Everyone has a muscle that is lagging behind the rest. For me it is my calf muscles but for others it is their biceps or their pecs or their deltoids. In this post I want to look at how to build up lagging muscles.

How to bring up lagging muscles

Having a lagging muscle is really annoying. For bodybuilders it makes your whole physique look uneven and it can even cause health problems. If you have one muscle smaller than the others it is likely that your body will be out of balance and you will probably have a pinched nerve somewhere.

So, if you want to build up one of your lagging muscles here are a few things you can do.

1. Hit that muscle first
The best time to hit lagging muscles is first in your workout when your body is fresh, you are full of energy and you are focussed. If you wait until later in your workout you are likely to only use a lighter weight because you are too tired to hit it with something that is going to make it grow.

2. Pre exhaust the surrounding muscles
One trick I was taught a few years ago is to pre exhaust the surrounding muscles so that they don’t “take over” during the exercise. For example, if your triceps are lagging behind everything else you might want to do a few sets of chest isolation exercises before you do bench press or dips so that your triceps are forced to do more of the work.

I am not really sure about this method as I have never stuck to it long enough to see any results. If anyone reading has I would love to hear about it in the comments.

3. Hit them with a different type of exercise
One of the best things to do is hit the muscle with a different type of exercise. You may have been using the same exercise for 10 years and have to face facts that it isn’t working. Try a new exercise - intense reps, 100 repetition lifts, super slow reps, martial arts, sprinting, etc. The new style of stimulation might be enough to get it up.

Conclusion on lagging muscles

I would love to hear about more methods of bringing up lagging muscles. Everyone has a different opinion about how to do this and some of the ideas are really interesting. If you can think of anything not mentioned above then leave us a comment.

Music and workouts go very well together. A good song can take your workout from mediocre to pure intensity. In this post I am going to show you the 20 best workout songs of all time.

The 20 best workout songs of all time

20. Bittersweet Symphony - Verve
A great classical backing with some meaningful lyrics. This is one of my favorite songs to workout to, especially after the intro when they drop the beat. Fantastic!

19. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N’ Roses
My mate insisted this goes on the list. Heavy guitar and some loud singing. Perfect for a heavy weights workout.

18. We Run This - Missy Elliott
One of my favorite beats redone by Missy. This lyrics aren’t really what I’m about but the melody and beat are truly infectious.

17. Survivor - Destiny’s Child
This was one of Destiny’s Child’s biggest songs going number one and selling millions of copies. It is a great upbeat song for the gym especially for those cardio workouts where you really don’t feel like doing it.

16. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
A classic Nirvana song with loud guitar and an excellent melody. If you want to listen to a song that is good for wind sprints then this is the one for you. The chorus really lifts you up.

15. Thunderstruck - AC/DC
A classic Australian tune. Can you say “fast guitar”? This song always gets me going and is a great song for rock lovers out there.

14. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
A classic MJ song always does the trick. Billie Jean has one of the best bass beats of all time - it is perfect to time your fast run to on the treadmill.

13. Fighter - Christina Aguilera
I am not normally one to put Christina on my iPod but this song is an exception. It is brilliant. It is angry but directed in a good way and it makes for a really good workout song. Very hard guitar playing in it. Take a look at the film clip and give it a chance if you normally would skip over this one.

12. Winter (Four Seasons) - Vivaldi
What! Classic! I can hear you all now. This is one of my favorite classical pieces of all time and it is perfect for a workout. Wait for the big final and you will see why. I simply love it. See, Real Muscle Online is about culture as well!

11. California Love - Tupac
One of the big hits of the 90’s. It still plays on my iPod thanks to a noisy beat and a great flow. Tupac… just brilliant.

The Top 10 Workout Songs of All Time

Now we are getting into the big guns. Take a look at what I think are the top 10 workout songs of all time. It is so tough to narrow it down but I think these 10 are worthy of their spots.

10. Come With Me - Puff Daddy
One of the all time most inspiring song. The orchestral backings, the loud lyrics and a fantastic melody make this song a must have for your workouts. I listen to it almost every time I hit the treadmill and it never ceases to make me run fast! From the movie Godzilla - check it out:

9. Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz
Perhaps the most expensive film clip lighting in music history. This Kravitz classic is an excellent choice for the gym or the running track. Play it nice and loud!

8. Try Again - Aaliyah
I remember when this song came out and everybody loved it. It had a little bit of a electronic feel to it instead of a big base bounce but it really does the trick. This song has one of the best flows of any R & B song around and has a good message in the chorus. Take a look.

7. Jesus Walks - Kanye West
Jesus Walks is another Kanye beat that will really get you moving. I find this song to be especially good when you are out on the street in the early morning doing road work by yourself in the dark.

6. Get By - Talib Kweli
I hate not putting this song further up the list but I have so many good ones up there. This is Kweli’s best song and a real pumping beat. I saw him perform this live in Melbourne a few years ago when James Brown was performing and it was on of the hands down best performances I have ever seen. I have never seen so many people jumping! The good thing about Kweli is that he is a true conscience rapper - all good.

5. Got Yourself a Gun - Nas
I challenge anyone to listen to the beat and lyrics of this song and not bounce your head. Nas is my favorite artist of all time and this is his best song for the treadmill. It is fast, deliberately intricate and very inspiring. Here is the film clip. Try and stop your head for bouncing!

4. It Really Don’t Matter to Me - Confidential
If you need to pick up your workout and you like a good rap beat and some hard lyrics then this is for you. This was the main song from Jet Li’s big Hollywood movie; Romeo Must Die. The chorus in this song is fantastic and the dirty electric guitar is perfect. In high school my buddy and I cranked this song while we lifted weights and never got sick of it. Check out the film clip with some of Jet’s moves.

3. Lose Yourself - Eminem
I am not a big Eminem fan but this song is a masterpiece. He has not and probably will not ever make a song better than this one. Every time I hear it I get tingles up my spine. This song is all about intensity. You can hear it in his voice. Check it out.

2. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Cliche? Yes. Out of date? No way! Eye of the Tiger continues to be one of the most inspiring songs on the market. I don’t care what anyone says about it, it will get you fired up anywhere and anytime. The reason this song is so amazing is because it has the emotion and memories of the Rocky movies attached. Listen to the song and you become just like Rocky fighting Mr. T.

1. Remember the Name - Fort Minor
This is probably my favorite workout song of all time and today it makes it to the top position on our list. This song is one of the rare workout songs where beat and lyrics are equally as inspiring. The bass, the melody and the motivational lyrics really make you push that 10% more. Check out the video clip.

Kettlebells are now pretty famous for developing real world strength and power as well as being a handy muscle building tool. They are used by martial artists and sports people who need to build strength in a practical manner without sacrificing their range of motion or speed. In this post I want to look at a few basic exercises and workouts for the kettlebells.

What is a kettlebell?

In case you aren’t too sure what a kettlebell is take a look at the top image. It is basically a round cannon ball with a handle on it that allows you to throw it around and lift it in more ways than you can with a normal dumbbell. Check out some of the videos below to see how they are used.

Basic Kettlebell Exercises

There are a few kettlebell exercises that are known the world over for being effective and quite easy to learn. You should base your workouts on these core exercises.

Take a look at this video. In it we see a few basic exercises including the:

• Two arm swing
• One arm swing
• Snatch
• Squat
• Cleans
• and Switches

It is important to master these basic movements before going on to more advanced stuff or doing a full blown workout. Kettlebells can cause serious back injury if they are not done with proper form.

In this next video we can see step by step how to do a Turkish Get-Up which is a full body exercise that involves some floor work. Check it out:

In this next video we can see the basics of how to do an overhead press with the kettlebell. This is one of the most important basic movements that you can do with the kettlebell.

Kettlebell workouts

Once you have mastered the basic exercises you need to put them together in a workout. The variety of things you can do with a kettlebell is quite amazing. You can do workouts to target your whole body, improve your speed and power and really blast your fitness.

In this video we can see a pretty hard six minute kettlebell workout. As you can imagine, your whole body would be aching the next day. Take a look:

Where to buy Kettlebells?

If you want to pick up some kettlebells for your private gym you can take a look at a2z Equipment’s kettlebell page. It is a good place to get a better deal on this must-have piece of gym equipment.

Conclusion on Kettlebells

These things really are amazing for your strength and power. You can use them to boost your fitness as well as building functional muscles. Does anyone here use them?