I found some conversations I had this week to be useful in helping technique, not just for weight lifters but anyone looking for that lean, fit physique.
    How can I develop depth and thickness to my back?  This kind of question obviously came from a weight lifter but sharpening your technique will also sharpen the lines and development on your back, neck, and shoulders, strengthen your opposing muscles, the front deltoids and pectoral muscles, and taper your waist from behind. 
There are plenty of exercises you can do for all the major groups in your back with the t-bar, cables, bars and dumbbells.  In my opinion, the best that works all of the groups and can strengthen your core are bent-over barbell flies. 

Standing in perfect technique, bend over with a 90 degree angle at the waist.  A slight bend in the knees is important. Your goal is to keep your torso as parallel to the floor as possible. 

If the motion is too hard to execute, do not hesitate to lower the weight.  There is no point any exercise if you cannot do it right. 

While bent over, cradle your arms, open up your chest, bring your elbows up and squeeze your rhomboids, then hold the flex and slowly lower to the beginning position.

Keeping the natural curve of your back parallel with the floor during steady movement will really exhaust your core.  If you do not feel this in your abs then your technique is still too sloppy.

    I am bad with meal plans, is there a dieting principle I can follow? Yes, to live your life to achieve healthy weight loss is to stop stocking up your personal groceries with processed junk food.  If you simply do not have it, you will find wholesome food options appetizing and junk food very heavy and nice to have occasionally.

Unless you are conditioned for strict pre-contest diets, starving yourself with low calorie diets will have negative results.  Strict diets can ruin your metabolism causing the lost weight to bulk on as soon as you have broken your habit. Healthy weight loss is one to three pounds a week so be patient in this goal. 

     How do I break my plateau to get big and cut at the same time without bulking on fat?  There are different strategies to this depending on your years of correctly training.

I prefer and would only consider “ultra fast reps” for high-performance athletes.  This method became popular in the 60s’ with bodybuilder Leroy Colbert. It is for one set per muscle group using the heaviest weight with the fastest speed possible until exhaustion.

Do not bounce or rock, this method is advance and can be hazardous.  It means using perfect technique executing perfect reps.  This method is also called “racing the clock”. 

Start with 60 percent of your max and do not be surprised if you cannot do this right until dropping 25 to 30 percent more weight.

Dominic Moncada can be reached at [email protected]