I used to look in the mirror and do a front double biceps pose. It's the classic "make a muscle" bodybuilding pose just like Arnold Schwarzenegger. But over the space of just a few years in my late twenties and early thirties my body changed so much that I stopped doing my favorite pose.

I gained an ugly 30 pounds of blubber as I climbed the corporate ladder. Some guys can hold an extra 30 pounds and not look too bad. My bodyfat is all concentrated around my waist. My love handles were enormous. And it was like my biceps, shoulders and chest all shrunk. I was fat and skinny at the same time!

And it wasn't like I was eating packets of table sugar for snacks. There were no industrial-sized containers of Twizzlers or bite sized 3 Muskateers bars hidden in my desk. Most mornings I wouldn't eat breakfast, just 2 cups of coffee. I'd have a muffin around 10, then grab a burger and fries around 2, 2 more cups of coffee in the late afternoon with a donut, and then chicken, potato and some corn for dinner around 8pm. I now know that I was blasting my poor metabolism and literally forcing it to store fat.

Imagine how I felt walking into that karate gym a few months ago. My self-esteem was rock bottom, my energy levels were horrible, and I knew everyone in the class was laughing at me. But it turns out I was wrong. I had more energy than I thought. My classmates were not laughing at me but were incredibly supportive. I didn't realize that I was demonstrating the true spirit of martial arts by trying my best every class and showing up with a positive attitude.

I've been doing aerobic kickboxing exercise for about 2 months now, twice a week. I have lost over twenty pounds in that time. None of my clothes fit anymore, which makes me so happy! The effects on my body have been profound. I sleep so much better at night. As embarrassing as this may sound, my bowel movements are drastically improved. My skin has cleared up. I just feel amazing. I can even do my front double biceps pose in the mirror in the morning and it brings a smile to my face!

By: Yoshi Kundagawa
Yoshi Kundagawa is a freelance journalist covering the martial arts world. Too much time at his computer eating donuts reduced him to couch potato status. He's on a quest to recapture his youth and fitness. You can read his blog at http://www.martialarts3000.com.

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There are actually two forms of muscle increase, or muscular hypertrophy as it is technically called. These are sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy. In sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, the fluid in muscle cells experiences growth without a corresponding increase in muscular strength; in other words, it is essentially a cosmetic structural increase of the muscles. It is typically the result of intense training that combines a high number of repetitions with short intervening rest periods.

As for myofibrillar hypertrophy, it involves the growth of microscopic bundles of filaments inside muscle cells. This expansion brings about a corresponding increase in the contractile strength of the muscle. Basically, this is a functional increase that is developed through strength training, generally by training with heavier weights, fewer reps, and long rest interval periods. Note that muscles developed in this way may be denser, and thus appear smaller, than muscles developed through sarcoplasmic growth. However, the dense and hard muscles are stronger than the cosmetically larger muscles that basically just contain more fluid.

In the beginning, weight training will lead to both forms of muscle increase, whatever the training method used. But at some point, you will have to start making choices, as it is not advisable to increase more than one component of weight training at a time unless you are quite experienced. For example, if you want to increase the weight you train with, you will have to maintain or lower the number of reps per set--it would not be a good idea to increase both, at least not for a while. You will very likely need to lengthen the intervals of rest between training sets as well. The number of sets should also be considered. There are generally one to six sets per exercise, the number depending on how advanced you are in training. For beginners, one set per exercise is recommended, as additional sets will provide little in terms of gains. Only advanced fitness practitioners will greatly benefit from doing multiple sets per exercise.

Progressive overload is one of the best ways of achieving muscle increase. In this method, you train by lifting weights that are as heavy as you can handle. You should be able to do several repetitions with those weights. If you are able to do 15 or more, then the weights you are lifting are too light, and you need to advance to heavier weights. With every level of weight you move onto, you will grow in strength and endurance.

By: Joseph Ducat

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If you want to make progress, you must always try and increase the resistance you're using. To improve, you need to continually increase either the weight you are lifting, or the number of repetitions you perform with a certain weight. Just performing 10 repetitions with a 20lb weight, week in and week out, is a complete waste of time. If you don't push your body, it won't adapt (i.e. get stronger, firmer, or more toned).

Always enter the gym with the goal of improving on what you did last time. Even if the improvement is only small, it doesn't matter. What's important is that you are making progress.

Of course, you won't be able to progress at the same rate forever. The nearer you get to your genetic potential, the slower the gains will be. This is known by exercise scientists as the ceiling of adaptation. In short, what it means is that the longer you've been training, the slower your progress will be. But don't lose heart! Even though you might not be adding ten pounds to your bench press or squat every few weeks, you can still keep improving. Here are a few ideas:

1. Use a different repetition range If you always train using 6-8 repetitions, try 8-12 repetitions, or even higher (20 or more). This is a great way to "shake up" your training and force your muscles to adapt in a different way.

2. Use different speeds Many people train using the same controlled speed all the time. While it's true that controlled movements are superior to uncontrolled movements, this doesn't mean that you can't use faster lifting speeds, to stimulate and attack different fibres in the muscle. For example, use a light weight on the bench press, but use a fast movement on the lifting phase of the exercise (when you lift the bar from the chest to arms length). This is a great way to stimulate the type II muscle fibers, and will also increase your power and strength.

3. Try new exercises Change your routine every 3-4 weeks. Even if it's just using dumbbells instead of barbells. Dumbbell deadlifts, for example, are a great alternative to conventional deadlifts. They feel different, and will give you that nice ache the next day (the one you got when you first started training!).

It's also absolutely vital to log and record what you're doing in the gym. If you don't have a plan - in writing - then you will simply not make the progress you deserve. As such, it's vital that you keep a training diary. Don't moan that it's too much time or effort! All you need to do is write down what exercises you do, how many sets and repetitions you've used, and the weight you're lifting. The only people that don’t buy or use training diaries are the ones that know they aren’t making any progress! You’ll be amazed how quickly you achieve your goals, once you write them down.

If you're getting bored with leg curls, why not try adding some partial deadlifts to your hamstring training programme?

The hamstrings (the large muscles at the back of your thighs) are often neglected. Many people simply throw in a few sets of leg curls at the end of a leg workout. However, to ensure balanced development of the thighs, it's vital to train both the quadriceps (front thigh) and hamstrings with equal effort.

Partial deadlifts (also known as the Romanian Deadlift) involve bending forward and lowering a barbell down to the mid-point of your shins (roughly half way between your knees and your feet). The knees are kept slightly bent, and your back should remain in its normal slightly curved position throughout the movement.

Here's a sample leg workout for you to try next time you're in the gym:

Squats: 3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Leg Extension: 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Partial Deadlift: 3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions

Some important points to remember:

1. Use the first two sets of each exercise as a warm-up, then take the final two sets to the point of muscle failure.

2. Don't perform this routine more than twice weekly (once a week is enough for most people.)

3. Make sure to stretch your legs at the end of each workout. Stretch both your quadriceps and hamstrings for 20-30 seconds each.

By: Mark King/Zef Eisenberg
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