Training

Fasted cardio is one of the more recent magic bullets for weight loss to hit social media similar to intermittent fasting. Basically, fasted cardio is when you run while fasted (aka HUNGRY or on an empty stomach), which makes you burn more fat due to lack of available glucose. If this were accurate, it would be pretty awesome. However, things are rarely as good as social media makes them out to be. It’s not always a total lie either. So, where does fasted cardio lay on the spectrum of science-backed and backed by bullshit?

In this article, we’re going to give a fair analysis of what research shows concerning fasted cardio. In this article, you’ll learn:

• What is fasted cardio?
• How fasted cardio works
• Benefits of fasted cardio
• Fast cardio explained
• Does fasted cardio burn fat?
• What type of cardio should you use for fasted cardio?

Let’s get right into this. Just how good is fasted cardio?

What Is Fasted Cardio?

Fasted cardio is a method of training, generally for fat loss, where you perform cardio after an extended period of fasting. Now, this doesn’t mean you just wait a few hours after you eat lunch, but rather a minimum of at least 8 hours is recommended; perhaps even longer. However, being in a fasted state has more to it than just not eating as it actually relies on physiological processes to have taken place, mainly two:

• Your body will shift further towards fat for energy due to a lack of available glucose
• Insulin will drop in the body, which will also encourage fat to be used for energy. High glucose levels encourage your body to hold onto fat making it more difficult to burn.

The theory is that during these fasted states, your body will utilize fat for fuel due to lower insulin levels and a decrease in glucose availability which has been shown in studies to occur¹. As far as this is concerned, the theory definitely has science to make this claim appropriate. However, it’s not as simple as that (we’ll get more into this later.)

With this in mind, fasted cardio is often prescribed by fitness influencers and personal trainers to clients for faster weight loss. While they mean well, and the science does seem to back this claim, there’s more to meaningful fat loss than just looking at one hour of the day.

Exposing Fasted Cardio

In this day and age, getting information from social media is playing with fire. On the one hand, there is quite a bit of solid information on Youtube and Instagram. However, there’s a lot more bad information and they are relentless with their crap-throwing. To be fair, some of these accounts are truly just ignorant and misinformed (if this is the case, they should know they aren’t informed enough to have a channel, but I digress). However, a large portion knows they aren’t being totally honest, whether that’s just telling a bald-faced lie or bending the truth. This is just dishonesty so you need to be careful with who you follow.

As stated above, there is evidence to make the claim that your body will utilize more fat for fuel when exercising in a fasted state. However, fat loss doesn’t happen from that one hour session. In order to lose weight, you must look at what occurs during the whole day. And this is where the entire fasted cardio for weight loss starts to fall apart.

What you need to understand is that our bodies are always using both fat and carbs for fuel at all times. In fact, when you are resting, your body actually already burns more fat for fuel than glucose (carbs). However, when we start to increase the intensity of our exercise, our bodies begin to increase their energy needs. Therefore, our bodies will start to use more carbs for fuel as they’re easier to process. Basically, when we place a higher demand on our body for fuel, we will start to use the easier source, which is glucose.

All this being said, while your body may use more fat for fuel during a fasted state, it will compensate and burn more carbs later in the day (see science selection below). Or if you only eat fat, it will just burn fat. Or, if you only eat protein, your body will use protein. Understand that if your body needs energy, it will get energy from somewhere and your body using fat for fuel is not a unique experience only seen in fasted workouts. 

Burning Fat For Fuel Vs Burning Fat For Weight Loss

The point being is that even if you only ate fat and burned fat (like keto), if you’re eating a ton of calories, you’re going to gain weight. One of the problems is that people seem to confuse “burning fat” with losing weight as they don’t fully understand that fat is actually already our body’s primary source of fuel for low-intensity activity. You need to distinguish between two different processes as they are not necessarily the same:

• Burning fat for fuel which occurs in a fasted state or after prolonged exercise
• Burning excess fat by eating less calories than you intake.

Still, it doesn’t really matter how much “fat you burn” if you’re eating a ton of calories. While the phrase “calories in, calories out” is a bit of an oversimplification, the gist is still accurate and explains why fasted cardio won’t just magically melt fat off your body. Your body will use fat, glucose (carbs), and even amino acids (protein, muscle) for energy. 

Therefore, as long as you’re providing a surplus, you will gain weight. If you’re in a deficit, you’ll lose weight. It doesn’t matter what source your body is using for fuel!

As of now, assuming calories are equated for (more on this below), studies show that fasted workouts do not provide any extra benefit for fat loss compared to working out in a fed state. However, if one diet can help you get into a caloric deficit easier, you could say it’s “better” for you.

What Does Science Say About Fasted Cardio?

So above should give you a better idea of why fasted cardio for fat loss isn’t as legit as many would have you believe. Now, we can further back these statements and look at what studies say.

Let’s first explore the idea of your body using fat and carbs evenly throughout the day. In fact, this process was shown in a study from 2011². In a quick summary, two groups either ate before a run or they ran while fasted. They found that while the fasted group did burn more fat during exercise, they ended up burning more carbs throughout the remainder of the day. The opposite was seen in the fed state. This demonstrates that assuming your macro intake is the same, your body’s choice for fuel will even itself out throughout the day.

This makes sense as, again, while the body will use fat for fuel, it also uses carbs in the form of glucose. Therefore, if you don’t eat carbs before a cardio workout and save it for after, you’re just providing an increased amount of glucose later in the day, which will lower the amount of fat you use. It really is a balancing act.

A study in 2014 had two groups of female volunteers train in either a fasted state or fed state 3 days/week. At the end of the study, they found that while both groups of women lost a significant amount of weight, neither group did better than the other. It’s important to note that both groups had a similar loss of fat³.

Interestingly, there aren't actually a lot of studies that examine fasted training and fat loss even though it has become so popular. However, in 2017 a meta-analysis was performed, which resulted in five studies that examined fasted training and fat loss. They concluded that training in a fasted state did not produce superior results when compared to training in a fed state. They sum up their findings with the following quote.

“These findings support the notion that weight loss and fat loss from exercise is more likely to be enhanced through creating a meaningful caloric deficit over a period of time, rather than exercising in fasted or fed states.”⁴

And that’s that.

Benefits Of Fasted Cardio:

We know we just told you that fasted cardio doesn’t quite work the way some would have you believe, but that doesn’t mean it’s totally useless. In fact, it’s not useless at all. Here are some awesome reasons you may still want to include fasted cardio in your training. 

1) May Create A Caloric Deficit

You’re probably thinking, “what the H-E-Double Hockey Stick!” as we literally just got done saying that fasted cardio doesn’t burn more fat than cardio in a fed state. However, as alluded to above, weight loss depends on what happens throughout the day rather than just a segment. 

This study from 2019 found that when a group of men skipped breakfast before exercise (an overnight fast), they ate 400 fewer calories in a day when compared to when they did eat breakfast before cardio⁵.

Still, this group also ate on average, 150-200 fewer calories a day when they didn’t exercise! What this suggests is that while fasting cardio may not help you with burning body fat by the way it’s advertised, it can still be a useful method due to creating a caloric deficit.  

2) Saves Time

You may think this is reaching but once you are able to go get a successful cardio session in without eating, you’ll know what we’re talking about. While this may not be a huge issue for some, we find it to definitely be convenient.

3) May Increase Body Fat Utilization Over Time

One of the supposed benefits of fasted training is that it can improve your body's ability to utilize fat stores for fuel, which is great if you want to maintain muscle mass as you burn off stored fat.

However, studies actually show this to not be the case. That being said, we have experienced this ourselves as well as seen clients and other athletes do this same thing. Basically, the claim is that over time, a person will be able to increase exercise duration and intensity while fasted. 

We want to be clear, studies show this to not be the case BUT we have seen too much anecdotal evidence to say it doesn’t happen. That being said, take this with a grain of salt. (We told you that we will always be honest). But, if this were to be true, this could help improve performance, decrease cravings, and mitigate protein breakdown.

That being said, this likely requires the gradual increase of intensity, distance, or duration to improve.

On top of the above benefits, you have the regular fat burning benefits of cardio, such as burning calories to lose fat, improving body composition, and decreasing body fat percentage.

Fasted Cardio: Our Analysis

While we agree that fasted training is not the magic bullet that many claim, we still don’t find it completely useless, as others say. This is due to the several studies that do show benefits along with the countless number of personal friends and clients who have been successful on it when traditional dieting has failed. Further, we ourselves have found it to be an effective tool.

On the other hand, we realize that studies don’t show this to be the case, but we feel that one of the reasons is due to dieting in a lab is not the same as dieting by yourself in the real world. Regardless, this is one of those areas where studies don’t seem to completely line up with what we have experienced. Take that for what it is. 

It’s important to know that while these studies didn’t show any extra benefits, fasted cardiovascular exercise was just as successful and equal in improvements as training in a fed state.

Basically, the whole “doesn’t hurt to try” scenario. Still, we’d like to see more studies done in real-world situations where the participants are left to their own vices and have to choose what and how much to eat. Again, the one study that did this showed that when one engages in a fasted morning workout (no breakfast), they tend to eat substantially less (400 calories).

While not the most exact answer, we feel this is really the honest take without being biased towards any one side. In a nutshell, if fasted cardio works for you, then definitely do it. Further, if you have never tried fasted cardio, we would guess you would likely be successful with it, whether that’s due to you getting into a caloric deficit easier or some other magical mechanism we have not discovered yet.

How To Maximize Fasted Training to Lose Weight:

Wherever you stand on the fast cardio debate, there are several things you can do to improve the effectiveness of fast training.

1) Use Caffeine With Fasted Training

Caffeine is not just part of your favorite AM beverage (actually, we drink coffee whenever now). It also happens to be one of the most studied and effective ergogenic aids (or supplements that can provide performance benefits). One of these benefits is that caffeine has been found to increase the body’s ability to oxidize fat (break down fat cells).

A Meta from 2020 reviewed 19 studies that examined the effect of caffeine and fat oxidation. They concluded that when fasted, taking caffeine before exercise can cause an acute increase in fat oxidation compared with what is normally seen⁶. However, there are a few caveats to improving its effectiveness.

• Doses of at least 3.0g/kg of body weight must be taken
• Caffeine must be pure with no calories, such as black coffee
• The fasting period should be at least 5 hours. However, this will need to be extended based on the size of the meal
• The caffeine dose should be taken 30-75mins before training.
• Training should consist of low-intensity aerobic exercise
• Caffeine prior to aerobic exercise produces greater results in an untrained population.

One of our personal favorite methods is to wake up first thing in the morning and pop some caffeine pills.

2) Perform Fasted Workout With Low-Intensity Aerobic Exercise

When you do choose to perform a fasted workout, you should only use low-intensity aerobic exercise. In fact, even things like HIIT would produce suboptimal results. 

The reason being is that when you perform high-intensity exercise, your body requires glucose in order to supply ATP quickly. Without this, you won’t be able to produce an adequate amount of energy to support an effective workout. Therefore, not only will you not get optimal benefits from the training, your training will be of less intensity which would result in fewer calories burned which defeats the point.

Therefore, the best use of fasted cardio would be to perform low-intensity cardio, especially at first. We’re talking about a brisk walk or incline treadmill work. As you become acclimated, you could increase the intensity to about 70-80%HR max. 

Cardio On an Empty Stomach Wrap-Up: A Mix Of Science & Anecdotal Experience

Like many magic bullets spread around the internet, fasted cardio is anything but. That being said, it seems to have fallen victim to a common trend in the science-backed fitness community. That is, there can sometimes be an extreme backlash against the aforementioned concept, in this case, fasted workout, because it’s not as effective as previously thought or because it doesn’t seem to be as effective in a lab setting.

At SET FOR SET, we definitely lean towards research but believe there’s also room for the anecdotal experience to be considered, especially when that experience is personal and numerous. Therefore, while we do recommend fasted cardio workouts for individuals looking for a (possible) effective fat-loss method, we also want to be clear in expectations and what’s likely actually occurring. We believe it can be a useful tool to use if you understand the correct mechanisms, that is it seems to work by restricting a person’s total caloric intake.

At the end of the day, compliance is going to be the most effective tool. Meaningful fat loss doesn’t happen overnight and requires months of dedication. With this in mind, even if fasted cardio was as good as your favorite influencer says it is, it doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t adhere to it. The same goes for dieting with regular calorie control or any other method you see. 

As of today, we aren’t aware of any dieting method that is superior to another, assuming the calories are controlled for. Therefore, if you find one method that works better with your lifestyle, go for it. In fact, we believe this is one of the reasons there are so many diets out there that are the best. People just assume what works for them will work for everyone else. It might, and it might not. Fasted workouts might work for your buddy but not for you. Or it might just be the best thing ever.

Related: The Ultimate Cutting Diet & Workout Plan

References:

1. Horowitz JF, Mora-Rodriguez R, Byerley LO, Coyle EF. Lipolytic suppression following carbohydrate ingestion limits fat oxidation during exercise. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 1997;273(4):E768-E775. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.1997.273.4.e768
2. Paoli A, Marcolin G, Zonin F, Neri M, Sivieri A, Pacelli QF. Exercising Fasting or Fed to Enhance Fat Loss? Influence of Food Intake on Respiratory Ratio and Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption After a Bout of Endurance Training. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2011;21(1):48-54. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.21.1.48
3. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA, Wilborn CD, Krieger JW, Sonmez GT. Body composition changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2014;11(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-014-0054-7
4. Hackett D, Hagstrom A. Effect of Overnight Fasted Exercise on Weight Loss and Body Composition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2017;2(4):43. doi:10.3390/jfmk2040043
5. Edinburgh RM, Hengist A, Smith HA, et al. Skipping Breakfast Before Exercise Creates a More Negative 24-hour Energy Balance: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Physically Active Young Men. The Journal of Nutrition. 2019;149(8):1326-1334. doi:10.1093/jn/nxz018
6. Collado-Mateo D, Lavín-Pérez AM, Merellano-Navarro E, Coso JD. Effect of Acute Caffeine Intake on the Fat Oxidation Rate during Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3603. doi:10.3390/nu12123603

When it comes to tracking body composition, there are a variety of ways to do so. For example, you could do it the old-fashioned way and just look in the mirror. However, if you want a more detailed assessment, you’re going to have to use some numbers. With that in mind, two of the more common ways to measure body composition are body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage. However, what one should you use? Good thing for you, we have the answer.

This article will cover all there is to know about the BMI vs body fat percentage rivalry and answer all of your questions like:

• What is BMI?
• What is body fat percentage?
• Pros and cons of BMI
• Pros and cons of body fat percentage
• Should athletes use BMI or body fat percentage?
• Body mass index or body fat percentage: Which one is best?

How good is your body comp? Let’s find out?

BMI VS Body Fat Percentage

BMI and body fat percentage are two of the more common ways to measure a person’s body composition. On the most basic level, they’re supposed to give you a general idea of how healthy you are by providing an estimate of your weight or muscle composition. However, neither of them gives you the full picture.

While many people talk about these as they’re 100% solid in their information, neither method is perfect as there are plenty of areas to mess up. At the same time, some of their faults come from using them incorrectly. To give you an example, it would be like someone using a hammer to screw in a screw and coming to the conclusion that hammers suck. That being said, BMI and body fat percentage can be useful when they are used correctly. Further, as a lifter, there is a clear winner in what one you should be using. 

Before we get to the winner, let’s take a deeper look at the two methods. 

What Is BMI?

BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is simply a number that is calculated by comparing a person’s weight to their height. Specifically, the BMI equation looks like this:

BMI= Body Mass/ Height(squared) →Kg/m²

Using this equation will yield a number that will classify your weight and BMI values:

• Underweight: >16-18.4
• Normal BMI: 18.5-24.9
• Overweight BMI: 25-29.9
• Obese High BMI: 30.0->40

Still, some will even make smaller categories but you get the idea. Regardless, Body Mass Index has been completely misrepresented over the years and used incorrectly by almost everybody (that escalated quickly). Let us explain.

It’s often assumed that BMI was invented by the NHS or CDC, or one of the other alphabet organizations as an easy way to instantly assess a person’s health.

Actually, only the latter half of this is true. Concerning the former, the basic idea of BMI was invented over 200 years ago by an astrologist named Adolphe Quetelet. However, he specifically noted that it was not to be used for individuals but rather populations as he had an interest in what he called “social physics”. He felt that the ideal size would be seen most in a community so BMI was his tool to find that.

In reality, BMI is (was) very similar to the Grecian ideal in which numbers were used to distinguish the ideal body one should aim to achieve. 

In the 1970’s BMI was reborn by the work of a guy named Ancel Keys. After seeing the dramatic rise of obesity in Western societies, he led a large study to find a fast and easy way to determine some’s relative body composition to determine if they were at a higher risk of disease. In other words, he fully intended BMI to be used for mass measurements to get an estimate rather than be used on a personal basis. 

Nevertheless, because it is so simple and our medical professionals are so lazy, it has been adopted as “the” method to determine if someone is healthy (we’ll discuss this more below). 

What Is Body Fat Percentage?

Body fat percentage is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a method to measure the percentage of body fat you have on your body. For example, if you weight 200 pounds and you had 40lbs of fat, you would have 20% body fat (40/200 X 100 = 20%). The remaining weight would be made up of fat free mass - muscle, bones, blood, organs, etc. 

That being said, it can’t give you the full impression of someone’s overall size. For example, a guy who weighs 150lbs with 30lbs of fat (skinny fat) will have the same body fat percent (20%bf) as a 300lb guy with 60lbs of fat. However, these two will look drastically different. 

Regardless, it’s still a much more applicable method to use to answer most people's real question; how fat are they? When choosing what method to use, there are numerous ways to measure your body fat percentage, yet only two are reasonable for the general population.

Skin Calipers:

Using skin calipers is the cheapest and most accurate method for average lifters to check their body fat percentage. However, it requires a skilled individual to make correct measurements. It requires a person to use calipers to measure the amount of fat in various areas of the body. In order to get an accurate reading, multiple measurements will need to be taken from different spots. This is because different people store fat differently, so taking various measurements will correct this as it will give a better picture. 

For example, some people store more fat on their thighs so if only that measurement was taken, that person would have a high body fat percentage. However, since they store more fat on their thighs, they won’t have much on their waist or tricep. Therefore, all of these measurements are also taken and calculated together. 

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis:

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is one of the more common ways (perhaps most common) that the average population uses to test their body fat percentage. This is due to its simplicity and low cost making it an easy sell from an industry perspective. If you have ever seen any of the home scales that measure your body fat percentage, they are most likely using BIA. Still, you can see other similar devices, such as held devices. Regardless, they work the same way.

BIA works by sending a small electrical current through a person’s body by way of two conductors. As the current travels from one conductor, it must pass through various tissues, mainly fat and muscle. Because these various tissues have different conducting properties, the charge that ends up at the second conductor will give a representation of the body’s composition.

Because people assume electronics are always right, these products are used extensively. While they can give a general idea, they are far from giving an accurate picture. For example, different equations need to be used for different ethnicities and sexes due to the difference in make-up¹. Plus, this requires the manufacturer to use the appropriate equation to begin with as there are multiple choices.

Further, a real-life experiment was held by Consumer Reports where 6 individuals used 6 different BIA scales and compared the results to what’s known as a Bod Pod². A Bod Pod is a piece of laboratory equipment shaped like a giant egg used to measure body comp. After an individual gets in, the BOD POD then measures the difference in air pressure that occurs once the door is closed. This method is highly accurate, which is why it was chosen to give a base measurement. After running through the six different scales, the closest BIA scale was off by 21% of the Bod Pod measurement! The worst? 34%! Still, one even had issues providing a correct body weight! In other words, electronic scales ARE NOT as reliable as we think they are, let alone body fatness BIA scales.

The bottom line is that while BIA seems like a good tool to have in your house, you will need to do quite a bit of research before purchasing one. Basically, don’t buy whatever one is on sale or you’ll likely get a very false reading that can effect your weight loss journey.

Every Other Method:

Other than calipers and BIA, every other method requires laboratory equipment and just isn’t reasonable for the average population to use on a consistent basis. Therefore, for the purpose of this paper, we’re not going to go over them in depth. That being said, these include:

• Bod Pod: We went over this above briefly, but it uses changes in air pressure to measure body composition
• Hydrostatic Underwater Weighing (Water Tanks): Uses water displacement 
• Dexa Scan: Utilizes two X-Ray beams.

As mentioned, these are far more accurate and far more expensive.

Body Fat Percentage and Body Mass Index (BMI): Pros And Cons

Now that you have a better understanding of both let’s compare some different variables of body mass index and body fat percentage.

1) Cost:

When it comes to cost, BMI is definitely cheaper as you don’t need to buy anything. Even though you could maybe argue calipers for body fat percentage measurements are cheap, you’d likely still need to pay a qualified individual to take measurements. Further, BIA can range in price, but it doesn’t include “free” like using BMI.

2) Time Requirements:

BIA and BMI are going to take relatively the same amount of time, assuming you have a calculator on hand, no more than a few minutes. However, calipers can take some time to do, AND you need to consider you can’t do it by yourself. Therefore, you’re limited on when you can do it, OR you would need to make a special trip.

3) Effective Use:

This is the one that really counts. As mentioned above, BMI has been misused in the past and continues to be misused by the actual medical profession. BMI is only supposed to give a medical professional a quick glimpse at someone’s health according to their body composition.

However, your BMI is not to be used alone with no other evaluation. In that sense, it’s really not effective as no decisions should be made about one’s health simply by looking at their BMI. Unless it’s being used as a general method to get an approximation of health as a form of triage, there’s really no purpose for BMI.

For example, if doctors or any health professionals hear of two people with a Body Mass Index of 22 and 40, they can guess that the person with a score of 40 is more likely to need more analysis. 

In comparison, body fat percentages give a much more accurate picture of someone’s body composition and their risk of disease. For example, 12% body fat is 12% body fat. Still, this can be misleading in extreme cases (anorexia, an individual who uses a substantial amount of PEDs). 

BMI or Body Fat Percentage: Who Should Use Them?

So now let's see who should use BMI and who should use body fat percent.

Body Mass Index (BMI):

BMI is a good tool for the sedentary population to get a general idea of how healthy their weight is. That being said, this population should still consider other factors, such as waist circumference. The problem with BMI is that it does not take the amount of muscle into account. 

What can happen is that a man who works out routinely can easily be classified as obese due to the extra weight of their muscle. Therefore, taking other variables into consideration can help provide a fuller picture.

For example, there’s a big difference between having a BMI of 36 (obese) and a waist size of 40 and a BMI of 36 and a waist size of 34. The man with a 34 waist size is likely just a huge bodybuilder. 

Remember, muscle weighs as much as fat, it's just muscle is a lot denser.

There is also something called normal weight obesity, which is someone who has a normal healthy BMI but they have high body fat mass. This is why BMI is only part of the picture. It's important to measure body fat.

Body Fat Percentage:

Anyone can use body fat percentage, but it should be the primary method of body composition for any athlete or anyone who works out. As mentioned, this population has a much larger amount of muscle which can cause them to artificially be labeled obese by BMI. That being said, this group is much more likely to already know their estimated body comp due to their lifestyle. Still, they probably aren’t so worried about their body comp from a health perspective but rather a performance or aesthetic. Regardless, body fat percentage is definitely the way to go if you are an athlete.

The only group of people where this may not give the total picture are extra-large athletes such as elite Strongmen. In this case, they have such a large amount of muscle it can artificially show a low body fat percent. The percentage is correct, but because they have abnormal amounts of muscle, the coil is carrying around an excessive amount of fat. That being said, this is likely only done with the help of PEDs. 

This brings us to the next group where body fat can’t paint the whole picture; elite bodybuilders. Many of these athletes also have an insane amount of muscle on them which can be very stressful on the organs even with a low body fat percent. To be clear, we love these lean mass monsters but even they are aware their lifestyle is risky. Further, we want to be fair and point out that body fat percent is not flawless.

In fact, there’s another group where body fat isn’t appropriate and that would be those with eating disorders. They can have a “healthy” body fat percent but be dangerously underweight. Again, you can never just take one variable alone. However, taking the body fat percentage and then merely looking at a person can drastically improve your analysis. 

What's The Ideal Body Fat Percent for Men?

So what should you aim for as far as body fat percent? Some of that will depend on objective reasons, but there is definitely a range that you should aim for. 

• General Fitness/Health: For guys who aren’t trying to be on the cover of a fitness magazine or do a show, you should aim for 15-18%. This number is relatively easy to achieve without too much stress about dieting. We’re not saying you shouldn't diet; we’re just saying that you can still enjoy some beer and pizza once in a while and stay in this range easily. Plus, most guys will be happy with how they look.
• Advanced Fitness: If you’re trying to really get in good shape, you should aim for 11-14%. Keep in mind that it gets exponentially difficult to drop a percent the lower you get, as you basically just have essential fat at this point. That means these levels are going to require a little more focus.
• Elite Fitness: This level will include <10% body fat. In reality, this level should only really be sought after by bodybuilders or fitness models. You won’t gain any extra health benefits, and most people aren’t going to be able to tell the difference between 9%-11%. Hell, we probably couldn’t. 

In our opinion, we think 12-15% is really the ideal body fat percentage for guys. It’s relatively easy to hit and maintain and looks awesome, assuming they person has muscle. Keep in mind that a guy with a lot of muscle mass will look better at 14%bf than an undeveloped guy at 10%.  So again, body fat percentage only tells part of the story, as having muscle mass can greatly enhance your aesthetics at a given body fat percentage.

What's the Ideal Body Fat Percentage for Women?

Women naturally have more body fat than men, so their healthy fat mass numbers will look a bit different, as will assessing body composition.

• Healthy Weight: 21-31%
• General Fitness: 21-25% for those who regularly workout and take it seriously
• Very Athletic: 14-20%

Anything above 32% is technically considered obese for women.

BODY MASS INDEX AND BODY FAT PERCENTAGE: Final Analysis

You should definitely use body fat percentage if you’re wanting to get an accurate picture to where you stand. That being said, understand that there’s also nothing inherently wrong with BMI; it’s just how it has been used. Again, you can’t take your bicycle to a motorcycle race and conclude bikes suck. The BMI does have a role to play, but it’s definitely not for personal health and definitely not athletes. 

Regardless, body fat percent will give you a solid answer at your body comp even if it’s off by a few percent. Still, we would still urge you to use other variables in addition. Here are some other methods you can use alongside body fat percent to get a better picture:

• Look in the mirror: Do you like what you see? If you’re at a reasonable body fat percent (18%) but you like the way you look, there’s probably no real reason you need to lose weight. However, be honest with yourself if you have too much body fat.
• Waist size: Men should generally wear a waist size of <36. Even guys weighing 240+lbs who are fit wear a 36 waist size or less.
• Energy/Performance Levels/Mood: All of these can indicate how you handling your training level and diet. If you feel great at 15%bf but then drop to 12%bf and feel like crap, you may need to accept that 12% may be too low for you.

And at the end of the day, be proud of where you are but never content! Always strive for a little bit better every day!

References:

1. Dehghan M, Merchant AT. Is bioelectrical impedance accurate for use in large epidemiological studies? Nutrition Journal. 2008;7(1). doi:10.1186/1475-2891-7-26
2. Byrne S. Body-Fat Scale Review. Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/body-fat-scales/body-fat-scale-review/

Is there anything better than a biceps gym session that gives your arms that oh-so-desirable muscle pump? Well-developed front arm muscles can make a tank top or t-shirt look infinitely better, so we understand why it's such a priority for gym-goers. If biceps growth is your goal, you need to make sure you have an isolation exercise in your routine that will make your front upper arm muscles work extra hard. This leads us to the spider curl, a biceps-fatiguing, muscle-building exercise that will cause your biceps to contract with extra force for that oh-so-satisfying biceps burn. In this article, we’ll explain:

• What is the spider curl exercise?
• The spider curls' effectiveness
• The muscles the spider curls target
• How to do spider curls
• Common spider curl mistakes
• Variations of the spider curl
• Alternative exercises similar to the spider curl

Get your favorite tank top ready. We promise your arms will look better than ever after performing the spider curl in your next arm workout.

WHAT IS THE SPIDER CURL EXERCISE?

An isolation exercise that targets your biceps brachii muscles (anterior upper arm muscle - simply "biceps" for short), the spider curl’s sole purpose is to strengthen your upper arm muscles. Use an incline bench for this exercise, grab two lighter-weight dumbbells, and prepare to feel some serious bicep fatigue. 

ARE SPIDER CURLS EFFECTIVE FOR UPPER ARMS?

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that spider curls are extremely effective for isolating your bicep muscle, enabling you to use a full range of motion (way more than a standard bicep curl) throughout the exercise. This is important because research shows that elbow flexion exercises, which is what the spider curl is, lead to more muscle growth than those with partial range of motion¹.

The positioning of this move also forces your biceps to remain activated the entire time. Plus, with variations ranging from dumbbells to barbells to reverse grips and single-arm, there is no shortage of options to fit into your upper body routine.

WHAT MUSCLES DO SPIDER CURLS WORK?

• Biceps short head: Spider curls are excellent for targeting the short head of the bicep brachii due to the positioning of your arms. When you perform exercises with your arms by your sides, additional upper body muscles, including the long head, are often activated, taking the work out of the short head. But as the short head is essential for making the biceps look round and full, finding a way to isolate the muscle head is a must. Plus, the short head helps with shoulder joint stabilization, essential for carrying your heavy dumbbells around the gym. Keeping your arms in front of your body for the spider curl makes the short head put in some serious work. AND, just to be clear, this will work the entire bicep muscle group.
• Brachialis: The spider curl also does a great job activating the brachialis, which helps with bending the elbow joint.
• Brachioradialis: Another important elbow flexor, the brachioradialis muscle is activated during the spider curl thanks to the exercise’s full range of motion. This muscle is also responsible for forearm supination and stabilizing the shoulder. 

HOW TO DO SPIDER CURLS:

Grab your dumbbells, locate a bench, and prepare to isolate your biceps. For this exercise, you can either use a spider curl bench or an adjustable weight bench.

How to do spider curls:

1. Lean forward on a bench set to an incline setting, pressing your chest and stomach into it. The balls of your feet are on the floor, with your knees bent slightly. Holding your dumbbells with your palms facing away from your body, have your arms hanging straight down toward the floor. Retract your shoulder blades, and keep your gaze downward throughout the movement.
2. Keeping your upper arms still, bend your elbow, squeezing your biceps to curl the weights up as high as possible toward your shoulders. Contract your biceps before straightening your elbow joints to lower your weights back to the starting position.

WHAT ANGLE SHOULD THE BENCH BE FOR SPIDER CURLS?

To effectively isolate the biceps, set your bench to (or close to) a 45-degree incline.

COMMON MISTAKES WHEN COMPLETING SPIDER CURLS:

• You lift too heavy. There’s a delicate balance here. You want weights that are heavy enough to fatigue your biceps, but if they're too heavy, you'll be unable to bring them up toward the shoulder. Or, worst case, you'll have to swing your arms for momentum. Remember, this is an isolation exercise, so while you don't use the same weight you would for a more compound movement, you don’t need to. The biceps isn’t relying on other muscles to help lift the dumbbell, so this is a case where less is going to be more.
• You shorten your range of motion. Fully-extending your arm and then bringing it upward so your lower arm is touching your upper arm is one of the reasons why this exercise is so effective. There are very few exercises that move your body out of the way of your arms (this is what the incline bench helps do in this movement) so fully extending and flexing your arms is a must! If you don’t fully flex and extend, your biceps won’t contract as strongly, resulting in less hypertrophy. This is another reason not to go ultra heavy with weights. Heavy weights are great, but not if they jeopardize your arms' ability to move freely.
• You aren’t focusing on your biceps contractions. Targeting a muscular contraction is what isolation exercises are all about! Pick a weight for your dumbbells that allow you to focus on contracting your biceps to bring your lower arm up to the upper arm. Concentrate on squeezing it the entire time, using your biceps’ force to move the weight upward. It's all about the mind-muscle connection here². Focus on squeezing your muscle.
• Your form is off. You can make several posture mistakes with this move, and they can all make the spider curl less effective. A few tips: Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground, your gaze downward to avoid straining your neck, your upper arms completely still throughout the exercise, and whatever you do - don’t swing your arms!

SPIDER CURL EXERCISE VARIATIONS:

The best exercises are versatile ones, which is one of the many reasons why we love the spider curl. Whether trying to lift heavy and solely target the biceps, or you need an exercise that pays more attention to the brachialis and brachioradialis, one of these variations will meet your needs and leave your arms burning.

1. EZ bar or Barbell Spider Curl:

Using an EZ bar or barbell has three advantages. One, if you have any issues with your wrist, the EZ bar should be your go-to. The EZ bar is easier on your wrist joints than dumbbells. Two, these options allow you to lift with a heavier weight than is possible with dumbbells. You may not be able to isolate the biceps quite as much when using a bar, but the heavier weights will ensure your biceps are fatigued regardless. Three, research shows that the EZ bar may activate the biceps and brachioradialis more than the dumbbell curl³.

For this exercise, use the same form as the dumbbell spider curls. The only difference is that you will grab a bar using an underhand grip, with your hands shoulder-width apart.

2. Overhand Spider Curl:

You can use dumbbells or a barbell for this one, but remember the rule: Lighter weights for dumbbells and heavier weights for the barbell. This is especially true when using an overhand grip. The advantage to the move is it focuses on two of your arm muscles that don’t get a ton of attention in most lifter routines: the brachialis and brachioradialis. Both muscles fully activate with an overhand grip, making this a great movement to develop them. These two muscles may not be as glamorous as the biceps, but they have the ability to make your whole arm look bigger. It also ensures you don’t have any muscle imbalances, which is huge for injury prevention.

This variation also incorporates the long head of the biceps to a higher degree due to the hand positioning.

Use the same form as the standard spider curl, but switch your hand grip to palms facing down. It's an excellent burn-out exercise for the end of your upper-body day. 

3. Dumbbell Neutral Grip Spider Curl:

If you love hammer curls, then the neutral grip spider curl may be the variation for you. We’ve spoken about a few different spider curl variations that either focus on the biceps or isolate the brachialis and brachioradialis. But the neutral grip variation forces all three muscles to work simultaneously, so you can get a little extra bang with this exercise. 

Of course, there is always a trade-off, and with this exercise, the biceps doesn't work quite as hard as the underhand variation. However, between this move hitting all three muscles and your grip position enabling you to lift heavier weights, it’s a pretty fair trade. Use the same form except for your grip. For that, hold your dumbbells with your palms facing each other.

4. Single-Arm Dumbbell Spider Curl:

We love unilateral movements as they make you stronger and help you identify any muscle imbalances. A major red flag is being able to perform eight repetitions on one side and only four on the other. But you can’t fix what you don’t know exists, making unilateral exercises crucial for evenly developed muscles. You can also strategically target the biceps long head more by using this exercise if trying to give that muscle head more attention. 

Assume the standard spider curl position, holding one dumbbell in your right hand. If targeting the biceps long head, curl the dumbbell up more toward the body’s midline or your opposite shoulder. Bring the dumbbell toward your same-side shoulder to focus on your short head.

5. Two Hands with One Dumbbell Spider Curl:

Same as the neutral grip dumbbell spider curl, using two hands on one dumbbell will work the biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis. And because you're lifting with one weight with both hands, you get to lift heavier, which is great for building bigger biceps.

Stick with the same spider curl form, grabbing the dumbbell with each hand with your fingers overlapping under the dumbbell.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPIDER CURL AND PREACHER CURL

Preacher curls are another spin-off of a traditional biceps curl and shares several similarities with the spider curl. They both are isolation exercises that target the biceps short head, allow for a greater range of motion than traditional biceps curls, and require lighter weights. We can’t forget their most important similarity: They'll both get you the biceps of your dreams.

While a spider curl has your stomach down on an incline bench, a preacher curl has you sit at a preacher curl bench with the backs of your arms resting on the arm pad. The difference in form between the two moves results in a big difference in how the biceps work. In the spider curl, the biceps do most of the work in a full contraction.

In the preacher curl, the most biceps work is done in the eccentric portion of the exercise with the arms extended and the biceps stretched. And due to the support the arm pad offers, the preacher curl will enable you to lift heavier than the spider curl. Both exercises allow for more joint movement than standard bicep curls; however, when comparing the two, the spider curl offers a larger range of motion than the preacher curl.

There is no right or wrong move here - only differences in how the biceps is activated.

SPIDER CURL ALTERNATIVES:

No one wants to do the same exercises twice a week for months on end. Variety is a great way to ensure your muscles are worked evenly while preventing you from getting bored with your current gym routine.

Whether you need to add some variation or are at the gym on a busy day with no incline bench in sight, these moves target the biceps similar to the spider curl (elbow up - emphasis: short head of the bicep), making them all great substitutes.

1. Dumbbell Seated Preacher Bicep Curl:

The preacher curl offers many of the same benefits as the spider curl, but it emphasizes the eccentric portion of the exercise. Similar to the spider curl, the preacher curl also works the short head of the biceps, meaning you could even alternate between the two movements (perform spider curls one week, preacher curls the next) for variety and different contraction emphasis.

To do this exercise, sit at a preacher bench, resting the bottoms of your arms on the arm pad. Holding your dumbbells with your palms facing upward, keep your upper arms straight as you bend your elbows and bring your dumbbells toward your shoulders.

2. Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl On Incline Bench:

We aren't shy about our love for unilateral movements, and the standing one-arm dumbbell curl is no exception. This exercise also targets the biceps short head as the arm is in front of you. Elbow flexion is crucial to this exercise, so you can also expect the brachialis and brachioradialis to be activated.

Set up for this exercise by standing behind an incline bench, placing your hand with the dumbbell on the bench with your palm up. With your feet in a wide stance for support, press your chest to the top of the incline bench. Keeping the top of your arm still, curl the dumbbell upward and really squeeze your biceps.

3. Machine Hammer Grip Preacher Curl:

Any exercise with a hammer grip like this one targets the biceps long head. In addition, thanks to the semi-supinated grip, you’re working the brachialis and brachioradialis. Plus, machines always offer more stability than dumbbells, meaning you can go heavier with this one. Sitting at the machine, grab the handles with the palms facing inward and your arms extended to start; curl up.

4. Lying Bicep Cable Curl:

Another great move for targeting the long head, brachialis, and brachioradialis, your goal is to keep your body super still. The more still your body, the more work your biceps have to do. Place a bench under a high cable pulley, positioning your face under the straight bar. Grabbing the bar with an underhand grip, start with your arms extended. Curl the bar toward your forehead, holding the contraction for a few seconds before moving the bar back to start.

5. Suspension Biceps Curl:

Also referred to as the TRX biceps curl, suspension cables are the star of this exercise, adding an element of instability to your biceps repertoire. This form requires you to position your elbows above your shoulders, meaning that the long head and the brachialis are doing most of the work.

Many gyms have a TRX section with cables ready for you to use, but if not, attach your cables to a secure place that is above your head so you can hold them at head level. Grab the cable handles, walking your feet toward the anchor point. Lean back with some tension on the cables. Your elbows will start in a bent position higher than your shoulders, with your palms facing you. Keep your body leaned back and straight, and slowly lower your body toward the floor as you straighten your arms. Bend your elbows to bring yourself up toward the starting position.

Other good bicep exercises for your arm training:

• Incline dumbbell curls
• Reverse Curl
• Concentration curl
• Zottman Curl
• Fat grip bicep curls

Related: Best Dumbbell Biceps Exercises

FINAL SPIDER CURL TIPS: MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION

Keep a few things in mind during your biceps workout. First, since you’re using slightly lighter weights, adjust your repetitions accordingly. With these exercises, aim for between 12 and 20 reps, focusing on that mind-muscle connection as you contract strongly for every repetition. 

And while on the subject of mind-muscle connection, make sure you’re not making them with any of your other muscles while performing spider curls. If you are, you’re taking work out of the biceps.

Keeping those upper arms perfectly still while focusing on your biceps contracting will ensure no other major muscle groups (looking at you, back and shoulders!) will take over, detracting from the biceps work you’re trying to put in. Use good form, go slow, concentrate on that contraction, and you’re on the right path to beautiful biceps.

References:

1. Baroni BM, Pompermayer MG, Cini A, et al. Full Range of Motion Induces Greater Muscle Damage Than Partial Range of Motion in Elbow Flexion Exercise With Free Weights. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2017;31(8):2223-2230. doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000001562
2. Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Ma, Cscs. Evidence-Based Personal Training Attentional Focus for Maximizing Muscle Development: The Mind-Muscle Connection. https://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/Attentional-Focus-for-Maximizing-Muscle-Development-The-Mind-Muscle-Connection.pdf
3. Marcolin G, Panizzolo FA, Petrone N, et al. Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl. PeerJ. 2018;6:e5165. doi:10.7717/peerj.5165

With an endless variety of exercises available, it can be hard to put together a workout routine that a) effectively hits all of your muscles and b) prevents you from spending all day in the gym pushing through a long list of exercises. Enter compound exercises. And at the top of our compound must-dos? The push-up. It's a strength training powerhouse move you can do anywhere. As if that wasn’t enough, the classic move offers an endless assortment of push-up variations, saving you from exercise boredom and strength plateauing.

With this many push-up variations, no upper body muscle will go ignored. 

In this article, we’ll cover:

• What a push-up is
• What muscles push-ups work
• 33 push-up variations
• How to pick the best version for your fitness goals

Finish this list, and you’ll feel inspired to drop and give us 20.

WHAT IS A PUSH-UP?

Fitness fanatics everywhere appreciate the push-up for its challenge, versatility, and lack of required equipment. And as a compound exercise that requires multiple joints and muscles, it certainly gives the bench press a run for its money.

Many of the push-ups featured in this article require starting in a similar position (high plank), so it's a good idea to master the classic move's form.

Standard Push-Up:

How to do the standard push-up (aka a regular push up):

1. Start with your hands placed directly under the shoulders and your feet slightly wider than hip-width.
2. Step your legs behind; lift to a high plank.
3. Placing your body in a straight line, bend the elbows, keep them close to the sides, and lower your chest to the floor. Go as low as you can, ideally until your chest is just above the floor. 
4. Push through the palms, straightening your arms to press your body back to a standing position.

WHAT MUSCLES DO PUSH-UPS WORK?

Push-ups activate the pectoralis muscles, deltoids, triceps, and serratus anterior. And due to maintaining a plank position the entire time, the abdominals, erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings contract isometrically throughout the movement.

Make an effort to retract your shoulder blades a bit, and the latissimus dorsi, traps, and rhomboids will also engage. It doesn't get much more full-body than that.

The great thing about this list is that with variation comes the opportunity to work more - or target different - muscles. Moving your hands closer will put more weight on the triceps while widening them targets the entire chest. Move the butt up to a pike push-up, and now the back muscles are engaged. Whatever your muscle strengthening goal, we promise there is a push-up variation here that will help you hit it.

33 BEST PUSH-UP VARIATIONS

There is no shortage of push-up variations, as you can see by our list of 33. Ordered from easiest to hardest, you can use your fitness level to guide where you jump in here. Newcomers to the strength training game should start with the wall push-up. If that's no big deal, give the wide version a shot to see how that ranks for difficulty.

The training variables for each are highlighted, including body positioning and the muscles worked. One last note before you dig into these variations: There are multiple names for many of these moves, so you may notice that one of the push-ups on this list is called something different elsewhere. Whether you want to refer to it as a diamond or tricep push-up, we promise it'll work the same muscles in the same way.

1. Wall Push-Up

In the beginning stages of your strength-training journey? Start with the wall push-up. It will strengthen your entire upper body like a standard push-up but with more stability.

Place both palms on a wall with your wrists in line with your shoulders. Keep your body in a high plank position, retracting your shoulder blades to activate the lats. Bend your elbows as you lower to the wall. Once your forehead is close to the wall, straighten your arms. The chest, triceps, shoulders, and lats are all activated, and the core, glutes, quads, and calves will also engage to hold that high-plank position.

2. Incline Push-Up

There are two great training benefits to the incline push-up. One: The positioning takes some stress off your elbow and shoulder joints. Two: The pectoralis muscles do the bulk of the work, making it a great chest exercise.

Grab a box or bench or something stable of similar height. Opt for something taller to place your hands on to make it easier. For an extra challenge, find a box or bench lower to the ground. Your hands will be about shoulder-width apart, placed on a box. Step back into a plank position, lowering your chest to the box. To hit your chest a little more, push your body forward so your hands are a little further down.

3. Wide Grip Push-Up

You’re progressing to the ground for wide push-ups, a variation targeting the pectoralis muscles, more so the outer chest, anterior deltoid, and triceps. Research has found a wide hand placement activates the serratus anterior more than a traditional push-up, a muscle that helps move the arms and shoulders while supporting the neck and back¹.

Your hands need to be wider than your shoulders for this movement. From there, move into a high plank and lower to the ground.

4. Close Grip Push-Up

Switching your hand placement from a wide grip to a closer one creates a higher muscle activation for the inner chest and triceps. The narrow push up is also going to work the shoulders and back.

Challenging? Yes. Worth it? We’ll let your developed chest and defined triceps speak for themselves. The palms should be narrower than shoulder-width and almost touching. Maintain a plank position, and start to lower down.

5. Reverse Grip Push-Up

Push-ups aren't just for the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Enter: the reverse hand version, which engages the biceps by placing the hands with the fingers facing the feet and the palms outward. In addition to the front upper arm muscles, the deltoid major and minor, pectoralis major and minor, and triceps are activated.

For your hand placement, put your hands wider than the shoulders with palms flat on the floor and fingers pointing toward your feet. If you feel any pain, turn the hands a little inward. 

6. Diamond Push-Up

The diamond push-up does a great job of taking the work out of the chest and placing it on the triceps. In this triceps-focused push-up version, the hands make the shape of a diamond on the floor. The outside triceps head gets the most work (we can thank this guy for that nice-looking horseshoe shape), while the chest and deltoid muscles work to a lesser extent.

To form the diamond shape, place your index fingers and thumbs so they touch, forming a diamond shape. Put your body in a plank position, and begin lowering.

7. Decline Push-Up

Your upper chest muscles and anterior deltoids (the fronts of the shoulders) put in the most work in the decline push-up. To perform the movement, place the feet on a box or bench (or something similar), maintain a plank position with hands under the shoulders, and bend the elbows to lower to the ground.

Curious as to what makes this move so challenging? The elevated foot position forces the upper body to push up more of the body’s weight than the classic move, making the muscles work even harder. Make this hard move even harder by raising your feet more.

8. Staggered Push-Up

Staggering the hands forces different muscles to work on each side of the body and is a progression for the one-handed push-up. In addition to putting more force on one arm, this variation works more on the chest and targets the core.

To place your hands, get into the plank position with your right hand above your right shoulder and your left hand below your left shoulder. Then reverse arm positions.

9. Hands-Release Push-Up

The pectoralis muscles and anterior deltoids are highly activated. This movement also supports a greater range of motion than most push-up versions.

Placing your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, lower your body to the ground like a normal push-up. Retract your shoulder blades, lifting your hands off the floor slightly. Bring your hands back to the floor, and straighten your arms to return to the starting position.

10. Push-Up with Single Leg Raise

Full-body stability is a must for this advanced push-up. In addition to working the chest, shoulders, and triceps, the lower body is also engaged. The quads and glutes will contract isometrically to stabilize the body.

Starting in a regular push up position, with your hands under the shoulders and feet hip-distance apart, lift one leg in the air, keeping your hips and shoulders square toward the ground. Lower your body to the ground, and press up to the starting position. Be sure to alternate legs!

11. Elevated Push-Up

With the elevated push-up, the higher you are, the easier the push-up, while the lower you are, the more challenging it is. This move will work the pectoralis major and minor, deltoids, and triceps, and the slight incline will put more work on the chest than standard push-ups.

We like this movement because it allows for even more personalization. Move the blocks closer together for more triceps and shoulder work, and place the blocks further apart for more chest activation. Place your hands on the blocks, your body in a plank position, and lower down.

12. Uneven Push-Up on a Bench

Ready to up your push-up game but not yet prepared to take on the single-arm version? The uneven variation is a great first step. The unilateral movement places more work on one arm, engaging the chest, triceps, and shoulders on the working side.

If this exercise is too hard, you can start by placing the knees on the floor. Place one hand on a bench or block, and put the other hand on the ground in a normal push-up position. Place more bodyweight on your hand touching the ground, and lower down.

13. Uneven Push-up on a Medicine Ball

Taking the uneven bench push-up up a notch, performing the exercise on a medicine ball places more weight on one arm while adding instability to the movement. Your chest, triceps, shoulders, and core will work even harder to balance the body as you work through it. Follow the same protocol as the uneven bench push-ups, and be sure to switch sides!

14. Stability Ball Decline Push-Up

This version is a progression of the decline push-ups. It will activate the upper chest and shoulder while ensuring the triceps are engaged. And since there is instability to this movement (thanks, stability ball!), your abdominals will work twice as hard compared to a more stable variation. Start in the standard plank position required for push-ups, with one difference: The tops of your feet will rest on top of a stability ball throughout the movement. 

15. Stability Ball Incline Push-Up

The chest and shoulders have their fair share of work in this movement, while the abdominals work extra hard to keep your body stable. This movement is also great for shoulder stabilization. Place your hands on a stability ball, or BOSU ball, shoulder-width apart. Place your body in the plank position, and start to lower.

16. Single-Arm Push-Up on Knees:

One-arm push-ups are not a feat mastered overnight. Rather than disbursing your body weight between the two arms, it places all of that bodyweight, around 70%², on one arm. That requires a lot of strength! The single-arm version on the knees is a great movement to master first. But make no mistake, not all knee push ups are easy, and this one is proof. The pectoralis major, fronts of the shoulders - anterior deltoids - and triceps are highly activated, as are the abdominals and obliques as they work to stabilize you.

Start with your hands wider than shoulder-width with the hand you’re using first directly under the middle of your chest. Point that hand toward the opposite shoulder, and place your other hand behind the back.

17. Renegade Row Push Ups

Want to put a little more back and bis into your routine? The renegade row requires a dynamic pulling movement that activates the lats, rhomboids, biceps, triceps, chest, and shoulders while forcing the core to work to stabilize you. Another unilateral move that works almost all of the upper body muscles, it increases muscle activation on the pulling side. That leads to that hypertrophy we’re all striving for, and helps identify any muscle imbalances.

Grab a set of dumbbells for this one, placing them about shoulder-distance apart with the handles parallel. Grip a dumbbell in each hand, moving to the plank position. Keep the feet hip-width apart for extra support. Draw the dumbbell in your right hand toward the chest, and bend your elbow as you draw the dumbbell toward you. Slowly lower the dumbbell to the floor. Repeat on the left side.

18. Close-Grip Single Dumbbell Push-Up

This chest and triceps-focused move requires placement and elevation of the hands in a way that enables a forceful muscular contraction. This variation also improves grip strength, essential for handling heavy dumbbells. The abdominals, glutes, and thighs will also activate in this position as they contract to stabilize you, making this a great full-body bodyweight exercise.

Place one dumbbell on the floor in a standing position, grabbing the head with your hands. Get into a plank position with the arms straight, directly below your chest. Lower your body down, and push back up.

19. Knee Drive Push-Up

A hybrid of two killer moves - the mountain climber and the push-up - the knee drive push-up does a great job activating the pectoralis muscles. The shoulders, triceps, and abdominals will all be working as well. It's really a great move for your entire body. The push-up portion of this exercise replicates a standard push-up, but the added core work comes in with the knee drive. As your knee drives toward the chest, your abdominals will contract as they work to stabilize the body.

Assume the standard push-up position. Lower to the floor, and then push back up. Once you reach the top, drive one knee toward the chest. Repeat the movement with a knee drive on the opposite side.

20. Sphinx Push-Up

Also referred to as the tricep plank press, we bet you can guess which muscle is highly activated. You got it - the triceps! While pushing from a low to a high plank, the range of motion activates the triceps and engages the pectorals, shoulder, and abdominal muscles.

To perform this exercise, start with a high plank, lowering your body to your forearms. To move the body back to the high plank starting position, rotate your shoulder blades outward and push the palms of the hands into the ground to push yourself upward. Squeeze your triceps to straighten the elbows.

21. Resistance Band Push-Up

In addition to supporting 70% of your body weight, band push-ups force you to work even harder by adding some extra resistance. Which muscles are put to work? The same as a class push-up - chest, shoulders, triceps, and serratus anterior - but they work extra hard thanks to the band's resistance.

Wrap a resistance band around your back, just under the armpits, holding an end in each hand. We suggest wrapping the band around your hands an extra time to make sure it's nice and tight. Get in the plank position, and lower down.

Related: Resistance Band Push Up Variations

22. Weighted Vest Push-Up

A weighted vest is another great way to add more weight to the push-up. It’s the same concept we discussed in the resistance band variation. You’re going to work the chest, shoulders, and triceps, but it will be infinitely harder due to the added weight. The vest will lead to some serious strength and mass gains and manages to activate the lats and scapula more than other variations.

23. Clap Push-Up

The clapping push up, also referred to as the plyo push-up, works the chest, triceps, primarily the front of the shoulders, and abs. In addition, the high-intensity interval training element adds improved muscle endurance to the list, burns fat, and builds strength and speed. Research shows that HIIT training leads to improvements in body composition, meaning less fat and more muscle³. 

Start in the high plank position, and lower your body down. As you raise yourself back to the high plank, push up with additional force, enabling your hands to leave the ground. You can just start with lifting your hands, but for an added challenge, clap your hands together. Place the hands lightly on the ground before moving back down to the push-up position. 

24. Decline Push-Up Depth Jump

This is when we really start getting into the advanced push up variations. Grab a box and two thick mats (the kind used for aerobic steps work great) and get ready to feel the burn. The pectoralis muscles will be highly activated, with the shoulders and triceps contracting. Place the aerobic mats slightly outside the shoulders.

Put your hands inside the mats, and your feet on the box to move to an incline position. Bend the elbows, lowering the body toward the ground. Place force through your hands to push your body off the ground. As you leave the ground, put your hands on the steps, bending the elbows. 

25. Chest Tap Plyo Push-Ups

The chest tap push-ups activate the anterior and medial deltoids, pectoralis major and minor, and triceps while combing strength and plyometrics. The lats, scapulae, and glutes must also stabilize the body throughout the exercise. And due to the HIIT component, you’ll blast fat and burn calories simultaneously.

Start in the plank position, lower down, and push through your palms to raise your body in the air. While in the air, tap your chest with both hands, quickly placing them back down to lower into another one.

26. Spiderman Push-Up

Spiderman push-ups target the pectoralis muscles, shoulders, and triceps, working them extra hard as they keep you stabilized while the knee drives out to the side. The obliques contract as the knee drives up, and the hip flexors help lift the knee. In addition to improving your range of motion and anti-rotational core strength, it’ll also get you one step closer to the ultimate push-up goal: the single-arm version.

Start in the high plank position with hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Bend your elbows to lower, while simultaneously bending your right knee, drawing it forward and outward toward your right elbow. Straighten your right leg while pushing up to the starting position.

27. Elevated Pike Push-Up

Prepare to work the shoulders, serratus anterior, upper back muscles, and triceps. The overhead pushing motion makes it a shoulder move, while also recruiting the traps and core. The glutes are also activated as they contract to keep your body stabilized.

Start in a plank position, elevating your feet on a bench (or something of similar height). Looking down, lift the butt into the air, and keep your arms straight. You should be in the shape of an upside-down V. Bend your elbows to lower the head toward the floor and straighten your elbows to rise back up.

28. Pike to Cobra Push-Up

This variation is also referred to as dive bomber push ups. The primary movers in this exercise are the shoulders, chest, triceps, erector spinae, and glutes. The hamstrings and calf muscles will activate as they stabilize the body through the transition from plank to cobra, and then back again.

Start in a plank position, then raise your butt and look down. Bend at your elbows to lower the head down toward the floor. Rather than stopping here, continue lowering your body to a low push-up position. The tops of your legs can rest on the floor, as you continue moving through the exercise by lifting your chest off the floor. Roll your shoulders back, keeping your elbows at the side. Push back into the starting pike push-up position.

29. Archer Push-Up

Consider yourself one step closer to mastering the single-arm push-up. Also called the side-to-side push-up, this move activates the anterior deltoids, pectoralis muscles, triceps, and serratus anterior. The range of motion is much deeper, making it a far more intense exercise than the classic version. It requires the abs, spinal erectors, iliacus, and psoas major to stabilize the body. 

Start in a strong plank position with your hands wider than the shoulders. Rotate your hands outward to point the fingers away from the body. Rotate your shoulders outward, shifting your upper body toward the right side. Pull your right chest toward the right hand while bending the right elbow. The right shoulder and hand can rotate inward as you lower into the push-up. Lower toward your right side, while straightening your left arm. Fully extend the left arm to the side. Begin to push up, as you straighten your right arm and move the left arm back to the starting position.

30. Cross Arm Push-Ups

The triceps are the primary activator in this movement, while the chest and front shoulder muscles also work significantly. The obliques contract and work together with the hips to allow body rotation, making it a great abdominal move. The biceps, rectus abdominis, and quads must also contract to keep the body balanced.

Start in a plank position with your fingers pointing outward and the insides of the wrist touching. Lower down, bending your elbows to point outward with your forearms touching the ground. Push back up.

31. Fingertip Push-Up

Neglected in many gym workouts are the very used and frequently ignored hand muscles. And as a good grip is essential in helping you grasp heavy barbells and dumbbells, they need some attention also. Fingertip push-ups, which are among the most advanced push-up variations, strengthen the wrist, hand, and finger muscles. This move also activates the forearm and triceps muscles, and of course, chest.

To start, lay on your stomach with your toes on the floor and arms outstretched with palms down. Lift your bodyweight onto the palms and toes, and then raise it on your fingertips. Staying on your fingertips, lower down to the ground and push back up. Don't be surprised if you only get a few reps (if any).

32. Superman Push-Up

Muscle strength, agility, and balance are just a few of the benefits of superman push-ups. It is a major muscle builder and plyo move that requires creating enough force to push the body into the air, landing in a push-up position. The abdominals will work the hardest in this exercise, but the chest, lats, obliques, shoulders, and triceps will also activate.

Lay down on your stomach with your arms above your head and legs straight. Put your hands close together on the floor, and the feet together. Press your hands and feet down to raise the body into the air, parallel to the floor. Keep your arms straight in front of you, in a flying position. As you lower to the ground, land gently in the starting position.

33. Single-Arm Push-Up

We’ve reached the holy grail of push-ups: the one arm push up. This unilateral movement requires the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, and triceps to work excruciatingly hard, as the core and hip muscles must contract to keep the body square to the floor and stabilized. It’s also going to be the best movement for observing any muscle imbalances. If the right side can perform three single-arm push-ups, but the left side can only complete one, you know there is work to be done.

Get into the push-up position, with feet wide. Keep one hand on the ground, shifting your weight to that side, while placing the other hand behind your back. Lower your body down until your chest is close to the floor, and push back up. Don’t forget to do both sides! 

PROGRAMMING PUSH-UPS

Now, too much of something is not always a good thing, so there's no need to fit eight push-up variations into your next gym session! Instead, think strategically about your current upper-body routine and the muscles you’re trying to grow. If you are an absolute beginner and your goal is to hit each muscle evenly, we suggest starting with the wall push-up.

Or, if you want to stick with one push-up variation, you’ve been at the gym game a long time, and the ultimate goal is to master the single-arm version, try the uneven push-up on a medicine ball. Master that, and skip to the next push-up variation that encourages unilateral movement. Maybe you're looking for a move that gets the heart rate nice and high - in that case, perform push ups of the plyo variation, like the clap push-up gets you to your goals. 

You may even want to incorporate a few types of push-ups into your regimen, besides just regular push ups (which are great). The incline push-up is great for pecs and shoulders, whereas the diamond one targets the triceps. Add them both in, and you’re well on your way to a killer upper-body routine.

No matter the types of push-ups you select, we know one thing: Any move on this list will yield some serious upper body strength gains. And as you get stronger and develop power, be sure to incorporate more challenging push ups into your exercise routine.

Other Bodyweight Exercises:

• Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises
• Bodyweight Back Exercises
• Bodyweight Chest Exercises
• Bodyweight Triceps Exercises
• Bodyweight Biceps Exercises
• Bodyweight Leg Exercises
• Bodyweight Core Exercises

References:

1. Kim YS, Kim DY, Ha MS. Effect of the push-up exercise at different palmar width on muscle activities. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2016;28(2):446-449. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.446
2. Mier ǂ C, Amasay ǂ T, Capehart S, Garner H. Original Research Differences between Men and Women in Percentage of Body Weight Supported during Push-up Exercise. Accessed June 3, 2022. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1582&context=ijes
3. Wewege M, van den Berg R, Ward RE, Keech A. The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 2017;18(6):635-646. doi:10.1111/obr.12532

There are many great exercises to add strength and muscle to the lats. Row variations, chin-ups, and pull-ups will all give you wings. However, an exercise that’s often neglected but fantastic for isolating the lats is the straight arm pulldown. Unlike most compound lat exercises, there is limited bicep action, which drives more activation to the lats.

To best develop the lats, you need well-rounded back training that includes horizontal pulls, vertical pulls, and horizontal-vertical pulls (i.e. the machine high pull). These are all great compound exercises that train two or more muscle groups. But, you are still missing pure shoulder extension based movements, which isolate the lats, such as the cable straight arm lat pulldown (FYI some people call it a straight arm lat pushdown or cable pullover).

The straight-arm lat pulldown is a pure shoulder extension exercise that a lot of lifters miss in their efforts to develop a wide back and posterior of steel.

This article will explain:

• What the straight arm pulldown exercise is
• The muscles the straight arm pulldown trains
• Benefits of adding straight arm pulldowns to your exercise program
• How to do it with correct form
• Common mistakes
• Variations and alternatives of the straight arm pulldown.

Ready to build some wings? Let’s go.

WHAT ARE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS?

The straight-arm pulldown is a lat pulldown variation with a couple of important differences. With this variation, you’re standing, and your elbows are locked out the entire time. Because you’re standing and not bending your elbows, you’ll take your lats through a larger range of motion for better muscle-building potential and you won't be using your biceps to assist the movement.

It’s a great exercise to hone in on your lats.The straight arm pulldown exercise is as close to an isolation exercise for the lats as there is.

The only downside with this lat pulldown variation is there's a low ceiling for load potential. This is really purely an accessory movement. 

This exercise is performed on a cable machine or lat pulldown machine, and it can be done with various attachments to train the lats from various angles for greater muscle development. You can also do it from an upright standing position or a slightly leaned forward hip hinge position.

STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS MUSCLES WORKED:

Straight arm pulldown seems like an isolation exercise for your latissimus dorsi muscles (lats) but it’s not the only muscle group it works. There are also secondary muscles trained with this exercise which are:

• Latissimus dorsi: This is the fan-like large muscle located on your upper, middle, and lower back. The straight arm pulldown focuses on one of the two major functions of the lats, shoulder extension.
• Trapezius and rhomboids: Your main upper back muscle between the shoulder blades is involved because they elevate during the eccentric contraction and retract and depress during the concentric. Pulling your shoulder blades down and back works your lower and middle trapezius and rhomboids.
• Posterior deltoid: The rear delt muscle assists the lats with shoulder extension during the concentric contraction.
• Triceps: The long head of the triceps attached to the scapula helps keep the arm straight (along with the medial and lateral head) and assists the lats during shoulder extension.
• Anterior Core: The Rectus abdominis and obliques contract isometrically to keep your torso rigid and your spine neutral to better isolate the lats.

All that said, the straight arm pulldown is surely a lat dominant exercise and really as isolated as it's going to get for the lats. The other muscles that you'll really feel working during this exercise are your triceps and your abdominals.

BENEFITS OF STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS:

Besides building a great set of lats, there are a few important benefits of performing straight-arm lat pulldowns. And here they are:

• Missing Link: The straight arm pulldown is a pure shoulder extension movement that a lot of lifters neglect to do. Because there is no elbow flexion this is a great "isolation" move for better lat development.
• Better Mind-Muscle Connection:  A lot of lifters cannot ‘feel’ their lats with the row or pulldown variations. With the straight arm pulldown, keeping your arms straight prevents your biceps from taking over so you can better ‘feel and focus’ on the lat muscle.
• Hypertrophy: Because you’re standing and not bending the elbows during shoulder extension, the lats go through a larger range of motion than standard pulldowns for better muscle growth potential.
• Better Big 3: The straight-arm pulldown trains the lats exactly in the same way they’re used when deadlifting - keeping the bar close to the body and keeping a neutral spine. Plus, engaged lats keep the spine neutral while squatting, stop the squat from becoming a good morning, and a better bar path while bench pressing.
• Biceps Get A Rest:  A lot of lat exercises involve elbow flexion and after a few lat exercises you may exhaust your biceps and not your lats. Straight arm pulldowns better isolate your lats without your biceps. So even if your biceps are tired, you’ll still be able to train your lats.

HOW TO DO STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS:

Like all exercises, you need to do it correctly to get the best possible results. With the straight arm lat pulldown, it is better to start light so you can master it and really feel your lats working.

1. Set up your attachment of choice (i.e. straight bar, wide grip bar, or rope attachment) to a cable or lat pulldown machine and grip the attachment with an overhand (palms facing down) or neutral shoulder-width grip (palms facing in).
2. Then step back from the machine and straighten your arms. Keep your chest up and pull your shoulders down and back for better shoulder positioning. Brace your anterior core. 
3. Hinge your butt back and lean forward to a 35 to a 45-degree angle, feeling a slight stretch in your lats with your arms up in the top position.
4. Keeping straight arms, pull the bar down to your thighs focusing on pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Pause for a second.
5. Then slowly bring it back up, keeping your elbows in place, and raise the bar until you feel a stretch in your lats.
6. Repeat for reps. 

COMMON MISTAKES WHEN DOING THE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWN:

There’s not much to the straight-arm pulldown, correct. You keep your arms straight and pull the bar down to your thighs. But there are a few things to look out for you to get the best out of this exercise.

Too Much Weight: Let’s get the obvious over with. Some lifter’s egos get in the way because of the reduced load in comparison to the lat pulldown and go too heavy. Don’t do that because you want to feel your lats and not your arms.

Bending The Elbows:  Following on from above when the load is too heavy, lifters tend to bend their elbows during the straight arm lat pulldown. This takes the focus of the lats which is the point of this exercise. You want your arms fully extended, or they can be very slightly bent, but they must maintain that same bend throughout. What you want to avoid is elbow flexion and extension during reps. Keep your elbow pinned.

Bad Shoulder Positioning: Keep your shoulder blades down and back so that your shoulders are packed. This will allow you to focus on the lats.

Not Using A Full Range Of Motion: The main benefit of the straight arm pulldown is that it takes the lats through a bigger range of motion for better gains. And when you don’t fully stretch your lats at the end of the movement or pull it down to your thighs, you’re leaving gains on the table.  

DRAWBACKS:

Straight arm pulldowns are an exercise with a ton of benefits but it’s not a great fit for everyone. This does cause some stress on the elbows. So, if you’re suffering from golf or tennis elbow or sore elbows in general let pain be your guide with this exercise.  

Another drawback would be the load potential. You won't ever go super heavy with the straight arm lat pulldown, so to progressive overload, you need to use other methods like increasing reps and decreasing rest time, as well as incorporate training techniques such as drop sets. All that said, you still will be able to increase the load, there is just a somewhat low ceiling for what you'll be able to do with proper form.

Even though this exercise may seem strictly hypertrophy focused, it is also a common exercise included in strength training programs.

VARIATIONS OF CABLE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS:

The beauty of the straight arm pull in various attachments is used to train your back muscles from different angles and using various grips.

Here are a few straight arm pulldown variations for better variety and gains...

1) Single Arm Lat Pulldown:

Using a stirrup handle, rope, or even no attachment, you’ll be able to train unilaterally to strengthen the imbalance between sides for better muscle development. You’ll be able to use a neutral, overhand or under grip here with the underhand grip training the lower trapezius more.

How to:

1. Set the pulley to the highest setting on the cable machine. Attach the handle or just hold onto the pulley right above the carabiner. 
2. With your preferred grip, pull the handle down to the outside of your thigh without bending your elbows, and then pause for a second at the bottom. 
3. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for desired reps.
4. Then do the other side. 

Bonus! Try to do a lateral straight arm pulldown:

2) Rope Straight Arm Pulldown:

The rope straight arm lat pulldown uses a rope attachment which allows a neutral grip. This helps to reduce the stress on your wrists, elbows, and shoulders if this is an issue for you. Being able to pull the rope apart at the end of the movement gives your upper back some love along with the lats.  

You can do this with a hip hinge or neutral hips and upright stance. 

How to:

1. Attach a rope to a cable or lat pulldown machine.
2. Grip the rope with a neutral grip and walk back until your arms are straight.
3. Set up and perform the same way as the bar straight arm pulldown.
4. At the end of the movement, pull the rope apart until your feel an upper back contraction.
5. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Alternatively, you can use a wide grip attachment and do wide grip straight arm pulldowns to target your lats differently. 

3) Straight Arm Resistance Band Pulldown:

If you haven’t got access to a cable or lat pulldown machine, the resistance band pulldown is a great alternative. The band stresses your joint a little less, so you’ll be able to do more reps with this variation. The neutral grip is our strongest grip and is easier on the elbows and shoulders if you have any issues there.

How to:

1. Attach a looped band up as high as you can.
2. Grip the band with a neutral grip and walk back until your arms are straight and shoulder-width apart. 
3. Set up and perform as you would for the straight arm lat pulldown. 

If you don't have bands, you can buy them here from us.

ALTERNATIVES TO CABLE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS:

If you haven’t access to a cable or lat pulldown machine, then performing these alternatives will reap all the benefits of the straight arm pullover and more.

1) Dumbbell Pullover:

The dumbbell pullover trains the lats, yes, but it also trains the chest too.  When done with good form it takes your upper body through a large range of motion, like the straight arm pulldown giving you more muscle-building potential.

How to:

1. Lying perpendicular on a  bench and your upper back on the bench and holding a dumbbell in both hands above your chest.
2. Extend your hips and engage your glutes to get your body in a straight line and back neutral. 
3. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, let the dumbbell drift backward behind your head until your feel a stretch in your pecs and lats.
4. Once the dumbbell is behind your head, pull the dumbbell back over your chest.
5. Pause for a second and reset and repeat for reps.

2) Barbell Pullover:

This is performed with either a barbell or EZ curl bar. An EZ curl bar is a little easier on your elbows, but the barbell allows for more weight. The wider grip as compared to the dumbbell pullover allows some lifters to feel a better contraction and stretch in their lats.

How to:

1. Place a loaded barbell on your thighs while sitting on the bench.
2. Then lie down on the bench, press the barbell up above your chest and engage your glutes and abs.
3. Take a slightly wider than shoulder-width overhand grip on the barbell.
4. Bend your elbows slightly as you lower the barbell behind your head until you feel a stretch in your lats.
5. Pull back to the starting position over your chest while keeping your elbows bent throughout the entire movement.
6. Reset and repeat. 

3) High Machine Row:

The machine high row does use the biceps, but the angle of this variation puts the lats through a large range of motion similar to the straight arm lat pulldown. Because your lower and upper body are in a fixed position, this stability allows you to drive more engagement where you need it most, the lats.

How to:

1. Adjust the seat height, thigh pads, and chest pad to suit your body type.
2. Stand up and grip the handles with an overhand grip. And then sit down with your legs underneath the thigh pad and chest up against the chest pad.
3. Start the exercise by retracting your scapula and then drive your elbows down and back until the handles reach chest level.
4. Slowly return to the starting position and reset and repeat. 

Other Good Alternatives:

• Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
• Wide Grip Pull Ups
• Single Arm Dumbbell Row (to Hip)

ADDING STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS TO YOUR BACK WORKOUT

The straight arm lat pulldown is an exercise a lot of lifters miss when it comes to building a bigger back. It’s often overlooked because it is not as sexy nor do you use a lot of weight in comparison with other row variations or pulldown variations. Nevertheless, this exercise isolates the lats really well.

When used in combination with other effective, compound back exercises at the end of your workout, you’ll fully exhaust your lats for better gains.  

Performing 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps of straight arm pulldowns at the end of your back day will help give you lat muscles that look like wings. And be sure to switch things up and do different variations from time to time - straight bar, wide bar, rope attachment, and even resistance band pulldowns.

Let's be honest. Is anybody pleased with their calves? If there is one muscle that people have issues with developing, it's definitely your calf muscles. However, one of the reasons is because a lot of people just don't train them, at least specifically. If that's you, and it's just because you don't know what to do, we're going to give you the 7 best dumbbell exercises to train your calf muscles so you can start. This article will be short and sweet and teach you:

• Anatomy and function of the calves
• 7 best dumbbell exercises for the calves
• How to train the calves for size and strength
• Exercise tips for calf training

No more #Teamnocalves!

Anatomy And Function Of The Calf Muscles

The calves (we're gonna be honest, we're never sure if it's the calf, calf muscles, calves, calves muscles...) are a powerful set of three muscles that are situated on the posterior of the lower leg. Together, their primary function is plantarflexion of the ankle (pointing the toes), making it a crucial muscle in walking, sprinting, jumping, and basically any other activity that requires movement.

The two primary calf muscles are the gastrocnemius and soleus, with the tibialis posterior being the third, and then you have the anterior tibialis on the front side of your lower leg.

Let’s go over each muscle. 

Gastrocnemius:

The gastrocnemius is the larger muscle of the two and sits on the upper ⅔ of the lower leg (the tendon goes all the way to the heel). In fact, the gastrocnemius comprises two heads, the medial head and the lateral head. When combined, these two heads take up the entire width of the lower leg and can actually be seen from the front of those who have developed calves.

As there are two heads, there are actually two origins, the lateral condyle of the femur (lateral head) and the medial condyle of the femur (medial head). These two heads merge towards the bottom and actually join the soleus in a common tendon (the Achilles tendon) that is inserted into the heel bone. 

You may have noticed that the gastrocnemius actually crosses two joints making it a biarticular muscle. Compared to the soleus, the gastrocnemius has more type II muscle fibers as it is responsible for fast, strong movements. This includes things like jumping and sprinting.

Soleus:

The soleus is also a large muscle that runs from below the knee to the heel but sits underneath the gastrocnemius. In fact, some researchers actually consider it to be the same muscle. Regardless, it originates from the fibula and medial border of the tibia and then runs down the leg until it inserts into the heel bone. The soleus is the primary muscle used while walking as it is composed of a high percentage of Type I muscle fibers. 

Tibialis Posterior Muscle:

The tibialis posterior muscle is primarily a stabilizer of the lower leg. It also assists in plantarflexion and inversion of the foot and plays a major role in providing support for the medial arch in the foot. In fact, if there is dysfunction in the tibialis posterior muscle, a person can end up with flat feet.

Tibialis Anterior Muscle:

The tibialis anterior muscle is located on the front side of the leg, lateral to the shin bone. Its main responsibility is ankle dorsiflexion, which is when you bend at the ankle raising your toes towards your shin. 

Benefit Of Training The Calf Muscles

Here are the top reasons you want to include the below dumbbell calf movements in your exercise program.

1) Improve Aesthetics:

The calves are notorious for being made fun of out of all the body parts. As mentioned, there's a whole #Teamnocalves thing going around. Some of this may be genetics, but everyone is able to grow their calves at least a little bit. Seeing an excellent, developed set of calves can dramatically improve the way one views you. That being said, we have found that most people don't even need "amazing" calves to look much better. We're not saying to cut yourself short, but you're probably able to just throw in some specific calves work and drastically improve your overall aesthetics.

2) Increase Performance:

As mentioned, the calves play an integral role in a variety of movements such as walking, running, jumping (vertical and horizontal), and change of direction. In fact, the majority of athletic movements will see an improvement by strengthening the calves. Therefore, if you are an athlete of any sort, you'll definitely want to include some dumbbell calf exercises to improve your performance.

3) Reduce Injury:

Due to the fact the calves are involved in so many athletic movements, as well as providing support for the entire lower leg, various issues can arise. Either the calf itself can be injured or other parts of the leg due to a weak or fatigued calf muscle. Remember that whenever a muscle gives out, that stress must be compensated by other parts of the body. This can result in issues with the muscle, tendons, ligaments, and even joints. 

7 Best Dumbbell Calf Exercises

Here we go with the 7 best calf exercises using dumbbells…

1. Farmer Walk (On Tip Toes):

Farmer walks are a popular movement in the world of Strongman and strength training. Its effectiveness in improving total body strength is only shadowed by how simple this movement is. Farmer walks are probably the simplest exercise there is and merely has you pick up two implements and walk. In this manner, it's awesome.

However, we can actually make a simple alteration to target the calves to a higher degree. This is simply done by standing up on your toes as you walk. What this does is puts the calves under constant tension in a stretched state and under load. Easy and effective. We like it.

1. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands.
2. Allow them to just hang naturally.
3. Come up on your toes.
4. Begin walking but stay on your toes
5. This movement is performed slow and natural i.e., you're not running.
6. Another slight variation is to slightly let your heels come down but then spring up.

Watch Demo of the Tip Toe Farmer's Walk

2. Donkey Calf Raises:

Donkey calf raises are a bit funky looking and are actually sometimes seen on those "Gym Idiot" videos because most people don't know what they are. They're performed by bending over the waist with your feet on an edge. You then allow your heels to drop below the ledge and then come upwards. Due to the legs being straight, these tend to hit the gastrocnemius to a greater degree.

This exercise is usually performed with a machine or with someone sitting on the other person's back. However, this can be embarrassing for some people. Therefore, you can have someone hold a heavy dumbbell on your very lower back instead.

1. You will need a plate to elevate your feet and a higher box or structure to support your upper body. You will also need a weight belt with a dumbbell attached OR your friend will hold a dumbbell in position on your lower back when you get into the starting position.
2. Place the plate behind the support object so that you can bend over.
3. Put your feet on the plate so that they can flex and bend knees slightly. This is your starting position.
4. Let your heels drop, and then raise your body by driving up on your toes.

3. Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise:

Seated calf raises are a great exercise to train the soleus muscle. As your knees are bent, the soleus will act as the primary movers. While most people think of using a machine for a seated calf raise, you can easily perform them with dumbbells if a machine is not available. You're just going to need a bench, dumbbell (maybe 2), and preferably a thick plate. 

1. Sit on the bench with your legs off to the side.
2. Place the plate in front of your legs and put your foot halfway on. You want to be able to drop your heels and pull them up.
3. Place a dumbbell on your knees. You'll probably need to support them with your hand.
4. Let your heels come down to the ground, then drive your knees up until you are on your tippy-toes.
5. Hole the weight for a few seconds, then repeat.

Watch Demo of the Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise

4. Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise:

Similar to the seated calf raise but from a standing position. However, as your legs are extended, this exercise will train the gastrocnemius to a higher degree. The standing calf raise exercise is basically performed by holding weights and coming up on your toes. However, you may need to hold onto a rail or something for support. 

1. Find an elevated surface that allows your heels to drop. The stairs work great. Keep your feet hip width apart.
2. Hold onto one dumbbell and use your other hand to help balance (you are not pulling)
3. Depending on how strong your calves are and what you have access to weight-wise, you can do a single leg calf raise, then switch legs (i.e. left leg first, then right leg)
4. Let your heel (heels) drop, and then drive your entire body up until you are on the balls of your feet. 

Watch Demo of the Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise

5. ¼ Squat Jumps:

Obviously, the calves are a vital muscle to getting as much vert as possible when jumping. Therefore, adding weight to your jump (plyometrics) is a great way to effectively increase the load. However, most other articles will have you performing full squat jumps. This doesn't make sense as we're not trying to train the quadriceps. Therefore, you'll want to perform just a ¼ squat before you jump, similar to a natural jump. 

To be clear, there's nothing wrong with a dumbbell jump squat from a full squat position. They're an awesome method to increase vertical power. However, when we're trying to isolate the calves, we need to focus on the calves.

1. Hold two dumbbells and let them hang down by your side.
2. Take a ¼ squat and then jump as high as you can.
3. Each rep should be done with maximal power.

Watch Demo of the 1/4 Dumbbell Squat Jump

6. Walking Lunges:

Lunges work the entire lower body, including the calves. However, we like walking lunges as you get that little extra plantarflexion when you push off to bring the back leg forward. Plus, you get a really good stretch in the back foot as well. Other than that, walking lunges are incredibly easy to load with dumbbells. 

1. Hold two dumbbells in your hands and stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Take one large step forward with your left foot.
3. Allow the body to drop straight down.
4. If your feet are a proper distance apart, the front knees should be directly above the front foot, and the back knee should be directly under the back hip. Therefore, both knees should make 90-degree angles.
5. Drive your body up and push off with your back leg (right foot) to bring it forward.

Watch Demo of Walking Lunges

7. Dumbbell Tibialis Foot Raise:

This movement is actually going to train the shin bone, otherwise known as the anterior tibialis muscle. Yes, we know this is a list of calf exercises, but it plays an integral role with the calf and is part of providing support to the lower leg. Further, this is an easy exercise to do and we're going to guess you've likely never done it so it will be a new stimulus. But be warned, as most people haven't trained this muscle much, it can be easy to do too much and wake up with a very uncomfortable case of DOMS.

1. Sit on a bench or box with your butt near the edge.
2. Place the dumbbell in between your feet and raise it, so it just comes off the ground.
3. Begin performing "curls" with your feet by extending and contracting them (pointing your toes and then pulling them towards your body.

Watch Demo of the Tibialis Foot Raise

Great bodyweight exercises & calf workouts:

• Jump rope
• Jumping jacks
• Stairs (can add dumbbell load)
• Uphill Sprints

Variables And Training Tips For The Calves:

When training the calves, remember to add a lot of variety as well as loads. Keep in mind that your calves get a ton of low-load work as they're used whenever you walk around. In addition, this is generally what you always see in the gym; low weight and very high reps. 

This isn't wrong, but it's not taking the entire calf muscle into account. Remember, there are two primary muscles and two heads within one of those. Therefore, variety is key for optimal growth of the calves. (You'll hear this a lot from us when talking about muscle hypertrophy).

In addition to using lighter loads, be sure to add in some heavier sets, especially for the exercises with straight legs. Remember, these will hit the gastrocnemius, which has more Type II muscle fibers, so theoretically, heavier loads will produce superior results. 

Mind you, the entire theory about training for muscle type is not as solid as some may have you believe but it is an interesting concept. Regardless, chances are you never use heavy loads anyway, so it would be a nice change.

In addition, we also recommend using different foot positions. This is purely to hit the muscle from every direction. Remember that the gastrocnemius actually has two heads (medial, lateral), so optimal training would attempt to hit these differently.

• Straight forward
• Turned out
• Turned in

Lastly, use slow and controlled reps as well as pausing at the top. Again, keep in mind you use your calves A LOT! Therefore, if they're not growing, you need to apply a new stimulus. 

This means you want the muscle to have much longer time under tension, specifically with heavy loads. In addition, don't bounce the weight but rather use controlled movements with a full range of motion. Don’t be the guy on the calf machine doing 30 reps in 30 seconds. Be the guy doing 10 reps of a calf exercise in 30 seconds.

Don't Forget Your Calf Training Now!

Now you have the 7 best dumbbell calf exercises that are easy to perform. In other words, there's no reason to not train your calves in your next workout routine. Remember, they're a muscle just like any other and need to be trained with the various stimuli talked about if you want them to grow optimally. 

If you do this, you'll definitely see them begin to develop and form. Ideally, you'll get that nice fat horseshoe on the back of your legs one day but in the worst case scenario, you’ll at least be able to wear short shorts to the gym! 

• Best Gastrocnemius Exercises
• Best Soleus Exercises
• Best Calf Machines

More Dumbbell Exercise Content:

• Dumbbell Glute Exercises
• Dumbbell Quad Exercises
• Dumbbell Hamstring Exercises
• Dumbbell Chest Exercises
• Dumbbell Back Exercises
• Dumbbell Rear Delt Exercises
• Dumbbell Biceps Exercises
• Dumbbell Triceps Exercises
• Dumbbell Ab Exercises

Time to get that buff upper body you’ve always been wanting. Chiseled pecs. Boulders for shoulders. Massive V-shaped back. Sleeve busting arms. You know, all that good stuff. We’re about to lay out one of the best full upper body workouts. But that’s not all! We’re actually going to give you 5 upper body workouts. That’s right, 5! But wait, there’s more! We’re also going to...uh, actually no. That’s it. You just get 5 free upper body workouts. Don’t be greedy.

The 5 Upper Body Workouts:

1. Upper Body Workout for Strength
2. Upper Body Workout for Hypertrophy
3. Upper Body Workout for Strength and Hypertrophy
4. Upper Body Dumbbell Only Workout
5. Upper Body Calisthenics Workout

5 upper body workouts for 5 different occasions because NO ONE deserves to wear a size small shirt. 

Muscles Of The Upper Body

The upper body contains a lot of muscles. Therefore, the easiest way to break them down is by muscle group.

Back Muscle Groups:

Erector Spinae Muscles: The erector spinae is a large muscle that runs down either side of the spine and acts as a support system and brace. While we speak of it as one muscle, it’s actually a muscle group composed made up of three muscles that branch out from the base of the spine. These 3 muscles are: 

• Spinalis
• Longissimus
• Iliocostalis 

Together, they help control the spine and perform lateral flexion/extension (bending sideways) and extension of the spine. Still, their most important movement is as an anti-flexion or anti-rotation muscle. In other words, they help stabilize the spine.

Rhomboids: The rhomboids are small muscles that look like a rhomboid that originate from the base of the neck and attach to the shoulder blades. Their primary function is to bring the shoulder blades back (adduction) but they also assist in overhead pressing.

Trapezius: The traps are a large pair of muscles shaped like trapezoids. Infact, the the traps are actually composed of three parts:

• Upper
• Middle
• Lower

These three parts start below the skull and extend down to your thoracic spine as well as reaching out to your scapula. They are your primary scapular muscles and are able to manipulate them in any direction as well as stabilizing them to provide a strong base.

Latissimus Dorsi: The lats are the largest muscle in the upper body as well as the widest (If developed properly). They originate on the thoracic spine and run all the way down to the lumbar spine. The lats are attached on the spine, scapula, pelvis, and ribs and insert on the humerus. Its main movements include: 

• Shoulder extension
• Shoulder flexion
• Horizontal abduction
• Horizontal abduction
• Shoulder internal rotation

Chest Muscle Groups:

The chest muscle is a large, fan-like shaped muscle that sits on the entire upper chest and is primarily responsible for horizontal shoulder adduction but also assists in shoulder flexion. The chest muscle group can actually be divided into the pec major and the pec minor.

Pectoralis Major: The pec major consists of two parts; the clavicular (upper chest) and sternal head (lower chest). The pec major has a few main functions including:

• Shoulder horizontal adduction
• Internal rotation of the humerus
• Shoulder flexion

Pectoralis Minor: The pec minor is a muscle that lays under the pec major and resembles a triangle. The triangular-shaped pectoralis minor muscle is found underneath the pectoralis major. This small muscle is responsible for:

• Posture control
• Scapular protraction (pulling them forward and down)

Shoulders Muscle Group:

The shoulder muscles (deltoids) are a set of 3 muscle heads that sit on the top of the arm and are responsible for manipulating the arm. The three muscle heads are:

• Anterior Deltoid
• Lateral Deltoid 
• Posterior Deltoid

These muscle heads originate from the scapula and clavicle that are then inserted in the upper arm. Together, the front, side and rear delts control the shoulder and can maneuver it in any direction.

Upper Arms Muscle Groups:

Biceps: The biceps are composed of two heads (short head and long head) that sit on the front of the upper arms. These two heads originate from two different locations but merge together to form one muscle belly (but they remain separated) which then crosses the elbow joint and is then inserted in the radius. The biceps function as a:

• Powerful supinator of the forearm
• Flexor of the elbow joint
• Weak flexor of the shoulder (the long head crosses the elbow joint)

Triceps: The triceps is composed of three different muscle heads, the medial head, long head, and lateral head.

These three heads run down the entire back of the upper arm. While all three muscles have different origin points, they cross the elbow to come together as one insertion on the lower arm (ulna). The primary function of the triceps is elbow extension but also assists in shoulder extension and shoulder stability (the long head also crosses the shoulder joint)

Note: You also have your core muscles, particularly your abdominals, which consist of your rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Our workouts will focus on training these muscles for better core stability.

Optimal Training For The Upper Body

Let’s now look at what we want to see in an effective upper body workout. We will go over training variables such as muscle group training frequency, loads, rep schemes, and anything else you might need to create your hot bod.

1) Train Each Muscle Group Twice A Week:

Train each upper body muscle group twice a week. In order to get maximal strength, hypertrophy, and rest, recent studies have shown that training muscle groups twice a week is optimal. This allows the maximal amount of quality volume while balancing fatigue. To be clear, this is assuming you spread these training days apart by at least 48 hours. 

Note that we say “quality” volume. What we are referring to is volume done at sufficient loads. What can happen if you only train one muscle group a day is that after 3 exercises, you can have already reached a state of fatigue.

However, if you have another 3 exercises left, you may “do” them, but they’ll be done with a lighter load. Therefore, once you do 3 exercises for one muscle group, do 3 exercises for another muscle group. Then on a second day, do the remaining exercises. This should allow you to perform more volume.

2) Train For Upper Body Strength And Hypertrophy:

The vast majority of guys need both strength and hypertrophy in their upper body workout plan. Even if you run a “strength” plan or “hypertrophy” plan, you should still include some of the other variables.

This is because strength and hypertrophy have a relationship in which they benefit from each other. The best explanation is to simply realize; “a larger muscle has more potential to be a stronger muscle, and a stronger muscle can create more volume to be a larger muscle.”

Still, you don’t want to be the big guy with show muscles, nor do you want to be the strong guy that doesn’t look like they lift. The goal is to have a strong upper body as well as a well built, defined upper body.

3) Focus On Compound Upper Body Exercises:

Most of the lifts you use should be compound lifts, even for hypertrophy. Compound lifts are going to allow you to apply heavier loads to your muscles, meaning more volume and strength adaptations. Therefore, these should be your bread and butter. You can throw in some isolation work for sure, but they should definitely not outnumber your compound lifts.

Best Split For Upper Body Workouts

Taking in all of the variables above, we like to train the upper body 3x a week for the optimal mix of volume and recovery. This can also give you at least 1 day to train legs for a 4-day training week or 2 days of leg training for a 5-day training week.

As you can see, this split definitely favors the upper body, but it’s still enough to at least maintain leg strength and size. That being said, if you do want leg growth, we wouldn’t recommend running this style of the program forever.

Upper Body Workout Training Split

Putting all of the above together, here is how your training split will look. This will apply to every upper body plan below, except the calisthenics. 

Session 1:

• Chest
• Back

Session 2:

• Shoulder 
• Chest

Session 3:

• Back 
• Shoulder

As you see, there are three body parts that should be trained twice a week. While you could do two days of the full upper body, we want optimal, and this fits the bill. 

The 5 Upper Body Workouts

The 5 best upper body workout routines below each have a specific goal or circumstance in mind, and they are:

1. Strength Workout for Upper Body
2. Hypertrophy Workout for Upper Body
3. Strength & Hypertrophy Workout for Upper Body
4. Dumbbell Workout for Upper Body
5. Calisthenics (Body Weight) Workout for Upper Body

Each workout will consist of what we believe are the best upper body exercises as well as the best workout structures for upper body training.

1. Upper Body Workout For Strength

These are strength based workouts because they involve mainly big compound lifts in a strength rep range. These will make your upper body strong.

Session 1 (Chest/Back):

1. Bench Press 4X4
2. Dips 5X5
3. Bent-Over Row 3X6
4. Incline Dumbbell Press 3X8
5. T-Bar (Wide Grip) 4X8
6. Chest Fly/Reverse Fly (Super) 2X12-15

Session 2 (Shoulder/Chest):

1. Push Press 4X4 + 1 Drop Set of Military Press RPE8-9
2. Floor Press 3X5
3. Seated OH Dumbbell Press 3X6
4. Close Grip Bench Press 3X8
5. Z-Press 3X8
6. Lateral Raise/Tricep Pushdown (Super) 2X12-15
7. Barbell Rollout 3X5

Session 3 (Back/ Shoulder):

1. Rack Pulls 4X4
2. Sumo Snatch High Pull 4X4
3. Chin-Ups 5X5
4. Military Press 3X6
5. Pendlay Row 3X8
6. Face Pull/Rope Hammer Curl (Super) 2X12-15

2. Upper Body Workout For Hypertrophy

These are hypertrophy based workouts, which simply means the main focus is to build muscle via more volume. That said, the workouts will involve mostly compound lifts and even some strength sets (your first exercise of the session). When it comes to building muscle, pure size can really be built in any rep range, depending on the total volume (reps + weight load). 

Session 1 (Chest/Back):

1. Dumbbell Bench Press 3X6
2. Bench Dumbbell Row/Helms Row 3X8
3. Dips 3X8-10
4. Lat Pulldown 3X8-10
5. Chest Fly 4X10-12 (2 per angle)
6. Reverse Fly 4X10-12 (2 per angle)
7. Barbell Rollout 3X5   

Session 2 (Shoulder/Chest):

1. Seated Military Press 3X6
2. Gironda Dips 3X8-12
3. Arnold Press 3X8-10
4. Close Grip Bench Press 3X8-10
5. Dumbbell Pullover 3X10-12
6. Rope High Pulls 2X12-15
7. Lateral Raise/Triceps Pushdown 3X12-15

Session 3 (Back/Shoulder):

1. Chin-ups 3X6            
2. T-Bar Row 3X8-10
3. Chest Supported Incline Shrug 3X5 (3 Second hold at top)
4. Heavy Partial Laterals 3X5
5. Back Extension 2X12-15
6. Hammer Curl 3X8-10
7. Drag Curl 3X12-15

3. Upper Body Workout For Strength And Hypertrophy

Essentially these workouts will focus on both strength and hypertrophy exercises and rep ranges. It's the perfect combo for building strength and hypertrophy, which is most people want from their training.

Session 1 (Chest/Back):

1. Bench Press 4X4
2. Incline Dumbbell Press 3X6
3. Dips 3X6-8
4. Helms Row 3X8-10
5. Lat Pulldown 3X10-12
6. Face Pull 3X12-15
7. Reverse Fly (2 angles) 4X12-15 (2 per angle)
8. Tricep Extension/Reverse Curl 3X12-15

Session 2 (Shoulder/Chest):

1. Seated Military Press 3X5
2. Dips 4X6-8         
3. Chest Fly (2 angles) 4X12-15 (2 sets per angle)
4. Dumbbell Pullover 3X8-10
5. Skull Crusher 3X10-12
6. Lateral Raise 3X12-15
7. Tricep Pushdown 3X12-15
8. Barbell Rollout 3X5

Session 3 (Back/Shoulder):

1. Sumo Snatch Grip High Pull 4X4
2. Bent-Over Row 4X6
3. Kroc Row 3X15+
4. Arnold Press 3X8-10
5. Back Extension 3X12-15
6. Face Pull 3X12-15
7. Drag Curl 3X12-15
8. Hammer Curl 3X12-15

Progressive Overload For Strength, Hypertrophy, and Strength & Hypertrophy:

This information applies to the strength training program, hypertrophy program, and strength & hypertrophy program.

Set Rep Scheme (i.e. 3X5, 4X6):

These are primarily your strength exercises. Therefore, you will want to add load for progressive overload. If you find you can’t make the jump one week, use a cluster set to get all the reps plus 1.

For example, you’re supposed to do 5 reps but can only do 4. Do 2 cluster sets of 3 reps OR 3 cluster sets of 2 more reps. 

Rep Scheme Range (i.e. 3X8-10):

These are more hypertrophy related exercises. For these, you want to use a combination of increasing weight and reps. Take a rep scheme of 3X8-10 for example.

• Week 1: 3X8 @ 100lbs
• Week 2: 3X9 @ 100lbs
• Week 3: 3X10 @ 100lbs
• Week 4: 3X8 @ 105lbs.

4. Upper Body Dumbbell Workout

This workout is a dumbbell-only upper body workout plan. While anyone could use it, it’s written with the idea that someone is stuck at home with a limited set of dumbbells. Therefore, every exercise will use RPE to account for the fact that people will have different size dumbbells. 

For each exercise, use an RPE of 8. This means you’re bringing it close to failure but not too fatiguing. For example, let’s pretend your 10RM for an exercise is 100lbs. An RPE80 would be 80lbs.

That being said, we will add a range of reps that you should attempt to hit if possible.

Session 1 (Chest/Back):

1. Floor Press 3X6-8
2. Bent-Over Dumbbell Row 3X6-8
3. Close Grip/Neutral Grip Chest Press 3X8-10
4. Dumbbell Fly 3X8-10
5. Dumbbell Reverse Fly 3X8-10
6. Tricep Overhead Extension 3X10-12

Session 2 (Shoulder/Chest):

1. Kneeling Shoulder Press 3X8-10
2. Glute Bridge Floor Press 3X8-10
3. Squeeze Press 3X6+
4. Arnold Press 3X8-10
5. Dumbbell High Row 3X8-10
6. Dumbbell Pullover 3X10-12
7. Dumbbell Skull Crusher 3X12+

Session 3 (Back/Shoulder):

1. Dumbbell Row (Flare Elbows Out) 3X8-10
2. Single Dumbbell OH Press 3X8-10
3. Z-Press 3X8-10
4. Helms Row/Head Supported Row 3X8-10
5. Lateral Raise 3X10-12
6. Front Raise 3X10-12
7. Waiter Curls 3X12+

Progressive Overload:

For progressive overload, you will likely have to increase reps. However, there are also a few other ways to implement progressive overload with minimal weights.

• Increase tempo, especially eccentric
• Decrease rest periods

While you perform the exercises with an RPE8, you will max out every 4 weeks. 

5. Upper Body Calisthenics Workout

This program is pure calisthenics, which means you are using just your body weight as resistance. That being said, this program is written with the assumption you have access to a basic set of bars.

Session 1:

1. Chin-Ups 5XRPE8
2. Decline Push-Ups 2XRPE9
3. Australian Rows 3XRPE8-9
4. Dips 3XRPE8
5. Bomber Push-Ups 3XRPE8-9
6. Pike Pushups 3XRPE8-9
7. V-Ups 3XRPE9

Session 2:

1. Pull-Ups 5XRPE8
2. Push-Ups 5XRPE8
3. Wall Walks 3X5
4. Australian Rows 3XRPE8-9
5. Push-Back Push-Ups 3XRPE8-9
6. Russian Twists 3XRPE9

Progressive Overload:

For calisthenics, you will be forced to increase reps at first. After a while, you will need to start increasing the difficulty of the upper body exercises. Generally speaking, this involves shifting your weight to one arm. 

For chin-ups/pull-ups, you can also include sternum pulls which involves pulling yourself as high as you can go. This is actually a progression to the muscle-up. Remember to use a full range, the starting position on a pull up and chin up is with arms straight fully extended.

For push-ups, you can also start including ballistic style push-ups.

How To Progress Long-Term With The Upper Body Workout

Regardless of what program you run and your current situation, the same basic principles apply as far as progress. After all is said and done, the main goal is to simply add variety in a planned manner (this is not the same as P-90X). Here are some guidelines to follow in order to continue progressing.

1) Use Some Form Of Periodization:

Periodization is a training method that has you alter training volume and intensity over time. In other words, you may train with 5 reps @ 85%1RM for a couple months and then switch to 8 reps @ 80% 1RM. Perhaps an easier way to think about it is to train for a different goal. Again, train for strength for a couple months and then train for muscle hypertrophy.

In fact, you could run the Strength program for 2-3 months and then use the Hypertrophy program. This allows a complete training program while also helping mitigate fatigue build-up.

2) Swap Out Exercises Or Training Implement:

Another easy way to add variety is to run the same exact program but just switch implements or exercises. If you swap out exercises, it just needs to have similar biomechanics. For example, below are acceptable exercises for overhead pressing.

Military Press→Sitting Military Press→Sitting Overhead Dumbbell Press→Pin Press…

As you see, all the exercises are similar but are just different enough to create a new stimulus. 

In fact, you could even run the calisthenics program or swap out barbell and dumbbell movements. As mentioned, the key to progression is to add variability when needed and always be progressing forward. 

That is unless you need to rest.

3) Use Deloads/Rest:

Your body is a machine. However, what machine would you push to the max at all times? Hell, would you even let your car idle in the driveway when you’re not using it? Of course not! So put away this stupid idea “What’s a rest day?” If you don’t need a rest day, you are definitely not training hard. That being said…

You need to let your body recover from time to time with a deload week. The majority of people are fine doing this once every 4-6 weeks of training if that. By this, we mean normal people generally always have something come up from time to time or vacations and holidays. We like to promote the idea of training hard and let these events act as natural dealoads. 

In fact, we do not train when we’re on vacation. To be clear, this doesn’t mean we sit around and drink all day (at least not every day); it means we may just go swimming, hiking, cycling, or any other activity rather than go to the gym.  

Now It’s Up To You

We just hooked you up with 5 upper body workouts PLUS instructions on how to continue training even after you’re done with your program. However, we can lead a horse to water, but we can’t make it drink. We’re not calling you a horse but get the point.

Just be patient, train with intent, rest when you’re feeling tired, change things up when you stall, eat, and sleep. And that’s basically what you need to do to grow a sick bod. At least the upper body; check these articles out for the lower body.

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Are you dealing with stiff, creaky shoulder joints on a day to day basis? You’re not alone. Shoulder pain and stiffness are a common occurrence, and there are simple solutions to relieve recurring stiffness and limited mobility within the shoulders. Let’s jump into the shoulder’s anatomy and function, why shoulder mobility is an absolute crucial element to your body’s health, and solutions to improve your shoulders current state. 

WHAT IS MOBILITY?

Mobility is the ability to move your body without limitations or pain. This means that the body’s joints are healthy and have optimal range of motion. An articulation (where two or more bones meet) of the joint can move to a specific degree before being restricted by surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments.

In addition, joint mobility is directly correlated to posture and can influence desired activities and especially activities that require load. Proper mobility is needed so the joint and its surrounding tissues can carry out the demands of movements. When joints move well, efficient muscles are built. 

Lastly, let’s clear the air between the terms mobility and stretching. These two are commonly mistaken as the same concept yet they both serve a specific purpose in training. Stretching is the ability to passively achieve a range of motion (ex: child's pose for shoulder relief) while mobility is the ability to actively achieve extended ranges of motion (ex: prone shoulder lift offs for shoulder activation). A combination of the two, stretching and mobility work, can help improve the shoulders passive and active range of motion.

WHY IS SHOULDER MOBILITY SO IMPORTANT? 

Having the ability to move in ways that you want to without limitations or pain can be achieved through training your joints with mobility drills. When shoulder mobility is limited, it can greatly affect your quality of life and increase the risk of injury in the shoulder joint. Loading any joint that does not have the capacity to withstand the load in a given position can lead to recurring problems. Ensuring the health of your shoulders through mobility within the full range of motion is a key factor for maintaining functional shoulders. 

SHOULDER MUSCLES ANATOMY & FUNCTIONS

Anatomy:

The most well known joints of the shoulder, acromioclavicular and glenohumeral, are located at the primary joint that connects the arm to the torso. However, there are two other joints, sternoclavicular and scapulothoracic, that encompass the entire shoulder. These joints play a major role in shoulder movements that are patterned with everyday motions.

The musculature of the shoulder joint has intricate connections between points of these bony landmarks. The rotator cuff, for instance, are 4 muscles that connect your scapula to the humerus. These muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis) help stabilize the humerus within the glenohumeral joint. 

In addition, there are a lot of scapular muscles correlated with the back of the shoulder, most are categorized as the lower and middle trapezius and serratus anterior. These muscles are responsible for stabilization of the shoulder joint as a whole. Proper stability within these muscle groups prevents injury within all the tissues involved. 

Biomechanics:

The shoulder joint is responsible for basic movements like flexion, extension, horizontal abduction, horizontal adduction and internal and external rotation. The shoulder is not limited to movements outside of these basic movements, there are a complex range of combined movements available to the shoulder. A majority of functional movements combine linear movement and rotation. For example, to reach your arm across the body, the shoulder adducts and rotates.  

This is why shoulder mobility is so important. The glenohumeral joint (connects the glenoid of the scapula and the head of the humerus) is a shallow joint. Its anatomy limits the coverage between the ball and the socket of the joint. This means there’s instability within the joint if the surrounding muscles aren’t stabilizing movement. The shoulder has a lot of components of planes of motion and biomechanics. Maintaining proper mobility within the glenohumeral joint as well as the surrounding tissue can help you move freely without compensations or pain.

WHAT CAUSES POOR SHOULDER MOBILITY & SHOULDER PAIN?

• Weakness: A weakness within the surrounding musculature, like the trapezius, serratus anterior and the rotator cuff, can lead to compensations by shrugging and relying on the upper trapezius and rhomboid to take over. This can lead to tension within the upper back and neck along with compensated upper body movement patterns.
• Trauma to the shoulder: A direct injury to the shoulder like a rotator cuff tear, fracture or dislocation can lead to an extended period of time where the shoulder is not moving through its full range of motion. If the injury does not heal properly, it can lead to limited movements of the shoulder. Physical Therapy is an important component to a proper recovery and a well-rounded plan post therapy that’ll help prevent future injuries.
• Muscle tightness: The pectoralis minor connects the shoulder blade to the ribcage. When this muscle gets tight overtime, it pulls the shoulder blade forward, limiting proper range of motion. In addition, when the latissimus dorsi is tight, it limits the scapula’s ability to rotate downward which directly affects overhead mobility.
• Improper exercise form: Repeating repetitions of exercises with poor form that limit the shoulder to move through its full range of motion can halt mobility gains through the shoulder joint. 

SHOULDER MOBILITY TESTS FOR TIGHT SHOULDERS

1) Overhead Shoulder Mobility Test:

Overhead mobility is achieved through shoulder flexion, abduction, upward rotation, elevation and thoracic extension. This test looks for adequate overhead mobility and any discrepancies of mobility between right and left sides. Limitations of overhead mobility may occur due to muscle tightness or injury. Again, this isn't just shoulder tightness, it is tightness in several muscles surrounding the shoulders.

2) Apley’s Scratch Test:

This test is used to assess and measure shoulder range of motion of the glenohumeral joint along with any pain points of the rotator cuff. This test measures shoulder internal rotation, adduction, abduction and external rotation. It's a great way to see if you have tight shoulders and where you need to be focusing on for improving shoulder mobility.

Test your mobility here.

THE BEST SHOULDER MOBILITY EXERCISES

If you want to improve shoulder mobility, which you obviously should, the following exercises are the best ones you can do.

1. Scapula Protraction & Retraction:

The scapula move in a three dimensional pattern. Scapula protraction and retraction are crucial movements that engage the surrounding musculature in positions that strengthen the upper back and shoulder complex. When the scapula moves in shoulder protraction, they move laterally or away from the rib cage. The serratus anterior, pectoralis major and minor are the muscles that assist in protraction. When the shoulder blades retract, the surrounding musculature pulls the scapulae together towards the spine. The muscles that assist in retraction are the upper, middle and lower trapezius, rhomboids and latissimus dorsi.  

2. Scapula Circles:

Moving through the three dimensional pattern of the scapulae, scapulae circles target the movements of shoulder elevation, protraction, depression and retraction. Working towards a smooth pattern with scapula circles will help bring neuromuscular awareness and control through this region. This awareness can directly be linked to movements like push ups, pull ups, presses and rows where the scapula position plays an important role for proper muscle recruitment. 

3. Half Kneeling T-Spine and Shoulder Rotation:

The shoulders and thoracic spine move in synchronization through upper body rotational movements. Synching both the scapulae and thoracic spine in this rotational movement is a great way to stretch and pattern this connection.  

4. Big Rotations (Shoulder CARs):

Shoulder CARs or controlled articular rotations utilize active rotations that take the individual joint to its outer limits of motion. It stimulates articular adaptations and indicates neurological control of the outer limits for improved joint stability and proprioception.

5. Lift Offs:

Working active shoulder range of motion within the lift off strengthens the end range of motion of the shoulders. This movement also targets the upper and mid back muscles to stabilize the shoulder blades.

6. External Rotation:

This exercise targets the infraspinatus muscle which is one of the four muscles of the rotator cuff that provide stability in the shoulder joint. The infraspinatus specifically rotates the humerus away from the body, an important component for adequate external rotation. Isolating external rotation helps strengthen the infraspinatus muscle. 

7. Side Lying Book Openers:

Book openers can improve the mobility of the thoracic spine (mid back). A mobility t-spine allows proper range of motion of the shoulder joints and unlocks restrictions to breathing.

As you can see, none of the above are static shoulder stretches, they are dynamic stretches and movements that focus on moving in a full range of motion. These are what you need to be doing to avoid shoulder injury and improve your exercise performance. These dynamic stretching exercises will also help alleviate any shoulder discomfort and increase shoulder flexibility in a similar manner to static stretches.

If you to get in a good static shoulder stretch, check out these best deltoid stretches.

SHOULDER MOBILITY ROUTINE:

1. Cat-Cow x 3 Reps: Starting off by priming the shoulders, position your body in table top with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. This is your starting position. Find a neutral spine position. Start to move your spine one vertebrae at a time for cow position, dropping your belly to the ground, retracting the shoulder blades and looking up towards the ceiling. Reverse and articulate in a cat pose by pushing the ground away from you and rounding through the spine. Protract or separate your shoulder blades, tuck your chin to your chest and tuck your hips. Keep alternating between cat and cow for 3 total repetitions. 
2. Scapula Protraction & Retraction x 5 Reps: Maintain a neutral spine in your quadruped position and make sure to keep your hands right under your shoulders. Protract your shoulders by pressing your hands through the ground, allowing your shoulder blades to separate and the upper back to slightly round. Retract your shoulders by pulling the scapulas back and together. Avoid sending the shoulders to the ears as you repeat 5 slow and controlled protractions and retractions. 
3. Scapula Circles x 5 reps: Lower your hips and take a seated position. Extend your arms out in front of you. Create strong fists in your hands, radiating tension through your upper body. Create smooth circles coming forwards with your scapula: elevate, protract, depress and retract your shoulder blades. Repeat 5 smooth repetitions. Reverse this motion by creating smooth circles going backwards: elevate, retract, depress and protract the shoulder blades. Move through 5 smooth repetitions.
4. Half Circle Reach w/ T-Spine Rotation x 3 Reps/Side: Position your body in a half kneeling stance with your right leg in front and both arms out in front of you. Reach your right arm up and overhead and start to rotate towards the right side of your body. Complete the rotation by reaching your right arm towards the back of your body while maintaining the half kneeling position. Feel a deep stretch within your mid back along with the front and backside of your shoulder. Move through 3 repetitions on each side, making sure to switch your half kneeling stance so your left leg is in front.
5. Big Rotations (Shoulder CARs) x 3 Reps/Side: In a tall kneeling position (both knees bent on the ground), cross your right arm in front of your body and face your palm up towards the ceiling. Make sure your arm stays straight throughout the entire rotation. From your crossbody position, reach your arm up and overhead until you find your sticking point, the bicep should be close to your ear. At your sticking point, rotate your shoulder along with the rest of the arm towards the outside of the body. The palm of the hand faces away from your body. Complete the rotation by reaching the arm in the shoulder’s full ROM until it’s behind your back. Reverse this motion by extending your arm behind you, finding the sticking point and unwinding the rotation back to your starting point. Repeat 3 slow and controlled repetitions on each side. You can also stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart rather than kneeling for this movement if you prefer.
6. Lift Offs x 5 Reps: Lying on your belly, with your arms and legs fully extended. Keep the legs together and your arms straight, just a little wider than shoulder distance apart. Face your forehead to the ground, place your forehead to the ground if you need extra support. Make sure to keep your arms fully extended while the rest of your body is actively pushing into the ground. Brace your abdominals to stabilize the spine as you lift both of your arms off the ground. Actively pull your shoulders down and back as your arms lift off. Hold the top position for 3 seconds and repeat for a total of 5 repetitions. 
7. External Rotation x 5 Reps: From your lift-off position, bend through the elbows and position both of your arms at a “T” position. Create a fist in each hand and lift your forearms off of the ground. Push your elbows through the ground and hold the top position for 3 seconds and repeat for a total of 5 repetitions. 
8. Side Lying Book Openers x 3 Reps/Side: Lying on one side of your body, extend your bottom leg straight and bend through your top leg and place it on the ground. Stack both arms in front of you, parallel to the ground. Rest your head on a yoga block or on the ground. Begin the book opener by reaching your top arm forwards and overhead. Complete the rotation by reaching towards the back of your body and return to your start position. Try to maintain your reach within a horizontal position the entire time without shifting from the lower body. Repeat for 3 repetitions then switch sides. 
9. Child's Pose x 30-60 Seconds: Allow your body and shoulders to recover by sitting back into a child’s pose position. Bring your big toes together, send your hips to your heels and walk your hands out in front of you until fully extended. Place your forehead on the ground, keep reaching your torso to the ground and actively push your hands through the ground. Feel slight tension through the shoulders as you breathe and hold this pose for :30-:60 seconds.

Follow along to this routine here.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU DO SHOULDER MOBILITY EXERCISES? 

The simple answer to this question is every day. Similar to most exercises, small doses are better than not doing anything at all. Mobility exercises are low-intensity and usually do not require equipment. Ideally, these movements can be done on your rest days to relieve stress on the muscles and joints but emphasizing regular movement to keep them strong.

Mobility in many ways is the foundation to all movements. Prioritizing this in your routine can ensure a strong foundation to the rest of your movement goals. This way, when you are adding stressors to your body, if you have a strong foundation, you’ll be able to bounce back for the next workout. 

It is important to remember that mobility work is progressive. Going in all at once can impact the body and leave it feeling achy and sore. Slowly introducing a few movement patterns and increasing the intensity over time will allow the body to adapt and benefit from each mobility drill. 

Any type of mobility work is beneficial when done multiple times during the week. Establishing a consistent routine of a few shoulder exercises that work the entire mobility of the shoulder joint will help increase the shoulder’s capacity over time. Shoulder mobility work can be programmed pre/post workout or as a recovery day. 

On average, the minimum mobility sessions you can aim for are 2-3 times per week. If you workout more than 2-3 days per week, try to increase your mobility sessions to match the amount of days you’re working out and try to consider your rest days as mobility days. 

FINAL THOUGHTS TO IMPROVE SHOULDER MOBILITY:

Shoulder pain and stiffness do not have to dictate your quality of life. There are simple solutions to relieve recurring stiffness and limited mobility within your shoulders. With a commitment to mobility training and shoulder mobility exercises, your shoulders will start to feel less creaky and more buttery as well as function a lot more efficiently through your day to day routine. Let's keep those shoulders healthy!

More Mobility Content:

• Hip Mobility Exercises
• Ankle Mobility Exercises
• Thoracic Mobility Exercises

Unwanted back fat can be a serious bummer. How can you look and feel your best when you’re worried about how to get rid of back fat? Fortunately, through hard work, some sweat, and a little work in the kitchen, you can turn burdensome back fat into defined muscle. Back fat exercises designed to build muscle and burn calories will set you on your quest to lose back fat, and whether you are looking for lower back fat exercises, upper back fat exercises, back fat exercises at home, or back fat exercises with equipment, we've got you covered. In this article, we’ll discuss:

• Back fat causes
• Whether it’s hard to lose back fat
• If you can spot reduce back fat
• How to lose back fat
• The best diet to get rid of back fat
• The 10 best back fat exercises
• Workout ideas featuring back fat exercises

A svelte and defined back can increase your confidence, improve how you look and feel in your clothes and skin, and as you start to build muscle and burn fat, will make you feel better. Read on: We’ve quite literally got your back.

WHAT CAUSES BACK FAT?

Excess body fat causes back fat, which often occurs due to a higher percentage of fat instead of muscle. Back fat, similar to all body fat, is the result of consuming more calories than are burned, and not using the back muscles regularly can lead to a loss of muscle tone. If you're wondering how to lose back fat, one of the main components lies with the amount of muscle you have.

Back muscles have a tendency to be neglected when it comes to strength training, mainly because they're not physically front and center like some of the big guns - notice how no one skips biceps day, ever? And most people don't use back muscles as frequently as other muscle groups in everyday activities. So if the muscles are not getting worked in the gym and are underutilized in day-to-day activities due to a sedentary lifestyle, they're going to decrease. Fewer muscles result in poorer posture as well, which can give the appearance of even more back fat.

IS BACK FAT HARD TO LOSE?

Time for some tough love! Losing weight takes hard work, both in the kitchen and the gym. If fat loss was easy, everyone would do it. The good news is that it is very doable if you can commit to an exercise routine and dietary changes. As you gain muscle and lose fat, subtle back changes will occur. Less fat and more definition equals tank tops that have never looked better on.

CAN YOU SPOT REDUCE BACK FAT?

Back fat cannot be spot reduced. Although you may have uneven fat distribution, spot reduction is not real, so please don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. But as you gain muscle definition and make dietary changes, you'll burn more calories. This technique leads to losing back fat and overall body fat stored throughout the body.

HOW TO GET RID OF BACK FAT

For the best techniques on losing back fat, a proper balanced diet and a mix of strength training and cardio will get you there. This strategy causes you to lose stubborn fat simply because you're burning more calories than consuming. Also, more muscle will cause changes to body composition, resulting in a more muscular and toned body, and it will change the way your body stores fat.

DIET FOR LOSING BACK FAT & BODY FAT:

Dieting is a part of the equation in your quest to lose back fat. Before we get into what you need to do, let's cover a few big dieting no-nos. First, your calories should never go too low. It may seem like the more you drop them, the better it is, but that is not the case. Doing this not only slows your metabolism down - so what little you are eating is burned far more slowly than it should be - but it also makes it hard to gain muscle.

Ultimately, this plays a part in your quest to get rid of back fat, so we don't want to sabotage muscle building. Plus, no one is happy eating 1,000 calories a day. That is less than a toddler’s daily caloric needs.

Now, let’s get into how to lose excess weight, which includes pesky back fat. 

1. Reduce calories consumed (within reason):

Start slowly with your calorie reduction. By reducing your calories, shifting how you disburse your daily calorie allotment and getting regular exercise, you will lose weight without making any crazy calorie changes. As you lose weight, keep adjusting your calorie intake, because as you lose weight, your caloric needs will likely lessen.

To begin reducing calories and gaining muscle, decrease your daily calories by 5-10%, monitor progress, and make adjustments as you go. If you have no idea what your current calorie intake is, we suggest spending a few days before diving into a new diet tracking what you consume in a day. MyFitnessPal works great for this. Input your food, paying attention to not only how much you are eating, but of those calories, how many are going toward carbs, protein, and fat. 

Again, no need for a calculator, MyFitnessPal (or any tracking app) will do that work for you. Once you know how much you’re consuming in a day, decrease that number by 5%. For example, if eating 2300 calories each day, reducing it by 5% would mean the new daily goal is 2,185 calories per day. Slow and steady wins the weight-loss race. It is better for maintaining muscle and increasing the rate of muscle protein synthesis¹. This is what we want as protein synthesis occurring faster than protein breakdown means more muscle growth.

2. Track your protein:

More specifically, make sure your daily protein intake is nice and high. If you are in a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle, you should keep your protein intake pretty high. Research recommends 2.3–3.1 g/kg/day. Beginner lifters should aim for the lower portion of that protein goal, while intermediate lifters with more weight training experience looking to lose back fat should aim for the higher end of the range to preserve lean muscle². In addition, research shows that a diet high in protein leads to weight loss and can help prevent future weight regain. It also increases certain hormones that cause you to feel full for longer. When you have increased satiety signals, you’re going to eat less - great for weight loss! 

And if you need one more reason to start, protein requires more energy to digest - meaning more calories burned with minimal work³. We suggest first calculating your calorie goals and then within those goals, setting a protein goal based on the recommendations we just made. You can even take it further by setting carb and fat goals. Forty to 65% of your daily calories should be from carbs, while 20-25% should go toward healthy fats.

3. Pick nutrient-rich food:

Nutrient dense foods like lean protein sources, fruits, plenty of vegetables, and whole grains are your new best friend. If you choose to spend your allotted 1,900 calories a day on pizza and chips, it will not amount to a lot of food, will not leave you feeling full, and won't lead to muscle growth.

An example of a day’s worth of eating that touches on all food groups and will help you hit your caloric and macro goals can look something like this:

• Breakfast: Eggs, turkey bacon, and avocado toast for breakfast
• Snack: An apple and Greek yogurt
• Lunch: A grilled chicken power bowl filled with brown rice, broccoli, snap peas, and shredded carrots
• Snack: Edamame and hummus
• Dinner: Bison meatballs, quinoa, and sautéed vegetables 

BEST “BACK FAT” EXERCISES 

Spot reduction isn’t an option, but when paired with solid nutrition, you can get rid of back fat through resistance exercise. Many back fat exercises will help you build more muscle, leading to the improved body composition we’ve been discussing. Building more muscle is great for metabolism, and the more mass you have, the more your body burns even in a resting state. As you build more muscle and burn more calories, your goal to get rid of back fat may happen even more quickly. 

When selecting exercises for back fat, there are three things you want them to do: build muscle, burn calories, and increase the heart rate. These back fat exercises include a mix of strength training and cardio, bodyweight and weight-required exercises, and compound movements that will work multiple muscle groups and keep that heart rate nice and high. Between our diet recommendations and these 10 best fat-burning moves, consider yourself well on your way to losing back fat.

1. Rowing Machine:

A full-body cardio exercise that hits each of our checklist requirements, the rowing machine works many of the upper body muscles, burns calories, and is a great cardio exercise. One of the best back fat exercises with equipment, two major back muscles - the rhomboids and trapezius - are targeted. The rowing machine is also great for posture. It may take a few minutes to get used to the rhythm, but keep repeating this order to yourself: legs, arms, arms, legs.

How to do the rowing machine:

1. Grab the oar with straight arms, bent knees, and the weight on the balls of your feet.
2. Keep the back straight, push back using the legs, rolling through your feet. A second after pushing back with the lower body, use the upper back to pull the handles toward your chest.
3. Release the arms toward the base, bending the knees to glide back to start.

2.  Superman:

Targeting the lower back muscles, particularly the erector spinae, is the perfect example of back fat exercises without equipment. As it targets the lower back and core, it will also help you hit another problem area: love handles.

How to do a superman:

1. Lying face down on the floor, keep your legs straight and the arms extended in front. Avoid looking up.
2. Lift the arms and legs approximately 6 inches off the floor, until the lower back muscles contract. Try to lift the belly button off the floor.
3. Hold for 2-3 seconds, and lower the arms and legs back to the floor.

3. Swimming Exercise:

While lying face down from the superman pose, add a swimming exercise to your routine, a move that hits the upper and lower back muscles. 

How to do a swimming exercise: 

1. Lay face down in the superman pose.
2. Lift the right arm and left leg simultaneously, keeping the head down.
3. Lower them, and immediately lift the left arm and right leg. The movement should feel as though you’re swimming.

4. Dumbbell single-arm row:

All the major back muscles, the latissimus dorsi, traps, and rhomboids, will get worked in this weight lifting exercise that's excellent for building muscle.

How to do a dumbbell single-arm row:

1. Holding a dumbbell in the right hand, bending over, placing the left knee and left hand on a bench. The left hand should lie under the shoulder and the knee under the hips. Press them into the bench to support your body.
2. Stiffen the torso, and keep the back straight. Retract the shoulder blades, extending the right arm and dumbbell toward the floor, keeping your shoulder down and back.
3. Pull the dumbbell slowly upward by bending the elbow and pulling your arm backward. With the arm close to your side, continue pulling the dumbbell upwards. Pause, squeezing the shoulder and back muscles.

5. Lats pulldown:

Don’t get us wrong, the lat pulldown is excellent for everyone, but as far as women's back fat exercises go, it ranks at the very top. It targets muscles around the bra line, an area that tends to have more fat for ladies. This exercise leads to sleek and well-defined lats, making it the perfect move for looking great in tanks, swim tops, and strapless dresses.

How to:

1. Sit at the machine, adjusting the thigh pads to allow the quads to sit tightly under them. 
2. Grab the bar with an overhand grip.
3. Keep your back straight, and pull the bar down to chin level or even lower, toward your chest.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blade together.
5. Return the bar to its full height.

6. Standing Cable Straight Arm Lat Pulldown:

Another excellent lats-targeted exercise, the standing cable straight arm lat pulldown (aka cable pullover) also hits the rhomboids, making it one of the best back fat exercises. The lats are the largest muscle in the upper back, so the more muscle you build here, the faster the metabolism and the sleeker your back will look.

How to do a standing cable straight arm pulldowns:

1. Face the adjustable cable machine with a straight-bar attachment on the high setting.
2. Grabbing with an overhand grip, keep your arms straight and your hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Pull the bar down in an arc motion until the bar reaches the thighs.
4. Return the bar to the start position.

7. Pull-up:

Say hello to powerful lats and rhomboids after you begin working this move into your regular exercise rotation. This is a challenging move, so if you can’t do it right away, don't worry! Almost all gyms have an assisted pull-up machine - look for that and start there. This exercise is great for everyone, but it should 100% make the men’s back fat exercises list.

How to:

1. Stand directly under a pull-up bar, placing your hands slightly further than shoulder-width in an overhand grip.
2. Lift your feet from the floor and hang from the bar. Rotate your shoulders backward and downward.
3. Bending the elbows, raise your upper body toward the bar until your chin is above it.
4. Slowly straighten your elbows, lowering down to the start position.

8. Renegade Row:

The renegade row is a compound movement that emphasizes the back, particularly the traps and lats, while also working muscles throughout the body, making it an excellent muscle-building, calorie-torching exercise. That makes it one of the best exercises for back fat out there, and as it only requires dumbbells, you can easily do it at home or the gym.

How to do a renegade row:

1. Grab the dumbbells you’ll be using. Start in a plank position with the feet slightly wider than hip-width. Place your hands on each dumbbell, which should be shoulder-width apart.
2. Tuck the chin, keeping the body straight. Bend the right elbow, pulling the dumbbell toward the hip.
3. Retract the shoulder blades during the movement. Make sure your shoulders and hips stay square to the floor.
4. Lower the dumbbell to the starting position before repeating on the left side.

9. Barbell bent-over row:

The lats, traps, and rhomboids are all put to work in the barbell bent-over row, one of the top exercises for back fat. You’ll need a barbell and weighted plates for this move, so it’s a great movement to work on at the gym.

How to do a barbell bent-over row:

1. Grab the bar with hands palm down, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
2. Keep your arms and back straight, squeezing your shoulders together.
3. Row the weight up to your chest; slowly lower back down.

10. Barbell Deadlift:

A how-to-lose-back-fat list isn't complete without the barbell deadlift. The lats, traps, rhomboids, and erector spinae are highly activated. In addition, most of the lower body muscles work as well, meaning that muscle is increasing everywhere (faster metabolism and more definition!) and burning crazy calories.

How to do a barbell deadlift:

1. Select a barbell and desired weights. Place the feet shoulder-width apart with your toes under the bar. The feet point straight ahead. 
2. Squat down, bending at the knees, grasping the bar just outside your knees with an overhand grip. Keep your arms straight.
3. Pushing upward with your legs, lift the bar, having it graze your shins. Stop around thigh level.
4. Keep your shoulders rolled back.
5. Slowly lower it to the floor, keeping your back straight.

BEST WORKOUTS TO LOSE BACK FAT & EXCESS FAT

A good workout routine that helps get rid of back fat combines strength training, cardio, and high-intensity interval training (not all on the same day)! The main strength training focus of this article is highlighting the best back fat exercises, but the ideal weight lifting routine targets all of the upper body and lower body muscles.

Remember, spot reduction doesn't work, so you want to improve total muscle mass, leading to a decrease in body fat and more muscle everywhere. A sleek back is a must, but it’s not going to look nearly as defined if the arms, chest, and legs aren't also getting attention.

For best results, strength train four times a week with two upper-body days and two lower-body days. Include several of the best back fat exercises we just discussed in your upper body days. We highly recommend creating a routine that incorporates strength training with plyometrics thrown in, so that heart rate stays nice and high. For an upper-body day that targets exercises for back fat, here’s a sample workout: 

Notice a few things: There are two back-focused plyometric moves weaved into the workout - mountain climbers and half burpees - that will get the heart rate up while working the back. If you are unfamiliar with half burpees, start in a plank, and jump the feet up to just outside the hands. Keeping the hands on the floor, jump back to the plank position.

There is also a chest press included ensuring that the front upper-body muscles are getting a little love. And as the shoulders and biceps are engaged in many of these movements, you’ll notice continued definition throughout the entire upper body. End with the rowing machine, and you’ll continue working your back as you burn more calories. 

If you don’t have access to a rowing machine or want to switch it up, 30 minutes of lower-intensity cardio, such as walking, light jogging, or the elliptical, will give your body an extra calorie burn. For best results, 1-2 other days of the week should involve high-intensity interval training. These workouts don’t need to be lengthy, 20-25 minutes is more than enough, and they’re easy to throw together. Pick 4-5 high-intensity moves, such as burpees, squat jumps, jumping rope, frog jumps, and box jumps, using the same move for 4-5 minutes, following a 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest format, before switching to the next. Here’s an example:

Round 1: Burpees (5 minutes)

• Perform burpees for 30 seconds.
• Rest for 30 seconds.
• Repeat 5 times total.

Round 2: Squat Jumps (5 minutes)

• Perform squat jumps for 30 seconds.
• Rest for 30 seconds.
• Repeat 5 times total.

Round 3: Jumping Rope (5 minutes)

• Perform jumping rope for 30 seconds.
• Rest for 30 seconds
• Repeat 5 times total.

Round 4: Frog Jumps (5 minutes)

• Perform frog jumps for 30 seconds.
• Rest for 30 seconds.
• Repeat 5 times total.

And most important, do not forget your rest days. You should have 1-2 rest days a week, allowing your muscle to rebuild and repair. This leads to more muscle mass, so don’t skip it! 

WHY IS BACK FAT SO HARD TO LOSE?

Losing back fat (and fat in general) is no easy feat, but if you put the time and work into it, both in the gym and the kitchen, we are confident you can get rid of it! Just remember, losing fat and gaining muscle takes time. You’re in it for the long haul, and consistency of a healthy diet and overall healthy habits is key. It may be tempting to believe the quick results promised by the latest fad, but if losing fat were that easy, everyone would be strutting around in size 0 swimsuits.

If you put the time in but are still struggling with how to lose back fat, plastic surgery is an option. If considering it, consult with your doctor so you can weigh the pros and cons. Please remember that removing back fat in this way is a temporary fix. If you don’t make changes through exercise and nutrition, it’s likely the back fat will return. Put the hard work in now, focus on those exercises for back fat, and you’ll sustain the results long-term.

Related: How To Get Rid of Neck Fat With Exercise & Dieting

References:

1. Cava E, Yeat NC, Mittendorfer B. Preserving Healthy Muscle during Weight Loss. Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal. 2017;8(3):511-519. doi:10.3945/an.116.014506
2. Stokes T, Hector A, Morton R, McGlory C, Phillips S. Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training. Nutrients. 2018;10(2):180. doi:10.3390/nu10020180
3. ‌Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome. 2020;29(3):166-173. doi:10.7570/jomes20028

For serious strength gains or to overcome that pesky plateau haunting you at the gym, we have two words for you: Drop sets. This technique is beloved by bodybuilders and recreational gym-goers alike for one simple reason. It's extremely effective. Not for the faint of weight lifting heart, drop sets will push your muscles beyond the fatigue level achieved following a standard 3-set, 8-12 rep range format. Intrigued yet? You should be! The good news is we’re about to cover everything you need to know about this technique to enable you to push your workout to the next level.

This article will cover:

• What drop sets are
• The different drop set techniques
• The benefits of performing drop sets
• The best muscle groups for drop sets
• Drop set workout examples
• Drop set FAQs

After reading this, you'll have a clear idea of when and how to use drop sets to push your muscles to their limit. 

WHAT ARE DROP SETS?

The concept behind drop sets, also called descending sets, is training for muscular failure. The technique involves starting with a heavy weight, either following a specific number of reps at this weight or going to failure. Without resting, or with very minimal rest, you then drop the weight load and perform as many reps as possible. Studies focused on drop sets typically follow a protocol of starting at a heavyweight, 80% of 1RM is a good guideline, until failure, decreasing the weight by 15-25%, followed by another 15-25% decrease for the second drop set, meaning a total of 3 sets is complete. Another approach used in a drop set research program involved completing the first set at 80% 1RM until failure, followed by four drop sets at 65%, 50%, 40%, and 30% 1RM with no recovery breaks in between sets¹. 

The drop set training technique extends time under tension during sets, enhances the muscle’s metabolic stress, and increases motor unit fatigue. Drop sets are exhausting, helping to promote muscle hypertrophy, and are a time-efficient way to work out as the rest in between sets is nonexistent. 

Take a look at this example of how to drop weight when performing a leg extension. This drop set includes repping out at 250, dropping the weight by 20%, followed by another 20% to failure:

• Perform leg extensions at 250 pounds for as many reps as possible.
• Once you hit failure, immediately reduce the weight to 200 pounds and once again continue to fail.
• Decrease the weight to 160, continuing until failure.

DROP SET TECHNIQUE

There are several options when it comes to drop set techniques. There are advantages to each, so you may even want to play around with which brings you the best results.

• The number of drop sets: You can incorporate several drop sets, performing as few as one drop set or as many as three to four. Another version, referred to as back off sets, involves performing your standard rep and set schedule, let’s say four sets of 8 reps, resting for 1-2 minutes, and then one drop set for as many reps as possible (AMRAP) using between 10 and 20% less weight. 
• Weight amount: You can also choose either a tight or a wide drop set, which involves a difference in the weight dropped. A tight drop set is when you aim to decrease the weight by a small amount between sets. It's more challenging as you’re repping out without significantly reducing the weight. The wide drop set involves a larger drop in weight between reps, which will get you a few more reps than the tight drop set. This strategy is great for targeting the larger muscle groups, such as the legs or back.
• 6-20 method: Following the 6-20 method, you will use a wide drop set that picks a very heavy weight followed by a much smaller weight. Begin with the heaviest weight you can manage for six reps, perform them, reduce the weight by 50% and continue for 20 reps.
• Mechanical advantage model: There is also a mechanical advantage model where instead of dropping in weight, you can switch to an easier technique. Go all out in your first set, following the normal drop set protocol, and then for your next rep, change the exercise, lifting angle, grip change, stability level, or even the tempo to make it easier. It uses the same concept of pushing your muscles past their normal fatigue level. For example, following this method, you could perform a barbell back squat using a heavy weight, then immediately switch to a goblet squat with a medium weight, followed by as many bodyweight squats as possible.
• Rest variation: How you approach rest can also vary. You can opt for the most challenging version when you take little to no rest in between sets. You can also do a brief pause to help with recovery, which can be anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds. We suggest capping out at 20 seconds as more rest will detract from the drop set technique. 

Some exercises and equipment are better for drop sets, so this is not a functional technique for every movement. Loading up a barbell with plates, for example, will take way too long in between sets for this to be an effective drop set movement (although it can be done quickly if you have a workout partner).

The good news is that most equipment does work well, including dumbbells, fixed weight barbells, and selectorized gym equipment. Any equipment that enables you to lower weight quickly works well. When using dumbbells, select each level of weight you’re going to use, and set them up before starting the exercise. Again, if you have to walk across the gym to swap out weights, you won't get the full drop-set effect.

BENEFITS OF PERFORMING DROP SETS

The principle behind drop set resistance training is to push the muscles to their absolute max. The more work put in is going to yield even greater results. Here are some advantages to the technique.

1) Maximize muscle growth: Weight lifting plateaus are frustrating and, for many lifters, something that is unfortunately experienced at some point. But if you want to push through one, drop sets may be just the trick. A study examined triceps training in 16 men, half of which performed drop sets, and the other followed a traditional program of 3 sets of 12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. The drop set group performed 1 set of 12 reps and included two drop sets for each exercise. After six weeks, guess which triceps had almost double the growth in muscle size? You got it - the drop set lifters². They have the potential for superior muscle gains.

2) Saves time: One study examining the effects of drop sets reported that lifters using the technique spent less than half the time in the gym than those who followed a normal rep and set regimen³. Separate research reviewed three groups performing the bicep curl following different regimens over three weeks. All three groups had similar muscle gain volume, but the drop set group did it far less time than the other two⁴. Same muscle gains, just in less time!

3) Completely fatigues the muscles: Greater work capacity (training volume) is a term that refers to the total amount of work a lifter can perform, recover from, and adapt to. Essentially, a greater work capacity is the total volume of work you put in and the training effect that results from it. Research has shown that in standard lifting technique, when a lifter follows several reps, aiming to reach muscle failure, rests for 60 seconds, and then continues to another set, the muscles aren't completely exhausted despite being fatigued. Why? Because they could still put more work in, just at a lighter load⁵. Enter, drop sets.

WHAT MUSCLE GROUPS WORK BEST FOR DROP SETS?

Drop sets work great for all muscle groups! The main factor here is determining which muscle groups to prioritize progressing. While your answer is probably all of them (duh!), doing drop sets for every body part of every workout is unsafe, won’t yield good results, and is highly unadvisable. So, start with picking 1 to 2 upper body muscles and 1 to 2 lower body muscles, and work those into your routine. Let’s say summer is just around the corner, and you are hoping to get those biceps looking a little fuller for tank top weather. Start there, targeting one bicep movement in which it makes sense to apply a drop set (hint: a bicep curl is perfect for the drop set technique). 

Technique selection is the big thing to keep in mind with muscle groups and drop sets. With the larger body muscles, such as the glutes and back, you can probably decrease your weight less than when targeting the biceps or triceps. So, for a glute exercise, consider reducing the weight by 10% each time, whereas, for a bicep exercise, reducing the weight by 20-25% may enable you to get a few extra sets in. In addition, if you have no problems continuing to increase the weight used for your glute exercises week-to-week, a drop set for this muscle group is probably not necessary. Use this technique strategically: Pick your muscle groups, or even one muscle group, that needs the most work, whether aesthetically or strength-wise. 

One other note: We love compound movements and their efficiency in targeting multiple muscle groups. However, those exercises aren’t necessarily the best for drop sets as they often require multiple muscle movements and precise techniques to complete. As you push your muscles to their uppermost fatigue limits with drop sets, it can be unsafe to attempt while also performing a backward lunge that targets every lower-body muscle. Focus on one specific lower body muscle using a simpler exercise and always use proper form.

Here’s an idea of how to incorporate them into an upper body and lower body day using conventional resistance training exercises:

Upper Body: Drop sets targeting chest and biceps muscles group

Notice this workout included two different drop set techniques. The technique of the barbell incline bench press was adjusted to make it easier each time, while the bicep curl followed the tried-and-true format of reducing the weights for 2 drop set rounds.

Lower Body: Drop sets targeting glutes and quads muscle group

FAQS ABOUT DROP SETS:

Let's go over some frequently asked questions about drop sets now...

How many sets are in a drop set?

Thanks to the drop sets’ versatility, you can choose a set range from 1 to 4. Adding two drop sets after completing one set at a heavier weight tends to be the most common technique, likely because 3 to 4 drop sets are extremely challenging. But studies that examined up to four drop sets found they were also effective. If you’re planning to do 1 to 2 drop sets, you can probably get away with not reducing your weight quite as significantly. If you’re planning to add four drop sets, plan accordingly with your weight. Start the first drop set at 80% 1RM, followed by 65% 1RM, 50% 1RM, 40% 1RM, and finally, 30% 1RM. 

How many reps are in a drop set?

AMRAP, baby! Unless you’re following a specific technique like the 6-20 method, in which you lift six reps extremely heavy, followed by 20 at a lighter weight, the drop set premise centers around as many reps as possible - this is what is going to fatigue your muscles to an entirely new level.

When should you do a drop set?

It may be time to consider adding a drop set to your routine when you feel like you’ve plateaued. We have all experienced the frustration of feeling stuck at the same weight for far too long - whether with a body part or just a specific exercise - and drop sets are a strategy for pushing through it. Drop sets are also for gym-goers looking to reduce time spent in the gym and boost muscular endurance.

Remember how drop sets can lead to greater work capacity? That’s essentially improving your muscle endurance. Finally, if one of your goals is to gain muscle strength or fatigue the muscles in a new way, it's time to do a drop set. As far as when to do them in a workout routine, think strategically here. You probably don’t want a drop set to be your first exercise, because it exhausts your muscles from the get-go. Saving them for the end isn’t a great idea either because you want some fuel in the tank when you do them. Finally, if you’re doing two drop sets in a routine, don’t do them back-to-back. We suggest placing the first one second in your line-up, followed by another 1 to 2 exercises later.

How many drop sets should I do per workout?

One to two drop sets in a workout is more than enough. Ideally, use them strategically on an exercise or body part in which you want to see aesthetic and strength changes. For example, if you’ve been stuck at the same weight on a dumbbell row, adding a drop set to this specific exercise in an upper body workout may be just what you need to see added gains. In the same workout, you could even throw in one more drop set on a separate upper body exercise, like a shoulder press. Ideally, you focus on drop sets on these two body parts once a week for three weeks and then select a different body part to target. 

Can I do drop sets every workout?

Don’t go crazy with drop sets! They are highly fatiguing, so adding them to your routine 1 to 2 times a week is more than enough. And if planning on twice a week, make sure to target different muscle groups. Target legs one of the sessions and upper body on the other.

There is a point of diminishing returns with this advanced training technique, and it boils down to the two key parts of the strength-building process: Put the work in, and then rest and recover. If the muscles don't have time to repair after a tough workout, the muscle fibers can't rebuild, bigger and stronger. And if you need a little evidence to convince you that three drop sets a week isn’t a good idea, let the research speak for itself: Pushing your muscles to fatigue too often causes a decrease in energy stores (makes, sense, right?), and a build-up of lactic acid, a pesky substance linked to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

In addition, overly fatiguing the muscles can increase a compound called adenosine monophosphate levels, which can decline muscle growth⁶.

PARTING WORDS ON DROP SETS FOR MUSCLE GROWTH

If we can leave you with one last note on drop sets, this is it: Use them sparingly and strategically. Prioritize the muscles you want to see have more muscle growth. You can do this by adding them to a few specific exercises for up to three weeks, then adding in a recovery week with no drop sets. Also, if you are targeting a body part for three weeks using drop sets, make sure to increase your drop set weight each week. Remember, more weight leads to hypertrophy, drop set, or no drop set. Due to the high left of muscular fatigue and hypertrophy that drop sets bring, you will need to pay special attention to recovery. Give your muscles time to repair after a drop set workout; only performing a drop set for a specific body part once a week. Now, what are you waiting for? Pick your muscles, get to the gym, and line those dumbbells up!

References:

1. Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2019;16(24):E4897. doi:10.3390/ijerph16244897
2. Fink J, Schoenfeld BJ, Kikuchi N, Nakazato K. Effects of drop set resistance training on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness. 2018;58(5):597-605. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.17.06838-4
3. ‌https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322133680_Can_Drop_Set_Training_Enhance_Muscle_Growth
4. Ozaki H, Kubota A, Natsume T, et al. Effects of drop sets with resistance training on increases in muscle CSA, strength, and endurance: a pilot study. Journal of sports sciences. 2018;36(6):691-696. doi:10.1080/02640414.2017.1331042
5. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brad-Schoenfeld/publication/322133680_Can_Drop_Set_Training_Enhance_Muscle_Growth/links/5a48ec34458515f6b0581437/Can-Drop-Set-Training-Enhance-Muscle-Growth.pdf
6. Gorostiaga EM, Navarro-Amézqueta I, Calbet JAL, et al. Energy Metabolism during Repeated Sets of Leg Press Exercise Leading to Failure or Not. Garatachea N, ed. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(7):e40621. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040621

Get ready to blast your biceps because we’re gonna give you the most legit biceps workout you’ve ever done. We will lay out an entire program that incorporates exercises that not only isolate your biceps but use and alter large compound movements to optimize growth in the biceps. Most programs only focus on small exercises for hypertrophy. While understandable, in order to grow massive arms, you need to apply some heavier loads. Still, we will lay out all the places other programs fall short, list the top biceps exercises (many you likely have never heard of) and provide the most complete bicep workout you’ve ever performed.

Contents:

• Anatomy of the biceps
• The function of the biceps
• Important training variables to optimize bicep growth
• The best biceps exercises
• The best biceps workout program

Biceps vein incoming!

Anatomy Of The Biceps Brachii

Before we get into training the biceps, let’s look real quick at the anatomy. In order to fully train the biceps, you need to know the different parts and understand how they function. Once you know the function, you can then train them optimally. 

The biceps brachii (or just biceps for short) consists of two heads (bi) that merge into a single tendon. These two heads are separated into the long head and short head, which are determined by their origin. The short head originates from the coracoid process of the scapula, while the long head originates from the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula. The two heads then run down the upper arm and merge together in the mid-region to form one larger muscle mass yet still distinct from one another. In other words, the muscle fibers are never shared. This single mass then runs until it forms a tendon, which inserts into the forearm’s radial tuberosity and bicipital aponeurosis across the elbow.

The Other “Bicep Muscles”

While you’re here for the biceps, there are also two other muscles you should be aware of as they work together with the biceps for arm flexion. Furthermore, many people ignore these muscles, which only mitigates how large your arms can grow. Therefore, unless you really only care about the biceps rather than increasing the total size of your arm, you need to know about these muscles:

• Brachioradialis: The brachioradialis muscle is an elbow flexor that sits on the posterior of the lower section of the arm. In other words, it’s a “forearm” muscle that crosses the elbow joint. Not only does it flex the elbow, but the brachioradialis is also a pronator and supinator when the elbow is flexed at 90-degrees.
• Brachialis: The brachialis sits under the biceps but is actually the primary elbow flexor. Many people associate the biceps as “the” elbow flexors; the single brachialis is estimated to produce around 60% elbow flexion force. Considering there are three elbow flexors, that’s pretty hefty. The brachialis actually sits under the bicep, which may leave you to wonder who cares if it’s big. Well, if you grow the brachialis, that muscle has to go somewhere! In other words, an enlarged brachialis will push the biceps up towards the skin, thereby making them more pronounced.

Function Of The Biceps Muscles

While the brachialis may be the primary elbow flexor, this is still a significant role for the biceps as well. However, it’s involved in quite a few more functions than just flexing the elbow. This is because the biceps actually cross three joints! Yes, three! We’ll explain. 

• Proximal Radioulnar Joint of the Elbow: One of the most important functions of the biceps is as a supinator of the forearm; that is, it turns the forearm palm up. This is due to the fact that it’s attached farther away on the radial tuberosity giving it a strong mechanical advantage. Actually, you have probably noticed that the biceps are much less pronounced when the forearm is in a pronated position (palm down). This is why. Supination is the biceps “A” game.
• Humeroulnar Joint of the Elbow: The biceps get their elbow flexion power due to their attachment to the humeroulnar joint. However, the biceps ONLY acts as a flexor when in the supinated position. When the forearm is pronated, the biceps contribute minimal force, so the brachialis and brachioradialis must do all the work. This is one of the reasons why your reverse curls are significantly weaker. 
• Glenohumeral Joint of the Shoulder (Forward Flexion): While we all know the biceps crosses the elbow, it also crosses the shoulder joint as well. If you have ever wondered why your elbow moves forward during arm curls, this is why! One of the functions of the biceps is actually forward flexion of the arm. While this is much weaker than its other functions, it’s still a function and can be incorporated into your biceps training. 

Top 3 Benefits Of Biceps Training 

Training the biceps is a vital part of any training workout program. Obviously, biceps training will create nice, big arms, but there’s actually a lot more to it than that. They also create strong, sexy arms. Here are some other benefits of biceps training.

1) Improve Your Physique:

Maybe we’re not done with vanity. Every guy wants big arms, and that won’t happen if you forget about biceps training. And let’s be honest, this is probably the only reason most people specifically train the biceps, and there’s nothing wrong or superficial about that. We go to the gym to improve ourselves and our physique and that can’t happen with skinny arms. Basically, if there’s a big gap in your sleeves, you need to fill that out.

2) Decrease Injury:

One benefit of biceps training that many people don’t think about is injury prevention. In fact, even in a lot of strength-specific workout plans, there will be some sort of elbow flexion purely for injury prevention. Due to its positioning, the biceps and elbow are more prone to injury on movements such as deadlifts. Having strong biceps is a great way to keep your arms healthy and injury-free.

3) Improve Other Lifts:

As mentioned, the biceps are involved in just about every single pulling movement. Therefore, having weak biceps will only decrease your performance on these lifts. It would suck to not be able to increase your back row because your biceps are fatiguing too soon. Strong biceps mean strong pulling movements.

Most Important Biceps Training Variables

Training the biceps is actually relatively easy as you train them even when you’re not training them. What? We’ll explain that when people think of “bicep training,” they automatically think of curls for obvious reasons, and that’s not a wrong impression. However, every single time you perform a pulling movement, you are training your biceps. Chin-ups, barbell row, dumbbell row. Heck, you even train the biceps during face pulls! 

The point being is that most people don’t consider this aspect and completely ignore or only focus on the smaller movements. The problem is that you aren’t able to apply such a heavy load to the biceps only using curls. Therefore, what you need to do is choose big compound exercises that are more bicep-specific and include them in your training. For example, instead of doing pull-ups, choose chin-ups.

In fact, Brett Contreas did an impromptu experiment at his house comparing dozens of pulling exercises and how they activated muscles. He found that the biceps had the highest activation during weighted chin-ups! And to be clear, this experiment included various arm curls!

That being said, here are some things to consider when training the biceps:

a) Use A Range Of Bicep Exercises:

As mentioned above, include other bicep-oriented exercises other than just arm curls. Choose big compound lifts that will hit the biceps to a greater degree. This means using a supinated grip (underhand) when possible. For example, perform your rows with an underhand grip.

b) Use A Range Of Loads:

Similar to the above, you want to also use different loads with your training. This is best done with the compound movements, BUT you can also use lighter loads with the compound movements as well. If you’re thinking this is similar advice to every other muscle, you would be correct. The biceps are just another muscle.

c) Use Variability In Your Training:

As seen above, the biceps are actually a bit complex with it being a two headed muscle that crosses three joints. Therefore, in order to fully train the biceps as a whole, you need to use variability in your training. Personally, when we train biceps, we like to utilize variability with the smaller exercise quite regularly. In other words, your larger compound exercises will remain similar while you will use the smaller exercises to add the various angles and stimuli.

d) Use Different Grips:

Even within the different exercises, play around with different grips. In order to train the biceps completely, you need to hit the brachialis and the brachioradialis, which means you must use a pronated and neutral grip in your training. Therefore, this isn’t so much a suggestion as it is mandatory. In addition, you can also mess around with neutral and wide grips.

e) Train At Least Twice A Week:

For optimal training, you should train your biceps at least twice a week. Studies show this seems to be the optimal amount of training for hypertrophy and growth. That being said, you could even possibly train the biceps 3x a week. What this might look like is just throwing in some extra isolation work after your leg days or when you train the triceps. 

The Best Biceps Exercises

Along with your more traditional biceps exercises like the standing barbell curl and dumbbell hammer curl, we also wanted to also introduce some more unique bicep curls. You can incorporate these into your bicep workouts.

1. Drag Curl:

The drag curl is a bicep exercise performed with a barbell, EZ-bar or dumbbells. It’s performed similarly to a bicep curl, but as you curl the bar up, you will pull your elbows back slightly. In fact, you want to pull your elbows back until the barbell is on your body because it will “drag” up your body. This variation creates a crazy burn and may be one of the best movements you can do for bigger biceps.

2. Spider Curl:

The spider curl utilizes dumbbells and is performed facing down on an incline bench (chest to bench back rest). You let your arms hang down, shoulder width apart, and then simply perform a curl while keeping your elbow stationary. This bicep exercise will generate an insane burn as you cannot use any momentum or muscles to assist in the lift. If you want a big biceps peak, this is one of the best biceps exercise.

3. Bayesian Curl:

A bayesian curl is performed on a cable pulley system and a single attachment. You will pick up the attachment and then face away from the pulley. Stand a few feet in front and allow the cable to pull your arm back. As you begin the curl, you will lean forward and pull your arm forward until the elbow is flush with the body. This takes advantage of the forward arm flexion as well as puts constant tension on your biceps. 

4. Walter Curl:

The Walter curl is an incredibly easy curl that utilizes one dumbbell. All you need to do is put your hands out flat under one of the heads. Next, you just do a curl. However, because your hands must remain flat, it will mitigate the amount the forearms help with the movement. It sounds easy, but you probably know it’s the “easy” dumbbell bicep exercises that are brutal. This burns. 

5. Cheat Curls:

Cheat curls are curls that let you cheat, hence the name. Cheat curls take advantage of the increased force during the eccentric portion of the bicep curl and prescribes near maximal loads, or even maximal, to be performed ONLY using the eccentric portion. You will then “cheat” the load up using some body movement to perform another rep. 

We really recommend performing these with the cable as a barbell is significantly harder to do. Further, even though cheating is allowed, you still need to be careful when getting the load up so as to not hurt your back. That being said, if you lift with a partner, it would be wise to let them assist.

Also, below you will notice that you will be able to alternate what arm curl you choose in the biceps program. While the rep scheme given (3X8-12) is good for the other curls, you will perform cheat curls using a 3X5 rep scheme and a 3-5 second eccentric.

6. Sitting Dumbbell Curls (Pronated, Offset, Hammer):

This can apply to any variation of dumbbell curls but simply involves sitting down when you perform them. When doing seated dumbbell curls, allow your upper arms to hang down freely and attempt to keep them stable as you perform the lift.

You can do hammer curls (palms facing in), reverse grip curls (palms facing forward), and an offset overhand grip (slightly pronated). Be sure to use a full range of motion.

Other great biceps exercises:

• Zottman curl
• Concentration curl
• Cable curl
• Preacher bench curl

The Best Biceps Workout Program

So here is the best biceps workout to grow some massive arms. Keep in mind that this is not biceps ONLY but biceps-centric. Again, the missing factor to most “biceps workouts” is altering big pulling exercises to produce more biceps activation.

Session 1:

1. Chin-Ups* 4X4-6                        
2. Seated Row (Underhand) 3X6
3. Standing Neutral Grip Row (Single) 3X8
4. T-Bar Row 2X12 (RPE9)    
5. Arm Curl (choose one of the bicep curl variations we discussed) 3X8-12  
6. Reverse /Neutral Curl (choose one of the bicep curl variations we discussed, using a reverse/neutral grip) 3X8-12
7. Finisher        

Session 2:

1. Chin-Ups* 4X4-6
2. Bent Over Row (Underhand) 3X6
3. Seated Neutral Grip Row 3X8
4. T-Bar Row 2X12 (RPE9)
5. Arm Curl 3X8-12
6. Reverse/Neutral Curl 3X8-12
7. Finisher

Optional 3rd Day:

1. Arm Curl 3X8-12
2. Reverse Arm Curl 3X8-12

* For arm curls, choose one of the variations we discussed or even a classic bicep curl, but make sure to use a supinated grip (palms up). You can also play around with different grip widths depending on the exercise. Each week you can choose a different exercise or you can switch it up every few weeks. See more details below.

* For reverse/neutral arm curls, choose one. of the variations we discussed but use a reverse or neutral grip to perform it. Each week you can choose a different exercise. See more details below.

* Be sure to choose a different bicep curl variation for each session. Variety is important for bicep isolation exercises.

* For the chin-ups, after your 4 sets, you will take a small rest and then perform one long, heavy eccentric.

How To Follow This Bicep Program

You see that this program consists of 3 compound movements and 3 isolation movements each day. Here is a further explanation of how to progress.

You will simply attempt to increase the intensity for the compound movements by increasing the load to invoke progressive overload. Therefore, every week you will attempt to increase your weight. If you jump weights and find that you can’t complete the rep range, simply take a rest and finish up.

The T-bar row is a compound exercise but will utilize high reps. For progressive overload, don’t really be too concerned with being exact. Your main job is to just get a lot of volumes, so bring it to an RPE9. If that’s above or less than 12, so be it.

You will need to use the assistance for the chin-ups or add a load-dependent on how your chins are. This can be difficult to judge daily, which is why there’s a 4-6 rep range. However, your goal will be to either remove assistance OR add load while you stay in that range. Further, you also see the note about performing an eccentric after the last set. For this, you will pull yourself all the way up and then come down as slow as possible (should be at least 5 seconds). You can add a little extra load for this as well.

For the isolation exercises, you see that each session has an arm curl, a reverse/neutral curl, and a finisher. For the arm curl, you can choose one of those listed below. You notice that these are all arm curls that use a supinated grip. This same goes for the reverse/neutral grip, but you will perform a reverse grip curl or hammer curl. 

Arm Curl:

• Drag Curl
• Bayesian Curl
• Cheat Curl ( 3X5 using a 3-5 second eccentric)
• Spider Curl
• Walter Curl
• Preacher Curl
• Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl
• EZ-Bar Curl (Wide, Narrow Grip)

Reverse Curl:

• Rope Hammer Curl
• Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl
• Incline Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl
• EZ-Bar Reverse Curl 

Finally, the finisher is there just to add volume in a quick manner. That being said, you can still use some variety. For example, biceps 21’ are usually performed with dumbbells or a barbell with a standard grip. Feel free to mix it up and use a wide, narrow, or hammer grip. You can do the same for the 3 set AMRAP.

Finishers:

• Bicep 21’s (Use various grips, and bars)
• AMRAP in 3 sets w/ 1:00 rest (At least 40 reps)
• 100 reps - Use a lightweight and get in a TON of volume.

You will just do the same thing for the curls for the optional day. Again, if you want, simply add this to the end of any day.

REMEMBER TO USE PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD!!!

While we went over the compound exercises, remember that you still need to apply this same concept to the biceps. While building volume and “bringing to failure” is important, too many guys get stuck in “feeling the pump” and forget about actually applying progressive overload. For example, many guys will just do a ton of reps (which you will do too with the finisher) but completely forget about adding weight. Or they get too caught up in “tempo” and only use lightweight. While this is a tactic, you need to place a heavier load on the biceps. 

Therefore, always try to add a load. You shouldn’t need to do 15 reps until you feel the “burn,”; at least not all the time. In fact, feel free to even use a heavy load with 6 reps for the isolation movements. A fun “game” for this is to perform reps of 6 while adding weight until you find your 6RM for a curl. Just because you technically can only use light weights for muscle growth doesn’t mean you should.

While progressive overload might not look exactly the same with your curls, there should still be that trend and intent.

The Most Important Part Of This Program:

This program is highly biceps specific, and you will obviously need to train all of your other muscles as well. You can simply add this to whatever program you’re running as you still need to train your pushing muscles and lower body. That being said, IF you have a workout split right now that you really like, all you need to do is simply use what you learned here and apply it to your pulling and biceps exercises. The most important part of this program isn’t necessarily the program itself but rather the information and tips. In reality, you don’t need to specifically use this program. Rather, you can take what you learned and apply it to what you’re running.

Proper Nutrition For Bicep Growth:

In order for your biceps to grow, you MUST eat properly. Follow these basic guidelines to optimize your growth.

• Get in a caloric surplus of 300-500 calories.
• Daily protein intake should be 1.6-2.2g/kg. Be sure to hit this daily.
• 30% of your daily calories should come from fat.
• Fill in the rest of your calories with carbs.
• Spread your protein intake throughout the day in 4-5 servings.
• Consume a post-workout meal that contains 0.4-0.5g/kg protein and 0.8-1.5g carbs.
• If you’re not already, add creatine to your supplement regime. 

Bicep Workout Wrap-Up:

Think of this biceps workout more as a concept rather than a strict program. We listed a ton of variables and methods to consider when you are training the biceps that are often overlooked in other programs. Here’s a brief summary of the most important variables for biceps training.

• Use biceps-oriented compound movements
• Use a range of loads, even with isolation exercises (6-12+)
• Use variety in exercise and grips
• Always include reverse grip and neutral grips
• APPLY PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD to the biceps

Other than that, train hard, eat right, sleep right, and buy some new shirts cause your sleeves are about to bust.

Want to see how you stack up with others in the biceps department? Check out this Average Biceps Size Chart for Men & Women

More workouts:

• The Ultimate Leg Workout
• The Ultimate Back & Biceps Workout
• The Ultimate Chest & Triceps Workout
• The Ultimate Arm Workout
• The Ultimate Dumbbell Shoulder Workout

One of the downsides of working out is waking up so sore you swear you did something wrong. Even if it’s not that bad, just waking up and not feeling like you can perform optimally still sucks. Well, to be honest, chances are you did do something wrong because recovery is a vital part of training, not a punishment. In other words, some people think that being sore AF is some kind of achievement, or they just don’t know how to properly train to OPTIMIZE their recovery.

That’s right, learning how to recover properly will actually enhance your training. Still, there are a lot of workout recovery methods out there that claim to be the best, so we’re going to review some of the most common methods and what we believe to be the best methods for recovery.

This post will go over:

• The importance of recovery
• Programing variables for optimal workout recovery
• Nutrition and supplementation to maximize recovery
• Review of different recovery methods (compressions, ice, heat, etc.)
• The best way to let your muscles recover

Get ready to learn the art of doing nothing (not really, there’s more to recovery than binging Netflix!)

What Is Workout & Muscle Recovery?

At its most basic definition, recovery is just the process of healing and recovering from your workouts. It starts the minute you perform your last rep and ends once you perform another rep in the next session. That being said, recovery can be either passive (you don’t do anything to enhance recovery) or active (you’re actively taking steps to try and improve recovery). Furthermore, workout recovery can include modifying your diet or supplementation to enhance the healing process from exercise induced muscle damage. All in all, recovery is a vital part of training and is actually a necessary step in physiological adaptations.

Why Is Recovery Important?

“Muscles are built in the bed.” Yet another meme, which we generally hate, that actually holds a lot of wisdom. What we mean is that when you go to the gym, you are actually stressing the muscles that are causing the buildup of fatigue as well as muscle damage. If you think about it, you are actually weaker and beaten down when you leave the gym compared to when you go to the gym. Again, this is fine and truly necessary to grow.

When you go home, your body starts running a slew of different processes to help restore your body and repair your muscles. This is done primarily through proper nutrition and sleep. However, what happens after your recovery is your body restores your muscles and physiological systems to be a little bit stronger in a process known as supercompensation. In fact, this process is what allows the principle of progressive overload.

As you can see, muscle breakdown and recovery is a GOOD thing. However, in order to maximize the benefits, you need to have the perfect balance between training and recovery. It really is a balancing act. 

Programming Variables For Recovery & Muscle Soreness

Out of all the things you can do to optimize your recovery, proper programming is THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!  It doesn’t matter how much glutamine you stuff down your throat or how long you sit in an ice bath; if your programming contains way too much intensity and volume, you’re not going to recover. While different “tricks” you hear may (or may not) be effective, they can’t reverse improper training. In other words, they can help you recover faster IF your fatigue and volume are manageable. 

1) Have At Least 48 Hours Of Rest In Between Training Muscle Groups:

The first thing you need to do is have at least 48 hours of recovery between significant muscle groups. To be clear, this doesn’t necessarily mean two full days before your next exercise session. If you train at noon on Monday, 48 hours later would be Wednesday at noon. So basically, this just means don’t train the same muscle group every day. Studies show that this generally gives the muscle enough time for recovery, but this also assumes you’re using an appropriate amount of volume¹.  

2) Use An Appropriate Amount Of Volume:

An extensive range of 10-20 sets per muscle group per week tends to be the given guideline. At the same time, this is assuming you’re using sets of 6-20 reps. In other words, this number doesn’t apply if you’re following a strength or powerlifting routine. Regardless, what this means is that if we use the average number of 3 sets per exercise (i.e., 3x8), this means you shouldn’t do any more than 7 exercises in a week (3X7= 21 sets). 

While we routinely will do more than this once in a while, you definitely can’t do 40 sets a week and think you’re ok because you rested for 48 hours. While you might be able to do more than 20 sets a week once in a while, you’d want to program so that while you may do 25 sets one week, the next week, you might want to chill out and do 10 sets. As we said above, it’s a balancing act.

3) Use Deloads And Periodization:

An awesome way to not only optimize your training but improve your recovery is to use deloads as well as follow some form of basic periodization. Deloads are just weeks of training when you will decrease the intensity and/or volume of your training. The most common method is to simply keep the same rep scheme but just cut the load by 50%. Easy peasy. While intermediate and advanced lifters may take a deload week every 4 weeks, most people can probably get away with 6 weeks. Also, instead of just cutting your load in half, you can also take a deload to work on other areas such as mobility or work on a technical move. At the end of the day, this is just a method of giving your body an extended amount of time to fully recover so think of it as a time to work on things you’ve wanted but can’t.

At the same time, you can use periodization. Periodization refers to the method of altering the load and intensity of your training throughout a cycle. The easiest example would be that you might train hypertrophy for 3 months and then train for strength for 3 months, and so on. One of the best ways is a form known as Daily Undulating Periodization or DUP. This means that you change the training variable on a session per session basis. Again, this just allows you to apply a different stimulus which can mitigate fatigue (training for strength and hypertrophy can cause fatigue slightly differently).

Nutrition And Supplementation For Optimal Recovery

A major area where lifters mess up with workout recovery is nutrition. They either don’t eat an appropriate amount of calories or don’t eat the right stuff. It’s not that hard if you follow some basic guidelines.

1. Don’t go on extreme diets. Being consistently low in calories can decrease your ability to recover.
2. Stay hydrated. Being dehydrated will cause slower recovery and general fatigue.
3. Eat an excellent post-workout meal that contains about 0.4-0.5g per kilogram of weight. Plus, use a 2:1 - 3:1 carb to protein ratio. For example, if you eat 30g of protein, you want to eat 60-90g of carbs with it. 
4. Eat an adequate amount of protein throughout the day (1.6-2.2g/kg)

Supplements For Recovery:

Other than your essential nutrition, there are lots of claims regarding certain supplements that help recovery. One of the main ones you hear about is glutamine. Unfortunately, while glutamine is vital for recovery, supplementing hasn’t shown to provide any sort of measurable difference in studies. Basically, if you’re eating a proper amount of protein, you are already eating a sufficient amount of glutamine, and taking more doesn’t appear to provide additional benefits. In fact, The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) has glutamine listed as “Little To No Evidence” in terms of its efficacy².

In fact, assuming you’re eating enough protein, the only supplement that can help speed up the recovery process is creatine. While creatine is generally regarded as a muscle-building supplement, studies have shown that it can also increase the effectiveness of recovery³.

There may also be evidence that drinking amino acids as well as carbohydrates during workouts can also improve recovery times. 

Pre-Sleep Protein:

A relatively new area of research that offers promising hope in terms of enhanced recovery and improved physiological adaptations is pre-sleep protein. Studies show that taking 30-40g of a casein protein shake 30 minutes prior to sleeping can improve adaptations to resistance training and decrease recovery time⁴. This is an easy and effective way to improve recovery while you sleep! You literally get benefits when you’re doing nothing; seems like a pretty obvious choice to us.

Eat Your Vitamins:

Inadequate consumption of vitamins is another that people mess up. People often forget that vitamins play multiple vital roles in various physiological systems, including muscle tissue repair and growth. Some of the top vitamins named for muscle recovery are:

• Vitamin D
• Vitamin C
• B Vitamins 
• Vitamin E

Just be sure that you’re adequate amounts, and if you need, you could pop a multivitamin.

Active Recovery Days

Active recovery is one of our favorite methods (actually, it’s our favorite after the best form listed below!) to enhance recovery. The simplest definition of active recovery is a low-intensity (light) exercise that’s performed after a more intense training session to enhance recovery. This can be done on the same day or on rest days. 

For example, this study found that active recovery at slower intensity performed after a 200m freestyle swims resulted in faster blood lactic acid removal. However, keep in mind that this is only one part of recovery⁵. However, another study found that cycling at low intensity in between Wingate tests produced better performance variables⁶. 

Further, there’s a ton of anecdotal evidence, including personal experience, that can attest to the fact that light active recovery can drastically reduce DOMS and muscle stiffness. As far as what type of exercise, simply walking with intent can be all you need. Ideally, you will have easy access to an Air Bike or some other machine that utilizes legs and arms. One of our favorite practices is to get in a 30 min walk sometime in the evening after we have worked out. It’s easy, free, and can definitely help improve your recovery.

Massage For Recovery

Massage for recovery has grown significantly in recent years, particularly trigger point and myofascial release. But first, sports massage.

As far as basic sports massage, meta-analyses show very limited evidence that can improve performance or speed up recovery⁷. To be fair, other reviews have shown possible favorable benefits with massage, but we also need to consider messages aren’t free⁸. Being that you may spend $25-50 per 15-minute session, most trainees can’t afford this to be part of their regular workout routine. Instead, we’d suggest saving that money and getting a nice Swedish massage once a month just because “Treat yo self!”

Myofascial release and trigger point massage is another story. Completely opposite to sports massage, myofascial release does consistently show positive benefits in terms of muscle soreness and muscle recovery in meta-analyses. In other words, while rolling around on a pointy log can hurt like hell, you won’t feel so bad afterward⁹. Plus, trigger point rollers are pretty cheap and relatively easy to learn how to do by yourself. This makes it a reasonable choice for anyone looking for an effective and affordable means to help recovery.

Cross-Training 

One form of recovery that’s not often talked about is being involved in cross-training. Cross-training is being involved in multiple sports at the same time. How this might look is that you may go to the gym 3 days a week, cycle 2 days a week, and swim 1 day a week. What this does is allows you to still train but use different muscle groups and movement patterns. Now, we understand this may or may not be reasonable for some people depending on their situation or goal, BUT if you are able, we’d highly suggest getting involved with some other type of athletics. 

Other Methods Of Recovery After A Tough Workout

Other than active recovery, lately, there has been a slew of methods and products that have been suggested to help speed up recovery. What we are referring to our things like:

• Compression
• Cold Water Immersion (Cold/Ice Baths)
• Heat Therapy

We’re going to save you a lot of time and let you know that there is limited, if any, evidence to support any of these for weight lifting. Actually, things like an ice bath or cold shower may help elite athletes (who train much harder and longer than an hour in the gym), but studies show they can actually impede muscle growth and strength for strength athletes¹⁰.

Still, these aren’t even realistic for your average trainee. If your gym does have a sauna, studies show that heat may provide some benefit, so it may be worth your while, but we wouldn’t suggest you drive out of your way for it¹¹.

At the end of the day, most people simply aren’t training hard enough or long enough for any of these to be practical, even if they did work.

The Most Important Method Of Recovery - SLEEP

The one method that can guarantee you have better recovery is SLEEP! It’s almost annoying that guys will complain about being sore, buy a ton of supplements and tools, and then get 4 hours of sleep. Sleep is literally your body’s built-in recovery system, and skipping out on it is one of the worst things you can do if you’re an athlete. While above we said programming is the most important, sleep takes that spot IF your programming is in check. If you are having trouble with recovery and muscle soreness, but not getting enough shut eye, you’re shooting yourself in the foot, and NOTHING can reverse the effects of poor sleep. Just sleep! Sleep is one of the most effective ways to reduce muscle soreness (aka DOMS).

Summary Of Post Workout Recovery Methods:

As you can see, there are a lot of factors that can play a role in optimal muscle recovery and growth. However, you will see that the most significant factors have nothing to do with performing a particular exercise or wearing tights. The most important factors for post workout muscle recovery and muscle soreness are:

• Adequate amount of sleep
• Proper programming
• Sufficient amounts of protein consumption

After this, active recovery and myofascial release are your next best friends for recovery. At the end of the day, recovery is a vital part of the process, and it will take some time for you to be able to find the right balance for yourself. Some people can handle higher volumes of training, while some can handle high loads. Not everyone is the same, and it’s up to you to find the perfect balance of training and muscle recovery for yourself.

Related: How to Avoid Burnout & Overtraining

References:

1. Dankel SJ, Mattocks KT, Jessee MB, et al. Frequency: The Overlooked Resistance Training Variable for Inducing Muscle Hypertrophy? Sports Medicine. 2016;47(5):799-805. doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0640-8
2. Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, et al. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2018;15(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y
3. Wax B, Kerksick CM, Jagim AR, Mayo JJ, Lyons BC, Kreider RB. Creatine for Exercise and Sports Performance, with Recovery Considerations for Healthy Populations. Nutrients. 2021;13(6):1915. doi:10.3390/nu13061915
4. Snijders T, Trommelen J, Kouw IWK, Holwerda AM, Verdijk LB, van Loon LJC. The Impact of Pre-sleep Protein Ingestion on the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise in Humans: An Update. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2019;6. doi:10.3389/fnut.2019.00017
5. Mota MR, Dantas RAE, Oliveira-Silva I, et al. Effect of self-paced active recovery and passive recovery on blood lactate removal following a 200 m freestyle swimming trial. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017;Volume 8:155-160. doi:10.2147/oajsm.s127948
6. Lopez EID, Smoliga JM, Zavorsky GS. The Effect of Passive Versus Active Recovery on Power Output Over Six Repeated Wingate Sprints. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2014;85(4):519-526. doi:10.1080/02701367.2014.961055
7. ‌Poppendieck W, Wegmann M, Ferrauti A, Kellmann M, Pfeiffer M, Meyer T. Massage and Performance Recovery: A Meta-Analytical Review. Sports Medicine. 2016;46(2):183-204. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0420-x
8. Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B. An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Physiology. 2018;9. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00403
9. Schroeder AN, Best TM. Is Self Myofascial Release an Effective Preexercise and Recovery Strategy? A Literature Review. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2015;14(3):200-208. doi:10.1249/jsr.0000000000000148
10. Roberts LA, Raastad T, Markworth JF, et al. Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. The Journal of Physiology. 2015;593(18):4285-4301. doi:10.1113/jp270570
11. Lee S, Ishibashi S, Shimomura Y, Katsuura T. Physiological functions of the effects of the different bathing method on recovery from local muscle fatigue. Journal of Physiological Anthropology. 2012;31(1). doi:10.1186/1880-6805-31-26