The phrase ‘there’s something about Mary’ may conjure up all sorts of images for you, depending on whether or not you’ve seen the film of that name. But what if Mary’s one of your team, and the thing about her is her unique and rather unpleasant smell?

Tackling a personal hygiene issue at work is never easy. Most people try to ignore it or hope that it’ll miraculously go away. But unfortunately it hasn’t, and it’s getting harder to ignore.

Several other members of your team have commented on it and are now waiting for you to do something. Their own attempts at dropping hints have proved useless and rather expensive - the gift boxes of toiletries have grown bigger with each Christmas and birthday, and yet the smell still lingers.

To be fair, you did try and tackle the subject indirectly during a team meeting. Unfortunately, your request that everyone makes sure they’re always clean and smart for work only succeeded in upsetting the rest of the team, while Mary seemed to remain blissfully unaware that she was the intended target of your comment.

Should you say anything?

Although everyone’s on your case and waiting for you to talk to her, you’re not even sure you have the right to say something - after all, Mary’s very good at her job, and is her BO really that big a problem?

There’s one main reason why people avoid saying anything, and that’s usually their fear of the reaction they’ll get. What if she gets upset or angry? Or what if she walks out? She may well do any or all of these - but then again she may not.

To counteract this, there are three good reasons why you should say something. Firstly, your team are waiting for you to do so. Ok, perhaps they should be tackling issues they have with their colleagues themselves. But they obviously don’t feel confident enough to do it themselves, and they’re waiting for you to show leadership. And if you don’t, perhaps it’ll be the other members of your team that get upset or angry, or start looking for another job.

Problems of this nature can cause huge barriers between colleagues. Although they may actually like Mary, they may end up avoiding having to work closely with her, especially in confined spaces. This is bound to have an impact on everyone’s work.

Which brings me onto the second reason for tackling the issue: BO’s bad for business. What effect is this having on your clients or customers? If Mary only deals with them over the phone, there’s no problem. If on the other hand she regularly meets people, she could be losing you work. Where your clients really have no other choice than to use your organisation (as is often the case in much of the public sector), you might think ‘tough’. Well, if that’s your attitude, you’ve far more to worry about than Mary’s personal hygiene.

The final reason for saying something is Mary herself. If you were Mary, wouldn’t you prefer to be told, than have people whispering about you behind your back? Most people really do prefer to be told about something like this, even though it causes some initial embarrassment. And if Mary is already well aware of the problem, you still need to tackle the issue properly. The hints and endless toiletries are likely to be having a negative effect on her, and might even be taken as a form of bullying.

So, what do you do?

Find somewhere private, where you can talk without being interrupted. You may want to consider somewhere other than your office - if the rest of the team realise what’s going on, the way they watch your door to judge Mary’s reaction as she leaves could make an uncomfortable situation far worse.

Be direct. Beating about the bush will make you both more uncomfortable. You might want to practise an opening phrase beforehand, something like “I’d like to discuss something with you. I’ve noticed you’ve got a body odour problem; we need to talk about it, because it’s affecting the business.”

This ’cause and effect’ structure is very useful - it shows you’re raising the issue for a purpose, rather than just for the sake of it. Of course, it helps if you’ve thought through exactly what effect the problem is causing.

Also, take ownership of what you’re saying - “I’ve noticed” is far better than hiding behind an “everyone’s noticed”.

But what should you do if your initial fear was justified and Mary gets upset or angry? Being told you’ve got BO is obviously not pleasant, so an emotional response is to be expected. Acknowledging her feelings is a good start, and then you need to look at what happens next. You could say something like “You’re clearly upset by this; let’s sort it out.”

In some ways, getting no reaction can be even more difficult. If you just can’t judge how Mary’s feeling, you could try asking, “what do you think about what I’ve just said?” If she says she doesn’t want to discuss it, you need to make it clear that this isn’t an option. Give her time to reflect, setting up a meeting the following day if necessary.

Breaking the news is only part of the story. You can’t assume that now you’ve told her, Mary will be able to do something about it. This could be the case, but she might need your help. Particularly if she already knows she has a problem and hasn’t yet managed to solve it, you’ll need to look at what she’s already tried and then explore other options.

You might want to suggest she visits the doctor, as smells can be symptoms of something else. For example, although you can cover bad breath up with mints, it’s better to tackle the underlying cause, be that gum disease or something else. And talking of underlying medical conditions, be careful about jumping to wrong conclusions. Smelling of alcohol could be the result of drinking, but a similar smell can accompany diabetes.

You should always follow up any action you’ve agreed with ongoing support and encouragement. Tell Mary when you notice improvements, and ask her what’s happening if the problem comes back again.

And finally, avoid falling into the trap of gossiping. If anyone in your team asks what’s going on, let them know you’re dealing with it, but that you won’t say more.

So, when there’s something about Mary (or Martin or Miguel or Meera), you can’t ignore it because it won’t go away. By all means take some time to think through how you want to approach the issue, but in the end you will just have to get on and do it.

Tim Schuler has been a development professional since the mid-1980s and is director of The Development Practice. He has substantial experience of helping people improve their management capability, communication skills and personal effectiveness.

The title of this article may lead you to believe that I hunt gay zombies. This is untrue, mostly because zombies who were once gay humans are now too gross to still be considered ‘gay’. Their cards were revoked long ago. No no, I am a gay hunter of zombies, and I need your advice.

Now that the world has been overrun with flesh eating monsters its’ become more difficult to find fashionable merchandise. No longer are the days of Channel spring lines and Ikea super sales. Now we must scavenge the city, risking our lives in a quest for that perfect pair of shoes. Often I pretend like I’m living out Pretty Woman, except now when the clerks don’t let me shop I take action with a double shot gun.

I say ‘we’ because there are others that survived. Not many, but there are a few. Mostly goths in black netting with pale white faces; apparently they looked too dead already. I was very lucky myself. You see, that particular day was a ‘me’ day, where I locked my doors, turned off the phones and played Madonna, Cher, and Britney Spears on rotation for 18 hours. How fabulous! In any case I missed the worst of it, and when I awoke from my blissful stupor I realized that my peaceful shopping days were over.

Now lets get back to the real problem. I decided to go for a stroll through the city on a mission to obtain a set of dinnerware to match my couch and coaster set. I plan to use them if the world ever repopulates enough to justify social events (hopefully with the ‘right’ type of people this time around, if you know what I mean). Never can be too prepared. So I put on my Egyptian cotton shirt, pin stripe pants and pushed my way past the outdated Ugg boots in my closet to grab my running shoes (hey, I can’t be all glamour when battling the undead). Then I grabbed my pink ‘girl power’ chainsaw and went to town.

Current day, it has been fairly uneventful; easy jog past the horde of slow-moving decayed masses. That is until I am now met with the hardest choice I’ve ever had to make. From out of the crowds has come a familiar face. Who else could it be but the iconic American singer, film actress, director and producer extraordinaire? Yes, it is Barbara Streisand, and she is in the way. There are no 2 ways about it. If I want that crystal serving tray I am going to have to take my trusty pink chainsaw to her crooked zombie nose. Or should I accept defeat, and allow my role model to pass the curse on to me? Could be an honor really, but it could be the worst defeat of my life (and the end of it, for that matter).

What should I do? Please, I need your help because my logic is not sound at the moment. Visit me at http://www.nolifeonline.com , and hurry! I do not have much time.

About the Author

Karl Mueller is an author and founder at http://www.nolifeonline.com

If it is Valentine’s Day, then many men resort to flowers or
candy to show the women in their lives just how much they really
care. For the bigger holidays such as birthdays or Christmas,
men typically reach a bit deeper into their pockets for the
larger ticket items such as jewelry or perfume. But the reason
why so much perfume is sold in any given year has far more to do
with hormones and the feelings created by certain scents than by
the gift-giving rationale of men.

Perfumes, colognes, and scented oils have been part of human
civilization since the time of the ancient Egyptians and beyond.
Jars and vases filled with exotic fragrances have also been
found in ancient Chinese burial sites. In fact, the use of
perfumes has no exact starting date as its exact history is
unknown. All that is truly known is that women and men have been
using cologne and perfume to enhance their own scent for
thousands of years will continue to do so for the foreseeable
future.

In any given year, 66% of men and 75% of women find themselves
buying cologne or perfume during the course of a year.
Researchers believe that part of the reason why women love
receiving perfume (and also when men love giving perfume as a
gift) is due to pheromones. Pheromones are hormones thought to
stimulate sexual appetite or interest and they are triggered by
scent.

So do women love perfume because it makes them want to have sex?
No, actually the scent has a more dramatic effect upon men.
While the effect is less pronounced in women, certain colognes
worn by men have been known to produce a similar desire in
women. Although a link between the scent of perfume and
increased sexual desire has been found, researchers do not
believe that it explains the desire to wear perfume on a daily
basis.

In fact, most scientists believe that human pheromones and their
impact upon our behavior has decreased over the years as we have
become more advanced and civilized. While most scientists
conclude that scent once played a rather large part in human
mating habits, they believe that it has relatively little to do
with sexual attraction in this day and age.

So then…why do women love perfume so much and why is it such a
popular gift during the holidays? It actually seems to be due to
the simple feeling created by wearing any fragrance that one
finds appealing. In fact, the feeling created by a woman wearing
perfume is similar to that made by a candle used for
aromatherapy. It is soothing, subtle, and slightly romantic but
not really sexual in nature.

Of course, it does not really matter why precisely a woman loves
wearing perfume. All that is truly important is that she does
love to smell great and the attention she receives when wearing
her favorite perfume. In time, the perfume and the scent of her
own body will combine into a singular aroma that will literally
become her own scent.

As the sense of smell can recall the most vivid of memories, it
is this unique scent of a woman combined with her perfume that
people tend to remember most when thinking of that person. Men
will often buy the same perfume for a woman even years after she
has ceased using it because it is the scent they have come to
identify with that woman.

And yet, women do move on to new perfumes and always seem to be
on the search for a new scent to adorn their bodies. Of course,
it is not surprising for some higher end perfumes to cost $100’s
of dollars per bottle which is why a large number of women and
men find themselves shopping for their favorite brands online.
The Internet can also be a great place to find deals on new
perfumes and fragrances as most websites generally offer a much
greater selection than traditional stores.

The love of perfume by both men and women may be completely
instinctual and somehow related to sexuality. However, the fact
is that perfume just plain smells great and therefore puts us in
a good mood. Who doesn’t like something that smells good–be it
a pot roast or a garden lily? Of course, pot roast has a
tendency to make us hungry…so what does the smell of fine
perfume make us? There has to be a really good reason why
perfume is so popular, now doesn’t there??

Find more information and tips about perfume by visiting our
site http://www.ausnaonlinestore.com where you will find a range
of perfumes on huge discount.

He’s your good friend. She’s your best confidant. You have known
each other for a few years and have shared meals, movies,
hobbies and vacations. You have confided to each other about
your latest love interest and turned to one another for support
when the relationship(s) failed. You can’t imagine life without
your good friend.

But for a while….

You’ve felt jealous of his dates. You’ve been overprotective of
her since she has been seeing the jerk. You’ve been having very
strong feelings of attraction and a desire for something more
than friendship. Could it be that your feelings for him/her have
grown into something more? If so, your relationship may have
developed into a “friend crush”.

You don’t know what to do. You know you want to continue
spending time together- more time. But it’s getting hard. You
fantasize about having more with this person and are beginning
to feel like a jealous would-be partner. Do you pretend
everything is the same? Do you start distancing yourself- hoping
your feelings will go back to the way they were? Do you actually
TALK directly and honestly with your friend about how you feel?

What will happen to the relationship if you make the WRONG
choice?

Just as all people are unique, so are the characteristics of
their relationships with others. There is no one-size-fits-all
answer to this increasingly common dilemma. So, let’s take a
look at your options. You can:

* ignore your feelings, keep your boundaries in check and
pretend everything is status quo

In order to choose this option, you must be able to deny your
feelings so well that even you don’t know what they are. You
will also have to continue being comfortable on the sidelines
while someone else has the relationship with this person that
you desire. You will most likely be asked what you think of this
or that person and be expected to be happy and supportive of
your friend when they meet the right someone for them. In return
for all this, you will still have your friend.

* begin to spend less time with your friend (crush) while
seeking out new friendships to pursue and strengthen

This option will most likely cause confusion and hurt on the
part of your friend who will wonder what happened. They may be
understanding and accepting of your need to spread your wings
and support you in doing what you need to do. Either way, you
will see less of them and your relationship can weaken and
perhaps disappear altogether as they move on with new people. If
you can distance yourself for a while and no longer feel the
romantic butterflies, you can always give them a call and may be
able to pick up somewhere near where you left off.

* continue the relationship with your own hidden agendas - a
desire for romantic intimacy and the hope that the person will
realize that they feel the same way

If they become involved with someone else in the meantime, you
can work to sabotage their new relationship or you can leave
them wondering where all your anger and hurt feelings are coming
from. You can spend a lot of time and energy handling it this
way, without anything to show for your efforts but the loss of a
good friend.

* have an open and honest discussion with your friend regarding
your new feelings for them

This is the choice that seems to be the hardest for folks to
make. Often what I hear from people in this position is that
they fear “ruining the friendship” if they discuss their
feelings honestly. While this is a very understandable concern,
it isn’t well thought out. It is emotional, not rational. Look
again at the other options. Every one will bring about a change
in your current friendship.

Why?

Once your feelings have changed, so does the relationship.
Ignoring them, hiding them or distancing yourself will lessen
your closeness and the positive dynamics that flow between good
friends. You can’t go back. You need to decide how you want to
move forward or if this is an option for you. . It is also
possible in choosing this option that you will learn that they
have similar feelings for you that they were afraid to reveal.
Therefore choosing this option could result in romance and a
love relationship based on true friendship.

Intimacy exists in all close relationships. It is the ability to
be completely open and vulnerable to another without fear of
harm or rejection. So, by definition, we cannot be intimate with
another while hiding or denying our true feelings and needs to
them.

The choice will always be yours. Choosing wisely is about really
knowing the options, the consequences they bring and what will
be best for you and your friend.

If you always wondered what aromatherapy means, all you need to do is look at the name again. It is the treatment of the body and the mind by the use of scents and essential oils derived from plants. And to be specific these plants are known as being aromatic, hence the first part of the name. The second part is self explanatory.

Aromatherapy is very effective in making you feel good mentally and physically by the way it affects your senses. What you see, touch, and feel affects you in your daily life either in a positive, negative or even a neutral way. Aromatherapy slots in as a positive influence as it treats your mind and body through your sense of smell restoring and promoting balance when you need it most. Your sense of feeling is the other part of the senses influenced by aromatherapy as essential oils are also absorbed through your skin during massage or while bathing in water containing essential oils.

So, for example, if you feel stressed, plants like lavender will help you to relax. If you breath the lavender scent it will sooth you. So will the oils when absorbed through the skin either through massage or when you have a bath. If you feel low in energy essences like mint will give you that extra stimulus to make you spring back into action. Again these oils can be breathed in, used during massage or while bathing. They act as stimuli on the brain provoking a reaction in your chemical make up through your sense of smell and through the skin.

Aromatherapy has become the alternative medicine of choice for the busy society we live in. It is a beneficial because the oils and scents are pure and natural. It is an alternative that has been around too long for it to have any kind of side effect that the general population would find harmful. But of course you cannot legislate for substances you might be allergic to even ones that are considered benign.

And it is not only a kind of alternative medicine but is also used quite widely as an alternative for cosmetics and it is a very good replacement because the essences of aromatic plants are completely natural and as discussed not harmful to most people. In fact the benefits of aromatherapy covers not only us humans but animals as well. Essential oils such as niaouli, eucalyptus and tea tree are being credited by dog owners as being effective in combating the common colds of our best friend.

In conclusion aromatherapy has been shown to be a very effective replacement for treatments of the body and mind. It has been practiced from ancient times to cure various ailments and is still to this day very popular to treat these same ailments as well as curing newer ailments of our times like stress and anxiety. It is also widely used as natural beauty treatment alternative. Even cats and dogs like the effects of aromatherapy so it is sure to be here to stay and perhaps you will find it to have even more beneficial uses in the future.

Graham Grant is the editor of Aroma Therapy Best Guide a website totally dedicated to aromatherapy. For more articles and information please find out more at aromatherapy-best-guide.info

The good news is that a new hire orientation program offers an opportunity to build a lasting impression of the new company. The bad news is that that is going to happen whether you plan it or not. So why not get new hires off to a great start? Here are seven ways.

Celebrate the new hire’s arrival.

How come when an employee leaves, there’s a party, but when she arrives, there is nothing to mark the occasion? Welcome new employees on day one and make them feel part of the team.

Give the person a buddy.

Don’t make them feel like strangers. Ask someone, who will be working with the new hire, to show him around and teach him the ropes.

Get them up to speed fast.

Many new hires encounter delays and frustrations in getting the tools and training they need to be productive. Make sure they have their passwords, telephone numbers, emails, computer, etc. from day one.

Let the person feel special.

Realize there is no substitute from a welcoming from the very top. If the CEO can’t spend a few minutes in person with new employees, they should at least send a welcome email or voice mail.

Develop a video.

Have it present what the organization does, the customers or clients, and the employees who make it happen. This personalizes the company and helps new hires become more quickly committed.

Go beyond the first day.

Don’t attempt to cram the employee orientation into only a few short hours. It should be spread out over their first 60-90 days. It is important for the employee to be able to absorb the information and not feel overwhelmed.

Make orientation fun

You can use a scavenger hunt; play a Jeopardy game, an off-site outing, etc. One CEO pretends he is a drill sergeant and has all new employees recite the company’s values statement. Put on your thinking cap and come up with creative ways to get your new hires on board.

Marcia Zidle, the ‘people smarts’ coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job - to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management.

Subscribe by going to
http://leadershiphooks.com and get the bonus report “61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers”. Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks - resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs - fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

The home gym is an amazing resource that you should be taking advantage of. Between hectic schedules to the non-sense going on in most commercial gyms, home gym training is the safe-haven for people looking to train in a manner that actually produces results. There are many reasons why you should have a home gym and I encourage you to read on as one of these reasons could be very pertinent to your individual situation.

1. Life Gets In The Way: How true is this statement? It is always a good idea to have a contingency plan for those little things that always seem to “pop-up.” Despite our best laid plans, life gets in the way and unforeseen obstacles can interrupt your training schedule. Having a home gym that you can rely on will ensure that you can fit in your training sessions and stay on track despite the uncertainty of life. This has been one of my secrets to making continued progress despite my crazy schedule.

2. Home Gym Training Fits Your Schedule: If you have a home gym you don’t have to worry about driving to the commercial gym and fitting training into your schedule. Quoting Coach John Davies, “It doesn’t make sense to drive 40 minutes to the gym, workout, only to drive another 40 minutes back home!”

Having a home gym can save you a lot of time in your daily schedule and give you hours of your life back. By training at home you can also completely avoid the busy times at the local “fitness center.” Having your own home gym gives you the freedom to train when you want to train and gives you more of your life back.

3. A Training Environment That You Enjoy: A key benefit of having your very own home gym is that you get to set up a training environment that you enjoy. No need to worry about dropping the weights on the floor a little too loudly and scaring the people doing the machine circuit.

There is also no need to suffer through Britney Spears signing “hit me baby one more time” while performing Squats (unless you are into that kind of music) and no need to stifle your primal yells during your next set of squats so as not to offend others.

In your home gym you can play whatever music you like at whatever volume you like. You can put up posters and pictures that motivate you and set up your home gym in a way that is conducive to your training style.

4. Focus: One key benefit of having a home gym is to avoid the distractions found in most chain gyms. I recently interviewed Coach Dan John and he said the following, “Look Kyle. I could train at a chain gym in Las Vegas so that I could look at all of the beautiful girls “working out” but if I really want to get something accomplished during my training session I will continue training in my garage gym so that I can achieve the results I am looking for.”

As someone who is looking to achieve real results you need to focus on the task at hand and training in your own home gym can help you keep your mind focused on hard training. Once you try home gym training you may never go back to training in a commercial gym (if you can help it of course).

5. Privacy: If you have your own home gym you can train how ever you want and invite whoever you want to train with you (no day passes needed!).

You also don’t have to worry about dress-code and you can train barefoot without being yelled at. It is also nice not to be stared-at the entire training session and to avoid people hitting on you every time you go to them gym (some people are shameless at some of these commercial gyms!).

6. Save Money On A Gym Membership: Let’s face it. Gym memberships can be expensive. I encourage you to calculate how much you spend on your gym membership every year. For some people this total approaches a thousand dollars/year! Now fast forward ten years and total up how much you have spent on a gym membership.

Wow! That total adds up to a staggering number for some people! The great thing about getting into training that works is that when you develop an in-depth understanding of the key training concepts that knowledge allows you to achieve phenomenal results from the simplest and cheapest equipment. You could conceivably save yourself many thousands of dollars by slowly building up your very own home gym over time.

7. Train with Intensity: Once you learn how to train in a manner that actually produces results you will become very familiar with intensity in your training. Unfortunately, most commercial gym goers are not.

Training with Intensity in a chain gym can lead to disapproving looks from fellow patrons, disruptions in your training plan while waiting for the 14 year old boy to finish performing his set of biceps curls in the power rack, and of course, the thing that bothers me the most is when the local “trainer” comes over and tells me that I should not perform Snatches or Cleans because they are “dangerous!” These annoyances can be completely avoided by training in your fully-equipped home gym.

There you have it. I have provided you with seven compelling reasons why you absolutely should have a home gym. Once you get set up, your home gym training will allow you to train in a manner that produces results and allows you more versatility in your training.

Kyle Battis CSCS, ATC, NSCA-CPT

Kyle Battis owns and operates Professional Fitness Coaching based out of Concord, NH. Kyle specializes in body transformation programs, athletic performance enhancement programs, and home gym training. If you want a collection of ideas to add some variety to your training please visit http://www.HomeGymSecrets.com. You’ll have access to some amazing audio interviews Kyle has done with top-fitness professionals such as Josh Henkin, Charles Staley, John Davies, Mike Mahler, Dan John and many more. You will receive a Free Special Report, “The 7 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Building Their Home Gyms” just for visiting.

Structured settlement payments are becoming popular because of the advantages they offer over other forms of payments and investment options. The payments which are available in the form of annuities are tax-free at the state and federal levels. Moreover, the payments are secured by state and federal laws. The annuities can be invested in U.S Treasury Securities and other low-risk government insured options.

As against a structured settlement, a lump sum can be difficult to manage by an individual who will have to grapple with the complexities of financial investment and tax laws. Moreover, if the management of a lump sum amount is handed over to a third-party who turns out to be unscrupulous, the resulting loss can be very heavy. In contrast, with structured payments, the loss is usually of an amount due at a given time. Structured settlements offer flexibility and the payment cycle can be fixed according to the beneficiary’s convenience. Structured settlement payment schedules and amount are decided after carefully considering the beneficiary’s present financial condition, age, and responsibilities. The annuity money can be used to pay off a large bill upfront and the remaining money can be obtained over a period. People who meet with an accident and are unable to earn for themselves prefer a structured settlement payment that keeps the money coming in regularly. It allows them to plan for their future and the future of their near and dear ones.

The Federal tax code was amended in 1982 to allow for structural settlements; this was done so as to allow individuals better security with large sums of money. A major advantage of structured settlements is that they are adjusted for inflation so that their sum is greater than a lump sum payment for the same amount. The paying party, which is frequently an insurance company, also prefers structured settlement payments because the payments are bought upfront in the form of an annuity and the amount they pay is less than the sum received by the beneficiary. A defendant too favors a structured settlement as it saves him the cost of court expenses and stiff attorney fees. Thus, structured settlements are beneficial for all involved.

George Hostetler recommends Structured Settlements Guide for more information on selling a structured settlement payment.

It’s no secret that every serious lifter out there desires an impressive pair of strong, muscular arms. Who wouldn’t be happy with tall, peaking biceps sitting on top of rock-hard, horse-shoe-shaped triceps? Who wouldn’t love to have a pair of ripped, well-developed guns forcefully bursting through the sleeves of their shirt? While developing muscular arms is usually at the top of many peoples’ agenda, the reality is that the majority of lifters out there have a very poor understanding of how to properly train their arms for maximum gains. In order to gain the proper insight into effectively stimulating arm growth, we must first recognize three basic truths:

1) Relatively speaking, the biceps and triceps are small muscle groups.
2) The biceps receive heavy stimulation during all basic pulling movements for the back.
3) The triceps receive heavy stimulation during all basic pressing movements for the chest and shoulders.

What do these 3 points tell us about effective arm training? The most important thing for you to realize is this:

For maximum gains in muscle size and strength, the biceps and triceps require only a very small amount of direct stimulation!

So why is it that every time I enter the gym I see the same misinformed people, week in and week out, slaving away on endless sets of bicep curls and tricep extensions?

It’s very important to understand that the biceps and triceps receive a very large amount of stimulation from all of your chest and back training. In fact, a lot of the time when you reach muscular failure on a chest or back movement, it is actually your biceps or triceps that give out first! Couple this with the fact that your biceps and triceps are already small muscle groups to begin with and it becomes quite clear that direct arm training is of minor importance.

Remember, your muscles do not grow in the gym. The work that you accomplish as you train with weights is merely the “spark” that sets the wheels of the muscle growth process into motion. The real magic takes place out of the gym while you are resting and eating, as this is the time when your body will actually be synthesizing new muscle tissue. Because of this, it is vital that you do not overtrain your muscles. You must always make sure to provide them with sufficient recovery time if you want to see impressive results. Overtraining can actually make your muscles smaller and weaker.

If you’re looking to achieve serious arm growth, you must stop placing so much emphasis on direct arm movements. Forget about performing endless sets of concentration curls and tricep pressdowns. Strong, muscular arms are mostly a product of heavy chest and back training. If you are able to accept this basic truth and place the majority of your focus on building up the muscle size and strength in your major muscle groups, you will prevent yourself from overtraining your arms and will therefore yield greater overall gains in bicep and tricep size.

This is not to say that no direct arm training is necessary, just not very much. Here is a sample arm routine that you can use as a part of your program:

Barbell Curls - 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Dumbbell Curls - 1 set of 5-7 reps

Close-Grip Bench Press - 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Cable Pushdowns - 1 set of 5-7 reps

Take all sets to complete muscular failure and focus on progressing each week by using slightly more weight or performing an extra rep or 2.

If you can incorporate this way of thinking into your arm training, you will achieve arm size beyond anything you previously thought possible!

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. Learn how to build maximum muscle mass in minimum time by visiting his website: www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

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