8 BEST FOODS FOR TOTAL BODY STRENGTH

Increase muscular strength by adding your plate up with these foods.

Strength is our body’s ability to exert physical force on objects — also known as being able to push through a heavy set. Following a progressive overload program is one way to boost muscular strength, but sometimes it can come from the food that you eat. Packing away enough calories, macros, and nutrients can help you muster up that extra strength you need — resulting in hitting your fitness goals. Get the edge that you need in a workout by incorporating some of these strength-enhancing foods.

CHICKEN

Consuming all essential amino acids is a necessary component to building and repairing muscle — stimulating muscle protein synthesis. A 3.5-ounce serving of chicken contains 190 calories, 29 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fat. It’s also a good source of niacin and vitamin B6 and B12 — all of which work together to metabolize your macros.

SOYABEAN

Originating from South America, this ancient grain is considered a complete protein and contains the highest amount of the amino acid leucine, which instigates muscle protein synthesis, so the more the better. At 155 calories per ¼ cup serving, this nutrient dense grain contains 6 grams of protein, 29 grams of carbohydrates, and is an excellent source of magnesium, iron, and potassium. Magnesium and potassium help regulate muscle contractions — preventing those dreaded muscle cramps.

YOGURT

Throw Greek yogurt in your shakes or have it as a snack. It’s rich in calcium, which may prevent osteoporosis, reduce muscle cramping, and protect your bones from fractures. A typical single serving container of non-fat plain Greek yogurt contains 187 milligrams of calcium in addition to about 17 grams of protein. Blending Greek yogurt with two percent milk and fruit would bump up the nutrient profile for a more balanced and enriched addition to your daily muscle-building intake.

EGGSEggs are a lifter’s best friend. They’re a complete protein that’s packed with muscle-enhancing nutrients. One large egg has 75 calories, 7 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat. The fat content in the egg is crucial in helping maintain t-levels — enhancing your physique goals.

GREENTEA

Green tea is one of the most versatile foods because it aids in digestion, reduces the risk of certain cancers, atherosclerosis, strokes, and it may help in weight loss. A recent study claims that green tea supplementation may protect against exercise-induced oxidative damage. Moreover, the caffeine found naturally in green tea may give you an extra boost during your workout.

WATERMELON

Watermelon contains the amino acid, citrulline, which gets converted to arginine. Arginine is the precursor to nitric oxide (NO) -- a compound that widens your blood vessels, producing a greater pump and nutrient delivery to your hard-trained muscles.

SPINACH

There's a reason why Popeye ate spinach -- a greater pump means more strength and bigger muscles. Spinach is potent in nitrates, becoming nitric oxide in the body.

HOW TO GET LOWER ABS SHARP

Follow these tips to develop your lower abs sharp.

First TARGET YOUR LOWER ABS

When your upper abs are stronger, you have a tendency to pull from them,”. “For every rep that you perform, you should concentrate on your lower abdominals. Crunch down hard on that portion with every rep.” Also, perform lower-ab exercises like hanging leg raises and reverse crunches first in your workout when your lower abs are strongest.

FOCUS ON QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

Too many people try to do 20, 30 or even more reps for abs, but this tends to make you conserve energy in the weak areas of your abs and focus more on the strong parts.” crunching your weakest area -- your lower abs -- you'll improve the quality of each set, even if you aren'’t able to perform as many reps.

FOCUS ON ABS AT OTHER TIMES OF THE DAY

I tell my clients to work on their abs when they'’re doing cardio, training other bodyparts, walking or even sitting at their desk. By learning to hold your midsection tight at other times, you create a stronger core, and that will pay off with better development of your lower abs.

WATCH YOUR WAIST

It'’s true that nutrition is a significant component of making your abs visible. Many people have developed lower abs, but they'’re hidden by a thin layer of bodyfat. Bodyfat tends to accumulate a little lower on the waist. If you have a small amount of fat on your waistline, it may only cover your lower abs, while your upper abs appear far more developed. To boil down abs-displaying nutrition to a single sentence. “Eat fewer calories than you need for bodyweight maintenance while keeping your protein consumption above one gram per pound of bodyweight each day.”

LOWER-PACK SOLUTION

 ACSM Certified Personal Trainer^® (CPT)

                                       In addition to the previous tips,Anil kumar says exercise selection is key to a complete six-pack. Try this lower-ab-specific routine the next time you hit the gym.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Hanging Leg Raise	3	12
Reverse Crunch	3	12
Vertical Bench Knee/Leg Raise	3	12

For each rep, contract and hold for 2-–3 seconds, emphasizing your lower abs.

5 Best moves To Get Better Result in chest workout

Build a better chest and triceps with these less conventional methods.

 ACSM Certified Personal Trainer^® (CPT)

                                       

REVERSE GRIP BENCH PRESS

Targets: Upper Chest 

Benefits: The reverse grip bench press is a novel way to train the upper chest. A recent Canadian study showed that the reverse grip bench press increased upper pec activation by 30% compared to a traditional, flat pronated grip bench press.  Comparatively, inclines produce about 5% greater upper pec activation over traditional bench presses.

Tips: Make sure you use a spotter to lift the bar off and keep your thumbs around the bar because this is a much more risky lift than a traditional bench press. Push the bar back in arc to emphasize the upper chest.

NARROW GRIP FLOOR PRESS

Target: Upper Chest

Benefits: Studies show that a narrow grip improves upper chest activation because this brings the elbows in toward the sides, putting the upper chest in an advantageous position to perform its primary functions of flexion and horizontal adduction. Furthermore, this allows a safe way to perform a bench press by taking the legs out of the movement.

Tips: The barbell floor press and the dumbbell floor press are performed with a neutral grip. It is important to mix in neutral-grip-pressing exercises with dumbbells because it not only hits the muscle at a different angle, but prevents wear and tear because it allows for a freer range of motion.


DEAD BENCH PRESS

Target: Middle Chest

Benefits: Because the negative phase is eliminated, you have to push the weight from a dead stop. Normally you are aided by elastic-like energy stored on the negative portion of the lift. This builds tremendous power out of the bottom portion of the lift which will aid in the strength of all your pressing movements. Stronger presses equal more size.

Tips: Short-armed lifters start the weight about a half an inch off the chest in the power rack, while long-armed lifters approximately an inch and a half. Only perform this movement for singles.

SMITH MACHINE OVERLOAD BENCH PRESS

Target: Middle Chest

Benefits: Smith-machine negative overloads provide another way to eccentrically overload your pecs. You are capable of handling up to 60% more on the negative portion of a rep. This movement is performed with a Smith Machine and will require two partners. To maximize muscular development you have to include eccentric overloads. 

Tips: Use 10-25% extra weight on the bar sleeves, at chest level. Have a partner on each side pull the extra weight off the bar. Forcefully press the weight into the top position, then take 5–6 seconds to lower the bar, and then forcefully press it back up with the help of your spotters. A good routine is to do that tempo for as many reps as possible. Once you can no longer complete a full rep, pull the additional weight off and do as many reps as possible at an explosive tempo

BOARD PRESS

Target: Triceps

Benefits: Board presses reduce stress on shoulders and pecs and instead overload the triceps because of the reduced range of motion and heavier weights used than regular bench presses. Board presses are a favorite of veteran powerlifters because the power built in the triceps helps to increase maxes in all other presses.

Tips: One close-grip burn-out workout for your triceps is to complete five full-range-of-motion, close-grip bench presses. Then, without racking the bar, have a partner immediately place one board on your chest. Perform five reps. Then, again without racking, have a partner place two boards on your chest and complete five reps. Then, without racking, have a partner place three boards on your chest and complete five reps. Do this again with four boards. By the end, you’ve done 25 repetitions. As you fatigue, leverage improves, providing a killer triceps workout. Close-grip bench presses and board presses can also be done with bands and chains.

HIGH-INTENSITY WORKOUTS FOR GREATER MUSCLE GROWTH

ACSM Certified Personal Trainer^® (CPT)

   Up your strength and add more mass by Implementing workout methods

You want to experiment with more advanced methods, or "intensity techniques These are ways to implement the traditional set/rep plan to increase the intensity of an exercise or of an entire workout. If you're a beginner, we recommend completing the eight weeks of our Ultimate Starter's Guide program before launching into any of the intensity techniques listed here. If you've been at this for a while, you've probably already incorporated a few more commonly used ones, like supersets and forced reps.

We don't recommend implementing  more than a couple of these techniques in a single workout, as they're very taxing on the muscles and on your central nervous system. Overtraining and injury are real possibilities if you push it too hard with intensity techniques. However, we encourage you to try them all as you progress. You'll probably come to find that some work better for you than others, and that some are better applied to different body parts and exercises

SUPERSET

What is it: Two sets of different exercises performed back to back with no rest in between. A superset can consist of exercises for different body parts (such as chest and back or quads and shoulders) or the same muscle group (as in two bicep exercises). 

Why you should do it: To burn more calories and get more work done in less time. When supersetting different muscle groups, one body part recovers while the other works, and you can cut rest time in half. When supersetting for the same muscle group, you can thoroughly exhaust it, which is great for bringing up a weak area. New research has found that you burn about 35 percent more calories during and after a workout that uses supersets versus standard sets. 

How to do it: Opposing muscle groups like chest and back are ideal for supersetting to promote muscular balance. Not that there's anything wrong with pairing, say, shoulders and biceps, but opposites always attract with this technique. When supersetting the same muscle group, it's usually preferred to do the more difficult exercise first. 

BICEPS/TRICEPS ROUTINE

• Barbell Curl - 3 sets, 10-12 reps
  • Superset with
• Lying Triceps Extension - 3 sets, 10-12 reps. Rest 1-2 min. 
• Dumbbell Overhead Extension - 2-3 sets, 12-15 reps
  • Superset With
• Incline Dumbbell Curl - 2-3, 12-15 reps. Rest 1-2 min. 

GIANT SET

What is it: Four or more exercises for one body part performed consecutively without resting between exercises. While a superset can incorporate two different muscle groups, the official definition of a giant set involves only one, whether it be shoulders, chest, back, or legs. 

Why you should do it: To significantly increase volume and intensity for a single body part in the shortest amount of time possible. A giant set is one of the most aggressive ways to attack a weak area in your physique, since you're not only ramping up intensity but hitting the muscle group from a multitude of angles as well. 

How to do it: As with supersetting a single body part, when choosing exercises and a sequence for a giant set, it's best to go from heaviest to lightest -- in other words, the exercise that allow you to lift the most weight should be done first, then descend from there (unless you're purposely pre-exhausting to bring up a particular body part). Reason being, you want to maximize the amount of weight lifted through the entire giant set, and if isolate exercises are performed before compound moves, you'll have to go much lighter on the latter. Be careful not to over train with this technique. Giant sets are inherently high volume, as every set is multiplied by at least four. 

SHOULDER ROUTINE

• Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press - 3-4 sets, 8-10 reps
  • Giant Set with
• Dumbbell Upright Row - 3-4 sets, 8-10 reps
  • Giant Set with
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise - 3-4 sets, 10-12 reps
  • Giant Set with
• Dumbbell Bentover Lateral Raise - 3-4 sets, 10-12 reps

Note: Using dumbbells are a great way to not lose your "station" at the gym from one exercise to the next. 

DROP SET

What is it: A set where, after reaching failure with the initial load, the weight is immediately decreased and reps are performed to failure once again. The set is either finished at this point or multiple dropsets are performed, where the weight is decreased further and failure is reached each time. 

Why you should do it: Dropsets allow you to take your muscles past failure on a given exercise and extend a set without resting, which increases the exhaustion in that muscle group for better gains in size and definition. If you have a weak body part that could use some extra attention, dropsets are ideal. 

How to do it: Dropping the right amount of weight is key, as is exercise selection. If you don't lighten the resistance enough, you'll only be able to do a few more reps, if that; if you drop too much weight, your muscle won't be challenged enough to get the full benefit of the technique. If you failed at, say, 10 reps with the initial weight, you'll want to fail at around that rep count on subsequent dropsets -- at 8-10 reps rather than three to five. To achieve this, a good rule of thumb is to decrease the weight 20-30 percent for each dropset, as research confirms this is the best weight range for optimizing results. For example, if you were using 80-pound dumbbells for bench presses, you would drop to a pair of 55s or 60s, then to a pair of 35s or 40s. The best exercises for dropsets are dumbbell, machine, and cable moves, where weight can be decreased quickly to minimize rest. Picking up a lighter pair of dumbbells only takes seconds. On machines and cables, moving the pin allows quick changes as well. \

BICEP ROUTINE

• Dumbbell Incline Curl - 3* sets, 8-10 reps. Rest 2-3 min. 
• Cable EZ-bar Curl - 3* sets, 8-10 reps. Rest 2 min.
• Preacher Curl - 3* sets, 12-15 reps. Rest 2 min. 

*Perform two dropsets on the last two sets. 

PARTIAL REP

What it is: A technique where reps are performed short of your full range of motion (ROM), typically at the end of a set when strict reps are no longer physically possible due to fatigue, which doesn’t allow you to lift the weight past your “sticking point.” 

Why you should do it: Because you'd rather not stop to rest, lighten the weight, or end the set just yet. Achieving full ROM is always recommended, but partials, can help you extend a set seamlessly to fatigue your muscle fibers that much more, even if it's just in the bottom or top half of the movement. 

How to do it: The majority of the set is still taken through a full ROM. Using biceps curls as an example, let's say you choose a weight you can do for 10 strict rep, when you've reached failure and are unable to move the bar past a certain point, simply do reps where you're lifting the weight as far up as possible. 

LEGS ROUTINE

• Squat - 4 sets, 8-10 reps*. Rest 2 min. 
• Leg press - 3 sets, 10-12 reps*. Rest 2 min. 
• Leg Extension - 3 sets, 12-15 reps*. Rest 1-2 min. 
• Leg Curl - 3 sets, 12-15 reps*. Rest 1-2 min. 

*Perform partial reps at the end of your last one to two sets after reaching failure on full ROM reps. Do partials until you can no longer budge the weight. 

FORCED REP

What it is: A technique where, after reaching failure on a set, a spotter assists in lifting the weight so that you can get past your sticking point and continue the set. 

How to do it: The key to effective forced-rep training is having a spotter who knows what he is doing. The objective is to get two to four forced reps at the end of a set -- not 8-10. For that reason, the spotter shouldn't be helping too much and taking on most of the work. He should make you work hard throughout each and every forced rep, providing just enough assistance to get you past your sticking point. That said, the spotter shouldn't be making you work so hard that the reps each take five seconds on the concentric portion. 

SHOULDER WORKOUT

• Barbell Overhead Press - 4 sets, 8* reps. Rest 2-3 min. 
• Smith Machine Upright Row - 3 sets, 10-12* reps. Rest 2 min. 
• Barbell Front Raise - 3 sets, 10-12* reps. Rest 2 min. 
• Cable Lateral Raise - 3 sets, 12-15* reps. Rest 1-2 min. 

*Perform 2-4 forced reps on your last two sets. 

NEGETIVES

What they are: An advanced method where, with the help of a spotter, only the eccentric (negative) portion of each rep is performed -- and at a very slow pace. Traditionally, strength athletes have performed negatives as stand-alone sets, but this technique can also be used at the end of a regular set to train the muscles past failure. 

Why you should do them: Negatives provide a unique shock to your muscle and are very effective at increasing strength as well as muscle growth. Most people disregard the eccentric portion of the rep, thinking that the muscle is only working when you're lifting the weight, not lowering it. Not true. Resisting the weight on the negative is a crucial aspect of strength and is actually the part of the movement most closely associated with muscle soreness in the days following a workout. And that soreness equates to increases in muscle size and strength. 

How to do them: The specifics of how to do negatives is crucial. First, you'll need a dependable spotter. After reaching failure on a set doing regular reps, you'll do two to three negatives in this manner: Your spotter will help you lift the weight through the positive portion of the rep. Then, for the negative, you'll do all the work, lowering the weight slowly for a count of three to five seconds. The spotter will again do the positive, and so on. But even though you'll be lowering the weight on your own, your spotter will need to be highly attentive while you do so in case your muscles give out and you can no longer resist the weight. 

CHEST ROUTINE

• Barbell Bench Press - 4 sets, 8* reps. Rest 2-3 min. 
• Barbell Incline Press - 3-4 sets, 10-12* reps. Rest 2 min. 
• Flat-bench Dumbbell Flye - 3 sets, 12-15* reps. Rest 1-2 min. 

*Do 2-3 negatives on the last two sets. 

REST PAUSE METHOD

What it is: A set where, after reaching failure, you rest a short period of time and continue to failure once again using the same weight. A typical set in this manner consists of one to three rest-pauses. 

Why you should do it: Like dropsests, rest-pauses allow you to take a set of a given exercise past the point of muscle failure, which can lead to gains in muscle size, strength, and shape. But in this case, the short rest period allows your to stick with the same weight instead of going lighter. As a result, what once was a set of 10 reps with 100 pounds becomes a set of 15-20 reps with 100 pounds by way of rest pauses, so more total work has been performed. 

How to do it: Pick the weight you'd normally use for a given set, go to failure, rest 15 seconds, then pick the weight back up and rep out again. Repeat one or two more times. The number of reps you'll be able to perform will decrease significantly with rest-pause so don't expect to fail at 10 reps, rest 15 seconds, then get another 10. Chances are, you'll only be able to get three to five more reps tops. One way to avoid a big drop-off is to stop a couple reps short of failure on the initial set, which will allow you to get more reps after resting. 

BACK ROUTINE

• Pullup (or assisted pullup) - 3-4 sets, 6-8* reps. Rest 2-3 min. 
• Seated Cable Row - 3 sets, 10-12* reps. Rest 2 min. 
• Lat Pulldown - 3 sets, 12* reps. Rest 1-2 min. 

*Perform 2-3 rest-pauses on the last one or two sets.

HIGH-VOLUME FAT-BUSTING ROUTINE

Grow your chest and arms while getting in some cardio with this heavy yet fast-paced workout.

How do I build muscle and burn body fat at the same time, so I can have a carved-up six-pack to go along with my big chest and arms? The simple answer: Train with both high intensity and high volume.

That’s the whole premise behind the following upper-body (chest and arms) workout, courtesy of fitness models, who knows a thing or two about being lean while holding on to size. Yes, that’s Anil Kumar, a man who has probably forgotten more exercise knowledge than most personal trainers will ever possess thanks in part to a Army sports career at where he learned from some of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country.

THE NEW LEAN MUSCLE MODEL

“The basic philosophy behind the routine is muscle-building cardio, to get your conditioning done during your lift so you’re burning fat while promoting muscle growth,” says Anil Kumar, 33. “Whereas the age-old thinking was that you bulk up and then you strip away calories and add in cardio to get leaner, studies have shown that doing excess cardio and stripping away calories costs you a lot of muscle mass. Now we know that the best way to add lean muscle is doing the opposite of that: grow lean muscle slowly and add in the cardio component during your lifting.”

To execute this, Anil kumar offers up four separate mini-circuits—one triset and three giant sets, each of which hits the chest, triceps, and biceps with at least three sets apiece and reps residing mostly in the 8–12 range with appreciable loads. “It’s not about doing a bunch of light sets,”Anil kumar. “You’re still doing heavy incline bench presses, for example, but you’re combining them with explosive movements and time-under-tension [TUT]. After inclines, you’re going to drop to the floor for clap pushups. You could do a regular pushup and do 40 reps, but that’s not going to put a tremendous amount of stress on the chest. A plyometric pushup, creating that explosion off the ground and catching yourself on the way down, is almost like a forced negative. And then on the EZ-bar curls, you’re doing slow reps, adding in TUT, which is building muscle.”

Intensity is ramped up via minimal rest periods; within trisets and giants sets you’ll take virtually no break. “You want your heart rate to come back down a little bit,” Anil kumar. “Because when you have a constantly elevated heart rate, that doesn’t burn as many fat calories as when the heart rate fluctuates a lot. That’s the whole premise behind HIIT training. You want the heart rate to go up and come down over and over.”

Despite doing more than 50 total sets, this workout can be done in just under an hour. Hit it hard and a bigger, leaner upper body won’t be far behind.

Directions: Within each triset (Part 1) or giant set (Parts 2, 3, and 4), go directly from one exercise to the next with minimal or no rest. After each triset or giant set, rest for specified time before repeating.

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE HIGH-VOLUME ROUTINE >>

                                                           PART 1

EXERCISE 1A

INCLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESSYou'll need: Bench, Barbell

How to

--

sets

10

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1C as a triset 5 times.

EXERCISE 1B

PLYOMETRIC PUSHUP

--

sets

5

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1C as a triset 5 times.

EXERCISE 1C

EZ-BAR CURL

--

sets

12*

reps

60-90 sec

rest

*first 6 reps at regular/moderate speed; last 6 reps at slow speed. Perform exercises 1A-1C as a triset 5 times.

PART 2

EXERCISE 1A

DUMBBELL BENCH PRESSYou'll need: Bench, Dumbbells

How to

--

sets

10

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 4 times.

EXERCISE 1B

DUMBBELL OVERHEAD TRICEPS EXTENSION

How to

--

sets

8-10

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 4 times.

EXERCISE 1C

DUMBBELL FLYEYou'll need: Dumbbells, Bench

How to

--

sets

8

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 4 times.

EXERCISE 1D

DUMBBELL HAMMER CURLYou'll need: Dumbbells

How to

--

sets

8 per arm

reps

90-120 sec

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 4 times.

PART 3

EXERCISE 1A

DECLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESSYou'll need: Bench, Barbell

How to

--

sets

8

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 4 times.

EXERCISE 1B

HIGH-LOW CABLE FLYE

--

sets

12

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 4 times.

EXERCISE 1C

HIGH CABLE CURL

--

sets

12

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 4 times.

EXERCISE 1D

BODYWEIGHT DIPYou'll need: Dip Station

How to

--

sets

to failure

reps

90-120 sec

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 4 times.

PART 4

EXERCISE 1A

LOW-HIGH CABLE FLYE

--

sets

12

reps

--

rest

Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 3 times.

EXERCISE 1B

CABLE HAMMER CURLYou'll need: Adjustable Cable Machine, Rope Attachment

How to

--

sets

10+½ reps*

reps

--

rest

*After failing at 10 full ROM reps, do 4–5 half/ partial reps with the same weight to exhaust the muscles. Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 3 times.

EXERCISE 1C

SKULL CRUSHER

--

sets

to failure

reps

--

rest

Use bodyweight. Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 3 times.

EXERCISE 1D

DECLINE PUSHUPYou'll need: Box

How to

--

sets

to failure

reps

--

rest

Elevate feet on bench. Perform exercises 1A-1D as a giant set 3 times.