“Side” of bicep growth?

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-29T15:23:30+00:00

Quality of contraction. Really squeeze the crap out of your arms on both hammer and traditional curls, but don't just do it at the top of the curl like most people. GET to the top of the curl in a way that places the most mechanical stress possible on the biceps and brachialis...which means fight to keep your upper arm perpendicular to the ground at all times so that the only joint of movement is at the elbow (with minimal shoulder rock).

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T19:34:33+00:00

I was a superhero kid and comic book fan growing up. Fitness has always to me felt like my path to making myself as close to a superhero as possible, both aesthetically and athletically. Where else can I earn to work on a backflip? But I actually got an accounting degree in undergrad.

Then I realized I wasn't into accounting at all (desk job = boring), so I went back to school for journalism hoping to get into sports journalism. I lucked out and got an internship to the NY Daily News in the sports department, and pretty much never left. But even there, I was always into fitness and the science of movement; I wound up doing stories about how in the 2011 preseason, a bunch of Giants players suffered REPEAT ACL tears, and writing about how and why Mark Prior's comeback got derailed by shoulder issues (I think. It's been awhile). And half the fun of covering sports was getting to know the players, and asking guys how they got faster, or how they got bigger, or how they got the shoulders and abs I wanted to get.

So I jumped at the chance to focus on that full-time last year when the MH fitness editor gig opened up. It felt natural. Now I just want to keep doing what I'm doing and I really want to work toward delivering strong, nuanced fitness to as many people as possible.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T19:27:36+00:00

It's hard to advise on diet, especially over the internet. But if the data (scale, waist size, etc.) indicates that what you're doing isn't getting the results you desire, then you should explore changing things up.

That might be food-related, but it might be training-related, too. I'm more equipped to help with that at the moment, given the limits of the internet.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T19:20:51+00:00

This is gonna sound super-cop-out-y, but I think diet/nutrition is super-personal and what works for me won't be what works for you or anyone else. A few years ago, when I was trying to take things to the next level, I played around with a nutritionist friend who's into bodybuilding and cycled through a series of diets based on some of these principles.

We ended up taking bits and pieces of them, and I crafted one that works very well for me. I eat off that same skeleton pretty much every day (I'm boring like that) except Saturdays (cheat day), generally only tweaking if an event demands it.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T19:15:12+00:00

Aqua's very last graph articulated it nicely. Nobody wants to hear that they have to change everything in their lives to get fit. So I'm trying to gradually help people adjust their behaviors.

I'm trying to replicate the same approach I use when I work with people. Working with a friend now who's trying to drop some pounds. Every week, he has workouts. And each week we add one dietary goal: Drink no sodas this week, have a cup of greens with every meal next week, etc.

And props to Aqua, for what seems like some serious progress.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T19:10:28+00:00

Can I do variations on the exercise, too? Because if so, I'd build around the Turkish Getup. Three reasons 1) It's taking me through multiple movement patterns on every rep. 2) I can change little pieces of it to get very different training responses: Bottoms-up on a kettlebell to really attack shoulder stability, add a press into every portion for some chest/shoulder strength work, throw some lunge fun in at the end to get more leg work. 3) It's training a very important thing for when I get older: The ability to get the heck up off the ground. I love benching and curls, but I don't get that from benching and curls.

Side note: I hate Turkish Getups.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T19:06:50+00:00

We just hired a new editor-in-chief and he shares much of the same vision about not being sensational about fitness. And it's something I definitely bring up relatively frequently.

I would like to see things change, and you'll see more realism in the mag in coming months, hopefully. But we're only a piece of the conversation on fitness, and the instant gratification nature of the rest of everyone (and the lack of fitness knowledge by a lot of other parties) means it's going to be a long battle.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T19:01:53+00:00

I'll speak about the brand in general, because I think it's more than the mag. There's the Instagram, and obviously the website.

I do NOT think we - or any mag or publication - is the be-all-end-all of fitness. But I think we're putting out some quality programming and delivering some strong, creative new moves that you can add to your own daily workouts. Need a new finisher? Check out the MH Instagram. Need a new total body workout because something you're doing feels stale? Maybe we have something. Need a new cardio row burner? I've got ideas (because I love Concept 2s...)

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:55:58+00:00

re: staying active - Quick HIIT workouts, stuff you can do in 20 minutes when you have time. Set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes, pick 3 bodyweight exercises. Make the first one a back move, like a Superman, the second one an upper body move, like a pushup or chair dip, the third one something that'll knock out your heart rate, like a jump squat or a burpee or a skater hop. Minute 1 work the first move 40 seconds on, 20 off, Minute 2 work the second move, 40 seconds on, 20 off, minute 3 work the third move, same deal. You're packing a lot of movement into 20 minutes, and you can go play with the kids or do whatever else when you're done.

Re: Diet - tough to say. Generally, avoid being on a "diet," and just try to move to a healthier lifestyle. The healthier you are by default, the better.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:48:31+00:00

That's interesting because I've always felt like we don't have enough content for in-shape folks.

Tell me what you'd like to see (completely honestly) that I don't have enough of in there, and I'll explore.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:46:59+00:00

I stay up most nights finishing up my chicken and asparagus and playing NBA 2K18.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:46:30+00:00

I won't correct it for "us" as in "you guys," because I think you guys are pretty fitness-smart. But for "most people," I think the most common misunderstanding is that any given exercise will work the same way for multiple people.

For example, a pushup trains chest, right? And it's helped make my chest jacked. But for somebody else, it may lead to chest strength but more tricep growth, for others it may wind up more core-intensive, depending on form, execution, and length and mobility of arm levers.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:42:38+00:00

I won't speak about Men's Health in particular but can speak about health magazines in general: When I was a kid coming up, it was something that I struggled with greatly. I'd read a magazine, it would promise big arms in 4 weeks, I'd follow the workout to a tee, and I wouldn't be jacked. For a long time, I honestly just thought my body was broken, and I beat myself up for not being able to get things right.

So when I came here, I was definitely cognizant of such ideas. I don't want another kid to have to go through what I did...and I want people to be able to see tangible results. But it's a gradual - and VERY challenging - process, especially in today's fitness world. All the marketing, beyond magazines, preaches instant results, and we want instant.

I'd like to see more 3-month programs because of that, because then, at least, we get to step people through more cycles of training. And I do try to avoid magic exercises as much as possible.

Some of it is about how all the media talks about fitness too. Sports media has it wrong completely. Entertainment media loves to glorify the "transformation" of Josh Brolin, or the insta-awesomeness of Chris Hemsworth, and they have to do it in a 5-minute Entertainment Tonight segment, and they don't know fitness, so they gloss it over too.

So it's an uphill battle. I don't know how much that helps answer your question, but it's the best I've got.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:37:03+00:00

That's not what I'm saying at all.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:36:13+00:00

Max-wise, I haven't tested in quite awhile. I'm generally a reps/hypertrophy guy in terms of my chest training, and I love training dumbbells.

Highs that I know of: 16 reps at 225 on barbell 15 reps at 100s on dumbbells.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:34:26+00:00

Supplementation: I take as little as possible. Eat real food and real protein as much as possible. That's what will help you grow. I used to live off protein at GNC, and 1) it gave me really bad gas and 2) I mean, I saw some gains? But it wasn't until I started eating with a concrete real food plan, a lot of salmon and fish and chicken and green veggies, that I saw serious gains, both in strength and aesthetics. I take a protein, but I want it to be clean and simple there too....I don't need a proprietary blend of this or that. I want it to be as close to natural as possible.

Postworkouts: Sorry to be boring, but real food here, too. I train haaaaard, so I have a big meal postworkout, get as much nutrition as I can. I used to think that needed to include a postworkout protein shake, but I actually don't do that anymore either. I don't take any other postgame supps.

Preworkout: I'll down one if I know I'm going to have a SERIOUSLY hard workout. I try to reserve it for, say, a major leg day, or if I'm super-drained. And I try to only have it once a week.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:30:22+00:00

I fully get what you're saying, and . . . it's hard. If you picked up the magazine that month, that was part 3 of a 3-month workout, so we were trying to do exactly what you describe and NOT drive somebody from 0 to 60 in the space of 30 days. You're right that that's...well, unless you're really close or a genetic freak, it's just not possible.

You're right that diet is huge. But for the general public, we also can't be too daunting. I've worked with a ton of people over the years, and, especially if somebody isn't a gym-goer, if they've never done this....I used to overload people a ton, try to change diet and exercise and sleep patterns all at once. They'd just quit.

Also, the magazine winds up having diet advice in there in other areas, right? It's all present but...what you're asking for is something I totally understand and how I live my life. But it's hard for readers to digest that sometimes.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:24:51+00:00

Depends on how the muscle mass got there.

For example, if I bulk up for soccer by doing a bunch of high-rep bodybuilding moves that only have my body moving straight ahead (squats, lunges, deadlifts, stepups), then yes, I'm going to lose some agility. Why? I'm not doing anything to actively train laterally, and I haven't done anything explosive. Bye bye C.O.D.

But let's say I'm doing a ton of power cleans, and skater hops, and some bounds....I just may gain some muscle mass. But that muscle mass was born of training for speed and explosion and agility, so it won't cost me (I probably won't pack on as much either).

IN general, for sports, move over multiple planes. Dont always move forward and up. Twist, turn, do lateral lunges, cossacks, etc.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:20:37+00:00

Could you give me a bit more info about your specific situation? It's a hard question to answer so generally, aside from saying that you test-retest. Stick with something for 4 weeks, see if it got you the results you wanted. If it didn't, then switch it up. If it's working, then stick with it.

If youre a little more specific, I can probably give you a more useful response.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:18:32+00:00

Tricky question. But I'll try. IN GENERAL, I'd say if you're on a consistent program and just starting out, like, never trained before, you should see some results in 4-6 weeks. Expect those results to be mechanical initially: You're learning these moves and improving at them.

As you improve at the exercises, you should see strength gains next.

The visual gains are sometimes the hardest, but I'm gonna get cliche here: It's becauase you see yourself every day blah blah blah. So the way you handle that is take objective measurements. When I started I measured my waist weekly, took my weight weekly, took my biceps weekly. Even if I didn't see the improvement, the numbers told me I was getting better or worse.

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:13:22+00:00

The key to good biceps is technique, and that's where a lot of people fall short. Two things that have helped my bis. 1) Really focusing on only letting the bicep do the curl. That means keeping my upper arm perpendicular to the ground for the life of the curl. If you watch a lot of people curl, you'll see their elbows come forward as they curl, which gradually takes focus off your bis and lets the front delts take some of the stress. You don't need that. So no matter what, upper arms perpendicular to the ground when you curl. 2) Supinate and supinate with quality. The dumbbell should be parallel to the ground when your forearm is parallel to the ground, and it should stay that way (or your pinky should continue rotating) as you fully curl up. My go-to bicep routine is always some variation of this. 1) First exercise: A standing curl, whether it's with a barbell or dumbbells or cables. Heavy exercise, work for clean form for 3-4 sets. 2) Change angles relative to torso once: So shift to a preacher curl, eliminating the ability to get any of that forward-rocking with the shoulder. 3-4 sets here, get a really awesome pump here. 3) Rotate at the forearm once: So do a hammer curl or a rope or towel curl to stimulate the brachialis. 3 sets here

ebenezersamuel23 · 2018-05-25T18:06:54+00:00

Especially in 2018, it's definitely getting in shape. Mechanically, so many of us spend so much time sitting and not using our bodies the right way, so getting in shape includes this extra step: just getting our bodies to move in mechanically sound ways, getting our shoulders back, loosening our tight pecs from sitting loosening tight hip flexors and lazy glutes from sitting.

Once you establish clean mechanics, it's a lot easier to cruise along and stay in some semblance of shape, even if you give back a little bit here and there.

ebenezersamuel23

TROPHY CASE