We've all seen the legendary "upper bodybuilder" in our travels,
correct?
He's the guy who trains his bar room muscle of chest and biceps, and not much else.
In initial confrontations with people, he may looks large and imposing.
But once the eyes scan the entire physique, we become aware of the fact that he is in fact quite top heavy.
This kind of imbalance often starts in the teenage years.
Most young lifters do not have exposure to proper bodybuilding training information, so they aren't aware of the fact that the full body needs to be trained.
They will bench press and complete biceps curls for hours, and really build up an impressive initial base of muscle.
However, as time passes, it will become painfully obvious to those around them that while their chest and arms are growing, the rest of them appear untrained.
They won't mind at first, because it makes their chest and arms appear that much bigger, right?
However, as their peers begin to mock them and they develop some basic bodybuilding knowledge, they become aware of the need to completely develop their physique.
Initial forays into fixing the problem are often not successful.
The natural mind-muscle connection that has been in play for years for the upper body muscle groups will not be there for the legs.
This can lead to frustration.
It can be quite embarrassing for the lifter who can bench 315 pounds but cannot squat 135 pounds properly.
The key is to not give up.
If you are an upper bodybuilder then you need to become a complete bodybuilder.
It will not come easy, but it will come with time.
Let's look at some simple general guidelines for making the change.
First, you will need to correct the imbalance.
You will do this just as many top level bodybuilders have done.
You will cut your upper body training in half.
Devote one day to chest, shoulders and triceps.
Give another day to back, biceps and forearms with some abdominal training.
The remainder of your lifting week - two days - will be given to legs.
Monday of each week should consist of 30 sets for thighs.
Stick with heavy squats, leg presses, hack squats, lunges, and all the other heavy leg movements for which your gym will allow.
Then, make Thursday your day specifically dedicated to hamstrings and calves.
This will be a 20 to 25 set day in which you will use sitting and lying leg curls, stiff legged deadlifts, and a variety of heavy calf raises.
It is important that you train your legs with both low- and high-repetition training.
This will target both your slow and fast twitch muscle fibers, giving you double the chance for muscular growth.
Utilizing only one set of muscles is self defeating and will leave you with less than optimal overall development.
Once you have achieved a level of balance, it's time to subscribe to a standard reasonable weightlifting routine.
Dedicate equal time to upper and lower body (as you should have been doing from the beginning) and great things will follow!
He's the guy who trains his bar room muscle of chest and biceps, and not much else.
In initial confrontations with people, he may looks large and imposing.
But once the eyes scan the entire physique, we become aware of the fact that he is in fact quite top heavy.
This kind of imbalance often starts in the teenage years.
Most young lifters do not have exposure to proper bodybuilding training information, so they aren't aware of the fact that the full body needs to be trained.
They will bench press and complete biceps curls for hours, and really build up an impressive initial base of muscle.
However, as time passes, it will become painfully obvious to those around them that while their chest and arms are growing, the rest of them appear untrained.
They won't mind at first, because it makes their chest and arms appear that much bigger, right?
However, as their peers begin to mock them and they develop some basic bodybuilding knowledge, they become aware of the need to completely develop their physique.
Initial forays into fixing the problem are often not successful.
The natural mind-muscle connection that has been in play for years for the upper body muscle groups will not be there for the legs.
This can lead to frustration.
It can be quite embarrassing for the lifter who can bench 315 pounds but cannot squat 135 pounds properly.
The key is to not give up.
If you are an upper bodybuilder then you need to become a complete bodybuilder.
It will not come easy, but it will come with time.
Let's look at some simple general guidelines for making the change.
First, you will need to correct the imbalance.
You will do this just as many top level bodybuilders have done.
You will cut your upper body training in half.
Devote one day to chest, shoulders and triceps.
Give another day to back, biceps and forearms with some abdominal training.
The remainder of your lifting week - two days - will be given to legs.
Monday of each week should consist of 30 sets for thighs.
Stick with heavy squats, leg presses, hack squats, lunges, and all the other heavy leg movements for which your gym will allow.
Then, make Thursday your day specifically dedicated to hamstrings and calves.
This will be a 20 to 25 set day in which you will use sitting and lying leg curls, stiff legged deadlifts, and a variety of heavy calf raises.
It is important that you train your legs with both low- and high-repetition training.
This will target both your slow and fast twitch muscle fibers, giving you double the chance for muscular growth.
Utilizing only one set of muscles is self defeating and will leave you with less than optimal overall development.
Once you have achieved a level of balance, it's time to subscribe to a standard reasonable weightlifting routine.
Dedicate equal time to upper and lower body (as you should have been doing from the beginning) and great things will follow!
Dane Fletcher is the world's most prolific bodybuilding and
fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for
BodybuildingToday.com.
If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dane_C._Fletcher
If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.
No comments:
Post a Comment