Pushups are a great exercise to do because they are so simple and you can work so many different body parts at the same time. One problem with a regular pushup is that you might not necessarily get the range of motion you desire on the way down. The Perfect Pushup and the Pushup Pro are two items which really help you work your back and outside chest muscles on your pushups. Additionally, the handles on both items can rotate at your own discretion. Read the rest of this entry »

When most people hear “core training” the first thing they think about are your abs. While the abdominals are definitely a part of your core muscles, there’s much more to it than that. The list of muscles that actually make up your “core” is open to interpretation, but generally they’re the muscles that run the length of your spine/torso. I don’t really consider chest and upper back core muscles, but that’s just me. These muscles are responsible for stabilizing everything from your hips to your spine to your shoulders and they give you a strong base so you can better control your body. Read the rest of this entry »

Obliques are like side abs. They’re on the side of your torso, and can be worked exercises like side bends.

They look great when toned, but if they gain mass, they’ll make any “love handles” you have look even bigger if you gain any fat.

The trick to obliques is to exercise them with strictly toning exercises, i.e. don’t use any weight on an exercise that works your obliques.

Continue reading for a list of exercises which can really tone up your obliques!

Read the rest of this entry »

There are a lot of great activities you can do to get some awesome exercise outside of the gym. My favorite is rock climbing.

Some gym’s have “endless walls,” and some gyms are rock climbing gyms. Both of these can be great alternatives to rock climbing outside.

I’ve always been a big advocate for the theory that, if you spent all day rock climbing, or swimming, or anything else that intense, you would get ripped.

Rock climbing works the following muscles groups at a minimum: Wrists, Forearms, Shoulders, Biceps, Back, Legs, and Abdominals. It’s essentially a full body workout, and is both aerobic and anaerobic. This means rock climbing can be used for strength training, toning, and cardiovascular activity. It will also greatly improve your endurance.

According to healthatoz.com:

“Ascending a natural or artificial rock wall burns up to 700 calories an hour if you weigh 140 pounds or up to 974 calories an hour if you weigh 190 pounds. Rock-climbing sessions tend to last at least two or three hours. However, due to its great intensity and physical demand, duration is more limited than most activities.”

If you plan on rock climbing any time soon, continue reading on to see some great exercises which can prepare you.
Read the rest of this entry »