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Check Out My Latest Natural Bodybuilding Article on February 2012 Edition of Natural Muscle

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:18:32 +0000

Check Out My Latest Natural Bodybuilding Article on February 2012 Edition of Natural Muscle

I get published on various bodybuilding magazines every month and thanks to technology, some of these magazines now also have an online presence. Thus, every time I get published I will share my article with all of you.

This time I will be sharing my article for the February 2012 Edition of Natural Muscle Magazine, which is an awesome publication. By the way, Natural Muscle is the first magazine that published one of my articles

My article is on page 38. Also, if you are looking for an awesome Leg Workout, check out the one that natural female bodybuilding champion Cecile Bayeul shared on page 48. Great routine for both guys and girls alike!

Click on the image below to access the magazine (it will open on page 38 automatically so that you can access my article immediately. Then you can use the navigation to go through the various pages). Click on the LIKE button if you enjoy the articles

Hugo Rivera's Natural Bodybuilding Tips for Gaining Muscle, Getting Lean and Losing Fat while Still Enjoying the Holidays

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:17:40 +0000

Learn how to gain muscle, get lean and lose fat while still enjoying the Holidays!

The fact that I already see stores getting stocked with Christmas ornaments lets me know that the Holidays are here. With Thanksgiving coming along at the end of November, the Holidays get officially started. Since this season carries with it a lot of get-togethers, parties, and above all, plenty of food, many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts find it a task and a half to adhere to their bodybuilding lifestyle. This is due to the huge temptations of skipping your bodybuilding routines in favor of attending parties and eating foods that are not part of the typical bodybuilding diet. What is a bodybuilder to do?

With good planning and discipline, you can continue to move towards achieving your bodybuilding goals while you have your cake and eat it too; literally.

There are a few things that a bodybuilder can do in order to survive the Holidays and even come out a little bit ahead in terms of muscle mass:

1.The first step is to adhere to an abbreviated, though fully periodized, holidays bodybuilding workout routine so that you still get to gain muscle mass while minimizing the amount of time that you spend at the gym. If your schedule is really hectic, I would advise waking up early and getting training done, if possible, right before you go to work. If this is not possible, then try doing it at lunch-time or right after work so that nothing else interferes with your workout. On days off from work, definitely get the training done as early as possible.

Please refer to my personal abbreviated Holidays’ Bodybuilding Workout which has you working out only 3 days a week for about 75 minutes at a time (see routine at the end of this article below).

2.The second step is to plan ahead. Not only look at your December calendar and pencil down which days you will have Holiday activities, but also figure out at what times and days you will be training. I also suggest that you even identify which days you will select for your cheat meals and write them down on your calendar as well. Because of the amounts of get togethers and days that the gym may be closed, it is best if you decide a week ahead which days you will be attending the gym. In this manner, your chances of missing a workout due to parties or gym closures are eliminated.

3.The third step is to know how to cheat properly. By cheating the right way, and at the right times, you will not only maximize your muscle building potential but also minimize any fat gain.

Hugo’s Tips on Cheating Properly

Tip #1 Plan Your Cheat Days Wisely.
Look at the calendar and based on the days that you have parties and get togethers mark your cheat days. My advise is to attempt to space cheat days with at least 5-6 days in between, 6 being the better choice.

Tip #2 Eat Your Cheat Meals Wisely.
When you have a cheat meal, start eating the protein portion first as this will get you to start getting full. Leave the carbs for the end of the meal. Also, try to not stuff yourself. Instead allocate four hours and a half of cheating per cheat day. This will allow for 3 cheat meals (one every 90 minutes). After your cheat period, go back on your regular diet.

Tip #3 Have a tough workout before you cheat to minimize fat gain and maximize muscle.
Reason for this is because after a workout the body is primed to absorb nutrients in the form of proteins and carbohydrates. Thus, having a cheat meal afterwards will ensure that most nutrients are used for recovery and muscle production.

Tip #4 Take 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate and 300 mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid.
Taking 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate and 300 mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid at the beginning of your cheat period helps to increase your cell’s ability to accept insulin, and thus, assimilate the extra carbohydrates better. As a matter of fact, increasing insulin sensitivity is one of the reasons why I like to have a big workout prior to the cheat period.

Tip #5 Have some EFA’s with your cheat meal.
Research indicates that some Essential Fats like the ones found on flax oil or fish oils have anti-lipolitic properties. In other words, they inhibit some of the enzymes responsible for fat storage. By taking these fats with your first cheat meal of your cheat period, you can minimize some of the damage. I recommend you take 3-6 capsules of Labrada’s EFA Lean Gold prior to every cheat meal. 3 for the ladies and 6 for the guys will just do the trick.

Tip #6 Take some digestive enzymes with each one of your cheat meals.
This will ensure maximum nutrient assimilation and will also help you avoid feelings of excessive fullness and indigestion.

Tip #7 Three to five hours after the cheat period has ended have a 30-minute walk.
I’m not talking about anything strenuous; around 2.5 to 3 miles per hour is a good pace. Doing some cardiovascular activity after the cheat period has ended will start burning some of the carbohydrates that may still be lingering around. The more of these you burn, the less likelihood of storing body fat. If you cannot do this walk on the same day of the cheat period then try it on the morning after on an empty stomach.

Exercise Self Control and Discipline

As always, in order for these strategies to work, self-control, discipline and determination need to be exercised. When it comes to bodybuilding, this will always be a recurring theme.

What If Motivation Is Low?

If your motivation is lacking, there are a couple of items that I recommend you do:

1.Have A Clear And Concise Goal Of What You Want To Accomplish By A Specified Date: Set a deadline and be specific. For instance, my goal is to be in near contest shape by December 5th which is my birthday. For me, that means being 185-lbs at 5-6% body fat.

A specific deadline will offer you something to shoot for and achieve by a certain date which will put positive pressure on you and prevent you from skipping your workouts or having unscheduled cheat meals on the diet.

2.Get A Training Partner That Is Equally Passionate About Your Bodybuilding and Fitness Goal: A good training partner can fuel your motivation and accelerate gains tremendously. Good partners help you to push harder through your workouts and also inspire you to stick to the diet since you see how they progress. Ideally, get your spouse involved, or your kids if they are old enough. If not, a good friend will work too. I’ve found that the best gains in my bodybuilding career have been made when I train with someone who is equally dedicated to achieving the same goal.

Conclusion

If you apply yourself and implement the simple techniques described above, while everyone around you gains 20 pounds or more of fat and excess water during the Holidays, you will gain a few pounds of muscle and maybe 2-3 lbs of fat at the most. For the most disciplined of us, who actually increase the amount of working out as opposed to decreasing it, and who minimize cheat meals, then fat gain is not even a possibility.

Now you are armed with all of the information that you will need in order to actually improve your shape over the Holidays. It is up to you to put this knowledge into action and choose which person will you rather be; the 20 lbs of fat gainer, the 2-3 lbs of fat gainer with equal or more gains in the form of muscle, or the one who even gains as fat comes off? Choose your destiny. The fact that you are reading this article leads me to believe that you will choose wisely.

May your Holidays bring you tons of health and happiness!

Abbreviated Holidays’ Bodybuilding Workout

For the purpose of continued muscle growth and fat loss over the Holidays, I have used the principles of cycling that I always preach about in order to create a routine that will keep the muscle growth/fat loss process going during the next few months with minimum visits to the gym. While it is a low volume/abbreviated routine, it is by no means an easy one.

Loading Phase (Week 1)

Mon(13-15reps)/Wed(10-12reps)/Fri(8-10reps)

Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets (No Rest)
Close Grip Chinups (Palms facing you) 3 sets (60 seconds)

Superset:
Upright Rows 1 set (No Rest)
Bent Over Laterals 1 set (60 seconds)

Superset: Seated Incline Hammer Curls 2 sets (No Rest)
Triceps Dips 2 sets (60 seconds)

Giant set:
Lunges 3 sets (No Rest)
Leg Curls 3 sets (No Rest)
Squats 3 sets (No Rest)
Calf Raises 3 sets (60 seconds)
(Use either the machine or Barbell used for Squats)

(Week 2)

Mon(13-15reps)/Wed(10-12reps)/Fri(8-10reps)
Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4sets (No Rest)
Close Grip Chinups (Palms facing you) 4sets (60 seconds)

Superset:
Upright Rows 2 set (No Rest)
Bent Over Laterals 2 set (60 seconds)

Superset:
Seated Incline Hammer Curls 3sets (No Rest)
Triceps Dips 3 sets (60 seconds)

Giant set:
Lunges 4 sets (No Rest)
Leg Curls 4 sets (No Rest)
Squats 4 sets (No Rest)
Calf Raises 4 sets (No Rest)
(Use either the machine or Barbell used for Squats) (60 seconds)

(Week 3)

Mon(13-15reps)/Wed(10-12reps)/Fri(8-10reps)
Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 5sets (No Rest)
Close Grip Chinups (Palms facing you) 5sets (60 seconds)

Superset:
Upright Rows 3 set (No Rest)
Bent Over Laterals 3 set (60 seconds)

Superset:
Seated Incline Hammer Curls 4sets (No Rest)
Triceps Dips 4 sets (60 seconds)

Giant set:
Lunges 5 sets (No Rest)
Leg Curls 5 sets (No Rest)
Squats 5 sets (No Rest)
Calf Raises 5 sets (60 seconds)
(Use either the machine or Barbell used for Squats)

Growth Phase (Weeks 4-6)
Mon(10-12reps)/Wed(8-10reps)/Fri(5-7reps)
Modified Compound Superset:
Incline Bench Press 3sets (Rest 90 seconds)
Close Grip Chinups (Palms facing you) 3sets (Rest 90 seconds)

Upright Rows 1 set (Rest 60 seconds)
Bent Over Laterals 1 set (Rest 60 seconds)

Superset:
Seated Incline Hammer Curls 2sets (Rest 90 seconds)
Triceps Dips 2 sets (Rest 90 seconds)

Modified Compound Giantset:
Lunges 3 sets (Rest 60 seconds)
Leg Curls 3 sets (Rest 60 seconds)
Squats 3 sets (Rest 60 seconds)
Calf Raises 3 sets (Rest 60 seconds)
(Use either the machine or Barbell used for Squats)

There you have it. After week 6 go into Active Recovery (Two full body workouts a week; a routine similar to the Growth Phase above performed only on Mondays and Thursdays with each set consisting of 10-12 reps; perform the same number of sets as suggested above). Also, do 20 minutes of cardio , first thing in the morning on the days off (Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays). Sunday is the total rest day.

The longest routine is the one from week 3. It lasts around 75 minutes. It is exhausting as well. Try it out and provided that you follow a good diet along with it (by just limiting yourself to pre-selected cheat meals in the manner described above) you should avoid the catastrophic effects that the Holidays leave behind in some people. As a matter of fact, you should look better.

Let me know how you like it if you try it.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

and to CLICK LIKE on my:

Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page.

Gymless Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Ripped Abs

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:11:41 +0000

Learn a natural bodybuilding gymless routine for ripped abs that can be done from the comfort of your home.

Natural Bodybuilding Gymless Routine for Ripped Abs

How many times many of you have skipped working out your abs because you meant to do them at the end of your weight training session but either all of the ab benches and machines were occupied or you were just too tired to do any justice to them.

If you have been in this situation many times, then I have the solution for you. A body-weight ab workout routine that you can perform in the comfort of your living room, preferably as soon as you wake up for best results or once you get home from work. It will hit all of your abdominal muscles in a quick and efficient manner, and best of all, you can perform it anytime, anywhere. Add to it the proper fat loss diet, perhaps coupled with a supplement that supports fat loss, and a well defined six pack will be well within your reach!

Exercise #1: Crunches
Lie flat with your back on the floor and your legs in front of you bent at the knees and place your hands crossed in front of your chest. Start by raising your shoulders and torso as far as possible from the ground in a curling movement without raising your back from the floor as you exhale. Retaining tension on the abs, bring your torso to the starting position as you inhale. Maintain full control throughout the movement and avoid the temptation to rock back and forth. Tip: You can perform this movement with a rolled up towel under your spine curvature in order to achieve full stretch of the abdominal wall and thus get full range of motion.

Exercise #2: Bicycle Crunches
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put your hands beside your head. Be careful however to not strain with the neck as you perform it. Now lift your shoulders into the crunch position and bring your knees up to where they are perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position. Now simultaneously, slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right leg and bringing in the knee of the left leg. Bring your right elbow close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out. Then go back to the initial position as you breathe in, and start to crunch to the opposite side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your right knee and exhale.

Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed. Tip: Avoid fast and sloppy motions; instead concentrate on slow and perfect execution.

Exercise #3: Lying Leg Raises
Lie flat with your back on the floor and your legs extended straight in front of you. Place your hands at your sides by the floor for support. Flexing your lower abdominals, raise your legs and exhale until they are perpendicular to the floor. Retaining tension on the abs, lower your legs to the beginning position stopping just an inch off the floor as you inhale. Tip: Avoid the temptation to let your legs drop on the negative portion of the movement.

Exercise #4: Modified V-Ups
Sit on the floor (or on the edge of a chair) with your legs extended in front of you and your hands holding on to the sides for support. Simultaneously bring your legs up as far as possible while at the same time bringing your torso towards them as you inhale. Exhale as you return to the start position and repeat the movement until you have completed your set. Tip: Avoid the temptation to let your legs drop on the negative portion of the movement and maintain full control of the motion.

Exercise #5: Knee-Ins
Sit on the floor (or on the edge of a chair) with your legs extended in front of you and your hands holding on to the sides for support. Keeping your knees together, pull your knees in towards your chest as you exhale until you can go no further. Keeping the tension on your lower ab muscles, return to the start position as you inhale and repeat the movement until you have completed your set. Tip: Avoid fast motions; maintain full control of the movement.

Gymless ‘Ripped Abs’ Natural Bodybuilding Workout Routine

GOAL: BOOST METABOLISM AND SHAPE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES. FOCUS: BODY-WEIGHT BASED ABDOMINAL EXERCISE CIRCUIT. TIME: 3 TIMES A WEEK ON NON-CONSECUTIVE DAYS PREFERABLY FIRST THING IN THE MORNING FOR 6 WEEKS.
EXERCISE	SETS	REPS	TARGET MUSCLES	SECONDARY TARGETS
CRUNCHES	3	10 TO 21	UPPER ABS	LOWER ABS, OBLIQUES
BICYCLE CRUNCHES	3	10 TO 21	FULL ABDOMINAL WALL	N/A
LYING LEG RAISES	3	10 TO 21	LOWER ABS	UPPER ABS, OBLIQUES
MODIFIED V-UPS	3	10 TO 21	LOWER, UPPER ABS	OBLIQUES
KNEE-INS	3	10 TO 21	LOWER ABS	UPPER ABS, OBLIQUES
THE ROUTINE SHOULD BE PERFORMED IN CIRCUIT FASHION. FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS REST 30 SECONDS BETWEEN EXERCISES AND 2 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING THE CIRCUIT AGAIN. WEEKS 3-4 DO NOT REST IN BETWEEN EXERCISES AND ONLY REST 60 SECONDS AT THE END OF THE CIRCUIT. WEEKS 5-6 ATTEMPT TO DO ALL 3 SETS OF THE CIRCUIT WITH NO REST AT ALL.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

and to CLICK LIKE on my:

Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page.

Natural Bodybuilding 30-Minute Shoulder Workout

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:58:41 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding 30-Minute Shoulder Workout

Here is another 30 minute natural bodybuilding workout by popular demand. This week I want to share with you a 30 minute shoulder workout that is guaranteed to fry the shoulder muscles. Once again, remember that there is not one magic bodybuilding workout that will give you all of the muscle growth that you desire. You need to change your workout routines every 3-4 weeks in order to keep results coming, and the more advanced you become, the more variation your training needs.

Another thing that needs to be understood is that no workout routine will burn off the fat for you. Burning off the fat only happens when the diet is correct. If the nutrition is inadequate, your fat will stay right where it is at. And if your nutrition is horrible, the fat stores may actually increase. Thus, make sure that you are following a good nutrition program such as the fat burning diet I present on this website if losing fat is what your goal is.

(Check out my fat burning diet right here: Fat Burning Diet)

Now, if you are looking to stimulate some new muscle growth in your shoulder muscles this 30-minute shoulder workout routine is guaranteed to add inches of width to your back as well as thickness!

This workout is fast paced and it involves the use of trisets and supersets. A triset is three exercises performed one after the other with no rest in between. You only rest the prescribed amount of time after the third exercise. A superset is the same as a triset but with only two exercises in the circuit.

It is important to understand that this routine is for the more advanced bodybuilders that visit this website who have at least a solid year and a half of training under their belt. If you are a beginner, you are better served by the routines presented on my Getting Started in Bodybuilding article.

Without further ado, here is my specialization workout for back for those brave souls out there who are looking to cause some new growth.

30 Minute Natural Bodybuilding Specialization Workout Routine for Shoulders

(Triset)
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
Lateral Raises 4 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
Bent Over Lateral Raises 4 sets of as many reps as possible (1 minute rest)

Note: Use the same dumbbells you used for the lateral raises for your bet over laterals. You may need to decrease the weight in order to stay within the recommended repetition ranges for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th trisets.

(Superset)
Barbell Upright Rows (Use a shoulder width grip) 3 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
One Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raises 3 sets of 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)

(Superset)
Front Dumbbell Laterals 3 sets of 12-15 reps (no rest)
Rear Delt Rows Using Either T-Bar Row Machine or A Barbell 3 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)

Note: For the rear delt rows you can use a barbell and perform them as you would a bent over row but with the elbows out to the side (as if doing a reverse bench press)

Follow this workout with a either a protein shake that contains carbs as well -OR- 6 ounces of chicken breast (3 ounces if you are a female), vegetables, and a carb like baked potato or rice in order to maximize recovery and get the muscle growth process started.

Workout Split To Use

For workouts like this, I like to use a one body part per day training split. A one body part training split is designed in such a way that only one muscle group is targeted in each bodybuilding workout. This is a great way to train for very advanced bodybuilders who are significantly strong and can generate such a high level of intensity in each workout that training less frequently will allow for better results and recovery.

There are two advantages to this workout split:

1. It allows the advanced bodybuilder to just concentrate on the body part at hand and work it from all possible angles. At at advanced level, the goal is to not only build new muscle mass but also to correct any imbalances and achieve perfect symmetry (or harmony between body parts).

2. It allows the muscle to better recover from the high volume and intensity required from this advanced level of training.

Below you will find a good examples of how I would set up my one muscle group per day training split in order to prioritize my chest.

Monday: Chest/Calves
Tuesday: Hamstrings/Abs
Wednesday: Arms
Thursday: Shoulders/Calves
Friday: Quadriceps/Abs
Saturday: Back/Abs
Sunday: Rest

Conclusion

Try this workout out for four weeks before changing to another one and feel free to alter the order of the exercises every week in order to keep things different for your body.

By the way, after doing this workout I recommend that you do a lower volume workout such as the 5 sets of 5 reps workout for 4 weeks.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

and to CLICK LIKE on my:

Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page.

Natural Bodybuilding 35 Minute Arms Workout

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:05:49 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding 35-Minute Arms Workout

This week I want to share with you a 35 minute natural bodybuilding arms workout that I absolutely love! This workout only requires a set of dumbbells and a floor mat (optional) to get the job done so it can be done at home or at the gym (at the gym you can use a bench). You will experience a massive pump from it as it is fast paced in nature so be ready to have your heart muscle working hard as well!

Once again, remember that there is not one magic natural bodybuilding routine that will give you all of the muscle growth that you desire. You need to change your workout routines every 3-4 weeks in order to keep results coming, and the more advanced you become, the more variation your training needs.

Another thing that needs to be understood is that no workout routine will burn off the fat for you (seems like every day I get more emails asking for a workout that will burn the fat). Burning off the fat only happens when the diet is correct. If the nutrition is inadequate, your fat will stay right where it is at. And if your nutrition is horrible, the fat stores may actually increase. Thus, make sure that you are following a good nutrition program such as the fat burning diet I present on this website if losing fat is what your goal is.

(Check out my fat burning diet right here: Fat Burning Diet)

Now, if you are looking to stimulate some new muscle growth in your arm muscles this 35-minute arms workout routine is guaranteed to add inches of width to your biceps and triceps!

This workout is fast paced and it involves the use of giant sets. A giant set is four or more exercises performed one after the other with no rest in between. You only rest the prescribed amount of time after the last exercise.

Without further ado, here is my specialization natural bodybuilding workout for the arms for those of you who want to take the arm growth to the next level.

35 Minute Natural Bodybuilding Specialization Workout Routine for Arms

(Giant Set)
One Arm Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 4 sets of 8-15 reps (no rest)
Dumbbell Curls 4 sets of 8-15 reps (no rest)
Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 4 sets of 8-15 reps (no rest)
Dumbbell Hammer Curls 4 sets of 8-15 reps (no rest)
Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 4 sets of 8-15 reps (no rest)
Concentration Curls 4 sets of 8-15 reps (Rest 90 seconds and start over)

Workout Split To Use

Due to the short nature of this workout, you can use it on a three day split like:

Day 1: Chest/Arms
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Back/Shoulders
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Start at Day 1

-or-

Day 1: Chest/Back
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Shoulders/Arms
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Start at Day 1

Alternatively, you can also plug it in on a one body part per day training split. A one body part training split is designed in such a way that only one muscle group is targeted in each bodybuilding workout. This is a great way to train for very advanced bodybuilders who are significantly strong and can generate such a high level of intensity in each workout that training less frequently will allow for better results and recovery.

There are two advantages to this workout split:

1.It allows the advanced bodybuilder to just concentrate on the body part at hand and work it from all possible angles. At at advanced level, the goal is to not only build new muscle mass but also to correct any imbalances and achieve perfect symmetry (or harmony between body parts).

2.It allows the muscle to better recover from the high volume and intensity required from this advanced level of training.

Below you will find a good examples of how I would set up my one muscle group per day training split in order to prioritize my chest.

Monday: Chest/Calves
Tuesday: Hamstrings/Abs
Wednesday: Arms
Thursday: Shoulders/Calves
Friday: Quadriceps/Abs
Saturday: Back/Abs
Sunday: Rest

Conclusion

Try this workout out for four weeks before changing to another one and feel free to alter the order of the exercises every week in order to keep things different for your body.

By the way, after doing this workout I recommend that you do a lower volume workout such as the 5 sets of 5 reps workout for 4 weeks.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

and to CLICK LIKE on my:

Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page.

Natural Bodybuilding 30-Minute Back Workout

admin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:52:34 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding 30-Minute Back Workout

Since I posted my chest workout I started to get requests for other 30 minute workouts. So this week I want to share with you a 30 minute back workout that I like. Once again, remember that there is not one magic routine that will give you all of the muscle growth that you desire. You need to change your workout routines every 3-4 weeks in order to keep results coming, and the more advanced you become, the more variation your training needs.

(Check out my fat burning diet right here: Fat Burning Diet)

Now, if you are looking to stimulate some new muscle growth in your back muscles this 30-minute back workout routine is guaranteed to add inches of width to your back as well as thickness!

Without further ado, here is my specialization workout for back for those brave souls out there who are looking to cause some new growth.

30 Minute Natural Bodybuilding Specialization Workout Routine for Back

(Triset)
Wide Grip Pull-Ups to Front 4 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
One Arm Rows 4 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
Close Grip Chins (Reverse Grip) 4 sets of as many reps as possible (1 minute rest)

Note: Use the same dumbbells you used for the Flyes. You may need to decrease the weight in order to stay within the recommended repetition ranges for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th trisets.

(Superset)
Barbell Rows 3 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
Reverse Grip Barbell Rows 3 sets of as many as you can do with the same weight as the barbell rows (1 minute rest)

(Superset)
Close Grip Pull-ups to Front 3 sets of 12-15 reps (no rest)
Two Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)

Note: If you cannot do Pull-ups yet due to lack of strength, try the Gravitron Machine. If there is no Gravitron Machine available at your gym then try having someone help you. If none of these options are available, then use a pull-down machine, even though for maximum benefits, the pull-up is recommended.

Follow this workout with a either a protein shake that contains carbs as well or 6 ounces of chicken breast (3 ounces if you are a female), vegetables, and a carb like baked potato or rice in order to maximize recovery and get the muscle growth process started.

Workout Split To Use

There are two advantages to this workout split:

1.It allows the advanced bodybuilder to just concentrate on the body part at hand and work it from all possible angles. At at advanced level, the goal is to not only build new muscle mass but also to correct any imbalances and achieve perfect symmetry (or harmony between body parts).

2.It allows the muscle to better recover from the high volume and intensity required from this advanced level of training.

Below you will find a good examples of how I would set up my one muscle group per day training split in order to prioritize my chest.

Monday: Chest/Calves
Tuesday: Hamstrings/Abs
Wednesday: Arms
Thursday: Shoulders/Calves
Friday: Quadriceps/Abs
Saturday: Back/Abs
Sunday: Rest

Conclusion

Try this workout out for four weeks before changing to another one and feel free to alter the order of the exercises every week in order to keep things different for your body.

By the way, after doing this workout I recommend that you do a lower volume workout such as the 5 sets of 5 reps workout for 4 weeks.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

and to CLICK LIKE on my:

Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page.

30 Minute Natural Bodybuilding Chest Workout Blast

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:05:28 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding 30-Minute Chest Workout

I always seem to get a lot of questions regarding how to get the chest muscles to grow and also asking how to lose body fat in the chest area. One thing that needs to be understood is that there is not one magic routine that will give you all of the muscle growth that you desire. You need to change your workout routines every 3-4 weeks in order to keep results coming, and the more advanced you become, the more variation your training needs.

(Check out my fat burning diet right here: Fat Burning Diet)

Now, if you are looking to stimulate some new muscle growth in your chest muscles I have a 30-minute chest workout routine that is guaranteed to set the chest on fire!

I have used this workout routine with great results and I can guarantee you that I am in some serious pain after performing this 30 minute workout for Chest.

Without further ado, here is my specialization workout for chest for those brave souls out there who are looking to cause some new growth.

30 Minute Bodybuilding Specialization Workout Routine for Chest

(Triset)
Incline Dumbbell Press 4 sets of 4-8 reps (no rest)
Incline Dumbbell Flyes 4 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
Incline Dumbbell Press 4 sets of as many reps as possible (1 minute rest)

Note: Use the same dumbbells you used for the Flyes. You may need to decrease the weight in order to stay within the recommended repetition ranges for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th trisets.

(Superset)
Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets of 4-8 reps (no rest)
Weighted Chest Dips 3 sets of 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)

(Superset)
Dumbbell Flyes 3 sets of 12-15 reps (no rest)
Push-Ups 3 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)

Note: If you cannot do Dips yet due to lack of strength, try the Gravitron Machine. If there is no Gravitron Machine available at your gym and no dip machine either, then substitute Dips with Pushups.

Workout Split To Use

There are two advantages to this workout split:

1.It allows the advanced bodybuilder to just concentrate on the body part at hand and work it from all possible angles. At at advanced level, the goal is to not only build new muscle mass but also to correct any imbalances and achieve perfect symmetry (or harmony between body parts).

2.It allows the muscle to better recover from the high volume and intensity required from this advanced level of training.

Below you will find a good examples of how I would set up my one muscle group per day training split in order to prioritize my chest.

Monday: Chest/Calves
Tuesday: Hamstrings/Abs
Wednesday: Arms
Thursday: Shoulders/Calves
Friday: Quadriceps/Abs
Saturday: Back/Abs
Sunday: Rest

Conclusion

Try this workout out for four weeks before changing to another one and feel free to alter the order of the exercises every week in order to keep things different for your body.

By the way, after doing this workout I recommend that you do a lower volume workout such as the 5 sets of 5 reps workout for 4 weeks.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

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Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Shocking the Triceps Muscles

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:19:45 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Shocking the Triceps Muscles
Use this natural bodybuilding triceps routine to shock the triceps muscles into new growth.

If your current natural bodybuilding routine for triceps is no longer delivering the muscle growth that you need, then it is time for a change. After all, the best bodybuilding routine is the one that your body has not gotten used to since the body then needs to adapt to it by growing more muscle tissue. But once the body adapts to a workout, then it is time for a change.

In this article, I will disclose a fast and intense bodybuilding triceps routine designed to fry every single muscle fiber on the triceps.

There are 2 bodybuilding techniques that we will be using:

•Pre-Exhaustion: You first do an isolation movement, and once failure is reached in that movement, with no rest you go ahead and perform the basic exercise. Repeat the process for the prescribed amount of sets.

•Supersets: A superset is two exercises performed one after the other with no rest in between them. The rest will only happen after the second exercise is performed.

Now that you know the general structure of the routine, let’s get started.

Bodybuilding Triceps Routine for Shocking the Triceps Muscles into Growth

Superset #1

Triceps Pushdowns (with bar) 3 sets of 12-15 reps (no rest)
Triceps Dips on Parallel Bars 3 sets of 8-10 reps (60 sec rest)

We will start by a superset of Triceps Pushdowns (with bar) followed by some Triceps Dips. The Triceps Pushdowns are an excellent isolation movement that will cause a powerful contraction on the triceps. After performing this exercise for 12-15 repetitions, then I want you to go to the Parallel Bars and perform 8-10 solid repetitions of Triceps Dips. If you are not strong enough to perform these on your own, either have someone help you or use a triceps dips assist machine. If none of these options are available, then do the triceps dips using a bench. There should be no rest (other than the time it takes to go from one exercise to the next) in between these two exercises.

After a one minute rest, I want you to go again for two more sets like this. Keep in mind that because we are pre-exhausting the triceps by doing the tricep pushdowns first, you will have more difficulty than usual performing your triceps dips.

Superset #2

Lying E-Z Triceps Extensions 3 sets of 12-15 reps (no rest)
Close Grip Bench Press 3 sets of 6-10 reps (60 sec rest)

This second superset will start with the lying E-Z triceps extensions, which will deliver a powerful stretch of the muscle that will really break down some muscle fibers. If possible perform it on a decline bench in order to increase difficulty. If not, a flat bench is fine. Be sure to go all the way down and all the way up in this exercise contracting the triceps hard at the top. Make each movement a calculated and deliberate one; all the way up and all the way down. After all, this is the sort of exercise where not following this advice will crush your skull (there is a reason they are called skull crushers).

After 12-15 glorious reps, move on without rest to the close grip bench press, in which you will do 6-10 reps using either a separate barbell or the same E-Z bar using the same weight. It really depends on your strength levels. For me personally, I need a separate barbell. Again, practice perfect form when doing this exercise. Once done, rest 60 seconds and start over for 2 more sets.

After doing this bodybuilding triceps workout I guarantee you that your triceps will be screaming for mercy. However, this is the kind of effort that will get you the bodybuilding results that you are looking for.

Bodybuilding Triceps Workout Notes:

Train the triceps twice a week.
You can do them in conjunction with your chest and biceps, or your back, or your chest and shoulders. For more information on different training splits please take a look below:

Bodybuilding Training Split #1:

Day 1: Chest, Biceps, Triceps

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Back, Shoulders, Abs

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

Training Split #2:

Day 1: Chest, Back, Abs

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

Training Split #3:

Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Back, Biceps, Abs

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

3. If you have limited time, just do 2 sets per exercise.

Try this triceps bodybuilding routine out for 3-4 weeks before changing it and let me know what you think.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness.

Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Shocking the Biceps Muscles

admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:01:32 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Shocking the Biceps Muscles
Use this natural bodybuilding biceps routine to shock the biceps muscles into new growth.

If your current natural bodybuilding routine for biceps is no longer delivering the muscle growth that you need, then it is time for a change. After all, the best bodybuilding routine is the one that your body has not gotten used to since the body then needs to adapt to it by growing more muscle tissue. But once the body adapts to a workout, then it is time for a change.

In this article, I will disclose a fast and intense bodybuilding biceps routine designed to fry every single muscle fiber on the biceps.

There are 2 bodybuilding techniques that we will be using:

•Supersets: A superset is two exercises performed one after the other with no rest in between them. The rest will only happen after the second exercise is performed.

Now that you know the general structure of the routine, let’s get started.

Bodybuilding Biceps Routine for Shocking the Biceps Muscles into Growth

Superset #1
High Pulley Cable Curls 3 sets of 12-15 reps (no rest)
Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 8-10 reps (60 sec rest)

We will start by a superset of an isolation exercise, High Pulley Cable Curls, followed by a basic exercise: Dumbbell Curls. The High Pulley Cable Curls are an excellent isolation movement that will cause a powerful contraction on the biceps. After performing this exercise for 12-15 repetitions, then I want you to take some dumbbells and perform 8-10 solid repetitions of alternating dumbbell curls. There should be no rest in between these two exercises so be sure to choose the dumbbells that you want to use before starting. After a one minute rest, I want you to go again for two more sets like this. Keep in mind that because we are pre-exhausting the biceps by doing the cable curls first, you will not be able to use the same amount of weight that you may be used to using for your dumbbell curls.

Superset #2
Incline Curls 3 sets of 12-15 reps (no rest)
Incline Hammer Curls 3 sets of 6-10 reps (60 sec rest)

This second superset will start with the incline curls, which will deliver a powerful stretch of the muscle that will really break down some muscle fibers. Be sure to go all the way down and all the way up in this exercise. Make each movement a calculated and deliberate one; all the way up and all the way down. After 12-15 glorious reps, move on without rest to the incline hammer curls, in which you will do 6-10 reps using the same weight used for the incline curls. Again, practice perfect form when doing this exercise. Once done, rest 60 seconds and start over for 2 more sets.

After doing this bodybuilding biceps routine I guarantee you that your biceps will be screaming for mercy. However, this is the kind of effort that will get you the bodybuilding results that you are looking for.

Natural Bodybuilding Biceps Routine Notes:
1.Train the biceps twice a week.

2.You can do them in conjunction with your chest and triceps, or your back, or your chest and shoulders. For more information on different training splits please take a look below:

Bodybuilding Training Split #1:

Day 1: Chest, Biceps, Triceps

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Back, Shoulders, Abs

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

Training Split #2:

Day 1: Chest, Back, Abs

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

Training Split #3:

Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Back, Biceps, Abs

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

3. If you have limited time, just do 2 sets per exercise.

Try this biceps bodybuilding routine out for 3-4 weeks before changing it and let me know what you think.

20-Minute Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Legs

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:02:21 +0000

20 Minute Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Legs

Learn how to blast your legs in 20 minutes with this natural bodybuilding routine for legs.

Plato was not kidding when he said that “necessity is the mother of invention”. Whenever I am short for time, I always end up having some pretty incredible workouts.

Take today for example. I just had a few minutes to train but ended up having an incredible leg blasting routine. If you perform it in the manner that I describe you can finish it in 20 minutes flat.

Here it goes:

20-Minute Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Legs

Workout Notes: Perform the following exercises in giant-set fashion. What that means is that you will do the first exercise and go to the second one with no rest in between. When you are done with the second one, then you will move on to the third one with no rest in between. After the third exercise, then you will perform the fourth one. Only after will you get some rest.

Giant-Set:
Static Dumbbell Lunges (one leg at a time) 3 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
Wide Stance Barbell Squats 3 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
Lying Leg Curls 3 sets of 8-10 reps (no rest)
Walking Lunges 3 sets of 15-20 reps (90 second rest)

Leg Workout Notes:
1) Train the legs twice a week.

2) For more information on different training splits please take a look below:

Natural Bodybuilding Training Split #1:

Day 1: Chest, Biceps, Triceps

Day 2: Legs, Calves

Day 3: Back, Shoulders, Abs

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

Training Split #2:

Day 1: Chest, Back, Abs

Day 2: Legs, Calves

Day 3: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

Training Split #3:

Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Day 2: Legs, Calves

Day 3: Back, Biceps, Abs

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

3) If you have more time, you can add a 4th set. That would make the routine around 10 minutes in length.

Try this routine out and let me know what you think!

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here. Also, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page at www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness.