“Everything seems impossible till you do it. Nothing seems impossible now.”
Brandon – V Shred Client 

“I tried working out before I found your program. I didn’t really know what I was doing, just throwing weights around. I wasn’t seeing any progress,” remembers Brandon before discovering V Shred. 

Brandon wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for when he stumbled across V Shred, he just knew he had gained about 80 pounds, was unhealthy, unhappy, and something had to change.

“I was sitting on the couch eating some cheetos or something and flipping through Facebook, and I saw your ad on there, and I clicked on it, watched the videos, and thought I’m gonna do it, this is it,”  he says.

Brandon’s starting point was 210 pounds and close to 28 percent body fat. He says he jiggled when he walked and got too winded to play with his young kids. 

Now? After a grueling 18 months of going back and forth between Ripped In 90 Days and Clean Bulk — Brandon is 151 pounds, 7.8% body fat, and feels the healthiest he has in his entire life!  

“That was the coolest part about the whole thing is watching my body shrink and muscles are starting to develop, and you can see them,” says Brandon

Brandon loved our programs so much he completed Ripped In 90 Days a total of 6 times and Clean Bulk twice. But says the custom diet plan was the real game-changer, especially during his clean bulk phases.  

“It was cool because it was the right kind of food. I am putting on muscle and watching myself get bigger, not fatter.”

Brandon’s results also motivated one of his sons to hit the gym and his wife to jump on board too! 

“She did at home workouts, lost 30 pounds,” he says. 

Brandon says it’s not just the aesthetic changes, inspiring others, or even the health benefits from losing weight — he says his entire life has changed for the better since finding V Shred a year and a half ago. 

“My confidence level has gone up a lot. It’s really reflected in my life. My career has taken off. Bought our first house, got both our kids cars, 3 kids, two are teens.” 

The 43-year old says the biggest advice he has for anyone thinking about purchasing one of our programs and getting started is simple — invest in yourself! 

“I feel like I can do anything. It’s not just the training, and it’s not just the food, it’s the package deal, everything has come into play where Over the past year and a half I’ve seen myself do things I didn’t know I could do!”

To hear more about Brandon’s V Shred journey and learn which supplements were his favorite to use that helped him recover faster from his workouts, amplify his results, and improve his sleep — click the video box at the top of this page! 

We would love to help you take your first step so that you will also have a V Shred testimony to share! You can reach our team by clicking HERE! 

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

The post V Shred Review: “I got rid of my Dad Bod and got shredded with the V Shred program!” appeared first on V Shred.

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.

Most people who want to achieve a fitness goal, such as weight loss, know that they will have to exercise regularly and modify the way they eat if they want to change the way their body looks.

What you may not know is your body type may affect your ability to achieve your goals. 

We are all born with an inherited body type. Back in the 1940s, a scientist named William Sheldon determined there are three categories someone falls into based on bone structure and body composition.

• Endomorphs
• Mesomorphs
• Ectomorphs

Of course, genetics isn’t the only thing that contributes to the shape of your body. Your lifestyle, gender, age, and even hormones are also factors. But Sheldon determined in his research that body types are mainly inherited.

This means there are some things you can’t change, such as your skeletal structure and how your body distributes fat.

That said, you do have some control of how much fat and muscle your frame carries, which means that once you have determined which category your body best fits into, it is possible to change the shape of your body.

It just takes strategy. 

We discussed the ENDOMORPH body type last week. You can check that out HERE. We will dive into the ECTOMORPH body type next week.

Today we are focusing on all things MESOMORPH — how to know if this is your body type, how you should exercise, and the best mesomorph diet plan that will work best for your genetics instead of against them! 

WHAT IS A MESOMORPH BODY TYPE?

The mesomorph body type is often seen as the “ideal” body type because they have a more ideal muscle-to-fat ratio, can develop muscles easily, are typically not overweight or underweight, and have a natural tendency to stay fit.

Here are few other known characteristics of the mesomorph body type:

• Wide shoulders & narrow waist
• Naturally athletic looking
• Symmetrical
• Responds well to weight training
• Naturally stronger
• Stores fat evenly across the body
• Lose weight easily, but also can gain weight quickly
• Medium frame
• Smaller joints
• Round muscle bellies

While this body type may be ideal on paper, mesomorphs can gain excess body fat quickly if sedentary and stay in a caloric surplus.

This means that most mesomorphs still need to watch their calorie intake and/or stay active to avoid gaining excess fat.

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

WHAT TYPE OF DIET IS BEST FOR A MESOMORPH BODY TYPE

As with any body type, the best diet for a mesomorph will depend on their specific health or fitness goals. That said, the calorie needs of people with a mesomorph body type tend to be slightly higher than those with other body types.

Congrats, this means you can typically get away with eating more calories to be used as fuel instead of being stored as fat.

But don’t get too excited. This does not mean that mesomorphs can eat whatever they want in excess and get away with it forever.

Even though mesomorphs tend to develop muscle easily and have lower body fat levels, they are prone to gain weight quickly. If weight loss is your goal, keeping your calories in check is still essential even as a mesomorph. 

Mesomorphs tend to respond best to a well-balanced diet with relatively equal parts protein, carbohydrates, and fats.  Some mesomorphs also react well to a higher protein diet.

The good news for mesomorphs is that your body will respond well to fueling it with whatever healthy foods you prefer and may be able to bounce back from being overweight more quickly than other body types.

What supplements a mesomorph chooses to take boils down to their goals. Here are some supplement suggestions any mesomorphs could benefit from no matter if their goal is to lose weight, build muscle, or maintain. 

• BCAAS to help aid in post workout recovery
• A pre-workout to help make the most out of every rep
• Digestive enzymes to help process food more efficiently
• Protein to help hit a higher protein intake 

THE BEST TYPE OF EXERCISE FOR AN MESOMORPH BODY TYPE

A combination of weight training and cardio usually works best for mesomorphs. But if you are a mesomorph and your goal is fat loss, you might want to consider prioritizing cardio. Our preferred method of cardio for most body types, including mesomorphs, is HIIT (high intensity interval training) due to its ability to help boost your metabolism and get better results in less time. However, a few 30-minute moderate-intensity steady-state cardio sessions per week is also a good option for mesomorphs.

Things such as …

• Going on a jog
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Hiking

As a mesomorph, the weight training style you choose to do isn’t as important since this body type typically builds muscles easier than other body types.

Depending on your preferences and lifestyle, a mesomorph can train one muscle group per day, do full-body circuits, or even split your routine into upper– and lower-body days. 

Another good option for mesomorphs is to pair weight-lifting with plyometrics (jump training.) This will give you both muscle-building and fat-burning benefits in one session! 

We utilize this style of jump training in our 30-day MOVE at-home workout program! If you have issues jumping, there are always modifications like the ones in this no jumping plyometric workout.

ARE YOU AN MESOMORPH?

Mesomorphs are generally pretty easy to spot. Even if they carry some excess body fat, they typically naturally have a muscular/athletic structure.

If you tend to gain weight equally across your body, put on muscle with little effort, and respond well to a diet as long as your calories are in check — you are most likely a mesomorph!

Even if you have some of the more obvious characteristics of a mesomorph, it can still be hard to determine if this is your body type, especially since mesomorphs can gain weight rapidly if calories aren’t in check. 

If you are questioning if you are a mesomorph, you can try taking our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ. 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 MESOMORPH?!
After you take our body type quiz, if you discover you are an ENDOMORPH (the most common body type) – you should check out the article we wrote about this body type! It will tell you everything you need to know! You can read it HERE! 

If the quiz tells you that you are an ECTOMORPH, come back next week, we will dive into all the traits of this third body type and how you can eat and train to see the best results! 

The post Mesomorph Body Type: What it is and the diet you should follow to reach your fitness goals 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.

If you are one of our clients/customers, we hope that we’ve been able to clear up some of that for you with our free body type quiz and easy-to-follow programs, and recipe-based meal plans.

 If you are new around here, you can find out more information about our dieting approach at the end of this article. 

Today we hope to clear up any confusion you may have about a term being used a lot in the diet and fitness space — Metabolic Confusion.

Don’t worry. It’s really not confusing at all.

The term “confusion” comes from what this eating style has the potential to do for helping create a healthier metabolism, which is essential for burning more calories and promoting fat loss.

Some studies show that metabolic confusion can help your metabolism work harder, possibly leading you to lose weight easier or bust past a weight loss plateau. 

While metabolic confusion is technically a type of “diet,” — it’s really more of an eating style where you alternate your daily calorie intake instead of aiming to eat the same number of calories each day.

The best part is that you can use this approach with whatever diet is best for you, your body type, and your goals. 

Maybe you’ve heard of it, or perhaps this is the first time you’ve seen it mentioned. Either way, it’s a topic worth educating yourself on!

Let’s dive into what metabolic confusion is and if it’s something you might want to consider, as well as two different ways to easily incorporate it into your healthy lifestyle, especially if your goal is fat loss! 

WHAT IS METABOLIC CONFUSION

As the name suggests, metabolic confusion is when a person attempts to “confuse” (and hopefully improve) their metabolism.

Eating too few calories (dieting) for an extended time can cause a major decrease in your metabolism. Basically, your body learns to  “adapt” to fewer calories. If this happens, your weight loss may slow or stop.

To break this plateau, some experts believe you need to adjust your diet or exercise routine to start losing weight again.

Metabolic confusion is one way you could potentially do this. 

The theory behind a metabolic confusion diet is that by varying your calorie intake from day to day instead of eating the same amount of calories daily, you’ll trick your metabolism, so it doesn’t get used to the calorie deficit you are in while dieting, leading to an increased basal metabolic rate (the number of calories your body needs to survive.) 

Metabolic confusion does not restrict food groups and can be achieved by using several different eating approaches that mix high and low-calorie days, also known as  “calorie shifting.” 

We will dive into three different methods you can use a little further down in this article. First, let’s talk a little bit about why it may be an approach you want to consider and what the experts have to say about it. 

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO CONSIDER METABOLIC CONFUSION

Anyone can incorporate this eating style, but if fat loss and a healthier metabolism are your goals, incorporating metabolic confusion is certainly something to consider. 

Or maybe you’ve tried different styles of dieting, from keto to intermittent fasting or even a flexible dieting approach, and still find it hard to lose weight — then a metabolic confusion diet is no doubt worth trying out! 

You can adopt this eating style anytime you wish; however, we think it’s a great idea to incorporate it BEFORE a plateau occurs. 

Our favorite method of metabolic confusion is carb cycling, but there are numerous approaches you can take, which we will dive into in just a second!

But first, we want to tell you what science says so you can better decide if it’s an approach you want to consider.

WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SAY ABOUT METABOLIC CONFUSION

To date, there isn’t a ton of research that supports whether or not calorie cycling has a significant impact on your resting metabolism. 

There have been studies done that show using a metabolic confusion dieting approach does positively affect a person’s resting metabolic rate, as well as body weight — compared to eating the same number of deficit calories every day. 

The theory is that on a typical low-calorie diet, where you stick to a set calorie deficit (the same calories/macros) every day over a specific period, your metabolism will adjust to these low calories at some point, and your weight loss may slow or stop. 

They have concluded that to break this plateau, confusing your metabolism can help you start losing weight again, or even better, prevent plateaus from happening.

Despite little scientific backing, many nutrition experts swear by it, and at V Shred, we believe in using this dieting method because we’ve seen it work for hundreds of thousands of our clients and customers. 

DIFFERENT EATING STYLES TO ACHIEVE METABOLIC CONFUSION

There isn’t one set way to incorporate metabolic confusion into your diet, and it isn’t something you need to do forever. 

Most people incorporate this type of eating a few times a year – anywhere from a month to several months at a time. 

Here are the two most common methods used for creating a metabolic confusion diet.

Calorie Cycling

One approach to metabolic confusion is simply varying your calorie intake by splitting your week into high and low-calorie days.

Unlike carb cycling (which we will touch on next) – these calories can come from any macro (protein, carbs, or fats.)

However, we don’t suggest you take calories away from your protein macros. It’s best to set your protein intake and leave it alone and only adjust your calories from fat and carbs. 

How would you go about this?

For instance, let’s say your daily calorie value to lose weight is 1500 calories per day. This is just an example. You would need to use your own personal calories. 

1500 calories per day =  10,500 calories per week.

When you are on a “normal” diet, you would eat 1500 calories every day, and by the end of the week, you would have consumed 10,500 calories. 

With calorie cycling, you would still get in 10,500 calories for the week, but you wouldn’t eat 1500 calories every day. Some days you might eat 1200 calories, and some days you might eat 2000. 

This can be achieved in many different ways. The most popular method is to have two back-to-back high-calorie days followed by 5 days at the low-calorie number. 

Example:
Monday-Friday: 1350 calories each day.
Saturday & Sunday: 1875 calories each day.
Total calories: 10,500

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: 1200 calories each day.
Wednesday & Thursday: 1350 calories each day.
Friday & Saturday: 2100 calories each day.
Total calories: 10,500

The combinations for calorie intake are limitless as long as you stay within your target weekly calorie range. It is also not suggested that you do more than two high days in a row.

Carb Cycling

Instead of calorie cycling, some dieters opt to cycle carb intake. You keep your protein and fat intake the same 7 days a week, and your carb intake is the only thing that changes. 

This is the metabolic conditioning eating style we prefer here at V Shred because solid research backs this strategy to be optimal for leptin – the hormone in your body that affects your metabolic rate.

The theory is that the extra calories from carbs on high carb days will temporarily boost leptin levels – leading to a boost in metabolism,  more satiety when you go back to a low carb day, and increased fat burn.

For this metabolic confusion strategy, you would eat low to moderate carbs some days and high carbs on other days. 

An example of a typical carb cycling eating plan is one day of moderate carb intake, followed by four days of low carb intake,  followed by one day of high carb intake.

Example:
If you typically eat 200 carbs every day, by the end of the week, you would have consumed 1400 carbs.

On a carb cycling plan, you may do this instead:

Sunday: 250 carbs (moderate carb day)
Monday – Thursday: 100 carbs (low carb days)
Friday & Saturday: 375 carbs (high carb days)

Monday-Wednesday:  100 carbs (low carb days)
Thursday: 250 carbs (moderate carb day)
Friday: 100 carbs (low carb days)
Saturday & Sunday: 375 carbs (high carb days)

Using either example above, your total carb count for the week would still equal 1400 by the end of the week. 

Just like with calorie cycling, the number of carbs consumed and cycle length varies by person.

But in general, most days should be low carb days, and it is best if you don’t have more than two consecutive high carb days. If you have a high carb day, the next day should be a low carb day, or at the least, a moderate carb day. 

FINAL THOUGHTS ON METABOLIC CONFUSION

While you can’t really “trick” your metabolism, incorporating a metabolic confusion eating style may help prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which can make it harder to lose weight.

It is still a diet where you are restricting calories, but most people like calorie/carb shifting because it allows for more flexibility and mimics a more “normal” eating style of eating more some days than others. 

There are also certain body types that may benefit from metabolic confusion more than others. For example, some studies claim that creating metabolic confusion through carb cycling is the best way to help endomorphs lose weight. While mesomorphs and ectomorphs might need to take a different approach.

If you don’t know your body type, below you will find a link to a free quiz you can take to find out in minutes! 

The biggest perk of adopting metabolic confusion into your nutrition plan is that it gives you a mental break from the daily grind of dieting without using methods such as “cheat meals” or “cheat days,”  which can create a negative relationship with food for some dieters. 

If all of this seems too complicated, or it would be a headache to vary your calories or carbs day-to-day, it might be best to stick to the same calories daily and incorporate a weekly free meal instead or have more frequent diet breaks if you are restricting calories for a long time.

If you would like to know if metabolic confusion is an eating style that would work for you and your unique body type… 

We have a BODY TYPE QUIZ anyone can take FOR FREE! 

It’s only a few questions; you get your results instantly and are given suggestions for the diet and exercise regime that can help you get results faster and easier! 

And if you still have questions or want someone to do the groundwork for you, we have a team of expert coaches here at V Shred that would be happy to create a CUSTOM diet and exercise plan for you that is best for your lifestyle, goals, and genetics.

The post Metabolic Confusion: Is it a metabolism hack or hoax appeared first on V Shred.

Zabrina’s weight loss journey started a little different from most of our customers. Her “breaking point” didn’t come about because a doctor told her she needed to lose weight if she wanted to live a long life, after trying on a swimsuit, because she hated every picture she saw of herself, or any other “why” that typically pushes our customers to start a weight-loss program.

“I was in a very dark place in my life for a second. I was starting my surgery center and had a lot of stress. I did get pregnant and had a miscarriage in the surgery center, and fell into depression. I needed to do something quickly to snap me out of it. I figured I needed to do something drastic. So I shaved my head,” says Zabrina. 

The 45-year-old nurse, wife, and mom of four says it was then that she really noticed her weight was an issue. 

“When I did that, I can’t hide anymore, right? All my flaws, my weight was really evident at that point. Even though it helped me snap out of the depression of miscarriage, I actually dipped a little into depression again because of my weight.”

Coincidently, just a few days later, Zabrina was scrolling through her social media feed when she came across an advertisement for V Shred. 

But it wasn’t a crazy before & after  transformation that led her to click the link, take our body type quiz and purchase a program. It was a video that mentioned learning how to eat! 

“There was a video that said you can learn how to eat, let me teach you about macros, your body type, are you an endomorph, mesomorph, and I was like this is so interesting. It didn’t feel pushy or like you wanted to push some program on us, but it was more like open and friendly, and you wanted to educate us, and that is what I grasped off.”

Without hesitation, Zabrina purchased Fat Loss Xtreme and got to work! 

“I wanted to look in the mirror, and I wanted to love myself, and I was having a hard time doing that. So I knew I needed to take matters into my own hands and transform what I was seeing in the mirror. You gave me those tools to do that.” says Zabrina

In just 90 days, Zabrina totally transformed her body. 

She lost 53 pounds, went from 32% body fat to 16.6%, and dropped roughly 10 clothing sizes!!!

“It rejuvenated me; it’s made me happier as a person, which obviously goes into every aspect of my life. My marriage is better than ever, I have energy to be with my kids now. I have older kids too , and my 23 and 19-year-old, no one even believes I am their mom right now,” says Zabrina.

Of course, she loves the aesthetic changes and the new outlook on life that came with losing so much weight, but Zabrina says her favorite part about the journey is that she finally knows how to eat! 

“It was so obvious to me I had no idea how to eat. I thought by starving yourself, that was the key. Just don’t eat, and you will lose weight. That is so wrong. Your body has a memory, your body needs fuel, and you need to workout, and you need carbs.”

Thanks to everything our programs teach, Zabrina now has the tools she needs to continue exercising and eating right for the rest of her life. 

“Once I started seeing what was happening to my body, I was like, why am I gonna stop,” says Zabrina.

She has also become quite the advocate for V Shred — recruiting co-workers, friends, and even her mom to take our free body type quiz and jump on board! 

“There is a point in time where something has to give because as a mom, as a nurse, or as a wife, you always have to put your best foot forward, and if you are not at your best, nothing around you is going to be at it’s best.”

Zabrina isn’t sure what her next fitness goal is; all she knows is that she is happier and healthier than she has ever been and has no plans to ever look back!

“I was talking to my girlfriends the other day, and they were like I wish I was 21 again, and I’m like – I don’t! I’m perfectly fine being fabulous at 45.” 

Her advice to anyone reading this .. on the fence .. unsure if they should get started?! 

“Put everything, every bit of energy into making the best version of yourself, and the rest of your life will fall into place.  That is what happened to me. I’m eternally grateful. It’s been an eye-opening experience, and I feel totally empowered right now.”

Zabrina has such a powerful story, doesn’t she?! We are honored that she trusted us with her health and humbled that we could play a part in helping her become so happy and healthy!

If you want to hear more about Zabrina’s V Shred journey, watch her interview with Vince at the top of this page!

We would love to help you take your first step so that you will also have a beautiful success story to share! You can take the first step HERE! 

Zabrina’s Case Study is the story of Zabrina’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 Zabrina’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 Zabrina Loses 53 Pounds in 90 Days!” 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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