The movie industry has provided many indispensable lessons, but among the most important is a simple truth: nothing beats the classics. After all, many of today\u2019s best movies are remakes from those that succeeded in the past or sequels to great concepts that everyone enjoyed. So what does this have to do with muscle building?<\/p>\n
In an age where the latest technology is favored over time-tested advice, and \u201cget fit quick\u201d infomercials clog our expectations with smoke and mirror sales pitches, we have a tendency to overlook the best advice simply because it\u2019s old.<\/p>\n
Some watches are old. Some cars are old. Hell, some might even consider Arnold old (not me, boss). But we can all agree that sometimes the most valuable things in life are those that have age, character, and a track record you can trust. Nowhere is this more accurate than the sage muscle building advice from yesteryear\u2019s bodybuilders. As the great Mark Twain once said: \u201cAge is just an issue of mind over matter. If you don\u2019t mind, it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
As you work to give your extra 1% this year\u2014whether that\u2019s starting your journey to a better body or\u00a0be better than ever\u2014one place you should not<\/em> ignore\u00a0the are the history books. Here are some of the best bodybuilding tips developed back-in-the-day that today\u2019s best fitness coaches think could use a refresh in the gym. Add these to your fitness plan\u2014including a favorite technique\u00a0from Arnold<\/em>\u2014and the only thing that will be old is the body you used to have.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout stripping there is no excitement,\u201d says Arnold. Before you get the wrong idea, the legendary bodybuilder is referring to mega-drop sets that he used to quickly and efficiently challenge his body. The idea is simple and an instant way to shock your system and pack on muscle.<\/p>\n Here was Arnold\u2019s approach in his bodybuilding days, with the dumbbell overhead press as an example:<\/p>\n 1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Use 100-pound dumbbells for 6 reps<\/p>\n 2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Immediately grab 90-pound dumbbells and do another 6 reps.<\/p>\n 3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Complete this pattern\u2014without rest\u2014until he reached 40 pounds<\/p>\n \u201cBy the time you\u2019re on the lower weights, the burning is so intense that 40 pounds would feel\u00a0like 110,\u201d says Arnold.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time efficient, and your muscle activation increases as fatigue sets in. But one of the biggest benefits comes from using\u00a0less<\/em>\u00a0weight.\u00a0You don\u2019t need to use heavy weights to see results and have an incredible workout. \u201cEven if you started with 15 pounds and worked down to 5, it\u2019s a great way to work your muscles quickly and always keep them guessing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe greatest feeling you can get in a gym, or the most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is… The Pump.\u201d -Arnold<\/em><\/p>\n One of Arnold\u2019s most famous lines captures the incredible feeling and reason that many people lift weights. \u201cAnyone who\u2019s ever had a tough resistance training session knows the feeling well – massive, engorged, tight vascular muscles,\u201d says Rob Sulaver, owner of Bandana Training<\/a>.<\/p>\n While a little vanity is fine, training for a pump actually has benefits for your body that go beyond the\u00a0\u201cmost satisfying feeling.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>In a scientific sense, the pump is the vasodilation of your capillaries, says Sulaver.<\/p>\n This means that you\u2019re increasing blood flow to your body tissues, which helps transport the nutrients in your body more efficiently, and can improve your recovery. On a hormonal level, the pump can help increase testosterone and growth hormone\u00a0naturally;\u00a0<\/em>this potent cocktail means more muscle and less fat.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, the pump also triggers feel-good endorphins and enkephalins\u2014nature\u2019s painkiller. \u201cThat\u2019s why the pump is associated with wonderful, euphoric superhero feelings of invincibility and extremely good looks,\u201d says Sulaver.<\/p>\n You can receive a pump in a variety of ways. Try combining heavy movements like squats and bench presses (3 to 6 reps per exercise) with bodyweight movements (think pushups and lunges) for higher reps (8 to 12). Or, you can simply keep all exercises in the 3 to 10 range (a mix of lower and higher reps), but shorten your rest periods to about 30 seconds to create the pump.<\/p>\n Whatever your choice, training for the pump isn\u2019t the\u00a0only<\/em>\u00a0key in the muscle building process, but it does play a role in packing on size and reminding you of the work you\u2019re putting in.<\/p>\n One of the fundamental aspects of adding muscle is becoming stronger. For most people, this can be a frustrating process. That\u2019s why wave training was so useful. Scientifically speaking, wave training is a technique known as \u201cpost-activation potentiation.\u201d (Now you can see why bodybuilders used a different name.)<\/p>\n The technique involves alternating sets of low rep training with sets of higher reps, says strength coach Tony Gentilcore.<\/a><\/p>\n The low rep set (with a heavy weight) activates more muscle fibers so that when you do the higher rep set, you can lift\u00a0more weight<\/em>\u00a0than you normally would.<\/p>\n For example: After a proper warmup, perform 1 rep of squats at 225 pounds. Rest 2 to 3 minutes, and then lift 185 pounds 5 times. The 185 pounds should feel lighter because the heavier set activates more of your motor units (the trigger in your body that causes your muscle fibers to fire), which allows you to move more weight, says Gentilcore.<\/p>\n From there, you can then do another set at 225 or maybe even 230, rest another 2 to 3 minutes, and then try to do a set of 5 reps with 190 pounds\u2014your goal being to increase weight with each set.<\/p>\n And remember\u2014don\u2019t get caught up on the weights. Progress at your own level, and while this might seem like magic, you\u2019ll experience\u00a0real<\/em>\u00a0instant strength gains, which will lead to faster results.<\/p>\n In general, focusing on giving only 50 percent on anything is a formula for failure. But when it comes to lifting weights, it might be one of the best ways to improve your workouts. Partial reps\u2014where you focus on a limited range of motion\u2014can help spark muscle building, improve your weaknesses and add serious strength, says strength coach Jim Smith, owner of Diesel Strength & Conditioning<\/a>.<\/p>\n To start, you need to determine you sticking point\u2014the area in an exercise where you struggle and the weight doesn\u2019t seem to move. On the bench press, this is usually the point where the bar is about 3 to 6 inches above your chest.<\/p>\n Partial reps allows you to use heavier weights because you have to move the weight a shorter distance, which allows you to \u201cfeel\u201d what it\u2019s like to handle heavier loads, says Smith. For this reason alone, it builds confidence that you can become stronger.<\/p>\n On the bench press, you can perform board presses or pin presses. On board presses, you place different size wooden boards on your chest, which limits your range of motion. This is best performed with a partner. Don\u2019t have a training buddy? Then do pin presses in a power rack. Set pins to the area of your sticking point (say 6 inches above your chest), and perform reps where you are only pressing out at the top of the exercise.<\/p>\n It might seem like cheating, but when you return to the full range of motion, you\u2019ll discover that your weak point is now stronger, and you can begin making progress again.<\/p>\n Basic logic would tell you that a tired muscle won\u2019t \u201cwork\u201d as well as a fresh muscle. And yet, bodybuilders were notorious for a technique known as \u201cpre-exhausting,\u201d where they would purposely fatigue a muscle with an isolation exercise, and then follow with a compound (multi-muscle) exercise to cause more growth, says strength coach Clifton Harski.<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to make it work: Pick an isolation exercise. If you\u2019re working your chest, you\u2019d do a series of chest flys for 8 to 12 reps. That would exhaust your pecs. Then, follow that with a compound exercise like an incline chest press for another 8 to 12 reps.<\/p>\n You might have to use less weight on the incline chest press, but your muscle fibers should be working more in your chest, and as an added benefit, your triceps will work harder because your tired chest requires your arms to assist more with the lift, says Harski.<\/p>\n Use this technique with any of your major muscle groups to help jump-start a stalled program, or simply to help you \u201cfeel\u201d the muscles you should be working and improve your focus.<\/p>\n \u201cOne traditional muscle building method that is absolutely essential for naturally skinny guys looking to build a powerful physique is direct forearm training,\u201d says Brad Pilon, author of\u00a0Eat Stop Eat<\/a><\/em>. Before you insert your favorite forearm joke, remember that all the bodybuilding greats\u2014Arnold, Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, and Ronnie Coleman\u2014had meaty, well-trained forearms.<\/p>\nThe Expert: Arnold Schwarzenegger
\nMuscle Building Technique: The Strip Method<\/h2>\nThe Expert: Rob Sulaver
\nMuscle Building Technique: The Pump<\/h2>\nThe Expert: Tony Gentilcore
\nMuscle Building Technique: Wave Training (PAP)<\/h2>\nThe Expert: Jim \u201cSmitty\u201d Smith
\nMuscle Building Technique: Partial Reps<\/h2>\nThe Expert: Clifton Harski
\nMuscle Building Technique: Pre-exhaust<\/h2>\nThe Expert: Brad Pilon
\nMuscle Building Technique: Forearm Training<\/h2>\n