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BetterU
News Issue #62
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8 Ways to Train the Forearms For Maximum Grip Strength and Size - Wrist Curls Not Included! Lagging
forearm size or grip strength holding you back? Check
out these unique exercises and techniques for developing
bone-crushing grip strength and bowling pin forearms! |
The
EDT Fat Loss Solution - Lose 1/2% Fat Per Week With NO
Dietary Changes
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Secret Training Tip #155 - How To Do Pull-Ups At Home When You Don't Have a Pull-Up Bar Pull-Ups
are one of THE single best back (and upper body!) exercises
you can do. But what do you do if you train at home and
don't have access to a pull-up bar? Simple. You do this... |
Training Equipment Review - Terrell Owens Super Strong Man Home Gym System by Bodylastics What
could be more convenient than having a whole gym's worth
of exercises you can pack into a small bag and bring with
you anywhere you go! Convenient, yes, but can you get
an effective workout with resistance tubing home gyms?
Find out here! |
Independent
clothing label empowers
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FREE Fitness Articles For Your Website! Increase your site traffic now! Use the professionally-written fat loss, muscle-building and exercise articles you find in the BetterU News Archive FREE on your website. |
NOTE: All
articles in BetterU News are written by Nick Nilsson -
http://www.fitstep.com/ unless otherwise credited.
8 Ways to Train the Forearms For Maximum Grip Strength and Size - Wrist Curls Not Included!Lagging forearm size or grip strength holding you back? Check out these unique exercises and techniques for developing bone-crushing grip strength and bowling pin forearms! |
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I'll be honest…direct forearm and grip training is something you don't see a whole lot of people doing in the gym. It's not glamorous, it's hard work, it takes time away from more "viewable" bodyparts, and the training it takes to really get results can be downright painful! So that intro didn't send you packing? Good. That means you're serious about building stronger forearms and better grip strength! NOW we can get started. Grip strength is extremely useful in so many ways…the stronger your grip, the heavier the weight you can lift and the longer you can hold it. In the majority of heavy pulling exercises, grip strength is the limiting factor. Building thick, meaty forearms is a great physique enhancement - quite often, the forearms are the only visible muscles that aren't covered up by clothing! I've found that the most effective forearm and grip strength exercises AREN'T the typical wrist curls you see many people doing in the gym. Sure, you can get a good pump and a good burn when doing them but how practical are they when it comes to "real world" gripping? The following exercises, tips and techniques are all about "practical." Here they are in no particular order:
Get a bucket and some playground sand from a home improvement store (it's about 3 or 4 bucks for a bag of 50 lbs so it's really not expensive). Fill the bucket up with sand. Now dive your hand into the bucket and start working your fingers through the sand. A few minutes of this and your forearms and all the small muscles in your hand will be fried! Switch to the other hand and go again. The sand provides excellent all-over resistance for maximizing the effects on the hands, fingers and forearms. 2. Squeezing a Tennis Ball If you can't afford a fancy gripper, just get an old tennis ball and squeeze it repeatedly while you're watching TV. Hockey legend Gordie Howe used to do this constantly and he had some of the strongest forearms (and one of the hardest slapshots!) in the NHL. Simple, convenient and effective. No excuses. 3. Barbell Static Holds Set up a barbell in a power rack with the rails set just above your knee level. Load up a bar (use moderate weight to start with). Now stand BESIDE the bar, reach down and grip it in the center with ONE hand. Stand up with the bar and just hold it for as long as you can until your grip gives out. Not only are you fighting directly against gravity, you're also fighting to balance the bar in one hand. Very effective on the forearms and on the grip! 4. Farmers Walks Grab a pair of heavy dumbells and go for a walk. Literally. Just pick them up and walk until you can't hold onto the dumbells anymore! Gripping heavy objects while walking creates a lot of instability, which will work the forearms very strongly. And it doesn't have to just be limited to dumbells…there are Farmer's Walk handles that you can buy that work for this. You can also use a couple of EZ Curl bars loaded up and get the benefits of the Farmer's Walk AND the barbell static holds. Heck even walking with a couple of pails of that sand from the first tip is another way to go. Don't limit yourself to conventional items…even a couple of heavy bags of dog food will work! 5. Thick Bar Exercises Gripping around a larger diameter is a not-so-secret "secret" that strength competitors often use to develop grip strength. Gripping around a thicker bar puts a very different stress on the grip and forearms, resulting in fast improvements in those areas. You can use bars that are built thick for this (you may have seen "Fat Bars"), or you can use other things to make your own thick bars. Tape is often used to accomplish this (wrapping tape around a bar or dumbell handle repeatedly until it's thicker in size). A technique I like to use is to get some foam pipe insulation from the hardware store, cut off a couple of 5 inch sections then set THOSE on the bar. Grip on those when you're doing you're training and you'll notice a big different in forearm activation (it's dirt-cheap and TEMPORARY, which is nice if you train in a commercial gym which would frown on you wrapping duct tape around their bars). Check it out in more detail here: http://www.staleytraining.com/articles/nick-nilsson/make-your-own-thick-handles.htm 6. Do Reverse Curls Not reverse wrist curls…actual Reverse Barbell Curls. This will hit the forearms very strongly AND, as you fatigue, your grip will get a great workout because it's the only thing keeping the bar from dropping out of your hands (not the case with regular barbell curls). Secret
Training Tip #733 - Reverse Grip Curls - How This Underused,
Underrated Exercise Can Unleash Your Arm Size 7. Don't Use Wrist Straps This is a simple thing but very important. If you constantly use wrist wraps or other grip assistance, you'll never fully develop your own grip strength, which will limit you in the long run. It's fine to use grip assistance once in awhile and for maximum lifts, but the more you rely on them, the less grip strength and forearm development you'll get. 8. Hanging Sounds easy enough, right? Grab a chin-up bar and just hang from it until you can't hold on anymore. And I mean until you're hanging by your fingertips and then you slip off the bar because your hands lock up with lactic acid. You'll get a great stretch in your upper body and you'll improve your grip strength at the same time.
If you're
looking for forearm size and maximum grip strength but wrist
curls aren't doing the job, change things up with these
techniques. They're easy to implement and VERY effective
- no excuses for not getting results! |
The EDT Fat Loss Solution - Lose 1/2% Fat Per Week With NO Dietary Changes - Guest Article by Charles Staley and Alwyn CosgroveRapid changes in body composition are the hallmark of Charles Staley's Escalating Density Training program. In this article, Charles gives you the exact blueprint he and Alwyn Cosgrove use to achieve a 2% drop in bodyfat per month with ZERO dietary changes. |
By Alwyn Cosgrove, CSCS and Charles Staley, MSSSince the inception of the Escalating Density Training system, one of the most common inquiries we receive at the office is "When are you going to write about EDT for fat loss?"
This EDT cycle is simple, brief and yet quite brutal. You’ll perform (3) 15-Minute "PR Zones" where you’ll attempt to accumulate as many total reps as possible and then improve upon that number every workout (see "EDT Loading Parameters" for more details). Each and every workout you know how long it’ll last and you also know exactly what you need to accomplish. It’s that simple. Here’s your program, make exercise substitutions if equipment or injury restrictions warrant.
First
PR Zone (15 Minutes) Rest: 5 Minutes Second
PR Zone (15 Minutes) Rest: 5 Minutes Third
PR Zone (15 Minutes)
First
PR Zone (15 Minutes) Rest: 5 Minutes Second
PR Zone (15 Minutes) Rest: 5 Minutes Third
PR Zone (15 Minutes)
First
PR Zone (15 Minutes) Rest: 5 Minutes Second
PR Zone (15 Minutes) Rest: 5 Minutes Third
PR Zone (15 Minutes)
In Fat Loss EDT, I don’t increase the loads until you perform 30% more reps. I think the higher volume helps with fat loss (this assumes a good load selection initially). Another rule I use is that the eccentric phase should be controlled, the concentric should be accelerative.
For those not yet familiar with EDT’s unique loading parameters, here’s the nuts and bolts: Escalating Density Training is based on the concept of doing more and more work from workout to workout. Therefore, it’s critical that your exercise biomechanics (i.e., technique) is consistent on every workout. If you perform strict curls on one workout and loose form the next, you aren’t really doing more work (for the arms at least!)
As an example, you might begin by performing sets of 5 with very short (10-15 second) rests. As you begin to fatigue, you’ll increase your rest intervals as you drop down to sets of 4, then 2, and as the time limit approaches, you might crank out a few singles in an effort of accomplish as many repetitions as possible in the time allotted.
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His colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results. His counter-intuitive approach and self-effacing demeanor have lead to appearances on NBC’s The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show. Currently, Charles competes in Olympic-style weightlifting on the master’s circuit, with a 3-year goal of qualifying for the 2009 Master’s World Championships.
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If you've got 15 minutes, 3 times a week, then you've got time to get GREAT results with Charles Staley's "Escalating Density Training" system! Click
here to learn more about EDT 
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Lose
30 in Thirty - Fat-Loss Manual
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Internationally recognized fitness expert Rocco Castellano has decided to let the general public in on the methods he uses to help celebrities lose 30 pounds in thirty days. Rocco is the go-to guy for beauty pageant contestants, professional athletes, models, and music and film stars who need to lose weight fast. He's been producing spectacular results for these high paid people for years. Castellano has proven over and over again that anybody can lose weight and quickly. But know this...you won't find any coddling here. In fact, he's downright blunt about the fact that your weight is your fault. Although it may be tough to hear, it also empowers people to know that they CAN lose the weight. You just have to do exactly what Rocco tells you to do. |
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One of the best parts of Lose 30 in Thirty is that it cuts through all the BS that's out there concerning weight loss. There are people making a fortune by selling "secrets" that are really a bunch of bull. That kind of thing makes Rocco fighting mad. He's made it his personal mission to tell people the truth so that they can finally get the results they need instead of just wasting their time and their hard-earned money. "Lose 30 in Thirty" isn't just about losing weight and inches, though. It's really about reshaping your body. Those beauty contestants wouldn't look very good in their swim suits if they had saggy skin hanging on their stomachs, would they? Rocco will guide you through everything it takes to make your body firm and lifted in all the right places. And you'll likely become healthier in the process. If you are serious about wanting to lose weight fast, "Lose 30 in Thirty" is an excellent choice! |
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Secret Training Tip #155 - How To Do Pull-Ups At Home When You Don't Have a Pull-Up BarPull-Ups are one of THE single best back (and upper body!) exercises you can do. But what do you do if you train at home and don't have access to a pull-up bar? Simple. You do this... |
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So you're training at home and you don't have a place to put a chin-up bar. Or you don't have a power rack with a chin-up bar on it. No problem! I've got a couple of simple items that are going to totally change the way you look at hardware stores… What are those items? C-clamps…
This setup is not only cheap and easy but very versatile. Because you can clamp on anywhere you like, you can change the grip width very easily. You can start with close grip chins then move a clamp out further and do neutral-grip wide-grip pull-ups. You can set the clamps on two different rafters and do regular wide-grip pull-ups. Heck, you can shift the clamps around to almost any position and do a HUGE variety of mixed-grip pull-ups. The options are many. At this point, I'm sure you're thinking "sounds great, but are they solid?" Definitely. I weigh about 200 lbs and once solidly clamped on, mine did not budge the slightest bit. And this was with me TRYING to pull them loose. I even did pull-ups on just ONE clamp and it didn't budge. So if you train at home and have been looking for a pull-up solution, head over to the hardware store a.s.a.p. and go grab your C-clamps! For pictures and video of the C-clamp pull-ups in action (multiple variations of pull-up exercises), click on the following link: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue62-clamps.htm --- On a side note, you can also use those C-clamps to anchor training bands. I use the clamps when I'm doing bench presses adding band resistance (great training explosiveness out of the bottom). The rack I have doesn't have posts for attaching bands so I put the clamps onto the bottom base rails and tie the bands onto those. It's quick and easy and really works well! Here's a link to the bands I use: |
Training Equipment Review - Terrell Owens Super Strong Man Home Gym System by BodylasticsWhat could be more convenient than having a whole gym's worth of exercises you can pack into a small bag and bring with you anywhere you go! Convenient, yes, but can you get an effective workout with resistance tubing home gyms? Find out here! |
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I've gotta be honest…I've always been a little leery of celebrity-endorsed products. When I see a product being marketed by personality more than performance, I get suspicious. So when I was approached to review the Terrell Owens Super Strong Man Home Gym System, I was very curious to see if the sales copy would match the potential results a person could get with it.
The Super Strong Man Home Gym System is basically rubber tubing with clips on the ends so you can attach handles and ankle straps (included with the package). The handle design gives you the ability to attach all SEVEN bands at once, giving you tremendous potential total resistance but plenty of increments in between for more targeted resistance on exercises that don't merit as much resistance.
The REAL test comes down to two things: the quality of the materials and the effectiveness of available exercises to perform with the bands.
When it comes to elastic tubing, Bodylastics is an industry leader. They've been doing this for 10 years and (according to their website) were one of the first companies to attach clips onto the end of elastic tubing to allow you to use handles with tubing. The tubing is definitely top-quality. This stuff will take a beating without any trouble. The handles are good - they're not solid steel like you see on cable machines at the gym, but they hold up very well to the heaviest exercises and they're comfortable on the hands. The door anchor is a great idea and works like a charm. It really expands the number of exercises you can do with the bands. So quality…no problems there. This package is solid in that department.
Here's where my own personal bias comes out a little bit…I've never been a big fan of tubing training. I've tried many tubing-based exercises - some have been fine and some just don't work at all for me. That being said, if YOU find tubing exercises to be effective, you will be VERY happy with this home gym package. The number of exercises you can perform with it is quite large (they state 140 in their marketing materials but really, there is a plenty more you can do with it - you'll only be limited by your imagination). Rows, chest presses, shoulder presses, squats, lunges, curls, pushdowns, extensions, leg curls…you name it, you'll be able to duplicate the movement with this home gym system. As far as tubing exercises go, this tubing system definitely gets the job done very effectively. The main issue I have with tubing exercises is that of the strength curve - when the band is not stretched, you get NO resistance. As you stretch the band, the resistance increases. This matches the strength curve of some exercises well enough but not others. For example, when squatting, you'll get almost no resistance at the bottom of the exercise but as you squat up, the resistance increases. That matches the strength curve nicely but I kinda like having some resistance at the bottom! Also, the stretch positions of the muscles are not worked well because of this strength curve limitation. For example, when doing a flye type of exercise for the chest, you'll get very little tension with your arms out wide in the stretch position - it's all at the top like a cable cross-over. In my experience, tension in the stretch position is very important for optimal results. But overall, will this home gym help you build muscle and strength? Absolutely. Is it better than free weight or bodyweight training. In my opinion, no - not better but different. Where band and tubing training DOES shine is in training for explosiveness. When you train with free weights, part of what holds you back in strength and explosiveness is that your body also has to work to decelerate the load before it gets to the end of the line. For example, when doing a bench press, if you press a light bar explosively and don't slow it down, it'll pop right out of your hands! Therefore, your muscles won't fire quite as strongly throughout the movement because they know they're going to have to slow the limbs down at the end of the movement anyway. This is known as "deceleration inhibition" and it can hold you back in strength and explosiveness. But when you use bands or tubing, the increased resistance as you come to the end of the exercise slows your limbs down. Your muscles don't have to do that work anymore. This removes some of that "deceleration inhibition," allowing you dramatically improve your explosiveness. Powerlifters use bands in their training to accomplish this goal - they combine free weight and bands to improve explosiveness. Tubing functions exactly the same as a training band in that it helps improve explosive contractions of the muscles. You'll read in the marketing copy how Terrell Owens noticed a decline in his on-field performance when he stopped using band training.
If you're looking for a compact home-gym system that travels well, the Terrell Owens Super Strong Man Home Gym system is definitely worth looking into. It's made from high-quality materials is well hold up very well no matter how much abuse you heap onto it. If you've tried tubing-based training and it works well for you, this is a great system to work with and one I would have no trouble recommending for you. It's not something I would as my only training equipment but would I use it as an additional tool in my arsenal? Absolutely. I would use it in conjunction with free weight and bodyweight exercises. Also, this home gym system is an excellent option when travelling, especially if you're going somewhere where you'll limited gym options. You can attach the bands to your hotel door and start training within a few seconds. Because of the range of bands and the multiple included handles, it's great for several simultaneous users. To learn more about the T.O. Super Strong Man Home Gym, click on the following link: |
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