Must read posts to help you excel in 2014

Even though new year resolutions have a terrible record in terms of success, there is still something about the new year's time that fills us up with optimism and makes us feel that "this time" all will go as per plan! And why not, a fresh start is one of the best things that can happen when the current situation is not going the way you want it to go. Sure, nothing in reality actually changes with the new year, and it is ultimately a matter of one's mental perception, however most great changes begin with the change in one's thought process. So do not be embarrassed or ashamed if you have not been able to keep your new year's resolution in the last 10 years. Atleast you are still trying to make something happen each time, when many others have given up hope.

5 common leg training mistakes to avoid

When I first started lifting weights, most of the gyms in my city did not keep a squat rack or a power rack. They all had some version of the leg press machine, and definitely the leg extension machine, but almost none had a rack. In those days, even around the world, most gyms that did have squat racks, did not have many members who would use it. Somehow most would go for the easier option of the leg press machine or the leg extension. In most cases, this was because people found barbell squats to be too hard, or had been told that squats are bad for the knees, or maybe they just did not care about developing leg strength and the leg muscles.

Cut your strength training time by 1/3 rd using alternating sets

 

For those of us who love strength training, a workout lasting an hour is something that we love and enjoy! However, just because we train for longer does not mean that the results will also be necessarily better. Infact, if you can do the same amount of work with the same weight in a shorter time, then you can actually get better results. The concern however is that trying to cut down on your workout time would mean cutting down on the rest time between sets, and thus possibly also on the weight that you can lift. But what if I told you that it does not have to be so. What if I told you that you could build more muscle, get better conditioning, and spend less time while doing so? Yes, it can be done! Let me explain how you can cut down your workout time by about 1/3 rd, without compromising on the results.

Before I proceed I would like to say that I am talking about training with heavy weights where you take about 2 1/2 minutes rest between sets. I am not referring to the "pump" style training where you take about 30 seconds between sets to maximize the pump. When you train with heavy weights in the 5-12 reps range you would usually take about 2 to 3 minutes between sets to recover.

5 strength training videos to motivate you (28.10.2024)

Its amazing how watching someone do something that we would otherwise consider impossible, can inspire us to push beyond our self made restrictions! While you may not match the numbers of the other person, you can definitely set new PR's for yourself. So with that hope, here are some videos that I saw recently, and feel that can motivate you to do better in the gym next time:

452 lb / 205 kg Strict Overhead Press (seated) - Igor Pedan

Should women train with light 5 pound kettlebells

You dont need heavy weights to get results (read fat loss)! Or do you? As more and more kettlebell programs targeting women keep coming up all the time, its amazing to see what is on offer at times. The good ones out there talk about the good old principles like progressive overload, compound exercises, etc. While some others come out with fancy exercises that are supposed to hit hard on flabby arms, and some even ask you to train with super light kettlebells. I am talking about as low as 5 pounds!

Yeah right, those women in the above two videos were all saved by the bell, meaning they were overhweight by 20, 30 pounds or more, and that those tiny bells came to their rescue and helped them lose all the unwanted weight. I mean if next time Lego came up with a kettlebell shaped toy for kids, then I am to assume that even that will help us to shape up?

Look, a fully grown adult woman is NOT as weak as some of these videos might have you believe. And when exercising, whether it be a man or woman, a challenging weight is a must if it has to deliver any real results. Without a challenging weight, and thus a challenging intensity, your body will just not be forced to come out of its comfort zone to make any changes.

4 reasons for the resurgence of old school strength training

Despite the fact that we live in times where modern science has made great achievements and has come up with inventions that make life way too easy, I often wonder why do a great many of us still look back to old time strongmen to learn how to get stronger and fitter. Why does a guy in his 20's today still look back to the 1970's, 80, or even early 1900's to learn how to train? Why has there been this resurgence of "old school" strength training in the recent years? Why are the methods used by Arthur Saxon, Eugene Sandow, Paul Anderson of sudden interest to so many trainees? 

5 great dumbbell exercises and a weekly workout routine

This week I wrote two guest posts for a women's fitness site. My posts however had information that could be used by men too, since I use similar programs for both men and women. Anyways, in one of the posts I shared a workout, and here is the feedback that one of the readers left in the comments section:

"Tried Monday excercise yesterday… and I was sweating like crazy… but had fun as I could feel my muscles were working "

Its great feedback like these that gives me the motivation to create all the content that I post on my site and on other's. To read the two posts and know more about the programs, click on the links below:

5 must do dumbbell exercises for women

1 week weight training workout plan for women

Do you need 30 sets in a workout to get results

30 sets of this, no problem!

Life is strange! In less than 2 weeks of me posting an article about using abbreviated training to get better results, someone I know sends me an email asking me for my views on his high volume workouts. This guy is about my age, 30, and is re-starting his workouts. He asks me for my views on his program, which is training 5 days a week, working one bodypart a day, and doing a total of 30 or more sets each workout! Wow! I mean, even if someone has not read most of my writing, the fact that this guy must have read my article just 10 days ago or so, and then sends me a program like this asking for my views, it's just simply mind boggling for me.

And this is supposed to be a workout for someone who trying to "get back" in shape. I wonder how many sets he expects to do, if he does actually get back in shape. Maybe a 100 sets?? Now I do agree that my article on abbreviated training was aimed at those seeking mass and strength gains, however, whether for fat loss or for mass gain, if your strength training workouts cannot get you results in a total of 20 or less sets, then your program sucks! No, I am not talking about the sets that you do in your finisher circuit/complex with lighter weights, I am talking strictly of the strength training part that you do prior to your cardio/finisher.

Get better strength and mass gains with abbreviated training routines

If I could go back to my early years of training and could change one thing, then I would definitely cut down on the volume of my training sessions. I began training with weights with the intention of getting bigger and stronger to be like my WWE idols. I was obsessed with size and tried programs that I found in the magazines and would often added more reps, sets, and exercises to them. Infact there was a time when I trained just my biceps and triceps for 3 hours in a single session! Yes, just the upper arms and not even the forearms during those 3 hours. So did my arms get huge due to it? Well, they surely got pumped, but as you may know that the pump lasts barely an hour following a workout. So in reality there really was no actual significant size gain that was a result of training my arms for 3 hours.

6 strength training rules for general fitness enthusiasts

While the fitness industry’s economy is primarily driven by those who wish to lose fat, and those who wish to add muscle size, there are also those who train for general health and well being. These are men and women  who love to train, because they love the rush of endorphins following a workout, love to live pain free and disease free, feel good about making progress with their strength and fitness levels, etc. Sure, they might like to lose another 5 pounds or maybe gain 5 pounds, but that does not drive their training or dictate their mindset, because they are in pretty good shape, even if not perfect.

Of course, the basic principles of training must be kept in mind even if your goal is general levels of fitness, which are:

3 conditioning training mistakes when doing serious strength training

Gone are the days when all you did was either strength training or cardio training! Now with MMA fighters taking the meaning of being fit and strong to a whole new level, everyone wants to be equally strong and conditioned at the same time. The dream of trainees these days is to be able to squat atleast double bodyweight while also being able to do conditioning circuits that would make others puke! And while you can be strong and really conditioned at the sametime, it is also true, that its not likely to happen for everyone.

Ok, so now that I may have broken your dream, let me explain. One common characteristic of any great athlete, is that they can make what they do, look ridiculously easy. However what you cannot make out when you see them perform, is how hard they trained earlier to get so good and efficient. You cannot see how many hours, yes hours and not minutes that they spend each day to get that good. For eg a week back or so I was reading an interview of kettlebell great Valery Fedorenko, where he talks about how he used to train for 7 hours each day during his competitive days. Of course, it involved more than just training with kb's, but the point is that it took many hours of training each day to be that good, and thus explains why recreational kettlebellers around the world who train for about 30-45 minutes, 3-4 times a week should not expect to match a professional's levels of greatness.

Uneven double kettlebell complex

While single kettlebell training is great, double kb work is even better as it requires more effort, coordination, and delivers better results! Of course you must first spend time getting good at training with a single bell before you start training with two bells at a time. And once you do start training with double bells, you will notice that you can get a lot more work done with a lot lesser reps, as the demand it places on your body is much greater.

However the one problem that many people face, especially those who train at home, is that they do not have two bells of the same size, and are stuck with one heavier and one lighter bell. So they think that it maybe better to stick to single kb training, which in my opinion is not necessary. Yes, uneven kettlebell work can also be done, and it will deliver great results too. Infact due to the uneven loading, it will provide a good amount of coordination challenge too. Most exercises like the swings, presses, squats, rows, etc can be done with two different size bells at the same time. And doing the exercises in a complex makes it even better!

Start building strength rather than testing it

Do you still have the same 1 rep max that you had a year back, or maybe even worse, 5 years back! If you said yes, then dont be disheartened because you are not alone. Starting from lack of consistency, poor recovery and many other mistakes which are so common, you could very well be stuck because of one major crime in the weight room. And that is, you are testing your strength when training and not building it! Yes, while we all like to brag about how much we deadlifted or benched in our last workout, over a period of time if you are not making any progress then people will get bored of hearing the same numbers again and again.

One of the biggest challenge for many trainees out there is to be able to check their egos at the door and focus on training smart. And it is an even bigger challenge if you set very high standards for yourself and also happen to train in a gym full of really strong guys. Hey, make no mistakes I am also one of those guys who often fails to keep his ego in check and ends up doing more than what I should have. After all you dont want to be second to anyone. And while that may make you feel good for a while, in the long run however your lack of progress will not feel so great, and even worse when those who began after you or were weaker than you start lifting more than you.

The power of heavy dumbbell training

Recently I had the PLEASURE of watching a classic dumbbell training video created by Brooks Kubik called "The lost art of dumbbell training". It is probably one of the few videos that is dedicated entirely to heavy training with dumbbells, and shows how great this simple looking training tool can be. Before any of the instructions began, Brooks started off on a very interesting note. He showed two dumbbells which approximately looked like the bells below, and asked the viewers to guess what they are called-

06.06.2024 workout (strength supersets)

Today's workout began with a strength superset- dumbbell snatches and kettlebell renegade rows. In the first set I snatched 40 kgs or 88 pounds, and in the second set I snatched 45 kgs or 99 pounds. The reps were low, 3 and 2 respectively. This was supersetted with kb renegade rows. I rowed 2 stacked kb's- 21.5 and 12 kgs = 33.5 kgs or approx 74 pounds. Since I am still new to stacked renegade rows, I tend to do them with hips higher than usual. As I get better with the stacked bells, I should be able to do them with the hips at normal height.

30.05.2024 (Dumbbell strength & kettlebell conditioning complex)

I have never really made video logs of my workouts to share on this site, primarily because I mostly do not have access to good quality camera and lighting. Plus trying to set up the camera between sets can be a distraction in your workout. However I do also realize that video logs made by people, especially trainers showing their real workouts, are very popular and people usually love such stuff, as it can be both inspirational as well educational. So I decided that I must make a start, and make video logs of random workouts, to show you how exactly I train, and more importantly show you some cool workout routines that you can do on your own too.

Avoid these 3 common mistakes made with 5x5 training

One of the best things that has happened with the growth of the internet, in the world of weight training is that, we learn a lot more than just what the bodybuilding mags want us to know. Unless you lived in the U.S before the 2000’s, your only source of learning about weight training would be bodybuilding magazines, and that meant that you would only learn about things like “ the greatest pumping techniques”. Not that I am trying to insult any bodybuilding mag out there, after all many including myself have been inspired and got our first lessons from these mags, so I would never really consider them worthless. However they are a bit biased towards certain things as they are written to cater to certain readers, but for people like me who are into strength gains as much as muscle building, the net has helped a lot in learning great and effective methods.

One of the most, or probably the most popular method for those who wish to gain strength as well as size, is the 5x5 method, which was popularized by former Mr. Universe Reg Park. In case you are unaware of what the program is like, then it is as simple as it sounds, you do 5 sets of 5 reps in a chosen exercise.  The reason why it appeals to both the strength and muscle building enthusiasts is that:

10 Strength videos to motivate you (27.03.2024)

2012 is almost 25% or 1/4th over! If you have put in the time and effort, then you should by now be looking and feeling much better than what you were on 1st January 2012. If not then you need to seriously get to work and chase your physical goals. As always watching others perform feats of strength that amaze you is a great way to get motivated to go after your goals. So here are 10 random strength training videos that I hope will inspire you to push harder in the gym.

Should you avoid the bench press

It is said that in all gyms across the world, “Monday is the universal bench press day”! After all most men seem to look forward to begin their week’s training with 20 sets of bench presses. And if you have ever worked out in a gym, then you will know why it is such a popular exercise, because you must have been asked a million times, “how much do ya bench”. After all it is the exercise in which most can carry the maximum weight for an upper body exercise.

Having said that, nowadays there are some trainers, and some very well known trainers that I myself respect too, who have been saying that unless someone must bench press for an event or is to be tested on it, they should avoid benching altogether. Yes, the world’s favourite bench press too has its own haters! And I must admit that these coaches do make some very strong points to argue their case.  In most cases here are 2 primary arguments why not to bench:

1) It causes more shoulder and pec injuries than probably any other exercise

2) It is not a functional exercise, and in most sports you do not press up something while lying on the floor

Now while there is some truth to these statements, here is what I think about them:

10 tips to get stronger

There are many people out there who do not wish to add any muscular size or bulk, but very few people out there will say no to greater muscular strength. Sure, modern times do not require one to have the type of strength that the primitive man required to survive, however all of us do love it when we easily lift or move something that others would consider “too heavy”! Every guy loves to be strong enough so that others do not pick on him for being weak. In short, physical strength is an important and impressive physical quality to possess.

One of the best places on earth to build strength is obviously the good old gym which is filled with heavy iron plates, bars, heavy bells, etc. It is the home of strength training! However, nowadays most people tend to go to gyms primarily for physical composition changes, like fat loss, muscle gain rather than strength gain. I personally do not think that there is anything wrong with that, however there also are many who go primarily for strength gains and end up doing workouts that are more suited for physical composition changes rather than strength gains. So to help you keep the goal, the goal, let me share some valuable tips to get stronger. If your primary goal is physical composition changes, you will still benefit from utilizing most of these tips in your training too.

1) Focus on compound movements- compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, military presses, dips, cleans, snatches, rows, etc should form the majority of your workout. Spending too much time on calf raises, crunches, pressdowns is not going to build serious strength. Major compound exercises place a much greater demand on your body for every rep that you perform, and this in turn forces your body to produce greater strength to keep up with the greater physical demands.