I remember interviewing Olympic athletes back in 2008 and being astonished by their 6- and 7-day per week plans, consisting of multiple hours pounding their muscles each day.

So much for worrying about more than 60-minutes of exercise turning your muscles into cortisol drained mush, right?

Your biceps respond best to specific, high-tension techniques that usually require nothing more than your body weight.

During my “famous” Dwight Freeney (the tire workout) interview, the All-Pro defensive end crushed his workout for 2 hours.

When interviewing and spending time with True Blood star and Evolution author Joe Manganiello, I learned that the shredded actor consistently pushed his body 6 days per week.

While most people don’t have the time (or desire) to train frequently, it’s one of the most misunderstood aspects of training.

You can achieve great results pushing your body with full body routines three days per week. You can also do it with bodyweight exercises. Or you can do it with more frequent, but shorter sessions. The secret lies in the execution, says strength coach Chad Waterbury. 

To offer a different approach to building your biceps, let Waterbury be your guide to a better understanding of how to program your training frequency—and discover a unique way to bigger arms. -AB

The 4-Step Biceps Builder

By Chad Waterbury

Helping people add mass to their most stubborn muscle groups has been my passion since I started training professionally in 1996. For the first five years of my career I trained my clients using a mix of low reps with heavy weights and high rep sets to failure.

That’s what most trainers did back then, and still do today.

However, my approach to building muscle changed in 2001 after I went to see the Cirque du Soleil show, Mystere, in Vegas. As I was watching the now-famous Alexis Brothers perform their incredible feats of strength, I couldn’t help but be astonished by two things.

First, they had two of the best physiques I’d ever seen: an ideal combination of muscle, symmetry and cuts. Second – and this is most important – I was shocked when I looked at their weekly schedule.

Those two dudes were performing their mind-blowing strength performance 10 times per week.

I didn’t care if they were using every pharmaceutical that Tijuana had to offer. What they were doing defied all the “laws” of training and recovery I learned in college, textbooks and articles.

That’s when I had what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity (thanks Pulp Fiction): I was going to start training my client’s most underdeveloped muscles more frequently each week.

That strategy changed everything for me; however, it was a long road of many failed attempts to figure out just how often a guy or gal with average genetics could stimulate a specific muscle or their entire body while avoiding burnout.

The High Frequency Training Plan

By 2012 I had accumulated enough experience with frequent training to write my first book on the subject, High Frequency Training (HFT).

My overall approach with HFT was pretty straightforward. You’d choose an exercise such as the pull-up and perform a total number of reps per day (e.g., 50), regardless of how many sets it took. Then you’d add one rep to that total and continue the plan for 6-8 weeks.

It worked well and many guys built up their biceps while the gals finally got the glute size they wanted. But, based on the feedback from a wide range of people around the world, that approach still didn’t work as well for some muscles as I’d hoped.

So I continued to endlessly experiment with higher frequency training plans. Part of my evolved strategy was to look at athletes that built proportionally large muscle groups from their sport. Cyclists have impressively muscular thighs, and gymnasts that do the rings have the best biceps on the planet.

These are their strengths. But for many people, these body parts are weaknesses. So my approach focused on taking what works from the best, modifying, and creating a structured plan to build up any weak body part using a frequency model of training.

The 4-Step Biceps Blast

Since it’s a common area of focus, let’s use the biceps as an example. First, unless you’re genetically gifted (congrats to those who won that lottery), my experience has taught me that most people struggle to build their arms from high rep training. If they did, every collegiate rower would have massive guns.

But maybe more importantly, it’s that people don’t know how to activate the muscles in your biceps. Everyone knows how to flex, but that’s not what happens when we start cranking away at curls.

Body language takes over. Your shoulders and back help move the weight. And the next thing you know, you cranked out an awesome set, only to see arms that look just like they did on rep 1.

Maybe you got a pump, but within an hour your arms are back at their original size.

Second, simply training heavy won’t work, either. There are plenty of guys with average-sized pipes that can curl a lot of weight. Your biceps respond best to specific, high-tension techniques that usually require nothing more than your body weight.

Here’s one biceps-building technique that uses what I call an Iso-Squeeze Countdown. One great exercise for this technique is the inverted row.

Here’s the 4-step plan that will turn the inverted row into powerhouse biceps builder.

Step 1: Assume the starting position with your arms straight and hands 10 inches apart with an overhand grip (palms facing down).

Step 2: Pull your body up to the peak contraction position, hold it, and squeeze your biceps as hard as possible for 3 seconds. Then, immediately do 3 full range of motion reps. Rest for 10 seconds.

Step 3: Pull your torso back up to the peak contraction position and squeeze your biceps intensely for 2 seconds, followed by 2 full range of motion reps. Rest another 10 seconds.

Step 4: Again, pull your torso up to peak contraction, squeeze your biceps with as much tension as you can muster for one full second, then do just 1 full rep.

That short but intense protocol, when performed for the right number of sets and frequency throughout the week is just one of the three ways I stimulate new growth in your most underdeveloped muscle groups. For example, I would combine that movement with an antagonist (opposite muscle) exercise, such as a pushup, and follow the same protocol. Superset just 2 sets of this combination, and then combined with a frequency model of training, you’ll be on your way to faster results.

Targeted Muscle Building and Strength

What could you accomplish if you were matched with some of the best fitness coaches in the world? Now you can find out what that experience is like. Welcome to the next level. CLICK HERE to see how you can be paired with a Born Fitness coach.

READ MORE: 

The Tension Weightlifting Technique: How to Make Every Exercise More Effective

3 Rules for Building Bigger Arms

Are Toned Arms Genetic? (And Why Arm Workouts for Women are Flawed)

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post The 4-Step Biceps Builder appeared first on Born Fitness.

Beginnings suck.

Sure they are exciting — in theory — but learning a new skill or practicing a new habit can be incredibly frustrating. With time, practice, and lots of effort, you see rapid improvements and rewards for your relentlessness.

When it comes to building muscle, oftentimes the opposite is true. When first start training you seem to gain size like you were born to be a bodybuilder, or you drop fat as if those 4-week magazine promises are actually a reality.

Then a funny thing happens: you become better at lifting and yet most of the time the progress slows down. Sometimes almost completely.

Sure, you add some weight to your lifts or learn some new exercises, but you end up feeling like your body is muscle-resistant.

What gives?

In the most basic sense, you’re completely normal. Plateau is a natural part of body transformation.

At a higher level, you’re digging your own grave by ignoring a few simple rules. You see, you need to add in specialization that targets your weak points and gives them no choice but to change into what you desire.

To bust past your plateau and start gaining muscle fast, you usually have to stop following the same traditional methods and become more innovative with your workouts.

Remember, muscle growth is primarily the result of three factors: muscle tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage. That means just adding weight is not enough. You need to challenge your muscles in ways that force them to grow. 

Having a hard time gaining muscle or jumpstarting a lack of progress? Good, you’re not alone. But with a specialized approach, as pointed out below by muscle-building specialist Bryan Krahn, you can jumpstart almost any stagnant plan.

Adding Muscle: The New Rules of Specialization for Size

In the simplest sense, you want gains. New muscle. More size. Something you can look at in the mirror and think, “Awesome, my body changed.”

To make that happen, select a body part and then make it a focus for at least 4 to 6 weeks. Follow the rules below, and you will see the type of changes you want, but be forewarned: it will require quite a bit of extra effort.

• Design: Yes, there is a time and place for body part trainng. One body part or muscle group (chest, back, legs, arms, etc) at a time.
• Sets: 40-50 sets per week
• Frequency: 2-4 sessions per week. Spreading the weekly volume over more training days typically works better.
• Rep range: All of them! 4-6, 8-15, 12-25. Even sets of 50. The only range to avoid would be sets of 3 or less, especially if frequency is on the high end. Save that for a dedicated functional hypertrophy phase.
• Exercises: All of them. Compound lifts are great but isolation work earns its stripes during a specialization phase. Also include both unilateral and bilateral movements.

The Muscle-Building Difference

Variety is a strong hypertrophy driver, so during specialization phases I like to program exercises that I haven’t used consistently in two years at least.

This doesn’t mean making up silly exercises – just switching from wide-grip barbell curls to medium grip. Buy Bill Pearl’s book The Keys to the Inner Universe. You’ll find plenty of options

Intensity Techniques

If your workout just consists of the, “same old, same old” you probably won’t notice much difference, although the added frequency will probably cause a spark. This is about creativity that makes your muscles feel alive.

Add in techniques like mid-rep pauses, peak contractions, accentuated stretches, drop sets, super sets, and compound sets. Just not all in the same workout. More is more…up to a certain point. So take a technique or two, and then add it to your workout.

Oh yeah, and one of thing: Avoid techniques like forced reps or negative reps.

But What About The Other Body Parts?

Think maintenance. Use full body workouts with basic, compound exercises performed with perfect technique while leaving a few “reps in the hole.” This will provide a solid training effect and make you feel like you’re actually doing something worthwhile. Which you are — reinforcing great technique.

Duration

Use this approach for 4-6 weeks max. You need to reduce volume to allow supercompensation to occur. It’s also wise to return to more “normal” training before embarking on another specialization phase.

For example:

• 4-6 week arm-specialization
• 1-2 week unloading (reduce your volume)
• 4-8 week “normal” training
• 4-6 week leg specialization

Note: Never do back-to-back specialization phases for the same muscle group. It doesn’t work.

What does this look like? Read more about Krahn’s specific strategies, and understand why you’re too boring to build muscle.

It addresses many of the common issues of stalled progress, and provides a path to make sure you keep growing.

A Different Approach to Muscle

Tired of the same results? At Born Fitness, we like to show you a different way. Learn more here.

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post The New Rules of Specialization: How to Add Muscle Mass appeared first on Born Fitness.

Should I take BCAAs for muscle growth and why?

Ever since I wrote a book about intermittent fasting, the level of intrigue about BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) hit a new level. I have no one to blame but myself.

I admitted that when I train “fasted” I like to have BCAAs before my workout.

BCAAs are good, but be aware that adding more aminos on top of hitting your protein goals is not likely to spark extra muscle magic.

Unfortunately, this was translated as: BCAAs improve muscle gains, so I should drink them. A lot.

Much like protein dosing, the story of BCAAs is that more is not necessarily better. And in some cases, taking them separately as part of your diet and supplement plan might not even be needed at all.

What Do BCAAs Really Do?

You, see, BCAAs are a collection of three amino acids with a side chain that is branched. They are leucine, isoleucine, and valine (usually in a 2:1:1 ratio).

Leucine itself is known to be an “anabolic factor” and signal for muscle protein synthesis, when calories or protein is low, this anabolic signal appears to help prevent muscle loss or even promote muscle gain.

Naturally, it would make sense to take BCAAs. But your needs depend more on how much protein you’re eating during the day.

You see, while BCAAs tend to be high in leucine, so are all complete protein sources.

So whether you’re chugging down a protein shake or chomping on a steak, you’re taking in BCAAs and a pretty significant dose of leucine.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Most research on BCAAs compares the consumption of the magical three ingredients to low- or no-protein intake at all.

In those scenarios, yes, you want to pump those BCAAs to help prevent muscle loss or even spark muscle gains. So if you’re struggling to eat enough, BCAAs are a great option. But in the few studies that do compare BCAAs to adequate protein there really wasn’t any difference.

Do You Need Extra BCAAs?

What does it all mean? Consume enough protein and there’s no need to worry about purchasing extra BCAAs, which tend to be rather expensive, especially compared to whey.

If you’re eating your protein, the speed of absorption and the amino acid amounts take on secondary importance. Why? The total amount of protein you eat is what matters most in terms of what your body needs to grow bigger, stronger muscles. 

The exception to the rule occurs when you’re dieting or eating fewer calories.

Some research does suggest that taking in more BCAAs might help you preserve your muscle as you drop fat.

It’s not that the BCAAs are better than protein, per se, it’s simply a calorie saving move.

While many BCAA products appear to be “calorie free” don’t be fooled. (This is an FDA loophole where anything that has less than 5 calories per serving doesn’t need to be listed.) One gram of BCAAs is 4 calories. So 10 grams of BCAAs is 40 calories, compared to a 30-gram scoop of protein powder (with a similar amount of BCAAs) would be 120 calories.

At the end of the day, your muscles need and want BCAAs for growth or holding onto muscle when losing weight. But how you receive your BCAAs—from foods, protein powders, or straight BCAA supplements—is ultimately up to your preference and bank account.

Just don’t expect that adding more aminos on top of hitting your protein goals will spark extra muscle magic.

READ MORE: 

Why Creatine is Even Better Than You Thought

The Curious Case of Why People Fear Protein

Fix Your Diet: Understanding Proteins, Carbs and Fats

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post BCAAs: Effective Dose for Muscle Growth and Fat Loss appeared first on Born Fitness.