dumbbell

All branches of the United States Armed Forces are united by a common bond — to serve and protect both domestic and abroad. While that mission will never change, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a friendly rivalry amongst themselves. One example of this is the annual Army-Navy football game. Both...

A new course is available at Weik University on building massive biceps. Those interested in sitting through an easy course, no need to look any further because class has just begun. Everyone is guaranteed an “A” for the course as long as you sit through the course and pay attention (you can...

Anyone who says training arms isn’t “functional” is dead wrong. (That person may also have puny pipes, but now we’re getting petty, sorry.) First of all, isolating the biceps and triceps with single-joint exercises will boost your performance on big compound moves like bench press and overhead...

Let me guess, you find yourself like the millions of others in the modern world waiting in line on Monday for the bench press? Ready to kill your pecs into oblivion? Twenty plus sets and a boatload of intensity techniques ready to go? Kill it! You think to yourself – it’s going to be brutal...

Barbells get all the love, but what happens when every bar in your gym is being used by some bro hitting biceps curls? Can you still make sweet, sweet gains without the big three barbell lifts? In short, yes. In fact, too many lifters neglect dumbbells altogether, relegating their gains to...

Even though high frequency training isn’t a new concept when it comes to conditioning, it’s a whole other story when it comes to muscle-building. Traditional bodybuilding programs often have you training each body part once per week with a high volume of sets. Body-specific training and long...

Even though drop sets are claimed as part of the Weider System (what isn’t?), they were originally called the multi poundage system by their creator, Henry Atkins, editor of Body Culture magazine, in 1947. Since then, they have become known as strip sets, the stripping method, descending sets...

Big, muscular deltoids can really set you apart from the pack when it comes to displaying a big, broad physique. Width is an instant indicator of being powerful, strong and in incredible shape. As an avid trainer your goal is to reap the reward of all your sweat, sacrifice, and hard work you...

Whether you’re a CrossFitter or not, there are certain CrossFit techniques that anyone interested in getting functionally strong and insanely fit should be doing at least occasionally. One such protocol is the EMOM — short for “every minute on the minute.” With minimal equipment, you can get a...

Here’s the thing: When it comes to biceps training, you can pretty much only do one thing – curl. Boring, yes, but you still desire a nice set of guns. Maybe you need to get more out of your biceps training. Maybe you need a few more tricks and techniques to get arm growth going again. The 5...

Shoulder presses, lateral raises, upright rows, and shrugs are all well-known tools of the trade and required lifts for anyone who dreams of big deltoids becoming reality. But what about picking the very best mass builder for your delts? The shoulder press is the granddaddy of all delt...

Having a shoulder injury can affect the whole upper body workout of a bodybuilder. Shoulders of a human being have a rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint. How does a person acquire a shoulder injury? The answer lies in the fact that...

There is a reason Erik Bartell is a trainer who is in such high demand. He knows how to push his clients to achieve their best. The military veteran and fitness expert commits two mornings a week to share his expertise and effort on the Muscle & Fitness Instagram page. But he’s not one of those...

Going to a gym is awesome. No one is going to dispute that. Having a home gym with a decent amount of equipment is great too, but let’s be clear. It’s not necessary to have a great workout. As a matter of fact, all you need for this 30-minute floor workout is a pair of dumbbells and a floor...

Creating softball-sized biceps is part science and part art. The science factors in when considering the best exercises, their order, the number of sets, how much weight you should use, optimal rest periods, and even frequency. Fortunately, there's enough research to create some general...

The members of our Armed Forces train to be functional and athletic above all else. But hey, these men and women also like to look good on the beach and at the pool. That’s exactly why Army National Guard specialist Chris Kellum designed this upper-body beach workout for – to pump and sculpt the...

The day can always be more productive if you can take care of two things at once. When it comes to working out, challenging your muscles and burning calories in one shot can make the training even better. You don’t have to train as long, either. Trainer Erik Bartell offers two opportunities a...

Everyone who focuses on fitness, whether it be the upper body or lower body, has one common goal: self-improvement. The intention of your next workout session should always be bettering your previous workout. With that simple strategy you’ll be stronger than you were the last workout. This is...

If you could use a new core and lower body workout routine and partner to help you get ready for summer, look no further than Erik Bartell. The celebrity trainer has helped numerous people blast fat, build muscle, and get into their best shape. His mission is to help redefine what a “dad bod”...

While some lifters are trying to find new ways to train and build muscle, smarter athletes know to go with what works. The classic moves are still as effective today as they were in the early days of bodybuilding. One of those movements is the seated dumbbell press. FLEX Social Media Director...