Challenge Nutrition : Semaine 4 !

Challenge Nutrition : Semaine 4 !

Bienvenue dans la 4e et dernière semaine de ce challenge nutrition :) !! 

Pour celles et ceux qui n'ont pas pris le challenge depuis le début, vous pouvez commencer maintenant et le prendre en cours de route, ou commencer à la semaine 1 !

Pour celles et ceux qui n'ont rien lâché depuis le début : bravo ! 

Cette semaine est la dernière ligne droite !
Si vous avez craqué par ci par là, ne culpabilisez pas, la vie ne nous a pas fait pour que nous soyons parfaits tout le temps, et ce challenge n'a pas cet objectif non plus pour vous.

L'objectif était avant tout de vous montrer qu'il n'y a pas besoin de changements drastiques dans l'alimentation pour voir des résultats, qu'il s'agisse de votre santé, de votre énergie ou de votre corps (en perte centimétrique ou en kg).

L'objectif était aussi de vous montrer qu'il n'y a pas besoin de dépenser des fortunes en nourriture exotique pour suivre certains régimes à la mode ou les promesses de certaines aliments magiques, qu'il n'y a pas non plus besoin de se gaver de viande du petit déj au coucher pour suivre les recommandations d'un médecin radié, ni de compter les points de chaque pomme ou abricot grignoté tout au long de votre journée.

Manger des aliments simples, variés, en quantité suffisante est la clé la plus simple et la plus efficace pour obtenir le corps souhaité et gagner en plus en énergie !

Si on résume ce challenge, voici en quoi il consistait : 

• La semaine 1 consistait à consommer une quantité suffisante de protéines par rapport à notre activité et notre poids. En effet, sans tomber dans l'effet Dukan, on est très souvent en carence, carence qui va provoquer envie de grignotage, baisse d'énergie, et du mal à atteindre la satiété longtemps.

• La semaine 2 consistait à supprimer le blé (voire carrément le gluten pour les plus courageuses !) de votre alimentation. Le blé est responsable chez la plupart des gens de ballonnements, digestion difficile, fatigue, envies de grignotage...

• La semaine 3 consistait à ajouter une portion de légumes verts à chacune de vos journées, afin d'apporter une bonne hydratation de votre corps, des nutriments essentiels et une aide au drainage favorisant l'élimination de la cellulite.

• Et pour la semaine 4, comme vous avez pris déjà de très bonnes habitudes, je vous laisse le choix parmi 2 alternatives :

- ajouter des bonnes graisses à votre alimentation
- supprimer totalement le sucre industriel
...ou faire les deux :) !

Voici donc les deux défis de la semaine 4 : vive les bonnes graisses, et à bas le sucre ! 

OBJECTIF DE LA SEMAINE 4 : PLUS DE GRAISSES, MOINS DE SUCRES !

POURQUOI :

En effet, de plus en plus les recherches en nutrition ont démontré que ce n'était pas la graisse, mais le sucre qui nous faisait grossir.
Les régimes type Weight Watchers ont fait beaucoup de mal en diabolisant les lipides. 
Or toutes les graisses ne sont pas mauvaises, et si protéines et glucides sont essentiels à notre équilibre, les lipides le sont tout autant !
Encore une fois, en supprimant totalement les lipides type "je cuisine sans matière grasse", on se prive non seulement d'un élément essentiel pour l'équilibre de notre corps, mais en plus on ne comprend pas pourquoi on n'arrive pas à se débarrasser de ces kilos résistants ou de cette cellulite ! 

Parce que bien souvent cuisiner sans gras est motivé par une envie de perdre du gras justement, et bien...vous avez tout faux :)

Le sucre industriel, vous l'avez sûrement supprimé au courant de la semaine 2, en arrêtant les produits contenant du blé, car ils sont bien souvent blindés de sucre.
Vous pouvez facilement trouver le sucre en le lisant sur les étiquettes des aliments, qui indiquent le nombre de grammes glucides dont le nombre de grammes de sucre.
Et bien c'est ce sucre inutile qui nous fait gonfler, qui provoque des pics d'insuline et va ainsi nous faire stocker de la graisse.

Chez les femmes un excès de sucres se remarque souvent par la graisse logée au niveau abdominal !

COMMENT : 

Ce qu'on entend par "bonne graisse", ce sont les fameuses graisses insaturées :
- avocat
- olives
- huile : d'olive, de raisin, de coco ... 
- noix : noix, noisettes, noix de macadamia, amandes, noix de cajou, noix de pécan, ...
- beurre : de cacahuètes, d'amandes
- graines : de tournesol, de chanvre, de sésame, de courge
- poisson gras : saumon, thon, sardines, maquereau ...

Au quotidien : 

Cuisinez avec de l'huile de coco. C'est délicieux en plus ! Et les qualités de l'huile ne s'altèrent pas avec la chaleur, contrairement à l'huile d'olive.
Assaisonnez vos salades avec de l'huile d'olive ou de raisin.
Pour le goûter, piochez une poignée de noix plutôt qu'un gâteau.
Mangez régulièrement des poissons gras.
Pensez à ajouter à votre bol de flocons d'avoines les graines de chanvre, courge, tournesol..

En bref, n'ayez plus peur de consommer des lipides, ils ont tout bons ! 
Oubliez vos préjugés, et vous verrez le bien qu'ils peuvent faire à votre corps et votre ligne :) 

En ce qui concerne le sucre, vous avez sûrement déjà éliminé une bonne partie des mauvais sucres en éliminant le blé.
S'il vous en reste encore (en dehors de votre journée plaisir), c'est le moment d'essayer de les supprimer, vous ne vous en sentirez que mieux !

Mais il arrive qu'à certaines périodes du mois, on ait juste envie de se ruer sur le pot de nutella malgré toutes nos bonnes résolutions... Si vous savez que ca va vous arriver, n'essayez pas de l'ignorer, et essayez plutôt de composer avec, en vous préparant un jour à l'avance un bon dessert qui satisfaira vos envies tout en limitant les dégâts !! 

Je suis fan de l'excellent blog Chocolate Covered Katie, un ptit bout de femme qui assume son amour pour le chocolat et en montrant comment l'intégrer à une alimentation saine !
Ce blog est plein de recettes délicieuses, de variantes de bombes caloriques tout en conservant le goût d'interdit qu'on aime tant !

Jessica Smith a aussi compilé quelques recettes pour faire face aux jours où on a juste envie de se ruer sur le sucré.

LE CHALLENGE

1) Intégrez des bonnes graisses à votre alimentation quotidienne !! Seul moment où la consommation de graisses même saines est déconseillé : après votre séance de sport.
Pour le reste, oubliez vos préjugés, et sachez qu'en allant vers les graisses insaturées vous allez vers un corps plus sain !

ET/OU

1) Supprimez les sucres de votre alimentation, en conservant bien sûr votre journée plaisir hebdomadaire !
Non seulement il existe plein d'équivalents délicieux, qui vous feront découvrir de nouvelles saveurs, mais en plus le sucre agit comme une drogue, donc moins vous en consommerez, moins vous en aurez envie ! Et rien de plus satisfaisant que de se rendre compte qu'on est libéré de cette addiction au sucre !

2) Cette semaine 4 c'est la semaine de l'apothéose, la dernière ligne droite, si vous aviez un peu lâché le wagon c'est le moment de s'y raccrocher ! On finit en feu d'artifice !

• On ajoute les bonnes graisses et/ou on supprime le sucre
• On veille à consommer assez de protéines
• On supprime le blé 6j/7
• On consomme un grand verre de légumes verts tous les jours
• On ne boit que de l'eau 
• On s'octroie une journée plaisir, zéro culpabilité, une fois par semaine !

...et on fait le bilan à la fin de la semaine !!

Bonne semaine à toutes et tous !!

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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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5 Back Training Mistakes You Aren’t Even Aware You Are Making

The muscles comprising your back belong to the biggest and most complex groups of muscles in your body. If we began to analyze them separately we would see that they are actually two separate groups of several bigger and smaller muscles, like the rhomboids, trapezius muscles, teres major and minor, the lats (latisimus dorsi) and the spinal erectors.

They all act as the primary back movers and stabilizers. Just because of the fact that there are so many muscles makes back training one of the more complex tasks in the gym. The majority of people have absolutely no clue about the multitude of training mistakes they are constantly making. That is why they execute the exercises with a very poor body posture and form. This goes especially for deadlifts and bent-over rows. This epidemic of poor exercise execution leads to injuries to the spinal ligaments and various other very serious injuries. In this article, we present to you the five most common back training mistakes lifters make. You might like : Five Tips to Lose the Stubborn Back Fat Forgetting to retract the scapula and having a loose spine during the lift Scapular retraction and keeping you back arched will allow the spine to be in a neutral position during the execution of any movement. Having a loose spine during exercising will put an enormous strain on the ligaments of the lower back, increasing the likelihood of a back injury tremendously. When you retract the scapula and keep the spine and torso tight and rigid and in a neutral position, you engage the back muscles, putting the ligaments into a much safer and proper position. Spine hyper-extension or extending your back too much This is a very common mistake seen in many inexperienced lifters. It is most commonly seen at the top position of a deadlift, but it can also be seen during back extensions, where lifters often go above the healthy movement range of the joint and expose themselves to the risk of injury. You need to be aware of the fact that hyper-extending your back is not a safe position for the spine, even more so if you add additional load to it. It puts a tremendous stress on the posterior vertebras and can cause slipped discs.

Not incorporating dynamic stretching and exercises for shoulder mobility This might sound a bit counterintuitive at first, doing shoulder mobility exercises on a back day, but stay with us. The answer is actually very simple. The majority of back muscles share a same insertion point in the shoulder girdle. That’s why the lack of healthy shoulder mobility and tightness in the back muscles can ultimately cause serious shoulder and back injuries. Dynamic stretching and mobility exercises will improve the mobility of your joints, their range of movement and promote elasticity in the fascia which will ultimately lead to a diminished risk of injury. Using straps or belts too much If you already haven’t got some medical reasons to use them, using them should never be a standard practice. The reason why belts are used is to create air pressure in your abdominal cavity that will protect the spine while you are lifting relatively heavy loads. Using it every time, though, defeats its purpose in a way since you won’t allow the core to strengthen itself in a proper way, leaving a weak link in the posterior chain. The same goes for straps. Using them too often won’t allow you to strengthen your grip, which is a crucial part of any proper training regimen. Using a grip that is too wide It’s not uncommon to see lifters use extremely wide grip when doing pull-ups, lat pull-downs or bent-over barbell rows, with the false notion that using a very wide grip will somehow widen the lats. On the contrary, pulling like this can lead to a shoulder joint injury. The optimal wide grip is a bit wider than a shoulder-width grip and should serve you well in all pulling movements. You can achieve the desirable wide and thick look of your back with the proper training of the back muscles which can be safely done with the proper pulling grip. You might like : Protect Your Back With This Daily Routine
 This article originally appeared on :fitnessandpower.com .

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8 Awesome Exercises to Get In Shape Quick

Are you enjoying yourself by eating lots of food with your family and friends, but you don’t know how you should lose the excess body fat that builds up from consuming too many calories? If so, then you need to know the most effective exercises needed to get back in shape in a short period of time.

Most of these exercises should be well-known to you, so all you need to do is stick to it – and repeat these exercises more often until you reach your desired results.

1. Push-Ups

-Doing lots of push-ups is a great way to not only strengthen your chest, triceps and biceps, but also lose excess body fat. So, make sure you perform more push-ups not only in the gym but also while you’re at home and in your spare time.

Start doing push-ups by touching the floor with your palms beneath your shoulders while keeping the core straight. Then, slowly lower yourself until your chest is an inch away from the floor and return to the starting position.

2. Pistol Sit-Ups

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This is another exercise you can do wherever you want, like push-ups, because you don’t need equipment to perform it. Complete pistol sit-ups by lifting your right leg to a 90-degree position so that your left leg would be parallel to the ground.

After that, do everything the same as you do while performing regular sit-ups but use only one leg. Make sure to keep yourself balanced so you don’t fall on the floor.

3. Deadlifts

If you want to perform more challenging exercises, you should do deadlifts as they put a lot of strain on your back and legs.

Begin deadlifting by standing behind a grounded barbell. Bend your knees so you can grab the barbell while keeping your back and hips straight. Then, push your hips to lift the bar upright and finally push your hips back to lower the bar.

4. Bent Over Rows

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This is another exercise that requires using heavy weights to build muscle mass and burn calories. Also, it’s especially great for those who want to strengthen their traps.

-Begin this exercise by holding a barbell in your hands while making sure your knees are bent and your body is almost parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your back straight and core tight as you row the barbell closer your chest, then lower the weight to the starting position.

Continued on the next page… 

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                          

This article originally appeared on :  spotmebro.com

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Here’s Why Training Every Muscle Group Twice Per Week Can Result In Faster Muscle Growth

The three pillars of bodybuilding: training, nutrition, and recovery are meant for one ultimate goal only – muscle growth. The scientific word for it is ‘hypertrophy’. If you want to trigger the process of hypertrophy in our muscle tissue, we need to incorporate mechanical stress to those muscles, i.e. training. If training is a must, that leaves us with an important question. And that question is how often do we need to train each muscle group? If we are to give an exact answer to this question, we need to delve into the mechanism behind muscle growth.

-Having the mRNA as a blueprint, the ribosome begins to take the amino acids within the intracellular pool and start connecting them together with peptide bonds to form new contractile proteins. Those proteins will then be incorporated into the existing cells and micro-damaged muscle fibers. This process actually recuperates them and makes them bigger. This whole process is also known as ‘muscle protein synthesis’.

The duration of hypertrophy

Protein synthesis is limited in time as any bodily process. It’s been measured actually. Its increase is practically eliminated in a 36-hour time windows. Those using steroids have an enhanced synthesis mechanism which makes them grow huge in a short amount of time. That’s why for natural trainees, training every muscle group within 48 hours is not just beneficial, it is also crucial. To make sure that you exercise each muscle group two times a week, we suggest you try these three training splits:

Upper/Lower Split Routine For Strength and Mass 

This article originally appeared on : fitnessandpower.com

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9 Often Overlooked Signs Your Body is Full of Toxins (Plus How to Naturally Detox)

The modern life has its benefits, but also its flaws. Day in and day out we pollute our body with different toxins and harmful substances. We live in a world with contaminated air, eat genetically engineered food treated with pesticides and hormones. Moreover, instead of trying to alleviate this situation, we aggravate it even more using different medications, drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. All in all, we put our health in great risk consciously and unconsciously. Because of this, it is very important to cleanse our body, so that it can continue to function properly.

These are the symptoms that we should not ignore:

1. Headaches

If the toxins are present in your body in excess, they can affect the central nervous system, thus causing headaches.

2. Increased abdominal fat

The presence of abdominal fat is one of the most obvious signs that your body is accumulating toxins. They hinder the ability of the body to regulate the glucose levels and cholesterol. They also alter the hormonal levels in our bodies.

3. Skin problems

The toxins in your body can also lead to skin problems. This comes as a result your body trying to get rid of them by using a natural process. Hence, the occurrence of inflammations, itching or facial redness.

4. Overheating

When our body is full of toxins, the liver kicks in trying to eliminate them. Yet, too many toxins can overburden the liver, forcing it to work harder. This, in turn, results with the liver releases extra heat, thus overheating the body.

-5. Low energy

When we have too many toxins in our system, we are always feeling exhausted and low in energy.

6. Congested sinuses

The contaminated air affects the sinuses, and as a result it can cause congestion of our sinuses.

7. Insomnia

High toxin levels in our tissues obstruct the blood circulation, which results in sleep difficulties and insomnia.

8. Gall bladder difficulties

Increased deposits of toxins in the liver trigger heavy production of bile, which results with a clogged gall bladder.

9. White or yellow tongue

If you notice white or yellow coating on your tongue, then your bloodstream is probably flooded with toxins.

Methods of detoxification

After covering the basic symptoms, we can turn to explaining some of the most efficient methods of detoxification.

Epsom Salt Bath

As a matter of fact, Epsom Salt is not salt. It is a compound of magnesium and sulfate, naturally occurring as a pure mineral in the bitter saline spring at Epsom in England. Hence its name. Both magnesium and sulfate are easily absorbed by the skin, which makes Epsom salt baths extremely efficient as detoxifiers, with the added bonus of pure enjoyment and relaxation. Sulfates help in detoxification of the cells by improving the absorption of nutrients and eliminating the metals. Magnesium, on the other hand, plays many different roles in our body. It regulates the enzymes activity, helps the function of muscles and nerves, and prevents artery hardening.

Fill your bathtub with warm water, and add a few cups of Epsom salt. Soak for 15 minutes, three days a week. It does wanders for eliminating the toxins, and alleviating headaches. However, you should have in mind that Epsom salt baths are not recommendable for individuals suffering of heart problems and/or high blood pressure.

Green Tea

Green tea’s reputation for being one of the most powerful plants when it comes to eliminating free radical is not accidental. It abounds in antioxidants, most notably epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG), which prevent toxic damage of the liver.

Lemons

The heath benefits of lemons are numerous. In addition to being one of the most powerful detoxifiers, lemon juice greatly helps the alkalization process of the body. It is also a trigger of bile production in the liver and stimulate minerals intake as well as absorption. Their high concentration of vitamin C, makes them ideal for boosting the immune system.
Furthermore, lemons are rich in antioxidants, particularly the antioxidant called d-limonene, which is most present in the peal. It activates the liver enzyme that helps in eliminating many toxic compounds.
For more than obvious reasons, it is advisable to regularly drink lemon juice mixed in warm water every day as soon as you wake up.
As an alternative, mix half cup of lemon juice with one tablespoon of honey and one teaspoon cayenne pepper. Add half a cup of warm water. Consume one cup daily for a period of one month.

This article originally appeared on : fitnessandpower.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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