Strength Source

Superset your way to bigger muscles

What is a superset? It's basically a type of routine where you do two different exercise back-to-back with little to no rest between each set. Why do supersets? We have a few quick benefits of doing supersets:

• A time saver.
• A new level of intensity.
• A new way to shock your muscles into new development.
• A new exciting way to lift weights.
• May even help you burn a few extra calories.
• Bust through a plateau.

Now that we've gone over the benefits of supersetting, let's go into detail and discuss the different types of supersetting. We will only be discussing the two basic types of supersets:

• Same muscle supersets. This superset involves working out the same muscle, with two different exercises. For example, you could superset your bicep barbell curls with some hammer curls.
• Opposing muscle supersets. This superset involves working out the opposite muscles, with two different exercises. For example, you could superset your bicep curls with some tricep dips.

Now those supersets will leave you feeling pumped. Supersets are a very effective way to train. Try out a superset or two during your next workout. Don't be surprised if you notice immediate results.

Please note that supersetting can be a very intense routine, please exercise with caution when doing supersets. You also don't want to be doing supersets every workout session, you will need to give your muscles time to heal.

Grip exercises

A little while back, we covered the top 5 reasons to have a strong grip. In this article, we will show you some exercises to help you increase your grip strength.

• The deadlift. The standard deadlift is essential to your strength training routine. Increased grip strength is just one of the many benefits of a deadlift.
• Thick bar training. If you don't have thick bars, wrap a towel over the bar for a quick and simple quick bar. You can use a thick bar for any of your dumbbell or barbell exercises. Try some thick barbell bicep curls.
• Farmer's walk. Very simple exercise to execute. Grab some heavy weight, then walk around the gym or your house for as long as you can.
• Plate pinches. This is the ability to able to pinch weight between your thumb and fingers. To execute a plate pinch, grab a weight plate, and pinch it. Simple!
• Sledgehammer walks. This is a fun exercise to do. Get a sledgehammer, hold it in front of you using your fingers, and then crawl your way to the top of the sledgehammer. Then make your way back to the bottom.
• Sandbag training. If you train with a sandbag, your grip strength will dramatically improve. Just be sure to cut the handles off your bag, so you won't be tempted to grab them. The main point here is to grab the bag anyway possible.
• Fingertip push ups. Just like the standard push up, except you balance on your fingertips.
• Wrist rollers. Take a wooden handle, drill a hole in the middle, attach a rope through it and hang some weight on the other end. Then, roll the weight up all the way then down again.
• Towel grip exercises. All you have to do is wrap a towel around the dumbbell, hold the towel at the end and execute the exercise as usual. You can use a towel on dumbbell curls, farmer's walk, or any other exercise.

There you have it. A few exercises to get you on your way. Try some of these out, and after a while, you may notice an increase in your grip strength.

Running the rack or ladder routine

It has numerous names, but the routine is the same. Running the rack is an intense workout routine that will definitely shock your system. Let's break down the basic routine. You start off with a certain weight and then you do a certain amount of reps. As you fatigue, you lower the weight and increase the reps. In between each set, try to go for little to no rest. This intensifies your workout session. There are a few ways to implement the ladder routine, listed below are a few examples:

• You can start heavy with low reps, and then each set you will decrease the weight and increase the reps. Try this sample exercise:

50 lbs x 3 reps
45 lbs x 4 reps
40 lbs x 5 reps
35 lbs x 6 reps
30 lbs x 7 reps
25 lbs x 8 reps

• You can start light with high reps, and then each set you will increase the weight and decrease the reps. Here is another sample:

25 lbs x 8 reps
30 lbs x 7 reps
35 lbs x 6 reps
40 lbs x 5 reps
45 lbs x 4 reps
50 lbs x 3 reps

• If you like to live life on the edge, you can try a pyramid style routine. You start heavy with low reps, and with each set you decrease the weight and increase the reps. You will reach a certain amount of reps, then you go back the opposite direction. You should end up with the same weight you started with. Check out this insane example:

50 lbs x 2 reps
45 lbs x 4 reps
40 lbs x 6 reps
35 lbs x 8 reps
30 lbs x 10 reps
35 lbs x 8 reps
40 lbs x 6 reps
45 lbs x 4 reps
50 lbs x 2 reps

Remember, little to no rest between each set. You can use this routine as your finisher, or as your main exercise workout. This works very well with dumbbell bent-over rows, curls or any other exercise.

If you're looking to shock your muscles, try running the rack. Your body won't know what hit it.

I take no responsibility for shocking your muscles and making you feel alive.

Top 5 reasons to have a strong grip

Let's get right down to business, here are the top 5 reasons why you need to have a strong grip:

• You can open any jar in the house
• Crushing handshake
• Greatly improve your golf game
• Increase your weight lifting capabilities
• If you are hanging on a cliff by your fingertips, you can relax knowing your grip will save you

Ok, that last one was a stretch, but the reasons are still pretty clear. A strong grip can benefit you everyday, from tying your shoelaces, to achieving your deadlift personal record. It may even help you with your golf swing.

Stay tuned for our future article, where we discuss exercises to help you increase your grip strength.

5 fitness benchmarks

The good folks over at ArtofManliness have created a list of 5 fitness benchmarks a man must master, to survive. This list helps you evaluate your current training and strength level, and it may even help improve your current routine. The list consists of the following:

• Swim at least half a mile or more
• Run at top speed two hundred yards or more
• Jump over obstacles higher than his waist
• Pull his body upward by the strength of his arms, until his chin touches his hands, at least fifteen to twenty times
• Dip between parallel bars or between two chairs at least twenty-five times or more

There you have it, the list that could possibly save your life. Simple, yet very effective. It is how you say it, survival of the fittest.

I take no responsibility for the content of this list. The source link for this article is listed below.

[Source]

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