Struggling to put on muscle? We've got 4 easy tips to help you really pack on size!

The guys in this magazine aren't exactly small. They know how to build muscle, and they know how to keep it. But what about all those people in America who aren't professional bodybuilders? What about you? Have you been struggling just to add a mere five pounds to your frame? If so, you're not alone. There are many like you who just can't seem to pack on solid size. But don't worry--you can do something about it. You can follow the steps outlined below. They're simple, they're straightforward, and they'll bring you results!

Step #1 -- Size Up Your Meal Plan

Three square meals a day ... this diet might work great for your fiftysomething dad, but it's not gonna do the trick for you. You're a bodybuilder, and as a bodybuilder, you need more grub than the average Joe. Not just for replenishment after workouts, but for extra muscle gain too.

So forget the number three. Instead, think five, six, or even seven. That's how many meals you should be eating; every day. It might sound like a lot of calories, but a lot of calories is exactly what you need right now. Eat too little, and you'll just end up burning what you consume during workouts or regular activity--which is just what you don't want. You're in bodybuilding to get bigger, not smaller.
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Still, don't go nuts eating anything and everything in sight. Have too much junk food, and you'll just gain a bunch of soft, useless fat instead of muscle. The goal is to keep clean sources of food in your diet--and lots of them. That includes a good mix of carbs, healthy fats, and protein. As the building block of muscle, protein is absolutely essential to your diet. In fact, some nutritionists recommend consuming one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. Hey, we say to consume even more. Try one-and-a-half grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. After all, you have no excuse to be short on the stuff. Good sources of protein can be found in chicken breasts, egg whites, tuna, and supplements--just to name a few. So stock up, and start eating.

Step #2 -- Ditch the Girly Exercises

It's OK if you've been temporarily seduced by the fancy, shiny equipment in your gym. It happens to us all. But now that you're serious about putting on mass, it's time to go back to the basics. No more machines, no more push-downs, no more cables. Just free weights, and nothing but. Why the emphasis on dumbells and barbells? Because they build your muscles in a way that can't always be done with machines. Free weights tend to mimic real-life movements, and they also help build better balance and coordination.

Some basic exercises we suggest are deadlifts, squats, bench presses, shoulder presses, and dumbell rows. But don't be doing any of this "light weight, high reps" stuff. To put on mass, you've got to go heavy. It's the best way to challenge your body and build the muscle you dream of.

Step #3 -- Get Your Z's

We all have busy schedules, and sometimes it's hard to get a solid eight hours sleep. Sometimes, we'll even stay up later, just to get another workout in. That's not always a good thing, though. Think of it this way: A good night's rest allows the muscles you've broken down in your workout to recover. This, in turn, allows you to show up for your next training session fully recuperated and ready to lift big. Long story short, if you want to put on more mass, you need to get enough z's.

Step #4 -- Use Supplements to Your Advantage

You know you have to consume a ton of calories to get bigger, but knowing and doing are two different things. It can be hard to prepare so many meals in one day--especially if your schedule is a busy one. The problem is that even one missed meal can put you behind in your massbuilding mission. Remember: You should be eating approximately six meals a day to see your best gains.

To help you with this constant demand for calories, there's MASS-TECH[TM], an advanced weight-gain formula. This scientifically based supplement contains a precise combination of ingredients, unlike that of any other weight gainer. Each serving consists of 45 grams of high-quality protein, 150 grams of energy-producing carbohydrates, and 5 grams of fiber. There are also additional support ingredients in the mix, including the proprietary blend MASS-PRO[TM], to help jump-start your gains in mass.

Get Bigger by the Day

So now you know the drill. Keep your caloric intake high, train smart, rest lots, and--just as importantly--use MASS-TECH. You won't go wrong with a foolproof massbuilding plan like this. It's one that's used by the pros, and it's one that can work for you. In no time at all, you'll forget that building muscle was ever an issue!

COPYRIGHT Weider Publications

Lessons for legs: How to correct the most common training errors found in five key lower-body exercises - Target Training

While watching the people working out beside you on leg-training days, have you noticed that although many work out religiously day in and day out, their lower bodies never seem to change? The absence of results is generally not for a lack of effort but rather because most people train ineffectively. Want to get results more quickly, exercise more safely and spend less time in the gym yourself? The key is to train smarter-not harder.

The problem is that most gym-goers learn how to weight train by watching others. They look for the people with the best builds and decide they must know what they're doing, forgetting that many fitness enthusiasts who looks good may have achieved this through a good dose of genetics rather than proper training. Before you know it, you may have picked up bad habits and poor technique just by watching others perform movements incorrectly.

Once you've ingrained a certain movement pattern into your brain, it's especially hard to break-but not impossible Let's examine the most common errors committed during some of the most popular exercises for the lower body, and explain how to fix them. We'll also provide a number of technique tips you can use as reference to ensure you're training correctly.

STEP-UP

WHAT'S WRONG: Most people perform a step-up incorrectly by pushing up from the leg that's in contact with the floor. This produces a forward momentum that causes your knee to move beyond your toes and your upper body to lean into the lift. Actually, the working leg is the one up on the bench or step. To get the most bang for your buck from this exercise, raise your body off the floor by pushing through the foot of your forward leg. Your trailing leg should touch down lightly only for balance.

FIX IT: Stand in front of a bench or step with one foot on the bench. The bench should be at a height that puts your knee in a comfortable position -- a 90-degree bend is often used as a reference point, but this may be too deep an angle for you. (The stronger you get, the deeper the angle you can work from.) Keep your kneecap facing forward and your weight distributed on all four corners of your forward foot. Now slowly step up, pushing up with the leg on the bench, extending your body into a fully upright, balanced position without locking your knee joint. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position. Do all reps for one leg before switching sides.

Standing LEG CURL

WHAT'S WRONG: Many exercisers allow their backs to arch excessively while performing hamstring curls on leg-curl machines. This can cause unnecessary strain and possible injury to your lower back region.

FIX IT: If your back arches much beyond its natural curve, or you begin to lean into the machine with your upper body, decrease the resistance so you can maintain proper form. Position your body so your knees Fall just below the edge of the pad and are even with the machine's pivot point. Adjust the ankle pads so they rest just above your heels. Begin by contracting your hamstrings to curl your lower leg up toward your glutes. For maximal effectiveness, keep your abdominals contracted and your thighs pressed firmly into the pads. Slowly release to return to the starting position, being careful not to hyperextend your knee or let the hamstrings relax.

LEG PRESS

• WHAT'S WRONG: Using a range of motion that's either too short and doesn't work the muscles sufficiently or too large so that your knees come right into your chest, pulling your lower back off the pad and putting excessive pressure on your knees and back.

Leg-press machines come in various positions -- seated, slightly reclined or fully horizontal. Regardless of the particular machine available to you, the technique is fairly similar. If you understand the basic concepts, you'll be able to set yourself up on any variation.

• FIX IT: Start by placing your feet on the platform. If your knees are positioned too close to your chest or you're too far away and can't reach it, adjust the seat. Position the machine so that when you push out, you can fully extend -- but don't lock out -- your legs. When you slowly release the weight, you want to be able to lower it to the point where your knees bend about 90 degrees, a common reference point. (Don't go this low if it feels uncomfortable.)

A leg press is basically just an assisted squat movement, so the technique is somewhat similar to a squat exercise. Be sure your feet are positioned about hip-width apart and firmly planted. As with good squatting technique, when you're in a fully loaded squat position, don't allow your knees to extend past your toes.

LUNGE

WHAT'S WRONG: Stepping forward so that your front knee tracks beyond or too far behind your toes.

When you lunge, your front shinbone should be fixed perpendicular to the ground. If you allow your shinbone to move beyond your toes by taking a relatively short step or your knee tracks far behind your toes because you stepped too far forward, you risk placing excessive forces on your knee.

Some people question this, stating that in sports or daily activities, we're often required to bend down and lunge into a deep forward position. In real life, however, you're doing only one deep lunge at a time and never with dumbbells in hand or a barbell on your back.

FIX IT: For the stationary lunge, stand with one foot forward and the other back, feet approximately hip-width apart. Keep your front knee over the top of your ankle and your back knee underneath or slightly behind your hip. Slowly descend straight down -- your back knee should approach the ground but never touch -- keeping your front knee over the top of your ankle the entire time. Lower only as far as you feel comfortable. Keep your bodyweight positioned over your working (forward) leg. Maintain proper posture and keep your abdominals tight. Do all reps for one leg before switching legs.

SQUAT

WHAT'S WRONG: Rounding your back as you descend or rise puts unwanted pressure on your spine. This might occur if you use too much weight, even if you know proper form, because it's sometimes difficult to identify the problem as you execute the movement.

The squat is a complicated compound movement that requires picture-perfect technique every step of the way. Any number of poor habits can creep into your technique, decreasing the effectiveness of the movement and leading to injury. This is one you'll definitely want to work on with a trained expert to get it right the first time and every time.

FIX IT: Start by standing with your feet about hipwidth apart. Set your posture by keeping your lower back slightly arched, pressing your chest out and up and your shoulders back and down. Start by slowly squatting as if you're sitting on a chair while keeping your kneecaps pointing forward and, of critical importance, your head up (looking back at yourself in the mirror at eye level). Try to keep your weight equally distributed on all four corners of your feet throughout the movement. Descend to a comfortable position, typically about where your thighs are near parallel to the floor; longer-limbed individuals might have trouble going that low. Your upper body will come forward slightly while your glutes travel back, but keep the arch in your lower back and your head up. To come back up, press through your feet and push your hips forward in a smooth but strong motion.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications

Ab Exercises Simple and Well Defined

Abdominal or ab exercises are exercises specifically designed to strengthen and tone the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body’s midsection. Because a trim core and waist is so highly desirable in modern culture, these exercises have become exceedingly popular. This fact is only heightened by the fact that many, if not most, ab exercises requires little if any expensive equipment.

It is often overlooked that different ab exercises are designed to pinpoint certain areas of the abdominal system, which contains four distinct sections: upper abdominals, lower abdominals, love handles, and lower back. Each section of the abdominal system is distinct and each has certain ab exercises that work best in strengthening and toning it specifically. Whether the goal is to build core strength for sports or bodybuilding, or just to achieve that ultra-desirable trim torso-look, the most effective method is to do a variety of ab exercises targeting all abdominal areas, not just focusing on a single section.

One of the great attractions of ab exercises is that they require little equipment and so are much easier to work out than other areas of the body, such as the legs, back, or chest. While there are many fine equipment options out there, some basic ab exercises can, if practiced regularly, provide a good workout. The most common ab exercises are the sit up, crunches, reverse crunches, and pilates. Pilates is a low intensity workout that involved light aerobic exercise and stretching, and has become a favorite ab exercise of women. Crunches and reverse crunches are some of the simplest and most efficient workouts there are: you simply lie on your back and either crunch up with your upper body (crunches) or draw your lower body toward your upper (reverse crunches). These two basic exercises will work out your entire abdominal system, with particular focus on the large upper and lower sections, offering optimal benefits for the greatest degree of convenience. Sit ups, on the other hand, offer limited benefits to the abdominals and can actually damage the back.

Because these exercises can be done at home, they require little in terms of equipment. An exercise mat is always useful for keeping comfortable and clean while doing ab exercises, many of which involve lying on the ground. Other ab exercises can be done with special weight lifting benches. Dumbbell plates in lower weights are great ways to add resistance to many ab exercises for a more intense workout. Perhaps the most flexible and fun option in ab exercise equipment is the medicine ball, which provides an incredible variety of uses and positions for your ab exercises, allowing you to target any muscle area.

An often-overlooked benefit of ab exercises is that keeping a strong, durable core can actually prevent or alleviate back pain. This, combined with the fitness benefits and body shaping ability of ab exercises, makes them some of the most important in the realm of fitness. It’s always a good idea to discus a potential workout and your goals for it with a doctor before you begin. Remember, with the huge variety of ab exercises out there, some work well and are highly beneficial, while others are poorly designed and destructive. Knowing which to use for your goals is key.

Alexander Sutton is the owner of Home Fitness Equipment located in Salt Lake City, UT. He has been an avid fitness enthusiast for over 15 years and has been involved in fitness competitions and several world-class athletic competitions.

For more information about home fitness equipment or ab exercises please visit his website at http://homefitnessequipment.org

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Bodyweight Exercises: How To Bench Press 500 Pounds

Everyone wants a bigger bench. It doesn’t matter if you’re training for track, bodybuilding, or fat loss, the bench press is where it’s at.

The question is how do you start crushing those higher numbers? There’s an easy answer: Begin by utilizing a concept called conjugate periodization, to improve both strength and speed, which are the two keys to a championship bench.

Dynamic Effort

The first bench day of the week will be geared towards speed production. After a full warmup, perform eight sets of three repetitions on the straight bar.

Loading on these will follow a three week wave, with 50% of your one repetition max (1RM) during week one, 55% for week two, and 60% for week three. Week four would start over again with 50%.

Developing a higher bar speed will help eliminate sticking points and assist in blowing a heavier weight off the chest.

In order to protect the elbows and prevent deceleration, accommodating resistance should be used during these speed sets. Attached chains or bands de-load at the chest and become heavier up towards lockout, which follows the human strength curve. Cycle these tools in the same waves as the bar weight. Use chains for one three week cycle, bands for the next, and plate weight only for the third. That’s an easy nine weeks of variation.

Following the speed sets, accessory work would be performed. These exercises would build the shoulders, arms and back. Special emphasis would be placed on weaker areas. For instance, if you were lacking in lockout strength, more work for the triceps would be required.

Maximum Effort

The maximum effort bench workout would take place three days after the dynamic session.

On this day the emphasis is geared toward building strength. But rather than using the straight bar on a flat bench, every other variation should be used, one per day, working up to a 1RM.

So, we have board presses, floor presses, rack lockouts, fat bar, cambered bar, decline bench, incline bench, high band tension, weight releasers, any lift that builds the muscles needed for regular benching.

Exercises for this day are used for a limit of three weeks in a row. Advanced lifters would switch every week.

The constant variety prevents nervous system burnout, while allowing constant maximum effort. Technique won’t be lost, because no matter what lift is performed on ME day, the speed sets are still done with a straight bar on a flat bench.

After the max effort lift is taken to a 1RM, accessory exercises are performed in the same manner as on dynamic day, to build more muscle and overcome weak points.

Sample Program

Week 2 Dynamic Effort Day

A1. Speed Bench 8x3 (55% 1RM)

B1. Chest Supported Row 7x6

B2. Dumbbell Triceps Extension 7x6

C1. Rear Delt Fly 3x10

C2. Hammer Curl 3x10

Week 2 Maximum Effort Day

A1. Fat Bar Two Board Press, up to 1RM

B1. Weighted Chinup 4x10

B2. Supinated Grip Kettlebell Triceps Extension 4x10

C1. Body Row 3x8

C2. Face Pulls 3x12

Additional Notes

Make sure to squat and deadlift as well. Having a strong pair of legs lets you build a stable foundation to push from.

Always work on keeping your shoulders healthy with external rotation exercises. The warmup is a perfect time to address this, as would be a short extra workout.

Conclusion

The conjugate method has consistently built champion bench pressers, and it can do the same for you. Bench going nowhere? Give these methods a try, today!

Lucas Wold is an elite strength and conditioning specialist located in central Washington state. Working with athletes of all levels, from adolescent beginners to Olympians to professionals, he focuses on spreading the most effective training methods to as many people as possible. He can be reached through his website at http://www.BeastAthletics.com

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How to keep Your bosom perfect

Everyone wants to have a good brench. I'll show you a few simple exercises.

Bodyweight Exercises: Top 10 Exercises Without Weights

If you hate to go to the gym, you are not alone. The good news is - you can get results in the comfort of your own home with some simple home bodyweight exercises.

Bodyweight training CAN be effective. It CAN be a substitute for weights, if necessary. Training using your own body weight as a source of resistance is a time tested technique to get results fast.

Here are the ten best bodyweight training exercises that give you great workouts and great results - without the gym.

1. Supine Pull-Ups (works major muscles in back, shoulders, and biceps) Use two chairs and a pole - a heavy broom handle works well. WARNING: make sure the chairs are stable and that the broom handle is strong enough to take your weight. You could be SEVERELY injured if the pole were to break or the chairs to slip. Lie on your back underneath a low bar. Grab the bar with a wide overhand grip. Pull up. Lower and repeat for 6-8 reps.

2. Supine Biceps Pull-Ups (biceps, some back) Use the same chairs-and-pole arrangement from #1. Sit underneath a low bar. Grab the bar with a reverse grip (palms facing you), hands about shoulder-width apart. Keeping your body upright, pull up until your chin just clears the bar. Focus on the tension in your biceps, trying to relax the rest of your body. 6-8 reps.

3. Push-Ups (chest, triceps, shoulders) The key when targeting the chest with Push-Ups is the direction in which your elbows travel. As with bench presses, the elbows must move AWAY FROM THE BODY to target your chest, and be kept CLOSE TO THE BODY to target the triceps. Place each hand just outside your shoulders, slightly behind the line of your shoulders. Hands pointing straight ahead, upper body rigid as a board. 6-15 reps.

4. Tent Push-Ups (primarily upper chest) Assume the position in #3, but walk your feet forward so your body is bent at the waist, and your hips are up high in the air. Bending at the elbows, lower yourself until your nose touches the floor. Push up. Repeat. 6-8 reps.

5. Push-Ups, Triceps Position (you guessed it - triceps, and some chest) Begin with fingers facing forward in position from #3, hands slightly LESS than shoulder width apart. Lower your body to the floor keeping arms in against your body. Push up. 6-8 reps.

6. Triceps Dips With Chairs With your hands behind your back, support yourself on your palms at the edge of a chair. Your hands should be touching; your elbows should angle outward. Dipping in this position relieves a lot of stress on the elbow and shoulder joints. Lower yourself, keeping your back close to the chair. Bend your elbows back and slightly to the sides. Keep your body angled slightly forward throughout the motion. Press yourself up until your arms are straight. 6-15 reps.

7. One-Legged Squats (front thighs, glutes, hamstrings) Stand perpendicular to a wall, about arm's length away from it. Extend your arm out to the side and place your palm against the wall at just under shoulder-height. Angle the foot farthest from the wall at 45 degrees. Bend the other leg back. Keeping your body upright, lower yourself until the non-weight-bearing knee is close to (but not touching) the ground. Support yourself by leaning against the wall. Press yourself back up to starting position. Repeat 6-8 reps.

8. One-Legged Hamstring Bridges Lie on your back with one leg extended, heel on the ground. Hold the other leg up off the floor. Pushing through your heel, flex your hamstrings to lift your body. Lower and repeat for 8-10 reps. Repeat with other leg. You can control the resistance and the degree to which the glutes contribute by changing the distance you place your heel relative to your butt.

9. Lunges Begin the lunge by taking a large step forward, keeping your head up and torso erect. Lower your hips and allow your trailing knee to drop to a point just before it touches the floor - never let the knee touch the floor. To return to the start, push off with your forward leg and then step back when the knee is completely straight. Repeat with other leg, 10-15 reps each leg.

10. Stair Running Stair running isn't usually considered a resistance exercise, and in fact, it makes hefty demands on your cardiovascular system. However, it also does an incredible job of conditioning the lower body. If your knees are in good shape, try doing 10-20 one-story sprints, preferably two stairs at a time. As you get stronger, work up the number slowly, keep one hand on the stair rail to catch yourself if you lose your balance. Give yourself a bigger challenge by wearing a backpack filled with nice and heavy books.

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To read reviews on home exercise equipment and learn how to choose the best exercise gadgets for your needs, visit Nitin Chhoda's new site guide to exercise equipment.

Quick Lose Weight: Exercising In Heat, Lose Weight!

Flaxseed, called linseed in some countries, is a good source of dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and lignans.

Flax seed oils is the form in which the oil was extracted from the seed. Omega-3 fatty acids which contain the majority of flax seed health benefits are very susceptible to heat.

Flax seeds may come in different colors, but the colors don’t anything to do with the value of their nutrition. They are all equally beneficial to you. A comprehensive approach to treating cognitive disorders should include foods and supplements that benefit the overall health of brain cells. These include omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseed and fish.

In one study men with prostate cancer who ate an ounce of ground flaxseeds (almost three tablespoons) a day as part of a very-low-fat diet were able to slow the progress of their cancers between the time they were diagnosed and the time of surgery.

Exercising In Heat

Summer is officially here. Finally you can pack away your jackets and get outside. Summer offers extras hours of daylight and with it the opportunity to spend even more time enjoying outdoor activities. For many, this means more time doing physical activities and playing sports. So, it’s important to remember the potential dangers that also come with exercising in hot conditions. As long as you know the dos and don’ts of working out in the heat, then you can fully take advantage of all the fun of summer.

What you should do:

• Drink plenty of fluids. It’s extremely important to stay hydrated. If you’re thirsty then you are already dehydrated; drink before you feel a need to. Be sure to drink throughout the day (stick to non-caffeinated beverages, preferably water). Also, drink 15-20 minutes before beginning your workout and every 15 minutes throughout the exercise.
• Eat regularly. The heat can decrease your appetite, but it’s important to eat normally. Try to eat small meals 5-6 times per day. Include lots of fruits and vegetables. Aside from being nutritious, fruits also tend to help with hydration.
• Wear light, loose fitting clothes that can breath. Cotton is always a good choice. If your outdoor activity produces a lot of perspiration, consider clothing that is designed to wick the sweat away.
• Wear sunscreen. Even if you exercise early in the morning or late in the evening, if the sun can reach you then you can get burned. Not only is a sunburn bad on the skin and potentially dangerous but it also hinders your bodies ability to stay cool.

Flaxseed has recently gained attention in the area of cardiovascular disease primarily because it is the richest known source of both alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and the phytoestrogen, lignans, as well as being a good source of soluble fiber.

Researchers found low incidences of breast cancer and colon cancer in populations that have high amounts of Lignan in their diet. The effects of flaxseed on blood glucose levels are not clear, although hyperglycemic effects have been reported in one case series. However, this should not deter you from getting healthier with flax seed oil!

But you should be drinking a lot of water after consuming the seeds.

* Use common sense and don’t attempt strenuous activities that your body is not accustom to. Stick to exercises that you are very familiar and comfortable with.

One of the EFAs in flaxseed oil--alpha-linolenic acid--is known as an omega-3 fatty acid.

• Check the weather forecast. It’s best not to participate in intense outdoor exercise sessions when the heat index registers in the dangerous zone.
  

What you should not do:

• Don’t try to diet by sweating. Excessive perspiration is not the key to permanent weight loss. Any decrease in the scale would simply be a result of water loss, not fat reduction.
• Don’t adapt the "no pain, no gain" motto. Ignoring your body’s signals could be dangerous. Heat-related illnesses come with warning signs. Be sure to learn how to recognize them and what actions to take.
• Don’t forget to drink plenty of liquid when swimming. Just because your body is surrounded by water does not mean that you are well-hydrated. As with any land exercises, you need to regularly replenish lost fluids when in the pool.
• Avoid physical activity during the hottest part of the day, which usually is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• If you want (or need) to be working in very hot temperatures, don’t do it until you become acclimated. Try to spend only a few minutes per day in the hot conditions for the first couple of weeks and then add time gradually each day.
• Avoid extreme changes in temperature. Don’t hop from being extremely hot and sweating excessively right into an ice cold, air-conditioned environment. Try to cool your body down slightly before exposing it to the extreme temperature variation.

Whether you have to work outside or do it for enjoyment, following the above tips will help you stay cool and safe during the dog days of summer. So, don’t spend the season cooped up, get out there and have some fun!

Why is Flaxseed called the miracle food? Find out at http://www.flaxseedfitness.com Flaxseeds also contain omega-6 fatty acids in the form of linoleic acid; omega-6s are the same healthy fats found in vegetable oils.

Men who eat fish frequently have a lower risk of prostate cancer. Stomach and intestinal cancers also appear to be less common in fish eaters.

These beneficial fats play important roles in brain, nerve, glandular, and eye functions. In addition, they are involved in the transport and metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Randomized clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can reduce cardiovascular events (death, non-fatal heart attacks, non-fatal strokes). They can also slow the progression of atherosclerosis in coronary patients. Flax Seed muffins pregents Cancer? How to do take Flax Seed? Find Flax Seed Recipe today! Omega-3 for health! I don’t recommend you buy ground up flax seeds as found on websites or in health food stores. Once you grind your flax seeds, you need to use them in your drinks or food soon after grinding so they don’t lose their nutritive value.

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Among the women given flaxseed, blood levels of total cholesterol dropped 6%! Find out more!

Bodyweight Exercises: Quick Bodyweight Training Tips

No bodyweight workout program is complete without a weight training regimen. If you are including weights in your exercise program you already know how much weight training helps. If you are not using weights you need to start. Read this article and get some tips to help you improve your weight lifting results.

The first tip is to keep records of your weight lifting. This is something that I rarely see in the gym. Keep a notebook with you and record how much weight you lift and how many repetitions you do. This will let you know what you need to do next time to improve your strength. If you do not keep a record of the weight you lift you will find it hard to remember and improve on that weight the next time you lift. This will also give you a record of how you have improved over time.

The next tip is to not overdo it. Do not work out a muscle group more than one time per week. You have to give your muscles enough time to heal after a workout. If you lift weights too often you will actually be tearing down your muscles instead of building them up. Divide your muscles into two or three groups and just work out each group once a week. Make up a workout schedule with these groups and stick to it.

The last tip I have for you is to make sure that you eat properly. You need to eat healthy foods high in protein if you want to build muscle. Try drinking a protein shake within an hour after working out. Its an easy way to give your muscles the protein they need. Also consider taking a good multi vitamin.

Follow these tips and you will be well on your way to a healthier body. Just remember to have patience because results do not happen overnight. Stick with it and you will get there. Good luck.


Find certified personal trainers at the authors website on personal training and fitness.

Bodyweight Exercises:10 Tips For Rapid Fat Loss!

Copyright 2006 The Fitness Consulting Group

Are you looking for that “jump start” to rev your metabolism and get you bathing suit ready? The following ten tips will improve your workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of admiring second glances and stares when you don that bikini or pair of trunks.

1. The majority of your workouts should be composed of free-weight or cable exercises.

Compared to machines, free-weight and cable movements often require more skill, create muscular balance, and have a greater metabolic cost. For example, it is more difficult to balance the weights, and to coordinate muscles when performing free-weight exercises. Although this may sound like a disadvantage, it is actually a benefit. By balancing and stabilizing free-weights or cables you are working more muscles through a greater range of motion resulting in more muscles developed and more calories burned.

2. Use mostly compound (multi-joint and multi-muscle) exercises.

When focusing on improving body composition, you can't worry about “detail” exercises, so you should use exercises that'll get you the biggest bang for your buck. Isolation exercises can be used at the end of a workout to work on a specific weakness, but only do the bare minimum.

Virtually every savvy fitness professional is privy to the fact that compound exercises recruit the most muscle groups for any given body part.

If you seek lean muscle and the increase in metabolism that comes with it, you must choose exercises that allow for the greatest load. One of the main reasons why squats are superior to leg extensions for quadriceps development relates to the fact that the load you can expose the quadriceps to is much greater with squats. That’s why presses and dips will give you great triceps development, while triceps kickbacks will do little for triceps development and even less for the metabolism.

A good rule of thumb is to use lifts that will allow you to use the most weight. These will have a systemic effect on your body that'll help maintain or increase your muscle mass, and in turn ignite your metabolism.

3. Super-set or group exercises.

Perform either non-competing muscle group training or antagonist training. Non-competing muscle group training would involve doing a set of a lower body exercise, and following it up with an upper body exercise Antagonist training is executed by alternating exercises that target opposing muscle groups (e.g. chest and back). The list of benefits includes: quicker recovery, greater strength levels and shorter workout times.

This design can be a huge advantage in your mission to burn fat. If you alternate exercises for opposing or non-competing muscle groups, you’ll be able to keep your heart rate elevated and burn calories like a blast furnace!

4. Keep rep ranges, in general, between 8 and 12.

Through research, it has been determined that the best range for hypertrophy (muscle gain) is roughly between 8-12 reps. Since the main focus of your resistance training efforts is to gain lean body mass and stimulate your metabolism, this rep range fills the bill perfectly. “High reps for tone and fat loss” is the “big kahuna” of all training myths! Somehow the aerobics, yoga and Pilate’s community have convinced us that when we perform bodyweight exercises or light resistance training for high reps, our muscles magically take on a beautiful shape without growing or bulging. On the other hand, if you challenge yourself with moderately heavy weights, your body will take on a bulky, unflattering appearance. If you believe this, you probably still believe in the Tooth Fairy!

5. Rest only 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

When you keep the rest periods under one minute, it’s easier to stay focused on the task at hand and keeps your heart rate elevated. In addition, it forces your muscles to recover more quickly between sets, along with keeping your nervous system revved up.

If your first movement in an upper/lower body superset is squats, you might want to rest 60 seconds before attempting your second movement. However, if your first exercise is a fairly "easy" exercise, like lat pull downs, you might only wish to wait 30 seconds before doing the second part of the superset.

6. Every session should consist of approximately six to eight exercises. Why? Because empirical evidence has shown that normal trainees can consistently maintain six to eight exercises per session without burning out.

It’s imperative to base your exercise selection around compound, multi-joint exercises. Seventy-five percent (75%) of your exercises for each session must be compound exercises. Six single-joint isolation exercises are not going do the trick. Sure, you can perform a few isolation exercises, but the majority of your exercise choices should be multi-joint.

7. Perform Total Body Workouts

First and foremost, you must drop the notion that a muscle group can only be trained once or twice a week. Fitness enthusiasts from the past didn't train that way and you shouldn't either. The more frequent muscle producing / fat burning sessions you can have, the better.

8. Cardio is not the cure-all for Obesity

Cardiovascular exercise aids in the creation of a caloric deficit, but the caloric expenditure during cardio is temporary. Strength training addresses the core of the problem by permanently increasing the rate at which the body burns calories by adding muscle. The best programs will include both strength training and cardiovascular training, but the core or the programs effectiveness is resistance training.

9. When you do cardio, do it first thing in the morning.

Do your cardiovascular training first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. You’ve gone 8 or more hours without eating, so your blood sugar levels are at their lowest when you first wake up. After about 10-15 minutes of cardio training on an empty stomach, you’ll have burned up all your remaining blood sugar.

Once your blood sugar is used up, the only remaining source of fuel your body has to continue with your cardio exercise is your stored body fat.

10. Vary your pace during your cardio training sessions.

Don’t maintain a constant steady pace while you’re on the treadmill or elliptical machine. Numerous studies have shown you’ll burn more calories and more fat if you train in intervals.

Start out by going for 1 minute at your normal walking pace. Then, for the next 30 seconds, speed it up to a run. After the 30 seconds at an increased pace, slow back down to your original pace for 1 more minute. This is known as an interval. Repeat this interval style cardio for 10-20 minutes.

Performing your cardio in this “interval” fashion will allow you to burn more fat and calories in less time than just keeping a nice steady pace. This will increase the results you see while reducing your time on the treadmill, stationary bike, or whatever form of cardiovascular training you do.

Learn 10 tips that will shave time off your workouts and unwanted pounds from your body.

Pat Rigsby is the owner of Fit Systems Personal Training and Wellness. He is also a published author of several fitness related books and articles. You can learn even more about how to accomplish your fitness and weight loss goals in less time at his website http://www.full-schedule-fitness.com , where he explains several highly effective workout routines that can help you reshape your body in as little as 4 minutes per day.

Bodyweight Exercises And Amazing Lunges

If you want to gain functional strength, muscular endurance and quicker first step reactions, something all athletes and Martial Artists need, you’ll start adding lunges into your routine.

There is no other group of exercises that packs as much punch for training as the Lunge Evolution. Nearly all traditional bodyweight and traditional weightlifting exercises are one-dimensional, you are locked in place in a stable atmosphere. With squats you stand in one place, with the bench press you lie on your back, with pushups you are stationary on your hands and feet.

Lunges are the exact opposite. They are multi-dimensional, and as you’ll soon discover, the last stage of the evolution packs all the punches of Proprioception, teaching your body where it is in space. When your body has a better understanding of where it is when you’re not fully balanced, they benefit are quicker movements, reactions and faster movement patters.

Breaking down the Lunge into several of the movement patterns that take place in the exercise, you can see:
1. A squat
2. Running
3. Throwing a punch
4. Rotational trunk movement
5. Controlling an unbalanced load with one leg in the air, as in a punch or kick
6. And on and on…

The gains of lunging have to be seen and felt to be fully appreciated.

As with any exercise, you should start at the conservative level and gradually up the intensity. When a stage becomes easy, and you’ll know when this happens, you move on to the next stage. You’ll do yourself no good jumping into the hardest part of the evolution, that will only lead to your frustration and inability to get the very most out of the training.

The Lunge Evolution

The stages of the Lunge Evolution are as follows:
1. Lunge
2. Weighted Lunge
3. Weighted Lunge and Rotate
4. Proprioceptive Weighted Lunge and Rotate



The Lunge
The Lunge is done with no weight and begins to get the body use to using its’ lunging muscles. When starting out, repetitions should be very conservative, even in the single digits as you begin to get those hamstrings use to the work.

1. From a normal standing position
2. Take a long step with the right leg…
3. As the left knee barely touches the ground…
4. Take your next step with the left leg
5. Keep your torso straight


The Weighted Lunge

The Weighted Lunge increases the challenge by forcing a body using forward momentum and stepping to manipulate a weight. This is akin to teaching the moving weight of the body’s limbs to stay within the body’s balance plane and use efficient movement patters. When the body throws a punch, if the hand gets out of the body’s balance plane, all bets are off. This is something that happens when you throw one punch too many on a punching combination.

1. Lift a medicine ball, or weight, only light weight is needed
2. Take a long step with the right leg…
3. As the left knee barely touches the ground…
4. Take your next step with the right leg
5. Keep your torso straight
6. Maintain balance as you continue to hold the weight over your head

The Weighted Lunge and Rotate

The Weighted Lunge and Rotate now adds in the rotational movements of the torso. Every strike in the Martial Arts contains rotational movement. This is also true of a jab and front kick, there is just not as much rotational movement in those strikes, but it is there. There is rotational movement in nearly any athletic movement you can think of.

1. Hold a medicine ball or other weight above your head
2. Step with the right foot while bringing the left knee to barely touch the ground
3. As this is done, rotate the medicine ball to the side of the forward leg, in this case, the right one
4. Step with the left leg forward, right knee barely touching the ground, and medicine ball having traveled up above the head and over to the left side
5. Continue until finished, using distance in place of repetitions for this exercise


The Proprioceptive Weighted Lunge and Rotate

The last piece of intensity added in is forcing the body to balance itself from the ground up. This is accomplished by wearing Proprioception footwear. I use Jumpsoles with the Proprioceptor Plug inserted in the bottom, it’s like walking on two mini stability balls.

When you can do this exercise for 20 yards, you’ve arrived.

1. Wearing Proprioception footwear, hold a medicine ball above your head
2. Step with the right foot while bringing the left knee to barely touch the ground
3. As this is done, rotate the medicine ball to the side of the forward leg, in this case, the right one
4. Step with the left leg forward, right knee barely touching the ground, and medicine ball having traveled up above the head and over to the left side
5. Continue until finished


Increased Athleticism

When I work with athletes, many feel the effects of lunges sometimes after only a couple of training sessions. Their feelings are always the same as they tell me they feel stronger, more athletic and quicker.

The reason for the increased athleticism is the Proprioception training that’s taking place. With the Lunge Evolution, the smaller micro-muscles of the spine become engaged, and essentially are woken up by this exercise and told they are needed. I refer to these muscles as the “athleticism muscles”.

No matter what sport you play, when you start adding Lunges to your training, you’ll be amazed by the gains you produce.

About the author:
Joe Driscoll is a former Martial Arts world champion and the author of "Conditioning and Beyond" and several other books on fitness, conditioning and Martial Arts Training. Find out more about Joe and his training concepts at http://www.FightingShape.com. His blog is at http://www.JoeDriscoll.com.

The Best Bodyweight Exercises for Sexy Thighs and a Toned Butt

When searching for the best Bodyweight exercises for the thighs, you see TONS of ads promoting all of these fancy so-called inner-thigh blasters, thigh squeezers, thigh-toning machines, etc. Take my word when I say that you do NOT need any of these ridiculous "thigh-blasting" gadgets to tighten and tone-up your legs, butt, and hips for good.

As always, the best exercises for the thighs come in the form of free-weight or bodyweight exercises. You really need not look any further than various forms of exercises like lunges, squats, deadlifts, and step-ups to get those toned thighs that you want. In addition, there are plenty of variations of these basic exercises to choose from, so in reality, it is simply a waste of time messing with all of these inner-thigh gadgets and fancy thigh machines.

Here's an example of one of the most effective thigh exercises that you can do. I'm sure you have done some variation of lunges before. There's probably about 20 different versions that you can try and they all kick butt!

One of the best variations of lunges are walking lunges (and a couple ways to do these slightly different to change the emphasis). Instead of standing lunges where you either lunge forward or lunge backward for 1 step and come back, with walking lunges you keep traveling forward on each step for anywhere from 10-30 steps, and then you turn around and come back that same distance.

A couple ways to improve on these and get better results over time is to increase your distance each time or start carrying dumbbells to increase the resistance. Walking lunges done right are a real thigh-burner!

Here's a couple tips to keep in mind when performing walking lunges:

1) Step far enough forward so that your front shin stays approximately vertical and your front thigh is approximately parallel to the floor at the bottom of the lunge.

2) Your leg behind you while lunging should have a bend in the knee at the bottom but your knee should come just short of touching the floor. Try not to touch the back knee to the ground during walking lunges.

3) Pause for a second at the top of each step before you lunge forward again for your next step.

Ok, now that you've mastered the basic walking lunge, let me give you a couple ideas for lunge variations that change the emphasis a little bit for working the outer thighs, inner thighs, and buttocks in a slightly different manner.

One variety is to step at an angle outward on each forward step. A second variation is to step at a slight angle inward on each forward step. The inward stepping version of the walking lunge is also called a cross-over lunge, and it really stretches out the buttocks and hips.

Go ahead and give these lunge variations a try and I guarantee that you will be firming up those thighs in no time. Whatever you do, just please say no to the fancy thigh machines and inner thigh squeezers, and use these more effective bodyweight exercises and free weight exercises, and you'll be much better off for it.


See below for more innovative exercises for the thighs and workouts that will have you showing off your new sexy toned legs.

Get your FREE instructions and photos of more of the best exercises for the thighs at Best Butt, Hip & Thigh Exercises

If you're interested in learning the top methods for getting a flat sexy belly, go to Lose Your Belly Fat

Michael Geary (CPT) is a recognized International Fitness Expert, contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness Hers Magazine, and author of the internationally-selling book, The Truth about Six-Pack Abdominals. Another recommended resource for fat-loss is Lose Fat and Build Muscle

Unique Bodyweight Exercises for Time-Crunched Individuals

Warning: this style of workout is WAY different than anything you've ever tried before and may result in a dramatically leaner, stronger body so that your friends no longer recognize you in a matter of weeks!

Alright, I exaggerated about your friends recognizing you, but this workout is still great for busy people that always use the excuse that they don't have time to go to the gym, or even for the normal gym rat to try out for a few weeks to break out of a plateau.

Please keep an open-mind and don't worry so much about what other people think, because this is quite different and you may get some funny looks, but you'll get the last laugh with your new rock hard body! To be honest, most people are too self conscious to try something like this. If that's the case for you, then that's your loss.

Here's how it works:

Instead of doing your traditional workouts of going to the gym 3-4 times a week and doing your normal weight training and cardio routines for an hour at a shot, with this program, you will be working out for just a couple minutes at a time, several times throughout each day, 5 days/week.

The program will consist of only bodyweight exercises done for about 2-3 minutes, 6-8 times per day, throughout each day. Now obviously if you work a normal office job, you are going to have to not be shy about doing a few exercises in your office and having your cube-mates watch you. Actually, I've found that some people that have tried this have actually gotten their co-workers to join them! If you have a private office, then you don't have to worry about anybody watching you. If you work from home, or are a stay at home mom, there's no reason you can't fit these in throughout the day while at home. If you end up having a busy day with meetings and so forth, and can only fit a couple of these 2-minute workouts in, then so be it, but try to get as many done each day as you can.

If you're on a normal 9-5 office schedule, I recommend doing your 2-minute workouts every hour, on the hour, with the exception of lunch. For example, you could try 9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm.

Some of the exercises that are the best to focus on are:

-bodyweight squats (and variations)

-pushups (and variations)

-forward, reverse, or walking lunges

-up & down a staircase if one is available

-floor planks (holding plank position from forearms and feet)

-floor abs exercises such as lying leg thrusts, ab bicycles, etc.

-one-legged bodyweight Romanian deadlifts

This list is not fully comprehensive, but I wanted to keep it relatively simple. If you know other good bodyweight exercises, you can add those to your routine also. If you want to keep it real simple and don't want to get down on the floor for anything, you can stick to squats, lunges, and pushups and still get great results.

The good thing about these workouts is that you do enough in 2-3 minutes to get your blood pumping, heart rate up a bit, a large portion of your body's muscles worked, and your body temperature raised. However, it's usually not enough to break a sweat in only 2 or 3 minutes, so you don't have to worry about sweating or getting smelly in the office or where ever you may be. At most, you might just get a little moist on the skin.

Here's an example routine (adjust the reps up or down based on your capabilities):

Mon/Wed/Fri
9 am - 10 pushups/15 bodyweight squats, repeat 1X for 2 sets
10 am - plank holds (hold the planks as long as you can taking short rest breaks for a total of 3 minutes)
11 am - 5 pushups/10 bodyweight squats, repeat for 4 sets
1 pm - plank holds (hold as long as possible in 3 minutes)
2 pm - 8 pushups/12 bodyweight squats, repeat for 3 sets
3 pm - plank holds (hold as long as possible in 3 minutes)
4 pm - max pushups/max bodyweight squats in one set (no repeat)

Tues/Thurs
9 am - 6 fwd lunges each leg/6 rev lunges, repeat 1X for 2 sets
10 am - one legged bw Romanian deadlifts (RDL) 6 each leg/floor abs for 20 sec, repeat 1X for 2 sets
11 am - 3 fwd lunges each leg/3 rev lunges, repeat for 4 sets
1 pm - one legged bw RDL 3 each leg/floor abs for 20 sec, repeat for 4 sets
2 pm - 5 fwd lunges each leg/5 rev lunges, repeat for 3 sets
3 pm - one legged bw RDL 10 each leg/floor abs for 30 sec (no repeat)
4 pm - max fwd lunges each leg/max rev lunges in one set (no repeat)

In order to progress on these workouts, you could either add 1 or 2 reps to each set per week, or you could progress to more difficult versions of each exercise each week (for example, close grip pushups, one leg raised pushups, squats with arms raised straight over head, etc.).

The above routines are just a couple examples of how you can use this very unique style of training. Use your creativity and come up with your own. Think about what you've accomplished with these "mini" workouts completed throughout each day... You've increased your heart rate and pumped up your muscles 6-8 different times throughout each day, burning a lot of extra calories and stimulating your metabolism. Even though each "mini" workout was a very short duration, you've accumulated lots of repetitions for almost every muscle throughout your entire body, and you didn't even have to break a sweat during any of the "mini" workouts. And there's hardly any excuse for not being able to take a 2-minute break once per hour and do a couple of exercises. Another benefit of this style of training is that now you don't have to devote any time before or after work to going to the gym because you already got your workout done little by little throughout the day. You've now got some extra free time on your hands!

Try this type of routine out for 3-4 weeks and then go back to your normal gym routines. I think you'll find that it was a great way to break out of a plateau and stimulate new results in your body. You can try mixing in a cycle of these "mini" workouts every couple of months to keep things fresh.

Keep in mind that this is only one method of training and doesn't mean that you should only stick to this method for eternity. You will hit a plateau on any given training method, so I'd recommend just rotating it into your arsenal of various training methods. And by all means, don't worry about what other people think so much...have the courage to try something a little different. In the end, you'll be the one laughing back at all of the "blubber-bellies" that are giving you funny looks while they eat their donuts!

Visit http://truthaboutabs.com/freenewsletter.html to receive a free copy of the ebook "Training & Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-body", as well as your own free personalized metabolic rate calculator.
Michael Geary is a nationally dual certified personal trainer (NCSF-CPT, AFAA-CPT), and author of the internationally-selling The Truth about Six Pack Abs ©2004-2006.

Bodyweight Exercises For Ultimate Physical Fitness

There is no reason that you need to have a complicated Bodyweight exercise routine or try travel to any gym to get physically fit.

Bodyweight training will get you the results you need in the comfort of your own home.

If your goal is to look good and feel good bodyweight training is the way to go, and it has great benefits.

If your time is limited bodyweight training will get you breathing hard in no time flat, and the rate that fat will fly off your body will be amazing.

The exercises are fun and there are so many ways that you can use your bodyweight to get a great workout.

One exercise that you can use that never seems to get easy and that's the burpee, the burpee is brutal and very result producing.

The burpee is one of my favorite exercises for getting in shape as fast as possible.

To do the burpee:

Start in a standing position.

Squat down, put your hands on the floor, kick your legs back. ( you are now in a pushup position )

Bring your legs back up toward your chest.

Stand up, and jump.

These are to be done as fast as possible.

Short sprints are a great way to burn fat, get lean and stay muscular without losing muscle.

If you combined the two exercises burpees and short sprints think of the benefits, amazing.

Try this short, but great workout and it will take only 5 minutes.

Do 1 minute of burpees, sprint for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds.



John Grube is an expert on the subject of bodyweight training. He has over 25 years of training experience and is the author of The Wildman Training Program manual, and The New Wildman Training Course For more info http://www.wildmantraining.com

How work very intensive 2 minute bodyweight workouts!

Just because the holiday season is upon us does not mean that we have to abandon our  Bodyweight workouts, you can grab a quick Bodyweight workout in as little as 1 to 2 minutes a day.

How can you get a Bodyweight workout in only 1 to 2 minutes a day ? With a quick bodyweight workout. This is a great stress reliever not to mention a great way to give yourself a boost when your energy is low.

Most people think that there is no way that they can get a workout in only 1 or 2 minutes a day, I disagree.

The concept is that if you stop exercising around the holidays or for any undetermined amount of time you will have a harder time getting back into it.

There are very few reasons to skip your workouts, the number 1 reason is there is no time, this is just an excuse to make us feel good about not following through, the easy way out.

We don't need a gym or have to go out and jog for 30 minutes to stay on track, what you need to do is learn that if you make exercise a way of life it will be easier to follow and you will always find time to squeeze a workout in.

Would you go a day without showering ? How about a day without brushing your teeth ? If you do both of these everyday doesn't it make sense to do something for your health and fitness on a daily basis.

My philosophy is get in whatever workout you can, I don't care if it's only doing 25 pushups, which should take no more then 30 seconds, then this leaves you with the I can always find time and there is no excuse mentality.

What if you did only 25 pushups or situps a day, that would be 175 pushups or situps a week or 9,125 a year seems like alot, yet it's only 25 pushups situps a day, so in only 30 seconds a day you can do 9,125 pushups or situps in 1 year.

A 1 or 2 minute short workout 1 or 2 times a day can get you back on track if you are feeling a little short on energy.

If you don't think you can get a workout in 1 or 2 minutes a day try 1 of the following short workouts.

1. Pushups -1 minute

Situps -1 minute

2. Jumping Jacks -1 minute

Pushups -1 minute

3. Bodyweight Squats -1 minute

Pushups -1 minute

4. Jumping Jacks -1 minute

Bodyweight Squats -1 minute

Do these as fast and explosive as possible.

Believe it or not 1 minute will probably be to long for most, this is a fact, so if 1 minute is to long try doing the workouts for 30 seconds, see you can get in a short effective workout in 1 to 2 minutes a day.

John Grube is an expert on the subject of bodyweight training. He has over 25 years of training experience and is the author of The Wildman Training Program manual and the New expanded version The Wildman Training Course, For more info http://www.wildmantraining.com