A Killer Routine for Ripped, Six-Pack Abs

Obtaining ripped, six-pack abs requires that you reduce your abdominal fat as much as possible while developing the underlying abdominal muscles.  No matter how hard you work on your abdominal muscles, your efforts will be in vain if you're not reducing your body fat by a reduced-caloric diet, intense cardio, and full-body weight training. Assuming that you have that part under control, the next key element in obtaining your ripped, six-pack ab look is the specific training of the abdominal muscles. 

The abdominal muscle group is no different from other muscles and can be trained 2-3 times per week with at least one rest day between workouts.  Each workout should include 2-4 abdominal exercises for 2-4 sets per exercise within a repetition range of 8-20. The abdominal muscles recover quickly between sets and, therefore, rest between sets should be less than one minute. For the best muscular development, abdominal exercises such as Hanging Knee Raises, Bicycle Maneuver, Reverse Crunches, and Crunches on the Ball should be the mainstay of your ab training routines. 

If you've been training your abs for a while, then try the following killer routine to get the ripped, muscular six-pack ab look.  Perform as a circuit for four circuits with minimal rest between exercises and 30 seconds rest between circuits 

Bicycle Maneuver -  for 20 reps

Hanging Knee Raises -  for 15 reps

Crunches on Exercise Ball -  for 12 reps

Reverse Crunches -  for 8 reps 

It's important that each exercise be performed with strict form and proper technique.  Each repetition should be performed in a controlled manner by taking 2-3 seconds to contract the abs and 3-4 seconds to extend the abs.  

This routine will thoroughly fatigue the abdominal muscles to stimulate growth while also helping to burn body fat.  Add this killer routine to your arsenal of abdominal training techniques. 

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A Killer Exercise to Build Bigger Calves

When training the calves, there are five common exercises: Standing Calf Raise, Seated Calf Raise, Donkey Calf Raise and Toe Press on a Leg Press. Of the five exercises listed, only one exercise, the Seated Calf Raise, effectively trains the Soleus muscle in your calves. Since a muscle responds better to lots of variation, the Soleus gets "short changed" with only one exercise. However, there is killer exercise that can be added to your Soleus training routine for more variety. This killer exercise is called the Squatting Calf Raise or Calf Rock Ups. Calf Rock Ups are very intense and can be included as an alternative to Seated Calf Raises.

To perform the Calf Rock Ups, drop into a deep or full squat, where your lower hamstrings are touching the top of your calf muscles.

Grab onto a rack in front or beside you for balance during this exercise. In the deep squat position, raise your heels as high as you can and squeeze/contract your calf muscles hard for 1-2 seconds before descending.

Descend slowly and accentuate the "negative" part of this exercise.

Since the Soleus responds best to higher reps, you can perform the Calf Rock Ups using 2-3 straight sets of 20-30 reps using your bodyweight for resistance at first. If you're new to calf training, you may need to use lower reps and more sets to build your strength in this exercise. As you get stronger and can perform the exercise in the 20+ repetition range, then you can squat under the Smith Machine bar and performing your Calf Rock Ups with resistance on the bar. This setup will also help you keep your balance.

As you become more advanced in this exercise, you can place your toes on a raised block to get more stretch at the lower position of each repetition. Use caution with this approach and make sure that your ankle flexibility and Achilles tendon are up to the task.

This exercise is also an excellent substitute for the Seated Calf Raise if you're in a gym that does not have a Seated Calf Machine. For complete calf development, you must train the Soleus intensely. This exercise will provide the added intensity and extra variety in your Soleus training to add more calf size.

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Best Supplements For Muscle Gain [Part 2]

In a recent article I explained how certain supplements are safe and useful, but not entirely necessary. You also discovered that you need to get your nutrition (and workouts) in order first before you even think about supplements.

Let's assume that you have a good nutrition plan in place and that you're lifting weights several times per week. What supplements should you be taking to build muscle? Read on for some popular choices.

TIP: Don't blindly take the following supplements just because they're on my list. You need to first assess your own nutrition, workout program and goals. If, for example, you're confident your diet is varied enough to give you all the vitamins and minerals you need, then don't worry about taking a vitamin.

Taking any supplement is an individual choice. Don't take it if you don't need it.

Here are my top five supplements for beginners:

Multi-vitamin

If you've cut your calories in order to lose weight, then ther's a good chance that you're not eating a wide variety of foods. And that means you may not be getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. This is particularly true if you cook most of your vegetables, by doing this you destroy a good portion of the vitamins and nutrients.

If you think your diet is lacking, the best thing to do is to correct it by getting more variety. Getting your nutrients from whole foods is better than getting it via a pill. But if you can't correct it - if for whatever reasonyour calories are temporarily lowered - then take a good multi vitamin.

Egg-White Protein

Earlier we talked about how people who lift weights need more protein than the average person. Some bodybuilders eat up to a gram per pound of bodyweight. Now if you've started counting your protein grams, you might soon realize that you'd be eating an awful lot of chicken breast and egg whites.

The solution? Supplement with egg-white protein. Plus, since egg-white protein can be absorbed and utilized by your body very quickly, egg white protein is the best source of protein to intake directly after a workout.

Creatine

Some people think creatine monohydrate is a steroid. It's not. Creatine is found in your regular diet, especially in red meat.

So why take it? Because it helps you recover and it helps with things like endurance. In other words, it can give you the energy you need to give it your all in the gym, which in turn helps you shed fat and build muscle more quickly and easily.

A word of warning, however: If you take creatine, you'll need to drink more water.

L-Glutamine

This amino acid is already in your body, and it's responsible for things like strength and stamina. Problem is, when you work out hard (such as when you lift weights), your l-glutamine stores are depleted. That's why you may consider supplementing with glutamine to see if you don't have more endurance in the gym.

Fish Oil

Earlier you learned about the importance of getting enough essential fatty acids. One of the best sources of these good fats is fish oil. If you're not eating fish regularly - and if your diet is lacking in essentially fatty acids - then you may want to take a fish oil supplement.

That's it for this time.

To your fitness success,

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Best Supplements For Muscle Gain - Part 1

In recent articles, we've covered quite a bit about nutrition. At this point, you might be wondering about supplements more specifically. You might even have questions like:

• Do you need supplements?
• Do supplements work?
• Are supplements safe?
• What are the best supplements for muscle gain?
• Do You Need Supplements For Muscle Gain or Weight Loss?

Here's the short answer: No.

You can lose weight and gain muscle without them. However, that doesn't mean that supplements aren't helpful. And that doesn't mean you shouldn't take them. It just means that they aren't 100% necessary.

Now let me be clear about something. When I'm referring to supplements, I'm referring to 100% legal dietary supplements and similar items. For example, whey protein is a common bodybuilding supplement, and one that you'll likely find useful as well.

I am NOT, however, referring to illegal supplements like steroids or banned diet pills. Those sorts of supplements come with a lot of nasty side effects. For example, those who don't know what they're doing with steroids may have to deal with nasty side effects like rage ('roid rage), the development of "man boobs," acne, liver problems, baldness, sterility... and the list goes on.

Point is, we're not going to deal with those types of supplements. And you don't want them anyway, since you're not going for the look where your arms are bigger than most people's thighs. You want to attract women, not have them running away, screaming in horror!

Instead, we'll focus on dietary supplements. But here's the thing...

Before you even start thinking about supplements to gain muscle or lose weight, you need to get your nutrition in order. If you're not eating a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and essential fatty acids, then there's no need for you to supplement. You might even be throwing your money away if you're supplementing but not eating right.

So clean up your diet and seek out healthy food first... then later you can think about supplements.

• Are Supplements Magic Bullets?

No. Supplements of any kind don't work unless you do!

Sure, the ads on TV tell a different story. For example, just start paying attention to all those weight loss pills. Here you have people with toned, beautiful bodies who are supposedly taking the diet pills. And the suggestion is that all they had to do was pop a pill and the fat magically melted off.

Of course it doesn't work that way. And if you pay attention to the fine print (or whatever the announcer says really fast at the end of the commercial), you'll see that the pill only works as part of a nutrition and exercise program.

Check it out: If you put in place a good nutrition and exercise program, then you probably don't need the pill!

• Are Supplements Safe?

If they're dietary supplements (such as whey protein), then yes... they're very safe. Basically, they're just like food.

For all other supplements, you need to check the label and do your research. And if you're taking any herbs, keep in mind that people who have allergies to things like ragweed may have allergic reactions to herbs.

That's it for this time. Remember not to rely on the supplement and more on your own physical effort. Next time you'll find out which supplements I do recommend. See you soon!

                                                        Best Supplements For Muscle Gain - Part 2

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Quick And Effective Kettlebell Workouts For Women

Good news for busy women who want to stay fit despite their hectic lifestyle: now you can achieve your health goals by exercising for just a few minutes a day using kettlebells. These ball-shaped weights have rapidly risen to become a fad in the world of fitness, especially among women.

Below are the different kettlebell workouts for women that you can try out. By doing these trainings, you obtain maximum results with just a very minimal risk of injury, unlike the use of other workout tools. Addressing both strength and cardio training, these workout routines with kettlebells can be done in just 20 minutes to achieve fat loss or muscle tone improvement.

Warm-up

For each of these exercises, position your feet about one foot apart.

1. For the back and abs - Hold the kettlebell with both hands and raise it overhead, maintaining an abs-tight, shoulders-down, and chest-forward position. Then, rotate your hips clockwise 8 times. These rotations should slightly propel the kettlebell overhead to make small circles, too. Repeat this for another 8 counts, then switch to a counter-clockwise rotation.

2. For shoulders and arms - Secondly, stand with knees slightly bent. Hold your kettlebell with your right hand and swing your right arm forward. Then, quickly reach out with your left arm to receive the kettlebell and swing your left arm to your back. Quickly reach back with your right hand to receive the kettlebell and swing the weight forward. Repeat this process for about 20 seconds.

Main Exercise

1. For hip, thigh, and butt - Position your feet about half a meter apart. Shift to a squat position and hold kettlebell with both hands. Swing kettlebell back toward the space between the legs, then swing back up in front of you while you stand from squat position. Repeat about 45 times, then do a single-arm swing for one minute each arm.

2. For butt, arms, and legs - Hold kettlebell with right hand. Step right foot forward and bend the knee at a right angle, to create a lunge position with your right leg. While in that position, pass kettlebell under your right thigh from your right hand to be received by the left hand. Shift back to standing position. Then, lunge forward with left leg this time (again creating a right angle with the knee) and pass kettlebell under the left thigh from the left hand to the right, then back to standing position. Repeat this 18 times per leg.

Cool-down

For your cool-down routine, you can opt to repeat the warm-up routine and do it slowly but without the kettlebell involved. Here are some other options if you prefer something else. If you prefer the normal cool-down routine, you can go for the classic shoulder stretch, hip stretch, and hamstring stretch.

According to kettlebell users, this routine burns pounds off the body within just weeks of doing the workouts religiously. Fat loss and muscle toning can even be ushered in faster by doing 20 minutes of cardio exercises (such as running, jogging, dancing, swimming) every other day. The kettlebell provides a great and productive exercise experience for those women who do not have time to go to the gym and lift weights. Fat-burning and body-toning can now be done within just the confines of the house or office.

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Best Foods To Eat After Working Out

Many people make the mistake of not eating after a hard workout and they end up not getting the results they were looking for. The reason for this is that their body didn't get replenished properly after their workout and their body needs to get back everything it lost.

Eating after working out is the most important meal to people that are looking to add muscle and mass. Now there are a lot of supplements and protein shakes out their but I am going to be sticking to regular foods that almost everybody has in their house.

You don't have to go out and buy supplements if you don't want to because regular food works almost as good plus it is more convenient for most. I am going to go through the top 5 foods you can eat after a workout to replenish your body and get the best results from your workout.

As you know your body loses an incredible amount of water throughout the workout so make sure you are drinking water and staying hydrated.

These next 5 foods are all high in carbs and protein which replenishes your body and makes it so your body can add muscle and mass.

Baked Chicken and Vegetables:

The chicken needs to be baked and skinless and also try to make sure it is a chicken breast because they contain the most amount of fat. A 4 ounce piece of chicken will have almost 35 grams of straight protein and as well as other stuff such as calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium. It also loaded with potassium and instead of saturated fat most of the meat is monosaturated fat. The vegetables add the carbs and fiber to make it a complete meal. This meal of chicken and vegetables is arguably the best meal anyone can eat after a workout. It provides all of the things your body needs after a workout to achieve its full potential.

Egg Omelet:

You probably see in the movies how boxers and fighters all eat raw eggs after working out and it makes them ripped. But we have come to learn that this is actually really unhealthy for you and you should try to cook the eggs whenever possible. One of the best ways to eat eggs is in an omelet. The reason for this is that you can put a bunch of other healthy stuff in the omelet such as green peppers, onions, any kind of vegetables or chicken. Eggs are also one of the best source of protein out of any foods in the world. Another positive is the how fast you can whip up an egg omelet and eat it. It would probably take 10 minutes max to cook it all up and is perfect if you are in a hurry.

Salmon and Spinach:

Salmon is very rich in protein and omega-3 while the spinach adds all of the vitamins and minerals you need. This is a great tasting option for a meal after a workout and it gives your body everything it needs after a workout.

Tuna and Rice:

Tuna is an old school way to give your body all of the nutrients you need but it is still one of the best. It provides 42 grams of protein in a single can and it is all under 200 calories. This is almost unheard of in any foods and that is why tuna is such a good option for a food to eat after a workout. The rice adds fiber and carbs to make it a very complete meal. If you can try to make sure the rice is brown instead of white because it is much healthier.

Peanut Butter Toast:

This is a simple way to get everything your body needs. It has the peanut butter for protein and the bread adds the carbs. Make sure the bread is whole wheat and the peanut butter is all natural. Try to add some fruit and a glass of milk to complete the meal. This is a quick and easy way to give back the nutrients your body lost.

All 5 of those foods will do a great job of replenishing your body of all of the nutrients your body lost throughout your workout. You can eat almost any food that is high in protein and carbs but try to make sure it is low in saturated fat and sugars. Also try to add a vegetable to your meal to make sure you get all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. I hope this helped you figure out what you can eat but remember there is plenty more, these are just some of the top options.

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Top Muscle Building Workouts For Men

Which Exercises Should You Include?

The best workouts for building muscle mass are the basic compound exercises. Some of these include but or not limited to squats, deadlifts, bench and shoulder presses, pullups, rows. These exercises should be included in your schedule. The following workouts will guarantee to build some serious muscle mass.

Top Muscle Building Workouts For Men

DEADLIFTS

Example: barbell deadlifts, and straight-leg lifts.

SQUATS

Example: barbell back and front squats, and dumbbell variations.

SINGLE LEGS

Example: lunges, and single-leg squats.

HORIZONTAL PUSH

Example: pushup, bench press with barbell or dumbbells, and dips.

HORIZONTAL PULL

Example: dumbbell row, seated (cable) row, inverted rows, and face pulls.

VERTICAL PUSH

Example: shoulder press.

VERTICAL PULL

Example: pullups, chinup and lat pull downs.

What Exercises Should You Do first?

Generally, the first exercise in your workout should be the one that requires the most work. For increasing muscle mass, and strength I recommend switching your routine every once in a while. For example, if on chest day you always start off with bench press try starting off with dumbbell flys, and then do bench press. Switching the order of your exercise you help make your gym experience less boring, causing you to have more effort, which leads to serious results.

How Many Sets/Reps Should I Do?

Generally, most people see great results with mix of heavy weight for strength, medium weight for muscle size, and light weights for muscular endurance.

Your set count should be related to your number of reps per set. For example, if you're doing high reps 1 to 2 sets might be enough. For 10 to 12 reps, do 2 or 3 sets. For 8 reps, 4 sets are great.

How To Measure Progress For Strength?

This should be fairly obvious, but just in case it's not, you measure progress for strength by the amount of weight your using on a day to day or weekly basis. So you want to increase the weight for your exercises every week. Many times when you use heavier weights, you have to reduce your number of repetitions.

How To Measure Progress For Size?

Muscles grow in size because you make them do more work. You can make them increase in size by adding a rep or two to each set or by adding a set to each exercise. You can also do drop sets and super sets to force your muscles for work harder. I regularly finish my final set with a drop set. Remember, the actual growth of your muscles occurs when you are sleeping/resting. Muscle growth and the pump you get when you are working out are definitely related but ultimately different.

That'll do it for this one. Before I go, I want to share a quote that I recently read by Ernest Hemingway that can be applied to bodybuilding or anybody trying to reach a higher level of consciousness, it went something like this... "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." This is absolutely true and should be practiced and acknowledged by all of us. I hope you enjoyed this article, stay tuned for more training tips, recipes and videos!

Cheers!

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Bicep Muscle Training - Tips To Help Build Bicep Muscles

For anyone who wants to build bigger biceps, there is a need to look into bicep muscle training. This is important because you will need to do proper exercise routines so that you be able to build strong biceps and also develop other muscles indirectly.

It is important for any bodybuilder to maximize the exercises that he does so that he can develop various important muscles during his whole routine. Because bicep exercises are excellent in developing not only your biceps but also other muscles in your body, you will need to develop a correct routine for it. Bearing that in mind, listed below are several bicep exercises that you can use.

The Pull-Ups

These are excellent exercises that you can use for both your biceps and your back. A pull-up is called a 'compound' exercise. It includes different muscles in the body. As you gain strength during the workout, you can add up more weight to your pull-ups.

The Barbell Rows

Barbell rows require strong bicep muscles. It is similar to the dumbbell. However, it is heavier and yet, easier to maintain.

The Lat Pull-Downs

A lat pull-down is like the pull-up but this exercise requires stronger and bigger biceps. You will need this exercise to build bigger bicep muscles and it can be done after you have already started the use of the simpler start-up bicep exercises..

The Dumbbell Curls

This is the 'classic' exercise used to make bicep muscles. It involves experimenting with various weight ranges and tempos in order to make big muscles.

The Concentration Curls

This exercise needs a lot of effort to carry out this exercise. It requires you to use only your biceps. This is recommended as the last part of your regular routine because its goal is to really maximize the biceps, thus, tiring it very much.

The Hammer Curls

Hammer curls are very much like the dumbbell curls because it is a method wherein you use dumbbells. However, you will need to lift the dumbbells facing up and then down, instead of sideways. The goal of the hammer curls is to strengthen the 'upper insertion point' of the bicep.

Conclusions

Bicep muscle training is important for anyone who wishes to have a well-proportioned body as he goes along his workout scheme. Having big biceps will give the illusion of a bigger body even when the other parts have not been worked out well yet. Through these various exercises, you will be able to successfully draw out a specific workout plan to maximize the different points given by each of these exercises.

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Best Chest Workouts - Top 5 Proven Workouts

Best chest workouts mainly involve your upper body. Mostly people spend hours in gym for shaping their muscles. They undertake various exercises for molding their body parts. Most of them fail to flaunt a well-toned physique and eventually they give up. In order to transform your fats into muscles, you should take care of your lifestyle. A lifestyle change is extremely important for gaining muscle mass. You should completely avoid smoking and alcohol consumption for shaping your chest. One should sleep at least 8 hours daily for regularizing the metabolism of his or her body.

It is always advisable to consult a doctor before taking up bodybuilding. Best chest workouts include lots of cardio, free hand and weight training exercises. It is always advisable to begin your workout session with cardio exercises such as running and bicycling. Then you can easily switch over to body weight exercises such as push-ups and dips. After getting warmed up, you can go through the main action.

Nutrition plays an important role in burning fats. In order to attain a well toned chest, one should eat lots of green colored vegetables and fruits. You should also eat more than 4 eggs daily before starting your workout. Protein supplements should be consumed between your meals. Small meals are always considered beneficial for engendering metabolism in the body. You should take at least 8-10 meals daily.

Top 5 Chest Workouts

1. Bench Press is touted to be the most effective exercise for building chest muscles. This exercise mostly emphasize on your outer pecs. You should perform at least 10 reps daily. There are two types of bench press. They are incline and decline bench press. Both workouts are extremely beneficial for molding your chest.

2. In order to get a natural shape, you should do regular push ups. One should do at least 20-30 push ups per set for obtaining a well-toned body.

3. Parallel bar dips: This workout is extremely beneficial for lower chest.

4. Dumbbell flyes: You can perform this workout for developing your outer chest.

5. Cable crossovers: In order to develop your inner pectoral, you should perform this workout.

Nitric Oxide is the most important ingredient for muscle development. This gas enhances your endurance and treats your wounds easily. Nitric oxide not only pumps up your muscles but also prevents various deadly disease such as heart attacks and diabetes. It helps in controlling the blood circulation. It also maintains your nervous system too.

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Leg Exercises You Can Do at Home

I've said this before and I'll say it again, your legs are some of the most important body parts to train. Not only do you contain a significant amount of your mass in your legs but you also store quite a bit of hormones that are extremely beneficial to building muscle. Too many people neglect to train their legs and this is in my opinion because it is not "cool" to train legs at the moment. With that being said, if you're too lazy or too embarrassed to train your legs in public then train them with these 5 highly effective leg exercises you can do at home.

Leg Exercises You Can Do At Home

• LUNGES

Lunges are quite easy to do at home and work several muscle groups at one time. In order to do a lunge, step one foot forward and keep the front foot flat on the floor, as you lower your hips until the front knee is over the ankle. Keep the back knee form touching the ground and push up slowly with the front foot to the beginning position. Then, continue with another step with the opposite foot and keep repeating this process.

• HEEL RAISES

To strengthen your calves, simply stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lift your heels up so you're on your tiptoes for a few seconds. Lower your heels and then repeat slowly and methodically. I recommend doing heel raise on a step, extending your heels below the edge of the step with each repetition. Calf muscles respond well to strength training so keep doing heel raises and you will be sure to see some results.

• SQUATS

Squats are an awesome way to firm and shape your gluteal muscles and upper thighs. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and arms by your sides or crossed. Keep an upright posture and slowly lower buttocks as though about to sit down in a chair then slowly stand up.

• JUMPING SQUATS

Jump squats take regular squats to a new level. A level where you're definitely going to feel your quads being used. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at sides. Start by doing a regular squat and then jump up as explosively as you can, and rise up reaching for the ceiling. When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep.

• JOGGING/RUNNING/SPRINTING

In addition to the aforementioned exercises, running is a great leg workout and an awesome form of cardio. I know many people that don't do any other form of leg exercises, besides go running, and they have some really strong legs, and highly developed legs.

That's going to do it for this one. Remember, you don't have to go to the gym in order to get a good leg workout in, you can simply do it at the convenience of your own home. In addition to running, which requires only a good pair of running shoes, you can do some great exercises to build strong legs at home. As always be sure to maintain proper form and control through your exercises.

To your fitness success!

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Back Training Tips That Get Results

So, you've been working your back ever week, perhaps even a couples time a week. You may even have been able to amp up the weight that you're using. So why hasn't your back shown any growth?

Supercharge your back training and follow these tips!

Having a developed back truly makes you look like a body builder. It gives you that sexy V-taper look that everyone at the gym wishes they had. A good physique is not complete without some wide lats and a thick, solid back.

I myself along with many people that I see at the gym have a really hard time developing their backs. I remember spending hours in the gym hitting every back exercise under the sun with little results. Getting a muscular back can be hard for some, and hard to monitor results since you can't see it. Luckily I discovered these 5 essential back training habits that most body builders utilize when they engage in back training.

Before I expose these habits, lets get some basic knowledge as to what the back muscles are and what their function is.

Two main parts of your back consist of your Latissimus Dorsi and your Mid-back, which contains the Rhomboids, the Teres Major, and the Trapezius.

The function of the Latissimus Dorsi is to move the arms down to the pelvis and bring the body up towards the arm.

The Trapezius is needed to pull the shoulder blades down, or together, and used during to shrugs.

The Teres Major brings the arm towards the back.

The Rhomboids brings the shoulder blades together.

5 Back Training Tips That Pro Bodybuilders Use:

1. Visualize. Mind over matter does occur when training your back. Because you cannot see your back, you have to visualize it working. Before you start your back workout visualize your exercises. Imagine that your back is gaining mass with each rep.

2. Squeeze. It's very important to squeeze your back muscles during each, and every rep. Many times the reason you can't grow your back is because you can't feel it. Hold the squeezed position of each back rep for a couple seconds.

3. Go Light. Don't let it your ego prevent you from doing the exercises correctly. Only use a weight that you can actually handle. If you have to throw your entire body into each rep then you are using too much weight, take it down a notch..

4. Use Straps. Many times when you can't feel your back working correctly its due to the fact that your forearms and biceps muscles are giving out prior to your back muscles. Following this tip is very simple - go to a sporting goods store and purchase some lifting straps.

5. Pre-exhaust. Add in an isolation exercise with high reps before you do your compound movements and you will get an awesome back workout!

Put these back training tips to good use during your next training session. That's it for this one. All feedback is appreciated, please feel free to drop a line in the comments section below.

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5 Great Exercises For Triceps

The Triceps Muscles

Allow me to tell you a little about the triceps muscles. The triceps is a three-headed muscle that is on the back of the upper arm. They are responsible for extending the elbow. Triceps are used when doing any type of pressing movement for the chest and/or shoulders

Why Should You Work Your Triceps?

If you're working your biceps, you shouldn't over look the other side of your arm that contains three muscles, where the biceps contain only two muscles. Muscle imbalances can cause pain and injuries. Your triceps are working throughout your day, weather you know it or not. Anytime you push something, your triceps are involved. Triceps muscles also play a part in shoulder and chest exercises. If you have weak triceps it can disable you from getting a proper chest and shoulder workout.

How Often Should You Train Your Triceps?

You can do tricep exercises up to three non-consecutive days a week. If you're lifting heavy weights, you'll need at least two days of rest before you should start the exercises again. It makes sense to work your triceps only once or twice a week.

5 Exercises for Triceps That Are Sure to Increase Strength & Definition

1. Close grip bench press

This is my favorite triceps exercise, because of how great the results are. You just get ready like a regular bench press, but position your hands no wider than shoulder width. You want to keep your elbows in. At the bottom of your movement, allow the bar to come to the lower portion of your chest. At the top of your movement, the bar should be over your upper chest. Try to keep your forearms perpendicular to the floor at all times.

2. French press aka skull crushers, aka nose breakers

What ever they're calling this tricep exercise today, they work! This exercise works your triceps from a different angle than that of a regular pressing movement. Try to use an EZ curl bar and put your hands shoulder width apart. Lower the bar with control down to your to forehead, or behind your head. Keep your elbows pointed forward.

3. Diamond Pushups or Diamond Press.

You can do theses exercises anywhere! Although, there are places I would not recommend performing these exercises, one would be a courtroom for instance. First, Kneel down on your knees and place your hands on the ground, and make a diamond shape with your hands. Your thumbs should be touching. Lift your body up so that only your toes and hands are making contact with the floor. Make sure your back is straight by tightening your core muscles. While bending your elbows, go as low as you can, and do a pushup.

The Diamond press is with a dumbbell and your hands basically form a diamon on one side of the dumbbell. I typically perform this exercise with very high reps.

4. Kickbacks

When ever I workout my triceps, I always make sure I throw some kickbacks in the routine. Put your hand and your same side knee on a bench for support. Hold a dumbbell with your opposite hand, place the same upper arm parallel to the floor, and then bend your elbow to create 90-degree angle. Keeping your upper arm secure, slowly expand your forearm back until your whole arm is parallel with the ground.

5. Cable Press Downs

Make sure your elbows are in tight and not moving. Keep your whole body still-don't lean on the weight with your body, it takes the workload off of your triceps. Now, press the bar down locking out your arms and feeling a peak contraction in the triceps. Release and let the bar come up as far as possible without moving your elbows. To shock your muscles, you can vary your grip, change the kind of bar you use, how close you stand to the bar, or how wide your place your hands; or you can do a three-quarter movement, going from all the way up to three-quarters of the way down in order to work the lower triceps more directly.

That's it for this one, stay tuned for more training tips and resources!

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5 Awesome Shoulder Muscle Exercises

America is known to be "arm happy" and I'd have to agree. It's kinda funny watching a large majority of the guys in the gym hit arms and chest every day. Next time you lift, look around and I bet you'll notice all of the benches and preacher curl machines occupied. This habit of training your arms over everything else gives you an unbalanced look. The usual obvious sign of somebody who is "arm happy" is the notorious chicken legs, but what I've really been noticing lately is narrow shoulders. Having narrow shoulders will make you appear to be weak and puny. If you have massive biceps and triceps and no shoulders, you will look extremely awkward and will likely strike out if you're competing for strange at the lake.

There is a lot more to developing awesome shoulder muscles than simply doing dumbbell side raises or shoulder presses on machines. The compound exercises that involve your whole body will be most effective at building big & strong shoulders.

Functions of the Shoulder Muscles

Anterior Deltoid

• The front head of the shoulder that allows you to rotate your arm inward. This shoulder muscle plays a role in bench pressing, and tricep workouts. This is commonly one of the most overdeveloped muscles for weight lifters, which can cause a muscular imbalance, leading to injury and posture problems.

Medial Deltoid

• The medial deltoid brings your arm out to the side. This shoulder muscle is activated more by isolated shoulder movements, such as dumbbell side raises.

Posterior Deltoid

• The posterior deltoid brings your arm back and helps to rotate it out. Back training exercises such as rows and pull ups involve the rear delts more than most other exercises. Reverse flyes are also a good an isolation exercise for the rear delts.

5 Awesome Shoulder Muscle Exercises That Must Be In Your Routine

1. Overhead Push Presses: This shoulder workout will shred your delts and make you stronger overall, especially in your core. You're basically throwing weight up over your head forcing you to balance and not swing back and forth. This is a powerhouse compound exercise.

2. Arnold Presses: Terminator knew what he was doing! Try to keep strict form on this one and really feel the burn. Get a good rotation throughout the movement and try to touch the weights at the top and bottom of every rep.

3. Bus Drivers: Kind of a funny name, but it works! Hold the plate straight in front of yourself and twist it back and forth like a steering wheel. You're going to feel a mean burn in your shoulders and forearms while you're going through the movement.

4. Front Raises: This is a solid movement. Try not to swing too much and bring the weight up to shoulder level on every rep. You must stay in control, and not allow the weight to fall down too fast.

5. Shrugs: Try to do this shoulder muscle exercise in the beginning of your workout, or there's a good chance that you won't get the most out of them. Do not put 6 plates on each side and moves your arms up and down half an inch. Get a good range of motion and squeeze your traps at the top for a second. Do them right and you will look like a freak in no time. By "freak" I mean a stacked individual - which is out of the norm in today's fat society.

Well, that's it for this one. Remember, wide shoulders will make you look taller, broader and more masculine. Give these workouts a shot during your next training session and don't forget to let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Peace,

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