Proven Strategies On How To Build A Powerful Back In The Least Amount Of Time

Master The 4 Zone MET Back Training Program

By Mike Lackner

All right, here’s a question for you: What do the Rio de la Plata, the Blue Bridge in Russia and Ronnie Coleman all have in common? They are all so freaking wide that people just stand in awe when they look at them! The Olympia has been over for several months, and I think Ronnie's Lat Spread is still on stage! The point is this; if you want to add width, thickness or strength to your back, you are reading the right article. The Maximum Efficiency Back Training program will help you achieve your goals for a completely packaged physique.

Most people neglect the back when they train. It may have to do with the fact that one's back is not visible to oneself. You know the old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” However, the back is very important to the overall appearance of your physique. Whether you are an inspiring bodybuilder, or just someone that wants to look good for the beach, adding the right amount of muscle to your back can make a great deal of difference to how you look. When you are getting your body ready for bathing suit weather, having width to your back adds a taper to your upper body, which makes your waistline appear much smaller than it actually is. For all you bodybuilders out there, I want you to answer a simple question: What has it been about the last three Mr. Olympia winners that set them apart from the rest of the field? It’s been the development of their backs. There were many bodybuilders that could compete with Lee, Dorian and Ronnie from the front, but when the judges called for the poses that involved the back the show was done. All of these men had superior back development that blasted their competitors. The front-lat-spread, rear-lat-spread and back double-biceps make up three of the seven mandatory poses. All right, enough of this blah, blah, blah, it's time to rock-n-roll MET style!

The 4 Building Blocks In MET Back Training

The Maximum Efficiency Training (MET) System contains four levels that will add up to eight rather unique sets (plus an advancing MET Strip Set) when all the levels are performed. Each muscle group is fully trained once every seven days with no exceptions. One of the keys of the program is to train with maximum efficiency and intensity, as described in earlier lessons, to ensure that you continue to produce an adaptation response to grow the muscle. Scientific studies have proven that the stimulation required for signalling growth will happen immediately, or it will not happen at all. This is just one reason why Venice Beach clients are advised to adhere to very brief rest periods (one minute or less between sets), and why intensity and the actual order body parts are trained in is so important. The MET Back Program, when followed as it is laid out here, allows for explosive growth and optimal recovery.

The MET System is an innovative approach to training, nutrition and supplementation that guides anyone of any age group or athletic background to an improved and healthier body in much less time than other training systems. When following the MET System, it is important to remember that it was scientifically developed by experts. Changing the system will not improve on the results the system intended. For example, there is only one combination to open the safe; you don’t change numbers to reach your goal of opening the safe. If you want the system to work 100% for you, you must follow it as it was developed.

WARNING: Too many sets, as outlined in other training programs, leads to increased surges in cortisol secretion. This in turn reduces your potential for growth, overrides your natural defences and reduces anabolic drive. Conversely, following the Maximum Efficiency Training (MET) System as it is laid out boosts anabolic drive and sets the stage for maximum increases in GH release.

One example of the reasoning behind the 30 minute MET System layout is how the sets were organized to create the greatest response of growth hormone (GH) production in your body. The high intensity level forces your body to react by producing this muscle-building hormone. In addition, by limiting the time between sets lactic acid builds up. This also triggers the release of GH from your pituitary glands. Therefore, in order to make the MET System work effectively, you want to follow it as it is prescribed.

Now, before we begin let me highlight one additional point:

Brief stretching over time means more muscle fibre becomes involved in the contraction.

Before beginning your back workout, do not forget to do some light stretches. Muscles, ligaments, joints and tendons are all flexible. The point to keep in mind is that they can stiffen up and that can restrict or limit your range of motion. Conversely, they can be stretched, which will give you a much longer range of motion and the ability to contract additional muscle fibres. So the take home point here is that by stretching a little before you train you can actually train harder, and safer. Now, for competitive bodybuilders this becomes even more important. Why? Regularly stretching the lats can help bodybuilders achieve a fuller, more impressive sweep in the back and low tie in at the waistline, which looks so impressive on stage. So for back training it’s also advisable to stretch briefly between sets in Level 1 and Level 2 by grabbing hold of something solid and really stretching the lats out one at a time.

Now we are ready to begin…

LEVEL 1

We’re going to start off Level 1 with a superb back widening exercise: Close-Grip Pulldowns. These really work the latimus dorsi (outer muscle area of the back that is responsible for width). Your lats run all the way from your waist (rear sacrum) to underneath your arm (attaching to the humerus). There are a lot of muscles that get worked during Close-Grip Pulldowns. So do not let anyone tell you that this isn’t a good mass builder or heavy movement.

The reason we choose Close-Grip Pulldowns is that they allow you to stretch the back muscles further during the movement. This causes greater muscular stress that actually covers the entire area of the lats from top to bottom, thus allowing you to work them fully. The greater the stretch, the greater the muscular response.

While seated with a pad over your legs holding you down, grip the bar just barely wider than your shoulders. You should be able to fully extend your lats. If you can’t then you may need to lower the seat. Arch your back (this is the only way to get your back to fully contract) and pull with your elbows until the bar almost touches the top of your chest. Keep your elbows pointed towards the floor. Do not flare them back so much that your elbows are pointing behind you by the end of the movement. You should be squeezing your lats as hard as you can as you pull the bar down. Resist the weight a little on its way back up; this is where you will build your strength, since it is the negative part of the movement. CONTROL THE WEIGHT. Do not simply let it fly back up, and then swing your body down to build momentum as the bar comes down ­ I see this all the time in the gym! You don’t look impressive by adding more weight if your form is atrocious! Do this for a comfortable 15 reps.

The first MET Set, after some light stretching, is considered your warm-up set. Judging by how much effort you used in the first set, select a heavier weight that you feel you can perform only 12 reps with. After only a one-minute rest from set one, it’s time to grasp that bar and take that weight for another ride. Set two should definitely be a little more intense. After the second set I put the weight down and rest, but for no longer than one minute! After one minute it’s time to move forward to Level 2.

LEVEL 1 RECAP

Level 1, which is the first two-set block, will always be a basic mass building movement. This is because you should do these type of exercises when your energy levels are at their highest. They require the most muscle (as well as accessory muscle) involvement, so you should do them when your strength and energy levels are at their peak.

In Level 1 you perform two sets of the basic mass builder, with your first set being your warm-up. The first set will be for 15 reps, and the second for 12 reps (with increased weight). The sets should be done with a maximum of one minutes rest between them.

LEVEL 2

Level 2 will consist of two more sets of Close-Grip Pulldowns. Since we are having so much fun pushing ourselves, we plan to take it up another notch in weight. To accurately assess how much to add, we compare notes in our MET Training Journal from our last back workout the week before for the same exercise. Now we can decide exactly which weight to use to best land us closest to the ten rep mark using all-out effort. If our MET Tracker sheets in our training journal for the last workout show that we overshot the mark by three or four reps beyond the ten rep goal in set three, we choose a weight that is about 5% heavier this time out.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: If you still don’t have your MET Tracker Sheets, please be sure to go to www.bodyfitness-uk.com and print them out under the MET logo. If maximizing each training session is important to you then don’t delay in getting this simple but critical part of the program started. Best of all, it’s free to readers of BodyFitness Magazine! It makes all the difference; it keeps my workouts focused, intense and on track.)

Now, with the new heavier weight locked in I grab the bar and start into the reps. This set is a greater challenge and by completion I’ve broken into a light sweat. I shake it off, do a brief stretch using the side of the pulldown machine and prepare myself for what lies ahead.

After my one-minute rest we are right back at it with even more weight. For the final set of Level 2 we growl out eight repetitions. By now our lats are swollen with maximum pumpitude (I know, that’s not really a word, but it sounds cool so I put it in there). But seriously, by now I am totally focused and in the zone. At this point in the program things are really flowing and the neuromuscular junction has definitely kicked in. Neuromuscular junction simply means the point where our muscles receive a signal from our brains to flex. These signals are carried by neuron transmitters and run through our nervous system like electricity runs through electrical wires. It usually takes a couple of sets to get this neuromuscular junction really flowing strongly, but once it is amped up and the Venice Beach “WOW” Trim Fuel Tea and Engauge formula delivers its full voltage, you will be stronger and at the threshold of turning the dial up to the next level!

Remember, MET training is based on peak performance carried out over a brief period. That’s why the set rotation is always carried out in a 15, 12, 10, 8, 10, 8, MSS (MET Strip Set), 6 format. These brief but intense workouts guarantee results, but you have to move swiftly and with intention; no time for chatting until after the workout is over. It’s total effort and a focused mindset in the gym that separates the champions from the also-rans. You owe it to yourself to transform your body beyond the average physique, and this program will get you there.

LEVEL 2 RECAP

Level 2 is another two sets of the same basic mass builder that you selected in Level 1. In order to work on building both size and strength, you will increase the weight a little more and do a set of ten reps, followed by a set of eight reps (with increased weight). Be sure to record in your MET Tracker the weights used and reps performed for future reference. Again, a maximum one-minute rest between sets. As stated earlier, your muscles should be exhausted when you have the last two reps remaining. Then, the last two reps should be done using your deepest inner reserve. If you can get the last two reps easier than this, then you should increase the weight.

For as he thinks within himself, so is he.
 - King Solomon

LEVEL 3

Level 3 of the MET System is only for people who have been weight training for at least a few months and is where we start to have the real fun. Now we choose two movements that will be worked back-to-back. Gee, isn’t that funny? Anyway, two exercises that will really work the thickness as well as width of the entire back are Seated Cable Rows and One-arm Dumbbell Rows. After the last set in Level 2 you have a two-minute break. You’ll need the time to prepare the weights for the next two exercises in Level 3.

The Seated Cable Rows will be the movement we begin the superset with, since they are more of a compound movement. Using the “A-grip” bar, you will be seated with your back arched inwards. Extend your body and arms forward to fully stretch your lats, then return to an upright position (keeping your back arched inwards) and lean back slightly (about ten degrees). After you are in position, pull the weight to your lower abs. Do not start pulling the bar towards you until you are in the upright position. As you are pulling the bar towards your lower abs, you should be squeezing your back together as if someone just ran their knuckles down your spine.

Immediately upon performing ten reps of Seated Cable Rows, you will switch to One-arm Dumbbell Rows and do eight reps with each arm. Kneel over the side of a bench with your arm that is pulling the dumbbell and leg that is stepping on the floor to the same side. Hold the dumbbell down and in front of your body as if you were getting ready to pull a lawn mower cord. Pull the dumbbell to your hip until your upper arm is just beyond horizontal or the height of your back. After giving the back a squeeze at the top of the movement, lower the dumbbell until your arm is extended and your shoulder is stretched forward. Do the same with your opposite arm.

Be sure to double check your MET Tracker Sheets for the amount of weight you needed last week to truly squeeze out eight reps. Again, if you went beyond 11 or 12 reps last week in this set (set six from when you began) be sure to up the weight so that the reps drop back down into the seven, eight or nine rep range using clean form with full contraction at the top of each movement. Again, proper recording of increases in weights on your MET Tracker Sheets from week to week is critical for monitoring your progress. It’s also these numbers we draw from when determining what weight to use for the next workout or when we should level up in weight in order to stay within the rep range (and intensity level) defined on the Tracker Sheets. MET Tracker Sheets are simple to use and can be seen as the operating blue prints we follow to take us to our physique transformation goal.

Remember, people who plan and track their workouts consistently are FOUR TIMES more successful in reaching their goal over those who do not.

MET TRACKER SHEETS

Don’t underestimate the importance of printing out your MET Tracker Sheets to create your MET Training Journal and then bringing it with you to the gym every time you train to record your workouts. This point cannot be over emphasized. It will help keep you motivated, on track and moving forward. So as the NIKE slogan says, "JUST DO IT.”

LEVEL 3 RECAP

Level 3 consists of two exercises performed in superset fashion with as little rest as possible between them. The first set in Level 3 consists of ten repetitions and the second set in Level 3 consists of eight reps.

By the time you complete Level 3 and finish the second superset your back should feel like the levee broke and let the blood flood in.

LEVEL 4

When you become more advanced in your MET program, you will become one of the privileged trainees that get to experience Level 4. Level 4 will let you beat your back like it owes you money! Level 4 is also a superset, but an important high-intensity technique has been added for the more experienced athlete. The first set of the superset is what is known as a MET Strip-Set (MSS). In a MET Strip-Set, you start with a weight you can handle for six or seven reps in good, clean form with the full stretch at the bottom and full contraction at the top. After your sixth rep, you set the weight down and immediately grab a weight that is 20-25% lighter and grind out six or seven more reps. Then, drop the weight again by 20-25% and nail out five to six more intense reps in a “no-holds-barred” fashion. Once the final rep is done you immediately reach over and drop the pin by 20-25% for a final six count.

This is the exercise level that forces you to build strength of mind as well as muscle. Level 4 is not for the weak of heart. You will do this for three consecutive drops with a full squeeze at the peak contraction and full stretch at the bottom of each set with minimal rest between sets. This, my friends, is one of the best ways to get maximum growth stimulation and muscle burn. Why is this important? Research shows that changes in the pH of the blood due to muscle burn and lactic acid release can create intense surges in growth hormone.

By simply following the MET levels, rest periods and the MET Strip-Set positioned where they are in the program you will experience the best and safest way to achieve muscle burn and to set the stage for the greatest increases in GH release and muscle growth!

No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.
- W. Clement Stone

So, what we are saying is MET Level 4 consists of a superset, with the first part of the superset being a drop set. In review, you do a strip-set and then superset it with a regular set of a second movement. If it sounds confusing not to worry; this is well laid out in the MET Tracker Sheets so all you have to do is print it out, follow the levels and reps as shown and fill in the numbers.

LEVEL 4 IN ACTION

Just as with Level 3, we will stick with Seated Cable Rows and One-arm Dumbbell Rows, with Seated Cable Rows being the lead-off movement. This means that you will have to set the pins to the required weight and have the dumbbell nearby before the set starts. You will perform two sets in superset fashion again with the first of the two sets being the MET Strip-Set to complete Level 4.

Now, with the correct weight set for six or seven good clean reps, based on the weight used and recorded from the last back workout, we take position on the seated cable and perform each rep with full stretch at the bottom and deep contraction at the top. Now immediately upon finishing that set we lower the weight by 20-25% and dive directly into six more reps of Seated Cable Rows. After that set, we immediately lower the weight again by another 20-25% and do another six to seven reps. Now, with every ounce of energy and determination we can muster, we reach over and drop the pin one last time. You need to focus in like a laser beam here and block out everything else. You can’t be looking over at the clock or thinking about problems at school or at the office. This is the key time to test yourself and build your willpower. This is the part of the program that builds real character and inner strength. Just don’t let the monkey mind “mental chatter” dissuade you from going for it and reaching your goal.

If you are healthy and you know you are physically up to it but about half way through the MET Strip-Set you catch yourself thinking, “No, no, I'll cut it short today,” or, “This is good enough, I need to stop here,” then I implore you, take a deep breath, recommit yourself and blow right through that thought with sheer determination. You’ll be a stronger person for it as you build yourself up one workout at a time. See yourself as bigger than life and capable of so much more. Keep this one thing in mind: how you do things in the gym might be how you do in life! Do you blow things off just when the going gets tough or do you drive right through it and make it happen anyway? Food for thought! So when it comes to creating new empowering neurons and real mental toughness, action always speaks louder than words.

How you do things in the gym could reflect how you habitually do things in life. Be a warrior in the gym, be a warrior in life. Take the challenges as they come and press yourself to be more. You owe it to yourself!
- Mat Gerson, TTN Total Wellness Life Coach.

After the last MET Strip-Set, immediately go over to the dumbbells and perform a final set of six or seven reps (going to positive failure!!) with one arm, then switch arms and do six or seven reps with the other. When you put the last dumbbell down you can have a seat knowing that you NAILED IT!

Now, I kick back and record some notes of my workout in my MET Training Journal and compare the weights listed in last week’s back workout with the amounts used this week. I make a few observations on the Tracker Sheets, like I need to up the weight next back work out for my dumbbell rows from 80 to 85lb. Now, because overall the workout was intense and went as planned I write, “Excellent Session Today!” and write the body part trained in the box marked Monday.

(Editor’s Note: If you are not familiar with how MET Tracker Sheets are used when following the MET Program be sure to read “Lesson 7 - MET BLUE PRINTS FOR SUCCESS/USING THE MET WEEKLY PROGRESS ‘WORK OUT’ TRACKER SHEETS” at the site mentioned earlier, www.bodyfitness-uk.com. This lesson will give you a step-by-step walk through.)

What’s the bigger picture here? It takes only 30 minutes a day to work the program but the results that come from this kind of program go far beyond faster muscle gains and less time in the gym. With MET you are competing against yourself and you’re starting to build an inner reference point of what levelling up and breaking through is all about.

Champion Mind Building

The secondary exercise with MET Supersets and Strip-Sets is to watch your mind and see if it tries to hold you back. Listen to your inner dialogue. The real mental mastery and discipline comes when you hear the “monkey mind” and derailing negative self-talk saying things like, “Oh, you've done enough, it doesn’t really matter… you can quit now... take it easy like the rest of the folks in the gym... why bother.” If this stuff comes up, just watch it, see it and move past it. As TTN Life Coaches explain to clients, this exercise of mentally noting during a MET Strip-Set (or during any challenging point in the day) will help you come to understand your mind for what it is, and how it can limit your future gains if you continually give into it. Sure the mind is helpful 10% of the time when it is warning you from walking too close to a passing car or something, but if you watch it carefully, you’ll find that this represents only a small percentage of the overall mind chatter that bubbles up daily. A great deal of the other stuff that bubbles up might be holding us back and stopping us from really going for it and doing great and challenging things. Things that could open us up to greater success, happiness and a more fulfilling life. The invitation to speak at a seminar or not to speak. The thought that I can win the Nationals, or the thought not to even try. The thought that I can prepare my own healthy meals starting today and get in the best shape of my life in six months or to fall behind and once again order the pudding that everyone else is prompting me to order right now. Unsupportive thoughts bubble up at different times for all of us. Some call it F.EA.R. ­ False Education Appearing Real. I now MC a lot of shows across the country. I remember the first time I was asked to do one, and if I had listened to that inner critic I’m sure my work as a guest speaker never would have evolved.

Think Big

The chatter that speaks to us is endless. Watch the mind during challenging times and especially during each MET Strip-Set and use it as an opportunity to train not only your muscles but also your mind. If the talk that enters into consciousness is not supportive to your goals, just see it, feel it and say to it, “Thank you for sharing!” Then plough right through it. Each time you do this you expand your comfort zone. The negative, fear based chatter comes from what Dr. Smith of Venice Beach refers to as the “small mind.” The small mind is the domain of anxiety, insecurity, inadequacy and fear. Don't let it take you out! The same applies in your life as well. Think Big! Define what you want, see what you want, prepare for what you want, set a timetable and move forward.

It’s the same as exercising a muscle ­ you have to work at it; but you have to see the process first and not get entangled in it. If the chatter comes up and it’s not empowering you in your workout or in your daily life, just know that it’s (as they say in quantum physics) moving particles of energy, and don't give it a second thought. Don’t buy into it and don’t feed it with more attention. Let it go and move forward anyway. Part of the job of a TTN Coach is not only to help impart MET Training and diet strategies but also life strategies so that clients can truly blow away all doubts and limiting beliefs and excel in all areas that they are being held back in. 'Nuff said!

Even small steps forward when the small mind is trying to pull you back are life changing. Use the slogan, “Thank you for sharing,” then mentally push yourself to higher ground or doubting thoughts will get the upper hand and stop you from really going for it in the gym - and in life!

Now that all four levels have been completed, you should feel the blood rushing into your back. Right now your body is screaming for nutrients to help it repair itself. This is the time to pop a couple of Venice Beach ADL3 capsules ­ yes, before you leave the gym! Next, when you get home or back to the office mix up a UDA+ Protein shake and drink it down. Now you’ve set the stage for growth and recovery quickly and, of equal importance, you’ve calmed down the after-training cortisol spike. This is the ideal way to multiply your gains while blunting cortisol.

Post Workout Refuelling

One of the key ways to multiply the effects of any training program is through the use of second-generation, absorption enhanced supplements. The reason we need them when following this program is due to the fact that intense resistance exercise produces high demands for nutrition in order for the body to repair itself. To get what we need completely from food would mean eating a lot more food than is feasible or possible in one day. Another reason we need them is that scientific studies have shown that the soil in many fruit and vegetable producing areas is becoming “tapped out,” thus creating a situation where the food grown is deficient in the essential nutrients that they get from the soil.

In order to keep us from having to eat obscene amounts of food, which would lead to obesity and empty pockets, science has developed supplements that allow us to get key protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in a very absorbable state in the quantities that we need to allow our bodies to better recover from the stresses of intense exercise. Protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants not only help muscle recovery, they aid the body with energy production, immune system function and countless other important functions. Quality supplements such as absorption enhanced VMA vitamin, mineral and antioxidant formula by Venice Beach provide you with the correct amount and combination of nutrients to support complete recuperation without having to consume over-abundant amounts of food. This VMA mega-vitamin, mineral and antioxidant formula by Venice Beach has been the cornerstone of my supplementation for years. In addition, during my mass building programs, I use a maximum strength HGH anabolic formula by Venice Beach called Primestrin+ and a lot of absorption enhanced UDA+ Protein which contains Absorbal-P to provide half of my daily intake of protein. I have made some of the best gains of my life while using these supplements. Some personal records achieved after switching to absorption enhanced Venice Beach nutritional supplements are a raw (no bench shirt or raps) bench press of 580 pounds (260kg) and a set of ten reps on the squat (going all the way to parallel) with 700 pounds (320kg). I would have never been able to accomplish these lifts without high quality and maximally bioavailable supplements. As stated earlier, UDA+ Protein is half of my daily intake of protein calories, so if it weren’t working I wouldn’t be gaining muscle and recovering from intense workouts with success. The absorption enhancers in UDA+ Protein make it very bioavailable.

VMA not only provides vital nutrients for building muscle and staying healthy, it contains Therma ACP to enhance fat burning processes in the body. The absorption of bad fat is reduced by up to 30%. This is all part of the complete MET System. VMA from Venice Beach gives you vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for muscle recovery and health, and it also helps blunt cortisol and burn fat to make it a complete supplement for your physique and health. VMA works in conjunction with the MET System along the guidelines of providing the most complete and efficient results possible in the least amount of time.

Join the thousands that are packing on muscle and burning fat ­ lightning fast ­ using the winning combination of MET and Venice Beach “Targeted” Absorption Enhanced Supplements!

Venice Beach supplementation is a key part of the MET System that should not be taken for granted. When used correctly they are vitally important for enhancing growth, recovery, energy, fat loss and overall health. Do not spend your valuable time in the gym busting your behind and NOT reaching your maximum genetic potential, just because you didn’t consistently blunt your cortisol spike post workout with ADL3 and replenish your system daily with absorbable vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and Protein that VMA and UDA+ provide. Make them a part of your daily routine starting today! For more information or to order second-generation Venice Beach supplements readers can now call 0845 6066 126. All products are shipped direct from Venice Beach, California and stock is limited.

In closing, if you are following a different training program or system and not achieving the results you feel you should be getting then I invite you to consider a course correction. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Each training session lasts about 30 minutes and as I tell my clients, it does require supreme effort but when implemented correctly, you will start to see your true genetic potential materialise. So, over the next month, let’s really GO FOR IT!!

The real tragedy is the tragedy of the man or woman) who never in his life braces himself for his one supreme effort, who never stretches to his full capacity, never stands up to his full stature.
- Arnold Bennett

Editors Note: As subscriber to this magazine, you can now print out the MET Tracker Sheets for a complete breakdown of each MET Workout for free at www.bodyfitness-uk.com. Just look for the MET/Mike Lackner icon. Join the thousands that are now following the Physique Transformation Fast Track using the 30 Minute-a-day Maximum Efficiency Training System.

MET Muscle Building Tips - Peak Positive Failure

It’s not often that someone tells you that in order to succeed you must go to failure. In the Maximum Efficiency Training Program failing will actually earn you a gold star for the day! Of course, the failure we prescribe is the type that comes along with pushing your muscles until they can’t possibly squeeze out one more rep using your own power. The MET System calls it Peak Positive Failure, or PPF. PPF is the practice of performing your set with enough intensity and weight that there is no way possible that you could perform any more reps than what you should have.

In order to make the muscles gain strength or become larger, you must train them to the point of failure. If not, your subconscious will tell your body that there is no need to add muscle, since you will always stop before it has reached its limit. When the MET System instructs you to do 12 repetitions for a particular set, then it means that you should have chosen a weight that allows you to do 11 or 12 reps, not a single one more. If you are doing a set of 12, then by rep number ten you are physically ready to quit. Then, you perform reps number 11 and 12 on sheer determination.

The Tracker Sheet is included with your MET program for the specific reason of helping you keep track of what weight you need to use to reach peak positive failure for each set. Suppose that your MET Sheet instructed you to perform 12 reps and when you finally got done with the set, you had performed 16. You can write that down on your Tracker Sheet so that the next week you know that you should add more poundage and select a weight that will get you closer to the intensity level you need to be at in order to hit peak positive failure on rep 12. The MET System was structured scientifically, so stay on course by performing the exact amount of reps and exact amount of sets that it instructs you to.

Remember, the way to force the muscle to grow is to command it to perform beyond its capabilities. It is imperative that you reach peak positive failure on every set following your warm-up set. This way your subconscious will continually tell your body that it needs to develop more muscle to handle the loads you are putting on it. The MET System purposefully does not include that many sets in each workout, so put everything out of your mind for that 30 minutes that you have committed yourself to and really go for it. This is the fast track folks, and a powerful opportunity to grow on many levels!

MET Muscle Building Tips - Maximizing The Contraction For Better Gains

The MET System is a comprehensive program that examines every detail of training in order to help you reach your goals. One item that almost all other “training programs” overlook is maximizing the muscle contraction. They tell you to use good form and to not “swing” the weight, but 99% of them do not tell you the importance of squeezing the muscle. Just lifting the weight is not enough, in order to really make the muscle work and hit its peak performance you must squeeze it as hard as you can at the top of every rep. This ensures a maximum contraction, which further promotes growth.

Another great thing about squeezing the muscle as hard you can at the top of each movement is that it helps with muscle shape and hardness. It will also allow you to use less weight in order to get the same work out of the muscle. This means less wear and tear on your tendons and cartilage. As an example, the next time you do a set of bicep curls, perform the curls as you normally would. Then, perform the next set flexing the muscle as hard as possible for a split second at the top of the rep. I bet that you can’t get as many reps the second time! So, maximize the amount of work the muscle does on each rep and squeeze the muscle at the top.

Met Muscle Building Tips - The Met Agonist/Antagonist Factor

The MET System makes every effort to ensure that your workouts are as productive as possible and you reach your goals as quickly as you can. In order to do this, your recovery must be taken into consideration along with the health of your joints. This is where the “agonist/antagonist” or “two-sided” principle comes into play.

In mechanical terms, your bones are nothing more than levers that are used to support the force that your body encounters during a muscular contraction. Each bone has muscles connected to it in order to pull the bone in the required direction. The muscles are connected to bone by tendons, which are what actually transfers the force from the muscle to the bone. Your joints are where the cartilage is located between two bones so that the bones do not rub against each other during motion. Arthritis is when the cartilage starts to wear out and the bones rub against one another. Anyway, think about your biceps and triceps. They both connect to opposite sides of your arm bone. As your bicep pulls the forearm towards your shoulder, the tricep is elongating. This is the basis of the “two-sided” agonist/antagonist principle: as the muscle on one side of the bone contracts, the other elongates. This tandem motion is important, because the agonist is the muscle that is contracting and creating the force while the antagonist helps support the balance of the joint and helps control the movement. In reality, both muscle groups are performing work at the same time, although the antagonist is not working nearly as hard as the agonist is.

This agonist/antagonist principle allows the MET System to select the most efficient workout schedule possible for you. The idea is to train agonist/antagonist muscle groups in the same day in order to maximize muscle stimulation and recuperation. This way you only work each muscle group once a week instead of twice (once as an agonist and once as an antagonist). This allows for maximum recovery time in addition to training a muscle that is not tired from work it did a couple days earlier. Your joints will also benefit from only having the forces acting on them once a week. Many experts in the field of exercise physiology agree that it all adds up to quicker gains and healthier joints.

Editors Note: For more information on the agonist/antagonist principle and how it is applied in MET Training see Lesson 5 MET Blueprints For Success at www.bodyfitness-uk.com under the Mike Lackner icon.