WarriorFX

The barbell squat is one of the most misunderstood, or otherwise neglected, exercises in strength training. Many trainees perform it incorrectly, while others avoid it like a painful pandemic. The importance of intense leg exercises cannot be undermined in resistance training programs, since muscle growth throughout the body can be negatively affected. While genetic limitations differ between individuals, in general, human muscular systems require symmetry. They will stop responding to growth cues if an extreme imbalance starts to unfurl, in order to remain a fully functional organism. Learning how to squat correctly is essential for building a stronger and more muscular body. Squats also help promote a greater tolerance to the stress of intense exercise. Continue reading

Thousands of companies battle over the $20-billion U.S. dietary supplement industry every day, trying to turn profit by selling vitamins, minerals, botanicals, meal replacement supplements and various sports nutrition products. With all the money exchanging hands, from research and development to overly hyped-up advertising, it’s often hard for the average bodybuilder to separate fact from fiction. Looking at clinical evidence, conclusions based on scientific observation, as well as anecdotal reports from trained athletes, two over-the-counter supplements consistently come ahead of all others: creatine and caffeine. Continue reading

People engaged in resistance training programs often seek out exercise machines that isolate individual muscles. While the intention is usually to train more effectively or safely, committed bodybuilders must resist a natural human urge to travel the easiest route. This instinctual reaction helped prehistoric populations survive during widespread periods of famine. However, procuring food is far less of a concern in modern societies and taking easy routes often leads to embracing nothing more than complete laziness. Today, we exist in a world surrounded by automation – technology set on minimizing physical exertion from daily existence. Societies have replaced hunting and gathering provisions with fast-food restaurants and quick-stop markets. Community activities are becoming exceedingly rare; exchanged for convenient Internet-hosted real-time chat rooms, topic-based forums and robust e-mail systems. In line with their genetic programming to limit energy output, modern man is accustomed to seeking out mechanical assistance at all cost. Continue reading

What keeps bodybuilders and powerlifters interested in training for years on end? Mainstream opinion is that bodybuilders are too absorbed in personal appearances, while powerlifters are too preoccupied with feats of merciless strength. Some clinicians suggest they are prone to body dysmorphia and obsessive compulsive disorders; most recently suggesting a psychiatric condition called reverse anorexia. Building the body’s muscular systems is an obsessive and habitual endeavor dependent on continuous progression. In many ways, it’s analogous to the emotional energy an entrepreneur feels when motivated by a budding business plan. Resistance training is an emotional conduit that gives participants a means to vent a lifetime of stress as motivational fuel for extreme fitness goals. Continue reading

Setting a long-term bodybuilding goal is a serious commitment toward athletic advancement – a pledge to put up with aches, pains and adversity. Stages of physical and mental development must be conquered before any significant results can be seen – nobody but Bruce Banner blows up overnight! Four major adaptive responses are mandatory for a more muscular body: first, develop the motivation for routine exercise; second, strengthen connective tissue, cartilage and bone; third, increase mind-muscle coordination to effectively execute movements; lastly, encourage enhanced mental toughness for increasingly intense workouts. Continue reading

Online bodybuilding discussion communities are nothing new to cyber space – at times, it seems new Web sites pop up each day, while others are buried forever. Muscular Development, a leading publication for hardcore bodybuilders worldwide, resolved to build their own online community in the fall of 2006. The editors knew it had been tried many times before, so they set out to learn from the mistakes of others while staying focused on providing unprecedented content. Two years later, the member registration list grew to over 50,000 professional, amateur and recreational bodybuilders, powerlifters and all-around fitness freaks. Soon after the Web site’s inception, John Romano, Muscular Development magazine senior editor, began offering a 500-word space in his monthly column, Romano Factor. He made two requirements to be placed in his popular newsstand bodybuilding magazine: first, write about anything bodybuilding; second, earn the position by pleasing a mob of voters in the MuscularDevelopment.com forums. Each month, public polls provide the final winner over a 12-day race to rack up votes. Continue reading

10Endless sit-ups
Many New Year trainees erroneously believe sit-ups will target excess abdominal fat – zapping away unwanted deposits like a game of Space Invaders. Despite their modest efforts, while hording sit-up benches for hours, continuing to overeat will always retain the holiday chub.

9Invisible Lat Syndrome
New Year trainees are at risk for Invisible Lat Syndrome, a deformity that limits an individual’s ability to hang their arms perpendicular to the floor. An unseen latissimus dorsi of gigantic proportions limits upper-arm mobility and often infects individuals with egos that far exceed actual muscular development. Continue reading

“Does it work?” This infamous question, asked by countless aspiring strength athletes, receives at least as much face time in free-weight facilities as “how much can you bench?” However, the later allows a much more definitive answer – defined by exactly how much one can lift – while the former is too vague and subjective. Suddenly increasing training volume may work well, but the true benefit could be the injected variety, beneficial changes in nutritional support, heightened excitement to perform or a less stressful personal life. Whether a dietary supplement works well for performance enhancement is also subject to many variables. Even when a pharmaceutical compound is clinically proven, there always remains a portion of non-responders. To truly realize which ergogenic aids are effective, athletes must understand their body’s unique requirements, inherited advantages and handicaps, as well as muster the mental motivation to put up with demanding training schedules. Continue reading

Since prehistoric times, bird eggs have played an important part in the human diet. They are rich in taste, highly nutritious and easy to prepare. The protein found in eggs is more complete than meats and fish. It contains all essential amino acids in ratios that yield a high biological value, needed to maximize muscle growth and fuel an energetic nervous system. Ancient Roman gladiators had to be strong and healthy to survive intense battles – and many early Romans reportedly started meals with a course of eggs. Today, eggs remain a well established dietary addition for strength athletes. It’s not unreasonable to expect a carton of eggs (or six!) in the refrigerators of bodybuilders and powerlifters. As we bask in a society ravaged by health complications and obesity, eggs are receiving a lot of blame for increases in heart disease due to their high cholesterol content. People are led to believe it’s healthier to discard yolks, in favor for whites, or eliminate them from their diet all together. The vilification of eggs continues to pass on like a bad rumor; despite several recent scientific studies demonstrating that healthy adults can safely enjoy eggs everyday, without any negative affects on their health. Continue reading

Power is the capacity to bring about change. In society, powerful people influence populations through dynamic dialogue and confident communication. In general physics terms, powerful objects have a high capacity to transfer energy, or an average amount of work done per unit of time. Powerlifting is a sport of attempting great feats of limit and relative strength, in order to surpass previous performance records in major lifts. Bodybuilding is the application of training sciences to enhance musculature through tension and improve physical appearance. Although bodybuilders often dismiss any need to train like a powerlifter, the underlying concepts must not be ignored when attempting to maximize muscular proportions. Powerbuilding maximizes muscle size by training the human body to evolve into a more powerful entity. Continue reading