Most Recent Articles

Squats!

Squats! The mother of all exercises! Although it's part of "The Big 3," if ever there was a big one, this is it!

Women, want to know how to build that booty? Squats. Men, want to lift big and strengthen your body from head to toe? Squats.

OK, squats are a great exercise. But there is a fair amount of technique involved in executing a strong, productive, safe and powerful squat, regardless of which style of squatter you are.

Calves are a problem spot for many a bodybuilder. For some people it seems like everything grows except for their calves. And yet good calf development can go a long way towards a balanced looking physique.

Fortunately, there is a lot that can be done to improve calf development. Here we discuss exactly what can be done to make your calves grow into the massive hunks of muscle they should be.

There was a ton of great content that made its way to allnaturalmuscle.com in 2014. But there are only a few articles that can to be crowned the best articles of 2014. Check out which ones made the cut!

Over this past year, I learned a lot about lift attempt selection. Most of this happened through trial and error. And I expect anyone new to powerlifting will likely have their own trials and errors with lift attempts. However, if you would like a little less error then read on.

There are two parts to lifting, and this is especially true when talking about power lifting. One part of it has to do with strength. Obviously, the stronger you are, the more you are generally able to lift. However, the other side of lifting has to do with how you execute the movement. If you want to know how to use technique to maximize your bench press and reach your lifting potential then read on, because we've got a lot to talk about.

There's no doubt about it, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) burns serious calories. And compared steady state cardio, HIIT can really help you shed fat. But that's not all! There are many reasons to do HIIT and that's what this article is all about. If you want to learn about when to use HIIT and how to do HIIT effectively for different goals, then read on.

It's undeniable that volume has a huge impact on eliciting muscle growth. Yes, training volume is more important for stimulating muscle growth than heavy weight or those crazy bosu ball exercises your buddy said would make you 'swole.'

While upward volume manipulation combined with a well periodized training program might help you keep growing, there is a limit. And for many of us, that limit is time. What if there was a better way? What if you could somehow manipulate training volume to help you grow and still fit in your life and your schedule.

Most people understand that muscle grows during rest. But how much rest is really necessary? Is there are point when too much rest becomes counter to the goal of building muscle? And what about overtraining? When does that become an issue? These questions and more are answered below.

Lifting to failure can be a development tool if used properly. However, it can have negative impacts when used improperly. When should you lift to failure when you not and what actually happens when you go to failure is all discussed here. So read on if you want to see how going to failure might benefit [or hinder] your training.

There’s no doubt about it, training takes time. Lifting weights takes time. Cardio takes time too. That’s just the way it is. The trick is not reducing the time you spend training, but making sure that it doesn’t interfere with the other important things in your life. That kind of balance is hard to learn and even harder to implement. But here are a few tips that can make it a lot easier.

If you ever want to start an argument among fitness enthusiasts, bring up fasted cardio. Old school bodybuilders are generally outspoken supporters of fasted cardio. And there is even some debate among well known fitness writers. Others claim that the negatives of fasted cardio outweigh the positives and that any fasted training is a broscience relic from the bodybuilding days of old. Which side is right? Read on to find out.

I am a huge believer in stretching for injury prevention, increased flexibility and improved balance & form. But I've had people tell me multiple times that stretching also improves strength. Some people have even gone so far as to say that stretching increases muscularity. So, what's the real deal behind stretching? Can it really make you stronger?

The question that most novice and intermediate lifters really want to know is What's the best way to train for maximum muscle gains? Many people think you have to "train heavy" to pack on slabs of muscle. But how true is that really? And what training factors most influence muscle hypertrophy? These and other questions are answered below.

You may have heard the term, but what does peiodization really mean? And more importantly, why do you need it? If these questions are on your mind then you have come to the right place! This article is all about periodization: the different types of periodization, the benefits of peiodization and how periodization works. Yep, it's periodization overload!

Some people do steady state cardio for hours on end. Others say high intensity interval training (HIIT) is the way to go. Then there are the questions of how much cardio to do when bulking vs. cutting.

Simmer down! All of those questions are answered here.

You may have heard the term deloading. You might have even heard a thing or two about deloading. But did you know that deloading can actually help you build more muscle if done properly? That's right! Deloading can help you build muscle! So, read on to find out what deloading is, who should deload, when you should deload and how you can use deloading to help you build more muscle.

When people find out that I integrate yoga and stretching into my normal training regimen, they look at me like I have a horn growing out of my head. And to be honest, that's the same look I used to give to people who used to suggest that I do yoga. But now that I have been regularly practicing yoga and stretching, I can see now that it is a different kind of strength. And moreover, it helps contribute to my performance in traditional power exercises. How? Read on to find out.

You've been training for several years. You're strong but your strength gains aren't really increasing like they used to. Strength gains don't come easy and they don't come quick like your earlier lifting days. What you need is something to push you to the next level and keep you growing. Well, my friend, look no further. This article is for you!

If you have been following this site or facebook.com/AllNaturalMuscle then you have probably at least heard of blood flow restriction (BFR) training. But you might not know exactly how to go about integrating it into your training program. Or maybe you don't know why you should be considering BFR training (and you should). Don't worry! All of your answers are below: what BFR training is, how it can help you make gains and how you can integrate it into your training program.

This article is all about strength. In particular, it's about increasing your max bench press strength. Although, the principles in here can be applied to other exercises too (e.g. squats, deadlifts).

If you've ever struggled with your bench press or if you've ever wondered how to really boost your own bench press personal records (PRs) then this article is for you! In here is everything you need, short of an actual training routine (available exclusively to email group subscribers), to push higher numbers on your bench press. Are you ready to start killing it on chest day? Read on to find out how.

Most Recent Articles

Squats!

Turn Those Calves into Bulls

The Best Articles of 2014

Lift Attempt Selection

Technique for Optimizing Your Bench Press

Do You HIIT? Here's How!

Volume Manipulation For More Muscle

Rest, Training and Overtraining

Going To Failure

Making Time To Train

Fasted Cardio

Does Stretching Make You Stronger?

How To Train For More Muscle

Why You Need Periodization

What Kind of Cardio?

Deloading To Build Muscle

Flexibility + Balance = Strength

Creating a Training Program Part III: Advanced

Making Gains With Blood Flow Restriction Training

How to Increase Your Max Bench Press