The Ultimate Exercise For A Rock Hard Body

Do you spend countless hours at the gym working out your pecs, shoulders and biceps and don't pay much attention to your legs? That may be the reason why you are not seeing any increases muscle gains. Most people hate leg days, and rightly so; a good leg workout leaves you exhausted, drenched in sweat and stumbling around like a Valley girl at after one too many drinks. But its exactly that reason, explains Mike Geary author of The Truth About Abs, why you need to do them. In his article below Mike not only explains why leg workouts help you build more upper body muscle and burn fat, but he also tells us the one lower body exercise that can turn your physique into a rock hard body. Check it out.









The Ultimate Hard-Body Exercise

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer



As you may have already discovered, the squat is at the top of the heap (along with deadlifts) as one of the most effective overall exercises for stimulating body composition changes (muscle gain and fat loss).  This is because exercises like squats and deadlifts use more muscle groups under a heavy load than almost any other weight bearing exercises known to man.  Squats and deadlifts use hundreds of muscles throughout your entire body to move the load and also to stabilize your body while doing the drill.





Hence, these exercises stimulate the greatest hormonal responses (growth hormone, testosterone, etc.) of all exercises...









In fact, university research studies have even proven that inclusion of squats into a training program increases upper body development, in addition to lower body development, even though upper body specific joint movements are not performed during the squat. Whether your goal is gaining muscle mass, losing body fat, building a strong and functional body, or improving athletic performance, the basic squat and deadlift (and their variations) are the ultimate solution. 





If you don’t believe me that squats and deadlifts are THE basis for a lean and powerful body, then go ahead and join all of the other overweight people pumping away mindlessly for hours on boring cardio equipment. 





Squats can be done with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or even just body weight. Squats should only be done with free weights – NEVER with a Smith machine! My program, The Truth About Six Pack Abs contains the full story on why machines are so inferior and even potentially DANGEROUS compared to free weights.





The type of squat that people are most familiar with is the barbell back squat where the bar is resting on the trapezius muscles of the upper back.  Many professional strength coaches believe that front squats (where the bar rests on the shoulders in front of the head) and overhead squats (where the bar is locked out in a snatch grip overhead throughout the squat) are more functional to athletic performance than back squats with less risk of lower back injury. 

I feel that a combination of all three (not necessarily during the same phase of your workouts) will yield the best results for overall muscular development, body fat loss, and athletic performance.  Front squats are moderately more difficult than back squats, while overhead squats are considerably more difficult than either back squats or front squats. 

If you are only accustomed to performing back squats, it will take you a few sessions to become comfortable with front squats, so start out light. After a couple sessions of practice, you will start to feel the groove and be able to increase the poundage.





To perform front squats:





The front squat recruits the abdominals to a much higher degree for stability due to the more upright position compared with back squats. It is mostly a lower body exercise, but is great for functionally incorporating core strength and stability into the squatting movement. If you're doing front squats right, you'll feel a hard contraction in your abs during these.





It can also be slightly difficult to learn how to properly rest the bar on your shoulders. There are two ways to rest the bar on the front of the shoulders.





In the first method, you step under the bar and cross your forearms into an “X” position while resting the bar on the dimple that is created by the shoulder muscle near the bone, keeping your elbows up high so that your arms are parallel to the ground. You then hold the bar in place by pressing the thumb side of your fists against the bar for support. 





Alternatively, you can hold the bar by placing your palms face up and the bar resting on your fingers against your shoulders. For both methods, your elbows must stay up high to prevent the weight from falling. Your upper arms should stay parallel to the ground throughout the squat. Find out which bar support method is more comfortable for you.





Then, initiate the squat from your hips by sitting back and down keeping the weight on your heels as opposed to the balls of your feet. Squat down to a position where your thighs are approximately parallel to the ground, then press back up to the starting position. Keeping your weight more towards your heels is the key factor in squatting to protect your knees from injury and develop strong injury resistant knee joints.





Keep in mind – squats done correctly actually strengthen the knees; squats done incorrectly can damage the knees. Practice first with an un-weighted bar or a relatively light weight to learn the movement.  Most people are surprised how hard this exercise works your abs once you learn the correct form.







START/FINISH







MIDPOINT





For complete descriptions of over 50 of the most effective full body exercises for stripping away body fat while developing a rock-hard body, download my world-famous program - The Truth About Six Pack Abs (used by over 263,000 readers in 154 countries currently).

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Are You "Skinny Fat?"

There are a few words and phrases in the English language that when thrown around strike fear into the hearts of many. For men it's great to be lean, but mention "skinny" and it will send them sprinting to the nearest Burger King to down a supersized hamburger and large order of fries. For women, it's great to be curvy and voluptuous, but mention the word "fat" and their next week's meals will consist of lettuce leaves and lemon juice followed by an online subscription to Weight Watchers. Personally, if you mention "Justin Bieber" and "memoir" to me in the same sentence like it was the other day, I can be seen pulling all my eye lashes out, grabbing two beers and inflating my own escape raft to slide off the plane away from the horrible thought of it. Now if you combined the two most hated words for men and women you get "Skinny-Fat", and it's a fairly new phrase that is creating even more anxiety amongst individuals because it's altering us to a new body type, that not only is socially undesirable, but can be an indication of some otherwise unnoticeable health concerns. Let's take a look at exactly what it is, what causes it, and whether you fall under this new term.

Whether someone is socially deemed "skinny" or deemed "Fat" is completely relative. You may have an individual who has high expectations of their body type and classifies themselves as fat, while others may not. People may think someone is too skinny, where as that person may indeed fall into the desired weight range for a healthy individual of their height and age. Either way, our views on the matter are sometimes skewed and biased and sometimes our fears of falling into either category are unwarranted...







But the term "Skinny-Fat" is one that is fairly new and has started appearing on health segments on morning TV shows, creeping into diet and nutrition jargon, and even having multiple definitions under urban dictionary. But with any newly coined term comes some confusion with exactly what it means. There are conflicting meanings, depending on whether you are talking to bodybuilders or diet and nutrition experts, so I have pulled together a few of my favorites;



-Skinny Fat is when someone falls under a healthy weight range, however their body composition is flabby rather than toned

- Someone who appears thin and has a good BMI, but has a high percentage of body fat

- When someone looks lean in clothes, but if flabby underneath

- When a person is thin, but does not eat healthy and eats junk food

- Someone who is thin, but has localized fatty areas, like a muffin top or love handes (hips) or butt and thighs.

So you can see that it is far from a medically diagnosed term, but you get the drift, and I'm sure after reading some of the definitions above, you may know of someone, maybe even yourself (as you lift your shirt and stare at yourself in the mirror) that falls into this category.



So what causes someone to be skinny fat? Well there are numerous causes, based on diet, exercise, and genetics;



1. Diet

A person's diet can be a determining factor of their body composition and whether they are skinny-fat. Diets high in saturated and trans fats, as well as sugar lead to fat storage a flabbier body composition. People who find they can eat a lot of junk food and not get overweight or obese, still may find themselves with fatty areas, such as a belly or muffin top. Those people may also not be aware that although they may not appear to be fat on the outside, they may indeed have large amounts of internal visceral fat, which a more dangerous form of fat that surrounds your internal organs such as your heart.

Individuals, particularly women, who eat a very low calorie diet for extended durations may also fall into the category of skinny-fat. Why is this if they aren't eating man calories? Because when you lower your calories over longer periods of time, your body adapts by lowering your metabolism and holding onto fat.



2. Exercise

Exercise, specifically weight lifting and resistance training, is large contributor to a person's body composition. Men who lift weights tend to have a higher proportion of muscle, than just someone who performs cardio and does not lift weights, which increases fat burning and a more defined body structure. Wider shoulders and larger upper body muscles can also help mitigate the appearance of being skinny-fat.

3. Genetics

Genes also play a leading role in body composition, and some people who fall under the ectomorph body type sometimes find they falling into a skinny-fat category. Ectomorphs are blessed (or cursed, depending on who you are asking) with a fast metabolism, however some have less fast twitch muscle fibers than others, making it more difficult to build muscle. So while they may be lean, they may have "softer" body composition.



Hormones and gender also play a part, with women who finding it harder to put on muscle due to high levels of the female hormone estrogen, then men. Men who have lower testosterone levels because of age or genetics, may also experience a more flabby body composition that ones with normal or higher levels of testosterone.



Being skinny-fat may not be socially undesirable for many, but there are others that because of clothing that cover flatty parts do not mind so much because they all in all seem lean. But there are dangers of being skinny-fat, and some that you definitely need to be concerned about if you fall into this category. Certain areas of fat, specifically belly fat, can cause some health concerns and can be an indication of some serious issues. Dr Gabe Markin, MD says that Belly fat indicates that "your cells are likely to be resistant to insulin,  which puts you at high risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, and premature death". Excess belly fat indicates that you have excess fat storage in your liver which leads to these problems.



Think you may fall into the category of skinny-fat or have some belly fat you want to get rid of. The bad news is you cannot spot reduce. When fat is burned it is burned from all fatty deposits on your body so you need to develop a holistic approach to losing the flab. So if you are skinny fat, how do you change your body into a healthier more toned composition?



1. Lift Weights: Resistance training builds muscle and burns fat

2. Exercise: Sedentary individuals who do not exercise are more likely to have a higher body fat percentage than those who do not exercise.

3. Diet: Eat whole foods and avoid any processed and refined foods such as white bread, ice cream and candy

4. Avoid sugar: Particularly any products that contain high fructose corn syrup that has shown in studies that because it is so highly refined and processed, by passes our body's natural ability to burn it as energy and is therefore more likely to be deposited as fat

So now you know what it is, and what causes it, are you indeed skinny-fat? Do those two words strike some fear into you when you read them? They should. Not because of what society deems acceptable in terms of being with "skinny" or "fat" but because when the two words are combined, they are an indication of some potential health risks. If you do fall into this category, the good news is you don't have to. Exercise and diet may be all you need to help you change your body composition into something a little healthier and help you lead a happier lifestyle. And if all the above fails and you are still happy to fall into this category, then I have three words for you... Justin. Bieber. Memoir. It's not going to help being skinny-fat, but it sure is scary.

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Build a Bigger Chest in 3-4 Workouts or Less

What guy out there doesn't want a bigger chest? Chest muscles, along with biceps, have become one of those muscle groups that men, and women, associate with strength and physical success in the gym. Unfortunately, even though most guys hit the bench press hard every week and complete numerous sets and reps, they rarely see any further development after the initial growth phase many experience when they first start training. So some times you just have to mix it up and shock your pecs into an explosive growth phase. Tom Venuto, author of Burn The Fat, one of the muscle building and fat loss books I recommend on here, and a natural bodybuilder who has never touched a steroid in his life, has pecs that most guys would dream about, and has put together a training routine below that you can start using today to take your chest workouts to a new level and force your pecs into some impressive size gains.

Build a Bigger Chest in 3-4 Workouts or Less

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

If your pecs are a weak body part, or, if you’ve simply hit a progress plateau in your chest development, then this high intensity chest training program will pack slabs of muscle mass on your chest after just 3-4 workouts - and I guarantee it. This is a high intensity bodybuilding workout for advanced bodybuilders only. (Beginners don’t even think about it...)

I’m currently on workout 3 of 4 in this pec routine and the results have been so impressive that I decide to write it up for you before I even finish the final workout next week.

Considering I’m on a calorie deficit in a cutting phase, I’m especially impressed with the increase in my chest size and development after 3 workouts. You’re not going to gain much if any muscular body weight if you are in a caloric deficit, but NO DOUBT, you can improve the development of a muscle group even while cutting up. This is a perfect example. I’m going to return to this program again for sure on my next mass phase. This program is called…

Multi-Angular Rest Pause With Pump Finisher

Here’s how it works. You select two exercises. For exercise one (the main course), I chose a basic pec mass exercise that can be done at any angle from steep incline to flat bench. Thats the primary exercise you stick with for all 4 workouts. Incline Dumbbell Press was the natural choice. I set up on a fully adjustable bench that allows multiple angles of incline.

For exercise two (dessert), I chose an isolation exercise for a pump finisher, and it changes with every workout.

Here’s the sequence:

A1 Incline Dumbbell Press - steep incline - about 65-70 degrees

6 reps

rest 10 seconds

A2 Incline Dumbbell Press - medium (regular) incline - about 45 degress

6 reps

10 seconds rest

A3 Incline Dumbbell Press - low incline - about 20-25 degrees

6 reps

10 seconds rest

A4 Dumbbell Press - flat bench

6 reps

Now rest 2 - 3 minutes.

That’s one "set." Technically of course, that is FOUR SETS, done in rest pause fashion, so lets call it one “round” for clarity’s sake.

Yes… that was round ONE. Now do it two more times.

Note: It helps a lot if you have a training partner change the bench angle so you can stay seated and keep the dumbbells in your hands. Doing it alone is slow and cumbersome.

For poundage, youre going to have to go MUCH lighter than usual. Although I don't train heavy pecs anymore, last time I did, I was doing 6 reps with 125s on the incline. So for this program I took about 50-60% of that; 70 lbs on workout 1, 75 lbs on workout 2,and 80 lbs on workout 3. On the last one, I had to drop to the 75s to finish all 3 rounds and even then I needed some forced reps towards the end.

You may need to decrease the weight on the 2nd or 3rd round, but if at all humanly possible, do NOT reduce the weight during each round. Doing all four angles at the same poundage is the whole idea.

What may happen, especially if you even slightly overestimated your starting poundage, is that reps may drop with each angle change within a round. First angle - 6 reps is easy. second angle, a little harder, but still no problem. Third angle, you might only squeeze out 5 reps or hit honest failure on the 6th rep. 4th angle (flat), you might hit total failure on the 4th or 5th rep.

Now this is also where a training partner comes in. This routine should not be attempted without a spotter. Sorry, but you are a dork if you try to do this without a spotter. This program causes HONEST muscle failure (I’ll explain that in more detail shortly), so you need the spotter for safety, but moreover, you will need a spotter’s assistance to complete forced reps, at least on the final round or two, if not the first round. In general, forced reps should not be overused, but they play an important part of this program.

Ok, where were we? Oh yeah, you just finished your 3rd round. You might be finished! Yeah. some people will be DONE, KAPUT, ZONKED, BONKED, NUKED, GAME OVER, after 3 rounds of that (think about it - that was 12 sets, disguised as 3 sets!) However, for those who want the full course…. come with me and lets finish off those pecs with the pump (oh, you thought were already pumped… heh.. just wait…you’ll see what a pump is!)

The second exercise (exercise B) is going to be an isolation exercise.. ie., DB flye, cable crossover, machine flye (pec deck), etc., and you will perform 20-25 reps, non stop in piston-like fashion. use a steady quick tempo, but not so fast that you use momentum.

This isolation /pump exercise will change with every workout:

B1 Workout 1: standing cable crossover

2-3 sets, 20-25 reps

B1 Workout 2: machine flye or pec deck

2-3 sets, 20-25 reps

B1 Workout 3: decline dumbbell flye

2-3 sets 20-25 reps

B1 Workout 4: flat bench cable flyes in cable crossover machine

2-3 sets, 20-25 reps

That’s it! That’s the whole program. Three rounds of multi-angular rest pause, then finish your workout with 2-3 sets of 25 reps on a pumping, isolation movement.

This routine is performed within a standard bodybuilding type of split, so it should be done once in 5-7 days, no more. You would probably do another body part after chest,such as biceps or triceps, depending on how you organize your split routine.

I would recommend advanced bodybuilders use this program a couple times a year if and when they need a boost in chest development. This is not the type of program you would use all the time. You would burn out and overtrain.

There’s one more very important part of this routine - progression.

On the Incline Dumbbell Presses, you will increase the poundage with every workout. Keep in mind, you will not be able to complete all 3 rounds at all 4 angles for 6 unassisted reps. Its going to get harder each time, even as you get stronger. You may have to use a spotter more with each progressing workout. You may also find that on workout 1 or workout 2, you can complete all 3 rounds with the same dumbbells, but on workout 3, by the 2nd or 3rd round, you have to drop the weight or you’ll barely be getting 2 or 3 reps.

Now let me re-emphasize the importance of a spotter. Theres something thats going to happen when you do this routine that does not happen often. You will hit what my training partner and I call “HONEST FAILURE.” This means that your muscles literally fail, or give out right underneath you. Mind you, this is not something you would usually aim for, but that’s just the nature of this program and this is only a 4-workout high intensity “shock” type of routine.

When I say your muscles will give out, I mean that literally. On the last rep or two of 3rd or 4th angle, of the 2nd or 3rd round, your arms may literally buckle underneath you. That’s honest failure.

You see, there are several types of failure… First there is “sissy failure”.. that’s when there is a lactic acid burn or a fatigue in the muscle (you’re tired) and because it hurts or youre tired, that causes you to stop. Thats sissy failure (sarcasm).

Then you have positive failure. This is where you can no longer push the weight up in a concentric motion, but you are still able to lower the weight and exert an upward force against the weight. For example, you’re bench pressing and you hit the “sticking point,” but you are holding that bar at the sticking point (its not coming back down), and you’re still exerting force to push the bar upward, but the bar simply isn't moving up!

Then you have honest failure. This is where the muscle simply gives out.. it buckles. you have reached concentric and eccentric failure. This type of failiure is rarely discussed. In fact I don’t recall anyone ever writing about it except for Arthur Jones and Ellington darden and the rest of the High Intensity Training (HIT) camp.

Rarely does any bodybuilder tread in this territory, and for good reason, as it is really not necessary and can be dangerous for anyone but a veteran who knows what the heck he is doing - and all the kidding aside for a moment, Im serious about this. Its no joke if your chest and arms give out from underneath you and you dump a 70 or 80 pound dumbbell on your face. (you do like your teeth, don’t you?)

However, as a technique you use on rare occasion for a shock routine that breaks through progress plateaus, that untrodden territory is there… for those who dare. There is something about this particular program (multi angular rest pause) that takes you there. You've been warned! Train hard, but be safe!

Now, go out there and get jacked!

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Lifetime Natural Bodybuilderwww.BurnTheFat.com

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