However, to counterbalance those movements and enhance shoulder joint stability, antagonistic pulling-type exercises should be incorporated. If these movements are neglected, the risk of injury is heightened.

I understand pulling movements are not popular or governed by the “I can lift X amount of weight” mentality, thus they can be sadly neglected. “How much can you close grip pulldown or bent-over row?” You never hear that, do you?

So, to strengthen the upper back/shoulder area, minimize injury potential, and augment your ability to optimally execute upper-body sport skills, the following posterior upper-body pulling exercises should be incorporated to counter the anterior pushing exercises most trainees emphasize:

• Wide grip pulldown/chin up to the upper chest
• Close grip pulldown/chin up to the upper chest
• Pullover machine
• High row
• Face pull
• Seated/Bent-over row
• Low row
• Upright row
• Rear delt machine/bent-over fly
• Rotator cuff external rotation

Think of it this way: for every pushing exercise, there should be an opposite pulling exercise. Examples:

• Overhead press – wide or close grip pulldown, machine pullover
• Incline press – high row or face pull
• Chest press – seated/bent-over row, low row, rear-delt machine/bent-over fly
• Decline press/dip – upright row

Now, before we go further it is necessary to know two things:

1. It is literally impossible to solely isolate a specific muscle when performing an exercise movement. For example, when performing a side lateral raise to target your delts, both the anterior and medial deltoids are activated along with the clavicular head of the pectoralis major (chest) and supraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle).
2. Related to that point, some anterior muscles are activated when performing traditional posterior/pulling exercises. For example, during a close grip pulldown with the forearms supinated (palms facing you), the sternal head of the pectoralis major and long head of the triceps assist the lats, teres major, and other posterior/pulling muscles.

And then there’s the question of the venerable upright row – where does it belong? It’s a pulling exercise, but it works the deltoids normally involved in anterior/pushing exercises. What a dilemma. Let’s go over a basic tutorial on upper back musculature and kinesiology:

When discussing the upper back musculature, two anatomical points and relevant joint movements need to be addressed: the scapula (shoulder blade) and humerus (upper arm).

Shrug your shoulders up, down, forward, and backward. That is your scapula in action. Move your upper arm in multiple directions. That is your humerus articulating at the glenohumeral joint.

Looking specifically at the upper back development, the following chart reveals the details of movements and involved musculature:

Workout Protocols for Upper Back Musculature

There are many ways to develop the upper back musculature, using an assortment of movements/exercises with a variety of overload protocols. I have provided sample exercise that can be used in single workouts along with a few set/rep scripts that can be applied to them.

Upper back exercise movements for single workouts:

• Wide grip pulldown
• Bent-over row
• Upright row

• Chin-ups
• Low row
• Face pulls

• Seated row
• Close grip pulldown
• Bicep curl

• High row
• Rear delt machine
• Machine pullover

Set/rep scripts options that can be applied to them:

• 2 sets of each exercise at 10-14 and 6-10 rep ranges
• 2 sets of each exercise all at an 8-12 range
• 3 sets of each exercise all at 12-16, 8-12, and 4-8 rep ranges
• 3 sets of each exercise all at a 6-10 rep range
• 1 set of each exercise at a 12-16 rep range

Regarding specific workout days, many options work. Whether you are strength training using a total body workout two or three days per week or using a split routine where your upper body is trained twice per week, incorporate the aforementioned upper back exercises.

Make sure you are balancing all the popular pushing-type exercises with opposing upper back pulling-type exercises. Work them as hard as all your pushes.

This approach will safeguard against shoulder injuries, allow you to achieve balanced musculature, and enhance your ability to better execute sport skills.

The post Strength Routines for Developing a Strong and Healthy Upper Back appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Plain and simple, a deload is a short planned period of recovery. You take your training slightly lighter, maybe workout a little less, and generally just ease things back. A typical deload will last a week.

To the uninitiated outsider, deloads seem like a waste of time or an excuse to sit on your butt for a week, watching TV instead of hitting the gym and shifting some heavy lumps of iron.

What the Heck Is a Deload?

Plain and simple, a deload is a short planned period of recovery. You take your training slightly lighter, maybe workout a little less, and generally just ease things back. A typical deload will last a week.

To the uninitiated outsider, deloads seem like a waste of time or an excuse to sit on your butt for a week, watching TV instead of hitting the gym and shifting some heavy lumps of iron.

Not so fast.

What if deloads could actually be just what your workouts need? The secret ingredient to take your training from good to awesome. Feeling banged up, demotivated, or stuck in a training plateau? Adding a deload will do you the world of good and propel you on to greater gym gains.

How Do I Deload? Option 1

The most common method of deloading is just to reduce your poundages. As a guide, all your sets should be performed at around 40-60% of your 1RM.

This doesn’t mean you go hell for leather and bust out a ton of reps either. The loads are light and the reps and sets are low. That’s the whole idea of a deload – you just gotta chill and take it easy.

How Do I Deload? Option 2

A less popular option is to keep your weights more or less the same, but greatly reduce your volume. Say for instance your regular training program calls for five sets of five squats with 275 pounds.

Under a normal deload, you’d probably do your five sets of five at around 155 to 175 pounds. With a volume deload though, you could stick at 275 and hit a couple of singles or doubles, or just go for one set of five reps.

This approach does work better for some people. Particularly competitive strength athletes who find performance suffers when they don’t have a heavy load on their back or in their hands week in, week out.

How Do I Deload? Option 3

A more obscure, though equally effective way to deload is to change your exercise selection. This is harder to regulate but definitely has its advantages. As an example, Dave Tate advises taking four to six weeks after a powerlifting meet where you perform no barbell exercises whatsoever.

This might sound a little extreme, but it can be particularly beneficial to do this after a long period of intense training and heavy poundages, or after a competition, just to give your body a break.

How Do I Deload? Option 4

Finally, individual lift deloads work a treat when one lift is suffering, but the others are going along great guns. Say for example you just can’t get past a plateau on your squat, but all your other main and accessory lifts are increasing week on week and you’re feeling great.

Taking a week off everything would be counterproductive, so just drop the weight on your troublesome lift, hit a few easy sets a couple of times and work on nailing your form and technique.

When to Deload

First thing’s first, if you’re following a pre-designed program, you deload when you’re told to. There’s no point following the weight, set, rep and exercise guidelines laid down by the Juggernaut Method, 5/3/1 or any other program you’re performing if you’re ignoring all the advice on deloading.

If you’re planning your own training though, there are a few key signs to look out for as an indication of when you should implement a deload:

Getting Weaker – No one wants to get weaker. It’s kind of the opposite of why we train. When your lifts are suffering, particularly on your low rep work, it could indicate you’re starting to overreach and your central nervous system is getting a little bummed. The solution? Have a week of downtime and take a deload.

Sore Joints – You’re going to get the odd injury from time to time and a little soreness is part and parcel of the wonderful world of the iron game. But being in constant pain, having your knees scream at you every time you squat, your elbows not playing ball when pressing, or your hips giving you grief just from walking up the stairs is not good.

You’ll probably need a good dose of foam rolling, stretching and a trip to your physio or sports massage therapist, but combine this with a deload and your body will thank you.

After a Meet – We’ve already touched on this slightly, but if you’ve just competed in a powerlifting, weightlifting or strongman event, or even a CrossFit competition, it’s definitely time to deload.

People seriously underestimate how much mental and physical stress you put your body through in competition, so play it smart and take a deload. A little personal side note here:

I competed in my first powerlifting meet in the summer of 2012. The competition was on a Saturday and I had to cut a few pounds to make weight, which meant cutting water and sodium and going a whole day with virtually no food.

Combine that with stressing about the three-hour drive to the venue, my nervousness about it being my first competition, listening for the calls, meeting other competitors and so on, plus the actual physical stress of trying to set PBs, and that’s a whole lot of pressure. After the (fortunately successful) meet, I was pumped and hit the gym the next day for a full-on session. Three days later I was in bed with the flu.

Coincidence? Maybe. But I’m pretty sure not deloading following the meet was almost solely responsible for my illness. Heed my advice, don’t try to be a hero. Deload fully after a meet.

Can I Skip the Deload?

In a word, no. It’s horrid having to take things easy. If you’re in any way serious about your training, going a week without hitting the iron with a vengeance and having to take things light is a thousand times more painful than the most grueling Smolov squat workout. In the long run, though, deloading is without a doubt the smart thing to do.

This is certainly the case for beginners and intermediate lifters. When you’re a little more experienced, and know what your body responds best to, maybe you can skip the odd deload, push it back a few weeks, or cut it a few days short if you know you’re fully recovered, but for now, keep it in.

The post Deloading 101: What Is a Deload and How Do You Do It? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I actually find it strange that more hasn’t been written about cluster training recently. There was a period of time there when it was quite popular, but now it seems that it’s fallen back into obscurity, and I have no idea why.

Cluster training is an effective tool to shock your body into new gains, as well as break up the monotony of taking a straight sets approach to your lifting. Beyond that, it’s cool, it’s different, and it’s something that will have the other members of your gym asking you, “What are you doing?”

What Is Cluster Training?

Cluster training involves using short, inter-set rest periods (usually ranging anywhere from 10–30 seconds), which act to allow us to do more reps with a heavier weight.

Note: To help paint a clearer picture of how cluster training works, throughout the article I’m going to use the running example of doing a back squat with your 5RM to explain how it works.

Now, the difference between cluster training and traditional lifting is that in traditional lifting, using our example from above, you’d do your sets of squats for 5 reps, rest for 2-3 minutes between sets, and then move on to the second set.

In cluster training what we do is break that set of 5 reps down into 4 mini-sets of 2 reps, with a 10-15 second break in between each mini-set. This effectively allows us to do 8 reps of squats with our 5RM.

I know that being able to do 3 extra reps doesn’t seem like much at first, but when you realize it equates to a 60% increase in output, you start to notice how effective cluster training can be. By employing clusters into our training in this fashion we can effectively “cheat” a set and perform more reps than we would normally be able to.

What Are the Benefits of Doing Cluster Training?

All of the benefits of cluster training arise from the ability to do more reps with a heavier weight. Whenever you’re able to keep intensity high whilst doing more reps, you’re always going to see an immediate carryover to improvements in strength and muscle gains.

The beauty of cluster training is that you can easily manipulate the sets/reps/rest scheme to make it more biased to inducing strength or hypertrophy gains, depending on what your goal is.

For example, if strength is your main goal, you should aim to keep the load of the movement high (at or above 90% of your 1RM), and the reps low (mini-sets of 1-2 reps), with shorter rests (10-15s).

In the case of hypertrophy, clusters allow you to take a weight that you’d normally use for building strength (i.e. a 5RM), and push the number of reps you can do with it out into the more hypertrophy-friendly reps ranges of 8-12 reps – thereby increasing the total time under tension, and placing a greater degree of mechanical stress placed upon the muscle.

Another benefit of cluster training is its ability to break through strength plateaus. Seeing as most people haven’t been exposed to cluster training methods before, it stands to reason that they will see their biggest benefit from it the first time they do it.

How to Cluster Rest Intervals

There are a number of ways you can set up cluster training (and, as stated earlier, it can be altered to suit your goals), but the crux of the method lies in the short rest intervals between reps, or multiples of reps. Make sure you re-rack the bar when you rest, and utilize the entirety of the rest period – both during and after your set.

Below there are a few sets/reps schemes to get you started. Before we move onto that, it’s important to note that you can utilize cluster training on most exercises, but seeing as we’re looking for mostly strength and muscular gains, it makes sense that the best exercises to use are the bigger, compound barbell exercises.

Okay, let’s look at some ways to set up your cluster training. The first thing you’ll notice is that the set/reps for clusters are written in a weird way. Don’t freak out, they’re quite easy to understand, and I’ve given a detailed explanation on the first example so that you know exactly what you’re doing.

Strength Cluster #1

5(4×2)-10s w/ a 5RM

In this set up you’ll do 5 total clusters (the first number), and each cluster is going to consist of 4 mini-sets of two reps (the bracketed numbers). You’re going to rest 10-seconds in between each mini-set, and you’re going to use around your 5RM in load.

Using our squat example, this is what it’d look like:

1. 2 reps @ 5RM, rest for 10-seconds (remember to rack the bar)
2. 2 reps, rest 10s
3. 2 reps, rest 10 seconds
4. 2 reps, rest 2-3 minutes
5. Move onto cluster #2
6. Repeat as above for clusters 2-5

Strength Cluster #2

5(6×1)-15s w/ a 3-5RM

This follows the same process like the above example, except that you only do a single rep in each mini-set. The slight adjustment in reps allows you to use a heavier load, and make it a little more strength-oriented.

Muscle Gain Cluster #1

5(3×3)-15s w/ a 6RM

Again, this follows in the process as the two examples above, except that in this set up you’re going to do 3 mini-sets each consisting of 3 reps, with a 6RM. This will allow you to do 9 total reps with a 6RM, and skew the training effect more towards gaining muscle.

Muscle Gain Cluster #2

3-4 sets of AMRAP until you hit 15 total reps – 30s w/ 85% of 1RM

In this example, you’re going to find a weight that’s around 85% of your 1RM, and you’re going to do as many reps as you can (without going to complete failure) before racking the bar and resting for 30-seconds. After the short rest, you’re going to again try and get as many reps as you can, before re-racking the bar and resting for another 30-seconds. Continue in this fashion until you hit a total of 15 reps.

Repeat for 3-4 total clusters. Typically you’d hit anywhere from 5-8 reps in your first mini-set, and then have the reps slowly decrease for each subsequent mini-set from there.

I like using clusters because they’re a change of pace from the regular training methods, they’re hard as hell, and they work. Bring them into your next training cycle, and I know that you’ll end up loving them as well.

The post Cluster Training: How to Use It to Build Muscle and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Using a cable has the advantage of providing a fairly constant tension throughout the rep meaning it challenges the entire range of motion well.

A unique advantage of this exercise over other triceps extension variations is the use of cuffs rather than a hand-held attachment. When the load is taken out of the hands it is easier to focus on contracting the triceps rather than just moving the weight from A to B.

All too often people tend to fixate on their hands and throwing the weight around. This results in momentum taking over and less work being done by the triceps. By using the cuffs, you aren’t gripping the weight and your focus is able to be fully directed towards the triceps.

The post Getting the Most Out of Seated Cable Cuff Tricep Extensions appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

We have all heard our training partners tell us to “get mad at the bar” when egging us on to make ever-bigger lifts. It works. Indeed, in order to get the most out of ourselves physically, we must get our state of arousal to an ideal level. But what is that ideal level? How does our arousal level affect our performance? Well, in the grand tradition of my old economics professors, I will try to explain this graphically.

Many of us have encountered the “inverted U” graph (psychology students, but not economics ones, I suspect). As can be seen from the graph, there is an optimum level of arousal zone. This will be at the top of the “U,” give or take a standard deviation.

Too low and we won’t get the most out of ourselves (down at the left fork of the “U”). Too high and we start making mistakes (right fork). Like Goldilocks, we want something that is just right.

But it is not all as simple as “get mad and win!” That is why we have two functions showing. Different sports will have somewhat different graphs, although all will have that basic “U” shape. Why do they differ?

The general rule is the more complex the activity, the lower the required arousal level. By “complex” we can include the level of cognitive activity as well as the physical. Those in shooting sports have to keep their excitement in check since precision is everything.

This can be seen with the blue “U.” Simpler movements can tolerate higher arousal levels. Powerlifters and football linemen want very high levels since the strength levels are high and the movements not usually too precise. They can go all out and still be effective. (Red “U.”)

Those are the extremes. Other sports fall somewhere in between these two. Some will have higher or lower summits and they will also be narrower or wider at their bases. Olympic lifting will be skewed somewhat leftwards of the red “U” but not as far left as the blue “U,” since the technique needed will be easier if the lifter keeps his cool.

CrossFitters doing high rep Olympic lifts have a somewhat different scenario. The intensities must be lower so one may think that arousal will not be so important. And indeed it isn’t in the early reps.

But as the reps accumulate arousal needs to increase, because the actual perceived intensity rises with each rep. By the time the last rep is attempted it feels like a 100-percenter, so the CrossFit lifter must get as engaged as if he were in a regular Olympic meet.

Now, for those who prefer stories to graphs, I will relate what happened to one lifter I knew some years ago. I was asked to critique this athlete’s lifts just before she was to enter her first powerlifting meet.

Since she was making little progress she thought her technique must be at fault. She was quite inexperienced in lifting and had no serious coaching, as would become obvious. I asked her to show me each lift and then I would tell her what she needed. I will just relate her bench press for the purposes of this article.

She got down onto the bench and did a few warm-ups with just the bar. She soon was up to 120 lb, which she told me was only ten pounds away from her personal record (PR). The technique was okay for a beginner. She lowered the bar with little eccentric action and then pressed it all the way up but with hardly a breath.

She was quite satisfied coming so close to her PR and not feeling it. I told her that was her problem. She was puzzled since she thought that a near PR going up with no excitement was what one should aim for. I then told her to put 130 on. Well, that stopped her. She half-heartedly tried to press it out, all from a slack base.

I grabbed the bar and re-racked it for her, as she got very mad at herself for failing. She didn’t think she would ever set another PR. I let her go on a bit and then told her she would set it today. She responded that would be nice, but didn’t I just see her miserable attempt at 130?

I replied that if she tried to lift in the same way she would indeed miss it again. But I did not intend to have her lift it the same way. I told her about arousal levels and how they have to be high in the power lifts.

The first thing she had to do was get her hands on the bar, her body on the bench, and her feet on the ground and keep them there. The second thing she needed was to “charge” up her arousal level. To do that she had to breathe in a couple of times and then hold her chest with the Valsalva maneuver. Thirdly, she had to get mad at the bar. I asked her what could get her angry.

She said, “Not much, I’m quite laid back most of the time.” I could then see part of the problem. She was not used to raising her arousal level. I asked her again to try to think of something that would get her going. Finally, she said that someone saying she “does such-and-such like a girl,” meaning wimpy, that got her going. She took up lifting in order to change her self-image so “lifting like a girl” was a real insult to her.

Taking the bull by the horns, I told her to put 135 on and get on the bench. Then she could tighten up her contacts and I’d un-rack it for her. Just as I got it off the racks and she lowered it, I told her not to lift it like a girl – as she did on the 130. Well, it did a touch-and-go on her chest and up it went. New PR!

“Why did you say that when I already told you I didn’t like it?” She demanded. I just pointed to the bar, now back in the racks. “That’s why. You got so mad you lifted it much easier than your 120,” I answered.

She came back to Earth and realized what had occurred. I told her she needed to get her arousal level up in order to get the most number of muscle fibers to fire together. Not only that, the pain of effort is not even noticed when fully aroused.

She had indeed noticed that. She was not accustomed to making limit efforts, in lifting or elsewhere, so she experienced that as pain and always held back. I told her the pain is really just the feel of hard work.

Get over that fear and the sky is the limit. So get on the platform and get mad at that bar!

The post Arousal Management: The Science Behind Getting Mad at the Bar appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

When you’re fairly new to exercise it can become confusing to find the right workout routine. There’s always some new fad trying to lure you in, promising they’ll give you the best results. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with so many choices.

But the one important base off which you can build everything else is a full-body strength program. Strength helps not only in your ability to perform your favorite activities while remaining injury and pain-free, but it also improves the way your body moves. By learning how your body moves during exercise, you’ll be able to focus on engaging the muscles you want to work. Developing this awareness will allow you to move on to more challenging routines as you become stronger.

Strength Training Basics

A basic strength-training program should include a push, pull, press, hip hinge, squat, and core. It’s perfectly fine to stick with the same exercises for a few weeks. Give your body a chance to own the movements.

Strength helps not only in your ability to perform your favorite activities while remaining injury and pain free, but it also improves the way your body moves.

Below are three different workouts. Train on whatever days work best for you. Leave one day between for walking, hiking, or some kind of cardio-based exercise. Stick with this format for at least six to eight weeks. After becoming comfortable and confident with the movements and learning the proper patterns, then you’ll be ready to change things up again.

RELATED: Anyone Can Train: Simple Movement Regressions for Beginners

Be sure to warm up first by doing some simple dynamic movements (lunges, skipping) to get your heart rate and warm the muscles.

Beginner Workout 1: Squat, Pull, Hinge, Push

Perform each exercise once, back to back, before circuiting through again. 2 to 3 times, 12 to 15 reps of each exercise. Rest as needed.

A. Squat

Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, toes angled out slightly. Holding on to a solid object in front of you, keep the spine long and lower butt towards the floor as far as is comfortable. Knees should track over toes. Keeping a proud chest, push through heels, and stand up.

RELATED: Squat Therapy: 4 Drills for a Better Squat

B. TRX Row

Holding the handles of a TRX or jungle gym let your body angle back, keeping your arms straight. The closer your feet are to the anchor point, the more challenging the exercise, so find a spot that allows you to complete all your reps. Keep body straight from ankle to shoulder and pull your body towards handles by bending your elbows so hands end up by sides. Your body must remain straight the entire time.

C. One Arm Chest Press

Lay on the floor with knees bent so feet are flat on the floor. Holding a weight in one hand press up towards the ceiling keeping the hand in line with the shoulder at the top of the movement. Be sure your lower back stays pressed into the floor.

D. Hip Hinge

With a hip hinge, your hips stay higher than your knees but lower than your shoulders. Stand with your back a few inches away from a wall. Keeping spine long, take your hands (pinky side) and press them lightly into the crease of hips pushing hips back until buttocks touch the wall. Have a slight bend in knees. Stand back up by driving hips forward so you’re one straight line from ankle to shoulder at the top.

E. Shoulder Press

Standing tall with a weight in each hand, press right hand towards the ceiling while keeping hand over the shoulder at the top of the movement. Repeat with the left hand.

F. Pallof Press

Anchor a resistance band to a solid object, hold the handle with both hands standing sideways to anchor point, far enough away so there’s tension in the band. Start with hands at your solar plexus and push forward until arms are straight, resist letting the band pull you towards the anchor point side. Pull back to your solar plexus. Repeat other side.

Beginner Workout 2: Step Ups and Floor Work

Perform every two exercises (A1A2) back to back 2 to 3 times before moving on to the next two exercises. 12 to 15 reps. Rest as needed.

A1. Step Ups

Place a plyo box or bench 12″ to 18.5″ in front of you. Place right foot on the box, push through your heel and stand up tall on top of the box. Lower left leg to starting position. Keep your right foot on the box while completing all reps. Repeat other side.

A2. Band Hip Hinge

Anchor a resistance band to a solid object. With back facing the anchor point, grab the handle between your legs and walk forward far enough so there is plenty of tension in the band. Keeping back straight, upper arms squeezed into armpits and hands tight to your zipper, bend at the hips (hip hinge), keep hands high in your groan and let them reach behind you. There will be a slight bend in your knees. Stand tall by squeezing your butt and pushing hips forward, keeping hands tight to your zipper. Shoulders stay down and back.

B1. Lunge One Arm Row

Get into a lunge position, right leg back, left leg bent with knee tracking over toes, push your hips back, drop torso forward and rest left forearm on left thigh. Keep the spine straight and front of shoulders pointed towards the floor. With the weight in your right-hand pull bending at the elbow until the hand reaches approximately to your hip. Repeat other side.

B2. Push Ups

Push up position with arms straight and under shoulders either on your knees or full push-ups. You can also place hands on a counter so your body is at an angle. Stay straight from shoulder to ankles. Bring your chest to the counter and push away. Keep elbows close to the body.

WATCH: Push Up Variations (Video)

C1. Tall Kneeling Biceps Curl Shoulder Press

Tall kneel with both knees on the floor holding a weight in each hand. Curl the weights to your shoulders, then press overhead. Bring the weights back down to shoulders before reversing the biceps curl. Keep tension in butt and core during the movements.

C2. Dead Bug

Lay down with your back on floor, arms straight and fingers pointing towards the ceiling. Knees should be bent and over hips. Push one leg at a time away from you, straightening it out just above the floor, pushing through your heel while keeping the lower back down. As your right leg pushes away, your left arm drops down towards your head. Alternate sides.

Beginner Workout 3: Strong Torso

Perform each exercise once, back to back, before circuiting through again. 3 to 4 times, 10 reps each. Rest as needed.

A. Deadlift

This is a hip hinge, but now you’re pulling a weight. Start with feet approximately shoulder-width apart and toes angle out slightly. With a kettlebell or dumbbell between your feet, drive hips back, keep the spine straight, grab the weight with both hands and stand up tall by pushing hips forward and squeezing your butt. Return to starting position. Complete all reps before letting go of the weight. Shoulders stay down and back with armpits tight.

B. Plank

Forearms on the floor, elbows under shoulders, legs straight or knees on the floor. Push your body up so you’re one straight line, pressing forearms into the floor and shoulders away from ears. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds.

RELATED: Everything Is a Plank (If You’re Doing it Right, That Is)

C. Reverse Lunge Press

Stand tall holding a weight in the right hand at shoulder height. Reach left leg back while bending both knees ninety degrees. The back knee points toward the floor. Stand up tall driving through the front foot while pushing off the back foot and pressing the right arm overhead. Keep hand lined up with the shoulder at the top of the movement. Bring the weight back to the shoulder before lunging again. Repeat other side.

D. TRX Assisted Chin Up

Adjust the handles so you can hang under the TRX with arms straight, knees bent, butt almost on the floor. Hold handles, keeping your shoulders back and down pull yourself up until your hands are at shoulder height. Let your legs help you. Keep your shoulders packed during the movement.

The post 3 Basic Strength Workouts for Beginners appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

To put things in perspective, I have been an amateur powerlifter for over 15 years, training three to four days a week, two to three hours per day, 50 weeks per year. After nine years of hard work, l became a member of the Canadian National Masters Powerlifting Team and have been a member for three out of the last six years. In 2010, I finished sixth at the World Championships in the Czech Republic. In 2005, and again in 2009, l placed in the top ten.

In 2011, I decided to step outside traditional powerlifting and venture into the world of CrossFit. That same year on Live With Regis and Kelly I officially broke the Guinness World Record for the most amount of weight squat lifted drug-free in one hour, lifting 127,245 pounds.

I guess I should mention I am 22 years older than the former record holder; I am 54.

So, it goes without saying, I am no stranger to the gym and yet I recently learned a lesson about listening to my body that drove home the fact I need to respect it in order to grow it.

About two months ago I was in the gym on my “speed” day. The main focus of the day was completing 10 sets of 10 conventional deadlifts, allowing each set to take only 15 seconds and resting for two minutes between sets. The plan was to lift progressively heavier each round. At the time I weighed about 170 pounds.

I was off and away, 10 reps in 15 seconds at 135, 225, 245, 265, 285, and 305. Then, 3 sets of 10 at 315 pounds. It took only 21 minutes and 50 seconds. Cool!

Muscle-wise, while the last two sets were challenging, I got the weight done in my planned time. Unfortunately, I didn’t consider the cumulative effect of blood pressure and breathing under a progressively heavier load. The result was my 10th set of 10 reps at 315 in 15 seconds was immediately followed by six to ten seconds of blurred vision!

Painful, no! Scary, yes!

The experience was somewhat humbling, but more a time to respect what happened. To step back and ask questions, test, and learn how to safely and intelligently get over this hurdle.

Over the next month, I had and passed, an EKG, echocardiogram, stress test, and blood work, all with flying colors. However, that didn’t negate the new respect I had gained for the cumulative effects of blood pressure, lactic acid build up, and breathing under progressive loading in intense interval training.

Since that episode, things are back on track, this time with a newly revised focus.

The moral of the story is no matter your age, weight, or fitness level, you must respect and consider your body’s natural growth and limiting factors in your training regimen, especially if you are involved in high intensity or high weight training.

Elements you must consider as part of your training are:

• Blood pressure
• Circulatory system performance
• Neurological system performance
• Muscle growth
• Tendons
• Current fitness level
• Body temperature
• Air temperature
• Humidity

Some signs to watch for:

• Difficulty catching your breath
• Difficulty breathing
• A speeding heart rate that won’t drop during your interval breaks
• Excessively high body temperature – very red face that won’t go away
• Blurred vision
• Head or neck ache that comes on during your high-intensity training
• Signs of heat exhaustion

At the end of the day, our bodies are incredibly adaptive systems. Endurance, high load, speed – we can train our bodies to do some amazing things, but remember, its all about personal goals and achievements. In exercise and training, you decide when, where, what and how long!

Be sensible and safe, and get strong in a measured and calculated manner!

The post Respect Your Body’s Signs: Lifting Heavy and Listening Closely appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Biceps – Anatomy and Kinesiology

The biceps. To train them, you simply do bicep curls, right? Not so fast, my friend. There is much more to the biceps than elbow flexion. In fact, they are considered “tri-articulate” in that they function over three joints. Did you know there is a bicep muscle that actually assists in shoulder flexion and forearm supination (turning the palm of the hand up)?

The biceps brachii has both a long head and short head. The long head originates at the scapula, more specifically at the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula. It inserts on the radius bone of the forearm, more specifically the tuberosity of the radius. The short head also originates at the scapula, more specifically at the apex of the coracoid process of the scapula. It also inserts on the radius bone of the forearm.

The biceps brachii functions in three ways: forearm flexion (bicep curl), forearm supination (turning the palm of the hand up), and upper arm flexion (raising the arm forward and upward). It is most effective as a forearm flexor when the forearm is supinated. Try this experiment:

With your right arm extended and forearm pronated (facing down), place you left hand over the right biceps. Flex (curl) the right forearm completely. With the arm completely flexed, supinate the forearm so your palm now faces you. Wow, did you feel that? The supination function of the biceps brachii completely contracts the muscle. This has implications on proper exercise selection to be discussed later.

The short head of the biceps brachii also assists with horizontal flexion of the upper arm if it is medially rotated. That is, it moves the upper arm to the front from a side raise position if the thumb is turned in/elbow pointed out. This action would be similar to dumbbell chest flies with the upper arms rotated inward. As odd as that seems, it shows the intricacies of the skeletal-muscle system and why it is virtually impossible to isolate one specific muscle group.

Let’s go a bit deeper on this issue, literally. There are four more muscles that need to be discussed relative to this biceps thing: the brachialis, brachioradialis, supinator, and pronator teres.

The brachialis muscle originates at the humerus, more specifically at the lower one-half of the anterior surface. It inserts on the ulna bone of the forearm, more specifically at the tuberosity of the ulna. Although it is a single joint muscle, it effects what goes on in training. The brachialis is solely a forearm flexor. No forearm pronation nor supination. Bend the arm and that’s it.

The brachioradialis muscle also originates at the humerus, more specifically the proximal two-thirds of the lateral supracondylar ridge of the humerus. It inserts at the radius bone of the forearm, more specifically at the lateral side of the base of the styloid process of the radius. The brachioradialis flexes the forearm and – believe it or not – pronates (palm down) and supinates (palm up) the forearm depending on its position. When the forearm is pronated, it tends to supinate during forearm flexion. When more supinated, it tends to pronate during forearm flexion.

Confused? Hang on, simplification is forthcoming.

The supinator muscle originates at the humerus, radius, and ulna, more specifically the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, the radial collateral ligament of radius, and the supinator crest of ulna. It inserts at the radius, more specifically at the lateral surface of upper one-third of body of radius and covers part of the anterior and posterior surfaces. The supinator does just that: it supinates the forearm.

The last muscle of issue is the pronator teres. It originates at the humerus and ulna, more specifically at the humeral head above medial epicondyle of humerus and the medial side of the coronoid process of the ulnar head. It inserts at the radius, more specifically at the middle one-third of the lateral surface of radius. The pronator teres offers two actions: forearm pronation and forearm flexion.

What exercises, then, give you more bang for the buck when attacking the front side of the upper arm?

Incline dumbbell curls with forearm supination:

Seated on an incline bench with the arms completely extended downward (taken out of flexion) and the forearms pronated (taken out of supination). Curl the dumbbells upward, then supinate the forearms as full elbow flexion occurs. Maintain the upper arms perpendicular to the ground during the curling movement. This maximizes the load placed on the biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, and supinator. Click here for a demo.

Pronated (reverse) grip bicep curls:

Flexing the forearm while maintaining a pronated position hits the brachialis, brachioradialis, and pronator teres, sans help from the biceps brachii and supinator. Click here for a demo.

Triceps – Anatomy and Kinesiology

The triceps brachii has three heads: long, lateral, and medial. The long head (a TJM) originates at the scapula, more specifically at the infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula. The lateral head originates at upper arm, more specifically at the superior one-half of the posterior lateral surface of the humerus. The medial head originates at the upper arm, more specifically at the inferior two-thirds of the posterior surface of the humerus. All three heads insert at the forearm ulna bone, more specifically at the supra posterior surface of the olecranon process of the ulna and deep fascia of the forearm.

The triceps brachii extend the forearm at the elbow. The long head also assists in extension and adduction of the humerus (drawing the elbow back and down). The best exercises to maximize forearm extension:

• Supine-lying triceps extensions
• Seated machine triceps extensions
• Overhead triceps extensions

All three place the upper arm in an abducted and flexed position, necessary for complete triceps long head involvement. Triceps pushdowns on a high pulley device are acceptable provided the upper arm is stabilized out in front of the body (removed from the triceps brachii extension role).

A note on the infamous triceps kickback exercise as seen in many women’s fitness magazine programs: the upper arm is extended backward while forearm extension is attempted. The TJM triceps brachii long head is working at both ends here, rendering it ineffective. This is analogous to swimming upstream against a current. Expunge that exercise from your routine immediately.

The best exercises to target the long head of the triceps brachii as humerus extenders and adductors, believe it or not, are:

• Machine pullovers
• Seated/bent-over rows

They both address the long head of the triceps in their role as humerus extenders due to the fact the forearm is flexed thus maximizing that function. Traditionally thought of as pulling bicep and back-only exercises, the effectiveness of these movements further reveals the beauty and complexity of the human musculoskeletal system.

The post Two-Jointed Muscles of the Arms: How to Train Them appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Maximizing performance in your desired objective (either strength or conditioning) doesn’t mean simply incorporating the opposite and hoping for the best. Imagine an endurance runner tossing in a bunch of strength training leading into a running event or a large out of shape powerlifter slamming out a bunch of cardio leading into a meet. In both scenarios the athlete will likely reduce their performance. CrossFit has done an excellent job at incorporating training across the strength and conditioning spectrum (or broad modal domains in CF language), but at the same time its athletes are not in “peak” shape for any specific points within those spectrums.

At this point it may sound like I’m all for very specific training for competitive athletes. This is not the case and in fact I firmly believe maximal performance on the platform (or whatever the performance venue) requires incorporation of both strength and conditioning. It becomes not a question of “should you” but “how.” If you’re focusing on strength athletes, as this article does, the key point is to setup your training so the conditioning is supporting you as reach your strength objectives. Often, conditioning is implemented as a secondary goal, but done so in a manner that detracts from the primary objectives, when it could be accelerating them.

Looking at pure strength sports, such as powerlifting or Olympic lifting, it can be argued conditioning has no direct application at the time of the event. With a mixed sport such as strongman it becomes a little less clear. In pure strength sports the competitive event involves strength, speed, and technique, with conditioning hardly impacting the outcome of the performance. If, however, we take a step back to the training leading to the event, we will see a different story. An athlete with improved conditioning will be able to train harder and longer and recover faster, allowing them to get more out of their training cycle leading to the event. If you take two athletes of the same strength levels (all other factors the same) the one who has better conditioning leading into the meet training cycle will simply perform better due to these factors.

Waves of Conditioning Micro-cycles

Conversely, an athlete pushing too hard on the conditioning side during their competitive training cycle will not have the energy reserves or recovery ability to maximize their strength training. Let’s take a look at it, as we did in the example above, but change it to two athletes of the same strength and conditioning levels leading into a competitive training cycle. The athlete who simply coasts and tries to maintain his conditioning levels with the focus being on his strength training will outperform the athlete who continues pushing both as hard as he can. The “coasting on” of conditioning levels can be taken even a step further – by constructing waves of conditioning micro-cycles you can realize strength bumps at key points in the training cycle and for the meet.

I’m sure I’ve bored you with the theoretical at this point. Let’s talk application. I’m going to provide you with some examples of how I arrange training cycle for a competitive strength event for myself and some of my athletes. The training plan example we are going to step into is not for a new athlete, but someone who has already developed a fair-to-significant level of strength and conditioning. The concepts can be used for other conditions, but for example purposes we are going to stick with one training plan.

With a 12-18 week meet training cycle in mind, I will back off 8 weeks prior to the start of that. During this 8 week block I keep the weights at a moderate level and focus primarily on bringing up conditioning levels. Often, the weight training sessions are set up as circuit training to maintain focus on conditioning as well. The first 6 weeks of this training block I will ramp up the conditioning and then taper it down the last two weeks. If someone is in moderate conditioning levels to begin with, a 6 week period of intense conditioning training is all that is needed.

After the pre-training conditioning block we move into the strength training cycle. With the taper at the end of the conditioning block we should be primed to start ramping up the strength training. I usually do 6 week training blocks. With each 6 week training block I overlay my conditioning (labeled Work Capacity in the chart) work. As I wave my strength-training block up, I wave my conditioning down. I repeat this 2-3 times, each time waving the strength training a little higher. In the final block I deload the strength training along with the conditioning deload leading into the meet. (See my article on 3, 2, 1, 0 Meet Preparation Countdown.)

In the example above I’m only showing two variables, but you can obviously use several methods to wave your strength and conditioning levels. For Work Capacity I just looked at the number of HIIT (high intensity interval training) GPP (General Physical Preparedness) sessions done per week for conditioning. This works well for me as I have a number of fixed sessions for team members, thus making it easy to manage. For strength training I just summarized with a fictional % intensity figure. This can be handled via periodization, block periodization, conjugate (my preference), or other training methods.

• Block 1 – Conditioning ramp up “pre” competitive cycle
• Block 2 – Strength training waved up, conditioning waved down
• Block 3 – Strength training waved up, conditioning waved down
• Block 4 – Strength training waved up ant then down, conditioning waved down

Another way to visualize this is by imagining the amount of resources you are dedicating to recover in each of these aspects each week. That allocation will be changed during each block, transitioning from Work Capacity to Strength, while the entire block is waved upwards in intensity. An example of what this would look like with the same training cycle is shown below.

Staging your conditioning training correctly will allow you to incorporate it in a manner supporting and accelerating your strength training, versus it detracting if done incorrectly. In addition, you will typically have the side benefits of being leaner, with better abs, and not having to pant when reach the top of a flight of stairs – which is always a plus.

The post Conditioning for Strength Sports: Optimizing Both Strength & Conditioning appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It is not unusual to find the strength training community divided when it comes to what style of training is best or how and when to employ the many training techniques and variables available. One of the most classic battles is methodology is the one between the proponents of High Intensity Training (HIT) and those coaches and athletes who seem to prefer Olympic-Style Weightlifting (OSW). I personally have never really understood the almost religious fanaticism with which some may argue for or against their preferred approach to getting stronger.

For years I have been a fan of brief, intense, and infrequent training. Having tried just about every one of the recognized (as well as the obscure) training programs that have come along in the last twenty years, I can honestly say this preference is still true today. My goal has always been to find the precise amount of volume, frequency, and intensity that will allow me to reach my goals with maximum efficiency and minimum downtime. With years of trial and error, creative experimentation, and hard work under my belt I have discovered a few combinations that seem to produce consistent results.

Now counter to the notion of this brief, intense, infrequent style of training, often referred to as HIT, I am also a fan of Olympic-style weightlifting. For many this might seem odd. For some it may seem the two styles are not compatible with one another. I assure you it is not odd and they are very compatible.

Olympic-style weightlifting is very technical. The movements are often difficult to master and some of the positions may cause a great deal of discomfort in the early stages of learning. I guess that is one of the reasons I enjoy Olympic-style weightlifting, the focus, and attention to detail required to attain a sense of mastery is a lifetime journey. Almost anyone can learn to work hard on a basic movement such as a lat pull-down or a seated row, but to truly master the snatch or clean-and-jerk requires far more patience and dedication.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about hard work on the basics when it comes to efficient strength training. I am not one of those coaches who feels Olympic-style weightlifting is required for athletic success (unless of course, you are an Olympic weightlifter). But I do enjoy it and that is why I often include some Olympic-style weightlifting movements in my personal training plan.

Which brings us back to the dilemma at hand, how to combine HIT with OSW.

One way to combine the more classic HIT style of training with OSW is as follows:

1. Start with a basic O-lifting routine (see below). Practice this routine in a strict order of exercises, as well as a certain and consistent amount of sets, reps and rest periods.
2. For your HIT training days create short routines which are made up of basic pushing, pulling, and squatting movements along with some assistance exercises. Perform these in a classic High Tension/Low Force manner with an emphasis on slow, controlled movement.
3. Workout roughly every other day alternating one of these basic HIT routines with the OSW routine.

In this way you will perform both the OSW and HIT routines three times every two weeks. Use the O-lifting days as technique polishing opportunity and active recovery days. Still train hard and heavy, however, do not train to failure and strive to always leave a few reps in the tank. On the HIT days perform single sets to failure of a handful of movements and strive to take each set to the limit. This can be an excellent way to combine these two styles of lifting, reaping the maximum benefit each has to offer while maintaining a balance between stimulus and recovery.

If you have always been a practitioner of either one or the other of these two styles of lifting perhaps now is the time to try something new. If you have never tried OSW then I recommend you find a qualified coach for your initial instruction as this style of lifting is quite technical. With HIT, if you have rarely if ever trained to momentary muscular failure then ease into it as the muscular soreness sometimes associated with this style of training can be quite intense.

Give this HIT/OSW combination a try and I think you may find it to be a fun and effective way to reap the rewards each of these styles of training has to offer.

(Source: Bev Childress)

Example HIT/OSW Hybrid

For the O-lifts I tend to stick with each routine for 12 workouts. Following the above described pattern that has me changing things up about every eight weeks or so. On the HIT days I get a little more creative, varying the order of the exercises, reps, and rest intervals, as well as employing advanced overload techniques when my energy and recovery allow.

Keep in mind the following routines are just a few examples of thousands you could employ.

Sample Olympic Weightlifting Workout

(Courtesy of Jim Schmitz)

Sample H.I.T. Workouts

Workout 1 – (A.J. Classic)

Workout 2

Workout 3

The post High Intensity Training vs. Olympic Weightlifting: How to Have Both & Get Strong appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The biggest factor in failed bulking programs is lack of preparation. But not just in terms of nutrition. Preparing to bulk includes establishing a base of physical conditioning. This foundation will prime you for an intense but injury-free training program. It will also free you up to focus on the logistics of a bulking program, such as meal planning and organizing your training schedule.

Bulking Is Not Forever

Bulking is not a viable long-term approach. I say this for two reasons. First, there are genetic limitations to muscle growth that no amount of bulking can overcome. Second, cycling off the demanding training and eating regimen is necessary to remain injury-free and give your digestive system a break from the caloric surplus. So you need to make the most of the short bulking phases you undertake.

Address your weaknesses before committing to a bulking program.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 1. Am I Ready?

Ask Yourself: Is my overall conditioning (strength, work capacity, mobility) good enough to begin an intense, hypertrophy-focused program? If not, what weaknesses do I need to address?

Consider: Your desire to bulk up may cause you to overlook the weak links. If you don’t have a base level of conditioning or you have nagging injuries, then trying to go full-bore into an ambitious bulking phase will leave you disappointed and with worsened injuries.

I would recommend getting in a solid 4-6 months of training at least 4 times per week before worrying about how much weight you are putting on. It takes time to build work capacity, condition the often overlooked ligaments and tendons, develop full-range mobility in all of your joints, correct deficiencies in posture, master the technique of the basic movement patterns, and develop an overall sense of body control. You will always have weaknesses you need to work on, but taking the time to do the proper physical preparation will allow you to train that much harder and stay injury free.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 2. How Is My Diet Now?

Ask Yourself: Do I currently eat a nutrient-dense diet that allows me to recover from training, stay healthy, and feel energetic?

Consider: You should already be in the habit of eating a healthy diet, meaning mostly whole foods, a variety of animal and plant proteins, vegetables and fruits, and little to no refined sugar, preservatives, and other additives. The only significant differences between your maintenance diet and your bulking diet should be portion sizes and the ratio of macronutrients. If you get sick on a regular basis or don’t have the energy to train without getting jacked up on caffeine, you need to work on filling the nutritional holes in your diet.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 3. Do I Need to Improve My Body Composition?

Ask Yourself: Am I starting with a reasonably low level of body fat?

Consider: If you are at or above the 15-20 percent body fat range, leaning down before you begin a bulking phase should be a priority. Lowering your body fat will improve insulin sensitivity, which allows your body to shuttle nutrients into muscle cells more efficiently and increases your muscle-building potential. If you have poor insulin sensitivity before beginning a bulking phase, you are more likely to increase body fat as opposed to muscle tissue.

“Assessing where you are and where you want to go will ensure that the time, effort, and money you invest in a bulking phase will translate into pounds of muscle mass added to your frame.”

Assuming you are training hard to begin with, cleaning up your diet and avoiding excessive carbs should be enough to impact your body composition. Although you may drop some bodyweight at first, it is possible to maintain or slightly increase your total muscle mass during this phase if you make smart food choices (see question two above).

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 4. What’s the Meal Prep Plan?

Ask Yourself: Do I have a plan of action for my meals at home and on the go?

Consider: If you are fortunate to have access to a good cafeteria, a meal delivery service, or your own personal chef, then meal prep is already taken care of. For the rest of us, putting in the effort to prepare your meals ahead of time is necessary to keep you on track. By far the most common slip-up in a bulking plan is not preparing food ahead of time.

Make a shopping list that is tailored to your budget and the portions you need, and buy in bulk whenever possible. I like to cook breakfast and dinner at home, and I prepare lunch and other snacks ahead of time for when I’m out. Find a routine that works for you and get into a consistent schedule so you can easily transition into your bulking phase.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 5. How Are My Sleep Habits?

Ask Yourself: Do I regularly get 7-9 hours of sleep a night?

Consider: This is an essential step that most people acknowledge but do not execute. Sleep allows your body to heal and recover. Your body also produces a significant amount of growth hormone while you sleep. This is even more important when you are training hard, so make establishing good sleep habits a priority.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 6. How Many Calories Do I Need?

Ask Yourself: Have I determined my maintenance level of calories?

Consider: How will you know how much you need to increase your calories if you haven’t established your maintenance caloric intake? You don’t need to know exact numbers, but making a note of the portion sizes that allow you to maintain your bodyweight on a week-to-week basis will help you create a more effective bulking plan.

For example, if your maintenance diet consists of four eggs for breakfast, 10oz of beef and a salad for lunch, and a cup of rice with 8oz salmon and veggies for dinner, you know you will have to either increase those portions and/or increase your meal frequency in order to make gains.

Results Are Worth the Effort

Take the time to honestly answer each one of these questions. Assessing where you are and where you want to go will ensure that the time, effort, and money you invest in a bulking phase will translate into pounds of muscle mass added to your frame.

You’ll Also Enjoy:

• Top 10 Foods to Gain Muscle Mass
• Functional Mass Gain: How to Build Real Horsepower
• The Secrets to Pain-Free Hypertrophy Training
• New on Breaking Muscle Right Now

Photo courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

The post Are You Ready for a Bulking Phase? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

When approaching a ring or bar dip, be mindful of positioning and set up. Dips are compound movements requiring strength not only to stabilize but also to move your entire bodyweight.

Position is Paramount

Setup for Ring Dip

Lower the rings so that the bottom portion of the ring is in line with the top of your hips. The width of the rings should be slightly wider than the shoulders.

Setup for Bar Dips

If it is not possible to raise or lower the bars, stand on a box so you can jump to a front support. The wider the bars are, the harder this will be. If possible, adjust the width of the bars to be slightly wider than the shoulders.

5 Points of Performance of Ring or Bar Dips:

1. Starting in a support, lock out your elbows and tighten your core.
2. Dip by leaning slightly forward, bending your elbows and lowering your body.
3. Lower down until your shoulders break parallel with your elbows. Keep pressure in the rings.
4. Rise up by keeping the rings in close and straightening the elbows.
5. Come back to the support position.

Left photo: correct eccentric technique; Right photo: correct bottom position.

Left photo: incorrect eccentric technique; Right photo: incorrect top position.

It is easy to strain or pull a muscle in the chest or lats when working this functional movement, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t incorporate dips into your training. You just have to be smart and mindful about how to scale. Using a resistance band is the easiest and most effective option.

Left photo: banded set up; Right photo: fully supportd top position.

Bands provide the assistance you need to perform a full ring dip, regardless of your current strength level. Choose a band that allows you to perform full movement but also challenges and builds strength in this position. Exactly which band you choose will depend of the volume of dips in the workout.

3 Workouts to Build Your Ring Dips

Warm Up:

• 100 jumping jacks
• 5 sun salutations
• 1 minute forearm plank hold
• 5 sun salutations
• 2x reverse plank

Workout #1

18 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible):

• 50 single jump rope, 20 squats, 5 push ups, 5 ring dips

Workout #2

3 RFT (rounds for time):

• 400 meter run
• 21 back stepping lunges
• 10 ring dips

Workout #3

• 5×5 ring dip (with band)

You’ll Also Enjoy:

• Strength Training for Yogis: Statis Holds for Muscular Endurance
• Strength Training for Yogis: Pull Ups for Upper Body Athleticism
• Strength Training for Yogis: Push Ups for a Powerful Chaturanga
• What’s New on Breaking Muscle Today

The post Strength Training for Yogis: Dips for Upper Body Stability appeared first on Breaking Muscle.