Weighted Power Push Ups
December 16, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Bodybuilding Exercises, Chest Exercises, Guest Authors, Nick Nilsson, Recent Posts, Strong Body
Power Rack Weighted Push-Ups – An Easy Way To Get A Bigger Chest!
Guest Post By Nick Nilsson
Note: This exercise is an excerpt from Nick’s new book “The Best Chest Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of”…53 unique exercises and training techniques for the chest. If you’re looking to break through a plateau, get some training variety or just have some fun in your training again definitely check this book out!
=>http://www.hulsestrength.com/recommends/BigChest
— This exercise is a GREAT way to add resistance to the push-up and get the bodyweight-exercise benefits of the push-up.
If you can do more than 15 reps of push-ups, they won’t build a whole lot of muscle. But when you add significant resistance, they can be even better than heavy bench press for adding mass and strength. Moving your body through space means greater muscle fiber activation and greater functional strength.
This setup allows you to easily add as much (or as little) weight as you want to the exercise! (and it beats trying to find a person to sit on your back).
First, you’ll need a power rack – set one safety rail near the very bottom (this is where your feet will be placed – maybe one or two notches up) and one about 2 to 3 feet or so off the ground (this is where your hands go).
If you don’t have a rack but have a Smith machine or other adjustable-height bar setup, you can very easily use this exercise as well…just set the Smith bar higher and set your your feet on a bench or other low object. The reason you’ll need to get your feet up is that otherwise the plates are probably going to hit the floor at the bottom of the rep.
To add weight, you’ll need a dip belt – I’m using 90 lbs on the belt in the demo here. Start by getting the weight around your waist.
** Now here’s the trick…you won’t be leaving the weight on your waist. Instead, squat down and rest the weight plates on the ground – now slide the belt up to your mid-back. This will place it closer to your chest and shoulders and take any potential stress off the lower back during the exercise.
Basically, you’re putting the weight closer to where your body is supporting it so that you’re not putting pressure on the lower back.
Set your hands on the higher rail – right out to the sides near the uprights (or wherever is comfortable to you for a push-up).
Now step back and put your feet up on the lower safety rail. Your body should be in a pike position (slightly bent at the waist) – this will be the easiest on your lower back. At the top of the exercise, notice how my back is almost horizontal – these two things (along with the belt being higher up on my back) make this easy on the lower back. The pike position really takes the stress of the back and puts it on the chest.
Lower yourself down to the bottom of the push-up position then push back up, just like you were doing a regular push-up on the floor!
Because you’re able to add pretty much as much weight as you like or need, this is a VERY useful exercise. If you ever can’t complete a rep, all you have to do is step down and you’re done. This makes it an ideal way to really work the push-up hard and get the “bodyweight exercise” benefits of the push-up while still getting the “progressive resistance” benefits of a free weight exercise.
Now check out the video!
Nick Nilsson, also known as the “Mad Scientist of Exercise,” has been training and innovating unique and powerful new exercises and training techniques for more than 18 years. He’s published 9 books on weight training, including his most recent – “The Best Chest Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of”
Visit his site now to learn more about how this book can take your chest development and pressing strength to a whole new level AND grab your FREE sample chest exercises!
=>http://www.hulsestrength.com/recommends/BigChest
Master Your Hormones To Build Muscle & Burn Fat
September 16, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Bodybuilding Exercises, Jeff Anderson, Recent Posts, Strong Body
Below is another awesome article written by Jeff Anderson “The Muscle Nerd”.
In the next few moments Jeff will reveal:
* How you can tap into the ab-shredding workouts that will carve out your body like
a “300″ movie extra
* How increasing your growth hormone will help you burn body fat at breakneck speed…
for washboard abs that will turn heads at the beach (or at the coliseum)!
* What you can do AFTER your workout that will help you jack up your anabolic juices
for a fat melting, muscle building conquest!
How To Master The Mother Of All Hormones To Build Muscle And Burn Fat!
By The Muscle Nerd, Jeff Anderson
Author of Optimum Anaboics
The epic war movie “300” jacked up the occupancy rates of every gym across the country as all of us guys dreamed of owning a set of washboard abs (and swords) like the warriors from the film.
Hell, I practically have to snap my fingers in front of my wife’s face to break her out of her trance every time the movie trailer played on our TV! It’s hard to compet with ripped and shredded ancient soldiers!
But there’s some sort of irony that this movie about a Spartan king who leads his army of 300 soldiers into battle against the invading Persian army, shows the defenders as being so big and buff.
You see, the Spartans were Greek and the Greeks are credited with the origin of the word “hormone” (from their word “horman”, meaning “to stir up or excite”), the very thing that they worked so hard to master to become such great athletes and warriors.
So as my own tribute to this killer movie, this article is dedicated to these formidable warriors who have inspired men everywhere to chisel out a “Spartan-like” physique able to fend off attackers anywhere. (Now leave our wives alone!)
Yes…this article is about naturally mastering your body’s growth hormone (GH) levels for more muscle and more fat burning!
In fact, if your goal is to lose fat and build muscle, it’s absolutely critical to pay close attention to your efforts to maximize your production of this powerful chemical in your body.
Released from your pituitary gland, growth hormone production peaks around puberty, and then slowly fades away as we age and plays a key role in the maintenance of muscle, bone mass and the balance of body fat.
This chemical is so powerful that even WITHOUT following an exercise program and healthy diet, it can build muscle and burn fat!
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that a small group of elderly men (aged between 61 and 81) who were given injected GH treatment showed an increase in both muscle and bone mass…AND reduced body fat at the same time.
Now, injected GH therapy does have its down sides so you can put down the phone…your doctor isn’t going to give you a prescription.
Joint and muscle pain can eventually occur from artificial stimulation and once you stop taking it, all benefits go bye-bye.
However, if done correctly, research has shown that naturally stimulating growth hormone can pay off with big dividends in a short period of time.
In fact, one university study from Denmark found that a 9-week program designed to naturally stimulate GH release resulted in strength gains 300% over normal increases!
Adding to that, men following the program increase arm strength by a whopping 37% compared with only 9% by the “control group” who only followed a “non-GH-stimulation” program.
And remember…these GH increases were activated not by injected hormone, but by completely natural means.
Now you can see why my program “Optimum Anabolics” (www.optimumanabolics.com) has a primary focus of stimulating natural anabolic hormone output within the body…and why it has proven so effective at building muscle and burning off fat for thousands of men.
Hormone-focused training WORKS!
So to help you get started at mastering your own growth hormone factory, here are some of the key elements you need to apply to your workouts:
Natural Growth Hormone And YOUR Training Program
Exercise intensity is key when it comes to activating a GH response in your body. You want your workouts to be rather fast and furious, keeping total workout time no greater than 60 minutes. After that, you start to see a rapid decline in hormone response in the body.
You have a lot of work to do in just 60 minutes so in order to maximize your time in the gym, stick to “supersets” for your exercises and keep your rest periods to a minimum (about 60-90 seconds between sets). A superset involves going straight from exercise 1 to exercise 2 without resting or with minimal rest in between. Once you’ve completed both exercises, you will take a short break (remember…”short” means just 60-90 seconds!) and go back to exercise 1 again to hit the next superset.
Keep your repetition count high (around 8-12 repetitions per set). This will help activate a lactic acid response in your muscles and lactic acid in turn activates the release of growth hormone. You’re going for the “burn” in this program!
Be sure to pause and squeeze your targeted muscle at the peak contraction point (for bicep curls as an example, this would be in the “up” position).
This will really activate the lactic acid response as well as make sure you’re hitting deep into your muscle fibers.
Once you’re done with your workout, save about 5 minutes at the end for “sprint training”…
Researchers from Loughborough University have shown that a group of athletes who conducted a short series of 30-second sprints reached growth hormone levels 25 TIMES their resting levels approximately 30 minutes after training.
You’re not going to want to miss out on THOSE kinds of results!
So at the end of your workout, do three to six 30-second sprints on your gym’s track or on the road to finish off the day and set yourself up for peak GH output.
Follow this program and YOU will soon be shopping shirtless for a shield and armor at the local blacksmith! (And stay away from my wife!)
Learn more about how to MAXIMIZE your anablic potential naturally.
==> http://www.hulsestrength.com/recommends/Optimum_Anabolics
Ultimate Guide To Massive Arms – Free Copy!
July 1, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Biceps Exercises, Bodybuilding Exercises, Recent Posts, Strong Body
WARNING! – Before you grab your free copy of The Ultimate Guide To Massive Arms below I want to make a few warnings.
First, I have been experimenting with Charles Staley’s EDT (Escalating Density Training) style of training for several months now and besides being an incredible means for building some serious muscle mass and size… these workouts are CHALLENGING!
If you are looking for a quick and easy way to build muscle, then this is NOT it. When you use EDT to either build bigger arms, burn fat , or improve your conditioning… along with the great results you can also expect the following:
* To constantly be on the verge of vomiting.
* To feel as if one more set would make you pass out.
* To consistently battle with “inner demons” that will tell you to STOP this insane training and get back on the treadmill.
So, if you against hard work, challenges and commitment…. don’t kill any more trees by wasting the paper that you will print this report on!
Now… go get SWOLE 
Get the First FIVE Chapters Of “The Ultimate Guide to Massive Arms” Absolutely FREE!
===> Click Here To Get It Now For FREE <===
In these chapters, you’ll learn…
* The classic things you will do to “shoot yourself in the foot” in the gym and how to avoid them
* The heart and soul of EDT. Why this program works and why you should follow it if you want REALLY big arms
*The principles that create a successful arm-training program and how to use them to ensure EVERY workout you do builds more muscle and burns more fat
*Much, much more! This book is packed with 52 pages of quality content you can bring to the gym RIGHT NOW.
Want to use the SAME program that I am currently using to “lean out” and build some solid muscles?
Then check this out ==> http://hulsestrength.com/recommends/MassiveArms
Hardgainer Training Program Secrets
May 20, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Bodybuilding Exercises, Recent Posts, Strong Body
This HulseStrength.com audio interrogation is with Mr. Jeff “The Muscle Nerd” Anderson who was kind of enough to spend some time with us to talk about his new program called MuscleGainProjectX.
In this podcast, Jeff and I discussed a lot about why Ectomorphs have so much difficulty increase their lean muscle mass.
***Click The Arrow Below To Play The Audio Interrogation With Jeff Anderson***
[display_podcast]
Jeff was also kind enough to give away this 3-Part Muscle Gainer’s Report, where you’ll learn:
Lesson #1: Your Body’s Most Anabolic Hormone… and how to trigger an EXPLOSIVE SURGE of new growth!
Lesson #2: The Hardcore Training Technique That Targets 373% More Muscle Fibers!
Lesson #3: The $.08 “Miracle Supplement” That Literally DOUBLES Muscle-Protein Uptake For Crazy New Mass Gains!
Plus…a creepy message from a DEAD GOLD MINER that could change your mass-building FOREVER!
Welcome To “Hardgainer Project X”!
You’re about to discover the real-world results behind a revolutionary new training method designed specifically for challenged “Hardgainers” with an “ectomorph” body type.
If you’ve ever struggled with a “fast metabolism” that never seemed to coperate with your goals to pack on muscle, then you’re in for a real treat…
The “Hardgainer Tips” I’ll reveal on the next few pages will give you solid, actionable advice you can put to use TODAY to begin overcoming even the most stubborn genetics!
All you need to do right now is click on the link at the bottom to go to your FIRST HARDGAINER LESSON and you’ll quickly discover why this program is unlike anything else you’ve ever seen before.
Click Here For Lesson #1 ==> http://www.MuscleGainProjectX.com/
Gain Muscle Fast
May 13, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Bodybuilding Exercises, Recent Posts, Strength and Conditioning for Sports, Strong Body
Do you call yourself a “Hard Gainer”?
Do you feel like gaining Muscle Mass and size is impossible for you?
Perhaps its your genetics? — You may even be classified as an “Ectomorph”!
Look, I totally understand that for some athletes, gaining muscle mass is tough and may even seem impossible. BUT, that is no excuse to “throw in the towel” and classify yourself as DOOMED to “punydom” for life.
Baseball season has recently ended for most of my high school athletes.
About 2 weeks ago a group of 6 weak and lanky kids, along with their concerned parents, from a private school in my city crowded the door at Strength Camp and pleaded that I help their young bucks gain some muscle mass.
I couldn’t help but to be a bit cocky when I told the little weaklings and their parent, “I GUARANTEE that your kids will gain at least 10-20 pounds over the next few months.”
Next, I handed them a meal plan; told them what supplements they needed; and then proceeded to evaluate their strength and muscle function… which was mediocre at best.
Long story short – this week marks exactly 2 weeks since me and the bony-baseball players started training and the results are as follows:
Andrew R (age 15) — gained 8 pounds and added 20 lbs to his box squat.
Spencer H (age 15) — gained 5 pounds and added 90 lbs to his box squat.
Brent R (age 16) — gained 6 pounds and added 50 lbs to his box squat.
… and this is exactly how it has continued with the rest of em!
So, you’re probably sitting there saying 1 of 2 things:
1 – Elliott, you’re full of shit… there is no way that these kids can gain almost 10 pounds in less than 2 weeks!
-or-
2. Elliott, how the hell did they do it?
If you are of the former persuasion… then keep unbelieving and stay skinny and weak.
If you are interested in HOW we did it, then you’re going to love this free report that Jeff Anderson “The Muscle Nerd” gave me and said that I can give away to you.
Here it is: ==> http://www.MuscleGainProjectX.COM
Just so you know…
For the last 6 years, Jeff’s been dedicating much of his research to studying the “ECTOMORPH”.
These are the reaaaaaaaally skinny guys who no matter how hard they try, just can’t seem to put on any muscle. (Does this sound like YOU?)
So far, the typical advice found online can be reduced to something along the lines of…
…”You’re not TRAINING hard enough!”; or
…”You’re not EATING enough!”
But Jeff has drawn a line in the sand and is CHALLENGING all of this “expert advice” by releasing his
latest findings based upon a recent experiment he’s called…
…”Hardgainer Project X”!
This experiment took 6 “hardgainers” who had a difficult time putting on muscle and put them through a brand new 3-STEP TRAINING PROGRAM Jeff specifically designed for the “ectomorph” body type.
You can see their “BEFORE” pictures at:
http://www.MuscleGainProjectX.COM
You’ll see that there’s a mix of real scrawny dudes and also onewith a common “hardgainer problem” that comes from trying to build muscle the WRONG way (and the way that MOST fitness articles will tell you)…
…the SKINNY FAT-GUY SYNDROME!
(You’d be surprised how many guys fit into this category after trying to stuff themselves like pigs in order to gain weight!)
No…this is NOT your typical bodybuilding program!
In fact, the SKINNIER the test subject, the BETTER the program seemed to work!
All of the details of the program (as well as the transformations of these skinny guys) will be open to the public on May 19th at 12:00pm Central time.
But until then, Jeff wants to show everyone exactly WHY this program is so far off from all the other
“skinny guy” programs out there.
So he’s released a killer MP3 and eBOOK called:
============================
** Free MP3 + eBOOK **
“The Hardgainer Curse…And What To Do About It!”
http://www.MuscleGainProjectX.COM
============================
I highly recommend you go and check out the free report so you can see if this fits YOUR body type or not.
If you’ve EVER struggled with gaining weight and building muscle, this report will open your eyes and give you a sense of RELIEF that it’s NOT because you weren’t training ENOUGH…
…it’s because you were training WRONG!
Again, go check it out NOW at…
http://www.MuscleGainProjectX.COM
P.S. – One more thing…as part of the launch, Jeff has promised to throw in some cool “swag” for all who sign up for the program on the first day!
Grab the free report so you don’t miss out on the free stuff, ok?
Here’s the site again…
http://www.MuscleGainProjectX.COM
Big Arm Workout
May 8, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Biceps Exercises, Bodybuilding Exercises, Recent Posts, Strength and Conditioning for Sports, Strong Body, Triceps Exercises
If you are completely honest with yourself you’ve got to consider that a large part of the motivation for your athletes to train is the gain of aesthetic qualities… basically, a more attractive body.
Namely BIGGER Arms and Chest Muscles!
When Suzi, Sally and Sheronda take notice of Steven’s bigger guns… you won’t be able to keep him out of the gym!!
Check out this sick SUPER GUNS workout:
My friend Doberman Dan sent me an Arm Specialization Program today called, “31 Days To Bigger Arms”. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
Here’s the download link ==>http://www.hypermusclegrowth.com/31days2.pdf
Why is this guy Dan giving out so much free stuff lately?
It’s because his NEW Hyper Growth Muscle Mass Training Program went live yesterday and he wants you to see that his stuff is for real!
He’s still offering the system at a huge discount through Saturday May 9th.
The only way to buy it before it goes live to the public is by visiting this Pre-Sale link:
==> http://hulsestrength.com/recommends/MuscleGrowth
Muscle Mass Training For Strongman
May 7, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Bodybuilding Exercises, Motivation, Recent Posts, Strong Body, Strongman Exercise Database, Strongman Exercises
Since earning professional status as a Strongman through 2 years of intense training and mental labor, I am WHOOPED!!
Burned out physically and mentally! — I need a break.
Yet, every where I turn the number one question that is rifled in my direction is… “Elliott, when are you gonna compete in your first pro show?”
Now, if you have been reading HulseStrength.com for some time and have become familiar with my philosophies, you know that I acknowledge the rotation of “SEASONS” in life as well as in training. There are “SEASONS” for kicking ass as well as for recovery.
This PRINCIPLE is present all around us and in nature, just look… Night & Day, Winter & Summer, Planting & Harvesting, Rain & Drought, Anabolic & Catabolic — Yin & Yang! These opposites are expressed naturally in our surroundings and are dictated by “God” or “Mother Nature” (whichever you choose to call it).
The interesting thing about Man is that we have the choice to acknowledge and adhere to the eb and flow of this natural rhythm OR to completely ignore it and FIGHT nature (which is a battle we can NEVER win)!
So for right now, and perhaps for the next 2-3 months I will be taking time to mend my bones and joints, deload my nervous system and invite a more ANABOLIC state from my endocrine system.
But interestingly — My muscles will not get a break!
In fact, the kind of training I’m doing right now implements much higher volume and extremely short rest periods. As for the intensity, it’s completely different. At the end of the workout I’m exhausted, but I never push a set to muscular failure.
Like I said in my last video, this is burning fat pretty fast for me. It pays to be at the top of your weight class for strongman, but I don’t need to carry that extra weight all year long. I know, I know….pics are coming soon
This style of training is nothing new and no it’s not something I invented. It’s based on German Volume Training techniques and a lot of the bodybuilders from the Golden Era swore by it.
I’ve been reading a lot about it lately the guy Doberman Dan’s Hyper Growth Program. He sent me a review copy of his “Hyper Growth Muscle Mass Training” program last week and so far from what I’ve read and tried out in my own workouts, it’s LEGIT!
http://hulsestrength.com/recommends/MuscleGrowth <<<<—— Check out the Hyper Grow Program
What the heck was the Golden Era?
The bodybuilders of the Golden Era from the 50s, 60s, and 70s produced bodies that resembled Greek Gods (or those guys in the 300 Movie)! The symmetry and proportion untainted by the humongous drug bloated waists of today’s pro bodybuilders explains why even young men of today’s generation are inspired by the men of this past generation.
NOT this…
I’ll be posting more videos and talking more about this kind of training. If you’re thirsty RIGHT NOW, than check out Doberman Dan’s new program called, Hyper Growth Muscle Mass Training.
==> http://hulsestrength.com/recommends/MuscleGrowth
You guys know I hate hype and this program has been getting a lot of it lately. But the truth is Dan’s offering it a discount right now during the Pre-Sale which is going on TODAY Thursday May 7th through May 9th.
So definitely head over and read his website ==> http://hulsestrength.com/recommends/MuscleGrowth
Baseball Pitching Strength
May 4, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Flexibility / Stretches, Recent Posts, Shoulder Exercises, Strength and Conditioning for Sports, Strong Food, Strongman Baseball Training
Hi Elliot
I have a kid in our high school strength and conditioning program who is a junior. He plays football, basketball, track, and baseball. I’m the strength coach and baseball coach and this kid is one of my pitchers. He has never had any trauma to his right shoulder…no dislocations, no tears, no nothing. The school hired me as the strength coach in January and hired me as the baseball coach in January. So I haven’t been with them long. Every time this kid bench presses with barbell or dumbells whether it be a max rep on bench press or fatigue from high rep on dumbell bench his right arm sags while his left arm has the weight all the way to the top. Follow me on this…today the kid maxed out on bench press and he had 235lbs on. He explodes off his chest and his left arm drives the weight all the way up, but his right arm sags and starts to drop so I have to help him finish the rep. I’m concerned for his safety and have watched this on more than one occassion with him and want to help him. He has absolutely NO PAIN in his right shoulder. Are their some exercises we can do to help him with this problem? Like I said he is a pitcher and all my pitchers have been working twice a week to get ready for the season and he has no complaints when he throws. I don’t get it and would appreciate your help in any way possible.
Thanks
Eric Goettsch
Here is my answer:
Grab a Foam Roller! Click the image below:
I’ve been experimenting with several different training and meal plan systems in order to “shape up” a bit and give my body a rest from lifting 320 lb. Stones and 750 lb. Yokes. Also, this give me first hand information that I can relay to you about the effectiveness of various diets and training programs.
As I mentioned in the video above, I’ve lost over 10 lbs of fat and bloat in the past 2 weeks by using the following new modalities and resources.
#1 - Check out this free report about High Volume Training For Muscle Growth. This is the kind of stuff that bodybuilders use to gain freaky size without using heavy weights. But make no mistake… this is not some BS workout! — Be ready with a puke bucket and a diaper if you are going to give this workout a try.
Click the image below to DOWNLOAD this report, its free dude!
#2 -I hate diets!! So I am not going to even call this a freaking diet. But it is a “meal plan” that works and I am currently using to drop some unnecessary body fat while maintaining my Pro Strongman Strength
Click the image below to check this “diet” out.
Tornado Ball Training
January 13, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Abdominal Exercises, Strongman Exercise Database
I often boast about not using too many fancy toys and expensive gadgets to train with… but I’m about to reveal the second training tool in less than 4 weeks that we’ve been having fun with at Strength Camp.
Forgive me. But this thing ROCKS, the problem is that most people are using it ALL WRONG.
So, after a few minutes of frustration while teaching some high school football players how to swing this thing… I broke out the camera to do a short tutorial.
This will be the LAST time I show you this…
You can get your hands on one of these bad boys here:
Truth About Rugged & Functional Abdominal Strength
January 6, 2009 by Elliott
Filed under Abdominal Exercises
You know that I am not your typical "Flashy Abs" Fitness Super Star that’ll pose in panties pulled so low that you can practically see his pe*is.
I’m interested in teaching you the TRUTH about getting strong, rugged, healthy and functional.
Learn my secrets for battling that nasty belly bloat and tighten up your gut from the INSIDE – OUT.
