Thus we come to the end of our 20-month program. Congratulations to those of you who have followed the program diligently all these months. Well done! I am sure the results you have achieved were worth the effort.

In addition to your physical progress, you have no doubt gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about bodybuilding along the way. Knowledge that will serve you in good stead in your training the rest of your life. Hopefully the program has taught you such things as:

• The importance of consistency and progression in your training.
• The importance of zeroing in on what you are attempting to do be setting short-term and long-term goals.
• The importance of keeping accurate records of your workouts.
• The importance of variety in a training program in order not to get stalemated or bored.
• The importance of remembering that "train" is spelled t-r-a-i-n, not s-t-r-a-i-n; in other words, don't train to failure.

You have also learned so much more about your body, what it's physically capable of and not capable of doing, what exercises work best for you.

I think it's fair to say that as a result of the muscle and knowledge you have gained in following this series from beginner to advanced level, you are now in a position to take your bodybuilding anywhere you want it to go - including competition, if that's you objective. Of course, not everyone who lifts weights is going to look like Dorian Yates. Genetics plays a major role in all of this. But everyone who weight trains conscientiously can make progress and ultimately fulfill his or her own physical potential.

Now that this series is ending, you will possibly feel at loose ends when next month rolls around and there's no ready-to-us routine waiting for you. The solution will be: Make up your own routine. Based on the improvement you have made and the knowledge you have gained, I am confident you are ready to fly on your own.

In making up your own routines, one of the best things you could do is go back over this 20-month program and pick out the exercises for various bodyparts that you felt worked best for you. Just by doing that alone, I am sure you will have enough exercises to make up several new monthly routines for yourself - and they will be specific to your body and what it responds to best.

Actually, the bottom line is: Now that you have gained all this training experience and become so familiar with my bodybuilding philosophy, which is so variety oriented, you can probably do as good a job as I could, if not better, in planning your own routines. And there's literally no end to the number of routines you can put together for yourself. Our book "Keys to the Inner Universe" lists and describes just about every weight training exercise under the sun, and I would suggest you use it as a source book in planning your future workouts. That's what the book was written for in the first place - to give bodybuilders a complete listing of weight training exercises so they can make up their own routines.

Finally, the point hasn't been lost on me that many of you may have intentions of entering a bodybuilding contest - the word "champion" in the name of this series implies that competition would perhaps be an end goal in your thinking and training. If you do have intentions of fine tuning your physique and condition in order to enter a physique show, it's basically a matter of reducing your bodyfat to a minimum so the results of all your training show through to the best advantage. The way to do that, of course, is to get more heavily involved in the kind of aerobic training program, done in conjunction with your weight training, and pay much more careful attention to your diet. By incorporating more aerobics and a pre-contest diet into your approach, you should have no trouble fine tuning your condition for the purposes of competition.

In conclusion, I'd like to thank all of you who have followed this program so conscientiously, and express my appreciation for all the kind remarks we've received on the series by letter, email, telephone, in person, etc. Thank you again, and good luck with your future training!

• Sit down on a sit-up board and hook your feet under the strap.
• With your knees bent to about a 45 degree angle, put your hands behind your head and place your chin on your chest.
• Twist your upper body to the right.
• Retaining this position, inhale and lower your torso down until your lower back touches the board.
• Return to starting position and exhale.
• Do the prescribed number of repetitions on the right side and then change the position of your torso to the left side and repeat the number of repetitions.

• Lie on bench, feet flat on floor.
• Hold dumbbells at arms' length, palms facing each other.
• Lower dumbbells straight down to sides of chest, arms close to sides.
• Push back to starting position using same path.
• Arms must be in close at all times.
• Inhale down, exhale up.

• Stand in front of a wall pulley with the lower pulley about waist high.
• Step back far enough away from the pulley to enable your right arm to support the weight stack as you bend at the waist and place your left hand on your lower thigh keeping your back parallel to the floor.
• Inhale and pull the pulley cable to the right side of your chest even with the pectoral and exhale.
• Do the prescribed number of repetitions on the right side and change positions doing the same number of repetitions on the left side.
• Do not bend backwards and forwards at the waist while doing the exercise.

• Lie on incline bench, feet flat on floor.
• Hold barbell about 6" wider than shoulder width.
• Lower bar to chest about 3" above nipples.
• Raise bar to arms' length.
• Keep elbows out, chest high.
• Lower weight with complete control, making definite pause at chest.
• Keep head on bench, do not arch back too sharply.
• Do not raise hips off bench.
• Inhale down, exhale up.
• Can also be done with close or wide grip.

• Place a barbell on the floor in front of you.
• With your feet about 18" apart bend down and get a grip on the barbell that is about 14" wide.
• Keep the legs bent and the back parallel to the floor as you inhale and pull the barbell directly up to the lower part of the chest.
• Exhale as the bar returns to starting position.
• Do not let the barbell touch the floor once you have begun the exercise.
• Keep your head up and the back straight.

• Lie across bench, upper back supporting torso.
• Have head off bench, hanging down.
• Keep body and legs nearly straight, drop hips to raise rib cage.
• Hold dumbbell, hands flat against inside plate, at arms' length above chest.
• Lower dumbbells in semicircular motion behind head as far as possible without pain.
• Return to starting position, elbows locked.
• Inhale down, exhale up.
• Breather heavily, keep head down, do not raise hips.

• Stand with feet about 8" apart.
• Place dumbbell outside of each foot.
• Reach down and grasp dumbbells.
• Keep legs straight, back straight, head up.
• Straighten up, elbows locked.
• Lower dumbbells to floor with legs straight.
• Inhale up, exhale down.
• Can also be done with barbell.

• Lie on a flat bench with two light dumbbells at arm's length above the shoulders.
• Keeping the arms as straight as possible, lower the dumbbells out to each side of the chest in a semicircular motion until the weights are about even with the sides of your chest.
• As you bring the dumbbells back to starting position over the chest, turn the dumbbells so the palms of the hands are facing away from you head and cross your arms over your chest, trying to cramp the pectoral muscles.
• Bend your elbows slightly so you can force your arms across the body more and tighten the pectorals.
• Alternate the crossing of the arms with each repetition you perform.
• Inhale as you lower the dumbbells and exhale as you cross your arms.

• Keep feet about 16" apart.
• Hold dumbbells.
• Stand erect, dumbbells hanging at arms' length.
• Droop shoulders down as much as possible.
• Raise shoulders up and rotate in a circular motion from front to rear.
• Inhale at beginning, exhale at end of repetition.

• Sit on seat of machine.
• Place upper thighs under leg pad just above knees.
• Raise up on toes and release safety stop.
• Lower heels to lowest possible comfortable position.
• Raise up on toes as high as possible.
• Hold momentarily, then return to starting position.
• Inhale up, exhale down.

• Get on dip stand facing out.
• Arms straight, legs locked.
• Raise legs until parallel to floor.
• Keep knees straight.
• Return to starting position.
• Inhale up, exhale down.
• To make harder, hold light weight between feet.

• Sit on machine with feet under lower foot pads as shown.
• Have seat against back of knees.
• Hold seat behind buttocks.
• Point toes slightly down.
• Raise weight up until legs are parallel to floor.
• Return to starting position.
• Inhale up, exhale down.

• Hold dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing in.
• Arms straight, elbows locked, raise dumbbells in semicircular motion to arms' length overhead.
• Return to starting position using same path.
• Inhale up, exhale down.
• Can also be done by alternating one arm up, one arm down.
• Can also be done sitting (begin with dumbbells at sides)

• Lie on the support pad in a supine position under a wall type leg press machine.
• Position your body backward or forward under the machine until your hips are directly under the foot pad of the machine.
• Position your feet on the foot pad about 16" apart and keep the whole foot planted firmly on the pad.
• Press the weight rack upward until your legs are straight and knees locked.
• Release the safety stops with both hands and then place your hands under your buttocks palms facing down.
• Inhale and bend your legs to lower the weight rack until your upper thighs are away from the outer sides of your torso.
• Keep your knees pointing outward.
• Keep your hips down and do not cause a rotating motion with your lower back.
• Return to starting position and exhale.

• Sit at the end of a bench with your feet spaced a comfortable distance apart with a barbell placed on your upper back.
• Use a grip on the bar that is about 4" to 6" wider than your shoulders.
• Keep the elbows directly under the bar.
• Press the barbell overhead and exhale as you lower the bar to the back of your shoulders.
• Maintain a solid foundation with your upper body so as not to hyper extend any more than is necessary.
• Pause at the shoulders on each repetition before pressing the barbell overhead.
• Make a full movement of the exercise by touching the barbell to the shoulders each time it is lowered and locking the elbows each time it is pressed overhead.

• Back in machine.
• Place shoulders under pads.
• Plant feet on slanted platform about 14" apart.
• Stand erect, head up, back straight.
• Release safety stops.
• Squat until upper thighs are parallel to machine.
• Keep head up, back straight, knees pointing out.
• Return to starting position.
• Inhale down, exhale up.
• Can also be done with close or wide stance or to half-squat position.

• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and bend over.
• Keep your arm in the position shown in illustration #1.
• Lock your elbow and keep the arm straight.
• Bring the dumbbell to the position shown in illustration #2, hold for a short period and contract the rear deltoid muscle.
• Do not swing the dumbbell up, keep your body rigid and do the work with your rear deltoid and muscles of your upper back.
• Be sure to bring the dumbbell straight out to the side and make an effort to keep your hand forward in line with your right ear at the top position.
• Lower the dumbbell back to starting position and exhale.
• Do the prescribed number of repetitions on the right side and then change the dumbbell to the left hand and repeat the same number of repetitions.

• Lie face down on machine.
• Place heels under top foot pad.
• Hold front of machine for support.
• Curl legs up until calves touch biceps.
• Return to starting position.
• Inhale up, exhale down.

• Grasp the low pulley handles of a wall pulley machine with both hands, palms facing down, and step back far enough away from the pulley so you are supporting the weight stacks with your hands in front of you.
• Keep your back straight and your arms locked out with your feet about 16" apart.
• Inhale and pull the cables up with your shoulder muscles by raising your arms and bending your elbows.
• At the top position your elbows should be about even with the top of your head and your hands in line with your chin.
• Lower the weight stacks back to starting position and exhale.

• Place raised object on floor about 36" away from a waist-high object.
• Place balls of feet on raised object, legs locked.
• Bend forward and support upper body with outstretched arms.
• Keep legs straight.
• Have training partner sit on lower back with bulk of his weight on your hips.
• Raise up on toes as high as possible.
• Hold position momentarily, then return to starting position.
• Inhale up, exhale down.

• Position the board at a 25-to-30-degree angle.
• Sit down on the board with your feet at the high end and place them under the strap.
• With your knees bent to about a 45% angle place a weight behind your head and your chin on your chest.
• From this position, inhale and lie back until your lower back touches the board.
• Exhale as you return to the starting position.

• Lie on back on bench.
• Hold dumbbells at arms' length above shoulders.
• Lowe dumbbells in semicircular motion, bending arms at elbows, keeping upper arms vertical until forearms touch biceps.
• Return to starting position.
• Inhale down, exhale up.
• Can also be done on floor, or on seated or standing incline bench.

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on a stool or chair that can give support to your upper back.
• Keep your back straight, head up and feet planted firmly on the floor.
• With the dumbbells hanging at arm's length at your sides, with your palms in, inhale and curl the dumbbells up to the height of your shoulders.
• As you commence the curl and the dumbbells are past your thighs, then turn your palms up and keep them in this position throughout the exercise until you are lowering the weights and again near your upper thighs before turning your palms in again and exhaling.
• Keep your upper arms in close to your sides and concentrate on your biceps raising and lowering the weights.

• Stand erect, head up , feet 16" apart, in front of machine.
• Hold bar with hands 8" apart, palms down.
• Bring upper arms to sides and keep them there.
• Start with forearms and biceps touching.
• Press bar down in semicircular motion to arms' length.
• Return to starting position.
• Inhale down, exhale up.
• Can also be done with medium or reverse grip.

• Hold EZ-Curl-Bar with both hands on first curves or bar, palms up.
• Stand with legs slightly spread, knees locked.
• Hold bar at arms' length against upper thighs.
• Curl bar up in semicircular motion until forearms touch biceps.
• Keep upper arms against sides.
• Return to starting position using same path.
• Inhale up, exhale down.

• Attach a short bar to top cables of wall pulley.
• Hold bar with hands 8" apart, palms down.
• Stand away from machine so arms can support weights through full range of motion.
• Straighten arms in front of you, parallel to floor.
• Draw arms back in semicircular motion until forearms touch biceps.
• Press back to starting position.
• Upper arms must remain parallel.
• Inhale back, exhale out.

• Hold pulley handle with right hand.
• Lie on your back in front of pulley with head toward machine.
• Lie far enough from machine to allow arm to support weight stack while vertical to floor.
• Curl handle down in semicircular motion to chin.
• Keep upper arm vertical at all times.
• Return to starting position using same path.
• Inhale down, exhale up.
• Reverse position and repeat movement with left arm.

• Lean against object slightly lower than waist height, hands 12" apart, palms down.
• Keep back straight, head down, knees locked.
• Bend arms at elbows, lower yourself until head is between hands.
• Forearms and biceps touching, elbows close to head.
• Press back to starting position keeping elbows in.
• Inhale down, exhale up.

• Stand facing low pulley station of machine.
• Hold short bar attached to low cable, palms up.
• Lie on your back with feet facing machine.
• Position body far enough from machine to allow arms to support weight at arms' length.
• Rest arms against upper thighs.
• Curl bar up in semicircular motion until forearms touch biceps.
• Keep upper arms close to sides at all times.
• Return to starting position using same path.
• Inhale up, exhale down.

• Hold barbell with both hands, palms up, hands 16" apart.
• Sit at end of bench, feet on floor about 20" apart.
• Lean forward, place forearms on upper thighs.
• Place backs of wrists over knees.
• Lower bar as far as possible, keeping tight grip.
• Curl bar as high as possible.
• Do not let forearms raise up.
• Inhale up, exhale down.

• Hold barbell with both hands, palms down, hands 16" apart.
• Sit at end of bench, feet on floor about 20" apart.
• Lean forward, place forearms on upper thighs.
• Place wrists over knees.
• Lower bar as far as possible, keeping tight grip.
• Curl bar as high as possible.
• Do not let forearms raise up.
• Inhale up, exhale down.

• For best results, train six days a week. So your recommended weekly schedule would be as follows:
  • Monday - Workout A
  • Tuesday - Workout B
  • Wednesday - Workout C
  • Thursday - Workout A
  • Friday - Workout B
  • Saturday - Workout C
  • Sunday - Rest
• Whenever a range in the number of sets is indicated (e.g., 4-5 sets), do four sets per exercise the first two weeks of the month, then increase it to five sets per exercise the last two weeks.
• In the midsection exercises where a fairly wide rep range is indicated, start with the minimum number of reps in the first week and gradually add repetitions as the weeks go by until you reach the maximum number of reps.
• Do not train to failure. The last set of each rep should feel difficult, but should not be an all-out effort. It may be necessary, and is acceptable, to decrease the weight in the latter sets of an exercise to stay within this guideline.
• Increase the poundages in each exercise as your strength increases, always concentrate on correct form, and keep accurate records of you exercises, sets and reps from workout to workout so you can easily monitor your progress.
• Do 20-30 minutes of aerobic conditioning three days per week in addition to your weight training program.