If your chest and triceps day is getting a little boring, you are struggling to grow, or you’ve just hit a muscle growth plateau, we’ve got a killer workout for you to try! It’s packed with the best chest exercises and triceps exercises, combined with a perfect balance of pump and volume to give your upper body that “shock” to kick it into growth!

Just remember: if you are looking to build your dream physique, it can’t be chest day every day! This workout may be the perfect way to start off the week, but it works even better as part of a complete, balanced training plan. 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

ULTIMATE CHEST & TRICEPS WORKOUT FOR MUSCLE GAINS

A. Incline dumbbell bench press 4 sets, 6-8 reps (rest 90 sec. between sets, single dropset after final set)
B. Alternating single-arm dumbbell flat bench press 4 sets, 12 reps (rest 1 min. between sets)
C. Incline cable chest fly 4 sets, 12 reps (rest 60 sec. between sets)
D. Pec deck or machine fly 4 sets 12 reps (rest 60 sec. between sets)
E. Rope triceps push-down 4 sets, 12 reps (rest 60 sec. between sets)
F. Incline EZ-bar skull crusher 4 sets, 12 reps per arm (rest 60 sec. between sets)
G. Cable single-arm cross-body extension 4 sets, 12 reps (no rest between sides or sets)

Most of the exercises should be familiar to anyone who celebrates International Chest Day on a regular basis, but here are a couple of pro tips from Vince to get the most out of every set. If you’re building up your little black book of training tips, also be sure to join our Facebook men’s group, packed with V Shred personal trainers and other dudes who geek out on this stuff every day.

Incline dumbbell bench press

Don’t flare your elbows completely out to the side on this exercise. That’s a common technique mistake that puts a lot of stress on the shoulder. Go down far enough to really feel the stretch in your chest on every rep, and then push up to feel the squeeze. Nail 6-8 no-doubt reps per set, then finish the last set by immediately lightening the weight by around 20 percent for a dropset.

Alternating single-arm dumbbell flat bench press

If you haven’t done these before, prepare yourself to be humbled! Keep the rest periods to 60 seconds on the dot, and expect to have to go far lighter than you would on a “normal” dumbbell bench.

Incline cable chest fly

Keep a soft bend in your elbows through every rep, and only lower the weight until it’s around parallel to the ground. That will keep the focus on your chest, and off of your vulnerable shoulder or elbow joints! Again, keep those rest periods strict!

Pec deck

Vince’s favorite cue here is to “lead with your elbows.” He advises, “don’t even think about what your hands are doing. Think about what your elbows are doing.” Focusing on bringing them together will help place more tension on your pecs and really burn out your chest to finish this portion of the workout.

Rope triceps push-down

Getting the most out of this staple triceps exercise is all about the set-up. “I like to take a step back away from the stack,” Vince advises. “There’s not much tension at the bottom if you’re too close. Step back, lock your elbows into place, and press your chest out as you press that weight down, squeezing your triceps at the bottom and bringing them up to right around 90 degrees on every rep.”

Incline EZ-bar skull crusher

Again, this is all about the set-up. Keep your elbows at around shoulder-width and no wider, and you’ll feel this right on your triceps without making your elbows cry mercy! Vince also performs each rep with the weight slightly behind his head to keep tension on the triceps throughout the full range of motion of the exercise.

Cable single-arm cross-body extension

This finisher will truly fry your tris! It’s simple but brutal: go straight from 12 reps on one arm to 12 reps on the other… and then back. That is one set. You WILL NOT REST before starting your next set. Go straight into the next one! Do this for all 4 sets, aiming for 12 reps for EVERY set. This will get really difficult with no rest, so you will likely need to lower your weight with each set. Go as low as you need to get in 12 reps from start to finish!

LIGHTER DOESN’T MEAN EASIER!

There are 7 exercises total in this workout: 4 for the chest and 3 for the triceps. The rest periods are all pretty short, so even though it’s 7 exercises, the entire workout should take 45 minutes to an hour to complete. As fatigue builds, you might need to rest as much as 2 minutes or more between exercises, so plan for an hour!

Just don’t forget to get in a solid warmup and/or do some warmup sets for each exercise first! Never jump into any lift with stiff and cold muscles.

Another thing Vince always does before hitting the gym to ensure he is making the most out of every workout is pound some SCULPT NATION PRE about 20-30 minutes before training. The ingredients in a pre can be especially helpful on a pump-chasing workout like this one!

BUILD YOUR CHEST IN THE GYM AND THE KITCHEN

Of course, this workout isn’t everything Vince is doing to grow his chest. He has to eat and supplement for his goals! If nutrition is what’s been blocking your gains, you can find out how to eat for your bulking goals using the macro calculator in the V Shred app for iOS or Android. You can even jump fully onboard the gains train by having one of our expert trainers build you a personalized custom meal plan to help you grow bigger, faster!  

If you are serious about putting on muscle mass you have to put just as much thought into what you do AFTER your workout as you do in the gym! And no, that doesn’t just end with your traditional post-workout protein shake (although that’s a great idea, of course).

Your body needs specific nutrients to recover after working out. POST WORKOUT by Sculpt Nation has them, in science-backed doses! 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.

If you are serious about putting on size and are looking for a new full body program, check out Vince’s best-selling CLEAN BULK program.  

The post The Ultimate Workout for a Bigger Chest & Triceps appeared first on V Shred.

We all come in different shapes and sizes, referred to as our body type.

You can be healthy or unhealthy with any body type. Just because you are “skinny” doesn’t mean you are healthy, and just because you are “curvy” or “big-boned” doesn’t mean you are unhealthy.

But the shape of your body can be telling of your overall health and how easily you can lose weight, put on muscle, and get in better shape. 

This body type theory originated way back in the 1940s by a psychologist and scientist named William Sheldon. His research determined there are three body types based on bone structure and body composition.

• Endomorphs
• Mesomorphs
• Ectomorphs

There are no doubt outside factors that contribute to your body type, such as lifestyle, gender, age, and even hormones. But Sheldon concluded that body types are mainly inherited (genetic.)

Because of this, reaching weight loss and fitness goals may be achieved faster and easier using an individualized diet and exercise plan that is BEST for your genetics. 

No, you can’t change your genetics or bone structure, but you do have some control over changing your body type! It’s not necessarily fixed. Research has shown that diet and training can influence your body type, allowing you to transform over time.

No matter your shape, size, or genetics —  you can achieve the health and fitness goals you desire. You just may need to eat and train in a specific way that will help you work with your body, rather than against it.

Today we are focusing on the ENDOMORPH body type.

This body type is known to be the hardest to have in terms of managing your weight and overall fitness. We will tell you how to know if you have an endomorph body type and the best way to eat and train to achieve the best results. 

WHAT IS AN ENDOMORPH BODY TYPE

If you find yourself to be more round and on the heavier side, hold on to more body fat than muscle, tend to gain weight fast and lose it slowly, and/or weight loss has been a struggle most of your life — you are likely an endomorph.

Here are a few key traits of ENDOMORPHS:

• High levels of body fat
• Big-boned, stocky, wide, or curvy
• Round or apple shaped
• Wide waist and hips
• Shorter arms and legs
• Can’t “get away” with overeating or eating whatever you want
• Trouble losing and/or keeping weight off
• Puts on weight or muscle easier in the lower half of the body 
• Can develop strength much easier than losing fat
• A slower metabolism

If you are an endomorph, that doesn’t automatically mean you are less healthy than other body types, but it does mean that you may have to work a little harder to lose excess body fat. 

Endomorphs may also benefit from supplementing with quality thermogenics that can help boost the metabolism and aid in helping burn stubborn fat faster and easier.

WHAT TYPE OF DIET IS BEST FOR AN ENDOMORPH

Endomorphs often need to be a little bit more strict with their diet than other body types, and because of a potential overproduction of insulin, the endomorph body type likely doesn’t manage carbs as well as the other body types.

In short, this means if you are an endomorph, you may function best by eating high protein, moderate to high fat, and lower carbs. 

That is NOT to say you should avoid carbs if you are an endomorph! You just need to be mindful of how many calories come from carbs and focus on eating whole-grain fiber filled carbs instead of refined ones. 

Some examples of these types of carbs include:

• Sweet potatoes
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Beans
• Oats
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Low/Moderate GI Fruits

You can see the best calorie range and macro breakdown for an endomorph body type by using the macro calculator in the V Shred app for iOS or Android.

In addition to a higher protein and lower carb diet, some excellent supplements for endomorphs include:

• A quality thermogenic to help give boost the metabolism
• A nighttime thermogenic to keep fat burn going virtually 24/7
• A pre-workout to help bring intensity and extra calorie burn to workouts
• Turmeric to help speed up recovery time and aid in fat burn

To take out all the guesswork of which supplements are best for an Endomorph and get the best bang for your buck, you may want to look into going with a Fat Loss Stack — like this one.

WHAT TYPE OF EXERCISE IS BEST FOR AN ENDOMORPH

If you are an endomorph, it is key to include a proper weight training program that will help you build more calorie-burning muscle. You will also need to include a little more high-intensity cardio than other body types.

Don’t let this discourage you! It’s still totally possible to reach your goals in a healthy, sustainable, and timely manner — you just need to be strategic. 

For endomorphs, some research concludes that it is most beneficial to include compound exercises and circuit style training.

Compound exercises utilize several muscle groups at once.  Some compound exercise examples include:

• Deadlifts
• Squats
• Pushups
• Bench Press
• Lunges

Circuit training isn’t a specific exercise; it’s a training style where you use short but intense bouts of exercise routines with very brief resting periods in-between.

Doing your workouts “circuit style” gets your heart rate up higher than other training styles. The higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn – which is vital for endomorphs! 

Being an endomorph means you have low muscle mass, so you CANNOT neglect resistance training!! But because fat loss is a priority for the endomorph body type, you will need to prioritize cardio.

Any cardio is better than none, but the best cardio for an endomorph is said to be HIIT (high-intensity interval training.) 

Here are a few examples of short HIIT cardio workouts that are perfect for beginners but can also be adapted to all fitness levels. 

The V Shred programs Fat Loss Extreme for Women or Fat Loss Extreme for Men are  great examples of this combo of training and cardio.

ARE YOU AN ENDOMORPH?

One of the best ways to determine your body type is to look in the mirror and, without judgment, give yourself a good honest look. 

That said, our eyes can play tricks on us, making it hard to decipher what we really see in the mirror. Some people can even fall into two different body types.

That is why we created a FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ that anyone can take that will help you determine what body type you have.

It’s only a few questions; you get your results instantly and will even be given free tips for the ideal workout style and diet for your lifestyle and goals!

You can take it HERE! 

WHAT IF YOU AREN’T AN ENDOMORPH?!

Make sure and check the blog over the next couple of weeks! We are going to talk in-depth about the other two body types – Mesomorph and Ectomorph! 

The post The Influence Body Type Has On Weight Loss appeared first on V Shred.

Renae – V Shred Member

Renae is a wife and full-time mom of four with a very demanding career. She could have easily used “busy” as an excuse to keep scrolling when she saw a V Shred advertisement pop up on her social media, but something about our unique approach to “dieting” caught her eye.

“I was interested in the fact that I could still eat carbs and do the carb cycling, and that was really an important part to me,” remembers Renae. 

After reading, Renae says she felt encouraged that there might actually be a program out there that she could stick to! So she instantly purchased the V Shred exercise and diet program that our fitness quiz said was best for her goals and body type.

Then she did something VITAL to her overall success in the program. It’s one of our biggest fit tips and something most people skip and later regret not doing!

Nope, she didn’t rush to buy supplements or feel pressured to join a fancy gym. Our programs don’t require either of those things!

The first thing Renae did to set herself up for success didn’t cost a single penny!! 

She set out to discover her unique why.

“When I started the program, I was kinda like, what am I really working towards. A couple weeks in, I decided I want to feel good wearing a bathing suit,” says Renae.

We teach our clients how to “find your why” because it’s vital to successfully reach your short and long-term health and fitness goals. 

Renae was off to a good start with discovering hers but needed to dig a little bit deeper than wanting to confidently wear a swimsuit. 

“I was in a size 8 or 10, and they were tight on me.  I didn’t feel good about them. I’d look down and see rolls of whatever and was like, I don’t like the way I look. I just wanted to feel like I looked good again.”

That still wasn’t specific enough. Renae knew there was more, and after further soul searching — it finally clicked!

Renae realized it had been a long time since she saw a picture of herself and had something positive to say! Right then and there, she knew her why and the goal she needed to set to keep herself motivated. 

“I booked a vacation, and I called the resort ahead of time and I booked a professional photographer to take pictures while I was there.”

She also kept her bikini on display as a constant visual reminder of her why and the time-stamped goal only a few months away! 

“I hung my bathing suit on the mirror, and every morning I’d get up and do my workouts,” says Renae. 

Renee established her clear why, set a big goal, and visualized her goal self early in the program. Important psychological steps that helped Renae lose 22 pounds after just one round of Toned In 90 Days!

That is an impressive amount of weight to lose in only 3 months, but seeing a lower number on the scale isn’t what wowed Renae the most. What she really noticed was the calorie-burning lean muscle she gained!

“I think that was the big difference for me. By putting on that muscle, all the fat just started melting off,” says Renae. 

Lean muscle changed the shape of her body so much that there were times Renae says she didn’t even recognize herself! 

“There was a time in the gym I was walking by a mirror and looked over, and I thought, oh who is that and I went oh my goodness that’s me. When you start to make a lot of changes, your mind doesn’t quite catch up sometimes to how fast your body changes on this program.”

Renae went on her goal vacation and, at 43 years young, confidently rocked that bikini photoshoot. 

The pictures speak for themselves…. Renae looks INCREDIBLE!!

But what does Renae think? Was she able to reach her ultimate goal of looking at pictures of herself and liking what she sees?

“When I got these pictures back, I was floored that I liked pictures of me, and I was floored about the way I knew I felt inside when I was doing those,” smiles Renae.

Renae even printed her favorite photos and put them on display! So now, instead of a bikini hanging on her mirror, she has pictures of herself wearing it that serve as motivation moving forward.

“I never want to go back to how I felt before V Shred. I want to feel like this as far forward as I can feel this way,” says Renae. 

Aside from changing the shape of her body and reaching her confidence goals, Renae says something else really cool happened while doing Toned In 90 Days. 

Despite the addition of daily exercise, meal prep, and everything else that comes with living a healthy lifestyle —  her busy days ended up feeling much less demanding!! 

“I felt good and wasn’t tired. I just feel healthier now. It’s just a complete difference from what I felt before. I was in a better mood and I even felt like I had more time because I was getting things done faster.”

Like all of our clients that have success with our programs, Renae says now that she knows what it feels like to be healthy, happy, and confident — she will never go back to her old ways! 

“I never want to go back to how I felt before V Shred. I want to feel like this as far forward as I can feel this way.”

Thank you, Renae, for trusting us to help you reach 

such a big goal and for sharing your story!

You are such an inspiration!!

If you are reading right now and are … 

• Uncertain if you have the time to get started?! 
• Not sure if you are capable of seeing results like Renae achieved?! 
• Don’t know how to discover your why?!
• Are scared to set big goals out of fear of failure?! 

Renae has two main pieces of advice for you! 

First, she wants people to know that V shred is not too good to be true or like many quick fix programs out there. She says she is proof that our programs work as long as YOU do! 

“I hope other people can see that it works and have the courage to do it because it’s life-changing. They just need to take the first step, and as soon as they see results, they are never gonna want to quit.” 

Her second piece of advice is probably geared a little more toward the ladies, and that is — don’t be intimidated or hesitant to pick up the weights!!!

“As a woman, ya know, I think a lot of girls shy away from it but don’t be afraid to get in there and really lift some weight.” 

And if you want to get started on YOUR journey to being our next V Shred testimony, it’s best to get started where all of our most successful clients do — by taking our BODY TYPE QUIZ! 

It’s free for everyone (even if you aren’t a V Shred member) ..  only 6 questions .. tells you your body type in seconds  … and then gives you the best ways you should exercise and eat based on your genetics!

We can’t wait to help you step into your own unique greatness through living a healthy and fit lifestyle! 

Renae’s Case Study is the story of Renae’s unique experience with V Shred and her weight loss and fitness journey.  Her results are uniquely her and this Case Study is a detailed presentation of Renae’s decision making and use of V Shred products and programs. There is no assurance that your personal experience will be similar to hers.

The post V Shred Review: Busy mom of four loses 22 pounds in 90 Days appeared first on V Shred.

Amy’s Case Study is the story of Amy’s unique V Shred review and experience with her weight loss and fitness journey.  Her results are uniquely her and this Case Study is a detailed presentation of Amy’s decision making and use of V Shred products and programs. There is no assurance that your personal experience will be similar to hers.

Amy’s V Shred Review – Fat Loss Extreme Program

We love sharing our clients’ transformation stories and V Shred reviews from our customers! Many have lost 50, 75, even 100 plus pounds after doing the V Shred program. So when you see that someone lost 17 pounds, it may not initially sound like very much.

But once you hear Amy’s emotional story — you will understand just how remarkable her transformation is! 

Actually, no matter who you are or what your backstory is, any amount of weight loss is worth celebrating. You shouldn’t base “success” via a number on the scale, and our client Amy is just one example of that! 

We know you will be  inspired by her emotional story of bouncing back after a drunk driver almost took her life and be motivated by how V Shred helped her achieve things she never thought were possible. 

Amy’s Emotional V Shred Review and Transformation Story

You wouldn’t know by looking at her now, but 19 years ago, Amy’s body was so shattered that doctors didn’t think she would live, let alone walk again. 

“In 2002, I was walking down the road and was hit by a drunk driver.  I went to the hospital, and they didn’t know if they would be able to save my life,” says Amy. 

In the blink of an eye, Amy’s life forever changed. She suffered both life-changing and life-threatening injuries.

“My right leg was broken in three places, left leg broken in five. Both ankles were broken. My pelvis was cracked in three places. I was a mess.” 

Before surgeons could even think about saving her legs, Amy had to be rushed into emergency open-heart surgery to repair a torn aorta.

Once doctors successfully repaired her heart, the lengthy process of saving her legs began, but Amy says doctors weren’t optimistic.

“I had two inches of bone gone out of my right leg. So the doctors didn’t think I’d be able to walk,” remembers Amy.

Doctors also told Amy that she wouldn’t be able to have kids. But this remarkable woman beat all odds!

Not only did Amy walk again, she recently completed one of our most challenging workout programs — with her two kids sweating by her side! 

That’s right, despite the doctor’s predictions, Amy not only survived and walked again, but she also had two children who are now ages 15 and 7 and love doing V Shred workouts with her! 

“That is a blessing in itself,” says Amy. 

Amy no doubt has a remarkable survival story, but let’s rewind to before she discovered V Shred and what motivated her to get started on her post-accident health journey.

Being given a second chance at life will undoubtedly make you grateful for your health, but the after-effects of Amy’s injuries limited her physical abilities. Add to that two pregnancies, and it eventually took a toll on Amy’s body. 

“I was very unhappy with myself and what I saw in the mirror every day. I don’t know how severely I was overweight, but I know I was overweight. I would get winded and tired and wouldn’t want to keep up with my son, who is at lightning speed all of the time,” recalls Amy. 

Amy wanted to get in shape, but most workout programs required exercises she wasn’t able to do physically, so she focused on her diet but didn’t have success with any fad she tried. 

“I’ve tried every diet that there was. Nothing seemed to work,” says Amy. 

Then her husband stumbled upon V Shred and looked at some V Shred reviews online. 

Not only did our approach to dieting look different from anything she had tried in the past — the exercise program our free body type quiz suggested was best for her goals and body type was adaptable to her fitness level and could be done from home — without heavy weights or gym equipment! 

“There are so many exercises that I physically can not do. So just being able to pause and put on hold and do half in the morning and half in the evening so I could build up strength and could potentially do the workouts,” says Amy.

Of course, Amy was hesitant but says she thought, “what the heck” and signed up. 

Within days Amy noticed a difference and became a believer! 

“I lost 4.5 pounds. Just seeing that progress, I thought, wow, if I keep this up and keep doing this, I’m going to lose even more, and I have. It’s been such a great experience.”

Amy completed one round of Fat Loss Xtreme and, at the end of 90 days, lost a total of 17 pounds.

“It’s amazing how it takes little effort to actually see progress. I know I wouldn’t be as fit if I didn’t have V Shred because of the ability to make it my own. It has helped. It’s helped so much.” says Amy

But even more significant to Amy than the number on the scale was being able to workout and the knowledge she gained surrounding nutrition and creating a healthy lifestyle..

“I didn’t know how to do my calories. I would just eat whatever. I didn’t understand a calorie deficit to lose weight. That isn’t something anyone knows. Once I figured that out, that was huge,” says Amy. 

With every rep, every set, every breath, Amy is no doubt defying the odds! 

Your struggles and backstory may not be as extreme as Amy’s, but no matter why you’ve found yourself out of shape or staring in the mirror unhappy with your reflection, getting started and not giving up isn’t easy 

Amy says that while she had support from her husband, children, and our coaches and customers in our private Facebook community, at the end of the day, it was up to her to get up every morning and do her workouts and make healthy choices. 

 “Everything is up to you. If you want it hard enough and you work for it, you’re gonna get it.” 

So for anyone reading this, wanting to make a change but hesitant to sign up, the words of encouragement Amy has for you are the same she was given by Coach Jake — one of our team members active in our private client-only online support community. 

“I would use his words because they struck me to the core. This isn’t a 30, 60, 90-day plan. You won’t get there overnight. You have to work for it and want it. If you want lasting success, you have to do something different.” says Amy. 

For Amy, V Shred was her different, and it worked — and she says if you want it bad enough, she knows it will work for you too! 

“Just try it. You won’t be disappointed. You will not,”

If you want to get started on your transformation story, you can begin in the same place Amy did by taking our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ! 

It’s only six questions, you get your results instantly and are given the top three things you need to do in terms of diet, cardio, and exercise — to get results faster and easier based on your goals and unique body type! 

A big thanks to Amy for sharing her emotional story! We are so honored that you trust V Shred to help you reach your health and fitness goals and can’t wait to see what’s next for you! Keep crushing it! 

The post V Shred Review: “A drunk driver almost took my life, I survived and then transformed my body with V Shred!” appeared first on V Shred.

Today we are talking about a muscle many don’t think about – the forearms! Even if massive forearms aren’t your goal —  it’s still important to strengthen these muscles!

Strong forearms increase your grip strength – a strong grip will help you have more upper body strength – more upper body strength means better lifts – better lifts means bigger gains!!

See the domino effect? If you lack forearm strength, your ability to build strength in other parts of your body will undoubtedly  suffer! 

So yeah….

Your forearms may be more important than you ever realized!

If you have a solid full-body training program, your forearms probably get hit a decent amount.

But if you are looking to grow this muscle or need better grip strength, you probably need to throw in a little extra accessory work! 

Today we are giving you The 5 Best Exercises For Bigger Forearms, plus three bonus exercises that are great for grip strength! 

Before we dive in, we want to make sure you understand there is no need to have a dedicated day you work your forearms. Put emphasis on doing plenty of compound exercises. Then pick and choose a few of these exercises and throw them in at the end of an upper-body or accessory day!

You have to always keep your overall training plan in mind, which should be based on your goals and body type. If you need some help with that, we have a Free Body Type Quiz that will tell you what you need to do in the gym and kitchen based on your goals and genetics. Check it out! It’s only six questions, and you get your results within minutes! 

No matter your quiz results, these are some great exercises to throw into ANY plan if you want to have better grip strength and build your forearms!

We will start off with five of our favorite forearm exercises, then at the end, we will give you three bonus exercises that focus more on grip strength.

Because remember what we said earlier … one of the best ways to build your forearms is to make them stronger and one proven way to do that is to develop your grip strength. 

If you aren’t sure how to execute any of these exercises, we filmed a video that walks you through each one! We suggest watching it to ensure you are using proper form! 

Exercise One: Forearm Curls

First up, we will hit the big meaty part of your forearm! The best way to do that is with some wrist flexion!

You will probably be able to go a little heavier for these. Try somewhere in the 20-40 pound range. 

• Sit with your feet on the floor. 
• Grab a heavy dumbbell and grip it really tight. 
• Place your elbow and topside of your forearm (palm up) on your thigh, allowing your wrist to hang off your knee.
• Allow your wrist to very slowly drop down all the way to get as much of a stretch as possible!
• Don’t ease up on your grip! Keep it tight! Then slowly drive your palm up towards your elbow as far as you can and squeeze your forearm. 
• Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets. 

Tips

• Focus on time under tension! Go really slow! Do not just pump out reps! 
• Do not loosely hold the weight! Squeeze tight!! 

Exercise Two: Wrist Extensions

This exercise targets more of the top side of your forearm. People tend to focus on the under meaty side, but don’t forget to isolate the top! It plays a significant role in how big your forearms look!

You will need to grab a much lighter weight for this one, probably around 50% less than what you used for the forearm curls. This is because your forearms fatigue much faster with wrist extension than flexion. 

• Sit with your feet on the floor. 
• Grab a light dumbbell and grip it really tight. 
• Place the bottom side of your forearm (palm down) on your thigh, allowing your wrist to hang off your knee as far as you can. You want to get a good stretch in the top of your forearm. 
• Drive the weight up slowly as high as you can and squeeze. 
• Don’t ease up on your grip! Keep it tight! Slowly lower the weight.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets. 

Tips

• Focus on time under tension! Go slow! 
• Do not loosely hold the weight! Squeeze tight!! 
• Don’t go too heavy!! Use a weight where you can control both the eccentric and concentric portion of the lift! 

Exercise Three: Overhand Curls

The first two exercises are great staples for wrist flexion and wrist extension. These last three work a muscle most don’t associate with being part of the forearm: the brachioradialis. 

The brachioradialis is the muscle that flexes the forearm at the elbow. To give you a visual, it’s the muscle you see pop out when you “flex” your forearm. 

Most people think of the bicep with any type of curl, but that isn’t always true. Your grip can change a lot! With overhand curls, of course, the bicep will get hit, but because your palms are facing down, your forearms get a lot of isolation! 

• Grab an EZ Curl Bar
• Hold at shoulder-width apart with palms down. 
• Grip tightly and keep your elbows tucked in.
• Curl the bar up and squeeze your forearms at the top.
• Slowly lower.
• Repeat for desired number of sets and reps.

Tips

• You will feel this in your biceps; that’s fine! But if done correctly, it does a great job at isolating the brachioradialis. 
• Focus on time under tension! Slow down!
• Do not loosely hold the weight! Squeeze tight!! 

Exercise Four: Hammer Curls 

This is another exercise that people only associate with biceps, but when done correctly, it will also do a great job at hitting the brachioradialis. 

• Grab some dumbbells that are heavy but light enough that you remain controlled and do not use momentum.
• Get into a nice strong position (elbows slightly forward.) 
• Grip the dumbbells really HARD with your arms by your side and palms facing each other. 
• Curl the weight up (remaining in this neutral position the entire time) and squeeze your forearms at the top. 
• Slowly lower, but do not lock out your elbows.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets. 

Tips

• It’s okay if you feel it in your biceps! Just focus on squeezing your forearm at the top and going slow! 
• Make sure your grip remains neutral from beginning to end.
• Don’t flare out your elbows! Keep them tucked in by your sides.
• Don’t lock your elbows out at the bottom. 

Exercise Five: Zottman Curls

We are ending with a unique exercise you may have never done before! It’s another curl that hits the brachioradialis and forces you to use time under tension!

It is a hybrid style curl where you start with one hand position and switch to another hand position on the way down. So pay attention to the details! 

• Grab some dumbbells that are heavy but light enough that you remain controlled and do not use momentum.
• Get into a nice strong position (elbows slightly forward.) 
• Grip the weight really HARD with your palms facing up (wrists supinated.)
• Curl the weight up, and at the top, rotate your wrists to a palms-down position (wrists pronated.)
• Lower the weight slowly in this pronated position. 
• Switch hand position back to palms up and repeat this process for the desired number of sets of reps! 

Tips

• Make sure you are lowering slowly! It’s on the way down that you are hitting the forearm! 
• Don’t pause or lock your elbows out at the bottom. 
• Don’t flare out your elbows! Keep them tucked in by your sides.

3 BONUS EXERCISES (for grip strength)

Developing grip strength really just comes down to holding something HEAVY for an extended period! 

Here are our three favorite ways to develop grip strength. 

1: Dumbbell Hold – It can’t get any more simple than this. Just grab some REALLY HEAVY dumbbells. Hold them down by your sides until you give out. Rest and repeat for a few rounds! 

2: Farmer’s Carry – Grab two heavy weights … and we mean heavy .. really heavy! Safely pick them up from the ground and bring them to your sides with your palms facing your hips. Drop and pin back your shoulder blades, keep good posture, brace your core, and walk as far as you can. If you made it more than a couple hundred yards, you need a heavier load. These work not only your forearms and grip – but also your neck, shoulders, back, abs, legs, and glutes! Just don’t forget that the key is going HEAVY. 

3: Bar Hang – Another self-explanatory one! Just head to a pull-up bar or any bar you can hang from … hang and hold your body weight as long as you can! Drop, rest, repeat for a few rounds! 

FOR BIGGER FOREARMS

Try adding a few of the above exercises and at least one grip strength exercise on an upper-body or accessory day. 

Yes, these are super simple exercises, but if done correctly, we promise they are extremely effective for building your forearms (with the bonus of some bicep work if you pick those last three.) 

Always remember, you don’t have to get super creative when weight training. Simple exercises usually work the best no matter what muscle you are working, including your forearms! 

After you’ve thrown these into your workout routine for a few weeks, come back and let us know what you think in the comment section!  And while you’re there, let us know if you have a favorite grip strength or forearm exercise!! We love hearing your suggestions! 

The post 5 Best Exercises For Bigger Forearms + 3 Bonus Grip Strength Exercises appeared first on V Shred.

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What is it they say about variety? That it’s the spice of life? We 100% agree!

But when it comes to your gym life — it depends. 

You have to be strategic, and today we are going to help you with that!  We have SIX BENT OVER ROW VARIATIONS for you to add to your exercise library.

For most, exercise variety is great! 

• Variation helps keep you motivated! 
• Mixing things up prevents burnout! 
• Changes can be beneficial for pushing past a plateau!
• Trying new movements expands your exercise knowledge! 

But if you are looking to get bigger or stronger — constantly changing your programming may not be the best idea! 

The keyword is constantly! Everyone needs some sort of change from time-to-time to avoid adaptation.

Here are 10 ideas to help keep your body from hitting a plateau that may be hard to break …. 

• Change your sets or reps.
• Increase or decrease your load.
• Try a different intensity.
• Add in, take away, or change your style of cardio.
• Change your tempo (pauses, etc.)
• Increase or decrease rest times.
• Change your workout schedule/training split.
• Incorporate supersets or clusters.
• Try all new exercises.
• Perform the exercises in your plan in a different way. 

If growth or strength is your goal, your training program should mainly consist of basic (but effective) staple exercises that change based on your progress, goals, and training phase, and hypertrophy should be achieved mainly through those first eight suggestions above! 

You can still incorporate new exercises or your current exercises in a different way,  but they need to fit into your overall plan and have a specific purpose.

Constant confusion IS NOT ideal … 

But a little strategic confusion could be beneficial!

One of the best ways to be strategic with muscle confusion when you are trying to grow or get stronger is to take an exercise you already have in your plan and make a slight adjustment. Which is exactly what you can do with the SIX BENT OVER ROW VARIATIONS we are showing you today. 

You can find step-by-step instructions and tips below! But if you are more of a visual learner, or want to ensure you are doing them correctly, check out this instructional video we filmed!

6 BENT OVER ROW VARIATIONS FOR A BIGGER BACK 

The first three variations only use dumbbells which makes them great if you workout from home, travel, or go to a gym with limited equipment. 

They are all dumbbell rows, but each is slightly different and serves a unique purpose!

VARIATION ONE: Bent Over Two Arm Dumbbell Row

This is a back-day staple for most. We include it in our variation list because many people workout from home or only have access to a gym with limited equipment and need dumbbell-only ideas for back day!

But also because many people perform this row variation with poor form and end up recruiting more traps or arms.  We want to help make sure if you are doing it, you are doing it right!

How To:

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and weights by your side. 
• Hinge at the hips, so your back is almost parallel to the ground.
• Brace your core, engage your glutes, keep your spine neutral. 
• You will stay in this position for all reps. 
• Perform your row by driving your elbows back first and then squeeze up.
• Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips To Consider:

• Use moderate to light weight. Your goal is to hit the lats hard. Lowering the weight will help ensure you maintain proper tempo, use less momentum, and ONLY recruit your lats. 
• Do not row the weight up into your chest! Drive your elbows back and up.
• Try this exercise as a super-set with a pushing movement! 

VARIATION TWO: Bent Over Single-Arm Dumbbell Row 

This exercise is very similar to variation one, except you will be using a bench for support and only rowing one arm at a time. 

Throwing in unilateral movements is important to ensure you are hitting each side of your body equally. If you don’t currently have any unilateral exercises in your plan, you should!

How To:

• Place your right knee and right arm on a flat bench.
• Grab a DB with your left hanging arm. 
• Brace your core and keep your spine neutral. 
• You will stay in this position for all reps on the right side. 
• Perform the row by driving your left elbow back and then drive it up and squeeze your lats at the top. 
• Slowly lower and repeat for the desired number of reps.
• Switch sides and repeat.

Tips To Consider:

• Same as the two-arm row. Keep the weight moderate to light. 
• Do not row the weight up into your chest!!!! Drive elbows BACK and then UP!
• To not overly recruit your biceps, reduce elbow flexion to isolate lats.

VARIATION THREE: Chest Supported Dumbbell Row

This is another dumbbell variation with a bench, but you will put the bench at a slight incline and use it for chest support! 

The back is a large muscle, and sometimes people attempt to use a load that is way too heavy. This usually results in swinging or using the legs for momentum

When your chest is supported, it takes out all momentum and is all muscle! You get to focus on what’s most important — tempo and time under tension!

How To:

• Place a bench at a slight incline.
• Put your dumbbells on the floor next to the top of the bench, or hold them in each hand as you approach the bench.
• Straddle the bench and rest your chest on the angled portion of the bench. 
• Plant your feet firmly on the ground.
• Allow your arms to hang straight downwards with your palms facing toward one another and pull your shoulders down.  
• Row the dumbbells up towards the ribcage by pulling your elbows back and up and squeeze your lats. 
• Slowly lower and repeat for the desired number of reps, 

Tips To Consider:

• Similar form tips as above. Your elbows should drive straight back along your body and not flared out to the sides.  
• Use LIGHTER weight. Without ANY momentum, you will likely only be able to do about 50% of the normal weight you do for variation one. 
• Rest only your chest and torso on the bench, not your neck or head. Your head and neck should be over the top of the bench.
• Keep your head/neck neutral at all times.
• As you lift, your upper chest will probably slightly lift up off the pad. This is fine. Just keep your spine neutral! 

VARIATION FOUR: Standing Cable Low Row 

This row variation hits your lats at a lower angle and is great for people who have a hard time with the elbow back and up movement. With the cable pulley down low, once you stand back, the back and up movement is a little more natural. 

You can use any handle you have available at your gym. If you use a straight bar, we suggest an overhand (pronated) grip for better lat isolation. You can also use an EZ curl bar with an underhand (supinated) grip, but be aware that you will recruit a little more bicep performing them this way.

We also really like using a rope. With a rope, you can use a neutral position, which is great for lat contraction!  It also allows you to go out and around your hips. 

How To:

• Lower cable pulley to the very bottom.
• Hold a straight bar with an overhand grip. 
• Facing the machine, step back away from the machine.
• Keep your chest out and get a full stretch in your lats. 
• Get in a similar stance as row variation one.
• Drive the weight DOWN and into your belly button!

Tips To Consider:

• Do not pull toward your chest. Pull to your belly button, 
• Do not flare your elbows out. 
• Try out a variety of handles and grips. 

VARIATION FIVE: Inverted Row

This is a bodyweight-only exercise, but don’t let that fool you! It is VERY DIFFICULT, especially if added in as a back day finisher! 

It’s also a great back day warm-up and perfect for anybody working on developing their pull-up strength.  

You would typically use a smith machine/squat rack for this exercise, which is how we describe below, but if your gym has rings or a TRX system, those are also great options!

How To:

• Set the bar to around waist height when standing. You want the bar set just high enough to allow your arms to fully extend in  the hanging position.  
• Position yourself underneath the bar face up.
• Grab the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Let yourself “hang,” and then step your legs straight out and plant your heels on the ground. Your body should be in a straight line.
• Keep your core and glutes tight and contracted. 
• Pull yourself up to the bar until your lower chest touches the bar.
• Squeeze and push your chest out.
• Slowly lower yourself back down.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps. 

Tips To Consider:

• Focus on full range of motion!!
• You won’t be able to drive your elbow down and pull up to the belly button as we would typically advise. You still want to focus on having your elbows down at an angle, but your elbows won’t be completely tucked like they are with a DB or cable row. 
• If this is too difficult, try raising the bar up so that your body is at more of a 45-degree angle when you lean back.
• Another way to make this movement  easier is to bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. 
• Try this as a warm-up, finisher, or in a super-set with a weighted exercise. 

VARIATION SIX: Meadows Row 

The Meadows Row was made popular and named after the famous bodybuilder John Meadows. You may have also heard it called a — Landmine Row, Single Arm T-Bar Row, or Perpendicular Landmine Row. 

Whatever you wanna call it, we love it!  It is unilateral, allows for a more significant elbow-out arm path, provides extra range of motion, and is great for grip strength!

It seems that a lot of people don’t know about this row variation, and we’ve noticed those that do tend to use bad form. A few weeks ago, we filmed a video on back thickness where we go into even more detail on how to do the Meadows Row with proper form. You can check it out HERE if you want!

How To:

• Position a barbell wedged into the corner of a wall. You can also use a landmine attachment if you have access to one.
• Load the bar using small plates.
• Get into a split stance position.
• Grab the end of the barbell with an overhand grip.
• Rest your non-working arm on your front leg for support. 
• Hinge forward, slightly turn your body and get your hip as high as possible.
• Row the weight up, out, and away from your body.
• Stop and squeeze when your elbow is at the midline of your body.
• Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
• Switch and do the same number of reps on the other side. 

Tips To Consider:

• Whatever leg is stepped back (the side you are working) make sure you really focus on driving that hip upwards for a better stretch in your lat. 
• Use smaller plates. Large plates restrict full range of motion. 
• Do not arch through your spine or let your back “rotate.”
• If you feel this movement in your arms more than your back, try adjusting your grip.

We hope you found this video helpful

and it helps you spice up your next back day!! 

If you want to hit your lats a little differently, swap your current row variation for one of these!

Or, if you are looking for more lat-focused movements, pick a few from the list and add them to your current program!

But don’t forget that including variations like these to bust past plateaus or cure boredom should be pretty low on your list of priorities if your goal is to build a BIGGER BACK! 

Actually, no matter your goal, your first priority should always be finding a training program and diet that best matches your goals and genetics. 

That is if you want the fastest and easiest results!!

We have a FREE QUIZ that can help you out with this. It’s only six questions. You get your results instantly and are given the three most important things you can do to get real results fast!! 

You can check it out HERE whenever you get a chance! 

The post 6 New Row Variations To Try On Back Day appeared first on V Shred.

If your shoulder is bothering you and you aren’t sure why or how to find relief, you’re in the right place!

We’ve teamed up with a performance expert doctor for a really cool 6-part blog and video series called FIX YOUR BODY!

Today, we are focusing on SHOULDER PAIN!

If you do a lot of manual labor or hit the gym hard, you most likely have at least one part of the body that causes you some sort of discomfort.

Even if these pinches, aches, and pains seem minor or come and go —  it’s important to not brush them off.

Getting to the root of your muscle or joint pains and correcting them can not only prevent injury but can also make your workouts more effective! 

If your pain is muscle or joint related, you probably won’t need to see a doctor or therapist in most cases.

With the right expert guiding you, many body pains can be pinpointed and fixed at home!

We may know a lot about health and fitness here at V Shred and Sculpt Nation, but we aren’t doctors specializing in muscle and joint pains. So we called in performance physical therapist Dr. Zaki Afzal to help us out with this 6-part series.

Each week, Dr. Afzal offers his expertise as we work our way down the body to address the most common reasons people experience body pains and how you can correct them at home in an educated, safe, and simple way!

In Episode One, Dr. Afzal went over a few reasons people have neck pain and how to find relief at home! If you missed it, you can watch it HERE!

It was interesting to hear him explain why the source of most neck pain isn’t even in the neck! Everything is connected, so it makes sense that WHY you hurt isn’t always WHERE you hurt. 

The same goes for pain and stiffness in the shoulders. As you will learn today, when your shoulders hurt, the issue probably doesn’t even originate in the shoulder itself. 

Before we go over 3 reasons you could be experiencing shoulder pain and give you some easy at-home solutions, keep in mind that sometimes you need a one-on-one assessment from a professional.

DO NOT attempt any of the corrective exercises we are showing you if you have severe pain, accompanying issues such as numbness or tingling, or if you feel that your pain is not muscle or joint related. Speak to your doctor or a trained medical therapist.

3 SOURCES OF SHOULDER PAIN AND HOW YOU CAN FIND RELIEF AT HOME 

1:  RIB CAGE MOVEMENT
If you have shoulder pain when bench pressing, your ribcage could be the issue.

Because they are attached, if the ribcage doesn’t move the way you want it to, the shoulder blade will have a hard time experiencing full range of motion. 

Typically, this occurs because of internal rotation limitations, which generally happens due to the inability for the ribcage to move up toward the chest. 

In some instances, the issue could also be your sternum, which should move like a pump handle. If it’s not moving that way, you could have limited internal rotation, leading to shoulder issues.

To determine if either of these limitations are the source of your shoulder pain, you need to first test out your internal rotation range of motion. 

How To Access Rib Cage Internal Range Of Motion

• Lay on your back on a flat surface.  
• Bring the elbow of your right arm straight out to the side to form a 90-degree angle between your torso and arm. 
• Take your left hand and put it on top of your right shoulder to hold your shoulder blade down from the front, so it doesn’t move. 
• Lower your arm to see how far you can get your hand toward the table without the right shoulder blade coming off the table. You should be able to get to about 70-90 degrees. 

While you are in this position, go ahead and repeat going in the opposite direction to test external rotation. You don’t have to hold your shoulder down; just allow your arm to go back as far as you can without your shoulder lifting.

You should be able to go 90-degrees (flat/parallel to the ground) or further. If not, you could have limited external rotation. This is usually an upper back issue that manifests as neck pain, not shoulder pain, which we talked about last week in our neck pain video.

If you notice your external rotation is limited when doing this assessment, check out the 2nd corrective exercise demonstrated HERE. 

Corrective Exercise: Full Exhale Breathing
Getting the air OUT is what really unlocks the full shoulder and rib motion you need for healthy shoulders.

Something as simple as FULL exhale breathing can be the easiest fix. Yes, just breathing! But when done correctly, it’s a little more complex than it sounds!

• Lay on your back.
• Bend knees, with feet still on the ground. 
• Place a foam roller upright between your knees and squeeze with about 10% pressure. 
• Lift your toes and dig your heels into the ground (also about 10% effort.)
• Make sure your back remains flat on the ground/table.
• Take a deep breath in through your nose and then blow out ALL the air through your mouth (like you are blowing out candles.) 
• Two sets of about 5-6 reps should do the trick!

Helpful Tips
** Most people aren’t fully emptying their lungs. For this exercise to work, you need to get out every single drop of air.

** If you are doing this correctly, you should feel your lower abs come “on” pretty strong at the end of the exhale.

** If you don’t have a foam roller, you can also use a soccer ball or basketball. You just need something that is somewhat firm to put between your knees to squeeze.

2:  ISSUES WITH YOUR ROTATOR CUFF
If you feel pain in the front of your shoulder, it may be because of your rotator cuff.

To understand why it could cause your shoulder pain, it is important to quickly tell you what the rotator cuff is and what it does. 

The goal of the rotator cuff is to stabilize the shoulder ANYTIME it moves. 

If your rotator cuff doesn’t have control over your shoulder, it can lead to compensations that result in shoulder pain. 

One thing to keep in mind when correcting this issue is that the rotator cuff isn’t one muscle. It’s actually a collection of four muscles – the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor. Three are located on the back of the shoulder blade, and one is underneath the armpit. 

You’ve probably seen similar exercises to the one we are showing you. However, there is a very unique way that you need to perform the movement if you want to isolate the correct rotator cuff muscle that will help keep your shoulders happy and healthy! 

Corrective Exercise:  Side-Lying Rotation
This exercise is a great way to target the infraspinatus – the small rotator cuff muscle that needs to be strengthened to possibly help correct the root cause of your shoulder issues! 

You’ve likely seen this exercise performed standing. But the best way to perform the movement, especially as a corrective exercise, is lying down.

Dr. Afzal explains why and shows you how to do it in this video, but here is a breakdown of how to do it.

• Lay on your left side.
• Pin your right elbow to your side. It should NEVER come away from your body at any time during this corrective exercise. 
• Relax your shoulder blade. 
• Make a fist and rotate your arm up and back (again, keeping your elbow pinned to your side at all times) as far as you can without letting your shoulder blade move. You only want your infraspinatus muscle activated.
• Try doing a few sets of 10-12 reps a couple times a week or on your upper body training days.

Important Form Tips
** If you are doing this exercise correctly and targeting the part of the shoulder we are looking to isolate (the shoulder/rotator cuff muscle), you should feel some fatigue in the back of the shoulder even with 10-12 reps with NO weight.

** If you start to feel fatigue toward your neck, you are probably shrugging your shoulders too much and not using the shoulder itself. 

3:  FOREARM DIRECTION WHEN PRESSING
The key for proper form with pressing (whether it’s overhead or in the front) is in the direction of the forearms!

The direction your forearms are pointing is where you are applying force. You always want your forearms pointing straight up and down. 

How To Correct Your Forearms During Chest Press
When benching, be it with a barbell or dumbbells, any deviation in any other direction other than perpendicular is wasted energy because you are pushing your force in the wrong direction!

If you are using positions like this, you may not instantly feel pain, but you are in a much less efficient position.

For a good visual, check out this video.  

How To Correct Your Forearms During Shoulder Press
This same thing applies when doing a shoulder press.

You don’t want your elbows too far back. This limits your shoulder motion and puts your body in a position where it requires a lot more strain to lift the weight.

If your forearms are pointed too far back, you won’t be able to bring them all the way down to your torso when you lower the weight down.

You certainly do not HAVE to go all the way down when pressing. There are many times you should not use full range of motion. We are just saying you should be ABLE to. 

An easy fix is to just bring your elbows forward into a natural plane of motion.

You will know you are in a proper plane of motion if you can lower your elbows down to your side.

In short, whether you are performing a bench press or shoulder press, if you want to keep your shoulders healthy and get the most out of your lift, you’ve gotta pay attention to your forearms! Make sure they are always straight up and down from start to finish!

We filmed a video that goes over each problem and solution in little more detail…. 

If you are serious about fixing your shoulder pains, we suggest you watch it before trying any of these corrective exercises!!

ALSO, DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU MUST DO BEFORE TRYING ANY OF THESE SHOULDER PAIN SOLUTIONS!!

You need to consider the root of your pain! You should not attempt any of these exercises if your pains are extreme or not related to joints and muscles.

Please talk to your doctor, or if you are in the Las Vegas area, feel free to click here to contact Dr. Afzal. He would love to help you! 

Next week we are moving down the body. Make sure you check back; we will be talking about back pain! 

In the meantime, if you have any questions about this shoulder pain article and video, you can leave them in the comment section HERE.

The post 3 Possible Reasons Your Shoulders Hurt and How To Find Instant Relief appeared first on V Shred.

We have a killer 4 exercise – 4 minute – no equipment HIIT workout for you to bookmark! 

Yes, this workout is less than 5-minutes! That’s not a typo!

But before we give you this quick and simple (but certainly not easy) workout, we want to make sure you know that this IS NOT a workout most people should do as their primary form of exercise!!

When it comes to getting in a workout, of course, something is better than nothing. But it doesn’t matter if your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, or increase endurance — 4-minute workouts will never be enough to reach those goals! 

We like to call this one an “In Case Of Emergency” workout. 

• Oversleep?
• Get off work late?
• Kids forget to tell you about their art project due in the morning?
• Stuck in a hotel with no equipment and very little time? 
• Just not feeling like going in for your typical hour at the gym?

We all have days when a workout seems impossible…

This 4-MINUTE HIIT WORKOUT is perfect to have on standby for times when life throws hurdles your way, and a “real” workout just isn’t gonna work out. 

It wastes NO time, and while it may not be ideal for daily exercise, we promise if you give every second 110% all-out effort — you will break a sweat, feel the burn, and blast a lot of calories!!

• If you need to do this workout, chances are you don’t have gym access. So we also made sure you can do it ANYWHERE!
  
• It doesn’t require any equipment, only a small space!
• If you oversleep – do while your shower heats up!
• If you’ve gotta work late –  do it in your office between meetings!
• If you’re waiting on your kids – do it in the parking lot! 
• Do it while dinner is in the oven or while your morning coffee is brewing!

You get the idea!! Even on your busiest day, we know you can find (less than) 5-minutes! 

Instead of making TIME an excuse
and canceling your workout altogether …
HIT PLAY
and do this short “IN CASE OF (exercise) EMERGENCY”
4-Minute Follow Along

4-MINUTE HIIT WORKOUT

Structure
Do each exercise below for 45 seconds. Take 20 seconds of rest between exercises. Once all four exercises are done – so are you!! 

Of course, if you have more than 5 minutes to spare, you can take about a minute to breathe and do another round or two! 

Exercises
Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive
Double Plank Jack to Jumping Jack
Spiderman Pushup
Plank Up Downs

Workout Tips

• If you aren’t sure how to do any of these exercises, we show you how to do each one with proper form HERE!
• Make sure you are going all out during the entire 45 seconds!! HIIT workouts, especially really short ones like this, are only effective if you get your heart rate in that 80-90% max range for the entire “work” time! 
• No timer? Use this video! It is a real-time follow-along, so all you have to do is hit play!!
• Only use this workout as an occasional substitute or an “extra” little boost if you want some additional calorie burn! Most days, you should be following a full-body training plan that is best for your goals and body type! 

If you don’t know what your body type is… check out this FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ!! It guides you through six easy questions about yourself. Then based on your answers, it tells you what body type you have and the type of dieting, training, and cardio that you should do to get the BEST RESULTS based on YOUR genetics!!

And …
If you like “backup plan” workouts like this one
(or just short workouts in general)

Take a second and go comment HERE and let us know; that way, we know what kind of workouts you want us to film and post in the future! 

And while you are there, if you have any questions about this 4-Minute HIIT Workout – you can post them there, and one of our expert team members will get back to you asap! 

The post 4-Minute No Equipment HIIT Workout appeared first on V Shred.

Emily Shares Her Inspiring Transformation Story During a One-on-One Interview with V Shred & Sculpt Nation Co-Founder Vince Sant.

“I rocked it. I went from a size 8 to a size 4. So that’s pretty exciting.” – V Shred Client: 39-year-old Emily

One thing we love about our V Shred family of clients is how different everyone’s needs are and how unique each transformation story is.

That is exactly why we never use a cookie-cutter approach here at V Shred and encourage everyone to start their journey by taking our FREE body type quiz so that you can find an exercise and dieting style that will work best for your own unique genetics!!

Sometimes we have customers that need to lose 100+ pounds. Other times, we have those who want to gain weight, but we also have many clients like Emily who are “in the middle” and are only looking to lose a few pounds and tone up. 

No matter the end goal, one thing that’s consistent with all of our clients is how amazed people are that….

• Living a fit & healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to break the bank!
• Weight loss is possible without doing hours of boring cardio!!
• Spending hours in the gym every single day is NOT necessary!
• You can get results working out at home!!
• You don’t need to overly restrict and cut out all your favorite foods!!

That is the story of our client Emily!

After 3 months with V Shred, she surpassed her weight-loss goal without a restrictive meal plan, hours of cardio, or even a gym! 

She achieved results with a lot of dedication and a plan that focused on creating a healthy and maintainable lifestyle, not some crazy fad! 

Whether you are trying to gain 5 pounds or lose 50 — we know her story will inspire you!

Emily’s V Shred Transformation Story

Emily is a 39-year-old mom of two (ages 18 and 13) who loves to spend her free time with family, hiking, biking, and gardening!

Emily says she knew she could stand to lose a few pounds and tighten and tone her physique but never thought much about it until summer 2020 when a friend suggested they become “accountability partners.” 

“I was texting with a friend who lives in Montana that said, be my accountability buddy and let’s workout. I think I lost 3 pounds in 3 months because I wasn’t super committed to it,” remembers Emily. 

After not seeing real results with the program she and her friend were using, Emily set out to find something different. 

She had seen some V Shred advertisements and finally decided to click the link and check things out.
Emily says our exercise programs and dieting approach seemed totally different from anything she had tried in the past.

She liked that there was an option to do the workouts at home, so she signed up for Fat Loss Xtreme and started putting in the work! 

That was September 2020. 

Fast forward approximately 3 months later, and after one round using the Fat Loss Xtreme program and working one-on-one with a V Shred trainer to clean up her diet….

 Emily lost 11 pounds, numerous inches all over her body, and 4 sizes!

“I’ve never been under 120 since before high school, so that is kind of a big deal for me,” exclaims Emily. 

Emily says she knows that 11 pounds may not sound like much, but at only 5-foot-2, she says it made a HUGE difference on her petite frame! 

And the best part?! 

Emily chose the home version of Fat Loss Xtreme, so she was able to transform her body without an expensive gym membership … and in only minutes a day!! 

“ I was surprised it was just 18 minutes, and I was like, oh, I can do that! It is manageable, ya know. You build up to it. I like how the videos are laid out so you can modify or start more of a comfort you can handle and build up to that,“ says Emily. 

The only extra thing Emily did off of the Fat Loss Xtreme home plan was add in some short HIIT cardio using a treadmill that she found on Craigslist! 

She also incorporated two Sculpt Nation supplements that she says were key in helping give her energy during the day and quality sleep at night!

“BURN is fantastic. I feel on fire during the day. I am alert, awake, and have energy throughout the day. I work 9-hour shifts, get home, take a breather, then I’ll do my workout, and by then, around 5pm, I’m toast and tired. With the BURN and BURN PM, I feel like I can sustain myself longer,” says Emily. 

Emily says another key in her successful transformation was the support she received from her one-on-one V Shred coach, who created her custom meal-plan and the thousands of new friends she made in our private client Facebook community!

“It’s an all-in-one bundle. I felt like if I ever had a question about anything, it would be answered. The meal plan was great. It was tailored to my diet. I’m vegan, so it’s hard to find a lot of programs that don’t encourage you to eat chicken or beef. I’ve been eating super clean, and I like that and learning portion sizes or macros … I never saw a program that put them all together,” says Emily

Emily completed Fat Loss Xtreme and has now shifted gears and is doing TONED IN 90 DAYS.

“I thought my goal would be to hit 120, and then I’ll feel really good. But I’m actually at 116 now and hoping to build up muscle and gain more muscle weight. So I’d be happy with muscle weight gain. Just to be more toned,” she says 

While Emily’s end goal is to be more toned and defined, she says that isn’t her ultimate goal. 

“My main goal is to not die old and sick. If I start now, maybe I’m in a good position to do that. I want to be healthy enough to live a long healthy life,” says Emily. 

Which ties into the advice Emily says she would give anyone hesitant to get started! She says to think of what could happen if you don’t take that step and start taking care of yourself.

“It’s expensive to be sick. Hopefully, it’s a trade-off. Whatever little bit of money I spend now is worth it to me because I’m helping myself in the long run,” says Emily. 

Emily says that she is so confident that V Shred programs work that if a friend was on the fence — she would pay for it herself!! 

“I’d loan them money. It’s not that expensive. You want long-term success and to be healthy, then this is a program that will help you get there. It’s fun, totally doable, the FB community is overwhelmingly supportive. There is always someone there to help you,” says Emily. 

We can’t wait to check back in with Emily in a few more months to see where she is after spending some time doing Toned In 90 Days and putting on some more quality lean muscle!!

And if  you want to get started on your transformation, CLICK HERE to start in the same place Emily did, with our BODY TYPE QUIZ! 

It’s free, only a few questions, and you will get your results and tips INSTANTLY! 

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