Increasing Your Vertical Jumping Ability
A single vertical jump for maximum height is one of the most intense exercises you can do.
Why? Because it requires you to utilize your entire lower body chain in a maximal effort contraction, to produce a maximal amount of force in a split second.
The important aspects of training to work on, to increase your vertical leap include:
- Squatting strength – Maximal leg strength transfers directly to a vertical jump. A strong 1 rep max = a big jump.
- Squatting speed – The faster you can squat, the more power you can generate, the higher you can jump.
- Squatting power – Tied in directly with speed and strength, squat heavier and squat faster and you will jump higher.
- Acceleration - You want to continue accelerating out of the hole all the way through the top of your jump.
- Single leg strength – To eliminate strength imbalances and to improve neuromuscular coordination, train your legs individually.
- Calf strength – Your calves are used at the end of the jump, so max calf strength can mean an extra inch on your vert.
- Sprint speed – Sprinting trains the Type-II Fast Twitch muscle fibers, which are what you need to attain your highest jump. Acceleration applies here as well.
- Hip drive – Your hips are responsible for a significant portion of jumping power from a parallel squat position to standing.
- Glute activation – Your glutes are responsible for driving you out of the hole at the bottom of a squat or jump.
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Tags: glutes, hips, jump squat, jumping, jumping rope, jumps, leaping, leg training, legs, plyometrics, squats, squatting, vertical
March 10th, 2010 Posted in
Fitness Tips No Comments »
Double Your Calf Size with These Two Simple Tips
Calves tend to be a bodybuilding problem spot. Even Arnold used to worry about the size of his calves in relation to the rest of his body.
Here is a simple tip to double the size of your calves in no time:
Since your calves are made up of two muscle groups, you will need to train your calves in a standing and seated position. Most calf exercises can be tweaked to include straight-knee and bent-knee variations. Use them both.
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Tags: bodybuilding, calf training, calves, legs, weight lifting, Weight Training, weightlifting
March 9th, 2010 Posted in
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By: Michael Lipowski
Think it takes five hours of weight training, and six hours of aerobics each week to look lean and muscular? Think starvation diets are the only way you’re going to burn body-fat? If that’s the case then you’re about to get a healthy dose of reality… and you’re gonna love it.
That is unless you’re completely turned off by the idea of discovering exactly what your individual requirements are for building muscle and burning body-fat and prefer to aimlessly follow what others do (who also are not training or eating according to individual needs) and continue to waste precious time in the gym.
If you’re one of those who simply loves to exercise regardless of whether you are making progress or not then much of what I’ll say is likely to fall on deaf ears. However, if you’re primary focus is on looking and feeling your best and you’re willing to take a different approach, maybe even workout less, if it means better results, then keep reading because this advice is intended just for you.
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Tags: body building, bodybuilding, pure physique, strength training
March 8th, 2010 Posted in
Fitness Tips 3 Comments »
How to Train with a Busted Arm or Leg
When you hurt one of your arms, you shouldn’t necessarily stop exercising the healthy arm.
A study at the University of Oklahoma suggests that when you train a single arm (or leg), the muscle nerve fibers in the opposite appendage are stimulated. This means you will still get the benefits of Central Nervous System (CNS) adaptations in an injured limb as long as you train the opposite healthy limb, over a short period of time.
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Tags: arms, injuries, injury, legs, Medical, Weight Training
For those of you who do not check the old routines regularly, please see the updated Men’s Full Body Training for Fat Loss and Women’s Full Body Training for Fat Loss, as I have added example HIIT routines to days 2, 4, and 6.
Thanks,
Steve
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Tags: fat loss, lose fat, workout routine, Workout Routines
March 5th, 2010 Posted in
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By: Trainer to the Stars Cornel Chin
If you’re one of many who work in an office and find yourself seated at a desk for prolonged periods of time, then you’re asking for trouble. The mass office working culture has led to more sedentary lifestyles.
Your body is designed for movement, so sitting for long hours at a time doesn’t do your body any favors. It’s therefore vital that you find ways to move around in order to keep the circulation in your body moving and to stave off unwanted fat or weight that may well be creeping up. Staying stationery for long periods can also lead to backache, stiffness and headaches.
If you don’t even get up and move around every so often you’ll gradually begin to feel uncomfortable, your energy level’s decline, and you’ll probably feel lethargic and possibly begin to lack concentration resulting in below par productivity.
Office exercises isn’t a total replacement of your regular exercise routine but it will help to keep you active, burn off the excesses of the day and hopefully give you the motivation to partake in regular exercise to keep your body trim and healthy.
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Tags: fitness, Guest Post, stretching, work
March 4th, 2010 Posted in
Fitness Tips 3 Comments »
Is there an exercise that you hate? For some people it’s squats, for some it’s deadlifts, and for others it could be something that most of us consider fun, like dips or the ab wheel.
An Entire Exercise Could Be Your Weak Spot
If you any any particular exercise because it is hard, awkward, or uncomfortable, then you have probably found your weak spot.
Depending on the exercise, the main muscle used and/or the ancillary muscles used, are probably weak points for you. There is likely a muscle imbalance, or at least a weak muscle that should be prioritized for a couple months.
The best exercise you can do to bring up your weak point, is the exercise that you hate.
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Tags: Medical, plateaus, Weight Training, weightlifting, workout
March 3rd, 2010 Posted in
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Trying to build a rippling, powerful, V-shaped back?
Trying to max out rear-view sexiness for bikini season?
If you said “Yes!” then you should use these tips for isolating your back muscles when training with pull-ups, pull-downs, and rows.
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Tags: back, fitness, Fitness Tips, weight lifting, Weight Training, weightlifting, weights
March 1st, 2010 Posted in
Fitness Tips 1 Comment »
In a recent study, novice weightlifters who trained to failure with 3 sets of 6 exercises each day and drank a post-workout supplement immediately after training, gained 5 pounds of muscle in only 8 weeks.
The proof is out there, experts have been touting it for years, and now you just have to accept it: post-workout nutrition is a necessity to maximize muscle growth.
Make sure you drink your post-workout shakes within 20 minutes of finishing your training, in order to take advantage of the most optimal anabolic window for growth. By doing this you will immediately reverse catabolism and kick-start protein synthesis, which puts you in the fast lane, on the highway to muscle recovery.
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Tags: Biotest, Diet, nutrition, post-workout, protein powder, protein shake, Surge, whey protein
February 27th, 2010 Posted in
Diet,
Supplements No Comments »
Get Acai in Egypt
Acai is one of the top 5 foods you can eat for good health and it speeds up fat loss too!
Acai berries help to speed up fat loss considerably when you follow a healthy exercise and diet plan. As a bonus, the high concentration of antioxidants in acai will keep you feeling healthy and looking young as you grow older!
Find out why antioxidants are so important to your health in the antioxidant bible.
I talk about acai all the time, so constantly I am asked the question:
“Do you know how I can get a free trial of acai pills sent to Egypt?”
Finally I can say to all the Project Swole visitors from Egypt:
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Tags: acai, acai benefits, acai berries, acai berry, acai slim, antioxidants, extreme acai, herbal acai berry, Supplements
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