Biceps Curl with Rope – Exercise of the Week
January 8, 2010
Biceps Curl with Rope – Exercise of the Week
There’s one killer exercise that I’ve learned to love because it increases biceps power and volume, grip strength, activates your core and also gives you a great pump! This exercise is the biceps curl (or hammer curl) with the rope and pulley system – (View photo here)
The great thing about this exercise is that it puts you in a position where you need to focus on keeping your core tight and prevent yourself from getting into a swinging action. The other focus point is to continually remind yourself that you need to keep your shoulder blades back and have your spine in the correct position to get the most out of this exercise. Let’s get into the details of this exercise…
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Deadlift: Exercise of the Week
December 17, 2009
Deadlift: Exercise of the Week
There aren’t that many different types of exercises you can do for the lower back since the range of movement is pretty limited in this area. With that said the deadlift is one of the most effective exercises to really strengthen the erector spinae muscles of the lower back.
The trick with this exercise is that you absolutely MUST have proper form to do it right otherwise you risk excessive strain on your hamstrings and lower back. Not fun, and why so many people shy away from this exercise, but when done correctly you will see some exceptional results.
If you’re beginning this exercise it is best to start with using dumbbells instead of a barbell. Light dumbbells will allow you to focus on your form and perfect the movement before you advance to a heavier barbell which challenges your balance more. Also when beginning do the deadlift with bending at knees. Once you have been doing that for several weeks you can try the exercise with stiff legs.
A variation I like to add is having one hand with an under-grip and one hand with an over-grip, it allows you to keep the bar balanced a little easier when you go heavier with the weights.
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Exercise Ball Ab Crunch – Exercise of the Week
December 3, 2009
Exercise of the Week: Exercise Ball Ab Crunch
Yesterday I tweeted to see what people thought was the most difficult exercise and the number one response was sit-ups/crunches. I see this a lot in the gym mostly because people are doing the exercise with a swinging motion, or they have their hands behind their heads and causing strain on their necks.
There are a lot of devices which have been invented to try and circumvent the lower back pain or neck pain caused from ab crunches but I believe the one that is most effective and can help even the most advanced are ab crunches on an exercise ball. The natural arch created by the ball keeps your back in place and allows you to focus on keeping your abs tight and really concentrating all your efforts on a smooth controlled motion.
Let’s take a 360 approach on ab crunches with a stability ball…
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Exercise of the Week: Decline Chest Press
November 19, 2009
Exercise of the Week: Decline Chest Press
Very impressive response for the previous exercise of the week – barbell squats, if you haven’t tried adding that to your routine definitely give it a try (hint: if it’s too challenging you can always try it with dumbbells or your hands crossed across your chest first).
This week I wanted to highlight an exercise that is the most effective in building the lower part of the chest as this area is under-developed for most men and women. The lower area of the pecs are responsible for lifting the chest muscle up and allowing you to really push out through you arms. In terms of aesthetics this area of the chest is most desirable because it adds so much definition to your overall upper body.
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Exercise of the Week: Barbell Squats
November 9, 2009
Exercise of the Week: Barbell Squats
To advance your workouts I will be providing you with weekly exercises that you can bring into your workout routine and giving you with tips on how to maximize your efficiency. This week’s exercise is squats using a barbell.
You may be asking what is so special about squats using a barbell? The first and most important reason is that the squat activates numerous muscles including hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves as well as your core (erector spinae, abs and obliques) to help you stabilize.
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Free Workout Routines – Men
June 25, 2008
I’ve put together some workout routines of some celebrities so you can get a idea based on their body types what kind of workout you want to go for. Aim for 8-10 reps if you want to put on more size and 12-14 if you want to get leaner.
You should begin to see results from your workouts after about the 4-6 weeks and this is when you can begin to switch up your workout and move to the next stage or go to the workouts and training section of this site.
This has been one of the most sucessful articles on the site closing in on 1 million views and over 400 comments which I’ve made an effort to reply to each one of your questions. Enjoy and let me know how these workouts go for you by leaving a comment below!
Beginner – Shed Fat and Tone Up
Celebrity body style: Matthew McConaughey
Monday: Upper Body
• 3 sets Lat pulldowns (view image)
• 3 sets Bench press (view image)
• 3 sets Dumbbell Bicep curls (view image)
• 3 sets Incline dumbbell press (view image)
• 3 sets Triceps pushdowns with rope (view image)
• 3 sets Dumbbell press (view image)
Read more…
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exercises title
June 12, 2008
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