Insanity Max 30 : êtes-vous prêt pour un nouveau défi ?

Insanity Max 30 : êtes-vous prêt pour un nouveau défi ?

Après quelques mois d'absence sur ce blog justifiés par une ptite princesse qui grandissait en moi et le rush des premières semaines qui ont suivi sa naissance, et après avoir eu le feu vert de la sage-femme pour la reprise, me voilà de retour, pleine de motivation, prête à reprendre le sport après plus d'un an d'arrêt !! 

....Ca va faire mal :-D !!

Les dégâts :

- un ventre tout flasque à cause de la grossesse

- une bonne dizaine de kilos en trop si ce n'est plus

- et des jolis petits amas de graisse disséminés un peu partout entre les hanches, les fesses, les cuisses, la poitrine (mon chéri est content, moi beaucoup moins !!), les bras...

Bref je ne sais pas s'il reste une zone sans gras sur moi ^^(mes doigts de pied peut-être ? mes oreilles?)

Objectifs : 

- rentrer dans mes pantalons d'avant-grossesse...! Et oui 3 mois après mon accouchement, je commence à peine à manger un peu mieux (pendant les premières semaines, le critère de choix d'un bon repas était qu'il fallait que ce soit prêt en 5min et englouti en autant de temps), et à part mes pantalons de grossesse et mes vieux joggings, je ne rentre dans aucun de mes jeans...

- perdre au moins une taille de soutien gorge !  Je sais que je ne retrouverai pas ma taille de soutien gorge de suite, mais là 105E c'est juste plus possible DU TOUT. (Merci de ne pas me balancer à mon chéri par contre, de mon côté je lui dirai que "oh vraiment c'est trop injuste de perdre de la graisse au niveau de la poitrine!")

Plan d'attaque : 

- Alimentation : je vais faire ce qui a toujours marché pour moi : les baby steps :) ! Autrement dit, on y va doucement , je me lance pas direct dans un régime draconien ou un virage à 180° au niveau de mes habitudes alimentaires.

Je commence par changer un seul repas par jour, les changements seront peut être moins rapides mais au moins je sais que j'ai plus de chances de tenir sur la durée si je ne suis pas frustrée.

Je m'attaquerai donc au petit déj, avec un shake protéiné et un thé vert, pour remplacer mes habituelles 6 tartines de beurre- nutella (Non c'est pas une blague et oui j'ai un poil déconné ^^vous comprenez un peu mieux pourquoi je rentre pas encore dans mes pantalons d'avant grossesse..^^)

Si vous ne savez pas par où commencer au niveau de l'alimentation, je vous redirige vers mon Challenge Nutrition :)

- Sport : J'aurais pu recommencer soft. 

Un programme comme Rockin Body (sauf que j'aime pas danser) ou comme Piyo, qui donne apparemment de supers résultats (le mélange du yoga et du pilates de ce programme fait de jolis muscles fins et longs, exactement ce qu'on recherche !!). 

Moui. 

Mais non. 

Moi ce que j'aime, c'est me défoncer, tout donner. 

C'est faire 30min en ayant l'impression d'avoir bouclé un triathlon. 

C'est être trempée de la tête aux pieds à la fin de ma séance. 

C'est gémir pendant 2 jours à cause des courbatures quand s'asseoir sur la cuvette des wc devient le défi de ma journée. 

C'est mourir au bout de 5min de workout en me disant merde j'ai même pas fini l'échauffement. 

Parce que je sais que c'est ce qui me booste, que c'est ce qui me donne une énergie incroyable, et que c'est ce qui me donne des résultats rapidement aussi :) !!

Donc pour ma reprise j'ai choisi....Insanity Max 30 !!!

Le nouveau programme Beachbody de Shaun T, un programme qui a l'air d'être encore plus fou qu'Insanity, puisque le but est de vous faire "max out", c'est à dire "arriver au bout de vos limites"...!!

Toi qui a fait Insanity... toi qui après avoir fait la "Recovery Week" a attrapé un dictionnaire en te disant que sûrement Recovery ne voulait pas dire la même chose en américain vu les séances de malade de cette semaine-là ... Toi, quand Shaun T te dit que son objectif est de te faire "max out", qui as juste envie de prendre tes jambes à ton cou... Puis bin non tu restes, parce que comme moi tu es d'une curiosité masochiste qui te pousse à essayer quand même :-D 

Voilà ce que j'ai choisi pour ma reprise :-D

Et pour ca il a choisi un nouveau format avec plein de nouveaux exercices inédits, des séances plus courtes (30min) donc beaucoup plus intenses, ET, détail non négligeable pour moi qui reprend après plus d'un an d'arrêt : qui comporte une version light !! Pour les personnes qui reprennent le sport, qui ont des problèmes de genoux, ou de dos.... Il y a une version sans saut dans chacune des vidéos :) !!

Je vous présenterai le programme plus en détail dans un article à venir très prochainement :) ! 

En attendant je file faire ma séance du jour, motivée par le défi de Shaun T, et reboostée de vous retrouver enfin :) !!

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Hex Bar Deadlift vs Barbell Deadlift : Which One is Better

The deadlift is the most popular compound movement and rightfully so since it’s become the ultimate test by which we measure our strength. Even though the most common method of doing deadlifts is by using the classic Olympic barbell, a majority of people nowadays are taking up deadlifting with a hex bar, that is shaped in the form of a hexagon and you should position yourself inside of it. It also goes by the name of “trap bar”, because a lot of gym goers use it to do shrugs.

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Why use a barbell ?

99% of the time deadlifts are executed with an old-fashioned barbell and it is a valid method. That’s the method used in powerlifting meets and it is the way the professionals execute them.

You may like: Deadlift Everyday to Accelerate Muscle Growth

Why use a hex bar ?

Despite the fact that the most popular and common method of doing deadlifts is by using an Olympic bar, as well as the method in which it is done in competitions, many fitness enthusiasts are surprised to find that executing them with a hex bar is far less stressful on the lower back muscles and that it feels a lot more comfortable.

Is it supported by research?

Numerous studies have examined the difference in biomechanics and strength of professional powerlifters when they deadlifted with a classic bar and a hex bar. They have all come to the conclusion that when participants were deadlifting with a hex bar, they could lift an average of around 50 lbs more in comparison to when they were using the classic barbell. It was further concluded that using the hex bar stresses the lower back muscles a lot less.

You may like: 10 Deadlift Mistakes That Make You Look Like a Newbie

Conclusion

Doing deadlifts with a hex bar is superior to doing them with a standard Olympic bar, especially when you are lifting heavy loads, in regards to the reduced amount of stress on the lower back muscles.

If the gym you are going to has a hex bar and you’ve been using it for shrugs you should start practicing doing deadlifts with it. You will find that you will be able to lift a lot heavier in comparison to a barbell deadlift, (which puts a bigger burden on the leg muscles) which will ultimately lead to a bigger muscle gain in the long-term.

Even if you are a professional powerlifter, you should consider using the hex bar sporadically since it will aid you in going heavier and get stronger in all muscles in the lower body. Plus, if you’ve already given up on deadlifts because you had lower back pains, using the hex bar could be the fix to get you back on the right track.

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5 Movements to Reverse the Spinal Issues Caused by Excessive Sitting

Every office job or any job in a corporate setting entails a lot sitting for prolonged periods of time. Even though it’s not explicitly stated, sitting is pretty much a job description that many employees have. That’s because their work means sitting for 8 hours per day, 5 or 6 days per week while looking at a computer screen.

Sitting for long periods of time can be the cause for a multitude of health issue like edema, varicose vein, pain in the lower back muscles and many others, that if left untreated can create bigger health problems in the long run. That’s no reason to panic, because we have just the right advice for you that could remedy that in the form of five exercises:
You might like : Sitting Increases the Risk of Dying Early

1. Glute bridges

Lie on your back, bend your knees and keep the feet on the floor. Then, raise the butt and the hips in a way that the body is in a straight line. Hold the position for a few seconds then lower the butt and hips down. You finished one rep. Try doing 4 sets of 12 repetitions. If you find that easy, add additional load and hold it on the thighs while executing the reps. This movement develops the glutes and hips and has an effect on the abdominal muscles as well.

2- Glute bridges

Kneel in front of a wall with your back facing the wall. Put the leg you want to stretch up against the wall with the toes on the actual wall surface. Support on your knee which should be standing right at the base of the wall. Bring the other leg into a lunge position and lift the torso up. The closer your knee is to the wall, the greater the stretch.

Remain in the position for 2-3 minutes. Afterwards, switch legs.

3 - full squat

Photo credit CrossFitMurrayfield.com

With this squat variation you get into a squat position with the feet on the floor, with the back rigid and straight and the but going as low as you can. Something similar to a baseball catcher stance. You are supposed to feel a stretch in the legs, groin and back.

4 - Leg swings

There is a chance you’ve probably seen someone doing leg swings but weren’t sure that they were doing exactly. This exercise is meant for loosening the muscles and stretching them.
It entails holding onto something to keep balance and then swinging the leg in a back and forth motion as high as you can go. You can start doing the swing with each leg one at a time and then side to side. Do 20 swings of both motions.

5. Fire hydrants

This article originally appeared on : fitnessandpower.com                                                   

                                                                                 

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1 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs 6

The pec deck - and similar flye machines - allow you to really bombard your inner chest and get a great stretch on your entire pectoral complex. But, Gunter says, keeping your elbows high and parallel to the floor will allow you to bring the upper pecs into play as well.
                                                                                                 

                                                                                        

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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2 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs 6

Incline dumbbell flyes are a great way to not only add mass to your upper chest but to etch in freaky detail. Gunter does a variation where his palms remain pronated throughout the movement. This version involves the front delts a bit more but, according to Gunter, "facing the palm forward, it gives you even better tension in your upper chest and it stretches the upper pecs."
                                                                                                       

                                                                                           

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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3 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs

"Using dumbbells will give you a completely different kind of tension and range of motion than a barbell," says Gunter. "Make sure that you don't get locked into using the barbell on inclines all the time, or any of your angles for that matter."
                                                                                       

                                                                                    

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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4 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs

Think about this as you would the deadlift. With the deadlift, you work without the benefit of elasticity or momentum, pulling the bar from a complete rest on the floor. This builds strength and power quickly through the positive portion of the movement. Power presses are the same idea. Think about this as you would the deadlift. With the deadlift, you work without the benefit of elasticity or momentum, pulling the bar from a complete rest on the floor. This builds strength and power quickly through the positive portion of the movement. Power presses are the same idea. As you get stronger through each range of motion, lower the safety pins.
                                                                                                               

                                                                                

                                                                                           

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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8 Awesome Exercises to Get In Shape Quick

5. Bench Presses

Incorporating bench press into your workout will also help you lose unnecessary pounds while training your chest and triceps. After you lie back on a flat bench, grip a barbell above you in a shoulder-width position.

Make sure your arms are almost fully extended and lower the bar until it touches the chest. After a short pause, push back the bar to the starting point and repeat the same process again.

6. Squats

Many bodybuilders perform squats as one the best exercises to grow massive legs and burn a tremendous amount of calories. You can do it, too, by positioning your feet a bit more than shoulder-width apart.

Then, hold a barbell across your upper back and take the barbell of the bar. Slowly squat down until your hips are aligned with your knees and then move back up to the starting position.

7. Barbell Lunges

One more exercise that will help you strengthen your legs is performed by crossing a barbell across your upper back.

Move one step forward with your right leg and sink into a lunge, so both legs are bent while your back knee getting as close to the floor as possible. Move back up and complete the same process with your left leg.

8. Swimming

If you’re bored of using weights or jogging, you should spend more time swimming. This is because if you swim intensively, you can burn more calories than while you’re jogging and give work to your entire body muscles.

So, don’t be afraid to use less popular ways to lose weight just because fewer people do it.

Watch this video about easy but effective fat-burning exercises below:

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This article originally appeared on :  spotmebro.com

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How to Train for Dense, Hard Muscles VS Soft, Big Muscles

You’ve probably noticed that not all muscular guys sport the same physique. While there’re those whose muscles are hard and dense, others, although big, have softer muscles.

The way you look is generally determined by your genetics, dieting and type of training. And having in mind that most of you would probably opt for having firm and dense musculature rather than big and soft, we’re providing you with the training methods that will help you achieve this goal.

SARCOPLASMIC HYPERTROPHY

The sarcoplasmic growth is focused on increasing the muscle glycogen concentration, which results in drawing larger quantities of fluids within the muscle cells.  While this type of muscle growth is very fast and delivers visible results, it doesn’t make the muscles dense and firm.
As a result, you can often see big muscular man who can’t lift greater loads.
Although this type of training makes your muscles look big, they also look soft, especially when you have higher levels of body fat. But, if you want to utilize this growth, stick to 10 to 20 or more reps per set.
However, you should also have in mind that this type of growth is not permanent. As soon as you stop lifting, your muscles start to shrink losing their volume in just few days.

MYOFIBRILLAR HYPERTROPHY

The myofibrillar hypertrophy focuses on making your muscle fibres bigger. Although this growth is not as fast, it results with great improvements in muscle strength.

And even though your muscles will not be as big as with the previous approach, they will always look strong and firm. This will give you a more defined and leaner appearance. If you want to achieve this type of hypertrophy, you should stick to 1-8 reps per set.
Another advantage of myofibrillar growth is that is more permanent. In other words, your muscles won’t start shrinking the moment you leave the gym.

CHOOSING YOUR FOCUS

The best approach would be to focus on myofibrillar growth in the beginning. This will help you in building solid base for future growth. You can always turn to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy later on, in order to emphasise those areas that are not as developed.
Another very important segment of your muscle development is your testosterone level. Without optimal testosterone levels you have small chances of achieving any type of muscle growth.
You can increase your testosterone production in several ways: hard training, good dieting and plenty of rest. Of course, you can also take testosterone booster.
Taking a testosterone booster will help you in building greater muscle mass and maintaining it. It will also help you get a leaner and firmer look. And as a plus, your sex drive will improve. So, if you want to be serious about increasing your muscle mass, you need work hard on increasing your testosterone levels.
However, have in mind that not all testosterone boosters are good quality products. That’s why you need to be careful which product you’ll choose. Read the label and check the ingredients that it contains. Otherwise, you might end up just wasting your money.

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This article originally appeared on : fitnessandpower.com

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Work Your Abs To Exhaustion With These 5 Exercises

Are you ready to take ab training to the next level? Feel free to ditch the crunches and exhaust the core muscles with these 5 challenging exercises.

In this article, we present you five extraordinary exercises that will really put your abs into overdrive and help you slice off the extra belly fat, plus they’re a lot of fun. And getting a chiseled six-pack is not the only thing. If you have a strong core, you will also prevent lower back pain and injuries, you will increase agility, you will become more flexible and be able to better perform all the big compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses since you will have a strong torso foundation.
Regardless of how hard these ab exercises might get, there is a golden rule when it comes to training abs and it’s “quality over quantity”. If you still think that doing 1000 fast crunches per day will get you anywhere, the truth is you are just wasting your time and quite probably exposing your back to a risk of injury.
Don’t just try to go through the motions and finish as quickly as possible. You need to slow down the movement and focus your mind on contracting the ab muscles fully. By implementing a slow and concentrated approach to ab training, you will gradually reach even minute long sets comprised of quality crunches, which will enable you to get that coveted six-pack look in a very short time.

1. SPIDERMAN – PLANK CRUNCH 

• Position yourself in a standard plank pose with the forearms placed on the floor and the body kept straight and rigid.
• Start the movement by bringing the right knee forward to the right elbow. Then finish it by returning it to the standard plank position.
• Do the movement again with your left knee going forward towards the left elbow.
• You’ve done one rep. Switch both sides by doing a total of 10 reps.

The plank is a very popular isometric exercise since it’s one of those rare exercises where the entire core is stimulated at the same time. You are actually targeting both the back and front of the midsection area simultaneously and the best thing is you don’t need any machines to do it. The muscles stimulated include the obliques, rectus abdominis, and the entire lower back. Its simplicity and effectiveness lie in that you can do the plank practically anywhere.

2. CABLE AB ROTATION

• Stand beside a cable machine and grab the cable handle with both hands placed in front of you at shoulder-height.
• Keep the arms straight and rigid, tighten the abs and start rotating the entire upper body to your left, then get back to the original position and turn to your right and then back to the original position again.
• You’ve done one rep. Switch both sides for a set of 10 reps.

This exercise greatly stimulates the oblique muscles and it can be of great benefit to lots of tennis players, golfers, baseball players and those who practice racquet sports. Strive to make the exercise similar to the movement that is specific to your particular sport and you’ll reap the greatest benefits.

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This article originally appeared on : fitnessandpower.com 

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10 EXERCISES THAT WILL MAKE YOU BURN BELLY FAT WITHOUT HAVING TO JOG OR RUN !!

6. Spider crawl

Excellent exercise for getting more mobility in your legs and hips!!! It also strengthens your abdominal muscles.

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7. The get up

This is a great exercise for getting those six packs! You will get a great arm workout too and not to forget to mention – this is a challenging exercise!

8. Burpee

This is an excellent cardio workout! It makes your heart race and this melts calories! It may be difficult at the beginning, that’s why you can adjust it by your level.

9. Skater exercise

This is a great exercise for maximum calories burn with minimum effort. It is also a cardio exercise, so your heart will beat faster and you will move from one leg to another in a second. Enjoy it!

10. Rope jumping

Want to tone the arms and legs? Why don’t you try the rope? Great exercise for burning fat and also can be done anywhere!

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This article originally appeared on : healthyuniverses.com

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Stop Eating Carbs Before Bed to Increase HGH

You can increase your muscle mass and lose fat by doing one simple thing. Stop eating two or three hours before you go to sleep. Going to bed slightly hungry is actually not a bad thing for gaining muscle, losing fat and general health.

Every time you eat a meal your metabolism increases a bit. But this effect is kind of opposite at night. At night your body naturally decreases its metabolic rate. A few hours after dinner the body prepares itself for sleep. The only calories you are going to burn during sleep are the the calories that fuel main body functions such as heart beating, breathing and your eyes movement during the REM phase of sleep.

Eating before you go to sleep, especially starchy carbs will increase sugar levels in your blood.Insulin gets released also in your blood to normalize this spike in blood sugar levels. This is bad because about 80-90% of HGH (the Human Growth Hormone that controls aging, controls metabolism, cell growth and repair, and regulates your lean body mass to fat ratio )  is released while you sleep. High levels of insulin in your blood restrict the quantity of HGH released in your bloodstream.
So what can you do to maximize HGH production?
– Eat about 3 hours before you go to bed. Eat all your calories from carbs during the day.

– Your last meal should be some sort of lean protein and non starchy carbs like vegetables. Avoid starchy carbs  like pastas, breads, white rice, cereals, and potatoes. Good sources of lean protein include chicken breast, low fat cottage chease, fish, turkey, and casein if you are trying to build muscle.

This article originally appeared on : fitnessandpower.com

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5 Best Shoulder Exercises

Nothing stands out on a physique like a great pair of full, well-rounded shoulders. Even if your shoulders aren’t as wide as you’d like them to be, you can create the illusion of a V-taper look by developing a pair of supersized cannonball deltoids and losing a few inches off the waist.

Shoulder training can often be neglected in favor of training chest and arms, and you’d be surprised how many guys feel like their shoulders already get enough work as secondary muscles on chest/arm day and therefore don’t require any specialized work. This, of course, is far from reality in most cases. Sure, there are a few genetic beasts in every gym who seem to grow no matter what they do or don’t do, but for the rest of us, proper high-intensity shoulder training is required to ensure great development in this area.

Read the rest of this article to learn how to target your shoulders better and reap quality strength and mass gains on every gym visit!

Free Weights First

First of all, make sure to replace most of your machine-based overhead presses with free-weight overhead presses performed with dumbbells or a barbell. This will allow you to engage more muscles and strengthen your stabilizing muscles which although small or hidden, are extremely important for an injury-free and highly effective performance and ultimately for building a strong and well-balanced body.
Free weights enable your body to move in all three planes of movement, which is how your body normally moves in daily life, and this will help you increase your range of motion, target your muscles from all angles possible and build real, functional strength. Also, since you have to work to stabilize the weight while lifting it, instead of having a machine do that for you, your overall stability will dramatically increase. And stability is perhaps nowhere as important as it is for the shoulder area, which is notorious for its vulnerability.
On the other hand, machines allow you to focus more on the effort and less on the mechanics of the movement, and this can be useful for the end of your workout, when accumulated fatigue makes balancing weights over your head very difficult.
So it would be best to do the harder, free-weight variant of the exercise early in the workout, before fatigue sets in, and save the machine version for later, when you can use it to cause maximal hypertrophy and drain your muscles of any remaining strength by focusing on solely pushing the weight. Machines will also allow you to lift heavier weights and isolate specific muscle groups better, so it’s good to have a fair share of machine-based movements in your routine as well, as long as you make sure that free-weight exercises are at the center of your workouts

The Importance of TUT

Besides calves, shoulders can be one of the most reluctant body parts to grow. The reason for this is that these muscles are primarily geared for endurance rather than power and are used to working hard throughout the entire day to power all arm movements. This is why the most important thing to remember when training your shoulders (as well as calves!) is that they need a lot intensity in order to be forced into new growth.
One way to do that is by using heavy weights, but that’s not always recommendable because shoulder joints are very vulnerable to injury and your first priority should be keeping them healthy while improving the strength of the muscle surrounding them. The other way to do it by enabling optimal time under tension (TUT). Make sure to always perform the lowering part of your shoulder exercises in a slow and controlled manner so that you can maintain a good level of tension on the targeted muscle. Also, try to make rest periods as short as possible and never go above 2 minutes. Keeping the intensity high will make your muscles work harder and prompt greater growth.
To completely exhaust the muscles and enable maximum hypertrophy, start your shoulder workouts with heavy presses and end them with lighter-weight isolation work.

5 Shoulder-Building Exercises

The road to building the powerful shoulders you want starts with the introduction of these 5 cornerstone exercises in your shoulder routine:

#1. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

This is a basic shoulder mass-builder that allows you to target any existing muscle imbalances between your left and right side of the body when pressing. It’s very likely that your dominant side is stronger and compensates for the weaker one during barbell movements. When using a barbell this is be hardly noticeable, but with dumbbells you’ll be able to tell the difference right away and address it properly. If you can, perform the exercise in front of a mirror so that you can keep your form in check.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Press the weight up in an explosive manner and push your head forward at the top of every rep to make sure that you’re moving the load through your shoulders and not your chest muscles. Return the weight to the starting position with a slow and controlled movement.

This article originally appeared on : fitnessandpower.com

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Meet the 2017 Arnold Classic Competitors

Just a few days away from Columbus, Ohio, hosting one of the largest gatherings of strength sports athletes on the planet. The event will have a huge attraction of heavyweight lifters and athletes who add to the spectacle of the Arnold Sports Festivals.

This year, 2017, it is even bigger and more amazing than ever.
The Arnold Strongman Classic, which was introduced in 2002, is now considered a jewel in Strongman competitions around the globe. Moreover, this is an invitation-only event that is considered to be the heaviest contest on the planet and is happening on Friday, March 3, at 3:30 pm.

Last year, Zydrunas Savickas won the championship but has withdrawn from the competition this year due to a shoulder injury. This makes things a little easier for the top contenders this year, who will be Brian Shaw from the USA, Hafthor Bjornsson from Iceland, Krzystof Radzikowski from Poland.

Most people consider the champion of this event as the world’s strongest man and not to mention that it is one of the most live viewed contests of the year.
However, the main attraction of the Arnold Classic is the open bodybuilding show, where muscular gargantuan’s battle it out for the second most prestigious award in the sport of bodybuilding.

Below is a preview of the athletes who will be competing at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH.

Charles is a pro bodybuilder and has previously secured many titles. In the 2011 NPC Figure & Fitness Championships, 2015 IFBB Wings of Strength PBW Tampa Pro, the 2008 NPC Easter USA Bodybuilding and 2013 NPC USA Championships he came out on top. Definitely a contender to keep your eye on.

2. Vitaly Fateev

Fateev is an experienced bodybuilder. He secured 9th place at the Arnold in 2015, 4th at the Arnold Classic Brasil 2016, and 5th place at the Phoenix Pro in 2015.

He is one of the most shredded physiques among the top bodybuilders around the world.

3. Will Harris

Will Harris is from Los Angeles, California, USA. He’s an IFBB Pro with a few wins under his belt and a certified personal trainer who works at Gold’s Gym. He’s never placed first in any major events like the Arnold.

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This article originally appeared on :  spotmebro.com

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The 15 Best Exercises for Your Lower Abs

These moves are proven to make you go from soft to shredded. 😉😃💛💚💜💗🍖

First, a quick physiology lesson: Your rectus abdominis is really one, long muscle that includes both your "upper" and "lower" abs. So, there are no exercises that explicitly isolate either half individually (even though you may "feel the burn" more so in one area than other). Still, there are things you can do to really make that lower area pop, says Don Saladino, CPT, owner of Drive 495. Number 1, diet is key: remember that training your core muscles alone simply isn’t enough—you need to have discipline in the kitchen, too. Second, switching up your routine by shocking your core with new exercises will help eliminate your love handles and define those elusive sex-lines. Last, work in exercises that attack your rectus abdominis and obliques simultaneously for good measure (that V line is where these two muscles meet). Here are 25 moves to add in to your routine.

Lie on your back, extending one leg, while bringing the opposite knee toward your chest. With your hands behind your head, touch your opposite elbow to the close knee. Twist your body and touch the other elbow to your other knee.

Place sliders underneath each foot. Then get into a plank position with your forearms planted on the floor at shoulder-width, your body raised, and in a straight line. Now, brace your core, and, with your forearms still planted in the floor, begin sliding your whole body forward and back.

Position yourself facing the machine, a few feet away, on both knees. Now grip the rope in front of you and crunch your body in so that your forearms come to your knees and your head meets the floor.

Suspend yourself over the parallel bars at a dip station. Bend your knees slightly and raise your legs in front of you until they’re parallel to the floor.

Lie on the floor and hold onto a bench or the legs of a heavy chair for support. Keep your legs straight and raise them up until they’re vertical. Lower back down, but stop just short of the floor to keep tension on your abs before the next rep.

Hang from a pullup bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and palms facing forward, and then raise your legs straight out in front of you. Bring back down and repeat.

Get into pushup position with your toes on the ball. Bend your hips and roll the ball toward you, lifting your hips upwards. Roll back so your body is straight again and extend your spine, then roll the ball up your legs so your body forms a straight line with arms extended overhead but hands still on the floor. You should look like Superman flying downward. That’s one rep. Pull with your lats to return to the pushup position and begin the next rep.

Place your feet in the foot cradles of the suspension trainer and get into pushup position with your hands on the floor. Drive one knee to your chest while the other leg remains extended. Now drive the opposite leg to your chest while you extend the other back. Continue so it looks like you’re running in place.

Lie on your back on the floor and wrap the band around the arches of your feet. Cross the ends of the band over each other to make an “X” and grasp the ends with opposite hands. Bend your hips and knees so that your knees are near your chest and then crunch your torso off the floor. Extend your legs while you raise your arms overhead—keep your shoulder blades off the floor. That’s one rep.

Lie on your back on the floor holding the ball with both hands behind your head. Extend you legs. Brace your abs and sit all the way up. Raise your legs simultaneously and reach for your toes with the ball. Your body should form a V shape at the top.

Lie on your back on the floor holding the ball with both hands behind your head. Extend you legs. Brace your abs and sit all the way up. Raise your legs simultaneously and reach for your toes with the ball. Your body should form a V shape at the top.

Lie on the floor holding an empty, or lightly loaded, bar over your chest as in the top of a bench press. Your legs should be extended on the floor in front of you. Perform a situp, raising your torso until it’s vertical. Keep the bar over your head, so it drifts back to an overhead press position at the top of the situp.

Get into pushup position. Move your arms and feet apart as wide as possible—your body will make a star shape. Hold the position with your torso straight and abs braced for 30 seconds.

Sit on a bench and squeeze the medicine ball between your feet. Extend and elevate your legs out in front of you and extend your torso so that your body forms a straight line. Hold on to the bench for support. Crunch your torso forward and bring your knees to your chest.

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