The Transition: workout program to shift between bulking up and leaning out

When you’re bulking up during the winter, you traditionally take longer rest periods (around a minute) between exercises so your body can recoup completely. Now that it’s spring, most of us are looking to shift gears to trim up for summer which typically requires full blown high intensity training. But, if you all of a sudden completely change up your program and eliminate or greatly reduce those rest periods (which is what you do during a “trim up” type routine) your body is going to be like “WTF!?”

That’s why you need THE TRANSITION: these workouts give your body that time it needs to literally transition from one type of workout to a completely different beast. These are the three workouts that have been missing from your routine. They can be executed for 1, 2, 3, or even 4 weeks before getting into a more aggressive cut. Think of it as a way to slowly transition into a different style of training.

For a more detailed look at each of the three Transition workouts,

Chest / triceps / abs
Back / biceps
Legs / shoulders / abs


WORKOUT 1
Build a barrel chest, triple-sized triceps, and lean abs

1. BENCH PRESS  Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
2. PUSHUP             Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
3. DIP                      Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
4. HORIZONTAL CABLE WOODCHOP   Sets: 3 Reps: 20 Rest: 45 sec. 
5. HANGING LEG RAISE     Sets: 3 Reps: 20 Rest: 45 sec.


WORKOUT 2
Build a thick back and big biceps

1. DEADLIFT               Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
2. BENTOVER ROW   Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
3. LAT PULLDOW       Sets: 4 Reps: 15 Rest: 45 sec.
4. DUMBBELL ROW   Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
5. SEATED CABLE ROW   Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
6. CABLE PULLOVER   Sets: 4 Reps: 20 Rest: 45 sec.
7. DUMBBELL BICEPS CURL  Sets: 4 Reps: 15 Rest: 45 sec.


WORKOUT 3
Build large legs, strong shoulders, and shredded abs

1. GLUTE BRIDGE   Sets: 3 Reps: 15 Rest: 45 sec.
2. PLANK                  Sets: 3 Reps: 10 sec. Rest: 45 sec.
3. SQUAT                 Sets: 5 Reps: 12 Rest: 45 sec.
4. GOBLET SQUAT  Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
5. DUMBBELL SPLIT SQUAT    Sets: 3 Reps: 10 (each leg) Rest: 45 sec.
6. BARBELL OVERHEAD PRESS   Sets: 4 Reps: 12 Rest: 45 sec.
7. DUMBBELL HIGH PULL   Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 45 sec.
8. SHRUG                Sets: 4 Reps: 15 Rest: 45 sec.

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Chest Workout for Massive Pecs

Muscles are the stringy mass of fibres that contract and expand to make your joints move and stop you crumpling in a saggy heap on the floor. You’ve got between 600 and 700 muscles in your body altogether.

Not all muscle fibres are created equal. Some are made up of slow-twitch fibres that are laced with lots of capillaries to supply them with oxygen, and are mainly used in aerobic, endurance activities such as running.

Other muscles are made up of fast-twitch fibres which have fewer capillaries and convert stored glycogen into glucose to fuel explosive, anaerobic movements such as jumping or lifting heavy weights. It’s these fast-twitch fibres that have the greatest potential for growth, which is why power sportsmen such as sprinters and weightlifters tend to be bulkier than endurance athletes such as marathon runners.

The number of fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibres you have is determined at birth by your genes. This explains why some people pack on muscle easily while others struggle to add weight. But even classic ectomorph (skinny) guys can bulk up with the right training and nutrition – it will just take a bit more work.

The muscle grows when you put sufficient stress on it to create microscopic tears in the muscle fibres which, if you give them sufficient rest and amino acids from protein-rich foods, will heal bigger and stronger than they were before. This process is known as hypertrophy. Once the muscle has healed, it is more resistant to stress, so you need to attack it with bigger weights in order to repeat the damage/repair process that will make it grow again. That’s why you need to subject your muscles to progressive overload or, in other words, keep lifting bigger and bigger weights.

Top 6 exercises for getting bigger pecs

BENCH PRESSES

INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESSES

CABLE CROSSOVERS

DUMBBELL PULLOVERS

INCLINE DUMBBELL FLYES

CHEST ROUTINE

Bench Presses: 3 warm-ups; 3 sets; 8-10 reps

Incline Dumbbell Presses: 1 warm-up; 3 sets; 10-12 reps

Cable Crossovers: 1 warm-up; 3 sets; 10-12 reps

Dumbbell Pullovers: 3 sets; 10-12 reps

Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets;  6-10 reps

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Top 6 Foods for mass

It’s a pretty regular scene: Someone is working out regularly with a well-designed program but isn’t getting the results they’re looking for – whether it’s losing or gaining weight. In these cases, the first thing any competent trainer is likely to do is examine that person’s diet. It is absolutely stunning how often people neglect this vital aspect of fitness. The truth, though, is that you simply cannot out-train a poor diet.
If you’re trying to gain weight, for example, you could actually be doing more harm than good by lifting without making sure your diet is in check. Each time you exercise, you are damaging your muscles in the hopes that this will stimulate the repair work that will make them bigger and stronger. But this work cannot be properly carried out unless your body has the right nutrients in the right amounts. Nutrition, then, makes sure that you can actually benefit from all that hard work in the gym.
So, what follows is a list (in no particular order) of the best foods and best supplements for mass gains. 

Chicken Breast

This is your favorite bodybuilder bodybuilder’s clean food of choice! The reason for that is because it delivers a great amount of protein while minimizing fat content. So how much protein does chicken breast have, you ask? It contains approximately 30g of protein per 4-ounces. With that amount of protein, you see why bodybuilders pack their Tupperware with this clean food!

Fish

You won’t go wrong with your mass-building efforts when you have fish as a dish! Unlike other meat products, it has a low amount of saturated fat and contains omega 3 fatty acids in which delivers a lot of health benefits for your heart.

Also, fish is a diverse clean food because there are a variety of them to choose from. To minimize fat, be sure to bake, broil or grill your fish.

3  mass-building fish options:

1. Alaska wild salmon (27g of protein per 4-oz)
2. Arctic Char (28g of protein per 4-oz)
3. Atlantic Mackerel (22g of protein per 4-oz)

 Lean Beef

This should be a STAPLE of your diet if you want to gain muscle mass. Why? Because it is loaded with all sorts of things conducive to muscle growth. On average, a three-ounce serving of lean beef is only 154 calories, yet it provides ten essential nutrients, including iron, zinc and B-vitamins. More importantly, it provides your body with high quality protein (not all proteins are equal), and a high level of amino acid that works with insulin to promote muscle growth. For those who are trying to lose weight, this should come as great news – a 3 ounce serving of lean beef provides roughly the same amount of protein as 1.5 cups of beans, but at half the calories.

Fruits and Vegetables

As we know fruits and Vegetables are rich source of vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin E, and antioxidants. Which are necessary for your immune system.
Some Fruits and Vegetables contain fiber which helps flush out the substances your body does not need.

Whey

 Derived from milk, whey protein has been considered one of the best supplements for mass by bodybuilders and athletes for decades both because of its convenience and nutritional merit. Not only is whey a complete protein but it is also quickly absorbed and put to use. Since whey is usually purchased as a powder, it can easily be mixed in with other beverages and used to make a shake for a quick meal or snack.

Eggs

Eggs always counted as rich resource of protein. which helps in building muscles very effectively. Eggs also contains vitamin D which is also required in our daily life activities. if can have Eggs in morning breakfast for an healthy breakfast.

Cottage Cheese

Not many people know this, but cottage cheese constitutes relatively pure casein protein. For those who don’t know, casein protein is a slow-digesting protein, which means it is perfect for muscle maintenance. This is useful especially for guys who have no choice but to go long periods without eating. Not forgetting, cottage cheese is also an excellent source of vitamin B12, calcium, and other important nutrients. My advice: buy the nonfat/low-fat version

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Reverse Crunches & Working Your Lower Abs

If you want to sculpt your lower abs, it's time to mix up your classic crunch. Reverse crunches hone in on the bottom portion of your rectus abdominus to take your four pack to a six pack, says personal trainer Mike Donavanik, CSCS. Plus, they train your tranverse abdominis, your natural internal girdle, more than traditional crunches do. But to reap these rewards, you need to know how to do reverse crunches properly. That means not letting your hands, arms, or, even worse, momentum, do the work. Learn how to do reverse crunches the right way with these easy-to-follow instructions.

To strengthen the entire ab area, lie on your back and extend your arms out to the side, or keep your hands behind your head if that’s more comfortable (top illustration). Raise your knees and feet so they create a 90-degree angle. Contract your abdominals and exhale as you lift your hips off the floor with control; your knees will move toward your head (bottom illustration). Try to keep your knees at a right angle. Inhale and slowly lower. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Special Instructions

Don't use your momentum to swing your legs up. Try to keep the motion controlled by your abs.

Do the exercise often for best results. In order to start seeing/feeling results, aim to do 3 to 5 sets 2 to 3 days a week for 7 weeks. For faster results, increase the number of sets and times per week you do this exercise.

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Muscle Building Arm Workout

Big chest muscles, 6-pack abs, big biceps & triceps. That’s what most people want. I feel big shoulders, traps & back are more impressive, but to each his own. Here’s how to build bigger arms and increase biceps & triceps size.

Common Mistakes to Avoid. The number 1 mistake is doing endless biceps curls & triceps extensions to build bigger arms. This works at the advanced level, but for beginners it’s inefficient and counterproductive.

Curls & Extensions. Beginners need compound exercises to build overall muscle mass, not isolation exercises. First big picture, then the details.

Overtraining Your Arms. Arms are small muscles which you hit on all exercises. You can’t train them 5x/week. Muscles grow when they rest.

Neglecting Other Muscles. This will get you out of proportion. Your arms will be too big compared to the rest of your body and you’ll look funny.

Not Eating Enough Food. You’ll never get 18″ biceps if you only weigh 120lbs at 6′. You must gain weight to build bigger arms.

The Workout:

3 x 9 reps of Close Grip Bench Press (superset to) 3 x 9 reps of Barbell Curls
Go to failure on the final set of each exercise here


3 x 10 reps of Dumbbell Skull Crushers (superset to) 3 x 10 reps of Incline Bench Dumbbell Curls
Go to failure on set 2 of each exercise
Go to failure and then add a drop set on the final set of each exercise


In summary, this will allow you to shift heavy weights in a short period of time, and hit between 60-70 working reps. Hitting around 50-70 working reps 2-3 times per week is ideal for muscle gain, allowing at least 48 hours between training muscle groups twice. This is far more optimal than hitting each muscle group once per week with far to much volume, which causes crippling DOMS (muscle soreness) for 2-4 days after lifting.

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Benefits of the Good Morning & (Awesome Hamstring & Back Workout)

The Good Morning exercise gets a bad rap. Some think it's just a Squat gone wrong. Others look at the movement and cringe at the thought of what holding a heavy bar with your torso nearly parallel to the ground is doing to your back.

No doubt, these are legitimate concerns. Unless you have years of intense weightlifting experience, the move does look like a Squat with a less-than-ideal torso position. And it can cause injury if you're not careful.

Fun fact: The Good Morning got its name because the movement is similar to bowing at the waist to say "good morning."

If you never directly train your lower back and strengthen it, you are leaving your body vulnerable with a Huge Weak Link. A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link.
So if never train your back and then find yourself in a real world situation where you have to lift or move something heavy, your lower back will be the first area to get injured because it’s been neglected and naturally weak from never being trained.

Weakest-Link
Don’t let your lower back be the weak link!
The key to doing the Good Morning (or any exercise for that matter) is to start off light and build up the weights gradually over time with progressive overload. You have to master perfect form with light weights before attempting to lift heavier.

The most important technique tip when doing Good Mornings is to maintain an arch in your lower back at all times. When you round your lower back with any exercise that places your back in a vulnerable position for injury. But when you keep your back arched it is in its strongest position.

Benefits of the Good Morning

The Good Morning is classified as a hip hinge exercise, meaning the primary movement comes from hinging your hips—what in common terms is called bending at the waist. This puts it in the same category as the RDL, Kettlebell Swing and Pull-Through. It targets the posterior chain muscles—the glutes, lower back and hamstrings—but it also strengthens other back muscles.

If you look closely at the exercise, it's extremely similar to an RDL except for the bar position. The hips do most of the work in a movement that finishes with your torso nearly parallel to the ground. But holding the bar on your back is what makes the Good Morning such an effective, yet challenging exercise.

"Because the bar is loaded above the center of mass, unlike an RDL, it creates a biomechanically disadvantageous position," explains Joel Seedman, an exercise physiologist and owner of AdvancedHumanPerformance.com. "It really creates strong engagement of the entire posterior chain, all the muscles of the back, all the spinal stabilizers that prevent spinal flexion."

Strengthening these muscles can help you overcome a weakness that might be holding you back in your Squat and Deadlift.

"When most people are squatting and deadlifting, it should be their legs that get you first, but it rarely is," Seedman says. "It's usually their low back, upper back or spinal stabilizers. If you feel like your back has a tendency to give out, Good Mornings are one of the best exercises to address that."

Also, Good Mornings reinforce the hip hinge, which is important for squatting and deadlifting.

"It's really good for teaching those optimal hip hinge mechanics and really working the posterior chain," Seedman says. "It teaches you how to sit the hips back."

How to Perform the Good Morning

Preparation

Position barbell on back of shoulders and grasp bar to sides.

Execution

Keeping back straight, bend hips to lower torso forward until parallel to floor. Raise torso until hips are extended. Repeat.

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The Best Chest Workout

Chest day owns a lot of centre focus from bodybuilders and gym-goers alike – and with good reason.

Who doesn’t want to build strong, solid pecs that help you fill out your t-shirt and broaden your upper body? However, the upper region of the chest is by far the hardest area of the chest to build, therefore it’s important to perform the correct exercises and with proper form.

First thing’s first; it’s important to acknowledge that the chest is split into three main parts; upper, lower and middle, therefore you’ll need to perform a range of exercises in order to target these three key muscle groups.

WORK OUT

Targeted Upper Chest Exercises.
Doing the Upper Chest Exercises Properly.
Weights, Sets and Rest.

NUTRITION

Eating the Right Food at the Right Time.
Using the Right Supplements.
Drinking Water.

REST

Balanced Rest Between Upper Chest Workouts.
Upper Chest Recovery.
Sleep to give your Upper Chest time to grow.

Bench Press

3 x 9 reps (final 2 sets as many reps as possible)

90 seconds rest between sets

Standing Dumbbell Overhead Press

3 x 9 reps (final set drop set to 9 reps)

90 seconds rest between sets

15 Degree Incline DB Flyes

3 x 10 reps (final 2 sets to failure)

75-90 seconds rest between sets

Lateral DB Raises

3 x 12 reps (final 2 sets to failure)

75-90 seconds rest between sets

Tricep Rope Pull Downs

5 x 12 reps (final 2 sets to failure)

30 seconds rest between sets

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Shoulder Training Tips & Building Boulder Shoulders Strong and Healthy Shoulders

If you want some big, bad ass boulder shoulders that make you look like you're wearing a pair of Road Warrior-like studded football pads underneath your shirt, well, this isn't the article you should be reading. Sorry. However, if you want to correct a few muscle imbalances you may have created before you knew better, or if you want to fortify the integrity of your shoulder joints and maybe even improve your posture, then this might be just the article you need.

We all know people who were really into bodybuilding at one time in their lives but eventually dropped out after a few years of hardcore lifting. Why? In many cases, these guys developed so many nagging injuries they eventually just gave up on training. Injuries to the shoulders top the list. It doesn't have to be that way, of course. Proper care and feeding of your "caps" can keep them healthy through years of hard training. After all, you can't build cannonball delts if you're injured.

Here are a few exercises to get your shoulders stronger, healthier, and yes, maybe even a little bigger.
 
Execution Tips and Targeted Muscles

W Shoulder Press  3-4 – Reps: 6-8  – Tempo  3-2-1-1 Rest 10

You will blast the supraspinatus and lateral head of the shoulder with this movement. Stay focused on the proper starting and finishing points for each rep. Prioritize the proper form over the weight load and use a controlled tempo with no less than a three-second lowering phase to reduce shearing forces on the joint. Retract and depress the scapula before starting the set and maintain this position throughout.

Keep a five-degree elbow bend throughout the entire rep to avoid cheating yourself out of benefits. The elbows will come in contact with the lats on the bottom of the movement to indicate the stopping point. Raise the load using a circular motion which should take one or two seconds to reach the top. Smashing the dumbbells together on top of the rep to hear the satisfying clanging sound is not a good idea. A training partner to support proper form, range of motion completion and to provide feedback during the set is very helpful.
 
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press  Sets: 4   –   Reps: 8-10

Prioritize a proper range of motion by touching the dumbbell to the shoulder in the bottom position and achieve a complete stop for one to two seconds. Maintain an externally rotated position during the entire rep. This movement will train the anterior deltoid (front) and medial deltoid (middle).

Bent-Over High Position Shoulder Raise Sets: 3-4 – Reps: 6-8  – Tempo  3-2-1-1 Rest 90

The lower part of the dumbbell should be even with ear. This technique will be more challenging than other positions, but remember the objective is to target the rear deltoid, not to handle the most arbitrary weight load. Fight the temptation to swing the weights up, as this reduces the training benefits. A similar movement can be executed while face down on a 30 degree bench which is the right move when struggling during the bent over position.

Raise the dumbbells to a high position on top of the rep which should be three to four inches higher than the head. It is easy to lose this distance as fatigue sets in. A training partner can help to support the proper form by providing feedback during the set using their hands as targets for the dumbbells to touch at the top of each rep.  Advanced trainees can consider a two to three second pause on top of each rep to maximize muscle fiber recruitment.

 Dumbbell Rear-Delt Raises  Sets: 3-4 – Reps: 6-8  – Tempo  3-2-1-1 Rest 10

The rear-delts are the area of the shoulders in which most people fail to engage fully into their workouts. When looking at the shoulders from the side these are the muscle which makes the shoulder still look 3D as the rear head of the delt can look like a separate muscle if trained correctly.

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The 6-12-25 to Build Bigger, Stronger Workout Protocol

Many clients come to me with a goal of building muscle and losing fat. Initially I take them through a prep phase and a hypertrophy phase, each phase is performed for 3 to 4 weeks. We follow that with the Advanced German Body Composition by Charles Poliquin. The results have been great. Not only does the Advanced GBC lead to fat loss, but it is also quite effective in growing muscle and developing muscular endurance. The 6-12-25 drop set rep scheme includes rep ranges that vary from relative strength, to hypertrophy, and finally to muscle endurance.

Weight/load selection is important for this protocol. You must choose weights that accurately reflect your 6RM of an exercise, your 12RM, and your 25RM. To execute this strategy you need to select a load that will challenge you to get 6 reps with good form at a 40X0 tempo (lowering phase is 4 seconds, no pause, raising phase quickly as possible, no pause, repeat). Take that load and cut it in half. Use this new load to perform 12 reps of the same movement with as little rest as possible at a 20X0 tempo. After that set is complete, cut the load that you did for 12 reps in half once again and attempt to finish 25 reps with it at a 10X0 tempo.

For the first 3 weeks perform 3 sets for each body part. Progress to 4 sets after 3 weeks. The prescribed rest is 10 seconds between the movements and 2 minutes between each set. The cycle is meant to be performed 6 times. Doing it longer will hinder your results.

Day 1 Shoulders and Abs:

A1. 6 reps: Standing Military Press – 40X0 tempo (4=4 seconds down 0=zero rest at the bottom of the movement, x=explode & 0=zero rest at the top of the movement), Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Seated Dumbbell Presses (elbows facing forward (supinated grip)) – 30X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Prone Dumbbell Lateral Raises on 45 Degree Incline Bench (on your stomach, for rear delts) – 20X0 tempo – Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

A1. 6 reps: Weighted Hanging Leg Raises – 40X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Weighted Cable Crunches – 30X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Floor Crunches – 20X0 tempo, Rest 120 seconds. (Repeat 2-5 times)

Day 2 Arms:

A1. 6 reps: Standing Olympic Bar Curls – 40X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Seated Incline Bench (45 Degree) Dumbbell Curls – 30X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: High Cable Curls – 20X0 tempo, Rest 120 seconds. Repeat 2-5 times

A1. 6 reps: Weighted Dips – 40X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Lying Dumbbell Extension (dumbbell scull crushers) – 30X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Overhead Rope Extension – 20X0 tempo, Rest 120 seconds. (Repeat 2-5 times)

Day 4 Quads & Hips:

A1. 6 reps: Medium Stance Squats – 40X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Bulgarian Split Squats with Weight – 30X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Leg Extensions – 20X0 tempo, Rest 120 seconds. (Repeat 2-5 times)

A1. 6 reps: Medium Stance Deadlifts – 40X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Leg Curls – 30X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Back Extensions or good mornings – 20X0 tempo, Rest 120 seconds. (Repeat 2-5 times)

Day 6 Chest & Back:

A1. 6 reps: Incline Bench Press – 40X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Flat Dumbbell Press (supinated grip)  – 30X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Cable Flys – 20X0 tempo  OR  weighted flys, Rest 120 seconds. (Repeat 2-5 times)

A1. 6 reps: Bent Over Rows – 40X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A2. 12 reps: Neutral Grip Chin Ups – 30X0 tempo, Rest 10 seconds

A3. 25 reps: Rope Rows – 20X0 tempo, Rest 120 seconds. (Repeat 2-5 times)

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Get Strong With These 15-Minute Workouts

You don’t have to spend your whole life in the gym to see amazing results.This workout, designed especially for Women’s Health, will take just 15 minutes out of your day. You can even train at home. Do it three or four times a week, upping the intensity as you get fitter.

1. Single-Leg Renegade Row  Repeat for 8-12 reps

This is the ultimate two-for-one move to challenge your balance and strength. From up above (your back, arms and core) to down below (your glutes and hamstrings), you’ll feel the burn — fast. Can you hold steady without skipping a beat?

2. Glute Bridge with Chest Press  Repeat for 8-12 reps

If you thought plain old chest press was hard enough, try adding a lower-body challenge to the mix! This functional movement works your chest and arms, while giving your booty some TLC, too.

3. Reverse Mountain Climbers  Repeat on the opposite side, and continue to alternate for 8 reps

Work all planes of motion in this dynamic twist on the standard plank. Thanks to the knee drives, you’ll be forced you to engage even more stabilizer muscles than usual to keep you steady. And depending on how fast your footwork is, you’ll also ramp up your heart rate, too.

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The Best 6 Workout Finishers

you’ve charged through your training session, or at least what was on paper for today. And truth be told, you’re feeling good. You even have ten minutes left before you need to head back to your daily existence.

So, what can you do to best make use of this available time and energy?

Enter the finisher. As the name suggests, this is a short and simple training piece thrown in at the end of your session. Usually, this involves thrashing yourself to within an inch of your life, making sure you end up in a puddle of sweat on the floor with nothing left to give.

But that’s not the only way to structure your finisher. I propose this time can be used more productively and constructively. Here are six options for the next time you find yourself craving a little more work at the end of your session.

1)Slide Board Intervals

After a leg dominant day, finish with 4 reps (of 20-30 seconds) sliding side-to-side as fast as you can. Rest 60 seconds in between each set. Make sure to keep your hips down (I like to call it “being athletic”) and your chest should be up so that someone watching can read your shirt. Walking stairs, of simply getting out of bed the next day, could be an interesting sight.

2)Chest finisher: The 40-second press-up

How to do it: Get into the normal position for a press-up, ensure that your back is completely flat from head to toe, and your core remains tense. Spend the first 20 seconds slowly lowering your body to within one inch of the floor and the second 20 seconds pushing yourself back up to the start position. If it’s not too embarrassing try to shout out each second, this will have you to maintain a steady pace throughout the reps.

3)Wrist Roller + Barbell Reverse Curl

You can do this finisher at the end of any day. Get a wrist roller with 5-10 lb on the end of it, as well as a barbell with 5-10 lb on each side (depending on your strength level). You’ll perform these for five minutes straight, without rest. Use the wrist roller up-and-down two (2) times before doing eight (8) barbell reverse curls. Once you’ve finished, you’ll repeat without rest until the five minutes is up.

4)Back finisher:Seated plate rows

How to do it: Stack up the seated row machine with 5kg plates until you’ve hit a weight that you can comfortably lift for 12 reps. Sit yourself on the machine with your arms extended and just below shoulder height. Pull the handles towards you keeping your elbows tucked in and then begin to extend back to the start position. Stop a quarter of the way into the motion and pull back to the top position again before fully extending your arms. We like to call this the ‘baby pump’ rep, a smaller range of motion but no less punishing.

5)Run the Rack + OH Extension (arms)

Literally the best way to pump up your arms. Ready? Choose a weight you can get a strict 8 reps of DB hammer curls with to start. Perform 8 reps on each arm, alternating each rep. Once done, grab a 25-45 lb plate and do 10-15 reps of overhead triceps extension. Your palms should be facing each other as well as your elbows in by your ears during this exercise. After that, take a quick walk to the opposite wall before returning to do the superset once again.

6)Drop Bench Shoulder Press

A great finish to any pressing dominant day. Start an adjustable bench up at 90 degrees (the same as it would be for a DB military press). Perform 8 reps of DB military press, and then lower the bench one hole. Perform 8 more reps before lowering the bench once again. Continue to do this until you have lowered the bench 4-5 times. The only rest that you get is to lower the bench to next level. The weight shouldn’t change during this exercise, so choose your weight wisely. On your second set, start the bench as you finished (flat) and work your way up to the military position.

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The Ultimate Back Workout For Mass & Strength

If you are one of those people who only like to work out your “Show Muscles” (chest, arms, abs and some shoulders) then move on, but if you are looking to have a thick, dense and well balanced upper body then stick around. I am going to discuss how to turn your Baby Back into Wide Thick Wings of Muscle.

The torso is the focal core of the body. Not only does it house the most vital organs of our body but it also provides the bulk of the support and strength we need to function through the day, no matter how small the movement. If you continue to work your back, you can guarantee that you’ll have balanced and strong muscles to support you. With stronger back muscles with these top 5 exercises you’ll be able to:

BEST BACK WORKOUT FOR MASS #1 Deadlift (5 Sets x 8 Reps)
 
Deadlifts are one of the best exercises to increase posterior chain strength, which a lot of people lack especially in the lumbar back.  Proper technique is crucial though so make sure you have that nailed before upping the load.

BEST BACK WORKOUT FOR MASS #2 Barbell Row (5 Sets x 8 Reps, Last set max reps 30% less)

The barbell row is a staple in my back workouts because it works everything from the erector spinae up to the traps.

I prefer this type of row because it allows you to work your back through a fuller range of motion than the more upright position.

And in case you’re worried about your lower back, the reality is if you’re keeping your form in, and deadlifting every week, you’ll never be rowing enough weight to cause an issue.

That said, if you find the Pendlay row uncomfortable, stick to the traditional row.

BEST BACK WORKOUT FOR MASS #3 Dumbbell Row (5 Sets x 8 Reps, Last set max reps 30% less)

The dumbbell row allows you to safely overload your upper back with a full range of motion.

BEST BACK WORKOUT FOR MASS #4 Pronated Grip Weighted Chin Ups (5 Sets x 8 Reps, Last set max reps 30% less)

Weighted chin ups – This is another great back exercise especially to get that v shape on the Lats. If you can’t do 10 without weight then stick to bodyweight.  On the last set take the weight off and do max reps.

BEST BACK WORKOUT FOR MASS #5 T-Bar Row (5 Sets x 8 Reps, Last set max reps 30% less)

The t-bar row is another worthwhile type of row that I like to do.

BEST BACK WORKOUT FOR MASS #6

Seated Cable Row (Wide- and Close-Grip) (5 Sets x 8 Reps, Last set max reps 30% less)

Last but not least is the seated row, which is yet another row that’s great for building your upper back.

After your back workout we recommend consuming a high protein shake, like Vitalstrength Pro-Muscle to help build muscle size and feed your muscles. Pro-Muscle is a genuine high protein mass gainer that is packed with superior quality whey protein isolates, delivering muscle growth nutrients when you need them most.

Both Nutrition and Supplementation are paramount to any training routine. Without proper Nutrition i.e. the appropriate balance of protein, fats and carbs you will never maximise your muscle gains. The supplements you choose are a personal preference, however it is important to ensure your body has the fuel it requires to perform at a level which delivers muscle building results. Make sure all supplements are of high quality and support your training goals.

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The Top 11 Exercises To Burn Fat in

They work every muscle in your body. You’ll burn a lot of calories and your heart rate will go sky high. It’s certainly an amazing exercise to burn fat.

But I personally believe there are 11 moves that are better for fat loss training,especially for men with some serious miles on their bodies. 

What do I mean by better?

Well, the burpee is a really complex movement that combines a hip-hinge, plank, pushup, squat, and jump.

If you’re not great at any one of those moves—whether it be due to a lack of strength, mobility, or motor control—then trust me when I say that your burpee will be even worse. There is a lot going on, more than is necessary to achieve the fat loss results you’re looking for.

I have three main criteria when selecting exercises for metabolic conditioning workouts. The moves must:

•    Work most of your body, especially your shoulders and hips
•    Be as low-impact and low-skill as possible
•    Be safe to perform for higher reps and with shorter rest periods

I like moves that are easier to perform, but still melt your face off. Here are 11 simpler and safer ways to burn fat than burpees.

 1- Goblet Squat

This is arguably the best way to squat, period.

Front-loading the weight allows you to keep your trunk more upright. This takes stress off your spine and works your thighs more.

Goblet squats are also safer to perform and more accessible than barbell squats, especially for higher-rep fat-loss training.

All you need is a dumbbell (easier) or a kettlebell (harder). Just stand and sit tall and repeat. These are great for high reps and really tax your shoulders and core.

One of my favorite ways to redline with this move is to do 10 reps per minute for 10 minutes straight while holding a weight that is at least half of your total body weight.

2- Landmine Squat & Press

Landmine exercises are endless. The requirement to hold that bar creates a really good angle for your body to squat and press. Load that sucker up and use your entire body!

3- Anti-Gravity Press

Wow! This one sets your rear delts (back of your shoulders) on fire! Seriously, I've yet to meet a harder shoulder exercise. I love/hate this one, and it's helped a ton with my shoulder injuries.

 4- Burpees

 This at home cardio move tones your core, upper body and legs all at once- it’s a triple threat exercise that everyone tends to dread for good reason; they are hard! But they also work.

 5- Jumping Lunges

 Lunges are a fantastic thigh toning exercise; add in the momentum required to jump up in between lunges and the move turns into an incredible calorie burner.

6-  Push Ups

 Push ups are a total body exercise that are easily modified and can be made to be very challenging, even for the most avid exerciser. If a regular push up feels too easy for you, try the Single Leg Push Up.

7- Reverse Lunge & Punch

Boxing will be big in 2017. It just feels good to throw a punch. Combine that with a Reverse Lunge and you'll get  full body burner!

8- Plank One-Arm Rotations

This nails your core while holding the Plank but then engages the back of your shoulders and pecs when you pull the dumbbell through. Another great one for either warm-up or  finisher.

9- Kettlebell Cross & Press

Now we get tricky. Pulling across your body engages the lats and shoulders, but the initial pull starts with the glute muscles! You get a full-body burner!

10- Bear Crawl

You learned to crawl before you learned to walk or run, or at least you should have.

Bear crawls have more benefits than just about any other move out there.

They improve your rib and pelvic positioning and your breathing mechanics. They boost your shoulder stability and strengthen your hands, wrists, and core. And they tax both your thighs and upper body, making for a spirited fat-burning festival.

I like to mix between walking lunges (see below) and bear crawls for the best of both worlds. In fact, bear crawls actually improve your lunging mechanics.

Bear crawl for one minute, then lunge for two minutes. That’s one round. Perform up to 10 total rounds for a 30-minute fat burner you can do anywhere.

11-  Side Planks with Leg Raises

 While this most specifically targets the outer thighs, obliques, and deltoids, it requires the strength and coordination of the entire body to hold up the base Pilates side plank.

There you go! Like I said before, plug these top exercises into your normal routine and you'll see some big-time changes!

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Muscle Gain Mistakes

Although it may seem strange to talk about how to gain weight as we approach the holidays (where people typically gain weight without trying very hard), the simple fact is that, for athletes and bodybuilders, the winter (when it’s cold outside and you’re covered up) has always been one of the primary times that trainees focus on muscle gain.
You can worry about being lean and having a six pack when it’s warm and you don’t look stupid being mostly nude. The winter is a good time to pack on some muscle mass and justify all that Halloween candy (“I’m bulking, bro”).
But in the same way that many diets fail for a lot of reasons, there are equally common reasons that trainees fail to make the muscular gains that they desire. I want to look at several of them, addressing potential solutions along the way.

 Why Cutting Carbs Won’t Help You Build Mass

The reason why cutting carbs is so ineffective is actually a lot simpler than you think. There are pretty much only two things that don’t contain any carbs at all: meat and water. Not only are you not going to chow down on chicken, salmon and beef for every single snack and meal, but you can’t. Not if you want to maintain basic biological functions.

There’s a reason you’re supposed to eat a variety of foods; you can’t get good enough nutrition from just one kind of food. You wouldn’t be able to get enough calories even if you chose to follow a low-carb diet. Calories are an important part of building muscle.

 Calories In And More Calories In

Put simply, you can’t build mass if you don’t eat enough. You need all the macros – carbs, protein and fat – and you need a lot of them. If you’re putting yourself through intense fitness training, you’re going to burn through tons of energy – and fast. You need some calories left over for your body to use in the msucle building process after you’re done expending.

 If You Eat The Right Carbs, You’ll Be Fine

Just because you should eat more calories – and carbs – doesn’t mean you have to eat a ton of junk food to fill in the gaps. Carbs from whole foods like fruits, vegetables, animal proteins and even dairy and grains, are good for you. Some are higher in calories, but they’re good calories. At least if you compare the calories packed into a bag of chips. Don’t fall for the myth that carbs from whole foods are bad just because they’re sugar. As long as you’re eating healthy food, along with the occasional treat, you’re going to be fine.

If you want to gain muscle, eat. Don’t pay attention to the “diet experts” who say low-carb is the way to go. The more sustainable calories you eat, the more your muscles will be able to grow. It’s the combination of intense workouts and healthy eating that’s going to get results, not some fad theories about how food affects your body.

No Cardio

This is a huge mistake that I see all the time and 99% of the time men fall victim to the no cardio approach in the off season. They justify it by saying “I don’t want to lose any size”. Well, I am here to tell you that three 30 minute cardio sessions a week will do wonders for your bulking phase. By incorporating a cardio routine into your workout program, your appetite will go through the roof, which will make it a lot easier to eat clean healthy food.

You also will improve your cardiovascular system, which is critical when lifting heavy. I have seen countless guys fail to reach their desired rep range because their cardiovascular system failed on them. They were strong enough to get those extra 2 reps but were too out of breath and had to rack the weight. Sooner or later you will start losing muscle if you don’t reach your desired rep range. If you want to put on that size start, then start doing some cardio.

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7 Biggest Nutritional Mistakes of Bodybuilders

When you’re trying to add quality muscle mass, you have to make sure your entire muscle-building regimen is catered to achieve that goal. The main areas to consider include your nutrition plan, training program, supplement plan and recovery protocol. As you’ve already learned from the training element of this superfeature, “7 Biggest Offseason Mass-Building Training Mistakes,” you need to emphasize heavy, compound movements when you’re trying to maximize muscle gains. [Melissa – We may need to tweak the wording here once we have the title for the complementary article. JH] Even if your training is impeccable, however, you may not be supporting your hard work in the gym with the smartest nutrition strategies for your body. In fact, many committed bodybuilders set themselves up for failure by making nutritional blunders.

A common explanation is that some guys are so gym-focused that they forget to take care of business when they aren’t lifting. Keep in mind, however, that you can’t grow if you’re going off-track during the other 23-or-so hours of the day. To help you get back on track, we’ve identified the seven biggest nutrition mistakes bodybuilders make when trying to add quality mass.

Dieting impatiently. A lot of bodybuilders hop from one diet to another without ever giving the first program adequate time to work. It takes no less than three weeks for your body to become accustomed to nutritional changes. You can look forward to seeing noticeable changes after about 21 days if you start a high carb, modest protein, and low fat diet with reduced calories in order to lose fat.

 Eating Too Much We all know the biology. Excess calories are stored as bodyfat. For overeating to be at the top of the nutritional false move list is no mistake. Building muscle is the number one goal of bodybuilding and bodyfat is the bodybuilder's number one enemy. What's the sense of working an impressive set of muscles requiring much blood, sweat and tears, if it's obscured by a layer of lard? May I suggest the obvious? If you are overweight, eat less. The simple act on consuming less food will cause you to lose weight. Be aware, however, that if you eat less but retain your current food profile, you will just construct a miniature version of your old self. Less of the same will shrink you, but your proportion of muscle to bodyfat will stay the same. The end result? You look like your old self, just pounds lighter. Truly sensational physical transformation lies in losing bodyfat while maintaining muscle. To achieve true nutritional nirvana, building muscle while simultaneously losing bodyfat, we need to practice nutrient based dieting.

      To lose fat and retain muscle, besides doing aerobic exercise, you need to eat precise amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. You need to become nutrient conscious. Read the labels on the food you eat. What is the consensus on achieving metabolic nirvana? To hang on to muscle, you need protein and lots of it. To maintain energy and fuel growth you need quality cards. To shed the fat blanket and keep the muscle, to effect the physical transformation you seek, you need lots of quality nutrients, but not in excess. You tread the razor's edge between enough and too much. Everyone is different. Experiment and monitor.

Insufficient ProteinThe fact remains: Protein is the single most important nutrient for muscle regeneration and building. The trick is to use only lean protein. Protein and fat usually coexist in food sources. Meat, fish, fowl, dairy, these primary sources all can have much fat content. In the old days, we did not worry about such inconveniences. As a result, heavy protein consumers developed nasty clogged arteries and astronomical cholesterol rates. The fault wasn't in the protein, but the fat attached to the protein.

 Skim milk, egg whites, fish, skinless fowl, flank steak, and of course that staple of weight training, protein powder. These foods represent powerful, clean protein sources. Start by ingesting 1 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. To stay anabolic, divide the total intake into 4-8 equal portions and eat these low fat protein sources at regular intervals throughout the day.

Not eating frequent, small meals. You should be eating five to six meals per day ranging from 300-1000 calories dependent on your size and targets, for the best results in terms of elevated energy levels, reduced body fat, muscle enlargement, and first-class gastrointestinal health. You should also have a hoard of meal replacement shakes, which have the precise nutrient profiles that you require.


Too Much Fat & Sugar The twin demons of nutrition. Fat is calorically the densest of all nutrients, with nine calories per gram. Fat is hard to digest and is the body's preferred storage material. Though a certain amount of fat is needed for brain and other bodily functions, the little that's required is easily acquired through regular low fat eating.

      Excess sugar is easily converted to fat once in the body. Buyer beware: A food may be advertised as low fat and still be loaded with sugar. Taken in excess, this sugar can be quickly converted to fat. Quite a few a few of the sports drinks and nutritional sports bars are loaded with sugar. Limit fat intake to roughly 15% of your total caloric consumption.

Not Drinking Enough Water As we know, the body is 67% water, and we should drink lots of water throughout the day. Water courses throughout the body's plumbing; downing copious amounts throughout the day keeps the pipes clean as chrome. So flush the system continually and regularly, regenerating muscle cells through water replenishment. Drink 10 eight ounce glasses of water a day.

Not setting goals. The chief mistake a lot of people make is starting a fat loss program without really making a decision. It may appear unimportant, but having a meaningful reason is vital to success. During moments of weakness, when your healthy meals look too bland and all you want is takeout, when you decide you’re too tired to workout, and when you just don’t feel like it, that your decision comes into play.

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4 Performance Benefits of the Dumbbell Bench Press

Bench presses help you build a strong chest, and the dumbbell bench press offers some benefits not available with other chest exercises. You challenge the muscles of the chest and shoulders, and dumbbells allow greater range of movement and activate numerous stabilizing muscles.

1. Unilateral dumbbell bench pressing closely simulates real-world athletic performance.

Most sport actions are performed unilaterally—swimmers pull one stroke at a time, ball players push off with one hand, and so on. When the Bench Press is performed bilaterally in a seated position, the core has been shown to be less engaged than it is when you are standing. Moving from the Barbell Bench to the Dumbbell Bench will help recruit your trunk and stabilizer muscles, while also helping you bridge the gap between the movement in the gym and the action you want to achieve on the playing field.2. You can increase your range of motion.


To improve your Bench Press and performance, range of motion is critical. One limiting factor of the traditional Barbell Bench Press is a restricted range of motion, depending on the shoulder width of the athlete. Researchers found that when participants used dumbbells instead of a barbell, they achieved a greater range of motion during the bench pressing movement. Which, if you are wanting to train the full of range of motion of the movement, is helpful to know.

 3. Free Weights

Using dumbbells for the chest press requires you to engage a greater number of muscles than you engage using a chest press machine. In a machine-based chest press, the primary mover is the pectorals alone. Your triceps and shoulders act only as stabilizers. Using dumbbells better simulates real-life lifting and promotes whole-body stabilization.
 

4. Compared with Barbells

The dumbbell chest press activates the lower fibers of the chest press better than a barbell press, according to a study sponsored by “Muscle and Fitness” magazine. When researchers measured the muscle activation of 10 athletes during each exercise, they found the barbell press to be more effective at working the upper chest muscles and the fronts of the shoulders. The lower pecs get a better workout with the dumbbell press because your hands are free to move across your body when you use dumbbells, rather than remaining in a fixed position on a bar as in the barbell press. Using dumbbells also forces each side of your body to bear equal weight -- your dominant side cannot compensate for the weaker side as with a barbell press.

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How To Get Six Pack Abs? Diet Plan and Workout Strategy

A tight and lean stomach is a great feature to have. “Washboard abs,” “abs of steel,” “six pack” – call it what you will, visible abdominal muscles are a highly coveted attribute for many, and there are definitely good reasons for that.

Besides the obvious physical appeal, six pack abs signify a person’s level of health and strength, as well as dedication to their diet and exercise program. It’s no wonder the elusive six pack is a desirable trophy for those interested in changing their physique and getting in shape.

However, six pack abs by themselves are not real indicators of anything except for low body fat levels.

Visible abs are often a natural by-product of strength and physical health, but if they are the result of extremely restricted eating and endless cardio, your six pack won’t do much for you, other than make you look good shirtless.

Unfortunately, despite what Dr. Oz says, there are no miracle pills that will give you six pack abs (or if there are, they probably come along with a whole host of nasty side effects). Instead, to gain that impressive physique in a healthy way, you’ll need to build a foundation of strength and overall physical health before taking further steps to get those washboard abs.

1. Exercise is 25% important, Diet is 75% vital

In the event that you are a lethargic kindred like me, who likes to invest the base exertion for the base result, this is an uplifting news for you. Six pack abs diet incorporates - low fat, low calorie sustenances; drink a great deal of water, keep away from sugar and there can be weight reduction supplements according to your prerequisite. Activity is essential, however the measure of exertion you should get the same result by activity is limitlessly unique in relation to in the event that you control your eating regimen alongside your best work out. You may run 10 miles consistently and you wind up smoldering 300-500 calories. You can abstain from stocking up on those calories by not eating a chocolate frozen yogurt - as basic.

Dieting guidelines

• Choose the right carbs:

Carbs are good for your health. You might have heard this many times. However, eating the right kind of carbs is more important. In order to achieve six-pack abs, you have to cut out the white carbs and concentrate on the brown ones such as the brown rice, brown bread, and oats, etc. This is because these slow moving carbs could impart a feeling of satiation making your feel less hungry.

• Have your quota of proteins in the morning:

You should count your calories while attempting to achieve the six packs. However, getting rid of the fat on top of the abs is more important. A protein-based diet early in the morning can reduce your desire to eat less throughout the day. You should have your quota of Greek yogurt, egg whites, as well as Canadian bacon instead of the ham and the steak.

• A strict NO for processed foods:

The common rule is that when you have to process foods, you have to remove some of its nutrients. In addition, you have to add unhealthy fats, sugar substitutes, and other preservatives. They may impart taste to the processed foods. However, they do more harm than good. You should substitute these processed foods with low-calorie fruits and vegetables such as broccoli.

• Drink plenty of water:

This is an oft-repeated truth. Drinking water in large quantities throughout the day can help you lose weight easily. It is better if you have cold water, as the body tends to spend energy in warming the cold water. This would also help to keep your mind off the sugary cool drinks that you might crave to have.

• Consume fats, but go for the healthy ones:

Consuming monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats present in foods such as olive oils, fish oils, peanut butter, avocado, and nuts is desirable when you diet. You should ensure to maintain the fat content between 20% and 30%. Consuming healthy fats can also keep you satiated for a long time thereby reducing the urge to go back to the fridge every time you wish to have something.

• Eat less but eat often:

Having six small meals in a day is better than having two full meals. You should ensure that you never feel hungry. If you eat the right foods, you will never feel hungry at any time. Your body metabolism will be on duty right through the day helping you achieve the six-pack abs. Researches have shown that eating 4-5 times a day dramatically reduces the threat of obesity.

Diet plan for six pack abs - Rememeber the 3-day-1-day principle? For 3 days, be on an exceptionally strict low-fat, low-sugar, high-protein diet. By low-starch, I intend to maintain a strategic distance from sugar (or desserts), dull foods(e.g. potatoes, bread, rice). The following day-let yourself free a bit. Have a higher measure of sugars. Eat ordinary nourishment - have bread, root some sugar. The morning after this day, you will see genuine diminishments. Try not to trust me? Attempt it and see with your own eyes.

The advantage of this plan is two fold. Firstly, that one day of abundant starches raises metabolic rate to a typical. Along these lines you trick your body for a little measure of time. It's much simpler to tail this routine since you'll have a break from slimming down each fourth day.

There are 50 different things that ought to be dealt with that could be specified yet this will help you from beyond any doubt like it helped me. So attempt to add this to your routine for some time and you will see the distinction.

Best Exercises

The planks
The reverse crunch
L-Sit
Jumps
Trunk rotations

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How to build a wide, strong back?The Visual Impact of a V-Taper

Your back is the utmost important factor that creates the visual impact of a V-shaped body, not the shoulders (although they’re nearly as important) we call this the V-taper.

To get the foundation of a V-taper right, you need to build yourself a ‘cobra back’…

And to build a wide cobra back, you need to build yourself some extremely wide and protruding lattimus dorsi muscles (lats as the bodybuilders call them), and that’s simply because the outer line of the lattimus dorsi, is the line that creates the actual visual impact of a V .. Known as the V taper.

Back Training Frequency and Optimal Set/Rep Patterns

 Machine training and high-rep “pump” work will never allow a natural trainee to build that thick wide back, as it is a fact that the main muscles of the back are multi-sided large bundles of muscle fibers which respond best to heavy pulling work.

Also the fact that the back has so many isolated muscles, makes isolation work for back not only ineffective, but also incredibly time consuming. It’s much more effective if you pick 1-2 “main movements” that you lift with a rep range of 2-6 per set and 2-3 “assistance movements” which you work with 8-12 reps per set to expand the muscle glycogen stores and add some mass.

When it comes to the amount of sets, anything between 2-4 is good, more than that and you’re just going to overtax the central nervous system (CNS).

Here’s the cobra back workout template;

Main exercise 4×3
Another main exercise 6×2
Assistance exercise 8×3
Another assistance exercise 10×3
Yet another assistance exercise 12×3

So what are the best exercises for the muscles mentioned above to create this?

1) Wide grip pull-ups (preferably weighted) are the one and only movement you need to get your lats growing with incredible speed. It’s superior to any isolation exercise and will build the muscles in your back in a wonderful symmetry.

2) Chin-ups (preferably weighted) are the only movement that you need to really grow your teres minor, teres major, and rhomboid muscles. Not to mention that they will also widen the lats and build the other back muscles in a great symmetry too.

3) Straight arm push downs are also a great movement as they also involve the teres major – a good thing since it completes the look of the lats and increases the width of your back as well as the posterior deltoid.

4) Deadlifting is also important, as it’s easily the number 1 exercise that adds some serious mass into your back. Deadlifts literally work the whole back, every single muscle you have there. And even though some people claim that it’ll also make your lower back wider, that really doesn’t happen, at least not to any noticeable degree as your upper back will grow simultaneously with it.

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15 Minutes Exercises Fat Body Routine

Burning fat can help you to have the kind of body you have always dreamed of having. There are quite a few methods available for losing fat, but at the core, you need to have some great exercises. I found this heavenly article with information about how to start burning fat.

This simple 10 – 15 minute Beginner’s Total Body Fat Blasting Routine will have you losing body fat and boosting your self-esteem as you begin your get fit journey! 

Exercises:
1. Side Lying Leg Lifts – 15 reps on each leg
2. Squat Jumps – 15 reps
3. Knee Pushups – 15 reps
4. Hammer Curls – 15 reps
5. Crunches – 30 reps.

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Complete Guide to Get Big Arms

Big arms. You want them. And we're talking about biceps and triceps here – not "fatceps." No one cares what your arm measures when it's coated in three inches of fat. If you don't have a single visible vein wrapping itself around your biceps then you've got work to do. Here's how to do it.

A Simple Rule for Arm Training

Before your next session arm, follow this simple rule to keep your elbows to get angry: biceps before triceps and biceps and triceps together.

Does your biceps work first. This will draw blood around the bend and give a bit of a "cushion" for the triceps after work. Also, always working arms together on the same day. I divided the arms of a certain number of times, but have always made the best progress by working biceps and triceps together.

Biceps

1 – Switch-Grip Barbell Curls
2 – Incline Dumbbell Curls to Standing Hammer Curls
3 – Prone Incline Concentration Curls

Triceps

And just like the biceps, depending on the year and how it is performed, some heads will receive more power than others. Of course, all the heads of the triceps will be "involved" in any movement to activate them, but what we are talking about is to direct the greatest amount of tension in a particular area.

1 – Knuckles-Down Swivel Bar Pushdowns
2 – Reverse-Grip Smith Machine Press
3 – PJR Pullovers

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Top 6 Diet Foods for Feeling Full

Well-balanced meals and snacks are both important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But whether it's because you find yourself mindlessly snacking or because your meals aren't keeping you as full as you'd like, sometimes you need something to keep you from rummaging through the pantry. Here are 6 appetite-suppressing foods that keep you feeling full!

Tip #1 – Eat More Cauliflower

This thing is like a magic diet food.
In 100 grams of Cauliflower you’ll get…
Energy 104 kJ (25 kcal)
Carbohydrates 5 grams
Sugars 1.9 grams
Dietary fiber 2 grams
Fat 0.3 grams
Protein 1.9 grams

Vitamins Thiamine (B1) (4%) 0.05 mg Riboflavin (B2) (5%) 0.06 mg Niacin (B3) (3%) 0.507 mg Pantothenic acid (B5) (13%) 0.667 mg Vitamin B6 (14%) 0.184 mg Folate (B9) (14%) 57 μg Vitamin C (58%) 48.2 mg Vitamin E (1%) 0.08 mg Vitamin K (15%) 15.5 μg Trace metals Calcium (2%) 22 mg Iron (3%) 0.42 mg Magnesium (4%) 15 mg Manganese (7%) 0.155 mg Phosphorus (6%) 44 mg Potassium (6%) 299 mg Sodium (2%) 30 mg Zinc (3%) 0.27 mg Other constituents Water 92 g
Quite the list eh? The beauty about cauliflower is that it can be used as a rice substitute, a mashed potato substitute, or even a pizza base. By chopping up your cauliflower, or throwing it in a food processor, then dry frying it in a pan, you can create a low calorie / low carb rice / potato substitution. It’s perfect for adding volume to your meals, or to kill your hunger late in the evening.

Tip #2 – Nuts

Nuts don't just contain healthy fats to help keep your cholesterol low — they are also good sources of appetite-killing fiber, which digests slowly so it stays in your stomach much longer than other carbohydrates. A quarter-cup of almonds, for example, contains four grams of fiber.

Tip #3 – Just Add Mushrooms

I have mushrooms all the time with eggs. Whether I’m scrambling them, or making an omelet, mushrooms are one of the foods I don’t even count calories on. (FYI though – the supermarket brand of frozen mushrooms I get do contain 12 calories per 100 grams)
By adding mushrooms into your eggs, or as a side dish to any meal, it gives you a lot more food volume to eat, without racking up the calories.
If you’re having steak, or any kind of grilled meat, you can’t beat adding pan fried mushrooms and onions on top to let the juices of the meat come onto the mushrooms for added taste.
Lee Hayward has posted up a YouTube Video showing how to make a tasty Low Carb Bodybuilding Meal of Grilled Chicken & Portobello Mushrooms that you can check out below.

Tip #4 – Eggs

There's a reason people are clucking about eggs lately. A recent study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA, found that overweight people who ate eggs for breakfast take longer to get hungry later. The research participants had lower levels of ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone that tells the brain to eat, and higher levels of PPY, a hormone that helps stomachs feel full. "Eggs are a perfect combination of protein and fat, so they're more satisfying than other breakfast foods," says Julie Kaye, MPH, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian in New York City. Worried about cholesterol? Don't be. "Despite the high content in yolks, eggs aren't the main culprit in raising blood cholesterol," explains Kaye. If you're still concerned, try liquid egg whites, which also contain protein and can stave off hunger.

Tip #5 – Water

There are lots of reasons to raise your glass for water. H2O is critical for keeping organs, joints, tissues and the digestive system functioning well, but it can also curb hunger, says Elizabeth DeRobertis, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, a registered dietitian in Harrison, NY. In fact, one study showed that participants who drank two cups of water before a meal ate 75 – 90 fewer calories than people who drank no water at all.


Tip #6 – Fill Your Belly with Green Veggies

When it come to green vegetables it’s almost impossible to eat too much. We’ve all been told to eat at least 10 servings of veggies per day. And there’s no better time to fill your belly with all that green goodness than when you’re following a bodybuilding cutting diet!

My favorites are broccoli and green beans. They are full of fiber, and the much like jelly, full of water. The fiber makes you feel full, and coupled with the water, your body will think you’ve eaten more food than what you have. Again, there is little need to count the calories from green vegetables in my opinion. You’d have to eat mountains of veggies in order to actually consume enough calories to the point where it would be worth tracking.
There are lots of ways to get extra veggies into your daily diet… Add chopped veggies and baby spinach to a breakfast omelet, have a garden salad with lunch, cook up some steamed or stir fried veggies with dinner, and keep a fresh veggie tray in the fridge for in between meal snacking.

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4 Exercises Upper Body Trap Bar

With my article on the 5 Trap Bar Exercises You’re Not Doing, I already gave you a taste of how the trap bar can be used to push your gains to the next level. But, as I’m sure you noticed, all of the exercises discussed were lower body and core focused. Not that focusing on core strength is a bad thing (as it will assuredly do much more for your body composition and athletic performance than endless bicep curls do) but pigeonholing the trap bar doesn’t do justice to its versatility.

Upper-Body Push
With both horizontal and vertical pushing movements, it's important to grip the handles in the middle to prevent the bar from tipping one way or another. This control is one of the hardest aspects of any of the Trap Bar Pushes.

Shrugs

Let’s start with everyone’s favorite trap bar exercise: the shrug. The beauty of using the trap bar here is that it allows you to hold a lot of weight in a shoulder friendly position without using lifting straps or an over/under (snatch) grip. It’s a great way to build size in the traps, and when done for high reps, it’s also a great grip exercise too.

Trap Bar Bench/Floor Press

Floor pressing with dumbbells offers a certain degree of freedom with your hand and wrist position. However, progressively overloading the muscles to build strength and size can become an issue. Using the trap bar allows you to load and lift more weight, thereby  increasing results for your chest, shoulders and triceps.

Setup: Lie either on the floor or on a bench, grip the bar and lower it toward your chest. Avoid hitting yourself in the head as you lower the bar. Once you reach an appropriate range of motion, press the bar up.

Trap Bar Rows

Bent over rows can be very hard on your lower back, and tough to grip when done with a lot of weight. Thankfully the trap bar helps solve these problems by reducing stress on the low back while allowing you to hold big loads without using straps. My favorite variation of this exercise is to do these dead stop every rep, as if performing a “Pendlay” row with a straight bar. This will improve starting strength for the pulling muscles while allowing you to go very heavy in a controlled fashion.

Neutral Grip Pull Ups

Pull ups are one of the best overall exercises for muscle and strength, which I’m sure you already know. But by putting the trap bar in a power rack you can perform neutral grip pull ups which may be even more effective, as the grip is the most shoulder friendly, and the bar allows for a true vertical pull causing complete contraction. Give these a shot, especially if your gym doesn’t have neutral grip bars.

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