Category Exercises and workouts

Everyone in the fitness and bodybuilding industry talks about intensity . Supplement companies develop, manufacture, and sell products with the intensity of your workouts in mind. Intensity seems to be the holy grail of any achievement in our physique, regardless of our goals.

But What is intensity? According to the definition of Dictionary.com «, intensity is doing something that costs us or the degree of force with which it manifests a phenomenon (a natural agent, a physical quantity, a quality, an expression, etc.). »

This sounds good, but what does this mean in terms of reaching our goals? Anyone who has developed their own exercise protocol is going to try to persuade you to believe that their method is the best. We know that many programs work, but not everyone gets results. Many authors of strength training will say that intensity is one repetition maximum. Others will say that high intensity training is carrying out an exercise until muscle failure. Many times we see in the photos of magazines that they try to visually encapsulate the intensity of the workouts of a professional bodybuilder or athlete. Doing the same routines that we see in these magazines does not mean that we will have the same level of intensity that is shown in the photos.

My take on intensity : We can spend all day trying to visualize, quantify, and define, but it will be useless for us if we don’t apply it! I am not going to create a new exercise program, but I am going to encourage you to question what you are currently doing. The intensity application to reach your goals around three qualities: hard work, focus / goals and believing in yourself.

Hard work

Work is the first quality needed to apply intensity. I’ve mentioned before that many programs work, but not everyone gets results. Most of the time it is because the athlete is not working hard enough for results.

Can you train to fail? That topic is from another article that I already wrote a while ago. If you always work to failure you will have to significantly reduce the volume of your training to avoid the drainage of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Muscles may be able to recover, but if your central nervous system doesn’t, you won’t be able to complete successive workouts with the same intensity.

Focus

Without focus or attention, there is no purpose to hard work. Setting your goals defines your focus . If your goal is to be a bodybuilder and increase your muscle mass , then you should be focused on using optimal and perfect form for each exercise, with a full range of motion , a good muscle pump, and setting a goal that is only cosmetic in nature. If your goal is to increase your strength, then your focus is on increasing the amount of weight lifted over a period of time and setting a goal that is measurable. If your goal is to become a better athlete, then your attention or focus is on developing the functional strength that will lead to your chosen activity and improve your skills in that activity. While many people would like to have all three of these characteristics at the same time, it is probably best to focus on just one at a time. You must have a clear focus in order to apply the appropriate level of intensity necessary to achieve your goals.

Focus is also what makes intensity effective.

Believe in yourself

In order to apply a maximum level of intensity that you need to achieve the desired results you have to believe in yourself and believe in the training method you choose to employ. What’s the point of following a specific training plan, if you don’t believe in your ability to execute that plan, or even your own plan?

When developing an effective chest training routine, press exercises are essential for building mass and strength in the pectoral muscles and achieving overall good fitness.

Adding the bench press as a main part of your upper-body workout allows you to take advantage of the benefits of a compound movement: effective exercise of multiple muscle groups at once and faster release of testosterone into your system for faster recovery, greater fat burning and muscle growth.

Choosing to make the bench press a key component of your routine is one step, choosing which method to use for the bench press is another. The barbell bench press is one of the most traditional and popular options for chest workouts. Comprised of a straight metal barbell with plates added to the ends, a barbell is what most people think of when it comes to the bench press. Dumbbells are another popular option for press exercises and are used in pairs during bench press exercises generally with the same weight on each side. A flat, sturdy bench is used with the bar or dumbbells to support your weight while allowing you to keep your feet flat on the floor.

Note : When planning your upper body routine, perform compound exercises like the bench press at the beginning of your workout and then continue with more isolated workouts as openings and crosses for increased muscle exhaustion.

Should I choose barbell or dumbbells for the bench press?

There are three components of a bench press that can drastically affect your results: range of motion, symmetrical effort, and muscle tension. Here are some barbell and dumbbell press comparisons when it comes to these factors:

1. Range of motion

Barbell Press : When grasping a bar, your hands lock into a fixed position on the bar and then you begin to press up. This movement does not allow your arms to move through their full range of motion, limiting the potential extension of your arms and the impact of the bench press itself

Dumbbell Press : The dumbbell press requires both hands and arms to lift the dumbbell and allows you to extend yourself further, significantly increasing your range of motion. This allows more muscles to move and be placed under more tension from the press, increasing the muscle benefit of your workout.

2. Symmetric development

Barbell Press : One of the problems with pushing a single barbell is that sometimes mastery of the hands comes into play. If you bench press while favoring one side, you could end up with a size and growth imbalance in your muscles.

Dumbbell Press : Since each arm has its own system for pushing the weight, each arm moves independently to lift the dumbbell. This allows each side to do the same work and develop equally.

3. Muscle tension

Barbell press : During a barbell press, it can be tempting to slide your hands outward to distribute muscle tension to other muscle groups outside of the chest. This in turn decreases the stress placed on the pectoral muscles, which can negatively affect your results.

Dumbbell Press : Since the dumbbell press allows a greater range of motion in the exercise, you have more control over the movement of your arms and can maintain more your movement in front of your body instead of outwards. This will allow you to maintain a more concentrated tension on your chest muscles for a longer period of time, maximizing your results.

The most important thing to remember with any exercise is that consistency is key, as well as knowing the basics of a compound movement. Variety ranks close in importance. Almost all weightlifters will start on the bench with a bare barbell and quickly (or slowly) work their way up to more and more plates. Eventually, however, your training will stabilize, become stale, and even inefficient; That’s where the dumbbells will come to your rescue.

Dumbbells will help you increase your range of motion, stay longer under tension, and help you exaggerate your chest pressure movement. Without the help of a training partner, dumbbells are your best friend to help you overcome a plateau and squeeze those extra gains.

Settings are not for the weak. In fact, small improvements can sometimes produce big results. Incorporate these tips into your session today!

You have a great diet, a fancy training program , and enough motivation to train all that is needed. You go to the gym, you start to get results, and you feel great, like you could somehow lift a million kilos. Do you think or imagine that you’re doing everything right? Think again.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new or a veteran in the gym, there are always additional adjustments that you can incorporate into your workouts that will improve the results of your exercises, taking them to a higher level.

Instant ways to improve 6 exercises

By implementing the following adjustments to your exercises, you will improve the intensity, your results and avoid boredom in the gym.

1. Leg Press Upgrade: Move your feet

As a long-term basic leg exercise, the leg press can help you turn baggy jeans into tailored pants for quadriceps . While there is nothing wrong with technically doing the leg press with your feet in the center of the platform, placing your feet a little lower (toward the bottom of the platform) can give you a more intense workout for your legs. quadriceps.

If your routine already includes the deadlift, this small change in the Leg press will add more balance to your program – you won’t overwork your hamstrings or prevent your quads from not working enough.

2. Improvement for Deadlift: Spread the legs more

To increase the intensity, try using a wider stance while performing the Deadlift. This pose is most effective for targeting the inside of your thighs and glutes. As you expand your posture, point your toes slightly outward to ensure good form and a comfortable movement pattern.

Keep all other elements of the Deadlift in place as you normally would: Raise the bar with your back straight and focus on squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward as you straighten up. Work on keeping your lower back rigid.

3. Improvement for push-ups on the floor: Pause

Although push-ups are one of the best movements you can do to build your upper body and to gain strength, they are often overlooked in favor of heavy exercises. (We know it’s hard to look in the mirror and do push-ups at the same time.)

So make your push-ups even more difficult. Advanced techniques include close grip pushups or pyramid push-ups, incline and decline push-ups, one-arm push-ups, etc. So, no matter what variation you are doing at the moment, pause at the bottom of the movement.

Pausing during push-ups will force the muscles to contract more than normal, increasing the total time that the muscles remain under tension. By pausing at the bottom your trunk will also participate. Keeping your back straight at all times will prevent back pain.

4. Improvement for abdominal crunches: Hands over head

Everybody wants awesome abs. Doing crunches correctly can help you achieve them.

Many people allow their arms to do the exercise when their abs should be doing the work. Placing your hands on the sides of your head generally increases the chances that you will swing forward and use that momentum to help you do your abs. Although crossing your arms in front of your chest may prevent you from pushing yourself, it doesn’t add much resistance to the exercise.

For best results, keep your arms above your head when doing your sit-ups. Make sure you can’t use them for balance or that you allow them to help your abdominal muscles do the work.

5. Improvement for funds: Get out of the bank

If you normally include bank funds in your exercise routine, consider switching to parallel funds.

Unless you’re a beginner and haven’t built a base strength level, dipping between two parallel bars will put a lot more stress on the triceps than doing the exercise by placing your hands on a bench.

If you’re trying to build some incredible triceps, parallel dips are the right way to go. By not leaning forward, you keep the load on your triceps and not on your chest.

6. Improvement for Triceps Extensions: Use the small bar

Another amazing exercise for the triceps is the Rope Triceps Extension. The problem with this exercise is that some people may feel pain in their hands and wrists as they begin to work with more weight.

To help ease this pain, use the Triceps Extension bar. This bar offers a more stable pushing surface, allowing you to direct more force in a straight line toward the triceps, relieving stress on the wrists and joints.

When using the barbell triceps extensions, you will have the option of using a supination grip or a prone grip. Each one stimulates the triceps in a slightly different way. Incorporate both grips into your workout for optimal results.

Most professional bodybuilders follow a seasonal and off-season diet (on / off), since it is almost impossible to have a slim, defined body and want to gain a considerable amount of mass muscular. One of the main keys to achieving a defined body is cardiovascular training . There’s a science mixed in with cardio to amplify your results, just like resistance training.

If you are a professional bodybuilder you will know the importance of cardio in the months of preparation before a bodybuilding contest since we could not enter a stage and win without it. Some bodybuilders do two hours of cardio a day, one in the morning and one at night.

Over the past 15 years cardiovascular training has received a ton of cues as the premier center for fitness, weight management and cardio-respiratory health. Cardiovascular training has many benefits. Helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease from factors such as obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Intensity low or high?

The yin and yang of the exercise world are aerobics and strength training. “Aerobics” refers to low intensity, extended time workouts that are intended to use up calories and burn fat. Strength training is high intensity. When it comes to combining aerobic exercise with strength training, the main mistake people make is that they use a progressive overload tactic in their aerobic workout.

A great form of cardiovascular exercise is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). She does this in intervals, and should be between 15 and 20 minutes. An example would be sprinting for 20 seconds and then brisk walking for 40 seconds before repeating the desired number of times. Or you could try the bike or the rowing machine.

Aerobic or anaerobic?

You must burn calories at a higher rate than you consume to lose weight. Aerobic calories burn fat while you inhale oxygen. Anaerobic calories burn glucose by converting it to starch in your muscles, known as glycogen. The accumulation of lactic acid as a side effect of anaerobic activity generates a burning sensation in the muscle. To lose fat the most, it’s pretty clear to focus on aerobics rather than anaerobic activities.

Swimming For cardio

Swimming is a very good cardiovascular exercise since in addition to improving your aerobic conditions (endurance), it mobilizes all the important muscle groups, such as shoulders, back, legs, arms. As swimming is an aerobic exercise that you can do for a long time and it also mobilizes large muscle groups, it allows us to burn many calories in one session. It also helps to tone (strengthen) the muscles involved, especially the back muscles, the deltoids and to a lesser extent the legs.

But a study from the University of California has revealed that swimming is less effective than cycling or running to lose weight. Over a six-month period, cyclists lost an average of 9 kilos, runners 8, and swimmers gained 2 kilos. The researchers suspect that the difference is in the activity itself. The water expels heat from the body, so dieting swimmers may have eaten something else to compensate for the heat loss.

Likewise, as an adaptation mechanism to exercise, swimmers have a higher percentage of body fat than other athletes. This is explained because the body responds to the specific stimulus of the sport, keeping fat, so as not to lose so much heat and thus feel warm, in addition to improving the body’s buoyancy.

That is why the choice of activities has to be appropriate in order to achieve your goals. On the other hand, the swimmer, due to his activity in the water, needs to perform muscular strength exercises to improve his power and thus be more effective in the pool.

Best duration time to burn fat with cardio.

Although it may be a great way to start, generic timing programs are ultimately going to limit you. At first, you need to tailor your cardio training, based on your goals, skill level, body type, and metabolism. You have to watch your body’s reaction to make progress once you’ve started taking action. There is no “best time” for the duration or frequency of cardio, other than the amount it takes to get the results you want.

When planning an exercise program it is important to consider the whole body to obtain maximized results and prevent injuries that can marginalize your progress. While there are many different training plans and programs, a common solution is to dedicate different days to different muscle groups to maintain specific routines and give them time to rest while you work on other areas. Common groupings include abs, arms, legs, and back.

What equipment do you need to train legs at home?

Arm, shoulder, back and abs home workouts can be accomplished quite easily and without much equipment depending on your regimen. However, the day that you do legs can sometimes present a problem to exercise and get results. While it is commonly said that effective leg training requires a squat rack and barbell equipment, the space required to have such equipment could be a limitation.

However, many of the compound workouts that exercise the major muscles of the legs (hamstrings, calves, glutes, and quads) can also be done with a set of dumbbells. Doing leg exercises using dumbbells offers many advantages, including less space required for storage and use, versatility in a multitude of workouts that target different muscle groups, and scalability when using an adjustable dumbbell set. Dumbbells also offer a safer way to perform certain exercises, as many barbell workouts require you to hold the weight on your shoulders, making it difficult to quit the workout or drop the bar if something goes wrong. With the dumbbells you can simply release them to avoid injury.

Many home gyms don’t have heavy enough dumbbells. This is especially true for advanced and intermediate lifters. If an adjustable base weight set isn’t heavy enough for your training level, look for an additional set of dumbbells that will allow your weights to meet your training needs. A weight bench can also be a great piece of equipment to have in your home gym. It can be used during many of your training days for a variety of muscle groups. With an adjustable weight bench, you can adjust incline, drop, and other angles that add even more variety to your exercise routines.

Exercises to do when training weights

For the day you train your legs, give yourself at least an hour to complete the different workouts. Not sure where to start? Consider the following 5 compound workouts designed to increase the strength and muscle mass of your legs.

1. Dumbbell lunges

3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions. Lunges primarily work the quadriceps but also work the calves, hamstrings and glutes. As you stride, always make sure to keep your back straight and prevent your knees from sliding into your toes during the movement to avoid stress on the knee joint.

1. Select an appropriate but challenging dumbbell weight and stand straight while slightly bending your knees. Hold the dumbbells at your sides.
2. Step forward with one leg and keep the other leg in place. Keeping your balance, squat at your hips while keeping your back and torso straight.
3. Begin to regain position by returning to your initial position.
4. Repeat these steps, alternating the leg with which you take the initial step.

Looking for an added challenge in your dumbbell strides? Take a step back instead of forward for a more challenging balance.

2. Dumbbell squats

3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions. You have several options to choose from when performing dumbbell squats. The most common is what is known as the goblet squat or front squat. While this compound exercise works all of your major leg muscles, it can also strengthen your shoulders and core depending on how you hold the dumbbells.

1. Stand up straight with your legs shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a weight vertically by one end. Here’s where you can add some variation: hold the dumbbell in the center of your chest, higher, or further out for a different shoulder and core workout.
3. Squat up straight into a sitting position with your hips aligned with your knees.
4. Return to your starting position while keeping your back straight.

* The front squat can also be performed with kettlebells, which makes kettlebells a great piece of equipment to have at your home gym.

3. Dumbbell step ups

3 or 4 sets of 15 repetitions. This is a compound workout that requires a weight bench or elevated platform. The step ups can also be intensified by raising the platform. During all movements, keep your back straight and your eyes looking forward.

1. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side and stand straight in front of your weight bench or elevated platform.
2. Raise the knee of your right leg, step onto the platform, and firmly place your foot on the raised platform.
3. Using your foot firmly planted, push up and lift the rest of your body.
4. Plant your left foot on the platform and stay in that position.
5. Step back with your left foot and then the other to return to your starting position.
6. Repeat the movement, alternating the starting foot.

4. Dumbbell Deadlift

3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions. The deadlift is an excellent compound exercise that targets the hamstrings but also works the other major leg muscles. However, it is an exercise that requires a lot of attention in its execution, since a poorly executed deadlift can cause serious injuries. One of the most important things when doing the deadlift is to keep your back straight and not bend it. Keeping your eyes up can help prevent this. Another great step in this exercise is to bend at the waist without moving the hips back. This moves tension from the hamstrings to the lower back, which can also lead to serious injury.

1. Stand up straight with your knees slightly bent. Keep the dumbbells at your sides. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
2. While keeping your back straight, lean toward the waist. As you lean in, your hips should move back if you are using proper form. Your knees should not move at this point and you should lower the weights onto your feet.
3. You should feel tension in your hamstrings. Keep lowering the weights until you can’t lower yourself comfortably
4. Without bending your back, lift the weights. Keep your eyes up and lift the weights in a straight motion to your starting position.

5. Dumbbell Hamstring Curl

3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions. This is another workout that requires an exercise bench to perform. Hamstring curls are an isolation workout, meaning they only target your hamstrings. During this exercise, try to keep your upper body and legs as still as possible and make sure that the weight of the dumbbells you select is not so heavy that it causes your body to sway.

1. Select your weight with the dumbbells and place it on the floor at the end of the bench.
2. Lie face down on the bench and align your knees with the end of the bench. Fully extend your legs so they hang over the edge of the bench.
3. Using your feet and keeping your upper body and legs rigid, lift the weight between the arches.
4. Bend your knees and focus on moving the weight with your hamstrings, flexing the dumbbell in a controlled motion.
5. Pause when you have raised the dumbbell to a comfortable position and then lower the dumbbell to the starting position.

When planning your exercise program at home, remember that rest days for your muscle groups are equally important. Give yourself 4-5 days between leg workouts to allow yourself a full recovery. During rest days, switch to other muscle groups and consider adding a day for cardio.

Bad training habits are difficult to break especially if you are not aware of them. Of course, it cannot always lead to injury, but certainly these mistakes can make movements less effective . I particularly see the same mistakes all the time with pulley crossover, a very simple type of exercise to train the chest.

Be honest: Are you guilty of any of these three most common pulley crossover mistakes? If so, don’t worry because I’m going to provide you with a remedy for each of them. So you can be on top of what you need to do next time you do this cable exercise to train your chest.

Key errors with standing crossings with pulleys

1. Arm opening / closing

All the movements you do in chest exercises have only one thing in common: The elbows should be fixed in a slightly inclined position during the entire movement of the exercise. Take into account that the degree of curvature in the elbows does not vary in the opening and closing during the repetition, it must remain in the same position during the movement of the exercise, giving rise to a great movement in the shape of an arc as if you were hugging a barrel or tree.

One of the main mistakes we make when training the chest with the openings is keeping the arms too rigid, since in this way we think that the work is much more intense and we concentrate much more on the chest, when it is not. What happens when we have our arms outstretched when performing the chest openings is that we divert much of the tension that should be concentrated in the chest to the biceps, which will be the ones that will withstand all the push of the exercise. To avoid this, what we must do is bend the arms slightly at the elbows in order to concentrate much more on the chest.

Solution : Go lighter in weight and rehearse the movement with the pec-deck machine with your arms fixed in a slightly inclined position and do the exercise from this point.

2. You keep your feet together

Crossing is particularly difficult when your feet are together because you are not well positioned to absorb changes in your center of gravity. This additional level of difficulty leads some people to believe that they are doing better, but they are not.

The crosses are for training the chest not for the whole body. Anything that makes movement more difficult, especially when it comes to maintaining balance, is detrimental to your ability to perform quality reps and feel good for the muscle contraction.

Solution : Stagger your posture with your legs slightly apart so that you can feel in a stable position and can focus on what is happening with your chest.

3. You don’t use multiple angles to do the exercise

One of the great things about the crossover cable is that it is not fixed in one position on the pulley. By moving the pulleys to any position from high to low and changing the angle of the torso inclination we will be working different beams of the pectoral. At the top it will favor the lower part of the chest, while the crosses from a lower part will favor the upper part of the chest. Doing repetitions from the middle will work the central part

Solution : Mix a little! Various angles between various high points, low points, and last in the middle.

Over the years, a program has grown in popularity in bodybuilding and in strength training that has generated a lot of buzz among doctors, experts fitness, personal trainers, professional athletes and more – It’s the CrossFit system. This methodology has aroused as much interest and controversy in recent years as many of the other strength and hypertrophy training programs. The only problem is, there are a lot of people wondering if CrossFit exercises is just a fad or if it really has benefits in the long run.

In simpler terms, CrossFit can be defined as a strength and conditioning system that is designed to promote both broad and specific fitness. The system combines a wide variety of exercises to ensure that a total fitness level is achieved, ensuring a balance in the body. This is achieved through a combination of training in:

• Lifting heavy objects or training with weights.
• Sprint or distance races.
• Gymnastics.

The Domains

In order to get the most out of the CrossFit routines , athletes who want to practice it will have to be moderately trained or trained to be able to fulfill their “10 domains”

• Cardiovascular and respiratory resistance
• Stamina
• Strength
• Coordination
• Flexibility
• Power
• Speed ​​
• Agility
• Balance
• Accuracy

CrossFit was created to work across each of the 10 domains. According to CrossFit, this is accomplished through changes in neurological and hormonal adaptations through all metabolic pathways in the body.

Due to the nature of the conditioning and crossfit exercises involved, there must be an established training program that exists in the individual’s life. Anyone who wants to get into Crossfit will have to be able to comply with the basic exercises or routines that involve these 10 domains without difficulty. As such, it is widely believed that the CrossFit training system is not for people who have never exercised before. Senior, professional, and critical athletes routinely state their opinion on this matter, warning new athletes to stay away from the system.

Those athletes who participate in CrossFit often perform exercises that involve running, rowing, jumping or climbing rope, lifting and moving heavy objects, including carrying objects long distances, performing power lifting maneuvers and techniques of Olympic weightlifting. Part of the training involves the use of free weights, gym rings, pull-up bars, and a wide variety of exercises that use a lot of body muscles, such as the squat.

Crossfit is not an individual training system

CrossFit is commonly found in many affiliated gyms around the world. The company, CrossFit Inc, certifies trainers and licenses the CrossFit name and program to gyms that wish to join. These affiliates are free to develop their own training systems, teaching methods, prices, etc

Crossfit classes are offered to members of affiliated gyms. Classes include a general warm-up session, skills development for participants, and then a high intensity workout lasting 20 to 40 minutes. These affiliated centers or gyms often create a ” routine of the day “, targeting specific muscle groups in the body or training across multiple domains. In an effort to increase interest and generate competition among athletes, affiliates have been known to use scoring and reward systems to motivate class participants.

CrossFit offers training through its system of conditioning outside of affiliated gyms, and many athletes have known how to use the free workouts and instructions available through the CrossFit website although many testify that without the proper equipment and training Currently, it is difficult to perform the exercises properly.

The problem of crossfit exercises

The emphasis of CrossFit training , for anyone involved, is on speed and total weight lifted – the emphasis is not on technique. This can be positive and negative at the same time. If you focus too much on lifting the weight no matter what, it can lead to injury in the long run. Many people believe that training this hard achieves better results and that is why so many people like this system.

CrossFit is designed to increase muscle mass in an explosive and balanced way throughout the body. Despite the results that many have seen using the CrossFit program, there are still many fitness and medical experts who have trouble deciding whether it is good or bad, particularly due to the lack of guidance that beginners have.

It’s very easy for beginners to dive headfirst into the stressful routines of Crossfit, and the results could be detrimental. This is especially true for people who have not worked actively in several years. Anyone skilled in medicine and exercise knows that an unqualified person cannot participate in this system without harming himself – at least that is the conclusion that the experts have reached.

Other experts consider that the intensity of crossfit exercises not only represents an easy risk for inexperienced athletes, but also for people who work regularly or those who are more advanced. Anyone who vigorously lifts too fast without a proper warm-up (and often even a good warm-up) is at risk of temporary and even permanent injury.

The big topic of debate returns to lifting technique, where exercises with this formless intensity have much greater potential to cause injury, especially to the joints and back.

If you want to increase the size of your arms, one of the most important things you can do is focus on the work of the triceps muscle. When your triceps are well developed, your arms will be much more noticeable since this muscle constitutes a very important part of the mass of the arm in general.

Many bodybuilders do not take the time to develop this muscle, as they are much more concerned with working the biceps. While biceps training is also important, having a good balance in upper body training is vital.

Anatomy of the triceps

The triceps has three heads: the lateral, middle and long head. These muscles connect the humerus and shoulder blade to the bone in the forearm called the ulna. It’s important to make sure you incorporate exercises that affect all three of these heads to fully develop the back of your upper arm. Simply doing a triceps exercise will not be enough.

Training days

In the old days of bodybuilding, you trained your triceps on the same day as your chest. In fact, many bodybuilders still do. However, this old school technique may not be the best way to develop them if you are looking for optimal triceps size or if your triceps are lagging behind.

If you work triceps after chest, you will not be able to use an optimal weight to overload the triceps, which have already been partially worked as part of your chest routine.

Giving your triceps full focus to carry more weight while fresh will improve your results.

Exercises that you can use to really get the full size of your triceps.

1. Close grip bench press

It’s a great exercise to hit the middle and lateral heads of the triceps. This exercise can be performed in flat, incline, or declination variations. Between 10 and 25 degrees of decline or incline is recommended.

Take a deep breath and hold your breath as you lower the bar to your chest. When you go to touch the pecs, reverse the direction and push the bar up.

Expel the air when you pass the most difficult point of the ascending phase.

The elbows should point to the front and stay close to the sides during the ascent and descent. Keep your hands about 13 centimeters apart. Holding your hands close together increases the pressure on your elbows and wrists.

2. Lying dumbbell extensions:

This exercise hits all three heads of the triceps. You are going to have to go a little lighter and more careful in this exercise, in order to maintain strict form during the negative phase of the exercise. A dumbbell and a bench are all that we have to use to perform the horizontal bench dumbbell extensions exercise. Bring the dumbbells to the end of the bench and sit on it. Now grab each dumbbell with one hand, or one hand, and bring them to your chest. Raise and stretch your arms and, from this position, bend your forearm to the side. Thus, during the execution of this exercise, the arms remain in their natural position, without twisting the forearm or wrist, which facilitates its execution and allows the use of a little heavier dumbbells.

You can also do this exercise with one hand, for a better concentration on the muscle.

3. High pulley triceps extensions:

Standing, facing the device, with the hands on the handle and the elbows aligned with the body, make an extension of the forearms, trying not to separate the elbows from the body. Exhale at the end of the movement.

With this exercise we work the three heads of the brachial triceps and the anconeus.

Triceps extensions can be done with the reverse grip; that is, with the palms facing up, working the inner head of the triceps.

Another way to do it in stirrups, in this case the repetitions corresponding to a series with one arm are performed and immediately the repetitions of the other arm are followed before moving to the rest phase between series.

Exercising with a partner is fun. You have someone to compete against and someone to hold you accountable for continuing to train. Unfortunately there comes a time when you find yourself without a person to accompany you but you still want to stay in shape. When you find yourself in this situation, the key is self-motivation. Motivating yourself can be difficult, but the results you get are really worth it.

An important key to staying motivated is knowing – with or without a partner – that you want to keep staying healthy. Although sometimes this is not enough. There are times when you need that extra help to stay focused on your goal.

6 tips to stay motivated when you exercise alone

The question is: How do you stay motivated to keep training as hard as you can, when no one is there to force you to do it?

Here are some strategies you can implement to stay motivated when you don’t have a suitable training partner.

1. Set a schedule and stick to it

When you train alone, there is no one to call you and remind you of the gym session. Create a schedule in which you will put the days and hours you want to exercise. You must commit to your schedule! The schedule will not be entirely tentative. Treat it like it’s your job. You have a schedule and you have to stick to it. The same should apply to your exercise routine. In addition to sticking to your schedule, it’s also helpful to keep track of your workouts. A written record of your body measurements and body fat percentage can help you stay motivated. You will see the results on paper even if you don’t see them in the mirror.

2. Don’t train just for your appearance

Exercising has a positive effect on your appearance. People will start to notice the difference. The clothes will fit you better. But there will come a time when you will hit a plateau and need something else to keep going. Focus on building a stronger body. Concentrate on pushing your body to be in the best shape possible. Do workouts you’ve never been able to do. If you’ve only been able to run one kilometer, then press to run two. Have you always dreamed of reaching a certain body percentage? Work toward that goal. Once you start accomplishing new feats, you’ll want to keep improving.

3. Bet on yourself

Another way to make your workouts more interesting is to put money into it. Write a check for an amount that makes you cringe, then give it to someone you know and trust. You can also write the check to a charity. The key is to be responsible and complete the goal you chose to work towards. When you complete the objective, you receive your check back. If you don’t, your friend can keep it or give it to an NGO. This strategy can also be used to compete in an event. The thought of losing money should be enough to stimulate you.

4. Create goals

When you work day after day on your own without a coach or partner to push you, it’s easier to give up what you’re doing. This is why you should create goals for yourself.

Your training goals can be anything, big or small: you may be aiming to lift 80 kilos on the bench press or do 15 kilometers on the treadmill.

Signing up for some kind of race or event can also be a good goal and is motivating. I did a triathlon once and it was amazing, a lot of people also enjoy challenging themselves with a half marathon. Do whatever feels fun to you.

Goals will keep you motivated because you will always be working towards something tangible instead of just exercising because you know you should be.

5. Give yourself rewards

No, you shouldn’t eat a candy bar every time you hit the gym (an easy way to stop or reverse the progress you want to make), but giving yourself a tangible reward for exercising can be a great motivator.

This advice is very similar to point 3. Try to set a number of days for which you want to exercise and give yourself some kind of reward when you meet your goal. This could be a nice dinner, a new piece of home exercise equipment you’ve been looking at, new training shoes, or something else entirely.

Just make sure your reward is motivating enough that you really want it. A kale salad at the end of your desired training period probably won’t help.

6. Find a community on the internet

The Internet allows you to find like-minded people all over the world. You may not have a training partner, but you can still have others with you on your journey. There are blogs, websites, forums, and social media pages for any interest. Cycling, running, boxing, weightlifting or CrossFit, you can find people to connect with and share your stories.

The lack of a training partner should never be an excuse to abandon your workouts. With proper planning and internal guidance, you can achieve your goals on your own.