Gironda’s Perfect Curl
A lot of Vince people say that he was often crude, insensitive and stubborn. However, regardless of all this, he knew his area - bodybuilding!
Gironde has set a basis for a lot of what’s today represents the essential part of the “Iron sport.” He is also the inventor of quite number of “wild”, but perfectly effective exercise, that are mostly turn into oblivion.
Luckily Christian Thibaudeau is a big fan of Gironda and really knows their number, and among them are “Gironda perfect curle” for the biceps.
By Christian opinion this would be exercise that could be declared for the best biceps exercise - no exaggeration!
“Makes the maximum tension biceps in all points of the movement of this exercise, which undoubtedly gives excellent results” - says enthusiastically Thibaudeau.
Performance:
- Start your exercise as a standard folding barbell. (You can use the flat and E-Z bar).
- Before weight curl, the top of the torso is tilted backward, while sling focus on your heels. Torso shall be sufficient
- convoluted, so that your shoulders are located behind your hips, while the knees remain in the initial position.
- In this position, start slowly bend weight. Lifting weight and at the same time lowers torso forward, until in the final position, the shoulders are not in front of hips and knees.
- Lower your weights in the starting position, but with opposite movement.
This change creates a great angle stress on the biceps during the whole performance of this exercise.
Keep in mind that this is not cheating curl! You do not get great weights on rapid movements and momentum, but all what you are doing is slowly and concentrated. Lift weight in 2-3 seconds, then strongly hold biceps at 1-2 seconds and lower weights about 3-4 seconds. Use a relatively small weight, since this version is quite heavier than a standard curl.
For inflammation that will surely follow, the main culprit is- Vince, of course!
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Hepburn Strength Program: A-Program
Hepburn obviously wasn’t concerned with marketing or advertising when he named his two most effective programs. The first plan we’re going to cover is the “A Program.” The second program is — yes, you guessed it — the “B Program.” Don’t let the titles fool you. Whatever they’re lacking in inspiration, they make up for in building impressive size and strength.
Whether it’s program titles or picking up chicks, Hepburn preferred to keep things simple.
Hepburn’s “A Program”
Hepburn had incredible results with this training program and said it worked just as well for others. He claimed the “A Program” would add 120 pounds to any compound exercise in one year, and would add 60 pounds to any isolation exercise. Hepburn said you could see continuous progress for one year, and in many cases, two years or more.
The workouts in this plan contain two parts. First, the trainee starts with a power routine for developing maximum strength in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This is followed by a “pump routine” for developing maximum size and endurance.
Power training plus pump training for max strength and size.
Hepburn said you should always do the power phase first, which makes perfect sense. Heavy weights and low reps stimulate the central nervous system (CNS) and get you primed for the higher rep sets later in the workout. The opposite, however, doesn’t have the same effect.
The workout is designed to first get the beneficial CNS stimulation, and then finish off with higher reps to pump some blood into the worked bodyparts, which builds muscle and facilitates recovery.
The “A Program” requires a great deal of patience and discipline. Not discipline to train in a hyper-intense manner, but discipline to restrain yourself and not train intensely. The program is well-planned, and the gradual, progressive volume ensures that overtraining is avoided.
Some of the workouts might feel unproductive, in terms of how you feel afterwards, but remember that the goal of the workout isn’t to induce fatigue and soreness. The goal is to induce strength and power, which doesn’t come about by running yourself into the ground. Make sure you follow the program to the letter, and avoid the natural inclination to modify things and make the program harder.
Power Phase
Choose a weight you can lift eight times and do 8 sets of 2 in the first workout. Rest two to three minutes between each set. The weight will feel light… and that’s the point.
You have to practice each lift to get better, but I don’t mean practicing with poor form. Execute every rep with perfect form, which shouldn’t be difficult if you’re using your true eight-rep max and taking adequate breaks between each set.
If necessary, have someone watch your form to prevent cheating.
At the next workout, keep the weight the same, but increase the overall reps by doing 7×2 and 1×3. At the third workout, do 6×2 and 2×3. Keep adjusting, to add an additional set of three, until you get up to a full workout of 8×3. At this point, add 10 pounds for large muscle groups, and five pounds for small muscle groups, and go back to 8×2.
Pump Phase
After the power phase of the workout, take a five minute break, then do the pump phase. Reduce the training poundage by 20% and do 3×6. In the next workout, do 2×6 and 1×7. The workout after that would be 1×6 and 2×7. Continue adjusting the volume in the following workouts until you’re up to 3×8. At that point, add five pounds, and start over at 3×6.
SOURCE: T-Nation
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Alcohol May Protect The Heart, But Not The Brain
A new study links the consumption of alcohol with decreased brain volume, especially with the women. The negative consequences are set out in women because they are smaller (lower body weight) and therefore they have less blood in their veins that could attenuate entered alcohol.
The study included 1839 respondents whose habit is alcohol consumption followed by ten years. Contrary to the expectations that moderate consummation of alcohol will protects the brain, showed that alcohol reduces the volume of brain.
Is still too early for any recommendations related to the consumption of alcohol, the study authors point out, since they need more studies that will confirm the results.
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Stretching
Stretching of the muscle is part of every physical activity. Muscles need to be stretched before and after physical activity, so they could be prepared for it, or to relax after the training. Usual mistake in stretching muscles before training was stretching before the muscle is warmed. It is important to stretch muscle when it is hot, which means that we have to make a brief warming, which increases the temperature in muscles and other tissues, increase blood flow and provide additional nutrients and oxygen.
Stretching muscles speed up the recovery of the body after the load, and increasing mobility of joints, muscle elasticity, reduces the risk of injury to muscles, ligaments and joints, and helps achieve the overall relaxation. Proper stretching is slow and controlled.
Recreation enthusiasts are advised to static stretching as the safest form for the most people - maintaining the optimal position, stretch in duration of 15-20 seconds. Tension that they first felt in muscles are slowly discount, muscle relax and it allows stretching in a given individually adapted to scale. It requires mental concentration on the exercise, proper and relaxed breathing, stretch only to do pain limit and sufficient duration. Stretching must be pleasant, and forced stretching only leads to injuries.
Exercises for the development of resilience get results only if it is performed in accordance with personal abilities, properly, gradually and regularly.
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Equipment For Training
Before the arrival to the gym, it is good to know what equipment to bring with you. What dress? What shoes? What clothing and footwear are best suited for exercise? What would have been useful to have?
Sneakers
Running shoes should be comfortable and elastic, so that they can easily adapt foot movements. It is good to choose a model with a certain system of depreciation of strokes - almost every better manufacturer has such models on offer. Quality running shoes are necessary so as not to overload or hurt feet’s, ankle, knees, hips and in the end, the spine. Materials that are airy are the best cut leather (usually black models). Running shoes from the ’smooth’ skin (usually low white models) are dryad slowest and they are know the refrain often nasty smells when they got wet in sweat. Middle models have proved to be the best for group training (such as aerobics). Also keep in mind that you will find usually during training to implement the fingers, and let the heels are little heightened so that sneaker could shift body forward. For maintenance and hygiene of the matter to other participants in the group, in the exercise center enter only in clean sneakers that have been shoe just before the locker room. In some fitness centers violation of this regulation is entailed a sanction away from the gym, and in some, though very rare cases, and a permanent injunction arrival.
Socks
There is no excessive wisdom about the selection of socks, yet here are a few tips:
Thick sport socks much better absorb sweat from your feet and keep the skin from the strain created friction on surface of your sneakers.
After couple practices change sneakers and Put on two socks on each leg - reliably prevents the emergence of a blister and swell.
Use cotton socks.
T-shirt
Choose a T-shirt and pants that will allows full freedom of movement. T-shirts should not be too large or too long (which is often the case) because it bothered at various hands gesture, and when we get sweat it dry much slower, because retains a warm layer of air between the body and the same T-shirts, impact is that same air is warming the body. Although if you do not feel like a model type, choose the appropriate size T-shirt and wear it without shame - we are all in the gym to work on ourselves and concealment ‘bodily shortcomings’ (which usually only ourselves can see) should not preclude effective exercise.
Trousers
For pants is policy as well as T-shirts - they should be comfortable enough, especially in the hips and knees that are during the training mostly flex. Various ’sauna’ pants and similar stuff are nonsense that can lead to unwanted side effects or injury.
Underwear
This is pretty obvious, but still not bad mention that underwear should not be of artificial materials, but the best of cotton, and should not even contain a variety of metal parts, or be cut which can cause skin irritation. There is a very wide range of sports lower underwear, cut just for specific movements that are performed during exercise.
Towel
Towel will serve to clear the face of sweat during the breaks between exercise, but you will be able to put it on the ground when running exercises on the floor in the aerobics hall or on the machines in gym. If you have problems with the spinal, your coach should refer you to a specific setting of a towel to support a part of lumbar spine with the performance of some movement.
Water
When you arrive at the fitness center without water or containers of water that will fill the spot, it’s almost like you want to go on a journey with a car in the middle of summer crowds without the backup of water - you will probably reach the goal, but car engine could boil. Calculate that you will need at least half of a liter for one hour of training.
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Girondin Prone Rowing
To get more efficiency from this exercise try prone rowing on a high bench.
Exercise Preparation
Place two large bench seats or wooden boxes, height of 45-60 cm, parallel to each other. Let the space of one to the other boxes about 70 cm. Set up barbell horizontally on the floor somewhere among half of a box. Now place the flat bench to the top box and consider that the existing structure safe and equal on both sides. Lay with face turn on the bench. Reach for the bar and take her in hand anyway you want.
You have the choice of several spaces between the hand with which you can do: small (40 cm), medium (60 cm) and wide (90 cm). When using a middle space, your hands should be shoulder width. Weights should not touch on the performance of exercises that are of course dictated by the height boxes and benches, and truss the size of which is located on your bar. Therefore, you will need to experiment a bit until you find the right height for you.
Holding your chest straight, lift the bar to the lower side of bench to the central point of your abdomen. Keep your elbows more toward yourself at the peak of contraction. This technique with elbows really works, especially when using underhand grip. To perform this exercise must be directed only to the movement of arms and elbows otherwise it would be an useless exercise.
Gironde had its own version of these exercises. He did not use bar, he used dumbbells but with the proviso that the wrist does not keep to the floor but slightly forward. From these positions he lift dumbbell and setting elbows under the right angle. When the upper arm and elbow joints get straight with shoulder (forearm form a right angle with the upper arm), Vince was lifting his head and feet in the crescent until his belly touched the bench. In this way scoops were squeeze while he was going up and down.
In this position he was slowly counting to two. Then, while still the dumbbell at the peak of contraction, he moved his forearm to the back and re-counted to two. Then he would return dumbbells in the starting position and repeated. Sometimes he would put dumbbells on the floor after each repetition, but only to rest his hands.
Tip:
If you have any, use curve rods, due to a greater range of motion.
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Hepburn Strength Program: B-Program
Similar to the "A Program," Hepburn claimed the "B Program" would produce progressive results for at least a year, or in some cases, two to three years. Hepburn also said that you’ll never feel like you’re struggling on the program.
That’s a good thing for trainees interested in actual results. It’s probably not what stimulus-addicted trainees want to hear, but that’s just too bad… you’ll have to deal with it if you want to reach your goals.
Considering how the program is laid out, you really can’t reach an overtrained state, unless you do too many exercises, choose a starting weight that’s too heavy, or deliberately avoid food and sleep.
The "B Program" is more of a pure strength and power program, with a focus on singles. Hepburn believed that single rep training led to the fastest strength gains. Like the "A Program," this plan also uses two styles of training in each workout.
Follow the program to the letter, and don’t add any of your own modifications. Hepburn knew more about productive strength training than you do, so don’t over-analyze the program.
Don’t let your training partner sweet-talk you into adding concentration curls.
Power Phase
After doing two warm-up sets, choose a weight you can handle for three reps, and do 5×1. Rest three to five minutes between each set. At the next workout, do 6×1. If you can’t complete all six reps, you either started too heavy, or you aren’t taking long enough breaks. The goal is to work up to 8×1 over several workouts.
When you reach 8×1, add five to ten pounds, drop back to 5×1, and repeat the process. This manner of progression automatically cycles the intensity to avoid overtraining. As the workout’s intensity goes up, the volume decreases to induce adaptation.
Pump Phase
After the power phase of the workout, take a ten to fifteen minute break, and then do the pump routine. Take a weight you can comfortably lift for eight reps, and do 6×3, resting just one minute between each set. At the second workout, do 5×3 and 1×4. The third workout would be 4×3 and 2×4. Once you’ve worked up to 6×5, increase five to ten pounds, and return to 6×3.
If you find the training to be too much to handle, and you aren’t making progress, Hepburn’s recommendation was to cut out the power routine, and do only the pump routine of each program for two to three weeks. Alternatively, you could start the power phase with 3×1 at the first workout, to give yourself more time to work up to 8×1.
Workout Schedule
The basic schedule recommendations are the same for both the A and B programs. These workouts are an example of the "A Program."
Training Twice per Week
If you can only train two times a week, train on Monday and Thursday. Use the military press, bent-over row, and squat on Monday. On Thursday, do the bench press, weighted pull-up, and deadlift.
Monday
A1) Barbell military press 8×2
A2) Barbell bent-over row 8×2
Rest 90 seconds between each set of A1 and A2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Rest two minutes, and then continue.
B1) Squat 8×2
B2) Double dumbbell or kettlebell swing 8×2
Rest 90 seconds between each set of B1 and B2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Take a full five minute break, and then do the Pump Phase.
A1) Barbell military press 3×6
A2) Barbell bent-over row 3×6
Rest one minute between each set of A1 and A2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Rest two minutes, and then continue.
B1) Squat 3×6
B2) Double dumbbell or kettlebell swing 3×6
Rest one minute between each set of B1 and B2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed.
Thursday
A1) Barbell bench press 8×2
A2) Weighted pull-up 8×2
Rest 90 seconds between each set of A1 and A2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Rest two minutes, and then continue.
B) Deadlift 8×2
Take a full five minute break, and then do the pump phase.
A1) Barbell bench press 3×6
A2) Weighted pull-up 3×6
Rest one minute between each set of A1 and A2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Rest two minutes, and then continue.
B) Deadlift 3×6
Rest 90 seconds between sets.
Training Four Times per Week
If you have four days to devote to training, work each exercise twice per week.
Monday and Thursday
A1) Barbell military press 8×2
A2) Barbell bent-over row 8×2
Rest 90 seconds between each set of A1 and A2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Rest two minutes, and then continue.
B1) Squat 8×2
B2) Double dumbbell one-leg deadlift 8×2
Rest 90 seconds between each set of B1 and B2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Take a full five minute break, and then do the Pump Phase.
A1) Barbell military press 3×6
A2) Barbell bent-over row 3×6
Rest one minute between each set of A1 and A2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Rest two minutes, and then continue.
B1) Squat 3×6
B2) Double dumbbell one-leg deadlift 3×6
Rest one minute between each set of B1 and B2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed.
Tuesday and Friday
A1) Barbell bench press 8×2
A2) Weighted pull-up 8×2
Rest 90 seconds between each set of A1 and A2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Rest two minutes, and then continue.
B) Deadlift 8×2
Take a full five minute break, and then do the Pump Phase.
A1) Barbell bench press 3×6
A2) Weighted pull-up 3×6
Rest one minute between each set of A1 and A2. Go back and forth between the sets until all the sets are completed. Rest two minutes, and then continue.
B) Deadlift 3×6
Rest 90 seconds between each set.
Wrap-up
Doug Hepburn laid out the rules for a program that will develop tremendous size, strength, and power. Follow the Hepburn plan for a few months and let me know what happens.
But don’t forget one of the most important points that Hepburn made in his book: Have a life outside of training. Do the workouts and do them well, but afterwards, get your mind off training.
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Formula For The Perfect Body
With a little mathematics and a lot of effort, you will have body proportions that women’s will go crazy.
To “build” the perfect body, you must have the correct dimensions. Fortunately, magic formula for these dimensions is already known for ages and is called the golden ratio (ratio between the two measures, which amounts to approximately 1.6 - 1.8). His influence can be seen in the case of forms of sea shells, spiral cone, Parthenon in Athens and the stereotype depicting the perfect man. In fact, where ever you looking at the art or nature, you will find the ideal proportions almost everywhere.
Therefore, it is not a surprise to understand that woman’s are looking for a body that fits into the golden ratio. Study of “Archives of sexual behavior”, reveals that women attract the most muscular men, whose shoulders are 1.6 times wider than the width profession. Of course it is not always easy, nor practical, to measure the scope of your shoulders. It is necessary that someone measure for you. But you can take your chest size, as appropriate replace.
You can specify your dimensions in three easy steps. Everything you need is a meter and calculator.
- Measure your shoulders range on their widest point (generally around arms and chests, in line that is in the middle of nipple and clavicle). If you are measuring yourself, measure on the widest chest range, below the armpits.
- Specify the range of your waist by tailor’s tape meter around your belly, so that the lower end meters touches the top loins.
- Share the range of the shoulders (or chest) with a range of waist. You do not need to look like a hero from the comics to have ideal proportions. You can meet with a range of 100 cm chest and waist of 70 cm.
Before you start training you need to know that you don’t have to look like a model to be liked by the girl. There is a research that shows that girls are not interested in the most attractive men - considering that they are outside their range. In other words, it would be good to reach the golden ratio, but you will not be disappointed either silver or bronze.
Build V Shape Body
These three exercises can help to the upper part of your body, to becomes wider and get the sports look in every way. Train three times a week, with at least one day of rest between as follows: hard (5 series of 5 repetitions, with 2-minute break between series), slightly (3 series with 13 repetitions and break 60 seconds between) and moderate (4 Series with 8 repetitions and break 90 seconds).
Deadlift
What develops Employs trapeze - trigonal muscle upper part of back, which controls the movements of shoulder blades.
How is it perform Stop in front of bars with weights, with the feet in shoulder width, and that when the rod is near lower leg. Squat and hold the bar, twice wider than shoulder width. The lower part of the body must be flat, a hand extended. Now lift dragging the bar up front legs. Finished raising shoulder blades toward to one another.
Golden opportunity If you increase the scope of the movement, weight and exercise, you will also get a double bonus - bigger muscles and increases the potential for losing weight(burning fats). Simply replace the weights of 20kg to 10kg.
Leaning Thrust Dumbbell
What develops Employs top of the chest, and the front parts of deltoid muscle, adding the width of the upper part of the body. As a bonus, this exercise strengthens triceps.
How is it perform Set bench press under the angle of 45 °. Take a couple of dumbbell and lay on your back, holding dumbbell close above the shoulders, so that the palms facing forward. Then, lift the dumbbell straight up.
Golden opportunity For greater engagement of the upper part of the chest and triceps, replace slope and extent of catches at the previous exercises. Place the bench on the slope of 15 - 30 degrees, hold a dumbbell at shoulder width (typical for grip bench press is 1.5 times higher than shoulder width)
Knuckle
What develops Employs latissimus dorsi during the entire movement, a bonus, this exercise strengthens biceps. Properly developed latisimus are “designed” in the form of letters V - wide in the middle of his back, and then narrows down and merged with the connective tissue lower back.
How is it perform Grab knuckle bar in the shoulder width. Hang on your hands, with a slightly bent knees. Lift up, until you touch the bar with your chest.
Golden opportunity Truly, there is no “Additives” which can improve the knuckle. However, if you can repeat a lot, replace with the lat venture. But try to do in a kneeling position instead of sitting on the bench. If you are dragging the bar to the chest from the kneeling position, you are using more muscles to the body stabilized and held in the balance.
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SAMe
Same, or S-adenozin metionin is natural substance that is represented everywhere throughout our bodies.
In Germany it is used a lot for the purpose of antidepressant effect, while the bodybuilder use this substance for supplement for protective effect on the liver and joints.
SAMe affects the joints and reduced spending due to many years of training with the weight lifting, and eliminates the effects of activity and exposure to various toxins.
Recent research confirms that SAMe successfully protects the liver from the consumption of alcohol and steroids, so we held a high level of antioxidant glutathione in liver.
For protective action on liver and health, it is recommended to take 200 mg SAMe together with extracts of Silimarin twice a day.
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Still Plagues The Fries
Scientists from the Technical University of Munich announced that they have found in French fries a carcinogenic substance called glicidamid, even worse than an old enemy acrilamida.
Glicidamid is created by potatoes, and it’s much more dangerous than acrilamida, which is in the same products discovered six years ago by Technical University in Munich.
The good news in the case of glicidamida is that he occurs in smaller quantities.
When the review of ten species of potato chips and three kinds of French fries were found quantities of glicidamida from 0.3 to 1.5 micrograms per kilogram.
In the cells of mammals, even the smallest amount of glicidamida can cause a change in genetic structure.
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