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The most effective tricep exercises to build muscle

Much like there was for biceps, there are two tricep exercises that are above the rest in terms of effective muscle building stimulation.

If you want bigger, fuller looking arms, work more to build muscle on your triceps.

Triceps (3-headed) make up more of your arm than do biceps (2-headed). Most people are so preoccupied with biceps training that they forget about triceps.

Building more muscle on your triceps mean bigger arms.

Lying tricep extensions

Place a curl bar at the head of a bench. Sit down, grab the bar with an overhand, narrow grip, and lie down on your back, pushing the weight up and straight over your chest. Bend at the elbows lowering the weight behind your head.

With an explosive motion, push the weight back over your head until your arms are fully extended with the weight above your chest.

When you complete your reps, use your momentum to rock your body up and stand up to put the bar back on the edge of the bench.

This is probably the most effective tricep exercise you can do. You can use very heavy weight with these, increasing the overload factor to the triceps. Use a curved curl bar for these.

There are a couple of points to keep in mind.

When you lower the weight, bring it past your forehead and down towards the middle of your head.

Bringing the bar to your forehead will create unwanted pressure and stress on your elbows.

After you slowly lower the weight towards the back of your head, power the weight back up forcefully, extending and locking your arms, contracting your triceps.

Also, once you have completed these for your set of 4-6 reps, do not bother doing close-grip bench presses immediately after, using the same bar and weight.

Once you have fatigued the triceps on your set, it is pointless to try and do a few reps of close-grips at a lighter weight than you can handle when doing regular close-grips. Save your energy.

Close-grip bench presses

This is the second of two extremely effective tricep exercises.

This is a definite muscle builder for the triceps. It is performed just like a regular bench press except your hands are 6-8 inches apart from one another.

You lower the weight to your chest like a regular bench press, and then forcefully push the weight up, locking your arms and contracting your triceps.

Do not grip with a too-narrow grip of this will definitely cause some pain to your wrists.

Regular grip bench press also works the triceps, but when you bring your hands closer together, more overload is directed to the triceps.

Cable tricep pushdowns

Reach up, grab the bar, and push the bar down towards your thighs.

Stand with a sturdy foundation that will allow you to lean into the movement. Now bend at the elbows and control the weight up until the bar is by your chin.

With an explosive motion, push the weight back down until your elbows lock, fully contracting the triceps. Repeat thisuntil you complete your reps.

These are a great tricep exercise, designed to hit the triceps with serious overload. Most people can do these with more weight than they think they can.

When doing these, lean forward a bit, lean into the weight. This will keep you more balanced and will also allow you to handle more weight than standing straight up.

Also, when bringing the weight up, allow the bar and your arms to come up a bit more than parallel to the floor.

Allow the bar to come up to about shoulder level. The reason behind this is to increase the range of motion and to also decrease the stress on the elbows.

Really exaggerate locking the arms and squeezing the triceps when you bring the weight down.

These are 3 of the best muscle building tricep exercises you can use if you want to build muscle in your arms.

Shawn LeBrun is a personal trainer, natural bodybuilder, and author of the top-selling muscle building program Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded.
For a step-by-step guide to build muscle, check out Simple Steps…http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com

You have probably heard from someone, somewhere that lifting heavy weights fast is a bad idea. If you haven’t, then lucky you.

This myth is bogus. And I am going to tell you why right now…

There are many different forms of weight training, some include: endurance training, strength training and hypertrophy training. Additionally, there is a form of weight training referred to as… Power training.

Power training is the ability to move a good size weight, as fast as possible while keeping proper form. Instead of using a very heavy weight and pumping out a few reps slowly or lifting in a negative fashion, you will decrease the weight a bit and be explosive with your rep sets.

Power training is a great program for improving athletic abilities, and endurance. Plus, you have the potential to burn tons of calories and not worry about muscle break down.

Now back to the myth…

Some say that lifting fast weight will increase your chance of injury (such as pulling out your back). As a person with a bad back, I can say that I have pulled my back out picking up a shirt, but never while lifting a weight.

It all comes down to form and technique. Power training is a highly recommended program after you have worked up to be able to handle the exercises. It isn’t for beginners because form is so important that it must be mastered.

Think of training as a progression, you have to get one thing down before moving on. In this case, it is vital to know form and technique…

…If you can not do a proper squat, then you are not ready to progress to power squatting. May sound obvious but you would be surprised at the number of people that just jump right in.

Then it also comes down to knowing your abilities. If you pick up a weight that is obviously too heavy and attempt to be explosive and power lift… of course you are setting yourself up for injury.

In this example you would be using too much momentum and not enough muscle. Your form will suffer and so will the workout.

Now, why is it ok to progress to power lifting?

Your body is designed to handle fast and slow movements. When it comes down to real life events it is safe to assume that not many of us take the time to slowly bend over to pick up the bags of groceries or to get up the stairs.

Our body is made to handle this power. To see great results and perform better out of the weight room you should train your muscles to lift and move explosively…

…It is part of a functional workout to improve lifestyle.

Look at it this way… Have you ever had a hard time pulling the string to start the lawnmower? You need power.

You can have a ton of muscle but still lack power. Weightlifting programs should be changing every 4 weeks, and one of those months try out a power routine.

A great way to get started it to grab a weight around 45% of your 1 max rep and instead of going for a certain rep count try going as intense as you can for a set period of time (generally 30 seconds).

You will quickly feel the burn. Make sure the movements are controlled and with great form.

Dan Boyle is a NASM certified personal trainer and figure competitor. It her passion to teach people to throw out the fads and trade them in for a workout program that delivers big results that last. For more from Dan and Taylor check out http://www.fitness-analyzer.com.

Electronic Muscle Stimulation devices, as called EMS devices, are frequently used by those wishing to build muscle tone. There are several benefits associated with these devices when used in combination with exercise. They cannot work on their own, but when you work out you can actually enhance the effects of an EMS device. That has made this device a must amongst bodybuilders in order to enhance what they are doing with the weights.

The benefits

EMS devices have become so popular because they have so many benefits that they offer those who enjoy working out. They make working out more bearable and they make the results more evident.

The benefits of EMS devices are as follows:

- The nerves and muscles recover faster from exercise if you use your EMS device directly after exercise. So yes, it is safe to use right after exercising. It is actually ideal to use these devices before and after exercise.

- Strength, muscle growth, and endurance are improved when it is used before and after exercise. Certain muscles groups are strengthened and that also makes exercising an easier task. As you use the device and exercise, you will notice that you are able to endure higher resistance over time.

- An EMS device can stimulate the muscle tissue that is not influenced by exercising. There are certain parts of the body not influenced by exercise, so an EMS device can be a great way to make sure that every part of the body is reached.

Just know that an EMS device is not going to give you six pack abs in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, six packs are not free in any form. However, an EMS minimizes the damage that happens during exercise. This helps you tone your body and have the muscle structure you always wanted. In other words, you can have the body of a young God or Goddess by using an EMS device as part as your exercise routine.

EMS devices are also used for those with health conditions that cause muscle atrophy. By hooking up to an EMS device, they are delaying that atrophy, therefore extending the amount of time in which they can use those muscles. This is great for both physical and mental reasons because the quality of life can be improved greatly.

Precautions

There are some precautions that have to be taken when using an EMS device. These are standard precautions and it is good if you know what they are so you can safely use the device to its fullest. Those precautions include:

- Not using the EMS device during pregnancy.
- Not using the EMS device when you have a heart condition. This means no use when a pacemaker is involved because it can result in interference.
- Not using the device if you have epilepsy.
- Not allowing the device to be used by children. The only reason why children should use an EMS device is if it is recommended by a doctor.
- Not using the device during menstruation because it can cause severe stomach cramps.

Just remember that an EMS device is not a substitute for a good cardiovascular workout. If so, then everyone would be in great shape without having to exercise. So if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Your EMS device is meant to be a supplement to your exercise routine to prep your muscles and to repair your muscles faster after exercise. These two aspects alone can help you maximize your exercise routine so that you can achieve the finest of results.

Tone-a-matic offers patented electronic muscle stimulators to help you tone and build muscle faster and more effectively!

If you are looking to have powerful, sexy abs, then you have come to the right place for that information. To achieve a six pack or flat stomach you will have to do more than just crunches. You will have to do cardio exercises involving your core, like running, skipping, playing a sport, or something of your choice. And you will have to eat a healthy diet.

Here are some great tips to achieve a strong powerful sexy core to help you with all your other exercises too. You will be able to jump higher, run faster, lift more weight in all your exercises, and on top of that you will look and feel great.

Abdominal Tips:

1. When doing and abdominal exercise you must focus on crunching the abs together. So concentrate on moving your belly button in a line towards chest bone. You will feel a tight squeeze in your abs, but be careful at first, as you can put the muscle into spasm if you aren’t used to it. This is how the abdominals work they crunch, not curl like a traditional sit-up.

2. Take deep breaths and drink cold water in between exercises to help reduce lactic acid build up, and to increase energy.

Abdominal Exercises and Tips:

Dynamic Core Stretch:

Stand up straight with your arms above your head go on your toes and reach up and then lean back sticking your pelvis out you will feel your lower abs tighten. Now come back forward with your arms still over your head and lean forward with your hips without bending your back. Try twisting your body around, but keep your body erect and stretched out, not slouching.

Hanging Leg raises:

This is an advanced exercise that involves more than just the abs, but is a great compound exercise that helps connect the abs with the hip flexors, which is useful for running, kicking, and jumping. So basically hang from a bar, if this is to hard, then use the leg raise stand. Now lift using your hips and pelvis first than lift you legs up, touch the bar if you can. And remember to crunch your abs.

Scissor Crunches:

This is a great total abdominal exercise that will target the entire abs, including the oblique muscles if you put a twist in it, just like with most core exercises. OK, for this on lie on the floor on your back with your legs stretched out and your arms stretched behind your head. Now raise your legs and arms at the same time, bring them up and towards each other as close as you can while focusing on crunching the abs together. For more power, raise you legs and arms together as fast as possible into a crunch position, then lower your legs and arms with control as soon as they are an inch off the ground power them back up, continue until your most powerful rep then stop and rest.

The Bridge/Plank:

Something that most people don’t know is that the abs are more than what you see on the outside, for example a 6 or 8 pack abs. There is also an entire abdominal wall that can be argued is more important to strength than the visual abs. The reason for this is because the interior core protects your vital organs for impact damage. This is why know matter the look of your abs, like a boxer for example, if he/she gets hit hard enough in the mid-section they will bleed from the mouth and/or cause serious internal organ damage, bottom line it’s nasty. So to help protect your insides more, add this to your core routine. And you and do this from different angles, reverse (chest facing up) and on the side too.

Here’s how it works:

Go into a push-up position on the floor; now bend your arms one at a time onto your forearms, after a few seconds you should start to feel you abs tighten to support your body, this is actually strengthening the inner core, try to hold it for at least 30-60 seconds, or work you way up to that. For more of a challenge move your arms further in front of you increasing the stretch in your abs, and back and more resistance. Good Luck!!

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Weight Training for Sexy Abs

What type of weight training will lead to the massive gains you desire? If you are like most men, becoming a lean, mean muscle machine is on your extended to-do list.

The problem is, if you have ever set foot in your average gym, not many of us have attained this goal.

With many of the people who have been relying on steroids or other performance enhancing drugs, it leaves the common man on the sideline wondering if there is a way for him to pack on serious muscle while burning fat.

Without further ado, there definitely is a scientific approach for you to attain the monster gains you desire so you can be proud of your body and brute strength development.

The first issue one must realize plays the greatest role in your gains of muscle and strength is diet. Diet is by far the most neglected piece of the muscle and strength gaining weight training puzzle.

Believe it or not, even if you follow the most effective training regime on the planet, you will not gain muscle unless you have the proper excess of calories, a significant percentage of them being from high quality protein in your diet.

So, are you wondering what this awesome muscle building diet consists of? Basically, your muscle building diet needs to be full of protein and plenty of good quality fats.

The amount of protein you need per day per pound of bodyweight to cause serious muscle growth is between 1.5 and 2. That means someone who weights 200 lbs should be eating between 300 and 400 grams of protein.

Also, you should make sure at least 50 of those grams are consumed within an hour of working out. Another issue to keep track of is your timing of meals.

By eating 6 times a day as opposed to 3, you can force your body into a state of constant anabolism, or growth. Now, you are probably wondering what type of training will turn you into a muscular monster in the least time?

If you are willing to follow the dietary guidelines, while also drinking plenty of water and at the same time following the protocol that is about to be laid out, even the scrawniest of the scrawny will have no choice but to attain explosive growth!

What is the secret to serious muscle development, awesome growth, and low fat levels? I will tell you in one or two words: squats and dead lifts.

If you do not know what these are, then there is no wonder you are reading this article, starving for the holy grail of becoming huge!

Squats and dead lifts, as well as the bench press and pull ups for the upper body, are the four lifts that will turn you into a ripped monster in the least time possible. Why? The science is behind the hormones.

When you force your body to use a huge percentage of its muscle mass in intense bouts of resistance training, your body releases much more growth hormone and other growth factors than will ever be possible by machine training alone.

Anyone who claims to have become huge using machines without doing the big lifts like squats and dead lifts for the lower body are either using performance enhancers or are just genetic freaks. More likely the former than the latter!

Alan Largo is the creator and administrator of Big Muscle Builder and strives to assist others identify with their current physique through informative reviews. You’re invited to visit Big Muscle Builder to read his most recent article review.

After all where did the 3 sets of 10 reps even come from?

Back in the 1940’s Thomas Delorme create a similar resistance training program to help rehabilitate World War II soldiers. His routine was a little different but is did consist of 3 sets of 10 reps.

For some reason this was such a stick idea… or tactic… that is just stuck around. Even today I get some kick back from my clients because they think something is not right if don’t use 3 sets of 10 reps.

Like the blind leading the blind, I used to do the same thing. For the longest time early on in my fitness lifestyle… I used 3 sets of 10 reps. I even used the same weight on all 3 sets.

Like The Treadmill 3 - 10 Bores Your Body Big Time

You are not alone because 80% of the weight training population… the “normal,” not body building population uses this 3 sets of 10 with out even thinking.

It doesn’t work for your body because you are never giving it something to strive for. Sure, you can increase the weight but only so far… and the impact on your results from really mixing things up will be incredibly noticeable.

Let’s change this and rev up your results again.

The Key Is In The Inverse Relationship

Sets and reps have an inverse relationship. That means that when you increase the number of sets, you need to decease the number of reps. When you increase the number of reps, you need to decrease the number of sets.

Run through some examples…

1 Set 15-20 Reps - Depending on what the goal of the workout, you need to keep these reps high so that you can really exhaust the muscle and get the benefit out of the work you are doing.

If you are a true beginner, you want to just do one set and many reps. This will help you build the foundation for form. It will also get your muscles growing so you can progress properly.

2 Sets 12-15 Reps - This can be great place for beginners to get going… again this is just an example and it really depends on what the particular goal is of the workout.

This type of setup will just bring more endurance and a little more intensity to the workout. These types of setups are really great for fat loss… granted there are some other factors that really make a fat loss program work.

5 sets 5 Reps - This is popular make up of a very popular workout called the 5×5 workout. Built for building maximum muscle. When you increase the sets and drop the reps… you are almost always building muscle.

With a smaller amount of reps, you can really increase the weight and give yourself a much greater intensity workout. The more intense your workout, the more muscle you will grow… and that doesn’t always mean that you will get bulky.

So whatever you may be doing now, change it the next time you are in the gym. Like a herd of sheep, don’t just follow conventional wisdom… take a stroll into new territory and change your workout up by changing your sets and reps.

Dan Boyle is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer. To learn more about the the proper sets and reps and the best fitness programs, visit http://www.fitness-analyzer.com or his homepage http://www.theartofweightlifting.com