Training for Definition
In the training for an increase in muscularity or definition of the front chest and upper back area, certain basic principles must be followed, just as was true of bulk training.
Diet, daily activity, mental approach and the actual exercise practices must all be considered. We will delve into these basic principles now.
Diet: The bodybuilder striving for greater muscularity may or may not be overweight. He may merely lack hard muscular definement, and may not actually carry excess bodyweight. All he really wants to do is to harden up without any radical alteration of physical girths.
Or -- he may actually be overweight and may desire to lose excess size from certain parts of his body while he is hardening up.
Each of these two aims require specific dietary approaches . The actual exercise routines and the other basic principles will be consistent, but diet for each is a separate issue.
Let us take the man who is overweight first.
He MUST subsist on the lowest amount of daily calories which will support good health until his bodyweight is brought down to the point where he feels it should be. If he obtains satisfactory nutrition, he can lose weight quickly without endangering his health. However, if he merely cuts down on food intake and relies on a form of starvation to help him to lose weight, then he could end up with a nutritional deficiency which could prove even more serious than his original overweight was.
Most important in any reducing diet is protein, vitamins and minerals. BUT -- starches and fats must not be completely eliminated. A small quantity of each are needed daily to support good health.
Therefore, even while on a reducing diet, you should make certain that you are following a well rounded one. A sample daily menu follows:
For breakfast, one of the following -- half a grapefruit, one orange, or a 6 oz. glass of the juice of either. Then, one of the following -- a serving of a cooked or cold whole grain cereal with a moderate amount of milk, or -- a poached or boiled egg and two strips of well done bacon. And -- one slice of whole wheat bread either toasted or plain and a half a pat of butter. THAT IS ALL!
Lunch should consist of a salad plate consisting of all the celery, lettuce, endive, parsley, raw cabbage, carrot strips, etc., that you want. You can add a small helping of cheese, or a slice of lean meat, either ham or beef. One slice of whole wheat bread, a half a pat of butter and a 6 oz. glass of milk should round out the meal.
For supper you can be a bit more generous. A cup of meat broth, a serving of lean meat, fish or fowl, a cooked green vegetable, a baked potato with a small pat of butter, a raw vegetable salad, one slice of whole wheat bread with half a pat of butter, a glass of milk and a VERY SMALL serving of dessert, preferably stewed fruit sweetened with honey or brown sugar.
Between meals, NOTHING!
In addition to the above, be moderate with your intake of water. 6 glasses of water daily, in addition to the milk and other liquids of your diet will supply all the water you need.
Such a diet, if persisted in, is good for the health and will help you to lose weight quickly.
Now, if you are not overweight, but merely desire to harden up, you can be more lenient with your diet. All you need to do is to eat as much as you desire of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, eggs, fish and fowl, whole grain products and to partake sparingly of potatoes, bananas, sweets and starchy or fatty foods. You can drink a little more milk and water, but not too much so. Rely on proteins, fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain products for your major nourishment and eat sparingly of starches and fats. If you follow this plan, the fleshy tissue on your body will soon be replaced by hard muscular form.
Daily Activity
The bodybuilder who desires to bulk up should take it easy when not training. The bodybuilder who wants to become more defined should be physically active, even when not training. This does not mean that he should participate in exhausting sports when not training, but he should get more general exercise such a walking more, working around the house and garden, etc. In other words, in addition to his actual workouts, he should lead a physically vigorous life. This extra activity will help him to harden up.
He should not skimp on sleep. He must, for the sake of his health, obtain all that he needs nightly. But -- once he awakens in the morning, he should try to get up and should not remain in bed longer than actually needed for sleep. 8 hours a night is a good average. Less could be harmful and more could defeat his aim for greater muscularity.
Mental Approach
Just as his daily physical activity should be of a vigorous nature, the mental approach of the bodybuilder who is anxious to obtain greater muscular definement should also be vigorous. He should maintain an alive and active viewpoint. He should be confident, sure of himself, unafraid to tackle any job. In this way, he mentally attunes himself to a success drive that will help him to achieve his developmental aims.
Exercise Principles
The bodybuilder anxious to obtain greater definition will have to be willing to train his entire body 5 times a week. He is to start off with the exercises for his front chest, proceed to those for his upper back, and then he should follow the same method of exercise arrangement as explained for the bodybuilder who desires bulk and who trains his entire body 3 days a week. However, while the bodybuilder who desires bulk must not train any part of his body more often than 3 times a week, the definition-minded bodybuilder must train 5 times a week.
He is to perform 5 sets of each exercise, from 12 to 15 repetitions a set. The exercise style must be very strict and he is not to cheat in the exercises. He must pump out the repetitions at a moderate tempo and employ mental concentration while doing so, mentally contracting the muscles as he is exercising them.
Since added definition will depend mainly on harder muscular form, as far as the front chest is concerned, there is little use in wasting time on direct rib box exercises. It is best to confine your exercise efforts to the pectoral and serratus magnus muscles. However, in the upper back, all areas should be worked.
A good definition routine will consist of between 6 to 8 chest exercises, or 3 to 4 exercises for the pectorals and 3 to 4 exercises for the upper back, adding up to a maximum of 8 exercises in all.
Round out your routine with one neck exercise, two biceps exercises, two triceps exercises, one forearm exercise, one lower back exercise, three waist exercises, two thigh exercises and one calf exercise. Perform all these exercises for 3 sets, from 12 to 15 repetitions a set and follow the same strict style of training for these that you do with your chest exercises.
And now, here are a few sample chest routines.
1) Bench Press, No. 4
2) Special Elbow Raised Serratus Exercise, No. 6
3) Round the World Exercise, No. 11
4) Seated Press Behind Neck, No. 17
5) End of Bench Rowing, No. 22
6) Dumbbell Shrugs, No. 28
Another Sample Routine:
1) Dumbbell Bench Press, No. 15
2) Lateral Raise, No. 12
3) Special Serratus Raise, No. 6
using a pair of dumbbells instead of a barbell
4) Seated Upright Rowing, No. 19
5) End of Bench Rowing, No. 22
6) Side Press, No. 29
And now for a few routines in which 8 exercises are used.
1) Dumbbell Bench Press, No. 15
2) Round the World Exercise, No. 11
3) Elbow Raised Special Serratus Exercise, No. 6
4) Lateral Raise, No. 12
5) Seated Press Behind Neck, No. 17
6) One Arm Rowing, No. 27
7) Bent Forward Laterals, No. 25
8) Dumbbell Shrugs, No. 28
And a final one:
1) Bench Press, No. 4
2) Dumbbell Bench Press, No. 15
3) Lateral Raise, No. 12
4) Round the World Exercise, No. 11
5) Side Press, No. 29
6) Seated Press Behind Neck, No. 17
7) Seated Upright Rowing, No. 19
8) End of Bench Rowing, No. 22
There are many combinations possible. You can stress the pectorals and latissimus entirely, or else you can include the serratus and other upper back muscles, as you wish. But keep the exercises direct, keep the exercise style strict, train with mental concentration and employ high repetitions and a rather high number of sets.
It is not wise to attempt to use super sets, forced repetitions of other bulk principles when training for definition. Your best plan is to follow the method of training just outlined and to rely on diet and severe physical work to burn off the excess and to reveal the hard muscularity of your body.
Diet, daily activity, mental approach and the actual exercise practices must all be considered. We will delve into these basic principles now.
Diet: The bodybuilder striving for greater muscularity may or may not be overweight. He may merely lack hard muscular definement, and may not actually carry excess bodyweight. All he really wants to do is to harden up without any radical alteration of physical girths.
Or -- he may actually be overweight and may desire to lose excess size from certain parts of his body while he is hardening up.
Each of these two aims require specific dietary approaches . The actual exercise routines and the other basic principles will be consistent, but diet for each is a separate issue.
Let us take the man who is overweight first.
He MUST subsist on the lowest amount of daily calories which will support good health until his bodyweight is brought down to the point where he feels it should be. If he obtains satisfactory nutrition, he can lose weight quickly without endangering his health. However, if he merely cuts down on food intake and relies on a form of starvation to help him to lose weight, then he could end up with a nutritional deficiency which could prove even more serious than his original overweight was.
Most important in any reducing diet is protein, vitamins and minerals. BUT -- starches and fats must not be completely eliminated. A small quantity of each are needed daily to support good health.
Therefore, even while on a reducing diet, you should make certain that you are following a well rounded one. A sample daily menu follows:
For breakfast, one of the following -- half a grapefruit, one orange, or a 6 oz. glass of the juice of either. Then, one of the following -- a serving of a cooked or cold whole grain cereal with a moderate amount of milk, or -- a poached or boiled egg and two strips of well done bacon. And -- one slice of whole wheat bread either toasted or plain and a half a pat of butter. THAT IS ALL!
Lunch should consist of a salad plate consisting of all the celery, lettuce, endive, parsley, raw cabbage, carrot strips, etc., that you want. You can add a small helping of cheese, or a slice of lean meat, either ham or beef. One slice of whole wheat bread, a half a pat of butter and a 6 oz. glass of milk should round out the meal.
For supper you can be a bit more generous. A cup of meat broth, a serving of lean meat, fish or fowl, a cooked green vegetable, a baked potato with a small pat of butter, a raw vegetable salad, one slice of whole wheat bread with half a pat of butter, a glass of milk and a VERY SMALL serving of dessert, preferably stewed fruit sweetened with honey or brown sugar.
Between meals, NOTHING!
In addition to the above, be moderate with your intake of water. 6 glasses of water daily, in addition to the milk and other liquids of your diet will supply all the water you need.
Such a diet, if persisted in, is good for the health and will help you to lose weight quickly.
Now, if you are not overweight, but merely desire to harden up, you can be more lenient with your diet. All you need to do is to eat as much as you desire of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, eggs, fish and fowl, whole grain products and to partake sparingly of potatoes, bananas, sweets and starchy or fatty foods. You can drink a little more milk and water, but not too much so. Rely on proteins, fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain products for your major nourishment and eat sparingly of starches and fats. If you follow this plan, the fleshy tissue on your body will soon be replaced by hard muscular form.
Daily Activity
The bodybuilder who desires to bulk up should take it easy when not training. The bodybuilder who wants to become more defined should be physically active, even when not training. This does not mean that he should participate in exhausting sports when not training, but he should get more general exercise such a walking more, working around the house and garden, etc. In other words, in addition to his actual workouts, he should lead a physically vigorous life. This extra activity will help him to harden up.
He should not skimp on sleep. He must, for the sake of his health, obtain all that he needs nightly. But -- once he awakens in the morning, he should try to get up and should not remain in bed longer than actually needed for sleep. 8 hours a night is a good average. Less could be harmful and more could defeat his aim for greater muscularity.
Mental Approach
Just as his daily physical activity should be of a vigorous nature, the mental approach of the bodybuilder who is anxious to obtain greater muscular definement should also be vigorous. He should maintain an alive and active viewpoint. He should be confident, sure of himself, unafraid to tackle any job. In this way, he mentally attunes himself to a success drive that will help him to achieve his developmental aims.
Exercise Principles
The bodybuilder anxious to obtain greater definition will have to be willing to train his entire body 5 times a week. He is to start off with the exercises for his front chest, proceed to those for his upper back, and then he should follow the same method of exercise arrangement as explained for the bodybuilder who desires bulk and who trains his entire body 3 days a week. However, while the bodybuilder who desires bulk must not train any part of his body more often than 3 times a week, the definition-minded bodybuilder must train 5 times a week.
He is to perform 5 sets of each exercise, from 12 to 15 repetitions a set. The exercise style must be very strict and he is not to cheat in the exercises. He must pump out the repetitions at a moderate tempo and employ mental concentration while doing so, mentally contracting the muscles as he is exercising them.
Since added definition will depend mainly on harder muscular form, as far as the front chest is concerned, there is little use in wasting time on direct rib box exercises. It is best to confine your exercise efforts to the pectoral and serratus magnus muscles. However, in the upper back, all areas should be worked.
A good definition routine will consist of between 6 to 8 chest exercises, or 3 to 4 exercises for the pectorals and 3 to 4 exercises for the upper back, adding up to a maximum of 8 exercises in all.
Round out your routine with one neck exercise, two biceps exercises, two triceps exercises, one forearm exercise, one lower back exercise, three waist exercises, two thigh exercises and one calf exercise. Perform all these exercises for 3 sets, from 12 to 15 repetitions a set and follow the same strict style of training for these that you do with your chest exercises.
And now, here are a few sample chest routines.
1) Bench Press, No. 4
2) Special Elbow Raised Serratus Exercise, No. 6
3) Round the World Exercise, No. 11
4) Seated Press Behind Neck, No. 17
5) End of Bench Rowing, No. 22
6) Dumbbell Shrugs, No. 28
Another Sample Routine:
1) Dumbbell Bench Press, No. 15
2) Lateral Raise, No. 12
3) Special Serratus Raise, No. 6
using a pair of dumbbells instead of a barbell
4) Seated Upright Rowing, No. 19
5) End of Bench Rowing, No. 22
6) Side Press, No. 29
And now for a few routines in which 8 exercises are used.
1) Dumbbell Bench Press, No. 15
2) Round the World Exercise, No. 11
3) Elbow Raised Special Serratus Exercise, No. 6
4) Lateral Raise, No. 12
5) Seated Press Behind Neck, No. 17
6) One Arm Rowing, No. 27
7) Bent Forward Laterals, No. 25
8) Dumbbell Shrugs, No. 28
And a final one:
1) Bench Press, No. 4
2) Dumbbell Bench Press, No. 15
3) Lateral Raise, No. 12
4) Round the World Exercise, No. 11
5) Side Press, No. 29
6) Seated Press Behind Neck, No. 17
7) Seated Upright Rowing, No. 19
8) End of Bench Rowing, No. 22
There are many combinations possible. You can stress the pectorals and latissimus entirely, or else you can include the serratus and other upper back muscles, as you wish. But keep the exercises direct, keep the exercise style strict, train with mental concentration and employ high repetitions and a rather high number of sets.
It is not wise to attempt to use super sets, forced repetitions of other bulk principles when training for definition. Your best plan is to follow the method of training just outlined and to rely on diet and severe physical work to burn off the excess and to reveal the hard muscularity of your body.
