So you want to have that macho-looking, super toned chest. You have to work on it! Pectorals muscles are the prominent and most obvious muscle in a man’s body and most of us wants to have great looking upper chest.

You will find below a list of great upper chest exercises and muscle building tips that you can apply immediately to see great results faster. These workouts are so effective and super targets the upper chest that most gym instructor teaches these to their students.

Before you continue it is important for you to know that these exercises will train and target your upper chest area. You can use and follow any of the sample workouts and get started but please be consistent and do this regularly for best result.

Another important tip is to vary the exercises and the repetitions. That is important and that is the key.

Muscle Building Tips for Upper Body

Pectoralis Minor is the more ‘scientific’ name for the upper chest which includes the major muscles in the chest. These are the muscle group that the following exercises found below will target.

Flat Bench Press

The bench press exercises is known for building the upper body. This is the reason why it still remains the best exercise routine for chest muscle and body builder in general. Keep mind though that aside from giving complete workout on the chest it also targets the shoulder area.

Inclined Bench Press

This inclined bench press exercise is a variation exercise of the bench press. The main purpose of it is basically the same but varies only on the resistance and intensity of the workout. Upper chest area is the main target if the bench press in the inclined position.

Triceps and Shoulders

This one is not really an exercise but more of a tip. After chest training, make sure that you get adequate rest specially for your triceps and shoulders. You must make sure that these are properly rested since if they are tired and week, your upper body workout will be affected.

Be Consistent

If you have a great workout routine but every time you do your abs, you just don’t seem to get enough of a workout or any results, try the following ab workout routine…if you dare! I found this ab workout routine and tried it and have achieved some really pleasing results… actually that is a lie, I have achieved some fantastic results. I could not believe it! I was so pumped at the progress I have made as a result of this ab workout routine.

With any exercise, it is important to remember a few important tips:

1) Have consent from your family doctor to do the ab workout routine. You may not realize that you are not able to do certain sets, so consulting with your doctor will help you to avoid serious training injuries.

2) Make sure that you drink lots of water before, during and after any workout. We need to replenish lost liquids we lose from sweating. This is key!

3) Breathe during all exercises at all points during the routine. Most people do not realize that they are holding their breathe while doing the exercises. It is important to control your breathing! don’t forget this!

4) If you have copied routines off of other people you might be doing certain exercises incorrectly. Please consult a certified trainer for the proper routine movements as well as to make sure that you have the correct form and technique.

Finally the Ab Workout Routine:

1) Lie flat on back with feet and knees in the air, knees at 90 degrees, thrust knees up in the air (tilting pelvis). Make sure that you breathe throughout the entire exercise.

Sets: 1, Reps: 12-22

2) Lie flat on back with knees bent to a 45 degree angle and feet flat on the floor. Tilting the pelvis so the lower back is touching the floor, place hands at the side of the head to avoid pulling up on the neck. Exhale while lifting the upper torso so that the shoulders come off the floor. Hold for a moment. While breathing out slowly bring your shoulders and head back down to the floor.

Sets: 1, Reps: 12-22

3) Lie flat on back, with legs straight on floor. Slowly lift one leg at a time straight up and back down.

Sets: 1, Reps: 12-22

4) Lying on your side (fetal position) keep your hand at your ear and the other hand on the floor for balance. Bring your elbow to your hip.

Sets: 1, Reps: 12-22

5) Lie on back with legs in the air, knees at 90 degrees. Hands are at the side of the head. Without pulling on the neck, lift up from shoulders up, using your abdominal muscles. Exhale on the flexion (exertion) part of the exercise, and inhale while returning to starting position.

Sets: 1, Reps: 12-22

That is it, 5 Quick Ab Workout Routines

 Building   muscle  in a healthy, efficient manner poses a formidable challenge to the busy people of today’s world. Unhealthy diet crazes, overpriced workout machines, and damaging diet pills have all skyrocketed in production because of this; sleazy businessmen everywhere aim to profit off of whatever is in high demand. Fitness, or at least the appearance of fitness, is in high demand. However, there are healthy, realistic ways to accomplish this: proper nutrition, ample exercise, and adequate sleep.

Protein is key to  building   muscle , and there are five high quality sources at affordable prices. Canned tuna is very inexpensive and essentially pure protein. But always purchase the variety stored in water, not oil, as fats should be kept to a minimum. Tuna salad, made with mustard and light mayonnaise with some romaine is a tasty way to utilize this protein. Vegan mayonnaise is particularly good to use, as this is virtually fat-free, low in cholesterol and surprisingly tastes great, but it is on the expensive side.

Making it into a sandwich with high fiber, high protein multi-grain bread (it does exist) will add some healthy complex carbohydrates if necessary. Eggs are a fantastic source, however, the yolks are very high in fat, so discretion is advised on how frequently the yolks are used. They should not be entirely avoided, as they are also a source of vitamins and minerals.

Protein powders are the cheapest, but soy is not recommended. Instead, try combining rice and pea powders; this ensures all amino acids are being consumed. Other non-animal sources, when combined, will aid the goal. Rice and beans work well, also providing fiber and complex carbohydrates. Black beans are highly recommended as they are rich in antioxidants.

But of course, exercise is crucial as well. A balanced program is recommended, however, the design is mostly dependent on the  muscle  group in question. Most programs consist solely of compound exercises, with perhaps a few isolation techniques. This is because unless there is a specific problem area, all  muscles  should be  built  up equally. However, it is important that cardiovascular exercises are incorporated not just because a strong heart is healthy, but because it will increase endurance. Still, this is a personal decision and so long as there is consistent exercise, there will be  muscle .

Many fail to consider that sleep is important, too. Sleep-deprivation causes the metabolism to slow down, which means more calories are stored as fat. A slower metabolism than one is used to also means that if they are not paying attention, they will not notice when they get hungry. One might accidentally go for long periods of time without eating, and the body will begin to eat the  muscle  out of starvation. Also, when the body finally is given food, it will quickly be converted to fat to create a reserve in case it has to go too long without sustenance again. Sleep-deprivation also reduces the body’s ability to convert fat to  muscle .

 Building   muscle  does not mean no carbohydrates; it does not require ridiculous workout machines, it does not need steroids or life-draining, fat-burning,  muscle-building  miracle pills. All it takes is consistency. A healthy diet, exercise, and sleep regimen will produce satisfactory results for the purpose it was originally intended: fitness.

You’ve no doubt heard of the 300 workout. It was a workout originally designed by trainer, climber, and author Mark Twight for the the cast of the movie ‘300’. Although according to Twight it was originally intended as more of a test to measure progress than a workout to be done on a regular basis, the routine has since its creation been adopted – and adapted – by more than a few individuals as a stand-alone workout program.

The original 300 workout consists of six different exercises each performed for 50 reps done back to back with as little rest as possible. I’ve created an abs-only workout in the spirit of the original 300 workout – here’s how you do it:

Start with 25 full sit ups

Move on to 25 hanging leg raises

Perform 25 cross-body mountain climbers

Finish with 25 floor wipers

Perform this circuit three times as fast as possible for a total of 300 reps.

The sit ups can be performed in any style you like – using an ab mat is my favorite way to do them, but the most important thing is that you pick a way – feet anchored, janda sit ups, etc. – and stick with it to measure your progress.

The hanging leg raises can be performed using a leg raise apparatus, with ab straps, etc. – again, pick one way and stick with it.

Cross body mountain climbers are performed by getting into a push up position, keeping the body in a nice straight line and tucking the knees, one at a time, into the body. Think of bringing each knee towards the opposite elbow.

Finally, floor wipers are performed by loading up an Olympic bar, lying on the floor and pressing the bar up in front of you – like the lock out position of a bench press. Do a leg raise, holding the bar in this position, and alternately touch your feet to the plate on the right side of the bar and the plate on the left side of the bar.

Hit this workout hard and your abs will be toast – guaranteed! This 300 ab workout routine can be added to your existing regimen two or three times per week. Be consistent with this and you’ll be well on your way towards those abs of steel you’ve always dreamed of!

Do you have any questions about exactly how to perform any of these exercises? How about a few more sample workouts that not only hit your abs but your entire body – workouts that you can do nearly anywhere, with minimal equipment, and in 30 minutes or less?

Teen body building has been growing in popularity and making them more confident and having a high self esteem. Most teenagers hit the gym to look good and to attract girlfriends or boyfriends. While this may be the surface motive for many, indirectly they are doing a lot of other good things to themselves too.

For most concerned, the main enquiry would be about the appropriate age from which teens should be allowed to go to the gym. This is difficult to answer in general. The right age depends on how developed the body is to take in weight training. It would differ for different individuals. When you think your body is ready to absorb in the stress, go to the gym. While weight training should be taken after the age of 16, general fitness exercises and basic body building exercises have no age limits. It’s a general notion that starting weight training at an early age would hamper the growth process. Cardio exercises and Calisthenics can be done by anyone, how young he or she may be.

For young gym enthusiasts, stress should be given on developing good health, general physical strength and flexibility rather than gaining size. That can come some years later.

The diet is perhaps the most important factor that should be taken care after if your child is a teenager and wants to be a body builder later. A good diet and nutrition is the most significant requirement for bodybuilding. Eating is a problem encountered by most teenagers. Either they don’t have the time or they don’t want to. Regular classes and schools restrict students to take the proper number of full meals each day. For the grownups, this is not an issue as they can take as many numbers of meals as they wish during the day. Thus they need to be provided with the maximum amount of nutrition in the few meals that they get to eat.

For teenagers and school goers, the breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Try to make the breakfast rich in proteins and carbs. Eggs can be a good option. They may be given around 3 eggs or more in a single serving depending on their age. Weight gain supplements can be added to the meal.

Successful bodybuilding requires a lot of servings. Since it is not possible with teenagers you have to punch two meals in between the ones that they take. Thus the three meals that they are to be served would be a mid morning one, one at mid afternoon and the third after dinner in the late afternoon. Since no meals will be allowed at schools, they are to be given ‘liquid meals’. Non fat milk mixed with protein powder will be a good nutritious liquid to sip between classes. Fill their water bottles with it, or send in a thermos flask.

Aspiring body builders should take in as much nutrition as possible. Thus the teenagers who are interested in body building should be given meals consisting of white meat which would include chicken breast, fish, turkey or lean red meat. The carbohydrates should be provided by rice, potatoes and any variety of salad. Have your protein supplements in between for weight gain and strength.

Maintain a good diet strategy and do regular exercises. If this is taken care of the tight schedules of your school and tuition won’t be a problem at all. Your body demands fuel for growth, repair and strength. Teen bodybuilders should be encouraged all the way and you as a parent should give enough support to them.

Are you looking for an effective exercise  workout   routine ? Do you want to really burn a lot of calories, slim down and tone up? Well, I’m about to tell you exactly what to do. But, let’s take a look at some ineffective exercise  workout   routines  to understand why they don’t really work and why what I am about to tell you will.

First, it’s important to understand that to lose a single pound of fat requires you to expend 3,500 calories of energy. When you consider that the average person only burns 2,000 in the average 24 hour period you start to get an understanding of exactly how much effort is required to burn just a single pound of fat and, of course, most people could stand to lose more than a pound.

Most people to about trying to get in shape one of two traditional ways. Running or other cardio exercises or sit ups or other stomach exercises. Here is the problem with that. You can’t spot reduce fat on your stomach any more than you can spot reduce fat on your chin and, even if you could, sit ups don’t expend enough energy to make a difference. Running and cardio exercises expend considerably more energy but you can run a few miles and only burn a few hundred calories. You’ve still got a long way to go to burn that pound of fat.

Doing compound weight lifting exercises are really the best way to go about slimming down and firming up. Compound exercises work multiple muscle groups at the same time and cause you to exert so much effort that your body goes into a metabolic shock and burns calories at a higher rate for days after.

Do the following routine and you will be ready for the beach in no time. Two sets of each exercise with 1-5 repetitions.

Day 1: Bench press, squats, clean and jerk, dumb bell snatches

Day 2: Dead lift, chin ups, bent over rows

Day 3: Lunges, military press, dips, dumb bell swings

Day 4: Romanian dead lift, pull ups, single armed bar bell curls, renegade rows

As a fitness person, I want to tell you that the workout your choose is critical to your success. I chose the P90x workout routine. It is hard, powerful and you see results in no time.

The workout challenges you and changes as time goes on. It is a good workout for you to lose weight, develop muscle mass, develop muscle striations and grow your confidence. It is can shave off 20 – 40 pounds in no time. This is what you want in your workout routine. You want to mix it up and keep your muscles confused. This is critical.

Muscles can easily become conditioned to what you are doing and lower their output. You need to mix it up and keep it fresh to challenge your body. I chose P90x, but you can easily choose another workout like Insanity to build your body and shape your core. As long as you choose a HARD workout that leaves you dripping in sweat, you are on the right track.

Any workout like those aerobics workouts from the 70s where people use spray on sweat, you should avoid. A good workout is one that puts stress on your heart and organs. A good workout forces you to confront yourself and push yourself to finish. I chose P90x because it did just that.

What do you need in a workout routine? Your big question is whether you want to lose weight. A workout like Insanity is perfect for the person who wants to lose weight. P90x is better for a person who wants to build muscle and look better. The choice is yours but I recommend not falling in love with any one workout too much.

Although both of these are muscle confusion workouts, you should still switch between multiple muscle confusion workouts. It is good for you and even better for your psychology. Never give your muscles a chance to adapt and overcome. That is what they were made for. A good set of workouts is pure gold.

If you are a person who enjoys intense work outs, crazy workout routines are for you, these types of workouts will definitely kick your butt! These types of routines are made for people who want to go all out in a workout, doing different exercises over and over, without much rest in between, people who can maintain good form and do this without an issue will get ripped and strong within no time!

Why a crazy workout routine?

Well, if you are looking for a routine that is different from other routines, and engages you to be more active, more liver than usual, and more of a natural humanly approach to exercising, then this is the type of workouts you would really enjoy, short bursts of fast movements, while using bodyweight, will give you insane strength! A great example of people who perform crazy workout routines are the “Bar-Barians” these guys are nuts! They go to the local park get to the jungle gym and start working out, and if you look at these guys, you will think “wow” they are in great shape. Really fast, really flexible and on top of all of that, they insane strength, and make exercises look really easy!

Who are the Bar-Barians?

These guys are just some Hench brothers who live a ghetto style life, with the ghetto workouts, which would make your jaw drop, these guys can do pull ups and never stop, and just carry on till they have performed at least 40 pull ups in a row, and then you find out, that was a warm up, they can do insane gymnastic moves, by holding up their bodyweight by their own arms, they also do planches, and perform push ups with only 2 arms, without the feet for leverage on any ground, they perform dips so easily, and another crazy exercise they perform is the muscle ups, a very hard yet effective exercise, it is a pull up with a push at the top, and then back down, they perform these so well, that they don’t even swing their body, but keep it firm and solid through the whole workout. These guys are the definition of crazy workout routines, as the speed they work out at is unbelievably fast, as well as immense strength, if you where to follow their training, there is no doubt you will get ripped, fast, flexible and strong!

A crazy workout routine to follow:

These guys have a routine for people who want to be a bar-barian, so they have created a workout which is a qualification to become a member, and this workout on its own is crazy! I will outline what they ask for now.

Bar-Barian Qualifying Workout:

40 Dips

20 Pull Ups

50 Pushups

5 Muscle Ups…

All these have to be performed…less than 10 minutes! Told you so, it is crazy, this is just minimum requirements to be a bar-barian!

Give it a shot and see how you feel afterwards, you have to build up towards this level for beginners, some people might be able to, but it takes time, and effort, plus a lot determination! This is what crazy workout routines are all about!

If you’ve just decided to sever the gym industry’s hold on your wallet you’ll need plan to keep your independence permanent. You have a couple options to keep you in fit shape. One option is to tailor your own workout routines for home to continue your money-saving aspirations, or purchasing an exercise system is another.

 

Pick The Right Workout Routine That Fits Your Needs

Are you interested in fat loss? What about building muscle? There are quite a few questions you should ask yourself before you begin any exercise. Having a plan will allow to not only track your progress, but also keep you motivated to stick with your workouts.

First you should start with planning out a schedule. Most programs suggest between three to five days of strength training exercise, with cardiovascular conditioning in between those days. The reason behind the number of days is to prevent over training. But figuring your physical fitness level should also be factored too.

Choosing compound muscle exercises over isolation exercises are shown to provide better results in a shorter amount of time and contribute to muscles being more functional than aesthetically pleasing. This is because your body travels through more than a single-joint movement than what isolation exercises provide. When more muscle fibers are engaged your body will deliver a better response.

A prime example of a compound exercises that work more than one muscle group is the squat. The squat works the abdominal, arm, leg, lower back, upper back muscle groups. Isolation exercises can have a place in your workout routine. But they should act in a supporting relationship to the muscles stimulated by compound movements.

 

To Use Equipment, Or To Bypass The Gear

If your goal is to build muscle, then you’ll need weights. Purchasing brand new plates can be costly, so it’s recommend to seek used, metal plates than the plastic covered concrete alternatives. Also needed will be an olympic barbell and a set of dumbbells.

It’s not necessary to have a weight bench, but this will certainly help, depending on your needs of routine. Using resistance bands could be an option if standard weight training is not an available option.

A weight loss routine can be a little more accommodating if you want to train at home without equipment. Super sets can be used to target upper body and lower body muscle groups (e.g. pushups to lunges). Applying short rests between super sets can act as a form of interval training. Interval training is suggested if you are looking to train at a faster pace than what strength training can provide and are resolving yourself to fat loss.

 

Cardio Is More Then Just Sweating

Getting in some form of cardiovascular activity is suggested for most programs. If you are training for weight loss or want your muscles to look ripped, cardio can provide a reduction of body fat, an increase of bone density and improvement with muscle tone. Along those lines other heath benefits such as reducing chances of heart disease do exist.

Cardio doesn’t always need to be a form of running, though this seems to be the standard starting point for most exercise goers. Being creative with your conditioning can be exciting way to stay engaged in your workouts. You’ll always be excited about the next workout.

 

You Need To Plan On Eating Right

The amount of calories you need to consume depends on the goals you set for yourself. To determine your needs you must first calculate the amount of calories you need when you are at rest. To do this, you need to find your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The results do vary between individuals because age and fitness levels.

There are many websites that can help you determine and understand your BMR that will out scope the intention of this article.

Conventional wisdom suggests taking in plenty of vegetables and protein to get your body to a healthy body fat percentage. How you get there is your choice. Some individuals prefer to go the vegetarian route, while others prefer to go carnivore. That preference is up to you.

If you are looking to purchase a workout routine, look to see if a diet plan and sample recipes are included with a sample menu. Knowing the frequency and the type of meals will have have to look forward to can help you stay on course and not deviate from your plans.

There are benefits to building or purchasing your workout routines for home. Either way, the right components are what is most necessary if you want to reach your short-term as well as long-term goals.

When it comes to bodybuilding there are a lot of workout routines you can apply to achieve the desired the result. However, for all bodybuilding workout routines there are some basic principles you have to bear in mind to make your bodybuilding program work the best way possible. In this article you will learn the basics of bodybuilding training and how to incorporate it into your daily life even if you are not a professional lifter or bodybuilder.

Before we start off with the exercises and workout routines, there is some stuff you have to be aware of. First of all, you will only achieve the desired result if you work consistently and get enough workouts per week to keep your muscle growing. Visiting the gym every second day is the golden rule I try to live by. Generally, 3 times a week should be enough for everyone who isn’t a professional bodybuilder. This is enough to train all of the main muscle groups and get them growing while still giving you time to do other things. Professional bodybuilders train for up to 6 days a week including cardio workouts, stretching and other physical activities. However, they also take lots of supplements including steroids; therefore you should not try to replicate what giants like Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler do.

Another important aspect of training is the right diet. Your muscle should receive sufficient energy to grow; therefore you will notice how all bodybuilders eat a lot. Besides, they have a special diet for championship season and off-season: one for bulking and one for cutting. Diet is an important subject that deserves a separate article, so we won’t go into that right now. The basics of diet are eating protein rich foods, several smaller meals throughout the day and staying away from junk foods.

Some more important things include the right lifestyle, such as getting enough sleep and avoiding unhealthy habits like drugs and alcohol. It’s not that alcohol will stop your gains; rather it will prevent you from exercising the next day after heavy consumption. Smoking is a different subject. It can actually reduce your body fat and you might notice how smokers are usually relatively thin. However, the drawbacks are not worth it.

Now let’s get to the main part – training. The basics of bodybuilding workout routines are not that hard to grasp. As mentioned before, it is important to visit the gym at least 3 times per week. Ideally it should be every other day. Even if you don’t use any additional supplements such as proteins, creatine or something more “exotic”, one day between workouts is enough for the trained muscles to recover. Assuming you start from zero, you will have to exercise all of the muscle groups evenly. Bodybuilders who have defined physiques know their weak spots and work on them accordingly, but if you have never workout out in your life, then all of your body is one big “weak spot” and should be exercised fully.

If you are visiting the gym 3 times a week it is a good idea to do 2 large muscle groups per workout. Some of the biggest muscle groups are legs, chest and back, therefore it is not advisable to do chest and back on the same day. Smaller muscle groups include biceps, triceps, shoulders, trapeze/neck muscles and finally – abs. It is good to combine a large muscle group with a smaller one. I would advise to do chest and triceps on one day, since bench press exercises affect the triceps as well and this allows you to kill two birds with one stone. Similarly doing such back exercises as pull ups works your biceps as well, therefore you should do back and biceps on one day. Add in some neck and trapeze muscle exercises as well. We still have legs and shoulders left, therefore do these on the last day. You should remember to do abs at the end of the workouts, too. Two times a week should be enough as the common saying is true – abs are made in the kitchen. Once you get a low body fat your abs will show naturally and won’t require overly rigorous training.

Now let’s cover the basic exercises you should do to develop a well trained physique. If you are a beginner then stick to the free weight exercises. Forget the machines and isolation exercises for now as those are reserved to improve and enhance the already existing muscle. For a start, you have to build mass. And the best way to build mass is with heavy free weight exercises such as deadlifts, bench presses, dumbbell and barbell curls and squats. The three main exercises you should not forget about are squats, bench press and deadlifts. If you look at regular gym visitors you will notice that many people avoid doing squats and deadlifts. You will also notice that these people usually do not have a very well developed physique. Add two plus two and you see what I mean. However, be advised – learn the correct execution of the exercises before doing them. Ask for help of the trainer if you need as exercising in bad form will lead to nothing but injuries. An injury means you have to avoid training the injured body part which means you won’t reach your goal body as soon as you could have. Start with smaller weights and gradually work your way up.

I generally recommend doing 3 to 4 types of exercises for each muscle group. For a chest these could be bench press, decline bench press, incline bench press and dumbbell flys. Do 3 to 4 sets for each exercise and about 6 to 8 repetitions in each set. Following this plan will ensure a steady muscle growth and will give you a great start on your long journey to perfect physique. However, this is only part of the battle. Depending on your body type you will have to do more or less to achieve the body you want.