But is creatine supplementation dangerous? Are the negative criticisms of creatine valid? Let’s take a look.

A popular criticism of creatine is that it leads to an increase in muscle cramps, muscle spasms, and pulled muscles. In a study performed at Appalachian State University, researchers found these claims to be false. A pool of 26 athletes who used creatine for up to 4 years each had a similar injury and cramping rate as athletes who did not supplement with creatine.

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Another recent study, Few Adverse Effects of Long-Term Creatine Supplementation in a Placebo-Controlled Trial, revealed the same conclusion. Half of a 175 subject pool supplemented with 10 grams of creatine a day for 310 days. The other half of the subject pool did not supplement with creatine. Injury, cramping and spasms rates were the same for both groups.

Another study conducted by Truman State University researched the impact of long term creatine supplementation on the kidneys and liver. 23 football players supplemented with 14 grams of creatine a day for 3 years. The results of the study? Creatine supplementation does not harm the kidneys or liver.

In fact, it has been shown that creatine supplementation actually provides some surprising positive benefits. In the study, High-performance capillary electrophoresis-pure creatine monohydrate reduces blood lipids in men and women, creatine supplementation drove down very-low-density lipoprotein levels by nearly 33%.

Bottom line…creatine supplementation is safe. In some rare cases creatine can cause diarrhea or stomach cramps, but it does not lead to injury, muscle cramps, or kidney or liver damage.

For a drug-free athlete trying to develop maximum muscle mass, the knowledge of how much muscle can be developed without the use of anabolic drugs would be a very valuable asset.

Unfortunately, because of the achievements of drug-using professional, amateur and recreational bodybuilders, many natural lifters either have no idea of their actual potential, they over-estimate what they can realistically achieve or they adopt a defeatist attitude and set their goals too low. Perspective is needed.

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For a drug-free athlete trying to develop maximum muscle mass, the knowledge of how much muscle can be developed without the use of anabolic drugs would be a very valuable asset. Unfortunately, because of the achievements of drug-using professional, amateur and recreational bodybuilders, many natural lifters either have no idea of their actual potential, they over-estimate what they can realistically achieve or they adopt a defeatist attitude and set their goals too low.

Perspective is needed. The ability to set ambitious, yet realistic, goals is needed. And while there is no doubt that through natural bodybuilding a trainee can develop truly impressive, strong muscles, the chances of a drug-free bodybuilder attaining lean 22″ arms are about the same as him sprouting wings.

Maximum muscular bodyweight and size potential are positively correlated with a person’s height and bone-structure. Reflecting that, there are several formula in popular use that predict a person’s maximum muscular weight based on these variables (with bone-structure size typically estimated by measuring the circumference of the wrist).

Bodybuilding legend Steve Reeves presented simple formulas for calculating what he considered to be ideal muscular weight. He suggested starting with a base of 160 pounds and adding 5 pounds for every inch of height above 5′5″. For people above 6′0″, he suggested starting with 200 pounds and adding 10 pounds per inch. Using these formula, a person 5′9″ would have an ideal muscular weight of 180 pounds. A person 6′1″ would weigh 210 pounds. The problem with these predictions is that they do not consider bone structure size.

In his book, Beyond Brawn, Stuart McRobert also proposed a method of estimating maximum muscular bodyweight. The suggestion is to start with 5′0″ as a base height and 100 pounds as a base weight. Then add 10 pounds for every inch of height above 5′0″ for a medium bone structure, 8 pounds for a small structure, and 12 pounds for a large structure. Above 5′9″ add only half those amounts. A person of 5′9″ with a medium structure would weigh 190 pounds. A person of 6′1″ with a large structure would weigh 232 pounds. This is a worthwhile refinement of the simple linear approach, but becomes inaccurate when dealing with very large and/or very small structured people.

In the scientific community, Dr. E. M. Kouri, et. al. presented a comparison between the lean body masses of drug-free vs. drug-using lifters based upon their fat-free mass indexes (FFMI) [1]. This formula can be solved for maximum lean body mass at a given height if a maximum FFMI is assumed for drug-free lifters. The problem with doing this, however, is that, again, bone structure is not considered.

What’s needed is an accurate and precise formula, based on personal bone structure and height, that gives the maximum lean body mass a trainee can achieve without the use of anabolic drugs.

Predicting Maximum Muscular Bodyweight

The average male serum testosterone level is between 2.7 and 10.7 ng/ml. This imposes a limit on the amount of lean body mass that can be developed and maintained without the use of exogenous anabolic drugs (women’s testosterone levels are 20 to 30 times less than this, resulting in less muscle mass potential). Muscular potential is also influenced by muscle belly length, fast-twitch to slow-twitch fiber ratio, etc. So there will be variations in potential between people even of identical bone structures. Consequently, no equation predicting maximum muscular bodyweight will be 100% accurate for everybody.

What such an equation can do, however, is establish an upper limit of potential based on the achievements of drug-free bodybuilding champions. These men possess naturally high testosterone levels, full muscle bellies, and the host of structural characteristics that permit the development of world-class physiques – they reflect the upper limit of male drug-free muscular potential. Therefore, a muscular bodyweight prediction equation based on such a group of men provides an estimate as to the maximum muscular size a person of a given structure is likely to achieve without the use of anabolic drugs and while maintaining a “balanced” physique.

If you have long muscle bellies, good health and hormone levels, a growth supporting diet and lifestyle, and train according to your needs then you should, in time, be able to reach such a predicted muscular weight. If one of these factors doesn’t apply to you then your potential will be less. It has been my experience, though, based on over 5 years of data collection and analysis, that most healthy people can come quite close to what such a formula can predict – if they train correctly for long enough.

One must also consider the case where a person’s bone structure tapers at the extremities. For instance, the wrist and ankle circumferences could be “small” but the upper legs and torso structures not correspondingly “small”. This trait is somewhat common amongst people of African descent. Some people with strong endomorphic tendencies also have this type of structure. The opposite end of the spectrum is a very slightly built person who has large wrists and ankles. This type of structure also exists. In these cases, it is more difficult to accurately predict muscular potential. I have chosen to present a simplified lean body mass prediction equation, but with the caveat that an adjustment be made for very thinly and thickly built men.

Finally, potential lean body mass increases with body fat percentage. Research has found that very heavy Sumo wrestlers actually carry more lean body mass than bodybuilders of the same height [2]. I performed a statistical analysis of off-season vs. contest-condition bodybuilders to account for this in the lean body mass prediction equation.

Predicting Maximum Muscular Bodyweight: The Equation

The equation below predicts the maximum lean body mass someone of a given height and bone-structure can achieve without the use of anabolic drugs (there is a link at the end of this article to an online calculator based on all of the formula presented here).

Maximum lean body mass = (3.285H + 9.437A + 5.840W – 186.449) x (%bf / 227.27 + 1)
where,
H = Height in inches
A = Ankle circumference at the smallest point
W = Wrist circumference measured on the elbow side of the styloid process.
(The styloid process is the bony lump on the outside of your wrist.)
%bf = The body fat percentage at which you want to predict your maximum lean body mass

Very thin ectomorphic men can expect to attain about 95% of the lean body mass that the equation predicts. Likewise, very endo-mesomorphic people, who have disproportionately wide hips and thick torsos, and people whose joints are uncharacteristically small, may be able to exceed the prediction by up to 5%.

So, using this equation, for a 5′9″ (69 inches) tall bodybuilder at 10% body fat with 7.0″ wrists and 8.7″ ankles the equation would yield:

Maximum lean body mass = (3.285 x 69.0 + 9.437 x 8.7 + 5.840 x 7.0 – 186.449) x (10 / 227.27 + 1) = 170.4 pounds.

To convert maximum lean body mass to maximum bodyweight at any given body fat, use this equation:

Body weight = (Lean body mass / (100 – %body fat) ) x 100

Using our example bodybuilder, at a lean and healthy 10% body fat his total bodyweight would be:

Body weight = (170.4 / (100 – 10) ) x 100 = 189.3 pounds

The formula was developed as an amalgamation of data from past and present drug-free bodybuilding champions and anthropometrics data from the U.S. Army, Navy, and several anthropometrics studies done by various organizations throughout the world (for ergonomic designs, etc.). In addition, a comparison was made with the fat-free mass indexes of champion bodybuilders, as presented in the work of Dr. E. M. Kouri, et. al. A mathematical regression was done to obtain fits based on the heights, wrist sizes and ankle sizes of elite-level drug-free bodybuilding competitors. As the final fit was sufficiently linear in nature, the equation was then linearized to make it more “user-friendly”, without sacrificing accuracy.

Table 1 presents a list of drug-free bodybuilding champions both past and present with their actual weights and the weights predicted by the formula. The current champions are unnamed because of the “sensitive” nature of body weights and measurements to actively competing bodybuilders.

The greatest error in the above predictions is 0.87%. So, as you can see, the equation is quite accurate for this group of bodybuilders. In addition, these lifters are of varying heights and bone structures to further illustrate the validity of the predictions.

If you are lifetime drug-free, use this formula to set a realistic and accurate bodyweight goal for yourself. If you’re like our example bodybuilder of 5′9″ tall, with 7″ wrists and 8.7″ ankles, then forget about weighing a lean 230 pounds. If you get to a lean 190 pounds you’ll be carrying as much muscle, with respect to your frame, as an elite-level natural bodybuilder.

Predicting Maximum Muscular Measurements

There have been several sets of equations presented over the years that attempt to predict maximum muscular measurements based on height or wrist size. The problem is they typically don’t consider both, and very few of them consider lower body structure size. A popular set of formula was presented by bodybuilding author John McCallum in the mid-1960s. All predictions were based on wrist size, without the lifter’s height taken into consideration. Such an approach can be sufficiently accurate for a lifter of average stature but muscular potential is, to a degree, influenced by height. For instance, a 6′1″ tall trainee with an 8″ wrist will, generally, have the potential to develop larger muscular measurements than a 5′8″ trainee with an 8″ wrist. Height must be included in such predictions.

Using a similar procedure as I did in deriving the bodyweight formula, I derived a set of equations that predict muscular measurements in lean condition. Again, height, ankle circumference and wrist circumference are the determining factors. One caveat is in order: People with uncharacteristically small joints for their frames (notably some people of African descent) may be able to exceed these predictions by 5-7%.

chest = 2.222W + 1.796A + 0.347H – 9.514
biceps = 1.609W + 0.126H – 3.444
forearms = 1.280W + 0.100H – 2.740
neck = 1.561W + 0.122H – 3.342
thighs = 1.872A + 0.181H – 4.957
calves = 1.257A + 0.122H – 3.330

Measurement Procedure:
chest – measured relaxed (not expanded), arms at sides, tape under armpits
biceps – flexed, at largest point
forearms – fist clenched, hand out straight, measured at largest point
neck – below Adam’s apple at smallest point
thighs – standing relaxed, midway between hip and knee
calves – standing relaxed, at largest point
* For all measurements tape should be snug but not tight.

For our 5′9″ trainee with 7.0″ wrists and 8.7″ ankles we have:

chest = 2.222 x 7.0 + 1.796 x 8.7 + 0.347 x 69 – 9.514 = 45.6″
biceps = 1.609 x 7.0 + 0.126 x 69 – 3.444 = 16.5″
forearms = 1.280 x 7.0 + 0.100 x 69 – 2.740 = 13.1″
neck = 1.561 x 7.0 + 0.122 x 69 – 3.342 = 16.0″
thighs = 1.872 x 8.7 + 0.181 x 69 – 4.957 = 23.8″
calves = 1.257 x 8.7 + 0.122 x 69 – 3.330 = 16.0″

Yes, that’s a far cry from what some drug-using bodybuilders are achieving. But, like it or not, those numbers represent the maximum measurements that a natural trainee is likely to achieve without drugs, while still maintaining balanced measurements throughout the body. In reality, any trainee who reaches the measurements predicted by these equations will be an impressive physical specimen …he would have the size and proportions of the bodybuilding legends listed above and of the current drug-free bodybuilding champions.

As an illustration, Table 2 shows how the old-timers and drug-free elite competitors from 2006 “measured up”, along with the predictions of the equations. The actual measurements were taken from a variety of sources that I deem credible, and were taken at body fat levels of approximately 8-10%.

Again, the predictions are quite accurate, but they also help illustrate certain points. For instance, you’ll notice that many of these bodybuilders have calves smaller than the predicted values, whereas Steve Reeves and World Champion “B” exceeded the predicted values. What you are seeing there is the fact that the calves are a notoriously difficult body part to develop, whereas these competitors were genetically blessed with great calves that responded well to training. Also, World Champion “B”’s arms exceed the prediction by 1/2″ in the off-season – he is known for his outstanding arms. It is interesting to note, though, that in contest shape his arms “only” measure 16.0″.

Conclusion

What these equations give you is the heaviest lean body mass and largest lean measurements that a natural bodybuilder of the given structure is likely to achieve while maintaining balance throughout the muscle groups of the body. That isn’t to say that a bodybuilder won’t have a genetically gifted body part(s) that exceeds these predictions, or that he can’t surpass these predictions by specializing, perhaps inappropriately, on certain muscle groups. However, it is very unlikely that the rest of the physique, as a whole, would reach that standard. If you have body parts that can exceed the predictions then you’ll probably always have to “take it easy” on those muscles or they’ll grow out of balance with the rest of your physique. (And if your outstanding body part is a large muscle group like legs or back this can cause your bodyweight to exceed the prediction given by the bodyweight equation.) In this regard, these equations should be viewed more as maximum guidelines than as limitations. On the other hand, perhaps you would like your biceps a little oversized with respect to the rest of your physique.

Also, keep in mind that achieving these measurements doesn’t necessarily mean that your body will be “perfect”. Measurements don’t tell the full story – things such as muscle shape, symmetry, separation and definition can make all the difference. You may find yourself achieving these measurements yet your physique still lacking in certain aspects. Most commonly, if a person reaches these predictions, yet still doesn’t appear muscularly impressive, then he’s simply too fat – keep in mind that these equations describe a lean condition. On the other hand, if your measurements are significantly under what the equations predict, it probably means you’ve got some growing left in you yet.
Reg Park In reality, it will take years of dedicated, productive training for most genetically typical trainees to even approach these predictions. Most people will never achieve this level of development …and measurements taken at higher body fat levels do not reflect true muscular development.

In closing, I want to stress that although these formulas present lofty, but realistic goals for most drug-free trainees, they are not meant to represent “limitations”. But you also must realize that in the process of surpassing these predictions you are also surpassing the development of drug-free world champions. Very few people will have the genetic gifts to accomplish that. What the formulas give you is the lean body mass and full-body measurements that you’d need to achieve to be on an equal footing, size-wise, with current drug-free champions and the greats of the drug-free era. I’m not saying that no one can surpass that, but to put it in perspective, you’d need to be carrying more muscle (with respect to your skeletal frame size) than a prime Reg Park in order to do it.

Online calculator based on the formulas presented above: Your Maximum Muscular Bodyweight and Measurements Calculator

References:
Kouri E.M., Pope H.G. Jr., Katz D.L., Oliva P., “Fat-free mass index in users and nonusers of anabolic-androgenic steroids”, Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 223-8, 1995.
Kondo M., Abe T., Ikegawa S., Kawakami Y., Fukunaga T., “Upper limit of fat-free mass in humans: A study on Japanese Sumo wrestlers”, American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 613-18, 1994.

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Also read…To Squat or Not to Squat

The Traditional Squat

The traditional squat should be one of the first squat techniques to learn. In this movement, the bar is placed high on the back. This is sometimes known as the bodybuilding squat. The shoulder blades should be retracted to help support the bar. Wrists can either be rigid or extended power-lifter style, depending on flexibility. Keeping the elbows beneath the wrists can be important, because outside of this position, the shoulder may rotate. This can impinge the rotator cuff and may actually pinch a nerve and make the arm go numb for some people.

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Stance is just about shoulder width. Foot orientation is “natural”. When you are standing casually, this is “natural”. Most people will find that the feet are pointed slightly outwards. This is fine – in fact, forcing the feet to point straight ahead can place enormous torque on the knee joint and cause injury. I have had surgery on my right anterior cruciat ligament, and as a result, my right foot is exaggerated – it points at about 2 o’clock. This is my natural stance – right foot pointed more than the left – because the surgery has altered my leg alignment. Trying to force my leg into an unnatural alignment would only cause injury.

Traditional Barbell Squat.

There is much debate about proper alignment of the hips when performing a squat. Slight lordosis is typically recommended – this means the back curves inward slightly and is not rounded. This engages the spinal erectae, or muscles that protect the spine. A neutral hip position can also be used. For the neutral hip position, you simply rotate the top of the pelvis back and bottom of the pelvis forward to flatten the back. Do not exaggerate this movement – too much of a “thrust” and the back will round – just use enough rotation to make the back neutral. Keeping the head facing straight ahead with respect to the torso rather than looking up or down also helps align the spine and protect it from injury.

Descend as if you are sitting in a chair. A common mistake is to allow the knees to bend so far that they extend well beyond the toes. The bodybuilding squat places a bit of stress on the knee joint, and the farther the knees track forward, the more stress is placed upon the joint. By “sitting back” so the weight is transferred through the heels rather than the toes, you assure that tension is on the quadriceps more than the knee joint. It takes balance and flexibility to execute this movement correctly. Some people place their heels on blocks. While this improves balance, it is a compromise for lack of ankle flexibility. A better approach would be to address the root cause (lack of ankle flexibility) through stretching, rather than to eliminate the symptom by using blocks.

Descend as far as you can go without the knees tracking forward excessively or the torso bending too far forward. Most people through practice and with appropriate flexibility can descend to thighs parallel or beyond. There is nothing wrong with going below parallel if you are healthy and your flexibility and strength allow this full range of motion. If your torso begins to bend forward, beyond 20 – 40 degrees or thereabouts, you are at the limit of your range and should stop the movement. Excessive “lean” simply places extra stress on the lower back and can lead to injury. Try to maintain the torso as erect as possible – perfectly vertical is ideal but a slight angle is common.

Powerlifting Squat

If you place the bar farther down your back – below the deltoids and across the rhomboid – you are using a power-lifting squat. Stance is usually a bit wider than shoulder width. Torso lean will be more pronounced due to the shift in center of gravity. The power-lifting squat places more stress on the lower back and less stress on the knee joint.

Again, descend as if “sitting back into a chair” and let your body dictate the proper range of motion. Shooting for parallel is ideal but do not exceed your body’s parameters – if your ankle flexibility, lower back strength, or other factors prohibit the full range of motion, then an abbreviated range is necessary until the supporting muscles are strong and flexible.

Athletic Squat

A bar position between the previous two is known as the athletic squat. This is a compromise between the bodybuilding and power-lifting varieties of squat.

The athletic squat is a trade-off between stress on the knee joint and stress on the lower back, and is a great movement to use in various phases of training.

Sumo Squat

Taking an excessively wide stance is necessary to perform the sumo squat. Do not try to keep your legs pointed forward during this movement. If you try to bend at the knee with a wide stance and feet pointed forward, your leg will twist at the knee joint. This not only stresses the joint, but also stretches the ligaments and can injure them.

Feet should point farther out than your natural stance, so that the leg bends in a plane that does not allow twist or excessive torque on the knee joint. The sumo squat will employ more muscles in the inside of the thigh than the traditional squat.

Box Squat

Another variation of the traditional squat is the box squat. In this movement, you squat until you are sitting on a platform or box. This is typically placed just at or above parallel. It is essential that you transfer all weight to the platform, pause, and then drive upwards. This technique works the weakest range of motion by forcing you to have a “cold start” from the bottom. Squeeze the glutes to drive upward and keep the torso as vertical as possible (many people make the mistake of leaning forward before driving up from the platform, and this may lead to injury).

Box Squat.

The box squat will employ more of your hamstrings and glutes than a traditional squat, but helps strengthen the weakest range of motion and is sure to help you increase your maximum squat poundage. By transferring your weight completely to the platform, you eliminate the “stretch-shortening cycle” which uses “recoil” or “spring” energy to help drive back up from the bottom of a traditional squat.

Ski Squat

Squatting against the wall is known as the ski squat. Step about 2 feet away from a way, take a natural stance, then lean back onto the wall. Support that position for 20 – 60 seconds. It is important to work this movement through all ranges of motion, because you will only gain strength in the range that you are working.

A common practice is to keep the start position, then slide downward a few inches and maintain that position for 20 – 60 seconds, then slide down again, etc, until you finish the last “rep” at parallel or below.

Front Squat

A front squat involves placing the bar across the anterior deltoids or the front of your shoulders. If you have sufficient wrist flexibility, you can grasp the bar and allow the fingers to bend back towards your body to support the bar. Many people lack this flexibility and must use an alternate method. This involves crossing the arms and then lifting them to support the bar. The front squat forces the torso to remain nearly vertical.

The location of the bar shifts the center of gravity and assures that more tension is placed on the quadriceps. Because most people lack the upper body strength to handle heavier weights, this movement is typically a periphery movement – not enough weight can be loaded to make it an effective primary movement.

Plie Squat

Stand on the bench and grasp a single dumbbell. Now, taking a wide stance, squat down with the dumbbell dangling between your legs. Lower yourself as far as your flexibility and balance permit, and then drive back up to just short of lockout. This is known as a plie squat.

Like the sumo squat, it can help work muscles in the inner and outer thighs that don’t receive as much attention in the traditional squat. The advantage of a plie squat is increased range of motion when you are elevated on a bench.

Jump Squat

If you explode upward during a squat and even jump from the ground, you are performing a jump squat. This is a great neurological movement – it will improve explosive and overall strength.

Jump Squat 2

It forces the muscle fibers to fire in unison, and improves the efficiency by which your central nervous system uses your leg muscles. This is a great movement for people in explosive sports like basketball or track.

Breathing Squat

Squats can be incorporated into mega-sets that will not only induce muscle growth and burn a tremendous amount of calories, but will improve your cardiovascular health as well. These squats are known as “breathing squats.” You perform about 10 rhythmic repetitions, exhaling as you ascend and inhaling as you descend. After the 10th rep, you take an extra breath between reps (i.e. down + breathe in, up + breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, down + breathe in, etc.)

After about 5 more reps like this, take two breaths between reps, etc. It is important not to perform breathing squats with a light weight – these are only to be employed when required to obtain extra repetitions. If you use this technique without sufficient weight, you can actually hyperventilate and become dizzy or pass out!

One-Legged Squat (King Squat)

While there are many, many more variations of the squat, the last squat that I would like to mention is the “King squat” or one-legged squat. Ian King takes credit for this movement. Take a natural stance. Now, take one leg and extend it out so it is as close to parallel with the ground as your flexibility and strength permit. If possible, grab your toe with your same-side arm (you may not be flexible enough to do this).

One-Legged Squat (King Squat).

Eventually, try to perform this movement “free standing” but to start, take the opposite arm and grasp a frame or pole to balance yourself. Now, using the leg planted on the ground, lower yourself as far as you can go without your raised leg touching the ground or losing balance. This is the one legged squat and is a great exercise to address weak-side issues (work the weak side first and don’t exceed weak-side reps with the strong side) and also to improve flexibility and overall leg strength.

Conclusion

The squat should be a staple of leg training, but there are plenty of varieties to keep training challenging and interesting. This movement places so much stress on the body and works so many muscles at once that it has been shown to affect your hormones! Many people report growth in all areas of their body – including their arms – simply by performing heavy squats. The squat is not only a strength and hypertrophy (muscle growth) exercise, but can provide a great cardiovascular workout as well. The squat will be a key tool in your quest for your peak physique!

———————————————-

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/

About the Author:
For all your bodybuilding supplements and sports nutrition needs Benedict recommends Supreme Supplements. Supreme stocks products from the top manufacturers including ThermoLabs ProLab, and Mutant Mass.  http://www.supplementcentre.com   http://blog.supplementcentre.com

• That you’re a hardgainer, and destined to have poor results as long as you train?
• That you don’t have the right supplements?
• That you simply haven’t found the perfect routine yet?

For most trainees, the success or failure of their weightlifting regimen has nothing to do with being a hardgainer, the supplements they take, or the program they are on. But before I give you the two simple ways to turn any weightlifting routine into a success, let’s look at the three issues listed above.

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Hardgainer. The term hardgainer is used to describe someone who lifts weights but sees very little, or no, tangible results. Generally, new lifters will classify themselves as hardgainers before they learn the keys to making a lifting program work, and before they understand the proper muscle building diet. Most hardgainers are not hardgainers at all. They are simply under-educated or impatient lifters.

Supplements. Supplements are peddled as the holy grail for natural weight lifters. The mentality that muscle building magazines would like you to buy into is…If you could only find the right combination of supplements, then your gains would skyrocket. This isn’t true. Gains, and program success, have little to do with supplement intake. In fact, most lifters can experience great success with no supplements at all.

The Perfect Routine. The amount of weight lifting routines that can be found on the Internet is staggering. Programs vary according to intensity, style, set quantity, body part configuration, days of rest, etc. The sheer amount of information on the subject tends to leave lifters confused. Because of this confusion, many believe that if they only found the right routine, results would come. This is not true, of course. Results have little to do with a specific routine.

So, then, what can you do to get results? The answer is simple…

• Proper Training Techniques. You need to understand compound exercises, progression, training shy of failure, and de-loading periods.
• Diet. You need to get enough protein, eat enough meals, and consume enough calories to grow.

Training Techniques. Many lifters go into the gym and perform the same workout, with the same weight, over and over again, and wonder why the results never come. Achieving the results you want isn’t difficult. Simply make sure you are using…

• Compound Exercises. Make sure that the majority of exercises in your program are compound exercises. Compound lifts include: squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pullups, dips, rows, stiff-leg deadlifts, etc. Compound exercises are the key to building strength and muscle. Isolation work, cable work, pec deck flyes, and most machines won’t give you the results you want.
• Progression. Keep a log of your workouts. Every time you hit the gym, try to perform more reps than the last time. And when you hit the “rep ceiling” for that particular exercise (anywhere from 6-20 reps), add more weight the next time you lift. To make strength and muscle gains, you must always be pushing for more reps and more weight. Sticking with the same weight “to tone” your body isn’t doing anything. Your body adapts quickly to current workloads, and you will stop gaining muscle.
• Training Shy of Failure. Do NOT train to failure. Training to failure is unnecessary, and taxes the body. Try to stop one rep short of positive failure. Basically, keep performing reps until you’re not sure you can perform another rep, and then quit. It is not positive failure that makes you bigger or stronger, it is the increased workload that comes from progression.
• De-loading Periods. When your body feels over-trained, run down, very sluggish, and/or you have nagging joint aches and pains from an extended period of training, it is time to de-load. A de-load period can be one or two weeks, and requires you to hit the gym and perform your same routine, but using 30-40% weight, or 30-40% fewer reps. A de-loading period will allow your body to retain its fitness level, while you recover from fatigue.

Diet. You cannot train properly and then eat junk. Your body needs the proper raw materials to grow. To get the most out of your lifting program, make sure you are…

• Protein. Make sure you are eating enough protein. It is best to eat 5-6 smaller meals each day, spaced 2.5-3 hours apart. During each meal, try to eat at least 25-30 grams of quality protein. It is also a good idea to mix up your protein choices. Eggs. Chicken. Seafood. Beef. Diary products. Protein powders and bars.
• Meals. As stated above, to best grow, you need a regular intake of proper fuel and nutrients. Smaller, healthy meals keep a constant stream of muscle building nutrients flowing through your system. Try to eat smaller meals every 2.5-3 hours.
• Calories. To grow, you can’t be under-eating. Estimate your lean body mass (weight without body fat) with a skin-fold caliper, and then multiply that number by 21. This is a good base daily caloric intake to start with. For example, if your lean body mass is 150 pounds, multiply 150 * 21, and you find that you need to eat a minimum of 3,150 calories each day. Of course, every person’s metabolism is different. If you are losing weight, add 200-500 more daily calories and see what happens over the course of the next two months. If you are gaining too much fat, cut back the calories for a couple of months. Always rely on your lean body mass (via a skin-fold caliper) to help you decide your best course of action.
• Zig Zag. It is also a good idea to eat slightly more (200-500 calories) on training days. This zig zag effect assists your body in gaining weight while minimizing, or negating fat gains. Keep your average daily caloric intake for the week the same, according to the rule of 21.

Follow these simple rules, and you will see results. Train hard, train heavy, train with compound movements, and eat right.

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But while the amount and variety of bodybuilding routines is staggering and complex, the core exercises for these routines are not. If you want to get big and strong, regardless of your routine, consider making the following seven exercises the cornerstone of your time in the gym.

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BENCH PRESS. The bench press is the favorite exercise of gym rats everywhere. Show me a bench at any local gym, and I will show you several lifters waiting in line to use it. The bench press is the king of upper body compound movements. Not only does it hammer your chest into massive growth, but the bench press also works your triceps and delts.

OVERHEAD PRESS. The overhead (or military) press rules the land of shoulder growth, blasting your side and front deltoids into submission. There are many effective variations of this movement…seated dumbbell presses, seated barbell presses, standing barbell presses, behind the neck barbell presses. The overhead press also works your triceps and traps.

DIPS. Dips are a potent, but little used tricep blasting exercise. Dips also work the chest and shoulders. Despite being a bodyweight exercise, additional weight can be added to this exercise by the use of a weight belt.

DEADLIFT. Another often avoided or ignored exercise is the deadlift. The deadlift is an amazingly anabolic compound lift that will bomb your back, traps, hamstrings, forearms, biceps, shoulders, and just about every other muscle in your body. No workout routine is complete without the deadlift.

ROWS. While most gym rats prefer to work their backs with lat pulldowns, the barbell or dumbbell row is a much more effective exercise. Rowing exercises allow you to lift heavy weights while still maintaining good form and encouraging thick, powerful back growth. Certain variations of t-bar rows are also effective as well.

PULLUPS. Pullups are one of the least favorite bodyweight exercises on the planet. The pullup is generally hated because it is difficult to perform. Like the dip, additional weight can be added while performing pullups via a weight belt. There are several variations of the pullups movement, all much more effective than machine lat pulldown movements.

SQUATS. Squats are hands down the king of all weightlifting exercises. If your routine does not include squats, you might as well be ice skating. Squats put your body into an anabolic state, and not only make your legs and lower body stronger, but also encourage upper body strength increases. You haven’t lifted until you’ve squatted.

There are also some very effective mass builders that you can use to supplement the seven core bodybuilding exercises. These exercises are:

CLOSEGRIP BENCH PRESS. A heavy compound exercise that stresses your triceps, chest and shoulders.

INCLINE BENCH PRESS. Another great variation of the bench press. Incline presses can be performed with a barbell or dumbbells.

UPRIGHT ROWS. Upright rows blast your shoulders and trap.

SHRUGS. Barbell or dumbbell shrugs are great for trap development, and work well hand in hand with deadlifts and shoulder work.

POWER CLEANS. The power clean is yet another under-used exercise. The power clean works your shoulders, traps, back, legs and more.

ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS. The Romanian deadlift is an effective way to blast your hamstrings, and an awesome alternative to lying machine hamstring curls.

LUNGES. Another quality leg-hammering exercise.

Steroids.

Yes, steroids. It is very rare to find a bodybuilding routine that discusses the impact of steroids on the design and outcome of the program. I know this sounds ridiculous on the surface – and counter-intuitive – but it’s true.

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Steroids impact how long you can train, how hard you can train, how often you can train, how you recover from training, and how your body responds to what you eat.

In a nutshell…steroids impact every aspect of training.

So, with these fact strongly in hand, why are steroids and program design rarely ever talked about in the same sentence? Well, I hate to generalize, but here are some possible reasons…

1) Most uber athletes want you to look up to them. They want to have the answers, and the guidance, to keep you following their advice. And, if they are a pro with magazine and supplement contracts, it is their job to promote themselves. So, if you eat just like Joe Pro, and train just like Joe Pro, surely you will grow like Joe Pro! Nope. Joe Pro forgot to talk about the impact that steroids had upon his program design.

But even non-professional uber advisers want you to lock-step behind them. They want to be right, generally so you will buy something. Bring steroids into this equation, and skinny you doesn’t need their advice so desperately. A skinny bodybuilder always needs a guru. A steroid-user can grow despite the program. So, if roids aren’t talked about, how can you know if they play a key role in the routine’s effectiveness? You can’t. You won’t.

There has to be some reason that Joe Guru won’t reveal all of his secrets. I’ll let you figure that you for yourself.

2) Most media sources only contain athletes who are juicing. The main bodybuilding media sources feature the brutes…the biggest and the baddest lifters. They sell advertising based on these beasts. Heck, everything that the major lifting media thrives upon revolves around drug use. These media sources want you to be like Joe Pro, so you will hunger after their magazines, websites and products. Of course, they fail to mention that without steroids, you will never come close to Joe Pro. So…bottom line…the bodybuilding media likes to leave out steroid discussions because they upset the apple cart.

3) Supplements drive the bus. The bodybuilding industry exists only because of supplement revenue. It lives on supplements, thrives on supplement sales, and cannot – for a moment – let you believe that you can’t achieve an uber physique without them. So…hush, hush is the word when it comes to steroids. As long as you feel inadequate, or like a failure, you are more likely to spend hard earned cash on useless potions and monkey spit.

Please understand, I am not attacking all supplements, nor am I attacking most supplements. Most supplements have some value, and a select few are nearly invaluable. But what I am saying is this: the bodybuilding industry needs you to rely wholeheartedly on supplements, and would prefer to minimize the talk of steroids to keep you more reliant on their products.

4) Without roids, most routines are fairly equal. Not all routines, but most routines. There are some bodybuilding routines – obviously – that are better for most lifters than others. (Notice I didn’t say all – no generalizations here) That, my friends, is why there are a million routines that seem to work, so far apart on the spectrum from one another that it borders on the ridiculous. When steroids are brought into the routine equation, they level the playing field between routines, and deflate the importance of said routine being pushed or peddled.

You’ve probably noticed that there are near endless amounts of bodybuilding techniques, systems, and intensity builders. Most of these bodybuilding tricks exist for the intermediate to advanced lifter; the type of seasoned lifter who is scratching for every last pound of muscle he or she can get. The creators and proponents of these techniques want you more focused on their methods than they do on steroids. Again, with steroids in the conversation, the importance of these techniques is minimized for beginning to intermediate lifters.

SO WHAT NOW?

So what do you do now? What do you do armed with the fact that most programs are designed, implemented and analyzed by steroids users? Where does that leave the natural athlete?

It puts you in the position to take everything with a grain of salt, and forces you to find what works best for you.

You can’t ignore every routine under the sun, and it is foolish to do so. There is a ton of valuable information contained within them. But what you need to do is tone down the routine and fit it for a 45-minute to 60-minute workout.

You also need to be aware of two other factors: overtraining and injury.

Few natural athletes can hit the gym and do 30 sets without risk of overtraining and/or injury. Youth might forgive some of these sins, but not forever.

Train smart. Eat clean food. Try to progress on reps and poundages. And realize that muscle gains for natural lifters are finite. You can still have a great physique, but don’t spend the rest of your life following the advice of a steroid user in hopes that it will turn you into the natural Jay Cutler.

That will never happen.

NOTE: The following article is the first in a series on bodybuilding basics for beginners and intermediate lifters. Please stay tuned for more to come…

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BODYBUILDING

Bodybuilding.

The word invokes images of oiled man (or women) with shaved and tanned bodies, bowling around on stage, showing off their steroid-gorged physiques. It’s not a pretty picture.

Yet, building our bodies is the goal of nearly everyone who exercises. Here’s my definition of bodybuilding:

Bodybuilding: striving to improve your physique through the toning and/or building of muscle, while simultaneously attempting to lose bodyfat.

Simple definition? I hope it is a definition that hits home for you. It does for me.

It is my goal to gain muscle and lose fat. End of story. I want the best body I can get, as fast as possible, without spending endless amounts of money on supplements. I want a body that wows people wherever I go – a body that looks damn good in any clothing. I want a body that makes my partner hunger for me, and a body that turns heads when I walk down the street.

This is the goal of bodybuilding.

So put aside the images you have of the oily, the shaved, the steroid bloated stage wanderers. This book is not here to help you achieve glory in the niche sport of professional bodybuilding. What this book on bodybuilding will do is help you get as big and as lean as you desire, naturally.

And women, this includes you too! You cannot get tone without having muscle. And you will not get huge without taking steroids, so put aside those fears and read on.

LET’S TALK ABOUT MUSCLE TONE

What is muscle tone?

Most people who begin a workout or exercise regimen have the goal of toning up. What does that mean? Generally, it means losing bodyfat with the goal of revealing the muscle below.

It can mean getting ripped. It can mean having six pack abs. It can mean having a rump and legs to die for. It can mean having a flat stomach. It can mean having a beach body that turns heads.

Muscle Tone: having a degree of fat loss that brings you to your desired body goal of having a lean, fit, firm, and for many, a muscular body.

A toned body is a body that is streamlined; a body that does not carry around unwanted bodyfat. But this is only half of the toning equation. Once you strip off your bodyfat, there must be muscle underneath for your body to be toned.

No ifs, ands or buts. This is the truth.

You can lose fat and achieve your goal bodyweight, and still look flabby. In fact, this is quite common. Why is this? Again, without muscle, a body cannot be toned.

Without muscle, your rump will not look full and perfect. Without muscle, your legs will look like twigs. Without muscle, your arms will look like sticks that are much more fat than muscle.

Without muscle, you cannot have a beach chest. And women, without muscle, your beach chest may just choose to sag towards your belly button.

Without muscle, your flat stomach may be nothing more than a smooth(er) and flatter bag of fat.

Without muscle, your body cannot be toned, no matter how much fat you lose. End of story.

So what does this mean? To be toned, you must gain muscle, to some degree. Without trying to generalize too much – because this trend is changing – men want as much muscle as possible, but women fear looking like the Incredible Hulk.

HOW MUCH MUSCLE IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT STEROIDS?

Let me talk to women first.

Without steroids, you will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever get big and bulky. Never! That means forever and ever. Even if you lifted for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, until the age of seventy, your body (without steroids) would never look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Women who word out hard – very hard – could see a gain of 5 pounds of muscle per year, on the average. This gain would taper off after several years. A natural, drug free body has limits as to how much muscle it can pack on.

To look toned, you would need to add 6-10 pounds of muscle to your frame. This amount of additional muscle would not make you look huge. It would make you look firm, tight and sexy. Another 5-10 pounds would make you look a bit more muscular, but surely not like a huge bodybuilder. After twenty pounds of muscle, your physique would start to resemble that of a world-class female track and field star.

And after 20 pounds of muscle? Well, only about 20% of women can really pack on the muscle mass. Even so, it takes years and years and years of dedicated hard training to gain that much mass. In fact, most men who spend years at the gym never gain 20 pounds of muscle.

So have no fear. You will likely gain just the perfect amount of muscle to give you your dream body.

And now for the men…

Here are the cold, hard facts. Gaining muscle is a long, hard and slow process, even for the most testosterone-filled male. Even seasoned steroid free bodybuilders have a hard time pushing their bodies over the 200 pound mark, at 10% bodyfat. This means that achieving a lean mass of over 180 is very difficult.

But have no fear…a bodyweight of 200 pounds @ 10% bodyfat looks awesome! Bodybuilder John Grimek weighted in around 203 pounds, and his toned physique looks incredible muscular. Of course, he doesn’t look anything like a steroid monster, but if you want a body like that, than this is not the book for you…

So lift hard. A muscular, big, sexy and awesome physique is within reach, for man or woman.

BEFORE WE DIVE IN

Before we dive in, let’s look at some of the health benefits to bodybuilding.

1) Strong Bones. Weightlifting gives you stronger bones, or better bone density. The older we get, the more bone density becomes a health concern, especially among women.
2) Strong Back. Bodybuilding gives you a stronger back, helping you to stave off back injuries.
3) Better Metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body requires every day simply for maintenance. This means you can eat more without gaining fat.
4) More Energy. More muscle and less fat increases your body’s efficiency, leading to more energetic days (and nights).
5) Self-Esteem Boost. This is a no-brainer. When you look into the mirror and see the body of a Greek god, who can’t feel good about themselves?
6) Less Pain. With greater muscle and joint strength, your body will lose some of the nagging aches and pains that came from lack of exercise.
7) Healthy Heart. Weightlifting pushes your body to lower blood pressure, decreased cholesterol, and a healthier heart. And remember, the heart is a muscle.
8) Increased Performance. Bodybuilding improves your other athletic endeavors. You will be a better football player, gymnast, runner or cheerleader.
9) Diabetes Fighter. Weightlifting helps prevent adult onset diabetes.
10) Reduce Effects of Aging. Weightlifting helps you look younger, feel younger, and stay younger at heart.

So, without further ramblings, let’s dive in…

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Simply having an erection causes your testosterone levels to jump significantly. And morning sex is even better. Boom, chicka, boom, boom!

It’s OK to Look and Interact

A University of Chicago team found that testosterone levels jump by as much as 30% when interacting with a hottie. Seek out, and interact with those you find stimulating. A pre-workout viewing of a few stimulating images, or stimulating interacting (not sex) with your wife/girlfriend works too.

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Don’t Forget the Biggies

Squats, barbell rows, deadlifts and Bench presses increase your testosterone levels more than biceps curls or calf raises. Make sure you keep a staple of heavy compound exercises in your routine.

And Lift Heavy

A study by Finnish researchers found that the greatest workout testosterone boost came from heavy workloads. Try a few sets of 5 reps with 85% of your 1 rep max.

3 Sets, The Golden Number

Penn State researchers found that testosterone levels jump more when you perform 3 sets of the same exercises, as opposed to one or two. Of course, all things are relative. Ultra intense sets most likely would change this curve.

Rest

A UNC study found that testosterone levels can lower as much as 40% in you are overtraining.

No Binge Drinking

More than 3 drinks is bad for testosterone levels. Limit yourself.

Eat

Skipping meals is a sure fire way to cause your testosterone levels to lower.

Don’t Avoid Fat

Dietary fat helps maintain healthy, normal testosterone levels. Avoiding fat causes a testosterone decrease. Be careful with those broccoli and chicken only meals; find a way to sneak some fat in.

Sleep

Not much to say here. If you don’t sleep, your testosterone dives.

Lose Your Belly

A University of Pittsburg researcher found that those who are more than 30% over there ideal body weight (this includes fat, not muscle) experience bad hormonal changes. Drop the belly blubber.

Avoid Crash Diets

If you starve yourself, your body will shut down the testosterone flow.

Eggs and Whey

Studies have revealed that the protein from eggs and whey allow your adrenal glands to keep testosterone at normal levels.

Don’t Become a Vegetarian

A research study found that meat-eating participants had higher testosterone levels then their veggie munching buddies. Get manly; eat meat.

Nuts For Your Nuts

Believe it or not, studies have shown that nuts boost testosterone levels.

For more information, please also read…

Natural Ways to Increase Testosterone Bioavailability in Athletes

Increasing testosterone and Testosterone Receptors