So you want strong, broad shoulders tying into a chiseled back, funneling down to a narrow waist? Before you hit the gym and start pounding the weights there are a few things you need to know about your back and how to blast it. First of all this: your back is comprised of three main areas: the upper back, the middle back and the lower back (spinal erectors). It’s no use only training the muscles you can see in the mirror. You’ve got to build all three parts to gain a top-notch posture and to develop a superior physique. Then you’ll not only look strong and confident, you’ll feel fantastic too. The most impressive area of a fully developed back is the sweep of the lats: the traditional v-shape of a bodybuilder. Any movements such as pull-downs, pull-ups or chins-ups are ...

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The Triple Shot is a training technique which allows the bodybuilder to stimulate each muscle group from the three most important angles. It’s not a super-set, which is designed for fast blood loading. And it’s not a giant set, designed for complete muscle annihilation. Rather, the Triple Shot is a technique designed to isolate the three largest parts of a muscle group, then delivering the three most effective movements for hitting these areas. The goal, of course, is the most possible muscle group stimulation leading to growth. Let’s check out routines for some of your muscle groups. Chest Flat bench press, immediately followed by incline dumbbell flyes, immediately followed by decline bench press. Keep the weight heavy enough to challenge you for 6 to 10 repetitions on all sets. Back Deadlifts, immediately followed by lat pulldowns, ...

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How has your chest training been lately? Are you making the best gains of your life, or are you just chugging along, trying to keep up with the others around you? If you haven’t been adding 5 pounds per month to your major compound chest movements, then you’re essentially treading water, spinning your wheels, and wasting your time. Here are some tips that you can employ to bump up your chest training productivity. Start with wide flyes Begin each workout with 2 to 4 sets of slow-motion, wide dumbbell flyes with a lot of depth. You’ll wake up a lot of muscle fibers than lie dormant during your standard workouts. This may limit your ability to hit maximum poundage immediately following these sets, but your chest/shoulder tie-ins will grow much stronger, which will benefit strength gains more ...

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The best kind of training is the kind that your body isn’t accustomed to, that you can complete religiously. The most detailed, in-depth training protocols in the world won’t amount to a hill of beans if the bodybuilder can’t follow the routine, find an ideal level of training intensity in the gym, or is already used to it. Here is a very simple training routine for the full body. Each muscle group is given its own training day. Chest Incline dumbbell press Flat bench press Incline dumbbell flyes Back Deadlifts Barbell Rows Lat pulldowns Shoulders Seated dumbbell presses Dumbbell side raises Cable raises for rear delts (45 degree angle) Arms Standing barbell curls Chin-ups Seated alternate DB Curls Skull Crushers Legs Barbell squats Leg Presses Lying leg curls That’s it - three movements per muscle group. Two heavy compound movements and one isolation movement ...

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When most bodybuilding routines call for “dips”, many trainers become confused. There are actually TWO bodybuilding exercises, which are referred to as dips. One movement trains the triceps, the other movement trains the chest AND the triceps. Often, bodybuilders will complete both exercises on chest/triceps day, which further contributes to the confusion. Let’s clear the air right now by analyzing the two similar movements and how they are completed. Chest Dips aka Dips The chest is targeted as the main muscle group, with the triceps receiving secondary stimulation in this movement. Take hold of the parallel bars (dip machine). With your palms facing the ground, slowly lower then raise your body. Try to lean forward in order to target the pectorals (chest muscles). Stay very upright when you do this movement in order to effectively hit ...

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When it comes to training the chest to the maximal muscle mass and strength level, the dumbbell flyes is a very effective, easy and interesting exercise. It can actually be done in fifteen minutes of one training session, as an accompaniment of other exercises that constitute a single workout. This article basically guides you through the dumbbell flyes exercise, with an aim of improving the way in which you perform the exercise. The dumbbell flyes is easy to do, when you get the general concept. Just like you perform the bench press, the dumbbell flyes are also performed on an incline bench. The angle of inclination determines the level of difficult and can therefore be adjusted to the suitable level or to different levels during the exercise. Also, perform the dumbbell flyes on a bench at different incline angles helps you to ...

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There are times when you want to keep your training simple. One adjustable bench. A few sets of dumbbells. And of course, about 75 minutes to kill, and to kill chest doing it. Here is a sample routine. You can rearrange the movements to fit your preferences. This routine starts at the upper chest, moves to the lower chest, and then finishes things off with middle and outer pectorals. All you need to complete it is an adjustable bench, some dumbbells and of course, some hard work! Incline DB presses The upper chest should usually be emphasized first in any good chest routine. Many bodybuilders use between a 2-to-1 to a 3-to-1 ratio for upper chest. The idea is to build that upper shelf as much as possible. It is rumored Arnold ...

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MMA (mixed martial arts) fighting is extremely popular these days. Fight revenues from television pay-per-view are through the roof, and it seems MMA-style gyms are popping up all over the country. Many athletes from the fields of wrestling, football, and yes, even bodybuilding, and throwing their hats into the MMA ring. Professional bodybuilder Chris Cook moved from a mediocre rookie year in the IFBB to more success in the amateur MMA ranks, where is currently a rising star. If you are a bodybuilder looking into MMA training, or an MMA fighter looking to bring up your strength and power, you are in the right place. Here is a sample weightlifting routine for MMA fighters. Chest & Triceps Flat bench press 6 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions Incline DB Press 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions Flat DB ...

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When targeting a specific muscle group, it is often beneficial to select movements which will hit a specific portion of the muscle, then move to different sections. Chest is one such muscle group in which it may benefit you tremendously to start with one area, such as the inner pectorals, and use exercises to target it specifically. Then, you would move to the center then outer pectorals with each preceding exercise. The result would be a spreading of blood throughout the pectorals, and presumably, more targeted growth.   Incline Dumbbell Flyes Use very moderate weight which will allow you to reach 12 to 15 repetitions per set. Your goal for this movement isn’t to hit some personal best with the poundage. Rather, you want to stimulate that area where the pectorals meet. Keep your reps slow ...

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Do you ever seem to have one of those days in the weight room where you just don’t think you have it in you to move those heavy free weights around? You know that moving the heavy iron is in a major way responsible for the muscle you gain. You know machines are usually not the way to go, unless your goal is toning up. Today, however, you might be nursing an injury, dodging an illness, or just plain not in the mood for the free weights. Or, more commonly, it might be 5:05 PM on a busy Monday afternoon, and the free weight area is absolutely packed with people. Whatever the case, you’re in a situation where you wish to opt for a day off the free weights, say for a chest workout. Let’s ...

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