Bodybuilding Tips and Tricks

Close-Grip Bench Press - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 8, 10, 12
Tricep Pressdowns - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 10, 12, 12, 15
Reverse-Grip Bench Press - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 6, 8, 10, 12
Overhead Dumbbell Extension - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 8, 8, 10, 10

Rest time between sets: 1-2 minutes
Be sure to do 1-2 warmup sets or 5-10 minutes of cardio (or both) before beginning the first exercise.

Performance: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and take an overhand grip on a barbell. Your hands should also be a shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly. Keeping the bar close to the body, lift the bar up until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Lower the bar under control to full elbow extension. Repeat for reps. This exercise can also be performed using a bar attached to a low pulley on a cable apparatus.

Muscle Emphasis: anterior, middle and posterior deltoids; secondary stress on upper trapezius

This workout targets the long (outer) head of the biceps muscle.

Incline Dumbbell Curls: - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 6, 6, 12, 12
Close-Grip Barbell Curls: - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 10, 10, 12
Standing Cable Curls: - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 6, 8, 12, 12
Hammer Curls: - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 10, 8, 6

Rest time between sets: 1-2 minutes
Be sure to do 1-2 warmup sets or 5-10 minutes of cardio (or both) before beginning the first exercise.

Performance: Adjust the chest press machine so that the handles line up with your mid to upper chest. Sit erect in the seat and grasp the handles with an overhand grip. Press the handles straight out in front of you. Extend your arms fully but in order to keep continuous pressure on the muscles, do not lock them out. Pause for a moment, feeling the contraction in your chest, then slowly bring your hands back toward your chest. Do not let the weights touch the stack. Since the handles of the machine can be lowered past the plane of your chest, you can get a nice stretch in your pecs from this exercise however, be careful not to allow the handles to overstretch your shoulders when returning to the starting position.

Muscle Emphasis: pectorals, anterior deltoids, tricpes; secondary stress is on the medial heads of the deltoids, the latissimus dorsi, and the upper back muscles

Barbell Front Raise - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 12, 10, 8
Reverse-Grip Smith Machine Press - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 12, 10, 8 , 6
Upright Cable Row - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 10-12 reps per set
(compound set with)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 10-12 reps per set

Rest time between sets: 1-2 minutes
Be sure to do 1-2 warmup sets or 5-10 minutes of cardio (or both) before beginning the first exercise.

What you ingest before and immediately after workouts is extremely important. Here are some useful supplements I recommend taking pre- and post-workout.

Before workouts:
20 grams of whey protein
3-5 grams of creatine
5-10 grams of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs)
3-5 grams of arginine
3-5 grams of glutamine
40 grams of slow-burning carbs

Immediately after workouts:
20-40 grams of whey protein
3-5 grams of creatine
3-5 grams of glutamine
5-10 grams of branched chain amino aceds (BCAAs)
60-100 grams of fast-burning carbs

I like to perform dumbbell kickbacks late in my triceps workout, after my heavier moves like skull crushers or tricep pressdowns. They’re a great isolation move that can really fry the triceps.

Performance: Grasp a dumbbell and put one knee up on a weight bench. Bend over until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor and place the hand of your non-working arm on the bench for support. Pin your working arm to your side so that your upper arm is parallel to the floor. Bend your arm at a right angle. This is your starting position. From here, slowly straighten your arm, hold the contraction at the top of the movement for a moment, then lower back to the starting position and reapeat for reps.

Muscle Emphasis: outer and medial head of the triceps

Performance: Attach a narrow grip handle to a cable row pulley station. Keep your knees bent with your feet flat on the support platforms in front of you. Keeping your torso perpendicular to the floor and your eyes straight ahead, pull the handle slowly toward your midsection until it nearly touches your navel. Focus on feeling the contraction in your back muscles. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the peak of the contraction, then slowly return the handle to the starting position. In order to allow for a good stretch in your lats, lean forward very slightly with your arms extended at the end of each rep. You should not, however, allow the weight to pull you forward a great deal as this will create a rocking motion while performing your reps which may lead to injury and will lessen the stress on the targeted muscle groups.

Muscle Emphasis: trapezius, latissimus dorsi, and erector spine; strong stress is also placed on the posterior deltoids, biceps, brachialis, and forearm flexors

Lat Pulldowns - Back - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10, 8
Flat-Bench Dumbbell Presses - Chest - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10, 8
Incline Dumbbell Curls - Biceps - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10, 8
Tricep Pressdowns - Triceps - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10, 8
Dumbbell Lateral Raises - Shoulders - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10, 8
Dumbbell Shrugs - Traps - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10, 8

Increase weight each set to allow you to only complete the prescribed number of reps.

Rest time between sets: 1-2 minutes
Be sure to do 1-2 warmup sets or 5-10 minutes of cardio (or both) before beginning the first exercise. Alternate this rep scheme with a 6, 6, 15, 20 rep scheme at your discretion, starting with a heavier weight for the first two sets and lowering the weight for the last two.

Incline Barbell Press - Chest - 4 sets: Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10 , 8
Bent-Over Barbell Rows - Back - 4 sets: Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10 , 8
Standing Barbell Curls - Biceps - 4 sets: Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10 , 8
Lying French Presses - Triceps - 4 sets: Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10 , 8
Seated Barbell Shoulder Presses - Shoulders - 4 sets: Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10 , 8
Barbell Shrugs - Traps - 4 sets: Rep Scheme: 15, 12, 10 , 8

Increase weight each set to allow you to only complete the prescribed number of reps.

Rest time between sets: 1-2 minutes
Be sure to do 1-2 warmup sets or 5-10 minutes of cardio (or both) before beginning the first exercise. Alternate the 15, 12, 10, 8 rep scheme with this rep scheme—6, 6, 15, 20—from workout to workout, exercise to exercise, or however you see fit. Keep those muscles guessing! For this second rep scheme, you will start with the heaviest weight (after a couple of warm-up sets of course) and then lower the weight for the final two sets.