But you realize that there isn’t a single gym around for miles, so what do you do in such a situation?

You improvise and perform the
“Tarzan Jungle Muscle Workout”…

Note: if you can’t watch the embedded video clip above, you can watch it
directly on my YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZScUYA5g-Qk

Note: if you can’t watch the embedded video clip above, you can watch it
directly on my YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOUj1JkyrVo

Note: if you can’t watch the embedded video clip above, you can watch it
directly on my YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6FTrqldVCo

Note: if you can’t watch the embedded video clip above, you can watch it
directly on my YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpq3aOh4F4o

Note: if you can’t watch the embedded video clip above, you can watch it
directly on my YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfzMWJMYa1U

These “JUNGLE MUSCLE” Workouts will show you some awesome exercises that you can do anywhere, anytime, NO GYM Required! So if you are working out at home, or while traveling, you can still stay in shape and build muscle!

Click Here & Subscribe to my video channel!

When you SUBSCRIBE to my video channel you’ll get early notification of the NEXT Video in my Tarzan JUNGLE Workout Series!

If you don’t have a set of heavy duty rubber fitness band, then I highly recommend that you order a set from: http://www.BodyLasticBands.com

These are adjustable resistance bands that allow you to vary the resistance based on the exercises you are doing. And these bands go up to over 250 pounds in tension, so they are strong enough for ANYONE to get a good workout with.

Just Click Here for more info…

Hammer Curls help work the brachialis, which is that “bump” of a muscle that’s between the biceps and triceps. The brachialis muscle looks awesome when developed because it adds more lines to the arms and just makes them look even more impressive and full when flexed.

Preacher Curls help to fully stretch out the biceps and isolate the muscle. Simply by bracing your arms against the preacher bench when curling will eliminate body momentum and force all the workload on the bicep muscles.

And you can literally combine both of these moves into one Killer Bicep Blasting Exercise by doing:
Dumbbell Hammer Curls On The Preacher Bench!

This is an awesome isolation exercise that you can do either as a pre-exhaust move at the beginning of a bicep workout, or as a finishing move at the end of your workout.

I’ve posted up a quick video clip below demonstrating this exercise in detail…

P.S.

If you’d like to get a complete Mass Building Workout Program to follow, be sure to download a copy of my “Blast Your Biceps” program at: http://www.BlastYourBiceps.com

This is a 3 Phase Mass Building System that will help you pack on as much as 2 inches of solid muscle mass to your upper arms in as little as 8 weeks. While also getting Bigger and Stronger in all your major muscle groups as well.

To learn more about how you can quickly increase the size of your arms and gain lean muscle mass all over, just Click Here for more info…

www.BlastYourBiceps.com

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!

However, a lot of people will make some very critical mistakes when doing this move that actually limits it’s effectiveness.

Lee Hayward demonstrating the “Close Under Hand Grip Lat Pull Down” for building back width.

Watch the video and give these various lat pull down variations a try in your next back workout.
Then leave me a comment below letting me know how they work for you.

And if there are any other exercises that you would like to see more detailed video tutorials on,
please let me known by posting a comment here on my blog.

However, most people do this exercise WRONG…
But I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, because up until very recently I was one of those people who screwed up and made a critical mistake when doing preacher curls.

Part of the problem with preacher curls is the actual preacher bench itself.
Most gyms have benches with flat angled arm pads such as the ones pictured below:
Typical Preacher Benches That You’ll Find In Most Gyms…

These “modern” preacher benches are NOT designed the way the preacher bench was intended to be, they both have 1 major flaw…

You see old time bodybuilding legend Vince Gironda (aka The “Iron Guru”) invented the Preacher Curl Bench way back in the mid 1900′s. And the original preacher benches did NOT have flat arm pads like the benches shown above.

But rather the preacher bench is supposed to have a rounded arm pad such as the old-school preacher bench pictured below:
Old School Preacher Bench With The Rounded Arm Pad…

Having the rounded pad helps you to maintain proper upper body position as you do preacher curls. But regardless of what type of preacher curl bench you have at your gym, you can still make do and correct your technique using the tips that I cover in the video clip below…

Basically, the big mistake most people make is they round over too much on the bench and rest the back of the arms totally flat against the pad. Now granted you can still work the biceps by doing this, but you are limiting the amount of weight you can lift, and you are also limiting the range of motion for the exercise.

However, if you keep your chest held high and hold your elbows just over the edge of the pad (as shown in the pictures and video) you’ll get a much better muscle pump throughout the biceps and you may actually find that you can handle more weight with stricter form!

Give this preacher curl variation a try in your next bicep workout, and then leave me a comment below letting me know how it works for you…

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

This book 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 download a copy of this for yourself over at:

www.VinceGirondaProgram.com

Vince Gironda – The Iron Guru & Trainer Of Champions!

Now what I mean by this is to stick to a particular weight stack machine exercise as a regular part of your workouts. Each week strive to better what you did the previous week by increasing the weight by 5 or 10 pound increments. And eventually work up to the point where you can rep out with the entire weight stack of the machine. This is what I refer to as “Beating The Machine”.

I cover this technique in more detail and actually demonstrate it in the video.

I’d love to hear your feedback about this one, have you ever “beat a machine” at your gym?
If so tell me about it by leaving a comment below…

Note: if you can’t watch the embedded video clip above, you can see it directly on my YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F720sN2XIAQ

Now after watching that video you’ll notice that I’m using “Power Reps” to complete the set. That simply means I’m using a bit of “Body English” and explosive force to move the weight. This is typically how your form will be when you first Beat The Machine. The next goal would be to work on slowing down those reps and perfecting your exercise form.

Beating The Machine using Power Reps is an impressive goal in itself, but doing it with controlled reps is an even more impressive feat. Granted it’s a very advanced goal, but something you should strive to work towards in your training.

When working towards the goal of repping out with the weight stack, Do NOT Rush it!
Take your time and progress gradually in 5-10 pound increments.

When a lot of people first hear about this they want to Beat The Machine within a few workouts… Sorry, but that’s NOT going to happen. It may take several months, or even a year or more to work up to that level. But when you do reach it, you’ll have built some solid size and strength in the process.

 
And if you are looking for a serious mass and strength routine that will help you reach those goals, be sure to pick up your copy of my “Hardcore Muscle Building Workout DVD.”

This covers some advanced training techniques that will help you to train beyond muscular failure for maximum muscle gains!

Click Here To Get Your Copy!

One of the things that really stood out as I was reading the book is that Vince Gironda HATED doing regular barbell squats the way most bodybuilders and powerlifters do them.

In his opinion, squats over developed the hips and glutes and ruined your symmetry.

Now I personally DO NOT think squats are a useless exercise like he did, I certainly feel that squats have an important part in any muscle building program, but I can see where he was coming from in his point of view. After all regular back squats do heavily work the hips, glutes, and hamstrings.

However, just because Vince didn’t do back squats didn’t mean he never trained legs hard. In fact, one of his favorite leg moves was his “Special Gironda Front Squat Variation”. I did this move in my leg workout the other day and trust me it’s a Killer Quad Workout!

I just posted up a video clip showing the specifics on how to do this exercise.
You can check it out below…

(You may even find this move better than regular squats for building up the quadriceps!)

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

This book 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

Vince Gironda – The Iron Guru & Trainer Of Champions!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click Here To Get Your Copy Now…

What you do is take a single dumbbell and perform a set of 1 arm dumbbell curls. Then switch sides and do a set of curls for your other arm. After the curls do a set of 1 arm over head dumbbell tricep extensions. Then switch and do a set of tricep extensions for your other arm.

You can keep repeating this bicep and tricep super set combo in a circuit fashion because while 1 arm is working, the other arm is resting. Just keep going doing sets of 10 reps for each move and perform 3 or 4 non-stop sets like this and your arms will get pumped up like crazy!

These pics show my personal physique transformation from using the training tips and techniques that are covered in the “Blast Your Biceps” program. You can Click Here to download your copy Right Now…

They help to build up the chest, increase strength in all your pressing exercises (i.e. bench press, shoulder press, etc.), and they also help to strengthen your core from balancing and holding your body in position.

However, as you get more advanced in your training and master basic push ups, they can get kinda boring. So that’s why I sometimes like to include different push up variations to keep things challenging and interesting.

In the video below I go over some advanced push up variations that you can try in your next workout.

After you give them a try, leave me a comment below and let me know how they work for you…

You see I’ve been working on doing a “Muscle Up” for quite a while now.
And just the other day I finally was able to do my very first Muscle Up!

If you are not familiar with a “Muscle Up”, it’s basically a hybrid move between a pull up and a dip. You have to be able to pull yourself up fast enough and high enough over the bar in order to transition into doing a dip at the top of the exercise.

Below is a video clip showing my very first Muscle Up…
Along with some of my “not so successful” attempts…

When it comes to building Big Muscular Arms you need to focus on building up the Triceps!

The triceps make up 2/3′s of your upper arm development. So if you want to stretch the tape measure and get Bigger More Muscular Guns than you need to pack some meat on to those triceps. This exercise here, The Atomic Tricep Blaster Push Up, is a great move that you can include with your arm workouts that will really work the tricep muscles hard and stimulate high levels of Neuro-Muscular-Activation. Just watch the video to see how it’s done & give it a try in your next arm workout. I bet you’ll be surprised by just how effective (and hard) this exercise really is!

If you’d like to get some more killer muscle building training tips like this, be sure to check out my website and download a copy of the “Blast Your Biceps” program. This is a complete Mass Building Arm Specialization Training System that will help you pack on rock solid muscle mass to your upper arms in record time!

Click Here to check it out for yourself & Download Your Copy!

You can use the cardio rowing machine at the gym to help spur on new muscle growth in your stubborn biceps and make your arms bigger. By doing these simple rowing variations (as shown in the video below) you can pump up your biceps and forearms like crazy!

Give this Bicep Blasting Cardio Workout a try the next time you are at the gym.
I bet you’ll be surprised by just how effective it really is for pumping up your guns

Workout 3 – Legs & Abs With the earlier workouts in this 3 part program we paired up the pushing muscles into one workout. The “pulling muscles” into the second workout. Now we’re going to complete the program by training the lower body. With the lower body a lot of the moves we’ll do are classified as pressing or pushing exercises (i.e. squats, leg press, etc.) But there are some other exercise variations we’ll be doing as well (i.e. leg curls, leg extensions, etc.) We’re also going to pair up legs with abdominals. Now while you can train your abs with any body part that you like, they do come into play as stabilizing and supporting muscle groups for a lot of the lower body moves we’ll be doing. So that’s why it makes sense to pair them up with your leg workouts.

Click Play to watch the 3rd Workout… Legs & Abs.

To watch the 1st workout, click this link:
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps Workout

To watch the 2nd workout, click this link:
Back & Biceps Workout

If you like these videos, make sure to Click Here & Subscribe to my Bodybuilding Video Channel
so that you can get early notification of whenever I add new videos.

Workout 2 – Back & Biceps These are the “pulling muscles”. You’ll notice that all the exercises you do for back and biceps involve some type of pulling or rowing movement. For example, pull downs, deadlifts, dumbbell rows, bicep curls, etc… That’s why we’re going to group all these muscle groups together in the same workout. This will allow the complementary muscle groups to get trained at the same time and also get equal recovery time between workouts. In the 3rd workout we’ll cover a complete training session for the Legs & Abdominals.

Click Play to watch the 2nd Workout… Back & Biceps.

If you missed the 1st workout, you can get that routine here:
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps Workout

If you like this video, make sure to Click Here & Subscribe to my Bodybuilding Video Channel
so that you can get early notification of whenever I add new videos.

More often then not the sample routines they send me tend to focus too much on the “show off” muscles such as the chest and arms and not enough on the real powerhouse muscles of the back and legs.

So over the next week I’m going to put together a complete basic bodybuilding workout routine that you can follow that focuses on building size and strength throughout all the major muscle groups of the body.

This 3 day per week bodybuilding split routine that I’m going to share with you can be used by all lifters, from beginners right up to advanced levels, with good results.

Workout 1 – Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps

These are the “pushing muscles”. You’ll notice that all the exercises you do for chest, shoulders, and triceps involve some type of pushing or pressing movement. For example, bench press, shoulder press, tricep push down, etc…

That’s why we’re going to group all these muscle groups together in the same workout. This will allow the complementary muscle groups to get trained at the same time and also get equal recovery time between workouts.

In the 2nd workout we’ll cover the “pulling muscles”, the Back & Biceps, and in the 3rd and final workout we’ll cover training for the legs and abdominals.

Click Play to watch the 1st Workout… Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps.

If you like this video, make sure to Click Here & Subscribe to my Bodybuilding Video Channel so that you can get early notification of whenever I add new videos.

You can see Part 2 of this workout at: Back & Biceps Workout Program

You can see Part 3 of this workout at: Legs & Abdominals Program

If you enjoyed this video clip and would like to see more, then Click Here To Subscribe
to my Total Fitness Bodybuilding YouTube Video Channel.

Now I agree that good old fashion barbell squats are “The King” of leg exercises, but leg presses are a great complementary exercise that you can do along with squats.

In fact, if you want to try a killer combo, do leg presses right after you finish doing squats in your next leg workout. Trust me… your legs will get an insane workout!

As for the Leg Press exercise itself, there are some different variations that you can do by changing your feet positions.

Typically the lower you place your feet on the foot plate the more you’ll work your quadriceps. And the higher your place your feet the more you’ll work your hamstrings.

In the video below I’m working out with my nephew David and my better half Trish and we go over and demonstrate the different Leg Press Variations. We also cover the ones you should use based on your training goals and body type.

When you lower the weight under control in a negative rep you keep your muscles under tension for longer periods of time. Not only that, but you can lower heavier weight in a negative contraction than you can lift in a positive contraction. So in essence you can force your muscles to handle a heavier workload and thus help stimulate more muscle growth when you focus on incorporating negative reps in your training.

Below is quick video clip showing how you can use “Negative Reps For Positive Results” in your bicep workouts and help stretch the tape measure on your arms to the next level

Give this exercise a try in your next arm workout and then leave me a comment below letting me know how it works for you.

If you would like to get some more killer arm exercises and workouts for building big muscular arms, be sure to download a copy of “Blast Your Biceps”. This is a complete 3 phase mass building arm specialization training system that can help you gain as much as 2 inches of solid muscle mass to your upper arms in as little as 8 weeks. Click Here for more information and to download your copy of the program…

Try the program out for yourself risk free at: www.BlastYourBiceps.com

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

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

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

There are lots of pics from our road trip posted up on Facebook at:

Route 66 Road Trip – Through California

Route 66 Road Trip – Through Arizona

Route 66 Road Trip – Through New Mexico

Last night we stopped into Liberty Gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a leg workout. This is an awesome gym, if you are ever in this area I highly recommend you stop in for a workout. It’s great atmosphere for serious lifters and they have all the hardcore training essentials (i.e. 2 squat racks, 2 power racks, competition benches, cambered bars, safety squat bar, Gerard trap bar, kettle bells, etc.) In addition to all the basics that you’ll find in any good gym. And the prices are very reasonable, I give it 2 thumbs up!

Below is a highlight video of our Leg Workout @ Liberty Gym.

Are you looking for a complete “Hardcore Muscle Building Workout” program? If so then you should check out my “Hardcore Muscle Building DVD”. This is a complete 2 disc DVD set that shows you: “How To Train Beyond Muscular Failure For Maximum Muscle Gains” We have this DVD set in stock and ready to ship. Plus as an extra bonus if you order now you can get FREE Shipping to anywhere in the world. Click Here To Get Your Copy Now Sent By FREE Rush Delivery!

This is also commonly referred to as “tennis elbow” or “golfers elbow” because it’s a common injury in those sports.

Basically it’s a very uncomfortable strain in the tendons of the forearms, just below the elbow, that limits your strength and hinders your workouts.

I recently posted up a video on YouTube talking about this and I demonstrated a unique rotational exercise that you can do to help rehab and prevent this injury from happening.

Check it out below…

Give this exercise a try in your next arm workout and then leave me a comment below letting me know how it worked for you.

If you would like to get some more killer arm exercises and workouts for building big muscular arms, be sure to download a copy of “Blast Your Biceps”. This is a complete 3 phase mass building arm specialization training system that can help you gain as much as 2 inches of solid muscle mass to your upper arms in as little as 8 weeks. Click Here for more information and to download your copy of the program…

Try the program out for yourself risk free at: www.BlastYourBiceps.com

Lorenzo is currently following the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program and it was his back workout day. So I basically just jumped in and we worked out together and made a video of it.

Now, while I was sharing some muscle building tips with Lorenzo during our workout. He shared some muscle car driving tips with me because earlier that day we took a little zip around LA in our cars. I just got a new 2011 Camaro SS and Lorenzo has a Super Charged 2003 Mustang Shelby Cobra, so between the 2 of us we had over 800 horse power roaring through the streets of LA.

Lorenzo knows how to make that Super Charged Shelby Cobra boogie and stick to the turns like glue.
So I’m the “Muscle Building Coach” and Lorenzo is the “Muscle Car Coach”

Click Here To See Some Pics Of Our Zip Around LA…

However, the real kicker that can make or break your chances of having ripped 6-pack abs is losing the excess bodyfat that’s covering your abs. You can have very well developed abdominal muscles, but if those abs are covered in a layer of bodyfat you’ll never see them. So losing bodyfat is half the battle when it comes to getting your 6-pack.

Now I can help you with the training portion towards getting ripped abs with my killer 100 Rep Ab Workout Routine that’s shown below…

But to really strip away that layer of stubborn bodyfat, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of my good friend Joel Marion’s Xtreme Fat Loss Diet. Joel is former Body For Life Grand Champion, he’s a best selling author, and fat loss expert. So needless to say he knows his stuff.

And right now you can get his entire 25 Day Rapid Fat Loss BLUEPRINT with his new Xtreme Fat Loss Diet 2.0. Program at:

http://www.XtremeFatLossProgram.com

This cutting edge program is based on Real SCIENCE of how your body and metabolism work to burn bodyfat. This isn’t just some “Eat Right & Exercise” fat loss 101 BS. It’s based on advanced fat burning strategies that you can stack together to achieve a synergistic fat loss effect.

In fact, some of Joel’s coaching students have lost over 20 pounds with just 1 round of the 25-Day Extreme Fat Loss Program. You can see their real world case studies at:

http://www.XtremeFatLossProgram.com

Right now Joel is having a special promotion where you can save $30 off the price of the entire 9 part Xtreme Fat Loss Program. So if you’re looking for a fast and reliable solution to getting ripped 6-pack abs, and you’d like to save some money in the process, you should pick up a copy of this program today!

Click Here To Download Your Copy!

==========

P.S.
If you order the Xtreme Fat Loss Program via this special promotion. I’ll send you an extra bonus of my own.

You’ll get a complete copy of the pre-contest diet-plan that both myself and my girlfriend Patricia follow to get ripped to the bone shredded for bodybuilding competitions!

This would be a great complement to the 25 Day Xtreme FatLoss Program. You could even start the pre-contest diet-plan on day 26 to help take your physique to the next level of rock hard conditioning.

All you have to do is place your Xtreme FatLoss order, forward me a copy of your clickbank receipt via e-mail to: lee@leehayward.com and I’ll send you my pre-contest diet-plan.

However, doing a full pyramid of going up and then coming back down in weight is not as common, but it’s a very effective way to stimulate maximum muscle growth. In this workout I’m using it for shrugs, but you can apply it to any exercise / muscle group that you are trying to improve.

Give this technique a try in your next workout, and then leave me a comment below to let me know how it goes!

Now despite all the muscle building benefits of squatting, most people simply don’t do them because they are brutally hard to do. And if they do include squats in their workouts, they very often perform them WRONG.

A lot of folks will do some weird little knee bend and call that a squat. But a proper full squat is sinking your butt down until your hips are lower then your knees. This will fully activate all the muscles to a greater degree and it’s actually safer to perform.

Despite what you may think, full squats are actually easier on the knees than stopping half way down and doing partial squats. The deeper you squat, the more you transfer of stress from the small knee joints, to the larger joints of the hips. And when you work through a full range of motion you don’t jar the joints, but rather you stretch out the muscles.

To help demonstrate the differences between proper squatting form (and improper squatting form), I’ve enlisted the help of one of the world’s “Top Dogs” in squatting.

In the video below you are going to see proper full range of motion squatting from the trainer on the left. And you’ll see an example of poor squatting technique (only doing short partial range of motion squats) from the trainer on the right.

Watch and learn my friend…

You’ll notice how the dog has perfect squatting form, going all the way down for full deep squat, (aka: ass to the floor squats). Whereas the owner is only doing wimpy little partial squats…

Learn from this video and follow the dog LOL

Now in all seriousness…
If you would like a complete Hardcore Mass Building Training System that will help you improve your full squat and all your other major lifts and muscle groups as well. Than I highly recommend you give the “Blast Your Bench” program a try.

Even though this program does focus on The Bench Press, it covers MUCH MORE…
After going through the entire program many folks have reported gains of 30-50 pounds in their max bench, squat, and deadlift as well as getting bigger and stronger all over!

The program consists of:
- Phase 1 – 2 week prep phase (to prepare your body for the training to follow)
- Phase 2 – 3 week Blast Your Bench Press specialization phase
- Phase 3 – 3 week Blast Your Squat specialization phase
- Phase 3 – 12 week total body mass and power building phase (to help solidify the gains you make during the specialization phases)

If gaining brute power and rock solid muscular mass is on your training agenda, then click on the link below to get more information and to download your body of “Blast Your Bench”!

Click Here To Download Your Copy Now

www.BlastYourBench.com

1) “How Much Can Ya Bench?”

2) “How long have ya been benching?”

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

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

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

Need a spot on the bench?

Improper Bench Press Technique…

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

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

Correct Bench Press Technique…

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

Proper Body Position For Maximum Power…

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

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

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

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

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

Putting It All Together…

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

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

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

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

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

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

In fact, if you did an informal survey and simply asked the biggest and strongest guys in the gym if they have ever injured their shoulders during training, I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of them will say YES!

The root cause for most shoulder injuries is an imbalance between the front and rear heads of the deltoids. Very often guys will over work their front delts with bench presses, dips, overhead presses, etc. and the rear delts will receive only a fraction of the training volume in comparison.

This uneven development compounds overtime and eventually leads to injury. Now most of the time it’s only a minor pop or strain, but sometimes it can lead to a full blown tear in the rotator cuff muscle or tendon (which can be a real bitch to heal) and will hinder all of your workouts in the gym.

I’ve posted a video clip below that shows some exercises you can do in your workouts to help prevent rotator cuff and shoulder injuries from occurring. And if you already have a shoulder injury now I’ll show you some moves you can do to help rehab that injury so you can get back to normal training ASAP.

After you give these exercises a try, please post a comment below and let me know how they work for you…

Now a lot of people already include low pulley cable curls in their workouts, but the kicker that can really take this exercise to the next level is performing it facing away from the weight stack as shown in the pictures below…

The advantage of doing the exercise facing away from the weight stack is that you get a better range of motion. You can step forward and let the cable actually pre-stretch your biceps at the start of the movement. And because we are using cables there is constant tension on the muscles at all times, so you also get a good peak contraction in the bicep muscles right at the top of the lift.

Single arm cable curls are good to do at the end of your bicep workout as a finishing move (after you’ve already done your heavier power exercises). I’d recommend you start with a light warm up set, than up the weight and perform 4 sets of 10-12 reps per arm. Really focus on using strict form and feeling the bicep muscles stretch and contract with each rep.

I’ve posted a video clip below demonstrating how to perform this exercise below:

If you would like to get some more killer arm exercises and workouts for building big muscular arms, be sure to download a copy of “Blast Your Biceps”. This is a complete 3 phase mass building arm specialization training system that can help you gain as much as 2 inches of solid muscle mass to your upper arms in as little as 8 weeks. Click Here for more information and to download your copy of the program…

Try the program out for yourself risk free at: www.BlastYourBiceps.com

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!