Building Bigger Abs

I am sure most of you like the look of a ripped six pack and it is one way that people view how fit you are. Most people think that doing hundreds of crunches and leg raises will get you a nice set of abs, which is wrong. Essentially to have a nice 6 pack you need to have a low body fat %.

There are ways to increase the size of your abs and make them look bigger. Training your abs require a different approach than most muscles in your body.

One of the best things that has worked for me is to add weight to you ab exercises and do plenty of reps.

Here are the Top Ab Exercises for mass:

Cable Crunches
This is a great exercise for your upper abs. Adding weight will have a better effect than your normal crunch. You do these on a pulldown machine with the rope as an attachment. Start on your knees, holding the rope right above your head. Bend inwards like you are doing a crunch and try to get your abs to do the work instead of your arms.

Do a weight in which you can barely do 12-15 reps. Do 4 sets of 12-15 reps with 30-60 seconds rest in between.

Hanging Leg Raises
These work especially well for your lower abdominal muscles. Find a pullup bar or squat rack where you can hang and lift your legs up.

While hanging on the bar with arms shoulder length apart lift your legs up 90 degrees while keeping them straight. If it is too tough to do these then try bending at your knee. Do not swing while doing these. Do enough of these to get a good burn going.

Reverse Crunches
These can be done on a flat bench or declined bench depending on your strength. Basically lying flat with legs together, bring your knees into your chest. Keep you back planted in place unlike a normal crunch where your upper body moves toward your knees.

Doing these three exercises alone 2-3 times a week will increase the size of all your abdominal muscles. You will need to incorporate this will a high calorie protein diet in order to increase size. At first you will probably get a little tummy fat, but once you trim up a bit, you will notice a difference,

Top Dangers of Weight Lifting

Weight lifting and bodybuilder is a fun and rewarding sport although there are some safety concerns everyone needs to be aware of.

Focus on Technique:

Failing to use the right technique during weightlifting exercises is the number one reason people get injured in the gym. Stop trying to boost your ego by lifting too heavy of weights that sacrifice your form and start focusing on proper form.

Some key examples:

Squats – Make sure you go at least parallel. Failing to do so will cause pain knee pain. Also, be sure not to look down doing the movement. This will cause you to strain your back.

Bench Press – Keep your feet on the ground and your butt and shoulders on the bench. A nice arch in your back is preferred.

Shrugs – Avoid rolling your shoulders.

Be under control

More and more I see many people that seem unstable and trying to hurry through lifts. Being out of control on lifts can easy cause you to pull or strain a muscle.

Don’t bounce the weight around and make sure your feet are spread and planted right during lifts. Also make sure you have a good grip and breathe in and out properly during all lifts. Do not swing your body, like some people do while performing standing barbell curls.

Warmup Properly

It’s a good idea to get the blood flow going and do a little stretching before working out. If you are just starting legs, then do a few warm-up sets at 50% of your max. You should do a warm-up set or two for each body part being worked. You do not need a warm-up set for every exercise for the same body part though.

Be smart with your supplement choices

I recommend everyone avoid steroids or pro-hormones. Unless you have peaked in size, there is really no need to use them and it is not worth the shortcut.  Also, be sure to use the recommend doses that a supplement calls for.  Any “safe” supplement can be harmful if used in excess.

I also feel it is necessary to take breaks from supplements. Try to take a month break or more from a supplement after 2-3 months of continuous use. The longer you take of a supplement the more your body gets use to it and the less effect it has.

When in doubt have a spotter

If you are lifting heavy with a few reps, make sure you have a spotter. If you workout by yourself, do not be afraid to ask a stranger in the gym for a spot! Be safe and avoid an embarrassing situation and possible serious injury.

Building Massive Chest Muscles

Are you looking for a massive chest like Arnold Schwarzenegger? Notting hit the chest muscle properly will leave you with under develop pec muscles.

Here are some tips to build bigger chest muscles:

Focus on lifting heavy with volume
Lifts such as bench press and incline press allow you to lift more weight than other isolation exercises in the gym. Do not be afraid to stack a bunch of weight on the bar when doing bench press or other chest exercises. You need to stress the muscles as much as possible in order for tem to repair and increase size. Ideally you should be shooting for 6-10 reps on bench press, while doing about 4 sets. You should be pushing yourself to almost failure on each set and it should not be easy. Do not go to low of reps or you will be working more on strength and not size.

Vary your chest exercises
Do not be one of the persons that is always doing flat bench every week to look cool. You need to be hitting incline, decline, and flys. Also, make sure you switch from barbells to dumbbells from time to time. Change the order or your chest exercises for a given day as well.

Incorporate Weighted Dips
Many people ignore this really effective chest exercise. It actually works your chest really well along with your triceps. Be sure to add weight to dips for added effectiveness. I never thought dips worked well until I started adding weight. Start with 25 pounds and keep working your way up. You will need a dip belt once you start doing more than about 50 pounds with a dumbbell. Weighted dips are definitely one of the best chest exercises.

Focus on proper form
Make sure your form is correct on all of your exercises. Not only cold you cause yourself injury, but you could be limiting your progress. Leave your ego behind and focus on technique rather than how much weight you can stack up.

Soon you will start seeing added size to your pectoral muscles by following these simple tips.