength coaches say the true definition of intensity is the total amount of weight you lift or the amount of weight you can lift relative to your one repetition maximum

Full squats for strength and development When you hear the word SQUATS do you think of an early eighties Dutch punk rock band, or of one of the most demanding, resulting producing exercises known to man? Hopefully you associate with the latter, but in any case the full squat is one of the best overall movements for producing both strength and development not only in the legs, but for the overall body.

Time to Grow Without Plateau The goal during POWER week is to make a direct attack on the Type II A and II B muscle fibers, with an emphasis on the II B’s. These are the higher threshold fibers and the way we get at them is with heavy weights.

Rest Pause Training Go to any gym these days and you see most trainees doing an endless number of reps all in the hopes of attaining the oh-so elusive and fleetingly short pump. Blame it on Arnold who, years ago in the movie "Pumping Iron,"

Hybrid Hypertrophy One method that’s always resurfacing in various forms in the field of hypertrophy training is the "burnout method." Excluding the awful name, a few trainees have found it somewhat useful in packing on a little muscle. It basically consists of performing an exercise with pseudo-maximal strength parameters,

The big three... Squats - Deadlifts - Bench Press Today's topic is the big three power lifting exercises that in my opinion should be a part of every bodybuilders workout plan. Anyone who wants to add mass who isn't including these exercises is cheating themselves out of new found strength and mass gains. The three exercises I am talking about are: Squats, Deadlifts, and Bench Press. These exercises are the best of the

Arnold about the Squat When I was first learning how to train, I used to do full squats. I did them exclusively for the thighs. I labored under the belief that if I did my full squats faithfully on a firm reps and sets basis, I would get everything I needed in the way of thighs. Over the years my thinking has changed considerably.

Escalating Density Training Of course, all training systems approach this reality by suggesting an endless array of often conflicting recommendations regarding exercise selection, number of time is what causes muscle to grow in an optimal manner.

Super Slow Resistance Training There are many different methods of resistance training. One form of resistance exercise that has drawn attention is super slow resistance training. Evidence of increasing interest is becoming more apparent with the rise of internet references and the availability of super slow certifications. This form of training has been presented as a safe and effective means of building strength in both beginning and advanced weight training (Westcott, 1999).

Busting butt 101 Work on Technique. This is the first item on the list because it's the most important. When I speak to lifters on the phone I always ask if they're sure their technique is on. Yeah, Dave, they always say, my technique is a thing of beauty!
Yeah, sure.

Myths of the Squat what I will try to present are some myths or untruths about some exercises that you may use regularly. In this issue I will look at the squat and the myths that are perpetuated regularly about this lift. It is amazing that even today, with all the lifting publications out there these myths are still maintained.

Myths of the Bench Press A Bench Press in a gym is as common as a wart on a toad. I have been to gyms with no power racks or chin bars or platforms but I have never seen a gym without a flat bench. It has become the primary upper body exercise of most individuals who lift weights and it has

Benefits of Strength Training Strength training is exercise that uses resistance--for example, weights--to strengthen and condition the musculoskeletal system, improving muscle tone and endurance. "Strength-training" is used as a general term synonymous with other common terms: "weightlifting" and "resistance training." Physiologically, the benefits of consistent strength training include an increase in muscle size and tone, increased muscle strength, and increases in tendon, bone, and ligament strength.

Building Perfect Pecs There are three attributes of pectorals which usually flash across the mind of the beholder to imprint an image of perfection. These are, one, grand width -- width to the outer limits -- that spreads form sternum to the great beyond of the shoulders; two, a bold shape-line that almost squares the bottom pecs, and downplays any sag there, while it goes on to hug the outer and upward curves; three, snappy displays of intra-striations

Bodyweight Exercise vs. Free Weights vs. Machines I am going to be discussing the merits and drawbacks of exercising with free weights, including barbells, dumbbells, sandbags, or other weighted objects, bodyweight exercises, which include calisthenics and gymnastics, and machines, which include both weight machines and aerobic machines such as treadmills and step machines. Let's start off with what you hope to achieve from your workouts, and we'll correlate your goals with what kind of workouts you should be doing.

Optimized Volume Training Part of his evolution was due to a training program he developed called OVT or Optimized Volume Training. Fire up the printer; this could be the next big thing in bodybuilding!

Lactic Acid Training for Fat Loss Whenever an athlete shows up at my training facility looking like he has spent the better part of the off-season camped in front of Krispy Kreme Donuts, I immediately put him on a program that incorporates short rest intervals.
Short rest intervals lead to an increased production of lactate, and an increase in lactate leads to dramatic increases in Growth Hormone, thus resulting in very significant losses of body fat.

Developing Upper End Strength in the Bench Press  First let’s take a look at Upper end strength. This is the area where your shirt begins to stop supporting the weight and you are preparing to lock the weight out. Usually this is past the transition (Also refer to older articles for explanation of transition on www.metalmilitia.net) when the help of the shirt lets go.

Dual Factor Training: The Program  Supercompensation theory says to beat the crap out of our muscles and deplete them of all their good stuff (like glycogen, amino acids, creatine, etc.), let them recover for 3-10 days, and provide them with all the nutrients they lost (and then a little bit more). The result should be that the muscles will store more nutrients than they originally had, and thus will be bigger and stronger

Westside - 5x5 Hybrid training program  Again, I have done a variation of the 5x5 with great success, and have had TONS of success with my WS4BB variant, but I have NEVER combined 5x5 with Westside. I have enough personal experience with both that I feel I can toss out a pretty good idea as to how a WSB / 5x5 template would work though by taking what I like from each and adjusting what I don't like. With that in mind, recognize that this is one man’s opinion, and the key to any true advanced program is going to be customization.

Arnold Schwarzenegger training routine  Strong as an Oak: an authoritative retrospective of Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding workout  program every body part, every exercise from the last 35 years of muscle & fitness

Arnold Schwarzenegger's workout routine  The legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger's workout routine. The man is an inspiration to millions of men around the world, both in success and fitness. Even though times have changed -- today's bodybuilders are far bigger than in Arnold's time -- we can still learn a lot from the man that brought bodybuilding to the masses.
Because so many guys want to know how Arnold Schwarzenegger did it, I've decided to recap his bodybuilding tips, principles and routines to help any aspiring or veteran bodybuilder learn from the best.

9 week basic training routine   This is an old program I wrote some time ago for many of my clients who were just getting into this type of training. This program does not use chains or bands because we did not use them at the time. I still use it as an introduction training program. by Dave Tate

Eryk Bui's "Growth Factor" Heavy workout routine &How Many, How Much One of the most asked questions deals with not what exercises to do, but how many sets and how much weight to use.  There exists a direct relationship between sets, reps, and the amount of stimulus or weight.  An equilibrium between the three will produce the most desired effect, whereas too much of one over the others will lead to a variety of ill-effects depending on which one is more dominant.   Too many repetitions and sets will cause boredom and lead to plateaus. 
Too much weight and sets will lead to muscular failure and injury.  You get the picture … too much or too little of anything is a bad thing.  The key will be balance.  This article will show you how to manipulate the three variables (reps, sets, and weight) to effectively produce a desired product.  What is a desired product?  It can be muscular size, muscular strength, muscle tone or any other muscle quality.  What ever it is, we can help you achieve it. 

The Austrian Oak's routine  Arnold Schwarzenegger's workout routine This routine is a typical Arnold routine, but Arnold's routine did changed constantly. Sometimes he trained twice a day, and other times, once a day. There were periods when he did lots of forced reps. There were times when he did supersets and giant sets. Arnold tried every thing, and picked what worked best for him at that particular time.

German Volume Training  Supersets and tri-sets allow you to perform a lot of work in a short period of time. The rest-pause method allows you to use heavier weights, so you can recruit the higher threshold muscle fibers, and eccentric training enables you to overcome strength plateaus. The bottom line is that almost any training method will work (provided you do it with intensity!), at least for the few weeks it takes for your body to adapt to it. There is, however, one training system that stands above all the rest. It's brutally hard, but I've found it to be a very effective way to pack on muscle fast!

Bulgarian Weightlifting  The Bulgarian Blitz This article was written for the single purpose of exploring Bulgarian training methods as they can and should be used by your run-of-the-mill American weightlifter. Well, that and for the purpose of firing off a little rant. But, if you can get through the ranting, I promise there will be some training stuff somewhere in there...

Milos Sarcev Advanced leg training Super setting  Do each exercise once then move directly to the next without any rest whatsoever. If you spend 15 seconds moving to the next exercise, it's too long.. make it faster.

Front squats 1 X 10 Pause at bottom of rep
Smith Machine 1 X 10
Walking dumbbell lunges around 30
Leg press 1 X 10
Leg extensions 1 X 10
Walking lunges 30
That's one set. Complete 2 more sets!!! Add more pounds
Weight training with the 1-6 principle   The 1-6 principle was first introduced to me at the National Strength and Conditioning Association Convention in San Diego back in 1991 by coach Dragomir Cioroslan, bronze medallist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. This set/rep bracket had been used with great success by elite Romanian and Hungarian weightlifters.
This training system had been known by the ungainly name of the mixed neural drive/hypertrophy program. Of course, knowing how things often work in this business, I half expect Greg Merritt to rehash it in Flex within three months as the "Joe Weider Neuro-potentiation Supermyofibrillartrophic program."

12 weeks to a better deadlift The deadlift is the bastard child of powerlifting; it doesn’t get much love. Maybe it’s the fact that the deadlift is less impacted by equipment than are the squat and bench press, so it may require less practice. Or, it might just be vilified because lifts 7-9 of a powerlifting meet feel like cardio after a long day of lifting. Finally, it may be that many lifters and coaches hold that the deadlift is best trained indirectly, and that the chips will just fall into place if you focus on squats, good mornings, and plenty of assistance work. While this may be the case in some instances, there are also quite a few lifters who have made tremendous progress with more frequent pulling, and that’ll be my focus in this article.

Training for size and strength If you ask people what their training goals are...at least 90% will tell you that gaining size and/or strength are their #1 priority. While most powerlifters know that a low volume - heavy weight - low repetition workout is best for gaining strength (with added size as a bonus), many bodybuilders have stayed away from traditional powerlifting routines.
Periodization is necessary for bodybuilders and powerlifters alike - this means that different styles of training should be incorporated at various times of the year with each focusing on different training goals. Yes, it is OK for bodybuilders to train like powerlifters and vise versa. With this in mind - the following routine is a suggestion (there are many good routines out there) for anyone whose goals are size & strength

Dual Factor Training: How to Use Training Theory to Reach Your Physique and Performance Goals  There are basically two accepted theories in the world of weight training (and outlined in Zatsiorsky’s Science and Practice of Strength Training). One is called Supercompensation (or Single Factor Theory), and the other is called Dual Factor Theory. Bodybuilding tends to follow the Supercompensation way of thinking, while virtually every field of strength and conditioning, athletics, etc. follows the Dual Factor Theory. The reasoning that almost everyone involved in strength training adheres to the Dual Factor Theory is because there is scientific proof that it works, not to mention that the Eastern Bloc countries that have adhered to this theory have killed the U.S. at every Olympics since the 1950s. In the following paragraphs, I hope to prove to you why Dual Factor Theory should be accepted, taught, and adhered to in the world of bodybuilding as well as all other athletes concerned with strength and conditioning

Lifting to Fail
Most of us don’t go to the gym to fail, right? Of course not. We’re there to succeed and reach our goals. At least, I hope that’s why—you guys there to pick up chicks, get out of the power rack. Anyway, for the success-minded athlete, the concept of failure sure is bandied about a lot by those “in the know.” Muscular failure, if you haven’t guessed by now, is the issue at hand. Read more

Chains—Not Just for the Bedroom Anymore    Suspended chain squats can be a very effective training tool, and they can be implemented many different ways into your training. Here are a few that we at Granite City Barbell have used effectively to increase the strength and form of lifters of all strength and experience levels

Squat Theory and Execution The squat should be a standard exercise in any lifters program. Whether the goal is strength, hypertrophy (increase in muscle size), increased accelerative ability, or a heightened vertical jump, the squat is the tool for the task. In addition to working the muscles of the legs, hips, lower back, abdomen, and obliques, the demands of squatting should stimulate a growth response from the body that will carry over into strength and size increases in other areas

Bodybuilding and weightlifting back exercises     Pulldowns, Pullovers, shrugs, rows

Tips for a better deadlift  Think back, actually think way back. Do you remember trying to pick up heavy trees, adults and rocks in the woods? Oh yeah, you would grab a tree that looked impossible to lift, and you would find your inner strength to get the tree off of the ground. After lifting the tree you felt like a freak that should be apart of Ripley\'s Believe it or not. If you were one of the kids that liked picking up trees and rocks, it shows that you have had the hardcore powerlifting mentality way before the gym and way before you knew what weight lifting was. This mentality of pushing yourself in the woods has stayed with you all of your life and is now being displayed in the gyms up until this day. Maybe you are still using this mentality on the deadlift, but it all started way back as a child, back when you were maxing out in the wilderness.

10 tips on building a better sumo style deadlift     The first time I qualified for the WPO and won best lifter was at the APF Florida State Meet on June 2, 2001, held at Kieran Kidder’s old Huge Iron Gym in Daytona Beach, Florida. I remember an amazing feeling of pride as I left the gym and headed for my truck in the parking lot. Just then a woman said; “Good job, but you don’t have far to pull the bar.” She was referring to my deadlift and the limited range of motion I had. I thought about saying; “Shut up! If the other lifters learned to pull like me they’d be better off!” But of course I didn’t, I just told her thanks. Powerlifting is not only a sport of strength; it’s a sport of training, the mastering of supportive gear, as well as finding optimal technique. Optimal technique includes finding a way to limit the distance of the lift. 

Fix your deadlift for fast size and strength gains!   These exercises yield some of the greatest size, strength and athletic performance benefits of anything you can do in the weight room. Maximizing your poundages on such lifts will take you to a whole new level, but as is the case with anything in life, you're limited by your weaknesses. With that in mind, let's diagnose and troubleshoot the most common deadlift weaknesses

No Bull When it Comes to the Pull   The deadlift is whats up in the world of powerlifting. It seals the deal after a big squat and bench press and can make (or break) the total you set out to obtain. On top of this, the deadlift is a total body exercise that is extremely demanding on the central nervous system and, it just so happens that the forefathers of powerlifting decided to put it last in what was already a really long day. Because of these reasons, the deadlift has to be perfected and thoroughly strengthened by means of a well devised program and forceful execution. This article is for the full meet lifter who pulls with a conventional stance. It starts with preparation, and ends with an outline of a hardcore training program that brought my pull from 425 at 380lbs to 685 at 325lbs

Deadlifting   To be able to lift a lot, you have to be talented athlete. Most of the guys had long arms and legs. You could see middleweights pulling over 200 kilos the first time they saw a power bar. But that's only a good start. The best deadlifters in the late 70`s and early 80´s had two things in common. Most of them had a background of hard labor, like lumberjacks, construction workers, farmers or something similar. They carried, lifted and dragged for their living. That laid a perfect background for deadlift training and very often ensured a hard grip too. The second thing was Olympic lifting background, they had pulled alot before their powerlifting career. Raimo Välineva held Scandinavian records in Olympic lifting and was able to clean 330 pounds with straight legs. He had World records of 688 in 148´s and 716 in 165´s in early 80`s. When weightlifting had the press it was more a pure strength sport as now when speed and technique more critical. 

Deadlifting 2  The deadlift has become very popular over the past few years. It’s a relatively easy exercise to understand. However, it’s not so easy to understand what style works best for each individual for a max effort competition pull. No, I’m not talking about sumo, semi-sumo, or conventional stances, although that’s certainly part of it. Instead, I will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of leveraging yourself with the bar to lift the most weight for competition purposes. This includes issues such as head up or head down, straight legged or squat position, round upper back or no round in the upper back, toes straight ahead or toes pointed out, and bar against the shins or slightly out in front as well as how to get the most out of your belt.

Understanding the deadlift  In our series, “Overcoming Lousy Leverages,” Eric Cressey and I covered all three power lifts and discussed how smart training can lead to bigger totals. In this series, we will discuss the biomechanics behind each lift as well as several strategies to destroy any sticking points you may have. We will examine: 
* how your personal biomechanics influence lift performance 
* how to train the specific muscles that were weak when you missed a lift 
* how to train the specific joint angles that were weak when you missed a lift 
* how each part of the lift is affected by the force-velocity and speed-strength continuums 
* how powerlifting gear can influence the performance of each respective lift 

Beyond Failure Training Part 1  It seems every day someone comes along with a new and improved system of weight training scientifically designed to stimulate the muscle fibers unlike any other program ever could. I am so amazed that people are that stupid as to buy into this bullcrap. The magazines don't help matters either. One month you read a fake training article on how your bodybuilding hero built his biceps. Hopefully you realize all these articles are Ghost-Written? The next month you get another routine from another Pro that is even better. Those of you who save your magazines need only go back and glance at the last few years of your collection to realize that it is all the same crap with minor changes. Let's face it, a truly informative magazine that had unique articles each month would be about 25 pages max, so the editors feel compelled to go for quantity instead of quality

Beyond Failure Training Part 2  O.k. let's get right into it and pick up where we last left off. Remember this is a rather different way of training and even for people that are used to training in an intense manner it will be a shock to the system as there is intensity and then there is I N T E N S I T Y 
Now some of the basic rules of thumb with this style of training are: 

1.You will tend to need an hour or so to recover from the workout so that you can perform daily functions. 
2.You cannot train in this manner for more than 6 weeks if you are doing it properly 
3.You can only train once a day for a maximum of 4 times per week. 
4.You can only spend a maximum of 45 minutes in the gym per session 
5. It is EXTREMELY painful and you will tend to have anxiety before your workouts 
6. You must keep all other physical activities to a bare minimum during your 6-week training cycle to insure maximum recovery and energy available for the workouts 

Beyond Failure Training Part 3  O.K. Let's hop right into a Beyond Failure Workout (a.k.a. Demon Training) for the chest and the calves 
Now it is important that you first understand the problems that can occur while training certain muscle groups. In this case we will be talking about the pecs so let's get right to it. How many times have you noticed that people rarely have both great arms and shoulders AND a superb chest? Conversely, how many times have you noticed someone with a great chest that had great shoulders and arms? There are lots of pros out there that come to mind with this strange phenomenon. Dorian and Lee Haney both had superb upper torsos, back and chest. But left a little to be desired in the arms and even the shoulders department to some extent. Gary Strydom had a great pair of delts and a great set of pecs, but sub-par arms. Guys like Dennis Newman have very poor pecs and over-powering delts. Now genetics play a large part in this to a certain extent, but the thing I have discovered about BEYOND FAILURE TRAINING Demon Training is that is cuts through all the genetic predisposition's because it completely annihilates the muscle group worked and does not allow for any one group to over compensate for the other

22 steps to a bigger bench  1. Time 2. SACRIFICE- 3. SHIRTS- 4.GAINING WEIGHT- 5. STEROIDS- 6. GUTS-  7. GENETICS-  8. FORM- 9. REST- 10. MAKE WHAT'S WEAK STRONG- 11. MUSCLE CONFUSION- 12. BACK WORK- 13. EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT- 14. WORKOUT PARTNERS- 15. TRAIN SMART- 16. SQUATS- 17. ATTITUDE- 18. TRAIN WITH HEAVY WEIGHTS AND LOW REPS- 19. SPECIAL EXERCISES FOR A BIGGER BENCH- 20. TRAINING TO GET PRETTY WON'T MAKE YOU THE KING OF THE BENCH PRESS- 21. MIND- 22. BEING THE STRONGEST-


One rep max calculator --------------------------------- One Max Rep Calculator
Scientific look at reps ---------------------------------- Scientific Look At Reps
Killer Abs --------------------------------------------- Killer Abs
Big Pete Fox's blaster routine -------------------------- Big Pete Fox's blaster routine
4 day a Week Training -------------------------------- 4 day a Week Training
5 day a Week Training -------------------------------- 5 day a Week Training
Dealing with lack of motivation ------------------------ Dealing with lack of motivation
Huge delts -------------------------------------------- Huge delts

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