It would be very difficult to find a more beneficial exercise than Deadlifts!

Besides being a fantastic lower and upper body movement, deadlifts also helps to improve grip strength, and strength of the posterior chain.  It can be done for higher reps (very taxing on the musculature), or very low rep (very taxing on the CNS).

There are two main ways to do the deadlifts, conventional and sumo.

Both having distinct advantages and disadvantages, so both should be attempted to ascertain which would be best suited for your body type.  In a typical gym setting, conventional deadlifts are far more common, so we will start with those.

A conventional deadlift is performed with a relatively narrow stance (around shoulder width, or somewhere slightly wider or narrower), which places the torso in a ‘bent over’ position.

Because of the trunk position, it requires more work from the lower back to extend the body as the load is lifted. Also, when pulling conventional, you must not allow the bar to drift forward and away from the body as you pull the bar upwards. This style of pulling can be problematic for people with very long femurs (the ‘thigh’ bone), as the knees can interfere with the bar’s path on the way up, or down.

The path of the bar is much longer in this lift, which can be excellent from a hypertrophy standpoint (the greater the distance you are moving a weight, the greater the amount of ‘work’ you are performing), but sometimes is not the best if your goal is to move as much weight as possible, which is why you see a lot of powerlifters opting for the sumo style of deadlift (although interestingly enough, quite often the best deadlifters do pull conventional).

The sumo style of deadlift involves a much wider stance, with the toes pointed outwards, and a much more upright trunk position. Because of this, it uses different muscles, and changes the bar path. It relies much more on the quads, inner hamstrings, and upper traps to move the weight. It requires a lot more strength and flexibility in the hips, which is why some people experience issues around the hips, and groin when they switch to sumo style. With the upright torso position, and the legs out of the way of the bar, the bar is able to travel tighter to the body as it moves upwards, and has less of a tendency to drift forward.

Because the torso is in a much more erect position, it does not involve the lower back nearly as much as the conventional style, and can be very beneficial for people with lower back issues.  Also, because your stance is so much wider, your body is much closer to the ground, therefore requiring the bar to travel a smaller distance to lockout. Since the bar does not have to travel as far, less work is being completed, and oftentimes, more weight can be lifted. This is not always the case, though, as some people’s hips are not strong enough to get heavy weight moving.

Because both styles of deadlifts have distinct advantages and disadvantages, and because each relies of different muscle groups to lift the weight, I suggest trying both and, if there is no pain or biomechanical issues, performing both styles regularly and getting comfortable with each. Even if you feel stronger with one, there are many advantages to doing the other as well, and reaping the benefits of improving your weaknesses.

Deadlifts are a fantastic exercise I hope this helps you with them.

As I staid in my email I sent out on Friday that I would be giving away FREE my “10 Unique Exercises To A Bigger Bench Press”, well as promised here it is FREE!

Here is part one Exercises 1-5.  I will release 6 to 10 on Monday for you.

Why am I doing this?  Simple, I want to help you as much as possible and I want to show the type of quality information I plan on providing with my blog & e-mails.

I have learned a LOT over the last 15 years and it is my goal to help as many people as possible get STRONG, MUSCULAR & LEAN!

So here ya go!  I would love some comments down below!  Thanks!

#1. Standing Push Press

#2. Diagonal Bar Press

#3. Rotator Cuff Training

#4. Cuban Press

#5. Glute Bridge

Here ya go! My $39.99 Bench Press Training FREE to you!  Hope you enjoy it!

Please hit “Like” and please leave some comments down below!!  THANKS!

Every product Eric has put out I own and use. One of my favorites was his REAL book called Maximum Strength which I bought a while ago and highly recommend.

I used his programming in this book and got really strong.  I still use programming parameters from it today with my clients.  That’s why I was excited to get a copy of his KILLER program called “Show & Go”

Facts about the Show and Go package:

1. It’s totally all electronic – you will be able to IMMEDIATELY download the product.
2. The manual is 70 pages.
3. He has 3 day/week and 4 day/week programs, consisting of 4 phases each.  These Training Templates are based on the exact ones Eric uses at Cressey Performance.
4. ONE OF THE BEST PARTS is the on-line video database with over 175 exercises (password protected, so you can only access it if you own the product).  This feature is awesome for those who are visual learners.
5. The package includes 5 supplemental metabolic conditioning programs (waaaaaay better than standing on the elliptical for hours)
6. You’ll have the option for exercise modifications if you don’t have the equipment required in the main program.

And that’s not all…check out these wicked bonuses:

1. Tony Gentilcore has put together 5 Finishers that are guaranteed to accelerate your progress, melt bodyfat and challenge you like never before.
2. Innovative Soft Tissue Strategies for Health and Performance ebook by Licensed Massage Therapist Christopher Howard.
3. The Top Five Glute Exercises ebook by The Glute Guy Bret Contreras
4. Show and Go training templates.
5. Quick video reference guide – a list of all the exercises in an easy to read pdf.

Here’s a screen shot of the quick video reference guide:

As Eric puts it in his book – this book is geared for people who really give a shit.  And it’s true.  Eric cuts the crap and gets right to it – the 70 page manual gets right into what you need for the workouts, how to test your initial strength levels, how to read and perform the program (rest intervals, tempo of the exercise, how to select a weight etc).  There’s even a section on when to go barefoot.

There is a awesome section called FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions.  Following that is a great static stretching section.

One of my favorite sections (a section that I teach my clients/athletes all the time) is the 5 Traits of Successful Athletes.  I’ll tell you one of the traits is CONSISTENCY.  It’s true…I don’t make progress and my athletes/clients don’t make progress until they are consistent.

Overall I found the programs really easy to follow and straight forward.

This program is geared for any one wanting to LOOK, FEEL and MOVE better (age and GENDER does NOT matter).

So, don’t miss out on this great opportunity to get strong with Show and Go. It is QUALITY product and I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading and here is to better healthier training!

Rob

One question that I get asked an awful lot by people is how to do a chin up.  One of the most basic, yet essential exercises you can ever do!  Chin Ups & Pull Ups RULE!

Here is the thing, most people avoid doing them like the plaque because they are hard, really hard, and well, it’s so much easier to just sit down and do pull downs.  I mean 190lb pull down is the same as me doing a chin up since I weigh 190lb right?

WRONG…VERY WRONG.

Lets be clear here, Chin ups & Pull Ups are FAR SUPERIOR exercises than any variation of pull downs.  Not to say pull downs don’t have their place, they do, but for the most part chins are better, way better.

My guess is that you may have tried to do a chin or two, couldn’t do it, gave up on it, and went to the lat pull down machine.  Well I am going to share with you 3 tips that drastically helped me with my chin ups & pull ups.

I can now usually get 20-25 chins any day.  I have 2 turn biceps (one bicep sugery for a complete tendon rupture), and the other a partial tendon tear.  If i can do 25 chin ups, YOU can do them as well! At my best I did 30 chin ups and 2 reps with 100 lbs strapped to my waist.

Here is the first video tip of 3 that will really aid you in getting a chin up or getting many chin ups!

(Sorry if I am talking really fast, too much Jack3d Pre Workout )

Keep an eye for Video Tips #2 & #3 Next week.

Any questions PLEASE POST EM UP! I Look forward to hearing from you.

If you are looking for a killer MMA Leg Workout, give this a try!

This is a training video I recorded in California I call it the “Legs Like GSP Workout”.

I got some of this info from GSP’s trainer Jon Chaimberg and also from www.SingleLegWorkouts.com.

Most of my current training now is all done with single leg training.  With my current back injury I am no longer able to squat big weight (as much as I miss it), but this type of training has opened my eyes to the benefits of doing different types of workouts.

It is this type of training that lets a midget like me have a vertical jump like this

Even if you are not a MMA Fighter or do any MMA training you can still do something like this MMA Leg Workout and get a awesome and fun workout!

A lot of the time we have a tendency to do the same workouts over and over again.  Squats, Leg Presses, Leg Extensions etc.  These are good exercises, but variety is good.  You won’t believe the gains you can get by dramatically changing your leg workout.

Give this MMA Leg Workout a go for 4 weeks, I bet you won’t believe the differences in your strength and leg definition!

A lot of people think that the only way to build big legs is to do the basics like squats and leg presses.  This is very true in many ways, but it is smart to hit muscles from different angles and also to add some sort of athletic training to your leg workouts.  I have seen many people (myself included) do the same exercises month after month and end up losing athleticism and mobility.  Not a good thing to have happen.

I would suggest that after 8-12 weeks of basic lifts like squats and leg presses you add in 4 weeks of MMA Leg Workouts or some type of athletic leg workouts.  The benefits of adding a MMA Leg Workout will be huge.

Another great thing about MMA Leg Workouts like this one is that you are focusing a lot on single leg exercises and balance.  This gets overlooked when we use mostly machines and bars for our training.  It’s always good to work on balance, stability, explosive power and athleticism, along with just lifting big weight and going for the pump.

Lastly most times when doing bodybuilding type workouts we generally focus on quads and hamstrings and neglect working the glutes and hips.  These muscles are big, they need work and they will improve your squatting weights and sports performance big time!

For example if you watch George St. Pierre he has really thick glutes and hip muscles, this improves his overall power and athleticism big time.  These muscles generally never get trained from leg presses and leg extensions which is why something like this MMA leg workout will help you in many other areas.

If you read some of the top strength coaches like Mike Boyle, Bret Contreas, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson etc.  these coaches all recommend a lot of uni-lateral (single leg) exercises, and for good reason, they work!

You will notice a decrease in strength in doing some of these exercises, this is normal.  Don’t let your ego get the better of you.  Give it a try, open your mind to different types of training and you will reap the benefits.

So give this workout a try and give me some feedback!

If you liked this video I suggest you check out www.SingleLegWorkouts.com as I got a ton of my leg training info from this product and it is amazing!  Well worth adding to your Fitness Library!

I am very proud to announce my FIRST (and not my last) Fitness Book!  I have loved working out since I was 15 years old and was obsessed with reading BodyBuilding Magazines and buying anything fitness or workout based.

This book will cover everything to help you Build A Bigger Bench Press!  If you thought my 3 video tips were good, then you will LOVE THIS!

• The reason the Bench Press is called the King of upper body movements

• How to get an explosion of muscle building growth hormones that translate into bigger, stronger, more durable muscles

• How training your bench rapidly develops all the other muscles in your body simultaneously – experience these results and you’ll become a firm believer

• How to dynamically develop the muscle groups that  rapidly drive the weight up on the bar

• The synergists and stabilizers that you will stimulate to assist the target muscles thus building a stronger, more balanced power source inside your muscles

• The single-handed most important factor for strength and LASTING size in your training routine

• How to avoid the stoop shouldered ‘old man’ look that bedevils many less well informed bench pressers

• The defining feature of compound movements that produce better size and bigger strength increases – master these and the volume of weight you lift will astound you

• A simple technique to build better muscle definition

• How to place your feet when bench pressing to ensure a volcanic eruption of power through your body – once understood it will seem like you are pressing feathers instead of iron

• The most important factor in your strength and muscle gain – ignore this and the results you get are going to be dismal at best

• How to gather and channel the energy losses that rob others of spectacular strength gains

• Why more is less and can actually see your lifting prowess go down

• How to ‘disconnect’ the muscles that will willfully try to step in and rob you of strength development while bench pressing

• The secret to an effortless lift up that conserves all your power for the actual press

• What to do to avoid debilitating injuries while weight training

I guarantee that if you are looking to improve your Upper Body Strength & Size that this book will be an investment for you!

I look forward to any feedback from you and thanks for all your feedback in advance!

Click HERE For More Info On Improving Your Upper Body Strength & Getting  A Bigger Bench Press Now!

Newfoundland Boy Frank McGrath

I hope you enjoyed my bench press video tips.  If you need a refresher here are the links for the first 2 videos

Video Tip 1 – Bench Pres Grip

Video Tip 2 – Foot Placement

In this tip I want to explain to you 2 things.

1. Bar Placement On The Chest

2 Bar Path aka Bar Trajectory

I hope this video sheds some light on something as simple as a Bench Press and shows you that although it is a basic lift, there is a lot to doing it correctly.  All these little tips and tricks add up to improve your bench press and give you better strength and injury prevention.

As always Leave Me Some Feedback!

If you want more videos like this let me know ok.

I hope you enjoyed Bench Press Video Tip #1 Bench Press Grip.

In this second Bench Press Tip I want to show you the importance of foot and lower body positioning.  This is crucial!

Once you get this down strength will really go up, and fast!

Benching maybe an “UpperBody” exercise, but remember its better to always use your FULL Body to act as a unit, and not isolate, especially when it comes to Strength Exercises.

Also don’t forget to leave me FEEDBACK!! Please..It means a lot to me to know that you enjoy these videos ok!

If you like this video I suggest you get my Book & DVD Series

www.BuildABiggerBenchPress.com

So I am stuck in Newark NJ on my way home to Newfoundland after a amazing Marketing conference with my Idol Frank Kern.  Don’t worry it’s not that exciting for most people, but for me it was like meeting Arnold!

Last week I flimed a bunch of workout videos as feedback from most of my readers so far have been that they love the videos.  So I plan to put my shiny bald head on video more, all to keep you happier .

This is a video I filmed on Bench Press Grip. It’s something that is very neglected and overlooked but really important to having a big bench press and something that can make an improvement in your numbers immediately.

If you give me enough feedback and replies I will post up 2 more like this. Each one building on the other, but I need to hear from you first so give me some feedback.

If you like this video I suggest you get my Book & DVD Series

www.BuildABiggerBenchPress.com