Tag: Workouts
Ball Busting: Get Lean With Exercise Balls
Here are some exercises that can help you get in shape using exercise balls!
It is technically winter time but that is no excuse to allow your abs to be covered with all that visceral fat, so put the cookies and milk down and read how to stay or get lean and ensure your abs are on point this year only using exercise balls…. And with it nearly being the holidays I don’t mean borballs.
So let’s look at different balls you can use to keep those abs on point, starting with one of my favorites:
The Slam Ball
Now the slam ball is sometimes referred to as the medicine ball but that is not correct, as the slam ball is significantly different as it is specifically designed for throwing exercises and can take the impact against hard surfaces and will not bounce back and hit you in the face.
Slam Ball Exercise 1
Standing overhead slam
Feet shoulder width apart
Hold the slam ball with both hands
Extend the ball over your head
Then slam it to the ground with full force
Squat down to pick it up
Repeat accordingly
Alternative version:
Oblique focused
So rather than going straight on, lift the ball over your head but this time target the left and right side separately.
So lift over the left hand side
Slam down on that side
Squat to pick up
Then slam down on the right side
And repeat accordingly
Slam Ball Exercise 2
Slam Ball reverse scoop toss
This move seems to have a variety of names but this seems to sum it up perfectly, this move can also be done with a wall ball.
Feet shoulder width apart
Holding the ball with both hands
Then squat down and throw the ball over your head and behind you as far as you can
Variation:
Add a sprint
After each scoop sprint after the ball and reverse scoop toss in the direction you came from and continue doing so until you complete you desired reps.
The Wall Ball
Now the next piece of equipment I want to focus on is the wall ball, again the name is a dead giveaway, as it is usually used to hit walls with.
The wall ball is a lot bigger than the slam ball or medicine ball and is not designed for slamming but great for hitting against walls or throwing overhead.
Wall Ball Exercise 1
Wall ball rotational throws
Standing a few feet away from a wall
Hold the wall ball with both hands
If the wall is to your right then take the ball towards your back hip (on the left hand side)
Then while rotating your body throw the ball against the wall
This should be an explosive movement
Catch the ball
The repeat for desired reps
Repeat on opposite side and ensure you do same rep range
Wall Ball Exercise 2
Wall ball throws
Standing close to a wall
Hold the wall ball with both hands
Ensure it is chest height
Then squat down
And drive up and throw the wall ball uo and slightly forward so it hits the wall
Then catch the ball and descend into a squat and back into the next rep
Repeat for desired reps accordingly
Wall Ball Exercise 3
Wall ball partner squat toss
Standing opposite a partner about 5-6 yards away
One of you will be holding the wall ball
Then squat and toss the ball to your partner
Your partner will catch the ball and then squat and toss back to you accordingly
Keep repeating for desired rep range
This exercise can also be done with a medicine ball.
Make it harder:
Add intensity by mirroring your partner, so squat when your partner squats even when you do not have the ball.
Medicine Ball
So now let’s move onto the most commonly found ball in gyms up and down the country, it is of course the medicine ball.
Medicine Ball Exercise 1
Medicine ball stomach hits
So my first exercise is a real gut buster (pun intended).
Start by lying down on the floor
Have your training partner standing over you with the medicine ball in hand
Have your partner throw the ball towards your abdomen
Ensure you take the hit and try not to catch or block the ball
Once it has hit its intended target area grab the ball and throw it back to your partner
Then brace yourself again for the next hit
Repeat for desired rep range
Alternative target area:
Oblique focus
So if you want to only target the obliques only, have your partner stand much closer.
They will literally be towering over you.
They will be holding the ball constantly and not letting go at any point
Brace your abs
And ensure they hit the obliques with ‘mini’ hits on one side
Once one side has been annihilated, move onto the other side
Medicine Ball Exercise 2
Medicine ball kneeling partner twists
Make sure you are kneeling down
And back to back with your partner who should also be kneeling down
One of you should have a medicine ball to hand
Both of your brace your cores
Then slowly twist to one side and pass the ball to your partner (so your left will be there right and vice versa)
To keep things symmetrical ensure to twist and pass in the opposite direction also, so if you have been passing to your left for 20 seconds, pass to your right for the same duration of time
Alternative:
This can also be done standing up.
So there you have it, some great exercises to get you in tip top shape during the holiday season. And if your gym doesn’t have any of the balls mentioned in this article then you better add it your holiday wish list.
So until next time, keep pumping!
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Follow This Leg Busting Workout For Monster Gains
Follow This Leg Busting Workout For Monster Gains
Shredded legs are what separate the men from the boys. Leg day can prove to be the most brutal workout for most people. Limping around after a good leg workout is normal. Legs are one-half of your body and training them can be hard and exhausting.
Look around your gym and you’ll surely see people with muscular upper bodies and tiny legs. Leg days also happen to be the most skipped workouts around the world. We can’t make you love your leg workouts, but we can surely get you results.
1. Squats – 3 Sets – 12, 10, 8 Reps
Squats are a complete leg builder. You can’t expect to build muscle mass in your legs without doing this exercise. Squats are a compound (multi joint) exercise which builds size and strength in your legs. This exercise will also make you stronger at other exercises.
Start your workouts with 12 reps, with every set increase the weights and reduce the number of reps. Make sure you have a complete ‘ass to the grass’ range of motion. Performing partial reps won’t do anything for your legs.
2. Leg Press – 3 Sets – 12, 10, 8 Reps
Leg Press can be incredibly efficient in building size and definition in your legs. This exercise helps you train your legs from different angles by changing your feet position on the platform. Placing your feet high on the platforms train your hamstrings and the lower feet position will train your quads.
Close and wide feet placement targets your outer and inner quad sweep respectively. Leg press is also the most abused equipment in the gym. People load it up with more weights than they can handle. Use appropriate weights and maintain a full range of motion.
3. Leg Extensions – 3 Sets – 20, 15, 12 Reps
Leg extensions are an isolation exercise and help focus on your quads. This exercise helps in maintaining tension on your quads throughout the motion. Establish a mind-muscle connection with your legs and squeeze the hell out of them at the top of the movement.
You don’t need to go super heavy during this exercise. Keep the motion slow and deliberate and target muscle failure at the end of every set. You should be doing both compound and isolation exercises to make the most of your leg workouts.
4. Romanian Deadlifts – 3 Sets – 12, 10, 8 Reps
This exercise targets your hamstrings. Hamstrings can be a little harder to train since you can’t see them in the mirror and it can be a little harder to establish a mind-muscle connection with them. Keep your back arches and maintain a slight bend in your knees throughout this exercise.
During Romanian deadlifts, think of your hamstrings as chains being used to lift and lower your upper body. Using more weights than you can handle can shift the tension from your hams to your back, defeating the entire purpose of this exercise.
5. Leg Curls – 3 Sets – 20, 15, 12 Reps
Legs curls are one of the most effective hamstring exercises. This is an isolation exercise where the entire focus is on your hams. Maintain a mind-muscle connection with your hams throughout this exercise and keep your reps slow and deliberate.
Since your knees are the only joints working during this exercise, going too fast can increase your chances of an injury. Squeeze your hamstrings at the top of the movement and follow a complete range of motion.
6. Standing Calf Raises – 5 Sets – 20, 15, 10 Reps
You need to treat your calves just like any other muscle group. Doing three sets at the end of a leg workout won’t do any good for your calves. Standing calf raises target your gastrocnemius muscle which is the long head of the calves.
If you don’t have a standing calf machine at your gym, you can utilize the smith machine. Just like with all the other exercises, maintain a full range of motion and squeeze your calves at the top of the movement.
7. Seated Calf Raises – 5 Sets – 20, 15, 10 Reps
Most people have tiny calves because they don’t train them well enough. You need to be doing both the standing and the seated versions of the calf raises to train them optimally. The seated calf raises train the short head of the calves known as soleus.
You can try different feet placement to train your calves from different angles. Keeping your toes together and heels apart will target the outer head of your calves and placing your heels together and toes apart will train the inner head.
Which is your favorite leg exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
How To Reduce Your Waist Size Without Doing Ab Exercises
Reduce Your Waist Size With This One Trick
Let’s face it; many people get a gym membership to lose weight and to fit into smaller clothes. Following the advice of the broscientists, these people spend most of their time on the cardio equipment. Since you’re reading this article, chances are you’re one of them.
It isn’t long before they lose the motivation and return to their old ways. They blame their genetics for their inability to lose the excess body fat. The ‘too busy to workout’ excuse follows.
The others don’t like spending their time on the dreaded treadmill or doing crunches. Hardly do they know, it’s not their genetics. It’s the lack of knowledge which makes them quit working out altogether.
Changes In Bodybuilding In The Recent Eras
Have you wondered how bodybuilders in the golden era had small waists even when there was no fancy electronic cardio equipment? They used techniques which are long forgotten but were way more efficient than the ones employed by the pros now.
Unlike the bodybuilders today, the golden era bodybuilder focused primarily on symmetry and maintaining a narrow and tight midsection. Most of the current pro bodybuilders focus on getting big and turning into mass monsters.
The Vacuum Pose
If you haven’t heard of this, you’re already missing out. Frank Zane brought this technique into the mainstream by performing this pose on the stage. Before him, the athletes usually performed this pose in the gym as an exercise.
In this pose, you have to suck in your stomach to your spine to make it look like it has completely disappeared. When you hit the vacuum pose, you’re contracting your transverse abdominis (TVA).
The TVA runs across your waist just like a weight belt. It works like a weight belt in your daily operation. You can only perform this kind of thing with your belly.
TVA lies under the rectus abdominis and obliques and is one of the deepest abdominal muscles. Unlike most other muscles, it doesn’t connect to or move bones closer together. Many of TVA’s fibers don’t attach to the bone at all.
You need to take baby steps when it comes to performing this exercise. It will also need a lot of patience and persistence if you have never tried hitting this pose before.
There are four steps to mastering this exercise. In this article, we will take you through each step assuming you’ve never tried this exercise at this point. Each step will be harder than the previous one.
Don’t get intimidated by the four steps; you need to take one step at a time. Once you master one level the next will be relatively easy to perform and will be more efficient than the previous step in achieving your goal of a narrow waist.
Supine Vacuum
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This is the first step in performing the vacuum. It’s also the easiest way to suck in your stomach since the gravity will be your friend in this exercise. Confused? Let us explain.
Lie on your back with your knees bent, so your feet are touching the floor. This will help you isolate and focus on your abdominal. Once you’ve assumed this position, exhale all the air you can. This will raise your diaphragm and shrink your stomach.
This is where your TVA will have the maximum contraction, and you’ll be able to hit the vacuum pose. In the beginning, you might be unable to see or feel the vacuum, but it will come with time.
Hold your breath and perform this exercise for 15 seconds in the beginning. As you get better with time, increase the contraction time to 60 seconds. Take small breaths in between if you’re unable to hold your breath.
Quadruped Vacuum
Once you’re confident with your abilities at the supine vacuum and can perform it at will with no problems, it is time to the move on to the quadruped vacuum. If you’re performing each variation every day, it should take you a couple of weeks at most to perform them optimally.
The quadruped vacuum is called so because you perform them while having four touch points with the ground. In this exercise, you’ll be working against the gravity, and this makes this exercise harder than the previous variation.
Begin in a knee push up position so your shoulders are vertically over your elbows and your wrists and hips are over your knees. Follow the same steps as in the supine vacuum; exhale and suck in your abdominal.
This exercise is harder than the supine vacuum. So, if you were doing 60 seconds on the supine version, you should start with 30 seconds and work up to the 60 seconds mark.
Seated Vacuum
We know what you’re thinking. Isn’t the anti-gravitational version harder than the sitting on your ass version? No, it’s not because many stabilizing muscles come into play while performing this exercise.
Sit on a stable surface without leaning on to anything. Taking the support of a wall or any other surface will reduce the effectiveness of this exercise.
Exhale, pull in your navel and hold it for 30 seconds. Work your way up to 60 seconds as you get better at this exercise. Also, use unstable surfaces like a swiss ball to make this exercise harder.
Functional Vacuum
This is when you become a pro at hitting the vacuum pose. You’ll be so good you could perform it at any time, anywhere. Functional vacuum is the real life variation of this exercise.
You could be performing the vacuum pose in a subway, on your office desk or anywhere else without the people beside you knowing it. As you get better at the vacuum poses, you’ll be able to hold them for long durations.
This can result in a tighter, narrower and firmer midsection. Once you’re at this stage, you’ll find yourself vacuuming throughout the day. You won’t have to wait for long before your waist size drops.
Which ab tightening technique works the best for you? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
5 Tips for Finding Yourself a Workout Partner
How to Find a Good Workout Partner
If you train alone, you are leaving a lot of gains on the table. People who hit the gym with a training partner would agree a workout partner can help you take your workouts to a new level.
A good training partner can be the constant source of support (both mental and physical) and motivation you need. Finding the right training partner is easier said than done. You want a training partner who adds to your workouts and not someone who eats away your time and focus by chatting throughout your time in the gym.
Look for Someone More Advanced
You need a training partner who will push you to your limits in the gym, so it’s better to look for someone who has more experience as compared to you. A partner who is on an advanced level can teach you about the sport and help you reach your goals more efficiently.
A training partner who is on an advanced stage will probably be using advanced training techniques to make his workouts more intense. It’ll be in your best interest to piggyback on your partner’s knowledge and experience. One of you will get the better part of the deal, so it better be you.
Discipline is the Key
You’ll need army-like discipline if you want to succeed at bodybuilding. Look for people who are at the gym at the same time every day. Obviously, you too will need to be regular to the gym to take note.
Discipline doesn’t end at showing up at the gym. Your training partner should be disciplined in his workouts. You don’t want to workout with someone who would leave an exercise in the middle to go and talk to someone, miss a workout for dinner with friends, or skip the gym because the day was too long.
Your Partner Doesn’t Necessarily Need to Workout with You
It is okay if you can’t find the right workout partner in your gym. Don’t make the mistake of settling for someone who will deteriorate the quality of your workouts. You can look for someone on virtual platforms who shares the same passion for fitness as you.
These types of workout partners are great for accountability. If you have a friend who is a fitness freak, you can keep each other accountable by sharing your goals, workouts, pictures, and nutrition.
Stay Clear of Gym Bros
If you’re a beginner, you should stay away from gym bros. Gym bros love to impress the rookies with their knowledge. The only caveat being, there is a high probability the bros have no idea what they’re talking about.
If you’re a beginner, you would want to train with someone who is fitter than you, but don’t punch above your weight class. When you join a gym don’t try to train with an athlete who is getting ready to step on stage for a show.
On the other hand, if you’re an advanced athlete and can’t find someone who can teach you stuff, take someone who shows the burning desire to transform his physique under your wing.
Be Ready to Part Ways
After you find a workout partner, it isn’t necessary things will go out as you would have wanted. Problems like not being accountable to each other, the workout style and goals, indiscipline can spoil your relationship and workouts.
If you train with someone and he misses a workout, it could negatively affect your workout. If any of the problems creep up, it’s better to call it quits and go back to training alone or look for someone new. Sounds a lot like dating, right?
Do you train with a partner? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
How The Liver King Works Out For Full Body Gains
This workout from Liver King is a full body workout for strength and conditioning.
Brian Johnson, or more commonly known as Liver King, is an entrepreneur and social media personality who practices Ancestral Living, which involves a series of tenets all working to bring you closer to your environment. With a massive following on social media, he posts videos of his crazy diets and workouts while still inspiring others.
Most of the time, we try to find workouts from bodybuilders or those strength sports athlete we admire. As fans, we want to mimic what they do so we can look as good as they do. And with so many people online claiming to know exactly what to do, it can be challenging to dive in and tell who is just lying. But once in a while someone like Liver King comes along. He’s relatable, fun, and absolutely jacked, and we want to watch. Video after video, we just can’t seem to stop.
The fascination with Liver King lies in what we see as an interesting lifestyle we would never follow. But Liver King’s goal is to get us to understand the power behind Ancestral Living and what it can do for the human mind, body, and spirit. His workouts are hard and engaging and diet is unique. But he is fun. He is someone we want to watch and imitate and thankfully he shares his process online.
Full Name: Brian Johnson (a.k.a. Liver King)
Profession
Era
Nationality
Entrepreneur, Social Media Personality
2010
American
This workout is a 30 minute, full body circuit designed to hit all your muscles as it builds strength as well as conditioning. Essentially this is a long HIIT workout, so it will make you sweat, get that heart rate up, and help you see those gains you want most.
About Liver King
Brian Johnson had everything going great in his life. He was running successful businesses and had a loving family. But things changed when his son had a medical complication and needed immediate attention. While his son survived, no expert had a real answer to give.
This launched Brian’s journey into a more natural approach to living, especially eating. But this natural approach did not just stop with his diet. He began to live it. Through hunting, lifting, sleeping, and everything about his life, Brian has switched to Ancestral Living.
Ancestral Living is the idea that we connect with our environment and get back to the roots of the relationship between human and environment. Connecting to the Earth and finding your primal self leads to better living and a better connection to the world around you.
With a large following on social media, Brian promotes this style of living while posting fun and entertaining videos of his workouts, diet, and way of life. Seeking to inspire change, he uses his platform to promote his message and seeing his popularity grow, it is certainly working.
Liver King Workout
This workout from Liver King is a massive circuit style workout that will take 30 minutes consisting of only four exercises. This shows us that you can get an effective workout to add to your shredded physique without spending hours in the gym. Focusing on hypertrophy and conditioning, this workout covers all your bases and will definitely leave you wanting more.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Handstand Push-Ups
5-10
10
Deadlifts
5-10
10
Tire Strikes
5-10
10
Rowing Machine
5-10
10 Calories
Handstand Push-Ups
Handstand Push-Ups are great for working your triceps, shoulders, and chest and requires plenty of coordination to stay balanced and stable. A great exercise to build muscle, what it really does it strengthen those stabilizer muscles to support those larger ones better.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are obviously a great exercise to work on strength in your back and legs while also reinforcing proper form. It is helpful for both functional and sport specific movements, depending on your overall goals.
Tire Strikes
A great strength builder while also getting your heart rate going, Tire Strikes work to also enhance grip strength along with speed and power. An engaging exercise, it will add diversity into your workout while you smash away.
Rowing Machine
The rowing machine is a great piece of equipment to build strength while also endurance and it is a low impact workout. Requiring good posture, it will also reinforce form and works as a nice alternative to other machines.
Best Supplements For Post-Workout Growth
Post-workout recovery time is key and while lifting weights and having a tough workout can spark that muscle growth, it is in recovery where we genuinely see gains happen. The right supplements can make or break this time and knowing which ones will be most beneficial is important. Definitely check out a great protein powder, for this will boost all areas of your muscle growth and recovery, as well as work for satiety and weight loss. Creatine is great for building strength and size while mass gainers will pump you with loads of macronutrients so you build seriously efficient mass. For overnight repair, casein protein is great for feeding our bodies even as we sleep.
Wrap Up
This workout from Liver King is sure to fire up your lungs and muscles as it is a true grind. Working hard and really diving into the world of Ancestral Living is also interesting and as part of Liver King’s mission, he truly stands by this. While having a good training routine and strict diet can work wonders for you, it is important to also understand how we treat our bodies as a whole. Staying physically fit is one thing, staying mentally sharp is different. Give this workout from Liver King a try and see what it can do for your full body 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 Envato
Chest Dips Vs. Triceps Dips: What’s The Real Difference?
While both of these are dips, the approach is very much different.
Our chest and triceps have tons of exercises we can perform to see great growth, but the debate over chest dips vs. triceps dips is a real one. Both of these exercises will work to build muscle in each respective muscle group, but is one better to perform over the other for the mere fact that it makes more sense? Your chest and triceps are those two pushing muscles to take seriously. While each provides for functional and sport specific movements, for those of us bodybuilders, they only add to our already shredded and sculpted physique.
If both are dips, then aren’t they the same exercise? It’s a fair question, but the difference lies in the approach. Yes, these are both dip exercises, and yes, both muscle groups do get work done with each, however, the emphasis and sole focus of targeting each muscle is what matters. And with so many exercises out there, knowing which ones to use are perfect for seeing those gains you want most.
Let’s jump into this and see what the real difference is between chest dips vs. triceps dips. We all want the same goal and by working towards optimizing our gains with a host of different exercises, we can better get to the point where we are comfortable with our decision. At the end of the day, one must ask the question, is one of these better than the other?
Chest Dips
Chest dips are a nice alternative exercise to perform when looking to sub out the bench press, incline press, or decline press. How this exercise works is your body is vertical but you are leaning forward with your elbows flared out. Also, your feet should be behind your body. By doing this, you target the chest muscle.
The benefits of performing chest dips are that you have the chance to get an alternative exercise into your routine to substitute out a traditional press or some other variation. By taking away the weights, you get to use your bodyweight which will only add to your routine (1). You also build strength and size in your chest, and funny enough, your triceps as well, although the main emphasis is on your chest and developing this muscle.
Triceps Dips
Very similar to chest dips are triceps dips, although this time the emphasis is on building those triceps. A great exercise, this has many variations and can be performed on a dip machine, chair, bench, or some other stationary object that allows this movement. With proper form, you really work to target your triceps and build them up in a way other triceps exercises can’t (2). This exercise will see you more upright with your elbows tucked in, as opposed to chest dips where they are flared out. Also, your feet are below as opposed to behind your body.
The benefits you will see with triceps dips are a real increase in strength and size for your triceps muscle as it is really targeted when done correctly. It is also a versatile and convenient exercise to perform for as long as you have a machine, chair, bench, or some other stable object, you can perform them.
What’s The Difference?
The difference between both chest dips and triceps dips is the positioning and execution of each exercise. Chest dips will see you a little more forward, your elbows flared out and feet behind you. Triceps dips have you positioned more upright, elbows tucked and your feet under you. This forces the emphasis to shift from chest to triceps, so while both exercises technically work both muscles, the targeted muscle is what changes.
For what you will get out of chest dips, it may be wise to just stick with other chest exercises that will work better. Maintaining proper form and having to rely on the use of a dip machine may be a drawback considering there are other exercises that are easier to perform with less headache. On the other hand, triceps dips really target your triceps and can have a great effect on strength and size. This being a harder muscle group to work, having a solid go-to exercise to get great work done can be a game changer for all your goals.
As we try to find some resolution to the debate over chest dips vs. triceps dips, it safe to say that both will work to help you build muscle and reach your intended goals. However, triceps dips may be a better move given that they target your triceps in a unique way and allow you to build efficient muscle over what chest dips can do.
Best Supplements For Additional Growth
When we work out, having the right supplements can make or break our gains and by working to optimize nutrition and give ourselves the best when it comes to supplements, we can better see those results we want most. Three popular and worthwhile supplements to take are pre-workouts, BCAAs, and protein powders for this will allow you to hit all three phases of your workout being pre-, mid-, and post-workout. For those wanting to really increase strength and mass, consider taking creatine, mass gainers, and casein protein as these will get the job done.
Wrap Up
The debate over chest dips vs. triceps dips is an interesting one for both exercises can work for you in a big way. But at the end of the day having the right exercises are what matter most. Chest dips may be a nice alternative, but there are other exercises that will allow you to get way more out of a chest workout. On the other hand, triceps dips are a great exercise to target your triceps so you see real growth. Feel free to try both exercises, but at the end of the day, you may find the triceps dips are a better option in the dip debate.
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
Langton, B.; et al. (2018). “Utilizing Body Weight Training With Your Personal Training Clients”. (source)
Coyne, J.; et al. (2015). “Reliability Of Pull Up & Dip Maximal Strength Tests”. (source)
Flex Lewis Shares Massive Chest Day Workout
Former 212 Olympia champion Flex Lewis recently shared a huge workout for chest day.
Flex Lewis is one of the best bodybuilders in the history of the 212 division. He has taken some time away from competition but still destroys the gym on a regular basis. Recently, Lewis shared a massive chest workout to his YouTube page.
Lewis let viewers into a chest day of his. The amount of work that has been put in recently shows that the bodybuilder could be close to returning to competition. There have been talks of special things coming in 2022 for Lewis. This is especially true since he is reunited with coach Neil Hill. This is something that fans have been waiting for since Lewis last competed in the 2018 Olympia.
Lewis captured seven consecutive Olympia 212 titles from 2012-2018. The 2018 competition was the last time he competed before stepping away due to personal matters and different injuries. With 2021 coming to an end, Lewis should be back on stage soon and has been training hard.
This particular chest workout from Lewis is one that did not feature many exercises but plenty of reps. He went to work in his Dragon’s Lair Gym, along with Dom Cardone. Below, you can find the full list of workouts along with the rep count that Lewis completed for each one.
Standing Cable Chest Fly
Lewis began his chest workout with an exercise that stretches muscles and helps reach a full range of motion. This loosens up chest muscles and maximizes potential to build muscle. Lewis completed 22 reps of this exercise as a warmup before getting into heavier weight.
Seated Strength Machine Chest Press
The chest press machine helps target many upper body muscles and this is a reason it is one of the best exercises to work on chest day. Chest press hits pectoral muscles hard but also shoulders and triceps in the process. Lewis continued his workout by competing 21 reps on this machine.
Dumbbell Press
Lewis then went onto dumbbell press. He grabbed two 60-pound dumbbells and went over the the flat bench. He completed 16 reps while laying down followed by nine on the next set. The dumbbell press boosts overall strength. This is works the same muscles as the chest press machine but is a different variation. The dumbbell press requires a bit more control than a regular bench press.
Seated Machine Chest Press
The final exercise in Lewis’ workout is the seated machine chest press. He completes 27 reps on the machine. Lewis increased the number of sets throughout the workout. This specific exercise helps avoid errors in form and allows the lifter to keep control throughout the motion.
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Turn Your Triceps Into Horseshoes With This Workout
A Triceps Busting Workout
It is no surprise most men are obsessed with the size of their arms. For most of these men, the obsession fades away after training their biceps. A triceps workout shouldn’t be overlooked as they are half of your arms.
When you flex your triceps, it should look like a horse kicked you in the back of your arm. If you train your bis and tris on the same day and your triceps are lagging as compared to your biceps, you should consider training them at the beginning of your workouts.
1. Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns – 4 Sets 20 Reps
The straight bar cable pushdowns is an isolation exercise which will get the blood flowing in your triceps and will get you a good pump. The high volume will help you in pre-exhausting your triceps, so you don’t have to use super heavyweights.
In all the triceps exercises, keep the reps slow and controlled. Pin your elbows to your sides and complete a rep. Exhale, pause and squeeze your triceps at the bottom of the movement. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat without using any momentum.
2. Single Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions – 3 Sets 15 Reps
Your triceps consist of three heads; lateral, medial and long. You need to train all of them equally to ensure an overall development. Overhead movements like the single arm overhead dumbbell extension work the long head which is the most stubborn of the three triceps heads.
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and extend your right arm over your right shoulder. Stick your right bicep to your right ear and slowly lower the dumbbell towards your left shoulder. Return to the starting position and squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement.
3. Skull Crushers – 3 Sets 12 Reps
Skull crushers are one of the most effective exercises when it comes to building size and definition in your triceps. The skull crushers work your long triceps heads. If you’re trying this exercise for the first time or are attempting a PR, make sure you have a spotter.
Lie on a flat bench with your face towards the ceiling and arms extended over your shoulders. Your elbows should be in line with your shoulders and pinned at this position throughout the exercise. Slowly lower the bar so the barbell is an inch away from your forehead. Return to the starting position and flex your triceps.
4. Dumbbell Kickbacks – 3 Sets 12 Reps
Dumbbell kickbacks work the lateral and medial heads of your triceps. Most people make the mistake of going too heavy on this exercise. Use a weight which you can handle and can maintain a full range of motion.
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, place your left foot in front of your right foot while maintaining a slight arch in your back. Pin your right elbow to your side and bring the dumbbell to your chest. Extend your elbow so your arm is fully extended and flex your triceps at the bottom of the movement.
5. Close Grip Bench Press – 3 Sets 10 Reps
Close grip bench press is a compound exercise which helps in building overall strength and size in your triceps. The close grip bench press is a variation of the normal grip bench press which works your chest.
While performing the close grip variation, grab the barbell just outside your chest. Keep your elbows and forearms parallel to each other throughout the exercise. Doing this will recruit your triceps in place of your chest.
6. Superset – Diamond Push-ups / Bodyweight Dips – 4 Sets 15 / 15 Reps
The diamond push-ups and dips superset is the last exercises in this triceps workout. This superset will smoke your triceps if they aren’t already. In the diamond push-ups, place your hands under your chest so that your index fingers and thumbs are touching to form a triangle.
After you have completed 15 reps on the diamond-pushups, move onto the bodyweight dips without taking any rest in between. In the bodyweight dips, your chest should be in line with your hands at the bottom of the movement. In both the exercises, pause and squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement.
Which is your favorite triceps 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.
The 10 Best Back Exercises For Men
The Ultimate Back Exercises
A shredded back is what separates the men from the boys. A good back training session should be as brutal as a hardcore leg day. You should be running on fumes by the end of your back workouts.
If you want a cobra back, you need to constantly shock your muscles with different exercises. Your back is one of the biggest muscle groups and you need to target it from every angle for optimal results. We have put together the list of back exercises you can try during your next workout.
1. Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are one of the best back workouts. Arnold Schwarzenegger swore by them and performed 50 reps of pull-ups at the beginning of his back workouts. If bodyweight pull-ups are too easy for you, try the weighted version.
2. Seal Rows
Seal rows are an isolation exercise which works your lats. Lie facedown on a bench and perform barbell rows. Doing so will keep you from using your secondary muscles and momentum to lift the weights. You can also perform this exercise on an incline bench to target your lower lats.
3. Pull-Overs
Pull-overs are one of the most underutilized exercises. This exercise is incredibly effective in building a V-taper. Keep your elbows locked out throughout the movement and maintain a full range of motion.
4. T-Bar Rows
Rowing exercises like the T-bar rows help in building the thickness in your back while exercises like pull-ups and lat pull-downs help with broadening your back. If you don’t have an access to a T-bar row machine at your gym, use a barbell for this exercise.
5. Lat Pulldowns
Lat pulldown is a textbook back exercise. It is great at targetting your lats. Most people make the mistake of going too heavy on this exercise. Make sure you sit straight and don’t use momentum to bring the bar down.
6. One Arm Cable Rows
Using cables in your exercises help you in maintaining constant tension on your target muscles. One arm cable rows will help you in isolating your lats. You can perform this exercise while standing or seated.
7. Barbell Rows
Barbell rows are a compound exercise and will help in building muscle mass and strength in your back. Keep an arch in your back while performing this exercise. Bring the bar to your lower abs at the top of the movement.
8. Wide Grip Seated Cable Rows
Wide grip seated cable rows will add to the width of your back. Don’t lean back while performing this exercise. You could also try the underhand grip or a different cable attachment.
9. Dumbbell Rows
Dumbbell rows are incredibly effective at building size, definition, and thickness in your lats. You can perform the single-arm or the double-arm variation of this exercise. Using lifting gear like lifting straps can help you lift more weights as it eliminates your grip.
10. Deadlifts
We saved the best for the last. Deadlift is a compound exercise which should be a part of your back workouts. It is best to perform this exercise at the beginning of your workouts when you’re fresh.
Which is your favorite back exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Shawn Rhoden Upper Body Workout For Insane Gains
Work your upper body for insane growth with this Shawn Rhoden workout.
Shawn Rhoden was a professional bodybuilder who after winning Mr. Olympia in 2018, became the oldest to ever do so. But this true professional and dedicated athlete passed away from a heart attack at the age of 46 in 2021. While he may no longer be us, his hard work, dedication, and love for bodybuilding can be passed through his workouts, and those moments that made him so great.
When we look online, we see such nonsense. So many influencers and those follower-seeking personalities claim to have the secret to working out and getting shredded. But for real gains, it is much smarter for those of us serious about it to look to those professional athletes who have done this before and know what they are talking about. They work with knowledgeable and talented coaches to formulate quality workout plans so they can win the biggest of events. So, let’s have our gains reflect this as well.
Shawn is someone we can all learn from, for being the oldest to ever win Mr. Olympia does not come easily. Years and years of grinding in the gym and working on himself both physically and mentally led him to that podium spot and his work ethic is unparalleled.
Full Name: Shawn Rhoden
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
245-255 lbs.
5’10’’
04/02/1975
Profession
Era
Nationality
Bodybuilder
2010
Jamaican, American
As said before, the workouts and overall messages that Shawn Rhoden wanted to leave behind are here for us, to inspire us, and to use him as a prime example of what a true professional and dedicated athlete looks like. This upper body workout will help you see growth so you can look as good as Shawn himself.
About Shawn Rhoden
Shawn Rhoden was born in Jamaica before coming to the United States at the age of 15. Adapting to a new country was challenging, but he was always active. Introduced to bodybuilding in his late teens, he balanced that and his love for soccer before putting soccer aside to focus on bodybuilding full-time.
Well into his career, some unfortunate injuries occurred and he was forced into rehab and couldn’t train in the sport he loved so much. But the worst news was yet to come. His biggest fan and number one supporter, his father, passed away in that same year. Heading down a spiral, Shawn knew what he needed to do.
As the dedicated and amazing athlete he is, he returned to the stage and found himself winning competitions again. He placed 2nd at the 2016 Mr. Olympia contest and was determined to reach that top podium spot. Then, in 2018, at the age of 43, he did just that. Winning Mr. Olympia, Shawn became the oldest to ever do so.
In 2021, Shawn suffered a heart attack and passed away as a result. Those close to him share their love, support, and pride for what Shawn accomplished in his life that ended too soon. But his message and love for bodybuilding can stay with us all as we remember this dedicated, accomplished, and true professional who truly loved what he did.
Shawn Rhoden Training Routine
This workout from Shawn will really give your chest, back, shoulder, and arms a great workout. Working with a variety of exercises and trying to target certain groups is exactly what you need to succeed when looking to put on effective mass. Your chest will feel a pump, your back may burn, those shoulders will want to stay down, and arms may be cooked, but the results of this workout will yield great results as you seek a physique like Shawn himself.
Chest
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Cable Chest Fly
3
10
Bench Press
3
10
Incline Bench Press
3
10
Incline DB Press
3
12
Floor Press
3
12
DB Chest Fly
3
10
Push Press
3
10
Back & Shoulders
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Side Raise
3
12
Machine Shoulder Press
3
10
Lat Pulldown
3
10
Seated Cable Row
3
10
One Arm Front Raise
3
12
Biceps & Triceps
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Preacher Curls
3
10
Barbell Curls
3
10
Triceps Pushdowns
3
12
Skullcrushers
3
12
Seated DB Curls
3
10
Best Supplements To See Amazing 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 tackle those deficiencies to avoid negative effects. Plus, your gains will most certainly get a nice boost.
Starting with the three most popular supplements, most athletes love working with pre-workouts, intra-workout BCAAs, and protein powders. Pre-workouts are preferred by those who want a nice boost of energy right off the bat while also aiding in muscle pumps and better athletic performance for those workout needs. What you will find from BCAAs are sustained energy and the ability to burst through any fatigue, thus giving you a more effective workout overall. And of course, protein powders are essential for optimizing growth and recovery and working towards getting the right amount of protein into your body.
Other key supplements to try and consider are creatine, mass gainers, and casein protein. These are effective at building strength and size and giving you everything you need to see great growth. For optimizing health and wellness, multivitamins, super greens, and omega-3’s are the way to go.
Wrap Up
This workout from Shawn Rhoden will work to build that desired strength and size while adding to your shredded physique. Shawn was a dedicated and true professional who passed away too soon. But his legacy lives on and we can take what made him successful and use it to copy his example of what a real athlete is. Give this workout a try and work to give yourself a shredded and massive physique like Shawn Rhoden himself.
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 Shawn Rhoden Instagram