Fitness

Nothing says power like a big set of traps and a thick neck. Think about it. When you’re out somewhere and you see a guy with massive traps and huge neck you automatically know he’s the last guy in the joint that you’d ever want to mess with. Maybe he’s an ex wrestler. Maybe he competes in MMA. Or maybe he played football. You don’t know but you definitely don’t want to find out. No other muscle groups instill fear in and command respect from all those around you like the traps and neck do. Plenty… continue reading.

Is a pump needed to build muscle? Some people emphatically state that getting a good pump is necessary. Others say just the opposite. First of all, the ability to easily obtain a good pump is a sign that your body is in an anabolic state and ready to train. It shows us that the body and the cells are well hydrated and ready to grow. Some days, you go to the gym and can’t get a pump no matter what you do. Your body is telling you something, and that something is that you are not in an anabolic state,… continue reading.

Although I am not a fan of high reps on most exercises for most lifters, there are actually times when I do recommend them. So if you want to learn how to build muscle with high reps, then read on. When you are more advanced and have developed a respectable level of strength, high reps can actually be a great tool for stimulating new muscle growth. The reason I don’t recommend high reps to beginners is because they don’t have the strength, coordination or stabilization to maintain perfect form throughout a long duration set and are likely… continue reading.

If you want to really bring up your conditioning and lose body-fat you need to get your ass off the stair stepper and treadmill and start moving. Sprints, Prowler pushes, jumping rope, sled drags, sandbag work, sledgehammer swings and bodyweight exercises are far more effective than any “cardio” machine could ever be. A great exercise to really bring up your conditioning rapidly is the burpee/chin up combo. You perform a burpee and then at the top of each rep you jump up into a chin up. The higher the chin up bar, the better. Try performing a few sets… continue reading.

As much as people tend to want to get into advanced exercises as soon as possible, I firmly believe that high levels of core stability are required before you can even attempt to do some of the more basic ab exercises. I made this mistake for years when I was younger and had the chronic back pain to show for it. Core stability is actually often more important than core strength when it comes to preventing injuries and staying healthy. I highly recommend that everyone start with the following four isometric exercises done on a 6-7 time a week basis… continue reading.

If you want to build a thick, muscular back there are three exercises that you need to become very familiar with. Those exercise are chin ups, rows and lastly but most importantly; deadlifts. If you did nothing but those three exercises faithfully you would end up with a muscular and impressive looking back. The back muscles make up a huge portion of your total musculature and developing them will add pounds of mass to your frame. So how do we go about developing all of the muscles of the back? Firstly we have to address the traps which start at… continue reading.

If you want to know how to build muscle fast you’re in the right place. Because I’m gonna reveal five quick and easy tips that will help you reach your goals, while avoiding frustration, plateaus and injuries. Sot let’s get to it… 1) Train Your Ass Off… But Don’t Kill Yourself You’re not gonna get anywhere if you don’t train your ass off. Let’s make sure everyone is clear about that. I see guys in the gym pussyfooting through workouts, texting between sets while resting five minutes, and using weights that my mom would use. That’s how you waste time,… continue reading.

What is the single most important thing you can do at the gym to ensure that you will continually get bigger and stronger? It’s very simple. The most important thing you can do each and every single time you go to the gym is try to set a PR (personal record) on every lift you do. That’s it. What this means is that you should always be trying do either do more reps with the same weight (within reason, any sets above 12 on most upper body exercises and 15-20 reps on lower body exercises will do nothing to stimulate… continue reading.

I constantly harp on the importance of getting stronger and continually striving to lift heavier weights. It’s the most surefire way to make long term progress. Adding more sets and decreasing your rest periods and adding intensity techniques are short term approaches and can not work forever. The only thing that can is getting stronger and lifting heavier weights. There are two particular muscle groups, however, where this principle doesn’t always apply. These muscles are the neck and the forearms. While you should strive to get stronger and improve your lifting poundages on neck and forearm exercises, there will come… continue reading.

I was in public gym training last night; a situation I don’t like to be in. I walked in and right past all the girls on the treadmills and stairclimbers.  Immediately I was pissed off.  Don’t these nitwits know that there are endless roads to walk on and plenty of stairs to run up?! Why would you possibly get in your car and drive 15 minutes across town to WALK ON A GODDAMN TREADMILL?! Why not just walk to the gym and back? Are people really this stupid? You’re gonna pay the gym 50 bucks a month so you can…walk?… continue reading.

Today we have a guest article from my friend and well respected colleague, Patrick Beith. Patrick is a world renowned speed coach who many coaches including myself, turn to when they have speed training questions. He is also having a huge sale for my readers which ends at midnight tonight. Check it out HERE. ********** The Top 10 Speed Training Myths by Patrick Beith 1. Static stretching prepares you to compete/practice Static stretching actually reduces power output. Athletes should prepare for practice by doing a dynamic warm up that moves from basic, low… continue reading.

You want to build muscle and get lean.  And you don’t have all day to read about all the meaningless minutia. You just need to know precisely what to do. So read these mass building tips and you’ll be on your way to the physique you want. The good news is you don’t need tons of fancy equipment or a thousand dollar a month supplement bill.  Its not complicated. This is simple stuff, my friends… 1) Do 3 Hard Strength Training Workouts Per Week Some guys can train more often than this but for most average people with busy,… continue reading.

Question: Coach, I’m anxious to start your ‘Home Gym Warrior’ program that you have outlined in your Muscle Gaining Secrets package (which is awesome btw). Anyway, since I prefer the home-gym programs due to my schedule, as you might have guessed, I was looking for the most cost-effective solution to having a set of dumbbells on hand. Currently I have some light dumbbells for warm ups and such (sets of 10s and 15s) and some heavier ones(sets of 30s through 40’s) based on where I’m at in my progression. But, I want to also have some heaver… continue reading.

Originally published at EliteFTS.com 11/2005 Last night I closed the doors to my strength and conditioning facility for the last time. After over ten years in the same town and the same building, it was time for me to move on to new challenges. When I finished carrying the final few medicine balls out to my truck I locked the doors permanently. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed to meet a few friends for dinner. When I arrived I walked into a surprise party thrown for me by over thirty of my closest clients. I was touched… continue reading.

For EliteFTS I was born with a rebellious streak. It’s been with me just about every day of my 32-year existence. When I wake up every day, I know that I’ll probably do or say something that will probably be nothing more than an act of rebellion in some form or another against something that I see as wrong or unjust. I don’t know why that is. I just accept it as part of my nature. I can’t control it so I embrace it. It’s who I am. Just like I can’t allow society’s rules to control the way I… continue reading.