I have added a forum board facility here via Bravenet. Also here, any questions sent via e.mail will be answered as soon as I see them. There are boards elsewhere too. The Yahoo! group is available now and growing steadily. There are almost 150 members now.

Link to Ezboard Forum

Bravenet Forum See links below. All comments are useful.

Forum newly established 18th. December 2005.

Questions and comments.
From Mark Gibson June 12th 2004.	75
June 12.I was pretty impressed when I saw the fitness and physiques demonstrated on ur website. Could u give me some help and tips on building muscle and becoming toned and that (the guys at the gym all contradict each other - some say do no cardio because u need to gain weight, so say do lots of cardio because you need to lose fat off the muscles to get the "toned" look). I know a fair bit about excercise and supplements already, but my physique is nowhere near what I want it to be - my goal is to look like that model Alex in gallery p5 on ur site. I can provide a pic if you like (I have broad but narrow shoulders, a thin waist and very toned but small muscles). U think u could share me some advice? Anything would help.	As I already mailed Mark, the apparent two schools of thought refer to training for competitive bodybuilding. The Bulking phase is the first one, then the toning phase, aimed at being in best "ripped" condition on the competition days. A recent competitor in Wisconsin has mailed another site as he prepared for a State competition where he won the two classes he competed in. If you want bigger muscles, then heavier weight training, perhaps coupled with a split bodypart routine and increased nutrition to allow the body to build the extra muscle will add the bulk. It is argued that you cannot bulk and tone at the same time, but beat in mind that the professionals are always aiming higher than the average guy!

Question by Will, a 16 y/o from the USA. (In 2001)	Suggested Answer	Varied angle "flying" and bench presses.
Is there a way to wide the pecs. I have good pecs but they are shaped finda funny, kind of like a "V". I heard some where that you can widen the pecs by doing push ups while leaning on a stole or something. Where your body is higher off the ground. Does anyone know if this is true. I've been doing them for a while and don't see a difference. This there really a way to widen them? You can see my pecs on my profile page. It doesn't look too noticable, but that is because I am leaning over. Thanx for any suggestions.	The pecs are really a flat group of muscles, a bit like the fingers of a hand over the chest, wrist at the top.You can see this on Corey's pic. You CAN exercise different parts of the group by changing the angles of press-ups or dumb bell presses. If you do a bench press flat, as in the animation on the other page, its the main group, but if you incline (head up) or decline (head down) a bench you "hit" different parts of the muscle. Thats what the stool idea does too. I can tell you more, and there may be info on the links from pages linked from the other physical page. Hope to hear from you if you try the incline/decline, Be careful though, you will NOT be able to use the same weight in those positions. Get a guy to "Spot" for you.
Oct 30th 2002. Just had a reply from Will. He's made a lot of progress! The original pic and a recent one show it clearly. I'm about to ask him if I can use both pics and set up a member page for him. He has more info too which he may share.

Some other questions and comments.

June 10. Hi I been hitting the weights for a while. I do muscleman workout and It's been working really good, but I need help increasing the width of my back. I have very round shoulders and I don't know if it is for the way I sleep or what but I hated. Help me out somebody

This is possibly partly a posture problem, and since the writer is a student DJ that won't help. (bending over the decks) Wide grip chins and lat pulldowns will both widen the back, since they affect the Lats. Make sure in both to use overhand grip, to avoid the biceps doing too much of the work. It may also pay to do straight arm pullovers, lying on a bench with a swingbell (To stretch the ribcage). To get the shoulders back try lateral dumbell raises, either leaning forwards (back straight) or supported on an inclined bench. The single arm version can be done too, supporting yourself with the free arm. The latter should pull shoulders back.

Can Any guy get a six pack? If so, How? (from Nick 19)

The pic I have of Nick showed him to be slim, but with good upper chest, arms and shoulders. Alas it was NOT him! The answer is yes. The exercise pages here show several abdominal exercises. The key is in high reps here, and if possible the inclined "Crunch". Use of weights is not required. For further info see the links. Mat has info on this matter. It helps to tense the abs at ANY time, hold for a count of 7 then relax.

If you have no weights can you do anything?

Any suggestions for training with no gear or very little? This note has been sent to several guys already. Chris, this is the section I mean. It is NOT intended that you do all the exercises listed every time! Split them over several days. (see the contributor page here for data on that) Any other ideas? Share them if you like please. There are more hints on the Anatomy page where there are links to muscle group.

Training Without Weights at Home It's a bit more difficult to train without weights, but the plan is to use your own bodyweight where possible. As you gain, your weight goes up, thus making the workout harder.  For chest and arms, you can do press ups. Keep your back straight as you do this. You may find it much harder if your feet are on, say a low stool which forces more weight onto your arms, or use the lower steps of a staircase to raise your feet in stages. Theres a similar type for triceps where you are supported, facing up, between two chairs, one hand on each, and feet supported at the same level in a L shape. You lower yourself by bending the arms and then pushing back up. I warn you its a hard one.  If you have a doorway with a cross bar above it with a good hand grip, take a wide spaced hold and raise yourself. You will be using underhand hold probably, so this will affect biceps and lats. (If there are those horizontal beams at school its like raising yourself to "chin" the bar.) This allows under or overhand grip. Try both, you will feel a difference.  Sit ups with BENT legs. Anchor your feet under a heavy item so they don't move and lift yourself so that elbows touch knees. lower, but DONT let your back touch the floor. Repeat till you ache! It is also possible to touch opposite knees in turn with your elbows to exercise the side of your abdomen. You can hold a bag on your chest to raise resistance. Avoid levering your head by hands behind it! See also "crunches" on the web page which are more effective (page4, I think). A simple, tiltable Abdominal board can be made too. This has a strap (an old belt will do) to anchor your feet.  Squats for legs.(quads) If you can raise your heels on a wood block (about 50mm or so), lower till knees at 90 degrees and then up again. If you have a bag or something, hold it in front of your chest to add weight.  Calf raises. If you put your toes on the block and raise yourself on it, holding on your toes for a few seconds. (you'll tilt forwards here so steady against a wall in front of you) and repeat. Raise onto tiptoe in effect, when doing this. The important point after a session (or preferably at bedtime as well) take a protein rich snack or a weight gain supplement. Muscles grow at night as you sleep, so give them some food to work on!

A few myths etc. explained!

Does the use of heavy weight exercises damage the skeletal frame in growing boys?	Michael Bryan Kelly advises to begin with light weights. He also makes the point re keeping to "form" when doing an exercise and the importance of a "spotter" or partner.	He also points out that many heavy lifters use support, and the number who need bandages etc.
This is often quoted, but is untrue. IF you are tempted to use some hormonal type "supplements" they can interfere with bone lengthening. That is probably where the idea stems from. Steer clear of these, even after you have reached your full height.		Weight training stunts growth.
Reference "The Fitness Factor" Michael Bryan Kelly MA., PhD IBSN0-668-05197-3 Arco Publishing. 1981.		For the following entries.
Why start training in early teens? It is your last chance to really gain more muscle cells!	The young body actually has cells in an undifferentiated state. Exercise with weights has the effect, only in adolescence of developing these as muscle cells. If you are less active, they develop as fat cells instead!. There is only a low percentage of cells in this state, but clearly it is better for you if they develop as muscle. rather than fat. Thats one reason why an athletic young person retains body form in later life!
Muscle turns to fat when you stop training doesn't it?	Quite definitely untrue. Once the cells have completed adolescent differentiation that's it! Why then do some former athletes put on weight? They eat too much! That sounds daft doesn't it? If they work out or train, they USE a lot of calories (say 350 or more in an hour training session). They must eat well to compensate. If they stop training, but still eat to the same level, Those extra calories add to the fat! The more muscle you gain, the more you must eat to hold onto it, but only if you maintain working out too!
Weight training breaks down muscle, so it then regrows bigger as you recover.	Untrue. It may feel that way when you ache all over, (a result of anaerobic exercise) but that is not what has happened. As you train, the fibres in each muscle gain strength, elasticity and length. Each fibre grows in response to the work you make it do. It needs to have the correct available "food"* material to do this. That is NOT fat by the way. Fat is lost as you exercise because it is used for energy, not to build muscle. * This is where diet and supplements are important.
How is it that my gains were fast at first, but now seem to have stopped?	The initial shock of training (which is why you ached so much) stimulated much growth of the muscle fibres. They are now "used" to the effort involved, and to the pattern of your workouts. The solution is to switch to an alternative exercise, or a different angle to re stimulate the fibres. For example a decline or incline bench press. (Careful, use a lower weight initially)

T = traps Td and F = Deltoids. Note the upper Traps are not huge, even in this good example.

(Feb. 2nd.) Hi Patrick What can I do to work my neck or centre of my shoulders? Patrick (see T on the pic left).Traps are often stressed by poor posture at work. Luke For Traps and Deltoids, use shrugs and upright rowing. Be sure to squeeze the "shrug" hard for a few seconds. For the neck I have seen guys use a weight on a strap, lying prone on a bench and raise / lower the head. I guess you could do this lying sideways too, but it wont be easy to stop the strap slipping off!