4 Tips to Help You Not Suck at Chin-ups
Chin-ups are one of the best exercises for packing on muscle and testing relative strength.
However, most people suck at them and never do them. Or, they think they are better than they actually are at performing the exercise and never truly reap the benefits.
I’m here to give you for quick tips on how to not suck at chin-ups anymore!
Aren’t you all damn lucky!
So, here we go!
1. Lose some body fat: If you aren’t great at chins or can’t do any, get your diet in check and drop some L-B’s. Fat is non-functional tissue that will slow you down in more ways than one. Chin-ups are one. So ditch the snickers and grab some broccoli.
2. Don’t go to failure: If your last rep looks like you are a 14 year old having his first orgasm, you are going to fry yourself out and actually lose strength. Always keep one CLEAN rep in the tank so your Central Nervous System can actually recover from the set. Remember quality, not quantity.
3. Use eccentric reps: If you can only do a few reps (1-5) use eccentrics to help build some lat strength and body control. The eccentric phase is the part of the rep that the muscle is lengthening, in this case, the way down. Grab the bar and hop to the top position so your chest is at the bar. From that point, begin slowly lowering yourself to full extension for a count of 3-5 seconds to get down. Do a few sets of 3-8 reps to start. If you cannot control yourself down for a slow count try using a band to help assist you.
4. Complete full repetitions: So many people destroy the chin-up. They usually jump to the bar on the first rep, lower themselves 1/2 way down and just bring the chin back up over the bar in the top position. That does nothing. Start by grabbing the bar with your hands about shoulder width apart. Start in a dead hang position (full extension of the shoulders and elbows) with legs straight or bent at the knees. Pull your shoulders down while keeping your back arched as you begin to pull, your chest should come all the way up and touch the bar in the top. With control (about 2 seconds) lower yourself back down to the starting position and repeat. Most people that say they can do 37 Chin-ups try them this way and only get about 4. Check your ego at the door and start doing them right. Then watch your results and progress sky rocket.
I Hope this helps guys. If you liked this post please hook a brother up and share on social media. It will truly mean the world to me.
Until next time friends,
Keep training hard!
A Simplistic Approach to Getting Ripped Abs, Fast!
Getting super lean is simple.
You need to lift heavy three days per week, do some type of sprinting and conditioning three days per week, drink water and eat clean.
That’s it!
Now notice I said simple, not easy.
Getting ripped isn’t supposed to be easy. It will certainly be challenging, but the recipe is simple.
All you have to do is execute the things I just mentioned.
Now for those of you that are as simple as I am, let’s break down each of those ingredients and simplify a bit more.
Lift heavy: Remember strength training is about getting bigger and stronger. Don’t try to make it about losing fat. That’s a quick way to get smaller and weaker. Train with lower rep ranges and big compound lifts (3-8) and back off a bit on your assistance work (8-15). Make sure you do some type of squat, deadlift, vertical press, vertical pull, horizontal press, horizontal pull and keep your workouts to 45-60 minutes. You can split up your training by doing 3 full body days per week or an upper-lower split over a three day training week. For example, Monday upper body, Wednesday lower body, Friday upper body. Then the following week Monday lower body, Wednesday upper body, Friday lower body. Decide which works best for you by trying them both for 3-4 weeks at a time.
Sprinting/conditioning: Three training days per week just ain’t gonna cut it if losing a lot of fat is your goal. If you split up your training like I just mentioned, you can do a sprint variation on Tuesday, jump rope on Thursday, and hit some type of metabolic circuit on Saturday. Or, my favorite choice is getting some heavy sandbags, sleds, kegs and stones and create a strongman style circuit on one of those days. Any of those options are extremely effective but the most important thing is you do SOMETHING and sweat on your “off” days.
Drink water: To train hard and make consistent progress you need to stay hydrated. Start with a minimum of half your bodyweight in ounces daily. But the real reason I bring this up is due to the fact of how many people think it’s ok to drink juice and diet soda. I want to make this clear; juices, sports drinks and all soda (even diet) suck. They are either loaded with sugars or artificial sweeteners (which could be even more detrimental to your health than actual sugar) and will put a screeching halt to your fat loss progress. Avoid them at all costs and drink what we are designed to drink, water!
Eat clean: Let’s face it, you already know that eating pizza, burgers, cupcakes, fries, ice cream, donuts, brownies, pasta and bagels are not the key ingredients to that ripped six pack you want for summer. And you already know fish, chicken breast, potatoes, rice, beans, oatmeal, eggs, lean beef, vegetables and fruit are. You don’t need me to tell you that. You just need to execute. Don’t worry too much about counting calories at first. If you have a lot of body fat to lose you will be on your way if you just cut out the crap and focus on only the good stuff I just mentioned. Don’t let any marketing scam deter you from what you already know. Anything that comes in a box or bag and says “fat free”, “sugar free”, “low sodium” or anything of that nature is usually not something you want to be consuming. Put your focus towards earth grown nutrients and eat 5-6 meals per day. Just start with that to get the ball rolling. I guarantee you will see better results than you ever have following some bogus gimmick. Not to mention how much better you’ll feel.
One last thing I want to mention is to pay no attention to those overpriced, harmful supplements out there that will guarantee you unrealistic results in earth shattering time. Most of those pills are loaded with caffeine and chemicals and will do more harm for you than good. Stay away!
That’s as simple as it gets folks! Summer will literally be here before you know it so if you’re serious about achieving the body you’ve always wanted you now have the recipe!
Just start and pick up some momentum. You will be SHOCKED to see what you can actually accomplish by this simplistic approach!
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Thanks for reading guys, catch you on the next one!
5 Exercises You’re Not Doing That Will Blow Up Your Triceps
Who doesn’t want jacked arms? Ever since I was little and watched Hulk Hogan talk about his 24” pythons I know I sure as hell did!
If you were a Hulkamaniac like me, I’m sure you want to blow up those pipes as well, and I’m here to tell you how!
Typically people just do some extra sets of curls during their workout to get those pee shooters to grow. But if you really want to get the biggest bang for your buck you need to focus on the triceps. That’s not to say that training your biceps isn’t important, it certainly is. But the triceps actually make up about 2/3 of your arm, so it’s definitely important to do more than push-downs and kickbacks for your triceps work.
So let’s get into it so we can start getting those sleeves to fit a little tighter! I’m going to give you a list of the best exercises for developing the triceps that you can start incorporating right away!
1. Parallel bar dips: These are tremendous for growing the triceps and developing relative strength. Make sure that you lower yourself with control to a 90 degree elbow angle and extend back up to full extension. Come up quickly and explosively. If you are doing them with body weight for max reps do not go until complete failure. Leave one rep in the tank and try to progress the following week. Once you can do 10-12 quality dips, start adding weight with a belt or weighted vest. Once you get really good at them you can progress to doing them on gymnast rings, which are definitely one of my favorites!
2. Close grip bench press: The close grip bench press is awesome for developing the tri’s. But you don’t want to go too close. That will only stress the shit out of your wrists and could lead to injury. Instead, grip the bar with your index or middle finger on the line between the smooth and rough part of the bar. Set up like a normal bench press and lower the bar to touch the chest, explode up and come to a full extension.
3. DB pressing with a neutral grip: A neutral grip means your palms are in, facing each other. Using this variation puts more stress on the triceps than the pecs. In addition, this variation is much safer for people with shoulder issues and might be a good alternative if you can’t do any horizontal pressing without pain. Either way, they are an awesome addition to your tricep work. Just set up like you are going to do a DB press variation except rotate your palms in at the starting position. Lower with control and press explosively.
4. Floor press variations: The floor press is great because it allows you to overload the triceps due to the limited range of motion. Set up the bar in the front of the rack, where you can lie on the floor underneath it as to do a traditional bench press except you are lying on the floor. Your knees should be bent with your feet flat on the floor. Unrack the bar and hold it in the top position, over your chest. Lower with control until both of your triceps touch the floor, pause for 1 second and press up explosively. You can also do these with dumbbells and a neutral grip.
5. Seated French press: Alright I had to throw one isolation exercise in there. The seated French press is one of my favorites. Grab an E-Z bar using the narrower grip. Sit down at the end of a flat bench. Keeping your feet flat on the floor, press the bar straight overhead. Lower the bar from your elbows with control so the bar is now behind your head. Extend your elbows quickly so the bar is now back to the starting positon. Squeeze the triceps when you are in the top position. I like to do these for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
So there you have it guys. Incorporate these exercises today and I can guarantee you will be a little bit closer to Hulkamania’s 24”!
Well at least that’s the goal.
If you have any questions please comment below or shoot over an email to chris@tutelatraining.com and be sure to follow us in Instagram @chris_tutela and Facebook at Tutela Training Systems for more tips, training pics and videos.
Until next time, train hard, “brothers”!
How to Dominate in 2016
What’s up guys, I hope you all had an awesome holiday and are getting ready to take on 2016! Like every year, people will say that they have all types of resolutions, and are going to change their lives come the new year. And like always, maybe 1% of those people will actually make those changes. Sure they might start off strong, but that fire usually dies out pretty quick. Here’s why…
1. Most people like to live in their comfort zone and change is uncomfortable. To overcome this be willing to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Change isn’t easy, are you willing to step up to the plate and become the person you want to be? 2. Most don’t write down their goals. I found this to be a crucial step in achieving anything. When you write something down on paper, that’s the first step to make your goal a reality. Next you have to take action. 3. The majority fail to write out an action plan. So you have a goal, you write it down and now you have no idea how you are going to achieve it. Well, simply writing out an action plan stating when you will start, when and how you will put in the work, and giving yourself a deadline to achieve your goal is critical to your success. 4. Usually people wait for the perfect time. Fuck perfect. Nobody is perfect and neither is a particular time. You have to take imperfect action if you are going to succeed. People use timing as an excuse as they wait and wait to take action. Then that perfect time never comes and another year goes by. Instead, grab 2016 by the balls and create your own destiny! 2016 is your year not to be like everyone else. This is your chance to become the best version of you. A healthier, happier, more successful life. And the good news is it is all up to you. Not your spouse, your friends, your boss, Obama, the economy. YOU. So don’t look for a scapegoat, this is your time and only you can make the changes you need. So ask yourself, will you ignore this post and continue to do things the way you have been, or will you start taking control and changing your life for the better right now? I genuinely hope you make the right call.
This year could be a special one.
Speed up Your Recovery to Enhance Your Gains!
Recovery.
Such a vital component to achieving fitness success yet not many people take it seriously.
Let’s take a quick look into why recovery is so important for muscle and strength gains, performance and fat loss.
First off, you don’t build muscle when you train. You actually break it down and rebuild it through recovery. As you heard me say before, the amount of lean muscle you possess dictates the rate of your metabolism. The faster your metabolism the more fat you burn.
By simply reading that statement, you can see why recovery plays such a vital role in your progress.
So how do we enhance recovery you might ask?
Well, let’s begin with sleep. When you sleep your body produces highly anabolic hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone. These hormones are key factors in the development of strength and hypertrophy. Adequate sleep is between 7-9 hours per night. Not only will sleep improve your fitness, but it will also enhance your cognitive ability, productivity and even sex drive. Like jacked traps weren’t enough! If you are only sleeping a few hours per night start to get to bed an hour earlier and work your way up to 7-9 hours per night. Your Mrs. Will be happy you did!
Second, is food. Especially immediately following your workout. Since you are breaking down muscle in the gym you need to start the recovery and rebuilding process right away. You can do this by eating within 30 minutes after your training session. Make sure you base this meal on protein and carbohydrates. A high quality whey protein powder and banana or two is usually my go-to.
Another way to speed up your recovery process is taking contrasts baths. Basically what you can do is set the shower to as hot as you can tolerate for 1 minute, followed by as cold as you can tolerate for one minute. Repeat that process 4-6 times. What that does is dilate the blood vessels when the water is hot, bringing in fresh blood and nutrients, then constricting the vessels when the water is cold, pushing out the lactic acid that’s causing some of the soreness. Try it out and you’ll notice the benefits right away.
Next you should definitely take advantage of getting a massage or, if you can’t swing that every week, you can use a foam roller. Soft tissue work like that breaks up tons of scar tissue and will help in the recovery process. Make sure you do some static stretching as well after your weight training sessions.
Last but not least, take naps. If you can nap for 20-30 minutes per day you will reap the benefits of higher test and hgh levels as well as feeling refreshed and ready to get more done. Some may look at taking a quick power nap as being lazy but studies have shown that people that take quick naps in the middle of the day are actually more productive than people who don’t. Try it out to see for yourself.
Well I hope you guys loved the post and start utilizing these recovery methods to become a bigger, stronger, healthier you.
If you have any questions feel free to comment below or shoot me an email at chris@tutelatraining.com.
Catch you guys on the next one!
To Get Jacked, Don’t do That. Do THIS Instead
Hey guys, I hope you all had an awesome weekend and started off your Monday on the right foot!
I got a couple emails over the last few weeks asking me why I haven’t done a blog post lately. Well, I definitely appreciate that and as you can probably see there were a lot of changes to the site. It was something that needed to get done and I hope that you guys like it.
On that note let’s get to the shit that I have for you guys today!
Let me start by saying that getting bigger, stronger and faster are always the goals of any program we create. Now you’ve heard me say 1000000000000000000 times by now that if you want to get strong and jacked you have to base your program on big compound movements. Squats, deads, bench, chins, rows, sprints and overhead pressing.
Some of you guys started adding these lifts to your program using perfect form. Which is tremendous and if you haven’t started yet then getcho ass movin!
Now even though you added these compound lifts as the foundation of your program some of you have asked me what to do with your assistance exercises.
I want to eliminate any confusion whatsoever so I am going to tell you what to STOP doing and a few exercises you should START doing as their replacement.
So here we go!
STOP: Leg Extensions
START: DB STEP-UPS, LUNGE VARIATIONS, REVERSE SLED DRAGS
Unless you are a competitive bodybuilder, leg extensions on a machine serve no purpose. They isolate the quadriceps and create muscular imbalances between the quads, glutes, hips and hamstrings. In the real world or athletic field, these imbalances can be directly related to serious injuries. Plus they serve zero purpose if you want to get strong. The alternative exercises are tremendous for balance, strength, hypertrophy (increase in muscular size) and even conditioning in the entire lower body. They can help correct any potential imbalances which leave you LESS susceptible to any potential injury. Talk about a bigger bang for your buck. Use them!
STOP: Lying Leg Curls on machine
START: RDL’S, BACK EXTENTIONS, LEG CURL ON SWISS BALL
For the same reasons I mentioned above, the lying leg curl sucks for the hamstrings. The three alternative exercises I included will work the glutes, hamstring and lower back (known as the posterior chain) simultaneously. This will have an enormous effect on your strength and size of your legs. Why the hell wouldn’t you use them??
STOP: Lying triceps extension (AKA skull crushers)
START: PUSH-UP VARIATIONS, DIPS, FLOOR PRESSES
Don’t get me wrong, skull crushers are cool to pump up the tri’s from time to time. But they can beat the shit out of your elbows if you do them long enough. Plus you won’t really develop the size of your triceps like you will with the three exercises I prescribed. Body weight exercises like push-ups and dips are incredible for developing size and relative strength in the upper body. Take a look at an Olympic gymnast. All they do is bodyweight exercises and their arms are always jacked. Floor presses are a great addition because the limited range of motion will allow you to get some pretty good weight on the bar which can help you get strong and jacked. Add these in and watch the changes to your physique.
STOP: NEGLECTING YOUR BACK!
START: 1Arm DB Row, Face-pulls, Chest supported row, Inverted row
I say this because if you walk into any public gym most people are doing a whole lotta pressing but not much pulling. Guys, this is only going to lead to an unbalanced physique, shoulder injuries, and lack of upper body strength. Your 315 pound bench press means shit if you have the pulling strength of a 90 year old woman with osteoporosis. It’s not impressive when your chest looks like The Rock’s and your back looks like Bea Arthur’s. Get strong, pull more than you press and get fucking strong and jacked! The three exercises that are listed are a few of my favorites for packing on muscle. Get it going!
STOP: Crunches
START: Hanging knee/leg raise, Russian Twists, Planks
Crunches suck. Use the alternative exercises to really develop your abs and get them strong. Get that core strong and a lot of other stuff will get strong. Plus if you get that body fat down those abs will really be nicely developed and you will have the core strength to back up your look.
STOP: All cardio machines
START: Prowler Work, Jump Rope, Sprints
Ok I know this post is about getting jacked, but steady state cardio can actually slow down your gains. If you condition however, it can have an anabolic effect and help pack on some muscle. The exercises above are among my favorites. They will develop muscle, strength, speed, explosiveness, coordination and, if you do them right can help create an iron will that cannot be broken. I can’t stress how important that is for your success in the gym and in life.
Well guys, I hope that you loved this post and start making changes to your program TODAY! If you stick to the game plan you will undoubtedly pack on muscle and strength over the next few months.
If you want your programs done for you and train in an environment where everyone works together, works hard, pushes each other and achieves massive results, tryout TTS in Clark, NJ for 21 days for just 27 bucks. You know you can’t beat that so email chris@tutelatraining.com now to start getting the results you want! There is no reason to wait. This deal goes bye-bye 12/1/15 so if you’re interested you have to get movin!
If you guys liked this post please click share for Facebook and/or drop a comment below for any questions.
I really hope to hear from you guys!
Peace!
5 Quick Steps to Get Explosive as F@#%
What’s up guys? I hope everyone has dominated their training week and has a lot of fun planned for the weekend.
I wanted to wrap up the week by giving you a quick post on how to develop explosive power without overcomplicating things.
So first, what is power?
Power is strength x speed.
Basically it’s moving a load or generating force as fast as possible.
So how do we train for that at TTS?
1. Get strong first: If you’re weak you can’t be explosive. You have to build a foundation of strength first. So for the first 12 weeks of your program focus on increasing your numbers on big compound movements. Squats, deadlifts, presses. Once you’ve developed enough strength you can start training for power.
2. Jump: Once you’ve built your foundation you can start jumping. It’s a fundamental human movement that we are designed to do. Add in jumps prior to starting your workout, but after your warm-up. Keep reps low here, about 1-5 for about 3-5 sets. Use box jumps, vertical jumps, broad jumps, DB squat jumps and other variations. You’ll want to do them when you are in your freshest state to generate as much force as possible, that’s why we do them prior to our strength work.
3. Throw: Throwing heavy shit is another great way to develop explosive power. Go outside and start your workout by throwing heavy med balls, kegs or objects alike. Throw soccer style, overhead, from the chest or with a rotation. The set rep scheme can be the same as the jumping rep scheme. Keep it short, explosive and before your strength work for the same reasons mentioned above.
4. Sledgehammering: Beating up a large tire with a sledgehammer is one of my favorite ways to work on power development. You can do it with the reps/sets mentioned above if you have a heavy sledgehammer or use it as a finisher to get a little more of a conditioning effect. In that case do about 3-5 sets with 30 sec on and one minute off. Just make sure you have enough room for obvious reasons. This is also a great way to increase your punching power if you are a combat athlete.
5. Sprinting: I’ve said it 1,000 times before. Sprinting is one of the best exercises on the planet. Another fundamental human movement that will get you explosive as shit when used in short distances (10-40 yards). If you want to get powerful you need to sprint. Period.
So there you have it guys. My top 5 ways to become one powerful MoFo. Start adding these exercises to your program today and I guarantee you will be a heavy hitter in no time!
Catch you guys on the next one!
Charity Turnout and 5 Secrets to Bigger Arms
So this past Saturday was our first charity event at Tutela Training Systems, LLC. I’m excited to say that we had a great turnout and raised close to $500 for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Like I said before, there is nothing more I hate to see than sick children. So I was really pleased to have the turnout we did!
On top of raising money for a great organization, we had a great day of training. The workout consisted of full body training which included goblet squats, RDL’s, lunges, medicine ball slams, the prowler sled and a little competition to finish the day off.
I am extremely grateful for all who participated and wanted to thank everyone involved for helping us raise money for a great cause.
This all went down at our new and improved facility located at 1057 Raritan Rd. in Clark, NJ. So as you can imagine it was a crazy week of moving the gym and setting up for the event.
Now that I am back in the lab and had some time to think, I wanted to share with you guys 5 secrets to building bigger arms. I received a few questions recently on developing bigger guns, so I thought it would be fitting to let you guys in on my 5 secrets on how to do so!
So lets get to it…
1. Back the fu@*ing weight off on curls: Most guys use a weight that is way too heavy on curls. In order to move that weight an inch, they have to swing their hips like Ron Jeremy to get the weight up. That won’t do anything for you besides blow out your back. Use a weight you can handle with strict elbow flexion and extension. Come up explosively but make sure to control the eccentric phase back down to full elbow extension. This will help keep the tension on your biceps and create a much better stimulus.
2. Use a neutral grip on dumbbell presses: By a neutral grip I mean your palms should be facing each other and your elbows should be tucked in towards your body. This will put much more emphasis on your triceps and will also be much safer for your shoulders. You can use them on all horizontal and overhead dumbbell presses.
3. Row heavy: Going heavy on different row variations will certainly pack some size on your biceps. Using a heavy weight that you can handle for 6-8 reps is one of my favorite things to do. Just make sure you maintain good form, if you can’t the weight is too heavy.
4. Do proper chin-ups: Most people usually have shitty form on chin-ups. Even though chin-ups are great for your lats, they are also incredible for slapping some muscle on your biceps. To do a proper chin-up you want your chest to come all the way up to the bar followed by full extension of the elbows. That will ensure you are going through the full range of motion and will help those pipes grow. As well as your lats. If you are too fat or weak to do chin-ups properly then it’s time to get your diet in check. But for now you can use pulldowns with a chin-up grip.
5. Use thick bars and/or Fat Gripz: Last but certainly not least, using thick handled bars or Fat Gripz are a tremendous way to get those 22” pythons. You can use them for any of the exercises I mentioned above to start. Thick bars are not just for developing hand and grip strength but forces your body to recruit more muscle fibers to complete the task. They are great for real world strength and muscle. If you train at a public gym, then you probably won’t access to any thick bars. Trust me, grab a pair of Fat Gripz and keep them in your gym bag. You will thank me later.
So that’s it guys. I hope you enjoyed this post and start implementing these 5 secrets to bigger guns right away.
I am excited to hear your feedback. Hit me up on social, email me or drop a comment below to let me know your progress.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
The Date is Set!
So a couple weeks ago I told you guys that Tutela Training Systems is going to be holding a charity work out in October with 100% of the proceeds being donated to The St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Well we are excited to announce that the event will be held at Tutela Training Systems’ NEW LOCATION, 1057 Raritan Rd. Clark, NJ on Saturday October 3rd. You can sign up for one of two time slots. 9-AM or 10:30-AM.
Remember that there is limited space available and the groups are filling up fast!
You don’t want to miss this event. Not only is it a great cause, but you will be getting a ton of information!
You can expect from this event…
1. A great workout with exercises never before seen
2. Learn the truth about fat loss and how to keep it off
3. Learn how to maximize your potential for real strength and muscle
4. An intense and motivating environment
5. Coaches with nearly 10 years of experience transforming high
school and college athletes as well as hard-working everyday people!
This is an event you do not want to miss. You receive all this valuable information plus get to give back to a great cause.
The cost of this event is a $25 donation with 100% OF THE PROCEEDS BEING DONATED to St. Jude.
If you are as fired up about this as we are then please email chris@tutelatraining.com or call 908 868 6158 today to reserve your spot.
Thanks guys and I can’t wait to see you on the 3rd!