The Best Arm Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of
September 25, 2009 by Mike Westerdal
Filed under Recent Posts, Reviews, Training
Review of Nick Nilsson’s new eBook,
“The Best Arm Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of“
So what’s the first thing you think of when you think of “arm training” - if you’re like a lot of trainers, you immediately think barbell curls and pushdowns. Or dumbell curls and dips, etc. The “standard” exercises, right?
Well, it’s time to think outside the box! Or as Nick Nilsson (the author of “The Best Arm Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of”) puts it…time to make a NEW box and think outside of THAT one!
The Best Arm Exercises” is a very interesting book…68 unique exercises for the bicep, triceps and forearms ONLY. This is thing has NO fluff - it’s just packed with training information.
So Why a book on JUST Arms?
That’s the first question I asked Nick when he first sent this book along to me for a review. After all, the trend right now is more towards functional and “total body” styles of training. Direct and/or isolated arm work seems to take a back seat to that type of approach these days.
Basically, is this just for fun or just fluff training?
So here’s his reasoning as to why direct arm training should be done…as he was telling me this stuff, it really made a lot of sense.
1. Direct Arm Training Can be Useful as Assistance Work for the “Big” Exercises
Let’s say your bench press has been stuck in a plateau because you have trouble fully locking the bar out at the top. That top range of motion is a primarily triceps. By directly working the triceps with effective “assistance” exercises, you can immediately see results that carry over to your big movements.
Obviously, any pressing movement is going to have a substantial tricep component. What about biceps? Bicep strength plays an important role in rowing and pulling exercises, like chin-ups, bent-over rows…even deadlifts.
Remember…your body is only as strong as it’s weakest link.
If you’re doing a bench press and your triceps are relatively weaker than your chest, it’s going to LIMIT the amount of weight you can push. By directly strengthening your weak links, you can improve your total strength in the big lifts.
Same for an exercise like chin-ups. Your back may be strong, but if your bicep (or even forearm!) strength limits your training, you’ll never maximize your performance in that exercise.
A targeted application of direct arm training can really make a big difference in your lifting.
And, of course, you need to use EFFECTIVE exercises for this purpose, otherwise you’re wasting your time.
“The Best Arm Exercises” has some EXTREMELY targeted stuff that certainly fits the bill as big exercise “assistance” exercises.
2. Training Variety
Obviously, a book full of 68 new exercises is going to give you a LOT of variety to choose from. Your body thrives on variety and change…you still DO need to maintain a level of consistency to achieve a training effect, but something as simple as a new exercise or a new way of doing something can really spark results.
Nick actually acknowledges this as well - in his own training, he tells me that it’s about 75% “normal” stuff…squats, deadlifts, bench press, that kind of thing. The other 25% is a rotation of the unique exercises you see presented in his books and on his sites.
You really do HAVE to keep some consistency in order to see results - perform random exercises without regard to adaptation just won’t get you anyway. When I asked Nick about this specific point as it relates to his book, he said…
“Here’s the approach you have to take with this type of resource - take your time with it and pick out a few exercises you want to try. Use them the next time you train arms and see how they work for you. Generally speaking, if an exercise is going to work for you, you’ll feel it pretty quickly. Stick with the ones you get the biggest effect from then gradually work in OTHER exercises on a rotational basis like a continuous audition process at a soap opera.
As good as these exercises are, I’m quite sure there will be ones that don’t work equally as well for everybody. You have to experiment and find out what works best for YOU. Then work it HARD!”
3. Deloading
Let’s say you’ve been training the “Big 3″ lifts (squat, bench, and deadlift) a LOT and for a LONG time. There comes a time when you need to back off and “deload”, reducing your training volume for recovery purposes. If you keep hammering away at heavy exercises, your body breaks down…muscle, connective tissue and nervous system. That’s when injuries happen.
And this is the perfect time to work in some unique exercises like the ones Nick has in his book - you can use this time to build strength in your weaker muscle groups and really target your weak points.
4. Compound Exercises For The Arms
One of the nice things Nick has done with this book is include plenty of compound exercises for the arms…not hard to find for the triceps in the scope of normal exercises (think of dips, close grip bench press, etc.) but generally a bit tougher to find for biceps…it’s usually all curls.
Several of the exercises are variations of pull-ups or rows that make adjustments in setup and/or execution in order to change the focus from back to biceps. They’re VERY simple to execute and WOW do they really have potential.
The real standout exercise in that department is the Nilsson Curl, which can be best described as a chin-up with your forearms braced against a bar set about a foot lower than the one you’re gripping on.
nick-nilsson-arm3
As Nick explains it, this bracing keeps you from being able to pull your body straight up, which normally engages the lats. By blocking your forearms like this, it forces you to pull yourself up and around in an arc with the elbow as the pivot. This is almost ALL biceps (80 to 90%) with assistance being provided by the lats instead of the other way around.
You can actually SEE this exercise in action as one of the sample exercises on Nick’s site for the book. It’s a very cool exercise and it’s a great twist on a classic exercise to really shift the focus to the biceps and work them with a compound exercise.
5. FUN
Yes, arm training IS fun and SHOULD be fun! The real “meat and potatoes” work is done under the squat bar and at the deadlift, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying training those “mirror” muscles from time to time, too. 
A few Things That Could Be Improved About the Book…
When you get this book, you’re obviously getting a book about exercises. But One thing that would be a nice addition would be some targeted sample workouts for working those exercises into a program.
These exercises are so unique, that it might be hard some trainers to figure exactly how to best use these in a program.
I asked Nick about this and he said he’s actually got several unannounced bonus gifts for people when they pick up the book that will address this exact thing. He wanted to keep it as a surprise, as a way of saying “thanks” but if it’s the lack of programs really shouldn’t be something that should hold you back from getting this book.
The other thing that I can see is that there aren’t that many forearm exercises in the book (5 for the forearms as compared to 33 for the biceps and 30 for the triceps). Nick told me he’s going to be addressing this in updates to the book as he definitely knows the forearm stuff needs to be built on.
Here’s the thing…
When you get the book, you’ll also get free updates for life, so those forearm exercises are going to be something you’ll be getting soon enough…as if the other 63 exercises aren’t plenty to keep going for a long time anyway!
The last thing I should mention is that if you’re limited on equipment, there will be a few exercises that you won’t be able to perform…there are a few that require cable machines (though creative use of training bands/elastics would be a good substitute) and a few that require a power rack.
But even with fairly BASIC equipment like a bench and some free weights, you’ll be able to perform the VAST majority of these exercises just fine. Several of them require no equipment at all or things that can very easily be improvised.
CONCLUSION:
Now, if you’ve seen the exercises that Nick has created before, you’ll know exactly what this book is all about…very cool, very effective exercises that will have everybody in your gym coming up and asking you what the heck you’re doing.
These exercises are very well thought out and have a lot of potential both for improving your arms AND for helping improve your “big” exercises through assistance training.
Plus, the exercises are just plain fun!
To learn more about this book and to grab your copy right now CLICK HERE
Review of the Accelerated Muscular Development Program
June 21, 2009 by Mike Westerdal
Filed under Recent Posts, Reviews
Strength coach and trainer Jim Smith says that he developed the Accelerated Muscular Development (AMD) program after becoming frustrated by his efforts to stop being the “98-pound weakling” and put on lean muscle. He also says that the AMD Program is a complete system designed not to just show you the workouts, but to provide you with the knowledge you need to be able to “make your own decisions based on your individual needs.”
That statement by itself is important because it shows that this isn’t a “one size fits all” kind of program. Each person is unique and his (or her) body has different needs in terms particular training approaches that are most effective. AMD is designed so that you can easily customize the program so that it best suits your particular needs. I also like the fact that in regards to getting started on the program, Jim offers an “express” option, which allows you to quickly dive right into the routines. This way, you can take start training immediately and take your time learning about the underlying principles of the program.
All of the AMD workouts are based on a single template, which has three columns (upper body, lower body and full body). Each of these columns is then divided into four sections—ACS, AMD, Core and then ACS again. I’ll explain what each of these means a little later. The system is built around a 16-week progression of workouts. The first four weeks is spent developing foundation strength, followed by eight weeks of strength/mass-building and then finally, four weeks focused on developing strength and power.
The first section of the AMD manual is focused on helping the reader to gain and understanding about muscle fibers and the how’s and why’s of muscle-building. This knowledge puts you on the road to understanding your body’s particular needs and sets the stage for customization of the AMD program. The next section is all about nutrition. Here, Jim talks about the basics of nutrition such as protein, carbs and fat. He also shows you how to calculate your body fat percentage and to determine your daily caloric needs based both on your body type and your activity level.
Next, Jim launches into an in-depth discussion of the AMD program. Accelerated Muscular Development incorporates both undulating periodization (UND) and escalated density training (EDT). With UND, your training program changes with every successive workout, varying volume, intensity and tempo. The purpose of this is to keep your muscles in a constant state of adaption and therefore, avoid training plateaus. EDT was originally developed by a guy named Charles Staley. It is designed to produce quick results in a short timeframe by incorporating training blocks of 15-20 minutes followed by rest periods. By incorporating both models into the program, AMD facilitates rapid muscle growth.
UND exercises are the “primary” exercises and EDT exercises are the “supplemental” ones. Other components of the workout sequence include Accelerated Corrective Strategies (ACS) and Combat Core Strength (CORE). ACS is designed to improve fluidity, prevent injuries and increase mobility. The CORE component is supposed to do just what it sounds like—focus on your core.
Your basic AMD workout will start with 5-10 minutes of ACS exercises before moving into a 5-minute warm-up period. Next up are the primary and supplementary (UND and EDT) exercises for 15-25 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of CORE exercises and wrapped up with 5-10 minutes more of ACS exercises. The 3-day-a-week workout sequence is done once for lower body, once for the upper body, followed by one full-body session. Each training session lasts about 40 minutes.
By now you’re probably thinking, “This sounds great, but how the hell am I supposed to keep track of all this?” Remember the template I mentioned earlier? That’s how you’re able to follow all of the sequences without getting confused. Once you have the basics down, following the template is easy. And, everything you need is included. AMD comes with companion guides that provide in-depth information about each of the sections—ACS, UND, EDT, CORE and warm-up. In addition to the Quick Reference Guide so you can dive right into the program, AMD also includes sample meal plans for fat loss.
To wrap it up, in looking over Jim’s AMD Program, I like what I see. It’s a challenging but effective program that doesn’t try to sell itself as an effort-free “magic bullet” like so many others. In my book, that makes it a winner, well worth checking out.
You should click here now ———- <<<<<<<<<<
No Pain No Gain? How About No Pain With Gains!
June 16, 2009 by Mike Westerdal
Filed under Recent Posts, Reviews
Review of the Unbreakable Program
You wouldn’t believe the amount of emails I get from people asking me how to manage pain. Honestly it’s not my area of expertise. I kind of just deal with it like most of us probably do. Than I mask the symptoms with ice, ibuprofrin, elbow sleeves and muscle rub. My buddy Dave and I from the gym joke around a lot like we are squirting oil into every part of our body that bends before we start training. I get a kick out of it, but maybe you had to be there.
Anyway, I decided to buy a copy of Keith Scott’s corrective exercise program called Unbreakable. Basically I wanted to know if this would be a good place to refer people to.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, if you are a bodybuilder or strength athlete injuries are inevitable at some point. When they do happen, not only can they be physically painful, but they can even be emotionally painful too. It’s frustrating to be making gains and then suddenly you’re sidelined by an injury. A common reaction is to take something for the pain and try and “work through it,” which is usually not very effective and often leads to even more problems. Other options like physical therapy-though effective-can be costly and time consuming.
There are alternatives though-in fact, Keith Scott has developed a system called Unbreakable, that he says can help most anyone learn to live pain-free and to do all the things they love to do. He’s spent more than 18 years working in the sports medicine and sports performance fields and developed Unbreakable not only to help people address and prevent physical injuries but to improve overall athletic performance.
After a discussion about how most people deal with injuries by ignoring them entirely or just medicating the symptoms, Keith talks about what he calls the “kinetic chain.” Basically, the kinetic chain is all about how all of our systems are interconnected and how they rely on one another in countless different ways. When one component of the system is not functioning properly it causes a chain reaction that impacts the entire system. This section of the book is incredibly interesting, presenting plenty of information that will be new to most people-including me.
The Unbreakable system is made up of detailed assessments, special fitness program “plug-ins” to correct physical issues, full, specific corrective exercise plans and targeted soft tissue work. There are five basic steps to the program with each component discussed at length in its own guide.
Steps one and two together comprise the assessment portion of Unbreakable. This guide is broken down into body-part sections. In each, you are guided through a series of simple tests and questions. The tests aren’t overly complicated and the process is fairly straightforward and easy to follow. Keith includes photos and step-by-step instructions for performing the tests. Following each test/question segment is an “assessment explanation” section that clarifies the meaning of the results. Step three is where based on the assessment, you determine the appropriate course of action for you.
With steps four and five we learn about the “plug-ins,” corrective exercises. Like the previous guide, this one is divided into body-part sections that correspond with the assessments. The exercises are designed to work together holistically to address strength, muscular endurance, joint stability, balance, power, flexibility, mobility, range of motion and to eliminate pain. The program calls for performing the exercises at least three days a week.
The exercises are presented in daily (day 1, day 2, etc.) charts that give you all the information you need-number of reps, number of sets and the overall benefits of each exercise. The next guide gives you all the information you need to know to perform all of the exercises. Again, like the previous guides this one is broken down by body parts, making it easy to reference. In-depth how-to descriptions and photos are included for each exercise.
All of the exercises presented in Unbreakable are simple enough to do for just about anybody, regardless of skill level or athletic ability. Whether you’re a seasoned bodybuilder, a beginner, elderly or an overweight guy who hasn’t exercised in 20 years, you shouldn’t have any problems performing any of the movements.
The next guide presents a summary of Keith’s 4-phase 16-Week Unbreakable Strength and Fitness Program. The exercises are presented in charts broken down by day and phases with all the information you need-number of reps/sets and the rest period. The guide that follows provides comprehensive exercise descriptions with photos.
Four additional guides complete the package: Soft Tissue Work for Optimal Physical Health, Recovery and Regeneration FAQ Guide, Nutrition Guidelines and Fat Burning with High-Intensity Interval Training. Each of these is well-written, providing plenty of useful information in an easy-to-follow and understandable format.
In my opinion Unbreakable is a good value, well worth the investment. Keith doesn’t knock the need for doctors and doesn’t profess to know more than they do. He sticks to his area of expertise, which is helping people to prevent and manage common minor issues that manifest themselves through aches and pains. He presents useful, practical information that can not only help you to avoid injuries, but to also to improve your overall fitness level.
If you’re sick of the lower back pain, the aichy knees, the clicking shoulders and the rest of the “issues” that come along with the hobby we all love than spending $77 on Keith’s program could be a good investment for you to help get rid of some nagging injuries.
Keep training hard,
Mike Westerdal
www.CriticalBench.com
P.S. If you do get this program, keep in mind it comes with a membership recurring billing site. You get the first month free which is cool so you can talk to Keith the author directly. You can’t do that when you buy a book at the book store can you?
Hyper Growth Muscle Mass Training Review
June 11, 2009 by Mike Westerdal
Filed under Recent Posts, Reviews
Dan Gallapoo—aka Doberman Dan-is a well-known natural bodybuilding expert. He’s a smart guy with a bodybuilding philosophy that runs contrary to what you see in a lot of the magazines. According to Dan, his particular area of expertise focuses on helping hardgainers to pack on lean mass. As you probably already know-since this is the majority of the population-hardgainers are regular guys that aren’t “genetically-gifted” bodybuilders. These are the guys for whom packing on muscles is tough. During his more than 21 years of bodybuilding, Dan has developed some very successful strategies for helping hardgainers to put on mass. He’s compiled his strategies into his Hyper-Growth Muscle Mass Training Program (HGMMT).
Doberman Dan kicks off HGMMT with an excellent discussion about the basics-building a solid foundation and setting the stage. Afterwards, he quickly launches into the nuts and bolts of the program. A fundamental difference between HGMMT and other training programs is Dan’s belief that “muscular gains in size and strength are much more consistent if a bodybuilder only works to about 50% - 80% of his or her intensity level.” This is a concept that definitely goes against the majority of training philosophies, which focus on either “high intensity” or “training to failure.” Both of these are among the most common training strategies you’re likely to see any most any gym.
In HGMMT Dan says that while both approaches will most likely yield results, they also drain the body of nervous and muscular energy while simultaneously unleashing unwanted metabolic side effects. The consequence of this he says, is less than stellar results in terms of gains and a body that has been drained of its defense reserves. In contrast to the two tactics mentioned above HGMMT is based on the concept of reduced intensity and increased workload. According to Dan, this facilitates gains in size and increases the burning of fat without the metabolic side effects.
Dan makes it a point to say that other forms of training such as high intensity aren’t all bad. They have a time and a place, but they need to done properly and not for extended periods of time-say for more than 12 weeks at a stretch.
Time, volume and form are the three key components of HGMMT. The underlying concept of HGMMT is actually pretty simple:
- Reduce the weight by 25%;
- Perform 10 repetitions per set;
- Don’t perform each set to failure;
- Rest no more than 60-90 seconds between sets; and
- Increase the number of sets.
To determine how much to reduce the weight you start off by determining your max set point. This is the maximum weight you can lift for 8-10 reps for a given exercise. The number of reps can actually be from 6-20-the choice is yours. So for example, if your bench press max set point is 10 reps at 205, then you would reduce this by 25% for HGMMT. You would then perform 5-8 sets of 10 reps, resting no more than 60-90 seconds between sets. No sets are performed to failure. As you improve, you gradually reduce the rest time between sets.
As you move through the discussions in the chapters that follow, Dan discusses other important concepts behind HGMMT such as specific training timings for the various muscle groups, frequency of training (four days a week) and the necessity of taking 1-2 weeks off every 90 days. He also talks about when to increase the resistance and presents some thoughts on working in a “muscle shocking” workout once a quarter just to mix things up.
The next section includes sample training routines for the various muscle groups. Here are a few examples:
Back:
Bent over rows 6 x 10
Pull-downs 6 x 10
Seated Rows 8 x 10
Chest:
Bench Press 5 x 12
Incline Flies 5 x 10
Pec Deck 5 x 15
This is followed by in-depth descriptions of exercises for all body parts. He also includes some blank workout logs-great for tracking your progress. The remainder of the book includes discussions of nutrition and supplementation.
So to wrap it up-while there’s no doubt that some of Dan’s philosophies are not What you will typically see going on in your average gym, I’m convinced that he knows what he’s talking about, particularly when it comes to helping hardgainers achieve their goals. So if that sounds like you, HGMMT is certainly worth checking out. Or maybe you just need a break from high intensity training and want to try something new to deload your nervous system so you can go back to the high intensity workouts with a new fresh revived urgency.
Click Here To Keep Reading About The Hyper Growth Muscle Mass Training Program.
