TRAINING TIPS

Team MuscleTech® pros like Branch Warren and Johnnie Jackson are obviously well-versed when it comes to building muscle that gets noticed. Here are some of their most hardcore tips on how to amp up your training sessions and finally build the shadow-casting body you want – and it's straight from Branch and Johnnie themselves!

Branch Warren:
"For big triceps, try Lying Skull Crushers with a tweak; point your elbows outwards rather than in tight and close together. This way, it doesn't kill your elbow joint and you can go real heavy while you hit the inside head of your triceps."

Johnnie Jackson:
"I recommend doing drop sets for biceps and triceps."

Branch Warren:
"To build a better chest, focus on incline exercises like barbell incline press or dumbell incline press. A lot of bodybuilders can build their lower chest but it's usually the upper chest that most have problems with. Also, I like to bring the bar high on my upper chest as close to my neck as possible when doing any barbell presses to really develop the pecs.

Another tip is to do dips, but rather than putting a dumbell in-between my legs I put a chain around the back of my neck – it's great for building up the chest."

Johnnie Jackson:
"I call it the 'kinetic chain.' It's about using all the muscles to help you lift the weight – to create a solid base underneath you that actually makes your legs help push the bench press up. So, plant your feet with your heels in line with your hips – it'll put a slight arch on the back and keep you up on your toes, but force your heels down into the ground. This will help to stabilize you a lot more and give you that kinetic chain. As a result, you'll be able to bench heavier, and heavier benching leads to bigger pecs."

Branch Warren:
"For a great shoulder pump that fries the shoulders, do Front Hold Raises. Sit on a bench holding a dumbell in each hand at your side with your palms facing in. Raise the dumbells in front of you and when you get to eye level, turn your palm so it's facing down and touch the dumbells together. Then bring the dumbells back out and turn your palms back in and then down so the dumbells are at your sides again."

Johnnie Jackson:
"Use a wider grip when doing upright rows to help with shoulder width. Also try upright rows after a chest workout – it'll help to add more shoulder width."

Branch Warren:
"When you do lat pulldowns don't go all the way up, just go about three quarters of the way. This will help keep tension on the lats and produce a much better pump."

Johnnie Jackson:
"If you don't already do them, I highly recommend doing deadlifts. It's a staple back movement that a lot of guys simply don't use. I would do them conventional and off the ground – it's usually where you have the most power. So, you heard it from me – Johnnie Jackson – do your deadlifts!"

Branch Warren:
"For huge quads try pulling a sled outside. I used to do it all the time when I was younger and have started doing it again the past six months. You put a weight belt on and a chain that hooks from your belt to the sled. You can pull the sled by walking backward or forward but try sprinting as fast as you can – it totally blows up your hamstrings and quads."

Johnnie Jackson:
"Doing squats on the balls of your feet works every muscle fiber in the quads. In the beginning it might be hard to do squats this way, so you may have to put a 25 lb. plate down and place your heels on it so you're on the balls of your feet. Doing squats on your toes helps you concentrate on putting more pressure on your quads. When you're performing any exercise for calves, on every rep, hold at the top of the movement for a thousand 'n one count to a thousand 'n two count. And then as you lower the rep, go lower than parallel to really stretch the calves out and give it a two count again. Doing this sort of rep helps you concentrate on your calves a lot more – forcing more blood into them and stretching your calves gives them more room for growth."

Branch Warren:
"To really fry your abs, lay on the ground flat with your feet up on a bench like you're going to do a regular crunch. Have someone straddle your feet and hold a 45 pound bar above you. Crunch up, grab the bar and go all the way back down holding it. Then go up again, hand the bar off and then back down again without it. Repeat this until you can't do anymore."

Johnnie Jackson:
"Do abs as much as possible. I used to do abs when I watched TV. When commercials would come on I'd get down on the floor and do as many crunches as I could, and when my show came back on I'd get back on my couch. Abs are one of the muscle groups you can actually overtrain and have them look better for it."

Branch Warren:
"If you're going to be a bodybuilder, you have to get used to eating the same thing day in and day out, and you have to be consistent with your eating. I've always cooked my own food so obviously it can get boring, but when I got married a few years ago my wife Trish starting cooking my meals for me and they taste ten times better. She knows how to tenderize the meat and spice some of the meals up but still keep them healthy. So you can enjoy eating the same foods day in and day out, you just need a good cook who can make even healthy eating pleasurable!"