summer Archives - relative strength advantage

by Yavor - June 3, 2010May 26, 2015

How to Increase Biceps Strength without Biceps Curls

Biceps strength can be greatly increased with any pull-up & chin-up workout when you are a beginner. Problem is, the better you get at pull-ups, the more you learn to engage your back – pull with the lats or armpit muscles. This is great because you will develop a great looking v-shaped body. However your biceps strength will reach a plateau because your arms will get less and less stimulation.

One solution is to start heavily relying on direct arm training with barbell and dumbbell curls. Although this is a great approach, there is yet another way to train with a compound exercise for greater biceps strength. Compound moves allow for a more natural loading of the muscles.

Here is a video we shot in the backyard of a nearby school of the mix grip chin-up. Notice how I am leaning towards the under grip arm and trying to pull with this side of my back. Don’t just pull yourself up. Instead use the muscles of the under grip side of the body.

Enter The Mix Grip Chin Up

by Yavor - January 23, 2009May 30, 2015

Getting That Hot Celebrity Body – If All Else Fails, Go Pro

Some people want to look just sort of OK. Not too fat, not too skinny and with steady energy levels. The problem with this is that when you shoot for a mediocre target, you may not even accomplish this easy goal. Let me explain.

It’s always better to aim a little higher. To overshoot if you will. Even if you don’t get to your targeted body, you will have achieved a physique way better than average. If you go for mediocrity though, you may get something way below that.

Now, the worst thing would be if you didn’t have a goal at all. You see, the mind works in a way that when you give it a goal or a time constraint, it gives its best to fit everything you do within the parameters of that goal or time constraint.

Enter Parkinson’s Law

by Yavor - January 5, 2009May 30, 2015

Bulk or Cut? If You Don’t Lose Fat Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later

Even if you know what you are doing and have plenty of time to train, typically it takes a few months to get in top shape. Summer will be here sooner than most people expect it. I’ve seen time and time again people at the gyms going on an endless “bulking” phase. In reality, they stay fat year round, postponing looking good for the indefinite future.

Summer is coming. Might as well get in top shape and play with mermaids at the beach. You know, part of the reason for this is that folks have an unrealistic perception of themselves and what it takes to look muscular. They may think they are not muscled enough when in reality their shoulders or V-taper are hidden under a layer of fat.

Look Good Year Round

Lean people look decent even with limited amounts of muscle. This is the way to go – lose fat first so that you look good year round.

Isn’t it a bit lame of an excuse to say you are fat, this year, because you are on a bulking program? Why not look good all the time?

Leaner People Can Get Away with Eating More Carbs

by Yavor - January 1, 2009May 31, 2015

Your Reason Why for Getting a Hot Body… Or Any Other Goal

You need a powerful reason why in order to motivate yourself to do what’s necessary to reach your goals. The more reasons you have the better. Try to vividly imagine what it would be like when you achieve your goal. How will you feel? How will it change your life in different situations?

Beautiful women are a big reason why for most guys.

Because goal achievement comes down to doing small step after small step, you have to be motivated to do these incremental advances towards your goal even though there is no short term or immediate gratification. It is easier to do something fun right now than work hard in order to experience something fantastic a little bit later. This applies everywhere – work, dieting, training, etc. But it shouldn’t be like that.

Strong emotional motivators come into play here. You have to imagine in bright colors and feel with all senses how it would feel to have achieved your goal.

Looking Good at the Beach on Your Vacation

Going for a nice relaxing vacation (or a crazy party trip) will feel that much better if you are super fit. Guys could take their shirts of and show off and girls will feel hot and sexy at the beach in their bikinis. You just can’t lose when you are in top shape at an exotic place.

Nothing like feeling fantastic in your skin for that dream vacation.

Sports Domination

by Yavor - December 20, 2008May 31, 2015

Relative Strength Advantage – What Is Fitness?

A lot of confusion seems to exist on the web regarding what being fit means. Is it being as big as possible? Being able to tow trucks or run endlessly? Here is my stance. I believe being fit is pretty much being in shape at around your high school weight, unless you were really skinny or obese in those days.

Being fit means looking good year round. No bulking in the winter and cutting for the summer. You should look good naked all the time.

Being beach ready fit, you are going to feel awesome and your loved one will appreciate it. To look good, you need to have low levels of body fat and high levels of strength for your body weight.

Tag: summer