Bigger & Stronger Delts

The key to building and strengthening your delts is to treat your shoulders better.

Your shoulders can move within a huge range of motion, and they’re more likely to get injured than other areas because there are so many different movement patterns that can occur. If you don’t take preventive measures, it can set you back with injuries and the time off you’ll have to take.

When you focus solely on hypertrophy (muscle growth) without any consideration for the stabilizing muscles, you careen down a path to instability, asymmetry and eventually injury. The more muscle you pack on your frame and the more weight you can lift, the more you need these vital stabilizers. Neglecting these smaller muscles is akin to framing a house before you pour the foundation: One stiff wind and your entire project will fold.

To get started on that foundation, you have to perform some exercises that initially will seem rather foreign. Unless you’re an advanced lifter, you’ve likely never done any direct shoulder-stability work, so be prepared for things to be a tad awkward at first.

When your results start to improve with these movements, however, so will your ability to execute every other shoulder exercise — along with your chest and back moves. Your size and strength will increase rapidly as a direct result of your improved coordination and newfound capacity for staying pain- and injury-free.

THE WORKOUT

EXERCISE	SETS	REPS
Scapular Wall Slide	3	15
Scapular Push-Up	3	15
Standing Dumbbell Alternating Arnold Press	3	12
Staggered-Stance Lateral Raise	3	12
Dumbbell Squat/Clean Press	3	12

HOW TO DO IT

Perform the full workout above twice a week, on shoulder day in your training split. The stabilization exercises, however, can be performed more frequently. For example, work them in at the beginning of your chest and back workouts to enhance your range of motion, increase joint stability and strengthen weak areas in your shoulders’ stabilizing muscles. To increase the degree of difficulty, superset the stabilization exercises, then tri-set the three conventional dumbbell moves.

8 easy shortcuts to big arms

Build strength and size in your biceps, triceps and forearms with these 8 time-saving, low-effort tricks

Start early

Target the muscle you most want to develop first: you’ll see 33% bigger gains in that area.

.

Stress yourself

Bad day? Take it out on that stress ball. Squeezing increases the
strength in your forearms, essential for the big-arm moves such as curls and chin-ups.

Fast muscle, no weights

When you don’t have access to a gym, you can still hit every part of
your triceps using rock-back press-ups. Start in the regular press-up position, but instead of lowering your chest, slide your body back, bending your elbows. It hurts, but it’s a quick way to add visible size.

Count to 12

Use weights you can only lift for this many reps to stimulate optimal
arm muscle growth.

Fake it

... until you make it by building your lateral deltoids (the front of your
shoulders). These muscles are often underworked, which means they’ll respond with fast growth when targeted. This adds extra size around the top of your arms, making them look bigger. The best move is lateral raises. Lean forwards slightly and lift dumbbells out and up so your body creates a T-shape.

Switch up a gear

You may have heard about muscle activation before (think turning your muscles ‘on’ as you work them). The way to flick your biceps’
on-switch is simple: flex hard. Even if the move you’re performing doesn’t work those muscles exclusively, tense your arms and you’ll build muscle.

Be a poser

Bodybuilders do it for a reason: tensing in the mirror helps train your body to focus on the correct muscles during exercise. Tense your
triceps until you see them flex properly, then repeat this action when lifting. Fake tan is an optional extra.

Group dynamics

Forget isolating your forearms. You’ll add more size to them with moves such as the deadlift and upright row. This is due to the
combination of a strong hormonal response and greater loads on your grip. Combine and conquer.

Burn fat, build muscle

Achieve the impossible – lose weight while adding muscle

Burn fat, build muscle

Like most blokes, you've probably been reminded by your other half of men's inability to multi-task. Totally untrue. It's often said that building muscle and losing fat are mutually exclusive. To lose body fat you need to eat less and to add muscle you have to eat more, so it can seem downright impossible to have these two goals. Read on to find out how to tighten your sleeves and loosen your jeans.

How it works

You'll alternate between weeks of heavy weights and low repetitions to build muscle and low weights and high repetitions to burn fat. This strategy elevates your metabolism by conditioning your muscles to have both endurance and strength. Combine these efforts with the "Get ripped" meal plan and you'll expose your body to the variables you need to hit your seemingly contradictory goals and realise the overall objective: looking your absolute best.

Get muscle workout

Do this low-repetition, high-weights programme for weeks 1,3,5,7,9. Rest for 60-90 seconds between sets to make sure you're fully recovered and constantly increase the weights you're lifting. 

EXERCISES                     

Monday: chest and abs

Bar-bell bench press               
Sets: 5
Rep: 12,8,6,4,12
Incline dumb-bell press
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6
Flat flye
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6
Dips
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6
Weighted sit-up
Sets: 5
Reps: 10               
Standing cable crunch  
Sets: 4
Reps: 8           

Tuesday: legs

Bar-bell squats   
Sets: 5
Reps: 12,10,8,8,6
Dumb-bell lunge               
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,12,12,12
Leg press                   
Sets: 4
Reps: 10,8,6,6
Leg extension          
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,12,12,12
Bar-bell straight leg deadlift   
Sets: 4  
Reps: 12,8,6,6
Lying leg curl               
Sets: 4
Reps:8,8,8,8
Donkey calf raise
Sets: 5
Reps: 12,10,10,8,12

Wednesday: arms

Underhand pull-ups
Sets: 5
Reps: 10
Alternating bicep curl   
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,8,8
EZ bar curl      
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,6,6
Lying triceps extension          
Sets: 5      
Reps: 10,8,8,8
Cable pushdown
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6
Dumb-bell overhead extension   
Sets: 4
Reps: 8,6,6,6

Thursday

Rest day

Friday: shoulders and abs

Seated dumb-bell shoulder press     
Sets: 5
Reps: 12,10,8,8,6
Bent-over lateral raises      
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,8,8
Front raise                  
Sets: 4
Reps: 10,8,8,8
Lateral raise      
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,10,10,10
Smith machine upright row  
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,8,8,8
Medicine ball Russian twist      
Sets: 4
Reps: 10,8,8,8
Weighted leg raise  
Sets: 4
Reps: 12,10,10,10

Saturday

Rest day

Sunday

Rest day or a light cardio day

Do 10 minutes each on the rowing machine, bike and elliptical cross trainer.

Get ripped workout

Do this high-repetition programme for weeks 2,4,6,8,10 and rest for no more than 15-20 seconds between sets to keep your heart pumping and sweat dripping.

EXERCISES

Monday: back and biceps

Lat pull-down  
Sets: 5
Reps: 12
Bar-bell bent-over rows   
Sets: 4
Reps: 12
Seated rows   
Sets: 4
Reps: 15
Standing one arm cable row      
Sets: 4
Reps: 15
Standing bar-bell curl       
Sets: 5
Reps: 12
EZ bar curl          
Sets: 4
Reps: 12
Cable rope curl              
Sets: 4       
Reps: 20

Tuesday: legs and abs

Smith machine front squat          
Sets:  5      
Reps: 12
Dumb-bell straight leg deadlift  
Sets: 4
Reps: 12
Leg press               
Sets: 4
Reps: 15
Lying leg curls      
Sets: 4
Reps: 15
Leg extension           
Sets: 4
Reps: 15
Calf raises          
Sets: 5
Reps: 20
V-up                       
Sets: 4
Reps: 20
Roll-out  
Sets: 4
Reps: 15

Wednesday:

cardio machines

Do intervals on the treadmill for 40 minutes: sprint for 40 seconds, then jog for 60 seconds to recover.

Thursday: chest and abs

Bar-bell bench press       
Sets: 5
Reps: 12
Smith Machine incline press       
Sets: 4      
Reps: 12
Smith Machine decline press       
Sets: 4      
Reps: 15
Pull-over                  
Sets: 4      
Reps: 12
Leg raises                  
Sets: 5      
Reps: 20
Cable woodchop               
Sets: 4      
Reps: 15

Friday: shoulders and triceps

Clean and jerk              
Sets: 5       
Reps; 12
Dumb-bell lateral raise           
Sets: 4      
Reps: 12
Dumb-bell front raise          
Sets: 4      
Reps: 15
Bent-over lateral raise           
Sets: 4      
Reps: 15
Dumb-bell upright row          
Sets: 4       
Reps: 12
Cable pushdown              
Sets: 4      
Reps: 20
Kickback                  
Sets: 4      
Reps: 12
Bench dip               
Sets: 4      
Reps: 12

Saturday

Rest day

Sunday:

Cardio machines
Do intervals on the rower for 30 minutes: sprint for 40 seconds, then recover for 30 seconds at a slower pace.

Three steps to full-body agility

Expand your chest

Scapular retraction

Sit in a chair with your hands on your hips and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your chest towards the ceiling, looking straight ahead. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, feeling the stretch in your chest. Hold for 10-15 secs. That’s 1 rep. Do 10 reps.

Target legs and torso

Back lunge and twist

Stand with your feet together, then step back with your right leg and bend your left knee to 90 degrees. Twist your torso to the left, extending your arms horizontally. Repeat with your left leg, twisting your trunk to the right. Do 10 reps with each leg.

Hit core and calves

The inchworm

Start in a press-up position. Walk your feet towards your hands until the stretch in your legs starts to feel uncomfortable. Keeping your feet still, slowly walk your hands forward until you’re back in press-up position. Do this 5-10 times.

The time-saving weight-free workout

Get fitter with no gym time. This circuit uses only your bodyweight to work your body from head to toe. Do each exercise for 20sec on, 10 sec off, then repeat eight times. Rest for 1min between circuits.

Push plank

Muscles worked: arms, shoulders, core

Kneel with your forearms on the floor, then drive forwards, bending

your elbows and raising your forearms. Finish in the position shown. Return.

Torso rotation

Muscles worked: core, hips

Crouch with your palms on the floor. Twist your hips, taking your knees to either side. You'll carve a core more stable than a banker's income.

Box press-up

Muscles worked: arms, chest

Kneel, place your hands on a box and perfrom a press-up. This works your whole upper body – plus the Ikea crate storing your spare linen.

Spider rock

Muscles worked: core

Sit on the floor and grab your shins. Rock back, then return to the start. Bringing your torso into your legs. The tension chisels out your abs.

The table

Muscles worked: glutes, back

Sit on the floor, legs bent, arms straight and fingers facing forwards. Drive your hips up to add strength to your glutes and back. Lower again.

Lunge

Muscles worked: legs, glutes

Stand with your arms bent then step forwards. Lower until your knee is bent to 90 degrees. Repeat with the other leg for explosive power.

Get constantly evolving workout and nutrition plans personalised for your specific needs and training goals.

The press-up and plank workout

Drop and give 20 minutes

Forearm plank

How to do it: Balance on your forearms and toes and hold for 30-60 seconds, ensuring that your stomach is ‘pulled in’ tight and your body forms a straight line from your heels to your head.

Why you should do it: The 'regular' plank trains all the muscles of your core and upper body isometrically (i.e. they are in contraction but static, with muscles neither lengthening or shortening). Although it's an easy exercise to perform, it’s hard to perform well. Most people let their hips sag, or they don’t keep their stomach tight, which is essential for training the transverse abdominis (the muscle that wraps around the abdomen like a corset and is the foundation of a well-defined six-pack).

Reps and sets: Aim for 3 sets of 30-60 seconds.

T press-up

How to do it: Perform a standard press-up, letting your chest touch the floor. As you come up, twist your body and extend your right arm towards the ceiling until you make a 'T' shape with your body. Then place your right arm back on the floor, and repeat with the left arm.

Why you should do it: After exhausting the muscles of your core with the conventional plank, you then further fatigue them by forcing them to contract while in motion. As well as training the muscles of your upper body (pectoralis major; pectoralis minor; triceps brachii) the twisting motion also comprehensively trains your shoulders – the anterior (front) medial (side) and back (posterior) deltoids.

Reps and sets: Aim for 3 sets of 6 repetitions on each arm (12 repetitions in each set). The pace should be slow and controlled.

Spider plank

How to do it: Get into a plank position on your forearms or hands. Balance on the toes of your right foot as you bend your left knee out and towards your left elbow.

Why you should do it: This plank variation not only trains your transverse abdominis, but by adding the tucking motion you also train your external obliques, your internal obliques and yourrectus abdominis. The later is a paired muscle that runs vertically on each side of the anterior (front) wall of your abdomen. When your body fat is low enough, the lines of separation in this muscle are what give the appearance of a six-pack.  

Reps and sets: Aim for 3 sets of 12 repetitions on each knee. Use a slow and controlled pace, keep your abs tight and don’t let your hips sag.

Knee-tuck press-up

How to do it: Get into a standard press-up position. Then bring your right knee to your left elbow, pause, and return your leg to the start position. Now perform a standard press-up as normal. Repeat the movement, this time bringing your left knee to your right elbow.

Why you should do it: After pre-exhausting the muscles of your core, you then further fatigue them by performing the press-up equivalent of the Spider-Man plank.

Reps and sets: Aim for 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Use a slow and controlled pace, keeping your abs tight at all times.

Aztec press-up

This is an advanced move – only perform it when you are completely confident with the first four exercises

How to do it: Get into a standard press-up position and lower your body to the ground until your chest touches the floor. Then, explode off the ground and quickly touch your legs with your hands. Land back on your hands. Be careful not to faceplant.

Why you should do it: This is a form of plyometric training, which builds elastic strength and explosiveness to and bridges the gap between speed and strength work.

Reps and sets: Aim for 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Use a fast and explosive pace.

Vin Diesel Workout and Diet

His latest film Fast and Furious 6 will be releasing on May 24, 2013 starring Dwayne johnson. He actually has one of the most attainable bodies. He has a different workout from professional bodybuilders as he has to perform a lot of action sequences. If you are out of shape and want to build a body like Vin it probably seems very difficult.Let us look at his fitness training.

 

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 102 kg (225 pounds)

Age: 45 years (in 2013)

Workout and Fitness Equipments

Vin has a workout plan of 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). On remaining 3 days he perform stretching or yoga exercises in these rest days. His workouts focus on every part of body (Chest, Back, Shoulder, Lower Body and Biceps/Triceps). With his broad shoulders and massive biceps, having a body like Diesel is every guy’s dream.

• Chest: Bench press (decline, flat, or incline), dips, flys (standing cable, incline).

• Back:Chin ups, pull ups, lat pull-downs , rows (seated or bent over)If you can only do one chin-up, try band assisted chin-ups or negative chin-ups.

• Shoulder:Overhead press, upright rows, lateral raises, rear deltoids raises.

• Lower body:Squats, dead-lifts, Romanian, hamstring curls, calf raises.

• Biceps and Triceps: Curls, triceps extensions - any variety you choose, any angle. 

Diet and Supplements 

For his diet Vin consumes 6 to 8 meals per day. He has a well toned body for which a good diet is very important. 

• The calorie intake should be accompanied with a gram of protein intake, multivitamins and omega-3 containing foods but only in small amounts. Organic protein sources include soy fortified foods and egg white. 

• To reduce the fat intake considering that most carbohydrates have fat, fiber, vegetables and fruits should be present in the meals. As Diesel asserts in his diet plan, fat gain is countered with muscle gain practices.

• To maintain a variety of meals, he also takes chicken run as a protein source. Usually, this is served with a variety of carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes. This should be an intake of 180 grams daily.

The Rock, Dwayne Johnson’s Workout Routine And Diet

Monday, Wednesday, Friday Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, used this workout routine while trying to trim down from 14 to 7% bodyfat for some of his Hollywood movie roles. He trained six days per week, resting on day seven.

• Chest, back, biceps, calves: 5 sets, 15-20 reps, 30 second rest periods
• Cardio: 5 minute warm-up, 12 minutes high intensity, 5 minute cool down

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

• Quads, hamstrings, shoulders, triceps: 5 sets, 15-20 reps, 30 second rest periods
• Cardio: 5 minute warm-up, 12 minutes high intensity, 5 minute cool down

The Rock Dwayne Johnson Sample Cutting Diet

• Meal 1: 10 scrambled egg whites, 3 servings cream of rice or 1 cup oatmeal, 3 rice cakes, 24oz water
• Meal 2: 6oz skinless grilled chicken breast, 1 cup grits, 6oz yams, 1 cup of steamed asparagus, 24oz water
• Meal 3: 6oz tuna, 1 cup brown rice, 1 sliced cucumber, 24oz water
• Meal 4: 6oz perch fillet, 1 cup barley, 6oz baked potato, 1 cup steamed green beans, 24oz water
• Meal 5: 6oz pork tenderloin, 1 cup brown rice, 6oz sweet potato, 1 cup peas, 24oz water
• Meal 6: 10 scrambled egg whites, 3 servings cream of rice or 1 cup oatmeal, 24oz water

The Rock Dwayne Johnson Sample Muscle Building Diet

• Meal 1 – 10 oz cod, 2 whole eggs, 2 cups oatmeal
• Meal 2 – 8 oz cod, 12 oz sweet potato, 1 cup veggies
• Meal 3 – 8 oz chicken, 2 cups white rice, 1 cup veggies
• Meal 4 – 8 oz cod, 2 cups rice, 1 cup veggies, 1 tbsp fish oil
• Meal 5 – 8 oz steak, 12 oz baked potato, spinach salad
• Meal 6 – 10 oz cod, 2 cups rice, salad
• Meal 7 – 30 grams casein protein, 10 egg-white omelet, 1 cup veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms), 1 tbsp omega-3 fish oil

The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, Muscle Building Workout Routine

This is a muscle building workout routine used by The Rock, Dwayne Johnson.

• Day 1 – Shoulders
• Day 2 – Back
• Day 3 – Legs
• Day 4 – Arms
• Day 5 – Chest

Day 1 – Shoulders

• Seated Military Press Machine – 3 sets x 21 reps
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise super set with Dumbbell Front Raise – 3 sets x 8 reps each
• Rear Delt Cable Raise – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Hammer Stength Shrug – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Four Way Neck Machine – 4 sets x 12 reps

Day 2 – Back

• Wide Grip Lat Pull Down – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Close Grip Lat Pull Down – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• One Arm Seated Row Machine – 4 sets x 12 reps
• Back Extension – 4 sets x 15, 15, 12, 12 reps

Day 3 – Legs

• Leg Press – 4 sets x 25, 20, 18, 16 (Last set is drop set)
• Smith Machine Lunge – 4 sets x 8 reps per leg
• Lying Leg Curl – 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
• Standing Calf Raise – 6 sets x 16 reps (Last set is drop set)

Day 4 – Arms

• Alternating Dumbbell Curl – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Preacher Machine Curl – 6 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 21, 21 reps (*Last 2 sets are 21s)
• Cable Tricep Extension – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 reps
• Overhead Cable Extension – 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 20 reps
• One Arm Reverse Grip Tricep Extension – 2 sets x 15 reps

*21s are 7 uppwer half partial reps, 7 lower half partial reps and 7 full reps.

Day 5 – Chest

• Incline Dumbbell Press – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Dumbbell Bench Press – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Cable Crossover – 4 sets x 12 reps
• Push Ups – 4 sets x 15 reps (superset with crossovers)

Abs are performed twice a week – weighted Swiss ball crunches, 4 sets x 25 reps.