For all the fitness enthusiasts who are looking out for an effective muscle building regime that gives you the best results, look no further, this workout programme raises the bar and gives you immediate core strength.
The programme is progressive and engaging as it lets you feel the crunch with every repetition. Muscle building is a thing that should be on everyone’s mind and it’s something that ensures that the muscle mass is strong, as your muscle density decreases with age.
When you engage in this workout programme, try some lower sets with a heavier load rather than grinding repetitive sets with the same weights. This will not only challenge your body in a new way, it will also allow you to lift bigger weights which, in turn, will help in growing larger and stronger muscles.
Chest Flat Bench Dumbell press
(Chest) Flat Bench Dumbell Press
This is a great exercise for increasing upper body strength mainly targeting the chest followed by the shoulders and triceps. This exercise delivers results building the pectoral muscles.
Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands should face each other.
Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift them one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
Once at shoulder width, rotate wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you in a 90 degree angle. This will be your starting position.
As you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells vertically up. Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second and then come down slowly while breathing in.
Do five sets into five repetitions and increase the dumbbell weight with each set.
(Back) Barbell Dead Lift
This is technically more than a back exercise — it hits the entire posterior chain from your calves to your upper traps but is essentially an overall back workout. It is important to engage the dead lift using the right technique.
Bend at hips and knees (like you are going to sit on a chair), and grab a loaded barbell with an overhand grip about twice as wide as shoulder-width.
Without allowing your lower back to bend, stand up and thrust hips forward as you squeeze your glutes. Ensure you don’t lock your knees.
Pause, lower the bar back to the floor while keeping it as close to your body as possible.
Do three sets of 12 repetitions.
(Biceps) Concentration Curls
(Biceps) Concentration Curls
One of the most popular and common exercises for your biceps, this isolation exercise focuses primarily on biceps. When the exercise is done, ensure your arm is supported by the leg.
Sit down on a flat bench with one dumbbell in front of you, between your legs. Your legs should be spread, with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
Use your right arm to pick the dumbbell up. Place the back of your right upper arm on the top of your inner right thigh. This will be your starting position.
While holding the upper arm stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting biceps as you breathe out. Only the forearms should move. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
Hold contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps. Slowly begin to bring the dumbbells back to starting position as your breathe in. (Avoid swinging motions at any time).
Do three sets of 10 repetitions.
(Legs) Barbell Squat
The squat is one exercise that needs to be in every exercise routine. The squat is insanely effective for building a strong lower body and core. While the quadriceps is the primary targeted muscle here, squats also hit a wide variety of major muscle groups. You’ll also be significantly activating your glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, abdominals, obliques and even calves to a degree.
Stand with your feet just outside of shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward and rest the bar on your rear shoulders.
Grip the bar with your hands spaced evenly apart.
Look straight ahead with the chin pointed slightly up, keeping your chest up and shoulder blades slightly pinched together.
Start the movement by bending at the knees and hips and squatting down toward the floor. Make sure you maintain a neutral spine, tight core and slight arch in your lower back, pushing your knees outward throughout the movement.
Continue to descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Once you reach the bottom, drive the weight back up through your heels until you are in a standing position. Do not lock the knees.
Do three sets, where in the first set excludes weights. Progress with the remaining two sets by including weights. Use smaller weights first to let your body adapt and understand the level of strength.
(Shoulders) Seated Dumbbell Clean
(Shoulders) Seated Dumbbell Clean
Once considered to be Olympic style lift, this exercise has made its way into regular exercises for strength and conditioning. This exercise is a seated variation hammering the upper body enhancing shoulder and upper body strength.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on the edge of a bench.
Keeping your lower back flat, lean forward.
Explosively straighten your body and shrug the weights so your arms rise. Allow the momentum to flip your wrists so you lift the weights at shoulder level.
Return, by bringing down the weights and leaning forward. Repeat
Do four sets with six to eight repetitions each.
The writer Manish Jaswal is the director of Spa. The exercises have been performed by Shalini MS, a fitness instructor.
