“Don’t skip leg day” has almost become a meme in the gym, warning dedicated lifters to give lower body training as much emphasis, intensity, and attention as their upper body. That’s all well and good, but even when it comes to “leg day,” many lifters still end up skipping a relatively large portion of their
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Whether you call them boulder shoulders, capped delts, or the start of a classic v-taper, a set of muscular shoulders is one the most common aesthetic goals for many lifters. Credit: Ihor Bulyhin / Shutterstock That’s not to mention the overall performance boost you get from strengthening one of the most important joints in the
Back in the day, your only weight training options in the gym were machines, barbells, or dumbbells. Sure, it got the job done well enough, but lifters were missing out on a versatile, effective, and truly old school piece of equipment for building muscle, strength, power, and conditioning. Kettlebells have a centuries-long history around the
Working out at home has a ton of benefits: You can save time and gas from not driving, you won’t have to wait to use any equipment, and you’ll have the ability to curl in the squat rack because no one is there to stop you. There are some important considerations to take into account
There’s a reason Monday is often called “International bench day.” Training for a strong, muscular chest is awesome and it can be appreciated year-round. But the bench press isn’t the only way to get there. The humble push-up is often pushed aside in the quest for a strong and muscular chest because the latest flashy
Even if you skipped Latin class or missed boarding school altogether, most lifters in the gym are familiar with their lats — the large, fan-shaped muscle that occupies most of your back. This makes sense because “latissimus dorsi” translates to “broadest muscle of the back side.” Well-developed lats enhance the breadth of your physique by
For some lifters, nothing beats the upper-body pump they get from a high-intensity chest workout. Many of these gym-goers hope to build a bigger, stronger chest by focusing on the bench press, but mastering the simple and effective bodyweight dip often goes overlooked. Credit: Reshetnikov_art / Shuttertock This staple movement isn’t just for gymnasts or
If your body was a rock band, your triceps would be the bass player. Your legs would be on drums, biceps would be lead guitar, and calves would be the roadie, but that’s all beside the point. Few people seem to pay attention to the triceps, but they’re hard at work in nearly every lift,
Back day can be one of the most enjoyable days you’ll have in the gym. Due to the sheer number of muscles in the back, it’s one of the strongest parts of the body — second only to the legs. Also, a well-developed back signals to the world that you have put in some serious
When most people talk about building an impressive physique, they often envision capped delts the size of bowling balls, a massive chest, and chiseled abs. But what about the muscles you don’t see from the front? Having an impressive back is paramount when trying to develop an aesthetic physique. A V-shaped torso with a well-built
There’s a right way and a wrong way to use every piece of equipment in the gym. You wouldn’t try to do biceps curls with the leg extension machine or use the pec-deck to work your inner thighs. And you wouldn’t wedge one end of a barbell in a corner and do exercises while holding
Your abs may be under a layer or two of fat but the solution isn’t only in the kitchen. Yes, nutrition has a lot to do with how lean you can get and how quickly you can view your coveted abs, but the right training can move things along and will ensure a great-looking midsection
Chest training is a highlight in most lifters’ routines. It’s either the day they get to throw around big weight on the bench or the day they get an excellent pump with immediate (however temporary) results. Exercise choice can dramatically influence overall results, especially when it comes to training the chest. Between myths about “targeting”