Pump up your triceps with the cable pushdown

If you want to have big arms then you need to build up your triceps. One of the best exercises to build the triceps is the cable pushdown. Here is how and why you should do it.

Why the cables are awesome for building triceps - gravity!

The reason I have been so into using the cables as of late is because I have really been discovering their power when it comes to amazing muscle contraction.

When you lift a normal free-weight you have a certain time frame at the top and bottom of the movement where there is no contraction on your muscles other than whatever tensing you might (or might not!) be doing. For example, when you do a tricep kickback when the weight is at the lowest position it is just dangling there doing nothing. No muscles are being used.

However, the cables are a different story altogether! When you jump on the cables and are doing a pushdown for you triceps you are always going to have contraction in your triceps. Why? Because the cables are always trying to pull the weight down. Thanks to good old gravity pulling the weight back down you have to hold it up and as you never let go of the cable throughout the whole motion you are always going to be fighting to hold the weight up. This makes for some awesome muscle fatigue, stretch and contraction.

How to do a Cable Pushdown for better triceps growth

I see people doing the cable pushdown and other cable exercises more incorrectly than just about any other set of exercises at the gym. There is swinging, hunching over, momentum and all sorts of other bodybuilding “sins” taking place.

Here is how to do the pushdown correctly:

1. Stand close to the cable and set the pulley on its highest setting.

2. Take a narrow grip on the ropes or handle.

3. Fix your elbows to your side and keep them there throughout the whole motion. This is key.

4. Straighten your back and try not to lean forward on the weight as this makes it easier.

5. Tense your triceps and extend your arms down so you are pushing the bar straight down.

6. Tense the triceps again at the bottom of the motion and slowly allow the bar to come back up to the starting position.

6. Repeat.

As you can see the weight is going to be pulling on you the whole time. The slower you go with this exercise the better. I see people pumping them out like there is no tomorrow but this takes a lot of the benefit out of the exercise as you want to battle it out with gravity for as long as you can. If you really want to do some faster reps. make sure it is the pushdown and allow the other half of the movement to be slow and controlled with a good tension in your triceps.

Triceps Cable Pushdown tips

Two things that I like to tell people to better their results are: Continue Reading

The weight loss exercises so intense only the crazy will try them!

At Real Muscle Online we are only interested in real training. What this means is that we do not train with fancy gadgets and other hyped up products that aren’t worth half of what people pay for them. We use real training methods to get real results.

Here are five weight loss exercises that are so intense and hard core only crazy people like me will attempt them. They will bring you quick results and change your fitness levels forever.

5. Jumping Squats

The old jumping squat is one of my favorite ways to develop strength in my legs and glutes as well as get a good burn in my lungs. The thing about the jumping squat that is so amazing is that you can always push yourself to new limits without needing any extra equipment.

The jumping squat is easy to do. Start hunched on the ground with one foot slightly in front of the other. Spring up into the air as high as you can and swap your feet over mid-air so that when you land the front foot is now at the back. When you land go all the way down into the crouched position and then spring into the air again without any break or pause.

I have had clients who are full on athletes who run and exercise at a near professional level and when I get them to do this exercise with me they look like the are about to puke! It can really challenge your fitness levels and take it to new heights - especially if you have been on the same level for a while.

If you play a sport that involves a lot of leg work like kung fu, football, soccer, etc. then you should make these a regular part of your workout.

4. Boxing
Boxing is one of the most intense sports in the world. And the thing about it that is really great for weight loss is that it involves many different types of workouts.

For example, if we look at a boxers typical workout he/she will do weights, heavy bag work, sparring, rope jumping, road work (running), shadow boxing and so on. The whole body gets worked out both aerobically and anerobically. And these workouts are not just run of the mill workouts. They are intense, fierce and very poweful. They make every muscle in your body ache and your lungs burn like they are going to catch on fire.

If you are having trouble losing a bit of weight or busting through a fitness plateau then I reccomend purchasing a heavy bag or going a long to a boxing class. Don’t take it too seriously - just use it as a tool for your weight loss and fitness and stay out of all the politics and anger that can be floating around at those places. Most of the time, however, they are fun and full of people who love to train and improve their bodies.

3. Partner Circuits
When I was playing pretty serious soccer we used to have one fitness session a week where the whole session you were in competition with a partner. It drove us to new heights and by the end of the session you came out so tired I often used to fall asleep in the car before driving home!

The idea of these circuits is to design the stations so that you compete with the person you are doing it with. For example, lets say you have a station focussed around medicine ball crunches. You both lay on the ground with your toes touching and when someone yells out “Go!” you pick up the medicine ball and do a crunch and toss it to the other person. They do a crunch and then toss it back to you. The first person to give out or give up loses and then that is one point to you. Set up 10 stations and move through them all - the loser buys lunch!

Some stations that are suitable for this type of competition are:

- medicine ball crunches
- jumping squats
- pushups
- pushup slaps (face each other and try to knock the other over by slapping their supporting arms)
- step ups

It is better to use exercises that can be measured by a person finishing first and as such losing as opposed to exercises that reward a person for finishing first. If you can win by completing a certain number you won’t push yourself as hard as if you were trying not to finish first. Plus, sometimes you can cheat by going faster. Continue Reading

Should you use the Cabbage Soup Diet to lose weight

Everyone has heard of the cabbage soup diet but does it really help you lose weight quickly? And if it does help you with some fast weight loss, does it impact your long term health?

What exactly is the Cabbage Soup Diet

Unlike the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Diet the Cabbage Soup Diet is pretty self-explanatory. You eat soup made of cabbage. That’s pretty much it.

Well, not really. There are some other foods you can eat and many people try to sell of a diet plan that is associated with eating lots of cabbage soup. For example, when you go on the diet you might eat fruit for the first day and cabbage soup for dinner and lunch. The second day you might introduce some green vegetables and on the third day some lean beef. And so it goes on. However, during the whole time the majority of your food comes from a nice, homemade cabbage soup.

How does the Cabbage Soup Diet work?

People claim that the mixture of foods that you put in the soup allow you to burn fat by eating more. They say the more soup you eat the more fat you will burn. This is rubbish. The reason the soup diet works for short term fat loss is the same as if you ate spinach all day long or some other low calorie vegetable. When you take in foods that are low in carbs, fats and all over calories you will burn energy by digesting them and by exercising and as such you will lose weight. Amazing! Not really.

Should you use the Cabbage Soup Diet to lose weight?

If you were here now I would whack you with a cabbage for evern suggesting that!

The Cabbage Soup Diet really isn’t a good idea, especially if you are an athlete who lifts a lot of weights and spend a lot of time exercising. Your body simply needs more nutrients than that to be healthy.

I am one of those people who believe that you should never sacrifice your health to lose a little bit of fat. There are so many simple and healthy ways to lose the pounds that it really isn’t necessary to go on a crash diet. The soup diet is not a long term solution.

Final Verdict
1 out of 10. I give it a one because you can lose weight by using this diet but it really isn’t the best way to go. I would like to see a version of this diet where the soup is more vegetable rich and fruits, nuts and other healthy natural foods are added.