Don't work hard, work smart. Yes, this is the common refrain in order to get where you want to go in Life these days. Really now?

For the most part of my life, I've had to slog hard to reach to the top and so has most other people who were determined to get somewhere, and somehow can't buy this statement anymore.

Are we forgetting the proverbial cliche "blood, sweat and tears" and the number of hours one has to "toil" in order to achieve what he or she has set out to do?

Or even the "legwork" that's required of you, especially if you don't have a desk job, in order to pencil in a date with "success"?

Lunges Exercises – Introduction

No, we're not talking about that clumsy "lunge" at a woman on your first date that most men are guilty of but the actual exercise that requires a little more than just 'legwork' and being smart.

Lunges exercises, in all its forms, are popular exercises that target the lower body, and in particular the primary muscles known as the Quadriceps and Gluteus Maximus as well as the secondary muscles such as the hamstrings and calves.

Now you can execute these lunges by either using weights (dumbbells or a barbell) or without them. The latter is easier than using resistance in the form of varying weights, and so if you are a beginner, it is suggested that you try these exercises without weights first, so that you can get the hang of it.

Only after you find the basic form to be easy, you can then try out variations of this exercise that can be found at this link.

However, if you're still reluctant to include this exercise to your workout program, here are a few advantages that might help you think otherwise.

Advantages of Lunges Exercises

As with any form of exercise, there have to be concrete advantages in order for it to be considered important enough to include in your workout, and so here are some advantages of lunges:

#1: Balance

Since these exercises are unilateral in nature, they train both sides of your body independently unlike deadlifts and squats, which are good for developing overall strength and muscle building. To put it simply, lunges will improve balance and stabilization for the better.

#2: Functional Exercise

Come to think of it, you are training yourself to walk by performing this exercise. So, by definition, it is a functional exercise that helps you with normal everyday movements that are related to walking. And that's a solid advantage if you ask me…

#3: Improved Hip Flexor Flexibility

Apart from giving your core an excellent workout, it also improves hip flexor flexiblity to a large extent, while not being the only exercise that improves this ailments by leaps and bounds.

And so, enough of talk about the exercise, and let's get down to the real thing by learning how to execute a simple lunges exercise.

Lunges Exercises – Instructions for the Basic Lunge

So, here is a step-by-step instruction for the simplest lunge exercise:

STEP ONE – Stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart. Hold both dumbbells on both sides using your hands.

STEP TWO – Take a step forward (not too far) until the knee is at 90 degrees and directly above the toes. Keep your shin perpendicular to the ground.

STEP THREE – Move back to the starting position as in step one, and repeat step two with the other leg.

If these instructions are a bit difficult to understand, then watch this video for clarity so you can get it right!

In Closing

And if you find the "legwork" required for the basic lunge to be easy, then watch this video, for the variations involved with lunges.

Introduction

Benjamin Franklin, once wrote "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes". And to that I add, delays and obstacles. These are things that one will encounter everyday, and it takes a degree of realism to expect these as well in varying degrees.

But how does one get past an obstacle that does not wish to move?

Obviously one cannot run into it head on but try and "circumvent" the matter by finding a solution, which in most cases, turn out to be the simplest of them all.

Just as this applies in "thinking", this business of obstacles and delays also make themselves felt in the real world of which the simplest example is a "traffic jam" that you have to deal with in order to make it for that meeting at 9 AM with your boss.

Keeping this mind, David Belle, a soldier brought about the fitness routine known as "parkour" which if seems to be really off-putting (as it's French) will show what negotiating obstacles and what parkour tricks are really all about.

Watch this chase scene from Luc Besson's "Banlieue 13" in which David (Belle) plays the protagonist, Leïto.

But before one gets all excited about doing these parkour moves, let's first understand the basics of "parkour".

Parkour Basics

Also known in French as "l'art du déplacement" (English: the art of movement), the objective of this discipline is to overcome any obstacle in one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment in order to get to point B from point A as soon as possible.

Folks who practice "parkour" are known as traceur, if male, and traceuse if female. And while most of the ads that you see with folks doing parkour vaults with a lot of freerunning are male, this discipline is also being used by women to learn how to keep their balance by climbing poles and stuff like that.

But where can one practice parkour?

Oh, just about anywhere! It's been created for the urban jungles that we have to negotiate everyday.

The Philosophy of Parkour

If one compares "parkour" to gymnastics, there are no predefined moves (known as "passements" in French) that are labeled as in gymnastics, as each obstacle in your path is classified as a "unique challenge"… and one's ability to overcome it is dependent on the angle of approach, speed, body type and the physical make-up of the obstacle.

Interestingly, Parkour is about training the 'bodymind' (I like this term) to react to the obstacle with a technique that is appropriate in overcoming it. And the video will show how he 'reacts' to each obstacles as everything is so quick…

Incidentally, another aspect of practicing parkour effectively, from a mental point of view is to consider the fact that you are escaping or chasing someone. What David Belle also says that if you can find the shortest distance between point A to point B, you should be able to do the same from point B to A.

If the video hasn't been obvious enough, parkour uses momentum and the redistribution of body weight in order to perform difficult or seemingly impossible body maneuvers at great speed.

Even though there aren't any prescribed moves, jumping and landing techniques are often considered the most important, and the parkour practitioner can find these techniques resembling those of a cat.

In Closing

And who doesn't find "parkour" cool… huh? It's freakin' great! Especially for those blinkin' traffic jams…

Introduction

Albert Einstein, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Thomas Alva Edison, Louis Pasteur, Marie Curie and Archimedes are some of the greatest scientists that the world has known.

While some of them made discoveries purely by accident, some of them discovered/ invented stuff that could be termed as a "lifelong quest".

One thing that this list of scientists shared in common, and which is a big quality to get to the top of your field as  a scientist is to be able to make observations and inferences (based on logic) about the subject that they studied.

And while some folks tend to phrase gravity in the terms "what goes up must come down", Isaac Newton watched an apple fall to the ground, and actually, that was where the rule of gravity was watched in action, and this led to more questions until the Royal Society received his book, the Principia, which has become one of the "pillars" of classical mechanics.

Of course, with every student studying this in school, it has become commonplace but the understanding of principle has led to breakthroughs in other fields.

Gravity and its role in Exercise

In fact, almost everybody who understands fitness knows that it is crucial for each one of us to perform "work" according to our ability. Interestingly, if one walks up and down a flight of stairs as opposed to walking for the same amount of distance on level ground, the work done is far more.

Why? Because the resistance of gravity is the additional "stress" that works against the body while walking up a flight of stairs.

Perhaps, one should understand that the same principle is used when one has to lift weights against gravity as well as when you attempt to perform workouts that involve "Calisthenics" which means using one's own body weight in the routine, gravity and nothing else! A simple example of this being, the exercise of pushups or pullups to strengthen your arms.

Another reason why these exercises are good is because they are simpler, and need no equipment where for example such as back stretching exercises that focus on flexibility, all you will need a mat. That's all!

Workout without Weights [3 Sample Routines]

Since the last piece that dealt with working out without weight dealt with the upper and lower body and abs, obviously things won't be too different this time except for the fact that there will be variations of the generic exercises such as squats, pushups, lunges and so on and so forth.

So here are three sample workouts that must be performed in circuit training mode for at least 15-30 minutes each:

Sample Workout Without Weights #1

a. Broad Jumps x 10
b. Grasshopper Push-ups x 10 -20
c. Inverted Rows x 10 – 20
d. Burpees x 10 – 20

Sample Workout Without Weights #2

a. One Leg Squat x 5 – 10
b. Parallel Bar Dips of Close Grip Push-ups x as many as possible
c. Chin-ups x as many as possible
d. Crab Walks x 20 – 100 yards

Sample Workout Without Weights #3

a. Spiderman Push-ups x as many as possible
b. Inverted Row or Pull-ups x as many as possible
c. Hill Sprint (whether the hill is 20 or 100 yards long — just run like the wind!)

In Closing

These types of exercises are excellent for burning fat but for that to happen you must give your 100 %, and you will see results very quickly. And perhaps, what these groups of exercises have in common (much like our beloved scientists of yore) is that they've been designed based on scientific observation and principles as well.

Barbell Curl

Performing the Barbell Curl Correctly

Before attempting to benefit from every angle, it is perhaps useful to ensure that the technique employed to perform the barbell curl is correct. Grasp a barbell palms facing up, hands spaced shoulder width apart and standing with your back straight and legs giving you a firm balance. Look ahead and with the bar down, take a deep breath and curl the bar up to your chest. Don’t rest at the top and lower the bar again while breathing in. You have just completed one rep.

Using the Right Barbell Weight

This is an exercise where it is very easy to cheat, maybe even without realising it. By bending backwards, you are no longer pulling the weight up with your biceps exclusively. You are also shortening the distance the bar is travelling to reach your chest. Another common way to cheat, especially when lifting heavy is by bending the legs a little, or a lot if you have taken more than you can handle. Because cheating is so easy and so surreptitious, you would have to spend a considerable amount of concentration on trying not to cheat, instead of trying to focus on lifting the weight with your biceps. An easy way around this problem is to stand against a wall, leaving just a few centimetres between your feet and the wall. In order to give your arms clearance, stand against a column or protruding wall. That way, you can give all your attention to lifting the barbell weight.

Variations: EZ-bar, Incline Curl, Reverse Curls

One of the most interesting aspects of the barbell curls is the scope for varying it. First, if you find the straight barbell bar uncomfortable, do not hesitate to use the EZ-bar. With the latter, your wrists are in a more natural position. The more comfortable you feel, the heavier you can potentially lift.

Using either bar, you have the possibility to experiment which grip works best for you. Do you prefer a narrow grip to the extent that your hands are touching each other, or do you prefer a much wider grip beyond shoulder width? The emphasis on the biceps belly changes according to the spacing of your hands, with the internal head being more recruited with a wider grip and vice versa.

The barbell curl remains a cornerstone of exercises to build muscles in your arms. Instead of doing it repetitively without the full benefit of it, learn as much as you can about it and apply to your advantage, before moving onto other variations such as the incline curl or reverse curls.

Talor Lautner

Still, he was a good looking kid and for the first film his physical appearance worked perfectly.

But for the second film? Not so much. Because New Moon focused primarily on the character of Jacob Black and his werewolf clan, director Christopher Weitz apparently wanted a somewhat more intimidating and – dare we say it? – manlier male lead.

Allegedly, when Talor heard that the powers that be were thinking of replacing him, he started a whirl wind physical transformation that exceeded all expectations. In just one year he gained over thirty pounds of muscle.

Wow.

Talor Lautner Workout

So how did he do it? Well, first off, his physical shortcomings apparently worked in his favor. Lautner's trainer, Jordon Yuam, says, "Inexperience works to your advantage.

The less muscle you have, the easier it is to gain muscle mass more quickly." According to Yuam, eat right and follow a smart workout regimen.

Further, push yourself. If you can lift 120 pounds easily, try 150 with a good spotter. Your body will get used to the same weight if you let it, so it is crucial that you always attempt to take your work out to the next level.

However, vary things up. Like with any work out, if you are constantly doing the same routine, your muscles will adapt and you won't see an improvement in your workout. Use different machines. Lift different weights.

Jordon Yuam also encouraged Talor Lautner to cut down on cardio. Sure, it's important to include some cardio in your workout, but if you have trouble building mass, increased cardio will only cause you to lose weight.

If you are cycling or running for more than twenty minutes at a time you are doing too much. It's also important to work your body side-to-side.

Most workout machines only focus on a back and forth motion. By incorporating side-to-side work-out routines, your muscles will be much more versatile.

This was especially important for Talor because he performs his own stunts.

Finally, it is crucial to take every third day off to allow your muscles time to recover. Overworking your body is one of the easiest ways to destroy a workout regimen.

If you follow these steps, you will be well on your way to gaining mass like Talor Lautner!

Elizabeth McDowell is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on online universities for Guide to Online Schools.

Dumbbells have been giving athletes free-form workouts since time immemorial. It is a miniature version of the barbell, and can be as long as 16 inches depending on the amount of weight it can hold.

When you buy dumbbells, they can be made from different materials such as metal and concrete to suit different purposes.

You would often see adjustable dumbbell types in the gym. These dumbbells are made with a bar that is engraved with a pattern to facilitate better grip.

The ends are made to accommodate several plates of weight that range from 5 to 50 pounds so that the dumbbell will adjust accordingly to your fitness level.

What is good about them is that you can stack up the plates instead of tidying up a whole set of dumbbells that can clutter your workspace.

They are suitable for pros and for those who desire to gain more muscle mass by pushing themselves on by placing extra weights depending on their capabilities.

There are also fixed-weight dumbbells available if you are intimidated with the adjustable type. Unlike adjustable dumbbells, these are made with the plates attached permanently to the handles.

It is best suited for those who are just beginning with weight training as there is no danger of plates falling off if you do not know what you are doing.

They are also perfect for toning muscles if you are recovering from an illness or as prep after a long period of absence in the gym.

The dumbbells can be made out of several materials. There are those made out of cast iron, a very durable material that can last for long periods of time. It is a suitable material for those who are somewhat careless in maintaining their plates as it can take on any beating better than any material.

There are some cast iron dumbbells that are coated with rubber as a protection, just in case you knock someone with it accidentally during workout.

Other dumbbells are created with concrete that is covered with rigid plastic. Although it does not sound as good as the cast iron dumbbell, it is cheaper in comparison but works just as well.

There are plenty of uses for the dumbbell. It can be used for resistance training, toning muscles, as well as for aerobics for faster burning of fat.

Be sure to buy dumbbells that suit your needs and always follow safety guidelines when working out with dumbbells.

Authored by Stephanie Hill from the Extreme Home Workouts. To get ahold of Shaun T's Newest workout click GetInsanity.com.

You do not need to be at the gym to get yourself buff. Here are some exercises that you can do to tighten, tone, and build up your biceps without having to fight for dumbbells in the gym.

Just be sure to use weights that you can easily carry without having to exert too much effort, but heavy enough to challenge your muscles.

Dumbbell Curls: Stand up straight while holding the dumbbells at your sides, and your feet placed slightly apart for balance. Hold the dumbbells at your side with your palms rotated towards to your side. Keep this as your starting position.

Exhale as you slowly curl your right arm to lift the dumbbell up to shoulder level, rotating your wrist as you do so until it is facing upwards. Hold the peak position for a second, and inhale as you slowly go back to starting position while counteracting the force of gravity. Alternate the sets between arms by completing one set in your right arm before proceeding to do a new set at the other.

Concentration Curls: Sit on a chair or a bench with your feet placed apart wider than your shoulders. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and lean forward with your upper arm resting on your thigh. Position your arm so that your elbow is below your leg with your triceps leaning against your inner thigh.

Extend your arms down towards the floor while maintaining a slight bend at the elbows. Keep this as your starting position. Exhale as you curl your biceps in a slow, controlled motion until your hand is at the level of your shoulder, being careful to keep your upper arm stationary. Inhale as you go back to starting position.

Preacher curls using an exercise ball: Preacher curls are great for training your biceps, and they can be done even without a preacher bench. All you need is a good exercise ball and you are all set. Sit on a low bench and place the exercise ball in front of you. The exercise ball should be at chest level, the same height as the arm rest of a preacher bench.

Hold the dumbbell and place your arm on the exercise ball with your elbow at the center and partially extend your arm, maintaining a slight curve at the elbow. Rotate your wrist so that your palms are facing upwards. This will be your starting position. Exhale as you slowly curl your arm until the dumbbell reaches chin level. Hold the contraction for a second and inhale as you go back to starting position. Finish a set, and then repeat in the other arm.

In all of the exercises, take care not to use momentum to force the execution of each movement. It is best that you do slow, controlled motions to further isolate the motion in your target muscles without using other muscle groups. The exercise is done with 2 sets of 15-25 reps.

Author: Evan Collins of the number 1 Insanity Workout WebSite. Check out an Insanity workout review now.

What are some of your favorite and most effective biceps exercises?

Introduction
Men rule the world and women rule the men. So, when it comes to women liking men, there is always a weakness for big biceps. Or so the men think. It’s a bit more complicated than that. But that’s just one of the reasons why men want big biceps just so that we can look like our comic book fantasy such as ‘The Incredible Hulk’, and perhaps to have the women go ‘Aaaahhh’.

In the real world, however, you can get those biceps that you want but not necessarily the green tint not unless envy becomes you!

OK, boring. Let’s cut to the chase here. What can one do to enlarge their bicep size?

Particular exercises, but it has to be complemented with the right nutrition.

But before that, let’s identify the bicep muscle in the arms and understand how it can be strengthened.

Biceps Brachii Muscle
The biceps brachii muscle is located in the upper arm (as shown in the figure) with the dual function of rotating the forearm and flexing the elbow.

Yes, it’s as simple as that.

And in order to make it stronger, weight and resistance training methods work very well. One example of how you can focus on the biceps in the arm is by performing the well-known ‘curl’ that can be accomplished with commonly used fitness equipment like dumbbells and barbells.

And since big biceps are characteristic of a man’s strength and sexuality, let’s discuss how we can enlarge them to a manly size.

Bigger Biceps – How?
Nutrition
In order to build and maintain a rock hard body, it’s protein and carbohydrates for life! And you’ll find a plethora of weight training supplements to help you reach this goal of getting bigger biceps not unless you’d like to keep to the food. You’ll have to speak to a certified (and registered) dietician before taking the dive into that sort of thing.

Exercise
The exercise part is bit more complex than that as it not only pertains to the biceps but also the muscle that connects it to the triceps (look at the figure above). That’s how you’ll get the most out of exercises which is by working on both these muscles.

Weight training (anaerobic) seems to the most effective way to getting bigger biceps using the implements mentioned in an earlier section. And if you don’t know this already, there are a wide range of exercises (just the variation of ‘curls’ will blow your mind) that you can try.

Personally, I would rather work out with free weights rather than machines designed for workouts. And this again depends on what your overall goals are, in terms of how you want your body to look.

Just surfing the internet will give you enough material to use for muscle building. I, for one, have improved [read: from gutbucket to a relatively flat tummy] after buying Mike ‘O Geary ‘The truth about Abs’ which not only focuses on the abs but the overall exercise routine for beginners and for those who consider themselves experts.

In Closing
If you are looking for exercises & nutrition that will help you get bigger biceps, you can consult a physical trainer or look over the internet for a lot of information (both free and for a fee) or both that will help you build bigger biceps to get that macho look.

Introduction
In any esoteric study that you undertake, there’s an understanding of one going through cycles of regression and progression, breakdown and build-up. It’s a universal law that either subtly or very strongly affects out lives that interwoven between the strands of our lives that are controlled alternatively by causality and fate.

Our body is governed by the same rules that are a direct result of causality through exercise which facilitates a process of build-up and breakdown. The greatest example of them all is the muscle recovery process, which clearly shows us how muscle recovery and rebuilding works.

Muscle Hypertrophy
So how does one acquire stronger muscles? (Read: hot body while being in prime health)

Exercise, right?

Following the right diet as well, right?

Right.

Well, at this point you might say… so, that’s pretty obvious isn’t it? Hold your horses (especially if you’re the gambling types)!

Our body consists of muscles namely skeletal, smooth and cardiac.

Of these three types of muscles, the skeletal muscles (tendon-to-bone type of muscle) are the ones that you focus on through weight training, integral to our body’s functions of locomotion and in maintaining body posture and of course, looking good.

So, before we go into depth as to what happens when you work out using ‘strength training’ methods, you should understand how implements used in weight lifting exercises actually work on your muscles.

For example, if you are working on the biceps muscle, one repetition of the exercise in question (also known as a contraction) helps you in learning to use the muscle. And this is advantage number one leading to observable gains in strength of the muscle within the first few days. This gain in strength is attributed to a phenomenon otherwise known as ‘hypertrophy’.

So, what is hypertrophy?

From a surface level, it is the increase in mass or girth of a particular muscle through external stimuli, and in this case, through exercise.

At a biological level, even before you notice this increase, a breakdown or damage of muscle tissue occurs to which the whole process of muscle recovery responds to the external stimuli (strength training in this case) by building itself up so that it increases in strength by the biological increase in size of muscle fibers also known as muscle hypertrophy.

The reinforcement process involves increasing the size of muscle fiber that causes cells to expand while putting pressure on the nerves and arteries. This expansion pushes against the compartment each of these cells are ‘housed’ in, and the enlargement of each cell forces its compartment to increase in size as well, thus inducing pain. However, if you focus on exercises that focus on concentric muscle contractions rather than eccentric muscle contraction, you can increase your muscle size without having to endure the aftermath of DOMS, as we would have experienced it at one time or the other.

In Closing
As muscle recovery takes way more than two days as assumed normally, it is imperative to understand that giving the body rest is vital to building a good muscular body. Most experts say that until the muscle recovery process is complete, one should not get back into training again. For it is better to take another day off rather than get back into training leading to muscle damage that is irreparable and just plain harmful to physical fitness process.

Chest Training

So you want those perfect chest muscles that shout out your manliness? I’m sure you’ve heard and experienced how difficult chest training can be, but worry not. Here are a few steps to get you going in that direction. And if you follow these steps staunchly, there’s absolutely no hindrance to achieving a perfect wide chest:

Chest Training Exercises

1. Perform push ups. This frequently ignored exercise permits a great pump, driving nutrients to the muscles. Keep your hands spaced out at shoulder width. When you initially start with push ups they are likely to be tough. But when you continue doing them, they will seem relatively simple. Push ups also exert your triceps and shoulders (deltoids). Push ups also have a result on shoulder/back muscles, as an additional benefit.
2. Bench presses. Bench presses are the most popular chest building work out of all time. Decrease the bar along the chest till the time you reach about 1 inch from your chest. Bench presses also work out your triceps and shoulders (deltoids). Bench press again and again, and then a little more to really feel the burn – maintain it to a point where you believe that you are snapping, but you won't, hardly. This assists the blood flow carry glycogen all through your body, so calories will be effortlessly be burned and the exercise can persist with the help of adrenaline.
3. Incline bench presses. These are similar to bench presses, the difference being that it centers more on your upper pectoral muscles.
4. Decline bench Presses: Similar to bench presses, it focuses on your lower pectoral muscles. A good number of people don't use this exercise but it is necessary in obtaining a full and rounded chest, or else your chest can look rather odd.
5. Perform flies: This will not radically amplify your strength, but shapes your pecs in a grand way; what's more, it’s a great stretch for your pecks.

While you are fully endorsed in working out yourself to the extreme, do not forget to take rest at least 72 hours amid working the same muscle group, rather if all soreness is gone. The nutritional value of protein has been highlighted time and time again. And when your body is sweating under pressure from exercise, you need as much nutrition as possible. You would need about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Acquire your protein from meat, chicken, milk, beans, pulses, fish (tuna has a very low quantity of fat and calories but a large amount of protein), and eggs as they are economical and a fine source of protein.

In case you’re among the vegans, worry not. Vegetarians do not have to be short of protein, soy products (typically hold the majority protein of all) are available inexpensively at grocery stores and food markets.

Make sure you get a healthy dose of sleep when working out or exercising yourself. It is imperative that you relax your muscles in turn to develop. Remember, you have to work out intelligently.

What are some of your favorite chest training exercises?