The Maximum Contraction System

Happy Yuletide Season. Now I will introduced you to the MCS the Maximum Contraction System.

What is MCS?

The Max Contraction System is the result of a thorough research of muscular systems and their response to stress, or tension. It's definitely no secret that the greater the intensity placed on a muscle, the greater the growth stimulation that takes place. It's also true that for every increase in exercise intensity, a corresponding decrease in training time must take place. It's like walking and sprinting: While you can walk almost indefinitely, you can only sprint for a limited number of seconds. Max Contraction training is the most intense form of exercise currently applied, so it must of necessity be the briefest.

It's also well known that the more muscle fibers you can involve in a given contraction, the more productive the exercise will be; that is, the greater the muscle growth stimulation you will generate.

As the name indicates, Max Contraction training involves firing as many muscle fibers as possible from a maximally contracted position'not just a random hold but a maximum effort, holding the resistance in a position of full muscular contraction for a minimum of 45 seconds and a maximum of 60 seconds.

Unlike the high-set routines, some of which take hours to complete, Max Contraction training uses exclusively the anaerobic pathways. High-set routines involve the aerobic pathways, which works wonders for improving your training endurance but little or nothing to improve your strength and muscle mass.

Similarly, MCS is a great  routine   program to increase muscle mass which will lead you to full muscular development.

THE EXERCISES

To derive the most benefit from this Maximum Constraction System training, it important to select exercises that enable you to activate the maximum number of a given muscle’s fibers while in the fully contracted position. Certain exercises performed with conventional equipment don’t integrate the proper physics to provide resistance in the maximum contraction position. Some of this  movements are squats, barbell curls (in which the resistance falls off once you pass the halfway point of the movement), and most types of pressing movements. It is this lack of direct resistance in the position of complete muscular contraction that makes these exercises ineffi cient in an M.C.S. training program. For M.C.S. training, you must select exercises that enable a targeted muscle group to be contracted completely with maximum resistance for forty-fi ve to sixty seconds.

The following list is provided only as a guide. It matches major body parts with the exercises that have been found to be the best for the purpose of stimulating maximum muscle fiber involvement and, thus, maximum muscle growth:

1.    Lats: Lat machine pull-overs, or lat pulldowns    (with special Max straps)
2.    Traps: Shrugs (barbell or dumbbell)
3.    Delts: Lateral raises (front, side, or rear)
4.    Pectorals: Pec decks or cable crossovers
5.    Triceps: Dumbbell kickbacks (or Max   straps kickbacks)
6.    Biceps: Chin-ups (fl exed-arm hang) or
7.    Ssteep-angle barbell curls
8.    Forearms: Barbell wrist curls
9.    Quadriceps: Leg extensions
10.   Hamstrings: Leg curls
11.   Calves: Standing calf raises
12.   Abs: Weighted crunches

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The Basics of Getting Leaner

The easiest and quickest way

to improve looks is to burn fat. If you want your body to look tighter, burn calories. If you want your muscles to appear bigger, burn calories. No matter how strong and big muscles one possesses, he or she won't look impressive, if the person's body is covered by a thick layer of fat. So anyone, who is trying to sculpt his or hers own body in order to look better, must know at least the basics of getting leaner.

Losing weight is simple. Unfortunately, it has been complicated with all the equipment on TV commercials. All the do-this-and-that-and-you-will-have-a-perfect-body-in-no-time commercials must not be taken seriously. There are no magic-tools in burning fat!

Burning those extra calories is most of all mathematics. Your daily calorie in-take must be smaller than the amount of calories consumed per day. Professional bodybuilders and fitness models calculate their calorie in-take carefully, so that they can lose weight as much as they want to.

7000 kcal equals one kilo. This means that if a person's daily calorie consuming is 1000 kcal higher than his or hers calorie in-take, the person will end up losing one kilo per week.

Now, the before mentioned example is not for people who are trying to lose weight permanently, because it is too short a time to lose so much weight. To lose one kilo of fat per week is a high speed for the professionals too, and most of them take more time to burn fat so that they don't run out of time before competition.

In addition there is one remarkable thing to remember: the less you burn fat per week, the better it is for your muscle mass, too.

There are a few complex things in losing weight that must be taken into consideration. Firstly, while losing weight, it is also possible to lose some muscles in the process. Secondly, especially for amateurs it is very difficult to find the motivation  to get shredded.

And thirdly, there are many foods that are healthy, but they might also destroy diets.

LOSING FAT, WHILE MAINTAINING MUSCLES

So let's tackle the first complex issue, how to lose weight, but maintain the hard-earned muscle mass? The easiest way to do that is to monitor your diet very carefully. All the candies, pizzas, ice-creams, donuts and other high-in-sugar products must not be eaten while trying to lose weight.

Only the essential fats, such as the fats coming from oils, can be included to diet. The meals should be consisted of foods that are high in protein and carbohydrate and low in fat. Another thing to remember is that one should not skip meals in order to eat less.

It is better to eat frequently, so that over-eating can be avoided. That is nutritional part in a nutshell. To gather more information on nutrition it is highly recommendable to read articles on eating.

The training part, on the other hand, can be very surprising, because the quickest way to burn calories is not the best one. To illustrate my point, let's take the long-distance runners. Admittedly they are low in fat, but they don't have any muscles either.

That is why calories must not be burnt by running. The best way to burn calories is, oddly enough, walking. Many bodybuilders have adopted walking as their best method to lose fat. Some take a brisk walk on an empty stomach in the morning, while the others do it after their weight training session.

It does not matter, as long as you just do it!

Some gym-goers have a specific body part that they are trying to improve. Usually this is the stomach area. These gym-goers go and perform a couple of sets of sit-ups every day, but their bodies show no signs of getting improvement.

There is one thing that they should know: there is no such thing as targeted fat-reduction. If a person wants to have, for instance, a tight waistline, a few sets of sit-ups won't do the trick. His or hers body fat percentage must be very low (women 14-20 % fat, men 8-13 % fat), which means that cardiovascular exercises must be added to training program.

THE MOTIVATION

The second difficult task is to find the motivation for losing weight. This is something that separates the wheat from the chaff. The lack of motivation can also be hampered by the lack of knowledge, some people just go and train every day without any gains.

Of course, that can be very frustrating, which is why it is important to gather as much of information on bodybuilding as possible. Reading articles and books on bodybuilding is not for nothing!

Getting shredded is not usually fun. The person must day after day break that comfort-zone and monitor his or hers diet very carefully in order to get results. But it is worth doing it. With proper training methods, strict diet and rigid attitude the results will come in due course.

It is also important to stay focused, a common mistake is to lose patience at some point of training program.

The best way to stay focused is to think about your goals. Why are you trying to lose weight? Why do you want to get leaner? Sometimes it is good to think about these questions for a while so as not to lose concentration. After all, motivation is the basis for everything in bodybuilding.

HEALTHY, YET FATTENING FOODS

This is the most essential part in getting lean. The saying `You are what you eat` applies greatly to bodybuilding. It is common knowledge that for instance all donuts and sodas are not to be eaten while trying to lose some fat.

But there are many rather surprising foods that ought to be left alone, and what is worst they are usually considered perfect for people who are trying to get shape.

In this article I will concentrate on the foods that are regarded as dieters best friends, when they actually are the worst enemies. Worst, because they are not known to destroy diets. For instance, bananas, orange juices, pastas, white bread and grapes all are to be avoided while dieting.

The before mentioned foods are just examples, there are many, many other foods too that ought to be avoided, too.

Okay, so what about the vitamins that people get from orange juice? Should they just stick to their diets and not eat them? The answer is no. It is better to eat a whole orange and drink a glass of water than to drink a glass of orange juice, this will get the much-needed vitamins and, in addition, it will make the person feel fuller.

From dieter's point of view, the worst solution would be to eat a couple of white breads and to drink a glass of orange juice, it does not sound a risky business, but it is.

The easiest way to exclude those healthy, yet fattening foods from your diet is by simply reading the trade description at the food store.

THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER

Losing weight can be divided into three parts: training, nutrition and motivation. All these are equal, and one needs to pay attention to all three parts. Training resulting into successful fat-loss is due to taking all the little things seriously.

So, don't skip work-outs. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Monitor your diet carefully. And in conclusion, motivate yourself, set goals and do your utmost to reach them!


About The Author:

Hans Hauiskaanto is a freelance journalist from Finland with wide range of experience in writing on sports. He possesses keen knowledge of the attributes of compelling stories, good writing, talent and creativity. His articles have appeared in various magazines, in addition he has gained experience in hosting shows too.

References:

http://bodybuilding.com/

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High Intensity Training (HIT)

High Intensity Training (HIT) is a form of strength training popularized in the 1970s by Arthur Jones, the founder of Nautilus. The training focuses on performing quality weight training repetitions to the point of momentary muscular failure. The training takes into account the number of repetitions, the amount of weight, and the amount of time the muscle is exposed to tension in order to maximize the amount of muscle fiber recruitment. (wikepidia)

Similarly it  is a form of progressive resistance exercise characterized by a high level of effort and relatively brief and infrequent workouts, as opposed to typical training methods involving low to moderate levels of effort and longer, more frequent workouts. Nautilus inventor Arthur Jones helped define and popularize high intensity training in the 1970’s, often summarizing the general philosophy as “…train harder, but train briefer” or “…train harder, but train less often”.

How Does High-Intensity Interval Training Work?

The most recent research shows that alternating relatively short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest can deliver many of the health and fitness benefits you get from doing hours of conventional exercise – even if done only a total of a few minutes each week.

You don't need a gym to perform high-intensity interval exercises. They can be performed with virtually any type of exercise -- with or without equipment. You can just as easily do interval training by walking or running outdoors as you can using a recumbent bike or an elliptical machine.

While it's theoretically possible to reap valuable results with as little as three minutes once a week, it might be more beneficial doing them two or three times a week for a total of 4-6 minutes of intense exertion, especially if you are not doing strength training.

You do not need to do them more often than that however. In fact, doing it more frequently than two or three times a week can be counterproductive, as your body needs to recover between sessions. The key to making interval training work is, in a word, intensity.

General Guidelines for High Intensity Training

The following are general guidelines for high intensity training. Keep in mind the specific volume and frequency of training and exercise selection should be modified to suit the individual, based on level of conditioning, response to exercise, and goals.

1. Training Frequency: Beginners should perform no more than three workouts per week on non-consecutive days. Advanced trainees should work out less frequently, not more.
2. Training Volume: Perform between two and twelve exercises addressing all major muscle groups. If a higher number is performed, limit the total number of compound movements to no more than half.
3. Number of Sets: Perform only one set per exercise.
4. Number of Repetitions: A wide range of repetitions can be effective.
5. Progression: Increase the resistance used during an exercise by approximately 5 percent whenever you are able to complete the highest number of your repetition range in strict form.
6. Repetition Speed: Move slowly enough to maintain strict control over the movement and to be able to reverse direction smoothly. Avoid fast, jerky movements.
7. Range of Motion: Use a full range of joint movement.

HIT ROUTINE:

Exercise/ Routine #1	# of Sets	# of Reps
Squat/Leg press or Deadlifts	1 set	10-12 reps
Pullover	1 set	8-10 reps
Overhead Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Row (Machine or Dumbbell)	1 set	8-10 reps
Bench Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Biceps Curl	1 set	8-10 reps
Triceps Extension	1 set	8-10 reps
Regular Chin-up	1 set	8-10 reps
Parallel Dip	1 set	8-10 reps
Calf Raise	1 set	12-15 reps
Abdominal Crunches	1 set	30-50 reps

Exercise/ Routine #2	# of Sets	# of Reps
Full Squats	1 set	15-20 reps
Pullovers	1 set	10 reps
Standing Overhead Presses	1 set	10 reps
Chins	1 set	10 reps
Dips	1 set	12 reps
Barbell Curls	1 set	10 reps
Shrugs	1 set	15 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts	1 set	15 reps

Exercise/ Routine #3	# of Sets	# of Reps
DAY ONE
Deadlift	1 set	10-12 reps
Leg Press	1 set	10-12 reps
Overhead Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Shrug	1 set	8-10 reps
Close Grip Pulldown	1 set	8-10 reps
Standing Calf Raise	1 set	10-15 reps
Reverse Curls	1 set	8-10 reps
Abdominal Crunches	1 set	30-50 reps
DAY TWO
Squat	1 set	10-12 reps
Bench Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Rowing Movement	1 set	8-10 reps
Dumbbell Overhead Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Triceps Pressdowns	1 set	8-10 reps
Standing Calf Raise	1 set	10-15 reps
Reverse Curls	1 set	8-10 reps
Abdominal Crunches	1 set	30-50 reps

Exercise/ Routine #4	# of Sets	# of Reps
One-Repetition Chin-Up (30 seconds up, 30 seconds down) immediately followed by:
Biceps Curl	1 set	8-10 reps
One-Repetition Dip (30 up, 30 down) immediately followed by
Triceps Extensions	1 set	8-10 reps
Leg Press	1 set	10-12 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlift	1 set	10-12 reps
Calf Raise	1 set	10-15 reps
Lateral Raise With Dumbbells	1 set	8-10 reps
Press Behind Neck	1 set	8-10 reps
Bent-Over Row	1 set	8-10 reps
Bench Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Ab Crunch	1 set	30-50 reps

Exercise/ Routine #5	# of Sets	# of Reps
Shoulder Presses	1 set	10 reps
Crunches	1 set	10 reps
Standing Calf Raises	1 set	10 reps
Barbell Curls	1 set	10 reps
Bench Presses	1 set	10 reps
Lying Leg Raises	1 set	10 reps
Bent Over Rows	1 set	10 reps
Seated Calf Raises	1 set	10 reps
Squats	1 set	10 reps
Reverse Crunches	1 set	10 reps
Straight Arm Pullovers	1 set	10 reps
French Presses	1 set	10 reps
Deadlifts	1 set	10 reps
Upright Rows	1 set	10 reps
Crunches	1 set	10 reps
Wrist Curls	1 set	10 reps

Exercise/ Routine #6	# of Sets	# of Reps
Standing Calf Raises	1 set	10 reps
Presses Behind Neck	1 set	10 reps
Lying Leg Raises	1 set	10 reps
Bench Presses	1 set	10 reps
Wide Grip Pulldowns	1 set	10 reps
Barbell Curls	1 set	10 reps
Donkey Calf Raises	1 set	10 reps
Lateral Raises	1 set	10 reps
Crunches	1 set	10 reps
Dips	1 set	10 reps
Narrow Pulldowns	1 set	10 reps
Squats	1 set	10 reps
Seated Calf Raises	1 set	10 reps
Dumbbell Presses	1 set	10 reps
Twists	1 set	10 reps
Leg Curls	1 set	10 reps
Deadlifts	1 set	10 reps

Exercise/ Routine #7	# of Sets	# of Reps
Seated Dumbbell Presses	1 set	8-10 reps
Concentration Curls	1 set	8-10 reps
Donkey Calf Raises	1 set	8-10 reps
Crunches	1 set	8-10 reps
Hyperextensions	1 set	8-10 reps
Reverse Curls	1 set	8-10 reps
Squats	1 set	8-10 reps
Straight Arm Pullovers	1 set	8-10 reps
Wide Grip Pulldowns	1 set	8-10 reps
Wrist Curls	1 set	8-10 reps
Standing Calf Raises	1 set	8-10 reps
Twists	1 set	8-10 reps
Upright Rows	1 set	8-10 reps
Flat Dumbbell Flyes	1 set	8-10 reps
Sissy Squats	1 set	8-10 reps
Chinups	1 set	8-10 reps
Crunches	1 set	8-10 reps
Neck Strap Raises	1 set	8-10 reps
Barbell Incline Presses	1 set	8-10 reps
Lateral Raises	1 set	8-10 reps
Wrist Curls	1 set	8-10 reps
Leg Curls	1 set	8-10 reps
Dumbbell Extensions	1 set	8-10 reps
Seated Calf Raises	1 set	8-10 reps

Exercise/ Routine #8	# of Sets	# of Reps
DAY ONE
Barbell Squats	2 sets	15 reps
StiffLeg Deads	1 set	15 reps
Hammer Behind the Neck Press	1 set	12 reps
Nautilus Seated Dips	1 set	12 reps
Nautilus Pull Over	1 set	10 reps
Barbell Shrug	1 set	12 reps
Thick Bar Curls	1 set	8 reps
Abs	1 set	10-15 reps
DAY TWO
Trap Bar Deads	2 sets	8-12 reps
Leg Press	1 set	12 reps
Bench Press	4 sets	5 reps
Nautilus Row	1 set	12 reps
Standing DB Press	1 set	10 reps
DB Bicep Curl	1 set	10 reps
Abs	1 set	10-15 reps

Exercise/ Routine #9	# of Sets	# of Reps
Leg Press	1 set	15 reps
Leg Ext	1 set	15 reps
Leg Curl	1 set	15 reps
Hip Abduction	1 set	15 reps
Bench Press	1 set	15 reps
DB Incline Press	1 set	15 reps
Low Row	1 set	15 reps
Lat Pulldown	1 set	15 reps
Military Press	1 set	15 reps
Lateral Raise	1 set	15 reps
DB Curl	1 set	15 reps
Tri Pushdown	1 set	15 reps
Abs	1 set	15 reps

Exercise/ Routine #10	# of Sets	# of Reps
Barbell Squat	1 set	20 reps
Stiff-Leg Deadlift	1 set	15 reps
Overhead Barbell Press	1 set	12 reps
Barbell Row	1 set	12 reps
Pushups	1 set	To Failure
Chins	1 set	To Failure
Pushups	1 set	To Failure
Barbell Curl	1 set	12 reps
Situps	1 set	12 reps

Exercise/ Routine #11	# of Sets	# of Reps
Leg Press	1 set	15-20 reps
Leg Curl	1 set	10-15 reps
Leg Press	1 set	12-15 reps
Leg Extension	1 set	10-15 reps
Leg Press	1 set	10-12 reps
Dip	1 set	8-12 reps
Tricep Extension	1 set	8-12 reps
Negative-only Dip	1 set	6-10 reps
Chin	1 set	8-12 reps
Bicep Curl	1 set	8-12 reps
Negative-only Chin	1 set	6-10 reps

Exercise/ Routine #12	# of Sets	# of Reps
Full Squats	1 set	15-20 reps
Pullovers	1 set	10 reps
Standing Overhead Presses	1 set	10 reps
Chins	1 set	10 reps
Dips	1 set	12 reps
Barbell Curls	1 set	10 reps
Shrugs	1 set	15 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts	1 set	15 reps

Exercise/ Routine #13	# of Sets	# of Reps
MONDAY/THURSDAY
Leg Press	2 set	8 reps
Dip	2 set	6-8 reps
Shrug	2 set	8 reps
Overhead Press	2 set	8 reps

Exercise/ Routine #14	# of Sets	# of Reps
Squat	1 set	15-20 reps
Calve Raise	1 set	15-20 reps
Pullover Machine	1 set	6-10 reps
Incline DB Press	1 set	6-10 reps
T-Bar Rows	1 set	6-10 reps
BB Behind Neck Pr.	1 set	6-10 reps
BB Curl	1 set	6-10 reps
Lying Tri Ext.	1 set	6-10 reps
V-up (Lower Abs)	1 set	15-20 reps
Crunch (Upper Abs)	1 set	15-20 reps

Exercise/ Routine #15	# of Sets	# of Reps
Leg Press	1 set	15 reps
Push Ups	1 set	To Failure
Pull Ups	1 set	To Failure
Leg Press	1 set	15 reps
Push Ups	1 set	To Failure
Chin Ups	1 set	To Failure
Leg Press	1 set	15 reps
Push Ups	1 set	15 reps
Pull Ups	1 set	To Failure

Exercise/ Routine #16	# of Sets	# of Reps
Leg Press (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Leg Extentsion (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Squat	1 set	13 reps
Leg Curl (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlift	1 set	13 reps
Side Lateral Raise	1 set	13 reps
Overhead Press	1 set	13 reps
Cable Row	1 set	13 reps
Bench Press	1 set	13 reps
Bicep Curl 21s (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Negative Chin Up	1 set	13 reps
Tricep Extension 21s (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Negative Dip	1 set	13 reps

Exercise/ Routine #17	# of Sets	# of Reps
Leg Press (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Leg Extentsion (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Squat	1 set	13 reps
Leg Curl (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Stiff-Legged Deadlift	1 set	13 reps
Side Lateral Raise	1 set	13 reps
Overhead Press	1 set	13 reps
Cable Row	1 set	13 reps
Bench Press	1 set	13 reps
Bicep Curl 21s (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Negative Chin Up	1 set	13 reps
Tricep Extension 21s (Immediately followed by)	1 set	13 reps
Negative Dip	1 set	13 reps

Exercise/ Routine #18	# of Sets	# of Reps
Barbell Squat	1 set	20 reps
Stiff-Leg Deadlift	1 set	15 reps
Overhead Barbell Press	1 set	12 reps
Barbell Row	1 set	12 reps
Pushups	1 set	To Failure
Chins	1 set	To Failure
Pushups	1 set	To Failure
Barbell Curl	1 set	12 reps
Situps	1 set	12 reps

Exercise/ Routine #19	# of Sets	# of Reps
Leg Press	1 set	16-17 reps
Dips	1 set	10-11 reps
Chins	1 set	8-9 reps
Leg Press	1 set	8-9 reps
Dips	1 set	8-10 reps
Chins	1 set	5-7 reps
Leg Press	1 set	8-9 reps
Dips	1 set	4-5 reps
Chins	1 set	4-5 reps

Exercise/ Routine #20	# of Sets	# of Reps
Deadlifts	1 set	10-12 reps
Leg Extensions	1 set	10-12 reps
Leg Curls	1 set	10-12 reps
Calf Raise	1 set	12-15 reps
Bent Over Row	1 set	8-10 reps
Bench Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Lateral Raise	1 set	8-10 reps
30/30 Chin Immediately followed by	1 set	1 rep
Barbell Curl	1 set	8-10 reps
30/30 Dip Immediately followed by	1 set	1 rep
Tricep Extensions	1 set	8-10 reps
Wrist Flexion	1 set	8-10 reps
Wrist Extensions	1 set	8-10 reps
Crunches	1 set	8-10 reps

Exercise/ Routine #21	# of Sets	# of Reps
Deadlifts	1 set	10-12 reps
Bench Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Bent Row	1 set	8-10 reps
Shoulder Press	1 set	8-10 reps
Bicep Curl	1 set	8-10 reps
Pinch Grip	1 set	8-10 reps

Exercise/ Routine #22	# of Sets	# of Reps
Bench Press	1 set	10-12 reps
Dips	1 set	8-10 reps
Close Grip Bench	1 set	8-10 reps
Alt Incl. Curl	1 set	8-10 reps
Chin Ups	1 set	8-10 reps
Rows	1 set	8-10 reps
Shrugs	1 set	8-10 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlift	1 set	10-12 reps
Squats	1 set	10-12 reps
Calf Raises	1 set	12-15 reps

More HIT sample routine at http://bodybuilding.com/

References:

http://wikipedia.org/

http://baye.com/

http://fitness.mercola.com/

http://bodybuilding.com

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