Building Muscles

General and Nutrition - Day 95

Today has been a day of reflection. I have taken time to think about where I have come from and where I want to go to. This is so important because we live in our own skins and see ourselves every day. No matter how much we improve, we lose sight of this. We then tend to think there is no change and yet there has been a tremendous change. Taking time out from the day to day every now and again is vital for growth and to keep up enthusiasm.

I looked at the current before and after photos and then took out the tape measure just to reinforce the changes that have happened. I think the most important thing for me to remember is the time frame. I feel quite motivated and decided to change the entries slightly. When you have some time to think, you can become quite creative.

I have now had a lovely day, even though it was not a good sunny day. It's really warm so that is good.

In order to Train and Build Big Muscles you have make sure you put the right stuff in, and the right amount. This has been a great week so far. I have not cheated once. I am so proud.

2 x protein drinks 2 x chicken and rice with salad and veggies. 1 x Tuna and salad. 1 X lean meat and maize meal mix.

Water 2 lts.

Bodybuilding Muscles Arms – How to Train and Build Big Triceps - Day 95

The triceps are my absolute favourite.

When I was a very young man and attended a gym, I remember this Incredible Hulk instructor tell me that the triceps are the biggest muscle on the arm, and you need to give them special attention. Well, I agree but I think all muscles need special attention. Having full big triceps makes you have a great looking arm. I would not over train this muscle because of its size. Give it what it needs. You need to get some good growth and conditioning. You can decide how big or how strong you want to be.

 

If you think about it, a bench press for the chest relies also on triceps - so your triceps need to be trained and built for strength. Once you have trained and built them for around 90 to 120 days, you can give them some variation in your training to make it interesting. You need to shock muscles every now and then to get them stimulated into growth. I personally believe you should first get them looking good and strong.

I train and build my triceps with triceps pushdowns as one of the basic exercises. I also like overhead extensions as I find they give a good burn. Kick backs are awesome. Kick backs for me are fantastic as a superset.

You can see from the photos the basic exercise and superset I have done on my 95th day of my training.

Bodybuilding Muscles - Chest - How to Train and Build a Big Chest - Day 95

Training your chest can be very rewarding.

The first thing you need to do to build a big chest is to get a good foundation. Never make the mistake of getting a programme that is designed to get you to win Mr Universe when you are still not sure of the directions to the gym. Start simple and learn to train and build your chest with the basic exercise the champions still use on regular basis. Those are the simple barbell Bench press. You can, if you choose, incline the bench. The reason for inclining the bench is to make your chest more round and fuller.

I would use dumbbell fly’s as an alternate to ordinary bench presses. Whichever one you use as your main exercise, use the other as a superset. Leave things like cable x overs and all the other types of wonderful chest training exercises that are on offer. Once you have got a good foundation in around 90 to 120 days, you can introduce lots of other training exercises to shock the muscles and to get great results. You also need to know where you want to take your bodybuilding.

You can see from the photo how I do Basic Flys on my 95th day of training.

Bodybuilding Muscles Arms – How to Train and Build Big Biceps - Day 95

I think it is something special to see is a person with a very powerful pair of arms. The Big Bicep is a part of the overall look of great arms. Learning how to train and build big biceps should be everyone’s goal who works out with weights.

Be careful not to get too carried away with the amount of reps and sets you do in a training session. If you over train your muscles you do far more harm than good. There is only so much that is good for us, and I feel everyone is different. Some people need only very few reps and a couple of sets to end up with arms that look like balloons.  They might like to go very heavy. I know others that are happy and get the best work out with 4 or 5 sets of a lot lighter weights and that works for them. We each have to work it out for ourselves. It makes no difference how big or strong the instructor looks, or which magazine you are taking your advice from, you still have to do what is right for you. Because someone else has got big results using a certain bicep training plan, it does not follow it will work for you. I suggest - get a foundation, 90 to 120 days of basic movements.

I use simple Curls for bicep basic training and building. I find a z-bar puts less strain on my elbows. You might want to use a straight bar which is good. Dumbbells are also very good for basic curls. I also like preacher curls because you cannot cheat and swing the weight up.  You can see from the photos, on my 95th day of training, I have just done curls with a Z-bar - and preacher curls as a superset on a gym ball which helps my balance and to strengthen my core.

Bodybuilding Muscles – How to Train & Build Chest and Arms (Biceps & Triceps) - Exercise Chart - Day 95

Day 95	Goal			Actual
Chest	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
D/B Incline Fly’s	20	12.5		20	12.5
	12	15		12	15
	10	17.5		10	17.5
	12	15		12	15
D/B Bench Press	15	20		16	20
Triceps	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Push downs	20	20		20	20
	12	25		12	25
	10	30		10	30
	12	25		12	25
Overhead Ext.	15	20		18	20
Biceps	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Z/B Curls	21	25		21	25
	12	35		12	35
	10	40		10	40
	12	30		12	30
D/B Preacher Curls	15	10		15	12.5

General Chat - Day 94

Lorraine was not feeling too good today,so has spend most of the day in bed. I had a postponement of my London appointment, and got to talk to my client on skype instead. Amazing how things turn out for the good when you really need it. I have been the house cleaner today and really enjoyed it. Lorraine was well enough to put in yesterdays entries via the laptop which I am really grateful for.

Our state of mind is so important with everything we want to attempt. If it is bad and we spend time moaning about our circumstances, we will have a really bad time and thing will just seem to get worse. If we have a good attitude, and a great state of mind, even the worst of situations has a good side.

How to train and build muscles is not just about working out with weights. It is as much about mental training as it is about bodybuilding with resistance training. A phrase I like very much is this idea of mind-body connection with your training.

In the 80's, a group of scientists and others took the American Olympic team to the space centre and wired the athletes up to bio-feedback equipment. The athletes had to run a race in their mind - with as much detail as possible. The results were remarkable. The athlete's muscles fired in exactly the same manner as if the athlete was on the track actually running the race. I have numerous other instances of darts training and basketball training in the mind, and incredible results. Golf is a classic example. If you cannot see the shot in your mind you will not make it on the course.

Training Muscles and Bodybuilding is exactly the same. See your results in your mind. See the actual training in your mind before you start and I can assure you the results will be well worth the effort. Your training will take on a new meaning.

Bodbybuilding Muscles - Legs, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves - Day 94

How to train and build Legs - quads ( single leg squats)

Well - I have trained years and years ago with swimming, and only a few times can I remember feeling like I would puke. That happened tonight doing legs - quads. I even put extra weight on with those single leg squats where you place one leg on the bench and the other a few feet in front and you squat. I have been able to squat some fairly significant weight with a barbell and a squat rack, but this is unreal. Just the 20 warm up with very little weight puts the shakes into your legs. If you want to know how to train and build legs - this is the one. I am weak in the tear drop area so leg extensions is a must for me. It is a great way to finish as a superset.

How to train and build legs - Hamstrings (Leg curls)

This is quite a strain on my right leg as I had a anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction just over a year ago and they used a bit of the hamstring for the new ligament. I can feel that it is tight and not as strong as the left leg. Hamstrings are most sportsmens' nightmare - so to train and build hamstrings is doing yourself a real favour. Once you know how to do this, and how to do a good stretch before any sport, you will always safeguard your hamstrings. I like doing lunges (a good one for warming up). I finished my training with a superset of lunges.

How to train and build legs - Calves (Single leg calf raises)

I am lucky as my father gave all the boys in my family a good set of calves. The biggest problem again is holding on to the weights in your hand. By the time I get to 15 reps with 55-60kgs dumbbells, my grip fails and I don't like using straps. At least this does a bit of a job working the forearms. I really feel for people who haven't got reasonable calves because they are hard to train and build, and will take a lot of work.

This is what I love about weight training. If you have a weak point, you can identify it and then work a bit extra on it and it can become a strong point. I think that is awesome.

Legs like jelly but I did 20 minutes on the bike as I want a six pack - but tonight was with very little resistance on the bike.

Nutrition - Day 94

I have been very good with the eating plan. All of us are different, but in fact, the same. I started this training and did well almost every day with the training, but felt the the food was an issue. You know what ? It has been - until I decided to make a proper commitment to eating properly. We are all the same or at least most of us who like lots of food are. Since I made the commitment it has been easy and I have not cheated in any way.

Today 2 x protein drinks 2 x chicken and rice. 1 x Tuna salad and 1 x lean homemade meat pattie with stiff maize meal. I have had good energy all day. Even though have really put in an all out training on the legs, I feel fantastic.

Water was a surprise 2.5 lts.

Bodybuilding Muscles - Training Legs Schedule - Day 94

Day 94	Goal			Actual
Legs Quads	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Single Leg Squat	20	4.5		20	5
	12	5		12	7.5
	10	7.5		10	10
	12	5		12	7.5
Single Leg Ext	15	30		16	30
Hamstrings	Reps	Kg's		Reps	Kg's
Lying Leg Curl	20	12.5		20	12.5
	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	40
	20	45		20	45
	15	50		15	50
	15	50		15	50

Bodybuilding Muscles - How to Train Abs

I decided it was time to say something about TRAINING ABS and what you can expect.

I am so sick and tired of all the false claims people make on HOW TO BUILD KILLER ABS in six weeks. I have seen people claiming a great result in less time, and some in a slightly longer time frame. They then give you all these great exercises to do - leg raises, crunches, situps, incline situps, cramping leg raises, alternate leg kicks, scissor leg raises and all the rest. Loads of them. Well let me tell you the truth about training abs and the results you can expect.

It is absolutely necessary to do ABS TRAINING - however, if you have a load of fat you will never show a six pack.  I don't care if you train for six weeks or 6 years everyday you still will not have a six pack.

I have a very good six pack. There is only one problem - its under a spare car tyre. The rest of my body has responded to the training and my ABS are as hard as rocks. I can feel each muscle under the layer of fat. I just cannot see them. I know once I lose the extra fat, and my body fat index comes right down, they will be there in all their glory.  To prove my point I have got my Grandson to pose for me and show off his SIX PACK. This kid has never done AB TRAINING (in fact, he has never done any training although he is extremely active - he's only 12), he just carries no fat.

It is common sense that fat around the middle will never show off  your SIX PACK. That does not mean you should not train the abs, on the contrary. I believe you should put in a real effort with any of the abs exercises and that will help to train them. It will also burn up calories to reduce the fat content - so is a must. I just want to get away from the false promises made by well-meaning people, that they can get you to have fabulous abs. They will - if they can get you to reduce the excess fat you are carrying.

I will give you another example - a rugby player. The one I can think of is South African Springbok Ollie LeRoux, who came over and played in Ireland. If he were only 2" inches taller he would be round. You cannot tell me he does not TRAIN ABS or any other part of his body. He is a very strong man and very fit. He is very big because he is a prop forward and needs to be. With all his training you cannot see his ABS - but trust me, he has them.

If you are like me, do not lose heart on your ABS. Give them a good workout each time they come up in your training plan. You must remember that you will have to reduce the excess fat you might have in order to show them off. It is not a false claim to say you can BUILD KILLER ABS in six weeks. It is a false claim to show a picture of a very slim, fat-free dude and claim you can have the same look in six weeks, just by following a set training plan (even though you are 50 lbs over weight and have no chance of losing that in the time frame).

Lets get real and use common sense.