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Combination Exercises consist of two different lifts at the same time. This type of exercise gets the heart rate up and sheds the inches quickly. I use this style of lifting with my clients at least once a week. I recommend doing 2 sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Running on a treadmill feels easier physically because the ground is being pulled underneath your feet and there is no wind resistance or natural incline (unless incline is increased manually). Running outdoors demands more from your body because you are propelling your body forward stride for stride. Many treadmills are padded, making them a good option if you are overweight, injury prone, or have knee or joint pain and want to decrease the impact. You can better simulate outdoor running by setting your treadmill at 1% incline. I feel that is mentally tough to run on the treadmill due to the monotony and it is easier to distract yourself when running outside with the scenery and new terrain.
Top 5 Reasons To Run Outside
1. Enjoy scenery/weather
2. Time Flies
3. Better Prepare Body For A Race
4. More Challenging/Increases Motivation
5. Expends More Calories Than The Treadmill
The Hamstings (back of thigh) are made up of three muscles, the Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, and the Semimembranosus. The Hamstrings are fast twitch muscle fibers and respond well to low reps and powerful movements. The main functions of the Hamstrings are knee flexion (bringing the heel up towards the buttocks) and hip extension (moving the leg to the rear/backwards).
Top 5 Hamstring Exercises
The Quadriceps (front of the thigh) consist of four muscles and are mainly used for extension such as walking, running, jumping, and squatting. The Quadriceps are made up of the Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis, and the Vastus Intermedius.
Top 5 Quad Exercises
For an Aggressive Quad workout do 2-3 sets of 20 reps and a moderate weight or resistance.
View all of Matt’s Top 5 Exercise blogs.
The chest is made up of two main muscles called the Pectoralis Major and Minor. The Pectoralis Major is located on the front of the rib cage and the Pectoralis Minor is located underneath the Pectoralis Major. The main functions of the Pectoralis Major is to bring the humerus across the chest known as a fly movement. The main function of the Pectoralis Minor is to move the shoulder foreward. This movement can be seen by shrugging the shoulder foreward.
Top 5 Chest Exercises
Bench Press
barbell chest press
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Incline Press
incline barbell chest press
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Dumbbell Bench Press
dumbbell chest press with overhand grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Standing Cable Fly
standing cable fly
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Standing/Seated Cable Chest Press
cable chest press with overhand grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
See Matt’s on-going series featuring the Five Best Exercises for multiple muscle groups.
The “Back” is made up of three main muscles and several smaller ones as well. The main three consist of the Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, and The Rhomboids. The Trapezius is a diamond shaped muscle located near the top of the back and it helps with neck and shoulder blade movement. The Latissimus Dorsi (largest muscle in body) is located near the sides of the back (wings) and it is used for pulling the shoulders downward and toward the back. The Rhomboids are located in the center of the back and are used to squeeze the shoulder blades together.
Top 5 Back Exercises
cable lat pulldown with wide overhand grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Wide Grip Lat Pull-Down
cable lat pulldown with medium neutral grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Neutral/Close Grip Lat Pull-DownStanding Cable, Barbell, Dumbbell Shrug
cable shrug
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Seated Cable Row
seated cable row with medium neutral grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Low Back Extension
back extension on machine with arms across chest
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
See the rest of Matt’s Top 5 Exercises for muscle groups like the shoulders, biceps and triceps.
The Biceps is located on the upper arm and its main functions are to simply flex the elbow and to rotate the forearm. The Biceps is a two-headed muscle consisting of a short head and a long head. Biceps is used in both singular and plural tenses. However the form bicep, although common, is incorrect.
Top 5 Biceps Exercises
Straight Bar Biceps Curl
barbell bicep curl with underhand grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Seated or Standing Dumbbell Biceps Curl
dumbbell bicep curl with underhand grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Cable Biceps Curl
cable bicep curl with underhand grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Dumbbell Hammer Bicep Curls
alternating dumbbell bicep curl with neutral grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Preacher Curls with Ball or Preacher Curl Machine/Bench
kneeling dumbbell preacher curl on stability ball with underhand grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Next up, follow Matt’s tips for the Top 5 Triceps exercises and the Top 5 Shoulder exercises.
The Triceps extend the elbow and known for its pushing movement. The Triceps are made up of three parts. A long head which originates at the Scapula, a lateral head which originates at the back of the arm (Humerus) and the short head which originates on the Humerus a little lower than the lateral head.
Top 5 Tricep Exercises
Skull Crushers (lying barbell tricep extension)
lying barbell tricep extension on bench
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Cable Tricep Extension with V-Bar
tricep pressdown with v bar
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Dumbbell Tricep Kick-Backs
1 arm dumbbell tricep extension leaning on bench
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension
lying dumbbell tricep extension
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Seated Over-Head Dumbbell Extension
seated 1 dumbbell tricep extension
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
See more of Matt’s Fitness Tips here.
The shoulder (deltoid) is an important part of the body. It allows the body to lift the arms and control arm movement. It is made up of three parts:
- The anterior (front) deltoid serves to raise the arm upward in front of the body
- The medial (middle) deltoid raises the arm upward to the side
- The posterior (back) deltoid raises the arm upward behind the body.
Here are the top 5 shoulder exercises:
Shoulder Press
reciprocal cable shoulder press on stability ball with neutral grip and 1 leg up
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Front Raise
alternating cable front raise
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Lateral Raise
dumbbell shoulder side raise with neutral grip
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Rear Deltoid
reverse dumbbell fly
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Rotator Cuff
shoulder external rotation with tubing
(Click on image to view this exercise…)
Are you finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning for your daily walk and making up excuses to skip the gym on the way home? Even the most dedicated exercisers occasionally get bored with their routine. In order to beat this common boredom, you have to keep your workouts fresh and fun. Here are a few new ideas for you.
1. Get a partner: working out alone gets rather boring and a partner will push you to your limits
2. Set a goal: either it be a marathon or a 5k, just strive for something to keep you motivated
3. Add variety: Run one week, bike around the lake/neighborhood the next: just switch it up
4. Take a break: take a week off and enjoy yourself then hit it hard next week
5. New toys: try using a heart rate monitor and try to keep your heart rate in or above your target heart rate zone. 220 - age = max heart and 60-80% of that number is your target heart zone. If you are 25: 220-25 is 195 (max HR), take 60-80% of that and your target heart rate zone is 117-156.
6. Get new shoes or new work out attire
7. Switch gyms: try a new facility and see how motivated you are: it works
8. Monitor your progress: keep track of your work outs and keep challenging yourself
9. Sign up for an event to train for
10. Switch up the diet: set a cheat day after a solid week of diet and exercise
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