Tag: training
These 5 Exercises Will Boost Your Libido And Give You Massive Gains
Boost Your Libido
Working out can improve your life in more ways than it is credited for. It’s time people start looking at working out as more than just working on the muscles. Pumping iron can have both physiological and psychological benefits.
Spending some time in the weight room can improve your sex drive. Working out can even help you if you don’t feel any sexual desire. Feeling asexual can be caused by many reasons including stress, exertion, mental exhaustion, etc.
While lifting weights can help boost your libido, there are some exercises which work better than the others. Make these five exercises a part of your training routines to boost your libido –
1. Squats
Squats are a complete leg builder. This exercise can also help you with your low sex drive. Legs are the biggest muscle group in your body and working them by squatting can improve your testosterone levels.
Squats increase your overall muscles mass, strength and sex drive. There are enough variations of this exercise, so you’re never bored of it. Make squats a part of your workout routine to improve your libido.
2. Barbell Hip Thrust
No other exercise comes close to barbell hip thrusts when it comes to mimicking a sexual position. This exercise also happens to be one of the most effective in improving your sex drive. It also adds muscle mass and strength to your lower body, especially glutes.
It can be incredibly hard to not think about sex while performing this exercise. Tip: avoid making eye contact with the opposite sex while you’re doing this exercise if you don’t want to end up sending the wrong signals.
3. Bench Press
Compound (multi joint) exercises are the most efficient in helping you improve your testosterone levels and sex drive. Bench press has been the poster exercise for manhood for a long time.
This exercise helps broaden your chest which, for many men, can lead to increased confidence. We hope you make it count and put this raised confidence to good use with women. Incline and decline bench press can work different areas of your chest.
4. Deadlifts
Deadlifts work your entire body. There are only a few other things as badass as lifting some heavy weights off the ground. Deadlifting regularly can improve your libido and make you stronger at every other exercise.
Deadlifts can also help you in adding lean muscle mass. Avoid heavy deadlifts if you’re suffering from a back injury. You can also try different versions of this exercise like sumo deadlifts or dumbbell deadlifts to keep your body guessing.
5. Clean and Press
Clean and press primarily work your shoulders, but secondary muscles like your upper and lower back, traps, hamstrings, quads, glutes, and calves are also involved. It is a full body exercise which can improve your physique and sex drive.
Clean and press is also a compound exercise which will help you put on muscle mass and definition. You can perform this exercise in a hypertrophy workout or a strength workout. All you need to do is adjust the number of sets and reps.
Which according to you in the best exercise to boost your sex drive? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Best Exercises for Building Guns of Steel
Build Bigger Arms with these Exercises
Most people get a gym membership so they can have bigger arms. Although arm exercises are shown a lot of love all around the world, only a few people are successful in building their pythons.
Just like us humans, no two arms exercises are created equal. We see a countless number of people curling weights but only a few own a pair of loaded guns. Don’t be one of those people wasting their time doing bicep curls. Read through and join the other side.
Biceps
Barbell Curls
Barbell curls are for biceps what squats are for the legs. Using the Olympic barbell for the bicep curls will recruit more muscle fibers as compared to the smaller barbell. Maintain an upright stance while performing the curls and don’t use momentum by bending forward or backward.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Alternate dumbbell bicep curls are a staple in a bicep workout. While performing the curls, rotate your wrists outwards at the top of the movement. Doing so will work the peak of your guns.
Preacher Curls
Preacher curls are an isolation exercise. Most people make the mistake of not following a full range of motion while performing this exercise. Your forearms should touch the preacher machine at the bottom of the movement, and the barbell should be at a fist’s distance from your forehead at the top.
Dumbbell Hammers Curls
Dumbbell hammer curls target the outer head of the biceps, the forearms and the length of the biceps. Tip – curling the dumbbells towards the inner pecs will target the outer biceps and curling straight ahead will target the medial biceps.
Concentration Curls
Bend over and place your elbow on the side of your quad. Perform a slow and controlled curl and squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement. You can perform the concentration curls while standing or sitting.
21’s
21’s are one of the most brutal bicep exercises. Bicep pumps will never be the same for you once you try this exercise. In a single set, perform seven reps from the bottom to the middle of a bicep curl range. Perform the next seven reps from the top to the middle. Finish the set with seven reps with a full range of motion.
Overhead Bicep Curls
Stand in the center of the cable pulley machine and use the D-handle attachments. Mimic the motion of performing a front double bicep pose and squeeze the living hell out of your pythons. Overhead bicep curls work the inner heads and the peak of biceps.
Triceps
Close Grip Bench Press
Close grip bench press help in building muscle mass in your triceps. Most people have big biceps but lack size on their tri’s. The close grip bench press is a compound movement and is best done at the beginning of the workouts.
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
The overhead tricep exercises primarily target the long head of the tricep while the pressing movements target the medial and the shorter heads. Performing the overhead extensions with back support will assist in maintaining a better form.
Cable Pressdowns
Cable press downs are a great isolation exercise. Most people make the mistake of leaning on the bar and towards the pulley. You should stand straight and maintain a full range of motion to get the most out of the exercise.
Cable Kickbacks
Cable kickbacks are better than the dumbbell version as they keep constant tension on the triceps. Contract your triceps at the extension of the elbow and slowly return to the starting position.
Overhead Rope Extensions
Overhead rope extensions are one of the few isolation exercises which target the long tricep head. At the bottom of the movement, keep your hands close to each other and spread them as you reach the top.
Barbell Skullcrushers
Skullcrushers are a great exercise for the overall development of the tris. Start with the barbell at a fist’s distance from your forehead. Your elbows should stay in place throughout the movement. Squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement.
Dips
Dips are a functional movement and you can change the difficulty of this exercise as per your current stage. If you are a beginner, you can do the bench dips. Intermediate lifters can perform the dips on the parallel bars and the advanced bros can do the weighted dips.
Which is your favorite bicep exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Build Traps Like Mountains with this Workout
Workout for Building Monsterous Traps
Although the trapezius muscles take up a lot of real estate on your back and shoulders, most people treat them like accessory muscles. Well developed traps can make your shoulders look bigger and can add the illusion of broad shoulders and a narrow waist to your physique.
The trapezius muscle extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It helps in moving the scapula and supports the arm.
Exercise 1
– Upright Row to Shoulder Press – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Since the traps are a relatively small muscle group, most people prefer training them with their shoulder or back. Since this article is all about building giant traps, we’ll focus on the trapezius muscle and the other shoulder heads.
In upright rows to shoulder press, hold the barbell with a shoulder-wide grip and let the bar rest against your quads. Pull the barbell up to your shoulders, rotate your wrists and get into the military press position. Complete a military press and slowly return to the starting position.
Exercise 2 – Superset
– Face Pulls – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
– Trap Raises – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Face pulls work the rear delts and the trapezius muscles. Adjust the cable pulley height to your shoulder level and use a rope attachment. At the contraction point, your hands should be close to your shoulders and you should focus on flexing your shoulder blades.
For the trap raises, lie chest-down on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Retract your traps and raise your arms without bending your elbows so that your arms are parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat with a strict form.
Exercise 3
– Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 Sets 20-15-12 Reps
Shrugs are a staple in a traps workout. Although shrugs are one of the easiest exercises to perform, most people screw them up by bringing in their inflated egos and lifting weights which are too heavy for them.
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and place them at the side of your quads. Lift your shoulders with a slight bend in your elbows and try touching your ears with them. Hold and contract your traps at the top of the movement.
Exercise 4
– Barbell High Pulls – 3 Sets 15 Reps
Barbell high pulls are a variation of the upright rows. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip right outside the shoulder width mark. You could perform the rack-pull version of this exercise or let the bar hang in front of your quads.
The barbell high pulls are an explosive movement as compared to the upright rows. Perform an explosive upright row to lift the weights as high as you can and get on your toes as the barbell reached the top of the movement. Let gravity do its magic on the way down and don’t try to control the bar.
Exercise 5 – Superset
– Front Smith Machine Shrugs – 3 Sets 20-15-12 Reps
– Behind the Back Smith Machine Shrugs – 3 Sets 20-15-12 Reps
Performing the front shrugs on the smith machine engages the anterior traps, and behind the back version engage the posterior traps while the dumbbell shrugs focus on the medial trapezius muscles.
Using the smith machine also adds constant tension to your traps as it is an isolation exercise. You could use a shrugs machine if you have access to it at your gym or use the shoulder press machine if your gym doesn’t have a shrug or smith machine.
Which is your favorite traps 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.
Drop Everything and Follow These Fitness Athletes on YouTube
Unlike the other social media platforms, YouTube is a long format platform. While Instagram and Snapchat have the capabilities to post videos, both have time restrictions and can’t match the depth YouTube videos offer.
If you want to learn a thing or two about fitness and bodybuilding, you should begin by watching some YouTube videos. Creators have put out thousands of hours of content which can give you an edge in shaping your physique.
The Best Fitness Athletes to Follow on YouTube
Dana Linn Bailey
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DLB arguably has the best videos on this list. Dana’s videos are full of useful content and are edited to perfection. Dana partners with her husband, Rob, on her channel and you will fall in love with their chemistry and their love for their arts.
Steve Cook
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Steve has one of the oldest YouTube channels and documents his life through his videos. If you’re into the golden bodybuilding era and want a physique just like that, Cook is the guy you need to follow.
Bradley Martyn
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Going to the gym and doing the same old exercises every day can be boring. Martyn has an uncanny ability to do mind-blowing things in the gym. Some of Bradley’s escapades include squatting with two girls on a barbell, deadlifting with one arm and squatting on a hoverboard.
Elliot Hulse
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Once you start lifting weights, you will probably have tonnes of questions. Before you go crazy looking for answers on the internet, head over to Elliot’s channel and you might find your answer.
Hodge Twins
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The Hodge Twins are great at debunking myths and doing product reviews. Hodge Twins walk the walk and have experimented with almost everything, including going vegetarian and vegan.
Marc Lobliner
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Lobliner is the CMO of TigerFitness.com and the CEO of MTS Nutrition. Marc focuses on helping you reach your fitness goals and shares content which can help you achieve the physique of your dreams.
Dom Mazzetti
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If you haven’t already, you need to subscribe to Dom Mazzetti and his channel BroScienceLife. Dom lays out the footprints of how to be a bro inside the gym and does so with his bizarre humor.
CT Fletcher
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If you like watching some motivational videos before your workouts, it doesn’t get any better than CT Fletcher. Fletcher has collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry and will surely pump you up to kill it inside the weight room.
Mark Bell
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Mark “Smelly” Bell is the founder of Slingshot, owner of the Super Training gym and is the brother of the famous filmmaker Chris Bell. Bell is a powerlifter and throws out incredibly effective tips to lift better.
Mike Rashid
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Mike Rashid isn’t your regular fitness celebrity. Rashid is a bodybuilder and a boxer who believes in developing his mind and body at par. Mike puts out life advice in videos he likes to call mind jewels.
Who is your favorite fitness YouTuber? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Your Guide to Become A Successful Personal Trainer
To become a successful bodybuilding personal trainer, sometimes you need to do more than the average bodybuilder. Most importantly, you must be a gym guru with every aspect of training in your fingertips. You also need to maintain a healthy diet to help get that body you want your trainee to have. However, passion for the sport is the most important thing one must have. As you will realize, it could prove hard to throw your entire life behind something you don’t like and become successful in it. At the same times, some people have great passion to be personal trainers but they don’t know what it takes to become one. Luckily for you, this article is meant to teach you a few things about being a personal trainer you need to know.
Start by Working on Your Personality
A person’s personality has a great impact on their training style. We can’t say a certain personality is not good for coaching but how you shape it determines your success as a coach. If you haven’t noticed, some personal trainers turn out to be fiery and aggressive while others are calm and shows care. Don’t be lied to that the latter are the ones who produce better results; the truth is that a fiery coach can produce better performance than a calmer one. It all depends on how one relates with the people or person they’re training in terms of communication, listening, and problem-solving skills.
Trainees as well come with unique personalities that need to be handled differently. But your approach as a coach determines a lot whether there’s going to be a personality clash or a healthy working relationship. Learning more about sports psychology is your best chance of polishing your personality in preparation for the role of a personal trainer.
Relaed Article:: 50 Workouts Routines for the New Year
Study Your Niche and Stay Up to Date
You must know what is happening in your niche at all times if you want to become a great coach. That way, you will be able to make appropriate adjustments to your training programs and style. Know everything that happens in the gym and the right way to do it. Make sure you’re familiar with all training exercises and the milestones that need to be reached after a certain period. Most importantly, be flexible and change with trends to avoid being left behind. It also means being ready and willing to accept and try new things. Start by researching your niche online and reading publications to familiarize yourself with every aspect of bodybuilding and training. Do this and before long you will be better informed about training to lead your trainee in the right direction.
Lead and Teach
To be a successful personal trainer, you need to be ready to lead from the front. Show your clients what needs to be done by demonstrating as accurately as you can. Most importantly, give honest feedback after every day of training. Critique as much as you praise them and let them know what needs to be done to improve their current form. Seeing their trainer do what they need to do is enough motivation for clients do even better.
Planning is Paramount
A coach without a solid plan will fail alongside those who have put all their trust in them. Planning involves setting goals and preparing a strategy to help reach them. However, there must be some flexibility in planning to cater for unforeseen circumstances. But don’t make a habit of improvising lest you lose complete sight of the goal ahead. You should also come up with a venue and training program that does not strain clients or available resources. If you’re not in a position to set up your own gym, you can work with an established fitness center that has everything you need to get it rolling.
Don’t Overuse Intensity
You need to draw the line between working hard and hurting your clients. Soreness and injury resulting from intense straining can have a negative impact on the trainee’s overall performance. Know when to stop training to avoid putting too much strain on clients. Most importantly, keep in mind that excessive fatigue does not always equate to successful training. It could even prove to be counterproductive as it prolongs recovery time, thus making training fall short of its intended purpose.
Take Appropriate Coaching Courses
You will not know everything about bodybuilding and accompanying training by spending all your time in the gym. Make it professional by enrolling for a short course on the same. You can also do several courses as each comes with something new that will prove to helpful in the long run. Most importantly, ensure the course you take is relevant because it is only then you’re going to be a certified trainer. Trainers also advise to take safety courses in addition to regular bodybuilding ones to fully prepare for any eventuality.
Sharpen Your Skills
Continue developing your skills by training at your free time. You can also make a schedule that does not collide with your clients’ and use it to sharpen your kills. Appearing fit with a well-chiseled body is the best way to motivate your students. Try not to look like some trainers who are a complete opposite of what they want their trainees to look like.
Flexibility is Key
Personal trainers work extra hard to make things happen for their clients and that means a lot of sacrifice. It is even harder if they have many private clients, some of whom don’t want to train in a group. The coach lefts to balance between satisfying everyone and achieving set goals. That calls for a lot of flexibility because you might face with a lot of cancellations and rescheduling. Most importantly make sure to come up with a timeframe for rescheduling after cancellation and also be flexible enough if that doesn’t work out. The same applies to cancellation and rescheduling of competitions you’ve been preparing for. In fact, some competitions could be pushed back and that means working twice as hard to prepare adequately. Flexibility is needed for different things and circumstances and the coach must prepare to avoid throwing into chaos.
Developing Unique Programs for Clients
You need to treat every client uniquely if you want to become a successful coach. That is because each one of them has a different personality and abilities and a general approach might not favor them. Start by understanding each of them and preparing a training program that suits them best. Most importantly, avoid giving them a program that worked for you because it might not work for them. However, preparing separate programs for several clients might prove to be a challenge because it does not only strain you but it also means progress is slow. Try grouping them according to similar or close personalities and abilities to accommodate all of them. While at it, try not to appear to discriminate against some of them because it would paint a bad picture.
Related Article:: Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer
Gain Lots of Experience
One needs plenty of experience, even after acquiring accreditation as a coach because most things are learned through experience. There is only one place you can gain as much experience as you can-the gym. Spend most of your time at the gym trying anything and everything before asking your clients to do it. It is also important to familiarize yourself with different equipment and exercises. it gives you the confidence to teach and demonstrate to your clients. Working with a more experienced trainer is another great way of gaining experience. Listen, watch, and learn from them as if you were a client, only then will you learn how it feels to be one.
Have an Insurance
One may be tempted to overlook this but it is a very important tip for everyone who is aspiring to be a coach. It is important to insure your fitness business apart from getting a personal accident or illness insurance. However, you need to do your research well to get yourself a good company with great insurance policies. Don’t look at the amount of monthly premium but the overall benefits of being insured.
A Personal Trainer Give Lots of Homework
Homework is a good tool to measure progress because it’s usually done in your absence. Once regular training is over, issue your clients with a homework they need to complete before the next session. That is the only sure way to know whether earlier sessions were successful. Most importantly, give honest feedback about their performance so they know why they need to repeat some exercises.
Conclusion
Finally, it is important to pursue personal training as a business for obvious reasons. It not only expands your training mentality due to handling different people but will also earn you a good reputation. Most importantly, try to develop soft skills that enable you relate well with clients. Try to understand their unique habits and behaviors as well as listening to their concerns. It is the first step in building a strong personal relationship that goes beyond bodybuilding training. Don’t forget to go through our blog for more inspirational and informative articles.
The Anllela Sagra Diet For The Perfect Physique
The Secret Of The Anllela Sagra Diet
If you don’t know who Anlella Sagra is, you’re already missing out. Anllela is a 23-year old Colombian fitness celebrity. Her rise to fame is her Instagram page where she posts regularly and engages with her fans.
There is no doubt about the fact Anllela has the physique of a Greek goddess. She arguably has the best abs we have ever seen on a girl. While training plays an important role in developing her perfectly carved physique, you can’t overlook the significance of her diet.
No matter how hard you workout, you won’t see the results until your diet is on point. Pros like Sagra are known to be disciplined and follow a strict diet. Washboard abs like hers are made in the kitchen and not in the gym.
1. Eat Frequently
If you want to build muscle and lose weight, you should eat at regular intervals throughout the day. Anllela eats four times a day and spreads out her meals evenly. Many people have the misconception that skipping meals will help them lose weight.
Skipping meals can have the opposite effect. You might force your body into storing fat by missing meals. Eating frequently can increase your metabolism rate which can help you in burning fat even while you’re not physically active.
2. Take Protein With Every Meal
It is no secret protein is the most important macronutrient when it comes to building muscle mass. As a rule of thumb, if you want to gain muscle, you should be taking one gram of protein per pound of body weight daily.
It is important you span out your protein intake throughout the day. Don’t try to gulp down all the protein in one or two sittings. Eating protein containing meals will help your body repair and recover from your workouts. Every meal Anllela eats contains protein in the form of egg whites or chicken and veggies.
3. Cycle Your Carbs
Some people cut out all the carbs from their diet in order to lose body fat. There is a smarter way of doing this. You can cycle your carbs throughout the week. This way your body can better respond to your diet.
Anllela eats zero carbs on the first day of the week. Doing this will create a carbohydrate deficit in your body and it will have to use stored fat as a source of fuel. This sounds good but this approach is not feasible in the long run.
The second day of the week is a low carb day for Sagra. You can go all out on the third day of the week and meet your normal carb needs as per your body weight. Repeat these three days over and over every week and you will see incredible results.
4. Cheat Meals
Cheat meals are an important aspect of losing weight and body fat. They make your body work harder to burn all the extra calories, fats, and carbs you intake in a single meal. This ramps up your metabolism system and helps you lose weight.
Anlella Sagra eats a cheat meal four times in a month which usually consists of a burger, fries, cheesecake, and peanuts. This is enough for her to satisfy all her cravings. Sagra loves sweets and eats protein bars whenever she has a craving for them.
What do you think of the Anllela Sagra diet? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Images courtesy of Instagram
These are the Hardest Exercises You Can Do in the Gym
The Hardest Gym Exercises You Should Try
The results you get from working out are directly proportional to the effort you put in. Training your body is a constant battle where you push yourself to shock your muscles with harder exercises in every single workout.
Most people avoid the hard exercises and stick with the easier ones which is why only a few people are successful in transforming their bodies. To see a change in your physique, you need to make these exercises a part of your exercise arsenal.
Squats
Squats are the king of leg exercises. Compound movements are harder to perform as they use multiple muscle joints as compared to the single-joint isolation exercises. Very few people perform the squats with the full range of motion – ass to grass and a strict form.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are another dreaded exercise and only a few people perform them in their workouts. All the exercises mentioned in the list are hard to perform as they require skill to perform and can take some time to perfect.
Bench Press
Bench press, squats, and deadlifts are the three big compound exercises and are some of the most fundamental exercises you can perform. Lifting heavy on the bench press takes some serious strength and a big heart.
Walking Lunges
Walking lunges add a new level of difficulty to leg training by adding the walking aspect to this exercise. Maintain a full range of motion while performing this exercise. The knee of your second leg should be an inch away from the ground at the bottom of the movement.
Military Presses
As the name suggests, performing the military presses require a military level discipline and a strict form. Most people use momentum to lift the bar above their shoulders or push the barbell forward as they complete the movement in place of pushing it over their heads.
Muscle-Ups
Muscle-ups aren’t for the faint-hearted. Chances are, you might have never even seen anyone perform the muscle-ups at your gym. Muscle-ups require brute upper body strength and a strong core.
Skullcrushers
Skullcrushers are arguably the hardest triceps exercise. To perform the skullcrushers correctly, lock out your elbows at the top of the movement and squeeze your triceps. The barbell should be an inch away from your forehead at the bottom of the movement.
21’s
Bicep pumps will never be the same for you once you do the 21’s. Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and perform seven half repetitions from the bottom to the mid of the full range of motion. Perform the second set of seven reps from the top to the middle of the movement and the final seven reps with a full range of motion. Perform the 21 reps without any rest in between and the 21 reps will be one set.
Planks
Planks are the ultimate exercise for building core strength. Most people make the mistake of slouching their butt or forming a bridge while planking. Keep your core tight and body in a straight line while performing the planks.
Burpees
Burpees are one of the hardest bodyweight cardiovascular exercises. The trick while performing the burpees is to maintain constant intensity. By the end of this exercise, you’ll be gasping for breath and swimming in the pool of your own sweat.
Which is the hardest exercise according to you? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Evato Elements.
The Abs Workout You’ll Feel Until Next Week
Abs Workout to Make You Sore
Most people treat their abs as accessory muscles which is why only a few people have a chiseled six-pack while the others are always figuring out a way to get them. You need to train your abdominals as you train all your other muscle groups.
Doing a couple of ab exercises at the end of a workout isn’t going to budge the needle when it comes to building a six-pack. There are only a few things more satisfying than having sore abs for a week after you train them.
Exercise 1 – Ab Wheel Rollouts – 3 Sets Failure
We start the abs workout with the ab wheel rollouts. The ab wheel rollouts work your complete upper body and help in building core strength. If you don’t have access to an ab wheel at your gym, use a barbell and put a quarter plate on each side.
Maintain a full range of motion while performing this exercise and pause for a second at the bottom of the movement. All the exercises in this workout will be done to failure. Don’t stop until there is nothing left in the tank.
Exercise 2 – Superset
– Hanging Leg Raises – 3 Sets Failure
– Kneeling Cable Crunches – 3 Sets Failure
We’ll be training the complete abdominal in this workout. The hanging leg raises target the lower abs while the kneeling cable crunches will train the middle and upper abs. Using cable in the crunches puts constant tension and resistance on the abs.
Maintain a constant repetition tempo while performing all the exercises. Don’t rush through the exercises and focus on maintaining a mind-muscle connection with your abs and contract your abs with every rep.
Exercise 3 – Giant Set
– Crunches – 3 Sets Failure
– Heel Touches – 3 Sets Failure
– Reverse Crunches – 3 Sets Failure
In the giant set, we will be training the upper, middle, lower abs along with the obliques. Obliques are the fish gill-like muscles at the sides of your abs and are one of the most overlooked muscles.
All the three exercises are done while lying on the floor so you don’t waste time switching positions. Go from one exercise to another without stopping for rest in between sets. You can take a minute’s rest after completing one giant set.
Exercise 4 – Superset
– Landmine Ab Twists – 3 Sets Failure
– Russian Twists – 3 Sets Failure
Your goal should be to complete this workout in half an hour. The abdominal is a small muscle group and doesn’t need a lot of time to recover between sets. Both the exercises in this superset are focused on developing your obliques.
For the landmine ab twists, anchor one end of a barbell in a corner. Grab the barbell from the other end with both hands at neck level. Perform the movement by rotating the trunk and hips as you swing the weight to the right side. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side.
Exercise 5 – Planks – 3 Sets Failure
Planks have earned a name for themselves for being an ultimate core strength building exercise. We start and end the workout with core strengthening exercises. Hold the planks for as long as you can.
By the end of the workout, your abs should be filled with blood and lactic acid. Don’t be surprised if you cramp up during the workout. One workout like this in a week should be enough to get you the washboard abs.
How often do you train your abs? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Terry Crews Workout & Diet Program
Look like a Hollywood superstar with the Terry Crews Workout & Diet Program!
Terry Crews is an actor, TV presenter, and former NFL football player. He first earned acclaim as an actor for playing Julius Rock in Everbody Hates Chris and Terry Jeffords in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Also, who can forget his classic Old Spice commercials?
Apart from being known for his impeccable sense of humor, acting, and football skills, Terry is an advocate for women’s rights and an activist against sexism. In 2017, ‘Time‘ magazine featured him in the ‘Person of the Year‘ list for his courage in sharing his experience of sexual assault.
Growing up, Terry Crews enjoyed expressing himself through art and earned a sponsored art scholarship at the Center for Arts in Michigan.
Related: Terry Crews Claims He Was Groped By A “High-Level Hollywood Executive”
After finishing high school, he earned another scholarship in Art Excellence. We bet you did not know this about the pec popping star.
Apart from his artistic passions, Terry is a skilled football player. Although arts was his favorite hobby for the majority of his schooling days, a growing passion for football soon took over.
Terry played as a linebacker for WMU broncos, and his outstanding performances earned him and his team All-Conference honors and the 1988 Mid-American Conference Championship title.
Terry Crews Stats
Name: Terrence Alan Crews
D.o.B.: 30 July 1968
Birthplace: Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 245 lbs
Profession: Actor, TV Presenter, ex-Football Player
Watch: Conor McGregor Does His Best Terry Crews Impression After Autograph Signing
Terry Crew’s Transition From Football to Acting
During his six-year pro football career (1991-1997), Terry played for some of the top NFL teams, including Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Diego Chargers.
Terry Crews Career NFL Statistics
Games played: 32
Tackles: 57
Assists: 38
After retiring from NFL in 1997, Crews moved to LA to pursue a career in acting. His first film was ‘Young Boys Incorporated‘ – that he had also co-produced.
Terry Crews made his Hollywood debut in 2000 with the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, “The 6th Day.” Although Crews started his career with a big film, he failed to land a single gig for the following two years.
After spending a couple of years searching for work, Terry finally made his first big breakthrough. He got a role in the movie Friday After Next, playing Damon.
Trivia: In his autobiography ‘Manhood: How to Be a Better Man or Just Live with One,’ Terry Crews revealed that he was addicted to pornography. He underwent rehabilitation in 2010 to overcome his porn addiction.
Related: TOP 30 MUSCLE MOVIES
Terry Crews Fitness Principles
Crews is a hardcore Hollywood action hero. He spent four years as an NFL linebacker and still lifts with a dedication that would put many pro athletes to shame.
Here are some fitness principles Terry Crews swears by:
1. Do Not Be Scared of Failure
Terry Crews is not scared of pushing his boundaries, whether in a gym or on a movie set. Talking about comedy, Terry said, “Comedy is all about failure, and you need to learn how to fail because jokes don’t always work.”
The same could be said for working out as well. You would never realize your true potential until you go all-out in the gym. Bump up your training intensity, and you will be surprised by how much your body can endure.
2. You Get Better With Age
With age comes experience. Crews still trains with ridiculous intensity but has tweaked his workouts to better suit his busy schedule, age, and joints.
“As a young man, I could jump off a roof, fall on my back and get up without a problem. But now, if I stub my toe, I’m out for two weeks. It made me realize that instead of just working harder, I needed to work smarter. I used to lift lots of heavyweights for lots of reps, but it would wear me down. So I tried lowering the reps, and I found that if I just got two heavy reps in per set instead of five or six, I’d get more benefit from it. Plus I’d recover better, and I wouldn’t feel as tired.” – Terry Crews
According to The Expendables actor, you should experiment with different training techniques and figure out what works for your body. He believes that your workouts should always make you feel better, not worse.
Related: Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training For Bodybuilders
3. Experiment With Food
Crews has been making adjustments to his diet regimen as he has gotten older.
Like many pros, Terry Crews used to eat five to six times a day when he was younger. But he eventually realized that he was eating too much and had to work out even harder to burn off the excess calories.
Terry is currently following an Intermittent Fasting (IF) diet that seems to be working wonderfully for him, but more on this later.
4. Run For a Better Physique
Terry Crews is an avid runner and runs four miles (6.5 km) a day. He claims to cover the distance in less than 30 minutes. On being asked about his running routine, Crews says, “I really notice the difference when I don’t run – I become irritable. I’m not the same person.”
Related: Why Running and Bodybuilding Are A Great Combination For Gains
5. Believe in Yourself
You need to set big goals for yourself and then have the faith and courage to pursue them. Terry believes in having people who want the best for you and see you succeed in your corner. You need to share your goals and progress with them. This close circle will keep you accountable in your transformation journey.
Check Out: Terry Crews Faces Off With CT Fletcher In This Intense Gym Session
Terry Crews Diet Program
Terry Crews does not believe in bulking or cutting. He believes in looking good all the time.
“I always stay about two weeks out from being able to take my shirt off.” – Terry Crews
Terry does not follow a typical Hollywood action star diet program. You will not see him gulping down 6-8 meals every day. And no, chicken breast and rice are not on his menu.
Crews follows a 16:8 Intermittent fasting (IF) diet. Meaning – He fasts for 16 hours straight and eats anywhere between 3-4 meals in an eight-hour window.
Terry eats his first meal at 2 pm, and his biggest meal comes at around 10 pm. During his fasting periods, he only drinks green tea and amino acids.
As per Terry, eating his biggest meal at night helps his body produce more testosterone and growth hormone while he sleeps – giving him more fuel for his workout for the next morning.
Related: Do Carbs at Night Make You Leaner or Fatter?
Terry Crews Diet Regimen
Meal #0 (5 am): A glass of amino acids. He drinks a gallon of amino acids a day.
Terry might also have a cup or two of coffee in a day, but with coconut oil and no sugar or cream. The oil provides healthy fats that his body needs in a fasting cycle.
Meal #1 (2 pm): Eggs and bacon with a salad, or a charcuterie board filled with salami, cheeses, bread, and of course, almonds.
Meal #2 (5 pm): Protein shake.
Meal #3 (8 pm): Bread, pasta, bison ribeye, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.
Snack (10 pm): Cheesecake/Pudding/Pie/Pinkberry
Terry Crews is a self-proclaimed dessert guy. He does not end his day without a slice of cheesecake or two. Terry being Terry uses almond flour as a base for the cheesecake as it provides him with essential healthy fats.
Cheat Days
Terry Crews follow the IF diet six days a week and allows himself one cheat day. On his cheat days, the Hollywood star eats whatever he wants – pizza, ice cream, pancakes, you name it.
Related: This Is How You Can Overcome A Cheat Meal
Terry Crews Workout Program
Terry’s athletic background and years of training experience weigh heavily in his training regimen. He prefers compound exercises such as power cleans and deadlifts as he believes these build “total-body power” and thicken his muscles.
After completing his functional routine, Terry focuses on specific muscle groups using isolation movements. Crews is an advocate of lifting heavy (especially for men in their 40s and 50s) as he believes it helps boost testosterone levels naturally.
Next Read: Isolation Vs. Compound Exercises: Strength, Weight Loss & More
Terry Crews Training Routine
Terry follows a five-day training routine and gives his body two days off to rest and recuperate from his workouts.
Monday: Legs
Warm-up: 5 minutes
Leg press: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Standing calf raise: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Hack squat: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Leg extension: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Hanging leg raise: 4 sets to failure
4-mile run
Terry Crews starts his workout routine with a leg workout. Unlike most lifters, Crews trains his calves in the middle of his leg training session. Remember: Figure out what works for you and stick with it. It is the fastest way of making progress in the gym.
Tuesday: Chest and Arms
Warm-up: 5 minutes
Push-up: 4 sets of 15 reps
Incline bench press: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Barbell bench press: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Pull-up: 4 sets of 25, 18, 15, 10-12 reps per set
Dumbell curl: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Bicep curl 21s: 4 sets of 7 reps per set
Push-up and dip superset: 3 sets to failure
4-mile run
On Tuesday, Terry trains his chest and arms. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star does not spend more than 1.5 hours in the gym. He keeps his rest duration between sets limited to 60 seconds. So, focus on keeping your intensity high throughout the workout.
Wednesday: Stretch, Abs, and Cardio
Warm-up: 5 minutes
Push-up: 4 sets of 15 reps
Stretching exercises
Shoulder Side lateral raise: 1 set of 10 reps
Reverse fly: 1 set of 10 reps
Hanging leg raise: 1 set to failure
Crunch: 1 set to failure
4-mile run
The third day of the week is a relatively easy day for Crews. He performs a series of stretching exercises to loosen his muscles and improve his mobility. He finishes the workout with a couple of ab exercises done to failure.
Thursday – Back
Warm-up: 5 minutes
Barbell deadlift: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Pull-up: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Side to side chin-up: 1 set per side at 6 reps per set, and 1 set in the middle at 3 reps
Reverse-grip bent-over row: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Smith machine bent-over row: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Seated cable rows: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
4-mile run
Terry follows a high-volume routine on his back day. He starts his back workout with deadlifts and then moves on to pull-ups for building width and ends with rowing exercises for thickness.
Friday – Shoulders and Plyometrics
Terry Crews includes a variety of exercises in his workouts to ensure he is targeting his muscles from every angle. Although his shoulder workout is short, he makes sure he has annihilated the muscle group by the end of the session.
Check Out: Top Hollywood A-Listers With Awesome Physiques
Supplements
Terry Crews relies on supplements to recover after his workouts and power him through his days. He uses the following supplements:
1. Multivitamins: Terry Crews takes vitamins thrice a day. It ensures that he is meeting his daily micronutrient goals.
2. Amino Acids: Crews wakes up at 4:45 am every day and eats his first meal nine hours later. He sips on amino acids throughout the day to keep his energy levels high.
3. Whey Protein: Protein is the building block of muscle. Terry has a protein shake between his lunch and dinner to ensure he is not burning off any muscle mass.
Next Read: TERRY CREWS’ SECRET UPPER BODY WORKOUT
Conclusion
Terry Crews know a thing or two-thousand about fitness. He has managed to maintain a ripped physique for 20 odd years. The Expendables star proves that age is just a number on your driver’s license.
If you were to internalize one thing from the Terry Crews workout and diet program, it should be this – experiment with a lot of new things and stick to what works for you – even if it means going against the grain.
Who do you think has the best physique in Hollywood? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Gym Crush – Karina Elle
Images courtesy of Instagram @karinaelle
Kariana Elle is a true Cali girl who loves the beach and gym life. Elle is a former competitive cheerleader and a cross country runner. After college, Karina devoted most of her free time to fitness and started competing in bikini shows.
The half Vietnamese – half-French beauty is a fitness model, a personal trainer and was named the most “in-demand” fitness model by a popular magazine in 2014. Elle won the World Fitness Federation Pro Bikini Championship amongst many others.
Hotness Overload – Karina Elle
While attending the University of Florida, cheerleading and cross country running was replaced by being a part-time group fitness instructor. For Karina, the transition from cheerleading to fitness came naturally as she liked her fitness instructor job so much.
Karina isn’t your average fitness girl who is always on the lookout for the right lighting for the perfect booty shots. Elle is comfortable sweating and having messy hair as she goes about doing her thing.
Squat Rack is the Altar
Elle likes to squat heavy and can put many men to shame with the depth and form of her squats. Karina prefers using heavy weights as it helps in fully engaging all her muscle fibers and maximizes muscle growth.
After winning the overall title in her first bikini show, Karina started modeling for the top agencies in the country. Elle has featured in several minor TV commercials, has been featured on the cover of one of the most renowned magazines in Singapore in 2013, and she achieved all this at the age of 26.
Get the Best of Everything
The 5’11” internet fitness celebrity is into yoga and can turn the world into her yoga mat. Karina says her addiction to endorphins which she gets after a good workout helps her stay motivated to hit the gym and be in shape.
Elle is a Gym Shark athlete who is always making a style statement in and out of the gym. Karina doesn’t hold herself back from having some fun while she’s working out. Follow her on Instagram to keep up with her.
Karina has one of the most chiseled midriffs on a female fitness model. Her washboard abs are the proof she loves to stay in top shape throughout the year. Although Karina sticks to her healthy diet, she likes to have a juicy hamburger and french fries once in a while.
Bikinis are Life
Elle undoubtedly has one of the most exotic wardrobes with some of the most beautiful bikinis you’ll ever see. Her pictures will glue you to your phone and you’ll find yourself scrolling through her timeline for hours.
Karina loves taking her workouts outdoors. Elle often does her cardio and bodyweight workouts in the wild. She is the perfect example you should never miss a workout even if there are no gyms around you. Make the world your gym.
Karina trains at the Mecca of Bodybuilding, Gold’s Gym in Venice, California. Her impeccable physique is the result of using every machine in the gym from the free weights to the cardio equipment.
What do you think about Karina’s abs? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Instagram