In the gym today, someone asked me why I was using chalk on my hands. When I explained to him that it helps me get a better grip on the bar, even when I’m also using a pair of lifting straps, he was stunned. “Why have I never thought of that?” he asked.

Naturally, this made me realize that a lot of people probably haven’t considered using chalk to help them work out. Chalk is an excellent tool to help improve your grip and strength when holding onto almost any barbell or dumbbell. In fact, I use chalk on almost every single exercise in the gym - everything from deadlifts right down to dumbbell presses or shoulder raises. It isn’t too messy and can really help you feel stronger and more confident lifting the weights.

It’s occasionally available at local sports stores, or you can order it online from Bodybuilding.com (it’s cheap - only $8.99 for a big block that’ll last years).

The other day, I was chatting with muscle building guru Sean Nalewanyj. “You know,” he said, “so many people don’t understand how important progression is to weight lifting. In fact, progression is the basis for muscle gains. Without it, you’re simply spinning your tires.”

What he means is that you need to be constantly lifting more and more weight. Each workout, you should be improving over the last (even if that just means one more rep than you got last week!). Some weeks, you’ll find that you can’t progress or add weight, or maybe you’ll even do one less rep at the same weight. But the most important thing is that you’re constantly striving to improve over the long run. Progression leads to constant stimulus of the muscles - and of course, that leads to big gains!

Here’s an example from my own workout log for deadlift progression over an 8-week period:

• Week 1: 7 x 395lbs
• Week 2: 9 x 395lbs
• Week 3: 8 x 400lbs
• Week 4: 8 x 400lbs
• Week 5: 6 x 405lbs
• Week 6: 7 x 405lbs
• Week 7: 7 x 405lbs
• Week 8: 7 x 410lbs

Bodybuilding has a tendency to quickly turn from hobby to obsession. That’s why every once in a while it’s wise to take a break. From a physiological standpoint, there’s no harm in taking a week off every few months. From a psychological perspective, it can be hugely beneficial.

Most experts recommend taking a week off once per 12-week lifting program. You could probably safely skip a few consecutive workouts once every 8 weeks, if you feel the need. It also helps your body recover from the constant stress of non-stop workouts. Lifting three or four times a week for months on end puts significant stress on your muscles and joints. For this reason, taking time off can help prevent injuries.

Keep in mind, though, that you can never really take a week off of eating. During your week’s break from the gym, you should still continue eating and sleeping properly.

I hate it when I’m injured. I hate any injury, not just those that result from weight lifting – everything from a stubbed toe to a broken bone. It’s not so much that I fear the pain, but rather that I fear the limitations that injury might place on my regular activities and routine (especially bodybuilding).

Over the course of my weightlifting career, though, I’ve come to accept them. If you spend all of your time worrying about injuries and how they’re affecting you, you’ll end up depressed and unmotivated. Instead, try to learn to recognize injuries as minor bumps along the greater road to success.

“No journey is perfect,” writes Sean Nalewanyj in one of his best motivational articles. “The difference between a successful bodybuilder and an unsuccessful one is in the way that they handle adversity.”

He couldn’t be more right. Next time you experience an injury, regardless of severity, take it in stride. Trust me, losing your cool or fretting about the injury will only do you more harm.

One of the most unfortunate facts of bodybuilding is that it’s tough. It’s really tough. In fact, at times it can be downright gut-wrenching and painful. Every Monday I get to experience this when I walk into the gym for yet another two sets of balls-to-the-wall deadlifts.

How can you get over this pain? There’s several strategies that seem to work. This varies from person to person, and you’ll have to find which method works best for you.
(more…)