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SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

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The ONLY 2 Tricep Exercises You Need (NO, SERIOUSLY!) 4:35
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The ONLY 2 Tricep Exercises You Need (NO, SERIOUSLY!)

ATHLEAN-X

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Apr 02, 2023
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The ONLY 2 Tricep Exercises You Need (NO, SERIOUSLY!)
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What would you say if I told you that there were only two tricep exercises you need to do? In this video, I am going to show you the two triceps exercises that should make up the bare minimum of your tricep workouts. Not only are these two exercises great for building big triceps, but they are the two exercises that will cover all 3 heads of the triceps fully.

Some might tell you that you only need two exercises total in order to build a muscle group. I disagree. I don’t think anyone should be limited to picking just two exercises for a muscle group because in the case of a muscle with multiple heads or bellies, the functions that can be targeted individually through exercise selection are going to factor in.

The triceps is a great example of this; it has three heads as well as two separate functions. The first is to simply extend the elbow fully. That’s an easy one. Every single triceps exercise you do is going to put that function in focus. What people miss however is the importance of the additional role of the muscle in shoulder extension, or bringing the arm back behind the body.

 

It is here that one head in particular stands out most - the triceps long head.

 

In order to fully develop the triceps you’re going to want focus a majority of your effort on this head since it makes up two thirds of the size of the muscle. Consider further that the triceps accounts for two thirds the size of the overall arm development and you see just how quickly this is something that you don’t want to overlook.

 

Well, as with any muscle, we know that we can stress it via a stretch tension and by also putting it into a fully contracted state under load. For the triceps the stretch on the long head comes when we place the arm over head and apply tension to the muscle. When we talk about putting it into its fully contracted state, we are going to need to get that arm all the way down at our sides and back behind our body as far as we can with the elbow fully straightened.

 

The tricep exercises chosen for my “only 2” are going to compliment each other perfectly here.

 

Big triceps are achieved very nicely with this one two combination of tricep exercises. It starts with a lying triceps extension performed with heavier weight than you might be used to. Too often, people treat this as an isolation exercise for the tris. This is not the case. It involves movement at both the shoulder and elbow joint and allows for the handling of pretty significant loads.

 

If you perform the lowering of the bar slowly, you can get a great eccentric stretch on the triceps which is known to be a great driver of hypertrophy in and of itself. Full extension of the triceps is going to occur when the bar is extended at the end of the rep. Just make sure to not allow the arms to drift completely over the body since this will take tension away at the top of the rep.

 

Once reaching failure, don’t put the bar down just yet. Take the set to and through failure by performing a mechanical drop set immediately into a close grip bench press with the EZ bar. Make sure to target the lower chest line and keep those elbows tucked tight so you can fry those triceps one more time to failure.

 

The next exercise is a variation of the triceps pushdown.

 

Rather than perform a traditional rope pushdown which has some limitations due to the physics of the exercise, we can opt for a rocking pushdown. It is easy to learn once you understand the goal of what you are trying to achieve for your triceps. The goal on any pushdown is to try and keep the line of resistance (the cable or rope) perpendicular to the moving segment (in this case your forearm) for as long as possible during the rep.

 

This will make the triceps muscle have to work the hardest and keep the most amount of growth producing tension on the muscle at all times.

 

Varying your body position in space as shown makes it easy to do that and allows you to most importantly, get those arms behind the body to get that long head in its fully contracted state.

 

Now, if you want to take your tricep training to the next level that hits every head of the triceps from different angle, there are many exercises to choose from. I don’t think we should ever be limited to just two exercises for a muscle group, the triceps included. But you should at least start with these two exercises to build the foundation of your upper arm growth.

 

If you are looking for a complete step-by-step training program that will take your workout to the next level, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and find the workout program that matches your goals.

 

For more videos on hot to get big triceps and the best tricep exercises to do just that, make sure that you subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a video when it’s published.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

The ONLY 2 Shoulder Exercises You Need (NO, SERIOUSLY!) 5:10
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The ONLY 2 Shoulder Exercises You Need (NO, SERIOUSLY!)

ATHLEAN-X

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Mar 26, 2023
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What would you say if I told you that there were only two shoulder exercises you need to do? In this video, I am going to show you the two shoulder exercises that should make up the bare minimum of your shoulder workouts. Not only are these two exercises great for building big shoulders, but they are the two exercises that hit cover all 3 heads of the shoulders.

Some might tell you that you only need two exercises total in order to build a muscle group. I disagree. I don’t think anyone should be limited to picking just two exercises for a muscle group because each one often has multiple muscle head as well as multiple functions that can be targeted individually through exercise selection.

The chest is a great example of this; it has three heads as well as two separate functions. Some might tell you that all you need is a flat bench press and incline bench press. You are only hitting two of the three heads of the chest with this election and while you are pressing, you are not getting any adduction - another major function of the chest.

In the case of the shoulders, you have the ability to hit all three heads of the delts given the proper exercise selection. Pressing and lateral raises are the basis of your shoulder training and being able to choose one of each is a great way to build big shoulders. This means that one exercise should be a pressing movement and the other should be a lateral raise movement.

 

However, when trying to build big shoulders, this is simply the foundation of your what your shoulder training should include. Not every shoulder workout needs to include both of these exercises, but a complete training plan will at least build off or include them at some point.

 

The first exercise up is the overhead press. Now, this doesn’t have to be a barbell overhead press, but it needs to be some variation of the press. This can come in multiple options such as the barbell press, a modified Bradford press, the z-press, or a dumbbell overhead press (standing or seated without pressing your back into the bench).

 

The thing is that dumbbell press is limited by the weight you can clean up to your shoulders to press overhead. I like to perform this exercise with a single dumbbell as it allows you to clean the weight up with two hands and it allows for stacking of the wrist over elbow over shoulder to help with orthopedic issues.

 

The next exercise is some form of a lateral raise; this can be cheat lateral or a strict lateral performed normally or with an intensity technique such as 1.5 reps. However, my choice is the cable lateral raise because it allows you to hit the middle and rear delts in the same movement. Not only are you raising the weight to hit the middle delts, you are getting the elbow behind your body top get a contraction on the rear delt.

 

This exercise is also interesting because it allows you to put the middle and rear delts on stretch, which is normally ignored on traditional lateral raise exercises. In order to build bigger shoulders, you need an exercise selection that not only gets a good contraction, but a good stretch as well.

 

If you don't have access to a cable machine to perform this cable side lateral raise for your shoulders you can always grab a pair of dumbbells. One of the most powerful dumbbell shoulder exercises you can do is something called the cheat lateral raise. This is used with heavier weights than you would normally use on a strict lateral raise.

 

You lean forward at the torso a bit which will not only help you generate some of the momentum used to bring the weight up and position it for the slow eccentric lowering, but it will put the rear delts into position to drive the arm back behind the body into extension as you raise into abduction. It's a powerful variation of the lateral raise that will hit both the rear and middle delts without needing to have access to a cable machine.

 

Now, if you want to take your shoulder training to the next level that hits every head of the shoulders from different angle, there are many exercises to choose from. I don’t think we should ever be limited to just two exercises for a muscle group, the delts included. But you should at least start with these two exercises to build the foundation of your shoulder growth.

 

If you are looking for a complete step-by-step training program that will take your workout to the next level, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and find the workout program that matches your goals.

 

For more videos on hot to get big shoulders and the best exercises to do just that, make sure that you subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a video when it’s published.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

The Ab Workout (MOST EFFECTIVE!) 8:02
Workout

The Ab Workout (MOST EFFECTIVE!)

ATHLEAN-X

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Mar 19, 2023
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The Ab Workout (MOST EFFECTIVE!)
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The hundred ab workout requires all out effort, but the results are nothing short of amazing if you follow the ab exercises and protocols shown here. As always a solid ab workout should consist of exercises for your upper abs, lower abs and obliques. That said, even that doesn’t make this workout for abs complete. In order to round out your abdominal development with a well rounded workout you need to spend more time focusing on the reps that actually count to help you get a ripped six pack. That is what we do in this workout.

 

If you look at the main ab exercises that people do in their ab workouts you will see that they often don’t train them hard enough. Sure, they may create a bit of a burn, but if you are stopping when this happens you may be ending your ab workout right before it actually starts to work. Here, the 100 ab workout ensures that you are focusing on only the reps that are going to wind up being most effective. In order to do that, you need to seek out the discomfort in your abdominal muscles and maintain it for one hundred grueling but rewarding reps.

 

The ab exercises that you choose can make all the difference in this pursuit. If you are doing only the exercises for abs that you can do for high reps and never think about introducing weight or overload into them, you likely won’t be able to experience what high intensity effective reps feel like. The best part is, you can do this and I’m going to show you exactly how to get a 6 pack by doing them.

 

When it comes to training in the effective rep range, you should start by asking yourself an honest question. When you perform a set of any ab exercise, do you take it to failure or close to failure? Likely, the only reps you feel that are challenging are the final 1 to 3 reps.

 

If you do not experience some type of tension overload, eccentric overload or metabolic damage during a set - it can be pretty well accepted that you have not done enough to create the need for your body to help you develop your abs to their fullest potential.

 

With the abs workout technique shown here and in this series, you’re going to more quickly tap into these strategies more quickly so that you can start to see your abs pop a lot sooner. The workout works as follows:

 

Perform a set of the ab exercises shown below to 12 rep failure. Choose a weight that will cause you to fail at or close to the 12 rep mark or use the variation of the hanging ab exercises shown that corresponds to the number of reps you were able to perform of the base exercise during your ignition set.

 

After taking the ignition set to failure, the real work begins.

 

Rest for just 15 seconds as part of a somewhat prolonged rest/pause. As soon as these 15 seconds are up, get back into another set. You will instantly recognize that the reps will be challenging more quickly due to the decreased recovery time allowed.

 

You are still using the same load however, therefore your abs are still being subjected to the same external load. However many reps you get after each of these rest/pause increments are all deemed to be effective reps. Each bout should be taken to failure. Accumulate 20 effective reps, even if you’re getting just 1 out at a time at some point, and your work on that six pack ab exercise is complete.

 

If for some reason you are unable to complete any more reps on your way to 20, end your set and aim to complete all 20 the next time you perform this workout.

 

Here is how to construct the 100 ab workout with that in mind.

 

1. Hanging Leg Raise Variation (see video) - Ignition Set into 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause

 

2. Eccentric Power Ups - Ignition Set into 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause

 

3. Hanging Leg Twist Variation (see video) - Ignition Set into 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause

 

4. Russian Twist and Press - Ignition Set into 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause

 

5. DB Drag Planks - Ignition Set into 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause

 

Optional: Hands Back Knee Tucks x 100 (static hold ladder - 5 reps with 5 second hold as a Rest/Pause

 

All totaled, this will amount to 100 effective reps in this intense ab workout.

 

Being that this is a weighted ab workout that uses some eccentric overload in addition to a stimulus that you may not be accustomed to, you will want to perform this only one or two times a week.

 

This is just one example of how to apply science to your ab workouts. If you want to train like an athlete you want to put science back in every workout you do. You can do that with the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs available at athleanx.com and get started right away on building a ripped, muscular, athletic body.

 

For more ab workout videos for the upper abs, lower abs and obliques, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at the link above and don’t forget to turn on notifications so you never miss one when it’s published.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

The ONLY “How to Get Abs” Video You Need (SERIOUSLY!) 8:21
Workout

The ONLY “How to Get Abs” Video You Need (SERIOUSLY!)

ATHLEAN-X

1.6M Views
·
Mar 13, 2023
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The ONLY “How to Get Abs” Video You Need (SERIOUSLY!)
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Build ripped athletic muscle here - http://athleanx.com/x/my-workouts

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

 

If you are watching this video, you are looking for the only “how to get abs” video you need. In this video, I am going to show you how to identify what your ab potential is the right way to get them to show. You might be surprised at what it takes to finally carve out the abs that you are looking for.

 

First, it starts with the anatomy of the abdominals. You have to understand that the rectus abdominis is broken up into compartments by not only the linea alba, but by tendinous intersections. The linea alba is what dissects the abs down the middle of the rectus with the tendinous intersections crossing perpendicular to the linea alba to create the compartments, or abs, that you see.

 

Here is the interesting thing; studies on cadavers have shown that 97% of subjects had the linea alba and tendinous intersections make up what we visualize as a 6 pack. 6 pack abs are the most common with extra compartments making up 8 pack abs and 10 pack abs occurring at 1.5% each.

 

The important thing to note is that every single cadaver studied had not only the linea alba, but the bare minimum of tendinous intersections to make up a six pack. So for anyone that thinks that they do not have the genetic capability of having abs, you are dead wrong. Everyone has the ability to have abs (as we all have them), it just requires the right amount of body fat to be showing.

 

What kind of abs you have; whether they are six pack abs, an 8 pack, or even the ultra rare 10 pack abs - is dependent on genetics. In short, it is not something that you can control, but you can identify your potential by feeling where the tendinous intersections are on your midsection. As a matter of fact, you can find the top row of the intersections at about a two finger distance below your chest.

 

Some people believe that they don’t have abs because even at leaner levels of body fat, their ab muscles aren’t showing. Now, as mentioned previously, everybody has abs whether they are covered in body fat or not. However, the appearance of them comes down to training and nutrition. If the body fat levels are low but the abs are not showing, that shouts an answer to me right away.

 

In your pursuit of how to get a 6 pack, you are not training your abs properly.

 

Like any other muscle in the body, the muscles of the rectus abdominis can be hypertrophied and grown with the proper training stimulus. I find that most people that don’t have visible abs at lower body fat levels are not applying the three main methods of hypertrophy to the abs like they do the rest of the muscles in the body. The abs respond in the same way that the biceps or pecs do and thus they need to be taken through these methods of hypertrophy to show prominently.

 

With tension overload, that means weighted ab movements and exercises need to be included in your training plan. This can be done with weights such as a dumbbell, a plate, or a medicine ball. However, one of the best ways to do this, especially with the lower abs is by using your legs as weight. Hanging ab exercises are a great way to overload the lower abs using nothing but your legs for the source of tension.

 

Another way of applying overload to the abs is through the use of eccentrics. This is one of the most underutilized methods of hypertrophy for getting abs and is one that should not be overlooked. This can be done with the use of a physioball or even a band anchored high (on a pullup bar for example).

 

The last driver of hypertrophy is metabolic stress. This can come in multiple forms but I think the most practical way is to increase the frequency of your ab training. The abs can trained every day and I think that is the right way to train them, however, it doesn’t need to be for long. You can get a solid overload and stimulus in just 6 minutes a day and I feature many ab workouts on my channel in this format to make sure that you are not spending an excessive amount of time training your abs.

 

if you want to know how to get abs, you can do all the ab training in the world and it will be for nothing if you don't get your body fat levels down to where they need to be in order for them to show. The only way to do this is to be in a hypocaloric state and that means to be eating less food than you are now. Excessive body fat will always be the number one reason why your abs don't show, regardless of what training you do for them. So if you want your 6, 8, or 10 pack abs to show; you better get your nutrition in check.

 

If you are looking for a step-by-step training program to get you ripped athletic muscle, be sure to head to athleanx.com using the link below and check out our workout programs.

 

If you are looking for more videos on how to get 6 pack abs, be sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it's published.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

Bruce Lee Secrets Revealed (WHAT HE REALLY KNEW!) 12:27
Workout

Bruce Lee Secrets Revealed (WHAT HE REALLY KNEW!)

ATHLEAN-X

324K Views
·
Mar 06, 2023
All Levels
Bruce Lee Secrets Revealed (WHAT HE REALLY KNEW!)
Learning Diet & Nutrition All Levels
  • Mar 06, 2023
  • 324K Views
  • 13.4K Likes

Have you ever wanted to train like Bruce Lee? In this video, I am going to show you five core principles pertaining to the Bruce Lee workout and diet plan that helped to make him a lasting fitness icon so that you can implement them into your own workouts and meal plan.

The first principle of training like Bruce Lee is to lift what can be lifted. What this means is that you should have command and control of the weight through space. How can this command and control be displayed? Easily, actually. If you cannot stop the weight from moving at any point through the range of motion, then the weight is too heavy. For example, can you stop a dumbbell at point during a front raise? Or is the dumbbell so heavy that momentum is carrying it through the range of motion? Bruce Lee was a master of this and translated this demand of command and control into his martial arts practices as well.

The second principle to train like the legendary Bruce Lee is contraction creates command. By contracting the muscles following an exercise, there is an opportunity to create a greater mind-muscle connection. With a greater link between the two, you will have greater command over the muscles themselves in their pursuit of growth. Bruce Lee famously did this with pushups where, following a set, he would cross his arms and flex his chest. The good thing is that this can be done with almost any exercise and corresponding muscle group. For example, following a set of curls you would flex your biceps, or lat pulldowns; you would be flexing your back. Apply this technique to your training and see for yourself how you create a better mind-muscle connection to lead to further muscle growth than you previously thought.

 

Bruce Lee’s third training principle was to create strength by not losing strength. You’ve likely heard me say in the past that to improve performance on an exercise, you have to plug the energy leaks. Bruce Lee had a very similar approach to his training and workouts. This was displayed with his famous fingertip pushups - without creating rigidity and stability throughout the body, the exercise would be near impossible to perform. But this principle applies to more than just fingertip pushups; plugging the energy leaks can be done on so many exercises in so many forms.

 

Another application of creating strength was Bruce Lee’s inclusion of overcoming isometrics. He commonly did this on the bench press and the squat by pressing the bar against the pins of the rack so that the bar would move no further. Overcoming isometrics is a time-tested lifting technique that has helped to produce great strength results and is something you should look to include in your workouts as well.

 

To train like Bruce Lee, you have to understand his philosophy on food; being that you are what you eat. Bruce Lee was very conscious of the food that he put in his body and took great care to make sure that he was putting high quality, nutritious food into his system. He famously had an industrial juicer in his home, something unheard of at the time, to help prepare his meals. Bruce also understood the importance of including high quality protein in his meal diet as well. Taking care of what he ate and what he put into his body helped create the body that he sported and the performance to go along with it. I, myself, can’t stress the importance of high quality nutrition if you want to achieve the body you are looking for. Aesthetics or performance, it doesn’t matter; they are going too heavily rely on the food you eat.

 

The last principle of Bruce Lee’s training and workouts is that your abs should be like steel. While some might focus on their abs solely for appearance, Bruce Lee felt that the core was important for his martial arts performance as well. Thus, he focused on resilience and rigidity in his ab training. One ab exercise that Bruce Lee was famous for performing was the dragon flag, but if that move is too advanced, you can achieve similar results with exercises like the step out and plate drags. In this training principle, it’s important to take note of the obliques, but being able to train them with overload is even better. This can be done easily by hanging from a bar and performing oblique focused exercises there.

 

If you are looking for a program that will get you looking ripped and athletic like Bruce Lee and puts his training principles into effect, then head on over to athleanx.com via the link below and be sure to check out instant access to all 42 workout programs.

 

For more videos on workouts and diets like Bruce Lee’s, be sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube using the link below and make sure to turn to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it’s published.

 

Build ripped athletic muscle here - http://athleanx.com/x/my-workouts

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

6% Body Fat is Ideal For Men (HARSH TRUTH!) 17:18
Workout

6% Body Fat is Ideal For Men (HARSH TRUTH!)

ATHLEAN-X

486.3K Views
·
Feb 19, 2023
All Levels
6% Body Fat is Ideal For Men (HARSH TRUTH!)
Learning Diet & Nutrition All Levels
  • Feb 19, 2023
  • 486.3K Views
  • 17K Likes

Have you ever wondered what the ideal body fat percentage for men is? If so, then you are definitely going to want to watch this video. In this one, I am going to discuss what I think is the ideal body fat percentage for men and whether or not that is achievable for you to get to as well as maintain that as well.

In today’s AX Jeff, Jesse and I are going to discuss a comment that was left on one of my videos regarding body fat. While the commenter seems to think that I’ve said that 6% body fat is the ideal spot to be in for men, especially in comparison to the 15% that was attributed to others, I’ve never actually stated that. I myself am extremely lean with a body fat percentage around 6 or 7%, but do I think that everyone can and should be at the same level of leanness as me? Well, no.

I understand that being as lean as Jeff Cavaliere is a goal for some, but not the goal for everyone and that’s okay. Let’s start with figuring out what your goal is and that comes with identifying whether you are looking at aesthetics, athletics / performance, strength, or in the case of Jesse; all the above.

For athletics / performance, your body fat levels should be determined by the demands of your sport. But even within the same sport, different positions will have different requirements. In the case of football, a wide receiver is going to need to be at a lower body fat percentage in order to perform at the highest level compared to an offensive lineman who is try to carry as much size as possible to prevent being run over by the defense. Depending on the sport and the position, the idea that lower body fat leads to compromised athletic performance is nonsense.

 

When it comes to strength, we’ve all heard the notion that you need to carry as much weight on their body as possible to move heavy weight on the bar. This often comes with a bulk and cut - adding as much size to your frame as possible to move as much weight as you can in order to grow via overload. After that, cut back down to a level of leanness that is desirable. I will tell you right now, you can still be strong without bulking. You can be lean and strong. Jesse is living proof of this with his deadlift at 550 lbs and his squat over 400 lbs while remaining fairly lean.

 

When it comes to aesthetics, there are 3 important things to take note of. First, is that we should be describing leanness in percentages instead of using terminology. Ripped, shredded, lean, and diced all could mean different things to different people - at least with percentages there is an objective view that all can agree on.

Second, the leaner you are, the more muscular you will appear. Lower levels of body fat will show more definition, giving the appearance of greater muscularity. Take a look at Bruce Lee, someone considered a fitness icon, and his muscularity. He was not a large individual, but he was very lean which made his muscles appear larger. If he added body fat, inversely he would be considered to be skinny.

Thirdly, while subjectivity rules here, I can safely say that 9-10% body fat percentage looks better than 15-17%. The definition and muscularity are going to be enhanced at the lower levels of body fat, creating the appearance of more muscle. If aesthetics is part of the goal, then having a lower body fat level, such as 10% is likely where you are going to want to be.

As I have said previously, body fat levels as low as mine which is in the 6-7% range, is not for everyone. In fact, I would argue that while most people can get to this level of leanness, a large percentage of people won’t be able to maintain it. Why? Our bodies have a set point at which we are able to comfortable remain at a lower body fat level. Some people simply cannot get past a certain body fat percentage and others can, but feel the side effects of it.

 

The idea is to find your set point; the lowest you can get to and maintain it in a healthy manner without any negative side effects. Once you find your set point, you know exactly how lean you can get and maintain year round with the proper discipline.

 

If you are looking for a day-by-day meal plan to go along with your workouts to help you get lean and athletic, they are included with every workout program I designed that can be found at the ATHLEAN-X website via the link below.

 

For more videos on nutrition and building muscle, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on YouTube using the link below and make sure to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it's published.

 

Build ripped athletic muscle here - http://athleanx.com/x/my-workouts

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

How to Fix Upper Back Pain (NO MORE KNOTS!) 7:30
Workout

How to Fix Upper Back Pain (NO MORE KNOTS!)

ATHLEAN-X

356.4K Views
·
Feb 12, 2023
All Levels
How to Fix Upper Back Pain (NO MORE KNOTS!)
Learning Health & Wellness All Levels
  • Feb 12, 2023
  • 356.4K Views
  • 16K Likes

Have you ever wondered how to fix upper back pain? You know, that spot on your back where it feels like you have knots for days. In this video, I am going to breakdown why you are experiencing upper back pain and 5 moves you can do to fix it for good. There is no need to live in chronic pain when there’s a solution that will have your back feeling better right away.

More often than not, when it comes to pain in the upper back, it doesn’t have to do with the muscles in the area (the rhomboids). Instead it has more to do with the joints in the area and that is namely the thoracic spine. When there is a dysfunction in the thoracic spine, you will often feel it in the surrounding muscles, but because they are not the root cause, we aren’t going to be targeting them directly. Instead, the brunt of our focus for this video will be on mobilizing the thoracic spine.

The first move that you can do to deal with your upper back pain is called the rhomboid pushup. While not actually targeting the muscles in terms of strengthening them, they are active throughout the mobilization of the thoracic spine. By allowing your chest to drop down towards the ground, you are contracting the muscles through their range of motion and as you protract to reach the top end of the pushup, you are placing them on stretch. Taking these muscles along for the ride as you move the thoracic spine will be the first step in eliminating that pain in the upper back.

 

Next, you are going to need to stand close to a wall and perform the wall splat. The key takeaways for this move are to keep your arms spread wider in order to alleviate any potential shoulder discomfort, driving your knee towards to the wall, and sinking your hips into the movement as you try to bring yourself closer to the wall. Doing the last two will help you to feel to move your thoracic spine deeper through the range of motion as you come closer to the wall. You will feel this almost instantly and will be good feedback on what your upper back should feel like when it has full range of motion.

 

The third move that you should perform in order to get rid of upper back pain is a mobilization drill that I like to call “can openers”. Simply get down on your knees and elbows, place one arm behind your head and rotate your upper back so that that arm is now pointing towards the ceiling. Hold at the top for a few seconds before returning to rest and then repeating the move again. Something to note in this move is the actively retract the shoulder blade of the arm that is bent behind the head. Repeat on the other side to make sure you avoid any imbalances.

 

This stretch, the 11:15 stretch (as I like to call it,) not only works great, but feels great too. One of the biggest points to make note of on this move is to not only make sure that your arms are in the right position, but to retract the shoulder blade of the arm that is in the 15 position. Just like with the can openers, while you want to reach out as far as you can in this position, you also want to actively retract that scapula. This willl help to reinforce the mobilization of the thoracic spine which is key in order to fix that upper back pain you’ve been going through.

 

The last move that you can perform here in this sequence is one that I’ve suggest that you should do every day in order to feel amazing. This is called the bridge and reach over. Not only does this movement help to mobilize the thoracic spine with the reach over, but it also allows for the entire kinetic chain to get involved so that you are moving multiple parts of your body in concert. From your feet all the way up to your head, you are working everything in tandem and making sure that everything mobilized. I think this is one of the best things you can do for any back pain, especially in the upper back.

 

If you are looking for a complete workout program that will fix your aches and pains while also helping you to build a ripped athletic body, be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link below and check out the program selector to find the right program for you.

 

For more videos on how to fix back pain as well as any other joints that might be bothering you, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel using the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.

 

Fix your pain here - http://athleanx.com/x/my-workouts

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

12 Supersets EVERYONE Should Have in Their Programs! 13:59
Workout

12 Supersets EVERYONE Should Have in Their Programs!

ATHLEAN-X

394.9K Views
·
Jan 29, 2023
All Levels
12 Supersets EVERYONE Should Have in Their Programs!
Learning Fitness Tutorials All Levels
  • Jan 29, 2023
  • 394.9K Views
  • 16.8K Likes

Supersets can be amazing for increasing muscle size if you choose the right ones. In this video, I’m going to show you the 12 greatest supersets that everyone should have in their programs if they want to get their best results from their workouts.

 

It helps to define exactly what a superset is (and what it is not). By definition, it is a pair of exercises done back to back with minimal to no rest in between. The time it takes to transition between one exercise and the next is all that is allowed. This brings to the forefront an important idea when it comes to putting these combinations together. That is, they must be exercises that allow you to transition quickly and not take up too much time or equipment in the gym to do them.

 

All it takes is a busy gym to interrupt your ability to do a superset that requires you to occupy a bench and a pullup bar for example. Leave the bench to run over to the pullup bar and you very well could lose your spot and have throw that superset out in regards to its effectiveness.

 

All of the ones here were carefully put together with these limitations in mind.

 

Now, there is no definitive rule that states that all supersets must pair up opposing muscle groups. This is a common misconception. You can place agonist or antagonist muscles back to back in any superset and get very different but equally effective results. As you’ll see, you can also pair up exercises that serve to either enhance the performance of the second in the pair (via a pre-exhaust) or via a restorative effect that accelerates recovery of the first exercise.

 

With that said, here is a quick summary of the 12 supersets that everyone should have in their program if they want to see their best overall results. Be sure to watch the whole video for why each exercise was selected in each pairing.

 

1. DB Static Bench Press into DB Gorilla Rows

 

2. Wrap Around Rows into Cable Crossovers

 

3. Cable Curls into Standing Overhead Cable Extensions

 

4. Lying Incline Triceps Extensions into DB Spider Curls

 

5. DB Reverse Lunges into DB RDL’s

 

6. DB Overhead Press into DB Hip Huggers

 

7. DB “L” Raises into DB Overhead Press

 

8. Seated Knee Tucks into Reverse Hyperextensions

 

9. Barbell Squats into Dead Arm Hangs

 

10. DB Incline Bench Press into Chest Supported Rows

 

11. Straight Arm Pushdowns into Face Pulls

 

12. DB Spanish Squats into Banded Kneeling Hip Thrusts

 

Each of these supersets accomplishes the main goals of being both time and space efficient. If you want to perform these right for maximum muscle growth and effectiveness, you have to be able to choose the exercises that are best. I’ve done the work for you, now you just have to go out and do them.

 

Supersets are easily able to be incorporated into any training program, if you happen to not be doing any of them at the moment. Even if you’re following a push pull legs split (PPL) where you are training all pushing or pulling muscles in the same workout. You just wouldn’t opt for the antagonist supersets like chest and back exercises. You would instead aim for something like the shoulder examples shown here, where back to back shoulder exercises are used to help you to increase the intensity of each.

 

If you are already including supersets in your workout program then you may want to revisit how they look in comparison to the ones shown here. Again, even the shortest delay in moving from the first to the second exercise in the pair can compromise the effect of what you are trying to accomplish in the first place. These have built-in efficacy because of the selections and are something you will definitely want to try the next time you train.

 

If you’re looking for a complete program that often times includes these types of effective supersets into the workouts, be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link below. Remember to use the program selector to allow me to help you find the program that best matches your current goals.

 

For more workout videos and the best exercises or supersets to build muscle be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link below. Remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a video when it’s published.

 

Build ripped athletic muscle here - http://athleanx.com/x/my-workouts

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

17 Foods I Eat EVERY Single Day! 17:25
Workout

17 Foods I Eat EVERY Single Day!

ATHLEAN-X

1.3M Views
·
Dec 27, 2022
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17 Foods I Eat EVERY Single Day!
Learning Diet & Nutrition All Levels
  • Dec 27, 2022
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In case you didn’t know, there are 17 food I eat every single day for 6 pack abs and to make sure that I stay lean all year round. In this video, I am going to cover the foods that are included in my diet every single day that help me to stay lean and have six pack abs, as well as some of the reasons why I choose to include them, other than the fact that they taste good.

The first food on my list comes with breakfast and it is egg whites. Some of the major benefits of including egg whites in my muscle building diet is that the 6 egg whites I have each morning contains 24 grams of protein. The egg whites are a great lower calorie breakfast option that contain less fat than other common breakfast proteins such as sausage or bacon.

Sticking with breakfast, one of the staples of my diet and food that I eat every single day is oatmeal. Not only is it rich in complex carbohydrates to keep me fueled throughout the day, but it is high in fiber to help regulate cholesterol as well it contains magnesium to help alleviate muscle cramps due to my workouts. Add in the fact that there oatmeal contains 0 grams of sugar, and we are off to a good start.

I include skim milk in my daily diet plan as well. Not only do I drink a glass of it with breakfast, but I use it with my oatmeal and protein shake that I have alter in the day. I find that the low fat option is a better choice on a calorie-controlled diet than whole milk, simply because of how much I consume in a day. I also opt for a fortified version with the addition of vitamins A and D.

 

A food that I eat every single day is actually cinnamon. Not only is it loaded with antioxidants, but it has anti-inflammatory properties and has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. This is extremely beneficial to someone focused on building muscle and staying lean in the process.

 

Greek yogurt is another staple of my diet, having it at lunch every single day. Not only is it high in protein, calcium and vitamins - greek yogurt is know to improve gut health thanks to the presence of probiotics. While rich in protein, some will boast that greek yogurt contains all essential amino acids, but the way I make those proteins complete is by adding some chia or pumpkin seeds to it. This helps to boost the muscle building properties of the food itself.

 

I have gone on record stating that I have a perpetual sweet tooth, but there is a way that I keep it in check; I eat frozen yogurt every day. In order to keep on a diet to build muscle and stay lean, avoiding high calorie, high fat sugary sweets, I indulge in a low calorie dessert that I think tastes delicious. I think it is important to be able to find options that can curb your sweet tooth, as long as it isn't compromising your goals.

 

Something you will find on my plate every single day is a lean protein. When it comes to building muscle and having a six pack, protein is going to be one of the most important parts of your diet and it is certainly something that I will never overlook. I opt for chicken, fish, and lean red meat to satiate my protein needs with each meal have 30-50 grams of protein per serving. Not only that, but they can be prepared in so many ways to make sure you enjoy your meal every single time.

 

One food that I eat every single day and that I likely couldn't live without is pasta. I am a big believer that carbohydrates are staple for any muscle building nutrition plan that has any sort of longevity to it. I truly think that deprivation based diets are destined to fail where a healthy eating plan has you indulge responsibly. Pasta not only tastes good, but is a great glycogen replenisher to support hard training. So, if I can recommend that you eat pasta, I would say go for it, just don't overdo it because it can definitely lead to weight gain if you don't pay attention to how much you are eating.

 

Cruciferous vegetables are an important inclusion in my daily eating plan with quite a few benefits. Not only do they contain sulforaphane which cancels out free radicals to help prevent early aging, but they are also shown to decrease myostatin activity to unlock new muscle growth. Add in their powerful anti-inflammatory properties and you will see just why I make sure to include these vegetables in my daily diet plan.

 

Be sure to watch the rest of the video to see the other foods I eat every single day and why I include them in my diet plan to build muscle and stay lean.

 

If you are looking for a day-by-day meal plan to go along with your workouts, they are included with every workout program I designed that can be found at the ATHLEAN-X website via the link below.

 

For more videos on nutrition and building muscle, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on YouTube using the link below and make sure to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it's published.

 

Build ripped athletic muscle here - http://athleanx.com/x/my-workouts

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

The Glute Workout (MOST EFFECTIVE!) 9:00
Workout

The Glute Workout (MOST EFFECTIVE!)

ATHLEAN-X

355.8K Views
·
Dec 08, 2022
All Levels
The Glute Workout (MOST EFFECTIVE!)
Learning Fitness Tutorials All Levels
  • Dec 08, 2022
  • 355.8K Views
  • 12.5K Likes

The hundred glute workout requires all out effort, but the results are nothing short of amazing if you follow the glute exercises and protocols shown here. As always a solid glute workout should consist of exercises for your glute max and glute medius. That said, even that doesn’t make this workout for glutes complete. In order to round out your butt with a well rounded workout you need to spend more time focusing on the reps that actually count to help you build bigger, stronger glutes. That is what we do in this workout.

 

If you look at most glute workouts that people perform, they usually consist of the same glute exercises. The issue isn’t necessarily what you’re doing but how you’re doing them. In order to increase the intensity of the workouts you are doing you have to focus on increasing the intensity of each set you perform. Consider that in a normal set of 12 reps that only the last 2-3 are actually hard enough to provide enough stimulus for muscle growth.

 

What if you had a way that allowed you to more quickly tap into those harder, more growth producing reps more quickly? You do, by incorporating a rest pause technique into your training. Here, when the set is resumed you are instantly back to recruiting more type II fibers which are more easily able to respond to your hard work in the form of new size. The accumulation of these more difficult, effective reps is what can easily help you to increase the size of your glutes while decreasing the length of your workout.

 

When it comes to training in the effective rep range, ask yourself a question. When you perform a set of any glute exercise, do you take it to failure or close to failure? Likely, the only reps you feel that are challenging are the final 1 to 3 reps. This is because, it is only at the point after the muscle has been stressed enough to tap into the harder to reach type IIb muscle fibers that the task at hand becomes challenging enough to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

 

With the glutes workout technique shown here and in this series, you’re going to more quickly tap into these growth inducing type II fibers. The strategy is as follows:

 

Perform a set of the glute exercises shown below to 12 rep failure. Choose a weight that will cause you to fail at or close to the 12 rep mark. This is called the ignition set. At this point, the real work begins. Rest for just 15 seconds as part of a somewhat prolonged rest/pause. As soon as these 15 seconds are up, get back into another set. You will instantly recognize that the reps will be challenging more quickly due to the decreased recovery time allowed.

 

You are still using the same load however, therefore your glutes are still being subjected to the same external load. However many reps you get after each of these rest/pause increments are all deemed to be effective reps. Each bout should be taken to failure. Accumulate 20 effective reps, even if you’re getting just 1 out at a time at some point, and your work on that exercise is complete.

 

If for some reason you are unable to complete any more reps on your way to 20, end your set and aim to complete all 20 the next time you perform this workout.

 

Here is how to construct the 100 glute workout with that in mind.

 

- 0:00 100 Glute Workout

- 0:25 Effective Reps

- 1:03 Exercise 1

- 2:04 Exercise 2

- 3:17 Exercise 3

- 4:11 Exercise 4

- 5:29 Exercise 5

- 6:27 Optional Exercise

 

Barbell Hip Thrust - Ignition Set then 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause as a Dead Row

Barbell RDL - Ignition Set then 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause

DB Sprinter Lunges - Ignition Set then 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause

Cable Pullthroughs - Ignition Set then 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause

Banded Hip Drops - Ignition Set then 20 Effective Reps as a Rest/Pause each side

 

Optional: Glute Bridge/Curl Static Ladder x 20 reps using a 5 second isometric hold in the bridge position of each rep (Rest/Pause)

 

All totaled, this will amount to 100 effective reps in this intense glute workout.

 

If you have to adjust your weights down as the fatigue mounts, do so accordingly. You are not necessarily using your 12 rep max on an exercise, you are using a weight that will cause you to fail at the 12 rep mark in that given workout. Fatigue accumulating in the later glute exercises of this workout may cause you to have to drop down a bit to make this happen throughout the workout.

 

This is just one example of how to apply science to your glute workouts. If you want to put science back in every workout you do, head to athleanx.com and get started right away on building a ripped, muscular, athletic body.

 

For more glute workout videos for building bigger, stronger glutes, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at the link above and don’t forget to turn on notifications.

 

Build Muscle in 90 Days - http://athleanx.com/x/my-workouts

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

The REAL Reason Your Lats Won't Grow! 7:41
Workout

The REAL Reason Your Lats Won't Grow!

ATHLEAN-X

695.1K Views
·
Nov 13, 2022
All Levels
The REAL Reason Your Lats Won't Grow!
Learning Fitness Tutorials All Levels
  • Nov 13, 2022
  • 695.1K Views
  • 15.3K Likes

If you ever wondered what the real reason your lats won’t grow is, this is a must watch video. Here I am going to show you what you likely have been and have not been doing when it comes to your back training that is leading to you not getting the back gains that you’re looking for. With just some simple modifications to your workouts, you will be on your way to building bigger lats.

The first thing you have probably been doing when it comes to your back workouts is that you’ve only been lifting heavy weights. This usually comes in the forms of rows, lat pulldowns, and weighted pullups. There’s nothing wrong with performing these exercises with heavier weights, but you are likely relying on something that comes with the heavy weight, especially in back training, and that is momentum.

Momentum is easy to take advantage of with back training in comparison to pushing exercises such as the bench press or a seated overhead press. In those two cases, if you can’t push the weight up, it’s not going anywhere. With a row or lat pulldown, you can use some body english and momentum to move that weight when you normally might not be able to.

While this can be helpful for building top end strength in the lifts that require it and may have given you some size to go along with that strength, the size of your lats might not have reached their full potential yet. This likely also has to do with the fact that you are also cutting short the range of motion in order to be able to manipulate that weight in space.

 

So, knowing that we are limiting our lat development based on the use of momentum and a shortened range of motion, we can introduce ways to fix these shortcomings.

 

First, let’s look at decreasing the weight we are using with our back workouts. While you might think that lowering the weight is counterintuitive, it’s actually going to be more beneficial than you realize. By lowering the weight, you will be able to have better command of it in space to create a greater stretch and contraction - realizing the benefits of full range of motion. With full range of motion of the lats, you can better unlock muscle growth by tapping not into just a greater contraction, but also achieving a greater stretch.

 

Now, when it comes to using lighter weights with your back workouts, it becomes even more essential that you start training your lats to failure in the higher rep ranges. I’ve mentioned before that as the rep range increases to include more than 12 reps, the more important it is that you train to failure on that exercise. Doing so will actually lead to better gains and more hypertrophy in the muscles you are trying to target.

 

We can also modify our training to not only include lighter weights, but utilize exercises that take your lats through full range of motion. The first exercise I like to mention is the rocking lat pulldown. This unilateral version of a standard pulldown allows for a greater contraction of the lats by being able to abduct the target arm.

 

The kneeling one armed pulldown is another great unilateral option for targeting the lats that will require even lighter weight to be used since you don’t have the assistance of the other arm to initiate the movement like you do in the rocking pulldown.

 

Next, we have the one arm high cable row (of my favorite back exercises of all time). Not only does this exercise allow you to target one side at a time, but the nature of the exercise takes you through full range of motion and a hard contraction with the elbow tight against the body as well allowing you put the muscle on full stretch at the top of each rep.

 

Another exercise option for your next back workout is the straight arm pushdown. Another exercise that allows you to target the lats effectively through a good contraction and allowing for the lats to be put on stretch at the top end in the range of motion while sitting the hips back. A slight tweak you can make to this exercise to further enhance the stretch on the lats is to simply perform this exercise in a kneeling position.

 

Lastly, an alternative to the standard pulldown to grow your lats is the underhanded version. Simply changing the orientation of your hands on the bar is enough to create to accentuate the stretch that you get on the lats at the top of the rep - again, going after that range of motion!

 

If you are looking for a complete workout program that help you to build bigger lats if you struggle to build them now, then be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link below and use the program selector to find the training plan that matches your exact goals now.

 

If you’re looking for more videos on how to build a bigger back, be sure to click on the link below to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it’s published.

 

Build Ripped Athletic Muscle Here - https://athleanx.com

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

How to Fix Slumped Posture (NO MORE SLOUCHING!) 8:57
Workout

How to Fix Slumped Posture (NO MORE SLOUCHING!)

ATHLEAN-X

789.6K Views
·
Nov 06, 2022
All Levels
How to Fix Slumped Posture (NO MORE SLOUCHING!)
Learning Fitness Tutorials All Levels
  • Nov 06, 2022
  • 789.6K Views
  • 35.8K Likes

Have you ever wondered how to fix slumped posture? In this video, I am going to show you why you suffer from slumped posture and how to fix it so that you can stop slouching once and for all.

It starts first by identifying what is causing your bad posture in the first place. You are most likely slouching with rounded shoulders due to a weakness and lack of mobility in your upper back, specifically the thoracic spine. Not only is it causing your shoulders to round forward, but it is also affecting the posterior pelvic tilt that you are likely suffering from as well.

While some may argue that your posture doesn’t matter, as a physical therapist, I disagree. I find that posture can affect everyone both inside and out of the gym. If you don’t believe me, try this out; slump forward, slump forward and allow your shoulders to round. Then, try raising your arm up overhead. You won’t be able to get it all the way up. Your humerus will actually get blocked within the shoulder joint, preventing you from being able to raise it all the way overhead.

If you are someone who works out, that means that with this bad posture you will run into difficulty to effectively press weight overhead, such as with dumbbells or a barbell. In everyday life, you might find it difficult to put something away above you because of the difficulty in getting your arms up.

Now, to feel what it would be like to stand with good posture, stand in front of a straight line and turn your toes out. Contract your quads and squeeze your glutes together. From here, make fist and place it against your chest with your thumb resting on your sternum. You should notice a slight downward tilt of your knuckles. Now, retract your shoulder blades and raise your chest upwards, bringing those knuckles to parallel to the ceiling.

Since you know what it feels like to stop slouching and to stand in good posture, it’s time to implement the fix, which is a daily 5 minute routine consisting of just 5 simple exercises. Two exercises to strengthen and mobilize the thoracic spine and two exercises to work on the strength-endurance of the glutes. It’s not just about having a glutes that are strong, but having the ability to hold them in the right position for an extended period of time. There is also a combination exercise that will target both the thoracic spine and the glutes all in one move.

Perform the posture fix routine as follows:

A. Supermans x 30 sec

B. Glute Bridge Marches x 30 sec

A. Supermans x 30 sec

B. Glute Bridge Marches x 30 sec

E. Bridge and Reach Overs x 30 sec

 

C. Kneeling Thoracic Drops x 30 sec

D. Wall DL’s x 30 sec (right leg)

C. Kneeling Thoracic Drops x 30 sec

D. Wall DL’s x 30 sec (left leg)

E. Bridge and Reach Overs x 30 sec

 

The Supermans exercise is a thoracic strengthening exercise that will help target the muscles of the upper back and in-between the shoulder blades. Weakness in these muscles allows for the upper back to round forward, taking with it the shoulders, causing them to round as well. To have good posture, you need to make sure these muscles are strong enough to keep you upright.

The Glute Bridge Marches will work on the strength endurance of the glutes. It is important to note here that you want to avoid any dropping of the hips / pelvis at any point, whether than be sagging down or tilting to one side in order to raise the other leg off the ground.

Kneeling Thoracic Drops will work on mobilizing the thoracic spine and as an added bonus, will help stretch the lats, which we know are an internal rotator of the shoulders. If these muscles are too tight, they will actually assist in pulling your shoulders forward.

By performing the Wall DL’s you will be getting good activation of the glutes through their function of hip extension. When your knee comes forward and reaches the wall, you want to make sure that the standing leg allows for the hips to reach all the way through and forward.

One of my favorite exercises to help correct bad posture and to feel amazing every single day is the Bridge and Reach Over. This posture exercise not only targets mobility of the thoracic spine with the reach over to each side, but doubles as a glute strengthening exercise by having you perform a bridge with each repetition.

If you’re looking for a complete workout program that will fix your posture but also help you to build a ripped athletic body, be sure to head to athleanx.com and check out the plans that are best suited to your current goals.

For more videos on how to fix your posture and a daily posture routine that you can follow, be sure to subscribe to our youtube channel via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.

 

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

Intense Ab Workout | 6 Minutes (FOLLOW ALONG!) 8:23
Workout

Intense Ab Workout | 6 Minutes (FOLLOW ALONG!)

ATHLEAN-X

1.5M Views
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Sep 11, 2022
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Intense Ab Workout | 6 Minutes (FOLLOW ALONG!)
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If you want to develop six pack abs you may think that you have to spend hours a day trying to get one. That is not the case at all. If you are able to commit to a consistent but short effort you will be amazed at how much better your abs could look in a short period of time when combined with a focused attention to what you eat as well.

In this video, I have a short 6 minute ab workout for you to do along with me. As you will see and feel, an ab workout does not have to be long to be effective. As a matter of fact, I would probably say that the longer the ab workout goes, the less effective it becomes. The key to this working is that it is short enough to allow you to do it on a regular basis without having to fight to schedule it into your day.

Remember, the key to getting a six pack is consistency. Now, don’t think that just because you might be doing the same set of exercises that it is becoming less effective. It is not. The choice of ab exercises in this workout is broad enough so as to cover all of the major functions of the abs. There are bottom up movements that better hit the lower abs. There are rotational movements that are initiated from the bottom up and the top down to really hit the rotation capabilities of the core muscles.

 

There are also top down movements where the shoulders are lifted off of the ground as opposed to the legs, which are situated at the end of the workout to allow you to keep training your abs when they are fatigued. When there are purposeful ab exercises in your workouts they do not have to be long.

 

The point of this video is to give you a follow along ab workout that you can do anywhere. There are no special pieces of equipment needed to do this. All you need is your body and some space on the floor. You might actually need a bit more than that, and that would be a heavy dose of determination to try and resist the burn of these exercises as you do them. Remember, the pain from ab training is usually only temporary. As soon as finish the exercise and the lactic acid starts to clear the abdominal muscles, you feel normal again.

 

See if you can follow the entire ab workout along with me, resting when I do. If you need extra rest for some reason, don’t be bashful - take it. Maybe you can only do 40 seconds of one of the 60 second ab exercises. That’s ok, do what you can and rest for the remainder of that exercise. As you get stronger on these you will be able to do the whole thing without extra rest. Here is the ab workout as follows:

 

Hands Back Raises x 60 seconds

Drunken Mountain Climbers x 30 seconds

Cross Knee Planks x 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Scissor “V” Ups x 60 seconds

Starfish Crunch x 30 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Upper Circle Crunches (clockwise) x 30 seconds

Upper Circle Crunches (counter clockwise) x 30 seconds

 

So there is an ab workout you can do at home with no equipment that will get you started on getting that six pack you’ve always wanted. If you want to speed up the process you will want to make sure your diet is in place as well. If you want a step by step meal plan to get you ripped fast, head to athleanx.com via the link above and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System.

 

For more ab workout videos that you can follow for a six pack, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link above and be sure to turn on notifications so you never miss when something new is posted.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

How to Get a 6 Pack in 4 Minutes (WORKS EVERY TIME!) 8:06
Workout

How to Get a 6 Pack in 4 Minutes (WORKS EVERY TIME!)

ATHLEAN-X

790.2K Views
·
Aug 28, 2022
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How to Get a 6 Pack in 4 Minutes (WORKS EVERY TIME!)
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If you ever wanted to get a 6 pack and wanted to do it quickly, then this is a must watch video. Here I’m showcasing what Japanese social media influencer Hiiragi Sensei did to get impressive abs and build more muscle with just a single 4 minute workout repeated every single day for 5 months. But was it the ab workout he did or something behind the scenes that was responsible for his real results? Let’s break it down.

So the gameplan for Hiiragi was to perform a basic one exercise workout for 4 minutes in Tabata style. This means that he performs the single exercise for 20 seconds and then rests for 10 seconds every 30 second period. He continues this for a total of 4 minutes. The exercise of choice was the basic burpee. I will say however, that the one that he called a burpee was actually not quite a burpee. The removal of the chest to ground requirement of the burpee resulted in him performing a simple squat thrust. This is still a metabolically demanding exercise but not quite as difficult as the full chest to the ground version that he likely should have chosen - particularly if he wanted to build more muscle.

Nonetheless, he performed this workout every single day for 5 months.

There were no days skipped. As his conditioning level improved he was able to do more and more burpees in that same 4 minute workout. He started out getting about 5 reps done in every 20 second period and finished at the end of 5 months with the ability to perform 8 reps every 20 seconds for the entire 4 minutes. This was obviously a form of progressive overload and something that helped him to build more muscle during the period, not just lose the noticeable amount of fat that he did.

In total, it is claimed that he lost 13.5kg (or 28lbs) in just 150 days.

If you were to do the math however, you would have to be a little skeptical, as am I. A minute of burpees burns on average about 15-17 calories per minute. Obviously this will vary depending on the size of the individual, the amount of body fat they carry right now and the speed at which they perform the reps.

The point we are going to highlight is that in a 4 minute workout of just burpees, the most calories he is going to be able to burn is 68. This is the 17 calories per minute for 4 minute calculation I just referred to. Now if you extrapolate that out for 5 months or 150 days you see that in total, he burned around 10,200 calories from the workouts. Divide this by the 3500 that is roughly equal to a pound of body fat and you’ll see that this is only responsible for 3 of the 28 pounds lost.

So how did he really do it?

The same way you or anyone else will have to do it if you really want to get a six pack - through diet. There is no way around the fact that the only way to get abs fast is to focus first and foremost on what you’re putting in your mouth. There is no magic 4 minute ab workout that is going to strip away the body fat and give you 6 pack abs.

As Hiiragai was gaining consistency with his daily workout he was also starting to hold himself more accountable to the process as a whole. No more did he bail on his nutrition and choose bad food selections with reckless abandon. Instead, he started to value the effort and consistency he was putting in with the workouts and was less willing to blow it by eating poorly. With improved quality of food choices and more responsible portions, he was able to really start losing body fat and getting 6 pack abs to show.

In the end, it was only through the nutrition improvements that he was able to lose 25 of the 28 pounds.

If you want to get a 6 pack you will have to learn how to eat smarter.

That is where my recommendation of something else you can do for 4 minutes comes in.

Head to https://athleanx.com/carbs

Begin by selecting 4-5 starchy carbohydrates that you can’t live without (and shouldn’t be asked to if you want to experience long term success). In my case it would be pasta, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, rice and beans. Then, select as many fibrous carbohydrates as you like. Make sure that you’re not just eating them every meal but eating them in a much higher quantity than the starchy carbs if you want to get six pack abs.

Finally, select your proteins. Be sure to include one at every meal if you want to experience the meal satiety that comes from them and also support muscle growth and repair in the process.

If you’re looking for a step by step workout that provides you with no-fail daily meal plans as well, be sure to head to athleanx.com and use the program selector tool linked below. This will help you to find the plant that best matches your current goals.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

How to Target Your Lower Abs (MAKE THEM VISIBLE!) 8:08
Workout

How to Target Your Lower Abs (MAKE THEM VISIBLE!)

ATHLEAN-X

3.3M Views
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Aug 14, 2022
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How to Target Your Lower Abs (MAKE THEM VISIBLE!)
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If you have lower belly fat or you are just soft in that area, you might be wondering how to target your lower abs and get visible lower abs. In this video, I am going to show you that not only yes, you can preferentially target the lower abdominal muscles, but how to do so in the most effective way possible. With three simple exercises (plus a bonus exercise) and some tips on how to do them, you will be well on your way to sculpting your lower abs.

You might have been told that there is no way to isolate one area of the abs over the other. In other words, you cannot work the lower abs without also working the rest of the abdominal muscles. This is true. However, based on where we initiate the movement from, we can preferentially influence the portion of the abs that we are looking for. To target the upper abs, you would perform top-down movements such as a standard crunch, but if you wanted to hit the lower ab muscles, you would perform bottom-up movements.

The lower abs are subject to another anatomical manipulation and that comes from the position of the pelvis and the low back. To most effectively influence the lower abs, you will want a flat back throughout every ab exercise that you do. To achieve this back position, you are going to need to be in a posterior pelvic tilt. By curling your pelvis in and under, you are also helping to reduce the activation of the hip flexors during these movements.

Next, you are going to want to set your hip angle. Ideally this will be at 90º for both your hips and your knees. However, to make the exercise easier, you will want to bring that angle closer towards your chest and to make it harder, open the angle so that your legs are farther away. Whatever angle you set, make sure to keep that angle throughout the entirety of the exercise.

So what exercises can we do and how do we do them in order to most effectively target your lower abs?

First up, we have swipers. The goal is to get your legs in the air by raising your pelvis completely off the ground and swiping your hands underneath where your butt was. This exercise is great because it has automatic feedback built into the movement. If you successfully curled your pelvis off the ground and towards your chest, you will be able to swipe your hands together no problem. If not, you need to focus on lifting that pelvis.

Next, we have reverse knee tucks, but they should really be called tailbone lifts. Why? Traditionally, most people usually allow their hip flexors to dominate the movement and simply bring their knees towards their abdomen. To really make the lower abs work in this exercise, think about lifting the tailbone off the ground and bringing your knees to about forehead level. This will ensure that you are limiting the amount of work the hip flexors are doing and maximizing the work that the lower abs are performing.

The next ab exercise is a more dynamic and tougher version of the standard plank called the plank knee slide. By incorporating the same principles that were introduced earlier, you will be effectively targeting the lower abs throughout this movement (if performed correctly, of course). Just make sure you are going slow and deliberate with each part of the movement.

A bonus exercise that is probably one of the most effective ab exercises of all time for hitting the lower abs is the hanging leg raise. Instead of simply raising your legs up, I like to give the cue of showing your butt to the person in front of you. This will disengage the hip flexors and allow the abs to take on the brunt of the work. Another reason this exercise is so great is because you are lifting the weight of your legs against the force of gravity.

To intensify each of these exercises, simply engage the adductors. On 3 of the 4 ab exercises I showed you, you can simply cross your legs and squeeze them together. On the plank knee slides, think about isometrically dragging the plant foot inwards.

Furthermore, you can also add rotation to the exercises as well since the fibers of the lower abs run at a slightly oblique angle.

None of this is going to matter if you have too much body fat covering the lower abs themselves. No exercise is going to spot reduce that fat. However, by getting your nutrition in check and being in a hypocaloric state, you will be start burning that fat off while still building and strengthening your lower abs,

If you are looking for a meal plan where everything is laid out for you step-by-step, we have them included with all of our ATHLEAN-X training programs via the link below.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

How to Get WIDER Forearms (WORKS EVERY TIME!) 7:24
Workout

How to Get WIDER Forearms (WORKS EVERY TIME!)

ATHLEAN-X

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Jul 28, 2022
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How to Get WIDER Forearms (WORKS EVERY TIME!)
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If you want to get wider forearms you have to train the muscles in the forearm that are most responsible for their size. Often times, people fill their forearm workouts with nothing more than wrist curls and reverse wrist curls. This is just not going to cut it when it comes to building wide, muscular forearms. The biggest reason is, this approach doesn’t even account for the muscles of the forearm that have no impact on the motion of the wrist.

In this video, I’m going to show you the best forearm exercises to build thicker, wider forearms. Most of all, I’ll show you how to focus on the muscles of the forearm that are most easily able to add size and width due to their orientation in the lower arm.

But first, it’s important that you measure your forearms accurately. In other words, before you look at your skinny wrists and deem your ability to build big forearms as compromised, realize that the muscles of the lower arm become largely just tendons as you get close to the wrist. This means, even if you did all the right things with your workout for forearms, if you had small bones you wouldn’t have large wrists.The good news however is that if you do the right exercises for forearms you will see thicker, wider forearms.

That said, it’s time to build big forearms the right way.

If you want to build up the extensor component of the lower arm you need to perform the exercises that work both the ECR or extensor carpi radialis, and the brachioradialis. The irony behind these muscles is that the latter isn’t even technically a forearm muscle. Even more ironic is the fact that the brachioradialis is responsible for the majority of the size of the forearm in the extensor component. It traditionally is viewed as an elbow flexor muscle that works well with the brachialis and biceps.

So in order to accomplish growth here, you’re going to want to perform an exercise that involves elbow flexion. Ideally, you’ll want to do this from a pronated forearm position. This leads us to the reverse barbell curl. With the pronated arm position, the biceps is most diminished in the exercise, leaving the brachioradialis and brachialis to do more of the work.

The issue with this exercise is that it can be a tough position for some to get into due to limited wrist mobility. In this case, the EZ bar variation is ideal. It places the forearm into a less pronated, but still not supinated position that keeps the focus on the brachioradialis. But just doing this exercise for forearms isn’t enough since we can easily incorporate the ECR by just extending the wrists at the top of the rep.

As far as the range of motion of the reverse curl, there is something you want to consider here as well. First, in the fully lengthened position, the brachioradialis does not have as effective a line of pull as it does when the elbow is partially flexed. So, if you want to target this forearm muscle better, you’ll want to initiate each rep from a partially flexed elbow position.

The best way to do this is with the bar starting at the waistline and dragging it up the body as if doing a drag curl. This is going to produce an intense contraction in the brachioradialis and ECR all the way through the limited, but more effective range of motion of the rep.

In order to hit the underside of the forearm and get wider forearms from side to side you’re going to want to also perform another exercise. One of my favorites to do this is with the top down wrist curl. Here you let the cable handle (or band if you’re doing this at home) drift into the ends of your fingers. Start by clenching your hand and making a fist against the resistance of the weight. From here, continue the downward motion by performing a wrist curl.

You’ll find that by performing this in this way, you get an even more intense contraction than you would from the standard dumbbell wrist curls performed with the forearm resting on a bench.

If you want to build bigger forearms, the key is knowing which forearm exercises do the best job of targeting the most “space occupying” muscles of the lower arm. With these two moves you have a quick but effective combination that will help you get wider forearms and say goodbye to skinny arms once and for all.

For a complete program that puts the science into every exercise selection so you can build muscle and burn fat faster, be sure to visit athleanx.com via the link below.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

Your Cardio Machines are LYING To You! 10:15
Workout

Your Cardio Machines are LYING To You!

ATHLEAN-X

256.7K Views
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Jul 25, 2022
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Did you know that your cardio machines are lying to you? In this video, I am going to show you how the cardio machines you are using are incorrectly displaying the number of calories you are burning. In fact, the number of calories displayed may be grossly overestimated. I am also going to show you which machines are the worst at doing this, and which ones you might want to spend your time on instead.

First thing is first, if you are using cardio as your main method of creating a caloric deficit to lose weight, you are making a big mistake. The fact of the matter is that nothing is going to be as effective of creating a caloric deficit as keeping your nutrition in check. I talk about it all the time; you can’t outrun a bad diet. Make your caloric cuts through your diet to get the best results when trying to lose weight.

Where do the inaccuracies sit when it comes to the caloric display? Well, if the machine is not asking you for your weight, it’s already off to a bad start. The cardio machine is calculating the caloric burn based on something called a MET. This unit is multiplied based on the activity, but is calculated using a standard number for weight input; 154 lbs. If your weight is different, then your caloric readout is inaccurate!

The next way that your cardio machines are lying to you is by fudging the math a little bit. How so? Well, the number displayed is based on including something called the REE; the amount of calories you burn at rest. By including this number, the machine is inflating the number of calories burned. This will make you think that you are burning more calories and doing more work than you actually are.

How else is are they lying to you? Well, this one comes from something you are likely doing that the machine can’t account for and that is your posture. By leaning over and resting on the handles of a bike or a treadmill, then you are actually unweighting yourself and doing less work. This can actually lead to a 50% difference in the calories you think you are burning. The fix is easy; stand up straight and perform the exercise with good posture.

Next, you have to pay attention to the range of motion when you are performing the work on the cardio machine. You would obviously be performing more work by taking the exercise through the full range of motion as opposed to an abbreviated one. It’s no different when it comes to cardio. On a step mill: taking short, choppy steps instead of driving the foot down and getting to full hip extension. Look at an elliptical machine; it is likely locking you into an abbreviated range of motion based on the design of the machine itself. When it comes to a bike, standing up is how you would be achieving full range of motion while further weighting yourself to perform more work meaning more calories burnt.

So, what cardio machines are lying to you the least? The stationary bike is the most accurate, overestimating the calories burnt by only 7%. The mathematical equations used to measure force output (watts) in combination with a weight input leads to a more accurate reading. Next up, is the stair master with a 12% overestimation on the calories burnt. Second to last is the treadmill, off by 13-20% which is compounded by the poor posture often included with this machine. Lastly, the most inaccurate of all these machines is the elliptical - a whopping 42%! Some of this is due to discrepancies in the range of motion from machine to machine.

What can we do to nullify the inaccuracies of the machines? Well, for starters, we can look to other cardio machines. Which ones we should be focusing our efforts on is based simply on the amount of effort you need to perform them. For example; using an air-bike, a rowing machine, or ski-ERG. They may require more work, but the more work done, the more calories burnt, so these are the best cardio machine options.

If you want to stick to the machines you are using right now but want to make it more accurate; try to find a machine that asks for you to input your weight to give a reading that is closer to the truth. You can also gauge the work you are doing by your heart rate (the higher it is, the more effort you are expending). Finally, you can take the output the display is reading and cut it in half and use that in your caloric intake guidelines.

Don’t think that your wearable calorie counters are all that accurate either with a 20-96% inaccuracy range!

If you are looking for a step-by-step training plan that has you burning fat and building muscle at the same time, check out the ATHLEAN-X Training System by clicking on the link below.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

Biceps Workout Tip You'll NEVER Forget! 8:12
Workout

Biceps Workout Tip You'll NEVER Forget!

ATHLEAN-X

683.7K Views
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Jul 14, 2022
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What if I told you that I can show you a biceps workout tip that you'll never forget? In this video, I am going to show you a tip that will help you to grow bigger biceps and will work the very next time that you try it. The best part is that it can be applied to just about any biceps exercise you do, regardless of equipment.

One of the most popular pieces of equipment I see used in any biceps workout is the EZ curl bar. While I think that it is a great tool to use when building big biceps, I often see something very wrong with the way that it is used when it comes to curling. Why? Well, most people choose to use the wider grip due to comfort but with the way the bar is engineered, it forces their grip out of supination and more towards pronation.

 

We know that the function of the biceps is not only to flex the elbow, but to supinate the forearm as well. To achieve maximum biceps contribution to an exercise, we need to supinate.

How do we fix this? Well we can flip the bar over and grab the handles in a position that allows for greater supination. However, there is another important aspect that we can't overlook when it comes to building bigger biceps and that is wrist extension. By allowing the wrists to go into extension, we are not only taking the forearm contribution out of the equation, but we are actually giving the biceps a better opportunity to supinate as well thanks to the way the anatomy of the arm and wrist is set up. So, the next time you opt to use an EZ curl bar in your biceps workout, just flip it upside down and grab the handles so that your hands are actually supinated instead of pronated. This will put the emphasis on the biceps and take away work from the brachialis.

What about using a different piece of equipment, such as a cable machine and doing cable curls? The key tip here is to make sure that your wrist remains in extension, especially at the top of the movement. This allows the elbows to come in tight to the body, forcing the hands to supinate relatively to where they would be if the elbows were drifted out. We also know that when it comes to big biceps, you want to keep the line of force perpendicular to the forearms to make sure that the biceps are doing the most work possible. By putting the wrists into extension, you are doing just that; you are making sure the cable stays perpendicular to the forearms, which means the line of force is perpendicular as well.

When it comes to a biceps workout, you are also likely doing straight bar or barbell curls. The same principles that applied to the cable curl are going to make an appearance again. However, to illustrate the point, I broke out the muscle marker and highlighted the outer meat on the palm of my hand. When you curl, with wrists in extension and those elbows tight, you are almost directing force through that part of your hand in order to go through the motion of supinating - something you didn't think possible due to the fixed nature of the bar.

If you are curling with dumbbells, supination and extension becomes a whole lot easier because the piece of equipment allows for more freedom of movement in the hands, wrists, and forearms. Just because it is easier, doesn't make it any less important or mean you don't need to pay attention to what you are doing. The best way to apply this to dumbbell curls is to hold an offset grip on the handle and when you reach the top end of the range of motion, trying to raise the pinkies higher to supinate even further. Remember to keep those elbows tight, too!

Now, if you've been watching my channel for a while now, you may have noticed the sleeve that I have been wearing on my arm. Well, I injured my right biceps when my son slipped on a patch of ice and I tried to catch him. The first thing I did was to make sure that the muscle was still attached by simply supinating. Know that the brachialis shares the function of flexing the elbow, I knew the best way to determine the status of the biceps itself was to go through the function that is limited to the biceps. Thankfully, I could still supinate despite the injury to the muscle.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

Which Workout Split is Best? (ft. Huberman Lab Podcast) 6:33
Workout

Which Workout Split is Best? (ft. Huberman Lab Podcast)

ATHLEAN-X

1.1M Views
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Jul 08, 2022
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Ever wonder what the best workout split is to build the most muscle, lose the most fat, or both? In a recent appearance on the Huberman Lab Podcast with Dr. Andrew Huberman, Jeff Cavaliere answered this complex answer. Find out which workout split is best for you and learn how things you may have heard or thought about other splits may not be as accurate as you once thought.

When we talk about a training split or workout split we are referring to the way in which we split up the muscle groups we train in a given workout over a period of time. Most of us look at a week as the time frame within which we want to either hit a single muscle group once, twice or even more often. In order to achieve this goal we often times group certain muscles together into the same workout to condense the work over fewer numbers of days.

There are so many options for how we do this however. You can do something called a PPL or push, pull legs workout split, a total body workout split or even an upper body / lower body split. In a PPL you are going to reserve one day to train all the muscles that are responsible for upper body pushing movements. This means that you are going to be training the triceps, shoulders and chest predominantly. On pull day, you’ll be training all the muscles in the upper body that are responsible for pulling. This means that the lats, upper back, traps and biceps get trained together with the exercises you choose.

Finally, on leg day, as you might guess you will be training your legs.

In a total body workout however you would be aiming to workout all of your major muscle groups in the same workout, usually with a series of compound exercises like bench press, squats, overhead press and rows.

Even with either of these workout splits however, the frequency with which you perform them in a given week is also a variable that needs to be considered. Some will do the PPL workouts just once each per week and others will pair them up back to back (with either a rest day in between each round of PPL or after you have completed the circuit twice).

Different considerations have to be made however to determine whether this is a workload that your body can handle and more importantly, recover from.

Then there are the “bro splits”. This is a term referring to the style of working out favored by bodybuilders who prefer to train one single muscle group in a day or maybe pair up antagonistic muscle groups like chest and back for example. Science has moved us away from these workouts in favor of push, pull legs workouts and total body workouts since the restimulation of muscle every 48 hours seems to point to more muscle protein synthesis.

That said, that does not mean that you cannot get benefits from a “bro-split” if handled more intelligently. For example, if you train your biceps on a Monday, you can schedule a back workout for Wednesday which will give the biceps some additional stimulation due to their role as accessory muscles to the major back exercises. Here you would get enough of a stimulus to result in continued adaptation and growth without nullifying the benefits of the one a day muscle group frequency.

Regardless of which workout split you choose, there is one key determining factor that overrides all. That is, choose the one that you can stick to. If you find that a total body split either leaves you too tired to get a good effort out of the muscles that are trained in the latter half of your workout or you just aren’t interested enough in the workouts that are structured this way - you likely will not be able to stick to this long term.

Vice versa, if you really like Push Pull Legs workout routines and find that it is the perfect way to group your exercises to take advantage of a shared function or purpose for one training day, then you are likely to put in more effort and keep up the consistency needed to see great results over the long haul.

If you’re looking for help in finding the plan that best suits your body’s natural desires to train and therefore get better results from your workouts, head to athleanx.com via the link below and take the program selector quiz shown.

If you are looking for more videos on how to design the right workout program and the best workout split for building maximum muscle, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.

For the complete interview of Jeff Cavaliere on the Huberman Lab Podcast be sure to check it out here:

https://youtu.be/UNCwdFxPtE8

Or download it from Apple

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jeff-cavaliere-optimize-your-exercise-program-with/id1545953110?i=1000568713836

Remember to subscribe to Dr. Huberman’s podcast for insightful, actionable science driven advice.

Build ripped athletic muscle here - http://athleanx.com/program-selector-2

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

How Heavy is TOO Heavy to Build Muscle? 5:49
Workout

How Heavy is TOO Heavy to Build Muscle?

ATHLEAN-X

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Jun 30, 2022
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If you want to build muscle you have to ask yourself how heavy is too heavy when it comes to lifting weights. A lot of people will lift heavy weights in order to build muscle but not pay attention to how they are doing it. I would argue that lifting lighter weights will go a lot further towards adding mass if you are going to lift the heavy weights improperly.

That said, there is a need to first ask yourself what your training goal is. What are you training for? If your goal is to increase strength at any expense then you may think that completing the lift at all is hitting your goal. I would argue that at the expense of good form, this is not true. At the root of all true strength is stability. This is especially so if you want to build muscle and remain injury free for years to come.

If you continue to attempt to add weight to the bar and progressively overload but do so upon a body that is not stabile you will ultimately suffer an injury in almost every case. Instead, look to add weight to the bar as able provided you can maintain the safety through stability by not building around a cracked foundation.

Now, when it comes to hypertrophy or building muscle, there is one easy test that you can do right now on any lift to determine if the weight that you are using is too heavy for you. This is caused the pause test. At any point in time during the lift you are performing you should be able to stop the weight and hold it. I don’t care if this stopping point is at the beginning, middle or end of the rep.

The reason why is because of muscle physiology and biomechanics we know to be true. Muscles are stronger isometrically than they are concentrically. In other words, the force generating capacity of a muscle is stronger when all it has to do is hold the weight in one place rather than shorten and move the weight in space. With this knowledge however, we know that if we truly have the strength to lift a weight on an exercise that we should always have at least the same capacity to stop its motion.

Take an exercise like the front dumbbell raise. This works the front delts. That said, if you use only momentum to swing the weight up then you will be hard pressed to be able to stop it at some point during the rep as well, especially as we get towards the top of the movement. Instead, if you had chosen a weight that is lighter, and could be lifted under your muscle control then you would have had the ability to do so. The lightening of the weight will not detract from your muscle gains but actually boost them. How? By giving your delts a better chance to incur the load and be responsible for overcoming the resistance - serving as the spark for their overload and ultimate hypertrophy.

Now, is there ever a reason to use a heavier than usual weight and cheat it up through the concentric part of the lift? Definitely. This allows you to train with an eccentric overload focus. Things like cheat curls, or cheat laterals are muscle building exercises that allow you to use some momentum to swing the weight up in order to put the dumbbell or barbell in a position to be forced to lower slowly and overtax the eccentric muscle capabilities of a muscle in order to make it grow bigger.

If you look at an exercise like the lat pulldown, it gives you the chance to do either. Load it up and lean back as you swing the weight down in order to focus on the eccentric as I am suggesting here and attempt to stop it at different points in the range of motion in order to find your heaviest and most appropriate weight.

So, set the pin in the stack and perform a rep and see if you can stop the pulldown bar from moving at various points in the lift. Be sure to remember to do it at the very end of the rep as well since this will often be the hardest part to do this in. If you can control the weight, don’t assume you have found the right weight. You’ve only ensured that you haven’t found the wrong one! Now, raise the weight a bit and try again. Your goal should be to find the heaviest weight you can that still allows you to control it and stop its motion at any point in the lift. When you’ve found the weight you are unable to control, simply drop back a notch on the stack and that is the weight to train with.

When you are looking to build muscle and get ripped you need to apply muscle building science to your workouts. If you are looking for a complete step by step workout program that includes day by day meal plans, be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link below. Use the program selector tool to find the program that matches your goals the best.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

5 Foods EVERYONE Should Have in Their Diet! 8:57
Workout

5 Foods EVERYONE Should Have in Their Diet!

ATHLEAN-X

528.2K Views
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Jun 27, 2022
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Did you know that there are 5 foods that everyone should have in their diet? In this video, I am going to discuss what those 5 foods are and their health benefits. Not only that, but I will also explain how they relate to growing muscle too. That being said, let me break down these foods for you.

First up in foods that everyone should be eating are blueberries. Don’t get this confused with blueberry flavored foods or foods that include blueberries in them, i.e. blueberry scones that you might get from Starbucks. While some might argue that blueberries contain a lot of sugar and will make you fat, I would argue that this is absurd. Blueberries are low in calories and also do not spike blood sugar levels - two known factors in weight gain. Full of antioxidants, potassium and vitamin C; blueberries have a great anti-inflammatory response. Not only that, but studies have shown that the nutrients found in blueberries are also beneficial for muscle growth.

Next, is the green veggies that mom always told you to eat. However, not just any greens, but specifically cruciferous vegetables. This includes foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and more. The big benefits of eating cruciferous vegetables is that they contain glucoraphanin which breaks down in sulforaphane when chewed, chopped or cooked. This compound is known to activate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses in the body. Even more interesting, they are actually muscle building foods as well. sulforaphane has been shown to deactivate myostatin production which is a protein that slows your gains by putting the breaks on muscle growth. So, if you want to prevent slow or no muscle growth, cruciferous vegetables are important for you to be eating as part of your diet.

While green foods often get all the attention, orange foods are ones that deserve recognition too, especially when it comes to their health benefits. So, what orange foods should you be eating? Cantaloupe, pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, and oranges themselves just to name a few. It’s been shown in studies that eating these orange foods can actually help with fat loss. In fact, an analysis showed a 10% drop in body fat. Now that’s not saying going from 20%-10% but 10% of where you are starting (20%-18%). And if you want to build muscle, orange foods have shown to increase in muscle mass from 1-1.7%. Including these orange foods in your diet is an effective method for building muscle and burning fat too.

This food is one that I’ve talked about in the past that is important to have in your diet for a few reasons. That food is ginger. Ginger has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and is particularly effective in descreasing muscle pain associated with delayed onset muscle soreness. One study showed that 2 grams of ginger a day for 11 straight days decreased delayed onset muscle soreness by a subjectively reported 25%. By decreasing the soreness related to eccentric training, one of the main drivers of hypertrophy, you will feel more recovered and more ready for your next training session. There are also a few ways to include ginger in your diet too; you can take ginger root and grind it up into multiple different recipes, you can make ginger tea, or you can do my favorite method - eating pickled ginger. I like to take pickled ginger and put it on top of my eggs each morning. In conclusion, there is no denying the benefits of ginger and why it needs to be included in everyone’s diet.

The 5th food option that everyone should include in their diet is lean protein. Now, it’s important to note that there is a big difference between lean protein and simply protein. The best hint I have for this food topic is to start with food in it’s natural state; grilled chicken, steak, fish, and, if you are not a meat eater, lentils. Now, how you prepare these foods is a guide for the direction that you are going to want to take it. For example, grilled citrus chicken is likely off to a good start as you are not going to throw something like alfredo sauce all over it. In comparison, you have chicken parmigiana that is not only going to be fried bread crumbs, but smothered in cheese and like contains a hefty does of starchy carbs from pasta included on the side. This is where a protein supplement can really make a difference too.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

MLB Pitcher Turned Bodybuilder (UNRECOGNIZABLE!) 6:32
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MLB Pitcher Turned Bodybuilder (UNRECOGNIZABLE!)

ATHLEAN-X

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Jun 23, 2022
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Kyle Farnsworth, MLB pitcher turned bodybuilder, might be unrecognizable to those that watched him during his playing days. In this video, I’m going to discuss why his fitness transformation and his pursuit of bodybuilding is not that surprising to me.

To start, we can see that his physique is clearly in bodybuilding shape. There is no doubt that he looks jacked and lean. Just a short time away from appearing in his first bodybuilding competition, he took a bathroom selfie that has been circulating the internet and was picked up by The New York Post. This picture has led some to speculate that some assistance was used to aid his transformation. As it turns out, this theory is not a shocker to me.

Farnsworth played through the era of the enhanced baseball player and when the famous Mitchell Report came out, there was rumors that he would be on it. Why? He was known throughout MLB for being jacked, especially at 6-foot-4 and 240 lbs. His sheer size and muscularity was enough for some to speculate that he would be outed while pitching in the MLB. These rumors turned out to be false and he was never named in the report.

Something worth noting about Farnsworth, especially when it came to his training, is that he was one of the, if not THE hardest worker in the room. During my days as a physical therapist and strength coach for the New York Mets, I actually got a chance to see him in the weight room when the Mets were playing the Yankees.

I remember one particular day, I arrived at Yankee Stadium on a day where the game started at 7 pm. Wanting to get a workout in before the payers arrived, I walked into the weight room pretty early in the day. Who did I see already in there, hammering away at leg extensions? You guessed it, Kyle Farnsworth! The man was one of those first-in, last-out kind of workers; making sure that not a moment of effort in the weight room was wasted.

Now, I found this very interesting because I did not know many baseball players, especially pitchers, to train like bodybuilders. His training was very physique-focused when I found that most players at his position would train differently. Thus, based on the training that I’ve seen him perform in the past, the transition to bodybuilding really isn’t all that surprising to me. Clearly he had an interest in these types of workouts, thus eventually Farnsworth’s muscle building routines would continue past his career.

Kyle Farnsworth was known throughout Major League Baseball for not only being big and muscular, but for being extremely tough as well. Farnsworth, at his stature alone, was imposing - however, he was also not one to back down from a confrontation and even a fight. This left him as one of the more intimidating baseball players, let alone pitchers.

In one particular instance, there was a confrontation with a batter (the opposing pitcher, Paul Wilson,) who took exception to the location of Farnsworth’s pitch. Jawing back and forth, Kyle goaded Wilson into charging the mound, who did exactly that. Unfortunately, for Wilson, he didn’t realize the beast he was going up against. Farnsworth speared him to the ground in a manner that would make Bill Goldberg proud.

After the benches cleared and the brawl was settled, Wilson returned to the dugout battered and bloody while Farnsworth was smiling and chuckling about what had transpired.

If you were wondering, yes there was in-fact a bench clearing when I was with the New York Mets. The only difference was that I was not involved… at all. When the players rushed the field and I was ready to join them, our head trainer made sure that I wasn’t going anywhere. So, I stayed in the dugout and watched from afar. Probably for the best, I might add.

So, looking back at the type of baseball player Kyle Farnsworth was and especially how I witnessed him training, it is of no surprise to me that he is now getting ready for a bodybuilding competition. He was jacked when he was playing and he’s even more jacked now, which, as I said before, is of no surprise to me.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

The Official “Love Handle” Solution (LOSE STUBBORN FAT) 11:20
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The Official “Love Handle” Solution (LOSE STUBBORN FAT)

ATHLEAN-X

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Jun 19, 2022
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If you have love handles and want to officially get rid of them once and for all, you are going to want to sit down and watch this step by step solution for losing this lower abdomen fat for good. This is a stubborn area of fat for both men and women, but is particularly problematic for guys since it is the area that they store fat most readily. This also means that it is the last to come off when trying to drop body fat percentage.

The key to getting rid of this belly fat however is to first identify the main problem. Every single time it is your nutrition and diet approach that just isn’t good enough.

No amount of cardio in the world is going to help you overcome a bad diet in the long run. You have to have a more responsible approach to what you are putting into your mouth if you want to get rid of love handles. Remember, just because it has a name and a location doesn’t mean that it’s something unique. At the end of the day it’s just body fat. Every time you accumulate more fat around your waist then you want, it is because you are not establishing the caloric deficit required to burn fat adequately.

This is solved by focusing on improving your nutrition to accomplish this goal.

Now you may have heard about the 80/20 rule when it comes to achieving a goal. Be good 80% of the time and that will be enough to get you almost to the finish line. Not really the case here. Because love handles tend to be the last area to go when dropping body fat, you really have to be better than that. I’m not saying it’s not good to start off with these goals, but you will ultimately need to be sharper if you want to rid yourself of this waistline and low back fat permanently.

So how do you get closer to a 90/10 effort on diet. Think about it in terms of 10 meals. For every nine that you eat that are in line with a proper fat loss diet, feel free to indulge a bit on your 10th. This will help you to keep your sanity while achieving the body fat levels low enough to lose the love handles. I definitely advise you to do this while still eating carbs too. This is something that many people make the mistake of when trying to get to lower body fat percentages. Carbs are helpful in so many ways.

Not only do they help you to maintain that consistency needed to lose fat and keep it off but they help control cortisol levels in your body. When cortisol gets too high it gets very difficult to mobilize fat and the weight stays on. Keep a 2:1 ratio however of fibrous carbs to starchy carbs at all times on your plate and you’ll be making sure not to overdo it when it comes to achieving your goals while still enjoying your meals.

When it comes to training you have to do three things right.

First, you must evaluate your training split. Look, I am as big a fan as any of the PPL split. Heck, even a bro split can be done effectively too if you know how to stagger your exercises. That said, neither is even close to ideal if you want to prioritize body fat loss. Here something like PHA or peripheral heart action training is great at getting you to lose fat and build muscle at the same time.

Choose compound exercises that alternatively work the upper and lower body and perform them in sequence with no rest in between. About 6-7 exercises should do it when creating a circuit. The weights you use can be changed up quickly in between sets to keep the load appropriate for the exercise that you are doing. After all exercises are complete. then take a brief rest and repeat for a total of 2-7 rounds.

Next, you have to train your obliques. Forget what anyone else has told you about oblique exercises giving you a thick waist. This is not true. It’s the fat laying over the top of them that is doing that. Get rid of that fat through the steps outlined above and keep training the obliques as shown and you will create a visually tapered waistline that looks amazing.

Finally, while fasted cardio is something many rely on to get rid of love handles, remember - it’s always about the nutrition first. If the eating is in place then the fasted cardio can have an impact, especially with these areas of stubborn fat. Most research shows a net net effect with more fat being burned during a fasted cardio session but less afterwards. That said, the additional in-session boost in the absence of insulin can help with those final percentage points of body fat that are keeping the stubborn fat.

If you’re looking for a complete program that lays out a meal plan for dropping fat easily, be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link below and use the program selector tool to find the plan for you.

For more videos on how to lose 5 pounds of fat and the best way to lose love handles, be sure to remember to subscribe to our channel via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s released.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

How a Skinny Guy Built a BIG Chest! 7:53
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How a Skinny Guy Built a BIG Chest!

ATHLEAN-X

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Jun 05, 2022
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If you want to build a big chest and feel that you’re too skinny to do it, you need to watch this. In this video, you will see how a hardgainer built a bigger chest and be able to copy the exact same workout tips and tricks to make the same type of gains.

The first important point is to make sure that you are performing the bench press if you want to grow a bigger chest. This key compound exercise for the chest is one of the most effective for packing on size and strength. The big thing that Jesse did, however, was increasing the frequency of how often he was benching and continuing to progressively overload the exercise as well.

However, it is well known that it’s daily easy to stall on the bench press and see limited progress, so it is important to explore other exercises to build a big chest too. Extra exercises will not only allow for the opportunity to explore adduction of the chest, but incorporate different muscle building techniques as well. To grow muscle, progressive overload is not the only route you should take, but you should also include metabolic stress as well as a focus on the eccentrics.

Taking a powerbuilding approach allows for you to explore the avenues of strength in the compound lifts, such as the bench press, and build the most muscle possible using isolation exercises that allow for the use of different muscle building techniques with moves like the cable press, cable crossovers, and the cable saw.

Next, you need to emphasize a serious focus on the upper chest. You might not realize this, but the overall size of the pecs is greatly influenced by the upper, clavicular portion. A lagging upper chest will lead to less than ideal overall pec development and make them look bottom-heavy. So, it is important to make sure you attack this area effectively. The way that Jesse did this was by incorporating a 2:1 exercise ratio. For every chest exercise he did that was not focused on the upper chest, he did two exercises specifically targeting that area. The extra volume directed towards the upper chest made a huge difference in growth. Some of the exercises of choice were low-to-high crossovers, incline dumbbell bench press, upper chest pullovers, and decline pushups.

Now, to get a bigger wider chest, you have to explore full range of motion to engage the all-important stretch range of each exercise. We know that many muscle groups respond great to stretch overload (such as the traps and the calves) and the chest is one of them. That means we need to be aware of and focus on the stretch portion of each exercise. On an exercises such as the dumbbell bench press, this means making surer that at the bottom of the rep, the dumbbell needs to be touching the outside of the chest. Another good chest exercise for exploring this stretch is the cable crossover.

So now that we know the importance of getting a stretch on the pecs through an exercises full range of motion, is there a way we can reinforce that? Well, there is a great way to do that actually, and it is through the use of pause reps. Paused reps are great not only for removing momentum from a lift as well as increasing the time under load, but also reinforcing full range of motion.

On an exercise like the dumbbell bench press, holding the dumbbells at the bottom of the rep for a 2-3 count will accentuate the stretch you feel in your pecs. This technique is also great for a chest exercise like the high-to-low crossover. Unlike a standard db fly, you’re not placing your anterior shoulder capsule into a vulnerable position lacking support. Just make sure that when you are doing a chest dip, you don’t go too low that you end up putting your shoulders in a vulnerable position.

To round out the appearance of the chest, you are going to to want to target the lower chest as well. I put together a whole video detailing how to target this area to get defined pecs that you can check out via the link below.

If you are looking for a step by step program for building a bigger chest and ripped athletic body, follow the exact plan that Jesse used by heading to athleanx.com via the link below and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System. Every workout and meal is laid out in step by step fashion to make sure there is no guesswork along the way to a new you.

For more chest workouts and exercises to get a bigger chest, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on YouTube via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it’s published.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

Biceps Exercises Ranked (BEST TO WORST!) 16:23
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Biceps Exercises Ranked (BEST TO WORST!)

ATHLEAN-X

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May 31, 2022
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There are so many biceps exercises, but which ones should you be focusing your efforts on if you want to build bigger biceps? In this video, I’m going to give you the most popular bicep exercises ranked from worst to best and help you to determine which ones you should be doing and which you can probably do without.

With that said, we have to lay out the criteria for the biceps exercise selection, which you will find laid out in the video.

Now, let’s break down the ranking categories and see where each bicep exercise sits on the list.

WORST

1. Concentration Curls

2. Reverse Curls

3. Biceps Pushup

The concentration curl kicks off this list in the worst category. Why? Well, the concentration curl is non-athletic version of the curl where you are completely seated and off your feet.

The reverse curl is a great curling movement, but not a great biceps exercise. It comes down to the simple anatomy and bio-mechanics; the reverse curl does not target the biceps, but instead the brachioradialis.

The biceps pushup will always remain at the bottom of the list for me for one simple reason… it doesn’t hit your biceps. At all. You’re better off skipping this one entirely if you want bigger arms.

BETTER

4. Inverted Chin Curls

5. Zottman Curls

6. Preacher Curls

7. Cable Curls

Inverted chin curls are a solid bodyweight option to train your biceps, but can be hard to overload. This can be an issue because the movement will become too easy unless you can start adding weight via a weighted vest.

Zottman curls allow for the biceps to achieve their main function of elbow flexion, but the limiter of this exercise is the lack of eccentric overload on the biceps with eccentric portion being the strongest function of the biceps. By pronating the hands, the eccentric focus goes to the brachioradialis instead.

Preacher curls often give a false sense of security because you are bracing your elbows against the pad, giving the impression that you can handle more weight. Unfortunately, this line of thinking is risky.

Cable curls are great for achieving a good contraction on the biceps at the top of the movement. Unfortunately, at the bottom of the movement, you lose tension on the biceps due to the line force being in direct line with the muscles.

BETTER STILL

8. Spider Curls

9. Drag Curls

10. Cable Flex Curls / Lip Buster Curls

11. Waiter Curls

Spider curls are awesome for developing mind-muscle-connection with the biceps in their peak contracted state. Not only that, but there is a freedom of movement that you don’t find in some other bicep exercises.

Drag curls are the first option on this list to target the long head of the biceps. This is done by getting the elbows back behind the body, which allows for more stretch on the long head of the biceps.

Cable flex curls (also known as the lip buster curl), using a higher anchor point elaborates on the cable curl by getting the shoulder into flexion, an important secondary component of biceps function.

The waiter curl is an awesome option for getting peak contraction of the biceps that is achievable by keeping the wrists back into extension based on the way you have to hold to dumbbell throughout the exercise.

ALMOST BEST

12. Incline DB Curls

13. Chinups

14. Barbell Curls

The incline db curl is an exercise that I consider to be the best for getting the biceps into that all-important stretch position that is not possible with other biceps exercises outside of the drag curl.

Chinups are probably the best bang for your buck bodyweight bicep builders. Another great benefit is the ease of accessibility since it’s just a reliance on a simple pullup bar.

The barbell curl is a versatile biceps movement in that you can load this exercise well, progressively overload it, and perform it strict or in cheat fashion. Both options, strict or cheat, have different benefits but will get you big biceps.

BEST

15. Alternating Standing DB Curls

The alternating standing db curl is ranked number one on this list due to its effectiveness and versatility. You can offset the dumbbell to achieve maximum load under supination, add external rotation to benefit the shoulders at the same time, and even adding bands to accommodate overlapping strength curves.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

5 Muscles You’re TOTALLY Forgetting to Stretch (BIG MISTAKE!) 5:29
Workout

5 Muscles You’re TOTALLY Forgetting to Stretch (BIG MISTAKE!)

ATHLEAN-X

299.4K Views
·
May 22, 2022
All Levels
5 Muscles You’re TOTALLY Forgetting to Stretch (BIG MISTAKE!)
Learning Fitness Tutorials All Levels
  • May 22, 2022
  • 299.4K Views
  • 16.2K Likes

While we should all be stretching, there are likely 5 muscles that you totally forgot to stretch and that’s a big mistake. In this video, I am going to show you 5 of the most overlooked muscles when it comes to stretching, the best way to stretch them, and when you should be addressing them during the day.

I would bet there are two reasons as to why you haven’t stretched these particular muscles and it likely comes down to the fact that either you didn’t know how to stretch the muscle or you didn’t know you could stretch it in the first place. Well, after watching this video, you’re not going to have either of those problems again.

The first muscle group that you need to stretch is the peroneals. These muscles run up and down the outside of your leg and are often chronically tight. You might notice this tightness even more if you have flat feet. The reason you are forgetting to stretch the peroneals is likely because you didn’t know that you could stretch them in the first place.

The best way to stretch these muscles is with the sit-to-stand frog stretch. Start off by sitting in a chair and put the soles of your feet together. From here, slowly stand up and bring your knees together while keeping your soles in contact with each other.

With the sit-to-stand frog stretch, you are going to want to hold this position for 45-60 seconds a few times throughout the day.

The next muscle that you are forgetting to stretch is par of the all important rotator cuff, and that is the subscapularis. This muscle is often neglected simply because it sits “out of sight” and thus “out of mind.” Unable to actually see this muscle often leads to us forgetting that it exists in the first place, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still stretch it.

To stretch the subscapularis, you will need a broomstick, mop, or dowel of some kind in order to complete the movement. Bring the broomstick behind your bicep, reach across your body and grab the lower end with your other hand and open your chest (pulling the broomstick with that reaching hand). To get a further stretch, we need to achieve external rotation and you can do that by pulling up on the broomstick as well.

Perform this dowel stretch for 45-60 seconds on both sides, at any point during the day.

The third muscle that should be stretched is the rectus abdominis, better known as the abs. With tightness in the anterior chain already pulling our shoulders down and forward, tight abs will further exacerbate our postural problems by pulling down on the ribcage. Thankfully, there is an easy way to stretch this muscle with the use of a physioball.

Lay on your back over the top of the ball, allowing yourself to contour to the shape of the ball. From here, drop your pelvis down and reach your arms back overhead. This will create a greater distance from the pelvis to the ribcage which will elongate and stretch the abdominals. With enough attention, you can help to fight your postural deficiencies.

Hold this stretch for 45-60 seconds, 2-3 times per day when you can.

The fourth muscle that you are forgetting to stretch is the quadratus lumborum, otherwise known as the QL. The reason we forget to stretch this muscle is similar to why we skip the subscapularis; we can’t see or necessarily touch it. Just because we can’t reach it with our fingers, doesn’t mean that it can’t be stretched, however.

With the QL slide, you are going to start on all fours, slide one leg down and drop your hip. From here, you will push off the hand resting on the ground and lean slightly forward. This will give you a good stretch on the QL when you might not’ve been able to reach it very effectively trying to stretch it in the past.

Perform this stretch for 45-60 seconds each set and is best done in the morning if you want to feel amazing throughout the day.

Lastly, you might be forgetting to stretch the lats. Even if you are stretching them, I have a particular movement that I think is one of the best ways to stretch the lats. If you want to learn more about that stretch, you will want to click the link below.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

The PERFECT Home Workout (Sets and Reps Included) 16:44
Workout

The PERFECT Home Workout (Sets and Reps Included)

ATHLEAN-X

12.6M Views
·
Mar 15, 2020
All Levels
The PERFECT Home Workout (Sets and Reps Included)
Fitness Workout All Levels
  • Mar 15, 2020
  • 12.6M Views
  • 396.5K Likes

Home workouts can be a lifesaver, especially in times when you cannot get to the gym. In this video, I’m going to give you a complete home workout routine with all sets and reps included to help you to build muscle regardless of whether or not you ever step foot in a gym. The key to the effectiveness of this perfect home workout is that it pairs exercises together in a way that allows you to train to greater overload than would be possible if you stuck with one single exercise, and it will keep the workouts brief at the same time.

This perfect home workout consists of not one but two complete total body workouts. The first, workout A, is to be performed on Monday and Friday of week 1. Workout B is to be performed on Wednesday. In week 2, this is flipped so that A is performed once on Wednesday and B is performed on both Monday and Friday. You can continue to alternate the workouts in this way if you decide to do this for longer.

This workout for home is going to allow you to hit your total body in under one hour.

With this being the goal, the idea is not to try and hit each muscle with too many individual exercises since this could lead to an excessively long workout and potential for doing too much in the given workout. Instead, we select the exercises based on movement patterns that we know we want to hit to accomplish our goal of building muscle everywhere.

These patterns are broken down below and the exercises included in each are shown.

Keep in mind, there are two complete versions of each workout to be sure that the beginners and more advanced trainees can follow this program and get results from it.

Here is how to construct the perfect home total body workout A:

1. SQUAT / ANTERIOR (1 MINUTE PER EXERCISE / REST-PAUSE IF NEEDED)

Alt. Single Leg Box Squats (use low box if advanced / higher box for beginners)
1 1/2 Bottomed Out Squats (to failure)
Jump Squats

2. UPPER PUSH (1 MINUTE PER EXERCISE / REST-PAUSE IF NEEDED)

Handstand Pushups OR Power Pushaways
Rotational Pushups OR Knee Rotational Pushups
Cobra Pushups (long head contracted) OR Knee Cobra Pushups

3. HINGE / POSTERIOR (1 MINUTE PER EXERCISE / REST-PAUSE IF NEEDED)

Alt. Single Leg Heel Touch Squats (use “kickstand” if needed)
Alt. Sprinter Lunges
Plyo Sprinter Lunges (jump from higher position if more beginner)

4. UPPER PULL (1 MINUTE PER EXERCISE / REST-PAUSE IF NEEDED)

Pullups OR Seated Pullups
Human Pullovers OR BW Sliding Pulldowns
Inverted Chin Curls

5. ABS (1 MINUTE PER EXERCISE / REST-PAUSE IF NEEDED)

Reverse Corkscrews
Black Widow Knee Slides
Levitation Crunches

6. CORRECTIVE (1 MINUTE PER EXERCISE / REST-PAUSE IF NEEDED)

Angels and Devils

COMPLETE 1-2 MORE ROUNDS (TOTAL WORKOUT TIME: 35-50 MINUTES)

Here is how to construct the perfect home workout B:

HINGE / POSTERIOR x 3 ROUNDS

Slick Floor Bridge Curl (Single Leg) OR Slick Floor Bridge Curl (Dual Leg)
Long Leg March
High Hip Bucks

LUNGE / ANTERIOR x 3 ROUNDS

Alt. Crossover Step Ups
Alt. Reverse Lunges
Split Squat Jumps

UPPER PUSH x 3 ROUNDS

Variable Wall Pushups OR Knee Decline Pushups to Knee Flat Pushups
Alt. BW Side Lateral Raises (from knees for beginners)
Tricep BW Extensions (long head stretch)

UPPER PULL x 3 ROUNDS

Chin Ups OR Seated Chin Ups
Inverted Rows
Back Widows

ABS x 2 ROUNDS

Ab Halos
V-Up Tucks
Sit-Up Elbow Thrusts

CORRECTIVE x 2 ROUNDS

Reverse Hypers

COMPLETE 1-2 MORE ROUNDS (TOTAL WORKOUT TIME: 35-50 MINUTES)

If you are doing this workout just to try it out, then I would suggest you choose the workout A variation. That said, if you opt to do a more comprehensive total body split workout routine then you will want to either incorporate workouts A and B into a twice a week plan or, even better, alternating A and B on M, W and F each week.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.

The Perfect PUSH-UP Workout (3 LEVELS) 11:49
Workout

The Perfect PUSH-UP Workout (3 LEVELS)

ATHLEAN-X

8.7M Views
·
Oct 27, 2019
All Levels
The Perfect PUSH-UP Workout (3 LEVELS)
Fitness Workout All Levels
  • Oct 27, 2019
  • 8.7M Views
  • 264.4K Likes

It is possible to build a bigger chest with a push-up only workout, but you better pick the right variations of pushups and know how to construct your workout properly. In this video, I’m going to show you the perfect push up workout that you can do anywhere and regardless of what ability level you are at now. I’ll show you a beginner, intermediate and advanced push-up workout that will take you to your limit and get your chest growing with no equipment required.

To start however, we have to look at some of the limitations we encounter with other push-up workouts. First of all, any that starts with a rep prescription is inherently flawed. It is far too difficult to recommend a workout that is driven off of a rep goal on push variations that doesn’t account for the different levels of strength of those performing the exercises.

Next, the choice of exercises is critical in a properly developed push up workout. If you fail to account for the fact that you will need adduction of the shoulder to get a complete chest contraction and only pick exercises that keep your hands separated apart, you will not get an optimal chest workout. Here I cover three versions of a pushup that will create relative adduction of the arm that will activate your pec muscles better than ever.

As for the specific exercises, it’s important that you take each one of them to failure as noted above. We simply cannot define how many reps are supposed to challenge every single person in a certain variation of a push-up. Instead, by programming reps to failure you can be sure that the effort level is going to be what is necessary to spark new changes in strength and muscle growth from doing the workout.

Beyond that however it is important to point out that just because your workout may only consist of pushups it does not mean that you are unable to target your upper, middle and lower chest. This is simply not true. With a careful selection of variations that position your arm higher than horizontal, at chest height and lower than horizontal we can do exactly that. We can hit the different fibers of the pecs more preferentially and therefore create a perfect chest workout.

Throw in the fact that it is important to speed up what you slow down and therefore should include at least one explosive pushup variation in your workout and you will have a pushup sequence that is second to none in effectiveness. Try this out and see if you can progress your way up to the point that you are completing all of the advanced level exercises without having to take extra time to complete.

ATHLEAN-X

SAFE & EFFECTIVE TRAINING THAT YIELDS UNDENIABLE RESULTS

THE ATHLEAN-X CREATOR JEFF CAVALIERE

Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons and coached some of the game’s most accomplished players including future hall of fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner to name just a few. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology / Premedicine from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (one of the top 5 universities in the country in physical therapy and sports medicine). Off the field, Cavaliere is a much sought after author and lecturer, speaking on the topics of baseball injury prevention and sport specific conditioning and has appeared numerous times in print media writing (including many of the top Fitness Magazines) on the topics of sports training, injury rehabilitation and prevention. Consistent with his desire to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating the “complete and functional athlete”, Cavaliere also possesses an extensive knowledge of nutrition that he has simplified for the masses and both practices and preaches with outstanding results.

PUTTING THE SCIENCE BACK IN STRENGTH

In the weight room Jeff is known for his unique and cutting edge approaches to functional strength and conditioning and has been called the actual “brains behind the brawn” for putting real muscle science back into training. Cavaliere’s physical therapy background is his greatest asset and what separates him from most all other trainers, as it provides him with the ability to apply his knowledge of bio mechanics, muscle anatomy and function in order to create some of the most effective (and often never before seen) exercise combos and programs around…while prioritizing safety and injury prevention always. His creativity and credentials are second to none in the game. When the goal is reaching peak performance and maximizing all that the body has to offer, Jeff is at the very top of the game.

OUTSIDE THE WEIGHT ROOM WALLS

Outside the gym, Cavaliere is an accomplished author having penned both the Major League Insider Training Manual (a strength and conditioning must for all professional baseball players and aspiring pros alike) and the Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint (an insightful look at the worrying state of youth nutrition and childhood obesity…and more importantly…solutions to change this!)

Amongst his peers, Jeff is recognized as a respected authority who never lets ego stand in the way of education and continued learning which helps him to stay on the cutting edge of his field of expertise.

ATHLEAN IN EVERYONE

Cavaliere realizes that not everyone that steps into a gym has athletic aspirations, but finds that there isn’t a guy around that wouldn’t want to have a ripped, athletic body. Taking the exact methods and techniques used to forge some of the greatest, most explosive and strongest physiques in pro sports and now applying it to you…Jeff has now made it possible for everyone to look like athletes with his complete ATHLEAN-X Training System. If you want to unleash your inner athlete, build sculpted muscle head to toe, and finally get that shredded core…then it’s time to join the rest of TEAM ATHLEAN and get started today.