The bench press is one of the best exercises we have for training the chest muscles and triceps. We use the bench press because we can easily add weight to the bar or grab a heavier dumbbell for increased resistance. Probably the biggest drawback to the bench press, however, is (more…)

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If you ask me, calves are probably the most stubborn muscles on the body.

Getting them to grow and take on the shape you want is no easy task. One possible way to help shape your calf muscles is to either point your toes in or out as you do calf raises.

Actually, there’s a bit of disagreement out there as to whether this helps to shape your calves or not. Let’s take a look at both sides of the issue.

Pointing Your Toes

I’ll explain the idea behind pointing your toes on calf raises. It goes something like this: placing more weight on the outside of your foot and onto your little toe causes the muscle opposite of your little toe to do more work. Your little toe is on the outside of your foot, so the outer calf has to do more work.

To accomplish this, get into position for calf raises with your feet facing straight forward. This helps to make sure that your feet are the correct distance apart. Once your feet are in place, rotate your heels outward so that your toes are pointing inward and proceed to do your calf raises as usual. (more…)

Continue reading about When You Should Point Your Toes Out on Calf Raises

If you aren’t using the forums, here’s another example of the kind of dialog and advice people like Greg are getting for free:

This is an excerpt from the thread http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/forum/the-big-7/s-leg-deadlift-as-a-variant/

Greg:

Darrin, Cameron, or others, I have a question.

How do you feel about straight-leg deadlift as a (more…)

Continue reading about Straight Leg Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)

I bet you count your reps.

I do.

And all my programs that I design for clients or sell do.

But why?

Why Counting Reps Makes Sense

Counting reps can

• help you measure progress (ability to do more reps today than a few weeks ago means progress, right?),
• keeps you focused (if you are supposed to do 8 reps, and you are on #7, you are more likely to go to 8),
• ensure you follow a proven program, one written by someone who presumably knows more than you about how most bodies work and what will get results.

But counting reps can also deter progress because (more…)

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If you aren’t using the forums, here’s an example of the kind of dialog and advice people like Greg are getting for free.  There are over 500 posts already – you need to join in.

This is an excerpt from the thread http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/forum/specific-routines/leg-presses-for-a-while/.

gregsfc:

I know free weights almost always trumps machines, but I’ve decided to do leg presses for a while, after many months of squats and an abductor pull.  Today, I was able to press 300.  I know that’s not impressive, but it sure beats my squats after four months of staying under 200.

I’m also doing lunges (which I suck at), front squats (only a set or two), straight-leg deadlift, and on another workout, I do regular deadlifts.

This is all I’m doing for lower body other than a few sets of calf raises every time I go in the gym.

Any comments, questions, or critiques?

9:30 pm
July 17, 2010
Darrin

Well, I’m not physical therapist, but I don’t think that just because your squat has problems that you should be doing leg presses.  Somewhere, you’ve got either form issues, or imbalances, or some other issue that is causing problems from the squat.  Moving to leg presses may (more…)

Continue reading about Leg Presses, Assessment, and Overhead Squats

In our continuing series on weightlifting for women, let’s today talk about

Fears Women Have About Lifting Free-Weights

This is Part 4 of 4 in the series.

Fears women have of getting bulky from lifting weights are unfounded

Click here for part 1, part 2, or part 3.

“I Don’t Want To Get Bulky!”

Way too many women are worried about “getting bulky”.

Holy Cow, you’d think that merely looking at free-weights would turn a woman into a she-man!  The biggest myth aside from the “muscle tone” myth is that women will get bulky from lifting weights.

Let me say this to those of you women thinking this:  unless you are a genetic oddity, meaning like 1 in 1000 or rarer, you are not going to get bulky from lifting free weights.

Last time we talked about ideal workouts for women.  Will they make women bulky?

Many men – who have far more natural growth (anabolic) hormones like testosterone – do everything they can to TRY to get bulky, and they can’t even do it!  Do you really think that with your higher levels of catabolic hormones and lower levels of anabolic hormones you are going to become muscle-bound?  No way.

And what is “bulky” anyway?  I guess some women (more…)

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Continue reading about Should Women Train Like Men – Fears, Complaints and Excuses

Part 3 of 4

The past 2 articles (part 1 and part 2) in this series were lead ups to this part 3, which is probably what most of you have been waiting for!  Here is how (more…)

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Continue reading about Should Women Train Like Men – Modifying Lifting Routines For Women

Women often find that they can keep their weight about the same over many years by just eating sensibly and light cardio.  But often, in their mid thirties or forties, they start getting “soft”.  By only looking at the scale they don’t notice it.  But what has happened is that they have slowly lost muscle and slowly gained fat.  Their shirts and pants still fit (for the most part) but their body composition is far less attractive.  And equally (or more) importantly, they are on a track to become helpless in their older age.  Muscle loss is equated to functional loss – and functional loss is a loss in quality of life.  Muscle loss in your 30s and 40s is slow enough to not be noticed but once you get to your 60s and 70s and 80s, you may be no longer to lift a milk gallon over your head.  Let’s make sure you never get that weak ok?

Should Women Lift Like Men?

This site is geared towards men.  After all, I am one.

But we all have women in our lives – wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, etc.

So whether you are a woman, or know one, or just play one on TV, this post is for you.

Part 1 of 4

So Should Women Really Workout Like Men?

For the past few years, all the “experts” keep saying how a woman should lift like a man.  But is it true?

The answer is yes and no.  I’ll boil it down to one (long) sentence for you:

Women can and should do nearly the same exercises as men, but because women have different goals and different chemistry, the ideal program will usually be different than what a man would use.

I’m going to break this series down into 4 parts.  And if you post an intelligent comment to any of these, then afterward shoot me an email at support@worldfitnessnetwork.com and I’ll send you (more…)

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