Presents

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN TRAINING EACH MUSCLE GROUP TO ENSURE GROWTH

Written By Karen Sessions (MsFit), author of Iron Dolls Female Bodybuilding Secrets REVEALED at www.Iron-Dolls.com

This is a free chapter of Iron Dolls eBook and may be freely distributed provided that all of the links, copyright, and authors name remain intact.
Some images from www.exrx.net

Who am I? Im Karen Sessions, a multicertified fitness instructor, eBook author, success coach, and nationally qualified female bodybuilder. I have been in the fitness industry since 1988. I started bodybuilding severely underweight due to a mild eating disorder, anorexia. Within months I was able to put on lean muscle weight and totally reshape my body. I spent a lot of time thoroughly researching and educating myself on nutrition of quality, muscle physiology, and every aspect in-between. I took my physique to the competition level for several years, mastering the art of competitive bodybuilding. After a few years of dabbling with various tactics of dieting, cardio, and training I was able to perfect the formula to bring me to 7% body fat naturally. I have won many bodybuilding contests and have qualified nationally in the NPC organization. I have now taken my knowledge and experience and jam-packed it into eBooks to help you on your fitness endeavors, whether it is muscle building, fat loss, overall health, or a simple body transformation.

Chapter Eighteen
Training Each Muscle Group to Ensure Growth
"Every aspect of bodybuilding comes from hard work. You can't add muscularity without hard work. You can't improve symmetry without hard work. You can't get conditioned without hard work. If you want to be a bodybuilder you have to devote yourself to hard work." ~ Pavol Jablonicky; IFBB Pro

Building the Weak to Make Them Strong

If there is one body part you hate to train, chances are you should focus on it more because you are not giving it full attention, making it under developed and adding to that hate because its weaker. People tend to neglect the things they dont enjoy, and neglect weak body parts. Your favorite body part or exercise is obviously your favorite because you may train it on Monday and you can push a lot of weight with it.

Training for Growth

Sore muscles are not an indicated of growth. Muscle soreness is an indication of tissue damage. You do not have to be sore to build muscle. If you want to build muscle you need to know proper form, as well as what works and what doesnt. You need to know why certain things work and how they work. So lets begin discussing how to bring out the shape of your muscles. Thought it was impossible, right?

It is said that muscle shaping is a myth, but I beg to differ. If so many lifters dont believed in the myth, then why is there so much bad form in the gym? Everyone is trying to hit different parts of the muscle. People do believe in shaping the muscle, but fail to recognize or admit it. One reason is they try shaping, and fail to see results because they do the exercises completely wrong. I will reveal to you three simple ways to shaping your muscles. 1. Your muscle shape is directly related to your genetics. There is nothing you can do about that. You just have to accept what you were given and go with it. 2. Shaping and detailing the muscle is related to proper dieting, and removing the excess body fat. 3. It is possible to recruit specific heads or areas by angling the joint, and stretching the muscle length. There are approximately 639 muscles in the human body that give shape and symmetry. Three variables determine your muscles shape, genetics, and training. You need to train your muscles in a way in which force is applied to all the fibers intensively in order to develop the muscles efficiently. Does the particular grip really matter? Well that depends on three factors: 1. Fiber length 2. Direction of fibers

3. Insertion point in the joint While genetics do play a major role on muscle shape and size, a large degree of your muscle shape and size will come from proper training techniques. So with that, even good genetics cant make up for poor exercise technique. Often times I see lifters swinging the weight back and forth, completely out of control. All they are doing is wasting energy, and taking up needed space in the gym. It is obvious that they have no idea what they are doing or why they are doing it. They are just going through the motions. something in there. But hey, they think they are accomplishing

Proper Form
Poor form does not produce results, but it does produce many injuries, such as muscle tears, strains, and pulls. Twisting the body, jerking and slinging the weight, and using other muscle groups for exercise is commonly seen in the gyms. Personally, I cannot stand to witness poor form in the gym. It is one of my major pet peeves! You should be able to feel the muscle contract and elongate. Each repetition should be under your complete control. Once you start moving the weight erratically you are out of control and the muscle is not being stimulated. Spotters and machines are useful in aiding you in executing proper form while lifting or getting forced repetitions. In

the following section I will give you the SECRETS to shaping your muscles. Its all in form and angle!

The Chest
If you have been training for any length of time you are sure to have heard the question, how much can you bench press? If you are brand new to lifting, be prepared for that question. Nothing is more irritating to a hardcore bodybuilder than the generic bench press question. Quite frankly, its irrelevant. And, even if you did give them an answer, chances are the person asking doesnt know if its a lot of weight anyway. Since I log my training by plates (two 45 pound plates with an additional 25 pound place on each side = (2) + 50 x repetitions), I never really know my actual lifts. I just focus on progression, not numbers for bragging rights. At the other end of the spectrum you have the group of people who think weight training either builds a massive bust line or it deteriorates the breasts all together. These are just training myths that will never dissipate. Breast size is in relation to genetics and fat. You may be genetically big busted, but that does not mean you are fat. The myth that female bodybuilders lack breast size is due to the extreme dieting and depletion process they must go through to compete on stage. I can guarantee you they are back to their regular curvy and feminine physiques not long after the competition. The chest is the most frequently trained muscle in the body. Monday at the gym you can rest assure that all the flat benches are taken with

everyone is engaging in chest training. This is one reason I do not train chest at the beginning of the week. Women can benefit from quality chest training just as men can. A well-developed chest will improve your figure and posture, enhance your breast line, and give you better cleavage. A stronger chest will also build stronger shoulders and arms. Structure The chest is primarily composed of the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and the subclavius. The chest muscle is commonly referred to as the pecs. The pectoralis major contains two heads (clavicular and sternal). The sternal head constitutes most of the pectoralis.

The pectoralis minor is on the outside of the chest, from the scapula to the 3rd to 5th ribs. These muscles move the arm across the chest, as well as forward and away.

Even though the chest is composed of three heads, it contracts as one muscle since the fibers run the length of the muscle. The same

fiber that originates at the sternum inserts into the medial humerus (the long bone of the upper arm). You cannot contract one part of the fiber more than another part. However, since the chest is divided into regions you can localize areas, to a degree, through specific training methods.

Primary Chest Developer

Bench Press Compound Exercise The flat bench press is the king of chest training. A little secret to fully isolate the chest muscle is to plant both of your feet securely on the floor, push your shoulders downward (toward your waist) out of the movement, slightly sticking your chest out, with a small arch in your lower back. This will put your shoulder blades in a position where they can move freely and are able to squeeze together when the bar is lowered to the chest. This will also prevent you from using the front of your shoulders and will put more emphasis on the chest. Keep your elbows away from your sides while pressing. The closer you draw in your elbows, the more the front shoulders are utilized. When you reach the top of the bench press movement, lock your arms to fully contract the chest muscle.

Bench Press Error Excessive Wide-Grip Many bodybuilders make the mistake of using an excessively widegrip when bench pressing, thinking that it will target the outer chest or lats more. This is bad information and bad form. An excessively wide-grip can cause pain and can damage an unstable or underdeveloped shoulders. use a shoulder-width grip. Bench Press Error Feet on the Bench or in the Air Bench pressing with your feet on the bench or in the air is bench press abuse. If I could make it a law against this, I would. Nothing could be more dangerous than unstable feet planted on the bench during the bench press. Some claim it gives them stability. How? If your focus is to bring weighted plates to your chest and to drive them back up, how are you going to do that trying to balance your body on a bench with your lower body up in the air? When you take your feet off of the floor it shifts your bodys balance to OFF BALANCE and your body calls on stabilizers to keep you balanced on the narrow bench. You should use the stabilizers to bench press the weight, not to balance your body. When you take your feet off of the floor it takes away from your chest development. Bench Press Error Using Excessive Weight When you bench press more than you can handle your form will be bad and it takes focus and emphasis off your lift, making it dangerous. This can be seen in lifters who are bench pressing and For best overall stimulation and form,

their feet are moving during the lift. You will see them squirming or they toss their hips completely off the bench. Many times when a bodybuilder bench presses too much weight, the scapulas cant move freely during the pressing movement because all the focus is in the poundage being pushed. Keeping the scapulas rigid and tense brings stress to the long head of your biceps, taking focus off of the chest. Your scapulas need to be able to move freely Bench Press Error Benching to hit the Inner/Outer Chest Has anyone ever told you that they were using a wide-grip bench press to hit their outer chest or a close-grip bench press to hit the inner chest? My question to them would be HOW? The fiber connects from the sternum to the medial humerus, thus taking a wide-grip in hopes that it will target the outer chest or lats, or using a narrow-grip to hit the inner chest is completely useless. the shoulder comes into play, putting less emphasis on the chest. The fibers of the chest originate from many different areas along the sternum and come together at one center point, looking similar to a sunburst. The flat bench press stimulates all the chest fibers. The popular claim of feeling the difference in the varied grip is because

Upper Chest A well-developed upper chest adds shape, proportion, and symmetry. Many bodybuilders, including men, tend to neglect upper chest training. You can build a wellrounded chest without upper chest training, but incorporating it can give you the extra advantage. I also think women can have a great advantage by adding upper chest training to their routine. I have created fuller and deeper cleavage using these upper chest methods, which looks phenomenal in a side chest pose. Incline Bench Press The incline press puts more emphasis on the upper chest region and some on the anterior deltoids (front shoulder). This movement is the secret for a full and expanded chest with high and deep cleavage. Just as with the flat press keep your feet planted securely on the floor. Push your shoulders down toward your waist so you keep them out of the movement. This will cause you to naturally, yet slightly stick your chest out, putting a small arch in your lower back. You should be able to feel your shoulder blades moving together during the movement fluidly.

Cable Crossovers Another exercise rarely used in developing the upper chest is standing cable crossovers, using the bottom connection. Pull each hand pulley toward your center line in a hugging motion. When you get to the contraction point, try to make your elbow touch. This will fully contract the chest muscle. variation to your chest training. Incline Flys A great alternative to the cable crossovers for the upper chest development is the incline dumbbell flys. Hold the dumbbells just as you would on an incline press, but have your palms face each other. In this position lower the dumbbells to each side, stretching your chest muscle. Return to the starting position with the dumbbells aligned straight over your upper chest. Once the dumbbells return to the contraction point rotate your elbows inward as if they are going to touch each other. This will give you the full contraction. Adding these will give you more

Lower Chest
Many bodybuilders dont focus on their lower chest, especially women, but training it every now and then cant hurt. As I said, the flat bench press is the granddaddy of all chest movements and the flat bench will work the entire chest. Lower chest development will benefit those at the competitive level. Notice how some of the

female professional bodybuilders will raise their breast with their hand and crunch down on their abs and obliques. They are displaying their lower chest development by moving the breast out of the way. Decline Press Targeting the lower chest can be accomplished through decline movements, such as the decline bench press, decline cable bench press, as well as cable crossovers using the lower attachment, dips, and pullovers. The same general movement, as with the flat and incline bench press, applies to the decline bench press. Lock your feet under the padded braces. Push your shoulders down toward your waist so you keep them out of the movement. This will cause you to naturally, yet slightly stick your chest out, putting a small arch in your lower back. Make sure your shoulder blades can move easily during the movement. Pullovers Pullovers target the lower chest and the serratus, and lower lats. Simple lie on your back on a flat bench, and using either a dumbbell or barbell, slowly lower it behind your as far as you can, getting a good stretch in your chest. With a natural bend in your arms bring the bar back

to the starting position.

Outer Chest
Developing your outer chest muscle will enhance your V taper from the front view. You can target the outer chest area, the pectoralis minor, by incorporating dips, and the cable crossovers using the high attachment. Chest Dips Parallel bar dips are a great exercise to work the outer and lower portion of the chest area, provided they are done in a fashion that limits triceps use to put more emphasis on the chest. To put more stress on your chest during chest dips, lean forward, up to a 90 degree angle. The wider the grip on dipping exercise, the better you can target your outer chest. Inner Chest A well-developed inner chest will give your sensational cleavage that is sure to be a head turner. This area can be developed well by doing dumbbell flys (flat or incline), cable crossovers, and the pec deck machine. Cables] [Dumbbells, Pec Deck Machine,

Chest Overview Entire Chest Flat bench press Flat DB bench press Flat machine press Flat cable bench press Upper Chest Incline bench press DB incline bench press Incline bench press machine Cable crossovers
(bottom attachment)

Lower Chest Decline bench press DB decline bench Press Decline bench press machine Pullovers Chest dips

Incline cable bench press Inner Chest DB flys Pec deck

Outer Chest Chest dips Cable crossovers (high attachment)

Get MORE training information on how to properly train each muscle group from arms to legs in Iron Dolls Female Bodybuilding Secrets REVEALED! Hey Karen: My body is changing. My shoulders, traps and bi's are responding like CRAZY to your program. I have been getting so many comments from the people in my office about my arms (specifically biceps). My upper body strength is way up too. I worked out at home with my son the other day and we were doing push ups and I totally shocked myself with my ease of doing push ups after bench press! I popped out 3 sets of 12 like a man!!!!! Helen Kearns-Ofner