Tag: FITNESS
5 Fitness Tips While Gyms Are Closed
Fitness Tips
COVID-19 still hasn’t gone away, and unfortunately, it will stay with us for a while, at least until scientists come up with an effective vaccine. While all areas of life are affected, gyms are one of those places that are hit hard. Because a lot of people exercise in a constricted space, touch the equipment on the same spots, and spend time indoors, in a (poorly) artificially ventilated space. In many countries, gyms are still closed, as they are a perfect place to spread the virus. Sure, maybe they are still open in your country, but going there isn’t that smart. Fitness Tips are one of he best things you can know in nowadays.
Plus, you will need to wear a mask and protective gloves, and watch out for other gym goers that come near. Making sure you are keeping a proper distance. All of that is anything but comfortable, which is why people ask how to stay fit while gyms are closed. At least until this COVID-19 nightmare passes.
This article will tell you all about that, giving you 5 Fitness Tips on how to stay fit during the pandemic. Tips are quite simple, and it won’t require too much effort or preparation to follow them, only some dedication, so start by reading the article to the end.
First Things First – What Will You Miss The Most
This article is intended for people who don’t have a full home gym set up in their garage. If you do – good for you! If you have all the equipment at home, you won’t miss anything but hotties exercising around you, and bros to talk about your PRs. But, for the rest of us, things will be much different. Most people go to the gym because of the equipment there. Tones and tones of weights (literally), machines, cardio equipment, all ready to use immediately.
If your #1 goal is to get bigger and stronger, the thing you will miss the most when not working out at the gym will be the weights. Without appropriate free-weight equipment, you will not build strength and size the way you were used to, and you will have to adjust.
Related Article:: 5 Home Gym Essentials To Build A Great Body
Lack Of Adequate Weight Issues
And if you don’t have a barbell with the needed weight, your strength lifts will suffer the most. If you don’t do squats, deadlifts, and presses, your numbers will drop, and there’s no way to avoid that.
However, the good news is that muscle memory exists, and you will be back to where you were as soon as you get back to the gym. Also, if you continue to exercise with what you have, you will prevent muscle decay. Which will also contribute to getting your numbers back to where they used to be.
As for the size, there are more options to keep it (which we will discuss later), but again, without a good old barbell. You can’t expect the same amount of gains you had when visiting the gym regularly.
What To Focus On of this Fitness Tips?
Your focus when not visiting the gym should be a bit different – staying fit. While being strong and big is also a part of fitness, now that you don’t have access to gym equipment is an excellent time to work on other fitness areas you were lacking.
While strength and size do get the hype, there are other things you can focus on to get fitter – getting leaner, increasing endurance, power, mobility, flexibility, improving nutrition. In the sections below, we will talk about all of them. Giving you ideas that will help you create interesting routines that will keep you busy and make you healthier.
1 Clean Up Your Nutrition – one of the best Fitness Tips
When your main goal is to get as big as possible, and to lift as much as possible, having clean nutrition is not exactly the priority. As a meathead, you are probably looking to get as much fuel as possible. As long as it has protein and calories in it, it’s good. The only exception would be the cutting season, where you do watch out what you eat. But, let’s face it, you are mostly compensating for poor nutrition by lifting super hard.
However, now that the gym is unavailable, continuing to eat the same way will result in you getting fat. To prevent that from happening, it is a good idea to clean up your eating habits.
Now that you are spending more time home, try to prepare most of your meals yourself. In other words, stay away from junk food. If you are working from home, there is absolutely no reason why you should eat on the street or order delivery from fast-food restaurants. Also, try to ditch soda and sweets too. Opt for cleaner, home-cooked food, at least for the majority of what you eat.
Related Article:: Top 20 Weight Loss Bodybuilding Supplements to Try This Summer
Also, make sure you keep the relative protein intake high. Switching to clean eating will probably result in eating fewer calories, which is likely to put you in a caloric deficit. To ensure you are preserving muscle mass, eat enough protein, around 1 gram per pound of body weight per day. Meat, eggs, cheese, peanuts but also protein powders are all viable sources to get quality protein. Of course, to preserve muscle mass you need to exercise too; only eating protein alone is not enough.
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2 Get Some Essential Equipment
Bodyweight exercises are an excellent way to keep your muscles engaged when you are not able to visit the gym. That makes them a perfect option for home quarantine workouts, but also for traveling. And if you are creative, you can train any muscle group without any equipment. You can use chairs to perform dips, tables to do rows, or door for pull-ups. But, that will only get you so far, and it will be a much better decision to get some > > GYM Essential fitness equipment for home gyms.
Getting just a pair of heavy dumbbells and a pull-up bar will give you so many workout options, which makes these two pieces of equipment an absolute must. The good news is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get them. Also, if you are really short on funds, getting a pair of used dumbbells is going to be even cheaper. However, visiting garage sales is not exactly the brightest idea during a pandemic.
Dumbbells > > HERE
Of course, the more money you have, the more equipment you can get. Just be careful about constricted space, as gym equipment tends to be large, exercise machines especially.
3 Focus On Other Training Modalities
Considering that exercising at home means limited weights, you will need to be creative when creating workout plans. Things are easy at the gym – you just try to lift more weight than the last time. Because you have more weights than you will ever need around, you will always have a challenging number of plates on both sides of the bar.
Pull-Up Bar > > HERE
At home, things are different. Even if you have a pair of quality heavy adjustable dumbbells, you will probably find the weight lacking at some point, especially on compound movements such as deadlifts, presses, and squats. Plus, you will always be able to lift more with a barbell, as it is a two-handed exercise, which is why relying on weight alone is not a valuable option if you want to continue progressing. So, what are your other options? Here are some:
Increase volume – the most obvious thing to do when you don’t have access to heavy weight is to increase the number of reps and sets you do. You will hardly beat your one-rep deadlift PR when exercising at home. Instead, increase the number of sets and reps you perform, and go closer to failure. More sets will tax your body in a different way, and your workouts will feel harder. However, increasing volume taxes your CNS less than lifting more weight, which will mean better recovery.
Increase frequency – because lighter weights don’t tax the body as much, you will be able to train more often. This will keep you busy, keep things interesting, and also burn more calories. Of course, it is still a good idea to spread out your workouts and avoid doing the same muscle groups in consecutive days. But training 5-6 times per week when weights are lower is doable if you plan it right.
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Decrease rest time – when weights are lower, there is absolutely no reason why you should rest as much as you did at the gym. So, forget about 5-minute rest between sets. Three minutes tops is more than enough for most movements. Cutting rest times will make the workouts more challenging, giving your muscles new growth stimulus. So try out different options in the 30 seconds to three-minute range.
Try supersets and giant sets – another great wat to decrease rest times is to perform supersets and giant sets. That way, you are still working out, but you are resting muscle groups that were active in one exercise while you perform the other. This is a great way to get conditioning as well as to build muscles, all that while saving time.
Slow down – Another option to make workouts more challenging is to slow down on the eccentric (lowering) part of the lifts. This will hit your muscles hard and will cause a lot of soreness the next day. So make sure you use this tactic sparingly. It is effective, but if you are too sore the next day (or the day after that), you won’t be able to work out at all.
Try isometrics – performing isometric hold in the most challenging portions of exercises (such as the bottom of the squat) is extremely hard and will force your muscles to work overtime. Isometric holds kill inertia, which means no cheating. That will force your muscles to do all the work, and in the most challenging position there is, spurring new growth.
Related Article:: Top 20 Score New GYM Shoes for Under $100
4 Doing Some Mobility Work Won’t Kill You
This article is about getting fit, and even though most guys only care about size and somewhat strength, mobility will keep you healthy in the long run. Therefore, use this opportunity, and do some mobility work to fix those imbalances years of neglect created.
Working on your mobility and flexibility will not only make you feel better as it will take care of those nagging pains and clicks you feel often, it will also keep you injury-free. So, by taking care of your body now, you will develop good habits. All of which will help you prevent injuries when you do get back to the gym. And no injuries means more time spent lifting, which will translate to more gains and new personal records. In other words, not only that a little yoga or foam rolling won’t kill you. It can help you get bigger and stronger, just indirectly.
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5 Train Outside
Lastly, we have another part of fitness that meatheads avoid – cardio. Yes, running on a treadmill or cycling on a stationary bike is boring, there’s no denying that. That’s why you’ve always made excuses not to do cardio. But, things have changed, and now that you don’t go to the gym it’s time to work on your cardio by exercising outside.
Walking, jogging, or cycling outside is much more fun than doing the same activities indoors. You get to enjoy nature, spend time on the fresh air, in a corona-safe environment. Of course, all that while burning fat and working on your conditioning. Furthermore, you can stop at a local park and do a few sets on a pull-up bar or dip station. Also, it will help you build muscle mass, making outside exercise a win-win situation. So don’t avoid it anymore, lace your shoes, and hit the track today!
Must Read: Training Template by Lift Run Bang
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to stay fit (or get fit) even without gyms. What’s more important, you will still continue to exercise regularly, and you won’t lose that valuable habit. And as soon as the gyms open, you will get back where you belong. Getting your gains and PRs back where they belong too. And who knows, you might keep some of the habits build during the quarantine too, even after you get back to the gym.
So stay persistent, and make sure you exercise regularly, no matter which type of activity you choose. Let us know in the comments below how you are getting buy during the pandemic? How you are managing to stay fit when gyms are not available.
10 Reasons Why You’ll Never Have Big Calves
Calves are one of the most underrated body parts. A pair of chiseled calves can arguably overshadow shirt-ripping arms. But it’s easier said than done, lower legs can be a stubborn muscle group to develop.
Look around your gym, and you’ll see many guys flexing their arms and pecs in their mirror, but you’ll hardly see anyone showing off their calves. Turning your calves into full-grown bulls tests your grit and mettle. It’s also what separates the men from the boys.
Don’t get us wrong, this article is not meant to discourage you. We have put together a list of reasons why most people fail to build their calves. Avoid committing these mistakes, and you’ll be the owner of two big and beautiful cows.
10 Reasons Why You’ll Never Have Big Calves
Treating Calf Workouts Like Accessory Work
If we got a dollar every time someone called it a day after completing two exercises in a calf workout, we’d have our own Bitcoin fund by now. Some people think that since calves are a relatively small muscle group, they don’t need to go too hard on them.
Your lower legs are used to carrying around your bodyweight throughout the day. If you want them to grow, you’ll have to do more than just a few sets on the seated calf raises. Treat your calves like accessories, and they are going to remain that way.
Using Too Much Weight
Most people let their egos get the better of them in the gym. They put on more weights on the bar than they can handle. A limited range of motion is one of the most common mistakes people make while training their little toothpicks.
Range of motion is the name of the game when it comes to calf development. You should be on your toes (just like a ballerina) at the top of the movement and your heels should be a few centimeters off the floor at the bottom of the lift.
Training Too Little
Overtraining is one of the most misunderstood concepts in bodybuilding. Gym bros love to flaunt their broscience on the subject whenever they get a chance. Noobs are advised by the bros to not train their muscles more than twice a week.
The sad news here is that most people can’t train, if they wanted to, with the intensity and volumes required to hit the state of overtraining. There is a big difference between being sore and being overtrained.
Overtraining can impact your CNS (central nervous system) and immunity. How many people do you think can train with the fervor required to overtrain in every single workout? Since your calves are used to taking a beating, the rule of thumb for calf training should be to train them every day if they aren’t sore.
Training in the State of Exhaustion
Many people train their calves after they have been exhausted by a leg workout. These people follow their intuitions and get to the lower leg workout without any planning due to which they end up doing the exercises they’re comfortable performing.
If your calves are lagging, you should train them at the beginning of your workouts. Your other option would be to train them along with your upper legs using super-sets. You can’t expect to build monster calves while you’re out of gas and running on fumes.
Not Hitting Failure
Not training to failure is the extension of the overtraining mentality. Calves get the nastiest of pumps when you train to failure. Not everyone can handle the pain and hence people fall off after doing 10-12 reps.
You aren’t going to see any gains in that rep range. Your calves are used to taking a lot more workload as compared to what you do in your workouts. Training until muscle annihilation and then pushing through it is where the gains lie.
Low Intensity
When it comes to training calves, it’s best to avoid the intensity and volume debate. You need to get the best of both worlds and should be doing high reps with lower weights as well as lower reps with higher weights.
You can add a new dimension to your workouts by using time stops for your sets instead of the usual repetition stops. Instead of doing 12-15 reps of a calf exercise, perform a set straight for two minutes without any rest.
Time under tension (TuT) can also play a major role in developing your calves. Follow the 5:2:2:2 rep tempo (five seconds while lowering the weights, a two-second hold at the bottom, two seconds on the way up, and a two-second contraction at the top) to annihilate your calves.
Training Calves as Single Muscles
You’ll never be able to develop the inverted heart-shaped muscle on the back of your lower leg if you treat it as a single muscle. Your calves consist of three heads and you need to target each head separately.
On a calf raise exercise, keep your feet parallel to each other on the platform to target the medial head. Keeping your toes together and heels apart (forming an ‘A’) will target your outer calf head, and placing your toes apart and heels together (forming a ‘V’) will hit the inner head.
Using the Same Exercises
If your calf exercise arsenal consists only of seated and standing calf raises, you’re not going too far in the lower leg game. The stubborn calf muscles will get used to your workouts soon and stop responding if you don’t keep switching your exercises frequently.
Donkey, smith machine, bodyweight, leg press calf raises, to name a few, should be a part of your lower leg workouts. Your goal should be to not repeat the lower leg exercises before a couple of weeks if you train your lower legs four times a week.
Recovery – massages
Every person has a different muscle composition. Most people with tiny calves have a tight fascia which can require some extra work other than the workouts. Visiting a physiotherapist and getting deep-tissue massages every week can help ignite growth in your calves.
Not Deploying Different Training Principles
Most people use advanced training principles like dropsets, supersets, intraset stretching, BFR training for every muscle group except their calves. Calves are a muscle group that needs these advanced techniques for breaking the plateau.
If you’re serious about building your lower legs, you’ll have to stop this step-motherly behavior. It’d be great if you showed your calves the love they deserve and made up for all the times you screwed up.
How often do you train your calves? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Benefits of Assistance Exercises And Why You Need Them
Enhance those big lifts by strengthening your weaknesses with assistance exercises.
We all focus on big lifts and high volume exercises to see growth in our strength and overall performance. But too often do we neglect the weaker muscles that tend to play a huge part in that growth and development. Ironing out those small details can be time consuming and as much as we want to focus on big lifts and huge progress, we must recognize that supplemental work can enhance this as well as provide for overall support and stability for bigger muscle groups. These are called assistance exercises and you should know all about them.
Typically assistance exercises work well for those in competition where you can train for a specific event without having to grind away constantly with the same workout. In efforts to not totally overload your muscles, assistance exercises can help with overtraining and keep you feeling refreshed for every single workout. Assistance exercises work to develop movements and muscle groups associated with certain big lifts or competitive events without actually having to train for that specific event. These exercises assist with what you need to get done in terms of strength training and aerobic capacity.
So, Why Do We Need Them?
Assistance exercises play important roles for not just muscle-building but also support and stabilization (1). By improving on weaknesses of big lifts, certain exercises can really work to enhance your progress and keep you seeing progress with personal gains. That dreaded plateau always strikes and no matter how much weight you put on, it may not be enough to get through the plateau. While drops sets and other supplemental ways to train can break a plateau, assistance exercises can really work to strengthen small muscles around larger muscle groups to give you that extra boost to plow through any plateau.
By working on stabilization and support, assistance exercises can also prevent injury and fix any muscle imbalances that throw off your desired physique. With weak stabilizer muscles, your body relies on other muscle groups to compensate for the lack of strength causing unwanted stress and strain (2). That can lead to injury and keep you out of the gym, really hurting your overall progress. For muscle imbalances, assistance exercises will build those stabilizer muscles to really round out a solid physique to give you increased confidence and strength once competitions come around.
Supplemental and accessory exercises are often misunderstood and not used to their full advantage so understanding how they can benefit you can provide for great progress when the time comes. These will enhance the body’s capabilities to do much more and perform much better.
How To Choose The Right Assistance Exercises
When it comes to choosing the best assistance exercises to perform, find ones that complement each other as well as ones that work in tandem with the lift you are working on. If your main lift is the bench press, you may assist that workout with dumbbell flys and an incline dumbbell press. This will work all aspects of your chest in order to offer total coverage to build your pecs and ultimately support your bench press. You can also choose to work with what are called antagonistic exercises to work opposing muscle groups while also getting the same benefit (3). These will work to counter your main lift while also providing support and stabilization to assist it at the same time.
With that said, it is best to choose those that mimic the same movement pattern but that work to emphasize different motions and amount of load and tension provided. These will also work to improve range of motion but also partial range of motion. Instead of doing a full deadlift, you may consider doing a rack deadlift to strengthen that area of the full lift for maximum benefit.
Types Of Assistance Exercises
Barbell Glute Bridges
The barbell glute bridge is a great way to enhance strength, power and performance and works as a great correction exercise. It targets the gluteal muscles to increase glute activation and muscle hypertrophy. This will assist well with posture and alleviate pain in your knees and lower back. This is a great assistance exercise for the deadlift because it works the last phase of the full lift so you have full control of your pelvis through your glutes and hamstrings.
Box Squats
Box squats will work to enforce proper technique, improve mobility and range of motion and build power and strength as a safe and effective lower body exercise. The increased focus on power to propel yourself from the ground onto the box will increase lower body strength and reinforce the explosive drive needed at the bottom of a back squat. This will also work your core to stay engaged and serves as a good assistance exercise to the back squat.
Dips
While often associated with the triceps, dips serve as a great chest exercise and really work well to complement the bench press as an assistance exercise. It activates many muscle groups and provides for wider chest development and functional movement. For the bench press, dips are beneficial for working your range of motion.
Push Press
For a solid assistance exercise for the overhead press, a push press will incorporate many muscle groups and work to build strong shoulders. It also provides for increased overhead stability to make overhead lifting more comfortable. It can increase hip drive to provide for greater power and allow more weight to be lifted overhead.
Wrap Up
Assistance exercises are really great supplemental exercises to add into your training regimen to improve bigger lifts and offer support and stabilization. Working in tandem with a big lift can provide for much needed support to see more personal growth and increased performance with workouts or competition. Look into what you want to get out of big lifts and try assistance exercises to really elevate your overall performance.
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
Morton, Robert W.; Colenso-Semple, Lauren; Phillips, Stuart M. (2019). “Training for strength and hypertrophy: an evidence-based approach”. (source)
Han, Kap-Soo; Kang, Seung-Rok; Kwon, Tae-Kyu (2020). “Analysis of Muscle Strength Effects on Exercise Performance Using Dynamic Stabilization Exercise Device”. (source)
Robbins, Daniel W.; Young, Warren B.; Behm, David G.; Payne, Warren R. (2010). “Agonist-antagonist paired set resistance training: a brief review”. (source)
Big Ramy’s Complete Guide To Training During Ramadan
Take some helpful tips from your most recent Olympia champ, Big Ramy, on training during the holiday.
Those of you looking to train hard during Ramadan, I know how it feels. With my workouts, I will show you how I push myself during Ramadan to see the growth I want to that prepared me for my Mr. Olympia win just last year.
I know it can be challenging to stayed fueled up and ready to tackle workouts during Ramadan, but as a sacred holiday and a closer connection to God, I also know how important that is. It is hard to balance both, but it is possible. My workout below will get you fired up so any challenge that comes your way is easy. Having a strict workout routine and careful diet is key, and while fasting for a lot of us can hurt our gains, it is important to remember that nothing is impossible.
In my workouts, I will show you what to do to work your chest, legs, biceps, shoulders, and back for a rounded out workout. Working to isolate different groups will be great for you because you won’t be as tired or sore, and you can focus more on those singular spots. The more attention you can give them, the more they will want to work for you and with you to grow so you can get a massive physique.
Full Name: Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay (IFBB Pro Bodybuilder)
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
300 lbs.
6’0”
09/16/1984
Division
Era
Nationality
Open
2010
Egyptian
I will take you through each workout so you know exactly what to do. I know how hard it can be to stay disciplined during Ramadan while also trying to get better. It is a struggle, but it is a possible struggle. If you plan out your month, you will have a better handle on the right way to attack your training and nutrition while still following the rules of Ramadan.
About Big Ramy
My bodybuilding career has been a long road, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I am an Egyptian bodybuilder and I earned my pro card in 2012. It was at the Amateur Olympia in Kuwait City and I had only trained for three years. I finished first at my first pro debut at the New York Pro and I never stopped. Over the years, I have worked hard to perfect my training routines, diet plans, and have worked to find the right supplements so I see the progress I want to see most. Just last year, my career came to a head when all my hard work, dedication, countless hours in the gym, and the mental will to succeed saw a first place finish at Mr. Olympia. It was amazing and it’s workouts like these that have helped me get there.
Big Ramy’s Ramadan Training Routine
When I go to lift, especially big weight, I look for the best exercises to help get me there. By working certain muscle on different days, I can be sure to keep myself ready to go for my next workout. The worst thing is to feel overly fatigued and sore going into the next day’s workout, so by spacing them out and working different groups, I am able to keep going strong. My reps and sets tend to be higher given how I feel on any day with fasting. But I still make sure to get enough weight to maintain, and hopefully gain, muscle. Higher sets and reps focuses on muscle endurance and will push my body to the limit to make sure my muscles do grow. I also stick to what I know and don’t try anything new. Since I am already in a fasted state, I want to be comfortable with my workouts so nothing can go wrong.
Workout #1: Back
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Machine Row
4
8-12
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
4
8-12
Front Lat Pulldown
4
8-10
Seated Cable Row
4
8-12
Rear Lat Pulldown
4
8-12
Workout #2: Shoulders & Arms
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4
10
Smith Machine Military Press
4
12
Rear Delt Machine Flys
4
8
Shoulder Press Machine
4
10
Dumbbell Curls
4
10
Preacher Curls
4
10
Workout #3: Legs
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Squat
5
5
Leg Extension
4
10-12
Leg Press
4
15
Machine Squat
4
10-12
Workout #4: Chest
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Incline Dumbbell Press
4
12
Machine Press
4
10
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
4
10
Flat Bench Press
4
12
Seated Machine Press
4
10
Cable Crossovers
4
8
Big Ramy’s Ramadan Tips
I mentioned this before, but I know it can be challenging to go through the Ramadan and fight to see great gains at the same time. I wanted to share some thoughts with you about training during Ramadan to help you get through the month. Some of these are common sense, but sometimes it helps to hear them again so they stay in your mind.
Higher reps: Doing higher reps is important because it will work your muscles without requiring as much energy as a lower reps at heavy weight. With these higher reps, use lighter weight to really work those muscles.
Sleep: This is so important. Sleep will give you better muscle growth by helping you recover. You will also feel better and have better daily functioning.
Stay with what you know: Don’t try and change your workouts up drastically. You are already doing something that is hard so make your training be fun and not just another to-do list item.
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Wrap Up
Over the years, I have gained knowledge and learned so much during my own career. Training during Ramadan can be hard, but it is not impossible. For those of us who partake in this holiday, we seek a closer connection to God and we can still balance the rules of Ramadan with our training. Try my workout and see what it can do for you because I have done this for a long time. We all need to consistently learn new things and I hope these workouts help you during own lifting journey.
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 Big Ramy Instagram & Enhanced Labs
Applying Introspection: Using Mindful Meal Prep to Get Better Results
Applying Introspection: Using Mindful Meal Prep to Get Better Results
Mindfulness is awfully trendy at the moment. Everywhere you look, someone’s touting being in the moment, experiencing the fullness of life, and learning something new about themselves.
It’s a great buzzword.
Before you write it off as “touchy-feely” or a little too spiritual for you, the phrase became trendy for a reason. Awareness is the core of it all, and the idea, once understood, can be applied to any aspect of your life. The practice is particularly useful for monotonous or repetitive tasks to bring a new meaning and significance to them.
As the mindfulness movement grew and evolved, an obvious opportunity for application appeared: food prep. Mindful meal planning was originally intended to help medical practitioners combat the growing obesity epidemic by having participants examine and redefine their relationship with food, the enactment of which has so much more potential than weight loss.
Meal planning in the fitness sector gets a bad reputation, especially for those who assume it’s all chicken and broccoli. While it may not be quite that bad, it certainly isn’t an exhilarating experience. Mindfulness can upend that.
Reevaluating your experience with food can help you to understand your meal planning more comprehensively. By identifying how you relate to food and how your experiences have informed your eating habits, you can find ways to make meals sustainable and more interesting.
Identify Your Current Approach to Food
Start by considering your current relationship to food. Why do you eat the way you do? Beyond just keeping track of your nutrition for athletic reasons, understand what drives you to make food choices the way you do. It can be easier to undo a bad habit if you know where you got it from and why you return to it.
Is you diet culturally informed? What were meals like growing up? Is food merely a functional part of your day, does it serve to control a medical condition, or do you enjoy the ritual of preparing food and eating? For many, especially those who religiously meal prep, food simply becomes a tool to get the results they want, rather than a culinary experience or a creative outlet. When you place strict rules on your dietary intake, you limit the conventional cooking experiences available to you.
Food is a highly emotional and psychological experience for just about everyone. There’s no way to get through life without it, and in many cultures, a family meal (or lack thereof) is an important part of childhood and adolescence. In order to fundamentally change eating habits, regardless of motivation, you must understand where your current habits come from and what emotional ties they hold.
Food as Fuel
Whether you’re an amateur or a professional, if you’re a serious athlete, you’ve put time and energy into learning something about nutrition. Without understanding how your body uses food and nutrients, you can’t make informed decisions to put your body in peak physical condition.
The “If It Fits Your Macros” diet is currently a popular way to focus on macronutrient intake without fully restricting the diet to impossible standards. In contrast, mindful eating allows you to incorporate a similar mindset towards “cheat foods” without settling for a system that can be easily exploited.
When using mindfulness to build your meal plans, the easiest place to start is by identifying what foods you’ve precluded yourself from by virtue of your experiences. Sometimes, this is as simple as realizing you don’t eat brussel sprouts because you’ve previously never enjoyed them, but the reality is that you’ve never had them prepared in a way you enjoy. Other times it’s more complicated than that. You may have cut yourself off from a food group because of the traditions you were brought up in, where you source your food, or your own cooking abilities.
Once you identify what you don’t have in your diet, you can set about solving problems — and making compromises. When you find groups of food that you’ve historically dismissed, examine what you’re missing out on without that source in your diet. This allows you to find substitutions for nutrients you may be missing or open up a new creative outlet by learning news ways to prepare food. Similarly, you may find new reasons for foods that always make you break your rules, along with a newfound appreciation for the role they play in your happiness.
Creating an Informed Routine
The importance in understanding your proclivities and motivations in regards to meal prepping leads to one very simple result: you are better able to achieve the results you want.
Using the information you gleaned by examining your current relationship and your historic upbringing with food, make assessments about what foods you want to incorporate into your diet, what you’re not willing to sacrifice, and how your mental state changes with different types of fuel.
From there, you can make decisions that balance enjoying your food with the logical requirements for your physical activity. When you try to eliminate the emotional element of eating, you’re removing a fundamentally human aspect of your diet; even if you adhere to your regimen strictly, there is room for more joy within your meals.
Using macros as a guideline, plan your meals out and try to incorporate previously eschewed foods. You might include a new way to prepare a previously hated vegetable because the micronutrient payoff is worth the extra effort. Or, you might work a favorite dessert in on occasion because the psychological lift you get from consuming it makes it easier to push through the hard days.
This isn’t an invitation to get rid of all your restrictions and eat as you will. You still need to make wise decisions if you’re going to meet your goals. Sticking to food restrictions is one of the most universally challenging things humans undertake. For some, it may be easy, but if you struggle, it may be worth working through the steps of mindful food prep to understand where your hangups are originating — and to combat them.
The connection may seem tenuous at first, but with practice an persistence, your relationship with food will become more complex — in a good way.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Alyssa is a lover of words and movement who happily resides in the Pacific Northwest. If she’s not at the gym or out playing pick-up games, she’s probably feeding her favorite humans something stealthily healthy or devouring her latest bookstore find. She’s passionate about making health and fitness accessible to anyone, regardless of their situation. Tweet her @arobinsonwrites.
5 Ways to Make Your Shoulder Workouts Even Better
They say the shoulders make the physique. Here are five tips to fine tune your shoulder workouts to avoid any potential injury while growing cannonball delts.
1 – Warm-up with a bottoms-up press
Your workout starts with what you’re doing before those muscle-stimulating sets. To get the most from your shoulder workouts then warming-up with a few shoulder circles just won’t cut it. Instead, try a 2-3 sets of bottoms-up kettlebell presses (BUP’s). Sets of 8-15 work well.
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Why they work
Sure they look weird, but just a few minutes of BUP’s will result in more stable, well-greased and press-ready joints. BUP’s work through the principle of irradiation. In short, you’re forced to grip the bottoms-up kettlebell hard to stop it from falling. This increased tension in your grip and forearms irradiates down your entire arm to create more stability at your shoulder. It’s not only a way to “switch on” your shoulder stabilizers for literally any heavy press you want to throw at it, but also a good way to test your overall workout readiness.
2 – Switch your shoulder press grip
Some of the best delts are build with a hefty dose of overhead pressing. The problem is that most people just aren’t built to press straight overhead with a barbell. In the long-run this can cause pain and inflammation that can hold you back from making consistent and steady progress. If this is you then one option is to opt for dumbbells instead of a barbell, and use neutral (hammer) grip variations a much as possible.
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Why they work
Dumbbells offer more freedom and natural movement at your shoulder joints. One of the reasons why so many have shoulder issues is because it’s a very tightly packed joint. That space underneath the acromion process gets even more tightly packed when you go overhead, especially when your shoulder is in more of an internally rotated position as with any overhead press using a pronated (palms-down) grip. That’s not to say you shouldn’t do them, but some of you will be more tolerant of them than others based on your shoulders anatomy. Since a neutral grip helps to drive more external rotation at your shoulder joint and more “space” within the joint, it can be a better shoulder pressing option for many.
3 – Swap basic lateral raises for these
Basic lateral raises can become boring. Plus, doing them all the time will reduce how effective they are in helping build cannonball delts. Instead, try this eccentric variation to shock some new growth.
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Why they work
Eccentric lateral raises are one of the many exercises frequently credited to the late Coach Charles Poliquin. Bending your elbows on the concentric (lifting) portion shortens the lever arm from the dumbbell to your shoulder, making the dumbbells easier to handle. This also gives you the chance to focus on lifting with your elbows for pure delts isolation. On the way down the lever arm lengthens to a more disadvantageous position which provides an eccentric overload to your medial delts. Eccentrics are great for building muscle when applied correctly, as well as promoting tendon strength and the overall health of your shoulders. Start lighter than you think and take about 4-seconds to lower down on each rep.
4 – Do more Y-raises for medial delts
Lateral raise variations aren’t the only option to work your middle delts. To add more width to your shoulders then try doing y-raises on a bench using a palms-down grip. You’ll program these in much the same way you would your lateral raises.
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Why they work
Using an incline bench to support your chest works to maximize your stability and focus on the area you’re trying to hit hardest. The angle of the bench, dumbbells and arm path work to recruit more of your medial delts. It’ll take some practice to find the correct arm path here as it’ll vary individually, so don’t be afraid to experiment a little to find the angles that feel best to you. The focus should be on feeling it through your middle delts without any clunkiness going on in your shoulders. You can also do these similar to what are commonly termed a “trap 3 raise”. With that you’ll use a thumbs up grip and have a greater degree of external rotation at your shoulder. However with those it’ll target more lower traps and anterior delts.
5 – Build and bulletproof with “Y” Cuban presses
You already know that your rotator cuff muscles are important, and that it’s good practice to throw in strengthening exercises now and then. The problem with these is you don’t feel you’re getting a lot from them — You’re training to build bigger delts, not to work the little muscles you can’t see! Well, unfortunately these muscles are pretty darn important, and without them you wouldn’t have any shoulders to speak of. The more you work you delts the more important it is to strengthen your rotator cuff muscles, too. Here’s a good option that’ll not only strengthen your shoulder external rotators, but will also pump up your delts at the same time.
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Why they work
Fair warning: you won’t need much weight at all here. Some even find just holding a couple of Fat Gripz or baby pink dumbbells are enough! Y Cuban Presses are a 3-phase movement with various advantages to each. Whereas the basic Cuban press is essentially a wide upright row, external rotation and overhead press, with this variation you’re pressing outward more like a “Y” at the top. This makes the press portion even harder on your delts. If you want to drive up your bench press poundages or bulletproof your shoulders then throw in a few sets of 8-10 of these towards the end of your workouts.
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How The Landmine Press Boosts Strength Training
The landmine press has potential to seriously boost your pushing and pressing power.
When it comes to those exercises that require us to really push and press, we look to those we know best. These could include anything from the bench press, to the overhead press, and a host of others designed to give us the most when it comes to strength training in this regard. But there is one exercise you may have potentially overlooked and that is the landmine press. This exercise requires a barbell and is one to seriously provide some awesome gains that people will envy. As a comfortable and relatively simple movement to learn, you won’t be disappointed by the results.
Looking at exercises that especially work our pressing and pushing motions, it is important for us to consider the fact that we are putting so much extra strain on often times vulnerable areas of our body. Our shoulders, elbows, and wrists, although they may be strong, tend to be a bit more vulnerable than most other muscles and joints. For pushing and pressing exercises, it is important that we focus heavily on making sure we take care of these areas so as to not cause unwanted pain and injury that can effectively leave us out of the gym. The landmine press is one to offer a comfortable movement while still giving us benefits to see great growth.
Let’s jump into the landmine press and see what this is all about. From what it is, to muscles worked, the benefits involved, and how to perform, this guide will help prepare you to tackle this great exercise. We’ll offer some alternatives and other exercises to help see growth while also giving you the benefit of some potential supplements to help you see that massive growth we know you want and need.
What Is The Landmine Press?
The landmine press is a unilateral movement that is unique compared to others out there. This weightlifting exercise involves a barbell and a piece of equipment that attaches to the opposite end to hold the barbell in place on the ground. The pressing motion will see you lift the barbell overhead from around chest-level to give you a good range of motion as you work those upper body muscles (1). A great benefit to this exercise is that it will ease the pressure put on your shoulders and back to allow you to reduce strain and stay physically healthy while really promoting huge gains.
Muscles Worked
The landmine press is one to really aid in overhead pressing strength by working those upper body muscles to really make your physique pop. Your shoulders, triceps, and chest get some great work done with this movement, but one important group worked are your scapular stabilizers, which work to keep your shoulder joint as healthy as possible. By working these smaller muscles, you build a solid foundation for increased support and a chance to really stay healthy overall. Along with these muscles, you core will also get work done given the fact it needs to stay as engaged as possible throughout this exercise.
Benefits Of The Landmine Press
The benefits of the landmine press are great and work to build strength for sport specific exercises and other functional movements. What you’ll find is other benefits to support and stabilization as well which will aid in keeping you physically healthy throughout your training routines. Benefits include:
Increased pressing strength: By moving the barbell overhead and working on that pressing motion, you will build strength in the shoulders, triceps, and those smaller stabilizer muscles. This can work to tackle any imbalances and instability you may have (2).
Promote core strength: With the engagement of you core, you will work to stay grounded with increased support and stabilization to really keep you grounded and offer some assistance to that six-pack aesthetic (3).
Shoulder friendly: While many pressing exercises tend to put a lot on those shoulder joints, the landmine press works to be kind to your shoulders to avoid any unwanted pain and strain caused by potentially heavier lifts.
Great variations: Any exercise that offers a multitude of variations is one to include in your routine because you can constantly change your routine to stay engaged with your workouts.
Simple to learn: This exercise is fairly simple to learn and will prove to be more than beneficial in the long run as a convenient exercise for growth.
How To Perform It
Here are the steps for performing the landmine press:
Set your barbell up into the holder. On the end of the barbell you are lifting from, place your desired amount of weight using plates.
With your feet around shoulder-width apart, hold the barbell with both hands at chest height. Engage you core and place one hand on top of the other.
With a strong, stable pressing motion, extend your arms overhead, really working to maximize pressing power.
Pause at the top and slowly lower back down to your chest.
Repeat for you desired amount of reps.
What To Use As A Holder
If you are unable to or don’t have access to a landmine holder, you can use a 45-pound plate or the corner of a rack instead. Essentially, all the holder does is keep the bar in place so you don’t have to worry about it coming loose and slipping out from under you. The barbell should be secure, so as long as you have something to do that, you will be okay.
Landmine Press Tips & Advice
When look to maximize the effectiveness of the landmine press, here are some helpful tips to follow, or at least consider:
Keep your core engaged: This will prove to be vital as you lift more and more weight to keep your body stable.
Switch up your stance: If you desire, you can perform this exercise with different stances including the split-stance using the opposite leg and arm, a split-stance using the same side leg and arm, or a parallel stance which is similar to that of a squat or deadlift.
Programming: Look into sets and reps for whatever your goals may be. If your looking to gain muscle, something like three to five sets of mid-level reps will work wonders. For more endurance driven workouts, higher sets and reps with potentially lighter weight will work to your benefit.
Landmine Press Variations & Alternative Exercises
As mentioned before, the landmine press has many alternatives to try in order to keep you engaged and working those muscles differently to see increased growth.
1. Landmine Single-Arm Press
This will performed similar to the two arm press, but with a staggered stance, choose one arm to work. This can be done with the same side as the leg in front, or opposite to that leg.
2. Landmine Lateral Press
For those looking to target those lateral delts, this variation is similar to a lateral raise only you use the barbell. It will change up the muscle engagement and movement slightly.
3. Landmine Pinch Press
This is will be very similar to the plate pinch, only you squeeze the barbell at chest level with both hands and push the bar in and out, offering a nice chest workout and variation.
4. Landmine Shoulder To Shoulder Press
This will see the same movement as the landmine press, only you will alternate arms as you push the bar overhead and back down. Continuing to alternate will allow you to target both arms and their respective muscles at once.
5. Kneeling Landmine Press
The exact same movement as the standing press, you will be on one knee. This can be performed using one arm or both, depending on preference.
Supplements To Aid In Landmine Press Growth
We all know supplements are important to use to see increased growth and with a great exercise like the landmine press, you want to capitalize on those gains as much as possible. Using a protein supplement or pre-workout are staples for athletes looking to increase strength and size, but other supplements like testosterone boosters can work wonders, especially for those athletes suffering from low testosterone. With the right testosterone booster, your gains are just around the corner and your health improves greatly (4).
Improve your landmine press with these great testosterone boosters here!
Wrap Up
For those of us looking to increase our pressing and pushing ability, looking toward the best exercises to help us get there is vital. While we all know some of the essentials like the bench press and overhead press, some exercises with great potential may have been eluding us for quite some time. The landmine press is one to not take for granted as it can really work for your overall benefit, especially as you seek to lift that massive weight. By increasing strength and also working on support and stability, you can’t go wrong with the landmine press and the many benefits attached. Give the landmine press a try today and really see what it can do for your 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
Waller, Mike; Piper, Tim; Miller, Jason (2009). “Overhead Pressing Power/Strength Movements”. (source)
Williams, Martin R. Jr.; Hendricks, Dustin S.; Dannen, Michael J.; Arnold, Andrea M.; Lawrence, Michael A. (2020). “Activity of Shoulder Stabilizers and Prime Movers During an Unstable Overhead Press”. (source)
Hibbs, Angela E.; Thompson, Kevin G.; French, Duncan; Wrigley, Allan; Spears, Iain (2008). “Optimizing performance by improving core stability and core strength”. (source)
Storer, Thomas W.; Magliano, Lynne; Woodhouse, Linda; Lee, Martin L.; Dzekov, Connie; et al. (2003). “Testosterone dose-dependently increases maximal voluntary strength and leg power, but does not affect fatigability or specific tension”. (source)
Top 10 Things Every Woman Should Know About Strength Training
Women tend to keep a distance from the gym – especially the weights – because of the myths that have been pelted by broscientists for decades. Most of the ill-things that are said about women’s strength training are either incorrect or unproven.
Through this article, we want to put an end to the obnoxious myths and list a few benefits of strength training for women. You’ll surely be shocked – in a good way – to know some of the advantages of hitting the gym.
What All Should You Do?
If you want results, you should follow a structured plan that must include compound, isolation and isometric exercises. Sticking to one form of training will make you hit a plateau sooner or later.
You Won’t Become Manly
Most girls shy away from the weights because they have been told that it can make them look manly. Women don’t generate enough testosterone to build muscles like boys. Training with weights, on the other hand, will help you tone, sculpt and tighten your muscles.
Spot Reduction Doesn’t Work
If you always shake your head unapprovingly while watching ads about sauna fat reduction belts but go to the gym and solely rely on crunches to lose belly fat, you’re in the same boat with the people who buy spot reduction products. Spot reduction is a myth. If you want to shed weight, you’ll be better of doing HIIT cardio.
Lifting Weights is Not Necessary
Many people have the misconception that strength training can’t be done without lifting weights. Lifting weights is a small part of resistance training. If you don’t like to pump iron, you could use resistance bands, medicine balls, do bodyweight exercises, etc.
You Don’t Have To Train Every Day
A busy schedule and the inability to hit the gym every day shouldn’t stop you from starting your transformation. Design your workout program around your hectic schedule and not the other way around.
What Should Be Your Intensity?
Many people are confused about the weights they should be lifting, the number of reps they should be doing and the amount of time they should be spending in the gym. There is no short answer to this question. Your intensity will depend on your goals and current experience level.
A beginner who wants a chiseled physique should be spending at most an hour in the gym, doing 12-15 reps per set and using moderate weights. A pro should be spending the same amount of time in the gym as the beginner, lifting heavier weights and doing a lesser number of reps.
How To Get Better?
Like other things, you can only get better at fitness by putting in the time. Malcolm Gladwell, an award-winning writer, thinks that you need to dedicate 10,000 hours to a subject to achieve mastery. We’re sure you can transform your physique by putting in a fraction of this time.
You Won’t Gain Weight After Quitting
Some people believe that once you quit working out, you go back to your old self. They use this myth as an excuse to never start working out. While you might lose your peak conditioning after you quit training, you won’t go back to ground zero if you control your diet and engage in some kind of physical activity.
One Fitness Plan Works For Everyone
Googling “the best fitness program for beginners” is the first thing most of the noobs do when they start their fitness journey. Remember – there is no one-program-fits-all solution for physical transformations. For desired results, design a fitness program that suits your lifestyle and schedule.
Consistency is Key
Discipline and consistency are the names of the game when it comes to fitness. If you can’t stick to a diet, training or recovery program, you should never start a transformation program in the first place. Save yourself the time, energy and money.
How often do you work out? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
What Is The Steinborn Squat & Is It Worth It?
This squat may look comical but it is no joke once under so much weight.
If you watch a video of the Steinborn Squat, you would think we were joking. We always preach about good form and how taking care of ourselves physically is vital for keeping us in the gym and keeping that mindset intact. Watching someone perform the Steinborn squat with 405 lbs. is like holding your breathe under water, as you question what could possibly be going through their head. The way the body contorts, the strange, sudden movement of the bar as it falls onto the shoulder blades, and the massive load taken as you perform the squat portion all make you think this lift is crazy. But people still do it.
A bit of a circus type lift, the Steinborn squat comes from a lifter Henry Steinborn, who is by all accounts, a real pioneer in the lifting world. As someone putting up huge numbers and breaking PRs at the time, Steinborn held a respected streak of feats and was a specimen for human strength at that time. This squat may be one to scoff at first glance but is no laughing matter once under such weight.
Let’s take a look at the Steinborn Squat and see what this lift is all about. From what it is, to muscles worked, the benefits, and how to perform it, we’ll explore if this lift is something to even try. Do the benefits outweigh the cons and just how vital is this lift for us to see growth. It’s all below, so let’s get into it.
What Is The Steinborn Squat?
The Steinborn squat is a challenging and unorthodox lift which sees the athlete lift the bar to the point it is parallel to the ground, then slowly roll it on their back as they perform a free standing squat. While it may look as though it is an injury waiting to happen, when done properly, it is an example of the human potential and the resilient nature serious lifters have so technique is key (1). One to impress anyone in the gym, it may not be the best exercise for you to perform. It’s almost like a game of chance with your low back and our guess is that your back wants no part in it. Yet still, for those who do partake in the Steinborn squat, when done properly, it can be a cool lift to try.
Muscles Worked
For the most part, this exercise is a lower body builder working your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and adductors. Given this has a massive squat component to the lift, it makes sense this lift would challenge your lower body in a great way. Aside from your lower body, this lift can give your back some work, as well as your obliques and delts.
Benefits Of The Steinborn Squat
This exercise will still see great benefits, it is important however to consider this lift needs proper form and the utmost care for your body before you undergo such a grueling lift. Benefits for this lift include:
Increased strength: This lift will definitely build strength and size as a seriously effective movement in your workout routine. It will work for both functional strength, as well as more sport specific, but either way, you get that great benefit (2).
Importance of form: To often do we take form for granted and this lift won’t allow for any nonsense. By performing this lift, we learn the true value of technique and just how important it is to really give your full attention to it.
Challenge stability: With this lift being performed outside a squat rack, it will really test your ability to stay balanced, especially under such a large load (3). Starting with the squat portion already at the bottom requires you to find stability under such weight, thus challenging your core strength as well.
Mental test: As mentioned earlier, this lift tests the human limits and ability to get work done. If you can properly perform this lift, your confidence will surely increase ten-fold, which is exactly what you want and need.
How To Perform It
Here are the steps for performing the Steinborn squat:
Set your bar up with the desired amount of weight. Squat down on one end of the barbell as if you were going to deadlift it.
As you lift the bar up, it will be perpendicular to the ground. Start to set your grip on the bar while keeping your body engaged, preparing to take on such a load.
Once your grip is set, start to get the bar into a squat position, slowly beginning to rest it on your back and rotating to the center once the bar is comfortably on your back.
Once in that deep squat, find your balance, engage your core, and perform a squat.
Once done, you can either reverse that movement back to get the bar on the ground, or you can simply place it in the rack.
Is It Worth Doing?
For those with vulnerable or more sensitive backs, this lift is not recommended. For those with poor form as well, this lift is probably not for you. The amount of load put on your body is immense and if not done properly, it can lead to some real issues down the line. If you do try this lift, it is a great test of the human capacity for mental will and resilience and who knows, you may end up really liking it.
Wrap Up
The Steinborn squat is definitely not one of those conventional lifts but what it can do is more than you may think. While it will build strength and enhance stability, it is more so a test of the human will to lift massive weight. Starting back with Steinborn himself, this lift is one for all to envy and not one to be taken lightly. If you’re willing to try, give the Steinborn squat a go and see what it can do for you.
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
Comfort, Paul; Kasim, Peter (2007). “Optimizing Squat Technique”. (source)
Gullett, Jonathan C.; Tillman, Mark D.; Gutierrez, Gregory M.; Chow, John W. (2009). “A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals”. (source)
Chandler, T. J.; Wilson, G. D.; Stone, M. H. (1989). “The effect of the squat exercise on knee stability”. (source)
The Benefits Of Supermans For Posture & Core Strength
Great for all levels, the benefits and variations will elevate your performance to new heights.
We’ve all done a superman exercise at one point in our workouts. On the surface, it looks like a great exercise. Lie down, on your front, and hangout. But to get that Superman strength, knowing how to properly do this exercise holds the key for many benefits to aid in your overall performance and physical wellness. Great for lifters and fitness folks of all levels, the superman exercise is one to tuck into your workout routine for sure.
As a solid exercise for foundational health, the strengthening benefits of this exercise hold the key to really helping you on multiple levels. Aside from increased core strength, your lower body does get work done and while it may not be the gains a squat provides, the superman exercise still forces your legs to feel a burn. Improved posture will alleviate unwanted pain and keep you working harder in the gym, allowing you to lift more and feel stronger doing so (1).
Check out these awesome benefits and other variations of the superman exercise to really get you going so you look and feel great with whatever challenge you face in the gym or out of it.
Benefits
Strengthen Core
In order to properly perform this exercise, your core remains the foundation of not only proper form but also stability in the action (2). In order to effectively lift your arms and legs, your core must be engaged, and as those legs and arms go even higher, your core is isolated really working to hit that hard. With the core being a solid foundational base of strength for many lifts, this is certainly one exercise to enhance overall performance.
Improve Posture
Stemming from strengthening your core, the superman exercise allows for improved posture as a result of that more stable foundational support system. Take the deadlift for example. By engaging your core, you allow for a solid, stable base to then lift heavy weight. Even as you walk or sit, a stronger core allows you to stand taller and keep that spine long (3).
Alleviate Low Back Pain
Your lower back and glutes get a lot of attention with the superman exercise and allow for increased development with more advanced exercises and posture. By strengthening your core, low back, and glutes, smaller stabilizer muscles also see growth, thus alleviating any pain that may creep up during big lifts.
All Bodyweight
A benefit to any bodyweight exercise is that you don’t need any equipment. Especially during a time where people may be uncomfortable with going to the gym, finding unique exercises to advance your growth that you can do from the comfort of your home is a huge plus. Put this into a bodyweight workout circuit and you will be glad you did.
How To Perform Supermans
Performing the superman exercise is relatively simple, but it is important to remember good form. With simple exercises, we often overlook the really basic tips that make them super effective.
Start on your stomach with your arms extended overhead and legs fully extended as well. A relaxed head and neck and neutral spine are key for this. Really working to engage your core, contract those core muscles and allow for balance and stabilization in your spine. While doing this, simultaneously raise your arms and legs slightly off the ground, still keeping your head and neck neutral. Hold at the top for a brief pause and slowly lower back down to the starting position.
What To Watch Out For
When performing the superman exercise, it is important to remember to hold the position as solid and stable as you can. This is done by serious core engagement and by keeping your arms and legs as extended as possible. Always remember to breathe and stay as center as possible because breathing more efficiently will yield better results.
Superman Variations
Like any great bodyweight core workout, the superman exercise has many variations to really aid in your overall benefit. Depending on your experience, strength, and skill level, it doesn’t matter. You can still reap the benefits of this exercise by finding what works best for you.
Arms/Legs Only
For those who may find lifting both arms and both legs off the ground at the same time too difficult to start, working on raising just arms or just legs can be a great initial boost for getting you into this workout. Performed the safe way, the only difference is you will lift either both arms or both legs while keeping the other option down on the ground.
Alternating Superman
Alternating superman is another great variation of this exercise where you lift one arm and the opposite leg, thus alternating limbs as opposed to lifting all four. Switching between opposite sides will still give you great benefits and allow for a slightly easier variation on this exercise.
Reverse Superman
Reverse superman shakes things up a bit by actually having you on your back. Also referred to as a hollow hold, you will lift both arms and legs in a straight line towards the ceiling while working to really engage your core and feel a great burn.
Wrap Up
The superman exercise is a great bodyweight exercise to incorporate into any circuit or workout routine as a simple yet highly effective exercise. With the ability to strengthen your core, improve posture, alleviate low back pain, work your glutes and lower body, and need zero equipment, the superman exercise is certain to help make you feel like Superman himself. Trying variations offers diversity in the exercise and depending on your experience level, you can still enjoy the benefits of this workout. As a warm-up exercise, a mid-workout burn, or part of a post-workout ab circuit, this exercise slides easily into any of your routines so you see great gains and feel like the superhero you want to be.
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
Reiser, Fernando C.; Durnate, Bruno G.; de Souza, William C.; Mascarnehas, Luis P. G.; Bonuzzi, Giordano M. G. (2017). “Paraspinal Muscle Activity during Unstable Superman and Bodyweight Squat Exercises”. (source)
Clark, David R.; Lambert, Michael I.; Hunter, Angus M. (2018). “Contemporary perspectives of core stability training for dynamic athletic performance: a survey of athletes, coaches, sports science and sports medicine practitioners”. (source)
Hibbs, Angela E.; Thompson, Kevin G.; French, Duncan; Wrigley, Allan; Spears, Iain (2008). “Optimizing performance by improving core stability and core strength”. (source)