Six pack, 8 pack (genetic freaks), washboard, whatever you want to call it: your core is the center piece for any muscular physique. It is the eye catcher for the opposite sex. A muscular and well defined core shows both strength and health. Both guys and gals strive to have a strong tone midsection but very few of them ever achieve getting one. If you have been looking for the perfect program to get you the tight, strong core that you have always been looking for, look no further.

In this article we are going to go over the basic anatomy of the what makes up the core and list 5 easy to follow workouts to help strengthen your midsection. Note that diet and cardiovascular training will have to be in check for you to see your abs. This article will only focus on the training that goes into building and strengthening your mighty core.

The core is composed of 4 different parts. Below I will discuss where each are located, what its function is and also present a couple exercises you can do to stimulate the muscle.
Rectus Abdominus

* Location: Covers the area from sternum all the way down to the pelvis bone. Referred to as the abs or six pack.
* Function: Pulls the upper torso to the hips.
* Exercises: Crunch or sit up.

Obliques

* Location: Side of the waist.
* 3 layers of Muscle: Internal obliques, transverse obliques and external obliques.
* Function: Tilt and twist the torso.
* Exercises: Side bends and decline oblique crunches.

Intercostals

* Location: Between the side of the rib cage. Comes into play when you flex the torso and twist from side to side.
* Function: Elevation and depression of the ribs.
* Exercise: Truck twists.

Serratus

* Location: Between front abs and lats. Boxer’s muscle.
* Function: Pulling of the scapula forward and around like in the motion of throwing a punch.
* Exercises: Barbell pull-overs and single arm cable crunches.

The core is made up of primarily fast twitch muscle fibers. Fast twitch muscle fibers are denser than its counterpart the slow twitch muscle fiber, so hard, heavy and explosive bouts of exercise will stimulate this kind of fiber a lot more.

This means that core training should be in the moderate rep range for best growth. No more endless reps of crunches and sit up like you’ve done in the past. Focus on sets in the 8-15 rep range.

Now that you understand about what muscles make up the core, their function, location and the rep range needed to stimulate them, let’s give you some workouts to help you get that strong muscular core.

All exercises should be performed in perfect form because bad form or habits that you start now will follow you and will lead to lack of progress or worse off injury in the future. Many, if not all of the exercises will be new to you. So make sure that you use the exercise guide on Muscle 7 Strength to help you with your form.

Below are 5 of my favorite core strengthening workouts.

Core strengthening workouts
5 Core/Abs Strengthening Workouts
Core/Abs workout one.

* Cable Crunches 3×8-12 30-45 Sec Rest.
* Bodyweight Side Bends 3×12 on each side 30 Sec Rest.
* Crunches 3×12 30 Sec Rest.
* Seated Leg Tucks 3×12-15 45 Sec Rest.

Core/Abs workout two.

* Seated Barbell Twists 3×8-12 on each side 30 Sec Rest.
* Air Bike Crunches 3×12 30-45 Sec Rest.
* Crunches Hands Over Head 3×12-15 30 Sec Rest.
* Flat Bench Lying Leg Raises 3×8 30 Sec Rest.

Core/Abs workout three.

* Frog Sit Ups 3×12-15 30 Sec Rest.
* Jack Knife Sit Ups 3×12-15 30 Sec Rest.
* Oblique Crunches on the Floor 3×12 30 Sec Rest.
* Reverse Crunch 3×12 30 Sec Rest.

Core/Abs workout four.

* Russian Twist 3×12-15 30 Sec Rest.
* Ab Crunch Machine 3×8-12 30-45 Sec Rest.
* Barbell Side Bends 3×8 on each side 30 sec rest.
* Crunch – Legs on Exercise Ball 3×8-12 30 Sec Rest.

Core/Abs workout five.

* Decline Crunch 3×8-12 30-45 Sec Rest.
* Dumbbell Side Bends 3×8 on each side 30 Sec Rest.
* Exercise Ball Crunch 3×12-15 30 Sec Rest.
* Leg Pull-in 3×12 30 Sec Rest.

There you have it 5 core strengthening workouts. I like to work my core every 2-3 days. Try rotating these 5 workouts into your workout split. These workouts sure will help you get that strong muscular core you are looking for. Remember quality over quantity with the core. Stick with the programs listed above and you will be just fine. Good Luck.

Their home gyms don’t come cheap, but they’re still very popular among exercise enthusiasts. The different models offered by Bowflex will satisfy a wide range of consumers, from experienced personal fitness trainers to beginners.

That being said, if you’re thinking about whether or not to buy a Bowflex home gym you might want to consider these general guidelines that will help ensure that you make the right choice, so you don’t throw your hard earned money away on something you will never need or use.

As with any other home gym equipment, you have to know what your goals are before making the purchase. Other factors to consider relate to cost, maintenance, how much room it occupies and several other things that relate to subjective and individual reasons.

Exercising = determination

Although the popular Bowflex is an efficient muscle builder and fat burner, you can’t accomplish any of these without the proper mental attitude. So, before you spend your money on a Bowflex, make sure you are up for the challenge it will present. Here are a few questions you should find answers for before purchasing gym equipment:

Will I be using this exercise machine 6 months from now?

If I create my fitness program, will I be able to stick to it?

Is it better to purchase a Bowflex home gym or should I go to a gym instead?

Where to use your Bowflex

Even though the machine itself takes little room, you still need to free up some considerable space in order to exercise properly. Make sure that you install your Bowflex in an area that doesn’t require you to move furniture around when you are exercising. Try to use the exercise machine in an area where your family members don’t need to have constant access and provide you with distractions. Reserve a set period of time for exercising with your Bowflex – do not take calls or let outside distractions come in the way.

Beginners Using Bowflex

With an entry-level Bowflex Class Home Gym offering over 30 exercises, you can rest assured that every major muscle group from your body can get proper training. The Bowflex Power Rod technology offers smooth resistance and creates the feel of free weights. Even though there are fewer power rods with the Classic home gym it’s significantly cheaper then some of the other Bowflex exercise machines.

Bowflex vs. Free Weights

The Bowflex Classic Home Gym power rod technology offers up to 210 lbs. of resistance. With the power rods the supporting muscle groups are not heavily targeted since you are working along a two-dimensional plane. Instead the Bowflex does a good job if really isolating muscle groups.

Free weights require you to recruit supporting muscle groups in order to stabilize during your lifts, facilitating compound exercises as opposed to isolation exercises.

Do you really need to target the stabilizing muscles to gain muscle mass?

Absolutely. In order to maximize muscle gains, you want to stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible, and cables and machines do not do this to the same extent as free weights.

If your goal is to gain weight and build muscle mass, you simply can’t beat doing the big compound movements using free weights. The gravity-based resistance provides a more balanced resistance through the entire exercise motion.

Is the Bowflex worthless?

Absolutely not. I’ve had a Bowflex in the past and found it to provide a decent workout. But I would use it to complement my free weights routine. I think Bowflex is especially useful to beginners who want to gain strength so they can build a solid foundation before starting a heavier weights routine designed for bulking up.

Cost

In order to have a good free-weight setup, you will need a barbell, adjustable bench, dumbbell handles as well as plates. If you were to buy everything brand new, 210-lbs. free weights would set you back around $300-400, less if you bought used equipment. Compare that to The Bowflex Classic Home Gym, which at the time of this article costs $649.

In Conclusion

As you can see there are pros and cons with the Bowflex home gym. If the main goal is gaining muscle quickly, then you should use free weights for the majority of your training.

With that being said, on the negative side, free weights require that you have a spotter for most exercises, and it’s more difficult changing the weights on the barbell or dumbbells.

If you are mostly using your Bowflex to gain a few pounds of solid lean muscle mass and get in a general good shape, than the standard model should be more than enough.

If you want to pack on more then just a few pounds, you will be required to lift heavy weight, and in my opinion your best choice is free weights. But with no spotter the Bowflex gym is still a very good option, especially for strength training routines

Weight gain isn’t something that is easy to do, it requires patience and discipline to diet and training. Hopefully the weight gain tips on this site will help you to achieve your goals.

One of the best weight gain tips to remember is DO EVERYTHING BIG! That means eat BIG and lift BIG to get BIG. Say that over and over again in your head until you fully understand it. Many people think weightlifting is the key to gaining weight. Of course weightlifting is an extremely important part. However to gain weight, think beyond weightlifting! Your diet is just as important when it comes to gaining weight.

Weight Gain Tip No 1 – Get Counting

Count your calories on a normal daily basis. That doesn’t mean you have to change your normal eating habits – just eat as you normally would and count the calories you have consumed. This is of crucial importance to try to be as accurate as possible. Then get on the scales and weigh yourself.

Weight Gain Tip No 2 – Get Eating!

Eating is first and foremost the most important thing you need for proper weight gain. It makes sense that you need to eat more calories than you burn. This does not mean eating anything and everything within reach! It means you need to include in your weight gain diet, foods that will help you gain lean mass, not bad fats. 6 meals a day is a good start. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and three other small meals at regular intervals throughout the day. Make it your goal to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours. Remember the principal weight gain tip is to get BIG, you have to eat BIG!

Steak, chicken, fruit, milk, vegetables, cheese and assorted types of nuts are the foods to feast on. Eat 4 – 6 pieces of fresh fruit a day, and at least four tall glasses of milk. Low fat milk is a great, cheap protein source – take advantage of it. A sample snack meal would be a glass of milk, an apple, and a hand full of peanuts.

Plan your meals carefully and stick to the plan. What you eat is the most important ingredient in a successful weight gain program.

Weight Gain Tip No 3 – Get Lifting!

As stated above, proper eating is of utmost importance if you want to gain weight, but if you do not complement eating with weightlifting, all that gained weight will be fat – not muscle.

When trying to gain weight, try working out 3-4 times a week. Make sure you are weightlifting correctly! Lift hard and then recover for the next workout. Focus on the big exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, chin-ups, bench press, & military press. These are the exercises that will turn those extra calories into muscle and therefore help you gain weight. You are not going to gain weight by doing lateral raises and step-ups every workout. It’s the multiple-joint lifts that will shock your system and stimulate your body into growth. Gradually add a little amount of weight each time you workout – this will help you strengthen those muscles. If you focus on strength, size will follow. You need to gain muscular strength in order to get bigger. Look around at your local gym – the strongest guys are also the biggest!

Weight Gain Tip No 4 – Get Weighing!

Weigh yourself at the end of a week. You’ll notice you’re gaining more weight after only one week! However, don’t expect miracles. You won’t have put on 10lb!. Remember that when it comes to weight gain, gaining anymore then 1 or 2 pounds a week is unhealthy and means you’re putting on fat instead of muscle. Patience is a virtue! What you want is to see 1 or 2 pound gains at the end of the week. It may not seem like a lot but add it up. You easily gain weight at the rate of 5-8 pounds a month!

Sooner or later you will stop gaining weight and it is now that you should concentrate on eating even more. So, when you stop gaining for at least 2 weeks, start eating an extra 250 calories a day. Every time you see you haven’t gained weight for at least 2 weeks, add an extra 250 calories.

Weight Gain Tip No 5 – Cut out the Bad Fat!

Avoid trans fats like the plaque, and go for the “good fats”. Yes, you want to gain weight, however you don’t want to gain weight that is in fact just fat. So, cut out the cakes, chips and candy. No more visits to McDonalds and steer clear of anything fried. High protein low fat foods like tuna fish (and other seafood), chicken breast, turkey, lean meats, fruits and vegetables etc, are the good clean foods to eat.

Weight Gain Tip No 6 – Get Drinking! (Sorry, water only)

Drink around a half gallon of water a day and even more if you can. Sure, that’s a lot of water, but believe it or not, it’s that water you need for the energy you need to gain weight! Dehydration can lead to all sorts of health problems, including less stamina at the gym.

Weight Gain Tip No 7 – Go to Sleep!

Get lots of sleep. This is one of the easiest yet most neglected weight gain tips. Sleep for a minimum of 8 hours night. You’re body needs it to function properly.

How Much Will I Gain?

Of course as the saying goes “everyone’s body responds in different ways, so it varies”. That said, if you do eat well, lift heavy, and use weight gainers or mass gainers, you can expect to gain about 10-15lbs within 8 weeks.

Supplements?

To gain weight, you do not NEED supplements, but they will help you gain the weight quicker. That’s what they are, supplementation to an already good diet and training program. Think of supplements as the finishing touch.

The Smith machine is about the most misunderstood piece of gym equipment. Admittedly, it can make for dangerous and unnatural squatting and pressing, but with just a few tweaks it can also be an excellent hypertrophy tool while providing a nice change of pace from the usual routine.

So why do so many people have a hate-on for the Smith machine?

The plane of motion is fixed. Experts argue that it’s unnatural for your body to exercise through a fixed plane. For example, when you squat, it’s more “natural” to use other joints (hip and ankle) outside of just the knee joint.

Here’s my perspective: what if I want to use only one joint and focus on a single muscle group?

For example, I can use Smith machine squats to focus on the quads by placing my feet out in front. This is great for people with overdeveloped glutes and hips (big caboose/small quads syndrome). So by doing so, I’m creating better muscle balance, not making it worse.

Or what if someone has a bad back and needs to stay more upright when they squat? The Smith machine can allow you to still squat despite the back injury.

It’s not functional. I’m not even sure what this means. Does functional mean like in everyday life? If so, when’s the last time you did a power clean or a snatch in “real life?” Sorry, I’m not buying that argument.

If your primary goal is to simulate the movement patterns we do every day, then let’s do some “one arm bend over to pick up your gym bags” or a few “hold a weight up to your ears” to simulate talking on a cell phone. Enough said.

You don’t develop the stabilizer muscles. Okay, so what if I don’t want to engage stabilizer muscles? The name of my game is hypertrophy. I want big quads, period.

I’m not saying to ditch exercises that heavily recruit the stabilizers like squats, chin-ups, dumbbell rows, etc. I’m just saying that avoiding the Smith machine for this reason is weak.

Here’s something else to consider. What if your stabilizers are injured and you want to avoid them? Know anyone with perpetually sore shoulder joints? I’ll bet that regular flat and incline benches are painful for them, but they can likely do Smith machine presses.

Because somebody I know said they suck. This is probably the biggest reason why lifters don’t use the Smith machine. If you’re the type that listens to others without trying things, then you have to listen to me on this, and try the Smith machine the way I describe!

The Why
Why I Love the Smith Machine

Hypertrophy. The fixed plane of motion the Smith machine employs is beneficial in hammering a muscle into submission. The constant tension is particularly good.

Prevention of staleness. I don’t know how lifters can do the same thing for years on end (unless they’re making great progress the whole time). Training should be fun and interesting or you’ll eventually get bored and quit.

Furthermore, people underestimate the body’s ability to adapt to a specific stress. This is especially important for advanced lifters. By mixing in some of the exercises I describe below, you can continue to grow and make progress.

Safety. Provided your form and body alignment is dialed in, the Smith machine is not as taxing as regular free weight movement on your joints.

The When

There are no set rules on the frequency of using the Smith machine, but I generally use it one out of every four workouts for a bodypart such as chest, legs, or back. My routines for intermediate and advanced trainees involve a lot of exercise rotation, so I rotate these in.

The Who

Advanced and intermediate trainees only. You need to understand how to use the Smith machine correctly to derive the maximum benefit. Beginners should focus on learning basic barbell and dumbbell movement patterns and developing a strong base.

No feelers. For those who can’t “feel” a muscle working, the Smith machine is an excellent way to overcome that. The fixed plan of motion allows you to really focus on the intended muscle without having to worry about balance and others factors.

The How

I follow two simple rules when using the Smith machine:

Never start with the Smith machine except for back training. Place it strategically in your program. In short, perform Smith work with an already pumped muscle.

Master form to get the most out of it. You have to have a “trainer’s eye.” You need to see the angles the bar should travel at and line yourself up accordingly. I’ll provide some instruction in the videos below so you can master this yourself.

Okay, let’s get down to business.

The Smith Machine Revisited
Why I Love the Smith Machine

Here are a few body part routines that include some of my favorite Smith machine exercises and some additional thoughts on execution and where to place them in your routine.

Incline Smith press. These should be placed second or third in your routine, behind a machine press or dumbbell press. Barbell chest exercises should rarely be done first – it won’t negatively affect growth and it will definitely keep your joints healthier.

You need to have the bar travel down at a perfect angle. Watch the video and listen to the commentary to see what I mean.

Also, don’t touch the chest. I’ve seen this result in many strained and overworked rotators. Basically, for best results keep continuous tension on the muscle. Use an angle that’s not too steep to further reduce shoulder stress, like 20-25 degrees.

Decline Smith press. Again, place these second or third in your routine. Use a slight decline to avoid shoulder stress. Watch the video and pay attention to where the bar is traveling. These will give you a massive chest pump.

Note: The Smith machine allows for safe drop sets and high rep sets. These are great ways to increase intensity and spur new muscle growth.

Sample Chest Routines

Chest Routine A
Exercises Sets Reps
A Incline dumbbell press on low angle 3* 8
Do a few warm up sets, pyramiding up in sets of 8. Don’t lock out; keep continuous tension. Keep going up until you can’t get eight reps. Count the last three sets as work sets.
B Incline barbell press 3* 8
Pyramid up in sets of eight reps until you can’t get eight. Don’t lock out. Count the last three sets as work sets.
C Smith machine decline bench press 4* 8
Use a slight angle. Put on a weight that you can do 10 reps with. Pause for one second on your chest and then drive to 3/4 lockout. Do three sets total like this; for your fourth use a weight that’s a tough 8 reps. Do 8 reps with it, drop the weight, then do 8 more reps. Now drop the weight again. Widen your grip, and pump out reps to complete failure.
D Stretch push-ups 3* **
Do three sets to failure. Keep your chin up and try to touch the floor with your chest.

* total work sets
** to failure
Chest Routine B
Exercises Sets Reps
A Banded hammer press 4* 8
Do a few warm up sets to get started, then do four sets of 8 reps. I’m not really concerned which machine you use, just be sure to flex hard for one second on every rep.
B Smith machine incline bench press 4* 15,12,9,6
Use a slight angle of 20-25 degrees. Don’t lock out. Keep continuous tension on the muscle. Stop short of touching your chest by an inch or two. I want you to pyramid up. Use this rep scheme: 15, 12, 9, and 6.
C Reverse band bench 5* 5
Use a weight that allows you to complete all reps.

Intensity is a hot topic in the iron world. The mainstream muscle magazines seem to interpret training intensity as simply “working really hard,” and will describe Mr. Sponsored Bodybuilder Du Jour’s rigorous training as something like “mind-blowingly intense,” further illustrated by pages of grainy photos of a 300-pound behemoth scowling through every biceps exercise the Weider brothers ever came up with.

However, after graduating beyond typical musclehead bathroom reading, one learns that “intensity” in strength training doesn’t refer to the amount of emotional arousal or discomfort experienced during training, but rather the weight on the bar.

Absolute intensity refers to the absolute load on the bar, often measured in pounds or kilograms. But when people start talking about percentages in strength training, what they’re referring to is relative intensity. This is a description of intensity relative to your 1-rep max.

Percentages are an integral part of intelligent strength training. They allow coaches from all corners to get on the same page, so discussions about training and loading parameters can take place without the need to ask a lot of background questions.

Yet to the new trainee, this may seem unnecessarily exclusive or pretentious, like the strength training equivalent of chubby, bespectacled men in Bazinga t-shirts greeting one another in Klingon, but understanding percentages is decidedly more useful.

Intensity – The Most Important Parameter?

For most strength sports, intensity is the parameter that determines much of the training effect. If your goal is to develop absolute strength, then that will require certain levels of intensity, just as if your goal is to develop hypertrophy, it wouldn’t make sense to train with very light weights or the newest late-night infomercial gadget.

The weight on the bar – or more accurately, the effort required to move it – will determine the vast majority of your training effect. Volume will determine the magnitude of that effect.

So if you’re training with a purpose in mind – any purpose – and aren’t paying attention to intensity, then there’s a strong chance that you won’t achieve the effect you desire. Better still, the more you understand the training effect that each type of intensity can produce, the more surgical you can be in your training. And precise training is effective training.

Training intensities
How to Judge intensity in Workout

As noted, training intensity is often described as the percentage of 1-rep max for a particular lift. But there are issues with this method, namely that the body doesn’t know or particularly care about how much weight is on the bar. The adaptations that occur from training are a result of tension and duration.

The body responds to things like the force of the muscle’s contraction, how long the contraction lasts, and how many contractions there were. A percentage isn’t necessarily a precise way to describe this as different lifters will perform differently.

If two lifters perform 3 reps with 85%, one lifter may find the task to be moderate effort while the other may find it to be next to impossible. The ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch fibers, training history, and other physiological issues all play a role here.

Next, there is the matter of having accurate maxes to work with. Such accurate data isn’t always available, especially for assistance lifts.

For these reasons, I prefer to describe intensities in terms of reps-per-set and the RPE (rate of perceived exertion). This allows for greater individualization of training.

The RPE scale is described in the following chart:

@10: Maximal Effort. No reps left in the tank.
@9: Heavy Effort. Could have done one more rep.
@8: Could have done two or three more reps.
@7: Bar speed is “snappy” if maximal force is applied.
@6: Bar speed is “snappy” with moderate effort.

With this chart, not only can we describe the intensity of a lift with more accuracy, but RPE charts are also auto-regulatory in nature, meaning that they help us to modulate our training on a given day.

Here’s an example. For most, doing 85% for 3 reps will result in a @9 RPE. That means when you put the bar down, you think, “Yeah, I could have done one more.”

But if you forgot to pack your lunch or stayed up late watching Missing in Action (again) the night before, while you might feel half-bagged, that 85% load doesn’t change – it will require the same work as it would if you were having a good day.

At a minimum, you won’t get the same training effects in terms of tension and duration. Worse, you could end up injured.

A better approach is to work with RPE’s so that on a bad day, the weight on the bar is reduced, since it will take less weight to reach x 3 @9. But on a good day it will take more weight to reach x3 @9. That’s how RPE’s are auto-regulatory in nature.

Describing intensity in terms of reps and RPE brings us closer to approximating the tension and duration that your muscles respond to, allowing for a more precise training effect.

Now that you understand the importance of properly describing intensity, here are a few potential training effects and how to achieve them.

Neural Efficiency
How to Judge intensity in Workout

Training for improved neural efficiency is often mistaken for training to improve maximal strength. However, a wide range of intensities can be used to improve maximal strength, not just low reps.

The goal of neural efficiency training is improving the central nervous system’s ability to activate motor units through inter-muscular coordination, intra-muscular coordination, and rate-coding. To achieve these effects to help prepare for a 1RM, you need to train at high intensities.

This means you should focus your attention on the 1-3 rep range and use RPE’s from 9 to 10. Something like x1 @8 could also fit into the neural efficiency category, but not as well as some others. The same applies for x4 @10, but this is bordering on other objectives.

Learning to Grind

Learning to grind is a big topic. There are very good reasons for learning how to grind out a heavy weight, although they’re beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say, if you’re unable to grind out a PR, you would’ve hit that PR if you could grind it out. So getting better at what you suck at is usually a priority.

To get better at grinding out a weight, basically you need to practice. That means increase the reps and RPE’s slightly. Reps should sit around 3 to 6, usually concentrating on sets of around 5. RPE’s will be in the @9 to @10 range, most often being @10.

Learning to be More Explosive

If you’re very good at grinding out a maximum weight, then it may be time to introduce some explosiveness into your training. This will help your overall force production and can help spark new gains in maximal strength.

Developing explosiveness is basically the opposite of learning to grind. For this, you’ll want to reduce the reps and RPE’s. Doing 1 to 3 reps is again most effective, but keep the RPE’s in the @7 and @8 range. This will allow you to do more sets to achieve the required volume levels, resulting in more “first reps.” Since your first rep is your most explosive rep, this will teach your body to be more explosive.

Myofibrilar Hypertrophy

“Hypertrophy” itself can be developed using almost any rep range, but I’ve found it more effective to break hypertrophy into specific parts. Addressing it this way narrows down the choices and allows more precision in our selection.

Myofibrils are the contractile elements of the muscle fiber, meaning they do the actual contracting. By growing the myofibrils larger, you’ll have more contractile proteins available. More contractile proteins (used by a well-tuned nervous system) results in greater strength. Or if you’re not into strength, it will result in the denser look coveted by bodybuilders.

Myofibril hypertrophy is best achieved by lower reps (by bodybuilding standards), but not “powerlifting low reps.” We’re talking 4 to 8 reps, with most of your time concentrated in the 5 to 6 range. This provides sufficient time under tension to stress the myofibrils into adaptation.

As for your RPE’s, keep those in the @8 to @10 range. Using @8 is acceptable for the lower end of your rep range while using @10 is better if you’ll be on the higher end of the rep range. If you’re in doubt just use @9.

Practicality
How to Judge intensity in Workout

So how can you incorporate these ideas into your training?

Start by logging your RPE in your training log. This is a great habit to get into and is a much more descriptive means of describing how hard a particular set was as opposed to saying “easy” or “so-so” or “I just shit my pants.”

As you learn what RPE’s your program is trying to produce, start relying on them more.

For example, if your program requires you to do 3 reps with 85% and you know that this usually produces an @9 set, then just work up to 3 reps @9 and let the weight fall where it will, either above 85% if you’re having a good day, or below 85% if you’re having a bad day.

Eventually you’ll be able to structure your program around reps and RPE’s, but this takes time so let it happen organically.

Watch your RPE’s long enough and you’ll see the patterns show up. Then, you can start managing them and be more specific with the training effects you’re pursuing. This will lead to better gains in the future.

So, to review:

* Start recording your RPE’s today based on the chart above
* As you get used to them, focus on RPE in your training rather than percentage
* Once you notice patterns, incorporate RPE’s when planning workouts

Cautions and Caveats

Hopefully this article gave you some insights on how to use rep and RPE pairings to efficiently program your training based on a few common training objectives.

Remember, intensity is a sliding scale. We like to compartmentalize things since it helps us understand it easier, but the training effects described above aren’t isolated. Training for one objective will have a certain amount of bleed over to other objectives.

Use this information to help you program your own training with greater precision, but don’t forget to consider volumes as well. There are plenty of resources available to help you plan appropriate training volumes such as Preliphin’s chart or a host of other tools. You can also use the RTS methods for volume management found on the Reactive Training Systems website.

Either way, greater precision in your training will result in you getting the training effect you’re after. It will allow you to plan with more accuracy, and will help you get better, faster results by listening to your body – because even the best of us occasionally has on off-day!

They Don’t Just Talk the Talk, but Live the Life.

In the Marketing Department, we have a saying. If you want to talk the talk, then you have to walk the walk. On the weekend of January 28- 29, Eric Schwartz, Jason Budsock, Greg Santarsiero, Christian Coronato and Adam Harchetts spoke volumes in representing Universal Nutrition at the RPS 2012 New Jersey State Powerlifting Championships. They all competed in the amateur, drug-tested division.

Eric and Adam competed in the 220-pound Raw Classic Division. By competing in the raw division, the contestant weren’t allowed to use squat suits, bench shirts or deadlift briefs. In the Raw Classic Division, you can only use a belt and wrist wraps. By many accounts, this is the purest form of raw competition. Christian competed in the 220-pund Raw Modern Division, a newer division that also allows the use of knee wraps and sleeves during the squat.

In the 220-pound Raw Classic Division, Eric was pitted head-to-head with his colleague, friend and rival, Adam. The duel was neck and neck throughout the meet, with each spurring the other on. Playing mind games and lifting hard, each sought out every last advantage. In the end, Eric bested Adam by a mere 20 pounds, with a 1255 total (430 squat/325 bench/500 deadlift). In the squat and bench, Eric set personal bests. Adam hit 1235, with a 425 squat, 325 bench, and a 485 deadlift–hitting 6 PRs in the process, including a 55-pound total improvement over his last meet in November. These totals were good enough to earn Eric first place and Adam second place at the championships in their division.

In the 181-pound Raw Classic Division, Jason finished in second place in a highly competitive field with his impressive 1180 total (405 squat, 265 bench, 510 deadlift). He set a PR with both the squad and the deadlift. Greg weighed in at only 247 pounds but competed in the 275- pound Raw Classic Division. This was only his second meet ever. With this 1430 total (500 squat, 415 bench, 515 deadlift), he also earned a first place finish. He also set meet PRs for himself in the bench, deadlift, and total. Greg just missed a 535 squat.

Rounding out the team, in the Raw Modern Division, Christian (who is currently a nationally ranked NPC bodybuilder) entered his first powerlifting meet ever. As a rookie, he did well winning at 220 pounds with a 1515 total (510 squat/405 bench/600 deadlift). Not only did he win his division, Christian shattered some RPS world records with his bench (405) and his 1515 total. I think it’s safe to say the powerlifting bug may have bitten Christian.

Eric, Jason, Greg, Christian and Adam all embody the great values of the amateur athlete, with its emphasis on competition for the love of a sport and a genuine sense of cooperation and camaraderie. For instance, Adam stepped up to help advise Christian at his first meet. It made a big difference. But it didn’t end there. The five lifted individually, but they competed as a team.

To me, these five have clearly exhibited their passion for pushing themselves in competition, but also challenging themselves to improve at Universal Nutrition in their various capacities within the Marketing Department. Therefore, on behalf of Universal Nutrition, I’d like to take the time to recognize their great achievement and for furthering the values that make Universal Nutrition a singular company within the entire supplement industry. Through their actions they have spoken well for themselves and for the company. Well done, gentleman.

A lot of guys want big show muscles (big biceps and triceps). This can be done by a proper work out, good nutrition and a lot of rest. But what a lot of people do not know is the speed at which your biceps (and all other muscles) will grow depends a lot on the production of human growth hormone, testosterone and cortisol in your body. So if you’re not on steroids you’ll probably want to know how the production of these hormones is affected by the things we do. Today I’m going to give some information about cortisol, a stress hormone. Is it your friend or your enemy?
Why does the body produce cortisol?

Cortisol is a catabolic steroid hormone that enables the body to respond to stress (fight-or-flight situations). Cortisol also has anti-inflammatory effect and it is essential for the body. The production is increased in situations like when you lost your car keys, you are waiting for the bus while you are already late, deadlines at work etc. Even when you are cold or too hot, this is a form of stress. On the other hand, you cannot live without stress.
A period of sleep is ultimately a form of physical stress because it is a fasting period. Your body is in need for energy during the night. Cortisol lets the body break down body fat and muscle mass to provide energy. The stress hormone has a fat burning effect while it causes the breakdown of fat and muscle tissue for carbohydrates. Cortisol together with glucagon increases the blood sugar levels when they become too low. If you consume high glycemic carbs (fast digesting sugars) the same time the blood sugar is increased, these will partly get stored as (belly) fat by the release of insulin. Insulin reduces the blood sugar by the storage of carbohydrates into fat and muscle cells. So a chronic high level of cortisol indirectly leads to the storage of carbohydrates in the abdominal fat. Many people want to eat more than normal and tend to go for a snack instead of healthy food in stressful situations and that’s just disastrous.
In the morning cortisol levels are the highest

Cortisol levels are the highest in the morning and after a workout. Cortisol levels decrease as the day progresses and at midnight it is very low. After a heavy work out a cortisol peak takes place after about 45 minutes. If you train too long and too much you’re in risk of overtraining and chronic excessive cortisol. When you have a chronically high cortisol level because of stress, this means that the body constantly has to produce insulin to lower blood sugar. This can cause diabetes and cardiovascular disease on the long run.
How to bring cortisol to a minimum

Bring stress to a minimum, take frequent a massage, take a walk, take a bath or shower, sufficient quality sleep (make sure your room is pitch black) and sufficient sun / daylight during the day and if possible, take an afternoon nap! Laughing also has a positive effect on your cortisol. Have a positive attitude. Do not worry about the 10 pounds that you’ll have to lose but be very happy about the 10 pounds that you already lost. Focus on the successes you’ve achieved. This way you get the ultimate benefit for both muscle growth as well as the reduction of fat. The trick is to compensate your daily stress with doing things you like the most.
A (biceps) workout increases the production of cortisol

Elevated cortisol levels during and after exercises can be reduced by consuming high-glycemic carbohydrates. But, as mentioned before, it seems there is also a risk that the excess of carbohydrates will be stored in abdominal fat. Furthermore when you exercise, fat burning will stop when you consume carbohydrates. If you eat low glycemic carbs (like oat meal) 1.5 hour before workout you can reduce this effect and the release of cortisol during and after exercise will be lower. Cortisol ensures that your blood sugar is not too low; it just increases your exercise-reduced blood sugar by breaking down muscle tissue for energy. If you want to lose belly fat I don’t think it’s very useful to tale high-glycemic carbs. But if you go for muscle mass you probably want to protect your muscles from being broken down and you have to consume some fast carbohydrates. Essential amino acids can equally suppress your cortisol level (but it’s a lot more expensive). For that reason it is wise to take a whey shake prior to work out, so that during and after training the amino acids from that protein shake are available for your body. Consumed proteins are broken down into amino acids and those amino acids are needed to grow your biceps muscle. After or during your workout take some amino-acids (probably branched chained amino acids). After exercise you need to replenish your glycogen levels in your muscles by eating carbohydrate-rich foods (do this within two hours). Moreover, it is quite normal that muscle protein in your body are broken down. Eventually your body refreshes your muscles cells every 3 years.

It is clear that if you do not eat often enough your body produces more cortisol to get energy from fat and muscle mass. You can avoid this situation by eating every 2-3 hours. You can lower your cortisol peak in the morning by consuming a whey shake two hours before wake up. Or take amino-acids (BCAA’s) immediately when you wake up. Another way is to take a whey shake before going to bed because whey has a much higher biological value and the growth hormone peak at the beginning of the night is the greatest. After a few hours of sleep, take casein protein in order to bridge the night (casein is difficult to digest and breaks down very slow). Consume high-glycemic carbs during your breakfast can have a negative effect, especially if you live with al lot of stress.

So is cortisol your friend or your enemy. It seems both! Think positive… it can’t hurt anyone.

On Saturday, Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, Rich Gaspari, Lou Ferrigno, Roland Kickinger and quite a few others will be in attendance.

Bodybuilding.com will have its annual finals of the Bodyspace competition, and we will be there too, covering the action.