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"A beginner does eight repetitions of a certain exercise with his maximum weight on the barbell. As soon as it hurts, he thinks about stopping.
I work beyond that point, which means I tell my mind that as soon as it starts aching it is growing. Growing is something unusual for the body when you are over eighteen. The body isn't used to ten, eleven or twelve reps with a maximum weight. Then I do ten or fifteen sets of this in a row. No human body was ever prepared for this and suddenly it is making itself grow to handle this new challenge, growing through this pain area.
Experiencing this pain in my muscles and aching and going on and on is my challenge. The last three or four reps is what makes the muscles grow. This area of pain divides a champion from someone who is not a champion.
That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what happens.
I have no fear of fainting. I do squats until I fall over and pass out. So what? It's not going to kill me. I wake up five minutes later and I'm OK. A lot of other athletes are afraid of this. So they don't pass out. They don't go on."
Arnold Schwartzeneggar
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This is one of the very first lessons I learned in the weightroom. It is a simple idea that is easily and often overlooked - you must expose the body to something it is not used to. You must always try to go past your limits. Even though I learned this idea very early in my career, it is just as valuable as everything I have learned since. No matter how complex my training programs become, I am always mindful of the need to push past previous limits in any way possible. The sometimes excruciating pain that accompanies this endeavor is just a necessary part of the ultimate process.
It is this type of thought that dominates the following workout format.
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The following is a workout format I have used consistently for biceps in particular. At one point, I stopped training biceps altogether because they were growing so out of proportion to my other bodyparts. Later, I began to carefully examine these past biceps workouts. I was able to identify a specific pattern. It became obvious why my biceps outgrew all my other bodyparts. This workout pattern, applied correctly, produces remarkable increases in size. The downside? Performed properly, the pain is equally remarkable. The more pain you can withstand, the better the results.
Here is a general description.
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| Paul Nutt: Backstage at New England Bodybuilding Championships |
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Workout Format A ("heavy day")
Primary Exercise
The Primary Exercise is the first exercise of the day for a given bodypart. You should choose a big basic movement here (NOT a machine). Examples of a good primary exercise for biceps include but are not limited to; standing barbell curls, standing reverse curls, or standing EZ-curl.
Perform 4 sets of 4-6 reps; 1 warmup set of 6, then 3 worksets. Each set of 4-6 reps should last between 20-40 secs("time under tension"=20 to 40 seconds), using the most weight you can handle in good form. The fourth set MUST be taken to failure; if you can complete more than 6 reps on the fourth set, THE WEIGHT IS TOO LIGHT.
Secondary Exercise
This is where it gets a bit more tricky. "Find your weight with 5 reps and dropset; 1-3 rounds" is a slang expression I use to describe the format here - you should understand what it means after a couple workouts
Here we go. Pick the Secondary Exercise based on what you chose for the Primary Exercise. If you chose standing barbell curls on the primary, you would like to choose a different arm and/or hand position for the secondary.
Start the second exercise with a light weight and complete 5 reps in ultra strict form (take 3-4 seconds to lower the weight, raise the weight in 1 second, pause at the bottom for 1 sec, pause at the top for one second, maintain tension on the muscle). Rest one minute. Increase the weight by about 15-20%. Perform 5 ultra strict reps. Repeat this procedure until you FIND the weight you cannot complete 5 ultra strict reps with.
When you miss 5 reps (2-5 rep max), immediately reduce the weight to 50-60%, then do as many reps as possible (5-7 reps), reduce weight again (50-60%), do as many reps as possible (10-12). Transition time between weight changes must be limited to less than 10 seconds.
Personally, I prefer to use this format with a single arm dumbbell variation. Example; Concentration curls; 50x3 miss 4, 25x6 miss 7, 15x12 ow! pain. Make the form stricter each time you reduce the weight. The pain you feel (burning) is what will make you terminate the dropsets. The more pain you can tolerate, the larger you can grow. Copy this dropset with your other (stronger) arm. This completes one "round". Do 1-3 rounds. If the third (10-12 rep set) weight is too light/easy, you didn't work hard enough on the first 2 weights or you need to check your math (round up to a heavier drop weight).
Tertiary Exercise
"Even out the arms" is the slang expression I use to describe this method. Here is the explanation.
You just completed the dropsets with your stronger arm (always begin single arm work with the weaker arm and copy the amount of work with the stronger arm). Now, if you went to a double arm movement, one arm would be starting the set more fatigued than the other. So if you chose a single arm movement for the secondary exercise ("find your weight with 5 and dropset"), you will need to choose another single arm movement here to "even out the arms". It is the weaker arm's turn, so grab a dumbbell and begin the exercise, super strict form. You are looking for the weight that you can't complete 5 times in ultra strict form. Estimate light, do as many as you can (5-8 reps), copy with the other arm. If the weight is too light, increase the weight, repeat. When you can't possibly complete 5 reps in PERFECT form, you have "found" your weight. Repeat sets back and forth, passing the weight from one arm to the other without resting, until the reps drop to one or two reps. Example: left arm 4 reps, right arm 4 reps, left arm 3 reps, right arm 3 reps, left arm 2 reps, right arm 2 reps, left arm 1 rep, right arm 1 rep, done! This could take ALOT of sets if you can keep completing 3 reps per arm, for example. Try making the exercise harder by adjusting the form (go stricter). Remember to minimize the rest between arms to only the time it takes to switch the dumbbell into the other hand.
I like to use single arm hammer curls for this one (not ALTERNATING hammers curls; that exercise is for fools who like to swing the 80 lb dumbbells around, still have 16.5" arms, and still can't do 10 chinups to save their life). Another good one is Arnold curls; basically concentration curls standing up. There are several good one arm curls variations; find one. Also, speaking of Arnold, most of you would do well to get your hands on Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern BodyBuilding. This is a great reference book with a ton of exercises illustrated with full page photos and detailed descriptions.
The Finisher
I cannot stress enough that the amount of weight you use on this exercise is NOT important. You are looking for a maximum amount of pump, fatigue, burn, and pain. Pick an exercise, pick a light weight, use super strict form, perform 2-4 sets of 6-10 reps, continuous tension; the duration of set must last 50-60 seconds. Keep rest between sets to less than one minute.
Summary
Primary Exercise: 4 sets x 4-6 reps, Time under tension= 20-40 seconds per set. Rest Interval between sets= 60-90 seconds.
Secondary Exercise: Find your weight with fives and then dropset 1-3 rounds.
Tertiary Exercise: Find your weight with 5 reps and then "even out the arms".
The Finisher: 3 or 4 sets of 6-10 reps, continuous tension, Time under tension = 50-60 seconds per set, Rest Interval = 45-60 seconds.
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Workout Format B ("light day")
Primary Exercise
The Primary Exercise is the first exercise of the day for a given bodypart. You should choose a big basic movement here (NOT a machine). Examples of a good primary exercise for biceps include but are not limited to; standing barbell curls, standing reverse curls, or standing EZ-curl.
Perform 1 set of 6 reps and 3 sets of 10 reps; 1 warmup set of 6, then 3 worksets of 10 reps each set. Each set of 10 reps should last between 30-50 seconds ("time under tension"=20 to 40 seconds), using the most weight you can handle in good form. You will be using the same weight for all 3 sets; estimate well, the weight should be challenging. If it is feeling too easy, make the form STRICTER (lower slowly, don't swing your torso when you raise the weight). Minimize the rest between sets. You should be resting one minute or LESS. Performed properly, your arms will already be aching upon completion of the 3rd workset.
Secondary Exercise
The fact that you won't be performing any dropsets on your secondary exercise today will be a small consolation.
Pick the Secondary Exercise based on what you chose for the Primary Exercise. If you chose standing barbell curls on the primary, you would like to choose a different arm and/or hand position for the secondary. You must choose a single arm movement, however.
Start the second exercise (a single arm movement) with the weaker arm. Begin with a light weight and complete 8 reps in ultra strict form (take 3-4 seconds to lower the weight, pause at the bottom for 1 second, raise the weight in 1 second, squeeze at the top for one second, repeat - maintain tension on the muscle). Immediately switch the dumbbell to the other hand and copy the performance of the "weaker" arm (same tempo, relative body position, and reps). If the weight feels exceedingly light here, pick a heavier weight after this first rotation.
Switch the dumbbell back to the other arm, perform 8 reps. Switch back to the "stronger" arm and copy. The reps should start falling on the third rotation, if you can still perform 8 reps each arm on the third round, GRAB A HEAVIER WEIGHT for the 4th round and continue with that weight. The goal here is to keep repeating this rotation until fatigue and pain force the reps down to a maximum of 1 or 2 reps each arm. When that happens you have "evened out the arms" and you can move on the Tertiary Exercise.
Tertiary Exercise
I should mention here a thing or two about choosing arm exercises. When you are working biceps, right off the bat you should be able to think of 9 different exercises based on the basic anatomical positions of the body. You have 3 hand positions; supinated (palms up), pronated (palms down), and semi-supinated (palms facing or "hammer-style"). You have 3 major arm positions; humerus (upper arm bone) in front of the torso (as on a preacher bench, for example), humerus behind the torso (like Incline DB curls), and humerus in line with the torso (as in Standing Barbell Curls, for example).
In bodybuilding, the idea is to hit the muscle from as many angles as possible, exhausting each angle. When you choose your exercises in these arm workouts, choose exercises that accomplish that goal. If you chose Standing Barbell Curls on the Primary (humerus in line with the torso, hands supinated), Seated DB Hammer Curls on the Secondary (humerus in line with the torso, hands semi-supinated), what should you choose on the tertiary?
OPTION 1 - Change the hand position; Standing Reverse Curls.
OPTION 2 - Change the position of the humerus; Incline DB Curls.
OPTION 3 - Change the hand position and the position of the humerus; Reverse Curls on Preacher Bench.
If the Primary and Secondary exercises change, options 1-3 change as well.
Decide on a Tertiary exercise. You will be performing 3-4 sets of 8 reps in the strictest form you can. Estimate your weight/strength levels, pick the poundage and repeat the sets with the same weight. If you miss 8 reps on the third set, you're done this exercise. If you can still complete 8 reps on the 4th set, increase the poundage and perform a 5th (where you will definitely miss) or make the exercise more difficult by adjusting your form.
The Finisher
I cannot stress enough that the amount of weight you use on this exercise is NOT important. You are looking for a maximum amount of pump, fatigue, burn, and pain. Pick an exercise, pick a light weight, use super strict form, perform 2-4 sets of 6-10 reps, continuous tension; the duration of set must last 50-60 seconds. Keep rest between sets to less than one minute.
Summary
Primary Exercise: warmup, then 3 sets x 10 reps, Time under tension= 30-50 seconds per set. Rest Interval between sets= 60 seconds OR LESS.
Secondary Exercise: Pick a light weight for 8 reps and "even out the arms".
Tertiary Exercise: 3-4 sets of 8 reps.
The Finisher: 3 or 4 sets of 6-10 reps, continuous tension, Time under tension = 50-60 seconds per set, Rest Interval = 45-60 seconds.
GET TO WORK!
Well, there you have it - finally some workouts you can use to "pack some quality meat on the ol' pipes!" as a friend of mine used to say. Now I have described this workout system as applied to biceps, but this "system" can be applied to any bodypart you wish. Just don't apply this to all your bodyparts in the same training cycle: too much to recover from unless you are receiving "chemical" assistance.
Try this format and email me with some questions/feedback. Warning: this workout usually causes A LOT of muscle soreness that can last for days.
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