Depending on how long it takes you to jog two miles, this workout may only last about 30-45 minutes, much shorter if you're a speed demon.
It's ideal to do outside on a running trail or a track, and it combines a cardio and a leg workout in one short workout. This is a very time efficient day at the gym (or out of the gym, I should say). And bonus, it's quite simple and easy to remember.
*run one mile
*during your 2nd mile, every time you get .25 of the way through, stop jogging and do a walking lunge for 20 steps, after your done your 20 lunges, resume running, until you hit the .5 mile point, do 20 more lunges, and so on. You should have one more set of lunges to do as you complete the 2nd mile.
(note: These are walking lunges,not stationary. They should advance you in your mile. it can almost act as a break from the run)
And that's it! You will have a 2 mile jog and 80 reps of walking lunges under your belt afterwards, and you will have burned many calories and gained lean muscle mass in a short amount of time.
Note:If you can't get outside, you can do this on a treadmill, just slow it down during your second mile, hop off and do stationary lunges at the quarter mile point instead.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Step Up
We're coming upon the last days of Winter and if you're like me, you're getting 'gym-ed' out. Not being able to go outdoors to change up your workout every so often can be stifling (unless you like the cold weather workouts, in which case, more power to you!).
People often fall into a rut of either doing the same workout over and over or barely working out at all. Being on the same treadmill or elliptical day after day can get boring. And boredom leads to uninspired workouts, which can ultimately lead to no workouts.
My co-worker and I ran stairs today in one of our building stairwells.This is something I did often back when I worked in SSA's gym, but since I have been over here, I haven't done them. I think it was just a matter of getting comfortable with my new surroundings. But we found a great set of stairs with five flights (SSA had 4, but were wider) and not too much traffic to dodge. The object is to sprint all the way to the top, then walk back down. I don't recommend running back down stairs. Walking back down is safer and offers some recovery time. My co-worker also had the idea to do doubles and triples, that is, stepping over 2 steps at a time, then 3.
This was brutal stuff, but an incredible workout. It's invigorating, gets your heartrate way up, and burns a boatload of calories. And even more so, it's a nice deviation from the same old gym surroundings. You're more isolated with less distractions. It's just you and your music. You really get a good chance to focus and challenge yourself. After running one round of 5 flights, you find yourself saying, 'ok, just one more', but after a while, you keep challenging yourself, and you try another, then another, etc. I stopped because my lunch break was over, but I doubt I would have lasted too much longer anyway. I did 11 rounds with a mix of sprints, doubles and triples. My legs were mush afterwards.
My challenge to you is to find yourself a set of stairs and run them one day instead of going to your gym. Chances are, you have access to stairs in your work or your home. You should base how many rounds you perform on what your stairs look like. If it's only one flight in your home, go more for time instead of rounds. Shoot for 30 minutes of straight step work. If you're on your lunch break in your work building and you have more stairs, shoot for doing rounds. How many you do depends on how many flights there are.
Make sure you go very easy on your first couple. If you go balls-out, as hard as you can on the first couple, your heartrate will skyrocket too quickly and you may get light-headed. This will affect your workout in a negative way. Your first couple rounds should be nice and easy to work out the kinks in your legs and get your blood moving. You should really start to hit your stride in the middle rounds. By the end your leg muscles should be screaming.
This will certainly count as a leg routine for the week, as well as a cardio workout, so you get more bang for your buck this way, as it's a more efficient use of time. I'm a huge proponent of more work in less time.
This is a lot of high impact, and can be hard on the knees, so I don't recommend this as a daily routine, but try to get it in once a week or a few times a month. And if you're new to running stairs, use common sense and take it easy. Try for a shorter amount of rounds and work your way up as it gets easier to you.
Let me know how it works out for you or if you have any questions.
Of course, consult a Doctor before starting any type of exercise program.
People often fall into a rut of either doing the same workout over and over or barely working out at all. Being on the same treadmill or elliptical day after day can get boring. And boredom leads to uninspired workouts, which can ultimately lead to no workouts.
My co-worker and I ran stairs today in one of our building stairwells.This is something I did often back when I worked in SSA's gym, but since I have been over here, I haven't done them. I think it was just a matter of getting comfortable with my new surroundings. But we found a great set of stairs with five flights (SSA had 4, but were wider) and not too much traffic to dodge. The object is to sprint all the way to the top, then walk back down. I don't recommend running back down stairs. Walking back down is safer and offers some recovery time. My co-worker also had the idea to do doubles and triples, that is, stepping over 2 steps at a time, then 3.
This was brutal stuff, but an incredible workout. It's invigorating, gets your heartrate way up, and burns a boatload of calories. And even more so, it's a nice deviation from the same old gym surroundings. You're more isolated with less distractions. It's just you and your music. You really get a good chance to focus and challenge yourself. After running one round of 5 flights, you find yourself saying, 'ok, just one more', but after a while, you keep challenging yourself, and you try another, then another, etc. I stopped because my lunch break was over, but I doubt I would have lasted too much longer anyway. I did 11 rounds with a mix of sprints, doubles and triples. My legs were mush afterwards.
My challenge to you is to find yourself a set of stairs and run them one day instead of going to your gym. Chances are, you have access to stairs in your work or your home. You should base how many rounds you perform on what your stairs look like. If it's only one flight in your home, go more for time instead of rounds. Shoot for 30 minutes of straight step work. If you're on your lunch break in your work building and you have more stairs, shoot for doing rounds. How many you do depends on how many flights there are.
Make sure you go very easy on your first couple. If you go balls-out, as hard as you can on the first couple, your heartrate will skyrocket too quickly and you may get light-headed. This will affect your workout in a negative way. Your first couple rounds should be nice and easy to work out the kinks in your legs and get your blood moving. You should really start to hit your stride in the middle rounds. By the end your leg muscles should be screaming.
This will certainly count as a leg routine for the week, as well as a cardio workout, so you get more bang for your buck this way, as it's a more efficient use of time. I'm a huge proponent of more work in less time.
This is a lot of high impact, and can be hard on the knees, so I don't recommend this as a daily routine, but try to get it in once a week or a few times a month. And if you're new to running stairs, use common sense and take it easy. Try for a shorter amount of rounds and work your way up as it gets easier to you.
Let me know how it works out for you or if you have any questions.
Of course, consult a Doctor before starting any type of exercise program.
Your Pre-Thanksgiving Workout
So the big meal is upon us. I'd like to wish everybody a very Happy Thanksgiving and just remind you that there are ways to compensate for all that overeating we will be doing. Although I don't recommend overeating, I know that it sort of goes with the territory on Thanksgiving. So I have compiled this short (so there's no excuse to not get it in) but intense workout for you to do this week to get that metabolism moving fast and better able to burn up all the calories you'll be consuming.
I did this workout myself today and I was finished in about 30 minutes. The time will vary depending on your skill level, however, it should be intense no matter what.
What we have here are intervals of 2 minutes of running on the treadmill, hopping off carefully, doing 10x of an exercise and hopping back on the treadmill. It combines cardio intervals at different paces with cardio drills and strength drills, to combine building lean muscle, burning many calories,and shredding fat, thus speeding up your metabolism.
Alter this workout if you choose by using an elliptical machine, stairmaster, etc., but don't cheat yourself, use a challenging machine.
*2 min. treadmill (jog easy pace)
*hop off the treadmill and do 10 burpies, get back on the treadmill (I just left mine running and eased my way back on, be careful when doing this though)
*2 min. treadmill (medium pace)
*10 burpies
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*10 burpies
*2 min. treadmill (slightly faster pace)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (fast pace, not a sprint though)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 min. treadmill (faster pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 minute treadmill (same pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 min. treadmill (sprint)
*10 push-ups
*2 min. treadmill (slow down, but still fast))
*10 push-ups
*2 min. treadmill (easy jog)
*10 push-ups
Hit the showers!
###
I did this workout myself today and I was finished in about 30 minutes. The time will vary depending on your skill level, however, it should be intense no matter what.
What we have here are intervals of 2 minutes of running on the treadmill, hopping off carefully, doing 10x of an exercise and hopping back on the treadmill. It combines cardio intervals at different paces with cardio drills and strength drills, to combine building lean muscle, burning many calories,and shredding fat, thus speeding up your metabolism.
Alter this workout if you choose by using an elliptical machine, stairmaster, etc., but don't cheat yourself, use a challenging machine.
*2 min. treadmill (jog easy pace)
*hop off the treadmill and do 10 burpies, get back on the treadmill (I just left mine running and eased my way back on, be careful when doing this though)
*2 min. treadmill (medium pace)
*10 burpies
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*10 burpies
*2 min. treadmill (slightly faster pace)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (fast pace, not a sprint though)
*10 squat jumps
*2 min. treadmill (same pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 min. treadmill (faster pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 minute treadmill (same pace)
*20 jumping jacks
*2 min. treadmill (sprint)
*10 push-ups
*2 min. treadmill (slow down, but still fast))
*10 push-ups
*2 min. treadmill (easy jog)
*10 push-ups
Hit the showers!
###
It's Not Goodbye, It's 'See ya Later'
I wrote this in my personal blog, but figured since it had to do with me leaving a place where I have practiced my craft for the past 5 years, it'd be relevant here as well:
Today is my last day as a full time employee of SSA's fitness center. I have been here close to 5 years. It's a bittersweet move for me to make, as I am excited about new opportunities at an upcoming job, but sad to leave some of the finest people I have had the pleasure of knowing.
Sure, I have met a lot of not-so-nice folks here. Let's face it, in a place with thousands of workers, a government facility to boot, you're going to have a wide range of personalities. I have dealt with them all here in the gym. But for the most part, I have made relationships with great people that I am sad not to see everyday anymore.
Such is life, people move in and out of your daily routine quickly. I just wanted to write this blog as a thank you, to all the people who made my days more interesting for the past 5 years. It has truly been my pleasure.
This place has a lot of "ghosts". The walls and ceilings are painted with memories. I now consider it a privelege to be one of those "ghosts", and am honored to be on those walls and ceilings.
Granted, I'm only leaving a job for another one, this happens all the time in life. It's not the hugest deal. But it means a lot to me that I have met so many people in the past 5 years who have made it so difficult for me to say goodbye.
But life is way too short to not keep in touch with people that have meant something to you, so I hope, no I plan, to see them all again in some way, shape, or form.
So I stress that this is not goodbye, just 'see ya later'.
Thanks for the memories.
D
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
-Thomas Meehan and Carol Sobieski
Today is my last day as a full time employee of SSA's fitness center. I have been here close to 5 years. It's a bittersweet move for me to make, as I am excited about new opportunities at an upcoming job, but sad to leave some of the finest people I have had the pleasure of knowing.
Sure, I have met a lot of not-so-nice folks here. Let's face it, in a place with thousands of workers, a government facility to boot, you're going to have a wide range of personalities. I have dealt with them all here in the gym. But for the most part, I have made relationships with great people that I am sad not to see everyday anymore.
Such is life, people move in and out of your daily routine quickly. I just wanted to write this blog as a thank you, to all the people who made my days more interesting for the past 5 years. It has truly been my pleasure.
This place has a lot of "ghosts". The walls and ceilings are painted with memories. I now consider it a privelege to be one of those "ghosts", and am honored to be on those walls and ceilings.
Granted, I'm only leaving a job for another one, this happens all the time in life. It's not the hugest deal. But it means a lot to me that I have met so many people in the past 5 years who have made it so difficult for me to say goodbye.
But life is way too short to not keep in touch with people that have meant something to you, so I hope, no I plan, to see them all again in some way, shape, or form.
So I stress that this is not goodbye, just 'see ya later'.
Thanks for the memories.
D
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
-Thomas Meehan and Carol Sobieski
There's No Such Thing As “Tone”
The word tone is misused in gyms all over the world. Toning is a musical term or can describe the way certain parts of speech sound. The only toning there is in the fitness arena refers to a state of contraction in the muscle. But everyone seems to be using it to mean getting definition or getting “cut”, which is a fallacy.
The idea of toning that so many gym goers seem to have is really a myth. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can’t just make a muscle “look pretty”.
Have you ever heard this?
“I don’t really need to lose a lot of weight, I just want to tone up.”
Chances are you have said this or you have heard this at some point in your life. But it’s time to put an end to the myth.
Let’s start by saying this; the number one determiner of how your body is structured is genetics. If there are a lot of cut and muscular framed people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. If there are a lot of thin-shouldered and lengthy people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. The same goes for any kind of body type really, and of course there are exceptions to every rule.
However, an overweight person may want to lose weight and become “cut”, so they will go into the weight room and do a high rep, light weight routine, thinking this is the way to look “cut”.
The idea of “physique specific training” is another myth. You can lift heavy weight and do lower reps to get stronger, and you can lift light weight and do higher reps to become more conditioned. But lifting either way so you will “look” a certain way is just not the way it works. It is genetics that determine your physique, and sure, you are going to get larger if you develop more muscle, and you may see a cut or two that you didn’t see before. But you can’t change from one body type to another.
Yet some claim that women should follow a light weight-high rep routine to “tone”, shape, and sculpt. While there are few women that will have the potential to develop relatively large muscles, most don’t. This is due to the fact that women have lower levels of testosterone, higher percentage of body fat, and shorter muscle bellies. A woman’s bicep muscle is exactly the same as a man’s. So women should strength train the same way as men do.
Ultimately, you can gain and lose muscle mass, you can gain and lose fat, but you cannot “tone” a muscle to make it look pretty. The “tone” that people are referring to will not come unless you lose body fat, yet even then, if your genetics have not preset this for your body, it may not happen at all.
All of us have a tendency to develop a certain kind of physique. Whether we use light weight/high reps or heavy weight/low reps, we will always be prone to develop the physiques that our genes have preset for us. Our muscles cannot be stimulated to become “cut” or “bulked”. They either experience hypertrophy or atrophy. There certainly are proper and improper ways to train but there isn’t a physique-specific way to train.
###
The idea of toning that so many gym goers seem to have is really a myth. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can’t just make a muscle “look pretty”.
Have you ever heard this?
“I don’t really need to lose a lot of weight, I just want to tone up.”
Chances are you have said this or you have heard this at some point in your life. But it’s time to put an end to the myth.
Let’s start by saying this; the number one determiner of how your body is structured is genetics. If there are a lot of cut and muscular framed people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. If there are a lot of thin-shouldered and lengthy people in your family, chances are you are going to be this way too. The same goes for any kind of body type really, and of course there are exceptions to every rule.
However, an overweight person may want to lose weight and become “cut”, so they will go into the weight room and do a high rep, light weight routine, thinking this is the way to look “cut”.
The idea of “physique specific training” is another myth. You can lift heavy weight and do lower reps to get stronger, and you can lift light weight and do higher reps to become more conditioned. But lifting either way so you will “look” a certain way is just not the way it works. It is genetics that determine your physique, and sure, you are going to get larger if you develop more muscle, and you may see a cut or two that you didn’t see before. But you can’t change from one body type to another.
Yet some claim that women should follow a light weight-high rep routine to “tone”, shape, and sculpt. While there are few women that will have the potential to develop relatively large muscles, most don’t. This is due to the fact that women have lower levels of testosterone, higher percentage of body fat, and shorter muscle bellies. A woman’s bicep muscle is exactly the same as a man’s. So women should strength train the same way as men do.
Ultimately, you can gain and lose muscle mass, you can gain and lose fat, but you cannot “tone” a muscle to make it look pretty. The “tone” that people are referring to will not come unless you lose body fat, yet even then, if your genetics have not preset this for your body, it may not happen at all.
All of us have a tendency to develop a certain kind of physique. Whether we use light weight/high reps or heavy weight/low reps, we will always be prone to develop the physiques that our genes have preset for us. Our muscles cannot be stimulated to become “cut” or “bulked”. They either experience hypertrophy or atrophy. There certainly are proper and improper ways to train but there isn’t a physique-specific way to train.
###
Try This Instead: Part 2
And again, another list of exercises that could be replaced by better alternatives that promote a safer, more effective workout.
*Try this…
DIPS
Dips are like pull-ups in that they are way more effective for your arm muscles than the typical one jointed arm moves. The tricep dip hits your lower chest hard, so it's ideal for your chest/triceps workout day. This move, without any assistance also brings your core into play by having to stabilize yourself in the air. More muscles working equals more muscle on your frame.
*Instead of....
THE TRICEPS KICKBACK
The kickback is just too easy. The way your body is positioned—with the arm parallel to the floor and the elbow pointing up—the triceps only really have to work to lock the elbow out at the end of the range of motion. And since the weight you’re forced to use is so light, you won’t get stronger.
*Try this…
POWER CLEANS
This is a combination exercise that works your whole body. Place a barbell on the floor at your feet, squat down and grasp the barbell using an overhand grip just beyond shoulder width apart. In one motion, lift the barbell by using your legs so that you end up standing up, lift the barbell to your chin by raising your elbows up toward the ceiling while one of your legs drops back underneath you to give you additional support. Just as the barbell nears your chin, you will drop your elbows which will cause your wrists to tuck underneath the barbell. Finally, bring your support leg back underneath you so that you are now standing up straight with the barbell tucked under your chin.
*Instead of…
SHRUGS
You know this move: Grab a barbell or heavy dumbbells then shrug to your ears. Whoever invented this exercise forgot one key thing: Gravity pulls downward, not forward or back. So you’ll take tension off the traps, and you’ll grind your shoulder joints. Also, the range of motion on this move is very short with one muscle working, so it pales into comparison next to the power clean, where you can work your traps just as hard, but also get the benefit of working many more muscles, plus conditioning yourself with an Olympic type lift.
*Try this…
STANDING SHOULDER PRESS
Get rid of the seat you may normally use which takes away from you having to stabilize your core muscles in this lift. Stand up and grab a set of dumbbells or a barbell and do a shoulder press. This hits your deltoid muscles hard as well as your triceps. And again, by standing instead of sitting, your core has to work.
*Instead of…
THE LATERAL RAISE
While most guys use bad form anyway, swinging the weights up to shoulder level as if they were birds flapping their wings, this exercise is not too effective even if it’s done right. The shoulders get plenty of work from presses, pull-ups, deadlifts, and just about any other exercise you do. The lateral raise just isn’t necessary.
*Try this…
THE TURKISH GET-UP
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and lie on the floor with your left leg bent and left foot flat on the floor. Grab a light dumbbell and hold it up over your head. Now raise your torso off the floor and stand up, keeping your arm in the air. Once you are up, lie back down gently and repeat. Do the same amount of reps using your other arm to hold up the dumbbell. This old-school move works all your muscles, enhancing core strength and your six-pack.
*Instead of…
ANY CRUNCH PERFORMED ON A CRUNCH MACHINE
Crunches are not the best ab exercise; given that abs don’t perform crunching motions in daily life. Adding a machine to the mix only makes the move less effective. Machines limit the involvement of the lower- back muscles, which the abs aren’t designed to contract without. This leads to muscle imbalances and—you guessed it—injury. Plus, much like a smith machine, you’re moving the weight along a fixed machine, eliminating the use of your core muscles to balance and stabilize you.
*Try this…
DIPS
Dips are like pull-ups in that they are way more effective for your arm muscles than the typical one jointed arm moves. The tricep dip hits your lower chest hard, so it's ideal for your chest/triceps workout day. This move, without any assistance also brings your core into play by having to stabilize yourself in the air. More muscles working equals more muscle on your frame.
*Instead of....
THE TRICEPS KICKBACK
The kickback is just too easy. The way your body is positioned—with the arm parallel to the floor and the elbow pointing up—the triceps only really have to work to lock the elbow out at the end of the range of motion. And since the weight you’re forced to use is so light, you won’t get stronger.
*Try this…
POWER CLEANS
This is a combination exercise that works your whole body. Place a barbell on the floor at your feet, squat down and grasp the barbell using an overhand grip just beyond shoulder width apart. In one motion, lift the barbell by using your legs so that you end up standing up, lift the barbell to your chin by raising your elbows up toward the ceiling while one of your legs drops back underneath you to give you additional support. Just as the barbell nears your chin, you will drop your elbows which will cause your wrists to tuck underneath the barbell. Finally, bring your support leg back underneath you so that you are now standing up straight with the barbell tucked under your chin.
*Instead of…
SHRUGS
You know this move: Grab a barbell or heavy dumbbells then shrug to your ears. Whoever invented this exercise forgot one key thing: Gravity pulls downward, not forward or back. So you’ll take tension off the traps, and you’ll grind your shoulder joints. Also, the range of motion on this move is very short with one muscle working, so it pales into comparison next to the power clean, where you can work your traps just as hard, but also get the benefit of working many more muscles, plus conditioning yourself with an Olympic type lift.
*Try this…
STANDING SHOULDER PRESS
Get rid of the seat you may normally use which takes away from you having to stabilize your core muscles in this lift. Stand up and grab a set of dumbbells or a barbell and do a shoulder press. This hits your deltoid muscles hard as well as your triceps. And again, by standing instead of sitting, your core has to work.
*Instead of…
THE LATERAL RAISE
While most guys use bad form anyway, swinging the weights up to shoulder level as if they were birds flapping their wings, this exercise is not too effective even if it’s done right. The shoulders get plenty of work from presses, pull-ups, deadlifts, and just about any other exercise you do. The lateral raise just isn’t necessary.
*Try this…
THE TURKISH GET-UP
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and lie on the floor with your left leg bent and left foot flat on the floor. Grab a light dumbbell and hold it up over your head. Now raise your torso off the floor and stand up, keeping your arm in the air. Once you are up, lie back down gently and repeat. Do the same amount of reps using your other arm to hold up the dumbbell. This old-school move works all your muscles, enhancing core strength and your six-pack.
*Instead of…
ANY CRUNCH PERFORMED ON A CRUNCH MACHINE
Crunches are not the best ab exercise; given that abs don’t perform crunching motions in daily life. Adding a machine to the mix only makes the move less effective. Machines limit the involvement of the lower- back muscles, which the abs aren’t designed to contract without. This leads to muscle imbalances and—you guessed it—injury. Plus, much like a smith machine, you’re moving the weight along a fixed machine, eliminating the use of your core muscles to balance and stabilize you.
Try This Instead
Wouldn’t you want to maximize your time working out? There’s nothing wrong with varying your workout and performing a move that hits the muscles a little differently, but exercises that force you to work with extremely light weights, and use over-complicated equipment that puts you at risk for injury, just aren’t worth doing. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of exercises that could be replaced by better alternatives that promote more effective workout.
*Try this…
MEDICINE BALL PUSHUPS
The pushup is already one of the best upper body movements out there. It works the mainly the chest, triceps, and shoulders, but also hits the hip flexors and abdominals. Doing it with your hands on a ball will force more core muscles to work all at once and make it a more beneficial exercise overall. The more muscles worked at one time, the more muscle that gets packed onto your frame.
*Instead of…
THE PEC-DECK FLY
This lift simply doesn’t allow you to move enough weight to overload the muscles and elicit growth. Moreover, most guys unintentionally allow the arm pads to hyperextend their shoulder joints as they perform the lowering phase of the lift, and that causes injury. Plus, you’re only working one muscle. Why work one at one time when you can work 5 at one time? Maximize your time. And no, it doesn’t “bring out” your middle chest.
*Try this…
SINGLE LEG SQUAT
Bend one knee, raising your lower leg behind you so that you’re standing on the opposite leg. Rest the top of your raised foot on a bench or other elevated surface so that it’s level with your butt. Now squat down and up with your supporting leg. Because you’re supporting your weight on only one leg, this move thrashes the quads and glutes, and challenges your balance, making your core work. Your hips move freely, too, which is safer for your knees.
*Instead of…
THE LEG EXTENSION
Like the pec-deck fly, this lift doesn’t allow the quads (some of the strongest muscles in your body) to move much weight. Worse, the more weight you use, the greater the shearing forces you place on your knees, risking injury. And again, why work one single muscle at once, when you can work several? The more muscles that work at one time and the more calories will burn with more lean muscle being created, thus speeding up your metabolism and bringing out the cuts.
*Try this…
THE BOX SQUAT
Set up a box behind you and then lower your body until your glutes touch it. Touching the box requires you to “sit back” as you squat, as if you were lowering yourself into a chair, and this action gets the glutes and hamstrings maximally involved in the lift. It also helps you to perfect your squat form. You can start with a higher box and gradually move to smaller boxes as you improve, ultimately training your body to squat below parallel with no box at all. Better still, the box squat places no strain on the knees, so even people with knee problems can attempt it safely.
*Instead of…
THE SMITH-MACHINE SQUAT
Since the bar travels along a fixed track, it virtually eliminates the need for your core to stabilize your body. Not good. Because your abs and lower back aren’t working like they should, frequent Smith-machine squatting leads to muscle imbalances. Also, because the track won’t allow your hips to bend like they do on a free-weight squat, you may overstress your knees.
*Try this…
THE CHINUP
Not only will the chinup blast your biceps, it will also blast back and shoulder muscles and make you much stronger overall. Moving your body through space increases the levels of neuromuscular activity needed for increases in size and strength.
*Instead of…
THE BICEP CURL
Though it’s probably the second-most common exercise in the gym (after the bench press), bag it! The weight you can use is very limited and the movement has no function in daily life or sports. Chinups will make your biceps bigger than bicep curls for the simple fact that more muscles work during the movement. And again, the more muscles that work together at once and the more lean muscle that will be created.
*Try this…
MEDICINE BALL PUSHUPS
The pushup is already one of the best upper body movements out there. It works the mainly the chest, triceps, and shoulders, but also hits the hip flexors and abdominals. Doing it with your hands on a ball will force more core muscles to work all at once and make it a more beneficial exercise overall. The more muscles worked at one time, the more muscle that gets packed onto your frame.
*Instead of…
THE PEC-DECK FLY
This lift simply doesn’t allow you to move enough weight to overload the muscles and elicit growth. Moreover, most guys unintentionally allow the arm pads to hyperextend their shoulder joints as they perform the lowering phase of the lift, and that causes injury. Plus, you’re only working one muscle. Why work one at one time when you can work 5 at one time? Maximize your time. And no, it doesn’t “bring out” your middle chest.
*Try this…
SINGLE LEG SQUAT
Bend one knee, raising your lower leg behind you so that you’re standing on the opposite leg. Rest the top of your raised foot on a bench or other elevated surface so that it’s level with your butt. Now squat down and up with your supporting leg. Because you’re supporting your weight on only one leg, this move thrashes the quads and glutes, and challenges your balance, making your core work. Your hips move freely, too, which is safer for your knees.
*Instead of…
THE LEG EXTENSION
Like the pec-deck fly, this lift doesn’t allow the quads (some of the strongest muscles in your body) to move much weight. Worse, the more weight you use, the greater the shearing forces you place on your knees, risking injury. And again, why work one single muscle at once, when you can work several? The more muscles that work at one time and the more calories will burn with more lean muscle being created, thus speeding up your metabolism and bringing out the cuts.
*Try this…
THE BOX SQUAT
Set up a box behind you and then lower your body until your glutes touch it. Touching the box requires you to “sit back” as you squat, as if you were lowering yourself into a chair, and this action gets the glutes and hamstrings maximally involved in the lift. It also helps you to perfect your squat form. You can start with a higher box and gradually move to smaller boxes as you improve, ultimately training your body to squat below parallel with no box at all. Better still, the box squat places no strain on the knees, so even people with knee problems can attempt it safely.
*Instead of…
THE SMITH-MACHINE SQUAT
Since the bar travels along a fixed track, it virtually eliminates the need for your core to stabilize your body. Not good. Because your abs and lower back aren’t working like they should, frequent Smith-machine squatting leads to muscle imbalances. Also, because the track won’t allow your hips to bend like they do on a free-weight squat, you may overstress your knees.
*Try this…
THE CHINUP
Not only will the chinup blast your biceps, it will also blast back and shoulder muscles and make you much stronger overall. Moving your body through space increases the levels of neuromuscular activity needed for increases in size and strength.
*Instead of…
THE BICEP CURL
Though it’s probably the second-most common exercise in the gym (after the bench press), bag it! The weight you can use is very limited and the movement has no function in daily life or sports. Chinups will make your biceps bigger than bicep curls for the simple fact that more muscles work during the movement. And again, the more muscles that work together at once and the more lean muscle that will be created.
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