I thought it was pretty cool that he wanted to interview me. And as you know I’m always willing to offer a helping hand, be it helping someone build their body, or in this case help build a better body and hopefully better grades in school as well

The exact e-mail that I received below…

======================
Hey Lee,

Thank you for your time.
Joe
======================

So I helped Joe out and did an interview with him for his school project and I posted it up below. I thought it would make for an interesting blog post because we covered some good solid fundamental bodybuilding information. You can check it out and then please post your feedback in the comments section.

1. How do you personally define Bodybuilding?

The term bodybuilding can have different meanings depending on the context it’s used. In its pure essence “Body Building” is simply following a diet and exercise routine to Build The Body.

Some more advanced people will refer to the sport of Bodybuilding. This is where competitors (i.e. bodybuilders) will train for a competition and get on stage to compete and see who has the best built body in terms of muscle mass, definition, symmetry, and proportion. I am competitive bodybuilder myself and have been competing regularly since 1995.

However, in my business I use the term “Total Fitness Bodybuilding” which basically means taking consistent action through diet and exercise to build your body and improve your overall fitness level. Most of my online followers and coaching students are NOT competitive bodybuilders, they just want to use weight training, cardio, and proper nutrition to improve their physiques and get in their best shape.

2. Why is it important for bodybuilders to have knowledge of muscle groups?

The primary exercise for building the body is weight training. And this involves isolating the major muscle groups of the body and performing specific exercises to work those individual muscle groups. Now you don’t have to have a degree in Kinesiology, but you do need to know what all the major muscle groups are and their primary functions.

The major muscle groups that bodybuilders will work in the gym are:
- Chest
- Back
- Shoulders
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Abdominals
- Forearms

Very often bodybuilders will group complementary muscle groups together in the same workout.

So for example, a common bodybuilding workout is training the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps together in the same workout. These muscles are all primarily pushing muscles and when you do any kind of pressing exercise for the chest; the shoulders and triceps come into play as secondary muscle groups. So bodybuilders will often group them together in the same workout routine.

Another common group is grouping Back, Biceps, and Forearms together in the same workout as these are all pulling muscles and when you do any type of rowing or pulling movement for the back; the biceps and forearms come into play as secondary muscle groups.

And finally the muscles of the Legs and Abdominals are usually grouped together and trained in the same workout. When you do exercises for the legs the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and even the abdominals come into play.

One of the most popular 3-day bodybuilding split routines is:

Workout 1: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
Workout 2: Back, Biceps, and Forearms
Workout 3: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves, and Abdominals

I’ve got a series of workout videos on YouTube that cover a complete
3 Day Basic Bodybuilding Workout Split Routine

3. By how much will the results of a builder who uses proper form and good tempo differ from those of a builder who rushes his circuit and has sloppy form?

The main thing when it comes to building muscle is placing stress and demand on the muscles so that they have to adapt and grow stronger. This is achieved with progressive overload, meaning that you have to constantly try to lift heavier and perform a greater workload in order to give the muscles a reason to grow bigger and stronger.

Now you can actually accomplish this by using sloppy form in the gym. Granted this is NOT what I recommend, but you will often see bodybuilders who are big, strong, and muscular using poor lifting form. The reason they are still growing is because the workouts they are doing are still providing stress and demands to the muscles and stimulating them to grow. However, the risk of injury is very high when you use poor lifting form. It’s easy to pull or tear a muscle, tendon, or ligament when using poor form and jerky movements. A much better and safer approach is to use good lifting form and maintain proper control of the weights at all times and not letting momentum takeover. This is what I strive to do myself in my own workouts and what I teach my coaching students as well.

Remaining injury free is critically important when it comes to making long-term bodybuilding gains. If you get hurt you can potentially be laid up and out of the gym for weeks or even months. And this will hinder your muscle gains a lot more then taking your time and lifting more conservatively and using proper exercise form while in the gym.

So in the long term using good form and staying injury free will allow you to make better overall gains and stay consistent with your bodybuilding workouts.

4.How does nutrition apply to bodybuilding?

Nutrition is a very critical aspect to any bodybuilding routine. You can be consistent with your workouts, but if you don’t fuel your body properly you will NOT get optimal results.

You can compare your body to an engine. For example, if you have a high performance sports car would you fill it up with low octane gas and cheap low-grade oil? Of course not, you would only use premium gas and high-grade oil in the car. And you should treat your body the same way, only fuel it with quality nutrition.

Feeding your body lots of lean protein, green veggies, complex carbs, and healthy fats will go a long way to improving your overall strength and energy levels. It will also speed up your recovery from training and aid with muscle growth.

Another way to look at it is lets say you had a million dollar race horse, would you go out and feed that race horse pizza, ice cream, and French fries and expect it to run at it’s best? Probably not, I mean with that kind of money on the line you’d do everything you can optimize it’s performance by feeding it properly, training it regularly, giving it adequate rest, recovery, etc. to make sure the horse is in perfect health. Your body needs that same kind of respect as well when it comes to nutrition and lifestyle to function at it’s best as well.

5. Is there positive progress made by a builder who’s awareness of nutrition is poor?

Even though nutrition is very important, you can still make some progress with sub-par nutrition.

I’m often asked: “What’s more important – Diet or Exercise?”

Now while both are very important, I would have to give a slight edge to Exercise. The reason is that everyone has to eat. But you don’t have to exercise. So just by being active and working out on a regular basis you will still reap some benefits. Just like a high performance sports car will still run on low octane gas. Now the car’s performance will suffer and the low grade fuel may cause some engine damage over the long term, but the car will still run non-the-less.

What I often suggest for new people just starting out is to focus on their exercise routine first. Once you get that down pat and you are consistent with working out. Then focus on improving your nutrition. Often times the momentum that’s created from following a proper exercise routine will help motivate you to improve your nutrition and eating habits as well so that you can get even better gains in the gym.

6. Why should bodybuilders take nutrition seriously?

Bodybuilders who want to maximize their muscle gains and lose excess bodyfat need to take their nutrition program seriously. The more advanced you get as a bodybuilder the more important nutrition becomes. At the high levels of bodybuilding competition, the show is often won by the bodybuilder who has been the most disciplined with sticking to their nutrition program.

7. How can conditioning (i.e Aerobic Exercise) improve bodybuilding?

The primary form of bodybuilding training is lifting weights to stimulate muscle growth. But a secondary form of bodybuilding training is cardiovascular conditioning through aerobic exercise and this is mainly to aid with fat loss. The ideal bodybuilding physique is having a big muscular build with a lack of bodyfat. So that’s why cardio is very important.

In addition to helping with fat loss, cardio training improves your work capacity, endurance, blood circulation, metabolism, etc. So what you’ll often find is that bodybuilders who are in better shape cardio wise will recover faster from their workouts and this in turn will help them build more muscle mass and stay leaner.

8. Which is more important, nutrition or conditioning; or are both equally important?

Like I mentioned before, both are very important, however I would have to give a slight edge to Exercise or Conditioning. The reason for this is that everyone has to eat. But not everyone has to exercise. And when you get consistent with the exercise portion of your routine, it’s only natural that you’ll want to improve the nutrition portion of your routine as well. After all, no one wants to waste their time in the gym and miss out on potential muscle gains simply because they are
following a poor nutrition program.

9.What leads some bodybuilders to the use of steroids?

When it comes to bodybuilding the natural progression usually goes like this:

You start going to the gym and lifting weights.

• Once you maximize the gains you get from just working out, then you start focusing on improving your nutrition program.
  
• Then once you maximize the gains you get from proper training and proper nutrition you start looking into sports supplements to help get an extra edge.
  
• Then after you maximize the gains you get from training, nutrition, and supplements you may push the boundaries and look into performance enhancing drugs such as steroids.

It’s usually only advanced bodybuilders who really want to push the limits on what’s possible resort to steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Now granted there will always be some ignorant beginners who think they can shortcut the whole process and just jump into taking drugs right away, but this rarely ever works. The foundation of proper training and nutrition is a must before supplements or even steroids can make any significant differences in your muscular
build.

10. If you could give any advice to future bodybuilders, what would it be?

My number one tip would be to take action and get started NOW. A lot of people procrastinate and put things off. You’ll often hear people say that they’ll start exercising when they have more time, etc. But the truth is you are always going to be busy and you will always have other things going on in your life. You just have to bite the bullet and DO IT NOW! Don’t wait to start.

To help with this, try to surround yourself with people who are in better shape and more advanced than you. When you are around successful people the positive influence will inspire you to improve. Having friends who are in great shape will help pull you up and motivate you to get in better shape just so you can stay on the same level as they are.

And finally, you need to view bodybuilding and fitness as a healthy lifestyle. This is not some quick fix that you are only going to do for the short term. You have to commit to lifelong fitness if you really want to achieve all the benefits that bodybuilding can provide.

11. What influenced you to become a bodybuilder?

I started working out at 12 years old. My father was always an active person. He used to jog, ride bicycle, lift weights, etc. That had a big positive influence in my life while growing up. Just like a lot of kids, I wanted to be like my dad

But the big thing that really sparked my love of muscle was when I first saw
Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Conan The Barbarian Movies.

I didn’t even know what bodybuilding was at the time, but I was just blown away that someone could actually be that big and look like a real life comic book super hero. I was determined that I would someday look like that myself. That’s when I got bit by the bodybuilding bug. All during high school I was obsessed with working out. I also participated in martial arts at the same time, taking karate lessons for 5 years. Then in my senior year of high school I entered my first bodybuilding competition. The 1995 Newfoundland Provincial Bodybuilding Championships. Bodybuilding just seemed to click with me and I enjoyed it right from the start. I was always a shy kid growing up, but for some reason I felt very comfortable on stage competing in bodybuilding. From 1995 on I have competed pretty much every year in local and regional bodybuilding competitions. My most recent competition (as of this interview) was the 2011 NLABBA Championships that took place on November 19, 2011.

Lee Hayward: Age 19 in 1997

12. What challenges do you face as a bodybuilder?

For a lot of bodybuilders dealing with social settings can be a challenge. Whenever we get together with family and friends it’s usually over food and drink. So if you are trying to follow a clean eating bodybuilding diet plan you’ll often be tempted with junk food, alcohol, etc. And you have 2 choices, either give in and indulge. Or be looked on as a social outcast because you don’t want be like everyone else.

It is like peer pressure on a higher level. Because not only are you tempted by “BAD” things like drugs, cigarettes, booze, etc. but even simple things junk foods and stuff that average people don’t consider bad will hinder your progress and cause you to gain excess bodyfat.

So hands down the biggest challenge that a serious bodybuilder faces is sticking with a healthy muscle building nutrition program while also dealing with people and everyday life. And the hardest part is that it’s usually our closest friends and family members who are the ones trying to tempt us with the bad foods.

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about this interview;
please feel free to post them in the comments section below and we’ll discuss them there

Learn The “Short-Cut” To Quickly Building
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Here we are at the start of a brand new year, and the gym is going to be packed with people who are all committed to whipping their lazy butts into shape in a hurry.

You’ll hear them say things like:
“I’m going to lose this flab and muscle up”
“I’m going to workout everyday”
“I’m going to cut out all the junk food”
“This year I’m going to get ripped & jacked!”

Now while I appreciate their enthusiasm and desire to get in shape, it’s generally short lived. And you can see literally see the same pattern with every new year…

–>> In January the gym will be packed full.

–>> By February a lot of the new members will start to drop off.

–>> When you get into March & April the gym will be back to the same old regulars.

Do you know the main reason why so many people quit working out?
…They start off doing Too Much, Too Soon!

More is NOT always better…

When starting any new workout routine you are better off pacing yourself, starting off conservative, and focus on building up your work capacity gradually overtime. By taking things at a manageable pace and making slow steady improvements with progressive overload you’ll be able to stick to your program over the long term and actually make some solid progress.

After all, it probably took you months (or years) to get “Out Of Shape”. So don’t try to reverse everything in a couple weeks.

Rather then trying to go about transforming your physique and starting a brand new workout & diet program on your own, why not take the “Short Cut” and learn from someone who has been there before and who has already done what you want to do?

By having an experienced bodybuilding coach in your corner, you can save yourself from making a lot of trial and error mistakes. A good coach can set you up with a realistic muscle building & fat loss program, one that’s designed for your current fitness level and your body type.

Very often when an inexperienced person tries to set up their own muscle building & fat loss program they’ll either do too much too soon, or sometimes they won’t do enough, and very often they’ll just end up making a lot of rookie mistakes (especially with their with diets) that slow their progress.

So if you are interested in starting 2012 on the right track and following a proven training and nutrition system that will help you pack on pure fat free muscle mass, then you’ll want to check out the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program. This is the Most Advanced Cycle Diet & Training Program that I’ve ever created.

This program will show you exactly how to…

• Gain up to 5, 10 and even 15 lbs of LEAN MUSCLE (a.k.a. fat free mass) to shape & sculpt your body.
  
• The secret mechanism bodybuilders have been hiding from you for DECADES. It’s how they get learner and more muscular every single year. And this has absolutely nothing to do with drugs or supplements.
  
• How to “Bulk Up” and “Cut Down” at the SAME TIME without the unhealthy and unnecessary fat gain. This is the program you need if your goal is to muscle up while trimming off that excess holiday blubber.
  
• How to guarantee 2012 becomes your breakthrough year. Get ready to shock your friends and family when you take your shirt off and reveal your new ripped physique!

And these aren’t just some hyped up over inflated claims.

In fact during the past year, over 6,000 regular guys have already put the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program to the test, boasting their fastest muscle gains ever!

And unlike most workout programs that you’ll see online, this one has individual customization already built into the program. There are specific workout programs that you can follow based on the type of body you’d like to build:

–>> The Fitness Model Physique Workout
–>> The Muscle Model Physique Workout
–>> The Hardcore Bodybuilder Physique Workout

In addition to that, the nutrition program is designed with specific Cycle Diet Eating Plans that are customized for your individual body type.

Ectomorph Cycle Diet:
(The naturally skinny body type that needs to gain muscular bodyweight).

Endomorph Cycle Diet:
(The naturally overweight body type that needs to lose bodyfat, while increasing muscle mass).

Mesomorph Cycle Diet:
(The middle of the road body type that needs to gain muscle, while avoiding excess fat gain).

Simply put:
If you are ready to take action and finally get the fastest and leanest muscular gains of your life…
Then this program is meant for YOU.

And the best part…
For this week only you can pick up your very own copy of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building program for A HUGE 50% DISCOUNT off the regular price.

Just click on the link below to check it out for yourself and make 2012 the year
that you get in YOUR BEST SHAPE EVER!

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As I look back over the past year I’m very grateful. It’s been an amazing year for me, with many ups (and a few downs) but overall it has been a very productive year.

And I feel very fortunate to be able to share it with you. As you know, I love helping my online followers reach their bodybuilding & fitness goals, it is a HUGE part of my life. And I look forward to finding new ways to help serve you even in 2012.

So to help kick off your New Year on the right track I want to give you 2 FREE e-Reports that will show you how a simple cycle-diet “trick” can help you pack on as much as 12 pounds of rock solid fat-free muscle mass this January!

In these 2 e-Books, you’ll discover why you don’t need to buy into the nonsense bulk up diets that only pack on pounds of fat, instead of quality muscle. You’ll also learn a secret technique that competitive bodybuilders have been hiding for decades to getting bigger and leaner year in and year out…

Not only that, but you’ll also get the EXACT Meal Plan that my friend Vince Del Monte used to gain 7.4 lbs of muscle in just 3 weeks (while actually lowering his bodyfat percentage in the process!)

Don’t even think about starting a new muscle-building workout or nutrition plan in 2012 until you read this info! It’ll change the way you build muscle… Forever!

Imagine starting your new year with some new personal bests in the gym and gaining lean rock-solid muscle mass – while trimming off some of that “holiday belly” in the process!

If you are committed to making 2012 the year that you get in your Best Shape Ever,
then you owe it to yourself to read these 2 free reports ASAP.


I wish you all the best in 2012 & Happy New Year!

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When it comes to bodybuilding things are no different we want results ASAP. The desire to build a better body unites all bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts, but for most of us, the muscle gains come too slow and they never come easy. So we look for shortcuts. Is the secret to fast muscle gains training harder, lifting heavier, eating more, popping this pill, or slugging back the latest hyped up magic muscle drink…

In this article we are going to dive into 5 of the most common workout “shortcuts” that people take and pick them apart to find a better plan of action. More often then not the best methods for building a stronger and more muscular physique involve a less extreme approach.

Shortcut # 1 – Training More Often

A lot of times aspiring bodybuilders think they are not training enough and fall into the more is better mentality. After all more workouts must mean more muscle, Right?

It is not uncommon to find less experienced (but over enthusiastic) bodybuilders to start spending more and more time in the gym. Daily workouts become the norm and the length of those workouts gradually gets longer and longer. They usually think they are doing themselves good, and sometimes even brag about how they workout “everyday”.

Is there a better way?

Your body can only recover and grow so fast. Training a muscle again before you have fully recovered from your previous workout will eventually lead to overtraining. Generally the most you can train a bodypart is twice per week and still recover and grow.

While there are some exceptions to this rule with some abbreviated specialization routines (i.e. the Blast Your Bench program). You should limit yourself to working each bodypart no more then twice per week and taking at least 2 days per week off from weight training entirely as this is a good general guideline to follow for optimal muscle gains.

Shortcut # 2 – Doing More Sets

Making the transition from a beginner, to intermediate, to an advanced lifter usually involves increasing your workout training volume to some extent. The better shape you are in physically, the higher your work capacity, and the more volume of training you can handle.

For example, a beginner workout may consist of 6 sets per bodypart (i.e. 3 sets of 2 exercises). An intermediate workout may consist of 9 sets per bodypart (i.e. 3 sets of 3 exercises). And an advanced workout may consist of 12 sets per bodypart (i.e. 3 sets of 4 exercises). While this is all good general training advice, it breeds the “more is better” mentality. After all no one wants to be a newbie for long so they jack up the training volume too much, too soon.

Another problem with this train of thought is that if 12 sets per bodypart are good for an advanced lifter, will more sets be even better? How about 15 sets, or 20 sets, and beyond… Will this make me an “extremely advanced lifter”…?

Is there a better way?

Generally it takes at least 3 years of training to progress from the beginner, to the intermediate, and on to the advanced levels of training. Once you reach the advanced levels adding more sets and training volume beyond this is often counterproductive.

While there is no hard set rules for exactly how much training volume you should do, there are some general guidelines that you can follow. 9 sets per workout should be adequate for smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps, calfs, and abs. And around 12 sets per workout will be enough for larger muscle groups like chest, back, and thighs.

Once you are at the advanced training level the key to more muscle growth is using progressive overload (gradually increasing your weights over time) and by adding variety to your workouts, by changing your exercises. NOT from adding more training volume.

Shortcut # 3 – Training Less Often

The world of bodybuilding is full of extremes, for a lot of guys it is either all or none… there is no middle ground. So after learning about the negative impacts of training too often, as outlined above, many bodybuilders make a complete U-turn and go the opposite direction and drastically cut back on their workouts figuring that “less is more”.

Some experts have gone over the deep end with the fear of overtraining. Mike Mentzer and his Heavy Duty style workouts were one of the biggest influences of the “less is more” idea. Overall the basic principles of this workout were good because it implemented a solid plan of action, used progressive overload, monitored your progress, etc.

But one major flaw of the system was that if you weren’t making progress with your workouts it was automatically assumed that you were “overtraining”, so your workouts were cut back. Sometimes going to the point of working out once a week or less. In fact there is one popular fitness guru who actually preaches that you only need to workout once every 4 weeks…?!?

Is there a better way?

For some extremely hardgainers training less often (i.e. every second day) may be the best frequency for muscle gains. But most people will respond well to more frequent workouts (i.e. 2 days on, 1 day off).

There are no hard set in stone rules that work for everyone, but a general guideline of working out 4-5 times per week and training each bodypart twice per week is a good place to start. As you get more experienced you be able to find out exactly what your body responds the best to and customize your workouts to fit your specific needs.

Shortcut # 4 – Heavy Weights & Low Reps

One of the basic bodybuilding principles is a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle. So in order to get bigger, you need to get stronger. Progressive overload is the cornerstone of all successful workouts. You need to gradually increase the weights you are lifting over time in order to make progress.

During the early phases of a starting a workout program beginners can make fast gains because all training stimulus is new at this stage. And a lot of the initial strength gains come not only from increasing muscle strength, but also from improved lifting technique and better coordination.

But once you get past the initial beginners phase, your strength gains come more slowly. When this happens a lot of lifters will simply do fewer reps so they can continue to increase the weights.

For example, if I can lift 100 lbs. for 10 reps, maybe I could drop the reps to 8 and lift 120 lbs., or drop the reps to 6 and lift 140 lbs., etc… While this may work to some degree initially to get you growing again, there comes a point where it can back fire and bring your gains to a screeching halt.

Is there a better way?

Lifting heavier weights for lower reps increases your odds of getting an injury such as a muscle tear. When you are doing fewer then 5 reps per set you lose the mind muscle connection. The lift becomes an end in itself and no longer a means for building muscle. Lifting too heavy makes it harder to concentrate on the muscles you are working, your focus switches to simply moving the weight and not getting crushed under a heavy barbell.

While you can successfully incorporate low rep training cycles into your workouts from time to time. They shouldn’t be your primary focus. For bodybuilding purposes try to stay within the 6-12 rep range. This is the “sweet spot” for keeping your muscles under tension long enough to stimulate growth, while still allowing relatively heavy weights to be lifted.

Shortcut # 5 – High Intensity Techniques

A lot of hardgainers think the key to making faster gains in the gym is to simply work harder. So they increase the intensity of their workouts with various advanced training techniques such as forced reps, super sets, drop sets, and so on… Thinking that the harder they push themselves, the better gains they’ll make. While these guys certainly deserve an A for effort, is pushing past the point of muscular failure really necessary?

Is there a better way?

One of my favorite training motto’s is “Stimulate, Don’t Annihilate!”

For the average drug free lifter using advanced training techniques and pushing yourself to the limit will quickly lead to burnout, overtraining, and possibly injury.

A very common mistake that you can witness pretty much any day of the week in the gym is to see a couple of eager young lifters doing bench presses with WAAAYYY too much weight on the bar. One guy will be getting ready to bench while his trusty spotter is standing by ready to assist the lift. After getting psyched up the lifter plops down on the bench and takes the bar from the rack, he manages to struggle up 2-3 reps using piss poor form and every ounce of effort his body can muster. Then he gets his spotter to assist him with an addition 3-5 reps.

At the end of the set you wonder who worked the hardest, the guy benching or his buddy pulling the bar off his chest…?

This is a prime example of abusing high intensity techniques. Once you reach failure with an exercise you have stimulated the muscle. Doing more then this is often not only waste of time, but could potentially set you back in your training through risk of injury.

I rarely, if ever, use any type of set extending high intensity techniques like forced reps in my training anymore. I’ve found that they are just not necessary. Doing your sets to positive failure is intense enough to stimulate your muscles to grow.

Once you reach failure, make note of it in your training journal and then strive to beat what you did for your next workout by either adding an additional 5 lbs. to the bar or doing an extra rep with the same weight. Using progressive overload like this will ensure that you constantly push yourself to make steady strength and muscle gains.

The Real Shortcut To Fast Muscle Growth

Gains in muscle and strength don’t come overnight. They take consistency over the long term. By taking things at a manageable pace and making small frequent improvements week after week with your workouts your muscle size will increase faster then you ever thought possible… without having to go to the extremes to get there.

Inch by inch life’s a cinch… Yard by yard life is hard…

There was a record number competitors with 65 men and women competing in the show.
That’s A LOT of competitors especially considering that we are a pretty small province population wise.

Both my girlfriend Trish and I competed.
I placed 3rd in the Light-Heavyweight Division. But the BIG success was with Trish, she won The Figure Short Class, The Figure Masters (over 35 class), as well as the Figure Overall Title.
I’m super happy for her!

Below are a few pics from the show as well as some that I took Sunday the day after the show.
I’ll be posting up some more pictures as we get them. There were lots of photographers at the show, but not everyone has their pictures uploaded yet.

Click on the images to see the full size photos.

P.S.
Besides Trish and myself competing, we also coached 4 other competitors who competed at the same show this past weekend. All 4 of our coaching students made incredible physique transformations over the course of their pre-contest training.

I’ll be posting up some of their “Before” & “After” pics over the next week and share some insights as to the diet & training strategies that worked the best.

So stay tuned for that!

YouTube has created a program called “YouTube Next Trainer” where they are going to work with 16 different online fitness coaches from around the world, give them a $15,000 video equipment and promotional package. Along with a 12 weeks of video training directly from YouTube to help make them YouTube Fitness Stars.

And I was selected as 1 of those 16 people!!!

I’m super pumped about this opportunity. As you know I love to help people get in their best shape ever through my website and videos. Now with YouTube working with me directly you should see some better quality Kick Ass muscle building videos coming from “Your Muscle Building Coach” in the near future…

Heck I’ve got the Pros at YouTube working with me now…

This is my Bio Video that I sent into YouTube for the Next Trainer Program:

Note: If for some reason you can’t watch the embedded video here. You can watch it directly on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zlKUispeTo

You can read more about the YouTube Next Trainer Program on their website at: http://www.youtube.com/creators/nexttrainer.html

 

 

I got my free video package complements of being selected as one of YouTube’s Next Trainers.

They sent the following video gear:
- Canon EOS 60D Digital Camera
- Canon 17-55mm lens
- Manfrotto aluminum tripod
- Wescott video lighting kit with soft boxes, etc.
- Green screen kit
- Logitech C910 Webcam
- Sony Portable Wireless Mic
- Rode Shotgun Mic

Bottom line they sent me A LOT of stuff…
Now I got to put it all to use and make some kick ass videos!

Below is a quick video clip of a practice posing session that I did, this was shot 3 weeks out from the competition. My body weight is currently 200 pounds (and I’m 5’6 tall).

My goal is to drop another 8-10 pounds between now and the competition and weigh in somewhere in the low 190′s to really nail in my best conditioning.

If you are interested in learning what goes into bodybuilding competition training and how competitive bodybuilders get that lean ripped look, then you should pick up a copy of my book
“Your First Bodybuilding Competition”.

This is a complete step-by-step bodybuilding competition training guide that explains everything you need to know about preparing for and looking your best at your first bodybuilding competition.

Click Here For More Info…

This is going to be my 13th bodybuilding competition… Lucky Number 13 LOL

Things are going pretty good, I’m pleased with my progress thus far. Over the past few months I’ve dropped over 20 pounds of bodyfat while actually gaining some lean mass.

Below are some pictures that I took tonight during my posing practice…

The full album is posted on my Facebook page at:
Total Fitness Bodybuilding Facebook Fan Page.

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If you’d like to learn some advanced training & diet tips for maximum fat loss, then I highly recommend you check out my Extreme Fat Loss DVD program.

This covers in detail the exact Fat Loss Diet and Training Cycle that I’m personally using RIGHT NOW to get ripped for my up coming bodybuilding competition.

One the DVD I break down exactly what you need to do on a daily basis with regards to your diet, supplements, and your workouts to quickly lose that stubborn bodyfat and get a lean, tight, athletic physique.

To get more information just click on the link below:

Click Here For More Info…

Vince Gironda – The Legend & Myth

He was known as the Iron Guru and a lot of today’s effective training methods have developed from the basis of what Vince was teaching his muscle building students over 60 years ago!

In fact, Vince even coached the great Arnold Swarchenegger back when he first came to America in the 1960′s. Vince’s teachings helps mold the physique for the world’s most famous bodybuilder ever!

The knowledge, depth, and complexity of Vince Gironda can be seen in all his works. Vince’s Gym in Studio City California was the first Mecca of bodybuilding. Established back in the 1940’s. There have been more bodybuilding champs and movie stars trained under Vince Gironda’s watchful eye than any other gym in the world.

Vince’s Gym in Studio City, California.

Unfortunately, Vince passed away in 1997 just shy of his 80th birthday. To say he was ahead of his time is an understatement. His love and passion for exercise and nutrition was overwhelming. But thankfully you can still get access to all of his unique and effective bodybuilding tips, tricks, and methods in the book “Vince Gironda – Legend & Myth” which is available at: www.VinceGirondaProgram.com

Click Here for more info…

In fact this is the book that I’m currently reading and I’ve literally been face and eyes into it, I just can’t put it down because I’ve been enjoying it so much!

And this blog post is going to basically be a quick summary of some of the insights that I’ve picked up so far from reading this 334 page piece of bodybuilding history!

First off, I must tell you that this book is NOT just another “workout program”…
Let’s face it, they can get pretty boring… But rather this is like an education to the way bodybuilding was back in Golden Era of bodybuilding… The “Pumping Iron” Days… And how the champs of yesterday trained and ate to build their classic physiques!

The Classic “Old-School” Bodybuilder Physiques!

His secret was in the combination of proper exercises, strict diet, and the strict adherence to exercise form. He used to say that the more you know about training, the less complicated the equipment you need. And the more you know about nutrition, the faster your results will be.

Now while Vince had some very unique methods with training and nutrition, he knew there were exceptions to everything and said that:

“Rules are made to be challenged, questioned, changed or completely broken.
There is no absolute right way, or wrong way, to workout.”

He expressed what he felt and showed things his way, but he was also open to alternatives for anything that didn’t work well for a particular individual.

Vince was the first guy to advocate that your bodybuilding success is 80% nutrition.
Now whether or not you actually agree with the number, you can’t argue with the fact that what you eat, when you eat it, and what supplements you take and when you take them is much more important than most bodybuilders could possibly imagine.

Vince had some very unorthodox eating strategies that he followed and taught to his students;

Do NOT combine carbohydrates with protein in the same meal:
Proper protein digestion requires a higher level of an acidic base in the stomach. Where as proper starchy carbohydrate digestion requires an alkaline medium. If you consume both together you’ll only get partial digestion and the residue will result in severe discomfort, gas, bloating, heartburn, and hyperacidity… Not to mention the dreaded bodybuilder farts LOL…
This is covered in much more detail on Page 54 of the Vince Gironda Program.

Vince was often asked about gaining weight and he would reply with a question of his own:

“Do you want increased body weight, or is it an increase in muscle size you are after?”

Of course the response would usually be “size”.

Vince claimed that muscle size is desirable, but not simply adding body weight, which will only smooth out your definition and increase the size of your waist and hips while causing a loss of symmetry.

The Steak and Eggs Diet:
Vince believed this was the best way to build quality muscle mass while stripping away excess fat from the body. He reported personally achieving his all time best shape of his life by following this diet… The specifics of his exact diet plan are outlined on Page 16 of the book.

Now of course in some cases guys actually did need to “Gain Weight” to fill out their frames. Especially guys with a naturally lean and slim ectomorph body type. In these situations Vince would often recommend the…

The European Weight Gaining Trick:
Vince claimed this special mix was a proven and tested way to gain weight and he stated that he had students of his who gained as much as 40 pounds by having this simple “in between meal” drink… Details on Page 58.

And speaking of different body types. Vince had a unique, but very realistic view on the subject of genetics and muscle building. He used to say that:

“Champions are born, NOT made.”

Now I realize that comment is going to ruffle some feathers, but if you really look at it from a big picture you’ll see that it’s actually very true.

Most people who take up bodybuilding could no more be a Mr. Olympia than they could be a professional basketball player, which requires another type of genetic extreme altogether. But does this mean all your training is hopeless???

Not at all, for the truth is: You can probably develop a body that appeals to more people and is more esthetically pleasing than that of most professional bodybuilders of today…

Don’t Do Sit Ups!
Another thing that really stood out was Vince’s stance on abdominal training…
He advocated minimal abdominal work. Vince did NOT do endless sets of ab work like a lot of people do. In his mind excessive ab training thickened the waist and actually slowed your gains. He believed in training the abs just like any other muscle group and to get a ripped 6 pack you focused on your diet and doing faster more intense training sessions.

Some other unique training theories that Vince Gironda had…

To increase a muscle’s size you must increase the intensity of work done within a given period of time. This means minimum rest between sets and pushing yourself hard during your workouts. A prime example of this principle can be seen when you compare sprinters and marathon runners. Even though the marathon runner is doing a greater volume of work, the sprinter is doing more work per unit of time thus builds more muscle.

Training To Failure VS. 60% – 80%…
Vince recommended training with weights that are in the range of 60% to 80% of your maximum for sets of 8 reps. He advocated shortening up the rest periods between sets before increasing the weights to get more concentrated work volume done per unit of time. In his opinion speeding up your workout is your best form of progressive resistance.

Vince Hated Doing Squats…
Another thing that really got my attention was that Vince absolutely hated doing regular back squats the way most bodybuilders and powerlifters do them. He believed that they over developed the hips and glutes and ruined your symmetry. And I can see his point of view on this. However, he was a huge fan of doing unique front squat variations and “sissy squats” to develop well balanced and proportional legs…

This is pretty deep stuff isn’t it?
And it’s just the tip of the ice burg… The book “Vince Gironda – Legend & Myth”
is jam packed with 334 pages of absolutely inspirational and fascinating info for any bodybuilding fan.

It’s one of those books that you can just get lost in…
Once you start reading, you won’t want to put it down, it’s that good!

And right now you can pick up a copy of this for yourself for a huge 50% discount over at:

www.VinceGirondaProgram.com

Click Here To Get Your Copy Now…

Anyway, the feedback from this program has been very positive. Skip has been coaching bodybuilders to get in top contest shape for over 20 years, so he really knows his stuff. He’s a master when it comes to effective nutrition strategies for packing on lean muscle mass AND getting ripped.

In fact, the only real “negative” thing that we’ve been hearing is some people don’t believe that
Skip La Cour is REALLY Natural…

A lot of people just assume that because he’s in great shape and a champion bodybuilder that
“He Must Be Taking Steroids…”

So the question a lot of people have been asking is:

Is Skip La Cour REALLY “Natural” ?

Now I was actually chatting with Skip about this very question today. After all, he’s been in the bodybuilding limelight for years so he’s been asked this question a thousand times before. And he had a very good answer to all the steroid accusations…

 
Question:

In natural (drug-tested) bodybuilding, there has to be “cheaters”. People who use steroids in the off-season or even during their contest prep and go off it in time for the drugs to clear their system. This is very evident from reading message boards and talking to people, there are plenty of cheaters in natural shows. Steroid users who compete in the drug tested shows and get away with it (you rarely even hear about anyone getting caught).

Even with this problem obviously existing, many natural bodybuilders get very upset when you “attack” them and say that they are liars. I can understand that, if they truely are natural and work really hard to get to where they are at they will obviously get upset when someone call them a cheater. Still, they have to realize that they will be subject to great scrutiny when there are cheaters present in the sport.

To get to my question now: Since there obviously are plenty of steroid users competing in natural bodybuilding; how are we supposed to believe that the very best show-winning guys are natural? A good steroid using bodybuilder will certainly beat a great natural one in a competition.

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

Skip’s Answer:

In every man’s life, he eventually must use his own intuition and instincts, man-up, and make his own decisions.

You have to do that when choosing a girlfriend, business partner, doctor, and even taxi cab driver.

Is every extremely attractive woman a gold-digging, manipulating whore? Some men believe they ALL are–and they create a set of patterns and actions based on that belief. Are SOME extremely attractive women gold-digging, manipulating whores? Yes. Can you always judge a woman’s integrity based on her looks (meaning the more attractive she is, the more “corrupt” she is)? No.

Is every extremely competent and successful potential business partner an unethical, con artist? Some people believe they ALL are–and they create a set of patterns and actions based on that belief. Are SOME extremely competent and successful potential business partners unethical con artists? Yes. Can you always judge a potential business partner’s integrity based on how much money he makes (meaning the more money he makes, the more “corrupt” he is)? No.

Is every doctor incompetent and does extra work on you only to fraudulently charge your insurance company? Some people believe they ALL are–and they create a set of patterns and actions based on that belief. Are SOME doctors incompetent and fraudulently charge your insurance company? Yes. Can you always judge a how competent and ethical a doctor is based on how many patients he has (meaning the more he has, the more “corrupt” he is)? No.

And, not every taxi cab driver is going to take you the long way to your destination just to rip you off for a little extra money–although many people believe that ALL taxi cab drivers are corrupt.

Just like choosing a girlfriend, business partner, doctor, or taxi cab driver, use your own instincts to believe who is truly drug free and who is a “lying, cheating, con artist.”

Get a feel for who they are by how they communicate–and then make you own decision. The internet, with all of the articles, blogs, videos, and podcasts that the bodybuilder communicates with will make your job of using your own judgement a lot easier.

Here’s another piece of advice:

I would guess that 10% of the human population would consider THEMSELVES happy and successful (and that is probably a stretch). I would guess only 50% of the human population would even say that they are even “satisfied” in life (again, that is probably a stretch).

The VERY WORSE thing you can do is make your personal decisions in life based on what random people who you don’t even know have to say (the “masses”). In fact, if you think and take action (or don’t take action) like the masses, you are going to have some serious challenges in life. No doubt about it. I would try to find out what the top 10% are thinking and doing–and take that route.

If you have an experience dealing with an unethical woman, business partner, doctor, taxi cab driver–or even a “so called drug free bodybuilder”–just MOVE ALONG and find someone you can TRUST. Don’t whine and complain like the unhappy, disgruntled masses do.

Successful people in life move on and find a good woman, business partner, doctor, taxi cab driver–BECAUSE THEY ARE FOCUSED ON GETTING WHAT THEY WANT IN LIFE and NOT WHAT THEY DON’T WANT.

Only whiners want to hear other people whine.

And, yes, there are extremely attractive truly good women, savvy and honest businessmen, competent and caring doctors, fair taxi cab drivers, and accomplished and well-developed drug free bodybuilders in the world who live with integrity JUST LIKE YOU DO–despite what the “masses” may think.

One more point:

Don’t ever waste your time trying tell an extremely attractive, good woman that you think ALL extremely attractive women are whores; telling a savvy and honest businessman that you think that ALL savvy businessmen are crooks; telling a competent and caring doctor that you think ALL doctors are all “quacks”; or telling an honest taxi cab drivers that you think ALL taxi cab drivers are crooks.

They don’t really give a damn what your issues, beliefs, or bad experiences are because they don’t apply to them. They just focus on the people in this world who know who they are and what they are all about.

That’s YOUR world–not theirs. They’ll just go ahead and let you live in the world you’ve chosen to live in. The more confidence they have in themselves, the less likely they’ll even step into your world and explain anything to you because they are so focused in living with purpose and direction in their own world. They won’t make it their personal responsibility to get you to cross over.

You know who does want to hear what you have to say about “bad” women, business, doctors, taxi cab drivers, and so called drug free bodybuilders?

The “masses.”

Use your intuition and instincts, man-up, and make your own decisions. Just remember that the beliefs you adopt will determine how you proceed in the future–and your level of success.

Train hard. Think BIG.

WOW…
That’s some potent food for thought, isn’t?
Not just for bodybuilding, but for life in general.

(Note: I hope you actually took the time to read Skip’s Answer above and never just skimmed through to the bottom. It’s worth taking a few minutes and actually reading what he has to say.)

Bottom line, I fully endorse Skip and his programs. This guy walks the talk and has competed in top level National Drug Tested Bodybuilding Shows, not only that but he’s maintained a lean, muscular, and healthy physique for over 20+ years now. That’s the kind of bodybuilding role model I look up to!

www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net

However, the problem with this is that there is so much conflicting crap out there these days that it can be mind boggling!

That’s why I put together this video clip to show you how you can simplify your nutrition and maximize your muscle gains.

Just click PLAY to watch the video below:

Skip La Cour: The Author Of Simple Bodybuilding Nutrition

Skip La Cour is a expert at getting people in the best shape of their lives through following simple, but proven methods for building muscle and burning fat.

He is one of the most successful Natural Bodybuilder’s of all time. He has won 15 bodybuilding competitions in his career. Including the National Drug Free Championships 6 times. At the peak of his competitive bodybuilding reign, he was the most recognized drug-free bodybuilder on the planet.

Skip has recently compiled his all time best bodybuilding nutrition tips & tricks into his brand new program: “Simple Bodybuilding Nutrition” which you can download right on his website www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net

So if you are looking for a way to simplify your nutrition and maximize your results, just check out Skip’s Simple Bodybuilding Nutrition
System at: www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net

Since that time I have had the opportunity to train, coach, and get real world feedback from hundreds of people in person, and literally tens of thousands of people online via my websites.

Bottom line…
I’ve been around this sport long enough to know what works and what’s a complete crock of Bull-Sh!t.

For over a decade now my main mission in life has been to tell the truth about bodybuilding & fitness and to help my online followers, people like YOU, get in their best shape ever!

And I’m here to tell you that the NUMBER #1 thing that is going to make the biggest difference in your overall bodybuilding & fitness success is your Nutrition Program.

Now obviously you need to workout consistently, that’s a given. You can’t be like the wannabe’s out there who keep making up excuses about how they are “Too Busy” to workout, and that once they have more time they are “Going To Get Back At It…”

This whole working out “On & Off Again” (like so many people do) is a complete waste of time. It’s literally taking 1 step forward and then 1 step back. You can do that from daylight til dark and at the end of the day what did you accomplish… Sweet F_All… You are still at square one with nothing to show for your efforts.

But once you are past that initial novice phase and working out is now a part of your daily lifestyle. The single biggest factor that’s going to make or break your success and separate the men from the boys is the fuel you put inside your body.

You see there are countless people out there who hit the gym regularly and train hard. But they spend most of their time stuck in a rut going nowhere in terms of building a leaner more muscular physique because they fill their body’s with low quality “junk-food”.Not only that, but a lot of guys will piss their gains away by hitting the night clubs on the weekends, getting sh!t faced drunk, and then following it up by eating pizza afterwards. I mean it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that’s a recipe for disaster!

Don’t Piss Your Gains Away Like This Guy…

So if you are really serious at all about gaining lean muscle and getting the body you’ve always desired, then you need to nail down a solid Bodybuilding Nutrition Program.

Now the problem with this is that there is so much conflicting crap out there these days that it can be mind boggling…

If you are confused when it comes to proper bodybuilding nutrition… I can’t blame you!
(high carb, low carb, high fat, low fat, high protein, vegetarian, fasting, cheating, & you name it.)

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel…
You see one of My Original Bodybuilding Mentors and 6 time national drug free champion,
Skip La Cour, has just released a complete Bodybuilding Nutrition System
that I want you to check out for yourself at:

www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net <

Skip Who…?Just in case you don’t know who Skip La Cour is, I’ll share a little bit of info about him… He’s one of the most successful Natural Bodybuilder’s of all time. And I’ve been a huge fan of his and have been following along with Skip’s programs since I started bodybuilding 20 years ago! He has won 15 bodybuilding competitions in his career. At the peak of his competitive bodybuilding reign, he was the most recognized drug-free bodybuilder on the planet. Back in the 1990′s it was hard to pick up a muscle magazine and NOT see Skip in there somewhere. And when I first seen his physique I knew then and there that was the type of body I wanted to build… Big, Strong, Lean, & NATURAL!

In fact, over the years I’ve bought up pretty much everyone of Skip’s e-books, I own several of his DVD programs, and I even have a framed autographed photo that Skip sent me a few years ago!

I have to admit that I’ve based a lot of my own training around the stuff that I’ve learned from following his programs. And the thing I like the most about this guy is that he “Walks The Talk”.

There’s NO BS with Skip. Not only does he look the part, but he’s proven that he knows his sh!t by winning at the highest level of Natural Bodybuilding Competition… That says a lot about a person!

Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all this is because I have personally studied Skip La Cour’s Bodybuilding Nutrition System and I’ve incorporated it as the foundation to my own eating plan. And I really think you can benefit from this program as well.

www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net <

But here’s the best part…
You see Skip has just revised his complete nutrition system and made it even easier to understand and follow. So if you pick up a copy of this program right now you’ll be getting the latest in Real World Nutrition Advice that will help you pack on pounds of ripped rock solid muscle while stripping away that soft ugly belly fat.

Here’s everything you’re going to get:

• Skip’s Bodybuilding Nutrition Book
  – 103 pages of simple and to the point eating strategies to help you reach your goals. 
• Skip’s Eight Week Mass Food Journal
  – Printable pages to track your food intake and meal planning.
• The Secrets To Getting Lean & Shredded Audio MP3
• Done For You Meal Plans & Food Exchange Lists
• The Top 10 Secrets of Best Bodybuilders Book
• The Disarming of the Alpha Male Book
• Skip’s Exclusive Guide To Supplements
• and more…
• Again, you can get all the details and download your copy at the link below:

  www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net <

  

————————————
Note:
If you never downloaded them yet, you can do so right now at:
http://leehayward.com/blog/gain-7-pounds-in-21-days
————————————

These 2 reports outline a unique cycle-diet & training plan that competitive bodybuilders have been using for years to pack on lean muscle mass without gaining excess bodyfat in the process. In fact, it’s down right crazy how fast you can gain lean muscular bodyweight when follow this system to the letter.

Now if you want, you can literally take the info from these 2 reports and create your own program based around this cycle-diet & training strategy. I know some advanced bodybuilders and trainers who have done this.

However, if you would like to skip the hassle and get a complete “Done-For-You Program” that eliminates all the guesswork and outlines everything you need to do in detail such as: - The Exact Workouts to follow set-by-set - The Exact Foods to eat - The Exact 21-Day Cycle-Diet for your body type - The Exact Supplements to maximize your gains - PLUS a whole lot of other extra tips and tricks… Then you’ll be interested in getting a copy of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Programthat I created along with the help of my good friend Vince Del Monte.This is by far the most advanced and complete muscle-building system that I’ve ever used and it normally retails for $97 over at: http://www.21dayfastmassbuilding.com

However, for the next 3 days only I’d like to GIVE YOU this entire training and nutritional system for FREE!

Yes, that’s right… For FREE…

—————————————-
“Ok, Lee you have my attention, but what’s the catch?”
—————————————-

Well, my co-author for the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program (Vince Del Monte) recently launched a new online TV show called “Live Large” and it’s pretty cool because it gives you an insider’s view of what the pros do to get in top competition shape.

Each week Vince takes you through the life of a professional fitness model sharing unique training and nutritional strategies, along with special guest appearances from various top bodybuilders and fitness competitors in the industry.

And if you sign up for a year membership of Live Large, which works out to just $7.87 per month. Vince and I are going to GIVE you a complementary copy of the complete 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program as an Extra FREE Bonus!

All you have to do is click on the link below:

Register For Live Large & Get 21-Day Fast Mass Building For FREE <

I’d recommend that you check it out for yourself because it’s a great source of on going motivation and education to add to your bodybuilding and fitness library.

After you register for a 1 year membership of Live Large TV.
Just e-mail me your order confirmation to this address: Lee@LeeHayward.com
And I’ll then send you the complete 21-Day Fast Mass Building System ASAP!

This is a great 2 for 1 value package, you’ll literally be getting a full years worth of Muscle-Building “Infotainment” with Live Large TV along with a killer lean mass building system with The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program.

Just click the special link below for all the details…

Register For Live Large & Get 21-Day Fast Mass Building For FREE <

P.S.
This special offer is only available for the next 72 hours only!
So if you are interested in taking advantage of this 2 for 1 deal
you should get started now at the link below:

http://www.leehayward.com/go/live-large.htm

You see it was about this time last year that I revealed my “Best Kept Secret”
for quickly packing on lean rock hard muscle mass without getting fat in the process.

I shared this “Special Program” with my good friend Vince Del Monte
and he went on to gain a whopping 7.4 pounds of pure muscle mass,
while actually losing 1 pound of bodyfat, in just 21-days!

And I want to share this exact same program with YOU Right Here!

Download Your FREE Muscle Building e-Books Below:

Download The Death Of Bulking

Download The Anabolic Amplifier Effect

In these 2 e-Books, you’ll discover why you don’t need to
buy into the nonsense bulk up diets that only pack on pounds
of fat, instead of quality muscle. You’ll also learn a secret
technique that competitive bodybuilders have been hiding for
decades to getting bigger and leaner year in and year out…

Not only that, but you’ll also get the EXACT Meal Plan that
Vince used to gain 7.4 lbs of muscle in just 21-days, these
e-Books could easily retail for $39.95, but right now I’m
GIVING them away to you! (no catch or credit card needed).

Just download your FREE Muscle Building e-Books from the links above.

Don’t even think about starting any muscle-building
workout or nutrition plan until you read this info!
It’ll change the way you build muscle… Forever!

Enjoy the free info!

And when you ask what kinds of cardio they are doing, more often then not you’ll hear the usual… treadmill, stationary bike, stepper, elliptical, etc… All done while in a stuffy old cardio room staring at the wall or if you are “really lucky” you maybe able to watch a television that’s on mute while doing your cardio.It’s no wonder people complain that doing cardio is boring, especially if that’s what they are doing for their cardio workouts! Blah…

In my case, I only use indoor machine cardio as a last resort when the weather outside is absolutely shitty (i.e. pouring down rain, freezing cold, snow storm, etc.)

But for the most part my cardio workouts are done outside in the fresh air and I really enjoy them and actually look forward to doing them!

To give you an example, just watch the quick video below to see a Fun Cardio Workout that I did yesterday…

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get asked about ways to increase energy levels. People are always curious as to what foods they should eat and what supplements they should take to jack up their energy levels.

Everything from Nitric Oxide, Caffeine, Ephedrine, Ginseng, Amino Acids, Horny Goat Weed, Red-Bull, RockStar…

You name it people are looking for it and are willing to try it all. And yet the one thing that often gets ignored, but yet can improve your strength and energy levels better then any supplement or stimulant is sleep!

The benefits of getting adequate sleep are HUGE! Everything from speeding up your muscle recovery, increasing growth hormone levels, improving your athletic performance, improved heart function, cell repair, and the list goes on and on…

But one thing that may be of interest to you – is that sufficient sleep helps increase your motivation for exercise!

One of the biggest excuses people have for not following through with their workout routine consistently is being too tired to exercise. But one thing that you can do (and it costs nothing!) is simply taking a 20 minute power nap in the afternoon.

You will feel more alert and energetic afterwards, and once rested after your mid-afternoon nap, your mood, efficiency, and alertness level will improve greatly.

Scientists have proven that taking a 20-minute nap approximately eight hours after you have awaken will do more for your strength and stamina than sleeping in later in the morning.

Of course when you first come out of your afternoon nap, you will probably feel a bit groggy for about ten minutes, but once this dissipates, you will reap the rewards of being well rested, recharged, and ready to go for the rest of the day.

So if you are looking for a kick ass all natural energy booster with no jittery side effects, just take a 20 minute power nap when you get home from work or school.

It’s easy, it’s proven effective, and it’s FREE!

Everyday I get questions from my online followers asking my opinion on various supplements. Now while most of the supplement questions are related to the basics of protein, creatine, vitamins, amino acids, etc. I do get a lot of questions asking about “Testosterone Boosters”.

Surprisingly,
Most of the questions I get about “Testosterone Boosters” come from TEENAGERS!

Unfortunately, I think this has more to do with teenagers being impatient and looking for a shortcut to get “huge”, rather than actually solving a physical problem that they have. During adolescence the production of anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone are at their all time natural peak. That’s why EVERYONE grows bigger and stronger during their teenager years, regardless if they workout or not.

If a teenager is looking for the solution to getting bigger and stronger, it is NOT through getting their testosterone levels higher. I mean the average teenage boy’s test levels are already on bust to the point that he’ll pop a woody if a warm breeze of wind hits his crotch.

A teenage boy looking for ways to get his testosterone levels EVEN HIGHER isn’t going to do a darn thing. The key to building muscle for teens comes down to consistently following a proper muscle building diet and training program.

However, once you get past this natural growth spurt and start approaching the “ripe old age” of 30 things take a nose dive…
Just like somebody stole your MoJo!

Unfortunately, most middle age men just assume that this is a side effect of growing old and that the “good ole days” are long gone. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Believe it or not, there are actually 6 Natural Substances that are available to you Right Now!
That can safely restore your testosterone levels to what they used to be like in the picture above!

In fact, just ONE of these natural substances has been show to literally Double Testosterone Levels within 2 weeks!

And you can get the low down on all SIX of the most potent, most powerful substances available to raise your testosterone levels and get your mojo back!

Just Click Here for all the details…

In celebration of these 2 National Holidays I thought I’d do something interesting and
GIVE AWAY 100 FREE GIFTS right here on my blog!

The First 100 People Who Comment To This Blog Post Will Get A FREE Copy Of My:
“HardCore Muscle Building E-book Program”…

Hardcore Muscle Building
How To Train Beyond Muscular Failure For Maximum Muscle Gains

Take your physique to the next level of muscular development by incorporating high-level training methods from some of the world’s top bodybuilders and powerlifters. These advanced workouts will allow you to instantly increase your strength while safely pushing your body past the point of muscular failure. This kind of hardcore training will stimulate explosive growth in those dormant muscle fibers that never get activated during “normal” workout programs.

All you have to do to get your FREE copy of this program is post a comment below and let me know how much you have benefited from all the stuff that I share via my website.

Regardless if you have purchased a program from me, or you are just following the “free” advice that I share, please let me know how the info that I share here has helped you with your bodybuilding and fitness goals.

Please take a couple minutes and write out a detailed response…
–>> I’d like to know your name and where you are from.
–>> How you first found out about my website.
–>> The programs have you followed.
–>> How these programs have helped you get bigger, stronger, leaner, etc.

If you know the specific numbers as to how much muscle you gained, how much bodyfat you lost, how much your strength has improved, etc. please include those numbers as well.

And if you want to earn “extra brownie points”, you can even include Before & After pictures of your results!
Note: you can upload pictures to http://www.imageshack.us
and link to them in your blog comment below.

The first 100 people who send me in a detailed comment below will get a
FREE Copy of The Hardcore Muscle Building e-Book Program!

I’m looking forward to reading your comments below!

PLEASE NOTE…
I know we’ve gone WAY OVER 100 comments, so to make it fair for everyone. I’ll still give you a FREE copy of the e-book if you post your “Before & After” pictures along with the following…

– Your name and where you are from.
– How you first found out about my website.
– The programs have you followed.
– How these programs have helped you get bigger, stronger, leaner, etc.
– The specific numbers as to how much muscle you gained, how much bodyfat you lost, how much your strength has improved, etc.

Note: you can upload pictures to http://www.imageshack.us
and post the link to them here in your blog comment.

Have you ever felt like it was a chore to…
- Go to the gym
- Do your cardio
- Stick to a proper muscle building meal plan
- Take your supplements
- And all that stuff…

I think if we are honest with ourselves, every single one of us has felt this way at some point or another.

(I know I have felt this from time to time.)

Now there are all kinds of tips and tricks that you can use to help spark your training motivation. But the #1 tip that I can share with you is to simply get around folks who are more advanced than you are.

When you hang around guys who are bigger, stronger, and more ripped than you are it will help motivate and encourage you to up your game and take your own training to the next level.

And one very simple way that you can do this is by attending local bodybuilding and powerlifting competitions in your area. Competition brings out the best in people. So if you want to see who the movers and shakers are in your neck of the woods, just go watch and support your local athletes.

This simple tip is the #1 thing that helped propel me to early muscle building success. I started watching local competitions when I was 15 years old, and I started competing in local competitions when I was 17 years old.

When you hang around and associate with people who are successful, you can’t help but have some of that success rub off on you as well.

And today I’m going to practice what I preach and go check out our Provincial Powerlifting Championships. I want to go and support the local lifters and also get a shot of training motivation at the same time!

After watching a local bodybuilding or powerlifting competition you can’t help but get fired up to hit the gym and strive to set some new personal records of your own.

Another great way to keep yourself motivated is by regularly watching videos and DVD’s of guys who are on top of their game. This is one thing that I did right from the get go and I still do it.

I’ve literally got boxes of old VHS tapes and DVD’s from trainers, bodybuilders, and powerlifters and they are awesome sources of education and motivation.

In fact my good friend Vince Del Monte has recently released a brand new DVD series outlining EXACTLY how he went about getting ripped to the bone shredded for his most recent fitness model competition.

And not only that, but he even won his Pro Status as a Fitness Model at that very competition!

So if you are looking for some cutting edge real world advice and motivation from a pro athlete I suggest you check out Vince’s new DVD series“Stage Shredded Status”.

I’ve already ordered a copy for myself because I’m always looking for any extra edge that I can get to help with my own training, and I’d suggest you do the same.

Just click on the link below for more info…

Stage Shredded Status DVD Series

“Lee, How Do I Stick To My Workout & Nutrition Routine When I’m Traveling?”

And the simple answer is… YOU DON’T !

WTF???
“Lee, are you saying that I should quit working out and eat whatever want when I’m traveling?”

NO, I’m not saying you should quit, but I am saying that most likely you won’t be able to stick to your “Current Routine” of diet and exercise. You have to learn how to be flexible in your approach when you are outside your normal environment.

Working Out When Traveling…

When you are away from home you won’t be able to workout at your regular gym, so chances are your workouts are going to vary some what. For example, you may not have the same equipment to train with, so you probably won’t be able to follow your exact routine or program as you do when you are home.

And if you are working out at a hotel gym you are going to be very limited in what you can do as most hotel gyms suck, but they are better than not working out at all.

What I do in these cases is simply do circuit routines. One day I’ll do an upper body circuit routine using what ever equipment is available. For example, I may do a chest exercise, back exercise, shoulder exercise, bicep exercise, and tricep exercise… Then repeat the circuit 3-4 times.

The next day I may do a lower body circuit routine, usually some form of squats, lunges, along with what ever leg machines they have available at the gym I’m working out at. And again I’ll do 3-4 sets of each exercise in a circuit fashion.

When I’m on the road I don’t really care if I’m using free weights, machines, cables, or even bodyweight exercises. All that matters is that I’m working the muscles.

I tend to move fast between exercises and get a good pump and sweat worked up. At the very least it will be enough to maintain your current level of fitness, and you may in fact stimulate some new growth by doing this because it will be totally new training stimulus compared to what you are used to doing.

Eating When Traveling…

When it comes to eating while traveling, you are definitely going to be outside your home base. You’re going to be eating in restaurants for a lot of your meals. However, with a little common sense you can still stick to a sound nutrition plan.

Practically every single restaurant these days serves fresh garden salads. Simply by starting each meal with a large salad will go a long way towards helping you eat right. You could even order a grilled chicken breast and have it chopped up into your salad for some extra lean protein.

Then when it comes to the main course, opt for your food to be baked, broiled, or grilled instead of fried. Have a baked potato instead of the home fries. Skip the deserts, or if you are craving something sweet, opt for some fresh fruit.

Little things like this all add up and can keep you on the right track to building a lean ripped physique, even when you are away from home. So keep these tips in mind the next time you are away from home.

Also be sure to watch your e-mail inbox for tomorrow, because I’m going to be sharing some advanced strategies to help you get that lean ripped look that we all want… So stay tuned for that!

P.S.
If you are not already on my Bodybuilding Tips e-Mail Newsletter. Than just fill out the form that’s at the top of this page and I’ll keep you up to date with all my latest muscle building and fat loss tips!

Not All Gyms Are Created Equal…

Below is a pic of a good Hardcore Old School Gym. But most gyms today are not really gyms at all. They are more along the lines of “Powder Puff Fitness Centers”.

Classic Hardcore “Old School” Gym!

After a few warm up sets he reached in to his gym bag and took out his container of lifting chalk, chalked up his hands and did a set of deadlifts. As soon as he finished his set one of the employees came over and told him:

“You are not allowed to use chalk in here. If you don’t clean up your mess you’ll have to leave!”

With that my friend said:

“What kind of a gym is this? Everywhere else I train allows lifting chalk???”

The employee told him:

“We are not a ‘GYM’ we are a Fitness Center, and we don’t let people use chalk”

With that my friend packed up his things, walked out the door and never came back!

Lesson Learned…

If you are serious about building a ripped muscular physique, than you need to train in a place that will support your efforts, and not hold you back. Just watch the video presentation that I’ve put together for you below to find out if you are training in the right gym or not…

If you would like to have a complete Hardcore Muscle Building Workout Program to follow along with and take your muscular development to the next level. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of my “Hardcore Muscle Building Program” 2 disc DVD set.

This program will show you how to train beyond muscular failure to achieve maximum muscle gains in the gym. This is a serious muscle building workout program that incorporates high level advanced training techniques to maximize muscle stimulation.

Just click on the link below to get your very own copy…

Hardcore Muscle Building 2 Disc DVD Set

DVD # 1 Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
DVD # 2 Back, Biceps, Legs, & Abs

Item is currently in stock.
You can order from anywhere in the world and and get FREE Rush Delivery Shipping!

Click Here For More Information…

When it comes to fat loss, most people “Over Estimate” how hard it will be, yet they “Under Estimate” how long it will take…

If one of your fitness goals is to lose that gut and get visible six-pack abs for the New Year…

You need to start taking action NOW!

But one of the biggest problems that people have when it comes to fat loss is they find it difficult to stay motivated and keep consistent with their program. For the most part it’s not “lack of knowledge” that holds people back from fat loss success.

After all, practically everyone knows what they “NEED To Do” in order to lose fat
(at least enough to get started)…

We all know we need to exercise, we know we need to drink plenty of water, we know we need to avoid processed junk food, and all that basic stuff…

But as basic and simple as this is, most people still don’t do it… Why?

The reason is lack of motivation and momentum…
The hardest step to anything is the first step. Once you get the ball rolling it’s actually quite easy to keep it rolling and build on the momentum.

So how do you start building some serious fat loss momentum and take steps towards getting that ripped “six-pack” ?

Simple, you need to prioritize your first meal of the day. If you get your day started off right by having a healthy nutritious meal, it’s easier to keep that momentum going for the rest of the day.

Start Your Day With A…

When you have a healthy breakfast and then follow it up with several healthy meals in a row, it will fuel your body and motivate you to get to the gym and train hard. And after a good day of healthy eating and exercise you’ll also want to get to bed at a decent hour so you can get up and do it again the next day.

But it all starts with the First Meal of the day. If you screw this up and skip breakfast or hit the drive through window for some processed “junk food”, you are going to feel like crap. If you feel like crap it’s easier to blow off the day as a write off and say to yourself:

–>> “I’ll get back on track tomorrow…”

If you mess up a couple days in a row, then you’ll probably end up blowing off the whole week and say to yourself:

–>> “I’ll start back on my diet on Monday…”

This is the trap that many people fall into. Momentum works both ways, if you get the ball rolling in the right direction towards healthy eating and regular exercise you can keep it going. But on the other side of the coin, if you get off track it’s very easy to justify bad decisions and build momentum doing all the wrong things.

So my #1 Fat Loss Tip to help get you on the right track towards getting ripped “Six-Pack” abs is to make sure to start everyday off with a healthy high protein breakfast. This will fire up your metabolism and get the ball rolling for a successful day of diet and exercise.

And if you are looking for a delicious meal idea for a healthy high protein breakfast, why not give the following recipe a try tomorrow morning…

Delicious & Healthy Breakfast Meal
High Protein Low Carb Banana Pancakes!

If you’d like to get more healthy and delicious muscle building and fat burning recipes be sure to pick up a copy of Dave Ruel’s Anabolic Cooking Cookbook. This is THE Bodybuilder’s Cookbook with over 200 killer recipes that are healthy, high in protein, delicious, and easy to make at the same time. Again, just click on the link below to get your very own copy… Over 200 ‘Anabolicious’ recipes designed to help you pack on lean muscle mass and burn off bodyfat. Click Here For More Info –>>

]]> http://leehayward.com/blog/fat-loss-tips-for-six-pack-abs/feed/ 15 http://leehayward.com/blog/mass-and-power-workout/ http://leehayward.com/blog/mass-and-power-workout/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2011 03:15:00 +0000 leehayward http://leehayward.com/blog/?p=3794 When Vince Lombardi took over the Green Bay Packers everyone asked him what he was going to do:

“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!

]]> http://leehayward.com/blog/mass-and-power-workout/feed/ 80 http://leehayward.com/blog/blast-your-biceps-help-the-japanese-tsunami-victims/ http://leehayward.com/blog/blast-your-biceps-help-the-japanese-tsunami-victims/#comments Thu, 17 Mar 2011 22:06:19 +0000 leehayward http://leehayward.com/blog/?p=3454

As I’m sure you are already well aware, on Friday March 11 an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan. And this has triggered a massive tsunami which totally devastated the nation’s east coast, leaving thousands of people dead and many thousands more missing or injured.

The last I heard there are over half a million people currently homeless and living in temporary shelters. I’m sure you must have seen some of the footage about this on television and online. It’s just mind boggling I can’t even imagine how horrible this must be for the people living in Japan right now.

Now obviously I’m going to do my part and donate money to the Japanese relief efforts and try and help these people out. But I’d like to do something on a larger scale to provide even more help for those who were are affected by this natural disaster.

So this is where I need your help…

You see I’m going to hold a special promotion from March 17 to March 25 for my “Blast Your Biceps” muscle building arm specialization training system. And I’m going to donate 100% of the money generated from this promo to the Red Cross Japanese Tsunami Relief Fund.

And to kick things off I’m going to donate $1,000 of my own money along with 100% of all the money generated from this special “Blast Your Biceps” promotion.

Now I realize that this is still quite small compared to the billions of dollars in damages that have been caused by the tsunami over in Japan. But I believe that every little bit counts. So if we can all chip in together and do our part, the combined efforts will make a difference.

I’d like to say a BIG Thank You to everyone who participated in this special promotion. The money has been sent to help out a good cause!

Here are the actual receipts from the donation that was sent on March 28, 2011. The money was sent directly to the Japanese Red Cross as per the instructions on their website at:
http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html

You can click on the images to see the full size pictures.

Note:
I blurred out my bank account number and cell phone number for obviously reasons.
But you can still see the full amount that was wired to the Japanese Red Cross.

]]> http://leehayward.com/blog/blast-your-biceps-help-the-japanese-tsunami-victims/feed/ 16 http://leehayward.com/blog/pull-up-challenge-the-2011-arnold-classic/ http://leehayward.com/blog/pull-up-challenge-the-2011-arnold-classic/#comments Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:11:45 +0000 leehayward http://leehayward.com/blog/?p=3418 At the Arnold Classic Bodybuilding & Fitness Expo there are several strength challenges going on all weekend long… From push up and pull up contests, bench your body weight for reps contests, various grip strength challenges, and even one booth had a mini football combine test set up.

Now normally I like to jump in and give some of these strength challenges a go for shits and giggles. However, this time around I decided to pass on these events because I’m still recovering from a recently torn bicep injury.

One thing that always impresses me when watching these strength challenges is the level of raw strength that some of these guys have. After all the Arnold attracts muscle building and fitness enthusiasts from all over the world so you are bound to find some really strong dudes!

And one guy who really impressed me this time around was one my good friends, Rob King. We both train at the same gym together here in Newfoundland, Canada.

Now I knew Rob had kicked his training into high gear since the new year. He was training like a madman in the gym and his diet is dialed in dam near perfect. But I was still blown away by how strong he is when it came to bodyweight exercises.

I actually caught a quick video clip of him below repping out 16 good pull ups wearing a 50 pound weighted vest. Now for most people simply doing 16 pull ups with bodyweight would be considered an impressive feat of strength, let alone having an extra 50 pounds strapped to your body!

The thing that impresses me the most about Rob kicking ass in the pull up challenge is that he’s not a young buck anymore. He’s 37 years old and he’s had his fair share of training injuries (including tearing both biceps) but he keeps coming back stronger than ever. The guy is persistent and I respect that!

He’s got me all fired up to get back into some serious hardcore training again as soon as my bicep injury heals up.

---

Rob King is the author of Muscle Building Nutrition. A complete bodybuilding nutritional system that takes away all the guess work, confusion, and overwhelm when it comes to dieting for muscle growth.

If you’ve been around the iron game for any length of time, than you already know that your workouts in the gym are actually the “easy part” of your whole muscle building program. It’s WHAT you EAT and WHEN You Eat It that can make or break your success.

In fact most bodybuilding experts agree that nutrition is responsible for up to 80% of your overall muscle building results! So with such a large chuck of your success being based on your diet, you can’t afford to get slack in this area.

Right on his website Rob shares the Top 7 Nutrition Mistakes that most guys make when it comes to eating for muscle growth and how you can avoid them.

Click Here for more info on structuring a proper Muscle Building Nutrition Plan!

]]> http://leehayward.com/blog/pull-up-challenge-the-2011-arnold-classic/feed/ 23 http://leehayward.com/blog/2011-arnold-classic-expo-pictures/ http://leehayward.com/blog/2011-arnold-classic-expo-pictures/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:57:58 +0000 leehayward http://leehayward.com/blog/?p=3372 What a weekend…

I’m writing this blog post while sitting in Toronto airport and waiting for my connecting flight back home to Newfoundland. I just spent the last few days hanging out at the 2011 Arnold Classic Bodybuilding & Fitness Expo with the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Transformation Challenge winners. As you may recall, back in January we held a “before and after” muscle building transformation contest and the grand prize was an all expenses paid trip and VIP tickets to the Arnold Classic Sports Festival Weekend.

It was an incredible weekend and all the guys who attended the event with us had an absolutely awesome time. This is by far the biggest sporting event in the world with Athletes from across the globe competing. If you’ve never been to the Arnold Classic before it’s defiantly a “Must DO” thing. I know all of our transformation winners who went with us were stoked about experiencing this event for themselves first hand.

I’ve posted up over 100 pictures from the event on my FaceBook Page at: http://www.facebook.com/total.fitness.bodybuilding that you can check out for yourself. I’ve also got a cool little video clip of our Transformation Winners posted below…

We treated our 21-Day Fast Mass Building Transformation Winners to a first class weekend…

–>> We went to the VIP meet and greet with the pros on Thursday night and finished up with a few drinks at the hotel bar.

–>> On Friday we went to the Expo for the day and later that afternoon we treated our guests to BBQ Buffalo dinner, then went to watch the Ms. International Bodybuilding, Figure, Fitness and Bikini finals.

–>> Saturday we went to the Expo again. Then hit up the best steak house in town for the most mouth watering steak and lobster dinner, then watched the Arnold Classic Bodybuilding & Strongman finals. And we finished off the night at the Arnold after party with the pros at one of the hottest night clubs in town and we all had “one too many drinks” LOL.

–>> Sunday we took in the Arnold VIP training and nutrition seminar with Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. Then headed over to snatch some last minute deals at the Expo, and we finished off the day with a delicious Italian pasta dinner.

Needless to say it was an action packed weekend!

Click Here to see the full photo album.

Click Here to see the full photo album.

]]> http://leehayward.com/blog/2011-arnold-classic-expo-pictures/feed/ 19 http://leehayward.com/blog/2011-arnold-classic-bodybuilding-fitness-expo/ http://leehayward.com/blog/2011-arnold-classic-bodybuilding-fitness-expo/#comments Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:43:11 +0000 leehayward http://leehayward.com/blog/?p=3354 Tomorrow morning I’m going to be flying down to Columbus Ohio to join the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Transformation Contest Winners for the 2011 Arnold Classic Bodybuilding & Fitness Expo!

I’m really looking forward to it. This is going to be an awesome weekend, I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and videos for my website.

The Arnold Classic is the biggest bodybuilding & fitness event in the WORLD! It’s definitely a “must see event” for any bodybuilding fan. I know for our 21-Day Fast Mass Building winners they are all super pumped about it because it will be their first time attending for most of them.

Pretty much all the big names of bodybuilding, fitness, and sports world will be there. All the top pro bodybuilders and fitness competitors, UFC fighters, WWE Wrestlers, World’s Strongest Man competitors, Powerlifters… I mean heck even Lee Hayward is going to be there LOL…

And now with the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program we’re making this an annual event where you can enter to win an All Expenses Paid VIP Trip to the Arnold Classic!

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Transform Your Body To Win $10,000 In Prizes At The Arnold Sports Festival and Expo In Columbus Ohio – The Largest Sports Festival In The Nation – While Hanging Out with Muscle Building Coaches Vince Del Monte and Lee Hayward!

Here’s The Deal:

Simply invest in the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program and if you choose – you’ll be automatically entered into our annual 21-Day Fast Mass Building Transformation Challenge to win an all expenses paid trip to the Arnold Classic with us.

Here Are The Prizes:
1st Place – VIP Tickets, Round-Trip Flight, Hotel, & Meals. ($3,000 Value)
2nd Place – VIP Tickets, Hotel & Meals. ($2,000 Value)
3rd Place – VIP Tickets & Hotel. ($1,000 Value)
4th Place – 10th Place – VIP Tickets to the Arnold Classic as a group. ($350 Value)

And just to let you know, these prizes are open to anyone. In fact our first place winner this year is getting an all expenses paid trip from London England!

VIP Ticket Packages in 2011 to include exclusive IFBB meet and greet, early entry to the Fitness EXPO and chance to win lunch with Arnold! We’ll also have reserved seating to the Bikini International, Arnold Strongman Classic, Official Arnold After-Party, Men’s and Women’s Bodybuilding, the Daily EXPO and admission to the Ask Arnold Training Seminar.

Each year in Columbus Ohio, right after the Arnold Classic Pro Bodybuilding Event, parties are held around town and one of them is the official Arnold Classic After party, with Arnold himself attending. There is also a Party With The Pros which is a long night of fun, drinks, dancing, music, star-gazing and world-class entertainment. Top celebs who actually attend the Arnold Sports Festival will join the leading professional athletes at the party and VIP tickets are around $350 a person. Vince Del Monte and Lee Hayward are going to hook up the top 10 transformation finalists with VIP tickets so they can attend and experience an action packed bodybuilding and fitness trip of a lifetime!

Click Here To Download Your Copy Of The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program And Qualify For The Arnold Classic VIP Trip!

]]> http://leehayward.com/blog/2011-arnold-classic-bodybuilding-fitness-expo/feed/ 11 http://leehayward.com/blog/strict-form-vs-cheating-reps/ http://leehayward.com/blog/strict-form-vs-cheating-reps/#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:31:52 +0000 leehayward http://leehayward.com/blog/?p=3348
To Cheat Or Not To Cheat…
How Strict Should Your Exercise Form Be?

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Doing Some Pretty Extreme Cheat Curls!

When it comes to weight training there are generally 2 schools of thought when it comes to exercise form. First you have the typical personal trainer “fitness experts” who say you should perform all lifts with light to moderate weights and use very slow and controlled movements. Then you have the power and strength athletes who like to use more explosive movements, looser training form, and lift heavier weights. Which one is right and which one should you use in your training?

Well like a lot of things when it comes to working out there is no true Right or Wrong answer to this question. It all depends on the individual, the training situation, the level of training, and the fitness goals.

Obviously for beginners and people who are new to the gym, they need to learn how to perform the exercises with proper form using light weights. At this stage they just need to take baby steps, get used to the whole process of working out, and learn how it feels to exercise their muscles with weight training.

However, as you get stronger and start lifting heavier weights in your workouts with the progressive overload principle. You’ll find that your technique will have to change as well. For example, the technique needed to bench press 100 pounds is totally different than the technique needed to bench press 300 pounds. As you get stronger different muscles come into play, you need to pay a lot more attention to body positioning, your set up, how you actually contract the muscles to lift, etc… And this all requires a higher level of mental focus.

If you have the opportunity to watch advanced lifters train you’ll notice that more often then not they are NOT going to be using an exaggerated slow and controlled type of exercise form. In fact lifting slow and controlled is not really natural. It doesn’t carry over into real world strength and it is not how our muscles are meant to work.

Now I realize what I’m saying here is going to piss some people off. There are those die hard “fitness experts” out there who insist that slow and controlled is the only way and that if you use any speed or momentum in your lifting that you are cheating and that you are going to hurt yourself. But the fact is our bodies are designed for fast and explosive movements.

Real World Strength

Before we move on let’s just look at some activities from real world examples. Things such as running, jumping, throwing, etc. all require speed, momentum, and explosiveness. To prove my point, just stand up right now and try to jump as high as you can, but do it in a slow and controlled fashion… You won’t even be able to lift off the ground.

Have you ever seen a baseball player swing a bat slow and controlled? Heck NO! He’ll use momentum, speed, and explosiveness in order to swing the bat and hit the ball as far as possible. How about a boxer trying to throw a punch in a slow and controlled fashion? He certainly won’t have much knock out power.

Try swinging a baseball bat slow & controlled and see how far you hit the ball.

Try throwing a punch slow & controlled and see how much power you generate.

There are several activities outside of sports where using explosive strength is a must as well. Just think of trying to pull start a lawn mower or kick start a motor bike. You have to do both very fast and explosive or else the engine won’t get enough RPM’s to turn over and start. Bottom line is that real world stuff requires strength, speed, explosiveness, and even momentum. So why are so many people dead set against training this way in the gym?

Now I know some folks (usually young ego driven guys who have too much testosterone for their own good) like to go overboard and use too much weight with absolutely crappy form. You can see examples of this when barbell curls become reverse grip power cleans (kind of like the pic of Arnold above). And bench presses become a team effort push / pull exercise as the lifter drops the bar to his chest and his trusty spotter deadlifts it back up.

But there is that gray zone in the middle of the 2 extremes whereby you are training on the edge, pushing it hard, and also keeping relatively good exercise form at the same time. To see some examples of this type of training just go to YouTube and watch some videos from some of the top bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren, and Johnny Jackson just to name a few.

Ronnie Coleman doing HEAVY T-bar Rows!

Branch Warren doing HEAVY Dips!

In these workout videos you’ll clearly see that the guys are powering up big weights and they are using a bit of “Body English” to handle such poundages, but the form is still pretty good. Even through they are not lifting “slow and controlled”, they are certainly placing maximum workload on the targeted muscle groups. This type of training will stimulate muscle growth in ways that endless slow and controlled reps with the pink dumbbells will never achieve.

In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopaedia Of Bodybuilding he refers to this as “Power Reps”. Joe Weider calls it the “Cheating Principle”. Basically it’s just using a bit of umph in your movements in order to handle maximum workloads!

Power Reps For More Muscle & Strength

The use of any weight training technique will depend on the level of the trainee. So to keep it simple I’m going to cover all levels from beginners to advanced and outline how you can incorporate “Power Reps” into your own workouts.

Beginners (less then a year of training)

As I mentioned earlier, beginners should focus on simply learning proper exercise form. The easiest way to do this is to use light to moderate weights and really focus on feeling the muscles flexing and contracting with each rep. The best way to do this, especially at the beginner stage is by using slow and controlled form all the time.

Intermediates (more then a year of training)

As you progress with your training you will most certainly notice the naturally tendency to use more force and momentum to try and complete your reps as the weights get heavier. This is something you want to pay careful attention to. Used in the right way this can help you work the muscles harder. Used in the wrong way it will take stress off the targeted muscles.

My advice here is to start with a weight that allows you to maintain strict control for at least 6-8 reps. Then if you want to use a bit of “Body English” to power out a few more reps then that’s fine. This will allow you to perform a few extra reps that you normally wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do if you were “too strict” with your form.

Advanced (several years of progressive training)

Truly advanced lifters already know what works best for their body by the time they make it to this level of training. After all that’s what it means to be advanced. However for the purpose of this article I’ll outline some “Power Rep” guidelines here.

At the advanced stage you’ll have developed your own unique exercise groove from years of lifting. You’ll instinctively know if a little swing here, or a little leg drive there, will provide more muscle stimulation and deliver the maximum workload to the muscles. You’ll also know if you are over doing it and using too much momentum.

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Here is a list of some common things that advanced lifters do to handle maximum poundages with the following exercises:

Bench Press
A slight bounce off the chest at the bottom to help rebound the weight up and not fully locking out the elbows at the top. This tends to allow for more weight and / or more reps to be lifted and also provide maximum muscle stimulation.

Squats
A slight rebound out of the bottom (when doing full squats) will help you get the weight back up. Again sometimes advanced lifters will not fully lock out the knees at the top and keep going, almost like a piston type of up and down motion.

Standing Overhead Presses
A slight leg drive will help move maximum poundages while actually cushioning the impact from the exercise. This absorbs some of the stress from the spine down through your legs.

Bent Over Rows
Like with the standing press a bit of leg drive will allow for heavier weights and can help move more weight and / or more reps.

Bicep Curls
A little swing at the start and even a slight back arch at the half way mark can help get past the sticky point in the middle of the exercise.

Lateral Raises
A little leg drive at the start and a slight swing in the middle will help you get more weight up. Also holding the dumbbells in the front vs. to the sides will help you lift more weight.

Lat Pull Downs
Arching your back will help you move more weight and actually help you fully contract your lats. Trying to keep your back totally flat when doing any pull down or rowing exercise actually prevents you from getting a peak contraction in the back muscles.

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Those exercises work well for using “Power Reps”. However, your own discretion is advised. This isn’t a free for all to go out and use crappy form on all your exercises. It’s just another tool in your tool box that can help you take your muscular development to a higher level.

If you are going to incorporate “Power Reps” into your training you should save them for the final all out work sets. Start off your warm up sets using perfect controlled form. Then as you work up to your top weight for a particular exercise you can give it that extra push to maximize the weights lifted and the stimulation placed on the muscles.

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And if you’d like to get a complete advanced training system with serious workouts for all your major muscle groups. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of my “Hardcore Muscle Building Program”.

This program will show you how to train beyond muscular failure to achieve maximum muscle gains in the gym. This is a serious muscle building workout program that incorporates high level advanced training techniques to maximize muscle stimulation.

Just click on the link below to get your very own copy…

DVD # 1 – Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
DVD # 2 – Back, Biceps, Legs, & Abs

Click Here For More Information…

]]> http://leehayward.com/blog/strict-form-vs-cheating-reps/feed/ 26 http://leehayward.com/blog/21-day-fast-mass-building-winners/ http://leehayward.com/blog/21-day-fast-mass-building-winners/#comments Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:14:05 +0000 leehayward http://leehayward.com/blog/?p=3319 This past weekend we voted for the top 3 finalists for the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Physique Transformation Challenge!

These guys will be joining us in attending the largest bodybuilding and fitness event in the world, The Arnold Classic Sports Festival in Columbus Ohio this March 3-6.

Click Here To See Our Top Transformation Finalists!

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