Thibaudeau Compilation

Thibaudeau Compilation Bulk Up, Cut Up! Building an Aesthetic Body One Answer at a Time! by Christian Thibaudeau

This new Q & A column is about building a muscular and aesthetic physique. It's not about breaking strength records or reaching speed and power personal bests. A lot of T-Nation readers are training only to improve their appearance, and even if the current trend is to dismiss these individuals training only for aesthetic purposes, I think it's perfectly fine to train that way. Training hard to build a great body is just as difficult, if not more difficult, than training to improve performance. It's about time people realized it. You wanna train to look good? Don't be ashamed to say it!

Montreal IFBB pro-figure competitor Lucie Bergeron and national level bodybuilder Christiane Lamy train only to improve how they look. Anything wrong with that?! Before getting it on, I want to make it clear that lifting weight isn't simply lifting weight. Weights (including machines) are only tools we use to reach our goals. So if you're training to build muscle, build strength, or improve performance, the way you use these tools will be highly variable. In this column, I'll discuss ways of using weights to build an aesthetic and muscular body. While some of that info can be used to improve strength and performance, that's not the main goal of this column. With that out of the way, let's get started!

Triceps and Close-Grip Bench Q: I have a problem when trying to build up my triceps. Whenever I perform close-grip bench presses, I do feel it somewhat in my triceps, but I actually get a huge chest pump. When the set is completed, I feel that my triceps aren't fully stimulated. What gives?

A: All types of pressing movements (dumbbells, barbell, machine; decline, flat, incline, or standing; close-grip, moderate grip, or wide grip) involve the triceps, pectorals, and deltoids to some extent. Your body is very keen on effort-economy, meaning that it'll always look for the most energy efficient way of performing a movement. If your pecs are very strong and your triceps are weak, the chest will take on more of the workload during a close-grip bench press. The result is that the chest will get fully stimulated while the triceps won't be thoroughly fatigued. Remember, a motor-unit and its muscle fibers that aren't recruited or fully fatigued aren't stimulated and won't grow (Zatsiorsky ,1995). So if your triceps aren't maximally taxed after your set, chances are that they won't grow as much as they could. Some people will thus recommend dropping the close-grip bench press in favor of more isolation work for the triceps. While this can work to some extent, they forget that compound movements carry higher growth stimulation potential than isolation exercises because they allow you to place the muscle groups under a heavier load. So, a more effective way of correcting your problem would be to keep the close-grip bench press, but perform it in a way that will allow the triceps to receive more training stress. The answer is to use the double-contraction training technique (also called one and a half reps). Specifically, you'll perform twice as many "triceps reps" as "chest-dominant reps." As you can see from the picture below, the bulk of the work is switched to the triceps in the later portion of the movement near the lockout. So if we want to accentuate the importance of the triceps in the exercise, we should perform more work in that portion of the range of motion.

The strategy to use is very simple: each rep should comprise a full stroke followed by a half stroke. So, on each rep you'll: 1. Lower the bar to the chest. 2. Press it back up to the starting position. 3. Lower the bar halfway down.

4. Press it back up to the starting position. This is one repetition. So if you're performing sets of six reps, your triceps will actually get twice as much work as the chest!

Those Pesky Flyes Q: I really want to build up my chest. Are dumbbell flyes any good? A: Dumbbell flyes are a traditional exercise in most bodybuilding programs. Bodybuilders have been performing them since the beginning of time, so they're universally recognized as a very effective exercise. But are they really? Well, yes and no. Only the first half of the flye motion is actually a decent pectoral exercise! See the illustration below.

For an exercise to be effective at stimulating a muscle group, the direction of the effort must be opposite to the direction of the resistance: the closer it is from a direct opposition, the greater the activity of the targeted muscle group. When using free-weights, the direction of the resistance is always downward (in-line with the gravity pull). So when working with free-weights, the greater muscle activation will be achieved when you're lifting straight up. With the flye, you're moving the weights directly against the resistance during the first portion of the exercise (green zone in pic above). At that point you're thus placing a training stress equivalent to 100% of the weight of the dumbbells. As you reach the later part of the movement's range of motion, the amount of resistance decreases.

In the yellow zone you're placing around 60-75% of the weight of the dumbbells in training stress, down to 30-50% in the orange zone, and close to 0 in the red zone. Actually, once you reach the orange and red zones, the pectoral muscles will actually lose tension. Some people will argue that when you purposefully squeeze them at that point you're still getting a maximum effort, but that isn't true as you're contracting against a very low resistance. For bodybuilding purposes, it's more effective to maintain a maximum amount of muscle tension during the whole exercise. This is especially true of isolation movements such as flyes. So in that regard, the last half of the flye movement not only is of no use as far as building muscle goes, but it can actually reduce the general efficacy of the exercise! For flyes to be an effective exercise, you should only perform around two-thirds of the range of motion, but really focus on getting the deepest stretch possible in the low position of the movement. Keep the pace of the exercise relatively slow while focusing on keeping the pecs tight and tensed the whole time. Note that this reasoning doesn't apply to flyes performed on a cable station since the pulley adjusts the direction of the resistance to fit the direction of effort. So when performing flyes on a dual pulley station, you should perform a full range of motion.

Big Bench, Flat Pecs? Q: My bench press strength has gone up a lot in the past two months, but my pecs haven't gotten thicker at all. My arms look bigger but my chest is still flat. How can that be? A: It's probably because your triceps are so strong that they take on a greater portion of the work, so your pecs are left less-than-optimally stimulated from your bench pressing. The sad thing is that if you don't do anything about it, the situation will only get worst! Why? As I mentioned in my earlier response, the body will switch more of the workload to the strongest muscles in a movement. If your triceps are very strong, they'll take on much of the work during any pressing exercise. As a result, they'll also receive more stimulation and will thus grow more and gain more strength. As they grow stronger they'll still take on more work during pressing movements. It's a vicious circle! There will come a point where your triceps will be so much stronger than your chest that building-up the latter will become almost impossible! What can you do? Here are a few suggestions: A) Using the double contraction technique in the low position. Remember the illustration I used earlier?

Well, if we used double contraction in the high position to build up the triceps, we can do the opposite to build the pecs. So each rep of a set will now look like this: 1. Lower the bar down to the chest. 2. Press it halfway up. 3. Lower it back down to the chest. 4. Press it up completely. This is one rep. So as you can see, the pecs will receive twice as many reps as the triceps. An important point is to execute the first half-rep under muscular control (squeeze the pecs). Many people bounce or spring the bar up during that first portion, which takes a lot of stress (and thus growth stimulation) off of the muscle structure of the chest. B) Use the post-fatigue technique. This method refers to a superset (no rest between two movements) of two exercises for the same muscle group. The first exercise is the compound lift (bench press) and the second one is an isolation exercise for the target muscle group. In your case it could be cable flyes. Perform your bench press set and immediately move on to the flyes. What this does is "finish off" the pectoral fibers that were left not fully stimulated from the bench pressing. As a result they'll receive a maximum growth stimulus. C) Place the triceps in a mechanically disadvantaged position. If the triceps are placed in such a position as their contribution to the movement is harder, the body will have to rely on other muscle groups (the pecs) to do the work. In the case of the bench press, it means using a wider grip and lowering the bar closer to the upper pec region instead of the middle portion. This will recruit the chest more. However, it also places more stress on the shoulder joint. If you have any shoulder problems, you should be careful.

The picture above is of Canadian bobsled athlete Pascal Caron. Why am I showing you a picture of a half-naked man? Because Pascal naturally benches with a wide grip. That's how he was first taught to bench press and he's always used this method. Now, his best bench press is 425 (at a bodyweight of 167 pounds) and he has virtually no triceps at all! However, his chest is super thick (even more so than the pic shows because of the angle). This is a real life example of what changing the technique of an exercise can do for specific muscle development.

Secret Biceps Training Q: Do you have any secret biceps workout to share? My problem is that I don't have a lot of time to train. Is there any way to get huge guns without spending much time in the gym? A: While I've written a super arm program in my article Armed For Combat, I understand your problem about not having a lot of time to train. So here's a quick-hitter. It's a program I used with Sebastien Cossette with great results.

A1. Isometric steep preacher curl For this one you have to use the end of the Scott bench that's perpendicular to the floor.

Hold the weight in a position where your forearm is parallel to the floor. Keep the wrist in flexion too. Hold that position for 30-45 seconds. If you can hold it longer than 45 seconds, add some weight. Method: yielding isometric A2. Alternate standing dumbbell curl Start with the palms facing your body. As you curl the weight up you'll supinate (turn the palms towards the ceiling). Method: drop set (Start with a weight you can lift 8 times, then reduce the weight so that you can get 4-5 more reps.) A3. Reverse grip standing barbell curl Perform 12 to 15 reps Method: normal execution There's no rest between A1, A2 and A3. After A3 you take 90 seconds of rest and repeat the giant set three times. This workout should take you around 10-15 minutes and will thoroughly destroy your biceps! Hope you enjoyed this first installment! With each new article you're sure to learn a thing or two that'll propel your muscular development to new heights! © 1998 — 2006 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Get Strong, Get Fast, Get Vertical! Getting your "ups" up with this special program from the North! by Christian Thibaudeau

Big Ups I get asked a lot of questions from trainees. Here are the four most frequent: 1. How can I improve my bench? 2. How can I lose fat while gaining muscle? 3. How can I improve my vertical jump? 4. Coach, why does it burn when I pee? Okay, I'm kidding about that last one, but the first few really are the "big three" of all training questions! I've covered the first two in past Testosterone Nation articles, so today I'm going to tackle the third: how to increase your "ups." There are several things to consider when designing a program aimed at improving your vertical: 1) Exercise selection: You want to pick the exercises which will be the most helpful in improving your jumping capacity. These are: Back squat Jump squat Jump lunges (or jump split squat) Romanian deadlift Olympic lift variations (power clean from hang or power snatch from hang or blocks) Depth jumps Vertical jumps Bulgarian squat 2) Physical capacities required: When it comes to jumping high, the two most important qualities are strength and power (speed-strength). The need for power is self-evident, but few understand that strength is also an important key. Strength is the basis on which power is built. Without a fair amount of strength, power can't be increased by much as you'll always be limited by your muscles' capacity to produce force.

3) Training parameters: Now that we know which capacities need to be developed, we can select the proper training zones. These are: relative strength, limit strength, speed-strength, and strength-speed. These zones are characterised by the following parameters: Relative Strength Reps per set: 1-3 Load: 90-100% Type of exercises: Basic compound movements Limit Strength Reps per set: 4-6 Load: 85-90% Type of exercises: Basic compound movements Speed-Strength Reps per set: 8-10 Load: Body weight (plyometric) or 10-30% (ballistic movements) Type of exercises: Plyo and ballistic exercises Strength-Speed

Reps per set: 3-5 Load: 45-55 (regular lifts) or 70-80% (Olympic lift variations) Type of exercises: Basic compound movements and Olympic variations 4) Training frequency: The lower body should be trained twice per week, which is optimal to develop the capacities without causing excessive fatigue or recovery debt. The upper body is also trained twice per week; one session is for basic strength lifts while the second one is more for auxiliary exercises (easier workout). 5) Type of contraction: It goes without saying that explosive exercises are necessary for the development of jumping capacity. However, you shouldn't neglect the importance of isometric and eccentric strength in jumping capacity. Jumps involve a pre-stretch/eccentric phase and a transition phase (isometric phase just before the switch from eccentric to explosive concentric). Without proper eccentric strength, you can't make maximal use of the pre-strength phase of a jump. And without proper isometric strength, the switch from eccentric to explosion will be slower, thus decreasing jumping power.

The Program Here's a six week plan to get your ups up. If you follow it to a "T" you'll undoubtedly increase not only your vertical jump, but also your running speed and lower body strength!

DAY 1 A. Back squat

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 4-6 reps Weeks 4-6: 5 x 1-3 reps B. Romanian deadlift

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 4-6 reps Weeks 4-6: 5 x 1-3 reps C. Speed squat Weeks 1-3: 5 x 2 @ 45% (45 sec. rest) Weeks 4-6: 5 x 2 @ 55% (60 sec. rest)

D. Jump squat

Weeks 1-3: 3 x 8-10 @ 20% bodyweight Weeks 4-6: 3 x 8-10 @ 30% bodyweight As the name implies, go light and jump at the top of the movement! E. Vertical jumps Weeks 1-3: 3 x 8-10 Weeks 4-6: 3 x 8-10

DAY 2 A. Bench press

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 6-8 Weeks 4-6: 5 x 4-6

B. Bentover barbell rowing

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 6-8 Weeks 4-6: 5 x 4-6 C. Push press

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 6-8 Weeks 4-6: 5 x 4-6

D. Weighted chin-ups

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 6-8 Weeks 4-6: 5 x 4-6

DAY 3 A. Depth jumps

Weeks 1-3: 3 x 8-10 (50cm box) Weeks 4-6: 3 x 8-10 (70cm box)

B. Jump split squat

Weeks 1-3: 3 x 4-5/side (hold a dumbbell that's 10% of your bodyweight) Weeks 4-6: 3 x 4-5/side (hold a dumbbell that's 20% of your bodyweight) C. Power clean from blocks

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 3-5 reps Weeks 4-6: 5 x 1-3 reps D. Bulgarian squat iso-contrast

Weeks 1-3: 3 x 4-5/side (5 sec. isometric pause when the knee is at 90 degrees) Weeks 4-6: 3 x 4-5/side (7 sec. isometric pause when the knee is at 90 degrees) E. Top squat, overcoming isometrics

Weeks 1-3: Press against pins, 3 sets of 5 reps of 6 sec. each (3 sec. pause between reps) Weeks 4-6: Press against pins, 4 sets of 5 reps of 3 sec. each (3 sec. pause between reps)

DAY 4 A. Incline press

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 10-12 Weeks 4-6: 4 x 8-10

B. Incline dumbbell rowing

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 10-12 Weeks 4-6: 4 x 8-10 C. Close-grip bench press

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 10-12 Weeks 1-3: 4 x 10-12 Weeks 4-6: 4 x 8-10

D. Barbell curl

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 10-12 Weeks 4-6: 4 x 8-10 E. Decline dumbbell triceps extension

Weeks 1-3: 4 x 10-12 Weeks 4-6: 4 x 8-10 F. 2/1 machine curl

Weeks 1-3: 3 x 4-5/side (lift explosively with 2 arms, lower in 5 sec. with 1 arm) Weeks 4-6: 3 x 4-5/side (lift explosively with 2 arms, lower in 5 sec. with 1 arm)

Conclusion This program should yield impressive gains in vertical jump capacity, as well as in lateral agility and sprinting speed. It would also allow you to maintain or even increase your muscle mass, especially if a proper muscle-gaining nutrition program and the right supplements are used.

Armed For Combat 12 weeks to war-ready guns! by Christian Thibaudeau

Arms, guns, bazookas... Call them what you wish, but a set of muscular upper arms remains one of the most appealing goals in bodybuilding. I'm even willing to bet that most of you originally started strength training to build bigger guns. Admit it! Sure, you're now into building a balanced body and you're probably also interested in building functional muscle, not just piling up muscle tissue, but still, the dream of mind-blowing arms probably lives. Well, dream no more. This article will show you how to drastically increase arm size and strength over a twelve week period. This program is built around sixteen different sessions, so over the whole period you'll never perform the exact same workout twice! This will make the journey as enjoyable as it is effective!

Program Overview You'll perform sixteen workouts over the twelve week period. Two workouts per week will be performed on weeks 1, 4, 7, and 10. The other weeks have a single weekly session. The program comprises four blocks of three weeks, each block being tougher than the last. Then, each block is divided into three different training approaches: Intensity: Heavier average weight lifted, more frequency, emphasis on CNS (central nervous system) improvements. Volume: More total reps performed. Emphasis on volume techniques. Density: Reduction of the amount of rest intervals and inclusion of extension techniques such as drop sets and supersets. The objective is to increase the amount of work performed per unit of time.

Note: This program utilizes several training techniques such as cluster sets and tempo contrast. If you need a refresher course on those, check these articles out: Reps You've Never Tried Violent Variations, Part III Isometrics for Mass!

Level 1: Weeks 1-3 Week 1: Intensity Session 1 (Tuesday) A. Decline close-grip bench press

Sets: 5 Reps: 3-5 Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: none B. Barbell curl

Sets: 5 Reps: 3-5 Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: slightly cheated C. Decline nosebreaker (triceps extension)

Sets: 4 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 90 seconds Special technique: none D. Reverse incline hammer curl

Sets: 4 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 90 seconds Special technique: none Session 2 (Friday) A. Nosebreaker

Sets: 5 Reps: 5 with your 3RM (10 seconds rest between reps, re-rack weight) Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: cluster

B. Preacher curl

Sets: 5 Reps: 5 with your 3RM (10 seconds rest between reps, re-rack weight) Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: cluster C. Close-grip bench press

Sets: 5 Reps: 3-5 Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: none D. Reverse grip preacher

Sets: 5 Reps: 3-5 Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: none Week 2: Volume Session 3 (Tuesday) A. Decline dumbbell triceps extension

Sets: 4 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 90 seconds Special technique: none B. One-arm preacher curl

Sets: 4 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 90 seconds Special technique: none C. Cable triceps extension

Sets: 4 Reps: 8 Rest interval: 90 seconds Special technique: Tempo contrast (reps 1-2 and 5-6 = 604 tempo; reps 3-4 and 7-8 = explosive) D. Cable curl

Sets: 4 Reps: 8

Rest interval: 90 seconds Special technique: Tempo contrast (reps 1-2 and 5-6 = 604 tempo; reps 3-4 and 7-8 = explosive) E. Overhead rope extension

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest interval: 60 seconds Special technique: none F. Seated dumbbell curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

Rest interval: 60 seconds Special technique: none

Week 3: Density Session 4 (Tuesday) A1. Incline close-grip bench press

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest intervals: none Special technique: giant set A2. Barbell curl Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest intervals: none Special technique: giant set A3. Rope triceps pressdown

Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15 Rest intervals: 2 minutes Special technique: giant set B1. Close-grip chin-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest intervals: none Special technique: giant set B2. L-Seat

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest intervals: none Special technique: giant set B3. Drag curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15 Rest intervals: 2 minutes Special technique: giant set

Level 2: Weeks 4-6 Week 4: Intensity Session 5 (Tuesday) A. Close-grip bench press, cluster Sets: 5 Reps: 5 x 1 per set (perform 5 total reps with 10 seconds of rest between each rep. Rack the bar during each pause.) Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: cluster

B. Close-grip chin-up (weighted if possible) Sets: 5 Reps: 5 x 1 per set (perform 5 total reps with 10 seconds of rest between each rep. Rack the bar during each pause.) Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: cluster C1. Nosebreaker Sets: 4 Reps: 4-6 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: superset C2. Standing barbell curl Sets: 4 Reps: 4-6 Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: superset Session 6 (Friday) A. Weighted dips, extended 5's

Sets: 5 Reps: Total of 10 reps with 5RM (perform 5 reps, rest 10 seconds, 3 reps, rest 10 seconds, 2 reps) Rest intervals: 2 minutes Special technique: rest/pause B. Hammer curl, extended 5's Sets: 5 Reps: Total of 10 reps with 5RM (perform 5 reps, rest 10 seconds, 3 reps, rest 10 seconds, 2 reps) Rest intervals: 2 minutes Special technique: rest/pause C1. Decline dumbbell triceps extension Sets: 4 Reps: 4-6 Rest intervals: 15 seconds Special technique: superset C2. Reverse preacher curl

Sets: 4 Reps: 4-6 Rest intervals: 2 minutes Special technique: superset

Week 5: Volume Session 7 (Tuesday) A1.Triceps cable pressdown Sets: 10 Reps: 10 Rest intervals: 60 seconds Special technique: alternate between A1 and A2 A2. Low pulley curl Sets: 10 Reps: 10 Rest interval: 60 seconds Special technique: alternate between A1 and A2

Week 6: Density Session 8 (Tuesday) A1. Decline close-grip bench press Sets: 4 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: giant set A2. Standing barbell curl (wide grip) Sets: 4 Reps: 8-10 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: giant set A3. Overhead dumbbell triceps extension

Sets: 4 Reps: 15-20 Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: giant set B1. Close-grip chin-up (weighted if possible) Sets: 4 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: giant set B2. Dips (weighted if possible) Sets: 4 Reps: 8-10 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: giant set B3. Standing barbell curl (close grip) Sets: 4 Reps: 15-20 Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: giant set

Level 3: Weeks 7-9 Week 7: Intensity Session 9 (Tuesday) A. Close-grip bench press, drop-set cluster Sets: 6 Reps: 5 x 1 (Perform 5 total reps with 10 seconds of rest between each rep. Start with close to your 1RM and drop the weight by around 10lbs on each rep.)Rest interval: 3 minutes Special technique: drop-set cluster B. Standing barbell curl Sets: 6 Reps: 5 x 1 (Perform 5 total reps with 10 seconds of rest between each rep. Start with close to your 1RM and drop the weight by around 5lbs on each rep.) Rest interval: 3 minutes Special technique: drop-set cluster Session 10 (Friday) A1. Chin-ups (weighted if possible) Sets: 10 Reps: 3 Rest interval: 60 seconds Special techniques: 1) hold the peak contraction for 3 seconds per rep. 2) alternate between A1 and A2 A2. Dips (weighted if possible) Sets: 10 Reps: 3 Rest interval: 60 seconds Special technique: alternate between A1 and A2

Week 8: Volume Session 11 (Tuesday) A1. Decline nosebreaker

Sets: 10 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 90 seconds Special technique: alternate between A1 and A2 A2. Preacher curl Sets: 10 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 90 seconds Special technique: alternate between A1 and A2 B1. Overhead cable triceps extension Sets: 4 Reps: 8 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special techniques: 1) tempo contrast: reps 1-2 and 5-6 = 604 tempo; reps 3-4 and 7-8 = explosive 2) superset B2. Low cable curl Sets: 4 Reps: 8 Rest interval: 60 seconds Special techniques: 1) tempo contrast: reps 1-2 and 5-6 = 604 tempo; reps 3-4 and 7-8 = explosive 2) superset

Week 9: Density Session 12 (Tuesday) A1. Close-grip chin-up (weighted if possible) Sets: 3 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: holistic set A2. Dips (weighted if possible) Sets: 3 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: holistic set

A3. Standing barbell curl (wide grip) Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: holistic set A4. Lying dumbbell triceps extension Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest interval: 3 minutes Special technique: holistic set

Level 4: Weeks 10-12 Week 10: Intensity Session 13 (Tuesday) A. Reverse grip bench press

Sets: 9 Reps: 3/2/1 wave (1 x 3, 1 x 2, 1 x 1, 1 x 3, 1 x 2, 1 x 1, 1 x 3, 1 x 2, 1 x 1)

Rest interval: 3 minutes Special technique: none B. Chin-up (weighted if possible) Reps: 3/2/1 wave (1 x 3, 1 x 2, 1 x 1, 1 x 3, 1 x 2, 1 x 1, 1 x 3, 1 x 2, 1 x 1) Rest interval: 3 minutes Special technique: none Session 14 (Friday) A. Decline dumbbell triceps extension Sets: 9 Reps: 5/4/3 wave (1 x 5, 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 5, 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 5, 1 x 4, 1 x 3) Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: none B. Hammer curl Sets: 9 Reps: 5/4/3 wave (1 x 5, 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 5, 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 5, 1 x 4, 1 x 3) Rest interval: 2 minutes Special technique: none

Week 11: Volume Session 15 (Tuesday) A. Close-grip bench press, overcoming isometrics, top range

Sets: 4 Reps: 30 seconds

Rest interval: 60 seconds Special technique: isometrics B. Standing barbell curl, yielding isometrics, mid-range

Sets: 4 Reps: 30 seconds Rest interval: 60 seconds Special technique: isometrics C. Cable triceps extension, 2/1 (with the rope) Sets: 4 Reps: 10 total (5 eccentrics per side) Rest interval: 60 seconds Special technique: 2/1 – concentric (lifting phase) with 2 arms, eccentric (lowering phase) with 1 arm in 5 seconds

D. Machine biceps curl, 2/1

Sets: 4 Reps: 10 total (5 eccentrics per side) Rest interval: 60 seconds Special technique: 2/1 – concentric (lifting phase) with 2 arms, eccentric (lowering phase) with 1 arm in 5 seconds E. Overhead dumbbell triceps extension Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15 Rest interval: 45 seconds Special technique: none F. Reverse standing barbell curl Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15 Rest interval: 45 seconds Special technique: none

Week 12: Density Session 16 (Tuesday) A1. Close-grip chin-up (weighted if possible) Sets: 3 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: holistic set A2. Dips (weighted if possible) Sets: 3 Reps: 6-8 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: holistic set A3. Standing barbell curl (wide grip) Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: holistic set A4. Lying dumbbell triceps extension Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: holistic set A5. Low pulley cable curl Sets: 3 Reps: 15-20 Rest interval: 15 seconds Special technique: holistic set A6. Cable triceps extension Sets: 3 Reps: 15-20 Rest interval: 4 minutes Special technique: holistic set

Reach New Heights! This workout, if followed perfectly and accompanied by proper nutrition and supplementation, should bring your upper arm development to new heights. If you do your job in the gym and at the kitchen table, you should be able to add 1 to 1.5 inches to your arm measurements over these 12 weeks! Get started! © 1998 — 2005 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The Lost Art of Hamstring Training How to blast the most important muscle in your body by Christian Thibaudeau

We often say that the most important leg of a three-legged chair is the fourth, the missing one. Well, when it comes to the human body, the muscles composing the hamstring group (biceps femoris – long and short heads, semitendinosus and semimembranosus) are usually that fourth leg. Quite simply, most athletes have horrendous hamstring development. This not only puts the athlete at risk of injury on the playing field, but it also significantly reduces performance potential. Why? For the following reasons: 1. The hamstrings are among the muscles responsible for running fast. They're involved in both knee flexion and hip extension, two important actions in the running motion. 2. The hammies are key decelerators. In other words, the stronger your hamstrings are, the faster you can stop, then change direction and resume your progress. Many people still believe that the quads are the most important "speed muscles" in the body. Not true. This false belief has led to many athletes short-siding their results by becoming excessively quad dominant. The true speed muscles are the hamstrings and glutes. Both play a much more important role in the running stride, especially at high velocities. Most of the time, hamstring training is put back at the end of the line. A classic lower body training session might involve the back squat, leg press, leg extension, and leg curl. As you can see, not much emphasis on the hams! And most importantly, when they are trained, they aren't trained according to their capacities and functions. To design a proper hamstring workout, it's important to understand that: 1. They are knee flexors.

2. They're also hip extensors.

3. The hamstrings are built for speed. As a result, they tend to be more fast-twitch dominant than most muscle groups. 4. They're heavily involved in knee stabilization.

These four observations should influence program design. It means that both functions should be trained and that methods emphasizing fast twitch fiber involvement should be selected. Such methods include: accentuated eccentric training (eccentric or negative muscle action preferentially recruits fast twitch fibers), heavy lifting, and explosive lifting. Training the hamstrings isometrically is also very effective. With that in mind, here's a very effective hamstring development program that's sure to reduce your risk of lower body injury and drastically increase your speed and agility.

Workout 1: Hip Extension Exercise 1: Fixed hip extension/heavy Hip extension can either be fixed (meaning that both feet stay on the ground) like in a Romanian deadlift or good morning, or it can be free, like in a reverse hyper or a low-pulley hip extension.

For our heavy exercise we want to select the type of movement in which we'll be able to use the most weight: the fixed hip extension exercise. It can either be a Romanian deadlift or a good morning.

The good morning exercise Sets: 4-6 Reps: 4-6 during an accumulation phase; 2-3 during an intensification phase Rest intervals: 150 to 180 seconds

Exercise 2: Fixed hip extension/explosive For the second exercise we want to use an explosive drill. The adequate ones are the simpler variations of the Olympic lifts: the power clean from blocks/hang and the power snatch from blocks/hang.

The power clean from the hang.

The power clean from blocks.

Power snatch from blocks Sets: 4-6 Reps: 4-6 during an accumulation phase; 2-3 during an intensification phase Rest intervals: 150 to 180 seconds Exercise 3: Option 1 (better) – Reverse hyper, 2/1 technique This first option requires a reverse hyper machine. Sadly, not all gyms have such a piece of equipment. For those who have access to this wonderful piece of machinery, you're going to use the 2/1 technique. This means lifting explosively with two legs and lowering it slowly one leg at a time. Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12 (5-6 per leg) during an accumulation phase; 4-6 (2-3 per leg) during an intensification phase Rest intervals: 120 to 150 seconds Exercise 3: Option 2 (not as good) – Low-pulley hip extension

This second option isn't as good as there's less eccentric accentuation, but it'll work if you don't have a reverse hyper machine. You'll want to lift the load as fast as possible while returning it in 5-6 seconds. Sets: 2-3 per leg Reps: 8-10/leg during an accumulation phase; 4-6 during an intensification phase Rest intervals: 120 to 150 seconds

Workout 2: Knee Flexion Exercise 1: Option 1 (best) – Glute-ham raise The second workout is designed to work on the knee flexion role of the hamstrings. Our first exercise is performed with heavy weights. For this we want to use the exercise in which we'll be able to lift the highest load, so we'll begin this first workout with the glute-ham raise. This is one of the finest exercises for hamstring development. Sadly, this is another great device not found at every gym, but if you have access to one, better learn to use it!

Sets: 4-6 Reps: 4-6 during an accumulation phase; 2-3 during an intensification phase Rest intervals: 120 to 150 seconds * Note, hold a weight on your chest if you can perform the prescribed reps easily.

Exercise 1: Option 2 (not as good)– Leg curls If you don't have access to a glute-ham bench, you can substitute this first drill with regular leg curls performed with heavy weights. Exercise 2: Knee flexion/accentuated eccentrics – 2/1 leg curl Hamstrings and biceps respond the best to accentuated eccentric training. This is primarily due to their fiber makeup as well as isolation function as flexors. So for our second exercise we'll use the 2/1 technique on the lying leg curl. This means lifting the load explosively with two legs, and lowering it under control with one leg only.

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12 (5-6 per leg) during an accumulation phase; 4-6 (2-3 per leg) during an intensification phase Rest intervals: 120 to 150 sec. Exercise 3: Knee flexion/pure eccentrics – Natural GHR To once again take advantage of the high responsiveness of the hamstrings to eccentric loading, we'll perform the eccentric-only (negative only) glute-ham raise, also called natural GHR. The objective of the drill is to lower your body toward the ground as slowly as possible. Try to control the descent for as long as you can. You then use a slight arm push to lift yourself back to

the starting position. Try to keep your back as straight as possible (no forward bending at the trunk).

Sets: 2-3 Reps: As many as possible Rest intervals: 120 to 150 seconds Exercise 4: Knee flexion/isometrics – Isometric leg curl (3 positions) Our last exercise will develop maximum isometric strength in the hamstrings. To do so, we'll use the lying leg curl and simply hold the weight in place for a certain timeframe. Since gains from isometric training are position specific, we'll use three different positions: contracted, mid-range, and nearly extended. Note that you don't perform all three positions in a row (in the same set); perform all three sets of each position before moving on to the next.

Sets: 3 per position Duration: 30 sec. per position (accumulation); 10 sec. per position (intensification) Rest intervals : 90-120 sec.

Training Split When focusing on hamstring development you'll need to devote two days per week to this muscle group. Ideally, these workouts would occur on Mondays and Thursdays. A sample schedule could look like this: Monday: Hamstrings workout #1 Tuesday: Upper body pressing muscles Wednesday: OFF Thursday: Hamstrings workout #2 Friday: Upper body pulling muscles Saturday: Quad dominant workout Sunday: OFF If you don't want to train more than four times per week, one of these schedules would be adequate:

Monday: Hamstrings workout #1 Tuesday: Upper body Wednesday: OFF Thursday: Hamstrings workout #2 Friday: OFF Saturday: Quad dominant workout Sunday: OFF Another option: Monday: Hamstrings workout #1 Tuesday: Upper body pressing Wednesday: OFF Thursday: Hamstrings workout #2 and upper body pulling Friday: OFF Saturday: Quad dominant workout Sunday: OFF

Supplements Recommendations You don't have to use supplements to get good results with this program. However, they can give you an edge that'll allow you to reap slightly better gains. If you're a competitive athlete, this could mean the difference between fifth place and winning. Here's a sample supplement program that's sure to help you get the most out of your training:

30 minutes pre-workout Spike – 1 to 2 caps (pre-workout boost) Creatine – 5g (to make sure that the creatine stores are full) Phosphatidylserine – 800g (anti cortisol)

Right before the session Surge – half a serving (anabolism and anti-catabolism) [link to store] BCAA – 5g (anabolism and anti-catabolism)

During the session Surge – half a serving BCAA – 5g

After the workout Surge – 1 serving (anabolism and anti-catabolism, glycogen resynthesis)

BCAA – 5g Creatine – 10g (refilling creatine stores) Power Drive – 1 serving (neural recovery) [link to store] Phosphatidylserine – 800g

90-120 minutes after the workout Surge – 1 serving BCAA – 5g Creatine – 5g Power Drive – 1 serving

Conclusion This training program is super effective because it targets all the functions of the hamstrings, plus it trains all types of muscle contraction (concentric, explosive, eccentric, and isometric). It's

quite simply the fastest way to grow strong and powerful hams, and it's sure to drastically boost your performance and reduce the risk of injuries. Hammies aren't fun to train; they're the least "showy" muscles of them all. However, those who train them hard will truly separate themselves from the pack! © 1998 — 2005 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.