Elastic 
Resistance is an extremely versatile and effective training modality. My first introduction to elastic tubing was over 20 years ago and they’ve come a long way since then!
Resistance tubing is commonly used as a convenient means to pump up prior to competition as well as an excellent way to work the rotator cuff muscles via external and internal rotation exercises. However I have also found that they can be used as a legitimate modality to enhance one’s physique as well!
For many
, the off-season is a time to relax a little on your diet and training, allow yourself foods you would not normally have during a prep, having them in unmeasured amounts and then stepping on the scales once a week just to make sure you are “getting bigger”. However, like with any sport, the progression of science, monetary rewards and the depth of competition has lead to top level bodybuilders and physique athletes leaving fewer and fewer stones unturned as they do everything possible to gain an edge on the competition. This has resulted in much more attention being paid to the progress that can be made during the off-season and coaches are no longer employed by elite athletes solely for those 12-16 weeks prior to a show, but also for the knowledge they can employ during the athlete’s off-season...
As
most of us are in the off-season right now and taking in a few extra calories, I thought I would post a good superset routine to help keep that waistline in check. It’s time to grow but don’t get sluggish or slow. Remember to stay ready at all times!
Here is a Back, Shoulder and Ab workout to get you motivated to keep pushing when most are resting. Go ahead and enjoy a few cookies, just make sure you keep healthy meals coming too. This way overeating the bad stuff will be tougher since you’ll already be full.
Yoga 
may be a four-letter, foreign word for some Physique and Bodybuilding athletes but it shouldn't be. You may be ripped to the bone, have the best physique, but if you lack flexibility and mind control your training, and eventually your quality of life, will be compromised.
A little yoga can improve your workouts and maybe even extend your Physique or Bodybuilding career and you don’t have to ditch your current training to take advantage of it...
In "Intensity Techniques Part One"
I gave some background as to why one might want to use the various intensity techniques that I covered. I recommend reading that article first:
In part two, I want to continue discussing some additional intensity techniques. Before proceeding, I want to clarify that I’m not suggesting that one train with these techniques as a sole method of training. I strongly believe in using more standard training techniques such as straight sets with heavier weights (among other more traditional workout structures such as Circuits, Antagonistic Supersets, etc.). Rather, these techniques are an excellent alternative that will allow you to maintain a high ‘intensity of effort’ while giving your joints a break from constant heavy loading. I have found they give me a serious pump as well!
When![photo[1]](/images/stories/Mens%20Physique/DuaneBrickhouse/photo[1].JPG)
I first began lifting weights I would typically work biceps with back and triceps with chest. As I spent more time weight training and learning about my body, I found that I could get more growth out of my arms by dedicating a day solely to them. On occasion I do still use a traditional chest/triceps or back/biceps split, because I believe that you need to constantly challenge your muscles with different methods in order to continue to see improvement. However, when I am able to stick to my normal gym schedule, I prefer to give them their own day...
Whether
you are a competitive physique athlete or simply a recreational gym user attempting to improve your physique, having the perfect midsection is frequently placed high on the list of priorities with respect to training goals. However, it is amazing how often you walk into a gym and see someone going through a heavy leg or arm routine and then finishing their workout with an abdominal routine that looks more like something taken straight from an early 90’s aerobics video!
The abdominals are like any other muscle group in the sense that if you want them to grow and to “pop” then they must be given sufficient stimulus to do so. You wouldn’t attempt to make your arms bigger by completing as many momentum-based reps of barbell curls as you can in 60 seconds, so why do the same for your abs? Sure, the cardio aspect may help burn some body fat, but there are better ways to do so and that is not the goal of the abdominal training itself...
There’s 
no doubt that progressive overload is the hallmark of resistance training. There comes a point however, where one can’t keep adding more and more weight as strength does not have an endless ceiling.
Additionally, if you listen to many older bodybuilders, including three-time Mr. Olympia Frank Zane, you often hear a common theme. That is upon reflection, they probably would have been better served in the long run had they not pounded their joints with so much constant heavy training in their younger years.
Frank specifically said that while that early heavy training did give him mass, that he would do things differently if given the chance to do it all over again. This is because of the ongoing price he has had to pay for past injuries!
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