Maybe you’ve reached a plateau in your workout. Or maybe your fitness goals seem to stay just out of reach. You’ve heard about “muscle confusion” and think that might be the answer to your problem. Jeff Monaco, director of education for Gold’s Gym, sees people get that idea all the time. But the phrase “muscle…
If you’re going to do pull-ups, do them right! Instead of doing 3-4 sets of 10 “ugly” reps, do the opposite! Do 10 sets of 3-4 “quality” reps. You’ll get a better training response with less risk of injury. If you struggle to do a few reps in good form, then work on the eccentric…
First workout of the year and I had the pleasure to do horizontal ring chin-ups (also known as inverted rows). This is a great exercise if it’s done right! Three key points: brace the core and set the shoulder blades to start, and pause in the top (contracted) position. It’s natural for your range to…
The Sicilian Crunch put me on the map many moons ago. Consider this as the reverse action. It’s a negative-accentuated glute-ham raise emphasizing the knee flexion component. If you have access to this machine in your gym, give it a shot. Do 4 sets of 2-4 reps with an 8-second lowering. Expect your hamstrings to…
Frankie Valli’s Grease is certainly a blast from the past and it’s a fitting song for the reverse hyper. You see, most people that do this exercise “blast” out of the bottom and send the lever arm into orbit. Don’t do that! Control the movement. Maintain constant contact with the ankle pad for optimal performance….
The Single-Leg Cable Romanian Deadlift is a deceptive exercise. Judy makes it look easy in the video, but don’t be fooled—it’s much more challenging than it appears. This variation fires up your stabilizers from the foot all the way up to the hip and beyond. It doesn’t take much weight to get a solid training…
Triceps extensions typically provide maximum overload when your forearms are parallel to the floor. However, performing them on a slight incline with cable resistance keeps constant tension on the triceps throughout the entire range of motion. This setup is especially effective because the cable increases resistance in the contracted position—something most free-weight variations lack. Be…
The California press is a cross between a close-grip bench press and a lying triceps extension. It targets the triceps in a unique and highly effective way. I prefer to use a reverse-band setup for this exercise. The bands offload tension at the bottom of the movement, reducing stress on the triceps tendons. As you…
Here’s a great triceps exercise I’m currently using: the high-pulley overhead triceps extension. It’s performed bent-over in a lunge position using a rope. As you extend the elbows, flare the hands outward and pause briefly in the contracted position. On the return, make sure your forearms make contact with your biceps to achieve a full…
The walking dumbbell lunge is a great exercise to do during a body composition phase, but as the weights go up, your grip will fatigue before your legs do. One way around it is to use a heavy weighted vest with lighter dumbbells. For more training tips and workarounds, check out 5 Exercise Problems and…