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Melvin Anthony: The Ultimate List Of The Best Bodybuilding Posers Of All Time
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Melvin Anthony was one of the greatest posers in bodybuilding history. Here’s his picks for the top 5 best posers of all time.
Melvin Anthony is a bodybuilder who was active during the 90s and 2000s and best known for his incredible posing routines. In the prime of his career, he often placed in the top six at Mr. Olympia. A lot has changed over the past few decades in bodybuilding – that’s why we connected with Anthony to discuss his revolutionary posing routines and his thoughts on posing in the modern era of bodybuilding. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melvin Anthony breaks down the top five best bodybuilding posers of all time.
It’s often been said that posing has fallen to the wayside in bodybuilding. What was once an art form in and of itself – has now been a simple set of mandatory moves for the judges. While there are some who still value creativity in posing, it’s almost become secondary in today’s era of bodybuilding.
Arnold Schwarzenegger himself warned of this change and urged the Arnold Classic to instate a score for posing as part of the overall results. The change was made and is still active in the Arnold Classic competitions to this day. It has yet to expand to other major competitions such as the Mr. Olympia.
We connected with Melvin Anthony via video chat to reflect on his career and the inspiration behind his posing routines. There really aren’t many bodybuilding posers out there like Anthony. Melvin was meticulous with his prep and practiced each and every move. His goal was for each posing routine to be flawless.
While the focus on posing has dwindled over the years – there is still hope in the form of select bodybuilders with incredible posing routines. That’s why we asked Melvin Anthony to list his picks for the best bodybuilding posers of all time. He mentions younger bodybuilders like Terrence Ruffin – but the biggest standout to him is Kai Greene.
Fans of bodybuilding are no stranger to Kai Greene’s sometimes bizarre but often beautiful posing routines. He would wear costumes and masks (for guest posing) and incorporate interpretive dance into his routine alongside mandatory poses. His entire persona was based in this art. His interviews are often poetic, just like his posing. He has always seen bodybuilding as pure art. This explains his skill and passion behind painting and his recent line of comic books.
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Watch Kai Greene’s posing routine in Brooklyn in this clip from Generation Iron above!
So was Kai Greene the second coming of Melvin Anthony? Was he influenced by Anthony’s career? Anthony will be the first to admit that Kai Greene is one of the greatest, if not the number one greatest, poser of all time. But their styles are very different. Anthony details how his posing came from his street background. He would incorporate hip hop and breakdance style into his routines. Kai Greene feels more like abstract poetry. Two very different forms – but both dedicating to evolving the routine into something more.
Ultimately, Melvin Anthony struggles to come up with even five names for the best posers of all time (he eventually locks a solid five names). This is an example of just how few and far between true elevated posing is in the sport.
You can watch Melvin Anthony go into detail about his posing routines and the best bodybuilding posers of all time in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Aspen Rae Profile & Stats
The biography, life, and accomplishments of Aspen Rae
Aspen Rae is an adult model, fitness model, and social media personality with an absolutely shredded and toned physique. With success in front of the camera through her modeling opportunities, she has competed in NPC shows as a Figure Competitor.
Below is a complete breakdown of her profile, stats, biography, training and diet regimens.
Full Name: Aspen Rae
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
Under 115 lbs.
5’4”
12/10/1990
Profession
Era
Nationality
Adult Model, Fitness Model, Figure Competitor
2010
American
Biography
Aspen Rae was born in northern California and always felt very athletic as a child. When it came to running, and running long distances, she thrived and found a real passion in that along with swimming. But as many young people do, after high school she sought a change. Being a long distance runner and swimmer, she sought to put on strength and size with an increased effort on toning her physique. Soon after, she began her weightlifting journey and found a variety of exercises to challenge her so she saw the results she wanted most.
With this new found love of lifting, Aspen began competing in NPC shows and started seeing good results. Starting in the Bikini division, she soon transitioned to the Figure division and felt it was a better fit.
At the same time, she began modeling via webcams and participated in adult acting, something she was incredibly nervous to tell her religious parents. But with their support, she began her modeling career, working on her physique and earning money through that.
Having found success in many areas of her life, she continues to work hard and thrive as a model, competitor, and influencer, constantly working on her physique and receiving support from those around her.
Training
Knowing that she needs to focus on proportion and her aesthetic, Aspen works with exercises that will help balance out her muscle groups so everything achieves good symmetry. Any weaker spots she tends to focus on a bit more for that week. Cardio is not a big part of her routine unless it is absolutely necessary.
Back Workout
Lat Pulldown: 3 sets, 10 reps
Pull-Ups: 3 sets, 12 reps
Wide Grip Pulldowns: 3 sets, 10 reps
Close-Grip Cable Rows: 3 sets, 10 reps
Straight Bar Raises: 3 sets, 8 reps
Biceps, Triceps & Delts Workout
Preacher Curls: 3 sets, 10 reps
EZ Bar Curls: 3 sets, 10 reps
Alternating Hammer Curls: 3 sets, 12 reps
Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets, 8 reps
Overhead Rope Extensions: 3 sets, 10 reps
Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets, 10 reps
Dips: 3 sets, 15 reps
Kneeling Shoulder Press: 4 sets, 8 reps
Alternating One Arm Dumbbell Press: 4 sets, 10 reps
Lateral Raises with Hold: 4 sets, 8 reps
Straight Bar Pushdowns: 4 sets, 10 reps
Abs
These can be done for time, so 45 seconds on and 15 seconds off, or a series of 3-4 sets by 15-20 reps.
Russian Twists
Full Body Extensions
Hip Dips
Plank Raises
Plank Step Outs
Hanging Leg Raises
Hanging Windshield Wipers
V-Ups
Nutrition
With her careers as a model and bodybuilder, Aspen needs to stick to a strict diet to keep that toned and sculpted aesthetic. She focus on eating enough protein in the day for that will maintain muscle mass and give her the best chance to stay full. Carbs and fats are of course important and she makes sure to keep those in her plan for better energy. Certain foods Aspen will focus on are lean meats and eggs for protein, sweet potatoes and brown rice for carbs, and avocados and almond butter for fat sources.
Supplementation
Along with a solid training and diet routine, having the right supplements on your shelf will prove to be vital when it comes to enhancing all areas of your growth. A pre-workout can offer energy and provide for those valuable muscle pumps while a protein powder can boost growth and recovery for all your workout goals. Something like a fat burner can assist you with losing that stubborn belly fat so you look toned and sculpted like Aspen herself. With such a busy schedule and hard working lifestyle, a multivitamin will ensure you get those vital nutrients into your body so you can thrive inside and out of the gym.
Competition History
2017, NPC USA Championships (Figure, Class C, 1st)
2017, NPC San Jose Championships (Figure, Class B, 1st)
2016, NPC San Francisco (Figure, Class B, 1st)
2016, NCP Muscle Evolution (Figure, Class B, 2nd)
2016, NCP Muscle Evolution (Bikini, Class C, 4th)
2015, NPC Sacramento Championships (Bikini, Class B, 2nd)
2015, NPC San Jose (Bikini, Class C, 3rd)
7 Fitness Habits You Need To Break Today
7 Fitness Habits You Need To Break Today
Human nature pushes us to figure out the easiest way of doing a task. We form routines around them that make us work in an “overdrive” mode. Fitness habits are no different. Many people try to find the easiest way of milking the fitness cow as soon as they step inside a gym.
You might even have come across a quote that is widely attributed to Bill Gates:
“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”
Sadly, this hack will not get you anywhere in the gym.
Pain, exhaustion, and sweat are a few indicators that tell you if you’re doing the right things in the gym. When most people join a gym, they follow their friendly neighborhood gym bro’s advice without questioning the status quo.
A pro fitness athlete would tell you that gym bros aren’t the best place to get your advice from. Performing hundreds of repetitions of the wrong advice can reinforce habits that will take a lot of time to fix. Luckily, habits can change, whether the habit is biting your nails or decrying your genetics when you can’t seem to make any gains.
Worst Fitness Habits That You Need To Fix
1. Believing Everything You Hear
Almost every person who has ever stepped foot inside a gym forms strong opinions about lifting weights. Before handing out fitness advice, some people even discount the fact that they have only been to a gym once in their life.
And then there are people on the other end of the spectrum who take advice from just about anyone. The latter group of people becomes soft targets for the gym bros.
Interestingly, most of the advice that does the rounds in the fitness circles is nothing more than folklore. Some of the most common fitness myths are:
a) Working out on an empty stomach will help burn fat.
Research has found that while training in a fasted state could burn more calories from fat, it could also cause the body to break down muscle tissues to burn protein as fuel.
b) Women will get bulky if they lift weights.
This is one myth that refuses to die even after several studies have proven that women don’t produce enough testosterone to build as much muscle mass as their male counterparts.
2. Over Keen
Every gym has a group of people who are too eager to achieve their dream physique. For them, the amount of time they spend in the iron paradise is directly proportional to the gains they can make in a single day.
Switching programs too often, trying new advanced training principles, and making unhealthy changes to their diet program to speed up their transformation are trademarks of impatient lifters. If you make drastic changes to your lifestyle in the first week of joining a gym, you are setting yourself up for failure. Your goal should be to slowly build fitness habits that will help you successfully implement lifestyle changes.
3. Zero Accountability
Fitness is turning from an individual’s sport into a team sport. Most people fail in their transformation journey because they are not accountable to anyone. Failing in secrecy makes no difference as there are no consequences because no one will know any different.
Gone are the days when people used to work in dark and gloomy gyms.
The rise of Instagram and YouTube has made sharing transformation progress cool. By sharing your fitness online, you’ll not only be keeping yourself accountable, but you might also inspire others to join you.
Even if you don’t want to share your goals and progress online, you should share them with your friends and family so that you’re at least answerable to someone. It might feel like a small ask, but the psychological benefits of this approach alone will pay dividends in the long run.
4. Skipping Warm-Ups
Many people reach for the dumbbells as soon as they step inside a weight room. They consider warming up a waste of time and prefer lifting lighter weights for the first couple of sets as an alternative warm-up.
Although you might be saving 10-15 minutes by skipping the warm-up, dodging the pre-workout warm-up increases the chances of an injury during an intense workout. A warm-up routine should either consist of 5-10 minutes of cardio or some form of dynamic stretching.
5. No Game Plan
If you don’t have a detailed plan of how you’re going to achieve your dream physique, your odds of failing are relatively high. Vague goals like “I want to get fit”, “I want to lose weight”, or “I want to put on muscle mass” do not cut it.
You need to set a timeline for yourself. The next step after designing a transformation program is to devise a tracking and feedback mechanism. You should have weekly reviews to assess your progress and make necessary changes if and when needed.
A solid game plan has the following things built in:
Tweaking training and nutrition programs when the effort to reward proportion turns unfavorable. If you’re getting too comfortable with your training routine, it’s a sign you need to switch things up.
Staying away from vanilla training programs. Don’t bother following what is working for other people because everyone’s body is different and what might be working for them might not do the trick for you.
Plan all your workouts in advance. Everything from the exercises you will be doing, weights you will be lifting to the clothes you will be wearing should be dialed in.
Know your limits. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin by trying to do more than you’re capable of.
6. Not Using Gear
No, not that gear. Please put the syringes away.
Most people leave gains on the table by not using lifting accessories. Accessories like weightlifting belts, straps, wrist wraps can take your workouts to the next level.
Not only do the training accessories help in better recruitment of the muscles, but they also reduce the probability of injuries when working with heavier weights. Leave lifting raw to the powerlifting pros and speed up your transformation by using lifting accessories.
7. Recovery? What’s That?
No matter how hard you work in the gym, you will not see results until you give your muscles ample time to recover after your workouts. Remember: you break down muscle tissues in the gym. They grow back bigger and stronger when you’re following a good nutrition and recovery program.
You should be sleeping anywhere between 7-8 hours every night for optimal recovery. Some fitness habits to speed up recovery include:
Drinking at least a gallon of water every day.
Eating a high-protein post-workout snack.
Cooling-down after workouts.
Self-myofascial release.
Cold showers.
Are you a victim to any of these bad fitness habits? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Rapper Action Bronson Does Deadlifts With Strongman Martins Licis
Action Bronson and Martins Licis join forces for a truly epic and savage training session.
Sometimes worlds collide to produce a truly spectacular mixture. That is what we’re seeing with the collaboration between rapper Action Bronson and 2019 World’s Strongest Man Martins Licis.
Action Bronson, once known purely for his hip hop stylings, love of marijuana, and insatiable appetite has added fitness into his repertoire. After losing 130lbs the rapper shows no signs of slowing down as he continues his fitness journey, pushing the envelope at every turn.
Ever since deciding to embark on his fitness journey, Action Bronson has transformed himself. No longer an out of shape connoisseur of all things decadent, the rapper has completely embraced hard training with gusto. While he may still indulge in some incredible foods from time to time, Action Bronson has shown a true dedication to improving his health and wellness.
Major Transformation
MONDAY MASSACRE OF THE EGO. 3 ROUNDS TO END IT OFF. 70lb 45lb 40lb 35lb BREAK THE FLOOR.
It’s clear that the rapper is on a mission, one that continues to transform him both physically and mentally.
Action Bronson has lost upwards of 130lbs since starting his weight loss journey. He has pushed himself to heights he never could have imagined before. The rapper explained to Joe Rogan how his change in mindset led him to who he’s become today. It was clearly no easy road.
As he continues to push himself one day at a time, Action Bronson has been challenging himself to train with some of the best athletes in the world. One of those top tier athletes is 2019 World’s Strongest Man Martins Licis.
One of the strongest humans on earth, Martins Licis knows a thing or two about strength training. Recently the strongman collaborated with Action Bronson for an intense training session.
The rapper would end up doing back training as well as deadlifts with Licis.
EPIC training day with @bambambaklava@bigscboy and @orlandogb72 (YouTube video coming soon)! Y’all are monsters! (Note, I had a sick and strategic angle in this pic, Big Boy is way wider than me ?) — First video: 150lb (68kg) bentover dumbbell rows for 30 repetitions ? Second video: 5sec eccentric (no floor sound) 495lb (225kg) deadlifts for a smooth easy 10. Feeling good!
For the full training video click here.
It’s truly inspiration to see how far Action Bronson has gone to transform his physique. There’s no telling how far he could go on this fitness journey.
What do you think of the continued transformation of Action Bronson?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Hampton Morris Sets Youth World Record With 155-Kg Clean & Jerk
Hampton Morris impresses with a new youth world record in the Clean & Jerk.
Hampton Morris competed in the Junior Pan-American Weightlifting Championships in Manizales, Colombia looking to make some noise. That is exactly what he did in a big way. On Saturday, July 10, Morris set a youth world record with a 155-kg (341.7lb) clean & jerk.
The 17-year-old weightlifter competing in the 61-kg weight class stepped up and made it look easy. His father and coach, Tripp Morris, captured the record-setting lift and proudly shared it via Instagram.
There is something special about a young competitor. It could be the raw talent and strength at such a young age or it could be the maturity and patience that is present. Hampton Morris displayed both early in his life. He began entered his first competition back in July of 2016 and has been setting records ever since. Morris credits his father for getting him involved in the sport.
Hampton Morris began his day on Saturday with a failed snatch attempt of 112 kg (246.9lb). He was successful on his second attempt to lock in the weight. Morris was successful on all three attempts of his clean & jerk. Prior to setting the record, Morris hit a 145-kg (319.7lb) and 151-kg (332.9lb) lift. He finished with a total of 267 kg (588.6lb) total when the two lifts when added together.
After completing this lift, Morris now holds 15 American records. He is one of four people who have set a Youth record at an international meet, joining Harrison Maurus, Clarence Cummings Jr., and Cheryl Haworth.
Morris beat out his Senior American record of a 154-kg clean & jerk that he set during the 2021 USAW National Championship in Detroit. Prior to that, Morris came out on top during the Rouge Fitness “Bella Complex” challenge. Morris competed in the Male Light division and scored 145.2 kg (320lb).
The current Senior world record in the clean & jerk is 174 kg held by Indonesia’s Eko Yuli. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will take place from July 23-August 8, where this record has a chance to be bested. Maurus and Cummings Jr. will be representing Team USA at the event.
With competitors like Hampton Morris leading the way, the United States has a chance to make a serious impact in the net Olympic cycles. Morris is already a force and that will only continue as he continues to mature and get even stronger.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
George Farah Warns Bodybuilders: Stop Old School Bulking And Cutting
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George Farah favors building muscle slowly rather than old school bulking and cutting and warns of dire consequences.
George Farah is a legendary bodybuilding coach. He has also been much more vocal in the past decade about how his perception is changing as to what a pro bodybuilder needs to succeed. In fact, Farah believes that as bodybuilding culture changes – the training and dieting has not caught up and it’s endangering athlete health. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, George Farah warns against old school bulking and cutting in bodybuilding. He fears it will raise high blood pressure and lead to damage to kidneys and the liver.
Heart health and high blood pressure has been a topic we’ve discussed previously during our GI Exclusive interviews. That’s why we decided to turn to the bodybuilding guru himself – George Farah – for his take on how to avoid high blood pressure as a mass monster bodybuilder. His answer expands past blood pressure and also into liver and kidney health as well.
George Farah worries that the current culture of bodybuilding is leading to more health risks than necessary for athletes. Much like other individuals we have interviewed recently, Farah believes mass monster culture is leading to younger bodybuilder getting too big, too fast. More specifically, be believes that the old school method of bulking and cutting is no longer the best way to prep as a pro bodybuilder.
Bulking and cutting has been a very common way for pro bodybuilders to train and diet for decades. In short, in involves eating more to bulk up muscle in the off season and then cutting down during competition prep. This allows for a shredded and conditioned look after adding some significant size.
This is of course not the only way to prepare. Bodybuilders like Dexter Jackson have long since focused on staying lean all year and building muscle slowly rather than going through bulking cycles. While bulking itself can be done clean – there are many who will dirty bulk to put on as much weight as possible. Not all of it is muscle and the cutting phase becomes more challenging.
George Farah believes that with the changes in bodybuilding today – bulking has become more dangerous. Especially dirty bulking. There are more powerful supplements and drugs being taken by bodybuilders. Not only that – but the overall size of bodybuilders has increased since the golden age of the sport. This makes the bulking and cutting phase much more dangerous.
The mass amounts of food needed to eat during bulking will inevitably lead to health problems. High blood pressure and possible future heart issues is just one of them. All of the food and ingredients a person eats needs to be processed through the liver and kidneys. During consistent bulking every year – this can over time do some serious damage to both organs.
In our previous segment with George Farah, he claimed that if a bodybuilder can’t see his or her abs during the off season – then they are doing something wrong. This same mentality goes into his view on bodybuilder health. In the chase for building as much muscle as fast as possible – unnecessary risks are being taken. These risks won’t show the true significance of the damage until many years down the road. It’s easy for young people to avoid thinking about it. Life seems long and possible danger is so far away.
It’s just like cigarettes – consistent use in the long term can lead to serious health issues. But millions of people smoke every year. It’s short sighted. It’s focusing on the short term benefits over the long term losses. George Farah has had enough of it. Much like our past few videos – he desperately warns the new generation to actually think ahead. “There is life after bodybuilding,” Farah says multiple times in this video. He can’t stop repeating it. He hopes it eventually starts changing the culture.
You can watch George Farah go into detail about blood pressure in bodybuilding, bulking, and cutting in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Complete Guide To Your Summer Shred Meal Plan
Looking to shred for that summer body can be hard, but this summer shred meal plan can work wonders for that physique others will envy.
We all want that summer body to show off at the beach or at those backyard barbeques. Taking our shirts off and seeing those six pack abs will make others envious of the hard work you’ve put in to carefully crafting and sculpting your shredded aesthetic. Having a solid summer shred meal plan is exactly what you want most for it will lay the blueprint for exactly what needs to happen for you to see those desired gains. With strict attention to detail and a mental will to get it done, these gains are right around the corner for you to see.
Many of these gains occur in the kitchen and while it can be easy to want to snack and indulge in those sweet treats, that is one quick way to kill all your gains. During these summer months, those drinks may be flowing as well, but really working to limit those unwanted calories will help ensure you don’t drink away those gains either. Sticking to a plan for a limited time will only give you confidence and something to be proud of long term.
Let’s take a look at some tips for the summer shred meal plan so you see the gains you want most when it comes to changing your body composition. That shredded aesthetic is something to certainly envy and will only get better the more confidence you have.
Summer Shred Meal Plan Tips
1. Eat small meals throughout the day
Eating smaller meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism moving so you constantly burn fuel. This will ensure nothing is left over to be stored as fat and will also help curb your appetite since you will always be supplying your body with nutrients to thrive (1).
2. Carefully watch macros
Watching your ratio of macros is important for you really want to focus on higher protein content and lower carbs and fat. Higher protein will assist with muscle growth and recovery so you see real gains and will also keep you full for longer. It is important to get enough carbs and fat, but knowing the amount to eat is important for your personal journey (2).
3. Be cautious of what time you eat
Be weary about when you eat and what you eat at that time. This is more important at night, for you don’t want to eat too late and give that food a chance to be stored as fat.
4. Clean food only
This may go without saying but eating clean food, like greens and lean meat, will provide great energy and muscle growth while giving you clean and effective sources of nutrients to really thrive, both inside and out of the gym.
5. Don’t drink all your calories
The occasional beverage is of course fine but don’t fall into the trap of drinking back all the calories you’ve lost. Alcohol tends to be high in carbs and sugar, the two things you want to avoid. Plus, if you indulge a little too much, it can invite those carby and sugary foods you really want to avoid (3).
6. Get adequate amounts of food and nutrients
Make sure to eat enough. A diet should not be about starving yourself and in order to function in the gym and in life, you really need to focus on getting enough food and at the right times.
7. Drink plenty of water
Hydration is vital, especially in these summer months. Getting enough water throughout will help you function properly and can keep you full (4). When you feel the urge to snack, drinking a glass of water can potentially help curb that hunger until your next meal.
Mix In Strength Training & Cardio
While the summer shred mainly occurs in the kitchen, for eating a balanced and proper diet is absolutely key to seeing those gains, a good training routine can work wonders for you. Training at least three times a week and focusing on compound exercises ensures you get the most out of your output and that your muscles get some serious work done. Working both upper and lower body muscles will enhance muscle growth and will help change your body composition so you see the desired physique others will certainly envy (5). With some cardio mixed in, keeping it light will advance your health and allow you to drop some extra fat that may be stored, but on the whole, a good strength training routine will be exactly what you need to thrive inside and out of the gym.
Supplements For Added Support
Along with a good diet and proper training comes supplementation. What supplements can do are enhance your health and performance by giving you that extra boost with great ingredients and a powerful formula. Something like a pre-workout can give you energy and provide for muscle pumps while a protein powder can enhance growth and recovery for those post-workout needs. But often times, especially when looking to lose weight, we need an extra boost and a fat burner comes into play. Able to suppress our appetite, kickstart our metabolism, and aid in burning stubborn belly fat, a good quality fat burner can work wonders when looking to get that summer shred going (6). Enhanced ECA Shred is a top tier fat burner to give you the best boost for fat loss and energy so you see all those desired goals come to life.
Enhanced ECA Shred is that advanced fat burner to target fat loss, provide for insane energy, and put a stop to your appetite. This stack consists of ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin to pump you with powerful ingredients in an effective formula.
Wrap Up
That summer shred meal plan you want most can provide you with the structure to really have that shredded aesthetic you want most. By focusing on these details, you give yourself the best chance at growth and those body composition changes that others will envy. While it isn’t easy, it is more than possible and takes determination and will to make the change in order to see these gains come to life.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Paoli, Antonio; Tinsley, Grant; Bianco, Antonino; Moro, Tatiana (2019). “The Influence of Meal Frequency and Timing on Health in Humans: The Role of Fasting”. (source)
Lambert, Charles P.; Frank, Laura L.; Evans, William J. (2004). “Macronutrient considerations for the sport of bodybuilding”. (source)
Suter, Paolo M. (2005). “Is alcohol consumption a risk factor for weight gain and obesity?”. (source)
Popkin, Barry M.; D’Anci, Kristen; Rosenberg, Irwin H. (2010). “Water, Hydration and Health”. (source)
Jamka, M.; Madry, E.; Krzyzanowska-Jankowska, P.; Skrypnik, D.; et al. (2021). “The effect of endurance and endurance-strength training on body composition and cardiometabolic markers in abdominally obese women: a randomized trial”. (source)
Jeukendrup, A. E.; Randell, R. (2011). “Fat burners: nutrition supplements that increase fat metabolism”. (source)
How To Improve Lat & Pec Flexibility For Bodybuilding
Better flexibility in your lats and pecs will provide for more efficient workouts and better gains.
Our lats and pecs are two huge muscles in the body, and when it comes to our bodybuilding goals, these two muscles drive our physique and ability to seriously lift big weight. Either a pulling or pushing motion, these two muscle groups have the ability to seriously affect our output and overall range motion. Tight pecs can affect your shoulder mobility causing unwanted pain and injury and tight lats can cause back pain you just don’t need.
Let’s dive right into this because you deserve to see those gains really come to fruition. We’ll explore what flexibility is, why it matters, and the role that both your pecs and lats play when it comes to your bodybuilding goals. And of course, we’ll provide some great exercises to get you well on your way to having better flexibility.
What Is Flexibility?
Flexibility is the quality of bending easily without breaking. It is the range of motion in a joint or a group of joints to move through a complete range of motion effectively. This typically allows a movement to happen passively, thus allowing us to hold a certain stretch without any pain in that joint or the joints surrounding it. This could be anything from holding a static stretch to bending down for something or getting out of bed. Flexibility varies from person to person given the differences in muscle length and can increase with exercise and stretching (1).
Why It Matters
Improved Posture: Increasing flexibility can allow proper alignment of your body and fix imbalances.
Less Pain: By lengthening your muscles, you will alleviate pain and avoid injuries you don’t need.
Increase Strength: Your muscles will have more room to find tension, thus increasing muscle growth.
Enhance performance: Being more nimble will allow for quicker movements and better efficiency.
Benefits Of Strong, Flexible Lats
Your latissimus dorsi, or lats, are the biggest muscle in the back and spans the width of your entire back. It controls the movement of your shoulders and provides for that V-shape bodybuilders love. Your lats help maintain strength in the upper body, including your back, shoulders and arms and provides stability along with your core for better posture. Many pulling motions are enhanced with strong and flexible lats (2).
Benefits Of Strong, Flexible Pecs
Your pecs are two large muscles on both sides of your chest: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. Your pectoralis major spans half of your upper chest and is comprised of two heads which attach to your upper arms. Your pectoralis minor lies beneath the pec major and helps control structures on your back side. It attaches to your core and helps pull the shoulders down and aids in breathing. Having a strong and flexible chest means better posture and better breathing which will improve exercise performance and your everyday lifestyle (3). Providing strength for big lifts and pushing motions, having a big chest is a draw for many bodybuilders to really improve confidence.
Best Exercises For Improving Flexibility In Your Lats & Pecs
Lats
Foam Rolling
Using a foam roller, lie on one side, keeping your spine neutral. Gently roll back and forth from your low back to your underarm. Stop on any spot that may be tight. Switch sides and repeat for your desired amount of reps.
Check out our list of the Best Foam Rollers here!
Wall Press
Standing a few feet from a wall, face the wall and hinge at the hips bending forward. With your palms on the wall about hip height, hold for around a minute and release. Repeat for desired number of reps.
Squat Lat Stretch
Find a fixed object, like a bar or sturdy chair. Grab the object and squat down, your feet around shoulder width apart. Relax the back and stay grounded as you lean into that squat. Go as low as possible without causing unwanted pain. Once in the bottom of the squat, your arms will be straight above your head. Breathe deep in and out as you relax deeper. Hold for a minute and release. Repeat for your desired number of reps.
Pecs
Bent Arm Wall Stretch
This will allow you to stretch both sides. Place one leg in front of the other and place the opposite arm against a wall or another fixed point. Your arm will be roughly at a 90-degree angle. Lean gently into the stretch really feeling the stretch in your pecs. Moving your arm to different heights can target other areas of your chest as well. Hold for however long you would like and switch sides, repeating the same steps.
Above The Chest Stretch
This can be done seated or standing, whatever is comfortable. Choose your position and interlock your fingers, raising your arms above your head. Move your elbows down as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for a moment and release, then continue for your desired amount of time.
Standing Chest Expansion
With your feet around hip-width apart, gently soften your knees and keep a flat back. Lace your fingers together behind your back and push your knuckles to the floor, opening your chest out and up as you do. Hold for your desired amount of time and release.
Wrap Up
Your lats and pecs are two very important muscle groups for a host of reasons. Everything from better breathing, to enhanced posture, and breathing assistance can all work to improve strength and exercise performance. On top of that, both will aid in that desired physique you want most. Flexibility in both means a better quality of life both inside and out of the gym and is important for keeping you physically healthy as you partake in those grueling workouts. These exercises will help enhance flexibility in both your pecs and lats so you see that change you want. Don’t neglect these two muscle groups and really work to get them as flexible as possible for those desired gains to show.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Bushman, Barbara A. (2016). “Flexibility Exercises and Performance”. (source)
Naalla, Ravikiran; Raju, Pradeep; Sharma, Mukesh; Bhattacharya, Sameek; Jha, Manoj (2019). “Technique and Outcomes of Pedicled Latissimus Dorsi Myocutaneous Flap For Oncologic Defects Around the Clavicle”. (source)
Takashima, S.; Nozoe, Masafumi; Ando, H. (2017). “Effects of posture on chest-wall configuration and motion during tidal breathing in normal men”. (source)
5 Best Exercises You Can Do at the Gym, According to Personal Trainers
These Are The Best Exercises According To Fitness Trainers
No matter who you are, where you are from, or what you do, you’ll need some guidance and coaching when you start working out. Since everyone starts at a square zero in the gym, you want to stay clear of the bro scientists and look for advice from pros with a track record.
Every fitness noob wants to know how they can jump ahead in their muscle-building conquest. While there are no shortcuts in bodybuilding, we’ve put together a list of five exercises that are endorsed by certified personal trainers to boost your muscle gain.
Push-Ups
We’re sure you’ve seen pigeon-chested people in your gym who’ve been doing all the fancy TRX, dumbbell and machine exercises but to no effect. And then there are some dudes who credit push-ups for their bulging pecs.
According to Ben Booker (Second Chance Fitness), the great thing about push-ups is that there are so many variations of the exercise that anyone can do it – no matter their experience level.
Squats
We’re sure you’re not surprised at finding the squats on this list. The squats are the king of leg exercises and have Mike Dewar of J2FIT Strength and Conditioning as their backer. the squats are a functional (multi-joint) exercise and can help with building overall strength, stamina, and conditioning.
Performing the exercises mentioned in this article with the correct form is of utmost importance. Using incorrect posture or momentum can result in an injury and keep you out of the gym for weeks.
Burpees with a Jumping Knee Tuck
If you’ve never tried the burpees before, you’re in for a surprise – a big painful surprise. Burpees are one of the major reasons why CrossFit athletes are in great shape and conditioning.
Patrick Frost (Nike Master Trainer) recommends performing the burpees with a jumping knee tuck over the vanilla version. The jumping knee tuck works the abs while the burpees give the extra metabolic push.
Cable Face-Pulls
Cable face pulls are one of the most underutilized shoulder building exercises. They can help in developing boulder shoulders as they work your medial and posterior deltoid heads.
As per Ridge Davis (Ridgid Fitness), the cable face-pulls are a great exercise for correcting rounded shoulders and poor upper-body posture. If you spend long hours looking at your phone or sitting at your computer, don’t skip these.
Deadlifts
We’ll be summing up the article with another compound lift. “The deadlift is one of the best exercises when you’re looking to build muscle and practical strength—so, basically, the two main reasons you work out,” says Mike (J2FIT).
Even better than that, though, developing the ability to handle heavy loads has been shown to boost anabolic hormone levels and increase muscle synthesis, which can help your body reach peak performance levels.
Which is your favorite exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
How The Deficit Deadlift Enhances Your Overall Deadlift
Deficit deadlifts can create better range of motion for increased growth to only enhance our overall deadlift.
We all know the deadlift is one of those big three powerlifting exercises, but there are variations to try like deficit deadlifts that can work wonders for our gains. By putting these into our routine, we work to tackle all issues related to strength, range of motion, and explosivity by working with an elevated surface and giving ourselves a nice added challenge. Deficit deadlifts are certainly not something you want to forget for they enhance your overall deadlift, and other lifts for that matter, greatly.
The deadlift as a whole allows for better strength and growth in the legs and low back as you seemingly lift a massive amount of weight in a test of mental will and sheer strength. This lift also works on balance and stabilization with an increased sense of staying grounded, as your feet must be firmly planted to keep from causing unwanted pain and injury. With deficit deadlifts, you only work to enhance all of these and then some.
Let’s take a look at deficit deadlifts and see what’s so great about this deadlift variation. From what it is, to muscles worked, and the benefits surrounding this lift that affects your overall growth and deadlift performance, adding deficit deadlifts into your routine may prove to be the answer for all your lifting wants and needs.
What Are Deficit Deadlifts?
Deficit deadlifts are any type of deadlift that requires the athlete to be on an elevated surface, most likely two blocks or raised pads. The point of this is to increase range of motion and create a challenge to the lift so you see maximum gains. The height of the elevated surface depends on certain things like your height, arm length, flexibility, and amount of desired weight lifted. The higher the elevation becomes, the more difficult the lift can be. This can be done with the traditional deadlift, sumo deadlift, and others (1).
Muscles Worked
The deadlift exercise as a whole tends to work many muscles and is considered to be a great full body lift. A traditional deadlift can work muscles like your lats, traps, quads, hamstrings, core, and forearms. But when you put this lift into a deficit, the main muscles change and put more strain on the posterior chain muscles, including your hamstrings, quads, and lower back. As a result, form and taking proper care when it comes to amount of weight lifted is very important as you look for the best out of each and every lift.
Benefits Of Deficit Deadlifts
When it comes to performing deficit deadlifts, the benefits of this great lift will prove to be effective in the long run. With increased range of motion, you start to get the most out of each lift in terms of growth and overall performance. Benefits of deficit deadlifts include:
Increased growth: Really work to build hypertrophy in your legs and back by giving your muscles a good chance at growth.
Better range of motion: The elevated surface allows for better range of motion to work those muscles differently (2).
More time under tension: With greater range of motion, you increase time under tension, putting your muscles through more strain and giving them the option to grow.
Better speed off the floor: Increase explosivity off the floor for better power output and development that will translate over into performance (3).
Reinforce form: By having to really focus on technique to avoid unwanted pain and injury, when it comes to performing regular deadlifts, you will be better off (4).
Change it up: By adding in deficit deadlifts, you work to change up your workout routine to add variety so your muscles are constantly being worked differently.
How To Perform Them
Here are the steps for performing the deficit deadlift:
Set the platform or tool you are using for the elevated surface on the floor and set up your bar.
Standing with your feet around shoulder width apart, set yourself up on the elevated surface.
Grab the bar with your desired grip, lower the hips, and engage your core as you start to feel the weight you’re about to lift.
When ready, drive the weight off the ground and perform a traditional deadlift exercise. Be sure to keep your core engaged and your body tight with no rounding of the back.
Gently lower back down and repeat for your desired number of reps.
Featured Supplement For Deficit Deadlift Gains
When it comes to these big lifts and our ability to really see that desired growth and performance, having solid supplementation will prove to be very effective. For many of us, the staple supplements tend to take over our shelf, including things like a pre-workout, protein powder, and multivitamin. Others like fat burners or testosterone boosters can work wonders for those of us who need an extra boost to fat loss or testosterone levels, but when looking to seriously bulk and increase strength and size, we should look no further than to creatine to get this job done (5).
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Wrap Up
Deficit deadlifts have the ability to really enhance our overall deadlift so we see those gains we want most. By working with an elevated surface, not only do we target range of motion, but also time under tension which can lead to better growth. Give deficit deadlifts a try to add variety and a challenge to your workouts. You won’t be disappointed by the results.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Lanham, Sarah N.; Cooper, James J.; Chrysosferidis, Peter; Szekely, Brian; et al. (2019). “Exercise Technique: Deficit Deadlift”. (source)
Gadomski, Stephen J.; Ratamess, Nicholas A.; Cutrufello, Paul T. (2018). “Range of Motion Adaptations in Powerlifters”. (source)
Thompson, Brennan J.; Stock, Matt S.; Shields, JoCarol E.; Luera, Micheal J.; et al. (2015). “Barbell Deadlift Training Increases the Rate of Torque Development and Vertical Jump Performance in Novices”. (source)
Berglund, Lars; Aasa, Bjorn; Hellqvist, Jonas; Michaelson, Peter; Aasa, Ulrika (2015). “Which Patients With Low Back Pain Benefit From Deadlift Training?”. (source)
Francaux, M.; Poortmans, J. R. (1999). “Effects of training and creatine supplement on muscle strength and body mass”. (source)