If you watch at the Sports Illustrated Magazine cover or any other fitness magazines, you experience to admit such a the fitness models look so attractive showing off their sexy and fit body. You right out think, "I seek I undergo a body like her!" or "How do I get a Body like that?"
Well, if you would like to own a body such as a fitness model or ziggly want to look like them, then you undergo to consider working out making the most of The Fitness Model Program. This popular Fitness program is endorsed by top female fitness magazines and elite trainers.
What is the Fitness Model Program about?
It is mainly a fat burning and muscle toning program. It consists of 12 weeks of Complete Top Fitness Model Food Plans, exercise Routines plus Beauty Secrets. This will aide you lose fat, blast your cellulite and build a feminine sleek and sexy muscle tone with only 4 very brief workouts per week. It does not require you to workout for 3 hours in the gym each day. The exercise Plan is simple and easy to do. Some sample ab workouts that are very effective:
BALL BUSTERS: Lay your back on a yoga ball through your knees bent 90 degrees and your workout buddy holding your feel down. Lean all the way back holding a small 5 pound weight behind your neck crunching up and actually curling your torso inwards towards your belly button and at the same time turning your pelvic muscles up.
THE PENDULUM: Lay on the floor while holding your work out partner's ankles. Bring your legs up and undergo your partner push them low to the floor and at that time snap your legs back up-the key is to use resistance when your legs are making pushed down.
If you find such sorts of exercises as fun and challenging, then currently application is right for you. Just think, summer will be here in a few months, this will be the concluding Bikini Body Program that will certainly give you flat abs, toned arms and a bureau butt! You can get more fitness and nutrition information by visiting http://tinyurl.com/awfgv4
Fat Secrets
Burn That Fat
Monday, July 1, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Exercise Triggers for Sciatica
The sciatic nerve is not actually a single nerve, but a bundle of many nerves that leave the spine from the lower back and sacral regions. From here, the bundle moves towards the glutes then splits to various destinations on the legs. One nerve supplies the front of the thigh, one the back and another the lower shin. Irritation of any of these nerves may cause tingling, pain or numbness we call sciatica.
Individuals with mild to moderate sciatica are usually prescibed stretching and strengthening movements. Both are done to tolerance according to that days pain level. It is best to have a sciatica program designed by a Physical Therapist as few Personal Trainers have the knowledge to work with a special population like sciatica. The contraindictated movement for all strengthening and stretching is forward flexion as this could furthur irritate the condition.
Two more classic moves to avoid are toe touches and full sit ups. Toe touches involve full forward flexion and put all your body weight on your lower back. Full sit ups also stress the lower back. Instead of coming all the way up just do crunches with only your head and shoulders raising slightly off the ground.
Finally, many people will assume since they have a back problem they need to strengthen it. Not the case with sciatica. With sciatica you want to stretch your lower back and strengthen your abdominals. Performing back extensions which are a low back strengthener can worsen sciatica.
In summary, either have a Physical Therapist or a Chiropractor design your exercise program. The stretching and strengthening exercises will provide pain relief as well as a better level of overall fitness. Pay attention to the trigger exercises listed in this article to avoid injury, pain or relapse.
--
Dr Lanny Schaffer an Exercise Physiologist is the President of The International fitness Academy. For more cutting edge fitness information for healthy and special populations go to http://www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com
Individuals with mild to moderate sciatica are usually prescibed stretching and strengthening movements. Both are done to tolerance according to that days pain level. It is best to have a sciatica program designed by a Physical Therapist as few Personal Trainers have the knowledge to work with a special population like sciatica. The contraindictated movement for all strengthening and stretching is forward flexion as this could furthur irritate the condition.
Two more classic moves to avoid are toe touches and full sit ups. Toe touches involve full forward flexion and put all your body weight on your lower back. Full sit ups also stress the lower back. Instead of coming all the way up just do crunches with only your head and shoulders raising slightly off the ground.
Finally, many people will assume since they have a back problem they need to strengthen it. Not the case with sciatica. With sciatica you want to stretch your lower back and strengthen your abdominals. Performing back extensions which are a low back strengthener can worsen sciatica.
In summary, either have a Physical Therapist or a Chiropractor design your exercise program. The stretching and strengthening exercises will provide pain relief as well as a better level of overall fitness. Pay attention to the trigger exercises listed in this article to avoid injury, pain or relapse.
--
Dr Lanny Schaffer an Exercise Physiologist is the President of The International fitness Academy. For more cutting edge fitness information for healthy and special populations go to http://www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com
Strength Training for Wrestling
1. Box Squat
There are a number of reasons why wrestlers should box squat. One, I’ve found that it’s easier for my wrestlers to learn and execute. Nothing is more frustrating than spending hours upon hours working technique with a wrestler because that’s something they already do in practice. Not only is the box squat easier to learn than the free squat; it’s also more effective. I believe the box squat to be more effective primarily for two reasons. First, the pause in between the eccentric (sitting down) and concentric (standing up) simulates stalemate situations in wrestling where producing a powerful effort from your lower body may be necessary to winning that situation. Second, you are able to recuperate faster from a box squatting workout than a free squatting workout. In fact, this happened to me just this past Sunday. I was training a group of wrestlers and the bar we wanted to box squat with was being used by someone else in the gym. So on the fly we agreed that hack squatting would be a suitable alternative for the day. When those wrestlers came in on Tuesday for their next lifting session they all said they were still unbelievably sore from Sunday’s workout and that walking had been a chore the last couple of days. Now, if walking is a chore, how the heck do you expect to practice at a high level??
2. Deadlift
The deadlift is probably one of the best all around lifts a wrestler can do to improve their strength on the mat. The deadlift strengthens the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, and back) as well as the hands. We all know having a strong grip and back are important to being a successful wrestler, but the hamstrings and glutes are often looked over when developing a wrestling specific strength training program. The reason the hamstrings and glutes are so important for wrestlers to develop is because they are responsible for hip extension. What’s hip extension? It’s the same movement you see when you’re sprawling, finishing a takedown, lifting an opponent, and throwing an opponent. We’ve all heard our coaches scream “HIPS!!” at one time or another and the deadlift is one of the most efficient ways to develop the muscles responsible for strong hips needed to win more matches.
3. Weighted Chinup
The weighted chinup is by far the best upper body exercise a wrestler can do when looking to increase their strength on the mat. It has been stated time and again that wrestling is a sport of pulling. Therefore, I feel maximally developing the upper body pulling muscles will put wrestlers in a better position to succeed in matches. The wrestlers with the best weighted chinups that I work with can all do around 100lbs for 3 reps. These same wrestlers can also finish nearly every shot they get in on. Coincidence? I’ll let you decide for yourself.
4. Bench Press
Now, I know I argued above for the weighted chinup being important for wrestling specific strength training programs, however, there is a reason why you’ll find the bench press in about 99.9% of strength training programs in the country- it’s a tried and true way to develop upper body strength. Is it super functional for wrestlers? No. But then again, is lying on your back pushing on something seen in any sport? Having a stronger upper body never hurt a wrestler’s chance at success, so don’t worry so much about it and get benching some heavy weights!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Muscle Supplements - Bodybuilding Energy Drinks
Energy drinks have become quite popular since the late 1980s. The components have also come a long way as new compounds and recently discovered effective agents have been added to the mix. The question, however, still remains - Are bodybuilding drinks really effective or are people better off taking plain water? Find out more about the true nature and efficacy as well as the dangers behind seemingly healthy concoctions.
Energy drinks are beverages that can provide more energy in the form of good extra calories compared to other types. The calories these contain are actually lower compared to regular soft drinks and do not pose the usual side effect of glucose spiking. Bodybuilders basically consume these drinks at the start of the day, pre-workout or post-workout in order to increase their endurance and stamina to last different activities and exercises.
Some of the general components that can be found in bodybuilding energy drinks include methylxanthines, caffeine, herbs, guarana, B vitamins, taurine, maltodextrin for taste, creatine, carnitine, inositol, gingko biloba and glucuronolactone. Some brands may contain a lot of sugar but the main ingredient in all types is caffeine that enhances mood, alertness and focus. Eight ounces of the beverage usually have around 75 to 100 mg of caffeine.
Normally, the body heavily relies on glucose and glycogen stores for energy in order to support a variety of tasks. Since bodybuilders frequently burn up more calories and engage in various diets that basically controls carbohydrate intake, it is possible for glucose stores to run out faster compared to sedentary individuals. Bodybuilders aim to gain new lean muscle while preserving what they already have. This requires a strategic intake of calories. Since they perform heavy lifting regularly, they should properly allocate intake of extra calories at the right time so that the body consumes it to support the anaerobic tasks without eating up valuable muscle. Energy drinks are most effective and renders most noticeable results when consumed before or during exercise. Post-workout, these are also effective to replenish glycogen stores.
Many bodybuilders who take energy drinks strategically report several advantages including reduced muscle soreness after hitting the gym, reduced burning sensation during intense workouts and faster recovery. Some products contain alpha L-Polylactate which controls lactic acid production in the muscles responsible for causing post-workout pain responses. The type of sugar used in good energy beverages is also complex and produces the same effects as complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole-wheat grains and oatmeal. This means that the body doesn't store unnecessary fat and sugar breaks down slowly to be properly absorbed and not hoarded as fat.
Other known benefits include cell protection through the presence of antioxidants. These work by inhibiting damage caused by free radicals formed during exercise. Oxygen distribution and blood circulation is also enhanced throughout the body minimizing muscle damage, prevent cramps and improve strength and performance. Electrolytes in the drinks insure that fluids and nutrients are well maintained in the muscles reducing the risk for injury and hastening recovery. With low osmolality, fluids and other nutrients are delivered to and absorbed by the muscles quickly so individuals can expect faster and more productive muscle gains.
Since there are virtually hundreds of brands and types to choose from, make sure that the bodybuilding energy drinks you pick perform as indicated - to provide energy. You don't have to pay for very expensive ones claiming to contain so many components you may not even have heard of before. Side effects are also possible among those who have forms of epilepsy, are pregnant or under 18 years of age.
Some drinks have been banned in a number of countries due to fatal results. Nervousness, dizziness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, vomiting, muscle twitching and headaches are other possible side effects.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Should You Drink the P90X Recovery Drink Every Day?
Warm up and cool down are the most important, and often ignored aspects of any exercise routine. There are a lot of accessories, nutritional supplements and equipments, which are supplied along with a particular exercise routine primarily for the purposes of keeping the body fit while working out and gaining maximum results. The p90x workout routine is no exception and things like the p90x recovery drink, p90x power diet plans and the p90x natural supplements are easily available all over the market. These supplements can either be ordered alongside your p90x program kit, or they can be brought from stores and dieticians on personal order. Apart from drinks and supplements, another important thing that one needs to look at before investing heavily into the p90x program is whether the p90x is for you or not and whether or not your body is suited to the program and its stringent requirements. You should go in for the routine only after you have done some homework on the exercises in the program and ensured that you are indeed willing to indulge in such a strenuous routine.
The first thing you need to consider before setting in for an all out p90x approach is your current fitness level. If you have not worked your muscles out for years, it is quite possible the p90x is not for you. I am not discouraging you, but then, this is not a simple routine, and you need to be mentally prepared to follow it religiously. If you get bored from following a boring workout routine, then the p90x might prove to be the boon you had been searching for. With a wide range of workout routines encompassed in its gamut, the p90x is definitely not a boring routine. In fact, the whole concept of 'muscle confusion', on which the p90x rests, is based upon changing of routines more frequently, so that your muscles do not adjust to a particular routine.
You also need to invest on equipment if you want to follow the p90x in the manner in which it is meant to be followed. You would need to invest on chin-up bars, push up stands, yoga mats and weights. I would suggest that you get around 100 pounds of weights in various denominations and use adjustable dumbbells and rods. In this way, you would not have to invest in a number of fixed dumbbells, and you would be covering the length and breadth of all possible weight combinations that you can lift. Besides, using a variable weight dumbbell would result in saving up a lot of space, besides saving you hard-earned money.
Finally, the program is not a magic pill, and to get ripped in 90 days, it is natural that you would be required to keep a strict vigil on your diet consumption. It is suggested that you follow the power diet plans given in the p90x manual. According to the expert designers of this program, 75% of your success with p90x depends upon your food intake and only a meager 25% depends upon you workout capabilities.
This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for an exercise and fitness p90x site offering variety of p90x workouts and p90x recovery drink.
The first thing you need to consider before setting in for an all out p90x approach is your current fitness level. If you have not worked your muscles out for years, it is quite possible the p90x is not for you. I am not discouraging you, but then, this is not a simple routine, and you need to be mentally prepared to follow it religiously. If you get bored from following a boring workout routine, then the p90x might prove to be the boon you had been searching for. With a wide range of workout routines encompassed in its gamut, the p90x is definitely not a boring routine. In fact, the whole concept of 'muscle confusion', on which the p90x rests, is based upon changing of routines more frequently, so that your muscles do not adjust to a particular routine.
You also need to invest on equipment if you want to follow the p90x in the manner in which it is meant to be followed. You would need to invest on chin-up bars, push up stands, yoga mats and weights. I would suggest that you get around 100 pounds of weights in various denominations and use adjustable dumbbells and rods. In this way, you would not have to invest in a number of fixed dumbbells, and you would be covering the length and breadth of all possible weight combinations that you can lift. Besides, using a variable weight dumbbell would result in saving up a lot of space, besides saving you hard-earned money.
Finally, the program is not a magic pill, and to get ripped in 90 days, it is natural that you would be required to keep a strict vigil on your diet consumption. It is suggested that you follow the power diet plans given in the p90x manual. According to the expert designers of this program, 75% of your success with p90x depends upon your food intake and only a meager 25% depends upon you workout capabilities.
This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for an exercise and fitness p90x site offering variety of p90x workouts and p90x recovery drink.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Quick Abdominal Muscle Workouts Using Kettlebell DVD
In our time pounded society, it's difficult to endeavor to squeeze in a workout much less include time for a diverse abdominal muscle routine. Still, a person demand not give up when shortened on time. There are countless dissimilar selections for quick abdominal muscle workouts , which are economical and simple to follow suchlike in a http://adjustablekettlebells.com/.
There are various rationalities why a person could be reduced on time. Parents ordinarily have less time to sacrifice to themselves when staying at home. Between dinner, activities and preparation at night with kids are ordinarily booked. The same may happen during the daybreak habit for the families. During week, an individual may discover that they simply want to rest when they get home after a long day. The easy idea of workout can recall images of trips to the gym as well as a challenging routine that necessitates special costume, fancy equipment and at least twenty minutes for which to devote to that routine. The amount of grounds not to workout is almost endless. Nonetheless, most individuals do not suppose that abs workouts are gentle to access via the internet, book or video.
The simplest and swiftest abdominal muscle routine is to do a set of 10 usual crunches accompanied by 10 sideways crunches to the knees on both left andas well as right sides. Complete the abdominal muscle physical exercise by doing 10 backward crunches with the knees coming to your chest. Depending upon physical fitness level, this abdominal workout might be finished in less than 2 minutes. An individual might boost upon this routine as abdominal potency as well as stamina enhance by simply restating the rhythm, as you preferred.
http://adjustablekettlebells.com/ provides another alternative for people who are annoyed with self-motivation as well as crave diversity. Anyone might choose a DVD with customary crunches or straight routines that target the abdominal muscle through movement. For individuals who regard to set up weight to their routines, kettlebell training spots out the abdominals. Anyone might visit few web site , which is dedicated to kettlebell training, to view workout and ascertain the correct phase under the minute of stability pointing. Kettlebell DVD is likewise obtainable on distinct websites for people who care to examine and determine kettlebell training.
How to Build a Big, Thick, Powerful Chest
If you are a dedicated weight trainer what is the first thing you are asked when people notice your physique?....."How Much Can You Bench?" Why? Because it is the original ego-lift and is one of the foundation exercises employed to build a big chest.
Every man and boy (and some woman) who join their first gym or pick up their first weight has an innate, primary instinct to build up their chest.
A big chest seems to symbolize masculinity and a man who carries a big chest commands respect and attention.
I have said before that to be Mr Olympia you need to blow away the competition with an amazing back (i.e. Dorian, Ronnie, Cutler, Haney etc). Having said that you can see quite clearly that EVERY Mr Olympia winner has had a big, thick, powerful chest.
Arnold and Franco Columbo may well have had the best chests of all time and although they had assistance from certain ergogenic aids (use your imagination) they still had to train very hard with the right exercises, the right program structure and mountains of intensity. Check out these amazing images... WOW!
Now, realistically, not everyone is going to grow a chest like these two boys. Apart from hard work and said ergogenic aids they also had pretty damn decent genetics and did everything right without much of a struggle.
Having said that I have observed hundreds of clients and training partners and thousands of gym members and weight trainers over the last 15 years and I can list all of the anomalies that hold people back from building a good chest. Keep them in mind when you are training...
1. Scapula Retraction
Definitely the most important rule when performing any chest exercise. You must be able to pull your shoulders back and down and hold your shoulder blades (scapula) together during the entire repetition of any chest exercise. This allows you to isolate the pectorals fully causing maximum muscle fiber activation. People who find this difficult, and I'll explain why later, never experience a complete Pec contraction and tend to fatigue the shoulders before the chest.
2. Spinal Curvature and Flexibility
This is what a healthy and normal spine looks like and you can see it has several natural curves which provide many functions relating to posture, movement, force absorption, neural network/protection, flexibility etc. Concerning chest development I have noticed that if people have a flat or straight spine, i.e. less pronounced curves, they have a lot more trouble arching their back to properly perform scapula contraction during chest exercises. I have also observed that flatter-spined weight trainers seem to have less room in their torso's to build thicker Pecs while those with more pronounced curves are able to do so.
3. Dominant Deltoids and Triceps
Those lucky to be blessed with a large pair of cannon-ball shoulders (delts ) and horse-shoe triceps may find it difficult to isolate the Pecs in chest movements as these two muscle groups can easily dominate and take over. This means that the chest is never fully worked and is always trying to play catch-up.
4. Weak Deltoids and Triceps
Conversely a pair of less developed delts and triceps can hamper the productivity of a chest workout by giving out before the chest is fully fatigued. If you are performing a pressing movement where the delts and triceps are heavily involved and they give out first then the set is over and the Pecs are left under-stimulated.
5. Starting From Scratch
If you are a beginner it is hard to feel the chest contracting properly during a set. You not only have a poor mind-muscle connection (the ability of the motor cortex in your brain to send messages to the motor neurons commanding all the muscle fibers to contract) you also, most likely, have a thin pectoral muscle which has no discernable contraction. In this case technique and mental focus is extremely important and once the first hard-won bit muscle is built it actually becomes easier to feel the contraction and continue the growth process.
6. Poor Flexibility
This relates back to point 1 and 2. If your upper body flexibility is poor, i.e. your shoulder joints have reduced range of motion and your spine has deviated from the most optimal curves (bad posture), then arching your back and performing scapula retraction become much more difficult. Training with poor posture and flexibility also increase the risk of injury.
The Golden Rules of Chest Training
1. Scapula Retraction
The ability to hold the shoulder blades together during chest exercises will withdraw shoulder involvement from the movement isolating the chest building tone, size and strength.
2. Arching the Back
Arching the back when setting the body position for a chest exercise will allow full scapula retraction and the ability to build chest thickness.
3. Perfect Technique
I have written a two and half thousand word article about this subject. It is called 'The Perfect Rep: Unlocking the Secret for Permanent, Effective Training'. Please read this if you want to take your body to its full potential. In a nutshell:
* Accentuate the negative (release the weight slowly)
* Perform the positive phase (lifting the weight) with controlled force
* Use a full and appropriate range of motion
* Achieve a noticeable stretch and contraction
* Exhale when exerting force to lift
* Focus on the action of the pectoral muscle during the exercise
* Make sure you are using the correct movement pattern
* Set and maintain perfect body position
4. Focus on Free-weights and Compound Movements
Big, thick, powerful Pecs are built from a focus on barbell presses, dumbbell presses and weighted dips. Next in line of duty are plate-loaded machine presses, pin-loaded machine presses, smith presses, cable presses and push-ups. Last we come to cable/dumbbell/machine flyes and pec deck. To explain why free-weight, compound exercises are essential for building size and strength I will include this excerpt from and article I wrote called: '10 Awesome Compound Exercises That You Should Never Miss Out On'...
What Are The Benefits Of Employing Compound Movements?
* They are time-efficient because many muscles are trained in a single exercise. If you are using isolation exercises more are required because fewer muscles are involved.
Example: A 'Push-press' trains the shoulders, triceps, quads, glutes and a range of ancillary muscles. If you were performing isolation exercise to train these muscles you would need to do 'lateral raises, tricep extensions, leg extensions, hip extensions' and more to emulate the same amount of muscular stimulation.
* There is a greater capacity to build mass and strength. This is because heavy loads can be applied safely with the pressure divided between multiple joints and muscle groups all contributing varying levels of force.
* Inter-muscular coordination is learned through different muscle groups and joints interacting to execute a large, complex movement with synchronized efficiency. This means that the muscles become a powerful team that work well together.
* There is a reduced risk of injury (if good technique is always applied). With compound movements the load and stress is shared between many muscle groups and joints. During an isolation movement a single joint must handle the lot.
* You must build a strong core and mid-section. If you intend to lift heavy weights with good technique and intensity your abdominals, lower back and the inner muscles of the spine must be strong. Focusing on compound exercises will stabilize your body and keep you safe. Build up the weights slowly and engage your abs and core all the time.
* A positive hormonal environment is created when big muscles are stimulated with big exercises. When you focus on the big exercises larger amounts of growth hormone and testosterone are released into the system to support your body's battle with the heavy weights.
* The cardio-vascular system is more heavily involved because the greater amount of large muscles working in compound movements require increased quantities of blood and oxygen. This of course must be supplied by the heart and lungs.
5. Intensity
You must push yourself safely towards absolute muscular failure to get an over-compensation response from the body that will result in a strength and growth increase.
6. Warm-up Correctly and Stretch Between Sets
* 5 minutes light cardio on a machine that involves all the upper and lower body
* Some light stretches
* Pyramid warm-up set weights on your first chest exercise before you get to your work sets. Example: Bench Press - 40kg x 20 reps, 60kg x 15 reps, 80kg x 10 reps, 100kg 2 x 8 reps
* Perform work sets only after your first exercise
* Perform medium chest stretches between sets to increase blood flow, recovery and flexibility
* Perform heavy stretches at the end of your workout
7. Exercise and Set Volume
Choose 5-8 exercise and perform 2 work sets per exercise. This will give you are variety of angles and directions to work through covering every area of the chest. You will also be able to focus your intensity on performing two hard sets rather than spreading your power over several sets.
With all these extremely important points in mind I will now give you an infallible chest program not unlike what I do in my own training sessions. There will be two programs to choose from. Each has its own unique structure but both will deliver the same result: A Big, Thick, Powerful Chest...
Joey Sheather is the head trainer at Global weight training, which provides step-by-step instructions on how to get into shape in the shortest possible time. For more information, visit Weight Training.
Every man and boy (and some woman) who join their first gym or pick up their first weight has an innate, primary instinct to build up their chest.
A big chest seems to symbolize masculinity and a man who carries a big chest commands respect and attention.
I have said before that to be Mr Olympia you need to blow away the competition with an amazing back (i.e. Dorian, Ronnie, Cutler, Haney etc). Having said that you can see quite clearly that EVERY Mr Olympia winner has had a big, thick, powerful chest.
Arnold and Franco Columbo may well have had the best chests of all time and although they had assistance from certain ergogenic aids (use your imagination) they still had to train very hard with the right exercises, the right program structure and mountains of intensity. Check out these amazing images... WOW!
Now, realistically, not everyone is going to grow a chest like these two boys. Apart from hard work and said ergogenic aids they also had pretty damn decent genetics and did everything right without much of a struggle.
Having said that I have observed hundreds of clients and training partners and thousands of gym members and weight trainers over the last 15 years and I can list all of the anomalies that hold people back from building a good chest. Keep them in mind when you are training...
1. Scapula Retraction
Definitely the most important rule when performing any chest exercise. You must be able to pull your shoulders back and down and hold your shoulder blades (scapula) together during the entire repetition of any chest exercise. This allows you to isolate the pectorals fully causing maximum muscle fiber activation. People who find this difficult, and I'll explain why later, never experience a complete Pec contraction and tend to fatigue the shoulders before the chest.
2. Spinal Curvature and Flexibility
This is what a healthy and normal spine looks like and you can see it has several natural curves which provide many functions relating to posture, movement, force absorption, neural network/protection, flexibility etc. Concerning chest development I have noticed that if people have a flat or straight spine, i.e. less pronounced curves, they have a lot more trouble arching their back to properly perform scapula contraction during chest exercises. I have also observed that flatter-spined weight trainers seem to have less room in their torso's to build thicker Pecs while those with more pronounced curves are able to do so.
3. Dominant Deltoids and Triceps
Those lucky to be blessed with a large pair of cannon-ball shoulders (delts ) and horse-shoe triceps may find it difficult to isolate the Pecs in chest movements as these two muscle groups can easily dominate and take over. This means that the chest is never fully worked and is always trying to play catch-up.
4. Weak Deltoids and Triceps
Conversely a pair of less developed delts and triceps can hamper the productivity of a chest workout by giving out before the chest is fully fatigued. If you are performing a pressing movement where the delts and triceps are heavily involved and they give out first then the set is over and the Pecs are left under-stimulated.
5. Starting From Scratch
If you are a beginner it is hard to feel the chest contracting properly during a set. You not only have a poor mind-muscle connection (the ability of the motor cortex in your brain to send messages to the motor neurons commanding all the muscle fibers to contract) you also, most likely, have a thin pectoral muscle which has no discernable contraction. In this case technique and mental focus is extremely important and once the first hard-won bit muscle is built it actually becomes easier to feel the contraction and continue the growth process.
6. Poor Flexibility
This relates back to point 1 and 2. If your upper body flexibility is poor, i.e. your shoulder joints have reduced range of motion and your spine has deviated from the most optimal curves (bad posture), then arching your back and performing scapula retraction become much more difficult. Training with poor posture and flexibility also increase the risk of injury.
The Golden Rules of Chest Training
1. Scapula Retraction
The ability to hold the shoulder blades together during chest exercises will withdraw shoulder involvement from the movement isolating the chest building tone, size and strength.
2. Arching the Back
Arching the back when setting the body position for a chest exercise will allow full scapula retraction and the ability to build chest thickness.
3. Perfect Technique
I have written a two and half thousand word article about this subject. It is called 'The Perfect Rep: Unlocking the Secret for Permanent, Effective Training'. Please read this if you want to take your body to its full potential. In a nutshell:
* Accentuate the negative (release the weight slowly)
* Perform the positive phase (lifting the weight) with controlled force
* Use a full and appropriate range of motion
* Achieve a noticeable stretch and contraction
* Exhale when exerting force to lift
* Focus on the action of the pectoral muscle during the exercise
* Make sure you are using the correct movement pattern
* Set and maintain perfect body position
4. Focus on Free-weights and Compound Movements
Big, thick, powerful Pecs are built from a focus on barbell presses, dumbbell presses and weighted dips. Next in line of duty are plate-loaded machine presses, pin-loaded machine presses, smith presses, cable presses and push-ups. Last we come to cable/dumbbell/machine flyes and pec deck. To explain why free-weight, compound exercises are essential for building size and strength I will include this excerpt from and article I wrote called: '10 Awesome Compound Exercises That You Should Never Miss Out On'...
What Are The Benefits Of Employing Compound Movements?
* They are time-efficient because many muscles are trained in a single exercise. If you are using isolation exercises more are required because fewer muscles are involved.
Example: A 'Push-press' trains the shoulders, triceps, quads, glutes and a range of ancillary muscles. If you were performing isolation exercise to train these muscles you would need to do 'lateral raises, tricep extensions, leg extensions, hip extensions' and more to emulate the same amount of muscular stimulation.
* There is a greater capacity to build mass and strength. This is because heavy loads can be applied safely with the pressure divided between multiple joints and muscle groups all contributing varying levels of force.
* Inter-muscular coordination is learned through different muscle groups and joints interacting to execute a large, complex movement with synchronized efficiency. This means that the muscles become a powerful team that work well together.
* There is a reduced risk of injury (if good technique is always applied). With compound movements the load and stress is shared between many muscle groups and joints. During an isolation movement a single joint must handle the lot.
* You must build a strong core and mid-section. If you intend to lift heavy weights with good technique and intensity your abdominals, lower back and the inner muscles of the spine must be strong. Focusing on compound exercises will stabilize your body and keep you safe. Build up the weights slowly and engage your abs and core all the time.
* A positive hormonal environment is created when big muscles are stimulated with big exercises. When you focus on the big exercises larger amounts of growth hormone and testosterone are released into the system to support your body's battle with the heavy weights.
* The cardio-vascular system is more heavily involved because the greater amount of large muscles working in compound movements require increased quantities of blood and oxygen. This of course must be supplied by the heart and lungs.
5. Intensity
You must push yourself safely towards absolute muscular failure to get an over-compensation response from the body that will result in a strength and growth increase.
6. Warm-up Correctly and Stretch Between Sets
* 5 minutes light cardio on a machine that involves all the upper and lower body
* Some light stretches
* Pyramid warm-up set weights on your first chest exercise before you get to your work sets. Example: Bench Press - 40kg x 20 reps, 60kg x 15 reps, 80kg x 10 reps, 100kg 2 x 8 reps
* Perform work sets only after your first exercise
* Perform medium chest stretches between sets to increase blood flow, recovery and flexibility
* Perform heavy stretches at the end of your workout
7. Exercise and Set Volume
Choose 5-8 exercise and perform 2 work sets per exercise. This will give you are variety of angles and directions to work through covering every area of the chest. You will also be able to focus your intensity on performing two hard sets rather than spreading your power over several sets.
With all these extremely important points in mind I will now give you an infallible chest program not unlike what I do in my own training sessions. There will be two programs to choose from. Each has its own unique structure but both will deliver the same result: A Big, Thick, Powerful Chest...
Joey Sheather is the head trainer at Global weight training, which provides step-by-step instructions on how to get into shape in the shortest possible time. For more information, visit Weight Training.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)