Here's a back routine to help you gain strength as well as mass. The routine is fairly simple, but by no means easy.
Pull Ups
3 sets of 6 - 10 reps
Functioning as a warm up pull ups are a great way for stretching out, and getting in a big lifting mood is some body weight work. Try starting off your next back day with these pull up variations. You will complete out on set of each variation on this routine.
Wide Hammer Grip Pull ups
Tip : For added strength and confidence visualize doing a lat pull down while going through the movement of this pull up.
Under hand Shoulder width pull ups
Tip : It doesn't always have to be curls. The under hand pull up can also double as a great way to hit your biceps during a routine.
Over hand shoulder width pull ups
Tip : Remember, go slow and avoid using momentum. Swinging and cheating only hurts your game.
Lat Pull Downs : Grow your wings!
4 sets of 10-15 reps
Keep the weight heavy, aim for around your body weight if not higher. Remember to keep the bar in front of you as to keep your shoulder safe. Take them slow and concentrate on the contractions of the muscles in your back. Feel the stretch on the way up to maximize benefits.
Seated Rows : Just keep growing!
4 sets of 8-15 reps
Go heavy on these as well. Slow concentrated reps, focus on the weight and getting the most out of each rep. This lift will help you
Tips on proper form :
The seated rows are different than the rows done on the cardio machines.
Your back should not have a drastic movement on this routine.
Keep your arms slightly bent but make sure the contraction from the lift is done with your back muscles - not your biceps and triceps.
Your arms should be moving around 6-10 inches on each reps.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rows : Finish Strong!
3 sets of 8-12 reps
Keep your weight to a moderate to high level on this routine. Make sure your form is correct and that you are doing solid efforts on each rep.
Not tapping out yet?
Feel free to add on your traps and abs to this routine. For great advice on getting monster traps or killer abs check out our Routines section below!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Kick it into gear with this leg routine!
Today we will be going over my current routine as far as legs go.
This is definitely a pretty good sized volume as far as work load goes. Aim for a Friday to do this routine.
1. Stretching
Remember to stretch before and after the work outs. I would suggest stretching out leg's as well as your upper body to continue to improve your mobility and flexibility across your body.
2. Warm Up
After the stretching part of the warm up I would suggest doing some body weight jump squats, jumprope, or a brisk jog for about 2-3 minutes to get the blood flowing in the major muscles you will be using today as well as ensure that your mechanics are in place.
3. Leg Extensions
Suggested Reps : For the reps we will be doing reverse pyramid sets. These sets start at 20 reps per set and drop down to 1 and back up to 20. Every five sets continue to stretch legs to improve blood flow as part of your active rest.
Since this work out will be on every Friday the volume of this routine will be managable as long as you take the proper steps to ensure recovery occurs.
Suggested Weight : Start at 50 pounds for the first five sets. Every five sets evaluate the amount of weight that you are doing. When it gets below 10 reps per set consider increasing the weight to get close to a one rep max amount to ensure you are getting in the most intense work out.
4. Hamstring curls
Suggested Reps : For this routine we will doing a more standard amount for reps. Try to keep in the range of 3-4 working sets of around 8-15 reps per set.
Suggested Weight : I would suggest using a light weight. Something in the range of 25 pounds. Remember to evaluate the weight in between every set.
5. Stretch
As before. Improve your mobility as well as make sure to do a cool down. Stretching the muscles can aid in blood flow as well as help prevent injuries.
Remember. The goal is not to lift the gym. The goal is to get a good volume work out to increase the size and strength of your quads and hamstrings. Be sure to listen to your body as you progress through this routine as it is a rigorous one, and I'd hate for anyone to get hurt. Keep the weights reasonable as well as under control throughout the routine.
Keep your diet balanced and remember to do some brisk treadmill work as well as stretch the following day to avoid any delayed onset muscle soreness.
Review : Ravage by GNC Beyond Raw
Product : GNC Ravage
Overall : 4/10
Ravage is a GNC Beyond Raw Pre-Workout Supplement. This review is for the Grape flavor of the 18.31 Oz package. You can find it on GNC's page here.
Serving Size: 10/10
One of the best parts of this product is that it is a one scooper. It's recommended to mix one scoop (26 grams) with 12 fl. oz of water. When taking it I varied my mixture anywhere between 8-14 oz of water, depending on if I was wanting to get it over with, or try to dilute the taste a bit.
Taste : 2/10
I had picked out the grape flavoring, according to the label. As we all know the general rule when it comes to a good Pre-Workout, you are not drinking it for the taste. This situation merits a rewrite to state that you are definitely not drinking it for the taste. Definitely a chugger and not one to take more than two or three big gulps on. The grape flavoring does not come through, instead it tastes more like a gritty salty drink. This is definitely one of the areas that an improvement is needed.
Pump : 9/10
The pump provided by the product was a reasonable solid pump. I managed to continue in growth as well as maintain - if not improve pace of my progress with my lifts. This is definitely going to be an important part of the decision making in looking into a good solid Pre-Workout. I have to admit it did provide a solid, very aware, pump throughout my work out. At some points almost too much to the point where I contemplated ripping out of my skin.
Side Effects : 3/10
Throughout the 20 sessions I only had four or five sessions where it tore me up. The Beta Ala-nine in it was definitely a bit much and the itchiness associated with this product was a big turn off for me. The first work out with it, the Beta Ala-nine definitely work me up, but in subsequent sessions it tended more to get on my nerves and be distracting. The product is loaded with 200mg of caffeine so definitely avoid taking any fat burners or other diet supps when using Ravage.
Pricing : 4/10
The pricing compared to the amount of work outs I got out of it was pretty steep. Compared to some more affordable pre work outs this one was $44.99 for 20 servings which doesn't really fit my price range for the quality of the product.
Recommendation : Pass
I would definitely advise a pass on this product. There are a lot of better Pre-Workout Supplements out there that are better value and quality. The pump provided by Ravage was definitely a nice one, but for the price, taste, and side effects, I'd rather invest the time and effort into a different Pre-Workout.
Overall : 4/10
Ravage is a GNC Beyond Raw Pre-Workout Supplement. This review is for the Grape flavor of the 18.31 Oz package. You can find it on GNC's page here.
Serving Size: 10/10
One of the best parts of this product is that it is a one scooper. It's recommended to mix one scoop (26 grams) with 12 fl. oz of water. When taking it I varied my mixture anywhere between 8-14 oz of water, depending on if I was wanting to get it over with, or try to dilute the taste a bit.
Taste : 2/10
I had picked out the grape flavoring, according to the label. As we all know the general rule when it comes to a good Pre-Workout, you are not drinking it for the taste. This situation merits a rewrite to state that you are definitely not drinking it for the taste. Definitely a chugger and not one to take more than two or three big gulps on. The grape flavoring does not come through, instead it tastes more like a gritty salty drink. This is definitely one of the areas that an improvement is needed.
Pump : 9/10
The pump provided by the product was a reasonable solid pump. I managed to continue in growth as well as maintain - if not improve pace of my progress with my lifts. This is definitely going to be an important part of the decision making in looking into a good solid Pre-Workout. I have to admit it did provide a solid, very aware, pump throughout my work out. At some points almost too much to the point where I contemplated ripping out of my skin.
Side Effects : 3/10
Throughout the 20 sessions I only had four or five sessions where it tore me up. The Beta Ala-nine in it was definitely a bit much and the itchiness associated with this product was a big turn off for me. The first work out with it, the Beta Ala-nine definitely work me up, but in subsequent sessions it tended more to get on my nerves and be distracting. The product is loaded with 200mg of caffeine so definitely avoid taking any fat burners or other diet supps when using Ravage.
Pricing : 4/10
The pricing compared to the amount of work outs I got out of it was pretty steep. Compared to some more affordable pre work outs this one was $44.99 for 20 servings which doesn't really fit my price range for the quality of the product.
Recommendation : Pass
I would definitely advise a pass on this product. There are a lot of better Pre-Workout Supplements out there that are better value and quality. The pump provided by Ravage was definitely a nice one, but for the price, taste, and side effects, I'd rather invest the time and effort into a different Pre-Workout.
Review : Fireball by Precision Engineered
Product : Fireball by Precision Engineered
Overall : 7.8/10
Fireball : Liqui-Fusion is a thermogenic fat burner developed and sold by Precision Engineered - an affiliate company from Vitamin World. You can find it here on their page.
Serving Size: 6/10
Taste : 10/10
Being a liquid capsule the taste if kind of an easy win for this one. They are soft-gels as opposed to tablets and this does help the texture category.
Pump : 6/10
The pump you would get out of this is more for the light weight lifter, or aimed towards a runner. It doesn't provide the pump a powder drink would provide. When lifting with just the Fireball soft-gels, I didn't have a pump, but definitely felt cleaner than if I had drank a canned energy drink as a pre-work out.
Side Effects: 7/10
While taking the product, the side effects are minimal. There is a chance of experiencing a niacin flush, or the redness and heat near the surface area of the skin. Fireball is a thermogenic and is intended to assist in igniting the metabolism and getting your body going - so the flush may be more apt to be considered a benefit as opposed to a side effect.
The biggest side effects of this are in more relation to withdrawals. Missing a day of taking them you can definitely feel them in the system. Dependency on the product is based off of the caffeine that is in them. The dosage of caffeine is a safe amount but still does make a noticable difference in your system when it comes to stopping the product.
Pricing : 10/10
The pricing plans on these are pretty good. They are typically on sale for around $49.99 for two containers of 120 soft-gels. That does get you about a month minimum's supply per bottle if you take them religiously. Compared to drinking a soda for caffeine ($1.00 USD), or an energy drink ($2.99-$4.99), this is a "healthier" and cheaper alternative for energy.
Recommendation : Go for it.
Go for it. I used them for cutting as well as to cut myself off of sodas, and that in itself made the price and other aspects of this product worth it in the long run.
Overall : 7.8/10
Fireball : Liqui-Fusion is a thermogenic fat burner developed and sold by Precision Engineered - an affiliate company from Vitamin World. You can find it here on their page.
Serving Size: 6/10
Let's get the review for this product started with serving size. It is recommended to take two before a meal or working out. I tend to take two when cutting out caffeine in other parts of my diet, as well as when going on a cut. The pills are more long than they are wide, and relatively easy to take. They are two soft-gels per serving, with no more than four a day per the label.
Taste : 10/10
Being a liquid capsule the taste if kind of an easy win for this one. They are soft-gels as opposed to tablets and this does help the texture category.
Pump : 6/10
The pump you would get out of this is more for the light weight lifter, or aimed towards a runner. It doesn't provide the pump a powder drink would provide. When lifting with just the Fireball soft-gels, I didn't have a pump, but definitely felt cleaner than if I had drank a canned energy drink as a pre-work out.
Side Effects: 7/10
While taking the product, the side effects are minimal. There is a chance of experiencing a niacin flush, or the redness and heat near the surface area of the skin. Fireball is a thermogenic and is intended to assist in igniting the metabolism and getting your body going - so the flush may be more apt to be considered a benefit as opposed to a side effect.
The biggest side effects of this are in more relation to withdrawals. Missing a day of taking them you can definitely feel them in the system. Dependency on the product is based off of the caffeine that is in them. The dosage of caffeine is a safe amount but still does make a noticable difference in your system when it comes to stopping the product.
Pricing : 10/10
The pricing plans on these are pretty good. They are typically on sale for around $49.99 for two containers of 120 soft-gels. That does get you about a month minimum's supply per bottle if you take them religiously. Compared to drinking a soda for caffeine ($1.00 USD), or an energy drink ($2.99-$4.99), this is a "healthier" and cheaper alternative for energy.
Recommendation : Go for it.
Go for it. I used them for cutting as well as to cut myself off of sodas, and that in itself made the price and other aspects of this product worth it in the long run.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
We're Live!
Welcome to Black Tie Fitness.
I am proud to say welcome to our site, and hope that you get a lot of good information and motivation for your day-to-day and big picture living.
You will be able to find a growing range of different product reviews in relation to the fitness industry. From supplements, to work outs, even some gym equipment - you will be able to find it all here.
There will be a new post every Wednesday, as well as daily tips going out through our Twitter.
There will be a new post every Wednesday, as well as daily tips going out through our Twitter.
We want your feedback and tips - as we will publish your tweets! Be sure to contact us at @blacktiefitness on Twitter.
Push yourself, as well as others.
Keep up the good work guys!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Disclaimers and Legal Information
All content on this website unless other wise noted is property of Matthew Kirn.
The content on this website does not equate medical advice and all work out programs are recommended for clearance by a medical professional. Liability shall not fall on this website nor author if for some reason injury does occur due to the practice of the work out routines noted on this site.
Supplements and brands reviewed and discussed are property of their respective owners, Black Tie Fitness does not claim property of these brands and only states them for educational purposes in relationship to a review and analysis of the goods and products. Claims, views, and perspectives in relation to health choices, supplement usages, and other related content is not endorsed by or evaluated by the FDA. Again, to reiterate - please consult with a medical professional before making major changes to the supplements, vitamins, or lifestyle changes.
Photos used in supplement or product reviews are linked to the original source and all likeness to product in relation to name of product and stock photo are property of respective owners. Any concerns can be directed to blacktiefitness@gmail.com
Please listen to your body as well as medical advise from professionals in relation to starting and stopping usage of any routine or supplement.
The Black Tie Fitness entity is property of Matthew Kirn. For use or distribution of websites content please contact at blacktiefitness@gmail.com.
Remember to stay safe and have fun, and never quit being awesome.
The content on this website does not equate medical advice and all work out programs are recommended for clearance by a medical professional. Liability shall not fall on this website nor author if for some reason injury does occur due to the practice of the work out routines noted on this site.
Supplements and brands reviewed and discussed are property of their respective owners, Black Tie Fitness does not claim property of these brands and only states them for educational purposes in relationship to a review and analysis of the goods and products. Claims, views, and perspectives in relation to health choices, supplement usages, and other related content is not endorsed by or evaluated by the FDA. Again, to reiterate - please consult with a medical professional before making major changes to the supplements, vitamins, or lifestyle changes.
Photos used in supplement or product reviews are linked to the original source and all likeness to product in relation to name of product and stock photo are property of respective owners. Any concerns can be directed to blacktiefitness@gmail.com
Please listen to your body as well as medical advise from professionals in relation to starting and stopping usage of any routine or supplement.
The Black Tie Fitness entity is property of Matthew Kirn. For use or distribution of websites content please contact at blacktiefitness@gmail.com.
Remember to stay safe and have fun, and never quit being awesome.
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