For answers, we spoke with Nick Clayton, MS, MBA, CSCS,*D, RSCC, Personal Training Program Manager for the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Follow Clayton¡¯s tips, and you might finally manage to turn those skinny legs into tree trunks.

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You¡¯re Not Changing Enough

Consistent change is essential to maintaining consistent growth¡ªespecially for gym rats. ¡°The longer someone has been training the more frequently they need to change things up,¡± Clayton explains.

But a key thing to remember is that the term ¡°change¡± extends beyond exercise selection. ¡°Changing things up can mean anything from a squat type to an exercise to a rep scheme,¡± he adds. ¡°Even if someone is doing the right exercises [for bigger legs] they might be doing three sets of 10 across the board.¡±

Things like giant sets, dropsets, extended sets, supersets, pyramids, and varying your rest periods other things you can use to make your next workout differ from the previous one.

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Your Legs Aren¡¯t Strong

You might hear people complain that their legs are strong but not big. To determine whether that¡¯s the case the word ¡°strong¡± needs to be defined ¡ª and Clayton¡¯s definition might differ from yours.

¡°I¡¯d consider strong legs the ability to squat two times your bodyweight and deadlift two-and-a-half times your bodyweight,¡± Clayton says. ¡°If you can squat and deadlift that and your legs are still skinny, it¡¯s probably just lousy genetics. But I don¡¯t see too many people who can do those percentages of squats and deads with skinny legs.¡±

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You Need More Volume Training

There are times to go big and heavy and push yourself to the max, just not all of the time. So break free of the mindset that every time you squat the bar has to be loaded with weight.

¡°There is a lot of research that supports using lower loads and higher volume to build your legs,¡± explains Clayton. ¡°For three weeks try doing a higher volume using lower weight¡ªsay 10 sets of 10 reps with something light.?Recover for a week. And then go heavy with 6-10 reps, [and then] 5 sets of 3-5 reps. And then cycle back through. Each phase will either build volume or strength, and challenge the body and nervous system.¡±

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You¡¯re Making Things Too Complex

We know we said you need to change things often, and you do. But Clayton suggests keeping two things in your routine constant: the squat and deadlift.

¡°Variations of squats and deadlifts should be the keystone of every leg workout,¡± explains Clayton. ¡°Doing varieties of squats and deads correctly is the best way to get bigger. Using a new piece of equipment ¡­?is a good way to get some variety in your workout, but your body will adapt to it and once that happens it¡¯s game over.¡±

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You¡¯re Doing Too Much Cardio

Doing enough cardio work to keep you from huffing and puffing whenever you take the stairs is understandable. Otherwise, it can become a hindrance.

¡°If your goal is to put on size focus on strength training and make cardio a minimum,¡± he suggests. ¡°Going long on the cardio is when you get catabolic and you start breaking down muscle. Even if you¡¯re looking to get leaner, cut the cardio down and work on metabolic conditioning with circuit-style work and high-intensity intervals ¡­?so you¡¯ll keep muscle mass and burn fat.¡±

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Your Carb Intake Needs to be Higher

¡°Carbohydrates are critical when it comes to building muscle,¡± says Clayton. ¡°Carbs allow you to perform at a high level and help with recovery.?Bodybuilders are 30-50 pounds over their competitive weight in the offseason. You need to get calories in, and the more the better. You¡¯ll put on some fat and a lot of muscle. You have to feed the machine. If you don¡¯t, you won¡¯t grow.¡±

For people looking to add mass, Clayton suggests constructing a diet that consists of 60% carbs, 30% protein, and 10% fats (60/30/10). If the end game is to get lean, opt for 40/30/30. However, it¡¯s also contingent upon your genetics and how active you are. So use these percentages as a guideline and make tweaks when necessary to fit your specific needs.

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You Neglect TUT with Calf Training

You don¡¯t want to be the guy who has the body of a top. That means your calves need love, too. According to Clayton, when working with calves, focusing on rep counts can be deceiving. ¡°Squatting six reps might take you 30 seconds, but six calf raises might take you six seconds, so it becomes a time under tension (TUT) question,¡± he says. ¡°In general, you¡¯re looking at that 20-second time frame if you want to build strength,¡± he says. ¡°Size and hypotrophy should take 40 seconds, and muscular endurance is about 60 seconds. So you might need 20 reps to get that time under tension with calves.¡±

Some studies found that even if you¡¯re physically active throughout the week and meet recommended guidelines for activity, being sedentary for most of the day still increases your mortality risk. And if you sit for more than eight hours a day and aren¡¯t active, studies say your risk of dying was similar to those of people who were obese or smokers, according to the Mayo Clinic.?

Besides the increased risk of death, sitting for too long can increase blood pressure, and is associated with high blood sugar, extra belly fat, and unhealthy cholesterol levels.? Short of quitting your job and finding one that doesn¡¯t involve sitting all day, you can adjust your workday and office setup to reduce pain and counteract some of the ill effects of sitting.

Here, experts in occupational therapy and physical therapy share how sitting at your desk job all day hurts your health, and what to do about it. We recommend standing up while reading this.

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1 of 5

Sitting Can Lead to Carpal Tunnel

¡°When you¡¯re not moving your body and changing postures on a regular basis, that exposes you to issues that we call cumulative musculoskeletal disorders,¡± says Karen Jacobs, occupational therapist, board certified professional ergonomist, and clinical professor at Boston University. If you¡¯re sitting at a desk (or standing) and your mouse and keyboard aren¡¯t set up properly, it could lead to wrist, hand, and arm pain.

¡°Carpal tunnel syndrome is when a median nerve is squeezed or compressed through the wrist,¡± Jacobs says. It can feel like your fingers are hurting or tingling. You may feel wrist pain.

Ways to Help

If you have any of these symptoms, Jacobs recommends talking to your doctor about it first. ¡°You could have an occupational therapist come to your home or office and do an ergonomic job site analysis to see if there¡¯s a good match between the tools and equipment,¡± she says.

Look for one through the American Occupational Therapy Association website by state and local area. They can make recommendations for you, like using a specific keyboard, wrist pad, or a different mouse. Make sure your wrists are straight and your arms and elbows are close to your body, she suggests.

Try this wrist extension stretch from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• Straighten your arm and bend your wrist back as if signaling someone to ¡°stop.¡±?
• Use your opposite hand to apply gentle pressure across the palm and pull it toward you until you feel a stretch on the inside of your forearm. Hold for 15 seconds.?
• Repeat 5 times, then perform this stretch on the other arm
• Next, do a wrist flexion stretch by extending the arm out, with your palm facing down and bending the wrist so your fingers point down. Pull your hand toward your body and hold this for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

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Sitting Can Lead to Back Pain

If you¡¯ve sat at a desk for too long¡ªespecially one that wasn¡¯t set up properly¡ªyour back was probably one of the first places you experienced pain. Parham Tabloei, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., aka ¡°Dr. Par,¡± works at Active Therapy Center in Santa Monica, CA, and has many clients who work at desk jobs in Silicon Beach.

¡°They sit all day and ask, ¡®Why is my lower back hurting?¡¯¡± Most work environments are not ergonomically fit for each employee, he says. ¡°After two or three hours of sitting the muscles in the lower back tend to elongate. They stretch out the ligaments and the muscles themselves,¡± he says. ¡°The pelvis tilts backward, and that slouching effect ends up putting [pressure] on all of those muscles that run up and down close to the spine, to the vertebrae.¡±

¡°This could lead to dysfunction, radiculopathy (pinched nerve), or even shooting pains down the legs and sciatica,¡± Tabloei says. ¡°At the same time, you have stuff going on in your mid-upper back and neck. One thing often leads to another.¡± This causes a cascade of issues: The back muscles get really tight and stiff, the neck ends up hurting, and then people begin complaining of headaches because of that period of extension, he says.

Ways to Help

¡°Even if you have an ergonomically perfect environment, you¡¯re still going to run into health issues down the road if all you¡¯re doing is sitting, and then going home and sitting in front of your computer or TV and then going to bed¡±, Tabloei says. ¡°For every hour of sitting, spend an hour of either standing or stretching.¡± If you have a sit-to-stand desk, he suggests switching from standing to sitting every hour with some stretching bouts in between.

Try these desk stretches to relieve tight back muscles:

Side bend:

• Sit up tall in your chair.?
• Reach across the front of your body with one hand and grab the side of your chair.
• Reach up with the other hand and gently bend toward the opposite side while breathing deeply and slowly sink into the stretch.?
• Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides, aim for three reps on each side.

Thoracic twist:

• Put your elbows on the desk.
• Bend your elbows until hands reach your shoulders.?
• Reach your butt back on the chair to create an extension of your back.
• Lifting one elbow at a time, gently twist the upper back in the direction of the lifted elbow. Hold for 5 seconds and switch to lift the elbow on the other side. Aim for 20 reps.

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Sitting Can Lead to Sciatica

Sciatica is a type of nerve pain that originates in the lower spine and branches down the back of both legs, which can hinder simple movements like sitting and walking.

¡°One of the things I have people do when I¡¯m evaluating their computer work station is, I have them keep a one-week time log of activities they¡¯re doing,¡± Jacobs says. ¡°So that I get the whole picture of what a week looks like, and then we go over that. I might say, ¡®Could you highlight in yellow when you start having some symptoms? When are your back, neck, and shoulder hurting? Or when is your wrist hurting you?¡¯ That helps me identify what the triggers are.¡± You can keep a log yourself to identify what body parts hurt and when they start to ache so you have a better idea of what may be causing those pains.

¡°If you sit all day and then go to the gym and pump weights, you¡¯re setting yourself up for more stiffening around your body, specifically the joints,¡± says Tabloie. ¡°That¡¯s going to cause all kinds of issues like sciatica, compressed nerves, neurological issues, and pain.¡±

Ways to Help

¡°I recommend taking a break from sitting or standing every 30 minutes. If you¡¯re standing, take a walk. If you¡¯re sitting, get up and stretch, and take a walk to the water cooler,¡± Jacobs suggests. This can help prevent sciatica, as can practicing good posture, according to the Mayo Clinic. ¡°I suggest everyone change and vary their postures often,¡± Jacobs adds. ¡°Stretch before starting your day at your computer.¡±

You may want to see if your company has a policy about standing desks to set up at your office.?Both Jacobs and Dr. Par suggests switching from sitting to standing every hour if you have a standing desk.?

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Sitting Can Lead to Tight Hips and Butt Muscles

Experiencing hip pain could be due to a number of factors, but if you¡¯re sitting at a desk all day, your hips and glutes can become tight.

¡°When you¡¯re sitting, your knee is at 90 degrees, and that puts the hip in a shortened position. All the muscles in the front of your hip that run down (like your quads)?tend to get stiff and short in that position,¡± Tabloie says. ¡°Then, some of the rotators of the hip¡ªin the back toward the buttocks¡ªalso become short.¡±

If the gluteal muscles and your IT band are too tight, they can pull at the thighbone where they attach and cause pain on the side.

Ways to Help

Think you shouldn¡¯t care about hip mobility? Having looser, more flexible hips can help you get into a deeper squat when lifting.

¡°People are spending all day sitting and then going to the gym pumping weights thinking that the resistance training is going to save them from some of the back pain,¡± Tabloie says. ¡°It all comes down to flexibility, mobility. You need to have mobility before you can start to create strength and stability around the joint.¡±

Try this stretch after warming up for a few minutes at the gym or at home:

Deep hip flexor and glute warmup:

• Kneel on the ground in a lunge position, uninvolved leg forward.?
• Rotate your pelvis slightly backward, flattening your lower back.
• Place one hand on the wall for support.?
• Lean forward, while maintaining straight posture and keeping your head up.
• Reach back and pull your ankle toward your buttock without bending the hip.?
• Squeeze your glutes.

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How to Reduce Your Daily Sitting Time

Take the time to go for a 10-minute walk every hour or every couple of hours, Tabloie suggests. When you¡¯re going to the bathroom, maybe go to one on a different floor or further down the hall so it just forces you to walk a little bit more. When you¡¯re sitting statically, things slow down in the body¡ªyour?metabolism rates drop and you have less flow of fluid throughout your body. Getting up and moving is going to lubricate your joints and get your blood flowing.

¡°It¡¯s also important to not just think about what you¡¯re doing at your job, but how you¡¯re using technology at home or traveling,¡± says Jacobs.

You may sit on the train or bus for a commute and have your neck bent to read from your phone. Or, you may have your laptop open while sitting on your couch later, which isn¡¯t great for your health, either.

Just typed all day at work and then texting all night with friends? You¡¯re doing a number on your hands.

¡°One of the things I tell people to do when they¡¯re starting to become symptomatic and experiencing pain is to use voice recognition software when texting or using their smartphones,¡± Jacobs says. ¡°It¡¯s another way you want to give your body a break if you¡¯re doing a lot of repetitive movements.¡±

By boiling it down to a few simple rules, he says, anyone can start experiencing new gains in?muscle size?and?strength. Here are his top five rules for?hypertrophy.

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DON¡¯T GET OFF THE TRAIN

The first step to ensure size is the commitment to train on a regular basis. Despite your size and genetics, an extended layoff causes a decrease in size and strength. Atrophy can take hold in less than 72 hours.

To preserve hard-won muscular development, hit it hard and hit it often, hitting every body part at least once per week. Eight-time Mr. Olympia (1984-1991) Lee Haney recommends hitting each body part at least twice per week, although this may be a bit much for a great deal of us mere mortals.

2 of 5

MASTER THE DEAD

To make serious muscular gains, you must challenge your body to seek its growth potential. By mastering the deadlift, you put your body in a position to be challenged beyond the norm, which spurs on incredible growth.

When executing a deadlift, make sure to keep your head in a neutral position and your back flat. This will allow the glutes, leg muscles, and lower back to drive the weight upward through your heels with maximum force. This move recruits nearly every major muscle group.

3 of 5

BRING ON THE BRICKS

If bricks are to chimneys what protein is to muscle, it¡¯s time to be a body mason and construct a wall of solid perfection.

Make sure you have 20g of fast-digesting whey protein pre-workout and 40-60g of a protein blend (whey, casein, and soy) immediately after your gym-blasting sessions. This feeds the muscle, protects your previous gains, and provides the raw material for future expansion. Remember, you can¡¯t build without the proper materials!

4 of 5

NO REST FOR THE WICKED

To get bigger, you need to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Muscle responds to stress and adjusts itself accordingly during a workout and after. So to keep the physical landscape of your body ever-expanding, keep rest to 60 seconds or less during the workout.

This will not allow the full recovery of muscle groups, thus causing the muscle to utilize deeper fibers to deal with the weight load. It may also eliminate time-wasting activities in the gym, making your workouts more efficient. It also ensures a constant pump in the targeted muscle group, allowing proper expansion¡ªand eventually, repair¡ªin the right places.

?

5 of 5

IT¡¯S ALL ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS

Even the strongest guys in the gym often neglect one of the biggest secrets known to bodybuilding: gaining benefits from the negative aspect of a movement and contracting at the peak of the movement. As three-time Mr. O Frank Zane (1977-1979) instructs, ¡°Always be sure the negative motion is slower than the positive. By putting more focus on a slower negative, amazing gains can be realized.¡±

Also, to bring on growth and put height on your muscularity, contract hard at the peak of the movement. This delivers dimension to your muscles and sends a message into the muscle that spurs further growth. So squeeze hard at the top, and release nice and slow.

In order to properly and forcefully engage the pec-fibers, proper body positioning, range of motion, and performance technique must be meticulously adhered to. When you lose your form, your chest won¡¯t build the shape and mass that you want it to. Find out what mistakes to avoid in order for your pecs to reach their peak.??

1 of 7

Too Much Focus on One Rep Max

Too many people are concerned with how much weight they can bench press for a single rep rather than for sets of 7-12, which is where muscle growth tends to be best stimulated. Unless you¡¯re a powerlifter, stop maxing out every time you bench and focus on exhausting the muscles.

2 of 7

Your Feet Aren¡¯t Grounded

Some lifters think that putting their feet up is more effective for building the chest than placing them flat on the floor. While this technique does have its uses, it is best to keep a solid base when pressing so that the majority of ¡°neural drive¡± can be centered on pec-fiber recruitment.

3 of 7

Your Torso Position is Off Kilter

Improper Torso Positioning: One of the most vital aspects of bench pressing to increase pec mass is proper positioning of the torso from the beginning to the end of each set. In order to force the chest to do the majority of the work on every rep, you must A.) Keep your ribcage up high; B.) Keep a slight arch in the lower back; C.) Keep the scapulae squeezed together; D.) Keep the shoulders shrugged down and into the bench.

4 of 7

You¡¯re Using the Wrong Grip

For maximum engagement of the chest during the bench press it is best to space the hands about shoulder with, or just slightly wider, apart.

5 of 7

Bar Bouncing

Why anyone thinks it is smart to bounce the bar off of the ribcage is beyond me. Even if this allows you to put more weight on the bar, it is obvious to everyone that you are using momentum, and not muscle strength, to complete the lift. In addition, this practice is only robbing you of the potential benefits of the bench press while greatly increasing the chance for serious injury.?

6 of 7

Your Tempo is Off

If you want to get the most profound-pec-pump from the bench press you must control the bar at all times. I recommend that you lower the weight over 3-4 seconds, hold the stretch position for 1 second, and then explosively press to the top.

7 of 7

You¡¯re Not Using Full Range of Motion

Almost as bad as bouncing the bar off the chest is the inane practice of performing half-reps on the bench press. You want massive pecs to be proud of? Then lower the bar to full stretch (which for most people will mean lightly touching the bar to the chest or to a point just slightly above) to excite every fiber, and then press the bar straight up to lockout, while consciously squeezing the pecs into a tight contraction.

¡°If you¡¯re not mentally healthy and committed to tak-ing care of yourself,¡± he says, ¡°you¡¯re not going to move for-ward in any fitness capacity.¡±

Toward that end, Grinceri embraces yoga-style warmups. ¡°The start involves stretching to an end range of motion, with breathing,¡± he ex-plains. ¡°If you just relax with a big inhale, big exhale through the belly, you can reach far-ther.¡± From there, his workouts challenge you in multiple ways. The still phase recruits body control with calisthenic poses, the dynamic phase involves agility work, and the explosive phase demands efficiency and raw power.

¡°They¡¯re all different,¡± he says, ¡°but they¡¯re all based around focus and awareness.¡±

Try these routines once a week each (twice if you¡¯re feeling beastly), alongside the daily meditative exercises (see The Warmup), to get focused and fit from the inside out.

1 of 5

Grinceri¡¯s Peaceful Warrior Workouts

These engaging routines simultaneously balance your brain and boost your body.

THE WARMUP:

Perform the following series of stretches before each workout. This series can also be performed daily or as needed as meditative exercises.

• Scorpion Chest Stretch: 20 seconds per side
• Bretzle: 20 seconds per side
• Kneeling Hip Flexor Twist: 20 seconds per side
• Wheel Pose: 20 seconds total

2 of 5

WORKOUT 1

STILL

1. Archer Hold (on rings): 3 sets, 10 reps (left arm to right arm transfers)
2. Rear Lever Hold (on rings): 3 sets, 30 seconds total while getting body to horizontal with 5-second horizontal hold

DYNAMIC

1. Forward Step Dumbbell Overhead Press*: 3 sets, 8 steps per leg
2. Body Row (on rings): 3 sets, 8-12 reps

EXPLOSIVE

1. Kettlebell Snatch**: 3 sets, 8 reps per arm
2. Superman Pushup: 3 sets, 8-15 reps

*PICTURED ABOVE:?In a split stance with dumbbells at your sides, hinge at hips and lower weights to shin level. Step forward, clean the weights to your shoulders, and press them overhead. That¡¯s 1 rep.

**PICTURED BELOW: Hold a kettlebell in one hand, with weight between legs. Drive your hips back slightly and then drive them forward, simultaneously pulling the weight up your body until the KB is overhead.

3 of 5

WORKOUT 2

STILL

• L-sit Dip Hold (on rings): 3 sets, 10-20 seconds
• Human Flag: 3 sets, 30 seconds

DYNAMIC

• Sprint Plyo Reach: 3 sets, 12 reps per leg
• Rear Step Deadlift: 3 sets, 8 steps per leg

EXPLOSIVE

• Muscle-up: 3 sets, 5-8 reps
• Kettlebell Split Jerk Press: 3 sets, 8 reps per arm

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Grinceri¡¯s Mind-Boosting Tips

Increase focus and alertness: To truly lock in, Grinceri recommends?Performix SST. ¡°Say you jump into a cold ocean,¡± he says. ¡°You¡¯re like, ¡®Whoa,¡¯ but that breaks the mental rut you¡¯re in and wakes your mind up. This product does the exact same thing.¡± Angelo takes SST before his workouts. ¡°It helps wake up my body and my mind, which allows me to bring awareness back to myself, my body and my movements.¡±

Picture your success: ¡°When you wake up, keep your eyes closed and visualize doing all you have to do that day. After a few minutes, you¡¯ll feel calm and confident,¡± Grinceri says.

Drink and be merry: ¡°Hydrating first thing in the morning spikes your metabolism, improves flexibility, and gives you energy. Think of one thing to be grateful for while chugging three glasses of water.¡±

Consciously breathe: ¡°Breathe four to five seconds on the inhale, hold for four to five seconds, exhale for four to five seconds, then stay with no oxygen for four to five seconds. Try 10 cycles whenever you need to re-center.¡±

5 of 5

Stay On Target with Performix SST

The brand¡¯s flagship product helps you zero in on success.

SST not only increases energy and boosts metabolism but has a blend of ingredients, including caffeine, Sensoril Ashwagandha, TeaCrine, and Huperzine A, that improves your mood, alertness, and focus. You¡¯ll unlock your best you, from the office to the gym.?Learn more about Performix SST>>

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So if your shoulders are constantly in pain, there is a good chance you have irritated and inflamed the joint. Be sure to take note of these seven reasons your rotator cuffs might hate you.

1 of 7

Not Warming Up Enough

This may be the most common cause of rotator cuff issues. Most trainees don¡¯t take the time to warm up their shoulders properly before beginning their first upper body movement. I highly recommend everybody put together a basic series of calisthenic-type exercises (such as arm windmills, shoulder rolls, and neck rolls) followed by high-rep sets of rear, front, and side laterals, as well as overhead presses?before each workout.

Then when you get to your first working set, make sure to perform several progressively heavier warm-up sets to prepare the joint for the exact movement pattern it will soon be engaged in under high loads.

2 of 7

Performing Behind the Neck Movements Incorrectly

Behind-the-neck pulldowns and presses have been responsible for many injured rotator cuffs. However, neither of these two exercises is inherently ¡°evil.¡± The problems lie in an exaggerated range of motion, improper technique, or too much weight (when the joint is in a somewhat compromised position, this can be hazardous). I suggest never allowing the bar on pulldowns or presses to go below the level of the bottom of the ears to keep from overstretching the attachments.

Also, make sure to move the weight extra slowly, such as two- to three-second positives and negatives, to keep the tension on the muscle and off the joint. Finally, it¡¯s best to perform no more than eight to 10 reps on behind the neck exercises.

3 of 7

You¡¯re Abusing Upright Rows

This is another exercise that can be hard on the rotators, but in a different way than those in number two above. The problem here is when you perform this movement with too close of a grip or you lift the bar too high at the point of peak contraction. This can cause impingement at the joint, which can result in pain and irritation of the rotator cuff tendons and, eventually, a chronic condition. I suggest utilizing a shoulder-width grip on the bar and pulling it no higher than the point where the elbows are in line with the shoulders.

4 of 7

You¡¯re Overusing Your Shoulders

Overuse injuries happen when you use the same exercises too often in a training program. Rotator cuffs are particularly susceptible to this type of issue. Unfortunately when we force our bodies to use the same movement pattern over and over, it causes micro trauma in the surrounding tendons, bones, and joints, eventually leading to injury. This can easily be avoided by constantly switching different exercises in and out of your workouts on a rotating basis.

5 of 7

You Aren¡¯t Training Your Rotators Directly

I rarely see people in the gym performing exercises that directly target the various rotator cuff muscles. This will eventually create a strength imbalance between the upper body muscle groups, which in time will force the rotators to withstand loads they¡¯re not prepared for. If you add 100 lbs. to your bench press you better also make sure your rotator cuffs are getting as proportionately strong as your delts, tris, and pecs. Learn about the various internal and external rotation exercises and add them into your routine.

6 of 7

You¡¯re Going Too Heavy Too Often

While heavy, lower rep training is both satisfying and effective, it¡¯s not the best way to go about making continuous progress in muscle growth. In addition, forcing the rotator cuffs to constantly deal with extremely heavy poundage isn¡¯t the way to keep your shoulder joints healthy and pain free. Remember that the rotator cuffs are not built for heavy pounding like the main deltoid muscles, so you need to take care to rotate your training between periods of low, medium, and high reps in order to allow for proper recovery.

7 of 7

You¡¯re Using Sloppy Form and Technique

By far, poor lifting form and technique is the biggest culprit in training-related injuries. Using momentum, body english, swinging, or uncontrolled rep speeds can wreak havoc on the lower back, neck, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, and without a doubt, the rotator cuffs. Keep your ego in check and to always move the weights from point A to B under full control, and by using only the intended target muscles.?

As effective as meat-and-potatoes barbell moves such as squats and deadlifts are for beefing up your lower half, there are many great lunging variations that you can employ to assist in building bulk and strength¡ªand you¡¯d be wise to do so.

For one, a 2017 study published in the BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation showed that split squats (which are almost identical to lunges) were more effective for loading the quads¡ªspecifically the rectus femoris, which gives your quads that teardrop shape¡ªcompared with good mornings and deadlifts. And since lunges call for less of a load, they¡¯re typically easier on your knee and hip joints.?

On the following slides, we outline six lunge variations for you to try. Add in a couple at the start of your workout to warm up or sprinkle any of them in the middle of your lower-body routine.?

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Snapshot: John Gaines Jr.?

• Age: 27
• Height: 5¡¯11¡±
• Weight: 200 lbs
• Residence: Los Angeles, CA
• Instagram:

  

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1 of 6

Front Raise Lunge

Sets X Reps: 3¨C4 x 8¨C10 (per side)

Why do it:?

¡°Even though it¡¯s primarily used to work the legs, the front rack lunge is a real ab killer,¡± says Jim Ryno, owner of Iron House Gym in Alpine, NJ (iron-house.co). ¡°Because of the front rack position, this move requires more work from your core to maintain a vertical torso throughout the exercise.¡±

Do it:?

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding two kettlebells in the front rack position. Take a large step back with one leg into a reverse lunge, keeping the kettlebells at chest height throughout. Touch your back knee to the floor, then push through the heel of the front foot to reverse the movement and return to the standing position. Repeat with the opposite leg, alternating sides every other rep. Note: This exercise can also be done as a forward lunge.

2 of 6

Curtsy Lunge

Sets X Reps: 2¨C3 x 12¨C15 (per side)?

Why do it:?

¡°This lunge variation particularly works the abductor muscles [outer thighs] more than your standard lunge,¡± Ryno says. ¡°It also effectively targets the gluteus medius, which helps stabilize the hips to help improve posture.¡±

Do it:?

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step your right foot back behind you and to the left so that it touches down on the floor on the other side of your left foot. Keep your torso upright throughout. Tap your knee to the floor, then push through your front heel to reverse the motion and return to the start position. Repeat the movement with the left leg, going back and forth on every rep.

3 of 6

Jumping Lunge

Sets X Reps: 3 x 5¨C8 (per side)

Why do it:

¡°This is considered a plyometric exercise, thus being a more intense type of lunge, since you¡¯re leaving the ground in an explosive manner,¡± Ryno says. ¡°It adds a nice cardiovascular element to a strength workout and is a perfect lunge to incorporate into a HIIT workout. It really torches your metabolism.¡±

Do it:?

Start in the top position of a stationary lunge: right foot out in front of you, left foot behind. Bend your knees, dropping the back one straight down until it nearly touches the floor. At this point, explosively reverse the motion, extending your hips and knees so that your feet leave the floor. In midair, switch your legs so that you land on soft knees, with the left foot forward and right foot back. Don¡¯t pause¡ªgo right into the next rep and explode up, again switching legs in the air. Do reps continuously until the set is complete.?

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Overhead Lunge

Sets X Reps: 3 x 6¨C8 (per side)

Why do it:?

¡°This is a very taxing move,¡± Ryno says. ¡°While blasting the lower body, it also challenges the muscles in your arms, shoulders, and upper back as well as the core to stabilize the weight overhead.¡±

Do it:?

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the outer edges of a weight plate overhead with your arms fully extended. (A 25-, 35-, or 45-pound plate will be appropriate for most fit guys.) Step out in front of you with one leg into a forward lunge, keeping the plate directly overhead throughout; focus on pushing the weight slightly back behind you so it doesn¡¯t shift forward. When your front quad reaches parallel with the floor (or slightly beyond), press through your heel to extend your hips and knees and return to the standing position. Repeat with the opposite leg, alternating sides every other rep.

Note: This exercise can also be done as a reverse lunge.

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Side Lunge

Sets X Reps: 3 x 8¨C10 (per side)

Why do it:?

¡°Too much training occurs in one plane of motion [linear], which can lead to muscle imbalances,¡± Ryno says. ¡°This lunge gets you moving laterally and works the gluteus medius while targeting the quads from a different angle.¡±

Do it:?

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your feet hip-width apart. Keeping toes pointed forward, take a large lateral step to one side. After planting the lead foot back down, bend that knee until the thigh is parallel with the floor. Keep your weight back and chest up so that your knee is over your forefoot at the bottom of the rep, not out over your toes. Drive off the lead foot to reverse the motion and step back to the standing position. Repeat to the other side, alternating sides every other rep.

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Twisting Lunge

Sets X Reps: 2¨C3 x 12¨C15 (per leg).

Why do it:?

¡°This lunge causes the glutes to contract more fully than most other lunges and will help improve flexibility in the hips,¡± Ryno says. ¡°Due to the added rotation, you also work the abs and obliques and improve core strength.¡±

Do it:?

Stand holding a weight plate out in front of you, with your arms extended. Take a large step forward with one leg and drop the back knee toward the floor into a lunge. At the bottom of the movement, with your front thigh parallel with the floor, twist your torso in the same direction as your back leg. Rotate back to facing forward, then rotate the other way. Extend your hips and knees to press back up to the standing position. Repeat on the other side, twisting your torso in the opposite direction at the bottom and then to the other side.?

But getting to those plate-clanging, bar-bending weight loads is no easy task, which is why we¡¯re offering you our three best tips for boosting your bench in a hurry.

1. Negatives

Performing heavy negatives once or twice a month does wonders for building strength. Bodybuilders that don¡¯t have a ¡°negatives day¡± in their routine are really missing out on huge gains. As a quick refresher, negatives are reps that concentrate on the eccentric, or lowering phase of an exercise. Our muscles can handle 30-40 percent more weight on the negative portion of a rep, so taking advantage of that taps into plenty of underexploited fibers in your pecs and trains your body and mind to deal with heavier weight.

To perform negatives on the bench, add 30-40 percent more weight than you¡¯d normally use for 10 reps (after a few warm-up sets, of course). So if you¡¯re pressing 250 pounds for 10 reps, add an extra 75 pounds (30 percent) onto the bar. Unrack the weight and resist the negative all the way down for a full five seconds or more. Once the bar touches your chest, have your training partner help you bring the bar back up to the starting position and repeat this for 3-5 total agonizing reps. Use this method sparingly¡ª1-3 sets, once or twice per month¡ªto avoid overtraining or injury. Besides, after training like this, you¡¯ll likely be too sore to want to do it again soon.

2. Training upper back

A missing piece of the puzzle when trying to increase your numbers on the bench is working your upper back. Without a strong upper back, it is difficult or impossible to stabilize heavy weight on either side of the repetition. Training your lats and rear delts with regularity and enthusiasm will take your bench higher, faster.

Stick to mass-building exercises like barbell rows, T-bar rows, pull-ups, dumbbell rows, and pulldowns in the 8-12 rep range on back day. And make sure not to neglect your rear delt raises on back or shoulder day. Don¡¯t let your rear delts fool you¡ªjust because they¡¯re a small muscle group doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t train them heavy. Aim for the same rep ranges (8-12) as your back¡ªjust be careful to maintain strict form on all exercises and avoid using any elasticity or momentum to complete reps.

3. Grip strength

You might be wondering what the heck your grip has to do with your bench press. The answer is, ¡°more than you might think.¡± And that doesn¡¯t just apply to this exercise¡ªgrip strength translates to more poundage on nearly every exercise. For the bench press, however, it pays its biggest dividends by providing greater wrist stabilization. With shaky wrists and flimsy forearms, you have less control of the bar, which is particularly troublesome if you¡¯re into pressing big boy weight. Plus, keeping your wrists locked helps you maintain proper form. Training your grip then is a huge factor in maximizing your bench.

The prescription? Grab a hold of a 45-pound plate in each hand at the fingertips and perform as many finger curls (lifting the edge of the plate towards your palm) as you can. Rest for 30 seconds and keep going until your forearms need a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.

Take these three tips and go start tossing some iron around¡ªwe guarantee the results will come swiftly.

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However, in this piece I am tossing my tenets about ¡°proper¡± bodybuilding aside. Today it¡¯s time to talk about five ways one can build a more intimidating body. It¡¯s the type of physique that emanates pure power?and makes others say to themselves, ¡°I don¡¯t want to piss that guy off!¡±?

Below the Elbows/Below the Knees

The muscles of the forearms and calves, which obviously ¡°reside¡± below the elbows and knees, respectively, are quite often the most difficult to develop for most folks. Why? Because there seems to be an extra strong genetic component to successfully building these muscle groups. It¡¯s almost as if you got ¡¯em or you don¡¯t! However, if you want to look extremely intimidating in short sleeves (or ? sleeve shirts) and a pair of shorts, then do everything you can to add serious beef to your forearms and calves. When onlookers see massive muscles in these areas they just assume the rest of the physique goes with it, and you don¡¯t even have to flex a thing!

Tip: Don¡¯t treat the forearms or calves as an after thought, but instead with as much importance and intensity as you would any major muscle group. Additionally, both the forearms and calves can withstand up to? three sessions per week!

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Neck Check

One area of the physique that is usually hyper-developed on the biggest, strongest and ¡°baddest¡± men on the planet is the neck/traps. Whenever you see anyone walking around with traps almost as high as the ears, surrounding a neck that is wider than the head, you most often assume he is a football lineman, strongman, power lifter, fighter, bodybuilder or just one tough dude!

Tip: Some of the best trap-builders include BB, DB, Smith and machine shrugs, as well as extra-heavy top end deadlifts. For the neck, you want to work hard at flexion and lateral flexion, best performed on a specialized neck-building machine.

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Wide on the Side

If you can build a physique that almost appears as wide as you are tall, you are going to demand serious attention. Trust me, people will notice if you can barely fit through a doorway, and wonder just how powerful one must be to become that wide. To attain this freaky appearance, you need to focus on the lateral head of the deltoids and the ¡°belly¡± of the lat muscles. Slap on some serious beef in these areas and you will look like a walking building!

Tip: To grow the lateral head of the deltoids, you must focus on all types of lateral raises, using DBs, cables and machines. The key is to perform the exercises with very strict form to ensure the side delts are receiving the brunt of the stimulation. Some awesome lat-wideners include CG pull-downs and rows, as well as all forms of pullovers and stiff-arm pull-downs. In addition, make sure to stretch the lats hard after each training session.?

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Well Armed

Except for a few odd exceptions out there, very few of us lifters walk around constantly flexing our arms. So, for this reason, you need to push your triceps development to the limit in order to look intimidating with your arms simply hanging at your sides. The triceps make up about 2/3 of the mass of the upper arm and create a look of power and girth whether viewed from the back, front or sides! Big biceps are cool when someone asks you to make a muscle, but nothing is cooler than looking like you can tear a phone book in half while doing nothing more than sitting and drinking coffee in your t-shirt!

Tip: The triceps respond well to both low (4-8) and high reps (12-15), so make sure you cover both of these ranges in your workouts. In addition, make sure to use a full range of motion on every triceps exercise, from stretch to contraction, in order to smash every fiber possible.

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Ripped and Veiny

There is no doubt that simply ¡°being big¡± can be intimidating to all average-sized people around you. However, it is the guy who is not only big, but also ripped to the bone and covered with a roadmap of veins,?that appears seriously badass! The look of paper-thin skin wrapped around gnarly, vascular muscle is what lifts you from above average to superhuman ¨C as if you are computer-generated and the star of some new action film!

Tip: Muscles are built with intense weight training, but serious cuts and vascularity are created through proper diet and a well-thought-out cardio program. If it were easy, everyone would look intimidating!