Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Thomas Bjørnsen: Blood Flow Restriction Bodybuilding Training

You can do BFR up to 4 – 5 x per week depending on your overall strength training routine.  Studies seem to show that 7 sessions per week seem be to too much.

Use lighter loads. 20 – 30% of 1RM
Low loads will give you same results as high loads without cuffs.

Isolation exercises seem best. Effects are primarily on the occluded muscle.

4 – 5 sets seem optimal as studies that did 8 sets did not show benefits over the 5 set protocol.

Typical Workout
30 reps
15 reps
15 reps
15 reps

Rest times between sets is typically 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Cuff or knee wrap size.
Legs 5 - 15 cm wide
Arms 2 – 5 cm wide
Wider cuff has higher degree of blood flow

Use on upper part of arms or legs (not at knee or elbow joints)
If you cannot do 30 – 40 reps on the first set the pressure or weight is too high.

Type I muscle fiber is more endurance
Type II muscle fiber is more powerful

You begin with Type I fiber and recruit Type II as you fatigue.

Maybe beneficial for elderly and rehabilitation.

Seems to activate myonuclei cells and satellite cell activity.

Two approaches to BFR training.
Example 1:
                        Week 1 – BFR training
                        Week 2 – Regular Strength Training
                        Week 3 – Regular Strength Training
                        Week 4 – BFR Training
Example 2:
                        BFR on last set of each exercise
                       
Follow him on twitter: @thomasbjornsen

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj7U7RR3uMs






Sunday, December 25, 2016

MYO-Reps for Developmental Hypertrophy is an Intense Workout

MYO-Reps developed by Borge A. Fagerli gives you maximum intensity in a short period of time.


A typical MYO set involves 5 mini sets.


MYO-Reps is said to mimic occlusion training without the use of cuffs.


MYO-Reps activates muscle satellite cells.


MYO-Reps are auto-regulating. (see source for explanation)


Typical set looks this way.


Pick a weight that you can get 9-20 reps with depending on the exercise you are doing. The intensity should bring you close to failure on the last 1 or 2 reps.


Do 9-20 reps. This is your “activation set” where you achieve full muscle fiber recruitment.


Rack the weight. Take 5 deep breathes.


Do 3-5 reps. Choose the amount of reps. If 5 stick with 5 reps.


Rack the weight. Take 5 deep breathes.


Do 3-5 reps.


Rack the weight. Take 5 deep breathes.


Do 3-5 reps.


Rack the weight. Take 5 deep breathes.


Do 3-5 reps.


If at any time you are unable to get the full amount of reps taken, end the set.


Example: Reps 10+5+5+5+5


10 reps.


5 breathes.


5 reps.


5 breathes.


5 reps.


5 breathes.


5 reps.


5 breathes.


5 reps.


As with many things in bodybuilding, experiment and find what works for you.



Sources:



Saturday, December 24, 2016

Going for a New PR? Try Peppermint Oil

Yes you read that right. In a recent study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, researchers looked at the effect of peppermint oil on running performance. The researchers used .05ml of peppermint oil in a drink, consumed each day for 10 consecutive days.

The amount of total work performed by the test subjects was increased by a whopping 51%, including an increase in the time to exhaustion of about 25%. 


While this study was done on endurance athletes, many gym rats have been using this technique for years on the week prior to maxing out.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

How Many Sets Do You Need to Maximize Muscle Gains?



Sets per Week
Muscle Increases
5 weekly sets per muscle
5.4 % increase
5 to 9 weekly sets per muscle
6.6 % increase
10+ sets per muscle
9.8% increase

The study could not confirm the percentage of muscle increases past 10 sets.

Clearly you should look to get 10 sets per muscle group if you want to maximize muscle growth.

Source:
How Many Sets Do You Need to Perform to Maximize Muscle Gains? by Brad Schoenfeld


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Monday, December 12, 2016

Quads Stopped Growing? Try 2 Minutes Leg Presses

2 Minutes Leg Presses

Take a weight that you can move for 2 minutes straight, the last 30 seconds should be excruciating. Do 3 total sets, rest 4 minutes between sets.

Source:


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Sunday, December 11, 2016

Push-ups are 64% of Your Body Weight

In a regular push-up, you lift 64 percent of body weight, whereas with a knee push-up, you lift 49 percent. If you're new to training, performing the push-up with hands elevated on a 24-inch bench will allow you to lift even less than a knee push-up, at 41 percent of body weight.

Source:
https://www.quora.com/How-much-body-weight-is-used-on-a-push-up


Sunday, December 4, 2016

Charles Poliquin Warm-up Before Strength Training

Example for 5x5 squat session with 225 lbs.

Stretch calves for 8 sec then contract for 2 seconds. Do the same for hamstrings and quads. – PNF stretch

Warm-Up
4 reps with the bar only
3 reps with 60% of working weight (225 x .6 = 135)
2 reps with 75%
1 rep with 85%
1 rep with 90%
1 rep with 95%

5x5 with 100%

Optional: Do 1 rep with 110% as last warm-up then drop back to 100% for the workout.

Source:
http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/07/21/charles-poliquin/


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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

My December 2016 Workout Plan - Push/Pull - Tabata



No diet December is upon us and I plan to enjoy it thoroughly. The plan this month will be push/pull workouts focusing on a weight that I can get 6 reps with. I will increase the working weight once I get 10 reps with that weight.

Starting weights for my major lifts are as follows:

Trap Bar Deadlift
230 lbs
Leg Press
478 lbs
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
70 lbs
Hammer Strength Incline Chest Press
147 lbs
Pull-ups
5 reps
Hammer Strength Lat Pulldown
97 lbs
Dumbbell Deadlift
150 lbs
Goblet Squat
55 lbs
Pendlay Rows
155 lbs
Arnold Press
16 lbs
Overhead Barbell Press
55 lbs


The plan is to do 2 – 3 warm-up sets pyramiding up in weight until I get to my working weight.  Cardio days will either be steady state or Tabata style.


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Monday, November 28, 2016

The Full Body Leg Press Circuit Workout

Goblet Squat
6 – 10 reps
Leg Press
3 – 8 reps
Dumbbell Incline Press
6 – 10 reps
Arnold Press
6 – 10 reps
Dumbbell Row
6 – 10 reps
Dumbbell Deadlift
6 – 10 reps
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
6 – 10 reps
Dumbbell Calf Raise
10- 20 reps

Set up:
Grab a set of dumbbells that challenge you on the incline press. The incline press will be done seated in the leg press machine.

Do a complete circuit then rest 2 minutes or more. The goal is to get 3 – 5 circuits done.


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Sunday, November 27, 2016

Trap Bar Deadlift Workout


I begin with a walk on the treadmill as part of the warm-up. The three sets of ten dumbbell deadlifts with 50 lbs. Then three sets of three dumbbell deadlifts with 95 lbs. I rest 3 to 5 minutes between sets.

140 lb x 10 reps
180 lb x 3 reps
190 lb x 3 reps
210 lb x 3 reps
230 lb x 6 reps
230 lb x 6 reps
230 lb x reps to failure


Once I get to 10 reps on the last set, I increase the weight.


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RxBar Real Food Protein Bars Variety Pack, 5 Flavor, 1.83 Ounce Bars (Pack of 10)


Saturday, November 26, 2016

Warming up for a Heavy Lifting Session

Start with 25% of your 1 rep max or less and do 10 reps with that weight.

Rest  2 - 3 minutes.

50% of your 1 rep max for 3 reps.

Rest  2 - 3 minutes.

85% of your max and perform 1 rep.

Rest  2 - 5 minutes.

Start your workout. If it is a 10x10 day then drop to 60% of your 1RM.

3x10 day then drop to the weight that allows 2 sets of 10 and difficulty on the last set.

Make whatever adjustments are needed to accomplish your workout.


Happy  lifting!

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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Leucine is King: Make Your Own Super Milk for Super Muscle Gains

1-3 Cups of Whole Milk (Lactose Free if necessary)
5 – 10 grams of BCAA’s 2:1:1
1 serving of digestive enzymes
1 gram of Colostrum in capsules or power
1 – 3 grams of HMB

Optional :  
100 mg of Lactoferrin
2 tablespoons of Lecithin
2 grams of Glycine
2 grams of Taurine
2 grams of Lysine (increases L-Carnitine levels)

Flavoring of your choice.

The first 3 items are necessary. The next two supercharges your gains.


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Amino Acid Content of 1 Cup of Whole Milk

Source:
Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat Nutrition Facts & Calories
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/69/2
Nutrition facts and Information for Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat. ... Nutritional Target Map for Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat. This feature ... Amounts per 1 cup (244g) ...