Tag: training
Stronglifts 5×5 vs German Volume Training: Which is Best?
Stronglifts 5×5 vs German Volume Training: Which is Best?
So your training routine has become stale, you have plateaued, and your monstrous gains have stalled, so what do you do?
So do you keep plugging along with the same routine? As the saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broke…..’ but in this case not fixing it means you won’t be able to break the mold, and potentially add to your physique. So with that said, you need to change it up. But the question is, what kind of new routine should you try?
Today I am looking at two hypertrophy based routines: Stronglifts 5×5 program, and German Volume Training (GVT).
Stronglifts 5×5 programme:
This programme is designed to build muscle and strength and was used by the legendary Reg Park.
So How it works:
You only need to train 3 days a week, and you only perform 5 sets x 5 reps on each exercise, this is usually Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday (but can be alternated, but you will need at least a days rest between each session)
To ensure proper recovery, this program advises against training on consecutive days or doing two sessions in one day.
Workout options:
You will need to alternate between workout A and workout B, so workout A would be performed on Monday and workout B on Wednesday and then back to A on Friday.
Workout A. Workout B.
At the beginning of the program start with 50% of your 5 rep max and then add 5lbs/2.5kg of total weight to each exercise (each lift), and then progressively during each week keep doing this until you can’t get 5 reps on all 5 sets anymore.
If you happen to stall on an exercise and cannot perform 5 reps then take off 10% of the weight. This should help get your back on track for that particular session and the decrease in weight should only apply to that session only,, the next workout session should be back to your previous weight load.
This is a great beginner or even a great back to basics program, and it’s also a great program if you don’t have access to any fancy equipment.
This kind of workout is efficient as more muscle groups are being stimulated simultaneously, it is also more functional, it can burn more calories, and because compound movements create more muscle damage, it can lead to the increased levels of testosterone and Growth Hormone (GH).
It sounds like a winning formula to me, so now let’s have a look at German Volume Training.
German Volume Training (GVT) is designed to hit your larger muscle groups with intensity, and it is very simple in its execution: 10 sets x 10 reps.
The premise is that the 10 set method originated in Germany in the 70’s, and was used in the off season by weightlifters to help them gain lean mass, and the GVT method was cultivated further by Canadian weightlifter Jacques Demers.
So Why choose GVT:
This workout will help in maximising blood flow, as the muscles are hit using high volumes, and by repeatedly hitting the muscles with this kind of intensity it will allow for increased muscle hypertrophy.
The Workout:
Ten sets of ten reps, with the same weight for each exercise, so pick a weight which is suitable for that duration, so approximately 50-60% of your 1 Rep Max (1RM)
With a rest period of 60 seconds between sets
So if your 1RM for squat is 315lbs, your weight would be approximately 126-157lbs.
Due to the intensity of the workout one exercise per body part would be sufficient, in my workout plan below I have added some optional exercises too for those that can;t help themselves.
Also this workout should not be exceeded for more than 4 weeks as it could lead to injury.
Workout split:
Monday: Quads + Hams + upper abs
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Chest + Biceps + lower abs
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Back + Triceps
Saturday: Shoulders + Calves + obliques
Sunday: Rest
Monday:
Quads: Front squats: 10 x 10 reps
Leg extension 3 x 10 reps (optional)
Hamstrings: Stiff leg deadlift: 10 x 10 reps
Lying leg curl 3 x 10 reps (optional)
Upper abs: weighted cable crunch 10 x 10 reps
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday:
Chest: DB flat bench press: 10 x 10 reps
DB flyes: 3 x 10 reps (optional)
Biceps: EZ bar curl: 10 x 10 reps
Lower abs: weighted knee raises 10 x 10 reps
Thursday: rest
Friday:
Back: single arm DB row 10 x 10 reps
Weighted pull ups: 3 x 10 reps (optional)
Triceps: lying down EZ bar French press 10 x 10 reps
Saturday:
Shoulders: clean and press 10 x 10 reps
Calves: Seated calf raises: 10 x 10 reps
Donkey calf raises: 10 x 10 reps (optional)
Oblique’s: weighted oblique crunch (with a plate or cables) 10 x 10 reps
Sunday: rest
As with 5 x 5 even though GVT isn’t all compound movements it is still a great regimen for building lean muscle, burning fat and increasing strength.
So which routine is better? A study from 2017 found ‘the 10 sets method, is no more effective than performing 5 sets per exercise for increasing muscle hypertrophy and strength’.
The study also goes on to state that ‘To maximize the training effects, 4–6 sets per resistance exercise is recommended as it appears that muscular hypertrophy will plateau beyond this range and may even regress due to overtraining’
So this would seem to suggest that 5 x 5 would be a more practical approach than GVT but not enough research has been done specifically on 5 x 5.
Conclusion:
So in conclusion 5×5 V GVT? Why not mix it up and combine the two? Such as 10 sets x 5 reps per exercise with a weight load similar to that of GVT, or go a bit heavier and attempt 5 sets of 10 reps, (with a rest pause if you start to fail).
The beauty here is that as long as it works there is no right or wrong routine.
References:
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2017/11000/Effects_of_a_Modified_German_Volume_Training.21.aspx
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25932981/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24732784/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5969184/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6303131/
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/6/1/7/htm
5 Reasons Why Your Calves Aren’t Growing
5 Reasons Why Your Calves Refuse to Grow
Calves can be one of the most stubborn muscle groups. Look around your gym and you’ll probably see a lot of people with skinny legs and even skinnier toothpick calves. Although calves are a small muscle group, they can be one of the hardest to develop.
Building calves can be harder for people with genetically weaker legs. If you’ve hit a plateau and your calves refuse to grow, you need to change your training program. This article will help you takes your calves game to the next level and get you ready for the summer.
1. Treating Your Calves as Accessory Muscles
Most people make the mistake of treating their calves as accessory muscles. They train their calves at the end of their workouts when there is nothing left in the tank. If you have lagging calves, you should be training them at the beginning of your workouts.
Don’t perform a single calf exercise at the end of your workouts. Do 12-15 sets on 3-4 different exercises targeting both your soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. Your calves should be flushed with lactic acid at the end of your workouts.
2. Sticking to the Same Training Routine
You have hit a plateau if your calves have stopped responding to your workouts. Shocking your muscles with new exercises or advanced training techniques like supersets, drop sets, intra-set stretching or blood flow restriction training is a great way to break the plateau.
You don’t need to be in the gym to train your calves and if you’re in the gym, you don’t need to use weights every time. Your own body weight is enough to get the ball rolling. If you don’t have access to calf training equipment at your gym, use an elevated platform to do the calf raises.
3. Not Training Your Calves From Every Angle
Your calves consist of three heads: inner, medial and outer. You need to train all the three heads to ensure an overall development. Switching your feet placement can make all the difference.
Pointing your toes inwards and the balls of your feet outwards will target the outer calves head. Pointing the toes outwards will target the inner head and keeping your feet neutral will work the medial head.
4. Doing Too Little
Calves are a small muscle group and can recover quickly from your workouts. A good rule of thumb to training your calves is to train them every day if they’re not sore. Toothpick calves won’t turn into full-grown bulls by training them once a week.
Three sets of standing calf raise at the end of your leg workouts aren’t good enough to budge the needle on your calf gains. Train your calves as you would train your biceps, and hit 12-15 sets.
5. Overloading
People will small calves usually engage in ego lifting and load the machines with more weights than they can handle. The range of motion is one of the key factors in calf development.
You should maintain a full range of motion and your toes should be pointed like a ballerina at the top of the movement. Establish a mind-muscle connection with your calves and pause and contract them with every repetition.
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.
Build Shredded Obliques With This Workout
Get Ripped Obliques with this Workout
A midriff cannot be deemed complete without shredded obliques. Obliques are the fish gill-like muscles present on the side of your abs. Most people are too busy performing crunches and hanging leg raises that they completely forget about training their obliques.
While it is important to have a low body fat percentage to show the obliques, you still need to train them. The obliques need to be trained for both function and show. The oblique family plays a major role in many different movements and are an essential part of the core.
1. Cable Woodchoppers – 3 Sets 15 Reps
Unlike the free weight, cables are incredibly effective in maintaining constant tension on your working muscles. Cable woodchoppers target your obliques and will give you a muscle tearing pump by the end of the exercise.
Attach a D-handlebar to a tower, and move the cable to the highest pulley position. Stand at an arm’s distance from the pulley. With your right side to the cable, grab the bar with both hands. In one motion, pull the handle down and across your body to your front knee while rotating your torso. Repeat with your left side.
2. Decline Bench Oblique Crunches – 3 Sets 20-15-15 Reps
The decline oblique crunches are one of the most underutilized exercises. It’s important to squeeze and contract your obliques while performing these exercises and maintain a full range of motion.
Lie on your left side on a decline bench. Keep your right hand on the back of your head and place your left hand on your right obliques. Touch the bench at the bottom of the movement and your upper body should be perpendicular to the floor at the top of the movement. Repeat on your right side.
3. Side Planks – 3 Sets 1 Minute, 45, 45 Seconds on Each Side
Planks have earned a name for themselves for being a great core builder. Planks exploded onto the scene with the introduction of CrossFit. Side planks are a plank variation which helps in building definition in your obliques.
Start on your side with your feet place one on top of the other and one forearm directly below your shoulder. Raise your hips and contract your core until your body is in a straight line. Don’t let your hips fall down during the working set.
4. Landmines – 3 Sets 15 Reps Each Side
Landmines are a great core builder and your obliques take the most beating in this exercise. If you don’t have the landmine equipment at your gym, you can perform this exercise by placing a barbell in a corner and holding one end of the barbell with both your hands.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding the barbell with both hands in front of your face. Keep your elbows locked out while you twist to your right side. Go as far as you can without twisting to your hips. Return to the starting position and repeat for the left side.
5. Russian Twists
Russian twists are one of the most common oblique exercises. Most people make the mistake of going too heavy on this exercise. Use a weight plate or a dumbbell with which you can follow a full controlled range of motion.
Sit with your feet placed flat on the floor and your back at a 60-degree angle. Hold a weight plate over your knees with your arms stretched out. Rotate to your right side and contract your obliques. Return to the starting position and repeat for the left side.
Which is your favorite oblique exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
Follow This 4-Week Forearms Workout Plan To Turn Your Tiny Twigs Into Wood Logs
Follow This 4-Week Forearms Workout Plan To Turn Your Tiny Twigs Into Wood Logs
Forearms are the under-loved siblings of the bis and tris. The majority of people think that training biceps will automatically build their forearms. The said overlooking is why most people limit their forearm training to a couple of sets at the end of their arm workouts.
If you feel that your forearms are lagging as compared to your upper arms, it’s time you stop treating them as accessory muscles. A pair of beefed-up forearms can add to the symmetry of your arms and make them look bigger.
The Best 4-Week Forearm Building Workout
Week 1
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Dumbbell Hammer Curls- 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Preacher Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Towel Cable Rows – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Behind the Back Barbell Crush – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Since the forearms are a small muscle group, you don’t need to dedicate entire workouts to training it. If you have weaker lower arms as compared to your bis and tris, you should begin your arm training with them.
We would recommend that you train bis and forearms or tris and forearms on a single day. Targetting the three muscles together on the same day isn’t going to be as effective as focusing on two.
If you don’t already carry a hand towel to the gym, you should get used to bringing not one but two wipers. Using the hand towels recruits all the muscle fibers in your forearms as it makes holding onto the weight harder.
Week 2
Wrist Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Close Grip Bench Press – 5 Sets 10-8-6-5-4 Reps
Cable Kickbacks – 5 Sets 10-8-6-5-4 Reps
Barbell Skullcrushers – 5 Sets 10-8-6-5-4 Reps
Farmer’s Walk – 5 Sets 1-Minute Walk
The second week’s workout will be a triceps and forearms session. In the first and third week, you can club the tricep workout with your chest session. Train your biceps with your back in the second and fourth weeks.
You’ll be performing a lower number of reps in your tricep exercises as compared to the bicep exercises. Triceps are mostly formed of fast-twitch muscle fibers and respond better to lower reps and heavier weights.
In all the exercises you perform, make sure you’re focusing on your forearms and maintaining a mind-muscle connection. While doing the farmer’s walk, hold onto a heavy pair of dumbbells so that you have to struggle past the 30-second mark.
Week 3
Towel Kettlebell Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Reverse Grip 21s – 5 Sets
Zottman Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Behind the Back Cable Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Wrist Rollers – 5 Sets 10 Rolls Up 10 Down
If you don’t have access to kettlebells in your gym, you can use the good-old dumbbells instead. You might have performed the 21’s but the reverse grip 21’s are a whole new game.
Zottman curls are one of the most underutilized arm training exercises. The Zottman curls are arguably the most brutal exercise on the list and you’ll have to keep your ego in check while performing it.
Week 4
Cable Pressdowns – 5 Sets 10-8-6-5-4 Reps
Reverse Wrist Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Single Arm Overhead Tricep Extensions – 5 Sets 10-10-8-8-8 Reps
Grip Crush – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Dead Hangs – 5 Sets 1-Minute Each
Most people make the mistake of lifting too heavy when it comes to forearm training. Going overboard with the weights while training your lower arms can result in an injury as the wrists are relatively smaller joints and aren’t meant to take the constant tension produced by exercises like the wrist curls.
In the forearm training, your aim should be to go after the pump rather than trying to kill the muscles with heavier weights. You can push the envelope with the intensity in lower arm training with exercises like the grip crushes as there isn’t any wrist curling involved.
How often do you train your forearms? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
One Trick To Take Your Gains To The Next Level
Use this trick to boost your gains.
Of all the people who join a gym, only a few reach their goals. Not achieving the desired results even after working hard can be frustrating. Most people quit working out because they can see no changes in their bodies.
Crafting a Greek god-like physique isn’t easy, but you could eliminate a lot of the pain and trouble with a single trick. Sticking to this trick separates the gym novices from the pros.
Follow a Schedule
Sticking to a schedule can help you take your gains to the next level. A schedule is a much broader concept as opposed to how some people think about it. Following a schedule is easier said than done.
Most people don’t have the discipline of sticking to a routine. Bodybuilding is a sport which requires dedication, consistency, and discipline. Lacking on a single one of these attributes can cause failure to achieve your desired results.
Workout
You should follow a schedule when it comes to working out. You should reach and leave the gym at the same time every day. Doing this helps with building muscles as your muscles subconsciously get ready for your workouts.
You also need to time your workouts. Your workouts should be short and intense. You need to get the most bang for your buck. If you follow a HIIT workout, you should be spending around 45-60 minutes in the gym, not more than this.
Eat
You can’t transform your body without adjusting your diet. If your goal is to build muscle mass, you need to amp up your protein intake. Design a nutrition plan with the amount of macro and micronutrients required every day.
The time of your meals also makes a big difference. Instead of eating three big meals, you should eat 6-8 small meals. Eating at regular intervals keeps your metabolism rate high and will help you in burning fat to produce energy.
Sleep
No matter how hard you workout in the gym or how good your diet is, you won’t see the results until your body is properly rested. You break muscle while you’re working out. These muscles repair, get bigger and stronger while you’re not in the gym.
You need at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night to build muscle mass. You should also go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Following a sleeping routine will help you fall asleep faster and will reduce the chances of insomnia.
Cheat
This might sound counterintuitive since we’re talking about following a schedule, but you’re allowed to cheat once a week. Unfortunately, the cheating is limited to a single cheat meal. A cheat meal is important as it provides your body with an influx of carbs and fats which your body needs to process.
Your body has to work harder than usual to digest these cheat meals. Although, if you’re getting ready for a competition or a special day, you would want to avoid the cheat meals. Make sure you cheat on a schedule.
What is your favorite cheat meal? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Build Massive Forearms with this Workout
Workout for Building Big Forearms
Forearms are right beside the biceps but don’t get nearly the same love as the big guns. Most people do a couple of wrists curls to train their forearms in every few weeks. The overlooking of training the forearms is a big reason many people have skinny forearms.
Muscular forearms are a symbol of strength and can add functionality by improving your grip strength. Not to mention, chiseled forearms can add to the symmetry and aesthetics of the physique.
Behind the Back Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Since your forearms are a small muscles group, they will take relatively less time to recover from a working set as compared to your bis or tris. You should be able to complete your forearm workouts in 25-30 minutes.
Grab the barbell behind your back with an underhand grip. Maintain a full range of motion and curl up the barbell using your wrists. Let the barbell roll out to your fingertips at the bottom of the movement. Doing so will recruit all the muscle fibers in your forearms.
Superset
– Reverse Grip Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 10 Reps
– Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 10 Reps
The reverse grip wrist curls train the top of the forearms while the underhand grip wrist curls train the bottom of the forearm. Use a monkey grip while performing the reverse wrist curls to recruit higher muscle fibers.
Most people make the mistake of lifting too heavy weights in the wrist curls. Leave your ego out of the exercise and use weights you can lift with a full range of motion. You can perform both the superset exercise with your forearms placed on a flat bench or on your quads. Use the wrist curl machine if you have access to it at your gym.
Farmer’s Walk – 3 Sets Failure
You can do the farmer’s walk using dumbbells or a trap bar. In the farmer’s carry, you need to lift a couple of heavy dumbbells and walk around until you can’t hold onto the weights anymore.
The farmer’s carry is a great exercise to develop muscle mass and strength in your forearms. You can also perform the dumbbell or barbell holds to train your forearms. In these exercises, all you have to do is hold onto the bar for the longest time possible.
Wrist Roller – 3 Sets Failure
The wrist rollers look easier than they are. Maintaining a strict form throughout the exercise is an important factor in targeting your forearms. Extend your arms straight forward so they’re parallel to the floor while holding the wrist roller with both your hands.
Roll the weight plate up by rolling the bar towards yourself. While rolling down make sure you don’t let the weight drop by itself. Use a slow and controlled movement to lower the weight. Don’t let your arms lower down while performing the exercise.
Use Oversized Grips
One great way of targeting your forearms in every biceps exercise is to use oversized grips. Using oversized grips make it harder for you to hold onto the barbell or dumbbell and recruits your forearms into action.
If you don’t have oversized grips at your gym, you can wrap around towels around the bars to thicken the grip. If you have weak forearms, you can train them before you start your bi and tri workout as it will recruit your forearms in the arm exercises.
How often do you train your forearms? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
15 Reasons Why People Hate Working Out
Reasons Why People Hate The Gym
There are two types of people, the ones who love working out and the others who hate the idea of it. There is no middle ground. You might love to train but at the same time, your parents might not understand why you waste your time and money on such a useless (according to them) thing.
We think we have figured out why people have such extreme feelings about hitting the gym. Our goal with this article is not to shame anyone. We want to shed light on facts so that people can be more accommodating.
All-in or Nothing
You’re either living the fit lifestyle or you’re not. Knowing the fact that you won’t see the desired results if you follow a training program for 4 days a week and do as you please on the other 3 days is a deal-breaker for many people.
Not Being Able To Change Your Body image
For many people, their happiness and self-worth are directly related to their body image. They sulk if they can’t get the results or arbitrary factors like the number on the scale to go in their favor.
People Who Lift Do So To Show-Off
It’s no secret that lifters are thought to be self-obsessed narcissists. Many people never get a gym membership just because they want to avoid the tag. They don’t want to be judged by how much they can bench.
Forever Dieting
Following a balanced diet is one of the most crucial aspects of a successful transformation but it can be hard and boring. The idea of eating the same food every day isn’t appealing to everyone.
It Never Stops
Once you hop on to the fitness bandwagon, all your decisions will be influenced by it. You might have to cancel going out with friends or family because of your workouts, and the gym might be the first thing you look for while you’re planning a vacation.
Too Many Fads To Keep Count Off
There are indeed many fads in the fitness industry and they go away as fast as they come. Learning about new diets, training principles, and supplements every few weeks is too much for some people.
Workouts Are Intense
Out of all the people who get a gym membership, a big number quits within a year because they can’t see the desired results. A transformation needs much more than walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes and it’s too much to ask off many people.
Supplements Are Sh*t Expensive
There is a myth that you can’t build muscle mass without supplements. Some people avoid supplements because they are out of their budget and others think that they do more harm than good.
Who Needs Injuries?
Training is one of the most intense sports and the probabilities of an injury increase four-fold when you’re around the unforgiving iron. Some people would rather sit on their couch all day long than be crushed under a barbell.
Aesthetics Are Everything
Many people diss working out because they think it’s all about looking good naked. Some of these people advocate working on mental and spiritual well-being instead of the gluteus maximus.
Always Be Critiquing
As the great Joe Weider once said, “Looking at himself, a serious bodybuilder isn’t admiring, he’s looking for trouble. And he sees trouble, every time.” There is a thin line between self-critiquing and self-loathing and as a fitness enthusiast, you always have to mind your step.
Comparing Your Physique To Everyone
As you start training, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself comparing your muscles to people in your gym – or that guy on Instagram. Once this happens, it all goes downhill from here.
Solo Sport
Many people join a sport because they like to be around people and want to be part of a team. Bodybuilding, on the other hand, is one man’s game and is arguably the most selfish sport.
The Need To Find A Cult
After people get a gym membership, they soon start finding a cult to join. They are torn between loving or hating the squats, being a carnivore or a vegan, bodybuilding or CrossFit, keto or paleo, etc.
Acute Self-Loathing That Comes With Missing A Workout
No matter who you are, where you’re from, what you do – if you’re living the fit life, you’ll have faced the agony that comes with missing a workout. The struggle of making up for a missed workout in the next session is real.
How often do you workout? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
10 Essential Tips to Shed Body Fat For Good
Shed Body Fat with these 10 Tips
Whether you are a professional bodybuilder or someone who has got a gym membership to lose weight, excess body fat is a foe. If losing body fat was easy, everyone who joins a gym would be in shape.
Losing fat can be complicated and since you’re reading this article, we’re assuming you’re toiling with the same problem. The truth of the matter is that there is a lot of misinformation out there about losing fat. No, there’s no exercise that targets fat loss in specific areas.
No, there is no “cheat” to lose fat faster and easier. And yes, the sad reality is that major fat loss comes from your diet rather than exercise. Losing weight is truly a lifestyle change – not a temporary challenge you need to overcome, complete, and then move back to normal.
With that said, the right guidance and a right approach to your diet, training, and recovery can help you achieve your fat loss goals.
1. Don’t Follow a Program
Save yourself the trouble of finding a fat loss program because they don’t work. Programs have a start and an end date, but losing fat forever needs you to make lifestyle changes. Perhaps some sort of cleans or diet program can help initially kick start you into healthy habits – but the key thing to remember here is that true fat loss only comes from permanent lifestyle changes.
This is especially true as you get older. The hard trugh of it is – as you get older you won’t be able to eat like you used to and still stay healthy and thin. That’s just life. It may suck – but it’s important to really come to terms with that fact if you want to see real change. Don’t go on a 60-day low-calorie diet thinking you’ll get rid of the fat for once and all.
2. High-Intensity Workouts
Be it cardio or weightlifting if you want to lose weight, you need to be following HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Shorten your rest periods between exercises and sets, and try to get done with the workouts as soon as possible.
3. Drink a Lot of Water
For most people, excess body fat stores can be due to an increased carb and fat intake which can be the result of excessive eating. Drinking plenty of water can make you feel full and eat less. Water is also the medium in which most cellular activities take place, including the transporting and burning of fat.
4. Eat 5-6 Meals a Day
Most people make the mistake of skipping meals in order to lose weight and shed fat. Skipping meals is counter-productive when it comes to losing weight. You should be eating 5-6 meals a day at regular intervals and calculate your daily macros in line with your macronutrient goals. Eating at regular intervals will keep your metabolism rate high and you will be burning fat throughout the day.
5. Limit Sugar Consumption
Sugar is the main culprit behind putting on weight. Taking in simple carbs (sugar) right after a workout replenishes muscles, but excess sugar consumed at other times will be stored as fat. Replace sugary beverages like soft drinks and juice with water, coffee, or tea.
6. Eat a Balanced Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You eat something after 6-8 hours after you go to sleep and this is why it is called a break-fast. Make sure your breakfast includes all the essential micro and macronutrients and is in line with your daily nutritional goals.
7. Drink Black Coffee Before Working Out
Caffeine can cause the body to use fat for fuel during a workout, rather than glucose. Drink 1-2 cups of black coffee (depending on your tolerance) before a workout. Avoid drinking coffee at other times of the day and skip sugar and cream while you’re at it.
8. Don’t Over-Rely on Fat-Burners
Supplements can be incredibly effective in helping you reach your goals, but you shouldn’t be overly dependent on them. Fat burners aren’t magic pills and you shouldn’t expect them to work on an unhealthy diet.
9. Use Cheat Meals
There is a difference between junk food and cheat meals. Foods like french fries and potato chips are junk food which only consists of calories. Pizza, hamburgers, etc have other nutritional value and are better suited to be a cheat meal. Eating a cheat meal can bump up your metabolism and can make your body work harder to digest the food. Remember to eat the cheat meal for flavor and don’t turn the cheat meal into a cheat day.
10. Meet Your Daily Protein Requirements
If you want to put on muscle mass, you should be consuming at least 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 100 lbs, you should be consuming 100-150 grams of protein daily.
What is your weight loss goal? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
8 Top-Secret Hacks For Gaining Serious Bicep Size
If a gym bro had to choose between an orgasm and a bicep pump, he’d probably pick the latter. A bro waits for the arms day every week in hopes that he’ll walk away with at least an inch added to his arms.
You’ll see people missing leg days or even back days but you’ll never see someone intentionally skipping training their biceps. Even though the gym rats shower so much love on their guns, you won’t see many people walking around with jacked arm in your gym.
While many gym noobs think that the problem with their arms is that they aren’t training them enough, the real problem lies in how they’ve been training. In most cases, the problem doesn’t lie in quantity but the quality of their workouts.
In this article, we’ll go over the little tweaks you need to make in your bicep training techniques that will give you insane results. Warning – you might not be able to scrub your back after following these tips.
8 Tips For Gaining Bicep Size
Exercises, Volume & Intensity
For starters, let’s get done with the exercises, volume, and intensity debate. There is no doubt that your workouts should have a mix of compound lifts like the barbell and dumbbell curls, and isolation exercises like the cable and concentration curls.
If you’ve been doing a mix of three compound and two isolation exercises in your arm workout but are not seeing any results, it’s time to try something new. You should try alternating between compound bicep arm workout on odd weeks and isolation workouts on even weeks.
When it comes to volume and intensity, we recommend hitting failure on every set and exercise. Don’t worry about overtraining your arms. If you’re unhappy with your arm gains, chances are you’re nowhere close to overtraining your muscles.
Use Bigger Grips
Forearms are one of the most overlooked aspects of bicep training. You can’t have muscular biceps without strong forearms. While thin bars can save the manufacturing companies money, they don’t add anything to your bottom line.
Bar grip accessories like Fat Gripz can make the barbells rounder and thicker. Thicker bars can be harder to grab and hold onto which can put additional tensions on your biceps. The curling exercises can get harder on the eccentric part of the movement while using fatter grips.
As you perform the bicep exercises using thicker grips, your biceps will be put under increasing tension as your forearms begin to fatigue. Perform one bicep exercise with the fat grips at the starting of the workout or perform one set of each exercise using the grips to annihilate your pythons.
Be The Odd One Out
If you’re someone who does 8/10/12 reps of every exercise, you’re a part of the majority of the gym population. Most of us have been using this rep scheme without ever questioning it. It’s something we have been taught the moment we step inside a weight room.
Your goal with your new rep structure would be to add three reps to every set. Performing sets of 11/13/15 reps would add a significant amount of volume to your workouts which is perfect to shock your arms into growing.
Train Your Biceps From All Angles
Most people forget biceps are called biceps for a reason. Your biceps are made up of two muscles – the short and long head. You can’t expect both these heads to develop if you hit them from a single angle.
While training with a barbell, make sure you do one set each with a shoulder-wide grip, a wider-than shoulder-width grip, and a narrow grip. Similarly, using an EZ-bar can add much-needed variation to your training regime. Changing your hand placement on the bars will help polish your guns.
Disrupt The Preacher Bench
Look at the preacher bench in your gym and you’ll probably find a dude hunched over the arm pad and swinging back and forth to lift the weights. Using momentum on an isolation lift won’t do you any good.
Instead of sitting straight on the preacher bench, turn your body sideways and place your right arm on the arm pad so your right elbow and both shoulders are in a straight line. Sitting sideways will eliminate any possibility of using momentum. You could perform this variation on a preacher curl bench, machine, or even an incline bench.
Turn Your Wrists
If we got a penny every time we saw someone half-assing through dumbbell curls, we’d have enough to buy a Bitcoin. Get this, the degree of wrist rotation while performing the dumbbell curls is directly proportional to your bicep gains.
At the top of a dumbbell curl, your pinky finger should be outside your shoulder. If your palms are facing your shoulders flat, you are not squeezing your pythons enough for you to be able to develop the peak.
Add Advanced Training Techniques To The Mix
If you’re expecting extra-ordinary results but are doing the ordinary exercises, you’re just wasting your time. You have to throw new things at your muscles constantly to keep them guessing.
Using advanced training techniques like drop-sets, supersets, BFR (blood flow restriction) training, intra-set stretching, GVTs are a great way to spice up your workouts and make those pythons grow.
Adding these advanced training techniques will also make sure your workouts never get boring. You could try one new technique in every workout or perform a set of different advanced techniques in every exercise.
Perform Partial Reps
By partial reps, we don’t mean an incomplete range of motion. Since your guns are long muscles, you should train them in different ranges to optimally develop the length and the peak of the biceps.
21s are an incredibly effective exercise to target the long and short heads of the biceps. You don’t have to limit yourself to 21s. You could perform 24s, 27s, or 30s in the same rep scheme.
Don’t Forget Nutrition & Recovery
No matter how hard you train or how much you can curl, you need to remember that you break down muscle while you are training. Your muscles grow back bigger and stronger only when you’re meeting your daily nutrient requirement and are giving your muscles enough time to rest and recuperate from your workouts.
How much can you curl, bro? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
10 Exercises To Add Variety In Your Next Workout
Try these Exercises in Your Next Workout
Just like us humans, no two exercises are created equal. Most people stick to the same exercises in their workouts. Performing the same routines over and over can lead you to hit a plateau.
There are a few incredibly effective exercises which can target your muscles in a unique way. The exercises in this article will help you break the plateau and will take your gains to the next level.
Chest
Floor Dumbbell Chest Flyes
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Most people make the mistake of not following the full range of motion while performing the bench dumbbell flyes. The floor dumbbell flyes force you to touch the floor with your elbows at the bottom of the movement and touch the dumbbells at the top of the movement.
Incline Pin Press
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The upper pecs are a weak muscle group for most people. Incline pin presses are a great way to overload your upper pecs. Incline pin presses also add a layer of safety to the compound exercise.
Back
T-Bar Rows
T-Bar rows are one of the most underutilized exercises when it comes to building a thick back. The T-Bar rows were one of Arnold’s staples and they should also be a part of your exercise arsenal.
Bent Over Lat Pull-Down using Seated Cable Row
The problem with the normal lat pull-down is, you can use momentum to bring the weights down. Bent over lat pull-downs on the seated cable row will eliminate the use of momentum and you will have to use your lats to pull the weights.
Shoulders
Reverse Seated Alternate Hammer Strength Press
The normal shoulder presses focus on the anterior delts, while the reverse seated alternate hammer strength presses focus on the medial deltoids. The hammer strength presses will help you in building the separation and roundness of your shoulder caps.
Biceps
Arm Blaster Barbell Curls
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For most guys arms are their favorite muscle group to train. Most guys let their ego get in the way of building a nice pair of guns. The arm blaster helps in isolating your pythons and will help in building the size, conditioning, and the bicep peak.
30’s
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30’s will completely annihilate your biceps. In this exercise, you need to perform 10 reps of barbell curls on the bottom half, 10 reps on the top half and 10 full reps. 30’s are an extension of 21’s and are way harder.
Triceps
Cable One Arm Triceps Extensions
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Most people go too heavy on the cable triceps extensions and lean onto the bar. Stand straight next to the cable pulley machine and maintain a full range of motion. Hold and squeeze your triceps at the bottom of the movement.
Legs
Platz Hack Squats into Sissy Squats
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Tom Platz arguably had the sickest legs in the bodybuilding industry. One of his not-so-secrets were the Platz hack squat into sissy squats. This exercise targets your quads and will help you in building that tear-drop.
Good Mornings
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It is harder to develop your hamstrings as compared to your quads as you can’t see your hamstrings in the mirror and it is harder to develop a mind-muscle connection with them. Maintain a slight bend in your knees, push your hips back as you bend to lower the barbell. Imagine using your hams to lower the weights as compared to your back. Doing this will help you get a better pump.
Which is your favorite exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.