Category: Workout programs (Page 11 of 12)

Your guide to guns: Nine weeks to bigger arms

March 13, 2008 / Anthony Stalter

It’s no secret that when most guys decide to start lifting weights, they do it to try and improve on one of these three muscle groups: their chest, arms and/or abs.

Well, Bullz-Eye.com fitness editor Mike Furci has you covered on one of those three muscle groups in his two-part guide: Nine weeks to bigger arms.

In part one, Mike discusses how to train your biceps, with a focus on four fundamental principles: variety, concentration, form (not poundage) and work the muscles from all angles. Mike also details the exercises, tempo and sets you should use to help develop?your biceps.

In part two, Mike writes about triceps and once again gives you the exercises, tempo and sets you need to complete your?goal?of bigger arms.

Now all you need to do is get to work.

Arms, Bodybuilding, General training, Specific workouts, Weight training, Workout programs

Workout without the weights

June 15, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Common knowledge tells us that if we want to pack on muscle, weights – and therefore a gym for most of us – are necessary to accomplish our goals. However, using weights doesn’t need to be the end-all-be-all to get in shape.

Here’s an article by Men’s Health.com that shows you five ways to get stronger without lifting weights. In the article, you’ll find ways to add stress to your muscles doing the simplest of movements, develop better balance, and incorporate multiple muscle groups while doing exercises like lunges, sit ups and pushups.

I’m not encouraging anyone to ditch your weight lifting routine for this workout, instead incorporate this into your regular regime as a way to maximize your gains.

Exercise, General fitness, General training, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

Work a desk job? Your shoulders and chest could be suffering

May 24, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Being a writer, the majority of my day is spent sitting at a desk and starring at a computer all day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining – I love my job. The only problem is sitting at a desk all day is apparently limiting my gains in the gym, and now I am complaining.

I stumbled onto this article at MSN.com about posture in reference to your shoulders and chest. Human instincts tell us to slouch forward while typing or reading at a computer and with that, our heads also come forward, putting more weight on our neck, upper back and shoulders. Our chest is also affected:

If your shoulders are slumped forward for long periods of time, your chest muscles become shortened. That is, since these muscles attach to your upper arms, the distance they need to extend when you slouch is less than when your shoulders are drawn back. Over time, the chest muscles adapt to this position as their natural length, pulling your shoulders forward. As a result, many of the shoulder’s stabilizers are overstretched, which makes them weaker.

Now why the hell are we going to log so much time on the bench press if we’re just going to waste that effort the next six or so hours sitting behind a desk? The article recommends doing “10 standing shoulder retractions every hour when working at a computer.” Stand and pull your shoulder blades together – while also keeping your head and shoulders above your pelvis – for 3 seconds. This movement forces your chest muscles to extend, which prevents them from becoming permanently shortened.

The article also gets into ways to strengthen the muscles around our shoulders (i.e. rear delts, rotator-cuff, scapular), which we tend to ignore because we don’t see them when we look for gains in the mirror. Doing some of these recommended exercises will in turn grow the muscles will can check out in the mirror, as well as keep our posture straight so that doesn’t effect our workout gains. Plus, as a general rule of thumb, you should always be working out the surrounding muscles in every group, not just your shoulders.

Chest, General fitness, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

The power of dumbbells

May 1, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

It’s often understated just how effect dumbbells can be to one’s workout. While a complete workout should tailor to barbell, machine and dumbbell exercises, the benefits of packing your routine with dumbbell movements are highly beneficial.

Just some of the key benefits to using dumbbells:

? Range of motion. Unlike most barbell exercises, which lock you into a fixed plane of movement, dumbbells require more of the smaller, stabilizing muscle groups to come into play. When you strengthen and build the stabilizing muscle groups, you can max the value of doing core exercises such as the bench press and squat.

? Isolation. When using dumbbells, you’re more apt to target the muscle group you’re trying to workout. When using a barbell during exercise, people have the tendency to overcompensate on one side just to get the bar moving. Dumbbells force you to isolate the muscle group you’re working out.

?Relatively inexpensive. Anyone looking to build a home gym or someone who just doesn’t have the time to get to the gym can benefit from a couple of inexpensive dumbbells. Depending on weight, dumbbells usually only range from $20 to $100, so there’s no excuse not to have a couple stored under the bed for quick workouts if you can’t get to the gym.

As previously noted, a complete workout should have exercises ranging in barbells, dumbbells and machines, but don’t be afraid to overload your routine with dumbbell movements. Click here to learn more information on dumbbell workouts and their benefits.

Exercise, General fitness, General training, Weight training, Workout programs

Mastering the Pull-up

April 25, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

As a beginner – or even if you’re experienced – nothing can be more embarrassing than jumping up on a bar and only banging out one pull-up. In fact, the average person approaches the pull-up bar like he or she is about to steal something, looking around to see if anyone else is watching before hammering out a sloppy, uncontrolled couple of sets.

Well, stop it, because you’re only hurting yourself by not maximizing the value the pull-up can bring. Your latissimus dorsi (back) is the biggest muscle in your body and if you want a V-shape torso, the pull-up can’t be viewed as the red headed stepchild of your workout any longer.

Here is an article from Men’s Health magazine dedicated to mastering the pull-up. It has a step-by-step guide on helping you improve add reps to your pull-up routine. It doesn’t matter if you can do 0 to 1 reps or 8 to 12, this article should help you maximize the benefits of the pull-up.

Here’s a taste of what the article offers. For the entire column, click here.

Your Best Effort: 0 TO 1
The problem: You’re not strong enough to lift your body weight.
The fix: Turn your weakness into an advantage with heavy “negatives.” Doing only the lowering portion of an exercise with a heavier weight than you can lift is a fast way to build strength.
How to do it: First, a couple of definitions.
– Chinup: This is the same movement as a pullup, but you’ll use a shoulder-width, underhand grip. Because your biceps are more involved, it’s a little easier than the pullup.
– Neutral-grip pullup: Again, it’s the same basic movement, but you’ll grip the parallel bars of the pullup station so your palms are facing each other. This is harder than a chinup, but not as hard as a pullup.
Now follow the workout schedule below, using this method of performing negatives: Place a bench under a pullup bar and use it to boost your body so your chin is above the bar. Then take the prescribed amount of time — either 5 to 6 seconds or 8 to 10 seconds — to lower your body. Once your arms are straight, jump back up to the top position and repeat. Rest for 60 seconds after each set.
Week 1: Chinup : 3 sets : 5–6 reps : 5–6 seconds
Week 2: Neutral- grip pullup : 3 sets : 5–6 reps : 5–6 seconds
Week 3: Neutral- grip pullup : 2 sets : 5–6 reps : 8–10 seconds
Week 4: Pullup : 2 sets : 5–6 reps : 8–10 seconds

Back, Bodybuilding, Exercise, Specific workouts, Uncategorized, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci