The Guy's Five-Day All-Round Workout Routine For 2016
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Guys, it’s nearly 2016, and you know what that means. New goals, more effort, and better shape. The new year is the best time to get back into the gym, and back into your routine. Your fresh with motivation and ambition, so let’s take advantage of that.
We also know that working the same muscle groups day-in-day-out isn’t effective. Your muscles need a full day of recovery to rebuild and repair. Getting on the bench press every day isn’t going to help here. We need to break those muscle groups down, and focus on one each day. That gives them time to heal, while you’re working on the next group. Make sense? Here’s how it breaks down.
Monday - Chest and back day
Chest workouts are our favourites, so we like to put them right at the start of the week. We’re talking about flat-bench barbell presses, and incline bench presses. Remember to focus on slow movements, and get your technique just right. Otherwise you’re doing yourself no favours. Throw in a few cable crossovers, and try some bodyweight exercises like push ups. You can also add a few back workouts into the mix. Try some wide-grip pull ups, and a narrow-grip lat pull downs.
Tuesday - Core
Core workouts are one thing that a lot of guys skip. Many of us focus on arms and chest, but forget that most of your all-round strength is in your core muscle groups. These are your abdominals and side muscles. The best workouts here are bodyweight holds. Try a series of plank positions, and hold each for at least a minute. Do some slow movement crunches, and a powerful burpee workout (the hardest workout out there!)
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Wednesday - Fitness and cardio
It’s time to give the weights and muscle building a break, and focus on fitness and cardio. It’s a crucial part of your workout routine, and much better for your overall health. If you struggle with the running machine and cycling, enrol for some fitness classes. Try the notoriously difficult bootcamp classes, or join a spinning class for ultimate cycling!
Thursday - Leg day
Muscle building guys are always guilty of missing leg day. What you end up with is a stacked chest and arms, but tiny legs! You’ve got to balance out this routine, and get your lower half in prime condition. Start with a series of squats to engage the glutes and your primary leg muscles. Use the leg press, and do slow sets of leg extensions.
Friday - Arms and shoulder day
We like to finish the week on another powerful workout. The arms and shoulders are closely linked to chest and back. So it’s a good idea to spread them out, and leave plenty of rest days in between. This workout is all about biceps, triceps, and shoulders. We’re talking about curls, extensions, and military barbell presses. Yeah, you’re going to feel this one in the morning!
And that’s the week complete. Remember to take a full rest day on either Saturday or Sunday. You can fill the gap with some light cardio or sports, but don’t over-exert yourself. Let those muscles rebuild.
The 4 Best Techniques For Building Upper Body Strength
As a personal trainer, one of the most common goals
my clients have is upper body strength. Lots of it! Whether it’s all about the looks or overall strength, it’s a common request. Over the years, I’ve developed some great techniques for building upper body strength. The following workouts are great for both men and women looking for more power up top.
Before we dive in, remember to start small. We’re looking to perfect the technique before we add too much weight. Lots of weight and poor technique isn’t just useless, it’s dangerous! So, follow me, and let’s work out safely.
Incline bench press - The bench press is all about working those chest muscles. It’s one of the best body training ideas out there. Guys, it’s going to build your pectorals in a strong and powerful way. The reason why I personally recommend the incline option is that you get an extra boost in your triceps and shoulders. It’s the perfect all-rounder. Start with the bench at a 30-45 degree incline. Grab the bar just wider than the shoulders, and push up to your starting point. Lock it out comfortably, then bring it down slowly to the chest. Breathe in as you come down, out as you go up.
Dip - The dip is going to work your entire upper body, and your core. It strengthens abs, shoulders, and your arms all at once. This is a killer strength exercise, and it will take some time to get it right! You’ll need parallel bars (or you can set it up using the bench press bars). From a standing start, put all your weight on your arms, and dip down. When your arms are at 90 degrees with the bar, push back up. Repeat!
Pull up bar - The pull up bar is one of my favourite workouts for the back. It gives you those strong ripples of muscle on your back. Grip the bar with your palms facing away from you. Lower yourself into a hanging position, then pull yourself up slowly until your chin is above the bar. Lower yourself gently back to the starting position. Try to lock out completely to a full hang. If you don’t, you’re not using your full back muscles, and your arms kick in. This is poor form.
Dumbbell lateral raise - This is another one for the back (working the lateral muscles). It requires a mixture of explosive power and slow control. It’s tricky to get right, so try working it with a friend or spotter first. Start small, and grab two dumbbells, one in each hand. Hold them down by your side; this is your starting point. Now, using a controlled burst of energy, raise them both 90 degrees, so you’re holding your arms wide apart. Control the movement as you bring the dumbbell back down to your sides to the start point. Do this as many times as you can. This one is exhausting, so be careful!
That’s all for now, folks. Get started on these exercises, and remember to focus on form, control, and technique. Then you can start pushing up the weights.
I am not perfect. I am still working on this one. CONFIDENCE IS SILENT. INSECURITIES ARE LOUD.
Thank your Ronda Rousey for reminding us all that confidence doesn't need to be screamed from the rooftops. There is a time and a place but it is not always needed.
What Is A Dynamic Warmup And Why You Should Be Doing One
What is a dynamic warmup? Dynamic training is exercise that stimulates real life body movements. The exercises in a dynamic warm up mimic the exercises that will be performed in the main part of the workout. The movements are usually done against light to moderate resistance in order to improve functional strength, mobility, stability, balance and coordination. Dynamic warm up uses exercises that exaggerate the ability to stay balanced while moving or slightly resisting. This can be done by unilateral exercises that use one leg or one arm. They also can include bilateral, on stable or unstable surfaces, or even by closing eyes.
A dynamic warm up is better than static stretching. With static stretching you lengthen the elasticity of the muscle. In doing so you decrease its ability to rebound as well and limit its ability to perform maximum strength output during the work out. Static stretching should be done once your entire workout is complete to get rid of lactic acid and help with recovery.
It is best to start out with five to ten minutes of a full body cardio machine like an elliptical if you are doing a full body workout. If you are doing a lower body I suggest cycling or running. If it is an upper body workout you may want to warm up on the rowing machine.Once the blood is flowing from the warmup I continue getting them ready for the workout by using different series of dynamic exercises. The dynamic exercises should geared towards what your workout is going to be.
The following are some examples dynamic circuits that can be used. You can combined as many series as you want and do them in any order you would like. Remember this isn’t the full workout and that it is just part of the warm up. Some of the series involve hurdles. If you don’t have any hurdles you can just skip that series.
Series 1(20m)
Alt Arm Rotations Fwd
Alt Arm Rotations Backward
Alt Arm Rotations Fwd Acute
Alt Arm Rotations Backward Acute
Double Arm Rotations Fwd
Double Arm Rotations Backward
Double Arm Rotations Fwd Acute
Double Arm Rotations Backward Acute
Chest Flies Straight Arm
Chest Flies Acute Arm
Series 2 (10 Reps)
Wrist Circles
Trunk Twists
Hip Circles
Knee Circles
Ankle Circles
Sky Divers
Series 3 (10 Reps)
Scorpions
Scissors (Frontal & Sagittal)
Donkey Kicks
Trail Leg Against Wall
Lead Leg Plows
Fire Hydrants
Iron Cross
Series 4 (10 reps)
Hurdle Cross Over
Wall Attack
Inverted Bicycle
Hurdle Seat Change
Trail Leg
Lead Leg
Lead Leg/Trail Leg
Lunge Exchange
Series 5 (10 reps/20m)
Ground Sweep
Lunge Walk
Hamstring Jog/Stretch
Dynamic Hamstring Walk
Grapevine
Series 6(20m)
Same hand/leg(inside heel/outside)
Heel/Toe Walks (In/Out/straight)
Knee-Chest/Heel Butt
Inside/Inside/Outside/Outside
Karaoke leg crossovers
The ultimate cardio exercise is the burpee. Once you can do 100 in a row you can call yourself a burpee master. Until then just try and do one more today than you did yesterday.
Want A Tight Core? Try These Train It Right Approved Moves
The secret to a flat stomach is to strengthen your core muscles. You have probably heard trainers or other health professionals in the gym talking about how having a “strong core” is important, but if you’re like most people, you may not know exactly what that means, why it’s important or how to strengthen it.
WHAT IS YOUR CORE?
Most health care professionals use the word “core” to describe the different muscles that are is located in the middle section of your body as a whole. Many people think that the core is just the abdominal muscles. Although they are part of what makes up your core it actually includes your diaphragm (lower chest), abdomen (belly), obliques (sides), mid-lower back, and lower pelvic muscles. Add all of these muscles up and you get a total of 25 different muscles that make up your core.
WHY YOUR CORE IS IMPORTANT
Your core is where your body’s strength and stability comes originates. It is part of what is called a “kinetic chain” that allows the various parts of your body to function correctly. These muscles are critical for optimal athletic performance, daily activities (e.g., sitting, walking, running, reaching, bending, climbing stairs, to name a few). As our bodies age, it becomes increasingly important to do core strengthening exercises so that you can avoiding injuries and maintain an independent, healthy and active life.
STRENGTHENING YOUR CORE
To strengthen your core, it’s important to focus on keeping your belly button pulled in, a flat back and to remember not to hold your breath.
Try these exercises below For For endurance. Hold each one as long as you can. Repeat 2-3x.
Try these exercises below For For strength. Do each leg for 10-20 reps then switch. Repeat 2-3x.
Alicia Bell is a Toronto based Personal Trainer.
For more exercise tips follow Alicia Bell on Twitter.
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Happy Holiday Shopping from Train It Right!
This 77-Year Old Grand Ma Can Lift More Than You. She is pretty amazing. This just goes to show you that you can be fit at any age. You just have to put in the work! Check out her lifting skills below in the video! You will be amazed! "It's about life. L.I.F.E" and its about "being the best I can be" she says. Lets take her advice!
Check out the youtube video that the Toronto Police posted. It shows you what they have to go through to become an officer. Do you think this is enough? Is there re-testing every year? I think that there should be so that they are forced to keep their fitness levels in check. This would be a good idea since their job is physically demanded.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Check out Robert Gill running 25MPH on a Treadmill. The video speaks for itself. WOW.
As a personal trainer, one of the most common goals
What is a dynamic warmup? Dynamic training is exercise that stimulates real life body movements. The exercises in a dynamic warm up mimic the exercises that will be performed in the main part of the workout. The movements are usually done against light to moderate resistance in order to improve functional strength, mobility, stability, balance and coordination. Dynamic warm up uses exercises that exaggerate the ability to stay balanced while moving or slightly resisting. This can be done by unilateral exercises that use one leg or one arm. They also can include bilateral, on stable or unstable surfaces, or even by closing eyes.
