Hi everyone. When it comes to bodybuilding or weight training there are countless different exercises to hit different muscles from different angles. For some reason though, many people tend to stick to the same old exercises with little variation nomatter what routine they are doing. this is not the way to train for maximum results. every so often you need to try new exercises, different rep ranges, different planes of motion to shock themuscles into doing something they would not normally do.

I am going to give you a couple of new exercises each week to try out for different bodyparts that will give you the ability to shock your muscles into new growth.

The first installment of this will be a couple of great exercises for your biceps and triceps.

Biceps:

the exercise is a play on the incline dumbell curl. you can use it as a finishing exercise to stretch the fascia or as a starting exercise to really get some blood in the muscle.

How to perform: you will need to use dumbells that are roughly 60% of what you could normally use for 6-8 reps. lay back on the incline bench with the dumbells hanging down by your side. Grip should be hammer style (like carrying a briefcase). starting with your right arm perform 10 reps, twisting your hand as you curl so that your palms are facing up at the top. once you have completed 10 reps, do not drop the dumbell. whilst still holding the weight perform 10 reps in the same manner with your left arm. again, do not drop the dumbell when complete. move back to the right arm and perform 8 reps, then 8 with the left arm, then 6 with the right, then 6 with the left; all the while you are holding onto the dumbells. holding the dumbells mean that although you are not flexing your arm, there is still an isometric contraction on your biceps and especially on the muscles in your forearms. this exercise really burns so determination is what it will take to finish a set. i generally go through the full cycle twice to start off a bicep workout.

Triceps:

the tricep exercise follows the same principle as the biceps exercise. although this time you will be lying flat on a bench with 2 dumbells held directly above eye level. keep the dumbells extended fully and dont let them drift to be held above your shoulder as there is less strain on the tricep when the force of the weight is passing directly down your arm.

start with the right arm and lower the dumbell down to just pass your head on the right hand side. extend the dumbell back up to lockout whilst keeping your upper arm perfectly still. perform 10 reps with your right arm and then hold it in place at the top. perform 10 reps with your left arm in the same fashion. perform 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6 as you did for the bicep exercise. i recommend having a spotter as fatigue will make it difficult to stop the dumbells falling on your face.

Enjoy the burn as these exercises really hurt.

Adam Campbell – Team Monster

No matter what form of training you are doing, whether it be cardiovascular sessions lasting for 2 hours, or heavy weight sessions made up of just 9 sets, the fact of the matter is you WILL be breaking down muscle tissue. Now in order to grow or improve performance this muscle tissue must be broken down through training so that it can grow back bigger and stronger. This is called “remodelling”. Many people understand this idea and thus train in the gym in order to get bigger, stronger muscles. However, many fail to realise that in order for these muscle fibres to rebuild themselves they need the fuel to do so. Many people neglect the most important time to give the muscle this fuel. That time is immediately post-workout, or the time commonly known as “the window of opportunity”. Immediately post workout your body is craving certain nutrients as glycogen stores will be depleted and your muscle protein will be in a negative imbalance.

So what do you need post-workout to utilise this window of opportunity? The 2 nutrients you need post workout are protein and carbohydrates. These are vital for repairing the damaged muscles and kick starting the growth.

Protein: It is recommended that roughly 0.4g protein per kg of bodyweight should be taken post exercise. But what type of protein is best? As you can imagine if you have a certain time frame to take it in then the faster acting the protein the better. That is why I recommend taking whey protein isolate post-training. Whey isolate is the fastest acting form of protein and is best to be taken post-training. It is very quickly broken down into its basic amino acids and can therefore restore positive balance in the muscles as fast as possible. Many people take amino acid supplements or BCAA’s post workout to aid in the same goal.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are extremely important post-workout for a number of reasons. They are needed to replenish muscle glycogen stores. They also cause an “insulin response”. This spike of insulin drags the sugars and amino acids from the blood stream into the muscle. This is vital to maximise the rate of the recovery process. So what type of carbs are best? In order to get that important insulin response we need fast acting carbs. A high GI carb like dextrose or maltodextrin is perfect. They raise blood sugar levels fast enough to force the body to release insulin. However I personally would recommend adding in some slower release carbs as well. Many people “crash” a short while after their training session due to low blood sugar levels after the insulin response. Having slow release carbs in your post workout shake keeps blood sugar levels constant for longer after your workout so you don’t crash later on.

There are other useful additions that can be added to your post-workout shake. Creatine is useful as post-workout is a great time to utilise nutrient uptake and get the most from your creatine. Studies also show evidence of creatine recruiting satellite cells to aid in recovery of muscle tissue.

The only nutrient to avoid post-workout is fat. Although fats can be useful in many situations, they should be avoided like the plague post-workout. Fats slow down the digestion rates of other nutrients so waste the vital window of opportunity that you are trying so hard to utilise.

So what supplement would I recommend to fulfil all of these requirements for a post-workout shake?
I personally use PhD nutrition Recovery 2:1

With a perfect ratio of fast acting carbs, slow acting carbs and fast acting whey protein isolate; as well as added amino acids and a good dose of creatine in each serving, it is the perfect post-workout shake to fulfil all requirements needed to utilise the window of opportunity to its maximum potential. It tastes great in all flavours and will not leave you feeling bloated as many carb containing shakes will. It is my supplement of choice and should be a staple part of your supplement stack if your goals is increased muscle size and strength.

Adam Campbell – Team Monster

Low volume training has served many of the top pros very well; Dorian Yates in particular comes to mind. The 6 times Mr Olympia utilized this extremely intense form of training to build one of the best, if not the best physique professional bodybuilding has ever seen to date. You to can now learn a bit about what it involves, how it benefits you and why you should to be using it.
Low volume training obviously takes less time in the gym, generally 45 minutes as a maximum. The concept behind it reasons that by sufficiently warming up the targeted muscle groups then performing one all out set to failure and beyond that, you can achieve maximum muscle growth and spend more hours of the day resting and in turn growing. The intensity of low volume training when performed properly is renowned for its extreme levels like no other, because in order for it to work it has to be this way.
As an example a low volume training session would follow a similar pattern to this. Each exercise would be performed around 3 times, increasing the weight slightly each time with repetitions staying between 18-25 to really warm up the muscles and surrounding joints. Following the warm up sets, in which themselves are strenuous, comes an ‘all out balls to the wall’ set from hell. When you think failure it doesn’t mean not been able to move the weight on the last rep, it means getting to the stage where the weight wont budge and then having a partner get another 4-8 reps out of you. As you can see, one set per exercise like this is all you need. In fact, the greats like Dorian Yates would say if you can perform another working set on the same exercise following your all out set, then it wasn’t intense enough. The final set of each exercise is really designed to obliterate your targeted muscles. The last set needs at least 8 reps and after that 4-8 more forced reps to take the muscle over the edge of recuperation. The amount of exercises depends on which body part, although as a rule of thumb around 4 different exercises per body part, with 3 warm up sets (still quite intense) leading to the final killer set is the norm.
What low volume training does for you is let you know there isn’t a quarter rep left in you, the idea is the muscle you just trained feels numb and couldn’t possibly do anymore for another 5-7 days. The sheer intensity of low volume training really inspires muscle growth within your body, raising natural hormone production as well. So to conclude, the idea of low volume training is to perform a small handful of intense warm up sets, before embarking on an ‘all out’ set from hell where nothing is left to spare. The entire focus of low volume training is then on the 1 working set per exercise in each session.

One of the most common questions I get asked is “which protein powder is best for me”? This is an almost impossible question to answer without considering a few deciding factors.
• What are your goals? Do you want to gain size or lose fat?
• When will you be using the shake? Post workout? Before bed?
• What nutrients are you lacking from your diet? Do you need more carbs?
• Is price a factor?

Once these factors have been considered we can start looking at which protein will best suit your needs. Lets look at the deciding factors a bit more closely to help you narrow down your search.

What are your goals?
This is the first thing you need to consider. When looking for a protein you need to look at your diet. If you are mass building you will most likely be on a high carb/calorie diet so will need a shake containing high carbs and calories to best supplement this diet. If you are trying to lose fat then you will need to look at a low carb alternative. A low carb shake can be used for mass gaining if you are getting plenty of carbs from your food.

When will you be using the shake?
This is another important factor as there are different types of protein that are utilised at different rates in your body. Some proteins are very fast acting (whey isolate), and some are very slow acting (casein). If for example you only use your shake post training you should go with a fast acting protein like whey isolate, as you need protein as fast as possible in your system post-training. If on the other hand you need a shake for bedtime you should opt for a slow release like a casein product. There are products that mix the 2 called “blends”. These contain both fast and slow acting proteins and are more versatile.

What nutrients are you lacking from your diet?
Supplements at the end of the day are there to help you to fulfil your dietary requirements to achieve your goal. In order to grow you need a certain amount of proteins, carbs, fats etc. if you are not getting enough of any of these from your diet then you will not achieve your goals. This is where supplements come in. if you are lacking protein but getting enough carbs and fats then a low carb whey protein shake will supplement your diet perfectly. For muscle growth you need 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight. The question “how many shakes should I have per day?” can be answered by looking at how much protein you should be having, and then making up the difference with shakes from the amount you get from food. If you are trying to gain size but you are not getting enough protein, carbs or fats then a weight gainer shake containing all 3 would be the option for you. Supplementing these into your diet will give you the added nutrients you need to grow.

Is price a factor?
The last thing you need to worry about is cost. If this is a limiting factor then don’t worry. Low price does not always mean poor quality. Brands such as PhD, Reflex, and Nutrisport offer great value products without ever compromising on quality.

So use this guide to help you make the correct choice in protein supplement and find the one that will help YOU to achieve the goals you have set.

Here are my top picks for protein powders in each category:

Low carb proteins:
• PhD – pharma whey
• Reflex – instant whey
• Optimum Nutrition – Gold standard whey

Mass gainers:
• CNP – Pro mass
• PhD – pharma gain
• Applied nutrition – Critical mass

Fast acting proteins:
• Dymatize – iso 100
• Peak body – whey isolate
• Optimum nutrition – platinum hydrowhey

Slow acting proteins and blends:
• Reflex – micellar casein
• PhD – pharma blend
• USN – pure protein IGF

-AC-
Adam Campbell – Team Monster

Hi everyone. Monster has just launched a new and exciting forum to help the training enthusiasts with all of their training and nutritional needs. Its a great place to learn about training, diet and supplements, as well as talk to like-minded people and share your experiences. The blog system allows for you to keep your own training log and track your progress against that of other members.

So come and join Fit forum now and get involved in the action.

WWW.FITFORUM.CO.UK

As a way to shock your muscles into growth once again and pack some serious thick size onto your frame, try focusing on the good old basic compound movements. Read on to learn why using the traditional movements such as the squat, bench press and the deadlift can help you achieve this when done right.
As most bodybuilders do, these three major compound movements associated with powerlifting will be used most weeks as another exercise during just another session. However, here we are talking just for one weeks worth of training time focus on these three movements and enjoy some real mass gains.
The squat is boss when it comes to adding inches around your thighs. When performing squats properly with a nice concentrated form going to around 12 inches off the floor, it stretches every muscle in your leg all over the place. Both your quadriceps and hamstrings are forced to work extremely hard in order to cope with the immense stress of squatting. However, in line with this particular routine, try doing around 45 minutes worth of squats. Yes that’s right, an entire session using the squat to build nice big legs. Pyramid the weight all the way to the climax of the workout, with each set getting a little heavier. You must however maintain perfect form and make sure your reps are at least 8. Your legs will feel like somebody is holding a flamethrower on them for next 10 days.
With the bench press, although useful there have been many more effective ways to building an impressive looking chest by focusing on sections of the pectorals. However, focus purely on the mass gaining benefits of the flat bench press and utilize is as part of this old school mass gain routine. Again similar to your leg session, focus on performing around 45 minutes on the bench press. It is vital that you build your weight up very gradually to avoid an early plateau which will bring on excessive fatigue before you have trained long enough. You must keep your repetitions at 8 and above, coming from around 20 reps at the start of the session. Perform nice deep reps right down to the middle of the chest and focus on the negative as much as the press itself. Your chest will be sure to feel this.
Finally the king of mass building, the deadlift. There is no other movement quite like the deadlift when packing on slabs of muscle to your back are concerned. There isn’t apart of the back which can escape the punishment of the conventional deadlift. Once again, use only the deadlift for a session spreading over approximately 45 minutes to bring up your back. Again, it is vital to build the weight from very little progressing all the way to a weight which stops you at around at least 8. Your back will be aching like never before for the remaining week.
So there you have a very basic powerlifting routine to pack some size on and increase you human growth hormone levels through the roof by using compound movements for a week.

Hi all, hope everyone is ok. This is just another quick update to my training progression.

the training routine is still going very well and i am progressing in strength. i finally reached a personal goal on tuesday of a total for deadlift bench and squat of 500kg.

i am still using the same supplements but have recently added the gaspari size on and millennium sport tec nitroceps. gaspari size on is one of my all time favourite supplements. every time i use it i see great gains in both size and strength. i have been using it this time for 6 days now and can already feel its benefits. my strength is improving dramatically and i am up to 95kg already!! I have bought it in the grape flavour and the taste is strong but nice. Some people may believe the size on to be expensive for what it is but i personally think it is worth every penny. the results are worth paying for. We will be getting the new size on maximum performance over the next few weeks so i will be very anxiously looking forward to that. The nitroceps have also been very good. After the amazing performance of the cre 02 i was anticipating a great product with the nitroceps. i wasnt disappointed. i had 6 caps before my upper body workout on monday and was amazed by how well they worked not only did i get an amazing pump but i felt fitter. i was breathing easier and enjoyed the trianing session a lot more.

I will be trying the new BSN no-xplode N-tensity soon so stay tuned for a review of that. i cant wait.

Happy training
AC

hi everyone, this is the second installment of my 2010 training log. the goals are still the same and i feel i am progressing nicely. my weight is up to 93kg at the same bodyfat percentage so i have added some muscle mass already.

the training programme i am following has changed slightly. instead of doing arms with upper body i have started doing arms with lower body and swapped deadlift to upper body day. this has allowed me to increase my deadlift much more than when trying to deadlift after squats (which nearly killed me). the training plan is working very well and my strength is improving a lot. deadlift for example has gone from 160kg for 5 reps to 180kg for 3 sets of 5 reps. i will be trying 190kg next week so hopefully i will get at least 2 sets of 5. my goal is to get back to my best of repping 220kg.

i feel better in myself as the training has improved my fitness levels. the greater workload really punished me for the first week, but by the end of week 2 my recovery had improved massively and i was able to give it my all every session.

i put much of this improved recovery down to phd recovery 2:1. it is by far the best recovery product i have used. it tastes fantastic (berry flavour), mixes well, does not make you feel sick after your trianing session, and best of all i notice it working. i have also introduced phd pharma blend as my bedtime shake and millennium sport tec ZMK (great product) to aid my recovery overnight. i am still using myofusion as my protein for during the day and battery during trianing to give me that constant supply of carbs vital to get through these training sessions.

the diet has stayed roughly the same although admittedly i have not been as religious as i should have had. over the next few weeks i will concentrate on eating a lot more.

it is nearly pay day so i will be investing in some new supplements next week and will be giving them a thorough reviewing. if anyone has any supplements they would like me to review please e-mail me on adam.campbell@monstersupplements.com

happy training
Adam Campbell

Hi everyone, my name is Adam Campbell. I have posted a few entries onto the blog over the past couple of months and am now going to start my progress journal. Throughout 2010 I will be posting all progress from a bulk to a cut in summer and then bulking again in winter. I will provide any training plan, nutrition plan and supplements that I use along the way and will let you all know which work and which don’t. I will be posting my stats, measurements and personal best lifts throughout the year to see any improvements (hopefully big ones).

So lets begin. I am starting 2010 with the aim of bulking. Towards the end of 2009 I lost some weight and am now determined to put it back on.

Starting stats:
HEIGHT: 6” 4”
WEIGHT: 91KG
BODYFAT: 13%
ARMS: 15.5
CHEST: 44
WAIST: 32

Goals: by end of February
Weight: 95kg
Bodyfat: 13%
Arms: 16.5
Chest: 46
Waist: 32

My current diet plan is based around very high calories. I aim to get the right calories at the right times and eat at 2 hour intervals without fail. Here is my current diet plan:

8:00AM – MEGA SHAKE (http://monstersupplements.com/blog/?p=270)
10:00AM – 1.5 scoops myofusion, 1 scoop waxy vol
11:30AM – 250g rice and a chicken breast
1:00PM – 1.5 scoops myofusion, 1 scoop waxy vol
3:00PM – 150g pasta, 1 tin tuna
5:00PM – peak body pro 50, 200g seeded wholemeal bread.
6:30PM – train
7:30PM – PhD recovery 2:1
8:30PM – fish, jacket potato, steamed veg
10:00PM – PhD pharma blend

SNACKS- 400G LOAF SEEDED WHOLEMEAL BREAD, BANANAS, CNP FLAPJACKS

TOTAL CALORIES: roughly 6050
TOTAL PROTEIN: roughly 345g
TOTAL CARBS: roughly 970g

I would be classed as a hardgainer so I require a very large amount of calories to increase size. I wouldn’t recommend this diet for most people who are concerned about unwanted fat gain.
The training plan I am doing currently is based around a concept called UHT training. It consists of an upper/lower body split. I have always done different body parts on different days so am interested as to how this will affect me. The current routine looks like this:

Monday/Thursday:
Standing military press
Wide grip chins
Incline bench press
Bent over row
Bench press
Standing dumbbell curls
Dumbbell tricep extension

Tuesday/Friday:
Squats
Deadlift
Leg press
Stiff leg smith machine deadlift
Calf raises
Shrugs

I do a heavy day and a light day for each. On Monday for example I will do 5 sets x 5 reps. Then on Thursday I will do 3 sets x 12 reps. Same for lower body. I will be in the gym no more than 1 hour and that includes warm-ups and stretching. This requires a high tempo and short rest periods.

The supplements I am currently using are:
Protein: Gaspari myofusion
Post workout: phd recovery 2:1
Carbs: garnell complex carbs (with breakfast), waxy vol (during the day) phd battery (during workout)
Bars: CNP pro flapjack, Peak body Pro 50

I am not currently using any creatine or pre-workout drinks but may add them when I have got used to my new training routine and progress has slowed down.

I will be following this diet, training and supplement plan for a total of 8 weeks. I will update my progress regularly and hopefully after 8 weeks I will have achieved my goals.

AC

L-Carnitine is one of the best supplements you can add to your diet. It bares many qualities which compliment the bodybuilder in and out of the gym. Read on to discover what exactly it can do for you and why you should be taking it.
So what is L-Carnitine? L-Carnitine is an essential Amino Acid which is produced naturally within your body, normally in quantities between 20-25g at any one time. Its job is to transport fatty acids to the mitochondria where they can be converted into energy. This energy is mainly used by large organs such as the heart and skeletal muscle.
You get your L-Carnitine from red meats; however you can always use more. By supplementing on this brilliant Amino Acid you can expect to benefit from the following. L-Carnitine has been shown to aid with fat loss. There is a very simple explanation for this. As it increases your body’s ability to transport more fatty acids to the mitochondria, less of these fats will be stored as body fat. In other words what L-Carnitine does is help turn the fats you consume into energy. It has also proven its ability to increase protein synthesis. This is a side effect anybody looking to add lean muscle mass would wish for, it doesn’t get any better. This will result in your body utilizing your protein intake more efficiently and in turn maximizing results for you. L-Carnitine is also known to improve blood flow. It manages this by preventing the restriction of your blood vessels. Obviously this improves blood flow to the muscles and will increase your ability to train harder due to a larger supply of oxygen in the working muscles. It will also help prevent DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) by allowing more nutrients to reach the muscle fibres which you have just torn to pieces in the gym. As you can see, anybody serious about their bodybuilding will be sure to have this in their system.
It is important that you know when to take this and for what reasons. The best time is straight in the morning with breakfast. By consuming it with your fats at meal time it will help burn more dietary fats. First thing in the morning will also mean it is helping with protein synthesis levels, in other words making you more anabolic which is very important this time of day. The next time should be at lunch time. This will keep you topped up and again when consumed with your dietary fats will benefit body fat burning. Before training is another great time, with increased blood flow and more efficient energy conversions there are only gains to be had. Finally, right after training is going to be of benefit to you. This is because you need everything you’re taking to reach the muscles.
There you have a brief explanation as to why this Amino Acid which is essential in more than one way should be on order.