For many athletes and lifters, taking a pre-workout supplement is a crucial part of their training ritual. But if you look around the gym or watch training videos online, you’ll see people taking them at different times: everything from “at home before I get in the car to drive to the gym” to “right before I pick up the weights and do my first warm-up set.”

If you’re like Vince Sant and you like to slam a pre right before you start training, there’s nothing wrong with that. But for most people, it’s not the ideal way to see the real benefits across the entire workout — which are things like controlling fatigue, helping you stay focused, and allowing you to pump out more reps than you would without it.

Here’s why: Science has shown that the caffeine in a pre-workout takes 15-45 minutes to kick in, and up to an hour to reach peak levels in your bloodstream.

In other words, if you wait until you’re at the gym to take it, you might be several exercises into your workout before the caffeine is doing much. So it might help you with the last round of a tough circuit, or the last couple of exercises in a strength or muscle-building workout, but that’s about it.

If you’re afraid that taking a pre-workout an hour before training will leave you short on energy halfway through your workout, well, think again. Depending on your tolerance, you probably have more like 3-4 hours before the caffeine level in your blood goes down by half — and possibly as much as 6-8 hours.

How to Take a Pre-Workout: If you can remember to, take your pre-workout at least 15 minutes before training, and even better, more like 30-45 minutes before training. And if you can’t remember until your workout starts, that’s OK — it’ll still help boost your energy for hours afterward.

Should I take a Pre-Workout Every Day? 

You don’t have to take a pre-workout every day to see benefits from it. Unlike some supplements like creatine, whose benefits are systemic and build up over time, a pre-workout offers acute benefits. This means it enters your system, and is gone a few hours later.

If you have a decent caffeine tolerance and don’t see negative impacts on your sleep, there’s no reason you can’t take a pre-workout every time you train. Alternately, you could also save it for your most intense workouts of the week, like a brutal leg day, or a pump-focused arm workout or shoulder workout.

Why Should I Take a Pre-Workout? 

The ingredients in pre-workouts — and caffeine in particular — have been shown in study after study to increase strength and endurance, and even to make workouts more effective at burning body fat.

But if you’re wondering why anyone would bother to take a pre-workout supplement, maybe it’s because your workouts aren’t challenging enough to deserve one — yet!

If you’re following one of V Shred’s most popular programs like Fat-Loss Extreme, Toned in 90 Days, or the legendary Ripped in 90 Days, a pre-workout can help you get the most out of every workout. But if you’re looking for a personalized solution, we can help you there, too.

You can get your customized meal plan here or email coaching@vshred.com to get a healthy menu that will fit with your schedule and push your fitness where it’s never been before!

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Right off the bat, let’s be clear that fat burners are not magic. You can’t simply pop a pill and watch excess fat magically melt away.

If losing weight was as easy as taking a pill or powder, one in three Americans wouldn’t be obese, and the obesity rate wouldn’t be continuing to rise as it currently is steadily.

To lose weight and keep it off, you need to start by integrating activity and exercise in your life. A  weight-loss targeted programs like Fat Loss Extreme Men or Women can get you there. 

Step two is to gear your nutrition toward your goal. You can do all of that by calculating your personalized macro/calorie needs within the V Shred App for IOS or Android. Or if that feels beyond your ability  — which is understandable — one of our on-staff nutritionists can help you do it.

But once you have those two factors in place, a quality fat-burner can help provide that little extra “something” that can help you get where you want to go a little faster, and feeling a little less depleted along the way.

How To Make Your Fat Burner Work Better

Like most supplements, there is an OK, better, and best time to take a fat-burner. Here are the biggest priorities to keep in mind:

Consistency: A lot of people buy a fat burner and then just take it every once in a while or when they remember. That’s not how fat burners (or most supplements) work. You’ve got to take them regularly and strategically to see the benefits.

Time Of Day: A tried-and-true approach, backed by V Shred co-founder Vince Sant, is to take it as soon as you wake up each morning — about 30-40 minutes before eating breakfast.

Here’s why: Your metabolic rate is slowest in the morning, and the active ingredients can help kick it back into gear and manage your appetite throughout the day.

Now, some people find that taking it on an empty stomach doesn’t sit quite right. If this sounds like you, wait and have it with your first meal of the day instead.

You can also take a fat-burner like Burn Evolved 30 minutes before your workout to give yourself a little extra push. It’s just got 100 mg of caffeine, which is less than most pre-workout supplements.

The only recommendation: don’t take it too close to bedtime, or the caffeine could interfere with your sleep. That’s why we created BURN PM, a nighttime thermogenic that is free of stimulants and can actually help you sleep better. The two work well enough together that we offer both  (plus Turmeric Black) in our Fat Loss Stack.

Ease Your Way In: No matter when you take BURN EVOLVED, if you’re just starting out, ease your way into the full two-pill dose. Maybe start with half and see how you feel until your body adapts to the caffeine and other ingredients. Or you can take one pill in the morning, and another with lunch.

Need Help Dialing In Your Diet, Exercise, and Supplement Regime? 

Don’t forget: Even the best a fat burner works way better when it’s part of a well-designed fat-loss nutrition plan.

If you need some expert help, we have a team of qualified nutrition experts who create custom meal plans for thousands of people every day.

Our most dramatic transformations almost always come from these plans. So if you’re curious, you can get your personalized weight-loss diet plan here or by emailing us at coaching@vshred.com.

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What Are Amino Acids And BCAAs?

Amino acids are components of proteins in the human body — and in the protein that we eat. There are 20 different amino acids, and 9 are considered “essential,” — which just means your body can’t make them, so they must be obtained through your diet and/or supplements.

Of those nine, three are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs); leucine, isoleucine, and valine. “Branched” just refers to their chemical structure.

Don’t worry; you don’t need to memorize any of this. The big takeaway that these three essential BCAAs have been shown to turn on a process called “muscle protein synthesis” — which is how your body repairs and builds muscle tissue. For this reason, they’re popular among athletes — and pretty much everyone else looking to get leaner, more muscular, and recover from tough workouts.

When To Take BCAAs

Because BCAAs are  very low-calorie–like almost zero–and don’t contain any stimulants, there’s really no wrong way to take them. However, if you are just a little strategic, they can be one more valuable tool to help you feel just a little better, especially when calories are low.

When Cutting Calories Or Fasting: If your calories are low, incorporate any type of fasting, or just enjoy doing your cardio on an empty stomach, drinking some before and/or during your workouts is a great way to keep your muscles fueled and lower the risk of your body using its own muscle tissue as fuel.

Take them alone, mix them with a pre-workout, or if you’re working out at night, you could even take them instead of a pre-workout.

Before a workout to combat muscle soreness: If you’re sitting around sore from yesterday’s workout, BCAAs probably aren’t going to do much. It’s important to take them before your workout for this benefit. But research has shown that taking a dose prior to lifting can decrease what is known as “delayed onset muscle soreness,” or that aching muscle pain that sometimes lingers for a day or two after lifting.

Between Meals: Taking BCAAs in between meals, or when you have to skip a meal, can  act as a “bridge” between your higher-protein meals, keeping that muscle protein synthesis going even when you haven’t eaten in a few hours.

When Plain Water Isn’t Cutting It: If you find it difficult to hit your daily water intake goal, adding some BCAAs to your water jug is a great way to encourage you to drink up!

If You Have A Sweet Tooth: Because our BCAAS are so delicious, they are a great way to curb your occasional sweet tooth! And if BCAAS aren’t cutting it, you could try having some of our Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies! They taste like candy and can also help control occasional hunger cravings, give you quick “pick-me-up energy,” and provide digestion and metabolism support.

Need Additional Supplement, Diet, or Exercise Support? 

If you are struggling to engineer your nutrition around your goals, that’s where our team of coaches and nutritionists from V Shred Custom Coaching can help.

Our coaches have made over 1 million meal plans so far, and help thousands of people every day to get fitter than ever and feel great doing it. You can get your custom meal plan here or email coaching@vshred.com, and we’ll set you up with the perfect coach for you.

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Our most popular workout plans at V Shred, like MOVE and Fat Loss Extreme for Men or Women, are the ones that find ways to help you do more work in less time. Two of the most common ways we successfully do this are supersets and circuits.

We’ve found that people love these training styles because they allow you to fit training into a busy schedule. But they also boost the intensity of a workout, making them a great way to send an undeniable message to your body to get leaner, stronger, and more athletic.

Both will also require you to spend a lot of time in action. If you’ve ever wondered about trying a caffeinated boost in the form of a pre-workout for a workout, a circuit or superset workout is a great choice!

What Is A Superset?

A superset is when you perform one set of an exercise, then go straight into a second exercise without resting.

For example, you might perform 10 push-ups, followed by 10 dumbbell rows. Or 10 goblet squats followed by 10 kettlebell deadlifts. You only rest after you’ve done both exercises.

Sometimes, supersets will hit two different or opposite muscle groups, like the biceps and triceps supersets in Vince’s Ultimate Arms Workout. Other times, they’ll hit the same muscles, like dumbbell bench presses followed by chest flies. There are many different ways to arrange and use supersets for different goals, but they all share: work, then work again, then rest.

What Is A Circuit?

A circuit takes that same idea a step further: three or more exercises with no rest between them. We use this technique a lot of our at-home workouts or in the video workouts in V Shred University.

For example, you might do 15 bodyweight squats or lunges, then 15 push-ups, then 15 mountain climbers per side. You’d do all three, resting as little as possible, then rest for a minute or so and do it again and again.

Here’s why this approach is great: Stringing together multiple exercises allows you to spread the fatigue across your body, keeping your heart rate elevated and burning serious calories.

If you’re someone looking for the “minimum effective dose” of working out, circuits are your friend.

Want to get a taste of circuit training? V Shred trainers lead video circuit workouts live in our Facebook groups for men and women every week. You could also follow Vince’s programs Fat Loss Extreme For Women, Fat Loss Extreme For Men, or Move. 

Should You Do Supersets or Circuits? 

You really can’t go wrong with either. But if you’re looking to really find the perfect fit, V Shred’s personal training team can build you a custom superset or circuit-based workout plan — with a custom diet plan to go with it.

Want to see what customized training and nutrition can do for you? Click HERE to learn more about V Shred Custom Coaching, or hit us up at coaching@vshred.com.

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You can google all you want, but there is not a one-size-fits-all answer to the popular question of “how long should I rest between sets.” You’ll find plenty of recommendations — and plenty of people who claim to have the answer — but it varies dramatically between different coaches.

When there aren’t hard-and-fast rules, common sense can guide you in the right direction. Here’s our common-sense recommendations.

Be Flexible With Rest Time

If you’re doing a follow-along video workout, like in Fat-Loss Extreme For Women, Fat-Loss Extreme For Men, MOVE,  our Facebook groups for men or women, or in V-Shred University, a good plan rest as however long the coach in the video tells you to rest.

But even these rest times aren’t set in stone. If you’re one round in and you feel like your heart is in your throat, or you’re about to lose your lunch, just pause the video and rest a little longer. Don’t worry, doing this won’t sabotage your results in the least!

Now, suppose you’re following one of our gym-based programs, like Clean Bulk. In that case, our suggestion is that you rest about 60-90 seconds between sets of weighted exercises. That’s long enough to catch your breath and let your muscles recover, but not so long that you’ll totally cool down.

Again, this can also be altered to your fitness level. If you need to take a bit longer, like 2 or 3 minutes, and it will help you bring more intensity or lift more weight on the next set, that’s fine.

That said… it’s important to use your gym time as efficiently as possible. If you need to rest a little longer, take it, but only if you REALLY need it. Otherwise, get off your phone, stop socializing, and get to work.

Don’t sell yourself short, but also listen to your body! Recovery both in and out of the gym is crucial to seeing results! So take the time you need!

And if you find yourself struggling during your workout, that’s where the best workout-boosting supplements can be your best training partner. Consider pounding some Sculpt Nation PRE 15-30 minutes before a tough workout that, or supplementing with some intra-workout “fuel” in the form of Sculpt Nation BCAAs while your lift!

Let The Experts Help You

If you’re completely puzzled by rest times, if you are pushing hard enough, or by how to train for your goal of weight loss or muscle gain, you’re not alone. So let us help you!

V-Shred has a team of of highly qualified coaches who create customized workout programs and diet plans for thousands of people every day. This is what helped them build the bodies they’ve always wanted — and figure out the right way to train to keep those results once they earn them!

Click HERE or email coaching@vshred.com to finally start getting some answers to your questions.

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How heavy you lift has a lot to do with your goals and experience level. It will vary for every person, every exercise, and every workout. 

But there are still some common sense guidelines you can follow to help you figure out how to maximize both the safety and the effectiveness of your workouts! 

The short answer is: Muscle growth does not necessarily depend on the amount of weight you lift.  As long as you lift heavy enough to challenge yourself and use proper form, you should build muscle and strength. 

And no, ladies, lifting heavy enough to feel challenging will not make you “bulky.” On the contrary, lifting too light is a surefire way to make your workouts less effective for all goals! 

Think effort and form, not numbers

Before you even think about how much weight you should lift —  you need to focus on PROPER FORM! 

Male or female, you should work hard enough to send your body a loud and clear message to change while not pushing yourself beyond where you can recover from—or hurting yourself. Not every rep should be easy. But not every rep should be hard, either! 

The key to finding this balance is slowing down, being patient, and not letting your ego decide how much weight to lift. 

Keep in mind that “heavy” is individual. Heavy for one person could be 5lbs, and for another, it could be 100lbs. Don’t focus on that. 

All you need to do is use proper form and lift heavy enough to challenge yourself on some of your reps. Then ever so often (every week or even every couple of weeks), increase the weight, number of reps, or number of sets. You could also push just a little closer to “muscle failure,” or the point where you can’t do another rep.

These are all forms of what is known as progressive overload. 

Let Your Workout Rep Range Guide You

A good rule to help you pick weights is to aim to perform all the reps and sets prescribed with proper form, but make each set progressively more challenging. 

Here is what this could look like…

Say you’re in the gym, and the workout says to do four sets of 8-12 reps, like most of the gym workouts in our program Fat Loss Extreme For Men or Fat Loss Extreme For Women. 

 Aim to make the first set kinda easy— like you feel you probably have a solid 4-5 reps left in the tank. Wait 60-90 seconds, and then add a little weight, so you have about 3 reps left in the tank. 

Now you’re warmed up and breathing a little harder. 

Rest another 60-90 seconds, and do a third set. This time, only leave a couple reps in the tank. Rest again On that final set, keep repping until you’re pretty sure you don’t have another rep in you. 

If you only managed 5, you probably went a bit too heavy. Got 12-15 or more? You went too light. No problem; just write it in your workout log and remember it for next week.

Trial and error, paying attention to your body, and keeping a workout log are the essential techniques to help you pick your ideal weight range when lifting weights. Because if you’re doing things right, that weight range will change over time!

And yes… you can build muscle using nothing like your body weight.

Thousands of V Shred customers have totally transformed their bodies by pushing the intensity of bodyweight movements like you can find in our at-home program MOVE.

Even if you never pick up a single weight, you can learn a lot about how to find that “this feels heavy, but I can handle it” sweet spot. As a bonus, each workout is 20 minutes or less!

Keep Growing and Transforming

As your fitness level progresses, so should your workouts! Remember the key to building muscle is to challenge them over and over again. Fitness results happen over the course of weeks and months, not a single workout–no matter how good that workout is! 

If you are struggling to make it to the gym, need an extra push to get in those reps you know you have in you somewhere, and lift heavier, you have options beyond simply “dig deep and tough it out.” Take a quality pre-workout like PRE by Sculpt Nation about 15-30 minutes before hitting the weight room, and don’t be surprised if “heavy” feels just a little lighter. 

If you’re someone who looks at a workout chart and sees a foreign language, please don’t give up. We have a team of certified personal trainers who can build a custom workout plan that works for your experience level and the equipment you have— even if it’s no equipment!

If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, click the link above or email coaching@vshred.com and let us know you’re interested.

Are you ready to push yourself in the weight room and build muscle? Then try Vince’s legendary Clean Bulk program! This 90-day gym-based program is engineered to add maximum lean tissue with as little fat as possible, and come with a targeted meal plan to match. Warning: You will need a new wardrobe! 

The post How Heavy Should I Lift? appeared first on V Shred.

You Don’t Need a Gym To Grow Your Arms!
This Arm Workout Will Challenge Your Muscles With Only Dumbbells

Building bigger arms is not rocket science. You don’t even need machines and barbells! A rock-solid arm workout can be achieved with some dumbbells and the correct execution of the right exercises.

This superset arm workout for biceps and triceps handles the “what to do part.” And the tip guide below will tell you how to do it! Then it’s just up to you to put in the effort and eat for growth. (PS: the V Shred App has a customizable calorie and macronutrient calculator that you can set for muscle growth. Download it for your Apple or Android device, and the nutrition part is done, too!)

If you are looking to put on mass all over your body to achieve a balanced physique, you’ll need this arm workout and a few others! That’s why we consider it the perfect way to end a week of Vince’s other Ultimate workouts:

Monday: Ultimate Chest & Triceps
Tuesday: Ultimate Back & Biceps
Wednesday: Rest Day or Steady State Cardio
Thursday: Ultimate Shoulders
Friday: Ultimate Legs & Glutes 
Saturday: Ultimate Arms
Sunday: Rest, play, and meal prep

Biceps & Triceps Workout for Big Arms

Superset 1
A1: Dumbbell triceps press 3-4 sets, 10 reps (no rest)
A2: Seated hammer curl 3-4 sets, 10 reps (rest 90 sec.)

Superset 2
B1: Dumbbell skull-crusher 3-4 sets, 10 reps (no rest)
B2: Supinated curl 3-4 sets, 10 reps (rest 90 sec.)

Superset 3
C1:Dumbbell Overhead Extensions 3-4 sets, 10 reps (no rest)
C2: Concentration Curls (3-4 sets, 10 reps (rest 90 sec.)

All you will need for this workout is some dumbbells, so you can do it almost any gym or even at home.

Before you get started, you may want to consider taking a quality pre-workout! Our go-to is to slam some Sculpt Nation PRE about 15-20 minutes before training. The ingredients in this one-of-a-kind pre are engineered with the best workouts in mind–that means long-lasting energy with zero crash, a crazy pump, and increased endurance so you can grind out more reps!

Bigger Arms Workout Exercises

Dumbbell Tricep Press Superset with Seated Hammer Curls

Starting laying back on a bench,  hold the dumbbells with your arms straight up and palms facing together. From there, bring the dumbbells down until your elbows are at 90 degrees. Make sure you are squeezing your elbows inside to protect your elbows target your triceps more. Do 10 reps.

Then sit up and do seated hammer curls. This means you’ll keep your palms facing in as you curl the weight up. You may do these alternating or both arms at the same time. Focus on the squeeze of the biceps rather than just lifting the weights up. Do 10 reps each arm.

Dumbbell Skull-crushers Superset with Supinated Curls

First, lay back on the bench with the dumbbells out above your head. From there, keep your elbows elevated while you bend them and lower the weight behind your head. Then, using your triceps, extend your arm back up and squeeze at the top. Repeat for 10 reps.

After that, you will go straight into supinated curls sitting on the bench, just like the seated hammer curls. But instead of having your wrists facing in, turn them forward. From there, continue to keep your wrists turned forward as you curl up. Do this for 10 reps on each arm.

Dumbbell Overhead Extensions Superset with Concentration Curls

Start by grabbing just one dumbbell. This dumbbell is going to probably be heavier than the rest because you are going to use both arms with it. From there, raise the dumbbell above your head, then lower it back behind your head while keeping your elbows elevated. Do this for 10 reps.

After that, remain seated on the bench. Grab a dumbbell with one hand and lean over your legs. Placing the back of your upper arm against the inside of your thigh, hang your arm with the dumbbell down between your legs. From here, = use your leg as a “wall” and curl the weight up. Squeeze the weight to the top and return back in a controlled manner. Repeat for 10 reps on each side.

Don’t forget proper post-workout nutrition!

What you eat after a tough workout is crucial, no matter your goal. But this is especially important if you are looking to grow! Your body needs specific nutrients to recover after working out. If not, you could experience muscle loss, fat gain, sore joints, and loss of strength.

POST WORKOUT by Sculpt Nation takes out all the guesswork. It is jam-packed with amino acids and the other essential nutrients your body needs for rapid recovery to keep your body primed to build muscle, burn fat, and get stronger after every single workout.

But you can’t only rely on supplements. If you want to grow, you have to have a nutrition plan that matches your goals!

To figure out your own unique calorie and macro needs – check out the calorie and macronutrient calculator in our V Shred App. Download it for your Apple or Android device to ensure you are eating enough to reach your muscle-building goals!

The goal is to eat enough to support your gains without gaining excess body fat. This can be tricky. To help take out all the guesswork, consider hiring a V Shred custom coach. Our team of certified nutrition and fitness coaches can create a personalized muscle-building meal plan to fit your budget that will help you reach your goals even faster!

If you are looking to add muscle mass you can also check out our BIG ARMS or CLEAN BULK programs. They are ready to download workouts that are designed to help you pack on muscle in no time.

If you enjoyed this workout make sure and send it to a friend and let us know in the comments what you want to see next! 

The post Best Arm Workouts with Dumbbells for Bigger Arms appeared first on V Shred.

Back and biceps go together like steak and potatoes, or a summer day  a stringer tank. This is a day of your training week worth looking forward to… and it’s worth doing right! But the best back workouts for mass aren’t just about heavy lifting, and the best biceps workouts for mass aren’t just about chasing the pump (although that’s definitely part of the fun). You need to do the best exercises, and do them right! Vince will show you how in this in-depth video guide. Find out which exercises you need to add to your next pull day workout and how to execute them properly!

If you are looking to pack on mass, don’t just focus back and biceps! Dial in your entire training week with Vince’s other Ultimate workouts:

Monday: Ultimate Chest & Triceps
Tuesday: Ultimate Back & Biceps
Wednesday: Rest and/or steady-state cardio
Thursday: Ultimate Legs & Glutes
Friday: Ultimate Shoulders
Saturday: Ultimate Arms
Sunday: Rest, play, and meal prep

For a demonstration on the proper form of each of the exercises in this back and biceps workout, watch this video from the V Shred YouTube channel!

Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Muscle Gains

A. Pull-up 3 sets, 8-10 reps (do machine-assisted pull-ups if necessary, rest 90 sec.)
B. Bent-over barbell row 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (rest 90 sec.)
C. Straight-arm pull-down 4 sets, 15, 12, 10, 8 reps (rest 60 sec.)
D. Seated cable row, neutral grip 4 sets, 10-12 reps (rest 60 sec.)
E. Preacher curl 4 sets, 10-12 reps (rest 60 sec.)
F. Alternating dumbbell curl 4 sets, 10 reps per arm (rest 60 sec.)

Back Workout Exercises

1. Pull-up

Pull-ups are one of the best back exercises, and it’s a great way to warm up all of the muscles on your back. To do this correctly, make sure to lead with your shoulders and squeeze your elbows into your side. Avoid swinging and kicking your legs to keep the focus on your back muscles. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

2. Bent-Over Barbell Row

Bent-over barbell rows are popular in a lot of back workout routines, especially for bulking up. This compound exercise works multiple muscles on your back simultaneously. Do 4 sets, decreasing your reps with each set.

There are 3 big mistakes we see most people make when performing this exercise. Check out this video to ensure you are using proper form.

3. Straight Arm Lat Pull-Down

This exercise is great for your lat muscles. Try to keep weight at a minimum to keep the focus on the lat muscle instead of the triceps. Make sure to keep elbows slight bent and keep your chest out. Do 4 sets with decreasing reps with each set.

4. Seated Cable Row, Neutral Grip

For this back exercise, make sure to keep your chest pushed out while pulling back on the cable. Pull back with your elbows by your side instead of flaring them up and out. Do 4 sets of 10-12 reps.

Intra-Workout Supplements

One tip you may not hear often is the importance of taking am intra-workout supplement. Halfway through your back and biceps workout, it could be beneficial to take some quality BCAAs. These are building blocks of protein and will instantly help with muscle recovery, fuel your energy, and hydrate you with a boost of electrolytes. For BCAA supplements, we recommend Sculpt Nation BCAAs. They are digest quickly and can help keep you going for the rest of your workout.

Biceps Workout Exercises

1. Preacher Curl

Preacher curls are a great exercise for working out both heads of the biceps, but it does put more emphasis on the short head of the biceps and improve the thickness of your biceps. Remember to squeeze your biceps when you’ve pulled the bar to the top. Do 4 sets of 10-12 reps.

2. Alternating Dumbbell Curl

Alternating dumbbell curl is a great arm exercise which also targets both heads of the biceps. With this exercise, don’t lift dumbbells beyond your capacity. You will have a harder time maintaining proper form. Do 4 sets of 10 reps for this exercise.

Your biceps are the secondary movers in your back exercises, which makes it easy to target both back muscles and biceps for this workout. In every workout, you need to be mindful of the muscle groups you’re targeting to achieve your muscle mass goals. Most importantly, don’t forget that the best way to see results from these exercises is by practicing good form.

Don’t forget to eat for gains!

Want to grow? Then you need to eat like you mean it. The best way to do that is to use a calorie and macronutrient calculator that can be customized for muscle growth! This is exactly why we built one right into the V Shred App. Download it for your Apple or Android device and start eating for pure gains!

If you just asked “what’s a macro,” hey, we’ve been there. The answer: Hire a V Shred custom coach to make you a personalized muscle-building meal plan to fit your budget, and fill your sleeves even faster!

A great way to kill your gains is to not give your body what it needs after a tough lift. Your body needs specific  nutrients to recover after working out. If not, you could experience muscle loss, fat gain, sore joints, and loss of strength. POST WORKOUT by Sculpt Nation takes out all the guesswork. It is jam-packed with amino acids and the other essential nutrients your body needs for rapid recovery to keep your body primed to build muscle, burn fat, and get stronger after every single workout.

Want to really dial in your arms? Your journey starts with Vince’s legendary Big Arms program. This is a six-week arms specialization that will add size to your biceps and triceps. It will hurt, but it will be worth it! 

The post Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Muscle Gains appeared first on V Shred.

Are you hitting the gym and sticking to your diet but struggling to put on or retain muscle mass?

How about losing fat? Does it seem no matter how many HIIT sessions you do, or how many miles you log on the treadmill … that stubborn belly fat is still there?

Does your sleep suck?

Are your energy levels all over the place?

Is your mood unstable?

Oh .. and how about your sex drive? Is it not what it used to be? 

If you are experiencing any of this … You may be suffering from low testosterone. 

It’s an important but often misunderstood hormone, especially when it comes to the many ways testosterone levels contribute to the body and WHY your levels could be low.

Vince put together a short video above that explains everything, but In today’s article, we are going to discuss a few testosterone myths, some reasons why your testosterone levels might be low (even in your 30’s) and some natural approaches that may help give your test a boost. 

WHY TESTOSTERONE IS IMPORTANT 

It really is crazy just how many things can happen if your test levels drop too low. 

Since testosterone is a SEX hormone, it makes sense that being low on T could impact things like sex drive. 

But low test can also contribute to things you may have never considered …

• Problems losing weight
• Muscle weakness
• Inability to gain muscle – or even muscle loss.
• Fatigue
• Trouble sleeping
• Poor concentration
• Low endurance
• Mood shifts
• ++ more

Whether you are 25 years old or 70 years young — your body composition, energy, and self-confidence can all be negatively impacted if your testosterone levels aren’t optimal. 

Sometimes it is difficult to determine if your test levels are low. Just because you aren’t experiencing ALL of the frustrations typically associated with low test doesn’t mean your test levels are in an ideal range. 

This is because we all have a different baseline. On top of that, testosterone levels can fluctuate daily.

How much they rise and fall will be different for everyone, and the impact these drops have might differ from person to person.

For you, a fluctuation may result in frustrations like poor sleep or a set-back in your fitness goals. Someone else may only experience a low sex drive. For others, a drop can even be completely unnoticeable.

Clinicians say this can create a problem.

It means that people that are told their test is “normal” may still need a boost. On the flip side, people that are told their levels are too low may not feel bad .. but still need to focus on increasing their levels.

Hormones are complex.

Only YOU know if you are feeling off, so you must pay attention to your body.

• If you are always exhausted, and moody, or are young and in a healthy relationship and lost your desire to have sex, low testosterone could be a reason.
• If you are nailing your diet and killing it in the gym, but losing muscle or having a hard time putting it on .. it could be a sign something is off.

Thankfully, there are some easy and safe ways to go about giving your test a boost!!

First, let’s look at some of the things that could be causing low test to happen.

TESTOSTERONE AND AGING
Many of the advertisements you see that talk about low testosterone focus on middle-aged men.

This creates a huge misconception that low test can only happen as we age.

This could not be further from the truth. 

Scientists have discovered that several factors can impact your testosterone levels … not just aging.

Researchers have discovered that over the past two decades, testosterone levels in American men of all ages, have rapidly declined.

Clinicians are seeing the same thing, with more and more people showing signs of low test in recent years.

There was a major study done a while back that followed over 15-hundred men for 17 years.

They wanted to evaluate changes in testosterone levels over a long period and examine what reasons could be causing a decrease.

Participants had testosterone serum levels tested at several points over the years, and each time they were asked about a variety of lifestyle factors. Things like demographic, general health, smoking and excess alcohol use, body mass index, body measurements, activity level, and more.  

What they found was pretty remarkable.

They discovered a decline in testosterone happened in a wide range of ages. These testosterone dips were totally age-independent.

Now,  we do need to point out that age does play some role in why you may need to look into boosting your testosterone.

Age is a factor when it comes to almost every hormone in your body. 

With testosterone, it appears that levels typically decline by about 1 percent each year, starting as early as your 20’s in some men. 

When these drops happen, it becomes tough for your body to function normally.

Test drops can also potentially lead to a significant impact on your overall well-being, including your ability to see results from all the dieting you are doing and the hard work you are putting in the gym.

But age doesn’t seem to be the primary reason people see drops in testosterone. 

So, if age isn’t the leading cause for the decline .. what is?

Scientists believe that there are (at least) 3 non-age related reasons. 

Many of these are pretty hard to avoid.

But don’t worry!! A little further down in this article, we are going to give you some resources that will guide you on how to give your test levels a natural boost. 

REASONS YOUR TESTOSTERONE MAY BE LOW (AT ANY AGE)

1: Poor Lifestyle

The first reason is something that you DO have control over, and that is some of your lifestyle choices, especially ones that can contribute to weight gain.

We found dozens of studies that demonstrate that being overweight can have just as much of an impact on test levels as normal aging (if not more.)

One large study of over 650 men published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism wanted to see if issues with metabolism could be a cause of low testosterone.

Their research even included an 11 year follow up. 

They found that men with un-addressed weight issues were 2.8 – 3.2 times more likely to develop testosterone deficiency in the future.

There are even studies that specifically look at testosterones impact on belly fat.

A group of researchers conducted a study using moderately overweight middle-aged men. After 6 weeks of a moderate dose of oral testosterone, the participants saw fat melt away…specifically in their stomachs!! 

To further test the theory that being overweight contributes to low testosterone, many researchers have looked at what happens when people LOSE weight. They wanted to see if test levels improve once they get their weight down.

One group of researchers found that during a 9-week weight-loss program, participants saw an almost 12-percent mean increase in testosterone while they were dieting.

They also did a follow up one year later and found those that maintained a healthy weight continued to see higher levels of testosterone.

There is no doubt, a connection that excess fat cells seem to destroy testosterone production.

Being overweight can send your test levels plummeting to the point that it could impact things like your fitness goals and sex-life.

So, if you want to keep your testosterone from dropping, you should no doubt make weight-management a priority.

But you also don’t want to go to the opposite extreme.

There is research that points out that excessive exercise and strict long-term diets (especially those that are low-fat) can also cause testosterone to drop.

Much of this has to do with the stress that these extremes can place on the body.
Overdoing it does a number on your stress hormones.

We are going to touch on this a little more here in a second because there is a fascinating connection between being able to naturally produce testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol.

When it comes to dieting and exercise, make sure you are eating enough healthy fats and find a healthy balance between enough .. and too much!

2: Environmental Factors
Many researchers argue that an unhealthy lifestyle does not FULLY explain the continued trend of these declining test levels that clinicians are seeing across generations.

They believe there is more.

There are lots of things in the environment that could potentially disrupt your endocrine system, which is all the glands that produce and secrete your body’s hormones.

Some of the food we eat, bottles we drink out of, laundry detergent, cosmetics, pesticides, and more .. can all contain chemicals that disrupt hormones. 

We are exposed to these potential endocrine disruptors all the time. They are pretty hard to completely avoid.

Parabens are one of the big endocrine disruptors some scientists say we should be aware of.

These are chemicals that are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic products to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. They can also be found in many foods and drugs.

Parabens typically have long names — such as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or ethylparaben.

Scientists with The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say they continually review published studies on the safety of parabens. At this time, they say that they have not been informed that parabens found in cosmetics have an effect on human health.

However, it is important to note that the FDA doesn’t have special rules when it comes to preservatives in cosmetics. Companies are only required to list all ingredients by their common or usual name. 

We found several studies that believe there are potential concerns when it comes to excess exposure to parabens, citing they have the potential to interfere with hormones, like testosterone.

If you are concerned, one thing you can do to lower your exposure to parabens is to look at labels of your body washes, shampoos, and skincare products. Look for any of those long names we mentioned above, or make sure the label clearly states they are “paraben-free.”

Another couple of environmental factors to watch out for are herbicides and pesticides. 

These are the chemicals that are often used to kill fungus, bacteria, insects, plant diseases, and weeds.

Whether or not they are safe or harmful .. is a hotly debated subject. 

A growing number of studies have linked pesticides to various human health effects, hormones in particular.

Recent data by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) found residues are in up to 70-percent of produce sold in the US. But the FDA, which monitors these chemicals in food, claims the samples they tested very rarely exceeded limits that would be harmful to your health.

You don’t want to stop eating produce, so your best bet is to make sure and soak and wash everything you buy (even organic) –  before you eat it.

There are lots of produce washes you can purchase, or you can make your own using a homemade solution of vinegar and water or baking soda and water. 

Even washing in water is better than nothing.

In a study conducted by Scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, they found that water did a good job of removing 9 of the 12 pesticides they tested. 

3: Stress Levels

The last reason your test levels could be low is being OVERLY stressed. Too much stress has a really interesting connection to testosterone production.

We wish stress was something that we could have more control over, but let’s face it, stressors are ALL around us. 

We live in a crazy world that leaves us all on edge at times.

We are always on the go and trying to juggle 10 different things at one time.

Life is unpredictable and full of hurdles.

Unfortunately, studies are showing that being stressed out all the time takes a toll on testosterone levels.

One key discovery researchers found when studying stress and its impact on testosterone production is something called .. The Testosterone Suppression Response.

This centers around another hormone we all have and do not want to be too high .. and that is the stress hormone cortisol.

Essentially, science shows us that if your cortisol is too high, it can disrupt your body’s ability to even make testosterone, to begin with.

So you have to do everything you can to keep your stress levels managed! 

Focus on workout recovery, getting enough sleep, practice meditation/prayer, take up yoga. 

You may also want to look into supplementing with specific adaptogens.

We are about to give you some resources that will provide you with some science-backed herbs that could help with this… so keep reading!

HOW TO NATURALLY GIVE YOUR TEST A BOOST
We know hormones can be confusing. We hope this article cleared things up a little bit.

The thing you need to remember is that age doesn’t always dictate how healthy your hormones are, especially your testosterone. So if you are experiencing any of the issues we talked about .. giving your test a natural boost is worth looking into! 

Now that you have a better understanding of just how important testosterone is and the MANY ways yours could be low .. you are probably wondering what you can do to fix it without seeking what are most likely unnecessary creams and injections.

We created a supplement called TESTBOOST MAX that is packed with 8 natural herbs that scientists believe can help your body naturally enhance its own production of testosterone.  To find out more about TEST BOOST MAX click here.

SOURCES
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120623144944.htm (1a) 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17062768/ (1b)
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/90/2/712/2836604 (2)
http://europepmc.org/article/med/1778664 (3)
https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1462-8902.2004.00335.x (4)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3569090/ (5)
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-01/wkh-ldl011020.php (6)
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/parabens-cosmetics (7)
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm (8)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20381602/ (9)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19539684/ (10)
https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?Lab=NHEERL&dirEntryId=212273 (11)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/29/pesticides-everyday-products-toxics-guide (12)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8884416/ (13)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6240259/ (14)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23439798/ (15a)
https://blog.priceplow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/withania_review.pdf (15b)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16751992  (16)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3551978/  (17)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2917954/ (18)
https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Fact-Sheets/Analytical-Chemistry/Removal-of-Trace-Pesticide-Residues-from-Produce (washing produce)

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We are about to say something that may shock you.

It kinda goes against everything your parents probably told you growing up.

It is the opposite of what the food pyramid says.

It may even be  something different than what your diet coach or personal trainer has told you.

And that is .. You don’t have to EAT multiple servings of fruits and vegetables a day. 

What you need are the vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants these foods provide. 

But that doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to eat vegetables you hate with every meal, set aside a chunk of your daily carb allowance for multiple cups of fruit, or spend a fortune on a wide variety of organic produce.

We are NOT saying stop eating fruits and vegetables. You should prioritize whole foods and include them in your diet.

Think you are getting in enough? 

Think again.

When we saw the data of just how bad Americans are at eating enough produce .. we were blown away.

Most of us don’t even come close! Even those of us who eat a “clean” diet with our plates piled full of produce. 

We are going to give you those numbers in a second and explain how being undernourished can lead to a host of issues.

Believe it or not, not getting enough micronutrients could even be the main reason you aren’t seeing progress with your diet and training. 

If you struggle to eat enough of these foods, we also have a solution to tell you about. 

There is a beverage we have added to our daily routine and put in all of our client plans.

Vince put together a video above going over what makes this beverage more than a nutritional gap filler. He also talks about some other interesting ways it may help you reach your aesthetic goals. 

This special beverage we are talking about is, Sculpt Nation’s GREENS.  GREENS not only helps fill the nutritional gaps that could be holding you back from reaching your fitness goals, but it also has benefits that go beyond what any typical array of fruits and veggies could ever deliver.

GREENS can help .. 

• Improve digestion
• Diminish uncomfortable bloating
• Boost natural energy levels
• Support balanced pH levels (which is important for a bunch of things, including vitamin absorption)

It doesn’t take any planning or prep work, and you will actually enjoy the taste! 

Many of you are probably saying, go ahead and tell me more!  I know I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.

Or maybe you already drink a beverage that claims to help fill these gaps, but it tastes horrible. So, you are curious if there is really a greens beverage that doesn’t taste like dirt! 

But some of you may be tempted to click away. You think your daily salad, cup of broccoli, and banana is enough.

But hear us out .. we can guarantee .. you aren’t even close.

MOST AMERICANS ARE NUTRIENT DEPRIVED 

About 9 out of 10 of you reading this aren’t even close to giving your body the nutrients it needs.

According to the CDC, only 9 percent of adults meet the intake recommendations for vegetables, and only 12 percent eat enough fruit.

That number is alarming, but not really surprising when you look at just how much produce these health experts say we need to consume to be healthy.

Government dietary guidelines suggest adults eat anywhere from 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

They set a general recommendation of 10 full servings a day, but exactly how much you need depends on your age, gender, physical activity, and overall health.

If you continue to walk around undernourished, it will come with a cost to your health and your waistline!

Before we tell you about an easy solution, we want to tell you about a few ways that not getting in enough micronutrients could negatively affect you. 

CELLULAR BURNOUT

Being undernourished goes beyond being vital for your health. It could be why you aren’t reaching your fitness goals.

Yes, leafy greens are full of vitamins and minerals.

Yes, they are a good source of fiber (which keeps you feeling fuller longer.)

But have you ever heard of Cellular Burnout?

This happens when free radicals take over the body.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that can be produced in your body due to several factors. Most of which you have little control over … like pollutants in the air you breathe, or even pesticides used to help grow all that “healthy” produce you are eating.

When these free radicals are roaming through your body in excess, your cells become exhausted and STOP functioning properly. That is cellular burnout. 

It is important to avoid because our bodies are home to over 37 trillion cells that control everything we do! 

The health of your cells dictates the appearance of your hair and skin, determines your mood, impacts the gut, regulates metabolism, and more.

Have you noticed …

• You’ve not been feeling yourself lately.
• Your metabolism seems low, and it’s hard to burn fat no matter how healthy you eat or how hard you train.
• Your energy levels have tanked.
• Your joints ache.
• Your skin and hair aren’t as vibrant as they once were.

If any of these sound familiar, chances are your cells are damaged and in need of some serious repair.

The way to fight back against cellular burnout is to give your cells what they need to be optimal.

You do this by providing them good fuel through the wide variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.

You find these in quality, pesticide-free, fruits and vegetables. 

YOUR EXTERNAL GOALS START ON THE INSIDE

Cellular burnout from not eating enough micronutrients is only one way that being undernourished could destroy your physique. 

Not getting in enough micronutrients is no doubt the most significant issue holding most of our clients back when we first start working with them.

But once we fix this, usually by incorporating that simple daily beverage we’ve been talking about, they suddenly feel alive again!

Out of nowhere, they start seeing significant changes when they look in the mirror. Their stomachs are flatter, the fat starts coming off, and lean muscle starts to develop. 

How is this possible? 

How can your body composition change without adding in additional gym time or making drastic calorie drops? 

Simple .. 

You cannot expect your body to be it’s best physically or aesthetically .. if you aren’t fueling it properly. 

If you aren’t giving your body what it needs to be healthy on the inside 

you will never see the results you want on the outside! 

You will struggle with your lifts, continue to be exhausted all the time, have a sluggish digestive system, a slowed metabolism, and experience stalls and set-backs with weight-loss.

But if you fix this, by fueling your body with the nutrients it needs, we have no doubt you will end up like our clients.

Clients that tell us that  the pounds start to melt off .. their stomachs flatten .. they begin to see significant improvements in muscle mass … sleep better .. and even say they see improvements in work performance because they no longer have brain fog. 

Micronutrients matter .. more than you may realize!! 

MICRONUTRIENTS ARE CRUCIAL TO YOUR FITNESS GOALS

Maybe now you have a better idea of exactly WHY it is crucial to eat enough of these foods.

It goes much deeper than they are good for you. Not consuming them could be why you are stuck in your weight loss journey.

But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s hard, if not impossible, to consume the amount we need to achieve our goals. 

That is exactly why we started drinking one serving of GREENS every day to make sure we are getting ENOUGH. 

In some ways, this drink could actually be even better than whole foods because it contains superfoods most of us would never pick up at the supermarket.

Things like … spirulina, alfalfa grass, bitter melon, goji berries, rhodiola root, and much more! 

It even has a unique adaptogen blend of science-backed herbs shown to help fight inflammation and reduce stress, probiotics to keep your gut bacteria balanced, and a unique protein that you can’t find in fruits and vegetables, but is important for keeping your skin tight and joints healthy.

• It’s easy (no prep-work)
• It’s delicious (we guarantee you will want to drink it)
• It’s cost-effective (will only cost you just over a dollar a day.)

We would drink GREENS even if we figured out how to eat enough fruits and vegetables every day … because it goes WAY beyond filling nutritional gaps!!

BOTTOM LINE …

Your first priority, before you step foot in a gym or try to master following a meal plan or counting macros, is getting your body functioning properly on the inside.

If you are certain, you are eating 10 full servings of farm-fresh, pesticide-free fruits and veggies every single day….

If you are confident, you are getting enough variety by constantly rotating your fruits and vegetables ..

If you are already supplementing with inflammatory herbs like Turmeric, collagen for joint support, and probiotics for gut health ..

If you have the money to spend hundreds of dollars a month on produce ..

And if you enjoy preparing and eating that much food and your stomach can handle it without getting all distended and bloated …

Props to you .. you are doing great .. keep eating only whole foods!!

But if you are like over 90% of the world whose best efforts aren’t’ even coming close to cutting it … then you really should give GREENS a try. 

Even if you choose to not drink GREENS, we hope this article encourages you to figure out a way to get in the micronutrients your body MUST HAVE if you want to FEEL and LOOK your best!!

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