Part 11 The Exercise Description Guide

FAST MASS BUILDING PRESENTS
2 1 Day
ERCISE Guide EX
In this section were going to dive in and cover exactly how to do all of the exercises included within the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Workouts. These are some of the very best mass building exercises that have helped iron game veterans from the past 100 years pack on pounds of thick dense muscular mass on their frames. And they will help YOU build a strong muscular physique as well. Most likely youll be familiar with several of these exercises already, and maybe some of them will be totally brand new to you. But regardless if you have done them before or not, I recommend that you take a moment and review each exercise here before starting the workout programs. Weve have outlined specific details and key points with each exercise that will help you get the most benefit from the movement, maximize muscle stimulation, and reduce your risk of injury.
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FITNESS MODEL ROUTINE

Exercises for Chest, Shoulders & Tricep Workouts
21 Day Fast Mass Building Workout

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The incline bench press is a great exercise to work the upper chest. With secondary stress placed on the shoulders and triceps. For this exercise set the incline of the bench between a 30 to 45 degree angle. The higher the angle of the bench the more difficult the exercise will be because it uses more of the shoulders and less of the chest. When using dumbbells for this exercise you get more muscle stimulation compared to using a barbell, because you have to balance and support 2 weights. Dumbbells force both the left and right sides to handle an equal workload. This is can help create balance and proportion, especially for people who have one side bigger or stronger than the other. Its actually quite common to be more developed and stronger on your dominant side, so including dumbbell exercises in your workouts can help balance this out overtime. Dumbbells also allow more freedom of movement with your hand positions. Youll notice here in the pictures that Im holding the dumbbells on a slight angle, with my elbows tucked in closer to my sides. This position takes stress off the shoulder joint and actually places you in a stronger position to press.
Eat your meals 3 hours apart - No less than two and no more than four hours apart and one gallon of water a day. 4

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
Youll feel stronger benching in the flat position compared to benching on an incline because youll bring more of the pec muscles into play and less of the shoulders. It also uses a shorter range of motion to bench flat compared to benching on an incline. The center of the chest is much thicker than the top of the chest, so you wont have to bring the dumbbells down quite as far. When using dumbbells for benching you get more muscle stimulation compared to using a barbell, because you have to balance and support 2 weights. Dumbbells force both the left and right sides to handle an equal workload. This is can help create balance and proportion, especially for people who have one side bigger or stronger than the other. Its actually quite common to be more developed and stronger on your dominant side, so including dumbbell exercises in your workouts can help balance this out overtime. Dumbbells also allow more freedom of movement with your hand positions. Youll notice here in the pictures that Im holding the dumbbells on a slight angle, with my elbows tucked in closer to my sides. This position takes stress off the shoulder joint and actually places you in a stronger position to press.

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
Generally youll feel even stronger again on the decline bench compared to on the flat bench. Your pec muscles will be in a stronger position to press in the decline position and there is less shoulder rotation. Its mostly all chest and triceps. The decline uses an even shorter range of motion compared to benching flat as your lower chest / upper abs will be higher, so you wont have to bring the dumbbells down as far. All the same benefits from using dumbbells apply to the decline as they do with the incline and flat dumbbell bench variations. Even though the decline bench position is generally the strongest position for benching. The hardest part is getting in position. With the flat and incline bench variations you can rest the ends of the dumbbells on your knees and use your legs to kick them up into place as you lay back on the bench. But with the decline bench your legs are locked down secure by the pads of the bench. So it would be best to get a spotter to hand you the dumbbells once you are already in position on the decline bench.

Bent-Over Lateral Raise
The bent over dumbbell lateral raise is an isolation exercise that works the rear head of the deltoids. Because this is an isolation exercise you dont need to handle heavy weights, youll get more benefit from this exercise by using moderate weights and strict form. You can do this exercise seated on the end of a bench and bent over at the waist as shown in the pictures. Or you can stand up and bend over at the waist so that your upper body is in the same horizontal potion. Generally the seated position is a stricter and harder version compared to the standing position, which allows for a little more momentum and leg drive when lifting the dumbbells. If you had a high enough bench you could also lay chest down on the bench and do the exercise. This would be the hardest variation of all because there would be absolutely no upper body assistance or momentum used at all.

Seated T-Lateral Raises
The seated dumbbell T-lateral raise is an isolation exercise that works the side head of the deltoids. Because this is an isolation exercise you dont need to handle heavy weights, youll get more benefit from this exercise by using moderate weights and strict form. The seated position is a stricter position, compared to the standing side lateral raise. Youll use less body momentum while seated and isolate the delts even more. As you lift the dumbbells to the side in an arc motion, keep a slight bend in your elbows to take tension off the tendons and ligaments. Also try to keep the dumbbells level with the floor at all times as you perform the exercise. If you let the ends of the dumbbells tilt upwards this will take stress off the side deltoids and place it on the front delts.

Standing Overhead Dumbbell Press
The standing dumbbell press is a great exercise that brings all 3 heads of the deltoids into play and works the overall shoulders. Dumbbell shoulder presses are usually a more comfortable exercise to perform compared to barbell shoulder presses because you can keep the dumbbells at the sides of your head and press straight up and down. Unlike the barbell shoulder press, where you have to press the bar to either the front or back of the head. The standing shoulder press allows for a little leg drive to help assist with the lift, which is helpful here, especially when your shoulders are preexhausted from doing the bent over lateral raises and side lateral raises before hand. Even if you had to use a little Body English and momentum to complete the lift your shoulders would still be working to the max at this stage of the Fitness Model Workout.

Barbell Skull Crushers
The lying tricep extension (aka the skull crusher) is an awesome exercise that targets the long head of the triceps and allows for fairly heavyweights to be lifted. For this exercise grab the barbell with a narrow hand spacing. This will allow you to isolate the triceps more compared to using a wider grip. Lowering the bar just above your forehead (hence the name skull crusher) will place the most stress on the triceps. Some people like to lower the bar behind their head, but this takes stress off the triceps and brings the lats into play. This would be a good exercise to have a spotter assist you by handing you the barbell when you are in position, and taking it from you when you are finished.
Eat your meals 3 hours apart - No less than two and no 10 than four hours apart and one gallon of water a day. more

Close Grip Presses
The close grip bench press is a basic compound power exercise for the triceps that allows for heavy weights to be lifted. There are two variations of this exercise. 1. Where you use the actual barbell bench press and do the lift with a close grip. 2. This particular variation where youll use an EZ curl bar, usually as an extended set right after performing skull crushers. For this variation youll grab an EZ curl bar with the narrow hand spacing. Lower the barbell until it touches your lower chest / upper abs, then press the bar back up until it is locked out at the top. As you lower the bar keep your elbows tucked in close to the sides of your body. Do not let your elbows flare out to the side as this will place excess strain on the shoulder and wrist joints. This would be a good exercise to have a spotter assist you by handing you the barbell when you are in position, and taking it from you when you are finished.

Bench Dips
The bench dip is a great exercise for working the triceps as well as the front heads of the deltoids. Its good to use as a finisher move when your triceps are already pre-exhausted as here in the Fitness Model Workout. For this exercise space 2 flat benches the length of your legs apart. Rest the heels of your feet on one bench and the palms of your hands on the other. Lower yourself down between the benches, keeping your body in a L-shape position. Go down until your elbows are bent at 90 degree angles. You could add weight to this exercise by having a spotter add weight plates on your lap if needed. But I personally prefer to use this as a high rep bodyweight finishing move for the end of a triceps workout.

Exercises for Quadriceps, Hamstrings, & Calves Workout
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Front Squats (Narrow Stance)
The front squat is a killer squat variation that really targets the quadriceps. This is a much harder squat to perform than the regular back squat. Balance are stability are more of an issue here because the weight is in front of your body and you have to use your spinal erector muscles to counter balance yourself. The key to holding the barbell in position across the front of your shoulders with this exercise is keeping your elbows up, as shown in the pictures. When your elbows are held up high this will prevent the bar from rolling forward and it will also contract your front deltoids so the bar rests on your muscles, not on your collar bone. Some people like to wrap a towel or pad around the bar to add cushion. While this may help you, I personally find adding cushion to the bar more of a nuisance than a benefit. Id rather squat with no padding on the barbell. It is a little uncomfortable at first, but your shoulders will toughen up to it and eventually youll be able to squat with no discomfort.

Front Squats (Wide Stance)
All the same exercise info that is listed on the pervious page with the narrow stance front squat applies to the wide stance front squat. Squatting with a wider stance brings in more of the hips, glutes, and hamstrings into the exercise. Generally youll feel stronger and more secure squatting wide than you will squatting with a narrow stance. Thats why we start with the narrow stance first and then continue on with the wide stance afterwards.

Back Squats (Narrow Stance)
Back squats will work more of the hamstrings and quads equally compared to front squats. The weight is more centered on your upper back and this is easier to balance and places your body in a stronger position to squat. Again, just like with the front squats some people like to wrap a towel or pad around the bar to add cushion. But I personally prefer to use the bare barbell. Even though it maybe a bit more uncomfortable at first your back will toughen up to it and eventually youll be able to squat with no discomfort from the bar on your back. Not only that, but adding padding can cause the bar to roll or slip down your back and this could be dangerous, especially if squatting heavy weights. With all squat variations take a deep breath at the start of the lift, hold your air in your belly, and squat down. Use the tension created in your torso from holding your air to help you rebound out of the bottom position. You can breath in and out freely in between reps when you are standing back up with the weight locked out, but during the actual squat itself make sure to hold your air in. This will stabilize your torso and increase your squatting strength.

Back Squats (Wide Stance)
All the same exercise info that is listed on the pervious page with the narrow stance back squat applies to the wide stance back squat. Squatting with a wider stance brings in more of the hips, glutes, and hamstrings into the exercise. Generally youll feel stronger and more secure squatting wide than you will squatting with a narrow stance. Thats why we start with the narrow stance first and then continue on with the wide stance afterwards.

Seated Calve Press
The seated calve raise machine is a good isolation exercise for the calves. Generally, the seated position with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle will place more of the workload on the outer head of the calve, the soleus muscle. When setting up for seated calve raise make sure that the kneepad is very snug fitting right over the top of the knees. This will place the stress right over the calve muscles. Do not set up with the pad higher up on your quads. As you do the exercise itself make sure to lower your heels all the way down for a deep stretch, hold this for a brief moment, then lift up all the way on the balls of your feet for a peak contraction. When it comes to building big calves, using a full range of motion is the key to maximizing your development.

Standing Calve Raise
Standing calve raises are my personal favorite calve exercise because they work the calves through a full range of motion and allow for heavy weights to be lifted. Just like with all calve raise variations you should really exaggerate the stretch and the peak contraction with each rep you do. The calves are a very tough dense muscle that gets worked with a partial rep every time you take a step. So to really spur on muscle growth you need to work them in a way they are not accustomed to, which is fully stretched and peak contracted. With the standing calve raise variation you can use a little leg drive from your knees as you fatigue to help you grind out those last few reps. This is why we start with the stricter seated calve raise variation first, and then move on to the standing calve raise variation afterward.

Exercises for Back, Biceps, & Abs Workout
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Bent Over Barbell Row (Wide Grip)
With rowing exercises the wider your grip, the more youll work the inner back. And the closer your grip, the more youll work the outer back. Generally youll feel stronger with a closer grip compared to a wider grip. In fact it works the complete opposite of pressing exercises for the chest, where youll feel stronger the wider your grip. As you do bent over rows keep your lower back arched and upper body at a 45 degree angle to the floor. Then row the barbell into your stomach. A lot of people make the mistake of bending over too far at the waist and rowing the bar too high to their chest. This just places excess strain on your lower back. Youll feel stronger and work the lats harder by using the proper technique.

Bent Over Barbell Row (Narrow Grip)
With rowing exercises the wider your grip, the more youll work the inner back. And the closer your grip, the more youll work the outer back. Generally youll feel stronger with a closer grip compared to a wider grip. So to match our strength curve, were going to start this workout with the wide grip first. Then move on to the narrow grip afterwards to continue on in a stronger rowing position. Just like with the wide grip row, keep your lower back arched and upper body at a 45 degree angle to the floor. Then row the barbell into your stomach. A lot of people make the mistake of bending over too far at the waist and rowing the bar too high to their chest. This just places excess strain on your lower back. Youll feel stronger and work the lats harder by using the proper technique.
Eat your meals 3 hours apart - No less than two and no22 than four hours apart and one gallon of water a day. more

Bent Over Barbell Row (Reverse Grip)
Rowing with an underhand curl grip or a reverse grip, will target the lower lats to a greater degree and will also bring the biceps more into play as a secondary muscle group. For most people rowing with a reverse grip will feel stronger than rowing with a regular overhand grip. So to match our strength curve, were going to move on to using the reverse grip after using an overhand grip to continue on rowing in a stronger position. Bent over barbell rows, especially using a reverse grip, were a favourite back exercise of former Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, and he had one of the most developed backs and widest lat spreads in all of bodybuilding.

Reverse Grip Barbell Curls
Using a reverse grip when curling places the biceps in its weakest curling position, but it is an awesome forearm exercise. It can help add size and depth to the arms because it targets the brachioradialis muscles in the forearms and the brachialis muscles in the upper arms. Working these muscles is almost like building the arms from the inside out because these muscles are underneath the biceps. The first Mr. Olympia ever Larry Scott did a lot of reverse curls in his workouts and he was known for his exceptional arm development.

Wide Grip Barbell Curls
With the barbell curl you are better off using a straight barbell rather then an EZ curl barbell. The act of twisting your hands all the way so your palms are facing up in the supinated position, will fully activate the bicep muscles. Granted it may feel a little more uncomfortable on the wrists at first, but the little bit of discomfort is worth it in terms of fully stimulating your bicep muscles. You can target the different muscle head of your biceps by varying the width of your hand placements. A wider grip will tend to focus more of the stress on the inner head of the bicep, and a narrow grip will tend to focus more of the stress on the outer head of the bicep. And of course, a medium width grip will target the entire bicep equally. Generally, you will not be as strong with a wide grip, as you would be with a closer grip, but youll still be a lot stronger compared to using the reverse grip.

Close Grip Barbell Curls
The close grip barbell curl is a great exercise for developing the outer head of the biceps and building up more bicep peak and shape. The whole principle behind the Fitness Model Workout is to start off in the weakest position and continue on with the exercises by switching to stronger positions. In the case of barbell curls you are weakest with a reverse grip and much stronger with an underhand grip. Then to take that even further, you are weakest with a wider curl grip and stronger with a closer curl grip. Thats the reason for going from reverse curls, to wide grip underhand curls, to close grip underhand curls in that particular order.

Hanging Knee Raises
The hanging knee raise is a great abdominal exercise that targets the lower abs and hip flexors. When it comes to abdominal workouts, the lower abs are the hardest area to train and tend to be the most stubborn area for people to develop. To do this exercise simply hang from a pull up bar and raise your knees up as high as you can to contract your abdominal muscles. Just this basic movement right here is quite challenging. But as you get more advanced with this exercise you incorporate twisting from side to side to target the obliques as well. You can even do the exercise with your legs straight. This will increase the resistance on your ab muscles due to the leverage and weight of your legs.

Weighted Knee Crunch
The weighted knee crunch, also known as kneeling cable crunch, is a great weighted isolation exercise for the abs. This movement primarily targets the upper abs. As you do this exercise curl and crunch your upper torso as well as bending at the waist. This will help to fully engage and contract the abdominals. I prefer to hold onto a rope attachment for this exercise, but you can also grab a short straight bar attachment with an underhand grip. Regardless of the attachment you use, try not to pull down with your arms, keep your arms in a fixed position and focus the exercise on contracting your abs.
MUSCLE MODEL ROUTINE

Exercises for Shoulders & Triceps Workout
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Behind The Neck Barbell Press
The behind the neck press really works the deltoids with a basic compound power move. There is more emphasis on the upper back with the behind the neck press as compared to pressing in front of the head. When setting up for any barbell shoulder press exercise a good rule of thumb is to space your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Your forearms should be vertical in the bottom of the lift. If your forearms are angled inwards at the bottom of the lift your grip is too narrow, and if they are angled outwards your grip is too wide. While the behind the neck press is a fantastic shoulder exercise, it does require a lot of flexibility in the shoulders. So Id recommend paying extra attention to warming up your rotator cuff prior to lifting heavy weights in this move. Its better to play it safe and take some extra time for warming up, rather than rushing things and risking an injury that could keep you out of the gym for weeks. This is an exercise where it would be a good idea to have a spotter with you at all times. You can see examples of how to spot someone with this exercise in the Muscle Model Shoulders & Triceps video.

Seated Military Press
The seated military press (also called seated shoulder press) works the deltoids similar to the behind the neck press, but there is more emphasis on the upper chest as compared to pressing behind the head. This is my personal favorite barbell shoulder press variation because it doesnt place as much stress on the shoulder joint itself. But everybody is different, some people like the behind the neck press better. Just like with the behind the neck press, the rule of thumb is to space your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Your forearms should be vertical in the bottom of the lift. If your forearms are angled inwards at the bottom of the lift your grip is too narrow, and if they are angled outwards your grip is too wide.

Upright Cable Rows
The upright cable row works the entire upper back, especially the traps and rear deltoids. The cable variation hits the muscles from a unique angle, which a lot of people find more comfortable, as compared to doing this exercise with free weights. I personally like to do this exercise with a rope attachment because it allows for more freedom of movement with your hand position. The rope helps take stress off the wrist joint. But you could also use a straight or EZ bar attachment for this exercise as well. At the top of each rep you should really squeeze and contract your upper back for a second before lowering the weight back down. Cable exercises such as this really work well for using the peak contraction technique, because cables provide constant tension throughout the entire range of motion of the exercise.

Front Cable Raises
The front cable raise is an isolation exercise that works the front deltoids. The cable variation hits the muscles from a unique angle, and actually provides a greater range of motion compared to doing the same exercise with free weights. With cables you have constant resistance right from start to finish, but with free weights the resistance is highest at the top of the movement and lowest at the bottom due to leverage. I personally like to do this exercise with a rope attachment because it allows for more freedom of movement with your hand position. The rope helps take stress off the wrist joint. But you could also use a straight or EZ bar attachment for this exercise as well. At the top of each rep you should really squeeze and contract your shoulders for a second before lowering the weight back down. Cable exercises such as this really work well for using the peak contraction technique, because cables provide that constant tension throughout the entire range of motion of the exercise.

Dumbbell Lateral Raises
The dumbbell side lateral raise is an isolation exercise that works the side head of the deltoids. Because this is an isolation exercise you dont need to handle heavy weights, youll get more benefit from this exercise by using moderate weights and strict form. Youll isolate the shoulder more and make the movement harder if you keep the dumbbells at your sides when you start the lift, compared to if you hold them out in front of your body. As you lift the dumbbells to the side in an arc motion, keep a slight bend in your elbows to take tension off the elbow joint. Also try to keep the dumbbells level with the floor at all times as you perform the exercise. If you let the ends of the dumbbells tilt upwards this will take stress off the side deltoids and place it on the front delts.

Close Grip Upright Rows
The upright row works the entire upper back, especially the traps and rear deltoids. The dumbbell variation allows for more freedom of movement in the hands and is generally more comfortable on the wrists compared to doing this exercise using a barbell. But both variations are ok and will work the same muscle groups. As you do this exercise make sure to row up with your elbows. Your elbows should always be higher than your hands at all times during this exercise. At the top of each rep you should really squeeze and contract your upper back for a second before lowering the weight back down. Rowing exercises like this work really well for using the peak contraction technique, because you have to work to hold the weights at the top position, unlike a lot of pressing exercises where you can lockout the weights and get a rest at the top.

Dumbbell Shrugs
The dumbbell shrug is an awesome power move that really works the traps and allows for heavy weights to be lifted. There isnt a big range of motion when doing any shrug variation, whats most important is fully squeezing and contracting the muscles at the top of each rep. For exercises like shrugs that allow for heavy weights to be lifted you can use lifting straps to help re-enforce your grip. Lifting straps can be a little bit tricky to figure out at first, but once you get the hang of them they can really help you hold on to heavier weights. Just a word of caution here, dont overuse lifting straps. Some guys become dependant on them and never build up their natural grip strength. My advice is to save them for your heavy working sets when you really need them.

EZ Bar Skull Crushers
The lying tricep extension (aka the skull crusher) is an awesome exercise that targets the long head of the triceps and allows for fairly heavyweights to be lifted. For this exercise grab an EZ curl bar with the narrow hand spacing. This will allow you to isolate the triceps more and the slight angle of the bar will take stress off the wrists as compared to using a straight barbell. Lowering the bar to your forehead (hence the name skull crusher) will place the most stress on the triceps. Some people like to lower the bar behind their head, but this takes stress off the triceps and brings the lats into play. This would be a good exercise to have a spotter assist you by handing you the barbell when you are in position, and taking it from you when you are finished.

Close Grip Presses
The close grip bench press is a basic compound power exercise for the triceps that allows for heavy weights to be lifted. There are two variations of this exercise. 1. Where you use the actual barbell bench press and do the lift with a close grip. 2. This particular variation where youll use an EZ curl bar, usually as an extended set right after performing skull crushers. For this variation youll grab an EZ curl bar with the narrow hand spacing. Lower the barbell until it touches your lower chest / upper abs, then press the bar back up until it is locked out at the top. As you lower the bar keep your elbows tucked in close to the sides of your body. Do not let your elbows flare out to the side as this will place excess strain on the shoulder and wrist joints. This would be a good exercise to have a spotter assist you by handing you the barbell when you are in position, and taking it from you when you are finished.

Close Grip Rope Press Downs
The rope press down is a great isolation exercise for the triceps. With all cable exercises the muscles get worked with continuous tension right from the start to finish. There is no down time with cables where the muscles get to relax. By using a rope attachment for this exercise youll make it A LOT harder and stricter compared to using a bar attachment. The angle of the hands when using a rope works more of the outer head of the triceps, because of this you will not be able to handle nearly as much weight as you could if you used a bar attachment and a regular overhand grip. At the top of each rep you should really squeeze and contract your triceps for a second before lowering the weight back down. Cable exercises such as this really work well for using the peak contraction technique, because cables provide constant tension throughout the entire range of motion.

Exercises for Legs & Abs Workout
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Barbell Squats
The squat is arguably one of the best exercises you can do for muscle growth. Not only do they heavily work the legs, hips, back, and traps. But squats provide a high level of stimulation to the central nervous system and this in turn helps trigger an anabolic response throughout the entire body. When you squat make sure to keep your head and chest up at all times. Try to sit back and down as you squat letting your hips sink deep into the squat. Then when you come back up purposely keep your head up and even purposely push your head back towards the bar. This will help you maintain your posture as you squat up. Your hips should not rise up before your chest when coming up out of the bottom. If they do it lets the bar drift forward and puts your body out of alignment. This places excess strain on the lower back as you squat. Its rare to see people doing barbell squats in the average fitness gym, let alone doing squats with good form. So make sure to really perfect your squat form first. Even if you have to practice squatting with just the empty bar until you get it down pat. Its better to start lighter and build up gradually using perfect form. Rather then risking injury from using poor form and having to unlearn bad habits later on down the road.

Leg Press
The leg press is a great mass builder for the legs that allows for heavy weights to be lifted. This exercise is a great complement to the squat because it works the legs hard, but doesnt place stress on the back. When you are doing the leg press the higher you place your feet on the footplate the more youll work the hamstrings and glutes. And the lower you place your feet on the footplate the more youll work your quadriceps. You should experiment and see which position feels best for you. As you lower the weight down stop when your quads touch your torso. Do not go too deep and have your lower back roll up off the bottom of the backrest. This will just increase your risk of injury and has no additional muscle building benefits. When doing heavy leg exercises like leg presses and squats you should take a deep breath at the start of each rep, hold your air in your belly, lower the weight down, and actually use the tension created in your core to help rebound out of the bottom position. Then when you lock the weight out at the top you can take a couple breaths before doing your next rep. Controlling your breathing like this will stabilize your torso and make you stronger during the lift itself.

Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift
The stiff leg deadlift is a fantastic exercise for the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Using dumbbells will make the exercise more challenging and actually stimulate a higher level of neuromuscular activation because you have to balance and support 2 weights. Youll actually feel the dumbbell deadlift variation more throughout the core compared to the barbell leg deadlift variation. This move really stretches out the hamstrings. The way I like to visualize doing this exercise is touching your toes while holding weights. Keep your knees slightly bent to take tension off the tendons, but do not squat down in the legs, keep your legs in a fixed position. Keep your back tight and maintain a natural arch in your lower back. Lower down until you feel your hamstrings stretch out, hold it for a split second, then return to the top position.

Lying Leg Curls
Lying leg curls are a great isolation exercise for the hamstrings. They work the hamstrings in a peak contraction position, unlike the stiff leg deadlift, which works the hamstrings in a fully stretched position. As you are doing this exercise you should pull your toes up towards your shins as you curl your legs. This foot position will allow you to contract your hamstrings harder than if you pointed your toes out straight and flexed your calves. Curl your legs up as high as you can and actually try to touch your feet to your butt. Now chances are you wont be able to touch, but try to non-theless, as it will ensure you are fully contracting your hamstrings. Hold this peak contraction position for a second before lowering the weight back down to the starting position.

Seated Leg Extensions
Leg extensions are a great isolation exercise for the quadriceps. They work the quads in a peak contraction position and are great for really brining out the detail and separation in your legs. Just like with the leg curls, as you are doing this exercise you should pull your toes up towards your shins as you extend your legs. This foot position will allow you to contract your quads harder than if you pointed your toes out straight and flexed your calves. With this exercise lockout your legs fully at the top and hold it for a second before lowering back down. Because this is a peak contraction exercise the fully locked out position is actually the hardest one to hold, you cant lock out the weights and get a little rest like with some exercises.

Standing calve raises are my personal favorite calve exercise because they work the calves through a full range of motion and allow for heavy weights to be lifted. Just like with all calve raise variations you should really exaggerate the stretch and the peak contraction with each rep you do. The calves are a very tough dense muscle that gets worked with a partial rep every time you take a step. So to really spur on muscle growth you need to work them in a way they are not accustomed to, which is fully stretched and peak contracted. With the standing calve raise variation you can use a little leg drive from your knees as you fatigue to help you grind out those last few reps. This is why we start with the stricter seated calve raise variation first, and then move on to the standing calve raise variation afterward.

Donkey Calve Raise
The donkey calve raise variation provides a deeper stretch in the calves compared to the standing variation. The fact that you are bent over at the waist hits the calves from a unique angle and really pre-stretches them even more so. For adding resistance to this exercise you have some different options. The easiest in my opinion is simply adding weight with a weight belt as Im showing here in the pictures. If you are training with a partner you can literally have your partner sit on your back, just like if you were going to give him a piggy back ride, and use his bodyweight for resistance. Some gyms may have an actual donkey calve raise machine that can provide weight via a proper weight stack machine. Either one of these option is ok for adding resistance to this exercise. And just like with all calve exercises, youll get better overall muscle stimulation if you focus more on really going for the deep stretch at the bottom and the full peak contraction at the top of each rep you do.

Exercises for Chest & Biceps Workout
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Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
The incline bench press is a great exercise to work the upper chest. With secondary stress placed on the shoulders and triceps. For this exercise set the incline of the bench between a 30 to 45 degree angle. The higher the angle of the bench the more difficult the exercise will be because it uses more of the shoulders and less of the chest. When using dumbbells for this exercise you get more muscle stimulation compared to using a barbell, because you have to balance and support 2 weights. Dumbbells force both the left and right sides to handle an equal workload. This is can help create balance and proportion, especially for people who have one side bigger or stronger than the other. Its actually quite common to be more developed and stronger on your dominant side, so including dumbbell exercises in your workouts can help balance this out overtime. Dumbbells also allow more freedom of movement with your hand positions. Youll notice here in the pictures that Im holding the dumbbells on a slight angle, with my elbows tucked in closer to my sides. This position takes stress off the shoulder joint and actually places you in a stronger position to press.

Flat Dumbbell Chest Press
The flat bench press is a great exercise to work the overall chest. With secondary stress placed on the shoulders and triceps. Generally youll feel stronger on the flat bench press than you will on the incline bench press due to leverage and the ability to utilize more of the pectoral muscles during the press. All of the same things about the use of dumbbells with the incline dumbbell bench press description will apply to the flat dumbbell bench press as well. Just as a side note this is an awesome assistant exercise to really help bring up your flat barbell bench press. A lot of guys are obsessed with getting a bigger bench press, as its often the ego exercise by which your strength in the gym is judged. Im sure youve probably been asked the question How much can ya bench? So if you are at a strength plateau with your flat barbell bench press, switching to flat dumbbell bench presses for a while is a great way to provide some unique muscle stimulation and bust out of your bench press training rut.

Seated Pec Deck
The pec deck is a good isolation exercise that works the chest in a peaked contraction position. The majority of the stress on your pecs is right at the top when your arms are together and your chest is fully contracted. This move is great for getting a pump in your chest because there is constant tension throughout the entire exercise. You cant lock it out at the top and get a little break like you can with the bench press. When setting up for the pec deck fly make sure to position the seat high enough so that your elbows are slightly lower than your shoulders when holding onto the handles. This position takes stress off the shoulder joint and rotator cuff and places more of the workload right on the chest muscles themselves.

Cable Flys
The cable crossover fly is another great isolation exercise for the chest. It works similar to the pec deck fly, but because you are using cables rather than a fixed handle machine youll have to recruit more stabilizer to balance and control the cables during the exercise. When you set up for this exercise its a good idea to place one leg in front of the other and lean forwards. This will give you have a better base and allow for heavier weights to be lifted compared to if you stood up straight with your feet together. Make sure to keep your elbows bent and in a fixed position during the entire exercise. This will take stress off the elbow joints and ligaments while allowing for heavier poundages to be lifted.

Preacher Curls
Preacher curls are a personal favourite exercise of mine, they stretch out the biceps in the bottom and provide a strict movement to really pump up your biceps. Most people like to do preacher curls on the angled side of the pad, but I prefer to do them on the opposite side where your arms can hang straight down. Not all preacher curl benches allow you to do curls on the backside of the pad, but if the one at your gym does then by all means take advantage of it. However, if you only have a standard preacher bench with the 45 degree angle pad then you use that variation instead. Doing preacher curls on the vertical side of the pad allows you to go all the way down and slightly rebound out of the bottom because your arms are pointing straight down and there is not a lot of strain on your elbows or tendons, youll just feel a light stretch in the muscles. Its safer and easier on the tendons compared to using the 45 degree angle preacher bench. I also recommend you do this exercise with the close grip of an EZ curl barbell. The angled grip and width works really well for this movement and the close grip will target the outside head of the biceps and help build more shape and peak.

Standing Barbell Curls
This is the most basic bread and butter bicep exercise there is. Simply grab a barbell with both hands and curl it up. Its pretty simple, but it works. One major problem that we are facing these days is that with so many new fancy exercise machines in the gym, a lot of people are getting away from the basic free weight movements that have stood the test of time and have been proven to be the most effective movements for building real size and strength. With the standing barbell curl you are better off using a straight barbell rather then an EZ curl barbell. The act of twisting your hands all the way so your palms are facing up in the supinated position, will fully activate the bicep muscles. Granted it may feel a little more uncomfortable on the wrists at first, but the little bit of discomfort is worth it in terms of fully stimulating your bicep muscles. You can also target the different muscle head of your biceps by varying the width of your hand placements. A wider grip will tend to focus more of the stress on the inner head of the bicep, and a narrow grip will tend to focus more of the stress on the outer head of the bicep. And of course, a medium width grip will target the entire bicep equally.

Exercises for Back Workout
55

Pull Ups / Chin Ups
Pull ups and chin ups are one of the best lat exercises you can do. If you show me someone who is good at doing pull ups and chin ups chances are youll show me someone who has a wide v-shaped muscular back. Now some people will use the term pull up and chin up interchangeably. But generally a pull up is when you grab the bar with a regular overhand grip. And a chin up is when you grab the bar with an underhand curl grip. However, theres a bit of grey area with the naming because most gyms these days have various different grips and handles that you can grab for doing pull ups / chin ups (i.e. parallel grip, angled grip, etc.) I suggest that you use all the different grips and variations in your workouts. You can literally use a different grip for every set to hit your lats from all kinds of positions and angles. Regardless of what grip you use, make sure to go through a full range of motion when doing pull ups. A lot of people make the mistake of using short choppy reps. Youll get a better back workout and make better overall muscle gains if you make sure to a full stretch at the bottom of each rep.

Bent Over Rows
Bent over barbell rows were a favourite back exercise of former Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, and he had one of the most heavily muscled backs in the history of bodybuilding. As you do this exercise keep your lower back arched and upper body at a 45 degree angle to the floor. Then row the barbell into your stomach. A lot of people make the mistake of bending over too far at the waist and rowing the bar too high to their chest. This just places excess strain on your lower back. Youll feel stronger and work the lats harder by using the proper technique. There are different kinds of grip variations that you can use with bent over barbell rows to work the back from different angles (i.e. wide grip, narrow grip, underhand grip, etc.) Well be covering some of those different variations in the other workouts of this program.

Seated Close Grip Rows
The seated cable row is an awesome rowing exercise for the lats, rhomboids, and traps. It works similar to the bent over barbell row, but because were using cable resistance you get more constant tension on the back from start to finish. Keep your chest high and your back arched as you do this exercise. Then row the handle right into your stomach. Some people like to bend over at the waist, letting their entire torso move forward and backwards with each rep in effort to engage the lower back more. Now while this is ok when using lighter weights, it can be dangerous when you lift heavier. Id recommend just keeping your lower back arched and solid the entire time and save the lower back work for another more appropriate exercise. With all rowing exercises really focus on rowing back with your elbows. Pull them back as far as you can to fully contract the back at the top of each rep, hold this position for a moment, then lower the weight back to the starting position.

Dumbbell Pullovers
Dumbbell pullovers help to expand the rib cage and work all the supporting muscle groups along the torso, chest, lats, arms, and shoulders through a full range of motion. This can really help add thickness and depth to your torso, which is one area that a lot of people lack these days. The pullover is a stretching exercise, so youll make better gains from using a moderate weight, higher reps, and really working through a full range of motion. Add weight to the exercise in a gradual progressive fashion, but never at the expense of sacrificing your exercise form. To expand the rib cage and getting a better stretch during the exercise try to set yourself up so that your hips are lower than the height of the bench as shown in the pictures. If you are training with a partner it would be a good idea to get them to hand you the dumbbell at the beginning of this exercise and take it from you at the end. Its much easier and safer to get in position this way.

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
One-arm dumbbell rows are a killer back exercise that allow for heavyweights to be lifted. Generally youll be able to lift more weight per arm with one-arm dumbbell rows than you would be able to lift in a 2 arm barbell row. This is because you can focus 100% of your energy on each side at a time. When doing dumbbell rows I find it best to stand with your feet straddled, as shown in the pictures, and brace your free hand against a sturdy object like a weight rack. This position will allow you to feel stronger and handle heavier weights compared to kneeling on an exercise bench like some people do when performing dumbbell rows. As you do the exercise row the dumbbell all the way up until it touches your torso, hold for a second to fully contract your lats, and then lower all the way down for a full stretch at the bottom.

Reverse Pec Deck Fly
The reverse pec deck fly is awesome exercise for the rear deltoids and entire upper back. This movement allows you to hit these muscles with relatively heavy weights and strict form. This is a very important exercise to include in your workouts because it helps balance out your upper back and shoulder development. Very often guys will focus too much on the pressing exercises to the front and not enough on the smaller muscles of their upper back. This can lead to potential muscle imbalances and rotator cuff problems. So by including upper back work like the reverse pec deck you can prevent this problem and develop a better proportioned physique.

Weighted Back Extensions
Weighted back extensions (also called hyperextensions) are a fantastic exercise for the lower back, hips, glutes, and hamstrings. The lower back is an area that a lot of people neglect in their workouts because its not a show off muscle like the chest, arms, or abs. This neglect is part of the reason why people often experience lower back problems as they get older. This is a critical area that you really need to focus on in your training. In fact I recommend that you regularly include back extensions in your workouts because having a strong posterior chain (i.e. the muscles the run along the back of the body) will help strengthen your core and help with virtually every exercise you can do. This strength will carry over into all standing exercises like shoulder presses, squats, deadlifts, even bicep curls. Its a good idea to save this exercise for at the end of a back workout. If you did it earlier in your back workout it could pre-exhaust your lower back and really limit you in performing your other back exercises. This one is best saved as a finisher to your back workouts.
500 Rep Bodyweight Circuit

Primer Workout For The Hardcore Bodybuilder Routine
63

Push Ups
Push ups are one of my all time favorite chest exercises. Before I got involved with serious weight training I participated in martial arts and did lots of bodyweight exercises such as push ups. In fact when I was a teenager I could bang out 100 push ups in a single set. All those push ups certainly helped give my chest development a boost and is one of the reasons why my chest is one of my best bodyparts today. One thing youll notice in the pictures above is that Im holding Hex Shaped Dumbbells while doing push ups. This position of holding a handle is more comfortable and natural on your wrist joint then keeping your hands flat on the floor. Most people feel stronger in this position and are able to perform a few addition reps, compared to having their hands flat on the floor. Doing push ups with a close hand spacing really works your inner chest. Medium hand spacing (as shown in the pictures) works the overall chest. And wide hand spacing works more of the outer chest. The closer your hands are together the harder it is, so you can start your sets using a narrow grip, and with each set as you fatigue you can move your hands out a little wider.

Bodyweight Rows
Bodyweight rows are basically the opposite of push ups. They work your back and biceps to the same degree that push ups work your chest and triceps. This is a challenging bodyweight back exercise, but its not as hard as regular pull ups because you are only lifting about 60% of your bodyweight. Youll be able to perform higher reps of bodyweight rows than you will be able to do for pull ups. In fact they are a great stepping stone exercise to help folks who are not strong enough to do a regular pull ups. With bodyweight rows youll generally feel stronger using a narrow grip compared to using a wider grip (the opposite of push ups). So you may want to start off with a wider grip and more your hands close together with each set as you fatigue. You can also use an underhand grip to work more of the biceps and lower lats as well. If possible Id recommend that you do this exercise in a smith machine rather than using a free weight barbell in a rack. The smith machine will be a lot more solid and secure for performing this exercise because the bar will not roll like a free weight barbell can.

Bodyweight Lunges
Lunges are one of the best leg exercises you can do. And when you do them with your back leg elevated on a bench, as shown in the pictures, youll really maximize the muscle stimulation and get a better range of motion as you do the exercise. This move really stretches out the quadriceps in your back leg, and youll feel your hamstrings and glutes working hard in your front leg. Try to position the width of your stance so that your knee is centered over your front foot when in the bottom position of the lunge. This will be the strongest position. If you stand too narrow you will place more stress on the knees, and if you stand too wide you will place more stress on your hip joint. Make sure to perform equal reps for both legs. One leg may feel stronger or more secure than the other. If thats the case dont worry about it, thats totally normal. Virtually everyone has some muscle imbalances between their left and right sides. But you should make a point to start with your weaker side first and then do the exact same number of reps for your stronger side afterwards.

Hyperextensions
Hyperextensions (also called back raises) are a fantastic exercise for the lower back, hips, glutes, and hamstrings. The lower back is an area that a lot of people neglect in their workouts because its not a show off muscle like the chest, arms, or abs. This neglect is part of the reason why people often experience lower back problems as they get older. This is a critical area that you really need to focus on in your training. In fact I recommend that you regularly include hyperextensions in your workouts because having a strong posterior chain (i.e. the muscles the run along the back of the body) will help strengthen your core and help with virtually every exercise you can do. This strength will carry over into all standing exercises like shoulder presses, squats, deadlifts, even bicep curls. When doing this exercise position the pad of the bench low enough so that your pelvis can comfortably bend over the edge. The lower the pad the more youll be able stretch in the bottom position and bring in the hamstrings and glutes into the exercise.

Decline Bench Sit Ups
The decline bench sit up is one of my personal all time favorite abdominal exercises. It works the entire abdominal region; the upper abs, lower abs, and also brings the obliques into play as well. It really is an all in one abdominal exercise. The steeper you have the decline of the bench, the harder the exercise will be. So you may want to start with a lower decline at first and gradually build up to a steeper decline as you get more advanced. When you do this exercise do not rest flat on the bench in the bottom position, keep tension on your abs at all times. Basically you shouldnt let your shoulders touch the bench in between reps.
Hardcore Bodybuilder ROUTINE

Exercises for Chest Workouts
69

Decline Bench Press
The decline barbell bench press is a good mass building chest move. Of the different bench press variations (i.e. flat, incline, and decline) youll generally feel strongest and be able to lift the most weight on the decline bench. The reason for this is because it brings a large portion of the chest into play, there is less strain on the shoulder joint, and the angle of arms are at their most advantageous position for pressing heavy weights. Despite these pressing advantages, not many people perform decline bench presses. More often than not they will opt for the popular flat bench or incline bench instead. So thats why I wanted to include them here in the Hardcore Bodybuilder Routine. It will provide unique muscle stimulation that you are probably not accustomed to, and it will allow for heavy weights to be lifted. So youll get a double whammy of muscle building benefits! When benching grip the bar with a moderate width, for most guys thats pinky fingers on the rings of the bar. Keep your elbows tucked, so at the bottom they are at a 45 degree angle to the sides of your torso, dont let them flare straight out to the sides. The tucked position is a stronger pressing position and it is also safer on your shoulders and rotator cuffs.

Incline Dumbbell Fly
The incline dumbbell fly is a good isolation exercise that works the chest in a fully stretched position. The majority of the stress on your pecs is right at the bottom when your arms are extended out to the sides and your chest is fully stretched. Its always good to perform stretching exercises like this after the muscles are already pumped up with a mid range power exercise, such as the bench press. Including a fully stretched exercise like this is great for aiding with muscle growth because they use Stretch Overload Training, also known as Stretching With Weights. This is something that will enhance muscle growth from hyperplasia (i.e. muscle-fiber splitting). This expands the connective tissue and fascia, which surrounds the muscles, and there by enable the muscles to grow bigger and stronger. Since the main purpose of the dumbbell fly is stretching the muscles, lifting heavy weights is not as important as proper technique and getting a deep stretch. Strive to increase the weights gradually overtime, but never at the expense of exercise form.

Pec Deck Fly
The pec deck is a good isolation exercise that works the chest in a peaked contraction position. The majority of the stress on your pecs is right at the top when your arms are together and your chest is fully contracted. This move is great for getting a pump in your chest because there is constant tension throughout the entire exercise. You cant lock it out at the top and get a little break like you can with the bench press. When setting up for the pec deck fly make sure to position the seat high enough so that your elbows are slightly lower than your shoulders when holding onto the handles. This position takes stress off the shoulder joint and rotator cuff and places more of the workload right on the chest muscles themselves.

Reverse Pec Deck Fly
The reverse pec deck fly is awesome exercise for the rear deltoids and entire upper back. This movement allows you to hit these muscles with relatively heavy weights and strict form. This is a very important exercise to include in your workouts because it helps balance out your upper back and shoulder development. Very often guys will focus too much on the pressing exercises to the front and not enough on the smaller muscles of their upper back. This can lead to potential muscle imbalances and rotator cuff problems. So by including upper back work like the reverse pec deck you can prevent this problem and develop a better proportioned physique.

Push Ups
Push ups are one of my all time favorite chest exercises. Before I got involved with serious weight training I participated in martial arts and did lots of bodyweight exercises such as push ups. In fact when I was a teenager I could bang out 100 push ups in a single set. All those push ups certainly helped give my chest development a boost and is one of the reasons why my chest is one of my best bodyparts today. One thing youll notice in the pictures above is that Im holding Hex Shaped Dumbbells while doing push ups. This position of holding a handle is more comfortable and natural on your wrist joint then keeping your hands flat on the floor. Most people feel stronger in this position and are able to perform a few addition reps, compared to having their hands flat on the floor. Doing push ups with a close hand spacing really works your inner chest. Medium hand spacing (as shown in the pictures) works the overall chest. And wide hand spacing works more of the outer chest. The closer your hands are together the harder it is, so you can start your sets using a narrow grip, and with each set as you fatigue you can move your hands out a little wider.

Exercises for Back Workout
75

Pull Ups / Chin Ups
Pull ups and chin ups are one of the best lat exercises you can do. If you show me someone who is good at doing pull ups and chin ups chances are youll show me someone who has a wide v-shaped muscular back. Now some people will use the term pull up and chin up interchangeably. But generally a pull up is when you grab the bar with a regular overhand grip. And a chin up is when you grab the bar with an underhand curl grip. However, theres a bit of grey area with the naming because most gyms these days have various different grips and handles that you can grab for doing pull ups / chin ups (i.e. parallel grip, angled grip, etc.) I suggest that you use all the different grips and variations in your workouts. You can literally use a different grip for every set to hit your lats from all kinds of positions and angles. Regardless of what grip you use, make sure to go through a full range of motion when doing pull ups. A lot of people make the mistake of using short choppy reps. Youll get a better back workout and make better overall muscle gains if you make sure to a full stretch at the bottom of each rep.

Deadlifts
The deadlift is the oldest and most basic of all weight-training exercises. Simply load up a barbell and lift it off the ground, it doesnt get any more basic than that. The deadlift is a compound movement that works all of the major muscles in the body, with most of emphasis on the traps, spinal erectors, hips, glutes, and hamstrings. The remaining muscles are involved in stability control. Stand in front of a barbell with your shins close to the bar. Feet shoulder width apart or closer. Grab the bar with your hands outside your legs, a bit wider then shoulder width. Keeping your arms straight, bend your legs and flatten your back. Position yourself so it is like you are doing a squat with the barbell at arms length in front of you. Youll notice in the pictures that Im using an alternate grip, which is one hand facing forwards and the other hand facing backwards. The advantage of this grip is that as the bar is rolling out of one hand, it is also rolling into the other hand. Thus allowing you to hold onto heavier weights then you could with a regular overhand grip. I personally like to switch back and forth with the hand positions for each set to ensure equal development over the long term.

Dumbbell Pullovers
Dumbbell pullovers help to expand the rib cage and work all the supporting muscle groups along the torso, chest, lats, arms, and shoulders through a full range of motion. This can really help add thickness and depth to your torso, which is one area that a lot of people lack these days. The pullover is a stretching exercise, so youll make better gains from using a moderate weight, higher reps, and really working through a full range of motion. Add weight to the exercise in a gradual progressive fashion, but never at the expense of sacrificing your exercise form. To expand the rib cage and getting a better stretch during the exercise try to set yourself up so that your hips are lower than the height of the bench as shown in the pictures. If you are training with a partner it would be a good idea to get them to hand you the dumbbell at the beginning of this exercise and take it from you at the end. Its much easier and safer to get in position this way.

Chest Supported Rows
The chest supported row is a strict rowing exercise variation that limits body momentum during the lift. Make sure to fully extend your arms at the bottom of the lift to get a good stretch throughout the lats. Then lift the handles as far back as you can at the top to fully contract the muscles of the back. At the top its ok to arch your back slightly to enhance the peak contraction. There are several different kinds of chest supported row machines available. The one Im using in the pictures is a Hammer Strength rowing machine. But you can use whatever chest supported row machine you have at your gym. The mechanics and benefits of the exercise apply to all the different variations.

Face Pulls
The face pull is an excellent exercise for building up rear deltoids, trapezius, and upper back muscles. This movement allows you to hit these muscles with relatively heavy weights and strict form. This is a very important exercise to include in your workouts because it helps balance out your upper back and shoulder development, which is an area that a lot of guys neglect in their workouts. I prefer to use a rope attachment for this exercise because it allows for more freedom of movement with your hands. The rope also allows for a greater range of motion because you can pull the ends back until they are at the sides of your head. As you work up to lifting heavy weights you may find that balance is an issue, as you lean back counterbalance the weight. If this is a problem you can perform the face pull on a seated low pulley cable row machine with the rope attachment, this way your upper body will still be in the same position, but youll feel more solid and secure as you do the exercise.

Exercises for Leg Workout
81

Leg Extensions
Leg extensions are a great isolation exercise for the quadriceps. They work the quads in a peak contraction position and are great for really brining out the detail and separation in your legs. Just like with the leg curls, as you are doing this exercise you should pull your toes up towards your shins as you extend your legs. This foot position will allow you to contract your quads harder than if you pointed your toes out straight and flexed your calves. With this exercise lockout your legs fully at the top and hold it for a second before lowering back down. Because this is a peak contraction exercise the fully locked out position is actually the hardest one to hold, you cant lock out the weights and get a little rest like with some exercises.

Barbell Squats
The squat is arguably one of the best exercises you can do for muscle growth. Not only do they heavily work the legs, hips, back, and traps. But squats provide a high level of stimulation to the central nervous system and this in turn helps trigger an anabolic response throughout the entire body. Dumbbells also allow more freedom of movement with your hand positions. Youll notice here in the pictures that Im holding the dumbbells on a slight angle, with my elbows tucked in closer to my sides. This position takes stress off the shoulder joint and actually places you in a stronger position to press. When it comes to squat technique there is a lot of debate over doing full squats (as shown in the pictures above) or doing partial squats where you dont squat all the way down. But in my opinion you are better off training a bit lighter and learning how to perform full squats. Granted it takes more time and effort to master dong the full squat compared to simply doing a partial squat. But the overall gains youll make in your leg development are worth it. Another important point I want to mention is that full squatting, when

done properly, is actually easier on the knees than stopping half way down. When you squat deep you work the knees through their natural full range of motion and distribute the stress more evenly. But when you stop half way down the stress is really placed right on the knee joint. Olympic weightlifters always squat really deep and they have amazing leg development. And the owner of the best legs in bodybuilding, Tom Platz, was known for doing rock bottom ass to the floor squats. So my advice is take the time to learn how to do proper full squats, it will be better for your overall leg development in long run.
Tom Platz, The man with the best legs in bodybuilding.

Lying Leg Curls
Lying leg curls are a great isolation exercise for the hamstrings. They work the hamstrings in a peak contraction position, unlike the stiff leg deadlift, which works the hamstrings in a fully stretched position. As you are doing this exercise you should pull your toes up towards your shins as you curl your legs. This foot position will allow you to contract your hamstrings harder than if you pointed your toes out straight and flexed your calves. Curl your legs up as high as you can and actually try to touch your feet to your butt. Now chances are you wont be able to touch, but try to non-theless, as it will ensure you are fully contracting your hamstrings. Hold this peak contraction position for a second before lowering the weight back down to the starting position.

Standing calve raises are my personal favorite calve exercise because they work the calves through a full range of motion and allow for heavy weights to be lifted. With all calve exercises youll get better overall muscle stimulation if you go a little lighter and really exaggerate the stretch and the peak contraction with each rep you do. The calves are a very tough dense muscle that gets worked with a partial rep every time you take a step. So to really spur on muscle growth you need to work them in a way they are not accustomed to, which is fully stretched and peak contracted. Another thing I should mention is wearing flat sole sneakers with no extra

padding work the best for training the calves. They allow you to get a better stretch and peak contraction compared to wearing sneakers with padding and arches. Youll notice that I always wear Chuck Taylors when working out because they are totally flat and provide a good base, which is ideal for a weight lifting shoe. Padded sneakers like running shoes are not the best for working out because they dont have a flat base. Keep in mind running and weight lifting are two totally different sports, you dont need cushion and shock absorption when lifting weights, you just need a solid secure base.

Pull Down Cable Ab Crunch
Pull down ab crunches are a good all around abdominal exercise. They work the entire frontal abdominals right along the rectus abdominis, intercostals, and serratus muscles. The thing I really like about this movement is it is one of the few abdominal exercises that work the abs from a standing position. Youll really hit your abs with some unique muscle stimulation by including this exercise in your routine. In addition to that, it also allows for gradual progressive overload because you can add weight via the cable pulley stack. I find holding a short straight bar handle attachment with an underhand grip works the best for this exercise. As you stand facing away from the lat pull down machine, make sure to brace the back of your legs against the knee pad for stability. Bend forward at the waist as far as you can, until you feel a full contraction throughout the abs. Hold that position for a second and then return to the starting position.

Exercises for Shoulder & Arm Workouts
89

Bradford Press
The Bradford Press is named after former US Heavyweight Olympic weightlifting champion, Jim Bradford. This was one of his favorite exercises for building incredible overhead pressing power. This exercise is a fantastic exercise to work all the muscles along the shoulder girdle. I like to use it as a regular part of my warm up routine, just pressing lightweights for high reps to loosen up the shoulder joints. But you can also work up to pressing heavier weights with this movement as well and use it as a mass building shoulder exercise. The key with the Bradford press is to not lock out your arms, only press the bar high enough to clear your head. Keep alternating pressing to the front and back of the head in a non-stop continuous movement, you do not lock out and pause in between reps, just keep the bar moving at all times.

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
The seated dumbbell shoulder press works the deltoids with a basic compound power move. Most people actually find dumbbell shoulder presses more comfortable than barbell shoulder presses because you can hold the dumbbells at the sides of your head and press up in a straight line. When using dumbbells for this exercise you get more muscle stimulation compared to using a barbell, because you have to balance and support 2 weights. Dumbbells also allow more freedom of movement with your hand positions. You are not locked into a fixed position as you are with barbell presses. When doing dumbbell shoulder presses you should set the bench at about an 80 degree angle, tilted slightly back. This will place you in a stronger position to press and make the exercise much more comfortable compared to sitting on a totally upright 90 degree angle bench.

Standing Barbell Curls
This is the most basic bread and butter bicep exercise there is. Simply grab a barbell with both hands and curl it up. Its pretty simple, but it works. One major problem that we are facing these days is that with so many new fancy exercise machines in the gym, a lot of people are getting away from the basic free weight movements that have stood the test of time and have been proven to be the most effective movements for building real size and strength. With the standing barbell curl you are better off using a straight barbell rather then an EZ curl barbell. The act of twisting your hands all the way so your palms are facing up in the supinated position, will fully activate the bicep muscles. Granted it may feel a little more uncomfortable on the wrists at first, but the little bit of discomfort is worth it in terms of fully stimulating your bicep muscles. You can also target the different muscle head of your biceps by varying the width of your hand placements. A wider grip will tend to focus more of the stress on the inner head of the bicep, and a narrow grip will tend to focus more of the stress on the outer head of the bicep. And of course, a medium width grip will target the entire bicep equally.

Tricep Cable Push Downs
The tricep push downs are basically to triceps, what bicep curls are to biceps. They are a basic compound exercise that works the triceps through a full range of motion. The grip and handle attachments that you use for push downs can change the exercise greatly. Holding a straight bar attachment with an overhand grip is the strongest position that brings all 3 heads of the triceps into play. Using an underhand grip or a rope attachment is more of an isolation exercise that will target more of the outer head of the triceps, and youll have to lighten up the weight. When you do this exercise try to keep your elbows close to your torso at all times and make the triceps do the work. If you leg your arms flare out to the sides, it brings in more of the chest and shoulders, almost like a close grip cable bench press.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbell side lateral raise is an isolation exercise that works the side head of the deltoids. Because this is an isolation exercise you dont need to handle heavy weights, youll get more benefit from this exercise by using moderate weights and strict form. Youll isolate the shoulder more and make the movement harder if you keep the dumbbells at your sides when you start the lift, compared to if you hold them out in front of your body. As you lift the dumbbells to the side in an arc motion, keep a slight bend in your elbows to take tension off the elbow joint. Also try to keep the dumbbells level with the floor at all times as you perform the exercise. If you let the ends of the dumbbells tilt upwards this will take stress off the side deltoids and place it on the front delts.

Incline Dumbbell Curls
Incline dumbbell curls are a great stretch exercise for the biceps. In fact this was a favourite of the great Arnold Schwarzenegger and his bicep development was incredible. The key here is to use an incline bench set at about a 50 degree angle. Sit on the bench with your back to the pad and let the dumbbells hang down by your sides. Curl them all the way up to the top and then lower them back down. Dont have the bench angle too far back and over stretch the biceps in the bottom. You just want a light stretch so you can rebound out of the bottom position. Not so much of a stretch that you are going to risk pulling or tearing a muscle. To help keep more tension on your biceps and get a better stretch as you do this movement, keep your palms facing forwards at all times. Most people let their palms turn in at the bottom when they do this exercise and this actually takes the stress off the biceps. But if you keep your palms forward in the bottom you will really work your bicep muscles to the max and get more benefit from the exercise.

Decline Bench Tricep Extensions
The decline bench tricep extension is very similar to the more popular flat bench tricep extension (aka: skull crusher). But the fact that you are doing the exercise in a decline position will actually increase the range of motion and give you a much deeper stretch through the long head of the triceps. There is also a lot less stress on the elbow joint when doing tricep extensions in the decline position, compared to doing them on a flat bench. When you are angled down your forearms can come down further and bend your elbows more than a 90 degree angle. This actually takes the stress off the elbow joint and places more of the workload on the tricep muscles themselves. I personally prefer the decline bench tricep extensions in place of the flat bench tricep extensions. I suggest that you experiment and try doing both variations in your workouts and see which one feels best for you.

Part 11 The Exercise Description Guide

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