Lean Hybrid Muscle Building

http://leanhybridmuscle.com/access/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SquatReport.pdf

Now, according to Sigmund Freud there to basically two
principles by which human beings choose to behave.

1. The Pleasure Principle: influenced by the subconscious mind,
this principle guides our bodies to seek pleasureful experiences.

Things like eating tasty food, laughing out loud, crying and sex
fall into this category.

Pleasure is found and felt in the muscular system of the body.

2. The Reality Principle: is influenced by the “ego mind”, this
principle is found in our ability to delay gratification and suffer
in the short term for the promise of a reward, later.

Things like saving money, working out and dieting fall into this
category.

Ego is located and moves mainly from our mind, the “head brain”.

In our society, far more emphasis is placed in the exercise of the
Reality Principle thus The Pleasure Principle is often suppressed,
repressed and in many cases demonized.

We are taught not to trust or even FEEL our feelings when we are
very young.

You’ll see this when a parent tells her child, “Stop crying!” or “Stop
hitting!” or “Stop the temper tantrum!”

Basically, they are saying “Stop feeling!”

When we suppress e-motion we are stopping the expression of
MOTION… the body’s main way of feeling and the tool of the
Pleasure Principle.

This suppressed e-motion becomes chronic muscular tension!

You want to yell at your mother or hit her… but instead you exercise
the Reality Principle by “biting your tongue” and “holding back your
hands.”

In your physical suppression of the emotion you create muscular
tension in the neck and jaw (by not yelling) as well as in the shoulders
and arms (by not hitting).

Over time these held back feelings create long term chronic muscular
tension which eventually leads to muscular imbalances… or what we
call Muscle Viruses.

Interesting stuff, huh!?

Although I’ve reserved the teaching of these Psycho-Somatic Strength
ideas for my advanced students… I thought it would be cool to show
you how your Muscle Viruses may be more deep rooted than just a
few tight muscles.

If you find that you hold tension in certain muscles that are causing
you to fall short of your potential… then the link below might be
helpful to you.

http://tinyurl.com/muscle-virus

Grow Stronger,
Elliott Hulse

Yesterday I mentioned that unless you do this “one thing” you
will continue to be plagued with Muscle Viruses that begin in
the weak muscles of your abdominal wall.

The “one thing” that is essential to strengthening your deep ab
wall so that you can have flat abs, but also stabilize your hips
and rib cage in order to move more efficiently and reach your
full athletic potential is…

Reduce inflammation in your colon!

When your colon (or large intestine) is inflamed, it causes your
deep abdominal wall to stop working via a process called
“viscero somatic inhibition”.

This basically means that when an organ that is on the same
neurological loop as a muscle becomes inflamed, the muscle
associated with it shuts down!

Just like when you have a heart attack they tell you that your
left arm will go numb, when your have a “colon attack” your
deep abdominal muscles “go numb”.

Things that cause your colon to become inflamed include:

+ Constipation
+ Dehydration
+ Chemicals In Processed Foods
+ Alcohol
+ Grains Containing Gluten
+ and a few other things….

If your colon is inflamed because of the foods you eat or your
lifestyle… you can rest assure that your abs will NEVER become
flat.

You might say, “who gives a crap about flat abs”… but the point
you’re missing is that without the stabilizing action of your abs
you will never reach your full strength potential and will most
likely be plagued with a host of recurring injuries.

Getting rid of Muscle Viruses that diminish your potential and
cause injury can be easy, if you know how to identify them and
get rid of them.

It requires that you know the root cause of your dysfunctions and
have a plan to destroy them.

The website below will give you some of the tools you’ll need to
set yourself on the right path and reach your strength goals faster.

http://tinyurl.com/muscle-virus

Grow Stronger (begin with your core),
Elliott Hulse

Before I jump into today’s question, I just want to remind you
that today is the last day to get Total Explosive Training
for 50% off.

You can see how dope it is over here:

http://leanhybridmuscle.com/goto/txt

I was the oldest of my four siblings, so naturally I was
bigger and stronger than my younger brothers.

Not that I was ever a bully, but when it came time to make
any serious decision (like who gets the TV remote) — I
would naturally win.

Because I was bigger and stronger.

Things change as you get older and become more “civilized”
and the shift of pure physical strength acting as the main factor
for domination, moves to strength + skill.

This was usually displaying on the playing field.

The winner then becomes the kid who is not only stronger,
but who may also be faster or can play the game better than
the others.

As we leave school and go into the slave… i mean work force,
the emphasis quickly goes from who can dominate in strength
and sports to who can follow directions best in order to get the
biggest paycheck from the master… i mean boss.

But something inside us never really changed.

We still hold our deepest respect for the strength and physical
skills of those who are gifted or worked hard to earn them, not
matter what kind of job or paycheck we earn.

To give up the dream of physical superiority and domination
for a life of camouflage mediocrity is to let a little piece of your
soul die.

Regain your respect, no matter how old or “civilized” you’ve
become.

Grow Stronger,
Elliott “The Incredible” Hulse

PS – Today is the last day to get TXT for 50% off, so check
it out before the price goes up.

http://leanhybridmuscle.com/goto/txt

Our friend, and fellow strength coach, Chandler Marchman sent us about 20 of these kick-ass short videos featuring what he calls “Hybrid Finishers”.

They are 5 -10 minute “resistance cardio” workouts that you add to the end of your strength training workouts to increase conditioning and burn fat while on a strength training routine.

Try this Full Body Finisher at the end of your workout today. Then let us know what you think in the comments area below.

Enjoy!

This is Strength Secret #7 from former Swat Commander & Executive Bodyguard Mike Gillette’s new program called Savage Strength.

I need to address this point right now….

Some people have a ‘fear of training’.

They may also have a fear of success… or a fear of change… or a fear of looking foolish.

But there will be those with a legitimate fear of starting this training program because it looks too different, or even too extreme.

So let me explain here and now why this training approach is good for you.

It is important to do this because if I don’t, some people will just look at the exercises and decide that they’re not going to do them.

And why?  Again, because they look hard.

And nobody is going to want to attack difficult exercises if they don’t understand why they should do them.

It’s hard to motivate yourself to do something that’s really challenging.

So it’s essential that people really get what we’re trying to accomplish here and what they can accomplish by understanding the theory behind the movements and the arrangements of those movements.

So now, let me get to the last key element of our training.

In our pursuit of SAVAGE STRENGTH, the best way for us to maximize muscle fiber recruitment and an adaptive response from our nervous system is to use very heavy loads.

And this freaks some people out.

The main reason it freaks people out is that they think it sounds dangerous.

“Won’t I hurt myself?” And that kind of thing.

Now understand this, when it comes to weight training  people don’t get hurt because they use heavy weights per se, they hurt themselves because they don’t know what they’re doing or they’re using weights they’re not ready for.

They haven’t yet mastered the ‘technique’ of training.

Technique is huge, and this manual will show people what they need to know to train correctly.

But building a strength foundation before going ‘heavy’ is also essential to avoid injury.

They key to understand is that the term heavy is relative.

That means whatever weight is heavy for you is heavy.

Forget what other people can do, this is your journey and it can’t be rushed.

And we’re not only talking about strengthening muscles here, your connective tissues need to be strengthened as well.

And these tissues require stimulation in the form of heavy loads.

Without heavy loads your muscles simply take over and do all the work.

The body likes to find the easiest way to do things and the advantage of using heavy loads is that it is a very effective way to stimulate connective tissue as well as bone density.

Light weights or endless calisthenics will not do this.

The problem is that everyone wants results and they want them now.

But there are no shortcuts, people have to be smart about training.

You have to condition the body over time before you can even think about performing advanced exercises or movements with really heavy loads.

It may seem scary, but you must start from where you are.

If You Liked This Strength Secret
Click Here To Get 4 More!

by Mike Westerdal

When you step into a commercial gym it’s kind of rare to see people doing pull-ups and chin-ups.  You’ll see people on the lat pull-down machine, doing cable rows and all kinds of other machine exercise just to avoid setting foot under the pull-up bar.

Have you ever wondered why that is?   Survey Says:  Because they are hard to do that’s why!  I’ve got some news for you; if an exercise is difficult to perform it’s going to be super effective.   Don’t confuse physically challenging with technically difficult.  A pull-up is not exactly an olympic lift that takes months to master…..

If you’re the kind of guy or girl who likes challenging exercises you’re going to enjoy the featured Hybrid Muscle Exercise of the Week.  They’re called Chain Roll Outs and Coach Mike Gillette demonstrates them for you in the video below.

Free Century Sets Workout

http://leanhybridmuscle.com/goto/CenturySets

by Mike Westerdal

If you are a regular reader of fitness magazines you probably have run across fitness expert Craig Ballantyne, a strength and conditioning coach, author of Turbulence Training, and a Men’s Health magazine training expert. You’ve also probably heard of Joel Marion, another highly successful fitness expert and author who has been featured on media outlets across the U.S.  In their latest endeavor the two have teamed up to develop the 24-7 Fat Loss Program.

Joel and Craig say that the 24-7 Fat Loss Program tackles head-on the critical elements that are missing from other fat loss approaches. They’ve designed this to be a complete, ‘wrap-around’ program that works for everybody, regardless of body type. There are two main components to the program–the diet plan and the fitness plan. Let’s take a closer look at both and see what they’re all about.

The primary focus of the 24-7 Diet Plan is to optimize your hormonal environment around-the-clock. Hormones are of course the body’s ‘traffic cops,’ directing the metabolic systems that are responsible for burning fat, building muscle and just about everything else our bodies do every day. Through extensive research and real-world application Joel and Craig have discovered a unique combination of four elements that push the body into a 24-7 fat burning machine.

Nutrient Combining is the first piece of the puzzle.

The purpose of any fat loss program is to discourage the body from storing fat. However, where most programs fail is that they include nutrient combinations that result in the presence of fatty acids and storage hormones (such as insulin) in your blood stream at the same time. When this happens, it shifts the body into the fat storage mode. To overcome this weakness they’ve identified two optimal nutrient combinations that stimulate fat loss.

Carb Syncing™ is the next element in the 24-7 Fat Loss Program.

There are two times of the day when the body is best prepared to metabolize carbs–in the morning and right after intense exercise. Research has shown that glucose tolerance is highest in the morning, making this the ideal time to consume more carbs. Glucose tolerance is also high immediately after periods of intense exercise, making this the other ideal timeframe to eat carbohydrates.

Strategic Overfeeding is part three.

Strategic overfeeding addresses a number of problems that inhibit fat loss with most ordinary diet plans. First, strategic overfeeding serves an important mental and emotional purpose by allowing us to ‘reward’ ourselves once in a while. Second, it also helps prevent the body from shifting into survival mode, which is what happens when you consume fewer calories than you burn for an extended period. The metabolic systems slow down when the body is in survival mode meaning you are burning fewer calories and hanging on to more fat. There is one cheat day per week in the program.

Strategic Fasting is the final component of the 24-7 Fat Loss Program Diet.

The fasting day comes after the cheat day. This isn’t to ‘make up’ for cheating but rather because the cheat day causes a spike in leptin levels, which primes the body for optimal fat loss. Joel and Craig say that it’s possible to actually lose up to one pound of pure body fat in just one day.

After providing an overview of these elements of 24-7, the authors lay out everything you need to know to successfully utilize the program. I’m happy to say that it’s not difficult to follow, which is nice because some programs are so complicated.

The 24-7 Training Manual is likewise also well laid-out and easy to understand. Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) is the focus of their training approach. MRT has surged in popularity because of its ability to drive fat loss and muscle gains. MRT workouts are generally total-body resistance training workouts done with multiple sets of a variety of exercises.

Joel and Craig put a unique spin on MRT by combining it with Interval Training, which really ramps up fat loss. Numerous studies have demonstrated that Interval Training burns far more fat than long, steady aerobic activity. In the 24-7 Program, you train three days a week, with each workout taking about 45 minutes to complete. The training component is broken down into phases with each lasting four weeks.

Just like they do in the Diet Program, Joel and Craig provide you with all the information you need to be successful in the program. Even if you’re a beginner you won’t have any difficulties diving in to the program.

For me, it’s a no-brainer to recommend the 24-7 Program. Joel and Craig are among the most knowledgeable experts in the industry. They know what they’re talking about from both research and first-hand experience. In addition, they both have an ability to share their knowledge with the rest of us using a straightforward, uncomplicated approach that’s easy to follow and most important, gets results.

24/7 Rapid Fat Loss Keeps Your Body Burning Fat
Around The Clock – Click Here

The following is an excerpt from the newly updated book Vince Gironda Legend and Myth reprinted with permission.  The Iron Guru father of bodybuilding answers a reader’s question.

THE ALPHA STATE

Q. Vince, You probably don’t remember me but you published a letter of mind in “The Wild Physique” column of the Kennedy Muscle Mag. I explained that usually I could do 10 squat mauling reps with 250 pounds and that would be all she wrote but on one special occasion I really dug in and did 18 reps with that weight. Next workout I was back to the normal 10 reps with the 250 pounds. You said that I had entered into what you call an Alpha zone where my mental and physical state merged to optimize my normal strength levels. 

You said to be happy that I had the opportunity to experience it and that hopefully it would happen again. Vince I am writing (I tried to call but some guy said you were out of the office) to tell you I had experienced the Alpha zone again, but this time it happened with the bench press. Usually I get a big triple with 300 pounds but on my last workout I did 11 reps with this weight. It’s been awhile since that letter was published and I and the readers who read your reply understand the Alpha zone, the new readers who missed reading that letter and answer might not know what I am talking about in this letter. Thanks!
Edward Bett – Yuma, AZ

A. It is good to hear from you Ed. I remember well your letter which was published in the October 1987 issue of Muscle Mag in my Wild Physique column. It is very thoughtful of you to think of the new readers of Muscle Mag and my comments 5 years ago regarding the Alpha zone. I am really busy right now working out a deal with my book publisher and I could just say that the Alpha zone is a combination of perfect concentration, perfect tension, perfect training tempo and a perfect range of movement within the set and leave it at that but I can’t and refuse to leave the readers hanging. In order to workout in this desirable state, it requires that a bodybuilder workout in the early morning because strength levels can be as high as 50% over any other time of day.

As mentioned to you previously, I have entered into the Alpha zone a few times in my life and one that I remember most was the time I was getting ready to do some curls on the preacher bench. While I was waiting for the man before me to finish up his sets and step aside, I concentrated on the perfect set of preacher curls in my mind for 12 seconds. Then I continued to concentrate for 12 more times of 12 seconds (two minutes and twenty-four seconds). By now I was in a state of meditation and ready to go. I picked up the barbell, took the proper grip which was wide to the inside collars of the 5′ exercise bar. I then placed my elbows close together with the top of the bench stand 3″ below the peck line. My shoulders are rounded forward over the preacher stand and both feet are parallel. I begin by lowering the barbell smoothly to the low position, and then I slowly curled the bar up to where it touched my collarbone. I always make an effort to keep the shoulders rounded forward in order to finish out the curl properly.

I was only interested in working the sepalphic (outer head) area of the bicep muscle in good, slow, smooth form (cadence). I had no number of reps in mind. Just a good honest set in as perfect form as I could achieve. The number of reps I usually did with this particular weight was 12. But due to the fact that I had achieved at total Alpha state during the waiting period (where I concentrated in to a level of meditation), my body disassociated the reps factor and I performed 24 reps with no more effort or strain than if I had performed the usual 12 reps.

The example I am trying to make is simply that if you limit yourself to any number of reps, that is all you will do. I h ad somehow rejected the fact that 12 reps was my limit. I continued to rep-out to a point where the muscle was actually able to perform before it encountered a feeling of truly needing glucose.

Your nutritional awareness is an important and not to be forgotten key to achieving the Alpha state. That’s why I tell my students and you Muscle Mag readers the value of keeping at least 20 grams of amino’s in the blood every three hours by taking 4 amino caps every three hours, plus 10 to 20 liver tablets (100 per day). Drinking 2 ounces of ½ & ½ dairy cream with 6 raw eggs mixed in is important too. Oh yeah, don’t forget to pop 2 or 3 amino acid tablets during your workout too.

Ed, your 300 pounds for 11 reps over your previous best of 3 reps proves that the Alpha state is just not my own unique experience, even if it did happen with that darn bench press. Enough!!! Vince

———END OF ARTICLE——-

Have you ever achieved the alpha sate in your training?  At strength Camp sometimes Elliott refers to something similar when he says, “Turn your brain off.”

Do you always decide the number of reps you are going to do ahead of time?  Do you ever find that limiting?  Let us know your comment below.

Oh and if you haven’t picked up your copy of Vince Gironda Legend and Myth I highly recommend you go to this web page to add this piece of bodybuilding history to your library.
http://leanhybridmuscle.com/goto/vincegironda

-Mike

Excerpts from “Vince Gironda Legend And Myth” by Alan Palmieri

Vince Gironda, a legend in bodybuilding history will be forever be immortalized not only for his unique approach to bodybuilding but his unique approach with people as well. Perhaps the most controversial individual bodybuilding has ever known and without a doubt, Vince himself made certain it was that way. Vince was a master of many things.

He was also lacking in some areas, such as marketing techniques. Vince was at his best however, when he could cause controversy and he was definitely a master at doing so.

Loved by some, hated by others… all would have to agree Vince Gironda had a passion for bodybuilding.

The following are exerpts taken from the newly updated Vince Gironda Legend And Myth.

The information exchanged was fast and furious. I would reflect for days about what I was told. In fact I would have to carefully consider all of it and would have to put it into some order, in my mind, before I could fully grasp what I needed to get out of it.

Sometimes it was frustrating, I felt like I was being bombarded with things I would never understand unless I could sit down with him face to face. In time, with patience on my part, I could sort it all out and see the message. For me, the confusion that some might find in my not condensing by subject, represents a more realistic picture of what I want to present.

This book is not only about Vince it is also my sharing with you the much too short experiences I had with him as well as the valuable methods he preached.

“What do you want?” Is this Vince, I asked? “What do you want?” I would like to speak to Vince Gironda please. “Look for the third time what do you want?” “I don’t have time to play phone games!”

This was exactly how my first phone call to Vince went. Surprised? A little, I had already heard and read about his reputation and although you may have heard stories, nothing is quite like getting hit with it first hand. It didn’t take me long to realize I was talking to the real thing and it made me hesitate long enough for Vince to say: “I’m busy, call me back when you get your act together”.

Wait Vince, I said, “I’m calling long distance from Tennessee and I would like to ask you a question.”

Years ago but it seems like only yesterday. Hard to believe time goes by so fast.  I don’t recall the year I first talked with Vince but believe it to be sometime in the late sixties. I was active in bodybuilding in the 60’s, a time I consider the “Golden Era” of bodybuilding. The phone calls and correspondence continued well into the 70’s. I wish I had held onto all the letters but I still have the courses he sent. Worn and used they are still a keepsake I pick up from time to time just as I do other items I have from that period of time.

Deserving or not… true or not, Vince had a reputation for being rude and abrupt and that’s putting it mildly. He also had a reputation for being one of the most knowledgeable, innovative, and intelligent people connected with bodybuilding. It has been said that Vince was self-taught in anatomy and kinesiology. He developed methods and techniques through experimentation, observation, and creativity that set the standard for bodybuilding years ago and are still followed today, time tested and proven.

It was Vince’s reputation for knowing all the ins and outs of bodybuilding that I wanted to tap into. I felt if I was going to be able to do that I would have to put up with his harsh, direct manner and so I did. Glad I did as a matter of fact. What I discovered was Vince also had another side that was not so well publicized, one of being willing to share his knowledge with someone who would listen and follow what he said; exactly what he said and to the letter. Don’t and he would spit you out in a New York second.

For some reason, unknown to me, Vince also showed interest and understanding for my questions in each conversation and correspondence. It was almost like he was a different person from what I had heard about him and our first phone conversation.

Sure he would rant and rave but he also made certain I understood exactly what he was talking about. He must have had a good memory because I would call him two or three months later and he would ask direct questions related to what we discussed previously without me even brining subjects up. He had a knack for getting his point across like I have never seen, before or since. Say what you want about Vince but you can’t say he ever had a difficult time letting you know what he thought.

People change as they go through life. I do, those reading have or will, and I am certain Vince did. All I can tell you is that if he changed his philosophy or ideas about bodybuilding they were either before or after I was communicating with him.

During the years I had a relationship with Vince, he remained consistent. I’m not sure I could write all he spoke of or what I learned from him. I must admit, although I never disagreed with him, I didn’t accept everything he told me.  Maybe that was a mistake. I knew then and I believe today he was way ahead of his time in many respects.

During the period I communicated with Vince I was already aware of my genetic limitations and grew to accept the fact I would never be a world-class bodybuilder. A local reputation would have to do and I would live with it. I also learned from Vince that one should build on what they have instead of trying to create something they do not have.

Create illusions, just like a magician. Take what you have, blend it together and capitalize on your strengths. Easier said then done, especially when it is being said on the phone and through the mail three thousand miles apart. But it made sense, a lot of sense.

Vince himself was not a large man and I think this is why he stressed proportion and symmetry so much. I have no doubt he would not accept what our sport has become today. Size has its place but there is a limit to what is really appealing. Of course I might be wrong but I just can’t see Vince putting his stamp of approval on what the sport has become.

As unique as his thinking and methods were, if you look at them closely you will find they are built on a very basic foundation, a very solid foundation at that. Some of his concepts are today being exalted as being “New Breakthroughs.” All you have to do is look at the past to see the future.

Did Vince believe everything he preached? I really don’t know! I do know he could justify anything he said about bodybuilding and make a case strong enough so those that scoffed would leave and try it anyway. In secret mind you, so that no one would know they tried his latest theory or method. I honestly believe he was sincere in what he said and I also believe just as strongly he was an excellent promoter.

He knew how to promote his beliefs, his methods and concepts, his gym. I didn’t and still don’t see anything wrong with that. After all, business, any business, relies on being able to sell in order to stay open and profitable. The gym and health and fitness business is difficult no matter how you look at it. Vince was a success in the industry for many years, mainly due to his excellent ability to promote.

Although he was a great promoter, perhaps the greatest trainer, and acclaimed author, he was not a great businessman. His interest was not business but in training and writing.

Most people associate Vince with Larry Scott but there were others, many others.  Some stayed with him and others left. As times changed, so did bodybuilding as well as those involved with the sport. People became different. Arnold ushered in a new era. I’m still not certain whether I consider Arnold as the end of the “Golden Era” of bodybuilding or the beginning of a new era. Either way I think his arrival on the scene was at the same time a change was taking place. Did Arnold bring about the change or was change evolving on its own is a question for debate that has supporters on both sides.

…. During one phone conversation concerning my arm training Vince yelled; “cut back, cut back, cut back.” “Take one full week off from all training and when you resume do exactly one half of what you’re presently doing.” “But Vince,” I said. Slam, he hung up. I tried to call him back but someone else picked up the phone and informed me Vince was busy. I called for two weeks before Vince would talk to me again. Typical Gironda!

When he spoke you were to listen and follow. I guess a lot of people would have gone on their way and just cussed him. Deep down I felt he knew I was sincere and I absolutely knew I wanted his experience and insight so I kept calling and writing. When I finally reached him he let me know that it was not his policy to accept phone calls and talk training over the phone. Like I stated earlier, I don’t know why but this limited relationship continued on and I did call and we did talk training.

 The Story Continues….in the NEW
“Vince Gironda Legend & Myth.”