Pack on muscle with this chest routine

This workout is best done with a partner. You would do one set, then your partner would do their set before moving right into the next exercise. If you are training alone then take about 30 seconds between exercises. This routine is intense

Flat barbell bench press ( 1/2 method )-6 reps with heavy weight
***This is when you rack the weight and drop the bar to the chest, then press it halfway up, then let it drop to the chest before finishing by pressing all the way up. This would be one rep.

SUPERSET WITH

Flat dumbbell chest press-10 reps

SUPERSET WITH

Explosive pushups-12 reps
** If you cannot finish these then move onto a bench to do the pushups or if you must drop to your knees.

Rest 2 minutes and repeat this 2 more rounds.

Ladies....5 reasons why you WONT BULK UP

This is a post for all the women out there. I cant stand when I hear some woman tell me she doesn't like to do weights because she gets big easily. If you can pack on muscle and get big that easy then please contact me asap because I want to know your secrets. Lets face you are not going to bulk up and here is why.

1. Women don't have the testosterone levels men have-depending on what you read some say women have only 10-20% of a mans testosterone level. Due to the higher levels men are more likely to be able to put on muscle mass and at a more rapid pace.

2. You wont get bulky but in fact get more toned- Since the testosterone levels are not present to give women big muscles you will simply get more of a lean muscular look. Toning comes from stripping the fat away from the muscle and therefore enhancing its appearance. Celebrity women have toned muscles because they lift weights and eat right.

3. Getting big takes years and years of training for men let alone women- You will not get huge from starting to weight train overnight. Even if you lift weights for several years you wont achieve what your gender counter parts can achieve.

4. Bulking up is calorie dependant- Often times women associate getting bulky from starting to lift weights but this is generally caused from a poor diet and them gaining fat. A low calorie healthy nutrition plan plus weight training will produce a lean individual.

Excuses dont make champions

A friend of mine who runs a personal training business always says excuses don't make champions and I love that saying so I am stealing it. Below are some common excuses followed by ways to combat that excuse.

EXCUSE #1-NOT ENOUGH TIME- Horrible excuse plain and simple. You make time for things that are important to you in life end of story. If your not making time then it is not important to you. Its time to figure out if exercise is a priority.

SOLUTION-Use your free time to workout and not to watch tv or search the Internet. You don't need a ton of time, give yourself 40-45 minutes and that's it. If you can pick a time that you can consistently have free then it will be easier to get the workouts in. Even if you have just 20-30 minutes that is fine.

EXCUSE #2-I AM NOT VERY MOTIVATED-You can help yourself with this in a couple of ways.

SOLUTION-You must first find out why you are working out before worrying about anything else. What are your goals? Once you know what your purpose is then write it down and make sure you look at that everyday. This simple task will help remind yourself why you are doing what your doing. Another option is to find yourself a training partner. Get a co-worker, friend or even a spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend. Usually if you go to the gym around the same time you will see the same group of people and somebody will always be up to train with you. By training with someone you can hold each other accountable and you can help push one another. It is a fact that people do better when around others in any situation. Personal training is another option.

EXCUSE #3-I CANT MAKE IT TO THE GYM-Very common excuse.
SOLUTION-When it comes down to it you don't need anything but your own body and a small amount of space to get a good workout in. Sure it would be nice to have numerous machines, dumbbells, barbells and equipment at your disposal but it isn't necessary. Things like pushups, squats, jackknives ( burpees ) and lunges can all be done at home. If you purchase an exercise ball, band and maybe two pairs of dumbbells you can really do some good things at home. You just need you for a good workout so make it happen!

EXCUSE#4-IT IS HARD- Of course it is! If working out was so easy and quick then everyone would be walking around looking like fitness models.
SOLUTION-Make working out fun and interesting. Take a new class or try a new workout, shake things up a bit. But in the end.......SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITH IT! Yes it is hard, so take it as a challenge. The rewards of your hard work will feel that much better when your done.

Go Dominate!

4 Common mistakes when training the shoulders

1) Going too heavy- You often see those guys in the gym with horrible form when doing military presses. They look like they are working the legs as much as they are the shoulders. Drop the weight and focus on the proper form and you will get better results!

2) Forgetting about your rear delts-Everyone does shoulder presses and blasts their front delts but tend to neglect their rear delts. To better improve your shoulder health and posture you should add rear delt work to your routines. Bent over raises and reverse flys are two things you can do.

3) Doing chest and shoulder days back to back-When you do chest workouts your shoulders are heavily involved as a main stabilizer and get a good amount of workload especially if your doing incline presses. Make sure to give yourself more rest between days if you plan to work the shoulders.

4) Not working the shoulders at different angles-Hit your shoulders from numerous angles to target all the fibers of the deltoid. Do front raises, lateral raises, and bent over raises. Try lifting your arm at a different angle when doing the basic lateral raise. I like using the cable pulley machine for this.

Cardio SUCKS-Time for you and the treadmill to breakup

Yes I said it! Cardio just sucks. I don't like to do it, and I don't think its the best thing to do with your time and I am not alone. When you ask someone who wants to drop weight what they plan to do it almost always involves doing endless amounts of cardio. This is WRONG! Sure doing cardio will help you lose weight, just not much of it will be fat. Recently there has been strong research based evidence that doing metabolic resistance training is the best. I currently train all my clients who are trying to tone and lose weight with this method. What am I talking about when I say metabolic resistance training? This just means doing resistance training at a high tempo in which you combine both the benefits of weight training and cardio . Think of it as a two in one. Below are some of the benefits of training like this:

• Higher calorie burn




• Stimulate more muscle, therefore helping to hold onto lean muscle mass




• Increased EPOC-which means you will keep burning calories hours after you exercise

So an example set up might be doing a chest exercise followed by a back exercise. You could also do a leg exercise followed by a upper body exercise. This way you can work one area of the body while another rests. This setup allows you to move quicker, rest less and get better results. The best thing is you can do this type of training with any equipment. Bands, TRX, Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and much more.

There is no reason why you shouldn't be setting up your workouts like this. If you want the best way to reach your goal of losing weight and toning up then why wouldn't you be doing this! I am not here to tell you to never do cardio but I am simply telling you there are other m0re effective methods. Down with cardio...... Go Dominate!

Beating for the legs

This workout will target both the quads and hamstring. This is both mentally and physically tiring. Get your mind right and dominate!


A)Split squat with barbell ( you can use Smith Machine as well)-3 sets of 5 reps......use heavy weight
Take 90 seconds between sets

B) Leg Press-3 sets of 20 reps ( the last set is a drop set in which you complete 20 reps then drop a plate off both sides of the press and do another 20 reps )
Take 90 seconds between sets

C) Walking dumbbell lunges ( focus on long strides and getting deep )-10 each leg, then turnaround and do another 10 each leg on the way back. Drop the weights and rest for 15 seconds, then repeat this sequence of 10 each leg and then coming back for 10.

D) Body weight speed squats ( get deep and move fast )-2 sets of 25 reps
rest 60 seconds between sets

Done!

New combo for your arms

I love this routine and have had great success with it in the trenches. If your in a rut with your arm workouts then try this.

Seated dumbbell bicep curls ( palms up the entire lift and moving both arms at the same time )-6 reps with heavy weight

SUPER SET WITH

One arm pulley bicep curl ( adjust the pulley cable to the very bottom and use the hand grip attachment to perform a standing curl )-15 reps focus on speed

SUPER SET WITH

Close grip barbell press ( focus on the elbows staying tight to your sides and push with the triceps ) -6 reps with heavy weight

SUPER SET WITH

Band tricep overhead extensions ( wrap a band around a pole of some sort then grabbing each handle extend your arms overhead. From here bend from your elbow and let the band go behind you head before then driving it back up. Keep the upper arm still )-20 reps focusing on speed

Rest 1 minute and repeat this 2-3 more times.