So, you enjoy training like a bodybuilder. Excellent. But have you ever stepped on stage and competed? If not, chances are you’re unfamiliar with bodybuilding posing — the specific way bodybuilders are required to display their muscles for comparison. Sure, you might’ve taken a stab at some posing in between sets or after workouts, and
Training
This may come as a surprise, but you don’t have to barbell bench press. Now, before you write angry letters and launch a protest campaign, listen to the full story. Unless you’re a powerlifter training specifically for competition, there are plenty of exercises that build upper body muscle and strength as effectively as the bench press.
Many people want to show up to the gym, exercise just enough to achieve their results, and get out ASAP to return to “the real world.” Sure, there are some who use the gym as a meditative space and nearly reach a Zen state after a few dozen sets of moving iron, but that’s not
Ab workouts are one of the few types of exercise that some people are instinctively drawn to whether they’re dedicated lifters or not. Many people use ab exercises as an entry point into some type of regular exercise, which is great. Hopefully they eventually move on to incorporate training their other body parts, but a
Ready for an efficient workout to build your upper body by creating a more sculpted chest and a more muscular back? Rethink your training week and step away from the usual workout split. Training chest and back in the same session lets you use agonist-antagonist supersets — a high-dollar term for exercise pairings that hit
When it’s time to target your posterior chain — glutes, hamstrings, and lower back — many lifters can be spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing effective exercises. Two of the most popular movements that end up in the spotlight are the classic deadlift and its slightly more focused twin, the Romanian deadlift (RDL).
When it comes to training programs, there aren’t too many “plug and play” workouts that virtually guarantee results. More accurately, there aren’t too many programs that promise and actually deliver on those results. The 5×5 workout does, and it has a 60+ year track record of success with a trail of strong, muscular, athletic bodies
The closer a car gets to having six-figure mileage, the more important basic care and maintenance becomes. Our bodies are, unfortunately, pretty much the same — even more so for those of us who lift weights regularly. Most of us understand that it’s a bad idea to roll back the car’s odometer and pretend everything’s
If you hit up your local commercial gym on any given Monday evening, you’ll see that chest training is one of the most popular workouts for many lifters. Two classic lifts regularly used in this high-priority session are the time-tested flat bench press and its close cousin the incline bench press. Whether it’s right or
The ability to build muscle in response to training is a part of our physiology. It’s deeply encoded in our DNA and persists throughout our lifespan. Meaning, lifters of any age and experience level should be able to add noticeable muscle to their frames. Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock If you’re deliberately and dedicatedly hitting
When most people think of a gym, they usually picture a room filled with heavy barbells, a range of dumbbells, and maybe a variety of machines. But, one iron jewel has been dug out of the past and has become increasingly popular over the last 20 years — the kettlebell. This simple-looking “cannonball with a
While squats are the king choice for leg day, they’re also the bane of many lifters’ existence. Some people simply don’t squat due to negligent programming while they bias toward relatively easier upper body training. Others might not squat because they’ve never learned proper technique and they can’t get comfortable with the movement. Credit: Bojan656
The lat pulldown and the pull-up are staples across many training programs — sometimes even coexisting within the same workout. Both exercises train the “vertical pulling” movement pattern and can be highly effective for targeting your back muscles, which is why some lifters regard them as nearly interchangeable. Despite how visually similar the movements may
Squats are probably the first exercise a person ever performs — simply standing up from the ground. This is likely why squats are often dubbed as the king of exercises. Indeed, they are one of the best, if not the best exercises to develop lower body size, strength, and power while making you a universally
In some gym circles, you’re not considered a “true” lifter if nobody has ever asked you, “How much do you bench?” This fundamental exercise is the archetypal test of upper body strength and size. Yet, you might’ve seen this scene happen in person or in a viral video: a powerlifter marches toward a bench press
Part dumbbell bench press and part isometric dumbbell flye, the hex press is a unique high-tension chest-builder. The hex press is performed on a flat bench with the dumbbells squeezed together throughout the pressing motion. This feature explains why one alternate name for this unique chest exercise is the “squeeze press.” Credit: sornram / Shutterstock
Medicine balls are one piece of equipment you find at nearly every strength and conditioning gym and in many “functional training” areas in commercial gyms. Their use and application for power, conditioning, and improving overall fitness levels are only limited by your creativity and imagination. Anyone can integrate medicine ball training into their current programming
Developing a strong pressing movement is pretty standard advice for any lifter looking to make big gains in upper body development. The incline dumbbell bench press, in particular, will add some spice to your chest workout by using a new angle of attack to bring some unique perks. Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock Between the
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