Bodynet informatie database.

[Bigdude]

Leuke info om zo eens door te lezen

[Aldo Raine]

German Volume Training.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMRyrD-AnZM

[Aldo Raine]

Informatie griptraining, powerlifting.

1. 4 Tips To Help Build Better Weight Lifting Routines

Do you build weight lifting routines like you fill your plate at a food buffet?
You know what I mean: picking and choosing splits, exercises, sets and reps based on what you’re hungry for on that given day.
If so, it’s time to stop this nonsense and start writing better workouts. The following 4 tips will help you structure more effective weight lifting routines.

Build Better Weight Lifting Routines

Tip #1 – Use Only 2-3 Ball Busting Lifts Per Session

What are ball busting exercises? Big movements like squats, deadlift, bench press, barbell rows, over head presses, cleans, still leg deadlifts, close grip bench presses, dips, good mornings, front squats, leg presses, pull ups, etc.
Start each workout with 2-3 of these challenging movements before moving on to less intense work.
If you aren’t using 2-3 of these lifts, then something is wrong. Shying away from the best possible compound exercises is a fast way to derail your gains.
Try to perform the most challenging movement first.

Tip #2 – No More Than 4 Training Days Per Week

If you are training properly, with the right amount of hard work and resistance, then you won’t need to train more than 4 days per week to reach your goals. In fact, if you are training properly, then you most likely won’t want to train more than 4 days per week.
If you are one of these guys that believes “more is better”, you need to set that mindset aside quickly. Most of the top beginning to intermediate workouts in the weight training realm advise 2-4 weight training sessions per week.
This is not to say that if you are an advanced lifter that you should never workout more than 4 days per week. I am not speaking to highly experienced lifters here.
Hit the gym, work hard, and head home to eat and rest. Do this several times per week and you will build muscle and strength at a rapid pace.
Lastly, it should be noted that while younger trainees may be able to workout more frequently, and may recover more quickly, this doesn’t guarantee that adding more workouts will increase gains.

Tip #3 – Balance Your Exercise Selection

Very rarely do I see inexperienced lifters using balanced workout routines.
What is a balanced routine? It means you are either working the body as a whole in a balanced manner, or working individual body parts in a balanced manner – taking muscle size into consideration, obviously.
Most trainees overwork the chest, while under-working shoulders and back. It is very common for novice lifters to hammer the chest with 3-5 compound movements, while only hitting the shoulders with one compound lift – and this shoulder exercise is usually an inferior one, like the Smith machine overhead press.
These types of unbalanced training programs also usually go easy on the back. Back exercises often include some moderately taxing lat pull downs, and maybe some light dumbbell or Hammer strength rows.
We haven’t even touched on the average lifter’s obsession with biceps and abs training.
To keep your weight training routines balanced, use about the same number of compound exercises and working sets for chest, back and shoulders. Also, don’t overwork smaller muscle groups such as biceps and abs. It’s simply not needed.

Tip #4 – If You Can’t Do It In 75 Minutes, Don’t Do It

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that workouts over 75 minutes are catabolic. That’s not the point of this tip. With that said, workouts that run over 75 minutes are usually bloated.
If you can’t destroy yourself in the gym in 75 minutes or less, then you probably aren’t pushing hard enough, or you’re taking too much rest between sets.
If the number of exercises you have crammed into your workout makes you exceed the 75 minute mark, then you’re probably trying to do too much. Probably. This is a general guideline, and not a carved in stone rule.
I recommend planning your compound movements first, per tip #1. After this point, fill in your training days with as many assistance exercises as you desire, as long as you are not training over 75 minutes per day.
Keeping your workouts around 60-75 minutes forces you to prioritize, and avoid workout bloat – such as trying to do 30 sets for biceps.

Recap – How To Build A Workout

In summary, use the following guidelines to help you structure a reasonable, effective and balanced workout:

1. Train no more than 4 days per week.
2. Train 60-75 minutes per day maximum.
3. Use 2-3 heavy, taxing lifts per workout.
4. Balance your training.

1. A Surefire Way To Increase Your Grip Strength

We all know that it is imperative to have a strong grip when lifting weights or in daily life to have the ability to grip objects safely. But what is the best way to produce gains in strength for this area?
The forearm muscle group is the one responsible for grip strength. There are several functions of the forearm muscles including gripping objects, curling the fist upward and lifting the hand backward in a reverse motion. Therefore, we have to train each of these areas for complete forearm development.
To build gripping and crushing strength, pinch grip a barbell plate on the outside rim and hold it off the floor for as long as you can. Increase the weight as strength gains permit. To do this safely, hold the plate over a floor that is protected by gym padding and leave an open area in case you happen to drop the weight.
Another great tool is a gripper. Use a quality, professional one like Iron Grips or one of the other brands available in a weight lifting store and avoid the ones being sold in department stores as they don’t give sufficient resistance and wear out quickly. Since forearm muscles are used to high reps squeeze the gripper for 20-30 reps per set. Do one set using an overhand grip, one using an underhand grip and one with an extended, or straight grip.
A tennis ball is a great tool to use to build crushing strength. Squeeze the ball as hard as you can for 15 seconds then release. Do a total of 15 reps per hand.
To increase your curling strength, use a barbell or dumbbell to do wrist curls, curling the weight up as far as you can. Repeat for 15 reps. Use a reverse wrist curl to build up the outside portion of your forearm. Reverse barbell curls are a nice alternative to reverse wrist curls and train the attachment between the forearm and biceps muscles.
A great exercise to build up overall forearm strength is wrist roller wind-ups. Use a handle with a rope attached. Clip a weight plate to the end of the rope and wind up the rope until it is fully wound. Let the plate back to the floor and repeat. Do three complete wind-ups.
A sample workout for complete forearm and grip development is:

o Plate pinch grips- 3 pinch grips per hand
o Gripper squeezes-1x 25 each underhand, overhand, straight grip
o Tennis Ball Squeezes- 1x 15-15 seconds each hand (alternate hands)
o Reverse Wrist Curls- 1x 15 reps
o Wind-Ups- 3x complete cycles

At first you’ll love this tip, then you might hate this tip. Let me explain.
Most of us want more grip strength. It becomes frustrating when a dumbbell starts to slip during rows, or we fail to hit a deadlift PR (personal record) because our grip gave out.
And we’re not supposed to use straps, right? That seems to be the general consensus on most lifting forums.
But guess what? This is wrong. Yes, you heard me correctly. Using straps is one of the best ways to improve your grip strength. Here’s why.
Most people don’t know this but back strength plays a major role in how long you can hold on to something. Simply stated, when your back can’t handle a given weight any longer, your brain signals your grip to let go.
What does this mean? The stronger your back is, the better your grip strength will be.
The stronger your back is, the better your grip strength will be.
Using straps allows you to perform better during rows, pull ups and deadlifts. You can hold the bar for nearly as long as you’d like. For some back exercises, such as rows, straps may allow you to use quite a bit more weight.
The more weight you use, the faster you gain back strength. The more reps you can do, the faster you gain back strength.
Straps are not a crutch. They are a tool to help you build back strength as rapidly as possible. This will result in greater grip strength.
Why did I say you might hate this tip?

6. It’s not solution that can improve your grip strength overnight.
7. You’ll run into many people who don’t understand the synergy between back strength and grip strength, and they will try to convince you that straps will only weaken your grip.

My Back Strength, My Grip Strength

Until 2007 I avoided straps. Just like you, I thought they would make my grip weak.
So for 21 years I struggled with dumbbell and barbell rows. The most I was ever able to one-arm dumbbell row without straps was 120 pounds by 10 reps. Barbell rows…well, I was just pathetic.
I have small German hands, and struggle with lifts that require me to use a double overhand grip. To give you an example of this, I started deadlifting in 2007 and couldn’t pull 315 with a double overhand grip because it would slip.Avoiding straps only made my grip issues worse. My back stayed weak, so my grip stayed weak. Then something interesting happened.
In 2008 I picked up a pair of Versa Gripps. Versa Gripps are a fancy set of lifting straps. They lock down faster and tighter than cloth straps.
Instantly I was able to use more than 120 pounds for dumbbell rows. By 2010 I was able to perform a one arm dumbbell row of 265 pounds for 10 reps. Also during this time I was moving up to 405 on barbell rows with reasonably strict form.
When I began using Versa Gripps I also started deadlifting exclusively using a double overhand grip. Two months ago I was able to achieve a 700 pounds deadlift for 2 reps off of a 3 inch block.
The point in all this is simple. In 2007 I thought my back was strong, but it wasn’t. These days I know my back is strong.
People give me a hard time for using straps, but you know what? When it comes time for me to deadlift without them, my grip is firm and never gives out. Not as of yet, anyway.
I was able to attempt a 700 pound deadlift on the powerlifting platform without any grip issues whatsoever.
So to summarize…in 2007 I had grip issues. I allowed my grip strength to limit my back strength. When I started using straps, my back strength went up, and as a result, my grip strength improved.
Even if straps did nothing to help my grip strength, which some may argue, they still helped me to deadlift 700 pounds. Without them my back strength would have remained sub-par, and I may never have pulled over 500 pounds.

Final Words On Grip Strength

I think it’s safe to say that most of you are not powerlifters. You will never need to showcase your grip strength on the platform.
There’s a good chance you simply want to get as big and strong as possible. Therefore, you have no reason to avoid wearing lifting straps. You have nothing to lose and only good things to gain.
Not only will they give you a bigger and stronger back, but they will also help to increase your grip strength.


1. 6 Powerlifting Tactics Which Will Transform Your Training

The old cliché goes that bodybuilders are too busy rubbing their bodies in baby oil and squeezing themselves into a thong to build any real, functional strength while powerlifters are fat, lazy morons who are to dunderheaded to understand how to eat properly.
Of course, the real idiots are those stupid enough to buy into any of this sort of “bodybuilding vs powerlifting” trash talk. Any accusations of bodybuilders being weak are summarily blown out of the window by . Equally, anyone who thinks that powerlifters are fat and badly conditioned obviously never laid eyes on Matt Kroczaleski’s ab-tacular physique.
The reality is, as the two scenes have become increasingly fractured, both sports have been robbed of the many benefits they can offer each other. As this article shows, there is so much bodybuilders can learn from powerlifters, so incorporate some of these 6 tactics into your training regime and see for yourself how you can benefit from powerlifting know-how.

#1 Develop a Balanced, Functional Musculature

One of the main focuses of bodybuilding is creating a perfectly balanced, symmetrical physique. Symmetry and aesthetic balance are still the central pillars of the sport, even in our era of mass monsters.
Muscular balance is also incredibly important in powerlifting, but instead of the focus being on looks, powerlifters train for balance in terms of functional musculature which will support and strengthen joints and lifts. This approach to balance is something which bodybuilders would benefit from taking on board, in addition to training for aesthetic symmetry.
By developing balanced, functional strength and supporting muscles (which may not even be visible) bodybuilders will become markedly stronger and their joints will be better supported, meaning that they are much less likely to injure themselves.
Injury can derail any bodybuilder’s training, and is responsible for ruining many careers, but this sort of functional balance will dramatically reduce the incidence of injury.
As an added bonus, developing this sort of balanced strength will be reflected with a more balanced, symmetrical physique! So it’s truly win-win.
Some ideas for good exercises to build supporting strength include:

Hip Thrusts

Sumo Deadlifts

Seated Band Abductions

#2 Incorporate GPP into Your Workouts

GPP (General Physical Preparedness) was a mainstay in many of the strength training regimes that came out of the Eastern Bloc during the cold war. In recent years it has been enthusiastically adopted by legendary powerlifting trainer Louie Simmons.
In a nutshell, GPP combines various exercises to develop athletic ability, agility and real world, functional strength in powerlifters. GPP includes exercises like:

o Sled running
o Strong man techniques like farmers’ walks and stone lifts
o Rope work
o Gymnastic drills
o Hitting stuff with sledge hammers (a personal favourite)

Crucially, GPP diversifies training sessions, meaning that overworked areas of the body are given a much-needed chance to recuperate and repair.
For bodybuilders, however, the benefits are even greater. As well as building overall, functional strength which will translate into less injuries, heavier lifts and better form in the gym, GPP training also gives bodybuilders an opportunity to condition themselves and get lean without arduous, boring cardio sessions.
All of the exercises listed above build explosive power and strength, and are massively hypertrophic as well as cardio-intensive. In a way it’s sort of like a hyper-macho (and much more fun) version of HIIT. The best part is, the sheer variety of GPP workouts you can do will mean that you’ll never get bored.

#3 Static Holds

Static holds are used by powerlifters to break through plateaus and gain massive amounts of strength. These strength gains are possible because static holds get rid of the hardest part of a full ROM rep, meaning that you can lift much higher weights, therefore overloading your muscles.
Powerlifters usually use the exercises on compound lifts, but bodybuilders can put it to best use on isolation exercises which will encourage hypertrophy.

#4 Recovery

Although bodybuilders lift enormous volumes of weight, the sheer individual loads powerlifters shift means that they need to take rest and recovery extremely seriously if they want to continue to progress.
However, bodybuilders tend to take a cavalier attitude towards their recovery. Overtraining is one of the biggest mistakes many amateur bodybuilders make, and as well as short-term negative effects on muscle gains, in the long-term it can cause injuries and damage the central nervous system.
However, by taking on board some of the active recovery tactics powerlifters employ, bodybuilders can continue to push themselves as hard as they need to, without risking overtraining.
Acupuncture, sports massages and cryotherapy can all be used to expedite recovery, and although massages and acupuncture can be costly, saving up to afford just a couple of sessions a year can make a big difference at key times.
The aforementioned Louie Simmons is a big advocate of using foam rollers for myofascial massages, which increase blood and nutrient flow to the muscles and connective tissues, thereby stimulating growth and accelerated repair. I have found foam rollers help me recover from DOMS much quicker and eliminate a lot of stiffness and soreness in bigger muscles like the glutes and quads.
You can easily buy foam rollers in any sports shop, as well as through online retailers, but you can pick them up at a discount

here.
#5 Feed Your Joints

Supplementation and nailing micronutrient intake is also an important part of recovery. Bodybuilders will always have their macro-nutrient intake nailed, but many neglect their intake of essential vitamins and micronutrients.
Glucosamine and chondroitin have been

medically shown

to help tendons and connective tissues repair, and when combined with MSM, magnesium and vitamin C, will give your joints the boost they need to keep up with your training.
The most effective dosages reported in the medical research studies is 1,500 mg Glucosamine and 1,200 mg Chondroitin sulfate per day. Make sure that whichever product you buy gives you these dosages, spread out over 2 to 3 pills daily. Personally, I recommend the 3-in-1 glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM pill from

Myprotein.
#6 The Power of Partials

Powerlifters have long been using partial movement exercises to bust through plateaus and strengthen joints and tendons. By only performing around ¼ of the full ROM on power lifts, lifters are able to use much heavier weights than usual – somewhere in the 120-130% one rep max range.

This is primarily used to strengthen tendons and other connective tissues, but it also puts huge loads on the muscles, resulting in significant strength and mass gains.
It is also worth mentioning the elephant in the room of strength sports, too: steroid use. Because muscles grow much, much faster than tendons when on steroids, many steroid users frequently bust their joints whilst on cycles. Partial training is essential for steroid users to strengthen and thicken their tendons.

The extra load you’ll be lifting with partials can also “shock” your muscles into hypertrophy and add kgs to your normal lifts, which in turn will result in lean mass gains.

By incorporating these 6 lifts into your normal bodybuilding training, you can diversify your training, reduce the risk of injury and become much, much stronger – resulting in a more symmetrical, thicker physique. Best of all, learning from other iron sports, be that strongman, Olympic lifting or powerlifting can give bodybuilders a whole new perspective on training and strength.
6 Powerlifting Tactics Which Will Transform Your Training, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

[east1977]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMRyrD-AnZM

Dat is toevallig hier was ik juist van het weekend over aan het lezen.

[rain]

Interessant.

9 Reasons why women should not train like men

[talalelh15]

Had hem inderdaad ook gezien, zat te twijfelen om hem te delen. Haalt een aantal goede punten naar boven.

[akito]

Interessant.

9 Reasons why women should not train like men

Nu in het goede topic: Wejo artikel dat in punt 8 wordt aangehaald is wel een aanradertje om te lezen!

[rain]

Hebben we jarenlang geadviseerd aan vrouwen om hetzelfde als mannen te trainen, blijkt het toch iets ingewikkelder te zijn.
Al zie je maar dat de sport continue evolueert.

[rain]

Had hem inderdaad ook gezien, zat te twijfelen om hem te delen. Haalt een aantal goede punten naar boven.

Is Victor Mooren ook jouw vriend toevallig?

[talalelh15]

Is Victor Mooren ook jouw vriend toevallig?

ahah nee menno henselmans, de auteur, wel . Toevallig he?

[Aldo Raine]

The Complete Guide to Biceps Training

Here's what you need to know...

• In order to maximize the size of your biceps peak and arm circumference, you can't overlook the brachialis.
• The brachialis literally pushes the biceps up as it gets bigger, making the biceps appear taller.
• The key to maximizing recruitment of the brachialis is to do elbow flexion with a neutral or hammer grip.
• Err toward the slower side of rep speed vs. a quicker tempo in order to maximize the stress placed on the brachialis.
• The biceps has two distinct heads and it's possible to emphasize one head or the other. Doing barbell curls with a narrower grip will emphasize the long head; wider-grip curls emphasize the short, inner head.
• Curling the bar to the nose will force the long head of the biceps to contract across both ends, providing a peak contraction.
• To jumpstart biceps growth, hit them hard on three nonconsecutive days per week for six weeks.

Don't Forget the Brachialis!

You can't begin to maximize the size of your biceps peak and arm circumference without also addressing the underlying and often-overlooked brachialis.
Like the biceps, the brachialis is an elbow flexor. Due to its position under the biceps, it literally pushes the biceps up as it gets bigger, making the biceps appear taller. Likewise, a well-developed brachialis increases the overall circumference of the upper arm.
If that's not enough, the brachialis is also visible on the side (lateral aspect) of the arm, as when doing a rear double biceps pose. You've gotta be pretty lean to be able to see the brachialis, but even if you've got some chub over it, your arm will still look thicker if your brachialis is properly developed.
In short, you really need to have a thick brachialis if you want bodybuilder-looking guns. But how do you go about accomplishing that?

Hammer It

The key to maximizing recruitment of the brachialis is to do elbow flexion with a neutral grip, often called a hammer grip in bodybuilding circles. This shifts the stress away from the biceps brachii and onto the brachialis.
For the record, this will also hit the brachioradialis quite well. Although it's visually more of a forearm muscle, it's also an elbow flexor and you of course want it to be developed, too.

Related:  More on training the brachialis

If there's one exercise for the brachialis that's like squats are for quad development, it's the dumbbell hammer curl. To execute it, simply curl the dumbbell up while keeping the grip portion of the dumbbell in alignment with your humerus.
This puts your wrist in that neutral position, which is simply half way between supination (palm up) and pronation (palm down). If you get confused, just think about the wrist position you'd use to grab a hammer.
In addition to the dumbbell hammer curl, you could also do neutral-grip barbell curls if you're lucky enough to have access to one of those old school bars with the vertical handles.
Likewise, the rope hammer curl is a great option. Simply attach a rope – like you'd typically use for rope pushdowns – on a low pulley and off you go. Reverse curls are also a valid option, even though they target the brachioradialis a bit more.
To synopsize, the following movements target the brachialis:
1. Dumbbell Hammer Curl
2. Neutral-Grip Barbell Curl (using "French curl" bar)
3. Rope Hammer Curl
4. Reverse Curl
Don't worry about having to use a variety of hand positions and/or arm angles to stimulate it, though, because the brachialis only has one head and doesn't cross the shoulder joint. But, as with any muscle, you should use a variety of rep ranges to maximize hypertrophy.

Brachialis Rep Speed – Slower is Better

Another thing to keep in mind when you want to maximize recruitment of the brachialis is repetition speed, specifically the eccentric (aka negative) portion of the repetition.
One study found that doing the eccentric component more slowly increased activity of the brachialis, while decreasing activity of the biceps brachii.
This is thought to be because the brachialis tends to have more slow-twitch fibers than the biceps. Likewise, the brachialis plays a bit more of a stabilizing role and the biceps are more for faster, explosive movements.
Although the aforementioned study isn't perfectly applicable (they were doing supinated elbow flexion and comparing a 10-second vs. 2-second negative), it's still a good idea to err toward the slower side of rep speed vs. a quicker tempo in order to maximize the stress placed on the brachialis.
As for number of exercises, doing one brachialis-targeting exercise as part of your biceps routine is sufficient. However, if you're like many people who have an underdeveloped brachialis, then consider doing at least two neutral-grip elbow flexion exercises every other biceps workout.

On to the Biceps!

The biceps brachii has two separate heads, the long head and the short head. The long head is situated on the lateral aspect while the short head is on the medial aspect.
You can think of the long head as the "outer" bicep, which would be seen when doing a rear double biceps pose, and the short head as the "inner" bicep, visualized when hitting a front double bi.
Because the muscle has two distinct heads, it's possible to emphasize one head or the other during curls. For example, doing barbell curls with a narrower grip will emphasize the long head more, while wider-grip curls emphasize the short, inner head more.
The long head of the biceps crosses the shoulder joint so there are a couple other techniques you can use that will arguably hit it a bit harder, one of which is to pre-stretch the long head, as with incline dumbbell curls.
Much like overhead triceps extensions emphasize the long head of the triceps, starting the dumbbell curl with your humerus hyper-extended (as it is in the starting position of an incline curl) will pre-stretch the long head and force it to work a bit harder.
Although the effect isn't quite as significant as it is with overhead triceps extensions, it's still worth doing, even if for no reason other than providing another type of stimuli.
You can also make the long head contract more. Since the long head crosses the shoulder joint, it plays a role in shoulder flexion. So instead of keeping your humerus along your side during the entire curl, bring your elbows forward a bit as you approach the top, fully-contracted portion of the curl.
Take the barbell curl, for example. Curl the bar to your nose. That will force the long head of the biceps to contract across both ends, thus providing a really nice peak contraction.

Maximizing Your Peak

Without a doubt, the overall shape of your biceps is largely determined by genetics, so thank or blame your parents accordingly.
However, the long head does have more of a propensity toward being more highly peaked than the short head. Therefore, if you want to maximize the peak of your biceps, it's worth doing an exercise or two that emphasizes the long head.
You can target the long head via:

• Narrow-Grip Curl, best done on a cambered/EZ bar
• Incline Dumbbell Curl, and/or Barbell Curl to nose

Speed, Sets, & Frequency

Remember, slower curls emphasize the brachialis and faster curls hit the biceps a bit more. With that in mind, it makes sense to do some of your curls with a quicker tempo.
We do want to keep your biceps attached to their tendon and that tendon attached to your radius, so don't get all crazy here! Still, keeping the eccentric portion of the curl between one and two seconds (versus longer) is a good idea to maximize biceps recruitment.
As for the number of sets you should do for biceps, it depends largely on how intense the sets are and how often you're going to train biceps.
Take most non warm-up sets to, or very near, concentric failure, hitting biceps about every 5-7 days. Given those parameters, doing about 9-12 sets (not counting light warm-up sets) in a biceps and brachialis workout is about right if you really want to maximize growth. Divide those sets across 3-4 different exercises to provide a variety of stimuli to the elbow flexors.
If you're going to implement intensity-boosting techniques like forced-reps and/or negatives, you should err toward fewer sets so you can still recover optimally. Generally, save these techniques for special occasions to avoid overtraining.

The Rapid Growth Plan

Even though a general recommendation is to work biceps every 5-7 days, one of the best ways to jumpstart biceps growth is to train them more often for brief periods of time. Hitting bi's on three nonconsecutive days per week (i.e., Mon, Wed, Fri) for about six weeks tends to work really well.
Although I'd encourage you to try high-frequency biceps training, you need to make a couple of modifications for it to work. For starters, only do two exercises (typically three sets each), during each of these thrice-weekly workouts. Next, stop a rep or two short of failure.

Reps

In bodybuilding, regardless of the body part, it's pretty much always advisable to hit a variety of rep ranges and even rest periods.
Keeping in mind that your number of reps and amount of rest between sets should be inversely proportional, here are a couple of examples of different rep ranges/rest periods:
5 x 5 with 120 seconds rest
3 x 8-12 with 75 seconds rest
4 x 12-15 with 30 seconds rest
The first scenario maximizes the mechanical tension placed on the biceps, which does a great job causing protein synthesis and neuromuscular improvements.
The last maximizes metabolic fatigue and the blood volumization response, leading to hypertrophy of "stuff" other than actin and myosin. And the 3 x 8-12 is that sweet spot right in the middle.

Related:  5 Insane Biceps and Triceps Workouts

Because your goal is size, you want to stress – and induce hypertrophy of – all the various components of the muscle cell. Therefore, variety truly is key here.

Reference

Kulig, K, et. al. The effects of eccentric velocity on activation of elbow flexors: evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2001.

[Aldo Raine]

Fat Loss & High-Protein Breakfast

Here's what you need to know...

• Bulletproof coffee, a homemade blend of coffee, MCT oil, and butter, has plenty of calories in it, but very little nutrients and no protein.
• Meal skippers get fatter over time. When the skipped meal is breakfast, fat storage is accelerated.
• The more we eat later in the day, or the later we eat in the day, the more likely it is that our meal will be converted to fat instead of muscle.
• Other than an increased risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome, breakfast skippers also have a 27% higher risk of coronary heart disease.
• Eating a high-protein breakfast increases a chemical in the brain that's associated with food reward, while a low-protein breakfast causes cravings for sweet foods that gets worse throughout the day.
• A high-protein breakfast has a profound effect on the neurotransmitters that control hunger, brain function, and overall energy levels.

How to Store Body Fat Faster

America seems to be in the grips of yet another cultish diet trend. It involves replacing breakfast with coffee, MCT oil, and butter.
They call it "bulletproof coffee." Users claim better mental clarity, higher productivity, and less hunger mid morning. Personally, I call it "skipping breakfast."
If you look hard, you can find some good things associated with this trend. People are eating more fat and less sugar and embracing butter again. The drawbacks are that it's making people undernourished and fatter with less muscle.
Regardless of whether you've tried this butter-laced coffee or even heard of it, having a crappy breakfast or worse yet, skipping it, is a bad tactic any way you look at it.

Related:  Protein Will Not Make You Fat

Unless you've been living under a rock, you understand that six meals a day is no longer the gold standard. We can survive, thrive, and make gains without carrying around a cooler packed with organic, free-range turkey that's had a shiatsu massage every day of its short life.
We won't instantly atrophy and turn into a 60-year old sarcopenia patient because we only managed to get 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight yesterday.
However, research has made it quite clear that meal skippers put on more weight and body fat over time, while eating less food overall. More importantly, when the skipped meal is breakfast and it's over-compensated for at dinner, that fat storage is super-charged.

The Big Breakfast

Like most things, our insulin sensitivity has a natural circadian flow. Skeletal muscle is most sensitive in the morning and experiences a gradual decline throughout the day.
Take a look at the blood sugar levels following 50 grams of glucose ingested at 9 AM compared to 3 PM and 8 PM.
That's a walloping difference! Conversely, fat tissue is least sensitive in the morning and rises throughout the day.
That means that the more we eat later in the day, or the later we eat in the day, the more likely it is that our meal will be converted to fat instead of muscle. Late day eating is also associated with a slower metabolic rate, decline in glucose tolerance, and less carbohydrate oxidation.
A 2013 study in the journal Obesity compared a big breakfast (700 of 1400 calories at breakfast) and big dinner (700 of 1400 calories at dinner) protocol in a group of overweight and obese women for 12 weeks. The big breakfast group lost more weight and inches and had better improvements in fasting glucose and insulin levels.
Interestingly, they also reduced triglycerides by 33.6%, while the big dinner group saw an increase of 14.6%!
When revisiting the circadian clock of insulin sensitivity, this shouldn't come as a surprise. The calories consumed at dinner were primed for storage in fat tissue, while the calories consumed at breakfast were primed for storage in muscle tissue.

The Abysmal No-Protein Breakfast

Back to bulletproof coffee. There are plenty of fat and calories in it, but very little nutrients and next to no protein.
The equivalent number of calories in 1 serving (400-450) of this coffee blend equates to approximately 4 eggs, but the eggs have 25 grams of protein and up to 50 times the nutrients.
Sure, the drink can keep you satiated until lunch, but is the goal of eating to eat less and stay full, or to nourish the body?
Despite the caloric influx, one could argue that bulletproof coffee is equivalent to skipping breakfast. And I think you'd agree that a meal with 1 gram of protein isn't a meal.
Furthermore, it results in higher 24-hour blood glucose levels (average of +6), and increased food intake later in the day.
All of this boils down to breakfast skippers having an increased risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome from hyperglycemia and elevated fat storage, along with a 27% higher risk of coronary heart disease.
This is likely the result of an increased conversion of food to fat – the body kind (adipose tissue) or the blood kind (triglycerides) – and higher levels of AGEs (sticky proteins and lipids in the blood).

The Almost-As-Abysmal Low-Protein Breakfast

Although we shouldn't be eating to "get full" when we consume an inadequate amount of protein at any meal (breakfast especially), low protein increases our risk of making bad decisions.
For instance, evidence in the Nutrition Journal found that eating protein at breakfast (13 grams or 35 grams) increases a chemical in the brain that's associated with food reward.
Conversely, a low or no protein breakfast causes cravings for sweet and savory foods to continue to rise throughout the day.
The tendency to reach for instant high-calorie satisfaction is also elevated based on blood sugar irregularities. As mentioned, skipping or eating a low or no-protein breakfast raises our 24-hour fasting glucose levels, which makes us more susceptible to blood sugar crashes.
Multiply that by a few days and the next thing you know you're leaving work early to crush a Baconator.

The True "Bulletproof" Breakfast

We see better fat loss, increased satiety between meals, significant reductions in fasting glucose and insulin levels, and superior improvements in body composition and insulin sensitivity in those that consistently consume the majority of their calories in the morning.
These results are multiplied when that breakfast is big and high in protein.
One of my favorite studies is from the International Journal of Obesity that divided young students into 3 groups:
1. Skip Breakfast 0 grams
2. Normal Protein 18 grams
3. High Protein 48 grams
As expected, the high-protein group reported more satiation and less hunger at varying test times throughout the day.
But what was most interesting is that the normal protein group ate the same amount at lunch as the breakfast skippers, while the high protein group ate less.

Related:  5 High-Calorie Breakfasts for More Muscle

A high-protein breakfast produces a gradual and sustained increase in blood sugar, which means a consistent nutrient supply to the brain and the muscles. This not only keeps us satisfied longer, but also has a profound effect on the neurotransmitters that control hunger, brain function, and overall energy levels.
So let's forget about things like bulletproof coffee and get back to embracing a big, protein-rich breakfast.
If you want coffee, fry up your leftover steak in butter, cook your eggs in coconut oil, and drink a big pot of black coffee on the side.
Better yet, down that coffee with a hit of 35 percent-fat heavy cream and some cinnamon to keep levels of blood sugar low. That's what I call bulletproof!
It not only provides far more nutrition, but it leaves you more satiated, just as stimulated, and feeding muscle instead of fat.

[Aldo Raine]

The Best Grips for the Big Lifts

Here's what you need to know...

• Using a false (open hand) grip when benching makes you stronger and reduces shoulder strain.
• In the military press, the best position is where the forearms are directly under the barbell with a full grip (hand closed around the bar) instead of a fingertip grip.
• For the push press, it's imperative you use a full grip and that the bar rest on your body in the starting position.
• For the jerk, the elbow position and grip type (finger tip vs. full grip) is determined by your mobility and levers.
• Deadlift with a double overhand (both hands pronated) grip. A mixed grip can lead to injuries and imbalances.
• If the double overhand deadlift grip doesn't work for you, learn the hook grip.

It's All About The Grip

We devote millions of pixels to discussions on how to position the body when benching, overhead pressing, or deadlifting, but very little attention is ever given to the proper grip. And the grip determines the success of every lift.

1. The Bench Press



Use a false grip.
A false grip refers to an open-hand grip when holding the barbell. It allows you to place the bar a bit lower in your hand – more directly over the forearm bones – and rotate the elbows in a bit more easily.
This will make you stronger and reduce shoulder strain. It also makes it easier to keep the elbows tucked in so that you can rely more on the triceps.
And yes, it's true, not securing the barbell by wrapping the thumb over the bar might be a bit more hazardous. But in all my years of coaching, I've never seen anyone drop a barbell because of a false grip.
Practice caution, of course, but once you get used to it there won't be any problem.

2. The Overhead Press



The way you hold the bar at the start of the movement depends on the lift you're performing – press, push press, or jerk.
A jerk is not a push press with a split. Neither is a push press a cheated military press. These are three different lifts.
The problem is that since all three involve moving a bar from your shoulders to overhead, it's easy to see them as three "levels" of the same action.
In the military press the goal is to use only the arms to press the bar to the fully extended position overhead.
In the push press the goal is to use a leg drive to get the bar moving from your shoulders. It's only when the bar reaches about eye level that the arms become the only things moving the bar. The arms do participate to the initial thrust, but they take over only once the momentum from the leg drive reaches its maximum.
In the jerk the goal is to bring the bar just high enough to be able to get under it. For most technically efficient lifters, "just high enough" means just above the forehead – maybe a bit higher for a power jerk. In that lift, the role of the arms is not to press the barbell up, it's to push the body down.
I mention this because the role of the arms and the body determine which grip is the best to use.

Military Press



In the military press it's all arms, so what you're looking for is the grip/rack that puts the arms in the best position to push the barbell up.
Just as it is with the bench press, the best position is to have the forearms directly under the barbell. More precisely, it means that the elbows should be under the bar.
And since you want to have maximum force transfer from the arms to the bar, you want to use a full grip – hand closed around the bar – as opposed to just holding the barbell on your fingertips.
Related:  More on the fine points of the overhead press

Many lifters prefer to keep the barbell resting on their shoulders when pressing this way, but it's not something that all lifters can do. Granted, having the bar resting on the "shoulder shelf" created by the deltoids can be useful by decreasing the amount of force the arms must produce to hold the bar in place.
Still, if you have a choice between doing military presses with the elbows under the bar with a full grip or the bar on the shoulder with the elbows more upward and/or the bar on your fingertips, always go with the first option.
Where you hold the bar is, of course, a matter of mobility, but also lever length.
Someone whose lower arm is longer than the upper arm will naturally position the bar about 1 inch above the shoulders, for example. That's fine. It's important not to force the bar onto the deltoids for the military press. Instead, focus on keeping the elbows under the bar and the bar as close to you as possible.

Push Press



The push press is actually a weird animal because you want to put the arms in a position to push hard on the bar, but you also want to be able to transfer leg drive to the bar.
For the push press, it's imperative that the bar rest on your body in the starting position. You still want to use a full grip for maximum pressing power and keep the elbows as low as possible (as close to being under the barbell as possible), but we want the barbell to be supported by the body to some extent.
Some lucky people can have the barbell fully supported by the deltoids while keeping a full grip and elbows down. Others will only be able to put the bar on their collarbone while keeping a full grip and will have to move the elbows up a bit. That's fine.

The Jerk



In the jerk we want maximum leg drive and force transfer to the barbell, and we also want to do the dip and drive while staying as upright as possible. This means that the barbell should be fully supported on the shoulder shelf created by the deltoids.
The elbow position and grip type – finger tip vs. full grip – is determined by your mobility and levers. In an ideal world you'd be able to have the bar on the shoulder shelf with a full grip and elbows pretty close to being under the barbell, but you don't even see all elite lifters jerking this way.
A lot of lifters have to raise their elbows up significantly to keep the bar on the shoulder shelf and some – normally those with a short lower arm – will have to use a fingertip grip.
These two elements (elbows higher and fingertip grip) make the jerk more complex. Having the elbows higher means the lifter will have to make some readjustments to get the bar fixed overhead. If the elbows are directly below the bar, you just have to lock out your elbows as the arms are already in line.
Using a finger-tip grip means that once you propel the bar overhead, you have to re-grip it with a full grip in mid-air while you're going under the bar. It's not impossible to do, but it does make the lift more difficult. Regardless, plenty of great lifters pull it off with little to no problems.
Proper grip and forearm positions for the jerk. From left to right: ideal grip, lifter with shorter lower arm, and fingertip grip:



Grip Width for Overhead Pressing

There isn't one perfect grip that will fit everyone. On one hand, a wider grip reduces the range of motion you have to press and it also makes it easier to reach the proper finish position for those with tight shoulders.
However, it also places the arms (especially triceps) in a weaker position, which will be especially apparent at the start of the movement.
A narrower grip – where the forearms are perpendicular to the ground – puts the arms in a stronger position to press, and you'll be stronger from the start.
However, it does increase the range of motion and might make it hard for those with poor shoulder mobility to bring the bar behind the ear line at the top of the movement.
When doing a strict press, my preference lies in using a grip where the forearms are perpendicular to the floor during the whole movement. This means a narrower grip with the index finger just outside the edge of the shoulder. Only go wider if you have trouble reaching the proper finish position.
In a push press, I like to go a bit wider because I don't need as much pushing strength from the start and the shorter range of motion makes it possible to use much heavier weights. My push press grip is about 1.5" wider (on both sides) than what I use for a military press.

3. The Deadlift



First, do not use a mixed grip while deadlifting!
I once trained a female powerlifter who developed a pretty severe back problem due to using a mixed grip – one hand pronated, one supinated. This grip is much stronger than a regular double overhand grip because it prevents the bar from rolling in your hands and opening the fingers up.
However, this type of grip can lead to some serious imbalances. When pulling this way you'll always have a tendency to twist slightly as you rise up. To be more specific, the side of the supinated hand will tend to rotate forward while the side of the pronated hand will rotate backwards.
While this won't be a problem if you only use the grip once in a while, you risk developing an imbalance that could lead to injuries if you do all of your deadlifts this way.

Related:  Take Your Deadlift From Suck to Sick

That's why I recommend deadlifting with a double overhand (both hands pronated) grip. That's of course a weaker grip than the mixed one, which isn't necessarily a bad thing since you'll strengthen your grip by training this way.
If, however, you continue to have trouble holding onto the barbell, I suggest that you learn the hook grip.



A hook grip involves trapping your thumb between the barbell and your first 2-3 fingers. It will be painful the first few times you try it, but once you master it, it's much stronger than a regular grip and, from personal experience, just as strong as the mixed grip, if not stronger.

[rain]

Dat je met de brachialis oefeningen de 'biceps peak'kan vergroten ,klopt.
Maar is het niet zo dat je dan al eerst wat biceps massa moet hebben?
Wat er niet is ,kan je ook niet omhoog krijgen.
Hiermee zeg ik niet dat hammercurls voor beginners onnodig zijn, maar ze lijken mij nuttiger voor degenen die al wat massa ontwikkeld hebben.

[akito]

Dat je met de brachialis oefeningen de 'biceps peak'kan vergroten ,klopt.
Maar is het niet zo dat je dan al eerst wat biceps massa moet hebben?
Wat er niet is ,kan je ook niet omhoog krijgen.
Hiermee zeg ik niet dat hammercurls voor beginners onnodig zijn, maar ze lijken mij nuttiger voor degenen die al wat massa ontwikkeld hebben.

Zou zelf als beginner sws niks voor biceps doen. Chin-ups en deadlifs will do the job en anders gewoon een barbell curl indd.