"Do my arms look gross to you?"

A few days ago I completed one of the best arm workouts I had ever done. I guess the stars were aligned perfectly that night, or maybe there was just something in the air going around, but everything worked out as ideal as possible. 

Two scoops of pre-workout and my favorite tank top had me feeling myself a little bit as I walked to the free weight section. As I saw Somerville walking over to meet me by the dumbells, I knew it was go time. 

Superset 5 x 8

Skull Crushers x Straight Bar Curls

Superset 5 x 10

Heavy Straight Bar Push downs x Standing Dumbell Curls

Superset 5 x 20

Bench Dips x Straight Bar Push Downs (half reps, bottom to middle)

Superset 5 x 20

Preacher Curls x Reverse Curls

Superset 5 sets

28 method Straight Bar Curls x Body Weight Tricep Extensions (20 reps)

After this lift, Michael walked up to me and quietly asked "Do my arms look gross to you?" Yeah, the pump is that real. 

Have a hell of a workout, and have an even better day... GetFit

Power Stance

Currently, I am reading a book called Total Recall and it is on the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Within its 1200+ pages, there has been one message in particular that I have noticed. Train hard, train often, and damnit train your legs! Power resignates from the ground up which means those legs are your building blocks. He gives some specifics to leg training so you guys are in for an exceptional workout.

Back Squat: Warm up + 4 sets

- Reps are 15, 12, 10, 6

- Make sure your toes are < 8 deg. angled outwards otherwise you are missing out on some inner thigh muscle growth

Deadlift (Conventional, Sumo, or Stiff Leg): 4 sets

- Reps are 10, 10, 8, 8

Superset: Leg Extensions X Leg Curls

- 5 X 12

Calf Raises: 10 X 15

- Arnold was crazy about developing his calves!

This workout may take a little longer than you are used to but always remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. 

Ladies

Your workout will also be for the lower body, but will focus more on bodyweight movements and various jumps. 

Jump Squats: 5 X 15

Lunges: 4 X 20 (10 each leg)

Single Leg Good Mornings: 4 X 10

- Stand on one leg (completely straight) and bend out under parallel with the ground then return to upright position. You should feel it in your hamstring/glutes.

Calf Raises: 4 X 20

- Vary the angle of your feet

Build your backside

Back day. A day that lifters everywhere seem to neglect for some crazy reason. But why is this? Back day should be a staple in every week that you look forward to starting Sunday night.

Mr. Olympia, the most competitive body building competition in the entire world seems to be a close call every year. When it comes down to it though, the judges typically end up making decisions based on who looks good ALL AROUND. I have heard of so many body builders losing simply due to the fact that they look "soft" from the backside.

The last thing you want is to look weak from behind. Listen to that, it just sounds awful. Build your back with this hell of a workout that includes both compound and isolation exercises.

Close Grip Pulldowns (Rep Hold Method)- 4 x 15, 12, 10, 8 (increase weight each set)

Dead Lifts- 5 x 12, 10, 8, 8, 15

Superset
Wide Grip Pull Ups- 4 x 12
Dumbell Pullovers- 4 x 15, 12, 10, 8

Superset
Sitting Rows- 4 x 8
One Arm Dumbell Rows- 4 x 8

Close Grip Chin Ups (assisted if necessary)- 4 x Until Failure

Have a great day!

Upper Body Blast

With summer coming up, the pressure to develop and chisel your body is rising as the days go by and Muscle Insider has got your back. Here's the ultimate upper body blast that will start your week off with a bang:

4 X 10 for each movement 

Shoulder Press

Incline Arnold Press

Bent over Barbell row

BB Curls

Close grip Bench Press 

No cables or machines today, ALL IRON!

Ladies,

Grab a pair of DBs - between 5 and 15 lbs and get a treadmill. Here's a circuit that I've hit before and felt lean/shredded afterwards. 

1 min @ 6 MPH

15 DB Squats

1 min @ 7 MPH

15 DB Curls

1 min @ 8 MPH

10 Lateral Raises

1 min @ 7 MPH

15 DB Rows

1 min @ 6 MPH 

15 Shoulder Presses

10 min @ 5 MPH

You don't have to use my speeds obviously, but I provided them simply to give a starting point. I hope everybody rocks their workout and #GetFit. 

Why be good when you could be great?

Standing military press- 30, 15, 12, 10, 10, 8, 8

Shrugs (heavy)- 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Superset 4 sets

Hammer strength machine- 8 reps

Upright rows- 10 reps

Superset 4 sets

Face pulls- 10 reps 

Rear delt flyes- 12 reps

The workout itself is short, therefore there are no excuses for low intensity. Keep the intensity high and you'll be feeling this one tomorrow. On shrugs, go heavy. Going heavy will help put some size on those beloved traps. Personally, I use wrist straps to maintain a solid grip on the bar while still adding weight every time. For the upright rows, grab a plate. On the way down, count to eight for each rep. 

"Remember everything is reps, reps, reps."

Have a good weekend. 

Back - Bodyweight Edition

As of late I've been obsessing over bodyweight movements. They are an exceptional way to improve vascularity and burn fat (two things that don't sound too shabby to me). So today's workout won't consist of lots of different movements, but instead different rep/grip/speed variations. 

Pull Ups: 4 X 10

- Wide Grip

- Regular Speed

Rows: 4 X 12-15

- Shoulder Width

- Overhand 

- Regular Speed

Pull Ups (Use assistance machine if necessary) 3 X 10

- Regular Grip

- 3 sec hold at top

Rows: 3 X 10

- Underhand Grip

- 5 Sec hold

Pull Ups: 1 X AMAP

- 5 sec negatives

Rows: 1 X AMAP

- 5 sec negative 

Ladies, this workout applies to you as well but do one less set than listed above except for the single set of negatives. P.S AMAP stands for as many as possible. #GetFit and enjoy today's variation.

Destroy your arms

Arm day. Let's get it. 

Superset

Close grip chin ups- 4 x 10-12

Rope push downs- 12, 6, 12, 6

Superset

Straight bar curls- 12, 6, 12, 6

Tricep extensions- 12, 6, 12, 6

Triset- 12, 6, 12, 6

Reverse grip curls

Incline dumbell curls

Cable curls

Triset- 12, 6, 12, 6

Nose breakers

Close grip bench 

Bench dips (burnout)

Standing preacher curls- 6, 12, 6, 12

Kickbacks (don't swing your body)- 6, 12, 6, 12

Any curl of choice- 3 x 28 method

Triangle push ups- 3 x burnout 

Sick workout. Remember, it's not overtraining it's over gaining. To build those muscles and shock the body, you have to push yourself. The supersets should keep high intensity, but still try to limit breaks. 

I incorporated chin ups instead of dumbell bicep curls because chin ups are a compound exercise. Since pull ups work more of the body than simply the bicep, it triggers the brain and forces a "shock" causing your muscles to grow. 

As always, feedback is appreciated. Have a good day and Get Fit!

Beast Mode

I'll keep it short and sweet for y'all today. Last night I hit a beast of a leg workout, and I hobbled out of the gym feeling like Kai Green. Here's the workout with the reps and weight I did:

Back Squat: 2 warm up sets + 6 working sets 

225- 3 X 10

255- X 8

275- X 6

290- X 3

Hammer Strength Alt. Lunge

4 X 8 : 105, 115, 135, 135

Leg Press: 3 Sets

6 plates X 10

8 plates X 8

10 plates X 6

Hamstring Curl: 4 sets X 10 slow reps

105 for each set 

I'm not trying to pawn myself off as having massive legs but in the past 6-8 weeks I've definitely noticed great progress. Nothing is more addictive than strength and visual gains.

Ladies, I encourage you to grab a friend or two and hit this same workout. Don't be scared of getting big and bulky. That's a myth- those legs and butt will look the best they ever have. Enjoy this beautiful day and #GetFit 

Tuesday is the new Chest Day

Start the week off right.

Now I apologize for the no post yesterday, and I am hoping that you guys were still motivated enough to make it to the gym. The more research I have been conducting, the more I I realize how important it is to start the week off with the larger muscle groups. This being because, the bigger muscle groups overlap with other muscle groups as well. This helps "shock" your muscles, which is what makes your muscles grow.

Remember, there are no substitutes for BIG LIFTS. Examples of these being, bench press, squats, dead lifts, etc. Since theses lifts get most of your body while you're doing them, they tend to send a message to the brain, almost like a panic, which is (once again) what shocks your muscles.

I hate doing chest on Mondays, personally. Everyone and their mother is in the gym on Monday trying to hit chest, and I simply cannot deal with it. Just like Arnold said "The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else." This being said, today is chest day! Yeah, you should be excited, because the lift I am about to post will change your life forever (or just give you a killer pump, causing you to feel massive).

Incline Bench (Barbell)
30 15, 12, 10, 10, 8, 8, 6

Flat Bench (Dumbell)
12, 12, 10, 10, 8, 8, 20

Decline Bench
8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Cable Cross Chest Flyes
10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Hammer Strength Chest Machine (Regular, not incline or decline)
8, 10, 12, 15, 12, 10, 8

Burnout
Push ups until failure, after failure wait 30 seconds and do them again until failure

This lift should get the blood flowing for sure, and move you from a B cup to DD's just from the pump alone. A few keys:
-Breathe.
-Form/Reps (As always).
-Get all the reps and DO NOT go down in weight unless it is an absolute necessity. Lift with a spotter. They will help you push through the last reps when it feels nearly impossible. Those last reps are what give you the results you've been wanting, versus not doing them and leaving gains sitting in the gym.
-Dumbells are good because they incorporate all the smaller muscles you use to stabilize them.
-It's a tough lift but keep at least a somewhat high intensity. Focus mainly on getting all the reps though, with the absolute heaviest weight you can do.

Ladies
Bench press 4 x 12

Circuit: 3 times
50 jumping jacks 
10 push ups
50 mountain climbs
10 wide grip push ups
50 russian twists
10 burpees

Have a good day!

Upper/Lower Dual Threat

It's Saturday morning, you've slept in and had a healthy, fullsome breakfast- so, what's next? That's a no brainer if you've been a devout follower of #GetFit. It's time to get that heart rate up, muscles pumping, and get some sweat going. Here's what today's workout is looking like for both bros and chicks

5-10 min. of compound stretching/low intensity cardio 

- Get those muscles loose and ready 

Superset: 4 Sets

-Bench Press X 10

-Bench Dips X 20

Superset: 3 Sets 

-DB Lunges X 20

-DB Curls X 8-10

Cable Shoulder Press 3 X 12

Pull Ups 4 X 8-10

-Add weight if needed

Superset: 5 Sets

-Bicycle Crunches X 40

-Leg + Hip Raises X 20

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. If you're on Instagram- take videos/pics of your workout, use #GetFit and tag us @muscle_insider 

Working out is like anything else in life; if you surround yourself with the right people, you'll get to where you want to be sooner or later. This being said, having the right workout partner is crucial. Somerville and I are a good match because we push each other each and every time we workout, but also aren't too stubborn to take constructive criticism from each other.

Sometimes, it is good to switch up partners though. The reasons for this being:

-New people can mean new exercises that you weren't even aware of before. 

-Different people can give you different feedback on things they've been doing, things that have or haven't worked for them. 

-Working out with somebody significantly bigger than you will motivate you to workout harder. 

Earlier this week I was privileged enough to get a great lift in with one of my coworkers at LA Fitness, Tommy Smith. Tommy played middle linebacker for Boise State for five years, and was even lucky enough to get picked up by the Cleveland Browns for a short period of time. Tommy went to college weighing 185 (what I weigh currently), and came out of there 60 pounds heavier, nearly all muscle. It's safe to say this man had a lot to offer for me information wise on how he got so big. 

The Boise Lift: Shoulders and Back. 

Superset: 3 sets

Lateral raises 15 x Frontal raises 15 

Military press 3 sets x 8-12 reps 

Hammer strength Back machine 3 sets x 30 reps each arm

Shrugs (Heavy) 4 sets x 10 reps

Superset: 3 sets

Hammer strength Shoulder machine 10 x Upright Rows 10

Pull ups 3 sets (burnout)

Have a great day and stay safe. 

Snowpacolypse 2

As we endure this terrible weather, it's important to remember that just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you can lay inside and stuff your face. With Monday having been leg day and yesterday's workout blasting your upper body, it is tough to make a workout without having access to the gym. So to the people who are cooped up inside here is a solid ab routine that you have no choice but to do it. 

Traditional Crunches X 25

Leg Raises X 20

Cross Body Crunches X 20

1 min. plank 

Repeat 4 times- 30 sec. rest between each movement

For our non-Georgia readers and those of you who can make it to a gym safely: 1) I'm extremely jealous and 2) here's your workout-

Alt. DB Curls: 4 X 10

Rope Tricep Pushdowns: 4 X 15

BB Curls: 3 X 28 method

Incline Skull Crushers: 4 X 17

- yes, I said 17.

Incline DB Curls: 3 X 8

Dips: 3 X Burnout

Cable Straight Bar Curls: 2 X 30

Close Grip Push-ups: 2 X 30

Push up or shut up

So if you live in Georgia and you're a student, good news. No school today! At the same time, there's some bad news as well; your local gym is probably closed, making it difficult to get your workout in today. 

If I've learned one thing over the past few years from working out, it would be that excuses are useless. Whether you can get to the gym or not, there's always something you can do on your own to better yourself. 

Guys: 300 push ups of your choice (incline, decline, regular, wide grip, triangle, clapping, etc.). Also, between each set hit at least 20-25 dips. 

-Try to get sets of 25-35, but most importantly keep perfect form. 

-Personally, my favorite push ups are ones with my feet up (incline). This works the upper chest a bit more, extending your chest all the way from your clavicle to your rib cage. 

-One thing many people may overlook when doing chest is the upper chest. The issue here is that incline push ups are, in my opinion, THE BEST exercise to do for your chest. The reason for this being: incline hits 90% of your chest, versus regular bench, which only does so much. 

-On the last 5 push ups of each set, go slow. This will ensure that you maintain good form and aren't just speeding through the set, trying to get it over with. 

-Go low on dips, having a wide range of motion is crucial. 

Now go and build that Arnold looking chest. Push yourself. Remember: reps, reps, reps. 

Ladies: Mini Circuit (repeat 5 times)

-12 push ups (regular)

-30 bicycle crunches

-12 push ups (wide grip)

-50 Russian twists 

-push up burnout 

Hope everyone has a wonderful day. 

High Rep Legs

Today's workout is a leg workout intertwined with ab movements for both ladies and dudes. Spring Break is 6 weeks out and it's time to start turning up the intensity to shed those last few pounds and look lean.

Leg Press (5-5-5 method) X 5 sets

Superset: 4 sets

-Leg Extensions X 20

-Crunches X 25

Superset: 4 sets

-Lying Hamstring Curls X 20

-Slow Motion Bicycle Crunches X 50

DB Step Ups X 20 (10 each leg)

-see Instagram vid for proper form

Superset: 3 sets

Bodyweight Jump Squats X 15

Double Crunches X 20

Wide base

Shoulder day

Men:

Military press: 10, 15, 20, 25, 20, 15, 10

Superset 4 sets

Lateral raises 12 x Upright rows 12

Superset 4 sets

Face pulls 10 x Frontal raises 10

Superset 4 sets

Hammer strength shoulder press 8 x Shrugs 15

Ladies:

Dumbell shoulder press- 4 x 10

Superset 4 sets of 12

Lateral raises x frontal raises

Shrugs- 4 x 20

Run 30 minutes

Cobra Back

T-Bar Row: 5 X 12

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns: 4 X 10

1 Arm Cable Row: 4 X 15

Pull Ups: 4 X Burnout

Back machine of your choice: 

 3 X 12 

If you're not completely blasted by this workout than odds are you didn't challenge yourself enough on weight. Don't fear failure! 

Ladies

You get to decide how today's workout goes. Pick 2 machines that require a row motion, and 2 machines that require a pull down motion. On all 4 machines perform 10 reps for 4 sets. Try to increase the weight as often as possible as long as you are maintaining form. Take today off from abs, but perform 10 minutes on the cardio machine of your choice.

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Follow, double tap, #GetFit

Build your lower body

Squats: 10, 8, 6, 4, 4

Lunges: 10, 8, 6, 4, 4

Leg Curls: 10, 8, 6, 4, 4

Calf raises: 50, 50, 50, 50, 50

Leg press: 10, 8, 6, 4, 4

Killer workout, loved it.
-Push yourself to the limit this workout
-Increase weight each set
-Get a spot for the squats. This will enable you to go as heavy as possible.

 Girls:
Run 30 minutes

Lunges: 20, 20, 20, 20

Kettlebell Squats: 20, 20, 20, 20

Calf Raises: 50, 50, 50, 50

Run a mile as fast as possible.

Have a good night everyone. 

Every Angle Chest

Here's a quick breakdown of the chest that can help you in development of the ultimate pecs. From top to bottom the chest can be broken into 3 sections: upper, middle, and lower. Incline presses hit the upper chest more intensely, flat bench hits the middle, and decline hits the lower chest. From outside to inside the chest can be broken into 3 sections as well: outer, middle, and inner. Generally speaking, wider grip results in more activation for your outer pec, regular grip hits middle chest, and close grip hits that inner chest more intensely. That being said here is the workout for both ladies and dudes:

Incline DB Press: 4 X 10

Flat DB Bench: 4 X 10

Decline Bench Press: 4 X 10

Incline Cable Press: 3 X 12

Flat DB Flys: 3 X 12

Dips: 3 X 10

Your whole chest should be sufficiently torched after this workout. Grab a workout partner and blast those pecs today! #GetFit everybody! 

Size

Always remember, better yourself every single day. 

Arms:
Barbell Curls
10 sets x 10 reps (rest 10 seconds in between sets)

Rope Pushdowns
10 x 10 (rest 10 seconds in between sets)

Incline Dumbell Curls
10 x 10 (rest 10 seconds in between sets)

Skull Crushers
10 x 10 (rest 10 seconds in between sets)

Superset: 3-5 sets
Preacher curls 8 x Straight bar push downs 8

Ladies:
Barbell curls- 4 sets x 12 reps

Straight bar push downs- 4 sets x 12 reps

Circuit: 3-5 times
Dumbell curls- 10 each arm
Mountain climbs- 40
Bench dips- 15
Russian twists- 50


Videos will be up later. As always, feel free to shoot Michael and I an email for customized workout/meal plans. Have a good workout. 

Barbarian Legs

Yesterday was a day off which means today you've got to get after it. Today's workout is "Barbarian Legs." No sugarcoating is necessary, fuel your body, hit the gym and bust your ass while you're there. Here it is:

• Warm up: 5-10 min. walk on incline w/ some sort of weight (DBs, Vest, etc.)
• Overhead Squats: 4 X 10
• Brace your core the whole time you're doing this to help keep balance
• Hack Squats: 4 X 10
• These can be done on a machine or hammer strength
• BB Lunges: 4 X 10
• For distance or in place
• Weighted Calf Raises: 4 X 20
• DBs or using machine

No need to add an ab portion to the end of this workout, because your core will be exhausted from these lifts alone. Pictures/Videos of me performing this same workout will be uploaded later today. Ladies, this workout applies to you all as well. It hits the leg from all angles and incorporates some glute work. Bring your A game today! #GetFit