Before starting any workout plan you should take time to understand the muscles that youll be using

and the role they play in your everyday life. When you understand their function, youll be able to learn how to best use and manipulate those muscles during these top 5 exercises to achieve an optimal workout of your biceps. The biceps consist of three primary muscles; the Biceps Brachii, Coracobrachialis and Brachialis

Biceps Brachii This segment of muscle tissue is linked to the forearm bone (the radius) and originates in the process of the scapula (shoulder blade). This muscle tissue runs the length of the anterior side of the humerus (upper longbone of the arm) and makes up about 1/3 of the muscle mass of the upper arm.

Coracobrachialis This muscle, the smallest of the trifecta, attaches also to the coracoid process of the scapula with the other end attached to the humerus. The action of this muscle draws the arm forward and toward the torso.

Brachialis This muscle crossed the elbow joint, originating in the lower segment of the humerus and extending to the ulna. While part of the bicep muscle group, the brachialis is the strongest flexor of the elbow however because it only inserts on the ulna (not the radius) it cannot participate in pronation and supination of the forearm (rotation).

The Top 5 Exercises for Increasing Biceps The Breakdown

First and foremost, theres a lot of equipment out there and the equipment you use is going to change the form and position of your workout. Some machines are available to reduce strain on the rest of your body or

promote a motionless workout while ramping up resistance. Whatever you use, that resistance is whats important because the weight or resistance is what pushes the limits of the muscles and forces them to recover and grow. For this article, were focusing primarily on free weights because they require more form and concentration giving a more powerful workout to the biceps. Top Bicep Exercise #1 The Standing Barbell Curl

If you have any interest in building your biceps up in order to look like a tank, the standard barbell bicep curl is the best all-inclusive bicep exercise. Regardless of the amount of weight, your body will use all of the bicep muscles and some forearm muscles to raise the weight as you flex the arm closed. The standard curl forces the arm to work in relative isolation from the back and shoulders, but on one condition you cant cheat. Torso swinging is common, and needs to be avoided if you want the most effective workout. The goal is to remain stationary, flexing the arm at the elbow joint without moving your upper body. Perform this bicep curl by holding a barbell in both hands. Hold the weight with your palm outward and let the weight hang at your hip so that your arm is fully extended downward. Tuck your elbow into your sides and curl the weight to your chin without moving your elbow, hips or torso. Maintain tension, let the weight down slow. Do not bounce the weight off your hips or quads to start the next rep. Top Bicep Exercise #2 The Alternating Dumbbell Curl

The alternating dumbbell curl is a simple exercise that functions as a cross between a hammer curl and a standard curl. Instead of curling one weight using both biceps, or simultaneously curling with two separate weights, the alternating curl lets you focus the intensity of the workout in each bicep separately.

Torso swinging is also common in this workout, so its important to once again keep your elbows tucked into the body. Start at the same point as a standard curl with your arm fully extended however your palms will be facing in toward your body. As the weight clears your flank you can begin to rotate your arm. At the end of the movement your palm will be facing toward your head.

Top Bicep Exercise #3 The Hammer Curl

While a significant amount of focus is given to the bicep, some of the muscle groups within theforearm will be working as well. Because the focus here is on a rotated curl there is a lot of emphasis on the brachialis and brachioradialis of the forearm. The starting position for this curl is identical to the alternating curl, where the palms face in toward the body. Your elbows remain tucked in with your body and upper arms remaining stationary. Lift the weight, curling it upward without rotating the weight or forearm to the point where the weight is almost touching the shoulder of your lifting arm. Think of the motion of swinging a hammer this is also where the bicep exercise got its name.

Top Bicep Exercise #4 Supinated Bent Rows

Resistance breeds muscle gain, and more weight equals more resistance. You can sack more weight into a bicep workout using rowing. Bent over straight bar rows can let you work double the weight over your standard curling or straight bar curls. Grab the straight bar with palms facing up/away with hands shoulder width apart. Either pull the weight from the rack or deadlift the weight from the

floor to a standing position. Once the weight is up, bend into position so that your upper body is almost parallel to the floor. Avoid rounding off or trying to lift with your lower back. While bent, raise the bar to touch your abdomen while keeping your elbows tucked into your flanks. Lower the bar just short of fully extended and repeat.

Top Bicep Exercise #5 Chin Ups

Not just any chin up either this is about close grip chin ups.

While

curling or rowing can give you a significant workout, when was the last time you tried to curl your body weight with success? If youre over 150lbs and you dont often try to beat yourself into submission then likely not often. Closing the grip on your chin ups will focus the pull on your biceps. You can use any secured straight bar or chin up bar. Reach up and grasp the bar so that your palms are facing you and about 6 apart. Pull yourself upward, keeping your legs raised/crossed so that you do not touch the floor when you lower yourself. Its important to get your chin up over the bar so that your arms are fully flexed. Maintain the tension as you lower yourself, and avoid relaxing once you get to the bottom of the rep. While all of these exercises will help you target the biceps, theyre intended to be inclusive with an overall workout program. You should never try to build only your biceps. You need to think in terms of your biceps being just a small part of the major muscle groups that form your body. In order for each of the muscles to work properly, the surrounding muscles need to be targeted as well. Here are some Sample workouts:

Beginner Workout

Barbell Curls - 2 Sets of 8 Reps Alternating Dumbbell Curls - 2 Set of 12 Reps Hammer Curls - 1 Set of 10-12 Reps

Intermediate Workout

Barbell Curls - 3 Sets of 8 Reps Chin Ups - 2 Set to Failure Hammer Curls - 2 Sets of 10 reps Alternating Dumbbell Curls - 2 Sets of 12 Reps

Advanced Workout

Alternating Dumbbell Curls - 3 Sets of 12 Reps Superset with Supinated Bent Rows - 3 Sets of 8 Reps Hammer Curls - 2 Sets of 10 Reps Chin Ups - 3 Sets to Failure superset with Barbell Curls - 3 Sets of 10/8/6 Reps

Biceps like most muscle groups if worked out in this fashion should be trained once a week twice at the most if you have really weak biceps. Go hit the weights hard, these workouts will help you get the biceps you are looking for. Good luck. As always if you have any questions regarding the article above or anything fitness in general please dont hesitate to send me an email: AlexBigStew@gmail.com. Alex Stewart is the Sales Manager for Betancourt Nutrition Supplements. For more information on Betancourt Nutrition supplements, click here. View all Training articles RELATED ARTICLES

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Alex Stewart Once I saw how lifting could change my body, my passion turned to bodybuilding. I loved the feeling of pushing my body to its physical limits. View all by Alex Ste Standing Bicep Curl: Using dumbbells, stand up with your arms by your side. Face your palms forward with the dumbbell in your hand then lift the weight up until your fist almost hits your shoulder. (Not literally, obviously) Make sure that your bicep is flexed throughout the repetition.

Now slowly lower the dumbbell back to your side. Repeat this for 3 sets of 810 repetitions. Make sure you are working with weights that you can complete this task with. When doing bicep workouts, always keep your elbows locked by your sides. This will ensure that your arms are also tight against your body and that you are working out your bicep and not your back or your shoulder. 2. Standing Barbell Curl: This exercise is very much like the Standing Bicep Curl, but instead of dumbbells, you use a barbell. Make sure that, again, you are standing straight and that you are gripping the barbell with an underhanded grip with your hands shoulder width apart. Do not rock back and forth as you do this exercise. Make sure that you are keeping your back and abdominal muscles tight and still, moving only your arms while keeping your elbows locked by your sides. Although you can use a little more weight with this exercise than with the Standing Bicep Curls, if you have to lean, rock, or use your back, then you need to lighten the weight load. 3. Seated Preacher Curls: Just like the name suggests, you will not be standing on this exercise. You should be sitting on a Preacher Bench that has an inclined pad elevated in front of you. Also, you will need an EZ bar or straight bar with a manageable amount of weight on it. Just like the other exercises, make sure that you are only using your biceps and not your back. This exercise is one of the fastest bicep growing exercises used in weightlifting today. 4. Reverse Curls: Reverse Curls can be done while either standing or sitting. You also have a choice of using dumbbells or a barbell. The only difference with this exercise is that you have to have your palms in an overhand grip, or bicycle handlebar grip. This exercise will not only work on your biceps like the other exercises mentioned above, but you will also work on your forearms and wrists quite well. Definitely a good idea to throw it in to put some extra work in on your forearms.

Note: Reverse curls are not particularly a move that builds a lot of mass on your biceps. It primarily hits your forearms, which is quite beneficial as well, making it a solid choice to throw into your arms routine. 5. Hammer Curls: This workout is very similar to the Standing Bicep Curl, except that your palms are facing inwards, like you are using a hammer, hence the name. Youll want to do this workout towards the end of the other bicep exercises because help burn everything out. You also want to do this with lower weight to feel the burn more. Do about 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Also, due to the burn that this exercise will cause, you may want to do it towards the end of your workout session. Just remember that results wont show up overnight, but with the right amount of protein and sleep, youll begin to see some sick gains. Stick with it and stay consistent!

Best Shoulder Exercises Updated: 6/28/2010 Added more info about high pulls, push press, and overhead squat. It doesnt matter how big your chest and biceps are, if you have narrow shoulders you will appear to be weak and puny. Someone will surely kick sand on you at the beach. For men, wide shoulders will make you look tall, broad, and powerful so that you can be the one defending geeks from sand kicking bullies. For women, hard toned shoulders will help you appear sleek and sexy. No man alive wants their woman to have soft, squishy or flabby shoulders. Well, maybe some of us do, but not me. Half of womens dresses Ive seen have built in shoulder pads anyway. How nice would it be to never have to buy dresses with shoulder pads? Actually, dont some mens military outfits have added shoulder padding too? I rest my case. Everyone needs to train their shoulders. Strong shoulders help with every other exercise from bench press to pull ups, and for all you boxers and MMA

guys, well conditioned shoulders will help you to win a fight. It is also very important to have a strong shoulder girdle, including the rotator cuff area, to prevent injuries from sports and heavy lifting. How to Get Strong Shoulders Firstly, chest and back are two muscle groups that are important to train, when training for stronger shoulders. As a unit, the chest, shoulders, and back form the core of your upper body strength. Once youve read this article you can move on to the top 5 best chest exercises and the top 5 best back exercises. Secondly, no one developed great shoulders by focusing on dumbbell side raises or shoulder pressing on machines. The compound exercises that involve your whole body will be most effective at building big, strong shoulders. Isolation exercises will be necessary, but only for developing super strong rotator cuffs. We should have a working knowledge of how the shoulder is put together, to better understand how to train them effectively. Anatomy of the Shoulders Your shoulders are constructed as a ball and socket joint, and is one of the most unstable joints in the body but is also the joint with the largest range of motion (ROM). The shoulder socket is called a glenoid, while the ball of the joint is actually the head of the humerus, your upper arm bone. The acromion sits on top of the ball and socket, next to the acromioclavicular joint (AC Joint), which is the most common place for shoulder separations. Incidentally, I separated my shoulder playing football and it took me 3 months of recovery before I could bench 200 lbs again. Treat your shoulders with care! Your shoulders can abduct 150 degrees, flex forward 180 degrees, extend 45 degrees, rotate externally 90 degrees, and rotate internally 90 degrees. That is a pretty significant ROM, but also opens you up to a huge potential for injury.

Shoulder Anatomy Rotator Cuffs You need to take a second to examine the most frequently injured area of the shoulders: the rotator cuff. The muscles that make up the rotator cuff are small, and can be strained easily. Injuries result from overuse, underuse, relative weakness, or muscular imbalance. Before reading any further, you must check out this link about how to avoid rotator cuff injury. Functions of the Shoulder The shoulders, or deltoids (derived from the Greek word delta, or triangle), are triangular in shape, and have 3 distinct heads. Anterior Deltoid The front head of the shoulder flexes and rotates the arm inward. The anterior delts play a major role in bench pressing, other chest training, and usually get stimulated from triceps and biceps training. This is typically one of the most overdeveloped muscles for traditional weight lifters, which often

develops into a muscular imbalance that can lead to injury and posture problems. Medial Deltoid The side head of the shoulder abducts the arm, which means it brings the arms out and away from the midline of the body. This muscle is activated more by isolated shoulder abduction movements, such as dumbbell side raises, than by anything else. Posterior Deltoid The rear head of the shoulder extends and rotates the arm outward. Back training such as rows, chin ups, and pull ups involve the rear delts more than most other exercises. Reverse flyes are considered an isolation movement for the rear delts. One more time, be sure to read up on how to strengthen the rotator cuff if you havent already.

Shoulder Muscles The Top 5 Best Shoulder Exercises 1. Hang Clean & Press This is the ultimate shoulder exercise if you ask me. The hang clean resembles a high pull (a powerful exercise that is similar to the upright row) and if you press without hesitation you can utilize the momentum and the stretch reflex to press more weight than you could from a dead stop.

However, when using momentum like this, the press tends to turn into more of a push (using the legs and other joints to generate momentum). This is not an exercise designed for any specific kind of training. The hang clean and press mixes Olympic lifting with standard weightlifting and can be used with heavy weight to develop strength or light weight to develop speed and power. This is not a standard bodybuilding exercise, but can be used to build muscle as well. To set up: you will want to load a standard Olympic barbell with some weight, or if you are female you might consider one of the small pre-built barbells that are sometimes setup on weight trees in the free weight area of your gym. Position your feet on the ground and your hands on the bar, both just outside shoulder width. Keeping your back flat and chin up, deadlift the weight into a standing position with the bar resting against your thighs. This is the starting position. To hang clean & press: from the starting position you should lower the bar down to just above your knees bending at the knees and waist. From this position you will perform a hang clean to get the bar up to your shoulders. When you execute a hang clean you want to extend your ankles, flex your knees, flex your traps, and execute something that resembles a 3/4 upright row in order to bring the bar up in a straight line in front of your body until it reaches your shoulders. At this point you want to rotate your elbows under the bar, catching it on the front of your shoulders, chest, and upward-facing palms. Bend at the knees slightly to assist with the catch. Immediately press the bar up to full extension. Lower the bar back to your shoulders and drop it back down to your thighs to complete the rep. The hang clean is not a reverse curl. The movement itself is a combination of a quarter squat, a calf raise, a shrug, and a 3/4 upright row. It is a power movement and should be explosive. Variations: clean and press, hang clean and push, clean and push. 2. Standing Overhead Press / Military Press The military press is in league with squats, deadlifts, and bench presses as

one of the mandatory exercises for all serious weight lifter. If you are not overhead pressing you are not really lifting. This is the ultimate compound pressing exercise for your shoulders. To set up: either set the bar up in a power rack or squat rack, or you will have to clean the weight up to your shoulders to start the exercise. This is usually what I do since my gym lacks a decent rack of any sort. Grip the bar 2-3 inches outside of shoulder width. To press: starting with the weight resting on your upper chest and shoulders, press the bar up in front of your face, extending the elbows just short of lockout. Return the weight under control to your upper chest to complete the rep. Like the guy in the video below, you can take advantage of the stretch reflex by not pausing at the bottom. Do not bounce, use your legs, or use your hips to get the weight up, as this would be a push press. Push presses are really great too, but we are talking about plain old military presses right now. Variations: standing, seated, push press, dumbbell press, adding chains and bands. Bonus Tip The Push Press: similar in all ways to the military press except one you should use a quarter squat and ankle extention to generate additional momentum, which will help you get the bar past the mid-way sticking point and then all you have to do is continue pushing through to lockout. This is a great Olympic exercise that will build power and strength in the shoulders, but is not often used for bodybuilding. Due to the added momentum, you should be able to use more weight on the push press than on the standing military press. 3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press (3 variations) In this case I have to point out 3 important variations of the dumbbell shoulder press, all of which I think are important in different scenarios. 1. Standing One Arm Dumbbell Press I chose this exercise because sometimes you can lift more when you alternate sides in rapid succession.

To set up: while standing, clean both dumbbells up to shoulder level or have someone hand them too you if you are a wuss. To press: lift one dumbbell straight up while resting the other on the opposite shoulder. As you return the first dumbbell to your shoulder, the second dumbbell should already be moving. There should not be any rest between reps. Variations: seated one arm dumbbell shoulder press. I could only find a seated version of this exercise with someone doing it the way I would do it. 2. Seated Dumbbell Press Because you are seated, you are able to drive more with your legs and press back against the bench for added strength and stability. To set up: while seated, rest the dumbbells on each respective knee. When you are ready, use your legs to pop each dumbbell up to your shoulders. You will most likely have to pop up one at a time or have someone hand them to you if you are a wuss. To press: keeping your feet flat on the floor and your back straight against the bench, press both dumbbells up simultaneously, stopping just short of full lockout. Return the dumbbells to your shoulders to complete the rep. Variations: standing dumbbell shoulder press this is one of the few exercises that I find to be awkward, which probably means I should do it every workout until it becomes habit. The standing alternating one arm version is much less awkward in my opinion and I can lift more weight when I alternate. 3. Seated Arnold Shoulder Press This is a slightly awkward exercise that is very beneficial because it hits the front and side heads of your delts. Dont plan on using super heavy weight though, as this is a more difficult exercise than regular dumbbell or barbell presses. To set up: start just like a seated dumbbell press, but start with the dumbbells in front of your face, palms facing towards you, the sides of the dumbbells will probably be touching.

To press: rotate the dumbbells externally and press them up at the same time. By the time you reach full extension your palms should be facing away from you and you will have rotated the dumbbells 180 degrees. Return the weights to the front of your face to complete the rep. Variations: standing Arnold shoulder presses are awkward. I dont like to do them standing, which again probably means I should. Upright Barbell Rows Some people seem to indicate that upright barbell rows are tough on the rotator cuffs, but I dont find this to be true so long as you dont attempt to rotate the bar higher once it has reached shoulder level. Rather, I believe upright rows are a great exercise for the medial or outside heads of the shoulders. Also choose High Pulls (explained after upright rows) as a power exercise for the shoulders. To set up: you will have to choose between straight bar or ez curl bar, but I prefer ez curl. Standing, grab the bar roughly one inch inside of shoulder width. To upright row: bring the bar straight up alongside the front of your body, bending only the elbows. Your elbows should end up point straight out to either side and the bar should end up just under chin-level. Variations: two arm, one arm, wide grip, medium grip, close grip, high pulls, dumbbell cleans, barbell cleans, upright cable rows, upright dumbbell rows (slightly awkward). Bonus Tip The High Pull: to finish off your set of upright rows, or instead of upright rows, try the High Pull. Use the same sort of momentum you would use for a hang clean to pull the bar up to shoulder level. This momentum is generated by extending the ankles, shrugging the shoulders, and using a quarter squat to drive the bar the same thing you would do for the first 1/2 of a hang clean. Dont bother pausing at the top, as this is a power exercise not a bodybuilding exercise. Overhead Squat This is a very awkward exercise that will build stability in your shoulders and the surrounding tissue. Despite the name, overhead squats are not

particularly effective for the legs, as you typically use a load far lighter than you would use for working squat sets. To set up: load up a barbell with some weight and set up for either a hang snatch, a power snatch, or a squat. If youd prefer to snatch the bar into position: using a snatch grip, which is a much wider grip than you would use for any other exercise (often 1.5 feet outside of shoulder width), bend down and grasp the bar in an ultra-wide deadlift position. Deadlift the bar to a hang position if youd rather start the exercise with a hang snatch, or keep the bar on the floor if you are comfortable with power snatching it into position. If youd prefer to squat the bar into position: get the bar on your back for a barbell back squat using a partner, a squat rack, a power rack, or whatever else you use for a rack. Move your hands to a snatch grip position. Use a quarter squat to generate enough momentum to jerk the bar overhead and catch it in a snatch lockout. To overhead squat: using whichever snatch method you choose, snatch the bar over your head and catch it in the standard snatch position shoulder blades pinched together, bar directly over your head and ankles, pulling out slightly with both hands to keep your shoulders tight. Now do a squat while keeping the bar in the same vertical line of motion. The bar will end up behind your head when you are in the hole, but keep those shoulder blades pinched and keep a slight but constant outward force with both hands to stabilize the bar. Stand up to complete one rep. Dont you dare drop the bar until the set is finished. Lateral Dumbbell Side Raises Note: This was originally #5 in my list of the top 5 best shoulder exercises, but it really doesnt qualify. This move is best for people who are looking to fine-tune the structure of their shoulders, mostly by bodybuilders. Bodybuilders will tell you this exercise is great for shredding the delts and really putting caps on the shoulders. Ill leave it on the list as #6. Definitely not compound by any means, lateral dumbbell raises are the equivalent of dumbbell curls for the shoulders. I recommend this exercise

more for bodybuilding than for powerlifting, strongman training, Olympic lifting, or martial arts. To set up: standing up, hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your arms hanging straight down to the side. To raise: using the medial delts (the side of the shoulders), raise the dumbbells straight up to the side until both arms are parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows as little as possible. Technically your arms should be straight the whole time. Then lower the dumbbells back down, but not such that your arms or the weights touch your thighs, nor should your arms ever be perpendicular to the floor. You always want to keep tension on the shoulders. Variations: one arm side raise, cable side raise. Honorable mentions: internal rotations and external rotations for the rotator cuffs, bent over reverse dumbbell or cable flyes. Full Body Workout To integrate these exercises into a full body workout program, you should use a standing barbell press as your base shoulder exercise on the day when shoulders are trained first. On the days you train squats and deadlifts first, you should choose either heavy dumbbell shoulder presses or hang clean & press. The day that prioritizes chest should be the day you choose lateral side raises and/or upright rows. Split Body Workout To integrate these exercises into a training program that splits the body amongst different days, you can choose a press, upright rows, side lateral raises, and finish off with reverse dumbbell flyes on shoulder day. This will allow you to really fatigue the shoulders from all angles and forms of tension. A shoulder day should also include some arms and abs training, if nothing else. A Couple More Tips Focusing too much on the shoulders could be a detriment to your chest training. Furthermore, focusing too much on the front delts, like if you just bench press all the time, could results in problems with your posture. Always remember to balance chest and shoulder training, and to hit your

back (vertical and horizontal) just as hard as you hit your chest and shoulders combined.

Read more: http://www.projectswole.com/weight-training/the-top-5-bestshoulder-exercises/#ixzz1pOLzw6YJ

Back

Nothing is more impressive than being able to bang out 30 pull ups in a row or finishing a set of 10 with 90 lbs hanging from a belt. Nothing LOOKS more impressive than being able to hit an impressive front or rear lat spread with confidence. Furthermore, how many women do you know that can finish a set of 10 pull ups? Trust me, there arent many. The reality is that we can accomplish all of these things with intense free weight back training. Your back muscles comprise the second largest set of muscles, after the legs. Therefore, putting some serious effort into training your back will pay off huge dividends whether you are looking to burn a large number of calories, better fill out your shirts, condition your body for functional strength, or even to fix your posture from focusing too long on chest training. Strong back muscles will allow you to: Pick up anything heavy off the floor or ground, working in unison with the legs. Burn nearly as many calories as you would when training legs. Move your body more easily through space, specifically when pulling yourself up. Protect yourself from muscle imbalances that occur from overtraining the chest. Row a boat faster than any of your punk friends. Anatomy of the Back For this discussion we are going to focus on the mid to upper back only. I wont be talking at all about the lower back or glutes, as this is a discussion in and of its own. You can find out a bit more about lower back and glute training in the post about the top 5 best hamstring exercises. I will focus more on lower back in a separate article at a later date. There are two main muscle groups that are visible even when our shirts are on. These are called the latissimus dorsi and the trapezius.

The latissimus, or lats, are the muscles that run from the armpits to the waist. This is what you see when people flex their backs as with a lat spread bodybuilding pose. The trapezius, or traps, are the muscles that start in a point at the base of the skull, sit to either side of the neck, above the shoulders, and extend in a diamond shape to a point in the middle of the back. A muscle called the levator scapulae works in conjunction with the traps and lats. Trap are what cause some big dudes to appear to have no neck. This is also how you can tell if someone is really serious about their training. Typically if someone has completely flat traps it means that they probably do not engage in significant free weight complex exercises like deadlifts, bent over barbell rows, cleans, and definitely not barbell shrugs. The Smaller Muscles of the Back Some of the smaller back muscles include teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and rhomboideus (rhomboids). These are considered secondary muscles and are sufficiently stimulated when you train the larger latissimus dorsi with both vertical and horizontal movements. The serratus is another back muscle that wraps around the body and it also visible from the font. If you desire to train the serratus directly, which many people do, the best exercise for that is probably dumbbell or barbell pull overs. In the past when I trained 4 days a week I often included pull overs on back day.

Back Anatomy Functions of the Back Contrary to what you might think when you picture a row, the function of the lats is to pull the arm down toward the pelvis. When the arm is in a fixed position such as with a pull up, the lats serve to bring the body up towards the arm. The function is the same, but the motion depends upon the position of the arms and torso. Lats also function to stabilize the torso during many movements, including the flat bench press and overhead press. Your traps function to facilitate scapular elevation (shrugging), scapular adduction (rowing) and scapular depression (pull downs). Often they work in conjunction with the lats and the other small muscles, especially when rowing or pulling down. Top 5 Best Back Exercises Update: Deadlifts Because I have received so many comments ripping me for not including deadlifts on this list, let the record show that I did indeed mention deadlifts right here at the

top of the list, but decided not to include them in the list because they are already in the top 5 best hamstring exercises. Deadlifts are probably the 3rd best back exercise after barbell rows and pull ups, so include them in your back workout as you see fit. Similarly, you could include good mornings in this list. To reduce the angst of hardcore weightlifters, I have revised this list to include deadlifts as the #5 best back exercise. My original comments regarding deadlifts are as follows: Of course deadlifts are part of this list, but I intend to target exercises that train the upper and mid back directly. For more information on deadlifts and other lower back exercises, see my post about the 5 best exercises for hamstrings. 1. Barbell Bent Over Rows Horizontal training Bent over rows with a barbell is arguably the most important back exercise you can do for pulling strength and thickness in the upper body. This is a compound movement that works everything from traps to lats to lower back and hamstrings. Using proper form, bent over barbell rows will help you stand apart with thickness and strength, from the people who only do pull ups, chin ups, or (God forbid) pull downs. To set up: you should start by standing on a box or platform with the loaded barbell. This is necessary to avoid the plates hitting the floor when you use 45 lb plates. Your stance should be shoulder width for conventional barbell rows. Now, keeping your knees slightly bent, your head up, and your back straight, bend over until your upper body is lower than 45 degrees to the floor. My goal is always to get as close to parallel with the floor as possible. The weight should be hanging straight down from your arms at this point, directly below your chest. You should have a pronated grip on the bar; your palms should be facing towards you. Feel free to use a bit of chalk if you are rowing really heavy. NO STRAPS! To row: to start a row, use your back muscles to pull the bar straight up to touch your chest. The elbows should be tucked in, head up, back straight, and you should NOT bounce. Lower the weight under control and repeat. Variations: close grip, wide grip, medium grip, two arm dumbbell rows, supinated rows (palms facing away). There is also a machine called the T-Bar that can be used for rowing. Old school lifters might even put one end of an Olympic bar in the corner of a room, and use the other end as a T-bar and a neutral grip cable attachment as the handle. The following is the best video that I could find on YouTube for a demonstration of barbell bent over rows by someone who doesnt look like a complete puss, although I dont advocate putting the bar on the floor between reps: You should also watch this video just for fun: Bent Over Rows by Chrissy Zmijewski. She has some good points, but I believe in going deeper than 45 degrees with the upper body.

2. Pull Ups and Chin Ups Vertical training Pull ups and chin ups are a true measure of strength. They are one of those exercises that can be used to gauge a persons physical strength relative to their body weight. For example a powerlifter might be able to bench press 600 lbs at a body weight of 280 lbs, but maybe he can only do 4 pull ups. Meanwhile a 175 lb guy can only bench 315, but he can bust out about 30 pull ups. So let me ask you, who is really stronger? Better yet, which persons strength would you wish to have? Sorry, but Id rather be the smaller guy. To set up: stand on a box or a platform if you need to, or just jump up, so you can reach the bar. Pull ups are typically harder than chin ups, but I recommend you switch off between the two. Pull ups use a pronated grip (palms down, or in this case palms facing away), while chin ups use a supinated grip (palms up). Hands should be just wider than shoulder width for a medium grip pull up, or just inside shoulder width for a medium grip chin up. To pull up: the goal is to pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. Keep your head up, possibly looking at the ceiling, and get that chin over the bar, pause just long enough to get a full contraction. Lower yourself back down so that your arms are about 99% straight, dont bounce. If you cant do a pull up, most gyms have assisted pull up machines. Start there and work your weight towards your first bodyweight pull up. If you can do more than 10 pulls up with bodyweight, it might be time to consider weighted pull ups and weighted chin ups. You can do this by hanging a dumbbell between your legs or ankles, or by using a belt with a chain to suspend the weight between your legs. Variations: wide grip, medium grip, narrow grip, neutral grip (palms facing each other), pull ups, chin ups, towel pull ups to blast your grip and finger strength. Many people do lat pull downs on machines or with cables, but Im telling you not to. Stick with free weights! 3. Barbell Shrugs Upper back Shrugs are specifically a traps only exercise. The lats dont come into play at all. You can go pretty heavy on shrugs. I built a decent set of traps back in the day by working up to 10-12 reps with between 495 and 585 lbs on a standard Olympic bar. To set up: unless you feel like deadlifting the weight off the floor, your best bet is to unrack the bar at thigh height from a platform, squat rack, power rack, or whatever else you can use. This is one of maybe 2 exercises for which I condone using straps. You want to avoid using an alternating grip if possible, and sometimes using chalk just doesnt cut it if you are using heavier weight than you typically deadlift. To shrug: take a pronated grip on the bar just outside your hips and unrack the weight so that it hangs to mid thigh. Always stand straight with your head up, and knees just barely bent. Try to touch your shoulders to your ears by shrugging

straight up, as high as you can. Hold for half a second to really get that contraction. Lower the weight under control back to mid thigh. Variations: dumbbell shrugs are good too, but you cant use as much weight. The guy in this video shrugs really fast and I would prefer a longer pause at the top, but this is really what a heavy barbell shrug will look like. 4. One Arm Dumbbell Rows Horizontal training This is a great way for you to isolate each side of your back in turn. While you cant go as heavy as barbell rows, you can still go pretty heavy and you can get a fuller contraction with a greater range of motion because the barbell does not restrict your scapula from fully retracting on each rep. To set up: grab a dumbbell and place it beside a bench. Now kneel with one leg on one end of the bench and place your hand on the other end for support. At this point your upper body should be parallel to the floor, and your free leg should be planted just behind you and to the side of your body for support. To row: grab the dumbbell with a neutral grip (palm facing your body), arm fully extended and lift the dumbbell off the floor. From this point you want to row the weight up and back, pulling your hand in just above your hip, and getting your elbow also up and back as far as possible. Experiment with wrist angles to make this exercise harder, easier, or more comfortable for you. Variations: you can use a machine or a cable exercise for this, but I highly recommend you stick with free weights. 5. Barbell Deadlifts Deadlifts belong in this list as well as in the top 5 best hamstring exercises, so here it is: Deadlifts are one of the primary, fundamental exercises for all serious weight training programs. Deadlifts work 100% of your legs and they require functional stability from 95% of the rest of the muscles on your body. Using proper form, deadlifts will help you get stronger, gain more muscle, and burn more calories than any other single exercise after the squat. To set up: the barbell rests on the floor, sitting just above the ankles right in front of the shins. Your stance should be shoulder width for conventional deadlifts. Bending your knees, reach down and grab the bar so that your knees are actually inside your elbows. When going heavy, it helps to alternate your grip where one hand is pronated (palm facing you) and the other hand is supinated (palm facing away). To deadlift: to start a deadlift, use your whole body to begin to lift the bar off the floor. Arms should be straight, knees should be bent. The object is to lift the weight with your legs, glutes, and hips, rather than with your lower back. In fact your lower back should not bend that much, should in fact be pretty straight, and should definitely NOT be rounded. You accomplish this by keeping your head up and by driving with your hips. It is of utmost importance to keep the bar close to your body during the lift. At the top you should stand up straight, but do not over extend your lower back as if you were doing some kind of hyper-extension. The driving force at the top

should be more of a hip thrust than a lower back spasm. Lower the bar under control, keeping it close to your body. Variations: close stance deads, wide stance deads, sumo style deads, deads off a box, rack pulls or pin pulls, deads or rack pulls with chains or bands. Honorable mentions: pull overs, cleans, snatches, and Dumbbell Reverse Flyes This exercise used to be listed at the #5 best back exercise, but I really couldnt live with myself for including it in that list. Therefore, read this section while keeping in mind that dumbbell reverse flyes are probably somewhere in the top 10 best back exercises, but it is not top 5. OK, you might be thinking this exercise is foo-foo, but it really works the smaller muscles in your upper back, including your rear delts. I guess I wouldnt really recommend this as a staple exercise for powerlifters or other strength athletes, but it is mandatory for bodybuilders. This will really help to separate the muscles in the back, and will build the rear delts, which are typically very hard to cultivate. To set up: standing or sitting, grab some dumbbells, bend over so that your upper body is parallel to the floor. Allow the weights to hang at your sides, arms fully extended. To reverse fly: keeping your back flat and straight, raise the weight vertically until your hands are at their highest possible position. Hold for half a second to contract. Lower the weight under control, but stop a couple inches short of where you started. The goal is not to pause at the bottom of the movement for rest. Tension should be kept on the muscles at all times. Variations: because this is not a compound exercise, reverse flies on any number of machines or cables are usually an acceptable alternative to dumbbells.

Read more: http://www.projectswole.com/weight-training/the-top-5-best-backexercises/#ixzz1pONZ9cHE

Legs
Leg Curl

Lie on your back on the glideboard with your legs extended and attach your ankles to the wing attachment. Slide the glideboard up by curling your legs and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while curling your legs and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Reverse Leg Curl

Lie on your back on the glideboard, hips and knees at 90 degree angles and rest your feet against the toe raise bar. Raise your buttocks from up the glideboard by straightening your hips and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Keep a 90 degree angle in your knees throughout.

Squat

Lie on your back on the glideboard with your feet on the squat stand, knees at 90 degree angles. Slide the glideboard up by straightening your legs and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while straightening your legs and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Wide Squat

Lie on your back on the glideboard with your feet wide from each other on the squat stand, knees at 90 degree angles. Slide the glideboard up by straightening your legs and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while straightening your legs and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Single-Leg Squat

Lie on your back on the glideboard with one foot on the squat stand with its knee at a 90 degree angles and the other leg slightly elevated and extended. Slide the glideboard up by straightening your leg and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while straightening your leg and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Single-Leg Squat On Side

Lie sideways on the glideboard with one foot on the squat stand, its knee at a 90 degree angle and the other off the squat stand, knee bent. Slide the glideboard up by straightening your leg and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while straightening your leg and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Single-Leg Squat Kneeling

Kneel on one knee on the glideboard with the other foot resting against the squat stand, its knee bent. Slide the glideboard up by straightening your leg and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while straightening your leg and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Jumping Squat

Lie on your back on the glideboard with your feet on the squat stand, knees at 90 degree angles. Slide the glideboard up by jumping slightly off the squat stand and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while jumping and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Twisting Squat

Lie on your back on the glideboard with your feet on the squat stand, knees at 90 degree angles, rotated out slightly to one side. Slide the glideboard up by straightening your legs while realigning yourself and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while straightening your legs and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Jumping and Twisting Squat

Lie on your back on the glideboard with your feet on the squat stand, knees at 90 degree angles, rotated out slightly to one side. Slide the glideboard up by jumping slightly off the squat stand while realigning yourself and allow yourself back down after a short pause.

Breathe out while jumping and breathe in while returning to starting position.

Front Lunge

Stand in front of the glideboard and put one foot on it, knee slightly bent, both feet pointing forward. Slide the glideboard up by pushing your foot foward and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Keep your back straight and perpendicular to the floor throughout.

Hip Extension with Knee Stabilized

Lie on your back on the glideboard, knees bent and attach one foot to the leg pull attachment, its leg straight and perpendicular to the floor. Slide the glideboard up by pulling your leg down and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Keep your leg straight throughout.

Hip Abduction

Sit on the top end of the glideboard, legs straight and feet resting against and inside the cables and hold the handles with your hands, palms facing each other. Slide the glideboard up by pulling your legs away from each other and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Keep your legs and back straight throughout.

Hip Adduction

Lie sideways on the glideboard with one foot attached to the leg pull attachment, its leg straight and prependicular to the floor. Slide the glideboard up by pulling your leg down towards the other one and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Keep your leg straight throughout.

Calf Raise

Lie on your back on the glideboard and place only your toes on the squat stand. Slide the glideboard up by pushing on your toes to raise your heels and allow yourself back down after a short pause. Breathe out while pushing and breathe in while returning to starting position.

6pack
I get this question more than ANY OTHER. In fact I think this question gets asked more than the 2 ,3 and 4 most asked question combined on my site. So exactly how quickly can you get 6 pack abs or how long will it take? At the end of this article I will provide you with a very simple formula to work it out. And when I say simple I mean SIMPLE. I am actually working on a calculator that will do it more accurately for you but I just had so many people asking this question that I had to get something on the site asap! So yes there will be people who will have a lot to say about the formula I am going to show you but this is just an easy way to give you an estimate and something to work towards. So back to answer the main question. How long will it take to get 6 pack abs? Well it DEPENDS! Above I just mentioned that the calculation below will be an estimate and well that is all anyone could ever give you, an estimate. For example, when I started my body transformation I was 100lbs over weight. I went to a few fitness pros and asked them how long it will take to get six pack abs. After normally laughing for a while (probably thinking I would never get 6 pack abs, I am that far gone) they normally said Anything from 12 to 18 months . Well you all know the story by now; 6 months after I asked the very first guy how long it will take, I was ripped! So was that a miss calculation on the fitness pros side? Well yes and no. See nobody knows how hard you are going to train. Or how committed you are going to be to your diet. Or even if you are on any good diet ( I used this Diet ) at all or have a results getting workout program. NO BODY KNOWS! Only YOU! And that is why nobody can ever really tell you exactly how quickly you will get 6 pack abs or lose fat and the best they can do is provide you with an estimation based on averages.
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The Calculation
So now that you understand that how quickly you will get 6 pack abs depends on many things and there can be a lot of variants lets look at what is possible and how to find an estimate so that you can set yourself a realistic goal. There are 3 things you need to know to be able to do this calculation.

Your own Body Fat %. How much body Fat you can lose in one week.

At what Body Fat % does your 6 pack abs start showing.

The very first thing I want you to do is find your body fat %. You can go to a professional (Tell them you want a body composition test) to get it done accurately or you can use our calculator for an estimate (Go to Calculator). Next we need to chat about how quickly or how much fat can you drop in 1 week. Remember we dont care about losing WEIGHT because that can be water, muscle etc. We only care about dropping fat. This once again is a very controversial topic as everyone will tell you something else. Most people who will tell you how much fat your can drop have never gone through a body transformation themselves and they will just tell you what they learned out of a book. Now I personally dropped on average 0.9 1% of body fat each week for over 6 months. Most people will tell you that is crazy! It is not possible. I have the proof, and I did it. Obviously I was super dedicated. For example I am a chocoholic and for 6 months I did not touch chocolate. NO sugar passed my lips for 6 months! I trained 6 days per week every week. I ate dam healthy etc etc. I can go on and on but what I am trying to say is this. SURE it is possible but most people will not be as dedicated as I was. Most people are just too busy. They cant be that dedicated even if they wanted to be.So what is a good average then? Well around 0.5 0.7% is what you should be looking for BUT even then you will have to be very dedicated ( The fitness pro I went to did it on around 0.5%). This number will be 100% dependant on how good your workout & diet is and how committed you are to both. 6 Pack Abs dont come easy! Then again, that is why we want them, because it will set us apart from the other average joes! Finally we need to find out at what Body Fat % you will start to see your 6 Pack Abs. One of the main things this will depend on is how well developed your abs are. The more developed they are the higher your fat % can be. If your abs are not very developed then you will need to get your body fat % down a lot more before you will see your abs. That is why the fastest way to get 6 pack abs is to make sure you develop your abs and then drop your fat%. But what is that magic number? Well you should normally start to see your abs at around 7 8% body fat for Male and 11 12% for females. Ok so now that you have the three magic numbers lets do the maths and get you a number!

The Formula

( Current Body Fat % 7(12 for Females ) /(Amount of Body Fat Lost Per Week ) = Weeks it will take to get 6 pack abs Lets quickly run through the formula by using a male who has a 18% body fat.

Current Body Fat % = 18 Amount of Body Fat Lost Per Week = 0.6 (like I said, a good average is 0.5 to 0.7 so lets take it in the middle )

So this guys formula will be:

( 18 7 ) / 0.6 = Weeks it will take him to get 6 pack abs 11/0.6 = 18.3 Weeks

So he should, IF he is on a good diet and workout program and is 100% committed to it have 6 pack abs in just 18 Weeks!

NEVER EAT Now if this guy had very well developed abs and he was extremely dedicated he could cut down the 18 weeks to just 10. ( Calculated on losing 1% body fat per week and only needing to get down to 8% body fat ) Ok so there you are. Like I said, this is an estimation and everyone will be different. This is also a very safe and realistic figure ( Dropping around .5% body fat per week ). Sure if all you did was work out and stick to your

diet 24/7 you could duplicate my weekly loss of around 1% body fat but always remember, do not try and achieve any of this by starving yourself as that is when it becomes dangerous. When people starve themselves and go and train like crazy! That is unhealthy and extremely bad. So get onto a good diet , work out hard and I promise you, no matter what your number is or how many weeks it says above it will be before you will be ripped, the weeks will fly by and you will have 6 pack abs before you know it! In the great quest for proper abs nutrition, it can be difficult to sort out all the garbage from the good stuff. Well, let me rephrase that: It can be difficult if you allow it to be. Honestly, the perfect diet for six pack abs is simple. Eat fresh, whole, healthy foods with as few ingredients as possible. Translation? A whole, fresh apple contains one major ingredient: apple. On the other hand, apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal contains sugar, preservatives, additives, and a whole laundry list of chemically altered substances in addition to the tiny bit of apple flavoring and oats you may get. Now, which sounds better to you?

Banned From Nutrition

Even so, Id rather you go for the oatmeal than that apple turnover pastry taunting you from the deli case. If you are ever going to get those six pack abs you crave, there are a few foods that you absolutely must banand I mean banfrom your diet. Forever! They are: 1. White, bleached, enriched, or otherwise altered flour-based products. There is a reason diabetics are not supposed to eat white bread. White flour has absolutely zero, zilch, nadda, and zip in the way of nutritional value. Got that? Nothing. However, it is converted by the body to sugar when it hits the blood stream, which means that you are just about as well off eating a cupcake as you are to eat a sandwich on white bread. It is nutritionally bankrupt and makes you fat, period. French fries and potato chips a good diet for six pack abs does not make! Yes, I know, they say that everythings fine in moderation. Wrong! Not only are these snacks made of nothing but starch and usually have chemical preservatives, but they are also marinated in trans fat oil. Stay away! If you must have fries, make them yourself at home from fresh potatoes and bake them in the oven. High fructose corn syrup. You knew it was coming, right? This little substance that has become so popular wreaks havoc on your abs nutrition, not to mention the rest of the body. It is not processed in the body the same way as table sugar, but rather has to go through the liver first. Manufacturers are beginning to call it corn sugar as well, so be very careful to read labels. Hint: no sodas! Frozen diet meals. You know, the ones that have the word lean in the name? They are nothing but one big chemically altered smorgasbord of terrible. Besides, a fresh grilled chicken breast with scallions tastes 10 times better anyway! Bad Fast Food. Most fast foods contain a lot of Trans Fats. You know the fats that have no essential purpose other than to lower you good cholesterol and increase your bad cholesterol. In other words, the only thing these kinds of foods is good for, is giving you a heart attack! Not to mention it will only take you away further from being ripped as well.

2.

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5.

Clear these foods out of your abs nutrition plan forever, stick with foods whose ingredients you can readily and easily identify, keep it simple, and youll enjoy showing off those six pack abs in no time!

Fore arms
Forearms, along with abs, neck and lower back, are one of the most neglected body parts by the average gym-goer. Even worse, professional bodybuilders, who are supposed to present the total package of musculature, often don't work forearms. Why is it that nobody seems to care about this extremely important body part? Hopefully I will be able to convince you that forearms are just as important to exercise as chest or legs.

Forearms: Anatomy

Two bones make up the forearm area: the ulna and radius. When the arm is at its side and the hand is supinated (palm facing forward), the ulna is the bone running along the inside of the arm (the medial bone) and the radius is running along the outside (the lateral bone). The proximal (close to the body) joint of the ulna is at the upper arm bone (humerus) at the medial epicondyle (the bony prominence at the end of the humerus on the inside of the arm), and the radius connects at the corresponding lateral epicondyle (the outside prominence) of the humerus. At the distal (far from the body) joint of the forearm, the ulna and radius connect through a series of ligaments to the eight carpal bones of the hand (Lunate, Triquertrum, Pisiform, Hamate, Scaphoid, Capitate, Trapezoid, Trapezium). The musculature of the forearm consists of an amazing amount of muscles. The main pronators (turning palm from facing forward to facing backward) of the forearm are the Pronator Quadratus and the Pronator Teres. The major supinating muscles (turnng palm from backwards to forwards) are the supinator and the biceps brachii muscles. The forearm also contains abductor and adductor muscles (laterally moving the hand outwards and inwards), flexor and extensor muscles (flexing the hand inwards and extending it outwards), and flexors and extensors of the fingers and thumbs.

Forearm Training and Exercises

Reverse Curl: Take the barbell and hold it down at your thighs, gripping it a shoulders length or perhaps an inch or two narrower. Make sure that you have a reverse grip, which means that your palms are facing away from you, not toward you. Keeping your elbows locked into your sides, slowly lift the bar toward your torso. You should stop when your forearms are completely contracted, which means that your hands should be across from your shoulders. Slowly let the weight bring your arms back to the starting position down at your legs while you squeeze your forearm muscles during the negative motion. Try 8-10 reps for three sets. Barbell Wrist Curls: This exercise is more effective from a seated position. Sitting on a bench, take the barbell into your hands with your palms facing upward. Make sure that your hands are together during this exercise, maybe a half inch between them. Also, your elbows should be locked to the insides of your knees. With the weight on your fingertips, your hands should be pointing toward the floor as your wrist forms an angle of almost 90 degrees. Then, roll your hands upward, as the bar gradually rolls into your palms, until your wrists are straight and no longer bent downward. Squeeze the forearms throughout the entire range of motion. Slowly allow the weight to bring your hands back down to the starting position. Repeat the motion, doing 8-10 repetitions for a set of three. Reverse Barbell Wrist Curls: This exercise is practically identical to the barbell wrist curls (above) with one exception. The palms are facing downward instead of upward. Sit on the bench and lock you elbows inside your knees. The weight should be down at your fingertips and your wrists bent toward the floor. Slowly roll the weight into your palms, lifting the weight upward, squeezing the forearm muscles the entire time. Bring your wrists up as far as theyll go, and then slowly bring the weight down to the starting position. These should really burn! Try three sets of 8-10 reps.

ABS
The proper way to train abs is widely debated by experts. In reality, what works for someone else may not work for you. Since everyone has a different body type, results will vary from person to person.

Abs Exercises
There are several exercises you can do for abs. Many of the people I work with do not realize that most abdominal exercises are either ineffective or not needed. With that said, there are several noteworthy abdominal exercises. Here are two: 1. Crunches Most already know how to perform this exercise. It is basic, yet highly effective. Abdominal crunches can be performed on various surfaces (mats, balls, etc.). Instructions: From the supine position (on your back), contract your abdomen, then return to the starting position. The neck should elevate only a few inches from the ground. Never crank the neck. It should literally remain in a relatively static position during the entire movement. Crunches should be performed in a slow and controlled fashion. You should exhale as you contract your abs.

Here is the same exercise performed on a stability ball:

Visit workoutz.com for FREE exercise video demonstrations, exercise equipment, and more!

2. Twisting Crunches Twisting crunches are similar to regular crunches, except the main focus is on the oblique muscles, which are located on the sides of the abdomen. Instructions:

From a supine position (lying down on your back with head facing up), crunch the abdomen. As you near the end of the movement, twist your torso as far as you can. Focus on "crunching" each side of your abs. When done correctly, you should feel the burn in the oblique muscles.

The following is a basic abs workout for beginners:

Exercise Crunches Side Crunches Sets up to 5 up to 5 Repetitions 10 or more 10 or more

Be sure to hold each contraction/repetition (aka "rep") for approximately three seconds. The key is to perform the exercise slowly so that it is more effective. As you contract the abs, breathe out (simultaneously). It should take less than 15 minutes to complete a moderate to vigorous intensity ab workout. As you progress, you can slowly begin to add exercises and/or repetitions to make the workout more challenging.

Abs Diet Advice

"You don't have to diet. You just have to use diet modification."

Diet modification involves eating the foods you love, but in a way that allows you to tighten up your midsection. "Dieting" requires too many inconvenient nutritional sacrifices which cannot be sustained. Listed below are helpful diet modification techniques: Caloric Reduction What is the best way to diet for awesome abs? For many, a caloric reduction is ideal. When you eat and don't burn enough calories, you increase your chances of storing excess bodyfat. A caloric reduction is the first step in getting flat abs. It will help to minimize the amount of excess energy available for the body to store as fat. Nutritional Supplementation The use of protein shakes or meal replacement drinks can be a highly effective tool in caloric reduction and overall nutrient balance. These convenient, on-the-go meals may also help to curb the appetite. Portion Sizes Portion sizes count! A low fat diet can still result in a protracted gut. The stomach is an incredible organ that can "make room" for unusual amounts of food. So one way to shrink your belly is to reduce the amount of food it can hold. This can be accomplished by simply controlling the quantity of food you eat; particularly in one sitting. You in essence have to create a virtual Lap-Band(TM) or stomach staple in order to reduce the amount of food the stomach can hold. Change the Way You Think Psychology plays an integral role in achieving and maintaining a lean midsection. There are a multitude of environmental stimuli which profoundly impact how we behave. Here are just two examples: The first is with regard to dietary habits. Many of us have been conditioned to "clean our plates" because there are starving kids in the world. This horrible logic gets passed on from generation to generation.

While this may be true, it also leads to overeating which can result in obesity, and subsequently, a myriad of metabolic disorders. The second example... Don't be so quick to buy that economically priced value meal at your favorite restaurant. The food industry hasconditioned us to pick the best meal deal. Such deals are hard to refuse and they make sense financially: If you buy item X plus item Y, then item Z is only 40 cents more. Avoid these deals as much as you can. Instead, consider buying only the sandwich and the smallestdrink they sell. Skip the fries/chips, as you will save tons of calories (and the 40 cents).

Listed below are three sample nutritional programs that I have used with success. They are provided as general guidelines and should never be tested without approval from a doctor or licensed/certified nutrition expert. Each plan is intended to accommodate my individual needs. For example, if I only have time to eat four times per day, then I use program #1. Alternatively, I can start with nutrition program #1, then progress to programs 2 and 3 as needed.
Program #1 (one shake, 2 small meals, 1 light snack) Meal 1: Light breakfast Meal 2: Small meal Meal 3: Snack Meal 4: Small meal

Program #2 (two shakes, 2 small meals, 1 light snacks) Meal 1: Meal replacement drink/protein shake Meal 2: Snack Meal 3: Small meal Meal 4: Meal replacement drink/protein shake

Meal 5: Small meal

Program #3 (two shakes, 2 small meals, 2 light snacks) Meal 1: Light breakfast Meal 2: Snack Meal 3: Meal replacement drink/protein shake Meal 4: Snack Meal 5: Small meal Meal 6: Meal replacement drink/protein shake

Next, with one example I'll explain how I apply the proper nutrients to each abs diet plan for best results. The indicated food choices are just a few of the possibilities. I vary the food selections often to meet my individual needs. The following example applies to program #2:

Meal 1 Protein shake with banana blended in Meal 2 Raisin bagel half, cinnamon applesauce or pineapple chunks, water or water-based beverage of choice (e.g. natural fruit juices or watered down sugar drinks) Meal 3 Half sandwich (6 inch), fruit cup/cocktail, water or water-based beverage of choice Meal 4 Protein shake with fruit mixed in Meal 5 Seasoned chicken strips with spinach, 1 dinner roll, any dessert (up to 200 kcals), water or water-based beverage of choice

Is it bad to eat after 8:00pm? No. The metabolism constantly burns calories at all hours of the day. The 8:00pm rule is an arbitrary time interval. If you are physically active, there should be no reason to eliminate food after 8:00pm as your energy expenditure is always elevated... even while you sleep. Typically, those with more lean muscle mass have a higher metabolic rate. So if you really want to boost your resting metabolic rate, incorporate strength training into your workout routine. Surprisingly, strength training has a better effect on metabolism than cardiovascular training. Reason? Lean muscle requires more energy usage. The cells are larger. Muscle cells also have more capillaries, which are essential for oxygen and nutrient delivery. Simply put, the body has to expend more energy to service and feed lean muscle. It is important to note that you must still perform cardiovascular activity regularly. But adding lean muscle mass will enhance your fat-burning efforts considerably. My main points:

Monitor caloric intake Consider protein or meal replacement supplements Eat high-calorie foods in moderation Eat smaller meal portions Change your thought patterns

Useful Abdominal Tips

Tip #1 Perform cardiovascular activity before your abs workout. When the body is warmed up as a result of cardiovascular activity, it allows for a better contraction on the abs when you work them. In essence, the warm up enables you to better feel the deep muscular burning sensation when your abs are worked. It also helps to prevent abdominal pulls or muscle strains.

Tip #2 Minimize rest time in between exercises. Limit rest time in between each exercise to about 1 minute or less. This technique makes your workout more "aerobic" and keeps the metabolism high; possibly allowing you to burn fat at a greater rate during exercise. The term aerobic means "using oxygen."

Abdominal Myths
I must train abs for several hours for them to be defined. In reality, long workouts provide no additional benefit for your abs. It may even cause them to get weaker as a result of overtraining. As previously mentioned, effective ab workouts are typically short in duration. Fat burners will help me burn fat around my abs. Although they can be effective temporarily, fat burners do not target specific areas of the body. Fat is burned throughout the entire body. I mentioned earlier that most fat loss will come as a result of both diet modification and exercise. I have to go on a strict diet to get good abs. In fact, with the diet modification technique, anyone can turn their abs into a decent work of art. You do not have to go on an extreme diet to see results. Instead, simply aim to be more cognizant of the types and amounts of food you eat. My six pack abs will show up better if I incorporate weighted abdominal training into my routine. Don't waste your time. Unless you are looking to build strength, weights provide no additional benefit for your abs. Abs will never grow as the larger muscles of the body do (e.g. legs or chest). The increase in abdominal thickness is minimal with abdominal training. Why is this? Well, it's because the abs are predominately a type 1 muscle fiber, which means that they are highly resistant to fatigue. If they were meant to grow in size, they would have type 2 fibers as we see in the larger muscles of the body.

Here's the truth... To get your abs to show up better, you have to sculpt them. The sculpting of the abs is best done with a combination of sound nutrition and exercise, not weighted abdominal training. I can eat fattening meals because if I workout, I can easily burn if off. In some cases, this is true. There are many who have genes that can quickly metabolize any type of food as usable energy. However, many cannot eat high-calorie meals consistently and get away with it. I should do leg lifts and leg raises to target my lower abs. This is a classic myth. The abdominal muscle, which is scientifically referred to as the rectus abdominis, functions as one group. Lower and upper abs are not separate muscle groups. Need proof? Get into the crunch position and touch your "lower" abs. Now slowly lift your upper back off the ground to perform a crunch. Be sure to keep your neck straight. Did you feel that? The lower and upper portion of the abs contract in unison. Bottom line: You cannot single out the lower abs. It is true, however, that the fibers of the lower abdomen tend to contract more so than do the upper abs during the later phase of the leg lift exercise. If I do hundreds of sit-ups everyday, I'll have toned abs. Exercise alone does not define the abs. However, exercise may make the abs more prominent once the fat has been removed from around them as a result of nutrition modification.

Abs Questions & Answers

How can I get a six-pack?

Anyone can have defined abs with a few key concepts and techniques. Everyone actually has a good set of abs; it's just a matter of removing the fat and sculpting them through nutrition and exercise. How many sit-ups should I do to tone my abs? Remember, nutrition is what mainly "tones" the abs. Total body exercise should be your second choice in your quest for the prized six pack. What is the best way to lose fat around my midsection? The best way to burn fat over the "entire" body is through diet modification and exercise. The human body burns fat best when calories are reduced and you are consistent with a diet that doesn't exceed the demands of your daily physical activity level. In addition, supplementation with thermogenic formulas, meal replacements, and whey protein may be beneficial. What is the best abdominal exercise? There is no single best exercise per se, but if I had to choose, it would be the traditional abdominal crunch with the knees elevated on a bench or workout ball. What is the best way to train the abs? Consider performing all ab exercises using high repetitions. The abs have a high level of resistance to muscle fatigue. Rest time in between sets should be kept to a minimum. How often should I train my abs? Opinions vary from training abs just once a week to every single workout. The key thing to remember is that everyone has a different body type and different goals. Test different training intervals to find out which method works best for your body. For starters, train the abs once or twice per week.

How to get a six pack in a month is not impossible if you can satisfy the initial requirements for getting six pack abs. If you have already managed to lose the excess body fat or just lucky enough to have a natural slim frame, you can definitely develop those killer abs in a month. The normal process in getting a six pack is to lose the body fat first then tone the muscles to define those hard little lumps. This implies that getting a six pack in just a month is definitely possible. However the possibility depends on your initial body frame. If you have already managed to lose the excess body fat or just lucky enough to have a natural slim frame, you can definitely develop those killer abs in a month. On the other hand, if you are the type of person who is quite huge, it may take extra time to get a six pack because you need to focus in losing weight first. How to get a six pack in a month step #1: Find the right reason Most people want to have six pack abs because it looks sexy and it gives them the confidence to strut their body on a skimpy swimwear. But since people want to achieve different things for different reasons, it is just right that you will have your own reason/s why you want to have those much coveted abs as well. And whatever that reason is, write it down and post it somewhere you can easily see it as this will serve as your motivation to never give up. How to get a six pack in a month step #2: Formulate your game plan It is highly recommended that you make a fitness plan to achieve your goal. You may seek help from gym instructors, nutritionists, and other fitness experts to formulate your game plan. Your game plan should include details on your diet, your daily workout routine, and other activities that will contribute to achieve your goal. A template for a four- week plan in getting a six pack is as follows: Week Number:___ Diet Breakfast: (350 calories) AM Snacks: (250 calories) Lunch: (350 calories) PM snacks: (250 calories) Dinner: (350 calories) Opening General Exercise Warm- up: 5 minutes Cardio machine 1: 10 minutes Cardio machine 2: 15 minutes Cardio machine 3: 10 minutes Upper body workout: 25 reps x 2 cycles Lower body workout: 25 reps x 2 cycles Abdominal Exercises Workout for Rectus Abdominis: 25 reps x 3 to 4 cycles Workout for Transverse Abdominis: 25 reps x 2 to 3 cycles Workout for Internal Oblique: 25 reps x 2 to 3 cycles Workout for External Obllique: 25 reps x 2 to 3 cycles

Closing General Exercise Cardio machine 4: 10 minutes Cardio machine5: 10 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes Other Activities- (optional) Sports: Dancing: Yoga: How to get a six pack in a month step# 3: Eat high protein foods with low calories Protein is responsible for repairing and building muscles. And since muscles increase metabolism, it is easier for you to maintain a normal weight if you have developed your muscles, thus it is important to eat foods rich in protein to get a six pack abs fast. However, be warned because a lot of protein-rich food contains high amount of fat. Best food choices for high proteinlow calorie foods are red meat with fat scraped off and lean chicken breast without the skin. How to get a six pack in a month step #4: Commit on an exercise routine Workouts are your best friend if you want to see six packs on your belly. However, you must do a full body workout to promote balance on all the muscles in your body. That means, you need to have varieties of cardio exercises like rowing and stationary bikes, upper body workouts like weight lifting and chest workouts, as well as lower body workout like leg raises and lunges. But most importantly, you need to have special workout that focuses on the major muscles of your abdomen. How to get a six pack in a month step #5: Track your progress To keep you motivated, take a picture of your self before you start the fitness plan then each week after that. Place it in a journal or post it somewhere you can easily see so youll have the drive to continue and finish the program. Learning how to get a six pack is a desire by many but achieved by a few. This happens because people want to see fast results yet they are unprepared and undetermined enough to get it. It requires more than just a big mouth to have a six pack; it requires determination and commitment as well.

ONE WEEK
Do you really think that is possible to get a six pack in a week? You must be naive to believe that there is a product or service that will help you get ripped abs in just one week. Unfortunately this is not possible. There are ways on how to get a six pack fast but not as fast as seven days. Do not fall into the marketing tricks of those expert companies that advertise the secrets of getting a six pack in a week. They are just ways to convince you to buy their products and nothing more. Miracles do not happen, at least not when it comes to weight loss, fat loss and forming a six pack.

To finally manage to form a six pack takes a lot of work, effort and patience. There are many factors that you need to take into account and this usually and normally takes more than one week. The only way to get a six pack in a week is to be in the final stage of forming your six pack abs and the only thing left is to exercise your abs intensively as to make them stand out and look stronger. Other than that you need to work out your way slowly and systematically, taking care of what you eat and how you exercise. So, now that we have cleared out that it is not feasible to get a six pack in a week lets see a step-by-step approach on how to get a six pack. Step 1: Do you have extra fat accumulated in the belly? Some people do not understand a very simple fact about six pack abs. In order to form a six pack you need to first get rid of the extra fat cells from your belly. You cannot get a six pack if there is still fat in that area because simply they will never be visible. For the purpose of losing fat from the belly there are no specific exercises you can do but instead you should take care of your diet and ensure that you eliminate the consumption of foods and drinks that add to the fat cells. A diet is the primary way to fight belly fat and then exercise. If you want to tone up your abs in a week then you need to follow a very strict diet that eliminates, fats, sugars, carbohydrates, red meat and is rich in fiber (fruits and vegetables), poultry, protein, fish and lots and lots of water. Step 2: Exercise your abs all day long There are some exercises that are great for your abs but there are also a number of daily activities that can help you exercise your abs all-day long without understanding it. For example if you take the stairs instead of the lift and keep an upright posture while you are walking can help strengthen your muscles with literally no effort. This of course will not replace your regular six pack workout but it can serve as a bonus to your existing workout. Step 3: Do not forget the basics of getting a six pack The correct order to get a six pack is: Lose weight Lose body fat Lose belly fat and then form a six pack. If you do not follow this order and just work on your six packs you will fail. Be patient, this process cannot be completed in a week, you may need a number of weeks or months to reach the final stage but this is the way to go. First make sure that you get rid of the excess pounds, and then concentrate on how to lose your body fat and especially your belly fat and as a final step give priority to your workout for getting six pack abs. Spend your time wisely and sooner or later you will see the results you want.

1. Youre a heart-healthy eater if * You limit fat intake by trimming fat off meat and using low fat dairy. * You eat two to three servings of vegetables daily. * You eat four or fewer servings of carb (rice, potatoes) and alternatives a day. * You limit sweets and desserts but still eat them in small amounts.

Your risk of heart disease is lower than most people, thanks to your love of vegetables, fruit, lean meat and fish. However, you should eat more foods rich in high-fibre carbs, unsaturated fat and protein from plant sources (beans and legumes).

2. Youre a high-fat eater if * You like foods rich in animal fat - red meat and full cream milk. * You like vegetables with plenty of sauce and dressing. * You avoid adding sugar to foods, but have a sweet tooth. * You often use butter of jam when you eat bread. Meat, sauces, butter, full-fat dairy, sweets - youll only feel satisfied after a rich, tasty meal. Your conscience makes you choose low-fat foods once in a while but you still end up with a diet high in saturated fat, mostly from fatty meats, creamy sauces or soups and thick, creamy spreads like butter and peanut butter. 3. Youre an empty-calorie eater if * You like snacks and sweet foods, especially desserts. * You use a lot of fat like butter and shortening. * You drink at least two sweetened drinks a day. * You get less than two servings of vegetables a day. You tend to eat a lot of animal fat, processed foods and refined carbs, including sweetened foods. You need to cultivate healthy eating habits - eat fewer instant foods and sweets, and choose lean meats and fish. 4. Youre a light eater if * Youre calorie-conscious and watch portions but sometimes lose control and indulge then deprive yourself of food. * Your weight is a typical yo-yo dieting example that can fluctuate 5 to 10 kg a year. * You avoid all sweets, carbs, fat and junk food. * You are dutiful in consuming your two servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits daily.

Youre self disciplined in keeping anything deemed high-calorie or high-fat away. You can eat the least number of calories compared to other people, but you#re never truly satisfied with your meals and have food cravings so often that you end up bingeing. This results in drastic weight fluctuations that increase your risk of heart disease. This type of eaters are prone to eating disorders, so get help immediately! 5. Youre a wine drinker if * You have at least one alcoholic drink a day. * You prefer savoury food over sweets. * You enjoy eating gourmet cheese, pte and caviar. * You have no problem eating fat when its already in foods like cheese but tend not to add butter of spreads. Your diet needs minor fine-tuning. You eat fruit and vegetables daily and keep desserts to a minimum, but your overall nutritional intake consists of excessive alcohol. If youre a firm believer that red wine is good for your heart, note that excessive alcohol negates the benefits of the polyphenols found in the wine. Facts: Carbs are not fattening! Its the portion size that matters. Refer to theportion control diagram to get a visual idea.

Posted by Karthick at 2:04 PM 2 comments Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook

How 2 reduce weight?

Losing weight is every womans dream or want. But how bad do we want to lose weight that sometimes losing weight is merely coming from the mouth. Yeah, I am saying this because I am in that position too. Sometimes having a crosstrainer at home or that threadmill is not always the solution that one will exercise to lose weight.

In this scenario, motivation and discipline is very important. The question here is how to get motivated? One thing that really work is to take a photo of your flabby/heavy self and paste it on a mirror or better still in front of the fridge where you could be reminded easily. Its like looking at a sexy model, what do you think when you see one. You feel envious right? Yes, and thats exactly what you should feel. Paste that models photo next to your photo (side by side) and tell yourself to achieve that goal, well maybe not as perfect as the model but the idea behind this is to motivate yourself and to have desire to lose weight and achieve it. Give yourself a time frame, say 6 months to lose 12 lbs which is a sensible figure to lose. Remember you need to lose weight slowly, do something that you enjoy and at the same time burning some calories. A good example is to jog early in the morning or take a brisk walk for 10 minutes daily or increase it to 30 minutes every other day. Losing or reducing weight is easy when it is inserted in our daily routine.

And another thing, try to resist snacking late during the night. I am not saying that you couldnt enjoy chocolate and sweets stuff, but try to minimize the intake to once a week. Make Sunday your snacking day so you dont crave so badly.

Weak Point Training In order to build a more muscular chest you will need to do chest when you are fresh and with more sets than ever before.

Lagging Body part Outer Chest Lower Chest Rib Cage Upper Chest Inner Chest

Exercise Full Stretched out Flyes Decline Press Pullovers Incline Chest Press Full Contraction Flyes Narrow grip Bench Press

Advanced Chest Workouts

High set training combined with Supersets is what I recommend for advanced bodybuilders in addition to more variety.

Sample Advanced Chest Workouts

Workout # 1 Barbell Bench Press - 2 warm up sets, 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps Incline Bench Press - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps Dumbbell Flyes - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps, Superset with Machine Flyovers for last set. Pullovers - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps.

Points to Remember Keep increasing weights every set, even if it is a 5 lb increase. Progressive resistance is the only way to build muscle.

Keep stretching your chest muscles in between exercises.

Workout # 2 Dumbbell Bench Press - 2 warm up sets, 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps Cable Crossovers - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps Pullovers - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps.

Points to Remember

Keep increasing weights every set, even if it is a 5 lb increase. Progressive resistance is the only way to build muscle. Keep stretching your chest muscles in between exercises.

Workout # 3

Barbell Bench Press - 2 warm up sets, 5 sets of 10,8,6,4,2reps Decline Bench Press - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps Dumbbell Flyes - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps, Superset with Machine Flyovers for last set. Pullovers - 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 reps.

Points to Remember

Keep increasing weights every set, even if it is a 5 lb increase. Progressive resistance is the only way to build muscle.

Keep stretching your chest muscles in between exercises.

Varying your Workouts

Sometimes it gets boring to perform same exercises week after week. Change over from Barbells to Dumbbells, add a few new exercises or just combine 2 body parts like chest and back and add exercises that hit both the muscles like pullovers, dips and rows.

1. Make changes to your lifestyle to effectively build muscle. This means drinking more water, eating more lean protein and fiber, and making more time to engage in vigorous, fat-burning exercise. Sleeping well is also important, because it keeps your body healthy and facilitates muscle growth. With that, read on for specific exercises that target your biceps.

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2. 2
Bicep Curls. These are the best exercises for biceps. There are hundreds of different kinds of curls, each used to help work out a specific part of the body. Curls are done with dumbbells and barbells. Some of these are listed below:

3. 3
Basic Biceps Curl. The standard biceps curl targets the whole muscle. Start by holding the barbell or dumbbell in your hands with your arms facing down. Keep your elbows straight and held in tight to your sides. Exhale as you bring the bar to the chest until your biceps are fully contracted. Then inhale as you lower it (don't drop it, do it slowly.) Repeat.

4. 4
Concentration Curl. This curl targets the upper biceps. Sit down on a chair or bench with a dumbbell in one of your hands. Lean forward slightly and place your triceps (back of the arm) on the inside of your thigh. Inhale as your lower, and exhale as your bring it up to your shoulder. Switch to other arm.

5. 5
Hammer Curl. The hammer curl targets the lower bicep. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your leg. Exhale as your bring your forearm up until it touches your biceps. Inhale as you lower, keeping the elbows close to the body.

6. 6

Body Drag Curls. In a standing barbell curl position, slide the bar upward against your body until it reaches your mid-chest level - about as high as you'll be able to move it without cheating it up - then lower the bar the same way, making sure it does not lose contact with your torso. Your elbows will move backward and your shoulders cannot assist in the movement.

7. 7
Reverse Curls. Start by holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palm facing behind you, the top of your hand facing forward. In one swift movement, bring the dumbbell up at the same time as turning it. You should end up with your arm in the basic bicep curl position. Lower and repeat. This is a great exercise for both biceps and forearms.

8. 8
Preacher curls. Preacher curls target most of bicep and help in increasing strength. Start by taking a barbell or a pair of dumbbells and rest your arms on the pad and press your chest against it. Curl the weight slowly and bring it back down. The preacher pad isolates your biceps as well. When doing these curls keep the bar right at the middle, not at the bottom or top. Then you will get really strong.

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EditVideo

This video demonstrates four different bicep curls and half-curls.

EditTips The most common mistake made when doing curls is doing them too fast and/or lowering the weight too fast. Take your time. Raise and lower the weight at the same pace and avoid getting sloppy. You'll appreciate the results. Know that other common bicep exercises include the preacher curl, incline biceps curl, cable curl, and the lying bicep curl.

The key to having great guns is to exercise your triceps too. Your triceps make up most of your arm and toned triceps give definition to your biceps. Weight doesn't matter as much as form. If you have to start at ten pounds, that's all right. Just make sure you keep the form and technique good. Once you find it easier to do your current weight, it's time to take it up another five pounds or so. When your current weight is easier, but any extra weight makes it too hard, simply do more reps with your current weight until you have built up enough strength to do a sizable amount of repetitions with the next weight. Using walls as a support whilst pushing against using your arms will supply you with a good head start, seeing as it uses your own body weight and you can turn and twist to suit. If you are wanting to gain big biceps you should find the weight that suits you, and should keep your reps short, 8 reps is enough, your 8th rep should be near enough impossible to lift, do 3 sets of each exercise you do. Only doing curls will not get you "guns", you need to exercise your whole body, especially the legs. To put 1 inch of muscle on your arms, you will need to increase lean mass by 4 pounds! First work on size then on curls, because if you curl first, then it is difficult to work on size.

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EditWarnings

Never use a weight that is too heavy for good form (for example requires you to swing and use momentum for the lift). Without good form you will not get optimum muscle growth, and you risk injury too. There is no need to use a power cage or squat rack for curls. If you cannot pick the weight off the floor, you shouldn't really be performing curls at that weight either. Again, doing so could result in injury.