Cable Squat to Shoulder Press w/Arm Flexion

Preparation: Starting in a squat position, grasp the handles using an extended arm neutral grip position.

Execution: Initiate the movement by extending the hips and knees while simultaneously flexing one arm and supinating the hands. Once arm flexion is attained flex the shoulder and extend the arm while abducting the shoulder and pronating the grip. Fully extend the hips and knees while pressing to full arm extension until the joints align. Return to the start position in a controlled manner. Alternate sides with each set.

Take a FREE tour of my personal training site: BRAY FITNESS ONLINE With your subscription, you get workout programs complete with pictures, descriptions and videos of all the exercises in the database as well as nutritional programs with weekly plans and shopping lists all for just $19.95 a month. Thats a fraction of the cost of hiring a personal trainer.CLICK FOR A SAMPLE OF:
Workout Routine
Meal Planner
grocery List

Secret Training Tip #667 - Crunch Pulldowns For a Great Six-Pack

By Nick Nilsson

Scorch your Rectus Abdominus (Six-Pack) with the Crunch
Pulldown. It will hit those abs in a way they’ve never been hit
before! This is NOT your standard cable crunch!

The Crunch Pulldown is a very simple exercise to do, perfect for hitting the abs in a way they’re not used to at all. For this one, all you need is a high pulley and a bar attachment.

Hook up the bar to the pulley and set a moderate weight on it. You don’t want to go too heavy or you won’t be able to perform the exercise. After you do it once, you’ll get a better idea of how much weight you can use.

Lie on your back under the pulley. In my own gym, I have an adjustable-height pulley and have it set a few feet off the ground so all I have to do is reach up and grab the bar. If you have just a regular, unmoveable high pulley, the exercise will work exactly the same way but you’ll have to grab the bar first THEN lie down in position rather than lying down first then reaching up and grabbing the bar.

Once you’re on your back (with your head directly under the pulley), pull the bar down so that your elbows are bent about 90 degrees. Your knees should be bent 90 degrees and feet placed flat on the floor. The bar should be 8 to 12 inches above your body. That’s the start position.

Now crunch up. But here’s the trick - as you’re crunching up, DO NOT use the weight to help pull yourself up. Instead, perform a pulldown movement as you’re crunching up. To do this, just pull the bar down towards your lower chest until it touches your lower chest, all while crunching up.

So not only do you get the normal tension from the crunch movement, you’re also getting tension on the abs using the weight from the pulldown movement. This really fires up the six-pack muscles to help them stand out. It’s a unique angle of resistance that your abs have probably never felt before!

To see pictures of this exercise in action, go the following link:

http://hop.clickbank.net/?muscled1/betteru&l=1117

——————

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including “Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss,” “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” “Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!” and “The Best Abdominal Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” all available at (http://hop.clickbank.net/?muscled1/betteru). He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Fitness Tip: Good Form - Good form is important throughout the entire workout,not just during the exercise -Dropping a weight on your foot is not only embarrassing in a crowded health club, and it will definitely put you out of commission for a while. Use your legs when lifting a weight off the ground or loading up a barbell for a set. Maintain support in your abdominals and lower back. The same goes for picking up a back of groceries, a stuffed suitcase or a toddler.

Dumbbell Side Lunges

Primary Muscle Group: - Glutes and Quadriceps

Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Glutes and Quadriceps

Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Grip a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging down in front of you.

Execution: Inhale as you take a large step to your right side and lower yourself down until your right knee has a 90-degree bend in it. Exhale as you press yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat on other side as required.

Comments: Watch for proper knee alignment - do not let lunging knee extend past big toe or deviate laterally or medially. Opposite leg should remain straight during lunging phase as shown.

Visit BRAY FITNESS ONLINE: The place to go for fitness, nutrition, weight loss, bodybuilding, health & fitness articles, and motivation. Make fitness and good nutrition your way of life.

Whether you need help and advice on losing weight, gaining mass or where to find inspiration, Richard Baldwin, Mr. USA, Mr. America-MW, 1st runner-up Mr. Universe and Diane Fields, ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, Specialist in Performance Nutrition and featured Fitness Writer, understand that one size does not fit all, especially as you age.

With some minor modifications, not only can you maintain your present physique as you age, but you can also make improvements with intense resistance training and proper nutrition.

For more information, please…..CLICK HERE

By: Marc David
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

I’ve got a confession to make…

In the year 2006, I’ve seen so many articles on cardio that it even made me confused! Everything from don’t with it “good night to cardio” to cardio is worthless to HIIT training and all kinds of crazy ideas. There’s anti-cardio gurus and cardio masters.

At times, cardio seems like a diet plan.

Let me explain that….CLICK HERE

By: Marc David
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Copyright © 2006 Marc David

Without progression, the body has no reason to adapt and that leads to stagnant training. Which is known as the dreaded PLEATEU.

If you aren’t making gains with your current program, then you aren’t going to achieve the results you want. A big mistake many people make is finding a program and sticking with it even if the program isn’t producing results.

“If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” — W. L. Bateman

A common belief is that if you just stick with the program, results are inevitable.

Think about this…

If you aren’t seeing results on a MONTHLY basis in some capacity, it’s time to change the training protocol.

99% of success comes from having a well formulated plan. A good plan includes tracking your progress. By monitoring your nutrition, body composition, and keeping a training journal, you will be able to see how you are progressing or if you are not making any progress. Keeping some type of journal will allow you to make educated decisions on when and if it’s time to change your training load (the weight you are lifting).

Frankly…

If you do not set specific goals, and if you do not monitor the own progress toward those goals, then how can you assess if you are making progress?

Your training program should always be focused on progression to meet your overall goals. This is where having a specific goal and timetable is important. You don’t want to just training the same way for an extended period of time and hope for results.

But let me go back to the beginning of your question and let’s find out if there is a simple way to figure out when to increase the weight you are using in your training program.

Graves and Baechle developed a dynamic formula to assess when progression is necessary called the 2-for-2 Rule. They said that “if you can successfully complete two or more repetitions in the last set in two consecutive workouts for any given exercise the load should be increased.”

For example, 3 sets of 8 repetitions may be prescribed for a particular exercise. When you can complete 2 more repetitions (i.e. 10 reps) on the final set for 2 consecutive sessions the weight should be increased.

The International Sports and Science Association (ISSA) recommends a load increase of 2% to 5% percent for advanced trainees and 5% to 10% percent for new and intermediate trainees.

But first a warning: Advanced athletes who are beyond these guidelines will probably need to adjust the ranges as necessary where a beginner might not. The reason for this is the beginner has much more room from improvement than a seasoned athlete.

Another reason for this is that a beginner has a lot of neural transformations occurring rather than muscle hypertrophy. Improved motor unit synchronization and the recruitment of new motor units account for this faster rate of progression. This is one reason that new strength athletes will progress in strength faster than muscle size.

About the Author

Marc David is an innovative fitness enthusiast and the creator of the “NoBull Bodybuilding System” method on www.nobullbodybuilding.comHe can show you how to reduce your body fat thru diet, how to gain weight or create more muscle thru an abundance of workout tips by training LESS, not more!

Once a self-confessed skinny, “135-pound weakling.” Today Marc is a 200 pound bodybuilder who teaches thousands of people to gain weight, build muscle and reduce body fat with a workout and nutrition system so simple that even a complete beginner can understand it!

Marc dispels many “bodybuilding myths”, tells you what most people never realize about nutrition, and what the drug companies DON’T WANT YOU to know.  visit www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Fitness Tip: Perform exercises with proper posture and good form - Never try to throw a weight into position. Stand with your feet apart, a slight bend in the knees, keep your back straight and chest high. If you are lying on a bench or machine, always keep your back straight and lower back supported and feet flat on the floor. Utilize core strength during all exercise; it is the base of all your strength training work.

Cable Squats

Primary Muscle Group: Quads and Glutes

Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Quadriceps femoris, Gluteus medius and maximus

Preparation: Assume an erect posture with feet hip width apart and grasp the handles using a flexed arm position and neutral grip holding them aside the chest.

Execution: Initiate the movement by flexing the hips, pushing the glutes back. In a controlled movement descend by flexing the knees to 90 degrees or functional range of motion. Be sure the knees do not move forward past the toes. Maintain a neutral spine position throughout the movement. Once the lower position has been reached ascend in a controlled manner by extending the hips and knees keeping the back straight.

Comments: As always, avoid positioning your knees past your toe line when bending to the 90-degree angle. If you need more of a workout, move your feet wider apart. Conversely, if you need to start out a little more slowly, move your feet closer together.

Visit BRAY FITNESS ONLINE: The place to go for fitness, nutrition, weight loss, bodybuilding, health & fitness articles, and motivation. Make fitness and good nutrition your way of life.

Fitness Tip: Use the heaviest weight possible - The little 2-3 lb. pink plastic weights in those Jane Fonda videos should be tossed in the trash.along with those 1980’s leg warmer/headband sets. Invest in a set of solid, well-constructed dumbbells in a variety of sizes that you consider light, medium and heavy. Please remember that the body needs time to adjust to the exercise. Don’t start from the heaviest weight possible right away. Listen to your body and build it up carefully and responsibly. Once you know that you are ready grab the heaviest weights you can manage during the exercise.