Home Chest & Back Dumbbell Workout Routine (10 sets of 10 Reps)

The 10 sets of 10 reps bodybuilding workout has been used in bodybuilding circles for years in order to break through plateaus and make weight gains in the form of lean muscle mass.

Many people have claimed to its invention, but regardless of who came up with it, it has been used with great success by awesome bodybuilders from the past such as Vince Gironda, as well as Dave Draper and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Today, many athletes on the know still use this method and even elite strength coaches, such as Charles Poliquin, are great advocates of it and use it on their Olympic athletes when they are in need of gaining muscle weight quickly. I’ve used this method myself without fail since early on my bodybuilding career. It never ceases to yield great results. As a matter of fact, early on when I was less informed, I thought that I had invented it. That was until I found out that this bodybulding workout has been around since the early 60s!

The 10 sets of 10 reps bodybuilding workout has proven time and time again to be fantastic at increasing muscle mass through the systematic fatigue of the muscle fibers being worked on. In order to implement a 10×10 routine, a mass building exercise is chosen and a weight that you can perform for 15 reps or so is selected. However, you will stop your set once you achieve 10 reps. Your rest in between sets should be limited to a minute and you need to refrain yourself from resting more as you start fatiguing since increasing the rest time would defeat the purpose of the routine, which is to cause systematic fatigue on a specific muscle. The goal of this bodybuilding workout routine is to use the same weight for all ten sets and to be able to perform all sets for 10 reps in good form. You will notice that as fatigue sets in, the sets become more and more challenging. You may not be able to perform all sets for 10 reps. If that is the case, then start lowering the weight once you do a set where less than 10 reps are performed. Once you can do all 10 sets for 10 reps, then it is time for you to go up in weight.

For more information about the 10 sets of 10 reps routine, please take a look at this article on my website:

http://www.hugorivera.net/best-bodybuilding-workout-for-gaining-muscle-weight-gain-muscle-weight-using-the-10-sets-of-10-reps-bodybuilding-workout.html

For todays routine we will do:

Home Chest & Back Dumbbell Workout Routine (10 sets of 10 Reps)
Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Press 10 sets of 10 reps (no rest)
One Arm Dumbbell Rows 10 sets of 10 reps (60 sec rest)

Superset:
Wide Grip Pull-ups to Front 2 sets of 15-20 reps (no rest)
Push-Ups 2 sets of 15-20 reps (60 sec rest)

The whole routiine takes around 45 minutes.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

If you liked this video blog, remember to hit the LIKE button below and also feel free to share it with your friends via TWITTER and/or FACEBOOK.

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Home Chest & Back Dumbbell Workout Routine (10 sets of 10 Reps) is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

Shoulders Workout: 7-Min Shoulders Workout with Dumbbells at Home

7-Min Shoulders Workout with Dumbbells at Home

Tri-set:
Bent Over Laterals (Pronated Grip) 2 sets of 10-15 reps (no rest)
Upright Rows 2 sets of 10-15 reps (no rest)
Shoulder Press 2 sets of 10-15 reps (1 min rest)

Shoulders Workout Notes:
1) Train the shoulders twice a week.

2) You can do them in conjunction with your chest and triceps, your back, or your arms. 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

Bodybuilding Training Split #2:

Day 1: Chest, Back, Abs

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

Bodybuilding 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 more time, you can add a third set. That would make the routine around 10 minutes in length.

If you liked this video blog, remember to hit the LIKE button below and also feel free to share it with your friends via TWITTER and/or FACEBOOK.

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And if you have not done so already, sign up to my FREE Weekly Newsletter and by doing so, you get a FREE E-book that shows you How to Gain Muscle as You Get Your Abs.

7-Min Home Dumbbell Shoulder Workout Routine is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

That is right, you can have a cheat meal once a week and still get the weight loss results that you deserve.  You may be wondering how and think that this goes against the traditional mindset that the media or experts have told you, but I do it all the time and still stay in great shape.

However, if you are serious about achieving your fat loss goals, cheating should only be an option once a week.  Otherwise, you are putting yourself in danger of not getting the results you deserve.

When cheating, I recommend picking one day out of the week to eat whatever you want for one meal within reason.  Remember: This is only for one meal and not the entire day. It is also not an all you can eat stuffing session.  So for example, a slice of pizza with a regular soda and then a serving of ice cream is a good cheat meal.  Notice I did not say 20 slices, chased down with a gallon of soda and ice cream.

I like to eat my cheat meal earlier in the day so all of the food does not sit in me for a long period of time.  At night time, most people are sedentary and not burning calories.  Now that you have some general guidelines, I will give you some rules to follow for the day you decide to cheat.

Rules to a Cheat Meal:

1.  Drink around 12 ounces of water before you start eating.  This prohibits you from splurging as it will suppress your appetite a bit and will help you immensely from overeating.

2.  Make sure you have at least 3 hours before you go to bed when cheating as the food will not sit in your stomach for such a long period of time.

3.  Never eat 2 cheat meals in one week.

So now that you know why eating a cheat meal is not bad for you, simply follow the guidelines prescribed above and you should be just fine and still attack ugly stomach fat.

Is It Okay to Have A Cheat Meal While Trying to Lose Weight? is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

Biceps Workout: 7-Min Biceps Workout with Dumbbells at Home

7-Min Biceps Workout with Dumbbells at Home

Tri-set:
Alternate Dumbbell Curls 2 sets of 8-15 reps (no rest)
Hammer Curls 2 sets of 8-15 reps (no rest)
Concentration Curls 2 sets of 8-15 reps (1 min rest)

Biceps Workout 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

Bodybuilding Training Split #2:

Day 1: Chest, Back, Abs

Day 2: Legs

Day 3: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Start Over

Bodybuilding 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 more time, you can add a third set. That would make the routine around 10 minutes in length.

If you liked this video blog, remember to hit the LIKE button below and also feel free to share it with your friends via TWITTER and/or FACEBOOK.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HugoRiveraFitness

And if you have not done so already, sign up to my FREE Weekly Newsletter and by doing so, you get a FREE E-book that shows you How to Gain Muscle as You Get Your Abs.

Biceps Workout: 7-Minute Biceps Workout with Dumbbells at Home is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

Muscle fiber types is a subject that unfortunately is often a neglected one. Understanding what the different muscle fiber types are, how these fibers are activated, what type of fuels they use and how fast they recover will provide you with an understanding that will enable you to create a personalized program based on the goals that you want to achieve.

Muscle Fiber Types

There are four different types of muscle fibers:

• Type I
• Type IIA
• Type IIB
• Type IIC

Type I muscle fibers are also called slow twitch red muscle fibers. They are red due to all of the blood that goes through them due to their high level of capillarization. These fibers are rugged in nature (they are not easily injured), can handle extreme mounts of work and do not fatigue easily. They require oxygen as fuel and because of this, they are the ones most used in endurance type of sports like marathon running, cycling and cross country.

Type IIA fibers are fast twitch white muscle fibers. These fibers have much less blood flow in them, have a moderate tolerance to fatigue and can handle moderate amounts of work. They require glycogen as fuel and they are involved in most types of activities such as basketball, baseball and football.

Type IIB fibers are also fast twitch white muscle fibers but these fibers have a very low tolerance to fatigue and need a high period of recovery after use. However, they are extremely powerful and explosive fibers and are the ones involved in activities like powerlifting, the pitch of a baseball, javelin throwing, shot putting, the beginning of a sprint, etc. In other words, anything that has a short burst explosive nature. Because of this, they use ATP/CP as fuel.

Type IIC fibers are “freak type” of fibers. They are formed when satellite cells chemically bind with the Type IIB fibers. When such an event happens, this event is called hypertrophy. So by now you have probably guessed that these fibers are the ones that bodybuilders have the most. (Note: Satellite cells are cells that abound in muscle tissue but have no contractile ability. Scientists are not sure about their function but they add bulk and structural support to the muscle).

On the average, most people have a distribution of 50% Type IIA fibers, 25% Type IIB and 25% Type IIC. However as you will soon see, the body has the capability to change these ratios based on the stimulus imposed.

Nervous System’s Ability to Change Fiber Types

Believe it or not, recent research indicates that the nervous system has the ability to change fiber types over time based on the nature of the imposed stimulus. If the stimulus imposed is of an endurance nature, then the nervous system will change most fiber types to become Type I endurance fibers. If the stimulus is a bodybuilding type of stimulus, then the body will go ahead and start turning its II B fibers into II C fibers. Therefore, this demonstrates that the statement saying that you need good genetics to get big muscles is nothing more than a myth. The reason for this is that as long as you have the right training program, your body will adapt. Granted, one thing that you cannot control is the shape of the muscles. That is really a genetic trait. Another thing that you cannot control is how fast you gain muscle. Some people do gain muscle faster than others. However, given enough time, everybody should be able to get to their goals. So please do not let anyone put you down and tell you that you cannot excel at your activity due to genetic limitations (believe it or not, a gym owner told me once that I would never get big as I had bad genetics).

Now that we have gone over the four types of fibers that we have, the ratios that the body has of these fibers and the way in which the body can actually change this ratio, let’s discuss how all of this affects your training program.

Training Program Design

First and foremost it is important to know that your training program will be determined by two things:

• Your goals; activity that needs improvement (i.e. more weight lifted, more endurance, faster sprint, better golf, improved muscle mass).
• The fibers involved in the activity that relates to your goal.

Having said that, a marathon runner’s training program will differ greatly from that of a powerlifter as one activity involves the activation of the type I fibers while the other activity involves the activation of the more explosive Type II b fibers.

The table below establishes the training parameters that need to be followed based on your goals and fibers involved:

Conclusion

Probably the most important thing to remember about this article is the fact that regardless of what muscle fiber type distribution you were born with, given the appropriate stimulus your body will adapt and change accordingly. Therefore, never allow anyone to tell you that you cannot excel at whatever activity you like due to genetic limitations. Granted, Mother Nature is not always fair so it will be an easier road for some people than others but provided that you have the persistence and the determination necessary to excel, then you will be the best that you can be at your favorite sport by using the correct training protocol for your activity.

Muscle Fiber Types and How They Relate To Your Training Program is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

Why Use Periodization?

Because, as I have mentioned several times, your body will get used to any routine that you throw at it.  Thus, you need to change your workout parameters in order to continue to gain muscle and lose fat.

Sample Natural Bodybuilding Routine Using Periodization

Here is a sample bodybuilding routine that uses periodization.

Weeks 1-3

Workout (A): Monday/Thursday –Legs

Leg Extensions 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps (45 sec rest)

Superset:

Medium Stance Squats 3 sets 10-15 reps (no rest)
Wide Stance Squats * 3 sets 10-15 reps (90 second rest)

* Use the same weight for the wide stance squats that you used for the medium stance.

Superset:
Leg Press 3 sets 10-15 reps (no rest)
Stationary Lunges * 3 sets 10-15 reps (90 second rest)

*Perform the stationary lunges, one leg at a time followed by the next one.  Press with the heel to emphasize the glutes and hamstrings.

Superset:
Lying Leg Curls 3 sets of 10-15 reps (no rest)
Dumbbell Stiff Legged Dead-lifts 3 sets of 10-15 reps (1 min rest)

One Legged Calf Press Giant-set * 7 sets of 8-20 reps

*Perform all 7 sets by alternating back and forth non-stop between legs.  Start with a weight you can do for about 20 repetitions.

Workout (B): Tuesday/Friday-Chest/Back/Abs

Superset:
Wide Grip Pull-up (or Pull-down) to Front 4 sets 10-15 reps (no rest)
Incline Dumbbell Press 4 sets 10-15 reps (1 min rest)

Superset:
Close Reverse Grip Chins (or Close Grip Pull-down with palms facing you) 4 sets 10-15 reps (no rest)
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 sets 10-15 reps (1 min rest)

Superset:
Incline Flyes 3 sets of 10-15 reps (no rest)
Low Pulley Rows 3 sets of 10-15 reps (1 min rest)

Tri-Set:
Bicycle Crunches 3 sets of 10-30 reps (no rest)
Crunches 3 sets of 10-30 reps (no rest)
Leg Raises 3 sets of 10-30 reps (30 sec rest)

Workout (C): Wednesday/Saturday-Shoulders/Arms

Lateral Raises 3 sets of 10-15 reps (45 sec rest)

Superset:
Bent Over Laterals 3 sets 10-15 reps (no rest)
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets 10-15 reps (1 min rest)

Superset:
Concentration Curls 3 sets 10-15 reps (no rest)
Triceps Pushdowns (straight bar) 3 sets 10-15 reps (1 min rest)

Giant-set:
Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 10-15 reps (no rest)
Triceps Dips (on parallel bars) 3 sets of 10-15 reps (no rest)
Hammer Curls 3 sets of 10-15 reps (no rest)
Seated One Arm Overhead Triceps Extensions 3 sets of 10-15 reps (90 sec rest)

Weeks 4-6

Workout (A):  Monday/Thursday –Legs

Modified Superset:
Wide Stance Squats 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)
Lying Leg Curls 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)

Note: alternate back and forth between exercises resting 90 seconds after each set.

Modified Superset:
Leg Press 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)
Stationary Lunges 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)

Standing Calf Raises 6 sets of 6-12 reps (60 sec rest)

Workout (B):  Tuesday/Friday-Chest/Back/Abs

Modified Superset:
Wide Grip Pull-up (or Pull-down) to Front 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)
Incline Bench Press 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)

Modified Superset:
Close Reverse Grip Chins (or Close Grip Pull-down with palms facing you) 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)
Bench Press 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)

Modified Superset:
Rope Crunches 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 8 (60 second rest)
Weighted Leg Raises 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 8 (60 second rest)

Workout (C): Wednesday/Saturday-Shoulders/Arms

Modified Superset:
Military Press 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)
Rear Delt Rows 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)

Modified Superset:
Preacher Curls 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)
Close Grip Bench Press 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)

Modified Superset:
Barbell Curls 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)
Triceps Dips 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps (90 second rest)

Bodybuilding Workout Frequency Training Options

Even though the sample periodization workout that will shortly be presented prescribes six days a week, if you need more recovery you have several options:

• Three Days a Week: After Week 1, perform Workout (A) on Monday, Workout (B) on Wednesday, and Workout (C) on Friday. After six weeks, move on to the workouts presented under Weeks 5-7 and perform Workout (A) on Monday, Workout (B) on Wednesday, and Workout (C) on Friday. You will perform those workouts also for 6 weeks and then go back to Week 1, change the exercises and start over.
• Two Days On, One Day Off, One Day On, One Day Off Cycle: After Week 1, perform Workout (A) on Monday, Workout (B) on Tuesday, and Workout (C) on Thursday. On Saurday you start again with Workout (A), Sunday perform Workout (B), and Tuesday finish off with Workout (C). Keep repeating the cycle in this manner for a total of 6 times. After the sixth cycle move on to the workouts presented under Weeks 5-7. You will perform those workouts also for 6 cycles and then go back to Week 1, change the exercises and start over.
• Three Days On, One Day Off Cycle: After Week 1, perform Workout (A) on Monday, Workout (B) on Tuesday, and Workout (C) on Wednesday. On Friday you start again with Workout (A), Saturday perform Workout (B), and Sunday finish off with Workout (C). Keep repeating the cycle in this manner for a total of 6 times. After the sixth cycle move on to the workouts presented under Weeks 5-7. You will perform those workouts also for 6 cycles and then go back to Week 1, change the exercises and start over.
• 5 Days On, Weekends Off Cycle: After Week 1, perform Workout (A) on Monday, Workout (B) on Tuesday, and Workout (C) on Wednesday. Start again with Workout (A) on Thursday and Workout (B) on Friday. Rest over the weekends and start the week with Workout (C) on Monday. After three weeks, move on to the workouts presented under Weeks 5-7.

Related Articles About Natural Bodybuilding Routines:

Mass Training Tactics, Part 1

Mass Training Tactics, Part 2

Natural Bodybuilding Routine with Periodization is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

If you think that you need fancy equipment or all of the time in the world to get 6-pack abs, think again! With this 3-minute home abdominal workout that consists of bicycle crunches, regular crunches and leg raises you can get 6-pack abs in no time.

You will be performing all abdominal exercises one after the other with no rest in between sets.  Only rest 30 seconds after the leg raises.  Here is your 3-minute home ab workout:

3-Min Home Ab Workout

Triset:
Bicycle Crunches 2 sets of 10-30 repetitions concentrating on form (no rest)
Crunches 2 sets of 10-30 repetitions concentrating on form (no rest)
Leg Raises 2 sets of 10-30 repetitions concentrating on form (30 sec rest)

If you have more than 3 minutes to work your abs you can do as much as 3-5 sets of each exercise.

Again, remember to concentrate more on form and exercise execution than on the amount of repetitions.

Finally, like I have said many times, being able to display your six pack is completely depending on the amount of body fat that you carry.  Thus, while this ab workout will get your abdominal muscles hard and in shape, you need to burn the body fat off.  How do you burn the body fat?  By using the right fat burning diet.

Here is a fat burning diet that you can use in order to be able to show off your abs:

http://www.hugorivera.net/bodybuilding-nutrition-sample-bodybuilding-diet.html

If you liked this video blog, remember to hit the LIKE button below and also feel free to share it with your friends via TWITTER and/or FACEBOOK.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HugoRiveraFitness

And if you have not done so already, sign up to my FREE Weekly Newsletter and by doing so, you get a FREE E-book that shows you How to Gain Muscle as You Get Your Abs.

3-Min Home Ab Workout: Crunches & Leg Raises for 6-Pack Abs is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

Well let me explain for those who may still be doubters!

You see, a lean cuisine diet plan would be healthy as long as it were not found in the frozen food section.  Now you may be thinking what does that have to do with anything?

Well, for starters any food that is purchased in the frozen food section is LOADED with sodium.  This is due to the simple fact that the foods need the sodium to preserve the quality of the meals.  This is no different when it comes to following a lean cuisine diet plan.  If you take a look at the back of any lean cuisine frozen dinner you will notice the high content of sodium.  Most of them contain about 500 mg’s or more. For more read my nutrition labels article.

Now if you have been following my rule of thumb for sodium intake, you would know that it is best to keep it between 2,000-2,300 mg’s on a daily basis to avoid water retention.  This water retention will also slow your progress to achieve your fitness and weight loss goals.  If that is not enough, you will increase your chances of getting high blood pressure…..ouch!

Now do not get me wrong, I am not saying that sodium should be avoided at all costs because it is needed so that our body’s muscles and nerves can function as well as regulating our blood pressure.  However, what I am saying is to not consume a lean cusine diet 3 times a day as your sodium intake will be close to 2,000 mg’s for the day.  This mechanism is not the most efficient way of consuming a healthy meal plan and should be done only in moderation.

On the contrary, the good thing about a lean cusine diet is it is convenient to carry with you to let’s say work when you are at the office.  You can simply pop it in and wa la, you have yourself a nice warm meal.  For those who do not have access or time to prepare a meal, then this can be a great alternative as opposed to consuming fast food that is high in calories, fats, carbs etc.

For those who do have the time, it is without a doubt much better to cook all natural foods.  Trust me when I say that your body and waist line will thank you later!  So I hope I helped to clear the subject about whether following a lean cuisine diet can help you lose weight or not and that the next time you are at the grocery store you will be able to make the right choice to achieve your fitness goals!

Are Lean Cuisines Really That Lean? is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

What Is The Best Exercise for Fat Loss: Weight Training Exercise or Cardiovascular Exercise

For fat loss, weight training exercise burns more body fat than cardiovascular exercise.

Weight training exercise gives you a metabolic boost for 24-48 hours. The reason for that is because when you perform weight training exercise a lot of damage happens to the muscle fibers, and thus, the body has to spend energy repairing the muscle and making it stronger than before.

Traditional cardiovascular exercise, on the other hand, only burns calories throughout the duration of the exercise. Once the activity is done, your metabolism goes back to normal.

Because of this, weight training is a better exercise for fat loss since your metabolism is stimulated for much longer. Also, keep in mind that cardiovascular exercise cannot re-shape your body in the way that weight training does. If you are looking to have a tight and fit toned body, weight training is what you need to emphasize.

With that said, keep in mind that fat loss is really a function of your diet as well, so if you are not following a diet that puts you in a slightly lower caloric deficit, you won’t be able to lose any body fat. But from the perspective of exercise, weight training beats cardio any time.

Conclusion

Because with weight training exercise you can:

1)Increase your metabolism for 24-48 hours.
2)Re-shape your physique.

Weight training exercise needs to be emphasized over cardiovascular exercise in order to burn fat.

If you like this video blog then please “Tweet it” and Facebook it (buttons are below the video)

If you’ve got any questions on the video or suggestions for more video topics, then just scroll to the bottom of the page and use the comment system.

What Is The Best Exercise for Fat Loss: Weight Training Exercise or Cardiovascular Exercise is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera

Which One Is The Best Natural Bodybuilding Training Routine for Maximum Gains?

When I’m asked which one is the best routine to perform when looking for bodybuilding gains, my answer always is to use a bodybuilding routine that you have never used before. In this manner you always keep the body guessing. The quickest route to stagnation and lack of gain is to follow a bodybuilding routine for months to an end with no changes to it.

Initially, when you start using a new bodybuilding workout your body needs to learn how to cope with the stress. It does this by growing the muscle, provided that your bodybuilding diet and rest are in order. However, once the nervous system begins to adapt, the body then starts activating less and less fibers every time that the workout is performed. This is one of the ways in which the body prevents itself from growing out of control. You have to keep in mind that your body does not want to change and it will do whatever it takes to stay the same. Remember from your biology class that the body likes to stay in a state of homeostasis (a state of balance and no change). The way to get around this is by varying your bodybuilding workouts.

In your bodybuilding journey you will discover that the more advanced you become, the more you have to vary your training tactics. Now, variation works best when it is performed as part of a logical plan of periodization, which is just a fancy term that means changing your sets, repetition and rest parameters in a way that will yield the fastest results. The best way to periodize your workouts in my experience is to alternate periods of high volume (high sets, high reps, small rest in between sets) with periods of lower volume (lower sets, lower reps, and longer rest in between sets). The reason I like this periodization model the most is because the muscle grows in two ways:

1. Hypertrophy caused by an increase in energy substances in the muscle cell (such as creatine and glycogen): This type of hypertrophy is caused by training that is high in volume (8-12 reps) with limited rest in between sets. This type of training enhances growth hormone output and lactic acid production. (Note: If you stop training that is the reason that the muscles shrink so fast. The amount of the stored substances inside the muscle cell just go back to normal and the muscle shrinks).
2. Hypertrophy caused by an increase in the diameter of the muscle fiber (actual muscle growth): It seems that this type of muscle growth stays longer after a period of no training than the first type. I don’t know if there are any studies out there that will back this up, but based on empirical evidence, this seems to be the case. This type of growth is caused by training that emphasizes long rests in between sets (2.5 to 3 minutes) and low reps (4-8). This type of training enhances testosterone level output. It seems like it takes longer to achieve this type of growth than the first one, but it is well worth it.

Variation, of course, is also achieved by varying the bodybuilding exercises themselves, so for instance if you were using a barbell incline bench press on your last routine, switch that to its dumbbell variation on the next routine. Every change that is performed to your bodybuilding workout will elicit an adaptation response from your body in the form of increased muscle growth. As you even get more advanced you can then even begin to vary the exercise tempo, which is the speed at which you move the weight up and control it on the way down. Other advanced techniques like partial reps, descending sets and forced reps can be incorporated as well, but again, this is after a good 5 to 6 years of solid training. For now, play around with the variables of sets, repetitions, rest in between sets, and exercise selection.

Sample Bodybuilding Routine Using Periodization
For a sample bodybuilding routine that uses periodization, please click here.

If you like this video blog then please “Tweet it” and Facebook it (buttons are below the video)

If you’ve got any questions on the video or suggestions for more video topics, then just scroll to the bottom of the page and use the comment system.

Which One Is The Best Natural Bodybuilding Training Routine for Maximum Gains? is a post from: Natural Bodybuilding Tips & Advice by Bodybuilding Champion Hugo Rivera