Working Out your Lower Body to Build Bigger Arms?

This is not like most of the typical informative and/or physical fitness-related posts found within this health blog, as this particular subject would be better suited for a Q & A (questions and answers) section, albeit I decided to post it anyway.

The concept behind "working out your lower body to build bigger arms," is not that far-fetched of an idea, although I'm still undecided if it really matters that much.

Basically, in a thumbnail, many health & fitness gurus think that when trying to build a bigger upper body, you will actually benefit and increase muscle mass in other areas, if you work your lower body.  The reason for this, is that a lot of these people claim that your overall level of testosterone will be boosted due to pushing your body to create more total muscle mass and so on.

There is definitely some debate about this muscle displacement theory, and I'm yet to be convinced as I have seen it work in numerous ways for different folks.  I sort of relate this to the old concept that what works for some, may not work for others.  Some people, unless they are taking illegal steroids, growth hormones or natural testosterone boosters, will only reach a certain level of this muscle-building hormone - no matter what they do.  If you are working your lower and upper body out in an equal fashion, the amount of food, protein and time for your body to grow, will be spread out fairly evenly, in theory.  If total body workouts have the ability to boost the size of your chest, back or arms, then why are there people out there who ignore leg workouts and still have massive upper bodies accompanied with small legs?

On the flip side, if you seem to be stuck in progress or peaked out, adding different exercises to your workout regimen, may very well boost your gains in other areas.

Instead of me thoroughly giving my opinion about this concept, I would really like for others that have tried this method, to comment on this post.  Once again, this is more or less like a Q & A type of blog entry, so don't be shy...  Feel free to comment about what has or hasn't worked for you, when experimenting with this concept.  At any rate, good luck to anyone that tries to maintain their physical fitness levels - and try to stay motivated; cheers!

---End of Post "Working Out your Lower Body to Build Bigger Arms?

Random Blog Link:  "Body Opponent Heavy Bag - BOB"

Popular Posts of 2012

I haven't updated this blog very much lately, although I still have a few posts that I meant to write on here a few months ago, but I either don't make the time or I'm busy writing on other websites, blogs and community writer sites, etc.

So, I figured I'd do a quick blog entry over the 5 most popular posts this blog has had during 2012.  It is really hard to narrow it down to 5, as it varies from month to month, but I'll give it a shot...

Fight Arthritis & Inflammation - Black Cherry Extract - Out of all the posts on this health & physical fitness blog, this is probably the most popular.  Many folks are curious about this black cherry supplement and, of course, many people are trying to combat their arthritis and inflammation issues, as well.

Natural ways to help fight symptoms of alcohol withdrawal... - This is another popular post on here, as many ex-alcoholics seem to be out there looking for natural ways to deal with their withdrawal symptoms of alcohol, instead of depending on drugs, which is always good to hear.

Weight Gainers & Protein Shakes - Since this particular blog entry has had so many spam comments (that I had to delete) over the months, I placed it on the list of most popular for 2012, even though, to me, it doesn't seem like a very hot topic.

Picking out the right Heavy bag / Speed bag Stand - I was pleased to see that a lot of individuals are still interested in "reading" about these things.  It really is important to pick out the right speed bag or heavy bag stand that is best suited for you and the area you are placing it.  Now, if I could just sell more of these dang things!

3 basic ways to use Hand Grippers - This is one post that I was somewhat surprised to get as much traffic as it has.  It seemed to be somewhat elementary to me, but evidently there are many folks out there who are curious about different ways to use hand grips.

Dang, I've already listed 5 popular posts...  There are many more that could have made the list, but I had to stop somewhere.  In the future, maybe I'll have time to write more health-related content on this Health & Fitness Blog.  In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the year; cheers!

---End of Post "Popular Posts of 2012"

Force Factor - Natural Testosterone Boosters

This post will briefly cover the Test X180 product from Force Factor along with the ingredients found within it, etc. There is also now an update at the bottom of this page that involves additional supplements.

I'm sure that most males that have been involved in weightlifting, bodybuilding, physical fitness, etc., have heard about natural testosterone boosters.  Of course, some people decide to take a health risk and select anabolic steroids, growth hormones and so on, but the majority would prefer a natural method, I'm sure...

I have seen loads of bogus claims over the years, when concerning this subject, along with some debatable herbs that seem to work at times for some, yet they'll have side effects for many.  Although, to be truly natural, the meat & potato country diet with good ol' fashion heavy lifting is hard to beat when trying to pack on muscle mass without the need for supplements, in my opinion.  However, this post isn't about traditional exercises and balanced diets, as we are talking about Force Factor - Test X180 - Premium Male Performance Supplement - Testosterone Booster.

To make a long story short, I ordered a trial bottle (14 capsules) of this stuff a while back, mainly because it was free (except for shipping).  It had been a while since I tried any new products and I was currently suffering from a transitory hiatus and/or on a temporary break from working out, so I thought it might motivate me to get back into physical fitness training.

Side note:  I prefer Korean Ginseng for performance supplements, so when I tried this product, I would just substitute it for that, to see if there was any difference.

Anyway, I tried a pill or two every few days, and could notice a slight dilation in my blood vessels, a slight feeling of better blood flow to the surface of my skin (warmer feeling, etc.), but mainly what I noticed had nothing to do with working out, as this involved extra blood flow to my beloved male organ.  I didn't have any trouble before, but the extra boost was nice; ha!  So that's what they mean by male performance enhancer...

Now, my trial bottle was consumed and I figured I'd order from Force Factor later on, since money was kinda tight, but oh no...  Within days, I find a package in the mail and a bill for 70 dollars, for something I didn't order.   This bottle contained 60 capsules and was considered a month supply on auto-shipment, as if I'd be taking two capsules a day.  In my opinion, by what I have noticed, stuff like this the body gets used to, so you are better off taking it sporadically or here and there, not regularly, but opinions will vary...  Anyway, I was slightly angry, so I called the company and wanted to know why I am getting billed for something I didn't order and how I would like to order this Test X180 as I need it.
I got a long answer and how I was automatically enrolled in auto-shipment, blah, blah...

Well, after telling them I didn't want any more bills from them, they lowered the price to 30 dollars a shipment and I got my future shipments delayed.  The point is, you may have to work out a deal with them if you select the auto-ship method.  Enough rambling about the petty details, and let's get on with the ingredients found in this product...

Each capsule contains a daily value of 50% Vitamin D, 100% B6, and 167% B12, but many of you do not care about that, as it is the growth enhancement matrix that is the most important, which contains:  Testofen, Siberian Ginseng, Panax Ginseng, Cordyceps sinensis, and Tribulus terrestris.

I'm not covering the properties of Ginseng on this post, as I have written about that on this blog before, here:  "Korean Ginseng Extract."
Scavenging the web for info about the other ingredients:

Testofen - is an extract of Fenugreek, which is an herb known to have more than a hundred phytochemical compounds. A way by which fenugreek seems to have gained its reputation as an aphrodisiac is probably because of its beneficial effect on the body’s circulatory system. Vitamins and minerals present in fenugreek serve to rev up blood circulation, a factor which is crucial for achieving and maintaining erections among men. Fenugreek also (supposedly) causes a significant increase to levels of testosterone within the body, allowing for enhanced sexual stamina and a boost in sexual desire. Well, many claim that the total testosterone level in the body will not go up much, but these type of "natural boosters" work by raising your "free" usable levels of testosterone.

Cordyceps sinensis - the Cordyceps mushrooms have a long history as medicinal fungi. The earliest clear record is a Tibetan medical text authored by Zurkhar Nyamnyi Dorje in the 15th Century outlining the tonic propensities of Yartsa gunbu (Cordyceps sinensis renamed now to Ophiocordyceps sinensis), especially as an aphrodisiac.  Although there are often-repeated claims of thousands of years of use in traditional Chinese medicine, so far, no clear textual source has surfaced. On a good note, there is no doubt that this natural mushroom found in nature has plenty of health benefits - even if it doesn't boost your T-levels.  Force Factor is not the only way to purchase Cordyceps, of course, and a separate supplement may be a decent idea if you give up on the T-boosters and whatnot.

Tribulus terrestris - some body builders use T. terrestris as post cycle therapy or "PCT."  After they have completed an anabolic-steroid cycle, they use it under the assumption that it will restore the body's natural testosterone levels.  The extract is claimed to increase the body's natural testosterone levels and thereby improve male sexual performance and help build muscle. Its purported muscle-building potential was popularized by American IFBB bodybuilding champion Jeffrey Petermann in the early 1970s. However, I'm yet to find any real proof that Tribulus terrestris from Force Factor (or anywhere, for that matter) effectively raises testosterone in humans.

Well, there you have it, as that was my quick review of the Test X180 product from Force Factor - Natural Testosterone Boosters.  If you're interested in these types of supplements, feel free to browse through a fine selection of products, by clicking the provided (affiliate) link below:

--------->'Click Here' for Force Factor & Natural Testosterone Boosters<---------

---End of Post

Update (2024): Over the years, I ended up trying a lot of different supplements. Many of those herbs, supplements, etc., didn't relate to potentially boosting T-levels. A lot of those offered support for an active lifestyle, general health, and so on. However, when it comes to natural testosterone boosters, only a few actually seemed to somewhat work. Overall, I'd say that Tongkat Ali Complex from the brand "Double Wood" performed the best out of what I tried. It is probably a good idea to cycle Tongkat Ali with a simple 5 days on, 2 days off, but use your own discretion. 

Next, if a person has the extra money to spend (or waste), I'd recommend a high-quality pine pollen supplement. You can buy the tinctures, extracts and pill forms of pine pollen, but overall, it isn't worth the money, in my opinion. If you ingest enough of the high-quality stuff it does seem to work, but once again, I'm just not going to spend that much money long term on something like that. A person would be better off learning how to harvest and extract the pollen their self from pine trees that are growing naturally out in the wild as opposed to paying outrageous prices for something so natural and plentifully abundant.

To end this subject (I'm not going to mention all the ones that are total crap), most natural boosters for testosterone are just overly hyped marketing nonsense. I mainly wanted to try and see what worked best over the years because, during many of those years, I worked a lot of overtime in addition to working out hard, etc., so I felt there were some days I could probably use a boost to speed up recovery between workouts and whatnot. So, for me, Tongkat Ali is the one booster I permanently included into my collection of supplements that I take regularly. ---End of Update

Peaked, stuck, leveled out in progress & muscle gains?

Have you been working out for several months or longer, and now feel like your muscle gains and/or progress has landed on a plateau somewhere?

Yeah, I'm talking about the feeling of being stuck, peaked, leveled out or whatever you want to call it...

A lot of people encounter this "peaking out" dilemma, and it is actually perfectly normal. Unfortunately, when some people get stuck in progress while trying to build muscle or achieve certain physical fitness goals, they often lose interest or just throw their hands up and quit working out altogether.

...But before I say anything else about this subject, maybe you need to ask yourself, "what are my goals?" Maybe you're fine with your current level of fitness and would like to spend more time on other things, perhaps even go out and have some fun - ha!

Anyway, many times when a person experiences these "plateau effects" and seem to be stuck in progress, they either need to take some time off, change their routine or completely alter the type of exercises they have been performing. For example, several years ago, I felt that I was tired of lifting the same ol' weights, doing the same boring bench presses and exercises, and was having to drag myself into the workout room because it got to where I dreaded lifting all that heavy weight. So, I decided to buy a Power Tower and started to build muscle without weights (pull-ups, dips, etc.). When I needed extra resistance, I would simply use a weighted vest. Now, after using the Power Tower for a few years, I'm about ready to start lifting heavy weights again and now I wished that I wouldn't have sold my damn weight bench to begin with! Ha-ha! But that's just an example, as changing the routines and exercises often temporarily rescues people from the "muscle building plateau" status.

Taking a break can also be great... Don't worry about losing muscle mass during your transitory hiatus; plus, if you've been working out for a few years, try to remember the points that were being made in the post "the mystery of muscle memory," as this should help you rest assured that your body will have no problem gaining what little muscle you may have lost during your period of inactivity.

When you do feel "leveled out" or whatever, this may also be a good time to become quicker & more flexible with the muscles you already have. Being bulky isn't everything; in fact, many folks find that it slows them down and actually hurts their overall level of physical fitness. However, not everybody has the same goals, but I'm just saying that it might be a good idea to get out there and utilize your muscles in more natural movements as opposed to basic lifting, curling, pressing, etc. You know, things like calisthenics (dips, pull-ups, etc.), shadow boxing, martial arts, various types of stretches, manual labor that replaces automatic gadgets (like chopping down trees with an axe instead of using a chain saw, using a push mower instead of a riding mower), and so on...
Speaking of boxing and martial arts, you may also be interested in my "picking out the right heavy bag / speed bag stand" entry, in addition to the "body opponent heavy bag" post.

Personally, I think some people may just need a little additional motivation. For example, when I used to feel stuck or in a rut, I'd just look at some motivational posters for my workout room, and alter the way my weight room looked by buying bikini posters, pictures of barely clad women, etc. Yep, throw in some nice visuals along with some motivational music, and you may be well on your way to new physical fitness goals that will free yourself from that "peaked" feeling you're suffering from.

Update (2024): Wow! After coming back to this post 13+ years later, I realize that it was nothing more than an internal link job that was self-promoting prior blog posts. I think I'll just start over, and properly address the "peaked, stuck, leveled out in progress & muscle gains" nonsense:

#1) If you really feel that way, there are many things you can do to jump-start yourself into new gains. For one, try harder! However, one of the easiest ways to tackle this (if you're lifting free weights) is to buy those expensive micro weights. They come in .25, .5, .75, and 1 lb. plates. It is like a sneaky way of slowing pushing yourself more, albeit incrementally, but it all adds up.

#2) Find your sticking points, weak spots, etc. For example, if you are constantly failing on the bench-press after a certain number of reps, notice what area feels like it gives out first. Is it your chest, triceps, front delts? Once you pinpoint your weakness, do separate, isolated exercises for those areas. On the same note, it may not be as easy for bodyweight exercises (that involve a multitude of muscles - primary, secondary, stabilizers, etc.) like pull-ups. Often times what fails first is due to a lack of support from your other muscles, and so on. For example, if you strengthen your rear deltoids, your biceps and lats wouldn't have to work as hard during the pull-up. Many times, it really calls for a total body self-analyzation to combat these moments when you really feel stuck in progress.

#3) Are you at a slight deficiency in caloric intake or energy during your workout? Maybe you need creatine, ginseng, extra calories (for energy), more fat (for hormones), additional protein (for building muscle), or something? It is well worth a look, when concerning why you are stuck in a plateau or have apparently leveled out in progress. If making gains are not happening anymore, you may want to assess your workout, as well. What I mean by that is simply the query of "are you more or less on a maintenance workout routine or is it geared for progressive gains?" It is easy to be content with what you have already accomplished, but are you really done with your fitness goals? Does the plan you have really encompass constant progress?

#4) If your body is really acting stubborn, you could also integrate heavy half-reps, cheat movements, etc., to tease your body into exerting more force. Yeah, well, form isn't always everything, but those shocks you can give your central nervous system when trying wilder, bolder alternatives can really pay off. Now, I don't mean to go too crazy and blow your back out; I'm just saying that there are options to break past those stagnant times of no gains. You can even add "static holds" into the mix, which are also great at strengthening your tendons, for example.

#5) If all else fails, just try the other stuff I mentioned in the original post above...

---End of Update

---End of Post "Peaked, stuck, leveled out in progress & muscle gains?"


Older Post: "Creatine is a waste of money - for most people!"

Health Benefits of Beer + Natural ways to help symptoms of alcohol withdrawal

This will now be a 2-part post since I've recently deleted an old website of mine and decided to combine the related articles before I start adding the stand-alone content amid multiple blogs, etc.

Part 1: "Natural ways to help fight symptoms of alcohol withdrawal..."

Of course, if you're suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it usually means that you've been abusing alcohol in such a way, that your body has become too accustomed to it; this can lead to many other problems down the road - not just health related, either. However, not everybody who suffers from alcohol withdrawal symptoms end up with a chronic problem, as many folks are just going through bad times, get too caught up into the "party scene," or just have occasional bouts where they crave massive amounts of alcohol, binge drink, etc.

At any rate, this post is not about finding you mental help for your current addictions, psychological assistance to combat personal problems, nor is it recommending "alcoholic anonymous" sessions; it is mainly about finding natural ways to help fight the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol - if you do have this liquefied debacle.

Personally, I'm a big beer drinker and I've been drinking alcohol for at least 15 years with at least 14 of those years being on a daily basis. But during that time, I have had my moments where I would get involved with the "hard stuff" and especially vodka, so I know all about the temporary withdrawal symptoms (when you overdo it for an extended period of time) and how problematic they can be - when it comes to fighting the symptoms, nervousness, jitters, etc. It totally sucks, no doubt about it, but for me, the easiest way to "fight" the withdrawal symptoms was to quit drinking hard liqueur straight out of the damn bottle like some lunatic who is seeking a higher octane fuel supply. Ha-ha!

I'm glad I haven't had this withdrawal problem in a long while, but when thinking about some of the posts I have written over the last several months, many of the supplements I have mentioned, really do help calm the nerves, fight withdrawal symptoms that relate to the central nervous system - along with many other helpful benefits.

This entry is simply going to be a "resource link post" that will provide links to the pages where I have promoted certain natural supplements (no prescription drugs) that will help the individuals who suffer from drug-related withdrawal symptoms (like alcohol), and perhaps will ease people into the quitting stage or if anything, just calm them down a bit and improve their overall sense of well-being...

Natural ways to help fight symptoms of alcohol withdrawal:

Update: I forgot to mention in the post above that most alcoholics have low levels of magnesium in their body. I highly recommend that a person suffering from withdrawal symptoms supplement with magnesium during the process to help calm their nerves, improve central nervous system health, etc.  Also, one of the links below is about Korean Ginseng. I would definitely take American Ginseng for withdrawal problems over the other because it has a more calming effect.  You can read more about that, here: "Hot or Warm - Korean/Panax vs. Cold or Cooler American Ginseng" I haven't did a post over it yet, but sunflower lecithin also seems to help with nerves, as well.  There are loads of products out there that may help, but when I originally wrote this post (which was over 10 years ago), I just threw out some quick links to get started because I had so many other websites I was working on at the time.

---End of Update

* Health Benefits of Taurine

* Korean Ginseng Extract

* Why I use Coral Calcium...

* Magnolia Extract - Fight Stress & Calm Down

* Now, if you're looking for a natural way to help cleanse and/or detoxify your liver from all of the hardcore drinking, visit: http://perpendicularity.org/blog/2010/05/03/liver-detox-milk-thistle/ [Link is no longer active, but it has now been combined into this post, here: https://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2011/01/natural-ways-to-detoxify-your-liver.html

* If you're feeling in better spirits, have no withdrawal issues whatsoever, actually try to drink alcohol in moderation, and are also curious about some of the positive effects that can be attained from this delightful substance, visit the blog post "Health Benefits of Beer & Alcohol." [Link is no longer active, but it is now Part 2 of this post.]

Cheers!

Related Post: Grapefruit is not good for Detox or certain Medications

---End of Part 1: "Natural ways to help fight symptoms of alcohol withdrawal..."

Part 2: "Health Benefits of Beer & Alcohol – Cheers!"

Original Post Date: 5-4-2010

At times, I’m guilty for imbibing beer like it is some sort of Gatorade or form of medicinal liquid enhancement. But, for the ones who do drink sensibly and moderate, there is many health benefits to be gained. Cheers!

Beer comes in many forms, such as: ales, lagers, bitter, stout, and wheat beers…

As the image above illustrates, jovial & fun, public beer drinking…

The Health Benefits of Drinking Beer!

The standard rule of moderation for alcohol is usually in the range of 1-2 daily drinks for females, and 2-3 drinks per day, for the males. I mean ‘drinks’ as a unit. One unit equals 1 – 12 oz. beer, roughly 6 oz. of wine, or 1 oz. of 100 proof liqueur. Personally, I look at moderation as being of a slightly higher quantity, but everyone has a different body and chemistry therein, so drink at your own discretion.

Health Benefits of Beer…

Obviously, beer helps relax the body. The hops found in beer, with or without the alcohol, relaxes the stomach. Hops is also considered to have anti-cancer properties. This has led many to believe that even if you’re consuming non-alcoholic beer, it still poses excellent health benefits.

Moderate consumption of alcohol is good for the mind and nerve cells, as this helps prevent dementia – in your later years.

Merely drinking 1 or 2 beers a day, has also been shown to reduce the risk of having high blood pressure.

Beer contains potassium, magnesium, selenium, chromium, silicon, and several forms of B vitamins. See, you can tell ’em you were just drinking for B vitamins & trace minerals…try that as an excuse, the next time you over-indulge. Ha-ha!

Beer is made of all natural ingredients, which is always a good thing.

Alcohol, in all forms, helps raise the good cholesterol (HDL).

Alcohol is well known for its ability to help prevent blood clots.

Beer does contain a fair amount of antioxidants & polyphenols from the hops and the cereal grains that are found within this blissful beverage.

Beer enhances digestion by stimulating the body to release extra pancreatic enzymes and digestive acids, etc.

The alcohol in beer and in other wines & spirits, reduces your chance of developing kidney stones and also minimizes your chances of developing gallstones.

It is an established fact, that alcohol dilates the blood vessels, hence (temporarily) improving blood circulation.

Moderate consumption of beer helps prevent osteoporosis – due to it boosting bone-density effects (from the silicon in beer) on the body.

Moderate usage of alcohol helps reduce the risk of suffering from a stroke.

Alcohol from beer, wine, spirits, etc., helps prevent heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases when used in moderation.

This is very apparent, but in case you didn’t know: alcohol can elevate the chemical serotonin (happy hormone) when consumed within limits. I think this can also apply to when you exceed the limits, as well, but the fallout sort of contradicts the happy – when you wake up the next day; especially if you wake up beside someone who doesn’t look as appealing as they did the night before.

Beer is often used as marinades in cooking, helps tenderize meat and adds flavor. It is also used in batters to make hush puppies and, hey, have you ever heard of beer battered chicken? Yummy!

There are many drinking games a person can play when consuming alcohol with friends, but most likely, this would put a person past what is considered moderate… fun-fun!

Alcohol, of whatever type, is great for awkward first dates, or tense situations… as the relaxation effects of beer and/or alcohol transpires, this also brings lowered inhibitions and free-flowing speech – which makes everything that much more easier.

Interesting tidbit: This is something I learned about beer today, as I already knew of the health benefits, years ago. But listen to this, a quote from Wikipedia:

“Beer is one of the world’s oldest prepared beverages, possibly dating back to the early Neolithic time period or 9000 BC, and it's even recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.” Wow! I didn’t know that it went that far back. You can call it the “antiquity of alcohol,” I suppose.

On the other hand, if you’re like me, and drink too much of this healthy stuff on a regular basis, exceed the “recommended level of moderation” and feel the need for liver protection…visit my page: Milk Thistle – Liver Detox.

Cheers!

---End of Part 2: "Health Benefits of Beer & Alcohol – Cheers!"

Side Note: You know, I've already combined these posts together so I will just let it be, but it might seem a little odd to have a post about withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, then almost promoting that very same substance just below it; ha! I don't know, it made sense at the time...

---End of Post "Health Benefits of Beer + Natural ways to help symptoms of alcohol withdrawal"

Build the stubborn Latissimus dorsi muscles (Lats) with Pull-ups!

Depending on your genetics, body type and/or build, the Latissimus dorsi, also known as "Lats," may be a very stubborn muscle group for you - when it comes to building it up. There are several exercises you can perform that are aimed at working the Lats, but to me, none of them seem to be more effective than the basic pull-ups and chin-ups - that is, if you're in decent enough shape to even pull your own body weight, but we'll get to that in a moment.

The Latissimus dorsi is the widest muscle of the back. If you'd like to see a quick diagram for a visual refreshment, look below:

If you're able to build your Lats up and proper development takes place, this is the muscle that will give you that V-Shape or V-like taper to your upper torso, and especially when viewing from the back. It sort of gives you that explosive look, and makes you appear broader than what you really are. If you combine expanded Lats with bulky shoulders, even a smaller framed person can start looking wide. Throw in some well-developed trapezius muscles, and you really will be ready to sport that "tank top" this year...

Okay, now back to the main subject: If you are a beginner or have trouble lifting your body weight, pull-ups may not be for you - at least not at the moment. [Edit (2024): You can also perform assisted pull-ups with bands. I've never used this method, but for the ones that can't perform pull-ups, they are a great tool to get you on the onramp towards total bodyweight pull-ups. Just search the web for "assisted pull-up bands" or "exercise bands." The higher resistant bands provide more assistance and vice versa. The bands simply take some of the body weight off the lift to make it easier.

Another method to build up your ability to perform pull-ups are "dead hangs," "holds" and "half reps." You can perform dead hangs by simply hanging onto the bar for as long as you can. You can execute the "holds" at other points of the movement, but it is best to get to the top of the bar (without resting your chin on it) and try to hold as long as you can before letting go. This will definitely give your stubborn latissimus dorsi muscles a sting. The half reps are good at getting rid of sticking points you may be having with the pull-up. You have two options with the half rep, as in, which half? You can just rep from bottom of movement to the midway point as quick as you can or from the top of the bar, only go halfway down then quickly back up. Never underestimate half reps, as they can build you up in a hurry, and you will be executing full-range reps in hardly any time at all. ---End of Edit]

If you'd still like to work your Lats without pull-ups, you can always use the Cable Lat Pulldown machine and the pulleys used for arm rows, etc... that is, if you own an exercise machine or have a gym membership, etc. And if you don't have access to any of this bulky equipment, there is still hope, as you can still use dumbbells or a barbell for bent-over rows and so on. [Edit (2024): Actually, if you have an existing Power Tower or Power Rack, etc., attaching a cheap pulley system is no problem at all in today's world. They sell these attachments fairly cheap on Amazon nowadays.]

I'm just not a fan of bent-over rows or the rowing motion in general. I mean really, if you want to perform this particular motion to build up the Latissimus dorsi muscles (in hopes of widening your back), none of these cable pulleys or dumbbell rows would compare to getting in a small boat with paddles or a canoe weighted down with passengers and rowing the thing around a lake for hours and hours, several days a month. Ha-ha! But seriously, rows work well for some people, I'd just prefer the paddle boat if I resorted to using the rowing motion in general, that's all. I must say, though, rows seem to be better at thickening the back muscles as opposed to widening them, although they can do both. BUT, the Lat Pulldown exercise and the Pull-ups using a weighted vest, seem to work better at widening this particular area of the back.

[Edit (2024): Speaking of rowing machines, they do sell some really nice ones these days. However, the good ones are fairly pricey. I bought a cheaper (maybe around 120 dollars?) row machine a while back, but it just didn't have enough resistance to do anything for muscle building. I suppose one could still use it for a warmup or, if you rowed fast enough, for cardio. Maybe those machines are mainly for people just trying to burn calories? So as the years have passed, my opinion on rowing hasn't really changed that much, but at least I gave one of those machines a try. Ha!]

As for the Cable Lat Pulldown exercise, since you can manually adjust the weight, it is great for the beginners who can't do enough pull-ups to amount to a workout and also for the advanced bodybuilders who find the pull-ups to be less than challenging. However, I can remedy that minor problem for the advanced folks, by recommending that you execute your pull-ups & chin-ups while training with a weighted vest.

...Unless you have something out in the yard that resembles a pull-up bar or you have built one yourself, you may also be interested in buying a Power Tower, as I mentioned in my post: "Gain Muscle Mass & Power without weights." Of course, there are other cheaper chin-up/pull-up alternatives on the market, but the Power Tower also provides you with the opportunity to do other bodybuilding exercises in addition to pull-ups, such as: dips, leg lifts and push-ups on slightly inclined bars.

Anyway, good luck building this, what I call, "stubborn muscle group," no matter what method you decide to use. And if you are successful at bulking up your Latissimus dorsi area, you'll be proud of that V-shape figure that comes along with it. Now, go build those damn Lats...

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Put the "Tank in the Top" by building the Deltoids & Trapezius Muscles

As the temperature rises and the weather improves, many of y'all weight-lifting champs and/or physical fitness fanatics may like to sport your sexy bods and muscular stature by wearing "tank tops" this year. Well, unfortunately, many of you will strive to fill out those tank tops to the best of your ability and fail miserably during the process.

This post is just a quick reminder, as to what to focus on when it comes to putting the "tank" in the "top" of those, uh, "tank tops." Ha!

When it comes to looking your best in that particular choice of attire, working/pumping/training the deltoids and the trapezius muscles to the fullest, is your best bet. Believe it or not, a lot of people who train hard, workout with weights and/or strive for higher levels of physical fitness, are not even familiar with common anatomic terms. So, with that being said, in case you don't know, the deltoids are the shoulder muscles, and the trapezius muscles are right beside the neck and also extend from the back of the neck and down the middle region of the upper back.

Since the trapezius muscles are spread out, I'll provide an image below to help clarify the actual location of this often-neglected muscle group:

By looking at the image above, you may be thinking, "how does working the trapezius muscles (aka "traps") help me look good in a 'tank top' or whatever, when they look more like minuscule back muscles?" Well, that particular image shows the trapezius muscle group from the rear, but really, it is all about getting that bulge beside your neck, next to your shoulders, that you will see from the front. If you train hard and build up some big deltoids, what better to compliment them by setting down some good muscle bulk right beside them, next to your neck? Ya know, it sort of gives you that bulldog, thick neck, upper-stack-heavy type of "chew-you-up-and-spit-you-out" sort of look. Yeah, the nice guy look... Ha-ha!

Anyway, I've already briefly wrote about building up your deltoids on a post I did a few months ago, and you can check that out here, if interested: "Simple ways to Build Powerful Deltoids."

What makes this even more simple, is that one of the main exercises I promoted for building up your deltoids also works the trapezius muscles out, very well. If you're wondering, this simple exercise that is best performed with individual, heavy dumbbells, is called "arm raises." It is where you slowly (or quickly) raise and lower the weight/dumbbell that you're holding from your sides or in front of you, up to shoulder level, then back down to your side or in front of your hips (starting position). I prefer the lateral raise (from the sides) because to me, the side motion works more of the deltoid and trapezius region than it does from the front. These types of lifts also work the outer portion of your forearms, which is always a plus.

Update: Something I forgot to mention on this post, which is another often neglected area, is the rear deltoids. By developing your rear delts, it will help give your shoulder that "capped" and/or more of a 3-dimensional look. My favorite exercise for rear deltoids is the seated, bent over, rear delt raises. You can alternate one arm at a time, but I find that doing both at the same time works best; plus, it also works the upper trapezius muscles. Pull-ups hit the rear delts as well, but the rear delt raises really target them more, in my opinion. ---End of Update 

Of course, there are many other muscles that you may want to focus on when it comes to looking good in a "tank top," but the point of this post is to simply state that the true "tank in the top" mostly comes from an impressive set of deltoids and the neck-bulging trapezius muscles. Hell, if all you mainly got is big arms and a muscular chest, a tight tee-shirt may be more complimentary for you as opposed to a tank top. ...But those sexy beach babes who have a fetish for men in tank tops, might make you focus more on other muscular focal points besides arms & chest, such as what I mentioned prior... Okay, I have to stop right here... Ha-ha! That sounds a bit too funny for me, even after writing that little sentence about beach babes. I'm the modest type who would rather stay fully dressed in public and couldn't care less how I look in a tank top because I will be too busy taking her top & bottom off, and would much rather show my "bedroom muscle" to the ladies in private besides my deltoids, biceps, triceps, pectorals, latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles; but then again, I'm trying to give advice on this health blog while I keep my composure at the same time. Damn, I'm confused now... LOL!

At any rate, enjoy the nice weather while it lasts and have fun with whatever you do!

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