Max Posternak is the founder of Gravity Transformation, a website focused on giving tips and training guidance for people looking to improve their fitness and lose weight. His YouTube channel has over 5 million subscribers.

5 Exercises to Get a Flat Belly in Just 30 Minutes

Although this is titled 5 exercises to get a flat belly in just 30 minutes, it is important to know that you cannot target fat burning. When you exercise and lose body fat, you are losing fat from everywhere in your body, some places take longer to begin shrinking while others maintain a lean physique.

Posternak says that, although you cannot target fat-burning areas, you can work on muscles in your abs that are specifically responsible for pulling your stomach in and giving that flat stomach look. And that is what these 5 exercises to get a flat belly in just 30 minutes is all about.

These exercises will focus on the transverse abdominis, a part of your ab muscles that wraps around your torso creating a “corset effect,” Posternak explains. Some movements will target this muscle specifically, while other are compound movements that will also hit your transverse abdominis.

1. Standing Overhead Barbell Squat

By hanging a weight over your head and having to squat down while maintaining good form, you will recruit a lot of your deep layer abdominal muscle fibre to stabilise that movement.

2. Plank with Progressions

Source: Nathan Cowley / Pexels

When doing planks, it’s important to have your body and weight positioning correct. Planks can get boring or too easy, and that is when you need to apply more resistance to this great core exercise.

When adding a weight plate to your back while doing planks, position the plate on your lumbar, on the arch of your back.

3. Overhead Press / Military Press

Next in this list of 5 exercises to get a flat belly in just 30 minutes is another overhead movement: the overhead press. This can be done with a barbell or with dumbbells. This movement is also referred to as military press.

4. Stability Ball Crunch

Since the main purpose of the transverse abdominis is spinal stability, the stability ball is going to have you challenge this specific part of the movement.

Make sure you are not sitting too far low or too high up on the stability ball. And since this is a crunch, not a sit-up, you want to stop lifting your upper body at about 60 degrees to keep the tension on your abs at all times.

You can hold a plate behind your head to add more resistance to this exercise.

5. Drawing In Maneuver

This exercise can be done at the end of your ab workout to become a good finisher, or, if your abdominals are quite weak, at the very beginning to activate your deep layer abdominal muscle fibres.

Stay on your fours on the floor, and you want to draw your belly button and abs in, hold for 5-20 seconds and expand them back out.

So how are these 5 exercises to get a flat belly in just 30 minutes supposed to look in a workout? Posternak suggests super setting them, which means doing two exercises with no rest in between them.

Try it like this:

• Superset 1 – 10 overhead squat, 10 drawing in maneuver

Do 3 sets with 2 minute break between each set.

• Superset 2 – 10 overhead press, 10 1-minute plank

Do 3 sets with 2 minute break between each set.

• 20 reps of weighted crunches on stability ball

Do 3 sets with 2 minute break between each set.

And there you have it, those were the 5 exercises to get a flat belly in just 30 minutes. You can try the workout right now to see it for yourself. Just be consistent and train regularly this workout.

Click on the video below for more information from Max Posternak.

VIDEO – 5 Exercises to Get a Flat Belly in Just 30 Minutes

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Training the abs should be everyone’s goal. Not only do people find it attractive to have a flat stomach, but a strong core will also prevent back injuries and reduce the risk of heart disease by improving your overall conditioning.

Some compound exercises target the abs as well, but if you are serious about getting a six-pack you should do specific movements that focus entirely on your midline.

Luckily, you don’t need to do dozens of exercises to target your abs. According to Trevor Hash, there are only 3 six-pack core exercises you need to get impressive results.

Trevor Hash is a movement coach who co-founded Strength Side. He spent years in fitness from personal training to corrective exercise, to hand balancing. Strength Side’s YouTube Channel has over 1 million subscribers where videos are posted about different movement patterns to improve your athleticism, abs exercises and life-changing habits.

Check out the only 3 six-pack core exercises you need below.

3 Six-Pack Core Exercises You Need

The first type of exercise is known as compression, in which you compress your ab muscles against each other, which is what most people think of when doing ab exercises. The second category is known as carrying exercises, and the last one is crawling.

1. L-Sit or Hanging Leg Raise

The L-sit is a callisthenics exercise, a bodyweight exercise in fancier wording, that will challenge your stability, strength and flexibility.

You can do the exercise with parallel bars, a dip station, on the floor or even with rings.

Hanging leg raises improves trunk stability, your posture and is incredibly challenging. But like the L-sit, there are progressions you can do that are beginner friendly.

Related: Why Sit-Ups Are A Waste Of Time

2. Carrying

Carrying exercises are actually the opposite of compression exercises in which you are resisting that spinal flexion of compression by staying upright or erect.

“Carrying is the best way to train the overall strength of your core,” Hash explains.

Hash doesn’t exemplify one single movement that is the best for this category, however, he does mention farmer’s carry, barbell squat or Olympic lifts. “Anything where you have to pick up something heavy and hold it.”

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

3. Crawling

This category includes planks, mountain climbers, push-up variations, and basically anything that gets your hands and feet on the ground at the same time. “Crawling gives you the ability to work on all the other functions of your core,” such as rotation, resisting rotation, side bending, scapular function and more.

We recommend doing the bear walk or the bear-to-crab movement.

And those are Trevor Hash’s 3 six-pack core exercises you need to look better. To understand his philosophy of why these are the only movements you need to get an amazing six-pack, click on the video below.

VIDEO – 3 Six-Pack Core Exercises You Need

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What are the Benefits of Working Out?

There are numerous benefits to working out, both for physical and mental health. Here are some of the key benefits:

Improved physical health: Regular exercise can improve cardiovascular health, increase muscular strength and endurance, and enhance flexibility and balance.

Weight control: Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you need to. It does this by burning calories and building lean muscle mass.

Reduced risk of chronic diseases: Regular exercise can reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Improved mood: Exercise is a natural mood booster, helping to reduce stress and anxiety, improve self-esteem, and promote a sense of well-being.

Better sleep: Regular exercise can improve the quality and duration of sleep, helping you feel more rested and alert during the day.

Increased energy: Exercise can boost your energy levels and reduce feelings of fatigue, making it easier to get through your daily activities.

Improved brain function: Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and learning.

Social benefits: Joining a group exercise class or sports team can help you connect with others who share similar interests, providing a sense of community and social support.

Overall, working out is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and can have numerous benefits for both physical and mental health.

Max Posternak is a certified personal trainer and the founder of the Gravity Transformation fitness brand. He is known for his YouTube channel, Gravity Transformation, which a large following of subscribers and features a variety of fitness-related content.

On his channel, Max provides workout routines, diet and nutrition advice, and motivational content aimed at helping people transform their bodies and improve their overall health and fitness. He also shares his personal fitness journey and provides insights into his own training and nutrition habits.

Video – How Much Should You Work Out Every Week?

What are Sets and Reps?

In weight training and resistance training, a set is a group of consecutive repetitions (reps) of a particular exercise. A rep is one complete cycle of the exercise, which usually involves lifting and lowering a weight or resistance.

For example, if you are doing bicep curls with a dumbbell, one rep would involve lifting the weight towards your shoulder, and then lowering it back down to the starting position. A set might involve doing 10 repetitions of this exercise, so you would complete 10 reps before resting.

The number of sets and reps you perform during a workout can vary depending on your goals and the specific exercise you are doing. For example, if your goal is to build strength, you might do fewer reps per set (e.g., 3-6 reps) and more sets of the exercise. If your goal is to build endurance, you might do more reps per set (e.g., 12-15 reps) and fewer sets.

It’s important to note that the weight or resistance used during each set can also impact the number of reps you can do. If the weight is very heavy, you might only be able to do a few reps per set, whereas if the weight is lighter, you might be able to do more reps before fatiguing.

In general, sets and reps are a key component of weight and resistance training, and they can be adjusted to help you achieve your specific fitness goals.

Why is Recovery Important After Working Out?

Recovery is an essential part of any exercise routine, as it allows your body to repair and rebuild muscle tissue that has been broken down during your workout. Here are some reasons why recovery is important after working out:

• Muscle repair: When you work out, you create small tears in your muscle tissue. Recovery time allows your body to repair and rebuild this tissue, making it stronger and more resilient.
• Injury prevention: Adequate recovery time can help prevent injuries by allowing your muscles, joints, and connective tissues to rest and recover from the stress of your workouts.
• Improved performance: Proper recovery can help improve your overall performance by allowing your body to adapt to the stresses of your workouts and build strength and endurance over time.
• Reduced soreness: Recovery time can help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, making it easier to maintain a consistent exercise routine.
• Hormone regulation: Rest and recovery are essential for regulating hormones such as cortisol and testosterone, which play a role in muscle growth and repair.
• Mental health: Adequate recovery time can also have a positive impact on your mental health by reducing stress, improving sleep quality, and promoting relaxation.

It’s important to note that recovery time can vary depending on the intensity and duration of your workouts, as well as your individual fitness level and goals. It’s always a good idea to listen to your body and give yourself enough time to rest and recover between workouts.

How Does Sleep Help Muscle Recovery?

Sleep is an essential part of muscle recovery after a workout. Here’s how it helps:

Protein synthesis: During sleep, your body produces human growth hormone (HGH), which is necessary for muscle growth and repair. HGH promotes protein synthesis, which is the process by which your body creates new muscle tissue to replace damaged tissue.

Muscle repair: While you sleep, your body is able to repair and rebuild muscle tissue that has been broken down during your workout. This is because your body produces more protein while you sleep, which helps to rebuild damaged muscle fibers.

Reduced inflammation: Sleep can also help reduce inflammation throughout your body, which can help speed up the healing process after a workout. Inflammation is a natural response to exercise, but excessive inflammation can impede muscle recovery and lead to soreness and fatigue.

Energy restoration: Adequate sleep can help restore your energy levels, allowing you to perform better during your workouts and recover more quickly afterward. This is because sleep helps to replenish glycogen stores, which are essential for providing energy to your muscles.

Hormone regulation: Sleep is also important for regulating hormones such as cortisol and testosterone, which play a role in muscle growth and repair. Lack of sleep can lead to imbalances in these hormones, which can impede muscle recovery and growth.

Overall, getting enough high-quality sleep is crucial for muscle recovery and growth after a workout. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and prioritize good sleep hygiene practices such as avoiding screens before bed, keeping your bedroom cool and dark, and establishing a regular sleep routine.

Why is Nutrition Important for Working Out?

Nutrition is a key factor in working out and achieving your fitness goals. Here are some reasons why nutrition is important for working out:

• Fuel for exercise: Your body requires energy to perform physical activity, and this energy comes from the food you eat. Adequate nutrition provides the fuel your body needs to power through your workouts and perform at your best.
• Muscle growth and repair: Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue, so getting enough protein in your diet is crucial for building muscle and recovering from workouts. Other nutrients, such as carbohydrates and healthy fats, also play a role in supporting muscle growth and recovery.
• Improved performance: Proper nutrition can help improve your overall performance by providing your body with the nutrients it needs to build strength, endurance, and agility. A well-rounded diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods can help support your physical performance and help you reach your fitness goals.
• Reduced inflammation: Certain foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, contain anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce inflammation throughout your body. This can help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, making it easier to maintain a consistent exercise routine.
• Weight management: Proper nutrition can help support healthy weight management by providing your body with the nutrients it needs to maintain a healthy metabolism and fuel physical activity. Eating a balanced diet that is rich in whole foods and low in processed foods can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Overall, nutrition plays a critical role in working out and achieving your fitness goals. Aim for a balanced diet that includes plenty of whole foods, lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates to support your workouts and promote overall health and wellness.

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They are not designed with strength or muscle mass in mind, but purely for definition and aesthetics.

The following three exercises will hit the:

1. Upper pecs
2. Lower Pecs
3. Middle Pecs

Best 3 Exercises to Build a Great Looking Chest

Let’s look at them in more depth.

1 Incline Dumbbell Press (Upper Pecs)

“Science shows that a slight 30-degree incline on the bench is best to not only hit the upper pec fibres the best while minimizing the dominance of the front delts but that it also hits the sternal portion of the chest hard as well.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

The arms move from the low and away position to one up and in when performing the exercise this way. The use of dumbbells also allows the hands to travel a little closer to each other at the top to achieve more adduction of the arms rather than what happens when they are fixed in place on a barbell during a barbell bench press.

Even though you lose some of the tension on resisted adduction at the top of the rep, you still get more overall adduction resistance during the dumbbell variation of the bench press than you do with the barbell version.”

2 High to Low Cable Crossover (Lower Pecs)

Jeff explains further, “This is best performed with a set of cables but it can also be done as a chest resistance band exercise.

Here you want to make sure that you are bringing the arms down and across your chest on every rep.

Many less informed trainers advise you to stop your arms at midline. Given that they don’t understand the anatomy and function of the chest muscles this is understandable, but still not right.

In order to maximize chest contraction you want to cross your arms over each other in order to allow for a greater excursion into adduction and get better chest development.”

3 Dumbbell Pullover

“Instead of flaring the elbows out to the sides and keeping the dumbbell close to the head (which would place the brunt of the workload on the lats) you want to straighten the arms as much as possible.

The finish position of the dumbbell over the chest is the same as it would be at the end of an incline bench press.

Source: Depositphotos / Obi Vincent

With the arms held relatively high (above the shoulders) you get the flexion of the shoulder that targets the upper pecs and minimizes the lats.

The other thing you want to do here is think about squeezing the backs of your hands together as the dumbbell approaches the end of each rep. This will further adduct your hands which will create a more intense upper chest contraction.

Finally, you can also use this exercise for chest to develop the serratus muscle. This often overlooked muscle acts as a support muscle for the lower chest and, when developed, gives that complete aesthetic look to the pecs that rounds out your complete chest development.”

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There are multiple ways to train and work your core and one of them is with the use of the Bosu Ball. This item should definitely be part of the basic equipment of a home gym. Bosu is a word that comes from an acronym that means “both sides up” (BOth Sides Up) and has been part of the fitness world for more than 15 years.

Source: Photos Courtesy of CrossFit Inc

It is a plastic hemisphere, usually made of latex, which has a hard plastic base that prevents it from slipping. Due to its characteristics, both sides can be used as a base/platform for training, hence its name.

There are many workout routines that can be performed with the Bosu Ball as equipment and they go from improving balance, to cardiovascular exercises, postural control and / or exercises for toning and activating the musculature of different areas of the body.

The instability is the feature that makes Bosu Ball equipment a very interesting element to vary functional workout routines and make them not only more enjoyable, but also more demanding, being able to adapt them according to the needs and characteristics of each individual.

At first, the use of Bosu can be complex because mastering the technique in this case is essential, adopt the proper posture is basic to make the most of its potential and possibilities Bosu offers and not get injured.

Bosu Ball and its benefits for working your abs

Being a half sphere, Bosu allows many uses when working out the abs, and can serve as an unstable point of support or as a surface to ensure optimal position of the spine to achieve a safer work.

Also, the Bosu can be used as a weighted item if we hold it with both hands and we move it in different directions, although the most effective ways to use it are as a support surface, especially unstable to request a greater effort of the muscles of the core area or stabilizers.

So, we suggest the following exercises using Bosu Ball equipment to work your abs in a different and intense way adding diversity to your regular workout routine. Check out those Bosu Ball core exercises for better abs.

1. Plank (Horizontal Stabilization)

One of the best Bosu Ball core exercises for better abs. Just as you perform this exercise on the floor, you can rest your forearms on a Bosu to work the rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis. You can also invert the Bosu and turn it into an unstable support point for our body. You can do this exercise in reverse by placing your hands on the floor stretching your legs and placing your feet on the Bosu.

It is very important to always keep your shoulders at the same height as your elbows. It is important to keep the back straight and the body from head to toe forming a straight line. Try not to let your glutes or back break this line. Squeeze your abs and gluteus, and hold the exercise for 20 seconds.

Variations to the classic plank are also stabilizations with one leg or hand raised, or with one leg and the arm of the opposite side raised, supporting one or both ends of our body on Bosu.

Also check: Best 3 Minute PLANK Workout for Rock Solid ABS

2. Lateral Plank

A variation of the classic plank used mostly to work the obliques abs muscles aligning the body sideways with one forearm on the Bosu Ball or with both feet on it. You can add movement to this lateral position and raise and lower your hips, incorporate a core twist, among others to intensify the work and make the most from one of the best Bosu Ball core exercises for better abs.

3. Vertical Stabilization

Invert the Bosu by placing its rounded part on the floor. Stand or kneel on the half sphere, trying not to let the platform of the Bosu touch the floor. In order to maintain this position you will have to demand a great effort from your core by contracting all the muscles of the middle zone to maintain this hold.

4. Leg and Core Extensions

Again, invert the Bosu, sit on the Bosu Ball platform and using it as an unstable support surface, raise your legs to perform leg and core flexo-extensions as you would on a chair or bench. That extra touch of instability of the movement makes this exercise one of the best Bosu Ball core exercises for better abs.

5. Flutter Kicks

This exercise, also called leg flutter, is usually performed on the floor, but you can perform it with your lower back resting on the Bosu Ball and contracting the abdomen to slightly raise the trunk and legs and move both legs in order to perform the flutter.

The head and feet should not rest on the floor but remain off the floor all the time. To take care of your cervical spine, er, it is important to maintain a separation between the chin and the chest and to maintain the position by means of abdominal contraction.

6. Alternate Leg Cross

As in the previous movement you can position your lower back on the Bosu Balland slightly raise your legs and torso to cross one leg under the other alternately. You can cross the left leg under the right leg and then slowly separate them and then perform the opposite movement, always holding the muscle contraction and never resting the feet on the floor.

7. Mountain Climbers

These are the classic climbers that can be performed by resting your hands on the inverted Bosu Ball and alternately bringing your knees to your chest to work your obliques intensely while burning calories.

If you want to ad some diversity in your workout routine, these seven best Bosu Ball core exercises for better abs, can be a great help to achieve the next level of fitness and progress with your abs workout.

If you liked this article you will also like: 6 Best Exercises to Get Six Pack Abs without Crunches

And for more inspiration check this Bosu Ball core routine

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Why is a Strong Core Important?

A strong core is important because it provides a foundation for many movements and activities we do every day.

The core muscles, which include the muscles of the abdomen, back, and pelvis, work together to support the spine and pelvis, maintain good posture, and transfer forces from the upper body to the lower body and vice versa. Here are some reasons why a strong core is important:

• Improved Posture: A strong core helps to maintain good posture, which can reduce the risk of injury and strain on the back and neck.
• Reduced Risk of Injury: A strong core can reduce the risk of injury by providing stability and support to the spine and pelvis during activities that involve twisting, bending, and lifting.
• Better Balance and Stability: A strong core helps to improve balance and stability, which can be particularly important for athletes or anyone engaging in activities that require quick changes of direction.
• Improved Athletic Performance: A strong core can improve athletic performance by allowing for better transfer of forces between the upper and lower body, leading to more efficient movements.
• Reduced Back Pain: A strong core can help to reduce back pain by providing support and stability to the spine and pelvis, reducing the strain on the back muscles.

Overall, having a strong core is essential for good health and fitness, and can benefit people of all ages and fitness levels.

Jeff Cavaliere is a renowned fitness trainer, physical therapist, and former Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets Major League Baseball team. He is also the founder of Athlean X, a popular fitness brand that offers online training programs, workout videos, and nutritional advice.

The Athlean X YouTube channel is one of the most popular fitness channels on the platform, with over 11 million subscribers and more than 1 billion views.

Video

Why is Low Body Fat Essential for a Six Pack?

Low body fat is essential for a six-pack because the abdominal muscles that create the six-pack appearance are covered by a layer of fat. When body fat percentage is high, this layer of fat is thicker and can obscure the definition of the abdominal muscles, making it difficult to see the six-pack.

To have visible abs, you need to reduce your overall body fat percentage through a combination of diet and exercise. While abdominal exercises can help to strengthen and tone the muscles, they won’t necessarily make your abs visible if there is still a layer of fat covering them.

The ideal body fat percentage for a six-pack varies depending on gender and genetics, but for most people, it’s around 10-15% for men and 15-20% for women. Achieving this level of body fat requires a combination of a healthy, balanced diet, regular exercise, and consistency over time.

It’s important to note that focusing solely on achieving a six-pack can lead to unhealthy habits and an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise.

Remember to prioritize overall health and well-being, rather than just physical appearance.

How Do you Build Healthy Habits?

Building healthy habits is an important part of maintaining good physical and mental health. Here are some steps you can take to build healthy habits:

1. Start small: Don’t try to change everything at once. Focus on one or two small habits to begin with, such as drinking more water or taking a 10-minute walk each day.
2. Set goals: Identify the specific habit you want to develop and set achievable goals for yourself. For example, if you want to start exercising regularly, start with a goal of working out for 10 minutes a day and gradually increase the duration and intensity over time.
3. Make a plan: Create a plan for how you will implement the habit into your daily routine. This might involve setting reminders or making a schedule for yourself.
4. Hold yourself accountable: Find ways to hold yourself accountable, such as tracking your progress or sharing your goals with a friend or family member.
5. Stay motivated: Keep yourself motivated by reminding yourself of the benefits of the habit and celebrating your successes along the way.
6. Be consistent: Stick to your plan and make the habit a consistent part of your daily routine.

Remember that building healthy habits takes time and effort, so be patient with yourself and don’t get discouraged if you experience setbacks along the way. Focus on progress, not perfection, and keep working towards your goals.

The Benefits of Training at Home

Training at home can have several benefits, including:

Convenience: One of the biggest advantages of training at home is the convenience it offers. You don’t have to worry about commuting to a gym, which can save you time and money. Plus, you can workout at any time that is convenient for you.

Cost savings: Gym memberships can be expensive, and working out at home can be a more cost-effective option in the long run. You may need to invest in some basic equipment, but over time, this can be much more affordable than paying monthly gym fees.

Privacy: Many people feel self-conscious working out in front of others, and training at home can provide a level of privacy and comfort that is not always possible in a gym environment.

Customization: When you train at home, you have complete control over your workout routine. You can choose exercises that are specifically tailored to your needs and fitness goals, and you can adjust the intensity and duration of your workouts as needed.

Flexibility: Training at home allows you to be more flexible with your workout schedule. If you have a busy day, you can still fit in a quick workout at home without worrying about gym hours or availability.

Safety: Finally, working out at home can be a safer option for some people, particularly during times when there are health concerns or restrictions on public gatherings. You can minimize your exposure to germs and viruses by staying at home to exercise.

Why is Circuit Training Effective?

Circuit training is a highly effective workout style that involves performing a series of exercises, or “stations,” in a specific order with little or no rest in between. Here are some reasons why circuit training is effective:

• Efficient use of time: Circuit training allows you to work multiple muscle groups and get a full-body workout in a relatively short amount of time. This can be especially helpful for people with busy schedules who want to maximize their time in the gym.
• Improved cardiovascular fitness: Circuit training is typically performed at a high intensity, which can help improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
• Increased calorie burn: Circuit training can help you burn more calories compared to traditional weightlifting or cardio workouts because it keeps your heart rate up and engages multiple muscle groups.
• Muscle endurance: Circuit training can help improve muscle endurance because it requires you to perform a high volume of reps with little rest.
• Versatility: Circuit training can be customized to fit a variety of fitness goals, from building strength to improving endurance to burning fat.
• Variety: Because circuit training involves performing a series of exercises in a specific order, it can help prevent boredom and keep you motivated to continue your workout routine.

Circuit training is an effective workout style that can help you achieve a wide range of fitness goals in a relatively short amount of time.

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Push Up Variations to Build Muscle at Home

It is difficult to add variety to your bicep training. Most of the workouts will get you having some kind of curl, after all, the main function of the muscle is to flex the elbow and to rotate the forearm. You can build more biceps with chin-ups as well, but sometimes you just want a different type of isolation exercise that can make your biceps bigger and wider. That is where the hammer curl and its variations come into play.

Source: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

These types of hammer curls were shared by no other than John Meadows, “The Mountain Dog”,  a professional bodybuilder, trainer and nutritionist who died in 2021. He is famous for sharing gym tips, and workouts and showing how he trained to achieve his goals.

Related: Dumbbell Bicep Curl vs Hammer Curl – Which One is Best?

Top 4 Types of Hammer Curls to Build Huge Biceps

You probably already know some of the benefits of the traditional hammer curl, but these other variations shown by John Meadows should tackle your muscle in a different way that will keep you making gains on your arms.

Here are the top 4 types of hammer curls you should be doing to target your brachialis and biceps.

1. Standing traditional Hammer Curl
2. Pinwheel Curl
3. Leaned back hammer curl with bench assist
4. Hammer curl on a preacher bench

“Make sure you do at least one of these versions in your bicep workout every single time. And vary your rep range. Eights, tens, twelves, just vary it,” Meadows says.

Click on the video to see him demonstrating and talking about each of these options.

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Why is it Difficult to Build Big Biceps?

The process of building bigger biceps can be challenging and requires consistent effort and dedication to strength training and nutrition. It involves breaking down the muscle fibres through resistance training, allowing them to repair and grow stronger and larger over time. However, the rate at which one’s biceps grow depends on a variety of factors, including genetics, training intensity, volume, frequency, and recovery.

For some people, gaining significant bicep size may be relatively easy, while for others, it may take much longer or require more specialized training techniques. It’s important to note that increasing muscle size is a gradual process, and it may take several weeks or even months to see noticeable changes. Additionally, a well-rounded strength training program that targets all major muscle groups in the body, along with a balanced and nutrient-dense diet, can help support overall muscle growth and development.

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Benefits of Strength Training

There are many reasons why you should do strength training as part of your overall fitness routine. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Builds muscle: Strength training is an effective way to build and maintain muscle mass. This can help increase your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories throughout the day.
2. Increases strength and endurance: By challenging your muscles with resistance exercises, you can increase your strength and endurance, which can make it easier to perform daily tasks and activities.
3. Reduces the risk of injury: Strong muscles and joints are less likely to be injured during physical activity, which can help reduce your risk of injury and improve your overall physical performance.
4. Improves bone density: Strength training has been shown to increase bone density, which can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
5. Enhances overall physical performance: Strength training can improve your overall physical performance, whether you’re an athlete looking to improve your performance in a specific sport, or just looking to perform daily tasks with more ease.
6. Boosts confidence and self-esteem: As you see progress and improvements in your strength and physical abilities, it can boost your confidence and self-esteem.
7. Improves quality of life: Strength training can improve your overall quality of life by making it easier to perform daily tasks, reducing the risk of injury, and improving your overall physical health and well-being.

Source: CrossFit Inc

Overall, incorporating strength training into your fitness routine can have numerous benefits for your physical and mental health, and can help you live a happier, healthier, and more active lifestyle.

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“Love handles are the most common storage area of fat on a man’s body.  They are also one of the most stubborn areas to drop body fat from.  The good news is, you don’t have to be perfect right now to get this area to look better especially if you follow the strategies laid out in this video.” 

No More Love Handles

“First of all, regardless of where your body fat levels are now you must be truthful about the state of your nutrition.  Are you really eating as well as you should or are you indulging in far too many sweets and drinks to ever get your body fat levels down to a level that is required to see the greatest muscle definition.  As I mentioned earlier, the body fat storage here is very stubborn in men.  You have to get pretty precise if you want to get an absolutely shredded waistline.”

“That said, you don’t have to be perfect.”

“To start, as you are getting yourself more committed to your nutrition improvement you can start working immediately on the status of your lat development.  That’s right.  Your lats.  If you can completely develop your lats (from origin to insertion) then you will have a great weapon in your arsenal for creating an illusion of a greater differential between the width of your back and the width of your hips.”

Love Handles

“In order to fully develop the lats you have to learn how to contract the lat fully.  Most of us stop at the half way point of a contraction in an effort to try and hoist as much weight as possible.  That is actually not just holding back the way your lats look but it’s making an already large waistline look even larger by comparison.  If you could start getting your elbow back behind your body when doing your lat exercises you would start to develop a more impressive sweep in the area of the lats that is actually closest to the problem area love handles.  Remember, the greater the differential here the smaller your waistline is going to look right away.”

“Next, as you continue to work on getting your body fat levels down you want to be sure you are regularly working on your abs.  Say you are at a ten or twelve percent body fat level at this point.  It is here that you are a prime candidate to see the benefits of regular but short ab training and exercises.  The upper abs should be clearly visible especially in the right light at this body fat level.  This creates a midline distraction of the actual width of the love handles and gives you and whoever else is looking, something better to look at!”

“Finally, with both the lat training and ab exercises locked in you want to do what others will tell you not to if you want to get rid of your love handles and that is, work your obliques!  Believe me, do not listen to anyone that says to not work your obliques as it will thicken your waistline.  The obliques, when developed, are going to be the muscle that creates the v taper in your waist that will always give you the impression of having a lean tapered torso.”

Love Handles

“If you follow the fibers and train along the direction of the internal and external obliques, you are going to be able to see the maximum development of these muscles and get them looking their best.  I give you two band versions of exercises you can do for your obliques that will help you get those love handles obliterated once and for all as that nutrition puts the final dagger in your single digit body fat.”

Video – Love Handles

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Add these Standing Ab Exercises and Z Press into your training.

Try BOXROX Pro.

Unfortunately, the bench press is often overlooked in CrossFit training, but you are not like most people and want to incorporate the dumbbell bench press in your weekly routine.

So, how exactly do you do this exercise? What are the muscles targeted, what are the benefits, mistakes to avoid, and who should do it?

Continue reading to find out more. In the end, we threw in 3 workouts with dumbbell bench press to get you started.

How To Dumbbell Bench Press

Lie down horizontally with your back touching a bench and hold two dumbbells, one in each hand, at the level of your chest, just below the nipple line. Hold the dumbbell with palms facing your feet and arch your back by putting your chest out.

When doing dumbbell bench press, breath out when lifting the weights and breath in when lowering them back.

Benefits of Dumbbell Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is a unilateral movement, which helps improve your form and correct muscle imbalances. In comparison, a barbell could make your work one side of your chest more than the other, but the DB press corrects that possible mistake.

Utilizing the dumbbell will also allow for a greater set of motion, compared to a barbell press. This, in turn, allows for a bigger muscle stretch and better contraction at the top of the movement.

The exercise also engage stabilizing muscles and as a result you will recruit and activate more muscle fibers.

Working with dumbbells allow for wrist rotation, and a free movement of elbows and arms, making the exercise less stressful on your joints.

How Much Weight Should I Lift?

Since the dumbbell bench press utilizes more muscles to stabilize and perform the movements correctly, you should lift lighter weights compared to the barbell press. One advice is to lift 70% of the weight that you normally would do in a bench press.

For example, if you can press 100 pounds normally (around 10 repetitions) with a barbell, then you should use a total weight of 70 pounds when performing a dumbbell bench press, meaning a 35-pound dumbbell in each hand.

Source: BOXROX

Muscles Targeted

• Pectoralis major (the bulk of the chest muscles)
• Anterior deltoids (front shoulder muscles)
• Lateral deltoids
• Triceps
• Rotator cuff (a small group of muscles responsible for stabilizing your shoulder)

Mistakes to Avoid

At the top of the movement, do not let the dumbbells collide, as this can cause instability within the shoulder.

It is imperative that you avoid using heavier weights compared to what you can normally bench press with a barbell. Bigger weights in a dumbbell bench press increase the risk of shoulder injuries and also limit the range of motion of the exercise.

Not arching your back seems like something natural, but in this case, it provides a base for your back which you can use to help during the press, taking away the motive of the exercise which is to build a bigger chest.

If you paid attention to the instructions, especially arms and elbows positioning, you know that you should not hit the dumbbell too high on the chest, as this will leave you with joint pain and put extra pressure on the shoulder. Keep your shoulders back and down at all times.

Variations of Dumbbell Bench Press

There are two easy-to-make variations of the DB press. The first is regarding the bench in which you are laying down. You can perform the inclined dumbbell bench press or go the opposite way and do declined dumbbell bench press.

The inclined variation sees you sitting on the bench at an angle between 20 and 45 degrees. In the declined press, you will sit upside down, with feet dangling in the air, in the same inclination.

On both variations, the chest continues to be the major muscle worked, but in the inclined press you target the upper part of your pecs, while the declined dumbbell bench press engages more the lower part of your chest.

You may also decide to add wrist rotation to the dumbbell bench press. This variation requires more muscle activation and coordination while strengthening your wrist movements. It is slightly harder than the common exercise.

Another different approach to the workout is to change to a natural grip, by holding the dumbbells with your palms facing each other, instead of facing towards your feet. This exercise forces you to keep your elbows closer to the body, which engages the triceps more than the normal grip.

It is possible to execute the DB press with just one piece of equipment, known as the single dumbbell bench press. Make sure to plant your feet on the ground, as this variation abuses the stability of your core.

Dumbbell Bench Press Workouts

WOD 1

For time:

• 1 mile Run
• 27 DB Bench Presses
• 27 Handstand Push-Ups
• 27 Dumbbell Thrusters
• 27 Knees-to-Elbows
• 27 Deadlift
• 1 mile Run

Score is the time on the clock after finishing the last 1-mile run.

“190427”

5 rounds for time:

• 7 left-arm dumbbell rows
• 7 right-arm dumbbell rows
• 21 dumbbell bench presses
• 500-m row

Men: 50-lb dumbbells

Women: 35-lb dumbbells

Read everything you need to know about the dumbbell row here.

“171029-Class”

4 rounds of:

• 10 close grip dumbbell bench press (50/35 lb)
• 15 dumbbell bent over rows on each side (50/35 lb)
• 20 strict presses (empty barbell)
• 25 banded pull aparts

Also check out these other 6 tough chest workouts to build strength, muscle and mass.

Improve your body and training with the DB Floor Press, DB Hammer Curl and Dumbbell Shrugs.

Scroll down to the video to find out how it goes.

What are the Benefits of Strong Legs?

Having strong legs provides a number of benefits for your overall health and fitness. Here are some of the key benefits:

Improved balance and stability: Strong legs help you maintain balance and stability, which can prevent falls and reduce the risk of injury.

Source: Photo Courtesy of CrossFit Inc

Increased mobility and flexibility: Strong legs allow you to move more freely and with greater flexibility, which can improve your overall range of motion and reduce stiffness.

Enhanced athletic performance: Strong legs are essential for many sports and physical activities, such as running, jumping, and cycling. Having strong legs can help you perform better and achieve your fitness goals.

Reduced risk of injury: Strong legs can help support your body and reduce the risk of injury to your knees, hips, and ankles. This is particularly important as you age and become more susceptible to injuries.

Improved metabolism: The muscles in your legs are some of the largest in your body, and building strength in these muscles can help boost your metabolism and burn more calories.

Increased bone density: Strength training for your legs can help improve bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, especially for women.

Having strong legs is an important aspect of physical health and fitness, and can have a positive impact on many areas of your life.

Video – 300 Squats Every Day for 30 Days

What are the Muscles of the Legs?

The muscles of the legs are some of the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. They are responsible for many essential functions, such as walking, running, jumping, and standing upright. Here are the major muscle groups in the legs:

• Quadriceps: The quadriceps are a group of four muscles located in the front of the thigh. They are responsible for extending the knee and straightening the leg.
• Hamstrings: The hamstrings are a group of three muscles located in the back of the thigh. They are responsible for flexing the knee and bending the leg.
• Glutes: The glutes, or buttocks muscles, are a group of three muscles located in the back of the hip. They are responsible for extending the hip and rotating the thigh.
• Adductors: The adductors are a group of muscles located on the inner thigh. They are responsible for bringing the legs together and stabilizing the pelvis.
• Abductors: The abductors are a group of muscles located on the outer hip. They are responsible for moving the legs away from the body and stabilizing the pelvis.
• Calves: The calves are a group of two muscles located on the back of the lower leg. They are responsible for flexing the ankle and pointing the foot downward.

These muscles work together to provide strength, stability, and mobility to the legs, and are essential for many everyday activities as well as athletic performance.

What are the Best Sets and Reps for Building Muscle?

The best sets and reps for building muscle will depend on a number of factors, including your fitness level, training experience, and specific goals. However, there are some general guidelines that can help you design an effective muscle-building workout:

Aim for 3-4 sets per exercise: Performing 3-4 sets of an exercise allows you to target the muscle group with enough volume to stimulate growth without overtaxing your body.

Perform 8-12 reps per set: This rep range is ideal for building muscle because it provides enough tension and stress on the muscle fibres to promote hypertrophy, or muscle growth.

Rest for 60-90 seconds between sets: Taking short rest periods allows your muscles to recover and helps maintain intensity throughout your workout.

Increase weight or reps gradually over time: As you get stronger, gradually increasing the weight or reps can help challenge your muscles and promote further growth.

Focus on compound exercises: Compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses work multiple muscle groups at once, making them highly effective for building overall muscle mass.

Incorporate a variety of exercises: Using a variety of exercises that target different muscle groups can help prevent plateaus and keep your workouts challenging and effective.

It’s important to note that muscle building is a gradual process that requires consistency, proper nutrition, and sufficient rest and recovery. Consult with a certified personal trainer or exercise professional to design a workout plan that is tailored to your specific needs and goals.

Why is Consistency Important for Going to the Gym?

Consistency is one of the most important factors when it comes to going to the gym and achieving your fitness goals. Here are a few reasons why consistency is so important:

• Builds habits: Consistently going to the gym helps to build habits that become ingrained in your daily routine. The more you go to the gym, the easier it becomes to make it a part of your lifestyle.
• Increases progress: Consistency in your workouts helps you to make steady progress towards your goals. When you consistently challenge your muscles, they adapt and become stronger, leading to better results.
• Helps maintain motivation: Consistency helps to maintain your motivation and keep you on track with your fitness goals. When you see the progress you’re making, it becomes easier to stay motivated and committed to your workout routine.
• Improves mental health: Consistent exercise has been shown to improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Going to the gym on a regular basis can be a great way to improve your overall well-being.
• Promotes discipline: Consistently going to the gym requires discipline and commitment, which can help you develop these qualities in other areas of your life.

Consistency is crucial for achieving your fitness goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. By making exercise a regular part of your routine, you can build habits, make steady progress, stay motivated, and enjoy the many benefits of regular physical activity.

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Performing this exercise will build your lower body muscles, and will also improve your strength and coordination.

The reverse lunges develop strength in muscles such as the hamstrings and calves. In terms of movement, a reverse lunge mobilizes the joints and improves balance.

As the name suggests, reverse lunges are performed by stepping backwards instead of forwards. This is a great variation for beginners because the reverse motion is a little easier to control. It allows more hip flexion to be performed, making it a good choice for those looking to train glutes and hamstrings

The reverse lunge is an exercise mainly aimed to work the lower body, especially legs and glutes.

Source: Mathilde Langevin on Unsplash

Is an exercise that offers a variety of benefits for all levels of athletes.

It is important to remember that the benefits will vary from person to person depending on their intention and the variation they are performing. Here are some of the main benefits of reverse lunges.

Better Glutes with the Reverse Lunge: Improved balance and coordination

Lunges require from the athlete to rely primarily on one leg (the other leg may or may not be used as an aid). The need for stability and joint control (at the ankle, knee and hip) increases the difficulty of this movement, increasing the neurological and muscular demands.

Seeing that many human movement patterns and fixed positions (such as the squat) rely heavily on both, increasing balance and coordination can lead to greater unilateral performance.

Increased gluteal activation

Reverse lunges target weaknesses in balance and coordination, as well as require the development of inactive muscle groups. Glutes are a powerful muscle group that can be targeted, and lead to improvements in power output, decreased lower back pain, improved running technique, and speed.

When doing  reverse lunges you can specifically target the glutes to increase muscle activation and hypertrophy.

Improved muscle symmetry

Correcting muscle imbalances is important to minimize injury in athletes and fitness enthusiasts . Many of us most likely have muscle movements and asymmetries that go unnoticed or untreated due to the large amount of bilateral (two limbs at a time) movements we do in our training.

Although bilateral movements are very beneficial, employing reverse lunges and other unilateral exercises can increase muscle hypertrophy and strength in a weaker leg, decreasing movement and developmental asymmetries and compensation patterns.

Improved muscle growth

Unilateral training has been shown to increase muscle activation, which can lead to stronger muscle contractions. One leg supports more body weight performing reverse lunges than during for example a bilateral squat. This is beneficial when it comes to focusing on developing specific muscle groups.

The ability to make the mind to muscle connection through unilateral training is very beneficial for adding quality lean mass and solid movement mechanics, which can affect in a positive way your athletic performance and overall leg and glutes development.

Minimizes the risk of injury

To be clear, lunges do not prevent injury. However, they do strengthen muscles, both large and small, which improves your ability to stabilize under a heavy loads.

Here you have some types of reverse lunges that focus on the development of killer glutes and legs, so you can add them to your leg day workout routine.

Classic reverse lunges

The reverse lunge is one of the most commonly used exercises for training the lower body.

The reverse lunge is a great exercise, but as long as you maintain proper technique, if you practice it backwards, you will achieve a cleaner execution technique.

As you move backwards, your knees and hips will perform a safer 90° bend. This way, the body stays upright and the gluteus maximus is activated when the knee is lowered.

It is one of the best exercises if you want to strengthen quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes effectively. It is a very complete exercise for your lower body.

To execute it correctly, you must be careful with your posture and body position in order to maintain proper balance.

Jumping reverse lunges

Jumping lunges are the most classic lunge option and probably the most commonly used. It requires the right combination of leg and gluteal work to perform properly.

It also requires some strength, so it should not be considered as if it were something simple. To do the exercise we will have to alternate each stride, always moving back a different leg that will be changed with each jump.

It is important that we keep our core active all the time, as it is essential , since it helps us to keep our back upright.

Weighted reverse lunges

This is one of the best reverse lunges variations out there. To perform it, all you need is a kettlebell or a dumbbell or a barbell if you are an experienced athlete. The weighted reverse lunge has the advantage over other types of lunges as it requires extra effort for the muscles of legs and core.

It is worth mentioning that, despite the fact that it is a more challenging exercise, it is not complicated to perform. As with the other lunge variations, you should avoid arching your back and alternate legs.

Elastic band reverse lunges

Due to the popularity of elastic bands, there are also many athletes who use them in their workout with lunges. In fact, this particular one is a highly recommended exercise for strengthening the glutes, as will intensify the results.

The workout is simple. You will need to pass one end of the band under the leg you have in front of you and the other over your shoulders. Starting with your leg bent, you should strive to raise your body little by little, while you feel the band resisting force. Extend your knee so that your position is upright and then bend again to repeat the process.

If you liked this article, you will also like: How Often Should I Train the Glutes?

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If you’re looking to build stronger glutes and add variety to your workout, consider including single-leg exercise movements in your routines.

Most strength training programs are primarily based on bilateral exercises, such as squat, hip thrust. Those exercises involve performing the movement with both legs at the same time, and they allow you to work with higher loads and progressively increase the intensity.

However, lower body unilateral exercises should be an important part of your training program, as they are a great complement to the regular exercises due to the different benefits they can provide.

One of your leg is generally weaker than the other one, it means that one leg will have to do extra work to execute any movement correctly. Over time, this can lead to overtraining injuries or muscle imbalances.

Don’t believe it? Try these unilateral exercises to build strong and sculpted glutes.

1. Reverse Lunge

One of the best lower body unilateral exercises that will work your glutes deeply.

Start with your feet hip-width apart. Move one leg in line backwards, bend until the knee almost touches the floor. You must make sure that with the opposite leg (the one in front) you create an angle of more than 90º. With this tip, you will be able to pull the gluteus muscle and not the quadriceps when returning to the initial position.

If you want to add more intensity you can perform this movement with a deficit or add some weight using a bar in back squat position or a kettlebell.

2. Bulgarian Split Squat

One of the most performed lower body unilateral exercises for strengthening quads and glutes, but it also has the added benefits of being amazing for core strength and balance improvement.

To perform it, place one foot on a bench that is just above knee height with your toes pointed to the ground. For the starting position place the knee of the back leg flat on the floor with the front knee bent. The back knee should be positioned under your hip and your front ankle should be under your front knee or slightly behind it (this may vary depending on your mobility, but is a good starting point).

Once you have positioned your legs correctly lift up to standing position.  Before returning to the floor, contract your abs and try to keep your knee in line with your toes. Tip: lean your chest slightly forward to keep your back from overextending.

3. Single Leg Deadlift

The one-legged deadlift is a lower body unilateral exercise that allows us to efficiently work the entire posterior leg chain, especially your glutes. Single leg deadlift provides significant posterior chain benefit while challenging the balance and stability of your core.

The single-leg deadlift is already one of the most commonly used lower body unilateral exercises, often done with the load in one hand, on the side most comfortable for the lifter. The hip joint is where you move from, rotating it backwards as you lower your torso, keeping the back straight and chest upright.

Generally, the non-working, trailing leg is kept straight and the goal is to keep it aligned with your torso.

4. Single-Leg Hip Thrust

The hip thrust has become a favorite lower body unilateral exercises in glutes training routines.

Without question, the conventional hip thrust with a barbell and a good load is an excellent choice of exercise. But we can perform many variations of it depending on our goals.

One of the most used variants of the hip thrust is to perform it unilaterally on one leg.

Sit on the floor, with your scapulas resting on a bench and your knees bent.

With the support of only one leg, we extend the hips aligning the back, gluteus and femoral, forming an angle of 90 degrees with that leg and keeping the other leg extended or flexed (without supporting it). At this point, we must contract the buttocks well and hold for a few moments.

Lower the glutes again in a controlled movement to return to the starting position.

Repeat until the total number of repetitions is reached. If you want to add more intensity, you can place a plate or dumbbell on your pelvis.

5. Step Up

One of the basic lower body unilateral exercises consists of a step up to a box or other object of a certain height to work the lower part of our body, especially the muscles that form the gluteus.

To execute this movement you will need a box, step, bench or a chair. Place yourself in front of the equipment that gives you the appropriate height adapted to your physical condition. The legs will be width hip open.Next,  place the first leg on the central surface of the platform used and push upwards to gain momentum and raise both legs.

Once up, lower down to return to the starting position with the same leg you pushed up.

Perform this movement with the other leg alternately as it is about working unilaterally in an equal manner. It is important that before adding load or intensity to this type of exercise, we make sure we master it correctly, as we must take care that our body posture is correct, especially maintaining awareness of the activation of our abdomen to protect our back.

As you can see  focusing on one leg at a time when performing lower body unilateral exercises will not only help you strengthen your lower body, but also help you recognize some of your own strength and stability gaps. This, with well-executed work can translate into bilateral exercises moving greater loads than you’re used to.

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It is designed by Jeff from Athlean X. You can find all the full details in his excellent video at the bottom of the article.

The Most Effective Chest Workout

“The perfect chest workout should consist of exercises for your upper chest, middle chest and lower chest.  That said, even that doesn’t make the chest workout complete.  In order to round out your pecs with a well rounded workout you need to fill in the gaps of what is lacking on those popular chest exercises.”

“If you look at the four main exercises that people do in their chest workouts you will see incline bench press, barbell bench press, dips and pushups.  Take a close look into each of these classic movements and you will see one thing in common.  That is, each of these exercises is lacking a full adduction of the shoulder within the exercise.”

“This is a problem when it comes to developing a complete chest.  Just because you are going through a full range of motion on the exercises that you are doing it does not mean that you are taking a muscle through its full range of motion.  For instance, all chest exercises are performed by changing the angle of the arm at the shoulder.”

“Because the shoulder is a three dimensional ball and socket joint, you have a great deal of motion available to you on your chest exercises.”

“That said, with the hands being fixed on a barbell, dip station or the floor through most of the common chest exercises you are not able to take your shoulder through the full horizontal adduction that it is capable of going through.  Due to this, there is limited activation of the pecs since they are built to take the arm fully across the body, over midline into a more complete adduction.”

“The solution to this problem is to not forego the popular mass building chest exercises but add to them, in drop set fashion.  Here is how to construct the perfect chest workout with that in mind.”

The Most Effective Chest Workout

Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets of 6,8,10,12 reps

Immediately into a horizontal chest cable or band crossover for 15 reps

Incline DB Bench Press – 4 sets of 6,8,10,12 reps

Immediately into a low to high cable or band crossover for 15 reps

Weighted Dips – 4 sets of 6,8,10,12 reps

Immediately into a high to low cable or band crossover for 15 reps

Weighted Pushups – 3 sets to Failure

Immediately into a banded crossover pushup for 15 reps with band on each arm

“When you put this together in drop set format as I’m suggesting here, you not only now hit the chest through it’s full range of motion but you hit every area of the chest as well.  The drop down allows for the lesser intense exercise to be more taxing since it was just preceded by a more difficult compound lift.”

Video – Most Effective Chest Workout

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Try the perfect Bicep Workout or add Nordic Curls into your training.

Lunges are perfect for strengthening the lower body. Many of us have been familiar with them since we were kids, but not everyone appreciates the effectiveness of this apparently simple exercise. When you do it for a while, your thighs will be on fire and your glutes will be strengthened to the limit.

You can do this exercise in the gym or at home, as you don’t need any special equipment.

Source: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc

Forward lunge is a highly recommended exercise to strengthen legs and glutes but also will improve your balance, your hip flexibility, your posture and coordination. As if all these benefits were not enough, forward lunge also involve our core and hips, which must work in sync to maintain the correct posture during the execution of each lunge.

To get results doing forward lunge and build great glutes and strong legs, you must master the technique. Even the best leg exercises are useless if they are not performed correctly. In order to get the most out of your workout and reduce the risk of injury, proper technique is essential.

To begin each lunge, you’ll have to check your posture by making sure your feet are flat on the floor, your back is straight and your abs are contracted.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and look straight ahead. Your arms should be at the sides of your body. Take a big step forward with one leg, leaving the other foot back on the floor. Lower your body until the front knee is just above the ankle, at a 90-degree angle. The knees should always tend to pull outward, to avoid unconsciously bringing them inward and falling into a bad posture.

Lower as far as you can and check that the upper body is firm and straight at all time. With the impulse of the front leg, return backwards to get back to the starting position.

Once you’ve mastered the basic movement, it’s time to add a little variety to those workouts. In addition to making the workouts more dynamic, the different variations will work different parts of your thighs and glutes. If you want to increase the difficulty of the workout, you can always do weighted forward lunge variation (kettlebell, dumbbells or barbell). Just make sure you learn how to do it and master the basic technique before.

If you want to build strong legs and glutes with forward lunge, we suggest these variations of the exercise according to your level:

Basic level

The forward lunge we all know. Performed with only your body weight and without incorporating any type of extra resistance. Without any doubt, if you are looking for an effective exercise to work the glutes, you have already found it. Keep in mind that it will be easier to do the forward lunge if you have a strong core and abs, because you won’t arch your back when performing the movement.

This is the best way to master this exercise. As you practice and gain more control of the movement, you can increase the speed of the repetitions before adding  some weight.

Intermediate Level

Weighted forward lunge. If you have already mastered the basic version of the forward lunge and want to add weight as something extra, you can try with a barbell on your back, in front rack position or go with any other type of weight such as a kettlebell or dumbbells. Remember to distribute the weight to avoid swaying to the sides.

Advanced Level

When you already know the basic movement and you have tried it with weight, you can increase its difficulty trying forward  lunge with straight arms and overhead weight.

In addition to working your legs and glutes, you will also activate your abs, shoulders, chest and arms. Of course, it requires total mastery of the exercise, as the overhead weight will make it more difficult to maintain balance. Also, remember that the arm, or both arms, that is loaded must always be fully extended.

Source: RX'd Photography

And if you are still thinking about adding something extra to your forward lunge to train your legs and glutes even more, you can play with static or walking variations of forward lunge.

Static Forward Lunge

The static lunge is a great exercise to train most of the muscles of the legs. Performed in the same spot, alternating legs generates a great activation of the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves … So if you want to have strong legs, this exercise can not be missed in your routines.

Walking Forward Lunge

This version involves a slightly different movement. When you move your leg forward, you will notice a major work of the glutes, hamstrings and quads in the leg stepping forward. At this point, the muscles of the back leg are not fully engaged, but they help to achieve the stability and balance so necessary for this movement.

When stepping, at the point of reaching full body extension, both feet come together and the previous back leg steps forward into the lunge position, engaging the quads, hamstrings and glutes as well.

Jumping Lunges

One of the benefits that lunges really stand out is the incredible amount of variations that exist when practicing them.

Adding the jump to this exercise transforms the movement into a more aerobic exercise. Therefore, this powerful and effective combination of exercises makes it a perfect to gain strength and cardiovascular endurance.You can perform jumping lunges with or without weights, depending on your fitness level or technique.

As we have seen, forward lunge is without any doubt a great movement, so don’t forget to include it in your leg and glute routines.

If you liked this article you will also like: How to Get Rounder Glutes: 5 Mistakes Keeping Your Butt Flat

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The Perfect Biceps Workout for Muscle Mass and Great Looking Arms

The reverse crunch is a simple exercise that targets the abdominal muscles. It can be done at home or in the gym, and it requires no equipment.

Source: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

The reverse crunch works your abs from all sides to help improve balance and coordination. This is one of those exercises that doesn’t take up much time, but has major benefits for your body—especially if you’re trying to lose weight or tone up!

1. This Exercise Targets the Abdominal Muscles

The reverse crunch is a good exercise for beginning abdominal exercises because it targets the lower part of your abs. This means that you can use this exercise to improve your core strength before moving onto more advanced exercises like the plank or mountain climber.

The reverse crunch is also easy to do at home with no equipment required and it strengthens multiple muscle groups in the body, including your glutes and back muscles.

The reason why the reverse crunch works so well when compared to other abdominal exercises is because it helps train both sides of your body equally, thereby reducing asymmetry between left and right-side muscles (which can lead to injury).

2. Can be Done at Home or in the Gym

The reverse crunch can be done at home or in the gym. It can be performed with a partner, but it can also be done without one.

You can use weights to increase the challenge, or you may not need any additional resistance at all if your strength is solid.

This exercise can also be performed using either a medicine ball or a stability ball, depending on what type of surface you have available in your home or gym.

3. Improves Balance and Coordination

The reverse crunch is a great exercise for improving balance and coordination, because it requires you to maintain your balance while moving your legs up and down.

You can do this exercise on the floor or with a medicine ball. To make it more challenging, you can raise one leg or both legs as you perform the movement.

4. No Equipment is Needed

The Reverse Crunch is a great exercise because it can be done at home or in the gym, with or without a partner.

You don’t need any equipment at all.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

5. It’s an Easy Workout to Add to your Routine

No matter where you are or what you’re doing, it’s easy to do a reverse crunch. It can be done at home or in the gym, and it’s suitable for people of all fitness levels.

The best part about this exercise is that it doesn’t take long to complete—so if you’re short on time, this is a great routine to add into your weekly plan!

6. You can Target your Abdominal Muscles

The reverse crunch is a great exercise that targets your abdominal muscles.

It forces you to stay tight and provides plenty of time under tension as well. This is great news for abs muscle growth.

Muscles of the Core and Abs

Having a strong core is one of the most important things for anyone who wants to be fit and healthy.

A strong core will help you with everything from daily tasks like lifting heavy objects or playing competitive sports.

It can also help you prevent injuries by increasing your body’s stability and balance while reducing stress on your lower back and hips when moving.

Benefits of the Reverse Crunch – Rectus Abdominis

The rectus abdominis is the most superficial of the muscles of the abdominal wall. It is a long, flat muscle that runs vertically on each side of the body, extending from the sternum to the pubic bone.

The rectus abdominis is covered by a sheath of connective tissue called fascia and it splits into two layers as it goes toward its insertion at each hip bone (iliac crest). The upper layer has fibres running in parallel with each other; this part isn’t visible because it lies deep within your abdominal area instead of on top like its counterpart (see below).

Benefits of the Reverse Crunch – Transverse Abdominis

The transverse abdominal muscles are located deep to the rectus abdominis. They act as a corset, compressing the abdomen and helping prevent it from bulging out beyond its normal contour. These muscles are important for stabilizing the spine and pelvis during movement, especially when you’re lifting heavy weights or doing exercises such as sit-ups.

Benefits of the Reverse Crunch – External Obliques

• External obliques are muscles that run along the sides of your torso.
• They help to rotate and flex the spine, bend the torso sideways, twist it, and flex it laterally.

Benefits of the Reverse Crunch – Internal Obliques

The internal obliques are located on the side of your body, and they help rotate your trunk. They also flex your torso forward and laterally flex it to the opposite side.

In addition to these movements, the internal obliques also assist in extending your spine backward.

Your Core and Abs are Important for every Single Movement you make with your Body

Your core and abs are important for every single movement you make with your body. They help with posture, balance, stability, power, and many other functions.

The core muscles are the muscles that connect your upper body to your lower body. The abdominal muscles contribute to this group of muscles as well as other back muscles such as the latissimus dorsi and erector spinae.

Conclusion – Benefits of the Reverse Crunch

We hope that you’ve enjoyed learning more about the reverse crunch exercise. It’s a great way to target your abdominal muscles and improve your balance and coordination.

I hope this information has been helpful to you and that it will encourage you to work on strengthening your core and abs.

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What are the Benefits of Strong Biceps?

Strong biceps provide several benefits beyond just aesthetic appeal. Here are some of the benefits of strong biceps:

Improved functional strength: Strong biceps can help you perform daily activities such as lifting and carrying heavy objects with greater ease.

Increased upper body strength: Strong biceps are an essential component of upper body strength, which is necessary for activities such as push-ups, pull-ups, and other exercises that require upper body strength.

Source: Depositphotos / CrossFit Inc

Better sports performance: Many sports, such as tennis, basketball, and baseball, require strong biceps for optimal performance.

Reduced risk of injury: Strong biceps can help stabilize your shoulder joint and prevent injuries such as shoulder dislocations and rotator cuff tears.

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Improved posture: Strong biceps can help pull your shoulders back and improve your posture, reducing the risk of developing back pain.

Improved overall fitness: Strong biceps are a sign of overall fitness and can be an indicator of good health and well-being.

Strong biceps can provide many benefits beyond just looking good, making them an essential component of a well-rounded fitness program.

Video – 10 Biceps Exercises Better than Traditional Curls

What are the Muscles of the Arms

The arms are composed of several major muscles, including:

• Biceps Brachii: This muscle is located on the front of the upper arm and is responsible for bending the elbow and rotating the forearm.
• Triceps Brachii: This muscle is located on the back of the upper arm and is responsible for straightening the elbow.
• Brachialis: This muscle is located underneath the biceps and is responsible for bending the elbow.
• Brachioradialis: This muscle is located on the forearm and is responsible for flexing the elbow.
• Pronator Teres: This muscle is located on the forearm and is responsible for rotating the forearm so that the palm faces down.
• Supinator: This muscle is located on the forearm and is responsible for rotating the forearm so that the palm faces up.

These muscles work together to provide the strength and mobility necessary for many daily activities, such as lifting, pushing, and pulling.

In addition, these muscles are also important for sports performance and overall fitness.

What are the Best Reps and Sets for Building Muscle?

The ideal reps and sets for building muscle depends on various factors such as your fitness level, workout routine, and fitness goals. However, here are some general guidelines that can help:

• Reps: For building muscle, it’s generally recommended to aim for a range of 8-12 reps per set. This rep range has been shown to increase muscle hypertrophy (growth) and strength.
• Sets: Aim for 3-4 sets per exercise. This can vary depending on the exercise and your fitness level. Beginners may start with fewer sets and gradually increase over time.
• Rest periods: Rest periods are also important for muscle building. Aim for a rest period of 1-2 minutes between sets to allow your muscles to recover.
• Progressive overload: To continue building muscle over time, it’s important to gradually increase the weight you are lifting. This is called progressive overload, and it can be achieved by increasing the weight, reps, or sets over time.
• Frequency: Aim to work each muscle group 2-3 times per week to optimize muscle growth.

Remember, these are general guidelines, and it’s important to work with a qualified personal trainer or fitness professional to develop a workout routine that’s tailored to your specific needs and goals.

What is Muscle Hypertrophy?

Muscle hypertrophy is the process of increasing the size and strength of muscles through exercise and physical activity. It occurs when the muscles are subjected to regular and progressively increasing levels of stress or resistance, such as weight training or resistance exercises.

Source: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

During muscle hypertrophy, muscle fibres undergo microscopic damage, which stimulates the muscle cells to repair and rebuild, resulting in an increase in muscle size and strength. This process involves the activation of satellite cells, which are responsible for muscle repair and growth.

Muscle hypertrophy can occur through two main types of mechanisms: myofibrillar hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Myofibrillar hypertrophy involves an increase in the size and number of myofibrils, which are the contractile units of muscle fibres. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, on the other hand, involves an increase in the amount of non-contractile fluid and other substances in the muscle cells, which can lead to an increase in muscle size without a corresponding increase in strength.

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Muscle hypertrophy is an essential component of strength training and bodybuilding, as it allows individuals to increase their muscle mass and strength, improve their physical appearance, and enhance their overall health and fitness.

Why is Sleep Vital for Muscle Growth?

Sleep is vital for muscle growth because it’s during sleep that the body repairs and recovers from the stresses and strains of exercise. Here are some ways that sleep can benefit muscle growth:

• Hormone regulation: Sleep helps regulate the levels of hormones such as growth hormone and testosterone, which are essential for muscle growth and repair.
• Muscle repair: During sleep, the body repairs damaged muscle tissue and produces new muscle fibres, which can lead to increased muscle size and strength.
• Protein synthesis: Sleep promotes protein synthesis, which is the process by which the body builds new muscle tissue.
• Energy restoration: Sleep helps restore energy levels, allowing the body to perform at its best during exercise and other physical activities.
• Reduced inflammation: Lack of sleep can lead to increased levels of inflammation, which can impede muscle recovery and growth.

Overall, getting adequate sleep is essential for muscle growth, as it allows the body to recover and repair from the stresses of exercise and promotes optimal hormonal balance and protein synthesis. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to ensure optimal muscle growth and recovery.

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7 Best Exercises for a Stronger Back

Max Posternak, behind YouTube channel Gravity Transformation, goes over his best exercises for a wider back and includes training techniques to incorporate to make your back bigger.

Let’s delve into it.

The 8 best exercises for a wider back

Before you do these exercises make sure you are:

1. Concentrating on targeting the back muscles: isolate the muscles as much as possible and perform each rep with clean technique, making sure you’re not being aided by other upper body muscles.
2. Progressively overloading each exercise: the most effective way to build muscle is through progressive overload. Our muscles adapt to progressively greater demands, so to grow them our cells need to be exposed to higher workloads than they are used to.
3. Getting a good stretch in: make sure you’re fully extending your limbs at the negative portion of each exercise.

1 – Long Angle Dumbbell Row

Source: Alora Griffiths on Unsplash

This is essentially the same exercise as the dumbbell row, except that you will bring the dumbbell up further back, closer to your hips, instead than towards your belly button.

This modification almost takes your biceps completely out of the movement and put all the tension on your lats and the back of your shoulders, explains Posternak.

Read more: Most Common Dumbbell Row Mistakes and How to Fix Them

2 – Close Grip and Wide Grip Pull-Ups

“Both grips will provide unique benefits for your back,” says Posternak. Wide grips use the lats muscle more and the biceps less, while close grip pull-ups incorporate the biceps and pecs more, allowing you to do more reps or more weight.

Read more: How to Get a Pull-Up: Form, Progressions, Training Tips and More

3 – Standing Cable Pullover

Source: FitNish Media on Unsplash

The exercise primarily targets and improves the lats.

The latissimus dorsi are the largest muscle group located on the back of the human body. They are hugely important for all pulling exercises and provide stability and support for the spine.

Read more: How to Build Impressive Muscle and Back Strength with the Wide Grip Pulldown

4 – Reverse Grip Rows

This row variation targets the lower lats more than the middle of your back. Make sure you pull your shoulders back and stick the chest out to maintain the natural curve in your spine, advices Posternak.

5 – Deadlift

This is one of the best exercises to develop a thicker, wider and stronger back, says Posternak. You can lift the most amount of weight during the deadlift than with any other lift so, after mastering the proper deadlift form, make sure you add some weight.

6 – Dumbbell and Barbell Pullovers

This is another one of the best exercises for a wider back when done properly. When done right, the exercise hits everything from the bottom of your pecs to your abs, lats and triceps.

Read more: Dumbbell Pullover: How to Do It, Muscles Worked, Benefits and Workouts

7 – Lat Pulldown

The lat pulldown is a popular gym exercise performed with a machine and used to strengthen and build the lats muscles.

It is performed by stretching the arms overhead and pulling a bar toward you, your hands reaching shoulder height, and releasing the bar back up in a controlled manner for one repetition.

Read more: The Lat Pulldown: One Sure-Fire Way to Grow a Bigger Back

8 – Seated Cable Row

The Cable Row is a horizontal seated pulling exercise that challenges and improves the upper body.

The feet are braced in position and the athlete sits on a bench in order pull the weighted cable and complete the exercise.

Read more: How to Build A Muscular Back with the Cable Row – Technique and Mistakes to Avoid

How to use these best exercises for a wider back

• Don’t do all exercises all in one day, select instead 4 to 5 exercises and perform each for 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps with a 2 to 3 minute break in between.
• Aim for a heavy, challenging load.
• Start with your biggest lifts, such as the deadlift or the barbell row.
• You’ll also need to optimise your nutrition to maximise muscle growth.
• Learn more helpful tips on How to Build a V Shaped Back.

Read more: Can You Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time?

Bigger arms is usually a sign of a strong capacity overall. The biceps are especially difficult to grow as they are smaller compared to the triceps. But there is a set of exercises designed by Ivan Rusakov that could be the answer on how to get bigger arms in 30 days.

Ivan Rusakov is a bodybuilder that focuses on working out at home. That means he usually performs workouts with minimum or no equipment at all. His YouTube channel has around 2.5 million subscribers.

Ivan Rusakov himself has a strong upper body and has shared how to get bigger arms in 30 days.

Check out the video or read the main exercises below to see sets and reps of each exercise that you should do.

How To Get Bigger Arms in 30 Days

Workout

Pay attention to his video carefully. He often shows the correct way to do the exercise and the wrong way.

As a rule of thumb, make sure you are always controlling the weight in the concentric and eccentric part of the exercise, putting your biceps and triceps under tension for a longer period of time.

Single dumbbell curls

• 4 sets
• 12 reps

Sitting behind-head extension

• 4 sets
• 14 reps

Concentration curls

• 4 sets
• 11 reps

Sitting dumbbell kickback

• 4 sets
• 9 reps

Sitting curls with turns

• 5 sets
• 10 reps

Lateral dumbbell rows

• 4 sets
• 12 reps

Front dumbbell rows

• 4 sets
• 13 reps

Wrist curls with dumbbells

• 3 sets
• 20 reps

Give it a try.

If you enjoyed this, check out more special content from BOXROX:

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Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

How to bulletproof your knees in 5 minutes with 1 exercise: Backward Sled Pull

The backward sled pull, also known as the backward sled drag, is excellent for bullet-proofing your knees as it has the least impact on the joint while greatly increasing blood flow to the knees.

It is performed by attaching a harness to a sled and putting it around your hips, then walking backward while pulling the sled up and down a set length. You should feel the burn in your quads, hamstrings, and calves after a couple of rounds.

Backward sled pulls are one of the most knee-friendly exercises.

You’re not performing this exercise for reps, instead aim to work for around five minutes, starting at an easy pace.

Factors you’ll have to consider are speed, step reach, and weight, as they will all affect how the exercise feels. Friction between the sled and the floor will also differ between locations, so take that into consideration too when performing the backward sled pull.

Alter your speed, the length of your steps, and the weight on the sled to move at a brisk but sustainable pace. You want to find the ideal combination to feel the burn on your leg muscles, have a good rhythm, and cover enough range.  

Do this exercise three times per week for five minutes before your accessory work to activate blood flow to the knees.

Ben Patrick, better known as Knees Over Toes Guy, aims to get people to feel no knee pain.

Read more: 5 Exercises to Help Relieve Knee Pain

The benefits of training with rings

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of training with rings:

– They are unstable, which forces you to develop your core abdominal and shoulder stabilizer muscles.

– Improve your grip strength. Being the only contact surface, the strength of the hands, forearm and wrists will be significantly increased.

– They are one of the most useful functional training tools for developing upper body strength in a coordinated and balanced way.

– Low risk of injury, allowing the joints to rotate freely in any exercise, limiting tension.

– They will develop your coordination and balance. Many exercises require simultaneous movement of various parts of the body while remaining stable.

• Increase flexibility in shoulders, back and wrists. If you have limitations, work on improving it to prevent injuries.

Since your bodyweight is the load, it is a great way to develop relative strength. The rings challenge your stability and allow you to adjust the angle of the pull.  The only equipment you need for this exercise is a pair of gymnastic rings, but any suspension strap system works. 

How to perform a ring row

Hang a pair of rings at hip height. Grab the rings with both hands. Walk your feet out until you form a 45-degree angle with the ground.

Extend and lock out your arms. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your hands keeping your elbows at both sides of your body. While you pull, squeeze your glutes, engage your lats, keep your core tight, and maintain a straight body posture. Once the rings are touching your chest, slowly lower yourself back down until your arms are locked out.

The difficulty of ring rows is controlled by how horizontal your body is. To make it more difficult, walk your feet further away from your hands. You can also elevate your feet to the same height of your hands and add a weight vest to increase the resistance.  To make the ring row easier, walk your feet back towards your hands to reduce how horizontal your body is.  

With ring rows you will work different muscles of the body using as a load our own body weight which is the one you will have to move.

If you are not used to work with rings or if you are just not comfortable working with rings, you can position yourself in a less inclined angle, to reduce the intensity of the movement, and as you gain strength and practice in this exercise, it is advisable to drop your body as far as possible parallel to the ground.

Remember that your back should be straight all the time and that your torso should move as little as possible. The effort will be made by the back muscles when we pull the rings to bring the chest close to the rings and the elbows pass by the sides of the body, close to it.

The ring row is a compound exercise that works muscles in the upper back, shoulders, and arms–specifically, the lats, rhomboids, biceps, posterior deltoids, and traps. 

Traps are the new abs

Your upper back muscles not only help support healthy posture by keeping your head and neck in place, but they also provide a place to rest a loaded barbell and translate to more overall pulling strength.

This exercise when performed for higher reps will have you feeling your upper back muscles more than ever before. It’s also a great option for beginners who want work up to weight training, and/or people who want to avoid loading up their joints with weights. Because this is a bodyweight exercise, it’s generally easier on your joints.

Stronger shoulders for overhead stability

The muscles in your shoulders are involved in every upper body movement, whether you realize it or not. Every pushing and pulling movement you make with your arms uses your shoulder muscles one way or another. That’s why it’s so important to keep them healthy and strong.

Engaged lats

These muscles are extremely important for most movements in CrossFit in order to become a more efficient and stronger athlete.

Having strong lats and knowing how to turn them on can lead to better and stronger lifts. Knowing how to properly engage your lats can help prevent shoulder injuries. Butterfly pull-ups are a prime example of this.

Strong biceps

CrossFit athletes do not normally work muscles in individual workouts, but they do need to build muscle and develop general strength in order to perform. Upper body strength needs to be worked by them, as it is a large component of CrossFit movements. Specific training for the arms can build muscle and strength that will prepare further for CrossFit workouts.

With ring rows, you will develop strong biceps. Their function is to flex the elbow, assist in shoulder flexion and can contribute to separation with the shoulder in external rotation.

Deltoids for push power

The deltoid muscle is the responsible for giving the rounded appearance to the shoulders. It is mainly responsible for flexion, abduction and extension of the shoulder joint.The function of this deltoid muscle group is primarily to allow the arm to be lifted overhead.

The deltoid muscles located at the top of the shoulders are one of the main engines in various press exercises and the ring rows will help you develop this muscle and therefore transfer those improvements for example to the shoulder press.

Triceps strength

With ring rows you will also work your triceps: although the triceps cross the shoulder and elbow joints, these muscles help straighten the elbow during movements like shoulder press.

In short, ring rowing offers athletes a great way to increase upper back strength. With the ring rows you will also work the grip, the arms and all this will transfer to gain strength and improve in most of the movements so specific to functional fitness and gymnastics.

In conclusion, including ring rows, in any of its variations,  in you training routines is necessary to gain strength for the vast majority of the movements of traction and muscular training.

If you liked this article you will also like: The Best Ring Row Back Workouts for CrossFit Athletes

How to Force Muscle Growth and Enhance your Gains

“When it comes to how to grow muscle, you need to continuously challenge them with more than they’re used to. In other words: you need progressive overload. As simple as this sounds, most people’s training doesn’t accomplish progressive overload.”

“Sure, they’ll get a good pump and sweat out of their workouts but they aren’t actually doing much to signal their muscles to grow overtime. To understand the importance of progressive overload for hypertrophy, you should first know how muscles grow.”

5 Types of Progressive Overload

“So, let’s say we just finished a workout. Immediately after, our muscles don’t actually get stronger. In fact, it’s not until after a few days of proper recovery that they adapt to the damage we put them through. Meaning? For consistent gains overtime, your workouts need to be designed such that they literally force your muscles to grow every single session. So, today, we’ll cover the 5 types of progressive overload you must know.”

Types of Progressive Overload – Adding More Weight

“Increasing the amount of weight lifted is the progressive overload method most people rely on. To apply it, it’s quite straightforward. Let’s say you can currently bench press 100lbs for 8 reps. Next week, you might try to increase the load and do 110lbs for 8 reps. That said, if you take our previous example of bench pressing 100lbs in week 1 and adding 10lbs of weight every week, at the end of the year theoretically you should be benching 620lbs. That’s impossible. This is where our next point comes in handy.”

Types of Progressive Overload – Adding More Reps

“When applied properly, adding more reps is another great way to incorporate progressive overload into your training to force your muscles to grow. As long as you’re continuing to push hard, you can keep the same weight and increase all the way up to 30 reps and still get the same growth compared to adding more weight. This is helpful if you only have limited equipment or a nagging injury and can’t increase the weight on your lifts.”

Source: Photo by Andres Ayrton from Pexels

“However, for those who do have access to more weights, consider double progression. However, again this often only works for so long. What happens when you get stuck unable to add more weight or do more reps?”

Types of Progressive Overload – Alter the Sets

“The next method of progressive overload to stimulate hypertrophy has to do with how many sets you perform. However, while we know doing at least 10 sets per muscle-group per week nearly doubles the number of gains you would get from doing 5 sets per muscle group per week, there comes a point of diminishing returns when you get into the 20-30 set zone. A good rule of thumb is to increase volume no more than 10-20% per week. Then, once you get to the 20-30 set zone or just begin to feel quite fatigued, you can cycle back to the original program you started with.”

Types of Progressive Overload – Slow Down the Reps

“The next two types of progressive overload are ways you can continue forcing your muscles to grow while lifting the same weight and doing the same number of reps and sets every week. First: if we slow down our reps, we can increase the amount of time that tension is placed on the muscle to stimulate more growth.”

“This is especially effective for exercises involving smaller, weaker muscle groups like lateral raises where adding just a little bit of weight disproportionately often increases the difficulty, or bodyweight exercises like push-ups and pull-ups where adding weight may not even be an option. However, you want to avoid going too slow as that can provide the opposite effect and start to hinder muscle growth rather than boost it. Note: it seems that we can slow down our reps up to about 6 seconds total.”

Types of Progressive Overload – Optimise your Form

“Oftentimes when people think they are challenging their muscles more by adding more weight to their lifts, they really just end up compromising their form in the process. Instead, realize that when it comes to how to grow muscle, if you do the same workout you did the week before, but you performed your exercises with better control, less momentum, and more activation of your target muscles, that is progression. Better form involves relying more on the target muscles and will result in growth even if all other variables remain the same.”

Now as for which of these 5 methods is best and will provide the most growth, the truth is, it depends. It depends on your level of experience, your equipment availability, and if there’s a certain type of plateau you’re stuck in.

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Muscles of the upper body

The muscles of the upper body are made up of the trapezius, rhomboid major, serratus anterior, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, deltoid, supraspinatus, teres minor and infraspinatus. The triceps brachii is also a muscle of the upper body.

The list above is not all inclusive but gives an overview of most of the major upper body muscles.

Types of Progressive Overload – Trapezius

The trapezius muscle is located at the back of the neck, running horizontally along your spine. The upper fibers (trapezius superior) originate near the base of your skull and extend over to connect with your shoulder blade. The lower fibers (trapezius inferior) are connected directly to each side of your spine, running down to approximately mid-back.

The trapezius muscle primarily serves as an antagonist for the scapular muscles, helping to raise the shoulders and stabilize them in place when you’re doing other exercises that require a lot of upper body movement. It also controls head movement and acts as a stabilizer during any type of lifting motion involving weights or resistance bands attached at different points along your arms or torso.

Types of Progressive Overload – Rhomboid major

You have rhomboid major muscles on both sides of your spine. These muscles connect to your vertebrae and help keep them in place by pulling the shoulder blades toward each other. When you lift something heavy and then turn around, you can feel the rhomboid major muscles working as they pull on your shoulder blades to stabilize them so they don’t become dislocated.

These muscles are also responsible for rotating your shoulder blades inward and upward when you raise or lower an arm overhead. This is why it’s important not only that athletes strengthen these muscles but also keep them flexible so they can move easily in all directions without pain or discomfort.

Serratus anterior

The serratus anterior is a muscle of the upper back. It originates from the upper eight ribs and inserts on the medial border of the scapula.

The serratus anterior acts to protract and upwardly rotate the scapula (draw it toward your head).

Pectoralis major

You may have heard of the pectoralis major, or ‘pecs’. This is a muscle that is responsible for moving your arms, usually when you lift them. It’s also used to flex your arm upwards at the elbow joint, so it can be a useful tool when working out in the gym!

The pec major attaches on both sides of your upper ribs and sternum (breastbone). When these muscles contract they pull on these body parts and move them in an upward direction. The clavicular portion moves up towards your shoulders while its sternal portion pulls down towards your breastbone.

Latissimus dorsi

The lats are the largest muscles of the back, and they extend from the lower thoracic vertebrae to the iliac crest. They are powerful extensors of the arm and stabilizers of the shoulder joint. Their action also helps in rotation and adduction of your arms.

The lats work with other muscles to draw your upper arm down toward your abdomen or up by pressing it out away from your body when doing push-ups.

Deltoid

The deltoid is located on the upper arm, and it helps to lift, rotate, and stabilize the shoulder joint. It also assists in flexing the arm at the elbow joint.

The deltoid can be exercised by rotating or lifting heavy weights such as dumbbells or barbells.

Supraspinatus

• Supraspinatus is a small muscle. It’s located in the shoulder, and it works with supraspinatus tendonitis to lift the arm out to the side.
• A rotator cuff tear can result from an injury such as falling onto an outstretched hand, or it may occur gradually over time due to wear and tear on the joint

Teres minor

The teres minor is a small muscle in the upper back that lies between the latissimus dorsi and the posterior deltoid. It also helps to rotate and raise your arm toward your head, such as when you lift it to scratch your ear or push up a messy ponytail.

Infraspinatus

The infraspinatus muscle originates from the infraspinous fossa of the scapula and inserts into the greater tuberosity.

As a part of the rotator cuff muscles, it is a primary stabilizer for the glenohumeral joint during abduction and external rotation.

In addition to serving this function, it can also assist in flexion, extension and lateral rotation of the arm at any joint above or below its insertion point on the greater tuberosity (shoulder blade).

Subscapularis

The subscapularis is a muscle in the rotator cuff which is located on the back of the shoulder. It works with other muscles to abduct (move away from your body) and externally rotate your arm at its shoulder joint.

The subscapularis is one of four muscles that make up the rotator cuff, a group of smaller muscles that surround and stabilize your shoulders.

Triceps brachii (long head)

• Location: The triceps brachii is located in the upper arm. It originates from the lateral humerus (outer bone of your upper arm) and inserts into the olecranon process of your ulna (outer bone of your forearm).
• Actions: The long head of triceps extends, adducts and medially rotates your arm. It also works in conjunction with other muscles to flex your elbow joint.
• Working with other muscles: Your long head of triceps works together with your lateral and medial heads as part of a larger muscle group called “triceps.”
• Working against other muscles: Your long head opposes movements of the biceps brachii muscle group that draw your arm towards its midline or flex it at its elbow joint.

Triceps brachii (lateral head)

The lateral head is the largest of the three heads of the triceps muscle and originates from both sides of the humerus, or upper arm bone. It also attaches to part of the infraglenoid tubercle, which is an area on your scapula (shoulder blade). The lateral head is a powerful extensor (straightener) of your forearm.

Triceps brachii (medial head)

Triceps brachii, or triceps for short, is a three-headed muscle located at the back of your upper arm. It has an anatomical origin that’s unique among muscles: two heads originate from the scapula (shoulder blade), and one head originates from the humerus (upper arm bone).

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed learning about the muscles of the upper body.

Use your new knowledge of anatomy and 5 types of progressive overload to force muscle growth and enhance your gains.

They have been selected to offer you something new and exciting that will keep your body guessing and your body improving.

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What are the Muscles of the Core?

The muscles of the core are a group of muscles that are responsible for stabilizing and supporting the trunk and pelvis. These muscles are essential for maintaining good posture, balance, and stability during movement.

The primary muscles of the core include:

• Rectus Abdominis – This muscle is located in the front of the abdomen and is commonly referred to as the “six-pack” muscle.
• Transverse Abdominis – This muscle is located deep within the abdomen and is responsible for compressing the abdominal contents.
• Internal and External Obliques – These muscles are located on the sides of the abdomen and are responsible for rotation and lateral flexion of the trunk.
• Multifidus – This muscle is located along the spine and is responsible for stabilizing the spine during movement.
• Erector Spinae – This muscle group runs along the spine and is responsible for extending the spine.
• Diaphragm – This muscle separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and is responsible for breathing.
• Pelvic Floor Muscles – These muscles support the pelvic organs and are responsible for controlling bladder and bowel function.

Together, these muscles work to provide stability and support to the trunk and pelvis, allowing for efficient movement and proper posture.

Why is a Strong Core Important?

A strong core is important for several reasons, including:

Improved Posture: A strong core helps to maintain proper alignment of the spine, which can help to improve overall posture and reduce the risk of developing back pain or injuries.

Enhanced Balance and Stability: A strong core provides a stable base for movement, which can help to improve balance and stability during activities such as walking, running, or sports.

Increased Athletic Performance: A strong core can help athletes generate more power and force through their movements, which can lead to improved performance in their sport.

Reduced Risk of Injury: A strong core can help to prevent injuries by providing stability and support to the spine and pelvis during physical activity.

Improved Functional Movement: A strong core helps to improve the body’s ability to perform everyday activities such as bending, twisting, and lifting.

Better Breathing: The diaphragm, which is a muscle of the core, plays a key role in breathing. A strong core can improve the efficiency of the diaphragm and lead to better breathing.

A strong core is essential for maintaining good posture, balance, and stability during movement, as well as reducing the risk of injury and improving athletic performance.

Strength Side is a YouTube channel that provides content on various topics related to fitness, health, and nutrition, including exercise demonstrations, workout programs, nutrition advice, and wellness tips.

Video

Are Bodyweight Core Exercises Effective?

Yes, bodyweight core exercises can be very effective in developing core strength and stability. In fact, many bodyweight exercises specifically target the muscles of the core and can provide a challenging workout without the need for any equipment.

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Some examples of effective bodyweight core exercises include:

• Plank variations: Planks are a great way to target the entire core, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis.
• Mountain climbers: This exercise targets the abs, hip flexors, and shoulders while also providing a cardiovascular workout.
• Bicycle crunches: This exercise targets the obliques and rectus abdominis, and also provides a good stretch to the lower back.
• Leg raises: This exercise targets the lower abs and hip flexors.
• Russian twists: This exercise targets the obliques and rectus abdominis, and also improves rotational stability.

It’s important to note that while bodyweight exercises can be very effective, they should be performed with proper form and technique to avoid injury. Additionally, progressive overload (gradually increasing the difficulty of the exercises) is important to continue seeing results over time.

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Do You Need a Low Body Fat Percentage for a Six Pack to Show?

To some extent, yes, you do need a low body fat percentage for a six-pack to show. The rectus abdominis, which is the muscle group responsible for the appearance of the six-pack, is located beneath a layer of subcutaneous fat. If you have too much body fat, it will obscure the definition of your abs and prevent them from being visible.

While the exact body fat percentage required for a six-pack to show can vary depending on individual genetics, it is generally accepted that a body fat percentage of around 10-15% is necessary for visible abs in men, and 15-20% for visible abs in women.

It’s important to note that achieving a low body fat percentage requires a combination of proper nutrition and exercise. Eating a healthy, balanced diet that is rich in protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates, combined with regular exercise, can help to reduce body fat and improve overall body composition.

What is a Calorie Deficit?

A calorie deficit is a state in which the body is burning more calories than it is taking in through food and drink. When you are in a calorie deficit, your body is forced to use stored energy (in the form of fat or muscle tissue) to make up for the energy deficit.

To achieve a calorie deficit, you need to consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. This can be done through a combination of diet and exercise.

For example, if your body needs 2000 calories per day to maintain your current weight, and you consume only 1500 calories per day, you are in a calorie deficit of 500 calories. Over time, this deficit can lead to weight loss.

It’s important to note that while a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, it should be done in a gradual and sustainable manner to ensure that you are losing primarily body fat, rather than muscle mass. A deficit of around 500-1000 calories per day is generally recommended for safe and sustainable weight loss. You must make sure that you are still consuming enough nutrients to support your overall health and well-being.

What are Calories?

Calories are a unit of measurement used to describe the amount of energy contained in food and drink. More specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius.

In nutrition, calories are used to describe the amount of energy that the body can obtain from food and drink. When we eat and drink, our bodies break down the macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) into their component molecules, which can then be used as fuel by the body’s cells.

The number of calories in a food or drink depends on the macronutrient content, as each macronutrient provides a different amount of energy per gram. Carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 calories per gram, while fats provide 9 calories per gram. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram.

The number of calories that a person needs per day depends on a variety of factors, including age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. Consuming more calories than the body needs can lead to weight gain, while consuming fewer calories than the body needs can lead to weight loss.

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Pull-ups are an excellent way to improve upper body strength and endurance, while also working on grip strength and coordination. However, not everyone can perform a strict pull-up right away.

Scaling pull-ups for CrossFit athletes is essential for several reasons. It allows athletes to focus on developing the necessary skills and building a solid foundation before attempting the full movement. It also helps athletes avoid overexertion and allows them to focus on building strength and technique safely. In this article, we will discuss 5 ways to scale pull-ups for CrossFit athletes.

1. Banded Pull-ups

Banded pull-ups are a popular scaling option for pull-ups in CrossFit. They involve attaching a resistance band to the pull-up bar and looping it around your feet or knees to assist with the movement. The band provides support, making it easier to complete the pull-up.

As you progress, use thinner bands or reduce the assistance provided by the band until you can perform unassisted pull-ups.

Banded pull-ups are an excellent way to develop the necessary strength and technique required for full pull-ups. They allow athletes to focus on the correct form and build the necessary pulling strength gradually. Banded pull-ups are also a great way to build confidence and help athletes overcome the mental barrier of performing a strict pull-up.

2. Ring Rows

Ring rows are another popular scaling option for pull-ups in CrossFit. They involve setting up a pair of rings at chest height or adjusting the bar in a squat rack. Hold onto the rings or bar with an overhand grip and position your body at an incline. Pull your chest up toward the rings or bar, maintaining a straight line from head to heels.

Ring rows are an excellent way to build pulling strength and engage similar muscles to pull-ups. They also allow athletes to focus on the correct form and develop the necessary technique required for full pull-ups.

3. Jumping Pull-ups

Jumping pull-ups are another popular scaling option for pull-ups in CrossFit. They involve standing below the pull-up bar and using a small hop or jump to propel yourself upward. Grab the bar with an overhand grip at shoulder width, and then pull your chin above the bar. Control your descent on the way down.

Gradually reduce the amount of assistance from the jump until you can perform a full pull-up.

Jumping pull-ups are an excellent way to develop explosive pulling power and build the necessary strength and technique required for full pull-ups. They allow athletes to focus on the correct form and build the necessary pulling strength gradually.

4. Eccentric Pull-Ups

Eccentric pull-ups are a popular scaling option for pull-ups in CrossFit. They involve starting at the top position of a pull-up with your chin above the bar. Slowly lower yourself down, taking around 3-5 seconds to descend. Use a box or a partner to help you return to the top position and repeat the eccentric lowering.

Eccentric pull-ups are an excellent way to build strength and control in the pulling muscles. They also allow athletes to focus on the correct form and develop the necessary technique required for full pull-ups.

5. Toe Assisted Pull-up

Feet assisted pull-ups are a type of pull-up exercise where the feet are placed on a surface to provide assistance in performing the movement. This can be helpful for individuals who are working towards being able to perform an unassisted pull-up or for those who may need additional assistance due to injury or weakness.

To perform a toe-assisted pull-up, you would start by standing on a raised surface, such as a box or bench, and gripping a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Then, you would place your toes on the surface and use your legs to assist in pulling yourself up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar, and then slowly lower yourself back down. As you become stronger, you can gradually decrease the amount of assistance provided by your legs until you are able to perform a full unassisted pull-up.

Banded pull-ups, ring rows, jumping pull-ups, eccentric pull-ups, and the assisted pull-up are all popular scaling options for pull-ups in CrossFit.

Remember to consult with a qualified coach or to determine the appropriate scaling options based on your current fitness level and goals. Maintaining proper form and technique throughout these scaled variations is essential to maximize the benefits and reduce the risk of injury.

With these scaling options, you can gradually build up your strength and technique and eventually perform full pull-ups like a pro.

If you liked his article you will also like: Chinups vs Pullups for Bigger Arms: Which is the Winner?

When you get your first pull ups, don’t forget to check out this article: How to Double Your Max Pull Ups in 22 Days and this one too You CAN Do More Pull Ups (JUST DO THIS)

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“The lower chest line is something that many guys struggle to develop.  In this video, I’m going to show you how to get defined lower pecs by hitting the bottom most portion of your pec muscles with the right exercise selection.  In fact, I’m breaking out 8 exercises that will help you to hit your lower chest more effectively than ever before.”

“I start by showing you the classic decline bench press and explain why this exercise is a little better at developing your lower pecs than the flat or incline variation.  It all has to do with the position of your arms in relation to your torso when doing the movement.  You will see that when you sit up after finishing a set of decline bench press that your arms are not angled perpendicular to your body but downward.”

How to Build Chest Muscle Mass for Your Lower Pecs

“The anatomy of the chest explains why this is the preferred angle for attacking the bottom of your chest.  The pectoralis major is broken up into two main sections (the clavicular or upper and the sternal or lower).  In the sternal area of your chest however you have an additional head of the pecs called the abdominal head.  This is the lowermost portion of the pecs and angle from bottom to top heading towards your humerus.”

Source: CrossFit Games / Depositphotos

“If you follow the fibres and train in the same plane as these lower chest fibres then you will more effectively allow them to be activated and recruited during your chest exercises.  Knowing this, we can select chest movements that are better able to hit this lower chest than what you might currently be doing.  If your chest workouts consist of simply dips or decline bench press to hit your lower pecs or worse, you avoid these exercises all together, then you are going to benefit from trying some of these out.”

“First, we revisit the classic dip exercise (which is again a great way to hit the lower chest) and make it even better by including a plus push at the end of every rep.  This extra scapular protraction allows you to hit the serratus anterior muscle as well, which ties in perfectly with the function of the chest and helps to stablize your shoulder during the exercise as well.”

How to Build Chest Muscle Mass for Your Lower Pecs

“Next, we can do a straight bar dip to hit the bottom pecs.  Because you have to angle your entire body more forward during this exercise to keep yourself balanced over the bar, you automatically wind up placing your arms in the proper position to effectively target the lower chest more.  The additional internal rotation of the arms during the exercise helps to get a better contraction on the chest at the top of every rep.”

“From here, you can get more adduction into the exercises you are doing for your lower chest by performing either the D2 flexion pattern with a band or the kneeling x crossovers.  Both of these allow you to train with either one arm at a time or both and help you to build a better mind muscle connection with the working muscles.  This carries over to help you get better muscle development and a defined lower chest in the long run.”

“There are many other exercises that I show for getting a sculpted lower chest including some home options that don’t require any equipment at all.  The bottom line is, if you want to work the bottom of your chest and want to get rid of flat or saggy pecs then you have to start selecting the right exercises for this area.  Here I have shown you 8 exercises but you don’t have to do them all.  Pick a couple and add them to your chest training and you will see a difference in no time.”

Video – How to Build Chest Muscle Mass for Your Lower Pecs

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You should know by now that training your body to be healthier and fitter is not an exact science. Much like individuals are unique with their own biology and genetics at play, the way someone trains might not be optimal for you, but it could be for them.

Source: Pixabay

That’s why it can be difficult to put a nail in the coffin and say for certain how many sets you should be doing or how to train this or that. However, we can give you a general idea and a ballpark number for you to try for yourself and see how it pays off.

So, how many sets maximise muscle growth? To answer that, we borrow the knowledge of Dr Mike Israetel who has a PhD in Sport Physiology and is the co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, a YouTube channel focused on hypertrophy.

Check out his arguments regarding how many sets maximise muscle growth.

How Many Sets Maximise Muscle Growth?

The golden rule of how many sets you should be doing is clear according to fitness coaches. It should be enough to trigger muscle growth, but not too much that would cause so much damage to your muscles that you cannot recover for the next training session.

So, how many sets maximise muscle growth? It also depends on your level of fitness and how often you go to the gym. Per muscle per session, here is what Israetel came up with.

• Beginners – 1-5 sets per session
• Intermediate – 2-10 sets per session
• Advanced – 3-10 sets per session

Start with the lowest number that gets you the “pumped” feeling and add 1 or 2 sets per week as your muscles get used to the work.

Regarding how many sets total per session, that number can vary between 15 and 25.

If you are training a big muscle, like the quads or back, that number will be closer to 15. However, if it is a smaller muscle like the biceps or calves, the number would be closer to 25. And maybe even more than that depending on your level of fitness. But be wary of doing more than 30 total sets per session as it falls within the junk volume category.

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There you have it, the answer to how many sets maximise muscle growth. To get a better overall view of the subject and listen to Dr Mike Israetel’s explanation, click on the video below.

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Source: Sandra Seitamaa on Pexels

When selecting exercises to strengthen and tone your thighs, there are actually three different muscle groups you’ll need to focus on: quads, hamstrings and adductors (aka inner thighs).

With that said, there are plenty of classic movements that do a tremendous job of challenging all of these muscles.

There are a million different exercises, but never underestimate the power of the basic movements like squats or lunges.

If you really want to see results, you have to progressively overload your muscles by increasing the weight on these thigh exercises from workout to workout. The following best thigh exercises you can do at home, will activate all the right muscles, challenge your strength and get your heart pumping…and best of all, you can do them from your living room.

1. Glute bridge with Bands and Abduction

This movement is a great way to activate the hamstrings, glutes and core without putting extra pressure on your lower back.

To perform this exercise, put a resistance band around your thighs and lie down with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and your arms on the sides of your body pressed against the floor (put on a mat to be more comfortable). Tighten your core and then press through your heels and squeeze your glutes lifting your hips toward the ceiling. Pause in this position and press your knees outward to stretch the band. Then repeat.

2. Side Squat with Elastic Bands

This banded exercise will activate your glutes, your quadriceps and of course your thigh.

Start standing with a resistance band wrapped just below your knees with your, feet under your hips and your hands in front of your chest. Take a big step to the right, then bend your knees. Take a big step to the right, then bend your knees, bring your hips back into a squat lower by pushing your knees out. The depth of this will depend on your mobility but always try to perform a full squat. 

Engage the glutes and press up through the heels to return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. To add a little more difficulty you can perform this squat with weight.

3. Sumo Deadlift

This is a popular variation on the conventional deadlift because the wider stance and foot placement target the inner thighs.

Holding two kettlebells or dumbbells, or whatever heavy object you have at home, begin standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes facing out. Place the weight between your legs. Keeping your knees slightly bent, press your hips back and lower the weights toward the floor. Squeeze glutes to stand back up.

4. Kettlebell Swing

It is one of the most popular kettlebell exercises. It is ideal for working your legs and thighs.

To perform this exercise, stand with your feet a little wider than hip width apart and your toes facing outward. Hold the kettlebell with both hands.

Put the kettlebell under your legs and with a hip swing raise it up to eye level (russian swing). You can also perform the swing by bringing the kettlebell above your head to give more intensity to the movement (american swing).  The inertia will help you perform the repetitions with less effort but with the same effectiveness.

5. Step-Up

For this exercise you will need a box, a step or a bench. If you are not lucky enough to have this equipment at home, you can use a small ladder or a chair. The higher it is, the more effort you will be putting in. It is an asymmetrical or unilateral exercise with which you will work only one leg at a time.

Stand facing the box, with your legs apart and feet parallel. Raise one of them up on the box and, with the strength of that leg and with the core engaged, raise the rest of the body to the platform. Carefully lower yourself down. Return to the starting position and perform the movement with the other leg.

6. Clamshell with a Band

One of the simplest and most effective exercises we can do to work your legs and thighs are clamshells with an elastic band or mini-band.

Lie on your side on the floor, with your knees bent and feet together. Place the mini-band above your knees, not over the joint, but a little above it and, keeping your feet together, slightly raise the leg above until it creates a little tension in the elastic band.

From there, the only thing to do is to raise the knee of the leg that remains above, creating more tension in the band . The feet never separate, and you never lose all the tension generated in the rubber. When back to the starting position must be done in a controlled manner, not just dropping the leg.

Your can also try this clam workout for outer thighs

7. leg Raises

Lateral leg raises are an exercise that uses multiple muscle groups and offers numerous benefits to our lower body and abs. To perform the lateral leg raise, stand next to a chair or wall for support and stability when executing.

Transfer your weight to your right leg and lift your left leg laterally as high as possible. Slowly return to the starting position. Complete the desired number of repetitions and then repeat the exercise with the other leg. You can also perform this exercise lying on your side on the floor.

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We know the holy grail of chest exercise is the bench press. Hell, we even wrote an article claiming it was the best exercise for chest. Then why would you continue reading this? Because you need to add variation to your training to see better gains.

And this is when Troy Adashun comes to play. He is the co-founder of the fitness lifestyle company Alpha Lion and has created a gigantic YouTube following with his gym tips and workouts. He decided to tell people to stop bench pressing and check out 3 chest exercises even better for chest gains.

Chest Exercises Even Better for Chest Gains

For Adashun, chest growth comes from peak activation when choosing the right exercise. He particularly doesn’t do much bench press, sometimes the incline barbell, sometimes the flat with dumbbells. So what does he do? These are the 3 chest exercises even better for chest gains in his opinion.

These exercises will use a cable machine.

1. Komodo Chest Flyes

Using a cable machine, go from a slightly high to low trajectory and to make use of peak activation you want to cross your hands in front of your body and squeeze your chest muscles for a full second at the end of the movement.

Perform 3 sets of 30 seconds time under tension and the 4^th set increase the weight and perform 8-10 reps with perfect form.

This exercise should target your inner chest and lower chest.

2. Low Flyes

This exercise mimics the dips and will target your lower chest tremendously.

It is very similar to the previous exercise, but you should aim to “punch down” towards the floor instead of inclined to the floor as you did in the Komodo chest flyes.

Do the same trick of squeezing your muscles at the top of the movement and keeping it under tension for a second. Apply the same sets and reps technique from before with 3 sets of 30 and one set of 8-10 reps with heavier load.

3. Wolverine Low Cable Fly

Source: Pixabay

The last in this list of chest exercises even better for chest gains is one that will target your upper chest.

Again, use peak activation and cross your arms in front of your body. Also, the same idea of sets and reps with 3 sets of 30 and one set of 8-10 reps.

These exercises above are very similar to other cable crossovers that you’ve probably seen before, but with different names because Troy Adashun uses what he calls peak activation. To know exactly how to do these exercises, see the video below.

VIDEO – Chest Exercises Even Better for Chest Gains

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For any reason, some people prefer to stay away from squats when it comes to leg workouts. It could be because of problems on their back, mobility, neck, or even shoulder or elbow difficulties when holding the barbell before squatting. So how to get big legs without squats? John Meadows explained how.

John Meadows, “The Mountain Dog” was a professional bodybuilder, trainer and nutritionist who died in 2021 aged 49. Outlets, such as People magazine and the British online publication the Independent, wrote pieces about the Washington Court House, Ohio native’s death while a Go Fund Me campaign, set up by Cavaliere, amassed more than $260,000 in just four days.

Check out how to get big legs without squats by following Meadows’ training advice.

How To Get Big Legs Without Squats

Firstly, you need to warm up your quads on the leg extension. If you warm up your quads, the following exercises are going to feel much better. Meadows’ did a different type of warm-up, in which you start with a weight and do 6 reps, and keep increasing the load after each time you manage to do 6 reps until you can no longer finish 6 reps.

And the first exercise you will be doing is exactly the same, leg extensions, with the weight that you left off in the warm-up. Do only one set until you get 25 reps. You can rest, pause, and shake your legs as you want, but do 25 reps and they don’t have to be unbroken.

After that, you begin with the exercise that takes over the movement of the squat. Meadows’ uses a machine that helps him do the arsenal pendulum squat, but if you don’t have that you can do a v-squat, a leg press, or a hack squat. Any machine that lets you squat while your back is supported. As with the previous exercise, choose a weight you can do 10-12 reps with and shoot for 25 reps total, pausing when needed, but don’t get out of the machine while resting.

Source: Scott Webb / Pexels

The third exercise on the list of how to get big legs without squats is the lunge. Do 3 sets of lunges for about 25 yards.

Finally, to finish it off, you should do 2 sets of 10 reps of leg curls to strengthen your hamstrings. The last set of leg curls will be 10 normal reps, 10 partial reps, and then an iso-hold for 20 seconds to burn everything left in the tank.

And those are the exercises you should be doing if you want to understand how to get big legs without squats. Any questions? Click the video below from John Meadows.

VIDEO – How To Get Big Legs Without Squats

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Short on time, long on desire?

If you only have 20 minutes, can you still get the job done?

So, Jeff from Athlean-X has made an excellent video to answer this question.

Firstly, don’t make this into a habit. The 20-minute workout is to help you so that if you don’t have time to train, you can still stimulate hypertrophy and work on building chest muscle.

Don’t make it into a habit, rather think of it as a great tool to use when you need it.

He chose not to select the Barbell Bench Press, why is that?

This exercise is a great way to build strength, but it requires longer warm ups and longer rest periods between sets to maximise strength.

The name of the game here is speed, so that is why it won’t fit into a chest workout in only 20 minutes.

Also, changing plates on a barbell takes much longer that switching dumbbells.

Workout

• Cable Crossover into DB Static Press
• 3x sets to form failure
• Incline DB Bench Press
• 3x sets to form failure
• Bodyweight Dips into Band Assisted Dip
• 3x sets to form failure
• High Low Banded Crossover
• 3x form failure on both sides

Watch the full video for all the details, rest periods, transitions, technique and more.

Perfect Chest Workout in Only 20 Minutes

Want more training tips? Check out the best lower chest exercises or the Reverse Grip Bench Press.

Including squats into your training routine can help you develop well-rounded functional strength and improve your overall fitness in CrossFit.

1. Box Squat

Box squats can be a useful exercise for CrossFit beginners, as they can help establish proper squat mechanics and improve lower body strength.

Box squats involve squatting down to a box or other target, which can help ensure consistent depth and proper form. In addition to building lower body strength, box squats can also improve hip mobility and help prevent injury by reducing stress on the knees and lower back.

2. Isometric Squat

Isometric squats are a useful exercise for CrossFit beginners, especially for building strength in the lower body and improving the ability to hold positions for longer periods of time.

To perform this exercise, stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart, angled out slightly, and lower your body into a squat position by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.

Pause when your upper thighs are parallel to the ground or as low as you can comfortably go, and hold the position for a set amount of time before standing back up. It’s crucial to start with light weight or bodyweight and focus on proper form and technique.

3. Air Squat

The air squat is a fundamental bodyweight exercise designed to establish the groundwork for proper squat mechanics by developing lower body strength and mobility.

To perform an air squat, position yourself with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed outward, and proceed to squat down by flexing your knees and hips while maintaining an upright chest position and grounding your heels firmly on the ground.

4. Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is an ideal exercise for beginners in CrossFit due to its natural movement that resembles daily activities, making it easier to perform. It is also easy to learn and helps establish proper movement mechanics of the squat, which can aid in building lower-body strength and mobility.

Moreover, it can help establish a strong foundation for deeper and more complex squat movements. Many CrossFit boxes incorporate goblet squats into their beginner workouts to help newcomers develop proper form and technique.

5. Front Squat

Front squats are a crucial exercise in CrossFit for beginners as they aid in developing proper knee and hip mechanics. This exercise entails holding a barbell or weight across the front of the shoulders while performing a squat.

The front squat targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles, making it ideal for building functional strength and power. Furthermore, mastering the front squat can lead to improved performance in other CrossFit movements that require similar mechanics, such as thrusters and wall balls.

6. Back Squat

The back squat is a crucial strength exercise in CrossFit. To perform a back squat, place a barbell on your upper back and position your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. While keeping your chest up, squat down, ensuring your knees track over your toes, and maintaining a strong and stable core.

This exercise targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles.

7. Overhead Squat

Performing overhead squats can be challenging for CrossFit beginners, but it is an effective exercise for building overall strength and mobility.

To do an overhead squat, hold a barbell or PVC pipe, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and keep your arms extended and actively press the weight above your head.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, with your toes turned slightly outward, and slowly lower your body into a squat, keeping your chest up and your weight in your heels. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below, and drive through your heels to stand back up, actively pressing the weight overhead.

It’s crucial to start with a light weight and maintain proper form throughout the movement, especially if you’re new to CrossFit or strength training.

8. Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is a unilateral exercise that targets the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Stand with one foot elevated on a bench or box behind you. Lower your back knee towards the ground, keeping the front knee tracking over the toes.

Bulgarian split squats help improve lower body strength imbalances.

9. Jumping Squat

Jumping squats are a plyometric exercise that help develop explosive power and strength. Start in a squat position and explosively jump up, extending your hips and legs fully. Land softly and immediately go into the next repetition.

Jump squats are beneficial for improving athletic performance and lower body power.

10. Wall Ball Squat

Wall ball squats combine squatting with an explosive throw. Hold a medicine ball in front of you, squat down, and as you come up, throw the ball against a target on the wall. Catch the ball and repeat the squat and throw.

Wall ball squats are often used in CrossFit workouts for conditioning and full-body engagement. These exercises can help improve your strength, power, and conditioning, making them a valuable addition to your CrossFit routine.

When incorporating different types of squats into your training, focus on maintaining proper form, gradually increase the load or difficulty, and listen to your body.

If you liked this article, you will also like: 300 Squats Every Day for 30 Days – What Happens to your Body?

Also, learn more about:

How To Squat Properly For Muscle Growth (Checklist)

How to Build Great Glutes with the Bulgarian Split Squat

Designed by Jeff Nippard, this is a great way to level up your training.

Upper Body Workout for Max Muscle Growth – Warm Up

• 5 minutes general warm up. Goal is to break a light sweat.
• 5 minutes on incline treadmill
• 5 minutes dynamic stretching routine

Exercise 1 – Barbell Overhead Press

• 2 sets x 4 reps

Keep the RPE high on the Overhead Press.

Exercise 2 – Wide Grip Pull Up

• 3 sets x 6 reps

Make sure you are close to failure on the sixth rep. Add weight if necessary.

Try to maintain the same tempo on all reps.

Exercise 3 – Close Grip Bench Press

• 2 sets x 10 reps

This targets the clavical (upper) head more.

Exercises 4 and 5 (Superset)

• A1 – Wide Grip Seated Cable Row
• 3 sets x 12 reps
• A2 – Incline Dumbbell Lateral Raise
• 3 sets x 15 reps

With the Incline Dumbbell Lateral Raise, lean forwards by 15-30 degrees.

Stop the range of motion about 10 – 15 degrees from the bottom of the range of motion to maximise contraction and emphsise the lateral delt.

Exercise 6 and 7 (Superset)

• A1 – Cable Crossover
• 2 sets x 10 (low) and 10 (Mid) Reps
• A2 – Rope Facepull
• 2 sets x 20 reps

Use an underhand grip and externally rotate at the top for the Facepulls.

Exercise 8 – Supinated Dumbbell Curl

3 sets x 12 reps

Hit all reps with your weaker/smaller arm first. Then match the reps with your stronger/bigger arm.

Full Video

Who is Jeff Nippard?

“I’m a Canadian natural pro bodybuilder and internationally-qualified powerlifter with a BSc in biochemistry/chemistry and a passion for science. I’ve been training for 12 years drug-free. I’m 5’5 and fluctuate between 160 lbs (lean) and 180 lbs (bulked).”

Learn More about Upper Body Anatomy

Upper Body Workout for Max Muscle Growth – Pectoralis Major

The pectoralis major muscle covers the anterior thoracic cage. It has three heads; clavicular, sternocostal and abdominal. Its clavicular head originates from the anterior surface of the medial half of the clavicle. The sternocostal head originates from the anterior surface of the sternum and rib cartilages 1-6, while its abdominal head originates from the anterior layer of the rectus sheath.

By inserting into the crest of greater tubercle of the humerus, it enables adduction and internal rotation of the arm. Also, it draws the scapula anteroinferiorly. The pectoralis major muscle is innervated by the lateral and medial pectoral nerves.

Upper Body Workout for Max Muscle Growth – Pectoralis minor

The pectoralis minor lies underneath the pectoralis major muscle. It originates at the rib cartilages 3-5 and inserts to the medial border and the coracoid process of the scapula. The medial pectoral nerve supplies the muscle. The pectoralis minor draws the scapula anteroinferiorly and anchors it to the thoracic cage.

Upper Body Workout for Max Muscle Growth – Trapezius

The trapezius muscle is a large muscle that defines the nuchal region. It has three parts; descending, transverse and ascending. Same as in serratus anterior, the parts have different origins and insertions.

The descending part originates at the medial third of the superior nuchal line, external occipital protuberance, spinous processes of cervical vertebrae or nuchal ligament. It inserts to the lateral third of clavicle.

Source: Nigel Msipa

The transverse part originates from the broad aponeurosis at spinous processes of vertebrae T1-T4 (or C7-T3), while it inserts to the medial aspect of the acromion and to the superior crest of spine of scapula.

The ascending part originates from the spinous processes of vertebrae T5-T12 (or T2-T12), and inserts to the medial end of spine of scapula.

The muscle is innervated by the branches of the spinal accessory nerve (CN XI) and the anterior rami of spinal nerves C3-C4 via the cervical plexus.

The trapezius functions are also part-specific. The descending part draws scapula superomedially, extends and laterally flexes the head and neck and rotates the head. The transverse part draws scapula medially, while the ascending parts draws it inferomedially.

Upper Body Workout for Max Muscle Growth – Latissimus dorsi

Latissimus dorsi is another large muscle at the posterior shoulder area. You already assume that this one also has some parts, and you’re correct; there are four parts of this muscle. They are the vertebral, iliac, costal and scapular.

The vertebral part originates from the spinous processes of vertebrae T7-S1 and the thoracolumbar fascia.

The iliac part originates at the posterior third of the crest of the ilium, a part of the bony pelvis.

The costal part originates from the ribs 9-12, while the scapular part originates from the inferior angle of scapula. All parts converge and insert together to the intertubercular sulcus of humerus.

The muscle is innervated by the thoracodorsal nerve. Its functions are the adduction, internal rotation and extension of the arm, while it also assists in the respiration.

Rhomboids

There are two rhomboid muscles; rhomboid minor and rhomboid major. The rhomboid minor muscle originates from the nuchal ligament and the spinous processes of the vertebrae C7-T1 and inserts to the root of the spine of scapula. The rhomboid major originates from the spinous processes of T2-T5 vertebrae and inserts to the medial border of the scapula from inferior angle to root of spine of scapula.

The dorsal scapular nerve innervates both muscles, and they both share functions of drawing scapula superomedially, rotating the glenoid cavity inferiorly and supporting the position of scapula.

Learn More

Add Nordic Curls and Reverse Hyperextensions into your training.

It is important to note that the box is also characterized by having 3 different heights which makes it a powerful workout equipment that can be used to increase the intensity of your workouts. If you have never used it before, start with the lowest one and when you get used to it, try a higher height.

If you don’t feel very confident you can put some plates on the box to raise the height little by little or add difficulty when you want to test the explosiveness of your jumps.

Usually we reduce the exercises with box to the box jumps, but there are many more exercises that will allow you to train your lower body improving your strength, power and endurance and burning fat. Here are the 10 great plyo box exercises for powerful legs and fat burn 

1. Box jump

It’s good to have strong legs, fit and able to move weight, but what if we were also able to give them power and speed to be able to run faster and jump higher? With the most basic exercise that we can perform with the plyo box – the box jump, we can get all these benefits and burn a lot of fat.

This one of the 10 great plyo box exercises for powerful legs and fat burn exercise, consists of jumping with both feet at the same time and land on the box also with both feet at the same time, once on it you stand up to extend the hips.

To get off the box, lower first one foot and then the other. Be careful when getting off the box with a jump backwards, although it is a practice that we see in pro athletes, for a rookie it can be dangerous and even cause injuries. In this exercise you get on and off the box on the same side.

2. Box Jump Over

You can do it in 3 ways: jumping on the plyo box with both feet, placing both feet at the same time and going down (with one or two feet) on the other side. You can also do a step over, which would be stepping up the plyo box with one foot, following by the other one and stepping down on the other side of the box.

You can do the fast mode in which you don’t extend your hips at the top, jump with both feet, land in half squat and jump again with both feet to go down, it’s almost touching the surface. Note that this last one must be practiced a lot to do it correctly and safely but is still one  of the10 great plyo box exercises for powerful legs and fat burn.

3. Burpee Box Jump

The combination of these two exercises is FIRE. Both burpees and box jumps are an incredible test of explosiveness and strength. Putting those movements together, you’ll improve your cardiovascular endurance, strengthen your entire body…and burn tons of calories.

To start this exercise, get into the starting position of a burpee and perform the movement, either facing the box or to the side.

Once you perform the burpee and are back on your feet, push yourself up and jump on the box, landing softly with both feet. Then come down on the same side of the box, or if you want to increase the difficulty, land on the other side and repeat.

4. Step Up

This plyo box exercise is very simple but great for powerful legs and fat burn. Step up one leg, then the other and once up on the box, you extend your hips. You come back down on the same side, lowering first one leg and then the other, or both at the same time with a jump. This exercise performed at a high intensity or with weights can give an extra boost to your metabolism which will not only strengthen your legs but also burn more fat.

5. Step Up Over

A variation of the exercise explained above. It consists of stepping up on one side of the box and stepping down on the other side of the box. Still, performed at high intensity it will help you to improve your fitness and also to burn more fat.

6. Explosive Step Up

One of the 10 great plyo box exercises for powerful legs and fat burn. The explosive step-up is an effective explosive strength exercise for the thighs, hamstrings and glutes.

Stand in front of the box and place one foot on the box while keeping the other foot firmly on the floor. Then, move upwards explosively, as if you wanted to perform a jump by pushing yourself up with the leg that is resting on the floor and squeeze your legs and glutes.

7. Weighted Step Up

Is basically a step up with extra weight – with medlball, with dumbbell, with kettlebell, with sandbag, with plate, with barbell behind the neck…

The extra weight will make you have to work harder to perform this exercise, you will work on strength, balance and burn more fat.

Be careful when going up and down, going down will always be more complicated and where we can get injured.

8. Bulgarian Squat with Jump

Meet another one of the 10 great plyo box exercises for powerful legs and fat burn.

The Bulgarian squat is an excellent exercise to work the lower body and strengthen the legs and glutes quickly.

It basically consists of placing the tip of one foot on the box and bending the other leg. Among the variations of the Bulgarian squat, you can’t miss the one that includes a vertical jump. Like any type of squat, this exercise is perfect for gaining endurance and burn fat quickly. To perform this variation, once you’re going up, add a vertical jump.

9. Box Calf Raises

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Adjust your foot so that both heels are out of the box.

Shift the weight to the toes of your feet. The calves have the function of a cardio pump, preventing muscle cramps, swelling, varicose veins, etc. When practicing certain movements, such as sprinting, it is necessary to change position, in these cases, the calves support more than 10 times the weight of the body, in addition, during jumping exercises, they stabilize the knees and protect the joints.

10. Deep Jump and Jump

Deep jumps are a fundamental plyometric exercise that works the entire body and are one of the 10 great plyo box exercises for powerful legs and fat burn. Perform a box jump and once you land on the ground, explode vertically as high as you can.

Use your legs on the jump, swinging your arms for extra height and supporting your core on the landing.

This movement is all about shortening your reaction time and will also increase your lower body strength, which will translate into increased strength in deadlifts and squats.

If you liked this article, you will also like: 10 Brutal Box Jump WODs to Improve Your Explosiveness and Endurance

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Jeff Nippard decided to shine a light on supplements that would be best to avoid.

Jeff Nippard is a natural professional bodybuilder and fitness coach who shares tips and training programs on his YouTube channel. In the following paragraphs, he talked about the 5 worst supplements everyone takes for muscle growth.

Nippard explains that these supplements are bad because it is not backed by scientific evidence if people want to lose weight or increase their muscle mass.

Worst Supplements Everyone Takes For Muscle Growth

1. Testosterone Boosters

A study from 2020 analysed the top 5 testosterone boosters sold on Amazon.com and it immediately saw some red flags. For starters, three of them did not specify proper dosing, so you don’t really know how much of each ingredient is in the product.

And from the ingredient list they had, half of them have zero human studies showing a positive effect on muscle growth. Other 3 ingredients had few studies showing a positive effect, but overwhelmingly more studies said there is no effect whatsoever for humans.

Read More: Best Supplements to Build Muscle Faster

2. Turkesterone

Turkesterone is one of the newest supplements available on the market. In short, turkesterone is to animals and plans what testosterone is to humans, so many people assumed (including scientists) that consuming turkesterone could help build more muscle.

Still today there is not a study to prove its benefits and there are serious quality control issues with these products.

Read More: Everything You Need to Know About Turkesterone

3. BCAAs

BCAAs are supplements with leucine, isoleucine and valine. But taking these three is not that important to build muscle because you actually need all 9 essential amino acids to build muscle.

“So taking leucine without all the other essential amino acids would be like turning the key to your car without any gas in it,” Nippard says.

Read More: 5 Reasons to Take Supplements (and When You Never Should)

4. Fat Burners

Fat burners claim to have one of two paths to achieve your goals: it makes you eat less, or it increases your calorie expenditure. In reality, that doesn’t happen.

A recent meta-analysis stated that, overall, “there was no indication that the inclusion of fat burners and thermogenic dietary supplements was any more effective than exercise or a combination of diet and exercise.”

5. Beta-Alanine

Why is beta-alanine on the list of worst supplements everyone takes for muscle growth? Beta-alanine works, but not for typical resistance training. It helps people to keep pushing longer, which sounds good on paper, but if you short sets (8-12) then beta-alanine has no effect.

A study showed that beta-alanine works for exercises lasting 1-4 minutes and didn’t do anything for exercises lasting less than 60 seconds. In short, sets under 20 or 30 reps will get no benefit from beta-alanine supplementation.

If you want to know more about the arguments from Nippard regarding the worst supplements everyone takes for muscle growth, you can check out his video below.

Video – Worst Supplements Everyone Takes For Muscle Growth

Supplements  Guide – All You Need to Know

How to Build Massive Muscle Mass for your Shoulders

“If you want to learn how to get bigger shoulders fast then you’ve come to the right place. In this video, you will see how to build big shoulders by doing the opposite of what you likely have been doing up to now. It is going to require that you use slightly heavier weights and focus more on the quality of the contractions of the shoulder muscles on every rep rather than only pressing heavy weights and overdeveloping patterns that are already holding back your gains.”

“The lack of shoulder growth can be blamed on two things, and it isn’t your mom and dad.  It is the over reliance on just heavy and light dumbbells for shoulders and not training the rear delt enough.”

Source: CrossFit Inc / Berlin Throwdown

“Let’s start with the rear delts, or the lack of training them to be exact. Extension of the shoulder is actually one of the most overlooked components of a fully trained shoulder muscle. The rear head of the shoulders has the ability to extend the shoulder and can handle fairly heavy weight in the process.  The issue however is that you don’t want to just extend the shoulder but also incorporate abduction to hit the middle delt head as well.”

How to Build Massive Muscle Mass for your Shoulders

“The best way to do this is with something called a hip hugger. This starts with dragging the dumbbells up your side as you move your shoulders back behind your body. The elbows then drift away from the sides as you come up to light up the middle delt as well. The key to performing this correctly is making sure that you cannot see your elbows in front of your body if you look to the side. They should be out of view the entire time in order to prevent turning this into a modified upright row.”

“To make sure you grow bigger shoulders fast you are going to need to increase the weight you are used to a little bit on this shoulder exercise. The rear delts with help of the middle delts can handle slightly heavier loads and should therefore be pushed by using them. You’ll find that you can likely lift more than you can on a lateral raise but less than what you would use on an overhead dumbbell press.”

“If you get this right, the shoulders and rear delts will be doing all of the lifting. No momentum. What this does is it also keeps the dumbbells very close to the body. While this is not a drag, the closeness of the dumbbells to the body are going to allow you to use slightly heavier weights. Specifically, this is going to hit the middle and rear heads of the delts a lot better. When you are struggling to build big shoulders fast, the rear head is often last to grow.”

“The front delt doesn’t have to go unworked however.”

“The second thing you can do is hit the front delts immediately following the conclusion of a set of the hip huggers by doing something called the scoop press. Here, the weights you used on the first shoulder exercise will be perfect to crank out a few reps of the overhead press variation. Lock the elbows into a ninety degree position and drive the upward thrust of the arms with the front deltoids alone.”

“This works as the perfect drop set and compliments the work already done on the middle and rear delt exercise to make sure you leave no head of the delts unworked.”

“When you learn how to train the rear delts effectively you will likely fall in love with working them. Many people skip them all together in their shoulder workouts for mass because they just can’t seem to get the exercises to work for them. Now that you can feel them, you can start regularly incorporating these into your workout for bigger shoulders.”

“If you want to build bigger shoulders fast you sometimes have to be willing to take a step backwards to take giant steps forward.”

“These two exercises are something you can include into your very next shoulder workout that are going to start to deliver big results to your shoulder training and growth.”

Video – How to Build Massive Muscle Mass for your Shoulders

Learn More

Add these Standing Ab Exercises and Z Press into your training.

Try BOXROX Pro.

What is the Viking Press?

The Viking Press is an overhead pressing movement, common in strong(wo)man competitions, that is growing in popularity in strength training in general.

The equipment is essentially a weighted lever that must be pressed upwards by gripping straight or parallel handles.

Think a landmine press with the fixed point much higher.

Viking Press Muscles Worked?

As an intense compound exercise, the Viking Press works all of the following muscle groups:

Deltoids

The movement is, at its heart, an overhead press. As a result, the deltoids will be significantly strengthened by adding it into your training.

The anterior deltoid works the hardest, with the other two playing supporting and stabilising roles.

Triceps

The triceps are essential for locking out the exercise. In strongman competitions, if you don’t lockout, the rep doesn’t count.

Core

The exercise is a full body movement and your core will have to work hard to balance your body and control power through the full range of motion.

Source: Andre Taissin / Unsplash

The core is the collective group of muscles including the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominus, and erector spinae.

Legs

The Viking Press can be performed both strict or with a dip and drive from the legs.

The latter variation forces the legs to generate explosive power, which will strengthen them in the long run.  

Viking Press Benefits

The exercise has many great benefits

Build Strength

As a compound overhead pressing exercise, it is an excellent tool for building strength.

Develop Muscle

This exercise is hard and will push your limits. Perfect for shocking your body and stimulating hypertrophy.

Shoulder and Wrist Friendly

The neutral or parallel grip is easy going on the positions of the wrists and shoulders.

If you ever get uncomfortable pain from Strict Presses then substitute in the Viking Press.

Keep your Training Fun and Varied

As a relatively underused movement, it is a fun and challenging way to add something new and exciting into your training.

A Safe Exercise

If you fail a rep the lever will simply return to the stationary position. So, despite its intimidating appearance, it is in fact relatively safe to execute.

Functional

Pressing heavy weight overhead is a functional skill to learn. The benefits from the Viking Press will have huge carry over for other exercises and for your general physical preparedness.

Viking Press Drawbacks

So, what are the cons?

Not Often Available

The movement requires a specialised machine that can be difficult to find in regular gyms.

How to Perform the Viking Press (Strict)

Use the following instructions to complete the exercise with proper form.

• Make sure to adjust the handles so that they sit slightly below shoulder height at rest
• Grip the handles with your palms facing inwards
• Position your body with your back straight, core tight and feet shoulder width apart
• Inhale and brace your core, glutes, shoulders and grip
• Use your legs to push the weight off the supports and into the starting position
• Retract the shoulder blades back and down
• Drive the weight upwards
• Lockout at the top
• Return the weight to the starting position and exhale
• Repeat for the desired number of reps

Training Tip

For the grip, you can wrap your thumbs around the bar or use a thumbless grip, whichever feels better for you.

Viking Press Variations and Alternatives

If you don’t have access to the machine, or you want to try a slightly different stimulus, add these variations and alternatives into your training.

1. Double barbell Viking press
2. Neutral grip dumbbell shoulder press
3. Push-press
4. Javelin press
5. Z press
6. Shoulder press machine
7. Trap bar overhead press
8. Handstand push-ups

Learn More

Add these Standing Ab Exercises and Z Press into your training.

Try BOXROX Pro.

Source: Photos Courtesy of CrossFit Inc

Core stability is essential when it comes to improving any type of athletic performance. Even in our daily activities, it is necessary to have strong oblique abs. Running, cycling, climbing stairs, jumping, or carrying groceries all require core strength.

It is very important to train your obliques, as well as the rest of your core. This includes your back and lower back, as they give extra support for core rotation. In this article we’ll show you a couple of great dumbbell exercises for the obliques that will help you build strong abs and improve your performance in any sport.

The benefits of using dumbbells during your obliques workouts are huge. Including dumbbell exercises for the obliques workout routine can have several positive effects on your training:

– They improve core strength. By targeting the internal oblique and external oblique muscles, dumbbell exercises can strengthen the lateral and core parts of the body.

– Dumbbell exercises for the obliques increase spinal mobility. With practice and proper technique, dumbbell oblique crunches can strengthen the lateral flexion of the spine, improving functional mobility during daily activities.

– They are versatile. Most of the dumbbell exercises for the obliques can be performed in the gym or at home, only one or two dumbbells are required. If you are new to this kind of exercise, practice the movement with your body weight first.

There are some best dumbbell exercises for the obliques. Those are recommended to incorporate in your training routine each week, changing the ones you already do so the body does not get used to them.

1. Wood Chops with Dumbbell

– Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, while holding a dumbbell next to your left hip.

– Bring the dumbbell up (and diagonally), with your arms straight in front of you, so that the dumbbell is in the air on the right side.

• Bring the dumbbell back to your left hip.
• Do this exercise for 30 seconds on each side.

Do not try to grab too heavy dumbbells and take care of the technique of the movement. A bad execution can cause injury to the lower back, trapezius and dorsal.

2. Dumbbell Crossover Plank

– Start in plank position, with feet wider than shoulder width apart

– Place a dumbbell next to your left hand

– Reach up and grab the dumbbell with your right hand and bring it to your right side

– Then reach back with your left hand to bring it back to its original position

• Repeat for 30 seconds, alternating right and left sides                                                                    Make sure your hip is straight, you will need to use your abdominal strength to keep it in this position

3. Side Plank with Hip Raises and a Dumbbell

– Get into a side plank position on your left side, with your left forearm resting on the floor and making a straight line from your head and down to your feet.

– Slowly raise your hips and control the movement to lower them to the floor. Return to the starting position.

Source: Cristian Baron / Unsplash

– Repeat for 30 seconds and then alternate to the other side.

Make sure your hips are in a straight line, keeping your gluteus tight will help. You should hold the dumbbell in your free hand.

4. One Dumbbell Farmers Carry

The most functional core exercises are those that are unilateral and anti-rotational, meaning they are performed on one side of the body and require our abs to stabilize and resist the tendency to twist or bend.

These movements closely mimic many of the real-life loads placed on the abs, and the one-arm farmer carry does a decent job of turning on the oblique crunches. The key is to select the heaviest weight you can handle with good form.

To perform this great dumbbell exercise for the obliques:

– Stand with good posture while holding a heavy dumbbell. The arms should be down at the sides.

– Keep your core contracted, chest upright and shoulders at the same level, and walk forward about 15 steps or 30 meters.

– Turn around and walk back.

Then change the dumbbell arm and repeat. You ca also do the traditional farmer carry with two dumbbells.

5. Dumbbell Side Plank Rotations

This exercise focuses on the oblique abs, but it’s also great for the entire core and shoulders. It’s also a mobility exercise for the spine and helps develop balance.

– Start in a push-up position with the abs and glutes contracted

– Shift the weight onto the right hand and lift the left hand off the floor, rotating the spine and turning the feet enough so that the entire torso is facing the left wall and the left arm is pointing toward the ceiling

– The body should be in a “T” position, and the dumbbell in the hand at the top

6. Dumbbell Russian Twist

The russian twist is a classic and great dumbbell exercises for the obliques. We’ve probably seen or tried it, and it’s worth incorporating into your workout routine. It’s a great core mobility exercise and will set your obliques on fire.

–  Grab a slightly heavy dumbbell

–  Sit on an exercise mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor

• Tightening our abs, lean your torso back into a V-sitting position and lift your feet off the floor
• For a more challenging progression, keep the knees bent in the tuck position or straighten the legs and lift the feet in the air in a full V position
• Rotate the upper body to one side, bringing the weight just above the floor on that side of the hips

– Continue rotating the torso forward and backward switching sides

7. Standing Dumbbell Twist

– Grab a dumbbell with both hands and stand upright, feet shoulder-width apart.

– Keep your arms straight in front of your chest and your back straight. This is your starting position.

– Hold the abdominal muscles contracted and turn the arms to the side until the obliques are fully engaged.

• Hold for a moment, then rotate to the other side and repeat as many times as you can

What is your favorite option?

If you liked this article you will like it too: How to Build Impressive Abs with the Weighted Sit Up

The traditional push-up is a staple when it comes to fitness. There are many benefits of doing push-ups, but being able to do it anywhere and easy to adapt can take the cherry on the top.

Related: 100 Push-Ups a Day for 30 Days – What Happens to Your Body?

If you want to make your chest look better than it is at the moment, you can’t go wrong with a push-up, but it is important to know there are a couple of variations that you don’t know about that could help you achieve your goals faster.

And this is where Max Posternak showcased the 12 best push-up exercises for a better chest in a video recently.

Max Posternak is the founder of Gravity Transformation, a website focused on giving tips and training guidance for people looking to improve their fitness and lose weight. His YouTube channel has over 4 million subscribers.

Check out the best push-up exercises for a better chest below, according to Posternak.

12 Best Push-Up Exercises For A Better Chest

1. Val Slide Push-Up

This variation incorporates horizontal abduction which is the chest muscle’s primary role from an anatomical perspective.

2. Chest Squeeze Push-Up

You can hit your chest using a close grip with this variation. If you have a medicine ball, or basketball, use it as the point of contact for your hands.

3. Commando Push-Up Jack

The movement of changing your stance from narrow to wide helps target the chest from multiple angles.

Source: Courtesy of Kevin Cullum

4. Archer Push-Up

The archer push-up is part of the best push-up exercises for a better chest list because you can target each pec with more of your body weight each rep. It is almost like a supported one-arm push-up.

5. Staggered Plyometric Push-Up

A harder variation of the push-up that you should keep in mind if you’ve progressed past the point of a regular push-up. This will challenge your chest differently because each hand is placed either above or below the line of the shoulder, creating instability.

6. Platform Push-Up with Negative

You can use books, chairs, stairs or anything that is sturdy and elevated to perform this exercise. Get into a push-up position, and lower your body slowly for three seconds. You will be able to go lower than normally because of the elevated platform. Explode as fast as possible on the way up.

7. Decline Push-Up

This variation mimics the incline bench press which will target your upper chest.

8. Clap-Up

There are many variations of the clap-up itself, but it basically means you will clap your hands after exploding up from a normal push-up. If you are unable to clap as of it, skip that part and simply practice explosive push-ups without clapping.

9. Wide Grip Push-Up

By placing your arms wider apart, you put yourself in a position that requires more horizontal abduction than a regular push-up. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the ground.

10. Spiderman Push-Ups

The spider-man push-up is great if clap-ups are difficult for you, but you still want to emphasise more work on your upper body. Simply bring a knee up when you are lowering your body until the knee almost touches the elbow and press back up. Change to the other side.

11. Knee-to-Elbow Push-Up

Very similar to the previous variation, but this time you will be bringing your knee to the elbow across your body. If you lift your left knee, bring it closer to your right elbow when lowering your body.

12. Pike Push-Up

The pike push-up is more of a shoulder exercise, but if you are on a raised platform (both feet and hands) you will also get a good stretch and tension on your upper chest.

You may also try a compound movement similar to the pike push-up known as the Hindu push-up.

And those are the 12 best push-up exercises for a better chest according to Max Posternak. To see how to perform each of these movements, click on the video below.

VIDEO – Best Push-Up Exercises For A Better Chest

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Critical Bench is a website focused on health and strength that delivers many tips on how to get stronger, fitter and healthier. Their YouTube channel has more than 1 million subscribers.

Why are they considered lazy abs exercises? According to Zenios, you can do them “without even moving.” In other words, these core sculpting movements are isometrics

Abs 101: The Best Step by Step Six-Pack Plan (Targets Every Area)

But, if you landed on this page, there is a chance you are lazy and hoping to see your six-pack pop up after doing these exercises. Sadly, that is not what is going to happen.

It is important to know that, however hard you train your abs, you must have a relatively low body fat percentage to be able to see them. These advanced core exercises might give you the strength you need in your core, but if you still cannot see your abs, you need to work on losing body fat.

First, you must be in a caloric deficit. Check out how to shed fat and completely transform your body. While you are maintaining a caloric deficit, you can look for ways to pop your six-pack and this is where the best lazy abs exercises can help you with.

Best Lazy Abs Exercises

These are static hold exercises “in one position where you’re not moving and you’re going to feel that burn and you’re going to go for time,” Zenios explain.

The best lazy abs exercises in his opinion are:

• Low Boat
• Toe Reach
• Wiper Hold Left & Right
• Low Plank
• Side Plank Left & Right

Read More: Top Functional Bodybuilding Abs Exercises to Build Unstoppable Core Strength

If you want to know about the best lazy abs exercises, how to perform them or more arguments for why they are amazing to sculpt six-pack abs, check out Zenios’ video below.

VIDEO – Best Lazy Abs Exercises

15 More Isometric Exercises for a Strong Six-Pack

Perfect Obliques Workout for Great Abs

“If you want to lose love handles then you better start doing an obliques workout so you can be sure they look good when you drop the excess body fat. In this video, I’m going to show you the perfect obliques workout that you can do at home with no equipment at all. That said, since we know that body fat accumulation over this area can lead to the dreaded love handles, I’m going to point you to some nutritional guidance as well that will help you to lose weight and show off those obliques as you develop them.”

“In terms of the workout, it helps to first understand a bit of the anatomy of the oblique muscles in order to get the most out of your training and to lose love handles fast.”

“The obliques are composed of both internal obliques and external obliques. As implied, the internal run deeper than the external and are actually not visible to the naked eye from the outside. The direction of the fibers run perpendicular to each other with the external obliques running down and in and the internal obliques running up and in.”

“To really have a complete obliques workout you need to make sure that you train both of these muscles and that you hit all of the functions of these muscles in one concise training plan. The roles of the oblique muscles are not just to make your love handles look better when covered by less fat but to do many different actions. These include, rotation both from the top down and the bottom up. Side flexion from the top down and the bottom up, and prevention of both rotation and side bending.”

Perfect Obliques Workout for Great Abs

“To structure this perfect obliques workout we ask that you attempt to do each of the movements for up to 45 seconds if able. Take a 15 second rest at the end of each exercise. If you can only do any of the oblique exercises for less than 45 seconds, simply rest pause your way until the time has elapsed.”

“The specific exercises in the workout are as follows:”

• Bottom Up Rotation – Archer Tucks x 45 seconds / 15 second rest
• Top Down Rotation – Russian Twists x 45 seconds / 15 second rest
• Bottom Up Lateral Flexion – Side Plank Bridge Twists x 45 seconds each side / 15 second rest
• Top Down lateral flexion right – Side Cycle Crunch (Band Elbow Thrusts Option) x 45 seconds
• Anti-lateral Flexion – Side Plank Walk Throughs x 45 seconds each side / 15 seconds rest
• Anti-Rotation – Wall Locks (Oak Tree Step Outs Option) x 45 seconds each side / 15 seconds rest

“The key to any oblique workout is getting good quality contractions.”

“You never want to rush your way through any of the oblique exercises that you are doing. It’s not the number of reps that you are doing in any of these workouts but the intensity of the contraction and how well you are feeling the muscle working. This means, that even if you have to go slower in order to really feel a squeeze in the right or left sides, do it.”

Perfect Obliques Workout for Great Abs

“This can be done in addition to whatever ab workout you may be doing at the moment. Just remember to remove whatever exercises for obliques you may be doing in that workout since you won’t need to double up. The amount of volume here is appropriate to get those obliques of yours looking way better and to get rid of the love handles once and for all.”

“Regarding the loss of the love handles or the fat that lays over the top of these muscles? Be sure to visit the link mentioned in the video. It is critical that you get your body fat levels down to around 10-12% if you want to see your best oblique muscle definition. This can only be accomplished by following a sensible meal plan that helps you to get into a hypo caloric state where burning off excess fat is achievable.”

Video – Perfect Obliques Workout for Great Abs

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Elastic bands or rubber bands have become one of the essential accessories when it comes to training, both at home and in the gym or even outdoors. It is a cheap material, easy to transport and store that allows us to train all major muscle groups by adding a plus of resistance.

Benefits of Banded Exercises

There are different types of elastic bands that can be used to do different exercises, and all of them have numerous benefits:

• Are adaptable to multiple fitness levels, elastic bands are ideal for everyone, whether you are less experienced athlete or an expert. The resistance of elastic bands puts extra demands on the muscles and pushes all athletes to increase the difficulty and work harder.

• Resistance bands are excellent multi-purpose exercise tools that can help improve your fitness. While resistance bands work solo, they can also be combined with other exercise equipment.In fact, it is considered a good idea to combine resistance bands with weights, machines and resistance exercises as  each piece of equipment exercises muscles in a different way.

• You can exercise anywhere, resistance bands are very light, which makes them extremely portable. This makes possible to train anywhere without any limitations.

• This equipment offers a unique challenge to the muscles when it comes to strength training. Resistance bands provide a force against which the muscles must work and offer progressive resistance.

• Elastic bands are definitely aimed at those athletes who want to experiment and keep their routines in constant variation. In fact, they can be used for a full-body workout that challenges almost every major muscle group.

When it comes to working our lower body, the mini bands are the most recommended option, as they help us to activate the gluteus and provide us with resistance to give more intensity to our workouts. Below you can see a glute and leg workout routine with mini bands that you can do anywhere.

There are multiple glutes workout routines you can perform using resistance bands and get great results. Here you have our selection of some Top banded exercises for the glutes. Combine them or adjust them according to your fitness.

1. Monster Walk

This is one of the top banded exercises for the glutesTo perform this exercise correctly place the elastic band at the bottom of the knee, your feet should be hip-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward as if you were going to do a squat.

Once you have controlled this initial position you should start taking small steps to the sides, the elastic band will offer resistance that will make you hard to move. When performing this exercise do not lose the focus of the glutes, you should feel those muscles working.

2. Banded Glute Walk

This is an exercise that should always be a part of your glutes workout routine, a really top banded exercises for your glutes.

And is also very simple to execute. Just place the band at knee level, lie down on the floor with your legs bent and feet flat on the ground. Then lift your pelvis by contracting your gluteus muscles, hold for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.

3. Seated Band Abductions

One of the most common gym exercises, and this version with elastic bands is equally effective. To perform this top banded exercises for your glutes, place the elastic band just above your knees, then sit on a bench or chair, with your knees apart, and then just open and close your legs.

The elastic band will exert resistance when you open your legs and the gluteus muscles will work hard to be able to perform these movements.

4. Glute Kickback

This is a classic elastic band exercise to work the glutes. You will perform the movement with intensity by generating more strength thanks to the resistance exerted by the elastic band. You will start the movement with your hands flat and your knees on the floor.

The elastic band should be placed slightly above the knees, you will lift one leg as if you were kicking backwards and then lower it and lift the other leg. This exercise requires strength and intensity in each lift to achieve the best results.

5. Clamshell

It is an exercise for the glutes that is performed with elastic bands, it is simple to perform and very effective. To start you must lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet placed one on top of the other. Keep your torso semi upright supporting your head with your forearm. Place the elastic band above your knees.

Next, you should slightly lift the knee of the top leg, generating tension with the elastic band. The up and down movements must be controlled.

6. Banded Squat

This exercise variation consists of performing the classic squat by adding resistance using an elastic band.

7. Deadlift with a Band

The king of exercises is also a top banded exercises for the glutes

To perform this variation of the exercise you have to step on the band with your feet placed a little wider than shoulder width.

Then hold the band with your hands to form a kind of triangle. From this starting position, keep your knees bent and your hips back, extend your legs to end up completely vertical and contract your gluteus when your body is completely straight.

Remember to look straight ahead and try to stick your chest out a little, this will help you not to round your back and avoid injury.

8. Isometric Squat

The isometric squat is performed by standing in a squat position, with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and your back against a wall. Then hold in this position for as long as possible. It is recommended to do series of 1 minute.

The band will be placed above the knees and, if you want to increase the intensity of the exercise, open and close your legs slightly.

If you liked this article you will also like: Best Kettlebell Exercises to Grow Your Legs (Sets and Reps Included)

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In the video below, 3 different guys try the challenge to find out how well it would work for them.

Scroll down and watch for the full results.

What are the Benefits of a Strong Chest?

Having a strong chest can provide a number of benefits, including:

Improved posture: A strong chest can help you maintain good posture by pulling your shoulders back and preventing slouching.

Enhanced athletic performance: A strong chest can improve your performance in sports that require upper body strength, such as basketball, football, and swimming.

Source: Domagoj Bregant on Pexels

Increased upper body strength: A strong chest can improve your upper body strength and help you lift heavier weights in exercises like the bench press, push-ups, and dips.

Reduced risk of injury: A strong chest can help stabilize your shoulders and prevent injuries to the rotator cuff muscles.

Improved aesthetics: A well-developed chest can enhance your physical appearance and give you a more defined and muscular chest.

Overall, having a strong chest can not only improve your physical performance but also enhance your appearance and help prevent injuries.

Video – 3 Guys Do 200 Push ups a Day For 30 days, These Are The Results

What are the Advantages of Push Ups?

Push-ups are a simple and effective exercise that offer a variety of advantages, including:

• Strengthens multiple muscles: Push-ups are a compound exercise that engage multiple muscle groups, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, core, and even the legs.
• No equipment needed: Push-ups can be done anywhere, without the need for any equipment or a gym membership.
• Can be modified for different fitness levels: Push-ups can be modified to suit different fitness levels, such as doing them on the knees or against a wall for beginners, or adding variations like incline, decline or diamond push-ups for more advanced exercisers.
• Improves posture: Push-ups can help improve your posture by strengthening the muscles in your back and shoulders that are often weak or neglected.
• Boosts cardiovascular health: Performing push-ups at a moderate to high intensity can help increase heart rate and provide a cardiovascular workout.
• Builds upper body strength: Push-ups can help build upper body strength, especially in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Improves muscular endurance: Doing sets of push-ups can help improve muscular endurance, allowing you to perform other exercises for longer periods of time.

Overall, push-ups are a versatile exercise that can be adapted to suit different fitness levels, and offer a range of benefits for the body, from building strength to improving posture and cardiovascular health.

What are the Muscles of the Chest?

The muscles of the chest, also known as the pectoral muscles, include the following:

Pectoralis Major: This is the largest muscle of the chest and is responsible for moving the arm towards the centre of the body, such as during a bench press or a push-up.

Pectoralis Minor: This smaller muscle lies beneath the pectoralis major and helps stabilize the shoulder blade.

Serratus Anterior: This muscle lies beneath the pectoralis muscles and helps to rotate the shoulder blade and lift the arm overhead.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

All of these muscles work together to provide strength and stability to the chest and upper body, and are commonly targeted in exercises such as push-ups, bench press, and dumbbell flys.

Why are Healthy Habits Important for Long Term Fitness?

Healthy habits are essential for long-term fitness because they help establish a sustainable lifestyle that supports overall health and wellness. Some key reasons why healthy habits are important for long-term fitness include:

• Consistency: Healthy habits, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep, help establish a consistent routine that promotes long-term fitness.
• Improved health: Healthy habits can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, which can negatively impact long-term fitness and overall health.
• Increased energy: Engaging in healthy habits can help improve energy levels, making it easier to maintain an active lifestyle and stay committed to long-term fitness goals.
• Improved mental health: Regular exercise and healthy habits have been shown to improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can impact long-term fitness.
• Sustainable lifestyle: Healthy habits are sustainable and can be maintained over the long term, making them a more effective approach to achieving long-term fitness goals compared to fad diets or unsustainable workout routines.

Overall, healthy habits are important for long-term fitness because they establish a sustainable lifestyle that supports overall health and wellness, making it easier to achieve and maintain fitness goals over the long term.

What are the Benefits of Training at Home?

Training at home can provide a number of benefits, including:

Convenience: Training at home eliminates the need to travel to a gym or fitness center, making it more convenient to fit exercise into a busy schedule.

Flexibility: Training at home allows for more flexibility in terms of workout times and frequency, as you can exercise whenever it is convenient for you.

Privacy: Training at home can provide a greater sense of privacy and comfort, which can be especially important for those who are self-conscious or intimidated by working out in public.

Cost-effective: Training at home can be a cost-effective alternative to gym memberships or expensive exercise equipment.

Customizable workouts: Training at home allows for more flexibility in terms of exercise selection and customization, as you can create a workout routine tailored to your specific fitness goals and preferences.

Personalized attention: Training at home allows you to focus solely on your own workout, without the distractions or interruptions that can occur in a gym setting.

Training at home can be a convenient, cost-effective, and customizable way to achieve your fitness goals, while also providing a sense of privacy and comfort.

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A strong core is correlated to good health and a fit body. Everyone wants to be able to show off their six-pack. Although it comes down to having a low body fat percentage, which is mainly done through diet, you should also be exercising your abs to make the six-pack show up faster.

In the video below, sports teacher and YouTube fitness guru Alex Lorenz lists 3 abs exercises better than sit-ups. He is the co-founder of Calisthenic Movement and has trained Calisthenics since 2012, uploading videos regularly for those people interested in getting in shape using only their body weight.

Abs Exercises Better Than Sit-Ups

According to Lorenz, sit-ups will only work on your rectus abdominis and are also limiting in intensity and could impact negatively your spine. So what are these abs exercises better than sit-ups that Lorenz talks about?

1. Knee Raise

Leg raise or knee raises are great for your abs, but the knee raise made the cut here because it targets your abs without being hindered by your mobility or lack of.

The knee raise can be done in a supporting or hanging position. Make sure you don’t use any momentum to do the movement as it takes away the tension from your abs.

2. Knee to Elbow Plank + Side Plank

These are two exercises combined that will get the best bang for your buck and that is why it is on this list of abs exercises better than sit-ups.

Always make sure to have a posterior pelvic tilt to engage the abs more for the first part of the exercise. Aim for a hollow body position for optimum core engagement.

For the plank, keep your body as horizontal as possible, don’t just hang in your structures, push your arm, leg and shoulder blade into the ground.

The side plank can be done with one or two legs on the ground – one leg is much harder to stabilise yourself.

3. Plank

If a normal plank is too easy for you, you can adjust the difficulty by lengthening the lever between your elbows and your feet, the two supporting points. The further you move your body backwards, the harder the exercise gets.

However, the bigger the distance, the more stress you will put on your spine which is bad if you cannot hold the position with your pelvic tilted forward.

This exercise can also be done by taking off one foot from the ground or one hand, or both, to add instability and create more tension on your abs.

And those are the 3 abs exercises better than sit-ups that you should incorporate into your training whenever you can. To see how each exercise is performed exactly, with extra tips from Lorenz, click on the video below.

VIDEO – Abs Exercises Better Than Sit-Ups

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We know the holy grail of chest exercise is the bench press. Hell, we even wrote an article claiming it was the best exercise for chest. Then why would you continue reading this? Because you need to add variation to your training to see better gains.

And this is when Troy Adashun comes to play. He is the co-founder of the fitness lifestyle company Alpha Lion and has created a gigantic YouTube following with his gym tips and workouts. He decided to tell people to stop bench pressing and check out 3 chest exercises even better for chest gains.

Chest Exercises Even Better for Chest Gains

For Adashun, chest growth comes from peak activation when choosing the right exercise. He particularly doesn’t do much bench press, sometimes the incline barbell, sometimes the flat with dumbbells. So what does he do? These are the 3 chest exercises even better for chest gains in his opinion.

These exercises will use a cable machine.

1. Komodo Chest Flyes

Using a cable machine, go from a slightly high to low trajectory and to make use of peak activation you want to cross your hands in front of your body and squeeze your chest muscles for a full second at the end of the movement.

Perform 3 sets of 30 seconds time under tension and the 4^th set increase the weight and perform 8-10 reps with perfect form.

This exercise should target your inner chest and lower chest.

2. Low Flyes

This exercise mimics the dips and will target your lower chest tremendously.

It is very similar to the previous exercise, but you should aim to “punch down” towards the floor instead of inclined to the floor as you did in the Komodo chest flyes.

Do the same trick of squeezing your muscles at the top of the movement and keeping it under tension for a second. Apply the same sets and reps technique from before with 3 sets of 30 and one set of 8-10 reps with heavier load.

3. Wolverine Low Cable Fly

Source: Pixabay

The last in this list of chest exercises even better for chest gains is one that will target your upper chest.

Again, use peak activation and cross your arms in front of your body. Also, the same idea of sets and reps with 3 sets of 30 and one set of 8-10 reps.

These exercises above are very similar to other cable crossovers that you’ve probably seen before, but with different names because Troy Adashun uses what he calls peak activation. To know exactly how to do these exercises, see the video below.

VIDEO – Chest Exercises Even Better for Chest Gains

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The reverse crunch is an effective exercise that targets your abs, but somehow most people fail to do them. Don’t be like most people.

How To Do the Reverse Crunch

As with most ab exercises, you will only need to lie down on the floor, or floor mat, to be able to perform the reverse crunch.

• Lie down on the floor mat facing up with knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your arms should be straight near the side of your body.
• This is the initial position.
• Brace your core and lift your feet off the ground by curling up your hips and moving your knees toward your chest.
• Slightly continue lifting your legs until your lower back is off the mat, but your mid-back is still in contact with the floor.
• Keep your head straight aligned with your spine at all times. Arms and hands should be parallel and next to your body.
• Slowly lower your feet back to the initial position.
• That is one rep.

You can make the exercise harder by keeping your feet off the ground at all times. This will keep your abs under tension for the entire duration of the exercise. If you keep your legs straight while descending, it also adds another layer of difficulty to this exercise and aiming to lift your legs up instead of bringing your knees toward your chest.

Muscles Targeted

This exercise targets only your abs.

• Rectus abdominis

The rectus abdominis is also known as the six-pack muscle. The reverse crunch will target what is commonly referred to as the upper abs and lower abs.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake people tend to do with this exercise is to use momentum. As it is common with other ab exercises, you need to avoid using the momentum of your body to help you lift your legs. If you are unable to perform the exercise, do normal crunches as it is considered an easier variation of the reverse crunch.

A sign that your abs are not strong enough is if you are arching your back. This is common when you are lowering your legs to the initial position and it can leave you open to injuries.

If you choose to do the advanced version of the reverse crunch, without touching your feet on the floor and with straight-up legs, check out the video below by Jeff Cavaliere to see more mistakes you should be avoiding and how to fix them.

Benefits

The biggest benefit of this exercise is that it targets your rectus abdominis, your six-pack abs muscles as the primary function of this muscle is to flex your trunk and spine. However, only exercise will not give you six-pack abs, as more important than any workout is what you are eating.

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Source: Renaissance Periodization

Compared to some other ab exercises, such as the normal crunch, the reverse version takes away the strain off your neck. Some people use their hands to elevate their torso when doing normal crunches, which puts a lot of pressure on the neck. By performing lifting your legs toward your body, you are more likely to use your abs than any other muscle in your body to do the movement.

The same can be said about your back muscles. Bending your spine during traditional crunches can be detrimental according to this study and the reverse crunch can be adjusted to flex your spine less than the traditional crunch.

For its easy setup, this exercise can be performed nearly anywhere.

Cons of the Reverse Crunch

Now that you know the benefits, you should also keep in mind the negative side of this exercise.

Unfortunately, this is not the most complete ab exercise you could perform. The reverse crunch will barely target your obliques, the side of your abs, which is the muscle responsible for twisting your torso.

Read More: Science-Backed Oblique Exercises to Build the Most Solid Trunk

How Many Reps and Sets?

Reverse crunches should be added to your normal training routine. As you found out, it is not the answer to having six-pack abs, but it will help you get closer to your goals.

As part of your core training, you should aim to do 3 sets of 12-20 repetitions of the reverse crunch.

If it is too hard, lower to 2 sets and have a bigger rest period between the sets. If it is too easy, you can add a resistance band to make the exercise even more difficult.

Read More: How to Get a Flat Stomach in 22 Days

If you want to achieve that ‘big chest’ look, you need to work on strengthening your upper pecs. Strengthening these muscles will help you achieve a healthier posture as well as improving overall strength and performance in other movements, such as pushing or pulling exercises.

The muscles that make up the upper chest are the clavicular pectoralis major (upper pec) and the sternal pectoralis major (lower pec).

The upper chest muscles are the clavicular pectoralis major (upper pec) and the sternal pectoralis major (lower pec). These muscles are responsible for rotating your upper arm inward. They also contribute to flexion of the shoulder joint, adduction of the upper arm and depression of your shoulders.

Source: Depositphotos / Obi Vincent

Working out these muscles can help you develop a strong, well-balanced physique by strengthening not only your chest but also other areas such as arms, back, shoulders and abs.

Strengthening your upper pecs will help you to get that ‘big chest’ look.

Strengthening your upper pecs will help you to get that ‘big chest’ look. You can do this with dumbbells, a barbell, or resistance bands. Do a variety of exercises to work the different parts of your chest.

When you’re trying to get a ‘big chest,’ it’s important to focus on strengthening your upper pecs. These muscles are very visible, and they will help you get that look that most people want when they think of working out or going to the gym.

Add these rare upper chest exercises from Gravity Transformation into your training.

1. Rare Upper Chest Exercises – Reverse grip bench press

This increases muscular activation of the upper head (clavicular head) and will help you to build the upper chest in a new way.

• Make sure that your hands shoulder width apart.
• Keep elbows close in to the body.
• Keep your thumbs around the barbell the whole time.
• Don’t lock out your elbows fully at the top.
• Go lighter than you would for your regular bench press

2. Rare Upper Chest Exercises – Cross-body incline chest press

You can perform this on a hammer press machine, or set up your bench next to the cable machine and go from there (see the video below).

This will mimic the same motion. The cable also keeps constant tension.

3. Rare Upper Chest Exercises – Standing Svend press

This is not a well know chest exercise but it is tremendously effective.

Add it to the end of your workout, after you have completed all the rest of your heavy pressing exercises.

4. Rare Upper Chest Exercises – Hex press/ Incline hex press

The Hex Press will hit your upper chest in a unique way. Adding an incline will further enhance the stimulus on that part of your body.

Squeeze them really tightly together.

5. Rare Upper Chest Exercises – Incline chest fly (With Cables)

Here the cables will maintain constant tension on the chest. Lying down on the incline bench will also make the exercise harder, and your gains better.

The line of resistance for the cables on the incline bench hits the upper chest much more effectively.

Try keeping your hands open on the way down for even better chest activation.

Squeeze at the top.

6. Fly variation

This is a floor exercise that only uses one cable. Work in one side at a time.

Watch the video below for the full description of the movement.

Make sure to move with an arc like motion.

7. Landmine chest press

For this version, rest the barbell on a box as well. This will allow you to load up a much heavier load and challenge your chest even further.

Clasp the bar with a prayer like grip.

Make sure to lower slowly and squeeze as hard as you can.

Video Timestamps

1. Reverse grip bench press 1:04

2. Cross-body incline chest press 2:46

3. Standing Svend press 3:57

4. Hex press/ Inclined hex press 4:59

5. Inclined chest fly (With cables) 5:45

6. Fly variation 7:08

7. Landmine chest press 7:56

Video – Rare Upper Chest Exercises

Learn More

BIGGER QUADS – 5 Mistakes Keeping your Legs Skinny

Best Leg Workout Tips for Bigger Legs

Best Science-Based Lower Body Workout to Grow Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes and Calves

The Smartest Push Pull Legs Routine

Good Leg Workouts at Home for Stronger Quads, Hamstrings and Glutes

They have been chosen and explained by Gravity Transformation.

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth

“If you want to build muscle and would like to know some powerful training techniques that can help you progress faster, this video (see below) will definitely help. Find out the best diet and workout hacks to build muscle mass.”

Source: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

3 Pillars of Muscle Growth

“If you want to build muscle you already know that the three main areas to focus on. These are eating, training, and sleeping.”

“When you optimize these 3 things, you’ll build plenty of muscle. On the other hand, if you don’t train hard enough, you don’t eat right, or you don’t get enough sleep you’re going to find it a lot harder to build muscle.”

“So, most of your results will come down to these three factors. And the good news is that there are a couple tips and hacks that you can use to optimize each of these three factors to really speed up muscle growth, and these hacks are backed by scientific evidence.”

1. 8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Use Bands and Chains to Improve Resistance Curves

“And the very first undervalued hack that most people have never even tried is using bands and chains to improve resistance curves. You see, many exercises have a specific sticking point. For example, on the bench press, the sticking point tends to happen after the bar comes off the chest right before the halfway point. That’s the point where the exercise is the hardest and requires the most strength.”

“Meanwhile, other points like the lock-out portion for example require much less strength. To give another example, during the squat, the sticking point typically occurs near the halfway point where the thigh is at about a 30-degree angle to the floor. And most exercises have these kinds of sticking points.”

“This is important because when you fail to complete another rep, you might be under the impression that you’ve maxed out and you can’t do more reps because your muscles are too fatigued to further produce movement. But In reality, the muscle might not be fully fatigued just yet. Instead, it might just be fatigued enough to where you cannot complete a specific part of the movement which could be referred to as your sticking point.”

“Luckily you can use resistance bands and chains to help with this. They allow you to change the resistance curve of an exercise, which means that chains and bands can make certain parts of the movement more or less challenging. For example, during the squat, the resistance bands and chains provide more resistance the closer you get to lockout, which is the part of the movement that’s past the sticking point, so you will more likely be able to handle a heavier resistance as you get closer and closer to lockout, and that’s exactly what chains and bands can provide.”

“Not only will this lead to a more effective muscle-building stimulus, but it can also help you gain strength more effectively, as shown by multiple studies. For example, two studies show that bench pressing and squatting with bands or chains builds more strength than doing these exercises without bands or chains. (12)”

“In another 2016 paper published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers found that more advanced lifters tend to benefit the most from using bands and chains. (13)”

“Beginners, on the other hand, many times don’t have the required coordination and the rate of force development to use bands and chains effectively, which is why if you’re a beginner you’re better off getting accustomed to weight training in general, before adding bands and chains. And for those of you that are advanced keep in mind, bands and chains don’t improve the effectiveness of all your exercises. For example, an exercise like the leg press, even though it has its fair share of problems, it generally already has a good resistance curve, so there’s really not much of a point in adding chains or bands to a leg press.”

2. 8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Training Time

“The next muscle-building hack is to train either later in the afternoon or early evening.”

“Now if you have a solid morning routine there’s nothing wrong with that, but you should know that your body has an “internal clock” known as the circadian rhythm. Due to this circadian rhythm, you’re stronger, faster, and you have a more beneficial hormonal status for exercise at certain times of the day.”

“If you take advantage of this by training at the right time, you can boost your gym performance and your progress. And we have evidence of this. For example, a 2016 study compared the effectiveness of a 24-week workout program (1) where One group completed their workouts between 6:30 and 10:00 in the morning. Meanwhile, the other group worked out between 4:30pm and 8:00 at night. The results showed that those who trained in the evening gained much more muscle (2). On top of that, another study that specifically examined bodybuilders (3) who either trained before 10 am or after 6 pm also found that the bodybuilders that worked out in the evening gained more muscle.

Watch the video for more detail and the rest of the gym hacks to speed up muscle growth.

Video – 8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth

Time Stamps – 8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth

00:30 – #01 – Using Bands And Chains To improve Resistance Curves

03:08 – #02 – Train Later In The Afternoon to Early In The Evening

05:08 – #03 – Perform the ConcretricProtion of The Bench Press As Explosively As Possible

06:40 – #04 – Focusing on Your Priority Muscle Groups

07:57 – #05 – Consume Caffeine Before Your Morning Workout

09:02 – #06 – Implement Staggered Sets

10:46 – #07 – Avoiding Sexual Activity a Day Before a Leg Workout

11:32 – #08 – Using Knee Sleeves During Squats

Learn More

How to Increase Chest Size and Strength

Best Way to Train the Chest for Hypertrophy (Muscle Mass)

3 Hacks for a Bigger Chest

Upper Chest Exercises Ranked (Best to Worst)

9 Best Dumbbell Chest Exercises

Major Muscles of the Body

The major muscles of the body include the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, pecs, quads, hamstrings, glutes and biceps.

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Latissimus Dorsi

The Latissimus Dorsi is the largest muscle in the back. It’s a large triangular muscle that covers the posterior surface of your thoracic cage, from the lower six ribs to the iliac crest. Located under your armpit and behind your shoulder blade, it originates from both sides of your spine.

It helps you perform arm extension and adduction (pulling inward). You use it when you pull something up or push something away from you like when holding something heavy above or below shoulder level (like a suitcase) or when pulling yourself up on a bar during chin-ups/pull-ups.

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Trapezius

The trapezius muscle is a broad, flat muscle that covers the upper back and extends from the base of your skull to the middle of your upper back. It is used to move the shoulder girdle and can be important in sports such as swimming and archery.

The trapezius muscle is used when you lift or turn your head or twist it from side to side. It also helps you shrug your shoulders or raise them up toward your ears.

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Pecs

The pecs are the muscles that make up your chest. They’re located in your upper arm and are responsible for pulling the arm towards the body.

The pecs also play a role in pushing away from the body, though they tend to take a back seat to other muscles when it comes to this task.

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Quads

The quadriceps are the muscles that make up the front of the thigh. They consist of four separate muscles:

• the rectus femoris, which runs from the pelvis to just below your knee joint;
• the vastus intermedius and vastus medialis, which run from your hip bone to just below your knee joint; and
• the vastus lateralis, which runs along the outside of your thigh from about mid-thigh down to about 8 inches above your kneecap.

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Hamstrings

The hamstrings are a group of leg muscles that run from the pelvis to the lower leg. They play an important part in running, jumping and squatting. The three muscles that make up the hamstrings are semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris.

The semitendinosus is located on the medial side (inside) of your thigh. It originates at your ischial tuberosity (your sitting bone) and inserts into your tibia (shinbone).

The semimembranosus is also located on the interior side of your thigh but closer to its center than where you sit; its origin point is near where you sit (ischial tuberosity), while its insertion point is farther down toward your knee joint on a bone called tibia or shinbone.

The biceps femoris has two heads: short head attaches above patella (knee cap); long head originates further down from it along with other hamstring attachments such as rectus femoris muscle which attaches onto anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS for short).

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Glutes

The glutes are a group of muscles in your buttocks that are responsible for hip extension and flexion.

When you straighten or bend your leg, these muscles come into play. This can be done while sitting down, standing up, or lying on your back (as in the case of floor exercises). Gluteus maximus is responsible for extending the thigh backward; it’s also known as “the big muscle” because it’s generally bigger than other gluteal muscles and is more visible from behind due to its location beneath skin and fat tissue at this part of the body. Gluteus medius acts as an external rotator during abduction (when you raise one leg out to the side).

Glutes may include:

• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Hamstrings (biceps femoris)

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Biceps

The bicep is a muscle that flexes the elbow. It’s located on the front of your upper arm, and it comprises two distinct heads: the short head and the long head.

8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth – Triceps

The triceps is a large muscle located on the back of the upper arm. It makes up one-third of the total arm size and is one of three muscles that make up this area.

The triceps, together with two other muscles—the biceps and deltoids—make up what’s called your “upper arm.” You can see why it’s so important to work out all three areas if you want to build strong arms!

Conclusion – 8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth

With these muscles, you’re well on your way to being strong. We hope you enjoyed learning about all of these muscles in the body and their role in exercise. Keep up with your workouts so that you can build muscle mass!

Add these gym hacks to speed up muscle growth into your training.

References – 8 Gym Hacks to Speed Up Muscle Growth

1. A 2016 study compared the effectiveness of a 24-week MORNING VS EVENING workout program. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27863207/

2. You can see in figure 2 that the evening workout group outperformed the morning group: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27863207/

3. Tim Scheett from the University of Southern Mississippi found comparable results. https://www.ergo-log.com/trainingevening.html

4. Post-workout muscle anabolic signalling is higher later in the day. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09291016.2012.740314 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27583459/

5. You have a more favourable testosterone-to-cortisol ratio in the evening. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/95/11/4855/2835169 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18589466/

6. Core body temperature peaks in the evening, which enhances muscle activation, energy metabolism, nervous system efficiency, and blood flow to the muscle. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20560706/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22212257/

7. Research shows that having caffeine reduces some of the downsides of morning sessions, such as impaired central nervous system efficiency and muscle activation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22496767/

8. Performing a whole-body workout with staggered sets increases work capacity compared to doing straight sets. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31113178/

9. Doing rows before bench throws increases power output. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15705035/

10. Doing rows immediately after the bench press improves performance in both exercises. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28933712/

11. Research by Kirecci et al. looked at whether abstaining from sex can improve lower body strength performance. https://pmj.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/31/postgradmedj-2020-139033.abstract

12. Two papers show that bench pressing and squatting with bands or chains builds more strength than doing them without, even when total training volume is equated. http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2011/02000/The_Effects_of_Combined_Elastic__and_Free_Weight.24.aspx https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2008/03000/The_Effects_of_Combining_Elastic_and_Free_Weight.33.aspx

13. According to a 2016 paper published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, more advanced trainees tend to benefit the most from using bands and chains. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2016/09000/Free_Weight_Augmentation_With_Elastic_Bands.17.aspx

14. In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers looked at whether knee sleeves can improve squat performance. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33201154/

15. The muscles and exercise you train first in a workout improve the most while those that are trained later get a less effective stimulus, as  shown by a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20938358/

16. “if an exercise is important for the training goals of a program, then it should be placed at the beginning of the training session, regardless of whether or not it is a large muscle group exercise or a small muscle.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20938358/

17. A study published in the European Journal of Sports Science had subjects train the bench press with either a maximum velocity concentric or a controlled concentric at about 1/2 of the maximum bar speed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24734902/

18. “one-repetition maximum (1RM) strength (18.2 vs. 9.7%)” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24734902/

The push-up is one of the best bodyweight exercises for your upper body – it is great for building strength in your chest and triceps especially. But some people take it to the extreme and perform 100 push-ups a day for a full month. Jeremy Ethier talked about the effects and side effects of doing that.

Jeremy Ethier is a kinesiologist and fitness trainer, co-founder of Built With Science. His YouTube channel has over 4 million subscribers and he delivers clear information with sound background research.

What muscles will grow, and by how much? How much will your strength improve? Are there any side effects you need to be aware of? Is it even worth doing it?

100 Push-Ups a Day for 30 Days

The most noticeable effect you will experience during the first week is called DOMS which stands for delayed onset muscle soreness – the tenderness and soreness you’ll experience in your muscles one to two days after exercise.

Since you’re not used to doing 100 push-ups a day, you will experience the highest amount of soreness in your chest, shoulders and arms during the first few days, but it should die down after the first week. If you feel soreness on your traps or lower back, it means your push-up form is not correct.

Push-Up 101: The Best Guide

In general, our muscles tend to fully recover after 48 hours of rest. So if you are doing 100 push-ups a day, the muscles are not getting enough time to recover and you will feel more fatigued during weeks 3 and 4. And it is during the recovery process that muscles grow bigger and stronger.

By the time week 4 hits, you will have overtrained your frontal muscles of the chest, arms and core, but not your back. That can lead to a hunched-over position with the shoulder rounded forward. To prevent that, you need to work your back and shoulders.

You might also feel discomfort first on your wrists if you are performing push-ups on the floor. If possible, use anything that you can grip to perform the push-up (like a pair of dumbbells or paralletes) so you don’t have to place your hands on the floor.

Source: Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

After 100 days, you are likely to experience growth in your chest of around 3 millimetres in thickness and the same amount in triceps thickness, Ethier explains.

However, as you get stronger you will need more challenging exercises to keep growing and build muscle.

10 Push-Up Variations to Build Strength, Power and Muscle

Is it worth it? According to Ethier, no. “It just causes too many recovery issues and lacks the progression you need to continue seeing results past those 30 days.” The best benefit of doing 100-push-ups is that it gets you motivated to work out every single day.

Ethier’s opinion is similar to Jeff Cavaliere’s, from Athlean X.

Check out Ethier’s arguments about the 100 push-ups a day for 30 days challenge.

VIDEO – 100 Push-Ups a Day for 30 Days

Read More: How to Build a Bigger Chest at Home in 30 Days

Jeremy Ethier decided to tackle the issue in this informative video. Check out his great YourTube channel as well.

Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth

“One often overlooked variable when it comes to training is lifting tempo – or how slow/fast you perform each repetition.”

“In this video I’ll cover slow reps vs fast reps, and which one is better in terms of muscle growth. The main benefits of slow reps for mass is that this increases the time under tension throughout the set.”

Source: Victor Freitas / Pexels

“On the other hand, the main benefit of using fast reps is that it enables you to use a heavier load or perform more reps when compared to slow reps. And although time under tension is reduced when fast reps are used, this actually doesn’t seem to hinder muscle growth.”

“Thus, it’s clear that fast reps might be more beneficial for muscle growth. But how fast should you go and what’s the ideal rep speed? Based on Schoenfeld’s meta-analysis, between 2 seconds to 6 seconds per rep seems optimal for muscle growth.”

“But closer to 2 seconds (faster reps) seem to be slightly more beneficial. However, rather than obsessing over the best rep speed for muscle, a better approach would be to simply use a concentric speed that’s on the faster side but enables you to feel a strong mind-muscle connection.”

Source: Corey Young on Unsplash

“And for the eccentric portion of the lift, make sure you’re controlling the weight down as opposed to letting gravity do the work for you. Utilizing these two tips will help make the “ideal” lifting tempo easy to implement!”

Video – Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth

Learn More – Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth

How to Increase Chest Size and Strength

Best Way to Train the Chest for Hypertrophy (Muscle Mass)

3 Hacks for a Bigger Chest

Upper Chest Exercises Ranked (Best to Worst)

9 Best Dumbbell Chest Exercises

Compound Exercises

If you’re looking to get in shape, this list of compound exercises will help you do so quickly. Compound exercises are effective for building strength because they work multiple muscle groups at once. They also recruit more muscle fibers than isolation exercises do. This means that compound moves build muscle faster and burn more calories over time. Ready to start getting fit? Here are some compound exercises you can add into your workout routine:

Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth – Squat

Squats are a great exercise for building your legs, butt, and abs. They’re also the most basic compound exercise you can do. If you want to build muscle mass and strength, squats should be at the top of your list of exercises—and there are lots of different squat variations to choose from!

The squat is performed by bending down with your back straight and lowering yourself until your thighs are parallel with the floor or lower, then standing back up again. There are several different types of squats.

Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth – Deadlift

The deadlift is a compound exercise that works several muscles in your body. It targets your core, legs, back and grip strength. The deadlift is one of the best full-body workouts you can do to build muscle mass and burn fat.

The deadlift also helps with other exercises such as squats, lunges and rows. If you want to improve your performance on these types of exercises then adding in some heavy deadlifts will help build up those muscles needed to get better results from those exercises.

If you are new to weightlifting or have never done any kind of workout before then I would suggest starting with lighter weights until you get used to how it feels when using heavier weights in order not hurt yourself by doing too much too soon!

Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth – Barbell Overhead Press

• Start with a barbell in the rack at shoulder height.
• Unrack into the front rack position
• Lift the barbell up above your head, keeping it at arms’ length and using only your shoulders to lift it. This is also called a shoulder press or military press.

Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth – Pull-Ups

Pull-ups are a great exercise to include in your workout routine. They can be done using a chair or tree branch, and they work the back, biceps, lats and abs.

You can also modify them to make them easier if you are just starting out on pull-ups or you have a specific injury that prevents you from doing the full movement of pulling yourself up with your arms. In general, the more challenging version is better because it will build more muscle mass throughout the upper body area by increasing strength in those muscles over time.

A good way to start developing some basic fitness levels before tackling this challenge is by doing inverted rows on an incline bench at home or at the gym; this will help strengthen core stability as well as arm strength for pull-ups later down the line.

Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth – Bench Press

The bench press is one of the most popular exercises among weightlifters. It works the chest, shoulders and triceps.

To do the exercise: lie on your back on a flat bench with your feet planted firmly on the floor. Grasp a barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and lower it toward your chest until it touches (about halfway down). Then push it back up to its original position. You can also use dumbbells for this exercise; just remember that you’ll have to increase or decrease the weight accordingly depending on which version you’re doing (the grip will be different).

These compound exercises will get you in shape quickly.

Compound exercises are the best way to get in shape quickly. They work multiple muscle groups, which helps you build strength faster and increase your muscle mass. As a result, compound exercises are the best way to burn fat and increase your overall fitness level.

Conclusion – Slow Reps vs Fast Reps for Muscle Growth

In conclusion, these compound exercises are a great way to get in shape quickly. All of these exercises will help you build muscle, lose weight and improve your overall health. I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new today!

Although it is a curl movement, the spider curl has some extra benefits that the bicep curl does not provide, for example.

How to Do the Spider Curl

In order to correctly perform the spider curl, you will need a bench.

• Start with the bench in an inclined position at around 45 degrees.
• Lie on the bench with your torso and stomach pressed against the backrest of the bench, but with your clavicle free. The top of the bench should be around arm-pit height, allowing you to move your arms with a fairly amount of freedom.
• Grab a dumbbell on each hand with palms facing forward.
• Feel the weight of the dumbbells and let your arms stretch all the way down.
• That is the initial position.
• Bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells all the way up with dumbbells reaching close to your shoulders.
• Squeeze your biceps during the movement and especially at the top of the movement.
• In a controlled manner, lower the weights to the initial position.
• That is one rep.

Mistakes to Avoid

Since you are against gravity on the bench press, it is hard to cheat during the spider curl. However, that is not to say that you could be making some mistakes.

The biggest problem you might make is not contracting your muscles. This could happen if your weights are too heavy and you are relying on momentum to get the reps in.

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Pay attention to the full range of motion. As stated earlier, your rep is counted once you fully extend your arm below the bench. Make use of the freedom your arms have.

Also, make sure you are not moving your entire arms up and down. For the exercise to work its magic, you must keep your shoulders and upper arms locked in, while your forearms do the lifting.

Muscles Worked

The spider curl is an isolation exercise, meaning it targets specifically only one muscle group.

• Biceps

More specifically, the spider curl targets the short head of the bicep. This part of the bicep stabilises the shoulder joint when you are carrying heavy loads, for example.

Benefits of the Spider Curl

The shorter head of the bicep is often neglected when working out. The spider curl is one of the best exercises to target that specific muscle.

Source: Damir Spanic

The best benefit of doing spider curls is the fact that, due to having your arms stretched from the initial position, it allows for a longer time under tension. This creates greater metabolic stress, which translates to better gains for your biceps.

As you are doing the exercise with dumbbells, you are fixing possible strength imbalances you have in one bicep compared to the other.

Variations of the Spider Curl

There are not many variations of the spider curl. Most commonly you see people utilising a barbell or an EZ bar, instead of the dumbbells.

Utilising a Barbell

The set-up and movement pattern are exactly the same as with dumbbells. The barbell is often used because it is easier to overload with higher weights, whereas the dumbbells are better to correct strengths imbalances.

Utilising an EZ Bar

The EZ bar, due to its undulating handle, will activate even more your biceps and it is also a joint-friendly grip. If you have wrists problems, this is your way to work out.

How Much Weight and Rep Range?

Before thinking about how much weight and how many reps you should do, you should consider the purpose of the spider curl.

As an isolation exercise that focuses specifically on your biceps, it is advisable to do it as a warm-up and stretch of your biceps, or as a finisher move, at the end of your training routine.

In both options, the best you can do is choose a relatively lightweight one. For a warm-up, you want to wake up your muscles and not push them too hard. As a finisher, you want to exhaust your biceps that have already done some previous work, so you will not be able to lift too heavy anyways.

We recommend utilising weights that you can normally lift easily around 10 times. As you will be doing this as a finisher (or warm-up), you want it to be lighter than usual.

Begin with 2 or 3 sets of 8-12 reps. If you still have enough gas in the tank, perform another set to failure (if this is a finisher exercise), or another set (if you are doing spider curl as a warm-up exercise).

Read More: 16 Fun Bicep Curl Arm Workouts for All Athletes

Learn more

Grow your upper body with these effective barbell exercises:

Some people believe they can get a good workout by going to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday and lifting weights no more than 3 hours each time. Others seem fit to go once every weekday to the gym and pump some iron. More advanced bodybuilders go even further and train every day, perhaps once in the morning and once in the afternoon. But which one is optimal for you?

Max Posternak is the founder of Gravity Transformation, a website focused on giving tips and training guidance for people looking to improve their fitness and lose weight. His YouTube channel has over 5 million subscribers.

Posternak posed the question “how many times a week should you work out.” Here is what he came up with. Take his arguments into consideration when planning your training routine.

Source: Scott Webb / Pexels

How Many Times a Week Should You Work Out?

So, how many times a week should you work out? As expected the answer is not simply a straight-up number. That is because people are looking for different outcomes when working out and that, alone, can already differ the answer for one person and the other.

The more you train, the more your muscle grows. That is true, to a certain extent. However, there is something called junk volume training in which once you hit a certain point, the more you lift the worse it gets for hypertrophy.

So, in the end, it is all about training volume. If you have time to train 5, 6, or even 7 days a week, you can split your workout into specific muscle groups – chest and back one day, leg another day, and shoulder, arm and abs the next day, take a day off, and repeat. If you can only train three times a week, with a day of rest in between each of them, then train your entire body during every session.

However, if you can only train once a week, you will still get some results, but they will be far inferior compared to people who train three times per week according to different studies.

In one particular study, participants performed the exact same amount of training. One group did the entire thing in one giant session, while the other group performed the movements divided into three days – the latter group saw an increase in lean body mass by 8% while the 1x a week group gained 1% of lean body mass.

If you go to the gym three times a week, but each day you train only one different specific muscle group, you are actually training each muscle group only once a week, which is less than optimal for muscle growth.

Working out more often, between 4 and 7 times a week, can provide additional benefits in terms of recovery if structured correctly. You can go to the gym every day, as long as you leave 48-72 hours of rest to recover from your last workout. This is where the bro split mentality comes from, where you can focus a training session entirely on one muscle and hit the gym the next day because you are training a different part of your body that is well-rested.

You can also try out different ways to divide your workout. It can be an upper-lower body training routine, bro split, or full-body workout. It depends on how much time you have available, just make sure you are hitting the same muscle group more than once a week to get results faster.

Bro Split, Upper/Lower, Full Body Workout Compared

So, how many times a week should you work out? At least 3, if you want to see faster results. Depends on how much time you have and, from there, you can choose what kind of workout routine best works for you.

Check out Posternak’s full explanation of how many times a week should you work out by clicking on the video below.

VIDEO – How Many Times a Week Should You Work Out?

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