Killer Chest Exercise Workout

Chest exercise workout

Here is a killer chest exercise workout that is used to dramatically increase metabolism and help you burn loads of calories even after the workout session. It is called the giant set. Basically this giant set is four exercises done one after the other non stop, hammering the same muscle group over and over again until the muscle fibers breaks down and is forced to grow!

The giants set can be used for any large muscle group but I find that doing giant set on the chest is just unforgiving! During the last exercise, you can literally feel the triceps trembling, shaking and the chest about to tear.

This killer chest exercise workout uses compound movements with free weights at first and then shifts to cable and then to body weight exercise. An example of a killer chest exercise workout would be doing an heavy incline barbell chest press, then move on to moderate weight incline dumbbell chest press and then to cable crossovers and then finally finishing of with bench dips. You can see how the degree of difficulty in the exercises goes down as the set progresses.

You can also do a heavy set of bench press, then move on to incline dumbbell flyes, then to seated cable chest press and then finally to push ups till failure.

Believe me, just do four rounds of this giant sets and you will be dying to stop and have your post workout recovery drink. Not only the burning sensation in the chest that is unbearable, it’s the pain in the palm and the lack of oxygen in the lungs that make this exercise a true mental test.

Use this high intensity chest workout for no more than a month and the shift back to normal heavy weight training. You can see that you will be able to carry heavier weights, in other words, this killer chest exercise workout is a good remedy for muscles that have plateau.

Chest exercise workout

The Best Tricep Workout Ever

Best tricep workout

The best tricep workout I have ever done is a seven exercise tricep workout. This is because I really have long stubborn triceps. It is really hard for them grow. Then I decide that I will hammer them with seven exercises, seven intense tricep exercises that include free weights and cables.

I do this best tricep workout once a week. It is powerful enough to keep my triceps sore for 2 days.

The first exercise I will do is the standing cable triceps press down. This is an excellent exercise to warm up the triceps. I will do 3 regular sets, going heavier as the sets progress. Then on the final set, I will do a drop set. This will have my triceps on fire and well prepared for my second exercise, then awesome lying tricep extension.

This is the best exercise to build size on the triceps. But I will not be doing regular single sets; instead I will super set it with bench dips to boost up the intensity. There are 3 sets involved. On the first set, it will be 12 reps, on the second set, 10 reps and on the final set, it will be 8 reps. All the bench dips will be done till failure.

For the fourth exercise on this best tricep workout, I would do overhead tricep rope extension. The angle that this exercise is executed gives an amazing soreness in the triceps until it rides up all the way to the shoulders! Remember to keep your back straight and your abs tight.

Then, I would use overhead dumbbell tricep extensions. By using dumbbells, it puts much more pressure on the muscle as it needs to work harder to balance the weight.

Then, for the belly of the triceps, I would do dumbbell tricep kick backs. Use light weight on this exercise and focus on form. Squeeze hard on the peak of the contraction.

Last but no least, this best tricep workout will end with some hardcore body weight dips till failure. This is a very good exercise to out some meat on the triceps.


The Best Tricep Workout Ever Plan

1. Tricep press down and drop on the last set
2. Lying tricep extension superset with dips till failure
3. Over head tricep rope extension
4. Overhead dumbbell tricep extensions
5. Dumbbell kickbacks
6. Dips till failure

For all the exercises, do three sets, starting with 12 reps, then 10 reps and then finally 8 reps. Remember, it is super important to use weights that really challenge the body. It must be intense enough to make you scream!

best tricep workout

Shoulder Muscle Workout For Mass In Minutes

Shoulder muscle workout

If you’re looking to develop an impressive, muscular physique, well-developed shoulders are an absolute must. Thick, round “cannon ball delts” will make your upper body appear wide and powerful and will help immensely in creating the v-tapered look that all bodybuilders strive for.

Many serious lifters will argue that underneath clothes, muscular shoulders make the greatest contribution toward the overall appearance of the upper body.
The shoulder is a 3-headed muscle that performs the function of lifting and rotating the arm. It consists of the anterior region (the front), the medial region (the middle) and the posterior region (the rear). These heads can be stimulated in the gym using two different movements: an overhead press and a raise.

The overhead press is the meat and potatoes of effective shoulder training. There isn’t a single lift out there that can match the incredible shoulder-stimulating effect of a basic overhead pressing movement. Both a barbell and a dumbbell can be used for this exercise, but dumbbells are the best overall choice.
Dumbbells allow you to move through a more natural range of motion and also don’t allow one arm to cheat for the other. They also place a greater amount of total stress on the shoulder region in comparison to the barbell, which shifts some of the stress to the upper chest.

I would recommend using the seated overhead dumbbell press as your core shoulder movement. Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench with a vertical back support. Press the dumbbells overhead until your elbows are just short of locking out, and then lower them back to shoulder level.

The next exercise to look into is a basic side lateral raise, which can also be performed with a pair of dumbbells. Side laterals are an isolation exercise and will shift the majority of the stress to the medial head of the shoulder. This will build greater shoulder width and will contribute to that wide upper body look. Stand with your knees slightly bent and hold a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing inward. With a slight bend in your arms, raise the dumbbells up to shoulder level and then lower them back to the starting position.

When it comes to training your shoulders for maximum size and strength, a basic overhead press and a side lateral raise is all you need. It’s very important to realize that the shoulders are stimulated on virtually every single upper body exercise that you perform and therefore they do not require a lot of direct work.
Most people perform far too much work on their shoulders and actually hinder their gains as a result. Because of this I typically do not recommend that you perform isolation exercises for the anterior and posterior heads.

The anterior heads are heavily stressed during all chest pressing movements while the posterior heads are hit equally hard on all rowing movements for the back. A couple of extra sets won’t hurt, but you should try to minimize the volume as much as you can.

The key to massive shoulders is quality, not quantity.

Here are a couple of sample shoulder muscle workouts that you can use:

Shoulder Muscle Workout #1

Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press – 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals – 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps
If you insist on performing isolation exercises for the front and rear heads, you can use this routine:

Shoulder Muscle Workout #2

Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press – 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals – 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps
Standing Front Dumbbell Raise – 1 set of 10-12 reps
Seated Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raise – 1 set of 10-12 reps

There you have it.

All sets should be taken to complete muscular failure where no additional reps can be completed using proper form. Keep a detailed record of each workout and strive for continual improvement from week to week by either increasing the resistance or the number of reps performed.

If you want to learn the specific training methods for hitting all of your other muscle groups, check out my website by clicking the link below. You can gain instant access to a complete online muscle-building video lesson series that outlines the proper techniques for maximizing your muscle gains in your chest, back, arms, legs and abs, with a special lesson dedicated to each...

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

If you can spare just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of months: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

shoulder muscle workout

Best Workout For Bigger Back

Best workout for bigger back

It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly misguided the vast majority of the population is in the gym. Everyone is desperate for that wide, powerful and muscular physique, yet very few understand how to properly channel their efforts to get there.

For most aspiring lifters, it's all about building a huge chest and arms. Week after week they slave away on endless sets of bench presses and barbell curls in search of the rippling muscle gains they want so badly.

Not surprisingly, those gains never appear in any significant form.

While a well developed chest and arms is clearly an important part of any complete physique, the truth is that these muscles only play a small role when compared to a much larger, much more intricate muscle group that most people severely neglect in their training programs.

I am, of course, talking about the major muscles of the back: the lats, traps, spinal erectors, rhomboids and lower back.

It's obvious why most lifters neglect these all-too-important muscles…

1) The back is not a “showy” muscle and you can't see it in the mirror.
2) Back training is far more stressful and taxing to the body than chest or arm training.
3) Most lifters are simply unaware of how important the development of these muscles really is.

Allow me to let you in on a little secret…

If you want to appear as wide, thick and powerful as you possibly can, nothing will allow you to achieve this goal faster than a well developed back.

In fact, 70% of your upper body muscle mass resides in this area!

Nothing can replace the upper body thickening effect of big, bulging lats and a set of wide, tall trapezius muscles.

Please, get up off that bench press and put down that EZ-curl bar for just a moment and let me share a simple, step-by-step workout that you can use to build the muscular back you so desperately need.

There are 4 major movements that you must perform to properly develop your back…

1) Deadlifts – I cannot possibly stress the importance of this lift enough. There is not a single exercise out there that can even come close to matching the effectiveness of a basic, bent-legged barbell deadlift.

The deadlift will work you from finger to neck to toe and is irreplaceable in developing strong, thick back muscles. The deadlift will stimulate growth throughout the entire back complex and should be the cornerstone of your routine.

2) A vertical pulling movement – These exercises mainly target the lat muscles and will help you to attain that wide, v-tapered look from behind. Examples of vertical pulling movements are chin-ups (overhand or underhand), lat pulldowns and v-bar pulldowns.

To get the most bang for your buck I recommend a basic overhand chin-up. This is the bread and butter of vertical pulling movements and will stimulate growth in the lats like no other exercise.

3) A horizontal pulling movement – Otherwise referred to as “rows”, horizontal pulling movements place their emphasis on the upper/middle portion of the back and also stimulate the lats. There are a ton of different rowing movements to choose from: bent over barbell rows, dumbbell rows, seated machine rows and cable rows just to name a few.

For maximum results, stick to a basic freeweight rowing movement. I usually recommend bent over barbell rows, but bent over dumbbell rows are an acceptable choice as well.

4) A shrugging movement – While not quite as important as the above mentioned lifts, a shrugging movement should still be performed at the end of the workout to target the upper traps and develop that mountainous, diamond-shaped look from behind. A basic barbell or dumbbell shrug will do the trick.


Okay, let's put it all together…

Deadlifts – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Overhand Chin-Ups – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Barbell Shrugs – 2 Sets of 10 to 12 reps

For optimal gains in back size and strength, the above routine is ideal.

It may not seem like a lot, but as long as you take every set to muscular failure and focus on quality rather than quantity, this routine provides more than enough stimulation for maximum back growth. I've used this same routine for many years and continue to see steady progress in both back size and strength.

Make sure to keep a written record of every workout that you perform, and focus each week on increasing either the weight that you lift or the number of reps that you perform within the given rep range.

Perform this workout once per week with full effort and I guarantee that your upper body will appear thicker, wider and more muscular than ever before.

What about specific routines for the chest? What about the biceps, triceps and shoulders? How about the thighs, calves and abs?

For specific training information on each of these body parts make sure to visit my webpage below and find out how you can finally get the rock-solid muscle gains you deserve without spending endless hours in the gym...

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

If you can spare just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of months: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Killer Arm Workout Big Gun Arms

killer arm workout

A killer arm workout is a workout that makes driving home hard after your workout sessions. A fantastic arm workout for me should include drops sets as well as super sets to keep the arm burning like crazy. Imagine pouring gasoline over your arms and light it up!

Let hit the triceps first. Triceps should be the one suffering first because it is a lager muscle group and it requires a lot more focus on it. First, do the triceps press down with cables. Do around 3 sets. Moving the weight up as you drop the reps. Then on the fourth set, do a drop set. For example, move the weights down from 25 kg to 20 kg to 15 kg and the reps from 8 to 10 then to 12 non stop.

The when the triceps is all warmed up, lying triceps extensions with the EZ curl bar is next. This totally a true triceps mass builder. It hits all the three triceps muscle heads and it is a perfect exercise for mass. Take 3 solid heavy sets to really over load the triceps muscles.

If you want to get a killer arm workout, do close grip push ups after each set of heavy lying triceps extension.

Do not miss out on over head cable triceps rope extension. This exercise can really give mass on the upper triceps as well as the lateral head. This exercise is a isolation movement there for it should be done towards the end.

After hammering the triceps, proceed to the killer arm workout for biceps. I always start out by doing standing barbell curls. This is also another must do exercise for big biceps. This is because you can carry heavy weights on this bicep exercise. Do three heavy sets on this exercise. Start out moderate heavy and do 10 reps. Then pile on the weights and on the weight and do 8 reps. Finally, for a real killer arm workout, do 6 reps with heavier weights and make your biceps swell!

Then move on to incline 45 degree dumbbell biceps curls. This exercise really hits the biceps because it prevents momentum from helping in the biceps exercise. Here is a tip for getting a high bicep peak. During the top of the curl, rotate your wrist outwards.

For the last exercise to complete this killer arm workout, do three sets of heavy preacher curls and on the last set, do a drop set. This will really burn the biceps and light them on fire. Make sure during this exercise, use the EZ curl bar and go for the full range of motion.

You can also option to do heavy standing cable bicep curls. The good thing about using cable curls is that you it works the entire bicep equally. What this means is when you use free weights, the top of the motion is always easy and the mid point of the curl is the toughest. If you use cables, the force of tension is the same throughout the motion is equal. There for you get a full development for the entire muscle.

Use this killer arm workout for 3 months. Give full determination and you will get the results you want. You also have to eat lots if protein and carbs to supply the raw materials for you muscle to recover.

killer arm workout

Revealed: The Truth About Massive Biceps & Triceps

It’s no secret that every serious lifter out there desires an impressive pair of strong, muscular arms.

Who wouldn’t be happy with tall, peaking biceps sitting on top of rock-hard, horse-shoe-shaped triceps? Who wouldn’t love to have a pair of ripped, well-developed guns forcefully bursting through the sleeves of their shirt?

While developing muscular arms is usually at the top of many peoples’ agenda, the reality is that the majority of lifters out there have a very poor understanding of how to properly train their arms for maximum gains.

In order to gain the proper insight into effectively stimulating arm growth, we must first recognize three basic truths:

1) Relatively speaking, the biceps and triceps are small muscle groups.
2) The biceps receive heavy stimulation during all basic pulling movements for the back.
3) The triceps receive heavy stimulation during all basic pressing movements for the chest and shoulders.

What do these 3 points tell us about effective arm training?

The most important thing for you to realize is this:

For maximum gains in muscle size and strength, the biceps and triceps require only a very small amount of direct stimulation!

So why is it that every time I enter the gym I see the same misinformed people, week in and week out, slaving away on endless sets of bicep curls and tricep extensions?

It’s very important to understand that the biceps and triceps receive a very large amount of stimulation from all of your chest and back training. Couple this with the fact that your biceps and triceps are already small muscle groups to begin with and it becomes quite clear that direct arm training is of minor importance.

Remember, your muscles do not grow in the gym. The work that you accomplish as you train with weights is merely the “spark” that sets the wheels of the muscle growth process into motion. The real magic takes place out of the gym while you are resting and eating, as this is the time when your body will actually be synthesizing new muscle tissue.

Because of this, it is vital that you do not overtrain your muscles. You must always make sure to provide them with sufficient recovery time if you want to see impressive results. Overtraining can actually make your muscles smaller and weaker.

If you’re looking to achieve serious arm growth, you must stop placing so much emphasis on direct arm movements. Forget about performing endless sets of concentration curls and tricep pressdowns. Strong, muscular arms are mostly a product of heavy chest and back training.

This is not to say that no direct arm training is necessary, just not very much. Here is a sample arm routine that you can use as a part of your program:

Routine #1

Barbell Curls – 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Dumbbell Curls – 1 set of 5-7 reps

Routine #2

Close-Grip Bench Press – 2 sets of 5-7 reps
Standing Cable Pushdowns – 1 set of 5-7 reps

Take all sets to complete muscular failure and focus on progressing each week by using slightly more weight or performing an extra rep or 2.

If you can incorporate this way of thinking into your arm training, you will achieve arm size beyond anything you previously thought possible.

To learn about the proper methods for training your chest, back, legs, shoulders and abs as well, visit my website by clicking the link below. You can gain instant access to a complete online video lesson series outlining these techniques in detail...

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

If you can spare just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of months: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Body Building Leg Workout for Mass

Leg Workout for Mass

Leg workout for mass sends tingling excitement whenever body builders hear about it. It is just the word mass and legs that some how excites them because in the sport of body building, legs are one of the most important aspect when assessing a persons physique.

There is no point having a huge v tapered cobra like back and big gun biceps when they come down to twig like legs. Legs are the foundation of a body builder and when a person have huge and string legs, they usually are strong in other body parts as well.

Training intensely with legs will also boost up growth hormones which are super important for building muscles.

When it comes to leg workout for mass, you definitely cannot rely on machines. It must be solid hardcore free weights. No puny machines like the butt machine. Spending quality time on the squat rack is more like it.

There are a few important exercises that must be included in any leg workout for mass. Core exercises like barbell squats, heavy leg press, dead lifts and lunges are a must. These are compound exercises or multi joint exercises that work lots of muscles at once. These bread and butter for massive legs can boost growth hormone and propel you to huge tree trunk legs.

Remember, for leg workout for mass, you must include heavy weights and compound exercises. Leg workout for mass also needs volume training. This means at least 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps. In order to build mass, the muscle must be working more than 10 seconds and under 30 seconds. If you want power, go for 6 reps but if you want size, go for 8 to 10 reps with the tempo of 1 second up and 2 second down.

You also need rest between sets. At least 2 minutes between sets. If you rush through the exercise, you will then compensate on strength because the ATP of the muscles have not recovered yet.

So, a sample of a leg workout for mass is:

Squats 4 sets



1 set: 15 reps (warm up)
2 set: 10 reps
3 set: 8 reps
4 set: 8 reps (heavy)

Leg press

1 set: 10 reps
2 and 3 set: 8 reps

Dead lifts

1 set: 10 reps
2 and 3 set: 8 reps

Lunges

1 set: 12 reps
2 set: 10 reps
3 set: 8 reps

Standing calf raises

1 set: 20 reps
2 set: 18 reps
3 set: 15 reps

Calf muscles are unique. If you want diamond calves, you need to hammer them with high reps and heavy weights. This is because calves are fast recovery muscles.

Try this leg workout for mass. Train them super hard once a week and always challenge the muscles. Your muscles will only grow if they are over loaded. No comfort zone here!

body building leg workout for mass

10 Tips For Bigger Biceps

Tips For Bigger Biceps

1. Prior to the actual biceps workout, stretch the target muscles, then warm up thoroughly with a couple of light high rep sets. I have bone that from day one and have never experienced any injury problems.

2. Find your own strength levels in line with the descending reps program. (Again the poundages shown in the chart are for informational purposes only.)

3. For growth, you have to train as heavy as possible within the recommended rep range.
4. For the first two sets (16 and 12 reps, respectively), use a weight that allows you to just complete the required rep range without failure occurring.

5. For the last two sets, use a weight for which failure occurs at the 10th and eight rep marks, respectively.

6. Don't go past failure into the forced rep zone. Not doing forced reps is another reason (besides warming up thoroughly) why I feel I've remained uninjured.

7. Use strict style without bending your torso. During a real heavy set of barbell curls, you may have to cheat a little to complete the last two reps or so, but don't cheat until it's impossible to complete the set without doing so.

8. As you complete each rep, visualize the biceps working, make mental contact with the muscle as it rolls into a contraction, and form an image of the peak swelling.

9. Particularly during the last two sets of each exercise, aim for the maximum pump and a killer burn.

10. Rest between sets only as long as it takes your partner to do his set. One arm cables are an exception.

Source: http://www.getbig.com/articles/biceps.htm

Tips For Bigger Biceps

How To Increase Your Bench Press Fast

How to increase bench press


The flat barbell bench press...the lift that everyone wants to know how much you can do when they find out you train. So you want to get your numbers moving in the right direction again? These 10 quick tips will make a difference in your strength and boost your bench FAST.

Keep in mind, these tips are coming from someone who has almost NO genetic gifts as far as bench press is concerned (bad shoulders, long arms). It's among my weakest lifts and I have to struggle for every single pound I add onto it. Yet with those limitations, using the tips I'll share with you below, I've managed to work up to a maximum single at 350 lbs. So it CAN be done!

At the end of the article, I'll include a link where you can see pictures and video of some of these tips in action.

1. Work your Rotator Cuff muscles

Yes, this is completely unglamorous but it has the potential to add 20 to 30 pounds to your bench press in a matter of weeks. The reason? The Rotator Cuff muscles are the four small muscles that stabilize the humerus (your upper arm bone) in the shoulder socket.

Most people rarely, if EVER, work the Rotator Cuff but a couple of sets at the end of each workout can really make a HUGE difference in your bench press by helping to stabilize the shoulder joint.

The exercise that I use is one I call the "3 In 1 Rotator Cuff Raise." It's an exercise I invented to work all 3 major planes of movement that the Rotator Cuff muscles operate in in one basic movement. It's very effective and very time-efficient. Two sets of 8 reps of this at the end of each workout is all you need. I have a video and pics of this exercise at the link at the bottom of the article.

2. Get your grip-width right

Where you grip the bar can make or break your bench press before you even do a single rep. If you grip the bar in too close, you're putting more stress on the triceps, which limits your pushing power and increases the distance you have to press the bar. If you grip the bar too wide, you do decrease the distance the bar travels but you put excessive stress on the shoulder joints.

So what is the best place to grip the bar? This is best determined with no weight on the bar at all and with somebody watching your form. Lie down and take the bar off the rack and lower the bar to your chest. Have your spotter eyeball your forearms. At the bottom of the press, your forearms should be perfectly vertical. THAT will give you the greatest pressing power as you won't lose any power inside or outside.

It's the same concept as throwing a punch - if the bones of the arm aren't lined up properly when it connects, you lose a lot of power at impact.

3. Learn how to breathe

When you're doing a heavy press, trunk stabilization is much more important than when you're doing lighter, higher-rep training. You need a strong, solid base to push off of to really move the most weight.

When doing a heavy lift for only a few reps, breathe in deeply on the way down, inflating your chest as much as possible (this has the dual effect of increasing the stability of your trunk AND decreasing the distance the bar must travel, which is a bonus!). But as you press the bar off your chest don't immediately blow out all your air in one big blow. That will destabilize the chest and weaken the base you're pushing from.

Think of it this way...it would be like trying to do a dumbell press on the Swiss Ball as somebody is letting the air out of it FAST!

So as you start to press the weight, blow your air out through pursed lips. Basically, pretend you're blowing up a really thick balloon. You want to keep your breathing muscles in your rib cage absolutely solid as they very slowly force the air out. This keeps your trunk solid and stabilized as you press, which is critical. The moment you lose that stability, you lose the lift.

4. Don't neglect back training

Back training is important to your bench press in 3 major ways.

Remember what I said about stability in the previous point? Your back makes up a BIG portion of that base that stabilizes your body. The wider the base, the bigger the structure it can support (i.e. more weight). A comparatively weak back will reduce the amount of weight you can bench.

The second point is thickness. The thicker your back, the shorter the distance the bar has to travel and the more weight you'll be able to lift. Look at how thick the torsos of the best bench pressers in the world are - they have huge barrel chests, thick backs and relatively short arms - their range of motion is probably about HALF of what a "normal" person's range of motion is with the bench press. The thicker your back, the shorter the range of motion and the more weight you'll be able to press.

The third point is muscular balance. If you're constantly doing pushing movements, your body will overdevelop those pushing muscles, which will lead to unnatural shortening and potential weakness. You MUST work the back muscles to pull everything into proper alignment. Walking around with your shoulders hunched forward and your arms bouncing around in front of you doesn't look cool - I can promise you that.

5. Don't forget to press with your legs, too

Leg drive is VERY important to maximizing your bench press strength on maximum lifts. When you set your feet for benching, don't just place them anywhere and let nature take its course. Set your feet solidly on the ground and bend your knees a little past 90 degrees.

Here's why...when you're at the bottom of the bench press, driving with the legs can help you get that weight moving. You can demonstrate this to yourself by lying on the flat bench and setting your feet on the ground. Now think of how you'd need to set your feet if you wanted to use your feet/legs to slide yourself up the bench. THAT is what you do when you drive with your legs - you basically try and use your legs to slide yourself up the bench. But because the weight is holding you down, that force goes to helping push the weight up.

This leg drive is used at the bottom of the press to get the weight moving and makes a HUGE difference with getting big weights moving.

6. Get those shoulder blades squeezed together

This goes back to trunk stability. If you're not consciously and religiously squeezing your shoulder blades together when you set yourself up on the bench press, you're instantly putting yourself at a disadvantage.

To do this, lie down on the bench and grab the bar. Lift your body up off the bench then try and touch your shoulder blades together behind your back. Get them tucked in as tight as possible. When you set yourself back down, you'll find you're not only more stable on the bench but your shoulders are in a stronger pressing position AND your torso is actually a little thicker (which means shorter range of motion)!

7. Do partial-range training to strengthen your connective tissue

One big thing that's often missing in the training routine of a person looking to maximize strength is a focus on connective tissue training. You can build huge, strong muscles but the movement is only as strong as the weakest link. If that weakest link is connective tissue, best case is it will limit the amount of weight you can lift. Worst case, you'll snap your tendons when your muscles move weights that your connective tissue can't handle!

So how do we strengthen connective tissue? That requires VERY heavy weight, the kind that can only be used with partial-range training like lockouts in the rack.

For building up your connective tissue specifically for bench press, DEFINITELY work on rack lockouts and static holds with monster weight.

Information specifically on lockout partial bench press here

8. Use training bands

Bands are one of the most useful training tools you can use with the bench press. There are two main ways to go...working AGAINST the bands to increase explosive power and working WITH band assistance to move more weight and more closely mimic the strength curve of the bench press (harder at the bottom, easier at the top).

When using the bands to work on explosive training, you attach them to something solid on the floor and then to the bar. You use a lighter weight on the barbell for these. Then, when you lift, you explode up as fast and as powerfully as you can against the bands. The bands stretch as you come up, slowing the bar so your muscles don't have to. This teaches your muscles to fire at a much faster rate.

The other method is to use the bands for assistance (called Reverse Band Bench Press). With this technique, you attach the bands to the top of the rack and to the bar below. As you lower the weight, the bands stretch, making the bottom of the press easier by removing some of the resistance. As you press up, the bands lose tension, making you press more of the weight yourself, which exactly mimics the mechanics of the bench press.

9. Don't forget about decline bench press

One of the best things about the decline bench press is that you can use a bit more weight on it than you can on the regular flat bench due to the change in biomechanics and somewhat decreased range of motion. Working with heavier weight is good in two ways - mentally and physically. Mentally, it helps prepare your mind for working with heavier weight. Physically, it helps prepare your body for handling heavier weight on the flat bench.

10. Do your bench pressing in the power rack

Even if you have access to a regular bench press station at your gym, I HIGHLY recommend doing your bench pressing in the rack. Why? Two reasons.

The first is safety. You can easily set the rails to just slightly below the bottom-most position of your bench press. If you can't finish a rep, you just set the bar on the rails, roll the bar forward and slide yourself out from under it. No harm done, no spotter necessary. You can't do that on a regular bench press station!

The second is the freedom to REALLY PUSH YOURSELF without fear of dropping the weight and not being able to get out from under the bar. When you're in a regular free bench press station, there is always that nagging fear that if you don't make a lift, you're going to have the bar come down on you.

When you do your pressing in the rack with safety rails set, that will NEVER happen and you can really free yourself to push things to the limits without having to worry about crushing yourself under the bar!

I have ALWAYS found it ironic that the station where people do one of the most dangerous exercises in the gym (and quite often lift more weight than they can safely handle on it!) is the one station that has almost NO safety measures built into it!

Think about it this way...when was the last time you saw somebody get crushed under a barbell curl, yet how many times do you see people doing curls in the rack while doing bench presses on a free station!

So basically, set yourself free and do your pressing in the rack. You can push yourself harder and fight through those sticking points without worrying about getting stuck under the bar if you don't get it.


Conclusion:

If you want to maximize your bench press, put these tips to work. You'll starting noticing a very big difference in how much weight you can lift almost immediately AND in the long-term!

For pictures and video of many of these tips in action, click on the following link:

Videos

Awesome Butt Exercise

Awesome Butt Exercise

Getting the butt sore during a leg workout is always tough. Usually we feel the quads or the hamstring working out but not the butt muscle. This is because the leg is such a complex muscle group that is hard to isolate a single muscle, especially the glutes.

But with the walking lunges, you can really feel the butt working and this is a must do butt exercise during any leg workout.

Get a pair of dumbbells, heavy ones and stand feet side by side. Talk a large step forward and go down as low as possible. For example, take large step with your right leg, then go down deep. Then, with your left leg, take a large step forward by pushing with your right butt. Repeat the movement until you have at least 15 steps each leg.

Remember, get down deep, keep your back extremely straight and push with your butt.

Try this one out!

Proper Barbell Squats!

Barbell Squats

How to do proper barbell squats?

Barbell squats is one of the best leg exercise in the universe! It is the bread and butter for any leg workout. It is a must for any individual that wants to put on mass!
Do it in the beginning of your leg workout because it will drain off all your energy.

Place the bar firmly on your traps, not your neck bone cause it will hurt. Support the bar with your palms pushing upwards. I personally do not use the foam for cushioning because I like the bar firmly on my shoulders.

Squat slowly, pushing your butt to the back and lean slightly forward. Do not let the knees pass the toes and when your thighs are parallel to the ground, squat back up. Keep your stomach tight the whole time!

Do 4 sets of squats. Start off with 15 reps, then to 12,10 and final heavy 8