Stretching.Everything You Need To Know.

Few people follow and pay attention to stretching programs. The flexibility of the muscles in each person is different. Usually women are more flexible than men, but with age the flexibility of muscles deteriorates, so it is important to stretch regularly. Stretching for weight training is very important because weight training significantly tightens the muscles.

When should i stretch?

Muscles are most flexible when well warmed up. It is appropriate to do a preliminary warm-up (5-6 minutes of running / exercise bike). Stretching can also be part of the warm-up.

Stretching can be performed both before and after exercise. When performed before training, the goal is to improve the elasticity of the muscle. This way the muscles, joints and tendons are prepared for training.

Post workout stretching  aim to stretch the already exhausted muscles, joints and tendons - this helps to aid recovery and relaxation throughout the body. Another option is stretching during training - between sets.
In fact, you could stretch at any time of the day- this will improve the flexibility of your muscles.
Stretch 2-3 times a week for 10-15 minutes. You can try stretching before bedtime - this will relax your body and help improve sleep.

Breathing

Breathing is essential when stretching. Getting enough oxygen into your muscles helps them stretch. It also helps relax the muscle.

• Breathe deep and slow. On the stretching part of the exercise take a deep breath through your nose, exhale when you release. Do not hold your breath.

Effects of stretching

• Stretching prevents injuries, it helps blood flow to the muscles (helps to warm up the muscle). Muscles are relaxed and lively and ready to workout.
• Post workout stretching helps muscle recovery by improving blood circulation.
• Helps to rebuild muscles, removing lactic acid.
• Extends the muscles, thus making them bigger.
• Stretching makes muscles "ripped". It helps with muscle separation.
• Provides elasticity to the tendons.
• Reduces muscle tension and joint pain, and thus relaxing the body.
• Improves coordination.
• Prevent injuries - muscle strains, sprains and lacerations.
• Creates an own consciousness of the muscle and helps to improve concentration and relationship between the muscle and nervous system.
• Improves recovery when injury or overtraining.
• Helps to increase muscle growth by stretching the connective tissue that surrounds muscle. Thus, the muscle has more room to grow

Tips for proper execution 

• Warm up with aerobic exercise (5-6 min) before stretching.
• Perform the stretches slowly, without jerking.
• Try to hold the stretched position in 30 seconds. Do each movement 2 or 3 times.
• Stretch until you feel mild tension in the muscle, but not pain. Try not to overstep the limit, as you may hurt yourself.
• Gradually stretch more and more. Each subsequent set exert a little more pressure on the muscle.
• A good idea is to stretch the antagonist muscles in one day.
• Before stretching a specific muscle group make sure you warm it up first.
• Do stretching gently and gradually to prevent hyperextension, which can lead to muscle pain or damage to the soft tissue or ligaments.

Types of Stretching

• Passive (static) stretching - the technique requires a slow and controlled movement. Slowly stretch the muscle to reach the end point (feel mild pain) - hold for 20-30 seconds. Then just as slowly return to starting position and let the muscle contract. In this type of stretching the muscle is relaxed, while the part of the muscle that does most of the work is the connective tissue that surrounds muscle.
• Active (dynamic) stretching - When the muscle is performing any movement. The movements are performed without detention in the initial and final phases and without pauses between them - swings, slopes, lunges. An example of such stretching is the dead lift with straight legs. The muscle is contracted to lower the weight.In this type of stretching the muscle is contracted, this stretches tendons and other tissues. Perform this kind of stretching for 8-20 reps. When the muscle is tired, stop as tired muscles are less elastic, which in turn limits the working range. This type of stretching is suitable for novice athletes, it can be performed as an effective warm-up for flexibility.

• Ballistic stretching - it's like passive stretching (increases the range of action of the joints), only in the final stages of the stretch it utilises short sharp swings / strains. Sometimes these impulses lead to excessive loads and can damage connective tissue, making it strained beyond its elastic capabilities. Be especially careful when implementing this type of stretching.

Both types of stretching should be implemented (passive and active). Unstretched muscles can be damaged easily during exercise.

In addition, joints and muscles that lack flexibility may interfere with the quality of the muscle strenght. Implemented properly, stretching can only contribute to better your training and recovery.

(picture:telegraph.co.uk)

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Drinking eggs.How to do it without the awful aftertaste.

First I'd like to say that in my honest opinion nobody should drink raw eggs, if it's possible to cook them.They're tastier, they don't have an awful aftertaste and so on.

Are raw eggs better than cooked eggs?

Many people, and certainly many fitness practitioners think that if you workout and drink loads of raw eggs you will magically build muscle much faster and it's better et cetera.
Well there's nothing better in raw eggs compared to normal cooked eggs.Some people say that cooking eggs takes too much time.It takes me less than two minutes to cook my eggs.

The nutritional value of eggs changes very little when they're cooked here's a table of protein quality in eggs when cooked:

• Raw eggs: Protein Quality = 136
• Fried eggs: Protein Quality = 136
• Poached eggs: Protein Quality = 137
• Scrambled eggs: Protein Quality = 132
• Hardboiled eggs: Protein Quality =  132 

But if you absolutely must do it.I've been there, you probably have been there too.
You're in a hurry no time to cook, you need to get some protein.You get a couple of eggs and crack them and boom you're ready to drink them, but i doubt anyone likes the aftertaste from drinking raw eggs so here's a solution:

• Mix milk with your eggs, you can use any type of milk.
• Use an equivalent amount of milk as your eggs.In other words half of your mixture should be eggs and the other half should be milk.
• Stir it up and drink up, you will notice that there's little to no aftertaste and you don't even taste the eggs, it's almost as you're drinking just milk. 

(sources:http://scoobysworkshop.com)

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Front Plank

The Front Plank is a great exercise for the abdominal muscles also known as abs and it was introduced in the fitness industry by the yoga asanas.

Involved muscles

 This exercise affects a large group of stabilizing muscles, so it is very useful to for building basic strength, stability and durability in the torso and abdominal muscles. Moreover, performing the exercise with body weight only, will have you surprised to find that you have acquired better muscle control over the muscles involved.

Target 

• Rectus Abdominis

Stabilizers

• Obliques
• Iliopsoas
• Tensor Fasciae Latae
• Quadriceps
• Sartorius
• Pectoralis major
• Serratus Anterior

Antagonist Stabilizers

• Erector Spinae
• Trapezius, Middle
• Trapezius, Lower
• Rhomboids

Variations

Variations in technique

• Front support on elbows - easier to perform variation in terms of balance and involvement of the abdominal muscles;
• Front support on hands / fists - substantially more difficult option, you can start doing it after a few workouts with elbow support and if you have a body weight within the normal range.

Variations according to the method

• Isometric performance - the body remains in a passive position for some time. From 10 to 30 seconds for beginners, a minute for intermediate athletes and a minute and a half up to two minutes and more for advanced athletes and fitness enthusiasts;
• Isokinetic performance - spine and hips are slightly out and you're raising your upper body a little while lowering your lower body a little. The option is difficult, so start with isometric performance and when you feel confident enough, switch to this option.

Accessory Variations

• Front elbow on Swiss ball - hard variation, makes balancing harder and thus increases the stabilizing character of the load;
• Front support on hands with legs raised on a bench - version focusing on the cross-lumbar muscles.

Method of execution

Preparation

• Lie prone on mat. Place forearms on mat, elbows under shoulders. Place legs together with forefeet on floor.

Execution

• Raise body upward by straightening body in straight line. Hold position.
• Stretch your body so that you feel tension in your abdominal muscles, rather than the spine. 

Comments:

I see a countless amount of people in the gym performing the front plank for minutes at a time by sacrificing form so they can perform the exercise for a longer period of time.They either lift their butt up or lower their pelvis which is WRONG.

• Do not lift your butt more than an inch because that will put unnecessary load on your abdominal.
• Avoid lowering your pelvis because that will put an extreme load on the vertebrae.

Relevancy

The Front Plank is an exercise suitable for implementation in workouts for a basic tone, endurance and balance. It is vital to include it if you pursue training for functional purposes, where the stability of the torso and synergy of the abdominal muscles with the thigh muscles play a key factor in your personal athletic success.

(sources:exrx.net)
(pictures:acefitness.org)

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Bulgarian Squat/Single Leg Split Squat

The exercise, which is widely known around the world as the Bulgarian squat. It's specific in that it runs on one leg while the other is extended backwards and leaning on support.

The movement is easy to perform when using only bodyweight. By adding additional weight (barbell, dumbbells) balancing becomes much more difficult, so this variation is recommended for more advanced fitness enthusiasts.

Involved muscles

Target

• Quadriceps

Synergists

• Gluteus Maximus
• Adductor Magnus
• Soleus

Dynamic Stabilizers

• Hamstrings
• Gastrocnemius

Stabilizers

• 
  
• Gluteus Medius
• Gluteus Minimus

Variations

According to the technique and available equipment

• Bodyweight - easy option to start learn and adapt to the movement;
• With dumbbells / weights - the easiest variation with which you can use to increase strength and muscle mass;
• Smith machine - this variation puts more stress on the long spinal muscles as stabilizers. I do not recommend this variation for people with lower back problems;
• With a short barbell - the hardest option, balance is almost impossible.I don't recommend performing this exercise with an olympic bar, as i said before balacing is almost impossible.
• With bands - the difficulty changes from low to high in the upper range of motion;

According to the type of support

• Stable (bench seat, 5-6 disk weights or even a dumbbell) - start with this.
• Unstable (Swiss ball) - a wonderful option for people aiming to improve their balance. Can be combined with dumbbells, all other options have risks and fewer benefits.

Method of execution

Preparation

• Stand with dumbbells grasped to sides facing away from bench. Extend leg back and place top of foot on bench.

Execution

• Squat down by flexing knee and hip of front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to original standing position by extending hip and knee of forward leg and repeat. Continue with opposite leg.

Recommendations

• Avoid sudden movements, especially when descending;
• Do not hit your knee into the floor;
• Do not shake dumbbells;
• Do not bend, keep the body upright;
• While performing keep your whole foot on the ground, your weight should be evenly distributed;

Relevancy

Performed with weights the Bulgarian squat can contribute significantly to the increase of muscle mass in the upper sector of the thighs. In terms of functionality, performance of this type of squat can improve sprints and jumping length and height.

(sources:exrx.net)
(pictures:t-nation.com)

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How To Avoid Over training?

Training as hard as you can, destroying yourself in the gym and training for 4 hours every day will not give you better results(If you're natural, if you're on steroids disregard this post).Sometimes in bodybuilding LESS IS MORE.So let's talk about overtraining

When does over training happen?

Over training occurs when the body fails to recover after a hard workout.
The reason may be in too heavy workouts, short rest or poor diet.
During weight training, muscle fibers are torn, then with good resting, proper nutrition and intake of bodybuilding supplements an increase muscle fibers occurs (hypertrophy).

With overtraining, once torn muscle fibers fail to regenerate, then rip again - resulting in weakening of muscles and loss of muscle mass.

In severe and prolonged training body releases cortisol (catabolic hormone), a hormone that prevents muscle recovery, decreases testosterone levels in the body, preventing protein synthesis and prevents the body from burning fat.

The problem of overtraining and recovery is not always in training, nutrition and recovery.

Daily stress, to which we are subjected, is among the most important factors influencing negatively on the recovery of the body.

You can follow the best workout program, get the best supplements, use the very best burning fat techniques,but the results will never be the same if you're under stress.What i love about fitness is that you go in the gym stressed, angry etc.And you go out with a clear state of mind.When you go in to the weight room you forget about all your problems and you just focus on training it really is amazing.

Often, in an effort to achieve the desired results one seeks to train more and more. Is this the right thing to do to get results faster?

Most often overtraining is seen in  beginners who desire to achieve quick results, spend a few hours in the gym, trying to do everything.

Too heavy workouts weaken the immunity of the body.

The most common mistakes

• Training every muscle group each workout. Training a muscle group too often not only will not give greater results, but also prevents the recovery of the muscle thus making you LOSE MUSCLE;
• Poor nutrition before and after training;
• Implementation of too many sets per muscle group in one workout;
• Too short rest time between sets;
• Insufficient sleep;
• Wrong choice of exercises and their sequence;
• Systematic abuse of alcohol and cigarettes.

Signs of overtraining

• Fatigue;
• Lack of motivation;
• Aching muscles or joints;
• Muscle stiffness;
• Irritability;
• Disturbed sleep;
• Loss of appetite;
• Fatigue;
• Recovery problems;
• Depression;
• Decrease in performance;

Common injuries;

• Menstrual disorders;
• Unquenchable thirst (especially at night);
• A higher than normal heart rate (especially in the morning);
• Weakening of the immune system;
• Loss of body weight.

What to change?

Above all - ensure sufficient rest of the body. If you overtrain, your best choice is to stop training for a while (about a week) and give your body a good rest.

Discontinuation of training will be accompanied by some loss of form, but not much if you continue to train despite the accumulated fatigue.

The next step is to review your way of training, nutrition and recovery and to find out where you are doing it wrong.

Give enough rest days to recover each muscle group, depending on its type and purpose of your workouts.

Make sure you are getting sufficient macro and micro nutrients.If you can't accquire them through traditional foods consider using fitness supplements.

How to avoid overtraining?

• Never train so hard that it makes your workout displeasurable
• Do not look for quick results.
• 2-3 times a year do a complete break from training for a week.(I'll be having a post about deloads soon)
• Rest - give your body the chance to recover and prepare for the next sets / workout.
• Planning - the proper distribution of breaks is essential. Always do a preliminary plan for training or training week.
• Do not exceed the capacity of your body - if you're trying to work beyond the ability of your body you will most likely be over exhausted or you will get unwanted injury.
• Get no less than eight hours sleep a day.
• Be sure to obtain all nutrients that your body needs.
• If you're having problems with recovery take nutritional supplements tailored to your needs.
• Massage or sauna once a week can improve your recovery.
• The best protection against over-training is a combination of rest and proper recovery of your body through proper diet and supplements.

(pictures:askmen.com)

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Cable Kneeling Crunch

The Cable Kneeling Crunch is a part of the cable ab exercises,it is a pulling isolation exercise for the abdominal muscles and a great workout for abs.The movement is used as an aid in the development of strength and muscle mass in the abdomen. Its performance is moderately difficult to control. Suitable for intermediate and advanced fitness enthusiasts.

Contradictions

People with shoulder, shoulder girdle and spine injuries should perform the exercise with caution. In case of pain while performing, ask a trainer or an experienced athlete about your form. If the problem is not the form, you should consider consulting a orthopedist.

Involved Muscles 

Target

• Rectus Abdominis

Synergists

• Obliques

Stabilizers

• Iliopsoas
• Tensor Fasciae Latae
• Rectus Femoris
• Sartorius
• Latissimus Dorsi
• Teres Major
• Deltoid, Posterior
• Triceps, Long Head
• Rhomboids
• Trapezius, Lower
• Pectoralis Major, Sternal
• Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
• Pectoralis Minor
• Serratus Anterior

Cable Kneeling Crunch How To:

Preparation

1. Kneel while facing the pulley.
2. Grasp the rope with both hands, palms should be at head level(palms facing head, wrists against head).
3. Tighten your stomach and kneel while keeping a considerable distance from the pulley so that you can bend.
4. In the starting position back should be straight (not hunched).

Execution

1. Slowly start to bend the top of the spine,as you bend your abs and keeping the waist still.
2. The end point is reached when your head almost touches the floor or elbows touch your thighs.
3. Hold at the bottom for a second.
4. Very slowly return to the starting position as you strive to keep the tension in the muscles and not to move your hips.

Comments and recommendations

• The movement takes place only in the upper sector of the spine.
• The lever (cable) should not swing.

Cable Kneeling Crunch Relevancy

• Include the cable kneeling crunch in the middle of your routine for abdominal muscles during the main period and in a shaping period you can use it as the first exercise in a workout for abs with longer sets.

(sources:exrx.net)(pictures:theteenstreet.com)

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Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise

The dumbbell rear lateral raise is a simple exercise in bodybuilding and fitness performed mainly in the shoulder joints. This exercise is not suitable for training with heavy weight. It has more of a shaping character. The aim of the movement is focused on the rear shoulder heads. Middle and lower sectors of the trapezius muscles, however, are key synergists.

Involved muscles:

Target

• Deltoid, Posterior

Synergists

• Infraspinatus
• Teres Minor
• Deltoid, Lateral
• Trapezius, Middle
• Trapezius, Lower
• Rhomboids

Stabilizers

• Triceps Brachii
• Wrist Extensors
• Erector Spinae
• Hamstrings
• Gluteus Maximus
• Adductor Magnus

Variations

1. Dumbbell rear lateral raise on an inclined bench - removes all the stabilizers from movement except for triceps and forearms
2. Dumbbell rear lateral raise with a forward bend - classical version includes all stabilizers

Method of execution

Preparation

Grasp dumbbells to each side. Bend knees and bend over through hips with back flat close to horizontal. Position elbows with slight bend and palms facing together.

Execution

Raise upper arms to sides until elbows are shoulder height. Maintain upper arms perpendicular to torso and fixed elbow position (10 ° to 30 ° angle) throughout exercise. Maintain height of elbows above wrists by raising "pinkie finger" side up. Lower and repeat.

Recommendations for proper form

1.  Improper form is the unnecessary involvement of the trapezius(traps) muscles or changing body position (bending down while performing the movement).
2.  Often during lifting, at the end of the working sets people start to tilt / move your head and raise your shoulders. Thus, they shift the emphasis on the rhomboids  and  trapezius(traps) muscles. To avoid this, keep your eyes forward and focus on a single visual point throughout the series.
3.  Do not move the spine during the movement.

Relevancy

This exercise has primarily a forming character. In programs for building muscle mass this exercise should be included as second for the rear shoulders or third or forth in a full shoulder workout. Before execution of the rear lateral dumbbell raise perform military press/shoulder press or trapezius(traps) shrugs. This will Pre-Exhaust the trapezius(traps) muscles and the rear and medium shoulder heads.

Suitable for first exercise in a shoulder workout for people who want to focus on the transition between the back and shoulders. This exercise is suitable for beginners, intermediate and advanced fitness enthusiasts.
(sources:wikipedia, exrx.net,leehayward.com)

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Dips

Dips in bodybuilding and fitness are an exercise used primarily to increase muscle mass on your chest and triceps and are one of the best ways to gain muscle fast. This is an exercise that any athlete can include in his/hers training regimen , regardless of their training experience. Performed on parallel bars or other specialized "dips" devices. The distance between the two bars is the determining factor of the focus of the exercise. Upon closer parallel bars the burden shifts to the triceps, and in a wider - to the chest.In the dip exercise the most load goes to the chest muscles and the inner heads of the triceps. The deltoids (shoulders) participate the least in the dip exercise.

Variations

The width of the grip -

• Shoulder width : (narrower grip) emphasizes the triceps. 
• In a wider grip, the target switches to the chest.

According to the slope of the body -

• If you bend your body forward (bend your knees, cross them at the ankles and bend your body forward slightly) accentuate the chest, when the body is upright (straight, legs are not crossed), a greater load is subjected on the triceps .

According to the position of the elbow - 

• If you move your elbows close to your body, the more load on the triceps. If your elbows are out, the more it involves the chest.
• With added weight - If the exercise is getting too easy for you(you can do more than needed for hypertrophy), you can try adding additional weight attached to the waist belt or with a dumbbell between your ankles.

Method of execution

1.  Go down slowly by bending arms allowing the elbows to flare to the sides until you feel a painless stretch in your chest and triceps.
2. Return to starting position.

• Dips put a big load on your elbows, especially when weighted dips are performed with improper form. 
• Warm up your elbows prior to the exercise. This will reduce the risk of injury of the joins.
• Perform the movement in its full amplitude, rather than half. Lower your body until you feel a painless stretch in your triceps and chest (here the individual feeling is very important due to the small limit of optimum stretch and hyper extension).
• Try not to swing your body while performing the exercise. Movement should be done only at the elbow and shoulder joints.
• Beware of sore elbows - elbow injuries in the joints are not desirable.
• Try to keep your head up and look forward when performing dips.
• Do not extend your arms completely during the positive part of the exercise(do not lock out your elbows). This will unnecessarily increase the load on the elbows, and will take away from the stress on the triceps.

Relevancy

The main function of the dip exercise in bodybuilding and fitness is increasing the mass of the chest and triceps. It is therefore advisable to include them in your workout, regardless of you're a beginner or an advanced fitness enthusiast.It's a great way to gain muscle without weights. If you are a beginner, include dips as your second exercise on chest/triceps day. If you are more advanced, it is best to perform dips at the end of your chest/triceps workout.If your goal is mass gain try to stay into the 6-12 rep. range.If you are able to do more than 15 then i suggest adding additional weight so you stay in the hypertrophy rep. range.

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Skull Crushers/Barbell Lying Triceps Extension/French Press

 The Skull Crusher/The Barbell Lying Triceps Extension/French Press is a classic exercise used for decades by bodybuilders and strength athletes to gain new quality muscle in the triceps muscles. It is a basic, while isolating motion. The skull crusher can be performed with a number of variations which I'll be covering below.

Contraindications

The skull crusher exercise is contraindicated for people with injuries of the shoulder, shoulder girdle, elbows and wrists. Improper performance in people with increased / decreased cervical lordosis often ends with migraine.

Involved muscles

Target

• Triceps (Triceps brachii)
• Anconeus

Synergists

• No significant synergists load can be distributed in varying degrees between the heads of the triceps. The inclusion of back and shoulder muscles in the movement with a supporting character is seen as cheating.

Stabilizers

• Deltoid, Anterior
• Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
• Wrist Flexors

Variations:

According to the grip (in the palms) and elbows:

• Open Elbows Grip (palms facing legs / ceiling): Forces inner shoulder rotation, reducing the involvement of the long head, reducing the overall power of the extension as well.
• Elbows Slightly Open: Emphasis on middle heads. It's popular for work with an intensity that stimulates strength, endurance and an increase in muscle mass.
• Neutral Grip:elbows parallel: The most natural grip for the triceps extension. Here all the muscle heads work in synergy and the results are of the highest efficiency. This is the grip which with the appropriate weighting is most commonly used to increase strength, endurance and increase muscle mass.
• Palms Facing Face: Parallel elbows and wrists: The focus is on the long heads.The range of motion is limited.

According to the slope of the bench:

• Horizontal - classic optimal.
• Small incline slope - facilitates control of the shoulder girdle for people with stronger push movements, but decreased productivity in the lower parts of the triceps. Recommended 2/5 amplitude in the upper range of motion.
• Small decline slope - hinders shoulder girdle control in people with stronger push movements and vice-versa, but lowers productivity in the upper parts of the triceps. Full extension and training to failuire is not recommended.

Execution:

Preparation

• Lie on bench with narrow overhand grip on barbell. Position barbell over forehead with arms extended.

Execution

• Lower bar by bending elbows. As bar nears head move elbows slightly back just enough to allow bar to clear around curvature of head. Extend arms. As bar clears head, reposition elbows to their former position until arms are fully extended. Repeat.

Comments

• With arms fully extended, bar can be brought back over upper chest. Shoulders can be internally rotated between repetitions as needed to allow for relative release of tension in muscles. Barbell can be recieved from the floor or from rack either situated over abdomen or from behind head.

Relevancy

The Skull Crusher is essentially an exercise for the triceps day in a workout split. Place immediately after the heavier movements like the triceps dips, close grip bench press, triceps push ups(diamond push ups)

Not recommended for beginners in bodybuilding and fitness. Its proper implementation is best achieved with an advanced training partner to oversee the curve of movement and positioning of the existing joints - elbows, wrists and shoulders.

(sources:exrx.net, wikipedia)

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Preacher curl.

 The preacher curl is a pulling, isolated exercise that is supporting the development of the folders of the elbow joints.The movement is especially suitable for intermediate and advanced fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts.

Contraindications

People that have shoulder injuries or an injured, shoulder girdle, elbow and wrist joints should perform the preacher curl with caution.

Involved muscles.

Target

• Brachialis

Synergists

• Biceps Brachii
• Brachioradialis

Stabilizers

• Wrist Flexors

Variations

According to the instrument used:

• With the EZ bar, Scott bench or stand - power variation
• With straight bar, Scott bench or stand - insulation variation
• With a dumbbell (one sided), Scott bench, stand or a folding bench seat - insulation variation enables one sided focus on muscle development imbalances (visual / functional) left and right.

Range of motion:

• Full range of motion - the movement begins almost fully extended elbow while the forearm is in a vertical stand.
• Partial range of motion without rest - the movement is only about peak flexion without rest in lower and upper point.
• Partial range of motion with peace - short movement in upper or lower curve of motion.

Grip variations:

• The width at which the elbows are placed does not change for different grips, it's always shoulder.

• The different grips hit the two different heads in your bicep.
• The narrow grip works the outside head (long head) and the wider grip works the inside head (short head).

Methods of execution

Preparation

• Adjust the height and angle of the Scott bench, so that it is appropriate for your height and the length of your arms.
• Select a bar that allows you to do a shoulder width grip.

Performance

• Slowly bend your arms without moving your elbows, keeping arms parallel.
• Go slowly at the bottom point.
• Prepare for the next repetition.

Comments and recommendations

• The preacher curl with a barbell is easily accomplished, but may be a bit of a burden for your elbows. A common mistake is the moving of the elbows during this exercise. So be careful with the weight, and form.
• No separation of the elbows, keep them close to each other and try to keep your arms parallel. Divergence of the elbow is a sign of too much weight.
• Do not straighten arms fully on the bottom position. You will put unnecessary strain on the elbow, and let the biceps rest. Expand hands almost, but not entirely.
• Keep your wrists tight.
• Before exercise warm up wrists, shoulders and elbows.

Bodybuilding and Fitness

The main use of the preacher curl is increasing the mass of the arm by stimulating the brachialis and biceps to growth. Variations with one hand are suitable for smoothing visual and functional imbalances.

Do not perform the preacher curl if you are a beginner, except under the supervision of a coach.

Intermediate fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts may include exercise as a second or third exercise on biceps day.

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How much protein per day to gain muscle and be healthy.

Eating enough protein every day plays a big role in being healthy.If your goals are to gain muscle fast while losing fat,become leaner and get stronger your daily protein intake becomes even more important.
Proteins are a "macro nutrient" just like carbohydrates and fats.However protein is not stored in the body like carbohydrates and fats.It is extremely difficult for your body to convert protein into fat, so that almost never happens.Protein either gets:

•  Used as energy(If it's not used to maintain, build muscle or any other tissues)

•  Turned into glucose

•  Peed out(that's rare however.Your kidneys prevent it most of the time)

How Much Protein Should You Eat Per Day To Gain Muscle?

• For the majority of people the ideal protein intake is:

0.8-1.5g. per pound of body weight or 1.8-3.3g. per kilogram of body weight

More precisely:

• An average male/female aiming for a healthy lifestyle that does not work out or have any fitness goals should consume at least 0.5g of protein per pound of body weight or 1 gram per kilogram of body weight.

• A male/female performing any type of exercise, aiming to build muscle, lose fat, maintain muscle and/or improve performance should consume a minimum of 0.8g of protein per pound of body weight or 1.7g of protein per kilogram of body weight.A general rule of thumb is that 1g of protein per pound of body weight is completely enough.

This may be a little confusing to you so I'm going to make it simple your weight in pounds(1kg=2.2lbs) is the amount of protein you need per day if you're aiming to build muscle and lose fat.

NOTE:

Extremely obese people need to use their target weight instead of their current weight.If you are 150kg(330lbs) and you want to be 100kg(225lbs) use your goal weight to estimate your daily protein intake needs.

How To Include Your Protein Intake Into Your Daily Macros.

Each gram of protein contains 4 calories.So lets say you weight 200lbs, you need 200 grams of protein per day which is 800 calories.

Different foods have different qualities of protein.

The value of the protein is estimated by it's Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)A PDCAAS value of 1 is the highest, and 0 the lowest. The table shows the ratings of selected foods.

1.00	casein (milk protein)
1.00	egg white
1.00	soy protein
1.00	whey (milk protein)
0.99	mycoprotein
0.92	beef
0.91	soybeans
0.78	chickpeas
0.76	fruits
0.75	black beans
0.73	vegetables
0.70	Other legumes
0.59	cereals and derivatives
0.52	peanuts
0.42	whole wheat

(source:wikipedia)

Getting 20grams of protein from eggs and getting 20grams of protein from pop tarts is NOT the same thing.You might say whatever it's still protein right?Well a BMW M6 is a car so is a Lada Samara is a car too yet it's not the same thing.Both have an engine and a gearbox yet there's not even room for comparison.
Aim for the good quality protein foods.

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