MUTANT presents Episode 1 – Road to the Toronto Pro Show. A 6-part Documentary on IFBB Pro, Renaldo Gairy’s journey to his Pro debut at the Toronto SuperShow June 2012. (A MUTANT production in association with strong-athlete.com
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From the category archives:
Gain Muscle
You want to know the difference between bodybuilder doing a bench press, and a regular trainer doing a bench press? The bodybuilder feels it in the chest muscle (pectorals), and everyone else feels it in the arms and shoulders. To anyone watching, you can’t tell what the bodybuilder does differently; it’s text book form like everything else. But for some reason that bodybuilder will raise from the bench with a pecs ready to burst!
The thing that bodybuilders spend a lot of time doing is flexing! Flexing every muscle from head to toe, back to front. Hitting poses with a smile and making it look easy! Bodybuilders learn how to activate muscle in any position without any weight. We call this the Mind-Muscle connection, and it goes all the way down to strengthening our internal signaling pathways called the Nervous System. Naturally, this level of control allows them to get a maximum contraction in the muscles they target. This maximum contraction increases muscular damage, which leads to greater tissue repair and growth.
So the next time you see a bodybuilder flexing in the mirror, you can be wise to know its not in the sake of arrogance. It’s an art form, and a huge part of building the ultimate physique. If you’re looking to build any level of muscle, feel no shame in getting in front of your bedroom mirror and cranking out pose down session. Feel every muscle out, practice flexing the muscle involved in your upcoming workout, and maybe learn a few mandatory bodybuilding poses while you’re at it. Be the master of your physique and let it give you the results you’re looking for!
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If you’re a guy reading this, you’re probably thinking, “Hell Yeah!” If you’re a girl reading this, you’re probably afraid of becoming huge, so no shakes for you – you’ll just stick to your chicken breast right?
Many people may think that I’m a huge guy, because I drink a lot of protein shakes. I am a huge guy and I do drink a lot of protein shakes, but let me be the first to tell you PROTEIN SHAKES WILL NOT MAKE YOU HUGE!!! With all these bodybuilders sucking down protein shakes, how could I make such a statement?
There’s way more to getting huge than a shake or two. If it were that easy, then there would be more guys with Hulk like physiques walking around wouldn’t there.
First let me say that shakes can also help you burn fat and get smaller!
Let’s build a mental image and make some comparisons. How about a scoop serving of PVL Whey Protein Isolate, and a glass serving (250ml) of fruit juice? Both contain 120 calories, which isn’t going to get anyone huge. The Whey has 27g of protein; the fruit punch has 27g of sugar! If you were trying to burn fat, you know 27g of sugar won’t help that! It may in fact cause you to gain weight!
What else has 27g of protein? 3oz of roasted chicken breast does! Except the chicken has 135-140 calories in it which is 15-20 calories more than a scoop of whey. Hmmm…. will eating chicken breasts make you huge too? Here’s what we have so far and a few other examples
1 scoop Whey isolate = 120 calories / 27g protein / 0-1g carb
1 cup fruit juice = 120 calories / 27g carbohydrates (sugar)
3 oz chicken breast = 140 calories / 27g protein
1 medium banana = 112 calorie / 27g carbohydrates (14 sugar)
2 slices commercial bread = 138 calories / 24g carb / 8g protein /
8 egg whites = 117 calories / 27g protein
Do you get the picture? Hopefully you’ve put 2 and 2 together by now, but since you’re still wondering why bodybuilders drink protein shakes I’ll continue. It’s because they are digested really fast which makes them great after a workout. They are also very convenient and portable. What’s more important is that bodybuilders eat a lot more than regular folk, in terms of caloric intake and protein requirements. A 200lbs bodybuilder eats around 4000 calories and protein shakes are just a fraction of that. If you’re goal is to build muscles be sure to look at your overall diet and see how you match up.
If you’re trying to lose weight, protein shakes are a great way to keep your metabolism up, maintain healthy, lean weight, and are a low calorie snack to hold down your hunger between your bigger meals.
If you had the pleasure of reading my previous articles on “Are you taking protein shakes?” – you’ll know that whey protein is simply a powdered form of high protein food (think powdered lean chicken breast…Disgusting, but you get my drift). To conclude, on its own, whey protein is not a magical element for gaining or losing weight and isn’t just for bodybuilders; it can be a great addition to the meal plan of anyone looking to improve their health and physique.
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Have you ever worked out routinely for a month and noticed some muscle growth, but no real definition or form? Well you’re not alone, and the reason this happens is, while you might have been working out your biceps for example, you were not working out all of your bicep!
If you are not a personal trainer, chances are you don’t know the many more precise muscles that make up each muscle group. This can become a massive handicap if you are trying to put together your own weight training routine.
During this series we will explore the various areas of every muscle group and the best exercise for each specific muscle.
Pt.1 – The Bicep
When it comes to biceps, the most common mistake is thinking that your average arm curl is adequate. Well, this is hardly the truth!
Your bicep is made up of two parts, a long head and a short head. Whether you are trying to build mass or tone and define, it is very important that you work both the long and short heads equally for proper muscle development.
The best exercise for the long head is your average arm curl. In order to focus on the short head the best exercise is the hammer curl. A hammer curl is like a regular arm curl; however, you’re your palms are facing inwards, just like when using a hammer.
For best results, do both types of curls using a preacher bench. A preacher bench will hold your arms on an angle for maximum muscle isolation. That means that the movement in the exercise will be made by your biceps alone, without help from the muscles in your shoulders and back.
Steps to success:
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On your bicep day make time for both types of curls.
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Alternate which type of curl is your starting curl each time you work on your arms.
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Record the weight that you used and the number of reps/sets to track your progress.
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