We’ve all heard about the importance of including rest days each week in our workout regimen. We grow while we sleep, not while we’re in the gym. The pump we experience in the gym is simply the engorging of the muscle group with blood, and it’s only temporary, completely dissipating in the 30 to 90 minutes after we train. Rest for the muscles on their own day is good, but occasionally we should rest the body even on training days using the practice of alternating heavy and light days.

There are several reasons to alternate heavy and light days. First, the muscles aren’t the only system in your body, which benefits from rest and recovery. Each muscle group in your body is supported by a system of joints and tendons, which also share some of the workload when you move heavy weights. Over time, they become worn out from this workload. After all, they don’t have the ability to grow as our muscles do. Many common injuries in the gym don’t come from muscle tears. Rather, they arise from a joint or tendon giving out under a strenuous workload. For this reason, light days are beneficial for giving the body’s joints and tendons a break.

Additionally, lightweight days equate to higher-repetition days. If you’ve been training for years with high weights, you have likely been stuck in the 4 to 10 repetition range. It’s not east to move heavy weight 14 or 16 times. So the slow-twitch muscle fibers often go for years with very little stimulation. Its time to make them do some work, and start some growth!

What kind of ratio is most effective? Heavy weights for low repetitions are the standard for gaining muscle weight. That will never change. The use of light days should be sporadic perhaps every fifth or sixth workout per body part. A good idea is to have one light day per week per body part. Week one: Use higher repetitions on chest day, and go all-out heavy on all your other workouts. Week two: Use higher repetitions on leg day, but stay heavy on everything else, including chest day. Never put more than one light day into a week, or you will start losing size.

Remember, light day does not mean easy day. You can work just as hard even harder when you’re using lighter weights and higher repetitions. You are able to stimulate the body in new and unfamiliar ways use it occasionally and use it wisely!

Dane Fletcher is the world-wide authority on bodybuilding and steroids. He has coached countless athletes all over the world. To read more of his work, please visit either http://www.BodybuildingToday.com or http://www.SteroidsToday.com

You will be amazed at the difference 5 or 10 pounds will make. What am I talking about? I’m talking about unbalanced barbell loading.

Normally, you would think loading a barbell with uneven weight would be a mistake and would horribly imbalance the bar, making the exercise dangerous. And, to be honest, if you’re not expecting the bar to be unbalanced, you’d be right! Anyone who has mistakenly misloaded a bench press bar can vouch for that.

So how can an unbalanced bar possibly be a good thing? I’ll tell you.

Unbalanced loading not only helps improve stabilizing muscle function, it can help correct lopsided muscle development (right side bigger or stronger than the left, etc.), and hit areas of your muscles that are almost IMPOSSIBLE to hit with free weights any other way. The difference is, quite frankly, extremely eye-opening.

NOTE: when you do these exercises, you can work the exercise as a superset, doing one side then immediately moving the unbalanced load to the other side and doing a set for the other side, or you can rest in between working each side, doing each side as totally separate sets. Both methods work quite well.

1. The Uneven Barbell Bench Press

I will start with the bench press as my first example. First, load up a bar with a weight you could normally do for 15 reps (we want to start light to get a feel for it). Now, add an extra 10 pound plate onto the right side of the bar. Set yourself up on the bench and prepare for a very unique set!

When you unrack the bar, push hard against the ground with your right foot (this is to help balance the extra load on the right). Lower the bar to your chest as you normally would, striving hard to keep the bar itself horizontal – don’t let the bar tilt or tip to the right!

Now, when you push it up, keep it horizontal as well. Because of the unbalanced load, almost ALL of the tension of the entire load on the bar will feel like it’s going straight to the right pec.

Not only are you going to get that extra tension on the one side, you’ll also feel a surprising bonus – the hard-to-reach, extreme inner pectoral area will be on fire! The way the pec has to activate in order to cope with the unbalanced load places a HUGE amount of tension on the inner pec area (on par with or even greater than the pec deck or cable cross-overs, I’ve found).

The best part is, you don’t need those big pieces of equipment to achieve this effect – just a barbell. This is ideal for home exercisers with limited equipment.

On your next set, be sure to switch the extra 10 pound weight to the other side of the bar to hit the left pec equally.

The uneven loads force each pec muscle to take up the majority share of the movement. If one side tends to take over in a regular bench press, this technique will let you know which side is weak and give you a way to fix it.

2. The Uneven Bent-Over Barbell Row

Looking for a way to hit the back in a way it’s never been hit before? Loading the bent-over barbell row (close-grip underhand or wide-grip overhand) unevenly allows you to hit the extreme inner aspects of the back, especially the middle trapeizius area by the spine. Again, a 10 pound weight plate on one side will do it.

These inner/middle back muscles are extremely difficult to work with regular barbell rows – you have to really focus on getting the shoulder blades back. With uneven barbell loading, however, your body has NO CHOICE but to activate those hard-to-reach muscles to move the weight.

Like the bench press, you want to focus on keeping the barbell horizontal while you’re doing the movement. When you lift the bar off the ground or the rack, remember that you will be unbalanced and be prepared to push with your feet a little harder on the side that is heavier.

Use a lighter weight the first time you do this exercise because remember, the majority of the tension will feel like it’s going to only one side of the body.

3. The Uneven Barbell Curl

Imagine the entire weight of a barbell curl going to ONE bicep. That growth stimulation can be achieved by adding as little as 5 pounds onto one side of the bar when doing barbell curls.

Again, start with a fairly light weight as it will feel as though the majority of the weight is being lifted by only one side of the body. When you lift the bar, keep it horizontal. It will feel as though the lighter side bicep is doing almost nothing while the heavier side bicep is doing all the work.

But the assistance being given by the bicep on the lighter side will actually help keep the bar moving, allowing you to push the bicep on the heavier side much harder! The contraction you will get from this technique must be felt to be believed.

4. The Uneven Shoulder Press

Having trouble with your shoulder development? Standard barbell or dumbell presses just not doing the trick for your shoulders? Try the unbalanced loading technique with the military shoulder press (to the front ONLY).

When you add a little extra weight to one side (5 or 10 pounds), the tension goes right into the meat of the shoulder muscle. Even if you normally have a hard time feeling the shoulder muscles working when doing the press, this uneven loading will put the burn in the right place. You will feel a pump in your shoulders like you’ve never felt before.

As in all the exercises, keep the bar horizontal as you press it up and prepare to be unbalanced when you do the exercise. For this reason, I would recommend standing up when doing this exercise – you’ll have an easier time with the balancing.

5. Other Uneven Barbell Exercises To Try

Now that you have the idea of how uneven loading works and how it’s done, here are a number of other exercises you can try it with.

The only exercises I WOULDN’T recommend it with are squats, deadlifts, stiff-legged deadlifts, good mornings and upright rows (I don’t actually recommend doing upright rows at all!). Squats and deadlifts (and similar exercises) require evenly-distributed spinal support and throwing the load to one side could lead to torque on the spine.

Here are the other exercises you can try:

Uneven Close Grip Bench Press

Uneven Lying Tricep Extensions

Uneven Barbell Lunges (the lunge is already an uneven exercise, making it a good candidate – experiment with which side feels best to add the extra weight, depending on which leg you are using).

Uneven Preacher Curls

Uneven Incline and Decline Bench Press

Give this technique a try the next time you’re in the gym. I guarantee you’ll be shocked at just how much difference a 5 or 10 pound weight difference on one side of the barbell can make!

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of BetterU, Inc. and has been inventing new training techniques and exercises for 17+ years. Nick has written many training books including “Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass” & “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss” – http://www.fitness-ebooks.com

Q: I work about 50 to 55 hours per week and have found that there is simply no time (during the week) to hit the gym. What can I do to keep in shape while dealing with the rigors of a ten-hour workday?

A: Many people have long workdays which prevent them from hitting the gym during that dreaded Monday through Friday span. A few solutions:

This one’s on the boss. Talk to your boss and, if logistically feasible, see about getting him to sponsor some sort of employee fitness program. Many gyms will offer discounts to groups, and many companies will often pay for it, as it is cheaper to pay a $20 monthly membership fee, than cover the costs of decades of long-term health care costs of an obese employee with health problems. Additionally, many intelligent managers realize that fit employees will work harder, faster, and project a healthier, more vibrant image for the workplace

Park in the furthest parking spots. As long as you’re not facing any extreme weather (blizzard or rainstorm), parking in the back of the lot has some serious advantages. That extra 3 minutes of brisk walking everyday gives your system a nice metabolic boost before entering the long (and often sedentary) workplace for a long shift.

Use your feet. Most people spend those 15-minute breaks at the water cooler gossiping, or outside smoking. Instead, use that time for a nice 15 minute power-walk. Chances are you could make it around the block once or twice. When everyone returns to their desk, you’ll be refreshed and alert, while they’re coughing off a cigarette or shaking off the doughnut crumbs.

Train isometrically. Every time you enter the restroom stall, flex your biceps and triceps, ten reps apiece. Flex your quads quietly as you wait in line. Do calf raises at your desk. While you won’t be adding significant muscle mass by doing this, you’ll keep the mind-muscle connection alive, and allow your existing muscle to receive a nice protein-rich blood influx.

Realize that as an employee, you are required to do tasks X, Y, and Z for your employer on a daily basis. If you are stretching your calves while doing so, and it doesn’t affect your job performance whatsoever, then go for it. You might encounter some heckling from co-workers who don’t understand the importance of periodic cardio for metabolic function. You might encounter strange looks from colleagues who can’t comprehend it when you try to explain the concept of flooding nutrients to a muscle group in order to keep it nourished. So don’t bother. Save your energy for resting, training, and getting your job done so you can get home and train!

Dane Fletcher is the world-wide authority on bodybuilding and steroids. He has coached countless athletes all over the world. To read more of his work, please visit either http://www.BodybuildingToday.com or http://www.SteroidsToday.com

We all know that compound exercises are the key to growing the muscles of the body. Squats, bench press, and deadlifts are commonly credited for adding muscle to the frame like none other. However, as the years pass and we get stronger and stronger at basic exercises, our bodies will often favor stronger body parts, which will in turn do more of the labor in a movement than they should. Have you ever seen the guy with massive shoulders, who can bench 405, but has a sub-par chest? Have you ever seen the guy who can squat 495, but has puny thighs? Individuals like that, due to training style, genetics, or just plain old bad luck, cannot target the desired body parts. The stress from those movements is instead redirected to other body parts. The shoulders and triceps might take the brunt of the work in the bench press. Or, the glutes and hamstrings might carry most of the workload in the squat. Here are a few solutions for different body parts to pre-exhaust the desired muscle group, so it completes more of the work during the compound movement.

Chest
Complete a set of dumbbell flyes, then immediately complete a set of incline bench presses.

Shoulders
Complete 4 sets of dumbbell sides raises. Then attempt your barbell military press. You’ll see the side deltoids are recruited much more than usual!

Triceps
Complete a set of Cable press downs with 10 to 15 repetitions, then immediately move to a heavy free weight movement like EZ-curl bar skullcrusher or close-grip bench presses.

Quadriceps
One set of leg extensions (20 repetitions) should immediately be followed with a set of free weight squats. Your quadriceps (front thigh) muscles will be fried!

Calves
Complete one set of super-slow calf raises on the leg press machine (10 second positive, 5 seconds negative). Immediately follow that set with a standard set of 6-10 repetitions of heavy calf raises.

Back
Seated cable rows (medium weight for high repetitions) can be followed with any of the following exercises: Deadlift, lat pulldowns, or bodyweight chins.

Biceps
Seated preacher curls should immediately be followed with loose form alternate dumbbell curls.

You can substitute any movements in your workout. The goal is to place an isolation movement directly before a compound movement. The theory is that if you can pre-exhaust a muscle group first, then challenge it to complete compound movements, the weak muscle group will already be tired. As a result, it will do more of the work, and ideally, begin to grow!

Dane Fletcher is the world-wide authority on bodybuilding and steroids. He has coached countless athletes all over the world. To read more of his work, please visit either http://www.BodybuildingToday.com or http://www.SteroidsToday.com

The trapezius is a tricky muscle group. Train it too much, and your upper body loses its V-shape and aesthetics. Train it too little, and you look like a pencil neck. Some bodybuilders don’t train it at all. Others dedicate 8 to 12 sets per week to it. You’ll find both top bodybuilders, and stark neophytes, who swear by the need to train it. You’ll also find veterans of the game and brand new trainers who believe it’s a mistake to hit them. Whoever you believe, the traps are an interesting and important muscle group. Here are a few ways to make them shine.

Shock then with frequency
Spend a few bucks and purchase a pair of 60-pouind dumbbells. Place them at your computer desk at home. Each night, make yourself complete a few sets of dumbbell shrugs. Shock the traps by stimulating them way more frequently than they are used to. After 6 or 7 days of this nonstop training, give them a break.

Vary your rep scheme
Many trainers are notorious for training extremely heavy on trap day. This might feel great for the ego and look quite impressive to be throwing around all that weight, but the truth of the matter is that the traps don’t receive a great deal of stimulation when the weight is too heavy and lifted too sloppily. If you have been training heavy with low reps, cut the weight by 1/3 and complete some high-rep sets. The blood flowing to previously untouched muscle fibers will stimulate new growth. Plus it will keep things interesting!

Try the ‘U’ bar
Many gyms have a bar with a ‘U’ shape bent out of it. Barrel-chested powerlifters often use this bar for bench-pressing past their belly. However, bodybuilders can use it to keep the bar from crashing into the body as shrugs are completed, a common complaint of lifters.

Get behind it
Give behind-the-back barbell shrugs a try. They’re completed using an overhand grip, behind the back. The effect is a burning and stimulation in an area of the traps commonly neglected.

If your trap muscles are lagging, you must make them grow. Play with the tips above to see if you can find a way to spurn some growth. A well-developed set of traps can make a body look thick, strong, and can be the difference between 1st and 5th place at a show. Train yours frequently and intelligently.

Dane Fletcher is the world-wide authority on bodybuilding and steroids. He has coached countless athletes all over the world. To read more of his work, please visit either http://www.BodybuildingToday.com or http://www.SteroidsToday.com

Many enthusiastic bodybuilders enter a gym each day with a single mission and that mission is to “destroy the muscle group” on today’s agenda. What a bodybuilder really does is that they tackle each exercise, training to failure with maximum weights. They lose track of time, reps, and sets, allowing themselves to be one with the weights as long as their bodies can handle it. They limp out of the gym, wholeheartedly proud that they have annihilated the muscle group. They have their protein shake, and crash for the evening.

When they awake the next day, the quickly realize they may have overdone it in the gym the day before. They are feeling lethargic, run down, and it’s obvious to them that their central nervous has yet to recover from yesterday’s marathon training session. They might miss the day’s training session, or perhaps hit the gym anyway, and go through the motions on the next body part when the body is still hurting from the previous days movements.

This could have been avoided, of course, if the bodybuilder in question had chosen to train intelligently, in a controlled fashion. We are not machines. Rather, we are complex chemical beasts with limited training and recovery abilities, dependent upon our levels of rest, nutrition, and genetics. When bodybuilders enthusiastically attempt to replicate the training programs of professional athletes, or just plain train all out haphazardly with zero regard for overtraining, they often discover they go beyond what their body can handle.

The key to avoiding this is to use just as many exercises as possible, most importantly, try to use bodybuilding workouts of the correct variety, as are required to effectively stimulate the muscle group without overtraining. Select 3 to 4 movements for 3 to 4 sets each. Use a spotter and train to failure on the last 1 to 2 sets of each movement. Then, after an hour of training and 12 to 16 sets, call it a day. If you still have energy remaining, that is a good thing! It means your body can begin the recovery process sooner, rather than later. In closing, here are some important facts that you should remember for your bodybuilding training. Remember that your body needs your valuable resources for the recovery process as well to be able to have successful gains. Most importantly, always remember to train hard, but train smart don’t go beyond your physical limitations.

Dane Fletcher is the world-wide authority on bodybuilding and steroids. He has coached countless athletes all over the world. To read more of his work, please visit either http://www.BodybuildingToday.com or http://www.SteroidsToday.com