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The bench press is the shrug of the pectoralis, or pecs, muscle group. Shrugs are considered by the majority of bodybuilding gurus to be the best exercise for building your traps. The bench press is considered by the same people to be the best exercise for gaining muscle in your chest, or pecs. In this article I will explain in detail how to perform the proper bench press.

Preparing:

Assuming your equipment is functionally sound and safe, you will approach the bench from the front; the end without the bar. Sit down on the bench with one leg on each side of the bench. Lie down on your back, and make sure not to bump your head on the bar. When lying on the bench place your upper back and butt flat on the bench. Position yourself on the bench with the bar above you in a position that will allow you to lower it to your chest without hitting the supports.

Grab the bar firmly shoulder width apart. If you grip the bar wider you will place more emphasis on your pecs, but it will also put more pressure on your shoulder joints. If your grip is more narrow you will involve your triceps. You just need to do the lift a few times without weight, to see the right place on the bar for you. Before you add any weight to the bar, practice your grip and form a few times. Slowly and controlled, lower the bar until it barely touches your chest. Next, raise the bar to the nearly fully extended position. I just want you to do this a few times to feel the motion of the exercise.

Execution:

Now you are ready to load some weight on the bar, but make sure that it is evenly distributed. For example, if you place ten pounds on one end, then you need to put ten pounds on the other. Grasp the bar at the width you found to be right for you. Be sure that it is no more than six inches greater than shoulder width apart and at least 12 inches apart. With help from your spotter, lift the bar to starting position, and keep the bar balanced and steady before lowering. Next lower the bar to your chest in four seconds, after it touches your chest, push it up to starting position in two seconds. Now repeat for your desired amount of reps.

The bench press is an essential exercise for any bodybuilder or weight trainer. Now keep up the good work, and with practice and persistence you will see your weight increase time after time.

If you want a whole year of muscle building workouts, then visit Klint Newton’s site on how to gain muscle fast.

categories: bench press,weight lifting,weight training,build muscle,muscle,fitness,health

The bench press is the curl of the pectoralis, or pecs, muscle group. Curls are pretty much the core lift for your biceps. The bench press is the core lift for the chest or pecs. In this article I will explain exactly how to perform a safe bench press.

Preparing:

I’m assuming that your equipment is functioning properly and in safe condition. Approaching the bench from the front, lay down with your head at the end with the bar. Make sure that your back and butt are flat against the bench. Be sure the position yourself far enough down the bench that when you lower the bar to your chest it doesn’t hit the supports.

Grab the bar firmly shoulder width apart. If you grip the bar wider you will place more emphasis on your pecs, but it will also put more pressure on your shoulder joints. If your grip is more narrow you will involve your triceps. You just need to do the lift a few times without weight, to see the right place on the bar for you. Before you add any weight to the bar, practice your grip and form a few times. Slowly and controlled, lower the bar until it barely touches your chest. Next, raise the bar to the nearly fully extended position. I just want you to do this a few times to feel the motion of the exercise.

Execution:

Load some weight on the bar, and make sure to keep it even. If you put a 10lb plate on one side, put the same amount on the other side. Just as practiced, grab the bar above you with a grip that is most natural to you. This grip will be at least 12inches apart, but no more than 6 inches greater than shoulder width apart. Now with the help of your spotter, slowly lift the bar to the starting position. Make sure to have the weight steady and still before lowering. Now slowly lower the bar to your chest, taking about four seconds to lower the weight. Let the bar slightly touch your chest. Once it does, press the bar back up to the starting position, taking about 2 seconds to lift the bar. Repeat this lift for the desired amount of reps.

This is a core exercise that all bodybuilders and weight lifters should be familiar with. Just keep up the great work and form, and with lots of practice your weight will increase exponentially.

Learn more about how to gain muscle. Stop by Klint Newton’s site where you can find out all about building muscle.

So after six reps of 150lbs on the bench press you decided to call it quits. You were pretty tired even though you know you could have knocked out eight if you had a spotter. You didn’t though and didn’t want to risk hurting yourself.

Enter the Forced Rep

This situation is the same. You are hurting on your sixth rep, but powered through. Your friend and spotter pushes you to do a seventh. You lower your weight and push six or seven inches off your chest and are powerless. If you didn’t have your spotter you would be up a creek, but you do and he lifts about 15lbs of the weight and you blow through.

Now he thinks you should go for an eighth. You reluctantly and slowly lower the bar, but realize you can’t get it back up. You simply can’t lift the weight by yourself. Your spotter barely lifts the bar with you, only about 10-30lbs worth. After what feels like an hour you finally get the bar up and the set is over. This is a forced rep.

The actual definition is: an extension of a particular set of repetitions in which your strength level at the beginning of the set has been reduced to a point of positive failure. This is basically the point where you can’t possibly move the weight with your own strength. Your partner then steps in to help you lift the weight only slightly, so you can achieve maximum intensity. The partner just bridges the gap between your current, fatigued strength level and the weight you are trying to lift. Your partner only lifts a small percentage of the weight, but you, lifting the weight, felt lifeless and think that the partner lifted all of the weight. Rest assured, you lifted the weight, and your partner barely lifted any.

The Good

This “forced rep” pushes out every ounce of intensity from your working muscles. When faced with a forced rep a physiological reaction occurs. If you are lifting a weight and can’t get through the rep, it’s a scary feeling. There are few options, drop the weight on yourself (ouch), tilt the bar to make the weight fall off, or have a spotter help. This is what goes through your mind, your body on the other hand is thinking sink or swim. This produces a surge of adrenaline making you stronger and able to power through the rep. In the end with one or two forced reps you will know for a fact you have used maximum intensity.

The Bad

When used in the right circumstanced forced reps are a good thing. It is very easy to get carried away. I use only one or two forced reps per exercise, not per set. Forced reps can lead to over training, and with every size gaining program you want to employ maximum intensity. When your body is performing a forced rep it is using it’s maximum strength capacity, and when the intensity increases, duration must decrease. Pretty much if something is heavier and harder, you shouldn’t be able to do more. Forced reps aren’t bad, too many are.

Forced reps are a great way to get the most out of any set. They are a great way of knowing you reached maximum intensity, but within reason. This is why I suggest doing only two forced reps at the end of your last set. If you do more, or on more sets this will lead to muscular exhaustion and actually smaller muscles.

Looking to find the best deal on weight training programs, then visit www.MentalEdgeMuscleBuilding.com to find the best advice on weight training for you.

A lot of people are now searching for the right answer to the question on “how to lose weight and fat quickly”. This is mostly asked by people who have significantly gain weight as a result of unhealthy diet and lifestyle. With ease of access to various unhealthy foods like the ones offered in fast-food outlets such as the crunchy French fries and delicious hamburgers, canned products, and processed goods which contain elevated levels of salt and other harmful chemicals; many people nowadays are indulging in diet not beneficial for their health. Along with sedentary lifestyle, they are at high risk of gaining more pounds toward obesity.

Luckily, more and more people are becoming aware of the risks involved with these diet and lifestyle choices and are looking for ways to lose weight and fat quickly to lower their chance of becoming obese.

The rise of heart attacks in obese people has made losing weight more fashionable for people who wish to lower their body mass index and their risk of obesity related health problems. It is also becoming more trendy to be thinner which leads people trying to lose weight to be sexier and more lean.

There are several products on the market that will help you lose weight and fat quickly, it is becoming harder to find what will work for you due to the high demand and high product volume. All products claim that they are the best, and most have received a lot of negative attention. Some guarantee results in days without changing your lifestyle habits while others promise to burn fat in less than a week without any exercise program.

Keep in mind that the proven and effective weight loss programs will require you to exercise and change your eating habits. Several government agencies request people not to consume products that promise weight loss without the use of an exercise regimen because exercise is necessary to lose weight. When you find a program that you think will help you lose weight and fat quickly remember that it should be done with healthy eating and regular exercise.

Learn more about how to lose weight and fat quickly. Stop by Melissa Newton’s site where you can find out all about weight loss programs and what they can do for you.

So after six reps of 150lbs on the bench press you decided to call it quits. You were pretty tired even though you know you could have knocked out eight if you had a spotter. You didn’t though and didn’t want to risk hurting yourself.

Enter the Forced Rep

This situation is the same. You are hurting on your sixth rep, but powered through. Your friend and spotter pushes you to do a seventh. You lower your weight and push six or seven inches off your chest and are powerless. If you didn’t have your spotter you would be up a creek, but you do and he lifts about 15lbs of the weight and you blow through.

Then your spotter wants you to get an eighth rep. You slowly lower the weight, but its not going back up. You just can’t lift the weight, by yourself. Your partner barely lifts the bar with you. He only lifts about 10-30lbs of the weight while you strain and give it everything you possibly have. After what seems to be an eternity, you finally get the bar up and the rep and set is over. That is a forced rep.

The definition is: an extension of a particular set of repetitions in which your strength level at the beginning of the set has been reduced to a point of positive failure. This positive failure is when you absolutely can not lift that weight by yourself. Your partner barely helps your, just bridging the gap between what you are capable of and what is on the bar. Your energy is so wasted that you feel like you’ve done nothing and he did all the work. I promise, you are the one that lifted that weight.

The Good

When performing a forced rep you use up every drop of intensity your working muscles have to offer. When approaching a forced rep a physiological reaction occurs. It’s scary when you are in the middle of a rep and can’t get the bar up. You don’t have many options. You can drop the bar on yourself, try to get the weight off the bar, or let your partner help. This is what your brain is thinking, your body is thinking “this is do or die!” Your body then releases a surge of adrenaline making you stronger and actually able to lift the weight. When all is said and done, if you use one or two forced reps know that you have used maximum intensity.

The Bad

Forced reps are good when used properly, but it’s really easy to get carried away. I suggest using one or two forced reps per exercise, not per set. The goal of any size gaining weight training program is to employ maximum intensity. The problem with forced reps can lead to overtraining. When performing a forced rep, your body is lifting a weight that is at its maximum strength capacity, and when intensity increases, duration must decrease. Put simply, the heavier and harder something is, the less you can and should do it. Forced reps are not bad, but doing too many forced reps is bad.

Forced reps are a great way to get the most out of any set. They are a great way of knowing you reached maximum intensity, but within reason. This is why I suggest doing only two forced reps at the end of your last set. If you do more, or on more sets this will lead to muscular exhaustion and actually smaller muscles.

Looking to find the best deal on weight training programs, then visit www.MentalEdgeMuscleBuilding.com to find the best advice on weight training for you.

There are many programs in the market that promise to help you lose significant amount of weight; most products usually promote changes in diets to lose weight fast and improve your health condition. Hence, when choosing the product that will help you shed off unwanted pounds in your body, make sure that the program includes suggested meal plans that will further make it more efficient in achieving your projected results.

I shall give out some useful information on the best diets to lose weight fast so that you can start it all by yourself first prior to purchasing the products in the market. If you want to shed off some excess pounds in your body, one of the best things you can do is to reduce calorie intake from your diet by as much as 500 per day, coupled with reduction of food intake with same amount of calories. This should be accompanied with regular daily exercise for at least 60 minutes.

Let’s do a little math, it should turn out to be a 1000 to 1200 calorie reduction per day when accompanied with your workout. You should notice a one or two pound weight loss in your first week. Continue with this process for a few weeks until you reach your short term goals. People that weigh 250 pounds should expect to lose three to four pounds in one week.

Another great way to reduce your daily calorie count is to limit starch and salt. A high level of salt can cause your body to retain water. If your consumption of salty foods is reduced then your water retention and weight should also diminish. You should also limit the amount of sugary foods you eat like chocolate, cakes and pies, ice cream and other sugary treats. You also need to limit fatty foods and commonly perceived healthy foods like lean meat, skinless chicken, non dairy products and fish. You can replace them with more healthy soy products, fruits and vegetables and egg whites.

There are many more changes you can make to your dietary habits and lifestyle that can help in your goal of weight loss. The ideas included in this article should be a starting point for you to begin your new lifestyle to a healthy weight.

Want to find out more about the best diets to lose weight fast, then visit Melissa Newton’s site on how to choose the best weight loss diet for your needs.

So after six reps of 150lbs on the bench press you decided to call it quits. You were pretty tired even though you know you could have knocked out eight if you had a spotter. You didn’t though and didn’t want to risk hurting yourself.

Enter the Forced Rep

This situation is the same. You are hurting on your sixth rep, but powered through. Your friend and spotter pushes you to do a seventh. You lower your weight and push six or seven inches off your chest and are powerless. If you didn’t have your spotter you would be up a creek, but you do and he lifts about 15lbs of the weight and you blow through.

Then your spotter wants you to get an eighth rep. You slowly lower the weight, but its not going back up. You just can’t lift the weight, by yourself. Your partner barely lifts the bar with you. He only lifts about 10-30lbs of the weight while you strain and give it everything you possibly have. After what seems to be an eternity, you finally get the bar up and the rep and set is over. That is a forced rep.

The actual definition is: an extension of a particular set of repetitions in which your strength level at the beginning of the set has been reduced to a point of positive failure. This is basically the point where you can’t possibly move the weight with your own strength. Your partner then steps in to help you lift the weight only slightly, so you can achieve maximum intensity. The partner just bridges the gap between your current, fatigued strength level and the weight you are trying to lift. Your partner only lifts a small percentage of the weight, but you, lifting the weight, felt lifeless and think that the partner lifted all of the weight. Rest assured, you lifted the weight, and your partner barely lifted any.

The Good

This “forced rep” pushes out every ounce of intensity from your working muscles. When faced with a forced rep a physiological reaction occurs. If you are lifting a weight and can’t get through the rep, it’s a scary feeling. There are few options, drop the weight on yourself (ouch), tilt the bar to make the weight fall off, or have a spotter help. This is what goes through your mind, your body on the other hand is thinking sink or swim. This produces a surge of adrenaline making you stronger and able to power through the rep. In the end with one or two forced reps you will know for a fact you have used maximum intensity.

The Bad

When used in the right circumstanced forced reps are a good thing. It is very easy to get carried away. I use only one or two forced reps per exercise, not per set. Forced reps can lead to over training, and with every size gaining program you want to employ maximum intensity. When your body is performing a forced rep it is using it’s maximum strength capacity, and when the intensity increases, duration must decrease. Pretty much if something is heavier and harder, you shouldn’t be able to do more. Forced reps aren’t bad, too many are.

Forced reps are a great way to get the most out of any set. They are a great way of knowing you reached maximum intensity, but within reason. This is why I suggest doing only two forced reps at the end of your last set. If you do more, or on more sets this will lead to muscular exhaustion and actually smaller muscles.

Looking to find the best deal on weight training programs, then visit www.MentalEdgeMuscleBuilding.com to find the best advice on weight training for you.

There are many programs in the market that promise to help you lose significant amount of weight; most products usually promote changes in diets to lose weight fast and improve your health condition. Hence, when choosing the product that will help you shed off unwanted pounds in your body, make sure that the program includes suggested meal plans that will further make it more efficient in achieving your projected results.

Here are a few tips to try on your own before purchasing any products. One of the best things to do to lose weight fast is reduce caloric consumption by 500 calories a day at the very most. For the best results this should be partnered with a daily exercise program of at least 60 minutes.

In mathematical equation, this should work out to be around 1000 to 1200 calorie reduction per day along with an hour of daily workout in the gym. Within a week of observance of this method, you should be able to lose around one to two pounds. Repeat this technique for the next couple of weeks until you achieve your desired amount of pounds to lose from this program. For people weighing more than 250 lbs. this process can help them lose 3 to 4 lbs. within one week.

Another way to help reduce your caloric intake is to reduce starch and salt. Excess amounts of salt can cause water retention. If you reduce the intake of salty food you should decrease your water retention and weight. Some other foods to limit are one that have high levels of sugar like chocolate, pastries, ice cream and other treats. You should also avoid fatty foods and deceivingly unhealthy foods such as lean meat, skinless chicken, nondairy products and fish. You should replace them with soy products, fruits and vegetables and egg whites.

There are still many things you can do to change your eating habits and behavior that will help you achieve your desired results. The recommended diets to lose weight fast mentioned herein can greatly help you start your program towards effective weight loss.

Want to find out more about the best diets to lose weight fast, then visit Melissa Newton’s site on how to choose the best weight loss diet for your needs.

Oh the “traps” or Trapezius muscles and their many exercises. I was in the gym a few days ago and saw a guy pounding away on the shrugs. He was doing shrugs with a 110lb dumbbell in each hand. He was lifting the weight a total of 1 inch on each rep. The weight was so heavy; he couldn’t do the movement properly. Not only that, but he was trying to heave so much weight, he was exhausted after only four unsuccessful reps.

If you don’t mind looking like a fitness model (which I agree isn’t that bad), then don’t worry about your traps. I happen to think they are what sets the body builder look apart from the body of a fitness model, among other things. No wonder people work so hard to get huge traps.

The “traps” or Trapezius muscles are above your collar bone on top of your shoulders and extend from your neck to the tip of your shoulders.

Traps are a muscle that separates the men from the boys. They can be an amazing sight, and can be downright scary, and sometimes just ridiculously big. Big traps can be the difference between you looking like a person that lifts weights and a person that doesn’t. Big traps can be the difference in a fit guy looking like a fitness model, or a bodybuilder. Huge traps basically send a message, they are a statement. What are your traps saying?

Exercises for your Traps

I know you probably think shrugs are the only way to build huge traps. How’s that working out for you? I’m guessing not too well, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. Well, shrugs are an effective core exercise to build traps just like bicep curls are to build biceps, but there are other things you can do to get a good trap workout. Below is a routine I have developed to get you on your way.

1. Shrugs 3 sets X 10 – 12 reps

These had to be included, they are the key to a successful trap training. Now I know we have all done shrugs before, but I would like to included a few tips. Now I know that when I use the standard shrug form and fully contract my traps, they end up hitting my neck resulting in a limited contraction. If you push your head as far forwardas possible, it will remove your neck from the range of motion and allow your traps to fully contract. Once you have flexed your traps, hold the position for two seconds and slowly release. It is also good to sit on a bench to avoid cheating.

2. Lateral Raises, with Traps Flared 3 X 12-15

This one is tough. First, you need to flare your traps while holding the dumbbells. Next, simply perform a lateral raise. This is just like a normal lateral raise where you lock your elbows and lift the dumbbells directly out to your side to where they are parallel with he ground. The lateral raise usually hits your deltoids, but when you flare your traps it concentrates the movement to them for maximum isolation. Start with 12 to 15 reps and don’t use too much weight so that you will maintain proper form and get used to the movement.

3. Bent over lateral raises, with Traps Flared 3 X 10 – 12

Same as above, just bend over at about a 45 degree angle. This is a good trap exercise because it hits the back of your traps. Built rear traps look impressive from the back and give your back a very built, defined, strong look.

These exercises will directly impact the growth of your traps. This addition to a workout can be incorporated into any workout split. For those doing a split, this would be a good addition to “shoulders day.”

Throw these exercises into the mix and watch your results go through the roof!

Looking to find the best deal on a complete muscle building guide, then visit http://www.MentalEdgeMuscleBuilding.com to find the best advice on building muscle for your body type.

There are many exercises that can be done to target the “traps” or Trapezius muscles. So many times people get stuck on one tired method and use it over and over. There are many weight trainers that think the only way to work their traps is to use an unreasonable amount of weight, which results in ineffective training.

I often wonder why people go to such tiring lengths to work on their traps. Well, I tend to think it’s because they are what truly differentiates a guy from looking like a regular Joe to looking like a body builder.

The trapezius muscles are the muscles that sit on top of your shoulders above your collar bone that extend from the edge of your shoulders all the way to your neck.

Traps are a muscle that separates the men from the boys. They can be an amazing sight, and can be downright scary, and sometimes just ridiculously big. Big traps can be the difference between you looking like a person that lifts weights and a person that doesn’t. Big traps can be the difference in a fit guy looking like a fitness model, or a bodybuilder. Huge traps basically send a message, they are a statement. What are your traps saying?

Exercises for your Traps

I know you probably think shrugs are the only way to build huge traps. How’s that working out for you? I’m guessing not too well, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. Well, shrugs are an effective core exercise to build traps just like bicep curls are to build biceps, but there are other things you can do to get a good trap workout. Below is a routine I have developed to get you on your way.

1. Shrugs 3 sets X 10 – 12 reps

These had to be included, they are the key to a successful trap training. Now I know we have all done shrugs before, but I would like to included a few tips. Now I know that when I use the standard shrug form and fully contract my traps, they end up hitting my neck resulting in a limited contraction. If you push your head as far forwardas possible, it will remove your neck from the range of motion and allow your traps to fully contract. Once you have flexed your traps, hold the position for two seconds and slowly release. It is also good to sit on a bench to avoid cheating.

2. Lateral Raises, with Traps Flared 3 X 12-15

This is a tough little exercise. The first step is to flare your traps up with dumbbells in hand. Then perform a lateral raise by keeping your elbows almost locked and lifting the weight directly out to the side. This is the same thing as a normal lateral raise to hit the deltoids (shoulders), but with your traps flared like this, it really works them hard. I suggest doing 12-15 reps because it is difficult to use much weight and maintain proper form.

3. Bent over lateral raises, with Traps Flared 3 X 10 – 12

The bent over lateral raise is just like the last move but obviously bent over. This is good for hitting the back of your traps which helps you look more built, defined and strong from behind. You will want to bend at the waist at about a 45 degree angle.

These couple moves will greatly increase the size of your traps. Just add a few sets of each to the end of your workouts. If you are doing a split routine and work your deltoids (shoulders) on a seperate day, these exercises would fit in perfectly on that day.

Once you get started on this, sit back and prepare to watch your traps explode!

Learn more about how to gain muscle. Stop by Klint Newton’s site where you can find out all about the best way to gain muscle.