Tag: Bodybuilding
Bodybuilder accused of shooting parents at Long Island mansion
New York bodybuilder Dino Tomassetti shot his parents on Saturday morning.
Dino Tomassetti, 29-year-old Brooklyn bodybuilder, has been accused of shooting his parents at their Long Island mansion on Saturday. He was identified on Sunday after the attack that occurred on Christmas morning at the parents’ $3.2 million property, according to the NY Post.
Nassau County cops said that the incident happened after 10 a.m. and both parents had to undergo surgery for wounds. Rocco Tomasetti, 65, was shot in the back and Vincenza Tomassetti, 64, was shot in the head. Rocco was said to be in more serious condition.
Dino Tomassetti fled to New Jersey in a Cadillac Escalade following the shootings. He was able to be tracked though the GPS in the vehicle. This is when New York police contacted the Mahwah Police Department for help once Tomassetti was believed to be in the area. He was caught around 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tomassetti will remain in custody in Bergen County and will be charged as a fugitive from justice.
Tomassetti will be moved to Nassau County and his New York charges will depend on the condition of his parents.
The Brooklyn bodybuilder has been working as a personal trainer at Retro Fitness locations in Forest Hills and Glendale, Queens. His Instagram page has shown off many personal record lifts. This includes a 725-pound deadlift, 625-pound squat, and 550-pound benchpress.
The family’s fortune has come from Rocco Tomasetti’s work owning Empire Transit Mix. This is a construction company that provided the concrete for the Freedom Tower. The bodybuilder’s grandfather, Dino Tomassetti Sr., also owned a construction company named Laquila Group. Projects for this company included headquarters for Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.
Tomassetti’s mother owns Starz, a dance studio on Broadway in Lynbrook. Neither company was aware that there was a shooting.
Dino Tomassetti will remain in custody until the condition of his parents becomes more clear. There has not been a reason revealed for the shooting and those close to the family were surprised to hear about it.
This is an ongoing story and more details will be revealed at a later time. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Fish Oil, Bodybuilding Goals & The Benefit Of It For Your Diet
Fish oil is one supplement that can boost performance in and out of the gym.
The supplement market is saturated with so many options to help boost athletic performance and bodybuilding training, but fish oil is one of those popular supplements to aid in your overall health that must be in your dietary regiment. As a great source of omega 3s, fish oil and the health benefits it possesses should be placed into your diet to help you really see gains with fish and other omega 3 oils and supplements.
Of course, as a bodybuilder, it is important to maintain a careful diet and strict exercise to see those big gains come to life for your bodybuilding goals, but supplements like fish oil are simple ways to provide energy and nutrients to optimize your health and wellness and shouldn’t be overlooked. Fish oil is one that will prove to be effective for your weightlifting and rehab needs without feeling forced to search for the right nutrients.
Having a one stop shop for your health and wellness needs is a great way to help ensure immune health and other bodily functions are covered well with fish oil no matter what your needs may be with fish oil supplements, bodybuilding goals, and performance.
Praised for its overall benefits when it comes to heart and brain health, fish oil supplements are also that nice boost for energy ultimately leading to muscle growth and fat loss. With so much going into your body for that pre-workout boost, and so much depletion during that grueling and strenuous training session, fish oil will aid in rehab and ensure you retain those vital nutrients for your benefit.
Recovery is vital for muscle growth and that desired bodybuilding physique we strive for is just around the corner with a great fish oil supplement. Don’t let poor recuperation hurt those bodybuilding goals in your quest to be as shredded as possible and help maintain muscle protein, either for competition or that confidence boost to make you look and feel great so people can be comfortable with their weight and what they eat.
What is Fish Oil?
Fish oil is a fatty acid derived from the tissues of oily fish, such as trout, salmon, and sardines. What has given fish oil so much attention is the fact it contains omega-3 fatty acids, something your body cannot produce on its own. There are three important types of omega-3s: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
ALA is most commonly found in plants, while DHA and EPA are in most animal foods. For people who eat a lot of fish or other foods high with omega-3s, taking a fish oil supplement is not necessary, but considering smaller doses are also beneficial to help ensure you keep feeding your body with those vital omega 3 nutrients per day.
Benefits Of Fish Oil
Increased Recovery Time
Fish oil supplements can aid in recovery and speed up the rehab process, allowing for more efficient growth and muscle building. Known to possess anti-inflammatory properties, it can be extremely beneficial when working out, or even pre-workout, to get your mind and body right for an effective bodybuilding lift. Its ability to reduce muscle soreness (1) is also something very effective when it comes to your body repairing those tiny muscle tears that occur during your sessions.
Faster recuperation means more gains and the ability to recharge before each and every session, with the help of protein. This will help ensure that the next days training will be just as good, if not better, than the previous days training session to keep the gains train rolling and to help you with muscle building and shedding body fat with healthy fish oil capsules.
Burning Excess Fat
Although a fatty supplement, fish oil can actually increase your metabolic rate allowing you to burn more calories and work more efficiently to burn fat to see that bodybuilding aesthetic. By not taking in the proper nutrients, it can be easy to burn lean muscle instead of fat, which is quite the opposite of what you want to do. With a solid training routine, this can be very effective with fat loss (2).
With fish oil in your dietary regiment, you can keep your body replenished with what it needs while not compromising your goal of increasing lean muscle and losing fat. That desired, shredded physique is right around the corner for you to enjoy all the benefits of a great body, as well as watching you achieve those bodybuilding goals and help increase muscle protein while losing body fat each and every day for that daily dose of exercise. Just what people want and need to reduce their weight and lead healthier lives.
Promotes Heart Health
Maintaining a healthy heart goes without saying for anyone, bodybuilding athlete or not. But for those who constantly work out and keep the body pushed to the max, keeping your heart in top shape is often taken for granted. Fish oil is great for preventing plaque build-up in the heart and can lower blood pressure, which can improve blood circulation and keep you pumping efficiently. While also assisting in cholesterol control, fish oil can help lower your risk of a heart attack (3).
Supports Mental Health
The stress of eating well and working out all while trying to be healthy in your everyday life can be exhausting, especially for those bodybuilding goals. With a regular dose of fish oil, you can improve your mood to be happier and more engaged inside and out of the gym. What fish oil does is it supports the level of serotonin in your body, which keeps you feeling good.
Often times, high-carb foods can provide someone with serotonin which is why they are often craved. But with fish oil, you can manage your stress, anxiety, and depression (4), while getting enough serotonin to keep you feeling good which is what bodybuilders want.
Is It Effective?
Taking a healthy dose of fish oil is great for the wide array of health benefits involved. The ability to increase performance is something any athlete strives for and fish oil allows for a no-stress, healthy way to get there. It’s anti-inflammatory properties are perfect for those looking to recover fast and not feel bogged down by pain in the gym. Muscle soreness can be unfortunate and really hurt your ability to push harder through any workout ultimately leading to a not as effective workout overall and this is where fish oil can help preserve that muscle protein that many people struggle to keep with a diet or exercise program for bodybuilders.
Trial and error is the best way for anyone to experiment with a fish oil supplement to see what works and what doesn’t, but the benefits of fish oil have long been debated and the jury is out that it can be very beneficial for your overall health and bodybuilding goals. If you already consume fatty fish or other foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, look into smaller doses to keep those nutrients flowing through your body.
Although the trial and error process can be tedious, just know it is a long game to get you to where you want to be and that those gains unfortunately don’t happen over night. Keep at it and really enjoy the process of getting to where you want your bodybuilding training and performance goals to be through a diet or exercise program and by taking any dietary supplement.
Some foods that are high in omega-3 are:
Vegetables
Spinach
Broccoli
Avocados
Kidney beans
Fruits
Mangoes
Blueberries
Nuts & Seeds
Flax
Walnut
Chia
Other sources
Salmon
Sardines
Egg yolks
Lamb
Tuna
Wrap Up
For a long time, studies and research have shown that fish oil can be quite beneficial for you. Whether it be for athletic performance or everyday living, fish oil provides those much-needed nutrients that are hard to find. Since your body cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids, it is imperative you get them from either a supplement or food incorporated into your diet by taking any dietary supplement.
The benefits are immense from boosting athletic performance, to promoting heart health, to improving mood, all of which play a role in having an efficient and effective workout to lose fat and build muscle. For bodybuilders who deplete their bodies of much needed nutrients to accomplish the goal of big gains and that toned physique, it is vital to use a supplement to re-charge the system. Fish oil is a great way to do so and is the perfect supplement to add into your daily routine.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Jouris, Kelly B.; McDaniel, Jennifer L.; Weiss, Edward P. (2011). “The effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on the Inflammatory Response to eccentric strength exercise”. (source)
Du, Shichun; Jin, Jie; Fang, Wenjun; Su, Qing (2015). “Does Fish Oil Have an Anti-Obesity Effect in Overweight/Obese Adults? A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials”. (source)
Roeder, Amy (2019). “Omega-3 fish oil rises to top in analysis of studies”. (source)
Su, Kuan-Pin; Matsuoka, Yutaka; Pae, Chi-Un (2015). “Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Prevention of Mood and Anxiety Disorders”. (source)
How to Turn Your Toothpick Neck into a Wood Log
Build a Thick Neck With These Exercises
Many people will be curious after reading the title as only a few people in gyms around the world train their necks while the others have a pencil neck. It might come as a shock to them that you could develop the muscles in your neck.
Just like other muscles in your body, the muscles in your neck can be developed through training. Although you’ll need to be careful while training your neck as a small mistake can lead to an injury.
Neck Rotations
Many people these days have a desk job which makes them lean onto a laptop for the majority of the day. The awkward position while working on a laptop can cause problems like cervical pain and headaches.
Spending five minutes on rotating your neck in the morning can get you incredible results and fix the neck pain happening due to working on a computer. Neck rotations are also the easiest exercise on the list.
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Neck Bridges
We get into the serious business of developing a thick neck with the neck bridges. The neck bridges are commonly performed by boxers, MMA athletes and wrestlers in their training. These athletes take a lot of hits on their heads and having a strong neck keeps them from being knocked out.
The beck bridges are hard to perform and when you’re starting out, they should be done under the supervision of someone who knows how to do them correctly. While performing the bridges, hold the position where you feel a tension in the neck until the tension starts to fade away.
If the bodyweight version of the bridges feels easy, you can add resistance by placing a weight plate on your chest. Start with performing the orthodox bridges and once you get better, do the neck rotations as you get into the ‘bridge’ position.
Neck Curls
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Neck curls are fairly easy to perform, but you need to make sure your ego doesn’t get in the way. For the neck curls, place your chest on an incline bench, so your body is aligned from the top of your neck to your toes.
Use a head harnesses or simply hold a weight plate at the back of your head. Slowly lower your head and then raise it so your chest is lifted an inch off the bench. Hold the rep at the top and the bottom of the movement.
You can also perform this exercise on the cable pulley machines or with resistance bands. Both of these variations will add constant tension on your neck throughout the range of motion.
Shrugs
The trapezius muscle forms a big part of the neck and training the traps can help with the neck development. For the shrugs to help get rid of the pencil neck, make sure you maintain a full range of motion.
While performing the shrugs, try to touch your ears with your shoulders and hold the rep at the top of the movement. Perform three sets of 15-20 reps on each exercise. You can adopt the same approach to training the neck as the calves.
Do you train your neck? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
How To Know If You’re Getting Stronger In The Gym
Steps To Check Your Strength Gains
How would you feel if you were stuck in the same class while all your friends moved onto higher classes in school? Disappointed, disheartened, or dejected maybe? That’s exactly how you feel when you don’t see any strength improvements in the gym.
Assessing your strength improvements isn’t as easy as reading your school’s report card. The thought of not getting anywhere even after putting in your best in the gym is the last thing you want. In this article, we’ll tell you how to gauge your strength improvements.
Keep a Journal
Since we’re referring to schools, let’s talk about another similarity. Imagine going to school and not taking any notes or keeping a journal. How do you think you would fare at the end of the year?
Many people make the mistake of not keeping track of their workouts and wonder why they can’t see any results. While keeping a training journal might sound intimidating, it isn’t as bad or hard as some people think it is.
If you’re wondering – you don’t need to take a diary with you to the gym. You can use your phone’s notes app to put in the details (exercises, number of sets, reps done, and the weights used) of your workouts. You could take things up a notch by adding how you ‘felt’ during the workout.
Shorter Workouts
For some people, the length of their workouts is equivalent to the quality of the session. This is a flawed concept because as you get stronger, you’ll need shorter periods to recover between sets.
The next time you’re done with your training before the usual time, don’t do more exercises to compensate for the extra time. Note it in your journal and lift heavier weights in the next workout.
Feel The Weights
If you’ve been working out for some time, you might have had times when your usual training weights felt like peanuts. Whenever the weights feel lighter, it’s a sure sign that you’re growing stronger.
On days like these when you feel like you can conquer the world, you should go all out in your training. Train as heavy as you can without compromising on your form, and the bodybuilding Gods will surely bless you with gains.
On the other hand, if the weights feel heavier than usual – could be because of fatigue or exertion – you should drop down the weights and go after the pump. If the weights feel light and you’re able to do more reps than usual, you’ve got good news on hand.
Lifting Bigger
This is the most obvious sign of getting stronger. If you can lift heavier weights without compromising on the form, you’ve gotten stronger. After hitting a PR, don’t make the mistake of camping in your comfort zone.
Keep pushing yourself to ensure that you don’t hit a plateau. Getting a spotter, using advanced training techniques like supersets, drop sets, BFR training, intra-set stretching are fantastic ways of improving your strength.
How much can you bench? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
10 Workout Excuses: Stupid Reasons Not to Workout Today
Best Workout Excuses to Miss the Gym
You’re always just one excuse away from skipping the gym. Going to the gym and training every day of the week is hard while sitting on the couch and making up an excuse to miss the workout is super easy.
If you’re going to miss the gym, we thought we’ll help you find good excuses to add to your arsenal. Be generous and share these excuses with your friends so you can skip the gym together and leave the gym for the serious ones.
One More Episode
Binge watching is one of the growing reasons why people miss their workouts. While it might be tempting to watch the next episode of 13 Reasons Why and uncover why Hannah killed herself, killing those extra calories is more important.
It’s Raining
Or it’s too cold, hot, foggy. You need to realize there are no recommended weather conditions to train. If you travel in your own vehicle, getting around in any weather shouldn’t be a problem. For people who use public transport, an Uber is always around the corner.
I’m Tired
The good old “I’m tired” excuse is responsible for hundreds of people missing their workout every day throughout the world. Supplements like stimulated pre-workouts invalidate this excuse. Even a cup of coffee can pump you up for your workout.
It’s Late
It is never too late to workout. Most gyms these days are open till late at night and some are even open 24X7. If you feel you’re running late and won’t be able to get in your normal 2-hour workout, cut short your routine by using super and drop-sets.
I Have to Hang Out with Friends/Family
This is a common excuse for people who workout in the evening. If the chillout can’t be moved to a rest day, try hitting the gym a little early than usual or after you hang out with your friends.
Too Much Work
If the presidents and prime-ministers can make the time to train, so can you. A fit lifestyle can help you get more done in your work life. Work and hitting the gym don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Working out will help you do more with better focus and stamina in the office.
A Day Off Can’t Hurt
Some people take the liberty of missing a workout after they’ve trained for 2-3 days in a row. If you’re not an advanced lifter or athlete, skipping a day can take you back in your fitness journey.
My Workout Partner is Busy
Have you ever noticed people miss the gym in groups? If one person in the team skips the workout, the other follows him. This is why you should choose your training partner carefully. Bodybuilding and fitness isn’t a team sport, it’s an individual sport, so always be ready to train alone.
I’m Out of Supplements
Some people miss their workouts because they’re out of their pre-workout or protein supplements. A pre-workout can be replaced with a caffeinated drink and a protein shake with a fast digesting high-protein meal like fish.
It’s Not My Usual Time
Most people go to the gym at a certain time every day. For some reason, if you can’t train at the same time, be open to working out at a different time. Training at a different time will only benefit you as it’ll come as a shock to your muscles. Use this as an opportunity.
What is your favorite excuse to skip a workout? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Tips To Avoid The Dreaded Holiday Weight Gain
On average, most people gain 7 to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
Tis the season! The season for spending time with family and friends; for attending an endless sea of holiday parties; and for avoiding tipping that scale. On average, most people gain 7 to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Will you be one of them?
1. Choose Success
As the great Buddha has said, “What you think, is what you become.” Consciously decide to remain committed to your fitness plans through the holidays. Contemplate your inevitable success! Success is a choice, and it all begins with your thoughts, and results with your actions.
2. Never Attend a Holiday Party Hungry
Arriving at a holiday gathering with so many tempting food choices when you are famished is lethal. Plan ahead. Eat 5-6 healthy, well-balanced meals each day. Make sure you eat one of those small meals or have a protein shake about 30-60 minutes before attending a holiday party, even if the party is a meal!
You’ll be far less likely to overindulge and you won’t be inclined to eat everything in sight. With both your appetite and your conscience in check, you’ll find greater enjoyment and satisfaction in the modest amount of food that you’ll consume.
3. Don’t “Bank” Calories
You simply CANNOT starve yourself all day, then eat and drink whatever you want at a holiday party without consequences. It doesn’t work that way. If you starve yourself in anticipation of overindulging, you’ll ensure storing every single morsel as FAT. Yuck.
4. Locate the Veggie Tray
Every holiday spread includes some kind of fresh fruit or vegetable tray. Fill your plate with fresh veggies and eat those first, fruit second. And skip the dip! The bulk and water in the veggies will satisfy your appetite and you’ll eat less “junk.”
5. Drink a LOT of Water
Before you grab an alcoholic drink or make a beeline for the food, get a glass of water and sip on that first. For every beverage or holiday treat you consume, drink one glass of water. The water will keep you full and will definitely curb your desire to over-eat in food. Just stay near a restroom!
6. Bring Eucalyptus
Huh? Yes, It’s true…if all else fails and you’re having a hard time making good decisions at a party, suck on a sugar-free Halls Eucalyptus drop. I can assure you, absolutely NOTHING tastes good after having that flavor in your mouth!
7. Stay On Schedule
Plan your workouts every week. Treat your workouts as a regular appointment for work that you cannot and will not miss. Book it in your iPhone calendar, your planner, whatever. Remain consistent and you will enjoy an elevated mood and have MUCH more energy for the holiday season.
Finally, January 1 2015 WILL arrive, and I can promise you this: It will be much harder to get back into workout-mode after the New Year, than it is to remain consistent throughout. Your fitness goals need not be a casualty of the holiday season.
Happy Holidays!
Geo is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist whose mission is to educate and empower his clients to live healthier and happier lives. Geo has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition/ Biochemistry and is RD eligible. Geo Has maintained a thriving practice in New York City for more than 7 years. He brings the triple threat of education, experience, and passion to health & fitness for his clients.
You can visit his website here: geometrxnyc.com
5 Tips For Staying Lean And Mean This Holiday Season
This Santa’s got abs for days.
So the holiday season is upon, and you know what that means. Trips to aunts and uncles houses we only talk to once a year quickly followed by a large overindulgent meal washed down by alcohol and a nice little nap to top it off. What’s on the agenda for the next day? rinse, lather, and repeat – just with leftovers.
The holiday struggle is real, so we’ve taken the liberty of comprising a list of 5 things you can do in order to break the vicious cycle that is late December. The list is practical guide of mental and physical things you can do when the going gets tough and the tough get eating. Check out our list below.
Drink Water
Hydration is key. Though this can go for anytime of the year, it’s especially important during the holidays as you’ll probably be consuming a lot of no no foods. Try having a glass of water before and after each meal to rev up your metabolism and cleanse your system.
Moderation
Hey, we get it. It’s the holidays, you’ve been busting your hump all year long, plus your geeky little cousin is finally getting married. You want to get down and have a little fun. We’re cool with that but there’s a right way to do it. Try to fill your plate with mostly healthy options and then smaller portions of the not so healthy ones. If you’re going to cheat, cheat once with your favorite of the unhealthy options.
Drink Alcohol Early
Drinking alcohol early is imperative. It gives your body time to break down the extra calories before going to bed – a time when you can really pack on the pounds. Alcohol also disrupts your sleeping pattern as it will wake you up as soon as the alcohol has burned through your system. Try to have a glass of water for every drink you consume (key term here is TRY).
Take a hike
No really, take a walk. Walking after a meal boosts your metabolism as well as helping with the digestive process. In addition, it just feels good. A brisk evening walk with your favorite half drunk family member is a cool experience – you’ll wonder why you never did it before. Try it!
Shoveling Snow
Usually reserved as a punishment or chore, shoveling snow actually burns a lot of calories as well as keeping your drive way clean – win win! As long as you’re dressed for the weather and remember to take frequent breaks you can turn this into some well needed personal time. Back breaking labor never felt so good.
Keep your routine
Tomorrow’s Christmas…so what? We know your text message and Facebook inbox are blowing up with invites to different holiday bashes but you’ve got to put the horse before the carriage. Don’t neglect your workout to go to a party, instead work out before or after the festivities. Working out before will give you the boost of energy you need to party all night long and setting up a training session for the next morning will keep you honest. If you know you’re going to get your ass handed to your by a personal trainer the next day you’re probably going to skip on that last whiskey sour – just sayin’.
3 Nutrition Tips For Winter
Classically, winter is known in the fitness community as ‘Bulking Season,’ which in reality becomes justification for gaining fat during the holidays. While taking a break from strict dieting can benefit the body, better than increasing fat and carb intake would be using the season to focus on different aspects of nutrition. In his guest contributor article, Dr. Jacob Wilson shares tips to make the most out of nutrition this winter.
The first one is a no-brainer: probiotics. Everyone knows that winter is the season of sickness, but cold isn’t the only danger. The digestive tract is both integral to the immune system and ground zero for unfriendly viruses.
Constant eating, especially of high amounts of sugar and fat will imbalance gut bacteria and make one more susceptible to sickness. Excellent sources of probiotics are Greek yogurt, and Glutamine. But you could even try fashionable fermented products like kombucha, kimchi, or sauerkraut.
Second on the list of nutrients to emphasize during winter is Vitamin D. Obviously, supply of Vitamin D generally decreases during months that are cloudy or spent indoors. But unfortunately, “Vitamin -D Enriched’ products or vitamins simply do not carry the quality of bio-available Vitamin D that arrives in whole food sources.
Sockeye salmon and other types of fish are fantastic sources of this nutrient, and their high Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratios can help reduce levels of inflammatory cortisol throughout the body.
Such fats are also absolutely critical for brain function. We all know that the dreary and reminiscent months can trigger a less than chipper attitude, and keeping the brain properly supplied will go a long way to alleviating mental fog.
Saturate fats positively affect free testosterone, have been shown to help cells retain more Omega-3’s, and assist in conversion of fats into DHA which is optimal fuel for the brain. Of course, saturated fats have their con’s too. But if there was a time in the year to experiment with amounts and sources, it would be winter.
Ultimately winter is the season for experimentation. Everyone should try out different foods, eating schedules, and nutrient rations, to see if there’s anything to carry over into swimsuit season or competition prep.
If you’re looking for a deeper in-depth guide for maximizing your bodybuilding nutrition, make sure to sign up for Generation Iron Plus. The most detailed bodybuilding training and diet subscription guide with a massive archive of content and new courses uploaded every month.
It’s Time You Ditch The Barbell Bench Press
Reasons to Give Up Bench Pressing
Barbell bench press is one of the most popular exercises. “How much do you bench?” is casually thrown around in gyms around the world. The bench press has been the symbol of strength for a long time.
The barbell bench press is a compound movement which incorporates multiple muscle groups. If you’re not careful while performing the bench press, it can cause more harm than good. Now is the best time to look for alternative chest exercises.
1. Plateau
When a person starts working out, the bench press is one of the first exercises he learns. Most people are too loyal to this exercise and always have a variation of it in their workouts. Performing the same exercises in every workout can cause you to hit a plateau.
If you’ve been benching for a long time but don’t see any progress in your pecs, you might have hit a plateau. If this is the case, you need to switch up your training and perform new exercises to shock your muscles and break the plateau.
2. Building Muscle
The bench press is a functional movement and is arguably not the best chest building exercise. Squats, deadlifts and bench press are a staple in a powerlifter’s training routine. People training to build muscle mass can do better by avoiding the bench press.
Powerlifters, strongmen, and weightlifters perform the bench press to build strength so they could perform explosive movements. On the other hand, bodybuilders need exercises which recruit and train the pectoral muscles to build size.
3. Injuries
A majority of injuries caused inside the gyms could be credited to the bench press. Pec tear is the most common injury caused due to bench pressing. If you have chest, shoulder or back injuries, you should stay away from this exercise.
If you have any of the injuries mentioned above, instead of giving up training your pecs you should work around your injuries by performing other exercises. Using training equipment like slingshots, elbow sleeves, etc. can be an aid in working out while you’re injured.
4. Targeting the Pectoral Muscles
You have a strict range of motion while performing the bench press which can limit the muscle fiber recruitment in your chest. Exercises using the dumbbells, machines or cables can help you target your pecs more efficiently.
Some people have a hard time performing the bench press and establishing a mind-muscle connection. These people end up recruiting their triceps and other supporting muscles. Exercises using the dumbbells and cables can help you in targetting your chest from different angles.
5. Training to Failure
Training to failure on the bench press can be a dangerous thing. The internet is full of videos of people dropping the barbell on their chests and necks. You certainly don’t want to find yourself in this situation.
If you’re going for a PR on the bench press, it is suggested you ask someone for a spot. On the other hand, going for failure while training with dumbbells, cables or machines is relatively less risky.
How often do you bench press? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
Natural Bodybuilder Reveals Secret To His Incredible Physique Transformation
PNBA pro natural bodybuilder shares the secret movements to explode your biceps.
Everyone wants bigger muscles of the most flexed muscle. The muscle you secretly flex in the mirror. And the one that garners a lot of touch from the opposite sex. If you guessed biceps, then you’re correct! Big biceps convey strength. And if you want to take your physique up a notch, you’ll want bigger biceps. A Professional Natural Bodybuilder Association (PNBA) pro athlete has your back and demonstrates the moves you need to bolster your biceps through your sleeves.
This PNBA professional natural bodybuilder goes by the username @pnba_pro_dukenukem24 on Instagram (IG). He flexed his crazy sixteen-year transformation in a post – 2005 – 2021. You can see his full IG post and transformation below:
If that transformation wasn’t crazy enough, there’s something else you need to know. Pnba_pro_dukenukem24 claims to be all-natural! His first show ever took place in 2020, where he received second place in an amateur division at IFBB Tampa Pro, where he competed as a natural. He’s now a PNBA pro and has become a 2021 Classic Physique winner.
Secret Movements to Explode Your Biceps
Honing in on the correct bicep movements is essential to build killer arms. To get biceps like this PNBA athlete – pnba_pro_dukenukem24 -, you’ll want to focus on EZ bar curls and the isolation movement single-arm dumbbell hammer curls. Below are two different videos of pnba_pro_dukenukem24 performing both exercises.
EZ Bar Curl
Reps and sets: perform three sets of eight to 12 reps
Why do it: Since the EZ bar curves, the grip is easier on your wrist. You’ll be able to use heavier weight compared to a straight bar. Because you’ll have more wrist mobility and won’t have to worry about wrist pain.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Reps and sets: perform four sets of 16 to 20 reps
Why do it: The single-arm dumbbell hammer curl will target the long head of the bicep – as well as your brachioradialis – forearm muscle. It will also work on your grip strength and wrist strength. And since it’s an isolation movement that has you working one arm at a time, you’ll have a better mind-to-muscle connection to build muscle in your lagging side.
Build Bigger Biceps
To grow bigger arms, you need to know a few key things. First, you must do enough volume – reps and sets – for adequate muscle growth. We recommend balancing days where you use heavier weight and fewer reps—mixed with lighter weight and more reps. This builds both dense muscle and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy – an increase in fluid to your muscles that make them appear bigger. You’ll get sarcoplasmic hypertrophy from doing lighter weight with more reps. That’s why often you’ll see bodybuilders “pump” train – higher reps and shorter rest periods. They do this to get as much blood rushing to the muscle as possible to look as big as possible on stage.
This PNBA (pnba_pro_dukenukem24) athlete shows it’s possible to build bulging biceps naturally if you do the right movements. If you want arms like him, start including single-arm hammer curls and EZ bar curls in your program.
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