Is it better to work out in the early morning or when you get home from work? Is lunchtime the best time? Or is after dinner OK? What about right before bed?

Here’s the short answer: The best time to work out depends on your own personal preferences and lifestyle.Whatever time in your life allows you to break a sweat and do some hard work consistently…. that’s the best time!

Put another way: Let’s say science said you could burn more calories doing workouts at 4 am. But 4 am isn’t really an option for you… so you end up skipping your workouts as often as doing them. Is that “best” time really best for you? Probably not.

Your “best” time to work out is whenever you can consistently knock out workout after workout, week after week, month after month!

That said, you can be a little strategic in HOW you approach workouts at certain times of day. So let’s compare the benefits of different times of day, and work on making your “best” workout time even better!

How to Get The Most out of Morning Workouts

If you have trouble with making excuses or consistency, morning may be your best time to exercise. Once you adapt to setting your alarm a little earlier, you can start the rest of your day knowing that your workout is done and out of the way!

An early morning workout can also set the tone for a healthier day, making it easier to stick to your meal plan and leave you energized for the day.

But if you are going to work out in the morning, there are a few things to consider.

A lot of the V Shred workouts that people love most are high-intensity interval training, like the ones in Fat Loss Extreme For Men, Fat Loss Extreme For Women, or MOVE. Those workouts are best to do when you’re hydrated and have a little something in your stomach.

You don’t have to have a big meal. In fact, if you’re eating a full meal, it’s probably better to let it digest before HIIT training. But you’ll have a better workout, and feel better doing it, if you have some fuel in the tank.

Here are a few great options:

• A Sculpt Nation PROTEIN shake and a piece of fruit.
• Sculpt Nation BCAAs in water.
• Sculptnation Pre Workout, which contains both caffeine and BCAAs.

Now, if you are going in for a heavy or long lift, like the ones in our CLEAN BULK or RIPPED IN 90 DAYS programs — we recommend having a meal or two in your stomach.

But here’s the thing: at V Shred, we’re all about the minimum effective training dose. It’s pretty rare that you’re ordered to hammer legs for 2 hours, so in most cases, a solid breakfast, maybe some BCAAs, and of course a pre-workout like PRE should be enough.

How to Get the Most out of Afternoon/Evening Workouts

A lot of us aren’t morning people and have low energy upon waking. Others barely have enough time to get the kids up and out the door, let alone work out.

If mornings aren’t your thing, an afternoon or evening workout may be best. And there are actually plenty of benefits to working out later in the day.

Your strength, endurance, and flexibility are all better after you’ve been up and going for a while and have some meals to use as fuel. Exercise is also a great stress reliever, so getting in a workout after a long day at work is a great way to ​​blow off some steam.

One potential negative about working out later in the day is that it’s easier to make excuses–and a better chance of life getting in the way.

Here’s where that “calendar” tool in your phone can be your best workout buddy. If you need to work out later in the day, mark it in your schedule like you would any other important meeting you wouldn’t miss!

What about late night workouts? Many people find that exercising too close to bedtime negatively impacts their ability to fall asleep. But this definitely isn’t true for everyone. In fact, certain people find they sleep better after an evening sweat session!

If afternoon or evening workouts are your only option, consider prioritizing supplements with herbs that can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer — like the ones found in Sculpt Nation BURN PM.

Don’t think you have ANY time to work out? We can help!

Maybe you’re looking at your life and wondering where you can fit in a workout at all. Morning… evening… they all look booked. In that case, it might be time to get a little outside help.

V Shred’s team of highly knowledgeable personal trainers and nutritionists can help you build a customized diet plan and workout program that fits with your life and schedule. They can help you find space you didn’t know you had, and make the most of every minute of it!

Click this link for more information, or email coaching@vshred.com to connect with one of our expert coaches!

The post What Time Of Day Should I Work Out? 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.

If you have always been described as lanky, skinny, petite, or you find it hard to put on muscle or gain weight, even though you feel like you’re eating a ton, then chances are you have what is known as an ectomorph body type. 

Ectomorph is one of the three common body types:

• Ectomorph
• Endomorph
• Mesomorph

It’s not uncommon for people to have characteristics of two or even all three body types, but most people generally fall into one body type more than the others. And you can definitely change some aspects of your body type!

This guide will explain traits of an ectomorph body type, the best ectomorph diet, and how this body type should train to achieve their health and fitness goals. 

WHAT IS AN ECTOMORPH BODY TYPE?

Ectomorphs are typically long, lean, and thin with small joints. They also tend to have a hard time gaining weight and putting on muscle – hence the nickname “hard-gainer.”

Many ectomorphs have low levels of body fat, but some do not. These people are often described as “skinny fat” because they appear thin but have more body fat than muscle.

Here are a few other tell-tale signs that you have an ectomorph body type:

• Slender waist
• Narrow hips and shoulders
• Small joints
• Long, thin legs and arms
• Generally not very strong 
• Fast metabolism

To give you a visual example of what this body type looks like, many fashion models, distance runners, and even some basketball players fall into this body type category. 

Being an ectomorph has more to do with your bone structures and proportions, which you can’t change. But you can still pack on muscle and change the shape of your body with a strategic diet and exercise plan that will work with your body type instead of against it!!

What type of diet is best for an ectomorph? 

Since they typically have a fast metabolism, it’s often assumed that ectomorphs can eat whatever they want and not gain weight. To an extent, this is true, but ectomorphs should still be cautious as to what and how they eat.

Ectomorphs often need a higher calorie diet and tend to respond well to carbs. Don’t skip out on them if you’re looking to gain weight! A few to keep in mind include: 

• White or sweet potatoes
• Quinoa
• White or brown rice
• Beans
• Oats
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Fruits

High-calorie nut butters can also be an easy way for ectomorphs to add calories to their diet. They also need plenty of muscle-building protein, and should almost always have a post-workout protein shake. In short, they need quality calories – and plenty of them! . 

A balanced diet, on the higher end of carbs, is probably your best dieting approach if you’re an ectomorph. You can see the best macros for an ectomorph to gain weight by using the macro calculator in the V Shred app for iOS or Android. 

But this doesn’t mean ectomorphs can get away with only eating processed, high-sugar, junk carbs! They still need to primarily choose healthy sources, such as fiber-rich fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

In addition to protein, some of tried-and-true supplements for ectomorphs include: 

• Creatine for muscle and strength gains
• A pre-workout to help bring intensity to workouts
• A test booster to help optimize your muscle building hormone testosterone 
• Digestive enzymes to help process all that food you’re cramming in

THE BEST TYPE OF EXERCISE FOR AN ECTOMORPH BODY TYPE

Ectomorphs often face a difficult time building muscle and strength. A strategic weight-training routine using heavy weights is critical for the ectomorph.

One of the best styles of training to achieve this is by doing hypertrophy training. The V Shred program Clean Bulk is a great example of this style of training. 

“Hypertrophy” is just the scientific name for muscle growth. There are numerous methods you can use to start making it happen in your body, but these are the big ones: 

• Work out with weights on a regular basis
• Take at least one set of each exercise close to the point of muscle failure
• Train each muscle group at least twice a week 
• Do the majority of your lifting in moderate rep ranges like 6-12 reps per set
• Use a mixture of compound and isolation exercises
• Focus on progressive overload: gradually increase the weight, frequency, or number of reps. 

When it comes to cardio, ectomorphs still need to include some low-intensity sessions each week for cardiovascular health. They just need to be careful to not overdo it, or they risk burning calories that could be better used to build muscle! 

Ectomorphs should perform 20-30 minute cardio sessions 2-3 times a week and try not to let their heart rate get too high — somewhere between 50 – 70% is ideal. 

ARE YOU AN ECTOMORPH, MESOMORPH, OR ENDOMORPH?

Even if you carry some excess body fat, if you have always been on the thin side and have a hard time putting on muscle — you are most likely an ectomorph.

If ectomorphs aren’t prioritizing healthy foods and staying active, many can still have excess body fat (mainly belly fat) -which can make it confusing to figure out if this is really your body type. 

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!

After taking the quiz, if you discover that you are an Endomorph or Mesomorph, check out the blogs we did on those body types.

• Mesomorph
• Endomorph

If you are still confused about what your body type may be and the best way to eat and train to see the best results, reach out to our team at coaching@vshred.com. We would be happy to help you create a custom workout and meal plan! 

The post Ectomorph Body Type: Diet and Workouts for Weight Gain 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.

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.