There are quite a few guys who simply have trouble packing on the lean muscle mass. Whether their hormonal environment isn’t quite as favourable or genetics was just out to get them at birth, one thing is for sure and that’s that they need to follow a slightly different set of weight lifting methods than those who seem to grow muscle overnight.

Luckily for you, you’re taking the time to do your research about weight lifting so you won’t be destined to a life where it seems like a strong wind might knock you over.

First, one of the key factors that skinny guys need to remember is that they must avoid volume work at all costs.

Rule #1:

Get in the gym and get out! That should be your motto from this day forward. Repeat it. Breathe it. Live it. Weight lifting is a calorie expensive activity and you need all the calories you can get at this point. If you are burning it up in the gym every single day, how do you expect to grow? You won’t.

You grow when you are resting and generally, the skinnier you are, the more rest you are going to need.

Now, that doesn’t mean you should park it on the couch for a few days in between your workouts. It simply means that each weight lifting should not consist of set after set after set. Followed by a rest break to talk to that hot receptionist and then back to another twenty sets.

No, you’re workouts need to consist of ten-twelve or fewer sets where you are pushing yourself to the MAX. There is no room for sissy, light-weight work in your weight lifting program.

Which brings us to Rule #2:

Ditch the isolated exercises. Who needs them? You certainly don’t.

If your workouts normally include bicep curls, followed by tricep kickbacks, followed by leg extensions, followed by chest flys, followed by… you get the picture, you’ve got to change this pronto.  Remember, you’ve only got so much time you are allowed to be in the gym for. Don’t you want to get the biggest bang for your buck?  Likely you do, so that means focusing on compound lifts only. This includes weight lifting exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, rows and military presses.

Become friends with those exercises and you will have new muscles in the picture soon enough.  Toss the five day split program, get yourself on a good upper/lower or full body workout program and you have found the key to unleashing new muscle mass.

Now onto the next significant point. Cardio.

Rule # 3.

I know, I know, you want to be big, but you don’t want to be fat.  Let’s not worry about that at this point, because you and I both know you are a long ways from fat.

Gaining fat weight is going to be more a concept of diet than anything else so as long as you are being smart in the kitchen, you don’t need to perform hours of cardio to remain lean. Cardio is just going to further burn off precious calories that could have gone towards building you new muscle mass. For you, calories are a hot commodity and should not be spent on the treadmill.

If you want to keep up some cardio for general health sake, fine, but limit this to two or three twenty minute sessions per week – TOPS. And make it low to moderate intensity as well.  The only place you are to be intense is in the weight room.

This leads to rule #4.

REST! You’ve put in your effort at the gym, fed your body with some good food and now what? Plans to go out partying all night with your buddies? You might want to rethink that.  While you definitely want to maintain your social life while trying to gain weight – and you should – it should not come at the sacrifice of sleep.

Sleep is prime time when it comes to your body repairing itself and growing stronger so short-circuit sleep and you are short-circuiting your results. Just don’t do it. Period. It’s that simple.

Get ready for rule #5.

Technique.  Ever seen that guy in the gym who is hoisting so much weight on his barbell for barbell curls that it looks like he’s got more momentum going on than the Gravitron at the fair? He’s pretty much working every muscle in his body except his biceps. Not so beneficial.  Not only that, but give him two weeks and a hundred bucks says he’s out with back pain.

You must maintain proper form throughout your weight lifting, not only to prevent injuries but also to see the muscular gains you are looking for. If you cheat form, you are only cheating yourself.  If you don’t know what proper form is yet, book a session with a trainer or find yourself a spotter who can help you.

And now, bonus rule #6

Find a mentor.  You want someone who’s been there, done that. They used to be a skinny bastard just like you and they’ve managed to overcome the curse and now tip the scales and dominate the weight room.  This guy will do wonders for your motivational levels. Don’t feel like lifting? Have a good look at his body.  You’ll want to pick that weight up after that. Furthermore, he can let you in on some of his tried-and-true secrets that just might be key for you as well.

So to sum up your new approach to your weight lifting sessions – get in, train hard and with proper technique, get out, eat and rest. Repeat this process over a few months without getting distracted or becoming too much of a party animal and you will make this the year you change your dreaded skinny image.

Your friend

Carlos Larsen,

Always remember that you can do anything you put your mind to. Whatever the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.

Yesterday I sent you the “Get Bigger Biceps” Las Vegas workout and today you can watch my buddy Lee Hayward crank out a simple but effective tricep workout. 

I thought you would enjoy the picture here of Lee Hayward and I enjoying some beverages at a night club.  As you’ll see from the picture, I believe in AUTHENTICITY and TRANSPARENCY

Some fitness guys would hide these pictures from you but I just want to remind you that I’m human too and love to have a good time and cut loose.

You don’t have to be obsessed or have a perfect lifestyle to build muscle.  It’s all about balance and moderation.

As you’ll see in the video, the small hotel gym we were training at had a limited amount of equipment (i.e. an adjustable bench, dumbbell rack, and some resistance machines). So this entire tricep workout is done using just dumbbell exercises only.  They didn’t have barbells.

We used the Positions Of Flexion style of training which starts with a mid-range compound exercise (rolling db extensions), then goes into a fully stretched exercise (overhead db extensions), and finishes up with a peak contraction exercise (db tricep kick backs).

I had Lee demonstrate this entire workout because I buggered up something in my elbow which is almost fully recovered now.

That’s it.  Pretty simple on paper.  Tough in action.

I have got a few more really good workout and nutrition videos that were shot in Vegas.  Stay tuned.

Vince DelMonte

<<<<<<< VINCE DELMONTE >>>>>>>>>>

A few weeks ago while I was traveling to Las Vegas to hang out with fitness friends Craig Ballantyne, Mike Geary, Lee Hayward, Joel Marion and John Barban. 

Every time I travel I look for opportunity to film videos for you in new locations, even if the gym charges $35 for a day pass like this one did.

Hey, I spent almost $35 on two alcoholic beverages so I couldn’t justify not paying the same amount on something that was actually good for my body and help you get bigger biceps.

Check out the “Get Bigger Biceps” work out Lee Hayward and I filmed for you with limited equipment emphasizing different positions of flexion.

This was our  “Las Vegas Pre-Club” Bigger Bicep Arm Workout using three different positions of flexion.

We start with Standing Bicep Curls, then Incline Bench Bicep Curls, and finish up with Concentration Curls.

Watch the video to learn the significance of each different position – they were not randomly selected.

Each exercise is done for 4 sets 12-10-8-6 reps. With about 30-60 seconds rest between sets. Pyramid up in weight with each set by increasing the dumbbells by 5 pounds and dropping the reps with each set.

That’s it.  Pretty simple on paper.  Tough in action.

Single click the video so you can post your comments on it below:

Look out for the Bigger Triceps video coming tomorrow.

Vince DelMonte

My favorite delt exercise for building big shoulders is Seated Dumbbell Presses and got up to 4 sets of 6 last summer with 90 lbs.

Anybody who has done Vince’s No-Nonsense Muscle Building program knows he likes stacking exercises as an advanced technique to build big shoulders.  One of the circuits is demonstrated below by Joey Vaillancourt who is one of the Biggest Gainer Competitors.

Check out Joey’s shoulder routine in this video… it’s a pretty brutal shoulder routine.

One of my favorite ways to train shoulder is with an old school shoulder blaster that you can watch in the next video below.  It’s pretty fun and very effective especially if you don’t have a lot of time to train.

5 Killer Shoulders Exercise for Bigger, Badder, Delts

1. Front Raises
2. Side Raises
3. Bent Over Raises
4. Upright Rows
5. Overhead Presses

Notes to perform this shoulder routine properly:

• Continuous circuit
• 10-15 reps
• 3 sets
• 2 minute rest between circuits
• Add 5 pounds each circuit
• Start 5 pounds heavier each workout

Make sure you finish each workout by stretching your shoulders out after this or else you won’t be able to lift your arms to wash your hair or take your shirt off after this workout.

I m sure you have questions so fire away.  I want at least 20 comments from you guys on anything that has to do with getting bigger shoulders.  Don’t just ask questions but share what’s working for you to give you sculpted delts, whether you’re a male or female.

Carlos Larsen

It’s called a “tempo.”

A tempo is the rate that you move the weights.  You might move your weights “slow and controlled” or you might move them “fast and aggressively.”  Both speeds of lifting have different results on your muscle fibers and rate of development.

To be honest, if you have been training longer than 4 years and really in tune with your body and how your muscles “need” to feel to make gains then you might NOT need this lesson for today.  If not, keep reading…

Incorporating a tempo into your workouts is one of the simplest and most powerful tools to ensure you are  INVESTING time at the gym rather than SPENDING time at the gym!

If you think body weight training is under rated when it comes to building muscle then I suggest you give it a second chance after watching this body weight training program.

FYI, performing 50 reps on the chin ups and pull ups is extremely advanced.  I have done 50 pull ups and 50 chin ups in 4 mini-sets (about 30-60 sec rest) and that is STILL very challenging.  The name of the game, when it comes time to building new head turning muscle is PROGRESS.

Focusing on increasing reps or doing the same number of reps in less time is an easy way to monitor progress for a body weight training routine.

If you need something new and are getting bored then try out this 5 exercise body weight training program, when you hit the gym tonight or tomorrow, which will test your muscular endurance, conditioning and mental toughness.

Focus on adding, no matter your age or sex, at least 1-2 reps each workout.  You can incorporate this body weight training program into your routine a few ways:

-> Perform this workout 3x a week but switch up the order of exercises each workout.

-> You can pick the exercise you are weakest on and perform it at the start of your current workout.

-> You can do 1 set to failure on each of these exercises upon waking up or going to bed each day.

Be creative and stick to which ever routine you choose for at least 6-weeks to see optimal results.

Don’t forget, if you want to LOOK fit you have to GET fit and body weight training does a tremendous job of getting you fit.   It’s worth it (especially when you start getting compliments from your friends)!

Train hard and expect success