No doubt you have already tried to begin a weight training program and sought the advice of someone you hoped had a real good idea how to do it.  Most likely you were told to do 3 sets of 10 reps of a basic set of exercises.  30 years ago, this method of programming was the backbone of the traditional resistance program. 

One of the biggest problems that I see in the gym, besides most people just winging their workouts (hey, my next Blog post!), is people performing their exercises with terrible form. If you want to gain results and avoid injury, it is VITAL that you know what proper training is, practice it & keep to it!

Hiring a personal trainer, although a great idea, can sometimes be very pricy. I am blessed to get what I ask for, but I am all about teaching my clients everything they need to know to eventually go it on their own. One of the lessons that I hammer into them, is just how important it is for them to constantly monitor their body positioning (anatomical assessment) exercise form & technique. 

This exercise was inspired by my good friend, former Navy SEAL, Lieutenant Stewart Smith.

The shoulders can be a difficult muscle group to develop. Try this awesome & outrageously INTENSE exercise circuit and you’re bound to get those shoulders in shape. 

Grab a pair of dumbbells - Don’t try and be a tough guy/girl here - Men try 10 pound DB’s & Ladies, try 2 ½ -5 pound DB’s…Trust Me! If you find that your first set is easy, then move up, but start here to get a sense of what you can handle, using PERFECT form.

Here’s a Great training tip that will absolutely help you build muscle faster!

I call it the “Sense, Tense & Lift” protocol. Let’s first look at an example of the “Sense” portion - If you are about to train your biceps, using a biceps barbell curl. Rather than just jump into your set of exercise, you can stimulate the biceps muscles much more by first thinking strongly about your biceps - I refer to this with my clients as “putting your mind into the muscle”.  

When I was a young buck, my biggest concern was putting on tons of muscle. Of course I also wanted to have low body fat %, but I wanted muscle more than anything.

Many younger men go through a mucho muscle gain phase when they first start out with training. When I hit my thirties, this all quickly began to change - I no longer wanted to look overly bulky, and I quickly became more interested in looking leaner versus looking more muscular - Huge Difference!

This article is a dedication to someone who I truly respect. His name is David Zinczenko, and he is the editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazine and the author of numerous best-selling books. David and I are both authors under the Rodale publishing company umbrella. David’s latest book entitled, “Eat This Not That”, has quickly become an industry best seller. The title say’s it all. David’s book inspired me to write the following article to let you know about which training exercises are best for bringing about your desired body sculpting results and the ones that just won’t deliver.