Question:

I don't know if you saw the section on What's Good For You about building pecs? Basically it showed that when faced with a choice of an eight-week boxing or heavy weightlifting program, in terms of definition and strength, the heavy weightlifting program was a clear winner.

My question is this: What sort of heavy weightlifting program would you recommend to achieve similar results? What is the ideal way to train for definition and strength?

Answer:

Yes, I did see the program and lifting weights to build muscle is always going to be the clear-cut winner here. Boxing is a form of cardio exercise and, while it's great for your heart, lungs, overall fitness and losing weight, it's not an activity you would do to build muscle.

Likewise, if you simply wanted to lose weight, lifting heavy weights will get you a lot stronger but not necessarily lighter. Boxing would be a clear winner when it comes to losing weight.

Before starting on a program to build muscle, start out with light weights for the first four to six weeks. This will help condition your muscles, tendons and ligaments, reduce the risk of injury and help you learn the correct lifting techniques.

Below is a popular method of training to build muscle effectively; it's called a "split program" and works different muscle groups on different days of the week. The idea behind this is to give each muscle group adequate recovery time before stressing the same muscle again.

Five-day split program
Day one: chest and triceps
Day two: back and biceps
Day three: shoulders, legs and abs
Day four: rest
Day five: chest, triceps and abs
Day six: back, biceps, legs
Day seven: rest

Dean Piazza — your online personal trainer
www.getfit.com.au