In a prior video, I discussed the importance of genetics in people’s success. In this vid, I continue that discussion using some “real world” examples of people I have known with great genetics and how it applies to the rest of us! 
The Importance Of Proper Program Design A.K.A “Why Your Workouts Sucks!”
This vid is a general commentary on the macro reasons people fail to make progress in the gym. Various articles here on the BrinkZone, such as The Mistake of Linear Program Design and Study Shows Best Way To Train? by yours truly – and other authors – go into more depth and detail on topics such as the importance of periodization, de-loading, etc. My ebooks also go into depth on how to optimize training to get the results you want by avoiding the major mistakes most people make in their program design, if they have any real design to begin with…
Folks, got a guest article from Vince Delmonte today and he just re-opened his ”Maximize Your Muscle program” – it’s solid stuff.
He provides a new advanced muscle building technique & strategy every month and the missing ingredient – motivation, via his private coaching forum, which you get access to free.
It’s available for the princely sum of $1 …
Yup folks, it’s a bribe, but it’s an ethical , no risk one, you pay $1, if you don’t like it, you still get to keep it and if you do like it, Vince hope’s you’ll buy next months, that’s the sum of it.
You can check it out from his website here: www.MaximizeYourMuscleNow.net
Meanwhile, here’s a short guest article from Vince with 3 quirky/advanced techniques.
3 Weird Ways To Ignite NEW Muscle, Skyrocket Your Metabolism & Incinerate Fat
By Vince Delmonte.
#1: Unstable Surface Training to Activate the Nervous System
The reason it works: unstable training can increase muscle activation due to increased demand on the neuromuscular system in order to stabilize the articulation of joints caused by an unstable surface used as the base of support.
How to make it work:
Unstable training (such as performing a pushup with your hands on a stability ball or 2 medicine balls) does result in a decrease in force production, which prevents maximum motor unit recruitment. However, unstable surfaces do “wake up” the nervous system and its best application is to perform these exercises prior to the real strength training exercises.
Alright, let’s get right into the good stuff- changes in body stats and strength gains. At the start of the program I weighed slightly over 111 lbs. Flashforward to now, I’m almost 118. I’ve gained 6 1/2 lbs, 6 of which is lean body mass. I’ve gained 0.4 lbs of body fat, but my body fat as a percentage of my total weight has actually gone DOWN. I’ve tracked my strength gains consistently over the past few weeks on this blog, but to pick a couple I’m proud of, at the start of Hybrid, I was benching 85 lbs for my 5X5 day; at the end of the program I’m at 115 for 5 reps. For semistiff leg deadlifts, I was pulling 135 lbs, and now, I can do 155 lbs. There are lots and lots of examples of the strength gains (during 6X6 days and Hypertrophy days) I’ve made over the 12 weeks on this blog, and those gains along with the 6 lbs of LBM are a fantastic accomplishment. I’ve worked HARD!
Although this is the final week of the Hybrid program, I’m by no means done with my bodybuilding project. After this, I’m cutting cals temporarily for a photo shoot, and am back on track. It wouldn’t be fair to the structure of a great bodybuilding program like Hybrid to operate on anything but a caloric surplus. I’m using the awesome guidance in Will’s other E-book, Fat Loss Revealed—there’s a chapter dedicated to advanced fat loss techniques for the already lean. My goal for 2010 is to keep packing on LBM, and though I recognize that’s a tall order for us gals, it’s by no means impossible, and I’m always down for a challenge. Plus it’s been good fun to share my experiences with friends, BBR moderators, and members.
This week is one of my favorite types of weeks- hypertrophy week! Hit a set of weight hard, rest a little bit, and hit ‘em hard again. In fact, I think the hypertrophy day is quickly becoming my favorite type of training day (I still love you 5X5!). On hypertrophy days, that minute of rest goes by all too fast for me, especially since I love writing notes in my training log in between sets. This day always requires a wrist watch! For the sake of objectivity, I’m going to compare this week’s (Week eight) results (just a sampling of the exercises) with a similar routine I performed on Week 3 of the program.
Week 7 brings with it the realization that I’ve already surpassed my weight gain goal (115) and am heading past 117 to 118 lbs. The 3000 calories a day meal plan is a heck of lot of food and I’m starting to wonder how much longer I can handle it! Eating to bulk isn’t what some people might think. It’s not like I’m hanging out an all you can eat Chinese buffet all day or eating multiple BigMacs. Bodybuilders all know that meal planning involves prep time and dedication to eating at least 5-6 times a day, and eating clean. Anyway- the only drawback to the weight gain is that my abs feel a little softer and my belly is a little rounder, and the pictures below and at the end of the post might detail that. I definitely “feel” heavier- and my body weight exercises (those darn chinups!) are getting a little harder. Still, it’s a small sacrifice considering the awesome strength gains I keep making on the program!
Ok- so for Hybrid Week 6- I was actually SUPPOSED to be on a beach, but my trip got canceled, and thanks to a variety of aggravating circumstances it never materialized. 2 days, 2 different airports, a malfunctioning airplane and the like…all with a tired, impatient, wiggly toddler…meant I had my first staycation. I *don’t* recommend this for anyone! *sigh* Anyway.
The one positive thing is that I get to head to the gym this week for Week 6 of Hybrid. My weight is amazingly and gradually inching up (yeay!) and I’m still making strength gains. I’m at 116 now and it’s inching upwards.
No beach for mommy and Shaila, but we still got our sunshine on
The Religion of Pre and Post Workout Nutrition.
Pre- and post-workout nutrition is all the rage these days, and for good reason. For some, however, it’s become more than a science—it’s become their religion, or perhaps just a place to focus their OCD-like tendencies. Regardless, people have taken the topic of pre- and post-workout nutrition to a level that is not justified by the research, or at least not confirmed by the research that currently exists.
Readers should realize I may have my membership card to the Bodybuilding Nutrition Guru Society torn up and thrown at me for what I am about to share in this article…
Push-ups are obviously a classic exercise – when you think bodyweight training, it’s usually one of the first exercises you think of.
But, of course, I’ve got a new twist on the regular push-up that will just TRASH your pecs…much better than regular push-ups even though the exercise is pretty much exactly the same!
Highlights from the 2010 Arnold Classic…BrinkZone style
Just returned from the 2010 Arnold Classic. Was a great show this year. The Arnold Classic is far more then just oiled up IFBB pro bodybuilders posing on stage, it’s the largest sports festival in the US. The mens pro show gets more then enough coverage in the magazines and such… I enjoy covering the other aspects, like the expo, various sports (last year I covered Fencing, O lifting, and PL for example), gadgets, and yes, more pretty girls. I like pretty girls… 
So, warning to viewers: if you are expecting/looking for, IFBBs pro bodybuilders on stage, you wont find it in this vid. I thought this year was particularly good for new exercise related gadgets, many of which were of that super simple “why the hell didn’t I think of that?!” variety. One of them I recently covered on this blog for example, the GymBoss Interval Timer. Another was the Fat Gripz you will see me using in the vid. May do a write up on that product in the near future. There’s also a new magazine on the market, called Muscle Insider, that looks very promising (reminds me of ‘old school’ MuscleMedia…) that yours truly will be in on semi regular basis.
So without further delay, here’s this years vid, BrinkZone style.
