The MAGNIFICENT 5 for building muscle

THE 5 MOST EFFECTIVE EXERCISES OF ALL TIME

The deadlift was the first of the five lifts to be performed. It requires the most basic movement of all: raising a load from the ground and standing up straight. Pull-ups came later: they developed from using the arms to see things or people on the horizon. The squat emerged at about the same time: it consisted of pushing against a load, carrying it on the shoulders or dragging it. The military press was adapted from lifting something over the head or throwing it over the shoulders. Finally came the the bench press, which is a relatively modern invention from the last century developed as a useful way of getting rid of something that overpowers us when we are lying on the floor. The 5 exercises represent the greatest and most effective forms of functionality; they are indispensably useful movements. They are therefore ideal for acquiring strength and muscular development faster than anything else. Try them and enjoy the benefits of their excellent unique qualities as an aid to getting fit or preparing for sport.

Lie face-up on a flat bench, or one with an incline of no more than 20 degrees, grip the bar above your chest, with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, (never go too wide, or too narrow – this will work the triceps more than the chest). From there, lower the bar until it touches the lower part of the chest and then raise the arms to return to the starting point. Do all subsequent repetitions the same way to complete the set, ensuring you do not jerk the bar or bounce it off the chest (this will increase the risk of injury and make it easier on the muscles) or raise your glutes off the bench.

The king of exercises. Start by crouching in front of a loaded bar, with your hands shoulder-width apart on the bar, your knees bent with your hands slightly to the side. From there, raise the bar until you are upright, keeping your back straight and chest out, and look forward, making sure that the bar brushes against your shins and stays close to your body all the way up (to prevent injury). Adopt a prone grip (palms facing inward), as in weightlifting, except when you are lifting heavy weights. The you should use an alternate grip (one hand pronated and the other supinated), which protects the biceps.

Hold the BAR or the HANDLES just above the shoulders and raise the load until the arms are extended without being fully locked out. The standing exercise is more effective, but also more difficult and requires healthy bones and joints. If your bones and joints aren’t in great shape choose the dumbbell option and perform it seated, leaning against the backrest for support. If the load is heavy, you can start the movement explosively but the descent must always be done in a controlled manner.

Hang on a bar with your arms and body fully stretched and with your hands separated shoulder-width apart. Use your arms to pull-up your body without swinging until your chin comes up to the bar. Return to the starting point in a controlled manner, and repeat the set number of times.

The queen of exercises. Its correct execution is as follows: stand, resting an empty or loaded bar over your shoulders and trapezius, with your hands gripping the bar just over shoulder-width apart, and your legs approximately shoulder-width apart, with your feet slightly pointing outwards. Face forward, keep your back straight and keep your torso as straight as possible (this is not the same as a ‘good morning’ exercise). Lower your body in a controlled manner until your thighs are parallel to the floor making sure your knees do not extend beyond the end of your feet. Applying force through the heels, power back up to the starting point. ALWAYS avoid bouncing back up and leaning forward too much – they both present significant DANGER.

For this programme, you only do the five main exercises plus the plank for abdominals. It is a system that will get you fit (or help you recover) in record time and achieve rapid progress in muscle strength and development. Do it three times a week, with a minimum two days rest between each session. Ideally, do it on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This means that some muscle groups get trained once a week and others twice a week. If you are busy, short of time or energy, once or twice a week is adequate.

*Number of working sets. Do 2 or 3 warm-up sets first, with higher repetitions (8-12) and lighter weights eg: 1/4 of your maximum in the first, 1/3 in the second, 1/2 in the third. Then use the Pyramid system and go for approximately 70, 80 and 85% of your 1RM, only going to muscular failure in the last set. Even then you only have to hit that point when you are testing your limit. You should rest for about one minute between WARM-UP sets (which are essential – not doing them before intensive lifting can cause injury or poor performance), 2 to 3 minutes between sets on deadlift and military press and 60 to 90 seconds on pull-ups.

**These sets can either be done in one long stretch or broken down into two or three reps of holding the plan position  for 20, 30, or 40 or more seconds, Don’t forget to perform it strictly, maintaining the body in the correct position with the abdominals totally contracted.

*Number of working sets. Do 2 or 3 warm-up sets first, with higher repetitions (8-12) and lighter weights eg: 1/4 of your maximum in the first, 1/3 in the second, 1/2 in the third. Then use the Pyramid system and go for approximately 70, 80 and 85% of your 1RM, only going to muscular failure in the last set. Even then you only have to hit that point when you are testing your limit. You should rest for about one minute between WARM-UP sets, 2 to 3 minutes between sets on squat and bench press and 60 to 90 seconds on pull-ups.

**These sets can either be done in one long stretch or broken down into two or three reps of holding the plan position  for 20, 30, or 40 or more seconds, Don’t forget to perform it strictly, maintaining the body in the correct position with the abdominals totally contracted.