Lee Hayward's Total Fitness Bodybuilding » Exercise Pictures

Gironda “Lat Pulls” for a wide V-shape back!

leehayward — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:23:42 +0000

If you are looking to build a wide V-shape muscular back…
Then you should try the Vince Gironda Lat Pull in your next back workout!

Vince Gironda Doing The Low Pulley Lat Pull Variation.
He also did a ‘high pulley’ variation of this move,
which I demonstrate in the video clip below…

Vince Gironda is an old time legend and was the outspoken bad boy of old-school bodybuilding!
Gironda is often quoted as saying that bodybuilding is 85% nutrition. In fact, he was what some may call a health food nut. He was also an early proponent of low carb dieting and was the first truly “Ripped Bodybuilder”.

In addition to his nutrition theories, he had what many consider “unorthodox” training ideas. His secret to muscle building success was was in the combination of proper exercises and the strict adherence to proper exercise form.

And one prime example of such an unorthodox exercise is the Gironda Lat Pull…
This move helps build maximum back width and V-taper from the combination of a
full stretch and a strong peak contraction of the lats with very strict form.

Just click PLAY to watch the video clip below to see how it’s done…

Give this exercise try and then leave me a comment below letting me know how it works for you!

And if you want to get some more interesting old-school bodybuilding tips & tricks, be sure to pick up a copy of the Vince Gironda Program at: www.VinceGirondaProgram.com

Click Here To Get Your Copy Now…

Alternatives To Doing Squats

leehayward — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:04:11 +0000

This is an e-mail question I got the other day from one of my online followers. It’s a very common question that I get on a regular basis so I decided to post this one for the benefit of all my readers…

Question:

Lee,

I have a question about squats. Are dumbbell squats as affective as straight bar squats for increasing strength/size in the legs?

I have done the straight bar but prefer the dumbbell squats because they seem easier on my back. But it seems like it is more difficult. I start off with 55lb dumbbells to warm up and then I use 75lb dumbbells in each hand.

Thank You,
Roger

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

Answer:

Hi Roger,

Of all the exercises out there I think I get more e-mails asking for variations to squatting than anything else. People will complain that squats hurt their knees, hurt their back, hurt their shoulders, or that they are just plain scared of doing squats.

And you know what, I think every single bodybuilder, weightlifter, or powerlifter out there has felt all these things to some degree or another.

After all no body in their right mind can get under a loaded barbell like that and say it “feels good”.

I personally hate doing squats, but I love the results they provide. So for one workout a week I just bite the bullet and squat!

Now any squat variation is a good exercise because it’s a big basic compound movement works multiple muscle groups.

Squats move your entire body through space while doing the exercise. This really stimulates the central nervous system and triggers a high level of neuromuscular activation compared to exercises where you just move your limbs.

Barbell Squats

But in all honesty I still think nothing can replace the good old fashion barbell squat. It’s a brutally tough exercise and the fact that it’s so tough is what makes it so effective. Now you can mix up the squat variations you do (i.e. a few weeks of dumbbell squats, a few weeks of front squats, a few weeks of back squats, etc.)

You can even change things up from time to time and do leg presses or hack squats as a easier variation. But you should always come back to regular squats as a foundational exercise in your workouts. You’ll find that as you make gains in the squat, the rest of your body will grow in proportion.

Now back to your original question about dumbbell squats; they are ok, but once you work up to any amount of weight at all they can be quite awkward to perform. And squatting deep with dumbbells is hard because the weights usually hit the floor before you truly do a “full squat”.

Dumbbell Squats

Hip Belt Squats

An alternative that you may wish to try are Hip Belt Squats. This will allow you to squat big, and squat deep, without placing stress on your back, shoulders, etc. It’s a better alternative to dumbbell squats in my opinion.

IronMind sells the hip belt squat attachments. But if you’d like more info about how to actually get the most benefit from this exercise. My friend and old school bodybuilder Dennis Weis (aka: The Yukon Hercules) has written a cool little e-Book called:

Hip Belt Squats ‘The Great Anabolic Equalizer’

This training guide will show you how to incorporate Hip Belt Squats into your leg workout routines for developing the ultimate in explosive quads.

You will learn in explicitly calculated detail one of the best exercises for blasting your quads and hamstrings into the piston action force of a kangaroo kick.

Build large impressive KILLER QUADS! loaded with power and slabs of undiluted muscular refinement. The information in this e-Book training guide is encapsulated for easy, quick reading and effective application.

You can order your own copy now and get instant download access for just $9.95.

Just click on the “Add Item To Cart” button below to buy the
Hip Belt Squats ‘The Great Anabolic Equalizer’ e-book for only $9.95

New “Pumped Up” gym pics…

leehayward — Sun, 02 May 2010 04:23:02 +0000

I just wanted to share some killer “Pumped Up” workout gym pics with you.

I just got these pics today and posted them up on my Total Fitness Bodybuilding Facebook Fan Page


My good friend Dave "The Muscle Cook" Ruel, my girlfriend Trish,

and I did a photo shoot at MegaFlex gym the day after the

Atlantic Canadian Bodybuilding Championships and they turned

out awesome! I was really impressed with the quality of the pics. 
You can check them out for yourself by clicking here.



Post bodybuilding contest review…
leehayward — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:40:51 +0000
What a weekend here in Moncton New Brunswick… 
It was the BIGGEST Atlantic Canadian Bodybuilding Competition ever with over 80 competitors total. I’ve never been apart of such a high caliber show before so it was quite an experience.
I was down to a ripped and dry 187 pounds on Saturday morning. That’s the leanest I’ve ever been. But even though I was in the best shape of my life and really pleased with everything. I still wasn’t at the level needed to hang with the more experienced competitors on stage. There were 10 guys in the light-heavyweight class and I placed 6th. 
However, I was awarded the best posing routine of the night. That was an unexpected surprise because there were A LOT of competitors. So I was really happy with that, I worked hard on my posing and the judges could see it as well. So now I’ve got another kick ass trophy to add to the collection!
My girlfriend Patricia also competed in the figure division and she placed 2nd in the medium height class and 2nd in the masters (over 35) class. We’re both really happy with this because it was her first time doing figure and she did really well.
On Sunday we did a photo shoot with our friend Serge Bordage at his Megaflex Gym. I haven’t seen all the pics yet, but I know there are going to be some awesome shots. Serge is a bodybuilder himself and knows how to get some killer photos.
I’ve posted some of the sample ones that Serge put up on Facebook here below… 

I’ll add more pics as I get them. I’ll also be adding some contest stage pics as well as they come in.





The whole point of a bodybuilding / figure competition is to simply get in your own personal best shape. We use the show as a goal with a deadline and then give it 100%. Obviously, no one can control who else shows up to a contest, all you can do is be at your best and let the chips fall where they may.
Even though we never won, it doesn’t matter. We still achieved massive success by getting in our best shape ever. And the best part is that this Thursday we are going to enjoy the fruits of our labors by taking a much deserved beach vacation to Cuba. 
We may not have had the best bodies on stage this weekend, but none the less we’ll be in killer shape for the beach in Cuba!
======================
If you would like to know the exact diet and training program that both Patricia and I followed to get in our best contest shape ever. Then I have it all outlined in my brand new DVD program called “Extreme Fat Loss” which you can get at: http://www.leehayward.com/dvd

Extreme Fat Loss!

“How To Get Ripped To The Bone Shredded In Record Time.”



Welcome To The Brand New Total Fitness Bodybuilding Blog!
leehayward — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:04:04 +0000
Welcome To The Brand New Total Fitness Bodybuilding Blog!
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!)