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When you look around your typical gym it’s interesting to see how people tend to congregate in little groups. You’ve got your muscle bound bodybuilders and powerlifters at the free weights, the lithe young girls and new Mums on the CV machines, and you’ve got a few yoga and martial arts fanatics flexing and stretching on the mats.

But then there are the darker and emptier corners of the gym, the parts with unusual looking torture devices that are hard to make heads or tails of, and where no one ever seems to go… These are the shadow lands of the gym, the regions too strange and alien for the majority of us to venture near, but if you dare you’ll find that they hold wondrous secrets…

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So what on Earth am I talking about? Well I’m referring to the more experimental and unusual training equipment that some gyms order in to try and get ahead of the curve. These are the items they hope will catch on, or that will attract a slightly different clientele, but in many cases they just get ignored seeing as they aren’t what people are used to.

This is a waste though because actually, those unusual devices and implements can provide you with some of the best workouts out there and if nothing else trying different things in the gym is a great way to shatter your plateaus and to shock your body into action. Here we will look at some of best and most unusual training equipment in the gym so that you stop letting those hidden gems go to waste.

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Suspension Straps
The suspension straps are the ropes with handles that hang from frames in the corner of some gyms. They have mats underneath them and can be adjusted to different heights, and the idea is that you use them for a range of bodyweight and core stability exercises.

For instance, rather than doing press ups on the floor, you can do them suspended with your hands in the straps and this will allow you to dip lower down while challenging you to keep your body straight using your core muscles. Likewise you can use them to do pull ups at an angle, or put your feet in them for a range of sit-up type movements.

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Kettle Bells
If you chat to any of the trainers in your gym about kettle bells, then chances are that you’ll find they’re rather enthusiastic. This is because they know just how effective and versatile they are – essentially providing you with the benefits of dumbbells but with a different kind of handle.

This allows you to swing them around yourself to train your core, to string moves together (such as squats, curls and press ups) and even to target different supporting muscles in your forearms when you do basic curls.

Rope Machine
If you ever had to climb the rope in gym class as a kid then the experience may have left you mentally scarred. Regardless of the teasing and the fear of heights though, climbing a rope is fantastic training for your forearms and your lats and a brilliant way to build endurance. These rope machines then take advantage of that without any of the danger, by challenging you to drag a rope against resistance while sitting down and bracing yourself against knee pads. The rope is round so you can climb indefinitely, but after five minutes you’ll be begging for mercy.

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Punching Bag
More and more gyms now have punching bags set up for you to use and this is a fantastic way to build muscle and to burn a lot of fat. You’ll be surprised just what an intense workout hitting a punch bag is, and there are few things that can get your heart pumping so quickly. More to the point it’s also rather satisfying meaning you’ll actually look forward to having a go…

Ab Rollers
If you have a box of equipment near the exercise mats in your gym, then ab rollers are likely to be in there. These are small devices with wheels attached to a handle, and the idea is that you then hold on to them while rolling your arms out in front of you and back in. You can do it while resting on your knees for an easier version, or from standing if you really want to punish your stomach, but either way it’s going to provide an intense workout and give you quite a burn in your gut.

Steven Rooney is a certified fitness trainer. He believes in eating healthy and drinking lots of water is a good way to purify your system and prevent an kind of illness. He is an integral part of a flourishing family wellness center in Fargo.

The post The Top Most Unusual Training Equipment To Try In The Gym appeared first on Top Exercise Workouts.

You work hard at looking good by watching what you eat and working out, but if you still smoke cigarettes you are not taking care of yourself as good as you should be. Kicking the habit is very difficult to do. Even if you want to quit, it is not so easy to stop smoking. That is why e cigarettes have become quite popular over the years.

What is an E Cigarette?

E cigarettes really do look and feel like regular cigarettes. By smoking an electronic cigarette, you still can have the enjoyment of smoking a cigarette without all the harmful ingredients. With e cigarettes, each time you take a puff of an e cigarette, a small amount of nicotine is delivered into the body without the harmful smoke that is released by regular cigarettes.

Although smokers really feel as though they are smoking, what they are inhaling is non-harmful vapor that looks like smoke, but is not. Electronic cigarettes are so safe that people can smoke them anywhere. After the discovering the benefits of e cigarette, most smokers want to learn more about how electronic cigarettes can be used to help them stop smoking.

Electronic cigarettes have become an all-time favorite of people who workout to make a healthier choice and begin the process of quitting and getting in shape. By choosing to smoke e-cigarettes, you can control how much nicotine you take in each day.

In addition, by smoking e cigarettes you can take control by eliminating harmful smoke that you and others around you breathe in each day. What’ is great about e cigarettes is that they are so safe and environmentally friendly that you can even smoke them without exposing yourself and those around you to the toxic chemicals found in regular cigarettes.

Top Exercise Workouts recommends Nicocure one of the leading brands of e cigarettes or ECIG’s for short. They have a lifetime warranty and a satisfaction guarantee. If you’re into fitness now is the time to begin to quit smoking with this product and improve your health.

E cigarettes deliver the nicotine smokers crave, smokers who use e cigarettes can choose a healthier option. What you will be putting into your body is clean vaporless smoke without all the harmful chemicals and toxins. Once a person starts smoking e cigarettes, they can begin to turn their health around and increase lung function. In fact, the lungs automatically start working on their own to repair themselves.

If you workout, then chances are you are paying close attention to what you eat, drink and healthy life choices. It just follows that by taking control of your smoking habit and choosing to smoke e cigarettes instead of regular ones, you will be on your way to improving your overall health quickly.

Regular cigarettes do a lot of harm to all off the organs in the body. Many people think that smoking only damages the lungs. This is not the case. Smoke from regular cigarettes harms the lungs, heart, stomach, pancreas, kidney and other parts of the body. With electronic cigarettes, you can start to lead a healthier life without worry about the harmful impact of pouring smoke into your body.

The minute you start saying no to regular cigarettes, your body will begin to repair itself. Lungs that are charcoal black will start to heal on their own without surgery and medication. In addition, you will also start to look better on the outside as well. By taking the first step to quit, you will have a renewed sense of vitality and take on a whole new appearance. Now, is the time to say goodbye to smoking forever and give your insides a break from smoking. You owe it to yourself to give electronic cigarettes a try, so take the time to claim your exclusive ECIG starter kit right now.

In addition to improving your health, you will also save thousands of dollars by smoking e cigarettes. People are actually surprised by how affordable e cigarettes are. Think of all the things you can do with all that extra money you save each month? Go on a vacation, buy a new piece of home gym equipment, join a gym or buy something else you have been meaning to do. You will be surprised how much you will save on cigarettes by switching to electronic cigarettes.

The Nicocure ECIG starter kit comes with many extras that other brands don’t. Nicocure has different packages to purchase that start at a low $49.95, that’s about the cost of a carton of regular cigarettes! Here is what is included:

• 5 Tobacco Flavored Cartomizers
• Newest ECIGS Technology = 400 Puffs Each!
• 1 Rechargeable Lithium Battery
• 1 USB Charger (can be used in pc or laptop)
• Durable Storage Case
• Wall Charger
• Lifetime Warranty

There is no better time than the present than to quit smoking regular cigarettes and get healthy. Very shortly after kicking the habit, you will notice a big difference in how you feel. In addition to decreasing your risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke, your heart rate will improve, the carbon monoxide levels in your blood will be reduced to zero and your chance of developing cancer will begin to decrease as well.

Smoking e cigarettes is absolutely effortless. All you have to do is keep your electronic cigarettes charged and you can smoke your new e cigarette wherever you want. There are no restrictions. In addition, electronic cigarettes also come in a different assortment of flavors. Whether you like the taste of tobacco or prefer menthol, you have your pick when it comes to electronic cigarettes.

You even get to control how much nicotine you want to inhale with each puff of your e cigarette. Nicotine in small doses does no harm to your body. That is why people around the world are using e cigarettes to kick the habit. With an e cigarette, you can control of how much nicotine you get with each puff of your vaporless e cigarette.

If your goal is to improve your overall health, then it is time to say goodbye to cigarettes forever and get electronic cigarettes today. Take the initiative to discover how an e cigarette can improve your overall health.
Top Exercise Workouts recommends Nicocure to finally stop smoking, get fit and enjoy good health. Claim your very own exclusive Nicocure ECIG starter kit right now you will be so glad you did.

To help with getting in shape and transforming your body also try Forever Body Transformation, the latest from Top Exercise Workouts.

The post E Cigarettes Will Help You Quit, Get Fit and Stay Healthy appeared first on Top Exercise Workouts.

What is HGH?

Human Growth Hormone known as HGH occurs naturally from the pituitary gland and has a key role in the functioning of your body, brain and sexual organs to include the levels of hormones to maintain youthfulness and fight aging.

As we age, levels of Human Growth Hormone or HGH begin to decrease. HGH levels by middle age drop dramatically to a fraction of youthful levels. Science and research has shown a direct connection between low HGH and signs that are typical with aging like gaining weight, waning interest in sex, loss of muscle mass, memory not as sharp and sagging skin that begins to lose texture, tone.

HGH supplements also known as HGH releasers have been shown to improve the following:

• Reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass
• Boost up sex drive and endurance
• Improve the tone, texture and feel of your skin
• Reverse osteoporosis and increase bone density
• Improve brain function and memory
• Help to sleep better
• Improve mental and physical well-being overall
• Better mood and diminished fatigue and depression

How to know which HGH products are safe?

Be sure to choose carefully and get the highest quality, pharmaceutical quality product that has a good reputation and is manufactured under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified laboratories and made to the highest standards. Top Exercise Workouts recommends GenF20 the number one rated HGH releaser product backed by doctors, medical proof and testimonials of thousands of satisfied customers.

GenF20 is safe and has no side effects or any known drug interactions. These are the safety checks that you need to look for and be sure to ask your own doctor about any specific concerns.

Some claims say HGH must be administered by injection to work. If so, can tablets really be effective?

HGH was originally obtained from post mortem donors pituitary glands and was very expensive. It was discovered that the HGH molecule was too large to pass through the digestive system walls and into the blood stream.

HGH releasers use a new technique and formula to stimulate your pituitary gland so that your body secretes more HGH on its own. This way HGH is released through your body’s glandular system just as intended by nature like it did in your 20’s!

Do HGH releasers have side effects?

A lot of studies on all age groups have been done on HGH releasers and there have been no known side effects. No ill effects have been reported whatsoever in these studies. You must ensure though that the product you purchase is manufactured to the highest quality standards by a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified laboratory.

How long do I take HGH releasers?

To bring your body’s production of HGH up it is recommended that you take it initially for 6 months. After this you may pause for up to 1 year while still getting the benefit of elevated HGH in your body. Your levels of HGH won’t drop dramatically during this pause. After this period you can repeat the process for the long term benefit of HGH. GenF20 is one of the finest high quality HGH releasers and recommended by Top Exercise Workouts.

How long does it take for HGH releasers to work and when can I expect to feel and look better?

This depends on your existing HGH levels when you start out. You should stay on the supplement for a minimum of 3 months in the beginning. Those with very low levels of HGH will see results much quicker.

Whatever your current HGH level is most people report immediate improvement in well-being, energy and sleep better. Over a couple of months people report better skin, muscle tone and improved appearance.

Are HGH releasers just for older folks?

No. Older people will experience results more quickly because their HGH levels will be lower to begin with. However since HGH has such a positive effect on so many of the body’s organs, systems and youthfulness it has benefits for bodybuilders and adults of all ages.

Isn’t HGH treatment very expensive? Why are HGH releasers so affordable?

With scientific advances in amino acid engineering that make up HGH releasers the cost is only a fraction of what injections would cost. Injections used to be as much as $15,000 for a treatment program! Quality HGH releaser supplements are now affordable because of new breakthroughs in science and manufacturing of HGH releasers.

Can I take too much HGH releaser?

Just like all drugs and supplements you need to follow the recommendations established by the drug manufacturer or research community. You should follow the instructions given with the product. Increasing the dosage above the recommendation does not have any further benefit and just is a waste of the product.

Can I get these products and keep my privacy?

The internet is a great way to order products discreetly and usually the cheaper option. Many manufacturers ship in plain packaging that does not reveal what the product is. You can check with the shipper to find out or request it.

What about a guarantee?

Absolutely insist on a guarantee and read the fine print. Although many companies offer supplements, not all are reputable and you need to do your homework. Many are surprised to learn the Food and Drug Administration does not evaluate or have any oversight on supplements so be sure that you shop carefully and buy from a company with a good reputation, track record of quality and a guarantee for their product.

Top Exercise Workout recommends GenF20 because of their quality, guarantee and effectiveness. Visit the GenF20 homepage for more on HGH benefits, comparison with other HGH products, more FAQ’s, doctors claims, medical proof and many testimonials from satisfied clients.

The post HGH-Human Growth Hormone FAQs appeared first on Top Exercise Workouts.

Monitor All Your Physical Activity 24 Hours with Fitbit Flex

Fitbit Flex won the coveted “Best in Wearable and Health Tech” at the Consumer Electronics Show beating out large competitors. Fitbit Flex is a wearable wristband that syncs to your smartphone, PC or Mac, Apple or Android devices via Bluetooth technology.

This is really an exciting device especially if you are into fitness and gadgets. Fitbit Flex uses LED lights on the wristband to let you know how you’re stacking up against your fitness goals.

Fitbit Flex tracks and records all your activities like steps, distance, calories burned with exercise and also monitors your quality of sleep and active minutes. You can set goals to achieve and track it over time. See your stats anytime on your devices to set monitor and change goals.

On your device interface you can track all your activity, workouts, sleep trends, log food and much more. You can also can connect with others, share, compete with others for more encouragement and earn badges so it can also be a good motivator.

The bands are stylish and come in multiple colors. This product is hot and will be available on the market in the Spring 2013 but can be pre-ordered at the Fitbit Flex site.

More on compatibility and syncing:

• iPhone 4S and higher
• iPad, 3rd generation and higher
• iPod touch, 5th generation
• PCs & Macs
• NEW select Android devices
• (Samsung Galaxy S III , Note II)

Here is what the Fitbit Flex comes with:

• Tracker
• Small & Large Wristbands
• Charging Cable
• Wireless USB dongle
• Free Fitbit Account

The Fitbit Flex comes with a Lithium-polymer battery and a charge will last from 5-7 days. This is a must have gadget. For more details or to pre-order you can visit the Fitbit Flex website.

If you’re into cool gadgets check out this Sports Watch Gadget.

Happy workouts from Top Exercise Workouts!
(Images from fitbit.com)

The post Hottest New Wearable Tech Gadget-Fitbit Flex appeared first on Top Exercise Workouts.

Pump up Your Workouts with Music Apps

Do you include music with your fitness workouts? Many do, at Top Exercise Workouts we have gathered together all the top music apps in one place so that you can get the most from your workouts. Listening to music is a great way to help keep you motivated.

Combining music apps and exercise gives you a beat and tempo to get your exercise in sync with.  Workout music apps can make a big difference in your workout. Here they are:

Seconds Pro Interval Trainer

Create timers for interval and circuit training and assign music to them. Save timers and organize them into groups. You have full control over them and can save and share them with friends. Has heart rate monitoring support and choices of personal trainers to motivate and drive your workout hard.

This music app has large display, sample times and social integration for Facebook, Twitter and email. Available at iTunes.

>>Click here for Seconds Pro Interval Trainer

FIT Radio

For high energy music on demand FIT Radio music app rocks with DJ engineered music of all genres. They have new music mixes put together every week by renowned DJ’s designed to pump up the energy and motivate your workout to the max. FIT Radio says their mission is to motivate and stimulate endorphins with the best of high energy music specifically designed to intensify enthusiasm and boost workout performance.

Check out their Promo Video Here

The FIT Radio music app comes in Android and iPhone/iOS

>>Click here for the FIT Radio and home page

Motion Traxx Radio

Specifically designed by fitness music expert Deekron “The Fitness DJ” it delivers max motivation for runners, and exercisers for enhanced performance. It utilizes the pace, power and flow of the music to get the most from your workout.

Motion Traxx can be downloaded to your favorite device to pump up your workout for great results weather you are running, spinning, power walking, or cardio. It offers music mixes, free and premium albums.

>>Click here for Motion Traxx Radio

Podrunner

A free iTunes music app with the most popular exercise music mixes. Play fixed beat or varied beat. You can search, sort and download free mixes.

Podrunner says that “studies prove that exercising to a beat improves endurance, speed, and overall enjoyment of a workout. Podrunner’s nonstop, one-hour, high-energy, fixed-tempo and interval exercise mixes are perfect for power walking, jogging, spinning, elliptical, aerobics, and many other tempo-based forms of exercise.”

>>Click here for Podrunner

Tempo Magic Pro

This iPod music app allows you to actually change the beats per minute which is great for aerobics, cycling, running or any exercise where it helps to have a beat to follow with your workout. It works with your iPod song list and will let you speed up or slow down the BPM’s without changing pitch like the chipmunks.

Just pick out which playlist and go. With a slide of your finger you can change the speed and get the perfect workout music.

Features:
• Change the BPM without touching the pitch
• Plays all unprotected audiofiles straight from your iPod Library
• Change tempo at any time
• BPM Lock Mode allows you to take a playlist with multiple tempos and play it at the BPM of your choice!
• Gapless Playback
• Hifi Mode for slowing or speeding up by 50%
• BPM Tapper to fine tune the analyzed BPMs of your tracks
• Jump to any point in the track
• Jump to any track in your playlist
• Shuffle mode
• Supports multitasking: Plays perfectly in the background
• Compatible with Nike+ and Bluetooth Audio
• Beautiful on the iPhone 4 Retina Display

(Courtesy of iTunes)

>>Click here for Tempo Magic Pro

NPT Boom

From Nike this music app combines elite coaches and athletes to motivate and drive your workout harder along with a social Facebook element. Sync your own music to your dynamic training workouts. You can alert your Facebook friends while you’re using Boom to get encouragement and cheers in real-time.

Along with Nike Reveal you can find out about the newest and hottest products from Nike. Available for Android devices.

>>Click here for NPT Boom

Overall music can be a very inspirational and motivating factor when working out. Let it be a part of your training and hopefully these music apps will help to motivate you towards your own fitness goals.

Happy Workout!

The post The Top Fitness Music Apps appeared first on Top Exercise Workouts.

Check Out the Newest Addition to Top Exercise Workouts

Forever Body Transformation is the newest top workout program that appears to be taking off in popularity on the web. Forever Body Transformation zeros in with cutting edge nutrition along with a moderate lean muscle exercise program to really fire up your fat burning system.

This is a proven system to boost metabolism to burn fat even when not exercising. Forever Body Transformation has a Resting Metabolism Rate Calculator that shows what you’re calorie needs are. Forever Body Transformation focuses on good nutrition, education about confusing and misleading information, and change in lifestyle that is the only way to take off and keep off weight.

Here are a few highlights of Forever Body Transformation:

• Ebook explaining the system and meal plans
• 52 hours of live access to group training with coaches and trainers
• Metabolism Rate Calculator
• Exercise workout guides and over 200 exercise videos
• Unlimited email support
• Community forums

The people behind Forever Body Transformation are Miki Eberhardt, Tyler Tsujimoto and Candice Sadler (see the review)

>Click Here for the full review

As always with Top Exercise Workouts programs, there is a 60 day 100% money back guarantee if for any reason it’s not for you. Forever Body Transformation is sure to take off and I’m sure you will be impressed with this program if losing weight is your goal.

Click above to go to the full review page or click below to watch the video from the official Forever Body Transformation website.

The post Forever Body Transformation appeared first on Top Exercise Workouts.

For men, the road to sleek washboard abs is often paved with seemingly insurmountable hurdles and dashed dreams. An unfortunate fact of life is that over time it becomes more and more difficult for men to sculpt and maintain this aesthetically pleasing physical feature. And it isn’t just the guys who are interested in showing off a flat stomach. While most women strive for a flat stomach in their exercise routines, many are also enjoying the benefits of toned and defined abdominal muscles. And just like the guys, the mountaintop becomes ever more difficult to reach due to the relentless march of the aging process.

The difficulty in maintaining a strong physique is a direct result of the body slowing down over time. It often seems the only way to combat the negative effects of a degrading metabolism involves more working out. But as the old saying goes: it’s better to work smarter, not harder. The same can be said for sculpting tight abs.

With that in mind, here are seven of the top exercises that can help turn flab into slab.

Abdominal hold

Girls and guys may feel a little self-conscious when first performing this routine — until they see the results. All that’s needed to complete this exercise is a sturdy chair and the willingness to look weird in front of a roommate or significant other.

Steps:

• Situate the chair in the center of a room and place both hands on the front edge with your fingers facing the same direction as your knees.
• Raise your toes 2-4 inches off the ground and constrict your abs.
• Lift off of the chair and hold the position for 5-10 seconds. Lower and repeat the process for one minute.

Side crunch

This oblique-working exercise may look easy on paper, but it’s more difficult than meets the eye. That’s because it requires excellent balance.

Steps:

• Kneel down and lean to the right side, placing the palm of your right hand on the ground.
• While maintaining balance, raise your left leg and extend it. Extend your left arm and point to your toes.
• Move your let hand to the back of your head and adjust your elbow so it is pointing directly up.
• Slowly raise your leg to the height of your hip and extend your left arm above the leg.
• Shift the left side of your ribs towards your hip.
• Lower your body to the original position and repeat six to eight times. Two sets of six to eight reps are recommended for this exercise.

In and outs

This is another effective and quick workout routine.

Steps:

• Sit on the ground and place your hands on either side of your body.
• Lift your legs and bring your knees to your chest, using your posterior for balance.
• Extend your legs outward and then bring them back. Repeat this process 25 times.

(note: raising your legs as high as possible eases stress on the lower back during the workout routine)

Core twists

Many save this particular exercise for last, as it is the very definition of an “abdominal burning” routine.

Steps:

• Sit on the floor, bend your knees and interlock your fingers, one hand to the other.
• Pull your knees to your chest and lift your legs off the floor, twisting your core from side to side as fast as possible while simultaneously tapping your hands on either side of your body.
• Complete 40-50 reps.

Side-leg raises

This is another balance-based exercises that also works the oblique muscles.

Steps:

• Assume the “plank” position by lying face down on the floor, raising up on your elbows and fully extending your legs. Make sure the points of your toes are touching the ground.
• Lift the leg and arm of one side of the body off the floor and turn until you are in a sideways position.
• Move the off-the-ground leg up and down at a regular pace to perform the routine. You can increase the workout by moving the leg back and forth as well as up and down.

The prone plank

This is a simpler plank-based exercise than the side-leg raises.

Steps:

• Assume a standard pushup position
• Hold this stationary position for 30 seconds. After building enough strength, try holding the position for one minute.

Squats

This classic body resistance exercise not only works the legs, but the abs as well.

Steps:

• Stand with your legs shoulder length apart and point your toes forward.
• Slowly descend using your legs, hips and knees.
• Stop descending once your knees reach a 90-degree angle.
• Return to the starting position and repeat. One set of 12-15 reps is ideal for this exercise.

These are just seven effective exercises that can help achieve six-pack abs. There are many more exercises out there that go beyond the standard crunches and deliver superior results.

Kristina is a health professional with over 7 years of experience helping clients with their diet and fitness challenges. Need a personalized plan? Check out www.fitium.com today.

For more on abs click here to check out the >>Six-Pack Shortcuts Review

The post 7 Best Exercises to Achieve Six-Pack Abs appeared first on Top Exercise Workouts.

5 Golden Rules for Success

Lots of guys complain that they have small arms despite having done tons of biceps curls. But the trouble isn’t their biceps—it’s actually their chest, shoulders, back, and legs. You see, your muscles almost never grow in isolation. So when those muscles are weaker than they should be, they limit the size and strength of everything else—including your arms. Learn how to develop total-body strength while creating a base that allows you to build bigger arms with our 5 golden exercise and nutrition rules.

1. MORE-MUSCLE EXERCISE GUIDELINES:

Ok, let’s start with the basics. Learning how to build muscle isn’t complicated. So don’t get bogged down with complex routines. Keeping your workouts simple and straightforward is the fastest path to more muscle. Let’s start with the 3 most important pieces of information you need to maximise the amount of muscle you build. The numbers below are based on beginner/intermediate levels of training experience and are adapted from the US National Strength and Conditioning Association.

1. Ideal number of reps: 8-12

2. Ideal amount of rest between sets: 60 seconds

3. Ideal amount of weight: 80% – As a percentage of your 1 repetition max (1RM)

This is not to say that variations outside of these guidelines don’t have their place in your workouts. In fact, varying up your routine by changing variables such as frequency, intensity, time, and including overload principles such as supersets help to keep your routine fresh, reduce boredom and continually challenge your body to adapt and grow. Rather, consider these guidelines a foundation for your routine and one which you are able to build upon as you progress.

2. COMPOUND EXERCISES ARE KING:

Ok, so which exercises are best for a pair of sleeve-busting biceps? While it’s likely you’ll gain some localized hypertrophy (specific muscle growth through repetitive targeted movements – think of soccer players calf muscles or a mechanics forearms) – through regularly training only your arms (4 times a week approx), moves which isolate your arms are only half the equation.

The real power comes from multi-muscle compound moves. These are exercises which recruit and engage large amounts of muscle and release the greatest amount of naturally-occurring anabolic hormones such as testosterone, insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and human growth hormone (HGH) which prime and signal your body to grow.

Such classic compound moves include the squat, pull up, shoulder press, bench press, leg press, lunge, lat pull down, seated row, bent over row and upright row. It is these exercises you’ll want to base your workouts around, either in a split or total body workout format.

There are scientifically-supported arguments for the use of both training styles. However, if you are just starting out, there is strong evidence to suggest that a total body approach is best before advancing to a split routine. Using the workout guidelines posted above, an excellent full body workout with an emphasis on arm development would look something like this:

Day 1

Seated row

Lat pull down

Back squat

Barbell curl

Day 2

Shoulder press

Bench press

Lunges

Alternate hammer curl

Day 3

Dips

Bent over row

Reverse curl

Leg press

3. DON’T NEGLECT YOUR TRICEPS:

Building your triceps, not your biceps, is the biggest secret to bigger arms. Your triceps make up approximately 2/3 of your upper arm girth so it makes sense to dedicate some time to building up these all-important muscles. While triceps-specific isolation exercises like the triceps extension, skull-crusher, French press and triceps kickback have their place in your routine, following on from the discussion about the importance of compound moves, two of the very best exercises which increase triceps muscle activation are dips and close-grip bench press/push ups. Bringing your hands together during any ‘pressing’ movement (such as the bench press or shoulder press), will place more emphasis on your triceps, so be sure to include these in your routine.

4. BIGGER FOREARMS = BIGGER BICEPS:

Guaranteed to improve your grip strength, a strong set of forearms can also aid in the development of your upper arms and assist with all-important compound lifts such as pull ups and deadlifts. If you want bulging biceps, you need a strong grip. Without it you won’t be able to lift heavy, plus you’ll risk injury. To build your forearms try the reverse barbell curl. It’s just like a conventional barbell curl, except you hold the bar with an overhand grip.

How to do it: Start with the bar lightly touching the front of your thighs with your arms at full extension. Curl the bar up to your chest in a controlled movement, squeezing at the top of the movement. Do two sets of 8-10 reps at the end of your arm workout.

5. FUEL YOUR MUSCLES:

Proper nutrition is single-handedly the most important aspect in your quest for bigger, more defined arms. Food is your fuel. What you put in your tank will make or break your success. Protein is the best known fuel for more muscle, but it has a hugely valuable ally: carbohydrates. Carbohydrates give the green light for more muscle. Here is a general macronutrient breakdown of what you should shoot for each day:

Protein: Most experts agree that one to 1 ½ grams of protein per lb. of body weight is best for muscle growth.

Carbohydrates: When trying to gain muscle, you need around 2-3 grams per lb. of body weight of preferably complex carbohydrates.

Essential Fats: Fat intake should be kept low. This can be done by simple “clean” eating – lean meat and dairy sources of protein and complex carbohydrates. You can use add an omega 3 fatty acid supplement or use flax seed oil to ensure you are getting an adequate intake of healthy fat.

Below is a sample 3 day nutrition plan tailored for a 75kg bloke looking who wants to add upwards of 4kg of muscle, 10% more strength and lose 2-3% body fat.

Day 1

Breakfast: 3 fried eggs on wholegrain toast with 4 slices of bacon

Snack: Packet of beef jerky, few slices of cheese

Lunch: Avocado, tuna, spinach salad

Snack: Bag of salami, handful of pecans

Dinner: Rack of lamb with broccoli, corn and cabbage

Day 2

Breakfast: 3 eggs, scrambled, with slab of cheddar cheese

Snack: Avocado with cooked prawns and olive oil

Lunch: Sashimi with dried edamame beans

Snack: 100g mixed nuts

Dinner: Chicken stir-fry on a bed of asparagus, celery, spinach, onion and capsicum

Day 3

Breakfast: 2-3 slices of wholegrain toast with jam, plus bowl of wholegrain cereal

Snack: Peanut butter bagel

Lunch: Chicken fried rice (Chinese-style)

Snack: 100g cottage cheese on crackers

Dinner: 4 pork chops with cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus

Jon McShea writes for clickfitpro, a leading destination for muscle-building blueprints, healthy diet plans, fitness tips and losing belly fat. To learn more, please visit the site.

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