SECTION ONE: BODY TYPE

SECTION ONE: BODY TYPE

1) My bone structure is:

__ (a) Very Large __ (b) Large to Medium __ (c) Small to Frail

2) My body tends towards:

__ (a) Carrying too much fat __ (b) Being lean and muscular __ (c) Being too skinny

3) My body looks:

Men answer here:

__ (a) Round and soft __ (b) Square and rugged __ (c) Long and tenuous

Women answer here:

__ (a) Pear-shaped __ (b) Hourglass-shaped __ (c) Mostly straight up and down

4) As a child I was:

__ (a) Chubby __ (b) Normal __ (c) Too thin


5) My activity level is:

__ (a) Sedentary __ (b) Fairly Active __ (c) Over active, can't sit still


6) My approach to life is:

__ (a) Laid back __ (b) Dynamic __ (c) Worrisome

7) My metabolism is:

__ (a) Slow __ (b) Just right __ (c) Too fast

8) People tell me:

__ (a) I should lose some weight __ (b) Stay the same, that I look fine

__ (c) I should gain some weight

9) If you encircle your wrist with your other hand’s middle finger and thumb:

__ (a) Middle finger and thumb do not touch __ (b) Middle finger and thumb just touch

__ (c) Middle finger and thumb overlap


10) Concerning my weight, I:

__ (a) Gain weight easily, but find it hard to lose __ (b) Gain or lose weight fairly easily. Usualy stay about the same weight __ (c) Have trouble gaining weight

11) I am hungry:

__ (a) Almost all the time __ (b) Just at meal times __ (c) Rarely

12) People would describle me as an:

__ (a) Emotional person __ (b) Physical person __ (c) Intellectual person



RESULTS

Give yourself a 1 for each A answer, a 2 for each B answer and a 3 for
each C answer. Add them up and devide by 12.

Look below at the number you now have. If you come up with a fraction,
for example 1.5, then you are somewhere inbetween those two body types.
And recomendations would be a middle approach.


1
You tend towards being an Endomorph, you biggest concern should be the
losing of fat and adopting a lifestyle that keeps it off.

Strength training should be done to get a better muscle to fat ratio and
therefore improve metabolism. Use moderate weights at a fast training pace (very
little rest between sets and exercises).

You should lower your calorie intake (but not try to starve yourself)
and should eat frequent but small meals. Sugars, sweets and junk food should be
eliminated from your diet.

Engage daily in some activity like brisk walking, biking, etc., and try
to increase the amount of time you spend each week.


2

You tend towards being a Mesomorph and have a naturally fit body but to
maintain it or improve it you should exercise and diet corretly for your type.

Strength training can be done more often and for longer sessions then
would be good for an Ectomorph, but you must still be carefull not to overdo it.
You should train with moderate to heavy weighs and at a moderate pace,
not resting too long between sets. You will find you gain muscle quite easy
(some women and even men might not want to get too bulky, but this won't
happen suddenly. When you are happy with your muscle size simply train to maintain it).

Stick to a good healthy diet to keep you lean and muscular, and watch
for any slow creeping fat gains.

Engage in and enjoy aerobic activities, sports, etc. but do not overdo.

3
You tend towards being an Ectomorph, you should concentrate on gaining
weight in the form of good lean muscle tissue (some women that are too
thin may also want to put on a little fat to look more feminine).

Weight training should be done but not too often or for too long each
session. Weight should be fairly heavy and workout pace slower (longer rest
periods between sets).

Diet should be high in calories (good quality food not junk) and you
should eat more then you're used to and often.

Aerobic and other activities (sports, dancing, etc.) should be kept to a
minimum, at least until you are happy with your weight and looks.

HISTORY

In the 1940s, Dr. William H. Sheldon introduced the theory of Somatypes.
His theory described three basic human body types: the endomorph,
characterized by a preponderance of bodyfat; the mesomorph, marked by a well-developed
musculature; and the ectomorph, distinguished by a lack of either much
fat or muscle tissue. He did also state that most people were a mixture of
these types.

Sheldon's description of three body types has become an integral part of
most literature on weight loss, fitness and bodybuilding.

The three body types are further described below.

ECTOMORPH
fragile
thin
flat chest
delicate build
young appearance
tall
lightly muscled
stoop-shouldered
large brain
Has trouble gaining weight.
Muscle growth takes longer.


MESOMORPH
athletic
hard, muscular body
overly mature appearance
rectangular shaped (hourglass shaped for women)
thick skin
upright posture
gains or loses weight easily
grows muscle quickly.


ENDOMORPH
soft body
flabby
underdeveloped muscles
round shaped
over-developed digestive system
trouble losing weight
generally gains muscle easily.


CONCLUSIONS

When you know which type you are (or which mixture) and diet and
exercise correctly for that type, you will make much better progress.

While some women may think that Kate Moss is the ideal, from a fitness
view point she really isn't. And many women who tend to be endomorphic
will save themselves much suffering by not striving to change themselves

into ectomorphs, it's not going to happen. Conversly a true ectomorph
who wishes to be a Sumo wrestler would also be in for a big disappointment.

Your goal should be to look as close as possible to (or stay looking
like) a mesomorph. With the correct exercise and diet this can be attainable,
and while you may be a bit upset that you have to work hard to look good
while the true mesomorph looks that way naturally, at least you will still be
fit and look good. And even the mesomorph will find as he/she gets older
that some exercise and diet is needed if they want to continue to look good
and be fit.


Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and
fitness consultant. He is the author of many books and courses on training
and diet, the most popular of which is his book "Truly Huge". For more
information on his books, courses, personalized training & diet programs
and cutting edge supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

Copyright © 1999 by Paul Becker.

HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE WITHOUT WEIGHTS, DYNAMIC-TENSION REVISED

HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE WITHOUT WEIGHTS, DYNAMIC-TENSION REVISED

Copyright © 1999 by Paul Becker. All rights reserved.

Why would anyone want to workout without weights? Everyone knows that
using weights and machines is the fastest most efficient way to gain
size and strength. While this is true, there are many resons why someone
would want to, or even be forced to train for a while without the
benefit of using weights. Someone working long hours trying to support
his family may not have the time to get to a commercial gym, and may not
have the extra space or money to set up a good home gym. Also, someone
who has to travel quite often for business might prefer getting a good
workout in his or her hotel room rather then wandering the streets of
South America asking "Donde esta el gymo?".

Let's face it there are times (vacations, etc.) when all of us can't
easily get to a gym. There are also many trainees (beginners or athletes
training for boxing, baseball or some other sport) who aren't trying to
get a lot of muscular bulk but want the type of strength, endurance and
definition that calisthenic exercise offers. These exercises can also be
preformed anytime, anywhere and you can do them over your entire life to
keep fit.

The idea behind this course is - If for some reason you do workout
without weights, what is the most efficient and result producing way to
do it? You can use these exercises in many ways: To build muscle, to
maintain muscle you already have, in combination with your weight
training to add variety and a change of pace, as a warm-up or pump-up
routine, to ease back into training after a layoff or injury, etc., etc.

Very early in my training carear I started thinking about how to make
calisthenics more result producing. The original reason was to help out
one of my best friends at the time, who also happened to be the person
that inspired me to start training by seeing the great progress he was
making. Let's call him Joe, mostly because that was his name, I believe
he prefers to be called Joseph these days but back then he was still
good old Joe.

Anyway, one day Joe's father forbid him to workout with weights
anymore, he gave Joe some reasons for this decision but I think the real
reason was that he didn't like the idea that his 15 year old son was
getting a little too big and strong to be easily controlled and he
better do something about it before he gets any bigger. The funny part
was that his father didn't object to him doing push-ups or other
freehand exercises, only weight training was forbidden, I'm sure he
figured that at best Joe would be able to maintain the muscle he had but
he wouldn't get any bigger. Joe was very distraught by the situation,
convinced that his muscles were doomed to waste away to nothing, but I
was sure there was some way to make those exercise more intense and
maybe he could even gain some size. I came up with some ideas and tried
to tell Joe about them but he didn't seem too interested, his attitude
was like "Hey, I know more about training then this guy, I'm the one who
got him started. And besides I don't have time to listen to this I'm too
busy feeling sorry for myself and performing satanic rituals to curse my
dad-''.

Joe never used my ideas but I did many times over the years, whenever I
used calisthenics, and always got good results. I got even more ideas, a
few years back, after reading the famous "Dynamis-Tension Course" by
Charles Atlas. I found an old comic book and decided to write to the
address and see if the course was still available, much to my delight
it was and I ordered it. I ordered it mostly as a collectors piece and
novelty item, like owning a part of American pop culture. Who could
forget those great advertisements like, "The insult that made a man out
of 'Mac'.", "Who else wants a He-Man body?" or "In just 7 days, I can
make you a Man.", I was also curious as to what was this Dynamic-Tension
method exactly. I have always believed that - Only a fool thinks he
knows everything and that a wise man never stops learning., so there was
a possibility that I could find some good information in this "old,
outdated course". I read the course and found it quite interesting, I
was slightly disappointed to find out that Dynamic-Tension is really
just some calisthenics and some isometric exercises. And while I'm sure
they would do a lot for 198 lb weaklings", what can they do for someone
who's already fairly big and strong? This got me thinking again about
the same thing, how can these exercises be made more intense. Since then
I came up with a few more ideas and now it's time to end the history
lesson and share them with you.


THE TECHNIQUES

(1) The first technique is to just do the exercises in the traditional
manner, I know you can do 60, 80 even 100 reps but that's the idea,
grind out as many reps as you can this will build up your endurance and
give your muscles a change of pace. And while this most likely won't
give you any extra size right away, when you go back to weight training
with heavy weights and lower reps you may be supprised that you are now
gaining faster then before. A few years ago some top bodybuilders were
talking about a technique they called "100's", they reduced the weight
and did literally 100 reps on all their exercises, they claimed it
brought about certain physiological changes that made the muscles more
responsive to later heavier training. It's worth a try, especially if
you're going to be doing calisthenics anyway.

(2) Another way to get more results from these exercises is, right
after a set flex hard the muscles just worked, flex as hard as you can
and hold for at least a count of 10. Arnold talked extensively about
"Posing as exercise" and the use of "Iso-Tension"(Iso means - Equal; the
same, and Tension means - To tighten; stiffen; contract. So Iso-Tension
is simply contacting the muscles and holding in the same place - no
movement.) he said that it really gives the body a more chiseled look,
reaches areas that training misses and will make muscular contractions
while training more intense, and more isolated. All good reasons to try
this technique.

A better variation of this is to flex the muscles you are working
first, get them good and tired and then do the exercise, thus
Pre-Fatiguing them. For example flex the chest or tricep muscles as hard
as you can, then immediately do a set of push-ups. Feels different
doesn't it? It's a lot harder and produces much better results.

(3) Another technique is to reduce the rest time between exercises,
let's say you start with 60 seconds after a while cut it down to 45 then
30, then 15, etc. How about no rest between sets, a whole cycle of
calisthenics all done nonstop that makes it way more intense.

Also try it this way - do one set, let's say of chin-ups, go until the
muscles are really tired or even to total failure wait only a few
seconds and then do another set. How many reps did you do on your second
set? Only 4 or 5 I bet, that's about what you'd do if you were doing
some heavy pull-downs. You should see some growth from this style. Make
it even more intense by increasing the reps on the first set and by
decreasing the rest time before the second set, this is using the
Rest-Pause method without weights.

(4) Why not simply add some weight, just because it's not metal disks
doesn't matter your body can't tell the difference. Put some heavy books
on your back and do push-ups, or even your 8 year old son, he likes to
play horsy. Get your wife or girlfriend (but not both at the same time,
that could be trouble) to sit on your shoulders while you do squats. Do
donkey calf raises, get creative there's always a way to add some more
resistance.

(5) How about using only one limb at a time, like doing one legged
squats, one arm chin-ups, one arm push-ups, etc.. It takes some balance
but it definitely makes it harder and puts on more muscle.

(6) Slow-Motion training is becoming popular again, try taking a full
12 seconds for the positive phase and 6 seconds for the negative phase
of each rep. Don't lock out in the top position and don't rest in the
bottom position, change smothly from the positive to the negative. This
is using Slow Continous Tension, how many chin-up can you do this way?
Not many I bet, it's intense.

(7) This last technique is based on what I thought Dynamic-Tension was
before I read the course, Dynamic means - Dealing with motion, and we
know from before that Tension is simply contraction. Therefore true
Dynamic-Tension would be flexing the muscles hard while also moving,
martial artists use a form of this to increase punching power.

Let's try to use this applyed to our freehand workout, do your push-ups
nice and slow while flexing hard your pectorals, shoulders, triceps,
biceps and even your lats and forearms. When doing chin-ups flex hard
your lats, shoulders, biceps, triceps and even chest and forearms. Do
deep knee bends and flex hard your quadriceps, hamstrings, gludes, hips
and even calves. Keep the tension hard and steady, it will take some
practice to do it all together, but the increadible pump and muscle
growth you will get from it will be well worth your while.

SOME SUGGESTED EXERCISES

Deep Knee bends - Builds thighs, gludes, hips and great for lung power
and endurance. With your feet about shoulder width apart, grab on to the
edge of a sink (or something that will give you support) and while
looking up slowly bend your knees and lower until your butt is just
about touching the floor. Slowly standup again using only your legs to
lift you, keep your heals on the floor and do as many as you can. For
vairation you can place your feet wider or closer together, or do them
one leg at a time.

Calf Raises - Do them on steps, put your toes on the edge of a step and
hold on to the hand rail for balance, lower your heals to get a good
stretch, then raise up on your toes as high as you can, lower and repeat
for as many as you can. For variation try them in the squated down
position, one leg of a time or donkey style.

Chin-ups or Pull-ups - For building back, shoulders, and biceps. Grab a
bar with an under hand grip and hang down getting a good strecth in the
lats, Pull up until your chest hits the bars, lower and repeat for as
many. These can be easily be done in a park, school yard or on a doorway
chinbar. Also try with an overhand grip, with one arm at a time, or even
on monkey bars using a parallel grip (palms facing each other).

Push-ups - For building chest, sholders and triceps. Lie face down on
the floor hands about shoulder width apart keep your palms turned inward
slightly, push-up until your arms are straight, lower and repeat for
reps. To make it more difficult elevate your feet. Also, try different
hand placements (closer together or farther apart). They can also be
done between chairs, this was the favorite exercise of Charles Atlas.
Another varition is Dips between parallel bars.

Handstand push-ups - Great for shoulders and arms. Get into a handstand
next to a wall, put your toes against the wall for balance, lower
yourself until the top of your head touches the ground, push back up and
repeat for many reps. Try both close and wide hand Placements.

Crunches - For firming abdominals and reducing stomach. Lie on your
back with your legs bent and your heals close to your butt, put your
chin on your chest and your hands behind your head. Raise your head up
crunching your abs hard (you should only go about 1/3 of the way as
compared to traditional sit-ups) lower and repeat for lots of reps.

Hyper -Extentions - For strengthening your lower back. Place a chair
near a bed, while lying face down with your hips on the chair and your
lower legs shoved between the mattress and boxspring, put your hands
behind your head and bend forward at the waist as far as you can, raise
back up until your back is straight and repeat for reps.

Grip Excercise - To build forearms and hand strength. Use a store
bought pocket hand gripper, or a hard rubber ball that fits in your
hand, squeeze as hard as you can, relax and repeat for many reps. Also
try just the thumb and one finger at a time, exercise each finger this
way.

FINAL WORDS

Always use proper form while exercising, remember - it's safety first.
It is also recomended to stretch before and after your workout. Give
these ideas a try, and never again have bully's kick sand in your face.

Good Training!

Paul Becker
Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness

consultant. He is the author of many books and courses on training
and diet, the most popular of which is his book "Truly Huge". For more
information on his books, courses, personalized training & diet programs
and cutting edge supplements visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

High Stakes Bodybuilding: The N.P.C. USA Rolls Into Las Vegas

High Stakes Bodybuilding:
The N.P.C. USA Rolls Into Las Vegas
by Larry Pepe


There are probably more clichés then you'd want to wade through that could
begin an article about one of the world's most prestigious amateur
bodybuilding contests being staged in the neon capital of the world. The
stakes? High. Very high, to the tune of 9 I.F.B.B. pro cards up for grabs.
The odds of snagging one? Slim. Real slim when you realize that this was the
largest national show in NPC history with over 240 contestants. By the time
the clock struck 11 PM on Saturday, August 5, 2000 there were 6
brand-spanking new Fitness Pros, 2 more guys approved for entry in to the
pose for pay ranks and a woman who may prove to personify the N.P.C.'s new
judging standards for women walked away with a pro card in her first
national contest appearance! If you were betting on the outcome of this one,
you'd still be at the sports book trying to explain how you planned to pay
the house its money.

We'll run down the men's competition and conclude with some other
observations about the Fitness and Women's contests as well as some fun
stuff about the event in general, gossip you won't want to miss and other
goings on at the show.

Bantamweight
In an easy weight class win, a very symmetrical and conditioned Lance
Herrano bested a field of 9 quality athletes. Alan Terrell was a strong
choice for second with good clean lines and ample muscle. Third place
finisher George Gibson gets my award for inspirational athlete of the show
as he apparently has a physical challenge with one of his legs that sure
didn't stop him from presenting the most muscular physique in this class.


Lightweight 
Last year's runner up in the Lightweight Class at the NPC Team Universe
competition, Jose Raymond outmuscled, literally, the other 8 contestants on
his way to a big national class win. Jose was simply too muscular for the
rest of the class, presenting a thicker, better-conditioned package than the
rest. Johnny McKnight IV and Bertram Stiff, second and third respectively,
were both neck and neck with Jose for the class until the three exceptional
athletes turned to the rear. Jose's back, hamstrings and glutes dominated
from this angle and the rest, as they say, was history.


Middleweight 
Would Jose's much publicized brother Tito Raymond match his placing and walk
away with the USA Middles? Afraid not. But in all fairness the class was
much more loaded with quality physiques, two of whom were in a world of
their own at the top of this class. Simply put, there was NPC Middleweight
and Overall Junior National Champion Mike Valentino and there was NPC USA
Middleweight Champ Johnny Stewart, who has also won the NPC Team Universe
too many times to count. Then there was everyone else. Valentino displayed a
complete, symmetrical and absolutely shredded physique on his way to 10 out
of 11 first place votes. When Mike turned to the rear, the striations in his
lower back and hamstrings were evident from the lobby! Johnny was incredible
as well. He is packed with thick, quality, conditioned muscle that comes
from years of hard work in the gym. Both Mike and Johnny are great
representatives of bodybuilding who help other athletes and give back to the
sport they obviously love. Too bad we couldn't give 2 first places in this
class. No one would have complained. Tito was third and should win this
class at Team Universe, unless Johnny shows up.

Light-Heavyweight 
National veteran Fred Bigot walked with this class, besting 21 great
athletes. Fred had everything you could look for as a judge. He was complete
from all angles, rock hard and carried full, dense muscle. Let's put it this
way-when he stood next to the Heavyweight class winner in the final
posedown, he did more than hold his own the whole way. Second in this class
went to a very impressive, symmetrical and complete Johnnie Jackson. Johnnie
needed to be a bit harder to challenge for the class. Eddie Linda was well
conditioned and received three second place votes on his way to a solid
third place finish.


Heavyweight 
I have been judging at the National level in the NPC since 1994 and I can
honestly say that this was the deepest, most impressive class I've ever
seen. Just to give you an idea of what a difference a year makes, 1999 top 5
finisher Leon Parker finished 15th this year in about the same condition!


Pre-contest favorite Tevita Aholelei scored a unanimous first place finish
and looked great at the Friday night prejudging. He looked very focused and
determined on stage as if he was not going to rest until he received his pro
card. Tevita has thick, round dense muscle everywhere and presents his
physique very well. Second place finisher Troy Alves looked phenomenal. A
former USA Light-Heavyweight Champ, Troy wears the extra muscle very well.
Unlike so many competitors who move up a class and don't come in as hard,
Troy was shredded and dense. He needs a little more leg thickness-especially
in the hamstring/glute area-to balance his physique and he'll be tough for
any heavyweight to beat at next year's USA. One guy who does not need any
more leg size is third place finisher Branch Warren. Branch had the best
legs in the entire contest by a long shot. His hams, calves and quads were
all thick and cross-striated. When Branch brings his upper body thickness a
bit more into balance with his legs he may weigh 250! Watch out for him.


Super-Heavyweight 
Time for the really big boys. How big? How about 278 pound Quincy Taylor-the
heaviest athlete to ever compete in an NPC National show! The pre-contest
buzz in the magazines and elsewhere had the battle in this class shaping up
between last year's USA runner-up Erik Fromm, perennial Wheeler/Cormier
posse member and friend Rico McClinton who was third at last year's
Nationals, and East Coast arm-freak Matt Duval who finished second to Aaron
Maddron at the '99 Nationals. So what do you think the odds were of a
competitor who won the Junior Nationals almost 15 years ago who was also
moving up a weight class coming in to Vegas and trumping the largest field
of NPC national competitors ever en route to a pro card? Impossible? Guess
again because that's exactly what happened. 80's standout Bob Cicherillo,
fresh off a second place finish at the '99 Nationals in the heavies, gained
about 8 or 9 pounds, came in even better condition and routed the field with
a unanimous class win. Bob was symmetrical, shredded and proved that
persistence pays.


Second place finsiher, Junior National and Team Universe Champ Robert
Washington of Texas looked great. He was huge and symmetrical, although not
quite as hard as I've seen him. If he were a bit tighter, he probably would
have won the class. Third place finisher Bill Wilmore of Florida just needs
to keep putting on more quality mass and he'll be dangerous. Bill was in
phenomenal condition with great detail and separation, especially in his
back poses, head to toe.


Other notables: Fourth place finisher Dave Palumbo was, as usual, the
hardest, most shredded athlete in the show. Dave does more with what God
gave him than anyone. He is always thick and crazy-shredded, only being held
back by genetic limitations. In my book that deserves a lot more credit than
guys with genetics to die for who don't bother to come in shape. Fifth place
finisher Rico McClinton has a great attitude about the sport. He was a bit
off for this one and needs to bring his lower body into line with his vastly
improved upper body but was still worthy of a top five finish and smiled
through the whole process. Rico beat sixth place finisher Erik Fromm in a
tie-breaker. Out of everyone in this great class, Erik looks to me to have
the greatest potential to be a very competitive pro. He was up about 15
pounds from last year (he weighed in at 260) but probably needed to be
between 252 and 255. If he combines last year's conditioning with this year'
s new quality size at the Nationals, I think he'll be a pro. Precontest
favorite Matt Duvall finished a disappointing 11th and didn't look anything
like he did last year. He was so far off that condition that I wonder if he
had any injury or illness that hampered his preparation.


Overall Posedown


With a great rule change that allows the top 2 competitors overall to turn
pro in the men's divison, the 1999 USA saw Melvin Anthony and Garett Downing
graduate. Who would be the two lucky winners in the first USA of the new
Millennium? By process of elimination, it was easy to drop out Bantam champ
Herrano and Lightweight champ Raymond. Middleweight champ Mike Valentino was
easily the most conditioned class winner, but it's still very hard for a guy
176 to beat national level winners who outweigh him by as much as almost 60
pounds. That left the three big boys. Cicherilo was an easy overall winner
of the show and received the first pro card. That left Lightheavy champ Fred
Bigot and Heavyweight Champ Tevita Aholelei to pensively wait for the
announcement. Tevita was not as hard at the finals as he had been at the
prejudging. In fact, if the Heavyweight class was judged on Saturday night,
many felt that runner-up Troy Alves would have been the victor. While Fred
didn't give up much to Tevita in the final posedown, Tevita was awarded the
second pro card and is on his way to the IFBB. He is a great competitor and
probably has the potential to ultimately do more on the pro level than Bob.
Congratulations to both of them on being the first two IFBB pros of the new
century.

*Received IFBB Pro Status
MEN'S DIVISION
Overall: Bob Cicherillo, NY*
Runner-Up: Tevita Aholelei, CA*
Bantamweight

 1.. Lance Harano, HI
 2.. Alan Terrell, IL
 3.. George Gibson, GA
 4.. Jerry Newcomb, WA
 5.. Perry McRae, NC
 6.. Alan Watari, CA
 7.. Manuel Vigil, CO
 8.. Jim King, NV
 9.. Mark Brown, NC
Lightweight

 1.. Jose Raymond, MA
 2.. Johnny McKnight, NC
 3.. Bertram Stiff, MD
 4.. Marco Margiotta, CA
 5.. Johnny Traynor, CA
 6.. Robert Alexander, MO
 7.. Clifton Torres, HI
 8.. Gerald Howe, AZ
 9.. Paul Devine, CA
Middleweight

 1.. Mike Valentino, NC
 2.. Johnny Stewart, NC
 3.. Tito Raymond, CA
 4.. Stan McQuay, CA
 5.. Rene Endara, FL
 6.. Prince Fontenot, TX
 7.. Sereiryth Leandre, CA
 8.. Paul Smith, CA
 9.. Monty Mabry, VA
 10.. Mark Colbert, CA
 11.. Joe Miller, CA
 12.. Frank Krammer, AZ
 13.. Garrett Townsend, CO
 14.. Brian Hoydic, PA
 15.. Roger Zarate, CA
 16.. James Freeman, CA
 17.. Kevin Booker, CA
 Chris Donaldson, NE
 Louis Tafoya, CA
 Bryant Zamora, CA
Light-Heavyweight

 1.. Fred Bigot, MA
 2.. Johnnie Jackson, TX
 3.. Eddie Linda, SC
 4.. Kris Dim, CA
 5.. Anthony Watkins, IL
 6.. Jason Palofax, TX
 7.. Richard Williams, CA
 8.. Damon Island, CA
 9.. Kirk Keffer, CA
 10.. Henrik Thamasian, CA
 11.. John McKinney, TX
 12.. William Owens, OH
 13.. Ron Smith, CA
 14.. Ray Werner, PA
 15.. Travis Branstetter, OH
 16.. Timothy Garrett, LA
 Bobby Holmes, CA
 Laurence Rowe, NV
 Randall Samuels, CA
 Kenny Santiago, CA
 Mark Vestrand, AZ
Heavyweight

 1.. Tevita Aholelei, CA*
 2.. Troy Alves, AZ
 3.. Branch Warren, TX
 4.. Abbas Khatami, CA
 5.. Eric Shannon, NV
 6.. Arthur Fickling, WA
 7.. Mike Dragna, HI
 8.. John Meadows, OH
 9.. Vic Melendez, NY
 10.. Robert Bonavente, FL
 11.. John King, FL
 12.. Vic Tringali, MD
 13.. Augustus Carter, TX
 14.. Terence Hairston, VA
 15.. Leon Parker, NC
 16.. Alex Bartoli, NY
Super-Heavyweight

 1.. Bob Cicherillo, NY*
 2.. Robert Washington, TX
 3.. Bill Wilmore, FL
 4.. David Palumbo, NY
 5.. Rico McClinton, CA
 6.. Erik Fromm, CO
 7.. Art Atwood, WI
 8.. Quincy Taylor, CA
 9.. Omar Deckard, CA
 10.. David Hughes, OR
 11.. Matt Duval, NJ
 12.. Chris Bennett, CT
 13.. Idrise Ward-el, TX
 14.. Michael Horn, TN
 15.. Eddie Hoggett, HI

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WOMEN'S BODYBUILDING DIVISION
Overall: Jennifer McVicar, OK*
Lightweight

 1.. Mary Ellen Doss, NC
 2.. Pam Kusar, OH
 3.. Tammi Flynn, WA
 4.. Patricia Hamashin, CA
 5.. Angie Rojas, TX
 6.. Tricia Travis, AZ
 7.. Stephanie Starr, CA
 8.. Janet Kaufman, ID
 9.. Catherine Sanson, CA
 10.. Pamela Ty, CA
Middleweight

 1.. Jennifer McVicar, OK*
 2.. Dawn Riehl, CA
 3.. Becky Rampey, CA
 4.. Mah-Ann Mendoza, OR
 5.. Raheema Mokhtari, TX
 6.. Kathie Canepa Sears, HI
 7.. Robin Herring, SC
 8.. Kerry Quinn, MA
 9.. Makeba Moore, CA
 10.. Yolanda Martinez, CA
 11.. Karen Tucker, CA
 12.. Karen Aguilera, CA
 13.. Carrie Ledford, OK
 14.. Stacy Garonzik, PA
 15.. Beth Eisenman, FL
 16.. Tracy Mason, MI
 17.. Terry Barbiere, MI
 Charlotte Campbell, AK
 Malea Jensen, IA
Heavyweight

 1.. Lora Ottenad, WA
 2.. Robin Parker, LA
 3.. Annie Rivieccio, GA
 4.. Carol Quarles, NH
 5.. Kathy Johansson, AZ
 6.. Tonia Williams, WA
 7.. Debi Laszewski, WI
 8.. Michelle Tuggle, HI
 9.. Carla Haug, CA
 10.. Jayne Trcka, CA
 11.. Diane Solomons, CA
 12.. Jeannie Phelps, CO
 13.. Gwendolyn Malone, CA
 14.. Carmen Brady, CA
 15.. Fatima Johnson, CA
 16.. Sheila Bleck, OR
 17.. Catherine Wilbert, LA
 18.. Nan Allard, UT
 Michelle Falsetta, NY
 Christine Fetzer, TX
 Trudy Ireland, OK
 Melissa Metzler, OK
 Vonnie Smith, OK
 Becca Swanson, NE

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WOMEN'S FITNESS DIVISION
Overall Winner: Nicole Hobbs, CA*
Short Class

 1.. Nicole Hobbs, CA*
 2.. Sherma Dillard, FL*
 3.. Jennifer McKinnon, IA
 4.. Renee Stewart, CA
 5.. Allison Bookles, OH
 6.. Heather McCormick, GA
 7.. Bebe Giraldo, CA
 8.. Annie Curstola, NY
 9.. Selena Zinno, PA
 10.. Annie Symanski, OH
 11.. Sindey Harris, FL
 12.. Stephanie Wilkins, AZ
 13.. Diana Monti, GA
 14.. Darla Muller, OK
 15.. Regan Vargo, MI
Medium Class

 1.. Lisa Reed, FL*
 2.. Heidi Neubauer, WI*
 3.. Angel Friend, MD
 4.. April Carpenter, OH
 5.. Bethani Terrell, OK
 6.. Doreen Reck, MI
 7.. Heather Cox, CA
 8.. Anna Merchan, FL
 9.. Gina Tomaseski, FL
 10.. Patty Garner, WI
 11.. Eileen Devine, MD
 12.. Mari Kudla, OH
 13.. Stephanie Parr, WA
 14.. Kelli Packard, WA
 15.. Lori Kimes, AR
 16.. Sei Ryan, WA
 17.. Jennie Hanke, TX
 18.. Angela Semsch, MO
 19.. Tammie Leady, GA
 20.. Sandy Gill, WA
 21.. Angela Wehage, OK
 22.. Kathy Bernard, AZ
 23.. Michelle Lee Jung, AZ
 24.. Sandie Ward, AZ
 25.. Melyssa St. Michael, MO
 Jodie Tate, CO
 Alicia Uberuaga, ID
Tall Class

 1.. Abbie Appel, FL*
 2.. Julie Palmer, OH*
 3.. Beth Horn, IL
 4.. Michelle Galardi, SC
 5.. Angela Carney, FL
 6.. Carrie Fickle, OH
 7.. Bethany Carter Howlett, VA
 8.. Celeste Chance, MD
 9.. Tracey Greenwood, DE
 10.. Karen Kassner, OH
 11.. Soumaya Wilmore, CA
 12.. Laura Schoonekase, LA
 13.. Deborah Bullman, HI
 14.. Brandee Hughes, IN
 15.. Allyson Mehta, OH
 16.. Lea Waide, NV
 17.. Sara Waide, NV
 18.. Teresa Hardesty, OK
 19.. Cathy Nordyke, OH
 20.. Dawn Thomas, MI
 21.. Akondaye Fountain, TX

A View From The Judges Table What Politics

A View From The Judges Table
What Politics?

Ok, let me start out by saying that if you’re a competitor, this piece is probably going to upset you a bit. Maybe even bruise your ego a tad. But, be that as it may, I’m going to write it anyway. Call it a rant, call it whatever you want to call it, but the time to tell you some of the inner workings of an NPC National judging panel has come. Why? Because after years of listening to competitors bitch and moan about all the reasons that they don’t have a pro card that have absolutely nothing to do with their physiques, somebody’s got to do it.

Tell me if any of this sounds familiar? Joe Blow didn’t win because:

1. He upset the judges by doing an ad for a supplement company that wasn’t a sponsor;
2. He broke a trophy 5 years ago at a contest;
3. He missed the competitors meeting;
4. The judges were looking for someone else and it was that guy’s show before anyone even weighed in;
5. There was a rumor that he was busted the week before;
6. There was a rumor that he was drug addict;
7. They never compared him with the top 5 because it would have been impossible to give it to the guy they wanted to win if they had;
8. He was "too shredded" (I love that one);
9. He hasn’t paid his dues and everyone knows you have to get screwed a few times before they give you a Pro card;
10. His time came and went and even though he was an easy winner, the judges are looking for new faces;
11. Blah, Blah, Blah……………………………………..

Believe it or not, with the exception of #11, I’ve actually heard every one of these excuses.

REALITY CHECK TIME
In the Men’s Division of NPC National shows there are usually anywhere from 100 to 150 competitors. Are you sitting down? Ready for some real ego-bruising news? Most national judges I’ve sat with and talked to couldn’t recognize and name more than 10 or 15 of them if you put a gun to their head. I’ve been judging nationally since 1994 and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been involved in conversations where someone said, "I thought Joe Blow looked great." The reply was usually "What number was he? Or What class is he in?" If you’re a competitor you should be thrilled at this news because it destroys the notion that we’re sitting there with a list of who we’re going to deny their pro card to because we wouldn’t know who you were most of the time anyway.

Oh, and before I move on, let me put something else from the list in the reality check section. I’ve never seen a male competitor who was too shredded. I’m not sure that there is such a thing as too shredded!

PUNISHMENT FOR PAST BEHAVIOR
This is an easy one. Let’s see, smashing trophies denies you a pro card? Better not tell Tevita Aholelie who broke his trophy exiting the stage at the 1999 USA in Santa Monica after losing a narrow one-point decision to Garret Downing. Of course, Tevita came back the very next year and won the Heavies at the 2000 USA and got his pro card. I guess we forgave Tevita in 12 months, but we’re holding 5 year grudges against some other guys. (I’m being sarcastic here.)
But let’s not stop there. How about Craig Titus. Remember when he was going to be the USA winner in New Orleans a few years ago? Show was his. No one else should even bother showing up. Then Craig lost a close one to Phil Hernon. Then, in an emotional moment, Craig got really upset, threw his number on the ground and stormed off stage. That’s it, he’ll never win again. The judges will make him pay for that. He’ll never be a pro. He’s over. Of course, he came back at the next USA, one year later, and got his pro card. Guess we forgot about it by then.

"GOTTA PAY YOUR DUES" AND "YOU’VE BEEN AROUND TOO LONG AND WE’RE LOOKING FOR A FRESH FACE"

Well, it’s pretty obvious that both of these can’t be true at the same time. Guess what? Neither is true. I knew you’d want some examples, so here you go. Ever hear of a guy named Ken Brown? He came into the USA a few years ago after winning the Junior Nationals probably hoping to place in the top 5. First time he ever did a pro qualifier. No chance right? Wrong. He won the whole thing and turned pro.

A fluke?
Nope. How about the 2000 Women’s USA. Jennifer McIvar won the overall women’s championship and a pro card in her first National contest! Want a more recent example. 2000 NPC Men’s Nationals were held in NY this past year. A friend of mine called me from the show and asked "Do you know a guy named Victor Martinez?" "No, never heard of him," I replied. "Well he just smoked the Heavyweight Class and the Overall." So much for paying dues onstage. I guess Victor paid his dues where it really counts…the gym, the treadmill and the kitchen table.
Oops, I almost forgot about the flipside of this whole equation…the "I’m not a fresh face" scenario. Guess that didn’t matter at this year’s USA when Bob Cicherillo rolled the dice and walked away with the Superheavyweight class, the overall and a pro card. Given that he won the Junior Nationals about 12 or 13 years before and probably competed for a pro card at least 10 or 15 times, there goes the whole fresh face thing.

WHAT’S THE POINT?
Take responsibility for yourself when you don’t win a show! Look at your physique, not the judge’s panel. Are there exceptions? Of course, but they are just that…exceptions. When a competitor convinces him or herself of any of the reasons listed above, what they are really doing is stopping themselves from learning from the experience. Rather than figure out what they need to do for their physique to improve for next time, they are too busy placing blame elsewhere. The ones who consistently improve and ultimately turn pro are the ones who use every show to improve and learn as they are on their way to the top. I wonder if Ronnie Coleman went home and pouted for a year after he was 9th at the Olympia and blamed it on politics. I’m guessing against it. He won the O the very next year. You remember, that was the show that everyone who knew anything had already proclaimed that Flex Wheeler would be unbeatable in after Dorian stepped down.

Speaking of Ronnie, I had several people at the Pro Ironman tell me that it was a huge mistake for him to do the Arnold Classic two weeks later because he was a Weider guy now and there was some friction between Arnold and Joe that Ronnie would get screwed for. I guess they forgot to tell the judges…he had all first place votes in all rounds and walked away with over $200,000 in winnings. The bottom line is that the right person usually wins at the NPC National and IFBB Pro Level. Spend more time becoming the right person and less time blaming the wrong ones and you’ll end up a lot happier. Oh, and you’ll probably have a much better physique!

Bodybuilding and Fitness Role Models

Bodybuilding and Fitness Role Models?

Ronnie Coleman. Susie Curry. Andrula Blanchette. They were the big winners in their respective Olympias this year. Are they role models? Most definitely. I am not one who adheres to the Charles "I’m not a role model" Barkley theory of setting an example and representing your sport. When a professional athlete signs on the dotted line to play for pay they have voluntarily thrust themselves into the public eye. With that choice comes a responsibility to your chosen sport and those who may look up to you, young or old. But here’s a big difference between bodybuilding and fitness, and any other sport. You don’t have to be a top pro with an endorsement contract to be recognizable.

Think about it. When was the last time you were out in public and said, "Hey there’s that minor league baseball player" or thought "Isn’t that the wide receiver for the 97th ranked college football team in the country"? But if Sammy Sosa or Dan Marino happened to be sitting next to you in a restaurant, that would be a different story. Now let’s take a look at bodybuilding and fitness. If you walk down the street and you’re muscularly bigger than the average or much better conditioned, guess what? You are often publicly recognized as an athlete in this sport, even if you’ve never stepped foot on a contest stage. You wear your sport everyday, everywhere you go. Like it or not, your body thrusts you into the public eye, not a huge multi-million dollar contract.

Let me use myself as an example. I’m about 5-7 and in the off-season I go about 205, contest condition in the 180’s. Yes, I’m bigger and more conditioned than the average guy, but by no means huge by bodybuilding standards. Let’s put it this way. I’ve trained next to guys like Lee Priest, Flex and Dexter Jackson and, being very kind to myself, no one would have known I was there! I am also the type that stays covered year round until they tell my class to go backstage and get ready. Whether in the gym or at a restaurant, I don’t show a whole lot of skin.

So that brings me to the other day. I was coming out of a brokerage company –a business setting – and some guy comes up to me and comments on my being a bit larger than average and then asks me about steroids, out of the blue. I of course tell him that I don’t use or sell drugs, thank him for the compliment and get on with the day. As I drive off I realize that even all covered up, people take notice of anything out of ordinary. And in a society where the obesity rate has been on the rise for years, a muscular or conditioned body stands out.

But here’s the important part that I’d really like you to think about. As you go about your day you are probably being recognized as a representative of your sport even when you aren’t really aware of it. When people approach you and comment or ask a question, you can choose to create a positive experience or a negative experience for that person. There are already many negative stereotypes out there about people with muscles related to aggression and brainpower, so each interaction is an opportunity to create positive feelings about your sport. When that guy approached me I had a choice to act arrogant and aggressive or polite and positive. That’s why I chose to thank him for the compliment, rather than get into some negative dialogue about steroids and stereotypes. I also told him, without any judgment or lecturing, that steroids hadn’t been necessary for me to get this way, and maybe he would find that he didn’t need them either. Who knows, maybe it sunk in, maybe not. But either way, I know one thing for certain. He could not have walked away from that brief interaction and thought anything negative about me as a person, or as an athlete.

So, the next time that someone comes up and pays you a sincere compliment about your body think about the power you have to create positive impressions, not negative ones. And, of course, as you represent your sport positively you are, probably more importantly, representing yourself in a way you can be proud of

Bodybuilding Techniques

Bodybuilding Techniques© Dr. J. Warren Willey II DO Bodybuilding techniques were developed to compete against the dreaded and feared plateau, the sticking point and/or the proverbial wall. Bodybuilding techniques are basic resistance training regimens designed to specifically increase muscle mass (hypertrophy) as compared to techniques utilized to increase sport specific requisites (speed, balance, coordination, agility, reactivity, flexibility, strength, etc.). Techniques described here involve hypertrophy of the muscle complex i.e. muscle, tendon, ligament, joints, and bones. As you focus on long-term goals, you must prepare the supportive structures to adapt and change as our muscles are continually growing. Currently, a prevalent theory in gyms today is that of Progressive Overload Training or P.O.T. (an appropriate acronym as you will soon see…). This theory has its basis is the belief that you need to lift more to get bigger, or progressively overload the muscles to cause them to grow. Without boring you with detail, this theory is flawed. If it were true, you would see 400 lbs. guys in the gym bench-pressing 1500 lbs! Progressive overload training produces diminishing returns, and ultimately can be career ending due to injury! But our body possesses adaptive ability so it will become accustom to anything you do. P.O.T.’s basic problem leads to a plateau, not improvement. Continually changing the stress placed on the muscle groups prevents adaptation and forces the body to respond. Utilizing a variety of techniques not only breaks monotony in the gym but allows for periods of growth by alternating tissue breakdown (with overloading, heavy exercises, large resistance) and tissue repair (with rest, lighter activities, and various methods). There are many different terms used to describe the same activity and part I and II of this brief article will include a few of the terms or descriptive titles to describe the different modus operandi. This is not an all-inclusive list. There are obviously a number of other techniques and routines not mentioned in this article, including ones utilized by inventive individuals. A larger collection and more detailed description can be found in a forth-coming book on the synopsis of bodybuilding to be published this summer. (Tune in to this web sight for more information…) Please email me with your inventive ideas, I am always looking to learn and design new techniques. Ideally, you will take the ones mentioned and modify them to meet your needs and shock the heck out of your muscles. The techniques described in paragraph form including the following information: Name: What the technique is called (occasionally a few names will be mentioned) Resistance Level: Is the technique better utilized with heavy, moderate, or light weight. Rest: Suggested amount of rest during/between/after each technique. Explanation: How to utilize the technique. Example: An example of the technique. Resistance level and Rest are only suggestions! Changing or individualizing the techniques allows you to create your own technique and therefore add diversity to your workouts and astonish the muscles! Giant Sets A giant set usually consists of a number of different exercises for one particular body part done in tandem. Set one is preformed on one exercise followed by set one on the next exercise and so on. Weight is usually moderate and there is little to no rest between each exercise. After one set, rest can occur up to two to three minutes. Example: Triceps pushdowns – overhand grip, followed by triceps pushdowns - underhand grip, then dumbbell kickbacks. The total, composing one giant set. Super Sets A super set consists of a number of different exercises for two or more body parts one after the other. Body part number one is exercised, and then body part number two, etc. Weight is moderate to heavy with minimal rest between exercises. Rest between super sets is anywhere from two – five minutes. Example: Biceps and Triceps – alternating standing curls with triceps French curls. Forced Reps Forced reps are a process that involves working the muscle group to failure. Forced reps take place with in a given set and can consist of maximal weight to failure (less reps) or light to moderate weight (high reps). Utilization of a lifting partner is essential to allow full contraction of the muscle to occur. Minimal time is needed between forced reps (as long as full muscle contraction occurs) and time between sets utilizing forced reps is longer to allow greater recovery. Example: Bench press at 90% of max for 6 – 8 reps (employing a partner to help you through the full phase of contraction). Stalled Reps/Sets This method involves stopping the movement somewhere in-between the start and finishing position, stalling there for a given time period, and then finishing the movement. This can be done at the beginning of the movement, midway through the movement or near the end. Stopping the movement at the end of the movement is not as beneficial unless resistance is still present (i.e. with a cable system). The "stall" lasts anywhere from 3 – 10 seconds and can occur at a given point all the time, or an alternate point each time. Rest between stall sets is user dependant but can be anywhere from 30 seconds to two min. Example: Preacher curls with a stall at the midway point for 10 seconds before completing the range of motion. Eccentric contractions (Negatives) Eccentric contractions are defined as muscle contractions in which the muscle lengthens as opposed to shortening (concentric contractions). This can be approached purposefully, with the aid of a partner, utilizing maximal weight (30-40% more than ones maximal concentric lift) or be done with any regular exercise regimen where the lifter concentrates on the ‘down’ phase of the lift as well as the ‘up’ phase. Timing during the lift is very slow, allowing for control, and minimum amount of time is needed between reps. Time between sets is usually greater, as one needs it for recovery. Example: Bench press with weight exceeding your maximal press, slowly lower the bar to your chest and with the help of a partner return the bar to the starting position. Repeat. Word of caution: Eccentric contractions are known to cause more muscle soreness than concentric contractions, and the risk of injury is much greater due to the large amount of weight utilized! Twenty-ones Twenty-ones is a descriptive term based on the number of reps done in a given set. The unique aspect of this method is that the set is actually broken up into three different sets done consecutively, within the same movement. The three different aspects of the set involve partial range of motions within a full range of motion (see example). Each aspect or portion of the full range of motion is done for a total of seven, followed by the next portion of the full movement for seven, and then finally by the last portion of the full movement, again for seven. (7 + 7 + 7 = 21!) Obviously you could do Fifteens (5+5+5=15) if you wanted to, but this technique is better known as Twenty-ones. The exercise is done using moderate weight. Each portion of the movement is done immediately after one another, with average rest between sets. Example: Standing Biceps Curls – do seven partial reps from the start point to midway, followed by seven partial reps midway to the end of the movement, then do seven full range of motion standing curls to end it. Timed Sets/Reps Timed sets and reps involve doing the movement through a specific fixed time or count. Both the concentric (positive or up) and the eccentric (negative or down) phase of the movement are done over a specified time or count. The positive and negative movement times can be the same or different, as long as they are consistent through out the entire set. Time between reps is minimal (one following the other), and rest between sets is moderate (2- 3 minutes). Weight is usually moderate to light, as the set is difficult. Example: Seated Quadriceps Extensions – Do the concentric or up movement over a 10 second count followed by the negative or down movement over a ten second count. Repeat. Partial Reps, Restricted ROM sets/reps Partial reps or restricted range of motion (ROM) sets is similar to Twenty-ones except that the entire set is purposefully done through a partial range of motion. Focus can be either on the concentric or eccentric portion of the partial movement. This can be done anywhere within the normal full range of motion such as at the beginning, the middle, or the end. Weight is usually moderate to heavy and timing between sets is anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes. Example: Lying Hamstring Curls – a set of 12 reps is done at the top of the normal range of motion, starting from the hamstrings being fully contracted and ending approximately midway through the normal range of motion and repeating. Pre-exhaustion, Reverse Training, Pre-lift burnout, etc. Pre-exhaustion is a method in which a muscle group is isolated, using an isolating movement prior to doing a compound movement (more than one muscle being utilized, or more than one joint involved in an exercise). This method fatigues the muscle being refurbished before it is subjected to "the real" workout. Weight is light to moderate and reps are usually in the higher range. Example: For your chest - Doing cable crossovers (isolating movement), three sets of 20 reps, before doing bench press (compound movement). Post-exhaustion sets, Heavy-light sets, Burnouts, etc. Post-exhaustion sets involves performing low repetition, heavy weight sets, followed immediately by high repetition, light weight sets. This can be done with the same exercise (example #1) or with two different exercise (example #2). Weight is as described above, and there is minimal to no rest between the heavy and light phase of the set. Rest between sets is moderate to long, again, for recovery. Example #1: Squats – Heavy set doing 4 to 6 reps followed immediately by squats with a lighter weight, 12 – 15 reps. Example #2: Squats – Heavy set doing 4 – 6 reps followed by leg extensions, moderate weight, 12 – 15 reps. Pyramiding Pyramiding is a general term used to describe a number of different options. There is load or weight pyramiding, repetition pyramiding, and rest or intermission pyramiding. Load pyramiding Load pyramiding occurs when each progressive set is done with heavier weight and less repetitions. This can be done with minimal or moderate rest between sets. Example: Bench press with sets, reps, and weight as follows – Set 1- 100lbs 10 reps. Set 2- 120 lbs 8 reps, etc. Repetition pyramiding This form of pyramiding is done with a set amount of weight and gradually increase repetitions by one or two per set. Example: Set 1- 150lbs, 10reps. Set 2- 150lbs, 12 reps. Etc. Intermission pyramiding This techniques progressively decreases the time between sets of a given weight load. Example: Set 1- 120lbs, rest 1:00 minute. Set 2 – 120lbs, rest 30 seconds. Set 3 – 120lbs, rest 15 seconds. Pyramiding can also be done within a given set. These are also referred to as load sets (add sets) or drop sets (stripping, strip sets). Load Sets Load sets progressively add weight to a given set while the number of repetitions stays the same or decreases. Example: One set – 100lbs 10 reps, followed immediately by 120lbs 8 reps, etc. Drop Sets Drop sets involve decreasing the amount of weight while you decrease or keep the reps the same (each time to failure) with in the same set. Example: Self-descriptive. In part II of Bodybuilding Techniques we will cover a number of other systems that, as was stated above, breaks monotony and allows for periods of growth by alternating tissue breakdown and tissue repair. Utilize these techniques not only as they are stated above but in ways that tailor to your needs. Change them up, add or decrease weight and/or reps. Use them with various body parts on different days, weeks, etc. Most importantly, go for your goals and don’t go to P.O.T.! Dr. J. Warren Willey II, DO is a board certified Family Physician. His specialty interest is in preventative medicine and the use of exercise and nutrition in the treatment and prevention of disease. He graduated from the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Medicine, with residency training in family medicine in 1999. Dr. Willey graduated Summa Cum Laude from The University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri in 1996. He has a bachelors of science in exercise physiology from Colorado State University. He was a nationally competitive teen body builder and is currently starting to compete again. He is a patent holder on a number of fitness and medical devices. He has written textbooks and writes for a number of periodicals including Men*s Fitness. Dr. Willey has extensive knowledge of resistance training and exercise, and is currently working on a textbook for personal trainers, physical therapists, and physicians in the area of resistance and weight training. He also designs elite diet programs, nutritional strategies, and exercise routines for physic artist and bodybuilders. Dr. Willey is available for consultation and can be contacted at docjww@hotmail.com. The above material is copyrighted and may only be reprinted with the permission of its author.

Getting Started
Great - you've decided to try bodybuilding. Perhaps you want to build mass, tighten up your midsection or slim down; those are all possible with strength training. Whatever your reason (and you should definitely write down your goals for starting and your realistic expectations of what you hope to achieve in the short and long term),m you should follow a clearly defined program.
Don't expect us to provide you with any so-called success; let's state for the record right now that some training methods are smarter and better than others, but nothing resembles a secret. Our role here is to teach and guide you through your first three months so that you can take your training to the next level and design a personal routine that meets your needs.
Is there one program that's right for everyone? No. Did you really expect that one routine would serve the needs of the female college basketball player who wants to make a more dominating presence on the court, the 45 year old businessman looking to firm his body and improve his health, and the young man interested in competitive bodybuilding? Every person who trains has different motivations, desires and genetic potential, and each must make his or her own adjustments in putting together a particular program. It's really not so difficult. But before you get started, here are some points you'll want to consider.
Get a physician's release if you are over 40 or have had any sort of previous injury or impairment.
Be realistic but positive. Assess your current condition and where you want to be in three months, one year and five years. Keep focused on your goals and know you'll achieve them.
Commit yourself to three months before making any judgements about whether it's working or not. The truth is, you're probably a bit impatient, and sculpting your physique takes time. Changes take place incrementally, but three months is long enough to notice some significant changes in strength and size. Persistence and dedication are characteristics that all successful bodybuilders have in common. Do you?
Designing Your Exercise Program
Before getting into your program, you need to develop an understanding of how and why you're building your exercise routine. Although we've gone ahead and designed a program for you, just about everything in ti can be changed depending on your particular circumstances. Your primary objective here, as a beginner, is to build a solid foundation - and not just any training program will take you there in an efficient manner. Study the following points to better understand your bodybuilding program.
Bodypart Training
Bodybuilders group exercises by bodypart and train one muscle group at a time. Working one are with 1-3 exercises ensures that you train it thoroughly. Experience says that this type of training is the most efficient for bodybuilding. (Circuit training, on the other hand, allows you to do movements for different bodyparts back to back with no rest in between).
Every major muscle group should be developed to prevent muscle imbalance and the risk of injury. The major muscle groups include legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes), chest, shoulders, back (Trapezius, lats, erectors), abdominals and arms (biceps, triceps).
Exercises
You can choose from any number of movements that target a particular muscle group, but beginners should stick with the basics to develop a solid foundation. The first exercise you do for a given bodypart should be a compound movement. (A compound or multijoint movement, unlike an isolation exercise, has movement at two or more joints and thus brings in a greater number of assisting muscle groups. Note: Some bodyparts like biceps, triceps and calves can be worked with pre-dominatantly isolation exercises.)
Some basic movements can be done in a number of ways; for example, you can do a bench press with a barbell, with dumbbells or on a machine. Eventually, you'll learn how to do them all and use the in your training arsenal.
Two similar exercises can target a muscle differently. For example, the bench press is a good exercise for most of the chest, but the incline press (essentially a bench press done on an incline bench) works the upper pectorals more effectively. When you put exercises together to form a routine, you'll want to include those movements that hit the same muscle in different ways. That's why you normally include 2-3 exercises when you work each bodypart.
Weights
During the first couple of training sessions, you'll want to go pretty light just to get a feel for how to do the movement correctly. After you feel comfortable with the form, begin adding weight.
Even an experienced lifted should always do his first set as a warm-up with practically no weight to flush to target muscle and connective tissue with blood. On the second set, add a couple of small plates and do the exercise again. Was it still east? If so, and assuming you used good form, add more weight. If you struggled to reach 12 repetitions, add just a little bit of weight. (Adding weight on successive sets is called pyramid training and is one of the safest ways to train.)
Continue adding weight until it becomes tough to complete 8-12 reps. Your goal is to train in the range where you reach muscular failure at 8-12 reps. Once you find a challenging weight, stick with it. So you'll become stronger and be able to increase the number of reps. Once you can do 12, it's time to increase your training poundage by about 10%. At this heavier weight, you won't be able to do 12 reps, but with time you'll once again be able to. Keep working in this fashion.
The principle behind this type of training is known as overload. It states that for improvements to occur, you must impose a demand on your muscles greater than what they're accustomed to (for bodybuilding purposes, about two-thirds of your maximal strength). Your muscles compensate for this strain on the cellular level by adding protein to grow thicker and stronger. At that point, the same load is no longer sufficient to induce further changes, more load must be added. That is, you must progressively add training stimulus to make continued improvements.
Keep track of your training poundage by recording your weights, sets and reps in a training log alongside a list of your exercises.
Some bodybuilders swing and heave, cheating for the sake of pushing heavier weights. Remember, the name of the game here is not weightlifting, but rather bodybuilding.
Sets
A set is a combination of any number of reps of a single exercise. As a beginner, you'll normally want to do 1-2 light warm up sets of each movement (especially the first movement for a given bodypart) before doing 1-3 heavier sets. That equals 2-4 total sets per exercise.
Reps
A rep is a single execution of one exercise. if you do a set of 10 bicep curls consecutively, that's 10 reps. During your first week or two, keep the weights very light so that you can complete about 15 reps in good form. This is a change for you to practice good form while you work on your neuromuscular coordination and lean the proper 'feel' for the movement. Developing that feel with become even more critical later on because it will tell you if an exercise is working.
After that initial break-in period, to build size and strength you want to do 8-12 reps per set (after your warm-up set of 15 reps, which you should do at the start of each exercise). Use a weight that allows you to do the recommended number of reps and still reach muscle failure.
Muscle failure means that you cannot do any more reps with good form. If you can't do eight strict reps, the weight's too heavy. If you can do more than 12, the weight's too light. Adjust the weight for your next set. (Note: The numbers eight and twelve are not arbitrarily derived. Exercise scientists have conducted numerous tests and have found that working with a weight about 70% of your one-rep maximum produces the fastest results. Most bodybuilders can lift about 70% of their one-repetition maximum 8-12 times).
Though you don't have to train to muscle failure to grow, you need to come pretty close. Bodybuilders call this intensity. How do you know if you're close to working at 100% intensity? Simple: If you can do another rep with good form, do it! If you can do still another, do it.
After you build you base, you may want to experiment with a program that alternates periods of high reps (which build muscle endurance) to medium reps (builds muscle mass) with low reps (builds strength and power) and back up again. This is called cycling. The idea here is to progress to a higher level of strength each cycle. (Note: Advanced strength athletes like powerlifters use slightly different training methods, most notably the number of reps, that do bodybuilders. You'll get stronger as you build muscle, but training to maximuse strength isn't identical to the type of training that maximizes mass.)
Proper Form
We'll say this again and again, but it's far better to use a weight that allows you to perform the movement correctly than to cheat with a heavy weight that will, sooner or later, result in an injury.
Speed of Movement
Use a smooth, controlled motion during all phases of the lift. This deliberate rep speed produces the greatest results for bodybuilding purposes. Super-fast reps with ballistic movements and jerking can be harmful to muscles and connective tissues, while slow training accomplishes very little. In general, most bodybuilders use a formula that approximates a two-second positive contraction (raising the weight), a momentary squeeze of the muscle at the point of peak contraction, and a two-second negative contraction (lowering of the weight).
Breathing
Most people don't think much about breathing until they begin lifting weights, but it should still come naturally. Start each set with a deep inhalation and exhale as you push through the most difficult part of the lift. Inhale at the top (or the easiest portion of the lift) and exhale as you push.
Rest between Sets
In general, rest as long as it takes for you to feel recovered from your previous set. That normally ranges from 45-90 seconds. Larger muscle groups take a bit longer to recover; smaller muscle groups clear low pH levels are are ready to go more quickly. Don't fall into the all too common mistake of talking with your buddies for 3-4 minutes between sets, during which time your muscle can become cold. This is counterproductive and lengthens the time you spend in the gym.
If you want to emphasize strength, take a little longer rest between sets. On the other hand, less rest means you won't be able to lift as heavy, but you'll be stressing your endurance. Of note: How much you can lift on a given set and the number of reps you do are directly related to the length of your rest period.
Use a Full Range of Motion
Use a full range of motion in your exercise movements. You want to work each target muscle through its natural range of motion for complete development and to prevent injury.
Training Frequency
Say you train your entire body on Monday. Should you do it again on Tuesday, or wait until Wednesday? The answer is that your body requires a minimum of 48 hours to fully recover after exercise, sometimes even longer. Physiological processes at the cellular level require rest and nutrients before you can train that same muscle group again. A good rule of thumb: If you're even slightly sore, you're not ready to train that bodypart again.
If you're an advanced bodybuilder and split up your workout into, for example, one day for upper body and another for lower body, you can train on consecutive days as long as you don't repeat the same workout. As a beginner, you don't want to go more than 96 hours (four days) without training the same muscle group again. Timing too infrequently results in submaximal gains.
The answer for the beginner, then, is to train every 2-3 days (or three times a week). A Monday - Wednesday - Friday (or similar) schedule is ideal.
Training Duration
If you follow the exercises, sets, reps and rest prescription, you should complete your resistance training in about an hour. Never mind those two hour plus sessions; who could possibly maintain the high level of intensity and mental fortitude of a marathon training session? What matters is the quality of your workout measured by the intensity you create, not the length of time you spend in the gym. Remember that.