By: Charles Poliquin

Chin-ups involve the sternal portion of the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, teres major, posterior deltoid, the rhomboids, the middle and lower portions of the trapezius, and the elbow flexors. A wide variety of sports require strength in these muscles, particularly sports that require powerful upper body pulling action such as judo and wrestling.

A chin-up specialization program will not only build impressive width and thickness to your back but will also pack solid inches on your arms by promoting growth on your biceps, brachialis, brachio-radialis and pronator teres. You only have to look at the arm development of Olympic gold medalists in gymnastics Andreas Wecker (GER) and Yurij (ITA) to be convinced. These individuals are not known for their volume of training on the Scott bench, but more for their countless volume of pull-ups and chin-ups on the various gymnastics apparatus.

I already can hear the people say, "I will just substitute pulldowns instead of chins". Sure go ahead but you will not get the same results, and you will still have the lat spread of a cigarette. The neuro-physiological reasons why chin-ups are superior to pulldowns are beyond the scope of this article. But to put it briefly: a classic example of the difference between chin-ups and pulldowns is the fact that a chin-up is a close-chin exercise (body moves towards resistance) and a lat pulldown is an open chain exercise (resistance moves towards the body).

By: AnimalPak

Have you ever heard the advice that a bodybuilder should not deadlift because it makes his waist wide and thick? It is a proven fact that if you want quality muscle, heavy deadlifting is one of the best overall muscle-building exercises. I've been a world-ranked powerlifter and competitive bodybuilder for nearly 25 years and a good part of my success is due to the various styles of deadlifting I've used over the years. Here, I'll talk about a couple of different styles and their benefits. So if you want quality mass, work in the deadlift. And remember, never surrender.

Equipment Needed:

* Flat soled shoes (wrestling shoes)
* Leather lifting belt
* Hand straps (optional)
* One piece lifting suit (optional)

Partial Deadlifts

If you've never deadlifted before, I'd recommend starting with partial deadlifts from a power rack or a squat rack. The starting bar placement should be just above the knee and with a conventional or close-foot stance. Hand placement, or grip, should be either a reverse grip (hands opposite each other) or forward grip using hand straps. I would not recommend using gloves during any type of pulling exercise because they cause you to lose your sense of touch.

Fans Q&A with Jay Cutler on Flexonline.com

by Allan Donnelly
FLEXONLINE.COM

Mr. Olympia is coming to Flexonline to answer your questions. On Wednesday, April 2, from 8-9 p.m. EST and 5-6 PT, two-time and reigning Mr. Olympia will be answering questions and handing out advice to fans from all over the world right here on Flexonline.

So if you have a question, send it in to Askthepros@flexmagazine.com. We can't guarantee Cutler will get to all of them, but he'll do his best to cover as many topics as possible during that window on April second. The questions sent to the email address Askthepros@flexmagazine.com will be posed to Cutler on the FLEX Forums.

Send in your questions to Askthepros@flexmagazine.com and check the FLEX Forums next Wednesday, April 2 to talk to Mr. Olympia.

Jessica Leigh Fitness Model

It's official, Lee Priest is back! According to Steve Blechman, "Lee's signed an exclusive contract with Muscular Development and is currently awaiting word from the IFBB on his possible reinstatement". If things go as planned, Priest would be eligible to compete at this year's IFBB Muscular Development Atlantic City Pro on September 13 in Atlantic City, NJ.



priesthome.jpgLee is currently serving out a suspension for violating an IFBB rule which forbids members from competing in other professional bodybuilding organizations. According to Lee, "Bob {Cicherillo] said he's finding out exactly what's necessary for me to compete again. Only time will tell." If Priest is allowed to step on stage in A.C., he says he'll enter both the Open and Under 202 class; and with a guy of his popularity in that lineup, the show will surely be one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Mr. O selling BMW on Ebay
FLEXONLINE.COM

You can eat what he eats, wear what he wears, train like he trains. Now, you can drive what he drives. It's only a click away on Ebay. Two-time and reigning Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler is selling his black convertible 2005 BMW 645CI, and it could be yours for only ...$82,000. Oh well, at least you can look. The car, which Cutler bought from Gladys Knight of Gladys Knight and the Pips, has only 9,400 miles on the odometer.



"It's the nicest 6-Series out there, you can't put any more options on this car," Cutler said. "It's definitely the nicest 6-Series in Vegas. It's got everything - 22-inch wheels with a full AC Schnitzer kit, exhaust, Brembo brakes - that's $40,000 alone right there in options."

Janelle Haney Fitness Model, Figure Competitor

by: George Spellwin


Professional Cyclists, Runners, and Skiers are Blood Doping! Here's why they do it, and how they do it.

Many professional athletes have taken to the practice of blood doping in order to gain a competitive edge in their field. But there are those who are crying that doing so can have serious consequences not only to the sports world, but to ones body as well.

The term blood doping is one that has been thrown around a lot in the past few months, especially with all of the accusations being hurled at many top-notch athletes recently. The 2006 Winter Olympic Games saw police raiding the living quarters of athletes in hopes of finding dopers. American cyclist Lance Armstrong has faced numerous allegations of suspected blood doping ever since his seventh Tour de France win in 2005. And going back even further, tons of other cyclists, distance runners, and skiers have been put under the microscope after being accused of blood doping.

Much like suspected steroid users, possible blood dopers are on the fast track to becoming the next breed of hunted athletes. And the reason that these athletes are being stalked by sports governing bodies such as the International Olympic Committee, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and World Anti-Doping Agency is they believe blood dopers have a serious edge on the competition.

by: George Spellwin

Dear friend and fellow athlete,

In an effort to cut down on the supposed growing problem of steroid use among high school athletes, some states are imposing random steroid testing for students who play sports. But can we really afford to do this and how far will the testing go?

Lets face it; there are a lot of high schools in America today that are in trouble financially. From the fact that nearly every voting ballot seems to have a school levy issue on it to the sad reality that there are students who have to share textbooks because there isnt enough for the whole class, the lack of school funding can be seen just about everywhere. Everywhere except for the small percentage of rich school districts who have plenty of money to spend and can afford the best equipment and opportunities for their students.

Unfortunately, most school systems are forced to economize and can ill-afford to blow their scarse funds on unnecessary expenditures. Things like fancy computer labs, cafeteria buffets, and lavish sports facilities are out of the question for most places as they often have to fight to get second-rate computers, serve re-heated food for lunch, and are always risk having their sports programs fall into the dreaded pay-to-play category.