http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/ ru Bodybuilding megasite. Daily bodybuilding, fitness, bodybuilding for bodybuilders, muscle men, muscle women DataLife Engine http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/09/23/eight_reasons_youre_not_seeing_results_a.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/09/23/eight_reasons_youre_not_seeing_results_a.html By Julian Gaylor

If you are finding that you are not getting the results that you would like, maybe it's due to one (or more) of the reasons below.

1. You don't have a specific goal
We all go to the gym for a reason. Common reasons include 'To lose weight', 'To get fitter/stronger' or 'To build more muscle'. If you are serious about getting results, these goals are not specific enough. Give yourself a deadline. For example, if your aim is to change your body weight, make it specific by saying 'I want to gain/lose 5 kgs in the next 6 weeks'.

2. You don't keep a training journal
A training journal is your road map to results. If you don't keep one, you don't know where you're going or how fast you are getting there. A training journal can be a program sheet written up by a trainer or your own gym diary. You need to fill this out every session. Write down what exercises you did, how many sets, reps and the weight lifted. For cardio sessions, depending on the machine you use, write down the time, speed, distance, incline or resistance. Because you are documenting your sessions, you know exactly what you have done in each workout and therefore, can try and improve each session.]]> jerrywear Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:09:03 -0700 http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/09/19/rules_of_rest.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/09/19/rules_of_rest.html by Jimmy Smith MS, CSCS

Part of me cringes every time someone asks me how long they should rest between sets.

Rest periods are all but an extinct method of overload that most people just assume they don't need to pay attention to. These days rest periods are for checking out some chick or playing with your iPod.

Just look at how many articles have been written on rest periods. Not many. Everyone wants to know how many sets and reps they should do to build Schwarzenegger-like biceps, or which exercises are the best for six-pack abs.

If you actually pay attention to other people in the gym, you'll notice a weird sequence of events at the end of their set. The set ends, they wander around, have a posedown between their biceps, or hit the water fountain, then they start another exercise or another set of the same exercise.]]> jerrywear Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:01:06 -0700 http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/09/19/10_uses_for_a_smith_machine.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/09/19/10_uses_for_a_smith_machine.html by Eric Cressey

The Smith machine is the equipment parallel to High Intensity Training. On one hand, it's been called more dirty names than Madonna on a trip to the Vatican. On the other hand, there are those who vehemently adhere to it in spite of the fact that it's an inferior way to train.

I'm about as anti-machine a guy as you'll ever meet, but I'm also open-minded enough to realize that as is the case with most things in life, the answer rests somewhere in the middle.

I'll be the first to admit that if I was to outfit a training center tomorrow, I wouldn't put a Smith machine in it. Beyond the obvious injury risks associated with a fixed line of motion on the exercises people normally perform on this machine, it just makes no sense financially.

Why spend $1,200 on a coat rack when I could buy one at Wal-Mart for $19.99 and use the leftover cash to pick up a glute-ham raise, some Jump-Stretch bands, and surprise TC with that Russian mail order bride he's coveted for so long?
The World's Most Expensive Coat Rack?]]> jerrywear Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:51:53 -0700 http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/09/18/mental_focus_the_7_keys-to_concentration.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/09/18/mental_focus_the_7_keys-to_concentration.html Written by Peter C. Siegel, R.H.

I see it every day at Gold's, Venice - the varying degrees of commitment and mental involvement people have with their workouts.

Some there enjoy the social aspects - doing one set and then engaging prolonged non workout related conversations with friends and acquaintances. Some are there to do a "gossip workout"; their focus is more-so upon judging and giving commentary about the people they see, expressing their "enlightened" viewpoints about the others around them. Some will do a "half-assed set" workout; they'll get easily distracted by a celebrity actor or pro athlete they see -- or some chick sporting pronounced cleavage, or a "cheek enhancing" thong. (BTW - I see the latter occurring a lot!)

Then, there are the serious ones - the ones who either, training alone or with a dedicated partner, stay continually (wholly) focused and involved with their workout each rep of every set.

You see'em with their ipod earphones in place, and a look of intense drive and conviction upon their faces. You see'em barking at their training partners to do "One More Forced Rep!" - and them helping their partner do this. (Then, the partner does the same for them.)]]> jerrywear Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:36:04 -0700 http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/06/22/free_weight_or_machine_lifting_which_is_.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/06/22/free_weight_or_machine_lifting_which_is_.html By:Mike Parker

The fight over which lifting, free weight lifting and machine lifting, has be fought for years. I am not going to sit here and tell you which is better, they both have there benefits. Instead, I am going to tell you what each one is good for and let you decide which you prefer.

Free Weights

If you are a professional bodybuilder you should be doing free weight lifting. Free weights have be proven to be the best way to get muscle and power. The reasons that free weights are more effective in getting you more muscle is because they use much more muscle fibers than machines do. They are also better for working on your stabilizer muscles in order to keep control of the weights, something you do not have to do with machines.

When you are using a machine the focus is on an isolated muscle, so you are not working many muscle fibers at all. When you are lifting with free weights you are using many more muscle fibers, stabilizer muscles, and you are getting a much greater range of motion. All of those thing will help you to ultimately get bigger.]]> jerrywear Sun, 22 Jun 2008 07:13:55 -0700 http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/06/13/feeling_tired_before_your_workout.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/06/13/feeling_tired_before_your_workout.html By: Val Segal

Feeling Tired Before Your Workout?
Here are 6 things you can do to help!

You had a very long day at work. Meeting, telephone calls, emails. The only relaxing thing was your lunch, if you ever had one. Finally you are done, and it's time for your high-intensity training workout. You know, that you will need all the energy, strength, and mental concentration to complete your routine. However, after such long day at work, your energy reserves are so low, you don't know what to do. Follow these easy energy strategies, and the next time you walk into the gym, you will lift mountains.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Often, when you're tired, you may actually be dehydrated. The consequent reduction in blood volume affects the transport of oxygen, thus reducing energy levels. If you are properly hydrated, your urine color should be pale yellow. On average, you should be visiting the restroom about every three hours. Drink about eight glasses of water a day, a cup or two 15 to 30 minutes before your workout. Do not rely on your thirst mechanism - by the time your thirst kicks in, you are already dehydrated.]]> jerrywear Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:32:35 -0700 http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/06/11/bi_laws.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/06/11/bi_laws.html By Eric Broser

Sometimes I am completely fascinated with how badly the average gym-dweller desires to build big arms! Although I witness these guys training chest, back, shoulders, and legs with formidable intensity and passion, it seems to jump to another level when they are attacking the arms. I often hear more yelling during a set of barbell curls than a set of squats! Strange but true.

In fact, to illustrate my point about just how driven most trainees are to one day flex a pair of 20-inchers, I will relate to you a small poll I recently took in the gym regarding this very subject. I asked a bunch of the more serious bodybuilders in my gym this question: If I were to magically give you six inches of muscle to add anywhere on your body, how would you distribute it?

The majority of those I polled allocated most of the magic inches I provided them with to their arms. A few of them mentioned their chest, but the overwhelming response was arms! A couple of guys even went so far as to reply, I'd take the entire six inches and slap 3 on each bicep! And of course one joker told me hed put 1and inches on each arm and the other three somewhere else I will not mention. Of course I had to break the news that the body part he was referring to was not actually a muscle, and that even if it were, three inches would still not be enough to make him bigger than my 10-year-old nephew. But once again, I digress.]]> jerrywear Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:43:59 -0700 http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/06/09/fiber_damagefiber_saturation_training.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/06/09/fiber_damagefiber_saturation_training.html By: Eric Broser

FD/FS: Four Little Letters that Can Mean BIG GAINS!

Warning: For those Iron Man readers who are afraid of stretch marks, cannot afford to purchase a new wardrobe, or simply do not want to take up more space, please stop reading this article now! Just put the magazine down, slowly back away, grab the remote, and watch some Seinfeld reruns. No soup for you!

However, for the rest of you the ones that live to grow sit back with your favorite protein drink, get comfortable, and read my words, because I have a feeling that what follows may be of great interest to you!

The wonderful thing about bodybuilding is, just like life, it is a constant and ongoing learning process. Nobody has all the answers, but if you keep your eyes (and mind) open wide enough, you will slowly but surely pick up more and more pieces of the puzzle.

Several years ago, I introduced a training system to the bodybuilding world called Power, Rep Range, Shock, which I believe contains many of these essential pieces. Most Iron Man readers are intimately familiar with my program, as I have written several articles about it right here in these pages, as well as on many sites all over the Internet. In addition, Steve Holeman and Jonathan Lawson have been utilizing P/RR/S in combination with X-Reps for the last several months, and writing about their experiences in the popular Train, Eat, Grow column.]]> jerrywear Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:01:16 -0700 http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/04/26/critical_look_at_machines.html http://www.2-bodybuilding.com/2008/04/26/critical_look_at_machines.html By: Matt Danielsson

The fitness industry is worth billions of dollars nowadays, and guess what? There are many greedy hands trying to snatch their share of the loot. Hucksters are found aplenty in the supplement industry and the home exercise-machine business, no need to go into that discussion again, but what about the obviously inane weight-training machines being pushed today?

Now, before you think I'm wishing myself back to the 70's, where most machines were ergonomically incorrect in one way or the other, let me first say that I truly welcome and applaud the ingenious development of exercise machines in the past decade. Hammer Strength, for one, revolutionized the industry with their excellent line of machines.

Today we have well-engineered machines, that not only makes sure that we hit the muscles from right angles, we are also allowed free range of movement and support at critical points, so that we run lesser risk of injury. For example, a good leg-curl machine of today makes it natural to keep a straight spine, instead of the extreme arch you saw everywhere only 10 years ago (which puts extreme pressure on your lower back, by the way, which can lead to plenty of trouble down the road. Now we can avoid that.)

So...These are the good machines. Unfortunately, there is a whole bunch of machines put together by people who either have no clue of biomechanics, have a complete disregard for the customers except for their wallets, or a combination of both. Real life example: The Hack-squat for the Hunchback of Notre Dame!]]> jerrywear Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:24:37 -0700