well the general rule of thumb is to add weight to the bar every 4 workouts. Allow your body to adapt to a certain weight and then keep progressing. Assuming you are performing an exercise twice a week. You can add weight every two weeks. You can add 5lbs to an upper body lift like the bench press or the overhead press and 10lbs to lower body exercise like a squat or a deadlift. But it’s important to perform a full body dynamic mobility warm up before you work out in order to activate your core and prepare your joints for the training session. Make sure you perform certain warm up sets for the main lift. Doing 2-4 sets of progressively heavier weights with descending weight is important. Set 1 – 10 reps, Set 2 – 7 Reps, Set 3 – 5 Reps, Then perform 4-5 main sets. When you record your progress over 1 year, you would be lifting 60lbs additional weight over a period of 1 year (adding 5lbs to an upper body lift every month working out once a week). When you evaluate your progress over a 1 or 2 year period making small additions every month(5lbs to the upper body lift every month and 10lbs to the lower body lift) the strength gains would make sense. There will be a phase in your training you might hit a plateau, at that point of time, it’s important to de-load, back off, rest and then resume training. Recovery is an essential part of progress.

Hi Abdul, I am not sure if this the first time you are deadlifting or you have been deadlifting for some time now. By all means deadlifting 110 kgs is remarkable. If you want to determine your baseline of strength this how it’s done : - A) Lower Body Lift : Novice 0.75 X BodyWeight Beginner 1 X Body Weight Intermediate 1.5 X Body Weight Advanced 2 X Body Weight for 1 Rep ( 1 RM or 1 Rep Max) In your case, you weigh 64 kgs, so you should be able to squat or deadlift 64 X 1 = 64kgs as a beginner. Deadlifting 110kgs, for the first time when you are relatively new to lifting is spectacular . This shows you are already at an intermediate level of strength at your body weight. B) Upper Body Lift Novice 0.5 X Body weight Beginner .75 X Body Weight Intermediate 1 X Body Weight Advance 1.5 X Body Weight for 1 Rep ( 1 RM or 1 Rep Max) You can use this formula to calculate your 1 RM. 1 RM Calculator Weight x Reps x 0.0333 + Weight = Estimated 1RM

Hi Randomgyuyrandy2k, you need to drop 3kgs in 20 days. It’s challenging but possible. You need to reduce your overall caloric consumption. Your macronutrient intake should lean towards protein, cut down carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables) and minimal essential fatty acids, (nuts and fish). Watch your salt intake and water consumption. Having said that you need to have enough energy ( carbohydrates = energy ) to train for your competition. You should continue lifting weights in this phase but not at your maximum intensity. Focus on the main lifts:- Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Overhead Press at 60 to 70 of your RM (Rep Max) Use dumbbell or kettlebell complexes to enhance your conditioning or strength endurance. Day 1: Main Lift : Squat at 75 % of RM , 6 to 8 reps, 3 to 5 sets. Complex 1: 6 minutes (4 Rounds) Dumbbell Snatch/DB Bent Over Row - 7 reps Burpees/ Jumps - 20 seconds Jumping Jacks - 30 seconds Complex 2 : 6 minutes ( 3 rounds) Pull-ups + Lunges + Push-ups + Bridges. Day 2 : Cardio - 15 to 20 minutes - steady state. Core training. Judo training. Day 3: Main Lift : Deadlift, at 75 % of RM , 6 to 8 reps, 3 to 5 sets. Complex 1: 6 minutes (4 rounds) Dumbbell/Kettlebell Clean and Press - 7 reps Dive Bomber Push-ups - 20 seconds Double Bounds/ Jump Rope - 30 seconds Complex 2 : 6 minutes ( 3 rounds) Inverted Row + Lateral Lunges + Dips + Hip Thrusts Day 4 : Same as Day 2 Day 5: Main Lift : Bench Press - at 75 % of RM , 6 to 8 reps, 3 to 5 sets. Complex 1 : 6 minutes (4 rounds) Dumbbell/Kettlebell Cleans : 7 reps Mountain Climbers : 20 seconds Alternating Reverse Lunges : 30 seconds Complex 2 : 6 minutes (3 rounds) Chin-Ups + Goblet Squats + Sprawls + Hollow Body Hold Day 6 : Same as Day 2 Day 7 : Hip and shoulder mobility exercises to stay injury-free + foam rolling

The height that an individual will attain is primarily determined by the following factors:- DNA / Genetics Ethnicity Hormones Nutrition during early childhood The development of the cartilage in the growth plates of the arms and legs helps one develop longer limbs and attain a certain height. Growth plate development stops at puberty. Hence performing pull-ups will not help any individual grow taller. Having said that pull-ups is a great body weight exercise to develop a muscular back and core strength and must be integrated in your workout routine in addition to these body weight exercises :- 1. Squats 2. Bridges 3. Inverted Rows 4. Push-ups 5. Dips So the BIG 6 will help you lay a strong foundation of fitness. Once you have developed a reasonable amount of strength, muscular endurance and mobility with these basic bodyweight exercises you can start lifting weights. P.S. Surprisingly one of my friends, whose growth stagnated at around 5 feet in his teens, suddenly experienced a tremendous growth spurt in his twenties when he started swimming and cycling. There is no scientific data to prove this but you can swim or cycle (thrice a week) for 20 to 30 minutes in addition to your body weight strength training routine and see if it makes a difference over a period of time. All the best Champ!!! START STRONG Amit S. Panjwani

Hi Roland, it is truly exceptional that you can dumbbell curl 15kg at 13 years old. I am assuming you are dumbbell curling 30 kg (a pair of 15kg dumbbells) which is absolutely remarkable at your age. You are genetically gifted with raw strength. It is important to focus on the quality of the movement or exercise. Whenever you perform any exercise make sure you check all these boxes :- Alignment/ Posture : While performing any exercise it is important to maintain a neutral spine. Your head, upper back and hip should be in a straight line. In the long run, with progressive overload, it will keep your ego in check and keep you injury-free. Activation : Make sure are using intra-abdominal breathing to activate the muscles of your core to maintain spinal stability. Range of Motion : For optimal muscle fiber recruitment you must put the joint through its full range of motion. (Partial reps have a place in training). But in order to derive maximum benefit for each movement you must execute the exercise to perfection, which is performing the exercise through the full range of motion. Tempo : Maintain a tempo of 1 second upwards, concentric i.e. against gravity, and 2 seconds down downwards, eccentric towards gravity for optimal muscle contraction. Not being able to control the weight downwards, in the eccentric phase will limit muscle contraction. This could force us to reduce the weight lifted but will induce more muscle growth.

Hi Christina, the aim of every athlete is performance enhancement and injury prevention. You compete to win and bullet proof your body against injuries. So it is important for your strength training and conditioning coach to design a workout program that helps you reach your athletic maximal potential at the time of your sports event. Your ability to peak during the in-season will depend upon:- Fitness components Mobility and Flexibility Strength Endurance Power Speed Agility Quickness Sports Specific Training Your training is divided into four phases:- 1. Off-Season: The objective in this phase is to build a strong foundation of strength, endurance and mobility. 2. Pre-Season: This phase aims to enhance the power and speed of an athlete, while increasing the intensity of the strength workouts. The focus is equally divided between improving the fitness components and enhancing sports specific performance. 3. In-Season: The sole purpose in this phase is to prepare for competition. It is important to gradually reduce training volume, maintain exercise intensity and focus on sports specific training. The closer you are to competition, you need to keep your body fresh, limit strength training, train for the sport diligently and emphasize recovery, Key elements of this phase:- Decrease exercise volume Maintain training intensity and gradually taper it. Increase sport-specificity Maximize recovery Peak for competition So this answers your question Christina that your body needs to fresh on the day of the competition so you should avoid lifting on that day. You should train your body with basic mobility drills to stay injury-free and supple on the day of the meet. 4.Post-Season:- In this phase the athlete must focus on recovery and rehabilitating injuries, while maintaining a baseline level of strength, endurance and mobility. Hope this answer makes a difference to your athletic life Christina. If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit Panjwani.

Reps in Reserve (RIR) Stimulating Reps. Hi Richard, push-ups are a simple and effective way to build a muscular chest, rounded shoulders and well-defined triceps. One needs to understand hypertrophy or muscle growth to determine the volume of exercise (repetitions and sets). Hypertrophy or muscle growth results from increasing the volume of muscle fibres inside a muscle. The following factors affect hypertrophy :- Mechanical Tension/Load :- is the force exerted on the muscle that results in muscle growth. The greater the force produced the greater the muscle growth. In the gym, using progressive overload by stacking additional weight overtime muscle growth can be attained in simple and effective manner. In terms of bodyweight training i.e. push-ups, the force exerted is equivalent to the body weight. Hence after a period of time, using push-ups, exerting the same amount of force will not induce muscle growth. To increase the mechanical load one must use a challenging variation of the same exercise. We can progress to performing diamond push-ups, elevated push-ups (using a stool or elevated surface) and dips. This will ensure that the mechanical load and hence the force exerted is increasing. After you can perform 10 dips, you may want to add more weight to increase the mechanical load (using a weight vest) to keep making progress. Recruiting - High Threshold Motor Unit Fibres (HTMUF) : Let me explain the above with an example of video game. Let us assume you are playing a video game where you are a soldier fighting a war. In order to win this war you need men and weapons. Men stand for Low Threshold Motor Unit Fibres (LTMUF) and Ballistic missiles stand for High Threshold Motor Unit (HTMUF) Moving from LEVEL 1 TO LEVEL 4 of this video game, in order to fight the war and reclaim lost land you recruit :- 100 soldiers – low threshold motor unit fibres 100 patent tanks – low threshold motor unit fibres 100 fighter planes – high threshold motor unit fibres 100 ballistic missiles - high threshold motor unit fibres. Likewise in order to keep building muscle you need to lift heavier loads or use a challenging variation of an exercise to recruit High Threshold Motor Unit Fibres (HTMUF). HTMUF respond to mechanical load to induce muscle growth. Hence using a challenging exercise or load is imperative to muscle growth. Time Under Tension Principle / Tempo: An exercise performed at a slow tempo, exerting more force on the muscle clearly explains the importance of using the time under tension principle to induce hyper trophy. With respect to push-ups or any exercise try and maintain a tempo of 1 second upwards or against gravity, in the concentric phase and 2 seconds downwards or towards gravity in the eccentric phase. Having said that hypertrophy occurs using the time under tension principle only using heavy loads or a very challenging bodyweight exercises forcing an individual to slow down while performing the last few reps, where you hit muscle failure. Only in these last few repetitions does your muscle actually hit muscle failure. These last few repetitions of a set are called STIMULATING REPETITONS. This brings us to the last piece of the hypertrophy puzzle which is VOLUME. Volume: Only stimulating reps are the ones that count. Stimulating reps are responsible for hypertrophy. These reps are responsible for the recruitment of high threshold motor unit fibres (HTMUF). Stimulating reps are the repetitions that cause muscle failure. The general rule of thumb is to perform 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 stimulating reps of 3 to 5 exercises to stimulate hypertrophy. Your aim to is to target the chest, shoulders and triceps then your workout could like:- 5 sets of Dips – 8 to 10 reps 3 to 5 sets of Elevated Push-ups – 12 to 15 reps 3 to 5 sets of Push-ups – 15 to 20 reps. In the case, you may hit failure :- Dips – 2 reps to failure/ stimulating reps in the last two sets. That’s 4 STIMULATING REPS Elevated Push-ups – 3 reps to failure in the last two sets. That is 6 stimulating reps. Push-ups – 4 reps to failure in the last two sets. That is 8 stimulating reps. The sum total of STIMULATING REPS (REPS TO FAILURE) is 18 reps. Generally one needs to aim for 15 STIMULATING REPS to attain muscle growth. With this example you can design a workout that should aim to induce hypertrophy, yet prevent overtraining and keep you fresh for the next workout every other day. You do not need to hit failure in every workout. It is important to manage fatigue and give enough time for your body to adapt to the workout stress. I hope I have answered your question Richard. All the best Champ !!! If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Dani, that’s not true, working out will not limit your ability to attain grow and attain a certain height. The height that an individual will attain is primarily determined by the following factors:- DNA / Genetics Ethnicity Hormones Nutrition during early childhood The development of the cartilage in the growth plates of the arms and legs helps one develop longer limbs and attain a certain height. Growth plate development stops at puberty. But if your goal is to build strength and develop a robust physique you can always start with body weight exercises. Body weight have several advantages :- 1. Develops neuromuscular efficiency 2. Good posture 3. Breath control – intra-abdominal breathing 4. Activation of the Core – abdominals, obliques, glutes and lower back 5. Improved Mobility 6. Flexibility to train with minimal equipment 7. Seamless transition from body weight training to weight training So it is important to build a strong foundation of strength with the BIG 6:- 1. The Squat 2. The Bridge 3. The Inverted Row 4. The Push-up (and it’s variations) 5. The Pull-up 6. The Dip It may take you up to a year to perform these exercises with flawless technique. Once you have mastered the BIG 6, you can start lifting weights. It is important to start slow and gradually add weight to each exercise using the progressive overload principle to enhance strength and minimize injury. Focus on the following strength training exercises in the gym:- The Back Squat The Deadlift The Bent Over Row The Bench Press (Dumbbells are smarter choice) The Lat Pull Down The Overhead Press In addition to these exercises you need to improve core strength, enhance mobility and build endurance to improve fitness from every dimension. All the best CHAMP !!! If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Ronald, honestly the comparison should have been between push-ups and bench presses. But let us compare pull-ups to the bench press. The pull-up is the most powerful pulling exercise, which works the entire posterior chain muscles – upper back musculature – the trapezius, the rhomboids, the rear deltoids, the latissimus dorsi. You need to correctly engage the core muscles - the abdominals, the obliques, the lower back and the glutes to perform a strict pull-up. Retracting the shoulders and depressing the scapula is a technical aspect of pull-up performance, which is often, casually overlooked in favour of achieving more repetitions. Pull-ups reflect one’s relative strength, which one’s ability to produce maximal pulling force relative to one’s body weight. Bench Press on the hand is a test of absolute strength, which is one’s ability to produce maximal pushing force irrespective of one’s bodyweight. Bench Press is a supported exercise which targets your chest, shoulders and triceps, while resting your back against a bench. In contrast the pull-up works the core harder. But in a gym environment men often compare their ability to bench press heavy weights as sign of strength. In the world of bodyweight training or in a Navy Seals Fitness Test, pull-ups are considered important criteria for selection. The Bench Press leans in favour of the big guys, who have a bigger size and structure, in comparison to pull-ups, which is relatively less challenging for smaller guys, who are small in size and structure. So pull-ups are an extremely challenging exercise for big built guys, whereas the bench press is a really challenging exercise for guys who are smaller in structure. Having said that one must apply the SAID (SPECIFIC ADAPTATION TO IMPOSED DEMANDS) principle and tilt the odds in our favour. If one finds the bench press difficult, you need to keep practicing the movement to reach a certain threshold of strength. Likewise one needs to watch one’s weight, stay within the healthy body composition range (12% to 15 %) and practice the pull-up to improve one’s pull-up performance. Hope that answers your question Ronald, If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Hrusueh, the most fundamental exercise that contracts the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps are push-ups. Push-ups alone are not enough to keep making progress or targeting all the fibers of the chest – the upper, the middle and the lower. Once you can perform 20 repetitions with a slow tempo, 1 second concentric (upwards, against gravity) and 2 seconds eccentric (downwards towards gravity) you should move on to the next challenging variation. Make sure you can perform 5 to 6 sets of 20 repetitions of this variation with 2 to 3 minute breaks to build a reasonable volume to induce hypertrophy or muscle growth. Progressive push-up variations :- Push-ups Diamond push-ups Elevated push-ups Dips The standard push-up will target the middle fibers (sternal) of the chest, the feet elevated push-ups will work the upper (clavicular) fibers and the dips will contract the lower (costal) fibres of the chest. The above three variations performed with perfect technique, slow tempo and optimal volume will help you develop a muscular chest, strong shoulders and well defined triceps. The right volume of exercises, a protein-rich diet and your ability to recover from each workout by giving your body enough rest will ensure your on the path to muscle growth. In future, you may need to use a weighted vest to make the above exercises challenging. Hope that answers your question Hrusueh, If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Fayha, the height that an individual will attain is primarily determined by the following factors:- DNA / Genetics Ethnicity Hormones Nutrition during early childhood With the development of the cartilage in the growth plates of the arms and legs helps one can develop longer limbs and attain a certain height. Growth plate development stops at puberty. So consuming Ashwagandha will not affect your height. Well it does have some benefits :- Reduces stress Improves sleep Boosts athletic performance Improves memory Enhances male fertility Reduces inflammation If Ashwagandha helps you deal with any of the above, you may try the Himalaya Ashvagandha General Wellness tablets. Always speak to your healthcare provider before ingesting these tablets. These are the possible side effects of excessive consumption of this supplement:- Stomach ache Diarrhea Vomiting Hope this answers your question Fayha, If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Talan, well the general rule of thumb is to add weight to the bar every 4 workouts. Allow your body to adapt to a certain weight and then keep progressing. Assuming you are performing an exercise twice a week. You can add weight every two weeks. You can add 5lbs to an upper body lift like the bench press or the overhead press and 10lbs to lower body exercise like a squat or a deadlift. But it’s important to perform a full body dynamic mobility warm up before you work out in order to activate your core and prepare your joints for the training session. Make sure you perform certain warm up sets for the main lift. Doing 2-4 sets of progressively heavier weights with descending weight is important. Set 1 – 10 reps, Set 2 – 7 Reps, Set 3 – 5 Reps, Then perform 4-5 main sets. When you record your progress over 1 year, you would be lifting 60lbs additional weight over a period of 1 year (adding 5lbs to an upper body lift every month working out once a week). When you evaluate your progress over a 1 or 2 year period making small additions every month(5lbs to the upper body lift every month and 10lbs to the lower body lift) the strength gains would make sense. There would be a phase you might hit a plateau, at that point of time, it’s important to de-load, back off, rest and then resume training. Recovery is an essential part of progress. Hope this answers your question Talan, If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Mazin, follow this simple method to improve your pull-up numbers:- Linear Progression: Perform this workout on alternate days. Your aim is to complete 12 to 15 repetitions of total volume of pull-ups in 5 sets. You can currently perform 3 reps, so your workout should look like this:- Exercise Reps Sets Volume (Reps*Sets) 1. Pull-ups 3 5 3*5 = 15 reps Your rest interval between each set should be 2 to 3 minutes. You may be able to accomplish 15 repetitions for the first time you attempt this workout in 8 sets. 3,3,2,2,2,1,1,1 = 15 reps But your aim should be to complete this total volume i.e. 15 repetitions in 5 sets. Till you get 3 reps in each of the 5 sets, you cannot increase the total volume of pull-ups. Once you hit this goal - 3,3,3,3,3 = 15 reps, you can increase the total volume of pull-ups by 3 to 5 reps. So your next target volume is 18 to 20 reps. Your next workout could look like this:- 4,3,3,3,3,3 = 19 reps. (Within the 18 to 20 rep range) So your successive workout would look like this, 4,4,4,3,3,2 = 20 reps. You will continue on this path till you can accomplish, 4,4,4,4,4 = 20 reps. You should be able to hit this target in 5 sets. Once you have hit this goal, increase the total volume of reps by 3 to 5 reps, i.e. 23-25 reps. At the same time it’s important to strengthen your core using core exercise like :- 1. Hollow Body Hold 2. Dead Bugs 3. RKC Plank 4. Glute Bridge You can add reverse flys using(using light dumbbells/ theraband), inverted rows and scapula pull-ups to improve your pull-up performance. Hope this answers your question Mazin, If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit S. Panjwani.

Hi Muhammad, it’s remarkable that you have been consistent enough to be able to perform 30 push-ups daily. At 69, any form of activity –: 1.Strength training(body weight or weights), 2.Endurance training( jogging, brisk walking, cyling) and 3.Mobility training(yoga, tai chi) will help maintain you maintain musculoskeletal strength, flexibility and a healthy heart. I am not sure the 30 minute intense workout that you mentioned is purely an interval training cardio session or a combination of body weight training and weight training or a superset workout (bodybuilding style) performed with short rest intervals. From a strength perspective, it’s important to remember that you are hitting all the muscle groups, in all the planes of motion. Basically you should be training the BIG 6 MOVEMENTS:- The Squat/Back Squat/Goblet Squat The Hip-Hinge/Deadlift The Inverted Row/ Bent Over Row The Push-ups/Bench Press The Pull-ups/Lat Pull Down The Dips/ the Overhead Press If you train at home you may buy 3 pairs of dumbbells – light, medium, heavy. You could also install a multi-grip pull-up bar. A short workout performed at home could look like this:- Mon: Perform 5 minute dynamic full body mobility warm-up. Pull-ups – 3 to 4 sets – 8 to 10 reps with 2 minute rest intervals. Dumbbell Front Squats – 3 to 4 sets with 8 to 10 reps With 2 minute rest intervals. Push-ups (30 reps) and Glute Bridges (30 second hold) performed in superset manner. 5 cool down or stretches. Wed: Perform 5 minute dynamic full body mobility warm-up. Pull-ups – 3 to 4 sets – 8 to 10 reps with 2 minute rest intervals. Dumbbell Deadlift - 3 to 4 sets – 8 to 10 reps with 2 minute rest intervals. Push-ups (30 reps) and Glute Bridges (30 second hold) performed in superset manner. 5 minute cool down or stretches. Fri: Perform 5 minute dynamic full body mobility warm-up. A) Dumbbell Overhead Press -3 to 4 sets – 8 to 10 reps with 2 minute rest intervals. B) Dumbbell Bent Over Row - 3 to 4 sets – 8 to 10 reps with 2 minute rest intervals. C) Push-ups (20 reps) and Neutral Grip Pull-ups(8 reps) performed in superset manner. D) 5 minute cool down or stretches. You could perform 20 minute cardiovascular steady state or interval training session on Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday. Sunday take a day off, rest and recover or perform some basic mobility exercises. Hope this answers your question Muhammad, If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit S. Panjwani.

Hi Nits, the fact that you can deadlift 140 kgs at 16 years is a remarkable feat. It reflects tremendous strength of your posterior chain muscles and spinal erectors. Even your 5 rep max weight for the bench press is commendable. But I am not sure if you are balancing your horizontal pushing (bench press) and vertical pressing (overhead press) movements with equally strong horizontal and vertical pulling movements Your ability to bench improves with your ability to pull:- The stronger your back is at rowing weight towards your chest, when you are above the bar, the stronger it will be when lowering a weight to your chest when you are below the bar. So you need to perform the inverted rows or the bent over rows to be able to bench press more weight. When you perform a bench press, you want to pull your shoulders back and then depress your scapula down as much as you can. We learn to master this technique while performing pull-ups. So another great exercise to improve your bench press is the pull-up or the lat pull down exercise. Having said tha, there are two ways you can get better at any lift :- Linear Progression 5-6-7 Cumulative Strength Linear Progression: The general rule of thumb is to add weight to the bar every 4 workouts. Allow your body to adapt to a certain weight and then keep progressing. Assuming you are performing an exercise twice a week. You can add weight every two weeks. You can add 5lbs to an upper body lift like the bench press or the overhead press, and 10lbs to lower body exercise like a squat or a deadlift. Make sure you perform certain warm up sets for the main lift. Doing 2-4 sets of progressively heavier weights with descending weight is important. Set 1 – 10 reps, Set 2 – 7 Reps, Set 3 – 5 Reps, Then perform 4-6 main sets. When you record your progress over 1 year, you would be lifting 60lbs additional weight over a period of 1 year (adding 5lbs to an upper body lift every month working out once a week). When you evaluate your progress over a 1 or 2 year period, making small additions every month (5lbs to the upper body lift every month and 10lbs to the lower body lift) the strength gains would make sense. Let me explain the second method 5-6-7 Cumulative Strength. You need to progressively add weight on the bar from week 1 to week 4, by increasing the sets and reducing the reps. This indicates that your work capacity, your strength is improving, without taking a toll on your CNS and keeping fatigue at bay. You can use this formula to calculate your 1 RM. 1 RM Calculator Weight x Reps x 0.0333 + Weight = Estimated 1RM Week 1: Perform 5 sets of 6 reps (moderate weight, around 60% of your 1RM). Total Volume = 30 reps Week 2: Perform 6 sets of 5 reps (moderate to heavy weight, around 70% of your 1RM). Total Volume = 30 reps Week 3: Perform 7 sets of 4 reps (heavy weight, around 75% of your 1RM) Total Volume = 28 reps Week 4: Perform 6 sets of 4 reps (heavy weight, around 75% of your 1RM) Total Volume = 24 reps. Month 2: Week 1: Perform 5 sets of 6 reps at 65% of your 1RM Week 2: Perform 6 sets of 5 reps at 75% of your 1RM Week 3: Perform 7 sets of 4 reps at 80% of your 1RM Week 4: Perform 7 sets of 4 reps at 80% of your 1RM Month 3: Week 1: Perform 5 sets of 6 reps at 70% of your 1RM Week 2: Perform 6 sets of 5 reps at 75% of your 1RM Week 3: Perform 7 sets of 4 reps at 85% of your 1RM Week 4: Perform 7 sets of 3 reps at 85% of your 1RM After 3 months of training i.e. one training block, take a de-load week and then resume training with 60% of your 1RM. Hope this answers your question Nits, If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit S. Panjwani.

Hi Biggitygigggity, Performing pull-ups will help you develop :- A muscular back, biceps and forearms A strong core Improve grip strength Scapula strength and mobility But it will not result in more veiny forearms. The leaner you are the more vascular you will look. So consume a high protein diet, fibrous carbs, good fat ( omega 3 and 6) to stay lean and athletic If you in the 10 to 12 percent body composition range, any strength training exercise will help you develop more muscle mass and look leaner and more vascular. Hope this answers your question, If you found this answer valuable, upvote it and drop me a follow, START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Cole, well what you are referring to here is called the interference effect. Interference effect states that cardiovascular training can interfere with strength gains, power output and hypertrophy if performed in the same workout session. So ideally try to keep both your training sessions – strength and endurance separate. If your goal is to build strength and muscle mass then perform steady state cardio (maintaining the same pace and heart rate) on certain days for 20 minutes and other days perform interval training cardio (alternating between medium and fast pace , maintaining a moderate heart rate and then raising it) for 15 minutes. Well, in his book ”Maximum Strength” Strength Coach,MS,CSCS, Eric Cressey has clearly mentioned that Strength and Endurance training are inversely proportional and that one must not exceed 20 minutes of cardiovascular training thrice a week, to keep progressively building strength. Hope this answers your question Cole, If you have gained valuable information from this write up please upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG, Amit S. Panjwani.

Hi Blacky, partial reps certainly have a place in training, especially to help you get past the sticking point, where the BIG 4 lifts - the squat, the deadlift, the overhead press, the bench press are concerned. Body builders use the partial rep technique to induce hypertrophy and power lifters use them to build strength. But personally I have not used the partial reps technique for the overhead press for muscle growth. The methods that have yielded the best results for me or my clients are :- Rest Pause Pre- Exhaust Ladders Time Volume Density Sets Supersets Hope I have answered your question Blacky, If you have gained valuable information form this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Caz, if your aim is to work your core – the abdominals, obliques, glutes and lower back, there are smarter exercise choices compared to sit-ups. You may choose 3 exercises from this list to target the core and perform them thrice a week on your cardio workout days after your workout. You may take a 30 to 60 seconds break between each set and a 1 minute break between each exercise. 1. Plank – 3 sets – 30 second isometric hold 2. Dead Bugs – 3 sets – 8 to 10 repetitions using the opposite arm and leg 3. Fire Hydrants – 3 sets – 8 to 10 reps with each leg 4. Hollow Body Hold -3 sets - 30 second isometric hold 5. Glute Bridge - 30 second isometric hold 6. Air Cycle – 12 to 14 reps slow and controlled reps with the opposite arm and leg. 7. Side Plank - 15 to 20 second isometric hold For exercises 1 to 5, make sure you form a straight line form the head to the hip to maintain a neutral spine. While performing exercise 2,4 and 6 lying in a supine position, ensure that there is no gap between your lower back and the floor (neutral spine). Hope I have answered your question Caz, If you have gained valuable information form this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Andy, the function of the serratus anterior muscle is scapula protraction and upward rotation. The most effective exercises that activate the serratus anterior are:- 1. Pull-ups: Focuses on pausing in the dead hang position 2. Dead-Stop Push-ups: Protract the scapula at the top, when your arms are fully extended. 3. Overhead Press 4. Bear Crawls 5. Ab Wheel Rollouts Hope I have answered your question Andy, If you have gained valuable information form this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Ayan Ali, sorry to disappoint you but there isn’t any supplement that will make you grow taller. The height that an individual will attain is primarily determined by the following factors:- DNA / Genetics Ethnicity Hormones Nutrition during early childhood The development of the cartilage in the growth plates of the arms and legs helps one develop longer limbs and attain a certain height. Growth plate development stops at puberty. The most effective supplements for muscular strength and size that I have consistently used over the years are creatine and whey protein. But remember these are supplements which basically mean in addition to. You need to consume a balanced diet (protein, carbonydrates and essential fatty acids), consume 3 litres of water and emphasize rest and recovery to build a strong and muscular physique. Hope I have answered your question Ayan Ali, If you have gained valuable information form this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Nitin, four years is a long gap. I am sure you had your reasons. But I hope you resume your strength training journey with renewed vigour. I personally I do not practice complex calisthenics exercises but basic body weight exercises. The BIG 6:- 1. Squat 2. Hip-Hinge 3. Inverted Row 4. Push-up (it’s variations) 5. Pull-up 6. Dip The reason is simple, when life gets in the way (bad times, tight schedules, family issues, academics etc.) the simplest exercises help us deal with the stress and keep the momentum going. So you could resume your training with the basics:- Train with a standard Pull, Push, Legs training routine thrice a week:- Pull – Start with inverted rows, 3 to 4 sets, 8 to 10 repetitions. You may use a suspension trainer which allows you to create a 70 degree angle with the floor. As you get better, you could go steeper, to about 45 degrees to make the exercise harder. If you do not have access to a suspension trainer, use a parallel bar in a park to perform inverted rows, keeping your knees bent initially and gradually extend your knees to train your back harder. You could also add a few sets of Dead Hangs -10 to 15 seconds for 3 sets, gradually work your way up to a 30 second hold. Push – Start your pushing exercise with this simple yet highly effective exercise (which is casually overlooked nowadays and substituted with wall push-ups working your way down to the floor.) It is the Surya Namaskar aka Hindu Push-up. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions and work your way up to 20 to 30 repetitions. Then attempt your first push-up and gradually increase the volume. Squat: It is a simple exercise but perform with it with perfect technique. Maintain a slightly wider than shoulder width stance, keep a neutral spine, engage the core (abdominals, obliques, lower back and glutes), take a deep breath, and descend towards the floor by flexing the ankle, knee and hip. Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor, push through the three points of contact of your feet, the foot tripod and stand stall. Exhale as your way to the top Perform 3 to 4 sets of the squats for 12 to 15 repetitions, pausing at the bottom position and gradually work your way up to 20 to 30 repetitions. Keep the rest intervals to 1 to 2 minutes between each set and 3 minutes between each exercise. Over a period of a few weeks or a month, increase the volume of sets and reps of each exercise in each category. Make sure you train your core alternate days with some form of cardiovascular training (steady state cardio and later interval training, initially 10 minutes, then work your way up to 20 minutes, thrice a week) Hope I have answered your question Nitin, If you have gained valuable information form this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Ngyugen, You could follow a 4 day split :- Mon: Upper Body Tue: Lower Body Wed: Cardio, Core and Mobility work Thurs: Upper Body Fri: Lower Body Sat: Cardio, Core and Mobility work Sun : Off Mon: Day 1 Perform a full body dynamic mobility warm-up for 7 minutes before you start training. Pull-ups: Perform 10 to 12 reps, 6 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set. You could also use 50% Ladders of Max reps of pull-ups to keep the workouts challenging and interesting, You could change the grip from Overhand to Underhand (You may switch from Pull-ups, to Chin-ups to Neutral Grip Pull-ups if you are using a multi-grip pull-up bar.) Dips: using rings/ parallel bars Perform 12 to 15 reps, 6 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set. You could also use 50% Ladders of Max reps of dips. Superset: Inverted Rows (using rings) – 14 reps Push-ups – 20 reps DB curls – 10 reps Triceps Extensions(using rings) – 14 reps Perform 4 super sets of these 4 exercises. Rest for 1 minute between each superset. Tue: Legs Perform a full body dynamic mobility warm-up for 7 minutes before you start training. DB Squats: Perform 12 to 15 reps, 6 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set. Rest for 3 minutes before the next exercise. DB Romanian Deadlifts: Perform 12 to 15 reps, 6 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set. Rest for 3 minutes before the next exercise. DB Lunges – Perform 8 to 10 reps 6 sets with each leg 6 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set Plyometric/Lateral/Reverse Lunges Single Legged Calf Raises on an elevated surface – Perform 20 reps 4 sets. Wed: Cardio, Core and mobility work Thurs: Perform a full body dynamic mobility warm-up for 7 minutes before you start training. A) DB Overhead Press: Perform 10 to 12 reps, 6 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set. B) DB Bent Over Row: Perform 10 to 12 reps, 6 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set. C) Neutral Grip Pull-ups: 30% of your max reps, performed using the rest pause method, (eg. 30% of 10 reps = 3 reps, 3 reps 30 seconds break, 3 reps 30 second break, 3 reps) Perform 3 such sets, taking a break of 2- 3 minutes between each rest pause set. D)Superset Inverted Rows (using rings) – 14 reps Diamond Push-ups – 20 reps DB curls – 10 reps Triceps Extensions(using rings) – 14 reps Perform 4 super sets of these 4 exercises. Rest for 1 minute between each superset. Fri: Legs Perform a full body dynamic mobility warm-up for 7 minutes before you start training. DB Split Squat Lunge/ Static Lunge: Perform 8 to 10 reps 6 sets with each leg 4 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set Single leg DB Romanian Deadlifts: Perform 8 to 10 reps 6 sets with each leg 4 sets, Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set. Superset 1. DB Wide Squats – 10 reps 2. Moving Bridges – 20 reps. Perform 4 super sets of these 4 exercises. Rest for 1 minute between each superset Single Legged Calf Raises on an elevated surface – Perform 20 reps 4 sets. Sat: Cardio, Core and mobility work Sun: Rest and Recover Hope I have answered your question Ngyugen, If you have gained valuable information form this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Kevin, it’s certainly not worth it. There is no shortcut to success. Besides steroids will only harm your body. So completely abstain from performance enhancement drugs. Sometimes setbacks teach us some of the most valuable lessons, only if we are willing to accept, evaluate, understand, modify and grow. Take some time off. Evaluate your training methods, are you overtraining? Are you training hard for explosiveness but not for mobility? How are the training methods of your competitors superior to your training? Once you have identified certain mistakes, shortcomings etc you will be able to modify your training, work smarter and chart out a plan moving forward. Focus on your nutrition, recovery etc. Lastly believe in yourself. Practice visualisation techniques. Picture yourself WINNING at every sporting event. It may not make sense but it works. Your ambitions and dreams must be obviously backed by relentless and intelligent action. So re-evaluate, change your outlook, believe in yourself and WIN!!! All the best Kevin!! I am sure you will excel and emerge a true CHAMPION!!!

Hi Raxs, that’s a great question? But it all depends on your goal. If your aim to is get stronger using only your bodyweight (because it’s accessible and accessibility leads to consistency, which leads to growth) then progressive calisthenics is the ideal route. But if you want to be strong and add some size, muscle mass then weight training is the right approach. Having said that, there is a middle ground, which is combination of weight training and body weight training. This combination is absolutely unbeatable!!! MMA fighters use it as it helps them get stronger with weights but they use bodyweight training as an excellent conditioning tool to develop strength endurance.(the best of both worlds of strength and endurance) It’s important to lay a strong foundation of bodyweight training(at least for a year) and then transition to lifting weights. Focus on the BIG 6 to start your fitness journey:- 1. The Squat 2. The Hip-Hinge( the bridge) 3. The Inverted Row 4. The Push-up 5. The Pull-up 6. The Dip Make sure you include cardio, core and training and mobility work in your training routine. Hope I have answered your question Raxs. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Austin, It is absolutely phenomenal that you can perform 7 one arm pushups. That reflects your strength. The fact that you can perform 50 push-ups in a row, is a remarkable feat which reflects your muscular endurance. If your aim is to develop more muscular endurance by cranking out more push-ups, this is an approach you can use. Calculate 50 percentage of your max repetitions, in this case (50 % of 50 repetitions) it is 25 reps. You will perform 50 % of your max reps for 5 days in a row three times a day. Thrice a week, one of the three sessions will be a high volume push-up workout session. Make sure you perform a short shoulder mobility warm-up before you perform this workout. MON: 2 Push-up sessions + 1 High Volume session AM – 25 reps – 1 set Noon – 25 reps – 1 set **PM – 25 reps 10 sets i.e. 250 reps. ** (in case your total volume of push-ups in this session, which is 50 % of max reps x 10 sets exceeds 300 reps, perform less than 10 sets of push-ups) TUE: 3 Push-up sessions AM – 25 reps – 1 set Noon – 25 reps – 1 set PM - 25 reps – 1 set WED: 2 Push-up sessions + 1 High Volume session AM – 25 reps – 1 set Noon – 25 reps – 1 set **PM – 25 reps 10 sets i.e. 250 reps. THURS: 3 Push-up sessions AM – 25 reps – 1 set Noon – 25 reps – 1 set PM - 25 reps – 1 set FRI: 2 Push-up sessions + 1 High Volume session AM – 25 reps – 1 set Noon – 25 reps – 1 set **PM – 25 reps 10 sets i.e. 250 reps. Sat, Sun – OFF You need to follow this training routine for 4 weeks straight, then take 3 to 4 days off and test the number of push-ups you can perform. You will surpass your previous target. Hope I have answered your question Austin. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Richard, in order to perform the ideal volume to attain hypertrophy in any workout you need to identify 3 to 5 exercises for any muscle group. Perform 4 to 6 sets of each exercise with 2 to 3 minute rest intervals. Take a 5 minute break between each exercise. But in your case you are selecting only one exercise to work your chest, shoulders and triceps. Ideally you would need at least 3 variations:- 1. Feet Elevated Push-ups 2. Diamond Push-ups 3. Push-ups You could use two simple methods to build muscle only using push-ups:- Method 1.Density Sets : Set a goal for the maximum number of repetitions you can perform in a span of 20 minutes. Let us assume that number is 120 repetitions.(6 sets of 20 reps = 120) Now 70 % of your max push-ups 20 = 14 reps. Your aim is to accomplish the same number of repetitions i.e. 120 reps, performing 14 reps in each set, but reducing the rest intervals and making the workout more dense. So you need 9 sets of 14 reps in order to complete 126 repetitions (9 x 14) in less than 20 minutes. Your rest interval between each set should be reduced from 3 minutes to 2 and then to 1.5 minute. Once you can achieve this target, try and finish 15 reps with 90 second rest intervals. 15 reps x 8 sets = 120 reps in 16 minutes 16 reps x 8 sets = 120 reps in 16 minutes 17 reps x 7 sets = 119 reps in 15 minutes 18 reps x 7 sets = 126 reps in 15 minutes 19 reps x 7 sets = 133 reps in 14 minutes eps x 6 sets = 120 reps in 12 minutes 2.Ladders : Perform 50 % of your max reps of push-ups in the form for ladders. 50 % of 20 reps = 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 = 55 reps ,take a break of 3 minutes and repeat. Perform 3 ladders taking 30 seconds rest intervals between each ladder. 2.Twenty-One’s : Perform 21 repetitions of push-ups. Reps in the Top range 7 Reps in the Bottom range 7 Reps in the Full range of motion. 21 reps , take a 2 to 3 minute break , perform 5 to 6 such sets. *** Always perform push-ups with the right tempo, 2 seconds descent, eccentric (towards gravity), 1 second ascent, concentric (against gravity) for optimal muscle contraction. Hope I have answered your question Richard. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Jebarson, the reason I started workout was my father. He is my inspiration, my idol. I used to watch him train every single day at home. He performed pull-ups, push-ups, squats, he worked the heavy bag. He did the jump rope for 30 minutes non-stop. His energy is contagious. He installed the pull-up at home, got me a pair of boxing gloves, when I was thirteen.He taught me the jump rope and basic bodyweight exercises. Pretty old school, but never the less it laid a solid foundation of my fitness journey. Later I joined a local gym, where I was forced to go through a very rigorous body weight training. We couldn’t enter the weight room, until we passed a certain basic fitness test with body weight training exercises. I used to curse the day I enrolled in that gym, because I wanted to start lifting weights, but had to keep going through this gruelling routine day after day. My coach was an extremely hard task master!!! But eventually when I was given access to the privileged weight training room, I realised that this tireless training routine had not only help me built work capacity but had mentally prepared me for the next level. This made me realise the essence of a proper foundation or training structure, which must be laid with body weight exercises. Later I joined a martial arts class and took up basketball. I was not consistent with it though. But strength training (weight and body weight) became a permanent part of my life. There are phases in life when you hit rock bottom and hit failures, or you may be absolutely lonely but the strength that you have developed in training helps you face the biggest challenges of life. Hypertrophy, is achieved when your muscle hits failure. Not just once, twice but multiple times. This is one thought that I live with. In life, professionally or personally or socially if you hit failure, successive failures, you will learn, grow and succeed. The bottom is I never considered training as working out. It’s just movement – lifting weights, basketball, martial arts, body weight training. MOVEMENT IS LIFE and LIFE IS MOVEMENT !!! In the words of GSP, George St.Pierre, the legendary MMA fighter,- “Standing still is never a good option. Not in the ring, and not in life... When you stop moving, you're done.” So Jebarson, TRAIN SMART, EAT RIGHT and MOVE STRONG!!! Start Strong Amit Panjwani.

Hi Kia, if you have just resumed training after a certain break, you need to give your body at least a month to get into the groove. Three months of consistent training, which is one training block, will give you measurable results depending on several factors:- 1. The choice of exercises 2. Volume of training 3. The intensity with which you train 4. Frequency 5. Your ability to recover from each workout 6. Nutrition You need to keep in mind the SAID principle, SPECIFIC ADAPTATION TO IMPOSED DEMANDS. Your body will adapt as per the demands you place on it. I hope you are performing the BIG 6 as a part of your workout:- Squat Deadlift Bent Over Rows Bench Press Lat Pull Down Overhead Press These are 6 BASIC exercises that you help build size and strength. You need to be performing 3 to 4 exercises, 3 to 5 main sets, of 3 to 12 reps to stimulate muscle growth and improve strength. You need to hit muscle failure in at least one of the 3 workouts that you perform during the week. It is not necessary to go to muscle failure in each and every workout. You could have a few RIR’s( Reps in Reserve) in certain workouts. You should give your body optimum time to recover between two workouts. You could train for 3 to 4 days a week. The other days you could do 15 minutes of steady state or interval training cardio with some core training and mobility work. You should consume good carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, whole wheat, adequate protein in the form of eggs, chicken, legumes (1 to 1.5 gms of protein per kg of body weight) and essential fatty acids, fish, nuts, olive oil to fuel your body with energy. Consume around 3 lites of water per day. Make sure you are consuming a multi-vitamin, and you not deficient in Vitamin D. Be patient and persistent and the results will show. Hope I have answered your question Kia. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Jay, boxing is a sport that will help you buiuld power, speed, agility, quickness and balance. A stationary bike workout (like any other form of cardio) is a great way to improve your cardiorespiratory threshold. A stationary bike workout will improve your endurance and raise your VO2 max (maximum amount of oxygen your body can absorb during exercise) In fact a stationary bike workout will help you work the heavy bag round after round without gassing out. Most boxers perform the jump rope and do road running to develop a solid aerobic endurance foundation. But boxers also perform sprints, and plyometrics to improve power and explosiveness. As a boxer one needs to lay a strong foundation of strength, core strength, stability, hip mobility and power. Before you start working the heavy bag, you need to develop a strong and muscular back, powerful legs, shoulder strength, mobility and stability. So it’s inherent to develop the strength first. Make sure you perform the BIG 6:- 1. Squat 2. Deadlift 3. Bent Over Row 4. Bench Press 5. Lat Pull Down 6. Overhead Press You need to incorporate a lot of shoulder mobility work, strengthen your rotator cuff muscles, before you join the boxing gym. I am sure you will not start hitting hard punches from the first day at the boxing gym. But it’s important to build a strong, resilient and injury proof body before you take up an explosive sport like boxing. You do not play a sport to be fit, you should be fit to play a sport. Hope I have answered your question Jay. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Arijit, the human movement can be divided primarily into three categories:- Mobility: the ability of your body to perform movements by working the joints through their full range of motion. For example yoga is an excellent workout which aims to improve joint mobility. With time and practice you can attain higher levels of joint mobility. Strength: The ability of your body to create force. This force helps you build a strong and resilient musculoskeletal system. You could build strength using simple bodyweight exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, squats etc. You can attain the maximal strength by lifting weights. Endurance: The ability of your body to perform any activity in a continuously. This form of activity aims to improve your cardiorespiratory threshold.(optimal functioning of the heart and lungs) There are several ways to improve your endurance:- Brisk walking Jogging Running Climbing Cycling Swimming Shadow Boxing Now, to answer your question slow walking is good, but not the most efficient way to keep improving your endurance. You could start with slow walking for 20 minutes a day. Then progress to brisk walking for 20 minutes a day and then brisk walking for 30 minutes a day. Another low impact endurance workout is cycling. Gradually increase the duration of cycling from 15,20 to 30 minutes. You can perform this activity initially in a steady state form of cardio and later for a smaller duration in an interval training cardio format. But you genuinely want to improve your overall health, fitness and longevity you need to work towards improving your STRENGTH, MOBILITY and ENDURANCE. Hope I have answered your question Arijit If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Yoseph, You have to listen to your body. You have to be patient and persistent and gradually improve your ability to perform any exercise. In our youth we are restless and want achieve everything quickly but that’s where you hit the wall or suffer an injury. Fitness involves improving our work capacity, which is basically our capacity to do work. Work capacity does not improve overnight but over time. Allow yourself to recover from every work out and make marginal progress. Over time the progress will look show you a massive improvement in your work capacity. So be patient, persistent and consistent because good things take time. In your case, you wanted to improve your work capacity for performing push-ups. So now it’s time for you to take some time off rest and recover at least for a week. Once you have fully recovered start afresh. Do not overestimate your strength. It’s time to regress. Perform a full body dynamic mobility warm-up before you start training. PUSH: Start at 15 reps of push-ups, perform 4 sets with 2 to 3 minute rest intervals. (Remember the tempo, 2 seconds downwards, eccentric, towards gravity, 1 second, concentric, upwards against gravity.) PULL: Perform 4 sets of Dead Hangs of 10 to 20 seconds, gradually working your way up to 30 seconds, 4 sets with 2 to 3 minute rest intervals. LEGS: Perform 4 sets of Squats of 15 to 20 reps, with 90 second rest intervals. End this workout with a cool down routine or stretch. Perform this workout thrice a week. Once you can perform 4 to 5 sets of 30 push-ups with a slow tempo, 2 seconds eccentric and 1 second concentric, then move on to the next push-up variation, the narrow grip push-up. Underestimate your strength, start with 10 to 15 reps of narrow grip push-ups, 4 sets, even if you are capable of performing more. Before starting a new training routine, take a de-load week or take a break for 3 to 4 days and then resume training. Always remember the only way to progress is to take a step back. No.1 Rule for BUILDING STRENGTH 2 STEPS FORWARD 1 STEP BACK. Hope I have answered your question Yoseph, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow. START STRONG Amit Panjwani

Hi RedHood, start your fitness journey with the BIG 6 exercises at home. You will need access to :- A Multi-grip wall mounted pull-up bar A Suspension Trainer An elevated surface/ plyometric box/ chair Parallel Bar A Theraband You need master these Six Bodyweight Exercises :- 1. Squat 2. Bridge 3. Inverted Row 4. Push-up 5. Pull-up 6. Dip Train with a standard Pull, Push, Legs training routine thrice a week:- Pull – Start with inverted rows, 3 to 4 sets, 8 to 10 repetitions. You may use a suspension trainer which allows you to create a 70 degree angle with the floor. As you get better, you could go steeper, to about 45 degrees to make the exercise harder. If you do not have access to a suspension trainer, use a parallel bar in a park to perform inverted rows, keeping your knees bent initially and gradually extend your knees to train your back harder. You could also add a few sets of Dead Hangs -10 to 15 seconds for 3 sets, gradually work your way up to a 30 second hold. Push – Start your pushing exercise with this simple yet highly effective exercise (which is casually overlooked nowadays and substituted with wall push-ups working your way down to the floor.) It is the Surya Namaskar aka Hindu Push-up. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions and work your way up to 20 to 30 repetitions. Then attempt your first push-up and gradually increase the volume. Squat: It is a simple exercise but perform with it with perfect technique. Maintain a slightly wider than shoulder width stance, keep a neutral spine, engage the core (abdominals, obliques, lower back and glutes), take a deep breath, and descend towards the floor by flexing the ankle, knee and hip. Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor, push through the three points of contact of your feet, the foot tripod and stand stall. Exhale as your way to the top Perform 3 to 4 sets of the squats for 12 to 15 repetitions, pausing at the bottom position and gradually work your way up to 20 to 30 repetitions. Keep the rest intervals to 1 to 2 minutes between each set and 3 minutes between each exercise. Over a period of a few weeks or a month, increase the volume of sets and reps of each exercise in each category. Make sure you train your core alternate days with some form of cardiovascular training (steady state cardio and later interval training, initially 10 minutes, then work your way up to 20 minutes, thrice a week) You should consume good carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, whole wheat, adequate protein in the form of eggs, chicken, legumes (1 to 1.5 gms of protein per kg of body weight) and essential fatty acids, fish, nuts, olive oil to fuel your body with energy. Consume around 3 lites of water per day. Make sure you are consuming a multi-vitamin, and you not deficient in Vitamin D. Hope I have answered your question RedHood, If you have gained valuable information form this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Zach, push-ups are a simple and effective way to build a muscular chest, rounded shoulders and well-defined triceps. One needs to understand hypertrophy or muscle growth to determine the volume of exercise (repetitions and sets). Hypertrophy or muscle growth results from increasing the volume of muscle fibres inside a muscle. The following factors affect hypertrophy :- 1.Mechanical Tension/Load :- is the force exerted on the muscle that results in muscle growth. The greater the force produced the greater the muscle growth. In the gym, using progressive overload by stacking additional weight overtime, muscle growth can be attained in simple and effective manner. In terms of bodyweight training i.e. push-ups, the force exerted is equivalent to the body weight. Hence after a period of time, using push-ups, exerting the same amount of force will not induce muscle growth. To increase the mechanical load one must use a challenging variation of the same exercise. We can progress to performing diamond push-ups, elevated push-ups (using a stool or elevated surface) and dips. This will ensure that the mechanical load and hence the force exerted is increasing. After you can perform 10 dips, you may want to add more weight to increase the mechanical load (using a weight vest) to keep making progress. 2.Time Under Tension Principle / Tempo: An exercise performed at a slow tempo, exerting more force on the muscle clearly explains the importance of using the time under tension principle to induce hyper trophy. With respect to push-ups or any exercise try and maintain a tempo of 1 second upwards or against gravity, in the concentric phase and 2 seconds downwards or towards gravity in the eccentric phase. Having said that hypertrophy occurs using the time under tension principle only using heavy loads or a very challenging bodyweight exercises forcing an individual to slow down while performing the last few reps, where you hit muscle failure. Only in these last few repetitions does your muscle actually hit muscle failure. These last few repetitions of a set are called STIMULATING REPETITONS. This brings us to the last piece of the hypertrophy puzzle which is VOLUME. 3.Volume: Only stimulating reps are the ones that count. Stimulating reps are responsible for hypertrophy. These reps are responsible for the recruitment of high threshold motor unit fibres (HTMUF). Stimulating reps are the repetitions that cause muscle failure. The general rule of thumb is to perform 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 stimulating reps of 3 to 5 exercises to stimulate hypertrophy. Your aim to is to target the chest, shoulders and triceps then your workout could like:- 5 sets of Dips – 8 to 10 reps 3 to 5 sets of Elevated Push-ups – 12 to 15 reps 3 to 5 sets of Push-ups – 15 to 20 reps. With this example you can design a workout that should aim to induce hypertrophy, yet prevent overtraining and keep you fresh for the next workout every other day. You do not need to hit failure in every workout. It is important to manage fatigue and give enough time for your body to adapt to the workout stress. Hope I have answered your question Zach, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Dee, there are several factors which will affect your ability to develop a muscular physique:- 1. Genetics 2. Body Type – Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph 3. Skeletal Structure – Frame 4. Length of the muscle belly 5. Digestive Capacity 6. Response to training You need to keep in mind 4 important factors before you start training:- Develop a strong foundation of strength Stay injury free Consistent progress till you reach your genetic potential Staying Strong for life In order to accomplish the above you need to lay a strong foundation of strength with the BIG 6 bodyweight exercises:- 1. SQUAT ----- ( transition to in the weight room ) BACK SQUAT 2. HIP-HINGE --------- DEADLIFT 3. INVERTED ROW ------- BENT OVER ROW 4. PUSH-UP -------- BENCH PRESS 5. PULL-UP ------- LAT PULL DOWN 6. DIP --------- OVERHEAD PRESS Perform shoulder and hip mobility exercises to stay injury-free. Train the core musculature – the abdominals, the obliques, the lower back and the glutes. Consistency in training can only occur if you have a proper structure of training. A proper progressive plan to help you peak in your performance and de-load at the correct training intervals is essential to keeping making gains without hitting the wall. Nutrition is a key component which should not be overlooked. But keeping an overall balanced diet which sometimes tilts in favour of carbohydrates (bulking) and sometimes in favour of proteins (cutting) is important. Essentials fatty acids should be consumed. Consume 3 litres of water daily. Give due importance to rest and recovery. Hope I have answered your question Dee, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Jeremy, calisthenics is a great form of training if you want to develop strength and skill based performance. But it is not the ideal way to develop size and strength. Weighted calisthenics will certainly get you bigger in terms developing upper body musculature but you have to lift weights to develop a massive, strong and resilient lower body. Arnold, Franco Columbo, Sergio Oliva, Serge Nubret, legendary bodybuilders primarily performed weighted pull-ups and dips – upper body mass builders. But to develop a muscular lower body you must perform:- Back Squats/ Front Squats Lunges/ Split Squat lunges Deadlifts Hip Thrusts Single leg deadlift Leg Curls/ Nordic Curls Calf Raises Tibia Raise Beside single joint exercises that target the biceps, triceps, and exercises that work the 3 different heads of the shoulder can effieciently be targeted using weights. If developing strength and skill is your goal then you should choose the calisthenics route but if you aim to attain muscular size and strength then weight lifting or a hybrid training method of weight lifting and calisthenics should be your ideal training method. Hope I have answered your question Jeremy, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

WRONG ANSWER Hi Uchika, the reason you are unable to perform one arm push-ups is that you have not progressed to that level of strength. It takes time, patience, practice and progression. Whereas perform 40 consecutive push-ups reflects muscular endurance. But if your aim is to perform 1arm push-ups which builds strength, you need to progress gradually :- Push-ups – 5 to 6 sets of 20 repetitions with a slow tempo (2 seconds, downwards, eccentric, towards gravity, 1 second concentric , upwards, against gravity) hitting the chest to the floor. Diamond Push-ups – 5 to 6 sets of 20 reps. Elevated Push-ups – 5 to 6 sets of 20 reps. Dips – 5 to 6 sets of 10 reps. Uneven push-ups – 5 to 6 sets of 10 reps both sides Half- 1 arm Push-ups - 5 to 6 sets of 10 reps both sides Lever Push-ups - 5 to 6 sets of 10 reps both sides 1 Arm Push-ups - 5 to 6 sets of 10 reps both sides

Hi Uchiha, the reason you cannot perform pull-ups is because you lack:- Grip Strength Scapula Mobility Core Strength In order to perform pull-ups efficiently you need to perform the following exercises:- Inverted Rows Dead Hangs Inverted Rows Besides the above you need to strengthen your core musculature, abdominals, obliques, glutes, and lower back with exercises such as :- Hollow Body Hold Plank Dead Bugs Bridges Air Cycle Fire Hydrants With a strong posterior chain(muscles located at the back side of your body), Scapula mobility and core strength you will be able to gradually improve your pull-up performance. Hope I have answered your question Uchiha, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Evan, push-ups are the most underrated exercise and most people perform it with poor form. If you are using this exercise as a bet between friends then make sure each one them:- Hits the chest to the floor at the bottom. Pauses at the top, when in the lockout position. Maintains a tempo of 2 seconds per push-up, so one could perform 30 push-ups in one minute. As far as a plank is concerned, the form is crucial:- Contract the quadriceps to straighten the knees. Keep the body in a straight line. Look down to avoid hyperextending the neck. Squeeze the glutes to posteriorly rotate the pelvis. 1:1 is the ideal ratio to maintain between push-ups and planks. Hope I have answered your question Evan, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Dancing Dragons, I am sorry but I cannot answer this question since I reside in Mumbai. But all I can say is before you join boxing classes make sure you keep in mind that the boxing club follows certain rules:- The quality of instruction is excellent. The Instructor has a martial arts or boxing background. Safety is given due importance. Good quality heavy bags are used. The classes are conducted in a spacious environment. You should be using the correct boxing gear – hand wraps, good quality and the right size of boxing gloves. A progressive structure of boxing is designed for students. Strength and conditioning drills are carefully integrated in the training structure. Hope I have answered your question Dancing Dragons, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi, I hope you start each of your workouts with a dynamic full body mobility warm-up. This ensures that each and every muscle is activated and prepared for the stress you are about to impose on the muscles. Your mind muscle link or neuromuscular efficiency should be so strong that the muscles of your legs, arms, shoulders, back and core muscles should contract to a small degree in the warm-up itself. Besides focusing on intra-abdominal breathing is a huge advantage, since using it while performing a plank makes a big difference in activating your core correctly. Once you have completed your warm-up you should perform a few preparatory sets for the specific lift (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press etc.) before you start working towards your main sets. 1 set - Prep Set with just the bar 10 to 12 reps 2 sets - Light weight Prep set with 5 to 6 reps with 30 to 50 % of your main set, 4 to 5 Main sets 60 to 80 percent of your working set. You must feel the target muscle work in each and every set. You need to focus on:- Intra-abdominal breathing for optimum core acivation Maintain spinal alignment. Work the joint through the full range of motion. Pause at the point of maximum contraction. Maintain a tempo of 2 seconds eccentric, downwards(towards gravity) and 1 second concentric (upwards against gravity) for optimal muscle contraction. If you don’t feel anything may be the weight is not challenging enough, rest intervals are long, poor core activation or lack of mind-muscle link or you need to train with the correct tempo. It’s important to feel the muscle contraction or burn in each set, it may be only in the last few reps but that’s exactly when we know that we have taken the muscle to failure. Muscle failure induces hypertrophy so it’s imperative to feel the muscle contract in each set. Hope I have answered your question. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Andy, your ability to perform pull-ups depends on 3 factors :- Grip Strength Core Strength Scapula Mobility Using thicker handles or fat grips for pull-ups will naturally challenge your grip strength, which will reduce your ability to perform pull-ups but will improve grip strength. This may increase neuromuscular activation but will decrease muscular strength of your arms. Hence using thicker handles or fat gripz is not the most efficient way of improving pull-up performance or muscular strength. You could perform pull-ups using a weighted vest or additional weight, use the ladder technique or slow the tempo of performing pull-ups for increased pull-up performance or size and strength gains. Hope I have answered your question Andy. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Axel, in order to attain a Greek God physique, you need to have the Greek God DNA. We are blessed with some level of athleticism and some physical limitations. Our aim should be focus on overcoming our limitations and enhancing our strengths. You need to remember- “YOU ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS YOUR WEAKEST LINKS.” So it’s important to keep getting stronger, and eliminating our weak links in order to attain a STRONG, ROBUST, MUSCULAR and INJURY-FREE PHYSIQUE. Start your fitness journey by laying a strong foundation of strength with the BIG 6 :- 1. SQUAT ----- ( transition to in the weight room ) BACK SQUAT 2. HIP-HINGE --------- DEADLIFT 3. INVERTED ROW ------- BENT OVER ROW 4. PUSH-UP -------- BENCH PRESS 5. PULL-UP ------- LAT PULL DOWN 6. DIP --------- OVERHEAD PRESS In addition to these exercises you can also add some accessory lifts to train the three head of the deltoids, the trapezius, the biceps, triceps and calves. Perform shoulder and hip mobility exercises to stay injury-free. Train the core musculature – the abdominals, the obliques, the lower back and the glutes. Progressive overload, or gradually adding weight to the bar – 10 lbs every month to a lower body exercise and 5lbs to an upper body exercise will consistently help you build size and strength. Nutrition is a key component which should not be overlooked. But keeping an overall balanced diet which sometimes tilts in favour of carbohydrates (bulking) and sometimes in favour of proteins (cutting) is important. Essentials fatty acids should be consumed. Consume 3 litres of water daily. Give due importance to rest and recovery. De-load or give your mind and body a break from the mechanical grind of working out for around 10 days after each training block( 3 months of consistent training). Evaluate your progress from one training block to another by maintaining a training log to monitor your progress. “YOU CAN’T IMPROVE WHAT YOU DON’T MEASURE.” So stay on track, enjoy the grind and if you want to stay in the IRON GAME for a long time always remember “LESS IS MORE” Hope I have answered your question Axel. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Anuj, you would look SPECTACULAR. Your height will not determine the amount of muscle mass, size or strength you will gain. Your focus, determination and ability to stay on track will help you develop a strong lean and athletic physique. Genetics plays a key role in helping you develop size and strength but it is beyond our control. You need to focus on the exercises that give you maximum ROI (Return on Investment) or ROFI (Return on Fitness Investment):- 1. SQUAT ----- ( transition to in the weight room ) BACK SQUAT 2. HIP-HINGE --------- DEADLIFT 3. INVERTED ROW ------- BENT OVER ROW 4. PUSH-UP -------- BENCH PRESS 5. PULL-UP ------- LAT PULL DOWN 6. DIP --------- OVERHEAD PRESS Follow the basic rules of training :- 1. Progressive Overload : gradually adding weight to the bar – 10 lbs every month to a lower body exercise and 5lbs to an upper body exercise will consistently help you build size and strength. 2. Nutrition : is a key component which should not be overlooked. But keeping an overall balanced diet which sometimes tilts in favour of carbohydrates (bulking) and sometimes in favour of proteins (cutting) is important. Essentials fatty acids should be consumed. 3. Rest and Recovery: Give due importance to rest and recovery. De-load or give your mind and body a break from the mechanical grind of working out for around 10 days after each training block( 3 months of consistent training). Track Your Progress : Evaluate your progress from one training block to another by maintaining a training log to monitor your progress. Train smart: Perform shoulder and hip mobility exercises and core exercises to stay injury free. Engage in cardio for 15 to 20 minutes thrice a week. Hope I have answered your question Anuj. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi John, ab rollers are a great piece of equipment to work the core musculature – abdominals, obliques, lower back and glutes. In the roll out phase of this movement you need to engage the latissimus dorsi and the shoulders and in the rolling back stage you contract the core muscles improving the core strength and stability. The ab wheel roll out is an advanced exercise and must be performed by gradually increasing the range of motion. You need to start training this movement initially on your knees and use short ranges of motion. As you get stronger increase the range of motion by extending your hips. Though it is a great exercise for an intermediate athlete, an individual with lower back, spinal or abdominal injuries should completely avoid it. It’s important to strengthen your core with basic exercises before you attempt this exercise:- 1. Planks 2. Side Planks 3. Hollow Body Hold 4. Bridge 5. Dead Bug 6. Air Cycle 7. Fire Hydrant 8. Bird Dog Hope I have answered your question John. If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Lost Darkness, crawling is a great exercise. But crawling for 20 minutes could be plain boring, mechanical and over a period of time lead to an overuse injury. Performing one movement would put a lot of stress on the same group of muscles in the same manner, over a prolonged period of time. Movement occurs when different muscles work in co-ordination to produce force and stabilise the body. 1. Agonist: Primary driving force 2. Antagonist: Works in opposition to agonist for balance 3. Synergist: Secondary muscle that assists the primary movement 4. Stabilizer: contracts along with agonist to help maintain joint strength and stability. Hence Every knee-dominant movement i.e Squat should be balanced by a hip-dominant movement Bridge/Deadlift Every Horizontal pulling movement i.e. Inverted Row/Bent Over Row should be balanced by a Horizontal Pushing Movement Push-up/Bench Press Every Vertical Pulling Movement i.e. Pull-up/ Lat Pull Down should be balanced by a Vertical Pressing/Pushing Movement i.e. Dip/ Overhead Press. In addition to these movements you need incorporate exercises that strengthen the core, and improve hip and shoulder mobility. If you want to use crawling as a balanced exercise to develop strength endurance and mobility you could procure an excellent mobility flow workout designed by renowned trainer Michael Fitch named “ANIMAL FLOW.” But remember there is not substitute to the BIG 6 – the squat, bridge, inverted row, push-up, pull-up and dip, if you want to develop a strong, resilient and injury-proof physique. Hope I have answered your question Lost Darkness, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Shwethasri, a workout is designed keeping in mind your fitness goal. The workout could aim to burn fat, induce muscle growth (hypertrophy) or build strength or a combination of the three. It all depends on your current fitness routine and the long term goal you want to accomplish. The volume, intensity, density, frequency of your workout will change depending on your goal. Besides it’s extremely important to lay a strong foundation of strength and mobility before you start lifting weights. Master the BIG 6 bodyweight exercises / weight training exercises before you embark on your fitness journey. Squat/ Back Squat Bridge/ Deadlift Inverted Row/ Bent Over Row Push-up/ Bench Press Pull-up/ Lat Pull Down Dip/ Overhead Press Different workout programs can be designed using certain strength training protocols:- Standard Bodybuilding Workout Split:- Mon: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Wed: Back and Biceps Fri: Legs Tue-Thurs-Sat – Cardio, Core, Mobility training Strength Training Workout Split Mon: Upper Body (Push + Pull) Tue: Lower Body (Knee-Dominant Exercise, Squats, lunges etc) Wed: Cardio, Core and Mobility Thurs: Upper Body(Press + Pull) Fri: Lower Body (Hip-Dominant Exercise, Deadlift, Hip Thrust, Hamstring Curls etc.) Sat: Cardio, Core and Mobility Full Body Strength Workout Mon: Squats + Lat Pull Down + Overhead Press Wed: Deadlift + Bench Press + Bent Over Rows Fri: Unilateral Lower Body Exercise (lunges, step-ups etc) + Shoulders + Arms Hope I have answered your question Shwethasri, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Alin, strength training 4 times a week and cardio twice a week is a great way build muscle and burn fat. But the most important factor is the intensity with which you train. Are you making progress in terms of improving your work capacity? Are you lifting heavier, reducing the rest intervals or being able to increase the volume of work ? This will determine whether your workouts are effective or ineffective. Even with respect to your cardio workouts you can switch from a steady state cardio workout to an interval training format. But volume and intensity are inversely proportional, so you may train hard or you train for a longer duration but you cannot do both. You should aim to make our strength and cardio workouts more challenging from every fifteen days and chart your progress. Maintain a training log to make your workouts progressive and result-oriented. It goes without saying that you have to monitor the quality and the quantity of calories consumed throughout the day. Structure your workout in the manner :- Lower Body Lift Upper Body Lift Superset Finisher – Dumbbell or Kettlebell Complex Make sure you emphasize mobility and core training on your cardio days to stay injury-free. Hope I have answered your question Alin, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Martin, you have a great body composition. Your fat percentage is in the healthy range of 12 to 15 percent. You are an ectomorph, which means genetically you do not have the tendency to put on fat. But it is quite challenging for classic ectomorphs to even pack on muscle. But owing to your visible six pack or low body fat percentage you will be able to perform multiple bodyweight exercises efficiently. It is the right age for you build a strong foundation of strength with the BIG 6 bodyweight exercises:- 1. SQUAT 2. BRIDGE 3. INVERTED ROW 4. PUSH-UP 5. PULL-UP 6. DIP It’s important to start training your core musculature – abdominals, obliques, lower back and glutes with basic core strengthening exercises:- 1. Plank 2. Side Plank 3. Hollow Body Hold 4. Bridge 5. Air Cycle 6. Fire Hydrant Hope I have answered your question Martin, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Lost Darkness, yes it can be considered a form of isometric exercise. But if you want a slightly more efficient way making a push-up more challenging you could use 21’s. (or 30 percent of your max reps). After performing a warm-up, you must perform:- The first 7 reps of this workout in the top range of the push-up. From the extended plank position descend mid-way towards the floor and then force yourself back into the extended plank position. Perform these reps with a slow tempo. The next 7 reps of this workout in the bottom position. Start in the bottom position of the push-up and force yourself up mid-way. Perform these reps with a slow tempo. The last 7 reps through the full range of motion. From the extended plank position all the way to the bottom and back to the top. If you can easily complete 7+7+7=21 reps, you could take 30 percent of your max reps and perform them in the three ranges top, bottom and full. Hope I have answered your question Lost Darkness, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi George, the most efficient way to train the human body is the one that aims at strengthening the muscular skeletal system. Muscular Skeletal System consists of the bones and the connective tissues that bind the skeletal system together:- 1. Tendons 2. Ligaments 3. Cartilage 4. Intramuscular Fibers 5. Fascia These connective tissues help provide a strong structure, transmit force, protect muscles and bones from injury, shuttle nutrients and repair damaged cells. While weight training 80 percent of the muscular force produced is transferred to the connective tissues. Heavy slow resistance training, (5 to 10 RM) will build robust connective tissue structures to transfer the force to the bone. With progressive overload the amount of stress placed on the musculoskeletal system gradually increases with improvement in muscle size and strength. The long term goal should be to maintain structural integrity of the connective tissues and increase bone mass when you are young and prevent bone loss as you age. Heavy slow resistance training aims to build muscle, increase strength and improve bone health. Hope I have answered your question George, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Muhammed Aslam, the exercises that will help you develop a strong and muscular chest are:- Dumbbell Bench Press – that targets the middle fibers (sternal) of the chest. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – that works the upper fibers (clavicular) fibers of the chest. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press – that contracts the lower fibers(costal) of the chest. Dumbbell / Cable Fly – work the upper and inner fibers of the chest. Dips : target the lower fibers (costal) fibers of the chest If you do not have access to a gym, you could train your chest at home using these basic body weight exercise variations:- Push-ups Diamond Push-ups Elevated Push-ups Deficit Push-ups Dips Later you could use a weight vest to make the exercises more challenging. The important thing to remember is changing the workout every 3 months by varying the volume, intensity , density, frequency:- First Training Block (3 months) you could use a high rep range – VOLUME CENTRIC WORKOUT – 12 to 15 reps, 4 to 6 sets of 4 to 5 exercises, 90 sec rest intervals. Maintain a TRAINING LOG and note down how your body responds to this training. Second Training Block (3 months) perform the exercises using a Medium to Heavy weight - medium volume – HYPERTROPHY CENTRIC WORKOUT – 8 to 10 reps, 4 to 6 sets of 3 to 5 exercises , 2 minute rest intervals. You need not reach failure in each workout. Keep some reps in reserve. Third Training Block (2 months) perform the exercises using a Heavy weight – STRENGTH FOCUSED WORKOUT – 4 to 7 reps, 3 minute rest intervals, 3 to 4 exercises. Make sure you de-load every 8 to 12 weeks, follow a good nutrition plan, consume 3 litres of water. Do not neglect shoulder and hip mobility training and cardiovascular training. Hope I have answered your question Muhammed, If you have gained valuable information from this answer, kindly upvote it and drop me a follow START STRONG Amit Panjwani.

Hi Krishna, apply these 4 simple rules if you want to resume training :- Plan- You need to have a workout structure, a plan. No matter how hectic your schedule is, you need to find a way to work around it. You could perform a short body weight workout in the morning and go for a run in the evening. It’s important to create a plan. The same goes for nutrition. Prepare- Prepare yourself mentally and physically. We take a break from training for more than one reason. If you mentally condition yourself, you will be able to overcame the mental barriers and stay consistent. Physical preparation involves keeping the volume, intensity and frequency of the workout low. When you prepare your body to make small adjustments and adaptations, you will be able to progressively increase the intensity of the workout and raise your threshold of strength and endurance. Practice- Focus on mastering the basic exercises with flawless execution. Master the technique. Don’t be in a rush to do complex movements. You will realize that enhancing the finer elements in the performance of every exercise makes a big difference in the muscle fiber recruitment, as a result this affects the strength, mobility and stability of each movement. Focus on alignment, activation of the core, range of motion and tempo. Perform- When you have been through the above stages, it’s time to execute each exercise with impeccable form. This may take 6 to 8 months or more, (fitness is not a competition, it’s the road to self-improvement). Rushing towards a certain goal, without good technique can only lead to an injury and disrupt your training. Keep a long term goal and perform the exercises with a certain level of intensity only when you are absolutely confident and have mastered the technique. Hope I have answered your question Krishna. Kindly upvote this answer and drop me a follow. Start Strong, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Shubham, it depends on how your body is responding to a certain workout structure. If a certain certain workout is giving you great results you can train 8 weeks straight at a progressively incremental intensity and then take a de-load week. If you want to keep making progress,(though the rate of progress reduces as you keep getting stronger.) then remember a simple rule : 2 STEPS FORWARD, 1 STEP BACK. But the general rule of thumb is 8 to 12 weeks. You can divide 12 months of training based on your training goals. But you need to remember that you cannot train extremely hard in every training block. Fat loss - General Fitness : 12 to 15 reps. LOW to MODERATE INTENSITY Hypertrophy - 9 to 12 Reps. MEDIUM to HIGH INTENSITY STRENGTH - 4 to 8 Reps. HIGH INTENSITY You need to vary the volume, intensity, density, and frequency of training from one training block to another. You can change the training methods : Ladders, Rest Pause, Supersets, Time Volume, Pre-exhaust etc. to keep the workouts challenging and to stimulate muscle growth. Hope I have answered your question Shubham, Kindly upvote this answer and drop me a follow, Start Strong, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Jupos, combining heavy weight training with calisthenics is the smartest way to train. This hybrid training method has several advantages:- 1.LOWER BODY MUSCULATURE :Calisthenics cannot stimulate lower body muscle growth. You need to train your legs with heavy squats, split squat lunges, deadlifts, leg curls etc. 2.SHOULDER DEVELOPMENT and STABILITY : Overhead Press, lateral lateral raise, reverse fly’s (shrugs) are extremely important exercises if you want to develop strong, stable and muscular shoulders. 3.CORE STRENGTH - you will truly challenge your core with heavy squats, deadlifts and unilateral movements like single arm bent over row, single arm overhead press, farmers carry etc. 4.PULL-UPS & DIPS - Weighted Pull-ups and Dips will enhance your pulling and pressing strength and improve aesthetics while you keep getting stronger in these basic yet highly effective calisthenics movements. 5. INDOOR and OUTDOOR - You have the freedom to switch from an indoor training environment(gym) to an outdoor training environment. This is certainly refreshing and helps prevent boredom from disrupting your workouts. 6. INJURY-FREE - Calisthenics movements are more shoulder dominated and hence can lead an overuse injury over time. But having a good balance between training the upper and lower body will help you stay injury-free. 7. TIME EFFICIENT - There could be a phase, where you are pressed for time. In this scenario you can use a main lift like a squat or a deadlift followed by a push-up variation, pull-up and a dip in one single workout. It would provide an excellent training stimulus in a short time frame. Hope I have answered your question Jupos, Kindly upvote this answer and drop me a follow. Start Strong, Amit Panjwani.

Hi Miah, do you aspire to become a professional athlete? Is playing a sport eventually going to be your career. Then you have to pursue only one sport. Your training in the weight room has to be sports specific. A soccer player’s strength training and conditioning routine will be different from a basketball player or an MMA fighter. Strength Training specifically to enhance one’s sports performance is called SPP, i.e. Sports Specific Preparedness. For example if you are soccer player your ability to sprint, jump, kick, dribble, etc will improve if certain exercises in the weight room are designed to improve these skills. Outside of the gym, on the filed, you may perform certain speed, agility and quickness based skills. This has a dual advantage - performance enhancement and injury prevention. If you are not considering sports as your career, then you can play the sport of your choice thrice a week. It would be a great form of cardiovascular training while you would also improve your speed, agility and quickness. But it is important to restrict the volume and intensity of the sport if it is not your profession because it will drain your CNS(Central Nervous System). This will impact your ability to train hard in the gym and affect your ability to build strength and muscle mass. It’s your life, it’s your choice. But purely from experience (because I enjoyed playing basketball and practiced martial arts) I would certain limit the time dedicated to sports in favor of strength training. Pursuing more than one sport albeit leisurely can have serious consequences in the long run, in terms of injuries. So train smart, choose one sport you are passionate about and restrict the time dedicated to it. The common man trains for GPP i.e. General Physical Preparedness. You can lay a solid foundation of training by practicing the BIG 6 :- Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Inverted Row, Overhead Press and Lat Pull Down thrice a week. Perform hip and shoulder mobility exercises and core training thrice a week, with cardio in the form of any sport of your choice. This will enable you to stay strong, athletic, resilient and injury-free for a long time. Remember - Fitness is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. When you enter your 40’s, age or injury can put the brakes on your speed, agility and quickness. You may not be able to play the sport of your choice with endless energy or power. That is the time you will need to focus only on HSR, i.e. Heavy Slow Resistance training to keep you strong, healthy and resilient. You will have a life post your 40’s up to 70’s,80’s or 90’s. You want be strong, healthy and injury-free in the most challenging years of your life. So train smart and always remember if you want to enjoy good health in the long run - LESS IS MORE !!! Hope I have answered your question Miah. Kindly upvote my answer and drop me a follow. Start Strong, Amit Panjwani.