It’s official: Buns are the new guns. Well, maybe it’s notofficial, but there’s no doubt that glute training is getting more popular all the time. We’ve (almost) gotten to the point where any man or woman can hip-thrust a heavy barbell in the gym without fear of anyone thinking they’re a weirdo. Here’s hoping these become the gluteal glory days! After all, if there’s one muscle group that deserves to be made a priority, it’s the glutes. Without a doubt, a strong butt makes you stronger and safer in the gym, as well as more capable in life. It helps protect your lower back from injury, while putting everyone else’s neck at risk as they turn their head to watch you walk by. And yes, this applies to both men and women. Everyone deserves a great butt! If you’re tired of squirming around on a pair of pancakes during long movies, or if you’re just wondering what my favorite glute-blasting exercises are, read on. Adding some focused glute work to your program may be the best thing you do for your body this year! To read more click more!
Michelle Spindler
15 Laws of Leg Training
If you were driving from San Diego to San Francisco, following a direct route straight up would get you there fastest, Southern California traffic notwithstanding. Sure, you could take alternate routes, checking out the gambling halls in Vegas, taking in the vistas of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and Yosemite, panning for gold in the foothills east of Sacramento, or even taking the meandering but scenic coastal route, but none of those routes are as direct, and they would add days to your travel. Similarly, bodybuilders looking to add mass want a plan that leads to the fastest gains possible without extended delays. They don’t do just any workout; they follow ones that intuitively make the most sense for building size. They don’t avoid exercises that are hard; they select the best ones that can pack on mass. And they don’t pick just any weight; they choose their load based on what optimally builds size. Like the traveler, if you want to gain muscle, it makes sense to choose the most direct route possible when you’re looking to gain muscle. There are certainly other less-direct paths you can take, but why be content with suboptimal results that require even more time to achieve? Of course, getting there as fast as possible means giving nothing short of a hundred percent. You can follow the world’s greatest workout program loaded with the best mass-building exercises, but if you approach it with half-assed effort, you’ll get only half-assed results. What are the key tips, techniques, exercises, and insiders’ advice when it comes to leg training? We sought the expertise of Australian pro bodybuilder Calum von Moger, 24, winner of the 2014 Mr. Universe and Team Cellucor athlete. Here are the most critical tips you should heed on leg day. Check out the list below carefully, and incorporate the advice into your routine. To read more click here!
18 Legit Reasons An Elliptical Is Better Than a Treadmill
If there’s one piece of gym equipment that elicits a nearly universal eye roll, it’s the elliptical machine. With commonly cited faults like being boring (research even says so) and not challenging enough, it’s no wonder the elliptical doesn’t get any love . But as with anything, an elliptical machine workout is what you make of it. And you actually can choose to make it great! So get ready to change your ways, elliptical skeptics. We’ve rounded up all the reasons—both silly and scientific—that the hated cardio machine legitimately rocks. To read more click here!
10 Core Strengthening Kettlebell Moves
Challenge your core-strength, balance and stability with these moves from World Kettlebell Club certified trainer and co-founder of the Cross Train Method David Schenk. You’ll hold the kettlebell with just one hand and transition from one big calorie-burning exercise to another in order to get into a rhythm and blast fat fast. These moves are not for the faint of heart, so make sure to take it slow and start with a lighter kettlebell the first time you do them. Once you get the form down, move onto a heavier kettlebell and start torching away those love handles. To read more click here!
33 Resistance Band Exercises You Can Do Anywhere!
Rock out with the band! Resistance bands are a great addition to any strength training routine or rehabilitation program and come in a variety of sizes, lengths, and strengths . This portable exercise equipment is also easily stored, making it perfect for home use, hotel workouts, or when you’re tight on space at the gym. Just like free weights, exercise bands come in a range of resistance levels, from highly stretchable to heavy-duty strength. The most common types of bands include tube bands with handles, loop bands (aka giant rubber bands), and therapy bands. (When in doubt, a fitness professional can help determine which band is right for you, depending on your fitness level and specific workout plan). For most exercises, try aiming for 8 to 25 reps for 2 to 3 sets per exercise. And don’t miss our sample workout suggested at the very end. Ready, set, streeetch! To read more click here!
Re-Energize With These 8 Heart Opening Yoga Poses
Did you know that heart-opening yoga poses can actually release the stress and tension we keep bound up in our chest? They are the perfect go-to moves after a long day at the office or when you have something on your mind that you can’t stop worrying about. Add them into a Vinyasa flow or do a pose on its own. You will feel the pose’s benefits no matter what. To read more click here!
7 Transformation Nutrition Tips
If you want to transform, you can’t rely on your workouts alone to get the job done. Losing fat or building muscle takes a lot of hard work in the kitchen, too! Without a solid grasp of nutrition, you won’t get the results you’re training so hard for. If you want to make 2015 your best year yet, you need to go in with a failproof nutrition game plan. Our BodySpace MuscleTech athletes are here to help! They know exactly what it takes to make the most of your nutrition so you can transform successfully. Implement their tips into your diet plan so you can efficiently burn fat and build muscle. To read more click here!
Breathing: Your Inner Source of Strength
All of the most powerful entities in the universe source their energy from the inside out. Our planet relies on its core heat to maintain a surface temperature warm enough to sustain life. A volcano is calm on the surface, but it could wipe out every living creature for miles should it erupt. When an atomic bomb is detonated, the explosion starts in the center and expands. If you ever want to do a one-arm push-up, pistol squat, or any other high-level calisthenic movement—or for a heavy deadlift, for that matter—you’re going to need to learn to tap into your deep internal forces, too. It’s common in bodybuilding to attempt to isolate individual muscles or muscle groups, but in advanced bodyweight training, it’s essential to approach everything as one cohesive unit. To read more click here!
8 Push Up Variations You Should Try
I’ve often heralded the push-up as my all-around favorite exercise: it requires no equipment, it’s adaptable to any fitness level, and it can be varied in an infinite number of ways to suit a vast array of goals. It’s such a simple move, but that’s where its beauty lies. There are so many push-up modifications and progressions that no matter your needs, you can—and should—be incorporating at least one into your routine. Whether for joint health, improved mobility, or explosive power, everyone can utilize some form of the push-up to help them improve. I’ve got eight variations that you may not have considered before. Try them on for size and get ready to push your limits! To read more click here!
20 Low Carb Options That Don’t Suck
What do mac and cheese, stacks of pancakes, and bowls of pasta all have in common? If you answered, “Umm, they’re delicious,” you’d be right. But they’re also heavy in carbs and can leave you feeling tired and annoyed. And while a diet rich in healthy carbohydrates is good for us in moderation, after a long, cold winter, you might be itching to try something fresh for spring. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve gathered some of the most notorious carb-heavy foods and found a delicious, low-carb alternative to satisfy any craving. To read more click here!
5 Key Nutrients You Probably Aren’t Getting Enough of…
Unfortunately the Standard American Diet, also known as “SAD,” is, well, pretty sad. Over the last 100 years, the majority of Americans have gone from eating “normal” portions and home-cooked whole foods (after all, the processed foods we see lining store shelves today didn’t’ exist), to consuming high levels of over-processed simple carbohydrates and refined sugars. With this shift in eating habits, there’s been a huge increase in diet-related chronic diseases, which represent the largest cause of obesity and death. Luckily improving the situation could be pretty easy: Eat more whole, unrefined foods—fruits, veggies, whole grains, and other natural products that go through little processing. To read more click here!
Bone Broth: What’s the Deal?
If you see someone walking down the street with a coffee cup in hand that smells more like a bowl of chicken noodle soup than a pumpkin spice latté, don’t be alarmed. It’s just part of the newest food craze: drinking bone broth. Bone broth has been called everything from the new coffee to the next kale. The meaty broth is even credited with helping Kobe Bryant quickly bounce back after a major injury. It’s sold for upwards of $4 a pop in New York, and trendy L.A. restaurants are even serving bone broth cocktails. This is all to say that we’ve reached a peak bone broth moment—thanks in large part to the drink being Paleo-friendly (unlike coffee) and the rise in popularity of the nose-to-tail movement. But what’s really in bone broth? And is there any scientific evidence to back up the elixir-like claims? To read more click here!