Monday, January 30, 2012

Two In One: How To Do The Side Arm and Front Arm Raise

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Are you ready for a challenge? Today I'm going to show you how to get two workouts at the same time with dumbbell front arm raise and dumbbell side raise. This combined workout has many benefits including:

  • saves you time
  • strengthens your shoulders
  • strengthens your pecs
  • strengthens your biceps
  • strengthens your triceps
This is a compound exercise that you should definitely be adding to your fitness training arsenal.

How To Do The Dumbbell Front Arm Raise and Side Arm Raise

You need to start off with a warm up set, so grab a pair of light weight dumbbells. Stand up straight. Hold the dumbbells in front of you. Now, raise your arms in front of you until they're perpendicular to your upper body. Use your chest and shoulder muscles to do this. Now, lower the weights to the starting position. That's one front arm raise.


Next, raise each arm upward from the side, stopping once you've formed a "T". You'll be relying mostly on your shoulder muscles for this part of the exercise. Now lower your arms again, returning to your starting position. That's one repetition of the side arm raise.


Next, do another front arm raise, followed by a second side arm raise. Keep alternating between these exercises until you've completed ten reps of each.

Now that you've finished warming up, get a pair of heavier weights. If your goal is to build muscle, use heavy weights and low reps (4 - 6), if you want to tone up, go for high reps (15 rep) with low weights. You only need to complete three sets because this is a combined workout. Once you're done with the last set, you can do something else.


This exercise is an easy way to build powerful chest and massive shoulders, giving you incredible upper body strength.

Winter break is over and it's time to hit the books again. But don't forget to exercise. Visit Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts each week to learn strength training tips that you can use all year round.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: Two In One: How To Do The Side Arm and Front Arm Raise" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Get A Grip With Door Grabs

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Say that you pick up a heavy object only for it to fall crashing to the floor because your grip is too weak. What are you gonna do? Today I'm going to show you how to do door grabs - one of the easiest gripping exercises you'll ever learn.

How To Do Door Grabs

You'll need a door with hinges that are strong enough to support your weight. Grasp the open door with your thumb and forefinger. Pretend that you're sitting in an imaginary reclining chair. Lean back in the opposite direction of the door until your arm is fully extended. Hold this position for 60 seconds then switch hands and repeat for another 60 seconds. Continue alternating between both hands until you've completed twenty reps (ten minutes per side).

You might notice that you'll have greater difficulty maintaining your grip once you get past the fifth or sixth rep. That's normal. Just do the best you can until you've completed ten reps for both hands. If you can't hold your grip for at least thirty seconds on your first rep, it means that you have a lot of work to do. But keep it up because like any other exercise, regular training yields results.

Door grabs build functional strength which means it will help you to maintain a solid grip on heavy objects with little chance of dropping them. In terms of weight lifting, door grabs are beneficial for deadlifts, cleans, dumbbell rows, farmers walk, etc.

That's it for this week. Look forward to next week's article on Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: Get A Grip With Door Grabs" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Do Inclined Push Ups To Get Powerful Pecs

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Are you looking for an exercise that will give your upper body and amazing workout? Then you're in luck because today I'm going to show you how to do incline push ups. This is one of the most amazing strength training exercises that you'll ever learn. Why? Because incline push ups are a total compound exercise with many benefits including:

  • strengthens pecs
  • strengthens shoulders
  • strengthens biceps
  • strengthens wrists
  • strengthens abdominal muscles
  • convenient for people who can't get to the gym
Now that you know what this exercise can do for you, I'm going to show you how to do them.

How To Do Incline Push Ups

You'll need a chair, bench or sturdy elevated platform for this exercise. To start, place both hands on the bench. The next thing you need to do is extend both legs behind you. Much of your body weight is going to be supported on the balls of your feet. Keep your back straight, arching screws up the exercise not to mention is dangerous for your spinal cord. Keep your abdominal muscles tight, too.

Now, lower your chest to within an inch of the bench. Squeeze your shoulder blades together (imagine that you're squeezing an orange between them). Much of the incline push up work is done by the pecs, so use your chest muscles to push yourself back to the starting position. That's one rep. Do nine more reps, take a fifteen second break then do another set of ten push ups.

I recommend doing three sets of incline push ups, to build up your chest muscles.

If you aren't strong enough to do ten per set, cut the number of reps down to a number you can manage. You can also support your weight on your knees but this will lower the challenge of the exercise.

Each week increase the number of sets until you're able to complete 100 inclined push ups (i.e. ten sets of ten push ups).

This is an excellent exercise for people on the go. If you don't have time to hit the gym, just do some incline push ups. This exercise also has carryover benefits to the bench press. The stronger your chest, the more you can bench press. And if you really want to give your chest a grueling workout, mix up incline push ups and dips.

Winter break is almost over! When classes start up again, make the time to strengthen your body as well as your mind. Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts is here to help with that.

See you next week.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: Do Inclined Push Ups To Get Powerful Pecs" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, January 9, 2012

How To Do Oblique Exercises On The Captain's Chair

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The obliques are some of the toughest muscles to train. They're responsible for giving you a strong core and back support but most people have absolutely no idea how to properly train them. Today I'm going to show you an easy but effective exercise to give your obliques a real work.

How To Do Oblique Exercises Using The Captain's Chair

For this exercise you'll need access to a captain's chair apparatus. Climb onto the captain's chair and place your back on the support. Rest your forearms on the pads and take hold of the grips. Your weight will be supported on the elbow pads. Allow your legs to extend toward the floor. Now, bend your knees and pull them toward your left side. Hold for a one second count them lower them to the starting position. That's one rep.

Now bend your knees again and pull them upward toward your right side. Hold for one second then return to the starting position. Repeat this for fifteen reps then take a ten second break before going again. To get the most benefit from this exercise, you should perform 45 - 60 reps spread over 3 - 4 sets.

The captain's chair oblique exercise is an alternative to the hanging obliques exercise. Training your abs isn't as hard as it may seem. The key is to make the workouts as challenging and intense as possible in order to promote muscular strength and development.

Tight obliques will enhance the classic V taper that most guys aspire to create. Strong obliques also provide good core support which comes in handy when performing dead lifts and presses.

The way to get a head start on getting that toned, strong physique in time for the summer months is to start working out right now.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Oblique Exercises On The Captain's Chair" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, January 2, 2012

How To Do Finger Tip Push Ups



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Push ups rank among the best strength training exercises around. You'd be surprised how powerful you can become by simply doing body weight exercises. Push ups are also versatile, once you've mastered one style, there are plenty more to do.

Today I'm going to show you how to do finger tip push ups. This exercise is physically demanding, and is a great way to develop strength. Some of the benefits of finger tip push ups include:
  • strong chest
  • strong biceps
  • strong triceps
  • strong core
  • strong phalangeal joints
People with arthritis should consult a physician before doing this exercise.

How To Do Finger Tip Push Ups

The only equipment that you'll need for this exercise is a flat, horizontal surface. Spread your fingers and place them on the floor. Make sure that your hands are shoulder width apart. Extend your legs behind you. You'll be supporting your weight on the balls of your feet and your finger tips. Make sure that your feet are close together.

Keep your back straight and your abs tight. Now, lower your chest until it is within one inch of the floor. Use your chest and triceps to push your body upward until your arms lockout. That's one push up.

Depending on your strength level, you should be able to perform at least ten reps without stopping. As you become stronger and more adept, you'll be able to increase the number of reps and sets you perform.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Finger Tip Push Ups" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.