Monday, December 26, 2011

How To Get Big Calves Fast

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Guys need strong calves, these muscles are important for jumping, running and lifting. But how do you get them? Leg training. Today I'm going to show you how to do seated barbell calf raises.

How To Do Seated Barbell Calf Raises

To do this exercise, you'll need a bench and a barbell with fixed weights. Start with a warm up set. Grab a lightweight barbell (five pounds per side) and sit on the bench. Place the barbell on your thighs. Make sure that both feet are firmly on the floor. Now push your heels off the flow by flexing your ankles. Lower your feet to the floor again. Repeat this exercise for a total of ten reps.

After the warm up set, choose heavier weights and repeat the exercise for a total of thirty reps (or three sets of ten reps).

Each week increase the weights in five pound increments while maintaining the same number of sets. Do the seated barbell calf raise on a regular basis and you'll see results in a few short weeks.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Get Big Calves Fast" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, December 19, 2011

How To Do The Seated Barbell Shoulder Press (Even If You've Never Lifted Weights In Your Life)

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You want wider shoulders, what guy doesn't? Today I'm going to show you how to develop them by doing a remarkable barbell exercise. Some of the benefits of the barbell shoulder press include:

  • wider shoulders
  • larger chest
  • strong core
Today, you're going to learn how this compound exercise is done.

How To Do Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
You'll need an Olympic bar and seated shoulder press station or squat rack and a bench for this exercise. You're going to start out with a warm up set so add a ten pound weight to each end of the Olympic bar. Place the barbell on the rungs above your head. Reach up and use a pronated grip (palms away from you) to grasp the bar. Use a wide grip because this will make your shoulder muscles do most of the work.

Now lift the bar from the rungs and extend your arms above your head until they lockout. Next, lower the barbell toward your chest. Hold for a two second count then press the weight above your head until your arms lockout. That's one rep. Breathe normally throughout the exercise, exhale as you lower the bar and inhale before you press it up. Do ten reps then stop.

Get up from the bench and grab more weight. You want to add enough weight to achieve four to six reps per set (to increase muscular strength) without fatigue. Use a spotter if possible, this is to minimize your chances of injury. To develop size and strength you need to perform four to six reps for a total of three sets. This is a slow progression exercise, meaning that it will take most of you longer to develop enough strength to press heavier weights. Normally, you should increase them amount you lift in ten pound monthly increments.

The seated barbell shoulder press is an advanced version of the seated dumbbell shoulder press but can lead to faster strength gains because you'll be pressing more weight.

The barbell shoulder press will stimulate the release of testosterone causing your become stronger and increasing the size of your muscles. If you dedicate yourself to this exercise, you'll definitely see results.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do The Seated Barbell Shoulder Press (Even If You've Never Lifted Weights In Your Life)" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, December 12, 2011

How To Do The Horizontal Stomach Vacuum Exercise

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Last week I showed you how to do the kneeling stomach vacuum exercise. Today I'm going to show you another way to do this abdominal exercise. I can never overemphasize the importance of developing strong abs. Abdominal muscles should be trained at least twice a week because they're necessary for back support, posture and aesthetics. But what are you gonna do if you're studying for final exams or heading home for vacation? That's where the horizontal stomach vacuums come in. And now you're going to learn how to do them.

How To Do Horizontal Stomach Vacuum Exercise

Lie down on your back on a flat, horizontal surface. Exhale, pushing all of the air from your lungs. Tighten your abdominal muscles, pulling your transverse abdominis toward your spine. Keep them tightened for thirty seconds then ease up. Rest for a twenty seconds then do it again. Do this exercise five times, holding your abs in for thirty seconds each time.

This isometric exercise will develop your inner abdominal muscles, building up the muscle and preventing the appearance of a drooping stomach. Training your abs on a regular basis and cutting body fat will give you strong, flat abs.

That's it for now. We'll see you back here next week.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do The Horizontal Stomach Vacuum Exercise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, December 5, 2011

How To Do The Kneeling Stomach Vacuum Exercise

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Last week I showed you how to do the stomach plank abdominal exercise. Today, I'm going to show you how to do stomach vacuums. This ab strengthening exercise is easy to learn and is a great way to get in a quick workout when you can't make it to the gym.

How To Do Kneeling Stomach Vacuums

The only equipment that you'll need is a flat horizontal surface in a low foot traffic area so that you won't be interrupted while working out. Get down on your hands and knees. Exhale all the air from your lungs. Now tighten your abdominal muscles, drawing them toward your spine. This isometric contraction (action performed in a non-moving position) will strengthen your transverse abdominal muscle which, if performed correctly, will help give you stronger abs. Once your muscles are contracted, hold them in for thirty seconds, then allow them to relax. Wait thirty seconds then repeat the exercise. Do this for a total of ten reps than stop.

The stomach vacuum exercise is the secret to the rock hard abs that professional body builders and action stars are known for. You need to perform them in conjunction with other ab exercises e.g. planks, hanging obliques, etc. as well as cutting body fat (by doing cardio and maintaining good nutrition habits) will ensure that your hard work pays off with a well defined six pack.

When finals are keeping you from getting to the gym, the kneeling stomach vacuum is an easy exercise to fit into your busy schedule.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do The Kneeling Stomach Vacuum Exercise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, November 28, 2011

How To Do Stomach Planks

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Allright, here's the situation: hitting the books during the last leg of the fall semester has you nailed down to your desk all day long. But you also need to do some exercises. So today I'm going to show you stomach planks. This exercise has many benefits including:

  • strong abdominal muscles
  • improves posture
  • easy to learn

This simple exercise can be done at the start of your day, so let's get started with them.

How To Do The Stomach Plank Exercise

The only thing that you need for this exercise is a flat, horizontal surface that is free of foot traffic. Lie face down on the floor. Your body weight's going to be supported on your elbows and the balls of your feet. Make sure that your body is in perfectly aligned i.e. don't arch your back or dip your stomach toward the floor. Now tighten your abdominal muscles. Tighten them as much as you can and hold this position for a thirty second count. Now relax your muscles. Take a twenty second break then tighten your ab muscles for another thirty seconds. You should begin to feel the effects in your gut after three repetitions. Repeat this until you've completed ten planks and then you're done.

Do you need some advice for getting into shape after stuffing yourself during Thanksgiving break? No problem! Check out the articles on this blog for weight lifting and fitness tips.

"Great Chest and Whole Bod Workouts: How To Do Stomach Planks" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, November 21, 2011

How To Do Weighted Step Ups

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Today I'm going to show you how to do steps ups which are very useful fitness exercise. Step ups are low impact plyometric exercises that build functional strength, endurance and burn body fat. Stair climbing is an example of this low impact exercise. But we're going to go one better. That's where weighted step ups come in. Some benefits of this exercise include:

  • neuromuscular coordination
  • enhanced grip strength
  • enhanced shoulder strength
  • refined core and back muscles
  • strong legs
This is a must learn exercise, so get ready because we're going to get started right now.

How To Do Weighted Step Ups
You'll need a pair of dumbbells, kettlebells or buckets and aerobic steps or low flat bench for this exercise. To prime your muscles and assist with familiarization of the exercise, grab a pair of light weight dumbbells. This is the start of your warm up set. Make sure the bench or steps can support your body weight as well as those of the dumbbells. The height of the steps should be 1.5 feet - 3 feet.

Take one dumbbell in each hand and hold them at your sides. Pull your shoulders back. Now, take a breath and bring your right foot onto the platform, followed by your left. Once both feet are on the platform, step back down beginning with your right foot, then your left foot. That's one repetition. Then step up leading with your left foot, followed up by your right. Step back off the platform with your left foot leading. Once you're firmly back on the floor, you've completed your second rep. Do this for a total of ten reps. After you've completed the warm up, grab a heavier pair of dumbbells to begin the real work.
Choose weights that are heavy enough to challenge your body, but not so heavy that you'll lose balance. Perform ten reps for a total of three sets then move on to another exercise e.g. box jumps, lunges, etc. Each week increase the weights by 10 - 20 pounds.

If you perform weighted step ups on a regular basis, you'll notice improved strength and endurance. This has practical applications i.e. functional strength gains for areas such as carrying objects up and down flights of stairs, across long distances, etc. 

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Weighted Step Ups" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts How To Do Barbell Ab Rollouts

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Last week, as part of my ongoing campaign to increase your knowledge of abdominal exercises, I introduced you to knee ab rollouts. This time I'm going to show you how to do barbell ab rollouts which are a more advanced version of the previous exercise.

How To Do Barbell Ab Rollouts

You'll need an Olympic bar and a pair of weight plates (10 lb or 25 lb plates) for this exercise. Place the barbell on the floor just in front of your feet. Now bend down and grasp the bar with both hands. Make sure that your knees are slightly bent. Next, roll the barbell away from your body so that your arms are fully extended. This action positions your body parallel to the floor. Now use your abdominal muscles to reverse direction. As you roll back, you'll return to the initial position. That's one repetition. Repeat this nine more times, take a short break. That's your first set. Repeat this exercise for a total of five sets. After that you can do other exercises.

Performing ab rollouts alongside dragon flags, dumbbell side bends will help strengthen your abdominal muscles. This has many benefits including good posture, minimizes chances of back injury, and aesthetics.

Chemical Romance's "Sing It Out Loud" encourages you to be assertive, the same concept applies to physical fitness. If you want to become stronger and healthier, you've got to forge ahead even when your own body wants to quit. Keep at it and you'll see results.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Barbell Ab Rollouts" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, November 7, 2011

How To Do Knee Ab Roll Outs

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Today I'm going to introduce you to the ab rollouts. Ab exercises are fantastic because they strengthen your abs which in turn improves posture and minimizes back trouble. Ab rollouts are good because they do this with the use of barbells, ab rollers, dumbbells or Swiss balls. This class of exercises is key to strength training, so now is the time to learn them.

Before we get started I want you to know something. If you're overweight and hoping this exercise is going to get you a six pack, forget it. For all your training, if you've got a lot of body fat, you won't be able to see your six pack. For people in the high body fat category, you'll need to incorporate cardio exercises into your workout routine (e.g. elliptical machine, stair climbing) to burn off the excess calories.

How To Do Knee Ab Roll Outs


You'll need a pair of flat plate dumbbells (five pounds each) for this exercise (you can also do the exercise with an ab roller). Get down on your knees and place the dumbbells on the floor just in front of you. Make sure there is approximately one centimeter space between the dumbbells. While keeping the dumbbells on the floor, grasp one in each hand. Roll outward so that your arms are extended in front of you. Now, use your ab muscles to roll the dumbbells backward until the dumbbells are touching your knees. That's one rep. Perform this exercise for twenty reps then stop for fifteen seconds. Repeat twenty more reps then go again. Take another short break and do another twenty rollouts. After you've completed three sets, you're done with this exercise.

Performing ab rollouts in conjunction with side bends, hanging obliques, bicycle crunches, etc. will give you incredibly powerful abs. This will have carryover advantages to your deadlifts, push ups, and even chin up exercises.  

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Knee Ab Rollouts" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Dumbbell Bent Over Rear Delt Fly Exercise

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Most guys want a huge looking back. It's one of the signs of a healthy, strong body. But how do you get there? Keep on reading this article because I'm about to let you in on a secret to a huge back.

Today I'm going to show you how to do dumbbell bent over rear delt flys. This compound exercise is great for the upper body because it:

  • strengthens the deltoid muscles
  • strengthens the trapezius muscles
  • strengthens the rhomboid muscles
It's not a very difficult exercise to learn, so we're going to get started right away.

How To Do Bent Over Rear Delt Flys And Develop A Huge Back

You'll need a pair of dumbbells for this exercise. Grab a pair of light weight dumbbells to begin your warm up set. Lean forward to a 25 to 30 degree angle. Bend your knees slightly. Extend your arms down in front of you, pals facing each other. Now, use your back muscles to pull each dumbbell upward and away from your body until they're at shoulder height. Go for a full range of motion.

Essentially, it's a similar to flying, your arms will move in reverse motion to those of a bird's upward wing flap. Once you've reached the top of the movement, bring your arms back to the starting position. That's one repetition. Perform nine more then take a short break. After the warm up set, grab some heavier weights. Strength trainers should aim for 4 - 6 reps and a total of five sets; for people who just want to tone up, so 10 - 15 reps for five sets.

(Some people may use an inclined bench if you have very underdeveloped back muscles but benches reduce the muscular benefit of the exercise, so start out with very light weights. If you're unable to perform the exercise unassisted, then use the bench. In this situation, you'll set the bench at a 135 degree angle, then you'll place your chest on the bench while holding the weights at your sides. From there, you'll perform the exercise as you would have without the use of the bench.)

Increase the amount by 10 pounds each week (e.g. one 10 pound dumbbell per hand this week for a total of twenty pounds, the next week choose two fifteen pound dumbbells for a total of thirty pounds) until you reach a point where you can't perform the exercise without compromising your form. In other words, don't lift more weight than your body can handle.

Dumbbell bent over reverse delt flys (as this exercise is sometimes called), will help you to develop a powerful upper body. Your posterior delts and lats will look great and your back will be huge.

Quit complaining that you'll never have a great looking body. Stop whining about being weak and out of shape. To become healthier and stronger, you've got to want it bad enough to make sacrifices. Get off the computer (or the sofa) and start working out. Now is the time.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Dumbbell Bent Over Rear Delt Fly Exercise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 24, 2011

How To Do Lateral Box Jumps

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Last week I introduced you to box jumps, a plyometric exercise that increases strength and power throughout the entire power. Today I'm going to show you how to do lateral box jumps. The lateral box jump has many benefits including:

  • neuromuscular coordination
  • strong quads
  • strong calves
  • strong glutes
  • strong bones
  • strong joints



This is a challenging exercise so you shouldn't attempt it until you've mastered the basic box jump.

How To Do Lateral Box Jumps

You'll need a sturdy box, aerobic steps or bench for this exercise. Stand to the right of the box with your feet parallel to it. Bend your knees to a 30 degree angle. Make sure to tighten your quads, hamstrings and glutes. Now jump laterally i.e. sideways over the box. Once you land on the other side of the box, jump over it again returning to your starting position. That's one repetition. Repeat this for a total of fifteen reps then take a short break, then go again for a total of three sets of lateral box jumps.


You can increase the difficulty of the exercise by increasing the height of the box. The lateral box jump is challenging because you must clear a hurdle, you're not allowed to land on the box at any point during the exercise. It takes a tremendous amount of physical strength the jump over an object, and it requires good concentration and coordination to perform a sideways jump.

Plyometrics also strengthen the bones and joints. Walking, running, jogging and dancing are all examples of plyometrics. Landing on a surface from a given height is absorption of kinetic energy. The greater the height, the greater the energy that is generated and absorbed. Strong bones and joints can absorb more kinetic energy than weak bones. Practicing box jumps can make these organs stronger and more durable.

If you do box jumps on a regular basis, your muscles will become much stronger, enabling you to jump higher. You'll have carryover to squats, deadlifts, overhead lifts (with clean and press), and even benching, thus making this a very valuable exercise.

You want a stronger, healthier and sexier body. You've got to work hard to get it. The time is now.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Lateral Box Jumps" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.


 

Monday, October 17, 2011

How To Do Box Jumps For Beginners

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If you've been searching for alternatives to the squat exercise for developing strong leg muscles, I've got a great one for you: the box jump. Why are box jumps so great? They're an incredibly powerful exercise for several reasons. As a matter of fact the box jump is a plyometric exercise that

  • strengthens your quads
  • strengthens your glutes
  • strengthens your hamstrings
  • strengthens your bones and joints
  • teaches your body how to handle load 
This exercise is so important that you must add it to your strength training routine.

Plyometrics

This article is written primarily for beginners and people who don't have a lot of lower body strength. Plyometrics are a group of exercises wherein your muscles rapidly contract, working against gravity to enable your body to leave a horizontal surface then returning again. This action teaches your body how to handle load. It requires good neuromuscular coordination and strong joints. The intent is to create faster nervous action so that body can jump higher and move faster.

Box jumps enable the body to do these things. It's one of the methods used by professional athletes e.g. basketball players to jump so high. But before you can jump like the pros, you've got to start with the basics.

How To Do Low Level Box Jumps

You'll need a sturdy box that is about six inches high ( aerobic steps will also work) and two feet wide. Make sure the box is strong enough to support your weight. Stand in front of the box with your toes pointing straight ahead, don't allow them to turn in or out. Bend your knees to about 30 degrees. Tighten your leg muscles. Now jump onto the box. It should be a light jump i.e. not producing a heavy impact when you land on the box. Now bend your knees again and jump onto the floor. Face the box again and repeat. Do twenty repetitions of this exercise (jumping onto then off the box). Take a short break then repeat for another twenty repetitions. Go for a total of three box jump sets. If you can't finish all the reps, that's allright; do as many as you can.

As you practice the box jump, you'll become better coordinated and stronger. After several weeks, you can increase the height by another six inches. The box jump will increase overall body strength, the testosterone boost will be good for both your lower and upper body strength development. This will have carryover benefits to deadlifts, squats, and benching exercises.

That's all for now. I'll be publish a new article every week. So make sure to bookmark this website.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Box Jumps For Beginners" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 10, 2011

How To Do Step Ups

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Today I'm going to show you a simple body weight exercise for the lower body. Often times people neglect leg training, focusing on the chest, arms, and back. The thing is we need strong legs. If your legs are weak, it will definitely stall your overall development. And some of the best leg training exercises can be done without weights. Which is why I'm talking about the step up. Why is this exercise so important? The benefits of the step up exercise include:

  • strong quads
  • strong glutes
  • strong hamstrings
  • strong calves
How To Do Step Ups

You'll need an elevated platform for this exercise (crates, aerobic steps or bench). Make sure the platform is sturdy enough to support your body weight. Stand in front of the platform. Now place your right foot on it and step up. Next bring your left leg up. By now both feet should be on the platform. Now step down, left leg first followed by the right leg. Do this for twenty reps then take a short break. Rest a moment then do twenty more reps. Because this is a basic exercise, I recommend performing a total of one hundred reps (spread over five sets).

You should do step ups on a regular basis, you'll begin to notice your legs have become stronger and more toned. The  exercise can also be done in conjunction with lunges, and the leg press, for good lower body development. There are also carryover benefits to squats and deadlifts.

Chemical Romance has a motivational song about making your voice heard and doing things from the heart. You're on this website because you want to learn more about exercise. You might feel self conscious about the way you look right now, maybe even angry about it. You can do something about that. Train for yourself. Workout to make yourself stronger and healthier. Do it from the heart.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Step Ups" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.   

Monday, October 3, 2011

How To Do Neutral Grip Pull Ups

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Body weight exercises are very effective strength building workouts. Today, you're going to learn about neutral grip pull ups. This exercise is very important because it:

  • strengthens your arms
  • strengthens your shoulders
  • strengthens your upper back
  • strengthens your grip
Neutral grip pull ups are essential to any strength training program, so it's very important to learn how to do them properly.

How To Do Neutral Grip Pull Ups

You'll need a neutral grip pull up bar for this exercise (depending on your strength level you can choose close grip or shoulder width bars). Place your hands on the bars. Your palms will be facing each other. Now pull yourself upward until your head is above the bar. Make sure to keep your abdominal muscles tight. This exercise is most effective when using only your upper body i.e. do NOT use your legs. After your head is above the bar, lower yourself back down to the starting position. That's one repetition. Perform nine more, then take a minute to rest before going again. I recommend performing 50 - 100 repetitions spread over multiple sets.

If you're not very strong, do the best you can. Set a goal of one rep. Once that one is done, do one more. Workout at your own pace. As you become stronger, you'll be able to perform more repetitions with less rest between sets. Once you're able to do fifteen reps in one set, you can start adding a weight belt. This will make the exercise more challenging and allow you to continue to become stronger.

Neutral grip pull ups are a fantastic way to develop upper body strength which has carryover advantages to the overhead press, bench press, rows and dips. I suggest doing this exercise on back day and arm day.

Don't waste your time dreaming about a better body. Get off the computer and exercise. The time to do it is now.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Neutral Grip Pull Ups" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved. 

Monday, September 26, 2011

"How To Do Close Grip Chin Ups"

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Hey, guys! Today I'm going to tell you about an often overlooked but very remarkable compound exercise: close grip chin ups. Why is this exercise so remarkable? Close grip chin ups have many benefits including:

  • strong triceps
  • strong shoulders
  • strong forearms
  • strong back
  • helps develop the V taper
It's also very easy to learn, so let's get started.

How To Do Close Grip Chin Ups

You'll need a chin up/pull up bar for this exercise. (Note: this exercise is for immediate to advanced strength trainers. To learn more about the basic chin up exercise watch my chin up video.) Grip the bar with both hands. Make sure that your palms are facing you (supine grip) and that both of them are touching. Now use your biceps and upper back muscles to pull yourself up. **Do not use your legs in this exercise. Some people like to "kick" or swing themselves upward, but this assistance defeats the entire purpose of chin ups.** Once you've pulled your chin above the bar, you can lower yourself down again. That's one rep. Perform ten to fifteen reps then take a break before going again. I would recommend doing no more than one hundred reps (divide them over multiple sets).

Close grip chin ups are a tougher version of the standard chin up because the latter places a lot of emphasis on your forearms. The long term benefits of this are massive forearms, incredible grip strength and a strong back. Thus the close grip chin up has carryover advantages for other exercises e.g. deadlifts,bench press. It's also good for developing the classic "V" shape. The best time to do them is on back day or chest day.

Do you want to become stronger and healthier? Of course you do. Now's your chance, guys. Seize the moment and do it.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Close Grip Chin Ups" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, September 19, 2011

How To Do The Shoulder Press With Dumbbells

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Today I'm going to show you the seated shoulder press with dumbbells. This exercise is an excellent way for beginners to develop power shoulders and overall upper body strength. Some of the benefits of the exercise include:

  • strong shoulders
  • strong biceps
  • strong core
     
You will definitely need to add this exercise to your workout routine.

How To Do The Shoulder Press With Dumbbells

You'll need a pair of dumbbells and a chair or bench for this exercise. The first thing that you need to do is warm up, so start of with light weight dumbbells. Sit up straight with you feet placed shoulder width apart. Raise the dumbbells up to your shoulders. Your palms should be facing forward. Use your shoulder muscles to press the weights above your head. Hold for a two second count then return to your starting position. That's one repetition. Repeat this nine more time to complete the warm up set.

Now grab a pair of heavier dumbbells. If your goal is to build massive shoulder muscles you want to go for lower reps (4-6) with heavier weights (five sets total); if you want to tone up, do use lighter weights and increase the repetitions (10 -15 reps for three sets). Strength trainers should increase the weights by five to ten pounds every week while keeping the number of reps and sets the same.

The overhead press with dumbbells (or dumbbell shoulder press) - as this exercise is also called - is a good way for beginners to get a feel for pressing weight overhead. Once you become stronger you can graduate to the barbell shoulder press. Another great thing about the shoulder press with dumbbells exercise is that it forces both shoulders to carry their own weight. Muscles don't always develop at the same pace, dumbbell exercises allow the weaker muscles to work much harder than they would if the stronger muscles were taking up most of the slack.

The dumbbell shoulder press will have carryover benefits to other exercises including the bench press and dips. When you're lifting heavy dumbbells you'll also stimulate growth hormone production which will be used by muscles throughout your body thereby creating overall muscular development. 

You have to choose the direction you want to take in life, to become better or just stay the same. Since you're reading this article, you obviously want to become stronger and healthier. Make good use of it. Now is the time.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do The Shoulder Press With Dumbbells" copyright 2011 Great Chest Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, September 12, 2011

How To Do Dumbbell Standing Calf Raises

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I recently showed you how to do seated calf raises. Today I'm going to show you how to do dumbbell standing calf raises. It's very important to learn a variety of calf muscle exercises to strengthen the muscles in the lower leg. Some of the benefits of the dumbbell standing calf raise include:

  • strong calves
  • improved flexibility
  • improved posture
This can also be considered a very good calf exercise for women, because strong lower leg muscles help prevent osteoporosis.

How To Do Dumbbell Standing Calf Raises

You need to start out with a warm up set, this loosens the muscles, improves circulation and helps you to develop a feel for the exercise. Grab a pair of light weight dumbbells. Stand up straight with both feet planted firmly on the floor. Make sure to hold the dumbbells at your sides. Now flex your calf muscles to push yourself on to the tips of your toes. By now you should be standing on the balls of your feet. Hold this position for a two second count then lower yourself down to the starting position. Repeat this nine more times to finish up your warm up set.

Now choose heavier dumbbells and go again. The purpose of the weights is to make your calf muscles stronger through resistance, the standing calf raise operates through plantar flexion, but it becomes a much better exercise when you must work harder against gravity. To give yourself a good calf workout, figure out what your goals are. If you want to build muscle go for six to eight reps (for a total of five sets); if you want toned calves then workout using light weights (ten to fifteen reps for five sets).

This exercise is one of the best ways to go from skinny to big calves. Each week, add weight in ten to twenty pound increments i.e. five or ten pounds per hand. Leg exercises also distinguish aesthetically proportionate physiques from those people who have huge upper bodies but tiny chicken legs. And for the ladies who are reading this article, if you want toned, sexy calves this is the workout for you.

Summer's almost over and most of you are back in school and hitting the books. Make sure to regularly train your body as well as your mind.

I'll see you back here next week for another Great Chest and Whole Body Workout.

"How To Do Dumbbell Standing Calf Raises" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Lateral Raise With Machine

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Last fall I showed you how to perform the dumbbell lateral raise. Today I'm going to show you a different version of lateral raise exercise. Instead of using free weights, you're going to use a machine. You might be asking yourself why you need to learn a different method. The answer comes down to practicality. Some benefits of doing the machine lateral raise include:

  • sculpted shoulders
  • alternative means of doing the exercise if free weights aren't available
  • improved upper body strength
How To Do The Lateral Raise With Machine

You'll need access to a lateral raise machine for this exercise. You need to start out with a warm up set, this helps to circulate blood to your muscles and gives you a feel for the exercise. Stand up straight with your feet spaced shoulder width apart. Make sure that you're facing the machine. Take a handle grip in each hand. At this point your palms will be nearly touching. Now use your shoulder muscles to raise your arms until they're parallel to the floor. Hold for a moment then lower your arms down again. Repeat this ten more times before adding more weight.

It's important to know that some machines come with elbow pads, others don't. With these machines, you must place your elbows on the pads and push your arms away from your sides; this means that your elbows will be doing much of the work. I prefer the method where your deltoid muscles are doing most of the heavy lifting, while giving the muscles in your upper back a workout, too.

Other machines are equipped for the seated position and often times you'll have to place your back against a support which causes you to face away from the machine. There's nothing wrong with the seated lateral raise machine, but you're doing less work if you're in a seated position.

Regardless of which type of machine available, you need to add weight in to become stronger. Add weight in five to ten pound increments; to build strength you should be performing between four and six reps per set (five sets tops). If you just want to tone your shoulders, exercising in the range of ten to fifteen reps per set is where you want to be.

You get out of life what you put into it. This applies to study, career, relationships and exercise. To reach your full potential, do your best and don't ever stop.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Lateral Raise With Machine" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, August 29, 2011

How To Do Lying Leg Raise With Dumbbell Turkish Get Up



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Last week I showed you how to do the dumbbell Turkish get up exercise. Today I'm going to show you another exercise that you can do at the same time. This second exercise is the lying leg raise. Doing more than one exercise at a time accomplishes several things including:

  • makes workouts more challenging
  • saves time
  • reduces rest breaks between exercises
The Turkish get up becomes more intense once you've added leg raises into the mix.

How To Do Lying Leg Raise With Dumbbell Turkish Get Up

Start out the same way you would when doing a basic dumbbell Turkish get up. Grab a light weight dumbbell and lie down on your back. Hold the dumbbell above your head, your right arm fully extended. Keep your abdominal muscles tight. Your legs should be fully extended. Now use your lower abdominal muscles to raise your feet six inches off the floor. Hold this position for a three count then lower them back down to the floor.

Next bring your right foot up and plant it firmly on the floor next to your left knee. Next, push your weight onto your left elbow. Bring yourself up to a sitting position (keep your arm fully extended above your head). Make sure that you're supporting your body weight on your left palm and right foot. Now bring your left foot back and support some body weight on the balls of your feet. After you've done this, push yourself to a standing position.

The leg raise portion of the exercise is intended to tone your ab muscles, hips and lower back. What you've just been taught is a two for one compound exercise. It's best to use light weights until you've gotten strong enough to progress to heavier weights. Once you've done ten reps, take a short break then go again. This exercise is intense but well worth it. Your whole body will become stronger and more toned.

Do you want to become stronger and healthier? Do you want to make a change for the better? There's never been a better time to get into shape than right now. It's gonna be a great day when you take the first step to a better you.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Lying Leg Raise With Dumbbell Turkish Get Up" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.



Monday, August 22, 2011

How To Do The Turkish Get Up With Dumbbell



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The Turkish get up is one of the less talked about exercises which is a shame because it happens to be very good for developing coordination and strength. The Turkish get up is an important core exercise because it:

  • improves balance
  • improves strength
  • improves posture
  • improves coordination
This is an exercise that you should definitely add to your training routine. And today I'm going to show you how they're done.

How To Do The Turkish Get Up With Dumbbell

There are many different ways to do the Turkish get up; some folks prefer kettle bells or barbells, but novices or less coordinated people should start out with light weight dumbbells (which is the focus of this article). Grab a light weight dumbbell and lie flat on your back. Extend your left leg while bringing your right foot alongside your left knee. Grasp the dumbbell with your right hand and hold it over head. Make sure that your arm is locked out. With your right foot firmly on the floor beside your left knee, push your weight onto your left elbow. Bring yourself to a sitting position while keeping the right arm locked and fully extended above your head. You should now be supporting your weight on your right foot and left palm. Next, bring your left foot back so that some of your body weight is supported on the balls of your left foot. All the while keep your right arm locked and fully extended above your head. Finally, push yourself to a standing position, while keeping the dumbbell above your head. Congratulations! You've just completed one rep of the Turkish get up.

For fun (and to make it a two part exercise), do the Turkish get up in reverse. Go from the standing position to lying flat on your back while holding the dumbbell in your right hand (all the while keeping your arm locked out). You can do it.

Turkish get ups take some getting used to, they're good for developing core strength i.e. strong abs, and back, but require a lot of concentration and balance. You're recruiting muscles in your legs, abdominals, back, shoulders and arms. Practice five per side then increase the weight by five pounds. Go for twenty reps of the Turkish get up and then do other strength training exercises. Each week increase the weight amount in five pound increments, but if you find yourself losing balance while coming up from the floor, it means that you're not ready for that weight amount.

Summer is almost over and a new school season is just around the corner. Put yourself through intense mental and physical training to sharpen your mind as well as your body. Then you'll be on the right track to accomplishing what you want in life.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do The Turkish Get Up With Dumbbell" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

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Monday, August 15, 2011

How To Do Seated Cable Row With Machines

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You know that the back possesses some of the body's most powerful muscles: lats, traps, and rhomboid. These muscles are needed for power lifting, weight lifting and functional strength. Today I'm going to introduce you to the seated cable row (sometimes referred to as the horizontal cable row), one of the most important machine exercises for the back that you'll ever learn about. Here are just a few of the benefits of the horizontal cable row:

  • strengthens the latissimus dorsi muscle
  • strengthens the rhomboid muscle group
  • strengthens the trapezius muscle
  • helps develop the classic V shape
  • simulates rowing action often used in row boating
This is an excellent exercising and definitely worth learning about.

How To Do The Seated Cable Row With Machines

You'll need access to a seated cable row machine for this exercise. You're going to start off with a warm up set, this will increase circulation to your muscles and give you a feel for the exercise. Set the weight to 30 pounds. Most machines have adjustable grips, select the type which is best for you. Sit down on the bench and place your feet on the platform. Your knees should be slightly bent. Take the grip in both hands. Tighten your ab muscles and pull the grip toward your chest.  Do NOT lean backward as you pull the grips toward you, that defeats the purpose of the exercise. If you're leaning backward, it means that the weight is too heavy for you, and you'll need to reduce the amount accordingly. Once you've pulled the grips toward your chest, hold that position for one second. At this point you should squeeze your shoulder blades together, this completes the forward action of the exercise. Next you must retract your muscles i.e. extend your arms again (this means that you'll lean forward slightly which is okay). You've just completed one repetition. Perform nine more at this weight amount to finish your warm up set.

After this, you must add more weight, but not so much that you'll arch your back or be forced to lean backward on the bench. The seated cable row is good for strength training and toning. If your goal is strength training, perform six to eight reps per set; ten or more repetitions would put you in muscle toning territory. After you've finished. five sets of the horizontal cable row you can do other back training exercises (e.g. dumbbell rows, barbell rows, pull ups). Each week add more weight while keeping the number of reps and sets consistent.

The seated cable row will help you to develop the classic V taper and give you a huge back. The exercise has carryover benefits to benching and dead lifting, too, thus making it great for back day.

Do you want to develop a stronger, sexier body? You're on this site, so the answer to that question is yes. Visualizing and believing are just as important as doing it. R.E.M. had a cool song about setting goals and taking it all the way. When you KNOW that you're the star that stands out, you'll do what it takes to reach your goals. Get out there and do it. Now.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Seated Cable Row With Machines" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, August 8, 2011

How To Do Bicycle Ab Exercise

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You want those tight abs. You need those tight abs. You know that strong abdominals muscles help with posture and make you look more attractive. Strong abs require constant work and dedication. In the latest installment of my ab exercise series, I'm going to show you how to do the bicycle crunch exercise. The bicycle crunch is important because:

  • it targets the oblique muscles
  • tightens the rectus abdominus (giving you the six pack)
  • improves posture
This exercise can be done just about anywhere, so you should definitely learn how to do them.

How To Do Bicycle Crunches

Lie on your back. Lift your legs from the floor. Now, lock your fingers behind your head. Perform a pedaling motion as if you were riding a bicycle. Use your abdominal muscles to bring your right elbow toward your left knee. Now repeat the same action with your left elbow and right knee. Keep your abs tight throughout the exercise. Set a goal of one hundred crunches, which you can divide into multiple sets i.e. performing ten to twenty-five repetitions per set.

Bicycle crunches can be done on alongside hanging obliques, dragon flag crunches, lying leg raise and Captain's chair ab exercises. Strong abs are essential to developing a tight, strong core which has carryover advantages to dead lifting, squatting and even bench pressing. If your secondary goal is aesthetics, you'll need to drop your body fat to 7 - 9 % in order to show off your six pack.

Do you want a better body? Since you're on this blog the answer is yes. Well, the only way to get a better body is to work for it. It reminds me of a song from Staind, asking if the grass is always green. It can be, if you take care of it. The same thing applies to your body: take care of it and it will take care of you.

"Great Chest and Whole Workouts: How To Do Bicycle Ab Exercise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, August 1, 2011

How To Do One Hand Push Ups



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Push ups are great for developing the chest and upper body. In the latest installment of my push ups series, I'm going to introduce you to the one hand push up. It's one of the best body weight exercise you'll ever learn. One hand push ups are important because they:

  • strengthen your chest muscles
  • strengthen your biceps
  • strengthen your triceps
  • strengthen your core
  • teach balance and coordination
  • don't require any equipment
Rocky Balboa showed the world just how challenging one arm push ups can be. The exercise isn't for the feint of heart, but once you've mastered them you'll be very pleased with yourself.

Let's get started.

How To Do One Arm Push Ups

You shouldn't attempt this exercise until you've mastered the basic push up.  For one arm push ups you'll need a horizontal surface and space to workout. Get down on the floor. Make sure that your feet are slightly more than shoulder width apart. Place your right hand on the floor, palm down. Your hand will be positioned away from the rest of your body.  Balance is the key to successful one arm push ups. Support your weight on the balls of your feet. Lower yourself toward the floor. Twist your torso in the direction of your arm. You can shift the weight on your feet away from your pushing arm. This allows you to maintain balance. Now push yourself back up. You must keep your body tight throughout the exercise. If your core is weak, you won't be able to maintain balance. I usually recommend a specific number of reps and sets when showing you how to do a given exercise. In the case of one arm push ups, I suggest that you go for ten reps per arm, because one arm push ups require a lot of upper body strength, you should start to feel it by the time you finish your fourth rep.

One arm push ups (sometimes referred to as "one arm press ups") are intense for developing your chest and triceps. It's also good for training the weaker side of your body. For example, if your bench press is lagging because one side of your chest or arm is weaker than the other, one hand push ups can be very effective in strengthening them.

Body weight exercises are convenient because they don't require any extra equipment and can be done just about anywhere which is great for times when you can't make it to the gym or don't have a membership. The best way to get good at one arm push ups is to practice, practice and practice some more. When you see how strong, you've become you'll realize that all the hard work was worth it.

Yeasayer's song "Ambling Alps" talks about overcoming obstacles and becoming a better man. Do you want to become stronger, healthier and more confident? It takes hard work and dedication to get from where you are now to where you want to be. That means sticking up for your goals to become the person that you want to be. If you want it, then go get it. Now.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do One Hand Push Ups" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, July 25, 2011

How To Do The Standing Barbell One Arm Chest Press




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Today I'm going to show you an incredibly effective body strengthening compound exercise. Compound exercises are popular in athletics because they train multiple muscle groups simultaneously thereby accelerating muscular strength and growth. The standing barbell one arm chest press exercise I'm going to show you is useful because it:

  • strengthens your pecs
  • strengthens your shoulders
  • strengthens your triceps
  • strengthens your biceps
  • strengthens your back
  • strengthens your core
It's an exercise which you won't find in many gyms, but is definitely one that you should add to your weight lifting arsenal.

How To Do The Standing One Arm Chest Press With Barbell

You'll need an Olympic bar and weight plates for this exercise. Always start out with a warm up set because this will help your body acclimate to the exercise and help you to develop proper form. Place the bar on the floor with one end perpendicular to the wall (it must be touching the wall). Add a ten pound weight plate to the end closest to you. Next, raise the bar (with weight plate) until it's at a 135 degree angle. Secure your body weight on your forward leg (in this set it should be your right leg) while simultaneously holding the bar with your right hand. Now, use your chest muscles to press the bar away from your body until your arm is fully extended (for many people this would be a 120 angle). Next, pull your arm back toward your chest; that's one rep. Repeat this action nine more times. After finishing up ten reps with your right arm, place your body weight on your left leg. Grasp the bar with your left arm and repeat the steps above for a total of ten reps.

Once you've completed your warm up set, add more weight. You want to perform four to six reps per set for a total of five sets. To develop strength more efficiently, add five pounds in weekly increments. This exercise will build a considerable amount of upper body strength - you're pressing the weight of the bar plus the plate. The standing one arm barbell chest press is a great workout for the chest and whole body. It won't take very long before you see carry over to your bench press and other upper body exercises.

Nick Drake's got a fantastic song about a guy who kept going on about what he could have been. He regretted everything because he never took action. Hesitation was his defeat. You're reading this blog because you want a stronger, healthier body. Do something about it. Get off the computer and start working out. Now is the time.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do The Standing Barbell One Arm Chest Press" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, July 18, 2011

How To Do Inclined Bench Barbell Rows

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There are many ways to use rowing exercises to strengthen your back and core muscles. Today I'm going to show you how to do the inclined barbell row exercise. This exercise has many benefits including:

  • strengthens your back
  • strengthens your shoulders
  • strengthens your chest

How To Do Inclined Bench Barbell Rows

You'll need access to an inclined bench and barbells or an inclined barbell row station (otherwise referred to as an inclined lever row machine) to perform this exercise. This article will focus on using an incline row lever machine). Start out with a warm up set. Place a 45 pound plate on the machine. The bench must be positioned between 30 - 45 degrees for proper execution of the exercise. Lie down on the bench with your feet at its lower end. Grasp the bar (or handle grips) using an overhand grip and slowly pull it toward your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. Now lower the handle grips to the starting position. That's one repetition. Perform nine more reps, this gives you a feel for the exercise and primes you for heavier lifting. Now add more weight. Strength trainers should aim for 4 - 6 reps per set, for a total of five sets.

Each week increase the weight amount in twenty-five to forty-five pound increments. If you just want to tone up, then use light weights and perform 12 - 15 reps for a total of five sets without increasing the weight amount each week.

The inclined barbell row is a fairly easy exercise for beginners and people who don't have a lot of lower back strength primarily because the bench is going to support your weight. As you become stronger, you'll be less prone to lower back problems. You'll also have added strength in your upper arms and shoulders which will have carryover advantages to your bench press.

Nickelback has a great song about living each day as if it was your last. The main point of the song is getting involved in life instead of sitting on the sidelines. If you don't like the way your body looks, if you're thin and want to put on muscle or overweight and want to get into shape, then do something about it. Make exercise a regular part of your life, you'll feel better for it. You'll become stronger, more confident and self-aware. Get started now. You'll be glad you did.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Inclined Barbell Rows" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, July 11, 2011

How To Do Bench Crunches



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Do you want tight abs? Sure you do. Well, the only way to get them is to train them (likewise, the only way that anyone will be able to see them is when you have low body fat). Today, I'm going to show you how to do bench crunches. This is a simple abs exercise that you can do at home, the gym or just about anywhere. 

How To Do Bench Crunches

You'll need a bench or chair for this exercise. Sit down on the edge of the bench and fully extend your legs. Allow one inch between the heels of your feet and the floor. Now grasp the sides of the bench with both hands. Pull your legs in toward your chest, bending your knees as you bring them in close. Now extend your legs again. That's one rep. Do a total of one hundred reps to get the most benefit out of bench crunches. You can split these into multiple sets performing ten to fifteen reps at a time. If you're in good shape you should be able to finish them in no more than two sets. You can also increase the difficulty of the exercise by holding a dumbbell in each hand. This will give your shoulders and wrists a bit of a workout, too. You should incorporate ab exercises into your regular routine because their enormous benefits including:

  • strong core
  • good posture
  • increases your height 
When you have strong abs you can deadlift and squat more weight. On top of this, strong abdominal muscles are less prone to back problems. This is very important for guys who spend a lot of time sitting at an office desk or in the classroom. So don't put them off. They're important, so do them.

Foo Fighters has an amazing song about people getting the best of other people. Are you letting life get away from you? Are you doing everything that you can to be in the best shape possible? If you're not getting the best out of life, you're letting life get the best of you. Stick around for more articles on Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Bench Crunches" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, July 4, 2011

How To Do Two Arm Dumbbell Rows

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I've devoted a lot of time to rowing because these exercises are essential to any serious strength training program. Your progress will stall if you don't develop whole body strength. Last week, I presented barbell bent over rows. Today I'm going to show you how to do two arm dumbbell rows. This compound exercise is very similar to the barbell bent over row exercise and shares many of the same benefits including:

  • strengthens and develops your back muscles
  • tones and strengthens your arms
  • tones and strengthens your core
  • tones and strengthens your chest
  • strengthens your shoulder muscles
But barbell bent over rows have a huge disadvantage because in that exercise, stronger muscle groups will compensate for the weaker ones, but using dumbbells will force every muscle to carry its own weight. Therefore, this is an exercise that you must learn so let's get started.

How To Do Two Arm Dumbbell Rows

You'll need a pair of dumbbells for this exercise. Begin with a warm up set, so grab a pair of light weight dumbbells. Use pronated grip and make sure to space your feet shoulder width apart. Bend your knees and lean forward until you're at a forty-five degree angle. Keep your neck and back in the same plane, arching your back could cause spinal cord injury. Pull your shoulder blades back. Now, use a rowing motion to pull the dumbbells toward your stomach then lower the dumbbells down. That's one rep. Do nine more reps to complete the warm up set.

After the warm up, choose heavier weights. If your goal is to develop strength, you need to perform 4 - 6 reps. Go for five sets and then do another exercise. If you can rowing in the 8 - 12 rep range, it means the weights are too light for you. On the other hand, if you're unable to do more than 1 or 2 reps per set, you need to use lighter weight dumbbells. (If your goal is pure body building, do high reps with lighter weights.)

In another article of the rowing series I showed you how to do dumbbell bent over rows. There are several distinctions between that exercise and the one I showed you today. First of all, the dumbbell row exercise discussed in this article requires two dumbbells not one. Second, both feet are firmly planted on the floor, in the other exercise you support part of your body weight on a bench. Third, the exercises target different muscles i.e. the one arm dumbbell bent over row hits the lats, whereas the two arm dumbbell row targets the lower back.

Each week increase the weights while keeping the number of reps and sets the same. Rows have a direct carryover to dead lifts, pull ups and chin ups all of which require tremendous back strength. They also boost testosterone production and muscle growth which will help your bench press. So stick with them. Don't overtrain because this leads to stalling and injury, but do make rowing part of your regular strength training routine.

Listen, dude, you know that you're on this blog to learn about strength training and weight lifting. Well, summer's here. It gets me to thinking about a song about time. Don't let time slip away, and miss out on opportunities to become stronger and to get into shape. You can't play it cold and expect good results. Stop dreaming about what you want to do. Just DO. Now.

"Great Chest Workouts: How To Do Two Arm Dumbbell Rows" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, June 27, 2011

How To Do Barbell Bent Over Rows

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Rows are among the best compound exercises you'll ever do. In a previous post, I showed you how to do dumbbell bent over rows. Now I'm going to show you to do the exercise with a barbell. The barbell bent over row is very important because it:

  • strengthens and develops your back muscles
  • tones and strengthens your core
  • tones and strengthens your shoulders
  • tones and strengthens your arms
  • strengthens and develops your chest
The bent over row with barbells is the big cousin of the exercise with dumbbells and is essential to the continued progression of any strength training workout. So now, let's get started.

How To Do Barbell Bent Over Rows

You'll need a barbell for this exercise, you can choose from either the fixed or Olympic barbells, but the exercise becomes more challenging (and thus better) if you use the Olympic bar, so we're going to focus on the Olympic bar for this very reason. It's always important to start out with a warm up set, this helps loosen up your muscles and prime them for the exercise. Add some weight to the bar - just enough for a warm up set (e.g. sixty pounds). Now, pick of the bar using a pronated grip (palms facing you); you can use either shoulder width (for more core development) or wide grip (greater emphasis on shoulders, chest and upper back).

The next thing that you must do is bend your knees. Now lean forward until you're at a 45 degree angle. Do not arch your back, this could do severe damage to your spine. Make sure that your head and back are correctly aligned. Using a rowing motion to pull the bar toward your stomach. Now lower the bar to your starting position. That's one repetition. Do nine more then add more weight. You'll want to add enough to provide resistance but not to the point that you won't be able to perform the exercise. In other words, the weight amount should allow for four to six repetitions per set; after five sets of this exercise you can do something else. Each week add twenty pounds while keeping the number of reps and sets consistent.

The barbell row takes a little time to learn, but once you've mastered it, you'll experience fantastic strength gains.

Some of you are taking classes this summer. Have you found the right balance between studying and exercise? Increased mental awareness is correlated with physical exercise. Make time for both of them.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do The Barbell Bent Over Row" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, June 20, 2011

How To Do Side Step Push Ups



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The more you challenge yourself the stronger you become. Today I'm going to show you the most intensely challenging push ups exercise to date in my push ups series. This exercise is very important to strength training because it combines horizontal and vertical motion. Once you've done one set of this type of push up, you'll know that you've had a great chest and whole body workout.

How To Do Side Step Push Ups

Push ups are body weight exercises so the only thing you'll need is a flat horizontal surface with enough area to move around in. Extend your legs behind you, you'll support part of your weight on the balls of your feet (keep your feet close together). Place both palms face down on the floor, making sure that they are shoulder width apart. Tighten your abs and keep your back straight, you must not arch your back at anytime during this exercise. Now, lower your chest to within one inch of the floor then press yourself back up to your starting position. Now comes the challenging part of the exercise: while holding in this position (upper body supporting most of your weight), move your left palm arm until it is directly next to the right palm. Now move your right palm one space to the right. Next move your right leg one space to the right. Then move your left leg one space to the right until there is little space between both feet. That completes one full repetition of the push up side step exercise.

Depending on how much space is available, do five step push ups moving to the right and then five step push ups toward the left. This push ups variation is harder than others because you have to learn to coordinate your movements in three dimensions (up, down and to either side). It's a very useful exercise with many strength training and conditioning benefits including:

  • strong biceps
  • strong shoulders
  • strong triceps
  • strong chest
  • strong abdominals
  • strong upper back
  • teaches coordination between arms and legs   
Side step push ups will take a little time to master. If you have underdeveloped upper body strength or tire easily, limit yourself to one set. Each week add another set while keeping the number of reps the same. Once you're in good physical condition you should be doing at least five sets (or 50 reps) of side step push ups.

Summer's here now. Are you going to spend it moping around with downcast eyes and feeling sorry for yourself because you're out of shape? Don't hide out in your room all day sitting around playing video games on your computer, get out into the sun! So what if you don't have a gym membership or equipment! You don't have any excuses now. Push ups are an excellent body weight exercise because you don't have to go out and buy any equipment, and they can be done just about anywhere. Turn off the computer or the TV and workout! Now is the time, guys.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Step Push Ups" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, June 13, 2011

How To Do The Machine Lateral Side Raise

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Today I'm going to show you the machine lateral raise which is an alternative to the dumbbell lateral raise exercise.

How To Do The Machine Lateral Side Raise

You'll need access to a lateral raise machine. Some machines are equipped with pads, others don't have pads but the principle is the same. You'll need to do a warm up set, this loosens up your muscles and gives you a feel for the exercise. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder width apart. Grasp the hand grips. Now, take a deep breath and use your shoulder muscles to lift the weight until your arms are at shoulder height. Now, breathe out as you lower your arms to your sides. That's one rep. Complete nine more reps and then add more weight.

You need to add enough weight to create a challenge for your muscles. Strength building range is four to six reps, if your plan is to tone your muscles then perform eight or ten repetitions. Go for five sets up the machine lateral raise, then do other shoulder exercises e.g. pull ups, dips, etc.

The machine lateral raise is very useful because it:
  • trains the lateral deltoid muscles
  • trains the muscles in your upper back
  • gives you another option for training your lateral delts
Although free weights are the strength trainer/weight lifter's best choice, you should discount machine weights. Put another way, if you get to the gym only to find that all of the free weights are taken, are you just gonna go home? If you really want to become stronger, you'll use everything that's available to you including machines, body weight exercises, etc.

Summer's almost here. Are you ready for it?

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts - How To Do The Machine Side Lateral Raise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, June 6, 2011

How To Do The Dumbbell Wrist Curl Exercise



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We all need strong wrists. You can't carry heavy objects or lift weights when you have weak wrist muscles. Imagine carrying a heavy suitcase or bag of groceries if your muscles are weak. Your weight lifting progress would also suffer - the deadlift, farmer's walk and bench press are three exercises that depend on strong wrists. So, to get those muscles into shape I'm going to show you how to do the dumbbell wrist curl. It's a must do exercise for anyone who wants strong wrists.

How to do the Dumbbell Wrist Curl Exercise

Before we get started I want to point of some of the benefits of the wrist curl with dumbbells. This exercise is important because it:
  • strengthens the forearm flexor muscles 
  • strengthens the forearm extensor muscles
  • improves wrist flexibility
You're going to start off with a warm up set, so grab a light weight dumbbell. Sit down and rest your forearm on your knee. Hold the dumbbell so that closed fist is pointing toward the ceiling (also referred to as the supinated position). Next, use your forearm muscles to flex your wrist. Curl your wrist as far upward as you can. Now use your wrist muscles to lower the weight to the starting position. That's one rep. Do this again until you have completed ten reps. Repeat the warm up set with the other wrist. After your warm up, it's now time to select a heavier weight. The objective of the dumbbell wrist curl (or dumbbell wrist flex) exercise is to develop strong wrists, you'll need a weight that is heavy enough for four to eight reps. Perform five sets of the exercise and then stop. Your wrists might feel a bit sore by the time you're finished with this exercise but it will be worth it. Each week increase the weight amount by five pounds while keeping the number of reps and sets consistent.

There are other ways to do the wrist curl exercise including pronated dumbbell wrist flex (palms facing down), and the barbell wrist curl. The barbell wrist flex has the advantage of training both wrists at the same time. The disadvantage of that particular exercise is that if one wrist is weaker than the other, the stronger arm will have to compensate. So if you want to look at the advantage of the wrist curl with dumbbells, each wrist must carry its own weight. In other words, they can develop at their own pace. The weaker wrist can be trained using more reps e.g. six reps on the less developed forearm as opposed to four reps for the stronger wrist. Once strength is equal on both sides, you can adjust the reps accordingly.

The dumbbell wrist curl exercise is a great way to develop forearm strength and flexibility. If you practice the exercise regularly, you should see results in a few weeks. Just keep at it and don't give up.

Summer is less than three weeks away. Are you getting ready for it? Get into the best shape you can be by reading Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts.

"How To Do The Dumbbell Wrist Curl Exercise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.    

Monday, May 30, 2011

How To Do Seated Calf Raises





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When most people think about strength training, bench press is the first thing that comes to mind. But the truth of the matter is this: you're at your strongest when you train all of the major muscle groups. You need to work on your upper body, abs, back, glutes and legs. This is how you develop good body symmetry, posture, strength, etc. So today, I'm going to show you how to develop your lower leg muscles - more specifically your calves - with the seated calf raise exercise.

How To Do Seated Calf Raise

You'll need access to a seated calf raise machine and weight plates. For a warm up set grab a light weight plate (35 or 45 pounds) and place it on the machine. The seated calf raise is just what it sounds like, so sit down. Now, adjust the seat so that your knees can fit firmly under the pads but not so firm that it prevents you from flexing. The next thing that you must do is place the balls of your feet on the platform. Now, flex your calf muscles so that you're pushing off from the balls of your feet. By doing this your knees press against the pads raising the weights up. Now lower your heels to the floor. That's one rep. (The calf raise involves plantar flexion, so you must flex your ankles in order to do the exercise correctly.) Do ten reps for your warm up set then grab more weight. You want to be able to complete at least six reps of this exercise, if you can't do that many you need to lessen the weight (if you can do more than ten reps, the weight is too light). After doing five sets of seated calf raises, you can move on to another exercise.

The seated calf raise is different than the standing calf raise machine or the standing dumbbell calf raise. The seated calf raise places all of the emphasis on your knees and legs. The standing calf raise machine or standing dumbbell calf raise exercise train the upper body as well as the legs. So, what's it good for? The biggest benefit of the seated calf raise would be for people who can't stand stand for long periods of time but still want to exercise their calf muscles. If your leg muscles are weak the seated calf raise is a good starter exercise, after you've become stronger you can progress to other exercises.

Summer is now less than one month away. How are you going to spend it? Making your body stronger, and more powerful or sitting at home reading fitness blogs all day? Get out there and train. You'll be glad that you did.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do the Seated Calf Raise Exercise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved. 

Monday, May 23, 2011

How To Do Inclined Knuckle Push Ups



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In the latest installment of my push up series, I'm going to show you how to do inclined knuckle push ups (otherwise referred to as the inclined fist push ups). Since you've been following this blog, you know that body weight exercises are excellent for developing functional strength. The convenience of body weight exercises is that you don't need any equipment and they can be done just about anywhere. As for the fist push up, there benefits are endless.

The inclined knuckle push up is an incredible compound exercise because it:

  • strengthens chest muscles
  • strengthens biceps
  • strengthens triceps
  • strengthens wrists
  • strengthens knuckles
  • strengthens back muscles
  • strengthens core muscles

This is an exercise that you should add to your fitness routine. Next, I'm going to show you how to do them.

How to do Inclined Knuckle Push Ups

In this exercise I'm doing inclined knuckle fist push ups. For this exercise you'll need a chair, bench, or steps to serve as an elevated platform. Place both feet on the platform, the balls of your toes should be touching it. Extend your legs behind you. Make two fists and put them knuckles down on the floor. Make sure that your fists are shoulder width apart. Keep your body in a straight line while keeping your abdominal muscles tightened. Now, using your chest and biceps, push up from the floor. Hold for a second then lower yourself to within an inch of the floor. Do ten reps per set, you can stop after five sets.

Knuckle push ups can be tough if you've never done them before. But stick with it. Each week increase the number of repetitions by ten. In other words, for the first week do fifty reps, the second week do sixty fist press ups and the third week do seventy. This exercise is challenging; it makes you stronger while boosting your endurance and stamina. Keep them up and you'll notice a strength carryover to your bench press.

Now I want to give you a head ups: summer is barely one month away. It's going to be here before you know it. The only way to be in shape by the time it comes is to start training. Now is a good time.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How to do Inclined Knuckle Push Ups" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.    

Monday, May 16, 2011

How to do Barbell Romanian Deadlifts



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You've been reading my dumbbell deadlift series. You've experienced incredible strength gains by practicing heavy lifting with dumbbells. You've come a long way. Congratulations. But now you know that you've progressed as far as you can with those exercises. You need to ratchet things up in order to continue gaining strength. Now it's time to do barbell romanian deadlifts, this is the big brother of the dumbbell Romanian deadlift. There are a lot of benefits to doing the Romanian deadlift with barbells because it:

  • strengthens your back muscles
  • strengthens your hamstrings
  • strengthens your core
  • strengthens your glutes
  • strengthens your wrists
  • strengthens your grip
  • promotes muscle growth
     
How To Do Barbell Romanian Deadlifts

You'll need an Olympic bar and weight plates for this exercise. Do a warm up set first. Foot placement is essential when doing Romanian deadlifts. Place your feet under the bar, the distance between them must be shoulder width apart. Make sure that your toes are pointing forward. The next thing you will do is bend down to grip the bar. Keep your back straight when you do this, any arching could do serious damage to your spinal cord and the muscles in your back. Grip is also important. You can use either the pronated, supinated or alternate grip. Pronated (palms away) is by far the most difficult and awkward of the grip styles and it puts unnecessary strain on your wrists, so I advise against it. Supinated (palms facing you) is much better and is used by many experienced lifters. The alternate grip is useful when grip strength isn't equal i.e. one hand has greater strength than the other. In the demo I use alternate grip to demonstrate how it is used. Grasp the bar in the ridges not the smooth part.



After you've taken hold of the bar, it's time to execute the lift. Take a deep breath. Now use your glutes to push yourself to a fully upright position. Stand up straight, and draw your shoulders back. You'll be calling on muscles in your back, legs and and glutes to help you lift the weight off the floor. Pulling your shoulders back is good for developing upper body strength. Hold for a three second count. Now lower the weight to the floor. That's one rep. Repeat this for ten reps. After your barbell romanian deadlifts warm up set, choose heavier weight plates. If strength is your goal you must lift heavy. That means going for three to six reps per set for a total of five sets. If you can't do that many, then you need to get lighter weight plates. If you only want to tone or build muscle size, you can go for ten or twelve reps per set, but use lighter weights when doing the exercise.

Strength trainers must add more weight every week. Increase the amount by twenty-five to fifty pounds, you want to maintain consistency with the number of reps and sets that you complete. Romanian dead lifts are a compound exercise that produces functional strength. It's an excellent whole body workout that produces strength for benching, pull ups, squats, dips, etc.



Dead lifting is also a great exercise for burning extra fat. Heavy lifting stimulates production of testosterone and other growth hormones which lead to increased size. It also speeds up your metabolism and helps you to burn fat. So if you want to lose the fat pounds in time for summer, you should do deadlifting.

Summer is just a little more than a month away. Do you want to spend it as a flabby out of shape guy who tires easily? or do you want to be strong and active with lots of energy? Since you're reading Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts, you want to become stronger. So get off the computer and start exercising.

(second photo depicts dead lift at 315 pounds which is 74 percent of my 1 RM)

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Barbell Romanian Deadlifts" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, May 9, 2011

How To Do Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts




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I've been bringing you a lot of deadlift articles because deadlifting is one of the most important muscle building/strength training exercises that you will ever do. All you have to do is look at powerlifters to see how useful they are in generating strength, power and and mass. But strength trainers and body builders can get just as much benefit from deadlifting. This time I'm going to show you how to do the stiff leg deadlift with dumbbells. Dumbbell stiff leg deadlifts are an excellent compound exercise because they:

  • strengthen the lower back muscles
  • strengthen abdominal muscles
  • stimulate growth hormone production and release 
So I'm not going to waste time showing you how they're done.

How To Do Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts

You'll need a pair of dumbbells for this exercise. First do a warm up set. Grab a pair of light weight dumbbells and place them in front of you on the floor. While keeping your legs straight, lean over and take a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your back straight - arching your back can lead to serious injury. Use your core muscles to pull yourself upright. Keep your shoulders back. Hold for a moment then lower the weights down again. Do this for ten reps then choose heavier weights. In the demo I used 50 pound dumbbells because that amount is good for a warm up set. Do not lift heavy during the warm up, save that for the rest of the workout.

Choose dumbbells that are heavy enough to perform four to six reps of the stiff leg deadlift. If you can do more than six reps the weights are too light, if you can only do a couple of reps the weights are too heavy. Do five sets of the exercise. Your goal is to lift for strength but not taking it to fatigue. After finishing up your sets, do some other back exercise e.g. pull ups, rows, etc.

Each week increase the amount that you lift, as you become stronger the exercises will become easier. That's what you want, steady progression. Once you've gotten as far as you can with the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift you'll be ready for the barbell version of the exercise.

You'll notice increased strength and power that will translate to other exercises. Just see how much your benching, dips, push ups, pull ups, leg press, etc. improve with deadlifting. That's how important this exercise is.

Summer is only weeks away. Do you want to spend those months weak and flabby or do you want to have a strong, sexy body? Exercise is the way to get it. So get off the computer and workout. Now would be the time.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, May 2, 2011

How To Do Hand Clap Push Ups




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Do you like push ups? Sure you do. They're a fantastic compound exercise, push ups strengthen the biceps, chest and abs. You can do push ups just about anywhere, and they're a good substitute for the bench press. But doing standard push ups can get boring after a while. And we all know how dangerous boredom is. Boredom leads to slacking and slacking leads to stagnation and stagnation leads to giving up. Continuously challenging yourself is the best weapon against boredom. So I'm going to show you how to do hand clap push ups which are a fun and challenging variation on your basic push up. Pay close attention to the video in the how to section of this article to see how they're done.

How To Hand Clap Push Ups

You have to master the basic push up before you can do the hand claps. You need a flat horizontal surface. Put both palms on the floor, make sure that they're shoulder width apart. Extend both legs, you'll be supporting your body weight on the balls of your feet and palms. Keep your back straight and lower your chest to within an inch of the floor. Now push yourself back up again in an explosive movement. This is critical to the next part of the exercise. At the top of the movement, clap your hands together, then quickly place your palms down on the floor again. If you don't push yourself up with enough force you won't be able to clap your hands. If you're too slow placing your palms back on the floor, then you'll fall flat on it. A successful hand clap push up is: lower + PUSH UP + CLAP.

Hand clap push ups hone your reflexes, build up your endurance and help you develop a stronger body. Go for at least ten reps rest then go again. Don't be surprised if you don't finish more than a few reps when you first start out. It takes practice to become good at hand clap push ups. But if you'll get better if you stick with them.

Summer is getting closer day by day. Are you going to have the same body that you had last year or are you going to become stronger, leaner and more powerful? Get to the gym and start working out. Today.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Hand Clap Push Ups" copyright 2011 Great Chest Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, April 25, 2011

How To Do The Dumbbell Calf Raise

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Do you want strong calves? Of course you do. Without strong calves you wouldn't be able to jump, walk, run or even stand properly. So I'm going to show you how to do a simple calf strengthening exercise. It's called the dumbbell calf raise and it comes in handy for developing powerful calf muscles.

How To Do Dumbbell Calf Raise

You'll need a pair of dumbbells for this exercise. Take one dumbbell in each hand (start with at least 40 pounds). Hold the dumbbells at your sides. Use your calf muscles to push your heels off the floor. Stand on the balls of your feet. Hold this position for two seconds then lower yourself to starting position. Now raise yourself onto the balls of your feet again. Stop after ten reps. Take a five second break then do it again. Do ten sets of this exercise. Your muscles may feel like they're on fire but if you do this exercise on a regular basis, you'll have muscular, powerful calves.

Summer is just under two months away. Don't sit around dreaming about having a better body, do something about it. Get up and start exercising. Now.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Dumbbell Calf Raise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, April 18, 2011

How To Do The Captain's Chair Leg Raise





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The captain's chair leg raise is an ab exercise for beginners and others who aren't able to do the more more difficult exercises e.g. hanging obliques. The captain's chair workout is good for exercising the lower abdominals and hips. Because of the relative ease of the captain's chair leg raise, I'll get to how they're done.

How To Do The Captain's Chair Leg Raise

To do this exercise, you'll need a captain's chair. This is an apparatus with a back support, arm rests and hand grips. They often double as a triceps dip station in most gyms. Climb onto the captain's chair. Place your back on the support, rest your forearms on the pads and take hold of the grips. Now use your ab muscles to raise your legs upward until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your feet should be perpendicular to the floor, your toes pointing toward the ceiling. Hold this position for three seconds, keep your muscles tight. Then lower your legs to the starting position. Perform ten reps of this exercise, that's your first set. Take a moment to rest then repeat for four more sets for a total of fifty reps.

An easier way to do leg raises on this apparatus is to bend your knees. Next, use your abs to raise your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. (Unlike in the first exercise, your feet will also be parallel to the floor.) Hold the position for three seconds. Now lower your legs to starting position. Repeat for the same number of sets and reps as in the above exercise.





Once you've mastered the captain's chair leg raise, you should be strong enough to do the hanging obliques. In the meantime, in addition to the captain's chair, train your abs with lying leg raises and crunches. Your abs will be on fire but these exercises make for a stronger core and improved posture.

Don't sit around dreaming about a better body. Get off the computer and start training. Summer is only two months away.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do The Captain's Chair Leg Raise" copyright 2011 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.