How To Build Big Traps

Published on October 8, 2009 in Bodybuilding, Muscle Building, burn fat gain muscle, gain muscle fast, gain muscle mass and muscle gaining. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

By Jason Ferruggia

When it comes to the question of how to build big traps the discussion starts and finishes with deadlifts. This incredible mass builder will pack huge slabs of beef on your traps faster than just about any other exercise there is. Just look at powerlifters and you will see that there is simply no way to avoid building huge traps when you do a lot of deadlifts.

While the deadlift is the king of trap building exercises, an argument could be made that Olympic lifts are equally as effective. I would tend to agree if not for the fact that Olympic lifts are harder to teach and learn than deadlifts are, which moves them down to second on the list. Everyone can do at least a partial range deadlift properly. Not everyone can clean or snatch properly.

Finally, you have shrugs. While it seems like a very simple and straight forward movement there is actually a great deal of confusion over how to build big traps with shrugs. Nobody seems to be able to agree on how they should be done. On one hand you have the camp that says you need to go as heavy as possible and do partial reps, just heaving the weight up. Then there’s the camp that says you need to go light and get a full range of motion, trying to get your shoulders as close to touching your ears as possible and hold it there for a second.

Who is right and who is wrong?

They both are.

To understand where the answer truly lies lets again take a look at the athletes with the biggest traps: power lifters and Olympic lifters

Powerlifters have huge traps because of all the deadlifts they do. Deadlifts are heavy, period. There is no shrugging movement at all, in fact. Olympic lifters lift relatively lighter weights explosively and with a range of motion that does indeed have them bringing their traps to their ears.

Looking at these two groups, what does this tell us about shrugs and the proper way to do them?

Quite simply, what it tells us is that the best way to get huge traps is to deadlift and Olympic lift. Bottom line.

BUT… what if you can not do either of those exercises due to back or shoulder problems or just want more variety in your trap training routine? Then you have no choice but to shrug. Traps are the most important, intimidating and impressive bodypart there is and you can’t walk around with none.

So then, exactly how do you do shrugs and which camp is right? They both are. Sometimes you should go heavy for low reps, cheat the weight up and don’t worry about getting an extreme contraction at the top. Then on another day of the week go lighter for higher reps with a complete range of motion and exaggerated contraction and hold at the top.

Another option is to do both variations in one workout. You could start with a lighter weight, doing 10-12 reps, bringing your shoulders as high as they can go. With each set add more weight and work your way down to the point where you can only get five partial reps with a little cheat at the end. You could start with the heavier sets first and lighten them as you go.

Deadlifts and Olympic lifts should always be your first answer to the question of how to build big traps. But sometimes and in certain situations, shrugs can be very effective as well. Just make sure to go straight up and down and don’t roll your shoulders forwards and backwards; that’s for nitwits who don’t have a full understanding of how gravity works.

Be relentless,

Jason Ferruggia
Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more How to Build Muscle Fast tips, check out http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com/

How To Build Big Triceps

Published on October 8, 2009 in Bodybuilding, Build bigger arms, burn fat gain muscle, gain muscle fast, gain muscle mass and muscle gaining. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

By Jason Ferruggia

When people ask me how to build big triceps I respond with two simple words; “do dips.” Do dips and do a lot of them. Why, you ask? Have you seen the triceps development on male gymnasts lately? The dip is basically the only true triceps move they do and they are absolutely jacked with huge, thick, horseshoe triceps. Whenever you use your bodyweight for resistance or bodyweight plus additional resistance via a chin/dip belt or weight vest, you activate a much greater number of muscle fibers than you would if you simply used a machine. Machines do not recruit the smaller stabilizer muscles and do not force the muscles to contract naturally as they would in real life. Whenever possible you want to try to move your body instead of simply moving the arm or attachment on a machine. And although free weight exercises are very effective and a much better option than training on a machine, moving your own bod will always reign supreme when it comes to building muscle.

Dips can be performed on parallel bars or, if you are really strong, gymnastics rings. Be sure to squeeze the bars tightly, brace your abs as if you were about to be punched and lower yourself no lower than the point where your triceps are parallel with the ground. Going lower than that puts too much stress on the shoulders and getting the extra stretch is not worth the risk of an injury.

Dips can be performed three times per week as a beginner. After a few months of that I don’t think you will be confused about how to build big triceps anymore. When you get more advanced it is recommended to cut your dips down to twice per week. Although I used to love weighted dips and routinely had many of my clients perform them with numerous 45 pound plates strapped to their waists I have found, over the years, that there is simply too great a risk of injury with heavy weighted dips and now do not allow anyone in my gym to do dips with more than just one 45 pound plate. Anything beyond that seems to get too risky.

For intermediate lifters you could do one day heavy, where you add resistance to your weight belt, and one day light where you simply rep out with bodyweight. The two days should be about 72 hours apart. Once you get strong enough to do a 45 pound plate you will probably only want to use weighted dips as a rep exercise and not a heavy strength movement anymore.

To make dips more difficult without adding more weight, try doing them on gymnastics rings or on straps. You can also try holding your legs straight out directly in front of you as well. Either option will be very challenging and are great muscle builders.

Aside from dips, the next best muscle building exercise for the triceps is a reduced range of motion close grip bench press or some variation of it. The top half of the bench press really focuses the stress on the triceps which is why you want to limit the range when training simply to increase the size of your arms. To do this you can set pins in a power rack or have a partner hold a few two by fours on your chest. These are called board presses. Three, four and five boar presses are awesome for building huge triceps and should be incorporated into your routine on a regular basis. When you get too strong to go heavy on dips without risking a shoulder injury, make board presses your heavy triceps movement and dips your light triceps movement. Keep pushing up the weight and reps and pretty soon people will be asking you about how to build big triceps like yours.

Train hard,

Jason Ferruggia
Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more How to Build Muscle Fast tips, check out http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com/

How To Build Bigger Arms

Published on October 8, 2009 in Bodybuilding, Build bigger arms, Muscle Building, Muscle weight gain, burn fat gain muscle, gain muscle fast, gain muscle mass and muscle gaining. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

By Jason Ferruggia

Guns, jacks, pipes, hooks, pythons… Whatever you call them, the fact remains that most guys want bigger arms. While they are nowhere near as impressive as a big set of traps, you still don’t want to have and extra six inches of space in your shirt sleeves; that’s for sure. So the question is how to build bigger arms? The answer is not as simple as you might assume. If it were easy, you would see tons of guys walking around with 18 inch arms. But that simply isn’t the case.

It’s been said over and over again that in order to add an inch to your upper arms you need to gain ten pounds of bodyweight. This advice has become gospel and it seems that nearly everyone agrees with this these days. Real world evidence shows that this is not the case, however. Walk into any public gym on a Monday night at five o’clock and you will see quite a few skinny guys, weighing no more than 170 pounds, who are sporting decent sized arms.

Many of them probably have not gained more than 10 or 15 pounds total since they started training but they all have put more than an inch or two on their arms. This is because localized hypertrophy/ muscle growth will take place if enough volume is present, without a large increase in bodyweight. Look at the calves on soccer players or the forearms on mechanics. But this only happens up to a certain point.

So these young guys read in some magazine about how to build bigger arms and start by doing ten sets of arms two or three days a week. The volume is enough to elicit a growth response and they may even get a good eight weeks out of this and a quick two inches of arm growth in the absence of any significant weight gain. Seems to defy the ten pounds per inch rule, right?

But what happens after that? Where do they go from there? The gains will halt and there will be absolutely no more arm growth whatsoever unless they make some drastic changes. And that is the pitfall of high volume training- where can you go when you plateau? Add more volume? At what cost? How much volume can you add? If ten sets isn’t enough should you try twenty? And then thirty? And eventually a hundred?

There’s nowhere to go with this approach. Like I said, it’s great for some quick gains on your arms but isn’t a long term approach. Once you hit a plateau you have no choice but to start lifting heavier weights and eating more. More weight on the bar and more food on your plate is the fastest way to increase the size of any body part. All the fancy supersets, drop sets, tri sets, pre exhaustion, post exhaustion techniques in the world won’t help in the least if you are not doing those two very important things.

Beginners can train the arms three times per week and intermediate and advanced lifters seem to do better training them twice per week. Stick with big exercises like close grip chin ups, barbell curls, hammer curls, towel curls, dumbbell curls, parallel bar dips, close grip benches, and lockouts. You shouldn’t need more than 2-4 sets of biceps and triceps twice per week to achieve optimal growth, providing that you are always increasing your loads and steadily adding more calories to your diet. After a couple of heavy sets finish your arm workout by getting the biggest pump possible with one or two higher rep sets.

For more information on how to build bigger arms and increase the size of every other body part, check out http://www.MuscleGainingSecrets.com/ now.

Train hard,

Jason Ferruggia

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more How to Build Muscle Fast tips, check out http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com/

Stop The Muscle Building Insanity

Published on October 8, 2009 in Bodybuilding, Muscle Building, Muscle weight gain, burn fat gain muscle, gain muscle fast, gain muscle mass and muscle gaining. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

By Jason Ferruggia

I often wonder how guys were even able to workout before internet training forums were around. I mean if you can’t visit 469 different message boards per day and post your muscle building workout in order to get the approval from at least half the world’s population before hitting the gym that day how could you ever make progress? It’s bewildering to me.

Or where would the variety in your training come from? Everyone knows the fastest way to make gains is to mindlessly, blindly and without reason switch on a monthly basis from the Russian Pyramid Scheme to Indonesian Drop Sets to Hungarian Hypertrophy Training to German Volume Training and so on and so on. Right?

Oh, the insanity…

There are a few very important factors that need to be remembered if you are interested in muscle building.

Consistency, dedication, commitment are three of the most important.

You have to be willing to put in the time and pay your dues. You have to pick a plan and stick with it. Results won’t come overnight. You have to be patient and consistent. If you are trying to get bigger and stronger you have to add weight to the bar; AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. You have to eat way beyond the point of being uncomfortable. I’m talking about having a fork in your mouth for the majority of your waking hours. There are some guys who will argue that you can gain size on a caloric intake at or slightly above maintenance. They will talk about “dry muscle” and other nonsense. This is good advice to follow if you want to remain a pencil necked geek forever. If you want to gain size as rapidly as humanly possible you have to eat inordinate amounts of food and lift incredibly heavy weights. There is no way around it.

If you don’t want to get fat in the process you should do cardio, time your carb intake and make healthy food choices. Although the truth of the matter is if you allow yourself to get fat while getting bigger you will reach your goal faster. More calories, more weight gain and better leverages to lift heavier poundages will lead to faster hypertrophy gains. It won’t be the prettiest look in the world but you can slowly diet the extra fat off later. That’s the fastest way. I’m not saying it’s the most attractive option for everyone. But you’ll get big and strong in a hurry. If you try to stay under 8% bodyfat year round while trying to gain size, you’re going to be in for a long battle ahead.

Decide what it is that you really want to accomplish with your training and do it. Don’t over analyze everything because I can promise you that you’ll never get anywhere. Don’t question it. Don’t think about it. Just pick a solid, proven training plan that has a good track record of success and stick with it. For at least 8 weeks. Don’t ask everyone you meet what they think of your training program or what they are doing. Just commit to making the fastest gains possible in the next 8 weeks, train hard and heavy, eat a lot and you’ll be blown away by the progress you can make when you actually believe in yourself and what you are doing.

For a proven muscle building program that will remove all the guesswork for you and has helped thousands of guys get huge and strong in a hurry click HERE now.

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more How to Build Muscle Fast tips, check out http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com/

Using Complex’s To Burn Fat and Gain Muscle

Published on October 6, 2009 in Bodybuilding, Bodyweight Exercise, Muscle Building and muscle gaining. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

A few days ago a had the opportunity to interview muscle gaining/fatloss expert Alwyn Cosgrove in It he gave so much powerful information about how to lose fat and gain muscle it will make your head spin.

One of the things he talked about in the interview was using complex’s for gaining muscle and losing fat, now your probably wondering what the heck are complex’s? Complexes are 3 or more exercises done back to back without
putting the bar down with minimal rest.

The benefits of complex’s are great they create a huge lactic acid tolerance which literally melts the fat off your body, and they stress your entire body for a prolonged period of time. We call this time under tension and that equals more muscle for you.

There are numerous combination’s of exercise’s that work well as a complex  but always try to stick with the major fullbody exercises, like squats, presses, and rows. I recommend you use a barbell as it always works best for gaining the most muscle.

If your main goal is to gain muscle shoot for 3 to 5 reps per exercise and use maximal weight. On the other hand if you want to lose fat use the same exercise just shoot for 8-10 reps per exercise and minimize your rest periods.

Here is a killer muscle gaining/fat burning complex…

-Powercleansx5
-Pushpressx5

-Front Squatsx5

Although it looks simple I can assure you 5 sets of this bad boy will leave you in a pool of sweat, I suggest you start light maybe 65 to 95 lbs and progress from there.

Aim to do these complex’s at least 3 to 4 times per week and progress by adding weight to the bar every week.

3 Reasons Your Not Gaining Muscle

Published on October 6, 2009 in Bodybuilding, Bodyweight Exercise, Muscle Building, Strongman Training and muscle gaining. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

As A strength and conditioning coach I witness a lot of people literally sabotaging their way to gaining muscle. Most people make the same mistakes over and over again and wonder why they aren’t packing on the muscle they deserve.

So I decided…I am going to help you guys out.  Here are the top 3 reasons you are not gaining the muscle you deserve in the gym.

Reason #1- You are not lifting heavy enough!

There I said it now you can go and hate me for it, but I suggest you get over yourself and put some weight on the bar.

What I mean by you are not lifting heavy enough is if you are not including big multi-joint full-body exercises like the Deadlift, Squat, and Benchpress you are wasting your valuable time.

These 3 exercises should be the cornerstone of your weekly program and yes you should go heavy and work to achieve max poundage in all these lifts. An attainable goal for all men should be a double bodyweight deadlift and squat, as well as a bodyweight Benchpress

If you currently cant do this get to work. When you achieve these goals you will be rewarded with a lot more muscle than you currently have.

Reason #2-You do not eat enough food!

In your quest to pack on muscle, eating is just as important as a good exercise program. Just like you spend time to plan out your workouts you need to plan out your meals as well.

Now you don’t have to get crazy and try all kinds of fancy diets I recommend you shoot to eat breakfast lunch and dinner with 2 protein shakes in between.

Try to avoid processed food and junk, shop the perimeter (avoid the aisle’s aim for natural food) of your local grocery store. Keep things simple include fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish. Also aim to drink a gallon of water a day.

Your body is a machine and food is your fuel, plan out your meals accordingly and you will see the gains you are looking for.

Reason #3- Plan your Workouts.

This is a relatively simple concept yet it is vitally important to your success in the gym. Like the old saying goes “Without a plan you are planning to fail” not sure who said it but they were very correct.

So before you embark on your quest to gain more muscle take the time to write out your workouts for at least the next 4 weeks. Do not change your exercises each time, track and record all your sets, and aim to improve each week.

This although seems simple will do wonders for your physique. By tracking your sets you know if your improving and getting stronger. The equation is actually very simple, if you are getting stronger you are gaining muscle don’t overcomplicate this.

Follow these 3 simple rules and watch your gains in the gym sore I cant stress it enough keep things simple and good luck in your journey.

Using Strongman Training For Muscle Gaining

Published on October 6, 2009 in Bodybuilding, Muscle Building, Strongman Training and muscle gaining. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Strongman training is an awesome way to train for gaining muscle in the fastest time possible. It combines Strength, endurance, and explosiveness all in one complete package.

One of the obvious benefits on strongman training is the equipment is very easily attainable, and can be had for FREE or at bare minimal cost.

I discovered this style of training after attending a seminar with NAS Strongman champ Tom Mitchell. He put me  through a workout and after I was just spent, my body was sore in places I had never felt before and at that point I knew this training has a place in my quest for gaining muscle.

So Here’s a list of Benefits:
-Equipment is FREE to obtain or bare minimum cost
-Unlimited variations of exercises
-Gives you a big mental edge
-they train your body to function in a unstable environment
-Gives you a huge mental edge over your other competitors
-Develop usable strength not just pretty muscle

Here are some of my favorite exercises to get you started:

1)Tire flips- Tires can be had for free by calling up your local tire yard and asking for them. They are a great fullbody exercise that works the posterior chain to the fullest as well as developing extreme mental confidence.

2) Farmers Walk- Is another great fullbody exercise that will pack on massive amounts of size to your legs arms and upper back like no other exercise I’ve ever seen. Farmers walks can be obtained by using 2 heavy dumbbells and carrying them for long distances.

3) Sandbag Loading- This exercise is awesome for developing explosive power and is great for athletes all you do is fill a bag with sand and lift it to a high platform.

As you can see these pieces of equipment can be had for very little cost and have a a huge carryover in packing on muscle size and levels of stength you just cant achieve by staying in your local gym.

Bodyweight Training For Maximum MuscleGain…

Published on September 10, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Every 4 years millions of people turn on the TV to watch the summer Olympics and without a doubt one thing you cant help but notice are the physiques are athletes are sporting. But in comparison the most impressive year after year are Gymnasts. But to the confusion to most people these folks rarely workout with weights.  These physiques come from years of work on one of the most basic but most powerful tools BODYWEIGHT exercise.

When most people think of bodyweight exercises the first ones that come to mind are usually push-ups, pull-ups, and squats once you realize the options with these three you’ll realize the unlimited potential these exercises create.

Still not convinced, how about some examples, take a look at NFL great Herschel Walker. He swore by bodyweight exercise all the way through his NFL career and to this day still does some of the same routines he did to prepare himself for Professional Football. Still not convinced, Look up UFC fighter Mac Danzig, his entire training program that made him winner of the Ultimate fighter series was all bodyweight exercise.

So stop making exuses and hit these programs hard and laugh at everyone, when they ask you how much your in the gym.

Bodyweight exercise is the most basic and most underused form of training. The benefits of bodyweight exercises are endless here are few benfits.
- Can be done anywhere at anytime
- Can be mixed in with your cardio sessions to prevent boredom
- Different levels to challenge even the most advanced athletes
- Great for large groups
- No equipment needed

There are a lot of misconceptions with using your own bodyweight, in that there is a myth that it is only used for conditioning, but you would be hard pressed to walk into any gym across the country and find someone who can do 5 handstand pushups, or a one legged squat. So just remember your options are endless and they are not limited to being inside a gym.