We all have experienced those days in the gym when you can’t seem to pick up the intensity and it feels like you’re just going through the motions. Maybe you’re not feelin’ the mojo that day, or maybe you’re growing tired of the same routine. Whatever it is, quick fixes like these listed below will help add flavor to a ho-hum workout. And if all else fails, lighten up the weight and blast out a 100 rep set of an exercise!

Some of the most memorable workouts I’ve experienced happened off the cuff with a crazy rep challenge or a monster back-and-forth set with some rediculous number of total sets between me and my workout partner. Bottom line: If you want to get better you’ve got to stimulate your muscles and give them a reason to grow. Let’s start with these 10 quick tips to ramp up your gym time so that you can create epic workouts you won’t soon forget!

1. Pull-ups are natures back builder! Grab the bar just outside shoulder width, pull to your chin, and shoot for 5 sets of 10.
2.  To really isolate your quads, do leg presses with your feet in the middle of the press plate, about shoulder width apart, and pointed straight ahead. This enhances that great looking leg sweep and separation between the hamstring and quad.
3.  For thick n’ wide biceps, do dumbbell hammer curls. They’re a great complement to refining movements like preacher curls, and allow for even more biceps peak!
4.  Half-reps will take your calves to the next level. Do half-reps starting at the top and go only halfway down, then repeat for reps. For the second half of the set do half-reps staring at the bottom and come only halfway up. The catch is that you gotta rep out till they’re on fire!
5.  Finish your chest workout by standing two twenty-five pound Olympic plates on end about shoulder width apart. Grasp the top of each, and do push-ups for 3 sets of 10 while balancing between them.
6.  Overhead reverse cable extensions with the rope attachment are excellent for working the long head of the triceps. Just be sure to elevate your elbows, keep your arms close to your ears, and start the movement with your hands behind your neck.
7.  Supinate your wrists when doing seated dumbbell curls for the ultimate biceps peak. Just touch the inner portion of the dumbbell to the outer portion of your shoulder and you’re golden!
8.  Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells + drop-sets = sick hamstrings! Start with a pair of dumbbells that you can pound out 12 reps with, then drop down thirty pounds and finish till you’re crying! Do 3 sets.
9.  If you’re working shoulders with a limited amount of time, concentrate more on lateral and reverse movements rather than frontal delt movements. Why, because front delts get drilled from all the chest work you normally do!
10.  For upper leg development, do leg extensions with the seat farther away so you’re leaning slightly back. Be sure to concentrate on the upper portion of the leg throughout the movement.

 Try some of these simple concepts the next time you’re training to add intensity and ramp up your workouts. You’ll also find that by making a few of these small adjustments, you’ll shock your muscles into soreness.

Stay Strong,

Gregg Avedon

www.GREGGAVEDON.com

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Tags: 10 tips, avedon, biceps, blast 100 reps, calves, chest, crazy, drop sets, dumbbell curls, epic, exercise, hammer curls, hamstrings, intensity, leg press, long head, memorable, mojo, muscles, olympic plates, peak, pull-ups, quads, rep challenge, romanian deadlifts, triceps, workouts

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 at 12:16 am and is filed under Gregg's Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.