"become an x-man" working out for aesthetics

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2 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM ı OCTOBER 2011

By Patrick Cunningham, NSCA, CSNC

BECOME

WORKING OUT FOR

AESTHETICS

WORKOUT

S

ometimes people orget just

what the sport o bodybuildingused to be. Fitness enthusiasts

early on in the sport were

incredibly concerned with not only size,

but also overall muscular symmetry and

proportions. The body these athletes

sought ater was commonly reerred to

as the “X-Man” or “X” shape with the “X”

representing broad shoulders, a narrow

waste and wide legs. The ultimate goal was

to have a symmetrical, aesthetic physique

having every part built as though perectly

ormed in accordance with a complex yet

owing mathematical equation. To thebodybuilders who ounded this epic sport,

the geometry behind Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian

Man” was true north.

No one muscle was to be worked harder

than another. As Arnold Schwarzenegger

once said, “I I want to increase one

muscle a hal inch, the rest o the body

has to increase. I would never make [just]

one muscle increase or decrease.” Each

and every muscle had to be a certain

size when compared to another. But as

the sport became more mainstream, the

once sought ater “X” physique beganto change and has unortunately, largely

been orgotten. Nowadays, one is more

likely to see what could be reerred to as a

“V” man, i you get the drit.

Today, it seems to be all about size,

size, size instead o biomechanical beauty

and conditioning, and we all see prime

examples o this at the local gym. Many

guys, determined to achieve a dominating

physique, show up, blast biceps and

chest or three hours straight and then

call it a day. In act, it would appear that

every day is either chest or biceps day orthe modern bodybuilder; no warm-ups, no

XAN MAN

Photographer: James Patrick

www.jamespatrick.com

Model: Artie Cook

Location: Maximum Fitness Gym

www.maximumftnessscottsdale.com



33OCTOBER 2011 ı WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM

stretching, no breathing, just as heavy as possible. Where did all the

fnesse go? Dominic Current, NPC judge and Max Muscle ranchisee,

notes that, “Many guys show up to competitions either very big and

poorly conditioned, or with great lines and symmetry, but lacking in

size. It takes a perect mesh o the two to bring the total package.

There are a lot o one-dimensional guys out there. This is why so

many o them get rustrated, wondering why they placed so low or a

given competition. You have to place equal emphasis on all aspects o

aesthetics i you want to bring the real deal.”

Well, there is a better way to build your body and it will not onlybe more aesthetically pleasing, but also more biomechanically

sustainable.

WORK IT ALL OVERMore oten than not, the muscles you cannot readily see in the mirror

are the muscles that pull everything together or a well-built, fnished

product. Take a set o your mid-back muscles or example: the

rhomboids. These muscles are located near the spine between your

shoulder blades and are responsible or pulling your shoulders back

and helping you keep your back straight. I you learn to isolate them,

you will naturally pull your shoulders back, which will help broaden the

appearance o your chest and shoulders as well as help utilize every

inch o your height. So why would you beat the heck out o your chestinstead o ocusing on mid-back? Isolating your chest muscles alone,

while also neglecting your back muscles, will only draw your shoulders

orward and terrorize your posture.

Another example o a requently skipped muscle group would be

your triceps. Us guys want big arms right? So why then do some o

us train our biceps to be able to curl a bus in order to do so but seem

to neglect one important act: triceps make up about 65 percent o

our upper arms and thus the majority o their overall size. Nothing flls

out the sleeves o a T-shirt like well-developed triceps. So i you want

big arms, don’t skip triceps. On the contrary, ocus on them and be

prepared to switch that medium sized T-shirt or an XL.

This brings us to the most commonly skipped muscle group o them

all: legs. Why, oh why, do guys neglect legs so requently? Sure theyare tough to train and not as un to ex in the mirror as say biceps are,

but they serve a crucial role in your progress. You not only burn the

most amount o calories when you train them, and thus at, but, as a

man, you generate the highest levels o serum testosterone because o

it. More useable testosterone in the bloodstream equals more natural

muscle hypertrophy, as well as a hardy boost in sex drive and overall

vitality. Consider yoursel warned: i you do not train your legs, you are

robbing yoursel o the results you crave.

Now be honest: Are you guilty o some or all o the aesthetic crimes

just mentioned? Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty o it then. Take a deep

breath and prepare to be presented with the next 10 weeks o your lie.

Go ahead and take care o all the other muscles as you have, but add

these workouts to your weekly repertoire. You can thank us later.Be sure to begin each workout with a 5-minute bout o light cardio.

This will get the heart pumping and warm up the core o your body in

preparation or the epicness that is about to ensue. And remember, i

you are not getting adequate protein in your diet, the best workout in

the whole world will not help you put on muscle. On the contrary, i you

work out without enough protein in your system, you are catapulting

your body into a catabolic state.

Keep in mind that, as mentioned earlier, these workouts are not

meant to be all-inclusive. You will still need to train your biceps, chest,

quadriceps, core and do your cardio all on your own. Use this as a

guide on how to train the muscles people requently skip. Truth be told

though, even i you did just these muscle groups, you’d still build a

physique superior to the “chest and biceps” guys. We’ll see you in 10weeks.MS&F

Aesthetics: DAy OneDELTOIDS Ma souldr Pr: Sit with your back

and shoulders frmly rested against the backrest o

the machine. Adjust the arms so that the handles go

as low as your shoulder line. Choose the appropriate

weight and begin your repetitions exhaling as you press

the weight up and inhaling as you bring the weightback down. Make sure that your lower back does not

compress.

Do 3 sets of 12 reps.

sad Dumbbll souldr Pr: Choose

the appropriate dumbbell weight and take a seat on a

90-degree bench. With the dumbbells to your sides in

line with your shoulders and parallel to the oor, ully

extend your arms exhaling as your raise the weight and

inhaling as you reset the weight to the starting position.

Elbows should stay out to your sides, never moving

orward, and remain under your wrists at all times. Do 3

sets of 8 reps.

Dumbbll Rar Fl: Using a bench, sit on the

very edge and lean orward until your torso is almost

parallel with the oor. With dumbbells, straighten your

arms and keep your elbows acing outward while ying

your arms backward and squeezing your shoulders

together simultaneously. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

TRICEPS sadg srag Bar cabl Pr-Do:Facing a high-pulley cable machine with a straight

bar attached, begin the press-down by keeping your

elbows frmly to your sides and extending your armsdownward. Nothing else should move during this

exercise except your lower arms and you should ocus

on the exion o your triceps muscles. As with most

exercises, you should exhale as the worked muscle

shortens (concentric) and inhale as the worked muscle

lengthens (eccentric). Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

sad Dumbbll Ovrad trpexo: Using a 90-degree bench, lit the

dumbbell above your head with your elbows directly by

your ears. Keeping your elbows by your ears and upper

arms stationary, bring the dumbbell down behind your

head and then ully extend above your head. Again,no other body part should move during this exercise

but the lower arms. Be sure to keep your shoulders

stationary as well and resist the urge to shrug or roll

them. Do 3 sets of 8 reps.

Dl B eZ Bar exo: Also known

as decline skull-crushers, lie at on a decline bench

with an EZ barbell extended above you, arms shoulder

width apart. Now, keeping your elbows shoulder width

apart and acing the ceiling, slowly allow the bar to

drop toward your brow and then ully extend upward

keeping your elbows acing your eet. Do 3 sets of 6

reps.



35OCTOBER 2011 ı WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM

Aesthetics: DAy thReeBACK Udrad Grp La Pull-Do: At the lat pulldown machine, using a straight bar, place your hands acing yoursel,

shoulder-width apart. Pull the bar down to your neck keeping your elbows to your sides pulling your shoulder blades together.

Then allow the bar to raise high enough to eel the stretch in your lats and then repeat. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

sad cabl Ro: Using the dual V-handle on the seated row machine, sit with your back straight and knees slightly bent.

Pull the handle to your belly button, squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping your elbows close to your sides. Then

extend your arms back to the starting position and repeat. Do 3 sets of 8 reps.

sad O-arm cabl Ro: On the seated row machine, use the single handle and prepare your body as with the

seated cable rows only this time, use one arm to grab the cable and one arm at your waist. Drive the one elbow back isolating

that side’s lat and shoulder blades. Allow your body to slightly twist to complete the range o motion then switch sides.

Do 3 sets of 8 reps.

HAMSTRINGS Ma Lg hamrg curl: Lying ace down on the hamstring machine, point your toes away rom your body and

curl your leg up in a similar motion to that o a bicep curl. Exhale as your raise your lower legs and ocus on the exion o the

hamstring. Allow the weight to slowly drop back down to the starting position and repeat. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

O-Lg hamrg curl: Using either the dedicated one-leg hamstring curl machine or the lying hamstring curl machine,

isolate one leg by keeping the other straight and allowing only one to lit the load. Toes should always be pointing away rom the

body to allow the biceps emoris (hamstrings) to be activated and minimize cal recruitment. Allow the weight to slowly go back

to the starting position and repeat. Do 3 sets of 12 reps.

Good Morg: Adjust the hyperextension

machine so that your legs rest securely on the pads

but your core is exposed. Put your arms across

your chest and, while keeping your back straight,

allow your torso to naturally pull you downward ar

enough to eel the stretch in your hamstrings (back

o the upper leg). Then, as you press back upward,

ocus on the exion o your lower back, glutes and

secondarily your hamstrings. Exhale on the positive

(upward) motion. Do 15 reps. (Rest 60 seconds,then repeat this superset.)

Glu Brdg Rpo: Lying on your

back on a mat, pull your eet up high enough on

the oor so that there is a 90-degree bend in your

knees (while keeping your eet on the oor). Place

your arms across your chest and lit your toes o

the oor so only your heels are touching the oor.

Now press your pelvis orward using a thrusting

maneuver and actively squeeze your glutes. At the

top o the exercise, only your shoulders and your

heels should be touching the ground. Allow your

glutes to come within an inch o the oor. Do 30 reps then move directly into Superman.

suprma: Lying at on your stomach on a

mat, reach with your arms and legs to lengthen

your body as much as possible. Now, without

bending your arms or your legs, hyperextend

upward ocusing on the exion o both your lower

back and glutes. Then allow your lower back and

glutes to relax to reset the motion. Do 30 reps.

(Rest 60 seconds, then repeat this superset.)

Glu Brdg Rpo

suprma

"become an x-man" working out for aesthetics

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