Tip #7:Train your rotator cuff muscles

Photo courtesy of uptodate

Your rotator cuff muscles are the foundation of your shoulders. These small muscles are classified as your synergists or stabilizers that come into play whenever your work any major upper body muscle group. So it goes without saying that these are just as important when constructing a training program. Simply put, if you want to get stronger in the bench press, do rotator cuff work. If you want to be able to perform a chin-up, do rotator cuff work as well. They may not be able to give you the kind of satisfaction or muscle pump you need, but long term they will definitely guarantee you healthy shoulders.

Floor Circuits 3

Here’s another circuit to cap off the month of August. Unlike the last 2 circuits I’ve uploaded, this one has a pull-up component that will definitely require a little bit more upper body strength. Ladies if you want to follow this circuit, replace the pull-ups with an inverse row ( Will post a video soon!) and the elevated push-ups with standard push-ups. Happy lifting!

Back Problems

Photo courtesy of bodybuildingmantra.com

I’ve always had the habit of twisting my back to crack it. I’m sure a lot of you guys can relate as well. Actually , its not just my back that I crack every so often. I crack my fingers, my wrist, my neck…just about everything else in my body that has a joint. But lets not go too far away from the biggest joint of you body which we all know as the back.

First things first, I figure its best that I should highlight the different parts of the back first before moving on to more complex things. I mean , as it is the back is already hard to understand. So putting some more effort into learning more things about the back will definitely go a long way.

The back is comprised of four parts:

1) Cervical

2) Thoracic

3) Lumbar

4) Sacral

The cervical region is the part of your back just above your shoulders, the thoracic region is your mid back which is between your lats, your lumbar is your lower back region and the sacral sits just below your waist. These different secions are stacked on top of each other and separated by an intervertebral disk in between. This disk serves as a shock absorber preventing one joint to touch the other.

One of the most common back problems people encounter involve the lower back (lumbar area). This usually happens when people lift heavy objects or have experience direct trauma( Like a fall for example ). This leads to slipped discs or herniated disks that can limit one’s movement because of the severe pain it can bring. Oftentimes , the pain radiates towards the leg but this doesn’t mean that its a slipped disc. Its still best to see a doctor to get a better diagnosis.

Another lower back problem but has nothing to do with your joints is sciatica. It almost feels the same as having a slipped disc. The only difference is a nerve is being irritated in the back which can cause the same symptoms. And you guessed it, its as painful a hell.

Its depressing to think that simple tasks such as lifting a chair can misalign our backs or even pull a muscle. But these common everyday things shouldn’t prevent us from knowing how to do things properly. Like if you were to pick up a heavy object from the floor , make sure to squat down and lift if with your legs instead of bending over and just using your arms and upper back. You’d be surprised on how easier it will be.

Lastly, its been proven that strength training, stretching and cardiovascular training can help alleviate and manage almost any kind of back problem. But before trying anything out, seek a professional first before embarking on a back specific training program. Better safe than sorry.

For Advanced Trainees: The Bulgarian Split Squat

I bet most of you here hate training their legs. I wouldn’t be surprised. After all , society is too fixated on judging us with our “vanity” muscles such as our arms and chest. But do you know that you’re holding off too long from your much needed progress by not training your legs? Training legs with exercises such as squats, split squats and deadlifts promote a very strong hormonal response that instantly shocks your body into new growth! Don’t believe me? Why don’t you try this advanced exercise called Bulgarian Split Squat this weekend? Worst thing that could happen is ending up with sore legs…but at least you’ve learned a leg exercise that can really give you a fantastic burn.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Increase Your Bench Press

I guess everyone who has been reading my posts are wondering if I will ever give out training secrets. Well, today’s your lucky day. I bet most of you, especially the guys would like to know how to increase their bench. After all, today is Monday which is International Bench Press day for most.

You enter the gym… place your bag in the locker… come out onto the gym floor… say hi to your buddies…. do some arm circles… then almost by instinct… plop on the bench press and do the bar pressing warm-up. Am I correct?

Actually, you’re doing the right thing. Except that by now you know that the principle of specificity doesn’t really provide you real gains if you’ve been lifting for quite a while. So why don’t we do a workaround? Instead of training your chest to increase your bench press, why don’t you train your rotator cuff muscles?

Why the rotator cuff muscles you ask. Well, the rotator cuff muscles are responsible for bracing your shoulders during pressing movements. Your supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and supscapularis all come into play when you’re lying on the bench and ready to press the bar. These are your synergist muscles and they support your agonist muscles (Chest and Triceps) during the bench press exercise. Imagine these muscles the base from where 40% of your power is coming from. Don’t you want to use that up as opposed to just 60% of your real strength? So here’s a sample rotator cuff exercise that you can include in your routine. Your bench press numbers won’t instantly go up mind you. But give it 4-6 weeks and you will be reaping the benefits of this exercise.

Floor Circuits 2

Here’s another floor circuit that is composed of a dumbbell assisted exercise and lots of core . Combine this circuit with the floor circuit I posted a few days ago, and you already have a days worth of training!

Power Clean

If you want an exercise that can immediately improve your vertical jump, do the Power Clean. This amazing power exercise consists of quickly and forcefully pulling the bar from the floor to your shoulders in one motion. I guarantee every single muscle fiber in your lower body will be worked once you have mastered this move!

Level-Advanced

Power Clean, posted with vodpod

Floor Circuits

Here’s a simple circuit with me doing 4 exercises straight. It took me 2 mins and 30 seconds to complete the circuit for 1 set. After doing your first set, rest for 1 minute and repeat the circuit again twice.

Note: You don’t wanna stare at my face while I’m doing the side plank. Just scrub through the timeline and just observe how I accomplish the exercises.

Clap Push-ups

Clap Push-ups or Plyo Push-ups are not for the faint of heart. Before you perform these push-ups you should be able to at least bench press your own weight or do 20 strict push-ups with ease.

Level: Advanced

Clap Push-ups, posted with vodpod

Lunge with Press Up

A lunge with a press-up is a terrific exercise that will not just work your upper and lower body , but challenge your balance as well. Try incorporating this into your workout as it’ll save you lots of time having not to do a separate shoulder and leg routine!

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Lunge with Press Up, posted with vodpod

Squat to Press

The squat to press is a true bang-for-your-buck exercise. Not only does it work your quads and core, but it will also give you the added benefit of working your shoulders. It is also very versatile because you can replace the dumbbells with barbells or even a medicine ball.

Squat to Press, posted with vodpod

Deadlift

Here’s my buddy Geoff demonstrating a proper deadlift. This guy can easily deadlift 225 lbs for 10 reps with great form!

Level-Intermediate to Advanced

Deadlift, posted with vodpod

Push ups

Perhaps one of the oldest and under-appreciated exercises , the push-up is an excellent exercise for the chest. By increasing the number of reps, varying foot placement and slowing down the tempo, push-ups can provide an amazing chest workout that can keep you sore for days.

Level: Beginner to Advanced

Push ups, posted with vodpod

Starting it Right

I started lifting weights when I was 19 years old. I was a skinny kid who was told by many that I had a good frame to start with. So , armed with my oversized head ( It’s the encouragement I suppose that made it swell ), I acted with haste and lifted away.

Nobody really guided me. But I did read Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding from cover to cover and used it as reference to construct my own training programs. Training programs? Yeah right.

I weighed 130 lbs. back then and if I remember it correctly , was already pressing my own body weight within a month. That’s a 100% strength increase over 4 weeks! Not bad for a guy who couldn’t even do 10 strict push-ups right?

Then my shoulders started hurting. It hurt so much that I couldn’t lift the bar above my chest. So I went to the doctor and had a check-up. His diagnosis was tendinitis. Apparently my shoulders weren’t strong enough yet to handle the weight. My muscles adapted very fast to the weight increases over the 4 weeks I’ve been training but my tendons couldn’t take it. Because of that, I had to take time off for 2 months. It was grueling not to be able to lift weights especially if you’re peaking that fast! Well, pain is always part of the learning process. But you don’t have to experience it as long as you start right.

Major Concerns in Resistance Training 

As with any physical activity, there is always a degree of risk in weight training. However , the risks involved are generally lower than most sports. Rates of injury are the highest when it comes to running and aerobics and lowest for cycling, walking and resistance training.

The Back

If you scroll back, I have an article on back problems that emphasize on strengthening your core for a stronger back. Back injuries are debilitating and difficult to remedy.So a lot of effort should be focused on avoiding back injuries during weight training….especially in the lower back.

It’s extremely important to maintain a flat-back lifting posture whenever the lower body is being trained. Furthermore , research has shown that a normal, slightly arched back has been found to be more superior to a rounded back for avoiding injury to vertebrae , disks , facet joints , ligaments,and muscles of the back. 

The Shoulders

The shoulders are very prone to injury due to its structure and the forces that its subjected to during weight training. Because it has the greatest range among all joints in the human body , its excessive mobility also contributes to its vulnerability. No matter how small the injury is to the shoulder joint, it can bring about friction with adjacent structures that can worsen the original injury.

The Knee

Ah the knee. Just on top of my head , I know more people with knee injuries than I have fingers. The knee is very prone to injury because of its location between two long levers ( The upper and lower leg ). Just by the structure of it (The knee is a hinge joint ) , its really not built to move laterally. Imagine how you open and close a door? Well, its the same range of motion as your knee. That’s why its very important to strengthen various components of the knee because in real life, your knees are exposed to forces coming from different directions.

Nobody wants to get injured. Aside from setting you back from your fitness goals , it also deters your from doing everyday activities. So I hope my explanations above can help guide you start right. What’s the rush anyways?