By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com
I’m often asked what my body measurements are and/or what are the ideal measurements for a bodybuilder or a classical muscular male physique. Believe it or not, there are actually many formulas for determining the “ideal body proportions.” On the other hand, you might want to take them with a grain of salt…
QUESTION: Tom, there is one thing that I really would like to know – your measurements. You have a physique that (in my opinion) is ideal and your photos are a real inspiration to me. I am able to move up in weight gradually with my workouts, so I know I am building muscle, but I never have a measurement to shoot for – e.g. biceps, chest, waist, hips, etc. Also, it seems like certain ratios (for example, chest to waist ratio, and maybe there are others?), would be helpful also. My thinking is that if my waist and hips are “growing” faster than my chest, then that might be an indicator that I am gaining fat where it likes to show up first (hips and waist). The measurements I have of myself are: chest, waist, hips, biceps, forearms, thighs, calves. Thank you.
ANSWER: Personally, I no longer take my measurements, although I did regularly when I was a teenager. I do, however think it’s a great way to chart progress. Circumference measurements give you feedback about how well your training (and nutrition) regimen are working and let’s you catch yourself if certain body parts are lagging behind others, or in the case of waist and hips, if you’re gaining body fat.
The waist measurement is an important one, because when your waist circumference is going down, you know your overall body fat is going down. Also, when your waist shrinks even a little bit, it tends to completely change the way you look – even if you don’t gain any muscle, a narrow waist creates an illusion of broader shoulders. Abdominal fat and a large waist measurement is also a health risk.
There have been all kinds of different formulas proposed over the years for the “ideal proportions”, but I never aimed for a certain measurement myself. Bodybuilding is a very visual sport. The judges don’t come up on stage and measure your arms in a bodybuilding contest – you are judged on appearance.
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If you are looking for a simple strength training equipment to build a powerful upper body, strength your back, triceps and biceps, the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar is the ideal tool for you to perform pull-ups, push-ups, shin-ups, dips, crunches and more.
The multi function training bar come with three grip positions (narrow, wide and neutral) for training the inner and outer back. It design to fit and hold against most doorway frames or sit on the floor for your muscle building exercise, no screws and tools require, install and start your workout in seconds.
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B. Roberts: “Assembly was a breeze and took about 10 minutes. The piece that mounts to the back of the door jam is plastic so I was a little weary of whether it would hold up well or not. I did a couple slow pullups using the various positions to make sure it wouldn’t fall apart on me and then did some reps and it feels pretty solid. I’m 180 lbs and it held fine…..”
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How Liquid Calories May Be Making You Fat… Even Your Favorite Protein Drinks!
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com
At least 7 scientific studies have provided strong evidence that energy containing beverages (i.e., “liquid calories”) do not properly activate the satiety mechanisms in the body and brain and do not satisfy the appetite as well as food in solid form.
Epidemiological research also supports a positive association between calorie-containing beverage consumption and increased body weight or body mass index. New research now suggests that soda may not be the only culprit…
The primary source of liquid calories in the United States Diet is carbohydrate, namely soda. Now running a close second are specialty and dessert coffees. Did you know that a 16 ounce Frappucino can contain 500 calories or even more! That’s one-third of a typical female’s daily calorie intake while on a fat loss program.
A recent study at Purdue University published in the International Journal of Obesity set out to learn even more about this bodyfat – liquid calories relationship.
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December 6th, 2009 in
Fat loss |
1 Comment
Using HIGH Reps To Build Muscle?
Three Ways To Do It That Will Shatter ANY Muscle Growth Plateau!
By Nick Nilsson
Normally, when you think “muscle,” you probably think “low reps”…but I’ve got three ways to use HIGH reps to slap the muscle on you FAST.
When I say “muscle building,” I’m sure the first thing that jumps into your head is NOT high-rep training!
In fact, when trying to build muscle, most trainers will actively stay FAR away from anything resembling high reps (and when I say high reps, I mean anything more than 13 to 15 reps per set).
Here’s the thing…that can actually be a HUGE mistake!
Just like heavy weights and low reps, the higher rep ranges can be a VERY valuable and even ESSENTIAL tool in your muscle-building arsenal.
I’ve got three high-rep training techniques I want to share with you right now. And I’m going to explain EXACTLY why each one is critical to your muscle-building success.
1. Very Light Weight, Very High Reps
Yep, I know this sounds absolutely CRAZY. How can light weight and very high reps do ANYTHING for building muscle? Here’s a hint…it’s not about resistance…it’s about physiology.
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By Nick Nilsson
The upper chest is a MUST to work if you want complete chest development… and the incline barbell press is a key exercise.
I’ll show you my favorite technique for getting maximum results from this exercise!
Male or female, training the upper chest is extremely important for overall balance in the upper body. Critical, in fact! And the Incline Barbell Bench is one of the primary exercises for working the upper chest.
But if you’re like me, you may have a hard time getting results from this exercise…maybe all you get are tired triceps and sore shoulders, in fact!
If so, I’ve got the solution for you. It’s a very simple adjustment to the setup that you use for the incline barbell press and a simple adjustment in how you perform the exercise.
One of the biggest problems I’ve encountered with this exercise, in myself at least, is the tendency for the chest and rib cage to flatten out during the exercise, which takes the tension off the pecs and puts it on the shoulders and triceps instead.
In order for the pecs to get a good contraction, the shoulder blades need to be tight in together behind your back with the shoulders back and chest/rib cage expanded.
With each rep of the “normal” incline barbell bench press, when you’re at the top of the movement (especially when you unrack the bar), the full extension of your arms very quickly causes your shoulder blades to come forward and your rib cage to flatten out, taking the emphasis off the pecs and putting it on the shoulders (at the bottom) and triceps (at the top).
So basically, just by unracking the bar, you’re immediately putting your body in a poor biomechanical position to perform the exercise with emphasis on the upper chest.
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By Nick Nilsson
Lagging forearm size or grip strength holding you back?
Check out these unique exercises and techniques for developing
bone-crushing grip strength and bowling pin forearms!
I’ll be honest…direct forearm and grip training is something you don’t see a whole lot of people doing in the gym. It’s not glamorous, it’s hard work, it takes time away from more “viewable” bodyparts, and the training it takes to really get results can be downright painful!
So that intro didn’t send you packing? Good. That means you’re serious about building stronger forearms and better grip strength! NOW we can get started.
Grip strength is extremely useful in so many ways…the stronger your grip, the heavier the weight you can lift and the longer you can hold it. In the majority of heavy pulling exercises, grip strength is the limiting factor. Building thick, meaty forearms is a great physique enhancement – quite often, the forearms are the only visible muscles that aren’t covered up by clothing!
I’ve found that the most effective forearm and grip strength exercises AREN’T the typical wrist curls you see many people doing in the gym. Sure, you can get a good pump and a good burn when doing them but how practical are they when it comes to “real world” gripping?
The following exercises, tips and techniques are all about “practical.” Here they are in no particular order:
- Read the rest of this entry »
By David Louis
When someone starts lifting weights for the first time, it’s pretty predictable what they will do. It’s almost always chest and arms, with (maybe) some back and shoulders thrown in for good measure. You might see some leg work, but not anything serious. The short of it is most newbies focus on their favorite muscles and work them with isolation exercises.
It’s been proven by professional trainers and strength coaches that lifter at any level of experience can see more results by using compound exercises. In fact, if you are looking to get bigger and stronger, training muscles in isolation is the long way around.
What are compound exercises? Read the rest of this entry »
