Some people can power their way to awesome looking shoulders. Others are stuck with the best they can do (me) but whether you’re in category a or category b, we can all build super strong shoulders with the following 5 exercises.
1. Shoulder Shrugs – pull either a barbell or dumbells up in smooth controlled motions and then hold while you let your traps bear the burden.
2. Straight Ahead Shoulder Flies – These flies force the tops of your shoulder muscles to develop.  Lift above your shoulder to get a little extra out of them.
3. Clean and Jerk – This …read more

To give your biceps a lean muscular look, you need to remember the 3 key factors to getting toned muscle: cardio, diet, and dynamic exercises. If you incorporate all three, you’ll start seeing cuts in your biceps in a few weeks.
Cardio: Cardio exercise is essential to chiseling your muscle. You’re basically melting the fat off your arms which in turn allows the muscle definition to shine through. The harder and more consistent you hit cardio, the better results you will see.
Diet: The saying “you are what you eat” has some meaning to it. If you’re a …read more

Super charge your legs with power and explosiveness by trying this workout. This plan is designed to give you rest on medium intensity with easier leg exercises to prepare for harder leg exercises where you give maximum effort.
5 minute stretch
5 minutes jog/warm up
leg press 2×16 (medium challenge)
leg extensions 2×12 (medium challenge)
seated calf raises 2×16 (medium challenge)
squats 3×10 (challenging)
leg curls 2×12 (medium challenge)
reverse lunges 3×10 (very challenging)
seated jumps with 12 pound medicine ball – touch the sky 3×10 (very challenging)
leg abductors 2×12 (medium challenge)
squat thrusts w/ small dumbell 3×10 (very challenging)
When completing this workout, strive to challenge yourself for every …read more

Bench pressing 300 lbs is a landmark in weightlifting. Many men aspire to reach it but only a small percentage do. If your goal is to bench press 300, this weight lifting blog will provide the info you need.
The first step is establishing your current 1 rep max, whether that is 135 lbs or 200 lbs.  From this, you’ll know just how far you need to go to get to 300 lbs.  With this information in mind, attempt to set a new max bench press every other chest workout and chart your progress so that you can see …read more

Weight belts are recommended when you lift very challenging weight on exercises like squats and dead lifts. The idea is to provide support to your lower back. You will typically see belts used in weight lifting competitions, but for a regular workout you don’t need a belt.
One problem with weight belts is you get the most out of them if you have bad form. Another detractor is if you do suffer an injury while wearing a weight belt, the severity of the injury is usually more severe.
To increase the amount of weight you can lift without exerting …read more

Living a healthy lifestyle and getting in shape just keeps rolling out with a list of positive side effects.  The newest research by the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN) shows losing weight retards kidney disease and other kidney related problems.
Losing weight and becoming healthy helps you out in so many ways yet over 1/3 of US adults are obese are overweight.  Simply concluded, Americans act counter intuitive to their own self preservation and interest.
Our bodies are amazing biological machines that are efficient and self correcting, but they need help.  To assist your body now and later in …read more

Building a great chest and a strong bench press is no small task, but by incorporating a variety of chest exercises in your workout you can look good and gain strength. Below are some of the best exercises you can do for your pectorals.
1. Machine Cable Cross Flies – This does a great job of squeezing the pecs and gives a unique resistance because of the cables. You can also adjust your starting point to work different parts of the muscle.
2. Incline Bench – Works your upper chest to the max.
3. Push-ups – Along with regular bench, the …read more

The process of getting stronger and in shape is a dynamic one in the sense several crucial elements are in play. Diet is one of those elements. Before a workout, you want to eat properly so that you’re not adversely affected during your workout.
The ideal pre-workout meal comes 30 minutes prior to lifting weights and involves a small portion of complex carbohydrates to fuel your time in the gym. A small portion of rice or a piece of toast with a 1/2 banana or 1/2 an apple would be perfect. The goal is to give you …read more

After you finish working out, your body needs two things: carbs and protein.  You probably know the protein part, but why the carbs?   After a workout, you need to restore glycogen back in your muscles.  If you don’t, muscle might be used to restore the glycogen which is a horrible result.
Another important aspect to your post workout meal isn’t just what you eat – it’s when you eat it.  You need to feed your muscles as soon as possible.  Ideally, this would come within 30 minutes or sooner.  The reason for the hurry is that remember food isn’t absorbed by …read more

A weight lifting plateau occur when a weight lifter reaches a point in their workout where they no longer derive increases (or at least notable increases) in their strength. For example, after 8 months of working out, a weight lifter may notice their workout isn’t increasing the amount they can squat. In other words, their one rep squat max is staying the same and more workouts aren’t helping.
Plateaus are extremely frustrating – especially when you reach one for the first time. As a dedicated beginner to weight lifting, you will experience incremental gains at a high rate …read more