For BG fitness fanatics, a question..

[Hushigoshi]

what are some good core exercises other than planks?

Here's the thing about the core; it is what is used to protect your spine during exercises and also to give you the most balance to your upper body. In essence, every single compound exercise you do, will challenge and fatigue the core if done right. Squats, deadlifts, benchpress, pullups, chinups, and any exercise you use dumbbells or cables and your arms move independent of one another.

Engage your core during an exercise is like wearing a natural corset for your spine. The transverse abdominis, when tighten and engaged, squeezes the ever living hell out of your spine to keep it supported and "straight". Imagine having a water balloon in your hand and squeezing it hard, but not hard enough to explode. Most likely, as you squeeze, the balloon will stretch out and pop out from either side of your hands. This is what happens to your spine. If you don't tighten and engage your core during an exercise that requires weight on your back, like doing squats, think about what would happen if you put 500 pounds on your back and tried to squat. If your core is too weak, or not even tightened up, before you could even bend your knees, your spine would collapse and everyone would call you Mr. Slinky.

My favorite exercise to show how the core has to be used for balance is doing a Dumbbell Bench Press, but on a stability ball (or swiss ball as some people call them). It's the same setup as doing it on a bench, but your shoulders rest on the top of the ball, and you have to lift your hips up off the ball so they are level with the rest of your body.

http://www.afitsecondhalf.com/wp-con...m_M_Finish.jpg

You have to challenge your core the entire time by 1. keeping your core tight so your hips stay up, and 2. as you move the dumbbells up and down, there will be tiny motions that will throw off your balance and to counteract that, you have to fire off the small stabilizer muscles like the obliques and rectus abdominis to keep your balance.

It's hard to explain.

Running shoes have so much cushion on the bottom to help protect your feet, that it acts like a tiny bubble of air you stand on while doing squats and deadlifts. when you start moving, you have to push through that cushion of air before you can move the bar. It's dangerous/unsafe/stupid because your balance is completely fucked.

They should hire you to advertise vibrams, lol. No, really, just reading you has motivated me to try those deads and squats like that.

I freaking love my vibrams too. Had my first pair of the KSO for a good two, coming up to three, years and they're still in great shape. I just bought my 5th pair (another pair of Komodos) last week with part of my tax return.

[Kuya]

I'm having problems with my bench press at the moment. I don't really feel like it's working out my chest, but mostly my shoulders. One problem i'm having is that my right shoulder gives out sooner than my left, probably because i hurt my shoulder about 2 months ago. About the only chest exercise that feels like it's working out my chest are the push up varieties. Is the bench press supposed to be the best exercise for the chest? Because i'm not really feeling it, but i'm also not sure if it's bad form or because my right shoulder is somehow weaker than my left.

[Diamicles]

Try doing bench press with a little lighter weight, and don't touch the bar to your chest - use the 'fist over chest' rule. Make a fist and place it in the middle of your chest, and keep the bar from lowering past that point. This should do 2 things for you: keep your chest muscles engaged at the low end of the motion, and mimic the range of motion of a proper push up. Try it out a couple of sessions and see how it works. Should be easier and less stressful on your shoulders since the bar won't be going so low.

as for best chest exercises, it's subjective. personally I think push ups are the best just because they are a compound exercise. a lot of people I know like dumbbell flys and cable crossovers just for the isolation feeling they get doing those.

[solanis]

thanks for the great advice hushigoshi and everyone else. my trainer had me do a wide range of exercises with the ball, but I've definitely let myself go since I quit varsity athletics last year. I'll add a few sets with the ball to my daily circuit and see how it feels.

[shaddix]

I don't really feel like it's working out my chest, but mostly my shoulders.

flare your elbows wide, like 90 degrees to torso. That will put max amount of stress on pecs. I hear it fucks up your shoulders over time though if you keep doing it that way.

[shaddix]

double post how wtf.

[Gustave]

I'm having problems with my bench press at the moment. I don't really feel like it's working out my chest, but mostly my shoulders. One problem i'm having is that my right shoulder gives out sooner than my left, probably because i hurt my shoulder about 2 months ago. About the only chest exercise that feels like it's working out my chest are the push up varieties. Is the bench press supposed to be the best exercise for the chest? Because i'm not really feeling it, but i'm also not sure if it's bad form or because my right shoulder is somehow weaker than my left.

Before you start your chest exercise do two sets of 20-25 light weight chest flys or inclined chest fly's. Really focus on using your pecs to pull the weight in not your shoulders. This should give you a decent pump and muscle - mind connection when doing bench.

[Gustave]

I'm having problems with my bench press at the moment. I don't really feel like it's working out my chest, but mostly my shoulders. One problem i'm having is that my right shoulder gives out sooner than my left, probably because i hurt my shoulder about 2 months ago. About the only chest exercise that feels like it's working out my chest are the push up varieties. Is the bench press supposed to be the best exercise for the chest? Because i'm not really feeling it, but i'm also not sure if it's bad form or because my right shoulder is somehow weaker than my left.

Before you start your chest exercise do two sets of 20-25 light weight chest flys or inclined chest fly's. Really focus on using your pecs to pull the weight in not your shoulders. This should give you a decent pump and muscle - mind connection when doing bench.

[Meat]

I'm having problems with my bench press at the moment. I don't really feel like it's working out my chest, but mostly my shoulders. One problem i'm having is that my right shoulder gives out sooner than my left, probably because i hurt my shoulder about 2 months ago. About the only chest exercise that feels like it's working out my chest are the push up varieties. Is the bench press supposed to be the best exercise for the chest? Because i'm not really feeling it, but i'm also not sure if it's bad form or because my right shoulder is somehow weaker than my left.

not even close to being the best, flat bench is far inferrior to incline. and i'd go as far as saying wayyyyy below incline dumbells.


it's all about that incline.

http://www.ironmagazine.com/images/a...side-chest.jpg

[Osede]

I'm having problems with my bench press at the moment. I don't really feel like it's working out my chest, but mostly my shoulders. One problem i'm having is that my right shoulder gives out sooner than my left, probably because i hurt my shoulder about 2 months ago. About the only chest exercise that feels like it's working out my chest are the push up varieties. Is the bench press supposed to be the best exercise for the chest? Because i'm not really feeling it, but i'm also not sure if it's bad form or because my right shoulder is somehow weaker than my left.

It is normal, especially with some shoulder injury. This is similar to what I have experience since day one I begins to do bench press. As you feels like one arms is going out sooner than the other one, it just probably you are right handed, and you use more forces on your right arm. Try dumbbell bench press for a month or two, while doing the regular barbell bench. This would help alot to balance the strength of both arms.

[Ksandra]

what would you guys considered to be an average/good rate for a personal trainer? I joined a new gym that's closer to home and the actual monthly fee is kinda expensive ($30 a month, my last place was $20). It's a nice gym though and they give you 1 free session with a trainer which I did today. I got the rates from him and it would be either $80 a month for two sessions (i.e. session every other week), or $140 for 4 sessions (once a week).

I dunno if I could afford the $140 as we're trying to buy a house atm, and I'm not sure if the 2 times a month would be even worth it. (though I do kinda miss having a trainer)

btw, dunno if it matters but the guy has a book out called the TNT Diet (Terry Asher). Website seems to be down and can't find much info on it except the same article posted everywhere. Dunno if that matters though.

[Cream Soda]

I personally wouldn't pay anything for a trainer. If you do your research properly, a trainer would be a 100% waste of money because he wouldn't be able to tell you anything you couldn't pull from other sources on your own.


That's just my 2 cents though.

[Milkster]

So I've been working out pretty regularly for about a month and I can already see definition and growth in every single area of my body... except my chest. What are good workouts to make the chest more defined and bigger?
Oh and I've been doing Jack3d and GNC AMP and it is amazing should I eventually stop doing it and go all natural for awhile or no?

[solanis]

consider yourself lucky ksandra, I have a membership at equinox and it's $170 a month. ~$140 normally but since I live in two cities it's more for access to all gyms. D:

[Ksandra]

consider yourself lucky ksandra, I have a membership at equinox and it's $170 a month. ~$140 normally but since I live in two cities it's more for access to all gyms. D:

ya it's more expensive to have full access, and at first that's all they mentioned and I had to pester them to see how much it was just for that particular gym. I mean no joke, I can walk to this gym it is right accross the street from my apartment complex, so no way do I need access to others.

I wish they didn't treat the gym like I'm buying a car lol.

It is nice too because this gym does month to month instead of like year memberships. Which is why the price doesn't bother me so much. I had a 3 year subscription to my other gym and I probably went a total of 6 months during those 3 years.

It's just whether it's worth to tack on that extra trainer.


@ cream I actually both agree and disagree with you lol, which is another debate.

Like today he had me do some things I did in the past with my old trainer, so it's not so much I'd be paying for knowledge, as I'd be paying for consistency and a spot partner lol. 'cause none of my friends live around me since I moved so they don't subscribe to this gym.

[shaddix]

I personally wouldn't pay anything for a trainer. If you do your research properly, a trainer would be a 100% waste of money because he wouldn't be able to tell you anything you couldn't pull from other sources on your own.


That's just my 2 cents though.

this for sure.

most PT don't know shit about shit. They get some letters after their name and are most likely less educated than the people in this thread.

[Ksandra]

this for sure.

most PT don't know shit about shit. They get some letters after their name and are most likely less educated than the people in this thread.

there is a difference however between reading what's on here, and having someone guide and direct you though.

I had a trainer 4 years ago for about 2 months and loved it and lost about 15 lbs there. More than I've ever done on my own. So there's something to be said about having someone there directing you.

[Ryany]

I pay 120 per year for my gym and for the most part it has everything I need. The only minor complaint I really have is that the DBs stop at 100 pounds, so I can only do high rep sets on DB bench.

[Hushigoshi]

this for sure.

most PT don't know shit about shit. They get some letters after their name and are most likely less educated than the people in this thread.

I'm an ACE certified personal trainer and I know my stuff!


Trainers are only worth what you think they're worth. Trainers are great for people who have no idea what to do, or where to start. Also they're a great way to get motivated to get to the gym. You could potentially get the same effect from a like-minded, similiar-goaled workout buddy, but not necessarily the same results.

At my gym, all of the personal trainers have very extensive backgrounds in the fitness world; yoga instructors, former and current high caliber athletes, figure/fitness models, bodybuilders, etc. Hell, one of the trainers I work with has 15 years experience as a trainer and has a "real job" making $120k/year. He trains people on the side as a hobby and not as a second job, because he loves helping and pushing people. He's put me through workouts before that left me sore for weeks!

If cost is the major thing, ask yourself this. How much do you value your health? The only thing you would lose out on is your money, but at the potential chance to gain a lot of knowledge it's definitely worth it to try at least once.

Oh, a side note: another reason why hiring a personal trainer is so expensive, is because we all have to have liability insurance for every single one of our clients. That way if something happens, the trainer is not held responsible to an extent.

[Kuya]

Thanks for the advice guys.

flare your elbows wide, like 90 degrees to torso. That will put max amount of stress on pecs. I hear it fucks up your shoulders over time though if you keep doing it that way.

What would this look like?