We live in a three-dimensional world. The trouble is, unlike the guy who moves furniture for a living, our workouts are often one-dimensional. In other words, most men work their muscles in only a single direction – forward and back, for instance.
Take the classic sit-up. It trains your core – the muscles that protect your spine – to be stronger as you raise your torso off the floor. But your core needs to be equally strong when you bend backwards and from side to side, and when you twist. If it’s not, those imbalances will limit your muscle-building potential.
1.strengthen your body – in every direction
This doesn’t mean you need to do dozens of exercises that have you bending and twisting at every angle. No, what you really want is to train your core, shoulders and hips to stay stable no matter what position you’re in. Think of this in terms of the removalist: his body remained rigid while suspended horizontally from the lamppost, despite the force of gravity pulling him down.
2.build your upper back
If you’re like most men, you probably answered A, B and C, in order. While these exercises target different muscle groups, the variation in weight you can use is largely due to the location of the load. For example, in a shrug, the weight is right next to your body; in a curl, it’s a forearm’s length away.
3. stop cheating your muscles
There’s one mistake I see over and over in the gym: it seems that for every five kilograms a man adds to a particular exercise, he reduces the movement’s range of motion – typically by about 10 per cent.
Take the classic sit-up. It trains your core – the muscles that protect your spine – to be stronger as you raise your torso off the floor. But your core needs to be equally strong when you bend backwards and from side to side, and when you twist. If it’s not, those imbalances will limit your muscle-building potential.
1.strengthen your body – in every direction
This doesn’t mean you need to do dozens of exercises that have you bending and twisting at every angle. No, what you really want is to train your core, shoulders and hips to stay stable no matter what position you’re in. Think of this in terms of the removalist: his body remained rigid while suspended horizontally from the lamppost, despite the force of gravity pulling him down.
2.build your upper back
If you’re like most men, you probably answered A, B and C, in order. While these exercises target different muscle groups, the variation in weight you can use is largely due to the location of the load. For example, in a shrug, the weight is right next to your body; in a curl, it’s a forearm’s length away.
3. stop cheating your muscles
There’s one mistake I see over and over in the gym: it seems that for every five kilograms a man adds to a particular exercise, he reduces the movement’s range of motion – typically by about 10 per cent.