Getting a flat stomach or that much desired six pack, you really have to work hard for it. Have you heard of the saying “Abs are made in the kitchen” ? Because this is true. Everybody has a six pack already, it’s just that you can’t see it. They’re hidden under layers of fat. So it’s going to take a mixture of hard workouts and the right diet to get that midsection you’re after. We’ll go through ab exercises that really work here today.

Doing the right exercises means you can develop great abdominal muscles without having to do hundreds of crunches a day. There are a lot more effective ways to build muscle and do it quickly. Then all you have to do is burn the fat so they pop. We’ll talk about that towards the end of this page.

Here are my top ab exercises that will get you ready for the beach…

1. Rocky Situps

These are great as they hit your upper abs and obliques very effectively.

The oblique work comes in when you twist your torso from side to side which engages these muscles. The most effective way of performing this exercise is to only crunch/situp to a 45 degree angle and the twist. This keeps your abs engaged the whole time, thus putting your abs under tension for a longer period of time.

2. Leg Raises

A fantastic exercise that hits the often neglected lower abs.

This exercise can be performed either on the floor on your back on the machine in the gym with a bench or even an angled bench or on the pullup bar. The easiest version is on the floor but they all hit your lower abs very well. It’s very important to focus on crunching your abs during the move as it is easy to let the momentum from the swing to do a lot of the work, especially when lowering your legs.

3. The Plank/Planche

This exercise is excellent for all round core engagement.

Your upper abs, lower abs, obliques, transverse abdominals and your lower back all get a good workout with this move. also, with so many different variations you can make this move as difficult as you like.

However, if you suffer from high blood pressure, this move should be avoided. This exercise increases your blood pressure from the strain being placed on the entire body is being put under. You should check with your doctor if you suffer with high blood pressure to see which exercises are safe for you to perform. It will be fine if you have a normal blood pressure rating, but definitely check with a doctor is your blood pressure is high or low.

If you have any medical issues, you should see a doctor before you do any form of exercise.

4. Squat Thrusts

A great exercise for not only your abs, especially your lower abs, but also your hip flexors.

This is an exercise you can use in a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session because it will really work the heart and lungs whilst revving up your metabolism.

To really hit your abs with this move you need to keep your butt down low and get your legs up to your hands as far as you can. Go for speed with this but still keep strict form. This is most important.

5. Bicycle Crunches

Something that’s a little better than your standard crunch.

This will really get those upper abs and obliques really working. This will also work your lower abs depending on how much you use your legs during the move. It’s easy to get sloppy and let the legs get off easy but make sure that doesn’t happen… We want great looking abs!

To make this exercise effective, you should perform them at a steady pace getting your knee as high as you can so you can touch the outside of the knee with the opposite elbow. If you do this too fast or too slow, you will not get the maximum effect form this exercise because the form will not be correct. Try and get the cadence down so you are going 2 crunches in a second.

There you have it dudes and dudettes, 5 great ab exercises that’ll get you ready for the beach or just to get that stomach you want. Try experimenting with these as you can instantly make the exercises tougher by adding weights which can easily be done to the to crunching moves by holding a weight plate to your chest.

Remember, if you really want that six pack or toned midsection you must also focus on your diet and nutrition. This is key to getting cover model abs.

Abs are not 10% made in the gym and 90% with diet. They are making sure you are 100% dedicated on both.

You cannot focus on one and neglect the other.

The post Ab Exercises That Really Work – The Low Down! appeared first on That Fitness Dude.

Building a good set of legs is important to build a body that is in proportion to everything else. Many people, mainly men, focus mainly on their upper bodies and neglect their lower bodies entirely. Whether you’re a dude wanting to build size and strength or a dudette wanting to get sleek toned legs, then these are some exercises you’ll want to consider doing if you aren’t already. So here we go, my top 5 leg exercises to get great legs!

1. Squats

These are the king of all leg exercises. These can build power, strength, size and even tone and shape your thighs. These are the number one exercise for your quads and glutes which should be in your leg routine. These can be done on a squat rack with a barbell, with a set of dumbbells or with your own body weight all depending on your goals.

Dudettes, if you’ve always wanted that nice round booty and toned legs, then these are what’s missing from your life and should be included in your lower body workouts. These work the glutes just as much as they do the legs so don’t be afraid to lift some iron because you’re afraid of bulking up. Trust me, IT WON’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT AND UNLESS YOU’RE EATING TO BULK UP.

2. Lunges

Again, a fantastic exercise whether you want to build muscle or just tone your legs. These work your legs unilaterally which is the main difference between these and squats because both exercises work the same muscles. You can also do these either as a bodyweight exercise, with a barbell or with a set of dumbbells. Just these two exercises alone can build an amazing legs and glutes, something every dude and dudette wants!

3. Bear Squats

These are a simple bodyweight exercise that really challenges those leg muscle. Not only are you giving your legs a good workout, you’re also working out your core muscle from all the rotation in the waist and hips. This is an exercise for those who have some knee issues and who aren’t comfortable with squats and lunges. I like putting these in my workouts to make sure my legs are really fatigued, especially when I perform them slowly. Try them out and let me know what you think of them, I’m sure you’ll like them as much as I do.

4. Leg Press

This is a great exercise for those who aren’t comfortable doing squats in the gym. The main benefit of these compared to a squat is the added safety the machine provides in comparison to the squat in a squat rack. There are virtually no risks of hurting yourself on these machines. If you move from doing squats to the leg press you should notice a big jump in the amount of weight you’re lifting. This is because the machine has no instability, whereas with a barbell on your back you’re having to stabilise yourself to stop you from falling over. This requires your muscles to work harder.

Give the leg press a go if you have a fear of dropping the barbell on yourself doing squats. It’s a way to still hit your legs without any risks.

5. Burpees

These are my favourite exercise of all time but I’m putting them at number 5 because these are a great full body exercise, not a leg specific exercise. With the wide variety of burpees you can perform you can hit your legs as hard or as little as you want.

In a regular burpee, the leg part of the move is basically a standard body weight squat. When you thrust your legs out into the press up position, you could also add a bear squat which will hit your legs harder.

Get creative with your burpees and come up with one that really hits your legs hard. The “TFD Burpee” will be fantastic in hitting the legs as well as every other muscle in your body. Keep your eyes peeled for that!

So there you have it, 5 brilliant exercises you can use in your exercise routines. If you’re after size and strength you’ll be wanting to do low rep sets with heavy weight, e.g. 3 sets of 5-8 reps. If it’s toned legs you’re after, go with either bodyweight versions of the exercises or with light weights and high reps, e.g. 4 sets of 15-20 reps.

In my own routines I like to do three exercises to work my legs in workouts. This way I know if I hit my legs hard in each set I would have worked every muscle fibre to its maximum potential. My legs always feel like jelly at the end of a good leg workout and if yours feel the same, you know you’d have worked your legs out the best you could.

If there’s any exercise you like doing for your legs and/or glutes that I’ve missed, let me know. Love to hear what the Dude Nation are doing in their workouts!

Header Photo: Bent Leg & Colourful Background 2010 © Daily Sunny, Flickr (CC)

The post The Dude’s Top 5 Leg Exercises appeared first on That Fitness Dude.

If you’re after a fantastic set of shoulders you’ll need to know what are the best shoulder exercises. Whether that being strong and muscular or toned and defined, then I’m here to help. To do this requires several different exercises as there are 3 different muscles that make up the shoulder. These are also known as “heads.”

These are:

• The Anterior Deltoid, the front of the shoulder.
• The Lateral Deltoid, the side of the shoulder.
• The Posterior Deltoid, the rear of the shoulder

So today I’m going to show you some great exercises to hit all 3 heads of the shoulder muscle and get yourself a set of shoulders you can be proud of. So here we go, my top 5 shoulder exercises:

1. Straight Arm Raises

Now although I’m not a massive fan of isolation exercises, these are great for working out the shoulders. With either dumbbells or resistance bands, you can hit every head of the muscle. You can perform front raises to hit the anterior head, lateral raises to hit the lateral head or bent over raises to hit the posterior head.

2. Pike Presses or Handstand Push Ups

These are fantastic bodyweight exercises that really work out your shoulders and even your triceps. Depending on your hand placement and how far you’re sticking your elbows out, you can hit both the anterior and lateral heads of the shoulder. Handstand push ups are the best, but pike presses are great if you can’t quite do them yet.

Handstand push ups can either be performed up against the wall or free standing. It takes great balance and strength to perform them free standing but it’s something that can be done with some serious training.

3. Arnold Presses

These are a great variation of a dumbbell shoulder press. The rotation at the bottom of the movement creates a greater Range Of Movement (ROM), compared to the dumbbell shoulder press, which therefore makes the exercise tougher. These are great for hitting the lateral head of the shoulder and even work your rotator cuff. Although this exercise probably isn’t suitable for someone with shoulder injuries or is prone to shoulder injuries because of the extended ROM at the bottom of the move.

4. Barbell Shoulder Press

This exercise is similar to the handstand push up. This is a great exercise that hits the lateral head of the shoulder muscle. This move gets a great range of movement to really work the muscle fibres which means it’ll be a good workout for your shoulder. An alternative to this would be the dumbbell variation. The dumbbell variation is great if you have a muscular imbalance as you can work each side individually so the lagging muscle can catch up.

5. Upright Rows

These are great for the lateral head of the shoulder muscle, but they also work the biceps and traps. These exercises can be performed either with dumbbells or with a barbell. If you go with the barbell variation, I strongly recommend using an EZ-bar because of the more natural hand positions the bar provides. If you went with a normal barbell you would be adding extra strain on your wrists at the top of the movement.

I should probably move this up a position because of the extra muscles that get worked out during the exercise, but you’re only hitting one head of the shoulder with this exercise. You can hit the other hits with different exercises like the bench press/press up and seated row/Australian pull ups, so I’d seriously consider adding this exercise into your repertoire.

So now you have 5 exercises you can use to work your shoulder muscles. When it comes to the day you work your shoulders, add 2 or 3 of these exercises into your routine to build muscle, strength or tone up your shoulders.

Personally, I’d like to work on my shoulders when I’m working on my chest. Any of the exercises above are great if you decide to do the same, or you can use all the exercises above to create an entire shoulder workout. You have nice mixture of bodyweight exercises and gym based exercises, so whatever your preference is, you have something here you can use.

Is there a shoulder exercise you like performing that I haven’t mentioned here? Please tell me about them below!

Header Photo: Shoulder Silhouette © viZZZual, Flickr (CC)

The post What Are The Best Shoulder Exercises? appeared first on That Fitness Dude.

A good back workout can really make you feel great. I haven’t met anyone who said they didn’t feel good after a tough back workout. So today I’d like to give you my top 5 upper back exercises you can use to build that V-shape everyone likes. So here we go…

My Top 5 Back Exercises

1. The Pull Up

The mother of all back exercises. This one is the oldest around and is fantastic for building muscle and increasing strength and with some many different variations you can do; close grip, wide grip, pronated grip, supernated grip, alternate grip… You can hit every muscle in your back, bicep and even shoulders with just this one exercise.

2. The Australian Pull Up

This exercise is great if you can’t do a pull up and want and alternative to make sure you work your way up to a full pull up. This is a bodyweight alternative of the seated row which you would perform on a machine. This is an excellent move which targets the back and biceps

3. The Lat Pulldown

A similar exercise to the pull up. This will really hit your lats, as the name of the exercise suggests, and will really give you that V-shape that everyone likes. Personally I prefer pull ups as they’re more “natural” for the body, but this is fantastic for those who can’t do negative pull ups. If you can do negative pull ups I’d recommend doing those until you can do the full pull up.

4. The Seated row

Again, the exercise is similar to the Australian pull up. This move really hits the back and biceps which will also help you achieve a pull up, which is the ultimate goal.

5. Bent Over Row

A great exercise with a few different variations. You can do this with a barbell or with dumbbells. If you go with the dumbbells you can also do single arm bent over rows and really concentrate on hitting each side of your back. Personally I’d go with a mix of both barbell and dumbbell variations in your workout so you can work every muscle fibre to failure.

And there you have it, 5 great back exercises which you can do either at home or at the gym. The ultimate goal is to be doing pull ups as these really are the best exercise for your back.

If you have a favourite move that I haven’t mentioned here, I’d love to hear from you! I like getting exercise suggestions from the Dude Nation so please leave a comment below.

I hope you now have enough exercises to be doing tough back workouts. Enjoy guys!

Header Photo: Man Flexing His Back Header © 2011 – o0bsessed, Flickr (CC)

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Hey, what’s up guys! I’ve been getting some emails from you guys asking what I do when I’m working out at home. Do I do home workouts without weights or do I use barbells and dumbbells? Well I thought I’d show you what I am currently doing and how long for so maybe you could give it a try, or at least to give you some ideas for your own workouts.

So, here we go…

Workout A – Chest, Shoulders & Abs

1. 8 Drop Press Ups x 2 sets – 1 minute rest between sets (If you don’t know what drop press ups are, head here)

2 . Abdominal Superset  - 3 sets – 45 seconds to 1 minute rest (No rest between exercises. Once you’ve done all the exercises, that’s one set)

1. Rocky Situps – 15 reps
2. Heel Taps – 20 reps
3. Leg Raises – 15 reps

3. Deep Press Ups – 12 reps x 3 sets. Perform them slightly slower than normal.

4. Abdominal Superset – Same as previous Abdominal Superset

5. Pike Pressups – 10-12 reps x 3 sets

6. Resistance Band Press Ups – 10 reps x 3 sets

This is a good 40-45 minute workout that should kill your chest, triceps and abs. If you’re finding this too easy, add an extra set to everything. I find this works very well for me and I’m graced with DOMS the day after.

Workout B – Back & Legs

1. Chin Ups – 8 reps x 3 sets

2. Wall Squats squeezing a deflated ball between the legs – 10 reps x3 sets (slow reps)

3. Australian Pull Ups – 10-12 reps x 3 sets

4. Bear Squats – 15 reps x 3 sets

5. Jump Squats – 12-15 reps x 3 sets

6. Chin Ups – 8 reps x 3 sets (switch to negative chin ups when form starts slipping)

Another good 40-45 minute workout that will really work your legs, back and biceps. Again, if you’re finding this too easy, add an extra set to everything.

How Often Should You Train…

I do this workout, excluding two days of cardio, 4 times a week. Here is my schedule:

Mon – Workout A

Tues – Workout B

Weds – Rest

Thurs – Workout A

Fri – Workout B

Sat & Sun – Rest

This is a workout schedule I like to do for 8-12 weeks, sometimes 16 if I’m really feeling it. I like to change things up to keep things fresh so my workouts don’t get stale. Then I hit heavier but adding weight to my exercises or by hitting the gym. This would also be when I get the sand bags out. I’ll show you guys this workout later.

If you give this workout a try, let me know how you find it! I’ll be adding detailed descriptions of every exercise later. Keep your eyes peeled. Things are going to get exciting around here!

The post Home Workouts Without Weights – The Dude’s Workout appeared first on That Fitness Dude.

Most people like to listen to music when they workout. It gets them pumped for each exercise in their routine for that session. But the question is, what songs should I exercise too? Well this is the best thing… Anything you like! It’s all down to personal preference.

Personally, I’m a massive fan of rock ‘n’ roll… Anything with a guitar! I’m also a fan of good dance songs, anything cheesy with a good beat and even a bit of dubstep recently.

If you find yourself nodding away at a song whilst listening to your iPod/music player then make a mental note of it as it people means it’ll be a good workout song for you. Anything that gets you jumping up and down like a lunatic is definitely a good workout song for you!

Here are some of my favourite workout songs… Maybe you’ll like them too:

Rock Songs on my Workout Playlist:

Dance Songs and Cheesy Songs on my Workout Playlist:

Sorry, but this song makes me dance like a mad man Gangnam Style!

These are just a sample of what’s on my playlist that keeps my blood pumping and motivated to keep giving 110% throughout my workouts.

Let me know what you think below and tell me your favourite songs to workout too… Can always have new editions to the playlist!

Header Photo: Redskin Cheerleaders © 2009, Keith Allison, Flickr (CC)

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Hey, what’s up guys! In this post I want to talk to you about some exercises you can use to have the best chest workout – exercises that will tear up your chest and give you DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) the next day. We’ll go over some bodyweight exercises and some exercises that will require dumbbells and barbells. So you can use these at home or at the gym.

Now let’s get into it!

1. The Press Up

The press up is an excellent exercise to workout your chest. There are so many variations of this move you can easily attack every muscle fiber in your chest. You can perform: Regular press ups, incline press ups, decline press ups, split press ups, narrow press ups, wide press ups and soooo many more…

My favourite thing to do is something called “Drop 8″ or “8 Down” and this really workouts the chest. This is where you start off doing 8 press ups, stand up, then go straight back down and do 7. Repeat this all the way down to 1 without a rest between each “set.” After you’ve done the last one, that’s the set completed. Now rest for 1 to 1.5 minutes then go again. Do 2-4 sets of this and you’ll really feel your arms and chest are going to explode.

Give this a go… You’ll love it!

2. Resistance Band Press Up

If you don’t have a set of resistance bands I really recommend you get some. These are the ones I like to use. Not a big fan of the ones with handles. I would rather get the strips and just wrap them round my hands… Less likely to let go and whip myself. I’ve done that before… OUCH! This is what they look like and these are my personal favourite.

Cheap, cheerful and does the job!

Cheap and Cheerful Bands

Anyway, the resistance band press up. You perform press ups just like you normally would, even all the different variations, but with the resistance band going behind your back creating resistance when you’re pushing yourself back up from the floor. If you have a selection of resistance bands you can use them not just for press ups for a large variety of exercises… But that’s for another time.

The way I like to use these are to find a resistance band where I can perform about 10-12 reps and collapse on the floor trying to do the 13th. I usually have to use 2 resistance bands for this but it all depends on what “weight” they go up to. I do this right at the end of my workout to make sure I’ve completely killed my chest and triceps. I like to do 3 sets of 10-12 reps with about 30-45 seconds rest in between. Give that a go and let me know what you think.

3. Tricep Dips

These are a great exercise to perform to really make sure your muscles have been worked to failure. This primarily target your triceps but they also hit your chest, especially if you get really deep with your tricep dips. I like to go low enough that my shoulders really feel a stretch.

Again with this exercise you can do several variations. You can have your feet in close so your knees are bend which makes the move easier or can have your legs out straight which makes them tougher. You can lift one leg and hit your core too or even place your feet on something and put some weight on your lap.

You can really work your triceps and chest out with these different variations and really get a good workout.

I sometimes perform this move at the end of my chest workouts if I feel like I have more in the tank. I normally perform 2 sets, both to failure which is usually 15-20 reps.

These are great to finish off a great chest workout.

1. Barbell Bench Press

These are the king of chest exercises in the gym. The big daddy. One of the top 3 power moves you can perform in the gym.

There are again variations to this move: flat bench press (regular bench press), incline bench press and decline bench press. Each targeting your chest slightly differently.  The main one you should be doing is the flat bench press. This exercise is guaranteed to pack on muscle if you perform in correctly.

When you’re lying on the best with the back above you you’ll want to make sure you put your hands in the right position. The general rule is to have your hands either shoulder width apart, or slightly wider than shoulder width apart. When you lower the bar, lower it right down to your chest so you are getting the full range of motion possible from the exercise. Let the bar barely touch your chest and then press it back up to the starting position.

For Safety Reasons when performing this exercise make sure you have a spotter or you are using a power rack/smith machine as the last thing you want is to drop the bar on yourself because you muscle have fatigued.

If you’re going to use this exercise I’d go for 3-4 sets with a weight you can lift 8-12 reps. If you can perform 13 reps with it, it’s too light and it’s time to whack on an extra weight plate or two.

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

These are exactly the same as the barbell variation but using dumbbells instead. These are my personal preference of the two and I’ll explain why.

1. With dumbbells you can have different weights in each hand which is great if one side of your body is slightly weaker. You can easily work on the weaker side so it becomes as strong as the other side.
2. Dumbbells are safer to use as you can easily drop them to the side of you if you fatigue and cannot lift them for another rep.
3. These don’t require you to use a spotter. A spotter does help you squeeze out that last rep or two and help you get them into the starting position, but you can use your legs to help get them up.

In my opinion these are safer and your are placing equally strain on each side of your body whereas with a barbell one side of your body could be working harder than the other. You see it in the gym when the guy is pressing the bar back up and the bar isn’t level. You can clearly see the imbalance and the dumbbell variation can correct this.

3. Chest Flyes

Now I know I’ve said compound exercises are the best in the past but I like to make an exception for this move. These are a great exercise to do after you’ve done a couple compound exercises and using these to exhaust your chest. You can either use dumbbells for this or a cable crossover machine. Both are excellent.

For this exercise, the dumbbell variation, you start off in the same position as the dumbbell bench press. But, instead of bending your elbows lowering the weight to your chest you keep your arms straight, or with a slight bend in them, lowering the weight out to the side of you. You want to lower the dumbbells, without bending your elbows any more than when they were in the starting position, until they are inline with your torso and then press them back up. You should really be able to feel this in your chest!

If you are going to use this exercise I recommend performing the same sets and rep range as the bench press. 3-4 sets, 8-12 reps. These will make sure you’re feeling the DOMS the next day

These exercises and their variations are all you need to get a great chest workout. Go for 3 or 4 of these moves with different variations in your chest routine to really give yourself a tough workout. Here are some examples you could use for your chest workout:

Bodyweight Only:

• 8 Down Press Ups, 2 sets, 1 minute rest between sets
• Resistance Band Press Ups, 3 sets x 8-12 reps, 45sec – 1 minute rest between sets
• Resistance Band Incline Press Ups, 3 sets x 8-12 reps, 45sec – 1 minute rest between sets
• Tricep Dips, 2 sets to failure, 30 secs rest between sets

Gym Only:

• Flat BB (Barbell) Bench Press, 3 sets x 8-12 reps, 1.5 minutes rest between sets
• Flat DB (Dumbbell) Bench Press, 3 sets x 8-12 reps, 1.5 minutes rest between sets
• Incline DB Bench Press, 3 sets x 8-12 reps, 1.5 minutes rest between sets
• DB Chest Flyes, 2 sets x 8-12 reps – last set to failure, 1.5 minutes rest between sets

Variation of Gym and Bodyweight Exercises:

• Flat DB (Dumbbell) Bench Press, 3 sets x 8-12 reps, 1.5 minutes rest between sets
• Resistance Band Press Ups, 3 sets x 8-12 reps, 45sec – 1 minute rest between sets
• DB Chest Flyes, 3 sets x 8-12 reps, 1.5 minutes rest between sets
• Tricep Dips, 2 sets to failure, 30 secs rest between sets

So have a go playing around with these exercises and see what works best for you so you get the best chest workout possible.

Leave your comments below letting me know what you think and don’t forget to share with your friends.

Header Photo: Muscular Man Having Pensive Moment © 2010, Daily Sunny, Flickr (CC)

Photos: Press Up Girl & Dumbbell Bench Press Guy © 2008, sportsandsocial, Flickr (CC)

The post My Best Chest Workout – Exercises That’ll Make You Feel The Burn appeared first on That Fitness Dude.

Hey, what’s up guys.Time to make a homemade sand bag!

Have you ever thought about Sand bag training? These are much better than dumbbells or barbells as the weight moves around in the bag which means you’ll be recruiting more muscle fibers to keep the weight steady. This means you’ll get a better workout! Now you can buy “Power Bags” or “Bulgarian Bags” online, but they’re pretty expensive. You can quite easily create your own homemade sand bag for a fraction of the cost. So shall we begin?

What You’re Going To Need…

• Gravel/Pebbles/Sand/Something that will give your bags some weight
• Rubble Sacks which can be purchased from any local DIY store
• Some Sand Bags. I got mine here from Amazon
• A holdall of some kind with handles (Optional!). Again, I got mine here from Amazon
• Some some cable ties
• A set of scales
• Scissors

I brought a proper sand bag for mine which was the most expensive part at £40, otherwise the whole thing would have cost me less than £15. If you can afford it, I’d recommend buying it. I can fit 30kg in this bag and it’s very very durable. If not, you can use the bags loose or just use a regular back pack. The choice is yours!

Step 1: Lining the sand bags with the rubble sacks

You’ll want to line the sand bag with two rubble sacks. I used two just back I was using gravel which has some sharp edges and the last thing I wanted was gravel to fall out mid-workout. The rubble sacks are nice and thick so there shouldn’t be any issue with them tearing, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Step 2: Filling the bags with your desired material

For this you’ll most probably need a second pair of hands. I struggled a little trying to do it by myself so I recruited my brother to be the designated “Keep the bag open guy” so everything actually went IN the bags. As you’re filling the bags up, pop them onto the scales so you know how heavy the bags are. I went with 5 or 10kg bags seeing as I was putting them inside a bag later on, I could adjust the weight by 5kgs as and when I needed.

Step 3: Cable tie the rubble sack(s)

Once you’ve filled the bag to the desired weight you’re going to want to cable tie it shut so nothing falls out. You’re going to want to leave a little air inside the bag so the gravel, or whatever material you’re using, inside the bag can move around a little. We want a little movement inside the bag. You don’t want too much air inside the bag because it’ll take up too much space if you decide to put in into a bigger bag.

Just my 2 cents. I learned that one the hard way!

Step 4: Cable tie the sand bag

Now repeat what we did to the rubble sacks with the sand bag. Make sure the cable tie is on nice and tight!

Step 5: Cut the cable tie as low as possible

When you cut the cable tie try to make sure there are no sharp edges. This is important because if you decide to use the sand bag in this state to train with you don’t want to go cutting your hands up on a sharp cable tie. Also, if you decide to put several of them inside an other bag they won’t tear each other to shreds.

Step 6: Repeat steps 1 to 5 if you want more than one bag

Now repeat steps 1 to 5 if you want more than one bag. I managed to make 3 x 10kg bags and 2 x 5kg bags with the materials I purchased. I managed to make these for under £15. I’d write down the weights on the bags as you make them so it’s easier to tell which bag is which weight.

Step 7: Place the sand bags into a bigger back or backpack

If you bought the same back as I have from Amazon you should be able to fit 25-30kgs in there which is a great weight to play around with for your exercise routines. If you managed to create the same bags as I did in the previous step you could have 25kg in a big bag and a 10kg and 5kg sand bag free. This should give you a nice variety of weights to choose from as you’re doing your workouts.

Step 8: You’re good to go!

Now enjoy your workouts!

If you have any comments up them in the space below.

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You may ask “how can I get motivated to workout?” Well that’s a good question and the honest answer is… It’s all down to you!

Everyone has their own thing that will get them up off their ass and get that sweat rolling down their brow. You just have to find out what yours is. Some people find pictures of bodies, also known in the Twitter world as “Fitsporation” or “Fitspo” for short, help motivate them to do their workout. Some people are very goal orientated. They find reaching that certain weight, or performing a certain move is a great source of motivation for them.

But what if that doesn’t work for you? Let’s break it down a little further and see if you can find some that will work for you.

So what sources of motivation are there? Well you have:

To really find something that will work for you, thing about these 5 things and see if there is anything there that will spur you to get out of bed in the morning and get that sweat glistening off your body.

Your motivation could be to get that elusive 6 pack so you can feel comfortable to take your shirt off at the beach or on holiday and know that you are turning heads. Or it could be to compete in a fitness competition. Or is may well be as simple as just to get attention from the dudettes. Find what works for you and go with it!

Your motivation could be to lose that pooch that always seems to be there when you put your favourite pair of jeans on. Or to finally ditch that one piece bathing suit and go for that string bikini you’ve been dying to wear. Or it maybe be just to have that small piece of chocolate every week as a celebration for killing it in all your workouts.

Experiment… Explore… Find out what will get your blood pumping to do your workout for the day. Once you find it, let me know below. Maybe you could help someone else find theirs…

The post How Can I Get Motivated To Workout? appeared first on That Fitness Dude.

Having more muscle burns more fat!

What are the best bodyweight exercises you can do? Well… The best exercises are the ones that incorporate as many joint movements (also known as compound exercises) as possible. These allow you to lift heavier weights, which is good for beginners who haven’t really done much exercises, and they also are the most effect in building muscle and/or boosting your metabolism to burn fat.

We all want to look good now don’t we!

So come on! What are the best exercises!?

Ok, ok… Here are 5 excellent moves you can add to your current routine, or perform all 5 together for a full body workout. All of these can help build muscle or help you tone up. So… HERE WE GO!!

1. Pressups

Pressups are a fantastic exercise to work your chest, triceps and shoulders! Pressups have been performed for centuries to develop the muscles in the chest and are still performed today by gymnasts, fighters, martial artists and by the average guy and girl. There are so many different varieties of pressups, it’s hard to keep count! For now, the basic pressup is what we’ll focus on.

To perform this move effectively, you want to have your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, keeping your body straight and be on your toes. You can drop to your knees if you cannot perform regular pressups… Yet! You can work your way up to them.

So from the starting position you want to lower your body to the floor, without dropping your hips. You want to keep your body straight from your head to your feet. Lower yourself until your elbows at a 90 degree angle, then push back up to the starting position. That’s 1 rep!

The further you have your elbows out as you’re performing the exercise then move you’ll use your chest muscles. The closer they’re tucked into your sides, the focus is more on the triceps.

2. Situps

Now for the abs. Situps are excellent for getting those washboard abs, the v-shape on the lower abs and working the obliques. There are many different varieties of situps that can target different parts of the abdominal region that you’ll never have to do another ab exercise again. Not saying not to do any other ab exercise though! The basic situp predominately focuses on your upper abs, obliques and your core in general.

Situps must be performed with strict perform, as with all exercises, otherwise you could hurt your lower back…

Start lying down on your back, with your knees bent and the soles of your feet on the floor. Place your hands on the sides of your head with your elbows pointed out.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT place you hands behind your head or pull your head up when performing this exercise as you’ll risk injuring your neck.

Now, curl yourself up lifting your shoulder blades off the floor. You should feel this in your upper abs. Keeping your lower body straight lift your entire upper body off the floor, bringing your elbows in until your elbows touch your thighs. Lower yourself back down to the starting position, but keep your abs contracted. That’s 1 rep!

If your lower back starts to ache, put a rolled up towel under your back so when you lower yourself back down you’re keeping your spine in its natural curves position.

3. Pullups

This is THE BEST exercise you can do to work your back muscles. These can build that awesome v-shape in the guys and can tone up the girls back to look awesome in a backless dress.

But… They’re very difficult for most people. So, I’ll show you how you can work your way up to these.

The best way to get the benefits of pullups if you can’t perform them is doing negatives. Negatives is where you do just the eccentric part (the part of the exercise where your muscle is lengthening) of the move because you’re 30% stronger in that part of the move. In the case of pullups, this is where you’re lowering yourself down from the bar.

You can either jump into the position or use a chair, but you want to start at the top with your chin above the bar. Have your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, palms facing out, with your elbows pointing out to the side. Lower yourself slowly to the floor until your arms are fully extended. The slower the better. Aim for at least 4 seconds until your arms are fully extended. That’s 1 rep!

After  you’ve been doing this for a while you’ll eventually be able to do a proper pullups. It’s important to be persistent with this exercise to show progress.

4. Squats

Squats are a brilliant exercise for your legs and butt. This exercise can give the guys big powerful legs and give the girls toned legs and butt. This is one exercise that shouldn’t be missed!

Start off with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Now, lower yourself to the floor, sticking your butt out and keeping your weight in your heels. Try and keep your knees behind your toes and lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. If you can go lower, go lower! Make sure you keep you back straight and not lean forward. Now drive yourself back up to the start position and thrust your hips forward. That’s 1 rep!

Tip: To keep your back straight, stick your hands behind your head when performing the exercise. This is also known as a “Prisoner Squat”

If you’re finding this too easy, add a jump! From the lower position drive yourself up and jump as high as you can in the air. When you land on the floor go straight back into the lower position and repeat. This will really kill the legs!!

5. Burpees

The ULTIMATE exercise! Want to work your arms, do burpees. Want to work your chest, do burpees. Want to work on your stamina, do burpees. Want to work out your core, do burpees. Want to work on your legs, do burpees. Want to give your heart and lungs a good workout, do burpees…

Have I made my point?

This exercise alone can help you burn fat and tone almost every muscle in your body!

To perform this exercise, start off standing in an upright position. Perform a squat placing your hands on the floor and thrust your legs out so you’re in a pressup position. Next, thrust your legs back into the lower part of the squat position. Finally, drive yourself back up to the standing position. That’s 1 rep! It sounds simple, but trust me, it’s not a piece of cake.

Now that’s the simple version!

To get a complete workout from this one move alone, add a pressup when you’re in the pressup position and add a squat jump when you’re coming back up to the standing position! Really get a sweat going with this exercise!!

And that’s it!

All these exercises work your core which is important because a strong core gives you a good foundation for your day to day activities.

5 excellent bodyweight exercises you can either incorporate into your existing workout routine or use them to create a new routine. Boost your metabolism, build some lean muscle and get the body you want with these moves.

Feel free to pop your comments below, and don’t forget to share this with your friends!

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