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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7 Min Home Workout For Ripped Obliques and Abs

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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If you want to see your abs, doing abs exercises will only help you to a certain extent. The issue with not seeing a six-pack is likely the body fat percentage you currently might have. If getting a six-pack is your goal, you first need to be in a caloric deficit and lower your body fat.

14 Tricks On How To Lose Belly Fat Effortlessly

Not only your nutrition needs to be on point for you to lose belly fat, but you can also increase your calorie expenditure by performing activities and that is what these best exercises to lose belly fat at home are all about. The person who came up with this list was Max Posternak.

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.

Check out his 5 best exercises to lose belly fat at home.

Source: Li Sun on Pexels

5 Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat At Home

1. 4 Step Up and Overs + Mountain Climbers

For this exercise, you can hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands. Step up on a small platform sideways and came out the other side. Do this 4 times and then perform 4 mountain climbers.

2. Mayweather Stand-Up

Technically part of this movement is a sit-up, but you will stand up tall at the end of it. This exercise works a lot of muscles and gets your heart rate up.

Lay on the ground with a weight above your head. Swing the weight towards your feet as you sit up, bring the weight in front of you and stand up tall. Squat and sit back down to repeat the movement.

3. Alternating Kneel Down + Squat Jump

Holding a pair of dumbbells in your hands, kneel backwards to lunges alternating the foot each time and kneeling down. After doing two kneel downs, one with a different starting foot, squat down and jump.

4. Sprawl and Alternating Sit Throughs

This looks like a complicated exercise, but once you know how to do it, it is great and that is why it features Posternak’s list of best exercises to lose belly fat at home.

It involves a sprawl, a half-burpee, a downward dog position, and a kick through.

5. Weighted Burpee

Of course, it had to be the burpee. But to take things to the next level, Posternak advises doing this fat-burning exercise with a dumbbell on each hand.

And that was Posternak’s 5 best exercises to lose belly fat at home. If you have minimal equipment at home, you can perform any of these exercises. If one or more of these movements looks difficult to you, Posternak explains how to regress the difficulty and still burn fat to shrink your belly.

Simply click on the video below.

VIDEO – Best Exercises To Lose Belly Fat At Home

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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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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.

Exercising is one of those things that everyone knows is good in general. If you are not suffering from illness or have an impairment or injury that prevents you from doing any kind of activity, the more exercise, the better (generally speaking).

Of course, you need to make sure you are recovering well, with proper hydration and sleeping patterns, but exercising should be something you (at least) try to do every day. And what if you could? What if you did work out every day? What happens to your body when you exercise every day for 1 month?

Keep scrolling to see the results.

Source: Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels

What Happens To Your Body When You Exercise Every Day For 1 Month?

To answer what happens to your body when you exercise every day for 1 month, we use the information from Body Hub, a YouTube channel focused on everything related to helping people regarding health, fitness and living the best life.

This is what happens to your body if you decide to exercise every day for a full month.

• Happier – your body will release endorphins, which are known to improve your mood.
• Glow – if you feel like you’re glowing after an intense workout, that’s because it happens. Your body eliminates waste products, known as free radicals.
• More energy – exercising every day will teach your body to be more efficient when using oxygen, boosting your heart’s strength.
• Fitter – one month of daily exercise will improve your fitness level. This means you will be able to do higher-intensity workouts, with more reps, or heavier loads.
• Brain function – exercising pumps more blood to your muscles, increasing blood flow which is better for your brain
• Sleep better – regular exercise can help you have a quality night of sleep more often

If you want to see the video for the explanations of each thing that can happen to your body when you exercise every day for 1 month, click below.

Of course, the arguments presented above are fairly generic. That is because each person might decide to train differently. If you train only cardio every day for 1 month, your results will be different from someone who does powerlifting every day for 1 month.

However, generally speaking, you will feel happier, more energetic, get fitter and improve your bodily functions regardless of what activity you do consistently.

VIDEO – What Happens To Your Body When You Exercise Every Day For 1 Month?

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Now you know what happens to your body when you exercise every day for 1 month. But what if you have different goals in mind, or simply cannot do them every single day? How often should you work out?

That depends on several factors, including your fitness goals, current fitness level, and the type of workouts you’re doing. In general, the American Heart Association recommends that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week, along with at least two days of strength training exercises per week.

Here are some general guidelines for how often to work out based on your fitness goals:

1. For general health and fitness: Aim to exercise most days of the week, for at least 30-60 minutes per day. This can include a combination of aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
2. For weight loss: Aim to exercise most days of the week, for at least 30-60 minutes per day. This should include a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training, with a focus on creating a calorie deficit through a combination of exercise and diet.
3. For muscle building: Aim to do strength training exercises at least two days per week, targeting all major muscle groups. You can also include aerobic exercise and flexibility exercises as part of your routine.
4. For athletic performance: The frequency and intensity of your workouts will depend on your specific sport and fitness goals. Consult with a coach or trainer to develop a customized training plan.

Remember, it’s important to listen to your body and avoid overtraining, which can lead to injury or burnout. Start slowly and gradually increase the frequency and intensity of your workouts over time.

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Now, don’t get us wrong, specifically targeting belly fat is not possible. In fact, there are areas in your body where losing fat comes last and, you guessed it, the belly is one of them. But there are ways you can boost how much fat you lose overall if you know how to tweak your training program. And this is where these methods presented by Max Posternak can be applied.

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.

He decided to share a few methods to burn belly fat faster. Check it out.

5 Exercise Methods to Burn Belly Fat Faster

1. Peripheral Heart Action Training

Peripheral heart action training helps incorporate an element of cardio into your weight training workout without having to sacrifice the amount of weight you lift. “You won’t get weaker, but you’ll be able to burn much more calories and accomplish much more in a shorter period of time,” Posternak says.

The best way to apply this training method is by combining an upper body and a lower body movement into one set, or two exercises that combine opposing muscles such as the quads and hamstrings, or biceps and triceps.

For example, doing one set of bench presses followed immediately by one set of back squats taking a break only after the squats. This will get your heart rate and breathing higher, burning more calories in the process.

2. Cardio Acceleration Training

This also involves super setting two exercises, but instead of two weight training, you will do a weight training combined with a cardio exercise with no break in between.

For example, you would perform a barbell squat with heavy weight followed by high knees for a minute.

3. Multi-Joint Training

The best exercises to burn more calories and belly fat are the ones that use a lot of muscles and different parts of your body. The clean and press is a great example of a multi-joint training exercise that will boost your capacity to burn fat.

You can also add more exercises to make a compound movement even more multi-joint training – this is perhaps the best idea in this list of exercise methods to burn belly fat faster.

For example, you can do a normal barbell lift and when you lower the barbell you perform a burpee and a push-up. Other ideas from Posternak are barbell squats with a press at the top, or lunges with lateral raises.

4. Drop Sets

This method breaks down more muscle tissue and will get you stronger faster. It simply means you will be performing a heavy set of any exercise, followed by dropping slightly the weight you are carrying and perform another set of reps with no break in between each set.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Drop Sets

Try to do each set to failure to get the best out of this training method.

5. Circuit Training

There are different ways to do circuit training and you probably heard of it before. Posternak believes the best way to do it is to combine 5 exercises into one giant set.

“Set up an interval timer for 40 to 60 seconds on and 10 seconds off. The 10 seconds off is not your break, it’s there so you can get to the next exercise.”

Do all of these exercises, back to back, with no break in between them. Only take a break after you are done with all of them. Take a 90 seconds break and then do the same set again.

If you want to know more about exercise methods to burn belly fat faster, check out Max Posternak’s video below.

VIDEO – 5 Exercise Methods to Burn Belly Fat Faster

Read More: How to Speed Up Weight Loss – 10 Things You Can Do Now to Accomplish That

Losing weight can be difficult for many people. No matter how much you cut down on eating, it seems sometimes that you simply don’t lose any belly fat. And you don’t want to starve yourself off.

Losing belly fat is even harder as it tends to be one of the last places in the human body where the fat cells are used for energy. For this to happen, you need to be in a caloric deficit for a long period of time and consistently. Only after that, you will see results.

Source: Julia Larson / Pexels

But what can you eat if you are in a caloric deficit? Foods that are high in protein and low in calories are the way to go. Protein will also help you feel satiated for longer, which contributes to binge-eating prevention. And this is where Dr Mike Diamonds’ breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster come into play.

Dr Mike Diamonds is a retired medical doctor who is now an online fitness coach and a YouTuber. He has close to a million subscribers on his channel and he usually uses his own body transformation as an example of how to help people become their better selves. He is also the creator of the website Sculpt by Science.

Check out his 5 breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster.

5 Breakfast Meals to Lose Belly Fat Faster

Before jumping into the 5 breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster, Diamonds says there are two things you should have with you: a food scale and an app to track your dieting and macros.

The meals he explains how to make are:

Meal 1 – Blueberry French Toast

• Carbs – 46.2g
• Fat – 5.6g
• Protein – 26.7g
• Total calories – 355kcal

Meal 2 – High Protein Omelette

• Carbs – 3.1g
• Fat – 1g
• Protein – 31.4g
• Total calories – 155kcal

Source: Engin Aykurt on Pexels

Meal 3 – Egg Toast

• Carbs – 27.7g
• Fat – 6.2g
• Protein – 21.3
• Total calories – 248kcal

Meal 4 – Protein Cereal

• Carbs – 61g
• Fat – 7.2g
• Protein – 40g
• Total calories – 487kcal

Meal 5 – Protein Oats

• Carbs – 68.6g
• Fat – 15.6g
• Protein – 35.9g
• Total calories – 564kcal

Diamonds explains exactly how to make each of these 5 breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster. So it’s easier for you to just click on the video below to check which one you are interested in.

VIDEO – 5 Breakfast Meals to Lose Belly Fat Faster

Ok, now you know 5 breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster, but want more? Check out more content from BOXROX that can help you lose weight and get fitter.

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Besides these meals to lose belly fat faster, what else could you do to get in shape? Compound movements.

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:

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.

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!

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.

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.

If you combine these breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster and compound exercises, you will transform your body in no 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.

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4 Science Based Tips to Get Bigger Arms Fast

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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.

If you are considering doing intermittent fasting, or simply want to abstain from eating for a couple of days, discover what happens if you eat nothing for 3 days

What Happens If You Eat Nothing For 3 Days?

So, what happens if you eat nothing for 3 days? Posternak explains phase by phase what happens to the food that you ingested.

After 6-10 hours of fasting, most of the leftover glucose that is still circulating in your bloodstream will be used for fuel. If you are used to eating three meals a day or you regularly eat a high-carb diet, you will experience hunger and low energy levels by the 10^th hour. This hunger pain will subside after two hours and your body will naturally adapt to this new information.

Between 12-16 hours of fasting, your body will continue to deplete its glycogen stores while also increasing its reliance on ketone bodies. You might experience some cold now as your body is not digesting food. You will improve your digestion, cholesterol and decrease inflammation.

After 16-18 hours of fasting your body will begin autophagy, an auto-recycling process where it starts getting rid of any junk it finds be it damaged proteins, bacteria to dysfunctional cells.

After 24-32 hours of fasting your body will be out of glycogen and entirely rely on its own fat stores for energy. Your brain still needs glucose to function, so your body finds ways to make that happen, usually by separating triglycerides from fat stores into glycerol and free fatty acids which will help you not break down muscle tissue yet.

Your body will get most of the energy and glucose it needs to keep your muscle from body fat and it will boost the human growth hormone during the process.

After 32 hours you will see significant weight loss, however, this is mostly part of losing water from depleting carbohydrates as well as fat loss.

Source: Julia Larson / Pexels

Once you get to 3 days of fasting, the process of enhanced immunity, autophagy and reduction in inflammation continues. But the cons start to outweigh the pros. Fasting for 72 hours is difficult for most people without any medical assistance. The body will also begin breaking down muscle tissue and can start leading to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and digestive issues.

And that is what happens if you eat nothing for 3 days. Click on the video below to see Posternak’s full explanation.

VIDEO – What Happens If You Eat Nothing For 3 Days?

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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.

Junk Volume Weight Training – What is it and Why Must You Avoid it

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.

VIDEO – How Many Sets Maximise Muscle Growth?

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What To Eat Before, During, and After a Workout

First of all, what is all this thing about eating chicken and broccoli in the fitness community? Somehow, we like to think that Hollywood has something to do with it. Check this compilation from More Plates More Dates below to see how some actors always mentioned chicken, broccoli and sometimes rice when it comes to doing their incredible body transformation.

Okay, but why chicken and broccoli?

Broccoli is a nutrient-dense vegetable that provides a wide range of health benefits:

1. Rich in nutrients: Broccoli is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, and potassium. It also contains fibre, which is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system.
2. Supports immune system: Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that supports the immune system and helps fight off infections.
3. Promotes heart health: The fibre, potassium, and antioxidants in broccoli may help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and inflammation.
4. Supports bone health: Broccoli is a good source of vitamin K, which is important for bone health and helps prevent osteoporosis.
5. May reduce cancer risk: Broccoli contains several compounds, such as sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, which have been shown to have anti-cancer properties and may help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
6. Helps with weight management: Broccoli is low in calories and high in fibre, making it a great food for weight management.

Chicken is a popular, somewhat cheap and widely consumed source of protein that provides many benefits:

1. High in protein: Chicken is an excellent source of high-quality protein, which is essential for building and repairing tissues in the body.
2. Low in fat: Chicken is lean meat and is relatively low in saturated fat compared to other sources of protein like beef or pork.
3. Rich in vitamins and minerals: Chicken is a good source of vitamins B6 and B12, which are important for brain function and energy production. It also contains minerals like zinc and phosphorus, which are important for healthy bones and teeth.
4. Boosts metabolism: The high protein content in chicken can help boost your metabolism, leading to increased calorie burning and weight loss.
5. Supports immune system: Chicken contains a high amount of the amino acid cysteine, which is essential for producing glutathione – a powerful antioxidant that supports a healthy immune system.
6. Improves mood: Chicken is rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which helps the body produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, and appetite.

So, eating chicken and broccoli constantly is healthy? Yes, it is. However, eating ONLY chicken and broccoli can be a whole different deal. If you want to have a body transformation like Zac Efron for Baywatch or Jason Momoa for Aquaman.

First of all, those people have an entire industry and lots of money behind them to change their bodies. Something I am going to guess you do not have. Imagine being paid millions of dollars to lose weight and look buff. It’s a great incentive, right? That’s why, first and foremost, you shouldn’t really copy pro athletes and actors.

However, if you are still curious to know what would happen to your body should you eat nothing but chicken and broccoli for 7 days straight, luckily you can see what other regular people have gone through in the past, like the Buff Dudes.

The Buff Dudes is a YouTube channel with over 2.5 million subscribers. Despite the name of the channel, brothers Hudson and Brandon White are not your stereotypical bro gym. They deliver clear information with a good background story while poking fun at how buffed they are.

Eat Only Chicken and Broccoli for 7 Days Straight

Source: Anya Juárez Tenorio on Pexels

When explaining the macros behind the chicken and broccoli diet for 7 days straight, Brandon White says you need to eat a lot to get to your calorie maintenance numbers. “A lot of protein, not a lot of fat and not a lot of carbs in it.” This is already a red flag regarding your macros.

How to Calculate Macros and Calories

Brandon explains that buying frozen broccoli is a great way to buy a lot of it and keep it nutritious. Regarding condiments, he steered away from sauces that add a lot of calories or sugar.

Both brothers also talk about how easy it is to cook and cheap, which is a plus. However, their workouts were difficult to keep up with since they had very little fat and carbs in their system.

In the end, both brothers lost a lot of weight, which you might think it’s good if you are looking for that fat-loss technique. However, as soon as they went back to normal eating, the weight also pounded back up.

In other words, it is not sustainable at all, and a proper well-rounded diet with some caloric deficit is better to lose weight in the long term.

VIDEO – Chicken and Broccoli for 7 Days

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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.

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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Losing weight is easier for some than others. However, losing your belly fat is difficult for most people, as this is one of the last areas where you start losing weight because that is just how biology works.

However, there are 3 steps you can make to understand how to lose all your stubborn belly fat and Max Posternak is here to enlighten you with some tips.

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.

Check out what he has to say about how to lose all your stubborn belly fat.

How to Lose All Your Stubborn Belly Fat

According to him, there are 3 ways to tackle your belly fat:

• Weight training
• Cardiovascular training
• Nutrition

Posternak explains that the only link to increasing your metabolism is an increase in your lean body mass and that is where weight training comes in to help you lose weight. If you build more muscle you can eat more food and still keep burning fat.

The best way to improve your metabolism and increase your lean muscle mass through weight training is simply striving to lift heavier and heavier weights as the weeks and months in the gym go by. Another way you can improve your strength and burn more fat is by training to failure – go heavy 3 days a week for faster results.

Source: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

When it comes to cardio, doing it for a long period of time, like jogging for hours, is not the most effective way to build muscle and, ultimately, to burn fat. According to Posternak, the best cardio you can do is interval training.

One simple idea Posternak gives is to sprint for 60 seconds and walk or lightly jog for 60 seconds and repeat for 10 rounds – a total of 20 minutes. This type of training will evoke the after-burn effect, which means your body will burn calories in the recovery process compared to long steady-state cardio such as walking.

Source: Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

Finally, to understand how to lose all your stubborn belly fat you need to be on top of your nutrition. To lose weight, undoubtedly, you must be in a caloric deficit. Posternak suggests making 25% reduction of calories from maintenance and staying on that range consistently daily.

Another idea from Posternak is to eat a full high-protein meal with lots of fat before eating whatever you are craving, such as ice cream. There is a good chance you won’t eat as much ice cream as you would if you deprived yourself of the meal before having that ice cream.

And that was Posternak’s detailing of how to lose all your stubborn belly fat in 3 steps. Click the link below to see his full explanation.

VIDEO – How to Lose All Your Stubborn Belly Fat

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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

Our bodies store fat to stock up on energy in case of a future famine. It is our biological way of surviving during harsh moments. Losing weight is already not an easy task, but the skinnier you get, the harder it is to drop body fat. This is what we call stubborn fat and is located in most people on their lower belly, lower back and love handles.

So if you want to know how to lose belly fat effortlessly, check out Max Posternak’s 14 tips and tricks.

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.

How to Lose Belly Fat Effortlessly

1. Cut Sugar as Much as Possible

Processed sugar makes you crave more sugar in the future and makes natural sources of sugar, like fruit, taste less satisfying.

Related: Should You Eat Fruits While Working Out?

2. Shop in Perimeter Aisles at the Market

The outside perimeter of the grocery store is where, typically, you find the produce department, the seafood, meat, eggs and dairy. The inner isles are usually where you find all the processed food that will increase your insulin levels and calorie intake.

Some items in the inner aisle you should look for, however, are rice, quinoa and nuts.

3. Pick Single-Ingredient Foods

These are foods that have low-calorie density – the amount it takes up in your stomach is large, but adds few calories. One Oreo cookie has 40 calories (mostly sugar), while you can have the same amount of calories with a cup of broccoli that will make you feel fuller.

4. Avoid Added Sugar

Some items that are regarded as healthy, such as smoothies, could have a lot of added ingredients to help preserve the product, so stay away from them.

5. Drink More Water

But be careful, too much water flushes out vital electrolytes which can endanger your heart.

6. Eat More Protein

Protein will fill you up and reduce your hunger. It also requires more energy to digest protein and is essential to building muscle.

7. Make Healthy Food Taste Great

Diets that force you to eat something you don’t like or cook things in a bland way are a sure path to failure. Add enough olive oil, seasoning and spices to your meals to make them taste great.

Putting just a tiny amount of olive oil in the frying pan can save you some calories, but restricting it too much can lead you to binge eating and failure in the long run.

8. Make Use of Occasional Cheat Meal

Only do this after you fill up your stomach. This will take off the edge of your hunger and save you a lot of calories before you go eat three slices of cake.

9. Restrict Alcohol Ingestion

Fat is metabolised in the liver, so you want it to be able to break down fat rather than being busy digesting alcohol.

10. Eat More Soluble Fibre

This will greatly reduce your hunger levels helping you feel fuller for longer. Think oats, avocado and Brussel sprouts.

11. Select the Right Type of Exercises

Although diet is imperative, choosing the right exercise can help speed things up.

The Perfect Workout to Lose Weight

12. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep will make your muscles recover and grow. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns on a daily basis. Sleeping will also balance your hormones to ideal levels to lose belly fat.

13. Add High-Intensity Training to Boost Fat Loss

How to lose belly fat effortlessly once you have diet, sleep and training in check? Add some HIIT exercises to boost fat loss a little bit further. This should be used when you hit a plateau, especially.

10 HIIT Exercises to Lose Belly Fat Faster

14. Adjust Diet Times/Amounts to Make You Less Hungry

This could mean you need to do fasting for the majority of the day and have a couple of large meals. Intermittent fasting can be effective for fat loss without having to eat all day long.

For some other people, it might be easier to control hunger levels by having multiple small meals throughout the day. You need to find out what works best for you while maintaining a caloric deficit.

Those are the 14 tips on how to lose belly fat effortlessly. If you want to know more about each specific item, check out the full video from Max Posternak below.

VIDEO – How to Lose Belly Fat Effortlessly

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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

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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

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We’ve all been there when it comes to losing weight. We all want to do it at some point in our lives and we resort to success stories to follow the same path hoping to achieve the same result. Let’s be clear from the beginning and tell you there is one clear way to lower your body fat: be in a caloric deficit and do more exercises, respecting your body’s recovery process.

These 3 things you must quit if you want to lose body fat were shared in a video made by Mario Tomic, an entrepreneur who helps other busy working professionals get fit and build a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. Check it out.

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3 Things You Must Quit if You Want to Lose Body Fat

Below you will see the 3 things you must quit if you want to lose body fat. And before we get to it, don’t assume the worst. This list has nothing to do with nutrition. Tomic is not advocating for you to give up sugar, carbs, fat, or anything like that.

These are more mental obstacles that you need to quit if you really want to get in the best shape of your life.

1. Instant Gratification

See what we mean? Tomic’s 1^st thing you should quit if you want to lose body fat is instant gratification.

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This is when you choose a small reward now instead of getting a bigger reward that would come later. An example of this is the marshmallow test done with kids in which they were asked not to eat a marshmallow in front of them and would get a second one later.

According to Tomic, this is something most successful people have, the will to fight instant gratification, to do the groundwork now and reap the benefits later. This is especially something you need to master when it comes to your nutrition.

That doesn’t mean you have to count your calories every single day and be on point going to the gym every single day. No. “You have to have the ability to have a boundary, to say no when it needs to be said. To make a certain decision and stick with that decision.”

2. Ego

That idea of perfection in your head needs to be tossed away. “If you think that you are perfect, if you think that you know everything, if you think that you don’t need to fail, you won’t be learning anything and you won’t be improving at all.”

If you think you already know how to lose weight, maybe think again. Yes, some things are fundamental, but there are many ways to reach your goal of losing body fat.

The more you learn, the more you realise how much more there is to learn. “There is no place for ego in this journey.”

3. The Fact That Someone Else Will Take Care of You

When speaking about food companies, Tomic explains that they are not on your side, but rather fighting for a share of your stomach.

“When profit is the goal, everything else falls to the side and that’s where your health is.”

If you don’t have your best interests in mind, if you don’t take care of this yourself, nobody will take care of this.

Click on the video below to get a full idea of his arguments for the 3 things you must quit if you want to lose body fat.

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Losing belly fat can be difficult for several reasons:

1. Genetics: Genetics can play a role in where your body stores fat. Some people are more prone to storing fat in their bellies, which can make it more difficult to lose.
2. Hormones: Hormones, such as cortisol and insulin, can affect how your body stores fat, especially in the belly area. High levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone, can lead to increased belly fat.
3. Age: As you age, your metabolism slows down, making it more difficult to lose weight and belly fat.
4. Poor Diet: A diet high in processed foods, sugar, and saturated fats can contribute to increased belly fat. Eating a healthy diet is important for losing belly fat.
5. Lack of Exercise: Exercise is crucial for burning calories and reducing belly fat. A sedentary lifestyle can make it more difficult to lose belly fat.
6. Sleep: Lack of sleep can affect hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism, making it harder to lose belly fat.

Overall, losing belly fat can be difficult due to genetics, hormones, age, poor diet, lack of exercise, and lack of sleep. However, making lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and managing stress can help reduce belly fat over time.

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Metabolism refers to the chemical processes that occur within an organism to maintain life. It is an essential process that is responsible for converting food into energy, building and repairing tissues, and removing waste products from the body.

Metabolism is important for several reasons:

1. Energy production: Metabolism is responsible for converting the food we eat into energy that our cells can use. This energy is necessary for all bodily functions, from breathing to walking.
2. Tissue maintenance: Metabolism is also responsible for building and repairing tissues in the body. This includes the growth and repair of muscles, bones, and organs.
3. Waste removal: Metabolism helps to eliminate waste products from the body, such as carbon dioxide, urea, and other toxins.
4. Regulation of body weight: Metabolism plays a key role in regulating body weight. A slow metabolism can make it more difficult to lose weight, while a fast metabolism can help to burn more calories.
5. Hormone production: Metabolism is responsible for the production of hormones, which are chemical messengers that regulate various bodily functions.

Overall, metabolism is a critical process for maintaining optimal health and wellness. A healthy metabolism helps to ensure that the body is functioning properly, which can help to prevent a variety of health problems.

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Walking is not only an effective way to lose weight but is also highly underrated in its fat-burning capabilities. Its simplicity and versatility make it a convenient form of physical activity that can be incorporated into any lifestyle. By implementing a few simple tips, you can easily increase your step count even within the comfort of your own home.

While some individuals downplay the significance of cardio in weight loss, it would be unfair to dismiss it entirely. Mike Diamonds, a seasoned expert in weight management, recognizes the pros and cons of losing and gaining weight on a yearly basis, and he doesn’t discount the importance of cardio.

Walking, although often overlooked as a form of cardio, is indeed a valuable exercise. Just because you don’t break a sweat while walking doesn’t mean it lacks benefits—it can greatly contribute to weight loss.

But let’s make it clear that we are not ditching here some of the golden rules of losing body fat such as calorie deficit, strength training and HIIT.

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Many individuals associate cardio with activities like running, cycling, or swimming, assuming that high intensity and heavy breathing are essential components. However, walking defies those parameters and allows you to engage in casual conversation while reaping the benefits.

Walking falls under the category of low-intensity steady-state exercise, which means you can sustain it for extended periods without significant difficulty. On the other hand, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves intense bursts of cardiovascular activity.

The key advantage of walking, when it comes to fat loss, lies in the fact that while it may not burn a substantial number of calories, the calories it does burn predominantly come from fat cells.

The information below was extracted from Jeremy Ethier’s expertise. He 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.

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How Many Steps Should You Take to Lose Fat?

To determine how many steps you should take a day for weight loss, it’s essential to consider various factors, such as your diet and current activity level.

The general consensus suggests aiming for 10,000 steps a day as a good target for weight loss. However, the ideal number of steps to burn fat is subjective and depends on individual circumstances. For instance, if you weigh around 180 pounds, walking at a moderate pace can burn approximately 60 calories per 1,000 steps.

If you currently maintain your weight with an average step count of 6,000 steps a day, adding an extra 1,000 steps would increase your calorie expenditure by around 60 calories. Considering there are roughly 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, making the subtle change from 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day could theoretically result in burning an extra pound of fat per month. Doubling your step count to 10,000 steps a day might enable you to burn an additional 2 pounds of fat per month.

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Conversely, reducing your daily step count from an active level to a sedentary level can have adverse effects. Lean, active individuals who transition to a sedentary lifestyle of fewer than 5,000 steps a day end up burning approximately 700 calories less per day. This change often leads to significant weight gain, primarily in the form of fat. This demonstrates the significant impact that daily step count has on body composition. Therefore, monitoring and managing your step count become crucial not only for kickstarting and accelerating fat loss but also for maintaining the lost weight in the long term.

To summarize the key points, it is recommended to set a realistic daily step goal if you are currently not very active and struggling to lose weight. This goal should create a calorie deficit while ensuring that you don’t compensate by overeating. Aiming for at least 8,000 or even 10,000 steps a day is advisable, as it increases daily calorie expenditure and helps active individuals better control their appetite and food intake due to physiological changes that occur with increased activity.

Source: Gustavo Fring on Pexels

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Although achieving 10,000 or even 8,000 steps a day may seem challenging, especially if you spend most of your time at home or in an office setting, it can be made easier by incorporating it into existing habits. For example, making it a habit to go for a 10-minute walk after each meal can add an average of 3,500 steps to your daily count. By implementing such strategies, the seemingly daunting goal of reaching 10,000 steps becomes more feasible and attainable.

While walking can contribute to weight loss, it’s important to note that for optimal results, it should be complemented with a solid nutrition plan and regular weight training. These additional steps serve as a valuable supplement to your overall fitness routine but should be combined with other key elements to accelerate progress and establish a strong foundation for long-term success.

See Ethier’s video for a full explanation of how many steps you should take every day to lose body fat.

You can incorporate walking into your training routine either informally or formally. Informal walking can be done outdoors, while formal walking involves using a treadmill at the gym. Begin with 8,000 steps and progressively increase by 2,000 steps each week. If your goal is to achieve body fat below 10%, you may even aim for as many as 20,000 steps per day.

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Walking is a simple yet powerful physical activity that can provide numerous benefits to your overall health and well-being. Here are some of the benefits of walking:

1. Improves cardiovascular health: Walking regularly can help improve your heart health by lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
2. Helps with weight management: Walking is a low-impact exercise that can help burn calories and assist with weight loss or maintenance.
3. Boosts mood and mental health: Walking can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by releasing endorphins (feel-good hormones) and improving blood flow to the brain.
4. Improves bone and joint health: Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that can help strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, as well as improve joint mobility and flexibility.
5. Increases energy and stamina: Walking can help boost your energy levels and improve your overall fitness and stamina, making daily activities easier to manage.
6. Lowers the risk of chronic diseases: Regular walking can help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and arthritis.
7. Promotes better sleep: Walking can help regulate your sleep cycle, allowing you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
8. Improves digestion and gut health: Walking can aid in digestion by stimulating the muscles in your abdomen and reducing constipation.

Overall, walking is a simple yet effective way to improve your health and well-being. Even a small amount of daily walking can provide significant benefits, so consider incorporating this activity into your daily routine.

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The amount of walking recommended per day varies depending on your age, fitness level, and overall health. However, the general guideline for adults is to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, per week. This equates to approximately 30 minutes of walking per day, five days a week.

If you are unable to commit to 30 minutes of walking in one go, you can break it down into smaller chunks throughout the day. For example, you could aim for three 10-minute walks or two 15-minute walks. The key is to find a routine that works for you and fits into your daily schedule.

It’s important to note that these recommendations are just a general guideline, and it’s always best to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have any underlying health conditions. Your healthcare provider can give you personalized advice on how much and what type of physical activity is safe and appropriate for you.

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Weight loss plateaus occur when a person’s weight loss progress slows down or stalls despite their continued efforts to lose weight. There are several reasons why this can happen:

1. Metabolic adaptation: When you lose weight, your body adapts to the lower calorie intake and can start burning fewer calories at rest. This means that as you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to maintain your new weight, which can cause your weight loss progress to slow down.
2. Changes in physical activity: If you’ve been doing the same type and amount of exercise for a while, your body may become used to it and not burn as many calories as before. Additionally, you may experience fatigue or injury, which can cause you to decrease your physical activity level.
3. Calorie intake: As you lose weight, you need fewer calories to maintain your weight. If you don’t adjust your calorie intake accordingly, you may start to consume too many calories, which can slow down or stall your weight loss progress.
4. Hormonal changes: Hormonal changes, such as fluctuations in insulin levels, can affect weight loss progress. For example, insulin resistance can make it more difficult to lose weight, especially around the midsection.
5. Psychological factors: Stress, lack of sleep, and other psychological factors can affect weight loss progress. Stress can increase levels of cortisol, which can promote fat storage, while lack of sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.

To overcome weight loss plateaus, it’s important to reassess your diet, exercise routine, and lifestyle habits to identify areas where you can make adjustments. This can include increasing physical activity, adjusting calorie intake, and managing stress and sleep. Additionally, consulting with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian can provide personalized recommendations to help you reach your weight loss goals.

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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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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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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A good pump and a sweaty t-shirt after a workout does not necessarily mean you are doing your best to grow your muscles.

If you want to know how to force muscle growth, ride the wave of knowledge that is Jeremy Ethier.

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.

In his latest video, Ethier explained how to force muscle growth and 5 science-based methods to achieve just that.

Check out the video below and his methods on how to force muscle growth.

How To Force Muscle Growth

The best way to force muscle growth is to apply progressive overload. Jeremy Ethier explains there are 5 types of overloading that you should be aware of to use when it best suits you. Sometimes, one way to overload is not as good as the other, depending on the exercise.

1. Load

If you are a beginner, this is the best answer on how to force muscle growth: by adding more weight to your lifts.

However, you will eventually hit a plateau as you cannot simply add more weight to your bench press, for example, every week forever. There is a limit to what your muscles will be able to move.

2. Reps

When you believe you have reached a plateau after increasing weight to your barbell, adding more reps is another smart way to force muscle growth.

Even if you add just one rep to your normal set each week, you will be lifting more total weight at the end of each week.

How many reps should you increase to? According to a 2017 meta-analysis, as long as you push hard, you can keep the same weight and increase all the way to 30 reps and still get the same growth compared to adding more weight.

3. Sets

Adding sets can be another easy way to force muscle growth. You can simply add one extra set to an exercise utilising the same weight from one week to the other.

For example, at any given week you may do 3 sets of 8 reps of barbell curl using a total of 30 kilos on the bar. The following week, keep the same weight of 30 kilos and do 4 sets of 8 reps of the barbell curl.

Just remember that there is a point where doing more sets for a specific muscle group can be a waste of time. Something called the junk volume weight training in the bodybuilding community. As a rule of thumb, never do more than 30 sets of weight training to any group muscle during 7 days.

4. Tempo

How fast or how slow you lift weights can help you build more muscle. By slowing down your reps, you will increase the amount of time the tension is placed on the muscle to stimulate more growth.

“This is especially effective for exercises involving smaller weaker muscle groups like lateral raise where adding just a little bit of weight often disproportionately increase difficulty,” Ethier explains.

It is also useful to slow your reps with bodyweight exercises as often it is difficult to add more weight while performing callisthenics movements.

Statistics show that you should, at the most, slow down reps to a maximum of 6 seconds for the entire movement.

5. Form

If you perform the same exercise every week, but each following week you can control the weight more, use less momentum and feel your muscles activated, you are adding another method of overloading.

“Better form involves relying more on the target muscles and will result in growth even if all other variables remain the same,” Ethier says.

If you want to see your abs, doing abs exercises will only help you to a certain extent. The issue with not seeing a six-pack is likely the body fat percentage you currently might have. If getting a six-pack is your goal, you first need to be in a caloric deficit and lower your body fat.

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Not only your nutrition needs to be on point for you to lose belly fat, but you can also increase your calorie expenditure by performing activities and that is what these best exercises to lose belly fat at home are all about. The person who came up with this list was Max Posternak.

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.

Check out his 5 best exercises to lose belly fat at home.

Source: Li Sun on Pexels

5 Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat At Home

1. 4 Step Up and Overs + Mountain Climbers

For this exercise, you can hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands. Step up on a small platform sideways and came out the other side. Do this 4 times and then perform 4 mountain climbers.

2. Mayweather Stand-Up

Technically part of this movement is a sit-up, but you will stand up tall at the end of it. This exercise works a lot of muscles and gets your heart rate up.

Lay on the ground with a weight above your head. Swing the weight towards your feet as you sit up, bring the weight in front of you and stand up tall. Squat and sit back down to repeat the movement.

3. Alternating Kneel Down + Squat Jump

Holding a pair of dumbbells in your hands, kneel backwards to lunges alternating the foot each time and kneeling down. After doing two kneel downs, one with a different starting foot, squat down and jump.

4. Sprawl and Alternating Sit Throughs

This looks like a complicated exercise, but once you know how to do it, it is great and that is why it features Posternak’s list of best exercises to lose belly fat at home.

It involves a sprawl, a half-burpee, a downward dog position, and a kick through.

5. Weighted Burpee

Of course, it had to be the burpee. But to take things to the next level, Posternak advises doing this fat-burning exercise with a dumbbell on each hand.

And that was Posternak’s 5 best exercises to lose belly fat at home. If you have minimal equipment at home, you can perform any of these exercises. If one or more of these movements looks difficult to you, Posternak explains how to regress the difficulty and still burn fat to shrink your belly.

Simply click on the video below.

VIDEO – Best Exercises To Lose Belly Fat At Home

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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.

VIDEO – How Many Sets Maximise Muscle Growth?

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The coach in case is known online as Dr. Gains. His real name is Michael Kamalu, a medical student at Mayo Clinic who specialises in sports medicine, fitness, personal training and injury prevention. Currently, his YouTube channel has close to 150K subscribers where he posts tips on training programs, workouts and fitness science.

A video he uploaded reveals the single most crucial factor for isolating the biceps and promoting their growth. It introduces a principle that is rarely implemented correctly by others. Contrary to popular belief, standard supinating biceps curls are not the most effective way to build the biceps. By examining biomechanics and research studies on muscle activation, he claims it becomes clear that alternative techniques can increase biceps-specific activation and growth by over 200%.

Source: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

The first issue with traditional bicep curls is that while they involve elbow flexion, the biceps are not the primary muscles responsible for this movement. The Brachialis, a muscle located near the biceps, is actually more activated during elbow extension. Even when performing curls in a supinated position, EMG studies indicate that the Brachialis is almost 40% more engaged than the biceps. Additionally, the Brachioradialis also contributes to elbow flexion, further diminishing the load on the biceps.

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To address this issue, many people attempt to shift more load onto the biceps by adding supination to the curling movement. However, this approach has a flaw. When analysing the physics of supinating curls, it becomes evident that there is no resistance against supination itself. The dumbbell’s weight is balanced, with each side counteracting the other. Therefore, the true resistance is still primarily on elbow flexion, leaving the brachialis and brachioradialis to bear most of the load.

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So, how can resistance against supination be created to effectively isolate and load the biceps? Research teams at the University of Colorado and Canada have developed custom-made machines specifically designed for this purpose. Kamalu shares six different techniques they have developed using free weights and cables to generate direct resistance against supination. These techniques offer a practical alternative to building the biceps without requiring custom equipment.

1. Shift your hand to one of the handles so that your thumb is pressed up against one side of the dumbbell, rotate dumbbells – least effective technique
2.  Do the first technique and loop a resistance band around the pinkie side of the dumbbell, creating significant resistance against supination
3. Grab one end of the dumbbell instead of the handle out of the pinkie side of your hand and swing the other end out and up by supinating your forearm
4. Using an adjustable dumbbell, overload the pinkie side with more weight
5. Using a cable machine and rope attachment, with a hammer grip, supinate your forearms while you flex your elbows and bring your pinkies up while rotating your wrists
6. Unilateral cable version of number 5 – start with a hammer grip and supinate your forearm as you flex your elbow

As we know it is difficult to imagine how to apply these techniques by simply reading how to do it, here is the video with the techniques explained by Michale Kamalu himself.

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Having strong arms can offer many benefits, including:

• Increased Functional Strength: Strong arms are essential for performing daily tasks like carrying groceries or lifting objects.
• Better Sports Performance: Strong arms are crucial for sports such as basketball, football, and weightlifting.
• Reduced Risk of Injury: Strong arms can help to prevent injury and strain to your shoulders, elbows, and wrists.
• Improved Posture: Strong arms can help to improve your posture and prevent back pain by supporting your upper body.
• Increased Metabolism: Building muscle mass in your arms can boost your metabolism, helping you to burn calories more efficiently.
• Improved Confidence: Having strong arms can give you a sense of confidence and self-assurance in your physical abilities.
• Better Overall Fitness: Strong arms are an important component of overall fitness and can help you to achieve a well-rounded, healthy physique.

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The frequency of training your biceps and triceps depends on various factors, including your goals, overall training program, recovery capacity, and individual preferences. However, a general guideline for most individuals is to train these muscle groups 1-2 times per week.

When designing your training schedule, it’s important to consider the principle of muscle recovery. Both biceps and triceps are relatively smaller muscle groups compared to larger muscle groups like the chest or back. This means they typically require less volume and recovery time.

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If you’re following a split routine where you dedicate specific days to training different muscle groups, you could include a biceps and triceps workout as part of your arm day. This could be done once a week, allowing for adequate recovery time between sessions.

Alternatively, you might choose to incorporate biceps and triceps exercises into your upper body workouts on separate days. For example, you could train biceps on one day and triceps on another day during the week, with a few days of rest in between each session.

Source: Daniel Apodaca on Unsplash

Remember, it’s essential to listen to your body and monitor your recovery. If you find that your biceps and triceps are not fully recovering between sessions or if you experience excessive muscle soreness, you may need to reduce the frequency or intensity of your training.

Ultimately, finding the optimal training frequency for your biceps and triceps will involve experimentation and adjusting based on your individual response to training. Consulting with a qualified fitness professional can also provide personalized guidance based on your specific needs and goals.

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The chest is one big muscle group, but we people in the fitness industry tend to divide it into three parts: lower, middle, and upper chest. That happens mainly because the muscle fibres are angled differently from lower, mid and upper. To target each part specifically, you should follow the muscle fibres and apply progressive overload.

To develop the upper chest, exercises that involve a higher degree of shoulder flexion such as incline bench press, incline dumbbell press, and incline flyes can be helpful. These exercises target the upper fibres of the chest muscle and can help to create a more defined and aesthetically pleasing chest.

But the exercises mentioned above are what everyone does all the time. Not that they are bad for muscle growth – on the contrary – but adding variety to one’s workout is a sure way to keep increasing your body’s fitness and ensure hypertrophy as long as you follow progressive overload basics.

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And if you want something different for your upper chest, you have landed on the right link. These forgotten upper chest exercises were first shared by Troy Adashun, 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.

To continue improving your upper chest in both size and strength, scroll down to see what you can do without the need of resorting to the bench press.

5 Forgotten Upper Chest Exercises to Force Muscle Growth

As mentioned before, you won’t be needing a bench for these exercises. “We’re going to help you guys activate that clavicular head, those upper chest muscle fibres because these fibres are extremely tough to develop,” Adashun says.

The exercises are:

1. Clavicular Dumbbell Raises – 3 sets of 30 seconds under tension
2. Barbell Incline – 3 sets of 6-8 heavy reps
3. Dumbbell Incline – 3 sets of 8-10 reps, drop 30% of the weight and another 8-10 reps
4. Dumbbell Floor Pullover and Squeeze Press Superset – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
5. Standing Squeeze Press or Landmine Press – 3 sets of 30 seconds under tension

Rest between 45-60 seconds between each set.

If you want to go a bit further, Adashun explains there is one last forgotten upper chest exercise you can add as a finisher:

• Head Butt Push-Ups – 3 sets of as many reps as possible

And since these are not-so-common exercises, your best bet is to see Adashun doing the movements and explaining them so you know if you want to incorporate one or more into your training sessions.

See the video below then.

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Training your chest can have a number of benefits for your overall fitness and physical health. Here are some reasons why you might want to train your chest:

1. Strengthening your chest muscles: Chest exercises like bench press, push-ups, and dumbbell flyes can help you build stronger chest muscles. This can improve your overall upper body strength and make it easier to perform daily activities that require pushing or pulling.
2. Aesthetics: A well-developed chest can enhance the appearance of your upper body, giving you a more balanced and proportional physique.
3. Improved posture: A strong chest can also help improve your posture by pulling your shoulders back and helping you maintain a more upright position.
4. Increased metabolism: Chest exercises can also help boost your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories throughout the day.
5. Improved athletic performance: A strong chest can improve your performance in a variety of sports and activities that require upper body strength, such as basketball, football, and rock climbing.

Overall, training your chest can have numerous benefits for your physical health, appearance, and athletic performance. It’s important to incorporate a variety of exercises into your chest workout routine to ensure that you’re targeting all the muscles in your chest, as well as other muscles in your upper body.

Source: Anya Juárez Tenorio on Pexels

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The frequency at which you should train your chest depends on several factors such as your fitness goals, overall fitness level, and your training program.

In general, it is recommended that you train your chest muscles at least once per week to see improvements in strength and muscle growth. However, some individuals may benefit from training their chest more frequently, such as 2-3 times per week, especially if they are more experienced lifters and are looking to target specific areas of the chest.

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It’s important to note that you shouldn’t train your chest muscles on consecutive days as this can lead to overtraining and increase the risk of injury. Additionally, it’s important to allow your muscles to rest and recover between workouts, so that they have time to repair and grow.

Overall, the frequency at which you should train your chest will depend on your individual goals and fitness level, so it’s best to consult with a certified fitness professional who can help you design a personalized workout plan that meets your needs.

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Taking into consideration numeral studies published in the past, you should know which one is best for muscle growth.

Fitness trainer and Kinesiology graduate Jeremy Ethier has weighed upon the debate of light v heavy weights for muscle growth.

As it is accustomed for people who follow his YouTube videos, Ethier has personal experience inside the gym, but he also interviews experts and relies heavily on studies to back his arguments. The latter is what he used extensively to talk about light vs heavy weights for muscle growth.

A common belief in the bodybuilding community assumes that muscle growth happens when you lift heavier weights for a small number of reps. If you do the opposite, lighter weights for moderate to high number of reps, you are most likely training your muscles for endurance, not growth. Correct?

According to science, no. The first study that came to that conclusion was published in 2012 where 18 men had similar quads growth when half of them did heavy weights and lower reps compared to the lighter weights and higher reps.

After some criticism regarding the athlete’s pool, another study was conducted and the same results came back: light vs heavy weights for muscle growth are similar.

“Light weights and heavy weights lead to similar muscle growth when volume is equated for and sets are taken close to failure,” Ethier quotes from the study’s findings.

Does this mean you should only train with lighter weights or heavy weights? No. The last part of that quote is extremely important to understand why.

Training to failure in a high rep range (with lighter weights) is more uncomfortable than doing with heavier weights and lower rep range due to the increased metabolic stress. The athletes who underwent the high rep low weight study eventually threw up during the workout.

Light vs Heavy Weights for Muscle Growth

What’s Best for Muscle Growth?

So, in the end, light vs heavy weights for muscle growth? Which one is best? Unfortunately, as one could assume, relying heavily on only one way of training will have shortcomings.

“Heavy loads are more beneficial to strength gains and mechanical tensions and are easier to take close to failure,” Ethier says. In this case, use heavier loads with fewer reps on compound movements.

Lighter weights, the ones that give you a pump, also provide a “potent hypertrophic stimulus” that is similar to heavy compound lifting. So use higher reps and lower weights in your accessory exercises after sets on compound movements are done.

The best way to force muscle growth is to apply progressive overload. However, progressive overload is not based only on adding more weight to your training.

Jeremy Ethier explained 5 methods to force muscle growth.

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.

If you are considering doing intermittent fasting, or simply want to abstain from eating for a couple of days, discover what happens if you eat nothing for 3 days

What Happens If You Eat Nothing For 3 Days?

So, what happens if you eat nothing for 3 days? Posternak explains phase by phase what happens to the food that you ingested.

After 6-10 hours of fasting, most of the leftover glucose that is still circulating in your bloodstream will be used for fuel. If you are used to eating three meals a day or you regularly eat a high-carb diet, you will experience hunger and low energy levels by the 10^th hour. This hunger pain will subside after two hours and your body will naturally adapt to this new information.

Between 12-16 hours of fasting, your body will continue to deplete its glycogen stores while also increasing its reliance on ketone bodies. You might experience some cold now as your body is not digesting food. You will improve your digestion, cholesterol and decrease inflammation.

After 16-18 hours of fasting your body will begin autophagy, an auto-recycling process where it starts getting rid of any junk it finds be it damaged proteins, bacteria to dysfunctional cells.

After 24-32 hours of fasting your body will be out of glycogen and entirely rely on its own fat stores for energy. Your brain still needs glucose to function, so your body finds ways to make that happen, usually by separating triglycerides from fat stores into glycerol and free fatty acids which will help you not break down muscle tissue yet.

Your body will get most of the energy and glucose it needs to keep your muscle from body fat and it will boost the human growth hormone during the process.

After 32 hours you will see significant weight loss, however, this is mostly part of losing water from depleting carbohydrates as well as fat loss.

Source: Julia Larson / Pexels

Once you get to 3 days of fasting, the process of enhanced immunity, autophagy and reduction in inflammation continues. But the cons start to outweigh the pros. Fasting for 72 hours is difficult for most people without any medical assistance. The body will also begin breaking down muscle tissue and can start leading to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and digestive issues.

And that is what happens if you eat nothing for 3 days. Click on the video below to see Posternak’s full explanation.

VIDEO – What Happens If You Eat Nothing For 3 Days?

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Push-ups are one of the best bodyweight exercises that you can do for your upper body. As many people know, it targets your chest, shoulders, triceps and even your abs. The biceps, however, is active to a much smaller degree which makes traditional push-ups not ideal if you want to grow your biceps.

Does that mean you cannot get stronger biceps with push-ups? Of course not!

In a video, sports teacher and YouTube fitness guru Alex Lorenz talked about how to train your biceps with push-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.

Check it out.

How To Train Your Biceps With Push-Ups

When you are doing traditional push-ups, the biceps are used as a dynamic stabiliser. That means the muscle activates the elbow and the shoulder to help stabilise the joint and it counteracts the forces of the triceps. So the triceps do most of the work while the biceps keep the elbows stable.

So, how to train your biceps with push-ups? By doing a different variation of the normal push-up, of course. This is conveniently called the bicep push-up.

Change your hand placement and joints by rotating your wrist and forearm until your fingers are pointing backwards when you place your hands on the floor. You should also lean forward with your body, so to put more of your weight on top of your arms.

If you place your wrist not below the shoulder, but further down, it will force your biceps to get to work even more. The further you are from the shoulder, the more you transform this movement into a bicep exercise.

Is this the sole answer on how to train your biceps with push-ups? No. Lorenz explains two more push-up variations that you can do to target your biceps more than traditional push-ups.

One of them is the ring push-up with the turnout at the end. This is a regular push-up done on rings, but at the top of the movement, bring the rings closer together and rotate them outwards. “The outward to inward movement will work on your chest, the arm extension will work on your triceps, and the turnout at the top will work your rotator cuff and also your biceps.”

Know that you can do a similar movement with ring dips, rotating the rings outwards in front of your body at the top of the movement will work on your biceps.

However, perhaps the best bodyweight push-up exercise that will target your biceps is the pelican push-up. That is how you understand how to train your biceps with push-ups. The problem is that it is incredibly difficult to do them for most people.

Source: Tobias Nii Kwatei Quartey on Unsplash

You will also need to use the rings for the pelican push-up. You can use resistance bands to help alleviate the bodyweight that your biceps will lift on each rep.

To learn how to do the pelican push-up, the ring push-up with turnout at the end, or the bicep push-up, click on the video below presented by Alex Lorenz. And that is how to train your biceps with push-ups.

VIDEO – How To Train Your Biceps With Push-Ups

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Visceral fat, also known as intra-abdominal fat, is a type of fat that accumulates deep within the abdominal cavity and surrounds internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. Unlike subcutaneous fat, which is found just beneath the skin, visceral fat is located deeper within the body.

Visceral fat serves several functions, including providing cushioning and protection for organs. However, excessive amounts of visceral fat can have negative health effects. It is considered a significant health risk because it can contribute to various chronic conditions and diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases and more.

To assess the amount of visceral fat in the body, medical professionals may use imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Some smart scales claim to be able to measure your visceral fat, although that could be very wrong.

HIIT, LISS, MISS – What is The Best Cardio For Fat Loss?

Source: Photos Courtesy of CrossFit Inc

Thomas DeLauer shared a video explaining the literal most effective exercise for reducing visceral belly fat. Thomas DeLauer is a celebrity trainer and health author. His YouTube Channel has 3 million subscribers and he has been on the cover of numerous international magazines.

The Literal Most Effective Exercise for Reducing Visceral Belly Fat

Resistance training is great for reducing belly fat, but according to DeLauer, research does not back that up when it comes to visceral fat.

A peer-review of 35 scientific studies on the effect of aerobic vs resistance training on visceral fat found that resistance training did not impact the level of visceral fat. Aerobic exercise had a moderate effect on it.

So cardio is the answer? Well, yes, but we need to dig deeper. If you just read up to this point, go outside and run for miles, you likely won’t do as much visceral fat reduction as you would hop to. Turns out, shorter higher-intensity bouts of cardio were even more effective at reducing visceral fat.

Source: Reebok

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And how do you incorporate this into your workout so that you can lose visceral fat? DeLauer explains that the higher-intensity interval training should be the intense work, not the entire workout.

What he means is that you shouldn’t do HIIT for 30 minutes on end. You wouldn’t be able to maintain a sprint at 80-90% of your maximum effort for that long. A better approach is to run 100 yards, for example, at your maximum speed which should take you less than 20 seconds to finish. Then you walk back and take as long as you need to recover from that sprint before you do it again and again and again.

DeLauer also is a big fan of having a zone 2 or zone 3 training during the week besides your HIIT to increase your metabolic rate and improve your fat-burning ability.

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Thomas DeLauer also explains the best approach to incorporate resistance training into your schedule if your goal is to reduce visceral belly fat.

For that and a deeper explanation of the arguments presented above, watch the following video.

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Maintaining a healthy body fat percentage can have several benefits for your overall health and well-being. Here are some potential benefits of having a low body fat percentage:

1. Reduced risk of chronic diseases: Research suggests that having a low body fat percentage may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
2. Improved cardiovascular health: Lower body fat can be associated with improved cardiovascular health, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
3. Improved physical performance: Having a lower body fat percentage can improve athletic performance by increasing strength, speed, and endurance.
4. Reduced strain on joints: Carrying excess body fat can put additional strain on joints, leading to joint pain and increased risk of injury. Maintaining a lower body fat percentage can reduce this strain and protect joint health.
5. Improved self-esteem and body image: For some individuals, maintaining a low body fat percentage can improve self-esteem and body image, leading to better mental health and well-being.

It’s important to note that there can be negative consequences to having a body fat percentage that is too low, such as hormonal imbalances, decreased immune function, and decreased bone density. It’s important to aim for a healthy body fat percentage rather than trying to achieve an extremely low percentage. Consult with a healthcare professional to determine what a healthy body fat percentage is for you.

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To burn fat, you need to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume. Here are some strategies that can help you burn fat:

1. Exercise regularly: Cardiovascular exercise, such as running, cycling, or swimming, can help you burn calories and increase your metabolism. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
2. Add strength training: Building muscle can help you burn more calories at rest, as muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than fat tissue. Incorporate strength training exercises, such as weight lifting or bodyweight exercises, into your routine.
3. Increase physical activity: Look for ways to increase your overall physical activity throughout the day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away from your destination, or taking a walk during your lunch break.
4. Eat a balanced, low-calorie diet: Focus on whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Avoid sugary, high-fat, and processed foods.
5. Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated can help you feel fuller and prevent overeating.
6. Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism, leading to weight gain. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Remember that sustainable fat loss takes time and effort. Focus on making healthy lifestyle changes that you can stick to long-term rather than quick-fix solutions.

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Why would you want to do standing core exercises? For one, it is something different and monotony can be a real problem when it comes to getting fitter. Also, for some people with difficulties laying on the floor on their pelvis, due to an accident, surgery or something else, standing core exercises are useful so that you don’t neglect your midline.

Source: CrossFit Inc

That being said, there is one truth you must know about standing core exercises. They are not as effective as other traditional ab workouts because of gravity. The effects of gravity on your weight actually help you perform the movement, instead of adding resistance.

Looking through that scope, if crunches are difficult for you, which is a reality for obese people, standing core exercises will help tremendously.

Standing core exercises will also target more muscle groups such as your back and your hips, whether a normal crunch will only hit your rectus abdominis.

Check out 6 of the best standing core exercises you can do to target your abs.

Standing Core Exercises

1. Standing Bicycle Crunches

The standing bicycle mimics the bicycle crunches you would normally do on the floor, but this time standing upright.

It promotes the development of a functional body, burns more calories than regular bicycle crunches and it provides less tension on your neck or lower back.

2. Squat with Bicycle Crunch

The squat with bicycle crunch is another great example of standing core exercises. It takes the bicycle exercise you’ve seen above and adds a squat in between each rep, adding a layer of the lower body to the movement.

This exercise burns even more calories than regular bicycle crunches or the standing bicycle crunches.

Related: How to Lose Belly Fat Without Counting Calories

3. Overhead Circle / Halo

The overhead circle, often known as halo, is a core exercise that needs a dumbbell, a kettlebell, or any other weight you can easily lift above your head.

The overhead circle will not only work on your core, especially the rotation function of your abs but also your shoulders, triceps and upper back.

4. Reverse Chop

This is arguably the best of our list of standing core exercises if you are looking to target your obliques.

Source: Damir Spanic on Unplash

You will also need gym equipment to perform this exercise. You can do it with a dumbbell, resistance bands, or utilising a cable machine.

The rotation of the exercise will focus on your obliques, but you will also feel your back, hips, and shoulders activated.

5. Standing Oblique Bends / Weighted Standing Side Bend

The 5^th on our list of standing core exercises targets only the obliques. To do the standing oblique bend you will need a dumbbell, however, it is possible to perform the exercise with resistance bands.

6. Med Ball Slam

You did not expect to see a med ball slam in this list, did you? Well, the med ball slam is the compound movement that targets the most muscles of all other exercises in our list.

By engaging your core throughout the exercise, the med ball slam becomes a great exercise for your abs. Add to that your shoulders, triceps, back, glutes, hamstrings, quads and the fact that you will sweat a lot during the exercise, it becomes one of the best bang for your buck.

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

If you are looking to get bigger arms in general, you should focus on training your triceps as these are the biggest muscles on your arms and would have a bigger impact on how big your arms look.

However small the biceps are, it is still regarded as an important and attractive muscle group (especially for men). If you are looking for the best exercises for bigger bicep peaks, Max Posternak share his list with the top 10.

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.

10 Best Exercises For Bigger Bicep Peaks

“Your bicep peak is mostly defined by the long head which is located on the outer portion of your arm as opposed to the short head which is closer to the centre of your body. So today I want to give you guys the best exercises to target that long head and develop bigger, rounder, and taller bicep peaks in no time.”

“Before we jump right in just keep in mind that your bicep isn’t only responsible for elbow flexion, but it also provides close to 50% of the strength required to turn your hand over. Specifically, the long head is very active when turning your pinky up towards the ceiling so remember to do that during your reps to help develop those peaks even more,” Posternak says.

Source: Total Shape / Unsplash

Here is his list of the 10 best exercises for bigger bicep peaks.

1. Bayesian Curl
2. Drag Curl
3. Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curl
4. Lying Cable Bicep Curl
5. Alternating Crossbody Dumbbell Curl
6. Narrow Grip Chin-Up
7. Concentration Curl
8. Close Grip Barbell Curl
9. EZ-Bar Preacher Curl
10. Alternating Dumbbell Curl

And that’s it. What do you think of the 10 best exercises for bigger bicep peaks?

If you want to see a more detailed explanation of each exercise or how to perform them correctly to grow your biceps, click on the video below.

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Taking into consideration numeral studies published in the past, you should know which one is best for muscle growth.

Fitness trainer and Kinesiology graduate Jeremy Ethier has weighed upon the debate of light v heavy weights for muscle growth.

As it is accustomed for people who follow his YouTube videos, Ethier has personal experience inside the gym, but he also interviews experts and relies heavily on studies to back his arguments. The latter is what he used extensively to talk about light vs heavy weights for muscle growth.

A common belief in the bodybuilding community assumes that muscle growth happens when you lift heavier weights for a small number of reps. If you do the opposite, lighter weights for moderate to high number of reps, you are most likely training your muscles for endurance, not growth. Correct?

According to science, no. The first study that came to that conclusion was published in 2012 where 18 men had similar quads growth when half of them did heavy weights and lower reps compared to the lighter weights and higher reps.

After some criticism regarding the athlete’s pool, another study was conducted and the same results came back: light vs heavy weights for muscle growth are similar.

“Light weights and heavy weights lead to similar muscle growth when volume is equated for and sets are taken close to failure,” Ethier quotes from the study’s findings.

Does this mean you should only train with lighter weights or heavy weights? No. The last part of that quote is extremely important to understand why.

Training to failure in a high rep range (with lighter weights) is more uncomfortable than doing with heavier weights and lower rep range due to the increased metabolic stress. The athletes who underwent the high rep low weight study eventually threw up during the workout.

Light vs Heavy Weights for Muscle Growth

What’s Best for Muscle Growth?

So, in the end, light vs heavy weights for muscle growth? Which one is best? Unfortunately, as one could assume, relying heavily on only one way of training will have shortcomings.

“Heavy loads are more beneficial to strength gains and mechanical tensions and are easier to take close to failure,” Ethier says. In this case, use heavier loads with fewer reps on compound movements.

Lighter weights, the ones that give you a pump, also provide a “potent hypertrophic stimulus” that is similar to heavy compound lifting. So use higher reps and lower weights in your accessory exercises after sets on compound movements are done.

The best way to force muscle growth is to apply progressive overload. However, progressive overload is not based only on adding more weight to your training.

Jeremy Ethier explained 5 methods to force muscle growth.

Dr Mike Diamonds is a retired medical doctor who is now an online fitness coach and a YouTuber. He has close to a million subscribers on his channel and he usually uses his own body transformation as an example of how to help people become their better selves. He is also the creator of the website Sculpt by Science.

Although some people will tell you that cardio shouldn’t be ranked high up in the “things to do to lose weight,” you should not outright regard as cardio being bad. Mike Diamonds certainly doesn’t and he knows the ups and downs of losing weight and gaining weight yearly.

But let’s make it clear that we are not ditching here some of the golden rules of losing body fat such as calorie deficit, strength training and HIIT.

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Walking is also disregarded by many as a form of cardio, even though it is. Just because you don’t break a sweat while walking, it doesn’t mean it isn’t giving you benefits – it certainly helps with losing weight.

Most people assume cardio is either running, cycling or swimming. Something that is high-intensity and that gets you breathing heavily at the end of a session. But walking, you can do it without any of those parameters and can even have a normal conversation with someone while doing it.

Source: Szabolcs Toth / Unsplash

But what are these 3 simple tips from Mike Diamonds to use walking to get under 10% body fat? See it below.

How To Use Walking To Get Under 10% Body Fat

Walking is considered a low-intensity steady-state, which means you can do it for long periods of time without much difficulty. On the other hand, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is an all-out cardiovascular exercise.

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The biggest ally in knowing that walking can help you lose fat is that, although walking doesn’t burn many calories, the calories it burns come primarily from fat cells.

You can add walking informally, or formally into your training routine. Diamonds says the informal way is just by walking outside, while the formal is by using a treadmill in the gym. Begin with 8,000 steps and gradually increase by 2,000 steps every week. To get under 10% body fat, you might want to go as high as 20,000 steps every day.

Source: SHVETS production on Pexels

Another great tip to increase your walking workout on the treadmill is to increase the elevation of it. Diamonds would do 3-4 sessions of a minimum of 20 minutes with the maximum incline (about 15 per cent). He would walk at a pace of 6 kilometres per hour and keep it consistent.

maintaining your VO2 max at 65% elicits the maximum amount of fat loss.

If you increase your step counts by 1,000 every week, you will notice you will lose body fat fast and without having to change anything else in your routine. You can still work out with heavy weights or play sports.

Check out everything Doctor Mike Diamonds had to say about how to get under 10% body fat by walking in the video below.

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Walking is a simple yet powerful physical activity that can provide numerous benefits to your overall health and well-being. Here are some of the benefits of walking:

1. Improves cardiovascular health: Walking regularly can help improve your heart health by lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
2. Helps with weight management: Walking is a low-impact exercise that can help burn calories and assist with weight loss or maintenance.
3. Boosts mood and mental health: Walking can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by releasing endorphins (feel-good hormones) and improving blood flow to the brain.
4. Improves bone and joint health: Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that can help strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, as well as improve joint mobility and flexibility.
5. Increases energy and stamina: Walking can help boost your energy levels and improve your overall fitness and stamina, making daily activities easier to manage.
6. Lowers the risk of chronic diseases: Regular walking can help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and arthritis.
7. Promotes better sleep: Walking can help regulate your sleep cycle, allowing you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
8. Improves digestion and gut health: Walking can aid in digestion by stimulating the muscles in your abdomen and reducing constipation.

Overall, walking is a simple yet effective way to improve your health and well-being. Even a small amount of daily walking can provide significant benefits, so consider incorporating this activity into your daily routine.

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The amount of walking recommended per day varies depending on your age, fitness level, and overall health. However, the general guideline for adults is to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, per week. This equates to approximately 30 minutes of walking per day, five days a week.

If you are unable to commit to 30 minutes of walking in one go, you can break it down into smaller chunks throughout the day. For example, you could aim for three 10-minute walks or two 15-minute walks. The key is to find a routine that works for you and fits into your daily schedule.

It’s important to note that these recommendations are just a general guideline, and it’s always best to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have any underlying health conditions. Your healthcare provider can give you personalized advice on how much and what type of physical activity is safe and appropriate for you.

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Source: Lucas Guimarães Bueno on Pexels

Weight loss plateaus occur when a person’s weight loss progress slows down or stalls despite their continued efforts to lose weight. There are several reasons why this can happen:

1. Metabolic adaptation: When you lose weight, your body adapts to the lower calorie intake and can start burning fewer calories at rest. This means that as you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to maintain your new weight, which can cause your weight loss progress to slow down.
2. Changes in physical activity: If you’ve been doing the same type and amount of exercise for a while, your body may become used to it and not burn as many calories as before. Additionally, you may experience fatigue or injury, which can cause you to decrease your physical activity level.
3. Calorie intake: As you lose weight, you need fewer calories to maintain your weight. If you don’t adjust your calorie intake accordingly, you may start to consume too many calories, which can slow down or stall your weight loss progress.
4. Hormonal changes: Hormonal changes, such as fluctuations in insulin levels, can affect weight loss progress. For example, insulin resistance can make it more difficult to lose weight, especially around the midsection.
5. Psychological factors: Stress, lack of sleep, and other psychological factors can affect weight loss progress. Stress can increase levels of cortisol, which can promote fat storage, while lack of sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.

To overcome weight loss plateaus, it’s important to reassess your diet, exercise routine, and lifestyle habits to identify areas where you can make adjustments. This can include increasing physical activity, adjusting calorie intake, and managing stress and sleep. Additionally, consulting with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian can provide personalized recommendations to help you reach your weight loss goals.

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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

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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

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Now, before we begin talking about Aseel Soueid, the person we are basin this story who did the diet, and what is Goggins’ diet, it is imperative that you know that this is an extreme form of nutrition and exercise regime. Consult a doctor before trying anything too radical.

Aseel Soueid is a fitness YouTuber, personal trainer, and social media influencer known for sharing content related to fitness, nutrition, and his own fitness journey. He gained popularity by documenting his body transformation and providing workout and nutrition advice on his YouTube channel.

It was Soueid’s story that caught our attention when he posted a video explaining he lost more than 100 pounds by doing David Goggins’ weight loss diet.

David Goggins is known for his intense physical training and mental toughness, and his diet is a crucial component of his overall approach to health and fitness. However, it’s important to note that Goggins’ diet is extreme and may not be suitable or healthy for everyone. He often emphasises the need to push through discomfort and challenge oneself to achieve extraordinary goals. Here are some key aspects of David Goggins’ diet, based on information he has shared:

1. Low-Calorie Diet: Goggins has mentioned following a low-calorie diet during periods of intense training and weight loss. He has spoken about consuming around 800 calories per day to achieve rapid weight loss. This extreme calorie restriction is not recommended for most people and should be approached with caution.
2. High-Intensity Exercise: Goggins combines his low-calorie diet with high-intensity exercise, including running, weight training, and other challenging workouts. He is known for pushing himself to the limit with long-distance runs and extreme physical challenges.
3. Emphasis on Mental Toughness: Goggins’ diet and training philosophy is closely tied to mental toughness. He believes in embracing discomfort and pushing past perceived limits to achieve personal growth and success.
4. Intermittent Fasting: Goggins has mentioned practising intermittent fasting, where he restricts the window of time during which he consumes food. This approach involves periods of fasting followed by eating within a specific time frame.
5. Hydration: Goggins emphasizes the importance of staying hydrated, especially during intense physical activities. He often mentions drinking water and electrolyte-rich beverages to support his demanding workouts.

It’s crucial to approach extreme diets like the one followed by David Goggins with caution. Rapid weight loss and extreme calorie restriction can have negative health consequences and may not be sustainable in the long term. Always consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet, especially if they involve extreme measures.

With that being said, let’s check out what happens when you try the David Goggins 100-pound weight loss diet by checking in with Soueid’s journey.

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What Happens When You Try the David Goggins 100-Pound Weight Loss Diet?

Aseel Soueid had a weight loss routine he developed by drastically dropping calories. In less than three months, he shed 106 pounds, inspired by David Goggins, who achieved a similar feat. He embarked on a challenging journey, following Goggins’ 800-calorie daily diet and intense exercise routine.

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In a video, Aseel shared insights into his approach, emphasizing the importance of suppressing appetite with drinks like sparkling water and black coffee. As a type 1 diabetic for over 22 years, he debunked the misconception that health conditions hindered fitness goals.

Aseel delved into his daily routine, starting with a pre-workout meal of a large banana. His gym session included weight training, a key aspect of Goggins’ strategy, followed by a swim. Despite feeling the impact on his appetite, Aseel remained determined to achieve his weight loss goals – after all, one of Goggins’ teachings is the mental toughness to fight through discomfort.

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For meal two, he enjoyed a green shake with spinach, almond milk, protein powder, and ice, emphasizing the importance of volume in low-calorie meals. After more gym activities, he relished a post-workout meal of chicken breast, rice, and mixed vegetables.

Aseel also shared practical tips, including using convenient options like microwaveable rice for quick, healthy meals. He concluded the day with cycling, opting for low-intensity steady-state cardio to avoid excessive appetite stimulation.

Exhausted but driven, Aseel returned for a final protein powder scoop. He revealed the total daily macros of David Goggins’ diet—812 calories, comprising 81g carbs, 14g fat, and 91g protein.

Despite the extreme nature of Goggins’ approach, Soueid tells viewers to prioritise sustainable weight loss methods, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the process. And it is quite clear that Goggins’ diet is not that enjoyable, let alone sustainable for the long run.

However, if you are still interested to know what happens when you try the David Goggins 100-pound weight loss diet that Aseel Soueid did, watch the video below and see the before and after.

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Regular training is a powerful ally in the journey to weight loss for various reasons. One key factor is the significant increase in caloric expenditure that accompanies physical activity. When you engage in exercise, your body expends energy to perform the movements and sustain the activity. This elevated energy consumption contributes to a caloric deficit, a fundamental principle in weight loss. By consistently burning more calories than you consume, the body starts to tap into stored fat reserves, leading to a gradual reduction in overall body weight.

Moreover, exercise plays a pivotal role in boosting metabolism. As you engage in physical activities, especially those that involve both cardiovascular endurance and strength training, your metabolic rate experiences a positive surge. A higher metabolism means your body continues to burn calories even during periods of rest. This increased metabolic efficiency is instrumental in sustaining weight loss efforts, as it creates a more favorable environment for utilizing stored fat as a source of energy.

Beyond the quantitative aspect of calorie burning, exercise has qualitative benefits that contribute to weight loss. Regular physical activity enhances muscle tone and promotes the development of lean muscle mass. Muscles are metabolically active tissues, meaning they burn more calories than fat even at rest. As you build and maintain muscle through exercise, you create a more efficient engine for calorie expenditure. This not only aids in weight loss but also supports long-term weight management by fostering a healthier body composition.

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Furthermore, exercise is a potent tool for improving overall well-being, both physically and mentally. Engaging in regular physical activity releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators, reducing stress and enhancing mood. This psychological boost can be instrumental in maintaining a positive mindset during the challenges of weight loss. Additionally, increased physical fitness leads to improved cardiovascular health, enhanced mobility, and a heightened sense of vitality—all of which contribute to a more active and fulfilling lifestyle conducive to sustained weight loss.

However, training hard is not the only aspect of a healthy body transformation…

Why You Cannot Outrun a Bad Nutrition Plan?

The phrase “you cannot outrun a bad diet” reflects the notion that no amount of exercise can compensate for a poor or unhealthy dietary pattern. In essence, it highlights the critical role that nutrition plays in overall health, weight management, and fitness outcomes. Here’s why this concept holds true:

1. Calories In vs. Calories Out: Weight management largely revolves around the principle of energy balance, where the calories consumed (calories in) should match the calories expended (calories out). If you consume more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight, regardless of how much you exercise. A bad diet that includes excessive calories, especially from unhealthy sources, can lead to weight gain even if you’re active.
2. Nutrient Quality: Nutrient-dense foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that support overall health and proper bodily functions. A poor diet lacking in these nutrients can lead to deficiencies, impaired immune function, and a host of health issues, regardless of your exercise routine.
3. Metabolism: The quality of your diet can influence your metabolism. Highly processed, sugary, and fatty foods can negatively affect metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and even hormone regulation. This can contribute to weight gain and other health problems over time.
4. Exercise Alone Can’t Compensate: While exercise is essential for cardiovascular health, muscle development, and overall well-being, it’s not as effective at creating a caloric deficit as dietary changes. For instance, it’s much easier to consume excess calories through unhealthy foods than it is to burn those calories off through exercise.
5. Long-Term Sustainability: Unsustainable diets, particularly crash diets or extreme calorie restriction, can lead to rebound weight gain once the diet ends. A balanced and healthy diet is more likely to be sustainable over the long term and can contribute to lasting weight management and health benefits.
6. Body Composition: Nutrition significantly impacts body composition—how much lean muscle mass versus fat you have. Consuming inadequate protein or nutrients needed for muscle growth can hinder your fitness progress and goals.

In summary, the phrase “you cannot outrun a bad diet” underscores the importance of prioritizing a balanced and nutritious diet alongside regular exercise. While exercise provides numerous health benefits, it’s the combination of a healthy diet and physical activity that leads to optimal results in terms of weight management, fitness, and overall well-being.

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The research was conducted by Ritsumeikan University and the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya. Here is how the research was conducted.

Overhead Tricep Extensions vs Cable Pushdowns – Which Builds More Muscle?

A total of 21 participants (14 men and 7 women around 23 years old) were used for the research. Before the tests began, their one-rep maxes were tested for each exercise and their arm mass was measured using an MRI.

Participants would perform overhead triceps extensions on one arm and triceps cable pushdown on the other arm. There would be a total of 5 sets of 10 reps of each exercise after a short warm-up. The participants did this twice a week, on non-consecutive days, for 12 weeks. Each week, the weight increased for each exercise.

Source: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

After 12 weeks, participants’ arm mass was measured again using an MRI. Everybody grew stronger with both exercises, but overhead triceps extensions built 40% more muscle growth and size compared to the triceps cable pushdown.

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According to the findings of the result, one possible explanation for the difference in muscle building is that the long head of the triceps (triceps brachii) is lengthened more during the overhead extension.

Another reason for the findings is the decrease of blood flow to the triceps during the overhead extensions might have increased the “metabolic stress within the muscle and promoted hypertrophy.”

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The arm contains several muscles, which are responsible for the movement of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. Here are some of the major muscles in the arm:

1. Biceps Brachii: This muscle is located in the front of the upper arm and is responsible for flexing the elbow and rotating the forearm.
2. Triceps Brachii: This muscle is located in the back of the upper arm and is responsible for extending the elbow.
3. Brachialis: This muscle is located deep to the biceps brachii and is responsible for flexing the elbow.
4. Brachioradialis: This muscle is located in the forearm and is responsible for flexing the forearm at the elbow.
5. Pronator Teres: This muscle is located in the forearm and is responsible for pronating the forearm (turning the palm downwards).
6. Supinator: This muscle is located in the forearm and is responsible for supinating the forearm (turning the palm upwards).

There are many other muscles in the arm, but these are some of the major ones that are responsible for arm movement.

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Source: Anya Juárez Tenorio on Pexels

There are many benefits to having strong and bigger arms, including:

1. Increased functional strength: Strong arms are essential for many daily activities, such as carrying groceries, lifting heavy objects, and performing household tasks. Having strong arms can make these activities easier and reduce the risk of injury.
2. Improved athletic performance: Many sports require strong arms, including weightlifting, boxing, and baseball. Having bigger and stronger arms can improve performance in these activities and give athletes a competitive edge.
3. Improved overall physique: Strong and well-defined arms can improve overall physical appearance and body symmetry.
4. Increased metabolic rate: Building muscle mass, including in the arms, can increase the body’s metabolic rate, helping to burn more calories and lose weight.
5. Improved bone density: Resistance training, such as lifting weights to build arm strength, can help improve bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
6. Increased confidence: Having strong and bigger arms can improve self-confidence and self-esteem, which can positively impact many areas of life, including personal relationships and career success.

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Overall, having strong and bigger arms can provide many physical, psychological, and health benefits, and can improve overall quality of life.

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Increasing the strength in your chest muscles will result in improving the strength of your back muscles as well. The chest includes some of the largest muscle groups in the upper body. That means that working your chest will burn a lot of calories, so you can lose weight and gain or maintain muscle mass at the same time.

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.

So, how to build a bigger chest at home in 30 days? Rusakov shared 7 exercises that should answer that.

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Workout

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

Although he does not specify, you should take enough rest between each set. A good rule of thumb is to rest at least 1 minute between each set. Up to 2 minutes could be beneficial too.

Also, your muscles need rest to grow. Do not do the following workout two days in a row. The best approach is to have around 48 hours before training the same muscle group again.

Push-up to sofa

• 4 sets
• 13 reps

Front raise

• 4 sets
• 15 reps

Single-arm push-up

• 4 sets
• 12 reps

Single-arm raises

• 5 sets
• 10 reps

Weight push-up

• 4 sets
• 15 reps

Push-up to table

• 3 sets
• 20 reps

Sitting inner press

• 4 sets
• 15 reps

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Jonathan Bennion is the co-founder, director of education and anatomist of the Institute of Human Anatomy. Besides being an education campus at Utah University, the YouTube channel has a massive following of more than 4 million subscribers.

Bennion studies human cadavers to exemplify ways to improve people’s life. In a video, he discussed the best exercises to live longer. Check it out.

Best Exercises to Live Longer

According to Bennion, the best exercises to live longer are the ones that work your heart to maximum or close to maximum capacity. That is because how efficiently and effectively you get into your muscles is a huge influence on the fitness of a person and, subsequently, longevity.

Now, increasing the strength of the heart and improving the amount of blood that it can pump can technically occur with almost any form of exercise. As an analogy to understand the best exercises to live longer, Bennion says that even though walking every day would strengthen your heart, you would only be challenging around 60% of your heart, but you can improve longevity by working 90 or even 100 per cent of your heart, just like if you want to build more muscle, you should work close to the capacity of that muscle and not simply lift light weights.

Source: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

The best exercises to live longer are the ones that increase the intensity and capacity of your heart. Bennion says the best exercises to live longer are high-intensity intervals or HIIT.

These types of exercises are incredibly demanding that last between 2-6 minutes at full force.

The best part is that is not a specific exercise that is one of the best exercises to live longer, but rather make that exercise a HIIT. It can be on a treadmill, cycling, rowing, running up a hill, or swimming. Just make sure you are going as fast or hard as you can for a short amount of time – in Bennion’s opinion, 2 minutes is the minimum he recommends.

Whatever exercise you choose, take the same amount of time to rest. For example, if you did hill sprints for 2 minutes, take 2 minutes of rest before you repeat the exercise again. You don’t necessarily need to be faster on each round you do, but you make sure you have nothing left on the tank at the end of that period. Do between 4-6 rounds of that HIIT exercise.

“The goal here is to get to max heart rate or close to touching max heart rate,” Bennion says. The max heart rate is, in simple mathematics, 220 minus your age.

Source: Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels

Ideally, you should do this type of training once a week, perhaps twice a week, but no need to do more than that if you are looking to improve your longevity.

Bennion goes on to explain how much the heart changes when you do HIIT exercises often for a long period of time.

And those are the best exercises to live longer according to Bennion. If you are interested in his full explanation and further arguments on other ways to improve your VO2 max such as steady-state cardio, click on the video below.

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Longevity hacks! Lately, it has become a thing to find out how to live longer and healthier. And like any human being likes it, why not find a way to achieve that without having to go through a long and arduous process.

However, sadly, that is not how life happens. Life hacks can be helpful to some degree, but when it comes to your health, cutting corners is not advisable. Ultimately, you should consult your trusted doctor before

In a recent insightful discussion on Athleanx.com, renowned fitness experts Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico uncovered 12 predictors of very poor health as individuals age.

Jeff Cavaliere is a fitness trainer, physical therapist, and the creator of the popular fitness YouTube channel called ATHLEAN-X. He is known for his expertise in strength training, conditioning, and sports medicine. Jeff Cavaliere served as the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball from 2006 to 2009.

Jesse Laico is his trusted client and now partner in business who, every once in a while, appears on the videos alongside Cavaliere.

Source: Barbara Olsen on Pexels

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Understanding and addressing these predictors early on can significantly impact the quality of life in later years. This article delves into each predictor, providing detailed insights and expert advice on how to improve them based on the valuable information shared by the experts.

1. VO2 Max – Burst Training for Cardiovascular Health (4-5 mins burst, 4-5 mins rest, 4-5 sets, once a week): Jeff and Jesse emphasize the importance of improving VO2 max, a measure of aerobic fitness. High-intensity cardiovascular conditioning, involving short bursts and adequate rest, once a week, is recommended to optimize overall cardiovascular health and decrease all-cause mortality.
2. Hydration (0.75 ounces per pound of total body weight a day): Proper hydration is crucial for cell function and overall well-being. Aim for approximately 0.75 ounces of water per pound of total body weight daily to maintain optimal hydration levels.
3. Weaknesses – Apley Scratch Test: Identifying and addressing weaknesses is crucial for maintaining functional mobility. The Apley Scratch Test is a useful assessment to gauge and work on restoring lost functionalities.
4. Corrective Exercises – Joint Protector, Decay Preventer: Incorporate corrective exercises such as joint protectors and decay preventers to prevent the decay in function, optimizing current performance, and ensuring long-term health.
5. Grip Strength – Arm Hang and Farmer Carry: Grip strength is a key indicator of overall health. Improve grip strength by incorporating exercises like the arm hang and farmer carry for a minimum of two minutes.
6. Weight Training and Limiting Machines: Weight training, especially with dumbbells and barbells, is essential for maintaining muscle mass and overall functionality. Limit reliance on machines to engage the grip strength and ensure a comprehensive workout.
7. Training Focus – Finding Your Intensity/Volume Balance for Sustainability and Longevity (10:40): Balance training intensity and volume for sustainability and longevity. High-intensity workouts provide compressive stress, while high volume may lead to junk volume. Find the right balance to optimize your fitness routine.
8. Adjusting Caloric Intake – Keep Nutrient-Dense Food, Cut Empty Calories: As muscle mass decreases with age, adjust caloric intake by focusing on nutrient-dense foods and cutting empty calories to avoid unwanted weight gain.
9. Saunas and Cold Water Immersion: Incorporate saunas and cold water immersion for 12 minutes combined per week. These modalities offer hormonal benefits and increase overall body resilience to stress.
10. Jumping and Running: Preserve the ability to jump and run for maintaining functional mobility and overall fitness as you age.
11. Mental Stress – Cognitive Weightlifting: Engage in cognitive weightlifting through activities like learning languages, reading books, engaging in conversations, solving puzzles, and using mental apps to maintain optimal brain function and mental acuity.
12. Regrets – Remove Old Regrets, Prevent New Ones from Forming: Addressing mental well-being is crucial. Work towards removing old regrets and adopting practices to prevent new ones from forming for a healthier and more fulfilling life.

Best Exercises to Live Longer and Healthier

Source: Tia-Clair Toomey Instagram

In conclusion, the comprehensive insights provided by fitness experts Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico serve as a roadmap for individuals seeking to defy the predictors of very poor health as they age. Each aspect, meticulously discussed in this article, offers a proactive approach to aging, emphasizing the significance of conscious choices in ensuring a healthier and more fulfilling life in later years.

Each of these predicators of very poor health, if addressed early on and worked on, you can be sure to have a healthy and somewhat injury-free life!

In essence, this comprehensive guide serves as an empowering resource for those looking to take charge of their health and well-being throughout the aging process. By incorporating these strategies into their daily lives, individuals can actively defy the predictors of very poor health and pave the way for a vibrant, healthier, and more fulfilling future.

Watch the video below for more information and the conversation between Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico that is the groundwork for the article presented.

Longevity refers to the length of a person’s life, often used to describe the duration of a person’s overall health and well-being. It goes beyond just the number of years lived and encompasses the quality of life, health, and vitality during those years.

Improving longevity involves adopting healthy lifestyle choices and practices that contribute to a longer and healthier life. Here are some key factors to enhance longevity:

1. Healthy Diet: Consuming a balanced and nutrient-rich diet is crucial. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Limit intake of processed foods, sugary beverages, and excessive amounts of red meat.
2. Regular Exercise: Engaging in regular physical activity is a cornerstone of longevity. Both aerobic exercises (such as walking, jogging, or swimming) and strength training contribute to overall fitness and health.
3. Adequate Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to support optimal functioning of the body and mind.
4. Stress Management: Chronic stress can negatively impact health and contribute to various diseases. Adopt stress-reducing practices such as mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, or engaging in hobbies.
5. Social Connections: Maintaining strong social ties and connections with friends and family is associated with improved mental health and longevity. Social interactions provide emotional support and a sense of belonging.
6. Avoiding Harmful Habits: Refrain from smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Smoking and excessive alcohol intake are linked to various health issues that can shorten lifespan.
7. Regular Health Check-ups: Routine medical check-ups and screenings help detect and address health issues early, increasing the chances of successful treatment and prevention.
8. Cognitive Stimulation: Keep the mind active through lifelong learning, reading, puzzles, and engaging in activities that challenge cognitive abilities. Cognitive stimulation is associated with better brain health.
9. Maintaining a Healthy Weight: Obesity is linked to a higher risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Maintaining a healthy weight through a combination of diet and exercise is essential for longevity.
10. Genetic Factors: While genetic factors play a role in longevity, lifestyle choices can significantly influence how genes are expressed. Making healthy choices can positively impact genetic predispositions.

It’s important to note that longevity is influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Adopting a holistic approach to health and consistently practicing healthy habits can contribute to a longer and more fulfilling life. Always consult with healthcare professionals for personalized advice based on individual health needs.

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Visceral fat, also known as intra-abdominal fat, is a type of fat that accumulates deep within the abdominal cavity and surrounds internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. Unlike subcutaneous fat, which is found just beneath the skin, visceral fat is located deeper within the body.

Visceral fat serves several functions, including providing cushioning and protection for organs. However, excessive amounts of visceral fat can have negative health effects. It is considered a significant health risk because it can contribute to various chronic conditions and diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases and more.

To assess the amount of visceral fat in the body, medical professionals may use imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Some smart scales claim to be able to measure your visceral fat, although that could be very wrong.

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Thomas DeLauer shared a video explaining the literal most effective exercise for reducing visceral belly fat. Thomas DeLauer is a celebrity trainer and health author. His YouTube Channel has 3 million subscribers and he has been on the cover of numerous international magazines.

The Literal Most Effective Exercise for Reducing Visceral Belly Fat

Resistance training is great for reducing belly fat, but according to DeLauer, research does not back that up when it comes to visceral fat.

A peer-review of 35 scientific studies on the effect of aerobic vs resistance training on visceral fat found that resistance training did not impact the level of visceral fat. Aerobic exercise had a moderate effect on it.

So cardio is the answer? Well, yes, but we need to dig deeper. If you just read up to this point, go outside and run for miles, you likely won’t do as much visceral fat reduction as you would hop to. Turns out, shorter higher-intensity bouts of cardio were even more effective at reducing visceral fat.

Source: Reebok

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And how do you incorporate this into your workout so that you can lose visceral fat? DeLauer explains that the higher-intensity interval training should be the intense work, not the entire workout.

What he means is that you shouldn’t do HIIT for 30 minutes on end. You wouldn’t be able to maintain a sprint at 80-90% of your maximum effort for that long. A better approach is to run 100 yards, for example, at your maximum speed which should take you less than 20 seconds to finish. Then you walk back and take as long as you need to recover from that sprint before you do it again and again and again.

DeLauer also is a big fan of having a zone 2 or zone 3 training during the week besides your HIIT to increase your metabolic rate and improve your fat-burning ability.

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Thomas DeLauer also explains the best approach to incorporate resistance training into your schedule if your goal is to reduce visceral belly fat.

For that and a deeper explanation of the arguments presented above, watch the following video.

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Maintaining a healthy body fat percentage can have several benefits for your overall health and well-being. Here are some potential benefits of having a low body fat percentage:

1. Reduced risk of chronic diseases: Research suggests that having a low body fat percentage may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
2. Improved cardiovascular health: Lower body fat can be associated with improved cardiovascular health, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
3. Improved physical performance: Having a lower body fat percentage can improve athletic performance by increasing strength, speed, and endurance.
4. Reduced strain on joints: Carrying excess body fat can put additional strain on joints, leading to joint pain and increased risk of injury. Maintaining a lower body fat percentage can reduce this strain and protect joint health.
5. Improved self-esteem and body image: For some individuals, maintaining a low body fat percentage can improve self-esteem and body image, leading to better mental health and well-being.

It’s important to note that there can be negative consequences to having a body fat percentage that is too low, such as hormonal imbalances, decreased immune function, and decreased bone density. It’s important to aim for a healthy body fat percentage rather than trying to achieve an extremely low percentage. Consult with a healthcare professional to determine what a healthy body fat percentage is for you.

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To burn fat, you need to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume. Here are some strategies that can help you burn fat:

1. Exercise regularly: Cardiovascular exercise, such as running, cycling, or swimming, can help you burn calories and increase your metabolism. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
2. Add strength training: Building muscle can help you burn more calories at rest, as muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than fat tissue. Incorporate strength training exercises, such as weight lifting or bodyweight exercises, into your routine.
3. Increase physical activity: Look for ways to increase your overall physical activity throughout the day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away from your destination, or taking a walk during your lunch break.
4. Eat a balanced, low-calorie diet: Focus on whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Avoid sugary, high-fat, and processed foods.
5. Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated can help you feel fuller and prevent overeating.
6. Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism, leading to weight gain. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Remember that sustainable fat loss takes time and effort. Focus on making healthy lifestyle changes that you can stick to long-term rather than quick-fix solutions.

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Losing weight can be difficult for many people. No matter how much you cut down on eating, it seems sometimes that you simply don’t lose any belly fat. And you don’t want to starve yourself off.

Losing belly fat is even harder as it tends to be one of the last places in the human body where the fat cells are used for energy. For this to happen, you need to be in a caloric deficit for a long period of time and consistently. Only after that, you will see results.

Source: Julia Larson / Pexels

But what can you eat if you are in a caloric deficit? Foods that are high in protein and low in calories are the way to go. Protein will also help you feel satiated for longer, which contributes to binge-eating prevention. And this is where Dr Mike Diamonds’ breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster come into play.

Dr Mike Diamonds is a retired medical doctor who is now an online fitness coach and a YouTuber. He has close to a million subscribers on his channel and he usually uses his own body transformation as an example of how to help people become their better selves. He is also the creator of the website Sculpt by Science.

Check out his 5 breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster.

5 Breakfast Meals to Lose Belly Fat Faster

Before jumping into the 5 breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster, Diamonds says there are two things you should have with you: a food scale and an app to track your dieting and macros.

The meals he explains how to make are:

Meal 1 – Blueberry French Toast

• Carbs – 46.2g
• Fat – 5.6g
• Protein – 26.7g
• Total calories – 355kcal

Meal 2 – High Protein Omelette

• Carbs – 3.1g
• Fat – 1g
• Protein – 31.4g
• Total calories – 155kcal

Source: Engin Aykurt on Pexels

Meal 3 – Egg Toast

• Carbs – 27.7g
• Fat – 6.2g
• Protein – 21.3
• Total calories – 248kcal

Meal 4 – Protein Cereal

• Carbs – 61g
• Fat – 7.2g
• Protein – 40g
• Total calories – 487kcal

Meal 5 – Protein Oats

• Carbs – 68.6g
• Fat – 15.6g
• Protein – 35.9g
• Total calories – 564kcal

Diamonds explains exactly how to make each of these 5 breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster. So it’s easier for you to just click on the video below to check which one you are interested in.

VIDEO – 5 Breakfast Meals to Lose Belly Fat Faster

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Besides these meals to lose belly fat faster, what else could you do to get in shape? Compound movements.

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:

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.

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!

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.

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.

If you combine these breakfast meals to lose belly fat faster and compound exercises, you will transform your body in no time.

Are you trying to lose weight? First of all, you need to know the basic knowledge that the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than what you are consuming – it’s called being in a caloric deficit.

Although doing more cardio will help you burn more calories and, eventually, lose weight, there are other ways you can lose fat faster. Max Posternak talked about how to speed up weight loss in one of his videos.

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 4.8 million subscribers.

Check out 10 ways how to speed up weight loss below.

How to Speed Up Weight Loss

1. Carb cycling

Carb cycling is helpful especially for beginners because is an easy way to lose fat without giving up carbs altogether. Simply divide your week into high-carb days, low-carb days, and no-carb days.

Even though your calories may be higher than maintenance levels on a high-carb day, they should balance out with low and no-carb days to create a substantial calorie deficit.

2. Less Calories 2 Days Per Week

This is known as a 5:2 dieting approach, another way of intermittent fasting. On your fasting days, you would eat less than 500 calories per day. You could choose to have those days one after the other, or on separate days of the week.

This will help you decrease the total calories you eat and lower your blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity to help burn fat even further.

3. Extended Fast

If you want to try to extend your period of fasting, ingesting no calories at all, Posternak suggests not going over 36-42 hours of fasting. You could reap the benefits of this by simply having one meal one day, be it breakfast or dinner.

4. Eat Salad or Green Veggies Before Each Meal

It might sound obvious, but it is a game-changer. Eating a salad or green veggies before each of your meals is one sure way to answer how to speed up weight loss.

You should eat them before a meal because vegetables make you feel full for a very small amount of calories.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

Studies done on rats show that apple cider vinegar can increase your metabolism, help you burn fat, decrease your appetite and lower your blood sugar. Another study done with humans showed that it could help with losing belly fat, but not that much more.

So it is not just about drinking apple cider vinegar, but you need to implement a good diet and exercise routine.

6. Green Tea

Green tea has potent antioxidants and can boost your metabolism.

7. Long Duration Cardio or HIIT After Workout

Posternak suggests to do after every workout:

• 30-minute of long duration steady state cardio (treadmill, stair climber, airdyne bike)
• 15-minute of HIIT (exercises back to back with no rest for a certain interval)

8. More Aggressive Diet Plan

If you cut calories, your body will try to adjust to survive, so every once in a while you might want to be more aggressive on your diet plan.

If you have a lot of fat to lose, you could cut your calories somewhere between 40% of the calories you eat at the moment. “The key thing to keep in mind in order to make such deficit work is that you should listen to your body when you get really hungry and when that happens you should decrease your deficit on those days.”

Read More: Worst Diet Mistakes for Losing Fat

9. Getting More Sleep

Not getting enough sleep means you will have less energy for exercise, less impulse control when it comes to making decisions on what to eat, and it messes with important fat loss hormones such as cortisol, ghrelin and leptin.

10. Being Consistent

This is one of the best tips for you to speed up weight loss, build muscle, or achieve pretty much anything you want in your life. If you constantly stop your journey, you will not achieve your goals.

Sadly, this is one of the hardest things for people to follow, because dieting for a week or a month can be achievable, but think about dieting for a full year.

Those are the arguments from Max Posternak on how to speed up weight loss. If you want to know more details about each of them, check out his video below.

VIDEO – How to Speed Up Weight Loss

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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.

How to Shed Fat and Completely Transform your Body

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

Losing weight is easier for some than others. However, losing your belly fat is difficult for most people, as this is one of the last areas where you start losing weight because that is just how biology works.

However, there are 3 steps you can make to understand how to lose all your stubborn belly fat and Max Posternak is here to enlighten you with some tips.

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.

Check out what he has to say about how to lose all your stubborn belly fat.

How to Lose All Your Stubborn Belly Fat

According to him, there are 3 ways to tackle your belly fat:

• Weight training
• Cardiovascular training
• Nutrition

Posternak explains that the only link to increasing your metabolism is an increase in your lean body mass and that is where weight training comes in to help you lose weight. If you build more muscle you can eat more food and still keep burning fat.

The best way to improve your metabolism and increase your lean muscle mass through weight training is simply striving to lift heavier and heavier weights as the weeks and months in the gym go by. Another way you can improve your strength and burn more fat is by training to failure – go heavy 3 days a week for faster results.

Source: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

When it comes to cardio, doing it for a long period of time, like jogging for hours, is not the most effective way to build muscle and, ultimately, to burn fat. According to Posternak, the best cardio you can do is interval training.

One simple idea Posternak gives is to sprint for 60 seconds and walk or lightly jog for 60 seconds and repeat for 10 rounds – a total of 20 minutes. This type of training will evoke the after-burn effect, which means your body will burn calories in the recovery process compared to long steady-state cardio such as walking.

Source: Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

Finally, to understand how to lose all your stubborn belly fat you need to be on top of your nutrition. To lose weight, undoubtedly, you must be in a caloric deficit. Posternak suggests making 25% reduction of calories from maintenance and staying on that range consistently daily.

Another idea from Posternak is to eat a full high-protein meal with lots of fat before eating whatever you are craving, such as ice cream. There is a good chance you won’t eat as much ice cream as you would if you deprived yourself of the meal before having that ice cream.

And that was Posternak’s detailing of how to lose all your stubborn belly fat in 3 steps. Click the link below to see his full explanation.

VIDEO – How to Lose All Your Stubborn Belly Fat

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7 Min Home Workout For Ripped Obliques and Abs

A strong core is perceived as being strong overall with a low fat body percentage. In fact, anybody usually wants to target their midline with exercises to make it stronger and, hopefully, get that coveted six-pack look.

I got two bad news for you then. If you think abs exercises will get you a six-pack, you are mistaken. The only thing that it will do is strengthen your core. If you want a six-pack look and do not have that yet, you should aim to lower your body fat percentage.

Source: Cottonbro Studio on Pexels

You already have the abs, but it is likely hidden underneath a layer of fat. The worst part about trying to lose belly fat is that you simply cannot target it specifically. There are no exercises that target solely the belly fat. You will have to do workouts with consistency to burn more fat overall, eat less calories and, with time, you will see your six-pack abs.

Beginner’s Guide to A Six-Pack – Eating and Training Tips

14 Tricks On How To Lose Belly Fat Effortlessly

However, if you are relatively skinny or just want to improve your core strength, then we beg you to stop doing sit-ups.

Stop Doing Sit-Ups

Source: RODNAE Productions on Pexels

Why should you stop doing sit-ups if it is the most basic and used abs exercise out there? Just because it is highly popular, doesn’t mean it is highly effective.

In the video below, sports teacher and YouTube fitness guru Alex Lorenz explains why you should stop doing sit-ups and lists 3 abs exercises better them. 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.

First and foremost, if you do sit-ups you are mainly training the rectus abdominis, only one part of your abs. Sit-ups can be limited in terms of intensity and can have a negative impact on your spine.

Stop Doing Sit-Ups – 3 Exercises That Are Better for a Six-Pack

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

Source: Olivia Bauso / Unsplash

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 pelvis 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.

To fully understand why you should stop doing sit-ups altogether and to learn exactly how to perform each of the exercises described earlier, click on the video below in which Alex Lorenz talks about everything in a detailed manner.

VIDEO – Stop Doing Sit-Ups

Now that you know you should stop doing sit-ups for a variety of reasons and still want to upgrade your knowledge and six-pack training, click on the links below to get closer to achieving your fitness goals!

22 Bodyweight Ab Exercises Ranked Worst to Best

The Only 3 Abs Exercises You Need For A Ripped Six-Pack

Best Barbell Abs Exercises for a Six Pack

10 HIIT Exercises to Lose Belly Fat Faster

12 Weird Core Exercises for an Amazing Six-Pack

The PERFECT Six Pack Abs Workout (Sets and Reps Included)

6 Rules to Get a 6 Pack