Building Muscles

Bodybuilding Muscles – Legs – How to Build and Train Thighs (Quads) - Day 115

Getting an all round training of the thighs is important. Squat racks are great if you are in a gym. At home, its a different proposition - especially if you are training on your own. You normally cannot lift the weights required to the shoulders - you must stay balanced, and ensure you do not do yourself an injury.

I have found that doing single leg squats with a leg up on the bench is a wonderful all round training - they also hammer my hamstrings.

With regard to teardrops, there are all sorts of theories from feet pointing in, to feet pointing out, using hack squats - and the same for leg extensions. I am sure everyone who has an opinion believes they are right, so I will not argue with any of them. One important thing I do know, I find leg extensions do seem to help but much more when you really put your mind to work in the training. I try to do the extension with my eyes closed - seeing the blood go into the teardrop and developing it to a massive size. As you can guess, I am quite weak in this area. As I find something that really works, I will be happy to share it. I am noticing a difference doing this for the time being.

Bodybuilding Muscles – Legs – How to Build and Train Leg Biceps (Hamstrings) - Day 115

I find the single-leg squats definitely work my hamstrings when I put the free leg on the bench. I also find that leg curls work the best for my hamstrings. I don't get much from lunges. I know there are many people who will swear by lunges. Horses for courses. Do what exercise does the best for you. Never discredit someone else’s ideas until you have tried it for some time to prove whether or not it works for you.

I think, sometimes, we are a little too impatient and want instant results. Our bodies are good and generally respond very quickly, but not always as quickly as we want.

Bodybuilding Muscles – Legs – How to Build and Train Leg Calves - Day 115

There are again so many different ideas to train calves. I have come up with what I consider to be a very good way.

I use a dumbbell loaded to the max - as much as I can hold. I then proceed to do my calf-raises. When I get to the top of each raise, I go for an extra lift. Give the extra stretch like your life depended on it - and you will go higher. This puts a lot of extra tension on the calf which will give a tremendous workout.

Remember to warm-up the calf with very light weights. The last thing you want is a torn calf muscle. I understand that is big pain.  I have never had this happen, but if it is anything like being very stiff, I can vouch for that pain.

Bodybuilding Muscles – Legs - How to Train & Build Massive Quads (Thighs), Hamstrings and Calves - Day 115

Day 115	Goal			Actual
Legs Quads	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Single Leg Ext	20	25		20	25
	12	30		12	30
	10	35		10	35
	12	30		12	32.5
Single Leg Squat	15	10		15	10
Hamstrings	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Lying Leg Curl	20	12.5		20	10
	12	15		12	15
	10	20		10	20
	12	17.5		12	17.5
D/B Lunges	15	12.5		15	12.5
Calves	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Single Leg Calf Raise	30	30		30	30
	20	45		20	45
	15	50		15	50
	15	50		15	50

Bodybuilding Muscles – General & Nutrition- Day 114

Training with weights will shape your body and burn calories. In other words, you will reduce the body fat you have. The quickest way to reduce body fat, however, is to do cardio training or aerobics. Doing a combination of weights for body shaping and then cardio training to reduce the fat on your body will get you into shape very quickly.

I believe cardio or aerobics must be done a special way. Not this idea of just doing stationary cycling or something similar for 20 minutes - then when you can, take it up to 30 minutes and so on. You do not need to ever do more than 20 minutes if you do it right. Vary the speed throughout the 20 minutes. Do some at a walk speed and then some at a jog speed and then some at a sprint speed. You will get faster on the sprint, but I can assure you, you will be just as tired after you have six months training under your belt as you feel on the first time you train. Sadly a lot of gym instructors believe that the more you do the better. Sometimes, however, less is more - if you do it right.

Food was good today 1 x egg, tomato, beans and lean bacon (you can tell I went to a Networking Meeting today), 3 x chicken and rice, 1 x Protein drink and 1 x spare ribs, potato salad and peas.
Water 2lts.   

Bodybuilding Muscles - Back - How to Build and Train Huge Lats - Day 114

These muscle can be trained with the following exercises:

• pull-down
• bent-over row
• chin-up and pull-up
• pull-over
• dumbbell-rows
• Dead lift
• T-bar Row

The trapezius (traps) muscles are also trained when you do horizontal pulling exercises like rows.
I just stick to pull-downs and the occasional bent-over rows. I do enjoy doing a few shrugs for my traps.

Bodybuilding Muscles - Shoulders - How to Build and Train Massive Deltoids. Day 114

The deltoid muscle has three sections, the front head, the side head and the rear head. These heads have different actions and so need different strength training exercises to completely train the whole of the muscle.
• The front deltoid is used in all pressing movements, that is why you will get a good work out doing normal bench-press for the chest. If you want to do an isolation exercise then front dumbbell raises are about the best.
• The middle head of the deltoid is commonly trained using side lateral raises. Another good exercise is overhead pressing exercises.
• The rear head of the deltoid is best trained with bent-over dumbbell raises.
I find all 3 of the above great exercises however there are others that you can do. Find what works for you.

Bodybuilding Muscles - Abs - How to Build and Train Killer Abs - Day 114

Abdominals (abs) are muscles that, if you are not carrying fat, are your pride and joy. If you have fat, you would rather have a big jacket on and never be seen without a shirt on. The answer is to train them no matter what your current state. You will lose the fat if you eat correctly, and then one day the abs will be there.

I am a strong believer that you can train abs with any of the abs exercises that you believe will be the best for you. The important thing is to train them.

Body Building Muscles – How to train and build Massive Shoulders, Back (lats) and Killer Abs (Six Pack) Exercise Chart - Day 114

Day	Goal			Actual
Shoulders	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
D/B Side Raises	20	7.5		20	7.5
	12	10		12	10
	10	12.5		10	12.5
	12	10		12	10
Bent-over Raises	15	10		15	10
Back	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Wide Lat Pull Down	20	40		20	40
	12	50		12	50
	10	60		10	60
	12	50		12	50
Close Lat Pull Down	15	50		15	50
Abs	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Lying Leg Raises	20	12.5		20	12.5
	12			12
	10			10
	12			12
Wheel	15			15

Bodybuilding Muscles – General and Nutrition- Day 113

Training for me is very personal. I used to try everybody else’s way of training when I was many years younger. To be quite honest I never enjoyed the result I have just managed to achieve, and certainly not in such a short time. I think this comes with age and experience and a bit of common sense. I know there are some real giants teaching and doing training, but most of them have been dedicated to it for many years. To run 100M in the Olympics they train for 4 years and more - and all for less then 10 seconds of glory. That is true dedication.

When I see really well built people I do admire them for their effort and dedication. I must admit however, I always get the most inspiration from the really overweight individual, training and trying to change their shape. That always makes me want to try harder.

My advice to anyone wanting to do what I have done is to do a very basic training without any promise of being able to win a competition in 6 months. Get a good foundation - and then take it on to whatever level makes you happy. In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Book Bodybuilding for Men he claims on page 15 “It is difficult to increase muscle mass by more than 5 pounds a year” I would agree with that. DO NOT fall into the trap of some who claim to get you to put on 5 pounds of muscle in about as many weeks. These claims are a bit unrealistic. Be realistic and make sure your training is personal.

My meals, although I have not always been spot on, should be a fist full of protein and a fist full of carbohydrate 6 times a day with veggies twice a day. Food is a very big part of training. You can, and I often do, replace a meal with a good protein drink.  It has everything you need.

My meals today consisted of 2 x Chicken Rice and veggies. Being very lazy...4 x protein drinks. Then the all important water 1.5lts.