Being a few weeks out from my next contest has made me re-think some of my training towards to my weak points. They are many but the three major ones are: overall leg density, lower back conditioning, and glute/hamstring tie in. Today I'm focusing on the lower back and how to harden up that area.
My upper and middle back are my strengths so I don't need to focus much attention there, just keep hitting that area with the same intensity. But this train of thought has brought me to realize that I have not been separating the back into different areas of training; the weaknesses as though they are priorities. So I'm going to break the back down and re-focus on the weaker points and de-prioritize the strengths.
The back is made up of four different areas: the upper lats, the lower lats, middle back and lower back. The upper lats include the teres major muscle which gives you the v taper. It's best hit with movements such as wide grip pull ups (my favorite) and wide grip pull downs. Wide gripping rowing exercises also hit this area to some degree.
The lower lats provide the appearance of back width all the way down to where the lats meet the waist. Exercises that focus on this area are reverse and neutral grip work that are performed with shoulder width grip, such as pull downs and pull ups, as well as rows done with barbells, dumbbells, T-bars, cables and machines. The straight arm pull down and pullover also hit the lower lats.
The middle back includes the middle and lower traps and rhomboids. The best exercises that target this area are seated rows with a wide grip in which you pull to the chest, not your mid-section. Also you can use dumbbells by taking an overhand grip and bringing the weight far out to your sides (not tight to your sides). Regular rowing exercises in which you bring the bar to your midsection (as opposed to your chest) also hit this area to a high degree, but for more thickness in the middle, make sure you incorporate a wide grip, bringing the bar high on the torso. The very best exercise for this area and for overall back thickness is the barbell deadlift done with strict form.
The lower section is the erector spinae muscles or lower back. Exercises that tend to work best for this area are stiff legged dead lifts, good mornings and back extensions. These moves work best for this area if you allow a slight rounding of the back, unheard of in most other exercises for good reason so you need to lower the weights a bit. This area is my weakness and I will focus much of my attention to. I am going to do some of these exercises twice a week to firm up the lower back.
A good approach to specific area back training is to rate your back into these 4 areas from 1-4, 1 being the weakest and 4 being the strongest. Then arrange the exercises where you are doing the weakest parts first in your back training and the strongest last. Or you can have two back training days where you train the weak parts earlier in the week and the strongest at the end of the week.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
How Bad Do You Want it
This is a re-post by Dusty Hanshaw, National level SHW Bodybuilder. I couldn't agree more with his comments!
As I have went through this prep I have had countless people compliment me on the discipline I show through my training, diet, and overall regiment. While I admit I appreciate the fact that people see my hard work I consider it a prerequisite to being a successful bodybuilder. You see when I started seriously bodybuilding about four years ago I decided I was going to be a pro. With that decision I also understood the commitments I would have to make in order to make such a lofty goal a reality. I understood that bodybuilding is a marathon rather than a sprint. What that means is that the gains are not going to happen overnight and the biggest key is being consistent day in and day out. So have I achieved my goal of professional status yet? No, but unlike the beginning a lot of people can see that it is just a matter of time. I have proven day in and day out over the last four years that I am serious and that is proven by how much my physique has changed. Hell, at the Border States in October of 2008 I stepped onstage at a weight of 242lbs and this year I am in much better condition the week of my show weighing in at 267lbs. If I can continue to progress like this I will achieve my goal of professional status by the time I reach 30 years old.
What is the point of all this rambling about myself? The point is I decided that I wanted something, understood what it would take to achieve that goal, and implemented the proper steps to make it happen. The previous sentence is what it takes to achieve any goal you make. I’m not going to lie, when I am dieting my patience for people falls greatly and one thing that drives me nuts more than anything is people who say they want something but are not willing to make the needed sacrifices to succeed. Obviously in my line of work I hear most about peoples goals that involve the way they want their bodies to look. They come to me and explain what they want and that they are willing to do whatever it takes to see their goals through. At that point I explain what they will need to do from diet, training, cardio, rest, etc.. Excited they run off to have the body they have always dreamed of. The problem is that excitement fades quickly and the excuses begin. My favorites are: Work has been really tough, I have kids, I travel all the time, I can’t eat whenever I want, I am having relationship problems, I have been so stressed, etc… BULLSHIT! Just stop it already. At least do yourself the service of admitting that obviously you don’t want it bad enough to make the sacrifices needed. We all have problems, family, significant others, and jobs. Those who work around these things no matter what succeed and those who use them as excuses fail.
My challenge to everyone reading this is to take a long look at the goals you have in your life and look at what you are doing or not doing to support them. Maybe you will see that you are not showing the discipline necessary to be a success. At this point you can honestly decide how badly you want to be successful. Most likely you understand what needs to be done so it should really just be a matter of deciding whether or not you are willing to follow through. If you are going to go for it please do yourself the service of giving your goals everything you have and if you decide you are not willing to make the needed changes to your life don’t hesitate to quit. This is your life and these are your goals. The people around you will love you whether or not you achieve them. But please, please, please, don’t tell me how badly you want something with words just to let your actions show me different. I ask again, What do you want?? Do you want it bad enough???
It’s only a matter of time…
Dusty
As I have went through this prep I have had countless people compliment me on the discipline I show through my training, diet, and overall regiment. While I admit I appreciate the fact that people see my hard work I consider it a prerequisite to being a successful bodybuilder. You see when I started seriously bodybuilding about four years ago I decided I was going to be a pro. With that decision I also understood the commitments I would have to make in order to make such a lofty goal a reality. I understood that bodybuilding is a marathon rather than a sprint. What that means is that the gains are not going to happen overnight and the biggest key is being consistent day in and day out. So have I achieved my goal of professional status yet? No, but unlike the beginning a lot of people can see that it is just a matter of time. I have proven day in and day out over the last four years that I am serious and that is proven by how much my physique has changed. Hell, at the Border States in October of 2008 I stepped onstage at a weight of 242lbs and this year I am in much better condition the week of my show weighing in at 267lbs. If I can continue to progress like this I will achieve my goal of professional status by the time I reach 30 years old.
What is the point of all this rambling about myself? The point is I decided that I wanted something, understood what it would take to achieve that goal, and implemented the proper steps to make it happen. The previous sentence is what it takes to achieve any goal you make. I’m not going to lie, when I am dieting my patience for people falls greatly and one thing that drives me nuts more than anything is people who say they want something but are not willing to make the needed sacrifices to succeed. Obviously in my line of work I hear most about peoples goals that involve the way they want their bodies to look. They come to me and explain what they want and that they are willing to do whatever it takes to see their goals through. At that point I explain what they will need to do from diet, training, cardio, rest, etc.. Excited they run off to have the body they have always dreamed of. The problem is that excitement fades quickly and the excuses begin. My favorites are: Work has been really tough, I have kids, I travel all the time, I can’t eat whenever I want, I am having relationship problems, I have been so stressed, etc… BULLSHIT! Just stop it already. At least do yourself the service of admitting that obviously you don’t want it bad enough to make the sacrifices needed. We all have problems, family, significant others, and jobs. Those who work around these things no matter what succeed and those who use them as excuses fail.
My challenge to everyone reading this is to take a long look at the goals you have in your life and look at what you are doing or not doing to support them. Maybe you will see that you are not showing the discipline necessary to be a success. At this point you can honestly decide how badly you want to be successful. Most likely you understand what needs to be done so it should really just be a matter of deciding whether or not you are willing to follow through. If you are going to go for it please do yourself the service of giving your goals everything you have and if you decide you are not willing to make the needed changes to your life don’t hesitate to quit. This is your life and these are your goals. The people around you will love you whether or not you achieve them. But please, please, please, don’t tell me how badly you want something with words just to let your actions show me different. I ask again, What do you want?? Do you want it bad enough???
It’s only a matter of time…
Dusty
What Do You Want? How Bad Do You Want It?
This is a post by Super Heavyweight Bodybuilder Dusty Hanshaw. I had to re-post this because I agree with this comment 110%
As I have went through this prep I have had countless people compliment me on the discipline I show through my training, diet, and overall regiment. While I admit I appreciate the fact that people see my hard work I consider it a prerequisite to being a successful bodybuilder. You see when I started seriously bodybuilding about four years ago I decided I was going to be a pro. With that decision I also understood the commitments I would have to make in order to make such a lofty goal a reality. I understood that bodybuilding is a marathon rather than a sprint. What that means is that the gains are not going to happen overnight and the biggest key is being consistent day in and day out. So have I achieved my goal of professional status yet? No, but unlike the beginning a lot of people can see that it is just a matter of time. I have proven day in and day out over the last four years that I am serious and that is proven by how much my physique has changed. Hell, at the Border States in October of 2008 I stepped onstage at a weight of 242lbs and this year I am in much better condition the week of my show weighing in at 267lbs. If I can continue to progress like this I will achieve my goal of professional status by the time I reach 30 years old.
What is the point of all this rambling about myself? The point is I decided that I wanted something, understood what it would take to achieve that goal, and implemented the proper steps to make it happen. The previous sentence is what it takes to achieve any goal you make. I’m not going to lie, when I am dieting my patience for people falls greatly and one thing that drives me nuts more than anything is people who say they want something but are not willing to make the needed sacrifices to succeed. Obviously in my line of work I hear most about peoples goals that involve the way they want their bodies to look. They come to me and explain what they want and that they are willing to do whatever it takes to see their goals through. At that point I explain what they will need to do from diet, training, cardio, rest, etc.. Excited they run off to have the body they have always dreamed of. The problem is that excitement fades quickly and the excuses begin. My favorites are: Work has been really tough, I have kids, I travel all the time, I can’t eat whenever I want, I am having relationship problems, I have been so stressed, etc… BULLSHIT! Just stop it already. At least do yourself the service of admitting that obviously you don’t want it bad enough to make the sacrifices needed. We all have problems, family, significant others, and jobs. Those who work around these things no matter what succeed and those who use them as excuses fail.
My challenge to everyone reading this is to take a long look at the goals you have in your life and look at what you are doing or not doing to support them. Maybe you will see that you are not showing the discipline necessary to be a success. At this point you can honestly decide how badly you want to be successful. Most likely you understand what needs to be done so it should really just be a matter of deciding whether or not you are willing to follow through. If you are going to go for it please do yourself the service of giving your goals everything you have and if you decide you are not willing to make the needed changes to your life don’t hesitate to quit. This is your life and these are your goals. The people around you will love you whether or not you achieve them. But please, please, please, don’t tell me how badly you want something with words just to let your actions show me different. I ask again, What do you want?? Do you want it bad enough???
It’s only a matter of time…
Dusty
As I have went through this prep I have had countless people compliment me on the discipline I show through my training, diet, and overall regiment. While I admit I appreciate the fact that people see my hard work I consider it a prerequisite to being a successful bodybuilder. You see when I started seriously bodybuilding about four years ago I decided I was going to be a pro. With that decision I also understood the commitments I would have to make in order to make such a lofty goal a reality. I understood that bodybuilding is a marathon rather than a sprint. What that means is that the gains are not going to happen overnight and the biggest key is being consistent day in and day out. So have I achieved my goal of professional status yet? No, but unlike the beginning a lot of people can see that it is just a matter of time. I have proven day in and day out over the last four years that I am serious and that is proven by how much my physique has changed. Hell, at the Border States in October of 2008 I stepped onstage at a weight of 242lbs and this year I am in much better condition the week of my show weighing in at 267lbs. If I can continue to progress like this I will achieve my goal of professional status by the time I reach 30 years old.
What is the point of all this rambling about myself? The point is I decided that I wanted something, understood what it would take to achieve that goal, and implemented the proper steps to make it happen. The previous sentence is what it takes to achieve any goal you make. I’m not going to lie, when I am dieting my patience for people falls greatly and one thing that drives me nuts more than anything is people who say they want something but are not willing to make the needed sacrifices to succeed. Obviously in my line of work I hear most about peoples goals that involve the way they want their bodies to look. They come to me and explain what they want and that they are willing to do whatever it takes to see their goals through. At that point I explain what they will need to do from diet, training, cardio, rest, etc.. Excited they run off to have the body they have always dreamed of. The problem is that excitement fades quickly and the excuses begin. My favorites are: Work has been really tough, I have kids, I travel all the time, I can’t eat whenever I want, I am having relationship problems, I have been so stressed, etc… BULLSHIT! Just stop it already. At least do yourself the service of admitting that obviously you don’t want it bad enough to make the sacrifices needed. We all have problems, family, significant others, and jobs. Those who work around these things no matter what succeed and those who use them as excuses fail.
My challenge to everyone reading this is to take a long look at the goals you have in your life and look at what you are doing or not doing to support them. Maybe you will see that you are not showing the discipline necessary to be a success. At this point you can honestly decide how badly you want to be successful. Most likely you understand what needs to be done so it should really just be a matter of deciding whether or not you are willing to follow through. If you are going to go for it please do yourself the service of giving your goals everything you have and if you decide you are not willing to make the needed changes to your life don’t hesitate to quit. This is your life and these are your goals. The people around you will love you whether or not you achieve them. But please, please, please, don’t tell me how badly you want something with words just to let your actions show me different. I ask again, What do you want?? Do you want it bad enough???
It’s only a matter of time…
Dusty
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