Using HIGH Reps To Build Muscle?
3 Ways To Do It That Will Shatter ANY Plateau!

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.

In order for a muscle to grow, first you’ve got to stimulate growth by overloading it with resistance – no argument there. But AFTER you’ve stimulated the growth, you’ve got to supply NUTRIENTS to the muscle cells to help them rebuild.

What if your blood supply is poor to the trained muscle? Got a muscle group that doesn’t pump up very easily? It’s probably one of your hardest muscle groups to develop. Poor circulation means fewer nutrients get to that muscle for recovery and rebuilding, leading to reduced growth.

THAT is where light weight and very high reps come into play. You see, VERY high reps have the effect of increasing capillarization in muscle tissue (simply defined, capillaries are the tiny blood vessels where blood cells release their nutrients to the rest of the cells in the body).

Bottom line, you do a set of 100 reps and your body responds by increasing capillary density in the targeted muscle, which SETS THE STAGE for future muscle growth.

The high reps sets don’t directly CAUSE muscle growth (the resistance isn’t high enough), they just improve blood circulation to the target muscle so when you DO train heavy and for lower reps, your target muscle gets more nutrients and can grow and recover more easily.

Want to put this tip to work? Pick a “hard to pump” muscle and at the start of EVERY workout you do for that bodypart (e.g. every time you train biceps), do a single set of 100 reps with a VERY light weight. Basically, pick an exercise and just CRANK out the reps. Do this EVERY time you train that bodypart and you soon will start to notice a difference in how easily that muscle pumps up and how well it grows.

2. Moderate-Weight, High-Rep Training

This sure sounds like an oxymoron. After all, how can you use moderate weights when you’re performing high reps!

As a matter of fact, you CAN. In fact, it’s one of THE best training techniques you can use for building muscle FAST. It’s a technique even elite powerlifters (who normally train with VERY low reps) use to increase muscle mass.

There are definitely certain exercises that lend themselves more to heavy-weight, high-rep training. Squats, for example, are the best example for this technique. (You may be familiar with the popular “20-Rep Squat” program.)

This moderate-weight, high-rep training has many of the same circulation benefits of the VERY high rep training but with the advantage of increased resistance, which will help directly stimulate muscle growth in addition to helping improve circulation.

Using myself as an example, I used squats with this technique and worked up to performing a set of 40 reps with 315 lbs (believe me, THAT was fun…). I’ve also managed a set of 25 reps with 225 lbs and a set of 70 reps with 135 lbs on the bench press.

This technique can be used with any exercise, really. You’ll find some exercises work better for it than others but basically, you’re taking a weight that is a bit lighter than your normal working weights and you’re just focusing on cranking out the reps.

Like the previous technique, I find this is best done at the beginning of a workout when you’re still fresh. You’ll be able to get more reps out of the exercise that way. Some trainers like to use it as a back-off set (powerlifters generally use it this way), doing the high-reps with moderate weight after finishing with the heavier stuff.

So next time you’re about to do squats, put a moderate weight on the bar and just see how many reps you can crank out! Forget about what you’re going to do on the rest of your sets – just get as MANY as you can. Your legs will be hit with a whole new muscle-building stimulus!

3. High-Rep Partial Training

This final tip brings us into an interesting area. High-rep partial training actually allows you to do high-rep training with HEAVY weight! In fact, you will be AMAZED at how much weight you can use with this style of training.

We’re going to be getting the benefits not only of the increased circulation that I mentioned with light-weight, high-rep training, but we’re also going to get the substantial muscle-building benefits of using HEAVY weights at the same time.

Another benefit… because you’re using heavier-than-normal weights, you’re going to be working your connective tissue very effectively as well. And, because you’re using high-reps, you’re going to be forcing a LOT of blood into that connective tissue, which is notorious for its normally poor blood supply. This helps immensely with strengthening and healing.

High-rep partial training is fairly straightforward to perform. It’s best done in a power rack, where it’s easy to adjust the range of motion. For example, using bench press, you can set the safety rails to a few inches below the lockout position. Working in only that top range of motion (which is the strongest segment of the range of motion) means you can use a LOT more weight than you normally could for the full-range exercise.

Nick Nilsson repping out with heavy partial rep incline bench presses!

So you set up the bench, set up the rails and add some weight. Now you just perform as many partial reps as you can! To give you an idea of weight and reps, I’ve done sets of 50+ reps with 315 lbs on high-rep lockout partial bench press.

High-rep partial training can be done at any point in your workout, as an addition to your “normal” training (1 or 2 sets) or as the complete bodypart workout on its own.

The Final Word

Overall, I’m a big fan of high-rep training for building muscle, when PROPERLY used. These three techniques are VERY effective for not only setting the stage for muscle growth but actually building the muscle itself!

If you’re interested in a program that makes use of ALL of these techniques, definitely check out my latest book “Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass.”

I make use of each one of these techniques during various phases of the program. When it comes to building muscle FAST, I’ve not found a program that works better!

Check out this great feedback I’ve received from one of the users of the “Muscle Explosion” program:

“I finished the last workout of ‘Muscle Explosion’ yesterday. I’ve gained close
to ten pounds during the month of workouts. Not bad at 45 years old! I
had the feeling this was going to be a tough system, and I was more than a
little afraid of the five-days-in-a-row of heavy deadlifts. But I stuck with the plan,
endured the feelings of physical shock during the workouts, and the soreness
afterward.

Nick, you’re really on to something here. I don’t think I could personally continue
at this intensity week after week, but what a fantastic growth spurt method.

I love the way you’re ‘pushing the envelope’ and refining and advancing the art
and science of natural bodybuilding. You don’t just rehash the great ideas,
you turbo-charge them!

- Tim Lauber

Click Here To Download Your Copy Now.

Time-Volume Training is one of my favorite “no brains required” methods for building muscle and strength like clockwork. When you do this style of training, you know EXACTLY what weight to use, how many reps to do, how long to do it for and when to increase the weight… ZERO brains required. It’s a strategy that allows you to do a LOT of work for a muscle in a short period of time, which will stimulate muscle growth AND burn a lot of calories and boost your metabolism, contributing to significant fat loss. It’s GREAT stuff and a technique I think is absolutely worth using whether you’re looking to build muscle or burn fat. The formula for regular Time-Volume Training is simple… and you’ll be able to see exactly why I say “zero brains required”…

Nick Nilsson

Select a weight you can do 10 reps with in a normal set:
Now do 3 reps.
Rest 10 seconds.
Do 3 more reps.
Rest 10 seconds…
and repeat until you can’t get 3 reps in a set.

(You’re going to be doing this for a 15 minute block of time).

Now switch your rest to 20 seconds and keep going with more 3 rep sets.
Repeat these with 20 seconds rest until you can’t get 3 reps again.
Then go to 30 seconds rest… and so on, to 40 seconds rest.
Repeat until your 15 minute block of time is done.

If you make it 1/3 of the way through (e.g. 5 minutes on a 15 minute block) still doing 10 seconds rest, then you increase the weight on that exercise in your next workout.

That’s it!

Time-Volume Training is a form of Density Training (density training has been used by Vince Gironda, Charles Staley and many others) that takes ALL the guesswork out. The exact sets and reps and rest are all laid out for you… All you have to do is the work.

Do Time-Volume Training with just one exercise per muscle group… e.g. bench press for 15 minutes straight to work chest, leg press for 15 minutes straight to work legs, etc.

This works VERY well. You’ll get a tremendous amount of time under tension for the target exercise and target muscles and you can see tremendous results both in muscle and fat loss.

Give this simple “Time Volume Training” technique a try in your next workout, and leave me a comment below letting me know how it works for you!

And if you’d like to learn some other killer training tricks like this for stimulating new muscle growth in your stubborn bodyparts, than I highly recommend you check out Nick Nilsson’s new program: “Mad Scientist Muscle” How To Build MONSTER Muscle Mass With Science Based Training. Nick is one of those guys who thinks outside the box. He is one of the most creative muscle building coaches that I know. I’ve picked up dozens of unique tips and tricks from following his programs and I regularly apply them to my own training. So if you are looking for a new twist to help you maximize your muscle growth. You owe it to yourself to check this program out. Click Here To Visit Nick’s Website.

During our stay in Tucumcari, New Mexico we stayed at the Blue Swallow Motel right on Route 66.

During our chit chats with the Motel owners Bill and Terri we got on to the topic of weight training because their son is competitive powerlifter. And they told us about old rec-center in town that has a public gym that’s free to use.

So sure enough Patricia and I had to go and check it out. This was the smallest gym I’ve ever been to, but it had all the basics needed for a solid workout, below is quick video clip from that old school Route 66 gym…

Mike Benching 600+ in competition!

“Don’t Let These 8 Mistakes
Sabotage Your Bench”

So what’s the big deal about the bench press anyway? You’re not playing sports or trying to compete, why is this legendary exercise so vital to an attention grabbing physique? In fact for those of you who think the bench press is simply for the ego, you’re wrong. It’s true no other exercise is more frequently talked about. However it’s not so strange when you think about it. The bench press is a core fundamental exercise for developing upper body strength. You’re not only working your pectorals (chest), you are also working your anterior deltoids (front shoulders), triceps brachii, and latissimus dorsi (back). If you could pick just one exercise to acquire a full round chest with some functional power to go with it, you would be wise to go with the bench. You just can’t develop the same upper body with any other exercise.

As a personal trainer I have seen hundreds of people strive for a 300-pound bench. The truth is most people make the same mistakes, but they can easily be changed to help you start an explosive growth spurt of your own.

Mistake #1: Less is more.

By far the biggest mistake people make is “wanting it” so bad that they overtrain. It’s human nature, if we don’t see the gains we’re looking for the common sense solution is to work harder and harder. I can tell you from personal experience that last time I hit a plateau in my training I took a week off from the gym and came back stronger than the last time worked out. Be on the look out for warning signs of overtraining such as lack of motivation, trouble sleeping, poor nutrition, and of course lack of progress.

Mistake #2: Full body workouts.

Let’s get you set up on a new split where you can give each muscle involved in the bench press the attention it needs. Remember, there’s more to the bench press than just your chest. For maximum recovery you should only train each body part once per week with an optimal workout split. If you still think you need to bench two or three times a week, see mistake #1. You have time to workout 45-minutes a day, 4-days a week don’t you?

Mistake #3: Self-doubt.

Hopefully you don’t need a pep talk, but here it goes anyway. Excuse me as I impersonate motivational speaker Anthony Robbins for a moment. Your subconscious mind believes whatever you tell it, so do yourself a favor and program it with positive thoughts. I cringe every time someone asks me for a spot and they bash themselves before they even start the lift. Comments like, “I don’t think I’ll get very many reps,” or “I can’t do this much, but I’ll try.” If you’re not confident, fake it, and tell yourself you’re going to succeed. Trying is a part of failing. If you’re afraid to fail, you’re afraid to try.

Mistake #4: Bad form.

Let’s work on some mechanics. After practicing a few of these techniques you should be able to boost your bench press by a minimum of 25 pounds.

• Widen your grip a little bit. The wider your grip, the less distance the bar has to travel. Therefore it makes sense that you’d want to grip the bar as wide as possible. If you have been benching with a closer grip this will take some getting used to, but will make a big difference in a few weeks. To determine your grip, assume a natural push-up position and then bump it out approximately 3-inches.
• Another way to decrease the distance the bar has to travel is to retract your shoulder blades. Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together during the entire movement. This will give you a more stable surface to bench from.
• Keep your feet on the floor and drive with your heels. If you see someone kicking or flapping their legs in the air, as they turn blue trying to push the weight you’ll know that they are off centered and it’s costing them some serious poundage. Keep your heels on the floor to help you generate power.
• Arch your back. Your butt, shoulder blades, and head should always be in contact with the bench, but it’s okay to arch your lower back. If this isn’t natural for you, you can place a foam roller under your lower pack for practice. Many people have asked what the point of this technique is. Again, it shortens the distance the bar needs to travels.

Is this cheating? Not at all, this is a regulation lift. If you want to completely isolate your chest head over to the pec deck machine to finish up. It’s good that you’re learning to use more than just your chest when you bench press. Don’t be surprised if two days later you feel sore in your back, chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Mistake #5: Too many warm-up sets.

Don’t get me wrong you certainly need to properly warm-up. However you should do so with some very light weighst, push-ups, and stretching. You don’t want to exhaust your muscles before you get to your working sets. Most people pyramid up and then wonder whey they can’t get the weight on their last set. By doing lighter warm-up sets you will save your energy for the heavier weights and a big finish.

Mistake #6: Neglecting your back.

Strong lats or “wings” are very important to the negative phase of the bench press. Your back is the center of support for the weight as you lower it to your chest. That’s why blasting your back is so important and must not be skipped. Try some T-bar rows, or bent over barbell rows to strengthen your back. You’ll notice that it’s almost the exact opposite or antagonistic lift to the bench press.

Mistake #7: Lack of goals.

So you want to increase your bench press. That makes the two of us. The problem with this statement is it’s much too vague. I want you to pull out your pen and paper. Write your goal down on four separate sheets of paper in bold letters. “ACHIEVE A ______ POUND BENCH PRESS BY ______.” The simple task of writing your goal on paper brings you closer to completion. This act will make your goal more concrete, increasing the likelihood of achieving it. Now post these pieces of paper on your fridge, dashboard, computer screen, and dresser to constantly remind you of your goal.

Mistake #8: Lack of variety.

The human body is an amazing system. Whatever you throw at it, it can adjust and learn to handle. Keeping it off guard, mixing things up, and adding variety to your workouts will ensure your body responds positively. Always stay one step ahead by changing your workouts when you feel you’re not making the gains you expect. If you’re like me and want to look good while, while having some strength to back it up you’ve probably been training with reps between eight and twelve. Try lowering the reps on your bench press sets to the six to eight repetition range for a few weeks. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how your body reacts if you haven’t tried this before.

If you can avoid these common pitfalls and you’re open-minded enough to try something new you’ll soon be bench pressing more than you dreamed possible. Take it from me, the man who was stalemated at a 275-pound bench press for more than three years! Learn from others mistakes and watch your bench press sore. Your wife or girlfriend will be admiring your muscular upper body while your friend’s are dying to learn your secrets.

The Workout Split

Monday: Chest/Biceps
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders/Traps
Friday: Back/Triceps
Saturday: Watch the game
Sunday: Rest

The Bench Blastoff Routine

Day 1: Chest/Biceps

- Flat Bench Press 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Cable Crossover 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Alternating Dumbbell Curls 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Seated Preacher Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Day 2: Legs

- Squat 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Leg Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Leg Extensions 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Leg Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Shoulders/Traps

- Font Military Press 3 6-8 reps
- Upright Rows 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Lateral Riases 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Shrugs 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Day 5: Back/Triceps

- Pullups 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Bent Over Barbell Rows 3 sets of 6-8 reps
- Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Close Grip Bench Press 3 6-8 reps
- Tricep Extensions 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Day 6: Off

Day 7: Off

Points To Remember:

Ø Make sure you’re not overtraining.

Ø Work your bench press only once per week.

Ø Ditch the self-destructing negative thoughts.

Ø Don’t waste your energy with surplus warm-up sets.

Ø Train your back just as hard as your chest.

Ø Set a specific goal.

Ø Try performing less repetitions when benching.

Ø Drive with your heels, widen your grip, arch your back, and retract your shoulder blades!

About The Author:

Mike Westerdal is the President of Critical Bench, Inc. He earned his BS from Central CT State University and holds certification as a personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise. Westerdal also has experience coaching and playing professional football. His articles are published throughout the Web and in numerous weight lifting magazines including Monster Muscle. He has a competition bench press of 600 pounds. He is the author of the Critical Bench 2.0 Program.

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This is a step-by-step system for increasing your bench press and skyrocketing your overall muscle and strength gains. And this isn’t some fly by night program either. Critical Bench has been used by literally thousands of hardcore lifters for the past 10+ years. It’s a proven sure fire plan to help you get bigger, stronger, and more muscular in record time.

And right now for the next 48 hours you can save a whopping 50% off the regular retail price of the program. Mike’s holding this special discount sale in honor of a very special addition to the Westerdal family.

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1) “How Much Can Ya Bench?”

2) “How long have ya been benching?”

It was as if the bench press was the only exercise anyone ever did LOL
Now the bench press is certainly a good lift, but it’s only a small piece of your whole muscle building program. But non-the-less it’s an exercise that people put a lot of emphasis on.

Every single guy who lifts weights gets a rush of excitement whenever he sets a new personal record in the bench press. For most guys it’s a high that can last for days. You’ll feel on top of the world when your bench is getting stronger, and at the same time you can feel down in the dumps when you are stuck in a bench press plateau.

So in this article I’m going to cover some very important technique tips that you can use to maximize your bench press strength by using proper lifting form. Not only will these tips help you bench more weight, but they’ll also reduce your risk of injury as well. Most novice and intermediate level lifters (and even some advanced lifters) make a few critical mistakes with their bench press form that places the shoulders in a very vunerable position for rotator cuff injuries. This article will teach you how to Bench Press with proper technique so you can bench more weight without injuring yourself.

Need a spot on the bench?

Improper Bench Press Technique…

This picture shows improper bench press form. The lifter has his upper arms and elbows are pointed straight out to the sides, almost like a T shape to his torso. This places a lot of excess strain on the rotator cuff and the pec tendon. You’ll also notice that the barbell is held right over the shoulders, rather than being held over the chest where you want to have the work load placed.

This is a common newbie bench press technique mistake. When people bench high and wide like this there is a greater risk of straining or tearing a muscle in the chest and / or shoulders. Plus it doesn’t direct the workload on the pec muscles themselves, which is the whole point of bench pressing in the first place.

Correct Bench Press Technique…

This picture shows correct bench press form. The lifter has his upper arms and elbows tucked in at a 45 degree angle to his torso. This reduces the shoulder rotation and places less strain on the rotator cuff and the pec tendon. You’ll also notice that the barbell is brought down to the lower chest. This directs the workload to the thick meaty part of the chest, which is exactly where we want it. This is the proper way to bench press for generating maximum strength and power in addition to stimulating maximum growth in the pecs.

Proper Body Position For Maximum Power…

Many people do not realize how much strength they lose by making the bar travel further than necessary. The less distance you have to move the weight the stronger you will be. To shorten the distance that you press the bar you need to expand your rib cage and stick your chest out. While at the same time squeezing your shoulder blades back together behind you.

You can even try this now while sitting hear reading this. Just sit up tall in your chair and take a deep breath, expand your rib cage, and stick your chest out as far as you can. If you did this correctly your chest should have expanded by a couple inches or more.

Now keeping this position hold your arms out in front of you as if you were doing a bench press. At the same time squeeze your shoulder blades back together behind you as far as you can. You can even alternate back and forth between holding your arms out in front with your upper body relaxed and then holding your arms out in front with your chest expanded and shoulders pulled back just so you can feel the difference.

There will be at least a few inches of distance in the difference. By expanding your chest you can shave an inch or two off your bench press stroke. And by pulling you shoulder blades back together behind you you’ll reduce the distance by another inch or two. Look at the pictures below and you’ll see the difference. Look how far the elbows are in front of the torso in the first pic compared to the second pic. Yet, the arms are straight and locked out in both pictures.

Just by using the set up as shown in the second picture when you bench press you will be able to lift more weight while at the same time stimulating more muscle growth in your chest. And that’s just one of literally dozens of valuable training tricks that you’ll learn about in the “Blast Your Bench” program. Give this tip a try in your next bench workout and I’m sure you’ll notice the difference in strength and muscle activation immediately!

Putting It All Together…

Give these bench press technique tips a try in your next bench workout. However, just realize that any time you make changes to your lifting technique it usually takes a few workouts to get used to the new form. Chances are you may even notice a drop in your strength while you are adjusting to the groove and position of the different lifting technique. But once you do master the form you’ll feel stronger and lift heavier than you were before.

What I’d suggest you do for your next few bench press workouts is take a light warm up weight and bang out multiple sets of low reps. Shoot for 10 sets of 3 reps. The idea here is to practice the set up and getting the right body position over and over again until it becomes second nature to you.

Don’t worry about repping out to failure or testing your 1 rep max just yet. Focus your efforts on mastering the proper bench press lifting technique. One you have your form down pat the strength gains will follow.

If you’d like to get a complete Mass Building Bench Press Specialization Training System, than I’d highly recommend you check out the “Blast Your Bench” program. This program will show you how to cycle your training with the proper exercises, sets, and reps to maximize your strength and muscle gains quickly.

In addition to that there are specialization training programs for bringing up your max squat and max deadlift as well. So with the “Blast Your Bench” program you’ll get a complete mass and power building training system.

Just click here to download your copy of the program at: http://www.BlastYourBench.com

“Are you going to change the playbooks?”
“Are you going to change the players,”
“What are you going to do differently?”

To these questions he replied:

“I’m not going to change anything, we’re just going to get brilliant on the basics. Our opponents may be able to predict exactly what we’re going to do, but we’re going to be so good at the basics that they won’t be able to stop us.”

The Back To Basics Mass & Power Workout…

When it comes to building a muscular physique the one key element that you must focus on is getting stronger. A bigger muscle is a stronger muscle (and vice versa). When you are at the gym just look around at the regular members. I’m willing to bet that the guys who are the biggest and the most muscular are also the ones who are lifting the heaviest weights.

One of the problems that a lot of people run into when training for strength gains is doing way too many exercises. They are spreading themselves too thin and burning out on the sheer volume of training. Part of the problem is the environment that most of us train in. Most commercial gyms these days have so many fancy padded machine exercises all over the place that people are getting away from the basic bread and butter mass building moves.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of machine exercises and I feel they have their place in the gym. Machines are great for isolating specific muscles, good for working around injuries, and they can help add variety to your training. Plus there are some exercises that can only be done on machines that can’t be duplicated with free weights (i.e. pull downs, push downs, leg press, leg extensions, etc.).

However, over reliance on machine exercises will actually make you weaker, instead of stronger. The reason I know this is because I’ve personally fallen into this trap myself several times over the years. Opting for Leg Press over Squats. Doing the Hammer Strength Bench Press instead of the Barbell Bench Press. Machine Rows instead of Barbell Rows, etc…

Now you can still make “strength gains” in these machine exercises. However, those strength gains don’t always carry over into your free weight exercises. Machines balance and support the weights for you, all you have to do is push or pull along a guided track, so it’s not a true strength builder.

But when you make strength gains in basic free weight exercises, those gains almost always carry over into your machine exercises. Free weights put you in a real 3 dimensional environment where you not only have to push or pull the weights, but you have to balance and support them as well. Barbells and dumbbells can twist, turn, wobble, etc. and this all leads to a higher level of neuromuscular activation and thus more stimulation for strength and muscle development. So for our Back To Basics Mass & Power Workout we’re going to put the machine exercises on the back burner. Instead we are going to focus on only doing a select few powerlifts and working the crap out of those lifts!

The goal for each workout is simple…
To Lift More During This Workout Than You Did For Your Last Workout.

If you can consistently beat your previous best lifts over and over again, even if it’s just getting an extra rep or adding an extra 5 pounds to the bar, it will all add up overtime and equal some Big Lifts and some Big Muscles. Now what we consider “big” is all relative, I’m not saying that within in the matter of weeks you’ll be ready to pose down with Jay Cutler on the Olympia stage or anything like that. But by getting stronger on the basic lifts you’ll be able to blow past your own training plateaus and set some new personal records in size and strength.

So without wasting anymore time, let’s cut the small talk and get right into the “Meat & Potatoes” of the program…

Focus On The Basic Powerlifts…

The workout will consist of:
- Squats
- Bench Press
- Deadlift
- Overhead Press

That’s it, nothing more, nothing less!

These are the core powerlifts. The big 3 (squat, bench, and deadlift) are the competition lifts in powerlifting. Nothing else can sum over up overall brute strength and power like those 3 lifts. And the overhead press was one of the core competition lifts in Olympic Weightlifting up until 1972. But due to a lot of controversy with judging proper form in the lift, it was later removed from the official competition lifts. However, that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective for building strength and packing on solid muscle mass!

Workout 3 Days Per Week…

The workout itself is very simple. You’re going to hit the gym 3 days per week (or every second day). The main thing is that you take a full day of rest after each workout before training again.

Warm Up Before Every Workout…

Before each workout you’re going to do a proper warm up. I suggest doing 5-10 minutes of cardio such as a rowing machine or an elliptical with the moving arm handles. Ideally you would do something that moves your entire body, elevates your core temperature, and gets the blood flowing.

After your cardio you’ll do some rotator cuff rotations, arm circles, bodyweight squats, etc. to make sure all your major muscles are limber. I’ve got a good video on YouTube that shows how to do a proper warm up routine at: Pre-Workout Warm Up Exercise Routine.

Once you are all warmed up you’re going to head over to the power rack and get set up for your first set of squats!

Sample Workout Routine…

For each exercise in our basic mass and power workout you’re going to do a few progressively heavier warm up sets, pyramiding up to your top working weight, then you are going to do 2 sets of 5 reps with your top working weight.

Now for example purposes, let’s assume your top working weight in the squat is 225 pounds for 5 reps. Your weights, sets, and reps may go like this:

Sample Squat Workout:
1st set – 95 pounds x 10 reps (warm up)
2nd set – 135 pounds x 8 reps (warm up)
3rd set – 185 pounds x 5 reps (warm up)
4th set – 225 pounds x 5 reps (working set)
5th set – 225 pounds x 5 reps (working set)

After squats you’ll move on to the bench press. And for our example, let’s assume your top working weight in the bench press is 185 pounds for 5 reps. Your weights, sets, and reps may go like this:

Sample Bench Press Workout:
1st set – empty bar x 10 reps (warm up)
2nd set – 95 pounds x 8 reps (warm up)
3rd set – 135 pounds x 5 reps (warm up)
4th set – 185 pounds x 5 reps (working set)
5th set – 185 pounds x 5 reps (working set)

After bench presses you’ll move on to the deadlift. And for our example, let’s assume your top working weight in the deadlift is 275 pounds for 5 reps. Your weights, sets, and reps may go like this:

Sample Deadlift Workout:
1st set – 135 pounds x 10 reps (warm up)
2nd set – 185 pounds x 8 reps (warm up)
3rd set – 225 pounds x 5 reps (warm up)
4th set – 275 pounds x 5 reps (working set)
5th set – 275 pounds x 5 reps (working set)

After deadlifts you’ll move on to the overhead press. And for our example, let’s assume your top working weight in the overhead press is 100 pounds for 5 reps. Your weights, sets, and reps may go like this:

Sample Overhead Press Workout:
1st set – empty bar x 10 reps (warm up)
2nd set – 65 pounds x 8 reps (warm up)
3rd set – 85 pounds x 5 reps (warm up)
4th set – 100 pounds x 5 reps (working set)
5th set – 100 pounds x 5 reps (working set)

That’s it, those are the 4 basic lifts that you are going to do for each and every workout. And your training goal is simple, each workout strive to add 5 pounds to the bar and still perform all the sets and reps. If you are able to up the weight by 5 pounds and still get all the required sets and reps with good form, then up the weight again for your next workout and keep progressing in this fashion. However, if you get stuck and don’t hit 5 reps on one of your working sets, or you had to get help from a spotter, keep the same weight for your next workout.

When planning out a program like this it’s a good idea to be little conservative when selecting your starting weights. I’d much rather you go through the workouts feeling strong with the weights and knowing that you could do grind out an extra rep or two if you really had to. This will allow you to build momentum in your training and allow you to keep increasing the weights by those 5 pound jumps for several workouts in a row before hitting a pleateau.

The slow and steady approach to strength gains is much better than starting off too heavy and hitting failure right off the bat and having to drop down in weight. Getting “beaten by the weights” and having to lighten the load is no fun. But feeling strong and making those small frequent jumps in weight helps keep you motivated. A lot of people ignore this aspect of training, but being motivated, feeling strong, and actually looking forward to your workouts is half the battle. That’s what keeps you on track towards your muscle building goals.

Additional Training Tips…

If you are a more advanced lifter and can handle heavier weights than what I have listed in the examples, than you’ll most likely need to perform more warm up sets. The heavier you lift, the more warm up sets it will take in order to reach your top working weight.

You may also want to cycle the order that you perform the exercises, so overtime you can hit each exercise at the beginning of your workout when you are fresh and at your strongest. For example, you may start your first workout with squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and overhead presses. The next workout you could do bench presses, deadlifts, overhead presses, and squats. The following workout you could do do deadlifts, overhead presses, squats, and bench presses, etc. And just keep rotating through the exercises like that.

The use of a good powerlifting belt and lifting chalk will really help, especially as you build up the poundages for those top heavy working sets. You could even use lifting straps to help re-enforce your grip on the deadlifts if needed. But make sure to do all your warm up sets without lifting straps so that you’ll still be able to build up your natural grip strength.

What About Working The Rest Of The Body…

As I’m writing this I can already hear the comments coming from the peanut gallery:
- “What about all my other muscle groups?”
- “What am I going to do for biceps?”
- “What about calves?”
- “Shouldn’t I be working my abs everyday?”
- Etc…

The biggest problem that people run into when following a basic mass and power workout program is that it “Seems Too Basic”. Most people don’t see the forest for the trees. They over complicate things by always looking for new exotic exercises, magic formulas, unique training theories and new age programs. Meanwhile, the answer to their problem is very often staring them right in the face, but they overlook it because it seems too obvious.

Too many guys get bogged down in the minor details before they even have a solid foundation to work with. To give you a real world example of this, let’s look at the process of building a house. If you were building a house would you start off worrying about what color you are going to paint the walls before the foundation has been laid and the house has been framed? Probably not… Now I’m not saying that the color that you paint the walls isn’t important, but it’s a very specific detail that only really matters way down the line once the rest of the house has been built.

The same applies with building your body. It makes no sense to focus on the details of your physique and doing specialization training when you weigh a buck fifty soaking wet. Focus first on putting some meat on your bones and building up your base strength. A good goal to strive for is to get your strength up in the core powerlifts so that you can bench 1 and 1/2 times your bodyweight and squat and deadlift 2 times your bodyweight. Focus on hitting those numbers before worrying about how to bring out the detail of your serratus anterior or isolating your vastus medialis. It makes no sense to worry about sculpting your bicep peak or isolating the lateral head of your triceps if your arms barely stretch the tape measure to 13 inches. Pay your dues in the gym with some hardcore training on the basic powerlifts and you’ll pack more meat on your guns than biceps curls ever could.

And as for working your abs, regularly doing heavy squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses will build more functional strength throughout your entire core than doing crunches until you are blue in the face.

Conclusion…

You’ll be amazed at the improvements you can make in your overall muscular development if you just take a couple months and really focus on improving the 4 basic powerlifts. If you were to add 30-50 pounds to each of these lifts over the course of the next 2 months, just think of how that would impact your overall muscle density?

And to let you know, when you zero in and target all your training efforts on just a few basic lifts, making these kinds of strength gains within a couple months is very realistic. Especially if you have been doing “marathon workouts” and trying to work the muscles from every angle possible with every exercise imaginable.

So if you are looking to take your physique to the next level of muscular development, give this Mass & Power program a try. Simplify your approach, focus on making strength gains, and get brilliant on the basics!

If you’ve been working out for any length of time than no doubt you’ve heard the debates over how many reps you should do per set in order to maximize your muscle growth…

- Some people say “high reps for cutting” and “low reps for bulking”.

- Some say “go heavy or go home” and recommend super heavy weights for low reps.

- Others like to train a bit lighter and “pump it up” and strive to keep the muscles under tension for longer periods of time.

But the question that’s on your mind right now is:
“Which rep range is the best one and which one should you use in your workouts?”

Well, there is no cut and dried answer to this, in fact you can literally make muscle gains training in all of the above rep ranges provided that you are putting enough demands on the muscle, training in a progressive fashion, and that your nutrition and recovery are adequate to support muscle growth.

But there are some general guidelines that you can follow to help you better structure your bodybuilding workouts and maximize your muscle growth. And that’s what I’m going to share with you here in this article.

Rather than randomly selecting some magic number as your rep range for all your workouts, you need to break things down and get more specific. There is really no such a thing as the one best rep range that works for all exercises. How many reps you do will vary greatly depending on the particular exercise you are doing.

For example, if you were doing deadlifts and then afterwards going to do abdominal crunches. Do you think that you would use the same set and rep pattern for both exercises? Of course NOT.

One is a heavy mass building power move, and the other is a small isolation exercise. They both work the muscles totally differently, so obviously you wouldn’t train these 2 exercises the same way and use the same set and rep patterns.

Certain exercises are classified as Heavy Mass Building Power Moves and they work better for heavy weights and low reps. These are the “meat and potatoes” exercises that should lay the foundation to your muscle building workouts.

Than you have Mid-Range Power Moves that are still basic compound lifts, but these exercises are better worked with higher reps compared to the Heavy Mass Builders.

And finally you have Isolation Moves that are used for targeting specific areas of the muscles. These exercises work better with higher repetitions, lighter weights, and very strict form.

Generally with the heavy power moves your main focus is on moving the weight. With these exercises you should strive to increase the weights you lift on a regular basis (provided you can maintain good form of course). Than as you get into the mid-range and isolation moves your main focus should be on feeling the muscles working and getting a good pump. Rather than simply trying to increase the weights you are lifting.

Some examples of Heavy Power Moves are:
(Best Used With Heavy Weights & Low Reps)

Squats:

Deadlifts:

Bench Press:

Shoulder Press:

These are big basic free weight exercises that allow heavy weights to be lifted for low reps. The classic 5 sets of 5 reps routine works really well for these exercises. And advanced powerlifters and strongman competitors will even work up to heavier weights by doing heavy triples, doubles, and even single rep sets for these basic powerlifts.

Some examples of Mid-Range Power Moves are:
(Best Used With Moderate Weights & Moderate Reps)

Leg Press:

Barbell Rows:

Dumbbell Bench Press:

Dumbbell Shoulder Press:

Barbell Curls:

Dips:

Pull Ups:

These are mid-range compound exercises that still allow for heavy weights to be lifted, but work better with moderate repetition range of 6-10 reps per set. These mid-range exercises will make up the majority of your muscle building workout program.

Some examples of Isolation Moves are:
(Best Used With Lighter Weights & Higher Reps)

Leg Extensions:

Leg Curls:

1 Arm Dumbbell Row:

Dumbbell Flys:

Side Lateral Raises:

Concentration Curls:

Tricep Kick Backs:

Calve Raises:

Abdominal Crunches:

These are isolation exercises that work best when trained with light to moderate weights and high repetitions. Ideally you would use these exercises as finishing moves and do them at the end of your workouts. The idea here is to really pump up the muscles after you’ve already completed your heavier power moves. Keep your reps for these exercises to 10-15 per set, and in some cases you can even perform higher reps (i.e. 20+ reps per set) especially with abs and calves.

Conclusion…

These exercises and rep ranges are applicable to most weight training workout programs. However, there will always be exceptions to these rules depending on the particular training program. For example, the classic 20 rep squat routine is one such example of using a heavy mass building power move for high reps. And there will be other times when you may train isolation exercises with heavier weights and lower reps, especially if you are following a body part specialization program such as Blast Your Biceps.

However, the general training guidelines for most workout programs are:
- Heavy Powerlifting Exercises: 5 reps per set
- Mid-Range Compound Exercises: 6-10 reps per set
- Smaller Isolation Exercises: 10-15 reps per set

Now even if you have your weight training program structured perfectly with the correct sets and reps for each exercise, that’s only one piece of the whole muscle building puzzle. What you feed your body is just as important (if not more important) than the actual workouts you do in the gym.

If you don’t have your muscle building nutrition program nailed down pat, than you may end up like a lot of guys who waste their time and effort busting their butt in the gym only to look the same… day after day… month after month…

And the problem is – most guys have NO IDEA they are even making these errors and that’s why they’ll never have a body that truly sets them apart from the pack. In the informative video presentation below you’re going to learn to solution to the Top 3 Nutrition Mistakes That Are Costing You Precious Muscle Gains.

In the video I’m working out with my friend Brent, he was one of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building test subjects. We go over a big basic chest building power move that most people in the gym just seem to ignore.

But by incorporating this exercise in your chest workouts you can help spur on some new muscle growth. So just check out the video clip below…

If you’d like to get more tips for increasing your bench press and building a big muscular chest.
Be sure to check out my “Blast Your Bench” program.

Click Here for more information about this program…

P.S.
If you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend
that you subscribe to my YouTube video channel at:

http://www.YouTube.com/leemhayward

I’ve got over 200 instructional muscle building videos
posted there. It’s a great resource for muscle building
information!

So on Monday afternoon you can walk into any gym in the country and see several eager young muscle building enthusiasts doing the “Dynamic Bench Press & Deadlift Duo”…

It’s almost a workout ritual or right of passage or sorts. Most young guys have been guilty of this at one time or another. I admit I have been, and that’s why I can spot this situation out a mile away

The workout consists of one guy doing the bench press with two or three big 45 pound plates on each side of the barbell. While his faithful spotter is standing by preparing to deadlift the barbell off his friends chest.

After pacing back and forth the gym and getting “psyched up” our bench presser plops down on the bench and takes the weight off the rack. The bar drops towards his body like a rock. And as the bar makes impacts with his chest it bounces nearly half way back up but then all of a sudden the bar comes to a Dead Stop!

Our bench presser pushes and struggles with all his might, screaming out some primitive growls and grunts, while arching so much that his ass lifts eight inches off the bench… But it’s to no avail, the bar doesn’t budge! Now it’s time to call for backup as our faithful spotter / deadlifter jumps in and starts pulling on the bar, while simultaneously yelling “Come On, It’s All You!” With the combined effort of our bench press & deadlift tag team duo, the weight gets pressed and pulled to lockout. Then the bench presser jumps up, raises his hands in the air, and victoriously shouts: “YES, I Did It!”

The Key To Building REAL Strength…

Now obviously I’m having fun here and just slightly exaggerating this story, but not by much.

Just think of all the guys that you have seen do this at one time or another.
(Or maybe you’ve even done this yourself… Gasp!)

Do you thing that this bench press & deadlift circus act really builds strength?

Do the folks that routinely go through this silly Monday afternoon chest workout ritual strike you as strong lifters? (Probably NOT.)

The strongest lifters you will see are those who have complete control over the weight throughout the exercise – be that bench presses, squats, shoulder presses, curls, or any exercise they do.

This is not to say that these people are always the ones lifting the biggest weights. I’ve seen some guys that I consider to be strong, lifting moderate weights, but doing it in a way that dictates strength.

The difference between these lifters and the previously mentioned lifters is made crystal clear as time passes on. Just keep track of the progress of the lifters who push themselves hard, but regularly use good lifting form. Chances are they will be the ones who make consistent long-term improvement with their lifts and muscular development. Where as the “circus act” lifters who are always trying to max out and “test their strength”, are usually doing the same thing week in and week out until they are side lined with a muscle tear or some other major injury.

Gains in muscle and strength don’t come overnight. It takes consistent training over the long term and one cannot be consistent with their training if they are injured. Improper form and fast jerking of excessive weight will eventually lead to an injury, it’s just a matter of time.

Keeping It Under Control…

The reason why the good lifters make better gains in strength and muscular development is found in their lifting form. They control the weight during the eccentric (lowering) portion as well as the concentric (lifting) portion of the exercise.

Muscle tension is at its greatest during the eccentric contraction. Controlling the weight through the eccentric phase has been shown to increase strength and development at a faster rate then controlling it through the concentric phase alone.

However, this emphasis on the eccentric phase of the rep doesn’t mean that the concentric contraction should be ignored. Once the weight is lowered to the bottom of the exercise in a controlled manner, it should be lifted up with maximal force. Increasing the force of the contraction leads to increased power output and directly effects the intensity of the exercise.

When starting any new training routine or implementing a different lifting technique you should always start off conservatively and make gradual progress overtime. So if this lifting form is new to you, then you may have to adjust your training weights to somewhat less then normal for a short period of time, until you become comfortable with the form.

Use this lifting technique on every rep of every set, even your warm ups. Don’t make the mistake of using sloppy form during your warm ups and then trying to lift strict during your work sets. Use proper form all the time so it becomes second nature to you.

As you get comfortable with this style of lifting you will develop a rhythm for it and you will not need to consciously think about your lifting form, you will just lift with good form automatically.

=============================

If you’d like to get more information and follow a killer muscle & strength building training system, that will help you not only perfect your lifting technique, but also dramatically increase your overall muscular development. Then I would suggest that you check out the “Blast Your Bench” program. “Blast Your Bench” is an instant downloadable e-book that’s jam packed with the most hard-hitting, cutting edge muscle building and strength training information you need to achieve the powerful muscular physique you so desperately desire. There is no fluff and no filler; just the hard-core truth about building muscle and maximizing your strength gains, FAST! This straight forward, easy to understand, step-by-step program will give you all the tools you need to succeed.

Click Here to find out EXACTLY how you can legitimately increase your max bench press by as much as 51 Pounds in just a few short weeks while getting Bigger, Stronger, and more Muscular all over!

Click Here for more info…

—————————————————————————————————————

Have you ever wondered why people are so obsessed with the bench press?

It doesn’t matter if you are at school with your friends…
On the job with your co-workers…
Or at the gym with your lifting buddies…

Everyone want’s to know: “How Much Can Ya Bench?”

I used to wonder what was the big deal about the bench press?

But over time, as I became more informed about working out
and muscle growth I soon learned that the bench press was
A LOT more then just an “ego lift”.

The bench press has the same growth impact to your upper body
as squats do to your lower body. Bottom line, having a
big bench usually means you’re strong and in shape!

In fact when you train the bench press the right way you’ll
trigger a release of testosterone and growth hormone that
will help you get bigger and stronger all over.

And as a result, you’ll pack on more muscle mass, which
will make you feel more confident in your appearance.

We all know that jacked muscular guys usually get attention,
turn heads, and get others to notice. And who wouldn’t want
a physique like that?

I mean if you are reading this now, then chances are that’s one
of the main reasons you’re even working out in the first place!

So how would you like to have access to a proven training
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AND

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until mid-night tonight you can get them both as a
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all the best,
Lee Hayward
(Your Muscle Building Coach)

=========================

P.S.
The only way to access to this Live VIP Phone Coaching Call
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After you order you’ll be sent an e-mail about the call
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You see my good friend Mike Westerdal and I are hosting a special VIP “Mass & Strength Building” phone coaching call this Tuesday @ 9:00 pm Eastern Time and we want you to join us!

Now just in case you’re not familiar with Mike Westerdal, he’s a hardcore powerlifting coach and has personally bench pressed over 600 pounds in competition.

Mike Westerdal Benching 600+ Pounds!

In addition to that, Mike is also the author of the best selling “Critical Bench” program, which has helped literally thousands of guys from all over the world dramatically increase their bench press and pack on muscular size.

So needless to say, Mike “walks the talk” and practices what he preaches…
I really respect a guy like that!

You see I’m not so thick headed to think that “I know it all”.
I’m willing to go out and seek advice from guys who have a proven track record of training success under their belt.

And that’s why I’m teaming up with Mike Westerdal to bring you some advanced kick-ass training tips & tricks to help you get in your biggest strongest shape EVER!

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Just click on the link below to download your “Mass & Strength Building Combo Program” and reserve your spot for our special VIP phone coaching call…

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all the best,
Lee Hayward
(Your Muscle Building Coach)

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“Have you ever heard of that Blast Your Bench program by Lee Hayward?”

“I think Blast Your Bench is a SCAM!”

==============================

For over 10 years now I’ve heard and read comments like the ones above. And you know what I don’t blame anyone for feeling that way or questioning the “Blast Your Bench” program. In fact being skeptical is healthy and shows you are a smart consumer.

I feel the same way anytime I come across something new, be it a new workout program, a new supplement, a new business idea, or an investment opportunity. Heck, I’m even cautious when trying out a new restaurant!

There is so much “junk” out there these days that you have to approach everything with a certain degree of skepticism. You have to do your homework and get the facts in order to make an educated decision about anything new that you are going to try.

So I have no problem with that, and in fact I encourage people to do their research so they can weigh the pros and cons before taking the plunge into anything new.

But one pet peeve of mine that really bugs me is when people are too lazy to do the research or get the facts and then just automatically assume that something is a piece of junk, doesn’t work, or is a scam.

Since I first released the original version of the “Blast Your Bench” program over 10 years ago I’ve heard it all…
From glowing positive reviews from fans who have used the program to make awesome strength and muscle gains, to down right disturbing and vulgar hate mail that I care not repeat here.

And the one thing that I really get a chuckle from is that 99% of the people who say negative things on forums or call the program a “SCAM”, have NOT even followed the “Blast Your Bench” program for themselves! I mean without even as much as flipping through the pages to see what the program entails, they just automatically assume it “Doesn’t Work”. And not only that, but they somehow feel that they have the authority to go on public forums and announce to the world that it is a “SCAM”. That’s like going in on a book review site and saying that a book sucks before you have even read it. Or saying that a particular food tastes terrible before you have even eaten it!

As crazy as it sounds, some people do this kind of stuff all the time online and actually get some weird pleasure out of bashing other people & products.

Now please don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not saying that the “Blast Your Bench” program is perfect or that it works for every single person who orders it. I’d be a big liar if I said that, because obviously not everyone who orders the program actually follows it.

After all it’s a hardcore workout program that is designed for serious muscle building enthusiasts only!

If you are one of those people who likes to casually visit the gym a few days a week, get a little pump on, and socialize in between sets…
Then I’m sorry but this program isn’t for you.

In fact more often then not, whenever someone has requested a refund in the past (which I offer 100% unconditionally, no questions asked) it was because the program was too hard for them and they couldn’t finish it.

It’s almost like when you hear about fat people complain that “Diets Don’t Work”. Chances are the diet works just fine, the problem is they didn’t commit to following it!

The “Blast Your Bench” program is no different. You have to work the program in order to reap the results. The gains aren’t just going to happen automatically.

In fact I’ll even go so far as to say that if you commit to it 100% and follow the entire program EXACTLY as it’s outlined you are “Guaranteed” to come out at the end Bigger, Stronger, and More Muscular than when you first began.

It’s as simple as that, if you work the program, it will work for you and the results will come!

And if for some strange reason you do follow the program and don’t get bigger, stronger, and more muscular. Then I will not only give you a 100% refund, but I’ll also personally work with you and design a customized training and nutrition program to help you get the results you do want!

You are probably wondering why on earth would I ever go to such great lengths to help you achieve your muscle building goals?

Well, it’s because this is what I love to do. Bodybuilding & Fitness is my passion in life! I’m a bodybuilder and coach first, businessman second. Yes, I’ll be totally up front and admit that I do make my living through selling programs, products, and services on my website.

However, everything is handled in the most honest and ethical way possible. Everything I offer comes with a 100% unconditional money back guarantee. Bottom line, if you don’t get results, then I don’t want your money, simple as that!

So if you are interested in getting the best results possible and taking your strength and muscular development to the next level (and I assume you are since you are here reading this right now), then I highly recommend that you try out the “Blast Your Bench” program for yourself.

Right now until midnight Friday June 18 we are having a special 2 for 1 combo package where you can get both the “Blast Your Bench & Critical Bench” training programs together at a huge 50% discount. So there’s no better time then now to take advantage of this special offer.

And like I already mentioned, if you are not happy with the program for any reason at all, even if it’s just because you think that it’s too hard, or too advanced for you to follow. You can get a complete refund right on the spot, no questions asked.

Both myself and my good friend Mike Westerdal have been online for over a decade now and we’re committed to helping people maximize their gains in the gym, we’re not out to rip anyone off. So go ahead and give it a try for yourself.

The worst possible case scenario that could happen is that you don’t like it and you’ll be back here where you are right now at square one…

Or you could be like the thousands of serious muscle building enthusiasts who have already used this training system to get in their all time best shape ever and set new personal records in size and strength!

The choice is yours…

Click Here To Get Your Copy Of The:
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As I’m sure you’ve already heard by now, I’ve been working along side with Mike Westerdal from Critical Bench to create a New Updated Mass & Strength Building Training System!

Now the reason I choose to work with Mike is because he’s a NO BS kind of guy. He’s a hardcore powerlifting coach and has personally bench pressed over 600 pounds in competition!

So needless to say, Mike “walks the talk” and practices what he preaches…
And I really respect a guy like that!

Unlike some of the so called “fitness gurus” out there who may talk a good game, but when you actually see what they look like you have to wonder if they even workout?!

Not only that, but both Mike and I have been online for over 10 years now helping thousands of guys worldwide, increase their strength and pack on solid muscular mass.

And to celebrate our 10th year anniversary online we’ve teamed up to bring you our very best Power-Building tips and tricks in a Killer MASS & Strength Building 2 For 1 Combo Package at:

http://www.BlastYourBench.com/special

And as an extra special ‘Fast Action Bonus’ Mike and I are going to host a live 90 Minute VIP Phone Coaching Call for everyone who picks up a copy of our Mass & Strength Building Combo TODAY!

So if you want to get in on this special 2 for 1 package and our 90 Minute VIP Phone Coaching Call be sure to click on the link below to download your copy NOW…

http://www.BlastYourBench.com/special

Huge Muscle Mass & Huge Strength Gains…

That’s what every guy who pounds away in the gym day after day wants to achieve.

Nobody wants a physique that’s “all show” and no go…
You want a body that’s as strong and powerful as it looks! Right?

That’s why I’ve teamed up with Mike Westerdal from Critical Bench to bring you some
of the very best Power-Building tips and tricks to help you get Bigger & Stronger!

And we want to help you achieve these results in the FASTEST means possible
without spinning your wheels and getting stuck in frustrating plateaus and
“No Growth” training ruts.

Both Mike and I have been online for over a decade helping literally thousands
of guys from all over the world achieve their fitness goals of increasing strength
and packing on solid muscular mass.

And now we’ve partnered up to combine our very best Mass & Strength
building techniques into a killer new workout system that’s been fully updated for 2010.

We’re combining the very best of both worlds…
Hardcore Powerlifting Strength Training AND Hardcore Mass Building
into one Kick Ass Training System!

And we need YOUR help…

This Power-Building System isn’t available anywhere right now.
We’re keeping it under wraps until we finally release it to the general public in a
few weeks time. But you can WIN A FREE Copy of this training system right here!

To enter simply reply in the comments section below this post with the following:
(reply form is at the bottom of the page)

In 250 words or less, I want you to tell me exactly why building a big, strong, muscular body is so important to you and why you NEED a ‘Proven Mass and Power Building Training System’ to help you achieve your fitness goals Right Now!

Mike and I will be selecting the top 5 reply’s from the comments below and give away
5 FREE Copies of our Brand New Mass & Power Building Workout Training System!

So if you want to get a copy of this before anyone else, and have a step-by-step
program that will take you by the hand and guide you towards building the powerful
muscular physique of your dreams, then make sure to take your time and submit
your 250 word reply below…

We’re going to keep this contest open all weekend long and on Monday (June 14)
we’ll be selecting the 5 winners.

Good Luck!

If you’d like to get some other killer tips & tricks for increasing your bench press strength, be sure to check out the link…

http://www.BlastYourBench.com/special

Mike opened up with a 600 pound bench which he nailed.
Then he went for a personal record of 630 pounds and got it!
For his 3rd attempt he tried 650 but just couldn’t lock it out.

This video shows that Mike knows his sh!t when it comes to benching big weights!
He weighed in at 241 for this meet so hitting 630 is more then 2 1/2 times his bodyweight!
Which is a very impressive bench press by any standard.

Mike is in the process of coming out with a brand new 2.0 version of his
Critical Bench Program. Now granted the original program was incredible
and it helped literally thousands of guys from all over the world set new
personal records in size and strength.

But with the new 2.0 version it will be better than ever and more evolved
with even more advanced training tricks to help speed up your strength and
muscle gains. It will be available in the very near future so stay tuned for that.

In the mean time if you’d like to get some killer bench press training tips
that will help increase your strength and build a powerful muscular physique,
then you can download Mike’s bench press training report called the…

“7 Fastest Ways To Increase Your Bench”

The FREE Report Reveals the top 7 secret tricks that the world’s
Biggest Benchers use to lift huge weights & dominate the bench at any gym!
In fact Mike used these tips here to help him build up to that 600+ pound bench
that you just seen in the video!

Just enter your name & email address below and
I’ll send you this FREE Bench Press PDF Report ASAP!

Mike Benching 600+ in competition!

“Don’t Let These 8 Mistakes
Sabotage Your Bench”

So what’s the big deal about the bench press anyway? You’re not playing sports or trying to compete, why is this legendary exercise so vital to an attention grabbing physique? In fact for those of you who think the bench press is simply for the ego, you’re wrong. It’s true no other exercise is more frequently talked about. However it’s not so strange when you think about it. The bench press is a core fundamental exercise for developing upper body strength. You’re not only working your pectorals (chest), you are also working your anterior deltoids (front shoulders), triceps brachii, and latissimus dorsi (back). If you could pick just one exercise to acquire a full round chest with some functional power to go with it, you would be wise to go with the bench. You just can’t develop the same upper body with any other exercise.

As a personal trainer I have seen hundreds of people strive for a 300-pound bench. The truth is most people make the same mistakes, but they can easily be changed to help you start an explosive growth spurt of your own.

Mistake #1: Less is more.

By far the biggest mistake people make is “wanting it” so bad that they overtrain. It’s human nature, if we don’t see the gains we’re looking for the common sense solution is to work harder and harder. I can tell you from personal experience that last time I hit a plateau in my training I took a week off from the gym and came back stronger than the last time worked out. Be on the look out for warning signs of overtraining such as lack of motivation, trouble sleeping, poor nutrition, and of course lack of progress.

Mistake #2: Full body workouts.

Let’s get you set up on a new split where you can give each muscle involved in the bench press the attention it needs. Remember, there’s more to the bench press than just your chest. For maximum recovery you should only train each body part once per week with an optimal workout split. If you still think you need to bench two or three times a week, see mistake #1. You have time to workout 45-minutes a day, 4-days a week don’t you?

Mistake #3: Self-doubt.

Hopefully you don’t need a pep talk, but here it goes anyway. Excuse me as I impersonate motivational speaker Anthony Robbins for a moment. Your subconscious mind believes whatever you tell it, so do yourself a favor and program it with positive thoughts. I cringe every time someone asks me for a spot and they bash themselves before they even start the lift. Comments like, “I don’t think I’ll get very many reps,” or “I can’t do this much, but I’ll try.” If you’re not confident, fake it, and tell yourself you’re going to succeed. Trying is a part of failing. If you’re afraid to fail, you’re afraid to try.

Mistake #4: Bad form.

Let’s work on some mechanics. After practicing a few of these techniques you should be able to boost your bench press by a minimum of 25 pounds.

• Widen your grip a little bit. The wider your grip, the less distance the bar has to travel. Therefore it makes sense that you’d want to grip the bar as wide as possible. If you have been benching with a closer grip this will take some getting used to, but will make a big difference in a few weeks. To determine your grip, assume a natural push-up position and then bump it out approximately 3-inches.
• Another way to decrease the distance the bar has to travel is to retract your shoulder blades. Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together during the entire movement. This will give you a more stable surface to bench from.
• Keep your feet on the floor and drive with your heels. If you see someone kicking or flapping their legs in the air, as they turn blue trying to push the weight you’ll know that they are off centered and it’s costing them some serious poundage. Keep your heels on the floor to help you generate power.
• Arch your back. Your butt, shoulder blades, and head should always be in contact with the bench, but it’s okay to arch your lower back. If this isn’t natural for you, you can place a foam roller under your lower pack for practice. Many people have asked what the point of this technique is. Again, it shortens the distance the bar needs to travels.

Is this cheating? Not at all, this is a regulation lift. If you want to completely isolate your chest head over to the pec deck machine to finish up. It’s good that you’re learning to use more than just your chest when you bench press. Don’t be surprised if two days later you feel sore in your back, chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Mistake #5: Too many warm-up sets.

Don’t get me wrong you certainly need to properly warm-up. However you should do so with some very light weighst, push-ups, and stretching. You don’t want to exhaust your muscles before you get to your working sets. Most people pyramid up and then wonder whey they can’t get the weight on their last set. By doing lighter warm-up sets you will save your energy for the heavier weights and a big finish.

Mistake #6: Neglecting your back.

Strong lats or “wings” are very important to the negative phase of the bench press. Your back is the center of support for the weight as you lower it to your chest. That’s why blasting your back is so important and must not be skipped. Try some T-bar rows, or bent over barbell rows to strengthen your back. You’ll notice that it’s almost the exact opposite or antagonistic lift to the bench press.

Mistake #7: Lack of goals.

So you want to increase your bench press. That makes the two of us. The problem with this statement is it’s much too vague. I want you to pull out your pen and paper. Write your goal down on four separate sheets of paper in bold letters. “ACHIEVE A ______ POUND BENCH PRESS BY ______.” The simple task of writing your goal on paper brings you closer to completion. This act will make your goal more concrete, increasing the likelihood of achieving it. Now post these pieces of paper on your fridge, dashboard, computer screen, and dresser to constantly remind you of your goal.

Mistake #8: Lack of variety.

The human body is an amazing system. Whatever you throw at it, it can adjust and learn to handle. Keeping it off guard, mixing things up, and adding variety to your workouts will ensure your body responds positively. Always stay one step ahead by changing your workouts when you feel you’re not making the gains you expect. If you’re like me and want to look good while, while having some strength to back it up you’ve probably been training with reps between eight and twelve. Try lowering the reps on your bench press sets to the six to eight repetition range for a few weeks. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how your body reacts if you haven’t tried this before.

If you can avoid these common pitfalls and you’re open-minded enough to try something new you’ll soon be bench pressing more than you dreamed possible. Take it from me, the man who was stalemated at a 275-pound bench press for more than three years! Learn from others mistakes and watch your bench press sore. Your wife or girlfriend will be admiring your muscular upper body while your friend’s are dying to learn your secrets.

The Workout Split

Monday: Chest/Biceps
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders/Traps
Friday: Back/Triceps
Saturday: Watch the game
Sunday: Rest

The Bench Blastoff Routine

Day 1: Chest/Biceps

- Flat Bench Press 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Cable Crossover 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Alternating Dumbbell Curls 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Seated Preacher Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Day 2: Legs

- Squat 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Leg Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Leg Extensions 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Leg Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Shoulders/Traps

- Font Military Press 3 6-8 reps
- Upright Rows 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Lateral Riases 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Shrugs 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Day 5: Back/Triceps

- Pullups 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Bent Over Barbell Rows 3 sets of 6-8 reps
- Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Close Grip Bench Press 3 6-8 reps
- Tricep Extensions 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Day 6: Off

Day 7: Off

Points To Remember:

Ø Make sure you’re not overtraining.

Ø Work your bench press only once per week.

Ø Ditch the self-destructing negative thoughts.

Ø Don’t waste your energy with surplus warm-up sets.

Ø Train your back just as hard as your chest.

Ø Set a specific goal.

Ø Try performing less repetitions when benching.

Ø Drive with your heels, widen your grip, arch your back, and retract your shoulder blades!

About The Author:

Mike Westerdal is the President of Critical Bench, Inc. He earned his BS from Central CT State University and holds certification as a personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise. Westerdal also has experience coaching and playing professional football. His articles are published throughout the Web and in numerous weight lifting magazines including Monster Muscle. He has a competition bench press of 600 pounds. He is the author of the Critical Bench Program.

========================================

Here’s a quick training video clip of Mike in the gym repping out with 405 pounds!

If you’d like to get some more training tips for increasing your bench and building a strong muscular physique then Mike has put together a killer bench press training report for you called the…

“7 Fastest Ways To Increase Your Bench”

The FREE Report Reveals the top 7 secret tricks that the world’s Biggest Benchers use to lift huge weights & dominate the bench at any gym!

Just enter your name & email address below and
I’ll send you this FREE Bench Press PDF Report ASAP!

I’ve got a killer bench press training report for you called the…

“7 Fastest Ways To Increase Your Bench”

The FREE Report Reveals the top 7 secret tricks that the world’s Biggest Benchers
use to lift huge weights & dominate the bench at any gym!

Just enter your name & email address below and
I’ll send you this FREE Bench Press PDF Report ASAP!

You see just last month I had the opportunity to hang out
and train with Mike Westerdal from Critical Bench.

Mike is a no BS kind of guy who really knows his stuff.
Not only is he an awesome powerlifting coach, but he practices
what he preaches and I have A LOT of respect for that.

Unlike a lot of the so called online “fitness gurus” who may
talk a good game, but when you actually see what they look
like physically, you have to wonder if they even workout!?

Not so with Mike…
I mean this guy has benched over 600 pounds in competition!

That’s a very impressive lift by any standard. Let’s face it,
most guys would love to be able to squat or deadlift 600 pounds,
let alone bench it!

Anyway, while I was hanging out with Mike I picked his brain
and he let me in on a bunch of killer tips and tricks that he
has been using with the guys at his powerlifting gym to build
some crazy size and strength.

Not only that, but I managed to “bribe” him into letting me
share these killer tips with my followers online.

That’s one thing you notice about me, I’m constantly on the lookout
for new training ideas and techniques to apply to my own workouts.
And when I find them, I’ll share them with my followers like you.

So I’ve got a killer bench press training report for you called the…

“7 Fastest Ways To Increase Your Bench”

The FREE Report Reveals the top 7 secret tricks that the world’s Biggest Benchers
use to lift huge weights & dominate the bench at any gym!

Just enter your name & email address below and
I’ll send you this FREE Bench Press PDF Report ASAP!

Just click on the link below to see all the videos for each category…

Chest Workout Videos

Back Workout Videos

Shoulder Workouts Videos

Arm Workout Videos

Leg Workout Videos

Ab Workout Videos

Bodybuilding Nutrition Videos

The JM Press is a killer tricep power move that was invented by JM Blakely. It’s a hybrid move of a close grip bench press and a lying tricep extension. It’s a great heavy tricep exercise that will help add thickness to your arms as well as help you lockout bigger weights when you bench.

Check it out…

If you’d like to get some more tips to help add size to your arms, check out http://www.BlastYourBiceps.com

And if you’d like to get more tips on how to increase your bench press strength check out
http://www.BlastYourBench.com

I’m super pumped to get my new bodybuilding blog up and running. This is really going to help me deliver even more killer muscle building and fat loss advice that will help you take your physique and muscular development to the next level.

There is a lot more “bells” and “whistles” with this newer updated blog compared to my old blog…

Note: I’m still keeping the old blog online as an archive as there is almost 2 years worth of valuable posts at: http://www.LeeHayward.blogspot.com and I certainly don’t want to get rid of it.

So what I need you to do now before you go any further, is to make sure that you have entered your name and e-mail address in the form above and download my FREE Muscle Building Training Course. This will give you the foundational base of training information that you need to get started building your ultimate body. Plus you’ll also get on going muscle building and fat loss training tips from my a few times per week.

Another thing I suggest you do is get yourself set up with a Gravatar (globally recognized avatar) at: http://en.gravatar.com

This will add your face and personality to your comments.  It’s always more enjoyable to see another persons face when conversing.  It’s not mandatory but I encourage you to do so. You only need to set this up once which is great because if you post on other blogs or forums on the Internet, many of these websites will recognize your Gravatar.

I really encourage you to share your feedback with me by leaving your comments to the blog posts. This allows you to become part of the Total Fitness Bodybuilding community and it gives me valuable feedback and direction as to what things we should focus on and where we can improve the website in the future.

We also have the option for you to share these blog posts via Social Media outlets like FaceBook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, and many more!  By sharing content, you help others and bring more people to this site to continue to make it even bigger and better.

If you enjoy a post, send it to your Twitter friends, post it to your Facebook news feed, or simply email it to your contacts.  The sharing tool below each post makes it so easy!

In fact I need your help with sharing this site and all the valuable information on it!  Together, we can help so many people better themselves and get in their all time best ever shape!

I’m looking forward to chatting with you in the comments section!

In fact you can leave your first comment right now below and introduce yourself on the new blog!

all the best,

Lee Hayward

(Your Muscle Building Coach!)