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MUSCLE MAIL
by Nelson Montana
Before we start, I'd like to thank everyone for their questions, comments, suggestions, and responses to last month's feature. The reaction has been mostly positive, with a few detractors along the way, but that's what makes this so exciting. If we weren't shaking things up, it would mean we were just trying to please everyone by telling them what they want to hear. If that's what you're looking for, there are plenty of other places to go to get it. At Anabolic Extreme, you're going to get honest and varying opinions. Sometimes, it ain't pretty, but I'd like to think that most of our readers would rather have bitter truth than sugar coated horseshit.
Having said that, on with the questions!
Question:
Since I stopped doing aerobics I've made great gains and I hadn't noticed any loss of cardio capability until last month. I went swimming for the first time in years. After just one lap, back and forth I was totally out of breath! That made me realize I needed to do cardio. I've continued swimming and now, after one month, I can do 10 laps with no problem. Doesn't that prove that aerobic exercise improves the cardiovascular system?
Tom
Answer: No. Ask yourself this; how long did it take to do that first lap which caused you to get winded? About a minute? Aerobic activity consists of a sustained elevated heart rate for over 20 minutes. So how would aerobic training have helped you complete that minute's worth of work more efficiently? What you were doing was anaerobic! (even though I feel the word "anaerobic" inaccurately describes highly intense quick bursts of effort since oxygen is involved.)
Although swimming may not seem as strenuous as weightlifting, you were using your body in a way in which it was not familiar. It was simply a new type of stress -- which reinforces the necessity of training in varying ways in order to achieve maximum overall conditioning. Therefore, the reason why it became easier to swim more laps after continuing to swim wasn't because of an improvement in your aerobic ability -- you just got better at swimming.
Question:
I prefer training alone which means that when I squat heavy I have to rely on the Smith Machine. Everyone says the Smith Machine doesn't work the stabilizers and can cause injuries and I need to do free squats. Am I holding back my gains by using the Smith?
Chris
Answer: I think the Smith Machine has gotten a bad rap. I know, I know, it's in vogue to say how much it sucks and "real" bodybuilders don't use it, but I feel it has its place. I was speaking with Craig Titus on this very subject and this is what he had to say about it. I quote...
"Some "experts" out there say machines don't work the stabilizers. That's bullshit! Muscles stabilize whenever there's stress involved. Besides, I never heard a pro bodybuilder say; "I think I'll work my stabilizers today." They come into play naturally. It's the same with exercises. People say this move is a shaper and that one is a mass builder. Everything builds mass if you go heavy enough."
If any armchair experts disagree with Craig, they can take it up with him directly.
Naturally, if you want to develop functional strength, free squats are superior but I don't think there isn't any reason you can't get a killer quad workout using the Smith.
Although they're often neglected, Hack Machine Squats are also excellent. In fact, they may be more of a "pure" thigh exercise, whereas free squats work the glutes to a greater degree. If the butt is getting too big, hacks are the way to go.
Question:
I have a friend who abstains from sex with his wife out of fear that it will lower his testosterone levels. Is he right?
Frank
Answer: Sex is not only one of life's greatest pleasures, but the reproductive system is also self-regenerating. In other words, what you lose, you'll quickly regain. In fact, repressing the sexual urge for too long will most likely lower testosterone levels. (As well as cause complications of the prostate.) So not only is your friend being ridiculous, he's wrong too.
Question: My question concerns abs. If I train them with weights will they get bigger? Should I train them every day?
Eric
Answer: As far as the abdominals getting too big, my answer would have to be yes and no. The obliques will definitely get bigger if you train them heavy and can consequently make your physique look "blocky." As a matter of fact, the obliques tend to grow very quickly from resistance training.
The rectus abdominus, on the other hand, are a very shallow muscle group. It would be virtually impossible to make them too big and the notion that weight training will do so is a fallacy. Big guts are never the result of training. Roids, GH, water retention, insulin use, fat, -- yes! But never training.
Working the abs every day is not recommended. That's a throw back to the days of the spot reduction myth. If you're trying to gain weight, you should abstain from ab training altogether.
The abs should be trained like any other muscle -- once a week and intensely. Of course, diet is the main factor in the abs clarity but an overlooked aspect to abdominal development is anatomy. If your abs are set close to the epidermis, they'll show through even with a little bodyfat. If they're set back, you may never have great abs even with low bodyfat percentage. It's all luck of the draw.
Keep an eye out for a future issue of Anabolic Extreme which will feature an ab routine that doesn't include sit-ups or leg raises! Very interesting.
Question:
I'm looking for a good bicep routine. I've tried a few and it seems they work for a little while but overall my development is lacking. What's the best way to train bi's?
Peter
Answer: After almost one hundred years of bodybuilding publishing, you would think the last thing any of us need is another biceps training article! More often than not, the problem with biceps isn't the exercises but the manner in which they're performed. A basic exercise such as the barbell curl may seem like the simplest movement on earth, yet the way most people execute them is half as effective as it could be.
When curling the weight, the tendency is to jut the elbows forward. This nuanced change in trajectory shifts the stress from the bicep to the brachialis, the forearms, and the anterior deltoid. Very often, while curling, the legs are bent to assist in the inertia and the back is swinging in an effort to create momentum. This allows for the lifting of more weight but again, it takes the stress off the biceps. When using a preacher bench, once the forearms are vertical, there no longer is any gravitational pull on the biceps. It's no wonder bad bicep workouts are so common!
The best way to maintain tension on the muscle is not to "arc" the weight up.
Instead, while performing a standing barbell curl, the bar should come up in a straight line in front of the body. The elbows will actually move backward as the weight is lifted. (Be sure not to hunch the traps.) This is a very deliberate movement that requires a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be amazed how much better it works the biceps.
Question:
Every day there seems to be a new "guru." What's the deal on (names withheld for obvious reasons)? Are they the imperious, all knowing geniuses they claim to be?
Hakeem
Answer: I think most of them should be arrested for fraud! In my opinion, the bodybuilding world has seen exactly two men who I'd refer to as geniuses; Vince Gironda and Rheo Blair. And even they weren't right about everything.
Question:
I'm 40 years old and was wondering if I was eligible for testosterone replacement but my doctor said he won't prescribe it. What else can I do?
David
Answer: Find another doctor! Realize, that if you accept testosterone replacement, your natural levels will drop further, so in essence, you're committing to a dependency for the rest of your life. Another option is to save up a few weeks worth and do a mini-cycle. Take a break -- then do it again.
Personally, I think the AMA has it ass backwards. Testosterone would be my last choice for older men. A less harsh, less androgenic, and more anabolic steroid like Primobolan would be perfect. Of course, under the current laws you'll go to jail if you choose to opt for the "milder" drug. If anyone can figure out the logic behind this legislation, please let me know.
Have a question you'd like addressed in Muscle Mail? E-Mail me at
nelzon@anabolicextreme.com
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