Build Power For Super Sports

Lay the foundation for a year of muscle growth with a versatile training tool: the power cage. Most men shy away from the power cage, so you won't have to wait in line to use it, says Men's Health Muscle Guy Mike Mejia, C.S.C.S. You'll improve your strength, mobility, and endurance with this simple routine. Do the workout three times a week, resting at least a day between sessions.
Perform the exercises in succession, and then rest for 60 seconds before repeating the circuit once or twice.

1. Barbell Duck-Under



Set a barbell at waist level on the supports of a power cage, and stand with one hip next to it. Take a long stride beneath the bar, then duck underneath. Stand up on the other side, and repeat the motion to return to the starting position. Go back and forth until you've passed under the bar 8 to 10 times in each direction.

2. Reverse Pushup



Sit on the floor under the barbell with your legs straight, and grasp the bar with a shoulder-width grip. Hang from the bar so only your heels touch the floor. This is the starting position. Pinch your shoulder blades together and bend your arms to pull your chest to the bar. Pause at your highest point, then lower yourself. Aim for 8 to 10 repetitions.

3. Front Squat to Shoulder Press



Load the barbell with a weight you can press overhead 8 times. Holding the bar on the front of your shoulders, bend at the hips and knees. Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor (or lower), and then press up and push the bar overhead. Lower the bar to your shoulders. Do 8 reps.

4. Pullup to Hanging Leg Raise



Grab the pullup bar at the top of the cage with your palms facing away from you. Pull yourself up until your upper chest is as close to the bar as you can get it. Holding that position, bend your legs and bring your knees in toward your chest. Lower your legs, then lower your body to the starting position. Aim for 6 to 8 reps.
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Super-Sets KnowHow

A superset is performing two exercises simultaneously without a rest in between. For example, in a bicep workout superset you could do a set of standing bicep curls followed by a set of dumbell curls. The superset can be used for any body part. With a superset you can work the same muscle twice or work opposing muscles.

Why do a superset? There are two reasons for the superset. The opposing muscle superset is designed to save time in your workouts. The same muscle superset is designed to hit your target muscle extra hard to stimulate more growth. I like to use a big superset at the beginning of my bicep workouts.

Let's take a closer look at the two types or superset and how you can use a superset in your workouts. This is a bicep website, so I'll focus on using a superset in your bicep workout. OK, let's look at the types of superset...

Same muscle superset

The same muscle superset is a superset technique designed to really hit the target muscle group and stimulate muscle growth. My favorite bicep superset is the standing bicep curl/incline bench dumbell curl. On the first exercise of my superset I will punch out 10 reps, and on the follow up exercise I'll do 6-8. This superset technique really hits your bicep muscles! You'll feel it right away, and the next day! Our bicep workout routines use superset exercises. Try a superset at the beginning of your next bicep workout!

Opposing muscle superset

The opposing muscle superset is a great timesaver. Because you are working opposing muscles, using a superset this way will not rob you of muscle growth for not resting your muscles. Some examples of an opposing muscle superset are bench press/cable row, bicep curl/tricep extension and hamstring curl and quad extension.
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Tar Heels Workout

The idea of completing an entire total-body workout using nothing more than an 8-pound medicine ball may not seem intimidating. But consider: This 10-exercise routine is the same one that University of North Carolina strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian uses to whip the Tar Heels into championship-game shape. It's designed to help you build a rock-solid core, burn fat, and improve your sports performance. Sahratian calls this workout the Med Ball 400. The 400 represents 400 repetitions -- the number players like Tyler Hansbrough (shown here) complete when they perform the routine. However, Sahratian suggests you start with 200 reps. (Call it the Med Ball 200.) The best part: All you need is a medicine ball to do this workout any place, any time.

The Medicine Ball 200
The old-school way to get your body in game shape

Perform this routine at the end of your regular workout or as a stand-alone workout, 3 days a week. (Use a 6-, 8-, or 10-pound medicine ball, which you can purchase at performbetter.com.) Do 20 repetitions of each exercise in the order shown. Complete the routine as a circuit, doing 1 set of each movement in succession and without resting. Too easy? Rest 60 to 90 seconds and do the circuit again. Download this workout to your iPod at MensHealth.com/download.

1. Big Circles Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, hold a medicine ball with your arms extended directly above your head [A]. Without bending your elbows, rotate your arms counterclockwise [B], using the ball to draw large imaginary circles in front your body [C, D]. Do 10 circles, and then reverse direction to clockwise and do 10 more.

2. Woodchopper  Stand with your feet just beyond shoulder-width apart. With your arms nearly straight, hold a medicine ball above your head [A]. Now bend forward at your waist and mimic throwing the ball backward between your legs -- but hold onto the ball the entire time [B]. Quickly reverse the movement with the same intensity, and return to the starting position. That's 1 repetition.

3. Standing Russian Twist  Hold a medicine ball with both hands in front of your chest and your arms straight [A]. Without dropping your arms, pivot on your right foot and rotate the ball and your torso as far as you can to the left [B]. Then reverse direction: Pivot on your left foot and rotate all the way to the right. That's 1 repetition.

4. Squat to Press  Stand holding a medicine ball close to your chest with both hands, your feet just beyond shoulder-width apart [A]. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until the tops of your thighs are at least parallel to the floor [B]. Then simultaneously drive your heels into the floor and push your body back to the starting position as you press the ball over your head [C]. Lower the ball back to the start. That's 1 repetition.

5. Medicine-Ball Situp  Grab a medicine ball with both hands and lie on your back on the floor. Bend your knees 90 degrees, place your feet flat on the floor, and hold the medicine ball against your chest [A]. Now perform a classic situp by raising your torso into a sitting position [B]. Lower it back to the start. That's 1 repetition.

6. Rocky Solo  Sit on the floor with your legs straight, and hold a medicine ball with both hands just above your lap [A]. Twist your torso to the right and place the ball behind you [B]. Then twist all the way to your left and pick the ball up and bring it back to the starting position [C]. That's 1 repetition. Do 10 repetitions. Immediately do another 10 repetitions, but this time start by twisting with the ball to your left.

7. Toe Touch  Grab a medicine ball, lie on your back, and raise your legs so they're straight and perpendicular to the floor. Hold the ball above the top of your head with your arms straight [A]. Without moving your legs or bending your elbows, simultaneously lift your arms and torso until the ball touches your toes [B]. Lower yourself back to the starting position. That's 1 repetition.

8. 45-Degree Twist  Grab a medicine ball and sit on the floor. Lean back at a 45-degree angle, raise your legs and feet off the floor, and hold the ball with both hands in front of your chest, your arms straight [A]. Without dropping your legs or arms, rotate the ball and your torso as far as you can to the right [B]. Then reverse direction, rotating all the way to the left. That's 1 repetition.

9. Suitcase Crunch  Lie on your back with your legs straight. Use both hands to hold a medicine ball above your head and barely off the floor [A]. Simultaneously raise your torso and bend your right knee toward your chest as you bring the ball over your knee and toward your foot. Reverse the movement and repeat, this time bending your left knee [B]. That's 1 repetition.

10. Diagonal Crunch  Grab a medicine ball and lie on the floor with your legs straight and spread wide. Roll onto your right hip and hold the ball with your arms straight at 10 o'clock above the top of your head [A]. To perform the movement, raise your arms and torso and then touch the ball to the floor between your legs [B]. Lower your body, but instead of rolling back onto your right hip, roll onto your left and hold the ball at 2 o'clock above your head [C] before you repeat the movement. That's 1 repetition. Repeat, alternating back and forth in this manner.

 

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3 Exercise Myths

MYTH 1: You should perform cardio in your “fat burning zone.”

TRUTH: Step into any gym and you’ll hear personal trainers preaching that the best way to lose weight is by exercising in your “fat burning zone.” While this might sound good in theory, the “fat burning zone” is actually based on faulty interpretation of research showing activities performed at a low intensity (60 to 80 percent of max heart rate) burn a greater percentage of fat calories than higher intensity activities.

Fact is burning a greater percentage of fat doesn’t equate to burning more total fat calories. High-intensity exercise burns more fat calories on an absolute basis than lower intensity activities, making it the preferred choice for those looking to optimize fat loss.

One of the best fat-burning forms of cardio is interval training, where you intersperse periods of high-intensity exercise with periods of low-intensity exercise. This not only maximizes fat burning during the activity, but also increases a phenomenon called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) — the amount of calories burned once the activity is finished — which helps keep your metabolism elevated long after you’ve stopped working out.

MYTH 2: Sweat is a good indicator of exercise intensity.

TRUTH: You’ve no doubt heard fitness pros utter the phrase, “Ya gotta sweat.” Many people adopt this as an exercise mantra, believing it’s the key to a successful workout. Not!

While sweat tends to be associated with rigorous exercise, it is by no means essential to achieving results. If it was, you’d get buff lounging in a sauna!

Fact is sweat is an indicator that your body temperature is rising, not necessarily that you are exercising at an intense level. Your body regulates its temperature by activating your sweat glands, which then releases water through your pores as a cooling mechanism.

Rather than focusing on how much you sweat, the best way to monitor exercise intensity is by using a rating of perceived exertion (RPE). This is a subjective scale that estimates how difficult an activity is to perform. I like to keep it simple and use a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being complete inactivity and 10 being all-out effort. If you want to exercise intensely, maintain a level of an 8 or more on the RPE scale.

MYTH 3: If you stop lifting weights, your muscle will turn to fat.

TRUTH: Some people refuse to lift weights for fear that their hard-earned muscle will simply morph into fat if they stop working out. Nonsense! Muscle and fat are two separate and distinct properties that have completely different molecular structures.

Muscle is a protein-based tissue comprised of filaments called actin and myosin. Body fat, on the other hand, consists of stored triglycerides, which are made up of a carbohydrate (glycerol) and three fatty acids. Hence, the possibility of muscle turning into fat (or vice versa) is akin to an apple becoming an orange: There’s simply no mechanism for it to happen.

Bottom line: don’t let the “muscle-to-fat myth” deter you from lifting weights. The only thing that happens when you stop weight training is that you ultimately lose the muscle that you’d developed.
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Functional Training

Origins

Functional training has its origins in rehabilitation. Physical therapists developed exercises that mimicked what patients did at home or work in order to return to their lives or jobs after an injury or surgery. Thus if a patient's job required repeatedly heavy lifting, rehabilitation would be targeted towards heavy lifting, if the patient were a parent of young children, it would be targeted towards moderate lifting and endurance, and if the patient were a marathon runner, training would be targeted towards re-building endurance.

Functional training involves mainly weight bearing activities targeted at core muscles of the abdomen and lower back. Most fitness facilities have a variety of weight training machines which target and isolate specific muscles. As a result the movements do not necessarily bear any relationship to the movements people make in their regular activities or sports. Functional training attempts to adapt or develop exercises which allow individuals to perform the activities of daily life more easily and without injuries.

Benefits

Functional training may lead to better muscular balance and joint stability, possibly impacting the number of injuries sustained and individual's performance in a sport. The benefits may arise from the use of training that emphasizes the body's natural ability to move in three anatomical planes of motion. In comparison, though machines can often be safer to use, they restrict movements to a single plane of motion, which is an unnatural form of movement for the body and may potentially lead to faulty movement patterns or injury.

Functional training for sports

Many athletes equate strength training with bodybuilding; accordingly, individuals involved in endurance or flexibility-based sports do not strength train for fear of gaining too much bulk and losing flexibility, or mimic the training of bodybuilders without adapting workouts to their specific sports. As a result, training can lack the performance benefits that strength training could provide.

Equipment

Standard resistance training machines are of limited use for functional training – their fixed patterns rarely mimic natural movements, and they focus the effort on a single muscle group, rather than engaging the stabilizers and peripheral muscles.

Preferred options include:

* Cable machines
* Dumbbells
* Medicine balls
* Kettlebells
* Physioballs (also called Swiss balls or exercise balls)
* Resistance tubes
* Rocker and wobble boards
* Balance disks
* Sandbags

Cable machines

Cable machines, also known as pulley machines, are large upright machines, either with a single pulley, or else a pulley attached to both sides. They are extremely useful for functional training as they allow allow an athlete to recruit all major muscle groups while moving in multiple planes. Cable machines also provide a smooth, continuous action which reduces the need for momentum to start repetitions, provide a constant tension on the muscle, peak-contraction is possible at the top of each rep, a safe means of performing negative repetitions, and a variety of attachments that allow great flexibility in the exercises performed and body parts targeted.

Components of a functional exercise program

To be effective a functional exercise program should include a number of different elements:

* Specific to the sport. Any program must be sport specific, working to develop and maintain sport specific strength.
* Integrated – It should include a variety of exercises that work on flexibility, core, balance, strength and power.
* Increases Core Stability – core stability is crucial for any sport or activity. A stable core allows for more efficient transference of power from the lower to upper body, and an increased ability to maintain correct athletic posture over long periods of time.
* Progressive – Progressive training steadily increases the strength demand from workout to workout. While most people are aware of the need for this in relation to traditional strength training, it is sometimes overlooked in functional training. For functional training is also means varying speed of movement to make it more sport specific.
* Periodized – for competitive athletes, their functional training needs to fit into their competitive cycle of competition. In broad terms this means that they will vary their program throughout the year to achieve optimal results, peaking for competitions or races and building in recovery time also.
* Individualized – An athlete’s program need to be designed for them. The only way to do this is to work with a coach or trainer who specializes in the particular sport and can custom design a program. A qualified personal trainer can easily include functional training in their clients' exercise programs, whether they are recovering from an injury or preparing for competition.


WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “BODYBUILDING TRAINING” AND “FUNCTIONAL TRAINING” ANYWAY?

Bodybuilding training, by definition, is “cosmetic.” In a bodybuilding competition, you are judged on the way you look, not by the way you perform. Whether you use light weights or heavy weights, slow reps or fast reps, long workouts or short workouts is completely irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that on the day of the contest, your physique is visually the best one onstage. This means having the perfect package of low body fat, muscular size and classical symmetry.

Bodybuilding is not aimed at increasing strength, flexibility, endurance, speed or other athletic factors as ends in themselves. In bodybuilding, these performance qualities are only sought to the extent to which they help the bodybuilder look better onstage. (Or as one functional training expert sarcastically put it, “The only athletic component bodybuilders encounter is having to walk across a stage and selectively spasm muscles to their favorite tune!”)

Functional training emerged primarily from the sports conditioning and rehabilitation world. By definition, functional training refers to a well-rounded program integrating exercises which contribute to better, more efficient and safer performance of real world activities or sports movements.

For example, functional training would help the average person develop strength that carries over into daily activities such as pulling open a heavy door, hiking up a rocky trail, starting a lawnmower, carrying a child, unloading heavy packages from the trunk of a car, or reaching up and pulling down a bulky box from an overhead shelf.

If you’re an athlete, functional training will help improve your performance: You will improve your swing, throw further, run faster or increase your vertical jump. Because functional training helps link your entire body together so it performs optimally as a cohesive unit, you’ll also decrease your chances of getting injured.

The terms “core training” and “functional training” are often used interchangeably, although core training is just one modality of functional training. Core training means doing exercises that activate the “core” muscles of the torso, neck, pelvis, lower back and abdominal area.

Basically, your core is everything except your arms and legs. Core training doesn’t just work the muscles you can see – it also works the deep muscles like the quadratus lumborum and transversus abdominus which are important in strengthening and stabilizing the lower back and torso.

The most common example of a core-training apparatus is the “stability ball,” which is used for full range abdominal work, resistance training and numerous other exercises to develop balance, stability, coordination and core strength.



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Anorectic Anabolism Training

We all know the pitfalls of 'yo-yo' dieting... ultimately what you struggle so hard to lose you almost inevitably end up gaining most of it back once you return to a so-called 'normal' eating pattern. But, here's the thing, what if you could take this same principle and use it to your advantage in your training schedule?

Now, I bet that is something that didn't exactly knock on your 'training wisdom' door! Truth be told, it was not something I ever considered experimenting with until fate brought it to my attention.

Just over a year ago I was diagnosed with mononucleosis (glandular fever) triggered by an ever-present Epstein Barr Virus (no doubt caused by years of overtraining).

This debilitating event led to me having to seriously reduce my workout sessions and the intensity I threw into them. Of course I knew that any form of strenuous exercise was not the RX for recovery, but I don't need to tell you how stubborn us lifelong muscle heads are when it comes to working out - no matter what malady we are suffering from or what crisis is going on in our lives.

I can guarantee that, in the event of a nuclear war, for every two people running to the fall out shelter there will be a bodybuilder running to the gym trying to sneak in one extra session before Armageddon!

So, rather than completely shun working out, I opted for the train less intensely and keep workouts shorter principle. I also increased my protein intake and significantly reduced my carbohydrate consumption - which was not such a good idea, but more of that later.

I must admit this was extremely difficult at first since I was used to pushing myself to the limits at every workout e.g. lots of sets, hitting the muscle from all angles, everything to failure.

However, every time I relapsed into my old training habits my glands reacted so badly I felt like I was wearing a weighted ankle bracelet around my neck - which is a further example of how much stress intense exercise puts on the body.

Anyways, I am straying from the point and the point in this case is the end result. After years and years of high-intensity training I was pretty much tired all the time and my muscles had reached a standstill when it came to growth.

Then, within one month of training by my new 'back-off a little' technique I had gained 7 lbs and reduced my body fat levels significantly. At that point I realized I was onto something... I had discovered the 'yo-yo' principle of anorectic anabolism.


Applying Anorectic Anabolism


So how can you apply this to YOUR training schedule and YOUR diet? Well, if you are anything like most bodybuilders and athletes you are probably already in a state of borderline overtraining and this is GREAT!

"Okay," I hear you cry; "now you have gone too far! How on earth can being borderline overtrained be an asset?"

Well, I grant you, in a normal case scenario this suggestion would seem a little on the crazy side. However, we are not talking 'normal' here, we are talking 'survival' and, being in a semi-overtrained state is a great place to be when it comes to activating the survival instinct in your muscles.

For the purposes of this experiment though, I want to push you a little bit further so for the next month I want you to work out five days (even six if you want to throw in some extra work for abs and some cardio on one of your 'days-off').

If you have reached the level where you can use 'instinctive selection' then use that when it comes to deciding which exercises and how many sets to use per session.

By 'instinctive selection' I mean just letting your mind take over the direction of your workout, bearing in mind the fact that you want to hit each muscle group from as many angles as possible and your workouts should be at least 1 hour long for larger body parts.

Phase 1

For those not sure that their instinct is a reliable road map to the ideal workout here are a couple of examples of 'survival set up' training for major body parts. Take a look at them and you should get the idea:

Legs:

+ Leg Press - 4 sets x 15-20 reps
+ Narrow Stance Hack Squats - 3 sets x 15-20 reps
+ Hamstring Curls - 4 sets x 10 - 12 reps
+ Leg Extensions - 3 sets x 10 - 12 reps
+ Wide-Stance Squats - 3 sets x 15 - 20 reps
+ Calves - 5 sets x 20-25 reps

Back:

* Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns - 4 sets x 8 - 10 reps
* Close Grip Pulldowns - 4 sets x 8 - 10 reps
* Dumbbell Rows - 3 sets x 8-10 reps
* Dumbbell Pullovers - 3 sets x 12 - 15 reps
* Straight Arm Pulldowns - 3 sets x 10 -12 reps

Now bear in mind that ALL these sets are taken to failure and the rest periods between sets are kept to a minimum (no sitting around for 2 - 3 minutes gazing around the room!).

The main thing is to try and go by instinct. If you feel like adding a set here and there to really knock a muscle out... go for it! Remember, this is all about activating the 'survival response' in your muscles.

Stick to this training program for 4 - 6 weeks at least and split body parts so that you are training five days a week. A sample of this would be:

o Monday: Shoulders
o Tuesday: Legs
o Wednesday: Chest
o Thursday: Back
o Friday: Arms

Just split your workouts according to your own schedule. After this training period is over I guarantee your body will be screaming for a rest in the same way as your stomach would be screaming for a slice of apple pie after a pre contest diet!

Phase 2

If you have followed the plan though you should definitely have primed your body for the next stage, the stage I will call 'Anorectic Anabolism'.

This is when you bring the final principle into training, this is where you 'back-off' and allow your body to begin the overcompensation process (so that it is prepared, should you decide to do this program again).

For this phase you will want to cut back your training to four times a week (either two days on, one day off or training every other day). For example, if you go for the two on, one off option you will be working out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and taking the whole weekend off.

The exercises in this case will be limited. You will stop just before you reach failure, and you will keep your workouts to around 30 minutes (40 max).

Once again here are a couple of samples. I will stick to the same body parts to give you a better idea of the difference between the two phases.

Legs:

o Leg Press/Squats - 3 sets 12 -15 reps
o Leg Extensions - 3 sets 10- 12 reps
o Hamstring Curls - 3 sets 10 - 12 reps
o Calves - 3 sets 20 reps

Back:

o Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets 10 - 12 reps
o Close Grip Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets 10 - 12 reps
o Pullovers - 3 sets 12 - 15 reps

The main thing is to try and keep total sets performed to around 12 sets for larger body parts and 8 - 10 for smaller body parts (as low as 6 for biceps and triceps).

This will allow your body to recognize the relative 'down-time' as a chance to prepare for the likelihood of another all out attack on your muscles.

Diet

As for your diet, try and keep your ratios at around 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat and your calories fairly constant throughout the program. Your main aim is to initiate the survival mechanism in your muscles, not your metabolism.

After all, your metabolism is given the shock treatment every time you go on a diet, so give it a break and let your muscle take the impact of this experiment.
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Lift Slower to be Stronger

What would you do if you were told to do your bicep curls-or any other move for that matter-with excruciatingly slow reps? Well, according to Ken Hutchins, these slower repetitions put muscles under more stress than conventional weight-lifting does, producing greater strength and size.

Hutchins is founder and president of the Super Slow Exercise Guild, a group of fitness trainers devoted to a unique and controversial weight-training method he designed and developed himself. Unlike traditional weightlifting programmes, Hutchins' Super Slow regimen requires you to do the move with 10 seconds up and five seconds down.




He also insists that the quick pace of the workouts- users must move quickly from one exercise to the next, completing a gym session in 20 minutes-conditions the cardiovascular system, eliminating the need for what Hutchins calls 'dangerous' aerobic exercise.

The theory behind it
Super Slow standards dictate that your workout area should be dimly lit and chilly to reduce sweating, because Hutchins says, "Heat is a major enemy of performance."

Hutchins studied the theory of slow weight-training in the 1970s, becoming an expert at engineering weights machines using cams and chains. Over the next 15 years he honed his exercise ideas and gained converts to what he calls his 'protocol'. Super Slow took off in the early 1990s.

Dr Chandra S Siddaiah, consultant and head, sports and exercise medicine, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, says, "The Super Slow method helps to recruit larger muscle groups. If you have a good build, then you can tolerate the pressure and it'll be effective."

What the experts think
Super Slow's promise is clear: toned muscles, greater strength, increased flexibility and improved stamina in just one or two 15 to 20-minute workouts a week... less time than it takes to shower and shave. Its popularity has also been bolstered by the findings of studies showing that beginners who used Super Slow gained 50 per cent more strength than those who used a standard programme.

Hutchins lacks formal training in exercise or physiology, but he is an outspoken critic of the fitness establishment, particularly aerobic exercise. Cycling, running and jumping are inefficient ways of training and can't qualify as exercise, he says, calling them 'recreation'. He says they deplete the body's vital reserves, leading to illness and injury.


Of course, the Super Slow method isn't without detractors. "It's a strange way to train," says David Pearson, an exercise physiologist at Ball State University in Indiana. "Beginners may see some gains because they're putting their muscles under stress for a longer time, but that type of training has no practical application. It won't help in explosive athletic movements, and it will limit your size gains. It's a gimmick."

Dr Saranjit Singh, Lucknow based fitness consultant and founder of Bodyline gym, feels the same way. He says, "The hypothesis behind this method is that it increases the myoglobin content in the muscles. The only way to check muscle mass is weight training and exercise."

That's not to say there's no place for this in your own workouts. While a combination of aerobic/anaerobic workout increases flexibility, agility, balance, coordination and stabliity, the Super Slow method can be a useful tool when you hit a fitness plateau. "It's certainly worth trying," says Jon Bowskill, a UK-based fitness consultant. He offers a balanced opinion. "The principle of Super Slow training may work for a while. It will train you to lift largely in one plane of movement (on machines), and you'll get better at doing exactly this for the period of time you spend in the gym. The difficulty arises when you leave the gym and expect your gains in strength to improve your functional ability. With this type of training they largely won't-as a species, we simply haven't evolved to move excessively slowly."

Use Super Slow to get super fit
You don't have to follow the Super Slow completely to benefit from it. By applying a few of its tenets to your current workout, you can reap more benefits from your gym time. Follow these five strategies:
1. Take your time
Slower repetitions help, but you don't have to endure gruelling 15-second reps to see results. Recent research suggests that eight-second repetitions- four up, four down-are slow enough to spur an increase in strength.

2. Smooth your style
If you jerk a lot on every lift, you're not getting the most from the move. Try smooth movements, with only a slight hesitation at the end of the contraction. This will put more stress on the muscles and decrease chances of injury.

3. Stop chatting
Super Slow isn't slow between exercises. You move quickly from one exercise to the next, with no banter time. This fires up your metabolism and conditions your cardio system better.

4. Ditch the free weights
Using weight machines instead forces you to focus more on form and less on how much weight you're using-a good thing-while protecting you from injury.

5. Take time to recover
Make sure your muscles have 48 hours rest between strenuous workouts. And if you reach a plateau, try doing less work, not more.
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Cable Abs

Adding resistance to an exercise recruits your core, strengthening your torso, hips, and shoulders. Hooking the cable row to a lateral pillar bridge, as shown above, "feels as if someone's pushing you forward and backward," says Anthony Slater, CSCS, head performance coach for Core Performance Centre, Santa Monica, California. The result: A boost of strength throughout, leading to chiselled abs.



The benefit
You'll build a more stable midsection, so you perform better in sports. Before this, you should be able to hold a lateral bridge for 30 seconds. (So don't skip your back workout.)

How to do it
• Attach a handle to the pulley cable. Grab it with your right hand. Lie on your left side slightly farther than arm's length from the weight to keep tension on the cable.
.
• With your forearm under your shoulder and feet stacked, push your hip off the floor, creating a straight line from ankle to shoulder. Draw the handle to your ribs. Keep your hips pushed up and forward and squeeze your shoulder blades.

Lateral
• Slowly straighten your arm out in front of you. Perform 8 to 10 reps. Stop before your hips sag or your trunk rotates. Switch sides and repeat.


Our expert's tips
To stay aligned, keep your abs braced. The resistance helps you learn how to engage your pillar properly. Once comfortable with the movement, increase your speed. The faster you move your arm, the more torque you create for your torso muscles to resist, meaning better rotational stability.
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Fast workout, hard muscle

Build a body that dominates, by attacking the weights with thunder and with a plan that's fit for a king

THE WORKOUT
Begin each session with calisthenics and core moves. Then do the exercises specified for each day as pairs, or supersets, moving from one exercise to the next without rest. Do each superset three times, resting 45 seconds between supersets.



MONDAY


Superset 1
Pushup
Assume the classic pushup position, with legs straight, hands beneath your shoulders. Keep your body rigid. Bend your arms to lower yourself until your chest is just off the floor. Then push back up till your arms are extended. Do as many reps as you can.

Pullup
Grab a chinup bar with an overhand grip (palms forward) and your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Hang with your arms straight and pull your shoulder blades down. Pull your chest to the bar, then lower yourself. Aim for 10 reps.


Superset 2
Dumbbell Snatch
Assume an athletic position (knees bent, hips back), holding a dumbbell in one hand below your knees. In one movement, jump as you thrust the weight overhead, keeping the weight close to your body. Land softly. Aim for 5 reps with each arm.

Cable Single-Arm Row
Grab the handle of a midpulley cable with your left hand, pulling your right arm back. Row the handle to your torso as you extend your right arm. Resist the weight as you return to the starting position. Do 10 reps with each arm.

TUESDAY


Superset 1
Dumbbell Squat
Stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your back naturally arched, bend at the hips and knees and lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Push back up. Do 8 to 12 reps.

Swiss-Ball Hamstring Curl
Lie on the floor with your ankles on a Swiss ball, arms at your sides. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line. Squeezing your glutes, pull the ball toward your butt with your legs. Then roll the ball back out. Do 12 reps.



Superset 2
Dumbbell Stepup
Holding heavy weights at your sides, lift one foot and place it on a bench. Then push your body up until your weightbearing leg is straight and your other foot is hanging off the bench. Return to the starting position. Do 10 reps with each leg.

Dumbbell Calf Raise
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and stand on your left foot. Rest the instep of your right foot across the back of your left ankle. Hold onto something for balance. Rise on your toes as high as you can. Do 12 reps for each leg.

THURSDAY


Superset 1
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Lie faceup on an incline bench and hold a pair of dumbbells at the sides of your chest with an overhand grip (palms forward). Press the weights straight above your chest. Then lower them to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Lat Pulldown
Sit at a lat-pulldown station and grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your head and back straight, pull your shoulder blades down and then pull the bar to your chest. Let the bar rise. Do 10 reps.



Superset 2
Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Press
Stand holding a dumbbell at shoulder height with your palm facing your body (as shown). Press the weight straight up and slowly lower it. Do 6 to 8 reps before repeating with the other arm.

Dumbbell Single-Arm Row
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, arm straight. Place your left hand and knee on a bench. Use your upper-back muscles to pull the dumbbell up and back. Pause, then slowly lower the weight. Do 10 reps on each side.

FRIDAY


Superset 1
Single-Leg Squat
Stand on a bench. Hold your arms in front of you and flex your right ankle so your toes point up. Keeping your torso as upright as possible, bend your left knee and lower your body until your right heel touches the floor. Push up. Aim for 5 reps per leg.

Single Swiss-Ball Leg Curl
Perform this like the Swissball hamstring curl, using one leg. Lift your left leg and bend your knee toward your chest. With your right leg, pull the ball toward your butt then push it out. Aim for 10 reps with each leg.


Superset 2
Dumbbell Side Lunge
Stand holding dumbbells at your sides. With your left leg, take a wide step directly to the left. Bend your left knee and push your hips back until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Then push back up. Do 10 reps in each direction.

Unstable Jump Rope
After all the weight training, here's a move that will give you shock-solid, sports-ready ankles. Skip rope for 45 seconds on a cushioned surface, such as a stretching mat. The mat's instability will help strengthen your ankles.
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Scorpion stretch

Vesna Pericevic Jacob gives you the scorpion stretch-which is as deadly as it sounds, but when done properly will give you amazing results. The focus of the stretch is to work on and promote the hip flexor, quadriceps, as well as back extensor flexibility. This stretch can also be done as a part of your daily warmup, in which case you should attempt it at the beginning of your workout.



Step 1 Lie face down on the floor. Stretch out your arms, palms facing down on the floor to create a straight line with the shoulders. Inhale, and while exhaling, raise your left leg and bring the heel all the way to the opposite side of the lower back. You should feel the stretch in your lower back as well as in your thighs. Make sure you don't overstrain or injure yourself.

Step 2 Hold the same leg around the ankle with your left hand and pull the heel towards your gluteus muscles. This way, you will get additional stretch in your quadriceps (thighs). Keep your foot flexed.

Step 3 Bring the leg back to starting position and repeat the move with your right leg. The movement should be done 1 to 3 times on each side.
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Strengthen your Core Power

Sure, crunches carve abs, but a smart core-building programme includes a variety of exercises. Swiss-ball finger taps offer real-world benefits beyond a sixpack, says the Men's Health Muscle guy, Mike Mejia, CSCS.



The benefit
You'll improve your abdominal strength, endurance and flexibility. "This promotes core stability while your limbs are in motion, which is the way you use your body during most sports activities," says Mejia.

How to do it
• Lie on the floor, holding the ball between your lower legs.
• Extend your arms straight up as you simultaneously raise your legs and upper body into a contracted position. Your lower back should remain on the floor, and your legs should be slightly bent. Keep your upper body in the "up" position for all of your repetitions as your legs move up and down.
• At the top of the movement, tap the ball to your fingers. Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions.

Expert tips
Keep your lower back pressed to the floor to work your abdominals. If that's too hard, keep your knees bent at about 90 degrees until your strength and flexibility improve.
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