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Total body barbell workout – No rack required! Part of the “What I Worked Wednesday” series

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“So I’ve got a bar and a bunch of weights, but no rack. What can I do with it?”
 
Any of you find yourselves in the same predicament? Barbell with weights but no rack to put it on? I got this email from a viewer a week or so ago and LOVE the idea! What kind of workout can I come up with that utilizes the bar and the weights when you don’t have a rack to rest it on?! Challenge accepted! Today I’m bringing you my “Rackless Barbell Workout” – 6 of my favorite moves you can do with your barbell and weights that don’t require a rack. This one’s a killer… check it out…

Amazing chest workout – Amazing gym day to sculpt your chest! – What I Worked Wednesday Series

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Chest day has always been my favorite day in the gym. Whether you’re a guy trying to get bigger or a girl looking to keep “things” “up” and “perky” this is the perfect workout for you! Four incredibly simple exercises to Tone and Tighten – it’s the newest addition to our popular What I Worked Wednesday gym series. Check it out!


Caveat to Jared’s workouts  – I personally have two primary goals when I hit the gym:
 
1. Get big
2. Do it quickly
 
That being said, my sets/reps are a little different then what I usually post here on T&T. Many of the workouts on this site are designed to Tone and Tighten – slim you down and carve out lean muscle. Usually they consist of 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps. My workouts are usually geared towards higher weight and lower reps to increase muscle mass (check out this post for more info on the tone vs bulk idea). However, if you’re not too into the bulk thing and more after lean mass simply change the sets/reps that I have listed into 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps and keep your weight consistent throughout the sets.
 
The Workout
 
Warm up – whenever I’m focusing on upper body in the gym I’ll warm up with some type of cardio equipment that involves my arm. I avoid the treadmill, but instead head over the the elliptical, row machine, or arm bike (UBE). Hit it for 10 minutes.
 
The bench press is one of my favorite chest exercises. Whenever I’m looking for a great pump to my chest I look no further than these three variations on the bench press and then finish strong with some chest flies. Here we go:
 
1. Bench Press: Lay flat on your back with your eyes directly under the bar. As you lower the bar towards your chest it should arc slightly to touch your chest about nipple level. Make sure you lower the bar all the way to your chest to work the muscle through it’s maximum range of motion. Lift the bar up towards the ceiling while slightly arcing back towards your head. As your elbows lock out it the bar should be right at eye level again. 
12 rep warmup at 135#
10 reps at 195#
8 reps at 215#
6 reps at 225#
6 reps at 225#
 
 
2. Incline Bench Press: No better workout to add definition to your upper chest. Guys will love the size – girls will love the support. Same idea as above, now the inclined angle will hit the top of the chest a little harder.
10 reps at 135#
8 reps at 155#
6 reps at 175#
6 reps at 175#
 
 
3. Decline Bench Press: Sick of benching yet? ME NEITHER!! No better workout to define the lower chest. Find your decline bench and throw weight! This time the starting position is a little different – keep the weight straight up towards the ceiling rather than over your eyes. You’ll still arc slightly as you return to an arms extended position but won’t finish as high.
10 reps at 185#
8 reps at 195#
6 reps at 205#
6 reps at 205#
 
One more exercise – you got this!!
 
4. Chest Flies: My favorite exercise to totally max things out. Just when you think you can’t do anymore we’ll top off chest day with some flies. Mark my word – no chest workout is complete without them! Grab some dumbbells and lay on your back. Start by extending your arms straight up towards the ceiling. Keep your elbows extended (or slightly bent is okay) as you drop your arms as far to your sides as possible. Return to starting position.
10 reps with 45# DB’s
8 reps with 50# DB’s
6 reps with 55# DB’s
6 reps with 60# DB’s
 
 
Yea!!! You not only survived but TOTALLY CRUSHED IT! Your amazing chest will thank you tomorrow (with incredible amounts of soreness… I’m not even sorry).
 

 
Looking for more great gym workouts from Tone and Tighten? Check out other popular posts in our “What I Worked Wednesday” series:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


















As always you can comment below or email me with questions or suggestions
ToneandTightenFitness@gmail.com
 
 
Make it happen,
 
 
Jared

 

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To view the rest of this post, be sure to head over to www.tone-and-tighten.com.

Have a great day!

Jared

Shoulder Gym Workout – Sculpt incredible shoulders with “What I Worked Wednesday”

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In my opinion, shoulders are one of the most often over-looked muscles to work, yet the most vital to shaping your ideal body image. Women tend to spend more time on their legs and core; men on their chest and arms. However, shoulders are vital to attaining that perfect hourglass (women) and broad V-shape (men) that so many of us are working towards. That being said, I wanted to share my go-to shoulder day workout that I did earlier in the gym this week as part of the “What I Worked Wednesday” series. Ready? Here we go!!



Caveat to Jared’s workouts  – I have two primary goals when I hit the gym:
1. Get big
2. Do it quickly
That being said, my sets/reps are a little different then what I usually post here on T&T. Many of the workouts on this site are designed to Tone and Tighten – slim you down and carve out lean muscle. Usually they consist of 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps. My workouts are usually geared towards higher weight and lower reps to increase muscle mass (check out this post for more info on the tone vs bulk idea). However, if you’re not too into the bulk thing and more after lean mass simply change the sets/reps that I have listed into 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps and keep your weight consistent throughout the sets.
Also, I tend to do a lot of circuit work in my routines. Typically I don’t have much time (about an hour) and want to maximize every minute that I have. Circuit training is a great way to get in lots of exercises as you work out one muscle group while resting another. For more info on circuit training check this post out.
Finally – every exercise machine you encounter is going to be a little different. I’ve listed the weight that I use on our specific machines as a reference point, but find the resistance that’s right for you!


The Workout

Warm Up: I’ll usually try to do some type of warm up where the arms are primarily involved – try the row machine or arm bike (UBE). 10 minutes


Full disclosure: I actually suffered from some pretty intense shoulder pain many years ago. I kind of dreaded shoulder day as it would usually be pretty uncomfortable. Later in PT school I was able to diagnose this pain as muscle imbalance – too much time on the “get big, look good” muscles and not enough time spent on strengthening my rotator cuff. When I finally understood what this was and spent some time taking care of it, my shoulder pain has completely resolved (knocking on wood). However, I still spend every shoulder day warming up with these exercises for my rotator cuff.


Circuit 1
(Performed 1a, 1b, 1c, 1a, 1b… until all sets are completed)

1a. Shoulder press / Military: My favorite shoulder exercise – works the majority of the major shoulder muscles with one simple movement. I used a barbell; can also be done with dumbbells.
12 reps at 90#
10 reps at 115#
8 reps at 125#
6 reps at 135#



1b. Shrugs: Great exercise to carve definition in your trapezius. WOMEN – this muscle is not just for men! It adds great definition to your neck and upper shoulders! Barbells or dumbbells – I used dumbbells on this one
12 reps at 70# DB’s.
10 reps at 80#
8 reps at 90#
6 reps at 100#


1c. Roman chair extension: Just  because I felt like I needed to add a little core! This is my favorite move for my lower back.
4 sets of 20 hugging a 25# weight

_______________________________________________________________________

Circuit 2
(Performed 2a, 2b, 2c, 2a, 2b… until all sets are completed)

2a. Upright rows: probably another one of my favorites. Perfect “short-on-time” exercise as it works the majority of major shoulder muscle groups. I used a barbell; can also be done with dumbbells
10 reps with 70#
8 reps with 80#
6 reps with 90#
6 reps with 90#

2b. Kettle bell swings: great for the hips, back, and shoulders. Check out a video tutorial of a great “Total Body Kettle Bell Workout” by clicking on the link.
20 reps with 40# KB
15 reps with  50# KB
12 reps with 60# KB
10 reps with 60# KB



2c. Decline sit-ups: core again!
4 sets of 20


__________________________________________________________________

Circuit 3
(Performed 3a, 3b, 3c, 3a, 3b… until all sets are completed)

3a. Shoulder raises – forward: I like to finish by tapping out my deltoids. This circuit is a fantastic way to do it! Start with shoulder raises forward.
12 reps with 15# DB
10 reps with 20# DB
8 reps with 25# DB
8 reps with 25# DB (couldn’t go heavier! Pretty tired by this point!!)




3b. Shoulder raises – lateral: dumbbell shoulder raises out to the side.
12 reps with 15# DB
10 reps with 20# DB
8 reps with 25# DB
8 reps with 25# DB (couldn’t go heavier! Pretty tired by this point!!)



3c. Seated rear deltoid raises: and max out the posterior side
12 reps with 15# DB
10 reps with 20# DB
8 reps with 25# DB
8 reps with 25# DB (couldn’t go heavier! Pretty tired by this point!!)



Well, what did you think?! You know what, don’t answer until tomorrow… if you can raise your arms high enough to reach the keyboard . . . 🙂


Looking for more amazing gym workouts? Check out all the “What I Worked Wednesday” series:



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Make it happen,


Jared




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By Jared Beckstrand

To view the rest of this post, be sure to head over to www.tone-and-tighten.com.

Have a great day!

Jared

What I Worked Wednesday – Gym workout for your arms!

 
 
“So Jared – what did you work this week?”
 
A question I have actually been getting a lot of lately!! While I do spend a lot of my time working out at home and doing many of the workouts found here on T&T, there’s nothing like getting into the gym and lifting! Sometimes, you’ve just gotta pick up something heavy and throw it around! That being said, “What I Worked Wednesday” is designed to give you some ideas of some of my personal favorite gym days! Hopefully these workouts spark your creativity and instill in you a desire to try something new. Or at the very least give you some ideas for the next time you head into the gym! With no further ado, last week included one of my favorite days – ARM DAY! Get your tickets – the gun show is about to start!!

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What I Worked Wednesday – Amazing total-body gym workout!

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Wanna be my lifting buddy?!
 
Hey everyone!! I’ve recently been getting a lot of emails from readers asking about the workouts that I personally take part in. Truthfully the majority of them are on T&T already – there’s not a workout on this website that I haven’t gone through! But full disclosure – the majority of my fitness time is spent in the gym hitting the weights. Due to the interest in what I’m doing with my time I’ve decided to start up this new series – “What I Worked Wednesday”!! Every week I’ll post one of my gym workouts from the week prior to give you some feel of how I’m spending my time. I’m totally stoked for this – mainly because it’s going to keep my workouts new and dynamic in order to keep providing you with some new ideas about what to do!
 
That being said – here is my workout from Monday! Chest, back, and legs for a quick, total-body shredder! Let me know what you think, and good luck!!