Building Muscles

Bodybuilding Muscles| How to Build and Train Massive Muscles Chest| Arms| Biceps| Triceps

Muscles and How they Work

There are three types of muscle -

Skeletal muscle - covers our bones. These muscles support our skeletal frame, and aid movement. We have control over these muscles. Men have an average of around 40-50% of the body mass as Skeletal Muscle, and females have around 30-40%.

Smooth muscle - this is the muscle in the bladder, intestines and blood vessels. We do not have conscious control over these muscles.

Cardiac muscle - this is found only in the heart. We have no control over this muscle.

Types of Exercise

Exercise improves fitness, muscle, bone strength, and joint function. Exercise stimulates the muscles.

Aerobic exercise involves long, low levels of exertion so the muscles are not working at their maximum contraction strength. Aerobic exercises build up stamina for marathons.

Anaerobic exercise is explosive, high intensity contractions - the type used in a sprint or weight lifting.

Muscles are bundles of tiny fibres wrapped in a sheath of tissue to give strength. Each individual muscle is limited by the number of fibres we inherit via our genes. We cannot make more fibres through exercise or diet. For this reason, not all bodybuilders will go on to win a Mr Universe competition. The genes have a major part to play. The good news is, we can increase the strength and size of the muscles we have.

An increase in strength and size is the result of resistance training. This engages more and more of the available fibres, therefore the muscles will grow and get stronger. Training with weights causes micro-trauma - the muscle fibres tear (microscopic tears). This is felt as stiffness, or sore muscles, for a day or two after training. It is the repair to these tears that results in muscle growth.

That is what is so amazing - muscles grow when you are resting and not when you are training. You fill them with blood when you exercise and the tears occur. You then rest and the repairs take place, and the growth happens, if you have feeding them with the correct nutrients. Occasionally, It also helps to do different types of training to shock the muscles into growth.

Today is my chest and arms training and, in order to build and train a massive Chest, I am pushing the weights as heavy as I can. I keep safety in mind as I train by myself.

I am building my pecs doing Straight Bar Bench Presses and ending with a superset of flys. (See the table).

Triceps are being trained with tricep pushdowns and a superset of kickbacks. (See the table)

Biceps are being trained with Z Bar curls and a superset of hammer curls using dumbbells (See the table)

Bodybuilding Muscles|Steroids

I thought I'd post part of an article I posted on my Olympics blog - www.2012-london-olympics.com.

Anabolic steroids, or anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), are a class of steroid hormones related to the hormone testosterone. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the build up of cellular tissue (anabolism), especially in muscles.

Anabolic steroids were identified in the 1930s, and are now used in medicine to stimulate bone growth and appetite, and treat chronic wasting conditions, such as cancer and AIDS. In the 1950s they were developed to treat medical conditions such as thrombosis and endometriosis; however steroids have been misused to enhance physical performance and to help bodybuilders and others to train harder for better results.

Anabolic steroids produce increases in muscle mass, physical strength and because they are able to do this, they are being used in sport and bodybuilding to enhance strength or physique. This drug helps athletes to train and greatly increase their performance. Athletes will take steroids to give them an added advantage, and often because they want to win at all costs. This has occurred at a number of Olympic Games.

Initially, the users were largely professional weight lifters and bodybuilders - competitors who relied heavily on strength and muscle bulk. This is no longer confined to the professional sports arenas, steroids can now be found in most sports activities.

Steroids are used for a quick fix to give the athlete a massive advantage. I would consider it a bit like taking a standard little Mini motor car and fitting it out with a Ferrari engine. The Mini will be awesome to start with but it was not designed to handle so much power. The rest of the car would fall apart and probably when it was going at 150 miles per hour. When it does fall apart, you will not get out of the wreck !

There are many very bad side effects of steroids. Because of their adverse effects the use of anabolic steroids is banned by all major sporting bodies. These include the International Olympic Committee, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, WWE, ICC, ITF, FIFA, FINA, UEFA, the European Athletic Association, and the Brazilian Football Confederation.

Serious health risks can be produced by long-term use or excessive doses of anabolic steroids. These effects include harmful changes in cholesterol levels (increased low-density lipoprotein and decreased high-density lipoprotein), acne, high blood pressure, liver damage, and dangerous changes in the structure of the left ventricle of the heart. Some of these effects can be caused by exercise, or by taking supplemental drugs.

Anabolic steroids are controlled substances in many countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (U.S.), while in other countries, such as Mexico and Thailand, they are readily available over the counter. In countries where the drugs are controlled, there is often a black market in which smuggled or counterfeit drugs are sold to users. The quality of such illegal drugs may be low, and contaminants may cause additional health risks.  A lot of the steroids are coming in from Pakistan - one called Sustanon 250 is a testosterone replacement used to treat cancer patients.

All I can say about steroids is “DON’T DO IT”. The risk is not worth it and for me it is a bit like passing an exam knowing I did not do it on my own - I CHEATED. I would have to live with that for the REST OF MY LIFE. It is not only that, but also the irreparable damage that will be done to the body.

Bodybuilding Muscles|Training Schedules

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Train and Build Big Chest|Pecs (Pectorals)

Straight Bar Bench Press| Superset Fly’s

15 reps (warm-up)  35 kgs  Actual 35 kgs
12 reps   45 kgs  Actual 45 kgs
10 reps   50 kgs  Actual 50 kgs
8  reps   55 kgs  Actual 55 kgs
6  reps   60 kgs  Actual 60 kgs
12 reps   50 kgs  Actual 50 kgs
12 reps  (Superset) 12.5kgs Actual 12.5kgs

This was a fantastic training. I could feel my chest wanting to explode by the time I got to the superset. If this does not train and build chest| pecs nothing will

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Train and Build Huge Triceps
Tricep Pushdowns| Superset Kickbacks
15 reps (warm-up)  20 kgs  Actual 20 kgs
12 reps   25 kgs  Actual 25 kgs
10 reps   30 kgs  Actual 30 kgs
8  reps   35 kgs  Actual 35 kgs
6  reps   40 kgs  Actual 40 kgs
12 reps   30 kgs  Actual 30 kgs
12 reps  (Superset) 10 kgs  Actual 10 kgs

Taking only a one minute between sets of reps is powerful training. Remember, if you want to build and train big triceps train them with focus. Don't get involved with chatting to people in the gym - chat before or after training. When you train that is your time.

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Train and Build Big Biceps
Z Bar Curls| Superset Hammer Curls
20 reps (warm-up)  25 kgs  Actual 25 kgs
15 reps   30 kgs  Actual 30 kgs
12 reps   35 kgs  Actual 35 kgs
10reps   40 kgs  Actual 40 kgs
12reps   45 kgs  Actual 45 kgs
12 reps  (Superset) 30 kgs  Actual 30 kgs

A fantastic training and my biceps got a really great workout. Weight training is as exciting as you choose it to be. Make each session count.

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Build and Train Massive Legs| Quads (Teardrops)

I was asked a question on my Youtube-bazblog on training legs, and thought this would be a good time to share my views with you. From my answer you will see why I build and train my legs the way I do.

Question. stupid question...will building my muscles like this help me with running speed/distances? Or is it just for looks. Sorry...don’t know much about working out.

Answer. Thanks for the question. The type of training I do is for 3 three main things; Strength, Endurance and Fitness. The benefit you get is good looking legs. I understand almost every sport requires some form of weight training for those 3 reasons. Once you have a good foundation you can specialise in a particular area for a particular sport. I hope that helps.

As you can see I am all for foundations - you can go to any level you want after you have built the foundation - with whichever sport you want. I am not one for many different types of exercise to build and train your legs. Keep it simple and you will have Strength, Endurance and Fitness. Once you are at an acceptable level, find a specialist in your field. Learn everything you can from them to have what you want.

I trained quads|teardrops with leg extensions and finished with a superset of single-leg squats. My preference would be to do proper squats but I do not have the squat racks you need to train safely.

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Build and Train Massive Legs| Strong Hamstrings

The hamstrings are the string-like tendons felt on either side of the back of the knee, the long muscle. The hamstrings play a major part in most of the things we do, such as walking, running, jumping, and controlling some movement in the trunk. In walking, they are most important as an antagonist to the quadriceps in the deceleration of knee extension. As you can see, without them we would have a problem with our movement.

The easiest way I build and train my hamstrings is with the leg curl. This works the muscle through the full movement. I am very controlled with the contractions, as with the return to the starting position.  Another term for the hamstring is the leg bicep.

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Build and Train Massive Legs| Huge Calf Muscles

The calf muscle is used for stabilisation in running, walking and jumping.

There is no easy way to train up calves. You need to do calf-raises. There are many different ways of doing this. You can do seated calf-raises, standing calf-raises; donkey calf-raises and single-leg calf-raises. Which exercises you choose are up to you. I do single-leg calf-raises because I do not have other equipment. If I had my choice I would do standing calf-raises. It is important (although this muscle can take tremendous weight) that you never over train the calves if you are slightly weak in this area. It will take time but they will grow if you train properly.

Bodybuilding Muscles|Training Schedules

Seated Leg Extension.(Single Leg) for Big Quads| Teardrops
15 reps (warm-up)  25 kgs  Actual 25 kgs
12 reps   30 kgs  Actual 30 kgs
10 reps   35 kgs  Actual 35 kgs
8  reps   40 kgs  Actual 40 kgs
6  reps   45 kgs  Actual 45 kgs
12 reps   30 kgs  Actual 30 kgs
12 reps  (Superset) 35 kgs  Actual 35 kgs
(Superset - Single leg squats)

Leg Curls for Strong Hamstrings| Leg Biceps
15 reps (warm-up)  15 kgs  Actual 15 lgs
12 reps   17.5kgs  Actual 17.5kgs
10 reps   20 kgs  Actual 20 kgs
8  reps   22.5kgs  Actual 22.5kgs
6  reps   25 kgs  Actual 25 kgs
12 reps   20 kgs  Actual 20 kgs
12 reps  (Superset) 10 kgs  Actual 10 kgs
(Superset - Lunges)

Single Calf Raises for Massive Calves
20 reps (warm-up)  25 kgs  Actual 25 kgs
15 reps   30 kgs  Actual 30 kgs
12 reps   35 kgs  Actual 35 kgs
10reps   40 kgs  Actual 40 kgs
12reps   45 kgs  Actual 45 kgs
12 reps   30 kgs  Actual 30 kgs

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Train and Build Six Pack| Killer Abs

Abs ! I think if you are a thin person you love them, but if you are a bit of a fatty like me they are a curse and something we all want but battle to get. I always feel, no matter how good the rest of me looks, a six-pack is the finished article.

I get so many questions on Bazblog You Tube, also emails, on an easy way to build the abs. There is no easy way through training. The simple way is to shed excess fat, and you will have them, even if you do not train them that much. I train them hard because one day soon, they will shine in all their glory. I love leg-raises. I just tilt the weight further back if I want to make it harder, then finish with the wheel as a superset. I know I can build and train up a fantastic six pack.

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Train and Build Big Lats| Back

I have just done a video on how to train and build big lats. I use Lat pull-downs as my main exercise. Something I try to do when I am at the bottom of the movement is to extend the lats like wings. I try to make them stick out. This certainly has a great feeling as you are working out.

I find it is very easy to build lats if you use enough weight, and you control the movements, both up and down. I always pause at the top and bottom of the movement. I find this helps me to focus a bit more. Narrow-grip lat pull-downs have great merits, and I often use them as a superset. But I do prefer the wide-grip pull-down as I seem to work harder.

Bodybuilding Massive Muscles| How to Train and Build Big Shoulders| Deltoids

The very best basic exercise for building huge shoulders is the shoulder press. It has the effect of working all the deltoid muscles (there are 3 of them).

I would keep the movement simple and very controlled when you work out.

This basic exercise will build and train them more easily than any other fancy type of exercise. Remember to use your mind while you are training. See the muscle grow and feel it while you work out. This is a very powerful tool you can use and will give you outstanding results.

I finished with side-raises as a superset.