Last month I was getting behind on my workouts. I had the flu and was then a little lazy getting back into the gym. A glance in the mirror after showering told me that something was not right. Dimming the lights did not help, nor did sucking in the gut. It was Damien in reverse.

The image haunted me until I got back in there and did something about it. When I returned to my workout routine I was rewarded with a reflection that looked better day by day, until the old self was back.

Of course, the mirror is good for more than just motivation. It is a great tool for assessing your current state of muscle development and visualizing the body you are aiming to build.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote, “It is your mirror that will be your most honest critic, if you allow it to be.”

If you don’t have a full length mirror at home, I suggest you get one and use it daily to:

• Motivate – Take a good look every day. The mirror does not lie.
• Assess – Is your current routine working? The results are in front of you.
• Prioritize – Decide what areas you need to focus on.
• Visualize – Mold the reflection into your future body and remember it.
• Plan – Design a workout routine to get the results you want.
• Act – Go work out today and your new reflection will be smiling.

Muscle building, it’s in the mirrors.

See you at the gym.

• Joewarrior.com – Weight Lifting Exercises – Muscle Building – Fitness

Is it possible to build big muscles with a small schedule?

If you don’t have much time in the gym there is no way you can give every muscle complete attention. It’s hard to give a full session to the big muscle groups and then follow up with specific routines to round out the smaller muscles.

However, there is a way to get the job done.

The secret: Build the big muscles and the small ones will follow.

This is a simple concept that is easy to implement.

For example, consider the bench press:

We all know the bench builds the chest, and does a great job of it. Plus, it helps develop the triceps and shoulders. If you experiment with narrow and wide grips, you will feel pressure on different muscles.

Yes, the bench press incorporates many muscles and muscle groups. I bet you can see where this is going, so let’s keep reinforcing the idea.

You don’t have to spend much time on the smaller muscles if they have been working hard to support the big muscles. You can top them off with one specific exercise and be good to go.

To continue with the bench press example:

Adding wide grip dips to the workout will again work the chest, shoulders and triceps. Some Arnold presses for the shoulders and cable push downs for the triceps will round things out pretty well.

Another example – the back muscles:

If you perform pull-ups or bent over rows to strengthen the back, your biceps will be getting some work at the same time. A quick top up with some bicep curls will do nicely.

Of course, we must give special consideration to the squat, dead-lift and clean-and-press, three exercises that incorporate the legs, back and various other muscles into every workout. Each deserves it’s own future article to fully cover the muscle building benefits it delivers.

Remember, if you are limited in time, work the big muscles. The small ones will follow.

See you at the gym.

• Joewarrior.com – Weight Lifting Exercises – Muscle Building – Fitness