In this post we’re gonna talk about how to build big shoulders. I’ll give you a quick bit of anatomy on the shoulders and then we’ll get into the best shoulder exercises and the ultimate shoulder workout. Here’s a question a reader emailed me recently… Question: Jason, I have a question about shoulder training. First, of all should I even train shoulders directly? Some people say they get enough work from other upper body exercises. And secondly, if you recommend training them, what are the best exercises? Answer: First of… continue reading.

Let’s assume you’re sitting on the couch on a Sunday in November. You’re watching the Indianapolis Colts but during commercials you flip over to the Oklahoma Thunder game. On one channel you’ve got the 5’9”, 228 pound Trent Richardson. On the other channel you’ve got the 6’9” Kevin Durant. You, we’ll assume, are a genetically average, skinny-fat, 5’9”, 160 pounder. When watching Kevin Durant you’d never in a million years assume that you could grow to his size. But for some reason, whether it’s from being deluded by bodybuilding magazines and supplement companies, or constantly comparing ourselves to others on… continue reading.

This is a guest post by my buddy, Ryan Nemeth (brother of WWE wrestler, Dolph Ziggler. It’s from his book, How to be a Hardbody. That’s Ryan over there, on the left. EXERCISING IS NOT… Exercising is not war. Working out is not a bloody fight on a battlefield. Exercising is not a live-action wildlife sequence in a jungle with a tiger and a gazelle and sharp teeth and blood and victory and defeat now we have to separate the men from the boys and the predator from the prey and suddenly lightning strikes and there’s fire… continue reading.

Guest Post By Nick Nilsson Bodyweight training is awesome…however, due to the nature of bodyweight training (limited resistance), it can be tough to build substantial muscle mass with it. That’s where I come in… My name is Nick Nilsson (a.k.a. The “Mad Scientist of Muscle”) and these 3 “mad scientist” methods will help you build some serious mass with your bodyweight workouts. 1. Daily Specialization Training This is incredibly simple yet incredibly effective…you’re going to take one good bodyweight exercise (ideally something that allows you to only get 4 to 6 reps to start with, like chins, for example) and… continue reading.

Guest Post by Geoff Neupert, CSCS, Master SFG I have never bought into the popular fitness myth that you shouldn’t train to get stronger in order to lose fat. If strength is the foundation for every physical quality, and it is (according to Russian sports scientist Dr. L. Matveev, the “father of periodization”), then why wouldn’t you train for strength to lose fat? As strange as this concept may sound, if we simply open our eyes and look at the world of athletics, we’ll discover the answer. Have you ever noticed that some of the world’s greatest athletes are also… continue reading.

“The meaning of life is that it is to be lived.”– Bruce Lee 1) Always have a quest. 2) Don’t feel the need to justify your opinion. 3) Cut your expenses in half. Then cut them again. 4) Don’t die without any scars. Like Tyler Durden advised. 5) Remember that everyone wants to feel important. 6) Don’t fall into “the busy trap.” It’s okay to not always be “on your grind,” 24/7. 7) Learn something from everyone you meet. 8) Take more risks without fear of making mistakes. 9) Sweat every day. 10) Get Facebook and email off your… continue reading.

A Guest Post By Nate Miyaki, Author of The Way of the Cancer Warrior Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others. – Musashi What IS is more important than WHAT SHOULD BE.  Too many people are looking at “what is” from a position of thinking “what should be”…Circumstances? To hell with circumstances.  I create opportunities. – Bruce Lee The Miracle on Ice, The 2007 New York Football Giants, Rudy, Rocky, The Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania V.  Everyone loves a good underdog story.  Why? It reminds us that it doesn’t matter what your current… continue reading.

The cold, harsh reality of Monday morning. Potential unfilled, promises broken, dreams unlived. The lack of control, the lack of discipline, the lack of structure. Wants, hopes, desires. Self doubt slowly becoming self-loathing. Check email, check status updates, check feeds. Comparisons, envy, jealousy. Stay busy, blend in, play it safe. Swimming in mediocrity. In an overcrowded infinity pool. Drones, sheep, Kool Aid drinkers. I lack the skills, I lack the smarts, I lack the money. Settle for less, follow the rules, “act like an adult.” The ruthless honesty of the bathroom mirror. Wear the uniform, join the country club, tow… continue reading.

Guest Post by Luka Hocevar, Creator of The Fitness Business Mix Tape The fitness industry is the real deal. There are very few professions where you can affect people as much as we do. Literally change people’s lives; inside and out. You should be proud for being in this industry and you owe it to the people you train to be the best you can be for them. Here’s some real talk though. Training people year in and year out can become tough, draining; especially when your goal is to affect more and more people. Giving more… continue reading.

@JasonFerruggia What makes for a “good” warmup prior to lifting? — Will Thorburn (@wthorburn) January 8, 2014 Will, I like getting your core temperature elevated first. You can do this with 3-5 minutes of jumping rope. If you have any specific areas that are really locked up you’d probably want to spend a few minutes working them with a lacrosse ball or Rumble Roller. After that go through the muscles you’re training that day and get some blood in there and lubricate the joints around them. One thing that people should… continue reading.

@JasonFerruggia is it possible to cut bodyfat and still increase strength for intermediates and what are realistic expectations thanks. — Ross Armstrong (@rossypotamus) January 6, 2014   Ross, Absolutely. There are two ways to gain strength. One is to increase the size of the muscle. The other is to increase the neural drive to the muscle (neural improvements). When you’re dieting for fat loss you obviously won’t be increasing the size of the muscle. So you’ll have to focus on neural strength gains, which is really what you should be doing anyway. Plenty of people… continue reading.

@JasonFerruggia what are some crucial habits a morning routine should contain in order to get your body & mind ready for the day? — Rob Sanders (@Huskergrappler) January 8, 2014   Rob, Great question. I am a huge proponent of having morning rituals and believe it sets the tone for a productive, happy, successful day. The first thing I do when my eyes open is meditate. In the past I tried doing this at other times throughout the day but this has proven to be the best for me because I’m guaranteed to get it… continue reading.

Guest Post By Tyler Bramlett.  Creator Of The 27 Body Transformation Habits Whether you like it or not, who you are right now is a culmination of the daily, weekly and monthly habits that you have formed up to this point in your life. Let me be crystal clear about this so you can get the most out of this article. You are NOT and will never be better then your habits… Period! If you have bad habits, you will not build the strength, muscle and athletic abilities that meet your true potential. But… Bad habits are easily remedied… continue reading.

For optimal results a female shouldn’t train exactly the same way males do. Below is a list of 4 things females should do to ensure better results from their training. 1) Increase Frequency I usually recommend that guys beyond the beginner level train each bodypart once every 4-7 days. The stronger and more advanced you get the more that stretches from four days to seven. Females, however, because they seem to recover faster than males do, can get great results from training bodyparts a minimum of twice per week. And in many cases they can make rapid progress training muscles… continue reading.

People Will Train More For Performance If you have good genetics, eat and sleep properly you can probably gain about twenty pounds of muscle your first year of training. The next year you can gain about half that and half that again the third year. That’s best-case scenario. After that it’s peanuts. For some people it will take 5-8 years to build impressive muscle mass. That’s not to say you don’t make gains but it will be more of a slow thickening up process and the scale won’t change much from year to year. Huge weight increases will only be… continue reading.