MOTIVATION The mind always fails first, not the body. The secret is to make your mind work for you, not against you.”MATTER Arnold talks about training the biggest “muscle” of all recurring theme in ll my traning articles isthe importance Of the mind as it relates to taining, working a muse, devel ‘ping your physique, and achieving your bodybuilding goals \Withour mastery over the mind you wil never have mastery lover your body: As Thave std many times, unless you under stand the power of the mind in developing your muscles, you will not sue: ceed. Desire, motivation, and setting goals all start with the mind, as does visualization — how you imagine your body looking one dag. IF your mind is not focused oa what you need to doin the gym, you cannot concentrate on ‘working your muscles properly [Aeays femember that the body does what the mind tells eto do. IF your ‘mind does not want tit heavy weights and: your body will not doit effectively. You wil > through intense workouts, zo through the motions, but you'll never do the kind of heivy tmining necessary to properly develop your body. The mind always fils fist, not the body. The secrets to make your mind work for you, not agains you, Heres an example to demonstrate what I mean about the power of the rind. I remember one time when I was in the gym doing squats with Franco Columbu. Franco, as everyone knows, is one of the strongest bodybuilders of all time. ‘This particular day he got under 300 pounds, squatted down, and coulda’ get back up. We had to grab the bar and help him patie on the ck. On that day 500 pounds for even one rep was appar ently too heavy for him, Ac the same moment as we were helping him retack the weight, gtoup of Telian-American kids from New York came in, “Wows” they said, ‘there's Franco! Hey, Franco! They were great fans, and were looking for ward to watching him work out — but Franco had just filed in a it and scemed likely to miss itagain on his next ty He was obviously feeling a itl humiliated. His ego was taking a beatin He doesnt often fail with a it well within his lif apabiltes. Knowing this, I took him aside and told him, “Franco, these guys think you'te the king, You can’t fil with thar weighe again or they're going to go home and tell all thei fiends thar the great Franco Columbu eannot even squat 500 pound” He looked at me with his big eyes, realizing he was on the spot He went out onto the street and spent litle while psyching himself up, taking deep breaths and concentrating om the if, He stalked back into the ‘gym, grabbed the bar, and instead of doing the 6 reps he was supposed to do with the 500 pounds, he did 8!'Then he walked avay eoolly as if it were nothing, www.emusclemag.com / MARCH 139MOTIVATION Probably the biggest difference between the champions I've known over the years and the guys who always stay ata beginner's level is their ability to concentrate, to push themselves hard exch set, and t0 train with: out fear. Sue, the champs probably do have ‘more physical talent than the average per- son, but T have known many bodybuilders with great genetics who never won competi- tions because of the weakness of their ‘minds, their inability o concentrate ptoper- Jy, or their lack of confidence in theit ability 10 reach their goals. On the other hand, 1 have known people with less than ideal genetic abilicy who went on 0 win major Uitles through sheet desire, determination and perseverance ONE STEP AT A TIME You can't simply go to the gym and say, “Someday 1 want to be a pro boxiybuldler” of “Someday I want to Jook like Arnold” Thae's ‘00 vague. Ie too far down the road, too much inthe future, That’ a long-term goal. You need small, daily goals to give your workouts mean ing and intensity. For instance, if you did 10 chins the lst back workous, you know you need and 12 the time afier that. If you did bench presses with 200 pounds for 10 eps last chest workout, the next chest workout try 205 pounds and see hhow many reps you can get. Keep working uns you ean do 205 for 10 reps — and then ada ‘more weight to the bar again, Trying to beat ‘what you did in your previous ‘workout gives each sesion special meaning, Thats what bodybild ing is all about. Training, progres sively — always adding weight to the bar or doing more reps with the same weight, or both — i the ‘nly way to keep making improve- iments. If you do not train pro- gressively, you are just spinning your wheels Fonget sugary junk foods. Rat the right foods, ake supplements and practice proper nutiton. Get ‘enough sleep and rest for recovery and recuperation, Maintain a pos: tive attitude, and the long-term goals will take care of themselves. Tused to visualize myself becom- jing more and more like Reg Park, who was my bodybuilding idol when T started eaining. Although 1 as tall and skinny without any to try for 11 the next time you train Joan Bi Maintain a positive attitude and the long-term goals will take muscle mass or size (while Reg was ma beyond belie), I helieved that one day wa bbe huge too. I could imagine it happening e ‘ime I trained at the gym and everynight in bs jnst before I fll asleep, The mote I focusel this image and worked and grew the maw saw the real possibilty of being like him. I convinced that you become what you ti about most. Dwell on acgative thoughts ai you fai, Dwell on positive thoughts and yx ‘succeed, Experts used to say a man couldn't clean at jerk more than 500 pounds Several lifters ca lose. In fact, atone time the record was 4997 pounds, less than half a pound under the maa 500 burret. Thea Vasily Alexcev of the fra Soviet Union lited $01 pounds at the 1570 Wis ‘Weighting Championships in Columbus, Oi care of themselves.” Within one week both Serge Redding [Belgium and Ken Patera of the USA also if ‘more than 500 pounds. Why? Because oaa’ ‘Alexeev had eliminated the mental 500-pous) barter, they knew the it wes possible. You should see regular progress when yu work out, If you dont, there is a probla somewhere. Find out what itis and correct ‘You should also be constantly evaluating yout physique for its weak points. Ate your cakes ‘00 small for your thighs? Is your chest too bi for your shoulders and arms? Are your lovee pees two big for your upper pees? Ate yout ‘waist and hips too wide? Ts your back too sha low? Is it wide but nor thick, or thiel but at wide? Do your biceps lack peak? Are you fig buroo smooth, or ur but need more massa Size? AIL these kinds of questions are impoe ‘aot, Remember, wou are trying to build the pes ect physique, where every pat isin proportion and balance. Symmetry is your ultimate geal ‘with musculatty and mass a close second.Mach as been written ‘al spoken about the poner of positive thinking, AL successful athletes, enter- sus, artists, business people, foeor, educators, musicians and pukcans have this power in abun- line: One of the main reasons they are ‘uns isthae they are excited about what uy ae doing, They never think of failing — ‘al of theie great sense of accomplishment. lune for what they are doing also contributes iba success. They have passion. Thear some people lamenting, “Oh, T anit Je 20 pounds and develop good abs" or “I ‘atin 25 pounds and get the mass I need 10 ‘insoch and such a contest” I would hate £0 fe ts weak-minded, t9 have so litle confi- exe in my abilty to achieve my goals. I ean pnorlose 20 pounds in a few weeks because I Jor Ijusthave to adjust my diet and traning tnd have the confidence to do it. I have a0. huts When T did the movie Stay Hungry, I Jad w lose almost 30 pounds to get down t0 210 foray part. Then when I decided to com forthe 1975 Me. Olympia in Soath Aftica, Thad to take my bodyweight back up to 230. 1 aie these changes within the same year. Many ssl could not do it, but I never had any habs: I simply had faith in my ability to con- ‘nay body dying is all about achievement. Ie Jina ficing reality and overcoming adversity. ‘he human body was never designed for a sedan lifestyle, Lewas created to hunt saber- othe tigers andl walk forty miles a day: When ‘sehive no physical outets, tensions build up shia us. The body resets to minor frustra- fo such as romebody cutting us ofF in tra fc In life-and-death situations the “fight or {igh” mechanism is tipped, adrenaline floods ‘nrsystem, and ovr blood pressure skyrockets acs in general and bodybuilding in partic= share us an outlet for these tensions and sat- ip body’s need for strenuous activity Whether you tain with weights to become Mor Ms Olympia, or just to shed some body- fi, build muscle and have twice the ysable stgngih of the average person on the street, tibet is a noble cause. Do not let anyone tell nan different. Your competition is yourself, sot other people. You must constantly better ouelé. You mast always strive to improve urself mentally, physically and intellectually. Saceess in bodybuilding can teach you t0 Ieoume successful in anything you want in life Thave peoved that point well enough. You can Iateitalif you wantit badly enough. You have the power within your mind — a force thae will Jecyou accomplish anything you put your mind to f you trust, Lear to love the challenge of accomplishment and your life will tke on a whole new meaning, Every day becomes a news adventure rather than a dull rou- fine, a chance for a new opportani- ‘an opportunity for change and growth, Seize the moment Live in the present and just doit Do not merely ead these words, Make them ‘genera philosophy of life, way of living, and success will be yours because you will be using the power of your mind to its fullest potential Thea nothing ean stop youd See eee personal life and career will soar.) ARNOLD SPECIAL WHEE LagIreal zed early on that you cannot achieve full pec development with one exercise.” OLYMPIA’S CHEST-TRAINING GUIDE How Arnold built a superhuge chest turing my competitive days my chest was one of my best bodyparts. People always told me how impressed they were with the size, thickness and fullness of my pectorals, They probably thought I always had a huge chest. It was- n't so. ‘When I started training, my pecs were thin and my rib cage was small. My chest Jater became one of my best muscle oups only because [ made it that way Long before I began competing I decided that was the kind of chest I wanted. My chest development was the realization of planned goal hharel work and commitment, and the result of years of [realized early in life the importance of visualization and of setting goals, You visu alize how you want something to be, then set a goal to achieve it, You devise a plan to reach that goal, and then work like hell to get there, no matter what obstacles stand in the way, That was the story of my chest_ development physique and all my physique titles were the result of visualization and goal settin My first bodybuilding idol was thre time Mr, Universe Reg Park. He had a In fact, my entire huge rib cage and enormously thick, fully developed pectorals. They were so mas- sive! When I saw magazine photographs fof him doing a side chest pose, I knew hhad to one day have a chest like his. Notice I did not say T wanted to have a chest like Reg’s. No. I had to have a chest like his, 1 needed a chest lke his. [usted for it— and I was willing to do whatever it took to develop such a chest. Tread all | could about Reg’s chest triin- ing, I cut out photos of him and put them ‘on my bedroom wall. [visualized my chest becoming like his. Tel He in bed thinking, about it every night before going to sleep. 1 dreamt about it. Every sep of every set Drought me closer to the goal. I could feel it every time I trained. Every chest work ‘out was bringi having a massive chest like Reg Park's That awareness kept my enthusiasm high and my attitude positive Tike taining chest with basic compound movements — bench presses, incline press: es, dips and pullovers ~ that allow me to use heavy weights, These were the type of exercises that Reg Park used mostly in his chest routine, so naturally | followed his example g me that much nearer to www.ernusclemag.com/ MARCH 143= S = 5 i= a 5 i 1 realized early in my caseés that to have complete chest development with pecs that were massive, thick and fully developed in every section, I had to do a vatiety of exercises that worked. the upper, middle, lower, inner and outer areas of the pecs. You cannot ac full pec development with a sing 1 did lots of pullovers to enlarge and expand the rib cage. 4 shallow rib c ‘makes your torso look thin, The rib cage lends size to the entire upper body because you actually enlarge the skele tal structure and “pull out” the sternum, or chest bone, when you do pullovers A large sib cage lays a foundation on which to build a massive chest, wide shoulders and upper-body depth. 1 always included pullovers in my rou- tine, Many people argue that pullovers do not expand the rb cage, but I great- ly increased both the size of my rib ‘cage and my overall chest expansion through doing them. Pullovers also develop the serratus, those finger-like muscles that frame the chest ~ a must forany competitive boxlybuilder. The fist, in Austria, and later when I moved to ‘Munich, Germany, consisted ofthe fol- lowing: See Te ee eee} Gor eee Per eet eer) Eva Cee | eee chest routine I followed when training, ‘The bench presses were for middle and lower pec development ancl overall chest mass and power. The incline presses were for upper pec development. The weighted dips were for lower and outer pec mass. The dumbell flyes were for outer and inner pecs. The pullovers expanded my rib cage and gave my pees a good stretch, Often I did bent-arm pullovers with so much weight that someone had to sit on my thighs to prevent me from pulling my body over instead of the bar. [also used heavy dumbell pullovers to stretch and expand my rib cage. ‘On each exercise I strove t0 use the ‘most weight.I could. I followed the pyra- mid principle ~ staring light and adding pounclages each set, so my last set would ‘be my heaviest. Sometimes I did more sets of bec pees 8 10st wor ny siengh, 1 dd get deal dsbouibuling PACKING The bod press lvort sve and hiked det edi Seneca benching hog waspsts and singles to increase and test my Ieeching power. [ eventually worked up ba 440-pound single, which give me peter strength fo use heavier weights in In everyday chest training. This meant lnee size, thicknes ompetiive bodybuilders who lack pec fckness do. not look good when they lise their arms overhead or do double Hzeps poses, Their pecs seem to disappear Ls look I really dislike. I was determined. Ja my pecs would stay thick and not flat Jenout even when my arms were up, so 1 ied to develop the thickest, most massive jecs possible, Only by regularly doing Jkavy benches, incline presses and weight- ka dips could I achieve this objective. IMy basic chest routine didn't ch Inch from the time I was 16 until I won iy second Mr, Universe tile in 1968. 1 sight occ avy incline Jumbell pressing instead of using a bar- til, but L always stuck to the basie move ents to keep adding mass and size to my jes. My training was always geared 10 Seveloping more mass. In fact, my basic jnining progeam dlcn't change much over ay entire career. The only exercise Tadded and mass jonally have done to my chest workouts was the cable eross- over, I stared including crossovers in my precontest routine when I moved to California in 1968 after Frank Zane defea ‘ed me for the IFBB Mr. Universe ttle in Miami, Posi TThe cable crossovers that I added to my precontest preparations helped to bring out chest striations and cuts and to inerease the cleavage between the pecs. This was the first time I had really worked at build ing quality into my chest instead of just pure mass, For the following year my chest routine consisted mainly of the following eee en eee Sree eee ke ee eee Co Cross-bench dumbell pullovers eo Td pretty much stopped doing the bent arm pullover at this point because I felt that this new program would give me the combination of a full rib cag thick, full pecs that I desired. Without a doubt my chest d e and huge, velopment major factor in my winning contests. Because my chest was so good, many people might have expected me to stick with the chest routine that had developed it to that level, Basically, I did just that for the next three years, but after my Fourth Mr, Olympia win in 1973 1 was beginning to notice that my lower chest was getting 100 big — at least too big to be in propor tion to my upper pecs. It was time for a reevaluation of my routine and a change to improve my upper pecs. First I dropped the heavy dips. My big enough and would ‘get plenty of work from bench presses. Second, | changed the sequence of my exercises, I now started my routine with the incline presses to give my upper pecs priority. I believe in the priosity principle. Itonly makes sense to train a weak point first, when your stren centration are at their high For incline presses I used either a bar bell or the Smith machine and did slightly higher reps. While I still believe that low lower pecs wer h, energy andl con- st levels www.emusclemag.com/ MARCH 145,WUC e aE wat), CHEST pi nO EE on tobe cca) Ee re ore a reps 6 to 8) and heavy weights are ‘great for mass and size, more moderate reps give better muscle quality ancl mus- clarity, My new chest routine went like this; ee ee ey Scr Gee eC Cena se ees (optional) - 5x 40-42 reps Cece Be recr Liens (precontest only) This new routine gave my chest better balance. I still had the size, mass anel thickness, but _my upper pecs were thicker and more developed. My lower ees no longer dominated. I had better ‘chest shape and a more top-heavy look instead of a droopy, overdevelopextook- ing lower chest, Another method I began using by 1973 was supersetting chest and back during the off-season, I really liked the feeling of having pumped pecs and lats at the same time. By working a pulling muscle immediately after @ pushing exercise, I got fuller all-round develop- ment. Supersetting chest and buck gave me better tie-ins between front and back for a more aesthetically pleasing shape. This method also allowed me to shorten my workouts— because I could Lee ee td Geen hhc CL tent a eta Test less between sets — and to incre intensity, When supersetting, my offsea- son routine usually went as follows: Cee eer) rey Bench presses ~ 5 x 6-20 Ree Boe Sea Coes Ree) ‘Thar rows ~ 5 x 10-45 reps eres ST eee Cees Wide-grip barbell rows - 5 x 10.15 ed eee} Ce eee ed Sn eee ee) So enn By training chest ewice a week I was to experience new growth as a result of better recovery and the stimulating effe of the supersetting le So far T have told you about exercises, sets and reps, but not exercise form. There is no completely right or wrong way to do an exercise. Whichever method allows you to place the tension and overioad squarely on the working muscle is the right method for you. You have 10 know your bod understand how it reacts to a certain exal cise, and then refine each movement ove lime so that you get the most musclebuil ing action from it AVOIDING LOCKOUT When you're doing bench presses, try # keep the reps smooth and strict Do ex fone with concentration and control. It to make my pecs do most of the work, my mind is very much involved when j bench press. I've found that stopping th bar about an inch or two fiom lockout 4 80 that there is always a bit of bend in thi elbows at the top of the movement 4 keeps more constant tension on the pecs Bring the bar down to the lower peal and then finish with the bar over thy throat or even the eyes for better pec involvement. Dont just push the bar straight up and down. Keep your chest high and your ribeage expanded. Don't let you ribcage collapse and your chest lattes out, of your delts will take over and ge ‘most of the overload. IF you want more Outer pec involvement, use a wider grip. narrower grip works more middle and inner pe A very effective method I've found fer working the outer pecs is this: When per forming dumbell flyes, stop when the dumbells are about 12 to 15 inches apar at the top. This way you alwayss keep ten sion on the outer pecs. If you need more inner pec development, however, come: all the way up until the dumbells meet ‘Then pause to tense and squeeze your ches! ses, Keep your chest expanded and high throughout the movement. Make sure you get a full stretch on flyes Goas low as possible. Keep the arms heat to take stress off the elbows, Lower the bells in such a way that your elbows are pullled back in line with your shoulders, ‘This style will put a stronger pull on the pectorals. Don't just lower the bells to your sides. Also, don't let your wrists turn or ‘wis. Keep them parallel at all times, Imagine you are hugging a large tree when doing dumbell flyes, You want to make a large circle with the bells, Don't let your hands move in close to your body because then you get into a pressing action instead ofa flye action, When doing incline presses keep the angle low — no more than 25 to 30 degrees A steep angle involves too much front del: toid. As with bench presses, keep your chest arched and expanded and finish with the bar over your eyes for better pec isolation,Watch the bar as it comes off your ches and make sure you lift it over your head Not just straight up over the chest. If you need more outer, upper pecs, use a wides grip, A trick I use to get more rib-cage expan sion on cross-bench dumbell pullovers s to drop my hips at the bottom of the ‘movement when the dumbell is complete: ly behind my head. By doing this, I give my rib cage and lats extra stretch and put more stress on the semmatus, Dips are a fantastic compound move ‘ment. They work the pees, serratus, dels and triceps hard, 1 like to dip with extra resistance. Using a special belt, you can dip with extra weights attached. Lower your body as far as possible to get maxi: ‘mom stretch on the pecs, but come up. only three-quarters. You don't have to 4 \f you lose the I feel of the muscle because you're cheating too much or your range reevaluate your training technique.” come up to full lockout when dipping for pecdevelopment. When dipping for triceps development you should come up to lock- but not when dipping for pecs For crossovers, use moderate weights and ‘concentrate on full range of motion. Hold in the fully contracted position for a count of wo or three to bring out the muscular ty in your chest. Don’t stand upright. Bend forward at the waist so that you can better isolate your pecs, Most of all, never lose sight of what you're tying to accomplish when you train chest, no matter which exercise you're doing. Pot all the overload and tension on the working muscle. If you lose the feel of the muscle because you're cheating t00 ‘much of your range of motion is too limit. ed, or because you're bouncing the bar and using momentum, you should reeval- uate your taining technique, Use good, strict form, and go for a full ringe of motion, Never let ego get in the way of properly training your muscles ‘You should have one power chest work: ut aweek in which you go for very heavy eights on bench presses, incline presses and dips. Use good form, but pile on theTRAIN THE ANGLES You can achieve overall chest development ‘oniyby constructing workouts that ht ll aspects ofthe chest over a period of time ‘Overall Mass Fat bench and dumbell presses. ‘Mido and nner Pees: Nerrower-gip bench presses: ‘Overall Mass and Outer Pecs: Wide grip bench presses Upper Pees: Incline presses; ncine yes ‘Outer and inner Pees: lat yes Lower and Outer Pee Mass: Weighted ps Ribcage Expansion: Pullovers [Chost Stations, Cuts: Cable crossovers ‘weight and pyramid down to 3, 2 or even 1 rep. A good power chest workout might look like this: 1x 20 (warmup), 1 x 10/8/6/6/4/2/1. Make sure you're always well warmed up before you attempt any really heavy weights, and always have a spotter standing by so that you don't get stuck with a heavy weight on your chest. Shock the muscles once in a while with “supersetting or stipping the bar. The latter technique is very effective on exercise such as bench pressing because your train- ing partners can strip plates from the bar as you do a set. This stripping allows you to extend the set while greatly increasing intensity and really blasting those pecs. Forced reps and controlled cheating are also very effective for overloading the mus- cle, If you're using my chest development asa model of the chest you want, I'm flat- tered. However, if you're going to follow my exercise routines, modify them for your own needs. Then you should be able t develop the kind of chest you'll be proud Of. Be patient and realize that Rome was- ‘nt built in a day. You can do it, You just hhave to want it badly enough. www.emusclemag.com/ MARCH 149