Arnold - How to get big

(this article is taken from Muscle & Fitness magazine, December 1995)

Bench press at home - safely

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Bench presses is an exercise that you can't avoid if you want to develop your chest. However, it is also non practical, as you need a spotter to hand you and receive the barbell. This problem is magnified if you work out at home.

So we will examine a way to deal with that issue - safe and cheap. The only apparatus you will need is the following:

This is a simple piano stool! Watch the video below to see how you should use it:

I have tested this with up to 225 pounds and it was fine. Have a great workout!

Frank Zane's workout

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1 = back, biceps, forearms

2 = legs

3 = chest, shoulders, triceps

R = rest day

CYCLE ONE - Train 3 days out of 5

Mon - 1

Tues - R

Wed - 2

Thurs - 3

Fri - R

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CYCLE TWO - Train 3 days out of 5

Sat - 1

Sun - R

Mon - 2

Tues - 3

Wed - R

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CYCLE THREE - Train 3 days out of 5

Thurs - 1

Fri - R

Sat  - 2

Sun - 3

Mon - R

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CYCLE FOUR - Train 3 days out of 6

Tues - 1

Wed - R

Thurs - 2

Fri - R

Sat - 3

Sun - R

So we complete 4 cycles in 3 weeks, which means that every bodypart is trained 1.3 (4/3) times every week.

Become the bench

Save your joints

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After the bones and muscle, the joints are the most important part of your movement. They define the quality of your life and - actually - your freedom. An old saying goes something like "you are as old as your joints" and it is quite right.

Unfortunately, the joints can be easily damaged; they get developed slower than muscle; and they recuperate even slower. So they need a great deal of attention. Proper form in every exercise is the first thing you should do to save your joints.

The second is supplementation. Here we have the following Holy Trinity: glucosamine, chondroitin, and collagen. Other substances help too (vitamin C, omega-3, MSM), but the first three are fundamental.

Finally, for joints more than anything else, the adage "use it or lose it" is completely true. So, put in your daily routine mobility exercises for the eight basic joints:

Neck
Shoulders
Elbows
Wrists
Waist
Hips
Knees
Ankles

Just move every joint in its full range of motion and do 10 reps. Move front-to-back, left-to-right, and rotations too (where applicable).

One more thing: don't confuse mobility exercises with stretching. For example, if you lift your bent knee to your chest, you perform full range of forward motion for the hip. If the knee was straight, then you would also stretch your hamstring (and the movement would be much more difficult), but the hip would see no difference.

Get to work!

Summer has ended

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If during this summer you achieved the best shape of your life (which I surely hope), then maybe vacations ruined it a bit. Or maybe you didn't manage to do it, and now you have set your sight on next summer.

Either way, this blog will help you. With simple and regular tips on exercise and nutrition, it will bring you closer to the body of your dreams.

Let's start with two basic exercises (one for the abdominals, and the other for legs) which you can perform anywhere without equipment:

Don't do repetitions. Just hold these positions for as long as you can, and next time shoot for more time. In this way, you will be able to effectively improve two common trouble spots.

Good luck!

Fight sedentary life in four steps

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The post's title is intentional. Sedentary life is a vicious enemy of our health and must be fought. Many times we have discussed about nutrition and that it's more important, however it's not enough by itself. The following program assumes a normal work schedule (9:00 - 17:00).

1. Before work
Wake up half an hour earlier and go for a run or fast walk. 20 minutes are sufficient. While you are away, you can have some water heated (if that's an issue for you), so you can shower the minute you get back, have breakfast, and then leave for work. You will not believe the difference in your mood and energy.

2. After lunch
Don't rush back to your office. Don't waste time talking with coworkers at the table, either. Stand up and go for a quick walk. Whatever you do is good (for example, walk two times around the block), and 20 minutes are more than enough in this case too. You will again notice immediate difference in how you feel, and you will fight sleepiness very efficiently.

3. After work
Rest for as long as you can (the best you can do is sleep for an hour or so) and then put in a full hour of intense activity. The best choice is the gym, but feel free to do whatever you fancy (dancing, martial arts, bicycle, swimming, running etc).

4. After dinner / just before sleep
Go for one more short walk. The best thing you can do at this time is a casual stroll.

All other pieces of advice (park your car away, take the stairs etc) continue to be useful, but if you commit in doing these four steps, you will be on your way. Good luck!