5 Classic Exercises Made Even Harder

Basic exercises like the squat and bench press bring the best results, but that doesn't mean you can't alter them to make them more challenging and fun. If your routine needs a new beat, try these 5 classic-exercise remixes!

Legendary golden age bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger relied on basic, bread-and-butter exercises like the squat, dead lift, bench press, dip, and of course, the Arnold press to get strong and build world-changing physiques. Since their heyday, these exercises have become contemporary staples in strength and bodybuilding routines everywhere.

If these exercises are in your routine, congratulations—you're making Arnold proud! However, as long as you're not trading out heavy compound movements for some weak-ass exercise, it's a good idea to occasionally alter your exercise selection to prevent stagnation and encourage continued adaptation.

Because I like to try new things, but don't want to compromise my strength gains, I've taken to putting some new twists on classic exercises. In my eyes, classic exercises are a little like classic songs: The originals will always be great, but an occasional remix can be awesome, especially if it's done well.

That's why I've taken five classic exercises and made them even more challenging. My approach has always been a willingness to try anything. I know that if I don't try something crazy, I'm not going to get crazy results. Try these exercise variations, up the ante, and get to work!

1 

ORIGINAL ARNOLD PRESS
REMIX INCLINE ARNOLD PRESS

 

This exercise is my own unique twist on the Arnold press, a great movement created by the legend himself. On its own, the Arnold press hits every part of the shoulder, but I added a twist to make it more of a chest movement to help my bench press.

Instead of doing the Arnold press sitting completely upright, I lie back a little on an incline bench. Combined with the Arnold press movement pattern, this slight lean-back engages my pecs more than an upright press. Because more and bigger muscles are involved in this variation, I can use more weight. The incline Arnold press has helped me get over some stubborn bench-press plateaus time and time again. It's also a great twist on regular incline dumbbell presses because it challenges your stability and teaches you how to use power and explosion to get out of the hole.

2 

ORIGINAL DEADLIFT
REMIX DEADLIFT WITH BANDS

 

Ever since I got to know famed Westside Barbell founder Louie Simmons and his coaching techniques, I've been using bands with great success. Bands are a great method for adding intensity to any movement. I especially like using them on the deadlift.

For most people, the hardest part of hitting a deadlift is finishing it. If you struggle with the lockout portion of the lift, bands can play a big part in assisting you.

Bands are tough because they can make the initial pull feel impossible, so you have to focus on being explosive off the ground or the bands will eat you up. As the bar rises, the resistance just gets more intense, helping you focus on really locking out at the top. Using bands has been a huge help for me. My deadlift numbers have increased dramatically as I've gotten better at lifting with them.

3 

ORIGINAL SQUAT
REMIX PAUSE SQUAT

 

If there's any exercise that screams "classic," it's definitely the squat. I've squatted for over 500 days in a row now. I'll tell you what—squatting that often just makes me love the exercise more.

Putting a pause at the bottom of your front or back squats is a great way to challenge the stability of your hips, core, and entire lower body. It's also an incredible way to build explosiveness in the movement, a key factor in increasing your squat numbers.

You can implement a variety of pause variations into your squat sets. You can do a quick 1-second pause with a heavy weight, 3-second pauses, 5-second pauses, or even 10-, 20-, or 30-second pauses. Apply some or all of these pause variations into your squat training and it won't be long before you see the benefits.

4 

ORIGINAL MUSCLE-UP
REMIX SEATED MUSCLE-UP WITH MEDICINE BALL

 

I've always liked how Arnold did dips. He would drop low enough to get a great stretch, and he concentrated on squeezing his chest and triceps. Because of this, I like to think of weighted muscle-ups as really hard dips.

Start from a seated position and put a medicine ball between your legs. Then, try to pull your chest up to the rings and thrust your torso forward through them. Once you're in that position, extend your elbows like you're locking out a dip.

Not only is this movement difficult on its own, but adding a 20-pound medicine ball will make it even more challenging, and of course, more beneficial. Your shoulders, core, and triceps will all feel the difficulty.

This remix does take some practice to master, so start light and work your way up.

5 

ORIGINAL BENCH PRESS
REMIX 28-METHOD BENCH PRESS

 

The 28 Method is a great way to add extra intensity to pretty much any movement, but in this case, it really takes the bench press to another level. If you feel like your bench-press progress has stalled, try 28s to restart your benchin' engine.

The bench press might be your favorite movement now, but after doing a few sets of 7 regular reps, 7 slow reps, 7 quarter-reps from the bottom, and 7 quarter-reps from the top, you'll definitely be cursing it.

This combination of rep styles turns the bench press into an absolute burner, giving you an unbelievable pump in the process. You won't be able to use much weight—trust me on this—but it's a great method to finish off your chest workout.

First-Time Fitness: 10 Pro Tips For Beginners

Education is one of the most important tools in a gym-goer's repertoire. Learn a little more about training, nutrition, and supplementation from these 10 pros!

Success in fitness hinges on education. Without at least some knowledge about nutrition, training, motivation, and supplementation, your New Year's resolutions for better health in 2014 may are in serious danger.

The Internet is full of videos, articles, and blogs for your fitness edification. Why not use them to your advantage? We have some of the best voices in the industry right here, and they want to help you achieve your goals.

These 10 professional athletes are the real deal. They know all about training and nutrition and can help guide you through the most difficult part of any transformation story: the beginning.

Read on for 10 great tips from the pros!

1

KELECHI OPARA 

When you begin training, keep Pareto's Principle in mind: 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of the causes. In other words, out of your entire exercise program, only 20 percent of the movements will produce results. Unless you're in a very early stage of your training journey, the other 80 percent won't likely help much.

"COMPOUND MOVEMENTS WILL ELICIT A BETTER HORMONAL RESPONSE FOR BUILDING MUSCLE THAN ISOLATION MOVEMENTS WILL."

To make the most out of your 20 percent, use compound movements. Exercise movements that require two or muscle groups to perform are better than isolation movements, which only require one muscle group.

Compound movements will elicit a better hormonal response for building muscle than isolation movements will. You'll always get better results with an exercise program that centers around compound movements.

2

KELLY RENNIE 

Ask almost any pro, and they'll tell you that regardless of your training goals, healthy eating is the backbone.

Food is what fuels your body to reach your goals. Without proper nutrition through quality foods, you're likely to stall.

Stick to whole foods—organic whenever possible—that offer a balanced blend of complex carbohydrates, complete proteins, and fats.

Supplement your diet where necessary, but avoid processed and packaged foods devoid of multiple nutrients.

3

ALEX CARNEIRO 

The key to success in any aspect of fitness will always be nutrition. How you eat, when you eat, and what you eat will dramatically affect how you feel and look

Nutrition will affect every component of your lifestyle, so it should be balanced and coordinated with your desired goals.

Without the proper eating habits, say goodbye to any hope you have of building that lean, muscular, and strong body you might have in your mind.

Spend quality time researching what you should be eating and why.

Start by finding the right plan here on Bodybuilding.com!

4

JAQUELYN KAY KASTELIC 

My top tip for beginners is to lay out a plan! Plan out what days you'll be hitting the gym so you can start getting into a routine. It's important to take it slowly at first. Go to the gym three or four times per week. Go too often and you run the risk of getting burned out or injured. A great start would be to formulate a goal that says something like this: "My gym days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday."

"MY TOP TIP FOR BEGINNERS IS TO LAY OUT A PLAN!"

Once you've decided which days you'll go to the gym, make it a priority. If you can commit to those four days for 4-6 weeks, you'll take the first steps toward success. After this initial period, you can up those days in the gym to maybe five days per week. Or, you can write a new goal like: "I plan to get my first pull-up within three months."

Challenge yourself with small, attainable goals to keep your motivation high!

5

RYAN TAYLOR 

Many people say that achieving a healthier, better-looking body is 70 percent diet and 30 percent training. I believe it is 100 percent commitment to both.

Why work so hard in trying to transform your body only to feed it poor, high-calorie, low-nutrient food? It would be like putting regular gas in your diesel engine and hoping it runs smoothly.

The food you put in your mouth acts as fuel and has a direct impact on your body composition.

If you eat healthier, high-nutrient foods like lean meats, vegetables, good fats, and complex carbohydrates, your body will have the raw material to lose fat and build muscle.

6

DAYNA TAPPAN 

Ladies, don't be intimidated! I should know: The fear of weight training paralyzed me for many years.

I was only familiar with a treadmill, so I stuck to it like glue. I didn't get good results and my motivation sagged.

I finally enlisted a personal trainer to teach me the proper techniques for weight training and enrolled in free fitness classes of all sorts.

A trainer is a wonderful tool, but you can get a lot of information on Bodybuilding.com. The more you educate yourself, the more success you'll have with any fitness program. You can go from the wallflower to the leader of the pack.

Don't worry about how silly you look or if you don't have the latest gear. What matters is your dedication, drive, and persistence!

7

NOAH SIEGEL 

My most important tip for beginners is something called KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Stick to the big compound muscle-building movements and stay away from silly little machines and trickery. You have to build a house by creating a foundation, and nothing builds a foundation like heavy barbell movements.

"MY MOST IMPORTANT TIP FOR BEGINNERS IS SOMETHING CALLED KISS: KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID."

In your first six months of training, hit upper- and lower-body workouts three times per week. For example:

• Day 1: Squat, Bench Press, Bent-over Rows
• Day 2: Rest
• Day 3: Deadlift, Shoulder Press, Dumbbell Incline Bench
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: Squat, Bench Press, Lateral Raise, Pull-ups
• Day 6: Rest
• Day 7: Clean Up Day—Biceps, Triceps, Calves, and Abs

Repeat for four weeks straight and then re-establish your goal and what you'd like to achieve.

8

LINDSEY RENEE

Preparation is key to jump starting your healthy lifestyle! I know when I do not have my meals packed and my workout planned that it's much easier for me to make excuses to skip a meal or training session.

"GOING TO THE GYM WITHOUT A PLAN IS LIKE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE WITHOUT A LIST."

Going to the gym without a plan is like going to the grocery store without a list. Having your workouts prepared will help you stay on track and will prevent you from feeling lost, intimidated, or wondering what to do next.

The same goes for your meals! Having your meals packed will keep you away from the fast food drive-thru, especially when you're hungry. The few extra minutes you'll use to prepare your workout and meals will be well worth it.

9

TOBIAS YOUNG 

My number one tip for beginners is to develop a plan. Everyone wants to get in shape, but because so many people don't have a plan, there is a high failure rate. Four key elements belong in every new fitness plan:

1. Nutrition: Eat 4-6 meals per day to avoid cravings, keep blood sugar levels stable, and keep hunger at bay. If you want to gain weight, it takes more calories. If you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer. This may be old-school advice, but it works!
2. Cardio: Cardio is important for keeping body-fat levels in check, increasing endurance, and decreasing your risk of cardiovascular disease. Even in the offseason, I do 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) daily.
3. Strength Training: Even if your goal is fat loss, building muscle can help speed up your metabolism and burn many more calories, even when you're at rest. If muscle gain is the goal, then spending time with the iron is a no-brainer.
4. Supplementation: It's nearly impossible to get all of your necessary nutrients from food alone. Supplements can help fill gaps in your nutrition and may help you perform better in the gym.

10

JEN RANKIN THOMPSON 

Starting a new workout or nutrition program can be very exciting or very intimidating. It depends on how well you plan! If you set yourself up the right way, by making attainable goals, then you should feel more excited than nervous.

On the other hand, if you make your goals a little too far-fetched, you'll feel like you're about to walk over the edge of a huge cliff!

To begin, find a picture of your goal body. BodySpace is great for this, and so are Fitness 360s. Then, follow in your role model's footsteps!

Finding success in fitness requires a healthy nutrition plan, a regimented workout plan, a handful of nutritional supplements, and a community of like-minded people who can help you be accountable and can offer you support.

Don't believe that you can get there by taking shortcuts. The only way to achieve what you want will be through old-fashioned hard work, discipline, and determination. I believe if you shortcut your efforts, you ultimately shortchange your results.

Shoulder Workouts For Men: The 7 Best Routines For Bigger Delts

Whatever your goal, one of these 7 mass-building shoulder workouts can help you achieve it!

No two people work out exactly the same. Whether it's choice and sequence of exercises, how many sets to complete of each move, how heavy to go and reps completed, length of rest periods, or advanced training techniques and finishing moves, each lifter has his or her own workout DNA.

Among the 9.5 million users of Body Space, there are probably 9.5 million different shoulder workouts. Individuality can be a good thing, but certain principles make some routines better than others, especially for specific goals. So rather than present you with 9.5 million ways to train your delts—which would make this article slightly time-consuming to read—I've whittled it down to seven really great ones, each with a unique training goal.

Pay especially close attention to how exercise choice and order, weight/rep targets, volume, and advanced-training principles can be manipulated to fine-tune a routine for a specific goal. If you find one you like, try it for 4-8 weeks, then go back to your regular workout or try another from the list.

UPRIGHT CABLE ROW

WORKOUT NOTES

• These workouts don't include warm-up sets. Do as many as you need, but never take warm-ups to muscle failure.
• Choose a weight that allows you to reach muscle failure by the target-rep listed.
• If you have a spotter, do a few forced reps on your heaviest sets of overhead presses. If you don't have a partner, do a dropset on your last set of each exercise, reducing the weight by about 25 percent when you reach muscle failure and continuing on to a second point of muscle failure.

GOAL OVERALL DELT MASS

To build mass, always start your workout with the most demanding exercises—multi joint overhead presses, in the case of the delts—which allow you to push the most weight. In this mass workout, a second multi joint move is next, followed by single-joint moves for each of the three delts heads: front, middle, and rear. This is the foundation for a solid mass workout. Keeping the total volume fairly high also promotes muscle growth.

FRONT BARBELL RAISE

You can make the workout more challenging in several ways. For the overhead press, start by using dumbbells, which are slightly more difficult to control and have a slightly longer range of motion than a barbell. We'll also follow a reverse-pyramid scheme, which allows you to take more total sets to muscle failure. For the first 2 sets, you'll use a fairly heavy weight for a low rep target—just 6—to promote even greater strength gains than you might normally get when shooting for a slightly higher rep target. As you become increasingly fatigued, decrease the weight by about 5 pounds per side on subsequent sets. Finally, on your two heaviest sets, enlist a spotter who can provide you just enough help to keep the weight moving.

Because the front delts get so much work on chest day, and the middle delts take the brunt of the weight on overhead pressing moves, it's not uncommon for the rear delts to be the smallest—and weakest—of the three. In this workout, you'll do them before the other two, while you have a bit more energy in the tank. Feel free to rearrange the order of the single-joint moves based on your weaknesses, though. If you judge your delts to be fairly balanced, simply rotate the order of the single-joint movements from one workout to the next.

GOAL GREATER DELT DEFINITION

Lifting light weights for high reps is no longer considered the best approach to better defining the deltoids. This workout focuses on a stimulus to boost size first (moderate weight for moderate reps), then a high volume of work combined with supersets to increase the number of calories burned both during the workout and after (called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC). You'll be moving faster and really feeling the muscle burn.

CABLE FRONT RAISE

GOAL BUILDING A FOUNDATION

This basic routine consists of an overhead press plus a single-joint move for each of the three delt heads. When possible, start with machines to learn the feel of the motion before graduating to free weights. So long as you adjust the machine for your body mechanics, you're constrained to the proper motion.

MACHINE SHOULDER PRESS

Though jumping over to free weights will prove to be a challenge for your coordination initially, they're better for muscle-building in the long term. Start light to focus on proper form first. Add weight only when you can fully control the motion.

GOAL MIDDLE-DELT GROWTH

Making your shoulders appear wider requires emphasizing the middle delts. Doing so helps broaden your V-taper while creating the illusion of a smaller waist. The key to the workout, of course, is to do more movements that target the middle delts.

LEANING DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE

Besides additional exercises, you'll want to use slightly different angles for a slightly different training stimulus, and do middle-delt exercises earlier in your routine, when your strength levels are highest. You can alternate this routine with a more balanced delt workout (such as the mass workout) in your weekly split.

GOAL REAR-DELT GROWTH

Rear delts are commonly lagging for novices and bodybuilding pros alike. Simply put, they don't get as much stimulation, given that the front and middle delts are involved in chest- and shoulder-pressing moves. While the rears are called into action on back day, all too many lifters focus on mirror muscles.

CABLE REAR-DELT FLY

If your rears are in arrears, just follow this routine for 4-8 weeks—or alternate with a more balanced shoulder routine—to help bring them up.

GOAL FRONT-DELT EMPHASIS

If you like to train chest, you probably already have well-developed front delts. After all, they're engaged in all your pressing moves, especially inclines. But relatively weak anterior delts can be holding you back from a bigger chest, so here's a front-delt-focused workout you can use in place of your regular shoulder routine.

ARNOLD DUMBBELL PRESS

Separate your chest and shoulder workouts by at least 48 hours in your training split to ensure they're fully recovered between workouts.

GOAL PRE-EXHAUST YOUR DELTS

As with chest, the triceps can sometimes be a limiting factor in shoulder training, especially on your presses. If your triceps are always giving out before your shoulders feel completely stimulated, you'll never be able to take the delts to total failure on those multijoint exercises. This pre-exhaust technique addresses that issue. Here, you fatigue the delt heads with single-joint movements first, then do multijoint overhead presses while your triceps are still strong. That way, your delts should reach failure before your triceps do.

SMITH MACHINE UPRIGHT ROW

Even though you'll be stronger with the single-joint exercises because you're doing them first, avoid the temptation to go too heavy, because of the added stress to your elbows joints. Also, because you're already highly fatigued by the time you get to your presses, a machine version might be a bit safer.

By flip-flopping the order of the exercises, you'll be a little stronger on your single-joint movements but a bit weaker on your overhead presses, so adjust your weights accordingly.

6 Quick Bodybuilding Tips That Will Get You Faster Results!

Here are 6 quick bodybuilding tips that you should live by. Pay heed to these and you are going to be on the way to success... Use these for faster results!

Coming up with your perfect bodybuilding workout program and diet to match can seem like quite the process. You have to plan how many days a week you're going to workout, what exercises you will include in your program, how long your rest periods will be, how many reps you should perform for each exercise, and on and on it goes.

Many individuals do tend to feel slightly overwhelmed with the amount of information available out there as to what works 'best', and therefore take more time than they should to even get going.

You always must remember that half the battle is just getting started, so avoid going into too many details that are just going to hold you up from playing the game.

The sooner you can get into the gym and start actually pushing the weights, the sooner you will start building muscle and seeing your body transform into your ideal physique.

That said, you obviously do need to make sure you are following some sound strategies so that the workouts you are doing will help you build muscle. If you pay heed to these rules, chances are you are going to be on the way to success as long as you also are sure that the nutrition part of the equation is included as well.

 

THE SOONER YOU CAN GET INTO THE GYM, THE SOONER YOU WILL START SEEING YOUR BODY TRANSFORM INTO YOUR IDEAL PHYSIQUE.

6 BODYBUILDING TIPS FOR RESULTS

TIP 1: FOCUS ON LIFTING MORE WEIGHT OVER TIME

The first bodybuilding tip that will make the single biggest difference on your rate of muscle gain is whether you are able to consecutively add more weight to the bar.

It's not going to matter how many fancy principles you use, if you aren't increasing the sheer amount you are lifting over a few months of time, you aren't building muscle as quickly as you should be.

The number one priority of any muscle gaining bodybuilding workout program should be lifting heavier and heavier weights.

When you get 'stuck' and aren't able to bump the weight up higher, that's when you start tinkering with other strategies such as drop sets, super sets, etc., as a means to help increase the body's potential, so that in a few more weeks, you can bump it up to the next weight level.

All those fancy protocols will definitely have an advantage down the road once you've attained a level of musculature you're satisfied with, but until that point, you should use them intermittently when you're unable to lift heavier.

THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF ANY MUSCLE GAINING WORKOUT PROGRAM SHOULD BE LIFTING HEAVIER AND HEAVIER WEIGHTS.

TIP 2: GO ONE REP SHORT OF FAILURE

The second bodybuilding tip to pay attention to is the rule on failure. Some people believe that lifting to failure each and every single set is the best way to build muscle. They think that in order to get a muscle to grow, you have to fully exhaust it.

While it is true that you have to push the muscles past their comfort level in order to see progress, you can run into a number of problems when you're lifting to failure each and every set.

The first major issue is central nervous system fatigue. Workout programs designed to go to failure each and every time will be very draining on the CNS.

After a few weeks of such a program, it's highly likely that you'll find the CNS is so exhausted that you can't even lift the weight you used to for the required number of reps little own increase it upwards.

The second problem with going to failure is that if you do this on the first exercise out in the workout, you're not going to have much for a second, third, and fourth exercise after that.

Since you should be doing at least a couple of different exercises in each workout you do, this becomes very difficult to accomplish.

Instead, aim to go one to two reps short of failure. This will still get you pushing your body hard and working at the intensity level needed to build muscle, but it won't completely destroy you so that you have to end that workout prematurely and take a day or two off just to recoup.

YOU CAN RUN INTO A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WHEN YOU'RE LIFTING TO FAILURE EACH AND EVERY SET.

TIP 3: ONLY PERFORM EXERCISES THAT WORK AT LEAST TWO MUSCLE GROUPS AT ONCE

Bodybuilding tip number three is to focus on compound exercises. You only have a limited amount of time you can spend in the gym each day due to both time and recovery restraints so if you waste this time on exercises that only work one or two smaller muscle groups, you aren't exactly maximizing your potential.

Instead follow the rule that for 80% of your workout you'll only perform exercises that work at least two muscle groups.

The shoulder press, for example, will work the shoulders and the triceps. The squat will work the quads and the hamstrings. The bench press will work the shoulders, chest, and the triceps (even the biceps to a very small degree).

On the other hand, the barbell curl will only work the biceps, triceps pushdowns will only work the triceps, and leg curls will only work the hamstrings.

All of those exercises aren't really giving you the best results-to-energy invested trade-off, so it's best you keep them limited.

What's more is that compound lifts you'll typically be able to lift more weight with, and since you read the first tip in this article, you know that's paramount to success.

TIP 4: FUEL YOUR BODY RIGHT BEFORE AND AFTER THE WORKOUT

The fourth tip to follow with your bodybuilding workout program is to make sure you're fueling your body properly both before and after the workout.

Failing to get in the amino acids your body will use to synthesize new muscle mass with or the carbohydrates that provide the energy to formulate the new muscle tissue is a critical error that will garner a lack of results.

If there is one time you can't be uncertain about your nutrition, it's at these two points in the day.

Throughout the rest of the day you can be a bit more flexible in terms of meal times and composition provided you're still meeting your calorie and macronutrient needs, but before and after the workout things need to be 100% 'on'.

MAKE SURE YOU'RE FUELING YOUR BODY PROPERLY BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE WORKOUT.

TIP 5: NEVER GO MORE THAN TWO WEEKS WITHOUT A CHANGE

Fifth is the plateau busting bodybuilding tip. If you've ever reached a point with your workouts where it feels as though you are just not gaining any more muscle, this is a sure sign you're in a plateau.

Plateaus do tend to impact just about everyone at some point or another unless you are being very careful to avoid it.

What exactly is a plateau? A plateau can be defined as any point in time where you go more than two weeks without any type of progress. To you, the dedicated lifter, it spells wasted gym effort and time.

In order to prevent this plateau from occurring, your job is to make sure something in your program is always changing. This could be the order of which you perform the exercises, the amount of rest you take in between sets, or even the type of exercises you are performing.

If you can't bump up the weight in a successive session, it's time to change something else. If you do that, you will be sure you get the results you're looking for.

YOUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE SOME THING IN YOUR PROGRAM IS ALWAYS CHANGING.

TIP 6: REMEMBER REST IS REQUIRED

Finally, to end off our bodybuilding tips, always remember to rest. Far too many people make the mistake of training too hard, too often, without allowing time for recovery.

If you don't allow the body to rest before you go back in the gym, instead of getting stronger, you're just breaking it down further and getting weaker.

Ideally you should take one day off between each weight lifting workout, but if you prefer to do an upper/lower split that has you working out at a greater frequency, then just be sure you have at least two full days off a week.

Also, for the cardio-minded, this does not mean go and do forty-five minutes of intense cardio activity. This means rest - active rest if you must (as in a light walk, jog, or swim).

If you try to push your body hard in other activities on your designated days off, it's going to impact progress.