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ARTICLES
Weighted Ab Exercises: 3 Simple Movements
When people start their fitness journey, getting well-developed abs is usually one of the main goals. I was no different. Looking back, I used to do a ton of crunches in the hopes of getting ripped abs. But I did all of this without putting enough thought into my...
Training Frequency: What is the best workout split?
In the past two articles, we have looked into training volume and intensity. Based on these articles, we now know that most people should train every muscle group with about 10-20 sets per week in a 5-15 rep range. If you get this right, you will experience...
Training Intensity: Best Rep Range For Muscle Growth
Introduction In the previous blog post, we've looked into training volume and muscle growth. The main takeaway was that training every muscle group with about 10-20 sets per week is a good starting point for muscle growth. But as you can imagine, just how many plain...
Weighted Ab Exercises: 3 Simple Movements
When people start their fitness journey, getting well-developed abs is usually one of the main goals. I was no different. Looking back, I used to do a ton of crunches in the hopes of getting ripped abs. But I did all of this without putting enough thought into my...
Training Frequency: What is the best workout split?
In the past two articles, we have looked into training volume and intensity. Based on these articles, we now know that most people should train every muscle group with about 10-20 sets per week in a 5-15 rep range. If you get this right, you will experience...
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![🔑 About Front Raises
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If your front deltoids are a weak point and you'd like to train them with more volume, a front raise is fine to include in your workouts. But for most people, the front deltoids will be trained sufficiently with your upper body push exercises. Especially if we look into shoulder press and incline chest press variations, we see that the front deltoids are quite dominant during many push exercises [1-3].
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With other movements like a chest fly and dips, your front deltoids also get a good amount of stimulation. Not to mention that our everyday lives tend to be quite "front-dominant". It is common for people to develop a rounded forward posture because of having overpowered muscles on the front side of the upper body.
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For all these reasons, I find that most people don't need front raises to have well-developed front deltoids. The push exercises in your workouts will cover the front delts and you can focus more on the side and rear deltoids with the shoulder isolation exercises you do. But again, eventually, it depends on your individual training goals whether front deltoids are useful in your training or not.
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References (EMG Research):
1. Saeterbakken, A. H., & Fimland, M. S. (2013). Effects of body position and loading modality on muscle activity and strength in shoulder presses. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(7), 1824-1831.
2. Lauver, J. D., Cayot, T. E., & Scheuermann, B. W. (2016). Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. European journal of sport science, 16(3), 309-316.
3. Campos, Yuri AC, et al. "Different shoulder exercises affect the activation of deltoid portions in resistance-trained individuals."
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🎵 Background music by @iamryanlittle](https://www.iwannaburnfat.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
🔑 About Front Raises
-
If your front deltoids are a weak point and you'd like to train them with more volume, a front raise is fine to include in your workouts. But for most people, the front deltoids will be trained sufficiently with your upper body push exercises. Especially if we look into shoulder press and incline chest press variations, we see that the front deltoids are quite dominant during many push exercises [1-3].
-
With other movements like a chest fly and dips, your front deltoids also get a good amount of stimulation. Not to mention that our everyday lives tend to be quite "front-dominant". It is common for people to develop a rounded forward posture because of having overpowered muscles on the front side of the upper body.
-
For all these reasons, I find that most people don't need front raises to have well-developed front deltoids. The push exercises in your workouts will cover the front delts and you can focus more on the side and rear deltoids with the shoulder isolation exercises you do. But again, eventually, it depends on your individual training goals whether front deltoids are useful in your training or not.
-
References (EMG Research):
1. Saeterbakken, A. H., & Fimland, M. S. (2013). Effects of body position and loading modality on muscle activity and strength in shoulder presses. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(7), 1824-1831.
2. Lauver, J. D., Cayot, T. E., & Scheuermann, B. W. (2016). Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. European journal of sport science, 16(3), 309-316.
3. Campos, Yuri AC, et al. "Different shoulder exercises affect the activation of deltoid portions in resistance-trained individuals."
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🎵 Background music by @iamryanlittle
🎬 New YouTube video about "3 Fat Loss Nutrition Mistakes" is now live! You can visit the link in my bio or go to YouTube.com/iWannaBurnFat to check it out.
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🔑 In the rest of this post, I will discuss some fat loss reminders, which also get covered in the new video.
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First, we need sustainability in your approach. Fat loss takes time. So the only way you can benefit from a certain training/nutrition approach is if you can stick to it long-term. There is research to support this. The most effective diets are the ones people can adhere to [1].
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Next, you don't have to restrict carbs to lose fat. A 2017 research review gathered the findings of 32 highly controlled nutrition studies [2]. The review found no significant fat loss differences between high-carb and low-carb diets when calorie and protein intake were matched. Theories like the "insulin-obesity" hypothesis that oftentimes are used to make people believe carbs are the enemy have been refuted multiple times [3, 4].
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Next, we have walking. A 2017 study found that when overweight and obese individuals did 2.5hrs/week of walking in combination with a calorie-restricted diet, they lost more fat [5]. This makes sense, frequent walking can increase your energy expenditure quite a bit. A practical way to walk more is by having 20-30 min walks every morning or evening. Having regular walks can also benefit your creativity and mood.
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📚 References (PMID):
1. 18268511
2. 28193517
3. 28765272
4. 28074888
5. 28794207
🏆6 Barbell Row Variations
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The barbell row is one of the most effective back exercises you can do. But there are several barbell row variations. In this video, I will discuss 6 barbell row variations and how you can use them in your training. Swipe left for more!
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The first variation is the traditional overhand-grip barbell row. We initiate this movement like a deadlift. Place the barbell over your mid-foot. Put your shoulder blades over the bar and deadlift the weight up. From here, lower your torso until you are almost parallel to the floor and row the weight up. Here I showcase a wide-grip barbell that is mostly focused on the upper back.
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Let’s go into the second row variation, which is the underhand-grip row. With an underhand-grip row, your elbows usually more tucked inward. This places more emphasis on the lats. The underhand-grip of course also places more emphasis on your biceps. Common mistakes with the underhand-grip is looking up and overly extending your spine. Keep a neutral spine position throughout the movement.
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Next, we have T-bar rows, which is often done with a V-bar attachment. Since this V-bar attachment is quite narrow, this is another exercise in which you keep the elbows tucked and have a greater bias towards training your lats.
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If you want an alternative from traditional one-arm dumbbell rows, you can also consider doing the Meadow's row. The way I do it here, you see I have my elbows more flared, which helps target the upper back muscles more. I like this exercise since it helps you train the back with more range of motion.
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The last 2 variations I discuss are Pendlay Rows and Seal Rows. I describe these movements in the last slides.
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🎵 Background music is by @iamryanlittle
🔑 Consistency > Intensity
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I am all for incorporating cardio into your routine. With most of my clients, I program at least 1 weekly cardio session for general health purposes. But the mindset you employ while doing cardio matters. I dislike the idea of "crushing yourself with cardio" to recover from a high-calorie day.
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If you use your training as a way to, so to speak, "punish" yourself whenever you enjoy more food, usually you won't be intrinsically motivated to train. I like the saying: "Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate."
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Once you start associating your training with overall health and physical performance improvements, it will be more motivating to train and the progress you achieve is more fulfilling.
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As far as "recovering" from a splurge day, the best way I like to do this is simply by moving on. In the grand scheme of things, one big meal means nothing if you move on and get back on track with your training/nutrition after.
🏃♂️About Cardio Intensity
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🔊 When doing cardio, is it better to maintain a high intensity with short rest intervals? Or is a low-to-moderate-intensity for a longer period of time more effective? Swipe left for a science-based answer!
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First, when it comes to fat loss, both options can work. A 2017 meta-analysis gathered the data from 31 studies that compare the fat loss effects of high-intensity and moderate-intensity cardio [1]. When the number of calories burned in the workout is matched, there is no significant fat loss difference between high-intensity and moderate-intensity cardio. This also makes sense. Cardio helps fat loss via increased energy expenditure. So regardless of what cardio you do, if it helps you burn more calories, it helps fat loss.
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With that said, there are other differences to take into account. High-intensity cardio is typically more time-efficient. In less time, you can burn more calories. So if you are short on time, focusing more on high-intensity cardio makes sense [2]. On the other hand, moderate-intensity cardio is less fatiguing. Even though it takes more time, you need less recovery after doing moderate-intensity cardio. So if you already have a strenuous lifting program, it can be wise to do moderate-intensity cardio instead.
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📚 References (PMID):
1. 28513103
2. 18362686
🎬 New YouTube video about "How To Gain Muscle Faster" is now live! I discuss 3 key tips that will help elevate your muscle growth results. Visit the link in my bio or go to YouTube.com/iWannaBurnFat to see the new video.
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In the rest of today's post, I will discuss one of the key tips, which is about training frequency.
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🔑 First of all, I want to make clear that a body part split in which you train each muscle 1x/week is not by definition less effective. In fact, there is research showing you can gain muscle effectively by training every muscle group just 1x per week [1]. But as you advance in your training and the number of sets per muscle group you do increases, it makes sense to also increase your training frequency [2, 3].
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Training each muscle group more frequently helps is beneficial from a fatigue management point-of-view. For instance, if you have 18 sets of back training in a week, dividing these 18 sets over 2 training days allows you to have higher quality sets. If you do all 18 sets in 1 workout, after ~8-10 sets it is possible your back muscles fatigue and the quality of your upcoming sets decrease.
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The fact that you can practice your main compound lifts more frequently also helps with gaining strength. As an example, instead of doing 6 sets of bench press in 1 training day, doing 3 sets of bench press 2x/week helps you more effectively practice your bench press form.
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For further details about training frequency and more muscle-building tips, visit the link in my bio to check the new video!
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📚 References (PMID):
1. 30558493
2. 25932981
3. 29470825