3 Exercises to add muscle

Here are 3 exercises that people need to do more often to help with your muscle gains.

1) INCLINE DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS- Ok, so I know a ton of people bench and work their pecs, but not many people do incline often and with enough volume. Dumbbells are great because they allow for a greater range of motion more so than the traditional barbell does. Also, incline press will help your anterior delt ( front of the shoulder ) and upper pec to develop at greater speeds which will result in a fuller looking chest. Every 3 weeks or so try to change the angle of the incline slightly to keep yourself progressing in the workouts.

2) STIFF LEG DEADLIFT WITH BARBELL-Nothing beats these in terms of really torching your hamstrings. Focus on a controlled lowering of the bar to get that negative and then explode on the way up. Mix up your rep schemes by going heavier with low reps ( 3-5 ) on some weeks and then going moderate weight with medium reps ( 8-10 ) on others. Make sure you always keep great form and never spare the back by trying to do too much weight1

3) WALL BARBELL BICEP CURLS-I love these things because they help you avoid cheating. Normally you do a standing bicep curl and by the end your rocking, your back and shoulders are working and it becomes a mess. Now that you wont cheat as much you can get greater recruitment of the bicep than before. Get yourself against a wall and keep your butt, and whole back against it the whole lift. I stand with my feet about 1-2 feet away from the wall.

Try this workout if your tired of yours

If you are bored with your workout today and your goal is weight loss or just to get in the best shape possible then give this a try. You will hit every major muscle group in this workout.

A1) ANY PULL MOVEMENT ( Row, pulldown, pullup, etc )-12 reps
A2) ANY LEG MOVEMENT ( variations of squat, deadlift, press, lunge, step-up etc )-12 reps
A3) ANY CORE EXERCISE-12 reps
A4) ANY PUSH MOVEMENT ( pushups, shoulder exercises. chest press variations)-12 reps
A5) ANY LEG MOVEMENT ( something different than you did for A2 )-12 reps
A6) ANY CORE EXERCISE -12 reps
A7) ANY PULL MOVEMENT ( something different than you did for A1 )-12 reps
A8) YOUR CHOICE ( pick something you need the extra work, biceps, triceps, legs, etc )-12 reps

Take rest if you need after doing all 8 exercises but try and start round 2 as quick as you can. Each round you will drop the reps by 1. So it would like this:

Round 1-12 reps
Round 2-11 reps
Round 3-10 reps
Round 4-9reps
............You get the picture

Your goal is to see how many rounds you can get in 45 minutes. If you you did 5 rounds and ended with doing 8 reps of everything then next time you do this workout try and do 6 rounds. Every workout you can also try and decrease your rest time between rounds.

Random thoughts..........

• Sugars are ok to consume after your workout. Your insulin sensitivity is high and your body's ability to uptake glucose is high. This means you can have carbs and not worry about it being stored as fat.

• Control your stress levels. Everyone has stress these days and it can bring you down quickly if not dealt with correctly. Exercise is the perfect prescription to ease your stress levels.

• I love Chef Jay's Tri-O-Plex bars. They are low in sugar and high in protein. Not only do they taste great but they are made with whole food ingredients. I personally like the Banana Peanut Butter bars the best. Side note-They are high in calories so keep that in mind. http://chefjays.com/

• Close grip pushups with your feet on a physio ball is a great tricep exercise!

• Try doing one arm chest presses, shoulder presses and chest flys with the cables as a unique way to blast your core.
  

Get bigger pecs for the beach with this routine...

This routine incorporates the incline press which is great to build a fuller looking chest. If you have shoulder issues you should stay away from this workout since it will be demanding on the shoulder joint. You can use either the incline barbell press or the Hammer strength incline press machine. Start the first set with the most weight possible for 6 reps. The 6th rep should be really difficult if the weight is correct.
1)
Incline barbell press/or Hammer incline strength press machine-1 set at 6 reps
SUPER SET WITH
Flat dumbbell twist press -1 set at 12 reps
*( flat twist press starts off like a traditional press but as you start to press up you want to twist the weight so your palms end up facing your face at the top of the movement. If done right the movement should look like a combo of chest press and chest fly. Make sure to bring the dumbbells together at the top. You will need to use less weight then you would for a regular chest press.
**Rest 90 seconds before doing 1 more set.


2)NOW DROP THE WEIGHT BY ABOUT 2.5-5LBS PER SIDE
Incline barbell press/or Hammer incline strength press machine-1 set at 8 reps
SUPER SET WITH
Flat dumbbell twist press -1 set at 10 reps
**Rest 90 seconds before doing 1 more set.


3) NOW DROP ANOTHER 5 LBS PER SIDE. YOU CAN DROP MORE IF NEED BE.
Incline barbell press/or Hammer incline strength press machine-1 set at 10 reps
SUPER SET WITH
Flat dumbbell twist press -1 set at 8 reps
**Rest 90 seconds before doing 1 more set.


Done. You should have done a total of 6 super set combinations.

Body Composition Series # 2

Another full body workout to decrease body fat and increase lean muscle muscle mass.

A1) One arm row dumbbell-12 reps each arm

A2) Jacknives-10 reps

*Repeat this without rest for 4-5 rounds

B1) Neutral grip shoulder press with dumbbells ( palms face each other on the press )-12 reps

B2) Step up with dumbbell ( medium step..do all one leg before switching )-8 reps per side

* Repeat this without rest for 4-5 rounds

C1) Pullup ( medium grip )10 reps

C2) Deadlift with barbell-6 reps
*Repeat this without rest for 4-5 rounds

** This is tough combo due to grip fatigue

D1) Tricep close grip barbell press-12 reps

D2) Lateral dumbbell lunge ( alternate sides )-8 reps per side

* Repeat this without rest for 4-5 rounds

E1) Standing bicep curl with barbell-10 reps

E2) Ball slams-12 reps

*Repeat this without rest for 4-5 rounds

Now do 3 of your favorite core exercises without rest and repeat it for 3 rounds

New training split

If you are trying to put on some muscle and have found your current training split to be getting dull and your results stagnant then give this try. This split calls for a large frequency and volume of leg work. By doing legs more often you will stimulate more growth hormone and testosterone and bring about new muscle gains. Your legs will take a beating and therefore you need to make sure you stretch and foam roll every day. In this split you will be doing chest just one time a week and back two times a week since most people tend to lack back development. Below is the set up for the training split and descriptions.

MONDAY
Hip dominant leg exercise ( Romanian deadlifts, good mornings, all deadlift variations, glute bridges )
Back
- 1 vertical pull ( pullup, lat pulldown etc )
- 1 horizontal pull ( row variations etc )
- 1 other of your choice

TUESDAY
Biceps
Triceps
-Pick 3 exercises for each muscle

WEDNESDAY
Quad dominant exercise ( squats variations, leg press etc )
Chest
- pick 3 exercises

THURSDAY
Triceps
Biceps
-Pick 3 exercises for each muscle

FRIDAY
Hip dominant exercise
Back

SATURDAY/SUNDAY
OFF

Do this training split for 4 weeks and then cycle off this for a lower leg volume workout. Make sure to eat like crazy because your metabolism will be jacked up and in order to get proper growth you need to feed yourself.

6 technique musts if you want to have a big bench

1) Keep your feet wide-This is important to give yourself stability and balance when pressing.

2) Get a strong grip on the bar- You can increase your bench just by increasing your grip strength. Think about leaving an imprint on the bar and squeeze it as hard as you can.This will give you the best control over the bar during the press. Try and grip the bar low in the palm towards the heel of your hand and keep your wrists straight.

3) Squeeze the glutes

4) Keep your shoulder blades tight together and pushed down-Your shoulder blades need to be pulled together and kept extra tight to give you a strong support system during the press.

5) Bring the bar low-Let the bar come low on the chest even with the nipple or just below. Doing this will help recruit more triceps and the powerful front delts.

6) Figure out your strengths and weakness and go from there-Everyone is built different and therefore you need to make adjustments to your lift. Use the guide below when benching to lift the most weight you can.

Long arms – elbows out, wider grip,
Short arms – elbows in, closer grip.

Weak pecs – elbows in, narrower grip
Strong pecs – wider grip, elbows out

Weak front delts – elbows out, wide grip
Strong front delts – narrower grip, elbows close to torso

Weak triceps – elbows out, wider grip
Strong triceps – elbows in, closer grip

Great chest builder

Sometimes when we train the chest we might not work in the incline and decline movements as much as we should so this workout uses both. As always, I would recommend doing this with a spotter. The first set of the incline will be with the most weight you can do for 6 reps and then you will decrease the weight and increase the reps every set after. The decline weight and reps will remain the same throughout.

Incline chest press with barbell-6 reps, 8, 10, 12
SUPER SET WITH
Decline dumbbell press- 12 reps

Take 90 seconds-2 minutes between sets

Pump the pecs with this

Best done with a spotter.

Incline dumbbell chest press-6 reps ( heavy weight )
SUPERSET WITH
Incline barbell chest press-12 reps ( moderate weight )

Rest 90 seconds - 2 min and repeat 2 more times.

Then reverse the set up so it will look like this

Incline barbell chest press-6 reps ( heavy )
SUPERSET WITH
Incline dumbbell chest press-12 reps ( moderate )

Rest 90 seconds - 2 min and repeat 2 more times


Flat barbell bench press 1/2 method ( this is were you press half way up and then bring the bar all the way down and then back up all the way which would equal one rep )- 6-8 reps

Rest 1 min and repeat 2 more times

Get your chest to grow with this!

This routine is designed to do with a partner. Once each person does the exercise move on to the next and so on.

Dumbbell bench press-heavy weight to failure ( 1 set @ 6-8 reps should be your aim )
AFTER BOTH OF YOU COMPLETE THIS MOVE ON
Incline Hammer strength machine press or incline barbell press-1 set @ 10 reps
AFTER BOTH OF YOU COMPLETE THIS MOVE ON
Dumbbell bench press-drop the weight by about 30lbs from the weight you used to start with ( 1 set @ failure )

Rest 3 minutes then repeat this 2 more times. Go Dominate!

Paul's crazy HIT routine

This workout comes from a trainer friend of mine, Paul Lundkvist. The routine is really intense and wont be easy. I have gone through this routine myself and I will tell you if done right this will test you both mentally and physically. Each exercise is essentially a warmup/ pre-exhaust for the next one.

Do each exercise for just 1 set to complete failure and take no rest between exercises

Leg Extensions
Squats
Leg Curl
Deadlift
Stiff arm Pulldown
Chin ups
Cable seated row
Dumbbell Fly
Dumbbell Neutral Press
Dumbbell Neutral Shoulder Press

Done

For more on Paul checkout his blog
http://plunkan.blogspot.com/

Quick hitting tips.............

• Cant decide between barbell chest press or dumbbell chest press? Pick dumbbells.

• Eat breakfast if your serious about your workouts

• Great post workout shake-low fat Horizon chocolate milk, frozen mixed berries, 100% whey protein and flaxseed oil.

• Pushups should not be forgotten. Add them in at the end of your chest workouts or mix them in as a second exercise in a superset.

• Do not slam the barbell on the floor when doing deadlifts......this will shock your spine and hurt your back. Oh plus you will be annoying to the rest of the gym since you will be the loudest guy in the room.

• Mondays tend to be national bench press day..........don't be like everyone else.....do something different on Monday!

• Add in some rotator cuff work 2-3x a week to keep your shoulder healthy
  

• If you want to lift heavy find a workout partner or ask for spots if you actually want to improve your strength numbers

New Year, New You!- 3 routines to try

The New Year is here yet again, and it is time for you to get back on track and start dominating again! Below I have given you different routines that I would not recommend for the beginner. If you are starting back into working out for the first time in a long time this new year then these workouts are not for you at this point in time. If you just need a jolt of freshness and new energy in the form of a badass workout then these are for you.

Workout # 1-For the guy who wants a bigger chest and back

PUSH AND PULL COMBO

Dumbbell chest press-1@ 6 reps ( heavy weight )

DROPSET INTO

Dumbbell chest press-1@ 20 reps ( use 50% lighter weight than you did for 6 reps )

Rest 2 min and repeat 2-3 more times

Incline barbell bench press-1@ 10 reps

Rest 1 min and repeat 4-5 more times

One arm dumbbell row-1@ 10 reps ( pause the weight on the ground for 1 second before driving up)

SUPERSET

Seated cable row-1@ 10 reps

Rest 90 seconds and repeat 2-3 more times

Straight arm pulldowns-1@ 12 reps

DROPSET INTO

Straight arm pulldowns-1@ Failure ( use 20-30lbs less than you did for 12 reps )

Rest 90 seconds and repeat 2-3 more times

Seated cable row-1@ 5 reps ( pause for 3 seconds and hold on each rep trying to squeeze your shoulder blades)

Rest 1 min and repeat 2-3 more times

Done.

____________________________________________________

Workout # 2- For the individual who is looking to trim up

Metabolic calorie burner

A1)Pullups ( use assisted machine if needed )-8 reps

SUPERSET

A2)Lateral step ups with dumbbells -15 reps each leg

Do 2 rounds without resting. After 2 rounds go right into the below combo.

B1) Standing barbell shoulder press-8 reps

SUPERSET

B2) Deadlift-8 reps

Do 2 rounds without rest. After 2 rounds Rest for 2 minutes and then start all over again with the A combo for 2 rounds and then going right into the B combo for 2 rounds before you are done.

C1) Decline dumbbell row-12 reps each

http://www.youtube.com/user/H4training#p/u/7/DxiJGMnyzKw

SUPERSET

C2) Alternating reverse lunges ( focus on speed....no weight needed)-15 reps each leg

Do 2 rounds without rest. After 2 rounds move onto the below combo.

D1) Dips-8 reps

SUPERSET

D2) Lateral band chops-15 reps each side

http://www.youtube.com/user/H4training#p/u/18/RX-_yvo7Ez8

Do 2 rounds without rest. After 2 rounds rest for 2 minutes before starting back over with the C combo for 2 rounds and then back to the D combo for 2.

Finish with:

Bike- 30 seconds full speed ( fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ) and then go slow ( "rest" ) for 30 seconds.....repeat this 4 times.

After finishing the bike do:

Ball slams- 15 reps as hard as you can! Rest 30 seconds between sets...do 3 sets

Done.

_____________________________________________________

Workout # 3- For the ladies looking to lean and firm the legs

Leg sculptor workouts

Leg circuit NK style-http://www.youtube.com/user/H4training#p/u/19/w12FIe_cLaI

Leg circuit for the butt-http://www.youtube.com/user/H4training#p/u/4/4EWjX7IvZRc

Glute medius work ( butt, hips )-http://www.youtube.com/user/H4training#p/u/1/5nAm-VuFl58

Enjoy! Go Dominate.

Drop sets

You can call them breakdowns or strip sets but most commonly they are called drop sets. Drop sets are one of the best techniques you can use to add intensity to your workout. Drop sets have been and will continue to be a favorite of bodybuilders. If you don't use drop sets you should add this technique to your training.

What are drop sets?

*Is a technique which you do an exercise to failure or close to failure, then you drop some weight and continue with the exercise for more reps.

What do drop sets do?

*By dropping the weight and continuing the set you will recruit more "reserve" muscle fibers. By recruiting more muscle fibers you will allow your muscles to grow!

Some drop set methods ( other than the traditional drop set )

A) ( 6-20 ) or "halving" method- This is when you choose the heaviest weight you can for an exercise for 6 reps. Perform the 6 reps, then without resting drop the weight by 50% and rep out 20 reps. This is great to do with dumbbell rows.

B) Tight drop sets-This is when you make small drops in weight. This would be like doing dumbbell bicep curls and you would do reps with the 50lb, then 45lb, then 40lb etc.

C) Wide drop sets-This is when you make a big drop in weight and generally you can do more reps. This method is best done with large muscle groups and exercises like the squat and leg press. You could have 6 plates on each side of the leg press and with each drop you take a 45lb plate off each side.

D) Power drop sets- This was made popular by Larry Scott who liked this method to not only build some size but also build your strength. Scott liked using this for his arms and shoulders. Start with your 6 rep max, then drop the weight between 10-15% and then do 6 reps with the new weight until you reach the desired number of drops

Some tips

• I wouldn't do more than 2-4 weight reductions ( drops ) during the routine- So if you start with 200lbs for bench, then you do 190, 180 and finish with 170. This would be 3 drops in weight.


• Stay within the 6-12 rep range since that is the best range for muscle hypertrophy. Sometimes you can go with the higher 15-20 rep range on your last drop.


• Don't do drop sets all the time- They are intense and you will overtrain and quickly burn out if you do. They say a ratio of 3:1 is best. Meaning do 3 regular sets and then 1 drop set.

H4 Fat Burner #14- Max reps giant set

Here is a routine aimed to target every muscle group of the body. Both cardio and resistance training will be incorporated in order to get the most out of your time. Heavy weight is not the focus but rather how many reps you can knock out in the slotted time.

**Do max reps in the time stated next to each exercise- meaning you try and hit as high of a number of reps for 1 minute. If you need to pause during the time you can. During the cardio try and go all out in terms of speed and effort for the time.

1.Row-1min

2.Alternating front lunges-1min

3. Pushups-1min

4. Form of cardio-Bike, Tread, Stairs, Sprints etc- 3min

5. Pulldowns-1min

6. Military press-1min

7.Form of cardio-2min

8. Tricep extensions-1min

9. Split squats-1min

10. Bicep curl-1min

11. "V" crunch-1min

12. Form of cardio-3min

Rest for 3-4minutes. Repeat this 1 more time max.

One of the most brutal chest routines yet!

I recently used this routine for my chest workout last week and let me tell you it hurt like hell! I have done my fair share of crazy hardcore chest routines but this has to rank top 2 if not number 1. This routine takes your chest through many different techniques. I highly advise you have a spotter for this routine.....as a matter of fact you must have a spotter for this routine end of story. It is very important you pick the proper weight for each set in order for this like any routine to be effective. You can make adjustments to the weight after each round if needed.

This routine is a tri-set in which you will not take a rest until finishing all 3 exercises

A1)Dumbbell chest press negatives-6 reps with a 8 second negative

** Count a slow 8 seconds and when you get to the bottom your spotter can help you push the weight back up. Remember when doing negatives you can generally handle more weight so make sure you pick something challenging.

A2) Dumbbell chest press-10 reps with a regular tempo

** I would recommend using anywhere from 20-30lbs less than you did on the negatives

A3) Dumbbell speed chest presses-10 reps with a 3 second negative on the way down and then exploding up as fast as possible.

**Speed is key here! Be Powerful and explosive! Use light weights....anywhere from 35-17.5lbs depending on your strength.

Rest 2-3 minutes and repeat this 2 more times. Your chest will feel ripped to shreds the next day trust me!

Below is the weights I used-

A1)110lbs

A2) 80lbs-70lbs

A3) 35lbs-20lbs

You should do this! Upper/Lower body super sets

If you are looking to get more out of your workout then you should try this! If you want to cut your body fat and change your body composition then you should try this! If you are limited on the time you have in the gym then should try this!

There are numerous benefits of super setting a lower body exercise with a upper body exercise. One, you can go full blast on your upper body and then allow it to rest while your lower body works. This is an extremely effective method. Another benefit is the ability to burn more calories. You will be working the entire body from head to toe, and the more muscles fibers involved in a workout the more calories burned.

The basic set up is for you to pick one upper body exercise and one lower body exercise. I would choose one exercise to be slightly higher reps 10-15 and the other exercise to be slightly lower 8-10 reps. Make sure you hit every aspect of the upper body by working the chest, back, and arms. I would do 2 back exercises for every 1 chest exercise in the workout to improve your back. As far as your lower body exercises try and hit a quad dominant exercise ( a squat form) and a hamstring dominant ( deadlift ) and also some form of lateral work ( lateral step-up, band walks etc ) and that way you stay balanced. Below are some examples of super sets you can use:

Chest press- 8 reps

SUPER SET

Split squat-12 reps

4 rounds without rest between sets

Lat pulldown-12 reps

SUPER SET

Deadlift-8 reps

4

sets without rest between sets

Close grip press-8reps

SUPER SET

Lateral step-ups-12 reps

3 sets without rest between sets

Row-10 reps

SUPER SET

Glute bridges-15 reps

3 sets without rest between sets

Try changing your routine to this style for 6-8 weeks or so and see what changes occur.

E.O.M-Guillotine Bench Press

October's Exercise of the month is the Guillotine press which is a very unique and rarely used exercise. If you need something new to do on your chest days then give this a try! You perform this press just like a regular barbell bench press but with one change. You will lower the bar to the lower portion of your neck. By lowering the bar this high you will get more activation and muscle recruitment in the sternal head of the pec. The sternal head is the upper portion of the pec and is generally underdeveloped in most guys. This exercise should be done with a spotter since you are lowering the bar around the neck.

H4 fat burning full-body workout

This is a great full body routine that you can use to burn a ton of calories in your workout in minimal time. I would not recommend this workout for any beginner. Here is the workout on paper.

Everything is a super set and do each super set 3-4 rounds without rest. Take your rest between groupings of exercises.

A1) Dumbbell pushup/deadlift/jacknive combo-6 reps

A2) Box Jumps-15 reps

B1) lateral lunge with dumbbell row- 6 reps per side

B2) Ball slams-15 reps

C1) Lateral band chops- 15 reps per side

C2) Lateral plate squat and press-6 reps per side

D1) Band row and reverse lunge ( palms down grip )-15 reps per side

D2) Floor jacks-20 reps

Now get yourself off the floor and rest your done!

Extended faitgue sets

This is a great training technique to use in your workouts that is similar to drop sets. The difference in this method is that you will be changing grips or foot position to accommodate the fatigue.

Example:

EZ bar bicep curl

• First set use a palms up grip and do 5-6 reps. When you start to fail switch to a palms down grip, wait 10 seconds and do more reps to failure. Once you failed again now grab a pair of dumbbells and perform more reps until failure with a hammer grip ( palms face each other)

Here are some more examples of exercises and how to change the grip following the same procedure as above.

Dumbbell row

1. Palms down grip

2. hammer grip ( neutral, or palms facing your body )

3. Palms up grip

Dumbbell chest press

1. Palms down grip/overhand ( traditional grip for pressing )

2. Palms down grip/overhand but with the hands all the way to the right side of the dumbbell

3. Neutral grip ( palms face each other )