Blog Archives
Sparking Enthusiasm
The other day a client asked me about my workout routine and I got super excited to explain the new phase of my program.
My enthusiasm made her say, “You’re kind of a fitness nerd…aren’t you?”
Uhm…
Yea…I am!
You know those really annoying people who could talk about something every second of every day?
That’s me!
And I like to think that my enthusiasm is infectious. Actually, I know it is because enthusiasm in general is infectious.
Today, I was working with a new client who wanted to start lifting heavy. (YAY!) My excitement to work with her and her excitement to lift just made the entire meeting fly by.
But the most important part is that my love of lifting was passed on to her. She enjoyed the session so much that I know, that not only will she continue to lift heavy, but that she will also tell her friends that they should too!
Enthusiasm for women lifting heavy is infectious. I’m just doing everything I can to spread the love.
On that note, if you like the Man Bicep Facebook page AND like the comment/video that says “For every like, I’ll do a push up” Candy or I will actually do a push up! Check out the 7 push ups we’ve done already!
Work those major muscle groups!
To look like the bottom girl, do compound exercises!
So I definitely have noticed more women in the weight room recently.
Unfortunately most of these women are doing high reps with very little weight. I’ve also noticed that most of them are only doing single muscle group movements.
The exercises that women seem to love:
- Bicep curls
- Tricep extensions
- Adductor machine
- Abductor machine
While these exercises can be great auxiliary lifts for someone looking to strengthen weak points in their bench, deadlift or squat, these single muscle group movements really are pointless to do otherwise. Plus if you do compound movements, you will work all of those muscles that you are working with those isolated exercises and many more!
Single muscle group movements don’t give you much bang for your buck. You don’t burn very many calories doing them AND you can’t spot reduce problem areas. So while you may be making your bicep stronger, you aren’t specifically removing flab from over the bicep.
Your time would be much better spent doing compound movements because they work the biggest muscles groups in your body, which will help you build strength, burn fat, acquire optimal body function and improve your health.
Lifting weight while using multiple muscle groups elicits a much higher level of positive hormones than training just one muscle group at a time. These hormones include testosterone, insulin-like growth factor 1, and growth hormone. These hormones are what will help you build lean muscles, burn fat, and improve your health.
So not only are you building lean muscles, but you are also more efficiently working your entire body to burn more calories than you would if you did an isolated muscle group movement. You also improve your cardiovascular health and joint stability and muscle balance across your joints by performing compound exercises.
So if you really want to work your bicep, don’t do a curl. Instead perform a pull up or a row. If you want to work your tricep, bench press or do a push up or even a full dip. If you want to work your adductors and abductors, do a squat or lunge or sumo deadlift!
AND if you need a workout with lots of compound exercises, check out the Man Bicep Weekly Workout!
The Push Up Craze Reaches ELLEN!?!
So Candy found this video of Ellen and Michelle Obama doing push ups. I was very amused even though I did want to tell them both that they needed to get lower! Chest to the ground ladies!
http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_w7vznt17/uiconf_id/6995152
Man Bicep Moves
So the Man Bicepers were put in charge of coming up with some challenging moves that we could post to our gym’s Facebook page. Below are some of the moves we came up with. If you have any other suggestions, send them our way!!! We need LOTS more!
Man Bicep Push Up Craze – Attempting The Impossible Push Up
Here are our first attempts at The Impossible. Try it!
Push ups everywhere even in the air!
So the Man Bicep Mom and my sister, Drew, sent me some wonderful push up pictures.
They did some primal push ups while hiking…
Drew doing a push up onto a log
The Man Bicep Mom busting out a push up on a log
And Drew took some more while she was rock climbing!
Thank you Man Bicep Mom and Drew!!!
Now…Where else can we bust out some push ups?
Top 10 – Brian’s FAVORITE Upper Body Exercises
So Brian’s FAVORITE (and I mean FAVORITE) thing to work is his chest…and upper body in general. These are his 10 FAVORITE upper body exercises.
1. Bench – Ok who doesn’t love bench!?! Barbell Flat Bench is by far Brian’s favorite. It is a GREAT compound exercise. And as Lisa mentioned, “Strengthening your “man pecs” helps keep the twins perky!” The bench press works your pecs, triceps, shoulders and abs among other things! Here is an article about the flat bench press. You can also vary up your bench press by doing incline barbell or dumbbell variations. There are also other tortuous variations such as pause bench…but that is an exercise for another day.
2. Push ups – Brian thinks push ups are easy…I don’t exactly agree but I do think they are awesome for you! Push ups are one of those exercises that you need to actually DO to get better at. Doing bench and such will help, but to truly get good at push ups…you need to DO push ups. Girls don’t just do push ups from your knees because you are girls!!! Channel your inner man and bust them out from your toes or even attempt a decline push up or two (or 10).
3. Dips – You can do these off a bench or from a dip machine, but DO THEM. I find the ones off the bench much easier than full dips, but both can be good. I feel that the ones on the bench pretty much only tire out my triceps while the full dips from the bars work my chest, lower traps, triceps and my anterior deltoid (the front of your shoulder).
Full, off the bars dips.
4. Wide grip pull ups – I happen to agree with Brian about these….I LOVE PULL UPS! THEY ARE AWESOME! Wide grip are especially awesome because they are hard and they isolate your lats. Regular pull ups tend to use a lot of bicep so these are great to mix in to just work your back!
5. Dumbbell 1 arm row – Brian loves this one because as he said, “You can use heavy weight and it is a good way to build strength and size.” That’s what us Man Bicepers love! 🙂
6. Seated DB Military Press – If you want to improve your bench and push ups, you need to strengthen your shoulders. Military press is a great way to do that. Using dumbbells engages more stabilizer muscles in your core and shoulders. Doing the military press seated instead of standing can also be safer if you aren’t as sure of form – just make sure your back is fully pressed into the back of the seat.
7. Front to Side Raises – Shoulder murder. 1 rep is a front raise and then a side raise.
8. Posterior Deltoid Flyes (with a resistance band) – Brian loves this one because no one works on their posterior deltoids. He says, “They are neglected. People focus on the anterior and medial deltoid.” (Brian also mentioned the fact that Candy has what we jokingly call “monster anterior deltoids.”) Choose a resistance band that you can stretch all the way out while having your hands about shoulder width apart.
9. Straight Bar Bicep Curl – This hits every aspect of the bicep. Don’t cheat – go all the way down and all the way up and DON’T SWING! Stagger the feet if you need to. BUT DON’T CHEAT!
10. Skull Crushers –Â Please don’t crush your face when you do these. Grab dumbbells and lay flat on a bench or floor. Bending at the elbows and keeping your triceps perpendicular to your body, lower the weights down toward your head. Try to keep your elbows in. Stop before you hit your face and straighten the arms back up without any flexion of the shoulder.
Some others that Candy and I love that weren’t on Brian’s list: Dumbbell pullovers and Iron Cross. Iron cross is also shoulder murder and DB pullovers are a great exercise to work your chest, back and triceps all at the same time! If you do a pullover while holding a glute bridge, you get the added bonus of working your core, glutes and hamstrings.
Some that we hate:
Candy hates pull ups.
I hate Overhead Tricep Extensions…UGH!
We both hate manual tricep pushdowns (which almost made Brian’s list).
Push ups here, push ups there…push ups when you’re almost bare!
Lisa is the ONLY girl doing a push up outside in 31 degree weather in a bathing suit.
Thank you Lisa! We expect a new one from the Santa Speedo Run this year!
Thank you also for this picture from after your run! Nice handstand push up!
She may have bonked her head doing a full push up...but this is AMAZING!
One-upping the Planking Craze
So we made good on our vow to do push ups around Boston and start the Man Bicep push up trend! Here are some pictures we took while celebrating Candy’s birthday!
The first one of the day was done by Candy on the MBTA.
Rocking the MB shirt AND receiving compliments about her perfect push up from men on the T.
Next we stopped at a candy shop called Sugar Heaven on Boylston St. Brian wanted to show Candy a shirt he had considered buying for her as a joke.
A nice deep push up right by the M&Ms. Not something they often see in a candy store.
The next one we snapped was not in the most hygienic place….
Don't worry...there was lots of hand scrubbing afterwards.
We then took a nice walk to a bar called Whiskeys. Where I did a nice push up between booths.
A nice wide grip push up. A slight incline so easier than some that we did later.
Candy figured out a way to make the booth push up harder by putting her feet on the back of the booth.
Notice the very impressed guy in the background.
We then had to get our Man Bicep Coach involved. He did a very impressive weighted push up outside of the restaurant.
We got numerous strange looks...
Next we met up with a co-worker who we convinced to do a push up on the street. A homeless woman was so impressed that she walked up and gave Alyson a hug before anyone knew what was going on.
She didn't even falter when Brian through a purse on her.
Our next stop was Rattlesnakes’ roof deck. Candy pulled off a staircase push up.
I think the hardest part of this push up was getting up there.
After leaving the roof deck, we attempted a stacked push up out on the street. We all ended up collapsing so I’m not totally sure this one counts…
Push up pile up.
After that failed push up attempt, I did a decline push up from a bike rack. Brian decided it wasn’t hard enough and push down on my back for added resistance.
Mid push up...on the way back up.
And the last push up of the night….on a pizza shop counter. (We did get permission before we attempted this one. The employees were impressed as you can see!) 🙂
We had a lot of explaining to do to be allowed to do this one!
So now everyone must go out and do push ups in random places!!! We must start the Man Bicep Push up trend! No more stupid planking! haha
Send us a picture of your push up and we will send you a Man Bicep t-shirt!!! 😉
Man Bicep 