Tag: Workouts
Build a Golden Era V-Taper with this Workout
Back Workout for Building a V-Taper
Aesthetics were the main focus of bodybuilding in the golden era. The advent of science and enhancement drugs took the battle from aesthetics to muscle mass and size. While the fads come and go, the golden era aesthetics will stay forever.
The love for the golden era V-taper and natural aesthetics has brought about starting the Classic Physique division in the Mr. Olympia competition. Nothing appeals more in a well-crafted physique than the good old V-taper and we’re here to help you build one.
Exercise 1 – Pull-ups – 50 Reps
We’ll be focusing on the old school exercises in this workout. We will start the workout with 50 pull-ups. Take as many sets as you need to complete the 50 pull-ups but try to hit failure with every set.
Exercise 2 – Superset
– Bent Over Barbell Rows – 3 Sets 20, 15, 10 Reps
– Seated Pulley Rows – 3 Sets 10, 15, 20 Reps
The rows build the thickness in the back while the pull-ups and pull-downs help in building wide lats. Use lifting accessories to eliminate the grip strength while performing the exercises as your grip is prone to give up before your back.
Focus on building a mind-muscle connection and contract your back with every single rep. While performing the seated rows, lean forward to give your lats a stretch, but don’t lean back and maintain an arched back while rowing towards your body.
Exercise 3 – T-Bar Rows – 4 Sets 15, 12, 10, 8 Reps
The T-bar rows are where it gets down and dirty. Go heavy on the rows while maintaining a strict form. If you don’t have a T-bar row machine at your gym, put a barbell in the landmine rows position and use a v-handlebar to row the barbell.
A good back workout should be as taxing as a brutal leg workout. Your back is the second biggest muscle group after your legs and building a v-taper will require you to put all you’ve got into every exercise.
Exercise 4 – Giant Set
– Pullovers – 3 Sets 15, 12, 10 Reps
– Front Facing Lat Pulldowns – 3 Sets 15, 12, 10 Reps
– Behind the Neck Lat Pulldowns – 3 Sets 15, 12, 10 Reps
The giant set will be focused on building the broad wings. In the first set, lie down across a flat bench and perform the first set with 15 reps. Don’t bend your elbows throughout the movement as doing so will recruit your pectoral muscles.
After the pullovers, we switch over to the front facing lat pulldowns and then move onto performing the behind the neck lat pulldowns. These three are the most effective exercises when it comes to building wings you could fly with.
Exercise 5 – Barbell Shrugs – 3 Sets 30, 20, 10 Reps
Trapezius muscles (or traps) are one of the most abused muscles when it comes to training them in the gym. Performing shrugs is fairly easy, all you need to do is stand with your feet shoulder width apart, grab a barbell, maintain a slight bend in your elbows and lift your shoulders to your ears.
Many people mess up by letting their egos get in the way and go too heavy on this exercise. Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze the living hell out of your traps with every rep.
Exercise 6 – Behind the Back Machine Shrugs – 3 Sets 10, 20, 30 Reps
We’re not leaving any stones unturned with this workout and will not settle for anything less than a golden era v-taper. The trapezius muscle is majorly on our backs and behind the back shrugs can help us train it efficiently.
Using a machine for this exercise puts constant tension on the muscle which a vanilla barbell can’t do. If you’ve put everything into this workout, by the end of the 30 reps, your back should be on fire.
Who do you think has the best V-taper? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
How To Build A Chest Like Jay Cutler
These Are Jay Cutler’s Favorite Chest Building Exercises.
A chiseled chest has been the symbol of machoism for a long time. Jay Cutler, the 4X Mr. Olympia, is the poster boy for a broad chest and a narrow waist. There are no doubts Jay’s chest was a big factor in getting him the title of the best bodybuilder in the world.
Jay Cutler’s chest training program is different from what you might expect when you look at him. He follows a conservative approach when it comes to working out. He relies heavily on machines for his training. This mass monster believes eliminating the use of barbells reduces the chances of injury in the gym.
1. Hammer Strength Chest Press – 3 Sets 10 Reps
Jay stays away from lifting heavy barbells. This is a smart move especially if you’re prepping for a contest. An injury is the last thing you want while training to get on stage. Leverage chest press is a great substitute for the flat bench press.
Since this is a controlled isolation movement, feel free to use heavy weights. Cutler is big on establishing a mind-muscle connection. At the top of the movement, squeeze the living hell out of your pecs.
2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 Sets 10 Reps
The upper chest is a weak muscle group for most people. If you’re one of these people, you can make it even worse by not training it often. Incline dumbbell bench press is incredibly effective at targeting your upper pectoral muscles. Follow a complete range of motion and contract your chest with every rep.
Jay doesn’t follow the conventional 12, 10, 8 reps scheme in his workouts. He does consistent 10 reps in all his sets. Although you will be doing the same number of sets in each set, don’t hold back from pushing yourself and increasing the weights.
3. Pullovers – 3 Sets 10 Reps
Most people do pullovers for their back, but Jay does it for his upper pecs. You don’t have to use heavy weights during this exercise. Use moderate weights you can control and perform slow and deliberate reps with. Don’t lock out your elbows during this exercise.
Locking your elbows will engage your back and take all the tension off of your pecs. Lying cross-bodied on the bench during this exercise is more effective than lying straight. In the cross-bodied position, your hips and back are hanging low while your chest is elevated. Doing this helps with a better pec recruitment.
4. Cable Crossovers – 3 Sets 10 Reps
If you want to build a chest like Jay Cutler your chest workouts should be a mix of isolation and compound exercise. Compound exercises help with building the size and strength while isolation exercises help with building muscle definition.
Cable crossovers help with building the striations in your middle chest. Holding and squeezing at the top of the movement will help you get the chest separation and definition. Stand with your chest out and back arched while performing this exercise.
5. Dips – 3 Sets 10 Reps
Dips can prove to be a brutal exercise after what you’ve already put your chest through. This exercise is great for building your lower pecs and improving the definition in your chest. Maintain a full range of motion while performing dips.
If the bodyweight version of this exercise is too easy for you, feel free to use weights. Don’t just go through the motions while performing dips. Hold and squeeze your pecs at the top of the movement.
According to you which athlete has the best chest? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
The Best Cable Exercises For Your Triceps
The Best Cable Exercises For Your Triceps
The triceps is what I call, a masterpiece muscle. It carves a chiseled horseshoe on your upper arm as it develop. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, your triceps are underdeveloped. Let me show you how to get your triceps to hit puberty, but first, let’s go to class for a second. To get bigger, you’ll have to get smarter. Non-negotiable.
The triceps are comprised of 3 heads, the lateral, the long, and the medial head. Together they wrap around a large part of your upper arm. Grow your triceps and your arms will appear bigger for the same time invested in training your biceps. Cool hack huh?
Anyways, all 3 heads contribute to the primary function of elbow extension which is fancy word for straightening your arm.
Unfortunately, your triceps lose leverage as it gets closer to the straightened position. Dumbbell kickbacks don’t match this resistance profile well because the weight only resists downwards. Bands are better because you can aim the line of pull closer with your triceps by tying it at various angles.
However, bands stretch and add more resistance which means there’s more load where your triceps are weakest.
The solution is cables. Cables are a triceps best friend. They allow you to position the line of resistance with the fibers of all 3 heads without increasing the resistance curve where your triceps are already mechanically weakest. In addition, cables are generally more joint friendly especially the exercises I’m about to show you.
To make a long intro short, if you’re not using cables to build your triceps, your triceps training is remedial at best.
So here are 3 triceps exercise to include in your training as soon as possible.
Overhead Rope Extension
First exercise is an overhead rope extension. The overhead position also allows the long head to stretch and get additional muscle growing affects.
Notice how my arms go out and apart instead of forward. This forces more stress on your triceps instead of aggravating your elbow joint.
In fact, the traditional way of doing overhead rope extensions, many advanced lifters report joint pain. Don’t do that anymore.
Another thing to note is that I put the pulley at a moderate level. Doing this exercise from the bottom pulley which is quite common doesn’t add more resistance and simply makes it harder to setup. In fact, if you’re lifting appreciable weight, you won’t be able to bring the rope up to position.
Hand Supported Tricep Extension
This is what I call the hand supported tricep extension. It’s another joint friendly triceps exercise.
It also hits the triceps at a different angle as you extend horizontally. I like the hand support because it adds significant stability for force production without hindering the natural motion of cable.
It’s like the benefits of a seated triceps extension machine, but without the drawbacks of being jammed into a linear motion.
As for setup, I like to either set the cable perfectly parallel with the ground or 1-2 notches higher.
Single Arm Angled Triceps Extension
Being closer to the machine loads the lengthened position and allows your arm to provide more stability.
The most noteworthy thing about this exercise though is the slight angle. I don’t know who started the whole elbow tucked thing, but that is inefficient for the triceps.
The long head attaches at your shoulder blade. Squeezing your arm by your side essentially jams that insertion point and limits the space and output of the long head which is the hardest head to bias.
The angle changes that. It also unsurprisingly makes the exercise less stressful for the joints. Many lifters I’ve trained report how much more they feel their triceps and no strain on their elbows with this variation.
Line the pulley so the cable runs in line with your upper arm.
Lastly, always do these unilaterally. You can use 2 cables at the same time, but the rubbing of the cables won’t feel as smooth. Not to mention, most people lack unilateral work in their programs, so more is always better.
Programming
As far as programming goes, add 2 or all 3 of these into your program depending on how often you train your triceps.
3-4 sets per exercise is plenty. Aim for rep ranges of 8-12 or higher. Keep your wrist straight and your body stable to force the triceps to work.
Lift with ferocious intensity until the horseshoe appears. As the weeks go on, add more weight. Rinse and repeat and that horseshoe will go from small bump to a masterpiece.
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5 Stretches For Bodybuilders To Optimize Growth & Size
Don’t skip out on stretching and lose muscle growth.
Stretching is one part of a workout that is easy to ignore. For whatever reason, many bodybuilders jump into the workout, get it done, and leave without a second thought as to offering our bodies some relief. Or worse, we know we should stretch but find some excuse to leave the gym before our guilt takes over.
For those who want those big muscles and toned aesthetic but hold out on stretching and don’t bother, you’re missing out on the opportunity for big gains with your muscles in and out of the gym to aid in your overall bodybuilding and flexibility goals.
What stretching actually does is stretch a connective tissue, known as fascia, that surrounds your muscles and expands the space around them allowing for more room for your muscles to grow. So without doing a simple routine before and after a workout, you are only limiting the gains you worked so hard the last hour for. Forget muscle size for a second.
Stretching primarily aids in recovery and can help avoid injury while also aiding in range of motion, keeping you in the gym and not stuck on the couch. What starts as pain and tightness can lead to a host of unfortunate possibilities resulting in injury or worse for bodybuilders from a lack of range of motion.
With the ability to increase flexibility, range of motion and muscular strength, and avoid injury, stretching should be at the center of your pre- and post-workout even before touching a weight. That tightness and pain can be uncomfortable in the gym, limiting your body’s ability to work at maximum capacity, and can bleed over into your everyday life. Don’t let careless procrastination or a stigma stop you from achieving those gains. A simple static stretching routine can lead to you looking and feeling great proving to the naysayers who is in charge.
The Role Of Fascia
Fascia is a tough connective tissue that encloses the muscles keeping them in place in your body. Fascia hugs the muscle tight and can restrict muscle growth, hence why stretching is important. The best time to stretch is right after working a muscle group because the muscles are full of blood, pushing on the fascia and creating pressure. That tight, swollen feeling after a good set of bicep curls or a mean bench press is an example of this.
By stretching this muscle group right after training them, you add more pressure to the fascia, leading to expansion and ultimately big gains. Stretching is great for a pre-workout warm up, a post-workout recovery session, or mid-workout expansion to ensure you stay on top of your game and looking bigger than ever, either with static stretching or dynamic stretching, to help with posture as well.
Shoulder Stretch
Shoulder stretches are great for relieving muscle tension, pain, or tightness in both your shoulders and neck. As an important point of connection between your arms and upper body, your shoulders should be a focal point of stretching to keep you nimble and loose to really enhance your training routine.
This basic shoulder stretch starts with your right arm across your chest. With your left hand, pull gently toward your body and hold for a brief pause. Repeat by following the same idea for your left arm and this stretching exercise will work wonders for your training routine.
Another great shoulder stretch requires a towel or a band but can be really beneficial. Using a band, place your left arm above your head and grasp the band, letting it hang down your back. Grab the lower end with your right hand and slowly raise your left hand. Start slow with this and as you develop more flexibility, feel free to push it a little more. Repeat the same steps and switch arms with a comfortable position.
Biceps/Chest/Shoulder Stretch
This stretch is great to target your chest, shoulders, and biceps. As a focal point for many bodybuilders, these three muscle groups tend to take a beating in the gym and a good, solid stretch can alleviate much of the discomfort and tension that comes with working so hard and stretching for flexibility to promote better exercise.
A stationary object is required for this workout to enhance your training. Holding onto whatever object you are using, extend your arm. Rotate your body gently away from the object while keeping a solid posture. You will feel the stretch and it is important to not push it too hard. Only do what your body allows. Hold for however long you desire, but ideally around 30-60 seconds. Repeat the same process with the other arm muscles.
Triceps/Lats Stretch
Two commonly overlooked muscle groups for stretching are your triceps and lats. Triceps stretching can prevent tightness, increase circulation, and aid in flexibility. Your lats are the largest muscle in the upper body and stretching is crucial for injury prevention and increasing your range of motion for your muscles and exercise.
This simple stretching technique is great for both groups. Start with both arms extended overhead. Bend one arm down behind your head and with the opposite hand, grab your elbow. Gently pull on the elbow until you feel the stretch in your triceps and lats. Hold for however long you desire and repeat with the other side to really stretch your muscles.
Upper Body Stretch
This upper body stretch may seem silly at first, but it is great for giving that all around stretch. With nothing truly required except a chin-up bar, this stretch is more than easy and can give your upper body everything it needs for your muscles, like your back, to succeed.
Grab the chin-up bar with both hands and hang for as long as you desire. Try different grips and relax with your breathing. You should feel this stretch in the entire upper torso.
Quads/Hips Stretch
While the upper body usually gets most of the attention, you should never neglect your legs. Those two limbs that keep you grounded are vital and should never be taken for granted. For tight quads and hip flexors, this exercise is a great two-in-one stretch to really work your hips, lower body, and aid in better workouts.
Start in a kneeling lunge position. Your front knee should be bent at 90 degrees and your back leg should be extended behind you. With a tight core and glutes, gently reach back and grab your back foot, pulling it toward your hip. You will be able to go deeper into the stretch by relaxing and breathing into it. Repeat the same process for the other side and feel the great effects stretching has to offer for your muscles.
Wrap Up
While stretching may seem boring and potentially useless, it is quite the contrary. Stretching provides a host of benefits to your daily workout routine and will make you feel great. Whether it be injury prevention, increased flexibility, mobility, and circulation, or muscle expansion, stretching will allow those gains to be made with no extra work. Try these simple stretches pre- and post-workout for a warm-up and recovery, or mid-workout for that serious muscle size expansion we all work hard for. Start stretching and see those gains in action.
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
Why Strongmen Love The Tire Flip
There’s more than meets the eye with a tire flipping workout.
Everyone is looking for fun and inventive ways to get fit and mix up their exercise routine, but many of the basic workouts that have been done for years will give you exactly what you need, if not more. For those looking to increase their strength and conditioning while also doing something different, grab a large tire and get ready for the tire flip.
Tire training adds different elements that other exercises cannot touch, and while tires are most recognizable from strongman events, everyone can use them to boost their overall training. For the benefits the tire flip offers, it is no wonder why strongmen love it.
Strongman competitions have increased in popularity in recent years and with that, the training techniques used to bulk these strongmen up have begun to be incorporated in everyday gym-goers workouts. Since the tire flip only requires the tire, this has become a cheap and effective way to really boost training.
With various movements and exercise that be done with a tire, it is one way to incorporate a traditional exercise into your routine to increase your functional strength and raise performance to a whole new level.
What Is Functional Training?
Functional training is specific movements that mimic the demands of everyday activities. As a result, functional training can help you become stronger, more flexible, and better at handling everyday tasks to avoid unnecessary injury (1).
The tire flip works many muscle groups and relies on movements performed in your regular life making it a great exercise for functional strength and development. For strongmen, it keeps them perfecting the skills for a competitive event while also strengthening many muscle groups and keeping them injury free.
Benefits Of The Tire Flip
The tire flip incorporates multiple movements including a squat, a lifting motion, which is then followed by a pushing motion. As a result, you target different muscles on each of those movements including both upper body and lower body muscles. It works your posterior chain, which consists of your back, glutes, and hamstrings to build lower body strength and explosive power (2).
As a complex exercise, it requires the use of other stabilizing muscles throughout your entire body to help with this motion. Maintaining good posture forces your upper body to work equally as hard, and while the lifting movement is important, it should be noted to not lift directly straight up. You will find this works best with a driving technique until you get to the point of pushing it over.
By maintaining a tight core and solid form, you will get a good ab workout. As with many exercises, the core serves as the foundation for support to keep your body locked tight to avoid any extra movements that could result in injury.
Flipping tires should be about technical failure, not physical failure (3). The benefit of this is that your focus is strictly on form and once that starts to fall apart, you stop and reset. Whether this be to help mind-muscle connection or simply to keep you safe, working hard doesn’t have to mean you don’t work smart also.
As a physically demanding exercise, however, it will get your heart rate going and work your endurance, both muscular and aerobic. This exercise has been used in various obstacle course races and competitions to test both strength and endurance capabilities. Your power output will increase for this is an explosive movement. Great for increasing quick athletic performance, once you nail this down, the tire flip will be a great exercise and it will become apparent why strongmen love it so much.
How To Properly Do It
After a good warm-up, the tire flip exercise can begin. Place your desired sized tire on the ground making sure there is enough room to flip and continue the exercise. Place your toes against the tire and get down into a solid squat position with your knees bent and your hips down and back. With a tight core and neutral spine, grab the tire and drive your hips up as you lift the tire. It is not so much a lift straight up as it is a driving motion using your lower body for support and power.
Once the tire is at the right position (around your stomach or chest area), flip your hands over to your grip which is now one in a pushing position. This is a good time to do a posture check and make sure your core is still tight and spine is still neutral. Push the tire to tip it over and let it fall. Jump into the starting position to repeat, or take your time and reset for the next rep. The choice is yours.
Tire Flipping Tips
Depending on the size tire and your skill level, there are some things to know before you embark on this strongman adventure. If you are using a shorter tire, it does not require the same mobility as a larger one. In this instance, your grip can find the tire wedged between your fingertips and forearms.
For a much larger and higher tire, the demand is different and you find the tire wedged between your fingertips and chest. This is important because it will help take pressure off your biceps and other potentially vulnerable muscles and tendons. Along with grip, it is really important to maintain good posture. Become technically proficient before you start lifting and flipping crazy heavy tires to nail down form and avoid injury. In no time you’ll be doing what the strongmen do.
Wrap Up
The tire flip is a strange, but fun exercise. Fairly simple to perform and cheap to assemble, this workout will improve both upper and lower body strength while promoting endurance and power. Strongmen love this workout because it primes them for competition and forces them to work hard in a fun and engaging way. Solid form is key, but once you master it, you’ll be flipping tires taller than you. Boost your overall training and athletic performance and start to flip some tires. Strongmen love it and so will 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
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2015). “Functional Training Handbook”. (source)
Mims, Jason L.; Ebersole, Kyle T.; Cornell, David J. (2013). “Tire Flipping-A Method of Assessing Functional Power Output for Firefighters”. (source)
Keogh, Justin W. L.; Payne, Amenda L.; Anderson, Brad B.; Atknis, Paul J. (2010). “A Brief Description of the Biomechanics and Physiology of a Strongman Event: The Tire Flip”. (source)
How Nick Walker Works Out For Intensity & Crazy Huge Hamstrings
Nick Walker is an absolute beast and this hamstring focused workout is proof as to why.
Nick Walker, also known as The Mutant, is a professional bodybuilder fresh off two big wins at the 2021 New York Pro Championships and 2021 Arnold Classic Championships. Knowing exactly what it takes to win, he tailors his workouts so he only sees massive gains. Plus, with a large following on social media, he can use his platform to promote himself while inspiring others.
For so many of us, we have these generic workout plans which just seem fine. They make us sweat, give our muscles a burn, and keep us active. But everything about them is average. We need something to juice our workouts up, keep us fully engaged, and ensure we only see massive gains. Looking to professional bodybuilders and other strength athletes is exactly what we need to succeed and by working to better tailor our workouts to our specific goals, the right workout from one of our idols can be a game changer.
Nick Walker is certainly someone to take note of for he knows exactly what it takes to succeed on the world’s biggest stages. As someone who walks amongst giants every day, he has the right plans and the right course of action to see those massive gains we want most.
Full Name: Nick Walker
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
250-270 lbs.
5’7’’
01/23/1990
Profession
Era
Nationality
Bodybuilder
2010
American
These hamstring workouts from Nick Walker can seriously enhance your hamstring strength and size so your entire physique is a well-rounded and well-oiled machine. With two hamstring workouts, you can place them in one week and work for bigger gains with more muscle confusion and increased growth.
About Nick Walker
Nick Walker overcame a lot in his childhood and as he got older, things started to look bleak, for his mental health struggles were taking over. But his resiliency showed through when he found lifting and a passion was born from this struggle. Once he felt ready, and after spending time crafting a physique, he was ready to compete.
His first competition was after he graduated high school, and although the result may not have been what he wanted, he was proud of himself for giving it a go and taking the challenge head on.
From there on, there was no stopping Nick. After just turning pro, he has already won the New York Pro and Arnold Classic, with a top five finish at Mr. Olympia as well. In what was a strong year for Nick, the bodybuilding world is exciting to see what this rising star has left in him.
Nick Walker Crazy Hamstring Workouts
These hamstring workouts from Nick are sure to fire up your muscles and give you a great workout as you look to increase strength and size in those often overlooked hamstrings. With these great workouts, there is no longer an excuse to miss leg day, for these can really spark growth and add to your great physique.
A mix of compound and isolation exercises, these two workouts offer great variety and allow you to focus on what matters which is building muscle, toning your physique, and adding to your overall gains. A great way to get attention from the judges, really beef up your hamstrings and give your physique that well-rounded look it needs most.
Hamstring Workout #1
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Seated Leg Curls
4
10-12
Hip Adductors
4
10-12
Hip Thrusts
2
10-12
Romanian Deadlifts
4
8-10
Inverse Leg Curls
3
10-12
Hamstring Workout #2
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Leg Curls
3
10
Bench Lunge with DB
3
10
Seated Hip Adductors
3
10
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
3
12
Lying Hamstring Curls
3
8
Leg Extensions
3
8
Calf Raises
3
10
Why Your Hamstrings Matter
Your hamstrings go from your hips to your knees and are crucial for functional movements, as well as those sport specific ones. For those looking to increase power, this movement involves the hamstrings. Same with anything to do with running or jumping as your hamstrings work to absorb the shock better. With potential to impact things like posture and imbalances, it is crucial to keep your hamstrings loose and limber. For those looking to increase their bodybuilding goals, your hamstrings will make your legs pop and you will have that lower body aesthetic worthy of the Olympia stage. Looking at Nick Walker’s hamstrings, he certainly knows this to be true.
Best Supplements For Serious Gains
When it comes to building muscle and adding to your overall gains, there are a few supplements we wanted to share as you look to improve. You know about protein powders and what they can do for growth and recovery, but consider pairing them with creatine, to increase strength and size, or a mass gainer, to increase overall mass and allow for serious muscle to be built. On top of that, looking to something like casein protein will help with overnight repair and recovery by acting as a slow-digesting protein to really enhance gains.
As you grind in the gym, it is also important to stay as healthy as possible so including supplements like multivitamins and omega-3 supplements, as well as super greens, can ensure you get all those vital nutrients into your body so you never suffer from a deficiency.
Wrap Up
These two hamstring workouts from Nick Walker can greatly improve all areas of your gains and allow for better development overall. As an often times overlooked muscle, your hamstrings deserve the best from you and can add to your overall physique. Knowing how to work them and how best to maximize growth can be a game changer as you look to be as massive and shredded as Nick himself. Give these hamstring workouts a try, be sure to find a great supplement for additional gains, and see the results you want most.
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 Nick Walker Instagram
The Four Best Machines To Build Big Quads
Here are four great machines to build up your quads!
Every muscle can be built with free weights or machines, but quads in particular benefit greatly from machines. You show me somebody who’s built tree trunk quads and I’ll show you somebody who takes machine training seriously.
Oddly enough though, gym culture demonizes machines. They’d rather die on the barbell hill than grind their quads through a machine. They’ll say things like, “Machines aren’t as manly” or “Machines aren’t functional.” Oh so much stupid.
Machines rock and if tired of having baby quads, strap into the following machines.
1 – Hack Squat
The hack squat is an epic machine because it’s design fits everybody’s structure. It’s angled for a reason.
With traditional barbell back squats, the bar rests on your back and you’re essentially resisting weighted gravity. This means the bar has to stay over your center of mass or else you would topple over on either side and turn into a viral gym fail.
For the weight to stay over the center of your mid foot, your joints bend at specific ratios based on your anatomy. For some people, this means they genetically get more of an upright position which means more knee flexion(knee bend) hence more quad growth.
However, some people with less favorable limb ratios could be lifting the same load for the same amount of reps may not get as much quad growth because their anatomy limits knee flexion.
Fortunately, the hack squat solves this. The machine prevents you from toppling over and puts you at angle to get lots of knee flexion. It’s also suggested you bring your stance slightly lower and more inwards if it produces more knee flexion. This isn’t always the case, but for most people, the hack squat is better quad builder than barbell back squats.
To best perform the hack squat, follow the following cues:
Push through your entire foot.
Allow your knee to travel forward.
Keep your back neutral against the pad with no posterior pelvic tilt.
Grip the handles tight for stability.
I also like to have a reverse band set up on hack squats to add more resistance to the top portion of the lift. I find this more joint friendly and allows the entire rep to be more challenging as opposed to just the bottom portion being overloaded.
2 – Leg Press
The leg press is a bodybuilding stable and for good reason, but many dorks abuse it to stroke their ego. Nearly everyone who does it slaps on too much weight and perform a micro range of motion about the size of their puny brain. You thought I was going to say something else huh?
Well anyways, the leg press is a quad stimulating fast track if you used correctly. Here’s how to maximize quad growth on the leg press.
Set up
First set the seat as far back as you can. This minimizes hip flexion and the stretch on your glutes. This also increases your range of motion and allows for more knee flexion. Less hip flexion and more knee flexion means more quads and less glutes which is what you want.
To be clear, the glutes will still be working, but they’re not the priority in this case.
Keep your back pressed against the pad and similar to the hack squat, don’t allow for any posterior pelvic tilt. This takes tension off the targeted muscles and while it’s not a super dangerous position, does place more stress on the joints.
As for feet position, your most comfortable position should be fine. Do consider going slightly narrower and lower for more quads, but only if it doesn’t sacrifice range of motion.
Warm Up
The leg press is a heavily loaded exercise, so doing at least a couple warm up sets would be wise. This also allows you find your groove and adjust your feet position if needed. Perform all warm up sets just as you would your working sets.
This means with a controlled eccentric, a forceful concentric, and a full range of motion especially in the bottom position where the muscles are stretched and procuring lots of muscle building mechanical tension.
As you add load to your warm up sets, range of motion must not be compromised. If range of motion is cut short, you’ve gone too heavy.
Working Sets
Before you start your working sets, you can add bands for accommodating resistance. If not, no worries. Rest fully before starting your first working set.
Brace every rep and push until you reach near failure. Rest at least 3 minutes between sets. If you think you can go with less rest, you didn’t push hard enough.
By set 3, you should feel like walking is challenging. It’s ok, your quads will thank you later.
And remember, the leg press is a fixed plane. There’s no cheating technique besides range of motion. Either your quads get stronger or they don’t.
3 – Smith Machine
If the leg press or hack squat is taken, you can rely on the smith machine for some sweet quad gains. Yes, the most taboo machine is a hypertrophic beast.
“But it’s a fixed bar path.”
Yes, you dork, that’s the point. That’s where all the benefits come from. Similar to a hack squat, the design of the smith machine allows you to achieve more knee flexion through a fuller range of motion.
“But it deactivates your stabilizers.”
Again, people are dense. That’s what makes the smith machine so valuable. Without your core having to stabilize, you can push your quads much harder. You’re not limited by core or stability requirements not to mention it’s less taxing on your joints and nervous system.
In other words, more muscle building stimulus for less fatigue cost. A win, win.
The smith machine also possesses the same position as the bottom of the lunge except for both legs. So it’s perfectly functional. Haters need to stop hating.
For a smith machine squat, you can stand right under the bar or have your feet slightly in forward for slightly more knee flexion. If it is an angled smith machine, make sure you face the smith machine in the direction as the bar downwards towards where you’re facing.
To execute each rep, lower your self smoothly as the bar slides down with control. Sit as upright as you can and push your knees forward. Sink into the squat as deeply as you can without any part of your back rounding or your hips tucking under.
Your quads should stretch quite nicely at the bottom reach past 90 degrees. Because of the fixed bar path and low stability demands, training close to or all the way up to failure will ensure your quads fatigued all it’s muscle fibers.
4 – Leg Extensions
The leg extension is the unicorn of machines. It’s so unique people don’t even realize it. Every machine I’ve mentioned so far is great, but they’re all similar to one on another along with free weight exercise in the muscle length it trains.
All squat or compound quad movements train the quads in the lengthened position. To maximize hypertrophy, you need to train at all muscle lengths. Leg extensions are the only exercise that trains the quads in the shortened position. In addition, it’s one of the few movement patterns that hits the front of the quads (rectus femoris) well.
The rectus femoris is tricker to train than the other quadricep muscles because it crosses both the hip and knee joint. Any squat or lunge movement doesn’t place much mechanical tension on it.
Furthermore, leg extensions are highly low fatiguing compared to compound leg movements. You can do more volume and train it within a high frequency program without worrying about recovery issues.
It also allows you to train to failure without risk of injury and use set extending techniques nicely like myo-reps or rest pause.
To set up, set the seat back as far as you can to stretch the quads the most which increases force production. Don’t set it too far back where you lose stability though.
Set the pad above ankle level. Strap on a seat belt if your leg extension has one and grip the handles tightly. Your forearms should squeeze quite hard and pull yourself into the seat. This keeps your body stable, so the quads can get smooth force output.
Kick up forcefully while maintaining stability. Pause for 1 full second with your knees locked out and lower with lots of control even as you get towards that bottom portion where the resistance drops off.
You never want to slam your leg down as your muscles won’t be producing tension in the stretched position which is crucial to growing the rectus femoris.
Learn to Train Hard With Machines
Machines provide lots of advantages from biomechanics, stability, force output, and allowing you to train your quads optimally. In fact, it’s quite hard to grow your quads quickly and naturally without machines.
These machines simply have far too many advantages to expand your thighs. So I would think twice before you yap on about machines being lame.
In fact, machines allow the targeted muscle to reach close proximities to failure. They’ll burn like all hell. Are you man enough to endure it? If so, your quads will grow.
The Ultimate Hamstrings Workout
Follow This Workout For Shredded Hamstrings
Hamstrings are one of the weakest muscle groups for most people. It is hard to establish a mind-muscle connection with your hamstrings since they are at the back of your legs and you can’t see them in the mirror while training.
Hamstrings are one of the most stubborn muscles groups. If you have genetically weak hamstrings or are lagging in the department, you need to show them some extra love. Muscular hamstrings can significantly add to the size of your legs.
Leg Curls – 3 Sets 15 Reps
Starting with an isolation exercise is a good idea as it pre-exhausts your muscles. By pre-exhausting your muscles you can achieve the same result while lifting relatively lighter weights.
Using a cable leg curl machine helps you in maintaining constant tension on your hamstrings throughout the movement. You don’t need to go super heavy while performing this exercise. Pause and squeeze your hams at the top of the movement.
2. Romanian Deadlifts – 3 Sets 10 Reps
Romanian deadlifts are a compound exercise and will help you in building strength and size in your hamstrings. This exercise is different from the orthodox deadlifts as these primarily target your hamstrings, while the normal deadlifts target your back.
Keep a slight bend in your knees while performing the Romanian deadlifts. Think of your hams as chains used for lowering and lifting your back. Push back your hips while lowering the weights so all the tension is placed on your hamstrings.
3. GHD Hyperextensions – 3 Sets 15 Reps
GHD hyperextensions are an exercise brought into the limelight by CrossFit. Maintaining a full range of motion is key to performing this exercise. If you find the bodyweight version of this exercise to be easy, use weights to add resistance.
If you don’t have an access to a GHD bench at your gym, you can use a flat bench for this exercise. Place your knees at the top of the bench and ask someone to sit on your calves while you perform the exercise.
4. Jefferson Squats – 3 Sets 12 Reps
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You have been missing out on a lot if you’ve never tried this exercise. Jefferson squats will set your hams and glutes on fire. The Jefferson squats might look a little awkward at first, but you will dig the results.
It is a wide-stance deadlift where you hold the barbell between your legs with one hand in front of your body and one hand behind it. The better you become at doing Jeffersons, the more proficient you will be at squatting.
5. Good Mornings – 3 Sets 12 Reps
Good mornings are an excellent finishing exercise for your hamstrings. Most people make the mistake of going too heavy on this exercise. Use weights you can handle while keeping constant tension on your hams.
Maintain a slight bend in your knees and an arch in your back. Push back your hips on the way down and squeeze your hams at the bottom of the movement. Don’t rest by standing upright. Maintain constant tension by stopping a couple of inches from the starting point.
Who do you think has the best hamstrings? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
How Bradley Martyn Trains The Nelk Boys For Massive Gains
See how Bradley Martyn pushes the Nelk Boys into seeing serious growth.
Bradley Martyn is a pro bodybuilder and personal trainer with a massive social media following who has teamed up with the Nelk Boys to bring you amazing workout content. Always hilarious and entertaining, their workouts can get you to look as shredded as possible while still enjoying them.
With so many people claiming to know exactly what to do online to maximize your fitness goals, weeding through all the nonsense can be challenging. But with the right approach it can be anything but that and looking for the right people to get advice from is key. Looking to those bodybuilders we love and other professional athletes is a great way to make this happen for they have done these workouts before and are living proof of what you can look like if you put your mind and body to it.
This workout from Bradley has built up a great strategy for himself when he trains others and he puts that to the test when he trains with the Nelk Boys.
Full Name: Bradley Martyn
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
235-245 lbs.
6’3’’
05/22/1989
Division
Era
Nationality
Bodybuilder, Online Trainer, Social Media Personality
2000, 2010
American
This workout from Bradley and the Nelk Boys will fire up your arms and back, as well as your legs, to cover all your bases and give you a great training session for you to see the best in terms of your overall gains.
About Bradley Martyn
Bradley Martyn is a social media influencer and physique competitor who knows a thing or two about fitness. His YouTube video channel has garnered great support and popularity and his mission is to get his followers to be lean, feel great, and learn the healthy habits to keep it all going. He is a competitor who has won events including the 2011 NPC Southern California Championships and the 2013 NPC Phil Heath Classic. His YouTube channel is a great source of content and revenue for him and it is where he can use his platform the most to help others change their lives.
About The Nelk Boys
The Nelk Boys are an entertainment group with a popular YouTube channel known for their vlogs, prank videos, and other entertaining and hilarious content. Joining forces with Bradley, they have made a series of videos related to working out and have grown a partnership with Bradley to reach an even larger group of people online.
Bradley Martyn & The Nelk Boys’ Training Routine
This workout from Bradley and the Nelk Boys will work your arms, isolate your shoulders, give your back a burn, and fire up your legs. Working with both upper and lower body muscle groups is a game changer for this will provide a well-rounded workout so you don’t sacrifice any gains whatsoever. A nice mix of isolation and compound movements, you also feel the variety to never grow bored with these workouts.
Arms
Mostly based on curls, you work to challenge your arms by pushing these muscles to fatigue so you only see that dense lean muscle start to grow.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Alternating DB Curls
3
10
Seated DB Curls
3
10
Side Curls
3
8
Close Grip Bench Press
3
8
Arnold Press
3
10
EZ Bar Curls
3
12
Shoulders
Working on just shoulders can allow for better stability while also rounding out a great upper body physique.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Overhead DB Press
3
10
Lateral Raise
3
10
Incline Bench Press
3
10
Arnold Press
3
8
Shrugs
3
15
Back
A strong and stable back allows for the best in terms of stability and movements either for sport specific or more functional ones. This workout will offer nice variety to hit all those important back muscles.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Machine Fly
3
10
DB Fly
3
10
Face Pulls
3
8
Reverse Pec Deck
3
10
DB Row
3
12
Pull-Ups
3
12
Barbell Row
3
10
Rope Swings
3
15
DB Push-Up Into Row
3
8
Legs
Legs are the driving force for power and explosivity and working your legs with these exercises can greatly affect all areas of your growth and performance.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Squat
4
5
Leg Press
4
8
Jump Rope
4
30 secs
Med Ball Slams
4
15
DB Step Ups
4
10
Box Jumps
4
10
Best Supplements To Take For Gains
Along with a quality training routine, having the right supplements and nutritional plan can greatly affect all areas of your gains. By working with only top tier and premium supplements, you know exactly what is going in your body and you can better work to see effective growth and recovery.
For those looking to stick to the staples, definitely look to a pre-workout, BCAA, and protein powder supplement to cover all three phases of your workout. Other popular supplements are creatine for increased strength and size and casein protein for overnight repair. To get the most out of your health and wellness, definitely consider a fat burner to shed that unwanted fat and help see that shredded aesthetic, as well as a testosterone booster to ensure those T levels remain at an all time high. And of course, a multivitamin will keep you healthy overall and in the gym where those gains happen.
Wrap Up
This workout from Bradley Martyn and the Nelk Boys is a great one to fire up those muscles so they definitely grow. On top of being effective, Bradley and the Nelk Boys seek to be funny and entertaining and their content is a refreshing mix of helpful and fun. Bradley knows exactly what it takes to succeed at a high level and uses this knowledge to help the Nelk Boys, and us, as we seek to look as shredded as he does. Give this workout a try and see what it can do for all your gains today.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Bradley Martyn, Steve Will Do It Instagram and Envato
The 4 Effective Leg Building Exercises Which No One Does
Build Monster Legs With These Exercises
A pair of shredded legs is what separates the men from the boys. Most people stick to the same exercises while training their legs and leave gains on the table. All leg exercises aren’t created equal. Some exercises target your wheels better than the others.
A normal leg training session consists of squats, leg presses, extensions, and curls. While there is nothing wrong with these exercises, there are some exercises which can help you in changing your routine and build size and definition in your legs.
Performing the same exercises over and over again can make you hit a plateau. Adding new exercises to your workouts will shock your muscles and will help you in breaking the plateau. Every exercise targets your muscles in a different way which is great for ensuring an overall muscle development.
Platz Hack Squats
The legendary Tom Platz had one of the nastiest legs in the bodybuilding history. He came up with this variation of the hack squats. The Platz hack squats target your outer quad sweep and the teardrop in your quads.
Stand with your heels joined together and your toes pointing outwards. Perform a squat while pushing your knees down and forward. Your heels will come off the base as you squat. As you start pressing up, push onto the outer part of your feet. Doing this will transfer the tension onto the outer quad sweep.
Sissy Squats
Sissy squats have been around since the 1960s, but chances are you’re hearing about them for the first time. Don’t let the name of the exercise fool you. The sissy squats are a great finisher and will fill your quads with lactic acid.
If you’re performing this exercise for the first time, hold onto a squat rack around the hip level or slightly higher. Take a shoulder-width stance and slowly start to lower yourself by bending your knees and pushing them down and forward.
Your back will fall backward while you’re on the descent. Your heels will come off the ground as your knees go down. At the bottom of the movement, your quads should be at least parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat for reps.
Good Mornings
Good mornings are a compound (multi-joint) exercise which works your hamstrings. Most people make the mistake of going too heavy on this exercise. Good mornings are an exercise which requires a mind-muscle connection.
Stand with a barbell placed across the rear of your shoulders. Keep a slight bend in your knees and an arch in your back throughout the exercise. Push your hips back as you bend your back until it is almost parallel to the floor. Think of your hamstrings as chains used to lower and lift your back.
Step-Ups
Step-ups are a unilateral functional exercise which helps you in training one leg at a time. If you have a weaker leg, unilateral exercises can help you fix this problem as the stronger leg can’t compensate for the weaker one.
Step-ups have many variations and can be adjusted according to your fitness level. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and use your right leg to step onto a knee-to-hip high platform. Bring your left leg up and stand on the platform, then step back with left leg to return to the floor. Both your feet should be on the floor after you step back. Repeat the movement with your left leg and alternate between your legs for the desired reps.
Which day of the week do you train your legs? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.