1001 Muscle Building Tips

527. BETWEEN-LETGS CABLE RAISES
For those fo you not afraid to live dangerously, try between-the-legs cable raises. Attach a shoulder-width straight bar to a low pulley and grab it so that you are facingaway from the machine with the cable running between you legs. Slowly bring the bar forward and up until your arms are parallel with the floor. Return to the starting positioned the right distance from the pulley so the cable doesn't interfere with your family planning on the way up!

528. POWER CLEANS
One of the best exercises for building upper-back and trapezius thickness is power cleans. Hold a barbell in front of the thighs with a shoulder-width grip. Now in one quick motion flick the bar away from the thighs and clean it up to your shoulders. Your palms will go from facing the thighs to facing the ceiling at the top of the exercise. Lower the weight slowly to the starting position, keeping your back flat as you do so.

529. REVERSE PEC-DECK
As the name suggests, you'll need a pec-deck machine to perform this exercise. Sit down facing the machine with your chest resting against the back support. Grab the handles (or rest your arms on the insdie of the pads) and slowly pull backwards to a comfortable stretch. Reverse pec-decks are great for working the muscles of the upper back, in particular the smaller rhomboids and rear deltoids. They are also easier on the lower back then their free-weight dumbel equivalent, bent-over lateral raises.

530. BENT-OVER CABLE RAISES
To really blast the rear deltoids, poistion yourself in the middle of a cable-crossover machine. Bend forward and grab the right lower pulley with your left hand and vice versa. With a slight bend at the elbows, raise the handles to shoulder height. Lower the handles back down to just short of having the plates touch.

531. KICKBACKS
Dumbell kickbacks are one of the best exercises for bringing out the horseshoe shape in the triceps. Grabs a dumbell, place one hand and knee on a bench for support, and lock the upper arm tight to your side and parallel to the floor. Extend, or "kick" the forearm back until your arm is locked out. Return to the starting position so that your forearm is perpendicular to the floor (there will be a 90-degree angle between your upper and lower arm).

532. REVERSE-GRIP BENCH PRESSES
An exellent way to put mass on your triceps is by doing reverse-grip bench presses. Instead of the standard plams-towards-your-feet grip, grab the bar so that your palms are facing your head. Keep your grip just slightly narrower than shoulder-width. This grip forces the elbows in closer to the body, putting more stress on the triceps and less onthe pectoral muscles.

533. ROPE EXTENTIONS
Rope extensions are one of the best exercises for targeting the long rear head of the triceps. Attach a rope to a high pulley and turn around so you are facing away fromt he machine. With the elbows heldclose to your head, lean forward and adopt a runner's stance (one leg forward and one back). Extend your forearms away from you until your arms are locked out straight. Slowly return to the starting position. The key with this exercise is to keep the upper arms and body stationary. Only your forearms move.

534. ONE-ARM CABLE PUSHDOWNS
One-arm pushdowns can be considered the cable equivalent of dumbell kickbacks. They are great for allwing you to concentrate on one arm at a time, and are one fo the best exercises for bringing out the horseshow shape of the trcieps. Attach a small handle (most people use the cable crossover handle) to a pulley machine and position yourself so that your working arm is directly in line with the cable. Grab the handle with one hand, and with your elbow and upper arm tucked close to your sides, extend the forearm down until your arm is completely locked out at the bottom. Slowly allow is back to chest height and repeat.

535. PALMS UP OR PALMS DOWN?
When you perform one-arm cable pushdowns try experimenting with both a palms-up and palms-down grip. In theory it shouldn't make any difference but most bodybuilders find that a palms down grip shifts most of the stress to the lateral triceps while a palms up (reverse) grip seems to hit the long rear head.

536. SEATED PULLEY CONCENTRATION PUSHDOWN
This exercise can be considered the triceps equivalent of the biceps concentration curl. Sit down next to a cable machine and rest one arm on your thigh exactly as if doing a dumbell concentration curl. With your palm facing upward, extend your arm down between your legs to a lock-out-position.

537. CONCENTRATION CURLS
Sit down on the front or side of a flat bench. With your elbow braces against your inner thigh, lower a dumbell to just short of lockout. Curl the dumbell up until your forearm is above parallel with the floor. Squeeze the biceps at the top of this exercise.

538. ARNOLD'S WAY
For variety try concentration curls the way Arnold Scharzenegger performed them. Arnold would stand up, and with one elbow resting on this thighs let his other arm curl straight up and down. Arnold found that he could get a better biceps concentration by having his arm free of his body rather than braces against his thigh.

539. BARBELL CONCENTRATION CURLS
For variety try performing concentration curls with a barbell. Grab a barbell with a shoulder width grip and bend forward until your torso is parallel with the floor. Curl the bar up and down, trying to keep your upper arm vertical with the floor

540. ONE-ARM PREACHER CURLS
One-arm preacher curls are another of those exercises that allow you to devote full concentration to the muscle being worked. Grab a dumbell and go to the preacher bench. Place your upper arm on the pad and lower the dumbell down to a locked out position. Curl back up until your foream is just short of vertical. As with the two-arm version, don't bounce at the bottom of the exercise. This place tremendous stress on the biceps tendon, and numerous bodybuilders have required surgery after rupturing their biceps tendon.

541. WHEN AN INCLINE BENCH IS A PREACHER BENCH
One of the nice things about one-arm preacher curls is that you don't need a preacher bench to perform the exercise. Simply stand behind an incline bench set to 45- 60 degrees and rest your upper arm on the bench. From there perform the exercise exactly the same as the seated version.

542. SPIDER CURLS
This exercise is great for peaking the middle belly of the biceps. If the pad on your gym's preacher bench is removable, turn it around so that the vertical end is facing outwards. If not, you'll have to stand in front of the pad facing the seating bench. The exercise is performed the same as regular preacher curls but the upper arm is curling vertically rather than on an angle. Because spider curls do a better job of isolating the biceps, you'll need to use less weight.

543. STANDING CABLE CURL
One of the few disadvantages of standing barbell curls is that a point will be reached when curling the bar any higher will not produce any extra benifit. For most poeple this point is where the forearm is at about a 45 degree angle to the horizontal. The reason is that gravity will always be pulling straight downwards. Once the forearm starts approaching the vertical, the tension on the biceps decreases. Standing cable curls have a slight advantage since the cable will keep tension on the biceps even when your forearms are nearly vertical with the floor. So while standing barbell curls are probably the best overall biceps exercise, cable curls are a viable alternative.

544. BODY-DRAG CURLS
This exercise is great for working the biceps while minimizing forearm involvement. Instead of curling the bar upwards in an arc (starting close to the thighs, going outwards as you curl up, and coming inwards at the top), you drag the bar straight up the middle of the body. Your elbows will move behind your body as you complete the rep. Try to keep the bar no more than one to two inches from the torso at all times.

545. OVERHEAD CABLE CURLS
This exercise is great for those of you who love flexing in the mirror. Stand inside the cable crossover machine and grab the single-hand attachments. Adopt a double-biceps pose and slowly curl the handles towards the ears. For that extra contraction, hold the position for a second or two.

546. LYING DUMBELL CURLS
If you're looking for the maximum stretch in your biceps when working out, try lying dumbell curls. Lie back on a flat bench and let your arms hang down. Slowly curl the dumbells until they are in line with the bench. You will need a higher-than-normal flat bench for this exercise.

547. WRIST CURLS
If your torso and upper arm exercises don't adequately stimulate your forearms, start including direct forearm training. The simplest is the barbell or dumbell wrist curl. Sit down on a flat bench and rest your forearms, palms up, on the end of the bench. Slowly curl the barbell toward your forearm by flexing at the wrist. Keep your forearm flat on the bench at all times. For variety you can perform the exercise one arm at a time with a dumbell. Forearm curls primarily work the flexors of the forearm.

548. REVERSE WRIST CURLS
This exericse is great for working the extensors of the forearm. The movement is almost identical to wrist curls except that your palms are facing the floor. As the extensors are not as strong as the flexors, you'll need to use less weight.

549. REVERSE CURLS
This exercise is identical to standing barbell curls except you curl the bar upwards with your palms facing the floor. This movement is one of the best for working the brachialis (the muscle that lies underneath the biceps) and the brachioradialis (the muscle that links the upper and lower arms).

550. HAMMER CURLS
To really give the brachialis a good workout try hammer curls. Grab a pair of dumbells and, with the palms facing inward, curl them up as you would for a regular set of dumbell curls. For variety try doing the exercise on a cable pulley machine using the rope attachment. (Note: Your palms must face inward throughout the movement.)

Thx..A very interesting threads!^^
:hu

551. ALL ABOUT PROPORTION
You may think that bodybuilding is nothing more than building the biggest set of arms, but this is simply not the case. When it comes to success in competitive bodybuilding, proportion is the name of the game. Contrary to popular belief, the biggest set of arms won't guarantee that you'll win. A great set of abs will place you as high if not higher on the winner's podium. Every couple of months, take a good look at your physique, paying close attention to proportion. Reduce the training volume on those muscles that seem to be growing fast, and increase your workload on those areas that are lagging behind.

552. UPPERS AND LOWERS
Besides the whole muscles themselves, parts of muscle may respond more quickly than other parts. For example, the upper thighs usually grow faster than the lower thighs. The upper abs tend to "come out" much more easily than the lower abs. Likewise, building the lower chest usually comes easy while filling in the upper chest takes extra work. As with over body proportions, keep an eye on the sections of the individual muscles. Pick and choose your exercises to target both the upper and lower insertions of the muscles.

553. WIDE, WIDE, WIDE
Not everyone is born with naturally wide shoulders. In fact shoulder width has as much to do with bone structure as muscle mass. Some of the widest guys around never lifted a weight in their life. If you were not blessed with a wide shoulder structure, don't dispair. Tailor your shoulder training routine focusing heavily on side dumbell raises, cable side raises and upright rows will put inches on your shoulders and give you that yard-wide look.


554. THE ILLUSION OF A SMALL WAIST
Although most large midsections are the result of too many extra calories, there are a few unfortunates whose less-than-stellar midsections are the result of their genes. Even though these people will never have a 26-inch waist, they can create the illusion of a smaller midsection. As size is a relative term, the focus will be on trying to make the waist smaller by making the upper back wider. By adding extra size to the upper and outer lats, the waistline will start looking smaller in comparison. If you fall into the large-midsection category, start uncluding extra sets of wide pulldowns, chin-ups, and one-arm dumbell rows to your trianing.


555. LIMIT YOUR OBLIQUE TRAINING
Unless you are blessed with an ultra small waist, don't go overboard on your oblique training. Granted the obliques don't have the same growth potential as most of the other muscles, but they are muscles just the same. Doing sides bends with heavy dumbells could cause them to grow, thus giving your waist a fat appearance. Limit your oblique training to bodyweight-only exercises, using higher-than-normal reps.

556. THE LOWER CALVES
They are called bodybuilding's diamonds and for good reason; they are just as valuable and just as elusive. They say great calves rely as much on inheritance as on hard training. There is an element of truth to this, as some of the biggest calves around belong to guys who never did a calf raise in their lives. One of the problems many people run into with calf training is that the upper calves quickly dominate the lowers. In many cases it's simply a case of not training the lower calves. But there are those who fall short in the genetic department and have what are called "high calves." This means that their calf muscles are attached high on the lower leg bones. While there is no way to legthen the calf muscles, you can create the illusion of length by targeting the lower part of the calf (soleus). If you suffer from a high calf, or have been neglecting your lower calf training, begin your calf workouts with seated calf raises. This is the single best movement for developing the soleus.

557. CLOSING THE GAP
As most biceps exercises target the center and upper parts of the biceps, you may reach a point where there is a noticeable gap between the lower biceps and upper forearms. To fill in this gap, you need to do two things: work the lower biceps and develop the brachialis. This best exercise for targeting the lower biceps is the preacher curl, while hammer curls will do a wonderful job on the brachialis.

558. CONCENTRATE, CONCENTRATE, CONCENTRATE
One of the primary causes of injuries is a lack of concentration while performing your exercises. A set of squats or bench presses is not the appropiate time to be discussing or even thinking about your plans for Saturday night. One misplaced rep and you could end up in traction for six months. Always keep your mind on the task. When you bench press, for example, you develop a groove for some reason, you risk serious injury.

559. MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER
Sometimes we are our own worst enemies when it comes to training. The old philosophy of more is better may apply to many things in life, but it is not always the best approach when training. When your exercise volume exceeds your recovery abilities, a state of overtraining can occur. When this happens improvement not only ceases, but you may even lose muscle strength and size. If you suddenly start experiencing such side effects as weight loss, decreased strength, elevated resting heart rate, and a lack of motivation to train, take a week or two off and then reduce your training volume when you resume exercising.

560. STYLE VS WEIGHT
There's an old saying in bodybuilding that "strict style is king." This is especially true when it comes to injury prevention. Never sacrifice form just to place a few extra plates on the bar. If the muscle is ready for it, fine, increase the weight. But don't get caught up in a numbers game. Sloppy training style can cause long-lasting injury.

561. A WARM MUSCLE IS A SAFE MUSCLE
Few things contribute to injuries like subjecting a cold muscle to a sudden jolt of intense exercise. The human muscle to add a sudden jolt of intense exercise. The human body is like a car in that it works more efficiently when it's warmed up. Before doing any heavy weight lifting, take five or ten minutes and do some light cardio to get the cardiovascular system primed. Then do a couple of light warm-up sets of each specific weight training exercise. Those ten minutes can save you a lifetime of suffering, and prevent a severe blow to your training progress.

562. AVOID ABS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
When you sleep, the intervertebral discs in your spine fill up with fluid. If you do any exercise that flexes the spine early in the morning, the vertebrae end up squeezing the discs, placing excess stress on them. As the day goes on the fluid drains away, allowing for greater flexibility of the spine. The bottom line is to leave your ab training until midday or evening.

563. STRIPPING FOR INJJURY PREVENTION
One of easiest ways to warm up the muscles and prepare them for heavier lifting is by starting your workout wearing a heavy sweatshirt. Within the first couple of minutes of exercise you'll be sweating. After 5 or 10 minutes, strip the sweatshirt off and finish your workout in a T-shirt or tank top.

564. HOMEMADE IS NOT ALWAYS BEST
While mom's homemade bread may put the supermarket brands to shame, the same is not always true for gym equipment. Unless the designer of the equipment is familiar with both human kinesiology and exercise techique, that homemade leg press may be a death trap. The average person has no idea of the stresses placed on machines and muscles during a typical workout. You can't just weld a few pieces of metal together and call it a leg press or Smith machine. Even if the equipment is solidly built, does it mimic the natural biomechanics of the human body? There is a good reason why equipment manufacturers spend millions of dollars designing their products. Very rarely can Johnny Bench Press duplicate this in his garage with a welding torch

565. CHECK THE MACHINE
One of the reasons that the aviation industry is so safe is because pilots always do a walk-around before taking off. You should do the same before using any piece of gym equipment. Visually inspect the cables for fraying. Check all attachments for cracks. Make sure any adjustable seats, pads and benches lock properly.

566. CHANGE YOUR FOOTWEAR
Although the frequency may be different, you should treat your sneakers like socks - change them regularly. The lifespan for a sneaker (or cross trainer) that is used daily for weight training and cardio is about four or five months. After that they won't be giving you the support you need. Chuck them out and buy a new pair.

567. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
A house or building is only as good as its foundation. The human body is in many respects similar. Despite the rantings of some so-called experts, most accept that intense exercise increases nutrient demands. All that muscle tissue you have broken down must be rebuilt. Likewise your immune system needs to be boosted to maintain your health during strenuous exercise. Nutrient intake must keep pace with your training or you'll never make gains. In addition, continuously subjecting your body to intense exercise without supplying the nutrients necessary for fuel and repair is only setting you up for an injury.

568. THE RIGHT EXERCISES FOR YOU
No matter how carefully you warm-up and how well you perform the exercises, there will be exercises that just don't feel right. For example squats, wihle probably being the best overall leg exercise, may place stress on the knees or lower back. If you find these areas starting to take the brunt of your squat workouts, either decrease the weight or eliminate the exercise completely. Don't keep enduring the pain just because "you are supposed to do squats." Another exercise that you may want to eliminate is barbell presses for the shoulders. In this case, the small rotator muscles of the shoulders may be damaged by repeated heavy presses. You have to weigh the benefits of a particular exercise with its potential for injury.

569. MODIFY WHEN NECESSARY
If you develop a slight injury and plan on working around it (check with your doctor first), try modifying your exercises. For example, if your rotator muscles are sore, try bending the elbows at 90 degrees when doing side raises. Likewise try doing a flye/press when training chest. Standard dumbell presses or flyes can be difficult to perform when the shoulder joint is acting up. Many people find that if they do presses with the hands rotated inwards to the flye position, the amount of stress on the shoulder joint is greatly reduced.

570. WATCH THE SHOULDER JOINT
Next to the lower back, the shoulder region is probably the most abused region of the body. This is especially true for weightlifters. All those heavy presses, both for the chest and shoulders, can play havoc with the shoulder joint. Always pay attention to any warning signals your body may give with regards to your shoulder's health. As soon as there is any degree of inflammation, ease off they heavy pressing.

571. DON'T NEGLECT THE REAR DELTS
The rear delts are one of the most neglected muscle groups. This is because they are located behind the shoulder girdle and are not easily visible. Unfortunately, weak rear shoulders lead to a sloping forward of the shoulder. This changes the body's center of gravity, placing extra stress on the lower back. Even though the rear delts will receive indirect stimulation from most upper back exercises, you should include some direct rear shoulder exercises in your workouts - two of the best being reverse pecdeck flyes and bent-over lateral raises with dumbells.

572. KEEP YOURSELF CHARGED
Although cramping rarely leads to injuries, the possibility still exists. Most of the body's metabolic reactions are under the control of charged particles called electrolytes (biochemists call them ions). When water levels rise, and hence electrolyte levels drop, the various chemical reactions that influence muscle contraction may be impeded. One of the end results of this is cramping, but it can get much more serious. One way to combat this is to sip on a good electrolyte drink as you work out (the most popular is Gatorade).

573. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Very rarely will an injury pop up out of the blue. The body usually gives you warning signals. That slight lower back twinge on a set of squats is a warning not to put any more weight on the bar that day. Likewise if your shoulder is aching after you do bench presses, you may be developing bursitis. Always pay attention to any warning signals the body gives off. Failure to do so could set you back months, if not years.

574. RICE - MORE THAT JUST GOOD EATING
If you do develop a minor injury, follow the old First Aid standby of RICE. The acronym stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Hopefully the words speak for themselves. First Rest the injured body part. Then apply ice to keep swelling down. Compress the area to keep blood and fluids from accumulating. Finally, Elevate the limb to reduce pressure and fluid build-up.

575. BATHROOM FIRST?
Laugh if you may, but going to the washroom before workout out could prevent injuries. Performing heavy squats or deadlifts on a full bladder will be both uncomfortable and potentially danerous. Likewise, the less solid waste in your GI tract the less chance for cramping

576. ACCLIMATE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
If you start training in a hotter environment, or your area experiences a sudden heat wave, modify your outdoor training accordingly. If takes the average person 10 to 14 days to acclimate (adapt to) to a hot environment. If necessary, reduce your workout volume by 25 to 50 percent.

577. BURSITIS - COLD IS BEST
A bursa is a small sack-like cavity that contains fluids to protect the joints from rubbing together. Regular exercise occasionally leads to inflammation of the bursa (called bursitis), particularly the bursa in the shoulder joint. Most experts suggest avoiding heat to treat bursitis as this could make the condition worse. Instead ice the area on a regular basis.

578. TENDONITIS - HOT AND COLD
Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon, which usually results from overuse of an area. One of the best treatments is to alternate ice for one minute with heat for five to seven minutes, twice a day. You should also eliminate or greatly reduce the exercises that involve that particular area.

579. AM I ADVANCED?
As much as we'd like to advise you when to proceed tot he advanced level of training, realistically we can't Everyone progresses at his or her own rate. Most people are ready for more advanced training after about a year of exercise. By this point you'll find that even by changing the exercises and splitting your workouts, your gains have slowed down. To address this situation you'll need to start applying various advanced training rechniques to shock your muscles into new growth.

580. CHEAT REPS
Despite their name, cheat reps are one of the simplest ways to shock muscles into new growth. Even though most sports regard cheating as nothing but negative, controlled cheating does have a place in bodybuilding. At its simplest level cheating means using additional muscles to assist the primary muscles complete a set. For example when doing barbells, if you fail at the 8th rep but want to complete 10 reps, you'll add just a little bit of body momentum to "swing" the weight up. However, it is important that you only start "cheating" after you have completed 7 or 8 reps. In so doing you will involve more cells and pave the way for bigger muscles.


581. CHEAT TO MAKE HARDER, NOT EASIER
If you perform your cheat reps in proper style, the muscle will ache more, not less. The purpose of cheating is to stimulate the muscle fibres with greater intensity, not less. If you are cheating just to lift more weight, or get the set over more rapidly, you are defeating the purpose.