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Beginner Q&A: listen to us and you won't be a newbie for long

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2004

Q: Is the bench press really the best measure of upper-body strength?

A: For gym first-timers and football players, a big "bench" will probably always be the ultimate measure of a man. Still, it's a poor judge of overall upper-body power, says personal trainer Todd Scott, co-author of The Power of Champions, available at resultspersonalfitness.com. That's because benching doesn't activate enough muscle to be a good indication of how strong you really are. Football players like it because it builds the muscles you need most for pushing and blocking--the chest, shoulders, and triceps. But because you have to take it lying down, "You're all but eliminating the lower back from the exercise, and minimizing abdominal activation," says Scott. "A better test of strength for your upper body is the bent-over barbell row." The standing position requires your abs and lower back to work overtime just for stability, while the pulling motion stresses your lats, trapezius, middle back, biceps, and forearms. "A guy who benches 300 pounds doesn't necessarily have a strong midsection or lower back," says Scott. But, sadly, he does turn more heads in the gym.

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Q: I'm running out of energy in the middle of my sets. What can I do?

A: If your energy stores are failing before your muscles, you may want to consider supplementing them with creatine monohydrate. Studies have shown that creatine replenishes ATP (the prime energy source for muscle contractions), which can help you squeeze out an extra few reps in your sets and ultimately lead to more muscle growth. Jeff Volek, Ph.D., one of the world's leading authorities on creatine research, recommends that you start by taking 20 grams of creatine per day for five days to maximize storage in your muscles. Then cut your dose to five I grams per day to keep the level of creatine in your muscles elevated.

Q: I'm not a musician, so why do I have to worry about "tempo" when I lift?

A: Your muscles may not know the difference between a French horn and a bull-horn, but they do register Time Under Tension (TUT)--the amount of time you take to complete a set. To adequately stimulate all your muscle fibers and make the greatest gains in size and strength, you have to pace your repetitions. Generally, you'll want your sets to last 40 to 50 seconds, which means breaking the speed, or "tempo," of your reps into three parts. An exercise tempo of 421 means lower the weight for four seconds, pause for two, and lift the weight for one. If the tempo includes an X, perform that part of the movement as fast as you can. (To keep it simple, just focus on lowering the weight slowly and lifting it quickly.)

Beginner Q&A: listen to us and you won't be a newbie for long

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2004

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