[Article] Building the ultimate muscle machine: move your body through space. Program #1. - Ausbb

Fadi · 29-10-2009, 05:56 AM

Beginners, intermediates, and advance bodybuilders would do themselves a great service if they start analising the exercises they are utilising to get the body they desire. Yes, here on this forum we are always directing the new trainees towards the basics, the compounds, the meat and potatoes of all exercises. We do it because we know what effect this hardcore exercises can have on the body as a whole and not just on one of its parts.

Now I’d like to raise this level of smart training even further if you don’t mind. Yes we have our machines; and yes we have our free weights, and our isolation exercises and our compound exercises, but to take this to the next level, just employing a compound exercise is not enough here.

Let us take the lat pulldown as an example of a compound exercise. Does the lat pulldown have your body moving through space whilst performing it? The answer is simply no. I do not want to stay still whilst the weight moves; I want to move with it through space. To do that, the mighty wide grip chin up can not be beaten here. You’re not only working your latissimus dorsi, rhomboid major and minor, teres major, brachioradialis, brachialis, biceps brachii, and brachioradialis; but your core muscles are also working over time amongst other stabiliser muscles. Also, training in this fashion where your body is moving through space, helps you build functional muscles and strength; that means your daily task of lifting/moving a fridge, a couch, or even lifting your spouse will be very easy and possible. Unlike the bodybuilder who solely relies on moving the weights whilst his body remains still, the strength gained from such lifting is not only not functional, but it’s not transferable to real world strength moves. Take a look at the bodybuilder pulling down 400lbs in the lat pulldown machine for 15 reps or so, only to fail miserably when asked to pull himself up for the same amount of reps (even when he only weighs 200lbs)! It makes you wonder how quickly his “strength” has deserted him, doesn’t it?

Please do not misunderstand me here and think that I’m rubbishing any exercise that doesn’t have your body moving through space, like the bench press say. Not at all. What I’m saying here and what I’m asking you to do is to incorporate some of these higher level/functional level exercises which will go a very long way to making you a much better bodybuilder than you could ever dreamed of being.

Muscles do not move until commanded to move by your nervous system. The more muscles the exercise activates; the more neuromuscular stimulation will be involved. The more NMS potential the exercise has; the more muscles you’ll get for your time and effort in the gym. Squats anyone!?

So what are some of these exercises that belong to that flying through space club?

Squats
Chin ups
Reverse chin ups (close grip)
Push ups (weighted)
Romanian pulls
Dead lifts
Dips
Lunges/walking lunges

This is a 3 days per week program consisting of 6 exercises of 20 sets per workout with reps ranging from 4-7. Your task is to pick a weight that will allow you to complete 4 reps in good form. As the weeks progress, add repetitions until you can reach 7 reps. Once 7 reps have been reached, increase the weight by 2.5-5kg and progress overload as before. Your aim is to always add weight or increase reps week by week. Again, once 7 reps have been reached; decrease the reps back to 4 whilst simultaneously increasing the weight by 2.5 to 5kg. This program is for 12 weeks.

Use weights to increase the intensity. Had the male gymnasts added weights to their parallel, roman-rings, and floor exercises, you would have seen gymnasts who looked like bodybuilders. But they only use their own bodyweight and look absolutely phenomenal.

This program will not only increase your strength and build functional muscles, but will insure that muscles built here are of the dense and permanent type. By that I’m talking about muscles getting built through the myofibrillar and not through the Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy pathway. Please check page #50 for more information if you wish.

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=QWSn4iKgNo8C&dq=Kraemer,+William+J.%3B+Za tsiorsky,+Vladimir+M.+(2006).+Science+and+practice +of+strength+training+book&printsec=frontcover&sou rce=bn&hl=en&ei=0N_VSr6GI86GkQXt0MmADg&sa=X&oi=boo k_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAw#v=onep age&q=&f=false

Here’s a Romanian pull; some call it stiff legged deadlift.

1.Squats--------------------------------------------------------4 x4-7
2a.Chin ups to the front (wide grip)-----------------------------2x 4-7
2b.Chin ups (close grip palms facing you)-----------------------2x 4-7
3.Push ups/weighed--------------------------------------------3 x4-7
4.Romanian pulls-----------------------------------------------4 x4-7
5.Standing military press (exception to the rule)----------------3 x4-7
6.Dips (elbows close by side)------------------------------------2 x4-7

PS: everything I’ve mentioned above re building the ultimate muscle machine is also applicable to trimming down and toning up the ultimate shapely you! The determining factor that plays a huge role here is none other than your thoroughly thought through eating plan.

Here's a way to get strong in the pull ups:

Week #1-------------10 sets x1 rep Mon-Fri
Week #2-------------5 x2 Mon, Wed, Fri
Week #3-------------4 x3
Week #4-------------3 x4
Week #5-------------2 x5

Do not progress to the next week until each weeks' sets and reps have been succesfully completed.

Option #2

Week #1--------------10 sets x2 negative reps. Either stand on a chair or get a friend to help you up. Take 5 seconds to come back down all the way.

After doing one whole week of the above, you should be able to do the first week of 10 x1 by yourself. Give it a go and let me know how you go. You never know when you might need to jump and pull yourself over a barrier one day.

Alternative Exercises:

1.Squats--------------------------------------------------------4 x4-7
2.Wide grip front lat pulldowns----------------------------------3x4-7
3.Barbell bench press-------------------------------------------3 x4-7
4.Romanian pulls-----------------------------------------------3 x4-7
5.Standing military press---------------------------------------3 x4-7
6.Barbell curls--------------------------------------------------2 x4-7
7.French curls--------------------------------------------------2 x4-7

All power to you and thank you for reading.

Fadi.

29-10-2009, 11:24 AM

Nice post Fadi. Pull Ups/Chin Ups are one of my favourites. I am always boggled by the people who can lift (or pull) more than their own bodyweight on the Lat Pull Down yet not do a Pull Up/Chin Up?

Wide Grip Pull Ups are great and torturous.

29-10-2009, 12:16 PM

yer ive commented before about the way some ppl can bench and lat pull down heavy but cant do one pull up, its always got my goat how they can be so dumb and think that it doesnt matter. It makes me sad to see that they are short changing themselves all the while im getting stronger so i just smile politely and go about my business

29-10-2009, 12:31 PM

Nicely written Fadi and very informative

29-10-2009, 01:21 PM

Errr, romanian dl's look just like normal dl's.

haz · 29-10-2009, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazy

Errr, romanian dl's look just like normal dl's.

your ass stays up in the air. and hips dont move vertically.

29-10-2009, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisOX

yer ive commented before about the way some ppl can bench and lat pull down heavy but cant do one pull up, its always got my goat how they can be so dumb and think that it doesnt matter. It makes me sad to see that they are short changing themselves all the while im getting stronger so i just smile politely and go about my business

Some people can't because they are using more weight, I can do 75kg pull downs 4 to 6 reps but can't do 2 pull ups because I weigh 95kg.

29-10-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haz

your ass stays up in the air. and hips dont move vertically.

Ok, nah your right, looks more like sldl.

Dshwam · 29-10-2009, 01:59 PM

thanks for that Fadi, good read!

29-10-2009, 02:20 PM

You just have to work at the pull ups Lazy.

I weigh 76kg, so it is easier for me. Though I have strapped 30kg to myself and repped a few out with that. So the people using more weight is not really a good excuse.

They also have more muscle as well.

29-10-2009, 05:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
Fadi Super Moderator Ausbb's resident Yoda Join Date: Jul 2009 Gender: Posts: 3,416	Building the ultimate muscle machine: move your body through space. Program #1. Beginners, intermediates, and advance bodybuilders would do themselves a great service if they start analising the exercises they are utilising to get the body they desire. Yes, here on this forum we are always directing the new trainees towards the basics, the compounds, the meat and potatoes of all exercises. We do it because we know what effect this hardcore exercises can have on the body as a whole and not just on one of its parts. Now I’d like to raise this level of smart training even further if you don’t mind. Yes we have our machines; and yes we have our free weights, and our isolation exercises and our compound exercises, but to take this to the next level, just employing a compound exercise is not enough here. Let us take the lat pulldown as an example of a compound exercise. Does the lat pulldown have your body moving through space whilst performing it? The answer is simply no. I do not want to stay still whilst the weight moves; I want to move with it through space. To do that, the mighty wide grip chin up can not be beaten here. You’re not only working your latissimus dorsi, rhomboid major and minor, teres major, brachioradialis, brachialis, biceps brachii, and brachioradialis; but your core muscles are also working over time amongst other stabiliser muscles. Also, training in this fashion where your body is moving through space, helps you build functional muscles and strength; that means your daily task of lifting/moving a fridge, a couch, or even lifting your spouse will be very easy and possible. Unlike the bodybuilder who solely relies on moving the weights whilst his body remains still, the strength gained from such lifting is not only not functional, but it’s not transferable to real world strength moves. Take a look at the bodybuilder pulling down 400lbs in the lat pulldown machine for 15 reps or so, only to fail miserably when asked to pull himself up for the same amount of reps (even when he only weighs 200lbs)! It makes you wonder how quickly his “strength” has deserted him, doesn’t it? Please do not misunderstand me here and think that I’m rubbishing any exercise that doesn’t have your body moving through space, like the bench press say. Not at all. What I’m saying here and what I’m asking you to do is to incorporate some of these higher level/functional level exercises which will go a very long way to making you a much better bodybuilder than you could ever dreamed of being. Muscles do not move until commanded to move by your nervous system. The more muscles the exercise activates; the more neuromuscular stimulation will be involved. The more NMS potential the exercise has; the more muscles you’ll get for your time and effort in the gym. Squats anyone!? So what are some of these exercises that belong to that flying through space club? Squats Chin ups Reverse chin ups (close grip) Push ups (weighted) Romanian pulls Dead lifts Dips Lunges/walking lunges This is a 3 days per week program consisting of 6 exercises of 20 sets per workout with reps ranging from 4-7. Your task is to pick a weight that will allow you to complete 4 reps in good form. As the weeks progress, add repetitions until you can reach 7 reps. Once 7 reps have been reached, increase the weight by 2.5-5kg and progress overload as before. Your aim is to always add weight or increase reps week by week. Again, once 7 reps have been reached; decrease the reps back to 4 whilst simultaneously increasing the weight by 2.5 to 5kg. This program is for 12 weeks. Use weights to increase the intensity. Had the male gymnasts added weights to their parallel, roman-rings, and floor exercises, you would have seen gymnasts who looked like bodybuilders. But they only use their own bodyweight and look absolutely phenomenal. This program will not only increase your strength and build functional muscles, but will insure that muscles built here are of the dense and permanent type. By that I’m talking about muscles getting built through the myofibrillar and not through the Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy pathway. Please check page #50 for more information if you wish. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=QWSn4iKgNo8C&dq=Kraemer,+William+J.%3B+Za tsiorsky,+Vladimir+M.+(2006).+Science+and+practice +of+strength+training+book&printsec=frontcover&sou rce=bn&hl=en&ei=0N_VSr6GI86GkQXt0MmADg&sa=X&oi=boo k_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAw#v=onep age&q=&f=false Here’s a Romanian pull; some call it stiff legged deadlift. 1.Squats--------------------------------------------------------4 x4-7 2a.Chin ups to the front (wide grip)-----------------------------2x 4-7 2b.Chin ups (close grip palms facing you)-----------------------2x 4-7 3.Push ups/weighed--------------------------------------------3 x4-7 4.Romanian pulls-----------------------------------------------4 x4-7 5.Standing military press (exception to the rule)----------------3 x4-7 6.Dips (elbows close by side)------------------------------------2 x4-7 PS: everything I’ve mentioned above re building the ultimate muscle machine is also applicable to trimming down and toning up the ultimate shapely you! The determining factor that plays a huge role here is none other than your thoroughly thought through eating plan. Here's a way to get strong in the pull ups: Week #1-------------10 sets x1 rep Mon-Fri Week #2-------------5 x2 Mon, Wed, Fri Week #3-------------4 x3 Week #4-------------3 x4 Week #5-------------2 x5 Do not progress to the next week until each weeks' sets and reps have been succesfully completed. Option #2 Week #1--------------10 sets x2 negative reps. Either stand on a chair or get a friend to help you up. Take 5 seconds to come back down all the way. After doing one whole week of the above, you should be able to do the first week of 10 x1 by yourself. Give it a go and let me know how you go. You never know when you might need to jump and pull yourself over a barrier one day. Alternative Exercises: 1.Squats--------------------------------------------------------4 x4-7 2.Wide grip front lat pulldowns----------------------------------3x4-7 3.Barbell bench press-------------------------------------------3 x4-7 4.Romanian pulls-----------------------------------------------3 x4-7 5.Standing military press---------------------------------------3 x4-7 6.Barbell curls--------------------------------------------------2 x4-7 7.French curls--------------------------------------------------2 x4-7 All power to you and thank you for reading. Fadi. __________________ Squat 200kg, FSquat 195kg, C&J 160kg, PC 140kg, MP 90kg. Last edited by Fadi; 22-05-2010 at 05:14 AM. Reason: Some images were lost; added some more.

29-10-2009, 11:24 AM	#2 (permalink)
Josh_GTiR Guest Posts: n/a	Nice post Fadi. Pull Ups/Chin Ups are one of my favourites. I am always boggled by the people who can lift (or pull) more than their own bodyweight on the Lat Pull Down yet not do a Pull Up/Chin Up? Wide Grip Pull Ups are great and torturous.

29-10-2009, 12:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
ChrisOX Guest Posts: n/a	yer ive commented before about the way some ppl can bench and lat pull down heavy but cant do one pull up, its always got my goat how they can be so dumb and think that it doesnt matter. It makes me sad to see that they are short changing themselves all the while im getting stronger so i just smile politely and go about my business

29-10-2009, 12:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
MADDYSMUM Guest Posts: n/a	Nicely written Fadi and very informative

29-10-2009, 01:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
lazy Guest Posts: n/a	Errr, romanian dl's look just like normal dl's.

29-10-2009, 01:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
Dshwam Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Gender: Posts: 79	thanks for that Fadi, good read!

29-10-2009, 02:20 PM	#10 (permalink)
Josh_GTiR Guest Posts: n/a	You just have to work at the pull ups Lazy. I weigh 76kg, so it is easier for me. Though I have strapped 30kg to myself and repped a few out with that. So the people using more weight is not really a good excuse. They also have more muscle as well.