5 Astounding Benefits of Bodyweight Exercises for Athletes

A lot of people talk about the benefits of bodyweight exercises for athletes, but it's still hard to believe that something as simple as moving your body around in different positions can make you stronger, more fit, and help you lose weight. Bodyweight exercises don't use anything besides your own arms and legs to work you out. Bodybuilders in general tend to put down some of these methods because they don't see how pushups can help you gain as much muscle as deadlifts or bench presses. The truth is, it's all in the leverage.

What I mean by that is that the way you position your body for the workout is the most important part of bodyweight workouts. For example, you can probably do several pushups in a row (if not, that's a good place to start!) But how many one arm handstand pushups can you pull off before your biceps max out?

In the end, I feel that bodyweight exercises, when done correctly, have just as much benefit as any other type of workout you could get at your local World Gym branch. Sometimes even more. There are 5 main benefits to bodyweight workouts that you might not be aware of.

#1 – Weight Loss

Weight loss and bodyweight exercises go hand in hand for several reasons. The main reason is that bodyweight workouts give you aerobic activity at the same time as resistance activity. Many of the positions that you get into for your bodyweight routine will leave you panting to catch your breath.

Also consider the fact that the body is a complex machine, almost like an ecosystem. It's lazy too; it constantly looks for ways to make its job easier, whether you're aware of it happening or not. Unlike weight training, bodyweight exercises use your own weight as the resistance (not to state the obvious), and one thing that your body will want to do is reduce that weight, and it does so by funneling more energy into the consumption of excess body fat. To see this in action, try a Rotating“T” Pushup. 

#2 – Muscle Mass

This is where most bodybuilders and heavy lifters get into an uproar about bodyweight exercises. Lifting weights allows you to adjust the resistance according to your own abilities, but it also makes you more prone to injury. You can achieve the same resistance by performing several simple exercises in your own home, without weights. The main goal in any workout (if you want to add bulk) is to push your muscles to failure. The added mass comes from the recovery process, when your muscles stitch themselves back together, bigger and stronger than before.

In the end, it doesn't matter how you reach that point of failure. Scientifically speaking, 50 pushups will get you to the same point as 50 bench presses. Same with squats. If typical exercises like that don't give you the burn you need, mix it up a little bit, try a Hindu pushup or something else that increases the leverage of the motion.

#3- Strength

If you're planning to start working out, you need to keep one thing straight: muscle mass does not equal strength. Strength comes from the quality of the workouts and the combined effort of multiple muscle groups working as one. That's why someone like Bruce Li, who is pretty small in comparison to other athletes, could perform pushups with just the thumb and forefinger of one hand, or break a man's ribcage with a single kick.

Strength with bodyweight exercises comes from the fluid combination of multiple muscle groups, most notably the core muscles and whatever extremities you're currently working out. You're probably sitting in a chair reading this, so try this:

Back away from the computer desk and place your hands on the edges of the chair, near your hips. Now push your body up off the chair using just your arms. What muscles are you using? Your biceps, shoulders, abs, and upper back. This orchestrated concert is what gives you strength, not isolated weight training exercises.

#4- Overall Fitness

This is what everybody should strive for, although many people want the image of health more than the reality of health. That's fine, I'm not here to preach to you about what you should do with your body. Overall fitness from bodyweight exercises gives you a compact, toned physique. Look at an Olympic gymnast's body to see what fitness looks like. Look at a parkour enthusiast. This is the ability to run, jump, lift, push, and endure, pushing the capabilities of the human body to the limit.

There are a lot of different exercises that you can use to increase your fitness level. A great one is the Ellipse, http://strongmanexercises.blogspot.com/2011/04/hindu-pushups-and-hindu-squats-are.html but there are plenty of others out there. The great thing about bodyweight exercises is that there's no limit to what you can do.

#5- Freedom

And finally we come to the last benefit of bodyweight exercises. How would you like the freedom to be able to workout any time, no matter where you are? If you can't make it to the gym after work one day, don't sweat it! Head home, arrange some chairs or clear a space on the floor and you have all the gym you could ever ask for. This gives you total flexibility in your workout schedule so that you don't have to squeeze it into your busy life.

If you want a fat free body with increased dexterity and agility, give bodyweight exercises a shot. Whether you're a martial artist, athlete, or just someone who wants more control over the way they look, bodyweight exercises make the perfect choice.

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6 Delicious Foods for Losing Weight

For people who want to lose weight, diets may sound like the best option. But think about it: what is a diet specifically? Is it a program that forces you to eat less than you normally would? Diet is the general term for anything that you put into your body. If you're eating fatty fried foods all day, that's your diet. The same thing goes when you eat healthy. It's your diet. So to lose weight, the best route is not to go with some fad “diet” that starves you, but to work on your overall food intake as a whole.

These are some of the best foods for losing weight, and best of all they actually taste good. All of these foods help you burn fat by boosting your metabolism. You may not have realized this, but eating can actually help you lose weight. When you stop eating, your metabolism slows down to preserve your energy levels. Constant, minimal snacking is the best way to keep your metabolism at its highest level, and these foods can help you do it.

#1 Food for Losing Weight- Eggs

Want to lose weight and keep your cholesterol down? Eat eggs, and the whole egg, not just the whites. Most of the beneficial nutrients like protein, vitamin B, and vitamin D are in the yolk. Research has shown that eating eggs at breakfast can help you lose twice as much weight as avoiding them, and on top of that you'll also be full for longer and have higher energy levels.

#2 Food for Losing Weight- Yogurt

We all know that yogurt is one of the best foods for losing weight, but do you know why? First of all, yogurt is chock full of calcium, which keeps your body from feeling hungry. Research actually shows that your body stores less fat when you consume yogurt. Like eggs, yogurt is also full of protein, which will keep you full for longer and help maintain your blood sugar levels.

#3 Food for Losing Weight- Walnuts

It's time to go nuts about walnuts- these tasty little morsels are packed to their limit with monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and plenty of protein to go around. When you're hungry in between meals, reach for a bag of dry roasted walnuts to keep you satisfied. Just grab a handful and munch away to keep your hunger at bay.

#4 Food for Losing Weight- Coffee

Yeah, yeah, caffeine does this, caffeine doesn't do that. Everybody has their opinion about caffeine these days, but research shows that black coffee (the kind that isn't full of sugar, cream, flavorings, and other Starbucks staples) is incredibly beneficial for weight loss. It will help you get that extra edge in your workouts, allowing you to burn more calories and catapult your metabolic rate. Additionally, you get the benefit of antioxidants with coffee, and some research even suggests that it could help prevent type 2 diabetes.

#5 Food for Losing Weight- Salmon

Salmon is awesome. It gives you heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which promote weight loss as well as brain function, stamina, and focus. It also helps reduce inflammation throughout your body, and you would be surprised at how many people suffer from chronic inflammation on a daily basis. Go for wild salmon if you can.

#6 Food for Losing Weight- Buffalo

What? But aren't they all gone and dead? Not at all. Buffalo and bison are some of the most healthful red meats out there, giving you fewer calories, cholesterol, and fat than traditional beef. Each serving gives you about 6g fat, 3g saturated fat, and 40 calories less than a serving of beef.

Losing weight doesn't have to be a day to day struggle to stay away from the “good” foods. These are 6 delicious foods for losing weight that will satisfy your taste buds as well as your stomach.

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Peary Rader's One Day Muscle Blast Program Revisited

By Paul Becker

In The Rader Master Bodybuilding and Weight Gaining System, Peary told us about a program he developed that could add up to 3/4 of an inch to a trainees arms in one day.

The program goes like this - pick a day when you can do nothing but train, eat and rest. You use just two exercises, one for triceps and one for biceps, and you do a set of each every hour for 12 hours. Use a weight lighter then your usual poundages, and do not work to failure. Eating some protein every hour, massaging the muscles after each workout and to resting all you can, were also recommended.

This program has worked for many and we could continue to use it exactly the same way to get a quick increase in arm size, but Peary gave us a hint of the full usefulness of this method. He stated "Most men use it on their arms since no one ever seems to have as large arms as he would like. However it will work on any muscle. We hope that some day when we have a greater understanding of muscle growth and the controlling factors, a similar method can be applied to men and women in a specialized session of perhaps a month and give them a physique that today takes years to acquire." So we can see that Peary had a lot of hope for this method.

I believe I have a program that would be useful for advanced hardgainers who would like a quick increase in size all over their body. It would go something like this, you pick six exercises that cover the entire body, for example squats, bench press, over-head press, rows, calf raises and curls. For about 4 weeks you workout twice a week ,wed and sat, (this is to get used to these exercises and avoid extreme soreness when you begin specialization) do 2 work sets for each exercise, then on week five on Wednesday you do your regular workout but on Saturday you take the first exercise (squats) and do one set an hour for 12 hours, use about half of your usual poundage the idea as Peary said was "Working on the principle of flushing the muscles with blood and keeping them flushed all day long, the muscles will grow unbelievably for a short time.", so we aren't trying to push to maximum on these sets. Keep the Wednesday workouts the same as the first 4 weeks, and every Saturday take the next exercise in your program and hit it for 12 sets in 12 hours.

This program is still admittedly experimental, but all signs seem to show that it would bring about a big gain over the 10 weeks it takes to complete. The most important thing is that you don't get overtrained, do only two workouts a week, and give the most days rest after the specialization day, hence the wed and sat schedule. The other thing is to do the hardest exercises like squats early in the cycle when you recovery ability is strongest and as the cycle progresses you work your way down, and at the end of the cycle you are doing the least taxing exercise like curls. The volume per exercise is high one day a week but the overall volume is kept at about 12 sets a workout, which is still not too bad for a hardgainer.

If you are a beginner, or intermediate stick to the basics like 20 rep squats, heavy deadlifts, presses, at al., you will grow plenty fast if you work hard, and eat and rest enough. But, if you are getting close to you potential and would like to get a quick burst of size, try this routine and see how it works for you. Tell me how it goes.

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. He is the author of many ebooks and courses on training and diet. For more information visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

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Flabby Arm Exercise - A sure fire way to tone and tighten the chicken wings in record time

By Paul J.O'Brien

B.A., N.C.E.H.S., Dip. Acu., Cert Clin. Med. M.T.C.M.C.I., M.C.Th.A.

www.Strong-in-7-Seconds.Com

Flabby Arm Exercise is the perfect cure for the most demanded problem in fitness, the dreaded chicken wing arm. The horror and embarrassment of waving to your friends, only to find that your arm is shaking more than your hand, has been a reality for thousands of women. The good news is with a few minutes of exercise that you can do at home you can transform your arms from flab to fab.

Fat is primarily deposited in the female form in three locations, the belly, the butt, and yes the back of the arm. In this section I am going to teach you some exercises to tighten and tone the triceps, the major muscle on the back of the arms.

The flabby arm exercise on this page will work the muscle of the triceps and tighten it up as well as burn calories at an accelerated rate.

Combining the exercises below with a gentle walk every morning before breakfast and you'll see the results fast. A brisk walk will accelerate the fat loss effect and reveal the tight toned muscle these flabby arm exercise’s will build.

So let’s get down to work then. Here are my top techniques for tight toned triceps.

Overhead Triceps Extensions

1. Stand upright, with you feet shoulder width apart.
2. Hold your dumbbell directly above your head with arm fully extended. Clasp elbow with free hand for support.
3. Slowly let your elbow fold so the dumbbell is lowered behind your head.
4. Extend your arm back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps and switch arms.

French Presses

1. Lie flat on a bench. Hold the dumbbells directly above your chest with palms facing each other.
2. The Dumbbells should be just about touching each other.
3. Keeping your shoulders locked, let your elbows fold so the dumbbells are lowered down to either side of the head.
4. Extend both your arms back to start position and repeat

Triceps Kickbacks

1. Stand upright next to a bench. Place one arm and leg on the bench. Your upper body should be parallel to the ground.
2. Holding the dumbbell raise your elbow so your upper arm is parallel to the ground. Your elbow should be bent at right angles.
3. Extend your elbow so your entire arm is parallel to the ground.
4. Slowly return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps before changing arms.

Diamond Pushups

1. Lie face down on the floor with your hands palm down, fingers pointing straight ahead, and aligned at the nipple line.
2. Place your hands in the centre of your chest and form a diamond shape with your index fingers and thumbs.
3. Your feet should be at hip width with your toes on floor.
4. Extend the elbows and raise your body off the floor.
5. Lower your entire body (legs, hips, trunk, and head) 4-8 inches from the floor.
6. Return to the start position by extending at the elbows and pushing your body up.
7. Remember to keep the head and trunk stabilized and in a neutral position by isometrically contracting the abdominal and back muscles.
8. Never fully lock out the elbows at the start position and avoid hyperextension of the low back.

Hope you enjoy these exercises. Consistent practice every other day will have you trim and toned in no time and you can wave those flabby arms goodbye!

If you'd really like to improve your health you can get in the best shape of your life using these same principals and enjoy the most effective and intense workout of your life when you follow my step by step 7 week course, 7 Seconds to Build A Perfect Body, the Scientifically Proven Method for Transforming Your Body in Just Seconds! Over 250 pages and filled with more than 100 photos it will transform your body from your face down to your toes, sculpting your physique and letting you develop astonishing strength with just seconds of exercise.

All the best,

Paul J.O'Brien 

B.A., N.C.E.H.S., Dip. Acu., Cert Clin. Med. M.T.C.M.C.I., M.C.Th.A.

www.Strong-in-7-Seconds.Com

www.Isometric-Training.Com

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About the Author: Paul J.O'Brien is an international recognized expert in Isometric Training and physical performance, a certified personal trainer, licensed acupuncturist and western clinical medic and writer. Paul is the author of "7 Seconds to A Perfect Body,” which teaches you how to develop a lean muscular physique without drugs, supplements or equipment using secrets of the forgotten founders of fitness. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat, increase your lean muscle tissue, sculpt your phsyique and skyrocket your strength by visiting: www.Strong-in-7-Seconds.Com

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Quick Muscle Building- Muscles in Minutes

By Paul Becker

This is my write up of a training/supplement program I was on. The total program lasted 9 weeks and in that time I actually gained 20 lbs! I went from 174 to 194, now I have in the past weighed 188 and some of this was regained muscle, but on top of that I put on a fresh new 6 pounds. Ok, some background on how I thought up this program, as you may already know, suggested programs for hardgainers are short and infrequent. I got to thinking that "what if you trained even shorter workouts and did them more often?". I was on a busy schedule and still wanted to train so I decided to try this to see how it worked.

I knew pre exhaust workouts were a very effective method, but in the past I had only done it here and there for one or another body part and I had never done it for every muscle group for weeks at a time. Below is the routine I used, most workouts lasted 5 minutes or less.

Workout 1 (Chest)
Dumbbell Fly
With no rest do Bench Press

Workout 2 (Back)
Dumbbell Pullover
With no rest do Row

Workout 3 (Shoulders)
Lateral Raise
With no rest do Press Behind Neck

Workout 4 (Legs)
Leg Curl
Leg Extension
With no rest do Barbell Squat

Workout 5 (Arms)
1 Rep Chin (Go very slow, 30 seconds up and 30 seconds down)
With no rest do Standing Barbell Curl
1 Rep Dip (Go very slow, 30 seconds down and 30 seconds up)
With no rest do Tricep Exertions

I did do a warm up of a lighter set of the compound exercise then I did just one hard work set as listed above. I tired to add weight to the exercises each and every workout and I stayed in the 6 to 9 rep range, except on the chin and dip which is done for a painfully slow 1 rep.

The first 2 weeks I worked out Monday through Friday and took the weekends off, each muscle group was being hit once a week, but the soreness from the last workout was interfering with the next workout and I switched to training every other day. After 3 weeks I gained 11 pounds and then the gains seemed to slow down.

Starting week 4 I began taking a hormone precursor supplement and my gains started up again, I gained another 9 pounds over the next 6 weeks!
On diet I followed a zone type plan (40% Carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat) and I ate up to 7 to 8 times a day.

This program is very different then any you will see in the glossy muscle magazines but it sure does work, and if any one is feeling he can't train because he "doesn't have the time", I'm sure you can squeeze in 5 mins every other day to make some great gains!

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. He is the author of many ebooks and courses on training and diet. For more information visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

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How to Build a Super Impressive Physique

By Paul Becker

You’ve been trained very hard for some years now. You’ve build up some good muscle size, and your dieting and cardio workouts have given you some decent definition also. But you still feel like something is missing - you look good but you want to look great!

Well, now is the time to work on your “impressive muscles”. Some muscle groups are more likely to impress people then others, these are the muscle groups that people who have never trained with weights have little to no development in at all. When these areas are fully developed, they become super impressive to people on the street and even your fellow gym rats.

So if you’re ready to take your physique from merely looking good to looking amazing, then here are the areas to work on: 1) Wider Shoulders, 2) Thicker Pecs, 3) Larger Upper Arms, 4) Smaller Waist With Etched Abs and 5) Diamond Calves. When you have developed these to the max, you will take on a classic refined look that will put you a step above everyone else in your gym. OK, I know you’re excited and ready to get started, so let’s get to the workouts you’ll be doing for for each muscle group:

1) Wider Shoulders

What you want to do it maximize your development of the lateral head of the deltoid, this is what gives you width. Start with the Dumbbell Lateral Raise, use a weight that you can do in a slow and controlled manner. Hold the top position for a count of two and really feel the burn in the lateral head of your delts. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. Next is Barbell Upright Rows, keep your elbows high and the bar close to your body, hold at the top for a count of two while flexing your shoulders. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. To finish off your shoulders do Dumbbell Presses, keep your elbows back and don’t lock out at the top. Do 3 sets of 6 reps.

2) Thicker Pecs

Start off with Dumbbell Flys, keeping your arms bent. Get a good stretch at the bottom and come up like your hugging someone, do not touch the dumbbells at the top so you keep constant tension. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. Next is the Bench Press, Keep your elbows back and Don’t lock out at the top. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. Now Incline Dumbbell Press, while keeping your elbows back start at the bottom with the dumbbells wide and as you press move them closer together till then touch at the top, flex your upper pecs hard, lower and repeat. Do sets of 12 reps. Last is Parallel Bar Dips, keep your chin on your chest and your elbows out wide, not close to you body. Do 3 sets of 6 reps, add weight as you get stronger.

3) Larger Upper Arms

Alternating Dumbbell Curls, start off with the palms facing down and as you curl rotate the dumbbells up so your palms are facing up. Raise your pinkly high and flex you bicep hard at the top. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. Next do Barbell Curls, put one foot slightly forward and curl up with out bending back. Do 3 Sets of 8 reps. Lastly do Dumbell Hammer Curls, these build the brachialis a large muscle beneath the biceps. This is often a weak link in arm development. Many have found that by adding specific brachialis exercises to their workouts can increase their upper arm size by as much as one inch in a month. Do 3 sets of 10, 8 and 6 reps adding weight each set.
Now you’ll want to hit the long head of the Triceps and this will make your arms are look huge when standing relaxed. The First exercise is Bench Dips, place two flat benches parallel to each other, about three to four feet apart. Using your hands to support your weight, lift your feet to the top of the other bench so that the rest of your body is suspended between the two benches. Slowly lower your body toward the floor by bending your elbows until your upper arms and forearms form a right angle. Slowly rise back up to the start position by straightening your arms. The secret is to keep your elbows back and as close as possible to each other. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. Next is Dumbbell Kickbacks, keep elbows tight to side also trying to pull them as close together as possible. Hold and flex at the top for a count of two. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. Lastly Tricep Pushdowns, do 3 sets of 10, 8 and 6 reps adding weight each set.

4) Smaller Waist With Etched Abs

Frog Crunches. Lie flat on your back and draw your heels up under your knees wide and out to the sides like a frog. Place your hands with a barbell plate behind your head. Keep your head down with your chin on your chest as your shoulders round forward curl your upper body until only the small of the back remains in contact with the floor. This movement is not a stiff back sit up, it is a roll movement and you must perform it as such for it to produce results. Crunch Your abs hard at the top and hold for a count of of three. Do 3 sets of 20 reps. Remember cruches only tone the ab muscles, you need a lowered calorie intake to burn off the fat, to make the waist smaller and so the muscles then show through clearly.

5) Diamond Calves

Start with Seated Calf Raises, move slow (no bouncing) get a good stretch at the bottom then hold and flex your calf hard at the top for a count of two. Do 3 sets of 20 reps. Next is Standing One Leg Calf Raises, it's been found that a straight leg generates less torque than when the knee is slightly bent about 20 degrees keep it fixed at that angle throughout the exercise. Hold a dumbbell on the same side as the working calf, use you other hand for support. Do 3 Sets of 12 reps.

Time To Get Pumping!

Hopefully you now see that training your "impressive muscles” will bring your physique up to a whole new level!

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. He is the author of many ebooks and courses on training and diet. For more information visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

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The Physics Of Weight Training Part 1

By Paul Becker

Part 1, Gravity.

This is the first of a series of articles that will look to the science of physics to help us make our training more effective. In this article we will look at the simple law of gravity and how this effects lifting weights.

Gravity is defined as - The natural force that causes objects to be pulled towards the center of the earth, it causes objects to have weight.

Because the earth is round, no matter where you are on it the center is always straight down. Thus, in order to have continuous tension on our muscles while training we must make sure the actual resistance we use travels a path that is straight up and straight down. an example of this is the military press, the weight is pushed against the force of gravity in a straight line up until the arms are locked over your head, then it is lowered slowly resisting gravity, in a straight line to about shoulder level.

In all of the big basic exercises (deadlifts, squats, bench press, military press, rows, etc.) the bar always travels straight up and straight down, this keeps the muscles being worked under a constant load. The basic exercises produce the best results because they stimulate growth in more then one muscle at a time, but we also now know that they provide continuous tension in the muscles involved - this is the secondary reason why they are so productive.

There are a group of exercises called isolation exercises these tend to work only one muscle or muscle group at a time, these exercises are not very efficient at producing overall body mass as the basic exercises. The reason for this is they don't stimulate growth in many muscles at once, but also secondarily because most of them don't provide continuous loading of the muscles.

In most isolation exercises the bar travels in arcs where only the middle of the movement approximates a pull against gravity. Take the barbell curl for example, The bar is lifted from the upper thighs in a circular path towards the chin, at the beginning of the movement the bar is traveling more horizontally then vertically, it is only when the bar is in the middle position that you are pulling it upwards against gravity, then as you move into the top position of the movement you are once again moving the bar in an almost completely horizontal direction. This is why curls tend to be easy at the beginning, hard in the middle and the easy again at the end.

Other examples of this type of exercise are, lateral raises, flys, tricep extensions, pullovers, etc.. Any exercise preformed with a barbell in which the resistance doesn't travel straight up and down, will cause a loss of continuous load on your muscles. As a side note, preacher curls done with a barbell are even less effective because it make almost the whole movement horizontal, the only benefit is the elimination of cheating by benefit the upper arms from moving.

Ok, so how do we use this data to make our training more productive? We make sure that we have continous tension on our working muscles by making sure that the resistance we are using is traveling straight up and down. There are many machines that use pulleys to lift a weight stack up and down against gravity even though you may be moving in a circular motion, if you workout in a gym where these are available - make use of them.

But even if you train in a home gym you can still use these principles to build more muscle. Let's take bicep work for example, do some close grip pull-ups with the palms toward your face, this strongly works the biceps and the resistance (your own body and any extra weight you add) is moving straight up and down, it also give you the added benefit of peak contraction at the top of movement. Or instead of regular barbell curls try body drag curls, take a shoulder-width grip and start from the regular curl position drag the barbell against your body up to your throat while keeping your elbows back.

For your triceps, nothing beats dips with extra weight added by mean of a belt you can hang plates on to. For deltoids, notice that the shoulder joints do the exact same motion when doing military presses as doing lateral raises, so you don't even need to really do the lat. raises it's just more of the same.

You may ask "But what if i want to do some pre-exhaustion, I would have to do some lateral raises then, wouldn't I?". No, you don't Try this instead - do a set of upright rows immediately followed by a set of military presses. It works this way, the upright rows fatigue the biceps and shoulders but leave the triceps fresh, now on the presses the strong triceps push the already fatigued shoulders even harder really making them grow. This is what I call the pull/push method of pre-exhaust, it can also be used for other muscles of the torso.

In conclusion, there are many ways to make gravity work for you in weight training, now that you know the theory of this article you may come up with some new and interesting exercises or exercise combinations.

About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. He is the author of many ebooks and courses on training and diet. For more information visit his website at http://www.trulyhuge.com

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Finding the Best Workout Routine

 Which is the best workout routine to lose weight fast but healthy? This is a popular concern among people who want to lose weight. There are many misconceptions about it, especially with all the different workout routines and plans available. In this post, we share some tips on how to get the most out of your workout routine.

The Best Workout Routine

The best workout routine is one that is proven and tested. Where can we find it? Well, there are a lot! Most people have their own workout routine that they have tried and worked. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a workout routine. The fitness instructor in the gym has his or her routine. Anyone could have a workout routine – Yes even you! This is the reason you do not have to worry about finding the best workout routine. You can create your own with the right concepts, principles and guidelines.

However, the hard part is finding those principles, guidelines and concepts. Although you can create your own routine, it is easier to pick up an established routine that worked for others and you are comfortable doing and use it for learning. Study the techniques but question each of them. Learn their loopholes and limitations while maximize the things that work for you. Over time, you will develop your very own workout routine that will work especially for you.

Think Differently

This is the first guideline and that is to think differently about goals. If you only consider weight loss as the main goal, then that is fine, but if you want to make it better, then go after a fit and good-looking body. In fact, this is the main reason why workout routines exist. Always think big and plan for big goals.

Develop A Schedule

Developing a schedule is the way to keep in track with your workout. Most beginners start with 3 days workout per week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The day intervals help rejuvenate energy, muscle health and avoid exhaustion.

Your Training

Make the most of your training by pre-defining reps and sets. Remember that pushing the limits gets you results, though not to the point of exhaustion and injury. The recommended range or reps are 8 to 12 and an average of 3 sets. Focus on the core muscles, upper and lower abdomen in a balanced approach. Do cardio exercises throughout the week and bodybuilding for 2-3 times per week. When starting on bodybuilding target a group of muscles one at time as this helps avoid exhaustion. Over time you will be able to handle a full body workout in a day, but if you cannot tolerate it then there is no need to do so. Also, do not forget your warm ups and stretching exercises.

The Importance of Diet

Nutritional intake is vital for a successful workout. You should focus on eating nutritious food items all the time. A good diet is one that consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grain, lean protein and all other healthy and natural sources. Do not think of skipping meals - on the contrary, try to keep a constant eating schedule to avoid fatigue. Eating small but frequent meals can evenly distribute the energy throughout the day, which you need during workouts.

Mental Approach and Rest

Be motivated and a positive thinker. Do not give up easily when faced with obstacles especially with slow outcomes. Be patient and wait for results, they will come if you stay consistent with your routine.

Rest is as important as your workouts. Always schedule a rest day within the week and engage into relaxation techniques such as massage, yoga, spa and many more.

These are simple the guidelines to have the best workout routine. You have a long way to go, but it is certainly achievable once you start.

Guest post by Alex. Alex explains how to lose weight in 2 weeks, in his latest post.

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