Employee Fitness, Corporate Fitness and more

The film 300 was a box office hit, grossing over $300 million. But it wasn’t just the film that was getting all the attention-there was just about as much talk about the actors’ incredibly sculpted physiques as there was about the movie’s plot, acting, special effects, or anything else. Women just wanted to stare and dream and guys wanted to know what they did to get in such great shape.
It’s said that the guys whipped themselves into shape doing a training regimen that included 50 reps each of six different exercises with no break between sets-for a total of 300 reps. This grueling training routine came to be known as the Spartan 300 Workout. But was this really the routine the guys followed in order to prepare for their roles? Yes and no.
It took some digging to get to the bottom of what really went on but what I discovered is that the 300 rep workout was only a small part of their training regimen. I can tell you thought that the guys did spend at least six hours every day in the gym.
First, you want to understand that the guys in the film were all in really good shape before they auditioned for the roles-casting directors aren’t in the habit of picking dumpy out-of-shape guys for roles like this because they see their “potential.”
The actors’ training routine lasted about four months and was developed by renowned trainer Mark Twight. Since he wanted the guys to actually look and act like real Spartan warriors, he incorporated techniques that would emphasize the fighter qualities rather than just building muscle. He didn’t want the actors to look like pumped up bodybuilders.
The actors trained in competitive group sessions that included a system of penalties and rewards. Physical training focused on developing athleticism, using a variety of ever-changing routines that combined compound movements, lifting and throwing and relied upon non-traditional equipment such as medicine balls and kettlebells rather than machines or even free weights. The same session was rarely repeated.
The point of the regimen was to improve all around fitness using a wide variety of movements that developed the ranges of motion required in real fighting. This was accomplished by submitting the body to ever-changing-and increasingly difficult-physical challenges. Preparation for the roles also included eight weeks of daily fight training.
No surprises here-their diet was very strict and focused on fueling the actors’ bodies with plenty of lean proteins, limited carbs and only healthy, unsaturated fats. Anybody who fell of the “diet wagon” was admonished by his fellow actors-en masse-which was part of Twight’s plan of having the guys train together as a cohesive group.
Now, back to the Spartan 300 Workout. What I uncovered was that this legendary routine wasn’t done daily, weekly or even monthly. Rather, it was presented as a challenge at the end of the four-month training regimen. From what I understand, only about one-half of the actors actually completed it successfully.
Here are the components of the Spartan 300 Workout Challenge followed by explanations of how they did the floor wipers and the clean and press:
1. Pull-ups: 25 reps; 2. Deadlifts with 135 pounds: 50 reps; 3. Pushups: 50 reps 4. 24-inch box jumps: 50 reps; 5. Floor wipers: 50 reps; 6. Single-arm clean and press with 36 pound kettlebell: 50 reps; 7. Pull-ups: 25 reps;
Floor wipers: This exercise builds core strength and works the abs. Load a barbell with 135 pounds and lie on the floor. Press the barbell up, extending your arms all the way and holding in that position. Keeping your legs straight, touch your feet to the right side of the bar and then to the left side to complete one repetition.
Single-arm clean and press: If you’re not familiar with them, a kettlebell looks like a cannonball with a handle. If you don’t happen to have one hanging around, you can also use a 35-pound dumbbell. With your legs shoulder-width apart, set the kettlebell on the floor and grab it by the handle. Bring the weight up in front of your shoulder, elbow bent and pointed down. Press the kettlebell up towards the ceiling. Without pausing, bring it immediately back down to your shoulder and then lower it back to the starting position, with the weight on the floor-repeat (49 more times).
If you’re looking to replicate that “300″ look, you can take the basic elements of what these guys did and come up with your own routine and get the same basic results. Mix up your training and incorporate bodybuilding exercises, fighting exercises, dumbbells and even kettlebells. Be sure to add plenty of exercises that build and strengthen your core. Set a goal for yourself to do your own version of the 300 rep workout, lowering the number of reps or swapping out some of the exercises. Do something that’s challenging but not so tough that you wind up in the hospital. But do set a goal. It gives you something to strive for and helps keep you on track.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1163446

Sometimes you just can’t make it to the gym every time you want to-meetings run late, traffic gets backed up, the car breaks down or something else happens that stops you from getting in your workout. The next time that happens you might want to consider working out at home rather than skipping your training session entirely. Have you not trained at home because you don’t believe you can get a decent workout? Well, think again because you’re dead wrong-you can. At-home workouts, if done with reasonable intensity, can be extremely effective. A good in-the-house workout session can be made even better if you add in a pair of dumbbells.
While depending on your fitness goals, training in the home might not be right for every person all the time, and nothing will ever replace weight lifting for building mass, for even the most dedicated gym rat, working out at home can be a nice break from the routine at the gym once in a while. Plus, it’s always a good idea to keep your muscles guessing by challenging them. There are a few other advantages to working out at home too: you can listen to your favorite music, there’s no waiting for machines, there’s no one to hassle you, no worries about cleaning up after others and you don’t have to drive. It can also be a great way to dodge the inner escape artist every once in a while when you just don’t feel like going to the gym or need a change of pace. If you’ve got kids, at-home workouts can help get them on the right track early on.
The question is though, “Is working out at home effective and can I see results?” The answer is yes! The key though to an effective home exercise program is to include exercises that work three key areas: cardio, strength and flexibility. Even if you don’t have a fully-equipped home gym, there are plenty of exercises you can do using just your bodyweight. Keeping a set of dumbbells around the house can give your in-home workout some teeth and get your muscles pumped. Plus, they don’t take up a lot of space and help in stabilizing and developing muscles that are important to strength, balance, and posture. Some strength training exercises you can do at home using just your bodyweight and dumbbells include:
Chest: Push-ups are great for working the pecs. Vary the spread of your hands to work different parts of the chest. For even more punch, place your feet on a chair or your bed and try some decline push-ups. Do some chest presses with dumbbells lying on the floor and dumbbell flies (flat or incline if you happen to have an adjustable bench at home) to round things out.
Shoulders: Shoulders are little tougher to work out using just your body weight so you’re better off using dumbbells. These are all great exercises that are easy to do in the house: seated press, side raises, front raises, bent-over reverse flies and shoulder shrugs; upright row.
Arms: There are plenty of effective exercises you can do at home to pump up your arms using just a chair and a set of dumbbells. Biceps: Just like at the gym you can do standing or seated bicep curls, concentrated curls, standing or seated alternating curls and hammer curls. Triceps: Doing push-ups with your hands close together is an excellent way to beef up your triceps. Or, sitting on a chair, do some one-arm behind-the-neck extensions with a dumbbell. Using a chair you can also do bent-over kickbacks and lying flat on the floor you can do a couple of variations of triceps extensions using a dumbbell.
Back: For your back, try dumbbell rows, dumbbell dead-lifts and if you’ve got a spot where you can do pull-ups, holding a dumbbell between your ankles will really give you an extra punch.
Legs: There are plenty of exercises you can do in the home to work your legs but add dumbbells and they’ll be even more effective. Here are a few examples: squats with dumbbells, lunges with dumbbells and standing calf raise (holding a dumbbell in one hand). Adding dumbbells to your out-of-gym or at-home cardio routine can help you make the most of your time. Carry a set of dumbbells with you when you walk, alternating between curls and just carrying them at your side. If you do this though, be careful not to swing your arms around too much, you can injure yourself easily. If you’ve got access to a set of stairs, walk up and down carrying a couple of dumbbells at your side-you’ll get your heart moving in no time.
If you don’t want to skip the gym in favor of an at-home workout but do want to kick your metabolism up a notch while you’re hanging around the house, set aside some times throughout the day to spend a few minutes moving around using dumbbells. A University of Missouri (Columbia) study found that when we spend too much time sitting on our rumps, the body’s fat burning mechanisms slow to a near halt. No surprises there but the study also found that moving around whenever possible can jumpstart the fat burning process again. So instead of just lying around on the sofa for hours at a stretch, get up, pick up the dumbbells and get your ass moving-even if it’s only ten minutes at a time. You’ll burn some extra calories and you’ll do your body good.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1163470

Its 5:30 p.m. You are stuck in traffic on your way to the gym, longing for a way to get in your daily workout without the hassle of high membership fees, people hitting on you in the hallways, the music you don’t like, and that laborious trek to just get there. If your own private gym sounds like an impossibility, think again. A home workout could be just the thing you need to de-stress after work on your own terms.
It is so easy to come up with reasons not to work out. An at-home workout will reduce some of these excuses that we create not to work out. Firstly, a home workout comes at little or no cost after you purchase a nice set of dumbbells. Secondly, you can easily fit in a workout from home in 30 minutes, instead of the hour or two that going to a gym can take. Buying an inexpensive DVD can also help you feel that you are getting the benefits of a top-notch personal trainer, without the high costs of paying one. Lastly, if you are in poor shape or just starting out, going to a gym can be an embarrassing affair. An at-home workout will allow you to go at your own pace without the fear of who is watching or judging you.
This article will now give you some great tips on how to strengthen and train at home, with some simple at-home workouts using dumbbells.
To start, it is important to set some goals regarding your personal fitness vision. Make a commitment to setting a time and schedule for a realistic workout plan such as three days a week, every other day. This way, you can give your body some resting time in between workouts, allowing it to come back even stronger for your next day of strength training. Using dumbbells is an essential part of your home workout. They make you use your natural stabilizing muscular capabilities, as well as the body’s natural patterns of movement. They also incorporate a bigger range of movement, and allow us to fine-tune target muscle groups.
The following gives a simple dumbbell home routine that pinpoints some major muscle groups.
Lunges: Warm the body with some cardio lunges for strength and upping that heart-rate. Hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand, appropriate for your strength abilities. Stand with feet about 10-18 inches apart. Hold the dumbbells at your sides and step one leg back, bending the front knee at a 90-degree angle, and allowing the back leg to bend automatically at a natural angle, almost to the floor, but not touching. (Stepping back instead of forward will help protect the knees.) Come back to the original position slowly and repeat the same leg 10-12 times. Do a set with the opposite leg. Repeat each side 2x.
Bicep curls: Stand straight with a slight microbend to protect the knee. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Lower your arms to your side-body, palms facing the outer legs. With the elbows tight into the mid-line and the shoulders released away from the ears, curl the weights up towards your chest, and slowly lower them down. Repeat. It is possible to alternate arms, or work both of them simultaneously. Start with 12 reps, 3x.
Shoulders: Sit down on a bench or chair with back support. Using a dumbbell in each hand, lift your arms slowly above the head, keeping a micro-bend in the elbow. Slowly keep bending into the elbows until you come to a 90-degree angle, and then push back up into your original extended position. Repeat 12 reps, 2x.
Tricep press: Lie flat, ideally on a weight bench, or on a mat if you don’t have access to a bench. Holding the appropriate weights, with the palms about two inches apart and facing each other, extend your arms straight above your head. Keep grounding and stabilizing your shoulders into the mat as you slowly bend your elbows, lowering the dumbbells down beside each side of your ears. Slowly push arms back up to extended and repeat 12 reps, 2x.
Chest flies: Use your weight bench and again lie down flat, or inclined if you have access to an incline bench. Place a dumbbell in each hand, your arms out wide, extended above the chest with your palms facing each other. Place a micro-bend in the elbows to prevent locking and ensure safety and then slowly begin to lower your arms until your upper arm bones are parallel to the floor. From there, come back to the original “cactus arm” position and repeat 12 reps, 3x.
Keep in mind that these are just a few of the many dumbbell workout options out there, but can be a good place to get you started on your path towards strength and wellness.
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Any fitness trainer will tell you that choosing the right dumbbells for home-training is essential for creating a successful and regular workout routine. Many newcomers to the world of strength-training cringe at the thought of having to purchase a wall-sized rack of weights to accompany the changes in their strength abilities over time. Powerblock dumbbells are one of the most popular, adjustable weight training sets on the market. They are a great product to help you jump-start your own home fitness routine, without having to sacrifice a room of your house. These balanced, adjustable dumbbells provide good stability for strength-straining movements, while taking up very little space in your home. The following article will walk you through some of the finer points of these great, space-saving dumbbells.
Don’t let their cage-like square shape fool you. The square shape actually weighs more than traditional round or hexagonal weights. These weights are impeccably composed of rectangular steel plates, side-rods and stacked vertical square plates, taking up about the same space as two of your average large dumbbells. In the realm of quick change dumbbells, Powerblocks are also extremely compact, allowing you to seamlessly integrate them into your space, without the bulkiness of a more traditional weight-lifting set. Powerblocks are adjustable dumbbells that can provide the entire weight-choice spectrum of a more traditional set of dumbbells. A small set can fit into an 18 X 22 inch space, and can replace a whopping 37 pairs of traditional dumbbells. This means that you can store your entire free-weight workout facility in the space the size of a shoe box, instead of needing a massive wall or floor mount for your rack of weights.
This ingenious “all-in-one” setup is achieved through a pin mechanism that allows you to select the desired weight you want to lift. The pins mark off the needed weight to be lifted, and store the rest of the weight in the waist-high stand. Another great advantage to using this type of dumbbell is that they not only are they the heaviest of the non-traditional set-ups, but they are also super-versatile, in that they allow you to start with a 50-pound set, and expand upward in increments of 3 pounds towards a maximum of 130 pounds per dummbell. This means that you can easily shift weight from as little as 5 lbs. to 50 lbs. in around 5-10 seconds.
Powerblocks also provide the ideal setup for micro-loading, as the Powerblock set allows for small increases on the weight increments. To do this, you simply select your desired weight, and then easily add on the 2 pound micro-weights, which slip seamlessly into the hand-weight itself. In this way, the dumbbells are equally suited for all you beginner lifters, as well as the more seasoned lifting pro. Another advantage is that you can work slowly to move toward your desired strength goals, instead of having to jump from one weight to the next, as with other types of home-gym equipment.
Fitness wise, this is intelligent design. Powerblocks allow you to slowly and safely increase your strength and endurance without the risk of injury that comes from jumping and struggling with a heavier 5 pound increase. Safety and reduction of risk are of extreme importance, especially when working from a home-based gym without the supervision of a coach or trainer. The structural design of each Powerblock handle creates a very comfortable lifting experience for both the novice and advanced lifters. More importantly, for a beginner weight-trainer who may have weak wrists, the Powerblock has a wrist-protector handle padding to ensure wrist support, reducing the chance of injury.
Cost-wise, the average dumbbell will run you anywhere from 80-99 cents per pound and up. The average cost of Powerblocks run around 11 cents per pound, making them one of the most affordable products on the market. The set-up also comes with an easy-to-move workbench and a triceps bar that attaches to the the back of the workbench. Powerblocks offer a several versions of their selectorized dumbbell sets. The first is the Elite Personal Set, which equals 500 pounds of free-weights, or 10 pairs of dumbbells. This set allows you to train within a range of 5-50 pounds per dumbbell. The second version of this product is the Elite Powerblock, which equals 28 pairs of dumbbells, or a whopping 2,570 pounds of free weights. This allows you to work anywhere from 5 to 130 pounds per dumbbell.
All in all, with a good weight bench and a set of these dumbbells, anyone can have a quality weight-training set-up in a small space in their home. Powerblocks are the best bet for an efficient, safe workout, for both beginner and advanced lifters alike.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1163475

In the world of resistance training, one of the most common debates is whether one should use machines or dumbbells (free-weights) for their strength-training goals. Despite the slick look and new technologies of the latest fitness machines out on the market, dumbbells are one of the very few tools used in strength training that have stood the test of time.
Simply stated, dumbbells are better because they are free weights. This means that you have to work to stabilize the weight, instead of the shiny machine. And that’s the goal: for you to do the work.
The use of dumbbells gives you a much more comprehensive strengthening effect because the workout engages your stabilizer muscles, in addition to the muscle you may be pin-pointing. Without all of the belts and artificial stabilizers of a machine, you also engage your core muscles, which are your body’s natural stabilizers. In this sense, every exercise also becomes a more comprehensive total-body workout. Free-weight lifting causes your body to engage its natural strengthening tendencies. The same person that can bench press 200 pounds with a bar or a machine, may be only able to lift 160 pounds of total weight with free weights. With dumbbells, results are quicker because you have to work harder to stay stable in the entire body.
Dumbbells also give the user a better range of motion. The movement that it takes to lift a dummbell uses not only our natural weight baring tendencies, but also the body’s natural patterns of movement. In this sense, free-weights are more balanced, and more functional. An example of this functionality in the real world would be that of an athlete training for a sport. Through the use of the free-weights, the athlete could create a workout routine that mimicked critical movement patterns that he or she repeats while engaged in the sport. Similarly, there are many cases where we can safely “multitask” with free-weights, such as in the case of doing biceps curls and lunges at the same time. In this way, you can perform a variety of exercises in less time than switching from machine to machine.
Furthermore, working out with dumbbells is something that most of us can afford to do from our own homes. In this sense, they carry over into normal life better than a machine can. The sheer variety that a couple of pairs of dumbbells can offer is unparalleled when compared to a machine. Many experts agree that dumbbells also create quicker, more visible results than exercise machines, because of their “natural” stabilizer effect, as well as the use of many other supporting muscle groups.
Price wise, the set of machines you would need to purchase to train all of your different muscle groups would cost a fortune for a home gym. A standard set of adjustable dumbbells can cost as little as $200 to $300 dollars. Compared to the price of buying the machines yourself, or even a standard gym membership, your own set of dumbbells are a great value for optimizing outcome on your body and your wallet. Space wise, today’s adjustable dumbbell sets can be easily stored in the corner of a room or in a closet. Machines are bulky, and especially for a home-gym, require that you have an extra room in your home specifically for working out. This is simply unrealistic for most of us.
That said, there are some great benefits to using machines that should be mentioned. Particularly from a therapeutic standpoint, machines enable us to work a target muscle by pinpointing the exact and optimal range of motion. More modern machines also have cams that can alter the resistance in accordance with the muscle’s strength curve. In this way, we can progressively load resistance, something that is impossible to do with free weights. Another advantage of machines is their ability to increase safety. The machine greatly prevents injuries from dropping a load on yourself, as well as hyper-extension or over-motioning.
All in all, your best bet for a comprehensive work-out is to use a combination of both, with an big emphasis on dumbbells and free-weight lifting. Use machines to target specific muscles, or to heal and strengthen an injury safely. And remember, dumbbells can be just as safe as a machine, if used with the proper awareness, proper training and general safety guidelines. Make the decision to incorporate adjustable dumbbells into your home or gym practice, and start witnessing some new changes in your strength process.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1163479

Another article about the bench press you ask? Whether you agree or not the barbell bench press is one of the most highly regarded weight room exercises period. Have you heard this conversation in the gym lately?
So how much weight can you use for preacher curls?
I’m moving some heavy weight, how much can you use for kickbacks?
I’ve been struggling on those and I have a kickback meet coming up in a few months!
I’ll take a wild guess and say this conversation has never and will never take place. The truth is the vast majority of individuals measure their strength and even their manhood based on how much they can bench. You could be at the gym, or even at a bar having a beer but when the topic of working out comes up people are almost certain to ask the infamous question, “How much you bench?” If you don’t care how strong you are then I don’t know why you’re lifting weights anyway. The bench press is a benchmark of your strength plain and simple.
Back to the conversation we didn’t hear at the gym. What our friends above should have been asking each other isn’t how much weight they use when doing kickbacks but rather how much weight they use when they’re performing a lower pulley external rotation exercise. Did I lose you there? I know, I know we declared the bench press is the true measure of our strength not all these isolation and stabilizer exercises right?
This is true, but have you ever heard the expression, you’re only as strong as your weakest link? When you bench press there are four tiny muscles that play a major role in whether your bench press takes off or if you’re going to suffer from a bench press blowout. Build these muscles up and you can dramatically decrease the chance of blowing out your shoulder. If you’re benching heavy weight and not paying attention to these muscles you run the risk of muscular imbalances, shoulder pain, and getting stuck in a serious plateau.
When bench pressing it essential to have stability and strength in the shoulder. The four relatively small muscles predominantly responsible for stabilizing the shoulder – teres minor, infraspinatous, supraspinatous and sucscapularous – are known collectively as the ‘rotator cuff’. When these muscles contract they pull on the rotator cuff tendon, causing the shoulder to rotate. While bench pressing you may experience some rotator or shoulder pain, during part of the movement. This is likely due to weak muscles in this area. Weak muscles are often but not always the cause of rotator cuff impingement syndrome and associated rotator cuff tears. If you have the rotator cuff strength of a little girl, your body has no choice but to limit the amount of weight you can stabilize and move to prevent injury. It’s not uncommon to see an individual break through a bench press sticking point simply by incorporating direct rotator cuff training.
OK maybe now I have your attention. So how do you make sure your rotator cuff isn’t the weak link in your bench press? Or even more importantly how will you prevent a bench press blowout where you damage the rotator cuff? Like we discussed you need to strengthen the muscles, so let’s take a look at this workout routine. Remember if you already have an injury you should not use this routine as a rehab program but rather visit a sports medicine physician. If you want to prevent a future injury and break past a bench press sticking point then follow this routine twice a week. If you’re not in pain now, that’s an even better reason to follow my advice. Trust me if you have a nagging injury you’re not going to be growing or getting any stronger. Train smart, so that you can hit the weight hard when you do bench.
The first thing you need to do is stretch the muscles you are about to train. Make sure you have warmed up for a good five minutes on the bike or treadmill before you start stretching. This will help you acquire greater flexibility. You already know stretching is important so just do it. You don’t need any equipment for this stretch. You can do it one arm at a time or with both arms at the same time. Extend your arms out from the torso at a right angle. Now bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Place your forearms on the frame of the doorway and lean forward. You will feel the stretch in your pecs and the back of your shoulders. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds. Next I want you to hang from a pull up bar for 20-30 seconds. This isn’t a grip strength test so no you don’t have to hang on for the full 30 seconds.
Cuban Press Rotation
Grab an EZ Curl bar and perform a wide grip upright row until the bar is a few inches below your collar bone. Now keep your elbows stationary while you externally rotate the bar as if you were trying to tap your forehead. Next you will press the bar overhead. Lower the weight along the same plane and repeat for ten reps. You will not be able to use the same weight you use for standard overhead presses due to the external rotation. This exercise won’t build your ego right now, but you’ll be thanking me when your bench press increases.
Cable External Rotation
Raise the pulley until it is even with your elbow. You’ll be standing sideways next to the weight stack so if your right hand is holding the handle, your left foot should be closest to the weight stack. Grasp the cable attachment with your far arm while keeping your elbow close to your side and forearm across your stomach. Your palm should be facing in. Pull cable attachment away from body by externally rotating your shoulder. Return and repeat. Turn around and continue with opposite arm.
Cable Internal Rotation
Again raise the pulley until it is even with elbow. You’ll be standing sideways next to the weight stack but this time if your right hand is holding the handle your right foot should be closest to the weight stack. Grasp the cable attachment with the closest arm. Keep your elbow close to your side with your palm facing in. Pull the cable attachment across your body by internally rotating your shoulder. Return and repeat. Turn around and continue with opposite arm.
90-Degree Dumbbell External Rotation
To finish off the infraspinatus, hold a dumbbell in each hand, and perform a lateral raise to 90-degrees while keeping the elbows bent at 90-degrees. Once your upper arms are parallel to the floor, externally rotate your arm so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. It will look like starting point of a dumbbell military press. Now lower and repeat. Remember to use light weight. The infraspinatus is a tiny muscle so it can’t handle a heavy load. The shoulder horn is a great piece of equipment that keeps your arms in place while you perform this motion.
Do three sets of ten repetitions for each exercise. Perform the routine once a week in conjunction with your current workout. This is important so listen up. The last thing you want to do is pre-exhaust your rotator cuff before training the bench press. Never do this workout prior to a heavy bench press or shoulders session or you run an even greater risk of aggravating the area. You can give these exercises a try at the end of your workout, but be sure you always give your rotator cuff muscles 48-hours rest after a workout before training chest or shoulders.
Points To Remember:
The muscles of the rotator cuff are very small. Even if you’re pushing five bills on the bench press you’ll still be using five-pound dumbbells for many rotator cuff exercises. So leave your ego at the door!
Avoid lat pulldowns and military presses behind the head as they place the shoulder in a poor biomechanical position which enourages impingement.
Training your rotator cuff muscles can help you avoid pain, prevent future injuries, and fix muscular imbalances.
It’s not uncommon for a trainee to add 20+ pounds to their bench press simply by strengthening the rotator cuff muscles.
Never perform a rotator cuff routine prior to bench pressing or overhead pressing movements.
If you feel serious pain in your shoulder it may be too late. Go see a sports medicine physician.
We all know people who were really into bodybuilding/powerlifting and looked forward to bench pressing only to eventually drop out after a few years of hardcore training. Why? In many cases nagging injuries especially those of the shoulder, simply took the fun out of it. This doesn’t have to happen to you so you’re ahead of the game. The best thing you can do to keep your shoulders healthy, and make sure your bench press continues to improve is strengthen your rotator cuff muscles so that they will never be your weakest link! After all your bench press will be going nowhere fast if you’re injured. Pick up the girlie weights for a few sets once a week so you’ll experience a bench press blastoff instead of a bench press blowout.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1163487

Then you’re probably determined to get one. It’s that same determination that will be your struggle. The more you want it, the harder you want to work and the longer you want to stay in the gym. This is going to lead to overtraining which will stunt any strength gains you’ve made and delay any dreams of an even bigger bench.
How do you know if you’re at risk of overtraining? If you feel run down after a workout, notice that you aren’t making any gains, you always do forced reps, you’re not getting enough rest, your diet stinks, you have a bad attitude or you aren’t motivated you’re probably overtraining. Insomnia is another big sign. Put it this way, if a weight continually feels heavier than normal, chances are you haven’t gotten weaker, you just haven’t recovered from previous workouts.
There are three distinct stages of metabolism. The first is a state of equilibrium easily described as the fully recovered state where energy is neither being depleted and tissue is not being damaged or repaired. The second stage is catabolism. Catabolism is the stage you are in during a workout. Energy is being depleted and muscle tissue is being damaged. Your goals should be to keep catabolism in the gym, but many people that overtrain keep this stage going long after their workouts end and lose hard-earned muscle tissue to help the recovery. Finally the stage that usually doesn’t get much of a chance to kick in before we’re back in the gym for another session. The third stage is anabolism where energy is restored and tissue damage is being repaired. So after you lift you want to heal and reach a state of homeostasis,but instead many of us are back in the gym tearing our muscles and using energy when we haven’t even let the muscle fully recover from the previous workout. Never lift a muscle group that is still sore. I know it’s difficult but sometimes more isn’t better.
There is always the urge to overtrain thinking that if we just work harder the gains will come. How do we resist the urge? First off lets think, quality not quantity. If you lift each muscle group only once a week and spend less than 1 hr in the gym you’re on the right path. Although you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the gym the time spent must be intense. Every single exercise and rep should be performed with a passion and you will accomplish more in 45 minutes than most people do in two hours. If you are truly pushing yourself you should be exhausted at the end of the workout. After tearing your body apart, do you think it’s going to be ready to do it again in two to three days? I think not, try at least a week.
So all you benchers out there if you’re lifting heavy, workout after workout make sure that the reason you hit a plateau is not that you are trying too often. Let your body recover, heal, and grow before you start ripping it up again. When you hit each body part several times a week you don’t really try as hard because you know you’ll get another shot at it in a week. When you only lift each body part once per week you develop a sense of urgency. You know you better lift hard because you won’t get another chance to train it again for a week. Then as the week passes by you find yourself looking forward to your next chest day. Anyone that thinks they might be overtraining take a couple of days off and go back to the gym revived and motivated with the determination to train smarter and harder.
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Don’t Let These 8 Mistakes Sabotage Your Bench
Did you know the average weight training enthusiast can barely bench press their own bodyweight? That statistic doesn’t even account for the people that don’t work out. Give yourself a pat on the back if you’ve conquered the feat of benching your own bodyweight. Don’t worry if you’re not there yet, you’re about to learn eight sure-fire methods that will help you earn bragging rights in and out of the gym.
So what’s the big deal about the bench press anyway? You’re not playing sports or trying to compete, why is this legendary exercise so vital to an attention grabbing physique? In fact for those of you who think the bench press is simply for the ego, you’re wrong. It’s true no other exercise is more frequently talked about. However it’s not so strange when you think about it. The bench press is a core fundamental exercise for developing upper body strength. You’re not only working your pectorals (chest), you are also working your anterior deltoids (front shoulders), triceps brachii, and latissimus dorsi (back). If you could pick just one exercise to acquire a full round chest with some functional power to go with it, you would be wise to go with the bench. You just can’t develop the same upper body with any other exercise.
As a personal trainer I have seen hundreds of people strive for a 300-pound bench. The truth is most people make the same mistakes, but they can easily be changed to help you start an explosive growth spurt of your own.
Mistake #1: Less is more.
By far the biggest mistake people make is “wanting it” so bad that they overtrain. It’s human nature, if we don’t see the gains we’re looking for the common sense solution is to work harder and harder. I can tell you from personal experience that last time I hit a plateau in my training I took a week off from the gym and came back stronger than the last time worked out. Be on the look out for warning signs of overtraining such as lack of motivation, trouble sleeping, poor nutrition, and of course lack of progress.
Mistake #2: Full body workouts.
Let’s get you set up on a new split where you can give each muscle involved in the bench press the attention it needs. Remember, there’s more to the bench press than just your chest. For maximum recovery you should only train each body part once per week with an optimal workout split. If you still think you need to bench two or three times a week, see mistake #1. You have time to workout 45-minutes a day, 4-days a week don’t you?
Mistake #3: Self-doubt.
Hopefully you don’t need a pep talk, but here it goes anyway. Excuse me as I impersonate motivational speaker Anthony Robbins for a moment. Your subconscious mind believes whatever you tell it, so do yourself a favor and program it with positive thoughts. I cringe every time someone asks me for a spot and they bash themselves before they even start the lift. Comments like, “I don’t think I’ll get very many reps,” or “I can’t do this much, but I’ll try.” If you’re not confident, fake it, and tell yourself you’re going to succeed. Trying is a part of failing. If you’re afraid to fail, you’re afraid to try.
Mistake #4: Bad form.
Let’s work on some mechanics. After practicing a few of these techniques you should be able to boost your bench press by a minimum of 25 pounds.
Widen your grip a little bit. The wider your grip, the less distance the bar has to travel. Therefore it makes sense that you’d want to grip the bar as wide as possible. If you have been benching with a closer grip this will take some getting used to, but will make a big difference in a few weeks. To determine your grip, assume a natural push-up position and then bump it out approximately 3-inches.
Another way to decrease the distance the bar has to travel is to retract your shoulder blades. Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together during the entire movement. This will give you a more stable surface to bench from.
Keep your feet on the floor and drive with your heels. If you see someone kicking or flapping their legs in the air, as they turn blue trying to push the weight you’ll know that they are off centered and it’s costing them some serious poundage. Keep your heels on the floor to help you generate power.
Arch your back. Your butt, shoulder blades, and head should always be in contact with the bench, but it’s okay to arch your lower back. If this isn’t natural for you, you can place a foam roller under your lower pack for practice. Many people have asked what the point of this technique is. Again, it shortens the distance the bar needs to travels. Is this cheating? Not at all, this is a regulation lift. If you want to completely isolate your chest head over to the pec deck machine to finish up. It’s good that you’re learning to use more than just your chest when you bench press. Don’t be surprised if two days later you feel sore in your back, chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Mistake #5: Too many warm-up sets.
Don’t get me wrong you certainly need to properly warm-up. However you should do so with some very light weighst, push-ups, and stretching. You don’t want to exhaust your muscles before you get to your working sets. Most people pyramid up and then wonder whey they can’t get the weight on their last set. By doing lighter warm-up sets you will save your energy for the heavier weights and a big finish.
Mistake #6: Neglecting your back.
Strong lats or “wings” are very important to the negative phase of the bench press. Your back is the center of support for the weight as you lower it to your chest. That’s why blasting your back is so important and must not be skipped. Try some T-bar rows, or bent over barbell rows to strengthen your back. You’ll notice that it’s almost the exact opposite or antagonistic lift to the bench press.
Mistake #7: Lack of goals.
So you want to increase your bench press. That makes the two of us. The problem with this statement is it’s much too vague. I want you to pull out your pen and paper. Write your goal down on four separate sheets of paper in bold letters. “ACHIEVE A ______ POUND BENCH PRESS BY ______.” The simple task of writing your goal on paper brings you closer to completion. This act will make your goal more concrete, increasing the likelihood of achieving it. Now post these pieces of paper on your fridge, dashboard, computer screen, and dresser to constantly remind you of your goal.
Mistake #8: Lack of variety.
The human body is an amazing system. Whatever you throw at it, it can adjust and learn to handle. Keeping it off guard, mixing things up, and adding variety to your workouts will ensure your body responds positively. Always stay one step ahead by changing your workouts when you feel you’re not making the gains you expect. If you’re like me and want to look good while, while having some strength to back it up you’ve probably been training with reps between eight and twelve. Try lowering the reps on your bench press sets to the six to eight repetition range for a few weeks. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how your body reacts if you haven’t tried this before.
If you can avoid these common pitfalls and you’re open-minded enough to try something new you’ll soon be bench pressing more than you dreamed possible. Take it from me, the man who was stalemated at a 275-pound bench press for more than three years! Learn from others mistakes and watch your bench press sore. Your wife or girlfriend will be admiring your muscular upper body while your friend’s are dying to learn your secrets.
The Split
Monday: Chest/Biceps
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders/Traps
Friday: Back/Triceps
Saturday: Watch the game
Sunday: Rest
The Bench Blastoff Routine
Day 1: Chest/Biceps
Flat Bench Press 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Cable Crossover 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Alternating Dumbbell Curls 4 sets of 8-10 reps
Seated Preacher Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2: Legs
Squat 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Leg Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Leg Extensions 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Leg Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Shoulders/Traps
Font Military Press 3 6-8 reps
Upright Rows 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Lateral Riases 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 5: Back/Triceps
Pullups 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Lat Pulldowns 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Close Grip Bench Press 3 6-8 reps
Tricep Extensions 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off
Points To Remember:
Ø Make sure you’re not overtraining.
Ø Work your bench press only once per week.
Ø Ditch the self-destructing negative thoughts.
Ø Don’t waste your energy with surplus warm-up sets.
Ø Train your back just as hard as your chest.
Ø Set a specific goal.
Ø Try performing less repetitions when benching.
Ø Drive with your heels, widen your grip, arch your back, and retract your shoulder blades!
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The best way to build muscle is probably not what you’re currently doing. If you already knew how to build muscle, you wouldn’t be reading this article. But relax, because I’m finally going to reveal the truth about the best way to build strong, lean muscle that’ll make the girls want you, and the guys want to be you. Okay, maybe that’s too much, but if anything, you’ll at least look ten times better than you do now.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. You keep doing the same old workout routine, and you expect that it’s going to suddenly start working and you’re going to build the muscle you so desperately want. The problem is that you have no idea what an effective muscle building workout routine even looks like.
If you’re doing endless sets of curls, and triceps extensions to build massive arms, you’re wasting your time. If you’re doing hundreds of sit ups in an effort to develop six pack abs, you don’t know what you’re doing, plain and simple.
How about the length of your workouts? How long do you spend in the gym? If your answer is, “I spend about an hour per day, 6 times per week,” then you’re not maximizing your workouts, especially if you’re goal is to be drug free. That’s definitely not the best way to build muscle. In fact, unless you’re taking illegal anabolic drugs, you may be working out too much, and possibly even thwarting your muscle building efforts.
Do you want to know what the best way to build muscle really is? Do you finally want to know the secret to building a powerful chest, shoulders and arms, a strong thick back, six pack abs, and lean, hard and defined legs? If your answer is yes, then read on…
There are certain exercises you absolutely must do, and you’re probably not doing them. These exercises, when performed in a certain way, produce an anabolic response in your body which builds muscle. My guess is, you’re avoiding them like the plague. The reason is, these muscle building exercises are the hardest to do, and they hurt like hell (in a good way, not in an injury producing way).
However much they hurt, you absolutely must make these muscle building exercises a staple of your workout routine. In fact, get rid of curls, calve raises, and any type of direct triceps work until you develop a strong foundation in the right exercises that actually build muscle.
The exercises I’m talking about are squats, deadlifts, presses, chin ups and rows. These are the “money” muscle building exercises and they produce real results. Most people don’t, or simply won’t do them. Walk into any gym and tell me how many people are doing any of these exercises? My guess is, probably a tiny handful.
Most gyms are divided among the 1% who sport thick, powerful bodies. You’ll find them in the squat rack and the power cage actually squatting, and deadlifting. Then there are the 99% who are doing “core” this, or bosu-ball that. If they mistakenly wander into the power cage, it’s to do barbell curls with 5 lbs plates on either side of the bar.
Those are the pencil necks who wouldn’t know how to build muscle if the truth hit them on the head. They wouldn’t know what set and rep schemes to use for maximum growth. They wouldn’t even know how much weight to use in order to achieve a lean, powerful body. They think that working out is doing half-assed “functional” training with light weights performed while standing on one leg, or on a balance ball.
I discuss real functional training in another article. For now, stop wasting your time doing exercises that don’t produce the results you’re after. The best way to build muscle is by doing the “money” exercises in precise set and rep schemes using a relatively heavy weight, and let me tell you, it’s not going to be easy. Nothing worth attaining ever is.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1163659

A Review of the TRX Suspension Trainer
First of all I must apologize for having two consecutive posts devoted to the TRX Suspension Trainer, but I honestly like this product. I’m convinced that with this product I’ll be able to maintain my commitment this year to get in the best shape possible.
What is Suspension Training?
Suspension training is a new category of exercise for people of all abilities and fitness levels that leverages your own bodyweight and gravity to develop your strength, agility, balance and flexibility all at once.
Sometimes Simple is Better
When I first saw the TRX Suspension Trainer on the internet I must admit that I was under whelmed. What I saw looked like just two nylon straps. But there is much more to the TRX Suspension trainer than meets the eye.
What initially got my attention was the fact that the TRX suspension trainer is used by many top professional athletes such as Drew Brees, Ladanian Tomlinson and Reggie Bush of the NFL.
The TRX Suspension trainer also comes with tons of testimonials from top trainers such as Gunnar Peterson whose clients include pro athletes and many of Hollywood’s top stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis.
The testimonials got my attention because I figured that professional athletes would not waste their time using or recommending a product that did not work.
I placed an order online for my TRX Professional and I promptly received it at my door in three days.
When I opened the package I was immediately struck by how heavy duty the nylon straps and buckles appeared. The straps are woven nylon similar to seat belts used in automobiles only thicker. The clip and buckles appear to be industrial grade in quality.
I next read the installation and exercise instructions and viewed the included DVD. The instructions were easy to understand and the DVD was very professionally done. The exercises on the DVD are made so that you can follow along as you watch. There is also a laminated foldable instruction sheet that you can take with you to workout anywhere.
I attached my TRX Suspension trainer to a tree in my back yard. This took less than one minute. The TRX can also be attached to a door with the door attachment or to a sturdy fence or post.
I immediately began to perform the exercises and I was impressed by how easy it is to either decrease or increase the difficulty of an exercise by merely shifting my body weight either forward or backward. Also the length of the nylon straps may be quickly adjusted up or down to increase or decrease stability to allow you to perform hundreds of TRX exercises.
I have worked out on many types of home gyms and exercise machines in the past but the TRX Suspension trainer is by far the easiest system to use. The TRX Suspension trainer allows you to quickly and easily shift from one exercise to the next. This ability to easily flow from one exercise to the next without stopping will allow you perform an aerobic and anaerobic workout. This is a huge advantage over the use of traditional weights or bulky home gyms.
As I performed the TRX exercises I was amazed at the workout that I was getting. The feeling was similar to working out on an expensive weight machine. After my first exercise on the TRX Suspension Trainer my ribs and stomach area were sore for several days but it was a good feeling because I realized that many of my core muscles had been exercised like never before. My soreness was evidence that the TRX Suspension trainer provides a core workout as advertised. I’m convinced that bodyweight training using the TRX is definitely the way to workout.
When I was done performing exercises on the TRX Suspension Trainer I simply unclipped it from the tree in my backyard and quickly stuffed it into the included nylon pouch with a draw string and tossed it into my Jeep eager to show my friends.
Never have I used such an effective all body exercise system that is so portable and so affordable! But better yet the TRX Suspension trainer is fun to use. And its so effective that so many triathletes, runners and martial arts practitioners are using the TRX to stay in shape. And what’s even better is now beginners are discovering the benefits of working out at home with the TRX Suspension Trainer.
If you’re thinking about buying an expensive home gym or paying monthly fees at a fitness facility, please take a look at this first!
Fun, fast, portable, effective and inexpensivethere is a lot to like about the TRX Suspension trainer.
Please click on the video below to see the TRX Suspension trainer in action.
Then, click on the link below the video to discover how the TRX Suspension trainer can help you achieve the body of your dreams.
Click HERE to see a video of the TRX!
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