Back & Biceps Workout

**IronZionLion** · 10-26-2006, 02:19 AM

This is what I have set for tonights workout.

Please leave your comments along with supplementary advice if you feel it is needed, thanks.

Barbell Row 4 x 10
Pull-up 4 x 8
Lat Pulldown 4 x 10
Deadlifts 4 x 8

Biceps Curl 4 x 10
Hammer Curl 4 x 10
Preacher Curl 4 x 10
Barbell Wrist Curl/Extension 2 x 10 (of each)

**Chins** · 10-26-2006, 04:23 AM

Deadlifts should be a staple in every back workout IMO

**BigHuman** · 10-26-2006, 04:49 AM

Originally Posted by IronZionLion

This is what I have set for tonights workout.

Please leave your comments along with supplementary advice if you feel it is needed, thanks.

Barbell Row 4 x 10
Shoulder Press 4 x 10
Pull-up 4 x 8
Lat Pulldown 4 x 10

Biceps Curl 4 x 10
Hammer Curl 4 x 10
Preacher Curl 4 x 10
Barbell Wrist Curl/Extension 2 x 10 (of each)

Mate to me it looks like overtraining, thats far 2 man exercises for you biceps after a back workout..
Remember when you train your back which is a large muscle group and needs more training then your arms, remember you are using your biceps in some pretty much all back exercises, so they are already getting worked first on your back routine, barbell row, using biceps, lat pulldown again biceps come into play
So then to go on and do 4 exercises with four sets on ur biceps, thats just way overtraining and you will never get them bigger if ur train this way.

**Chins** · 10-26-2006, 04:52 AM

yeah hes right. Do 4 exercises 3 sets each max. Maybe 3 exercises wth 3 sets each and your last and 4th exercise a burner of like 2 sets very high reps with slow concentration

**BigHuman** · 10-26-2006, 05:33 AM

Yeah, I see it all the time at my gym

People go in and hammer there back for like 50mins, then move on to biceps and stand and do curl after curl after curl, for like another 40 mins on just biceps!!
People need to relise your bicep is so small, really does not need that much work to help it grow.
All I do is on arms day I do three exercises with three sets on each, heavy barbell curls for mass, scott bench curl for peak slow on squeeze hard at the top of each curl, and il either do hammer curl to hit the inside or il do incline curl again for peak and length get a really good stretch on this one.
My biceps take about 30mins max, and they are 19 inches so it works.

**BigHuman** · 10-26-2006, 05:35 AM

of course good genetics comes into it also, some people will struggle to get bigger arms, where other people will just do 2 exercises for biceps and get them huge, alot is down to genetics and if u have them to build big arms easy

**Chins** · 10-26-2006, 05:45 AM

I do leave some 15's in my room and do them non stop all the time. I feel this rushes the blood to my arms and makes them grow. I never get sore but I do my biceps all the time. I read some good stuff on that

**BigHuman** · 10-26-2006, 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by Chins

I do leave some 15's in my room and do them non stop all the time. I feel this rushes the blood to my arms and makes them grow. I never get sore but I do my biceps all the time. I read some good stuff on that

Mate if you got the genetics to be able to train ur biceps all the time, even just using the 15`s then good on you.

Most people should and can only train them once a week, as They get used so much in all other workouts, and same goes for triceps.

I give this advice all the time as im a personal trainer and have seen the results from both ends.

With most muscle groups you should let it rest fully before hitting it again, that is how to get the best growth

I used to hammer my biceps like every other day before i knew what i was doing, they got big, but soon started reducing in size and shape was crap.
then got into personal training job and found out more info.
Changed to just hitting biceps once a week full on. and now they are 19 inches.
Looking to pump them up to 20 for next comp! the dream is 21inch though

**Chins** · 10-26-2006, 06:06 AM

IMO the best bodybuilders in the world will never see the light of day and those dudes do the same shit all day long and eat jail foods which are bad for you and if you seen one of those mofo's you would inspire to look like them. I read some real interest things about bodybuilder and one was if we're suppose to get rest the way they say then why do some inmates do chest somtimes upwards of 1000 pushups a day have the biggest most ripped chest?????

I am looking for a good read for you. Having a hard time finding it

**BigHuman** · 10-26-2006, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by Chins

IMO the best bodybuilders in the world will never see the light of day and those dudes do the same shit all day long and eat jail foods which are bad for you and if you seen one of those mofo's you would inspire to look like them. I read some real interest things about bodybuilder and one was if we're suppose to get rest the way they say then why do some inmates do chest somtimes upwards of 1000 pushups a day have the biggest most ripped chest?????

I am looking for a good read for you. Having a hard time finding it

Alot of the stuff printed in magazine like FLex,Iron man which show pro body builder routines from the likes of ROnni Coleman and Jay Cutler, they print what it is they do for a routine, and the average bodybuilder goes out buys the mag and thinks he can copy that routine and will get those 21 inch arms he inspires to get.
this is all wrong , most normal average people can not and will not ever be able to follow routines like they use, people like Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler are freaks of nature, they train the way they can train down to all the juice in them, GH, Genetics amongst other things.

All im saying is some people might be able to do bicep curls everyday and get good results from it.
Most the majority of us need the rest to allow the muscle to grow , asuming u have trained the muscle hard enough, very hard, then u need to get full rest so it recovers before u hit it again, if ur doing bench pressing every day ur not allowing ur chest to recover are u, becuase u training it all the time, so when does it have time to recover and grow.
This is all basics which people should follow, Ive been through hundreds of exams,training courses,had to write assesments on all of this while i was studying for my personal trainer degree.

Like i said if ur able to hit a body part more than once a week , hard training, and ur getting growth from it, then thats cool ur genetics are good for that body part.
But dont make the mistake of beliving everything u read about hitting chest twice and week, hitting back twice a week, hitting arms three times a week, like alot of those body building enclopedia`s take about, this is for most people way overtraining.
As for people in prison who eat crap and just workout everyday, do u know alot of them take alot of smugled in juice, i watched a good documentry on this a while back. they all pump themselves everyday with some juice, no cycles, just abuse the gear.
Then they might eat crap but they eat alot of it also so they do get good size.
then again ive seen alot go in massive and amazing bodys, only to come out years later looking like crap! due to bad nutrion and so on.
Everyone is different and there is no right or wrong way really for training, because what you can do, maybe the guy next to you cant, maybe he needs a lot less work to grow then you.
So when u see a guy working his chest everyday and its ripped, thats down to his genetics, maybe someone else can achive this, but alot of people wont be able to.
need to workout what works best for you. then stick with it. finding the right balance is important.
My best mate is a pro body builder in London and all he ever did for his traps was one set at the end of shoulders of behind the back shrugs on the smith machine, mate he has unreal traps! always had even before the gear, and thats all he does, where are alot of other people in our gym even just to get half decent traps have to chuck in some upright rows as well.
This guy just needs to look at the bar and his traps grow some more. thats what im getting at some people are just born this way, where the rest of us need to bust are buts a little harder to get what we want.

**Chins** · 10-26-2006, 06:10 AM

Of course there are some people that will not believe this and there are some people that will believe this. I have done it and it worked for me. I did it for my lacking biceps. I don't follow it allthe time but I will go on a 4 weeker before say a vacation or if I find my biceps are lacking. Decent read

They block the link I attached to this so I put it below.

Copy link and paste it into a IE windowo....take out *'s

Sorry to hijack thread

**Chins** · 10-26-2006, 06:11 AM

http://www.t*-*n*a*t*i*o*n.*c*o*m/re...c.do?id=459605

take out the *'s

**Chins** · 10-26-2006, 06:12 AM

Alright the hell with it....here it is

100 Reps to Bigger Muscles
Breaking through size barriers with endurance training
by Chad Waterbury

If you want to look better with your shirt off or perform better athletically, there are two things you should be striving for: improved recovery and better muscle performance. This is a no-brainer and a primary reason for the huge success of steroids over the decades (steroids improve both recovery and performance). I've yet to meet one individual who thought his recovery was too rapid or his muscle mass was too great. So what sets two weight-training individuals with sub-par genetics apart from each other in terms of progression? Answer: recovery.

But what is recovery really and how is it facilitated? There are many complex aspects of recovery, but one of the most important is nutrient transfer. We all know that weight training increases blood flow to the muscles being worked. But do we ever really think about what that means or how to maximize it to help us reach our goals? Probably not, but that's what this article is for!

Alright, time for some very basic physiology. In regard to blood flow, the body has a network of extremely small blood vessels called capillaries. Their primary function deals with the exchange of oxygen, hormones, amino acids, glucose and lipids among other things. The exchange of certain nutrients at the capillary level is sometimes referred to as nutrient transfer. This blood flow through the capillaries remains relatively constant under resting conditions, but as soon as a muscle starts contracting, the blood flow is increased. It's with these extremely small capillaries that the muscles are supplied with all the nutrients they need for recovery. Pretty simple, huh?

Your capillary-to-muscle-fiber ratio is expressed as the term capillary density. Obviously, the more capillaries you have within the muscular system, the better the nutrient transfer. Unfortunately, increased fiber area (hypertrophy) through heavy resistance training leads to a decrease in capillary density (1). This could be one of the reasons why weightlifters with a large amount of muscle mass take longer to recover than their less massive peers.

Based on the above information, it's pretty clear increased blood flow within the muscle will increase nutrient transfer, thus aiding recovery. We also learned that heavy resistance training decreases capillary density by increasing the fiber area without a subsequent increase in capillaries. So, you're probably wondering if there's a way to increase capillary density? You bet there is. It's called endurance training!

In volume three of The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine: Strength and Power in Sport, world-renowned physiology researcher P.A. Tesch makes the following statement: "Numerous studies have demonstrated that the capillary supply, either expressed as capillaries per fiber or as capillaries per mm(squared), increases in response to endurance training." (2)

I know, I know, endurance training sounds about as pleasant to an avid iron-thrower as a 100-gram dose of soy protein. But it's a well-known fact that endurance training increases capillary density. Don't you worry though, 'cause this ain't no wussified version of endurance training! This method will help you improve recovery, gain muscular endurance and increase hypertrophy. If that sounds good to you, read on.

The 100 Rep-a-Day Program

Since I'm a strength and conditioning coach, I'm constantly faced with dilemmas involving performance improvement. Since I own my training company, I can pretty much experiment with whatever I want, whenever I want. Therefore, I've tried many crazy schemes over the years in attempt to help solve some of the problems we all face as weight trainers. Some have worked, most have not. But I'm going to share with you one of my best discoveries so far: The 100 rep-a-day program.

Here's how it works. First, decide which body part you feel is lagging the most (if you answer "all of them!" we have a problem). Hopefully, the incredible amount of information ***** has provided over the years has given you a good jump on your physical goals and aspirations. Let's say you pick calves and biceps. Yes, you can pick two muscle groups if they're small. For instance, if you feel your calves and biceps are lacking, then you're allowed to use the 100 rep-a-day program for both muscles simultaneously. If you choose a large muscle group like the chest or hamstrings, then use the program for those body parts independently. Here's a list for the sake of clarity:

Small body parts (pick two if you want)

Biceps

Triceps

Calves

Forearms

Delts

A**ominals

Large body parts (pick one only)

Quadriceps

Hamstrings

Pectorals

Lats

Glutes/Lower Back

Now that you've chosen the muscle group(s) you want to improve, pick a single exercise for the targeted muscle group(s). Obviously, the list is endless but I'd strongly recommend an exercise that requires very little equipment, if possible. Here are a few exercises I like to use but feel free to use whatever you want:

Calves

Standing Calf Raises (1 or 2 legged)

Donkey Calf Raises

Quadriceps

Bodyweight Full Squats

Bodyweight Low Box Squats

Hamstrings

Standing Leg Curl (with ankle weight)

Lying Leg Curl (with ankle weight)

Low Back/Glutes

Reverse Hypers

A**ominals

Sit-ups (with feet hooked)

Leg Raises

Chest

Dumbbell Bench Press (flat or inclined)

Push-ups

Lats

Straight Arm Pulldowns

Pullovers

Biceps

Standing Dumbbell Curls (hammer grip or supinated)

Incline Dumbbell Curls (hammer grip or supinated)

Triceps

Pressdowns (cable or band)

Lying Dumbbell Extensions

Delts

Standing Dumbbell Side Raises

Bent Over Dumbbell Side Raises

Forearms

Plate Wrist Flexion*

Plate Wrist Extension**

*Place a small plate in your hand with your fingers on one side and thumb on the other. With the palm supinated (facing up), flex your wrist.

**Same as above except the palm is pronated (facing down) and the wrist extends back.

I don't want you to worry about finding a certain percentage of your one rep max (1RM). If you do want to find it for the given exercise, I'd recommend 20% of that value, but I'm not requiring you to do so. As long as the load doesn't induce excess fatigue and as long as you stop well short of failure on every set, you'll benefit.

Now that we know the muscle groups and exercises, let's get to the rest of the details. I want you to perform 100 reps each day for the chosen exercise(s). (This is in addition to your regular workout, but I'll talk about that a little more later.) There are countless ways to do the 100 reps (I've tried them all), but I can honestly say there's no dramatic difference between any of them as long as you avoid muscular failure. In other words, don't do 100 reps continuously for one set each morning because the induced fatigue will halt your progress on your higher intensity weight-training workouts. Instead, avoid muscular failure like HIT trainees avoid German Volume Training! This is the most important point; you must never come close to muscular failure on any set.

Here are some rep breakdowns I found to be effective:

Method 1

Morning: 50 reps

Evening (about 12 hours later): 50 reps

Method 2

25 reps every fourth hour until you reach 100

Method 3

10 reps every hour until you reach 100

Let's say you want to use the 100 rep-a-day program for your biceps and calves. You have a desk job and can only do exercises in the morning and at night so you pick the first method. The two exercises you chose are standing dumbbell hammer curls and standing calf raises. Like most trainees, you don't want to take the time to find your 1RM so you grab some light dumbbells that you could curl 50 to 60 times before failure. You decide to just use your bodyweight for the calf raises off a step in your house. That plan looks good to me. Here's the breakdown:

Morning

Exercise: Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curls and Standing Two Leg Calf Raises

Sets: 1 set of each

Reps: 50 of each

Tempo: 2010 (two seconds up, no pause, one second down, no pause)

Evening (12 hours later)

Exercise: Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curls and Standing Two Leg Calf Raises

Sets: 1 set of each

Reps: 50 of each

Tempo: 2010

Frequency: Every day that's not part of your normal bicep/calf workout routine for eight weeks (or until necessary).

You should notice I prescribe a tempo that doesn't emphasize the eccentric (negative) phase. Don't discredit this very important point. I don't want the negative phase of the movement emphasized in any way. If it is, you could easily overtrain the muscles and induce muscle soreness, something we want to avoid.

You should perform this routine on a daily basis without decreasing the bicep and calf work during the higher intensity weight-training program you're already on. Perform the 100 reps on every day you don't do your normal calf and bicep work. For instance, if you normally perform your biceps/calf work on Monday and Thursday, do this program on the other five days of the week. Remember, these are extra endurance workouts and should not take the place of the resistance training program you perform each week in the gym.

Key Points

• Never work to failure on any of the 100 rep exercises.

• If your performance is suffering on higher intensity days, reduce load of 100 rep scheme (in other words, use less weight).

• Try to break up the 100 reps as much as possible throughout the day.

• Use bodyweight exercises as much as possible and avoid machines.

Now, with all this talk of nutrient transfer and recovery, I must make a very important point. Without proper nutrition, nothing works extremely well. Simply put, you need a steady supply of nutrients for nutrient transfer to take place! Therefore, get well acquainted with *****'s articles on protein consumption and proper nutrition.

What You Should Expect

As with any program, individual results will vary, but you should expect improved recovery of your regular weight training workouts (due to increased capillary density and nutrient transfer), greater muscular endurance and increased muscle mass due to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (i.e. growth of the interstitial fluid area).

Mr. America (1966), Bob Gajda, used a similar method to put a full inch on his lagging calves in only eight weeks. Due to my extremely poor calf recovery rates, I started performing 100 standing calf raises each day. After a few weeks, my improved recovery rate allowed me to perform high-intensity calf work every third day instead of every fifth. You can't beat that!

If, for whatever reason, the 100 rep-a-day plan doesn't induce hypertrophy for you, the newfound recovery rates and muscular endurance will allow you to perform your high intensity sessions more frequently. Remember, more workouts mean more progress!

About the Author

Chad Waterbury is a strength and conditioning coach with Bachelor of Science degrees in Human Biology and Physical Science. He operates his company, Chad Waterbury Strength & Conditioning, in Tucson, AZ, where his clientele ranges from members of military special forces units to non-athletes seeking exceptional physical performance and development. You can contact him through his website, ChadWaterbury.com.

References

1) Tesch, P.A., Thorsson, A. & Kaiser, P. (1984) Muscle capillary supply and fiber type characteristics in weight and power lifters. Journal of Applied Physiology, 56, 35-8.

2) Short- and Long-Term Histochemical and Biochemical Adaptations in Muscle. (1992). In The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine (Vol. 3, p. 242). Cambridge: Blackwell Science.

**BigHuman** · 10-26-2006, 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by Chins

Alright the hell with it....here it is

100 Reps to Bigger Muscles
Breaking through size barriers with endurance training
by Chad Waterbury

If you want to look better with your shirt off or perform better athletically, there are two things you should be striving for: improved recovery and better muscle performance. This is a no-brainer and a primary reason for the huge success of steroids over the decades (steroids improve both recovery and performance). I've yet to meet one individual who thought his recovery was too rapid or his muscle mass was too great. So what sets two weight-training individuals with sub-par genetics apart from each other in terms of progression? Answer: recovery.

But what is recovery really and how is it facilitated? There are many complex aspects of recovery, but one of the most important is nutrient transfer. We all know that weight training increases blood flow to the muscles being worked. But do we ever really think about what that means or how to maximize it to help us reach our goals? Probably not, but that's what this article is for!

Alright, time for some very basic physiology. In regard to blood flow, the body has a network of extremely small blood vessels called capillaries. Their primary function deals with the exchange of oxygen, hormones, amino acids, glucose and lipids among other things. The exchange of certain nutrients at the capillary level is sometimes referred to as nutrient transfer. This blood flow through the capillaries remains relatively constant under resting conditions, but as soon as a muscle starts contracting, the blood flow is increased. It's with these extremely small capillaries that the muscles are supplied with all the nutrients they need for recovery. Pretty simple, huh?

Your capillary-to-muscle-fiber ratio is expressed as the term capillary density. Obviously, the more capillaries you have within the muscular system, the better the nutrient transfer. Unfortunately, increased fiber area (hypertrophy) through heavy resistance training leads to a decrease in capillary density (1). This could be one of the reasons why weightlifters with a large amount of muscle mass take longer to recover than their less massive peers.

Based on the above information, it's pretty clear increased blood flow within the muscle will increase nutrient transfer, thus aiding recovery. We also learned that heavy resistance training decreases capillary density by increasing the fiber area without a subsequent increase in capillaries. So, you're probably wondering if there's a way to increase capillary density? You bet there is. It's called endurance training!

In volume three of The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine: Strength and Power in Sport, world-renowned physiology researcher P.A. Tesch makes the following statement: "Numerous studies have demonstrated that the capillary supply, either expressed as capillaries per fiber or as capillaries per mm(squared), increases in response to endurance training." (2)

I know, I know, endurance training sounds about as pleasant to an avid iron-thrower as a 100-gram dose of soy protein. But it's a well-known fact that endurance training increases capillary density. Don't you worry though, 'cause this ain't no wussified version of endurance training! This method will help you improve recovery, gain muscular endurance and increase hypertrophy. If that sounds good to you, read on.

The 100 Rep-a-Day Program

Since I'm a strength and conditioning coach, I'm constantly faced with dilemmas involving performance improvement. Since I own my training company, I can pretty much experiment with whatever I want, whenever I want. Therefore, I've tried many crazy schemes over the years in attempt to help solve some of the problems we all face as weight trainers. Some have worked, most have not. But I'm going to share with you one of my best discoveries so far: The 100 rep-a-day program.

Here's how it works. First, decide which body part you feel is lagging the most (if you answer "all of them!" we have a problem). Hopefully, the incredible amount of information ***** has provided over the years has given you a good jump on your physical goals and aspirations. Let's say you pick calves and biceps. Yes, you can pick two muscle groups if they're small. For instance, if you feel your calves and biceps are lacking, then you're allowed to use the 100 rep-a-day program for both muscles simultaneously. If you choose a large muscle group like the chest or hamstrings, then use the program for those body parts independently. Here's a list for the sake of clarity:

Small body parts (pick two if you want)

Biceps

Triceps

Calves

Forearms

Delts

A**ominals

Large body parts (pick one only)

Quadriceps

Hamstrings

Pectorals

Lats

Glutes/Lower Back

Now that you've chosen the muscle group(s) you want to improve, pick a single exercise for the targeted muscle group(s). Obviously, the list is endless but I'd strongly recommend an exercise that requires very little equipment, if possible. Here are a few exercises I like to use but feel free to use whatever you want:

Calves

Standing Calf Raises (1 or 2 legged)

Donkey Calf Raises

Quadriceps

Bodyweight Full Squats

Bodyweight Low Box Squats

Hamstrings

Standing Leg Curl (with ankle weight)

Lying Leg Curl (with ankle weight)

Low Back/Glutes

Reverse Hypers

A**ominals

Sit-ups (with feet hooked)

Leg Raises

Chest

Dumbbell Bench Press (flat or inclined)

Push-ups

Lats

Straight Arm Pulldowns

Pullovers

Biceps

Standing Dumbbell Curls (hammer grip or supinated)

Incline Dumbbell Curls (hammer grip or supinated)

Triceps

Pressdowns (cable or band)

Lying Dumbbell Extensions

Delts

Standing Dumbbell Side Raises

Bent Over Dumbbell Side Raises

Forearms

Plate Wrist Flexion*

Plate Wrist Extension**

*Place a small plate in your hand with your fingers on one side and thumb on the other. With the palm supinated (facing up), flex your wrist.

**Same as above except the palm is pronated (facing down) and the wrist extends back.

I don't want you to worry about finding a certain percentage of your one rep max (1RM). If you do want to find it for the given exercise, I'd recommend 20% of that value, but I'm not requiring you to do so. As long as the load doesn't induce excess fatigue and as long as you stop well short of failure on every set, you'll benefit.

Now that we know the muscle groups and exercises, let's get to the rest of the details. I want you to perform 100 reps each day for the chosen exercise(s). (This is in addition to your regular workout, but I'll talk about that a little more later.) There are countless ways to do the 100 reps (I've tried them all), but I can honestly say there's no dramatic difference between any of them as long as you avoid muscular failure. In other words, don't do 100 reps continuously for one set each morning because the induced fatigue will halt your progress on your higher intensity weight-training workouts. Instead, avoid muscular failure like HIT trainees avoid German Volume Training! This is the most important point; you must never come close to muscular failure on any set.

Here are some rep breakdowns I found to be effective:

Method 1

Morning: 50 reps

Evening (about 12 hours later): 50 reps

Method 2

25 reps every fourth hour until you reach 100

Method 3

10 reps every hour until you reach 100

Let's say you want to use the 100 rep-a-day program for your biceps and calves. You have a desk job and can only do exercises in the morning and at night so you pick the first method. The two exercises you chose are standing dumbbell hammer curls and standing calf raises. Like most trainees, you don't want to take the time to find your 1RM so you grab some light dumbbells that you could curl 50 to 60 times before failure. You decide to just use your bodyweight for the calf raises off a step in your house. That plan looks good to me. Here's the breakdown:

Morning

Exercise: Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curls and Standing Two Leg Calf Raises

Sets: 1 set of each

Reps: 50 of each

Tempo: 2010 (two seconds up, no pause, one second down, no pause)

Evening (12 hours later)

Exercise: Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curls and Standing Two Leg Calf Raises

Sets: 1 set of each

Reps: 50 of each

Tempo: 2010

Frequency: Every day that's not part of your normal bicep/calf workout routine for eight weeks (or until necessary).

You should notice I prescribe a tempo that doesn't emphasize the eccentric (negative) phase. Don't discredit this very important point. I don't want the negative phase of the movement emphasized in any way. If it is, you could easily overtrain the muscles and induce muscle soreness, something we want to avoid.

You should perform this routine on a daily basis without decreasing the bicep and calf work during the higher intensity weight-training program you're already on. Perform the 100 reps on every day you don't do your normal calf and bicep work. For instance, if you normally perform your biceps/calf work on Monday and Thursday, do this program on the other five days of the week. Remember, these are extra endurance workouts and should not take the place of the resistance training program you perform each week in the gym.

Key Points

• Never work to failure on any of the 100 rep exercises.

• If your performance is suffering on higher intensity days, reduce load of 100 rep scheme (in other words, use less weight).

• Try to break up the 100 reps as much as possible throughout the day.

• Use bodyweight exercises as much as possible and avoid machines.

Now, with all this talk of nutrient transfer and recovery, I must make a very important point. Without proper nutrition, nothing works extremely well. Simply put, you need a steady supply of nutrients for nutrient transfer to take place! Therefore, get well acquainted with *****'s articles on protein consumption and proper nutrition.

What You Should Expect

As with any program, individual results will vary, but you should expect improved recovery of your regular weight training workouts (due to increased capillary density and nutrient transfer), greater muscular endurance and increased muscle mass due to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (i.e. growth of the interstitial fluid area).

Mr. America (1966), Bob Gajda, used a similar method to put a full inch on his lagging calves in only eight weeks. Due to my extremely poor calf recovery rates, I started performing 100 standing calf raises each day. After a few weeks, my improved recovery rate allowed me to perform high-intensity calf work every third day instead of every fifth. You can't beat that!

If, for whatever reason, the 100 rep-a-day plan doesn't induce hypertrophy for you, the newfound recovery rates and muscular endurance will allow you to perform your high intensity sessions more frequently. Remember, more workouts mean more progress!

About the Author

Chad Waterbury is a strength and conditioning coach with Bachelor of Science degrees in Human Biology and Physical Science. He operates his company, Chad Waterbury Strength & Conditioning, in Tucson, AZ, where his clientele ranges from members of military special forces units to non-athletes seeking exceptional physical performance and development. You can contact him through his website, ChadWaterbury.com.

References

1) Tesch, P.A., Thorsson, A. & Kaiser, P. (1984) Muscle capillary supply and fiber type characteristics in weight and power lifters. Journal of Applied Physiology, 56, 35-8.

2) Short- and Long-Term Histochemical and Biochemical Adaptations in Muscle. (1992). In The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine (Vol. 3, p. 242). Cambridge: Blackwell Science.

Yeah I have read this type of thing before, there is no doubt it will work for some people,
But for alot of people its not going do anything but overtrain them, everyone is different like i said before, so what works for the people who wrote this does not mean itl work for bob,larry, harry whoever.

By all means give it a blast see if u get anything from it, if u do brilliant uv got a new training method to add to your list, if not no worries ur not weak it just means u need another method that will work for u.

I myself cant train that way, tried it, i acctualy lost muscle from it, down to not resting enough, my muscles always fealt pumped and like they were never getting a break.
I stick with what works for me and damn does it work.

Interesting read though mate

**DSM4Life** · 10-29-2006, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by Chins

Alright the hell with it....here it is

100 Reps to Bigger Muscles
Breaking through size barriers with endurance training
by Chad Waterbury

If you want to look better with your shirt off or perform better athletically, there are two things you should be striving for: improved recovery and better muscle performance. This is a no-brainer and a primary reason for the huge success of steroids over the decades (steroids improve both recovery and performance). I've yet to meet one individual who thought his recovery was too rapid or his muscle mass was too great. So what sets two weight-training individuals with sub-par genetics apart from each other in terms of progression? Answer: recovery.

But what is recovery really and how is it facilitated? There are many complex aspects of recovery, but one of the most important is nutrient transfer. We all know that weight training increases blood flow to the muscles being worked. But do we ever really think about what that means or how to maximize it to help us reach our goals? Probably not, but that's what this article is for!

Alright, time for some very basic physiology. In regard to blood flow, the body has a network of extremely small blood vessels called capillaries. Their primary function deals with the exchange of oxygen, hormones, amino acids, glucose and lipids among other things. The exchange of certain nutrients at the capillary level is sometimes referred to as nutrient transfer. This blood flow through the capillaries remains relatively constant under resting conditions, but as soon as a muscle starts contracting, the blood flow is increased. It's with these extremely small capillaries that the muscles are supplied with all the nutrients they need for recovery. Pretty simple, huh?

Your capillary-to-muscle-fiber ratio is expressed as the term capillary density. Obviously, the more capillaries you have within the muscular system, the better the nutrient transfer. Unfortunately, increased fiber area (hypertrophy) through heavy resistance training leads to a decrease in capillary density (1). This could be one of the reasons why weightlifters with a large amount of muscle mass take longer to recover than their less massive peers.

Based on the above information, it's pretty clear increased blood flow within the muscle will increase nutrient transfer, thus aiding recovery. We also learned that heavy resistance training decreases capillary density by increasing the fiber area without a subsequent increase in capillaries. So, you're probably wondering if there's a way to increase capillary density? You bet there is. It's called endurance training!

In volume three of The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine: Strength and Power in Sport, world-renowned physiology researcher P.A. Tesch makes the following statement: "Numerous studies have demonstrated that the capillary supply, either expressed as capillaries per fiber or as capillaries per mm(squared), increases in response to endurance training." (2)

I know, I know, endurance training sounds about as pleasant to an avid iron-thrower as a 100-gram dose of soy protein. But it's a well-known fact that endurance training increases capillary density. Don't you worry though, 'cause this ain't no wussified version of endurance training! This method will help you improve recovery, gain muscular endurance and increase hypertrophy. If that sounds good to you, read on.

The 100 Rep-a-Day Program

Since I'm a strength and conditioning coach, I'm constantly faced with dilemmas involving performance improvement. Since I own my training company, I can pretty much experiment with whatever I want, whenever I want. Therefore, I've tried many crazy schemes over the years in attempt to help solve some of the problems we all face as weight trainers. Some have worked, most have not. But I'm going to share with you one of my best discoveries so far: The 100 rep-a-day program.

Here's how it works. First, decide which body part you feel is lagging the most (if you answer "all of them!" we have a problem). Hopefully, the incredible amount of information ***** has provided over the years has given you a good jump on your physical goals and aspirations. Let's say you pick calves and biceps. Yes, you can pick two muscle groups if they're small. For instance, if you feel your calves and biceps are lacking, then you're allowed to use the 100 rep-a-day program for both muscles simultaneously. If you choose a large muscle group like the chest or hamstrings, then use the program for those body parts independently. Here's a list for the sake of clarity:

Small body parts (pick two if you want)

Biceps

Triceps

Calves

Forearms

Delts

A**ominals

Large body parts (pick one only)

Quadriceps

Hamstrings

Pectorals

Lats

Glutes/Lower Back

Now that you've chosen the muscle group(s) you want to improve, pick a single exercise for the targeted muscle group(s). Obviously, the list is endless but I'd strongly recommend an exercise that requires very little equipment, if possible. Here are a few exercises I like to use but feel free to use whatever you want:

Calves

Standing Calf Raises (1 or 2 legged)

Donkey Calf Raises

Quadriceps

Bodyweight Full Squats

Bodyweight Low Box Squats

Hamstrings

Standing Leg Curl (with ankle weight)

Lying Leg Curl (with ankle weight)

Low Back/Glutes

Reverse Hypers

A**ominals

Sit-ups (with feet hooked)

Leg Raises

Chest

Dumbbell Bench Press (flat or inclined)

Push-ups

Lats

Straight Arm Pulldowns

Pullovers

Biceps

Standing Dumbbell Curls (hammer grip or supinated)

Incline Dumbbell Curls (hammer grip or supinated)

Triceps

Pressdowns (cable or band)

Lying Dumbbell Extensions

Delts

Standing Dumbbell Side Raises

Bent Over Dumbbell Side Raises

Forearms

Plate Wrist Flexion*

Plate Wrist Extension**

*Place a small plate in your hand with your fingers on one side and thumb on the other. With the palm supinated (facing up), flex your wrist.

**Same as above except the palm is pronated (facing down) and the wrist extends back.

I don't want you to worry about finding a certain percentage of your one rep max (1RM). If you do want to find it for the given exercise, I'd recommend 20% of that value, but I'm not requiring you to do so. As long as the load doesn't induce excess fatigue and as long as you stop well short of failure on every set, you'll benefit.

Now that we know the muscle groups and exercises, let's get to the rest of the details. I want you to perform 100 reps each day for the chosen exercise(s). (This is in addition to your regular workout, but I'll talk about that a little more later.) There are countless ways to do the 100 reps (I've tried them all), but I can honestly say there's no dramatic difference between any of them as long as you avoid muscular failure. In other words, don't do 100 reps continuously for one set each morning because the induced fatigue will halt your progress on your higher intensity weight-training workouts. Instead, avoid muscular failure like HIT trainees avoid German Volume Training! This is the most important point; you must never come close to muscular failure on any set.

Here are some rep breakdowns I found to be effective:

Method 1

Morning: 50 reps

Evening (about 12 hours later): 50 reps

Method 2

25 reps every fourth hour until you reach 100

Method 3

10 reps every hour until you reach 100

Let's say you want to use the 100 rep-a-day program for your biceps and calves. You have a desk job and can only do exercises in the morning and at night so you pick the first method. The two exercises you chose are standing dumbbell hammer curls and standing calf raises. Like most trainees, you don't want to take the time to find your 1RM so you grab some light dumbbells that you could curl 50 to 60 times before failure. You decide to just use your bodyweight for the calf raises off a step in your house. That plan looks good to me. Here's the breakdown:

Morning

Exercise: Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curls and Standing Two Leg Calf Raises

Sets: 1 set of each

Reps: 50 of each

Tempo: 2010 (two seconds up, no pause, one second down, no pause)

Evening (12 hours later)

Exercise: Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curls and Standing Two Leg Calf Raises

Sets: 1 set of each

Reps: 50 of each

Tempo: 2010

Frequency: Every day that's not part of your normal bicep/calf workout routine for eight weeks (or until necessary).

You should notice I prescribe a tempo that doesn't emphasize the eccentric (negative) phase. Don't discredit this very important point. I don't want the negative phase of the movement emphasized in any way. If it is, you could easily overtrain the muscles and induce muscle soreness, something we want to avoid.

You should perform this routine on a daily basis without decreasing the bicep and calf work during the higher intensity weight-training program you're already on. Perform the 100 reps on every day you don't do your normal calf and bicep work. For instance, if you normally perform your biceps/calf work on Monday and Thursday, do this program on the other five days of the week. Remember, these are extra endurance workouts and should not take the place of the resistance training program you perform each week in the gym.

Key Points

• Never work to failure on any of the 100 rep exercises.

• If your performance is suffering on higher intensity days, reduce load of 100 rep scheme (in other words, use less weight).

• Try to break up the 100 reps as much as possible throughout the day.

• Use bodyweight exercises as much as possible and avoid machines.

Now, with all this talk of nutrient transfer and recovery, I must make a very important point. Without proper nutrition, nothing works extremely well. Simply put, you need a steady supply of nutrients for nutrient transfer to take place! Therefore, get well acquainted with *****'s articles on protein consumption and proper nutrition.

What You Should Expect

As with any program, individual results will vary, but you should expect improved recovery of your regular weight training workouts (due to increased capillary density and nutrient transfer), greater muscular endurance and increased muscle mass due to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (i.e. growth of the interstitial fluid area).

Mr. America (1966), Bob Gajda, used a similar method to put a full inch on his lagging calves in only eight weeks. Due to my extremely poor calf recovery rates, I started performing 100 standing calf raises each day. After a few weeks, my improved recovery rate allowed me to perform high-intensity calf work every third day instead of every fifth. You can't beat that!

If, for whatever reason, the 100 rep-a-day plan doesn't induce hypertrophy for you, the newfound recovery rates and muscular endurance will allow you to perform your high intensity sessions more frequently. Remember, more workouts mean more progress!

About the Author

Chad Waterbury is a strength and conditioning coach with Bachelor of Science degrees in Human Biology and Physical Science. He operates his company, Chad Waterbury Strength & Conditioning, in Tucson, AZ, where his clientele ranges from members of military special forces units to non-athletes seeking exceptional physical performance and development. You can contact him through his website, ChadWaterbury.com.

References

1) Tesch, P.A., Thorsson, A. & Kaiser, P. (1984) Muscle capillary supply and fiber type characteristics in weight and power lifters. Journal of Applied Physiology, 56, 35-8.

2) Short- and Long-Term Histochemical and Biochemical Adaptations in Muscle. (1992). In The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine (Vol. 3, p. 242). Cambridge: Blackwell Science.

Nice read. I think i am going to try this. You have had good results ?

**Chins** · 10-26-2006, 06:34 AM

Yeah I done it and it did work. Like I said its not a normal regimine for me I just tried it once. But I still love the fact that some of the biggest strongest guys in the world do everything opposite of what most ppl on this board and in the industry say. Jail birds eat crappy jail food and train everyday and alot of them train the same bodyparts. Works for them

You are correct by saying everyone is diff though

**BigHuman** · 10-26-2006, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by Chins

Yeah I done it and it did work. Like I said its not a normal regimine for me I just tried it once. But I still love the fact that some of the biggest strongest guys in the world do everything opposite of what most ppl on this board and in the industry say. Jail birds eat crappy jail food and train everyday and alot of them train the same bodyparts. Works for them

You are correct by saying everyone is diff though

Mate id love nothing better then to be able to live on pizza hut and chocolate and still get massive.
But for me its just not going work
My mate Terry, we all call him Teroid as he takes a HUGE amount of gear, no cycles really, just injects all the time whatever he has got at that moment, so we call him Teroid!
Anyway he eats CRAP like 2 Big macs a day, and pizzas, and chinese take aways, and just instead of a meal a protein bar, yet he is RIPPED! he never puts on fat , ever, mind he is the worlds biggest poser and loves it.
But he can do that, lucky bugger!
But most cant.
So id love to be able to, but i gotta do it my way for it to work.
all interesting though

**IronZionLion** · 10-29-2006, 03:28 PM

Anyways! haha

How about doing this;

Barbell row 4 x 10
Lat pulldown 4 x 10
Deadlifts 4 x 8
Pull-up 4 x max (which won't be many each set 5-8)

Incline biceps curl 3 x 10
Hammer curl 3 x 10
Preacher curl 3 x 8
Barbell wrist curls / extensions 2 x 10 each

I know you said only to do 3 exercisies but the latter wrist curls don't take so much effort from the biceps so would be cool with this. I have however dropped the sets from 4 to 3.

Would you guy's recomend to do back or biceps first in my workout?

RA · 10-29-2006, 05:37 PM

All the advice can be given in the world and no one really knows what would be best for you personally. You have to do trial and error to see what works. I do bi's alone because genetically I have small arms. Theyre not bad now

**Chins** · 10-30-2006, 07:29 AM

I had some solid results. My biceps get real pumped and I never get sore from it and have great biceps workouts on bicep day. So it does not take away from my weekly bicep routines. My biceps have def 100% grown from this