Next post of the workout series, this time it is a basic arm workout. Our arms are broken up into 5 main muscles:
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Deltoids
- Flexors
- Extensors
The muscles that we are going to cover are the biceps and the triceps due to the fact that throughout each of these workouts, the deltoids, flexors and extensors are partially worked when doing each of the following exercises.
The workout is going to consist of 2 main exercises, 1 focusing on the biceps and 1 on the triceps. There will then be a number of accessory exercises to really burn those muscles.
Main Exercise 1 Barbell Curl - 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below (not me)
Start off with a low weight if you are not used to this exercise so that you get the form correct. Ensure that you do not swing the weight and try to keep your elbows in the same place as you do the exercise to ensure that you are only using your biceps and not any other muscles.
Main Exercise 2
Bent over Triceps Extension - 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below (not me)
Start off with a low weight if you are not used to this exercise as it can be hard to perfect your form. You can do this exercise either as shown above or leaning on a bench for support. Make sure you keep your elbow steady as you extend back the way to really target those triceps.
Accessory Exercise 1
Hammer Curls - 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below (not me)
This is a great exercise for both your biceps and your forearms. Since you curls with your palms facing you, it uses your forearms as well as your biceps to lift the weight. As shown above, keep your elbow in the one spot and do not swing the weight up. If it is too heavy and you cannot do it properly, then lower the weight until you are used to it.
Accessory Exercise 2
Dips - 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below (not me)
This exercise is great for all of your muscles in your arms as well as your chest. You can do this on an assisted machine if you are not used to lifting your own bodyweight. Make sure you only use your arms to move up and down and drop till your elbows are in line with your shoulders, any lower and you risk injury.
With the exercises listed you should see results in a matter of weeks, increasing the amount you can lift and becoming stronger. Stay tuned for more.
Another post in the workout series. This time its all about legs. I know what your thinking, I HATE LEGS. Well everyone does, but it has to be done. The workout below is a great place to start that is going to get you serious growth in your legs. As always with these posts, form is key!
Main Exercise 1
SQUATS!!! 3 sets of 10 reps, pictures below (not me)
This exercise is great for growth as it stretches your leg muscles to the max. For those not used to squats then I recommend the grip above as the weight can be controlled with your bodyweight. For those with a bit of experience then try it with the bar sitting on your traps but make sure your muscles are stretched and warmed up first as you may lose balance. This targets your quadriceps or quads as some may know. start off light to get used to the form and within weeks you'll be seeing a real difference.
Main Exercise 2
Leg Press - 3 sets of 10 reps, pictures below (not me)
This exercise is fantastic as you can control the weight and choose the weight you want. This is the 45 degree leg press. Start with your legs slightly bent and then lower toward your chest or until you reach 45 degrees. The key with this is not to lock your legs, you do not want to hurt yourself! (gif below of what can happen). This again targets your quads along with your hamstrings and calves so an overall leg workout. You should be able to lift relatively heavy as your own bodyweight is not a factor compared to squats which requires you to squat your bodyweight plus the weight itself.
Accessory Exercise 1
Lying leg curls - 3 sets of 10 reps, pictures below (not me)
These 2 accessory exercises are great to isolate and work the separate muscles. This can either be done lying down or on another machine sitting upright. This is perfect to absolutely destroy your legs after your 2 main exercises. Start off light with this as you will probably be in agony already. As you move your main exercises up, move this one up too, but only when you feel comfortable doing so.
Accessory Exercise 2
Leg Extensions - 3 sets of 10 reps, pictures below (not me)
This is the final exercise you should do and by this time your muscles should be on fire! Raise your legs up until they are almost straight and then control your legs back down until your legs are bent again. Start off light with this again as you will struggle with anything too heavy.
This has been a basic leg workout and if you follow this plan, you will feel it in the morning! Stay tuned for more.
This is what you should be like leaving the gym!
Second part of my workout series, for those who are really struggling with their workout plans. Don't know what to do when you go into the gym, then check out this post and my last post for some real good ideas when it comes to your workouts.
As previously stated in the last post, try stick to 1 or 2 main exercises on back along with 1 or 2 accessory exercises. For back, for me, it has to be wide grip lateral pulldowns and seated rows. This targets your lats or "wings" and the seated row targets your middle back. With both of these exercises, other muscles are worked in addition to just your back including your biceps, forearms and shoulders, therefore this is a must for any back workout.
Main Exercise 1
Wide grip lateral pulldowns - 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below (not me)
With this exercise make sure you keep your form. start off wide, lean back a little and pull your elbows down to a 45 degree angle, until you reach the centre of your chest. On the way back up extend your arms till you can feel the stretch and continue on until you have done 10 reps. Start off at a light weight and work your way up until you are comfortable with the form of the exercise then increase the weight. The key here is the stretch!
Main Exercise 2
Seated Cable Row - 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below (not me)
This is a great exercise, you can start off as light as you want, but remember, keep your arms as close to your body as possible to utilise the muscle effectively. Use the v shaped grip bar on the cables and pull the bar towards you, keeping your arms close to your body until you reach your chest. Make sure to retract your shoulder blades as you do this, keeping your back perfectly straight, don't slouch! This exercise can be done on many machines with handles, so if you can't use the cables, then use one of the machines.
Accessory Exercise 1
Assisted or Un-assisted Pull-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below (not me)
This exercise is a great warm up or even a great finisher, it targets almost every muscle in the back. Make sure you are gripping the handles with your palms facing away from you. This way, it is targeted directly towards your back. If you cannot manage a full set of 10 reps on the un-assisted bars, then find an assisted pull up machine which are fitted in most gyms. Adjust the weight according to your weight and the weight that suits you and your capabilities. Work your way down on the weight, the heavier the weight, the more weight is taken off of your body, therefore less weight to pull up. Make sure you lower yourself until your arms are straight and your shoulders are extended and then pull up until your chin is above the bar, trying not to swing your body as you pull up.
Accessory Exercise 2
Superman Exercise - 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below (not me)
This exercise is great if you want to target the lower back. The exercises above do not target this area and this is one of the best exercises for it and anyone can do it. Start off lying flat on a mat with your face to the floor and your arms straight out with your feet in the air. Lift your head and chest off the ground using your lower back, as far as you can possibly go, you should be able to feel the stretch and burn. If you are struggling to keep steady then get someone to hold down your feet until you get used to it. This will also target your glutes and hamstrings as they are required when you lift your body off the ground.
Stay tuned for more workout content and feel free to leave any questions in the comments.
Just thought I would let everyone know how I usually do my chest workouts for those who may be struggling to find workouts. For myself, its all about form, without form you may as well not even step into the gym. Don't try and lift the heaviest weights without having correct form - this leads to injury in which I know first hand about. When I first started going to the gym when I was 16, I would go in and throw around the weights, not knowing how to correctly lift.
Basic Chest workouts should comprise of 1 or 2 main exercises with a few other exercises to support it:
Main Exercise 1
Bench Press: 3 sets of 10 reps is a good baseline - See pictures below for form (not me)
- start off at a low weight and work your way up, make sure your bring the bar directly down towards your chest, no half reps, no throwing the weight up and down, controlled reps means the muscle is full stretched
- Basic advice is, always have a spotter if you are using a non assisted bench, otherwise just use the Smith Machine which assists in the movement of the bar.
Main Exercise 2
Dumbbell Bench Press - Again 3 sets of 10 reps - Pictures below for form (not me)
- With this exercise, its all about the stretch you feel, the further the dumbbells go down, the more your muscle stretches, which allows it to grow.
- The difference between using the bar for bench and the dumbbells is to do with the twitch muscles inside the shoulder for example the rotator cuff. It also targets your triceps as well which is a great accessory muscle.
- Switching between these two exercises or doing both means that your muscles never get used to the weight therefore you are less likely to plateau.
- If you feel that it is becoming too easy, then up the weight or the reps, but remember, one at a time to avoid injury.
Accessory Exercise 1
Flat Bench Cable Flyes - 3 sets of 10 reps, Pictures below (not me)
- This is an excellent finishing exercise, it stretches the chest to the max
- Try this with either the cables or even dumbbells
- It doesn't have to be heavy weights on this exercise as we're only trying to stretch out the muscle
- Again if it becomes too easy, up the weight
Accessory Exercise 2
Pushups - 3 sets of 10 reps or as many as possible, Pictures below (not me)
- Yes its one of those simple, everyone knows it exercises but it is one of the best exercises out there
- If you are beginner on chest exercises, then try this to start off with to build some foundation muscle
- Make sure you keep your body straight
- Arms slightly wider than your shoulders, directly down to the floor and back up
- This could be used as a finishing exercise to really tire out your muscles, you may only get a few but those few will push your muscles to the max
Stay tuned for other workouts, hope this has helped anyone who is struggling. Remember, keep that form perfect and you will see results!
First time ever making protein pancakes, I must say they are amazing. Credit goes to Joe Wicks (the body coach) for the recipe but with a twist
Recipe:
2 scoops of protein of your choice, mine being Myproteins' Hard Gainer Extreme
1 Banana
2 eggs
Coconut oil to cook with
Mix them all together and blend them up to make 8 small pancakes. Try it and let me know what you's think
Calories: 400 in protein powder
156 in eggs
90 in banana
646 total calories + around 30-40g protein
Perfect alternative to cereal for breakfast and only take minutes to make. This is definetly going to be my breakfast of choice from now on.
