The WORST Shoulder Exercise for Bigger Shoulders - STOP!! ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-20 | The WORST Shoulder Exercise for Bigger Shoulders - STOP!!
Leg Presses WON’T Build Your Glutes! ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-18 | The leg press is a popular gym leg exercise that many use in an attempt to build up their glutes. The problem is, this lower body exercise will not do a good job for getting bigger glutes. Here’s why. It starts with a discusion about the function of the glute muscles. We know that they are most responsible for hip extension. This means that they take the straight leg from a position in front of the body to a position behind the body. Now there is a difference between even the functions of the different glute muscles. The glute maximus is responsible for bringing the leg straight back while the glute medius will do so while externally rotating the hip.The development of both of these glute muscles is important if you want to have rounder glutes. That said, when you look at the range of motion that occurs during a leg press you will see that it is very incomplete for targeting the glutes. It starts from a position of about 145 degrees of hip flexion and finishes without ever getting to hip extension, or even a neutral hip position for that matter.Now while some will want you to believe that the stretch position is the only portion of the range of motion that matters for development, this is just plain uninformed. Full rangeo of motion training is still superior for the multiple benefits it provides over partial ROM training when you look beyond the limited scope of just hypertrophy. When we talk about leg training we definitely want to be sure that we do not forego function in the pursuit of size.Now some will tell you that if you simply shift your foot placement higher up on the leg press platform that you will get better hip and glute recruitment. This is true. When it comes to quad development, you will definitely be better served to have your feet lower on the platform. Getting your feet higher however will shift the focus more to the posterior chain muscles. The issue is, this still doesn’t address the limited range of motion that occurs for the glutes and hip muscle on this exercise. In fact, it may actually make it even worse.If you want to build bigger glutes then you would be much better served doing exercises like the hip buck or barbell hip thrusts. The cable pullthrough is another great exercise for hitting the glutes. If you want to take advantage of the stretch range of motion more then performing an exercise like the barbell RDL would also be a viable option.The extreme degree of posterior pelvic tilt is also another negative factor in the case against leg presses for building glutes. If the exercise might eventually lead to pain and discomfort in the SI joint, then once again, it may not be the best option for you to build your glutes with. There are simply better options like the ones listed above.If you are looking for more glute exercise recommendations, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
John Abraham Teams Up With ATHLEAN-X ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-16 | It’s no secret that Jesse is a pain in the neck to me, but he’s finally gotten on my last nerve. He just doesn’t listen and loves to cause problems for me. It was high time that I found someone to take his place by my side and really put in the effort to listen and demonstrate good habits.Enter John Abraham. A Bollywood action start with a love of fitness; he knows how to take it to the next level. Not only that, but he is great listener and wants to do whatever he can to be the best assistant possible.With his incredible work ethic and attention to detail, both in the gym and in the office, I invited him to replace Jesse as my right hand man. That doesn’t mean Jesse is gone however, instead he’s been relegated to cleaning duties and taking care of the gym and the office.I’m excited for what the future holds with John Abraham working by my side!You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Skip This Bodyweight Exercise ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-15 | While there are is an almost endless exercise selection out there for your workouts, there are likely a few that you are cautious of doing or that you skip doing altogether. I’m no different. There are definitely some exercises out there that I will never do again, for one reason or another. In some cases, they bother an orthopedic issue I already have, others require the practice and skill work that I haven’t put the necessary time into, and some are just down right bad exercises.For me, one of the exercises that I like to avoid is the muscle up. Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with the movement, but with a torn labrum in each shoulder, it certainly aggravates my existing orthopedic issues. This comes in the form of the required internal rotation and elevation of the shoulders that causes this pain whenever I try the exercise.Instead, I like to break down the muscle up into it’s two main components - the pullup and the dip. Both of these exercises are great for building muscle strength and size and are staples of any calisthenics routine. The pullup is the best way to target the posterior chain with a bodyweight exercise selection, while the dip is a great way to overload the chest without having to make use of dumbbells, barbells, or cables.Does that mean you should stop doing the muscle-up too? Well, that depends on how your shoulders feel when you do them. If you have no problems with pain or discomfort when doing muscle-ups, then by all means, continue to do them. However, if you are indeed experiencing issues, then I would recommend you to follow suit with me and skip the exercise as there is no need to aggravate an existing injury.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
How to Gain Muscle WITHOUT Getting Fat (SIMPLE SCIENCE) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-13 | Many people want to know how to gain muscle without bulking and cutting or getting fat along the way. In this video, I’m going to show you a step by step guide to building muscle while remaining lean and having low body fat levels. As someone who has done this myself for many years, I know exactly how to teach you to do the same thing.It starts by calculating out your daily maintenance level of calories. There are many complicated ways to do this but I think we can keep it simple and still have this be a really effective way to finding the right starting place. If you can see your abs, even just a little bit, when you look in the mirror then you will multiply your weight in pounds by 15 to obtain your first crack at maintenance.If you cannot see your abs, then you are obviously at a higher body fat level and will want to multiply your weight in pounds by 12. From here, try to eat consistently for the next 2 weeks and assess what is happening to your body weight and/or body fat levels. If you notice that you are gaining too much fat then you will want to cut your calculated maintenance level down by 10 percent, eat at this new level for two more weeks, and re-assess. If you steady out your levels at this point then you have effectively determined your baseline.If you find that you are losing too much weight and not building muscle, then you would want to increase your calculated calorie total by 10 percent and once again reassess after two weeks.From here, you have to answer the question of how quickly you desire to build muscle and how much tolerance you have for gaining a little bit of body fat. Obviously, this is the point where you are going to have to be honest about your physique goals and the speed at which you are looking for noticeable muscle gaining results.Meal Plan to Get Ripped - http://athleanx.com/x/eat-like-this-planSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWLet’s take three levels of calorie surplus to compare the effects of each one.You can eat in a very modest 100 calorie surplus each day. The issue with this is that the amount of calories that your body has in excess to help build muscle is going to be present but low enough that the rate at which you will build muscle is going to be slower. Keep in mind, this does not mean that you will not be gaining. It just means that it will take a longer time.The good news about this approach however is that the majority of weight gained here is going to be muscle rather than fat. In fact, science shows that around 90 percent of the weight gained when in a small 100 calorie surplus is lean muscle and only 10 percent of that is body fat.If we move up to a 300 calorie surplus a couple of things start to happen. First, we have a faster rate of muscle growth. That said, you will see a higher percentage of body fat making up the total weight gain. Here again, science suggests that about 30 percent of the weight gain is from body fat added but still 70 percent muscle growth.If we move even higher, to a surplus of 500 calories, we once again see a faster rate of muscle gain but also body fat accrual. At this degree of calorie surplus we have more body fat accumulation - approximately 50 percent of the total weight gained.So if you were going to try and determine how much of a calorie surplus you wanted you would have to consider your tolerance for adding body fat and the rate that you wanted to see a bulkier body. The issue with this is that many people start to develop some habits during the bulk that makes it harder for them to successfully cut later on. This is where bulking and cutting can become problematic for many and taking the much more modest approach to increasing calories seems to be a more long term successful approach to take.Be sure to eat approximately the same way throughout the trial period. This means, trying to keep your macros proportionately the same. The thermic effect of food results in a higher metabolic cost to digesting proteins as there are carbs and fats.You also want to be sure that you are not eating out vs home too much during the trial as this will likely result in some big calculation mistakes.The bottom line is, you can definitely gain muscle without getting fat or having to bulk. Sure, it will take a little extra time but when you consider the long haul and how much healthier you will be in the big picture along the way to making your gains, I believe it is the best approach. If you’re looking for a step by step meal plan that will help you build muscle and lose fat at the same time, be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link above and choose the program that best suits your physique goals using the program selector tool.For more videos on how to bulk and cut properly and the best way to eat to build muscle without getting fat, remember to subscribe to our channel via the link above and remember to turn on your modifications so you never miss a new video when published.
This DESTROYED My Biceps at Home in 10 Minutes (SERIOUSLY!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-10 | If you don’t have time to go to the gym and get a good biceps workout in, then you are going to love this brutal biceps home workout. In this video, I am going to show you how you can turn 10 minutes into a brutal and effective bicep workout that you can do from the comfort of your home using just one pair of dumbbells and a pull-up bar.The structure of the workout is simple but effective for building big biceps. With a 2 minute and 30 second block, you will be performing two exercises - a curl variation and a negative chin hang. The dumbbells you choose should be between your 12 and 15 rep max on a standard curl.Once you start your 2:30 timer, pick up the dumbbells and perform the curl variation with a 1-second concentric lifting of the dumbbells and 1-second eccentric lowering of the dumbbells. The next rep is a 2-second concentric and 2-second eccentric, then 3 and 3 seconds, 4 and 4 seconds, 5 and 5 seconds, 5 and 5 seconds again, then descend the time going 4 and 4, 3 and 3, 2 and 2, and finally 1 and 1 second.Once you finish your 10th rep, put the dumbbells down, jump up to the pull-up bar and perform a negative chin hang for as long as you can. Fight every for every inch as you slowly lower down due to fatigue. Once you reach the full eccentric, let go of the bar and rest for the balance of the 2:30 timer. As soon as the 2 minutes and 30 seconds is finished, pick up the dumbbells and perform the next exercise in the same fashion before attempting the next bar hang.The biceps exercises you will be performing in this home biceps workout are:1A. Dumbbell Biceps Curl - 1 sec up, 1 sec down / 2 sec up, 2 sec down / 3 sec up, 3 sec down / 4 sec up, 4 sec down / 5 sec up, 5 sec down / 5 sec up, 5 sec down / 4 sec up, 4 sec down / 3 sec up, 3 sec down / 2 sec up, 2 sec down / 1 sec up, 1 sec down1B. Negative Chin Hang - until failureREST: Balance of 2:302A. Dumbbell Drag Curl - 1 sec up, 1 sec down / 2 sec up, 2 sec down / 3 sec up, 3 sec down / 4 sec up, 4 sec down / 5 sec up, 5 sec down / 5 sec up, 5 sec down / 4 sec up, 4 sec down / 3 sec up, 3 sec down / 2 sec up, 2 sec down / 1 sec up, 1 sec down2B. Negative Chin Hang - until failureREST: Balance of 2:303A. DB Hammer Curl (with pronation at the top) - 1 sec up, 1 sec down / 2 sec up, 2 sec down / 3 sec up, 3 sec down / 4 sec up, 4 sec down / 5 sec up, 5 sec down / 5 sec up, 5 sec down / 4 sec up, 4 sec down / 3 sec up, 3 sec down / 2 sec up, 2 sec down / 1 sec up, 1 sec down3B. Negative Chin Hang - until failureREST: Balance of 2:304A. DB Waiter’s Curl - 1 sec up, 1 sec down / 2 sec up, 2 sec down / 3 sec up, 3 sec down / 4 sec up, 4 sec down / 5 sec up, 5 sec down / 5 sec up, 5 sec down / 4 sec up, 4 sec down / 3 sec up, 3 sec down / 2 sec up, 2 sec down / 1 sec up, 1 sec down4B. Negative Chin Hang - until failureThis home biceps workout is brutal because of how much tension you are driving into the biceps throughout the workout. Not only in the timed reps, but also in the flexed arm hang.With this home dumbbell workout, you no longer have an excuse to skip your next biceps workout because you are short on time. You don’t even need to spend precious time driving to and from the gym in order to get bigger biceps.I’ve always said that you can either train hard or you can train long, but you can’t do both. This biceps workout trades in time for intensity. Since this workout is so intense, you will likely be torched by the end of the 10 minutes just like I was by the end of it.Should you be doing this workout every time you train your biceps? I don’t think it’s necessary but if you are short on time, then this will be one of the best biceps workouts you can do in the limited time you have. The added benefit of this workout to get big biceps is that it can be done from the comfort of your own home as long as you have a pair of dumbbells and pull-up bar.Remember, just because the time you have is limited, doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice an intense and effective workout to get bigger biceps. This style of workout is also applicable to multiple muscle groups so that no matter what you are training, you can torch them in just 10 minutes.Torch Your Biceps - http://athleanx.com/x/biceps-torched-in-10Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWIf you are looking for a dumbbell workout program that will deliver gains regardless of what dumbbells you have access to, you can find the JACKED program at athleanx.com so that you can build the best body possible with limited equipment.For more videos on how to get big biceps and other bicep workouts, make sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
10 Reasons You Should Avoid Eating Eggs (FOREVER!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-07 | Did you know that over the last few decades, there have been 10 reasons you should avoid eating eggs forever? In this video, I am going to do a deep dive into the common claims people make about eggs and why they should be avoided in your diet. We’ll take a look at each claim and whether the latest research agrees with them to give you the best recommendations for whether or not you should eat eggs or not.It seems that over the last 30 years, the news has a new report on the dangers of eating eggs and why you should avoid them completely. These include everything from causing heart disease to being responsible for unsuccessful weight loss efforts. However, is any of this true?The first common claim against eggs is that they raise your blood cholesterol levels. Having heard this for years from not just the news, but your family and friends too, you might think that this is the perfect reason to cut eggs out of your diet. So, if this is the case, should you not eat eggs? Well, according to more recent research, we thankfully know that your dietary cholesterol does not increase your blood cholesterol levels. So if you thought eating eggs was leading to high cholesterol, you can rest easy knowing that that’s not the case.“Eggs increase your risk of heart disease!” How many times have you heard someone say that? Probably too many, because recent research has shown that moderate egg consumption does not increase your risk for heart disease. This likely stems from the thought that eggs raise your cholesterol, but since we know that this isn’t the case, you need not worry about eating eggs and heart disease.Some people have claimed that eggs should be avoided if you are looking to lose weight. The support for this idea is that eggs are calorically dense and eating them will lead to weight gain over loss. However, with the amount of protein contained in a single egg, you can actually aid your weight loss journey. As protein helps with satiety which means that you get full faster.Has anyone ever told you that eggs are bad for your liver? It’s been thought that eggs, especially the yolk, were harmful to people with liver conditions. However, research has found that eggs are actually beneficial to liver health due to their high choline content. That means you shouldn’t avoid eggs if you’re worried about your liver health, and you could actually stem to benefit from eating the egg yolk.Is it true that brown eggs are healthier than white eggs? If you heard the popular jingle stating so, then you might be inclined to believe that you should opt for brown eggs instead of white eggs if you are trying to maintain a healthy diet. However, studies have shown that there is no benefit to brown eggs over white eggs as their nutritional content is exactly the same.Stop me if you've heard this one before: "You should avoid eating egg yolks!" It was once thought that you should throw out the egg yolk due to it's cholesterol and fat content. But, I implore you to think twice about this simply because most of the nutrients in an egg are found in the yolk. You will actually find inside the yolk essential vitamins like B12, D, and choline. So don't skip on the egg yolk.It has been thought that eating eggs was responsible for high blood pressure. This likely stems, again, from the fear of the cholesterol and fat content of eggs. However, it has been shown in research that there is no need to worry about this as eggs may actually have a neutral or even positive effect on blood pressure when part of a healthy diet.Did you know that some have claimed that eating eggs will increase your risk of stroke? Well, detailed research has suggested that there was no significant relationship between moderate egg consumption and increased risk of stroke. Some research also suggests that eating eggs may even lower the risk of stroke in some populations.Eggs have been incorrectly blamed for being difficult to digest, especially for people with sensitive stomachs. However, eggs are now recognized as easily digestible, especially when cooked properly, and are even recommended for digestive health in some cases. As a matter of fact, some research shows that eggs, particularly when boiled or poached, are among the most easily digestible protein sources.Watch the video to the end to see what other claims about eggs are debunked by science so you don't have to worry if you should avoid eating eggs forever.Don't Skip Eating Eggs - http://athleanx.com/x/eggs-are-healthySubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWif you are looking for a step-by-step workout and meal plan included, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and use the program selector to find the program that best matches your current training goal and ability levels.For more videos on dietary reccomendations, make sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
Upright Rows Suck (PERIOD) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-05 | The upright row is a popular shoulder exercise and upper back exercise for building the delts and traps, however it just isn’t good. I know, some will have a problem with any single exercise being deemed “bad” but when it comes to the upright row, that has an alternative exercise that accomplishes the same thing but removes the troublesome parts of the movement in the process - I just think it has no place in workour programs.Why do I have a problem?When you do the upright row you are literally fighting your body’s own physiology and biomechanics. For instance, the act of elevating and internally rotating at the shoulder (as you do during the upright row) is something that places the shoulder joint at its biggest risk of impingement. It is in this position that the clearance for the humerus within the shoulder joint is at its smallest.It is here that the likilhood of creating an impingement on the supraspinatus tendon of the rotator cuff is at its highest. Some will propose that bringing the bar to a point lower on the chest is a viable solution to this problem. While this helps it really doesn’t fix the problem entirely. Instead, you would want to perform something called the high pull, preferably with dumbbells.The key difference between the high pull and the upright row is the positioning of the hands and elbows in relation to each other. During the upright row, the elbows travel higher than the hands. Leaving the hands at a point lower than the elbows is what torques the shoulder and creates internal rotation.Instead, during the high pull, your focus should be on keeping the hands higher than the elbows. You want to think about leading your thumbs back behind you at the top of the rep to encourage external rotation of the shoulder and more joint space in the glenohumeral joint.This will not sacrifice your ability to lift heavy weight on the exercise nor from targeting your upper traps and middle delts like you would on the upright row. You are simply performing a biomechanically safer exercise that is still a great shoulder builder, without the repercussions that are likely to come (either short term or long term) by continuing to do the upright row. If you are looking for more shoulder exercise recommendations, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Brad Pitt’s “Fight Club” Body (SCRAWNY?!?) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-02 | Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Fight Club, I want to take a look back at Brad Pitt’s physique in this movie. Many, at the time, desired this exact physique of being lean and not overly muscular and inspired thousands to start going to the gym and eating right.These days, some believe that Brad Pitt in Fight Club was too skinny and lacked muscle development. I would argue the opposite. If you look at pictures of Brad Pitt from the movie, you will see solid shoulder development, a fairly big chest with an upper chest shelf (plenty of people find this to be a difficult area to develop), the appearance of shrink-wrap abs, and arms that proportional to the rest of his body.Why do people think that Brad looked skinny? It comes down to being jaded from what they see on social media these days. Search physique on instagram and scroll down the explore page to see what I am talking about. Most of the physiques you see are likely a result of PEDs. This creates a warped image and expectation of what a natural trainee can aspire to look like.However, Brad Pitt’s body in Fight Club is achievable by most, as long as their training and nutrition are in check. This physique is also fairly sustainable as Brad, at the age of 55, looks to have kept the same or even greater muscular development, despite the fact he isn’t as lean as he was in Fight Club 25 years ago.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Don’t Skip The “Golden 6” Exercises ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-10-01 | The Golden Six is a selection of exercises that everybody should have in their program. These selections are based off Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Golden Six exercises that he believed should be the foundation of any workout program. While my selections are a bit different than Arnold’s, I feel that they are the most important exercises that can be done. Not every workout needs to include all six exercises, but the program itself should feature each one of them at some point in their layout.My Golden Six exercises include the following:1. Weighted Chin-Up or Weighted Pullup - while either variation is a staple exercise in bodyweight training, adding weight to either of them allows you to progressively overload the exercise. This will not only help build strength in either selection, but it will also aid in muscle building efforts.2. Bench Press - it doesn’t matter if you choose dumbbells or a barbell to perform this exercise, but it is essential for chest size and strength. Add in that it is a compound lift that involves the shoulders and triceps as well and you get one of the best bang for your buck exercises for your upper body.3. Squat - this doesn’t have to be a barbell squat, simply because I know that many people out there have orthopedic issues and limitations that would prevent them from effectively performing a standard barbell squat. However, the movement pattern needs to be explored and if you can find any variation of the squat that allows you to perform the exercise without orthopedic concerns, then that is the squat you should be doing.4. Deadlift - one of the most basic and functional exercises you can perform that involves the entirety of the posterior chain. The deadlift is an exercise you shouldn’t avoid if you are looking to build both muscle and strength as the deadlift is one of those exercises that involves the most muscle activation, especially across multiple muscle groups like the hamstrings, glutes, and the entirety of the back.5. Overhead Press - another one of those exercises that doesn’t necessarily require a barbell to perform it. Any vertical pressing variation will do. This can include a dumbbell overhead press, single arm dumbbell overhead press, a z-press, or any number of variations. The vertical press is important for size and strength and also requires contribution from the triceps and upper chest, making it a solid compound option.6. Barbell Curl - some might say that you get all the bicep stimulation you need from other compound exercises, however, I find that if you are looking to build maximum arm development, you need direct training. The barbell curl allows you to overload the biceps via tension, you can progressively overload it, and you can even focus on the eccentric stress by performing a cheat curl with a slow negative.Remember, these Golden Six exercises should make up the foundation of your workout program and including them will lead to the most muscle growth and strength gains possible.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
The Smartest Way to Build Muscle (100% NATURALLY) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-29 | If you want the smartest way to build muscle 100% naturally, then you have come to the right place. In this video, Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico go in depth into how to build muscle naturally and what it takes to do it. Remember, it’s not just what workouts you do, but how you do them that matters.It starts with the most common question that I get when someone new to training and that’s what does the workout look like? Basically this comes down to what split should they be following. This is dependent on what the available time someone has to actually train. I can give a split that builds muscle whether it’s two days a week and all the way up to 6 days a week. This can come in the form of total body, upper / lower, push / pull / legs, or even an educated bro split.Next, it comes down to exercise selection. When it comes to build muscle 100% naturally, you need to avoid exerphobia, or the fear of a particular exercise. This usually comes in the form of avoiding compound lifts. However, there are 6 exercises that I think are a staple of every program and are based on Arnold’s golden six. These exercises include weight chin-ups / pull-ups, barbell curls, squats, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. These are the biggest bang-for-you-buck exercises that will help to build strength and size at the same time.One thing that you want to avoid when it comes to your workouts and building muscle naturally is the use of correctives. These are designed to help fortify your body against injury and breakdown, helping for training longevity. Remember, it doesn’t matter what the next week, month, or year looks like - rather, I’m looking to see how your perform 10 years down the road, and whether your body stays healthy and operational over the long term. Some correctives that you likely want to include in your workout program include face pulls, reverse hypers, hip band mini ladders, band pull apart, angels and devils, and clam shells.What about “other” exercises? These include accessories and exercises designed for nothing but building muscle. I recommend you find complimentary exercises that based on available equipment and natural athleticism.It also comes down to the plane of motion, performing exercises in a vertical and horizontal fashion, separately. These exercise choices will lead to greater hypertrophic benefits and keep you moving through different planes of motion. You also want to focus on muscle function bias, as many muscle groups have multiple functions - think of the chest! You not only have the action of pressing, but also adduction. Training each function will help to lead to growing more muscle.You can also address muscle weak points. If you have a weak or underdeveloped upper chest, you will want to include upper chest dedicated exercises. This can be in the form of one function if you have available time or even an exercise that combines functions, like the low-to-high crossover which follows the direction of the upper chest fibers and also includes adduction. Exercise variety also can be a method of keeping interest in a workout program as performing the same exercises day in and day out can get boring and lead to a disinterest in continuing training.Now, when it comes to building muscle 100% naturally, you have to include muscle building techniques as well. For example, training to failure is extremely important to build muscle. There is also the newfound craze of training in the stretch position with partial repetitions. I think this is a problem for building resilient muscles as they don’t take the muscle through its full range of motion. Not only that, but the extra gains that are achieved through this technique is negligible.Watch to the end of the video to see what other concepts are important to building muscle naturally.Build Muscle 100% Naturally - http://athleanx.com/x/build-muscle-naturallySubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWif you are looking for a step-by-step workout program with a meal plan included, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and use the program selector to find the program that best matches your current training goal and ability levels.For more muscle building techniques, subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.1:10 Training Frequency.5:45 Exercise selection.10:25 Structure for exercises 10:50 Overcoming strength plateaus 12:20 Fortifying the foundations13:40 avoiding exercises14:40 corrective exercises19:30 Complimentary exercises23:00 Weak points23:30 Variety24:40 Sets27:15 Load and Intensity30:30 Training to failure33:45 Thoughts on lengthened training36:30 Different techniques/ Mike Mentzer approach37:45 effective reps 38:40 How often to train to failure39:39 Cardio and conditioning41:10 Sleep, hydration and stress42:40 Motivation43:50 Nutrition
Choose Your Push-Up Variation (WISELY!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-27 | If you are looking to build a big chest, shoulders, or triceps using nothing but bodyweight, then this is the video for you. It’s a common myth that you can’t build muscle with bodyweight exercises which is simply not true. There are a number bodyweight exercises you can do that will build size and strength for every muscle group.When it comes to the pushing muscles, such as the chest, shoulders and triceps, you can target them with a number of variations of pushups. While you cannot exclusively isolate a single muscle group as pushups are compound in nature, you can preferentially target different areas.When it comes to the chest, you can build muscle here with the three pushup variations shown in the video. These include the hand release pushups, prison yard pushups, and twisting pushups. These different variations are all geared at targeting the chest over the shoulders and triceps.For targeting the shoulders with bodyweight exercises, specifically with pushups, you have three simple options that include toe tap pushups, pike pushups, and power pushaways. These three pushup variations will do a great job of biasing the delts to help you build size and strength.If you want to build bigger and stronger triceps using nothing but your bodyweight, I have included three options for this muscle group as well. These pushups include pancake pushups, diamond cutter pushups, and cobra pushups.Regardless of which pushup variations you choose, all 9 of them are designed to help build muscle and strength using nothing but your bodyweight.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Brad Pitt Fight Club Workout and Diet (25th ANNIVERSARY!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-24 | If you wanted to know all about Brad Pitt’s Fight Club workout and diet 25 years after the movie was released, then you’re in luck. In this video, I am going to break down Brad Pitt’s workout and diet for the iconic physique he achieved in the movie Fight Club. Just like iI’ve done for every celebrity workout critique that I have done in the past, I am going to reman respectful and provide an unbiased review of Brad Pitt’s workouts and diet. Not only that, I am going to explain how you can implement some oof his principles into your training and nutrition so that you can see success as well.The reported workout and diet plan for Brad Pitt in Fight Club has been circulating the internet for a while, with nobody coming forward to challenge it. So while it may not be the most accurate representation of what he did to prepare for the role of Tyler Durden, this is likely the closest resemblance of what Brad Pitt actually did to achieve his body in Fight Club.When it comes to Brad Pitt’s Fight Club physique, we have to take note of what the director was trying to achieve and that is to create an “idealized” version of Edward Norton’s character. That means that Brad Pitt couldn’t be overly muscular like you would see in an 80’s action film starring Stallone or Schwarzenegger. While there was certainly muscular development, especially in the shoulders, the hallmark of Pitt’s physique is his level of leanness.So how does one achieve this physique? Proper training and diet, of course.Let’s start with the training.Brad Pitt’s Fight Club workout followed a classic bro-split, with chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, shoulders on Wednesday, arms on Thursday, and cardio on Friday and Saturday. With no focus on his legs in the movie, they opted to skip leg day (something I would never advocate!)My problem with the reported Fight Club workout for Brad Pitt mostly comes down to the weight reported. Weighting 155 lbs at 5’11, there are just some reported weights used that would assume high levels of strength even for someone who lifted weights more regularly than Pitt likely did for the movie. But I would prefer to focus on the structure of the workout as I think that’s the more important aspect of the reported routine.I also have slight issue with the schedule, as I find that there is too little frequency per muscle group. Stimulating a muscle only once in a week is less productive to muscle hypertrophy than it is at a higher frequency of say 2-3x per week.In some instances, Pitt used an ascending pyramid structure which had the weight increase and the reps decrease across 3 sets. This is a great technique for building muscle and strength, but I would say that only doing it across 3 sets is fairly low volume. Outside of that, it appears that Pitt would perform two sets of 15 reps at submaximal weight, with the third set purported to be 15 reps with a weight that would cause failure on the third set.This approach means very low effective volume for building muscle, which is likely why Brad Pitt didn’t have a heavily muscular body in Fight Club and instead had a leaner, more toned look. While you can certainly build muscle with this approach, I don’t think it is effective to build as much muscle as possible.When it comes to Brad Pitt’s Fight Club diet, there are a lot of good things about it. As a matter of fact, it somewhat resembles the way that I have been eating for the last 20-30 years. I will say, however, that my diet is a little bit more flexible and palatable than what Brad Pitt was following. The point is that while eating clean, he was able to keep the number of calories he took in at under 3,000 calories per day. Add in the intensity of his workout sessions and he was able to burn a significant amount of fat to achieve that lean, toned look he had in Fight Club.Overall, I like Brad Pitt’s training and nutrition as it not only achieved an iconic look that we are still talking about 25 years later, but also inspired an entire generation of young men to start hitting the gym and paying attention to what they were putting in their mouths. Add in the fact that I believe that Brad Pitt’s Fight Club physique was attained without the use of steroids or PEDs and I have a greater appreciation for this body.Workout Like Brad Pitt - http://athleanx.com/x/fight-club-workoutSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWif you are looking for a step-by-step workout program with a meal plan included, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and use the program selector to find the program that best matches your current training goal and ability levels.For more celebrity workout reviews, make sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
If You’ve EVER Had Low Back Pain… ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-23 | If you wanted a single stretch that is going to make you feel amazing after every time you do it, then this is the one for you. The QL slide is a simple stretch that anyone can do.This stretch is going to help anyone out there that has suffered from muscular low back pain. The Quadratus Lumborum or hip hiker muscle is often times relegated to chronic stiffness and tightness from never being adequately stretched. This easy to perform movement is going to do a great job stretching this low back muscle.Simply drop a leg back and use your arms to prop up your body into a side bent position. Try and maintain this position for 30-45 seconds each side and look to feel the stretch most in the outside area of your lower back just around your waistline. To increase the difficulty of the stretch even more you can allow the other leg to slide out a bit which will place more stretch on the adductors of the hips.So if you are feeling any tightness in your lower back, this simple stretch is going to help you to feel a whole lot better than you did before you started doing it.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
5 Min Whole Body Stretch Routine (PRE-WORKOUT STRETCH) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-19 | If you are looking for a pre workout warmup routine, then you are going to want to do these stretches before every workout to feel amazing. In this video, I am going to show you a quick total body stretch routine that you can do prior to your workout or on its own that will help you to feel amazing.Pre-Workout Stretch Routine - http://athleanx.com/x/pre-workout-stretchesSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWThis routine should only take around 5 minutes or so as you don’t want to be spending too much time on your workout warmup. This means that you should be doing anywhere between 5 and 10 repetitions for each movement (on each side, where applicable), depending on your readiness.The first pre-workout stretch up is the lunge and reach. This will have you moving dynamically to prime not just your lower body, but your back as well. With this move, you will not only be getting a stretch on the hip flexors, but on the quadratus lumborum as well. Often this muscle gets ignored and when it isn’t addressed properly, can lead to lower back pain. Another benefit of this stretch is getting the knees past the toes, which is part of good squat mechanics when we get under the bar.Next, we have thread the needles. From the previous lunge position, you can move right into this one. Here you are going to want to press your elbow into your knee and drive it outwards while reaching through with the opposite arm and rotating to get the arm up high. This will again target the hip flexors, but the adductors of the leg and thoracic rotation as well.One thing that we don’t get often enough is shoulder extension. With the shoulder rocks, you will be able to get into shoulder extension by having your arms posted behind you, like you see me doing in the video. Simply rock back and forth while keeping your chest up and out. If you want to get more out of this stretch, simply lift your butt up higher, getting good glute activation, and rock back and forth from this position.Then, we have something I call the NSFW stretch. Keep your heels as close together as possible, then drive yourself back aiming to get your butt onto your heels. This dynamic stretch will promote hip external rotation as you sink back and down onto your heels while also getting a good stretch on the groin and adductors. Not only that, but you will be putting your shoulders into flexion with your arms overhead on the ground.We don’t often stretch our abs, but that’s what we will be doing with the next preworkout stretch, the cobra pressup. This will be a good ab stretch while also being a good hip flexor stretch. If you can get your arms completely straight due to tightness or mobility limitations, don’t worry, just go as far as you can comfortably and holding for a few seconds before returning your chest to the ground.From here, lay completely flat on the ground with your arms behind your back. From here, lift your thighs and chest off the ground and then rotate your arms up over your head, pointing your thumbs together. In this same lifted position, rotate the arms back down to their starting position behind your back and then lay flat to give yourself a reprieve. This will work on shoulder mobility while also activating the glutes and lower back, which can often be weak points in our training.The next pre-workout stretch is called toe taps. From a downward dog position, you simply reach back and touch your toes with one arm at a time. Again, we are getting some should flexion here with the arm that’s posted on the ground. However, we are also getting some hamstring stretch, calf stretch, and low back stretch from this move.One of the most dynamic leg movements you can do is a simple leg swing. Done in two ways, you will be activating your glutes, external rotators, internal rotators, and hip flexors with each dynamic leg swing. You will be swinging your legs side-to-side, while facing the wall, and front-to-back while bracing against the wall from the side.The last stretch for this pre-workout stretching routine to feel amazing is the door opener. Standing against the wall, internally rotate your hip and touch your toe to the ground. Then raise your leg with a 90 degree bend in the knee and externally rotate your hip and drive your toe back behind you. This will also activate the glutes, an often dormant muscle.If you are looking for a complete workout routine and meal plan to compliment your flexibility and mobility routine, be sure to head to athleanx.com and check out the program selector tool. It will take you just minutes to find the exact plan that fits your current goals and will help you to build ripped athletic muscle quickly. For more home stretching routines and the best stretches for your hips, back and shoulders subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link above and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
Timed Pushup Challenge (JUST 10 “REPS”) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-17 | Here’s a pushup challenge that I stumbled across that consists of 10 pushups in sequence making up 1 single rep. Breaking it down, the sequence looks like this:- Pushup to shoulder tap (R)- Pushup to shoulder tap (L)- Pushup to knee tap (R)- Pushup to knee tap (L)- Pushup to toe tap (R)- Pushup to toe tap (L)- Pushup reach back (R)- Pushup reach back (L)- Mike Tyson pushup- Pushup to crawl back- Squat to standIf this seems easy, remember, this entire sequence is just 1 rep. Want to give it a try? See how many reps you can do and leave a comment with how many successful pushup sequences you can complete!You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Chest Exercises Ranked (WORST TO BEST!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-16 | There are so many chest exercises to choose from that you can include in your chest workouts, but which ones should you focus your efforts on if you want build a bigger chest and increase your strength? In this video, I am going to rate some of the most popular chest exercises and on each one, I am going to tell you if you should rep it or reject it. Hopefully, after this video, you will know with these chest exercises rated, which ones to you can include in your workouts and which ones you can skip altogether.Pec Deck: while not everyone has access to a pec deck machine, I think it is a good option to stimulate adduction of the chest and allows you to get the stretch you might think that you are getting with a bench fly. I prefer the machine that has articulating arms as it allows people with any arm length to get the same stimulus needed. Overall, I think it’s a good exercises and that you should rep it.Flat Bench Press: one of the best exercises you can do to overload the chest with maximal tension, this one is not only going to build a big chest, but a strong chest too. If you have shoulder discomfort when using the barbell, you have the option of using dumbbells which allows for more freedom of motion to help shoulder stability. This is one of my top ranked chest exercises and thus, you should rep it.V-Sh*t Crossover: do I really need to say much about this exercise? Not only is it not training adduction, it doesn’t do a whole lot for the chest at all in the first place, and it looks downright dumb. If that wasn’t enough, just look at who invented the exercise and that should be enough to tell you to reject it.Incline Bench Press: when you are looking to build a big chest, especially a big upper chest, there are few exercises that match the effectiveness of the incline bench press. Not only does it have the greatest range of motion for all bench press variations, but it also provides the most stretch at the bottom of each rep. If you opt for dumbbells over a barbell, you get even more stretch with a greater range of motion at the bottom. Definitely an exercise that falls in the “rep it” categoryUnderhand Bench Press: another variation of the bench press that is great for hitting the upper chest, this one is a go-to if you don’t have access to an incline bench and you want to hit the upper chest fibers. One feature of this exercise is the travel of arms from low-to-high, which follows the fibers of the upper chest. My only caveat would be to suggest using dumbbells over a barbell as the awkward hand placement is exacerbated by the use of barbell if you aren’t experienced enough with the exercise. Absolutely rep it.Plate Press: a fairly awkward exercise that can be done by squeezing one plate between two hands or even two smaller plates between both hands. There is not a lot of chance for overload on the chest here as the weight you can handle on this exercise is going to be fairly minimal. I would say you should reject it in your next chest workout.Decline Bench Press: this bench press variation is designed to hit the lower chest fibers and is a great way of overloading them. While it has the least range of motion for most bench press variations, it is easy on the shoulders, so if you have any discomfort, this could be a great option for you. When it comes to ranking chest exercises, I would rate this one towards the top.Pushups: the gold standard for bodyweight chest exercises, I think everyone should be doing pushups. However, if you can do 30 or more pushups in a single set, I would say that you need to find a different variation that challenges you enough to where you fail under 30 reps if you are looking to grow your chest. Overall though, this is an exercises that falls in the “rep it” category.Guillotine Press: this version of the bench press requires you to bring the barbell down towards your throat while flaring your elbows out wide. I think if you are going to do this exercise, you should use dumbbells as you can alter your elbow angle while bring the weight down to that upper chest touch point. Add in the safety factor that you can actually dump the dumbbells. However, with better options in my chest exercises rated, I am going to reject this chest exercise.For the rest of my answers, make sure to watch to the end of the video to see which chest exercises are rated to rep or reject.Chest Exercises Rated - http://athleanx.com/x/chest-exercises-ratedSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWif you are looking for a step-by-step workout program with a meal plan included, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and use the program selector to find the program that best matches your current training goal and ability levels.For more videos on how to build a big chest, make sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
Stop Doing This For Your Front Delts! ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-13 | You might think it’s a waste of time, but I’m going to explain why you need to train front delts. In this edition of “AX JEFF”, Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico will answer the viewer’s question about whether or not you need to train your front delts.There are plenty of social media influencers that have argued that training your front delts is a waste of time. Where does this idea come from? Well, they like to present the argument that you get enough front deltoid stimulation from all the compound pressing movements you do; such as the bench press and the overhead press.Is that true?Well, they are correct about the fact that the front delt is involved in these exercises, but if that is the logic they are presenting, then why would you train the triceps? As a matter of fact, when it comes to compound pressing exercises, like the bench press, when someone hits a plateau, it’s usually not the chest that isn’t strong enough - it usually turns out to be the front delts or triceps that are the weak point. If getting stronger on the bench press is your goal, then it would be wise to isolate these muscles to breakthrough that plateau.The next objection comes in the form of muscle imbalances. There is a thought that people have overly developed or dominant front delts compared to the rest of their shoulders. I have to ask another question; are you really front delt dominant or are you lacking in the side and rear delts? We know that the rear delts are responsible for the appearance of fully developed shoulders, so it would make sense to give them more attention as opposed to removing front delt exercises altogether.And finally, there is the thought that training the front delts is dangerous and can lead to injury. Well, it can be if you choose the wrong exercises at the wrong time in your lifting journey. Exercise selection is key and I will get to that later.So, I can safely say that you still need to train your front delts and here’s why…When it comes to strength and hypertrophy, getting stronger front delts will allow you to be stronger on your compound lifts, which will help to increase size of not just your front delts, but other muscles as well. When it comes to training athletes, it’s important to note that strength directly correlates to performance. The only athletes I would say need less front delt work than anybody would be someone that throws overhead, such as pitchers and quarterbacks.Developing every muscle in the shoulder girdle, that includes the front delts by the way, will lead to healthy shoulders overall. This comes from range of motion and muscle contribution from all muscles involved. This includes exercises that hit not just the shoulders themselves, but scapular muscles as well, such as the traps and rhomboids. But in the end, the front delts are part of the shoulder girdle and to keep healthy shoulders, you need to give them some direct attention.When it comes to compound lifts, some people just don’t have the mobility for it. Anyone with severe kyphosis will not be able to properly raise their arms overhead, effectively eliminating the overhead press from their program. Performing compound exercises in a poor starting posture will lead to weaknesses and limitations on performance.Aside from that, if your goal is aesthetics, why wouldn’t you train the front delts to make them grow? You need direct stimulus to grow them optimally. Not everyone is blessed with genetics that make them pop without any direct work. If you are one of those people that doesn’t have perfect shoulder genetics, you will be required to isolate them to make them bigger and stronger.So, how often shoulder you perform front delt work if you need to make them grow? I would argue that 1-2 exercises done for 3-5 sets per week. You can include them on your next shoulder day if you are following a bro split, an upper day if you are following upper/lower, or if you are doing push/pull/legs, then you would include them on your push day. You don’t need a ton of front delt exercises thrown in, but having them there to be hit directly will benefit you.What front delt exercises do I recommend you include in your programming? Be sure to watch the rest of the video to find out what front delt exercises you should be doing in order to build bigger, stronger, and healthier shoulders.How To Train Your Front Dets - http://athleanx.com/x/train-front-deltsSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWif you are looking for a step-by-step workout program with a meal plan included, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and use the program selector to find the program that best matches your current training goal and ability levels.For more videos on how to build the most muscle possible, make sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
David Goggins Toughest Workout (IMPOSSIBLE?!?) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-10 | David Goggins is a former Navy SEAL who is known as not only a master motivator, but also as someone who pushes their body to the limit to test themselves not just physically, but mentally as well.A David Goggins workout might seem like overkill and to many, it might be. However, the purpose of doing one of David Goggins’ workouts is not to build the most muscle possible, or to become the biggest person in the gym. Instead, the purpose of these workouts is to increase work capacity and ability to perform more than you thought you were capable of. That’s not to say that these workouts won’t build muscle or that they aren’t effective; quite the opposite actually. These high volume workouts will definitely cause muscle growth, especially since we know that high volume, low weight workouts need to be taken to failure.One of these workouts is called “Nickels and Dimes” and is fairly simple in structure. You jump up to the pull-up bar and perform 5 pullups, then drop down to the ground and perform 10 pushups. You alternate between these two exercises, going back and forth, for as long as you can. Goggins has performed this workout for over an hour before, showcasing not only what kind of physical condition he is, but also his determination.Give this workout a try and see how long you can endure.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Building Muscle Just Got Easier (SCIENCE EXPLAINS) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-08 | When it comes to building muscle, there are many things that people tell you are most responsible but you are about to learn the real secret to putting on muscle over the long haul. There are no shortcuts however. Good old fashioned hard work is going to be necessary, and in the case of this video’s topic, perhaps harder than ever before.Build Muscle Here - athleanx.com/x/the-real-way-to-build-muscleSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWTo make this clear I want to use a farming analogy. Makes sense since growing is the common theme. In this comparison, the size of the farm is equated to the size of the muscle you are trying to grow. Within the plot of land are the many different crops, while within the muscle itself are many different muscle fibers. In order to make a farm thrive you have to have enough farmers to service the land and provide the crops with everything that they need to grow taller, more robust and consistently. To make a muscle grow you have to have the same capability of delivering the resources to the muscle to allow for muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy. The cell component that makes this possible is the equivalent of the farmer, and it’s called the myonucleus. The more muscle myonuclei that you have in place within a muscle, the greater the capacity of that muscle to grow.When it comes to how to add myonuclei, it depends on your training. Within your training approach however are three distinct methods by which muscle is built. The first is progressive overload. This is the type of training that revolves around primarily the big compound lifts such as the bench, squat, deadlift, row, etc. Here the goal is to keep adding weight to the bar and relying on both the improved neural connection with the muscles as well as the great amount of tension that is delivered to the muscles during these lifts to cause muscle growth.The problem here is that the gains may come quick early on in your training but start to stall out and plateau at a certain point. The need for specialty exercises to help plug the weak links and build a stronger base are required to keep the weights moving up and the gains coming.The second method for building muscle is eccentric overload. Here you are benefitting from the mechanical insult to the muscle cells that sparks a need for them to be repaired and ebuilt bigger and stronger. If you were to break this down into two requirments it would be tension and stretch or elongation. The loads needed to provide tension are lower than they are during the first method of progressive overload.The issue here is that the damage that is created from this training style is often one that causes a need for lower training frequency and fewer bouts of muscle growth stimulation.Which brings us to the third and absolute requirement for maximum muscle growth over a lifetime of training - lifting light weights. Here it is the metabolic stress that occurs as a result of incredibly high rep sets being taken to absolute muscle failure. Because these sets do not stress the muscle in the mechanically same way as eccentric overload, you are able to perform these with fewer impediments to recovery.Think of these as the irrigation system for your muscles. These drip feed your muscles the same way the water allows the crops to keep growing - even if at a slower but steady rate. These allow you to have a place of refuge for your training, a training style to perform that gives your body the necessary rest from the other two methods without having to sacrifice training all together during these recovery times.It is for this reason that lifting light weights is so important. In fact, using light weights is necessary if you want to see your greatest muscle growth and want to build muscle fastest.You must lift light weights if you want to build muscle.For more ways to make sure that you are getting the most out of your workouts, be sure to stay tuned to this channel are remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs that help you to build muscle using science backed principles, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training program that is best suited to your personal goals.
The World’s Most SHREDDED Man?!? ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-07 | Helmut Strebl is considered by many to be the world’s most shredded man, but how does he do it. Walking around all year at a body fat percentage of under 4 percent is insane. So much so, it is not something most men should aspire to do since they will likely cost themselves their health in the process.In order to get low body fat you are going to have to create a caloric deficit. This will allow your body to burn fat. To create an extremely low level of body fat, you will have to maintain this type of deficit for a lot longer than most. This is not a type of leanness that you can obtain on short notice.That said, what makes his phsyique that much more impressive is the amount of muscle that he has been able to maintain even at these extremely low levels of body fat. This is where the question of PED usage can come in. It is thought to be next to impossible to carry high levels of muscle while in an extremely low level of body fat. We are not talking even 5-10 percent body fat, as the ability to obtain and maintain even this slight increase above Helmut’s body fat levels is far more sustainable and able to be done without the same risks to ones long term health.I like to use an analogy when it comes to getting shredded and ripped. Everyone of us was given an implement to dig with when we were born. This is based on genetics. The deeper the hole you dig with your tool, the lower your body fat will be. Some have been given shovels. Some have been dealt the unfortunate hand to have to use a teaspoon. Helmut, he was given a backhoe. The idea is however, even the person with the spoon can dig a very deep hole if they are able to stay persistent with their efforts. It will definitely take them longer to get to the bottom, but with consistency they will be able to dig.Likewise, even in the case of the person with the backhoe, stepping away from the machine and doing nothing will never let them keep digging the hole lower. Bottom line is, don’t get discouraged by your levels of body fat. They can always be decreased. You just have to ask yourself what level of sacrifice you are comfortable trading off in order to get extremely low. Most people will find that when they ask themselves this question that they just aren’t prepared to give up the things that help them keep their sanity, completely, in order to get to a body fat level that doesn’t even bring them the happiness that they thought that it would in the first place.Moderation, as always, tends to be the right approach to diet and getting ripped and lean.For more tips on how to get lean and ripped, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
7 Best Supersets You’re NOT Doing ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-04 | These are the 7 best supersets that you’re not doing. A superset is a type of exercise that involves performing two or more exercises back-to-back with little to no rest in between. Supersets can be a great way to maximize your time in the gym and double the amount of work you do.The first superset is a straight arm pushdown and a face pull. The straight arm pushdown is a great exercise for targeting the lats specifically, allowing for loaded stretch on the muscle as well. The face pull is perfect for targeting the muscles of the upper back, including the rhomboids and mid-traps. This superset will allow you to hit all major muscles of the back in just one go.The second superset is a db incline bench press and a chest supported db row. With the incline bench press, you are able to target the upper chest along with the front delts and the triceps. When you finish with your set, immediately flip over and perform the chest supported row holding the same dumbbells. This will allow you to also hit the back and biceps.Superset number three is an alternating reverse dumbbell lunge followed by a dumbbell Romanian deadlift. With the reverse lunge, staying more upright, you will be hitting the quads. When you reach failure, simply stand up and perform an RDL with the same dumbbells to hit the muscles of the posterior chain, including the hamstrings and glutes.Looking to hit the biceps and triceps? Grow your arms with superset number four! This one includes cable rope curls to hit the biceps and cable overhead extensions to hit the triceps. Not only will you not have to change the setup of the cables, but you likely won’t have to change the weight either. This makes it an ideal superset for targeting the arms.The fifth superset in this list is actually one that will help you feel and perform better on the first exercise after completing the second. After you hit your set of squats, simply jump up to the bar and perform a dead arm hang to initiate spinal decompression. It’s not secret that loading a heavy barbell on your back will lead to some spinal compression, so to keep your spine healthy and feeling good, complete this superset next time you squat.The next superset is another one that will target the chest and back together. First up, you will want to perform the wrap around row to hit the muscles of the mid back. Once you reach failure, flip around and perform a cable crossover. Not only will you be targeting hard to hit muscles in the back, but you will be able to achieve adduction through the crossover, one of the main functions of the pecs.The seventh and final superset in this list is an incline lying triceps extension and a spider curl. The incline lying triceps extension is great for hitting the long head of the triceps, allowing you to put it on stretch, which we know is great for hypertrophy. Follow this with the spider curl to get peak contraction on the biceps.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
David Goggins INSANE Workout and Diet Revealed (SCREW SCIENCE!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-09-02 | If you wanted to know all about David Goggins’ workout and diet, especially to look and perform the way he does at 49 years old, then you’ve come to the right place. In this video, I am going to break down David Goggins’ workouts, nutrition, weight loss, and philosophy. Just like I’ve done for every celebrity workout critique that I have done in the past, I am going to remain respectful and provide an unbiased review of David Goggins’ workouts. Not only that, I am going to explain how you can implement some of his principles into your training and nutrition so that you can see success as well.When it comes to a David Goggins workout, you might here him say that he overtrains like his life depends on it. Coming from a background in professional baseball, I had to be aware of overtraining to make sure that my players performed at the highest level every time they stepped out on the field. My view on overtraining has changed over the years. This is because I have found that the average trainee does not push themselves to the point of overtraining in the first place - there is a large population of gym-goers that don’t ever go past, let alone reach, failure. David Goggins pushes himself to his physical limits often and aims to push past those limits, which can be seen where David begins a workout while having serious edema in his leg following surgery. Do I think this is a good idea? I’d prefer to see him take a little bit of time off as that will reduce the swelling faster than if he continues to train in that state.A David Goggins workout might seem like overkill and to many, it might be. However, the purpose of doing one of David Goggins’ workouts is not to build the most muscle possible, or to become the biggest person in the gym. Instead, the purpose of these workouts is to increase work capacity and ability to perform more than you thought you were capable of. That’s not to say that these workouts won’t build muscle or that they aren’t effective; quite the opposite actually. These high volume workouts will definitely cause muscle growth, especially since we know that high volume, low weight workouts need to be taken to failure.David Goggins, in his pursuit of becoming a Navy SEAL, had to lose 100 pounds of bodyweight in 3 months in order to qualify to sign up. It was through sheer will power, good nutrition, and solid training that he was able to achieve this.When it comes to David Goggins weight loss, he states that he maintained his skin tightness through his workouts. This is influenced by increased muscle size replacing the space filled by body fat as well as other factors influencing skill elasticity, such as age and time spent overweight.Mentioning David Goggins nutrition is important to understand how he maintains his lean and muscular physique, he maintains that his eating habits are as disciplined as the rest of his life. Managing to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day will help prevent overeating at each meal, as well as preventing snacking between meals. David states that he doesn’t eat after 6:30 pm and that’s not something I totally agree with as I myself eat dinner around midnight, but it’s about having the discipline to know when to stop eating.David Goggins has cheat meals every now and then, usually depending on his training style at that given time. I don’t think cheat meals are a problem for someone trying to lose or maintain weight, as long as they don’t become cheat days. With David Goggins weight loss, and anyone else trying to burn fat, cheat meals can help keep your sanity and consistent with your nutrition plan.“David Goggins Motivation” is something that you might want to search on YouTube. The man is a master motivator and is known for being able to get people off the couch and start improving their lives. David Goggins motivational speeches are meant to be a kick in the ass and inspire you to work harder than you thought possible. He believes that if you aren’t outworking yourself, there is no way you are outworking everyone else doing the same thing.Overall, I like David Goggins training and nutrition. It checks many of the boxes helping him to achieve the body that caused you to look him up in the first place.Workout Like David Goggins - http://athleanx.com/x/david-goggins-workoutSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWif you are looking for a step-by-step workout program with a meal plan included, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and use the program selector to find the program that best matches your current training goal and ability levels.For more celebrity workout reviews, make sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
The ONLY 2 Exercises You Need for Social Media ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-30 | When it comes to standing out on social media, whether it be instagram, facebook, tiktok, or even here on YouTube, then there are two muscles you need to work on the most. You might think that big biceps or a big chest would be the answer here, but as a matter of fact, it’s two lesser known muscles that will get you all the attention that you need…The orbicularis and frontalis!Working on these two muscles are important because your face is the first thing that everyone looks at on social media. If you lack in this department, then you’ll likely blend in with the rest of the content creators or at the very worst, stand out for the wrong reason.If you train these two muscles effectively, your face and social media like-count will thank you.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Do This EVERY Morning (WORKOUT OR NOT!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-29 | Here is a morning routine that you can use that will take just 2 minutes and 30 seconds for you to do that is going to help improve posture, mobility, grip and core strength. It does not matter whether you have a workout planned for the day or not, you are going to want to do this every single morning. If you stay consistent with this, you will also have a way to determine whether or not your workouts are causing more systemic fatigue and whether you need to add a rest day in between your workout days for more recovery.60% off all AX programs - http://athleanx.com/x/400-workoutsSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWThe first thing I advise upon waking is to drink 20-30 ounces of water. If you are not getting up in the middle of the night to drink water you are definitely likely to wake up deydrated in the morning. Research shows that even a 1 percent decline in body hydration levels can impair mental and cognitive function by as much as 5 percent.If you ever complain of brain fog or an inability to stay focused at work then it is very likely that you may be in some state of dehydration. This gets even worse if the only beverages you consume in the morning are multiple cups of coffee. It is so common for us to go halfway through our days before we even think about drinking water. Not only again is this going to impair your mental state but it is defintely going to provide an insufficient muscular environment that is conducive to hypetrophy and muscle growth.From here I want you to focus on two seperate one minute drills. They both will occur on a doorway pullup bar. I believe that it is very important for you to keep the pullup bar in your closet or bathroom doorway since you will have no excuses not to do what I’m showing you and have a much better chance of remaining consistent with the movements each day since you will be walking into the bathroom every day anyway.The first move is to simply perform a dead arm hang for 60 seconds.Unlike a typical arm hang however, here I want you to keep the focus on spinal decompression especially in the lower back. The way to do this will be to be sure to drop your weight downwards as you hang but make sure to keep your feet in contact with the ground. With the toes touching the floor lightly, you will be able to support the weight of the upper body just enough so that you aren’t relying on your core completely to perform the movement.If you want to get spinal decompression and traction then you will have to be able to relax the torso. This can come and only come when you are still maintaining some support by keeping the toes lightly touching the ground. Hang for 1 minute and allow the pelvis to feel as if it is sinking down and away from the spine. This will help anyone that has existing low back pain and even help prevent back pain from setting in for those that don’t experience it now.After a brief rest to shake out your arms you will want to hang one more time for 1 minute except this time you are going to lift the legs up out in front of you. Here the goal is to turn the focus towards the abs and work on developing core and grip strength. Some people may struggle to hold for a full minute. If this is you, you can break up the time into smaller segments and rest pause your way to the full 60 seconds of hold time.If you happen to have a bathroom scale there is one other thing you can do in your bathroom every morning that can help you gauge your recovery from your workouts. If you have an old non-digital scale you will want to pick it up, hold it at arms length with both hands and squeeze as hard as you can to register a grip strength number.Whatever this number is, be sure to note it and take an average of the number over the next 5 days. Once you have your average number you will want to use it as a reference for subsequent morning grip strength tests. If you see a drop in greater than 10 percent of your baseline, it is important to look deeper to assess the signs of overtraining or under recovery.Remember, this morning routine is something you should do every morning in order to feel better, feel younger and move more easily. Not to mention, this will help you to strengthen a weak core and grip to better prepare you for what life is going to throw your way that day.And there you have it. That is a simple routine that you can do every single morning regardless of whether you have a workout planned for that day or not. If you are looking for a complete workout and diet routine that you can follow to get ripped abs and athletic muscle year round, then head to http://athleanx.com and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System via the link above.For more videos on how to improve your posture in 3 steps and the best way to get ripped abs be sure to subscribe to our channel via the link above as well and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s released.
This is What REALLY Makes You Fat! (NEW IDEA) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-25 | Be Lean Year Round - http://athleanx.com/x/how-to-get-lean-seriouslySubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWIf you struggle to get lean and lose body fat then you will definitely want to watch this video. This will be the only “how to get lean” video you need since it will teach you the one thing that is holding you back right now from getting ripped. It’s not a special diet, though it does have a lot to do with how you are approaching your nutrition right now to lose body fat.To begin, don’t get me wrong. I understand just how many people struggle with getting lean and losing weight. It is the single hardest thing to do when it comes to getting in shape because it requires a level of commitment that is far greater than any one hour trip you may be able to make to the gym. When you think about it, making room for one hour in the day to work out is a lot easier than making sure that you are responsible with your food choices for the other 23 hours in the day.That said, getting lean and low body fat levels isn’t complicated. Though not easy, it can be pretty simple to do. If you were to follow a diet plan, for instance one mentioned recently by my good friend Dr Andrew Huberman, consisting of chicken, fish, beef, unlimited fruits and fibrous carbohydrates or vegetables as well as coffee, tea and water (no alcohol or sugar) you will get lean. No doubt about it. Every single time. The only hang up about something like this however is that the long term ability to refrain from the restricted starchy carbohydrates and alcohol may be too tough to withstand for most. This will lead to a rebound weight gain and someone falling off the diet plan. It is here that I believe that we need to find a way to coexist with these foods and approach them with better self control.How do we do that?By not focusing on the things that we cannot do and rather focusing our efforts on the things that we are allowed to do or want to do more of.That is where we need to start looking at 4 things:1. Eat more protein (1-1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day divided amongst the number of meals that we eat in a day)2. Train with weights (aim to complete at least 3 weight training workouts per week)3. Do conditioning (aim to complete at least 2 cardio or conditioning workouts per week)4. Get adequate sleep (this number will vary from person to person but it is safe to say that there is a minimum that going below is going to impair your recovery and body composition).When you do these 4 things, magical things start to happen.First, increasing your energy output through any form of exercise is going to increase your capacity to consume more calories. More specifically however, the accrual of lean body mass and muscle is going to provide a greater storage capacity for the starchy carbohydrates that you are consuming in the form of glycogen. Not to mention, your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories that you burn even at rest) will go up the more lean body mass that you carry.When you increase your conditioning, as mentioned, the overall number of calories that you burn will increase.Alcohol metabolism is altered in people that are lean vs people that carry excess bodyweight as well. The efficiency of metabolizing the alcohol is improved leading one to sense the signals of “I’ve had enough” sooner and leading to a decreased overall caloric consumption in the long run. Sleep improves the body’s efficiency with all metabolic processes. When people are sleep deprived their cortisol levels will become more chronically high which will lead to an increase in body fat deposition especially around the midsection.When all of these things are done well however, the self control that you may be lacking will start to set in. The reward of looking in the mirror and liking what you see will be all that is necessary to make you become more responsible in the re-introduction of the things that you were depriving yourself of in previous attempts to lose weight. Learning to live with these food items rather than totally eliminating them will help you to not just lose the weight but keep it off and remain lean for the rest of your life.If you are looking for a training program that includes a meal plan to help make this automatic, you can find them at athleanx.com in all of the programs. Start training like an athlete and see just how quickly you can get lean and stay lean.For more videos on how to get a six pack and Jeff Cavaliere’s daily eating plan be sure to remember to subscribe to our channel and turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
This is Why Your Calves WON’T Grow! ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-24 | If you want bigger calves then you have to watch this.The calf muscles are one of the most stubborn muscle groups of the legs to grow. This isn’t really because of the muscle fiber type distribution that is most present in the calves or even about the amount of volume that they incur on a daily basis. This is mostly due to the fact that the calf muscle itself is rarely being subjected to the stresses that are necessary to make them grow.This is because of the achilles tendon.This tendinous attachment of the calf is built to handle high load, ballistic stretch movements under the weight of your entire body. For example, when you’re running, your body has to be able to absorb the ground and have good propulsion capabilities to move you through space one foot in front of the other.If your calf workouts consist of lots of bouncing repetitions then you are only adding to the same stress that the calves are already built for.In order to create a unique stress that is felt almost 100% by the calf muscle instead you need to slow down your reps - dramatically. At the top of every calf raise be sure to hold for a count of 4 seconds. From here, lower all the way down to the bottom stretch position and most importantly here, hold for 4 more seconds. It is in this lower stretch hold position that you will remove the ballistic stretch reflex and force the gastroc to do more of the work to lift you out of the hole.Start slowing down your repetitions greatly, even at the expense of fewer repetitions performed, and I promise you that your calves will start growing and you will never again have to wonder why your calves just won’t grow.For more tips on how to build muscle and get big calves, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Shannon Sharpe - 100% Natural?? ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-20 | Shannon Sharpe is no stranger to being accused of taking PEDs to enhance not just his playing ability during his NFL career, but to enhance his physique at the age of 55. While offended by these accusations, he understands where it comes from as he is physically gifted. The offense comes from the fact that his physique comes from the dedication and hard work that he puts in day in and day out to maintain his body.Pro athlete trainer Jeff Cavaliere dives into this topic and explains that remaining consistent with good nutrition and solid training will result in an impressive physique in anyone. Not only that, but he also makes note that Shannon Sharpe was physically gifted in his younger years, especially in college, and that it provides a solid base and foundation for the body he has now.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
The ONLY Exercises You Need to Be Jacked (EVERY MUSCLE!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-18 | If you could only do one exercise for your chest what would it be? What about your back? Biceps? In this video I’m going to cover the only exercise you need for every muscle group so that you can select those that will hit your muscles the best and help them grow the fastest, especially if you’re short on time.The Only Exercises You Need - http://athleanx.com/x/do-these-exercisesSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWWe start off with the chest. The exercise of choice for Jesse and myself is the same, the bench press. The difference lies in the equipment being used to do it. I prefer to use dumbbells due to rotator cuff and labrum issues in my shoulder while Jesse tends to prefer the barbell bench press where he can handle more weight and more easily progressive overload.For the upper chest, it comes down to the low to high cable crossover for Jesse which allows him to more easily target the upper chest fibers. I like cables as well, but here I prefer to do an incline cable press. By setting the arms out wide a bit you can train the adduction function of the pecs while at the same time not abandoning the pressing benefits.For the lower chest, we are both in agreement on liking weighted dips. I do like to perform them in one and a half rep style however to accentuate the stretch position of the pecs and increase the time under tension on the chest muscles.Moving onto the back, I go with the one arm high cable row. This allows me to be on my feet while at the same time focus the efforts onto the lats by driving the arm tight to my side and back behind my body. I also can get a great stretch here. Jesse prefers the straight arm pushdown over the barbell row that I predicted he would.For the biceps, it has to be a curl. Jesse likes the focused biceps contraction that he gets from doing a standing alternating dumbbell curl while I prefer the heavier weight that I can use on a strict barbell curl into a cheat curl. The drop set on bicep exercises is one of the most effective combinations you can use to build bigger biceps.For triceps, Jesse likes to push heavy weight again with the close grip bench press. I prefer the long head growing capabilities of the lying triceps extension. This is an example of where you may want to pick the exercise for triceps that best develops the underdeveloped part of your triceps muscle. The long head is best built with lying extensions and the lateral head with close grip bench.For the shoulders, the shoulder exercise of choice for building the middle delts is the lateral raise. Jesse prefers the stretch benefits of the cable lateral raise while I prefer the overloading capabilities of the cheat lateral raise. Front delts are best targeted by me with a dumbbell front raise (even better if done seated on an incline bench to pre-stretch the front delts on every rep) and by the overhead press for Jesse.The rear delts are best hit with heavier weights on an exercise like the seated cable row. Jesse likes to do the reverse pec deck machine at his gym if he has access to it. Either way, if you want to build rounded delts you have to make sure you never skip the rear delt.For the forearms, it comes down to either the carries if you want to build hand and grip strength at the same time or the wrist rollers that allow you to train the front and back of your forearm muscles by simply switching the direction that you roll the bar. The brachialis muscle allows you to get wider arms and wider looking biceps. This muscle is preferred to be worked by cross body hammer curls by both of us. The ability to keep the forearm more pronated allows you to decrease the contribution of the biceps while increasing the work of the brachialis to better build it up.To hit the upper back muscles, I think it's pretty obvious that the exercise of choice here should be the face pull. This is not just a small exercise that should be reserved for a corrective exercise spot in your workouts. You can grow bigger upper back muscles by including this every time you train your back (and sometimes even every day). Jesse prefers the power shrug exercise for a more powerful exercise alternative.There are more muscle groups covered here in the video that you’re going to want to check out.In the meantime, if you’re looking for a science based workout plan that incorporates the best exercise choices to help you build muscle and burn body fat be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link above.For more videos on the best exercises to get jacked be sure to subscribe to our channel via the link above and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
The ULTIMATE Shoulder Warmup Routine ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-17 | When you hit a shoulder workout, do your shoulders feel stiff and achey? This could be due to the fact that you aren’t giving proper attention to your shoulder warmup. I put together a small 5 exercise sequence that you can do to make sure your shoulders are primed and ready to go before you start your workout.Not only can this be done with a single weight plate, but it will also target all 3 heads of the delts and take you through all 3 planes of motion (frontal, sagittal, and transverse) so you can be ready for any shoulder exercises you have programmed for your workout.I call this sequence “The Fluid 5”First up is the halo, which will help to warm up the rotator cuff muscles by taking the shoulder smoothly through external rotation. Perform 8 reps clockwise and 8 reps counter clockwise.From there, you will immediately perform the plate 8, a frontal plane movement that mimics the shape of a figure 8 laying on it’s side. This will help get your front and middle delts ready for your coming workout. Your goal is to create 8 figure 8’s.Next up is the plate shovel. Be sure to lean forward a bit so you can ensure that the focus of the movement is on the rear delts. Get the plate up and over your shoulder, like you are shoveling dirt over your shoulder, to get add in some additional work for the rotator cuff. Perform 8 reps here.Transition directly into plate press outs, which will get you ready for the elevated arm position needed when you perform your shoulder workout. Do this for 8 reps.Lastly, you will seamlessly move into the rocking press up. The rocking momentum of this move will help to get your arms fully overhead to prep you for overhead pressing while having your entire shoulder joint ready to go. Like the others, 8 reps are prescribed.Once you go through this Fluid 5 sequence, your shoulders will be feeling better than ever and primed for the work ahead. Make sure to include this at the beginning of every shoulder workout you do.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
World’s FASTEST Biceps Workout ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-14 | If you want to get bigger biceps fast, then there is a simple workout that you can do that will take no time at all to complete. In fact, you can call it the world’s fastest bicep workout.The structure of this bicep workout is simple as it uses drop sets to take you to and through failure, which we know is important for stimulating muscle growth. To start, take your 10 rep max for a dumbbell incline curl and perform 5 reps. Make sure that you are performing this exercise with a 3 second tempo on the eccentric lowering of the dumbbells and a 1 second concentric raising of the dumbbells. This will equate to 20 seconds of work.Once you reach your 5th rep, sit up straight and perform 5 reps of a standard seated dumbbell curl. Make sure to keep the same tempo of 3 seconds on the eccentric lowering and 1 second of concentric raising.After 5 reps, simply lean forward and now perform a drag curl for 5 reps utilizing the same tempo that you did on the last two curl variations.Each curl variation will be easier than the last as you are mechanically making each exercise easier. You continue the drop set by progressively using lighter weights on every set.Your total amount of time spent on these three curls will be 1 minute.Aim to complete 5-6 minutes of total work time with no rest in between exercises or sets.This biceps workout is quick but definitely not easy and is guaranteed to elicit biceps size. You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on how to get biceps and bigger arms, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
How To Fix Plantar Fasciitis (FOREVER!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-13 | If you want to know how to fix plantar fasciitis forever, then you definitely don’t want to miss this video. Here I’m going to show you an easy approach to fix heel pain that you feel in the morning or any other time of the day for that matter, regardless of how long you’ve had it, by doing something you likely aren’t even doing right now to treat it.To do this however, it is important that you know what is actually causing your plantar fasciitis pain because I have news for you - it isn’t your plantar fascia. No, the real cause of the excruciating heel pain that you’re feeling is coming from somewhere else and the pain on the sole of your foot is just a symptom. In fact, the cause isn’t even really in your foot but somewhere further up the kinetic chain.By far, when it comes to people with plantar fasciitis symptoms, they are originating from one of two places. These are the calf muscles or hip muscles. More specifically, tight calves or weak hip abductors are going to feed the dysfunction into the ankle that ultimately winds up rearing its ugly head in the form of heel pain or an inflammed plantar fascia.The problem is, many people resort to rubbing a tennnis ball or lacrosse ball onto the sole of their feet as a way to alleviate the symptoms. The issue with this approach is that the simple rubbing of the ball is just further inflamming a tissue that is already inflamed leading to a longer time period before you experience relief.Fix Plantar Fasciitis Forever - http://athleanx.com/x/plantar-fasciitis-fixSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWSo what do you do instead?Stand up and learn how to stretch your calves the right way to fix plantar fasciitis pain once and for all. Now some people hear the recommendation to stretch their calves and they head to a set of stairs and hang their ankles off the step. While this may create a stretch in the gastrocs it does not do so with the foot in the biomechanically correct position to have a lasting effect on your heel pain. Instead, stand up against a wall and place your hands in contact with it, with one foot dropped back behind you. Keep your heel planted into the ground but make sure that you’re doing so with the weight being shifted to the outer edge of your heel. You can make this easier by actually trying to turn your heel in just a little bit. From here, lean forward into the wall and keep that back knee straight to establish a good stretch on your calf muscle (on the side that you are experiencing plantar fasciitis right now). From here, step forward and across your body to intensify the stretch and simulate the forces that your back leg will be subjected to when stepping. Since we are three dimensional beings, you will want to keep this going by doing a round of stretches stepping directly across your body and then again, one final time, by stepping across and rotating the hips. These plantar fasciitis stretches and exercises can be done either dynamically by performing them as reps that you hold for 5 seconds each or you can perform them as one static stretch that you hold for 45 seconds or so.Perform these 2-3 times per day on the affected side (or both if needed) for a few weeks until your plantar fasciitis inflammation is reduced and your pain is gone.If you still have pain or if you know that you don’t have tight calf muscles then you definitely want to look next to your hips. Weakness in the glute medius is the second most common cause of plantar fascia inflammation and pain. Here you want to target the hip on the opposite side of your painful heel. Perform 10-12 reps of the hip drop exercise that is shown in this video to start strengthening your weak hips and in about 4-5 weeks of doing this daily, you will see a noticeable decrease in your foot pain.If you’re looking for a complete training program where you can perform exercises that will not only strengthen your body but prevent the common issues like plantar fasciitis and low back pain, be sure to visit athleanx.com via the link above and check out the ATHLEAN-X Training System.For more videos on how to fix shoulder pain, or how to fix back pain, be sure to subsribe to the number one physical therapist led channel on youtube via the link above. Remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
Shannon Sharpes Workout and Diet Revealed (55 YEARS OLD!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-08 | If you wanted to know all about Shannon Sharpe’s workout and diet, especially to look the way he does at 55 years old, then you’ve come to the right place. In this video, I am going to break down what Shannon Sharpe’s workouts and nutrition looks like to maintain his incredible physique. Just like I’ve done for every celebrity workout critique that I have done in the past, I am going to remain respectful and provide an unbiased review of Shannon Sharpe’s workouts. Not only that, but I am going to explain how important it is to implement some of his principles into your training and nutrition so that you can see success as well.To preface this video, I don’t have access to Shannon’s entire workout program and diet, but we do have a some insights based on interviews he’s done and information he has shared on his podcast and his instagram page. Thus, I don’t have complete context into every single thing he does today, but I can review the information that is available to me.To start, it would come as no surprise that people have accused Shannon Sharpe of taking PEDs in order to achieve the body that he has at his age. However, he claims a natural status going back to his playing days and based on the information in the rest of the video, I can also assume that he is not taking anything. He states that he’s always been subjected to people thinking he was taking PEDs as even when he was playing in the NFL. Without the use of performance enhancing drugs, Shannon Sharpe's body is the result of the hard he puts in during his workouts and his dedicated approach to his diet as well.Beginning with his workouts, Shannon Sharpe states that he does not focus on lifting as heavy as possible anymore and instead has moved much of his focus to circuit training to supplement his traditional weight training. As a matter of fact, he splits his days into two workouts with the morning session being a traditional strength and bodybuilding workout while his cross-training is reserved for the evening.With these cross-training circuits, he calls likens them to CrossFit. While I am not the biggest fan of CrossFit programming, I can understand that he Shannon Sharpe's workouts are calling for him to continuously move his body to improve his conditioning and supplement the caloric burn necessary to maintain his level of leanness. While these workouts are not hypertrophy based, that doesn't mean he doesn't put time and effort into building muscle as well.Sharpe's traditional workouts consist of exercises that are hypertrophy based with the goal of building muscle. While I have no real complaints about the way he performs his exercises, I can point out a few things worth noting. First, I notice that he focuses on holding the contracted position of every exercise; while some might argue that this goes against recent research stating that the most important part of the range of motion is the stretch, that doesn't mean the contraction is worth throwing out. I would, however, recommend that he focus a little bit more on the eccentric portion of the lifts. He seems to rush through this part of the lift and I think that Shannon Sharpe's physique, while impressive, could benefit from a little more focus in this area.One thing worth noting for Shannon Sharpe's injury history that influences some of his workouts, is his recent dual hip replacement. Shannon Sharpe's diet and approach to nutrition is not very dissimilar from my own. He mentions that he eats roughly the same things with slight variations on a daily basis. This is key to staying consistent with his nutrition as he knows what foods to eat day-in and day-out in order to maintain his body fat levels. Shannon Sharpe's body fat is low because of this consistent approach and lack of deviation from what works.When it comes to how lean Shannon Sharpe is, this comes down to not just what he eats, but how much he eats. He has remained so dialed-in with his diet that he knows exactly how much to eat every single day - this means that he is not in fear of overeating. Not only that, but he is of the mindset, that I agree with, that his eating habits are not part of a diet (as that is temporary) but instead part of a lifestyle.Overall, I like Shannon Sharpe's training and nutrition. It checks many of the boxes helping him to achieve the body that caused you to look him up in the first place.Train Like Shannon Sharpe - http://athleanx.com/x/shannon-sharpe-workoutSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWif you are looking for a step-by-step workout program with a meal plan included, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and use the program selector to find the program that best matches your current training goal and ability levels.For more celebrity workout reviews, make sure to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
Eat Like This to Be Lean Year Round ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-05 | If you want to know how to eat to stay lean year round, then there is a simple method that I use myself that I think you can benefit from too. Remember, to lose weight and get lean, you need to maintain a calorie deficit. The best way to do this is by giving yourself an eating strategy that will set you up for success.I always say, if you fail to prepare, then you prepare to fail.How does that relate to your diet and nutrition? Well, preparing your foods ahead of time can set you up for long term weight loss success. The easiest way to do this is to buy your food and prepare it in bulk. This means that you will have every meal planned out and ready for you when you need to eat.This will ensure that there are no slip-ups in your eating habits if you are lacking time to cook your food on that particular day. The way I do this is by ordering from a catering menu from my local grocery store, Stew Leonard’s.If you purchase your food from the catering menu, you will have all the food you need, already prepared, in bulk. Just portion out your food and freeze it so that when it’s time to eat, all you have to do is heat it up. This is a game changer for anyone trying to lose weight or get lean and struggles with preparing their food each and every day.This is a proven method for staying consistent with your nutrition and making sure that you can achieve those lower body fat levels you’ve been fighting for. That consistency will also make sure that you stay lean year round.✅ You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanxFor more tips on nutrition and diet, as well as getting lean and staying lean all year round, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
STOP F*cking Up Cable Flys (PROPER FORM!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-04 | Do you know how to do a cable crossover? If not, you’re in luck. In this video, I am going to show you exactly how to perform a cable crossover so that you can perform the exercise every time without making a single mistake. Remember, it’s not just what exercise you do, but how you them that matters the most and I want to make sure that get the cable crossover form right every time you do it.Perfect cable crossover form here - http://athleanx.com/x/how-to-cable-crossoverSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWStep 1 of this cable crossover tutorial is the height of the cable attachment:When doing cable crossovers, you have three options of how high or low to set the cables, depending on what area of the chest you are looking to grow. For the up fibers of the chest, you will want to set the cable to be around hip height. This will limit any extra front delt contribution to the exercise. If you are looking to hit the lower fibers of the chest, the cable attachment should be just above the height of your head as it will limit internal rotation of the shoulder. For the middle pec fibers, you want the cable attachment to be at the height of your chest, so that the cables can travel in the direction of those fibers.Step 2 for how to do cable crossovers is the loading of the exercise:You might be asking, “how much weight should I be using?” The answer is likely more than you are using now. You can overload the chest while doing cable crossovers by using enough weight. To keep your shoulders in a healthy position, you will have to grab the cables one at a time before starting the exercise.If you square up your stance, the weight of the stack will likely pull you backwards, not allowing you to perform a proper rep. However, taking a staggered stance will give you a stronger base of support to counteract the weight you are using.Step 3 of this cable crossover tutorial is how far from the cable attachments you should be standing:Imagine there is a doorway in the middle of the line between the two cable attachments. If you stand behind the doorway, you will be engaging too much of the biceps and not enough of the chest. On the other hand, if you stand too far through the doorway, you will be forced to press the cables instead of adducting. In order to get the most adduction and have the best opportunity to grow the chest, use that staggered stance to have one leg through the doorway while the other remains inside the doorway.Step 4 of this cable crossover how-to is rep execution:Before initiating your first rep, you want to take note of how much bend in the elbows you have. Instead of your arms being straight, you will want a little bend in the elbow. This will take some stress off the anterior capsule of the shoulder joint.In order to get loaded stretch on the chest, you will want to lean forward before you initiate each rep. Then, when it comes time to adduct the arms across the body, you will want to lean back. This is similar to the mechanics of the bench press. This will allow you better opportunity to engage the chest as the shoulders are being limited in the movement. When it comes to building a big chest, you want to minimize the contribution of the delts as much as possible.Just like any other chest exercise, you will want to keep your shoulders unshrugged throughout the entire rep. This, again, will maximize chest fiber recruitment and limit shoulder contribution.As far as how much adduction you are trying to get; remember, you are not trying to cross your hands over each other. Instead, you are trying to have your biceps come into contact with your pecs as much as possible. Leading with the biceps across your body will result in the hands following suit.Now that you know how to properly do cable crossovers, you will not only be able to set a good example for other gym-goers, but you will be able to grow a bigger chest in the process. Remember, it’s not just what exercises you do, but it’s how you do them that matters the most, especially when it comes to form. When it comes to cable crossover form, how you do it is going to determine how much your chest will grow from doing the exercise.If you are looking for step-by-step programs that include how-to guides on every exercise you do, you can find them over at athleanx.com and be sure to use the program selector to find the program that best matches your goals.For more exercise guides and how-to instructionals, 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.
STOP Screwing Up Lat Pulldowns! ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-08-02 | When you ask how to do a lat pulldown, you often think about the angle of the torso and for proper lat pulldown form, you need to make sure that your torso is set to the right angle when you pull the bar down. Leaning back from upright / vertical means that you will be shifting the focus of the exercise to the muscles in your upper back, which includes the rear delts. For better lat activation, you will want to remain as upright as possible when you perform each rep. Whichever part of your back you are targeting will dictate how much you lean back.This directly leads to the elbow position throughout the rep. What you are targeting will dictate where you need to focus your elbows' movement. If you are focusing on building bigger lats, then you will want to imagine yourself driving your elbows down towards your front pockets as you are seated. If you want to shift the focus of the exercise onto the muscles of the upper back, then it would be in your best interest to drive your elbows back further behind you. Whichever way you decide to do lat pulldowns, whether for targeting the lats or the muscles of the upper back, you now know the difference in body and elbow positioning and their influence on which muscles are being hit.✅ You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWGet Your Workout & Meal Plan:📝 athleanx.comConnect With Me:👉 instagram.com/athleanx👉 tiktok.com/@official_athleanxFor more tips on lat pulldown form, make sure you get the most out of every exercise you do, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Biceps Exercise You’ll Want to Try ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-31 | Name em’ like you see em’ but don’t sleep on them! Discovered these when I was working around my acute biceps tear and couldn’t directly stress the biceps. Due to the pronated forearm position it shifts some of the load to the brachialis. The key though is to isolate the motion to the elbow joint and not to involve the shoulder (to keep the chest out). All the specifics aside, you just need to try them at least once. When you do, torn biceps or not, you may be keeping them!
RFK Jr on TRT (Jacked at 70!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-30 | Robert F Kennedy Jr, better knowns as RFK Jr is widely known as the fittest presidential candidate to ever run for office. Some have even called him Jacked Kennedy. But there is another side to RFK Jr’s fitness that we need to discuss; his use of TRT.When it comes to testosterone replacement therapy, RFK Jr is very open his use under the supervision of his doctor. He states that he is using an anti-aging protocol that include s the use of TRT to help keep his testosterone levels up and prevent the normal age related decline in the important male hormone. Some would argue that if he wasn’t already low that the supra physiological levels he is achieving with injections in in fact a performance enhancing drugs that gives him an unfair advantage.In the case of someone having low testosterone, such as in the case of hypogonadism, then the use of TRT would be warranted to get them back within the normal range. However, it is often used by those without truly low testosterone in order to get an advantage when it comes to building muscle and improving their physique. In this case, I would consider the use of testosterone to be the equivalent of using anabolic steroids.What do you think? Is RFK Jr’s use of TRT the same as using anabolic steroids? Leave a comment below to let me know what your opinion is.For more videos on how RFK Jr works out and what the RFK Jr nutrition plan looks like, be sure to subscribe to our channel using the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
3 Supplements That EVERYONE Needs ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-28 | When it comes to muscle building supplements, there are plenty of options, but only a few supplements that actually work. In this video, I’ll be showing you the three most indisuptable bodybuilding supplements that not only are proven to work but are the safest as well. Throw in the fact that each of these are rather cost effective and you have the makings of a solid boost to your workouts and nutrition - to help augment the gains that you’re already seeing through smart supplementation.00:00 3 Supplements Introduction02:10 Whey Protein Forms03:20 How Much Protein Per Day04:30 How Much Protein at a Time07:00 Creatine: To Load or Not Load08:40 Forms of Creatine09:40 Proper Dosing10:55 Omega-3 Benefits12:50 Dangers of Omega-3's?13:55 Recommended Daily Dose14:45 Omega-3's Mercury RiskWe start with protein or protein powder. A good protein supplement is and should be a staple of any serious training athlete or fitness enthusiast. It is extremely important to maintain a proper daily protein intake if you want to build muscle, and getting it all through our solid food on a day in day out basis is often times not practical or cost effective. This is where protein powders become incredibly useful.When it comes to the choices of protein, whey and casein are the two most popular (with egg white and soy following them). Casein protein can be the more allergenic of the two. In terms of whey protein, there are three main categories based on the purity and degree that they have been processed to remove milk sugars and fats. There is concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate.The amount of protein that you should aim to have each day is roughly 1 to 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight. While there are studies that show that ingesting as little as .7 grams of protein per day is enough to prevent muscle loss, that should not be your goal. To build muscle, shoot for the upper end of the limit, especially if you are close to calorie maintenance or below to maximize lean muscle mass.The amount of protein per serving matters as well, probably much more than the timing of when you take it. Shooting for a total grams of protein above 29g is wise as it is at this threshold that the leucine mediated mTor pathway for muscle protein synthesis kicks in.The next most reliable supplement for building muscle that also has an incredibly high safety profile is creatine.Creatine is available in many different molecular forms, but in terms of their efficacy on your training, are unaffected by the type.Those that experience gut discomfort from taking creatine monohydrate (roughly 10-15% of all users) will likely find that switching to creatine HCL will remove those issues entirely. The daily dose of monohydrate is most effective at 5 grams per day, with no specific timeframe in which to take it. The does for HCL however is only 2-3 grams due to an increased efficiency in processing it. The loading phase of creatine is not necessary. This means that taking up to 20 grams per day for 4-5 days is not a requirement. Once your body reaches its natural capacity for storing creatine, any additional will provide no additional benefit. This top level can be achieved by supplementing with 5 grams per day for about 10-14 days.Get Elite Level Supplements - athleanx.com/x/elite-supplementsSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFinally, we need to talk about omega-3 fatty acids. These are one of the most overlooked supplements that you can put in your body. Not only are they known to be heart protective and helpful for improving blood lipid profiles but they are being shown to be at the very least, anti-catabolic and potentially anabolic - particularly as you age and the body becomes less efficient at controlling inflammation and building muscle.The focus here should be not on the overall milligram size of the fish oil pill but rather on the combined total of EPA and DHA that you are getting with each dose. Look for a 3 to 2 ratio of EPA to DHA and make sure to choose a fish oil supplement that is purified and free of rancid oils. This is much more likely to be the case in the triglyceride formulations of omega-3’s rather than the ethyl ester forms.Take omega-3’s daily for best results and monitor your ability to recover from your hard workouts as it is likely to improve greatly.In all three cases, finding high quality supplements that are safe is key. I proudly put my name on my own protein powder protein supplement, creatine monohydrate and omega-3 fish oil and they are all available at athleanx.com accessible through the link above.If you are looking to put science and safety back in supplementation, then head to athleanx.com. If you want more videos on supplements to build muscle and other things like preworkouts and beta alanine, make sure to subscribe our channel here on youtube using the link above and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a video when its published.
Stop Training Triceps Like This! ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-24 | When it comes to training your triceps, there is no shortage of exercises to choose from. However, some triceps exercises are more effective than others when it comes to building big triceps.One of the most common tricep exercises I see is the skull crusher and while this is not necessarily a bad exercise to do, it has some limitations.The first problem I have with the skull crusher is how the exercise is influenced by the downward force of gravity. At the beginning and the end of the rep, the weight is directly over your chest. This means that the downward force of gravity is parallel to the direction of the triceps.The limitation behind this position is that a significant amount of tension is being taken off the triceps. Remember, tension is the language of the muscles you are trying to grow and you need to become fluent in that language. The more tension applied to the triceps means that there will be a better stimulus for growth.The second issue with the skull crusher is that the long head of the triceps is never on stretch. As new research has shown, introducing a stretch stimulus under load to the muscle will induce more hypertrophic results. That means more muscle growth. If we could somehow get the long head of the triceps, responsible for the majority of size in the triceps, we would be on the road to better gains.Is there a better alternative?Let me introduce the lying triceps extension. With the weight starting and finishing in a position behind your head with your arms angled back, you don’t have to worry about gravity. In this position, the downward force of gravity is far more perpendicular to your triceps, meaning that there is a greater amount of tension on the triceps. With more tension on the muscle, you are in a better position to illicit more growth.Add in the fact that the long head of triceps are now on stretch with the weight descending behind your head, you have that stimulus working in your favor. This will help to build the largest head of the triceps which will lead to a bigger arms as the triceps make up 2/3 of the mass of the upper arm.For more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
RFK JR’s Workout, Diet and TRT Regimen Revealed (70 YEARS OLD!) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-22 | Robert F Kennedy Jr, better known as RFK Jr is widely known as the fittest presidential candidate to ever run for office. Some have even called him jacked Kennedy. Today, we look at RFK Jr’s workout and diet plan to see how he trains and what he eats to get in the shape he as at the age of 70 years old.Most of the attention he gets is focused on his workout regimen and whether or not the TRT anti-aging protocol he follows is more responsible for his body than the weights he lifts and exercises he performs. When it comes to his workouts, RFK states that he trains with weights 4 times per week. The first day is back, followed by chest and legs, with the last day being a miscellaneous workout that includes shoulders, biceps and triceps.His workouts are intense and brief - lasting no more than 35 minutes each.He has a history of rotator cuff issues that make some of the exercises he does more challenging, like the bench press. But he trades in some of the workout length that tends to be bothersome to those of an older age or who have specific orthopedic issues that can become inflamed with high volume training, for higher workout intensity and effort.RFK JR’s workout routine calls for him to train in the 10-12 rep range with most weighted exercises where he takes the first set to absolute failure and then the last of his 4 sets to and through failure using a strip set or drop set technique. These are particularly good protocols to use for men over 40 who train because it allows you to focus on using heavier weights for the front end of the drop set, allowing you to maximize strength while letting you drop the weight in half and use a more managable weight when already fatigued to pursue hypetrophy with more focused intentional mind muscle contractions.The other workout technique that RFK Jr uses is giant sets. Here he will pick up to 4 different exercises for a muscle group and perform them back to back to back to back, ensuring that the exercises he picks allow him to keep performing reps even when the muscle is fatigued from the exercises performed before that one. An example of this would be doing a dumbbell fly, then incline barbell bench press, bodyweight dip and then a pushup. This chest workout routine would be a great giant set for fatiguing the chest with high intensity but still keeping the overall workout length short to prioritize rest.RFK Jr Workout Plan - athleanx.com/x/rfk-jr-workoutSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWWhen it comes to nutrition, RFK Jr’s diet is one based around the eating strategy known as intermittent fasting. Here he will follow a 6 or 7 hour eating window following an 18 or 17 hour fasting period. This is especially helpful for those that have a hard time with grazing throughout the day. The act of eating only within a specific window can control appetite and ultimately prevent caloric surplus to aid weight loss. His window is typically 12pm to 6pm or 7pm which is one of the most adaptable ways to do this. This would allow you to eat lunch with co-workers and dinner with family leaving a minimal negative impact on your social life which could help you stay more consistent with it.When it comes to TRT, RFK Jr is very open about his use. He states that he is using an anti-aging protocol that includes the use of TRT to help keep his testosterone levels up and prevent the normal age related decline in the important male hormone. Some would argue that if he wasn’t already low that the supraphysiological levels he is achieving with injections is in fact a performance enhancing drug and something that gives him an unfair edge.What is your opinion?In the meantime, if you want to supplement like RFK Jr or even follow a workout plan that men over 40 can easily do to build muscle since it is also easy on the joints having been created by one of the world’s best pro sports physical therapists, be sure to head to the link below to athleanx.com and get your training program today.For more videos on how RFK Jr works out and what the RFK Jr nutrition plan looks like, be sure to subscribe to our channel using the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
What’s Your “Natty” Limit? ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-20 | I want to ask you an honest question, when do YOU think it is time to start taking steroids? What is your final nail in the coffin? This is a question that I ask because there are so many people out there, young and old, that are considering the idea of taking PEDs.Some might say that it’s because they have reached their genetic limit and cannot progress any further. Whether it be that they believe their strength or their physique will never improve any further, they feel that there is nothing more that they can do. Those that feel they have hit their natty limit will believe that it is then time to take steroids.However, I have to ask another question; are you doing everything perfectly? Answer that question with honesty. Is your sleep adequate? How is your recovery? Is your nutrition dialed in? Is every workout being done with the right amount of intensity? How is your consistency?I believe that 99% of people training can say that they are not doing everything perfect. Me included. What does that mean? You are nowhere near your genetic limit. If you could dial-in those factors, you will likely see more muscle growth and more strength gains.The desire to take steroids may be high because you think you are at the natty limit, but, unless you can answer the question that you are doing everything perfect and there are no more gains to be had; it is not time to take steroids. Remember not to compare yourself to others in the gym and especially not those on social media. Instead, be proud of the progress you’re making and the effort you are putting forth in the gym. If you feel like you are no longer making gains, remember to ask yourself those questions and make an honest assessment of your efforts. For more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
How To Fix Anterior Pelvic Tilt (FOREVER) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-18 | Anterior pelvic tilt is one of the most common dysfunctions one can have, affecting 75% of the population, with millions searching how to fix anterior pelvic tilt daily. In this video, I’m going to address what tight muscles are causing anterior pelvic tilt and how to strengthen underactive muscles to fix it. With a 4-step attack plan, you can take proactive steps to fix this joint and muscle imbalance once and for all.Before we get started with proper posture, it is important to define what anterior pelvic tilt is. It’s a postural deficiency caused by tightness and weakness in muscle groups of the core and pelvis to pull the pelvis downward and anteriorly. This poor posture is easy to spot from the side when looking in the mirror. In the upper body, you will notice an abnormal curvature (arched position) in the low back called excessive lumbar lordosis, and a stomach bulge. This pelvic tilt angle is a result of the abdominal muscles not being strong enough to counteract the downward pull of the pelvic region.The muscles that are affected by tightness include both the hip flexors and the spinal erectors of the lumbar spine while the weakened muscles include the gluteus muscles and the core muscles. There is an interplay of all these muscles that contribute to postural abnormalities called lower cross syndrome. The tight hip muscles pull the pelvis forward and down, which the weak stomach muscles can’t counteract, while the lower back becomes tighter and overactive with the buttock muscles being unable to counteract any of the above. This bad posture often results in pelvic posture deficiencies which can lead to low back pain, hip pain, knee pain and risk of injury.Tight hamstrings come as a result of anterior pelvic position. Does that mean you should stretch your hamstrings? You might think that tight hamstrings is causing it, but it is actually a result of the positioning of the pelvis. The fact that the posterior side of the pelvis is raised is pulling the hamstrings tighter. As a result, you will want to avoid stretching the hamstrings because as you fix your anterior pelvic tilt, the hamstrings will become more relaxed.So, how do we address this and fix anterior pelvic tilt? We need to stretch the tight muscles and use corrective exercises to strengthen the weak muscles.We can start with a hip flexor stretch that we call a kneeling overhead reach. This is done from a lunge position with one knee on the ground. This is the side that you will be stretching by pushing your pelvis forward, reaching overhead, and leaning to the opposite side. You will feel a deep stretch in the hip flexor. Do this hip stretch for 60-90 seconds on each side for two sets.For the tight low back, lay on your back on an exercise mat, pull your knees all the way up to your chest and lift your pelvis off the ground. You should feel a good stretch in the muscles of the low back. Perform this stretch for 60-90 seconds, also for 2 sets.For adequate stretching, you should perform these pelvic tilt exercises before bedtime or at any time in your daily routine.Now, we need to figure how to strengthen the weakened abs and gluteal muscles.For weak abs, we have two effective exercises to do; anchored crunches and swipers. With the anchored crunch, anchor a band around something sturdy and then around your heels. Pull your feet back and crunch up. This will activate the hamstring muscles which will reciprocally deactivate the hip flexors and make sure that the abs are doing the work. The next exercise is something I call a swiper. Instead of simply lifting your legs up in the air, which will cause the hip flexor muscles to contribute, you will actively lift your pelvis off the ground as you lift your legs in the air. The swipe is reinforcement that your pelvis has successfully lifted off the ground.Do both of these ab exercises for 2-3 sets of 60-90 seconds.For the weak glute muscles, we also have a combination of exercises. The is the the bridge and reach over. This will help to activate and strengthen the buttocks muscles while also stretching the hip flexors. Perform this for 2-3 sets of 60-90 seconds.The second glute strengthening exercise is a sprinter stretch lunge. Perform this for 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps on each side.Fix Anterior Pelvic Tilt - athleanx.com/x/fix-anterior-pelvic-tiltSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWIf you are looking for a complete workout routine that will counteract excessive sitting and fix your muscular imbalances, be sure to head to athleanx.com and check out the program selector tool. It will take you just minutes to find the exact exercise program that fits your current goals and will help you to build ripped athletic muscle and reduce injury risk quickly.For more ways to fix your posture, subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link above and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
How To Target EVERY Muscle in Your Back (One Exercise) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-17 | If you are looking to build not only a wider back, but a thicker back too, then there is one exercise you have to be doing. The seated cable row is a great exercises for hitting the back, but did you know that you can target different muscles in the back just by changing your grip width?If you are trying to hit your lats, you will want to grab the bar with a narrow grip. Place your hands just inside the knurling of the bar and pull the bar towards your body. The pull point will be just above the height of your navel. When you pull the bar towards your body, you will want to keep your elbows low and tight to your body to most effectively hit the lats.If you are looking to target your upper back muscles, like the rhomboids, middle traps, and rear delts; all you have to do is change your grip.Instead of a narrow grip, you will want to grab just inside the bend of the bar. This wider hand position will allow you to more effectively pull the bar towards your lower chest line (around nipple height). Make sure that your elbows are high and wide so that you can get the bar to its proper pull point.You can even allow the lats and muscles of the upper back to stretch by leaning forward as the cable attachment travels back towards the machine. We know that adding stretch tension to an exercise can generate an increase in hypertrophic gains, so allow yourself to explore that stretch. Just make sure not to round your lower back in the process - you will want to keep a slight anterior pelvic tilt throughout the movement.Whichever version of the seated cable row you choose, you will have another exercise in your arsenal for helping to build a wider, thicker back from top to bottom.For more tips on how to get the best body possible, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Jesse Wants to Do Steroids ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-12 | Have you asked yourself if it is time to take steroids? In this video I am going to cover the thought process that goes on when someone decides to consider the use of steroids and other PEDs and whether or not it is a viable discussion to have.In this iteration of AX Jeff, we have a question submitted by ATHLEAN-X’s own Jesse Laico. Jesse asks the question of whether or not it is time he should consider the use of steroids to help his training. Noting that he has made significant progress in his strength and physique, he feels left behind. He notes that people he sees at the gym and on social media making “more” progress than him and that these people are showcasing a “greater” physique or strength levels. Jesse even notes that if he could achieve even a fraction of the progress they’ve made, he would be happy.Now, this line of thinking is not isolated to Jesse. There are many people out there, especially younger than him and with less training history under the belt that consider the use of steroids and PEDs. Where do these thoughts come from? Well, it certainly has a lot to do with the use of social media. There are many out there who abuse steroids and showcase their accomplishments on social media and they are leaving an impression on thousands of people that I think is negative.Some people might accuse me of virtue-signaling a natural status and consider that a negative. I will gladly wear that badge as I believe that the more you can achieve on your own with the assistance of performance enhancing drugs, the more self accomplishment you will have. Maybe you won’t look as big and as lean as who you see on social media, or maybe you won’t be as strong, but there is something to say about being able to achieve what you can without assistance.I think it’s a bad idea to compare yourself to those you see on social media because often, they have a different starting point than you. If you take a look at someone like Larry Wheels, he likely didn’t start at the same place that Jesse did. His mass, strength, and even bone structure is, at a baseline, higher than Jesse’s. Even if he were a natural lifter, he likely would have a greater advantage at growing than someone who started with Jesse’s baseline.Does that mean you are doomed? Absolutely not! When it comes to building muscle and gaining strength, I think that it is important to understand that the progress you make naturally is more impressive than what you can do with the assistance of steroids and other PEDs. If you can build muscle naturally, then you can attribute all of your success to the hard work you’ve applied to not only your training, but your recovery and your nutrition.If someone were to start taking steroids, especially early in their training, how much of their success can they attribute to their own hard work? Was it them training hard, dialing in their nutrition, and prioritizing their recovery? Or was it the “extra help” that they received? I think that if you stave off that desire, you will be more proud of the accomplishments you have made naturally.When you are trying to build muscle, you don’t need to look at what others have achieved in order to gauge your own success. There are plenty of people on the internet that have said Jesse’s progress is nothing to showcase, that they can achieve the same amount of progress he has in a fraction of the time. These people themselves have been influenced by what they see on social media and are likely showcasing their own insecurities.You have to consider the health ramifications that come along with the use of sterodis and not just physically, but mentally as well. Jesse has been public about his struggles with depression and anxiety and we know that the use of steroids can affect this further negatively. There are also the physical health considerations that you have to take note of. This personal decision can have lasting interpersonal consequences. If something were to happen to you, you would not only be affecting yourself, but those that love and care about you.So, before you consider taking steroids, there are some things you need to consider when it comes to your health as well as your own sense of accomplishments. There is nothing wrong with being a natural lifter and I would argue that it makes the progress you’ve made even more impressive.Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWIf you are looking to build the most muscle possible while staying safe and healthy, be sure to stay tuned to this channel are remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs that help you to build muscle using science backed principles, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training program that is best suited to your personal goals.
Protein Powder is NOT a “Supplement”! ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-09 | Do you consider protein powder to be a supplement? Well, I’m here to argue that it’s not, but is actually a food. It’s not necessarily a supplementary addition to your diet, but it acts as a alternative protein source that can act as a primary source of protein. As a matter of fact, I would say that the fish that you have every two weeks when you go out for dinner is the supplement to your current diet.As we know, protein is probably the most important macronutrient that you can put into your body when it comes to building muscle. It’s the foundation, the building block, for new muscle growth that aids in building muscle from your current workout.How much protein to do you need? Research has shown that .7-1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight is the necessary intake for your diet. If you are engaging in high intensity muscle building workouts, the upper end of this recommendation is where you need to be. Again, supporting new muscle growth with adequate protein intake is the goal here.Does that mean protein powder is the number one source of protein in your diet? Likely not. Your diet should consist of protein rich foods. This, most often, comes in the form of meat rich diet. Meat is probably the number one source of protein in a diet that is used to build muscle. Unfortunately, this is usually not enough to meet your protein needs. That is where protein powder comes in handy to meet your daily protein goals, just like the common meat sources that you are including in your nutrition.If you are looking for a high quality protein powder that contains an industry leading serving of protein, ATHLEAN-RX PRO 30G is my personal recommendation. It’s the protein powder that I include in my diet. You can find it over at athleanrx.com/pro30gFor more tips on how to get the most out of your nutrition choices, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
THE BULLETPROOF CHEST WORKOUT (Sets and Reps Included) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-07 | If you don’t only want to build a bigger chest but one that is more resilient to shoulder and elbow joint pains in the process of getting it, then you are going to love this new longevity focused chest workout. The bulletproof chest workout is designed for people of any age who are seeking maximum chest growth with minimum repercussions or risk of injury.We start with a proper warmup. Now this is a place that many people get wrong. They jump on a treadmill for 10-20 minutes prior to a chest workout. While this may help you to warm up your body’s core temperature it is not going to do anything to help you perform the chest exercises that lie ahead of you. Instead, you need to perform some sort of movement that involves the same joints that are going to be called upon in the chest workout you are about to perform.Here is where I like to rely specifically on a bodyweight exercise done at a specific tempo.I call this a bodyweight systems check and the chest exercise of choice here is the deficit pushup. The point of the 1-2 sets that you are going to perform is to feel how the elbows, wrists and shoulders are feeling on that specific day and work your way into their warmup as you rep out. The way this is best handled is with a much slower rep tempo. Take 3 seconds to lower, 3 second hold at the bottom and 3 seconds to push back to the top.With this slow tempo you will be able to feel and adapt your way through any of the kinks and joint aches that you may be experiencing when you start so that by the end of the set you are feeling good and you’ve got good blood flow to the chest muscles.Here is the Bulletproof Chest Workout:Deficit Pushups: 1-2 x 3-3-3 TempoDB/Barbell Bench Press*: 3 x 5 @ 80%Incline DB Bench Press: 3 x 10-12 FFBW 1.5 Dips: 2-3 x FFCable Crossover: 1-2 x 10+ (12 RM) (5 second conc. / 5 second ecc.)Band Pull Aparts: 2-3 x 15From here we move onto the first exercise and this one will be focused on strength. No longevity focused workout should sacrifice the pursuit of strength at any age. Far too many bodybuilder workouts stop at nothing but the pursuit of muscle growth or hypertrophy but you need to fend off muscle wasting and atrophy as you age. The exercise of choice here is the barbell or dumbbell bench press. If pre-existing orthopedic issues prevent you from comfortably doing the barbell bench press then by all means use the dumbbells. The key here is to perform each rep explosively on the way up - even if the weight doesn’t move all that fast because of the heaviness of the weight selected. This is called compensatory accelerative training and it helps to preserve the size of type ii muscle fibers while minimizing the normal loss of nerve conduction velocity speed that occurs with aging.Next we perform a dumbbell incline bench press to hit the upper chest or clavicular head of the pecs. The goal here is to perform the reps more slowly on both the lowering and the raising of the dumbbells. Unlike the last exercise where we benefitted from speed on the concentric with heavier weights, the lighter loads here lifted slower and in more control will allow for better chest muscle recruitment and more muscle growth in the long run.The dumbbells will give you a chance to get greater chest stretch at the bottom of each rep.Next, we perform a dip for the lower chest. But again, knowing the power of loaded stretch for stimulating hypertrophy we can increase the demands even more by doing one and a half reps. Don’t come all the way up on each rep. Instead, go to the bottom, raise up half way and go back down again for more stretch before coming up to the top. This is an amazing way to increase the growth potential of an already great chest exercise. Remember to keep the shoulders back and down throughout to keep the joints safe.Last in the chest hypertrophy exercises is the cable crossover. This will give you the adduction that you are missing. Here again, perform the reps slowly and remember to perform a few partials in the stretch position but only after you’ve failed at doing the full range of motion reps.Wrap up your workout with an all important corrective exericse. The band pull apart should be done for 2-3 sets of 15 reps with each rep being done with impeccable form and function.If you like these bulletproof workouts and want to see more, remember to subscribe to our channel via the link below.If you want complete workouts for your entire body that will keep you safe and feeling great while building your best body ever, head to athleanx.com via the link below as well.Get Bulletproof Here - athleanx.com/x/bulletproof-chestSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW
Do THIS ✅ Not THAT ❌ (pt 3) ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-07-03 | There are countless exercises choose from when you want to build muscle, but you have to make sure you are doing them right to get the most gains out of them. I always say; it's not just what exercises you choose to do, but how you choose to do them that makes all the difference in the world. I put together a small sample of exercises that show how people normally perform them and a slight tweak to each that will make the exercise that much more effective, especially when it comes to safety in some cases.It starts with the kneeling crunch pulldown.The kneeling crunch pulldown is a great way to overload the abs using weights. However, the big mistake that I see in the gym when it comes to this exercise is that people simply sit down instead of crunching down. When you sit back, you are taking the work off the abs, which you don’t want to do. Imagine there is a vertical line behind your butt; you don’t want your butt to go past this point. Instead, initiate the movement with your abs.The second exercise up is the side bend.This exercise is one that I wish everyone would throw out of their ab training. Instead, I prefer that you use a band anchored to a pull-up bar and perform a side crunch. The resistance of the band will help to overload the obliques in a way that the side bend can’t. So, next time you opt to train your obliques, ditch the side bend, grab a band, and perform the exercise I’m showing you here.The kettlebell swing is a commonly performed exercise and is an amazing way to train your glutes while getting some conditioning in. The problem, however, is that people will often squat the weight up and down instead of performing a simple hip hinge. The hinge is how you effectively train the posterior chain without compromising the health of your low back. Next time you perform your kettlebell swings, make sure that you hinging your hips to swing the weight instead of squatting it up and down.The fourth exercise in this do this, not that list is the lateral raise. I’m sure you have heard at some point that you need to “pour the pitcher” when performing a lateral raise. By keeping your pinkies up when raising the dumbbells, you are throwing your shoulder into internal rotation. Internal rotation, plus elevation and resistance is a recipe for shoulder impingement. Instead, I want your thumbs to be above your wrist. This will promote external rotation and keep your shoulders healthy and pain free.Next up, the face pull.When it comes to my favorite exercises, the face pull is one that often gets messed up the most. Too often I see people pulling the rope towards their face with internal rotation. This is the opposite of what the exercise is trying to achieve. Instead, try to get as much external rotation of the shoulder as possible. This will help to make your shoulders resilient and less susceptible to injury. Remember, use two ropes in order to get the most range of motion and external rotation possible.These are just a few exercise technique changes that you can make to make sure you are building the most muscle possible,For more tips on how to get the most out of every exercise you do, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Gym goers share their BIGGEST regret 😱 ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-06-30 | What is your number one regret when it comes to your training? That’s the question that Jesse asked members at his local gym and the answers he got were revealing. These gym goers shared what they personally felt was the biggest mistake that they made since they had started training and what they have done to change and fix their mistakes.You might find that some of the answers in this video might be similar to some regrets you might have or mistakes that you’ve made since you started working out. Not only that, but you might learn what to avoid in order to prevent injuries and body dysfunction. You might even find out how to avoid stagnant progress in the gym as well, whether that be from overhauling how you train now to making small tweaks that will affect your training for the better.Face it, we all make mistakes and we all have regrets, especially when it comes to lifting in the gym. Does that mean that you can’t learn from them and make changes? No, of course you can. It just takes a recognition and self awareness along with the attitude that you can make things better.So, let’s learn from their mistakes and figure out how to avoid them so that you don’t wind up with the same regrets.For more tips on how the best ways to build muscle, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Do THIS Every Workout to Build Muscle Faster! ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-06-28 | If you want to get jacked, there is something you have to do every workout. In this video, I am going to show you a muscle building technique that, if you start implementing into your workouts, will unlock all new muscle growth. Not only am I going to show you what the technique it is, but I am going to give you examples of what exercises it will work on and even a case where you can avoid it.The technique is simple, take a weight that you can perform about 10-12 reps on for the exercise. Now, start slowing your reps down. But that doesn't mean simply slowing down the set, but it means to recruit every single muscle fiber possible in order to move the weight through its range of motion. Each rep should take about 5 seconds on the eccentric, with a quick pause in the stretched position and 5 seconds during the eccentric with a slight pause at the top before starting the next rep.You will find that the number of reps that you can do comes down significantly, but that doesn't mean the reps are any less effective. As a matter of fact, once you start failing on the concentric portion of the lift, you can perform partial reps in the lengthened position to finish the set. The use of these partial reps allows you to go to and through failure. Since we know how important it is to go to failure when it comes to building muscle, this technique allows you to explore just how much you are able to get out of your muscles.Now, while some might say that all you need is the lengthened partials at the end of the set in order to build muscle and to ignore the full range of motion on the exercise, but I think that that is incredibly irresponsible. We know that building muscle and getting jacked requires much more than partial repetitions in the lengthened position - especially if you want strength throughout the full range of motion.So, if you want to get jacked using this technique, you need to select the proper exercises as well. Exercises that lend themselves to this muscle building strategy include ones where you can safely reach the stretch position of the exercise under load. For example, the lat pulldown is one of the best exercises that you can do for you back using these slowed down reps. You are able to recruit as much muscle as possible through the range of motion and when you reach the stretch position of the lats, you are not in a compromised position. Other back exercises that would work well when doing this include the straight arm pushdown (especially if kneeling) and the 1-arm high cable row.The upside to using exercises where a cable machine is required is that even if you don't have access to one, you can still build muscle doing the same exercise, but substituting the cable with a band.One exercise that you definitely don't want to try this on is the barbell row. This is because when you attempt to get terminal stretch on the lats, you will have to protract your shoulders and round your lower back. Doing this and compromising the position of your low back is not what you want to do if you are trying to get jacked without succumbing to an injury (especially in the low back!)Does this mean, however, that the barbell row is an exercise that you should avoid? No, it is not. The barbell row is one of the best exercises for overloading the lats with tension that is based on load. Just because the barbell row doesn't lend itself as a stretch based exercise, does not mean that it has no merit. The fact that you can load a barbell up with heavy weight and row it means that you are creating tension through using as much weight as possible (safely, obviously).There are those out there that would want you to believe that there is no reason to perform the barbell row because of it's lack of stretch tension, but again I think this way of thinking is extremely irresponsible.So, if you want to get jacked, you need to start performing 1-2 sets of these slowed down, high tension sets, every workout. Now, the reason you don't need more is because you likely won't be able to perform more sets. This is a fatiguing technique that is sure to give you results in just 1-2 all out, high tension based sets.Get Jacked Here - athleanx.com/x/get-jacked-every-workoutSubscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor more ways to build muscle and get jacked, be sure to stay tuned to this channel are remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.For complete step-by-step workout programs that help you to build muscle using science backed principles, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training program that is best suited to your personal goals.
Mike Mentzer Said “1 SET” is All You Need… ATHLEAN-X™ 2024-06-26 | Mike Mentzer, pioneer of High Intensity Training, preached in his Heavy Duty book that a single set taken to all out failure with maximum effort was all you needed in order to build muscle.Was this valid?Well, as we know, training requires a delicate balance of volume and intensity. The higher the volume, the lower the intensity and as intensity goes up, volume comes down. So that means that a workout with high volume is not going make use of heavy loads nor will it require as much effort per set.Like I’ve always said, you can train long or you can train hard, but you can’t do both.With recovery in mind, it is extremely difficult to train with a high number of sets and reps using heavy weights and then come back and train with that same intensity. On the other side of the coin, if you are training with low volume, you won’t achieve the necessary stimulus for growth by using light weights.As I said before, there is a delicate balance between volume and intensity. Finding that balance is one of the most important things you can do as a natural lifter.For more tips on how the best ways to build muscle, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.You can subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMWFor complete step-by-step workout programs, head on over to athleanx.com and make sure to use the program selector to find the training plan that is best suited to your personal goals.Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
