Thursday, July 29, 2010

July 29 2 days to PowerShack Classic Biloxi

Leaving tomorrow to head on over to Miss. to the PowerShack Classic. Should be a great show. Hidi and Flex Lewis as well as some figure pros will be there and I heard today that Branch and his wife were showing up also!

Today did a 27 mile ride in the morning and then did another one at 2:30 in the afternoon, I got really hot and now I may have bit of heat exhaustion. I have been freezing all evening after my shave.

Anyway, pretty lean and hard and dry. Just finished up the last of my 2 gals of water for the day. Dropped the sodium today after my oats this morning which had a touch of salt.Tomorrow the plan is to only sip when thirsty and 2 oz. with every other meal. Going to be chewing alot of sugar free gum!

Weight right now is 204 which is 4 lbs lighter than my last show in June. I'm thinking I will drop a few more lbs tomorrow. I would love to be on stage at 200 and full. I got my secret ingredent on hand to blow back up if I flatten out, but I dont think I will since I dried very gradually this time around.

I know my main comp. He is a shredded 165lber! But winning this is not my objective. I did this show because (a) I got sponsored to do it and (b) this is my trial run for the AL State Aug 28th, which I already know is going to have a stacked over 50 class.

We'll see, I'll let ya guys know what happens.
__________________
Hammer, aka Mike, Michael, MC
www.hammerfitbody.net

Monday, July 26, 2010

July 26 5 days to Biloxi

Well yesterday was interesting to say the least! We woke up and both felt like holy dog crap! Apparently the 2nd leg blasting session for the week destroyed the metabolism because I could not get up off the sofa all day! And here it is 6 days out from a contest, I should be up posing and doing a shit load of cardio! I did get SOME cardio in and some piss poor effort of posing but when it was time for bed I was ready to give up on this show altogether. I was getting bigger, while restricting my calories even lower this past week and increasing the cardio! This just didnt make any sense. Something was bad wrong.

Well think we figured that one out. From some odd reason I was holding a lot of water. I can't explain it but I took some OTC diuretics before bed and spent the night hopping up and down to the bathroom. Woke up this morning 6lbs lighter and much tighter than when I went to bed. Game back on!

Just got to stick to the plan and hope for the best. Normally you would be already ready to go at this point but sense I was starting late into prep for this show, the plan had me ready at day "0" or not at all. So being heavy and bloated on day 7 freaked me out a bit.

Got it a beautiful 27 mile ride this morning before day break. Rode into a full moon into the woods. Very cool except for all the cobwebs hanging from the trees! Got back home before 7 AM and hit the oats and made my way to the gym, pounding water all the way there. Hit every body part at least twice in 2 circuits that lasted for 90 minutes non stop. Then got in 20 min on the stair stepper at a good clip. Posed for 10 min. and headed home to pound some more water.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

July 24 7 days out Last Leg Standing

Lisa went with me today to get in my last leg day before the Biloxi show. After a full week of balls to the walls training and over 12 hours of cardio this week I was not in a good place when we hit the door. But once the adrenaline gets going everything starts to fall in place.

We hit leg extensions, then got in a great squat session that ended w 315 x 12 slow and deep. Then hit some heavy to the bottom VSquats, BW unilateral squats, stiff leg deadlifts, unilateral leg curls, then circuits of glute machine/reverse hypers and reverse kickbacks.

Finished this torture with 20 mins of stair steps.

All that's left of the day is more water and some posing and REST!

July 23rd 8 days out Biloxi

Started off with a 27 mile cycling cardio. Then got in my oats and the "Lisa Special" morning protein shake, which is: 1 1/2 cups egg whites, 1 c raw spinach and 6 strawberries. Also had a chicken breast and a half of pot of coffee.

Hit the gym after a couple more meals and pounding down a gallon of water and posing practice.
Worked on chest (felt strong surprisingly) delts, lower back and 1 hour of cardio. The cardio nearly killed me: 20 min on level 9 stair step, 20 min on level 5 stair step and 20 min on treadmill. My energy level was def in the tank! Lisa wanted me to go do the chicken and egg white shopping but luckily for me, called me off at the last minute... Thank God, I did not want to deal with anyone in my state! Just need to go lie down....ha!

Got home and iced my knees and drank more water and posed alittle more. Everything is going as planned except for the lower back, I have been killing it and it won't move! In the morning tight, at night looks like shit! I hope that's just water!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

July 22 9 days out from Biloxi

Started off with a 27 mile cycling cardio moderate pace trying to keep it slow so not to burn up too much of the very little muscle I have developed in my legs! Every ounce of muscle is precious at this point. But have to get this cardio in to chisel on down to a good level.

Hit some supersets at home for back. Not much in the way of needing size there. Back is def my strong point. Need to get the lower back tighter. Working on that. Can you say Good Morning Mr Back and would you like some hypers with your kickbacks?

Jumping back on the bike to hit another 27 miles before my lady gets home. Just as soon as can get the inhibition of aldosterone secretion to slow down a bit! 2 1/2 gals water downed so far. I'll finish the third one of when I get back. 3 gals of water and eating celery seed extract like candy, don't think there will be much sleeping going on tonight!

First real serious posing session tonight. By serious I mean my biggest critic will be watching and critiquing every move.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

July 15 more training and cardio

Got a great 27 mile ride in this morning for cardio #1. It was nice and hot at 7AM and I felt like I burned some cals up. The trick to using my cycling as cardio is to go just hard enough to burn calories but not hard enough to burn up leg muscle.

Got home and fueled up on oats and egg whites and headed to PCola for some training. Hit the delts w 12 sets of laterals from various angles. Did alot of very strict pullups, cable pulls, DB rows and machine pulls. Then got in some Good mornings on the Smith Machine and reverse hypers and kickbacks for the lower back. Going to include them at the end of every workout until the show. Most people work their abs alot close to the shows. I'm doing the other side! I was born with good abs, all I have to do is diet and they pop. They're not perfect but not a weakness.

Following 30 min of HIIT on the step mill I posed in the cardio room in just my underwear and was pleased on how I looked even with the horrible lighting in there. The lower back is still an issue. But I think with 2 weeks of balls to the walls dieting and 2 cardio a day I'll shed that last little wrinkle and harden up.

Made plans today to go see my girls in Big A. Very excited I miss them so! Only bad news is the 6 hour drive drinking 2 gallons of water, will be interesting.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

17 Days Out From Biloxi

I'll start a bit of a journal here to establish what I'm doing with my prep for this upcoming show.
Just a little bit first of what has transpired to get me to this point. My contest goal this year was Steel World, and then the Master's Nationals in Pittsburgh July 22nd. But due to some financial contraints which just seem to keep perpetuating itself, Pittsburgh is no longer in the plans. So we picked the Alabama State for the "biggie" to do this year. The guy that won my class there last year was phenomenal so I am sure this will be a big challenge for me.

So got Steel World behind me and that was a learning curve that I must say I didn't particularly enjoy! I was in real good condition on Thursday before the show on Saturday. Then something went wrong. One thing I have learned about bodybuilding competitions is that until you have a lot of experience determining what prep techniques work best for you in particular, it is a crap shoot at best. I took my shot and missed! I must have missed timed the carbs, water, sodium or all of the above. But I learned from it. Documented everything I did in my journal and now I have a different plan! Who knows if it will work. Getting ready to find out the hard way.

So I started my 8 week prep for the AL State and in the middle of the prep, got offered a small sponsorship to do a show in Biloxi which just so happens to hit right smack in the middle of the 8 week prep. Not good! At first I balked and said, "that's just stupid!" Then after reflecting a bit, the reality is someone just offered to pay for my expensive hobby! On second thought, yeah lets do this! So with only 4 weeks to prepare I am off to making it happen, right or wrong.

I'm at 17 days out as the title says and I'm really playing catch up. When you are on a 8 week prep and you switch to a 4 week prep you better be in condition already and I wasn't bad at 4 weeks but not hard either. Now I've been crushing the training as I always do. But that's not the hard part. The hard part is to keep training like a mad man but cut your calories in half and start doing 1-2 hours of cardio a day in addition to what you were already doing!

So that gets you caught up to where we are today. Today's menu consisted of 50 grams of carbs, 400 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat and hopefully 2 gallons of water (days not over ) 1 1/2 hour cycling this morning, 2 hours in the gym working on arms, calves, glutes and lower back. And somehow I'm going to get my tired ass on the treadmill for another hour before bedtime.

My biggest assests are my arms and back. My biggest weakness are lack of hardness in my lower back, hamstring/glute tie-ins and lack of thickness in my legs. Nothing I can do about the legs but to keep pounding them hard with squats and lunges of all kinds. But I can work on getting them more separated for the show so that's where my focus is on legs: lots of BW single leg squats. Painful shit for sure but it works.

I've also incorporated some circuits that one of my friends showed me to help with the lower back, glute, hamstring areas and that seems to working as well. Circuit consists of glute machine with lots of weight and lots of reps, then reverse hyper extensions twisting at the top, then reverse kickbacks done on the roman chair. This will fry your lower back real quick. And if you want a hard ass, try this out!

Had some setbacks lately that just make me even more stubborn and willful which is a good thing when you are prepping for a show because your mind is all over the place when your carb depleting so any mental toughness you can muster, the better off you will be. Nothing earth shattering but envolved people that I depended on that for some odd reasons beyond my control just vanished or played stupid games that I have no patience for. Whatever, it's all good. I always said, only worry about the things that you can directly control. Fuck everything else. That's their problem.

Today weighed in at 204, one pound heavier than yesterday which I think is a good thing considering I had a great quad session yesterday. Maybe I picked up a half a pound of muscle? One can only hope! Until next time....Stay Strong!

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Friday, July 2, 2010

BodyBuilding/Strength Training Glossary

Abduction - Movement of a limb away from middle of body, such as bringing arm to shoulder height from hanging-down position. (Refer to Hip Abduction Machine for Hamstrings.)

Abs - Abbreviation for abdominal muscles.

Adduction - Movement of a limb toward middle of body, such as bringing arm to side from extended position at shoulder. (Refer to Hip Abduction Machine for Hamstrings.)

Amino acids - A group of compounds that serve as the building blocks from which protein and muscle are made.

Anaerobic Exercise - Exercise of much higher intensity than aerobic work, which uses up oxygen more quickly than the body can replenish it in the working muscles. Anaerobic exercise eventually builds up a significant oxygen debt that forces an athlete to terminate the exercise session rather quickly. Anaerobic exercise (the kind of exercise to which bodybuilding training belongs) burns up glycogen (muscle sugar) to supply its energy needs. Fast sprinting is a typical anaerobic form of exercise.

Antioxidant - Small compounds that minimize tissue oxidation and help con-trol free radicals and their negative effects.

Arm Blaster - Aluminum or fiberglass strip about 5" x 24", supported at waist height by a strap around neck. Keeps elbows from moving while curling barbell or dumbbells or doing triceps pushdowns.

Atrophy - Withering away - decrease in size and functional ability of tissue or organs.

Back-Cycling - Cutting back on either number of sets, repetitions or amount of weight used during an exercise session.

Bar - The steel shaft that forms the basic part of a barbell or dumbbell. These bars are normally about one inch thick, and they are often encased in a revolving metal sleeve.

Barbell - Weight used for exercise, consisting of a rigid handle 5-7' long, with detachable metal discs at each end.

Balance - A term referring to an even relationship of body proportions in a man's physique. Perfectly balanced phys-ical proportions are a much-sought-after trait among competitive bodybuilders.

Basic Exercise - A bodybuilding exercise which stresses the largest muscle groups of your body (e.g., the thighs, back, and/or chest), often in combination with smaller muscles. You will be able to use very heavy weights in basic exer-cises in order to build great muscle mass and physical power. Typical basic movements include squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. (You should also see the listing for Isolation Exercise.)

Benches - A wide variety of exercise benches is available for use in doing barbell and dumbbell exercise either lying or seated on a bench. The most common type of bench, a flat exercise bench, can be used for chest, shoulder, and arm movements. Incline and decline benches (which are angled at about 30-45 degrees) also allow movements for the chest, shoulders, and arms.

Biomechanics - Science concerned with the internal and external forces acting on a human body and the effects produced by these forces.

Body composition - The percentage of your body weight composed of fat compared to fat-free mass.

Bodybuilding - A type of weight training applied in con-junction with sound nutritional practices to alter the shape or form of one's body. In the context of this book, bodybuilding is a competitive sport nationally and inter-nationally in both amateur and professional categories for men, women, and mixed pairs. However, a majority of individuals use bodybuilding methods merely to lose excess body fat or build up a too thin part of the body.

Buffed - As in a "finely buffed finish" - good muscle size and definition, looking good.

Bulking Up - Gaining body weight by adding muscle, body fat or both.

Burn - A beneficial burning sensation in a muscle that you are training. This burn is caused by a rapid buildup of fatigue toxins in the muscle and is a good indication that you are optimally working a muscle group.

Calories - The unit for measuring the energy value of foods.

Carbohydrates - Organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxy-gen. They're a very effective fuel source for the body. The different types of carbohydrates include starches, sugars, and fibers. ('carbohydrates con-tain four calories per gram. Glucose-blood sugar-is a carbohydrate used by every cell in the body as fuel.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness - Physical fitness of the heart, circulatory system and lungs that is indicative of good aerobic fitness.

Cardiovascular Training - Physical conditioning that strengthens heart and blood vessels.

Cheating - A method of pushing a muscle to keep working far past the point at which it would normally fail to continue contracting due to excessive fatigue buildup. In cheating you will use a self-administered body swing, jerk, or otherwise poor exercise form once you have reached the failure point to take some of the pressure off the muscles and allow them to continue a set for two or three repetitions past failure.

Chinning Bar - A bar attached high on the wall or gym ceiling, on which you can do chins, hanging leg raises, and other movements for your upper body.

Cholesterol - A type of fat that, although most widely known as a "bad fat" implicated in promoting heart disease and stroke, is a vital component in the production of many hormones in the body. There are different types of cholesterol: namely, MDL and LDL (MDL being the "good" form and LDL being the "bad" form).

Circuit Training - Going quickly from one exercise apparatus to another and doing a prescribed number of exercises on each apparatus, to keep pulse rate high and promote overall fitness,

Clean - The movement of raising a barbell or two dumb-bells from the floor to your shoulders in one smooth motion to prepare for an overhead lift. To properly exe-cute a clean movement, you must use the coordinated strength of your legs, back, shoulders, and arms.

Clean diet - This refers to eating nutrient-rich, low-fat meals.

Clean and Jerk - Olympic lift where weight is raised from floor to overhead in 2 movements (see also SNATCH).

Clean and Snatch - One of 2 Olympic lifts where weight is raised from floor to overhead at arms' length in one motion.

Concentric - The lifting phase of an exercise, when the muscle shortens or contracts. For example, When you lift the weight in a bench press, pressing it from your chest to the lock-out position, that's the concentric, or "positive," phase of the exercise.

Curl-Bar - Cambered bar designed for more comfortable grip and less forearm strain.

Cut Up (or Cut) - A term used to denote a bodybuilder who has an extremely high degree of muscular definition due to a low degree of body fat.

Dead Lift - One of three powerlifting events (other two are squat and bench press). Weight is lifted off floor to approximately waist height. Lifter must stand erect, shoulders back.

Deficiency - A sub optimal level of one or more nutrients that are essential for good health, most often seen with vitamins. A deficiency can be caused by poor nutrition. increased bodily demands (especially from intense train-ing), or both.

Definition - The absence of fat over clearly delineated muscular movement. Definition is often referred to as "muscularity," and a highly defined bodybuilder has so little body fat that very fine grooves of muscularity called "striations" will be clearly visible over each major muscle group.

Delts - Abbreviation for deltoids, the large triangular muscles of the shoulder that raise the arm away from the body and perform other functions.

Density - Muscle hardness, which is also related to muscular definition. A bodybuilder can be well-defined and still have excess fat within each major muscle complex. But when he has muscle density, even this intramuscular fat has been eliminated.

Diet - Food and drink regularly consumed by a person, often according to specific guidelines to improve physical condition.

Dipping Bars - Parallel bars set high enough above the floor to allow you to do dips between them, leg raises for your abdominals, and a variety of other exercises. Some gyms have dipping bars which are angled inward at one end; these can be used when changing your grip width on dips.

Dip Belt - Large heavy belt worn around hips with chain at each end that can be attached to a barbell plate or dumbbell for additional resistance during certain exercises like dips.

Diuretics - Sometimes called "water pills," these are drugs and herbal preparations that remove excess water from a bodybuilder's system just prior to a show, thereby reveal-ing greater muscular detail. Harsh chemical diuretics can be quite harmful to your health, particularly if they are used on a chronic basis. Two of the side effects of excessive chemical diuretic use are muscle cramps and heart arrhythmias (irregular heart beats).

Double (Split Training) Routine - Working out twice a day to allow for shorter, more intense workouts.
Drying Out - Encouraging loss of body fluids by limiting liquid intake, eliminating salt, sweating heavily and/or using diuretics.

Dumbbell - Weight used for exercising consisting of rigid handle about 14" long with sometimes detachable metal discs at each end.

Easy Set - Exercise not close to maximum effort, as in a warm-up.

Eccentric - The lowering phase of an exercise, when the muscle lengthens. For example, lowering the weight to your chest during the bench press is the eccentric, or "negative," portion of the exercise.

Energy - The capacity to do work. Energy harnessed is power.

Endurance - Ability of a muscle to produce force continually over a period of time.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) - Fats our bodies can't make, so we must obtain them through our diets. These fats (which include linoleic and linolenic acid) are very important to hormone production, as well as cellular synthesis and integrity. Good sources of these fats arc flaxseed oil and safflower oil

Estrogen - Female sex hormone.

Exercise - Each individual movement (e.g., a seated pulley row, barbell curl, or seated calf raise) that you perform in your bodybuilding workouts.

Extension - Body part (i.e. hand, neck, trunk, etc.) going from a bent to a straight position, as in leg extension.

Failure - That point in an exercise at which you have so fully fatigued your working muscles that they can no longer complete an additional repetition of a movement with strict biomechanics. You should always take your post-warm-up sets at least to the point of momentary muscular failure, and frequently past that point.

Fascia - Fibrous connective tissue that covers, supports and separates muscles and muscle groups. It also unites skin with underlying tissue.

Fast-Twitch - Refers to muscle cells that fire quickly and are utilized in anaerobic activities like sprinting and powerlifting.

Fat - One of the macronutrients. Fat contains nine calories per gram; it has the most calories of MI the macronutrients. There are two types of fat-saturated "bad" fat and unsaturated "good" fat.

Fat free mass (FFM) - The part of the body not containing fat, including: bone, muscle, skin, organs, water, hair, Hood, and lymph.

Flex - Bend or decrease angle of a joint; contract a muscle.

Flexibility - A suppleness of joints, muscle masses, and connective tissues which lets you move your limbs over an exaggerated range of motion, a valuable quality in body-building training, since it promotes optimum physical development.

Flexion - Bending in contrast to extending, as in leg flexions.

Flush - Cleanse a muscle by increasing the blood supply to it, removing toxins left in muscle by exertion,

Forced Reps - Forced reps are a frequently used method of extending a set past the point of failure to induce greater gains in muscle mass and quality. With forced reps, a training partner pulls upward on the bar just enough for you to grind out two or three reps past the failure threshold.

Form - This is simply another word to indicate the biomechanics used during the performance of any bodybuilding or weight-training movement. Perfect form involves moving only the muscles specified in an exercise description.

Free Weights - Barbells, dumbbells, and related equipment.

Fructose - The main type of sugar found in fruit. It's sweeter than sucrose (table sugar).

Giant Sets - Series of more than 2 exercises done with little or no rest between movements and a rest interval of 3-4 minutes between giant sets. You can perform giant sets for either two antagonistic muscle groups or a single body part.

Glucose - The simplest sugar molecule. It's also the main sugar found in blood and is used as a basic fuel for the body.

Gluteals - Abbreviation for gluteus maximus, medius and minimus; the buttocks muscles.

Glycogen - The principal stored form of carbohydrate energy (glucose), which is reserved in muscles. When your muscles are full of glycogen, they look and feel full.

Gorging - This refers to eating large amounts of food at one meal, then waiting for many hours, maybe a full day, before eating again. This is also known as bingeing.

Grazing - This term refers to frequent feedings-eating small amounts of food often.

HDL - This stands for "high-density lipoprotein." It's one of the subcategories of cholesterol--typically thought of as the "good" cholesterol. You may be able to raise your HDL cholesterol levels by ingesting quality unsaturated fats like flaxseed oil.

Hypertrophy - The scientific term denoting an increase in muscle mass and an improvement in relative muscular strength. Hypertrophy is induced by placing an "overload" on the working muscles with various training techniques during a bodybuilding workout.

IFBB - International Federation of Bodybuilders, founded in 1946 - group that over-sees worldwide men's and women's amateur and professional bodybuilding.

Intensity - The relative degree of effort that you put into each set of every exercise in a bodybuilding workout. The more intensity you place on a working muscle, the more quickly it will increase in hypertrophy. The most basic methods of increasing intensity are to use heavier weights in good form in each exercise, do more reps with a set weight, or perform a consistent number of sets and reps with a particular weight in a movement, but progressively reducing the length of rest intervals between sets.

Isokinetic Exercise - Isotonic exercise in which there is ACCOMMODATING RESISTANCE. Also refers to constant speed. Nautilus and Cybex are two types of isokinetic machines, where machine varies amount of resistance being lifted to match force curve developed by the muscle.

Isometric Exercise - Muscular contraction where muscle maintains a constant length and joints do not move. These exercises are usually performed against a wall or other immovable object.

Isolation Exercise - In contrast to a basic exercise, an isolation movement stresses a single
muscle group (or sometimes just part of a single muscle) in relative isolation from the remainder of the body. Isolation exercises are good for shaping and defining various muscle groups. For your thighs, squats would be a typical basic movement, while leg extensions would be the equivalent isolation exercise.

Isotonic Exercise - Muscular action in which there is a change in length of muscle and weight) keeping tension constant. Lifting free weights is a classic isotonic exercise.

Judging Rounds - In the universally accepted and applied IFBB system of judging, bodybuilders are evaluated in three distinctly different rounds of judging, plus a final pose down round for only the top five competitors after the first three rounds have been adjudicated. In Round One, the competitors are viewed in groups and individually in seven well-defined compulsory poses; in Round Two, they are viewed semi-relaxed from the front, both sides, and back; and in Round Three, they perform their own uniquely personal free-posing routines to their own choice of music. Overall, this use of three rounds of judging and a pose down round results in a very fair choice of the final winners of a bodybuilding champion-ship.

Kinesiology - Study of muscles and their movements.

Knee Wraps - Elastic strips about 3½" wide used to wrap knees for better support when performing squats, dead lifts, etc.

Lats - Abbreviation for latissimus dorsi, the large muscles of the back that move the arms downward, backward and in internal rotation.

Law Of Nature - Use it or lose it.

LDL - This stands for "low-density lipoprotein" and is a subcategory of cholesterol, typically thought of as the "bad" cholesterol. Levels of LDL cholesterol can be elevated by ingestion of saturated fats and a lack of exercise.

Lean Body Mass - Everything in the body except fat, including bone, organs, skin, nails and all body tissue including muscle. Approximately 50-60% of lean body mass is water.

Lift Off - Assistance in getting weight to proper starting position.

Ligament - Strong, fibrous band of connecting tissue connecting 2 or more bones or cartilages or supporting a muscle, fascia or organ.

Linoleic acid - An essential fatty acid and, more specifically, an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid. Good sources of this fatty acid are safflower oil and soybean oil.

Linolenic acid - An essential fatty acid and, more precise an omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acid. It is found in high concentrations in flaxseed oil.

Lock Out - Partial repetition of an exercise by pushing the weight through only last few inches of movement.

Lower Abs - Abbreviation for abdominal muscles below the navel.

Mass - The relative size of each muscle group, or of the entire physique. Meal - Food that's eaten at one time. Each meal should contain a portion (which is the size of the palm of your hand or your clenched fist) of protein and a portion of carbohydrates.

Metabolic rate - The rate you convert energy stores into working energy in your body. In other words, it's how fast your "whole system" runs. The metabolic rate is controlled by a number of factors, including: muscle mass (the greater your muscle mass, the greater your metabolic rate), calorie intake, and exercise.

Metabolism - The use of nutrients by the body. It's the process by which sub-stances come into the body and the rate at which they are used.

Midsection - Muscles of abdominal area, including upper and lower abdominals, obliques and rectus abdominis muscles.

Military press - Pressing a barbell from upper chest upward in standing or sitting position.

Minerals - Naturally occurring, inorganic substances that are essential for human life, which play a role in many vital metabolic processes.

Muscle - Tissue consisting of fibers organized into bands or bundles that contract to cause bodily movement. Muscle fibers run in the same direction as the action they perform.

Muscle Head - Slang for someone whose life is dominated by training.

Muscle Spasm - Sudden, involuntary contraction of muscle or muscle group.

Muscle Tone - Condition in which a muscle is in a Constant yet slight state of contraction and appears firm.

Muscularity - An alternative term for "definition" or "cuts."

Negative Reps - One or two partners help you lift a weight up to 50% heavier than you would normally lift to finish point of movement. Then you slowly lower weight on your own.

NPC - The National Physique Committee, Inc., which administers men's and women's amateur bodybuilding competitions in the United States. The NPC National Champions in each weight division are annually sent abroad to compete in the IFBB World Championships.

Nutrients - Components of food that help nourish the body: that is, they provide energy or serve as "building materials." These nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water, etc.

Nutrition - The applied science of eating to foster greater health, fitness, and muscular gains. Through correct application of nutritional practices, you can selectively add muscle mass to your physique, or totally strip away all body fat, revealing the hard-earned muscles lying beneath your skin,

Non-Locks - Performing an exercise without going through complete range of motion. For example, doing squat without coming to full lockout position of knees or pressing a barbell without locking out elbows.

Obliques - Abbreviation for external obliques, the muscles to either side of abdominals that rotate and flex the trunk.

Olympian - A term reserved for use when referring only to a bodybuilder who has competed in the Mr. Olympia or Ms. Olympia competitions.

Olympic Barbell - A special type of barbell used in weightufting and powerlifting competitions, but also used by bodybuilders in heavy basic exercises such as squats, bench presses, barbell bent rows, standing barbell curls, standing barbell presses, and deadlifts. An Olympic barbell sans collars weighs 45 pounds, and each collar weighs five pounds.

Olympic Lifting - The type of weightlifting competition contested at the Olympic Games every four years, as well as at national and international competitions each year. Two lifts (the snatch and the clean and jerk) are contested in a wide variety of weight classes.

Onion Skin - Slang denoting skin with very low percentage of subcutaneous fat which helps accentuate muscularity.

Optimal nutrition - The best possible nutrition; distinct from merely adequate nutrition, which is characterized by no overt deficiency. This term describes people free from marginal deficiencies, imbalances, and toxicities, and who are not at risk for such.

Overload Principle - Applying a greater load than normal to a muscle to increase its capability
Partial Reps - Performing an exercise without going through a complete range of motion either at the beginning or end of a rep.

Peak Contraction - Exercising a muscle until it cramps by using shortened movements. Pecs - Abbreviation for pectoral muscles of the chest.

Plates - The flat discs placed on the ends of barbell and dumbbell bars to increase the weight of the apparati.

Plyometric Exercise - Where muscles are loaded suddenly and stretched, then quickly contracted to produce a movement, Athletes who must jump do these, i.e. jumping off bench to ground, quickly rebounding to another bench.

Portion - The amount of carbohydrates or protein one should eat with each meal. A portion is the size of the palm of your hand or your clenched fist.

Pose - Each individual stance that a bodybuilder does onstage in order to highlight his muscular development.

Pose Down - Bodybuilders performing their poses at the same time in a competition, trying to out pose one another.

Poundage - The amount of weight that you use in an exercise, whether that weight is on a barbell, dumbbell, or exercise machine.

Power - Strength + Speed.

Power Lifts - Three movements used in powerlifting competition: the squat, bench press and dead lift.

Power Lifting - A second form of competitive weightlifting (not contested in the Olympics, however) featuring three lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Power lifting is contested both nationally and internationally in a wide variety of weight classes for both men and women

Power Mindset - The state of being where you feel self-reliant, confident, and strong.

Power Training - System of weight training using low repetitions, heavy weights.

Progression - The act of gradually adding to the amount of resistance that you use in each exercise. Without consistent progression in your workouts, you won't overload your muscles sufficiently to promote optimum increases in hypertrophy.

Progressive Resistance - Method of training where weight is increased as muscles gain strength and endurance, the backbone of all weight training.

Proteins - Proteins are the building blocks of muscle, enzymes, and sonic hormones. They are made up of amino acids and are essential for growth and repair in the body. A gram of protein contains four calories. Those from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Those from vegetable sources contain some but not all of the essential amino acids. Proteins are broken up by the body to produce amino acids.

Pump - The tight, blood-congested feeling in a muscle after it has been intensely trained. Muscle pump is caused by a rapid influx of blood into the muscles to remove fatigue toxins and replace supplies of fuel and oxygen. A good muscle pump indicates that you have optimally worked a muscle group.

Pumped - Slang meaning the muscles have been made large by increasing blood supply to them through exercise.

Quads - Abbreviation for quadriceps femoris muscles, muscles on top of legs, which consist of 4 parts (heads).

Quality Training - Training just before bodybuilding competition where intervals between sets are drastically reduced to enhance muscle mass and density, and low-calorie diet is followed to reduce body fat.

Repetition (rep) - The number of times you lift and lower a weight in one set of an exercise. For example, if you lift and lower a weight 10 times before set-ting the weight down, you have completed 10 "reps" in one set.

Rep Out - Repeat the same exercise over and over until you are unable to do any more.

Reps - Abbreviation for REPETITIONS.

Resistance exercise - Working out with weights or using your body to resist some other force. This includes a wide spectrum of motion, from push-ups to dumbbell curls.

Rest Interval - Pause between sets of an exercise, which allows muscles to recover partially before beginning next set.

Rest Pause Training - Training method where you press out one difficult repetition, then replace bar in stands, then after a 10-20 second rest, do another rep, etc.

Rest period - The amount of time you allow between sets and exercises

Ripped - Slang meaning extreme muscularity.

Roid - Slang for ANABOLIC STEROID.

Routine - Also called a training schedule or program, a routine is the total list of exercises, sets, and reps (and sometimes weights) used in one training session.

Saturated fats - These are 4bad" fats. They are called saturated because they contain no open spots on their carbon skeletons. These bad fats have been shown to raise cholesterol levels in the body. Sources of these fats include animal foods and hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as margarine.

Set - Group of reps (lifting and lowering a weight) of an exercise after which you take a brief rest period. For example, if you complete 10 reps, set the weight down, complete eight more reps, set the weight down again, and repeat for six more reps, you have completed three sets of the exercise.

Spotters - Training partners who stand by to act as safety helpers when you perform such heavy exercises as squats and bench presses. If you get stuck under the weight or begin to lose control of it, spotters can rescue you and prevent needless injuries.

Slow-Twitch - Muscle cells that contract slowly, are resistant to fatigue and are utilized in endurance activities such as long-distance running, cycling or swimming.

Snatch - Olympic lift where weight is lifted from floor to overhead, (with arms extended) in one continuous movement (see also CLEAN AND JERK).

Spot - Assist if called upon by someone performing an exercise.

Spotter - Person who watches a partner closely to see if any help is needed during a specific exercise.

Straight Sets - Groups of repetitions (SETS) interrupted by only brief pauses (30-90 seconds).

Strength - The ability of a muscle to produce maximum amount of force.

Strength Training - Using resistance weight training to build maximum muscle force.

Stretching - A type of exercise program in which you assume exaggerated postures that stretch muscles, joints, and connective tissues, hold these positions for several seconds, relax and then repeat the postures. Regular stretching exercise promotes body flexibility.

Striations - Grooves or ridge marks seen under the skin, the ultimate degree of muscle definition.

Super Set - Alternating back and forth between two exercises until the prescribed number of sets is complete.

Supplement - This is a term used to describe a preparation such as a tablet, pill, or powder that contains nutrients.

Symmetry - The shape or general outline of a person's body, as when seen in silhouette. If you have good symmetry, you will have relatively wide shoulders, flaring lats, a small waist-hip structure, and generally small joints.

Tendon - A band or cord of strong, fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bone.

Testosterone - The male hormone primarily responsible for the maintenance of muscle mass and strength induced by heavy training. Testosterone is secondarily responsible for developing such secondary male sex characteristics as a deep voice, body hair, and male pattern baldness.

Thick Skin - Smooth skin caused by too much fatty tissue between the layers of muscle and beneath skin.

Training Straps - Cotton or leather straps wrapped around wrists, then under and over a bar held by clenched hands to aid in certain lifts (rowing, chin-ups, shrugs, dead lifts, cleans, etc.) where you might lose your grip before working muscle to desired capacity-

Training to Failure - Continuing a set until it is impossible to compete another rep without assistance.

Traps - Abbreviation for trapezius muscles, the largest muscles of the back and neck that draw head backward and rotate scapula.

Tri Sets - Alternating back and forth between 3 exercises until prescribed number of sets is completed.

Unsaturated fat - These are 'good' fats. They are called unsaturated because they have one or more open spots on their carbon skeletons. This category of fats includes the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic. The main sources of these fats are from plant foods, such as safflower, sunflower, arid flaxseed oils.

Upper Abs - Abbreviation for abdominal muscles above navel.

Variable Resistance - Strength training equipment where the machine varies amount of weight being lifted to match strength curve for a particular exercise-usually with a cam, lever arm or hydraulic cylinder. Also referred to as "ACCOMMODATING RESISTANCE."

Vascularity - Increase in size and number of observable veins.

Vitamins - Organic compounds that are vital to Tile, indispensable to bodily function, and needed in minute amounts. They are calorie-free essential nutrients. Many of them function as coenzymes. supporting a multitude of biological functions.

Warm-up - The 10-15-minute session of light calisthenics, aerobic exercise, and stretching taken prior to handling heavy bodybuilding training movements. A good warm-up helps to prevent injuries and actually allows you to get more out of your training than if you went into a workout totally cold.

Weight Class - In order for bodybuilders to compete against men of similar size, the IFBB has instituted weight classes for all amateur competition. The normal men's weight classes are 70 kilograms (kg), 154 pounds (lbs); 80 kg, 176 lbs; 90 kg, 198 lbs; and over 90 kg. In a minority of competitions, particularly in the Far East, one additional class 65 kg, or 143 lbs is also contested.

Weight Training Belt - Thick leather belt used to support lower back. Used while doing squats, military presses, dead lifts, bent rowing, etc