There was no May edition. I was busy working on a slight site re-design. According to the stats, this design is slightly more friendly in terms of navigation. I appreciate any and all feedback. Please contact me.

In this issue, Jeff Anderson is going to give you 2 safe but very effective non-standard ways to dead-lift. If you want to gain mass, you have to do the heavy leg exercises.

Note: Speaking of great tips... Thanks to those who submitted their successes and tips to the weight gain tips section - some really great recent additions. I still have a few more to get up.

The drawing to win one of 3 pairs of Newgrips is coming to an end in just a few days - you need to get your submission in by Sunday the 24th to be eligible. Just go here to submit. I will notify the winners via email and post them on that page within the week.

Please do take the time to offer a little inspiration and advice to your fellow hardgainers. The tips section is a popular destination on the site and I get many emails noting how the submissions helped supply the confidence needed to get moving.

In This Issue...

Site New Stuff

• From Vince Delmonte, a complete 12-week weight training program for the skinny guy. Vince really goes into depth on his training philosophy here. He tells you why you must work off a different set of rules than those who may possess better genetics - why you must focus more on improving your strength.

• Delmonte's Skinny Guy Transformation Program

• Dealing With Bodybuilding's Sore Muscles

It is really amazing what can be accomplished with a smart training approach, some aggresive dieting and some hard work.

Program Updates

• Price Reduction!!! I really love it when the top programs lower their prices - more people can then benefit from these resources.

Sean Nalewanyj's Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System already might have been the biggest and best value on the block. It was a solid value at a hundred bucks. Now, it is at $77 and an unbelievable value.


• The other news of note is that Anthony Ellis's Gaining Mass is now back to offering a hardcopy upgrade. For a reasonable additional fee you can get the entire program (manual and workbooks) in hardcopy. Not a bad idea, physical copy is a good thing and this is a very good program.


• 3 New Program Reviews Up

Two were okay...

• Review of Francesco Castano's MuscleNow™
• Review of Derek Manuel's "How To Gain Weight and Build Muscle For Hardgainers"

• Review of Musclyjerk.com's Muscly Jerk Guide

Bodybuilding Tips

Deadlifts are thought of by many as the Grand Poo-Bah of all exercises. Along with Elvis, they share the title of “The King”, and it’s a classic when it comes to mass building!

Unfortunately, the deadlift has gotten an undeserved bad rap as lifters have come to believe it causes back injuries and lead to thick waists. Well, it’s true that the deadlift HAS caused many a blown disc (mine included!), but when done properly, the deadlift is no more risky than any other exercise.

The problem is…most guys are using horrible form just when they’re doing simple exercises like barbell curls!  So watching non-educated lifters go for a barbell deadlift, or worse…the STIFF LEGGED deadlift…well, it just makes my L2 and L3 vertebrae cringe with fear!  (If you know what that means, then you’ve probably tried an incorrect deadlift at some point in your life as well, eh? ;-)

But don’t worry…there is hope for you to use the power of the deadlift effectively to build mass without having to make your chiropractor any richer than he already is.

Here are 2 options that you AND your back are gonna love…but you’re legs are gonna HATE!

DUMBBELL DEADLIFTS

By using dumbbells instead of a barbell, you eliminate the unsafe “lean” forward that makes traditional deadlifts so tricky.

You simply hold two dumbbells (go heavy!) on each side of your body, letting them hang naturally at your sides with your arms straight.

Now, keeping your head erect and your back as straight as possible, bend your knees until your upper legs are at least parallel with the floor.  To finish the movement, push through the heels of your feet, raising your body until your legs are almost locked out, but do NOT lock out your knees!  This will keep the tension on your legs where it needs to be.

Knock out 8-15 reps with a controlled movement.

SEATED SHRUG MACHINE DEADLIFTS

This is one of my favorites that REALLY lets me go for power!

For this exercise, you’ll look around your gym for a machine that is meant to be used for “seated shoulder shrugs”.  (It has an adjustable seat with a handle on the bottom at each side connected to the bar where you would place the weight plates.  If you can’t find it, ask an attendant at the gym to guide you in.)

Now, either remove the seat or adjust it all the way down…you won’t be using it!

However you will be using the backrest as your guide as you bend down and grasp the bars at the bottom (same placement as you did with the dumbbells) and lift the weight up almost to full extension.  Keep a slow 4-count descent but don’t let the bars reach the point where they’re resting again.  Keep the tension on your legs and do 8-15 reps (or until you start to see your quadriceps start to burst through your skin).

Whatever style you prefer, don’t shy away from deadlifts. The classics are classics for a reason. You just can’t go wrong with them.

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Jeff Anderson is the creator of Optimum Anabolics... QUIT GETTING RIPPED OFF by so called “fitness experts” and greedy supplement manufacturers! Learn FIRST HAND why you haven’t been making the gains you’ve been searching for…and how a “SECRET” training technique can help you pack on more muscle than you EVER thought possible! Click here for more info.

Final Thoughts

That's it for now. I am working hard to get caught up on the review section. When I do I'll go back and take another look at all the ratings. Some of the two star programs are likely to move up to 3 or 4 stars once I can look at everything all together. I'll also be trying a few tweaks on the navigation to get it the best I can.

Remember that, whatever way you do it, get those heavy leg exercises into your routine (squats or deads) and I'll talk to you soon.