No worries! By the time you’re done reading this article. You’ll have a full understanding of what isometric exercises are and what they can do for you.

[Gaining knowledge is an important part of your success in reaching your fitness goals. Hopefully, today you will walk away from your computer knowing that TFLA helped you learn a little something about isometric exercises.]

To gain knowledge about isometric exercises to help you in your fitness journey, keep reading…

When you get a mental image of exercise, what is it?

Maybe you see a big guy, sitting on a weight lifting bench, grunting and groaning while he is benching an insane amount of weight and his muscles are bulging and his veins are popping out and the air is intense.

Maybe you see a group of women jumping around to upbeat music in perfectly matched jumpsuits, with big smiles on their faces and bringing their legs up over their heads.

We all have stereotypical ideas of what exercise is supposed to be, but a good exercise regime involves thinking outside the box.

Isometric exercises are a good example of exercise that breaks through the boundaries that society has taught us of exercise.

What are Isometric Exercises?

Let’s look back at those two examples, whether the big, iron pumping He-Man, or the Barbie Doll Aerobic Dancer, both involve bending joints to create resistance to gain muscle strength.

Isometric exercises are the opposite of that. No joints are being bent during the isometric exercise. For example, think about putting your hands up over your head and keeping them there. How long before your arms are going to get tired?

It’s all in the contraction. With dynamic exercises, the resistance comes from a constant contraction and retraction of certain muscles by bringing a weight, whether it be body weight or other, back and forth through a joint extension. A good example of a dynamic exercise is the curl. Holding a weight in your hand you bend and extend your elbow, working the bicep muscle.

Why do Isometric Exercises?

With isometric exercises you gain strength by holding a position for a certain period of time. This works different fibers in the muscles and the joints to create more strength in the muscles at different joint angles.

This can be very useful in certain life situations.

Dynamic exercises are great for when you need to dig a hole but isometric exercises can give you more strength for emergency situations.

Say you fell off a cliff and all you needed to do was hold on for 10 minutes until a chopper arrived to save you. Or maybe, you were in an earthquake and you needed to hold a wall from crushing your daughter until she got out.

Had you trained with isometric exercises, your chance of success in these situations would have greatly increased.

My Favorite Isometric Exercises

Upper Body-

• Isometric Push Ups-Hold yourself at bent elbow position.
• Planks
• Isometric Flyes- Hold the weight at shoulder height.

For more great upper body exercises check out our Best Bicep Workout for Kissable Guns.

Lower Body-

• Isometric Squat- Hold yourself as close to the ground as possible.
• Isometric Calf Raise- Hold yourself with pointed toes.

For more great lower body exercises check out our Top 10 Best Thigh Firming Exercises.

When doing isometric exercises, always remember to breathe while you hold the position for 10-30 seconds at a time.

For a great and sensible eating plan to help you with your isometric exercises, check out our review of The Diet Solution Program.

[Ever heard of the expression "thunder thighs"? Well, if you want to get rid of them, eat right, and do these wonderful thigh exercises!]

To learn the best firming thigh exercises, read on…

Many people have made their fortune selling thigh exercise and firming products. There are creams, machines, pills, and spandex. No doubt about it, thighs are a sensitive area that people looking to make money take advantage of.

Cellulite

When we think about thigh problems, inevitably we think about cellulite.

Don’t fall for any gimmicks. Cellulite is impossible to get rid of without getting rid of the fat. Cellulite is a very stubborn type of fat that takes a lot of determination and exercise to get rid of.

Trying to get rid of cellulite through another avenue other than diet and thigh exercise will only cost you a lot of money and heartache! An official medical study expresses why “treament remains elusive”. See the proof here.

But, your thighs aren’t impossible to tone! Let’s talk about a good thigh exercise to do that!

Our Top Thigh Exercise

Just like our glute exercises, much of your thighs are greatly worked through cardio as well as through strength training.

The best cardio thigh exercise is rollerbladding. A close second is running followed by cycling and stairs climbing.

For best results, do circuits of 2-3 minutes of intense cardio of your choice with a minute of each of the following toning thigh exercises.

Measure the circumference of your thighs now. Do this thigh exercise three times a week for four weeks and cut out 300 calories consumed each day and then measure your thighs again. See how many inches you lost.

If you are having a hard time cutting back the calories, check out our healthy snacks list that will help you choose wiser and less calorie-full snack.

Of course, you will probably gain a little muscle as well, but that’s okay because you will have that nice toned look!

Countdown of the Best Toning Thigh Exercise

#10. Sun Salutation- This yoga thigh exercise is actually a great all over body workout but after a few rounds you can really feel the workout in your thighs.

#9. The Flamingo- Standing on one leg and touching the floor and coming back up again, always on one foot will really work that leg all over, not just the thigh!

#8. Scissor Kicks- This move works both legs inner and outer thighs all in one move!

#7. Lying Abduction/Adduction- Do this move on the floor on your side old school style. You might feel lazy but you will feel the burn in your thighs!

#6. Leg Circles- Work those thighs at a 360 degree level!

#5. Plie Squats- The small difference in your foot stance and spinal alignment from a traditional squat will make you use a different part of the leg to complete this thigh exercise.

#4. Step Ups- Doesn’t really matter what you step up on, the taller the better!

#3. Side Lunges- Go as deep as you can on these for best results.

#2. Squat- Hands down the best way to work your lower body in one shot.

Are you ready for the best firming thigh exercise?

Drum roll, please…

…and the #1 thigh exercise is…

#1. The Front Lunge- Best done plyometrically for cut, beautiful, slim thighs.

There you have it! 10 great thigh exercises that will tighten, tone, and slim your thighs. No more thunder thighs!

Craig Ballantyne, the king of bodyweight exercises has a great program called Turbulence Training that will tone and tighten every body part. Check out our review here.

One such wonderful contraption is the door frame pull up bar.

[Have you ever seen something hanging off your friends door frame and wondered what the heck it was?]

Keep reading to learn how to use a door frame pull up bar and how much they rock for total body fitness…

Pull ups are a great upper back workout. They are also great for the arms, shoulders, abs, and grip strength. They are fun to do at the gym or at a playground, but what about bringing that fun home?

That is where the door frame pull up bar comes in, and if you pick the right one, you will be doing much more than pull ups with it!

So these babies are sturdy steel bars that fit right onto your door frame on any door at home.

Which Door Frame Pull Up Bar to Buy?

Depending on which brand you buy they can range from $30-$150 so choose wisely my friends. They all have the same basic design but quality and accessories could be a factor in price.

There is one that I found, you can get it on Amazon.com, that comes with straps to make it able to use for hanging leg raises, which are a great six pack abs exercise.

When you take it off the door and lay it on the floor, it can be used to do elevated push ups, tricep dips, and much more. The door frame pull up bar really is a versatile tool for total body fitness.

But I Can’t Even Do a Pull Up!

If you haven’t reached the ability to do a pull up, this tool can be helpful for you too. All you have to do is try it with one foot on a chair or with a spotter and gradually you will get better and better.

There is also a thing called an Assisted Pull Up. It is done using a door frame pull up bar, bungees cords or resistance tubing. It is a little complicated but if it sounds interesting, you can find it at specialized fitness stores or make your own.

The main thing is to keep your attitude positive and don’t give up! You’ll be busting out pull ups like crazy before you know it!

It is also helpful not to hide the door frame pull up bar. Put it in plain sight on a door that gets used often. That way, each time you pass it, you’ll think about doing a pull up and your arms will get  stronger week by week.

Ways to Use a Door Frame Pull Up Bar

In order to really benefit from a pull up, it is important to perform your pull ups properly. You can also tweak the pull up slightly to work different muscles in the arms and back.

First we need to distinguish between a pull up and a chin up. The pull up is definitely the harder of the two with your arms a lot farther apart and your palms facing away from you. The pull up works mainly the back.

The chin up is easier working more with the biceps. It is done with the arms closer together and your palms facing you.

There are a few pointers to start with:

1. Keep your fingers on the bar, not the palm…less callouses.
2. Take your breath before you go up.
3. Bend your legs and cross your feet.
4. Keep your elbows facing down.
5. Look up at the bar.
6. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Pull ups are great bodyweight exercises and can really help to strengthen the upper body.

For more great bodyweight exercises, check out our review of Turbulence Training.

If you are looking to get a set of kissable guns for yourself, this is the best bicep workout to get them and if you are looking to keep up with a pair you already have, it works for that too.

[Wolverine had some pretty heavy artillery for his biceps. Hugh Jackman undoubtedly had to do the best bicep workout at least three times a week before the shooting of X-Men.]

To get kissable guns with the best bicep workout ever, keep reading…

Your biceps are the easiest way to show your strength. You’ve probably been trying to flex those babies since you were five. Your mom probably even has a picture of you doing so in the family album.

Big biceps have always been the biggest show of strength, since men held big sticks.

There are some great isolation exercises to help strengthen and develop biceps as well as some complex exercises that include bicep usage and create beautiful arms as a whole.

Here at TFLA, we like to make things simple and easy to follow, so we have put together a one week plan for any to follow, whether you are beginner or intermediate, man or woman. There are two versions, one will be for the gym, and one at home. You can do one or mix the two. Have it your way, just like the BK.(Burger King- but don’t eat that stuff during this workout plan!)

The Week of the Best Bicep Workouts

For all exercises you should gage how much weight to use by the ability to finish the set. The last rep should use everything you have, and always, ALWAYS remember to warm up with an easy set first.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday:

Gym- Standing Bar Bell Curls: 2 or 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Home- Chin Ups: 2 sets of 10-12

Gym: Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10 each side

Home: Inverted push ups: 2 sets of 20

Gym: Preacher Curls: 3 sets of 10 each side

Home: Milk Jug Preacher Curls: 3 sets fo 10 each side

(you can fill the milk jugs with sand for a heavier version)

Simple, right?

It is important that you don’t work your biceps two days in a row in order to give your muscles time to recover. That is when they grow, so if  you are going for size, skip a day in between.

Also, in order to gain muscle, it is important to eat right along with your best bicep workout.  Being in the gym is most important, but  if you restrict your diet too much it could hurt your gains. And eating like a bodybuilder just makes you fat.

Just eat normally, workout hard, rest enough, and start handing out tickets to the gun show.

If you aren’t looking to build muscle but want to tone up what you already have, the best bicep workout is plenty of bodyweight exercises. Push ups, inverted push ups, chin ups. You can make them fun circuit workouts if you want.

Your arms are used for plenty of daily activities. By getting stronger biceps you will be more apt to take on much of the day to day challenges at work, home, or at play.

For more fun workouts like the best bicep workout, and how to make your body a fat burning vessel, check out our review of The Fat Burning Furnace.

The very fun nature of bouncy gym balls make it impossible to have a boring session.

[Gym ball exercises can be alot of fun! Especially when you do it in groups. Then you can laugh and point when someone else falls off!]

Keep reading to learn how to have fun and burn calories with gym ball exercises…

You might fall on your butt or get way off balance, just laugh it off! Have fun!

Even if all you do is put the right music on and start bouncing all over like you were 10 again you would still get a good exercise.

But, to really benefit from a great workout routine to firm you abs, butt, legs, and arms from a gym ball, there are unique moves you can do and we will show you some of the most popular and also some that aren’t so widely known but just as effective.

Before we get to that, however, there are some great gym ball exercises that you can do at work or while sitting watching TV that can help you to tone will you are busy doing something else.

Whittle While You Work! Da, da, dum, dum, dum ,da , dum!

Here at TFLA we like to help you find ways to make it easier to fit fitness into your life. Here are a few easy ways to do that using a gym ball:

• Bounce on the ball while you are watching TV. You will burn calories and tone your abdominals and quads.
• Squeeze the ball between your knees while you are at your desk. This will tone your inner thighs.
• Sit on the ball and create circles with your butt keeping your chest as still as possible. This will help to create a smaller waist and work the hips.
• Place your hands firmly on the ball in plank position. Hold for as long as you can during commercials.
• Hold the ball between your hands and squeeze it as hard as you can. Release and repeat.

Great Gym Ball Exercises for All Over Body Toning

Gym Ball Crunch: This is just what it sounds like. Prop the ball right above the small of your back and plant your feet on the floor. Contract your abs and crunch it baby!

Gym Ball Push Ups:

This would have been a great addition to my creative push up workout article from last week. You can make these elevated or decline push ups. For the elevated push up you simply push up off the actual gym ball. For a decline push up, you prop your feet on the ball and push off the floor.

Gym Ball Bridge:

Lie on your back, knees bent, and heels on the ball. Keep your knees bent but bring your butt up off the floor until your body is aligned from knees to shoulders. You can switch things up by extending one leg up and bridging with the other leg.

Gym Ball JackKnife:

Lie on the ground with your arms extended over your head and your legs completely extended about shoulder width apart. Hold the ball in your hands. Bring the ball up as your bring your legs up and pass the ball from your hands to between your feet. Bring the ball to the floor with your feet and repeat. Only this time pass it back to your hands. This is a great upper and lower abdominal exercise.

Gym Ball Tricep Extension: Hold the ball between your hands behind your back. Squeeze the ball tight and lift up.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of all the great gym ball exercises that you can do at home or at the gym. The greatest thing about gym ball exercises is that they are more challenging because not only are you doing a strength exercise but you also have to constantly engage your core to stabilize yourself and keep your balance.

For more great exercises and tips on eat right and look tight and lean for summer, see our review of The Truth About Abs.

Many of you may be skeptical in believing that fact. Just to prove to you that I wasn’t lying through my teeth, I want to supply you with even more 5 minute abdominal exercises that will help you to achieve a firmer, flatter stomach.

[You don't need to get all mean and green to get a six pack like the Hulk. Follow a fat burning diet and great full body and core exercises for simple success!]

To get these amazingly effective abdominal exercises to lose belly fat, read on…

When you take a step back from getting mad about that pooch you can’t get rid of in the abdominal area, you just might finally get rid of it.

What do I mean by that?

Well, it is very true that you cannot will your stomach flat. Just toning your waist and belly may be your only goal but you need to understand that you won’t be able to just get rid of your belly fat. You need to slim down all over.

Let’s put it this way…

How do you burn fat? By using more calories than you consume, right? Can you say, “okay body, today we will be using the calories in my stomach during this run.”

No, that just doesn’t happen. But you can say, “okay, today I will be eating right, and I will get in a good fat burning exercise along with a quick abdominal exercise to help tighten my core.”

Speaking of not wide enough, wouldn't you be worried as a passenger on this vessel?

Physical appearance is not the best number one goal for your weight loss. It is just too narrow of an idea. We all want to look good but when we are trying to lose weight just for the sake of appearance, we don’t have a wide enough area of improvement to make it a success.

When you decide, I will lose weight and get physically fit because I want to feel good and be healthy for years to come, you will lose that belly, I guarantee, but you won’t be spending the bulk of your time focusing on that area of your body, you will be toning and sliming the whole body. To do that, you need to use your whole body which is the quickest and most effective way to lose your stomach fat, anyway.

Do you get what I’m trying to say here? I hope so.

Now what you’ve all been waiting for…

5 minute Abdominal Exercises

1. 2 sets of 10 on each side- medicine ball circle woodchops

Grab a 5-10lb medicine ball in the palms of your hands with your arms extended. Make a wide circle to one side and chop down to the alternate side of the body.

2. 2 sets of 20 Penguins

Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet planted on the floor. Lift your shoulders off the floor and grab the inside of one heel with the arm on that side and alternate sides to complete each set.

3. 2 sets of 30 Belly Busters

Get into plank position. Then lift your butt up high into the air and bring it back down, keeping your back and your legs straight. Use the strength in your abdominals to bring your butt up and down without allowing your back to curve.

Another of my posts talked about how important a good abs diet is in creating a flat and sexy midsection.

I want to reiterate: You can’t lose your stomach bulge without a caloric deficit!

For a great diet plan to follow to get a great looking stomach check out our review of the Diet Solution Program.

[Basic push ups done over and over really make me want to gag! These guys aren't having any fun and that just isn't fair!]

Okay, maybe I’m being a little over dramatic, but…

To learn a new and exciting push up workout, keep reading…

Push up workouts are a staple of the history of exercise. The military uses push ups, every sports team uses push ups, and any joe at home does push up on the living room floor.

Push ups are an effective way to increase your upper body strength, but after awhile they get boring and actually lose their effectiveness if you’ve increase your ability to do them with ease.

What to do?

Switch things up by doing push up workouts with push up variations. Making small changes to the way you do your push ups will give you a challenge and keep things interesting.

You will also be able to see more of a definition in your chest and arms because of these changes.

Are traditional push ups child's play to you?

When you perform a certain move in your daily workout, your body gets used to it. It uses less strength and burns less calories, the better you get at them. All you need is the slightest change of position or increase in intensity to make your push ups harder to complete.

If you can bust out more than 50 push ups without batting an eye, its time to try one of these different push up workouts:

Plyometric push up:

This is done like a regular push up only instead of just pushing up slowly, you push up explosively, so explosive that you push your whole body in the air and your hands leave the floor. Land carefully back into regular push up position and repeat.

One handed push up:

This is exactly how it sounds. You may need to balance better by moving your legs farther apart or putting one knee on the floor.

T push up:

Perform a traditional push up but when you come back up, rotate your body and point one hand up to the ceiling. Return that hand back to the floor and perform another push up. This time, rotate your body to the opposite side and point the other hand up to the ceiling.

Diamond push up:

For these push ups the challenge is in the placement of the hands. Put your thumbs and forefingers together to form a diamond on the floor. Now do your push up workouts. If you notice, your triceps are getting worked much more in this variation and that helps get rid of under arm flab.

One legged push up:

The same as a traditional push up but with one leg up in the air. It is harder than it sounds.

Decline push up:

Place your feet on a bench or an exercise ball behind you and get into push up position. This elevation of the feet will place more weight on your upper body making these killer push up workouts.

See any that pique your interest? Why not mix and match. You’ll feel the difference right away and you’ll see the difference in your upper body strength in not too long.

Sometimes it’s important to get out of our workout rut and try something new. All the above push up workouts are also great six pack exercise.

For more great push up workouts and variations, check out our Turbulence Training review.

I’ve caught a few women checking out my butt and I’ve done my fare share of checking out women’s butts. It is just naturally a point of interest for the opposite sex.  So let’s not deny it, its nearly a global pastime.

[My favorite is the one on the left. She most definitely has nicely shaped her butt with great glute exercises. Not a dimple to be seen!]

To achieve your best butt through glute exercises keep reading…

The is one important truth about the glutes that will greatly increase your ability to get a tight derriere.

That simple truth is that the butt area is the number two area, following closely behind the stomach, that gets fat deposits. So, fat loss is a crucial part of having an admirable behind.

Before I get into the target glute exercises, I wanted to mention some cardio that is also great for working the glutes.

That way you can increase your productivity level by getting your cardio and your toning in one session.

Top Cardio Glute Exercises

The very best workout that will burn major calories and get rid of the cellulite is to run uphill. This is a tough exercise, depending on the incline, so pace yourself!

Another great exercise that will get your heart pumping is roller blading. The great thing about roller blading is that it doesn’t feel much like exercising until you stop, and then you feel it, and boy do you.

And, last but not least, a great pastime that will get you out in the great outdoors and relieve some stress while shaping your glutes is hiking. Of course, hills and obstacles will make it a better workout. Try a trail that is still very woodsy, no pavement sissies!

Glute exercises are in such a high demand that a whole magazine is dedicated to them!

Toning Glute Exercises

There are three moves that will guarantee you a better butt in a month.

Here we go:

1.The Bent + Straight Leg with a Kick-In

After about 20 of these you’ll be feeling a burn on all sides of your thighs and butt.

To start, get down on all fours and lift one leg up bent at the knee like in the first picture. Kick it up toward the ceiling in a slow, controlled motion and move directly to a straight leg, like in the second picture.

Keeping the leg extended, kick it up again toward the ceiling and move straight back to the bent leg but this time bring your heel in to your butt.

Repeat these three movements for a desired amount of reps and relish the results.

bent leg lifts

straight leg lifts

2.The Step Up Sumo Squat

For this you need a bench, or step. I want you to step up with one leg, do not place the other foot to the bench. Step down wide and do a sumo squat, which is just like a regular squat but wider and with your toes pointing out. Your butt should go straight down, not behind you.

Keep stepping and sumo squatting for at least 2 minutes.

3. Walking Lunge with a one legged Deadlift and Squat

This last one is brutal but be consistent throughout your workout to get the best results. Only do as many as you can without sacrificing form. You won’t be getting any benefits with sloppy exercises and you want to reduce the risk of injury.

To start, simply walk lunge three times. One the forward foot do a one legged deadlift followed by a one legged squat. Repeat from the beginning with the opposite leg. Keep that cycle going.

Diet is also very important for your glutes. Don’t underestimate the power of food to get your butt exactly where you want it

For a powerful diet that will help you shed pounds without losing muscle see our review of Fat Burning Furnace.

“What is the best six pack exercise that I can do in a short amount of time that will get me results?”

I don’t want to discourage anyone, but a six pack is one of the last things you achieve during your quest for a fit body. The stomach is the most difficult place to lose fat, and usually the last place for both men and women.

But it can be achieved and you will LOVE having a six pack. The sense of accomplishment along with the swiveling heads at the beach are well worth the effort.

[Now, I know you are all dying to get a six pack like this guy! The wonders of a magic marker, eh? I'm thinking this guy drank a little too many six packs.]

To read more about the best six pack exercise keep reading…

High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, has been proven in numerous studies to burn virtually pure body fat. To put this into effect in your six pack exercise routine, you can choose from a variety of methods.

There is the Tabata Method, which is brutally intense but very effective. It is used by athletes all over the world to shed body fat and increase the aerobic capacity, not to mention boost your metabolism through the roof!  This is a 4 minute workout of 20 seconds of cardio as hard as you can go followed by a 10 second rest repeated eight times.

If you can’t handle the Tabata Method just follow a simple rule of having atleast a third of your exercise in high intensity. So if you jog for 2 minutes you must sprint for one minute and keep that cycle going for the rest of your six pack exercise workout.

Complex Bodyweight Exercises for Six Pack Exercise

Are you currently doing any bodyweight exercises in your strength routine? Can you spruce things up by making them a little more complex? What do I mean complex?

Don’t worry. I don’t want you to be thinking too hard during your workout. What I mean by complex is a move that uses more than one muscle group to perform.

A good example of this would be the squat. An even better example would be a squat thrust.

By using more than one muscle group in your strength training you are burning more calories and engaging your core during the entire workout.

Take our example: the squat thrust.

When you squat, you should be engaging your abs when you go down, when you thrust the weights up, and when you come back up. If you’ve done the six pack exercise workout right, with little rest between sets, you will feel the slight burn in your abdominals.

The 5 Minute Six Pack Exercise

Thousands of sit ups are not needed for your six pack exercise. In fact, it wouldn’t help you at all. All the exercise you need to spend focusing on your abdominals is five minutes a day, three to four days a week.

It's always good to have something to work towards. You never know, you could be the next Mr. Universe!

You should also incorporate moves that will work ALL the muscles in your core, not just the upper abs, which is what thousands of sit ups would do. If you want the whole six pack you have to work the whole six pack.

Here is a good example of a quick 5 minute six pack exercise:

Hanging leg raises- 3 sets of 20 reps

Bicycles- 3 sets of 30 reps

Plank Twists- 2 sets of 20 on each side

Jack knife- 3 sets of 20 reps

This six pack exercise works the upper, lower, and transverse abs. It also works the obliques.

For more great information on how to achieve your six pack abs, see our review of  The Truth About Abs.

Now I want to talk a little about back workouts that you can do to strengthen the muscles in the back and avoid most back injuries before they happen; not to mention get a smokin’ hot body from behind.

[This man definitely did his back workouts]

Keep reading to find out how to get your back as strong as his…

Unfortunately the back is an often forgotten part of the body when it comes to a strength training routine.

For women, the target areas are often the glutes, abs, and thighs. For men, the chest, abs, and biceps are usually the most worked.

Working the body in an imbalanced way can be a cause for injuries. The back has many important functions. It helps the body bend, twist, and stand up straight to name just a few.

Sure, you don’t see it much when you look in the mirror, which is probably why it is often forgotten, but a strong back definitely adds some appeal to the human body.

So I ask you,

How often do you include back workouts in your strength training routine?

Do you include moves that work all the major muscles in your back workouts?

Are you aware of all the muscles in the back and how to properly and safely work them?

Back Workouts for the Lower Back

An important muscle in the back that is the most common injured back muscle is the erector spinae. It, as the name implies, is close to the spine on the lower part of the back.

This muscle can be included in your back workouts by incorporating moves such as these from the myfit.ca website:

Back Hyperextensions

Deadlifts

Back Extensions

These moves will help tighten up the muscles right above your pantline. It will make a beautiful curve in the back for women and a strong tapered waist for men.

Back Workouts for the Upper Back

The upper back can give you an incredible amount of strength that you lack without a good solid foundation here. Just think of all the things you do with your deltoids, lats, rhomboids and neck.

There are plenty of exercises that work these muscles. Kettlebells are a great choice for these muscles. Speaking of kettlebells, check out Chris “FitandBusyDad” Lopez and his Kettlebell Fat Loss Revolution workout program. It includes great kettlebell workouts for the upper back.

Alternative Workouts include:

Chin Ups

Lat Pulldowns with an Exercise Band

Clean and Jerk

Safety for Back Workouts

Always breathe deeply when working the back muscles. This will help to support the spinal column and avoid any workout related injuries.

Perform all moves with perfect form. Just one little wrong move and it could mean you, looking like a hunchback, for 48 hours.

Listen to your body. Stop when you feel uncomfortable. People think that pain is just a part of working out. No pain, no gain, right? Wrong!

When you are working your muscles effectively it hurts so good! When you are working out dangerously it just plain hurts. You should be able to tell the difference.

Stretching is also a very important aspect to back workout safety. Make sure to stretch after each workout to avoid any strains or spasms and don’t work the back muscles two days in a row. Muscles need time to recover.

Muscles in the back are used for many other total body movements like push ups, press ups, plank, and lots more. Make sure to keep that in mind when you are scheduling your workouts for the week.

For even more great back workouts, check out this video from Craig Ballantyne:

For a strong back you need to feed your body to create strong muscles. Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle gives you a no nonsense program to follow to do exactly that. Read our review here.

[Mirror mirror on the elevator wall - who's the thinnest one of them all?]

Do you talk about all the different fat loss programs you’ve tried?

Do you whip out your food journal?

Do you talk about the things you’ve changed in your diet or the new body weight exercises you do in living room?

You have an elevator ride of approximately 30 seconds so forget the small stuff and focus on the weight loss strategies that make the biggest difference.

<— start the word count –>

Restrict Those Calories

Yes, many publications and blogs alike will tell you to first figure out how many calories your body is currently using with complex calculations and mathematical formulas.

Here’s an easier formula: subtract 500 calories today.

You could be eating a healthy and proportional mix of carbs, protein, and fat and still be on the wrong side of total calorie line.

Do Interval Cardio

Using the cardio equipment of your choice (treadmill, eliptical, whatever…), warm-up for five minutes, then work at your best all-out effort for one minute. Afterward, slow down to an easy pace for two minutes.

That’s one interval.

Perform four total intervals like described above. Do interval training three times per week.

Build Muscle

Fat is burned in your muscles, so the more muscular work you can do, the more fat you stand to lose.

Lift weights or do bodyweight exercises three days per week: Each workout, pick three lower-body exercises (go with variations on the squat, lunge, and deadlift) and three upper-body exercises (try presses, chin-ups, and rows) and pair them together-one lower-body followed by one upper-body.

Alternate the exercises, performing three sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise and resting one minute between sets.

<— end of word count –>

Elevator door opens and you each bid each other a farewell and best wishes to future endeavors. And for those of you counting, that was 200 words on the button!

I kept the interval cardio part very brief to prove a point BUT to really appreciate interval training I highly suggest you take two minutes and head over to our fat loss programs review section and read about Turbulence Training.

Don’t worry – it’s a program that’s well suited for all of us who can’t find any more time in their day for exercise.

OK, time to drop the word “nearly” and just call it impossible?

Not so, says personal trainer and fitness blogger Chad Howse.

Chad has a great personal story of his own which includes boxing and putting functional muscle on his skinny frame, but today he stopped by to share 3 tips for burning fat and how he went from fighting at 165 lbs to 152 lbs without sacrificing any muscle.

Here are Chad’s tips for dropping those last pounds and making sure they stay gone.

3 Tips for Burning Fat Without Sacrificing Any Muscle by Chad Howse

I started my brief fighting career at middleweight, which is 165lbs in amateur boxing, and soon found it tough to keep that weight with all the training I was doing.

So, I had a decision to make. Do I stay at 165lbs and just eat more or do I cut weight all the way down to 152lbs and give welterweight a go?

The thing with fighting is you want to pack as much power and muscle into whatever weight you’re fighting at as possible. So it’s not just a weight loss thing, it’s completely about fat loss.

I had to burn as much fat as I could while sacrificing as little amount of muscle as I could, which is a hard thing. So how did I do it?

1. No distance running

For over 100 years boxers have been running first thing in the morning to cut weight and to stay in shape. Everyone’s seen Rocky right? Remember when Balboa drinks the eggs in the morning, one of the greatest training sequences of all time?! Well that’s pretty typical, minus the eggs maybe.

The problem with long runs is that you burn too much muscle and not enough fat. Your body doesn’t feel the need, because of the lack of intensity, to tap into its fat-stores for energy. Instead you end up burning proteins and carbohydrates, much of which are found in the muscles you’re working to keep going.

Have you ever heard of a hormone called cortisol? It’s a stress hormone that’s triggered in response to stress, anxiety and prolonged exercise. It has multiple negative effects on your body, including the weakening of your immune system and the ‘burning’ of bone and muscle. This is why prolonged bouts of exercise can result in the storing of fats and the burning of muscle rather than the opposite which is the intended result.

So, I focus only on High Intensity Interval Training. Things like sprints, stairs, and plyometric circuits. Because of the intensity of the workouts your body needs to tap into its stored fats for energy. Quick bursts of power, like sprints, also release growth hormone throughout your body which aids in the building of muscle, yet another bonus.

2. Lifted more weights

This may sound a bit odd, especially when boxers have shied away from weights for years because it gets you too bulky, too stiff, and can actually take away power and speed. But I did things differently and it allowed me to increase my power and speed and hold on to my muscle.

I focused all my lifting around power, explosiveness, and muscular endurance.

I’d mix up my reps and sets as much as possible, which I recommend for you to do as well, and did all my lifting in circuits of 3 or more exercise, doing each circuit 2-4 times, with rests going from 30 – 60 seconds.

Here’s an example:

Cleans – 6 reps

Box jumps – 15

Burpees into a pull-up – 10 reps

I also stayed away from all concentration exercises and focused only on compound exercises. If your goal is to burn fat, which I’m betting it is as you’re reading articles on thefatlossauthority.com, then stay away from concentration exercises as much as possible, especially if they’re focusing on your smaller muscles – arms.

You’re not going to burn as many calories because you’re not activating as much muscle as you are if you’re working more than one muscle group at a time (compound exercises).

3. I ate early and often

I’d get a big meal in at around 6am, then taper down for the rest of the day. And by big meal I mean big!

8 eggs, 1 slice of toast + peanut butter, salsa, avocado, salmon oil and multi-vitamin.

Making that first meal a big one sets you up to burn a boat load of extra calories during the day. After that first meal I’d eat every 3-4 hours, always having protein, good fats, and good carbohydrates with every meal.

Not only did I want to boost my metabolism through my workouts, but I also wanted to give it a boost through my diet as well which is why I ate every 3-4 hours, and which is why I made that first meal such a big one.

****End of Post****

A big thanks to Chad Howse for sharing his experience with fat loss. If you have any questions for Chad, please don’t hesitate to drop one in the comments section and by all means travel over to Chad’s Fitness Blog where his focus is about getting a great body with a busy schedule.

Who wouldn’t want a midsection that looks like a cheese grater?

[This pic is for anyone stuck shoveling snow this past week. Must go somewhere sunny very soon!]

NOTE: I would’ve used the old “washboard abs” metaphor but I think it’s time to retire that one since anybody under the age of 30 probably has no idea what the hell a washboard is?

So to get you on your way to burning up the fat around your belly, here are five crucial fat loss tips to help your diet and exercise regimen for the new year:

1. No junk food…most of the time.

You may think this is common sense by now, but you’ll be surprised at how those few chips, sodas, and chocolates on a regular basis add up. NOTE: I just saw a cookie package that packed 125 calories in EACH cookie! Eat 4 and that’s about 25% of your calorie intake at 500 calories!

Great! Now what’s with the “most of the time” part?

Allowing a treat once or twice a week will prevent those all-you-can-eat binges. And besides, a loose eating day with a higher-calorie jolt prevents your metabolism from slowing down so it’s a good thing.

Also, a common mistake is to make a huge calorie cut all at once. Many people get so motivated to lose fat that they starve themselves right from the beginning. That causes your metabolism to slow to a crawl and your body thinks it’s starving sooo… it starts hording your fat and burning your hard-earned muscle instead. And that’s when you get so frustrated that you give up!

The lesson is to reduce calories gradually, and the first action is to eliminate junk food… most of the time.

2. Blame it on the alcohol.

Sure a few beers with the boys every so often won’t hurt, but if you do it regularly (happy hour on a Monday? Not good) you switch off fat burning. The reason is that your body burns off alcohol first – it becomes your energy substrate – so as you’re burning off the alcohol, what happens to the food you eat? It’s merely surplus calories going directly to fat cells. Yikes!

That means when you do choose to drink, limit the food intake.

3. Slow down your workout.

On at least one set of your exercises, lift the weight at regular speed but then slowly lower the weight back to starting position for every rep (three mississippis work nicely here).

Emphasizing the negative creates more muscle trauma, and that’s a good thing for fat burning. That’s because it takes energy to repair muscle damage. Your metabolism kicks into gear for the entire recovery process which usually takes two days or more after your workout.

So you’re burning fat essentially days after your work even while you sleep!

4. Cardio is ok!

There’s a time and a place for cardio and it’s right after your weight training. You burn off all the sugar in your bloodstream with 30 minutes to an hour of weight training. That means any activity right after immediately taps into bodyfat.

All it takes is 15 minutes doing your favorite cardio exercise to break open your fat stores!

5. Get organized.

Stop flying by the seat of your pants during your workouts and get organized. Find an exercise program and stick to it. Weather it’s strength training at your local gym or body weight exercises in the comfort of your home, it’s time to step up to the plate and get measurable results.

We’ve reviewed some of the best fat loss programs out there so quit guessing and go check them out here.

[Even the King of the Jungle needs a rest. Traditional squats move over, it's time you had some company on lower body exercises]

Now I’m no doctor but having that kind of weight straddling your neck and shoulders just screams serious injury and compression damage to you spine. But let’s dig into the research because it’s somewhat surprising…

Do Squats Lead to Back Injuries?

For such a basic exercise movement, squatting sure stirs the pot regarding its risk to lower back injuries with personal trainers and scientists alike.

Yes, they are the devil and should be avoided at all costs…
Researchers from the University of Bristol have confirmed the increase of compressive forces acting on the spine. More specifically, researchers have suggested that these forces acting on the lumbar spine during half-squats carried out with a loaded barbell can be equal to six to ten times an individual’s body weight. (NOTE: Force and weight are fundamentally different concepts… don’t get too hung up on it, just know we’re talking heavy weight here). This may increase the risk of a rupture of an inter-vertebral disc or even a stress fracture of a vertebra. Ouch!

On the other side of the debate, there is research that shows squatters and weightlifters actually have a relatively low frequency of back pain and injury.

No, they’re awesome like bacon and eggs…
A study from the American College of Sports Medicine detected a low risk of back pain for weightlifters and the incidence of back pain in former lifters was less than in the general population. The study mentioned good spinal flexibility, lifting with a straight back, and strong para-vertebral muscles (muscles which run between the vertebrae) as important factors in protecting these strength trainers from back troubles.

Wait, I’m confused? Are squats good or bad?

For every study that criticizes squats as “back and knee injuries” waiting to happen, there are noticeably more studies that speak highly of it’s ability to affect body composition (weight loss), increase leg strength, and/or jumping ability.

What are some alternatives to traditional squats?

People easily get stuck with the idea of having to do squats at most workouts because it carry’s the label of the “king of all exercises”. Nonsense! Variety makes your workout less of a chore and more enjoyable so forget about using traditional free-bar squats every time. Instead, spread the load out over your entire back with a machine hack squat (the back pad puts the load over more surface area). How about prisoner squats? With your hands placed behind your head it helps maintain your good form throughout the movement. Or maybe you want to get a little European with a Bulgarian Split Squat?

But I like free-bar squats, should I still use them?

Of course you can. Squatting, just like any other exercise, is a safe activity when its done using proper form. The following tips should help you reduce your risk of injury while you squat your way to a better body:

1. Depth Check
If your new to this exercise squat only to the point at which the tops of your thighs are parallel with the floor. Over time, as your strength, coordination and comfort improve, you can increase the depth of your squats because studies have proven more quadriceps muscle activation occurs as squatting depth increases.

2. Forget Failure
Another popular slogan “training to failure” need not apply here. Avoid squatting when you are fatigued as the possibility of your form suffering and/or losing control of the barbell are much more likely. After last week’s serious throat injury to USC Trojans’ tailback Stafon Johnson during a bench press exercise, I shouldn’t have to say much more.

3. Buffalo Stance
Catchy song, hilarious video. Always should be feet-shoulder-width apart. Sure there are other stances out there but master this one and you’ll have a solid foundation.

4. Mass Control
Control on the way up, control on the way down. If you jerk or rock back and forth then you’re probably using too much weight.

5. Warning Signs
When I see guys reaching for knee wraps and/or weight-lifting belts I cringe. Masking your back or knee pain is simply ignoring your body indicators that you should stop and reassess your situation.

It’s important to keep in mind that with any resistance exercise – if conducted improperly or excessively – will lead to injuries. To learn more about using squats as a fat burning exercise check out our review of Truth About Six Pack Abs program. It offers up a ton of information on how to maximize your fat loss results with squats and other strength training movements.

It doesn’t get any easier as we grow older with financial burdens, relationships, or a loved one’s illness making life particularly challenging and frustrating along the way.

[Oh my god... this poor girl is so stressed her tongue turned into a...remote control? What the hell is that thing?] 

The idea for this article was conceived during my last trip to the grocery store and walking by the magazine stands. September is “back-to-school” season in most parts of the world and there was no shortage of article headlines talking about stress: how to cope with stress or try these stress blasting workouts or the best stress busting exercises uncovered and well… you get the picture.

The Reality of Stress and Weight Gain

There is a fundamental misconception when it comes to the topic of stress and weight gain. It’s not so much the stress itself that causes us to put on extra weight but it’s how we choose to respond to stress that really is the culprit.

When we feel “stressed”, we’re actually experiencing what is called a “sympathetic nervous response” to a challenge (mental, physical, etc.) in our life. This nervous system response could be something as simple as an elevated heart rate or as complicated as a hormone called cortisol being released by our body.

During stressful times people usually miss out on sleep and regular meals because our body’s nervous system is out-of-whack (I can see Dr. House describing it in these terms) and masks the feeling of hunger. Once our system comes back to its senses, we then make up for it by binging typically on unhealthy food like processed meats, breads, and high sugar items because they require less time to prepare and are readily accessible.

Strategies to Minimize Stress Now and Later

Now that we have a better understanding of how stress can lead us down a path of nutritional self destruction (how we choose to respond), we can improve our chances of minimizing stressful situations and most importantly prevent more of these moments in the future. Here are some strategies to review and consider for your lifestyle:

1. Bring Calm to your System
Yoga, Pilates, tai chi, meditation, breathing techniques, biofeedback, music, journal writing and other forms of self-expression have been talked about here and other publications for their multiple benefits including dealing with stress. Pick one and stick with it for 30 days to see if it works for you.

[Speaking of music, I had to dig up "Changes" by Tupac Shakur. Always inspires me to do better especially with lines like this: Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live, and let's change the way we treat each other...]
 

2. Exercise Regularly
Exercise is a powerful proactive approach to stress management. A fitness program that includes cardio-respiratory activity and strength training can help you lose body fat, build confidence, alleviate anxiety and depression, and boost self-esteem. (There are some great programs out there so check out our reviews if want to make an informed decision.)

Notice how I said proactive approach above? If your feeling stressed, don’t add more with a high intensity workout because you’re simply compounding the issue. You can’t fight stress with more stress. Instead go with light physical activity such as the ones mentioned above or low intensity cardio such as walking.

3. Eat Healthy
Eating healthy meals and snacks will keep your blood sugar levels in check and prevent hunger. Research from the University of California has also showed foods high in fat and carbohydrate may actually fight stress by reducing cortisol levels in the body. Moderation and portion size are still critical here so put the Doritos bag away please! Also, occasional intermittent fasting or indulging in your favorite treats is a strategy that has proven to work very well for myself and others.

4. Monitor Your Eating
Self-monitoring is an effective way to manage and lose weight. The benefits of calorie counting are numerous but also try to keep tabs on what you eat and when you eat when stressful situations are upon you. Becoming more aware of how and when your emotions affect your eating patterns and food choices can lead to some very telling discoveries.

I’m a proactive person so I really believe in exercising regularly using strength and interval training. Turbulence Training is one of the best programs out there using this style of exercise. Check out our review for this popular fitness program to see if it’s right for you.

If you’re someone who loves the fancy cardio machines and spends entire gym sessions in hope of burning loads of body fat, I’d suggest you pay special attention. What you’ve been doing up to this point may be sabotaging your fat loss goals while wasting colossal amounts of time!

[Long cardio sessions remind me a lot of this tricycle. Old, boring, and an inefficient way to get around the neighbourhood. Time to graduate to two wheels and start training more effectively with Interval Training.]

What are Intervals?

They are brief, high intensity periods of exercise (where you work out as intensely as you can), alternated with active recovery periods, (where you slow down just long enough to catch your breath).

It’s tough to pin-point the origin of this style of training but I can recall a good friend of mine even back in high school telling me about the grueling football practice he had just gone through where they would sprint for a short distance (100 meters), then jog the next 20 meters (the recovery period) and then sprint again. Sounds like intervals to me! So to call it new or ground breaking would be a tad misleading.

Why is Interval Training Effective?

The solution for fat loss lies in shorter, more-intense sessions. Two published studies from 2006 really sealed the deal regarding interval training as one of the best methods for losing fat fast.

The first study from The Journal of Applied Physiology confirms the body’s increased capacity to burn fat during high intensity interval training over a two week period.

Just as important, the second study from The Journal of Physiology finds similar adaptations in muscle and exercise performance using interval training as it does in endurance training. The guys doing the interval training were exercising for 2.5 hours while the endurance group spent 10.5 hours in the same two week period. Double Jackpot! Same results using less time! Need I really say more?

How to Do Intervals?

You would look rather silly running around your neighborhood, stopping and starting every 10 seconds, so let’s use an easy example that anybody can do regardless of their current weight: Walking on a Treadmill

1. Start with a 2 to 5 minute warm-up
Always nice to get your blood flowing and your heart pumping.

2. Now do 30 seconds of brisk walking
This should be done at a moderate intensity like that time you ran to answer the phone slightly out of breath only to hear a pre-recorded telemarketing message about debt solutions. Damn, I hate those phone calls!

3. Slow down and continue this pace for the next 2 minutes.
Welcome to the active recovery period. Your probably sweating a little but your coherent enough to call 911 and give them directions to your house (just kidding).

Congratulations, you’ve completed your very first interval!

This pattern will continue until you’ve completed 4 to 8 intervals. The number of intervals really depends on your fitness level, but I can tell you that doing this type of training for only 10 minutes will leave you feeling like you’ve ran a marathon and finished in first place. Great feeling of accomplishment! I suggest you always finish with a 5 minute walk to cool down and catch your breath before calling it a day.

If your interval workout seems too difficult or too easy, make changes by adjusting one of these four variables at a time:

1. Intensity (speed) of interval
2. Duration (distance or time) of interval
3. Duration of recovery period
4. Number of repetitions of each interval (4-8)

Of course, using a treadmill for intervals is only one example. You can perform intervals using:

- Any type of cardio equipment (treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike);
- A combination of cardio equipment (alternate between two or more types);
- Walk or run on a variety of terrains outside;
- Body weight exercises – use just one or combine a couple;
- Strength training – personal favorite and promise to detail it more in future articles;

Working harder for longer, but in a shorter overall period of time has really contributed to my own personal fat loss results and I’m confident it will for you as well. If your interested in more advanced interval progressions I suggest you check out our Turbulence Training review.

Author Craig Ballantyne has created some of the most challenging and rewarding workouts using interval training principles. Just imagine, you’ll never have to go back to long time-wasting cardio again!

“What is the best exercise to isolate my biceps?”

Really this question is about building huge biceps using the dated bodybuilding term “isolation”, but that’s another point in another post.

When I heard this question for the umpteenth time this past week it really disturbed me because people are still missing the true benefits of resistance training and building a stronger body.

[Smashing a tennis ball like Tennis Pro Ana Ivanovic requires more then just one isolated muscle.]

Does Muscle Isolation Really Exist?

The human body doesn’t work up to its potential when muscles are isolated. Rather, it works better when larger portions of your body assist other portions in completing a complex movement (ie. a tennis serve).

In fact, many researchers have noted, there really is no such thing as true 100% muscle isolation. Dr. Christoper Norris, talks openly in his book Back Stability: Integrating Science and Therapy about nearby muscle groups almost always available to assist in some way with whatever movement you are doing.

However, for the point of this post let’s equate muscle isolation to single-joint exercises and compare it to multi-joint exercises and total body movements. NOTE: I’m gonna interchange the terms total body movements, with compound and complex to keep you on your toes.

The Sum is Greater Than The Parts

Who wants to do concentration curls at every workout and then go to pick up your gym bag and throw your back out? Sounds far fetched, but this is what happens when we focus exclusively on single-joint exercises.

Everyday movements, which differ from holding a weight wedged against our knee, put us at risk of injury. What you end up with is a strong body part or two, and a bunch of weak body parts. Think Hershel Walker and the Dallas Cowboys of the late 80s. Awesome running back, horrible team.

None of us should strive for a systematically weak body. Instead, we should be setting our sights on a stronger, more functional body that works as a complete system to perform total body movements. Before you write this off as just another fad, take a closer look at how some professional athletes are preparing these days.

In the last year I’ve read articles about pros in every major sport – Bruce Bowen (NBA), Jarome Ignila (NHL), Tom Brady (NFL), Ryan Braun (MLB) just to name a few – using total body movements in their training regimen. Muscle isolation exercises were no where to be found, unless of course you’re still reading those bulky bodybuilding magazines.

[Hey Packer Fans, how much did that loss to the Bengals hurt yesterday? By the way, another visual of a complex movement.]

Total Body Movements for Faster Fat Loss?

Every single trainer will say, without hesitation, the added benefit to using more multi-joint movements and less isolation exercises is the higher probability of losing body fat.

Do I have any studies to back this up? Not really.

Sure there is plenty of research on using complex movements in sport specific training like the study found in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that determined a number of positive effects using complex training in developing explosive strength in young basketball players. But for the average person looking to burn fat there seems to be a gaping hole with regards to research in this common claim.

So am I comfortable with the idea of total body movements leading to greater fat loss? You bet.

I personally experienced my most impressive fat loss results when I ditched the traditional isolation exercises and incorporated total body movements like squats, lunges, chin-ups and stair climbing.

You’ll often hear talk about your metabolic rate increasing and the stimulation of more fat burning and muscle building hormones using total body movements but I’m hesitant to accept these claims at face value based on the lack of recent research.

Something biologically is definitely happening, it’s just too bad the science isn’t readily available to back it up.

I can’t recommend the utilization of more total body movements enough into your workout. Mike Geary, author of Truth About Six Pack Abs uses compound exercises (same as complex and total body movements) almost exclusively in his program. Don’t be fooled by the title, it’s more then just a “six pack” program. Check out our Truth About Six Pack Abs Review to start creating a stronger more functional body today.

But there are downfalls.

Let me explain using my informercial voice:

Tired of standing in line for the preacher curl machine? Or the bicep cable curls machine? I know I am.

Working out at your local fitness centre can be awesome and frustrating in the same workout session. Awesome because you have a ton of fitness resources under one roof but also frustrating when the number of bodies out numbers the equipment.

[A crowded beach always beats a crowded gym... Except maybe the one above! Honey, where are the towels?]

I know the most common suggestion I hear in response to crowds in the gym is to pack up and try a different time of day.

Without dropping a couple of choice explectives, I’ll say “forget that“!

You are at the gym to train for a limited period of time so train you shall. Also, what if this is the only time of day you can make it to the gym?

Should you be forced to change your lifestyle because someone thinks he’s Ronnie Coleman training for the next Mr. Olympia and has decided this is a great day to do 20 sets on the machine you want to use?

End of rant…

While people are lining up like sheep for the usual biceps machines, make your way over to the “cargo loading single arm bicep machine” used in the 1986 hit movie Aliens.

[Really, I don't know the official name for it but I feel like Sigorny Weaver every time I use it]

I found this hunk of metal and cables in the far corner of my gym so don’t despair if it’s not placed right beside the preacher curl machine.

Here’s what you do:

1. Grab a handle in each hand and lean slightly forward on the seat. Your back is about 4 inches off the backrest.

This puts your hands almost behind your body throughout the entire movement.

What this does is simulate the old body drag curl but without the obscene amount of weight. It isolates and streches (more on this shortly) the biceps and takes your anterior deltoids (ie. the front portion of your shoulders) out of the movement.

2. With palms facing forward, raise the weight (technically the handles) to slightly past parallel.

Keep your eyes forward! The temptation to gaze erotically at your biceps is strong but resist and you’ll reduce neck cramps and other unnatural body soreness.

3. Keep your elbows tight in to your body and lower the weight slowly back to the starting position.

4. Keep tension on the biceps during the entire movement, and go for 10-12 slow reps.

Why is this exercise effective?

It’s all in the stretch, and not in the 1970s addidas shorts static-stretch kinda of way.

In a study published in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Journal, authors Antonio and Gonyea determined that stretch exercises like the movement above are very effective methods in increasing muscle fibers.

But don’t get macho here!

Common bodybuilding advice will tell you to overload the stretch (ie. use heavy heavy weights) but if your not a Major League Baseball player then your asking for trouble (I’m sorry… still dealing with Big Papi getting busted this month).

Lower reps are not as effective for biceps either unless your training for brute strength. Even then, lower reps usually means much heavier weight which also means increased risk of injury. No thanks, not today!

An alternate to the biceps movement above can be done using dumbbells on an incline bench if the crowds subside and the equipment becomes available.

Follow the same steps above and your biceps should be feeling nice and full in 10 minutes or less.

For more ways to improve your arm training I strongly encourage men and women to check out Vince DelMonte’s program No NonSense Muscle Building. A top selling muscle program that answers all of your questions when it comes to which equipment to use at your local gym. 

Very often the question raised on the gym floor is, how long should I wait after completing a set to start another set?

The answer is: It depends on your goals.

[Do you frequently spend your rest periods looking at yourself in the mirror or at the hottie on the treadmill? Stop! Focus on the time between your sets and you'll get more done (fat loss and muscle building) in less time!]

More Rest For More Strength

For example, when I’m training with Vince DelMonte’s No Nonsense Muscle Building program, I’m looking to increase my strength and build muscle so the rest period is a bit longer – up to three minutes for exercises like squats and heavy dumbbell work.

Less Rest for Fast Fat Loss?

But if I’m training for fat loss and trying to burn the most amount of body fat and gain lean muscle with Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle program, then resting for very short periods of time (30 seconds on average) is required.

The Iron Guru – Vince Gironda

I remember in my early bodybuilding days reading about Vince Gironda, “The Iron Guru” in Iron Man Magazine. Now as many of you know, I’m not an advocate of classic bodybuilding where you try and get unnaturally huge and wear spandex t-shirts the rest of your life.

But this Vince character had some unorthodox training views on building muscle which attracted my attention and made me question the norm when it comes to building and gaining muscle.

One such view he subscribed to was leaving your hands on the bar between sets and resting for only 15-20 seconds between sets. Can you say burn?

[Here's Vince berating this woman during bicep curls. The unintentional comedy is off the charts but once you stop laughing and actually listen to his instructions I can't help but think back to the lazy personal trainer I saw last week at the gym who did nothing to correct one guy's form on deadlifts. Give me Mr. Gironda everytime!]

Better Results in Less Time!

This is similar to the strategy Tom Venuto uses in his programs – very short rest intervals and very intense training. Smart, short, efficient. The way I like it!

If your new to this strategy, Venuto suggests a good place to start is simply reducing your rest intervals by 10 seconds.

“No matter what workout you’re using, decrease your rest by 10 seconds between sets.”

You may not be as strong on the last few sets (if you are training traditionally with the same number of sets and reps), but Venuto teaches you to reduce weight (your EGO will be just fine, relax) to maintain the prescribed number of sets and reps.

Over time you will work your way back up to the same amount of sets and reps but done in far less time.

This means more work output, which means more muscle (and of course your nutrition is always important).

For the majority of us with busy lives, this is the best way to train: Limited rest, intense sets, and short workouts.

For more information about what exercises work best when reducing your rest periods and shortening your workout, check out our Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle review by Tom Venuto. It’s an invaluable resource for any person looking to reach his or her fitness goals.

If you’ve ever seen a gymnastic event like the rings, you’ll see competitor after competitor subject himself to moves like the Iron Cross (see pic below) or the Lever and think he won’t be able to dress himself the next day without copious amounts of A535, then you know what I’m talking about.

Strength is the key in both sports but you probably couldn’t find two activities that go about achieving it in more different ways.

Football players spend their winters in the gym throwing around massive amounts of iron. Thousands of reps later and callous sweaty hands generally gets the job done for them.

What about Gymnasts?

Gymnastics requires power. However, weightlifting often decreases your flexibility and in a competition that requires you to repeatedly bend yourself into positions that would lead the average person down a corridor in a hospital, that’s a problem.

So instead of pumping iron like Arnold or Dorian, they climb ropes without using their legs. I repeat, no legs, just arms. Up and down and up and down, sometimes four times in a row.

Or how about hanging from a chin-up bar with your elbows bent at 90 degrees for 45 seconds followed by 20 chin-ups?

Sounds sadistic doesn’t it?

There are also things they call killer situps, ab busters, dip swings and a variety of other thoroughly unpleasant movements in the repertoire. Capped by perhaps the worst of all: Pushups done without your lower body touching the ground. Go ahead and give it try without falling flat on your face!

SOLD! I want the body of a gymnast, tell me how?

Their strength is achieved using body weight resistance only. No plates, weights, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells or taco bells (sorry, couldn’t resist) necessary.

Finding the Cadbury secret would be easier than finding an ounce of fat among these folks. Bowling ball shoulders and biceps and triceps and six-packs are natural and common effects of their bodyweight training.

So many people think you need to push, pull, curl, and lift crazy poundages to attain these physiques. But clearly all the above is possible using your own bodyweight.

Craig Ballantyne, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, suggests trying the following exercises and benchmarks to wet your appetite for bodyweight training.

Still wanting more? Check out Turbulence Training from Craig Ballantyne. His program utilizes a full array of bodyweight exercises that have been featured in Men’s Fitness magazine and helped men and women everywhere lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less time.