Muscle Memory digital Dec/Jan 2019 | Page 20

WATER BUCKETS. One of the greatest exercise specialty techniques is drop sets. At the end of a set, the resistance is decreased and the reps continue. The choice of whether or not you achieve failure prior to the drop is up to you. The point is that you prolong the activity in order to stimulate your muscles more. For those of you who work out alone and don’t have a partner readily available to assist with the drop, water buckets are a simple, effective, and pretty darn cool item of equipment. You simply load up the buckets with a desired weight of water, perform moves like squats, overhead presses, biceps curls, etc., and the water trickles out of the bucket, reducing the load and the effort required so you can continue repping. Even flying solo, wa- ter buckets will help you produce one powerful pump. IN GOOD ORDER The order in which you perform exer- cises is a crucial element to a successful workout. Many gym-goers designate which muscle group to hit before they begin, but then mistakenly ignore the order of exercises. Make sure to hit the heaviest moves (particularly com- pound moves) at the beginning of your workout when you’re feeling fresh and your energy is high. From there, you can move on to isolation exercises and finally refining moves to maximize energy efficiency as you fatigue. CAN TOO MUCH WHOOPEE RUIN YOUR WORKOUT? Many bodybuilders and athletes have a fear that sex will hinder their sports or exercise progress since it uses a fair amount of testosterone. But this is a myth. Actually sex can have a positive effect on bodybuilding because it increases testosterone production, which is critical for muscle growth. Since testosterone levels are one of the primary predictors of muscle growth and development, having higher levels in the body will help to induce greater muscle gains. However we know that after sex higher levels of oxytocin is released in our body, and it makes us feel weaker and relaxed for some time. So make sure that you are spreading out exercise and sex by at least five hours, which will allow the body's hormonal status to return closer to baseline, reducing any negative influ- ences that might be present. 67 % Of people with gym memberships never use them.  Average number of times a gym membership owner will go to the gym every week is 2  Average monthly cost of a gym membership$58  Amount of gym membership money that goes to waste from under utilization $39 18   MUSCLE MEMORY | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2019