Tag: FITNESS
How The Single Arm Cable Curl Isolates Your Biceps
Beef up your biceps with this great isolation exercise.
Our biceps are muscle we all love to see grow and an exercise like single arm cable curls is exactly what you need. An isolation exercise perfect for seeing muscle growth can take your gains to new heights and give you the best chance at seeing real success. With so many biceps exercises, the ability to see gains is something we all know and love, but knowing the right approach can make all the difference. Plus, taking advantage of a cable machine can take you a long way in the gym.
Strong arms are important for pulling movements associated with sport and training while also giving us functional gains. Able to support surrounding muscles, those lacking in bicep strength will suffer when it comes to producing overall gains. On top of that, large biceps will make others envy you in the gym as you rock that sleek tank to show off your aesthetic. Single arm cable curls are the perfect exercise to focus on gains and allow you to train at peak performance.
Let’s jump into the single arm cable curl exercise and see what this is all about. From what it is, to muscles worked, the many benefits, and how to perform this, we’ll also share some great alternatives and exercises to pair with so you can structure a complete and well-rounded workout.
What Is The Single Arm Cable Curl Exercise?
The single arm cable curl is a fantastic isolation exercise to build muscle and isolate out those biceps for serious growth. The benefit to this exercise is that you can work just the bicep to increase strength, size, fix imbalances, and work on mind-muscle connection. Using the cable pully forces you to increase time under tension and a comfortable handle can make this exercise easier. A beginner level exercise, this is great for all athletes of all experience levels to see serious gains.
Muscles Worked
The muscles worked in this exercise are your biceps as this is a great isolation exercise. Working to build your biceps allows for better support of those surrounding muscles while also enhancing strength and size where you want. To get more specific, what you work are your biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis. You really won’t find any secondary muscles with this exercise, however, your forearm muscles will get work done as a result of grip and the necessary movement of performing this specific exercise.
Benefits Of The Single Arm Cable Curl
The benefits of this exercise are hard to ignore and should be a staple in your arm day routine. If this isn’t, then definitely consider an alternative of it for this and anything close can give your biceps the growth you want most. With amazing benefits, the single arm cable curl is a muscle builder and results changer.
Benefits of the single arm cable curl include:
Increase strength and size: By working just your biceps with this isolation exercise, you give yourself a great chance to increase strength and size for sport specific and functional movements (1).
Round out your arm aesthetic: Giving your arms a more rounded look, this will add to an already buff aesthetic.
Fix muscle imbalances: Muscle imbalances are a pain but working each bicep separately can give you great benefits for evening out that size (2).
Enhance mind-muscle connection: Work to increase mind-muscle connection with proper form and the ability to focus on more time under tension (3).
Easy to perform: A beginner level exercise, this is easy to perform and will produce gains.
Plenty of variations: With great variations of it, you can work those muscles to see similar growth but also challenge and diversify your workouts.
How To Perform This Exercise
Here are the steps for performing the single arm cable curl:
Set up the cable attachment onto the pulley machine and choose your desire weight.
Standing with your feet about hip width apart, grab the handle with an underhand grip and get in a comfortable position.
Engage your core, keep your back neutral, and make sure your elbow is tucked at your side as you slowly curl the weight.
Give a good squeeze at the top and gently lower back to the starting position.
Repeat for your desired number of sets and reps.
Single Arm Cable Curls Variations
Despite the effectiveness of the single arm cable curl, there are other exercises that can beef up your gains while also diversifying your workout. The nice part about variations are they can offer the same gains by working your muscles differently, but also challenge you in different ways to avoid any plateaus. So, while single arm cable curls are great, let’s look at some alternatives:
Rope Curls
Single Arm Dumbbell Curls
Hammer Curls
Machine Bicep Curls
Resistance Band Curls
Best Exercises To Pair With Single Arm Cable Curls
In efforts to structure a great workout, knowing what exercises pair well with single arm cable curls can take you a long way. For sticking with the cable machine, you can perform a nice upper body routine including triceps pushdowns and cable reverse flys to add in your triceps and shoulders to the mix. If you want to stick with an arm day punisher, mix in dumbbell curls and preacher curls to fire up those biceps for serious strength gains.
Wrap Up
Single arm cable curls are the perfect isolation exercise to help you produce effective gains. Our biceps are muscles we love to see grow and by adding in an easy to perform yet highly efficient exercise, those gains will come in no time. Plenty of benefits, proper form, and the right exercises to pair with it will give you a physique others will envy and one you will love. Give single arm cable curls a try, take advantage of the cable machine, and watch those gains take off today.
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
Mangine, G.; et al. (2015). “The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men”. (source)
Kim, T.; et al. (2015). “Effects of specific muscle imbalance improvement training on the balance ability in elite fencers”. (source)
Calatayud, J.; et al. (2016). “Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training”. (source)
Pros and Cons of Dating a Fit Chick
The opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Generation Iron.
Should You Date a Fit Chick?
If you happen to spend some of your time on Instagram, you’re sure to have seen some fitness chicks flaunting their perfect bodies. If you’re anything like other normal people, you might have at some time wondered what dating a fit girl would be like IRL.
If you’re one of these people, you’ve come to the right place. Before you try your luck at picking up a fit chick, read on to know what you’re signing up for. This article will either cement your plan to approach that girl at your gym, or you’ll be happy with what you have.
Pros
Never Short on Food
Fit people always need their food on time. If you’re dating a health-conscious girl, you are sure to find ample food supplies in your fridge at any point in time. Once you start dating a fit chick, you might find yourself carrying packed meals to work.
Gym Partner
If you’re into fitness yourself, your girlfriend might be the gym partner you have always wanted. Finding the right gym partner can be as hard as finding the right life partner. No more syncing times, just leave the house together and come back together.
Buying Her Gifts is Easy
You don’t have to be too careful while buying gifts for your fitness crazy girlfriend. Most gym rat girls are a sucker for yoga pants and workout shoes. Just gift your girl her workout essentials and she’ll love you to eternity.
Motivation
Having a ripped person around you for most of your days could be an inspiration in itself. Your shredded girlfriend might be the kick you always needed to get a gym membership. Once you join a gym, motivation will flow both ways.
The Body, Obviously!
Your girl might be working out for herself, but you’ll be the one reaping all the rewards. It is no secret lifting weights can make you look good naked, and it also pushes your sex drive through the roof.
Cons
Self-Obsessed
People who workout and especially the ones which compete are known to be overly self-obsessed. It can be a pain in the ass to be around people who are too conscious about how they look at all times.
Possibility of Masculine Features
If your girl is of the ‘muscular girls look pretty’ squad, there are chances she has developed or might develop masculine features. If you’re not into girls with veins popping out of their forearms, you’ll be better off looking elsewhere.
Stronger Than You
If you’re not a fan of working out, there are chances your swolemate might be stronger than you. The next time you can’t open a jar, ask your girlfriend to do it for you. It might be a little embarrassing at first, but you’ll get used to it.
Insecurities
In-shape girls get a lot of attention. It might also be the reason you’re dating your girlfriend. If you’re not big on socializing or hate seeing sleazy comments on your girl’s pictures, insecurities might start to creep in.
Your Life is Going To Revolve Around Working Out
If you love working out and you start dating a girl who lifts, sooner or later, your life will start revolving around the gym. Don’t be surprised if the only conversations you have are about meal preps, the next day’s workout or buying some gym gear.
Are you dating a fit chick? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
Fitness Test – 12 Things Every Lifter Should Be Able To Do
12 Things Every Bodybuilder Should Be Able To Do
The fitness test in the article is not your typical fitness check-up. We aren’t going to ask you to check your BMI or to take your body measurements. We’ll test you in functional aspects and let you be your own judge.
Lifting weights shouldn’t be about moving big weights and pumping your ego. Your goal should be to be muscular, agile, flexible and strong. Bodybuilding shouldn’t turn you into a slab of meat. It should rather add to your lifestyle and make you active in all aspects.
1. Bench Your Bodyweight
This fitness test is for people who have passed the beginner stage in the gym. If you have reached the intermediate stage, you should at least be able to bench press the equivalent of your own bodyweight.
2. Squat Your Bodyweight
Many people focus on their upper bodies and lack lower body strength. You should be able to squat with your own bodyweight on the barbell. Another squat test would be to squat and hold at the bottom for 30 seconds without any added resistance. Repeat this for 10 reps.
3. Deadlift Two Times Your Bodyweight
Deadlift is one of the most badass exercises. Lifting heavy weights off the ground is one of the most functional exercises you can do. Deadlifting two times your bodyweight is the ultimate sign of brute strength.
4. 50 Strict Push-Ups
Most people in the gym focus on lifting weights and completely ignore the bodyweight exercises. It can’t get more functional than working out with your own bodyweight. Perform 50 strict push-ups in one set without resting.
5. 20 Strict Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are one of the few exercises which work the entire upper body. Most people use leverage while performing the pull-ups by generating momentum with their legs. Your goal should be to perform 20 strict pull-ups without jerking or using any momentum.
6. Planks for Two Minutes
Planks are a great exercise for building core strength. While performing the planks, your body should be in a straight line from head to toe. Make sure your hips don’t slouch or form a bridge.
7. Sit on Floor Without Using any Support
Many people are incompetent in sitting on the floor without using any help. You should be able to sit cross-legged on the floor without using your hands or knees. Similarly, your legs should be strong enough that you can stand up without any support.
8. Touch your Feet without Bending Your Knees
While standing, you should be able to touch your feet – or even the floor without bending your knees. In the second variation, sit on the floor, stretch out your legs and touch your toes without bending your knees.
9. Balance on One Foot for 30 Seconds
It’s important to maintain your balance as you get bigger and stronger. Stand on your right foot and lift your left leg so your quad is parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the left leg.
10. Carry Your Bodyweight for 30 Seconds
Farmer’s walk is one of the best exercises to build grip strength. Use a trap bar to do a 30-second farmer’s walk. You can use dumbbells if you don’t have access to a trap bar at your gym.
11. Long Jump Your Height
You need to constantly fight against turning into a chunk of meat by performing agility exercises and routines. You should be able to long jump the equivalent distance of your height from a standing position. High jumps and box jumps should also be a part of your exercise arsenal.
12. Run a Kilometer in 4 Minutes
This fitness test isn’t just about lifting weights. We’ll be testing your strength, flexibility, agility, and endurance. Having great cardiovascular conditioning is a must for a healthy lifestyle. You should be able to complete a 1K run in under four minutes.
Perform all the exercises mentioned in the article and rate yourself on a scale of 1-12, with 12 being the fittest and 1 being the worst fitness level. Give yourself a point for completing each exercise listed in the article.
When was the last time you took a fitness test? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
The Science Behind Rep Ranges For Increased Hypertrophy
The science behind how rep ranges can seriously increase hypertrophy.
We live in a world where rep ranges are deeply misunderstood. Fitness influencers will swear by some magical rep range their favorite bodybuilder taught them. Yeah, don’t listen to that guy. In fact, be aware of everywhere online and only look for those sources of reputable information. They may say their favorite bodybuilder taught it to them, but what they’re forgetting is that their favorite bodybuilder has a routine that works for them, not everyone else.
Oh, and anyone who talks about some outdated model of the strength-endurance continuum, yeah, don’t listen to that guy either. He probably doesn’t even lift. As technology advances, our knowledge of training increases, and the awareness of our bodies is enhanced, any outdated form of advice should be right out the window. Or in the trash. Or somewhere where no one will ever see it. Just because it was from someone twenty years ago with nine degrees, doesn’t make it right today. That person is still intelligent, and their work should not go unnoticed, but that method is just not one to pay attention to.
But as somebody who simply wants answers on rep ranges for hypertrophy, you’re left wondering, how many reps should I be doing? Let’s jump into the science behind rep ranges for hypertrophy so we better understand exactly what needs to happen in order to feel like we’re accomplishing something great.
Importance Of Rep Ranges
Rep ranges become essential because they set the blueprint for your workout. Along with sets, reps offer the platform for you to succeed and will determine how long your muscles are under tension. The right rep range and ability to know just how to target your muscles can prepare you and set forth a great plan for only the best when it comes to working out.
Strength-Endurance Continuum
Let’s look at the strength-endurance continuum to clear the air. Many people still follow this outdated model. People assume that because lower reps are better for strength and higher reps are better for endurance, the middle rep range should be the hypertrophy rep range.
Indeed, strength is enhanced with lower reps and endurance is enhanced with higher reps because this is more specific towards those adaptations. When you do lower reps which is accompanied by heavier weights, you become better at lifting heavy things.
Accordingly, doing higher reps matches the demands of prolonged muscular endurance. Crossfit competitions are a good example of this.
Mechanical Tension
However, hypertrophy is not specific towards a certain performance. Hypertrophy is specific towards the chemical response of bigger muscle tissue being constructed. This glorious process is called muscle protein synthesis and it gets triggered based on mechanical tension (1).
What is mechanical tension though? Let me explain as it will help you understand rep ranges better.
Resistance acts as force against your muscles while the muscle contracts and stretches. As the muscle resists or controls this force, tons of individual fibers get recruited. Once recruited, the individual muscle fibers produce force to combat the resistance. This entire process is mechanical tension. More mechanical tension means more muscle protein synthesis. Using a quality resistance band will work wonders on creating tension and building strength.
So What Rep Range is Best?
“So If I do more reps, I’ll get more mechanical tension right?”
No, not quite. More reps or more time under tension doesn’t mean more mechanical tension. When you do more reps, you’re forced to use a lighter load which reduces the resistance of each individual rep, so even though you’re experiencing a longer duration of tension, the magnitude of the tension is smaller per rep.
Increasing the weight and hopping to lower rep ranges reverses these effects. By increasing the load, each rep is more difficult and stimulates a greater magnitude of tension. However, the total time accumulating that tension is reduced because heavier loads will reduce the amount of reps you can do.
So, if you can put 2 and 2 together, it doesn’t really matter what rep range you use. The differences in the net amount of mechanical tension stimulated is the same.
Your 6-rep max will garner as much muscle growth as your 12-rep max (2). One requires less lifting of a heavier weight while the other requires more lifting of a lighter weight.
If you train both sets to the same proximity to failure, your biggest muscle fibers get recruited and stimulated to the same degree by the end of the set (3).
The Exceptions
While hypertrophy training isn’t as sensitive to rep ranges as other goals, there are 2 exceptions you should avoid.
Very low rep (1-3) sets: These sets even though they’re extremely heavy, seem to be far too short to match the hypertrophy of other sets (4).
Extremely high rep (40+) sets: These sets are too long where excess central nervous system fatigue reduces the fibers recruited, so when you reach failure, some fibers remain under stimulated or not stimulated at all (5).
To be clear, it’s not that these exceptions can’t produce hypertrophy. They can, but due to their drawbacks, they’re sub-optimal.
The Drawbacks Of Different Rep Ranges
Despite some impractical situations, you can now see that the hypertrophy rep range is wider than most people think. Reps as low as 4-5 reps can still produce robust muscle gain along with reps as high as 30-35. However, while nearly all rep ranges build similar amounts of muscle per set, how they fatigue you is quite different.
Higher rep sets produce more neuromuscular fatigue (6). This is the fatigue from the sum of your nervous system and your local muscle. Ever try to do one of those 20 rep max squat challenges? Yeah, you know what I mean. If you don’t, try it and you won’t be able to lift much after that. The neuromuscular fatigue is quite high.
Higher rep sets are reported to be more painful as well (7). That pump gets disgusting by the end of a 20-25 rep set compared to a 10-12 rep set.
However, lower reps have their own set of drawbacks. Lower rep sets apply more force per rep due to the heavy load. They consequently stress your joints and connective tissues more (8). Anyone who’s done extremely heavy sets often knows how crushing they can feel on your bones. A true 5-rep max done often can be brutal if you have weak joints.
In addition, lower rep sets have a higher risk of injury because any deviation in form shifts more unintended stress on certain structures of your body. For example, your right knee and hip will be pretty achy if you accidentally deviate your body to the right during a 1-rep max attempt.
So, What Should I do?
In general, I would suggest doing a variety of rep ranges. This way you balance out the drawbacks by not doing too much of one rep range. The middle rep ranges are also a good general rule of thumb to stick to. I still like the variety recommendation better though as some preliminary research finds people who vary their rep ranges grew a bit more muscle (9).
For example, if you do 2 quad exercises, you can do a lower rep barbell back squat and a higher rep leg extension during the same workout or within the week. Generally speaking, compound exercises work better with lower reps and isolation exercises work better with higher reps.
Ultimately, don’t overthink it. If you’re training hard and making performance increases, it doesn’t matter much rep range you stay in.
Wrap Up
The science behind rep ranges is interesting and can be beneficial for your gains more than you think. Maybe some of us are used to a coach putting the plan together where sets and reps were clearly defined and we just perform. Maybe you have always programmed yourself and this is all stuff you knew. Regardless, a refresher is never a bad thing. Consider the science behind rep ranges the next time you work out and give yourself a great chance at seeing absolutely massive gains.
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
Wackerhage, Henning, et al. “Stimuli and Sensors That Initiate Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Following Resistance Exercise.” Journal of Applied Physiology, 9 Jan. 2019, journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00685.2018.
Schoenfeld, Brad J, et al. “Muscular Adaptations in Low- versus High-Load Resistance Training: A Meta-Analysis.” European Journal of Sport Science, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25530577.
Morton, Robert W., et al. “Muscle Fibre Activation Is Unaffected by Load and Repetition Duration When Resistance Exercise Is Performed to Task Failure.” The Physiological Society, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 27 July 2019, physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1113/JP278056.
Schoenfeld, Brad J, et al. “Differential Effects of Heavy Versus Moderate Loads on Measures of Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men.” Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, Uludag University, 1 Dec. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27928218.
Lasevicius, Thiago, et al. “Effects of Different Intensities of Resistance Training with Equated Volume Load on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy.” European Journal of Sport Science, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29564973.
Haun, Cody T, et al. “Molecular, Neuromuscular, and Recovery Responses to Light versus Heavy Resistance Exercise in Young Men.” Physiological Reports, John Wiley and Sons Inc., Sept. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5617935/.
Ribeiro AS;Dos Santos ED;Nunes JP;Schoenfeld BJ; “Acute Effects of Different Training Loads on Affective Responses in Resistance-Trained Men.” International Journal of Sports Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31499564-acute-effects-of-different-training-loads-on-affective-responses-in-resistance-trained-men/.
Bohm, Sebastian, et al. “Human Tendon Adaptation in Response to Mechanical Loading: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Exercise Intervention Studies on Healthy Adults.” Sports Medicine – Open, Springer International Publishing, Dec. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4532714/.
Schoenfeld BJ; Contreras B; Ogborn D; Galpin A; Krieger J; Sonmez GT; “Effects of Varied Versus Constant Loading Zones on Muscular Adaptations in Trained Men.” International Journal of Sports Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27042999-effects-of-varied-versus-constant-loading-zones-on-muscular-adaptations-in-trained-men/.
Drop Everything and Follow These Fitness Athletes on YouTube
Unlike the other social media platforms, YouTube is a long format platform. While Instagram and Snapchat have the capabilities to post videos, both have time restrictions and can’t match the depth YouTube videos offer.
If you want to learn a thing or two about fitness and bodybuilding, you should begin by watching some YouTube videos. Creators have put out thousands of hours of content which can give you an edge in shaping your physique.
The Best Fitness Athletes to Follow on YouTube
Dana Linn Bailey
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DLB arguably has the best videos on this list. Dana’s videos are full of useful content and are edited to perfection. Dana partners with her husband, Rob, on her channel and you will fall in love with their chemistry and their love for their arts.
Steve Cook
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Steve has one of the oldest YouTube channels and documents his life through his videos. If you’re into the golden bodybuilding era and want a physique just like that, Cook is the guy you need to follow.
Bradley Martyn
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Going to the gym and doing the same old exercises every day can be boring. Martyn has an uncanny ability to do mind-blowing things in the gym. Some of Bradley’s escapades include squatting with two girls on a barbell, deadlifting with one arm and squatting on a hoverboard.
Elliot Hulse
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Once you start lifting weights, you will probably have tonnes of questions. Before you go crazy looking for answers on the internet, head over to Elliot’s channel and you might find your answer.
Hodge Twins
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The Hodge Twins are great at debunking myths and doing product reviews. Hodge Twins walk the walk and have experimented with almost everything, including going vegetarian and vegan.
Marc Lobliner
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Lobliner is the CMO of TigerFitness.com and the CEO of MTS Nutrition. Marc focuses on helping you reach your fitness goals and shares content which can help you achieve the physique of your dreams.
Dom Mazzetti
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If you haven’t already, you need to subscribe to Dom Mazzetti and his channel BroScienceLife. Dom lays out the footprints of how to be a bro inside the gym and does so with his bizarre humor.
CT Fletcher
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If you like watching some motivational videos before your workouts, it doesn’t get any better than CT Fletcher. Fletcher has collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry and will surely pump you up to kill it inside the weight room.
Mark Bell
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Mark “Smelly” Bell is the founder of Slingshot, owner of the Super Training gym and is the brother of the famous filmmaker Chris Bell. Bell is a powerlifter and throws out incredibly effective tips to lift better.
Mike Rashid
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Mike Rashid isn’t your regular fitness celebrity. Rashid is a bodybuilder and a boxer who believes in developing his mind and body at par. Mike puts out life advice in videos he likes to call mind jewels.
Who is your favorite fitness YouTuber? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Pre Workout Before Sex – Pumps Whilst Pumping
Pre workout before sex – Pumps whilst pumping
As Arnold once said, “The best activities for your health are pumping and humping.” And with that we’ll look at the potential of supplements for pumping, improving your humping. Here’s a closer look at whether you should try taking a pre workout before sex.
Your heart rate shoots up, blood flow rushes to your working muscles and you get fired up and into the zone. We’re not talking about you’re 50kg 1RM deadlift here, but the moments before and during sex.
In the same way a pre workout can benefit you during a workout, it makes complete sense that the same supplement can help deliver you to a gold standard of humping in the bedroom.
Why Use a Pre Workout Before Sex
As we mentioned above, the reason for a guy to use a pre workout before sex can depend on what element of the boom boom they feel they’re lacking in.
In the same way a pre workout enhances your gym performance, it could also enhance your sex. If you’re experiencing a medical issue like erectile dysfunction or extremely low sex drive then we recommend you speak to a registered physician. There’s no shame here, and your doc will be able to offer an expert solution without any judgements.
Come back to this article when your little general is patched up and standing to full attention.
Energy
For guys who are feeling their age and always a little too tired (test levels decline at roughly 1% per year from 30 onwards[6]) a pre workout can provide an extra boost in the bedroom.
You come home from work, rip off your tie and have ‘date night’ in an hour. But you’d just rather collapse on the sofa and watch Generation Iron 4 for the sixth time. The solution? Pre-workout could be it.
By taking a pre workout you’ll find you can boost up energy levels, mood and focus, helping you get into the zone and eradicate the ‘meh’ feeling. Get those candles lit and put on your favorite y fronts, it’s time to get jiggy. Just don’t overdo it. Nobody likes a cracky shaking date.
Good ingredients, that are studied and proven are the amino acid l-theanine combined with caffeine. This will give you a clean and clear source of energy for the duration of the evening. Avoiding crashes and jitters [3].
Blood Flow
One of the main reasons to take a pre workout is to improve blood flow. When your penis gets erect it’s because blood is rushing to it. And sometimes, as you get older and the awkward uncontrollable erections of your youth are behind you, it can need a little help.
An NO booster could help by literally improving the quality of your erections, in fact a scientific study has proven this [1]. By choosing a pre workout that contains ingredients like l-citrulline [2] and l-arginine both proven to raise nitric oxide levels, you’ll find that your erection quality can improve. Leading to a better pecker pump.
Endurance
We’ve all been there, you’re 30 minutes into a steamy night time session, you’re tired, getting weak and wondering if it’ll ever finish in the crescendo you were expecting at the start. Just like running a 30 minute HIIT cardio session, you’re starting to run out of gas as time goes on.
The solution could lie in a pre workout. You’ve got your energy and focus from caffeine and l-theanine to get things going, a world record erection boosted up by l-citrulline and now you need something that’s going to get you over the finish line with a bed breaking bang.
It’s proven that caffeine [4] can keep you going for longer, and coupled with an ingredient like citicoline you’ll find you don’t get an energy crash [5] an lose focus right through your full session.
Choosing the Right Pre Workouts Before Sex
The points we covered above are pretty focused in terms of ingredients, and if you’re wanting to get the best bonking pre, you also need to ensure what you’re taking has a dosing structure that isn’t OTT and also, try and keep things natural.
400mg of caffeine is probably a bad idea as an example. Ingredients like synephrine and other stims could also do more harm than good if you end up on the wrong side of them.
Try keeping things boiled down to a clean and balanced form of energy, caffeine, tyrosine, l-theanine and other aminos. Add an NO enhancer you know works, and you know that your stomach agrees with and then finally any bells and whistles that will help you maintain endurance.
You don’t want to be trying a brand new pre workout and shit your pants before you’ve gotten chance to take them off either. Test it out with a gym session first.
Our recommended pre workout?
Try National Bodybuilding Co.’s Bed Ready Pre-Workout!
Happy pumping and humping.
References:
[1] M. D. Sullivan. Nitric oxide and penile erection. Cardiovasc Res (1999) 43 (3): 658-665.
[2] Sureda, A et al. L-citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acid utilization during exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010; 110(2): 341-51
[3] Owen, GN et al. The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. Nutr Neurosci. 2008; 11(4): 193-8
[4] GR. Cox. Effect of different protocols of caffeine intake on metabolism and endurance performance. J Appl Physiol. 2002; 93(3): 990-9
[5] De Jesus Moreno Moreno M. Cognitive improvement in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia after treatment with the acetylcholine precursor choline alfoscerate: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Ther. 2003;25(1):178-193. doi:10.1016/s0149-2918(03)90023-3
[6] Zirkin, B., & Tenover, J. (2012). Aging and declining testosterone: Past, present, and hopes for the future. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4077344/
How Bent Over Flys Increase Shoulder Strength & Stamina
Give your shoulders a great workout with bent over flys.
Building our shoulders and working hard to get that well-rounded physique can be challenging, but great exercises like bent over flys are exactly what we need to see serious growth. With the right approach to any workout you can better tackle all of those strength wants and needs and really give yourself the best when it comes to boosting your overall gains. But it isn’t easy and it takes work, for building boulder shoulders requires only the best form to avoid injury and unwanted pain.
The nice part about bent over flys is that they are a beginner level exercise with advanced level gains. Performing this exercise is relatively easy but knowing form and how best to tackle technique is more than important. Our shoulders can be vulnerable, but by taking the right steps to strengthen the surrounding areas we better set ourselves up when it comes to sport specific and more functional gains. Bent over flys are the perfect exercise for all your lifting wants and needs and is definitely something to place into your workout.
Let’s take a look at bent over flys and see what’s up with this exercise. From what it is, to muscles worked, the many benefits of it, and how to perform it, we’ll break down bent over flys so you can maximize all of your gains. Plus, we will offer some great alternatives so you can better structure your workouts for added diversity.
What Are Bent Over Flys?
Bent over flys are a great exercise to build your shoulders for better overall development, support, strength, and stability. As an effective isolation exercise, all you need are quality dumbbells and you are ready to go. Great for beginners, as well as those intermediate and advanced, this is an effective muscle building workout for all. By working to strengthen your delts, you assist with pushing movements and can increase your level of strength for other lifts. Also, improving posture and structural support can greatly affect your gains for the better.
Muscles Worked
This exercise targets your shoulders and is very close to an isolation exercise. Working all three heads of your delts (front, rear, and lateral), you get a well-rounded workout to increase strength, size, and functionality of this often times vulnerable area. Along with your shoulders, you may feel it in your traps and triceps as a result of the movement, but primarily this will work only your shoulders.
Benefits Of Bent Over Flys
The benefits of bent over flys are hard to ignore but can greatly affect all areas of your overall shoulder gains. By working your delts and putting an emphasis on strength and stamina, you never have to worry about a poor shoulder workout again.
Benefits of bent over flys include:
Better strength and stamina: Work to increase strength and size while also improving stamina to help push through any muscular failure.
Increased posture and balance: By strengthening your shoulders you provide for better stability and balance while working to improve posture and overall support (1).
Reduce injury: Strengthening this often times vulnerable area can work for your benefit to reduce the risk of injury and keep you in the gym longer (2).
Help with muscle imbalances: Those dreaded muscle imbalances are annoying but the right exercise can work to build better symmetry.
Round out a physique: Beefing up those shoulders can only add to a well-rounded and more buff physique.
Plenty of variations: Plenty of variations means more diversity in your workout so you never grow bored and are always seeing huge gains.
How To Perform This Exercise
Here are the steps for performing bent over flys:
Choose your desired amount of weight and find a comfortable position to perform this exercise in.
With your feet a bit wider than shoulder width apart, engage your core and keep your body neutral as you hinge at the hips.
With the weight hanging in front of you, pull the dumbbells so they are parallel to the floor.
Give a good squeeze at the top and gently lower back to the starting position.
Repeat for your desired number of sets and reps.
Bent Over Fly Variations
Along with this great exercise comes plenty of variations to try. The benefit to many variations is that you can diversify your workout so you never grow bored of the same movements. However, you will still build muscle for these exercises will target the same muscles but in different ways. Once you find a variation you greatly enjoy, you can alternate back and forth from that and bent over flys for the most effective gains.
Variations of the bent over fly include:
Seated Bent Over Fly
Horizontal Fly
Kneeling Reverse Fly
Reverse Fly On Bench
Machine Rear Delt Fly
Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly
Face Pulls
Best Exercises To Pair With Bent Over Flys
To tag along with bent over flys in your workout, consider pairing with the right exercises so you see only the best gains. Working with exercises like the deadlift and Romanian deadlift, these will work nicely to give your shoulders a break but keeping them engaged. The lat pulldown and pull-ups will recruit your shoulders to really engage those lats for a wider physique and to emphasis and focus on only the best for pulling motions. And for that extra shoulder work, toss in reverse flys to boost strength and size.
Wrap Up
The bent over fly is a great exercise worthy of putting into your shoulder day routine. As an effective delt builder, you will find an increase to strength, size, and stamina as you will better be able to push yourself through any muscular fatigue. Knowing how best to perform this exercise will prove to be safe and effective with the right form and the many benefits will certainly leave you feeling satisfied. Check out bent over flys, place them into your workout routine, and watch your gains take off.
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
Lee, D.; et al. (2017). “Changes in rounded shoulder posture and forward head posture according to exercise methods”. (source)
Mitchell, C.; et al. (2005). “Shoulder pain: diagnosis and management in primary care”. (source)
How to Stick to Your Fat Loss Resolutions
How to Stick to Your Fat Loss Resolutions
Alrighty, we’re at the tail end of January. You know what that means? That means you either spent the month lifting and dieting like a champ or you spent the last month dorking around as you reach your hand into the bottom of the Doritos bag for another straight night.
Scary how I know where you’re at huh? Fortunately, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with sticking to their fat loss resolutions. This is more of an issue of psychology and behavior change rather than a physical fitness or dieting concern.
You know you’re supposed to diet and exercise. Those things are good for you. That’s a no brainer. What you don’t realize is your psychology is stubborn and rationalizes poorly on your behalf.
Here’s why.
Humans think that a New Year will bring change. However, the only change is the calendar year switching. Apart from that, you yourself have to change. More specifically, your behaviors, environment, intentions, and even relationships have to change.
If you expect to suddenly change because you set a New Year’s resolution, you’re gravely mistaken. That’s not to say setting New Year goals are bad. In fact, some research even finds it helpful, but there is so much more to it (1). The real objective is not to have cool goals. The objective is to actually accomplish cool goals.
So with the tough love mostly out of the way, let’s get into how you can actually stick to your New Year’s resolution and get the lean body you want.
Form Better Habits
Everybody wants change, but nobody wants to change. Unfortunately, your behavior is what determines where you’ll be in a few months. It’s about doing, not talking.
Furthermore, it’s not only about what you do today, it’s about what you do tomorrow and the day after that.
Repetitive behaviors are what we call habits (2). We all have endless habits without realizing it whether It’s as simple as brushing your teeth or as nuanced as buying a dozen donuts and binge eating every time you think about your ex.
What you do consistently is essentially the train that you’re taking towards a destination. If you’re looking to lose body fat, you have to reverse engineer that goal and break it down into a few key habits to practice.
These habits will make or break your results because it’s this simple:
Either put in the work and eventually ride your way to victory.
Or you don’t and your lack of action takes you on a train away from your goals.
Fortunately, when it comes to fat loss, a few key changes is all you need to start melting fat off your body.
For example, it could be as simple as tracking all your calories, eating 2 fistfuls of vegetables at every meal, and working out four times per week.
If most people could do the above, the world would be an infinitely leaner place. It’s not rocket science, but I get it. You’re a human. You’re prone to mistakes and while the game plan is simple, it’s not always easy. Do this next.
Make It Specific
When you’re struggling to reach your goals. You have to make your habits more specific (3). Being specific is not disordered behavior. There is nothing wrong with drinking the same exact protein shake between meals or working out at the exact same time/day each week.
It’s not obsessive, quite the opposite actually. Specific routines and behaviors take the guesswork and stress out of things because you know exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it.
Vagueness will kill your goals. Think about it. Which of these people will stick to their training program better?
Person A who will try to workout 4 days per week.
Person B who has scheduled 4 workouts into his calendar each week at specific times.
You’ve been person A for too long. Get specific with your behaviors. Preciseness will hold you accountable.
Start Small
Another way to increase the likelihood of behavior change is to start small. We want big grand changes, but it’s quite hard to go from couch potato to training 7 times per week.
Don’t aim for big changes. They don’t work because your ambitions don’t match your actions.
If you’re struggling to stick to your New Years Resolution, you don’t need to try harder, you need to lower your expectations.
The funny thing is, when you start small, it can grow into bigger habits with bigger results. This is how successful dieters do it. They don’t actually seek to lose 30-40 pounds right away. They seek out to lose 1-2 pounds. Then they try to lose another 1-2 pounds. Eventually, this snowballs into something bigger.
But you have to start small. Do what you can manage and then scale from there. If you’ve never worked out before, aim for 3 workouts per week for 45 minutes each.
If you suck at dieting, focus on eating more protein and veggies instead of doing some extreme diet.
Get Accountability
There’s nothing like personal accountability. You need to have people to prevent you from falling off the deep end into another dozen donuts. Put your ego on the line.
You may think you can do it by yourself, but you’ve tried that for years. You need someone to hold you accountable because your own biology doesn’t find diet and exercise comfortable. It would much rather lay on the couch and inhale a bucket of fried chicken.
To mitigate that, find a coach, friend, or family member to hold you accountable. Get clear on what you want to accomplish and the exact habits that you will practice to take you there. Accountability is not just on them, but also on you. You have to be willing to accept the consequences and be vulnerable with any shortcomings.
A good rule of thumb is to find somebody who is empathetic and encouraging, but also willing to call you out on your bs.
You do that and watch your life change.
Modeling Behavior Change
So reaching your New Year’s Resolution comes down to changing your behaviors. Changing your behaviors comes down to practicing habits. And successful habit practicing comes down to starting small, being specific, and staying accountable.
There’s no shortcuts around this. In the words of Montell Jordan, “This is how we do it.“
References
A;, Oscarsson. “A Large-Scale Experiment on New Year’s Resolutions: Approach-Oriented Goals Are More Successful than Avoidance-Oriented Goals.” PloS One, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33296385/.
Lally, Phillippa, et al. “How Are Habits Formed: Modelling Habit Formation in the Real World.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 16 July 2009, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejsp.674.
Gollwitzer, Peter M., and Paschal Sheeran. “Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta‐Analysis of Effects and Processes.” Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Academic Press, 7 May 2006, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065260106380021.
How Gorilla Rows Seriously Build Your Posterior Chain
Build that massive back with gorilla rows.
Building our backs can be a challenge but exercises like gorilla rows are perfect for giving us that increased strength and size we need most. Our backs are an important part of our body and work to provide postural and structural support as well as increasing our ability to perform a number of exercises and movements. By putting an emphasis on our backs, we work to better improve our gains so we see results we want most.
The best part about gorilla rows are that they require minimal equipment and are easy to perform. This allows you to create a workout that is versatile and convenient so you never have to worry about being pressed for time. Our busy schedules often interfere with our workouts but by putting an emphasis on the right exercises, we better set ourselves up for increased success.
Let’s take a look at gorilla rows and see what this exercise is all about. From what it is, to muscles worked, the many benefits of them, and how best to perform them, by the end of this, you will have a complete guide into this incredible exercise. All of your gains are important and knowing just how to better tackle them can be beneficial for your overall performance.
What Are Gorilla Rows?
Gorilla rows are a great compound exercise to really give your posterior chain an effective workout. By working to build overall lat development, you also get great work done with other upper body muscles to increase overall strength and size as well. Perfect for functional and sport specific movements, this exercise is relatively easy to perform, this exercise can take your gains to the next level. Great to use with kettlebells, that is the only equipment you need to perform this exercise.
Muscles Worked
As a compound movement, gorilla rows work a number of muscles, which will build serious strength and size. Your lats are one of the primary muscles targeted and gorilla rows can add to that serious width. Your traps, rhomboids, and delts will get some work done as well as your biceps and forearms resulting from the increased need for stronger grip. Of course, your spine will be worked and keeping good form is obviously very important but it is your core that can really work to boost stability and offer support. Gorilla rows are a highly effective compound movement that is perfect for seeing serious gains start to unfold.
Benefits Of Gorilla Rows
The benefits of gorilla rows are hard to ignore and for those looking to increase strength and size in their back, these are highly effective. Plus, with the other muscles worked, you get a great compound movement to help you tackle any and all of those strength wants and needs.
Benefits of gorilla rows include:
Great lat builder: An effective lat builder, gorilla rows work well for building up your pulling movements and increasing width for a larger aesthetic.
Increased upper body strength: By working your upper body muscles as an effective compound movement, you really build nice upper body strength and size with your other muscles (1).
Functional and sport specific: These exercises are perfect for building functional strength for everyday movement as well as sport specific actions for your respective sport (2).
Easy to perform: Gorilla rows are relatively easy to perform one you get a hang of the movement and how it will work.
Good core work: Relying on your core for real stability, your core will feel a burn and you will build better strength for overall support and stability (3).
Plenty of variations: This exercise offers many variations for you to still see great gains while diversifying your workout.
Limited equipment: With gorilla rows, you barely need any equipment. All you need are a set of weights, with kettlebells being easier.
How To Perform This Exercise
Here are the steps for performing gorilla rows:
Place two kettlebells or dumbbells in front of you with your desired weight of choice. Your feet will be a bit wider than hip width apart.
Bending your knees slightly, hinge forward and grab the handles. Engage your core and make sure your spine is in a neutral position.
When ready, bring one of the weights up towards your hip as if you were performing a dumbbell row-type movement.
Lower that weight to the floor and repeat with the other side. Gently lower that weight back down to the floor.
Repeat for your desired number of sets and reps.
Gorilla Rows Alternative Exercises
As mentioned before, there are many alternatives you can try to mix up your workouts and give you a break from gorilla rows without sacrificing any gains. Some awesome alternative exercises to gorilla rows are:
Single-Arm Rows
Dumbbell Rows
Pendlay Rows
Renegade Rows
Plank Rows
Towel Grip Inverted Rows
Best Exercises To Pair With Gorilla Rows
For those looking to increase their gains, pairing the right exercises together can make all the difference for you. Dumbbell rows are nice to add with gorilla rows for they both work similar muscles but differently, giving you the ability to push through fatigue and increase growth. Also, the deadlift and farmer’s walks are great to pair with it and will really enhance your back day routine for the better.
Wrap Up
Gorilla rows are a great exercise to add to your routine and for those looking to enhance lat development and overall upper body gains, look no further than gorilla rows. Able to provide for serious benefits and give you the best chance at a wider aesthetic, it’s no wonder why people have turned to gorilla rows for all their posterior chain needs. Easy to perform with minimal equipment required, gorilla rows are versatile and convenient to help you see serious gains. Place these into your back day routine and see what they can do for you today.
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
Kak, H.; et al. (2013). “A Study of Effect of the Compound Physical Activity Therapy on Muscular Strength in Obese Women”. (source)
Weiss, T.; et al. (2010). “Effect of Functional Resistance Training on Muscular Fitness Outcomes in Young Adults”. (source)
Hibbs, A.; et al. (2008). “Optimizing performance by improving core stability and core strength”. (source)
Try These Exercises As A Great Bench Press Alternative
These are great weighted and non-weighted bench press alternative exercises.
The bench press is a staple in many of our routines as it is one of those big powerlifts that can really enhance chest growth and size. As a monster pushing exercise, the bench press is one to really improve many aspects of our lifts while still increasing our size for a massive physique. Aside from increasing benching power, it will work to assist more functional movements that will affect your everyday life in more ways than one.
Okay, so we’ve bragged on and on about the bench press and what it can do. But for many of us, we may not have access to a full bench set-up, therefore making the bench press quite difficult to do. Well, you’re in luck. Thankfully there are a host of bodyweight and weighted chest exercises that can be supplemented with or swapped in instead to really offer that growth you want to see most while being in the comfort of your own home. You aren’t sacrificing anything and you still get the many benefits of strength, size, and balance, among others.
Let’s dive right into these alternate exercises and see what they do for our gains today. A puffed out chest can increase confidence inside and out of the gym and those popping pecs are nothing to laugh at.
Bench Press Basics
People love to bench. It’s arguably the most common question you get asked when at the gym and for some reason, this lift has become what the mile is to the runner, sort of like a lifters calling card. The bench press targets your chest, arms, and shoulders and is designed to improve upper body strength while also enhancing grip strength for a host of other exercises (1). For more functional movements, the bench press can benefit you day in and day out.
Some of the benefits of this monster lift include increased upper body strength, better muscular endurance, and more balance and support for this lift as well as others. With its continued popularity and ability to seriously enhance your gains, this strength-based, power-inducing exercise is not one to ignore.
Best Bench Press Alternatives
As said before, sometimes we don’t have access to the bench press. While we’ve hyped this exercise up, the parallels to other chest exercises are quite similar and these alternative exercises can really work for your benefit when it comes to strength, size, support, and stability.
Push-Ups
The push-up is a perfect bodyweight exercise that is simple and easy to learn with little to no hassle to you at all. It can be done anywhere at anytime and by changing your hand placement, you can create more intensity while increasing the challenge to really target your chest (2).
How to: With your feet together and hands shoulder width apart, make these the only points of contact on the floor. Gently lower to the ground, bending at the elbow until your chest is hovering about an inch or two off the ground. Drive through your hands and push back up to the starting position.
Dumbbell Chest Press
This is a perfect bench press alternative and one to offer you the same, if not very similar, benefits to the bench press. The only real difference is that you are using dumbbells as opposed to a barbell, and for beginners, this can be easier to deal with in terms of both grip and weight. With dumbbells, you engage other muscles as well.
How to: Lie on a bench with the dumbbells extended out in front of you. As you lower the dumbbells towards your chest, really think about engaging your core as you stay stable. Once at the bottom, drive through your feet and push that weight back to the starting position.
Cable Chest Press
This will force you to use the entire core, as well as upper and lower body muscles. Since this is done on the cable machine, working with different angles and focusing on certain areas of movement will allow the stabilizer muscles to get work done as well.
How to: Taking the handles in each hand, step one foot in front of the other with a bit wider of a stance. With your hands on either side of the chest, drive through with an embraced core until your arms are fully extended. Return to the starting position in a controlled way.
Dips
These may not be ones to expect on a bench press alternative list and while they aren’t necessary a direct correlation like some of these other exercises, dips are still great to know, especially for those of us still doing bodyweight exercises (3). While this is mainly a triceps focused movement, you do get some slight chest work done, but what you really benefit from is the utilization of your shoulders and triceps, both of which are essential in the bench press.
How to: With a neutral grip, set yourself up on the bar or whatever you are performing the dips on. Lower yourself, keeping your elbows tucked tight and not lowering too far. Once you’re at your lowest point, engage the pecs, brace your core, and lift yourself until your arms are fully straight.
Dumbbell Fly
The dumbbell fly is a nice way to get the most out of your chest while also providing for a good stretch. It can also target your shoulders and upper back but is of course a more chest focused exercise. Being smart with the weight is key for going to heavy can lead to unwanted pain.
How to: Lie on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms so the weight is above your chest. Slowly fan out to either side, dropping your arms more horizontally until they form a 90-degree angle with your body. Once you reach your max level, bring the weights back in the same arc you lowered them in.
Wrap Up
The bench press is staple exercise in many athletes’ routines, but for some, it is hard to find access. With this list of the best bench press alternative exercises, you will find a serious boost in all things related to strength, size, support, and stability, especially with those massive pecs you’ve been searching for. Try some of these alternatives and really see what they can do for you today.
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
Tungate, Phil (2019). “The Bench Press: A Comparison Between Flat-Back and Arched-Back Techniques”. (source)
Contreras, Bret; Schoenfeld, Brad; Mike, Jonathan; Tiryaki-Sonmez, Gul; et al. (2012). “The Biomechanics of the Push-up: Implications for Resistance Training Programs”. (source)
Langton, Becky; King, John (2018). “Utilizing Body Weight Training With Your Personal Training Clients”. (source)