Here is your newest issue of Fit Physique.

Go here to download your bonus reports - http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/whey-report.html

Also, there is a link at the bottom to past issues of Fit Physique.

You will also find information in my blog as a compliment to the newsletter. http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/blog.html

A new article is below but first I'd like to share something personal with you. Please read.

Those of you that have been with me over the past year already know this and to some of you it may be new. This September will be my 12th year riding in the MS 150 Bike Tour to help end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis.

Each year, the event gets better and better and last year over 5,000 riders raised over $2 million dollars to help fight MS. We can't do it without the volunteers and the people life yourself.

For the 12th time I've committed myself to meet both a physical and fundraising challenge by joining the MS 150 City to Shore Bike Tour. Only I can prepare for the physical demands (and I've already begun - it's windy outside!), but I need your help with fundraising.

MS is an unpredictable and devastating disease that can attack any of us in the prime of life. Imagine, one day you are ready to take on the world and the next day you are faced with the diagnosis of an incurable and potentially deadly debilitating disease. The cause is a mystery. The cure is unknown. That is why I ride.

MS researchers have made extraordinary progress these last few years. In fact, people like us have helped to change MS from being an untreatable disease to one that can be managed with various medical treatments.

Can I count on you to support my efforts to attain my goal? Every bit helps. Here's what I'm willing to do. If you purchase a copy of either "Fit Physique" or "The Skinny Guy's Guide To Building Mass Fast", I will donate $6 of your purchase to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. And in addition, I will throw in another f'ree bonus for you.

My friend Chris Scarborough has given me the rights to his ebook, "How To Lose Weight and Get Lean". This is a full length book that used to sell for $22. Chris has moved on to training young athletes and his site -

Now I have acquired the rights to do what I want with it. Instead of selling it, I am going to give it to you as a f'ree bonus with your purchase of either "Fit Physique" or "The Skinny Guy's Guide To Building Mass Fast" in addition to donating $6 of each purchase to the National MS Society.

Chris's book is a fantastic no nonsense, no hype approach to safe fat loss.

Basically, you'll get two great books for the price of one, and you'll be donating money to a great cause. This is in addition to the other f'ree bonuses that include f'ree online personal training.

Once you've made your purchase, drop me an email with your Clickbank receipt number. If you would like a receipt for tax purposes as well, let me know.

Thank you, in advance, for making a difference in the fight against this horrible disease.

Here's an email I received last week.

Gregg,

It has been just over 12 weeks since I purchased your book. I was skeptical at first, not truly believing it could work for me. I started out at 132, and now I am 171.

I am going to send you before and after pics so you can see the difference. My strength has gone through the roof, and it seems that I am continuing to make more progress.

My diet consists of about 4000 calories a day with 235 grams of protein. I eat all of the right foods though, no junk.

My muscles are hard and toned, exactly what I wanted, and exactly what I thought I could never achieve. As of now I am on schedule to hit 185 by summer. Did I mention that I have invested in tons of tank tops and sleeveless shirts?

Thanks again man. Without your program I’d be 142 pushing 144 by summer.

Chris Cella

I love receiving emails like this.

Go here to check out Fit Physique - http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/fp.html

Go here to check out The Skinny Guy's Guide - http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/gain.html">http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/gain.html

Sincerely,

Gregg Gillies

Stop Following the Herd - Why The Rep is Obsolete

The next time you are at the gym, take a look around. What do you see? Everyone is doing reps, right? Monotonously raising and lowering the weight. Have you ever stopped to wonder why that is?

After all, the key to muscle growth is an increase in muscular contraction over time. And while reps can accomplish this, they aren't the be all end all way to increase the intensity of muscular contractions.

Most people train the way they do because "everbody else trains that way." But that doesn't mean that it's the right way or the most effective way. One way to increase the intensity of the muscular contraction is to do negatives.

Negatives are doing just the negative (or lowering) half of the repitition. For example, the negative on the bench press would be to lower the bar from overhead to your chest. You would then need some training partners that could raise the weight for you so that you can lower it again.

Negatives, while they are on track in the intensity increase, can be difficult, cumbersome and dangerous to do. So what's next? Well, we've mentioned the traditional rep of raising and lowering the weight and moved on to a higher level of contraction by just lowering the weight. This takes us logically to the next step which would be to hold the weight at a specific point until you can't hold it any longer.

Holding the weight for a period of time would completely eliminate doing reps. More importantly, hold the weight in the most difficult, ie, intense portion of the rep which would be the contracted position.

Some examples of exercises with the contracted position would be the top position of a concentration curl, the top of a leg extension, the pec deck, holding the top position of a barbell shrug, etc.

What benefits do these contracted holds have? They make your muscles work harder. Let's use the leg extension as an example. If you've ever done leg extensions you know that the top, or contracted, position of the exercise is the most difficult.

This means that you are giving the quad muscles a breather for the majority of the rep and only working it hard for a small portion of the rep.

And we know that increasing the intensity of the contractions is the key to progress. So why not eliminate the "easy" portions of the reps? Raise the weight, hold it in the top position for as long as possible and then lower the weight under control. That's it. No reps, just a hold. Try holding the weight for 20 to 30 seconds. When you can hold the weight for 30 seconds, increase the weight at the next workout.

It will take you a few workouts to adjust as you'll probably suffer from shaking legs and arms because your muscles are recruiting more and more fibers throughout the hold in order to keep up with the demands of the weight and ongoing fatigue. This is perfectly normal.

I've begun experimenting with a workout program of all contracted holds and will be keeping you updated on the good and bad in this newsletter and in my blog on buildleanmuscle.com

RESOURCES: Check out these resources to help you start 2004 right. Fitness Resources

Remember, Fit Physique is your newsletter and buildleanmuscle.com is your site. I welcome all feedback, questions, and comments. Let me know what you like, don't like and want to see in the future.

http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/about-me.html

Until next time

Gregg Gillies Click Here To Contact Me Via Email