Check out these 20 leg moves you can do literally anywhere:
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The first type is transient hypertrophy. This muscle hypertrophy takes place during training, as a result of fluid accumulation in the muscle spaces. The transient muscle hypertrophy lasts only for a short period, few hours after training, after which the fluid returns back to the blood. Therefore, you notice an increase in muscle volume during training session, and of course you feel yourself a hulk during this period.Â
But soon, the muscle returns back to its normal size shortly after the end of the training session.
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The second type is chronic hypertrophy. This muscle hypertrophy occurs when training for a long period of time with adequate nutrition and rest for the body. It occurs either due to an increase in the number of muscle fibers (fiber hyperplasia) or an increase in the size of the muscle fibers (fiber hypertrophy).
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Note: The topic of increasing the number or size of muscle fibers is a subject of discussion in the scientific community! ..Therefore, the debate continues about theories that try to explain the reason behind this phenomenon.
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Aside from looking great, well developed pecs will give you confidence and make you look jooooocy in polos (or any shirt for that matter). For those who care, there are also a number of health benefits including lower risk of cancer and heart disease and way more sex!
Or to make it even simpler:
Squats followed by jump squats. Bench presses followed by explosive push-ups. Pull-ups followed by medicine-ball slams.
The concept isn't new â researchers have been studying it since the 1960s, and strength coaches and athletes have been employing it for at least that long.
With athletes, contrast training builds strength and power simultaneously. For non-athletes, it's a great way to tap into high-threshold motor units for hypertrophy, or to boost the metabolism to improve body composition. And while you're accomplishing those objectives, you're also changing up your workout in a way that's fun and challenging.
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The key to contrast training is post-activation potentiation, or PAP. That is, the explosive capability of a muscle is enhanced after it's been forced to perform maximal or near-maximal contractions.
Yuri Verkhoshansky, the Russian sports scientist, would describe PAP by asking you to imagine what would happen if you lifted a half-full can of water when you thought the can was full. There'd be a mismatch between your perception of the force needed to move the can, and the actual force required. The can would move twice as fast as you intended, and you can only hope someone else will clean up the mess you make.
Researchers have suggested that these mechanisms are involved in creating PAP:
Or, to keep it simple, your nervous system supercharges itself by throwing more motor units â muscle fibers and the nerves that activate them â into the job, and by taking off the brakes that would ordinarily inhibit an expression of all-out power.
Other researchers have offered even more complicated explanations, suggesting there might be hormonal or metabolic factors at work.
But none of that would matter if contrast training didn't work to make muscles bigger, faster, and stronger, and to make bodies leaner while improving athletic performance.
The easiest to quantify is the increase in power. When you do an explosive movement right after an exercise that requires all-out strength, you teach your body to recruit more motor units for tasks like jumping, sprinting, or throwing a punch. (Some professionals use it a lot with MMA fighters they train.)
For body comp, the rationale is a little less direct. You're using contrast training to increase the total amount of work you do by recruiting more motor units for high-speed body-weight exercises. That offers a greater metabolic boost than you would get from straight sets of these exercises without PAP.
For hypertrophy, the obvious mechanism is the fact you're recruiting more motor units than you ordinarily would for the power exercise that follows the strength exercise. But in some professionals experience with athletes and clients, it works best if you increase the reps slightly on both exercises. So instead of doing five to 10 reps of the first exercise, it's more like eight to 12. You can also do slightly higher reps of the second exercise. This takes away a bit of the "contrast" component, but it increases the "training." That is, you're adding more volume.
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With a little creativity, you can use contrast training for any movement pattern or muscle group. Most of the time, though, I use it with these six basic, multijoint movement patterns:
You can add some load to the squat jump by wearing a weighted vest or holding a medicine ball. I'd suggest a load ranging from 10 to 20% of your body weight.
Of course, this depends on your goals, your body weight, and your training level, as well as the health of your joints. With creaky knees, obviously, you don't want to add load to jumps. And if you're using contrast training for fat loss, and you have a lot of fat to lose, you probably don't need to add any external load. Just move your body weight as explosively as you can and you'll get the results you want.
If you set up the right distance from the wall, the ball should come back to you after every throw.
You want to use a medicine ball that doesn't bounce; otherwise, it'll come off the wall and hit you in the back. Perform Better sells two non-bouncing balls: The heavier ones are called Dynamax, while the lighter ones are called D-Ball (I wish I was kidding).
I like using heavier med balls for this exercise, 20 pounds or more.
This is as good a place as any to acknowledge that many of you don't train in places where you're allowed to throw heavy objects against walls. (If I had my way, all gyms would be set up to accommodate explosive throwing exercises, but that's a subject for a different article.) And if you train at home, where you can do anything you want to the walls, chances are you don't have medicine balls to throw.
In those cases, you want to follow the strength movement with an exercise that uses the same muscles in the same action, allows you to move explosively, but doesn't require a lot of skill, coordination, and precise timing. That's because you're going to be exhausted from the strength exercise, and you don't want to do a high-skill exercise like an Olympic lift in that situation. (More on Olympic lifts later in this article.)
Two good choices are the broad jump and the vertical jump from a deadlift position. You make sure the movement is based on a hip-dominant action.
Again, I prefer to use the med-ball exercise â medicine balls can't create their own momentum, since you have to pick the ball up to start each repetition. But the explosive push-up is a simple alternative.
The biggest difference is the load. For an MMA fighter who's naturally much stronger than he is explosive, use relatively light med balls â just 3 to 5 kilograms, or 7 to 11 pounds â to train to move at faster speeds. That's hard to replicate with an exercise like push-ups, in which you're using about two-thirds of your body's weight.
A medicine-ball slam is a lot easier to do in a gym without pissing anyone off. If you can grab an unused aerobics studio or yoga room, you can probably slam away, especially if it has a carpeted floor that muffles the sound.
The alternative choice is the bent-over lat pull, using a cable or bands. (You can see the set-up in the photo above.) The bent-over position prevents spinal flexion. If you use bands (which would be my first choice), go for time: as many pulls as you can do in eight to 12 seconds.
If you can't do the medicine-ball throw (try one that's 4 to 8 kilograms, or 9 to 18 pounds), you'll have to use the same movement for the strength and contrast exercises. As I noted earlier, if you're using a band for the contrast exercise, go for time â as many reps as you can do in eight to 12 seconds.
Nothing fancy here: Start with a simple exercise that involves moving forward with a heavy-ass load to carry or drag, followed by an all-out sprint.
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The key to making contrast training work for you is to create a genuine contrast between the two exercises you're doing for each movement pattern. You want to use enough weight on the strength exercise to develop strength, and you want to perform the second exercise with as much explosive power as you can. Each rep of that contrast exercise should be a maximal effort.
Sets and reps: I've found that five to 10 reps per set of each exercise works well. Use the lower end of that rep range if you're most interested in developing strength and explosive power, more reps if your goals include hypertrophy, strength and power endurance, and/or fat loss.
Do four to six sets of each exercise per movement pattern or muscle group.
Rest periods: Probably the biggest decision you'll have to make, once you've picked the exercises and decided how to arrange them in a workout, is how much rest to take between the strength and contrast exercises, and also between pairs of exercises.
If the goal is to develop power for athletic performance, try for about 30 seconds between the strength and contrast exercises. If you're more interested in fat loss, or in power endurance, go straight from the first exercise to the second.
Studies have shown that about three minutes of rest between pairs of exercises works best, and in professionals experience with athletes and clients three minutes seems about right. You can play with the rest periods to suit your own needs.
Let me step back a moment, and acknowledge that one of the first rules of workout design is that you do power movements first, followed by strength movements, followed by higher-rep exercises for hypertrophy or fat loss or whatever. This is absolutely true if we're talking about Olympic lifts or plyometrics. If you're doing them, do them at the beginning of your workout, when you're fresh.
The power exercises you're using for contrast, however, require less skill than the strength exercises. If you have the option of using medicine-ball throws wherever you work out, you're just throwing something heavy against a wall with a simple movement pattern.
You can actually combine the two types of power exercises in the same program. Just do the Oly lifts or plyos first in your workout, then do contrast training.
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What I've shown here is by no means an exhaustive list of possible ways to employ contrast training for performance or physique improvement. As I said earlier, you're only limited by your interest and creativity.
What I like most are the simplicity, safety, and versatility. You don't want to train like this all the time, but when a program based on straight sets is starting to get stale, a few weeks of contrast training can shake you out of a rut and teach your muscles to move with new power and purpose.
To the uninitiated outsider, deloads seem like a waste of time or an excuse to sit on your butt for a week, watching TV instead of hitting the gym and shifting some heavy lumps of iron.
Not so fast.
What if deloads could actually be just what your workouts need? The secret ingredient to take your training from good to awesome. Feeling banged up, demotivated, or stuck in a training plateau? Adding a deload will do you the world of good and propel you on to greater gym gains.
The most common method of deloading is just to reduce your poundages. As a guide, all your sets should be performed at around 40-60% of your 1RM.
This doesnât mean you go hell for leather and bust out a ton of reps either. The loads are light and the reps and sets are low. Thatâs the whole idea of a deload â you just gotta chill and take it easy.
A less popular option is to keep your weights more or less the same, but greatly reduce your volume. Say for instance your regular training program calls for five sets of five squats with 275 pounds.
Under a normal deload, youâd probably do your five sets of five at around 155 to 175 pounds. With a volume deload though, you could stick at 275 and hit a couple of singles or doubles, or just go for one set of five reps.
This approach does work better for some people. Particularly competitive strength athletes who find performance suffers when they donât have a heavy load on their back or in their hands week in, week out.
A more obscure, though equally effective way to deload is to change your exercise selection. This is harder to regulate but definitely has its advantages. As an example, Dave Tate advises taking four to six weeks after a powerlifting meet where you perform no barbell exercises whatsoever.
This might sound a little extreme, but it can be particularly beneficial to do this after a long period of intense training and heavy poundages, or after a competition, just to give your body a break.
Finally, individual lift deloads work a treat when one lift is suffering, but the others are going along great guns. Say for example you just canât get past a plateau on your squat, but all your other main and accessory lifts are increasing week on week and youâre feeling great.
Taking a week off everything would be counterproductive, so just drop the weight on your troublesome lift, hit a few easy sets a couple of times and work on nailing your form and technique.
First thingâs first, if youâre following a pre-designed program, you deload when youâre told to. Thereâs no point following the weight, set, rep and exercise guidelines laid down by the Juggernaut Method, 5/3/1 or any other program youâre performing if youâre ignoring all the advice on deloading.
If youâre planning your own training though, there are a few key signs to look out for as an indication of when you should implement a deload:
Getting Weaker â No one wants to get weaker. Itâs kind of the opposite of why we train. When your lifts are suffering, particularly on your low rep work, it could indicate youâre starting to overreach and your central nervous system is getting a little bummed. The solution? Have a week of downtime and take a deload.
Sore Joints â Youâre going to get the odd injury from time to time and a little soreness is part and parcel of the wonderful world of the iron game. But being in constant pain, having your knees scream at you every time you squat, your elbows not playing ball when pressing, or your hips giving you grief just from walking up the stairs is not good.
Youâll probably need a good dose of foam rolling, stretching and a trip to your physio or sports massage therapist, but combine this with a deload and your body will thank you.
After a Meet â If youâve just competed in a powerlifting, weightlifting or strongman event, or even a CrossFit competition, itâs definitely time to deload.
People seriously underestimate how much mental and physical stress you put your body through in competition, so play it smart and take a deload.Â
In a word, no. Itâs horrid having to take things easy. If youâre in any way serious about your training, going a week without hitting the iron with a vengeance and having to take things light is a thousand times more painful than the most grueling Smolov squat workout. In the long run, though, deloading is without a doubt the smart thing to do.
This is certainly the case for beginners and intermediate lifters. When youâre a little more experienced, and know what your body responds best to, maybe you can skip the odd deload, push it back a few weeks, or cut it a few days short if you know youâre fully recovered, but for now, keep it in.
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In fact, they have been saying this since the 60s.
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The 21/90 formula was born in 1960, when a cosmetic surgeon called Dr Maxwell Maltz wrote a self-help book called Psycho Cybernetics, A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life.
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In his book he suggested that it takes a mere 21 days of practice for an old mental image of us to dissolve and a new one to âgelâ.
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And science backs it too! A study done at University College London suggests that on average, it takes people at least 66 days before habit starts to feel so automatic and natural that it becomes a part of your lifestyle. Bear in mind that the number is average, and while XYZ can make it happen in less than 70 daysâyou might take 85.
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To understand this rule even better, hereâs what Dr Bhavna Barmi, a Delhi-based clinical psychologist, says:
The 21/90 rule is difficult, but possible
Pledging to change is easy, but to make it happen you need a very strong willpower and steely determination.
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So, how can you make it happen? Well, let Dr Barmi spill the secrets:
1. Identify habits and make a plan
Well, this one is easy! First, list down the habits you want to quit and then write down the habits you want to develop. Next, make a plan of how you want to go about achieving them goals.
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2. Stay positive
Anytime a negative thought occurs to you and you feel that youâre not going to make it, try to take your mind off of it. How can you do that? Well, think of a person you love or maybe your favorite foodâet voila. Mission accomplished! And donât fixate on the end result, itâs the journey which counts.
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3. Take small steps
Small goals means less risk and high chances of success. And once you start achieving your goals, it will boost your confidence. This is why the first few days at the gym are hard, but as you start getting more comfortable on the treadmill and successfully start lifting weightsâit gets easier.
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4. Remember, consistency is key!
If you donât want to spend hours in the gym, run for just 20 minutesâat least this way youâve achieved your daily goal of working out. Consistently committing to a habit is what will help you succeed.
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5. Dedicate five minutes daily to an activity you love
Writing, singing, dancing, running, watching cartoons, or whatever else sparks joyâyou must do it daily for five minutes. Why? Because it sparks joy and will keep you motivated for other tasks as well.
there you go! Iâve laid down the 21/90 rule for you. Make sure you imbibe it and achieve your goals in 2022.
Beets aren't necessarily a staple in many peoples' diets, but they probably should be. These unique root vegetables may offer a wide array of health benefits, from lowering blood pressure to improving athletic performance. They also contain a variety of nutrients and compounds that you won't find in many other foods.Â
Whether you're adding beets to a salad or drinking beet juice, these vegetables are easy to incorporate into your diet. Here are six benefits of consuming beets.
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Beets contain nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator that relaxes and widens blood vessels, which can lower blood pressure, says Dana Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and professor at the Fielding School of Public Health.
A small 2015 study found that drinking 250 mL of beetroot juice daily over four weeks was enough to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Beets can also lower blood pressure in older, overweight individuals, according to a small 2014 study. Â
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The dark red color of beets is caused by betalain, a phytonutrient produced by plants that has antioxidant properties. Hunnes says that betalain has anti-inflammatory properties because it can suppress the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme which is associated with inflammation.Â
Chronic inflammation can cause damage to healthy tissue and increase your risk of long-term health problems like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. "Chronic inflammation is a little like rusting on iron," says Hunnes. "If you don't remove the rust and keep exposing it to elements, it will continue to degrade."
In a small 2016 study, researchers found that systemic inflammation was improved for those with high blood pressure after two weeks of supplementation with either cooked beets or raw beet juice. Raw beet juice was even more effective at combating inflammation than the cooked beets.Â
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When you're trying to lose weight, it can be very beneficial to eat foods that are filling so that you feel full and don't overeat.Â
"Beets are rich in water content and fiber. This can help keep you fuller longer and better hydrated, which can also help with [feeling full]," says Hunnes.
Hunnes also says beets are relatively low in calories and contain a decent amount of protein for a root vegetable, which makes it a healthy choice for someone trying to lose weight. For example, one cup of beets contains:Â
The high fiber and water content of beets also help with digestion, says Hunnes. Fiber helps you to have normal bowel movements by bulking up your stool, making it less likely for you to be constipated.Â
A 2012 meta-analysis of five different studies confirmed that fiber can increase stool frequency. Fiber can also help prevent digestive conditions such as colon cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and diverticulitis.
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Since beets can lower blood pressure, they can also lower the risk of stroke and other brain problems.Â
"Any time there is high blood pressure, the risk of stroke and other cognitive declines increases. So, lowering blood pressure helps and also increases the ease and amount of blood that gets to the brain," says Hunnes.
The nitrates in beets may also play a role in brain health. A 2011 study of older adults found that nitrates increased blood flow to important regions of the brain, such as the frontal lobe, which is associated with attention and working memory.Â
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The nitrates found in beets may also improve athletic performance, due to the effect that they have on mitochondria, the part of the cell that produces energy. Hunnes says nitrates improve the efficiency of cellular mitochondria.Â
"Since mitochondria are needed to produce energy in your cells, anything that can make them function more efficiently will help with athletic performance," says Hunnes.
A small 2016 study found that betalain-rich concentrate of beets can improve performance in competitive runners. Those who consumed the beet concentrate had a lower rate of perceived exertion than those who had a placebo. They also had a lower increase in lactate dehydrogenase, which is a marker of muscle damage. Another small 2019 study found that nitrates from beetroot juice reduced muscle fatigue.
You do not have to have a steady diet of beets to reap these benefits. Even having beets once before a workout can help you, Hunnes says. Nitrates peak in the blood about two to three hours after being consumed, so it's best to consume the beets two to three hours before exercising. She recommends having 300 milligrams of the active compounds, which would be about 1.5 cups of beet juice.Â
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As with any food, the overconsumption of beets can lead to some health problems. Risks of overconsumption include:
If you aren't sure if beets are safe to eat for you, or you aren't sure how much is safe for you personally to consume, consult your primary doctor for advice. Â
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Beets pack a mighty punch when it comes to nutrients, and they can help combat inflammation and prevent some chronic diseases. By incorporating beets into a colorful, healthy diet, you can reap many health benefits.Â
Inflammation is the process by which the bodyâs white blood cells and the chemicals they manufacture protect us from trauma, injury and infections due to bacteria or viruses. Â As the inflammation proceeds, these chemicals begin releasing other substances which halt the process, so the swelling doesnât spiral out of control.
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When inflammation does what itâs supposed to do, itâs beneficial to us and a normal part of the bodyâs natural healing process. But when inflammation goes haywire, it can cause severe tissue damage and contribute to the development of some very nasty conditions and Illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, hardening of the arteries, vascular disease, heart attack, diabetes and stroke.
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But injury and infection are not the only things that contribute to acute inflammation of our bodiesâ tissues. Â Other contributing factors read like a typical list of lifestyle donâts: a diet high in red meat, saturated fats and sugar, exposure to environmental toxins and free-radicals, excessive stress and infections.
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While some of these triggers are unavoidable, there is at least one we have some basic control over: our diets. Tweaking our eating practices to include some or all of these very powerful anti-inflammatory foods, goes a long way in helping our bodyâs ability to protect itself from chronic inflammation.
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The Top Inflammation-Fighting Food Superstars:
Berries, Raisins and Cherries, Oh, My!
These delicious fruits are full of free radical-fighting antioxidants and keep inflammation in check by reducing a marker of inflammation known as TNF-alpha. Â Tart cherries are even better. They are also full of anthocyanins, another powerful anti-inflammatory, so you get more bang for your cherry buck!
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Succulent, Sizzling, Sensational Salmon
Salmon is an especially good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation. And a little goes a long way. Â According to experts, all you need is a fifth of a teaspoon of fish oil to a teaspoon of omega-3 fatty acids a day to bring your fat consumption into balance.
Ginger the Giant
Several studies have conclusively shown that gingerol, the main component in ginger, lowers inflammation due to over-exercising.  It has also been proven to decrease joint pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, two severe chronic inflammatory conditions
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Make a Sweet Potato your Sweetie
Foods high in vitamins C and E and alpha- and beta-carotene, such as the delicious sweet potato, are packed with anti-inflammatory properties. Pumpkins, cantaloupe, apricots, and carrots are also orange-colored anti-inflammatory superstars. Â
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Beans, BeansâŚThey Really are Good for your Heart!
Beans in general, and soy, in particular, are amazing sources of phytonutrients, anti-inflammatory botanical compounds that fight inflammation and help to reduce the inflammation marker C-reactive protein, which has been linked to coronary artery disease.
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Nuts for Walnuts
Pretty much all nuts have benefits, but walnuts are, without a doubt, the heavy-weight anti-inflammatory champions.  These savory nuggets have more than 10 antioxidant phytonutrients and polyphenols AND the highest concentration of omega-3s of any other plant product.
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Bring on the Basil
While many herbs and spices are rich in antioxidant phytonutrients, some, like rosemary, thyme, turmeric, oregano, and cinnamon can also contribute to inflammation, so they should be used sparingly. Fresh basil, however, has very strong anti-inflammatory properties and should be a regular on your nutrition roster.
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Anytime is Tea Time
How about sipping your anti-oxidants to reduce chronic inflammation?  Drinking tea, whether green, white, or black, pumps you full of free radical-fighting catechins, a polyphenolic compound found in the leaves of the Camellia Synesis plant, that has superior inflammation-fighting properties.
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Changing your habits is not easy. Â Try taking baby steps to introduce small portions of one or more of these incredible foods into your diet, even if you donât change anything else. You can substitute some of the high-fat, high-sugar foods you currently eat without even noticing much of a difference. Â There are plenty of recipes in books or the internet to help you on your way as you bid a not-so-fond goodbye to chronic inflammation.
]]>Gym rats may be at increased risk for CTS from over training with pulling and pushing movements. Excessive wrist flexion. in pulling movements or pushing too much from the base of the palm (closer to the wrist) can lead to nerve irritation. Use of extraordinarily tight wrist wraps or lifting straps can also lead to carpal tunnel compression and subsequent CTS. Forceful flexion of the wrists during lifting movements can cause shooting pains or âzingsâ from compression of the nerve, hinting toward improper form.
Once the condition is diagnosed you must be vigilant to get the nerve damage under control. If not, CTS can require surgery.Â
1. Adjust Your Grip
Wrist flexion when pulling heavy or pushing too much or too fast from the base of your palm can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.Â
2. Stay Neutral
Focus on holding the wrist in a more neutral manner and avoid cheating with heavy weight. Laying off the weights when you feel that zing or using a night splint can help limit symptoms. Most people sleep with their wrists flexed, which causes more nerve compression.
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]]>The main emphasis for someone new to HIIT should be a routine that goes hard for 60 seconds and then breaks for 1-2 minutes, depending on the exercise involved. As you get accustomed to HIIT, you can lower the work to rest ratio from 3:1 to 2:1 and eventually even 1:1. During the high intensity interval, your goal should be to have your heart pumping at 85 percent of its maximum rate, or in simple terms on a scale of 1-10 of ease of breathing, you want to be at 8-9.
With this type of training, the benefits are plentiful, including increased metabolic rate, optimal muscle building and muscle retention coupled with fat loss and increased calorie burn during and after the workout. But thereâs a lot more to HIIT that can benefit you as a physique-minded athlete.
âIt is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of the New England Journal of Medicineâ â Dr. Marcia Angell, a physician and longtime Editor-in-Chief of the New England Medical JournalÂ
A couple years ago, Dr Richard Horton, the current Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, which is considered to be one of the most reputable medical journals in the world, stated that half of all published literature may be false. In his words, âThe case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.âÂ
These are important points to consider when talking about science and itâs extremely apparent in the food system, especially when discussing plant-based diets. Weâve been hammered with the idea that meat is necessary for good health, even in an age where an enormous amount of professionals and publications have proven the nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet. It seems kind of fishy, especially given the fact that several billion animals are raised and killed for meat production annually, and thatâs just in America alone.
If we look at âmainstreamâ science, scientists are only now starting to accept plant-based diets as a sustainable, healthy option and those doing the research are living, walking and talking examples of that.
For instance Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, a 100-year-old, and a recently retired heart surgeon who has been a vegan for half of his life explains that:
âVeganism is a very fine form of nutrition. Itâs a little extreme to tell a person who is using flesh foods that youâre going to take everything entirely away from them. When I was in practice in medicine, I would tell the patients that the vegetable-based diet was the healthy way to go, and to keep away from the animal products as much as possible. People are very sensitive about what they eat. You can talk to people about exercising relaxation, good mental attitude and they will accept that. But you talk to them about what they are eating and people are very sensitive about that. If an individual is willing to listen, I will try to explain to them on a scientific basis of how I think itâs better for them.â â Dr. Ellsworth WarehamÂ
Another example is Kim A. Williams, M.D., incoming president of the American College of Cardiology, who also adopted a vegan diet. He often sees patients who are overweight and struggling with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. One of the things he advises them to do specifically is to go vegan. He is also the Chairman of Cardiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. His enthusiasm for a planet-based diet comes from his interpretation of medical literature, having cited several studies proving that people who pursue vegetarian diets lived longer than meat eaters and have lower rates of death from heart disease, diabetes and kidney problems.Â
According to Harvard Medical School, âstudies are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses.âÂ
There are a multitude of studies showing the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets. For example, the American Dietetic Association weighed in with a position paper, concluding that âappropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.â (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2009)Â
These diseases include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more. Research carried out by Dr. Dean Ornish, who found that patients who were put on a program that included a vegetarian diet had less coronary plaque and fewer cardiac events, is also commonly cited.
Itâs also important to note that when it comes to science and making âassociations,â itâs crucial to use the Bradford Hill Criteria. We all know that correlation does not mean causation, and that sometimes, correlation could mean causation. When you have a large number of studies showing such strong correlations, itâs generally safe to assume that correlation in certain instances does mean causation. When it comes to plant based diets, there is no shortage of evidence that clearly outlines their health benefits. Obviously, the benefits of eating more plant based foods goes far beyond just correlation.
This trend is gaining more scientific inquiry as popularity grows. At least 542,000 people in Britain now follow a vegan diet â  up from 150,000 in 2006 â and another 521,000 vegetarians hope to reduce their consumption of animal products. It is evident that veganism has become one of the fastest growing lifestyle choices.Â
One of the most comprehensive studies ever performed on this subject is âThe China Studyâ conducted by Drs. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas Campbell. Their findings showed direct correlations between nutrition and heart-disease, diabetes, and cancer, proving that cultures that eat primarily plant-based diets have lower to no instances of these diseases and that switching to a plant-based diet can successfully reverse diseases already established in the body. The China Study is recognized as the most comprehensive nutritional study ever conducted on the relationship between diet and disease. I highly recommend watching the documentary Forks Over Knives (available on Netflix), which delves into this in more detail.
The list of studies goes on and on, and if youâd like to find more information, we recommend you research this subject yourself as there are far too many studies to include in this article.
âThe protein in animal products is filled with fats and chemicals and all sorts of stuff thatâs harmful to you. When I was competing and stuffing down all that stuff, I had lots of digestive problems, I was constipated and bloated, just miserable all the time. I donât concern myself with protein anymore, because there is enough in what I eat. I am not only healthy, but I feel better about myself and how I relate to other creatures in the world.â Â
Above are the words of Jim Morris, one of many competitive vegan bodybuilders, who has been vegan for most of his life. The last time we saw a vegan bodybuilder he was competing at this years Olympic Games in Brazil. His name is Kendrick Farris and he was the only American male weightlifter to compete in the Rio Olympics. You can read more about that here.
If someone tells you, âI need my protein,â and thatâs why they eat meat, they are vastly misinformed. You donât need protein from meat to be healthy; in fact, it is the complete opposite, as plant-based protein is a healthier alternative. Clearly, the bodybuilders adopting these vegan diets are a great example, but letâs look at what some of the âexpertsâ have to say.
According to Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a Harvard Medical School professor and Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Heart Latter,
âWhen it comes to getting protein in your diet, meat isnât the only option. Mounting evidence shows that reducing meat and increasing plant-based protein is a healthier way to go. A diet with any type of meat raises the risk of heart disease and cancer, when compared with a vegetarian diet.âÂ
A more recent study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital followed more than 130,000 people for 36 years, monitoring illnesses, lifestyles, diets and mortality rates.
They found that substituting between 15g and 19g of animal protein, the equivalent of a single sausage, for legumes, pulses, nuts and other planet protein, significantly decreased the risk of early death. Replacing eggs with plant-based protein also lead to at 19 percent reduction in death risk.
Researchers found that a 10 percent higher intake of meat was associated with a two percent higher mortality rate and an eight percent higher chance of cardiovascular death.
According to Dr. T. Colin Campbell, mentioned earlier in the article from The China Study,
âWhat I did during the early part of my career was nothing more than what traditional science would suggest. I made the observation that diets presumably higher in animal protein were associated with liver cancer in the Philippines. When coupled with the extraordinary report from India showing that casein fed to experimental rats at the usual levels of intake dramatically promoted liver cancer, it prompted my 27-year-long study The China Project, of how this effect worked. We did dozens of experiments to see if this was true and, further, how it worked.â
In the study, Campbell emphasized the fact that they used the traditional criteria to decide what is a carcinogen (in regards to animal-based proteins) from the governmentâs chemical carcinogenesis testing program. Campbell also stated that, âthis is not a debatable subject and the implications of this conclusion are staggering in so many ways.â
It also showed, among others, that animal protein is very acidic, and leak, and body takes calcium and phosphorus from the bones to neutralize the acidity.
Below is a video of him explaining some of his findings.
Obviously, there is information on both sides. The main point to remember here is that protein isnât the same.
Protein is built from building blocks known as amino acids, and our bodies make them in two different ways. Perhaps not everybodyâs body is the same, and some can require what they need from scratch, or by modifying others.
A short list of amino acids known as the essential amino acids need to come from food. According to current education, which is largely funded by food corporations who control animal agriculture, preaches that animal sources of protein tend to deliver all the amino acids we need. What they leave out about the animal protein is what you just read above.
Other sources of protein lack one or more essential amino acids, but all a vegetarian or vegan individual needs to do is make sure they contain a variety of protein containing foods, which will help the body make more protein.
That being said, studies on caloric restriction and fasting have shown that a high protein intake, too much, is definitely something you donât want. If you want to learn more about that, you can check out  Dr Valter Longo, or check out some more of our articles on fasting.
Certain meats have also been linked to several diseases. For example, research conducted at Harvard School of Public Health has found that eating even small amounts of red meat, especially processed red meat, on a regular basis is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or any other cause. Certain meats are also known to cause cancer, and several other diseases. Replacing these meats with healthier sources of protein reversed the effects.
Processed foods/meat are also known to cause cancer.
While under consumption of protein is harmful to the body, over consumption comes with risks as well. In the United States, the average omnivore gets more than 1.5 times the optimal amount of protein, and most of that protein is from animal sources. This is bad news, because excess protein is turned into waste or turned into fat. This stored animal protein contributes to weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation and cancer.
On the other hand, the protein contained in whole plant foods is connected to disease prevention. According to Michelle McMacken, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician and an assistant professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine:
â[T]he protein found in whole plant foods protects us from many chronic diseases. There is no need to track protein intake or use protein supplements with plant-based diets; if you are meeting your daily calorie needs, you will get plenty of protein. The longest-lived people on Earth, those living in the âBlue Zones,â get about 10% of their calories from protein, compared with the U.S. average of 15-20%.â
Obviously, there are is a great wealth of information out there, and what Iâve presented here is just a tidbit. There are also other factors to consider these days as well, such as industry influence over scientific publications, and more.
]]>The question:Â How do I bulk up without adding unwanted pounds of fat?
The answer: By being careful, precise, and paying close attention to food timing.
Building muscle requires an increase in calories; that is, to gain weight you must eat more calories than you burn each day. But if you go overboard and eat too much, youâll kick-start the fat-storing process. So the key is to eat just enough to facilitate the muscle-gaining process but not so much that youâll add fat along with it.
One way to do this is by controlling portion sizes at mealtime. For most meals (not including post-workout), aim to get 40-60g of protein and 40-80g of carbs, depending upon your size; bigger guys weighing more than, say, 225lbs will shoot for the higher end. The meal plan on the following pages gives a guide to particular food portions that will get you to these gram targets. Dietary fat should be as low as possible, except for healthy fats.(from nuts, olive oil, fatty fish), which can amount to 5-10g per meal.
Meal timing is the other key to staying lean while bulking up. When you eat not only supports mass gains but also plays a pivotal role in controlling body fat levels. If youâre trying to gain only quality mass, increase the size of your meals at breakfast and after training. These are the two times of day when muscles crave more calories and nutrientsâat breakfast because youâre nutritionally depleted after a nightâs sleep, and post-workout because the stressed muscles are in dire need of replenishment to jump-start the recovery process. Providing the body with what it can put to use during these windows facilitates optimum growth and keeps body fat levels down.
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In short, smart growthâmuscle sans body fatâis contingent on manipulating calorie intake. Yes, you have to eat more to gain mass, but when you eat more can determine whether youâll gain fat or muscle. If you stick to a large breakfast and a substantial post-training meal and evenly divide your other meals into smaller portions, you can boost your total caloric intake, ensuring that those extra calories go to the muscles when they need them.
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525 calories, 38 g protein, 59 g carbs, 15 g fat
Why? Eggs, a universal bodybuilding staple, offer easy-to-digest protein to kick-start muscle growth. Cream of Wheat provides energy-rich complex carbohydrates, and bananas contain both fructose and potassium, which support glycogen formation in the liver and muscles to minimize muscle breakdown in the body.
Hard-gainer Tip: Substitute 16 ounces of low-fat milk for water in prepping the Cream of Wheat. This adds another 16 grams of protein, 24 grams of carbohydrate and 4 grams of fat.
Shredding Tip:Â Go with all egg whites to keep fat and calories as low as possible and substitute a cup of strawberries for the banana to shed another 50 calories.
700 calories, 60 g protein, 83 g carbs, 13 g fat
Why? For muscle-building, there's nothing like beef - it contains creatine, all the necessary aminos and a full spectrum of B vitamins, and it's dense in iron to assist in energy production. Pasta provides carbs, which are essential for energy, and broccoli yields compounds that help with fat control.
Hard-gainer Tip: Choose lean, not extra-lean, beef (around 10%-15% fat as opposed to under 10%). The extra fat and calories spare the burning of glycogen and protein for greater growth.
Shredding Tip:Â Temper your lunchtime carb intake: Eat just 1 cup of pasta but double up on the broccoli - low in calories, high in fiber - to control calories and your feelings of hunger.
603 calories, 69 g protein, 61 g carbs, 7 g fat
Why? The combination of carbohydrates and lean protein in this meal increases the levels of insulin in the blood, fostering a hormonal environment that's ideal for muscle growth. Yams digest slowly, helping to sustain that environment, and lower-fat protein, like this chicken breast, helps keep body fat in check.
Hard-gainer Tip: Add a tall glass of low-fat milk and saute the chicken in extra-virgin olive oil for additional protein and essential fats that help growth.
Shredding Tip:Â Eat half the yam and ditch the vegetable medley, which is higher in calories, for a lower-calorie vegetable like green beans.
532 calories, 35 g protein, 89 g carbs, 4 g fat
Why? The protein from cottage cheese hits the blood by workout time, sparing muscle breakdown. Grape jam offers sugar, which kicks up insulin to minimize breakdown as well. Rye bread is a slow-burning carb, preventing blood-sugar drops that can come from eating sugar alone.
Hard-gainer Tip: Include extra jam to guard against the depletion of glycogen.
Shredding Tip:Â Stick to two slices of toast to control carbs but don't forgo the jam - you'll need the quick burst of energy to offset muscle breakdown.
NOTE:Â Consume this meal 1 hour before training.
549 calories, 45 g protein, 91 g carbs, 2 g fat
Why? Recovery and growth. Fast-digesting protein and carbs jump-start the rebuilding process. Whey is a great source of amino acids, and the rice and raisin mixture offers concentrated carbs that kick up insulin for muscle repair.
Hard-gainer Tip: Bump the rice serving to 11â2 cups for more simple carbs.
Shredding Tip:Â Eat 1â2 cup of rice and 1-2 tablespoons raisins.
Turkey sandwich with:
316 calories, 36 g protein, 34 g carbs, 4 g fat
Why? Convenience, as well as that much-needed sixth meal of the day. The balanced combination of protein, carbs and fat in this sandwich are ideal for mass-building.
Hard-gainer Tip: Add a glass of low-fat milk and a piece of fruit if you have a speedier-than-average metabolism.
Shredding Tip:Â Use carb-reduced bread to keep carbohydrates and calories under control.
It's cool being big, but it's not always easy.
For instance, having big-man shoulder width or muscle size in general can get in the way of proper form on some exercises.
Likewise, being big can raise mobility issues or require you to question training methods that are allegedly set in stone.
Here are some hard-learned lessons.
High-intensity training methods are a great way to give your conditioning a kick in the pants.
However, a 270-pound guy isn't going to get the same training effect as a 185-pound guy who's doing the same program.
It's the same as thinking a 6'5" lifter is doing the same amount of work squatting his body weight to full depth as a 5'7" lifter. It just plain isn't fair to think this, because it isn't true.
The bigger dude is asking much more from his conditioning, and due to his added mass, he'll need more time to recover between bouts.
It's one reason most good triathletes don't weigh close to 200 pounds. It's also one reason to question the timed workouts of CrossFit-style workouts. The solution here is to always think outside the program sheets.
If your big-guy conditioning and cardio is being hit so hard that it's affecting the quality of your sets, or not even eliciting a partial recovery when it's time for the next set, you're probably in need of a bit more rest compared to your pencil-necked lifting partners.
But don't worry, you'll still burn fat and improve your cardio and athleticism if you submit to your need for a bit more rest.
Guys with big hands should consider using thick grip attachments or fat bars on exercises like the bench press and overhead press.
Increasing the surface area of the bar in your hand distributes the load much more evenly. More importantly, it places the load closer to the forearm â properly stacked above the wrist.
The problem is that many lifters who use a conventional thumbs-over grip will let the wrist "break" ever so slightly when carrying the loaded bar in a press position.
Lifters with larger hands are at a greater disadvantage when this happens since the bar will be positioned farther away from the wrist and forearm when they allow for this break in the wrist, simply due to the increased size of the hand.
This technically places the bar over empty space with limited support through the press. This is a reason why some big lifters enjoy using a false grip â they can place the bar much closer to the wrist despite the "risk factor" that may be associated with doing so.
As a safer recommendation, increasing the surface area of the bar (or at least the grip by way of thick grip attachments) will do more to centralize the load distribution through the hand and improve pressing strength.
As a bonus, the added bar thickness will feel better on joints and reduce unwanted stress. As a long-armed lifter, I've found fat grips very helpful, especially in the dumbbell bench press and shoulder press for heavy sets.
You have limited wrist mobility because your supination has gone to hell, thanks to your tight, jacked forearms. Why use a straight bar to do curls and chins and put all that load on the wrists?
Going old school is badass, but it can also be stupid if you're not thinking things through.
Use an EZ-curl bar or dumbbells to curl, and stick with using the suspended rings or at least a neutral or angled grip for your chins.
This is a known gym hack that serves guys with thick arms well, regardless of height.
Guys who are wide will have trouble gaining the requisite mobility for a proper clean-grip front squat. If they can manage to get their hands on the bar, they'll still have wrist and elbow issues as the movement progresses.
Take a pair of lifting straps and wrap them around the bar. Place the bar on your shoulders and grab those straps for security.
It allows you to hold the bar comfortably with the hands a few inches above shoulder level. It also beats the cross-armed style by a long shot. Remember to actively pull on the straps through the movement to encourage high elbows.
I'm pretty sure you'll get a bye from gym etiquette people if you're doing dips in the squat rack when you're as wide as The Rock. (Besides, it's not like you're doing biceps curls!)
This one's simple. Instead of using a single rope, attach two rope attachments to one pulley. Presto, you've got a double-width grip that can help you retract more effectively during face pulls.
Guys who have mobility issues can also benefit from this, as a grip that's too narrow may exacerbate shoulder impingement syndrome in certain circumstances.
Setting up on a vinyl bench at a typical gym can be a hassle, especially if your body is too wide â or the bench is too narrow â to keep your shoulders set and pinned down.
There's no way to add width to the bench, so the next best thing is to wear a shirt that has print on the back of it. You'll find that the paint in the graphics on the back of the shirt "sticks" better to a dry vinyl bench and allows your back to catch the bench better so you don't slide.
If you haven't got a shirt like that, grab a wide band and place it flat on the bench, width-wise where your shoulder blades will lie. Instant traction. Problem solved.
When you carry plenty of size up top, it can create a chain reaction of tightness, immobility, and chronic pain in the joints of the arms. Oftentimes, this comes from lack of mobility at the shoulder and lack of supination ability at the wrists.
There's one thing you can do to help solve this problem, but it'll probably make you do a spit-take: Back off the back squats!
Having immobile shoulders means you have to do more work to force your hands back behind your body to lock them up on the bar, even if you use a wider grip.
It can wreak havoc on a pair of already tight shoulders and refer plenty of stress to the elbows that are forced to come along for the ride. But the answer isn't to stop back squatting altogether; just don't spend as much time under tension through lengthy sets.
If you're a big guy who's prone to these issues, use the back squat as a strength exercise and train it for lower reps. That limits the amount of time per workout that you're stuck in these positions, wrenching on your shoulders and elbows.
The weight you lift is irrelevant, but it's easier on your arms if you're doing heavy triples (where your TUT is 15 seconds per set), rather than multiple sets of 10-12 squats (where your TUT could be up to 60 seconds per set).
If your ribcage is 55 inches around, it's a different ballgame compared to a guy whose ribcage is 40 inches around.
For instance, when a bigger man reaches forward at the seated row machine for a little 8-inch wide V-grip, he'll find it tougher to retract the shoulder blades because his hands and arms are angled in so much.
The big man needs more space and more width between the hands. To illustrate this, try doing a seated row motion with your fingers linked together, and then try it with your hands distanced shoulder-width apart.
The limited range of motion from a small V-grip attachment can force a big guy's shoulders into internal rotation at the end ranges of the movement, thus causing his elbows to flare out wide to compensate for a poor scapular retraction.
Ropes are a decent substitute to create more space, but some have an issue with the flimsiness compared to solid iron. It can make the grip work extra hard and take the focus off the back.
Use a pulldown bar attachment at the seated row station and do medium or wide-grip rows instead. If you can get a hold of what we call a "Suzie Bar" and use the neutral grip, it's worth its weight in gold for big guys.
The neutral grip will take you out of internal rotation and encourage greater retraction of the shoulders.
Cutting out the strict press isn't something you need to do, but lifters tend to use the same form on their seated dumbbell presses as they use on their strict barbell presses.
Instead of flaring your elbows out, tuck them in and use a neutral grip (palms facing each other.)
That'll allow for some rotation at the shoulder and wrist, as well as enable the elbows to sit in a much more comfortable position at bottom end ranges.
]]>To develop your midsection means creating a well-rounded routine which targets all abdominal muscles and maximizing the effectiveness of every movement you make. Given that your diet is in order and you donât pack excess belly fat, smart weight training will be beneficial.Â
Itâs time to push your abs to exhaustion. These 6 advanced technique tips will help set your training and achieve perfect set of abs!
Training without a weightlifting belt is the correct way to train your core muscles for strength and stability. Typically people have a weak core and using a weight belt only masks this problem. A weight belt offer important advantages for strength athletes, but itâs highly recommendable to focus on building substantial core strength before you start using it.
Over-reliance on a weight belt might cause your core muscles to become dis proportionally underdeveloped. The benefits from developing a powerful core include both improved aesthetics and improved lifting performance.
Hanging knee and leg raises are great core-strengthening exercises that target the lower region of the rectus abdominis, hip flexors and lower back. To properly perform them, you have to avoid swinging the torso, jerking your legs up and hyper extending the lower back.
You need to:
If youâve got these three under control, itâs time for the next big tip: Get your legs up as high as possible. Most lifters are satisfied by bringing their legs up to the point where theyâre perpendicular to the body and then they stop the motion.
Next time you perform hanging leg raises, try bringing your legs up higher to really feel your lower abs working overtime.
The hip flexors are a group of relatively strong muscles located near your hips on the upper thigh that help you bend at the waist and lift your knees. If you donât pay attention to your form, the hip flexors will tend to take over during ab exercises, causing your abs to miss out on the strengthening benefits of the exercise.
This can result in the hip flexors becoming short, tight and painful and eventually pull the pelvis forward and cause the lower back to become over arched. People typically shift the workload onto their hip flexors whilst doing ab exercises where the feet are anchored, such as sit-ups or decline bench crunches.
To prevent overloading your hip flexors, you need to really focus on relaxing them while activating the abs. Also, strengthening your transversus abdominus by performing movements which call upon it to stabilise the body (e.g. planks) will help lessen the engagement of the hip flexors.
Unlike some other large skeletal muscle groups, the midsection muscles contain a greater degree of slow-twitch muscle fibres, which is why many people think they should only train them with light weights for high reps.
In reality, your abs have fast-twitch muscle fibres too, for optimal muscle development you need to adequately target them by using heavier loads for lower reps. Your gains are destined to stagnate if you only train within the same rep ranges and loading patterns, so you should alternate between different schemes to really sculpt your abs and achieve that three-dimensional look.
If you want to develop a strong, muscular torso, training the obliques is a must. These muscles run along the sides of your core and help bend your torso to the side and rotate it to the left and right, as well as help stabilize and protect the spine by resisting rotation.
Most lifters spend little time focusing on their obliques. To really target these crucial muscles, you need to apply real resistance. Try rotary-type movements in which the line of pull is coming from your side, such as cable wood chops and Pallof presses, or movements that work the lateral plane such as hanging knee raises with a twist and cable crunches with a twist.
A handful of exercises done for 2-3 sets of 20 reps at the end of a training session is not what makes abs grow. First of all, you need to stop putting them last, as this is a sure way to under train them.
To get great results, you want to hit them hard at the beginning of the workout while theyâre still fresh and energized from assisting in other movements. Then, you need to apply the same logic you use when you want to see your bench press go up, called progressive overload.
As your abs get stronger, you need to keep progressively overloading them to increase the stress, prevent adaptation and keep on making gains. Increase the load, up the volume and intensity or switch to more difficult exercises.Â
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]]>Yogurt is a great source of calcium and protein, but it's best to buy plain and sweeten it with fruit and honey. Some pre-flavored yogurts are as sugary as a candy bar. Save money by buying a big tub of plain Greek yogurt rather than the single-serving containers.
"Veggie" may be in their name, but check the ingredients listâyou'll probably find a long list of additives like potato starch, corn starch, and soy flour. Plus, a serving contains nearly as many calories as a serving of potato chips.
They're full of highly processed oils, added sugar, and artificial colors. You're better off making your own using olive oil, vinegar, and herbs. Not only is this healthier, but homemade costs a fraction of the price of store-bought.
You are not getting your nutritional bang for your buck with juice. Juicing a fruit or veggie strips out most of the beneficial fiber in the produce, and leaves behind the fruit's sugar. And although one juice may contain multiple fruits or vegetables, the truth is, your body can only absorb so many nutrients at one time. Your waistline (and your wallet!) is better off eating the whole produce.
Unless you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, there is no reason to be buying gluten-free foods. They come with a hefty markupâand for the healthiest diet, you should be avoiding foods sold in a bag or a box anyway.
]]>When we decide that itâs time to lose some excess fat, itâs usually driven by a goal to look or feel a certain way by a certain time. It may be that you have an event coming up that you want to look smoking hot in a dress and heels, or maybe you have just made yourself a deadline because you work better under pressure. Whatever the reason is, a fitness goal becomes our priority and our main focus for the time we give ourselves to reach that goal. But itâs during this time that we can become so obsessed over getting that result that we neglect our health and well being.Â
To lose excess fat we need to have some sort of calorie deficit so our bodies can turn to burning fat for fuel, rather than just the food we eat. The food we eat must be healthy and nutritious for our body to get what it needs to replenish and rebuild muscles. And to kick-start the fat burn, a regular exercise regime is great to tone and increase muscle strength and endurance.
The problem?
When we take either of these components too far, by either not eating enough or exercising too much, we put our body under stress and can actually have an adverse effect on your health.Â
1. Fuel your body with enough food
Make sure you donât cut your calories so much that you are depriving your body of what it needs to function properly. Sure, its great to reduce the amount of dense calorie foods if you want to lose body fat. But donât starve yourself! You still need to be eating enough to provide your body with the essential nutrients it needs to do necessary things like cell repairing, building lean muscle, and fueling you through workouts and daily activities. When you donât fuel your body with enough food, you will end up feeling tired with low energy and no drive to continue towards your fitness goal!
2. Take rest days and recover
During a regular exercise regime, it is so important to give your body the rest it needs by using active recovery techniques and complete rest days. Donât be tempted to workout too much and skip the rest just because you want to reach your goal faster. If your goal is to reduce the size of your waist, donât do day after day of ab and core work. Instead, use active recovery and walk/jog on days in between targeted workouts. And remember to set aside one day a week to give your body a rest and recover from the week's workouts.Â
3. Get quality sleep
 You might not need to be told to go to bed, as you should be tired out from all the exercise youâre doing! Getting a good night sleep is so important for our muscles to repair and rebuild from the exercise and activities theyâve done that day. The body uses the time we are asleep to do so much work, just like we use the day to work on our bodies! Allow a good 7-10 hours sleep each night so you get the most out of both the night and the following day.
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You can help to feed and educate over 400 children from disadvantaged areas all over the world whilst getting contest entries in return.
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A gift to UNICEF will provide children with the opportunity to survive and thrive. UNICEF works directly with partners and governments in over 190 countries. We build infrastructure, we provide essential services and we work tirelessly to provide every child an opportunity to survive.
We couldnât do any of it without the support of generous donors because we rely 100% on voluntary donations to fund our programs and all the work we do.
Your gift will be put to work immediately to make the world a better place for vulnerable children. We thank you for choosing to donate to UNICEF.
With a donation today you will join our incredible supporters who believe every child has the right to be protected, have access to essential medical services, clean water, an education and enough food to eat.
If you choose to give monthly you will be joining an exclusive group of donors who receive even more information about the impact of giving and real stories of UNICEFâs work in action. Your gift allows UNICEF to plan long term programming and to be prepared before disasters strike.Â
Please join me and donate so we can reach and help children everywhere. Thank you!
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That said, whether your goal is long, lean legs or super-muscular ones, youâre going to want to be lifting weights. Running alone won't necessarily do the trick. Thatâs because traditional cardio is training [muscle]-fiber types and energy systems. It gives you a good base level of conditioning that will help support recovery and general fitness. But to gain strength and muscle, you need to focus on the main mechanism of muscle hypertrophy, which is the mechanical tension and stress we create from lifting weights.
I typically train my own clients by targeting legsâmeaning primary movers like the glutes, hamstrings, and quadsâtwo to three times per week, either as part of a full-body workout, or part of a four-day upper and lower body split, where they focus on the lower body two times a week and the upper body two times a week. I like to leave two days between leg workouts to ensure that my clients are recovering properly and not overtraining.
When it comes to the lower body, movement patterns are either hip-dominant or quad-dominant, and theyâll each affect your body in different ways. If the exercise is a hip-dominant movement pattern, like deadlift variations, it will require a greater contribution from the posterior chain, lighting up the hamstrings and glutes. Quad-dominant movement patterns like squat variation will require more work from the quads than the glutes and hamstrings. Itâs important to make sure youâre doing both types of movements for a well-balanced lower-body workout.
A typical lower body-focused training day for me will include a squat or deadlift variation followed by single-leg work and accessory core work. Squats and deadlift variationsâbig, compound movementsâmaximize mechanical tension across multiple muscle groups, which is key for getting stronger and building lean muscle. Accessory work targets weakness and imbalances that could inhibit larger movements.
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Check out these 20 leg moves you can do literally anywhere:
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Hereâs how you could break down two leg workouts for the week:
1A Compound hip-dominant movement: deadlift variation (conventional, sumo, or trap-bar deadlifts)
1BÂ Mobility or posture correctives (like thoracic spine mobilization)
2AÂ Quad-dominant accessory exercise (goblet squat, kettlebell squat variations, plate-loaded front squat)
2B Unilateral hip-dominant accessory exercise (single-leg supine glute bridges, single-leg off-bench hip thrusts, single-leg deadlifts)
3A Loaded carry variation
3B Anti-extension core exercise (reverse crunches, roll-outs, plank variations)
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1A Compound quad-dominant movement: squat variation (barbell squats, front squats, goblet squats)
1BÂ Mobility work or posture correctives (like dead bugs)
2A Hip-dominant accessory exercise (hip thrusts, Romanian deadlift variations, kettlebell deadlift variations, leg curls on gliders)
2B Unilateral quad-dominant accessory exercise (step-ups, lunge variations, split squats, Bulgarian split squats)
3AÂ Loaded carry variation
3B Anti-rotation core exercise (Pallof Press variations, cable chops/liftsâyou can use a resistance band if you donât have access to cables)
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I also swear by these three leg exercises in particular:
DUMBBELL DEADLIFTDumbbell deadlift variations are great for posterior-chain accessory work, and for learning how to hinge properly before moving onto traditional deadlifting with the barbell or trap bar.
How to:Â Hold a dumbbell in each hand at armâs length in front of hips. With knees slightly bent, hinge at hips to lower weight to the floor. Keeping back straight, squeeze glutes to thrust hips forward and return to start.
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These are great for learning how to squat with good core activation and posture, and they can be very challenging if you load them up and work at different tempos.
How to:Â Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell vertically in front of chest, elbows pointing toward the floor. Push hips back and bend knees to lower into a squat, elbows brushing the insides of knees. Push back to start. That's one rep.
These are are a great bridge exercise before introducing true single-leg work. They can also be very challenging if you add weights.
How to:Â Stand with legs staggered, left foot about two feet in front of right. Bend knees to lower body until left thigh is parallel and shin is perpendicular to the floor. Straighten legs to return to start.
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]]>âWe all want to get under 10% body fat at some point in our livesâ
Especially if we plan on going to the beach this summer where we have to take our shirt off.
Most guys would rather have a body they are proud of rather than a fat sloppy physique.
In todayâs article Iâm going to provide you with 10 quick tips that are going to help you get rid of that fat and reveal rippling six pack abs.
Many guys make the mistake of drinking high calorie drinks when cutting.
Only drink water.
Donât drink fruit juices, milk or anything that contains calories when you are cutting.
Fruit juice actually contains as much sugar as sugary sodas.
To speed up your metabolism and cut the fat faster you must do some kind of cardio.
HIIT is one of the most effective form of cardio to burn off fat.
Do HIIT 3 times per week!.
An example of a HIIT workout:
Sprint for 1 minute then walk for 1 minute repeated 10 times.
You can do this outside or on a treadmill.
Many guys think they need to lower the weight they are lifting and do more repetition if they are cutting.
This is false and youâll end up losing muscle mass and strength if you lower the weight you are lifting.
Keep it heavy and try to improve your strength levels when cutting.
It will result in a more sharper and a harder physique once your cut is over.
When cutting a good way is to limit your carb intake.
I have 2 rules regarding carb intake that I follow every time Iâm cutting.
1.ONLY eat carbs around your workouts.
2. Never eat carbs after 8PM.
This will help you to shed off that fat faster.
Fat burners will help us to boost the metabolic rate of the body, reduce hunger cravings, Â increase energy levels and burn off more calories.
Thatâs why they can be a good addition to your diet if you are trying to drop a few pounds of fat.
It is very important to keep the protein intake high when cutting.
If the protein intake is low you risk losing muscle mass, strength and your cut may become harder.
Eat eggs, fish, meat and protein rich foods to ensure that you are getting enough of protein.
Green leafy vegetables are very low in calories and filling.
So you can eat as many green leafy vegetables as you like without thinking about it.
Try to include 1 cup of green leafy vegetables to most of your meals.
If you are someone who easily falls of their diet you may want to prep your meals.
This means cooking some of your meals before the day and taking them with you.
That way itâs less likely for you to cheat on your diet and you wonât miss meals.
The fastest way to crash on a diet is eating too little.
In fact eating too little food screws with your testosterone levels and ruins your metabolism.
So you will be burning less calories with each day that goes by.
Aim for quality foods and donât let yourself get too hungry.
It may take longer than 1 week to reach your goal physique.
Donât get discouraged it might take you a longer time to drop fat than you originally thought.
So keep consistent and never stop!
The scale is only one way to measure your progress. Some people weigh themselves daily which is ridiculous because your weight can vary based on what you have been eating, how much water is in your system, etc.
Also, just because you gained weight it doesnât mean you gained fat. Itâs possible that your put on muscle which means your body composition is improving!
Instead of relying on the scale just look in the mirror â if you see your body improving then keep doing what you are doing. Weigh yourself only once per week and use it as just one indicator of progress.
Although they are called fat it doesnât mean you should avoid them.
Health fats help boost testosterone production, recover from tough workouts, build muscle and fire up your metabolism.
Omega 3s found in fish, nuts, monounsaturated fats, olive oil and egg yolks are all examples of healthy fats you should be including in your diet.
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]]>They want to improve and reach that ânext levelâ.
That means eventually they will have to do more than the traditional 3 sets of 10.
Instead of making it easier, iron athletes need to make the sets more challenging.
For those of you that are new to the iron game or simply looking for ideas to step your sets up, here are nine strategies for you to level up.
For those of you that want to save time and maximize volume, this is the method for you. Supersets call for you to combine two exercises and perform them back-to-back without rest in between the two.
The preferred ways to do this is to combine two exercises for opposing muscle groups, like biceps and triceps, or for the same muscle group if you really want to hit it hard. One example of this is to do seated rows and lat pull downs for back.
Obviously trisets is doing this same method with three movements and giant sets call for four or more in a row. Keep in mind that if your gym is busy it might be tough to do trisets or giant sets since equipment you prefer might be in use.
If you want to do trisets or giant sets, do your best to keep the stations in close proximity or work at least one dumbbell movement into the mix so you can take the dumbbells with you wherever you need them to be.
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If power is the name of your game then this method is for you. You can make the most out of each set and push some serious weight for more reps than youâre used to. Hereâs how rest-pause training works.
Letâs say youâre benching and you have 275 on the bar. You get it for 5 reps and rack it. Instead of taking your normal rest, count to 10 or maybe 15 seconds, and get right back to work. You might get 2 or 3 more reps before reaching failure again. That doesnât seem like much but it does add up and you could see improved strength in the long run as a result.
A prolonged version of this is cluster sets. Cluster sets call for a little longer rest period than traditional rest pause. You would rest for 20-30 seconds and then do more reps. Three of these âclustersâ would count as one total set. These are great for compound movements like deadlifts or squats.
Letâs say you like volume and want to leave the gym knowing you did a lot of serious work. Drop sets are just what you ordered. With drop sets, you can do more quality reps in a set by decreasing the weight when you reach failure.
So for this example weâll use lateral raises for shoulders. Letâs do a set with the 25âs. For this example, you reach failure around the 10 rep mark. You can rack them but your set isnât over. Instead, grab the 20âs and keep going.
For even more intensity you can do a second drop after reaching failure again. I wouldnât recommend doing more than two drops in a set. Your muscles do need a break and at this point you could be risking injury.
A partial rep isnât an excuse for you to cut out on form for the sake of doing more. Itâs a calculated method to maximize the quality of a set. In other words, you shouldnât do 10 partial reps and act like you just conquered a monster weight.
If youâre doing a set like triceps pressdowns and donât think you can do full reps at the end, you can stop short of a full negative and push the weight back down. Keep doing this until you canât control the weight anymore. Once you reach failure with partial reps, your set is truly over.
There is an old adage that has been shared in gyms for generations. âControl the weight. Donât let the weight control you.â This is where paused reps can come into play. Those of you that want to get into powerlifting should pay close attention here.
For the classic barbell bench press, you lower the bar to your chest, wait for the bar to completely stop, and then press the weight up to the top. This forces your muscles to re-engage so they work harder than if you were to do the traditional touch-and-go version of the bench. You can use this method for any exercise to make it more challenging.
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This is one that looks weird if you see someone else do it but understand completely when you try it yourself.
As an example for 1.5 reps, weâll use the lying leg curl. You would perform a full rep, lower the weight halfway, lift it back up, and then lower the weight all the way back down.
You did a rep and a half rep but count it as one. This is literally a two for the price of one situation. You would get two contractions of the muscle within one rep. So if you do 10 reps like this, the muscle is contracting 20 times.
This is a classic biceps protocol so weâll explain it with the original exercise. Youâll do barbell curls or an EZ Bar curl if you prefer.
Start by doing 7 half reps from the bottom to the middle. Next do 7 more from the midpoint to the top of the rep. Finally you would do 7 full reps. 7+7+7=21.
This is a favorite of former Mr. Olympia Dexter Jackson but you donât just have to do with barbell curls. As a matter of fact, an intense way to do this is with leg presses. Find your own preferences and make this method work for you.
Have you ever seen that one guy doing curls where he swings the weight up and thinks heâs really strong? It turns out he was actually onto something but you shouldnât do this the way he did.
You shouldnât use momentum on every rep but if youâre reaching failure at the end you can make this method work to your advantage. Give the weight a little oomph to get it started but once you complete the rep, control it on the way down.
Now if you canât perform any part of the rep without assistance, youâre done and should end your set.
Letâs look at the anatomy of a rep. Even though you want to lift a weight up, this is actually the weakest part of the rep.
The part of the rep that really tears down fibers and can help you get stronger is the negative where you return the weight to the starting position. This is why you should always control the weight instead of letting it go.
The best example I can give you for this is a dumbbell press. Once you reach failure, your partner helps you complete the next rep but you take at least five seconds to lower it to the starting position. Once you reach that point, your partner helps you do another rep. Once you can no longer control the weight on the way back down, youâve reach failure and maximized your negatives.
I really like doing this with machines because they help you isolate the targeted muscle and are in a fixed path of travel so you can minimize the chances of injury.
The basics are: Don't overeat. Don't eat "crap" that isn't food. And make sure you get enough sleep. The rest is B.S.
Yup, hitting the hay at a decent hour is surprisingly important when it comes to weight loss. Columbia University researchers discovered that people who sleep fewer than seven hours a night tend to weigh more, struggle to lose weight, and gain more weight as time goes on. So aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
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Often people do one or the other, but not both. When it comes to weight loss you simply must work out and eat right to get results.
Think of your body like a car. If you aren't working out or eating right you are in reverse and probably actively gaining weight. If you're working out but not eating right (or vice versa) you can get stuck in neutral or weight loss moves at a glacial pace. If you're doing working out and eating right, the weight actively comes off at a steady pace. Make sure you're not slacking in either of those areas.
The "best" workout you can do is whatever one you'll do consistently. That being said, here's what I recommend for weight loss: HIIT intervals (high-intensity interval training), resistance training, plyometrics, bodyweight training, and movements that incorporate multiple muscle groups, like squats, lunges, burpees, and push-ups. These exercises burn the most calories during and after the workout.
They also help you get into shape the fastest, which is a huge bonus.
In fact, I suggest giving up drinking entirely. Get on the wagon. Alcohol is the worst when it comes to fat metabolism and can actually inhibit it by 73%.
Research has shown that when you consume alcohol, your body prioritizes metabolizing booze, which means burning fat and carbs take a backseat. Experts also believe that alcohol breaks down amino acids and stores them as fat. All bad news if you want to lose weight.
The number-one mistake people make when it comes to weight loss is following an intense fad diet that is not sustainable. These drastic eating plans ultimately damage your metabolism and instigate a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting.
Choose a diet that is balanced. Allow yourself treats daily. Deprivation and extremes don't work. Try the 80/20 rule. Make 80% of your daily food intake high quality and then let 20% be treats.
The key is how you lose [the weight]. If you lose weight through common-sense eating choices and physical activities you enjoy, maintenance is far easier. And that means you're much less likely to put the pounds you lost back on.
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Reduce the Risk of A Stroke or Other Cardiovascular Issues:Â In a 2009 issue of Harvard Menâs Health Watch, walking was reported as extremely underrated. So to prove that hypothesis, scientists went through over 4,200 articles that had been published on walking between 1997-2007. Eighteen of the articles they found met their standards for quality. Each of the studies collected information of each of the participantâs walking habits and their cardiovascular risk habits which included age, alcohol use and smoking. Each participant was followed for 11 years, and during those years, cardiovascular events and deaths were recorded. When the data was compiled at the end of the 11 years, scientists found that walking 2.5 hours a week (21 minutes a day) reduced cardiovascular events by 31% and cut the risk of early death by 32%.
Battles Obesity:Â Every individual contains weight-promoting genes, according to the Harvard Medical School. One of the easiest ways to battle obesity is to try and cut those weight-promoting genes in half. So to determine how to do this, Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people. They found that participants who walked for about an hour a day cut the weight-promoting genes in half. In addition, there is a pair of studies from the University of Exter that found that walking 15 minutes can also help curb sweet tooth cravings, which plays a significant part in obesity.
Lowers Blood Pressure:Â If you have high blood pressure, a nice calming walk may be just what you need. Researchers from Arizona State University would agree. They conducted a study on the association between walking and lower blood pressure, and they found that just 10 minutes of walking per day was effective in helping lower blood pressure. If you were to walk 15-20 minutes, youâre increasing your odds even more of reducing your blood pressure.
Boost Memory:Â Itâs evident that exercise is great for the brain, since serotonin binds with the brains receptors. But walking can help boost the memory, according to a 2011 study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found that participants who would walk 40 minutes a week, which could be stretched out to three to four times per week, has the potential to increase hippocampus activity by 2%, which is significant. In addition, another study that was presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, found that a regular brisk walk (could be between 15-20 minutes) could slow down the shrinking of the brain. For the study, participants were between the ages of 60 to 80, which is generally when many people either deal with early-onset dementia, or late stage dementia.
Eases Joint Pain:Â Physical therapist Eric Robertson told WebMD that for osteoarthritis (OA), the cartilage acts as a shock absorber, especially in your knees, and can become damaged or worn down. He added that youâll experience stiffness, pain and issues moving. But exercise, especially walking, can help rebuild that joint. The Harvard Medical School also mentions that walking can also help protect the joints by lubricating them.
Curb Stress Eating: Lyndi Cohen, of the Nude Nutritionists, explained to the Daily Mail that going for a walk is the simplest thing to do in order to combat stress eating. She added that she had firsthand experience with stress eating and when she realized the signs, she lost 40 lbs. Cohen is not wrong, when you have higher serotonin levels, youâre going to feel less stressed, which can lead to less stress eating. Whether itâs 15 or 20 minutes, walking will help boost those serotonin levels.
]]>Unfortunately, too many people neglect leg day a) because they think theyâre already working their legs all day and b) because the leg muscles are so large to begin with, it takes longer to see results. Donât do that! âYou should be training your legs at least once a week,â #NeverSkipLegDay.
Start working three or four of these moves into your workout routine, and switching things up every couple of weeks. You may not see the difference right away, but youâll definitely feel it.. Â
How to do it:Â Place a mini resistance band underneath your feet, and stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Maintaining a tight core, step your left foot out to the side, followed by your right. Then step back to the left; thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps:Â 3 sets of 10 steps in each direction.
What it works:Â This is a great move to activate the glutes and build up the sides of the booty.
How to do it: Holding a kettlebell in your right hand, stand on your left leg with palms towards your thighs. Keep your left leg slightly bent. Lean forward, extending right leg straight behind you, until torso is parallel to the floor, and kettlebell lowers straight down until almost touching the floor. Drive into your left heel to return to the standing position. (For an extra challenge, at the end of this move, lift your right leg until it forms a 90 degree angle, then return to start) Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.
What it works: While working the hamstrings and the glutes, youâll also challenge your core stability and strength.
How to do it: Holding a kettlebell or (two dumbbells) in your hands, stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Position the kettlebell in front of your thighs, palms facing your body. Keeping your knees slightly bent, press your hips back as you bend at the waist and lower the weights toward the floor. Squeeze your glutes to return to standing. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: Do 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: A great strength and muscle-building move, the Romanian deadlift works your hip joints and hits the low back, glutes, and hamstrings.Â
How to do it: Hold a kettlebell in front of your thighs with both palms facing toward your body. Stagger your legs, stepping your right foot back and your left foot forward. Your right heel should be off the ground. Push your hips back as you hinge forward, lowering the kettlebell while keeping it close to your legs. Once your hips reach 90 degrees, return to start. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: Do 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.
What it works: Another deadlift variation, youâll target your low back, glutes, and hamstrings while adding weight with the kettlebell.
 How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands clasped in front of your chest. Take a big step to the side with your right leg, then push your hips back, bend your right knee, and lower your body until your right knee is bent 90 degrees. This should take about two seconds. Push back to start. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 on each side.
What it works: A variation on the regular lunge, this is an excellent exercise for developing the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
How to do it: Hold a pair of dumbbells next to your shoulders, your palms facing each other. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your torso as upright as possible throughout the entire movement. Lower your body until the tops of your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push your body back to a standing position as you press the dumbbells directly over your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: Your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutesâessentially all your major leg musclesâhave to work very hard in the squatting part of thrusters. That force developed by your legs is then transmitted into your upper body via your abdominal and lower-back muscles.Â
How to do it: Stand six to eight inches back from a six-inch step (beginners can start with a lower step; work up to 14 inches). Get into an athletic stance with your knees slightly bent and your weight on the balls of your feet. Quickly jump onto the center of the step, then immediately jump back down to start, landing softly on the balls of your feet. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 10 reps.
What it works: Plyometric moves like this build the type-two muscle fibers in your glutes.
How to do it: Hold a dumbbell in each hand, stand about two feet in front of a step; extend your right leg back and place your foot on the step. Bend your knees to lower your body as far as you can (or until your knee hovers right above the ground), keeping your shoulders back and chest up. Pause, then press through your left heel to return to start. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: Split squats target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. And performing the exercise with dumbbells ensures muscular balance on both sides of the body.
How to do it: Stand with your heels shoulder-distance apart, then turn your toes open slightly. Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of your hips. Bend your knees, reach your hips back, and lower down into a squat. Allow your arms to hang so that the kettlebell remains under your shoulders. Lower until your hips are slightly below the level of your knees. Pause at the bottom for two seconds then drive into your heels to stand up. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps
What it works: The sumo squat places more emphasis on the inner thigh adductors, which move your legs in toward your body, and the glutes.
How to do it: Begin in a standing position, with your hips shoulder-width apart. Cross your left leg behind your right leg as you bend your right knee 90 degrees. Extend your right arm out to your side and swing your left arm across your right leg. Jump a few feet to the other side, switching the position of your legs and arms. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
What it works: Not only does this move challenge your balance, engaging your core, says Samuel, it works your lower back, hips, butt, and outer thighs.
How to do it: Stand on one foot, with your other leg bent to a 90-degree angle. Stand with a long, tall spine and abs drawn inward. Rise up onto the balls of your feet with knees straight but not locked. Pause at the top, and squeeze your calf muscles. Lower down just until your feet are in line with the benchâdo not drop them below the level of the bench. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
What it works: Itâs all in the nameâthis move specifically strengthens and tones your calf muscles.
How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and hold a kettlebell in front of your chest. Step back with your right leg and bend both knees as you lower until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. Push through your left foot to stand, then repeat on the other side. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps on each side
What it works: Reverse lunges are safer for the knees because they reduce the pressure compared to regular lunges, when we tend to push our knees too far forward, while still emphasizing the muscles of the glutes, hamstrings, and quads.Â
How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a resistance band under your feet and wrapped around the back of your neck. Keeping your knees slightly bent and your torso straight, slowly bend from your hips until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and return to start. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: The exercise primarily strengthens the muscles on the backside of your body, or what's referred to as your posterior chain. Your glutes (your butt) and hamstrings (the backs of your thighs) drive the movement.
How to: Wrap one end of resistance band around an anchor, and the other around your hips. Place your knees about shoulder-width apart with your feet together. Your feet and knees should form a triangle. Begin by sitting on your feet and then lift your body up and out, extending your hips. Squeeze your glutes together at the end range of movement, while avoiding hyperextending the low back.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps.
What it works: A kneeling hip thrust focuses on hip extension and glute activation without putting pressure on your lower back.
How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips, or holding a kettlebell in front of your chest. Take a big step back with your right leg, crossing it behind your left. Bend your knees and lower your hips until your left thigh is nearly parallel to the floor. Keep your torso upright and your hips and shoulders as square as possible. Return to start. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 on each side.
What it works: Another lunge variation, this one targets your inner thighs as well as your glute medius, a smaller butt muscle that helps stabilize the hips to improve your posture.Â
How to: Place your left foot on the bench and your right foot on the floor. Pushing through with your left foot, lift your body up until you're standing on top of the bench. Drive your right knee up until it forms a 90-degree angle. Pause, then return to start. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.
What it works: Step ups primarily work your quadriceps, the muscles in the front of your thighs, and involve both your knee and hip joints. But your glutes, calves, and hamstrings also assist in the movement, making it a total lower-body exercise.
How to do it: Sit on a box or chair. Lift your right leg and fold your hands in front of your chest, or hold your arms out to the sides for balance. Driving through your left heel, stand up from the chair. Pause, then return to start. Repeat on the other side. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.
What it works: One-legged squats work the same primary muscle groups used for running, including the hips, hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, and calves.
How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes forward, with your hands in front of your chest. Bend your knees, then explosively jump as high as you can. Land softly on the balls of your feet and immediately lower into your next squat.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: Another plyo exercise, squat jumps help engage two types of muscle fibers.Â
How to do it: Stand with your feet in a staggered stance, left foot in front of your right, two or three feet apart. Lower your body into a split squat. Quickly jump up and scissor-kick your legs so that you land with your right leg forward. As soon as your feet land, lower your body into a split squat. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
What it works: Since this is a plyo exercise, youâll engage those type-two muscle fibers in the glutes, resulting in more power.Â
How to: Get on your hands and knees. Wrap one end of a resistance band around your right foot and hold the other down in front of you. While keeping your abs tight, contract your glutes to slowly kick the right leg back until it's straight. At full extension, squeeze your glutes for a second. Slowly bring it back down. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
What it works: This move effectively targets your butt by isolating the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and your hamstring muscles.Â
How to: Lie on your left side, rest your head on your left arm, and place your right hand on the floor in front of your chest. Your bottom leg should be bent, and top leg straight. Without moving any other part of your body, slowly raise your top leg as high as you can. Pause, then return to the starting position. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.
What it works: This helps build the side of the glutes. Lateral movements are key to keeping the booty round.
How to: Start on all fours, hips directly over knees and shoulders directly over wrists. Keeping your spine neutral and core engaged, straighten one leg out to the side or at a 45-degree angle, so the tips of your toes are touching the ground. Lift your straight leg up and around in a rainbow arc behind you. Touch your toes to the ground on the other side of your bent leg, then bring them back to the starting position. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
What it works: This will primarily targets the glutes, but youâll also feel it in the abs, hamstrings, and lower back.
How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor 12 to 16 inches from your butt. Brace your core, then press into your heels and squeeze your glutes to raise your hips toward the ceiling. Hold the position for two seconds before lowering to start. That's one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: Glute bridges are another great move for booty activation as well as strengthening.
How to: Lie on your back with your arms out to the side, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Keeping your thighs aligned, straighten one leg so that your toes point up. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips evenly off the floor, then lower. Thatâs one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps
What it works: This variation will work your back and hamstrings a lot more than the standard glute bridge.
NO. 1Â FAILURE TO SET THE TORSO CORRECTLY BEFORE EACH SET
This is absolutely vital when it comes to maximally effective chest training. Before beginning any set of presses or yes, you must make sure to shrug your shoulders downward while at the same time pushing them back into the bench. In addition, the rib cage should be held high while the lower back keeps a slight arch. This position must be maintained from the first repetition to the last if you want your pec fibers to receive the stimulation necessary to grow bigger and stronger.Â
NO. 2Â USING AN IMPROPER RANGE OF MOTION
This very common error usually occurs because when it comes to chest training, most lifters focus too intensely on how much weight is on the bar rather than on the quality of each repetition. Going only halfway down does little to engage the pecs (while primarily working anterior delts and triceps). You must make sure to go low enough so that the pecs reach a fully stretched positionâ the point at which they will contribute most strongly to the concentric (positive) contraction. In addition, itâs best to not completely lock your elbows at the top of a press, which will serve only to take tension o your chest and further exhaust the triceps.
NO. 3Â NOT ENOUGH TIME UNDER TENSION (TUT)
If you want to build pure strength and power, then by all  means utilize explosive reps. However, if your primary goal is hypertrophy, you need to keep the target muscle under tension for at least 40 seconds. Again, because too many trainees want to impress their social media fans with how much weight they can press, they often fail to exhaust nothing more than their joints and nervous system while leaving the pecs largely under-worked. The best chests have been constructed using sets in the range of eight to 12 reps, while taking between four and five seconds to complete each individual rep.
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The misconception that cable exercises are only for detail and refinement is a result of the fact that cable movements, which are more isolated than free weights and machines, arenât as exhausting as compound movements. Youâre not using your entire body for stabilization and leverage, as you do when struggling to curl an iron bar laden with weight plates. Instead, your body remains still as you squeeze only your biceps all the way up to a full contraction at the top, then smoothly extend them all the way to armâs length at the bottom.
Throughout a set of cable curls, your biceps muscles are under your total control. You feel every twitch of every fiber, you feel the blood being squeezed into both heads, and you feel the pump build and your biceps progressively numbing as they fatigue. Suddenly, theyâre on fire, cramping as never before. Theyâre pumped drum tight. Your biceps are fried, but the rest of your body is fresh. Best of all, your biceps will experience a growth spurt in roundness, hardness, width and peak, along with increased definition.
Since a direct relationship exists between strength and muscle growth, I have always trained to increase my strength, and that objective does not change when I use cables. I stack on enough weight to keep my repetitions in the 10-to-15 range, the same as for my compound free-weight training. With cables, though, I have the additional advantages of a more controlled peak contraction, constant resistance throughout the set, harder negatives, and giant sets and super sets.Â
To add a fresh deep pump and burn to your biceps workout, include one of the following cable exercises each time.
TWO-ARM OVERHEAD CABLE CURL
This is hard to beat for widening your biceps peaks and for slicing a deep separation below the deltoids. The higher you raise your arms, the more of a âcliffâ youâll build into the upper part of your biceps peaks. You can also add an impressive bulge to the inner heads by using a wide grip. For the outer heads, use a narrow grip. Fix your upper arms in position, and donât rock back or pull with your shoulders or lats as you curl.
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ONE-ARM OVERHEAD CABLE CURL
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Use this one for elevating the center peak of your inner biceps heads. Itâs also a superior movement for both inner-head fullness and brachialis separation. Hold your upper arm horizontal and out to the side, then curl toward your head, as if hitting a biceps pose. If you supinate your hand as you curl, youâll feel a powerful emphasis on the inner head. A slight pronation shifts the stress to the outer head and the brachialis. Again, make sure your body and upper arm remain stationary, isolating your biceps.
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TWO-ARM LOW CABLE CURL
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This exercise can hold its own with any compound free-weight movement for quick gains in hardness and roundness of the entire biceps belly. Either brace your elbows against the front of your body or use a preacher bench, then curl with maximum power, equally emphasizing the negative. You wonât believe the pain, but for the ultimate burn, superset these with two-arm overhead cable curls.
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TRY THIS BICEPS ROUTINEÂ
* Rotate among these and two-arm overhead cable curls and two-arm low cable curls from workout to workout.
]]>Luckily, this guide is here to help. Weâre going to take a look at some specific variables that you may be overlooking and attempt to help you build the muscle you want. Letâs take a look and see if maybe one of these is your roadblock.
1. Have a Clear Plan of Action
Even if youâve already started training, itâs smart to sit down and plan out exactly what your goals are and then figure out the exact plan of action to get you there.
When it comes to changing body composition, whether that be putting on muscle mass, increasing strength or losing body fat, a clear plan of action is required to ensure that you are taking the necessary steps to actually achieve those goals.
Without having a solid plan of action, you run the risk of training and eating in ways that arenât conducive to your goals.
For example, if your primary goal is to significantly increase muscle mass, without having a focus on progressively increasing total volume over time, you might not provide your body with the necessary stimulus it needs to actually increase muscle mass.
Additionally, if youâre severely restricting calories, itâs possible that you arenât providing your body with the necessary nutrients required to put on the amount of muscle that youâre hoping for.
Of course, since building muscle is dependent on a wide range of variables, things may cause you to tweak your plan to fit with your current ability, but having initial guidelines will allow you to pinpoint exactly what you need to change rather than simply guessing.
After sitting down and determining exactly what you goals are, you can determine the best plan of action for your own body with regards to how you will train, including specific exercises, rep ranges, your frequency of training and how often youâll rest.
This also extends to how your nutrition will be manipulated based on your current eating habits and your primary goal.
Whether you put on size with ease or consider yourself a hard gainer, these variables determine just how much or how little youâll need to eat in order to maximize progress.
As you can see, there are many different variables that go into your success, no matter what your goal is. Without having a clear plan of action, itâs possible that you arenât even training to increase muscle mass, even though thatâs what youâre hoping for.Â
Sit down and determine your goals and then decide exactly what you need to do to achieve them.
2. Youâre Not Practicing Progressive OverloadÂ
Weâve all seen that person in the gym that always does the same thing, day in and day out and hasnât changed their body composition for years. The reason for this is that they arenât practicing what is known as progressive overload.
Progressive overload is a theory based on the idea that increasing total volume (weight x reps x sets) is a major determinant of increasing muscle size and strength.
I like to think of building muscle mass as the ability to view evolution on a short-term scale.Â
With typical evolution, weâre presented with a stressor, which then forces our bodies to adapt to that stressor in order to survive. In my opinion, and based on the research, increasing muscle mass is no different.
When you go to the gym and lift weights, you are presenting the body with a stressor, which then causes the body to adapt by getting bigger and stronger. However, eventually youâve fully adapted, meaning if you continue to do the same thing over and over again, you wonât grow anymore.
This is a major mistake that many people make, especially when trying to put on muscle. Youâre simply not giving the body a reason to get bigger.
To practice progressive overload, itâs smart to make sure when you are creating your plan of action, that you program specific periods of time when youâll increase one of the three variables of progressive overload (weight, reps and sets).
Doing so will ensure that you consistently provide the body with enough stress to force an adaptation such as increased muscle growth.Â
Further, I strongly suggest keeping a training journal. Doing so will allow you to view your previous performance and then improve each time you repeat workouts or exercises.
Progressively overloading the body and muscle is essential for growth. If you donât practice this principle, you can expect to never increase muscle mass. Â
3. Youâre Using The Same Rep Ranges
Weâve all heard of the typical âbodybuilding rangeâ of repetitions that you should be completing if your goal is to increase muscle mass.
While training in the rep ranges of 8-12 can certainly provide the ability to increase total volume with ease, itâs quite possible that your body has adapted to this rep range, slowing progress.
Fortunately, research has indicated that different rep ranges, whether high or low, can provide similar, yet different growth responses when taken close to failure.
For example, a recent study by leading researcher Brad Schoenfeld and his colleagues determined that subjects training with very light weight, were able to stimulate a similar growth response to lower, heavier rep ranges when taken close to failure.
This means that the old notion of sticking to a single rep range for muscle growth is a thing of the past and might actually be holding you back from reaching your full potential.
Thatâs not to say that the original bodybuilding range of 8-12 isnât optimal, it simply means that using different rep ranges taken close to failure might provide a novel enough stimulus to promote an increase in muscle growth.Â
Keep in mind, however, that while using different rep ranges can be beneficial, you should spend a majority of your time training specifically for your goals. For example, while lightweight taken to failure can elicit a growth response, it wonât be optimal if your primary goal is to increase strength maximally.
A great way to use this theory is to practice what is known as Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP). This is a method of training in which you use similar exercises every week, but vary the rep, weight and set ranges, based on previous workout sessions.
Using this method can provide the necessary stimulus for growth by encouraging the use of different rep and weight ranges while still allowing for progressive overload.Â
While your training should be specific to your goals, having varied weight and rep ranges can certainly be beneficial by providing a novel stimulus to promote an increase in growth.Â
4. Youâre Using The Same Exercises Too Often
As with specific rep ranges, the body can adapt to certain exercises. While improving the efficiency of certain movements like the bench and squat can allow you to use more weight safely, doing so can mean that the adaptation response is minimal.
This means muscle growth can be slowed.
While progressive overload is likely the primary determinant of growth, providing a novel stimulus in terms of exercise can certainly provide enough stress to encourage further muscle growth. As with sticking to the same rep range all of the time, sticking with the same exercises can do the same.
In fact a study, by Fonseca et al. in 2014, showed that trained individuals had greatest increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy when variations of exercises were used.
It was even the case when compared to maintaining certain exercises and increasing weight. Therefore, even when weight is similar, just by simply varying the type of exercise, the body can be provided with the necessary stimulus to grow. Â
However, to be clear, this is quite different from the misinformed idea of muscle confusion. Having too varied exercises and rep ranges all of the time can actually inhibit growth as the body doesnât know how to adapt.
Rather than drastically changing exercises every day, itâs a much better idea to use different variations of exercises occasionally.
For example, rather than going from squatting all of the time to never squatting again, itâs a better idea to continue squatting, but use different variations. Try using high bar, then low bar, narrow stance and wide stance, etc.
Doing so will allow you to practice skill intensive exercises, improving efficiency, but target different positions of the muscle groups involved, providing a novel stimulus to encourage further growth.
Sticking with the same movements over and over again can result in adaptation, meaning a reduced growth response. Using different variations of exercises every so often to continue improving skill will also provide a stimulus to continue growing along with it. Â
5. Youâre Not Eating Appropriately For Your GoalsÂ
Many people often consider eating to be a one-size-fits-all approach. Unfortunately, you canât search online for the right amount of calories and macronutrients you should consume, despite how much you want to.
Individual diets are just that - based on the individual.
The amount of calories and macronutrients you should be consuming are dependent on literally hundreds of different variables including how much you normally eat (maintenance), your goals, your ability to lose or gain weight, how much you exercise, the intensity at which you exercise⌠you get the idea.
When it comes to increasing muscle mass, if youâve found that youâre not progressing, itâs likely you simply arenât eating in ways that are conducive to that goal.
Many times you hear that you need to increase calories significantly in order to pack on muscle. While eating adequate calories and macronutrients is important, itâs a much better idea to eat enough to promote growth, but not so much that you get fat.Â
Your best line of action is to first find your maintenance calorie intake. This means, the amount of calories that you can consume on a daily basis and neither lose nor gain weight.
I suggest weighing yourself in the morning and then track total calorie and macronutrient intake for a period of 5-7 days. Once the week is complete, weigh yourself again under the same conditions as the first time.
If youâve maintained your body weight within a pound or so, itâs safe to say the average of your calorie intake over the course of the week is your maintenance.
Based on finding this number, you can determine if youâre actually eating enough food to put on muscle and can then adjust your intake accordingly.
I always suggest when starting a muscle growth phase that you consume maintenance calories while increasing training and then adjust accordingly. By doing so, youâll provide adequate calories but not so much that you put on body fat.
If, after a week or so muscle mass hasnât changed, you can begin to slowly increase calories by 10-15% and consistently monitor your progress.Â
If youâre having difficulty putting on muscle mass, itâs quite possible that youâre simply not eating enough to promote growth. Depending on if weight gain is difficult for you, you may need to significantly increase food intake.
According to your primary goal, find your maintenance calorie intake and then adjust accordingly to begin promoting the growth response you desire.Â
So What Did We Learn?
Thereâs no denying that increasing muscle mass can often be a difficult task. However, itâs quite likely that there is a sound explanation for why itâs so difficult.
Ensuring that you have a clear plan of action while practicing different techniques to ensure progressive overload is essential for continued progress and increased muscle growth.
Using the above techniques should allow you to pinpoint why youâre not building muscle and then find a way to address it.Â
]]>Yet, if you were to ask the bodybuilding industryâs biggest pros for their numbers of sets, reps and training frequency, youâd be surprised at how much their answers would differ. This means that different training schemes work better for some individuals than for others, which is often a frustrating realization for aspiring bodybuilders seeking the best way to train.
This topic is debated in local gyms, college strength rooms and exercise physiology laboratories. There are so many differing opinions that it makes even the smartest exercise scientistâs head spin. Searching through scientific journals only turns up conclusions that vary from one study to another. Most scientific studies have two major flaws. One problem is that they often involve only a small group of subjects (usually 10-20) who are supposed to represent the bodybuilding majority. The other problem is that many weightlifting studies use beginners as subjects. Even the least-educated bodybuilder knows that beginners respond to training much differently than experienced bodybuilders.
Fortunately, scientists from Arizona State University in Mesa, Arizona, have published a study that could give us some solid answers. They gathered data from 140 well-designed weightlifting studies and compared the optimum number of reps and sets and the best training frequency for inducing strength gains in both novice and trained (defined as having lifted weights consistently for more than one year) weightlifters. Then, the data was analyzed using a statistics method that calculated the optimal rep, set and frequency scheme for beginner and advanced weightlifters (see âStrong Resultsâ chart below).
STRONG RESULTS
This table shows the optimal variables for beginner and advanced weightlifters who are interested in maximizing strength gains.
INTENSITY RULES
Intensity refers to the number of reps and the amount of weight employed.
BEGINNERSÂ | The study concluded that beginners should start with a program of higher reps and lighter weight. Those who have been lifting for less than a year should use weights that allow 12-15 reps to be completed per set. Beginners make considerable strength gains by adaptations that occur within the nervous system. Lifting weights teaches the nervous system how to fire signals to the muscles faster and more efficiently so that the right muscle fibers are optimally recruited during a lift. Using more repetitions allows the nervous system to get more practice, as it must work to control each and every rep.
ADVANCEDÂ | For advanced trainers, heavier weight and lower reps produced the greatest strength gains. If youâve been training for more than a year and are interested in making strength gains, use weights that allow you to complete about six to eight reps per set. According to the concept of progressive overload, as muscles adapt to repeated training, you must challenge them with heavier weight. Therefore, advanced trainers need to use poundage that are relatively heavier than those a beginner would use.Â
Tomorrow we talk about volume.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME
Volume refers to the total number of sets performed for one body part during a workout. If you do three sets of three exercises for chest, the total volume is nine sets.
BEGINNERSÂ | The Arizona team discovered that beginners should complete only three or four sets per body part for good strength results. In the study, optimal results for beginners interested in gaining strength were achieved with three sets of one exercise per body part.
When performing only one exercise per body part, I recommend that it be a basic exercise, such as bench presses or incline bench presses for chest, barbell or dumbbell overhead presses for shoulders, barbell rows or pull downs for back, squats or leg presses for legs, close-grip bench presses or skull crushers for triceps and standing barbell or dumbbell curls for biceps. Considering its lower volume of exercises, this workout can be done as one full-body workout or split into two separate workouts that train the entire body (quads, hams, chest and triceps one day, for example, and back, shoulders, biceps and calves the next).
ADVANCEDÂ | The volume of sets for advanced trainers is increased slightly but still remains on the lower side. Researchers found that advanced trainers who are concentrating on strength gains should perform only about four to six sets per bodypart. For most people, that means three sets of two exercises. The best option is to pick one basic exercise for each muscle (as previously described for beginners) and one assistance exercise (one that trains the muscle group in a similar manner to the basic exercise or that trains the muscle group using a single-joint exercise).
For chest, do flat bench presses and incline dumbbell presses or dumbbell flyes. For shoulders, do barbell or dumbbell overhead presses followed by upright rows or lateral raises. For back, do bent barbell rows or pulldowns followed by one-arm dumbbell rows or seated cable rows. A good leg workout would entail squats or leg presses followed by lunges or leg extensions. For triceps training, perform close-grip bench presses or skull-crushers followed by triceps pressdowns. And for biceps, follow standing barbell or dumbbell curls with preacher curls or incline dumbbell curls.
The best type of workout split is a two- or three-day training split. Again, progressive overload is behind the increase in the number of sets per body part for advanced trainers. As muscles adapt, increase the amount of stress they receive. One way to do this is to increase the number of sets performed. Of course, the increase only enhances strength to a degree. Scientists found that when more than six sets per body part were performed, strength gains were not as significant as for those who trained with four to six sets per body part.Â
WHATâS THE FREQUENCY?
Frequency refers to the number of times a bodypart should be trained each week.
BEGINNERSÂ | As far as weekly training frequency goes, beginners should train each muscle group three times per week. (A beginner may choose to split his body part training over two workouts, resulting in a six-day-a-week program that works each muscle group three times weekly.) Weightlifting trains a beginnerâs nervous system, and by training more frequently, the nervous system can adapt at a faster pace. To make sense of this concept, consider when children learn to ride a bike. The more often they practice, the faster they learn.
ADVANCEDÂ |Â On the other hand, advanced trainers should not train a body part more than twice per week to optimize strength gains. Unlike beginners, advanced trainersâ nervous systems have pretty much adapted by this point. Their strength gains come mainly from adaptations in the muscle fibers themselves. Because training with heavy weights and more total sets causes more muscle damage than beginners would experience if they used lighter weights and fewer sets (as suggested by this study), advanced lifters require more recovery time between workouts. This allows the muscles to regenerate muscle protein and grow larger and stronger.
BOTTOM LINE
Besides the results, there are other important points to take from this study. First, the studyâs conclusions are based on maximizing strength gains. What about maximizing muscle growth? Some would argue that these conclusions could also be applied to muscle growth. Although strength increases are not directly associated with more muscle mass, we know that being stronger will lead to more muscle mass.
Second, donât forget about variety. Regardless of what the study found to be optimal, no single rep range, total number of sets or training frequency will give you optimal results forever. You need to mix it up and change these variables from time to time.
Third and last, you are an individual and should train like one. Even though the studyâs results represent what works best for most lifters, it doesnât mean they will work best for you . Try the suggestions for six to eight weeks. After that, change the variables, whether they worked for you or not. If they did, use them frequently in your training program. If they didnât, try a different technique.
 SUGGESTED BEGINNERSâ PROGRAMÂ
NOTE: Add one warm-up set of 20 light reps of each exercise. The ideal is to train the entire body three times per week on nonconsecutive days.
 SUGGESTED ADVANCED PROGRAMÂ
WORKOUT ONE
WORKOUT TWO
NOTE: Add one warm-up set of 20 light reps for the first exercise for each body part. Train every other day for a total of four times a week.
Iâve been training for a few months, and Iâd like to avoid the common pitfalls that derail others. What are some of the biggest mistakes to avoid in the gym?
ANSWER
You already avoided one of the most common errors, which is thinking only in terms of âdos,â without any regard to the âdonâtsâ that can sabotage training efforts. The possible pitfalls awaiting you could fill volumes, so Iâll cover some of the best general rules to keep you on track.
1) Donât be radical. Â I stuck with the basics and kept things simple. I barely changed a thing for the past years â and even now, I wonât be making alterations until what I do stops working for me. Bodybuildingâs foundations are determination, consistency and persistence. You may want to graduate from a beginnerâs full-body workout to an upper/lower regimen, as in the chart, but I donât suggest being any more radical than that.
2) Donât get discouraged. Â It might take a year before youâll see a change in yourself, but that doesnât mean youâre not making progress. If youâre lifting more than you were a year ago, youâre growing.
3) Donât use a mirror as your guide to progress. Although itâs helpful for competitors pre-contest, a mirror can lead the average bodybuilder off track rather quickly. Donât be tempted to change up your workout to suddenly attack some minor flaw instead of focusing on the major goal: during growth periods, that should be the next weight youâll be lifting, which should be heavier than the one you used last time.
4) Donât keep revamping your workout. Â I know thatâs the current fad, but itâs popular only because itâs the easy way out. If you find what works best, then do more of it, time after time, day in, day out. If it works, why would you want to change it?
5) Donât train every bodypart the same. Â This will become obvious as you gain more experience. Some of your muscle groups will naturally grow faster than others in response to weight-training stimulus. Prioritize lagging muscle groups, hitting them with more intensity and volume to help them keep pace.
6) Donât let your ego dictate your training loads. Bodybuilding isnât about how much weight you can lift; itâs about challenging your muscles for optimal growth. Lift heavy, but make sure every working set builds a pump and burn in the target muscle.
Considering those six rules, hereâs an important caveat: just because someone at your gym, or even a pro bodybuilder like me, tells you to do something, thatâs no reason to follow his every move. Analyze the advice you receive as you apply it to yourself, and donât follow a routine or diet endlessly if youâre not seeing tangible results. Thatâs not to say you should haphazardly switch directions at every sign of a plateau â far from it. But be ready to tweak your approach while evaluating its effects.
Thatâs the only way to discover the path that will yield the best gains for you.
]]>FENUGREEK EXTRACTÂ
Studies show that fenugreek extract boosts testosterone levels through its high saponin content. Saponins are chemical compounds that boost bioavailable testosterone, reduce body fat, and increase muscle mass. Texas A&Mâs Exercise and Nutrition Lab observed that fenugreek paired with exercise had a significant impact on strength and muscle increases.
TRIBULUSÂ
Tribulus boosts testosterone through two methods. First, its high saponin contents allow it to create a natural testosterone boost. Secondly, tribulus increases luteinizing hormone, which is crucial for optimizing testosterone. A trial performed on pro athletes saw significant strength and lean muscle mass gains in those supplementing with tribulus compared with a placebo.
CAESALPINIA BENTHAMIANA
C. benthamiana is an African tropical plant extract well known for its ability to increase testosterone and sex drive. It works by elevating both libido and nitric oxide production in the body, an effective combination when looking to increase test levels.
D-ASPARTIC ACIDÂ
The amino acid functions by inducing luteinizing hormone secretion in the brain. This function is key in stimulating both testosterone synthesis and protein synthesis, meaning youâre not only increasing testosterone but also keeping your body in an anabolic state.
ZINCÂ
Zincâs importance to your body goes far beyond testosterone boosting. This essential mineral is also crucial for proper growth, healthy eyesight, and maintenance of an overall healthy body.
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