While many guys have well-built chest and arm muscles, a sculpted back can take a physique from good to excellent. Unfortunately, many trainees tend to neglect their back, limiting their lifting potential and destroying the symmetry of their build. In the simplest terms, it can be said that a great back is built with rows and deadlifts. If you haven’t checked out my article on deadlifting (perhaps the single most important exercise for your entire body), you can do so here. In this article, however, I hope to be more specific and highlight the top 5 most effective back exercises. With these exercises in your arsenal, you can then take fill out your physique in no time at all!
As I mentioned in my previous article, variation in your workouts is key to long-term muscle development. Not only does variation “shock” the muscle and force them to adapt to a new stimulus, but it also can be a tool to shift the emphasis of the workout on a different aspect of training. In my last article, I described the four different styles of training that should be in every serious lifters repertoire: Volume/Pump Training, Tension/Intensity Training, Power/Max Effort Training, and Dynamic Effort Training. If you didn’t catch my last article, you really should read it here before reading this one. With all of this previous information in mind, I will discuss 3 different ways in which we can alternate these different styles in periods (hence “periodization”) in order to greatly enhance the results in the gym and optimally target all aspects of muscular strength and development.
In resistance training, few concepts are more important than variation. While novice trainers can make decent gains using the same routine day in and day out, eventually everyone hits a plateau. Changing various factors in a workout can mean the difference between big, consistent gains and a long-lasting plateau. You can continue following the same workout you always have, limiting your potential gains, or you can inform yourself about the many ways to add variation discussed within this brief article. In this article I will discuss various types of contractions and training styles so that you can create a plethora of unique workouts and bust through any plateau.
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Are you wasting your time in the gym? If you are not using proper pre and post workout nutrition, you are likely sacrificing much of your potential gains resulting from hard lifting. So assuming that you do not want to waste time in the gym, you should make proper workout nutrition a priority. Basically, if you want to add pounds of lean muscle to your frame in record time, you better listen up!
Do you want to lose fat fast and show off your inner six-pack (of course you do!)? Have you ever tried a traditional low-fat diet with limited success? Well, my friend, let me introduce you to the so called Anabolic Diet. This diet has been a well-kept secret of the fitness and bodybuilding industries and has had very little following outside of these circles. While you may never have heard of the anabolic diet, it is actually the favorite diet of many professional bodybuilders looking to cut down to insanely-low levels of body fat. Granted, you probably don’t want to look like a professional bodybuilder, but they are the foremost experts on losing body fat fast, so LISTEN UP!
Almost universally, the first exercise that everyone does when they walk into the gym is the barbell bench press. While the bench press may be the poster boy of weight training, the deadlift helps to strengthen the entire body and causes a significant increase in functional strength. Yes the bench press may look good, but how often do you think our ancient ancestors had to press a weight off their chest while lying down? Now think of how frequently you need to lift something up from the ground. This foundational movement that engages our legs, back, and even our arms and abdominals remains present in our lives today is the basis for the barbell deadlift. Therefore, if you at all want to build a strong back, sculpt powerful legs, or develop a six-pack, listen up!
Because you are reading this article, I can tell that you are very likely interested in the concept of using anabolic steroids. While I can’t tell you what to do, here is my advice: don’t. Potential side effects such as gynecomastia and testicular atrophy outweigh the benefits, except for professional athletes, of course. But are there safer alternatives to anabolic steroids? One promising supplement for building muscle is creatine, a nitrogenousorganic acid that occurs naturally in skeletal muscle. In this article, I will explore the history and science of creatine supplementation, the possible mass and strength gains, as well as any potential side effects.
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According to USA.gov, the most popular New Year’s resolution of all is to lose weight. Despite the wide popularity of this goal, I would be willing to bet that by February few people have actually stuck to their resolution and have succeeded in losing weight and keeping it off. But in spite of these seemingly overwhelming odds against your success, here are some tips to help you stick to your resolutions and actually lose weight (and keep it off) if that is your goal.
Keeping a New Year’s resolution is a powerful way to take control of your life. In order to keep any resolution, there are a few basic tips you can follow. These little pieces of advice can really help you stay committed to weight loss or any other goal.
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Dietary fat is not the enemy. Despite this, dietary fat has been under attack from various organizations such as the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and the ADA (American Diabetes Association). These influential organizations instead promote a diet low in fat and high in carbohydrates. So while these low-fat diets are fairly healthy, they do not produce optimum weight loss and help strengthen the false belief that ingested dietary fat directly becomes body fat. In this article, I hope to dispel this myth while showing the benefits and necessity of having some dietary fat.
Perhaps one of the more impressive examples of female fitness is the story of Jessica Biel. While she was never truely out of shape, she needed to really tone her body while gaining muscle for her role in Blade Trinity. By the end of her training, she looked simply amazing. Tone arms, slim thighs, you name it. Recently, she has consistantly been ranked one of the most beautiful women by many magazines, and its no wonder why with a body like hers. While her results are certainly not easy to achieve, her workout and diet plans have been released so you too can work out just like Jessica Biel to hopefully get an equally sexy body.
